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Origin and history of Ned

Ned

masc. proper name, a familiar abbreviation of Edward. Related: Neddy. From 1790 as the "an ass or donkey."

Entries linking to Ned

Edward

masc. proper name, from Old English Eadweard, literally "prosperity-guard," from ead "wealth, prosperity" (see Edith) + weard "guardian" (see ward (n.)). Among the 10 most popular names for boys born in the U.S. every year from 1895 to 1930.

The Christian humility of King Edward the Confessor brought such credit to this name that since that time it hath been most usual in all Estates. [Blount's "Glossographia," 1656]

For the nickname Ted (see Teddy), compare Tannikin, an old diminutive of Anne, and perhaps Tantony for Anthony.

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    Trends of Ned

    adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/ with a 7-year moving average; ngrams are probably unreliable.

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    Luddite
    Supposedly they got it from Ned Ludd, a Leicestershire worker who in 1779 had smashed two machines in a rage, but that story...
    lanyard
    source also of Old High German, Old Saxon nestila "lace, strap, band," German nestel "string, lace, strap"), from PIE root *ned...
    buddy
    [Review of Ned Schuyler's 5 O'Clock Club, Miami Beach, Fla., Billboard, Nov. 12, 1949] Buddy system is attested from 1920...
    need
    Middle English nede, from Old English nied (West Saxon), ned (Mercian) "what is required, wanted, or desired; necessity,...Proto-Germanic *nauthiz/*naudiz (source also of Old Saxon nod, Old Norse nauðr "distress, emergency, need," Old Frisian ned...
    remembrance
    [Melville, from "To Ned"]...
    connection
    together, to tie, join together," from assimilated form of com "together" (see con-) + nectere "to bind, tie" (from PIE root *ned...
    rise
    Middle English risen, from Old English risan "to rise from sleep, get out of bed; stand up, rise to one's feet; get up from table; rise together; be fit, be proper" (typically gerisan, arisan; a class I strong verb; past tense ras, past participle risen), from Proto-Germanic *us-
    address
    early 14c., "to guide, aim, or direct," from Old French adrecier "go straight toward; straighten, set right; point, direct" (13c.), from Vulgar Latin *addirectiare "make straight" (source also of Spanish aderezar, Italian addirizzare), from ad "to" (see ad-) + *directiare "make s
    log
    unshaped large piece of tree, early 14c., of unknown origin. Old Norse had lag "felled tree" (from stem of liggja "to lie," hence "a tree that lies prostrate"), but many etymologists deny on phonological grounds that this can be the root of English log. Instead, they suggest an i
    lest
    c. 1200, "that not," especially "for fear that" [OED calls it a negative particle of intention], from a contraction of the Old English phrase þy læs þe "the less that," from þy, instrumental case of demonstrative article þæt "that" + læs (see less) + conjunction þe (see the). The

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