I can think of 1 way by which

someone comes to be called Barefoot. I am supposing that the 18th century American I came across yesterday with this name was just known to everyone as Barefoot and so they wrote his name that way even for wills, marriages, etc. Because I really can't imagine naming your child Barefoot.

Cambyses is too interesting to discard simply because of how unusual it is. It might win me over. I'm evaluating the strengths of Vernabelle over Edmonia (the first sounds more pleasing, the second has the 'nia' ending, both have cute nicknames, but at the same time seem, opprobrious - is that the word - in their attempt to fit a man's name on a girl and make it seem a girl's name.)

Oh, here's a good question to ponder: Would the right middle name make Edmonia or Vernabelle do-able? Is there some other way to tweak them and make them more modern?

And are you one of those people who could justifiably put Barefoot down on official documents as your name?


GIRLS

Vernabelle

Edmonia

Marsali - Scottish Gaelic form of Marjorie, a form of Margaret which means "pearl".



BOYS

Barefoot- this really was the name used as someone's first name in some colonial American research I did. Now maybe he was just called Barefoot so much as a nickname that when they filled out a will or whatever they still referred to him as Barefoot. But it is also possible that this was his given name and not a nickname. I can only imagine it is meant to indicate someone who walks about barefoot when others have on socks or shoes.

Cambyses

Meilyr - Welsh, meaning "chief" and "ruler".