NED m EnglishDiminutive of
EDWARD or
EDMUND. It has been used since the 14th century, and may have had root in the medieval affectionate phrase
mine Ed, which was later reinterpreted as
my Ned.
NEELY m EnglishFrom a Scottish surname, an Anglicized form of
Mac an Fhilidh meaning
"son of the poet" in Gaelic.
NEHEMIAH m BiblicalMeans
"YAHWEH comforts" in Hebrew, derived from
נָחַם (nacham) meaning "to comfort" and
יָה (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. According to the Book of Nehemiah in the Old Testament he was a leader of the Jews who was responsible for the rebuilding of Jerusalem after the return from the Babylonian captivity.
NEIL m Irish, Scottish, EnglishFrom the Gaelic name
Niall, which is of disputed origin, possibly meaning
"champion" or
"cloud". This was the name of a semi-legendary 4th-century Irish king, Niall of the Nine Hostages.
... [more] NEKODA m BiblicalMeans
"marked" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of the head of a family of temple servants.
NELSON m EnglishFrom an English surname meaning
"son of NEIL". It was originally given in honour of the British admiral Horatio Nelson (1758-1805). His most famous battle was the Battle of Trafalgar, in which he destroyed a combined French and Spanish fleet, but was himself killed. Another notable bearer was the South African statesman Nelson Mandela (1918-2013). Mandela's birth name was
Rolihlahla; as a child he was given the English name
Nelson by a teacher.
NEMANJA m SerbianPossibly from Slavic
ne maniti meaning
"not deceiving, not luring, not attracting". Another theory states that it means
"without possessions", derived from Serbo-Croatian
nemati meaning "have not". This was the name of a 12th-century Serbian king, and the name of the dynasty he began.
NEMO m LiteratureMeans
"nobody" in Latin. This was the name used by author Jules Verne for the captain of the Nautilus in his novel
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (1870). It was later used for the title character (a fish) in the 2003 animated movie
Finding Nemo.
NENAD m Serbian, CroatianMeans
"unexpected" in Serbian and Croatian. In the Serbian folk song
Predrag and Nenad this is the name of
Predrag's brother.
NEPTUNE m Roman Mythology (Anglicized)From the Latin
Neptunus, which is of unknown meaning, possibly related to the Indo-European root *
nebh "wet, damp, clouds". Neptune was the god of the sea in Roman mythology, approximately equivalent to the Greek god
Poseidon. This is also the name of the eighth planet in the solar system.
NEREUS m Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical GreekDerived from Greek
νηρος (neros) meaning
"water". In Greek myth this was the name of a god of the sea, the father of the Nereids. It is mentioned briefly in the New Testament, belonging to a Christian in Rome. This was also the name of a Roman saint of the 1st century, a member of the army, who was martyred with his companion Achilleus because they refused to execute Christians.
NERGÜI m & f MongolianMeans
"no name" in Mongolian. This name was traditionally given in order to mislead bad spirits.
NERO (1) m Ancient RomanRoman cognomen, which was probably of Sabine origin meaning
"strong, vigorous". It was borne most infamously by a tyrannical Roman emperor of the 1st century.
NERSES m ArmenianArmenian form of
Narseh (see
NARSES). Saint Nerses was a 4th-century patriarch of the Armenian Church.
NERVA m Ancient RomanRoman cognomen derived from Latin
nervus "strength". This is the name by which the 1st-century Roman emperor Marcus Cocceius Nerva is commonly known.
NESTOR m Greek Mythology, RussianMeans
"homecoming" in Greek. In
Homer's
Iliad this was the name of the king of Pylos, famous for his great wisdom and longevity, who acted as a counselor to the Greek allies.
NETHANIAH m BiblicalMeans
"YAHWEH has given" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of the father of
Ishmael (the assassin of Gedaliah), as well as other minor characters.
NEVILLE m English (British)From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning
"new town" in Norman French. As a given name it is chiefly British and Australian.
NEVIO m ItalianItalian form of the Roman family name
Naevius, which was derived from Latin
naevus "mole (on the body)". A famous bearer was the 3rd-century BC Roman poet Gnaeus Naevius.
NEWTON m EnglishFrom a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning
"new town" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was the English physicist Isaac Newton (1643-1727).
NICCOLÒ m ItalianItalian form of
NICHOLAS. A famous bearer was Niccolò Machiavelli, a 16th-century political philosopher from Florence.
NICHOLAS m EnglishFrom the Greek name
Νικολαος (Nikolaos) meaning
"victory of the people", derived from Greek
νικη (nike) meaning "victory" and
λαος (laos) meaning "people". Saint Nicholas was a 4th-century bishop from Anatolia who, according to legend, saved the daughters of a poor man from lives of prostitution. He is the patron saint of children, sailors and merchants, as well as Greece and Russia. He formed the basis for the figure known as Santa Claus (created in the 19th century from Dutch
Sinterklaas), the bringer of Christmas presents.
... [more] NIELS (1) m DanishDanish form of
NICHOLAS. A famous bearer was Niels Bohr (1885-1962), a Danish physicist who investigated the structure of atoms.
