Names Starting with H

Herleif f & m Old Norse, Norwegian (Rare)
Old Norse feminine form and modern Scandinavian masculine form of Herleifr.

Herleifr m Old Norse
Derived from the Old Norse elements herr "army, warrior" and leif "inheritance, legacy".

Herleva f Germanic (Latinized)
Possibly from the Old German elements heri "army" and leiba "remainder, remnant, legacy" (or the Old Norse cognates herr and leif, see Herleif). This was the name of the mother of William the Conqueror, who, according to tradition, was a commoner.

Hermagoras m Ancient Greek
From the name of the messenger god Hermes combined with Greek ἀγορά (agora) meaning "assembly, marketplace". Saint Hermagoras (3rd century) was the first bishop of Aquileia in Italy.

Herman m English, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Slovene, Germanic
Means "army man", derived from the Old German elements heri "army" and man "person, man". It was introduced to England by the Normans, died out, and was revived in the English-speaking world in the 19th century. It was borne by an 18th-century Russian missionary to Alaska who is venerated as a saint in the Orthodox Church, though in his case the name is an alternate transcription of German. Another famous bearer was the American writer Herman Melville (1819-1891), the author of Moby-Dick.

Hermann m German
German form of Herman. A famous bearer was the German author Hermann Hesse (1877-1962).

Hermanni m Finnish
Finnish form of Herman.

Hermanus m Dutch, Germanic (Latinized)
Latinized form of Herman. As a Dutch name, it is used on birth certificates, with the form Herman typically used in daily life.

Hermenegild m German (Rare)
German form of Hermenegildo.

Hermenegildo m Spanish, Portuguese
Spanish and Portuguese form of a Visigothic name, from the Gothic elements airmans "great, immense" and gild "payment, tribute, compensation". It was borne by a 6th-century saint, the son of Liuvigild the Visigothic king of Hispania.

Hermenegildus m Gothic (Latinized)
Latinized (Old Spanish) form of Airmanagild.

Hermes m Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek, Spanish
Probably from Greek ἕρμα (herma) meaning "cairn, pile of stones, boundary marker". Hermes was a Greek god associated with speed and good luck, who served as a messenger to Zeus and the other gods. He was also the patron of travellers, writers, athletes, merchants, thieves and orators.... [more]

Hermia f Literature
Feminine form of Hermes. Shakespeare used this name in his comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream (1595).

Hermína f Czech, Slovak
Czech and Slovak form of Hermine.

Hermina f Dutch, Slovene, Hungarian, Croatian
Dutch, Slovene, Hungarian and Croatian form of Hermine.

Hermine f German, French
German feminine form of Herman.

Hermínia f Portuguese
Portuguese feminine form of Herminius.

Herminia f Spanish, Ancient Roman
Feminine form of Herminius.

Hermínio m Portuguese
Portuguese form of Herminius.

Herminio m Spanish
Spanish form of Herminius.

Herminius m Ancient Roman
Roman name that was possibly of unknown Etruscan origin, but could also be derived from the name of the god Hermes. In Roman legend this was the name of a companion of Aeneas.

Hermione f Greek Mythology
Derived from the name of the Greek messenger god Hermes. In Greek myth Hermione was the daughter of Menelaus and Helen. This is also the name of the wife of Leontes in Shakespeare's play The Winter's Tale (1610). It is now closely associated with the character Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter series of books, first released in 1997.

Hermógenes m Spanish, Portuguese (Brazilian)
Spanish and Portuguese form of Hermogenes.

Hermogenes m Ancient Greek
Means "born of Hermes" from the name of the messenger god Hermes combined with Greek γενής (genes) meaning "born".

Hermokrates m Ancient Greek
Means "power of Hermes" from the name of the messenger god Hermes combined with Greek κράτος (kratos) meaning "power".

Hermolaos m Ancient Greek
Means "the people of Hermes" from the name of the messenger god Hermes combined with Greek λαός (laos) meaning "people".

Hernán m Spanish
Short form of Hernando.

Hernando m Spanish
Medieval Spanish form of Ferdinand. A famous bearer of this name was the Spanish conquistador Hernando (or Hernán) Cortés (1485-1547).

Hero 1 f Greek Mythology
Derived from Greek ἥρως (heros) meaning "hero". In Greek legend she was the lover of Leander, who would swim across the Hellespont each night to meet her. He was killed on one such occasion when he got caught in a storm while in the water, and when Hero saw his dead body she drowned herself. This is also the name of a character in Shakespeare's play Much Ado About Nothing (1599).

Hero 2 m Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Latinized form of Heron.

Herod m Biblical
From 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.

Herodes m Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
Latin form of Herod, as well as the usual Biblical Greek transcription of Ἡρῴδης: after the classical period, the ι in the sequence ωι (often written as a subscript like ῳ) was not pronounced.

Herodias f Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
Feminine form of Herod. This was the name of a member of the Herodian ruling family of Judea, a sister of Herod Agrippa and the wife of Herod Antipas. She appears in the New Testament, where she contrives to have her husband Antipas imprison and execute John the Baptist.

