Names Categorized "wisdom"

Aatos m Finnish
Means "thought" in Finnish.

Abednego m Biblical
Means "servant of Nebo" in Akkadian, Nebo being the Babylonian god of wisdom. In the Old Testament Abednego is the Babylonian name given to Azariah, one of the three men cast into a blazing furnace but saved from harm by God, as told in the Book of Daniel.

Ælred m Anglo-Saxon
Contracted form of Æðelræd. This was the name of a 12th-century English saint.

Æðelræd m Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English elements æðele "noble" and ræd "counsel, advice". This was the name of two Saxon kings of England including Æðelræd II "the Unready" whose realm was overrun by the Danes in the early 11th century. The name was rarely used after the Norman Conquest.

Æþelræd m Anglo-Saxon
Variant of Æðelræd.

Æthelred m Anglo-Saxon
Variant of Æðelræd.

Ahura Mazda m Persian Mythology
Means "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.

Aidana f Kazakh
Means "wise moon" in Kazakh, from ай (ay) meaning "moon" and дана (dana) meaning "wise".

Aithne f Irish (Rare)
Possibly a variant of Eithne.

Akilah f Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic عقيلة or عاقلة (see Aqila).

Alfred m English, French, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Polish, Dutch, Albanian
Means "elf counsel", derived from the Old English name Ælfræd, composed of the elements ælf "elf" and ræd "counsel, advice". Alfred the Great was a 9th-century king of Wessex who fought unceasingly against the Danes living in northeastern England. He was also a scholar, and he translated many Latin books into Old English. His fame helped to ensure the usage of this name even after the Norman Conquest, when most Old English names were replaced by Norman ones. It became rare by the end of the Middle Ages, but was revived in the 18th century.... [more]

Alfreda f English, Italian, Polish (Rare), German (Rare)
Feminine form of Alfred.

Alfredo m Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
Italian, Spanish and Portuguese form of Alfred.

Alim m Arabic, Turkish, Azerbaijani, Circassian, Uyghur
Means "learned, expert, scholar" in Arabic.

Alvis m Norse Mythology, Latvian
From 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.

Alvíss m Norse Mythology
Old Norse form of Alvis.

Anar 1 m Azerbaijani
Means "will understand" in Azerbaijani.

Andromeda f Greek Mythology
Derived from Greek ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man" (genitive ἀνδρός) combined with one of the related words μέδομαι (medomai) meaning "to be mindful of, to provide for, to think on" or μέδω (medo) meaning "to protect, to rule over". In Greek mythology Andromeda was an Ethiopian princess rescued from sacrifice by the hero Perseus. A constellation in the northern sky is named for her. This is also the name of a nearby galaxy, given because it resides (from our point of view) within the constellation.

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.

Aqil m Arabic
Means "intelligent, wise" in Arabic. This transcription represents two different Arabic spellings.

Aqila f Arabic
Feminine form of Aqil.

Athena f Greek Mythology, English
Meaning unknown. Athena was the Greek goddess of wisdom and warfare and the patron goddess of the city of Athens in Greece. It is likely that her name is derived from that of the city, not vice versa. The earliest mention of her seems to be a 15th-century BC Mycenaean Greek inscription from Knossos on Crete.... [more]

Athina f Greek
Modern Greek form of Athena.

Aydana f Kazakh
Alternate transcription of Kazakh Айдана (see Aidana).

Aydın m Turkish
Means "bright, clear" in Turkish.

Badurad m Germanic
Derived from the Old German elements batu "battle" and rat "counsel, advice".

Bahman m Persian, Persian Mythology
Modern Persian form of Avestan 𐬬𐬊𐬵𐬎 𐬨𐬀𐬥𐬀𐬵 (Vohu Manah) meaning "good mind". This was the name of a Zoroastrian god (one of the Amesha Spenta) associated with domestic animals. The eleventh month of the Iranian calendar was named for him.

Basir m Arabic
Means "wise" in Arabic. In Islamic tradition البصير (al-Basir) is one of the 99 names of Allah.

Basira f Arabic
Feminine form of Basir.

Beornræd m Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English elements beorn "warrior, man" and ræd "counsel, advice".

Beren f & m Turkish
Means "strong, smart" in Turkish.

Bhavana f Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Malayalam
Means "producing, manifesting, thought, emotion" in Sanskrit.

Bilge m & f Turkish
Means "wise" in Turkish.

Bilgüün m Mongolian
Means "wise" in Mongolian.

Bleda m History
Possibly from a Turkic root meaning "wise". According to other theories the name was of Gothic origin, or was a Gothicized form of a Hunnic name. This was the name of the brother of Attila.

Bodhi m English (Modern)
From a term referring to enlightenment in Buddhism, derived from Sanskrit बोधि (bodhi).

Bridget f Irish, English
Anglicized form of the Irish name Brighid, Old Irish Brigit, from old Celtic *Brigantī meaning "the exalted one". In Irish mythology this was the name of the goddess of fire, poetry and wisdom, the daughter of the god Dagda. In the 5th century it was borne by Saint Brigid, the founder of a monastery at Kildare and a patron saint of Ireland. Because of the saint, the name was considered sacred in Ireland, and it did not come into general use there until the 17th century. In the form Birgitta this name has been common in Scandinavia, made popular by the 14th-century Saint Birgitta of Sweden, patron saint of Europe.

Bridgette f English
Variant of Bridget.

Brigid f Irish, Irish Mythology
Irish variant of Brighid (see Bridget).

