Do you know where your name came from? If you go by one of the ten names on this list, you’re about to find out that the inspiration behind your name isn’t so great. Sure, some names are pretty obvious and even uniquely positive regarding where they came from. Take the Spanish-language names Angel and Jesus, for example. Pretty much no question about the inspirations there, right? Plus, practically a million biblical names have spread out into the popular lexicon, from basics like John, Matthew, and Luke to much more deep cuts like Delilah, Moab, Jericho, and many more.
But beyond that, some names come from downright unsettling places. As we said, in this list, we’ll look at ten of those names. They may be common as chosen monikers in English today, but they have dark and sordid histories. Time to learn the scary stories behind what you thought were just normal names! You may never look the same at one of your friends again if they have one of these names…
Related: 10 Of The Most Unflattering Nicknames Given To Royals
10 Douglas
The name Douglas actually started as a surname before it was a first name. It only began being used as a first name at some point in the 16th century. Before that, it was a Scottish surname denoting somebody hailed from the village of Douglas in Lanarkshire. That village took its name from a Gaelic word, “dubh glais,” which meant “black water.” The river was murky and black and mysterious where the name originated, and it gave people a terrible feeling about its contents and what was lurking underneath. So they used that “dubh glais” phrase to name the whole area, which, in turn, developed into a last name—and then a first name.
From there, the Douglas clan of Scotland took the name and ran with it. William de Douglas was the first known member of the Douglas clan to use “dubh glais” as his last name. He lived in the late 12th century and held many charters and lands in Lanarkshire. In turn, his descendants became one of the most influential families in the Scottish Lowlands over the next several centuries. From there, the Douglas family played a pretty significant part in Scottish history. And in time, it turned into a first name. But it all came about from the terrifying black water that scared early Scots enough to name it as a warning![1]
9 Mara
Mara may have begun as the Gaelic word for the “sea,” but its use goes far beyond that. Even though it has rocketed in popularity in the United States and the English-speaking world as a baby name since the early 1940s, Mara has some darker connections in other languages that may give many people pause before considering naming their baby with it.
Take, for example, the Hindu tradition. In it, Mara is the goddess of winter, destruction, and death. It’s not exactly a thing you want to name your baby daughter, right?! Seems pretty dark for a sweet little girl to come home from the hospital with forever after. And that’s not the only sketch link, either. In Hebrew, Mara means “bitter” and “sorrow” and has a rough aftertaste for many Jewish people. Basically, it’s best to steer clear of Mara if you think you want something positive for your daughter—because this one ain’t it![2]
8 Kennedy
If you’re an American, what do you think of when you hear the name Kennedy? If you’re anything like us, President John F. Kennedy and his family’s impressive and very public-facing history come to mind. So, the name is given this aura of respect and love. But the root source of the name is far from respectful. In fact, it’s got at least one very bizarre and, um, head-scratching (pun intended) translation, too!
Kennedy is a Scottish-Irish name taken from the ancient Irish clan name “Cinnéidigh.” And even though modern-day Americans offer “Kennedy” some seriously Camelot-like prestige and honor, it wasn’t the case when it was coming up. Centuries ago in Ireland, it meant two things: one was “chief with a helmet,” which, okay, fair enough. But the other translation was pretty wild: “misshapen head.” Yes, everybody called “Cinnéidigh” back then was insulted for having a misshapen head (or, at least, their ancestors had bizarrely shaped domes). Definitely not as regal as the “Kennedy” moniker feels today![3]
7 Mallory
The name “Mallory” is a pretty pleasant-sounding one. It was a very common name of choice for girls born in the United States in the 1990s and early 2000s. And while it has fallen off a bit since then, with fewer babies being named Mallory in the last decade or two, it still pops up all the time for many Americans. But as sweet as it may sound to English-speaking ears, it actually has a French root word that is nasty and unnerving!
Several base translations have brought us “Mallory,” but the most common and most well-known to linguists is the Old French word “malheure.” That word means a variety of things, including unhappy, unlucky, ill-omened, or unfortunate. Yes, really! Who would want to name their innocent baby daughter something that suggests a bad omen coming?! Regardless, the name took hold in the United States, most likely due to the presence of ’80s television character Mallory Keaton on the iconic sitcom Family Ties. It’s been uphill ever since from there. Even if the name actually has some very dark roots![4]
6 Melvin
In the early 12th century, a group of Normans from what is now modern-day France brought the term “Melville” to Scotland. There, it eventually entered the Scottish lexicon as a name and was switched over to “Melvin” to line up with the rules of the Gaelic language. But it has some pretty undesired beginnings from back in France! And if the Scots knew just how bad they were and how negatively the Normans saw the word, maybe they wouldn’t have adopted it and then adapted it to become a name!
Basically, “Melville” was a name taken from a village back in northern France called “Maleville.” Literally, that translated to “bad town.” The people there suffered greatly because the land around their town wasn’t good for farming. But let’s give the Scottish people a little bit of credit for making lemonade out of lemons, too! After they adapted the name from the Normans, it became something of an honorific in the Gaelic language.