Herodion m Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
Derivative of the Greek name Herodes (see Herod). This name is mentioned briefly in Paul's epistle to the Romans in the New Testament. According to tradition he was a bishop of Patras, Greece, and was later martyred in Rome with Saint Peter.

Herodotos m Ancient Greek
Greek form of Herodotus.

Herodotus m Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Latinized form of the Greek name Ἡρόδοτος (Herodotos), derived from the name of the goddess Hera combined with δοτός (dotos) meaning "given, granted". Herodotus was a Greek historian of the 5th century BC who wrote the Histories, a detailed account of the Greco-Persian Wars. He is known as the Father of History.

Heroides m Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek form of Herod.

Heroidias f Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek form of Herodias.

Heroidion m Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek form of Herodion.

Heron m Ancient Greek
Derived from Greek ἥρως (heros) meaning "hero". This was the name of a 1st-century Greek inventor (also known as Hero) from Alexandria.

Herry m Medieval English
Medieval English form of Henry. Unlike Harry, this form is no longer used.

Herschel m American, Yiddish
Variant of Hershel.

Hersh m Yiddish
Alternate transcription of Yiddish הירש (see Hirsh).

Hershel m American, Yiddish
Yiddish diminutive of Hirsh. As a non-Jewish American name (somewhat common around the end of the 19th century), it was likely inspired by the German surname Herschel, borne for instance by the British-German astronomer William Herschel (1738-1822).

Hersilia f Roman Mythology
Meaning uncertain, perhaps related to Greek ἕρση (herse) meaning "dew". In Roman legend this was the name of a Sabine woman who became the wife of Romulus.

Herta f German
Variant of Hertha.

Hertha f German
Form of Nerthus. The spelling change from N to H resulted from a misreading of Tacitus's text.

Hertta f Finnish
Finnish form of Hertha. This is also the Finnish word for the card suit hearts.

Heru m Egyptian Mythology (Hypothetical)
Reconstructed Egyptian form of Horus.

Herut f Hebrew
Means "freedom" in Hebrew.

Herve m Breton
Breton form of Harvey.

Hervé m French
French form of Harvey.

Hervey m English
Variant of Harvey.

Hesekiel m Biblical Swedish, Biblical Finnish, Biblical German
Form of Ezekiel found in Swedish and Finnish bibles, as well as in German Protestant bibles.

Hesham m Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic هشام (see Hisham).

Heshel m Yiddish (Rare)
Yiddish diminutive of Yehoshua.

Hesiod m Ancient Greek (Anglicized)
From the Greek name Ἡσίοδος (Hesiodos), which probably meant "to throw song" from ἵημι (hiemi) meaning "to throw, to speak" and ᾠδή (ode) meaning "song, ode". This was the name of an 8th-century BC Greek poet.

Hesiodos m Ancient Greek
Greek form of Hesiod.

Hesperos m Ancient Greek
Means "evening" in Greek. This was the name of the personification of the Evening Star (the planet Venus) in Greek mythology.

Hester f English, Dutch, Biblical Latin
Latin form of Esther. Like Esther, it has been used in England since the Protestant Reformation. Nathaniel Hawthorne used it for the heroine of his novel The Scarlet Letter (1850), Hester Prynne, a Puritan woman forced to wear a red letter A on her chest after giving birth to a child out of wedlock.

Hestia f Greek Mythology
Derived from Greek ἑστία (hestia) meaning "hearth, fireside". In Greek mythology Hestia was the goddess of the hearth and domestic activity.

Heta f Finnish
Finnish vernacular form of Hedvig.

Hetepheres f Ancient Egyptian
From Egyptian ḥtp-ḥrs meaning "satisfied is her face", from ḥtp "peace, satisfaction" and ḥr "face". This was the name of queens consort and princesses from the Egyptian 4th dynasty (26th century BC).

Hettie f English
Diminutive of Henrietta or Hester.

Heulwen f Welsh
Means "sunshine" in Welsh (a compound of haul "sun" and gwen "white, blessed").

Hevel m Hebrew, Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew form of Abel.

Hewie m English (Rare)
Variant of Hughie.

Heydar m Persian
Persian form of Haidar.

Hezekiah m Biblical
From the Hebrew name חִזְקִיָהוּ (Chizqiyahu), which means "Yahweh strengthens", from the roots חָזַק (chazaq) meaning "to strength" and יָה (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. This name was borne by a powerful king of Judah who reigned in the 8th and 7th centuries BC. Also in the Old Testament, this is the name of an ancestor of the prophet Zephaniah.

Hiacynt m Polish (Rare)
Polish form of Hyacinthus.

Hiacynta f Polish
Polish feminine form of Hyacinthus.

Hiawatha m History, Iroquois (Anglicized)
Meaning uncertain, of Iroquois origin, possibly meaning "he who combs". This was the name of a Mohawk or Onondaga leader who founded the Iroquois Confederacy around the 15th century. He was later the subject of a fictionalized 1855 poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

Hiba f Arabic
Means "gift" in Arabic.

