Emmett

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A common English male forename, often used as a personal name or surname
2. A male given name of English origin, frequently appearing in genealogies and contemporary usage
3. A masculine personal name, typically bestowed as a first name or used as a family surname

Etymology: Emmett began as a pet form of Emma, the female given name, and it reached English as a diminutive built on that name. Diminutives like this were a common way of forming affectionate or familiar versions of names in Middle English, where a short suffix signalled a smaller or dearer version of the original. The name thus carries the same root as Emma, which comes from the Germanic element "ermen," meaning "whole" or "great." Its story is largely one of naming rather than meaning shift. As a given name, Emmett has stayed in use, and it is perhaps most familiar today as a masculine name, even though its base form is feminine. That switch in gender association is what makes it unusual among names derived from female forms.