QuizGuess the origin of the name
Does Nathan come from Hebrew or Greek? And Charlotte, from Latin or Germanic? Ten names, four possible origins for each: give it a go, then share your score.
10 names, 4 possible origins for each. How many will you get right?
Some names by origin
Frequently asked questions
How does the quiz work?
The quiz picks 10 names at random out of 270, with no more than two names of the same origin. For each one, four origins are offered: Hebrew, Greek, Latin, Germanic, Celtic, Arabic, Slavic or Persian. After each answer, a short sentence explains what the name means.
Where do most English names come from?
Many common names come from Hebrew through the Bible (John, Mary, David), from Greek and Latin through early saints (Peter, Catherine, Paul, Julia) and from the Germanic languages, often brought to England by the Normans (William, Robert, Henry). Celtic names from Ireland, Scotland and Wales (Kevin, Ryan, Dylan) became popular worldwide in the 20th century.
What is a Germanic name?
A Germanic name comes from the languages of the Germanic peoples, such as the Franks. It is often made of two words: Louis comes from hlud, "fame", and wig, "battle". Many of these names reached England with the Norman Conquest of 1066.
Are the answers reliable?
The quiz only keeps names whose origin is well established. Names with a debated origin, or that moved from one language to another so much that the answer would be ambiguous (such as Yann, the Breton form of John), are left out. Each name links to its page, which tells its full story.
Want to play more? See all our name games, or find out what your name would have been in 1950.