LUCAN m HistoryFrom the Roman cognomen
Lucanus, which was derived from the name of the city of Luca in Tuscany (modern Lucca). Marcus Annaeus Lucanus, commonly called Lucan, was a 1st-century Roman poet.
LUCASTA f LiteratureThis name was first used by the poet Richard Lovelace for a collection of poems called 'Lucasta' (1649). The poems were dedicated to Lucasta, a nickname for the woman he loved Lucy Sacheverel, who he called
lux casta "pure light".
LUCETTA f EnglishDiminutive of
LUCIA. Shakespeare used this name for a character in his play 'The Two Gentlemen of Verona' (1594).
LUCIA f Italian, German, English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Romanian, Slovak, Ancient RomanFeminine form of
LUCIUS. Saint Lucia was a 4th-century martyr from Syracuse. She was said to have had her eyes gouged out, and thus she is the patron saint of the blind. She was widely revered in the Middle Ages, and her name has been used throughout Christian Europe (in various spellings). It has been used in the England since the 12th century, usually in the spellings
Lucy or
Luce.
LUCIANUS m Ancient RomanRoman family name which was derived from the Roman praenomen
LUCIUS. Lucianus (or
Λουκιανος in his native Greek) of Samosata was a 2nd-century satirist and author. This name was also borne by a 4th-century saint and martyr from Antioch.
LUCIFER m Judeo-Christian LegendMeans "bringing light", derived from Latin
lux "light" and
ferre "to bring". In Latin this name originally referred to the morning star, Venus, but later became associated with the chief angel who rebelled against God's rule in heaven (see Isaiah 14:12). In later literature, such as the 'Divine Comedy' (1321) by Dante and 'Paradise Lost' (1667) by John Milton, Lucifer became associated with Satan himself.
LUCILIUS m Ancient RomanRoman family name which was a derivative of the given name
LUCIUS. This was the family name of the 2nd-century BC Roman satirist Gaius Lucilius.
LUCINA f Roman MythologyDerived from Latin
lucus meaning "grove", but later associated with
lux "light". This was the name of a Roman goddess of childbirth.
LUCINDA f English, Portuguese, LiteratureAn elaboration of
LUCIA created by Cervantes for his novel 'Don Quixote' (1605). It was subsequently used by Molière in his play 'The Doctor in Spite of Himself' (1666).
LUCIUS m Ancient Roman, Biblical, EnglishRoman praenomen, or given name, which was derived from Latin
lux "light". This was the most popular of the praenomina. Two Etruscan kings of early Rome had this name as well as several prominent later Romans, including Lucius Annaeus Seneca (known simply as Seneca), a statesman, philosopher, orator and tragedian. The name is mentioned briefly in the New Testament belonging to a Christian in Antioch. It was also borne by three popes, including the 3rd-century Saint Lucius. Despite this, the name was not regularly used in the Christian world until after the Renaissance.
LUCRETIA f Ancient Roman, Roman MythologyFeminine form of the Roman family name
Lucretius, possibly from Latin
lucrum "profit, wealth". In Roman legend Lucretia was a maiden who was raped by the son of the king of Rome. This caused a great uproar among the Roman citizens, and the monarchy was overthrown. This name was also borne by a saint and martyr from Spain.
LUDGER m German, DutchFrom the Germanic name
Leudagar which was derived from the elements
leud "people" and
ger "spear". Saint Ludger was an 8th-century Frisian Benedictine bishop who founded a monastery at Munster.
LUDIVINE f FrenchPossibly from a feminine form of
LEUTWIN. It was popularized in the 1970s by a character from the television miniseries 'Les Gens de Mogador'.
LUDMILA f Czech, RussianMeans "favour of the people" from the Slavic elements
lyudu "people" and
milu "gracious, dear". Saint Ludmila was a 10th-century duchess of Bohemia, the grandmother of Saint Václav. She was murdered on the orders of her daughter-in-law Drahomíra.
... [more] LUDOVIC m FrenchMedieval Latinized form of
LUDWIG. This was the name of an 1833 opera by the French composer Fromental Halévy.
LUDOVIKO m EsperantoEsperanto form of
LUDWIG. This is the Esperanto name of the philologist Ludwig Zamenhof (1859-1917), the creator of the Esperanto language.
