Giles

Part of speech: noun, proper noun

Definitions

1. A masculine given name of English origin often used to identify individuals; alternatively it may denote a surname shared by families or persons; in some contexts, it could refer to places or entities named with the same term
2. Used primarily as a male personal name in English-speaking regions; it also functions as a last name for certain lineages; in various instances, it might signify geographic locations or items bearing this designation
3. A traditional male forename commonly found in English contexts; serves additionally as a family name; it occasionally identifies specific places or objects associated with this appellation

Etymology: Giles is a name whose most famous bearer is a saint who, according to legend, lived as a hermit in southern France with only a deer for company. The name's own history is more modest. It comes from Latin "Aegidius", which in turn was taken from the Greek "Aigidios", a derivative of "aigidion", meaning "kid" or young goat. The name was therefore originally a diminutive-style formation built on the word for a young goat, though it was not a nickname for an animal in any ordinary sense. The name reached English through Old French, where the saint's name developed into "Gile" and then "Gilles", the form that survives in French today. Medieval English adopted the French version, and its spelling shifted over the centuries until "Giles" became standard. Because the saint was widely venerated across medieval Europe, the name spread widely as a given name.

Synonyms: Giles (name), surname Giles, given name Giles