AGNES f English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Ancient Greek (Latinized)Latinized form of the Greek name
‘Αγνη (Hagne), derived from Greek
‘αγνος (hagnos) meaning "chaste". Saint Agnes was a virgin martyred during the persecutions of the Roman emperor Diocletian. The name became associated with Latin
agnus "lamb", resulting in the saint's frequent depiction with a lamb by her side. Due to her renown, the name became common in Christian Europe, being especially popular in England in the Middle Ages.
ALEX m & f English, Dutch, German, French, Portuguese, Italian, Romanian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, IcelandicShort form of
ALEXANDER,
ALEXANDRA, and other names beginning with
Alex.
ALEXANDRA f English, German, Dutch, French, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Greek, Portuguese, Romanian, Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Ukrainian, Ancient Greek, Greek MythologyFeminine form of
ALEXANDER. In Greek mythology this was a Mycenaean epithet of the goddess
Hera, and an alternate name of
Cassandra. It was borne by several early Christian saints, and also by the wife of Nicholas II, the last czar of Russia. She was from Germany and had the birth name
Alix, but was renamed
Александра (Aleksandra) upon joining the Russian Church.
ALFHILD f Norwegian, SwedishFrom the Old Norse name
Alfhildr which was composed of the elements
alfr "elf" and
hildr "battle". In Norse legend Alfhild was a maiden who disguised herself as a warrior in order to avoid marriage to king Alf. Her life was perhaps based on that of a 9th-century Viking pirate.
AMANDA f English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Late RomanIn part this is a feminine form of
AMANDUS. However, it was not used during the Middle Ages. In the 17th century it was recreated by authors and poets who based it directly on Latin
amanda "lovable, worthy of love". Notably, the playwright Colley Cibber used it for a character in his play 'Love's Last Shift' (1696). It came into regular use during the 19th century.
ANDREA (2) f English, German, Spanish, Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Dutch, Croatian, SerbianFeminine form of
ANDREW. As an English name, it has been used since the 17th century, though it was not common until the 20th century.
ANITA (1) f Spanish, Portuguese, Croatian, Slovene, English, Dutch, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Polish, LatvianSpanish, Portuguese, Croatian and Slovene diminutive of
ANA.
ANNA f English, Italian, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Latvian, Greek, Hungarian, Polish, Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Czech, Slovak, Bulgarian, Icelandic, Faroese, Catalan, Occitan, Breton, Biblical, Old Church Slavic, Biblical Latin, Biblical GreekForm of
Channah (see
HANNAH) used in the Greek and Latin Old Testament. Many later Old Testament translations, including the English, use the
Hannah spelling instead of
Anna. The name appears briefly in the New Testament belonging to a prophetess who recognized
Jesus as the Messiah. It was a popular name in the Byzantine Empire from an early date, and in the Middle Ages it became common among Western Christians due to veneration of Saint Anna (usually known as Saint Anne in English), the name traditionally assigned to the mother of the Virgin
Mary. In the English-speaking world, this form came into general use in the 18th century, joining
Ann and
Anne.
... [more] ANNE (1) f French, English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, German, Dutch, BasqueFrench form of
ANNA. In the 13th-century it was imported to England, where it was also commonly spelled
Ann. The name was borne by a 17th-century English queen and also by the second wife of Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn (the mother of Queen Elizabeth I), who was eventually beheaded in the Tower of London. This is also the name of the heroine in 'Anne of Green Gables' (1908) by Canadian author L. M. Montgomery.
ANTONIA f Italian, Spanish, English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Polish, Romanian, Ancient RomanFeminine form of
Antonius (see
ANTHONY).
ASLAUG f NorwegianDerived from the Old Norse elements
áss meaning "god" and
laug possibly meaning "betrothed woman".
BARBARA f English, Italian, French, German, Polish, Hungarian, Slovene, Croatian, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Late RomanDerived from Greek
βαρβαρος (barbaros) meaning "foreign". According to legend, Saint Barbara was a young woman killed by her father Dioscorus, who was then killed by a bolt of lightning. She is the patron of architects, geologists, stonemasons and artillerymen. Because of her renown, the name came into general use in the Christian world in the Middle Ages. In England it became rare after the Protestant Reformation, but it was revived in the 19th century.