As the name translated to the local tongue, it was known as “Ó Maoil Mhín,” which came to be known as a personal and sweet name meaning “gentle chieftain.” So, even though the Normans wanted to get rid of “Melville” and any association with it as quickly as possible, the Scots instead decided to flip that on its head and make it a good thing![5]
5 Brennan
Today, the name Brennan is almost exclusively used for boys in the United States. And while it has frequent American usage and is pretty much unheard of anywhere else in the world, it has distinctly Irish roots. It was derived from an Irish surname of centuries ago, which in Gaelic was known as “O’Braonáin.” That is, literally a descendant of “Braonáin.” That word, “Braonáin,” was earlier built off the nickname “Braon,” which in Gaelic means moisture or a drop of water.
But the kicker here is the suffix “áin.” When added to “Braon,” it changes the meaning of that word from “moisture” to something much sadder—literally “teardrop” or “sorrow.” For whatever reason, that sad moniker was seen as good enough to be used as a last name back in Ireland, so it started catching hold in the County Kilkenny region. Then, as more Irish people immigrated to the United States and their descendants took hold after a few generations in America, the name transitioned into the first name of Brennan that we know today. But it has such low beginnings, all based on sorrow. Sad![6]
4 Claudia
Claudia is a beautiful girl’s name that has both Latin and Roman roots. It has seen some decent popularity in English-speaking cultures (Lady Bird Johnson’s first name was Claudia, after all), as well as in Germany (Claudia Schiffer, anyone?) and other places around Europe and the Western world. It has perhaps seen its greatest popularity in Latin America, though. There are millions of Claudias in Mexico and further south through the southern tip of South America. But did you know that “Claudia” isn’t necessarily a name with great connotations at its root?
Yes, it’s a Biblical name, for one. In the Bible, Claudia was a woman living in ancient Rome. And you may recall that St. Paul mentioned her in his letter to Timothy in the New Testament. But the root of its name actually comes from a weird place. Derived from the Latin word “claudius,” the woman’s name actually means two things: “lame” or “an enclosure.” So, if you want your daughter to be named after something not so exciting or metaphorically limit her with the name choice, we suggest you go with Claudia. That seems a little lame to us, but whatever![7]
3 Calvin
Calvin was first a popular name about five centuries ago, following the time Protestant reformer John Calvin broke away from the Catholic Church. Right away, Calvin was seen as a name that denoted authority, strength, and steadfastness of faith. But despite that solid social foundation, the root of the actual word denotes something very different than that.
In reality, the name Calvin (as both a surname and, later, as a given name) stems from the Latin root word “calvinus.” That word basically means “bald” or “hairless,” which, ouch! As a derivative with the “-in” suffix in a name, Calvin was then taken to mean “little bald one” or even “bald hero.” Well, that “hero” part is nice, we suppose. But who wants to name their kid the “little bald one”?! What is this, a George Costanza kind of thing??
Either way, after first gaining popularity in France through the end of the Middle Ages following John Calvin’s reform push, the name Calvin jumped into the rest of the world. True meaning or not, we certainly can’t get enough of Calvin and Hobbes![8]
2 Brody
Brody is a masculine name, and like many on this list, it comes from a distinctly Irish origin. It had originally been a surname in both Ireland and Scotland centuries ago. It still is now, in fact; just think of actor Adrien Brody, for example. But the name has switched over and become a given name, too! There’s reality TV star and socialite scion Brody Jenner, for one. There was also former college and NFL quarterback Brodie Croyle, who was spelled differently but had the same root name. Actually, it’s that root name that is most interesting. Because it’s not as good or innocuous as you might think!
Traditionally, the word “brody” has meant either “ditch” or “muddy place” in Gaelic. It all started in the late 14th or possibly early 15th century. Back then, there was a powerful medieval clan who lived in a place called Moray in Scotland. Today, the region around Moray is known for its iconic scotch and whisky distilleries. But back then, it was a bog! And so people who traveled there, or visited to meet and do business with the clan quickly got sick of it. They took the word “brody” and put it on the clan’s identity. And it stuck! Thus, nowadays, anybody named Brody is actually named after a muddy ditch.[9]
1 Emily
If you are a millennial of a certain age (that is to say, born between 1984 and 1991, give or take), you certainly know a woman named Emily. Heck, you probably know about four hundred women named Emily. It was pretty much the most popular name among the millennial generation. But it doesn’t have such a great background! In fact, it has a bit of a contentious inspiration from centuries ago. So, even though it may be incredibly common and innocuous now, it certainly didn’t start out that way!
In Roman times, the Aemilius family was one of the most powerful and influential families in Rome. From their family name, we get the modern-day “Emily.” But the Aemilius clan was pretty tough to handle, and nobody liked them much back then. See, their name took on a few connotations with the Romans and other people in the Mediterranean. Most notably, it came to transition into the Latin word “aemulus,” which meant “rival.” Alternate definitions of the word came to become other meanings, too, like “laborious.” Nothing like naming your daughter “laborious,” right?
Even the Greeks had a dim view of their version of the word Emily. During their heyday, the Greek word “aimylos,” which may also have at least partially inspired the given name Emily, meant either “wily” or “persuasive.” As in, a con man! (Or, in poor Emily’s case, a con woman.) Either way, those are not good foundations for using the name Emily. Especially since it’s been SUCH a popular name for women who are today in their 30s and hurtling fast toward 40![10]