Names That Mean Wood
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- Yves
Origin:
FrenchMeaning:
"yew wood"Description:
On paper, with its stylish ties to fashion legend Yves Saint-Laurent (born Henri), Yves looks great, but the pronunciation--EVE-- could lead to gender confusion. German variation Ivo might be cooler and clear up the issue.
- Truett
Origin:
English surnameMeaning:
"dry wood + river bend"Description:
Truett is one of the trendier names in the Tru- family (True, Truman etc), which was used for 92 boys in the US last year. Truett is deeply associated with the Baptist church in the Southern USA due to former leader George Truett. Truitt is another spelling, less commonly used. Some sources say that Truett, as a surname or a first name, is a habitational name -- a name given to people who lived in a certain place -- in this case, Trewhitt in England's Northumbria. The place name is drawn from the Old Norse tyri meaning "dry resinous wood" and the Old English whit, which means river bend. It's an appealing name, though say it too quickly and it can sound disturbingly like truant.
- Keith
Origin:
ScottishMeaning:
"wood"Description:
Strong but gentle, Keith is one of the Scottish surnames that, along with Douglas, Craig and Bruce, were considered the epitome of cool in the 1960s and early 1970s, when it was a Top 40 choice.
- Oakley
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"oak wood or clearing"Description:
As sturdy as Oak, but with stronger roots as a first name, Oakley ticks lots of boxes for modern trends. With its unisex vibe, its nature-based meaning, its surname-y feel, and its popular -lee ending, it's not wonder Oakley is on the rise.
- Woodrow
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"row of houses by a wood"Description:
Aside from President Wilson (born Thomas), most Woodrows, including Herman, Guthrie, and Harrelson, have chosen to be known as Woody, which says it all.
- Ebony
Origin:
EnglishDescription:
An attractive and now underused nature name belonging to a tree whose wood is prized for its dark color and dense texture, which shines when polished. Ebony joined the most popular girl names list in the US in the early 1970s, peaked in 1982 at #132, and dropped back below the Top 1000 in 2006.
- Yvonne
Origin:
FrenchMeaning:
"yew wood"Description:
Peaking in the 1950s, Yvonne has now dropped out of the Top 1000 in 2003 and doesn't look set to return soon, although its rare Y initial might endear it to some. Yvaine, from Neil Gaiman's Stardust, has more modern appeal.
- Ives
Origin:
English variation of YvesMeaning:
"yew wood"Description:
Smooth and sleek one-syllable name, sometimes suggested for Sagittarius boys.
- Hewitt
Origin:
English, Scottish, and Irish surnameMeaning:
"descendant of Hugh; one who lives near the wood clearing"Description:
Modern way to honor an ancestral Hugh.
- Ridley
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"cleared wood; reed clearing; channel clearing"Description:
Director Ridley Scott and actress Daisy Ridley made this surname-style name familiar, and with its outdoorsy meaning and rugged yet preppy sound, it could blend in with Oakley, Reid, Riley, and Ridge. Some parents might be put of by the first syllable (as in, "get rid of" or "horrid" or "riddles"), but since Scarlett (scar), Colton (cult), and Titus all rank in the Top 400, it could still work for those looking for a standout last-name first name.
- Faraday
Origin:
Scottish surnameMeaning:
"wood man"Description:
This unusual Scottish surname was made immortal by Michael Faraday, a British scientist who contributed to the fields of electromagnetism and electrochemistry. His name is now a unit of scientific measurement for electricity - a 'power'ful name for any little boy.
- Blakely
Origin:
English surnameMeaning:
"dark wood or clearing"Description:
Blakely, along with Blakeley, Blakelee and Blakeleigh, is one of the post-Ashley surname names that end with the lee sound so stylish today. Reality stars Trista and Ryan Sutter named their daughter Blakesley. These surname-names are among the most stylish English names for girls.
- Holston
Origin:
Place name, American variation of Holstein, GermanMeaning:
"dwellers in the wood"Description:
Holston is a uniquely Southern place name — that of a river, lake, and mountain in Tennessee, as well as a town in Virginia. Holston was first used for the river, previously called the Cherokee River. It was adapted from the surname of pioneer Stephen Holstein, who resided alongside the river. Holstein was the name of a Saxon tribe and is now a region in Germany.
- Carver
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"wood carver"Description:
Carver is an occupational name with an artistic bent, associated with wood carving predominantly, though it could also be linked to those who carve from stone, marble, ice, and pumpkins. More familiar that the equally arty Painter, but fresher than the 90s style Carter, Carver has received more interest in recent years.
- Iben
Origin:
Norwegian, Danish, FrisianMeaning:
"ebony; supplanter; yew wood"Description:
This unisex name ranks among the most popular girl names in Norway, though it has a number of different roots.
- Roa
Origin:
Spanish and Catalan surnameMeaning:
"arched wood that forms a bow"Description:
This Catalan and Spanish surname is derived from the Spanish word "rueda" from the Latin "rota," meaning "arched wood that forms a bow."
- Yfke
Origin:
Dutch diminutive of Yvonne, FrenchMeaning:
"yew wood"Description:
Think of Yfke as a cooler Yvonne, or a more unusual Eva. The Frisian name is rarely heard beyond the Netherlands.
- Shaw
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"dweller by the wood"Description:
With the current taste for last names first, this sounds a lot cooler than Shawn; it also has creative connections to the great Irish playwright, George Bernard Shaw, novelist Irwin Shaw, and Big Band Era clarinetist/bandleader and one-time Ava Gardner husband Artie Shaw.
- Ridley
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"cleared wood; reed clearing; channel clearing"Description:
Can one prominent character affect the gender identity of a name? Definitely, as has supernatural bad girl Ridley Duchannes of the Beautiful Creatures series-turned-movie, played by the gorgeous Emmy Rossum.
- Yardley
Origin:
English surnameMeaning:
"wood clearing"Description:
Yardley is an English surname with a distinguished vibe, a la Chauncey and Clancy. Extremely rare for either sex, it would make a stand-out choice that still fits in with current trends.
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