BEVANmWelshFrom a Welsh surname which was derived from
ap Evan meaning "son of
EVAN".
BEVERLYf & mEnglishFrom a surname which was originally derived from the name of an English city, itself meaning "beaver stream" in Old English. It came into use as a masculine given name in the 19th century, and it became common as an American feminine name after the publication of George Barr McCutcheon's novel 'Beverly of Graustark' (1904).
BEVISmEnglish (Rare)From an English surname which is possibly derived from the name of the French town
Beauvais.
BHARATAmHinduismMeans "being maintained" in Sanskrit. This is one of the names of
Agni, the Hindu god of fire, and is also the name of the brother of
Rama in the Hindu epic the 'Ramayana'. It was also borne by a legendary king, the son of
Dushyanta and
Shakuntala. The official name of the country of India, Bharat, derives from him.
BHASKARAmHinduismMeans "shining", derived from a combination of Sanskrit
भास (bhasa) meaning "light" and
कर (kara) meaning "maker". This is another name of the sun and the Hindu god
Shiva. It was additionally borne by a 12th-century Indian astronomer, also known as Bhaskaracharya.
BHIMAmHinduismMeans "terrible, formidable" in Sanskrit. In the Hindu epic the 'Mahabharata' this is the name of the second son of Pandu, and thus one of the five Pandavas. He was known for his terrific strength and skill as a warrior.
BIDZINAmGeorgianPossibly from Georgian
ბიძა (bidza) meaning "uncle". This was the name of a 17th-century Georgian saint and martyr.
BIFFmEnglish (Rare)From a nickname which was based on the English word
biff, which means "punch, hit, strike".
BILBOmLiteratureThis was the name of the hero of 'The Hobbit' (1937) by J. R. R. Tolkien. His real hobbit name was
Bilba, which is of unknown meaning, but this was altered by Tolkien in order to use the more masculine
o ending. In the novel Bilbo Baggins was recruited by the wizard
Gandalf to join the quest to retake Mount Erebor from the dragon Smaug.
BILEmIrish MythologyPossibly an Irish form of
BELENUS, though it may derive from an Irish word meaning "hero". In Irish mythology this was the name of one of the Milesians who was drowned while invading Ireland.
BILLmEnglishShort form of
WILLIAM. This spelling was first used in the 19th century. The change in the initial consonant may have been influenced by an earlier Irish pronunciation of the name. Famous bearers include basketball player Bill Russell (1934-), comedian Bill Cosby (1937-), American president Bill Clinton (1946-), and Microsoft founder Bill Gates (1955-).
BILLYmEnglishDiminutive of
BILL. A notable bearer was the American outlaw Billy the Kid (1859-1881), whose real name was William H. Bonney.
BISHOPmEnglishEither from the English occupational surname, or else directly from the English word. It is ultimately derived from Greek
επισκοπος (episkopos) "overseer".
BLAINEmEnglishFrom a Scottish surname which was derived from the given name
Bláán, which meant "yellow" in Gaelic. Saint Bláán was a 6th-century missionary to the Picts.
BLAIRm & fScottish, EnglishFrom a Scottish surname which is derived from Gaelic
blár meaning "plain, field, battlefield".
BLAISEmFrenchFrom the Roman name
Blasius which meant "lisping" from Latin
blaesus. A famous bearer was the French mathematician and philosopher Blaise Pascal (1623-1662).
BLAKEmEnglishFrom a surname which was derived from Old English
blæc "black" or
blac "pale". A famous bearer of the surname was the poet and artist William Blake (1757-1827).
BLEDAmHistoryPossibly from a Turkic root meaning "wise". According to other theories the name was of Gothic origin, or was a Gothicized form of a Hunnic name. This was the name of the brother of Attila.
BLEDDYNmWelshFrom Welsh
blaidd "wolf" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of an 11th-century king of Gwynedd and Powys.
BO (1)mSwedish, DanishFrom the Old Norse byname
Búi which was derived from Old Norse
bua meaning "to live".