BERGLJOT f NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Bergljót, which was composed of the elements
berg "protection, help" and
ljótr "light".
BIRGITTA f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, FinnishMost likely a Scandinavian form of
BRIDGET via the Latinized form
Brigitta. Alternatively it could be a feminine derivative of
BIRGER. This is the name of the patron saint of Europe, Birgitta of Sweden, the 14th-century founder of the Bridgettine nuns. Her father's name was Birger.
CECILIA f English, Italian, Spanish, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Finnish, Dutch, GermanLatinate feminine form of the Roman family name
Caecilius, which was derived from Latin
caecus "blind". Saint Cecilia was a semi-legendary 2nd- or 3rd-century martyr who was sentenced to die because she refused to worship the Roman gods. After attempts to suffocate her failed, she was beheaded. She was later regarded as the patron saint of music and musicians.
... [more] CHRISTINA f English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, DutchFrom
Christiana, the Latin feminine form of
CHRISTIAN. This was the name of an early, possibly legendary, saint who was tormented by her pagan father. It was also borne by a 17th-century Swedish queen and patron the arts who gave up her crown in order to become a Roman Catholic.
DAGRUN f NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Dagrún, which was derived from the Old Norse elements
dagr "day" and
rún "secret lore".
DIANA f English, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Catalan, German, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Russian, Bulgarian, Lithuanian, Polish, Roman MythologyProbably derived from an old Indo-European root meaning "heavenly, divine", related to
dyeus (see
ZEUS). Diana was a Roman goddess of the moon, hunting, forests, and childbirth, often identified with the Greek goddess
Artemis.
... [more] DOROTHEA f German, Dutch, Danish, Norwegian, English, Late GreekFeminine form of the Late Greek name
Δωροθεος (Dorotheos), which meant "gift of God" from Greek
δωρον (doron) "gift" and
θεος (theos) "god". Dorothea was the name of two early saints, notably the 4th-century martyr Dorothea of Caesarea. It was also borne by the 14th-century Saint Dorothea of Montau, who was the patron saint of Prussia.
EDITH f English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, DutchFrom the Old English name
Eadgyð, derived from the elements
ead "wealth, fortune" and
gyð "war". It was popular among Anglo-Saxon royalty, being borne for example by Saint Eadgyeth;, the daughter of King Edgar the Peaceful. The name remained common after the Norman conquest. It became rare after the 15th century, but was revived in the 19th century.
EMMA f English, French, Italian, Spanish, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Finnish, Dutch, German, Ancient GermanicOriginally a short form of Germanic names that began with the element
ermen meaning "whole" or "universal". It was introduced to England by Emma of Normandy, who was the wife both of king Ethelred II (and by him the mother of Edward the Confessor) and later of king Canute. It was also borne by an 11th-century Austrian saint, who is sometimes called
Hemma.
... [more] ERIKA f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, German, Hungarian, Czech, Slovene, Croatian, English, ItalianFeminine form of
ERIK. It also coincides with the word for "heather" in some languages.
ESTHER f English, French, Spanish, Dutch, German, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Jewish, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical GreekPossibly means "star" in Persian. Alternatively it could be a derivative of the name of the Near Eastern goddess
ISHTAR. The Book of Esther in the Old Testament tells the story of Queen Esther, the Jewish wife of the king of Persia. The king's advisor Haman persuaded the king to exterminate all the Jews in the realm. Warned of this plot by her cousin
Mordecai, Esther revealed her Jewish ancestry and convinced the king to execute Haman instead. Her original Hebrew name was
Hadassah.
... [more] EVA f Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, English, Czech, Slovak, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Greek, Slovene, Bulgarian, Croatian, Russian, Georgian, Old Church Slavic, Biblical LatinLatinate form of
EVE. This form is used in the Latin translation of the New Testament, while
Hava is used in the Latin Old Testament. It is also a variant transcription of Russian
YEVA. This name appears in Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' (1852) belonging to the character Little Eva, whose real name is in fact Evangeline.