Budi m Indonesian
Means "reason, mind, character" in Indonesian, ultimately from Sanskrit बुद्धि (buddhi) meaning "intellect" (related to Buddha).

Cadoc m Old Welsh
From an Old Welsh name, recorded in Latinized forms such as Catocus, derived from cat meaning "battle". This was the name of a 6th-century Welsh saint who was martyred by the Saxons.

Cato 1 m Ancient Roman
Roman cognomen meaning "wise" in Latin. This name was bestowed upon Cato the Elder (Marcus Porcius Cato), a 2nd-century BC Roman statesman, author and censor, and was subsequently inherited by his descendants, including his great-grandson Cato the Younger (Marcus Porcius Cato Uticencis), a politician and philosopher who opposed Julius Caesar.

Chenda f Khmer
From Pali cintā meaning "thought, care", from Sanskrit चिनता (chinta).

Chetan m Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Kannada
Means "visible, conscious, soul" in Sanskrit.

Chika 2 f Japanese
From Japanese 千 (chi) meaning "thousand", 智 (chi) meaning "wisdom, intellect" or 散 (chi) meaning "scatter" combined with 佳 (ka) meaning "good, beautiful" or 花 (ka) meaning "flower". Other kanji combinations are also possible.

Chima m & f Igbo
Means "God knows" in Igbo, derived from Chi 2, referring to God, and má meaning "know".

Conn m Irish, Irish Mythology, Old Irish
Perhaps from Old Irish conn meaning "sense, reason" or cenn meaning "head, chief". This was the name of a legendary high king of Ireland, Conn of the Hundred Battles.

Conrad m English, German, Germanic
Means "brave counsel", derived from the Old German elements kuoni "brave" and rat "counsel, advice". This was the name of a 10th-century saint and bishop of Konstanz, in southern Germany. It was also borne by several medieval German kings and dukes, notably Conrad II, the first of the Holy Roman Emperors from the Salic dynasty. In England it was occasionally used during the Middle Ages, but has only been common since the 19th century when it was reintroduced from Germany.

Cuthbert m English (Rare)
Derived from the Old English elements cuþ "known, familiar" and beorht "bright". Saint Cuthbert was a 6th-century hermit who became the bishop of Lindisfarne, an island off the coast of England. He was known as performer of healing miracles. Because of the saint, this name remained in use in England even after the Norman Conquest. It became rare after the Protestant Reformation, but it was (briefly) revived in the 19th century.

Dagda m Irish Mythology
Means "the good god" from the Old Irish prefix dag- "good" and día "god". In Irish myth Dagda (called also The Dagda) was the powerful god of the earth, knowledge, magic, abundance and treaties, a leader of the Tuatha Dé Danann. He was skilled in combat and healing and possessed a huge club, the handle of which could revive the dead.

Dagrun f Norwegian
From the Old Norse name Dagrún, which was derived from the Old Norse elements dagr "day" and rún "secret lore, rune".

Daichi m Japanese
From Japanese 大 (dai) meaning "big, great" combined with 地 (chi) meaning "earth, land" or 智 (chi) meaning "wisdom, intellect". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Dana 4 m & f Persian, Arabic
Means "wise" in Persian.

Danish m Urdu
From Persian دانش (danesh) meaning "knowledge, learning".

Daniyar m Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Tatar
Derived from Persian دانا (dana) meaning "wise" and یار (yar) meaning "friend, companion".

Daris m Bosnian (Modern)
Meaning unknown, possibly from Arabic دارس (daris) meaning "studying, learning".

Ealdræd m Anglo-Saxon
From the Old English elements eald "old" and ræd "counsel, advice". This name was rarely used after the Norman Conquest.

Eimantas m Lithuanian
From the Lithuanian root ei- "to go" combined with mantus "intelligent" or manta "property, wealth".

Eimantė f Lithuanian
Feminine form of Eimantas.

Eldred m English
From an English surname that was derived from Ealdræd.

Elvis m English
Meaning unknown. It could possibly be a derivative of Alvis or Elwin. More likely, it is from the rare surname Elvis, a variant of Elwes, which is ultimately derived from the given name Eloise. The name was brought to public attention by the singer Elvis Presley (1935-1977), whose name came from his father's middle name.... [more]

Emer f Irish Mythology
Meaning unknown. In Irish legend she was the wife of Cúchulainn. She was said to possess the six gifts of womanhood: beauty, voice, speech, needlework, wisdom and chastity.

Enki m Sumerian Mythology
From Sumerian 𒂗 (en) meaning "lord" and 𒆠 (ki) meaning "earth, ground" (though maybe originally from 𒆳 (kur) meaning "underworld, mountain"). Enki, called Ea by the Akkadians, Assyrians and Babylonians, was the Sumerian god of water and wisdom and the keeper of the Me, the divine laws.

Epimetheus m Greek Mythology
Derived from Greek ἐπιμήθεια (epimetheia) meaning "hindsight, hindthought". In Greek mythology he was a Titan, the brother of the god of forethought Prometheus.

Epiphany f English (Rare)
From the name of the Christian festival (January 6) that commemorates the visit of the Magi to the infant Jesus. It is also an English word meaning "sudden appearance" or "sudden perception", ultimately deriving from Greek ἐπιφάνεια (epiphaneia) meaning "manifestation".

Erdem 2 m & f Mongolian
Means "knowledge, wisdom" in Mongolian.

Erfan m Persian
Persian form of Irfan.

