Meaning of Names Of People You Meet On Your Travels

 Many names reveal the country of origin of the person you meet.

Spanish

Alba means dawn in Spanish, Italian and Catalan.

Paz, a first name for a man, means peace in Spanish and Portuguese. It also means fine gold in Hebrew. 

Leo or Leon in many languages means Lion.

UK

Many names indicate occupations, locations or surroundings of the ancestor or their employer. Baker, Cooper (maker of barrels for wine). Smith. Taylor. Silver (works in silver) or Gold (jeweller). Diamond (jeweller). Carter (drives a cart or makes carts). Clerk (keeps records or works in an office). Farmer. King, Prince. Bishop. Singer. (Sings as an entertainer or in a church or synagogue.) Gardiner (gardener?) Shepherd. Shipman. (Builds ships or works in shipping?)Wine (maker or merchant). Forest. Wood. River/Rivers. 

Pitman, as in Pitman's shorthand, originally meant a miner or somebody who worked in a pit or lived near a pit.

Marks & Spencer

A Spencer, as in Marks & Spencer, was a dispenser (from the French word). Appropriately Mr Spencer, one of the two co-founders of Marks & Spencer, was a cashier, collecting and dispensing money. He went on to do a similar role in Marks & Spencer.

The most common UK surname is Smith. 

Germany

In German this is Schmidt.

The English surname Tailor becomes Schneider in German.

I find it easier to remember names if I know the meaning.  While discussing, you repeat the name which is another aide memoir. Also, discussing the meaning of somebody's name creates an opportunity to enthuse about their culture.

If I have a meeting, I check online the meaning of people's names. That sometimes has added unexpected aid to your meetings. For example, you may find out that a festival is taking place, so they cannot meet you, or they might invite you to a celebration.

Indian Patels

Patel is one of the commonest names. It mostly means farmer or land owner, It can also mean merchant, or tenant. 

I was on an Air India plane and met a Mr Patel when we had a long delay boarding and got chatting. When we left the plane, we met up again collecting luggage. I said, 'Hello, again, Mr Patel.' He was immensely impressed by the fact that I remembered his name.  

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