Noninimicus's Personal Name List
Abigail
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Biblical, Biblical German, Biblical Italian, Biblical Portuguese, Biblical Latin
Other Scripts: אֲבִיגַיִל(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced: AB-i-gayl(English)
From the Hebrew name
אֲבִיגָיִל ('Avigayil) meaning
"my father is joy", derived from the roots
אָב ('av) meaning "father" and
גִּיל (gil) meaning "joy". In the
Old Testament this is the name of Nabal's wife. After Nabal's death she became the third wife of King
David.
As an English name, Abigail first became common after the Protestant Reformation, and it was popular among the Puritans. The biblical Abigail refers to herself as a servant, and beginning in the 17th century the name became a slang term for a servant, especially after the release of the play The Scornful Lady (1616), which featured a character named Abigail. The name went out of fashion at that point, but it was revived in the 20th century.
Adelina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Romanian, Bulgarian, Germanic (Latinized) [1]
Other Scripts: Аделина(Bulgarian)
Pronounced: a-deh-LEE-na(Italian) a-dheh-LEE-na(Spanish)
From a Germanic name that was derived from the element
adal meaning
"noble" (Proto-Germanic *
aþalaz).
Aella
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Ἄελλα(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: A-EHL-LA(Classical Greek)
Means
"whirlwind" in Greek. In Greek
myth this was the name of an Amazon warrior killed by
Herakles during his quest for Hippolyta's girdle.
Æðelþryð
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Anglo-Saxon [1][2]
Derived from the Old English elements
æðele "noble" and
þryþ "strength".
Aina 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Finnish, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
Pronounced: IE-nah(Finnish) IE-na(Swedish)
Variant of
Aino. It also means "always" in Finnish.
Áine
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish, Irish Mythology, Old Irish [1]
Pronounced: A-nyə(Irish)
Means
"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.
Aisling
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish
Pronounced: ASH-lyən
Means "dream" or "vision" in Irish. This name was created in the 20th century.
Alessandra
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: a-lehs-SAN-dra
Alexis
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: French, English, Greek, Spanish, Ancient Greek
Other Scripts: Αλέξης(Greek) Ἄλεξις(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: A-LEHK-SEE(French) ə-LEHK-sis(English)
From the Greek name
Ἄλεξις (Alexis) meaning
"helper" or
"defender", derived from Greek
ἀλέξω (alexo) meaning "to defend, to help". This was the name of a 3rd-century BC Greek comic poet, and also of several
saints. It is used somewhat interchangeably with the related name
Ἀλέξιος or
Alexius, borne by five Byzantine emperors.
In the English-speaking world this name is more commonly given to girls. This is due to the American actress Alexis Smith (1921-1993), who began appearing in movies in the early 1940s. It got a boost in popularity in the 1980s from a character on the soap opera Dynasty.
Alojzia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Slovak
Altair
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Astronomy, Portuguese (Brazilian)
Pronounced: al-TEHR(English)
Means "the flyer" in Arabic. This is the name of a star in the constellation Aquila.
Alvar
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Swedish, Estonian
From the Old Norse name
Alfarr, formed of the elements
alfr "elf" and
herr "army, warrior".
Alvis
Gender: Masculine
Usage: 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.
Alvise
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: al-VEE-zeh
Alyx
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: AL-iks
Feminine variant of
Alex.
Anaïs
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: A-NA-EES
Meaning uncertain, possibly a derivative of
Anne 1 or
Agnès. It was used in Jean-Henri Guy's opera
Anacréon chez Polycrate (1798), where it is borne by the daughter (otherwise unnamed in history) of the 6th-century BC tyrant
Polycrates of Samos. Guy could have adapted it from a classical name such as
Anaitis or
Athénaïs.
A famous bearer was the Cuban-French writer Anaïs Nin (1903-1977), known for her diaries.
Anastasiy
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Russian (Archaic), Bulgarian (Archaic)
Other Scripts: Анастасий(Russian, Bulgarian)
Pronounced: u-nu-STA-syee(Russian)
Anđelko
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Croatian, Serbian
Other Scripts: Анђелко(Serbian)
Croatian and Serbian form of
Angel.
