LACHESIS f Greek MythologyMeans "apportioner" in Greek. She was one of the three Fates or
Μοιραι (Moirai) in Greek mythology. She was responsible for deciding how long each person had to live.
LACY f & m EnglishFrom a surname which was derived from
Lassy, the name of a town in Normandy. The name of the town was Gaulish in origin, perhaps deriving from a personal name which was Latinized as
Lascius.
LAELIA f Ancient RomanFeminine form of
Laelius, a Roman family name of unknown meaning. This is also the name of a type of flower, an orchid found in Mexico and Central America.
LAIMA f Lithuanian, Latvian, Baltic MythologyMeans "luck" in Latvian and Lithuanian. This was the name of the Latvian and Lithuanian goddess of fate, luck, pregnancy and childbirth. She was the sister of the goddesses Dekla and Karta, who were also associated with fate.
LAKE m & f English (Rare)From the English word
lake, for the inland body of water. It is ultimately derived from Latin
lacus.
LAKSHMI f & m Hinduism, Indian, Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam, Marathi, HindiMeans "sign, mark" in Sanskrit. This is the name of the Hindu goddess of prosperity, good luck, and beauty. She is the wife of
Vishnu and her symbol is the lotus flower, with which she is often depicted.
LALA f BulgarianFrom a South Slavic word meaning "tulip". It is derived via Turkish from Persian
لاله (laleh).
LALAGE f LiteratureDerived from Greek
λαλαγεω (lalageo) meaning "to babble, to prattle". The Roman poet Horace used this name in one of his odes.
LALE f TurkishMeans "tulip" in Turkish, of Persian origin.
LALI f GeorgianMeans "ruby" in Georgian, of Sanskrit origin.
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
λαιμος (laimos) "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.
LAN f & m Chinese, VietnameseFrom Chinese
兰 (lán) meaning "orchid, elegant" (which is usually only feminine) or
岚 (lán) meaning "mountain mist". Other Chinese characters can form this name as well. As a Vietnamese name, it is derived from Sino-Vietnamese
蘭 meaning "orchid".
LANI f HawaiianMeans "sky, heaven, royal, majesty" in Hawaiian.
LARA (1) f Russian, English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Hungarian, Slovene, CroatianRussian short form of
LARISA. It was introduced to the English-speaking world by a character from Boris Pasternak's novel 'Doctor Zhivago' (1957) and the subsequent movie adaptation (1965).
LARISA f Russian, Ukrainian, Romanian, Latvian, Greek MythologyPossibly derived from the name of the ancient city of Larisa in Thessaly, which meant "citadel". In Greek legends, the nymph Larisa was either a daughter or mother of Pelasgus, the ancestor of the mythical Pelasgians. This name was later borne by a 4th-century Greek martyr who is venerated as a saint in the Eastern Church. The name (of the city, nymph and saint) is commonly Latinized as
Larissa, with a double
s.
LARUNDA f Roman MythologyPossibly connected to Greek
λαλεω (laleo) "to talk", or the Latin term
Lares referring to minor guardian gods. In Roman mythology Larunda or Lara was a water nymph who was overly talkative. She revealed to Juno that her husband Jupiter was having an affair with Juturna, so Jupiter had Larunda's tongue removed. By the god Mercury she had two children, who were Lares.
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, Finnish, Estonian, Hungarian, Polish, Slovene, Croatian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Dutch, 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] LAUREL f EnglishFrom the name of the laurel tree, ultimately from Latin
laurus.
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-), who used Lauren Bacall as her stage name.
LAVERNE f & m EnglishFrom a surname which was derived from a French place name, ultimately derived from the Gaulish word
vern meaning "alder". It is sometimes associated with the Roman goddess
Laverna or the Latin word
vernus "of spring".
LAVINIA f Roman Mythology, RomanianMeaning unknown, probably of Etruscan origin. In Roman legend Lavinia was the daughter of King Latinus, the wife of
Aeneas, and the ancestor of the Roman people. According to the legend Aeneas named the town of Lavinium in honour of his wife.
LAWAN f ThaiPossibly means "beautiful" in Thai.
LAYLA f Arabic, EnglishMeans "night" in Arabic. This was the name of the object of romantic poems written by the 7th-century poet known as Qays. The story of Qays and Layla became 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.
LEAH f English, Hebrew, Biblical, Biblical HebrewFrom the Hebrew name
לֵאָה (Le'ah) which was probably derived from the Hebrew word
לְאָה (le'ah) meaning "weary". Alternatively it might derive from a Chaldean name meaning "mistress" or "ruler" in Akkadian. In the Old Testament Leah is the first wife of
Jacob and the mother of seven of his children. Jacob's other wife was Leah's sister
Rachel. Although this name was used by Jews in the Middle Ages, it was not typical as an English Christian name until after the Protestant Reformation, being common among the Puritans.
LEATRICE f EnglishPossibly a combination of
LEAH and
BEATRICE. This name was first brought to public attention by the American actress Leatrice Joy (1893-1985).
LEE m & f EnglishFrom a surname which was derived from Old English
leah meaning "clearing". The surname belonged to Robert E. Lee (1807-1870), commander of the Confederate forces during the American Civil War. In his honour, it has been commonly used as a given name in the American South.
