Online Etymology Dictionary

Nelly: fem. proper name, also Nellie, diminutive of Nell, a pet form of Ellen, Helen, or Eleanor. Meaning "weak-spirited person" is first attested 1961.
okapi (n.): short-necked giraffe of central Africa, 1900, from the animal's name in Mbuba (Congo). Reported by English explorer Sir Harry Johnston (1858-1927).
Olga: fem. proper name, from Russian, probably from Norse Helga, literally "holy," from Proto-Germanic *hailaga, from PIE *kailo- (see health). The masc. form is Oleg.
Uzi: 1959, trademark name for Israeli-made submachine gun, developed by Usiel Gal (1923–2002), and manufactured by IMI.
Quechua (n.): Indian people of Peru and surrounding regions, 1811, from Spanish, from Quechua kechua "plunderer, destroyer." Also the name of their language. Related: Quechuan.
Rahab: name of a Biblical monster, from Hebrew rahab, literally "storming, against, impetuous," from rahabh "he stormed against" (compare Arabic rahiba "he feared, was alarmed").
Randal: masc. proper name, shortened from Old English Randwulf, from rand "shield" (see rand) + wulf "wolf" (see wolf (n.)). Compare Randolph.
Randolph: masc. proper name, from Old Norse Rannulfr "shield-wolf" and Frankish *Rannulf "raven-wolf," both brought to England by the Normans.
gerbil (n.): 1849, gerbile, from French gerbille, from Modern Latin Gerbillus, the genus name, from gerbo, from Arabic yarbu. Earlier English form, jarbuah (1660s), was directly from Arabic.
Jude: masc. proper name, Hellenized form of Judah (q.v.), maintained in the Bible for the names of two disciples of Christ, to distinguish them from Judas (q.v.).
Judith: fem. proper name, from Latin, from Greek Ioudith, from Hebrew Yehudith, fem. of Yehudha, literally "son of Judah" (see Judah). Judy is a pet form of it.
Jugendstil (n.): German equivalent of art nouveau, from "Jugend" ("Youth"), the name of a German magazine begun in 1896 + stil "style." See youth (n.) + style (n.).
Harvey: masc. proper name introduced in England by Bretons at the Conquest; from Old French Hervé, Old Breton Aeruiu, Hærviu, literally "battle-worthy."
Catherine: fem. proper name, from French Catherine, from Medieval Latin Katerina, from Latin Ecaterina, from Greek Aikaterine. The -h- was introduced 16c., probably a folk etymology from Greek katharos "pure" (see catharsis). The initial Greek vowel is preserved in Russian form Ekaterina.

As the name of a type of pear, attested from 1640s. Catherine wheel (early 13c.) is named for St. Catherine of Alexandria (martyred 307), legendary virgin from the time of Maximinus who was tortured on a spiked wheel and thus became the patron saint of spinners. Her name day is Nov. 25. A popular saint in the Middle Ages, which accounts for the long popularity of the given name.
Della Robbia: 1787, from name of a family of 15c. Florentine painters and sculptors; used of wares made by Luca Della Robbia (1400-1482), or those like them.
joepye-weed (n.): 1818, said to be so called from the name of an Indian who used it to cure typhus in New England. The story dates from 1822.
malamute (n.): also malemute, Eskimo dog, 1874, from name of Alaska Eskimo tribe in northwestern Alaska that developed the breed. The native form is malimiut.
Ellen: fem. proper name, an older form of Helen (q.v.). Its popularity among U.S. birth names peaked in 1880s and 1940s.
yucca (n.): Central and South American name for the cassava plant, 1550s, from Spanish yuca, juca (late 15c.), probably from Taino, native language of Haiti.
vernier (n.): device for making precise measurements, 1766, from name of inventor, French mathematician Pierre Vernier (1580-1637), who described it in 1631.
Wahabi (n.): 1807, follower of Islamic fundamentalist Abd-el-Wahhab (1691-1787), from his name, with Arabic genitive suffix -i. Related: Wahabiism; Wahabism.
Carlisle: Carleol (c. 1100), earlier Lugovalio (4c.), from a Celtic proper name *Luguvalos. The Celtic cair "fortified town" was added in the Middle Ages.
Casimir: masc. proper name, from Medieval Latin Casimirus from Polish Kazimierz, literally "proclaimer of peace," from kazać "to preach" + mir "peace" (see Mir).
Barabbas: biblical masc. proper name, Greek Barabbas, from Aramaic barabba, "son of the father," or "son of the master." In Hebrew, it would be ben abh.
