Ethan m English, French, Biblical, Biblical LatinFrom the Hebrew name
אֵיתָן ('Eitan) meaning
"solid, enduring, firm". In the Old Testament this name is borne by a few minor characters, including the wise man Ethan the Ezrahite, supposedly the author of Psalm 89.
... [more] Etzel m Germanic MythologyForm of
Attila used in the medieval German saga the
Nibelungenlied. In the story Etzel is a fictional version of Attila the Hun.
Euric m Gothic (Anglicized)From the Gothic name *
Aiwareiks, derived from
aiws "eternity, age" and
reiks "ruler, king". This was the name of a 5th-century king of the Visigoths.
Eurig m WelshDerived from Welsh
aur meaning
"gold" combined with a diminutive suffix.
Evren m & f TurkishMeans
"cosmos, the universe" in Turkish. In Turkic mythology the Evren is a gigantic snake-like dragon.
Evron m Hebrew (Rare)From a biblical place name, also called
עַבְדּוֹן ('Avdon) meaning "servile", for which it may be a clerical error.
Ewald m German, Dutch, GermanicFrom an Old German name that was composed of the elements
ewa "law, custom" and
walt "power, authority". This name was borne by two 7th-century saints from Northumbria who were martyred in Saxony.
Ewart m English (Rare)From an English and Scottish surname that was either based on a Norman form of
Edward, or else derived from a place name of unknown meaning.
Farag m ArabicAlternate transcription of Arabic
فرج (see
Faraj). This corresponds more closely with the Egyptian Arabic pronunciation of the name.
Farai m & f ShonaFrom Shona
fara meaning
"rejoice, be happy".
Farid m Arabic, Persian, Urdu, BengaliMeans
"unique, precious", derived from Arabic
فرد (farada) meaning "to be unique". This was the name of a 13th-century Persian poet.
Faruq m ArabicMeans
"person who can tell right from wrong" in Arabic. This was the name of the last king of Egypt (1920-1965).
Fatih m Turkish, ArabicFrom Arabic
فاتح (fatih) meaning
"conqueror". The Ottoman sultan
Mehmed II the Conqueror is called
Fatih Sultan Mehmed in Turkish.
Faust m LiteratureFrom a German surname that was derived from the Latin name
Faustus. This is the name of a character in German legends about a man who makes a pact with the devil, via his representative
Mephistopheles. He is believed to be based on the character of Dr. Johann Faust (1480-1540). His story was adapted by writers such as Christopher Marlowe and Goethe.
Fedde m FrisianOriginally a short form of names beginning with the Old German element
fridu "peace".
Felix m German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, English, Romanian, Ancient Roman, Biblical, Biblical LatinFrom a Roman cognomen meaning
"lucky, successful" in Latin. It was acquired as an agnomen, or nickname, by the 1st-century BC Roman general Sulla. It also appears in the New Testament belonging to the governor of Judea who imprisoned Saint
Paul.
... [more] Femme m FrisianOriginally a Frisian short form of
Fridumar or
Friduman (and other names starting with the Old German element
fridu "peace" and a second element beginning with
m).
Fidel m SpanishFrom the Late Latin name
Fidelis meaning
"faithful", a derivative of
fides "faith". A famous bearer was the revolutionary leader and Cuban president Fidel Castro (1926-2016).
Fikri m Arabic, TurkishMeans
"intellectual" in Arabic, a derivative of
فكر (fakara) meaning "to think, to reflect".
Filip m Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Czech, Slovak, Bulgarian, Polish, Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Macedonian, Romanian, FinnishForm of
Philip in various languages.
Fionn m Irish, Irish MythologyFrom the Old Irish name
Finn, derived from
finn meaning
"white, blessed". It occurs frequently in Irish history and legends, the most noteworthy bearer being Fionn mac Cumhaill, the central character of one of the four main cycles of Irish mythology, the Fenian Cycle. Fionn was born as
Deimne, and acquired his nickname because of his fair hair. He grew all-wise by eating an enchanted salmon, and later became the leader of the Fianna after defeating the fire-breathing demon Áillen. He was the father of
Oisín and grandfather of
Oscar.
Fiore f & m ItalianMeans
"flower" in Italian. It can also be considered an Italian form of the Latin names
Flora and
Florus.
Fırat m TurkishFrom the Turkish name of the Euphrates River, which was derived (via Persian and Arabic) from Elamite or Sumerian.
Flann m & f Irish, Old IrishMeans
"blood red" in Irish. This was the name of a 9th-century high king of Ireland.
