Names: and Their Meaning

Why is it called Lloyd's? Why the Green Man? Leopold Wagner traced the origins of everything the Victorians had a name for — countries, tavern signs, flowers, wines, London streets, nicknames and battles — and found a story behind nearly all of them.

Textiles, Embroideries, And

3 pages in this part of Names and Their Meaning.

Textiles, Embroideries, And

LACE.

Textiles, Embroideries, And: Latin

The name of Cotton is a modification of the Arabic qoton; Silk is derived from the Latin sericus, soft; and Satin from the Italian seta, a…

Textiles, Embroideries, And: Tapestry

The word Embroidery is a modern substantive evolved out of the old verb “Embordering," by which was meant the adornment of any material…

Rights & ReuseThe complete text of Names: and Their Meaning (1891) is in the public domain in the United States — like all works published before 1928 — and is free to read, download, quote, teach from, and reuse. This digital edition (its transcription, restored images, and site design) is © 2026 PhotoOpAI, and any editorial commentary we add is clearly marked as ours; the underlying public-domain text carries no such restriction.