Commonplace, melodious, or downright odd, a name can reveal some fascinating information. It may derive from your earliest ancestor's profession (such as Smith for blacksmith) or it may reflect specific attributes (like Andrea for "strong"). This comprehensive and thoroughly engaging reference examines the origins and meanings of thousands of first and last names, presented alphabetically. It also lists the 40 most popular male and female given names in the United States since 1930; popular African, Afro-American, Chinese, French, German, Indian, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Muslim, Russian, and Spanish given names for both boys and girls; the 1,000 most commonly found family names in the U.S. organized according to popularity; and the top 100 family names in each of the fifty states. An indispensable encyclopedia for anyone interested in looking up his or her name or finding one for a baby. The author lives in Brooklyn, NY. 512 pages, 4 3/16 x 5 1/4.