My name was chosen by my parents simply because they liked the sound of the name; they wanted a name that was not very common, but still flowed well. So, they decided on the name “Trevor”. However, the name has a long-running history abroad.
The name “Trevor” is of both Welsh and Irish origin. The Welsh translation comes from an area near Cornwall, and it means “great estate”. It originates from the Welsh name “Trefar”, and the roots “Tref” (meaning homestead, or an estate) and “mawr” (meaning great, or large). There are also two other origin points for my name; one comes from Ireland (“Treabhar”, which was anglicized into “Trevor”), which means wise, smart, clever, intelligent, and sophisticated. The other comes from Gaelic origin, which means prudent, careful or cautious. As the name has evolved, “Trevor” has become the primary spelling of my name, but “Trever” and “Trevar” have also been used as ways to spell the same name.
My last name is “Helms”. It is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and it is typically associated with people who work at temporary animal facilities, or herdsmen. It stems from the Anglo-Saxon word “Helm”. The word “Helm” dates back to before the 7th century in England, and refers to a covered area that shelters cattle and other livestock. There is also an alternate origin point of the name, from Germany, which refers to a maker of hats or headgear. The officially recorded first use of the name was sometime in the late 12th century, in England. It wasn’t introduced to the German population until a few centuries later, through marriage. In the centuries between then and the present, it has become an extremely popular name across the world, and it has a vast number of meanings and spellings as a result.
My middle name is the only part of my name that actually has significance to my family. It goes back at least three generations in my dad’s side of the family (my dad and his brother, my grandpa, and my great grandpa all had Donald as either their first or middle name). To the best of my knowledge, every male Helms in my family has carried on that name, to the point of where it’s almost become a rite of passage (of sorts) to have that name.
I personally feel as if my first name (following its definition) is fitting for me as a person. I love to learn new things and expand my knowledge of the world, which fits into the Irish translation of my name. However, I tend to be very cautious about trying new things, and can be very introverted if I’m not self-aware, which plays into the Gaelic definition of my name. Even though my parents didn’t know what my personality would become, and I myself didn’t know what my name meant until I researched it, I’ve unwittingly lived up to the standards my name has set for my personality and behavior.
Trevor's blog 