Garth m EnglishFrom an English surname meaning
"garden" in Old Norse, originally denoting one who lived near or worked in a garden.
Genghis m HistoryFrom the title
Genghis (or
Chinggis)
Khan, meaning "universal ruler", which was adopted by the Mongol Empire founder
Temujin in the late 12th century. Remembered both for his military brilliance and his brutality towards civilians, he went on to conquer huge areas of Asia and Eastern Europe.
Gerd 2 f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Norse MythologyFrom Old Norse
Gerðr, derived from
garðr meaning
"enclosure, yard". According to Norse myth, Gerd was a beautiful giantess (jǫtunn). After
Freyr fell in love with her, he had his servant Skírnir convince her to marry him.
Gerlach m Dutch (Rare), GermanicDerived from the Old German element
ger "spear" combined with (possibly)
lahhi "doctor, healer". Saint Gerlach was a 12th-century Dutch soldier who became a hermit.
Gero m German, GermanicOriginally a short form of Germanic names beginning with Old Frankish
gair or Old High German
ger meaning
"spear" (Proto-Germanic *
gaizaz).
Gerulf m GermanicDerived from Old German
ger meaning "spear" and
wolf meaning "wolf". This was the name of an 8th-century saint and martyr from Drongen, Belgium.
Géza m HungarianFrom
Gyeücsa, possibly derived from a diminutive form of the Hungarian noble title
gyevü or
gyeü, itself from Turkic
jabgu. This was the name of a 10th-century leader of the Hungarians, the father of the first king
István.
Gnaeus m Ancient RomanRoman praenomen, or given name, which is of unknown Etruscan meaning, though it may be related to Latin
naevus "birthmark". A famous bearer was Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, also known as Pompey the Great, a Roman general of the 1st century BC.
Godzilla m Popular CultureFrom Japanese
ゴジラ (Gojira), a blend of
ゴリラ (gorira) meaning "gorilla" and
鯨 (kujira) meaning "whale". This is the name of a massive reptilian monster from a series of Japanese movies, starting 1954.
Goibniu m Irish MythologyDerived from Old Irish
gobae meaning
"smith". In Irish mythology this was the name of a divine metalsmith and weapon maker of the Tuatha Dé Danann. He also provided them with feasts that protected them from old age. He may be derived from an earlier Celtic smith god (seen also in Gaulish
Gobannos and Welsh
Gofannon).
Golnar f PersianMeans
"pomegranate flower", derived from Persian
گل (gol) meaning "flower" and
نار (nar) meaning "pomegranate".
Gonca f TurkishMeans
"flower bud" in Turkish, of Persian origin.
Gordie m EnglishDiminutive of
Gordon. A famous bearer was Canadian hockey star Gordie Howe (1928-2016).
Gorō m JapaneseFrom Japanese
五 (go) meaning "five" and
郎 (rō) meaning "son". This was traditionally a name for the fifth son. Different combinations of kanji are also possible.
Gottlob m German (Rare)Derived from German
Gott "God" and
lob "praise". This name was created in the 17th century.
Grid f Norse MythologyFrom Old Norse
Gríðr, probably derived from either
gríð "zeal, vehemence" or
grið "peace". In Norse myth she was a giantess (jǫtunn), the mother of
Vidar by
Odin. She aided
Thor in his fight against the giant Geirrod.
Gull f SwedishShort form of various Scandinavian names beginning with the Old Norse element
guð meaning
"god".
Gunborg f SwedishFrom the Old Norse name
Gunnbjǫrg, derived from the elements
gunnr "war" and
bjǫrg "help, save, rescue".
Gypsy f English (Rare)Simply from the English word
Gypsy for the nomadic people who originated in northern India. The word was originally a corruption of
Egyptian. As an ethnic term it is sometimes considered offensive.
Habakkuk m BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
חֲבַקּוּק (Chavaqquq), perhaps meaning
"embrace" from the root
חָבַק (chavaq). In the Old Testament this is one of the twelve minor prophets, the author of the Book of Habakkuk.
Haldor m NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Hallþórr, which meant
"Thor's rock" from
hallr "rock" combined with the name of the Norse god
Þórr (see
Thor).
Halfdan m Norwegian, DanishFrom the Old Norse name
Hálfdan meaning
"half Danish", composed of the elements
hálfr "half" and
Danr "Dane", originally a nickname for a person who was half Danish.