BO (2)m & fChineseFrom Chinese
波 (bō) meaning "wave", as well as other characters with a similar pronunciation.
BOBmEnglish, DutchShort form of
ROBERT. It arose later than
Dob,
Hob and
Nob, which were medieval rhyming nicknames of Robert. It was borne by the character Bob Cratchit in Charles Dickens' novel 'A Christmas Carol' (1843). Other famous bearers include American folk musician Bob Dylan (1941-) and Jamaican reggae musician Bob Marley (1945-1981).
BOBBYmEnglishDiminutive of
BOB. Hockey greats Bobby Hull (1939-) and Bobby Orr (1948-) have borne this name.
BOGUSŁAWmPolishMeans "glory of God" from the Slavic elements
bogu "god" and
slava "glory". This name was borne by several dukes of Pomerania, beginning in the 12th century.
BOLATmKazakhFrom a Turkic word meaning "steel", ultimately from Persian.
BOLESŁAWmPolishDerived from the Slavic elements
bolye "more, greater" and
slava "glory". This was the name of kings of Poland, starting in the 11th century with the first Polish king Bolesław the Brave.
BOLÍVARmSpanish (Latin American)From a surname which was taken from the Basque place name
Bolibar, which was derived from
bolu "mill" and
ibar "riverside". A famous bearer of the surname was Simón Bolívar (1783-1830), a South American revolutionary leader, after whom the country of Bolivia is named.
BONAVENTURAmItalianMeans "good fortune" in Italian. Saint Bonaventura was a 13th-century Franciscan monk who is considered a Doctor of the Church.
BONIFACEmFrench, English (Rare)From the Late Latin name
Bonifatius, which meant "good fate" from
bonum "good" and
fatum "fate". This was the name of nine popes and also several saints, including an 8th-century Anglo-Saxon missionary to Germany (originally named Winfrid) who is now regarded as the patron saint of that country. It came into use in England during the Middle Ages, but became rare after the Protestant Reformation.
BONITUSmLate RomanDerived from a diminutive of Latin
bonus meaning "good". This was the name of a 7th-century century saint, a bishop of Auvergne.
BOOKERmEnglishFrom an English occupational surname meaning "maker of books". A famous bearer was Booker T. Washington (1856-1915), an African-American leader.
BORmSloveneShort form of names containing
bor, such as
BORISLAV or
BORIS. It is also a South Slavic word meaning "pine tree".
BORA (1)mTurkishMeans "storm, squall" in Turkish, ultimately related to Greek
Βορεας (Boreas), the name of the god of the north wind.
BORISmBulgarian, Russian, Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, Macedonian, Georgian, GermanFrom the Turkic name
Bogoris, perhaps meaning "short" or "wolf" or "snow leopard". It was borne by the 9th-century King Boris I of Bulgaria who converted his country to Christianity, as well as two later Bulgarian emperors. The name was popularized in the Slavic world due to the 11th-century Saint Boris, who was a Russian prince martyred with his brother Gleb. His mother may have been Bulgarian. Another famous bearer was the 16th-century Russian emperor Boris Godunov, later the subject of a play of that name by Aleksandr Pushkin.
BOŘIVOJmCzechDerived from the Slavic elements
borti "battle" and
voji "soldier". This name was borne by a 9th-century duke of Bohemia.
BOYCEmEnglishFrom a surname which was derived from Old French
bois "wood".
BOYDmScottish, EnglishFrom a Scottish surname which was possibly derived from the name of the island of Bute.
BOYKOmBulgarianOriginally a diminutive of names containing the Slavic element
boji meaning "battle".
BRADmEnglishShort form of
BRADLEY,
BRADFORD, and other names beginning with
Brad. A famous bearer is American actor Brad Pitt (1963-).
BRÁDACHmIrishPossibly derived from a Gaelic word meaning "large-chested".
BRADFORDmEnglishFrom a surname which originally came from a place name that meant "broad ford" in Old English.