Hibiki m & f Japanese
From Japanese 響 (hibiki) meaning "sound, echo".

Hibo f Somali
Somali form of Hiba.

Hicran f Turkish, Azerbaijani
Means "separation, parting" in Turkish and Azerbaijani (of Arabic origin).

Hidayat m Arabic, Indonesian
Means "guidance" in Arabic.

Hidde m Frisian
Originally a short form of names beginning with the Old German element hilt meaning "battle".

Hideaki m Japanese
From Japanese 英 (hide) meaning "excellent, fine" and 明 (aki) meaning "bright, light, clear", as well as other combinations of kanji.

Hideki m Japanese
From Japanese 秀 (hide) meaning "excellent, outstanding" or 英 (hide) meaning "excellent, fine" combined with 樹 (ki) meaning "tree". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.

Hideko f Japanese
From Japanese 秀 (hide) meaning "excellent, outstanding" or 英 (hide) meaning "excellent, fine" combined with 子 (ko) meaning "child". This name can also be formed from other combinations of kanji characters.

Hidemi m Japanese
From Japanese 秀 (hide) meaning "excellent, outstanding" and 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful", as well as other combinations of kanji characters.

Hideo m Japanese
From Japanese 英 (hide) meaning "excellent, fine" or 秀 (hide) meaning "excellent, outstanding" combined with 雄 (o) meaning "hero, manly" or 夫 (o) meaning "husband, man". Other kanji combinations can also form this name. A famous bearer is the video game developer Hideo Kojima (1963-).

Hideyoshi m Japanese
From Japanese 秀 (hide) meaning "excellent, outstanding" combined with 良 (yoshi) meaning "good, virtuous, respectable" or 吉 (yoshi) meaning "good luck". Other kanji combinations are possible. Toyotomi Hideyoshi (Hideyoshi 秀吉 being his given name) was a 16th-century daimyo who unified Japan and attempted to conquer Korea. He also banned the ownership of weapons by the peasantry, and banished Christian missionaries.

Hienadz m Belarusian
Alternate transcription of Belarusian Генадзь (see Henadz).

Hieremias m Biblical Latin
Latin form of Jeremiah.

Hieremihel m Biblical Latin
Latin form of Jeremiel.

Hieronim m Polish
Polish form of Hieronymos (see Jerome).

Hieronym m Slovak
Slovak form of Hieronymos (see Jerome).

Hieronymos m Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek form of Jerome.

Hieronymus m Ancient Greek (Latinized), German (Archaic), Dutch (Archaic)
Latin form of Jerome, formerly common in Germany and the Netherlands. Hieronymus Bosch (1450-1516) was a Dutch painter known for his depictions of the torments of hell.

Hiếu m Vietnamese
From Sino-Vietnamese 孝 (hiếu) meaning "filial piety, obedience".

Hieu m Biblical Latin
Latin form of Jehu.

Hiezabel f Biblical Latin
Latin form of Jezebel.

Hiezecihel m Biblical Latin
Biblical Latin form of Ezekiel.

Hifumi m & f Japanese
From Japanese 一 (hi) meaning "one", 二 (fu) meaning "two" and 三 (mi) meaning "three".

Higini m Catalan (Rare)
Catalan form of Hyginus.

Higinio m Spanish
Spanish form of Hyginus.

Higuel m Old Welsh
Old Welsh form of Hywel.

Hiʻiaka f Polynesian Mythology
Means "held essence", derived from Hawaiian hiʻi meaning "hold, carry" and aka meaning "essence, image, embryo". This is the name of a Hawaiian goddess, the youngest sister of the volcano goddess Pele. To help her sister, Hiʻiaka volunteered to retrieve Pele's lover Lohiʻau from a neighbouring island, as long as Pele promised to protect her sacred grove of trees and her lover Hōpoe in her absence. The task took longer than expected and Pele grew impatient, destroying Hiʻiaka's grove and killing her lover.

Hikari f & m Japanese
From Japanese 光 (hikari) meaning "light". Other kanji can also form this name. It is often written with the hiragana writing system.

Hikaru m & f Japanese
From Japanese 光 (hikaru) meaning "light" or 輝 (hikaru) meaning "brightness". Other kanji can also form this name.

Hikmat m & f Arabic
Derived from Arabic حكمة (hikmah) meaning "wisdom".

Hikmet m Turkish
Turkish form of Hikmat.

Hila f Hebrew
Means "halo, aura" in Hebrew, from the root הָלַל (halal) meaning "to praise, to shine".

Hilaire m French
French form of Hilarius.

Hilal m & f Arabic, Turkish
Means "crescent moon" in Arabic, also referring to the new moon on the Islamic calendar. As a given name it is typically masculine in Arabic and feminine in Turkish.

Hilaria f Ancient Roman, Spanish
Feminine form of Hilarius.

