Originally released in 1996, this book has been heavily revised and offers a dictionary of over 7000 names taken from modern and ancient sources.

In addition to serving as a comprehensive database of the meaning of names, McFarland has also included sections to help in naming babies, taking craft names, and simply researching your own name.

The book starts with a fairly brief review of how names have evolved over the past 3000 years, and goes on to talk about the power of names, the folklore behind them and also includes some interesting exercises to help you pinpont a craft name that would fit well with your overall persona.

I did find it a little strange that the author omitted any reference to the numerology of names, but apart from that, the book seem very complete, and I was happy to find my own name in there, as well as the names of most of my friends.

McFarland also includes a section on magical names from literature, which I found unusual. Dragonriders of Pern, Harry Potter, and the works of Shakespeare are some of those names included.

All in all, I found this book interesting and useful, and although it is not the kind of book you read cover to cover (in places it reads like a Middle-Earth phone book), it would definitely make a wonderful present for a baby shower, Yule or dedication ceremony.