Patrick Hanks

This Dictionary is part of the Oxford Reference Collection: using sustainable print-on-demand technology to make the acclaimed backlist of the Oxford Reference programme perennially available in hardback format. The fascinating and informative Dictionary of First Names covers over 6,000 names in common use in English, including the very newest names as well as traditional names. From Alice to Zanna and Adam to Zola this book will answer all your questions: it will tell you the age, origin, and meaning of the name, as well as how it has fared in terms of popularity, and who the famous fictional or historical bearers for the name have been. It covers alternative spellings, short forms and pet forms, and masculine and feminine forms, as well as help with pronunciation. The book includes extensive appendices covering names from languages including Scottish, Irish, French, German, Italian, Arabic, and Chinese names. Tables of the most popular names by year and by region are also included. From the traditional to the rare and unconventional, this book will tell you everything you need to know about names.

Previously Babies' Names and now reissued as An A-Z of Baby Names with new covers and essential updates, this bestselling A to Z will help you find the perfect name for your baby. The book lists over 2,500 names in common use in the English-speaking world with information on their meanings and origins. It spans traditional names, from Anne and Albert to Victoria and William, to modern names, from Azalea and Bryn to Brooklyn and Zanna and every name in between. Also included in this edition is an article on how to find the right name or create your own, as well as additional material within entries on well-known bearers of the name, real and fictional. In addition to the A-Z list of names there is an appendix including thematic indexes for many names categories such as Biblical names, names from television and films, names from literature and popular culture, pet forms and nicknames, as well as a list of the most popular names by year and by region. An A-Z of Baby Names has all the information parents-to-be need to make the all-important choice of naming their baby.