Inken f FrisianOriginally a diminutive of
Ingeborg and other names beginning with the element
ing, which refers to the Germanic god
Ing.
Iolanthe f VariousProbably a variant of
Yolanda influenced by the Greek words
ἰόλη (iole) meaning "violet" and
ἄνθος (anthos) meaning "flower". This name was (first?) used by Gilbert and Sullivan in their comic opera
Iolanthe (1882).
Iona 1 f English, ScottishFrom the name of the island off Scotland where Saint Columba founded a monastery. The name of the island is Old Norse in origin, and apparently derives simply from
ey meaning "island".
Ione f Greek Mythology, EnglishFrom Ancient Greek
ἴον (ion) meaning
"violet flower". This was the name of a sea nymph in Greek mythology. It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the 19th century, though perhaps based on the Greek place name
Ionia, a region on the west coast of Asia Minor.
Irene f English, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, German, Dutch, Ancient Greek (Latinized), Greek Mythology (Latinized)From Greek
Εἰρήνη (Eirene), derived from a word meaning
"peace". This was the name of the Greek goddess who personified peace, one of the
Ὥραι (Horai). It was also borne by several early Christian saints. The name was common in the Byzantine Empire, notably being borne by an 8th-century empress, who was the first woman to lead the empire. She originally served as regent for her son, but later had him killed and ruled alone.
... [more] Iria f Portuguese, GalicianPossibly a Portuguese and Galician form of
Irene. This was the name of a 7th-century saint (also known as Irene) from Tomar in Portugal. This is also the name of an ancient town in Galicia (now a district of Padrón).
Iris f Greek Mythology, English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, French, Spanish, Catalan, Italian, Slovene, Croatian, GreekMeans
"rainbow" in Greek. Iris was the name of the Greek goddess of the rainbow, also serving as a messenger to the gods. This name can also be given in reference to the word (which derives from the same Greek source) for the iris flower or the coloured part of the eye.
Irma f German, English, Dutch, Finnish, Swedish, Danish, Spanish, Italian, Georgian, Lithuanian, Hungarian, Slovene, GermanicGerman short form of names beginning with the Old German element
irmin meaning
"whole, great" (Proto-Germanic *
ermunaz). It is thus related to
Emma. It began to be regularly used in the English-speaking world in the 19th century.
Isabel f Spanish, Portuguese, English, French, German, DutchMedieval Occitan form of
Elizabeth. It spread throughout Spain, Portugal and France, becoming common among the royalty by the 12th century. It grew popular in England in the 13th century after Isabella of Angoulême married the English king John, and it was subsequently bolstered when Isabella of France married Edward II the following century.
... [more] Isabella f Italian, German, English, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Finnish, Dutch, RomanianLatinate form of
Isabel. This name was borne by many medieval royals, including queens consort of England, France, Portugal, the Holy Roman Empire and Hungary, as well as the powerful ruling queen Isabella of Castile (properly called
Isabel).
... [more] Iscah f BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
יִסְכָּה (Yiskah) meaning
"to behold". In the Old Testament this is the name of
Abraham's niece, mentioned only briefly. This is the basis of the English name
Jessica.
Isla f Scottish, EnglishVariant of
Islay, typically used as a feminine name. It also coincides with the Spanish word
isla meaning "island".
Isolde f German, Arthurian RomanceGerman form of
Iseult, appearing in the 13th-century German poem
Tristan by Gottfried von Strassburg. In 1865 the German composer Richard Wagner debuted his popular opera
Tristan und Isolde and also used the name for his first daughter.
Iðunn f Norse Mythology, Old Norse, IcelandicProbably derived from the Old Norse prefix
ið- "again, repeated" and
unna "to love". In Norse mythology Iðunn was the goddess of spring and immortality whose responsibility it was to guard the gods' apples of youth.
Itziar f Basque, SpanishFrom the name of a Basque village that contains an important shrine to the Virgin
Mary, possibly meaning "old stone".
Jadwiga f PolishPolish form of
Hedwig. This was the name of a 14th-century ruling queen of Poland who has recently been canonized as a saint.
