Online Etymology Dictionary

Frisian (adj.): 1590s, "of or pertaining to the people of Frisia," the lowland coast of the North Sea and nearby islands (Old English Frysland, Freslond; adjective Freisisc), named for the Germanic tribe whose name was Latinized as Frisii," which perhaps originally meant "curly-headed" (compare Old Frisian frisle "curly hair"). The Frisians emerged along the North Sea coast c. 700 B.C.E. and were known by name to Tacitus (the only people mentioned in his work still known by the same name). The native form of the people name is Old English Frysan/Fresan (plural). Cognate with Old Frisian Frise, Middle Dutch Vriese, Old High German Friaso). As a noun from c. 1600, "West Germanic language spoken in Friesland." It is closely related to Dutch and Old English.
Lucite: 1937, proprietary name (E.I. DuPont de Nemours and Co., Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.) for a solid, transparent plastic, from Latin luc(i)-, from stem of lucere "to shine" (see light (n.)).
Lutheran: 1521, from name of German religious reformer Martin Luther (1483-1546); used by Catholics 16c. in reference to all Protestants, regardless of sect. Related: Lutheranism.
lutz (n.): type of skating jump, 1932, from the name Alois Lutz, "an obscure Austrian skater of the 1920s" [James R. Hines, "Historical Dictionary of Figure Skating," 2011], who is said to have first performed it in 1913.
merry-andrew (n.): "a buffoon; a zany; a jack-pudding" [Johnson], originally "mountebank's assistant," 1670s, from merry + masc. proper name Andrew, but there is no certain identification with an individual.
rialto (n.): 1879, "exchange, mart," from the Rialto of Venice, the name of the quarter where the exchange was situated, contracted from Rivoalto and named for the canal (Latin rivus altus "deep stream") which it crosses.
ricin (n.): poison obtained from the castor-oil bean, 1888, from ricinus, genus name of the castor-oil plant (1694), from Latin ricinus (Pliny), of uncertain origin, perhaps the same word as ricinus "tick" (in sheep, dogs, etc.).
tony (adj.): "of a high tone, affecting social elegance," 1877, American English slang, from tone (n.) + -y (2). It was the name of a reddish-brown fashion color in the 1920s.
philodendron (n.): 1837, from the Modern Latin genus name (1830), from Greek philodendron, neuter of philodendros "loving trees," from philo- "loving" (see philo-) + dendron "tree" (see dendro-). The plant so called because it clings to trees.
phoebe (n.): small North American flycatcher, pewit, 1700, phebe, so called in imitation of its cry; spelling altered (1839) by influence of the woman's proper name Phoebe.
rodomontade (n.): 1610s (earlier rodomontado, 1590s), "vain boasting like that of Rodomonte," character in Ariosto's "Orlando Furioso." In dialectal Italian the name means literally "one who rolls (away) the mountain."
Ronald: masc. proper name, from Old Norse Rögnvaldr "Having the Gods' Power," from rögn "gods," literally "decreeing powers" (plural of regin "decree") + valdr "ruler" (see wield).
Pict (n.): an ancient people of Great Britain, late 14c., from Late Latin Picti (late 3c., probably a nickname given them by Roman soldiers), usually taken as derived from picti "painted," but probably ultimately from the Celtic name of the tribe, perhaps Pehta, Peihta, literally "the fighters" (compare Gaulish Pictavi, a different people, who gave the name to the French city of Poitiers). They painted and tattooed themselves, which may have suggested a Roman folk-etymology alteration of the name. The Old English name for the people was Peohtas.
In Scottish folk-lore the Pechts are often represented as a dark pygmy race, or an underground people; and sometimes identified with elves, brownies, or fairies. [OED]
Related: Pictish; Pictland.
tot (v.): "to reckon up," 1760, from tot (n.) "total of an addition," first recorded 1680s, short for total (n.). Hence, "to mark (an account or a name) with the word 'tot.'"
