Meredith (given name)

Meredith is a Welsh given name, and a surname common in parts of Wales. It is of Welsh origin and, as a personal name, was until recently usually given to boys. Meredith has many derivatives which have become personal names and surnames as well.[1]

For other uses, see Meredith (disambiguation).
Meredith
Pronunciation/ˈmɛrɪdɪθ/ MERR-i-dith,
/mɛˈrɛdɪθ/ merr-ED-ith after the Welsh
GenderMale or female
Origin
Word/nameWelsh
Meaning"Great lord"

Etymology and history

In Old Welsh (c. 800–1150) the name was usually rendered as Morgetuid or Margetiud.[1] The exact meaning of the first element, Mere, is unclear although some Welsh scholars have translated it as "great" or "splendid".[1] The final element of iudd has the meaning of lord, and is found in other Welsh names such as Gruffydd and Bleidd[i]udd.[1] However, in Middle Welsh (c. 1150s–1300s) the name was most commonly spelt as Maredud and Maredudd; "in Welsh, the accent is on the penult, and this leads at times to the elision of the vowel of the first syllable," producing an early variant Mredydd, according to T.J. Morgan and Prys Morgan.[1] Anglo-Norman scribes often used e for the first syllable and substituting the double d with a th, producing Mereduth.[1] The forms Meredith and Meredyth are seen as early as the 14th century.[1]

In Medieval manuscripts, the name is frequently "disguised" in records produced by scribes unfamiliar with Welsh naming conventions, and has been confused with the Welsh name Moreiddig (which has produced Moredik, Moriddik and Morithik).[1] By the early Middle Ages, the name took the form of Mereduc, in part due to "its suitability for taking Latin case-endings".[1] The name has been rendered into Latin as Mereducco, Mereduci, Mereduth, Mereduco, Mereduc and Mereducus, Mereducius.[1]

In the dialect of Dyfed (Pembrokeshire) the final voiced interdental fricative (represented in writing by dd) was lost to produce the name Meredy.[1] Though there is no etymological connection, Meredith has also been equated or associated with Merrick, Meyrick, and Moryce, "presumably on the basis of the 'Mer', although it is possible that Maurice was adopted as an approximation," according to Morgan and Morgan.[1]

Various forms of the name include Maredith, Maradyth, Merddith, Merydethe, Mredith, Maready, and Redith. The surname "Merediz", found in the northern coastal region of Spain, particularly Asturias, is derived from it. The surname is also found in Argentina and Mexico.

Derivatives

A derivative or pet name of Meredith is Bedo, which has given rise to a variety of other surnames, including: Beddas, Beddis, Beddus, Beddose, Beddos, Beddoe, Beddoes, Beddowe, Beado, Beddah, Beddow, Beddas, Beddass, with a deliberate anglicisation of Beddis/Beddus into Bedhouse.[1] The forms Beddoe, Beddow, Beddoes, and Beddowes are particularly common within the Shropshire region of the Marches. The hardening characteristic of the Glamorgan and Monmouthshire accent mutated the d into t, producing Bettoe and Bettoes with the anglicised variant as Betthouse.[1]

Notable people

Fictional characters

References
  1. T.J. Morgan; Prys Morgan (1985). Welsh Surnames. University of Wales Press. pp. 160–162. ISBN 0-7083-0936-4.
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