Dashiell

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A masculine first name of French origin, borne by several notable figures including the American novelist Dashiell Hammett
2. A male given name of French derivation, familiar in English-speaking countries through the crime writer Dashiell Hammett
3. A masculine personal name of French origin that is best known as the first name of the American writer Dashiell Hammett

Etymology: "Dashiell" is a given name, the French form of the Scottish surname "de Chiel," meaning "of Chiel." The name carries the Old French preposition "de" ("of" or "from"), attached to a place-based surname in the Scottish tradition. Its best-known bearer is the American crime novelist Dashiell Hammett, whose distinctive first name shows how a surname-derived form can become a given name.