Flint m EnglishFrom the English vocabulary word, from Old English
flint.
Flynn m EnglishFrom an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of
Ó Floinn, which was derived from the given name or byname
Flann. A famous bearer of the surname was American actor Errol Flynn (1909-1959). As a given name, it grew in popularity after it was featured as a character in the Disney movie
Tangled in 2010.
Folke m Swedish, DanishShort form of various Old Norse names that contain the element
folk meaning
"people", and thus a cognate of
Fulk.
Frank m English, German, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, FrenchFrom an Old German name that referred to a member of the Germanic tribe, the Franks. The Franks settled in the regions now called France, Belgium and the Netherlands in the 3rd and 4th century. They possibly derived their tribal name from a type of spear that they used, from Proto-Germanic *
frankô. From medieval times, the various forms of this name have been commonly conflated with the various forms of
Francis. In modern times it is sometimes used as a short form of
Francis or
Franklin.
... [more] Franz m GermanGerman form of
Franciscus (see
Francis). This name was borne by the Austrian composer Franz Schubert (1797-1828), the Hungarian composer Franz Liszt (1811-1886) and the Austrian-Czech author Franz Kafka (1883-1924), whose works include
The Trial and
The Castle. It was also the name of rulers of Austria and the Holy Roman Empire.
Freyr m Norse Mythology, IcelandicMeans
"lord" in Old Norse, derived from the Germanic root *
fraujô. This is the name of a Norse god. He may have originally been called
Yngvi, with the name
Freyr being his title. Freyr is associated with fertility, sunlight and rain, and is the husband of the giantess
Gerd. With his twin sister
Freya and father
Njord he is one of the group of deities called the Vanir.
Friso m FrisianRefers to a member of the ethnic group, the Frisians, a Germanic tribe of northwestern Europe. Friesland in the Netherlands is named for them.
Frode m Norwegian, DanishFrom the Old Norse name
Fróði, which was derived from
fróðr meaning
"learned, wise".
Frodo m LiteratureDerived from Old English
froda meaning
"wise". This is the name of the hobbit hero in
The Lord of the Rings (1954) by J. R. R. Tolkien, who used Old English to translate some hobbit names (Frodo's true hobbit-language name is
Maura). In the novel Frodo Baggins is the bearer of the One Ring on the quest to destroy it in Mount Doom.
Fūjin m Japanese MythologyFrom Japanese
風 (fū) meaning "wind" and
神 (jin) meaning "god, spirit". This is the name of the Japanese wind god, who carries the wind in a bag over his shoulders.
Fumio m JapaneseFrom Japanese
文 (fumi) meaning "writing" combined with
雄 (o) meaning "hero, manly" or
夫 (o) meaning "husband, man". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.
Gagik m ArmenianPossibly derived from Armenian
գագաթ (gagat) meaning
"summit, peak, top". This was the name of two kings of Armenia.
Gaius m Ancient Roman, Biblical Latin, BiblicalRoman praenomen, or given name, of uncertain meaning. It is possibly derived from Latin
gaudere "to rejoice", though it may be of unknown Etruscan origin. This was a very common Roman praenomen, the most famous bearers being Gaius Julius Caesar, the great leader of the Roman Republic, and his adopted son Gaius Octavius (later known as Augustus), the first Roman emperor. This name also appears in the New Testament belonging to a bishop of Ephesus who is regarded as a saint.
Galen m EnglishModern form of the Greek name
Γαληνός (Galenos), which meant
"calm" from Greek
γαλήνη (galene). It was borne by a 2nd-century BC Greco-Roman physician who contributed to anatomy and medicine. In modern times the name is occasionally given in his honour.
Garth m EnglishFrom an English surname meaning
"garden" in Old Norse, originally denoting one who lived near or worked in a garden.
Gavin m English, ScottishMedieval form of
Gawain. Though it died out in England, it was reintroduced from Scotland in the 20th century.
Giles m EnglishFrom the Late Latin name
Aegidius, which is derived from Greek
αἰγίδιον (aigidion) meaning
"young goat". Saint Giles was an 8th-century miracle worker who came to southern France from Greece. He is regarded as the patron saint of the crippled. In Old French the name
Aegidius became
Gidie and then
Gilles, at which point it was imported to England. Another famous bearer was the 13th-century philosopher and theologian Giles of Rome (
Egidio in Italian).
