At a Glance: Name: Meadowsweet – Meaning: likely originally 'mead' (the honey-wine, which the plant flavored) + 'sweet', later reinterpreted as 'meadow' + 'sweet' – Origin: Middle English (compound, folk-altered) – Gender: Unisex – Pronunciation: MED-oh-sweet
Meadowsweet is a Middle English (compound, folk-altered) unisex name meaning “likely originally 'mead' (the honey-wine, which the plant flavored) + 'sweet', later reinterpreted as 'meadow' + 'sweet'”. It appears in 2 of our baby name lists.
Meaning & Origin of Meadowsweet
Meaning: Likely originally 'mead' (the honey-wine, which the plant flavored) + 'sweet', later reinterpreted as 'meadow' + 'sweet'.
Origin: Middle English (compound, folk-altered).
A common claim: Meadowsweet is said to simply mean a sweet-smelling meadow flower Actually: The 'meadow' element may itself be a later folk-reanalysis; the earlier form pairs 'mead' (the drink it flavored) with 'sweet', not 'meadow'.
How to Pronounce Meadowsweet
Phonetic: MED-oh-sweet IPA: /ˈmɛdoʊˌswiːt/
Popularity of Meadowsweet
Meadowsweet doesn’t appear in U.S. Social Security birth records, which include every name given to at least five babies in a year — so it’s rare in the U.S.
Lists That Include Meadowsweet
- 200+ Botanical Baby Names for Nature-Loving Parents
- 175+ Herb and Garden Plant Baby Names for Earthy Parents
Similar Names
Hawthorn · Feverfew · Mugwort · Nettle · Fumitory · Prunella
