Online Etymology Dictionary

Hepplewhite: as a modifier, by 1878, in reference to style of furniture introduced in England by cabinetmaker George Hepplewhite (died 1786). The proper name is from Heblethwaite, near Sedbergh in the West Riding of Yorkshire.
Herbert: masc. proper name, introduced in England by the Normans, from Old French Herbert, Latinized from Frankish *Hari-berct, *Her(e)-bert, literally "army-bright;" see harry (v.) + bright (adj.).
gloria (n.): name of one of the Christian songs of praise, early 13c., from Medieval Latin gloria in Gloria in Excelsis, the Great Doxology, Gloria Patri (the Lesser Doxology), from Latin gloria "glory" (see glory (n.)).
Herman: masc. proper name, from German Hermann, from Old High German Hariman, literally "man of war, warrior," from hari "host, army" (see harry (v.)) + man "man" (see man (n.)).
Lilliputian (adj.): "diminutive, tiny," literally "pertaining to Lilliput," the fabulous island whose inhabitants were six inches high, a name coined by Jonathan Swift in "Gulliver's Travels" (1726). Swift left no explanation of the origin of the word.
marlin (n.): large marine game-fish, 1917, shortening of marlinspike fish (1907), from marlinspike, name of a pointed iron tool used by sailors (see marlinspike). The fish was so called from the shape of its elongated upper jaw.
Masonite: 1926, proprietary name of a type of fiberboard, by Mason Fibre Company, Laurel, Mississippi, U.S. As a word in mineralogy for a type of chloritoid, it honors Owen Mason of Providence, R.I.
tequila (n.): Mexican brandy, 1849 (from 1841 as vino de Tequila), from American Spanish tequila, from Tequila, name of a district in central Mexico noted for the fine quality of its tequila. Tequila sunrise is attested by 1965.
Thames: river through London, Old English Temese, from Latin Tamesis (51 B.C.E.), from British Tamesa, an ancient Celtic river name perhaps meaning "the dark one." The -h- is unetymological (see th).
Orphic (adj.): 1670s, from Greek orphikos "pertaining to Orpheus," master musician of Thrace, son of Eagrus and Calliope, husband of Eurydice, whose name (of unknown origin) was associated with mystic doctrines. Related: Orphism.
Massachusetts: plural, originally (1614) a name for the Algonquian native people who lived around the bay, from Algonquian Massachusett "at the large hill," in reference to Great Blue Hill, southwest of Boston.
Matthew: masc. proper name, introduced in England by the Normans, from Old French Mathieu, from Late Latin Matthaeus, from Greek Matthaios, contraction of Mattathias, from Hebrew Mattathyah "gift of Jehovah," from mattath "gift." Variant Matthias is from the Greek version.
Oswald: masc. proper name, from Old English Osweald "god-power, god-ruler," from Old English os "god" (only in personal names), from PIE *ansu- "spirit" (see Oscar) + Old English (ge)weald "power."
thespian (adj.): 1670s, "of or pertaining to tragedy or dramatic acting," from Greek Thespis, semi-legendary 6c. B.C.E. poet of Icaria in Attica, often called the Father of Greek Tragedy. The literal meaning of the name is "inspired by the gods."
Almoravides: Muslim Berber horde from the Sahara which founded a dynasty in Morocco (11c.) and conquered much of Spain and Portugal. The name is Spanish, from Arabic al-Murabitun, literally "the monks living in a fortified convent," from ribat "fortified convent."
Alphonso: masc. proper name, from Spanish Alfonso, from a Germanic source (compare Old High German Adalfuns, from adal "noble;" see atheling + funs "ready"). The Alphonsine tables are named for Alphonso the Wise, 13c. king of Castile.
amaryllis (n.): autumn-flowering bulbs, 1794, adopted by Linnaeus from Latin, from Greek Amaryllis, typical name of a country girl or shepherdess (in Theocritus, Virgil, Ovid, etc.).
Ambrose: masc. proper name, from Latin Ambrosius, from Greek ambrosios "immortal, belonging to the immortals" (see ambrosia). The Ambrosian Library in Milan is named for Saint Ambrose (d.397), bishop of Milan.
Amish (adj.): 1844, American English, from the name of Jacob Amman, 17c. Swiss Mennonite preacher who founded the sect. Originally spelled Omish, which reflects the pronunciation in Pennsylvania German dialect. As a noun, by 1884.
berm (n.): "narrow ledge," 1729, from French berme (17c.), from Old Dutch baerm "edge of a dike," probably related to brim (q.v.). In U.S., 19c., also the name for the bank of a canal opposite the tow path.
Bernard: masc. proper name, from German Bernhard, literally "bold as a bear," from Old High German bero "bear" (see bear (n.)) + harti "hard, bold, strong" (see hard (adj.)).
Esther: fem. proper name, Old Testament wife of the Persian king Ahasuerus, from Greek Esther, from Hebrew Ester, from Persian sitareh "star," related to Avestan star- (see star (n.)).
Etruscan (n.): 1706, from Latin Etruscus "an Etruscan," from Etruria, ancient name of Tuscany, of uncertain origin but containing an element that might mean "water" (see Basque) and which could be a reference to the rivers in the region.
christen (v.): c. 1200, from Old English cristnian "to baptize," literally "to make Christian," from cristen "Christian" (see Christian). General meaning of "to name" is attested from mid-15c. Related: Christened; christening.