Barbie: 1959, trademark name (reg. U.S.). Supposedly named after the daughter of its creator, U.S. businesswoman Ruth Handler (1916-2002); see Barbara.
Ophir: name of a place mentioned in Old Testament as a source for fine gold; location still unknown. Hence Ophir-gold (1610s).
opry (n.): 1914, U.S. dialectal pronunciation of opera. Especially in Grand Ole Opry, a radio broadcast of country music from Nashville, registered as a proprietary name 1950.
New Wave: 1960, of cinema (from French Nouvelle Vague, late 1950s); 1976 as a name for the more restrained and melodic alternative to punk rock.
Nina: fem. proper name; in a Russian context it is a shortening of Annina, diminutive of Greek Anna. In a Spanish context, Niña "child, infant," a nursery word.
Parthenon (n.): name of the temple of Athena on the Acropolis in Athens, Greek, literally "temple of the virgin goddess" (Athene), from parthenos "virgin, maiden, girl," of unknown origin.
Beaujolais (n.): type of Burgundy, 1863, from name of a district in the department of Lyonnais, France, which is named for the town of Beaujeu, from French beau "beautiful" + Latin jugum "hill."
welch (v.): 1857, racing slang, "to refuse or avoid payment of money laid as a bet," probably a disparaging use of the national name Welsh. Related: Welched; welching.
Vladimir: masc. proper name, from Old Church Slavonic Vladimiru "Ruling Peace," from vlasti "to rule over" (from PIE *wal- "to be strong") + miru "peace" (see Mir).
Enid: fem. proper name, from Middle Welsh eneit, "purity," literally "soul," from PIE *ane-tyo-, suffixed form of root *ane- "to breathe" (see animus).
Alaric: Visigothic masc. proper name, literally "all-ruler," from Proto-Germanic *ala- "all" (see all) + *rikja "rule" (see rich).
Alfred: masc. proper name, Old English Ælfræd, literally "elf-counsel," from ælf (see elf) + ræd "counsel," which is related to read (v.).
Allah: 1702, Arabic name for the Supreme Being, from Arabic Allahu, contraction of al-Ilahu, from al "the" + Ilah "God;" related to Hebrew Elohim.
dido (n.): "prank, caper," 1807, American English slang, perhaps from the name of the Carthaginian queen in the "Aeneid." Usually in phrase to cut didoes.
Noah: masc. proper name, from Hebrew Noah, literally "rest." Phrase Noah's ark attested from 1610s. The adjective Noachian, in reference to the flood legend, is from 1670s.
goby (n.): kind of fish, 1769, a modern scientific usage, from Latin gobius, from Greek kobios, name of a type of small fish, of unknown origin. Related: Gobiid.
goliath (n.): "a giant," 1590s, from Late Latin Goliath, from Hebrew Golyath, name of the Philistine giant slain by David [I Sam. xvii]. As a type of beetle from 1826.
Helvetian (adj.): "Swiss," 1550s, from Helvetia terra, Medieval Latin name of Switzerland, from Latin Helvetius "pertaining to the Helvetii," a Celtic people of ancient Gallia Lugdunensis. Related: Helvetic.
Hephzibah: fem. proper name, biblical, from Hebrew Hephtzibah, literally "my delight is in her," from hephtzi "my delight" (from haphetz "to delight, to desire") + bah "in her."
Hezekiah: masc. proper name, biblical, from Hebrew Hizqiyya, literally "the Lord has strengthened," from hazaq "he was strong, he strengthened" + jah, short for yahweh.
Levi: masc. proper name, biblical son of Jacob by Leah, from Hebrew lewi, literally "joining, pledging, attached," from stem of lawah "he joined."
Marian: fem. proper name, collateral form of Marion, a diminutive of French Marie (see Mary), but often taken for a compound of Mary and Anne.
marigold (n.): late 14c., marygolde, from Mary (probably a reference to the Virgin) + gold, for color. The Old English name for the flower was simply golde.
Mark: masc. proper name, variant of Marcus (q.v.). Among the top 10 names given to boy babies born in the U.S. between 1955 and 1970.
Maronite: 1510s, from Late Latin Maronita, from Maron, name of the founder. A sect of Syrian Christians (4c.), originally Monothelites, subsequently (1216) united with the Catholic Church.
marrowsky (n.): 1863, said to derive from the proper name of a Polish count. "A deformed language in which the initial consonants of contiguous words are transposed" [OED]. Compare spoonerism.