Jasper m English, Dutch, Judeo-Christian-Islamic LegendFrom Latin
Gaspar, perhaps from the Biblical Hebrew word
גִּזְבָּר (gizbar) meaning
"treasurer", derived from Persian
ganzabara. This name was traditionally assigned to one of the wise men (also known as the Magi, or three kings) who were said to have visited the newborn
Jesus. It has occasionally been used in the English-speaking world since the Middle Ages. The name can also be given in reference to the English word for the gemstone.
Jayden m & f English (Modern)Variant of
Jaden. This spelling continued to rapidly rise in popularity in the United States past 2003, unlike
Jaden, which stalled. It peaked at the fourth rank for boys in 2010, showing tremendous growth over only two decades. It has since declined.
Jehovah m TheologyForm of
Yahweh used in older translations of the Bible, produced by blending the letters of the Tetragrammaton with the vowels from
Adonai.
Jeremy m English, BiblicalEnglish form of
Jeremiah, originally a medieval vernacular form. This is the spelling used in some English versions of the New Testament.
Jody f & m EnglishProbably either a variant of
Judy or a diminutive of
Joseph. It was popularized by the young hero in Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings' novel
The Yearling (1938) and the subsequent film adaptation (1946).
Jolyon m English (Rare)Medieval form of
Julian. The author John Galsworthy used it for a character in his
Forsyte Saga novels (published between 1906 and 1922).
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-).
Kellan m English (Modern)Variant of
Kellen. This particular spelling jumped in popularity after actor Kellan Lutz (1985-) appeared in the
Twilight series of movies beginning 2008.
Lauren f & m EnglishVariant or feminine form of
Laurence 1. Originally a masculine name, it was first popularized as a feminine name by actress Betty Jean Perske (1924-2014), who used Lauren Bacall as her stage name.
Liborius m Late RomanPossibly a variant of
Liberius, or possibly a Latinized form of a Gaulish name. Saint Liborius was a 4th-century bishop of Le Mans.
Lludd m Welsh MythologyProbably a variant of
Nudd altered due to alliterative assimilation with his byname
Llaw Ereint meaning "silver hand". Lludd Llaw Ereint is named as the father of
Creiddylad in
Culhwch and Olwen. He also appears in the Welsh tale
Lludd and Llefelys as the king of Britain, the son of
Beli Mawr.
Maël m French, BretonFrench form of Breton
Mael meaning
"prince, chieftain, lord". Saint Mael was a 5th-century Breton hermit who lived in Wales.
Merle f & m English, EstonianVariant of
Merrill or
Muriel. The spelling has been influenced by the word
merle meaning "blackbird" (via French, from Latin
merula). This name is also common in Estonia, though a connection to the English-language name is uncertain.
Merlyn m & f EnglishVariant of
Merlin, sometimes used as a feminine form. It has perhaps been influenced by the Welsh word
merlyn meaning "pony".
Napoleon m History, EnglishFrom the old Italian name
Napoleone, used most notably by the French emperor Napoléon Bonaparte (1769-1821), who was born on Corsica. The etymology is uncertain, but it is possibly derived from Old German
Nibelungen meaning
"sons of mist", a name used in Germanic legend to refer to the keepers of a hoard of treasure, often identified with the Burgundians. Alternatively, it could be connected to the name of the Italian city of Napoli (Naples).
Oberon m LiteratureVariant of
Auberon. Oberon and
Titania are the king and queen of the fairies in Shakespeare's comedy
A Midsummer Night's Dream (1595). A moon of Uranus bears this name in his honour.
Ossian m LiteratureVariant of
Oisín used by James Macpherson in his 18th-century poems, which he claimed to have based on early Irish legends. In the poems Ossian is the son of
Fingal, and serves as the narrator.
Otmar m German, Czech, GermanicFrom the Germanic name
Audamar, which was derived from the Old Frankish element
aud, Old High German
ot meaning "wealth, fortune" combined with
mari meaning "famous". This was the name of an 8th-century Swiss saint, an abbot of Saint Gall.
Peer m Danish, NorwegianVariant of
Per. The Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen used this name for the main character in his play
Peer Gynt (1867).
Pelleas m Arthurian RomancePossibly from the Greek name
Peleus. In Arthurian legend this is the name of a knight in love with Arcade or Ettarde. He first appears in the Old French
Post-Vulgate Cycle in the 13th century, later in Thomas Malory's
Le Morte d'Arthur (15th century) and Alfred Tennyson's
Idylls of the King (1859).
Pelles m Arthurian RomancePossibly from the Welsh name
Beli. In the 13th-century
Lancelot-Grail Cycle of Arthurian romance this was the name of the Fisher King, the son of
Pellehan. He was also the father of
Elaine and grandfather of
Galahad.