Hank m EnglishOriginally a short form of
Hankin, which was a medieval diminutive of
John. Since the 17th century in the United States this name has also been used as a diminutive of
Henry, probably under the influence of the Dutch diminutive
Henk. A famous bearer is the American former baseball player Hank Aaron (1934-2021).
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".
Hartmut m German, GermanicMeans
"brave mind", derived from the Old German elements
hart "hard, firm, brave, hardy" and
muot "mind, spirit". This is the kidnapper of
Gudrun in the medieval German epic
Kudrun.
Hayk m ArmenianProbably from the Armenian word
հայ (hay) meaning
"Armenian", although some hold that the ethnic name is in fact derived from the given name. This was the name of the legendary forefather of the Armenian people, supposedly a great-great-grandson of
Noah, according to the 5th-century Armenian historian Movses Khorenatsi.
Heard m Anglo-SaxonShort form of various Old English names containing the element
heard meaning
"hard, firm, brave, hardy".
Hephaestus m Greek Mythology (Latinized)Latinized form of Greek
Ἥφαιστος (Hephaistos), meaning unknown. It probably shares its origin with the Minoan city of
Φαιστός (Phaistos), which is of Pre-Greek origin. In Greek mythology Hephaestus was the god of fire and forging, the husband of the unfaithful
Aphrodite. It was said that when he was born
Hera, his mother, was so displeased with his physical deformities that she hurled him off the top of Mount Olympus.
Hernando m SpanishMedieval Spanish form of
Ferdinand. A famous bearer of this name was the Spanish conquistador Hernando (or Hernán) Cortés (1485-1547).
Hiltrud f GermanMeans
"strength in battle", derived from the Old German elements
hilt "battle" and
drud "strength".
Hirsh m YiddishMeans
"deer" in Yiddish, from Old High German
hiruz. This was a vernacular form of the Hebrew name
Tzvi. The deer is particularly associated with the tribe of
Naphtali (see
Genesis 49:21).
Hodel f Yiddish (Rare)Diminutive of
Hode. This is the name of Tevye's second daughter in the musical
Fiddler on the Roof (1964), based on late 19th-century stories by Sholem Aleichem.
Horsa m Anglo-Saxon MythologyFrom Old English or Old Saxon
hors meaning
"horse". According to medieval chronicles, Horsa and his brother
Hengist were the leaders of the first Saxon settlers to arrive in Britain. Horsa was said to have died in battle with the Britons. He is first mentioned in the 8th-century writings of the English historian Bede.
Horst m GermanMeans
"wood, thicket" in Low German. Alternatively, it may derive from
Horsa. This name was popular in the first half of the 20th century but has since become uncommon. It is now a German slang word for an unintelligent person.
Hoyt m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from Middle English
hoit "stick", originally a nickname for a thin person.
Huckleberry m LiteratureFrom the name of the variety of shrubs (genus Vaccinium) or the berries that grow on them. It was used by author Mark Twain for the character of Huckleberry (Huck) Finn in his novels
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884).
Hulda 1 f Icelandic, Swedish, Norwegian, Norse MythologyDerived from Old Norse
hulda meaning
"hiding, secrecy". This was the name of a sorceress in Norse mythology. As a modern name, it can also derive from archaic Swedish
huld meaning "gracious, sweet, lovable".
Huldah f BiblicalMeans
"weasel, mole" in Hebrew. This name appears in the Old Testament belonging to a prophetess.
Hunter m & f EnglishFrom an English occupational surname for a hunter, derived from Old English
hunta. A famous bearer was the eccentric American journalist Hunter S. Thompson (1937-2005).
Ingomar m German (Rare), GermanicFrom the name of the Germanic god
Ing combined with Old German
mari "famous", making it a cognate of
Ingemar. Ingomar (or Inguiomer) was a 1st-century leader of the Cherusci, a Germanic tribe.
Jabbar m ArabicMeans
"powerful" in Arabic. In Islamic tradition
الجبّار (al-Jabbar) is one of the 99 names of Allah.
Jabr m ArabicMeans
"consolation, assistance" in Arabic.
Jahangir m Persian, UrduMeans
"world conqueror, world seizer" in Persian, from
جهان (jahan) meaning "world" and
گیر (gir) meaning "catch, seize, conquer". This was the name of a 17th-century Mughal emperor.
Jax m English (Modern)Short form of
Jackson. It appeared in the video game
Mortal Kombat II in 1993. It first registered as a given name in the United States in 1995 (when it was used only five times) but steadily grew in popularity for two decades, probably inspired by similar names like
Max and
Dax and helped by a character of this name on the American television series
Sons of Anarchy (2008-2014).