LEI (2) m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
磊 (lěi) meaning "pile of stones" (which is typically masculine) or
蕾 (lěi) meaning "bud" (typically feminine). Other characters can also form this name.
LEIA f Biblical Greek, Popular CultureForm of
LEAH used in the Greek Old Testament. This is the name of a princess in the 'Star Wars' movies by George Lucas, who probably based it on
Leah.
LEILA f Arabic, Persian, English, GeorgianVariant of
LAYLA. This spelling was used by Lord Byron for characters in 'The Giaour' (1813) and 'Don Juan' (1819), and it is through him that the name was introduced to the English-speaking world.
LEILANI f & m HawaiianMeans "heavenly flowers" or "royal child" from Hawaiian
lei "flowers, lei, child" and
lani "heaven, sky, royal, majesty".
LEIMOMI f HawaiianMeans "pearl lei" or "pearl child" from Hawaiian
lei "flowers, lei, child" and
momi "pearl".
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.
LENA f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Polish, Russian, English, Italian, Portuguese, GreekShort form of names ending in
lena, such as
HELENA,
MAGDALENA or
YELENA.
LENORE f EnglishShort form of
ELEANOR. This was the name of the departed love of the narrator in Edgar Allan Poe's poem 'The Raven' (1845).
LEOCADIA f Spanish, Late RomanLate Latin name which might be derived from the name of the Greek island of
Leucadia or from Greek
λευκος (leukos) meaning "bright, clear, white" (which is also the root of the island's name). Saint Leocadia was a 3rd-century martyr from Spain.
LEONOR f Spanish, PortugueseSpanish and Portuguese form of
ELEANOR. It was brought to Spain in the 12th-century by Eleanor of England, who married king Alfonso VIII of Castile.
LESLIE f & m EnglishFrom a Scottish surname which was derived from a Scottish place name, probably derived from Gaelic
leas celyn meaning "garden of holly". It has been used as a given name since the 19th century. In America it was more common as a feminine name after the 1940s.
LETA f EnglishPossibly derived from Latin
laetus meaning "glad". Otherwise, it could be a short form of names ending in
leta.
LETITIA f EnglishFrom the Late Latin name
Laetitia which meant "joy, happiness". This was the name of an obscure saint, who is revered mainly in Spain. It was in use in England during the Middle Ages, usually in the spelling
Lettice, and it was revived in the 18th century.
LEXUS f EnglishShort form of
ALEXUS. Its use has been influenced by the Lexus brand name (a line of luxury automobiles made by Toyota).
LI (1) f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
理 (lǐ) meaning "reason, logic",
立 (lì) meaning "stand, establish",
黎 (lí) meaning "black, dawn",
力 (lì) meaning "power, capability, influence" (which is usually only masculine) or
丽 (lì) meaning "beautiful" (usually only feminine). Other Chinese characters are also possible.
LÍADAN f IrishMeans "grey lady" in Irish Gaelic. In Irish legend she was a poetess who became a nun, but then missed her lover Cuirithir so much that she died of grief.
LIBENA f CzechDerived from the Czech element
lib meaning "love".
LIBERTY f EnglishSimply from the English word
liberty, derived from Latin
libertas, a derivative of
liber "free". Interestingly, since 1880 this name has charted on the American popularity lists in three different periods: in 1918 (at the end of World War I), in 1976 (the American bicentennial), and after 2001 (during the War on Terrorism).
LIBUŠE f CzechDerived from the Czech element
lib meaning "love". In Czech legend Lubuše was the founder of Prague.
LIGEIA f Greek Mythology, Ancient GreekDerived from Greek
λιγυς (ligys) meaning "clear-voiced, shrill, whistling". This was the name of one of the Sirens in Greek legend. It was also used by Edgar Allan Poe in his story 'Ligeia' (1838).
LILAC f English (Rare)From the name of the shrub with purple or white flowers. It is derived via Arabic from Persian.
LILAVATI f Indian, Hindi (Rare)Means "amusing, charming, graceful" in Sanskrit. The 12th-century mathematician Bhaskara named one of his systems of mathematics after his daughter Lilavati. This was also the name of a 13th-century queen of Sri Lanka.
LILITH f Near Eastern Mythology, Judeo-Christian LegendDerived from Akkadian
lilitu meaning "of the night". This was the name of a demon in ancient Assyrian myths. In Jewish tradition she was
Adam's first wife, sent out of Eden and replaced by
Eve because she would not submit to him. The offspring of Adam (or
Samael) and Lilith were the evil spirits of the world.
LILLIAN f EnglishProbably originally a diminutive of
ELIZABETH. It may also be considered an elaborated form of
LILY, from the Latin word for "lily"
lilium. This name has been used in England since the 16th century.
LILOU f FrenchEither a diminutive of French names containing the sound
lee or a combination of
LILI and
LOUISE.
LILY f EnglishFrom the name of the flower, a symbol of purity. The word is ultimately derived from Latin
lilium.
LIN m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
林 (lín) meaning "forest" or
琳 (lín) meaning "fine jade, gem". Other characters can also form this name.