Hilario m Spanish
Spanish form of Hilarius.

Hilarion m Ancient Greek
Derived from Greek ἱλαρός (hilaros) meaning "cheerful". This was the name of a 4th-century saint, a disciple of Saint Anthony.

Hilarius m Ancient Roman
Roman name derived from Latin hilaris meaning "cheerful". Alternatively, it could be derived from the Greek name Ἱλαρός (Hilaros) also meaning "cheerful" (the Greek word ἱλαρός was the source of the Latin word hilaris). Saint Hilarius was a 4th-century theologian and bishop of Poitiers. This was also the name of a 5th-century pope.

Hilary f & m English
Medieval English form of Hilarius or Hilaria. During the Middle Ages it was primarily a masculine name. It was revived in Britain at the beginning of the 20th century as a predominantly feminine name. In America, this name and the variant Hillary seemed to drop in popularity after Hillary Clinton (1947-) became the first lady in 1993. Famous bearers include American actresses Hilary Swank (1974-) and Hilary Duff (1987-).

Hilbert m German (Rare)
Variant of Hildebert.

Hild f Anglo-Saxon
Old English form of Hilda.

Hilda f English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Spanish, Hungarian, Anglo-Saxon (Latinized), Germanic
Originally a short form of names containing the Old Frankish element hildi, Old High German hilt, Old English hild meaning "battle" (Proto-Germanic *hildiz). The short form was used for both Old English and continental Germanic names. Saint Hilda (or Hild) of Whitby was a 7th-century English saint and abbess. The name became rare in England during the later Middle Ages, but was revived in the 19th century.

Hilde f German, Dutch, Norwegian
German, Dutch and Norwegian variant of Hilda.

Hildebert m German (Rare)
Means "bright battle" from the Old German elements hilt "battle" and beraht "bright". This name was borne by four early Frankish kings, usually called Childebert.

Hildebrand m German (Archaic), Germanic
Means "battle sword", derived from the Old German element hilt "battle" combined with brant "fire, torch, sword". This was the name of the hero of an 8th-century poem written in Old High German.

Hildefons m Germanic
Old German form of Ildefonso.

Hildegard f German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Germanic
Derived from the Old German elements hilt "battle" and gart "enclosure, yard". This was the name of the second wife of Charlemagne (8th century). Also, Saint Hildegard was a 12th-century mystic from Bingen in Germany who was famous for her writings and poetry and also for her prophetic visions.

Hildegarda f Czech
Czech form of Hildegard.

Hildegarde f French (Rare)
French form of Hildegard.

Hildegund f German, Germanic
Derived from the Old German elements hilt "battle" and gunda "battle, war". This was the name of a 12th-century German saint.

Hildegunde f German (Rare)
Variant of Hildegund.

Hildegunn f Norwegian
Norwegian form of Hildigunnr.

Hilderic m Germanic
Derived from the Old German elements hilt "battle" and rih "ruler, king". Hilderic was a 6th-century king of the Vandals. This name was also borne by three early Merovingian Frankish kings, though their name is usually spelled as Childeric.

Hildiberht m Germanic
Old German form of Hildebert.

Hildiberhtaz m Old Germanic (Hypothetical)
Proto-Germanic reconstruction of Hildebert.

Hildifuns m Gothic (Hypothetical)
Gothic form of Ildefonso.

Hildigardis f Germanic (Latinized)
Variant of Hildegard.

Hildigunnr f Old Norse
From the Old Norse elements hildr "battle" and gunnr "battle, war". It is a cognate of Hildegund.

Hildigunnur f Icelandic
Icelandic form of Hildigunnr.

Hildigunþī f Old Germanic (Hypothetical)
Proto-Germanic reconstruction of Hildegund and Hildigunnr.

Hildimar m Germanic
Old German form of Hilmar.

Hilding m Swedish
Modern form of Hildingr.

Hildingr m Old Norse, Norse Mythology
Means "chief, warrior", a derivative of Old Norse hildr "battle". This is the name of a character in the Norse tale Frithiof's Saga.

Hildirīks m Old Germanic (Hypothetical)
Proto-Germanic reconstruction of Hilderic.

Hilditrut f Germanic
Old German form of Hiltrud.

Hildiwara f Gothic (Hypothetical)
Gothic form of Aldara.

Hildoara f Gothic (Latinized)
Latinized form of *Hildiwara (see Aldara).

Hildr f Old Norse, Norse Mythology
From Old Norse hildr meaning "battle", making it a cognate of Hilda. In Norse legend this was the name of a valkyrie.

Hildræd m Anglo-Saxon
Older form of Hildred.

Hildred f & m English
Possibly from the Old English masculine name Hildræd, which was composed of the elements hild "battle" and ræd "counsel, advice". This name was revived in the late 19th century, probably because of its similarity to the popular names Hilda and Mildred.

Hildur f Icelandic, Norwegian
Icelandic form of Hildr.

Hilja f Finnish, Estonian
Means "silent, quiet" in Finnish and Estonian (a rare poetic word).