Angerona
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Roman Mythology
Pronounced: an-geh-RO-na(Latin) an-jə-RO-nə(English)
Possibly from Latin angor "strangulation, torment" or angustus "narrow, constricted". Angerona was the Roman goddess of the winter solstice, death, and silence.
Anneliese
Gender: Feminine
Usage: German, Dutch
Pronounced: A-nə-lee-zə(German) ah-nə-LEE-sə(Dutch)
Anraí
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish
Anselm
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German, English (Rare), Germanic [1]
Pronounced: AN-zelm(German) AN-selm(English)
Derived from the Old German elements
ansi "god" and
helm "helmet, protection". This name was brought to England in the late 11th century by
Saint Anselm, who was born in northern Italy. He was archbishop of Canterbury and a Doctor of the Church.
Aodhán
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish
From 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.
Arianrhod
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Welsh Mythology
Pronounced: ar-YAN-rawd(Welsh)
Probably means
"silver wheel" from Welsh
arian "silver" and
rhod "wheel". According to the Fourth Branch of the
Mabinogi [1], 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.
Aridai
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical
Other Scripts: אֲרִידַי(Ancient Hebrew)
Meaning uncertain, possibly of Persian origin. In the
Old Testament this is the name of one of the ten sons of
Haman killed by the Jews.
Asha 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Malayalam
Other Scripts: आशा(Hindi, Marathi) ಆಶಾ(Kannada) ആശാ(Malayalam)
Derived from Sanskrit
आशा (asha) meaning
"wish, desire, hope".
Ashtoreth
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Biblical, Semitic Mythology
Other Scripts: עַשְׁתֹרֶת(Ancient Hebrew) 𐤏𐤔𐤕𐤓𐤕(Phoenician)
From
עַשְׁתֹרֶת ('Ashtoret), the Hebrew form of the name of a Phoenician goddess of love, war and fertility. Her name is
cognate to that of the East Semitic goddess
Ishtar.
Astor
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: AS-tər
From a German and French surname derived from Occitan astur meaning "hawk". The wealthy and influential Astor family, prominent in British and American society, originated in the Italian Alps.
Astrid
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, French, English
Pronounced: AS-strid(Swedish) AHS-tri(Norwegian) AS-trit(German) AS-TREED(French) AS-trid(English)
Modern Scandinavian form of
Ástríðr. This name was borne by the Swedish writer Astrid Lindgren (1907-2002), the author of
Pippi Longstocking. It was also borne by a Swedish princess (1905-1935) who became the queen of Belgium as the wife of Leopold III.
Aurelia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ancient Roman, Romanian, Italian, Spanish, Polish
Pronounced: ow-REH-lee-a(Latin) ow-REH-lya(Italian, Spanish, Polish)
Azriel
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical
Other Scripts: עֲזְרִיאֵל(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced: AZ-ree-əl(English)
Means
"my help is God", derived from Hebrew
עָזַר ('azar) meaning "help" and
אֵל ('el) meaning "God". This is the name of three minor characters in the
Old Testament.
Baqi
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: باقي(Arabic)
Pronounced: BA-kee
Means
"eternal" in Arabic. This was the
pen name of a 16th-century Turkish poet.
Baqir
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: باقر(Arabic)
Pronounced: BA-keer
Means "to rip open" in Arabic. Muhammad al-Baqir was the fifth imam of the Shia Muslims.
Beatrix
Gender: Feminine
Usage: German, Hungarian, Dutch, English, Late Roman
Pronounced: beh-A-triks(German) BEH-a-triks(German) BEH-aw-treeks(Hungarian) BEH-ya-triks(Dutch) BEE-ə-triks(English) BEE-triks(English)
Probably from
Viatrix, a feminine form of the Late Latin name
Viator meaning
"voyager, traveller". It was a common name amongst early Christians, and the spelling was altered by association with Latin
beatus "blessed, happy". Viatrix or Beatrix was a 4th-century
saint who was strangled to death during the persecutions of Diocletian.
In England the name became rare after the Middle Ages, but it was revived in the 19th century, more commonly in the spelling Beatrice. Famous bearers include the British author and illustrator Beatrix Potter (1866-1943), the creator of Peter Rabbit, and Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands (1938-).