Apollyon: destroying angel of the bottomless pit (a name sometimes given to the Devil), late 14c., from present participle of Greek apollyein "to destroy utterly" (from apo- "from, away from" + olluein "to destroy"); a translation of Hebrew Abaddon (q.v.).
aqua fortis (n.): old name for "concentrated nitric acid," c. 1600, Latin, literally "strong water;" see aqua- + fort. So called for its power of dissolving metals (copper, silver) unaffected by other agents.
Mesozoic (adj.): 1840, from Greek mesos "middle" (see meso-) + zoe "life" (see zoo) + -ic. Name coined by British geologist John Phillips for the fossil era "between" the Paleozoic and the Cenozoic.
Mickey Finn: "strong drink, drink laced with chloral hydrate," by 1928 (perhaps 1890s), of unknown origin. Presumably named after someone, but the various stories about the name cannot be substantiated.
hurling (n.): verbal noun of hurl (q.v.); attested 1520s as a form of hockey played in Ireland; c. 1600 as the name of a game like hand-ball that once was popular in Cornwall.
hydrofoil (n.): 1959, "boat that travels through water on wings," short for hydrofoil boat, hydrofoil being originally the name of the "wings" themselves (1920); formed in English from hydro- + foil (n.).
Druse: member of a Muslim sect centered in Lebanon, 1786, from Arabic duruz, plural of darazi, from name of the sect founder, Ismail ad-Darazi (11c.), literally "Ismail the Tailor."
bookworm (n.): 1590s (of people), 1855 of insects or maggots; there is no single species known by this name, which is applied to the anolium beetle, silverfishes, and book lice. See book (n.) + worm (n.).
Bordeaux: 1560s, type of wine imported from the city in southwestern France. Its name is Roman Burdigala (1c.), perhaps from a Celtic or pre-Celtic source the sense of which has been lost.
boreal (adj.): "northern," late 15c., from Latin borealis, from boreas "north wind," from Greek Boreas, name of the god of the north wind, which is of unknown origin, perhaps related to words in Balto-Slavic for "mountain" and "forest."
hymie (n.): "Jewish male" (derogatory), by early 1980s, apparently originally African-American vernacular, from common Jewish masc. proper name Hymie, a pet form of Hyman, from Hebrew, literally "life" (the masc. counterpart of Eve).
Milicent: fem. proper name, earlier Malasintha, from shortened form of Old High German Amalswind, literally "strong in work," from amal "work" + *swind "strong" (related to Old English swið "strong," gesund "healthy").
cocotte (n.): type of cooking vessel, 1907, from French cocotte "saucepan" (19c.), a diminutive from cocasse, ultimately from Latin cucama. Sense of "prostitute," 1867, is from French cocotte, originally a child's name for "little hen" (18c.), hence "sweetie, darling."
Comanche (n.): 1819, from Spanish, from a word in a Shoshonean language, such as Ute kimánci "enemy, foreigner." Comanchero was a 19c. name given to Hispanic and American traders who dealt with the Comanches.
Connecticut: U.S. state, originally the name of the river, said to be from Mohican (Algonquian) quinnitukqut "at the long tidal river," from *kwen- "long" + *-ehtekw "tidal river" + *-enk "place."
Moses: masc. proper name, name of Hebrew prophet and lawgiver, from Latin, from Greek Mouses, from Hebrew Mosheh, of unknown origin.
Most scholars see in it the Hebraization of Egyptian mes, mesu 'child, son,' which is often used in theophorous names. According to this derivation the words of Pharaoh's daughter in Ex. 2:10, 'For out of the water I drew him' are not the explanation of the Hebrew name Mosheh, but express the idea that the Egyptian name given by Pharaoh's daughter resembles in sound, and therefore, reminds us of, the Hebrew verb mashah 'he drew out,' which is suggestive of the words spoken by Pharaoh's daughter. [Dr. Ernest Klein, "A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the English Language"]
As an expletive or oath, 1840.
movie (n.): 1912 (perhaps 1908), shortened form of moving picture in the cinematographic sense (1896). As an adjective from 1913. Movie star attested from 1913. Another early name for it was photoplay.
porgy (n.): name given to various sea fishes, 1725, probably from pargo "sea bream" (1550s), from Spanish or Portuguese pargo, from Latin phagrum (nom. phager), from Greek phagros "sea bream."
