Alte 2 m FrisianOriginally a short form of names beginning with the Old German element
alt meaning
"old".
Althea f Greek Mythology (Latinized)From the Greek name
Ἀλθαία (Althaia), perhaps related to Greek
ἄλθος (althos) meaning
"healing". In Greek myth she was the mother of Meleager. Soon after her son was born she was told that he would die as soon as a piece of wood that was burning on her fire was fully consumed. She immediately extinguished the piece of wood and sealed it in a chest, but in a fit of rage many years later she took it out and set it alight, thereby killing her son.
Álvaro m Spanish, PortugueseSpanish form of
Alvarus, the Latinized form of a Visigothic name, possibly derived from the elements
alls "all" and
wars "aware, cautious" or
wards "guard". Álvar Fáñez was an 11th-century military commander and duke of Toledo, who appears as a general of El Cid in the epic poem
El Cantar de mio Cid. Verdi also used the name in his opera
The Force of Destiny (1862).
Alvin m English, SwedishFrom a medieval form of any of the Old English names
Ælfwine,
Æðelwine or
Ealdwine. It was revived in the 19th century, in part from a surname that was derived from the Old English names. As a Scandinavian name it is derived from
Alfvin, an Old Norse cognate of
Ælfwine.
Alvis m Norse Mythology, LatvianFrom the Old Norse
Alvíss meaning
"all wise". In Norse mythology this was the name of a dwarf who was to marry
Thor's daughter
Thrud. Thor was not pleased with this so he tricked Alvis by asking him questions until the sun rose, at which time the dwarf was turned into stone.
Alwilda f HistoryLatinized form of
Alfhild. This was the name of a legendary female Scandinavian pirate, also called Awilda.
Alyssa f EnglishVariant of
Alicia. The spelling has probably been influenced by that of the alyssum flower, the name of which is derived from Greek
ἀ (a), a negative prefix, combined with
λύσσα (lyssa) meaning "madness, rabies", since it was believed to cure madness.
Amabilis m Late RomanLate Latin name meaning
"lovable". Saint Amabilis was a 5th-century priest in Riom, central France.
Amadeus m Late RomanMeans
"love of God", derived from Latin
amare "to love" and
Deus "God". A famous bearer was the Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791), who was actually born Wolfgang
Theophilus Mozart but preferred the Latin translation of his Greek middle name. This name was also assumed as a middle name by the German novelist E. T. A. Hoffmann (1776-1822), who took it in honour of Mozart.
Amadis m LiteratureProbably an Old Spanish form of
Amadeus. In a medieval tale Amadis of Gaul was a heroic knight-errant and the lover of
Oriana. The earliest extant version of the story,
Amadís de Gaula, was written by Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo in 1508.
Amalaberga f Gothic (Latinized)From the Gothic name *
Amalabairga, derived from the Gothic element
amals meaning "unceasing, vigorous, brave", also referring to the royal dynasty of the Amali, combined with
bairgo meaning "help, protection". This name was borne by a daughter of Theodemir, king of the Ostrogoths in the 5th century.
Amalberga f GermanicVariant of
Amalaberga, as borne by the Frankish saints Amalberga of Maubeuge (7th century) and Amalberga of Temse (8th century).
Amalbert m GermanicDerived from the Old German elements
amal possibly meaning "unceasing, vigorous, brave" and
beraht meaning "bright".
Amalgaid m Old IrishOld Irish name of uncertain meaning. This was the name of a few early Irish kings.
Amalia f Spanish, Italian, Romanian, Greek, Finnish, Swedish, Dutch, German, Germanic (Latinized)Short form of Germanic names beginning with the element
amal. This element means
"unceasing, vigorous, brave", or it can refer to the Gothic dynasty of the Amali (derived from the same root).
