Antony m EnglishVariant of
Anthony. This was formerly the usual English spelling of the name, but during the 17th century the
h began to be added.
Anubis m Egyptian Mythology (Latinized)Latinized form of
Ἄνουβις (Anoubis), the Greek form of Egyptian
jnpw (reconstructed as
Anapa and other forms), which coincided with a word meaning
"royal child, prince". However, it might alternatively be derived from the root
jnp meaning
"to decay". Anubis was the Egyptian god who led the dead to the underworld. He was often depicted as a man with the head of a jackal. The Greeks equated him with their god
Hermes.
Anuj m Hindi, MarathiMeans
"born later, younger" in Sanskrit. This name is sometimes given to the younger sibling of an older child.
Anunciación f SpanishMeans
"annunciation" in Spanish, referring to the event in the New Testament in which the angel Gabriel announces to the Virgin
Mary that she will give birth to
Jesus.
Anwen f WelshMeans
"very beautiful" in Welsh, from the intensive prefix
an- combined with
gwen "white, blessed".
Aodh m Irish, Scottish Gaelic, Irish MythologyFrom Old Irish
Áed, which meant
"fire". This was a very popular name in early Ireland, being borne by numerous figures in Irish mythology and several high kings. It has been traditionally Anglicized as
Hugh.
Aodhán m IrishFrom the Old Irish name
Áedán meaning
"little fire", a diminutive of
Áed (see
Aodh). This name was borne by a 6th-century king of Dál Riata. It was also the name of a few early Irish saints, including a 6th-century bishop of Ferns and a 7th-century bishop of Lindisfarne.
Aoibheann f IrishFrom Old Irish
Oébfinn or
Aíbinn, derived from
oíb meaning "beauty, appearance, form" and
finn meaning "white, blessed". This was the name of the mother of Saint Énna of Aran. It was also borne by the daughter of the 10th-century Irish high king Donnchad Donn.
Aoibhinn f IrishVariant of
Aoibheann. It also coincides with the related Irish word
aoibhinn meaning "delightful, pleasant".
Aoide f Greek MythologyMeans
"song" in Greek. In Greek mythology she was one of the original three muses, the muse of song.
Aoife f Irish, Irish MythologyFrom Old Irish
Aífe, derived from
oíph meaning
"beauty" (modern Irish
aoibh). This was the name of several characters in Irish legend, including a woman at war with
Scáthach (her sister in some versions). She was defeated in single combat by the hero
Cúchulainn, who spared her life on the condition that she bear him a child (
Connla). Another legendary figure by this name appears in the
Children of Lir as the jealous third wife of
Lir.
... [more] Aonghus m Irish, Scottish Gaelic, Irish MythologyFrom Old Irish
Óengus, possibly meaning
"one strength" from
óen "one" and
guss "force, strength". Aonghus (sometimes surnamed
Mac Og meaning "young son") was an Irish god of love and youth, one of the Tuatha Dé Danann. He was the son of
Dagda and
Boann. The name was also borne by an 8th-century Pictish king, several Irish kings, and a few saints, including a 9th-century bishop of Tallaght.
Aphra f Various (Rare)Meaning uncertain; possibly a variant of
Afra 1, or possibly a variant of
Aphrah, a biblical place name meaning "dust". This name was borne by the English writer Aphra Behn (1640-1689).
Aphrodite f Greek MythologyMeaning unknown, possibly of Phoenician origin. Aphrodite was the Greek goddess of love and beauty, identified with the Roman goddess
Venus. She was the wife of
Hephaestus and the mother of
Eros, and she was often associated with the myrtle tree and doves. The Greeks connected her name with
ἀφρός (aphros) meaning
"foam", resulting in the story that she was born from the foam of the sea. Many of her characteristics are based on the goddess known as
Ashtoreth to the Phoenicians and
Ishtar to the Mesopotamian Semitic peoples, and on the Sumerian goddess
Inanna.