Belial
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical, Biblical Latin, Judeo-Christian-Islamic Legend
Other Scripts: בְּלִיַעַל(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced: BEE-lee-əl(English)
Means
"worthless" in Hebrew. In the
Old Testament this term is used to refer to various wicked people. In the
New Testament, Paul uses it as a name for Satan. In later Christian tradition Belial became an evil angel associated with lawlessness and lust.
Björk
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Icelandic
Pronounced: PYUURK
Means "birch tree" in Icelandic.
Bohdan
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Czech, Slovak, Ukrainian, Polish
Other Scripts: Богдан(Ukrainian)
Pronounced: BOH-dan(Czech) BAWH-dan(Slovak) bogh-DAHN(Ukrainian)
Czech, Slovak and Ukrainian form of
Bogdan, as well as a Polish variant.
Brigid
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish, Irish Mythology
Irish variant of
Brighid (see
Bridget).
Bryn
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Welsh, English (Modern)
Pronounced: BRIN(English)
Means
"hill, mound" in Welsh. In Wales it is almost always a masculine name, though elsewhere in the English-speaking world it can be unisex (see
Brynn).
Cadeyrn
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Welsh (Rare)
From Old Welsh
Catigirn meaning
"battle king", derived from
cat "battle" and
tigirn "king, monarch". This was the name of a 5th-century king of Powys in Wales, the son of
Vortigern.
Caerwyn
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Welsh
Derived from the Welsh elements
caer "fortress" and
gwyn "white, blessed".
Callias
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Καλλίας(Ancient Greek)
Caris
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Carlisle
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: kahr-LIEL
From a surname that was derived from the name of a city in northern England. The city was originally called by the Romans
Luguvalium meaning "stronghold of
Lugus". Later the Brythonic element
ker "fort" was appended to the name of the city.
Castor
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Κάστωρ(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: KAS-tər(English)
From the Greek name
Κάστωρ (Kastor), possibly related to
κέκασμαι (kekasmai) meaning
"to excel, to shine" (pluperfect
κέκαστο). Alternatively it could be derived from the Greek word
κάστωρ (kastor) meaning
"beaver", though the legends about Castor do not mention beavers, which were foreign animals to the Greeks. In Greek
myth Castor was a son of
Zeus and the twin brother of
Pollux. The constellation Gemini, which represents the two brothers, contains a star by this name.
Cathair
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish
Pronounced: KA-hər
Cathal
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish, Old Irish [1]
Pronounced: KA-həl(Irish)
Derived from Old Irish
cath "battle" and
fal "rule". This was the name of a 7th-century Irish
saint. It was also borne by several Irish kings. It has sometimes been Anglicized as
Charles.
Cathán
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Old Irish
Derived from Old Irish
cath "battle" combined with a
diminutive suffix.
Saint Cathán was a 6th-century Irish monk, a missionary to the Isle of Bute.
Cavan
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Either from the name of the Irish county, which is derived from Irish
cabhán "hollow", or else from the Irish surname
Cavan.
Cecílie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Czech
Cèilidh
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Scottish Gaelic (Modern, Rare)
Pronounced: KAY-lee
Directly taken from Scottish Gaelic
cèilidh, a traditional folk music and storytelling party.
Its modern usage as a name was certainly influenced by the popularity of the homophonous Kaylee and its variants. This spelling is hardly ever used in Scotland itself, where Kayleigh is the most common spelling.
Chandrakant
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Marathi, Hindi
Other Scripts: चंद्रकांत(Marathi) चंद्रकांत, चन्द्रकान्त(Hindi)
Means
"beloved by the moon", derived from Sanskrit
चन्द्र (chandra) meaning "moon" and
कान्त (kanta) meaning "desired, beloved". This is another name for the moonstone.
Cian
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish, Irish Mythology, Old Irish [1]
Pronounced: KYEEN(Irish)
Means
"ancient, enduring" in Irish. In Irish
mythology this was the name of the father of
Lugh Lámfada. It was also borne by the mythical ancestor of the Ciannachta and by a son-in-law of
Brian Boru.