Jael f Biblical, Biblical PortugueseFrom the Hebrew name
יָעֵל (Ya'el) meaning
"ibex, mountain goat". This name appears in the Old Testament belonging to the wife of
Heber the Kenite. After Sisera, the captain of the Canaanite army, was defeated in battle by
Deborah and
Barak he took refuge in Heber's tent. When he fell asleep Jael killed him by hammering a tent peg into his head.
Jamie m & f Scottish, EnglishOriginally a Lowland Scots diminutive of
James. Since the late 19th century it has also been used as a feminine form.
Jane f EnglishMedieval English form of
Jehanne, an Old French feminine form of
Iohannes (see
John). This became the most common feminine form of
John in the 17th century, surpassing
Joan. In the first half of the 20th century
Joan once again overtook
Jane for a few decades in both the United States and the United Kingdom.
... [more] Jaya f & m Hinduism, Tamil, Indian, Telugu, Hindi, MarathiDerived from Sanskrit
जय (jaya) meaning
"victory". This is a transcription of both the feminine form
जया (an epithet of the Hindu goddess
Durga) and the masculine form
जय (borne by several characters in Hindu texts). As a modern personal name, this transcription is both feminine and masculine in southern India, but typically only feminine in the north.
Jean 2 f English, ScottishMedieval English variant of
Jehanne (see
Jane). It was common in England and Scotland during the Middle Ages, but eventually became rare in England. It was reintroduced to the English-speaking world from Scotland in the 19th century.
Jeanne f French, EnglishModern French form of
Jehanne, an Old French feminine form of
Iohannes (see
John). This has been the most reliably popular French name for girls since the 13th century. Joan of Arc is known as Jeanne d'Arc in France.
Jedidah f BiblicalFrom Hebrew
יָדִיד (yadid) meaning
"beloved, friend". In the Old Testament this is the name of the wife of King Amon of Judah and the mother of
Josiah.
Jefimija f SerbianSerbian form of
Euphemia. This name was adopted by a 14th-century Serbian poet (born Jelena Mrnjavčević).
Jehosheba f BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
יְהוֹשֶׁבַע (Yehosheva') meaning
"Yahweh is an oath". In the Old Testament she is the daughter of King
Jehoram of Judah. With her husband Jehoiada she rescued the future king
Joash, her nephew, from a purge.
Jehudijah f BiblicalMeans
"Jewess" in Hebrew, a feminine form of
יְהוּדִי (yehudi) meaning "Jew". As mentioned in the Old Testament, this was one of the wives of Mered.
Jemima f Biblical, EnglishMeans
"dove" in Hebrew. This was the oldest of the three daughters of Job in the Old Testament. As an English name,
Jemima first became common during the Puritan era.
Jenna f English, FinnishVariant of
Jenny. Use of the name was popularized in the 1980s by the character Jenna Wade on the television series
Dallas.
Jennifer f English, German, Dutch, Swedish, SpanishFrom a Cornish form of the Welsh name
Gwenhwyfar (see
Guinevere). This name has only been common outside of Cornwall since the beginning of the 20th century, after it was featured in George Bernard Shaw's play
The Doctor's Dilemma (1906). It barely ranked in the United until the late 1930s, when it began steadily growing in popularity, accelerating into the early 1970s. It was the most popular name for girls in America between 1970 and 1984, though it was not as common in the United Kingdom.
... [more] Jerioth f BiblicalMeans
"curtains, drapes" in Hebrew. This name occurs in the Old Testament belonging to a wife of Caleb the son of Hezron.
Jescha f BiblicalForm of
Iscah found in the medieval Wycliffe Bible. This name was probably the basis for Shakespeare's created name
Jessica.
Jessica f English, French, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Italian, SpanishThis name was first used in this form by William Shakespeare in his play
The Merchant of Venice (1596), where it belongs to the daughter of
Shylock. Shakespeare probably based it on the biblical name
Iscah, which would have been spelled
Jescha in his time. It was not commonly used as a given name until the middle of the 20th century. It reached its peak of popularity in the United States in 1987, and was the top ranked name for girls between 1985 and 1995, excepting 1991 and 1992 (when it was unseated by
Ashley). Notable bearers include actresses Jessica Tandy (1909-1994) and Jessica Lange (1949-).