Erramun m Basque
Basque form of Raymond.

Ethelred m English (Archaic)
Middle English form of Æðelræd. The name was very rare after the Norman Conquest, but it was revived briefly in the 19th century.

Eudoxia f Ancient Greek
From Greek εὐδοξία (eudoxia) meaning "good repute, good judgement", itself from εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and δόξα (doxa) meaning "notion, reputation, honour".

Eun-Ji f Korean
From Sino-Korean 恩 (eun) meaning "kindness, mercy, charity" combined with 智 (ji) meaning "wisdom, intellect" or 地 (ji) meaning "earth, soil, ground". Other hanja character combinations are possible.

Farjana f Bengali
Alternate transcription of Farzana.

Farzana f Pashto, Urdu, Bengali
Pashto, Urdu and Bengali form of Farzaneh.

Farzaneh f Persian
Means "wise, intelligent" in Persian.

Farzona f Tajik
Tajik form of Farzaneh.

Fikri m Arabic, Turkish
Means "intellectual" in Arabic, a derivative of فكر (fakara) meaning "to think, to reflect".

Fikriye f Turkish
Turkish form of Fikriyya.

Fikriyya f Arabic
Feminine form of Fikri.

Fionn m Irish, Irish Mythology
From the Old Irish name Finn, derived from finn meaning "white, blessed". It occurs frequently in Irish history and legends, the most noteworthy bearer being Fionn mac Cumhaill, the central character of one of the four main cycles of Irish mythology, the Fenian Cycle. Fionn was born as Deimne, and acquired his nickname because of his fair hair. He grew all-wise by eating an enchanted salmon, and later became the leader of the Fianna after defeating the fire-breathing demon Áillen. He was the father of Oisín and grandfather of Oscar.

Frode m Norwegian, Danish
From the Old Norse name Fróði, which was derived from fróðr meaning "learned, wise".

Frodo m Literature
Derived from Old English froda meaning "wise". This is the name of the hobbit hero in The Lord of the Rings (1954) by J. R. R. Tolkien, who used Old English to translate some hobbit names (Frodo's true hobbit-language name is Maura). In the novel Frodo Baggins is the bearer of the One Ring on the quest to destroy it in Mount Doom.

Fróði m Old Norse
Old Norse form of Frode.

Galadriel f Literature
Means "maiden crowned with a radiant garland" in the fictional language Sindarin. Galadriel was a Noldorin elf princess renowned for her beauty and wisdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's novels. The elements are galad "radiant" and riel "garlanded maiden". Alatáriel is the Quenya form of her name.

Ganesha m Hinduism
Means "lord of hordes" from Sanskrit गण (gana) meaning "horde, multitude" and ईश (isha) meaning "lord, ruler". This is the name of the Hindu god of wisdom and good luck, the son of Shiva and Parvati. He is often depicted as a stout man with the head of an elephant.

Ganymede m Greek Mythology (Anglicized)
From Greek Γανυμήδης (Ganymedes), which was possibly derived from γάνυμαι (ganymai) meaning "to be glad" and μήδεα (medea) meaning "plans, counsel, cunning". In Greek mythology this was the name of a beautiful boy who was abducted by Zeus to become the cupbearer to the gods, the successor of Hebe. A moon of Jupiter is named after him.

Gouyen f Apache
Variant spelling of Góyąń.

Góyąń f Apache
Means "wise" in Chiricahua Apache. This was the name of a 19th-century Apache warrior woman.

Gudrun f Norse Mythology, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German
From the Old Norse name Guðrún meaning "god's secret lore", derived from the elements guð "god" and rún "secret lore, rune". In Norse legend Gudrun was the wife of Sigurd. After his death she married Atli, but when he murdered her brothers, she killed her sons by him, fed him their hearts, and then slew him. Her story appears in Norse literature such as the Eddas and the Völsungasaga. She is called Kriemhild in German versions of the tale. This is also an unrelated character in the medieval German epic Kudrun.

Guiscard m Medieval French
Norman French form of the Norman name Wischard, from Old Norse vizkr "wise" and the Old French pejorative suffix -ard (from Old Frankish hard "hard, firm, brave, hardy"). This was the byname of Robert Guiscard, an 11th-century Norman conqueror of Sicily.

Gurdeep m & f Indian (Sikh)
From Sanskrit गुरु (guru) meaning "teacher, guru" and दीप (dipa) meaning "lamp, light".

Gurmeet m & f Indian (Sikh)
From Sanskrit गुरु (guru) meaning "teacher, guru" and मित्र (mitra) meaning "friend".

Hakim m Arabic
Means "wise" in Arabic. In Islamic tradition الحكيم (al-Hakim) is one of the 99 names of Allah.

Hardmod m Germanic
Old German form of Hartmut.

Hartmut m German, Germanic
Means "brave mind", derived from the Old German elements hart "hard, firm, brave, hardy" and muot "mind, spirit". This is the kidnapper of Gudrun in the medieval German epic Kudrun.

Helmut m German, Germanic
Derived from the Old German element helm "helmet" (or perhaps heil "healthy, whole") combined with muot "mind, spirit".

Helmuth m German
Variant of Helmut.

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

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

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.

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.