Glenn m EnglishFrom a Scottish surname that was derived from Gaelic
gleann "valley". It was borne by the American actor Glenn Ford (1916-2006), whose birth name was Gwyllyn. A famous bearer of the surname was American astronaut John Glenn (1921-2016). The name peaked in popularity in 1962 when he became the first American to orbit the earth.
... [more] Gobán m Irish (Rare)From Old Irish
Gobbán, derived from
gobae "smith" and a diminutive suffix. It could also be a derivative of the name of the Irish smith god
Goibniu (from the same root). This was the name of a few early saints, such as a 7th-century abbot of Killamery. In later folklore, the smith god and the saints seem to have conflated into the legendary figure Gobán Saor ("Gobán the builder"), a master architect and builder of churches.
Gocha m GeorgianMeaning unknown, possibly from a Georgian dialectal word meaning
"old man".
Gohar f & m Persian, Armenian, UrduFrom Persian
گوهر (gohar) meaning
"jewel, gemstone". This name is typically feminine in Iran and Armenia, but masculine in Pakistan.
Goran m Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Macedonian, BulgarianDerived from South Slavic
gora meaning "mountain". It was popularized by the Croatian poet Ivan Goran Kovačić (1913-1943), who got his middle name because of the mountain town where he was born.
Gozzo m GermanicOriginally a diminutive of names beginning with the Old German element
goz, which was from the name of the Germanic tribe the Geats (Proto-Germanic *
gautaz).
Grady m EnglishFrom an Irish surname, itself derived from the byname
Gráda meaning "noble, illustrious".
Grant m English, ScottishFrom an English and Scottish surname that was derived from Norman French
grand meaning
"great, large". A famous bearer of the surname was Ulysses Grant (1822-1885), the commander of the Union forces during the American Civil War who later served as president. In America the name has often been given in his honour.
Gronw m Welsh MythologyMeaning unknown, perhaps from Old Welsh
gur "man". According to the Fourth Branch of the
Mabinogi he was the lover of
Blodeuwedd. He attempted to murder her husband
Lleu Llaw Gyffes with a special spear he crafted over the course of a year, but Lleu transformed into an eagle. After he was restored to human form he killed Gronw.
Guido m Italian, GermanLatinized form of
Wido. Notable bearers include the music theorist Guido d'Arezzo (c. 991-1033), poet Guido Cavalcanti (c. 1250-1300), and Baroque painter Guido Reni (1575-1642).
Gyula m HungarianFrom a Hungarian royal title, which was probably of Turkic origin. This name is also used as a Hungarian form of
Julius.
Hadad m Semitic MythologyDerived from a Semitic root meaning
"thunder". Hadad was a Western Semitic (Levantine) god of thunder and storms, often called
Ba'al. He was imported to Mesopotamia by the Amorites, where he was known as
Adad to the Assyrians and Babylonians.
Hades m Greek MythologyFrom Greek
Ἅιδης (Haides), derived from
ἀϊδής (aides) meaning
"unseen". In Greek mythology Hades was the dark god of the underworld, a place that also came to be called Hades. His brothers were
Zeus and
Poseidon and his wife was
Persephone, whom he had abducted.
Hafiz m ArabicMeans
"custodian, guardian" in Arabic. In Islamic tradition
الحفيظ (al-Hafiz) is one of the 99 names of Allah.
Hagen m German, Germanic MythologyDerived from the Old German element
hag meaning
"enclosure" (Proto-Germanic *
hagô). In the medieval German saga the
Nibelungenlied he is the cunning half-brother of
Gunther. He killed the hero
Siegfried by luring him onto a hunting expedition and then stabbing him with a javelin in his one vulnerable spot.
Haimo m GermanicShort form of Germanic names beginning with Old Frankish
haim or Old High German
heim meaning
"home" (Proto-Germanic *
haimaz).
Ha-Jun m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
夏 (ha) meaning "summer, great, grand" combined with
准 (jun) meaning "approve, permit". This name can be formed by other hanja characters as well.
Hakim m ArabicMeans
"wise" in Arabic. In Islamic tradition
الحكيم (al-Hakim) is one of the 99 names of Allah.
Håkon m NorwegianModern Norwegian form of the Old Norse name
Hákon, derived from the element
hár "high" or
hǫð "battle, combat" combined with and
konr "son, descendant". This was the name of seven kings of Norway.
Halim m Arabic, TurkishMeans
"patient, tolerant, mild" in Arabic. In Islamic tradition
الحليم (al-Halim) is one of the 99 names of Allah.
