Meredith is a Welsh

given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a ...

, and a surname common in parts of

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

. As a personal name, it was until recently usually given to boys. Meredith has many derivatives which have become personal names and surnames as well.

Etymology and history

In Old Welsh (c. 800–1150) the name was usually rendered as ''Morgetuid'' or ''Margetiud''. The exact meaning of the first element, ''Mere'', is unclear although some Welsh scholars have translated it as "great" or "splendid". The final element of ''iudd'' has the meaning of ''lord'', and is found in other Welsh names such as '' Gruffydd'' and ''Bleidd dd''. However, in

Middle Welsh Middle Welsh ( cy, Cymraeg Canol, wlm, Kymraec) is the label attached to the Welsh language of the 12th to 15th centuries, of which much more remains than for any earlier period. This form of Welsh developed directly from Old Welsh ( cy, Hen G ...

(c. 1150s–1300s) the name was most commonly spelt as ''Maredud'' and ''Maredudd''; "in Welsh, the accent is on the

penult Penult is a linguistics term for the second to last syllable of a word. It is an abbreviation of ''penultimate'', which describes the next-to-last item in a series. The penult follows the antepenult and precedes the ultima. For example, the main ...

, and this leads at times to the elision of the vowel of the first syllable," producing an early variant ''Mredydd'', according to T.J. Morgan and Prys Morgan.

Anglo-Norman Anglo-Norman may refer to: *Anglo-Normans, the medieval ruling class in England following the Norman conquest of 1066 * Anglo-Norman language **Anglo-Norman literature * Anglo-Norman England, or Norman England, the period in English history from 10 ...

scribes often used ''e'' for the first syllable and substituting the double ''d'' with a ''th'', producing ''Mereduth''. The forms ''Meredith'' and ''Meredyth'' are seen as early as the 14th century. In Medieval manuscripts, the name is frequently "disguised" in records produced by scribes unfamiliar with Welsh naming conventions, and has been confused with the Welsh name ''Moreiddig'' (which has produced ''Moredik'', ''Moriddik'' and ''Morithik''). By the early

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

, the name took the form of ''Mereduc'', in part due to "its suitability for taking Latin case-endings". The name has been rendered into

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

as ''Mereducco'', ''Mereduci'', ''Mereduth'', ''Mereduco'', ''Mereduc'', ''Mereducus'', and ''Mereducius''. In the dialect of

Dyfed Dyfed () is a preserved county in southwestern Wales. It is a mostly rural area with a coastline on the Irish Sea and the Bristol Channel. Between 1974 and 1996, Dyfed was also the name of the area's county council and the name remains in use f ...

( Pembrokeshire) the final

voiced interdental fricative The voiced dental fricative is a consonant sound used in some spoken languages. It is familiar to English-speakers as the ''th'' sound in ''father''. Its symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet is eth, or and was taken from the Old Engl ...

(represented in writing by ''dd'') was lost to produce the name ''Meredy''. Though there is no etymological connection, ''Meredith'' has also been equated or associated with ''Merrick'', ''Meyrick,'' and ''Moryce'', "presumably on the basis of the 'Mer', although it is possible that ''Maurice'' was adopted as an approximation," according to Morgan and Morgan. Various forms of the name include ''Maredith'', ''Maradyth'', ''Merddith'', ''Merydethe'', ''Mredith'', ''Maready'', and ''Redith''. The surname "Merediz", found in the northern coastal region of Spain, particularly

Asturias Asturias (, ; ast, Asturies ), officially the Principality of Asturias ( es, Principado de Asturias; ast, Principáu d'Asturies; Galician-Asturian: ''Principao d'Asturias''), is an autonomous community in northwest Spain. It is coextensiv ...

, is derived from it. The surname is also found in Argentina and Mexico.

Derivatives

A derivative or pet name of Meredith is ''Bedo'', which has given rise to a variety of other surnames, including: ''Beddas'', ''Beddis'', ''Beddus'', ''Beddose'', ''Beddos'', ''Beddoe'', ''Beddoes'', ''Beddowe'', ''Beado'', ''Beddah'', ''Beddow'', ''Beddas'', ''Beddass'', with a deliberate anglicisation of ''Beddis''/''Beddus'' into ''Bedhouse''. The forms ''Beddoe'', ''Beddow'', ''Beddoes'', and ''Beddowes'' are particularly common within the

Shropshire Shropshire (; alternatively Salop; abbreviated in print only as Shrops; demonym Salopian ) is a landlocked historic county in the West Midlands region of England. It is bordered by Wales to the west and the English counties of Cheshire to ...

region of the Marches. The hardening characteristic of the Glamorgan and Monmouthshire accent mutated the ''d'' into ''t'', producing ''Bettoe'' and ''Bettoes'' with the anglicised variant as ''Betthouse''.