Jezebel f BiblicalFrom Hebrew
אִיזֶבֶל ('Izevel), probably from a Phoenician name, possibly containing the Semitic root
zbl meaning
"to exalt, to dwell". According to one theory it might be an altered form of the Phoenician name
𐤁𐤏𐤋𐤀𐤆𐤁𐤋 (Baʿlʾizbel) meaning "Ba'al exalts" with the first element removed or replaced.
... [more] Jip m & f Frisian, DutchOriginally a Frisian short form of names beginning with the Old German element
geba meaning
"gift". This is the name of a boy in the Dutch children's book series
Jip and Janneke, first published 1952.
Joan 1 f EnglishMedieval English form of
Johanne, an Old French form of
Iohanna (see
Joanna). This was the usual English feminine form of
John in the Middle Ages, but it was surpassed in popularity by
Jane in the 17th century. It again became quite popular in the first half of the 20th century, entering the top ten names for both the United States and the United Kingdom, though it has since faded.
... [more] Joanna f English, Polish, BiblicalEnglish and Polish form of Latin
Iohanna, which was derived from Greek
Ἰωάννα (Ioanna), the feminine form of
Ioannes (see
John). This is the spelling used in the English New Testament, where it belongs to a follower of
Jesus who is regarded as a saint. In the Middle Ages in England it was used as a Latinized form of
Joan (the usual feminine form of
John) and it became common as a given name in the 19th century.
Jocelyn f & m English, FrenchFrom a Frankish masculine name, variously written as
Gaudelenus,
Gautselin,
Gauzlin, along with many other spellings. It was derived from the Germanic element *
gautaz, which was from the name of the Germanic tribe the Geats, combined with a Latin diminutive suffix. The Normans brought this name to England in the form
Goscelin or
Joscelin, and it was common until the 14th century. It was revived in the 20th century primarily as a feminine name, perhaps an adaptation of the surname
Jocelyn (a medieval derivative of the given name). In France this is a masculine name only.
Jolánka f Hungarian (Rare)Created by the Hungarian writer András Dugonics for the main character in his novel
Jólánka, Etelkának Leánya (1803). He may have based it on Hungarian
jóleán meaning "good girl" or possibly on the name
Yolanda.
Jordan m & f English, French, Macedonian, SerbianFrom the name of the river that flows between the countries of Jordan and Israel. The river's name in Hebrew is
יַרְדֵן (Yarden), and it is derived from
יָרַד (yarad) meaning
"descend" or
"flow down". In the New Testament
John the Baptist baptizes
Jesus Christ in its waters, and it was adopted as a personal name in Europe after crusaders brought water back from the river to baptize their children. There may have been some influence from the Latin name
Jordanes, notably borne by a 6th-century Gothic historian.
... [more] José m & f Spanish, Portuguese, FrenchSpanish and Portuguese form of
Joseph, as well as a French variant. In Spanish-speaking regions it is occasionally used as a feminine middle name (or the second part of a double name), often paired with
María. This was the most popular name for boys in Spain for the first half of the 20th century.
Jovita f Spanish, PortugueseSpanish and Portuguese feminine form of the Roman name
Iovita (masculine), which was derived from the name of the god
Jove. This was the name of an early saint and martyr, the brother of Faustinus.
Joyce f & m EnglishFrom the medieval masculine name
Josse, which was derived from the earlier
Iudocus, which was a Latinized form of the Breton name
Judoc meaning
"lord". The name belonged to a 7th-century Breton saint, and Breton settlers introduced it to England after the Norman Conquest. It became rare after the 14th century, but was later revived as a feminine name, perhaps because of similarity to the Middle English word
joise "to rejoice". This given name also became a surname, as in the case of the Irish novelist James Joyce (1882-1941).
Juana f SpanishSpanish form of
Iohanna (see
Joanna), making it the feminine form of
Juan 1. This name was borne by Juana the Mad, a 16th-century queen of Castile.
Judith f English, Jewish, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Spanish, French, BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
יְהוּדִית (Yehudit) meaning
"Jewish woman", feminine of
יְהוּדִי (yehudi), ultimately referring to a person from the tribe of
Judah. In the Old Testament Judith is one of the Hittite wives of
Esau. This is also the name of the main character of the apocryphal Book of Judith. She killed Holofernes, an invading Assyrian commander, by beheading him in his sleep.