Cináed
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Medieval Scottish, Old Irish [1]
Possibly from Old Irish
cin "respect, esteem, affection" or
cinid "be born, come into being" combined with
áed "fire", though it might actually be of Pictish origin. This was the name of the first king of the Scots and Picts (9th century). It is often Anglicized as
Kenneth. The originally unrelated name
Coinneach is sometimes used as the modern Scottish Gaelic form.
Cionaodh
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish (Rare)
Pronounced: KYI-nee
Clovis
Gender: Masculine
Usage: History, French
Pronounced: KLO-vis(English) KLAW-VEES(French)
Contemporary spelling, via the Latinized form
Clodovicus, of the Germanic name
Hludwig (see
Ludwig). Clovis was a Frankish king who united the Franks under his rule in the 5th century. The name was subsequently borne by two further Merovingian kings.
Conrí
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Old Irish
Means "king of hounds" in Irish.
Cordelia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Literature, English
Pronounced: kawr-DEE-lee-ə(English) kawr-DEEL-yə(English)
From
Cordeilla, a name appearing in the 12th-century chronicles
[1] of Geoffrey of Monmouth, borne by the youngest of the three daughters of King
Leir and the only one to remain loyal to her father. Geoffrey possibly based her name on that of
Creiddylad, a character from Welsh legend.
The spelling was later altered to Cordelia when Geoffrey's story was adapted by others, including Edmund Spenser in his poem The Faerie Queene (1590) and Shakespeare in his tragedy King Lear (1606).
Cressida
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Literature
Pronounced: KREHS-i-də(English)
Form of
Criseida used by Shakespeare in his play
Troilus and Cressida (1602).
Cúán
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Old Irish [1]
Means
"little wolf" or
"little hound" from Old Irish
cú meaning "wolf, hound" combined with a
diminutive suffix. This was the name of an 8th-century
saint.
Cyril
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, Czech, Slovak
Pronounced: SIR-əl(English) SEE-REEL(French) TSI-ril(Czech)
From the Greek name
Κύριλλος (Kyrillos), which was derived from Greek
κύριος (kyrios) meaning
"lord", a word used frequently in the Greek Bible to refer to God or Jesus.
This name was borne by a number of important saints, including Cyril of Jerusalem, a 4th-century bishop and Doctor of the Church, and Cyril of Alexandria, a 5th-century theologian. Another Saint Cyril was a 9th-century Greek missionary to the Slavs, who is credited with creating the Glagolitic alphabet with his brother Methodius in order to translate the Bible into Slavic. The Cyrillic alphabet, named after him, is descended from Glagolitic.
This name has been especially well-used in Eastern Europe and other places where Orthodox Christianity is prevalent. It came into general use in England in the 19th century.
Cyrus
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Old Persian (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Κῦρος(Ancient Greek) 𐎤𐎢𐎽𐎢𐏁(Old Persian)
Pronounced: SIE-rəs(English)
Latin form of Greek
Κῦρος (Kyros), from the Old Persian name
𐎤𐎢𐎽𐎢𐏁 (Kuruš), possibly meaning
"young" or
"humiliator (of the enemy)" [1]. Alternatively it could be of Elamite origin. The name has sometimes been associated with Greek
κύριος (kyrios) meaning "lord".
The most notable bearer of the name was Cyrus the Great, the founder of the Achaemenid Persian Empire in the 6th century BC. He is famous in the Old Testament for freeing the captive Jews and allowing them to return to Israel after his conquest of Babylon. As an English name, it first came into use among the Puritans after the Protestant Reformation.
Damhán
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish
From Old Irish
Damán meaning
"calf, fawn", derived from
dam "ox, deer" and a
diminutive suffix. This was the name of an early Irish
saint, a brother of Saint Abbán.
Damijan
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Slovene
Danica
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Serbian, Croatian, Slovene, Slovak, Macedonian, English
Other Scripts: Даница(Serbian, Macedonian)
Pronounced: DA-nee-tsa(Serbian, Croatian) DA-nyee-tsa(Slovak) DAN-i-kə(English)
From a Slavic word meaning "morning star, Venus". This name occurs in Slavic folklore as a personification of the morning star. It has sometimes been used in the English-speaking world since the 1970s.