BRADLEYmEnglishFrom a surname which originally came from a place name meaning "broad clearing" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was the World War II American general Omar Bradley (1893-1981).
BRAHMAmHinduismMeans "growth, expansion, creation" in Sanskrit. The Hindu god Brahma is the creator and director of the universe, the balance between the opposing forces of
Vishnu and
Shiva. He is often depicted with four heads and four arms.
BRAMmEnglish, DutchShort form of
ABRAHAM. This name was borne by Bram Stoker (1847-1912), the Irish author who wrote 'Dracula'.
BRAN (2)mWelsh, Welsh MythologyMeans "raven" in Welsh. In Welsh legend Bran the Blessed (called also Bendigeid Vran) was the son of the god
Llyr. Later Welsh legends describe him as a king of Britain who was killed attacking Ireland.
BRANDONmEnglishFrom a surname which was derived from a place name meaning "hill covered with broom" in Old English. It is sometimes also used as a variant of
BRENDAN.
BRANTLEYmEnglish (Modern)From a surname, an Americanized form of the German surname
Brändle, ultimately from Old High German
brant "fire".
BRAXTONmEnglishFrom a surname which was originally derived from an Old English place name meaning "Bracca's town".
BRECHTmDutchShort form of names containing
brecht, often derived from the Germanic element
beraht meaning "bright".
BRENDANmIrish, EnglishFrom
Brendanus, the Latinized form of the Irish name
Bréanainn which was derived from a Welsh word meaning "prince". Saint Brendan was a 6th-century Irish abbot who, according to legend, crossed the Atlantic and reached North America with 17 other monks.
BRENNANmIrish, EnglishFrom an Irish surname derived from
Ó Braonáin meaning "descendant of Braonán".
Braonán is a byname meaning "rain, moisture, drop" (with a diminutive suffix).
BRENNUSmAncient Celtic (Latinized)Latinized form of a Celtic name (or title) that possibly meant either "king, prince" or "raven". Brennus was a Gallic leader of the 4th century BC who attacked and sacked Rome.
BRENTmEnglishFrom an English surname, originally taken from various place names, perhaps derived from a Celtic word meaning "hill".
BRENTONmEnglishFrom a surname which was derived from an English place name which meant "Bryni's town".
Bryni was Old English name meaning "fire".
BRETTm & fEnglishFrom a Middle English surname meaning "a Breton", referring to an inhabitant of Brittany. A famous bearer is the American football quarterback Brett Favre (1969-).
BRIANmEnglish, Irish, Ancient IrishThe meaning of this name is not known for certain but it is possibly related to the old Celtic element
bre meaning "hill", or by extension "high, noble". It was borne by the semi-legendary Irish king Brian Boru, who thwarted Viking attempts to conquer Ireland in the 11th century. He was slain in the Battle of Clontarf, though his forces were decisively victorious. The name was common in Ireland before his time, and even more so afterwards. It came into use in England in the Middle Ages, introduced by Breton settlers. It subsequently became rare, but was revived in the 20th century.
BRICEmFrench, EnglishFrom the name
Bricius, which was probably a Latinized form of a Gaulish name meaning "speckled". This was the name of a 5th-century saint, a disciple of Saint Martin of Tours.
BRIDGERmEnglish (Modern)From an English surname which originally indicated a person who lived near or worked on a bridge.
BRIGHAMmEnglish (Rare)From a surname which was originally derived from place names meaning "bridge settlement" in Old English.
BRIJESHAmHinduismMeans "ruler of Brij" in Sanskrit. This is another name of the Hindu god
Krishna, Brij being a region associated with him.
BRISCOEmEnglish (Rare)From a surname which was derived from a place name meaning "birch wood" in Old Norse.
BRITTONmEnglishDerived from a Middle English surname meaning "a Briton" (a Celt of England) or "a Breton" (an inhabitant of Brittany).
BROCKmEnglishFrom a surname which was derived from Old English
brocc meaning "badger".
