26 First Names That Ended up in the Dictionary

26 First Names That Ended up in the Dictionary Almost everybody’s first name means something. Adam means “man,” as do Charles, Karl, and even Charlotte. Deborah and Melissa both mean “honeybee.” Hilary means “hilarious.” William means “desire-helmet.”  Sometimes, however, through some quirk of etymology—and sometimes entirely by coincidence—first names like these find their way into the dictionary as words in their own right, and end up ultimately taking on whole new meanings in the language. 1. ABIGAIL In the Old Testament, Abigail is described as “a woman of good understanding and beautiful countenance.” Her husband Nabal, on the other hand, is “churlish and evil,” and when he offends a group of King David’s men, Abigail tries to defuse the situation by offering her services as David’s personal handmaiden. After Nabal discovers what his wife has done, he promptly dies of a heart attack, leaving David free to marry Abigail and make her Queen of Israel. Leaving the Biblical soap opera aside, it’s Abigail’s selflessness and her willingness to offer herself into the king’s service that led to her name ending up in the dictionary as a byword for a female servant or handmaiden. 2. ANDREW Derived from Greek, Andrew is another first […]