FRIDA f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Ancient GermanicGermanic name, originally a short form of other feminine names containing the Germanic element
frid meaning "peace". This is also the Scandinavian equivalent, from the Old Norse cognate
Fríða. A famous bearer was Mexican painter Frida Kahlo (1907-1954).
GUDRUN f Norse Mythology, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, GermanFrom the Old Norse name
Guðrún meaning "god's secret lore", derived from the elements
guð "god" and
rún "secret lore". In Norse legend Gudrun was the wife of
Sigurd. After his death she married Atli, but when he murdered her brothers, she killed her sons by him, fed him their hearts, and then slew him.
HANNA (1) f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Polish, Ukrainian, Belarusian, German, Dutch, Icelandic, HungarianCognate of
HANNAH.
HEDDA f Norwegian, SwedishDiminutive of
HEDVIG. This is the name of the heroine of the play 'Hedda Gabler' (1890) by the Norwegian dramatist Henrik Ibsen.
HEIDI f German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, EnglishGerman diminutive of
ADELHEID. This is the name of the title character in the children's novel 'Heidi' (1880) by Johanna Spyri. The name began to be used in the English-speaking world shortly after the 1937 release of the movie adaptation, which starred Shirley Temple.
HELENA f German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Portuguese, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Finnish, Estonian, Slovene, Croatian, English, Ancient Greek (Latinized), Greek Mythology (Latinized)Latinate form of
HELEN.
IDA f English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Hungarian, Slovene, Croatian, Ancient GermanicDerived from the Germanic element
id meaning "work, labour". The Normans brought this name to England, though it eventually died out there in the Middle Ages. It was strongly revived in the 19th century, in part due to the heroine in Alfred Lord Tennyson's poem 'The Princess' (1847), which was later adapted into the play 'Princess Ida' (1884) by Gilbert and Sullivan.
... [more] INGE f & m Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, German, DutchShort form of Scandinavian and German names beginning with the element
ing, which refers to the Germanic god
ING. In Sweden and Norway this is primarily a masculine name, elsewhere it is usually feminine.
INGRID f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, GermanFrom the Old Norse name
Ingríðr meaning "Ing is beautiful", derived from the name of the Germanic god
ING combined with
fríðr "beautiful". A famous bearer was the Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman (1915-1982).
IRENE f English, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, German, Ancient Greek (Latinized), Greek Mythology (Latinized)From Greek
Ειρηνη (Eirene), derived from a word meaning "peace". This was the name of the Greek goddess who personified peace, one of the
‘Ωραι (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] ISABELLA f Italian, German, English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, RomanianLatinate form of
ISABEL. This name was borne by many medieval royals, including queen consorts of England, France, Portugal, the Holy Roman Empire and Hungary, as well as the powerful ruling queen Isabella of Castile (properly called
Isabel).
JESSICA f English, French, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Italian, Spanish, PortugueseThis name was first used in this form by 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. Notable bearers include actresses Jessica Tandy (1909-1994) and Jessica Lange (1949-).
JULIA f English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Spanish, Polish, Finnish, 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] JULIE f French, Danish, Norwegian, Czech, English, German, Dutch, Spanish, PortugueseFrench, Danish, Norwegian and Czech form of
JULIA. It has spread to many other regions as well. It has been common in the English-speaking world since the early 20th century.
KRISTINA f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Russian, German, Slovene, Czech, Lithuanian, Serbian, Croatian, Faroese, English, BulgarianForm of
CHRISTINA, and a Bulgarian variant of
HRISTINA.
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] LENA f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Polish, Russian, English, Italian, PortugueseScandinavian, German and Polish short form of
HELENA or
MAGDALENA, and a Russian short form of
YELENA.