BRODYmEnglishFrom a surname which was originally derived from a place in Moray, Scotland. It probably means "ditch, mire" in Gaelic.
BROGANm & fIrishDerived from Gaelic
bróg "shoe" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of several Irish saints, including Saint
Patrick's scribe.
BRONISŁAWmPolishDerived from the Slavic elements
borna "protection" and
slava "glory". A famous Polish anthropologist, Bronisław Malinowski (1884-1942), has borne this name.
BRONTEm & fEnglish (Rare)From a surname, an Anglicized form of Irish
Ó Proinntigh meaning "descendant of Proinnteach". The given name
Proinnteach meant "bestower" in Gaelic. The Brontë sisters - Charlotte, Emily, and Anne - were 19th-century English novelists. Their father changed the spelling of the family surname from
Brunty to
Brontë, possibly to make it coincide with Greek
βροντη meaning "thunder".
BRONTESmGreek MythologyMeans "thunderer" in Greek. In Greek mythology (according to Hesiod), this was the name of one of the three Cyclopes, who were the sons of
Uranus and
Gaia.
BROOKm & fEnglishFrom an English surname which denoted one who lived near a brook.
BRUCEmScottish, EnglishFrom a Scottish surname, of Norman origin, which probably originally referred to the town of Brix in France. The surname was borne by Robert the Bruce, a Scottish hero of the 14th century who achieved independence from England and became the king of Scotland. It has been in use as a given name in the English-speaking world since the 19th century. A notable bearer is the American musician Bruce Springsteen (1949-).
BRUTUSmAncient RomanRoman cognomen meaning "heavy" in Latin. Famous bearers include Lucius Junius Brutus, the traditional founder of the Roman Republic, and Marcus Junius Brutus, the statesman who conspired to assassinated Julius Caesar.
BRYNm & fWelsh, EnglishMeans "hill, mound" in Welsh. It is now used as a feminine name as well.
BUCKmEnglishFrom an English nickname meaning simply "buck, male deer", ultimately from Old English
bucc.
BUDDHAmHistoryMeans "enlightened" in Sanskrit. This is a title applied to Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism, as well as to a handful of other enlightened individuals.
BUDDYmEnglishFrom the English word meaning "friend". It probably originated as a nursery form of the word
brother.
BURAKmTurkishFrom Arabic
براق (Buraq), the name of the legendary creature that, according to Islamic tradition, transported the Prophet
Muhammad. Its name is derived from Arabic
برق (barq) "lightning".
BURKEmEnglishFrom an English surname which was derived from Old English
burg meaning "fortress".
BURKHARDmGerman, Ancient GermanicDerived from the Germanic elements
burg meaning "protection" and
hard "brave, hardy". Saint Burkhard was a bishop who founded several monasteries in Germany in the 8th century.
BURTONmEnglishFrom a surname which was originally taken from an Old English place name meaning "fortified town". A famous bearer of the surname was Sir Richard Burton (1821-1890), an explorer of Africa and Asia.
BUSTERmEnglishOriginally a nickname denoting a person who broke things, from the word
bust. A famous bearer was the silent movie star Buster Keaton (1895-1966).
BYELOBOGmSlavic MythologyMeans "the white god" from Slavic
byelo "white" and
bogu "god". This was the name of the Slavic god of the sun, happiness and fortune.
BYEONG-HOmKoreanFrom Sino-Korean
炳 (byeong) meaning "bright, luminous, glorious" combined with
浩 (ho) meaning "great, numerous, vast" or
昊 (ho) meaning "summer, sky, heaven". Other hanja character combinations are possible.
BYRONmEnglishFrom a surname which was originally from a place name meaning "place of the cow sheds" in Old English. This was the surname of the romantic poet Lord Byron (1788-1824), the writer of 'Don Juan' and many other works.
BYSSHEmEnglish (Rare)From an English surname, a variant of the surname
Bush, which originally indicated a person who lived near a bush. This was the middle name of the romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822).