Apollinaire m French (Rare)French form of
Apollinaris. It was adopted as a surname by the Polish-French poet Guillaume Apollinaire (1880-1918), who based it on his Polish middle name Apolinary.
Apollinaris m Ancient GreekAncient Greek name derived from the name of the god
Apollo. This was the name of several early saints and martyrs, including a bishop of Ravenna and a bishop of Hierapolis.
Apollo m Greek Mythology (Latinized)From Greek
Ἀπόλλων (Apollon), which is of unknown meaning, though perhaps related to the Indo-European root *
apelo- meaning
"strength". Another theory states that Apollo can be equated with Appaliunas, an Anatolian god whose name possibly means
"father lion" or
"father light". The Greeks later associated Apollo's name with the Greek verb
ἀπόλλυμι (apollymi) meaning
"to destroy". In Greek mythology Apollo was the son of
Zeus and
Leto and the twin of
Artemis. He was the god of prophecy, medicine, music, art, law, beauty, and wisdom. Later he also became the god of the sun and light.
Apollonios m Ancient GreekFrom an ancient Greek personal name that was derived from the name of the Greek god
Apollo. It was borne by a Greek poet of the 3rd century BC. Several saints have also had this name.
Appius m Ancient RomanThis was a Roman praenomen, or given name, used predominantly by the Claudia family. Its etymology is unknown. A famous bearer of this name was Appius Claudius Caecus, a Roman statesman of the 3rd century BC. He was responsible for the Aqua Appia (the first Roman aqueduct) and the Appian Way (a road between Rome and Capua), both of which were named for him.
Apple f English (Rare)From the English word for the fruit, derived from Middle English
appel, Old English
æppel. The American actress Gwenyth Paltrow and British musician Chris Martin gave this name to their daughter in 2004.
April f EnglishFrom the name of the month, probably originally derived from Latin
aperire "to open", referring to the opening of flowers. It has only been commonly used as a given name since the 1940s.
Arabella f EnglishMedieval Scottish name, probably a variant of
Annabel. It has long been associated with Latin
orabilis meaning "invokable, yielding to prayer", and the name was often recorded in forms resembling this.
... [more] Araceli f SpanishMeans
"altar of the sky" from Latin
ara "altar" and
coeli "sky". This is an epithet of the Virgin
Mary in her role as the patron saint of Lucena, Spain.
Arachne f Greek MythologyMeans
"spider" in Greek. In Greek myth Arachne was a mortal woman who defeated
Athena in a weaving contest. After this Arachne hanged herself, but Athena brought her back to life in the form of a spider.
Aramazd m Armenian MythologyArmenian form of
Ahura Mazda. This was the name of the supreme creator god in pre-Christian Armenian mythology. He and other Zoroastrian deities were introduced to Armenia during the period of Iranian domination in the 1st millenium BC.
Ararat m ArmenianFrom the name of a mountain in eastern Turkey (formerly part of Armenia), the place where
Noah's Ark came to rest according to the Old Testament.
Arash m Persian, Persian MythologyFrom Avestan
𐬆𐬭𐬆𐬑𐬱𐬀 (Ərəxsha), of uncertain meaning, possibly from a root meaning
"bear". In Iranian legend Arash was an archer who was ordered by the Turans to shoot an arrow, the landing place of which would determine the new location of the Iran-Turan border. Arash climbed a mountain and fired his arrow with such strength that it flew for several hours and landed on the banks of the far-away Oxus River.
Arawn m Welsh MythologyMeaning unknown. This was the name of the god of the underworld, called Annwfn, in Welsh mythology.
Archibald m Scottish, EnglishDerived from the Germanic name
Ercanbald, composed of the elements
erkan meaning "pure, holy, genuine" and
bald meaning "bold, brave". The first element was altered due to the influence of Greek names beginning with the element
ἀρχός (archos) meaning "master". The Normans brought this name to England. It first became common in Scotland in the Middle Ages (sometimes used to Anglicize the Gaelic name
Gilleasbuig, for unknown reasons).
