America's First Families
Forenames of Women
And Their Significance

ABIGAIL  My Father's Joy, ACHSA  Anklet,  ADA  The Same as Edith,  ADELA  Of Noble Birth, A Princess, ADELAIDE  Same as Adela,  ADELINE  Same as Adela,  AGATHA  Good, Kind,  AGNES  Chaste, Pure,  ALBERTA  Feminine of Albert,  ALETHEA  Truth,  ALEXANDRA  Feminine of Alexander,  ALEXANDRINA  Same as Alexandra, ALICE  Same as Adela,  ALICIA  Same as Adela,  ALMIRA  Lofty, a Princess,  ALTHEA  A Healer,  AMABEL  Loveable,  AMANDA  Worthy to be Loved,  AMELIA  Busy, Energetic,  AMY  Beloved,  ANGELICA  Lovely, Angelic, ANGELINA  Same as Angelicia,  ANN  or ANNE  Grace,  ANNA  Same as Ann,  ANNABELLA  Feminine of Hannibal,  ANNETTA  Variation of Anne,  ANTOINETTE  Diminutive of Antonia,  ANTONIA  Inestimable,  ANTONINA  Same as Antonia,  ARABELLA  A Praying Woman,  ARIANA  A Corruption of Ariadne,  AUGUSTA  Feminine of Augustus,  AURELIA  Feminine of Aurelius,  AURORA  Morning Redness, Brilliant  AZUBAH  Deserted.

BARBARA  Foreign, Strange,  BEATRICE  Making Happy,  BEATRIX  Same as Beatrice,  BELINDA  From Bella, Isabella,  BELLA  From Isabella,  BENEDICTA  Feminine of Benedictus,  BERTHA  Bright, Beautiful,  BETSEY  A Corruption of Elizabeth,  BLANCH or BLANCHE  White,  BONA  Good,  BRIDGET  Strength.

CAMILLA  Attendant at a Sacfrice,  CAROLINE  Fem. Of Carolus or Charles,  CASSANDRA  One Who Inflames Love,  CATHARINA  Pure,  CATHARINE  Same as Catharina,  CATHERINE  Same as Catharina,  CECILIA  Feminine of Cecil,  CECILY  Same as Cecilia,  CELESTINE  Heavenly,  CELIA  Feminine of Coelus,  CHARLOTTE  Feminine of Charles,  CHLOE  A Green Herb, Blooming,  CHRISTIANA  Feminine of Christianus,  CHRISTINA  Same as Christiana,  CICELY  A Variation of Celia,  CLARA  Bright, Illustrious,  CLARICE  A Variation of Clara,  CLARISSA  Same as Clarice, CLAUDIA  Feminine of Claudius,  CLEMENTINA  Mild, Gentle,  CLEMENTINE  Same as Clementina,  CONSTANCE  Firm, Constant,  CORA  Maiden, Form of Corinna,  CORNELIA  Feminine of Cornelius,  CYNTHIA  Belonging to Mount Cynthus.

DEBORAH  A Bee,  DELIA  Of Delos,  DIANNA  Goddess,  DIANTHA  Flower of Jove,  DINAH  Judged,  DORA  A Variation of Dorothea,  DORCUS  A Gazelle,  DORINDA  Same as Dorothea,  DOROTHEA  Gift of God,  DOROTHY  Same as Dorothea,  DRUSILLA  Dew Watered

EDITH  Happiness, Rich Gift,  EDNA  Pleasure,  ELEANOR  Light, Same as Helen,  ELINOR  Same as Eleanor, ELISABETH  Concentrated to God,  ELIZABETH  Same as Elisabeth,  ELIZA  Same as Elisabeth,  ELLA  A Contraction of Eleanor,  ELLEN  A Diminutive of Eleanor,  ELVIRA  White,  EMELINE  Energetic, Industrious,  EMMELINE  Same as Emeline,  EMILY  Same as Emeline,  EMMA  Same as Emeline,  ERNESTINE  Feminine and Diminutive,  ESTHER  A Star, Good Fortune,  ETHELIND  Noble Snake,  ETHELINDA  Same as Ethelind,  EUDORA  Good Gift,  EUGENIA  Feminine of Eugene,  EUGENIE  Same as Eugenia,  EULALIA  Fair Speed,  EUNICE  Happy Victory,  EUPHEMIA  Of Good Report,  EVA  Same as Eve,  EVANGELINE  Bringing Glad News,  EVE  Life,  EVELINA  Diminutive of Eva,  EVELINE  Same as Evelina.

FANNY  Diminutive of Frances,  FAUSTINA  Fortunate, Lucky,  FELICIA  Happiness,  FIDELIA  Faithful,  FLORA  Goddess of Flowers and Spring,  FLORENCE  Blooming, Flourishing,  FRANCES  Feminine of Francis
FREDERICA  Feminine of Frederick

GEORGIANA  Feminine of George,  GEORGINA  Same as Georgiana,  GERALDINE  Feminine of Gerald,  GERTRUDE  Spear-Maiden,  GRACE  Grace, Favor,  GRATIA  Same as Grace,  GRISELDA  Stone, Heroine

HANNAH  Same as Anna,  HARRIET  Feminine of Henry,  HARRIOT  Same as Harriet,  HELEN  Light,  HELENA  Same as Helen,  HENRIETTA  Feminine Diminutive Henry,  HEPHZIBAH  My Delight is in Her,  HESTA  Same as Esther,  HILARIA  Feminine of Hilary,  HONORA  Honorable,  HONORFA  Same as Honora,  HORTENSIA  A Lady Gardner,  HULDAH  A Weasel

IDA  Happy,  INEZ  Same as Agnes,  IRENE  Peaceful,  ISABEL/ISABELLA  Same as Elizabeth.

