Isla f Scottish, EnglishVariant of
Islay, typically used as a feminine name. It also coincides with the Spanish word
isla meaning "island".
Islwyn m WelshFrom the name of a mountain in Wales that means "below the forest" from Welsh
is "below" and
llwyn "forest, grove".
Isolde f German, Arthurian RomanceGerman form of
Iseult, appearing in the 13th-century German poem
Tristan by Gottfried von Strassburg. In 1865 the German composer Richard Wagner debuted his popular opera
Tristan und Isolde and also used the name for his first daughter.
Itsuki m JapaneseFrom Japanese
樹 (itsuki) meaning "tree", using the kanji's nanori reading. Other kanji or kanji combinations can also form this name.
Ivo 1 m German, Dutch, Czech, Italian, Portuguese, Estonian, Latvian, GermanicGermanic name, originally a short form of names beginning with the element
iwa meaning
"yew". Alternative theories suggest that it may in fact be derived from a cognate Celtic element. This was the name of saints (who are also commonly known as Saint
Yves or
Ives), hailing from Cornwall, France, and Brittany.
Ivor m Irish, Scottish, Welsh, English (British)From the Old Norse name
Ívarr, which was probably derived from the elements
ýr "yew tree, bow" and
herr "army, warrior". During the Middle Ages it was brought to Britain by Scandinavian settlers and invaders, and it was adopted in Ireland (Irish
Íomhar), Scotland (Scottish Gaelic
Iomhar) and Wales (Welsh
Ifor).
Ivy f EnglishFrom the English word for the climbing plant that has small yellow flowers. It is ultimately derived from Old English
ifig.
Izumi f JapaneseFrom Japanese
泉 (izumi) meaning "fountain, spring". This name can also be constructed from other combinations of kanji.
Jacenty m Polish (Rare)Polish form of
Hyacinthus. Saint Jacenty was a 13th-century Dominican monk from Krakow who was said to have taken missionary journeys throughout Northern Europe and Asia.
Jada 1 f EnglishElaborated form of
Jade. This name came into general use in the 1960s, and was popularized in the 1990s by actress Jada Pinkett Smith (1971-).
Jade f & m English, FrenchFrom the name of the precious stone that is often used in carvings. It is derived from Spanish
(piedra de la) ijada meaning "(stone of the) flank", relating to the belief that jade could cure renal colic. As a given name, it came into general use during the 1970s. It was initially unisex, though it is now mostly feminine.
Jael f Biblical, Biblical PortugueseFrom the Hebrew name
יָעֵל (Ya'el) meaning
"ibex, mountain goat". This name appears in the Old Testament belonging to the wife of
Heber the Kenite. After Sisera, the captain of the Canaanite army, was defeated in battle by
Deborah and
Barak he took refuge in Heber's tent. When he fell asleep Jael killed him by hammering a tent peg into his head.
Jarah m BiblicalMeans
"honeycomb" and
"honeysuckle" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of a descendant of
Saul.
Jasmine f English, FrenchFrom the English word for the climbing plant with fragrant flowers that is used for making perfumes. It is derived via Arabic from Persian
یاسمین (yasamin), which is also a Persian name. In the United States this name steadily grew in popularity from the 1970s, especially among African Americans. It reached a peak in the early 1990s shortly after the release of the animated Disney movie
Aladdin (1992), which featured a princess by this name.
Jasper m English, Dutch, Judeo-Christian-Islamic LegendFrom Latin
Gaspar, perhaps from the Biblical Hebrew word
גִּזְבָּר (gizbar) meaning
"treasurer", derived from Persian
ganzabara. This name was traditionally assigned to one of the wise men (also known as the Magi, or three kings) who were said to have visited the newborn
Jesus. It has occasionally been used in the English-speaking world since the Middle Ages. The name can also be given in reference to the English word for the gemstone.
Jawahir f ArabicMeans
"jewels" in Arabic, ultimately from Persian
گوهر (gohar) meaning "jewel, essence".
Jay 1 m EnglishShort form of names beginning with the sound
J, such as
James or
Jason. It was originally used in America in honour of founding father John Jay (1749-1825), whose surname was derived from the jaybird.
Jemima f Biblical, EnglishTraditionally said to mean
"dove", it may actually be related to Hebrew
יוֹמָם (yomam) meaning
"daytime". This was the oldest of the three daughters of
Job in the Old Testament. As an English name,
Jemima first became common during the Puritan era.