LINDA f English, Dutch, German, Italian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, French, Latvian, Finnish, Hungarian, Czech, Slovak, Ancient GermanicOriginally a medieval short form of Germanic names containing the element
linde meaning "soft, tender". It also coincides with the Spanish and Portuguese word
linda meaning "beautiful".
LISA f English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, ItalianShort form of
ELIZABETH,
ELISABETH,
ELISABET or
ELISABETTA. This is the name of the subject of one of the world's most famous paintings, the 'Mona Lisa', the portrait of Lisa del Giocondo by Leonardo da Vinci.
LIV (1) f Swedish, Norwegian, DanishDerived from the Old Norse name
Hlíf meaning "protection". Its use has been influenced by the modern Scandinavian word
liv meaning "life".
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.
MAGDALENA f Polish, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Spanish, Occitan, Slovene, Czech, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Croatian, Serbian, Romanian, Finnish, EnglishLatinate form of
MAGDALENE.
MAGNHILD f NorwegianDerived from Old Norse
magn "mighty, strong" and
hildr "battle". This was the name of a novel by the Norwegian author Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson.
MAJA (2) f Croatian, Serbian, Macedonian, Slovene, German, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Polish, Czech, SlovakDiminutive of
MARIA.
MARI (1) f Welsh, Breton, Estonian, Finnish, Hungarian, Swedish, Norwegian, DanishWelsh, Breton, Estonian and Finnish form of
MARIA, as well as a Hungarian diminutive of
MÁRIA. It is also a Scandinavian form of
MARIE.
MARIA f & m Italian, Portuguese, Catalan, Occitan, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Faroese, Dutch, Frisian, Greek, Polish, Romanian, English, Finnish, Corsican, Basque, Russian, Bulgarian, Ukrainian, Biblical Greek, Biblical Latin, Old Church SlavicLatin form of Greek
Μαρια, from Hebrew
מִרְיָם (see
MARY).
Maria is the usual form of the name in many European languages, as well as a secondary form in other languages such as English (where the common spelling is
Mary). In some countries, for example Germany, Poland and Italy,
Maria is occasionally used as a masculine middle name.
... [more] MARIE f French, Czech, German, English, Swedish, Norwegian, DanishFrench and Czech form of
MARIA. A notable bearer of this name was Marie Antoinette, a queen of France who was executed by guillotine during the French Revolution. Another was Marie Curie (1867-1934), a physicist and chemist who studied radioactivity with her husband Pierre.
MARINA f Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, English, Greek, Russian, Ukrainian, Romanian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Macedonian, Georgian, Ancient RomanFeminine form of
MARINUS.
MARTHA f English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, German, Greek, Biblical, Old Church Slavic, Biblical Latin, Biblical GreekFrom Aramaic
מַרְתָּא (marta') meaning "the lady, the mistress", feminine form of
מַר (mar) "master". In the New Testament this is the name of the sister of
Lazarus and
Mary of Bethany (who is sometimes identified with Mary Magdalene). She was a witness to
Jesus restoring her dead brother to life.
... [more] MONIKA f German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Czech, Slovak, Polish, Slovene, Croatian, Lithuanian, LatvianForm of
MONICA.
NINA (1) f Russian, Italian, English, German, French, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Dutch, Polish, Slovene, Czech, Slovak, Croatian, SerbianShort form of names that end in
nina, such as
ANTONINA or
GIANNINA. It was imported to Western Europe from Russia and Italy in the 19th century. This name also coincides with the Spanish word
niña meaning "little girl".
OLGA f Russian, Ukrainian, Polish, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Latvian, Hungarian, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, Czech, Slovene, Serbian, BulgarianRussian form of
HELGA. The Varangians brought it from Scandinavia to Russia. The 10th-century Saint Olga was the wife of Igor I, Grand Prince of Kievan Rus (a state based around the city of Kiev). Following his death she ruled as regent for her son for 18 years. After she was baptized in Constantinople she attempted to convert her subjects to Christianity.