Ascot: village near Windsor, Berkshire; site of fashionable race-meeting. Used attributively for clothes suitable for the event; especially a type of tie (1908). The town name is literally "eastern cottage."
praline (n.): 1727, prawlin, from French praline (17c.), from the name of Marshal Duplessis-Praslin (1598-1675, pronounced "praline"), "whose cook invented this confection" [Klein]. Modern spelling in English from 1809.
Morgan: surname, a very old Celtic name. As a type of horse, 1840, named for Justin Morgan (1747-1798), Vermont horse-breeder and music teacher; the breed was developed from a stallion he owned.
busby (n.): "fur hat worn by hussars on parade," 1807, earlier "a kind of bushy, tall wig" (1764), of unknown origin, though it is both a place name and a surname in England. Related: Busbied.
Portugal: late 14c., Portyngale, from Medieval Latin Portus Cale (Roman name of modern Oporto), "the port of Gaya," from Latin portus "harbor, port" (see port (n.1)). Alfonso, Count of Portucale, became the first king of Portugal.
Rothschild: "rich person," 1833, in reference to the international banking family descended from Mayer Amschel Rothschild (1744-1812) of Frankfurt. The surname is literally "red shield," a house name.
poinsettia (n.): from the genus name (1836), Modern Latin, in recognition of Joel R. Poinsett (1779-1851), U.S. ambassador to Mexico, who is said to have brought the plant to the attention of botanists, + abstract noun ending -ia.
pompano (n.): ocean fish, 1778, from American Spanish pampano, a name given to various types of fish, from Spanish, originally "vine, tendril," from Latin pampinus "tendril or leaf of a vine."
Bridget: fem. proper name, from Irish Brighid, fire goddess, from brigh "strength," from Celtic *brig-o-, from PIE *bhrgh-nt- "high, mighty," from root *bhrgh- "high" (see borough).
runcible: 1871, a nonsense word coined by Edward Lear; used especially in runcible spoon "spoon with three short tines like a fork," which first took the name 1926.
brontosaurus (n.): 1879, Modern Latin, from Greek bronte "thunder" (perhaps from PIE imitative root *bhrem- "to growl") + -saurus. Brontes was the name of one of the Cyclopes in Greek mythology.
brougham (n.): 1851, one-horse closed carriage with two or four wheels, for two or four persons, from first Lord Brougham (1778-1868). The family name is from a place in Westmoreland.
bruin (n.): "bear," late 15c., from Middle Dutch Bruin, name of the bear in "Reynard the Fox" fables; literally "brown;" cognate with Old English brun (see brown (adj.)).
archer (n.): late 13c., from Anglo-French archer, Old French archier "archer, bowmaker," from Latin arcarius, from arcus "bow" (see arc). Also a 17c. name for the bishop in chess.
Armageddon (n.): "a final conflict," 1811, figurative use of name in Rev. xvi:16, place of the great and final conflict, from Hebrew Har Megiddon "Mount of Megiddo," city in central Palestine, site of important Israeli battles.
Armorica: ancient name for Brittany, from Gallo-Roman Are-mor-ica, literally "before the sea," with a Celtic prefix meaning "before" (compare Old Irish ar) + mare "sea" (see mere (n.)).
Moira: fem. proper name, one of the Fates, from Greek Moira, literally "share, fate," related to moros "fate, destiny, doom," meros "part, lot," meiresthai "to receive one's share" (see merit (n.)).
Molotov cocktail (n.): 1940, a term from Russo-Finnish War (used and satirically named by the Finns), from Molotov (from Russian molot "hammer") name taken by Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Skriabin (1890-1986), Soviet minister of foreign affairs 1939-1949.