Jericho m English (Modern)From the name of a city in Israel that is mentioned several times in the Old Testament. The meaning of the city's name is uncertain, but it may be related to the Hebrew word
יָרֵחַ (yareach) meaning "moon", or otherwise to the Hebrew word
רֵיחַ (reyach) meaning "fragrant".
Jessamine f English (Rare)From a variant spelling of the English word
jasmine (see
Jasmine), used also to refer to flowering plants in the cestrum family.
Jett m English (Modern)From the English word
jet, which denotes either a jet aircraft or an intense black colour (the words derive from different sources).
Jewel f & m EnglishIn part from the English word
jewel, a precious stone, derived from Old French
jouel, which was possibly related to
jeu "game". It is also in part from the surname
Jewel or
Jewell (a derivative of the Breton name
Judicaël), which was sometimes used in honour of the 16th-century bishop of Salisbury John Jewel. It has been in use as a given name since the 19th century.
Jiang m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
江 (jiāng) meaning "river, Yangtze", as well as other characters with a similar pronunciation.
Ji-Min f & m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
志 (ji) meaning "will, purpose, ambition" or
智 (ji) meaning "wisdom, intellect" combined with
旼 (min) meaning "gentle, affable",
敏 (min) meaning "quick, clever, sharp" or
珉 (min) meaning "jade, stone resembling jade". Other hanja character combinations are possible.
Jinan m & f ArabicMeans
"garden" or
"paradise" in Arabic.
Jing m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
静 (jìng) meaning "quiet, still, gentle",
精 (jīng) meaning "essence, spirit",
晶 (jīng) meaning "clear, crystal" or
京 (jīng) meaning "capital city". Other characters can also form this name.
Ji-U f & m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
芝 (ji) meaning "sesame" or
志 (ji) meaning "will, purpose, ambition" combined with
雨 (u) meaning "rain" or
宇 (u) meaning "house, eaves, universe". Other combinations of hanja characters can form this name as well.
Ji-Yeong f & m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
智 (ji) meaning "wisdom, intellect" or
知 (ji) meaning "know, perceive, comprehend" combined with
英 (yeong) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero" or
榮 (yeong) meaning "glory, honour, flourish, prosper". Many other hanja character combinations are possible.
Jonah m English, BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
יוֹנָה (Yonah) meaning
"dove". This was the name of a prophet swallowed by a fish, as told in the Old Testament Book of Jonah. Jonah was commanded by God to preach in Nineveh, but instead fled by boat. After being caught in a storm, the other sailors threw Jonah overboard, at which point he was swallowed. He emerged from the fish alive and repentant three days later.
... [more] Jonquil f English (Rare)From the English word for the type of flower, derived ultimately from Latin
iuncus "reed".
Ju f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
菊 (jú) meaning "chrysanthemum" (which is usually only feminine) or
巨 (jù) meaning "big, enormous" (usually only masculine), besides other characters that are pronounced similarly.
Jubal m BiblicalMeans
"stream" in Hebrew. This name is mentioned in Genesis in the Old Testament as belonging to the first person to be a musician.
Junípero m Various (Rare)This was the name assumed by the 18th-century Spanish Franciscan monk Miguel José Serra, a missionary to California. He named himself after one of Saint Francis's companions, who was named from Latin
iuniperus "juniper".
Jupiter m Roman Mythology (Anglicized)From Latin
Iuppiter, which was ultimately derived from the vocative form of Indo-European *
Dyēws-pətēr, composed of the elements
Dyēws (see
Zeus) and
pətēr "father". Jupiter was the supreme god in Roman mythology. He presided over the heavens and light, and was responsible for the protection and laws of the Roman state. This is also the name of the fifth and largest planet in the solar system.
Kaede f & m JapaneseFrom Japanese
楓 (kaede) meaning "maple" or other kanji that are pronounced the same way.
Kailash m Hindi, MarathiFrom the name of a mountain in the Himalayas that is believed to be the paradise of the Hindu god
Shiva. It possibly means "crystal" in Sanskrit.
Kaimana m & f HawaiianFrom Hawaiian
kai "ocean, sea" and
mana "power". It is also Hawaiian meaning "diamond", derived from the English word
diamond.
Kaito m JapaneseFrom Japanese
海 (kai) meaning "sea, ocean" combined with
斗 (to), which refers to a Chinese constellation, or
翔 (to) meaning "soar, fly". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
Kalyna f Ukrainian (Rare)From the Ukrainian word for a type of shrub, also called the guelder rose (species Viburnum opulus).
