Kalei m & f HawaiianMeans
"the flowers" or
"the child" from Hawaiian
ka "the" and
lei "flowers, lei, child".
Kanna f JapaneseFrom Japanese
栞 (kan) meaning "bookmark" and
菜 (na) meaning "vegetables, greens". Other kanji combinations can form this name as well.
Kanon f JapaneseFrom Japanese
花 (ka) meaning "flower, blossom" and
音 (non) meaning "sound". Other kanji combinations are possible as well.
Kaori f JapaneseFrom Japanese
香 (kaori) meaning "fragrance". It can also come from an alternate reading of
香 (ka) combined with
織 (ori) meaning "weaving". Other kanji combinations are possible. It is often written using the hiragana writing system.
Kaoru f & m JapaneseFrom Japanese
薫 (kaoru),
香 (kaoru),
馨 (kaoru) all meaning "fragrance, fragrant", as well as other kanji having the same reading.
Kapua f & m HawaiianMeans
"the flower" or
"the child" from Hawaiian
ka, a definite article, and
pua "flower, offspring".
Karam m & f ArabicMeans
"generosity, nobleness" in Arabic.
Karen 3 f JapaneseFrom Japanese
華 (ka) meaning "flower" and
蓮 (ren) meaning "lotus, water lily". Other combinations of kanji can also form this name.
Kashi f Indian, HindiFrom the name of a holy city in India, famous for its many temples dedicated to the Hindu god
Shiva. Its name is derived from Sanskrit
काशि (kashi) meaning "shining".
Kayce m & f English (Modern)Variant of
Casey or
Case (depending on the pronunciation). It was popularized by the character Kayce Dutton (pronounced like Casey) from the television series
Yellowstone (2018-).
Kayla f EnglishCombination of the popular phonetic elements
kay and
la. Use of the name greatly increased after 1982 when the character Kayla Brady began appearing on the American soap opera
Days of Our Lives.
Kazue f JapaneseFrom Japanese
和 (kazu) meaning "harmony, peace" or
一 (kazu) meaning "one" combined with
枝 (e) meaning "branch" or
恵 (e) meaning "favour, benefit". Other combinations of kanji characters can potentially form this name.
Keahi f & m HawaiianMeans
"the fire" from Hawaiian
ke, a definite article, and
ahi "fire".
Keala f & m HawaiianMeans
"the path" from Hawaiian
ke, a definite article, and
ala "path".
Keanu m & f HawaiianMeans
"the cool breeze" from Hawaiian
ke, a definite article, and
anu "coolness". This name is now associated with Canadian actor Keanu Reeves (1964-).
Keely f EnglishFrom an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of
Ó Caolaidhe, itself derived from the given name
Caoladhe, from Irish
caol "slender".
Keiko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
慶 (kei) meaning "celebrate",
敬 (kei) meaning "respect",
啓 (kei) meaning "open, begin" or
恵 (kei) meaning "favour, benefit" combined with
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Kelly m & f Irish, EnglishAnglicized form of the Irish given name
Ceallach or the surname derived from it
Ó Ceallaigh. As a surname, it has been borne by actor and dancer Gene Kelly (1912-1996) and actress and princess Grace Kelly (1929-1982).
... [more] Kenya f English, African AmericanFrom the name of the African country. The country is named for Mount Kenya, which in the Kikuyu language is called
Kĩrĩnyaga meaning "the one having stripes". It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the 1960s.
Keone m & f HawaiianMeans
"the homeland" from Hawaiian
ke, a definite article, and
one "sand, homeland".
Keren f HebrewMeans
"horn" or
"ray of light" in Hebrew.
Kerry m & f EnglishFrom the name of the Irish county, called
Ciarraí in Irish Gaelic, which means "
Ciar's people".
Ketut m & f BalinesePossibly from a Balinese word meaning
"small banana". This name is traditionally given to the fourth child.
Khloe f English (Modern)Variant of
Chloe. This particular variant was popularized by the television personality Khloé Kardashian (1984-) after she began appearing with her family on the reality show
Keeping Up with the Kardashians in 2007.
Kiana 1 f Hawaiian, EnglishHawaiian form of
Diana. It was brought to wider attention in the late 1980s, likely by the Hawaiian fitness instructor Kiana Tom (1965-), who had a television show on ESPN beginning in 1988.
Kiara f English (Modern)Variant of
Ciara 1 or
Chiara. This name was brought to public attention in 1988 after the singing duo Kiara released their song
This Time. It was further popularized by a character in the animated movie
The Lion King II (1998).
Kielo f FinnishMeans
"lily of the valley" in Finnish (species Convallaria majalis).
