Argent falls into the categories of both “surnames as first
names” and “word names,” though they share the same source: the
Old (and Modern) French argent “silver.” Silver’s association
with the moon goes back to ancient times. It has long been
believed to enhance the power of the moon, capable of forging a
strong link between the the physical and metaphysical worlds.
The surname probably arose as a nickname for someone with silver
hair, while the word has been used in the past as a noun (for a
silver coin) and an adjective. Nowadays, it is mostly confined
to heraldry, where it is used of both silver and white in coats
of arms. The Old French word came from the Latin for silver
argentum, which gives us the chemical symbol for silver — Ag. It
is cognate with the Welsh arian “silver” — which is still used
to mean “money” in Welsh — which is found in more than one Welsh
name, such as Arianwen, which combines it with gwyn “white,”
“pure,” and “blessed,” and Arianell, which combines it with gell
“yellow,” and “shi