Kamala f & m Hinduism, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Hindi, NepaliMeans
"lotus" or
"pale red" in Sanskrit. In Sanskrit this is a transcription of both the feminine form
कमला and the masculine form
कमल, though in modern languages it is only a feminine form. This is the name of one of the Krittikas, or Pleiades, in the Hindu epic the
Mahabharata. It is also another name of the Hindu goddess
Lakshmi.
Kanon f JapaneseFrom Japanese
花 (ka) meaning "flower, blossom" and
音 (non) meaning "sound". Other kanji combinations are possible as well.
Kantuta f AymaraMeans
"cantua flower" in Aymara (species Cantua buxifolia).
Kapua f & m HawaiianMeans
"the flower" or
"the child" from Hawaiian
ka, a definite article, and
pua "flower, offspring".
Karen 3 f JapaneseFrom Japanese
華 (ka) meaning "flower" and
蓮 (ren) meaning "lotus, water lily". Other combinations of kanji can also form this name.
Kasumi f JapaneseFrom Japanese
霞 (kasumi) meaning "mist". It can also come from
花 (ka) meaning "flower, blossom" combined with
澄 (sumi) meaning "clear, pure". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
Katniss f LiteratureFrom the English word
katniss, the name of a variety of edible aquatic flowering plants (genus Sagittaria). Katniss Everdeen is the protagonist of
The Hunger Games series of novels by Suzanne Collins, released 2008 to 2010, about a young woman forced to participate in a violent televised battle.
Kauri m MaoriFrom the name of a type of tree found in New Zealand (species Agathis australis).
Kazue f JapaneseFrom Japanese
和 (kazu) meaning "harmony, peace" or
一 (kazu) meaning "one" combined with
枝 (e) meaning "branch" or
恵 (e) meaning "favour, benefit". Other combinations of kanji characters can potentially form this name.
Kazuki m JapaneseFrom Japanese
一 (kazu) meaning "one" or
和 (kazu) meaning "harmony, peace" combined with
輝 (ki) meaning "brightness",
希 (ki) meaning "hope" or
樹 (ki) meaning "tree", as well as other combinations of kanji characters.
Keith m English, ScottishFrom a Scottish surname that was originally derived from the name of a place in East Lothian, itself possibly derived from the Celtic root *
kayto- meaning
"wood". This was the surname of a long line of Scottish nobles. It has been used as a given name since the 19th century, becoming fairly common throughout the English-speaking world in the 20th century.
Kekoa m HawaiianMeans
"the warrior" from Hawaiian
ke, a definite article, and
koa "warrior, koa tree".
Kerr m ScottishFrom a Scots surname that was derived from a word meaning
"thicket, marsh", ultimately from Old Norse
kjarr.
Kestrel f English (Rare)From the name of the bird of prey, ultimately derived from Old French
crecelle "rattle", which refers to the sound of its cry.
Ketut m & f BalinesePossibly from a Balinese word meaning
"small banana". This name is traditionally given to the fourth child.
Keziah f BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
קְצִיעָה (Qetzi'ah) meaning
"cassia, cinnamon", from the name of the spice tree. In the Old Testament she is a daughter of
Job.
Khamphet m & f LaoFrom Lao
ຄຳ (kham) meaning "gold" and
ເພັດ (phet) meaning "diamond, gem".
Khulan f MongolianMeans
"onager, wild donkey" in Mongolian. This was the name of a wife of Genghis Khan.
Kielo f FinnishMeans
"lily of the valley" in Finnish (species Convallaria majalis).
Kiku f JapaneseFrom Japanese
菊 (kiku) meaning "chrysanthemum", as well as other kanji characters that are pronounced the same way.
Kingsley m English (Modern)From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning
"king's wood" in Old English. This name may have received a boost in popularity after the release of the 2007 movie
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, featuring the character Kingsley Shacklebolt.
Kiri f MaoriMeans
"skin of a tree or fruit" in Maori. This name has been brought to public attention by New Zealand opera singer Kiri Te Kanawa (1944-).
Kizzy f EnglishDiminutive of
Keziah. This particular spelling was repopularized in the late 1970s by a character in the book and miniseries
Roots (1977).
Koloman m German (Rare), SlovakGerman and Slovak form of
Colmán. Saint Koloman (also called Coloman or Colman) was an Irish monk who was martyred in Stockerau in Austria.