Kiran f & m Indian, Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, Tamil, Gujarati, Nepali, UrduDerived from Sanskrit
किरण (kirana), which can mean
"dust" or
"thread" or
"sunbeam".
Kirby m & f EnglishFrom an English surname that was originally from a place name meaning
"church settlement" in Old Norse. This name briefly spiked in popularity for American girls in 1982 after the character Kirby Anders Colby was introduced to the soap opera
Dynasty.
Kizzy f EnglishDiminutive of
Keziah. This particular spelling was repopularized in the late 1970s by a character in the book and miniseries
Roots (1977).
Kleio f Greek Mythology, GreekDerived from Greek
κλέος (kleos) meaning
"glory". In Greek mythology she was the goddess of history and heroic poetry, one of the nine Muses. She was said to have introduced the alphabet to Greece.
Kreka f HistoryMeaning unknown, possibly of Turkic or Germanic origin. This name was borne by the most powerful of
Attila's wives.
Kulap f & m ThaiMeans
"rose" in Thai (of Persian origin).
Kunti f HinduismMeans
"spear" in Sanskrit. In the Hindu epic the
Mahabharata this is the name of the mother of the Pandavas.
Kylie f EnglishThis name arose in Australia, where it is said to mean "boomerang" in the Australian Aboriginal language Nyungar. An early bearer was the author Kylie Tennant (1912-1988). It was among the most popular names in Australia in the 1970s and early 80s. It can also be considered a feminine form of
Kyle, or a combination of the popular sounds
ky and
lee, and it is likely in those capacities that it began to be used in America in the late 1970s. A famous bearer is the Australian pop singer Kylie Minogue (1968-).
Kyōko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
京 (kyō) meaning "capital city" or
恭 (kyō) meaning "respectful, polite" combined with
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other combinations of kanji characters can also form this name.
Kyrie 2 f English (Modern)From the name of a Christian prayer, also called the
Kyrie eleison meaning "Lord, have mercy". It is ultimately from Greek
κύριος (kyrios) meaning
"lord".
Lacey f & m EnglishVariant of
Lacy. This is currently the most popular spelling of this name.
Laima f Lithuanian, Latvian, Baltic MythologyFrom Latvian
laime and Lithuanian
laima, which mean
"luck, fate". This was the name of the Latvian and Lithuanian goddess of fate, luck, pregnancy and childbirth. She was the sister of the goddesses Dēkla and Kārta, who were also associated with fate.
Lalka f BulgarianFrom Bulgarian
лале (lale) meaning
"tulip". It is derived via Turkish from Persian
لاله (laleh).
Lalla f LiteratureDerived from Persian
لاله (laleh) meaning
"tulip". This was the name of the heroine of Thomas Moore's poem
Lalla Rookh (1817). In the poem, Lalla, the daughter of the emperor of Delhi, listens to a poet sing four tales.
Lamia 2 f Greek MythologyPossibly from Greek
λαιμός (laimos) meaning
"throat". In Greek mythology this is the name of a queen of Libya who was a mistress of
Zeus.
Hera, being jealous, kills Lamia's children, causing her to go mad and transform into a monster that hunts the children of others.
Lamya f ArabicMeans
"having beautiful dark lips" in Arabic.
Lauma f Latvian, Baltic MythologyMeaning unknown. In Latvian mythology this is the name of a forest spirit sometimes associated with childbirth and weaving.
Laura f English, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Catalan, French, Finnish, Estonian, Hungarian, Polish, Slovene, Croatian, Czech, Slovak, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Dutch, Lithuanian, Latvian, Late RomanFeminine form of the Late Latin name
Laurus, which meant
"laurel". This meaning was favourable, since in ancient Rome the leaves of laurel trees were used to create victors' garlands. The name was borne by the 9th-century Spanish martyr Saint Laura, who was a nun thrown into a vat of molten lead by the Moors. It was also the name of the subject of poems by the 14th-century Italian poet Petrarch.
... [more] Lawan f ThaiPossibly means
"beautiful" in Thai.
Layla f Arabic, EnglishMeans
"night" in Arabic. Layla was the love interest of the poet
Qays (called Majnun) in an old Arab tale, notably retold by the 12th-century Persian poet Nizami Ganjavi in his poem
Layla and Majnun. This story was a popular romance in medieval Arabia and Persia. The name became used in the English-speaking world after the 1970 release of the song
Layla by Derek and the Dominos, the title of which was inspired by the medieval story.
Leida f EstonianMeaning unknown. It was popularized by a character in Estonian writer Andres Saal's historical stories
Vambola (1889) and
Aita (1891). Saal associated it with Estonian
leidma "to find".
