What's in a name?

Nothing much, probably. Or maybe quite a lot! Jews traditionally pick family names, or names that begin with the same letter as a family name; Catholics usually pick the name of a Saint for either first or middle names, and then at Baptism, the Saint becomes the child's patron. Other people just pick what sounds good to them, which can result in some real humdingers - although in recent years there has been a move toward more "traditional" names (some people would say stodgy. Not me, though!).

Here are some, ahem, pertinent names:

Lyndsey: This girl's name is an alternate spelling of Lyndsay, which is a girl's and boy's name used in English and Scots Gaelic. Its source is an Old English expression meaning "Lincoln's marsh." There are fourteen other forms of the name, including Lendsi, Lendsy, Lensey, Lindsee, Lindze, Linsday, Linsey, Linsy, Linze, Linzee, Linzi, Linzy, Lynnsey, and Lynsey. The name Lyndsey ranked 1513th in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.

Lauren: This girl's and boy's name is used in English. Its source is Laura, an English name meaning "The laurel shrub." Film director Howard Hawks popularized this form of the name by suggesting it as a stage name for the actress born Betty Jean Perske, thereafter known to the world as Lauren Bacall. The name Lauren ranked 162nd in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census. The name also ranked 15th for females born in the United States in 1994.

Leslie: This girl's and boy's name is used in English. Its source is leas cuillinn, a Gaelic phrase meaning "Holly garden." This was the surname of a Scottish noble family closely associated with the royal house of Stewart. It was popularized as a first name by Hungarian-born English actor Leslie Howard (1890-1943). As Ashley Wilkes in the 1939 film version of Gone With the Wind, Howard succeeded in popularizing both his personal name and his character's name. The name Leslie ranked 143rd in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census. In recent years both Ashley and Leslie, though still used for boys, have been more commonly given to girls.

Jennifer: This girl's name is used in German and English. Its source is Gwenhwyfar, a Welsh name meaning "Pure and yielding, whitewave." In British legend, Gwenhwyfar (the Welsh source of this name) was identified with King Arthur's tragic queen. Caught as she was between her devotion to her husband and her illicit love for the saintly Sir Lancelot, her predicament is succinctly expressed in the meaning of her name. The name Jennifer ranked sixth in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census. The name also ranked 14th for females born in the United States in 1994.

Shannon: This girl's and boy's name is used in English. Its source is a Gaelic expression meaning "Old one." This Irish river name and surname is especially popular in the U.S. Its meaning might refer to an ancient Celtic diety identified with the river. Scholars speculate that Shannon may owe its American popularity to its similarity to Sharon, or to its rhyming reference to the more traditional Irish name Erin. The name Shannon ranked 123rd in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.

Katherine: This girl's name is used in English, Norwegian, Swedish and Danish. Its source is Aikaterine, a Greek name meaning "Pure." This meaning assumes the source name was derived from the Greek term katharos. However, it may have evolved from Hecate, the name of the Greek goddess of magic. Another possible source is katatein“, the Greek word for torture.
All three meanings might have been associated with St. Aikaterine (Katherine) of Alexandria, who was born a pagan but died as a Christian martyr. The name Katherine ranked 61st in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census. The name also ranked 35th for females born in the United States in 1994.

Carli: This girl's name is used in English. It is an alternate spelling of Carly, which is used in English. Its source is ceorl, an Ancient Germanic word meaning "Freeholder." Of all the feminine forms of Carl (and its equivalent Charles), the oldest is probably Carolina, which developed in Latin as a feminine form of Carolinus, itself an elaboration of Carolus.
Carolus Magnus was the Latin name of the first Holy Roman Emperor, a Germanic leader known in the English-speaking world as Charlemagne (French for ''Charles the Great''). He was crowned emperor in 800 A.D., after uniting much of central Europe and building a relatively stable society out of the chaos that followed the fall of Rome. Charlemagne's widespread fame gave rise to many forms of his name in many languages. Each male form suggested a female equivalent, which in turn changed and developed, so that we see Carolina changed to Caroline, shortened to Carol, and so on. The name Carli ranked 3278th in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.

Elizabeth: This girl's name is used in English, French, Finnish, Scandinavian and Swedish. Its source is Elisheva, a Hebrew name meaning "God's promise." However, not all experts agree. Other suggested meanings still relate to the fulfillment of a promise. They include "consecrated by an oath to God" 'God's satisfaction'' and ''God's perfection.'' Until the 16th-century reign of England's Queen Elizabeth I, this name was most commonly spelled with an ''s'' in the middle. Such was the popularity of Good Queen Bess that her spelling has reigned supreme ever since. Speaking of Bess, this name is the Mother of All Nicknames, Spellings and Alternate Forms. We've counted close to 70 so far, and we are still looking! The name Elizabeth ranked fifth in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census. The name also ranked eighth for females born in the United States in 1994.

Margaret: This girl's name is used in English and Scots Gaelic. Its source is margaron, a Greek word meaning "Pearl." This name came into use among English speakers by way of Latin (as Margarita) and Old French (as Marguerite). It has been closely identified with Scotland, to the point that one commentator has pronounced it ''the national Scottish female name.''
However, in the late 20th century it has been most prominently borne by Englishwoman Margaret Thatcher, the United Kingdom's first female Prime Minister. The name Margaret ranked ninth in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.

All from Babynamer.com