Koraljka f CroatianFrom Croatian
koralj meaning
"coral", ultimately from Latin
corallium.
Koralo m EsperantoMeans
"coral" in Esperanto, ultimately from Latin
corallium.
Korbinian m GermanDerived from Latin
corvus meaning
"raven". This was the name of an 8th-century Frankish saint who was sent by Pope Gregory II to evangelize in Bavaria. His real name may have been
Hraban.
Krystle f English (Modern)Variant of
Crystal. This particular spelling was popularized by the character Krystle Carrington from the American soap opera
Dynasty (1981-1989).
Kulap f & m ThaiMeans
"rose" in Thai (of Persian origin).
Kunala m SanskritMeans
"lotus" in Sanskrit. This was the name of a son of the 3rd-century BC Indian emperor Ashoka.
Kyo m & f JapaneseAlternate transcription of Japanese Kanji
協 or
京 or
郷 or
杏 (see
Kyō).
Kyou m & f JapaneseAlternate transcription of Japanese Kanji
協 or
京 or
郷 or
杏 (see
Kyō).
Lachlan m Scottish, EnglishAnglicized form of
Lachlann, the Scottish Gaelic form of
Lochlainn. In the English-speaking world, this name was especially popular in Australia towards the end of the 20th century.
Lăcrămioara f RomanianMeans
"lily of the valley" in Romanian (species Convallaria majalis). It is derived from a diminutive form of
lacrămă "tear".
Laelia f Ancient RomanFeminine form of
Laelius, a Roman family name of unknown meaning. This is also the name of a type of flower, an orchid found in Mexico and Central America.
Lake m & f English (Rare)From the English word
lake, for the inland body of water. It is ultimately derived from Latin
lacus.
Lale f TurkishMeans
"tulip" in Turkish, of Persian origin.
Lali f GeorgianMeans
"ruby" in Georgian, of Sanskrit origin.
Lalla f LiteratureDerived from Persian
لاله (laleh) meaning
"tulip". This was the name of the heroine of Thomas Moore's poem
Lalla Rookh (1817). In the poem, Lalla, the daughter of the emperor of Delhi, listens to a poet sing four tales.
Lan 1 f & m Chinese, VietnameseFrom Chinese
兰 (lán) meaning "orchid, elegant" (which is usually only feminine) or
岚 (lán) meaning "mountain mist". Other Chinese characters can form this name as well. As a Vietnamese name, it is derived from Sino-Vietnamese
蘭 meaning "orchid".
Laura f English, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Catalan, French, Finnish, Estonian, Hungarian, Polish, Slovene, Croatian, Czech, Slovak, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Dutch, Lithuanian, Latvian, Late RomanFeminine form of the Late Latin name
Laurus, which meant
"laurel". This meaning was favourable, since in ancient Rome the leaves of laurel trees were used to create victors' garlands. The name was borne by the 9th-century Spanish martyr Saint Laura, who was a nun thrown into a vat of molten lead by the Moors. It was also the name of the subject of poems by the 14th-century Italian poet Petrarch.
... [more] Laurel f EnglishFrom the name of the laurel tree, ultimately from Latin
laurus.
Laurence 1 m EnglishFrom the Roman cognomen
Laurentius, which meant
"from Laurentum". Laurentum was a city in ancient Italy, its name probably deriving from Latin
laurus "laurel". Saint Laurence was a 3rd-century deacon and martyr from Rome. According to tradition he was roasted alive on a gridiron because, when ordered to hand over the church's treasures, he presented the sick and poor. Due to the saint's popularity, the name came into general use in the Christian world (in various spellings).
... [more] Laverne f & m EnglishFrom a French surname that was derived from a place name, ultimately from the Gaulish word
vern "alder". It is sometimes associated with the Roman goddess
Laverna or the Latin word
vernus "of spring".
Layton m EnglishFrom a surname that was originally derived from the name of English towns meaning
"town with a leek garden" in Old English. Like similar-sounding names such as
Peyton and
Dayton, this name began rising in popularity in the 1990s.
Leah f English, Hebrew, Biblical, Biblical HebrewFrom the Hebrew name
לֵאָה (Le'ah), which was probably derived from the Hebrew word
לְאָה (le'ah) meaning
"weary". Alternatively it might be related to Akkadian
littu meaning
"cow". In the Old Testament Leah is the first wife of
Jacob and the mother of seven of his children. Jacob's other wife was Leah's younger sister
Rachel, whom he preferred. Leah later offered Jacob her handmaid
Zilpah in order for him to conceive more children.
