What’s in a Name?

Whilst sat round the dinner table two weeks ago, somebody asked me the meaning of my name and I was embarrassed to tell them I had no idea. Of course, one quick visit to google and I had my answer.

With Ango-Saxon origins, the name ‘Sibbald’ can be broken down into two parts and there are two theories behind its meaning. The first theory is that it is made up of the two words for ‘sea’ (‘Si’) and ‘bold’ or ‘bravery’ (‘bald’). The second, is that it comprises of the words ‘Sige’ (for ‘victory’) and once again, ‘bold’.

Both theories are possible as it would have come from the Viking invasions which began in the late eight century. And the Vikings were of course ‘brave sea warriors’. The name is also mostly found in Scotland and Northern England – the parts of Britain where the invaders first arrived.

What about your name? We’d be very interested to hear of any stories or theories about what it might mean…