Notable people

Meredith Andrews Meredith Frances Sooter (born January 19, 1983), known professionally as Meredith Andrews, is a contemporary Christian music artist, songwriter, and worship leader. She has won two Dove Awards. Biography Andrews grew up in Wilson, North Ca ...

(born 1983), American singer, songwriter, and worship leader (female) *

Meredith Baxter Meredith Ann Baxter (born June 21, 1947) is an American actress and producer. She is known for her roles on the CBS sitcom '' Bridget Loves Bernie'' (1972–73), ABC drama series ''Family'' (1976–80) and the NBC sitcom ''Family Ties'' (1982 ...

(born 1947), American actress (female) *

Meredith Belbin Raymond Meredith Belbin (born 4 June 1926) is a British researcher and management consultant best known for his work on management teams. He is a visiting professor and Honorary Fellow of Henley Management College in Oxfordshire, England. Ea ...

(born 1926), British management theorist (male) *

Meredith Brooks Meredith Ann Brooks (born June 12, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist best known for her 1997 hit song "Bitch", for which she was nominated for a Grammy Award. Career Brooks started her music career in 1976 as a member of ...

(born 1958), American musician (female) *

Meredith Burgmann Meredith Anne Burgmann (born 26 July 1947) is an Australian politician and Labor Party member and a former President of the New South Wales Legislative Council. Early years Burgmann was born in July 1947 at Beecroft, New South Wales to pare ...

(born 1947), Australian politician (female) * Meredith Colket (1878-1947), American pole vault Olympic silver medal winner (male) *

Meredith Davies (Albert) Meredith Davies CBE (30 July 1922 – 9 March 2005) was a British conductor, renowned for his advocacy of English music by composers such as Benjamin Britten, Frederick Delius and Ralph Vaughan Williams. His co-conducting, with the com ...

(1922-2005), British conductor (male) * Meredith Emerson (1983–2008), American murder victim, Meredith Emerson Memorial Privacy Act (U.S.) (female) * Meredith Etherington-Smith (1946–2020), British art and fashion journalist (female) * Meredith "Med" Flory (1926–2014), American musician and actor (male) *

Meredith Frampton George Vernon Meredith Frampton (17 March 1894 – 16 September 1984) was a British painter and etcher, successful as a portraitist in the 1920s–1940s. His artistic career was short and his output limited because his eyesight began to f ...

, (1894-1984), British painter (male) * Meredith Poindexter Gentry (1809-1866), U.S. politician (male) * Meredith Gourdine (1929-1998), American athlete, engineer and physicist (male) *

Meredith Hall Meredith Hall (born March 25, 1949) is a writer and professor emeritus at the University of New Hampshire. She is the author of the memoir ''Without a Map'' and the novel ''Beneficence''. Background At 44, Hall graduated from Bowdoin College an ...

(born 1949), American writer (female) * Meredith G. Hastings, American atmospheric chemist (female) * Meredith Curly Hunter, Jr. (1951–1969), American man killed at the Altamont Free Concert (male) * Meredith Lee Hughes, adopted as

Lynda Bellingham Lynda Bellingham, OBE ( ; 31 May 194819 October 2014) was an English actress, broadcaster and author. She acted in television series such as '' All Creatures Great and Small'', '' Doctor Who'', '' Second Thoughts'' and '' Faith in the Future''. S ...

(1948–2014), Canadian-born English actress and TV presenter (female) *

Meredith Hunter (politician) Meredith Hunter (born 22 July 1962) is an Australian former politician who was a member of the multi-member unicameral Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly representing the electorate of Ginninderra for the ACT Greens from 2008 to ...

(born 1962), Australian politician (female) *

Meredith Kercher Meredith Susanna Cara Kercher (28 December 1985 – 1 November 2007) was a British student on exchange from the University of Leeds who was murdered at the age of 21 in Perugia, Italy. Kercher was found dead on the floor of her bedroom. By the ...

(1985-2007), British woman murdered in Italy (female) *

Meredith MacRae Meredith Lynn MacRae (May 30, 1944 – July 14, 2000) was an American actress, singer and talk show host. She is most remembered for her roles as Sally Morrison on ''My Three Sons'' (1963–1965) and as Billie Jo Bradley on ''Petticoat Junction ...

, (1944-2000), American actress (female) *

Meredith Monk Meredith Jane Monk (born November 20, 1942) is an American composer, performer, director, vocalist, filmmaker, and choreographer. From the 1960s onwards, Monk has created multi-disciplinary works which combine music, theatre, and dance, recordin ...

(born 1942), American composer and vocal performer (female) *

Meredith Salenger Meredith Dawn Salenger is an American actress. Her credits include the 1985 film ''The Journey of Natty Gann'', as the title character, and the 1989 teen comedy '' Dream a Little Dream''. Early life and education Salenger was born and raised in ...