OLIVIA f English, Italian, Spanish, German, Finnish, Swedish, Norwegian, DanishThis name was first used in this spelling by William Shakespeare for a character in his comedy 'Twelfth Night' (1602). Shakespeare may have based it on
OLIVER or
OLIVA, or perhaps directly on the Latin word
oliva meaning "olive". In the play Olivia is a noblewoman who is wooed by Duke Orsino but instead falls in love with his messenger Cesario.
... [more] PAULA f German, English, Finnish, Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, Romanian, Hungarian, Polish, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Croatian, Ancient RomanFeminine form of
Paulus (see
PAUL). This was the name of a 4th-century Roman saint who was a companion of Saint Jerome.
REGINA f English, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Lithuanian, Polish, Czech, Hungarian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Late RomanMeans "queen" in Latin (or Italian). It was in use as a Christian name from early times, and was borne by a 2nd-century saint. In England it was used during the Middle Ages in honour of the Virgin
Mary, and it was later revived in the 19th century. A city in Canada bears this name, in honour of Queen Victoria.
REIDUN f NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Hreiðunn which was derived from the elements
hreiðr "nest, home" and
unnr "to wave, to billow".
SANDRA f Italian, English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Finnish, Latvian, Lithuanian, Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, Macedonian, RomanianShort form of
ALESSANDRA. It was introduced to the English-speaking world by author George Meredith, who used it for the heroine in his novel 'Emilia in England' (1864) and the reissued version 'Sandra Belloni' (1887). A famous bearer is American actress Sandra Bullock (1964-).
SARA f Greek, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Catalan, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Finnish, German, Dutch, Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, Macedonian, Polish, English, Arabic, Persian, BosnianForm of
SARAH.
SOFIA f Norwegian, Swedish, German, Italian, Portuguese, Catalan, Greek, Finnish, Estonian, Slovak, RomanianForm of
SOPHIA.
SOLFRID f NorwegianFrom the Old Norse elements
sól "sun" and
fríðr "beautiful". This name was apparently coined in the 19th century.
SOLVEIG f Norwegian, SwedishFrom an Old Norse name which was derived from the elements
sól "sun" and
veig "strength". This is the name of the heroine in Henrik Ibsen's play 'Peer Gynt' (1876).
SONJA f German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Finnish, Slovene, Serbian, Croatian, MacedonianForm of
SONYA.
SUNNIVA f NorwegianScandinavian form of the Old English name
Sunngifu, which meant "sun gift" from the Old English elements
sunne "sun" and
giefu "gift". This was the name of a legendary English saint who was shipwrecked in Norway and killed by the inhabitants.
TATIANA f Russian, Slovak, Bulgarian, Romanian, Polish, Greek, Georgian, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Finnish, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Dutch, English, Ancient RomanFeminine form of the Roman name
Tatianus, a derivative of the Roman name
TATIUS. This was the name of a 3rd-century saint who was martyred in Rome under the emperor Alexander Severus. She was especially venerated in Orthodox Christianity, and the name has been common in Russia and Eastern Europe. It was not regularly used in the English-speaking world until the 1980s.
TERESA f Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Finnish, Polish, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, EnglishCognate of
THERESA. Saint Teresa of Ávila was a 16th-century Spanish nun who reformed the Carmelite monasteries and wrote several spiritual books. It was also borne by the beatified Albanian missionary Mother Teresa (1910-1997), who worked with the poor in Calcutta. She adopted the name in honour of the French saint Thérèse de Lisieux, who is the patron of missionaries.
THERESA f English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, DanishFrom the Spanish and Portuguese name
Teresa. It was first recorded as
Therasia, being borne by the Spanish wife of Saint Paulinus of Nola in the 4th century. The meaning is uncertain, but it could be derived from Greek
θερος (theros) "summer", from Greek
θεριζω (therizo) "to harvest", or from the name of the Greek island of Therasia (the western island of Santorini).
... [more] TORHILD f NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Þórhildr, which meant "Thor's battle" from the name of the Norse god
Þórr (see
THOR) combined with
hildr "battle".
TORNY f NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Þórný which was derived from the name of the Norse god
Þórr (see
THOR) combined with
ný "new".