(This is the Online column, written for The Southland Times)
If you’ve ever wondered what your name means, wonder no more.
Behind the Name covers the etymology and history of first names.
Interestingly, our very own editor Fred Tulett’s name means peaceful ruler.
Anyway, I decided to find out what my name means and discovered the net can be a depressing place.
I looked up Jillian and it said it was a variant of Gillian.
So I looked up Gillian, it said it was the feminine version of Julian.
Next stop, Julian – from the Roman name Julianus, which was derived from Julius.
After finally getting to Julius in the list I read that it was possibly derived from Greek – downy-bearded – all that clicking just to be told I need a shave.
The Hobbit name generator, which takes your real name and gives you the Hobbit equivalent, was only slightly kinder, christening me Myrtle Knotwise of Michel Delving.
If you’ve ever wondered what your Jedi name might be, and haven’t we all, then wonder no more. It’s comforting to know that if I ever felt the urge to take up the light sabre I’d know what to write on the tags sewn into the back of my Jedi robes: Allji Mainv of the planet Augmentin.
Speaking of names, Who Named It details those fortunate enough to have had a disease or disorder named after them, including English surgeon Sir Benjamin Collins Brodie who gave his name to a specific type of haemorrhoid.
I wonder if he put it on his business card?