Hilla f Finnish
Short form of names beginning with Hil. It also means "cloudberry" in Finnish.

Hillar m Estonian
Estonian form of Hilarius.

Hillary f English
Variant of Hilary. A famous bearer of the surname was Edmund Hillary (1919-2008), the first man to climb Mount Everest. It is borne by the American politician Hillary Rodham Clinton (1947-). The name dropped in popularity in 1993 after she became the first lady as the wife of Bill Clinton.

Hillel m Biblical, Hebrew, Biblical Hebrew
Derived from Hebrew הָלַל (halal) meaning "praise". This name is mentioned briefly in the Old Testament as the father of the judge Abdon. It was also borne by the 1st-century BC Jewish scholar Hillel the Elder.

Hillevi f Swedish, Finnish
Swedish and Finnish form of Heilwig.

Hilma f Finnish, Swedish
Possibly a variant of Helma or a feminine form of Hilmar.

Hilmar m German, Icelandic, Norwegian, Danish
From the Old German name Hildimar, derived from the elements hilt "battle" and mari "famous".

Hilperic m Germanic
Derived from the Old German elements helfa "help" and rih "ruler, king". This name was borne by two Burgundian kings and two Frankish kings (usually called Chilperic).

Hiltraud f German
Variant of Hiltrud.

Hiltrud f German
Means "strength in battle", derived from the Old German elements hilt "battle" and drud "strength".

Hiltrude f German (Archaic)
Variant of Hiltrud.

Hina f Japanese
From Japanese 陽 (hi) meaning "light, sun" or 日 (hi) meaning "sun, day" combined with 菜 (na) meaning "vegetables, greens". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Hinata f & m Japanese
From Japanese 日向 (hinata) meaning "sunny place", 陽向 (hinata) meaning "toward the sun", or a non-standard reading of 向日葵 (himawari) meaning "sunflower". Other kanji compounds are also possible. Because of the irregular readings, this name is often written using the hiragana writing system.

Hind f Arabic
Possibly means "group of camels" in Arabic. Hind bint Abi Umayyah, also known as Umm Salama, was one of the wives of the Prophet Muhammad. This is also the Arabic name for the country of India.

Hine f Maori
Means "girl" in Maori.

Hinnerk m Low German
Low German form of Heinrich.

Hinrich m Low German
Low German form of Heinrich.

Hinrik m Icelandic
Icelandic form of Heinrich (see Henry).

Hiob m Biblical German
German form of Job.

Hipolit m Polish (Rare)
Polish form of Hippolytos.

Hipólita f Spanish (Rare), Portuguese (Rare)
Spanish and Portuguese form of Hippolyte 1.

Hipólito m Spanish, Portuguese
Spanish and Portuguese form of Hippolytos.

Hippocrates m Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Latinized form of the Greek name Ἱπποκράτης (Hippokrates) meaning "horse power", derived from the elements ἵππος (hippos) meaning "horse" and κράτος (kratos) meaning "power". This was the name of a 5th-century BC Greek doctor who is known as the Father of Medicine.

Hippokrates m Ancient Greek
Greek form of Hippocrates.

Hippolyta f Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Hippolyte 1. In Shakespeare's comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream (1595) she is the queen of the Amazons, due to marry Theseus the Duke of Athens.

Hippolyte 1 f Greek Mythology
Feminine form of Hippolytos. In Greek legend Hippolyte was the daughter of Ares, and the queen of the Amazons. She was killed by Herakles in order to obtain her magic girdle.

Hippolyte 2 m French
French form of Hippolytos.

Hippolytos m Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek
Means "freer of horses" from Greek ἵππος (hippos) meaning "horse" and λύω (luo) meaning "to loosen". In Greek legend he was the son of Theseus who was tragically loved by his stepmother Phaedra. This was also the name of a 3rd-century theologian, saint and martyr.

Hira f & m Urdu, Nepali, Punjabi, Gujarati, Hindi
Derived from Sanskrit हीर (hira) meaning "diamond". It is typically feminine in Pakistan and unisex in India and Nepal.

Hirah m Biblical
Means "splendour" in Hebrew. This was the name of a companion of Judah in the Old Testament.

Hiraku m Japanese
From Japanese 拓 (hiraku) meaning "expand, open, support". Other kanji can also form this name.

Hiram m Biblical, Biblical Hebrew, English
From Phoenician 𐤇𐤓𐤌 (Ḥirom) meaning "exalted brother". This was the name of a king of Tyre in the Old Testament. He may have reigned in the 10th century BC. As an English given name, Hiram came into use after the Protestant Reformation. In the 17th century the Puritans brought it to America, where it gained some currency.

Hiranur f Turkish (Modern)
From Arabic حراء (Hira), the name of the cave where the Prophet Muhammad received his first revelation, combined with نور (nur) meaning "light".

