The study of the origin of words and the way in which their meanings have changed throughout history. - Oxford DictionaryWhat has etymology got to do with names?
Almost all names derive from a word from a modern language or even from an extinct language (which I'd refer to as a language not spoken as a first language). For example, the name, Peter. Peter derives from the Latin "Petra", meaning rock. Latin was the language of the Roman Empire, and as it spread over time, the language began to change within different regions and dialects became more noticeable and distinct. People began to speak with different accents and preferred some words over others. From this process, languages such as French and Italian (many others too) began to immerge. As well as changing words, people also began to adjust their names. In France, "Petra" evolved into "Pierre" and in Italy, it changed to "Pietro".
When you next find yourself in the position of looking for a name, I'd recommend being aware of its meaning. Nothing would be worse than, whoever you had named coming up to you and asking you, "Why on Earth, did you name me after that?" However, I'm happy to say that most names have got complimentary meanings and that not too many people nowadays really care about what their names mean. It's also important to realise that if your name is "Peter", that it doesn't mean that you look like a rock or that you've got a heart of stone necessarily, and that the meaning behind your name doesn't define you.
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