A Book About Names: In Which Custom, Tradition, Law, Myth, History, Folklore, Foolery, Legend, Fashion, Nonsense, Symbol, Taboo Help Explain How We

by Milton Meltzer

Offers tidbits from history, folklore, tradition, and other sources that help explain how people got their names and what they mean.

Genres: Nonfiction

128 pages, Library Binding

First published January 1, 1984

About the author

Milton Meltzer wrote 110 books, five of which were nominated for the National Book Award. With Langston Hughes, he co-authored A Pictorial History of Black Americans, now in its sixth edition. He received the 2001 Laura Ingalls Wilder Award for his contribution to children's literature, the 1986 Jane Addams Peace Association Children's Book Award, and the 2000 Regina Medal. He died in New York City of esophageal cancer at age 94.

Reviews

[Nathalie]

Are you interested in onomastics--the scholarly study of names? Then this book is for you, although this is written for children. My last name, Shorten, has a couple of origins but the one that I like the best and makes the most sense for this English surname is this: Shor for shore and Tun for the old English word for lake. Therefore, this was the surname of the person who lived by the shore of the lake--Shore-tun---Shorten!

[Tessa]

A little bit outdated and not as detailed as I wanted, but still a fun book to read. It's more about name trends than actual name origins. Africa is also referred to as a country which gives me never-ending grief.