Hirohito m Japanese
From Japanese 裕 (hiro) meaning "abundant" and 人 (hito) meaning "person" or 仁 (hito) meaning "compassionate". Hirohito (1901-1989), name written 裕仁, was the emperor of Japan from 1926 to 1989. Different combinations of kanji can also form this name.

Hiroki m Japanese
From Japanese 大 (hiro) meaning "big, great" and 輝 (ki) meaning "brightness" or 樹 (ki) meaning "tree". Other kanji combinations are also possible.

Hiroko f Japanese
From Japanese 寛 (hiro) meaning "tolerant, generous", 裕 (hiro) meaning "abundant" or 浩 (hiro) meaning "prosperous" combined with 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Hirom m Phoenician
Phoenician form of Hiram.

Hiroshi m Japanese
From Japanese 寛 (hiroshi) meaning "tolerant, generous", 浩 (hiroshi) meaning "prosperous", or other kanji and kanji combinations that are read the same way.

Hiroto m Japanese
From Japanese 大 (hiro) meaning "big, great" or 博 (hiro) meaning "command, esteem" combined with 人 (to) meaning "person", 翔 (to) meaning "soar, glide" or 斗 (to), which refers to a Chinese constellation. Other kanji combinations can also form this name.

Hirsh m Yiddish
Means "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).

Hirshel m Yiddish
Yiddish diminutive of Hirsh.

Hirune f Basque
Variant of Irune.

Hisako f Japanese
From Japanese 久 (hisa) meaning "long time, long time ago" or 寿 (hisa) meaning "long life, lifespan" combined with 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.

Hisein m Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic حسين (see Husayn).

Hisham m Arabic
Means "generous" in Arabic, ultimately from hashama "to crush". The meaning derives from the traditional Arab act of crushing bread into crumbs in order to share it. This was the name of an 8th-century caliph of the Umayyad dynasty in Spain.

Hitomi f Japanese
From Japanese 瞳 (hitomi) meaning "pupil of the eye". It can also come from 史 (hito) meaning "history" and 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful", as well as other kanji combinations. This name is often written with the hiragana writing system.

Hiwot f Amharic
Means "life" in Amharic.

Hizkiah m Biblical
Alternate form of the Hebrew name Chizqiyahu (see Hezekiah).

Hjálmar m Icelandic, Faroese
Icelandic and Faroese form of Hjalmar.

Hjalmar m Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
From the Old Norse name Hjálmarr meaning "helmeted warrior" from the element hjalmr "helmet" combined with herr "army, warrior".

Hjálmarr m Old Norse
Old Norse form of Hjalmar.

Hjördís f Icelandic
Icelandic form of Hjördis.

Hjördis f Swedish
Swedish form of the Old Norse name Hjǫrdís meaning "sword goddess", derived from the elements hjǫrr "sword" and dís "goddess".

Hjørdis f Danish, Norwegian
Danish and Norwegian form of Hjördis.

Hjǫrdís f Old Norse
Old Norse form of Hjördis.

Hjörtur m Icelandic
Means "deer" in Icelandic.

Hla m & f Burmese
Means "pretty, favourable" in Burmese.

Hleb m Belarusian
Belarusian form of Gleb.

Hlengiwe f Zulu, Xhosa, Ndebele, Swazi
Means "helped, rescued, redeemed" in Zulu, Xhosa, Ndebele and Swazi.

Hlib m Ukrainian
Ukrainian form of Gleb.

Hlíf f Old Norse, Icelandic
Old Norse and Icelandic form of Liv 1.

Hlothar m Germanic
Old German form of Lothar.

Hlūdaharjaz m Old Germanic (Hypothetical)
Proto-Germanic reconstruction of Lothar.

Hlūdahildiz f Old Germanic (Hypothetical)
Proto-Germanic reconstruction of Chlodechilda.

Hlūdawīgą m Old Germanic (Hypothetical)
Proto-Germanic reconstruction of Ludwig.

Hludolf m Germanic
Old German form of Ludolf.

Hlūdwīg m Frankish (Hypothetical)
Frankish form (possibly) of Ludwig.

Hludwig m Germanic
Old German form of Ludwig.

Hlynur m Icelandic
Means "maple" in Icelandic.

Hnub f Hmong
Means "sun" in Hmong.

Hoa f Vietnamese
From Sino-Vietnamese 花 (hoa) meaning "flower".

Hob m Medieval English
Medieval short form of Robert.

Hodan f Somali
Means "rich, lush" in Somali.

Hode f Yiddish (Rare)
Yiddish short form of Hadassah.

Hodei m Basque
Means "cloud" in Basque.

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.

Hoder m Norse Mythology
From Old Norse Hǫðr, derived from hǫð meaning "battle". In Norse mythology he was a blind god, tricked by Loki into killing his brother Balder.

Hodesh f Biblical
Means "new moon, month" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament, this is the wife of Shaharaim.

Hodia f Hebrew
Modern Hebrew form of Hodiah.

Hodiah f Biblical
Means "majesty of Yahweh" in Hebrew. This is the name of a wife of Ezra in the Old Testament.