Hugh m English
From the Germanic name Hugo, derived from Old Frankish hugi or Old High German hugu meaning "mind, thought, spirit" (Proto-Germanic *hugiz). It was common among Frankish and French nobility, being borne by Hugh Capet, a 10th-century king of France who founded the Capetian dynasty. The Normans brought the name to England and it became common there, even more so after the time of the 12th-century bishop Saint Hugh of Lincoln, who was known for his charity. This was also the name of kings of Cyprus and the crusader kingdom of Jerusalem. The name is used in Ireland and Scotland as the Anglicized form of Aodh and Ùisdean.

Hugo m Spanish, Portuguese, English, Dutch, German, French, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Germanic
Old German form of Hugh. As a surname it has belonged to the French author Victor Hugo (1802-1885), the writer of The Hunchback of Notre-Dame and Les Misérables.

Hui f & m Chinese
From Chinese 慧 (huì) meaning "intelligent, wise" (which is usually only feminine), 辉 (huī) meaning "brightness", besides other characters that are pronounced similarly.

Ifiok m & f Ibibio
Means "wisdom" in Ibibio.

Ilma 2 f Bosnian
Meaning unknown, possibly from Arabic عِلْم ('ilm) meaning "knowledge".

İrfan m Turkish
Turkish form of Irfan.

Irfan m Arabic, Urdu, Indonesian
Means "knowledge, awareness, learning" in Arabic.

Ismene f Greek Mythology
Possibly from Greek ἰσμή (isme) meaning "knowledge". This was the name of the daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta in Greek legend.

Ismini f Greek
Modern Greek form of Ismene.

Jabin m Biblical
Means "perceptive" in Hebrew. This name was borne by two kings of Hazor in the Old Testament.

Jada 2 m Biblical
Means "he knows" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament, Jada is a son of Onam.

Ji m & f Korean (Rare)
From Sino-Korean 智 (ji) meaning "wisdom, intellect" or other hanja characters with the same pronunciation. Although it does appear rarely as a single-character name, it is more often used in combination with another character.

Ji-Ho m Korean
From Sino-Korean 智 (ji) meaning "wisdom, intellect" and 鎬 (ho) meaning "stove, bright" or 昊 (ho) meaning "summer, sky, heaven". This name can also be formed by other hanja character combinations.

Ji-Hoon m Korean
Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul 지훈 (see Ji-Hun).

Ji-Hu m & f Korean
From Sino-Korean 智 (ji) meaning "wisdom, intellect" combined with 厚 (hu) meaning "thick". Other combinations of hanja characters can form this name as well.

Ji-Hun m Korean
From Sino-Korean 智 (ji) meaning "wisdom, intellect" or 志 (ji) meaning "will, purpose, ambition" combined with 勛 (hun) meaning "meritorious deed, rank". This name can be formed by other hanja character combinations as well.

Ji-Hye f Korean
From a Sino-Korean compound meaning "wisdom", formed of the hanja characters 智 (ji) meaning "wisdom, intellect" and 慧 (hye) meaning "bright, intelligent". This name can also be formed from other character combinations.

Ji-Min f & m Korean
From 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.

Ji-Soo f & m Korean
Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul 지수 (see Ji-Su).

Ji-Su f & m Korean
From Sino-Korean 志 (ji) meaning "will, purpose, ambition" or 智 (ji) meaning "wisdom, intellect" combined with 秀 (su) meaning "luxuriant, beautiful". Other hanja character combinations are possible.

Ji-Won f & m Korean
From Sino-Korean 智 (ji) meaning "wisdom, intellect" or 志 (ji) meaning "will, purpose, ambition" combined with 媛 (won) meaning "beautiful woman" or 元 (won) meaning "first, origin". This name can also be formed from many other hanja combinations.

Ji-Yeong f & m Korean
From 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.

Ji-Young f & m Korean
Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul 지영 (see Ji-Yeong).

Ji-Yu f Korean
From Sino-Korean 智 (ji) meaning "wisdom, intellect" and 裕 (yu) meaning "abundant, rich, plentiful". Other combinations of hanja characters can form this name as well.

Kavi m Hindi
From a title for a poet, meaning "wise man, sage, poet" in Sanskrit.

Kenzō m Japanese
From Japanese 謙 (ken) meaning "humble", 健 (ken) meaning "healthy, strong" or 賢 (ken) meaning "wise" combined with 三 (zō) meaning "three". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.

Kurt m German, English, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian
German contracted form of Conrad. A famous bearer was the American musician Kurt Cobain (1967-1994).

Mahdi m Arabic, Persian
Means "guided one" in Arabic.

Maiara f Tupi
From Tupi maya arya meaning "great-grandmother".

Major m English
From an English surname that was originally derived from the given name Mauger, a Norman French form of the Germanic name Malger meaning "council spear". The name can also be given in reference to the English word major.

Manas m Bengali, Assamese, Hindi
Means "mind, intellect, spirit" in Sanskrit.

Mandeep m & f Indian (Sikh)
From Sanskrit मनस् (manas) meaning "mind, intellect, spirit" and दीप (dipa) meaning "lamp, light".

Maninder m & f Indian (Sikh)
From Sanskrit मनस् (manas) meaning "mind, intellect, spirit" combined with the name of the Hindu god Indra.

Manish m Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Malayalam, Punjabi, Tamil, Nepali
From Sanskrit मनीषा (manisha) meaning "thought, wisdom".

Manisha f Hindi, Marathi, Nepali
Feminine form of Manish.

Manoj m Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Punjabi, Gujarati, Odia, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada
Modern form of Manoja.