... [more] Lei 2 m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
磊 (lěi) meaning "pile of stones" (which is typically masculine) or
蕾 (lěi) meaning "bud" (typically feminine). Other characters can also form this name.
Leilani f & m HawaiianMeans
"heavenly flowers" or
"royal child" from Hawaiian
lei "flowers, lei, child" and
lani "heaven, sky, royal, majesty".
Leimomi f HawaiianMeans
"pearl lei" or
"pearl child" from Hawaiian
lei "flowers, lei, child" and
momi "pearl".
Lela 1 f GeorgianMeaning uncertain, possibly from the name of a type of plant.
Leland m EnglishFrom a surname, originally from an English place name, which meant
"fallow land" in Old English. A famous bearer was the politician, businessman and Stanford University founder Leland Stanford (1824-1893).
Lena f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Dutch, Polish, Finnish, Russian, Ukrainian, English, Italian, Portuguese, Greek, Georgian, ArmenianShort form of names ending in
lena, such as
Helena,
Magdalena or
Yelena.
Leonidas m Greek, Ancient GreekDerived from Greek
λέων (leon) meaning "lion" combined with the patronymic suffix
ἴδης (ides). Leonidas was a Spartan king of the 5th century BC who sacrificed his life and his army defending the pass of Thermopylae from the Persians. This was also the name of a 3rd-century saint and martyr, the father of Origen, from Alexandria.
Leopold m German, Dutch, English, Czech, Slovak, Slovene, PolishDerived from the Old German elements
liut "people" and
bald "bold, brave". The spelling was altered due to association with Latin
leo "lion". This name was common among German royalty, first with the Babenbergs and then the Habsburgs. Saint Leopold was a 12th-century Babenberg margrave of Austria, who is now considered the patron of that country. It was also borne by two Habsburg Holy Roman emperors, as well as three kings of Belgium. Since the 19th century this name has been occasionally used in England, originally in honour of Queen Victoria's uncle, a king of Belgium, after whom she named one of her sons. It was later used by James Joyce for the main character, Leopold Bloom, in his novel
Ulysses (1922).
Leslie f & m EnglishFrom a Scottish surname that was derived from a place in Aberdeenshire, probably from Gaelic
leas celyn meaning
"garden of holly". It has been used as a given name since the 19th century. In America it was more common as a feminine name after the 1940s.
Li 1 f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
理 (lǐ) meaning "reason, logic",
立 (lì) meaning "stand, establish",
黎 (lí) meaning "black, dawn",
力 (lì) meaning "power, capability, influence" (which is usually only masculine) or
丽 (lì) meaning "beautiful" (usually only feminine). Other Chinese characters are also possible.
Lilac f English (Rare)From the English word for the shrub with purple or white flowers (genus Syringa). It is derived via Arabic from Persian.
Lili f German, French, HungarianGerman, French and Hungarian diminutive of
Elisabeth and other names containing
li. It is also sometimes connected to the German word
lilie meaning
"lily".
Lillian f EnglishProbably originally a diminutive of
Elizabeth. It may also be considered an elaborated form of
Lily, from the Latin word for "lily"
lilium. This name has been used in England since the 16th century.
Lily f EnglishFrom the name of the flower, a symbol of purity. The word is ultimately derived from Latin
lilium. This is the name of the main character, Lily Bart, in the novel
The House of Mirth (1905) by Edith Wharton. A famous bearer is the American actress Lily Tomlin (1939-).
Lin m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
林 (lín) meaning "forest" or
琳 (lín) meaning "fine jade, gem". Other characters can also form this name.
Lina 1 f ArabicMeans either
"palm tree" or
"tender" in Arabic.
Linden m & f EnglishFrom a German and Dutch surname that was derived from Old High German
linta meaning
"linden tree".
Linford m English (Rare)From a surname that was originally taken from place names meaning either "flax ford" or "linden tree ford" in Old English.
Ling f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
灵 (líng) meaning "spirit, soul",
铃 (líng) meaning "bell, chime", or other Chinese characters that are pronounced similarly.
Linnéa f SwedishFrom the name of a flower, also known as the twinflower. The Swedish botanist Carolus Linnaeus named it after himself, it being his favourite flower.
Linton m EnglishFrom a surname that was originally from place names meaning either "flax town" or "linden tree town" in Old English.
Linwood m EnglishFrom an English surname that was originally from a place name meaning
"stream forest" in Old English.