... [more] Amalric m Gothic (Anglicized)From the Visigothic name *
Amalareiks, derived from the Gothic element
amals meaning "unceasing, vigorous, brave", also referring to the royal dynasty of the Amali, combined with
reiks meaning "ruler, king". This was the name of a 6th-century king of the Visigoths, as well as two 12th-century rulers of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem.
Amanda f English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Hungarian, Latvian, Late RomanIn part this is a feminine form of
Amandus. However, it was not used during the Middle Ages. In the 17th century it was recreated by authors and poets who based it directly on Latin
amanda meaning
"lovable, worthy of love". Notably, the playwright Colley Cibber used it for a character in his play
Love's Last Shift (1696). It came into regular use during the 19th century.
Amandus m Late RomanDerived from Latin
amanda meaning
"lovable, worthy of love". Saint Amandus was a 5th-century bishop of Bordeaux. It was also borne by a 7th-century French saint who evangelized in Flanders.
Amantius m Late RomanMeans
"loving" in Latin. This was the name of several early saints. It has sometimes been confused with the name
Amandus.
Amariah m BiblicalMeans
"Yahweh has said" in Hebrew. This is the name of several Old Testament characters.
Amator m Late RomanLate Latin name meaning
"lover (of God)". Saint Amator was a 5th-century bishop of Auxerre.
Amatus m Late RomanLate Latin name meaning
"beloved". The 7th-century Saint Amatus was the first abbot of Remiremont Abbey.
Amaziah m BiblicalMeans
"Yahweh strengthens" in Hebrew. This is the name of several Old Testament characters, including a king of Judah.
Amber f English, DutchFrom the English word
amber that denotes either the gemstone, which is formed from fossil resin, or the orange-yellow colour. The word ultimately derives from Arabic
عنبر ('anbar). It began to be used as a given name in the late 19th century, but it only became popular after the release of Kathleen Winsor's novel
Forever Amber (1944).
Ambrose m EnglishFrom the Late Latin name
Ambrosius, which was derived from the Greek name
Ἀμβρόσιος (Ambrosios) meaning
"immortal". Saint Ambrose was a 4th-century theologian and bishop of Milan, who is considered a Doctor of the Church. Due to the saint, the name came into general use in Christian Europe, though it was never particularly common in England.
Amedeo m ItalianItalian form of
Amadeus. A notable bearer of this name was Amedeo Avogadro (1776-1856), an Italian chemist most famous for the constant that now bears his name: Avogadro's Number. Another famous bearer was the Italian painter and sculptor Amedeo Modigliani (1884-1920).
Amelia f English, Spanish, Italian, Polish, Medieval FrenchVariant of
Amalia, though it is sometimes confused with
Emilia, which has a different origin. The name became popular in England after the German House of Hanover came to the British throne in the 18th century — it was borne by daughters of both George II and George III. The author Henry Fielding used it for the title character in his novel
Amelia (1751). Another famous bearer was Amelia Earhart (1897-1937), the first woman to make a solo flight over the Atlantic Ocean.
... [more] Amenemhat m Ancient EgyptianFrom Egyptian
jmn-m-ḥꜣt meaning
"Amon is foremost". This was the name of four Egyptian pharaohs, including Amenemhat I the founder of the 12th dynasty in the 20th century BC.
Amenhotep m Ancient EgyptianFrom Egyptian
jmn-ḥtp meaning
"Amon is satisfied", derived from the name of the Egyptian god
Amon combined with
ḥtp "peace, satisfaction". This was the name of four pharaohs of the New Kingdom, including Amenhotep III (14th century BC), known as the Magnificent, who ruled over Egypt during a time of great prosperity.
Ameretat f Persian MythologyMeans
"immortality" in Avestan. This was the name of a Zoroastrian goddess (one of the Amesha Spenta) associated with plants and long life. She was often mentioned with
Haurvatat.
America f EnglishIn the English-speaking world, this name is usually given in reference to the United States of America (see
Amerigo). It came into use as an American name in the 19th century.