Dávid
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Hungarian, Slovak
Pronounced: DA-veed(Hungarian) DA-veet(Slovak)
Hungarian and Slovak form of
David.
Deacon
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: DEE-kən
Either from the occupational surname
Deacon or directly from the vocabulary word
deacon, which refers to a cleric in the Christian church (ultimately from Greek
διάκονος (diakonos) meaning "servant").
Devika
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hindi
Other Scripts: देविका(Hindi)
Means
"little goddess" from Sanskrit
देवी (devi) meaning "goddess" and
क (ka) meaning "little".
Dietrich
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German
Pronounced: DEET-rikh
German form of
Theodoric. The character Dietrich von Bern, loosely based on Theodoric the Great, appears in medieval German literature such as the
Hildebrandslied, the
Nibelungenlied and the
Eckenlied.
Doireann
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish, Irish Mythology
Pronounced: DEH-ryən(Irish)
Possibly from the Old Irish prefix
der "daughter" and
finn "white, blessed". Alternatively it may be derived from Irish
doireann "sullen, tempestuous" [1]. This was the name of several characters in Irish legend, including a daughter of Bodb Derg who poisoned
Fionn mac Cumhaill after he spurned her advances.
Dominik
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German, Czech, Slovak, Slovene, Polish, Hungarian, Croatian
Pronounced: DAW-mee-nik(German) DO-mi-nik(Czech) DAW-mee-neek(Slovak) daw-MEE-nyeek(Polish) DO-mee-neek(Hungarian)
Form of
Dominic used in various languages.
Drusilla
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Biblical, Ancient Roman, Biblical Latin
Pronounced: droo-SIL-ə(English)
Dubhán
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish (Rare)
From Old Irish
Dubán meaning
"little dark one", derived from
dub "dark, black" combined with a
diminutive suffix. This was the name of a few early
saints.
Éabha
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish
Pronounced: EH-wə, EH-və
Echo
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Ἠχώ(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: EH-ko(English)
From the Greek word
ἠχώ (echo) meaning
"echo, reflected sound", related to
ἠχή (eche) meaning "sound". In Greek
mythology Echo was a nymph given a speech impediment by
Hera, so that she could only repeat what others said. She fell in love with
Narcissus, but her love was not returned, and she pined away until nothing remained of her except her voice.
Egon
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German
Pronounced: EH-gawn
From the Old German name
Egino, derived from the element
agin meaning
"edge, blade" (from Proto-Germanic *
agjō).
Saint Egino was a 12th-century abbot from Augsburg.
Eirian
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Welsh
Means
"bright, beautiful" in Welsh
[1].
Erwin
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German, Dutch, Polish, Germanic [1]
Pronounced: EHR-veen(German, Polish) EHR-vin(Dutch)
Derived from the Old German name
Hariwini, composed of the elements
heri "army" and
wini "friend". It may have merged somewhat with the name
Eberwin. A notable bearer was Erwin Schrödinger (1887-1961), an Austrian physicist who made contributions to quantum theory.
Esmé
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: EHZ-may, EHZ-mee
Means "esteemed" or "loved" in Old French. It was first recorded in Scotland, being borne by the first Duke of Lennox in the 16th century. It is now more common as a feminine name.
Faolán
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish (Rare)
Pronounced: FEH-lan, FEE-lan
Means
"little wolf", derived from Old Irish
fáel "wolf" combined with a
diminutive suffix. This was the name of an Irish
saint who did missionary work in Scotland.
Finnian
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish
Derived from Old Irish
finn "white, blessed". This was the name of several Irish
saints, including the founders of monasteries at Clonard and Movilla (both 6th century).
Fionnlagh
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Scottish Gaelic
Means
"white warrior", derived from Old Irish
finn "white, blessed" and
láech "warrior". An earlier form was
Findláech — this was the name of the father of the 11th-century Scottish king Macbeth.
Fyodor
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Russian
Other Scripts: Фёдор(Russian)
Pronounced: FYUY-dər
Russian form of
Theodore. It was borne by three tsars of Russia. Another notable bearer was Fyodor Dostoyevsky (or Dostoevsky; 1821-1881), the Russian author of such works as
Crime and Punishment and
The Brothers Karamazov.