Haman m Biblical, Biblical HebrewMeaning uncertain, of Persian origin. In the Book of Esther in the Old Testament Haman, called the Agagite, is an adviser to the Persian king. He plots to have all the Jews in the realm executed, but is foiled by Queen
Esther.
Hamza m Arabic, Turkish, BosnianPossibly derived from Arabic
hamuza meaning
"strong, steadfast". This was the name of the uncle of the Prophet
Muhammad who was killed in battle.
Hanan 1 m BiblicalMeans
"gracious" in Hebrew. This is the name of several minor characters in the Old Testament.
Hanzō m JapaneseFrom Japanese
半 (han) meaning "half" and
蔵 (zō) meaning "to hide". This name was borne by the noted samurai Hattori Hanzou (1542-1596). The name can also be formed from other kanji combinations.
Happy f & m English (Rare)From the English word
happy, derived from Middle English
hap "chance, luck", of Old Norse origin.
Hardy 1 m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from Middle English
hardi "bold, hardy".
Hardy 2 m GermanDiminutive of names containing the Old German element
hart meaning "hard, firm, brave, hardy".
Harel m HebrewMeans
"altar, mountain of God" in Hebrew. In the Hebrew Bible this word is applied to the altar in the temple in Jerusalem (
Ezekiel 43:15).
Harry m EnglishMedieval English form of
Henry. In modern times it is used as a diminutive of both
Henry and names beginning with
Har. Famous bearers include the American president Harry S. Truman (1884-1972), who was named after his uncle Harrison, and the British royal Prince Harry (1984-), who is actually named Henry. It is also the name of the boy wizard in J. K. Rowling's
Harry Potter series of books, first released in 1997.
Hasan m Arabic, Turkish, Persian, Urdu, Punjabi, Bengali, Indonesian, Albanian, BosnianMeans
"handsome" in Arabic, from the root
حسن (hasuna) meaning "to be beautiful, to be good". Hasan was the son of
Ali and the grandson of the Prophet
Muhammad. He was poisoned by one of his wives and is regarded as a martyr by Shia Muslims. This was also the name of two kings of Morocco. It is sometimes transcribed as
Hassan, though this is a distinct name in Arabic.
Hasim m ArabicMeans
"decisive" in Arabic, derived from
حسم (hasama) meaning "to sever, to finish, to decide".
Hasso m German, GermanicGermanic name, possibly referring to a member of the Germanic tribe of the Hessians, called the Chatti in antiquity.
Hauke m Frisian, GermanFrisian short form of Old German given names containing the element
hugu meaning
"mind, thought, spirit".
Haven f & m EnglishFrom the English word for a safe place, derived ultimately from Old English
hæfen.
Hayat f & m Arabic, Persian, UrduMeans
"life" in Arabic, from
حيي (hayiya) meaning "to live". In Arabic and Persian it is a feminine name, while in Urdu it is masculine.
Haydn m English (British)From a German surname meaning
"heathen". It is used in honour of the Austrian composer Joseph Haydn (1732-1809).
Heard m Anglo-SaxonShort form of various Old English names containing the element
heard meaning
"hard, firm, brave, hardy".
Heath m EnglishFrom an English surname that denoted one who lived on a heath. It was popularized as a given name by the character Heath Barkley from the 1960s television series
The Big Valley.
Heber 2 m BiblicalMeans
"enclave" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this name is borne by a great-grandson of
Jacob and also by the husband of
Jael.
Helmo m GermanicShort form of Germanic names that began with the element
helm meaning
"helmet, protection" (Proto-Germanic *
helmaz).
Henri m French, FinnishFrench form of
Heinrich (see
Henry). A notable bearer was the French artist Henri Matisse (1869-1954).
Henry m EnglishFrom the Germanic name
Heimirich meaning
"home ruler", composed of the elements
heim "home" and
rih "ruler". It was later commonly spelled
Heinrich, with the spelling altered due to the influence of other Germanic names like
Haganrich, in which the first element is
hag "enclosure".
... [more] Herod m BiblicalFrom the Greek name
Ἡρῴδης (Herodes), which probably means
"song of the hero" from
ἥρως (heros) meaning "hero, warrior" combined with
ᾠδή (ode) meaning "song, ode". This was the name of several rulers of Judea during the period when it was part of the Roman Empire. This includes two who appear in the New Testament: Herod the Great, the king who ordered the slaughter of the children, and his son Herod Antipas, who had
John the Baptist beheaded.
Heron m Ancient GreekDerived from Greek
ἥρως (heros) meaning
"hero". This was the name of a 1st-century Greek inventor (also known as
Hero) from Alexandria.