The Penguin Dictionary of First Names (Penguin Reference) by David Pickering

by David Pickering

This is a fascinating and comprehensive guide to the history and meaning of names which will delight anyone with an interest in the subject. Not simply just a list of different words, this guide takes the reader back to the historical roots of eachname with their cultural, religious and artistic heritage helpfully explained. With almost 5,000 first names listed, this dictionary is also an invaluable, and highly enjoyable source for parents looking to name a new baby.

Paperback

First published October 28, 1999

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finding a baby name book wasn't an easy task. Many books didn't have meanings at all and were simply lists of names. I have to say it's little wonder that so many babies are born now and parents either accidentally mis-spell them or give them a name with no idea how to pronounce it or what it means ("I like the name Chlamydia" is a tale one of my nursing friends loves to tell from her training days in the maternity ward).

Anyway, my hope was that the Penguin Dictionary of First Names would meet my requirements so I ordered it.

For the most part it did exactly what I wanted. It has over 5000 names apparently (I didn't check) and they are arranged in alphabetical order with no boy/girl split (which suited me as my wee boy was a lovely surprise).

My only disappointment was that it didn't feel like there were 5000 names and I was hoping for more. Also the definitions were a bit short, but then I'm used to wikipedia length descriptions!

Despite this there was more than enough there for my hubby and I to select an assortment of names for our little surprise and his name is in the book. It is probably the best baby name book I've seen on the market, and I've looked at a lot!

[Claire Wingfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

A useful reference book for writers.