Percival m Arthurian Romance, EnglishCreated by the 12th-century French poet Chrétien de Troyes for his poem
Perceval, the Story of the Grail. Chrétien may have derived the name from Old French
perce val "pierce the valley", or he may have based it loosely on the Welsh name
Peredur. In the poem Perceval is a boy from Wales who hopes to become a knight under King
Arthur. Setting out to prove himself, he eventually comes to the castle of the Fisher King and is given a glimpse of the Grail.
Pharamond m HistoryVariant of
Faramund. This form was used by Shakespeare in his historical play
Henry V (1599), referring to the Frankish king.
Philibert m French, GermanicEarly variant of
Filibert altered by association with Greek
φίλος (philos) meaning "friend, lover". A famous bearer was Philibert de l'Orme (1510-1570), a French Renaissance architect.
Piero m ItalianItalian form of
Peter. Piero della Francesca was an Italian Renaissance painter.
Quinton m EnglishVariant of
Quentin, also coinciding with an English surname meaning "queen's town" in Old English.
Raine f & m English (Rare)Possibly based on the French word
reine meaning
"queen". A famous bearer was the British socialite Raine Spencer (1929-2016), the stepmother of Princess Diana. In modern times it can also be used as a variant of
Rain 1 or a short form of
Lorraine.
Ralph m English, German, SwedishContracted form of the Old Norse name
Ráðúlfr (or its Norman form
Radulf). Scandinavian settlers introduced it to England before the Norman Conquest, though afterwards it was bolstered by Norman influence. In the Middle Ages it was variously spelled
Rauf,
Rafe or
Ralf reflecting the usual pronunciation. The
Ralph spelling became more common in the 18th century. A famous bearer of the name was Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), an American poet and author who wrote on transcendentalism.
Rambert m GermanicVariant of
Raginbert. Saint Rambert, also called Ragnebert, was martyred near Lyon in the 7th century. There seems to be some confusion with the name
Hrambert.
Regan f & m Literature, EnglishMeaning unknown. In the chronicles of Geoffrey of Monmouth it is the name of a treacherous daughter of King
Leir. Shakespeare adapted the story for his tragedy
King Lear (1606). In the modern era it has appeared in the horror movie
The Exorcist (1973) belonging to a girl possessed by the devil. This name can also be used as a variant of
Reagan.
Rembert m GermanicVariant of
Raginbert. This name was borne by a 9th-century saint, also called Rimbert, a bishop of Bremen and Hamburg.
Robert m English, French, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Dutch, Finnish, Estonian, Czech, Polish, Russian, Slovene, Croatian, Albanian, Romanian, Catalan, GermanicFrom the Germanic name
Hrodebert meaning
"bright fame", derived from the elements
hruod "fame" and
beraht "bright". The Normans introduced this name to Britain, where it replaced the rare Old English cognate
Hreodbeorht. It has been consistently among the most common English names from the 13th to 20th century. In the United States it was the most popular name for boys between 1924 and 1939 (and again in 1953).
... [more] Shylock m LiteratureUsed by Shakespeare, possibly from the Hebrew name
Shelach, for the primary antagonist in his play
The Merchant of Venice (1596). Shylock is a Jewish moneylender who demands a pound of Antonio's flesh when he cannot repay his loan. Subsequent to the play, the name has been used as an ethnic slur for a Jewish person and a slang term for a loan shark.
Sigismund m German (Rare), GermanicForm of
Sigmund in which the first element is
sigis, an extended form of
sigu. Saint Sigismund was a 6th-century king of the Burgundians. This was also the name of kings of Poland and a ruler of the Holy Roman Empire.
Skylar f & m English (Modern)Variant of
Skyler. Originally more common for boys during the 1980s, it was popularized as a name for girls after it was used on the American soap opera
The Young and the Restless in 1989 and the movie
Good Will Hunting in 1997. Its sharp rise in the United States in 2011 might be attributed to the character Skyler White from the television series
Breaking Bad (2008-2013) or the singer Skylar Grey (1986-), who adopted this name in 2010 after previously going by Holly Brook.
Skyler m & f English (Modern)Variant of
Schuyler, based on the pronunciation of the surname but respelled as if it was a blend of the English word
sky with names such as
Tyler. It was rare before 1980, and first gained popularity as a name for boys. It is now more common for girls, though it is more evenly unisex than the mostly feminine variant
Skylar.
Soan m French (Modern)Variant of
Sohan. It was popularized by the French singer Julien Decroix (1981-), also known as Soan.
Steven m English, DutchMedieval English variant of
Stephen, and a Dutch variant of
Stefan. The filmmaker Steven Spielberg (1946-), director of
E.T. and
Indiana Jones, is a famous bearer of this name.
Tanguy m Breton, FrenchFrom Breton
tan "fire" and
gi "dog". This was the name of a 6th-century Breton saint.
Temujin m HistoryMeans
"of iron" in Mongolian, derived ultimately from the Turkic word
temür "iron". This was the original name of the Mongolian leader better known by the title
Genghis Khan. Born in the 12th century, he managed to unite the tribes of Mongolia and then conquer huge areas of Asia and Eastern Europe.