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ArchivesDoes this names mean witch?
I think the name Rhiannon is pretty but I read it was a witches name
is this true?
is this true?
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A witch's name is not the same as a name with the meaning: witch. presumably a witch could have any name she chose, and if she was a sensible witch she'd choose something mainstream like Amy or Tracy rather than something out of the Addams Family.
As for a name that means: witch, I can't for the life of me imagine why anyone who believed in witchcraft would use one for a child, if such a name exists. If the family are witches, why single out one member? If they aren't, why make a false claim that might attract incendiary attention? And if you don't believe in witchcraft there seems, if anything, even less point.
As for a name that means: witch, I can't for the life of me imagine why anyone who believed in witchcraft would use one for a child, if such a name exists. If the family are witches, why single out one member? If they aren't, why make a false claim that might attract incendiary attention? And if you don't believe in witchcraft there seems, if anything, even less point.
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"A witch's name is not the same as a name with the meaning: witch." I agree with you, but what I meant was that many people and non-trusty sites make the mistake and from their point of view you could understand it in that way, furthermore, many modern words and/or names have earned their current meaning in this way, I mean out of this mistake their original name has been twisted, to the point that it's one of the figures of speech or, I'm in a mistake by this latter declaration, it's not a figure of speech but very much alike to one, for example "casanova" actually means "new house" but due to certain character (I'm not sure whether fictional, historical or what) it has come to mean "womanizer" 'cause it was used by one...
"As for a name that means: witch, I can't for the life of me imagine why anyone who believed in witchcraft would use one for a child" There are names which meanings pretty much akin to witch, some akin to faires and goddesses, even to demons, I can't hink of any right now but if a whol family believes in witchery and respects it as something special they might call their son or daughter "witch" as to mean they want him to be one, understanding "witch" in the sense of "wiz" ("wise" and "wizard" are etymologically linked) or "mage" (etymologically linked to another "positive" adjective)... Would someone call his/her child "warrior" were he/she not a warrior, probably, for it's something seen as positive, likewise he/she will call him so even if he were already one; why can`t "witch" be thought of as positive? just because it's not mainstream? Furthermore, names began not with children but with grown people, people who had already some form of living, a place to life and a way of being got the first real names and from these names came modern names and more often than not parents named (and still do) their child not knowing the meaning of the name just choosing it due to pronunciation aesthetics, respect for someone else or heritage... Someone could have been called "witch" either in a pejorative way or as a compliment, probably a tribe's shaman or a religious hermit, this would have sprung into a name essentially meaning "witch" which could itself be appealing to people due to it's meaning or, most probably, any of the reasons above stated...
"As for a name that means: witch, I can't for the life of me imagine why anyone who believed in witchcraft would use one for a child" There are names which meanings pretty much akin to witch, some akin to faires and goddesses, even to demons, I can't hink of any right now but if a whol family believes in witchery and respects it as something special they might call their son or daughter "witch" as to mean they want him to be one, understanding "witch" in the sense of "wiz" ("wise" and "wizard" are etymologically linked) or "mage" (etymologically linked to another "positive" adjective)... Would someone call his/her child "warrior" were he/she not a warrior, probably, for it's something seen as positive, likewise he/she will call him so even if he were already one; why can`t "witch" be thought of as positive? just because it's not mainstream? Furthermore, names began not with children but with grown people, people who had already some form of living, a place to life and a way of being got the first real names and from these names came modern names and more often than not parents named (and still do) their child not knowing the meaning of the name just choosing it due to pronunciation aesthetics, respect for someone else or heritage... Someone could have been called "witch" either in a pejorative way or as a compliment, probably a tribe's shaman or a religious hermit, this would have sprung into a name essentially meaning "witch" which could itself be appealing to people due to it's meaning or, most probably, any of the reasons above stated...
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No, it doesn't
RHIANNON f
Usage: Welsh, Welsh Mythology
Pronounced: hri-AN-ahn (Welsh), ree-AN-un (English), REE-an-un (English)
Derived from Old Celtic Rigantona meaning "great queen". In Welsh mythology Rhiannon was the goddess of fertility and the moon. This name is also borne by a princess in Welsh legends, the wife of Pwyll.
I have no idea how the baby name books/sites made the leap from "great queen" to "witch". My own not-so-accurate baby name book says it means "witch, goddess", and I can understand assigning the (nonexistant) meaning of "goddess" based on Rhiannon actually being a goddess, but "witch" baffles me.
Miranda
EDIT: Punctuation. Damn new keyboard...
RHIANNON f
Usage: Welsh, Welsh Mythology
Pronounced: hri-AN-ahn (Welsh), ree-AN-un (English), REE-an-un (English)
Derived from Old Celtic Rigantona meaning "great queen". In Welsh mythology Rhiannon was the goddess of fertility and the moon. This name is also borne by a princess in Welsh legends, the wife of Pwyll.
I have no idea how the baby name books/sites made the leap from "great queen" to "witch". My own not-so-accurate baby name book says it means "witch, goddess", and I can understand assigning the (nonexistant) meaning of "goddess" based on Rhiannon actually being a goddess, but "witch" baffles me.
Miranda
EDIT: Punctuation. Damn new keyboard...
This message was edited 10/27/2004, 4:34 PM
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Rhiannon is a name akin to a river, it's of celtic origin if my memory does not betrays me, from what I remember you can see about it either in this page, in the "behind the surname" complement or in "the last names dictionary"... Now, it's meaning is not itself very witchy, it's akin to a river and I think to that river's goddess too; from this point of view it might be a sacred name to non-christians, like "Mary" is a name sacred to christians, therefore those who are into the wiccan and such new-age "tradition" of cult-revival might choose it with that in mind, they might be called witches pejoratively by christians or they might take that name themselves in a "what-you-call-me-to-insult-me-is-my-pride-and-therefore-your-shame" attitude (forgive my grammar and ortography; I've lost some of my English not being native speaker and using it little in my daily life); anyway, if you consider wiccans and such new age celtic-oriented people "witches" well, you could take it as a witches name... So, it's up to your interpretation... Yet, I think this is the wrong board for the question but... Well, let's allow someone else to give a translation (I think my sources said it's actual meaning is unknown)... Bye.
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I fear I confused "Shannon" with "Rhiannon"... :$ But anyway you can add my observations to Miranda's... Hope your answer is found
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