... [more] Julia f English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Spanish, Polish, Finnish, Estonian, Russian, Ukrainian, Ancient Roman, BiblicalFeminine form of the Roman family name
Julius. Among the notable women from this family were Julia Augusta (also known as Livia Drusilla), the wife of Emperor
Augustus, and Julia the Elder, the daughter of Augustus and the wife of
Tiberius. A person by this name has a brief mention in the New Testament. It was also borne by a few early saints and martyrs, including the patron saint of Corsica. Additionally, Shakespeare used it in his comedy
The Two Gentlemen of Verona (1594).
... [more] Juliana f Dutch, German, English, Spanish, Portuguese, Slovak, Ancient RomanFeminine form of
Iulianus (see
Julian). This was the name of a 4th-century saint and martyr from Nicomedia, and also of the Blessed Juliana of Norwich, also called Julian, a 14th-century mystic and author. The name was also borne by a 20th-century queen of the Netherlands. In England, this form has been in use since the 18th century, alongside the older form
Gillian.
Juliet f EnglishAnglicized form of
Giulietta or
Juliette. This spelling was used for the ill-fated lover of
Romeo in the play
Romeo and Juliet (1596) by William Shakespeare. Shakespeare based his story on earlier Italian tales such as
Giulietta e Romeo (1524) by Luigi Da Porto.
Junia f Biblical, Ancient RomanFeminine form of
Junius. This was the name of an early Christian mentioned in the New Testament (there is some debate about whether the name belongs to a man or a woman).
Justine f French, EnglishFrench form of
Iustina (see
Justina). This is the name of the heroine in the novel
Justine (1791) by the Marquis de Sade.
Juta f Estonian, LatvianEstonian and Latvian form of
Jutta. This is the name of a character in the Estonian legend
Lake Endla and Juta (1852) by Friedrich Robert Faehlmann.
Jutta f GermanProbably a medieval Low German form of
Judith. It might also derive from an Old German name such as
Judda.
Kalyani f Hinduism, Indian, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Bengali, Marathi, HindiMeans
"beautiful, lovely, auspicious" in Sanskrit. In the Hindu epic the
Mahabharata this is the name of one of the Krittikas, or Pleiades. It is also another name of the Hindu goddess
Parvati.
Kamala f & m Hinduism, Tamil, Indian, Kannada, Telugu, Hindi, NepaliMeans
"lotus" or
"pale red" in Sanskrit. In Sanskrit this is a transcription of both the feminine form
कमला and the masculine form
कमल, though in modern languages it is only a feminine form. This is the name of one of the Krittikas, or Pleiades, in the Hindu epic the
Mahabharata. It is also another name of the Hindu goddess
Lakshmi.
Katherine f EnglishFrom the Greek name
Αἰκατερίνη (Aikaterine). The etymology is debated: it could derive from an earlier Greek name
Ἑκατερινη (Hekaterine), itself from
ἑκάτερος (hekateros) meaning
"each of the two"; it could derive from the name of the goddess
Hecate; it could be related to Greek
αἰκία (aikia) meaning
"torture"; or it could be from a Coptic name meaning
"my consecration of your name". In the early Christian era it became associated with Greek
καθαρός (katharos) meaning
"pure", and the Latin spelling was changed from
Katerina to
Katharina to reflect this.
... [more] Katina f Greek, Macedonian, BulgarianGreek contracted form of
Katerina. This name had a spike in popularity in America in 1972 when it was used for a newborn baby on the soap opera
Where the Heart Is.
Kausar f & m Urdu, KazakhUrdu and Kazakh form of
Kawthar. It is a unisex name in Urdu, but solely feminine in Kazakh.
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] Keren-Happuch f BiblicalMeans
"horn of antimony" in Hebrew. Antimony is a substance that was formerly used as an eye cosmetic (eye shadow). A hollowed animal horn could have been used to store this material. Keren-Happuch is the name of the third daughter of Job in the Old Testament.
Keziah f BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
קְצִיעָה (Qetzi'ah) meaning
"cassia, cinnamon", from the name of the spice tree. In the Old Testament she is a daughter of Job.