Baylor?

[WittyUsername102]

We were originally going with Laurel for our DD, but DH discovered this today and really likes it, but I'm a little unsure - what are MN's opinions?
He really likes the meaning of it and it does fit our family - it means horse trainer.

Not looking for something to do with horses, it just happend to mean something to do with horses so I like it.

Everywhere I have seen online says horse trainer is the meaning, from Olde English, but I don't think that could possibly be correct.

You would be surprised how much is copied without any fact checking by baby name sites, most of which are advertising vehicles. Pure fiction spreads all over as quickly as something completely made-up can be C&P'd.

Also: most of which are advertising vehicles

Hh hrrmph.

How very dare you

Some baby name sites you can put random collections of letters in and they will still tell you that they are names! I like Behind the name, which has this on Baylor:

From a surname which comes from two distinct sources. As an English surname it is of unexplained origin, possibly derived from the legal term bailor meaning "one who delivers goods". As a German (Alemannic) surname it is derived from Middle High German beigel, beile "measuring stick" (from Late Latin pagella), originally denoting one who was "an inspector of measures or a maker of measuring sticks". As a surname it was borne by R.E.B. Baylor (1793-1874), co-founder of Baylor University in the American state of Texas.

With the caveat that it was user submitted.

The Behind the Name article reminds me very much of the calibre of the written output of a 'genealogy' and 'family crest' business I worked for while I was a student. It was located in a small industrial estate just outside Dublin. 'Library' and computers upstairs, crest workshop downstairs. 60 certificates with three paragraphs was the expected production rate for each 'researcher' for each shift. Formula for the genealogy end of things - etymology of the name ('etymology' used here in its loosest sense), geographical area where the name originated, famous bearers of the name. This was all printed out on a certificate in olde worlde style lettering.

A quick Google search on the etymological origins of the name/surname Baylor gave this:
Baylor, (masc.) c.1450 A profiteer of open-access animal choirs, owner of obsolete Canis witchcraft trinkets; also, one who howls at the sea. From bay, Old French late 14c bayee 'to open, gape; opening (fem)' imitative Medieval Latin batare, cf proto-Iberian bahia 'to gargle with seawater from a secluded inlet', ultimately from bay 'to howl in chorus' c.1300 Old French, Pan Indo-European root bai 'echo' (compare Greek 'bauzein', Latin 'baubari', English 'bow-wow', Mid-Mordorian Elvish 'bauie-bayl', and later c1960 North American Elvish 'baby'); and 12c bailiss gender-neutral nominative precursor bail- from Vulgar Latin bajulivus 'evil, supernatural official in charge of a castle,' from Latin bajulus 'porter,' of unknown origin, possibly Danish Pastry late-9c. From suffix #?-lor, Mid- but possibly Midnight -13c., loverd, from Old English hlaford 'master of a household, ruler, superior, Boys' Club Only', earlier hlafweard, literally 'one who guards the loaves', 'keeper, proprietor of dough and/or dogs and/or dog-shaped plastic keyrings you can sell at a Pan Indo-European stall near the station on Fridays'.

witty Yes, so I am afraid that based on this at least it does appear to be a male name.

Baylor sounds like a flea tretament for dogs. Sorry.

Ho ho to moxon's dog-shaped plastic keyrings.

Laurel is terrible.
Baylor is pretty bad as well however I would rather be called Baylor than Laurel or the names I saw early Tabitha or Beatrice!!!

Well, that settles it, moxon

We all know what those profiteers of open-access animal choirs were really up to, don't we?

open access animal choirs, huh? Have they just strung some random words together?

Many baby name sites and books are useless - I can test them with my name, which the ones that don't bother think is short for a classic female English name. It isn't. It's Welsh and a name in its own right - but half the time they just seem to guess.

x 100 Moxon

moxon, that is brilliant!

I wonder what happened to the OP? Did she have her baby? Was it a Laurel? A Baylor? A Bayrel?
witty? Are you there?

Yes I'm here - I didn't think there was anything I could reply to.

Hi OP! When is the baby due?

The start of November

Oh well, that settles it.
You can't call a November baby "Baylor". If it was December that would be different.
Sorry!

You know, Bay on its own might be a reasonable name. It's horse related. And bay leaves come from the bay laurel.
But then there is also baying, of dogs.

Bay Laurel is a cool name.

DD1 and 2 already decided their nickname for her will be 'bae', but DS didn't understand that.