Development of English women's names in historical and linguistic aspects

Abstract

The article examines the historical development of the English personal female names. Particular attention has been paid to the origin of female anthroponyms, peculiarities of the formation, and various historical processes that directly influenced their creation at the important stages of history. The article presents the most common women’s names in different historical periods and epochs. The paper suggests the classification of the personal names of the English language according to their etymological features: borrowings from the Bible and mythology, from various source languages, from the names of objects and phenomena of the surrounding world, that give an idea of the origin of names, their structure and semantic meanings. The emphasis has been placed on th e factors that influenced the formation and selection of women’s personal names, in particular the role of literature. The article is dedicated to the complex analysis of the peculiarities of word -formation and functioning of anthroponymic women’s derivatives in Modern English. It determines the main theoretical statements relating to the study of personal names in contemporary linguistics, specified anthroponyms as a distinct linguistic category and characterized their derivative potential. Special attention has been paid to the main ways, means and mechanisms of anthroponymic derivation in Modern English. The emphasis is on the factors that influence the formation and selection of names, and the role of literature. The article examines the traditions that provide their own female names in English,
considering the history of education traditions naming, the origin of names. Anthroponyms have been considered, which are important means of displaying a national culture, which are in the structure of the official naming formula. Additional features of the functioning of female names
in English literature from the standpoint of linguoculture. The article analyses the link between an anthroponym, its bearer, and its meaning. Special attention has been paid to the semantic peculiarities of anthroponyms. It has been pointed out that the anthroponym should be regarded
as a sign though which specific semantic properties are presented. Perspectives of further research of this problem have been defined.