Germaine
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: ZHEHR-MEHN
French feminine form of
Germain.
Saint Germaine was a 16th-century peasant girl from France.
Ghislain
Gender: Masculine
Usage: French
Pronounced: ZHEES-LEHN, GEE-LEHN
French form of
Gislenus, a Latinized form of the Germanic name
Gislin, derived from the element
gisal meaning
"hostage" or
"pledge". This was the name of a 7th-century
saint and hermit who built a chapel near Mons, Belgium.
Gunnar
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Norse Mythology
Pronounced: GUYN-nar(Swedish, Icelandic) GOON-nahr(Norwegian)
From the Old Norse name
Gunnarr, which was derived from the elements
gunnr "war" and
herr "army, warrior" (making it a
cognate of
Gunther). In Norse legend Gunnar was the husband of
Brynhildr. He had his brother-in-law
Sigurd murdered based on his wife's false accusations that Sigurd had taken her virginity.
Halina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Polish, Belarusian
Other Scripts: Галіна(Belarusian)
Pronounced: kha-LEE-na(Polish) gha-LYEE-na(Belarusian)
Polish and Belarusian form of
Galina.
Hieronymus
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Greek (Latinized), German (Archaic), Dutch (Archaic)
Other Scripts: Ἱερώνυμος(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: hie-ə-RAHN-i-məs(English) hee-RO-nuy-muws(German) hyeh-RO-nuy-muws(German) hee-yeh-RO-nee-muyz(Dutch)
Latin form of
Jerome, formerly common in Germany and the Netherlands. Hieronymus Bosch (1450-1516) was a Dutch painter known for his depictions of the torments of hell.
Honoria
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Late Roman
Feminine form of
Honorius. This name was borne by the sister of the Western Roman emperor Valentinian III. After her brother had her engaged to a man she did not like, she wrote to
Attila the Hun asking for help. Attila interpreted this as a marriage proposal and subsequently invaded.
Hyperion
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Ὑπερίων(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: HUY-PEH-REE-AWN(Classical Greek) hie-PEER-ee-ən(English)
Derived from Greek
ὑπέρ (hyper) meaning
"over". In Greek
myth this was the name of a Titan who presided over the sun and light. By
Theia he was the father of the sun god
Helios, the moon goddess
Selene, and the dawn goddess
Eos.
Idris 2
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Welsh
Means
"ardent lord" from Old Welsh
iudd "lord" combined with
ris "ardent, enthusiastic". This name was borne by Idris the Giant, a 7th-century king of Meirionnydd.
Isolde
Gender: Feminine
Usage: German, Arthurian Cycle
Pronounced: ee-ZAWL-də(German) i-SOL-də(English) i-ZOL-də(English) i-SOLD(English) i-ZOLD(English) EE-ZAWLD(French)
German 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.
Izar
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Basque
Pronounced: ee-SAR
Means "star" in Basque.
Jack
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: JAK
Derived from
Jackin (earlier
Jankin), a medieval
diminutive of
John [1]. There could be some early influence from the unrelated French name
Jacques [2]. It is often regarded as an independent name. During the Middle Ages it was very common, and it became a slang word meaning "man", as seen in the terms
jack-o'-lantern,
jack-in-the-box,
lumberjack and so on. It was frequently used in fairy tales and nursery rhymes, such as
Jack and the Beanstalk,
Jack and Jill,
Little Jack Horner, and
Jack Sprat.
American writers Jack London (1876-1916) and Jack Kerouac (1922-1969) were two famous bearers of this name. It is also borne by the actor Jack Nicholson (1937-) and the golfer Jack Nicklaus (1940-). Apart from Nicklaus, none of these famous bearers were given the name Jack at birth.
In the United Kingdom this form has been bestowed more frequently than John since the 1990s, being the most popular name for boys from 1996 to 2008.
Janek
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Estonian, Polish, Czech
Pronounced: YA-nehk(Polish, Czech)
Jarek
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Polish, Czech
Pronounced: YA-rehk
Diminutive of names beginning with the Slavic element
jarŭ meaning
"fierce, energetic", such as
Jarosław or
Jaroslav. It is sometimes used independently.