Hodiyah f Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew form of Hodiah.

Hoebaer m Limburgish
Limburgish form of Hubert. Its spelling has been influenced by the French pronunciation of Hubert.

Hoel m Breton, Arthurian Romance
Breton form of Hywel. This was the name of two dukes of Brittany. According to the chronicles of Geoffrey of Monmouth, it was borne by a ruler of Brittany who was an ally of King Arthur.

Hoglah f Biblical
Means "partridge" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of one of the daughters of Zelophehad.

Hohepa m Maori
Maori form of Joseph.

Hokolesqua m Shawnee
Means "cornstalk" in Shawnee. This was the name of an 18th-century Shawnee chief.

Hōkūlani f Hawaiian
Means "heavenly star" from Hawaiian hōkū "star" and lani "heaven, sky, royal, majesty".

Holden m English (Modern)
From a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "deep valley" in Old English. This is the name of the main character in J. D. Salinger's novel The Catcher in the Rye (1951), Holden Caulfield.

Holger m Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, German, Carolingian Cycle
From the Old Norse name Hólmgeirr, derived from the elements holmr "small island" and geirr "spear". In Scandinavia and Germany this is the usual name for the hero Ogier the Dane from medieval French romance.

Hollie f English
Variant of Holly.

Hollis m & f English
From an English surname that was derived from Middle English holis "holly trees". It was originally given to a person who lived near a group of those trees.

Holly f English
From the English word for the holly tree, ultimately derived from Old English holen. Holly Golightly is the main character in the novella Breakfast at Tiffany's (1958) by Truman Capote.

Hólmfríðr f Old Norse
Old Norse name derived from the elements holmr "small island" and fríðr "beautiful, beloved".

Hólmfríður f Icelandic
Icelandic form of Hólmfríðr.

Hólmgeirr m Old Norse
Old Norse form of Holger.

Homer m English, Ancient Greek (Anglicized)
From the Greek name Ὅμηρος (Homeros), derived from ὅμηρος (homeros) meaning "hostage, pledge". Homer was the Greek epic poet who wrote the Iliad, about the Trojan War, and the Odyssey, about Odysseus's journey home after the war. There is some debate about when he lived, or if he was even a real person, though most scholars place him in the 8th century BC. In the modern era, Homer has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world (chiefly in America) since the 18th century. This name is borne by the oafish cartoon father on the television series The Simpsons.

Homeros m Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek form of Homer.

Honey f English (Rare)
Simply from the English word honey, ultimately from Old English hunig. This was originally a nickname for a sweet person.

Hồng f Vietnamese
From Sino-Vietnamese 紅 (hồng) meaning "pink, rosy".

Hong m & f Chinese
From Chinese 虹 (hóng) meaning "rainbow", 弘 (hóng) meaning "enlarge, expand, great" (which is usually only masculine) or 鸿 (hóng) meaning "wild swan, great, vast" (also usually only masculine). Other characters can also form this name.

Honoka f Japanese
From Japanese 和 (hono) meaning "harmony" (using an obscure nanori reading) and 花 (ka) meaning "flower", as well as other combinations of kanji that have the same pronunciation. Very often it is written using the hiragana writing system.

Honor f & m English (Rare)
Variant of Honour, using the American spelling.

Honora f Irish, English
Variant of Honoria. It was brought to England and Ireland by the Normans.

Honorata f Late Roman, Polish
Feminine form of Honoratus.

Honoratus m Late Roman
Late Latin name meaning "esteemed, distinguished". This was the name of at least seven saints, including a 5th-century archbishop of Arles and a 6th-century bishop of Amiens who is the patron saint of bakers.

Honoré m French
French form of Honoratus or Honorius. A notable bearer was the French author Honoré de Balzac (1799-1850).

Honoria f Late Roman
Feminine form of Honorius. This name was borne by the sister of the Western Roman emperor Valentinian III. After her brother had her engaged to a man she did not like, she wrote to Attila the Hun asking for help. Attila interpreted this as a marriage proposal and subsequently invaded.

Honorina f Late Roman
Feminine form of Honorinus.

Honorine f French
French form of Honorina, a feminine form of the Roman name Honorinus, a derivative of Honorius. Saint Honorina was a 4th-century martyr from the Normandy region in France.

Honorinus m Late Roman
Late Latin name that was a derivative of Honorius.

Honorius m Late Roman
Late Latin name meaning "honour, esteem, dignity". This was the name of an emperor of the Western Roman Empire. It was also borne by a few early saints and four popes.

Honour f & m English (Rare)
From the English word honour, which is of Latin origin. This was one of the virtue names adopted by the Puritans in the 17th century. It can also be viewed as a form of Honoria or Honorata, which are ultimately derived from the same source.

Honza m Czech
Czech form of Hans.

Hooda f Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic هدى (see Huda).

Ho'otseoo'e f Cheyenne
Means "lightning woman" in Cheyenne.

Hopcyn m Medieval Welsh
Medieval Welsh diminutive of Hob.