Amerigo m ItalianMedieval Italian form of
Emmerich. Amerigo Vespucci (1451-1512) was the Italian explorer who gave the continent of America its name (from
Americus, the Latin form of his name).
Amethyst f English (Rare)From the name of the purple semi-precious stone, which is derived from the Greek negative prefix
ἀ (a) and
μέθυστος (methystos) meaning "intoxicated, drunk", as it was believed to be a remedy against drunkenness. It is the traditional birthstone of February.
Ami 4 m HebrewMeans
"my people" or
"my nation" in Hebrew.
Amice f Medieval EnglishMedieval name derived from Latin
amicus meaning
"friend". This was a popular name in the Middle Ages, though it has since become uncommon.
Amika f EsperantoMeans
"friendly" in Esperanto, ultimately from Latin
amicus "friend".
Amit 1 m Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Assamese, Odia, Punjabi, Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, NepaliMeans
"immeasurable, infinite" in Sanskrit.
Amon m Egyptian Mythology (Anglicized)From
Ἄμμων (Ammon), the Greek form of Egyptian
jmn (reconstructed as
Yamanu) meaning
"the hidden one". In early Egyptian mythology he was a god of the air, creativity and fertility, who was particularly revered in Thebes. Later, during the Middle Kingdom, his attributes were combined with those of the god
Ra and he was worshipped as the supreme solar deity
Amon-Ra.
Amonet f Egyptian MythologyFrom Egyptian
jmnt (reconstructed as
Yamanut), the feminine form of
Amon. In Egyptian mythology she was a primordial goddess, a consort of Amon. She was later overshadowed by
Mut.
Amos m English, Hebrew, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek, Biblical HebrewFrom Hebrew
עָמַס ('amas) meaning
"load, burden". Amos is one of the twelve minor prophets of the Old Testament, the author of the Book of Amos, which speaks against greed, corruption and oppression of the poor. Written about the 8th century BC, it is among the oldest of the prophetic books. As an English name,
Amos has been used since the Protestant Reformation, and was popular among the Puritans.
Ampelio m ItalianItalian form of
Ampelius, the Latin form of the Greek name
Ἀμπέλιος (Ampelios), which was derived from
ἄμπελος (ampelos) meaning
"vine". Saint Ampelius was a 7th-century bishop of Milan.
Amphitrite f Greek MythologyPossibly means
"the surrounding sea" or
"the surrounding third", from Greek
ἀμφίς (amphis) meaning "surrounding, around, between" and the same root found in the name of
Triton. In Greek mythology she was a goddess of the sea and salt water, the wife of
Poseidon and the mother of Triton.
Amporn f ThaiDerived from Thai
อํา (am) meaning "to hide" and
พร (phon) meaning "blessing".
Amrit m HindiMeans
"immortal" from Sanskrit
अ (a) meaning "not" and
मृत (mrta) meaning "dead". In Hindu texts it refers to a drink that gives immortality.
Amse m FrisianOriginally a short form of
Adelmar (and other names starting with the Old German element
adal "noble" and a second element beginning with
m).
Amulius m Roman MythologyMeaning unknown. In Roman mythology Amulius overthrew his brother Numitor, king of Alba Longa, but was eventually deposed by Numitor's grandsons
Romulus and
Remus.
Amund m NorwegianDerived from the Old Norse name
Agmundr, from the element
egg "edge of a sword" or
agi "awe, fear" combined with
mundr "protection".
Amy f EnglishEnglish form of the Old French name
Amée meaning
"beloved" (modern French
aimée), a vernacular form of the Latin
Amata. As an English name, it was in use in the Middle Ages (though not common) and was revived in the 19th century.
Amyas m English (Rare)Meaning unknown, perhaps a derivative of
Amis. Alternatively, it may come from a surname that originally indicated that the bearer was from the city of Amiens in France. Edmund Spenser used this name for a minor character in his epic poem
The Faerie Queene (1590).
