At a Glance
- 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
MED-oh-sweetIPA /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 · Nettle · Woad · Feverfew · Mugwort · Fumitory
