BabyNamer
The thing I love about Babynamer is the search capability -- you can search for names by number of syllables (love that feature), meaning, popularity level, origin, nickname, etc.
Behind the Name: the etymology and history of first names
I'm pasting in the description from the Librarians' Index to the Internet because it's so good: "Etymological dictionary of first names - along with lists of most used first names, languages referred to, common elements in first names, resources used, and links to other etymology sites. Includes some interesting features such as Logical Names for Twins, a list of names based on the idea of using similar linguistic elements for each name, such as pairs of names with the same name in different languages." See also, Behind the Surname
At Your Library
Don't forget the great resources at your library for biographical information. Your library may have some or all of these fine items:
Electronic Databases:
Biography and Genealogy Master Index (Gale)
An index to biographical dictionaries and directories. Each record provides name, birth and death dates, and the titles of the books in which a biographical sketch of the individual can be found.
Biography Resource Center (Gale)
Includes the former Marquis Who's Who. Comprehensive database of biographical information on more than 150,000 individuals.
American Business Disc (ReferenceUSA)
Over 12 million companies compiled from nationwide yellow pages, searchable by name, industry, geographic location or size. Also searches over 120 million residential numbers.
African American Biographical Database
Biographical profiles, photographs and full-text sketches chronicling the lives of famous and everyday African Americans.
Current Biography (Wilson)
Full text biographies of newsmakers in numerous categories including artists, politicians, business people, journalists, actors, authors, sports figures, and scientists.
Literature Resource Center (Gale)
Includes Twayne's Author Series , Scribner's Writers Series and MLA (Modern Language Association). Covers more than 90,000 novelists, poets, essayists, journalists and other writers, with in-depth coverage of 2,000 of the most-studied authors.
Print Resources
The McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of World Biography
Something about the Author
Contemporary Authors
Don't forget to check out Part One, if you haven't already. And for more biography resources, check out the Librarians' Index to the Internet's biography sites (46 at last count).
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