LUDWIG m GermanFrom the Germanic name
Chlodovech, which was composed of the elements
hlud "famous" and
wig "war, battle". This was the name of three Merovingian kings of the Franks (though their names are usually spelled in the Latinized form
Clovis) as well as several Carolingian kings and Holy Roman Emperors (names often spelled in the French form
Louis). Other famous bearers include the German composer Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) and the Austrian philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951), who contributed to logic and the philosophy of language.
LUGH m Irish MythologyProbably an Irish form of
LUGUS. In Irish mythology Lugh was a divine hero who led the Tuatha De Danann against the Fomorians who were led by his grandfather Balor. Lugh killed Balor by shooting a stone into his giant eye.
LUGHAIDH m Irish, Irish MythologyDerived from the name of the Irish god
LUGH. This was the name of several characters in Irish legend, including the king Lughaidh mac Con.
LUGUS m Celtic MythologyProbably from early Celtic meaning "light", ultimately from the Indo-European root *
leuk "light, brightness". This was the name of a Celtic (Gaulish) god of commerce and craftsmanship, who was equated by the Romans with
Mercury. He probably forms the basis for the characters and names of
Lugh (Irish) and
Lleu (Welsh).
LUITGARD f German, Ancient GermanicFrom the Germanic name
Leutgard which was derived from the elements
leud "people" and
gard "enclosure". This was the name of a 13th-century Flemish nun, the patron saint of easy deliveries.
LUKE m English, BiblicalEnglish form of the Greek name
Λουκας (Loukas) which meant "from Lucania", Lucania being a region in southern Italy (of uncertain meaning). Luke was a doctor who travelled in the company of the apostle
Paul. According to tradition, he was the author of the third gospel and Acts in the New Testament. He was probably of Greek ethnicity. He is considered a saint by many Christian denominations.
... [more] LULJETA f AlbanianMeans "flower of life" in Albanian, from
lule "flower" and
jetë "life".
LUMINIȚA f RomanianMeans "little light", derived from Romanian
lumina "light" combined with a diminutive suffix.
LUTHER m EnglishFrom a German surname, itself from the Germanic given name
LEUTHAR. The surname was borne by Martin Luther, a 16th-century monk and theologian, who started the Protestant Reformation by nailing his famous 95 theses to a church door. It has since been used as a given name in his honour, especially among Protestants. A notable bearer from the modern era was the American civil rights leader Martin Luther King (1929-1968).
LUX f & m VariousDerived from Latin
lux meaning "light".
LUZ f SpanishMeans "light" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin
Mary,
Nuestra Señora de la Luz, meaning "Our Lady of Light".
LYALL m English (Rare)From a Scottish surname which was derived from the Old Norse given name
Liulfr (which was derived in part from
úlfr "wolf").
LYDOS m Ancient GreekMeaning unknown. This was the name of the semi-legendary king who gave his name to the region of
Lydia in Asia Minor.
LYKKE f DanishMeans "good fortune, happiness" in Danish.
LYLE m EnglishFrom an English surname which was derived from Norman French
l'isle "island".
LYNDON m EnglishFrom an English surname which was derived from a place name meaning "lime tree hill" in Old English. A famous bearer was American president Lyndon B. Johnson (1908-1973).
LYNETTE f EnglishForm of
LUNED first used by Alfred Lord Tennyson in his poem 'Gareth and Lynette' (1872). In modern times it is also regarded as a diminutive of
LYNN.
LYNN f & m EnglishFrom an English surname which was derived from Welsh
llyn "lake". Before the start of the 20th century it was primarily used for boys, but it has since come to be more common for girls. In some cases it may be thought of as a short form of
LINDA or names that end in
lyn or
line.
LYRA f AstronomyThe name of the constellation in the northern sky containing the star Vega. It is said to be shaped after the lyre of Orpheus.
LYS f FrisianFrisian diminutive of
ELISABETH. It also coincides with the French word for "lily".
MABEL f EnglishMedieval feminine form of
AMABILIS. This spelling and
Amabel were common during the Middle Ages, though they became rare after the 15th century. It was revived in the 19th century after the publication of C. M. Yonge's novel 'The Heir of Redclyffe' (1854), which featured a character named Mabel (as well as one named Amabel).