An 2 m Sumerian MythologyMeans
"heaven, sky" in Sumerian. An was the supreme Sumerian god of the heavens, the father of
Enlil and
Enki. His cuneiform sign
𒀭 (dingir) was prefixed to the names of other deities in writing, though it was not pronounced.
Ana f Spanish, Portuguese, Slovene, Bulgarian, Romanian, Croatian, Serbian, Albanian, Macedonian, Georgian, Fijian, TonganForm of
Anna used in various languages.
Anah f & m Biblical, Biblical HebrewMeans
"answer" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this name belongs to one female character and two male characters.
Anahit f Armenian, Armenian MythologyArmenian form of
Anahita, introduced during the period of Iranian domination in the 1st millenium BC. Anahit was an important Armenian mother goddess associated with fertility and protection. She was a daughter of
Aramazd.
Anahita f Persian, Persian MythologyMeans
"immaculate, undefiled" in Old Persian, from the Old Iranian prefix *
an- "not" combined with *
āhita "unclean, dirty". This was the name of an Iranian goddess of fertility and water. In the Zoroastrian religious texts the
Avesta she is called
𐬀𐬭𐬆𐬛𐬎𐬎𐬍 (Arəduuī) in Avestan, with
𐬀𐬥𐬁𐬵𐬌𐬙𐬀 (anāhita) appearing only as a descriptive epithet. In origin she is possibly identical to the Indian goddess
Saraswati. She has historically been identified with the Semitic goddess
Ishtar and the Greek goddess
Artemis.
Anara f Kazakh, KyrgyzFrom Kazakh and Kyrgyz
анар (anar) meaning
"pomegranate", a word ultimately derived from Persian.
Anargyros m GreekFrom the Greek term
ἀνάργυρος (anargyros) meaning
"poor, incorruptible", derived from Greek
ἀ (a), a negative prefix, combined with
ἄργυρος (argyros) meaning "silver". This term referred to saints who did not accept payment for their services.
Anastasia f Greek, Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, English, Spanish, Italian, Georgian, Ancient GreekFeminine form of
Anastasius. This was the name of a 4th-century Dalmatian saint who was martyred during the persecutions of the Roman emperor Diocletian. Due to her, the name has been common in Eastern Orthodox Christianity (in various spellings). As an English name it has been in use since the Middle Ages. A famous bearer was the youngest daughter of the last Russian tsar Nicholas II, who was rumoured to have escaped the execution of her family in 1918.
Anastasius m Ancient Greek (Latinized)Latinized form of the Greek name
Ἀναστάσιος (Anastasios), which meant
"resurrection" from Greek
ἀνάστασις (anastasis) (composed of the elements
ἀνά (ana) meaning "up" and
στάσις (stasis) meaning "standing"). This was the name of numerous early saints and martyrs, including a 7th-century monk and writer from Alexandria who is especially venerated in the Eastern Church.
Anat 1 f Semitic MythologyPossibly derived from a Semitic root meaning
"water spring". Anat was a goddess of fertility, hunting and war worshipped by the Semitic peoples of the Levant. She was the sister and consort of the god
Hadad.
Anatolia f Late RomanFeminine form of
Anatolius. This was the name of a 3rd-century Italian saint and martyr. This is also a place name (from the same Greek origin) referring to the large peninsula that makes up the majority of Turkey.
Andeolus m Late RomanMeaning unknown. This was the name of a saint who was martyred in southern Gaul (at the town now known as Bourg-Saint-Andéol) in 3rd century.
Andor 1 m NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Arnþórr, derived from the element
ǫrn "eagle" combined with the name of the Norse god
Þórr (see
Thor).
Andraste f Celtic Mythology (Hellenized)Possibly means
"invincible" in Celtic. According to the Greco-Roman historian Cassius Dio, this was the name of a Briton goddess of victory who was invoked by
Boudicca before her revolt.