Jeb m EnglishSometimes a diminutive of
Jacob. This name may have also resulted from a nickname of James Ewell Brown Stuart (1833-1864), a Confederate general in the American Civil War, which was formed from the initial letters of his three given names.
Jock m ScottishScots form of
Jack. Among the English, this is a slang term for a Scotsman.
Joktan m BiblicalMeans
"small" in Hebrew. This is the name of a son of Eber in the Old Testament.
Jozafat m Polish (Rare)Polish form of
Josaphat. This was the name of a 17th-century Polish saint and martyr who attempted to reconcile the Catholic and Eastern Churches.
Kalev 1 m EstonianEstonian form of
Kaleva. This is the name of a character (the father of Kalevipoeg) in the Estonian epic poem
Kalevipoeg.
Kanye m African American (Modern)Meaning uncertain. It could be from the name of a town in Botswana (of Tswana origin). Yoruba, Igbo, Xhosa and Fula meanings have also been suggested. It is borne by the American rapper Kanye West (1977-), and the name briefly appeared on the United States top 1000 list in 2004 when he released his debut album.
Kawacatoose m Cree (Anglicized)From Cree
ᑲᐋᐧᐦᑲᑐᐢ (Kawâhkatos) meaning
"poor man, weak from hunger". This was the name of a 19th-century Plains Cree chief in Saskatchewan.
Khaleesi f LiteratureFrom a title used in the George R. R. Martin book series
A Song of Ice and Fire (first published 1996) and the television adaptation
Game of Thrones (2011-2019). It is a feminine form of the Dothraki title
khal meaning "warlord". In the series
Daenerys Targaryen gains this title after she marries Khal Drogo.
Khodadad m PersianMeans
"God given" from Persian
خدا (khoda) meaning "god, lord" and
داد (dad) meaning "gave".
Khulan f MongolianMeans
"onager, wild donkey" in Mongolian. This was the name of a wife of Genghis Khan.
Khwaja m PersianFrom a title meaning
"master, owner" in Persian. It is not generally used as a name itself.
Knox m EnglishFrom a Scots surname that was derived from various places named
Knock, from Gaelic
cnoc "round hill". It jumped in popularity after the actors Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt had a baby by this name in 2008.
Knut m Swedish, Norwegian, GermanDerived from Old Norse
knútr meaning
"knot". Knut was a Danish prince who defeated
Æðelræd II, king of England, in the early 11th century and became the ruler of Denmark, Norway and England.
Kreka f HistoryMeaning unknown, possibly of Turkic or Germanic origin. This name was borne by the most powerful of
Attila's wives.
Kunti f HinduismMeans
"spear" in Sanskrit. In the Hindu epic the
Mahabharata this is the name of the mother of the Pandavas.
Kylo m Popular CultureMeaning unexplained. This is the name of the villain, Kylo Ren, in the
Star Wars movie sequels, starting with
The Force Awakens in 2015. Originally named Ben Solo, he is the son of Han Solo and Leia Skywalker. His name might simply be formed from the
ky of
Skywalker and the
lo of
Solo.
Lazer m YiddishYiddish variant of
Eliezer. This is the name of a character in the musical
Fiddler on the Roof (1964).
Leszek m PolishOriginally a diminutive of
Lech. The name was borne by several medieval dukes of Poland.
Longwang m Chinese MythologyFrom Chinese
龙 (lóng) meaning "dragon" and
王 (wáng) meaning "king". This is the Chinese name of the Dragon King, a god associated with water and rain.
Lot 1 m Biblical, Biblical HebrewMeans
"covering, veil" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of a nephew of
Abraham. Before Sodom was destroyed by God, he was directed to flee the city without looking back. However, his wife looked back on the destruction and was turned into a pillar of salt.
Lubbert m DutchDutch form of the Old German name
Leutbert, derived from the elements
liut "people" and
beraht "bright". Liutbert (or Liutpert) was an 8th-century Lombard king.
Lughaidh m Irish MythologyFrom Old Irish
Lugaid, a combination of the name of the mythological figure
Lugh and Old Irish
dech "honour, better". This was the name of several characters in Irish legend, including the king Lugaid mac Con.
Mack 1 m EnglishFrom a surname, originally a shortened form of various Irish and Scottish surnames beginning with
Mac or
Mc (from Irish
mac meaning "son"). It is also used as a generic slang term for a man.