If I Lay Here {Book 1} - Grey's Anatomy AU

Mackenzie Shepherd-Sloan

Name
Mackenzie Shepherd-Sloan

Full Name
Mackenzie Eloise Shepherd-Sloan

Full Name Meaning
* Mackenzie: Mackenzie is derived from a notable Scottish surname, which originated from the older Gaelic name "MacCoinnich" (or son of Coinneach, also son of the 'bright one'). Coinneach was a personal name that came from the Gaelic word meaning "comely, good-looking." Even though the Mackenzies have been a distinguished Scottish clan for over 700 years, the usage of Mackenzie as a forename is unique to North America (and the United States in particular). The given name Mackenzie has become popular only within the past 30 years in the United States and Canada, originally among people of Scottish origin. As the name grew in popularity, other spelling formations began to crop up. Makenzie and Mckenzie are examples of this.

* Eloise: Eloise is a more modern form of an Old French feminine name Héloïse from the Germanic Helewidis. Helewidis is believed to be comprised of the roots "heil" meaning "robust health" and "wid" meaning "wide". Héloïse gained legendary fame thanks to a 12th century French woman; her story is one of unrequited love. As a very beautiful and learned young woman, Héloïse was under the care of her uncle who was a priest at Notre-Dame. Here she met the highly regarded philosopher and theologian Pierre Abélard and the two embarked upon an affair which resulted in a pregnancy. A secret marriage was arranged, but due to a misunderstanding with her uncle, the priest had Abélard castrated. Having no romantic future, Pierre Abélard became a monk, whilst Héloïse was forced into a nunnery. Although the two continued to write to each other, their love life was effectively finished. Eventually, the name Héloïse morphed into Éloïse for the French and Eloise among the English. It was revived in the 19th century. Éloïse remains quite popular in France today. Among English-speaking countries, Eloise is most common in Australia.

* Shepherd: The Shepherd name was coined by the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. Shepherd was originally a name given to someone who worked as a person who worked as a shepherd, the guardian of the sheep. Occupational names that were derived from the common trades of the medieval era transcended European cultural and linguistic boundaries. Occupational names frequently were derived from the principal object associated with the activity of the original bearer, such as tools or products. These types of occupational surnames are called metonymic surnames. In this case the surname was originally derived from the Old English word sceap, meaning sheep and hierde meaning herdsman. While this traditional understand of the surname's meaning is in many ways self explanatory today, in examining the Coat of Arms invariably we find battle axes. This is not surprising as the ancient shepherds were employed to dig sod around the embattlements of a Saxon village as a means of defense, hence the term "the shepherd's ring." Their tools were battle axes.

* Sloan: The chronicles of the Sloan family indicate that the name was first used by the Strathclyde Britons of the Scottish/English Borderlands. It is derived from the Gaelic personal name Sluaghadhán. Sloan is a patronymic surname, which belongs to the category of hereditary surnames. The surname Sloan is derived from the given name Sluaghadhán, which derived from the Gaelic word, sluaghadh, and meant, raid.

Full Name Reasoning
* Mackenzie: Derek had decided on Mackenzie during the middle of dinner with Mark one night. It was completely random.

* Eloise: Mark picked Eloise. He said it would make Mackenzie sound elegant and refined.

* Shepherd-Sloan: Since Mackenzie is the biological daughter of Derek and Mark, she has both of their surnames. She has Derek's first because he was the one who gave birth to her.

Nicknames
* Mack
* Ellie (by George and Izzie only)
* Little Shepherd
* Little Sloan
* Little Shepherd-Sloan

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