Manoja m Hinduism
Means "born of the mind", from Sanskrit मनस् (manas) meaning "mind, intellect, spirit" and ज (ja) meaning "born". This is another name of the Hindu god Kama.

Manpreet f & m Indian (Sikh)
From Sanskrit मनस् (manas) meaning "mind, intellect, spirit" and प्रीति (priti) meaning "pleasure, joy, love".

Manu 1 m Hinduism, Hindi, Kannada
Means "thinking, wise" in Sanskrit. In Hindu belief this is a title of Svayambhuva, the progenitor of the human race, as well as several of his descendants.

Medea f Greek Mythology (Latinized), Georgian
From Greek Μήδεια (Medeia), derived from μήδεα (medea) meaning "plans, counsel, cunning". In Greek mythology Medea was a sorceress from Colchis (modern Georgia) who helped Jason gain the Golden Fleece. They were married, but eventually Jason left her for another woman. For revenge Medea slew Jason's new lover and also had her own children by Jason killed.

Meelis m Estonian
From Estonian meel meaning "mind, mood".

Meinrad m German, Germanic
Derived from the Old German elements megin "power, strength" and rat "counsel, advice". Saint Meinrad was a 9th-century hermit who founded the Benedictine abbey at Einsiedeln in Switzerland.

Mentor m Greek Mythology
Possibly related to Greek μένος (menos) meaning "mind, strength, force". In Greek legend Mentor was the son of Alkimos. When Odysseus left to fight in the Trojan War he entrusted Mentor with the care of his palace and the guardianship of his son Telemachos. When the goddess Athena visited Telemachos she took the guise of Mentor.

Metis f Greek Mythology
Means "wisdom, skill, cunning" in Greek. In Greek mythology she was a Titan. Because it was prophesied that her children would be wiser than Zeus, he swallowed her after he had impregnated her. However, their daughter Athena eventually burst from his head fully grown.

Michiko f Japanese
From Japanese 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful", 智 (chi) meaning "wisdom, intellect" and 子 (ko) meaning "child". This name can also be comprised of other combinations of kanji.

Minerva f Roman Mythology, English, Spanish
Possibly derived from Latin mens meaning "intellect", but more likely of Etruscan origin. Minerva was the Roman goddess of wisdom and war, approximately equivalent to the Greek goddess Athena. It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since after the Renaissance.

Min-Ji f Korean
From Sino-Korean 敏 (min) meaning "quick, clever, sharp" combined with 智 (ji) meaning "wisdom, intellect" or 知 (ji) meaning "know, perceive, comprehend". Other hanja combinations are possible.

Monica f English, Italian, Romanian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Late Roman
Meaning unknown, most likely of Berber or Phoenician origin. In the 4th century this name was borne by a North African saint, the mother of Saint Augustine of Hippo, whom she converted to Christianity. Since the Middle Ages it has been associated with Latin moneo "advisor" and Greek μονός (monos) "one, single".... [more]

Nabu m Semitic Mythology
Possibly from a Semitic root meaning "to announce". This was the name of a Babylonian and Assyrian god of wisdom, letters and writing.

Najib m Arabic
Means "noble, distinguished" in Arabic.

Nebo m Biblical
Form of Nabu used in the Old Testament.

Nestor m Greek Mythology, Russian, Portuguese, French
Means "returner, homecomer" in Greek, from νέομαι (neomai) meaning "to return". In Homer's Iliad this was the name of the king of Pylos, famous for his great wisdom and longevity, who acted as a counselor to the Greek allies.

Nikomedes m Ancient Greek
Derived from Greek νίκη (nike) meaning "victory" and μήδεα (medea) meaning "plans, counsel, cunning". This was the name of a 1st-century saint, a priest beaten to death for refusing to worship the Roman gods.

Nuha 1 f Arabic
Means "mind, wisdom" in Arabic.

Nuwan m Sinhalese
Possibly from Sinhala නුවණ (nuvana) meaning "wisdom" or නුවන (nuvana) meaning "eye".

Oddrún f Old Norse, Norse Mythology
From Old Norse oddr "point of a sword" and rún "secret lore, rune". This is the name of a woman in the Old Norse poem Oddrúnargrátr in the Poetic Edda.

Odin m Norse Mythology, English (Modern)
Anglicized form of Old Norse Óðinn, which was derived from óðr meaning "inspiration, rage, frenzy". It ultimately developed from Proto-Germanic *Wōdanaz. The name appears as Woden in Anglo-Saxon sources (for example, as the founder of several royal lineages in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle) and in forms such as Wuotan, Wotan or Wodan in continental Europe, though he is best known from Norse sources.... [more]

Ormazd m Persian Mythology
Modern Persian form of Ahura Mazda.

Oyunchimeg f Mongolian
Alternate transcription of Mongolian Cyrillic Оюунчимэг (see Oyuunchimeg).

Oyuun f Mongolian
Means "wisdom, intellect" in Mongolian.

Oyuunchimeg f Mongolian
Means "wisdom ornament" in Mongolian, from оюун (oyuun) meaning "wisdom, intellect" and чимэг (chimeg) meaning "ornament".

Pranay m Hindi, Marathi
Means "leader, guidance, love" in Sanskrit.

Pratibha f Hindi, Marathi
Means "light, splendour, intelligence" in Sanskrit.

Preecha m Thai
Means "intelligence, wisdom" in Thai.