(born 1970), American actress (female) * Meredith Shiels, American cancer epidemiologist (female) *

Meredith Stiehm Meredith Stiehm (born 1968) is an American television producer and writer. She is the creator of the hit crime drama '' Cold Case'' and the FX thriller drama '' The Bridge''. She is President of the Writers Guild of America. Early life and ed ...

(born 1969), American television producer and screenwriter (female) * Meredith Tax (1942–2022), American writer (female) *

Meredith Vieira Meredith Louise Vieira (born December 30, 1953) is an American broadcast journalist and television personality. She is best known as the original moderator of the daytime talk show '' The View'' (1997–2006), the original host of the syndicated ...

(born 1953), American journalist and television host (female) *

Meredith Willson Robert Reiniger Meredith Willson (May 18, 1902 – June 15, 1984) was an American flutist, composer, conductor, musical arranger, bandleader, playwright, and writer. He is perhaps best known for writing the book, music, and lyrics for the 19 ...

(1902–1984), American composer, songwriter, conductor, and playwright (male) * O. Meredith Wilson (1909–1998), former President of the University of Minnesota (male)

Fictional characters

* Meredith, a character from the 1974 film ''

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'', played by

Elizabeth MacRae Elizabeth Hendon MacRae (born February 22, 1936) is an American actress who performed in dozens of television series and in nine feature films, working predominantly in productions released between 1958 and the late 1980s. Among her more widel ...

* Meredith, a character in the Freeform network series ''

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'' with whom the character Byron cheated on his girlfriend * Meredith Blake, a character in the book ''

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'' by Agatha Christie * Meredith Blake, a character from the 1998 film '' The Parent Trap'', played by

Elaine Hendrix Katherine Elaine Hendrix (born December 28, 1970) is an American actress. She is known for her roles in ''Superstar'', ''Romy and Michele's High School Reunion'', the 1995 ''Get Smart'' series, the 1998 remake of '' The Parent Trap'', ''Dynasty' ...

* Meredith Brody, '' NCIS: New Orleans'', an NCIS agent newly transferred to New Orleans at the start of the first season who left at the start of the third season *

Merry Gentry Meredith "Merry" Gentry is the protagonist of an eponymous fantasy series by US writer Laurell K. Hamilton, best known for her other fantasy series ''Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter''. Since 2000, she has been alternating between the two series, pub ...

, the protagonist of the ''Meredith Gentry'' series by Laurell K. Hamilton * Meredith Fell, a character on

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's TV series ''

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'' *

Meredith Gordon This is a list of fictional characters in the television series '' Heroes'', the ''Heroes'' graphic novels, and the ''Heroes'' webisodes. Main characters Character duration In its inaugural season, ''Heroes'' featured an ensemble cast ...

, a character in the TV series ''

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'' who was an evolved human with the power of

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Meredith Grey Meredith Grey, M.D., F.A.C.S. is a fictional and titular character from the medical drama television series ''Grey's Anatomy'', which airs on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) in the United States. The character was created by series pro ...

, an attending general surgeon and Head of General Surgery in the TV medical drama ''

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'', played by

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* Meredith Rodney McKay, a character in the TV series ''

Stargate SG-1 ''Stargate SG-1'' (often stylized in all caps, or abbreviated ''SG-1'') is a military science fiction adventure television series within Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's ''Stargate'' franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, ...

'' and ''

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'' played by

David Hewlett David Ian Hewlett (born 18 April 1968) is a British-born Canadian actor, writer, and director known for his role as Dr. Rodney McKay in the ''Stargate'' science-fiction franchise. He first gained fame for his roles as Grant Jansky in the Canad ...

* Meredith Monahan, a character in the

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TV series ''

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'' played by

Jill Forster Jill Forster (born 1936), is an English Australian actress who came to Australia as a model in 1964 and appeared in the Crawford Production series '' Hunter''. She is well known for appearance's in TV series, but has also appeared in made for T ...

Meredith Palmer ''The Office'' is an American television series based on the British television comedy of the same name. The format of the series is a parody of the fly on the wall documentary technique that intersperses traditional situation comedy segments wi ...

, a character in the

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'' who was Dunder-Mifflin's resident lush * Meredith Quill, a character in ''

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'', played by

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* Meredith Sulez, a character in ''

'' novel series by

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* Knight-Commander Meredith Stannard, a character in the ''

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'' video game, by ''

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'' * Meredith Smith, the title character of "The Meredith Smith" episode of the

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'' * Meredith Walker, a

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in the MTV series ''

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'' who is an ally to the McCall Pack

References

{{given name English feminine given names English-language unisex given names English unisex given names Given names originating from a surname Welsh unisex given names Masculine given names Feminine given names