Ah m & f ChineseFrom the Chinese character
阿 (ā), which has no distinct meaning. It is not normally given as a name, but it can be prefixed to another name to make it a diminutive.
Ahab m Biblical, Biblical LatinMeans
"uncle", from Hebrew
אָח ('ach) meaning "brother" and
אָב ('av) meaning "father". This was the name of a king of Israel, the husband of
Jezebel, as told in the Old Testament. He was admonished by
Elijah for his sinful behaviour. Herman Melville later used this name in his novel
Moby-Dick (1851), where it belongs to a sea captain obsessively hunting for a white whale.
Ahasuerus m BiblicalFrom Hebrew
אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ ('Achashwerosh), from the Old Persian name
Xšayarša (see
Xerxes). This name appears several times in the Old Testament belonging to a king of Persia. In the Book of Esther, Ahasuerus is the husband of
Esther.
Ahenobarbus m Ancient RomanFrom a Roman cognomen meaning
"bronze beard" in Latin. This name was borne by a series of consuls of the late Roman Republic.
Ahinoam f BiblicalMeans
"my brother is pleasant" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of wives of both
Saul and
David.
Ahmose m & f Ancient Egyptian (Anglicized)From Egyptian
jꜥḥ-ms meaning
"born of Iah", derived from the name of the Egyptian god
Iah combined with
msj meaning "be born". This was the name of the first pharaoh of the 18th dynasty (16th century BC). He defeated the Hyksos and drove them from Egypt. It was also borne by others among Egyptian royalty from the same era, including several queens consort.
Ahtahkakoop m Cree (Anglicized)From Cree
ᐊᑖᐦᑲᑯᐦᑊ (Atâhkakohp) meaning
"star blanket", derived from
ᐊᑖᕁ (atâhk) "star" and
ᐊᑯᐦᑊ (akohp) "blanket". This was the name of an early 19th-century chief of a Plains Cree people.
Ahuludegi m CherokeeMeans
"he throws away the drum" from Cherokee
ᎠᎱᎵ (ahuli) "drum" and
ᎤᏕᎦ (udega) "throw". This was the name of a 19th-century Cherokee chief, also known as John Jolly.
Ahura Mazda m Persian MythologyMeans
"lord of wisdom", from Avestan
𐬀𐬵𐬎𐬭𐬀 (ahura) meaning "lord" and
𐬨𐬀𐬰𐬛𐬁 (mazdā) meaning "wisdom". In Zoroastrianism Ahura Mazda was the supreme creator, and the god of light, truth, and goodness.
Ai 1 f JapaneseFrom Japanese
愛 (ai) meaning "love, affection",
藍 (ai) meaning "indigo", or other kanji with the same pronunciation.
Ai 2 f ChineseFrom Chinese
爱 (ài) meaning "love, affection",
蔼 (ǎi) meaning "friendly, lush", or other characters that are pronounced similarly.
Aibek m Kazakh, KyrgyzDerived from Kazakh and Kyrgyz
ай (ay) meaning "moon" combined with the Turkic military title
beg meaning "chieftain, master".
Aidan m Irish, English (Modern)Anglicized form of
Aodhán. In the latter part of the 20th century it became popular in America due to its sound, since it shares a sound with such names as
Braden and
Hayden. It peaked ranked 39th for boys in 2003.
Aidana f KazakhMeans
"wise moon" in Kazakh, from
ай (ay) meaning "moon" and
дана (dana) meaning "wise".
Aiday f KazakhMeans
"moon-like" in Kazakh, from
ай (ay) meaning "moon" and the suffix
дай (day) meaning "like".
Aifric f IrishFrom Old Irish
Affraic, possibly from
Afraicc, the Old Irish name of the continent of Africa (see
Africa 1). Alternatively, it could be from *
Aithbrecc, an unattested earlier form of
Aithbhreac. This was the name of two abbesses of Kildare in the 8th and 9th centuries. It was also borne by a 12th-century daughter of the king of the Isle of Mann who married the Anglo-Norman knight John de Courcy.
Aigar m EstonianPossibly from the Finnic root
aika meaning
"time" (Estonian
aeg).
Aigerim f KazakhFrom Kazakh
ай (ay) meaning "moon" and
керім (kerim) meaning "wonderful, amazing". It was created by the 19th-century Kazakh poet Abai Qunanbaiuly as a nickname for his wife Shukiman.
Aija f LatvianOf uncertain meaning, possibly related to Latvian
aijāt meaning
"to rock, to lull". It was used by the Latvian writer Jānis Jaunsudrabiņš for the title character of his novel
Aija (1911).
Aike m FrisianDiminutive of names beginning with the Old German element
ekka meaning
"edge, blade" or
adal meaning
"noble".