Prometheus m Greek Mythology
Derived from Greek προμήθεια (prometheia) meaning "foresight, forethought". In Greek myth he was the Titan who gave the knowledge of fire to mankind. For doing this he was punished by Zeus, who had him chained to a rock and caused an eagle to feast daily on his liver, which regenerated itself each night. Herakles eventually freed him.

Prudence f & m English, French
Medieval English form of Prudentia, the feminine form of Prudentius. In France it is both the feminine form and a rare masculine form. In England it was used during the Middle Ages and was revived in the 17th century by the Puritans, in part from the English word prudence, ultimately of the same source.

Prudencia f Spanish
Spanish feminine form of Prudentius.

Prudencio m Spanish
Spanish form of Prudentius.

Prudentia f Late Roman
Feminine form of Prudentius.

Prudentius m Late Roman
Late Latin name derived from prudens "prudent, wise, skilled". This was the name of a 9th-century bishop of Troyes. He is considered a local saint there.

Prudenzio m Italian (Rare)
Italian form of Prudentius.

Pwyll m Welsh Mythology
Means "wisdom, reason" in Welsh. In the First Branch of the Mabinogi, Pwyll is a king of Dyfed who pursues and finally marries Rhiannon. Their son was Pryderi.

Quetzalcoatl m Aztec and Toltec Mythology
Means "feathered snake" in Nahuatl, derived from quetzalli "quetzal feather, precious thing" and cōātl "snake". In Aztec and other Mesoamerican mythology he was the god of the sky, wind, and knowledge, also associated with the morning star. According to one legend he created the humans of this age using the bones of humans from the previous age and adding his own blood.

Radboud m Dutch (Rare)
Derived from the Old German elements rat meaning "counsel, advice" and bot meaning "command, order". This was the name of a 7th-century king of the Frisians.

Radobod m Germanic
Old German form of Radboud.

Radulf m Germanic
Derived from the Old German elements rat meaning "counsel, advice" and wolf meaning "wolf", making it a cognate of Ráðúlfr.

Rafe m English
Variant of Ralph. This form became common during the 17th century, reflecting the usual pronunciation.

Raganhildis f Germanic (Latinized)
Old German form of Reinhild.

Ragemprand m Germanic
Old German form of Rembrandt.

Raghnaid f Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic form of Ragnhild.

Raghnailt f Medieval Irish
Irish form of Ragnhild.

Raghnall m Irish, Scottish Gaelic
Irish and Scottish Gaelic form of Ragnvaldr.

Raginbert m Germanic
Derived from the Old German elements regin "advice, counsel, decision" and beraht "bright". This was the name of an 8th-century Lombard king.

Raginmar m Germanic
Derived from the Old German elements regin "counsel, advice, decision" and mari "famous".

Raginmund m Germanic
Old German form of Raymond.

Raginolf m Germanic
Derived from the Old German elements regin "advice, counsel, decision" and wolf "wolf".

Ragna f Icelandic, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Old Norse
Short form of Old Norse names beginning with the element regin "advice, counsel".

Ragnar m Swedish, Norwegian, Icelandic, Faroese, Estonian
Modern Scandinavian form of Ragnarr.

Ragnarr m Old Norse
From the Old Norse elements regin "advice, counsel" and herr "army, warrior". It is a cognate of Rayner. This name was borne by the legendary Viking hero Ragnar Lodbrok.

Ragnbjǫrg f Old Norse
Old Norse name derived from the elements regin "advice, counsel" and bjǫrg "help, save, rescue".

Ragnfríðr f Old Norse
Old Norse form of Randi 2.

Ragnheiðr f Old Norse
Old Norse name meaning "bright advice", derived from the elements regin "advice, counsel" and heiðr "bright, clear".

Ragnheiður f Icelandic
Icelandic form of Ragnheiðr.

Ragnhild f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
From the Old Norse name Ragnhildr, composed of the elements regin "advice, counsel" and hildr "battle" (a cognate of Reinhild).

Ragnhildr f Old Norse
Old Norse form of Ragnhild.

Ragnvaldr m Old Norse
Old Norse name composed of the elements regin "advice, counsel" and valdr "ruler" (making it a cognate of Reynold).

Raimo m Finnish
Finnish form of Raymond.

Raimon m Catalan
Catalan variant form of Raymond.

Raimond m Estonian
Estonian form of Raymond.

Raimonda f Italian
Italian feminine form of Raymond.

Raimondas m Lithuanian
Lithuanian form of Raymond.

Raimondo m Italian
Italian form of Raymond.

Raimonds m Latvian
Latvian form of Raymond.

Raimund m German, Germanic
German form of Raymond.

Raimunde f German (Rare)
German feminine form of Raymond.

Raimundo m Spanish, Portuguese
Spanish and Portuguese form of Raymond.

Rain 2 m Estonian
Variant of Rein.

Rainard m Germanic
Variant of Reynard.

Rainerio m Spanish (Rare)
Spanish form of Rayner.

Rainier m French (Rare)
French form of Rayner.

Rainulf m Germanic
Variant of Raginolf.

Rajmund m Polish, Hungarian, Slovene
Polish, Hungarian and Slovene form of Raymond.

Ralf m German, Swedish, Danish, English (Rare)
Variant of Ralph.

Ralph m English, German, Swedish
Contracted form of the Old Norse name Ráðúlfr (or its Norman form Radulf). Scandinavian settlers introduced it to England before the Norman Conquest, though afterwards it was bolstered by Norman influence. In the Middle Ages it was variously spelled Rauf, Rafe or Ralf reflecting the usual pronunciation. The Ralph spelling became more common in the 18th century. A famous bearer of the name was Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), an American poet and author who wrote on transcendentalism.