Archie m Scottish, EnglishDiminutive of
Archibald. This name is borne by Archie Andrews, an American comic-book character created in 1941. It was also used by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle for the name of their son born 2019.
Archimedes m Ancient GreekDerived from the Greek elements
ἀρχός (archos) meaning "master" and
μήδεα (medea) meaning "plans, counsel, cunning". This was the name of a 3rd-century BC Greek mathematician, astronomer and inventor.
Archippos m Ancient Greek, Biblical GreekMeans
"master of horses" from the Greek elements
ἀρχός (archos) meaning "master" and
ἵππος (hippos) meaning "horse". In the New Testament it is borne by a man mentioned in the epistles (spelled as
Archippus, the Latinized form, in the English version).
Ardashir m Middle PersianMiddle Persian form of Old Persian
Artaxšaça (see
Artaxerxes). This was the name of a 3rd-century king of Persia who defeated the Parthians and founded the Sasanian Empire. He also reestablished Zoroastrianism as the state religion.
Ares m Greek MythologyPerhaps from either Greek
ἀρή (are) meaning
"bane, ruin" or
ἄρσην (arsen) meaning
"male". The name first appears as
a-re in Mycenaean Greek writing. Ares was the bloodthirsty god of war in Greek mythology, a son of
Zeus and
Hera.
Aretha f EnglishPossibly derived from Greek
ἀρετή (arete) meaning
"virtue". This name was popularized in the 1960s by American singer Aretha Franklin (1942-2018).
Arethusa f Greek Mythology (Latinized)From Greek
Ἀρέθουσα (Arethousa) meaning
"quick water", which is possibly derived from
ἄρδω (ardo) meaning "water" and
θοός (thoos) meaning "quick, nimble". This was the name of a nymph in Greek mythology who was transformed into a fountain.
Argus m Greek Mythology (Latinized)From the Greek
Ἄργος (Argos), derived from
ἀργός (argos) meaning
"glistening, shining". This name was borne by several characters from Greek myth, including the man who built the Argo and a giant with one hundred eyes.
Ariadne f Greek MythologyMeans
"most holy", composed of the Greek prefix
ἀρι (ari) meaning "most" combined with Cretan Greek
ἀδνός (adnos) meaning "holy". In Greek mythology, Ariadne was the daughter of King
Minos. She fell in love with
Theseus and helped him to escape the Labyrinth and the Minotaur, but was later abandoned by him. Eventually she married the god
Dionysus.
Ariana f Portuguese, English (Modern)Portuguese form of
Ariadne. This name steadily grew in popularity in America in the last few decades of the 20th century. A famous bearer is the American pop singer Ariana Grande (1993-).
Arianrhod f Welsh MythologyProbably means
"silver wheel" from Welsh
arian "silver" and
rhod "wheel". According to the Fourth Branch of the
Mabinogi, Arianrhod was the mother of the twins
Dylan and
Lleu Llaw Gyffes, whom she spontaneously birthed when she stepped over a magical wand. It is speculated that in earlier myths she may have been a goddess of the moon.
Arianwen f WelshDerived from Welsh
arian "silver" and
gwen "white, blessed". This was the name of a 5th-century Welsh saint, one of the supposed daughters of
Brychan Brycheiniog.
Ariel m & f Hebrew, English, French, Spanish, Polish, Biblical, Biblical GreekMeans
"lion of God" in Hebrew, from
אֲרִי ('ari) meaning "lion" and
אֵל ('el) meaning "God". In the Old Testament it is used as another name for the city of Jerusalem. Shakespeare utilized it for a spirit in his play
The Tempest (1611) and Alexander Pope utilized it for a sylph in his poem
The Rape of the Lock (1712), and one of the moons of Uranus bears this name in his honour. As an English name, it became more common for females in the 1980s, especially after it was used for the title character in the Disney film
The Little Mermaid (1989).
Aristotle m Ancient Greek (Anglicized)From the Greek name
Ἀριστοτέλης (Aristoteles) meaning
"the best purpose", derived from
ἄριστος (aristos) meaning "best" and
τέλος (telos) meaning "purpose, result, completion". This was the name of a Greek philosopher of the 4th century BC who made lasting contributions to Western thought, including the fields of logic, metaphysics, ethics and biology.