Leili f EstonianProbably from
Laila 2, but also associated with Estonian
leil meaning
"vapour, steam". It became popular due to Andres Saal's novel
Leili (1892).
Leith m & f English (Rare)From a surname, originally from the name of a Scottish town (now a district of Edinburgh), which is derived from Gaelic
lìte "wet, damp". It is also the name of the river that flows though Edinburgh.
Lexus f EnglishShort form of
Alexus. Its use has been influenced by the Lexus brand name (a line of luxury automobiles made by Toyota).
Leyre f SpanishFrom the name of a mountain in Navarre in northern Spain, the site of the old monastery of San Salvador of Leyre. It is from Basque
Leire, possibly derived from Latin
legionarius meaning "pertaining to a legion".
Lilac f English (Rare)From the English word for the shrub with purple or white flowers (genus Syringa). It is derived via Arabic from Persian.
Lilit f ArmenianArmenian form of
Lilith. This is the name of a 1921 poem by the Armenian poet Avetik Isahakyan, based on the myth of Lilith.
Lilou f FrenchEither a diminutive of French names containing the sound
lee or a combination of
Lili and
Louise.
Linda f English, German, Dutch, Italian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, French, Latvian, Finnish, Estonian, Hungarian, Czech, Slovak, GermanicOriginally a medieval short form of Germanic names containing the element
lind meaning
"soft, flexible, tender" (Proto-Germanic *
linþaz). It also coincides with the Spanish and Portuguese word
linda meaning
"beautiful". In the English-speaking world this name experienced a spike in popularity beginning in the 1930s, peaking in the late 1940s, and declining shortly after that. It was the most popular name for girls in the United States from 1947 to 1952.
Lindy m & f EnglishOriginally this was a masculine name, coming into use in America in 1927 when the dance called the Lindy Hop became popular. The dance was probably named for aviator Charles Lindbergh. Later this name was used as a diminutive of
Linda.
Liron m & f HebrewMeans
"song for me" or
"joy for me" in Hebrew.
Logan m & f EnglishFrom a Scottish surname that was originally derived from a place in Ayrshire meaning
"little hollow" (from Gaelic
lag "hollow, pit" combined with a diminutive suffix). This name started slowly rising on the American popularity charts in the mid-1970s, perhaps partly inspired by the movie
Logan's Run (1976). The comic book character Wolverine, alias Logan, was also introduced around the same time.
... [more] Lorna f EnglishCreated by the author R. D. Blackmore for the title character in his novel
Lorna Doone (1869), set in southern England, which describes the dangerous love between John Ridd and Lorna Doone. Blackmore may have based the name on the Scottish place name
Lorne or on the title
Marquis of Lorne (see
Lorne).
Lotus f English (Rare)From the name of the lotus flower (species Nelumbo nucifera) or the mythological lotus tree. They are ultimately derived from Greek
λωτός (lotos). In Greek and Roman mythology the lotus tree was said to produce a fruit causing sleepiness and forgetfulness.
Louhi f Finnish MythologyVariant of
Loviatar. In Finnish mythology Louhi was another name of the death goddess Loviatar. She appears in the Finnish epic the
Kalevala as a witch ruling the northern area known as Pohjola. She is the primary antagonist to the hero
Väinämöinen.
Luana f English, Italian, PortugueseFrom the movie
Bird of Paradise (1932), in which it was borne by the main character, a Polynesian girl. The movie was based on a 1912 play of the same name set in Hawaii.
Luann f EnglishEither a combination of
Lou and
Ann or a variant of
Luana. It was popularized in the 1950s by the singer Lu Ann Simms (1933-2003).
Lubna f ArabicMeans
"storax tree" in Arabic. According to a 7th-century legend Lubna and Qays were a couple forced to divorce by Qays's father.
Lucía f SpanishSpanish form of
Lucia. This is the most popular name for girls in Spain beginning in 2003.
Lucia f Italian, German, Dutch, 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.
Lucky m & f English, Indian, HindiFrom a nickname given to a lucky person. It is also sometimes used as a diminutive of
Luke. A famous bearer was the Italian-American gangster "Lucky" Luciano (1897-1962).
Luján f Spanish (Latin American)From a Spanish title of the Virgin
Mary,
Nuestra Señora de Luján, meaning "Our Lady of Luján". This is the name of a city in Argentina near Buenos Aires. Our Lady of Luján is a 17th-century statue of Mary. Supposedly the horses transporting the statue further into Argentina refused to pull the cart past Luján, so a shrine was built at the spot. She is regarded as a patron saint of Argentina.
Lykke f DanishMeans
"good fortune, happiness" in Danish.