NIGEL m EnglishFrom
Nigellus, a medieval Latinized form of
NEIL. It was commonly associated with Latin
niger "black". It was revived in the 19th century, perhaps in part due to Sir Walter Scott's novel
The Fortunes of Nigel (1822).
NIKANDROS m Ancient GreekMeans
"victory of a man" from the Greek elements
νικη (nike) meaning "victory" and
ανηρ (aner) meaning "man" (genitive
ανδρος). This was the name of a 2nd-century BC Greek poet and grammarian from Colophon.
NĪKAU m MaoriFrom the name of a type of palm tree found in New Zealand (species Rhopalostylis sapida).
NIKEPHOROS m & f Ancient Greek, Greek MythologyMeans
"carrying victory" from Greek
νικη (nike) meaning "victory" and
φερω (phero) meaning "to carry, to bear". This name was borne by several Byzantine emperors, including the 10th-century Nikephoros II Phokas. Besides being a masculine personal name, it was also a title borne by the goddess
Athena.
NIKETAS m Ancient GreekDerived from Greek
νικητης (niketes) meaning
"winner, victor". Saint Niketas was a 4th-century bishop of Remesiana in Serbia. He is a patron saint of Romania.
NIKIAS m Ancient GreekDerived from Greek
νικη (nike) meaning
"victory". This was the name of an Athenian general who fought in the Peloponnesian war.
NIKOMEDES m Ancient GreekDerived from Greek
νικη (nike) meaning "victory" and
μηδομαι (medomai) meaning "to think, to plan". This was the name of a 1st-century saint, a priest beaten to death for refusing to worship the Roman gods.
NIKOSTRATOS m Ancient GreekMeans
"army of victory" from Greek
νικη (nike) meaning "victory" and
στρατος (stratos) meaning "army". This was the name of a Roman saint martyred during the persecutions of Emperor Diocletian at the end of the 3rd century.
NIL m Catalan, Russian (Rare)Catalan and Russian form of
NEILOS (and also of the Nile River). This name was borne by a 15th-century Russian saint, Nil Sorsky.
NIMROD m Biblical, Biblical HebrewMeaning unknown, possibly of Akkadian origin or possibly meaning
"rebel" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament Nimrod is a renowned hunter, the great-grandson of
Noah. He was the founder of Babylon.
... [more] NING f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
宁 (níng) meaning "peaceful, calm, serene", as well as other characters pronounced in a similar way.
NINIAN m Scottish, Irish, Ancient CelticMeaning unknown. It appears in a Latinized form
Niniavus, which could be from the Welsh name
NYNNIAW. This was the name of a 5th-century British saint who was apparently responsible for many miracles and cures. He is known as the Apostle to the Picts.
NINOS m Ancient Assyrian (Hellenized)Probably from the name of the ancient city of
NINEVEH in Assyria. According to Greek historians this was the name of the husband of
Semiramis and the founder of Nineveh. In actuality he does not correspond to any known Assyrian king, and is likely a composite character named after the city.
NINURTA m Sumerian Mythology, Semitic MythologyDerived from Sumerian
𒊩𒌆 (nin) meaning "lord" and
𒅁 (urta) meaning "ear of barley". In Sumerian and Akkadian mythology Ninurta was a god of agriculture, hunting and healing, later associated with war. He was also called
Ningirsu, though they may have originally been separate deities.
NISUS m Roman MythologyMeaning unknown. According to
Virgil's
Aeneid, this was the name of the son of the Trojan Hyrtacus (himself mentioned in the
Iliad, though Nisus is not). In the
Aeneid Nisus is the friend of
Euryalus. After Euryalus is captured by the Rutuli, both are slain when Nisus attempts to save him.
NITYA f & m Indian, HindiMeans
"always, eternal" in Sanskrit. This is a transcription of both the feminine form
नित्या (an epithet of the Hindu goddess
Durga) and the masculine form
नित्य.
NIV m HebrewMeans either
"speech, expression" or
"fang, tusk" in Hebrew.
NIXON m English (Modern)From an English surname meaning
"son of NICK". It was borne by the American president Richard Nixon (1913-1994).
NJINGA m & f Central African, MbunduPossibly from a Bantu root meaning
"to twist, to wrap" (
kujinga in Kimbundu), alluding to the wrapping of the umbilical cord around the neck of the newborn. This name was borne by kings and queens of the African kingdoms of Ndongo and Kongo, notably a 17th-century queen of Ndongo who resisted the Portuguese.
NJORD m Norse Mythology, Swedish, Norwegian, DanishFrom Old Norse
Njǫrðr, which was possibly derived from the Indo-European root *
ner meaning
"strong, vigorous". Njord was the Norse god of the sea, sailing, fishing and fertility. With his children
Freyr and
Freya he was a member of the Vanir.
NNAMDI m Western African, IgboMeans
"my father is alive" in Igbo. This name is given to a child when it is believed that he is a reincarnation of his grandfather.