Arja f FinnishVariant of
Irja. The Finnish poet Eino Leino used it in his poem
Arja and Selinä (1916), though belonging to a male character.
Arkadios m Ancient GreekFrom an ancient Greek name meaning
"of Arcadia". Arcadia was a region in Greece, its name deriving from
ἄρκτος (arktos) meaning "bear". This was the name of a 3rd-century saint and martyr.
Arkadiy m RussianRussian form of
Arkadios. This is the name of one of the main characters in Ivan Turgenev's
Fathers and Sons (1862).
Arke 1 f Greek MythologyFrom Greek
ἀρκής (arkes) meaning
"swift". Arke was the twin sister of the rainbow goddess
Iris in Greek mythology. Because she sided with the Titans, Zeus had her imprisoned with them in Tartarus.
Armani m & f English (Modern)From an Italian surname meaning
"son of Ermanno". It has been used as a given name due to the fashion company Armani, which was founded by the clothing designer Giorgio Armani (1934-).
Armel m Breton, FrenchBreton and French form of the Old Welsh name
Arthmail, which was composed of the elements
arth "bear" and
mael "prince, chieftain". This was the name of a 6th-century Welsh saint who founded abbeys in Brittany.
Arminius m Old Germanic (Latinized)Latinized form of a Germanic name, possibly derived from the element *
ermunaz meaning
"whole, universal". Other theories claim that it is related to
Herman, or that it is not Germanic at all. Arminius was a 1st-century chief of the Germanic tribe of the Cherusci. Raised in Rome as a hostage, he eventually became a citizen and joined the army. However, he turned against the Empire, leading the Germans in a surprise attack in the Teutoburg Forest and driving the Romans from Germania.
Arnfinn m NorwegianNorwegian form of
Arnfinnr, which was derived from the elements
ǫrn "eagle" and
finnr "Sámi, person from Finland".
Arnold m English, German, Dutch, Polish, GermanicFrom a Germanic name meaning
"eagle power", derived from the elements
arn "eagle" and
walt "power, authority". The Normans brought it to England, where it replaced the Old English cognate
Earnweald. It died out as an English name after the Middle Ages, but it was revived in the 19th century.
... [more] Arnulf m German, GermanicGermanic name derived from the elements
arn meaning "eagle" and
wolf meaning "wolf". This name was borne by a few early saints, notably a 7th-century Frankish bishop of Metz. It was also the name of a 9th-century Holy Roman emperor.
Arsenios m Ancient GreekMeans
"virile" in Greek. Saint Arsenius was a 5th-century deacon who was tutor to the two sons of the Roman emperor Theodosius. The two sons, Arcadius and Honorius, divided the empire into eastern and western halves upon their father's death.
Arsinoe f Ancient GreekMeans
"raising of the mind", from Greek
ἄρσις (arsis) "raising" and
νόος (noos) "mind, thought". This name was borne by Egyptian queens from the Ptolemaic dynasty.
Artabazos m Old Persian (Hellenized)Greek form of the Old Persian name *
Artavazda meaning
"persevering through truth", a calque of Avestan
𐬀𐬴𐬀𐬎𐬎𐬀𐬰𐬛𐬀𐬵 (Ashauuazdah). This was the name of two Achaemenid Persian satraps of Hellespontine Phrygia.
Artaxerxes m Old Persian (Hellenized), Biblical, HistoryGreek form of the Old Persian name
𐎠𐎼𐎫𐎧𐏁𐏂𐎠 (Artaxšaça) meaning
"reign through truth", derived from
𐎠𐎼𐎫 (arta) meaning "truth" and
𐎧𐏁𐏂𐎶 (xšaçam) meaning "reign, kingdom". This was the name of several Achaemenid Persian rulers. It was also borne by the founder of the Sasanian Empire, usually known by the Middle Persian form
Ardashir.