Hope f English
From the English word hope, ultimately from Old English hopian. This name was first used by the Puritans in the 17th century.

Hopkin m Medieval English
Medieval diminutive of Hob.

Horace m English, French
English and French form of Horatius, and the name by which the Roman poet Quintus Horatius Flaccus is commonly known those languages. In the modern era it has been used as a given name since the Renaissance, in honour of the poet.

Horácio m Portuguese
Portuguese form of Horatius.

Horacio m Spanish
Spanish form of Horatius.

Horatia f Ancient Roman
Feminine form of Horatius.

Horatio m English
Variant of Horatius. Shakespeare used it for a character in his tragedy Hamlet (1600). It was borne by the British admiral Horatio Nelson (1758-1805), famous for his defeat of Napoleon's forces in the Battle of Trafalgar, in which he was himself killed. Since his time the name has been occasionally used in his honour.

Horațiu m Romanian
Romanian form of Horatius.

Horatius m Ancient Roman
Roman family name that was possibly derived from Latin hora meaning "hour, time, season", though the name may actually be of Etruscan origin. A famous bearer was Quintus Horatius Flaccus, a Roman lyric poet of the 1st century BC who is better known as Horace in the English-speaking world.

Hordad f & m Persian Mythology
Middle Persian form of Haurvatat.

Horea m Romanian
From Romanian horă, a type of circle dance. This was the nickname of Vasile Ursu Nicola (1731-1785), a leader of a peasant rebellion in Romania. He was eventually captured, tortured and executed.

Horia m Romanian
Variant of Horea.

Hormazd m Persian Mythology
Persian variant form of Ahura Mazda.

Hormisdas m Middle Persian (Hellenized)
Hellenized form of Hormizd. This was the name of a 6th-century pope.

Hormizd m Persian Mythology, Middle Persian
Middle Persian form of Ahura Mazda. This name was borne by several rulers of the Sasanian Empire. It was also borne by a Christian saint who was martyred in Persia in the 5th century.

Hormoz m Persian Mythology, Persian
Modern Persian form of Ahura Mazda.

Horos m Egyptian Mythology (Hellenized)
Greek form of Heru (see Horus).

Horsa m Anglo-Saxon Mythology
From 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 German
Means "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.

Hortense f French, English
French form of Hortensia.

Hortensia f Ancient Roman, Spanish
Feminine form of the Roman family name Hortensius, possibly derived from Latin hortus meaning "garden".

Hortensius m Ancient Roman
Masculine form of Hortensia.

Horus m Egyptian Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Ὧρος (Horos), the Greek form of Egyptian ḥrw (reconstructed as Heru and other forms) possibly from ḥr "above, over" or ḥrj "distant". In Egyptian mythology Horus was a god of the sky and light, often depicted as a man with the head of a falcon. In some versions of the mythology he was the son of Osiris and Isis, and avenged his father's murder by killing his uncle Seth.

Horymír m Czech
Possibly from the Slavic elements gora (Czech hora) meaning "mountain" and mirŭ meaning "peace, world". According to a Czech legend, Horymír was a man sentenced to death but saved by his horse.

Hosanna f Biblical
From the Aramaic religious expression הושע נא (Hosha' na') meaning "deliver us" in Hebrew. In the New Testament this is exclaimed by those around Jesus when he first enters Jerusalem.

Hosea m Biblical
Variant English form of Hoshea, though the name is spelled the same in the Hebrew text. Hosea is one of the twelve minor prophets of the Old Testament, the author of the Book of Hosea. Written in the northern kingdom, it draws parallels between his relationship with his unfaithful wife and the relationship between God and his people.

Hosee m Biblical Greek
Form of Hoshea (and Hosea) used in the Greek Bible.

Hoshea m Biblical, Biblical Hebrew
From the Hebrew name הוֹשֵׁעַ (Hoshe'a) meaning "salvation", from the root יָשַׁע (yasha'). In the Old Testament at Numbers 13:16, Moses gives the spy Hoshea the new name Yehoshu'a (see Joshua), which has a related origin. This name was also borne by an 8th-century BC king of Israel, who was the last ruler of that state before it was conquered by Assyria.

Hoshi f Japanese
From Japanese 星 (hoshi) meaning "star" or other kanji with the same pronunciation.

Hoshiko f Japanese
From Japanese 星 (hoshi) meaning "star" and 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Hosni m & f Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic حسني (see Husni).

Hossam m Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic حسام (see Husam).

Hossein m Persian
Persian form of Husayn.

Hotaru f Japanese
From Japanese 蛍 (hotaru) meaning "firefly".

Hǫðr m Norse Mythology
Old Norse form of Hoder.

Houa f Hmong
Means "clouds" in Hmong.

Houda f Arabic (Maghrebi)
Alternate transcription of Arabic هدى (see Huda) chiefly used in North Africa.

Hourig f Armenian
Alternate transcription of Armenian Հուրիկ (see Hurik).

Houssam m Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic حسام (see Husam).