Trajan 1

Form of the Welsh name Myrddin (meaning “sea fortress”) used by Geoffrey of Monmouth in his 12th-century Arthurian tales. Writing in Latin, he likely chose the form Merlinus over Merdinus in order to prevent associations with French merde “excrement”.Geoffrey based parts of Merlin’s character on Myrddin Wyllt, a semi-legendary madman and prophet who lived in the Caledonian Forest. Other parts of his life were based on that of the historical 5th-century Romano-British military leader Ambrosius Aurelianus. In Geoffrey’s version of the tales and later embellishments Merlin is a wizard and counselor for King Arthur.

Means “nobleman” in Spanish. The Spanish word is a contraction of the phrase hijo de algo meaning “son of something”. This surname was typically in origin a nickname or an occupational name for one who worked in a noble’s household.

Short form of Aleksandër.

Old Germanic form of Frederick.

From the Germanic *Ingwaz, possibly meaning “ancestor”. This was the name of an obscure old Germanic fertility god who was considered the ancestor of the tribe the Ingaevones. It is possible he was an earlier incarnation of the god Freyr.