Meredith is a Welsh given name, and a surname common in parts of

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

. 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

Old Welsh Old Welsh ( cy, Hen Gymraeg) is the stage of the Welsh language from about 800 AD until the early 12th century when it developed into Middle Welsh.Koch, p. 1757. The preceding period, from the time Welsh became distinct from Common Brittonic a ...

(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 ...

(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 mai ...

, 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 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 ...

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 ...

( Pembrokeshire) the final voiced interdental fricative (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 coextensi ...

, 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 (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. E ...

(born 1926), British management theorist (male) * Meredith Brooks (born 1958), American musician (female) * Meredith Burgmann (born 1947), Australian politician (female) * Meredith Colket (1878-1947), American pole vault Olympic silver medal winner (male) * Meredith Davies (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, (1894-1984), British painter (male) * Meredith Poindexter Gentry (1809-1866), U.S. politician (male) *

Meredith Gourdine Meredith Charles "Flash" Gourdine (September 26, 1929 – November 20, 1998) was an American athlete, engineer and physicist. His nickname, "Flash" Gourdine, is a reference to comic strip character Flash Gordon. Education Gourdine graduated f ...

(1929-1998), American athlete, engineer and physicist (male) * Meredith Hall (born 1949), American writer (female) *

Meredith G. Hastings Meredith G. Hastings is an American atmospheric chemist and a professor of earth, environmental, and planetary sciences at Brown University. Her research focuses on the reactive nitrogen cycle and how atmospheric chemistry affects climate. She is ...

, American atmospheric chemist (female) *

Meredith Curly Hunter, Jr. Meredith Curly Hunter, Jr. (October 24, 1951 – December 6, 1969), was an American man who was killed at the 1969 Altamont Free Concert. During the performance by the Rolling Stones, Hunter approached the stage, and was violently driven off by m ...

(1951–1969), American man killed at the Altamont Free Concert (male) * Meredith Lee Hughes, adopted as Lynda Bellingham (1948–2014), Canadian-born English actress and TV presenter (female) * Meredith Hunter (politician) (born 1962), Australian politician (female) * Meredith Kercher (1985-2007), British woman murdered in Italy (female) * Meredith MacRae, (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, recor ...

(born 1942), American composer and vocal performer (female) * Meredith Salenger (born 1970), American actress (female) *

Meredith Shiels Meredith Sarah Shiels (born May 6, 1982) is an American cancer epidemiologist who researches cancer risks in people with HIV. She is a senior investigator at the National Cancer Institute. Life Meredith Sarah Shiels was born May 6, 1982, in P ...

, 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 edu ...

(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 1 ...

(1902–1984), American composer, songwriter, conductor, and playwright (male) *

O. Meredith Wilson Owen Meredith Wilson (September 21, 1909 – November 7, 1998) was an American historian and academic administrator. He served as president of the University of Oregon from 1954 to 1960 and as president of the University of Minnesota from 1960 to ...

(1909–1998), former President of the University of Minnesota (male)

Fictional characters

* Meredith, a character from the 1974 film '' The Conversation'', played by Elizabeth MacRae * Meredith, a character in the Freeform network series ''

Pretty Little Liars ''Pretty Little Liars'' is an American mystery teen drama television series based on the novel series of the same name written by Sara Shepard. Developed by I. Marlene King, the series was broadcast on Freeform between June 8, 2010, and June ...

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

Agatha Christie Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, (; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictiona ...

* Meredith Blake, a character from the 1998 film '' The Parent Trap'', played by Elaine Hendrix * 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, the protagonist of the ''Meredith Gentry'' series by Laurell K. Hamilton *

Meredith Fell '' The Vampire Diaries'' is an American fantasy-drama television series which was first broadcast on The CW from 2009 to 2017, airing 171 episodes over 8 seasons. Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec adapted the TV series from L.J. Smith's ...

, a character on

The CW ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in ...

's TV series ''

The Vampire Diaries ''The Vampire Diaries'' is an American supernatural teen drama television series developed by Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec, based on the book series of the same name written by L. J. Smith. The series premiered on The CW on September 1 ...

'' * Meredith Gordon, a character in the TV series '' Heroes'' who was an evolved human with the power of

pyrokinesis Pyrokinesis is the purported psychic ability allowing a person to create and control fire with the mind. As with other parapsychological phenomena, there is no conclusive evidence in support of the actual existence of pyrokinesis. Many alleged c ...

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

Grey's Anatomy ''Grey's Anatomy'' is an American medical drama television series that premiered on March 27, 2005, on ABC as a mid-season replacement. The series focuses on the lives of surgical interns, residents, and attendings as they develop into ...

'', played by Ellen Pompeo * 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, is ...

'' and '' Stargate Atlantis'' played by David Hewlett * Meredith Monahan, a character in the

Australian Broadcasting Corporation The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the national broadcaster of Australia. It is principally funded by direct grants from the Australian Government and is administered by a government-appointed board. The ABC is a publicly-own ...

TV series '' SeaChange'' played by Jill Forster *

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 ...

, a character in the NBC TV sitcom '' The Office'' who was Dunder-Mifflin's resident lush * Meredith Quill, a character in ''

Guardians of the Galaxy The Guardians of the Galaxy is a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It may more specifically refer to: Comic book teams * Guardians of the Galaxy (1969 team), the original 31st-century team f ...

'', played by Laura Haddock * Meredith Sulez, a character in ''

'' novel series by L. J. Smith * Knight-Commander Meredith Stannard, a character in the '' Dragon Age II'' video game, by ''

BioWare BioWare is a Canadian video game developer based in Edmonton, Alberta. It was founded in 1995 by newly graduated Doctor of Medicine, medical doctors Ray Muzyka, Greg Zeschuk and Augustine Yip, alongside Trent Oster, Brent Oster, and Marcel Zes ...

'' * Meredith Smith, the title character of "The Meredith Smith" episode of the NBC western TV series ''

Bonanza ''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 13, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 432 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running western, the second-longest-running western series on ...

'' * Meredith Vickers, a character in the 2012 film ''

Prometheus In Greek mythology, Prometheus (; , , possibly meaning "forethought")Smith"Prometheus". is a Titan god of fire. Prometheus is best known for defying the gods by stealing fire from them and giving it to humanity in the form of technology, know ...

'' * Meredith Walker, a

Banshee A banshee ( ; Modern Irish , from sga, ben síde , "woman of the fairy mound" or "fairy woman") is a female spirit in Irish folklore who heralds the death of a family member, usually by screaming, wailing, shrieking, or keening. Her name is ...

in the MTV series '' Teen Wolf'' 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