American Given Names: Their Origin and History in the Context of the English Language (Oxford Quick Reference)

George Stewart, the world's foremost authority on place-naming, has written an engrossing dictionary that has become the standard work on the history of American first names. Stewart places names in historical and linguistic context, discussing, with his characteristic wit, each name's etymology and degree of use today.
A browser's delight--a treasure trove of fascinating facts--American Given Names is also an important contribution to the history of language and to Americana.