Aiko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
愛 (ai) meaning "love, affection" and
子 (ko) meaning "child", as well as other character combinations.
Aikorkem f KazakhMeans
"elegant moon", derived from Kazakh
ай (ay) meaning "moon" and
көркем (korkem) meaning "beautiful, elegant".
Ailbhe f & m Irish, Irish MythologyFrom Old Irish
Ailbe, possibly derived from the old Celtic root *
albiyo- "world, light, white" or Old Irish
ail "rock". In Irish legend this was the name of a female warrior of the Fianna. It was also the name of a 6th-century masculine saint, the founder of a monastery at Emly.
Ailill m Old Irish, Irish MythologyMeans
"elf" in Irish. This name was borne by several early Irish kings. It also occurs frequently in Irish legend, borne for example by the husband of Queen
Medb. It was also the name of two saints, both bishops of Armagh in the 6th century.
Ailsa f ScottishFrom
Ailsa Craig, the name of an island off the west coast of Scotland, which is of uncertain derivation.
Aiman 1 f KazakhPossibly means
"my moon" in Kazakh, from
ай (ay) meaning "moon" and the Persian possessive
من (man) meaning "my". Aiman and
Sholpan are sisters in a 19th-century Kazakh epic poem, later adapted into the 1934 play
Aiman-Sholpan by Mukhtar Auezov.
Aimé m FrenchFrom Old French
Amé, the masculine form of
Amée (see
Amy).
Aimeric m GermanicProbably a variant of
Heimirich. Aimeric (or Aimery) was the name of several viscounts of Narbonne between the 11th and 13th centuries. It was also borne by the first king of Cyprus (12th century), originally from Poitou, France.
Aimi f JapaneseFrom Japanese
愛 (ai) meaning "love, affection" and
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful". Other combinations of kanji characters are possible.
Aina 3 f JapaneseFrom Japanese
愛 (ai) meaning "love, affection" and
菜 (na) meaning "vegetables, greens", as well as other character combinations.
Áine f Irish, Irish Mythology, Old IrishMeans
"radiance, brilliance" in Irish. This was the name of a goddess of love and fertility in Irish legend, thought to dwell at the hill of Cnoc Áine in Limerick. It has sometimes been Anglicized as
Anne.
Ainhoa f BasqueFrom the name of a town in southwestern France where there is a famous image of the Virgin
Mary.
Ainsley f & m Scottish, English (Modern)From an English surname that was from a place name: either Annesley in Nottinghamshire or Ansley in Warwickshire. The place names themselves derive from Old English
anne "alone, solitary" or
ansetl "hermitage" and
leah "woodland, clearing".
... [more] Aiolos m Greek MythologyMeans
"quick-moving, nimble" in Greek. This was the name of the Greek god of the winds.
Airi 1 f JapaneseFrom Japanese
愛 (ai) meaning "love, affection" combined with
莉 (ri) meaning "white jasmine" or
梨 (ri) meaning "pear". Other combinations of kanji characters are possible.
Airi 2 f FinnishFrom Finnish
airut meaning
"messenger, herald", also influenced by place names beginning with the same sound.
Aisling f IrishMeans
"dream" or
"vision" in Irish. This name was created in the 20th century.
Aistė f LithuanianFrom the name of the Baltic tribe of the Aesti, mentioned by the Roman historian Tacitus, called the
Aisçiai in Lithuanian.
Aistulf m GermanicDerived from the Old German elements
heisti "loud, violent" and
wolf "wolf". This was the name of an 8th-century king of the Lombards.
Aisultan m KazakhDerived from Kazakh
ай (ay) meaning "moon" and
сұлтан (sultan) meaning "sultan, king" (of Arabic origin).
Aitana f SpanishFrom the name of a mountain range in Valencia, eastern Spain. The Spanish poet Rafael Alberti used it for his daughter in 1941.
Aitor m Basque, SpanishPossibly means
"good fathers" from Basque
aita "father" and
on "good". This was the name of a legendary ancestor of the Basques.
Aiur m BasqueDerived from Basque
ainuria or
aiuria meaning
"howl".
Aivars m LatvianLatvian form of
Ivar. The Latvian author Vilis Lācis used it for a character in his novel
Uz Jauno Krastu (1952).
Aiza f UrduMeaning unknown, possibly of Arabic origin.
Aizere f KazakhMeans
"golden moon" from Kazakh
ай (ay) meaning "moon" and Persian
زر (zar) meaning "gold".
Ajax m Greek Mythology (Latinized)From the Greek name
Αἴας (Aias), perhaps deriving from Greek
αἰαστής (aiastes) meaning
"mourner" or
αἶα (aia) meaning
"earth, land". In Greek mythology this was the name of two of the heroes who fought for the Greeks in the Trojan War, the son of
Telamon and the son of Oileus. When the armour of the slain hero
Achilles was not given to Ajax Telamonian, he became mad with jealousy and killed himself.