NOAH (1) m English, German, BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
נֹחַ (Noach) meaning
"rest, repose", derived from the root
נוּחַ (nuach). According to the Old Testament, Noah was the builder of the Ark that allowed him, his family, and animals of each species to survive the Great Flood. After the flood he received the sign of the rainbow as a covenant from God. He was the father of
Shem,
Ham and
Japheth.
... [more] NOAM m & f Hebrew, FrenchMeans
"pleasantness" in Hebrew. A famous bearer is Noam Chomsky (1928-), an American linguist and philosopher.
NOBLE m EnglishFrom an English surname meaning
"noble, notable". The name can also be given in direct reference to the English word
noble.
NOBORU m JapaneseFrom Japanese
登 (noboru) meaning "rise, ascend" or other kanji pronounced in the same way.
NOBU m JapaneseFrom Japanese
信 (nobu) meaning "trust",
延 (nobu) meaning "prolong, stretch", or other kanji and kanji combinations. It is sometimes a short form of longer names beginning with this sound.
NOBURU m JapaneseFrom Japanese
伸 (noburu) meaning "extend, stretch" or other kanji having the same pronunciation.
NOBUTOSHI m JapaneseFrom Japanese
信 (nobu) meaning "trust" and
敏 (toshi) meaning "quick, clever, sharp". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.
NOBUYUKI m JapaneseFrom Japanese
信 (nobu) meaning "trust" or
伸 (nobu) meaning "extend, stretch, open" combined with
行 (yuki) meaning "row, line" or
幸 (yuki) meaning "happiness". Other kanji combinations are possible as well.
NOËL m FrenchMeans
"Christmas" in French. In the Middle Ages it was used for children born on the holiday. A famous bearer was the English playwright and composer Noël Coward (1899-1973).
NOGA f & m HebrewModern Hebrew transcription of
NOGAH, usually used as a feminine name.
NOLAN m Irish, EnglishFrom an Irish surname that was derived from
Ó Nualláin meaning
"descendant of NUALLÁN". The baseball player Nolan Ryan (1947-) is a famous bearer of this name.
NORBAER m LimburgishLimburgish form of
NORBERT. Its spelling has been influenced by the French pronunciation of Norbert.
NORI m JapaneseFrom Japanese
儀 (nori) meaning "ceremony, rites" or other kanji that are pronounced the same way.
NORIAKI m JapaneseFrom Japanese
憲 (nori) meaning "law" or
典 (nori) meaning "rule, ceremony" combined with
明 (aki) meaning "bright, light, clear". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.
NORMAN m English, Ancient GermanicFrom an old Germanic byname meaning
"northman", referring to a Viking. The Normans were Vikings who settled on the coast of France, in the region that became known as Normandy. In England the name
Norman or
Normant was used before the Norman Conquest, first as a nickname for Scandinavian settlers and later as a given name. After the Conquest it became more common, but died out around the 14th century. It was revived in the 19th century, perhaps in part due to a character by this name in C. M. Yonge's novel
The Daisy Chain (1856).
NORTON m EnglishFrom a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning
"north town" in Old English.
NORWOOD m EnglishFrom a surname that was originally taken from a place name meaning
"north wood" in Old English.
NUADA m Irish MythologyPossibly means
"to acquire" in Irish. In Irish mythology he was a divine leader of the Tuatha De Danann. After he lost an arm in battle it was replaced with one made from silver. He was later killed in battle against the Fomorii.
NUALLÁN m Ancient IrishDerived from Irish
nuall meaning
"noble, famous" combined with a diminutive suffix.
NUNO m Portuguese, Medieval PortugueseMedieval Portuguese and Spanish name, possibly from Latin
nonus "ninth" or
nunnus "grandfather". Saint Nuno was a 14th-century Portuguese general who defeated a Castilian invasion.
NUNZIO m ItalianMasculine short form of
ANNUNZIATA. It also coincides with the related Italian word
nunzio "messenger" (ultimately from Latin
nuntius).
NURISLAM m KazakhFrom Kazakh
нұр (nur) meaning "light" (of Arabic origin) combined with
Islam, the name of the religion (ultimately from Arabic
إسلام).
NURLAN m KazakhFrom Kazakh
нұр (nur) meaning "light" (of Arabic origin) and
ұлан (ulan) meaning "soldier".
NURSULTAN m KazakhFrom Kazakh
нұр (nur) meaning "light" and
сұлтан (sultan) meaning "sultan, king" (both words of Arabic origin).
NURZHAN m KazakhFrom Kazakh
нұр (nur) meaning "light" (of Arabic origin) and
жан (zhan) meaning "soul" (of Persian origin).
NYNNIAW m Ancient CelticMeaning unknown, presumably of Welsh origin. According to the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth, this was the name of a Welsh prince who fought against the invading forces of Julius Caesar. It was also borne by an 8th-century Welsh historian, usually known by the Latinized form
Nennius.
NYOMAN m & f Indonesian, BalinesePossibly from a Balinese word meaning
"end, remainder". This name is traditionally bestowed upon the third-born child.
OAKLEY m & f EnglishFrom an English surname that was from various place names meaning
"oak clearing" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was the American sharpshooter Annie Oakley (1860-1926).