Ralphie m English
Diminutive of Ralph.

Rambert m Germanic
Variant of Hrambert or Raginbert. These names have become confused with one another and merged together. Saint Rambert, also called Ragnebert, was martyred near Lyon in the 7th century.

Ramiro m Spanish, Portuguese
Spanish and Portuguese form of Ramirus, earlier Ranimirus, a Latinized form of a Visigothic name derived from the Gothic element rana "wedge" or perhaps ragin "law, decree, assessment, responsibility" combined with mers "famous". Saint Ramirus was a 6th-century prior of the Saint Claudius Monastery in León. He and several others were executed by the Arian Visigoths, who opposed orthodox Christianity. This name was subsequently borne by kings of León, Asturias and Aragon.

Ramirus m Gothic (Latinized)
Latinized (Old Spanish) form of *Ranamers or possibly *Raginamers (see Ramiro).

Ramón m Spanish
Spanish form of Raymond.

Ramon m Catalan
Catalan form of Raymond.

Ramóna f Hungarian
Hungarian form of Ramona.

Ramona f Spanish, Romanian, English
Feminine form of Ramón. It was popularized in the English-speaking world by Helen Hunt Jackson's novel Ramona (1884), as well as several subsequent movies based on the book.

Ranald m Scottish
Anglicized form of Raghnall.

Randi 2 f Norwegian, Danish
Modern form of the Old Norse name Ragnfríðr, which was derived from regin "advice, counsel" and fríðr "beautiful, beloved".

Raniero m Italian
Italian form of Rayner.

Ranulf m Medieval English
Medieval English form of Raginolf. Norman settlers and invaders introduced this name to England and Scotland.

Raoul m French, Italian
French form of Radulf (see Ralph).

Rashad m Arabic, Azerbaijani
Means "good sense, good guidance" in Arabic, from the root رشد (rashada) meaning "to be on the right path".

Rashid m Arabic
Means "rightly guided" in Arabic. In Islamic tradition الرشيد (al-Rashid) is one of the 99 names of Allah.... [more]

Ráðúlfr m Old Norse
Derived from the Norse elements ráð meaning "counsel, advice" and ulfr meaning "wolf".

Raúl m Spanish
Spanish form of Radulf (see Ralph).

Raül m Catalan
Catalan form of Radulf (see Ralph).

Raul m Portuguese, Italian, Romanian, Estonian
Portuguese, Italian, Romanian and Estonian form of Radulf (see Ralph).

Raymond m English, French
From the Germanic name Raginmund, composed of the elements regin "advice, counsel, decision" and munt "protection". The Normans introduced this name to England in the form Reimund. It was borne by several medieval (mostly Spanish) saints, including Saint Raymond Nonnatus, the patron of midwives and expectant mothers, and Saint Raymond of Peñafort, the patron of canonists.

Raymonde f French
French feminine form of Raymond.

Raymund m English (Rare)
Variant of Raymond.

Raymundo m Spanish (Latin American), Portuguese (Brazilian)
Spanish and Portuguese variant form of Raymond.

Rayner m English (Archaic)
From the Germanic name Raginheri, composed of the elements regin "advice, counsel, decision" and heri "army". Saint Rainerius was a 12th-century hermit from Pisa. The Normans brought this name to England where it came into general use, though it was rare by the end of the Middle Ages.

Réamann m Irish
Irish form of Raymond.

Réamonn m Irish
Irish form of Raymond.

Redmond m Irish
Anglicized form of Réamonn.

Redmund m Irish (Rare)
Anglicized form of Réamann.

Regin m Germanic
Old German form of Rein.

Reginald m English
From Reginaldus, a Latinized form of Reynold.

Reima m Finnish
Finnish form of Raymond.

Reimund m German
German form of Raymond.

Rein m Frisian, Dutch, Estonian
Originally a short form of Germanic names beginning with the element regin meaning "advice, counsel, decision" (Proto-Germanic *raginą).

Reina 3 f Japanese
From Japanese 怜 (rei) meaning "wise" and 奈 (na), a phonetic character. This name can also be formed by other combinations of kanji.

Reinald m Germanic
Old German form of Reynold.

Reinaldo m Portuguese, Spanish
Portuguese and Spanish form of Reynold.

Reinder m Frisian
Frisian form of Rayner (or sometimes Reynard).

Reinhild f German
From the Germanic name Raginhild, which was composed of the elements regin "advice, counsel, decision" and hilt "battle". This was the name of a 7th-century Frankish saint who was martyred by the Huns. It is a cognate of the Norse name Ragnhild.

Reinhilde f German
Variant of Reinhild.

Rémann m Medieval Irish
Medieval Irish form of Raymond.

Remao m Limburgish
Limburgish form of Raymond. Its spelling has been influenced by the French pronunciation of Raymond.

Rembert m Germanic
Variant of Raginbert. This name was borne by a 9th-century saint, also called Rimbert, a bishop of Bremen and Hamburg.

Rembrandt m Dutch (Rare)
From a Germanic name that was composed of the elements regin "advice, counsel, decision" and brant "fire, torch, sword". This name belonged to the Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669).

Renaud m French, Carolingian Cycle
French form of Reynold. This name was used in medieval French literature for the hero Renaud de Montauban, a young man who flees with his three brothers from the court of Charlemagne after killing the king's nephew. Charlemagne pardons the brothers on the condition that they enter the Crusades. A loose version of the character also appears in medieval Italian extensions of the tales, in the Italian form Rinaldo.