Akakios m Greek, Ancient GreekFrom a Greek word meaning
"innocent, not evil", derived from
ἀ (a), a negative prefix, combined with
κάκη (kake) meaning "evil". This was the name of three early saints, two of whom were martyred.
Akane f JapaneseFrom Japanese
茜 (akane) meaning "deep red, dye from the rubia plant". Other kanji or combinations of kanji can form this name as well.
Akari f JapaneseFrom Japanese
明 (aka) meaning "bright" or
朱 (aka) meaning "vermilion red" combined with
里 (ri) meaning "village" or
莉 (ri) meaning "white jasmine". Other combinations of kanji characters can also form this name.
Akemi f JapaneseFrom Japanese
明 (ake) meaning "bright" and
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Akhenaton m Ancient EgyptianFrom Egyptian
ꜣḫ-n-jtn meaning
"effective for Aton". Akhenaton was a 14th-century BC Egyptian pharaoh of the New Kingdom, who is best known for promoting the monotheistic worship of the sun god
Aton. He changed his name from
Amenhotep in order to honour the god. After his death, polytheism resumed.
Aki 2 f JapaneseFrom Japanese
晶 (aki) meaning "clear, crystal",
明 (aki) meaning "bright, light, clear" or
秋 (aki) meaning "autumn". It can also come from
亜 (a) meaning "second, Asia" combined with
希 (ki) meaning "hope". Other kanji or combinations of kanji can form this name too.
Akicita m SiouxFrom Lakota or Dakota
akíčhita meaning
"warrior".
Akie f JapaneseFrom Japanese
秋 (aki) meaning "autumn" or
昭 (aki) meaning "bright" combined with
絵 (e) meaning "picture, painting" or
恵 (e) meaning "favour, benefit". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.
Akif m Arabic, Turkish, Azerbaijani, UrduMeans
"devoted, focused" in Arabic. It refers to one who practices
i'tikaf, which is seclusion inside a mosque for a period of time to worship.
Akihiko m JapaneseFrom Japanese
明 (aki) or
昭 (aki) both meaning "bright" combined with
彦 (hiko) meaning "boy, prince". Other combinations of kanji characters can also form this name.
Akihito m JapaneseFrom Japanese
明 (aki) or
昭 (aki) both meaning "bright" combined with
仁 (hito) meaning "compassionate". Other kanji combinations are possible. Akihito (1933-), name written
明仁, was the emperor of Japan from 1989 to 2019.
Akiko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
晶 (aki) meaning "clear, crystal",
明 (aki) meaning "bright, light, clear" or
秋 (aki) meaning "autumn" combined with
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other combinations of kanji characters are possible.
Akimitsu m JapaneseFrom Japanese
昭 (aki) meaning "bright" and
光 (mitsu) meaning "light". Other combinations of kanji can also form this name.
Akinyi f LuoMeans
"born in the morning" in Luo.
Akio m JapaneseFrom Japanese
昭 (aki) meaning "bright, luminous" combined with
夫 (o) meaning "man, husband",
男 (o) meaning "male, man" or
雄 (o) meaning "hero, manly". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
Akira m & f JapaneseFrom Japanese
昭 (akira) meaning "bright",
明 (akira) meaning "bright" or
亮 (akira) meaning "clear". Other kanji with the same pronunciation can also form this name. A famous bearer was the Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998), given name written
明.
Akito m JapaneseFrom Japanese
章 (aki) meaning "chapter" combined with
斗 (to), which refers to a Chinese constellation, or
人 (to) meaning "person". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.
Akiva m HebrewFrom an Aramaic form of
Yaakov. Akiva (or Akiba) ben Joseph was a prominent 1st-century Jewish rabbi.
Akli m BerberMeans
"slave, servant, black" in Tamazight.
Ákos m HungarianPossibly of Turkic origin meaning
"white falcon". This was the name of a medieval Hungarian clan.
Akua f AkanMeans
"born on Wednesday" in Akan.
Al m EnglishShort form of
Albert and other names beginning with
Al. A notable bearer is American actor Al Pacino (1940-).
Ala 1 m ArabicMeans
"excellence, elevation" in Arabic, from the root
علا ('ala) meaning "to be high".
Ala 2 f Igbo MythologyMeans
"earth, land" in Igbo. In traditional Igbo religion Ala (called
Ani or
Ana in other dialects) is an earth goddess associated with fertility and ancestors.
Ala ad-Din m ArabicMeans
"excellence of religion" from Arabic
علاء ('ala) meaning "excellence, elevation" combined with
دين (din) meaning "religion, faith". This was the name of several sultans of Delhi.