Erechtheus: legendary first king and founder of Athens, from Latin Erechtheus, from Greek Erekhtheos, literally "render, shaker" (of the earth), from erekhthein "to rend, break, shatter, shake." Hence Erechtheum, the name of a temple on the Athenian acropolis.
chili (n.): also chilli, 1660s, from Nahuatl (Aztecan) chilli, native name for the peppers. Not named for the South American country. As short for chile con carne and similar dishes, attested by 1846.
hijinks (n.): also hi-jinks, high jinks, "boisterous capers, lively or boisterous sport," 1842, from name of games played at drinking parties (1690s). See jink.
Formosa: old name of Taiwan, given by the Portuguese, from Portuguese Formosa insula "beautiful island." The adjective is from the fem. of Latin formosus "beautiful, handsome, finely formed," from forma "form, shape" (see form (n.)). Related: Formosan (1640s).
Eustace: masc. proper name, from Old French Eustace (Modern French Eustache), from Latin Eustachius, probably from Greek eustakhos "fruitful," from eu "well, good" (see eu-) + stakhys "ear (of grain);" see spike (n.1).
Fokker (n.): German monoplane of World War I, 1913, from name of Anton "Anthony" H.G. Fokker (1890-1939), Dutch engineer and inventor who started his aircraft manufacturing business in Germany in 1912.
Issachar: son of Jacob by Leah (Old Testament) and name of a biblical tribe of Israel, from Greek issakhar, from Hebrew Yissakhar, probably [Klein] from Hebrew yesh sakhar "there is a reward" (see Gen. xxx:18).
hominid (n.): "one of the family of mammals represented by man," 1889, from Modern Latin Hominidæ the biological family name (1825), from Latin homo (genitive hominis) "man" (see homunculus) + -id. As an adjective from 1915. Related: Hominine (adj.).
lollapalooza (n.): also lallapaloosa, lallapalootza, etc.; "remarkable or wonderful person or thing," 1901, American English, fanciful formation. The annual North American alternative pop music concert of the same name dates from 1991.
lop (v.1): "cut off," 1510s, from Middle English loppe (n.) "small branches and twigs trimmed from trees" (early 15c.), of unknown origin. Related: Lopped (mid-15c.); lopping. Place name Loppedthorn is attested from 1287.
Timothy: masc. proper name, from French Timothée, from Latin Timotheus, from Greek Timotheos, literally "honoring God," from time "honor, respect" (see timocracy) + theos "god" (see theo-).
tizzy (n.): 1922, American English colloquial, of uncertain origin, perhaps related to slang tizzy "sixpence piece" (1804), a corruption of tester, a name for the coin (see tester (n.2)).
Mennonite (n.): member of an Anabaptist sect, 1560s, from name of Menno Simons (1492-1559), founder of the sect in Friesland, + -ite (1). As an adjective by 1727. Alternative form Mennonist (n.) attested from 1640s.
Pentothal: trademark name of an anaesthetic and hypnotic, 1935, refashioning of Thiopental, from pento-, in reference to the methylbutyl five-carbon group + first two letters of thiobarbiturate + chemical product suffix -ol.
pewit (n.): "lapwing" (still the usual name for it in Scotland), 1520s, imitative of its cry (compare Flemish piewit-voghel, Middle Low German kivit, German kiwitz; also see kibitz).
frou-frou (n.): 1870, "a rustling," from French (19c.), possibly imitative of the rustling of a dress. The word was popularized in English by a French play translated and given that name. Meaning "fussy details" is from 1876.
Clydesdale: "breed of heavy draught horses," 1786, so called because they were bred in the valley of the Clyde in Scotland. The river name is perhaps literally "cleansing," from a Celtic root akin to Latin cloaca (see cloaca).
dobro (n.): 1952, American English, contracted from the name of its Slovakia-born inventors, the Dopera Brothers (John, Rudy, Emil). The word also happens to mean "good thing" in Slovak. Patent filed 1947, claims use from 1929.
Docetism (n.): 1846, heresy of the Docetae, who held that the body of Jesus was a phantom, from Greek Doketai, name of the sect, literally "believers," from dokein "to seem, have the appearance of, think," related to doxa (see decent).
Bodoni: 1880, typeface based on that used by celebrated Italian printer Giambattista Bodoni (1740-1813) of Parma. The modern type of this name is a composite of his many forms.
Hoover: proprietary name for a make of vacuum cleaner (patented 1927); sometimes used generally for "vacuum cleaner." As a verb, meaning "to vacuum," from 1926, in the company's advertising.
dogger (n.): "two-masted fishing boat," used in North Sea fishery, mid-14c., which is of unknown origin. It likely is the source of the name Dogger Bank (1660s) for the great banks of shoals in the North Sea.
grouse (n.): type of game bird, 1530s, grows (plural, used collectively), of unknown origin, possibly from Latin or Welsh. Originally the moorhen of the British Isles; later the name was extended to similar birds in other places.
Guelph (n.): also Guelf, one of the two great parties in medieval Italian politics, characterized by support of the popes against the emperors (opposed to the Ghibellines), 1570s, from Italian Guelfo, from Old High German Welf, name of a princely family that became the ducal house of Brunswick, literally "whelp," originally the name of the founder (Welf I). The family are the ancestors of the present dynasty of Great Britain. The name is said to have been used as a war-cry at the Battle of Weinsberg (1140) by partisans of Henry the Lion, duke of Bavaria, who was of the family, against Emperor Conrad III; hence it was adopted in Italy as the name of the anti-imperial party in the Middle Ages.
guilder (n.): Dutch gold coin, late 15c., probably from a mispronunciation of Middle Dutch gulden, literally "golden," in gulden (florijn) or some similar name for a golden coin (see golden).
gunny (n.1): 1711, Anglo-Indian goney name of a strong, coarse fabric made from jute or hemp, from Hindi goni, from Sanskrit goni "sack." Gunny sack attested by 1862.