JANE  Feminine of John,  JANET  Same as Jane,  JAQUELINE  Feminine of James,  JEAN  Same as Jane or Joan,  JEANNE  Same as Jean,  JEANNETTE  Same as Jean,  JEMIMA  A Dove.  JERUSHA  Possessed, Married,  JOAN  Femimine of John,  JOANNA  Same as Joan,  JOHANNA  Same as Joan,  JOSEPHA  Feminine of Joseph,  JOSEPHINE  Feminine of Joseph,  JOYCE  Sportive,  JUDITH  Praised,  JULIA  Feminine of Julius,  JULIANA  Feminine of Julian,  JULIET  Diminutive of Julia,  JUSTINA  Feminine of Justin.

KATHARINE  Same as Catharine,  KATHERINE  Same as Catharine,  KETURAH  Incense,  KEZIAH  Cassia.

LAURA  A Laurel,  LAURINDA  A Variation of Laura.  LAVINIA  Of Latium,  LEONORA  Same as Eleanor,  LETITIA  Happiness,  LILLIAN  A Lily,  LILY  Same as Lillian,  LOIS  Good, Desirable,  LORINDA  A Variation of Laurinda,  LOUISA  Feminine of Louis,  LOUISE  Same as Louisa,  LUCIA  Same as Lucy,  LUCINDA  Same as Lucy,  LUCRECE  Gain,  LUCRETIA  Same As Lucrece,  LUCY  Feminine of Lucius,  LYDIA  A Native of Lydia.

MABEL  A Contraction of Amabel,  MADELINE  Franch Form of Magdelene,  MAGDALENE  A Native of Magdala,  MARCELIA  Feminine of Marcellus,  MARCIA  Feminine of Marcius,  MARGARET  A Pearl,  MARIA  Same as Mary,  MARIANNE  A Compound of Mary&Anne,  MARION  A French Form of Mary,  MARTHA  The Ruler of the House,  MARY  Star of the East,  MATHILDA  Mighty Battle-Maid, Heroine,  MATILDA  Same as Mathilda,  MAUD  A Contraction of Matilda,  MAY  Month of May, or Mary,  MEHETABEL Benefited of God,  MEHITABEL  Same as Mehetabel,  MELICENT  Sweet-Singer,  MELISSA  A Bee,  MILDRED  Mild Threatener,  MIRANDA  Admirable,  MIRIAM  Same as Mary,  MYRA  She Who Weeps or Laments.

NANCY  A Familiar Form of Anne,  NORA  A Contraction of Helenora.

OCTAVIA  Feminine of Octavius,  OLIVE  An Olive,  OLIVIA  Same as Olive,  OPHELIA  A Serpent,  OLYMPIA  Heavenly.

PAULA  Feminine of Paulus or Paul,  PAULINA  Same as Paula,  PAULINE  Same as Paula,  PENELOPE  A Weaver,  PERSIS  A Persian Woman,  PHEBE  Pure, Radiant,  PHOEBE  Same as Phebe,  PHILIPPA  Femenine of Philip,  PHILLIS  A Green Bough,  PHYLLIS  Same as Phillis,  POLLY  A Diminutive of Mary,  PRISCILLA  Advances In Years,  PRUDENCE  In Latin Prudentia.

RACHEL  An Ewe,  REBECCA  Of Enchanting Beauty,  REBEKAH  Same as Rebecca,  ROSA  A Rose,  ROSABEL  A Fair Rose,  ROSABELLA  Same as Rosabel,  ROSALIA  Little and Blooming Rose,  ROSALIE  Same as Rosalia,  ROSALIND  Beautiful as a Rose,  ROSAMOND  Horse Protection,  ROXANA  Dawn of Day,  RUTH  Beauty.

SABINA  A Sabine Woman,  SABRINA  The River Severn,  SALOME  Peaceful,  SALVA  Safe,  SARA  A Princess,  SARAH  Same as Sara,  SELINA  Parsley,  SERINA  Feminine of Serenus/Sereno,  SIBYL  A Prophetess,  SIBYLLA  Same as Sibyl,  SOPHIA  Wisdom,  SOPHRONIA  Of a Sound Mind,  STELLA  A Star.  STEPHANA  Feminine of Stephen,  SUSAN  A Lily,  SUSANNA  Same as Susan,  SUSANNAH  Same as Susan.

TABITHA  A Gazelle,  THEODORA  Feminine of Theodore,  THEODOSIA  The Gift of God,  THERESA  Carrying Ears of Corn,  THOMASA  Feminine of Thomas,  THOMASINE  Same as Thomasa,  TRYPHENA  Delicate, Luxurious,  TRYPHOSA  Luxurious, Dainty.

ULICA  Rich,  URANIA  Heavenly,  URSULA  She-Bear.

VALERIA  Feminine of Valerius,  VICTORIA  Victory or Feminine of Victor,  VIOLA  A Violet,  VIRGINIA  Virgin, Pure,  VIVIAN  Lively, Cheerful.

WILHELMINA  Feminine of Wilhelm,  WINIFRED  A Lover of Peace.

ZENOBIA  Having Life From Jupiter.

The Reference For The Above Is; "Origin and History of the Name Smith: and an account of the origin of Surnames and Forenames; together with over five hundred Christian names of men and women and their signifiance: the Crescent family record.  Chicago, Ill: American Publishers Association. 1902, 130 pages."
The Surname-Forename information contains much that will be helpful to you. The rest of the book is too general to assist you with any surname lines..Many other surname lines published from about 1900-1910 by this firm........

Harold Oliver, Director America's First Families.

RETURN TO Forenames And Surnames INDEX PAGE

RETURN TO FIRSTFAMILIES HOMEPAGE