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ArchivesZerelda & Maricel
As I was looking through baby name sites, I came across a possible meaning for the girl's name Zerelda (a new favorite). Several sites say that it means "armored battle" or something similar in Teutonic. Could this be true?
Also, I recently have decided that I like the Spanish female name Maricel. When I first saw the name, I thought it looked like a combination of "Mari" and "celi", so that the name would mean something like "Mary of Heaven". However, baby name sites say that Maricel is a variant of Marcella. Which etymology is correct?
Also, I recently have decided that I like the Spanish female name Maricel. When I first saw the name, I thought it looked like a combination of "Mari" and "celi", so that the name would mean something like "Mary of Heaven". However, baby name sites say that Maricel is a variant of Marcella. Which etymology is correct?
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"Armored battle" would be the interpretation of Brunhild or Brunhilda. I can see how the ending of Zerelda could go back to Germanic "hild", "Battle", as in Griselda, but I can't see how you get Zer- out of Brun-. So unless someone can point me to another ancient Germanic word meaning something like "armor" that could lead to Zer- as a modern form, I would guess this is an incorrect guess. One would also have to link the use of Zerelda in the USA to the ancient Germanic roots somehow, and so far I haven't found any indication of the name being in use before around 1810, with almost all of the early examples being in Kentucky, which doesn't seem to indicate to me that an ancient Teutonic origin is likely.
I would assume that Maricel is a shortened form of Maricela myself. Because of where the "i" is placed in Maricel, it seems more likely to me that it comes from Maricela than from Marcella or Marcelina.
I would assume that Maricel is a shortened form of Maricela myself. Because of where the "i" is placed in Maricel, it seems more likely to me that it comes from Maricela than from Marcella or Marcelina.
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