In 2014 I featured a series of blog posts introducing you to 2,014 names. For the most part they were names that were brand new to me as well. Some names may be more familiar but I found the meaning or origin or some other aspect of the name made it worthy of inclusion here. You may love some of the names, you may hate some, but hopefully you enjoy learning about all of them.

Monday, February 24, 2014

1, 618 Names left to learn this year after today's 7

GIRLS



Synolda - I've been digging around on this name for nearly a year now. I know one thing for certain, which is that it was a female name in use in Northern France or among the Norman invaders of Britain. I don't know much more for certain. Conjecture might associate it with 'chennault' a name given to a person who lived near a channel of water (such as the English channel separating England and France) or to the word 'saulte' as in the name of Saulte Sainte Marie, the name of a city on the Saint Mary's river in Ontario, Canada, so named by the French, perhaps, because of the rapids or waterfall located there, as 'saulte' means 'jump' (saltar in Spanish also means 'to jump, and 'salta' would be what you would say if telling someone to jump. Perhaps Synolda is an old French form of some word related to this root. But in the end, it may simply mean 'a waterfall' or perhaps a place on a river where one enters or leaves the river). It 'looks' more like the word 'synod', which is the word used to refer to a church council where doctrinal matters are decided. It comes from the Greek 'synodos' meaning 'assembly' or 'meeting'. It is also worth remembering that 'ot' is a common ending to French names and a often makes a name feminine, so the original form of the name may have looked and sounded different. Which makes me think of the Greek 'xeno' meaning 'stranger' or 'foreign'. The Vikings were strangers, at first, in France, their Norman descendants were 'foreign' to the people of England, and the Anglo Normans who came to Ireland were also. I would like to know for certain the origin and meaning of this name. For now, this will have to suffice.


UPDATE: I came across the name Sinella, a descendant of the Norman invaders of England, and I wonder if this could be related to Synolda?

Torkel - Norse, from "Tor" meaning "Thor" (the god of thunder) and "ketill" meaning "cauldron" so it means "Thor's cauldron" or 'helmet" as ketill can also mean helmet. Usually a male name, but I encountered it as a female name. There is quite a story about how Thor goes about getting a cauldron.

Uli- Germanic form of Ulli, meaning "heritage" or "patrimony". It can also be a short form of the Germanic name Ulrike, meaning "powerful ruler" or an Estonian form of the Latin Ursula, meaning "little female bear". It is also a form of the Irish name "Ula", meaning "sea jewel".

Vanderleia



BOYS


Welby- Old English, "from the farm by the spring".

Xurxo - Galician form of George.

Yasser - Arabic, meaning "to be rich" from 'yasira' which means "to become easy".

4 comments:

  1. Hi there,

    My name is Synolda Byrne. I live in Dublin Ireland. I came across your webpage by accident. I wish to thank you with all of my heart because for the first time in my 45 years I have some answers on the meaning of my name��. I am asked on a daily basis what it means, all I know is that she is a character in a novel by Dennis Wheatley Unchartered Seas. I feel so relieved.
    So from me to you ....❤️

    Kindest Regards
    Synolda Byrne

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    Replies
    1. Well, Synolda, you have made MY day! My first question is how is it correctly pronounced? Since Ireland is where it is found used you would be the right person to know!! And have you read the novel?
      I came across another name that may be connected. Needs research. Zunilda was brought to Spain by the Visigoths. Doesn't that look like just a different spelling, perhaps, of the same name? Should help with research. PLEASE let me know if you ever learn more!!

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    2. Hi Dellitt
      It is prounced SIN-ALL-DAH. I received the novel as a gift and I'm sorry to say I haven't knuckled down to read it yet just flicked through. Zunilda is very similar I think too. Ill certainly pass on any relevant info to you if I come across it.
      Buíochas le Dia
      Slán agus beannacht leat. 😊

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  2. Very cool, thank you! Que lo pase bien! (sorry, I don't know any Irish!)

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