Alaba f & m YorubaMeans
"second child after twins" in Yoruba.
Aladdin m LiteratureAnglicized form of
Ala ad-Din. This is the name of a mischievous boy in one of the tales of
The 1001 Nights. A magician traps him in a cave, but he escapes with the help of a genie.
Alaia 2 f English (Modern)Probably a variant of
Alayah. It is likely also influenced by the fashion brand Alaïa, named for the Tunisian-French designer Azzedine Alaïa (1935-2017). His surname in Arabic is
عليّة ('Alayyah), meaning "lofty".
Alain m FrenchFrench form of
Alan. A notable bearer is the French actor Alain Delon (1935-).
Al-Amir m Arabic (Rare)Means
"the commander, the prince" in Arabic. This was the name of a 10th-century Fatimid imam.
Alan m English, Scottish, Breton, French, PolishThe meaning of this name is not known for certain. It was used in Brittany at least as early as the 6th century, and it possibly means either
"little rock" or
"handsome" in Breton. Alternatively, it may derive from the tribal name of the Alans, an Iranian people who migrated into Europe in the 4th and 5th centuries.
... [more] Alanis f English (Rare)Feminine form of
Alan. Canadian musician Alanis Morissette (1974-) was named after her father Alan. Her parents apparently decided to use this particular spelling after seeing this word in a Greek newspaper.
Alannah f Irish, English (Modern)Variant of
Alana. It has been influenced by the affectionate Anglo-Irish word
alannah, from the Irish Gaelic phrase
a leanbh meaning "O child".
Alaric m Gothic (Anglicized)From the Gothic name *
Alareiks meaning
"ruler of all", derived from the element
alls "all" combined with
reiks "ruler, king". This was the name of a king of the Visigoths who sacked Rome in the 5th century.
Alastor m Greek MythologyMeans
"avenger" in Greek. This was an epithet of
Zeus, as well as the name of several other characters from Greek mythology.
Alaya f English (Modern)Variant of
Alayah. It coincides with a Buddhist term (meaning "dwelling" in Sanskrit), which refers to the eighth level of human consciousness.
Alazne f BasqueFrom Basque
alatz meaning
"miracle". It is an equivalent of
Milagros, proposed by Sabino Arana in his 1910 list of Basque saints names.
Alba 1 f Italian, Spanish, CatalanThis name is derived from two distinct names,
Alba 2 and
Alba 3, with distinct origins, Latin and Germanic. Over time these names have become confused with one another. To further complicate the matter,
alba means "dawn" in Italian, Spanish and Catalan. This may be the main inspiration behind its use in Italy and Spain.
Alba 3 f GermanicOriginally a short form of Germanic names beginning with the element
alb meaning
"elf" (Proto-Germanic *
albaz).
Albaer m LimburgishLimburgish form of
Albert. Its spelling has been influenced by the French pronunciation of Albert.
Alban m German, French, Albanian, English (Rare)From the Roman cognomen
Albanus, which meant
"from Alba". Alba (from Latin
albus "white") was the name of various places within the Roman Empire, including the city Alba Longa. This name was borne by Saint Alban, the first British martyr (4th century). According to tradition, he sheltered a fugitive priest in his house. When his house was searched, he disguised himself as the priest, was arrested in his stead, and was beheaded. Another 4th-century martyr by this name was Saint Alban of Mainz.
... [more] Albena f BulgarianCreated by Bulgarian writer Yordan Yovkov for the heroine in his drama
Albena (1930). He may have based it on
ablen, the name of a type of peony (a flowering plant).
Alberich m Germanic, Germanic MythologyDerived from the Old German elements
alb "elf" and
rih "ruler, king". It was borne by two Lombard dukes of Spoleto in the 10th century. It was also the name of a 12th-century French saint who helped found the Cistercian Order.
... [more] Albert m English, German, French, Catalan, Polish, Czech, Russian, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Finnish, Romanian, Hungarian, Albanian, GermanicFrom the Germanic name
Adalbert meaning
"noble and bright", composed of the elements
adal "noble" and
beraht "bright". This name was common among medieval German royalty. The Normans introduced it to England, where it replaced the Old English cognate
Æþelbeorht. Though it became rare in England by the 17th century, it was repopularized in the 19th century by the German-born Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria.
... [more] Albina f Russian, Ukrainian, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Slovene, Polish, German, Lithuanian, Belarusian, Ancient RomanFeminine form of
Albinus. This was the name of a few early saints, including a 3rd-century martyr from Caesarea.
Albinus m Ancient RomanRoman cognomen that was a derivative of
Albus. Saint Albinus (also called Aubin) was a 6th-century bishop of Angers in Brittany.