MABELLE f EnglishVariant of
MABEL. It also coincides with the French phrase
ma belle meaning "my beautiful".
MABYN f WelshMeans "youth" in Welsh. This was the name of an obscure 6th-century Welsh saint. She was one of the daughters of Saint Brychan.
MACARENA f SpanishFrom the name of a barrio (district) in Seville, which got its name from a temple which may have been named for a person
Macarius (see
MACARIO). The Virgin of Macarena, that is
Mary, is widely venerated in Seville.
MACARIO m SpanishSpanish form of the Latin name
Macarius, derived from the Greek name
Μακαριος (Makarios), which was in turn derived from Greek
μακαρ (makar) meaning "blessed, happy". This was the name of several early saints.
MACBETH m HistoryAnglicized form of the Gaelic given name
Mac Beatha meaning "son of life", implying holiness. This was the name of an 11th-century Scottish king. Shakespeare based his play 'Macbeth' loosely on this king's life.
MACK (1) m EnglishFrom a surname which was originally a shortened form of various Gaelic surnames beginning with
Mac or
Mc (from Gaelic
mac meaning "son"). It is also used as a generic slang term for a man.
MACKENZIE f & m EnglishFrom the Gaelic surname
Mac Coinnich, which means "son of
COINNEACH". A famous bearer of the surname was William Lyon MacKenzie (1795-1861), a Canadian journalist and political rebel. As a feminine given name, it was popularized by the American actress Mackenzie Phillips (1959-).
MACSEN m WelshWelsh form of
MAXIMUS. Magnus Maximus (known as Macsen in Welsh) was a 4th-century co-ruler of the Western Roman Empire. In Wales he was regarded as the founder of several royal lineages. He appears in the Mabinogion, a collection of tales from Welsh myth.
MACY f EnglishFrom an English surname which was from various towns named
Massy in France. The towns themselves were originally named from a Gallo-Roman personal name that was Latinized as
Maccius. This is the name of a chain of American department stores founded by Rowland Hussey Macy (1822-1877).
MADAI m BiblicalMeans "Medes" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of a son of
Japheth. He was the ancestor of the Medes, an ancient people related to the Persians.
MADARA f LatvianFrom the Latvian name for a type of flowering plant, known as cleavers or bedstraw in English.
MÄDCHEN f VariousMeans "girl" in German. It is not used as a name in Germany itself.
MADDOX m English (Modern)From a Welsh surname meaning "son of
MADOC". It was brought to public attention when the actress Angelina Jolie gave this name to her adopted son in 2002.
MADE m & f Indonesian, BalineseFrom Sanskrit
मध्य (madhya) meaning "middle". This name is traditionally given to the family's second-born child.
MADELINE f English, FrenchEnglish form of
MAGDALENE. This is the name of the heroine in a series of children's books by Ludwig Bemelmans, first published 1939.
MADHAVA m Sanskrit, HinduismMeans "vernal, of the springtime" in Sanskrit. This is an epithet of several Hindu gods. It was also the name of a 14th-century Hindu scholar.
MADISON f & m EnglishFrom an English surname meaning "son of
MAUD". It was not commonly used as a feminine name until after the movie 'Splash' (1984), in which the main character adopted it as her name after seeing a street sign for Madison Avenue in New York City. A famous bearer of the surname was James Madison (1751-1836), one of the authors of the American constitution who later served as president.
MADOC m WelshPossibly derived from Welsh
mad "fortunate" combined with a diminutive suffix.
MADONNA f EnglishFrom a title of the Virgin
Mary meaning "my lady" in Italian. A famous bearer of the name is American singer Madonna Ciccone (1958-), known simply as Madonna.
MAE f EnglishVariant of
MAY. A famous bearer was American actress Mae West (1893-1980), whose birth name was Mary.
MÁEDÓC m Ancient IrishMeaning unknown. Saint Máedóc (also known as Áedán) of Ferns was a 7th-century Irish bishop.
MAËL m French, BretonFrench form of Breton
Mael, which was derived from a Celtic word meaning "chief" or "prince". Saint Mael was a 5th-century Breton hermit who lived in Wales.