Browse Names - Behind the Name

Astérix m Popular Culture
French form of Asterix.

Asterix m Popular Culture
The name of a Gaulish hero (Astérix in the original French) in a comic book series of the same name, debuting 1959. His name is a pun based on French astérisque meaning "asterisk, little star" but appearing to end with the Gaulish element rix meaning "king" (seen for example in the historical figure Vercingetorix). All male Gauls in the series have humorous names ending with -ix.

Beavis m Popular Culture
Variant of Bevis. This name was used in the animated television program Beavis and Butthead.

Bugs m Popular Culture
From the slang term bugs meaning "crazy, unstable". Bugs Bunny is an animated cartoon rabbit originally developed in the 1930s by staff at Leon Schlesinger Productions. He was named for the animator Ben "Bugs" Hardaway.

Castiel m Judeo-Christian-Islamic Legend, Popular Culture
Possibly a variant of Cassiel. It is the name of an angel in the grimoire the Heptameron, a work that is sometimes (probably incorrectly) attributed to the 13th-century philosopher Pietro d'Abano. It was also the name of a character (an angel) on the American television series Supernatural (2005-2020). The creator Eric Kripke chose it after an internet search revealed that Castiel was an angel associated with Thursdays, the day the show aired.

Fester m Popular Culture
From the English word fester meaning "rot, rankle". This is the name of the uncle on the Addams Family television series (1964-1966) and subsequent adaptations. The character was created by the cartoonist Charles Addams in the 1930s, though he was not named.

Frankenstein m Popular Culture
From the surname Frankenstein, used by Mary Shelley in her 1818 novel of the same name for the scientist Victor Frankenstein. The monster that Frankenstein created, which has no name in the novel, is sometimes called Frankenstein in modern speech, as if it were his given name.

Kratos Κράτος m Greek Mythology, Popular Culture
Means "power, strength" in Greek. In Greek mythology this is the name of one of the children of Styx and Pallas.... [more]

Shrek m Popular Culture
Derived from German Schreck or Yiddish שרעק (shrek) meaning "fright". This is the name of a large green ogre in the animated movie Shrek (2001) and its sequels.

Sonic m Popular Culture
From the English word sonic meaning "related to sound", derived from Latin sonus meaning "sound". It also connotates speediness, or the speed of sound, due to words like supersonic or hypersonic. A notable fictional bearer is the speedy video game character Sonic the Hedgehog, introduced in 1991 by Sega. He is called ソニック (Sonikku) in Japan.

Spock m Popular Culture
The name of a half-Vulcan, half-human Starfleet officer on the Star Trek television series (1966-1969), later appearing in several movies. His name was invented by the writers, based on their rules that Vulcan names must start with an S and end with a k. In a 1985 tie-in novel his full name is said to be S'chn T'gai Spock (S'chn T'gai is the family name, since it is also borne by his father S'chn T'gai Sarek; this is despite the fact that he is often addressed as Mr. Spock by characters on the show).

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separate search terms with spaces search for an exact phrase by surrounding it with double quotes this field understands simple boolean logic force a term to be included by preceding it with a + sign force a term to be excluded by preceding it with a - sign expand search to include grammatical forms: attempt to include grammatical forms of the meanings example: speak includes spoke expand search to include close synonyms: attempt to include synonyms of the meanings example: brave includes courageous expand search to include search narrower synonyms: attempt to include subclasses of the meanings example: reptile includes turtle expand search to related names: allow related names to inherit the meaning of the main form
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the description is the meaning and history write-up for the name separate search terms with spaces search for an exact phrase by surrounding it with double quotes example: "lord of the rings" matches names from the novel 'The Lord of the Rings' this field understands simple boolean logic force a term to be included by preceding it with a + sign force a term to be excluded by preceding it with a - sign example: +greek +(legend myth) -zeus matches Greek names of myths or legends not about Zeus ignore name meanings: keywords from the name meanings are ignored

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the "relationship" is how the name relates to its parent name example: searching for diminutive matches Betsy because it is a diminutive of its parent Elizabeth selecting *(all core forms)* excludes peripheral forms such as diminutives, short forms, and combinations expand search to ancestral names: relationships between names further up the family tree are included

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