Reynaldo m Spanish, Portuguese
Spanish and Portuguese form of Reynold.

Reynard m English (Rare)
From the Germanic name Raginhard, composed of the elements regin "advice, counsel, decision" and hart "hard, firm, brave, hardy". The Normans brought it to England in the form Reinard, though it never became very common there. In medieval fables the name was borne by the sly hero Reynard the Fox (with the result that renard has become a French word meaning "fox").

Reynaud m French (Rare)
French variant of Renaud.

Reynold m English
From the Germanic name Raginald, composed of the elements regin "advice, counsel, decision" and walt "power, authority". The Normans (who used forms like Reinald or Reinold) brought the name to Britain, where it reinforced rare Old English and Norse cognates already in existence. It was common during the Middle Ages, but became more rare after the 15th century.

Rhett m English
From a surname, an Anglicized form of the Dutch de Raedt, derived from raet "advice, counsel". Margaret Mitchell used this name for the character Rhett Butler in her novel Gone with the Wind (1936).

Rhetta f English (Rare)
Feminine form of Rhett.

Ricmod f & m Germanic
Derived from the Old German element rih "ruler, king" combined with muot "mind, spirit".

Rien 1 m Dutch
Dutch cognate of Rein.

Rigmor f Danish, Norwegian, Swedish
Scandinavian form of Ricmod, via the Old Danish form Rigmár.

Rishi m Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Nepali
Means "sage, poet" in Sanskrit, perhaps ultimately deriving from a root meaning "to see".

Ronald m Scottish, English, Dutch, German
Scottish form of Ragnvaldr, a name introduced to Britain by Scandinavian settlers and invaders. It became popular outside Scotland during the 20th century. A famous bearer was the American actor and president Ronald Reagan (1911-2004). It is also associated with Ronald McDonald, the clown mascot for the McDonald's chain of restaurants, first appearing in 1963.

Ronalda f Scottish
Feminine form of Ronald.

Ronnette f English (Rare)
Feminine form of Ronald.

Saga f Norse Mythology, Swedish, Icelandic
From Old Norse Sága, possibly meaning "seeing one", derived from sjá "to see". This is the name of a Norse goddess, possibly connected to Frigg. As a Swedish and Icelandic name, it is also derived from the unrelated word saga "story, fairy tale, saga".

Sage f & m English (Modern)
From the English word sage, which denotes either a type of spice or else a wise person.

Saige f English (Modern)
Variant of Sage.

Samwise m Literature
Means "simple, half wise" from Old English sam "half" and wis "wise". This is the name of a hobbit in J. R. R. Tolkien's novel The Lord of the Rings (1954). Samwise Gamgee, often called Sam, is the faithful companion of Frodo on his quest to destroy the One Ring. Samwise is an English-like translation of his true hobbit name Banazîr.

Saraswati f Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi
Means "possessing water" from Sanskrit सरस् (saras) meaning "fluid, water, lake" and वती (vati) meaning "having". This is the name of a Hindu river goddess, also associated with learning and the arts, who is the wife of Brahma.

Satomi f Japanese
From Japanese 里 (sato) meaning "village" or 聡 (sato) meaning "intelligent, clever, bright" combined with 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Satoshi m Japanese
From Japanese 聡 (satoshi) meaning "intelligent, clever", 智 (satoshi) meaning "wisdom, intellect", or other kanji and kanji combinations that are read the same way.

Savio m Italian
Means "wise" in Italian.

Schuyler m & f English
From a Dutch surname meaning "scholar". Dutch settlers brought the surname to America, where it was subsequently adopted as a given name in honour of the American general and senator Philip Schuyler (1733-1804).

Soffía f Icelandic
Icelandic form of Sophia.

Sofi f Armenian
Armenian form of Sophie.

Sofia f Greek, Italian, Portuguese, Catalan, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Finnish, Estonian, Slovak, Romanian, English, Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian
Form of Sophia used in various languages.

Sofie f German, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Dutch, Czech
Form of Sophie in several languages.

Sofija f Serbian, Croatian, Slovene, Macedonian, Latvian, Lithuanian
Form of Sophia in several languages.

Sofiya f Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian
Russian, Ukrainian and Bulgarian form of Sophia.

Sofronio m Spanish (Philippines)
Spanish form of Sophronius.

Sofya f Russian, Armenian
Russian and Armenian form of Sophia.

Sohvi f Finnish
Finnish form of Sophia.

Soňa f Czech, Slovak
Czech and Slovak form of Sonya.

Sonia f English, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, Polish
Variant of Sonya.

Sonja f German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Finnish, Slovene, Serbian, Croatian, Macedonian
Form of Sonya in various languages.

Sonje f German (Rare)
German variant of Sonja.

Sonya f Russian, English
Russian diminutive of Sophia. This is the name of a character in Leo Tolstoy's novel War and Peace (1869, English translation 1886).

Sophea f & m Khmer
Means "judge, lawyer" in Khmer.

Sophia f English, Greek, German, Ancient Greek
Means "wisdom" in Greek. This was the name of an early, probably mythical, saint who died of grief after her three daughters were martyred during the reign of the emperor Hadrian. Legends about her probably arose as a result of a medieval misunderstanding of the phrase Hagia Sophia "Holy Wisdom", which is the name of a large basilica in Constantinople.... [more]