Jaromír
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Czech, Slovak
Pronounced: YA-ro-meer(Czech) YA-raw-meer(Slovak)
Derived from the Slavic elements
jarŭ "fierce, energetic" and
mirŭ "peace, world". This name was borne by an 11th-century duke of Bohemia.
Javed
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Persian, Urdu
Other Scripts: جاود(Persian) جاوید(Urdu)
Means "eternal" in Persian.
Jennifer
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Spanish
Pronounced: JEHN-i-fər(English) JEH-ni-fu(German)
From a Cornish form of the Welsh name
Gwenhwyfar (see
Guinevere). This name has only been common outside of Cornwall since the beginning of the 20th century, after it was featured in George Bernard Shaw's play
The Doctor's Dilemma (1906). It barely ranked in the United until the late 1930s, when it began steadily growing in popularity, accelerating into the early 1970s. It was the most popular name for girls in America between 1970 and 1984, though it was not as common in the United Kingdom.
Famous bearers include the American actresses Jennifer Aniston (1969-), Jennifer Garner (1972-) and Jennifer Lawrence (1990-), as well as the singer/actress Jennifer Lopez (1969-).
Jericho
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Modern)
Other Scripts: יְרִיחוֹ(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced: JEHR-i-ko
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".
Judah
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical
Other Scripts: יְהוּדָה(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced: JOO-də(English)
From the Hebrew name
יְהוּדָה (Yehudah), probably derived from
יָדָה (yadah) meaning "praise". In the
Old Testament Judah is the fourth of the twelve sons of
Jacob by
Leah, and the ancestor of the tribe of Judah. An explanation for his name is given in
Genesis 29:35. His tribe eventually formed the Kingdom of Judah in the south of Israel. King
David and
Jesus were among the descendants of him and his wife
Tamar. This name was also borne by Judah Maccabee, the Jewish priest who revolted against Seleucid rule in the 2nd century BC, as told in the Books of Maccabees.
The name appears in the New Testament using the spellings Judas and Jude.
Kasimir
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German (Rare)
Pronounced: KA-zee-meew
Katherine
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: KATH-ə-rin, KATH-rin
From the Greek name
Αἰκατερίνη (Aikaterine). The etymology is debated: it could derive from an earlier Greek name
Ἑκατερινη (Hekaterine), itself from
ἑκάτερος (hekateros) meaning
"each of the two"; it could derive from the name of the goddess
Hecate; it could be related to Greek
αἰκία (aikia) meaning
"torture"; or it could be from a Coptic name meaning
"my consecration of your name". In the early Christian era it became associated with Greek
καθαρός (katharos) meaning
"pure", and the Latin spelling was changed from
Katerina to
Katharina to reflect this.
The name was borne by a semi-legendary 4th-century saint and martyr from Alexandria who was tortured on a spiked wheel. The saint was initially venerated in Syria, and returning crusaders introduced the name to Western Europe. It has been common in England since the 12th century in many different spellings, with Katherine and Catherine becoming standard in the later Middle Ages. To this day both spellings are regularly used in the English-speaking world. In the United States the spelling Katherine has been more popular since 1973.
Famous bearers of the name include Catherine of Siena, a 14th-century mystic, and Catherine de' Medici, a 16th-century French queen. It was also borne by three of Henry VIII's wives, including Katherine of Aragon, and by two empresses of Russia, including Catherine the Great.
Kazimír
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Czech (Rare), Slovak (Rare)
Pronounced: KA-zi-meer(Czech) KA-zee-meer(Slovak)
Khalid
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Urdu
Other Scripts: خالد(Arabic, Urdu)
Pronounced: KHA-leed(Arabic)
Means
"eternal", derived from Arabic
خلد (khalada) meaning "to last forever". This name was borne by a 7th-century Islamic military leader, Khalid ibn al-Walid.
Kiera
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish, English
Pronounced: KEER-ə(English)
Kleio
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology, Greek
Other Scripts: Κλειώ(Greek)
Pronounced: KLEH-AW(Classical Greek)
Derived from Greek
κλέος (kleos) meaning
"glory". In Greek
mythology she was the goddess of history and heroic poetry, one of the nine Muses. She was said to have introduced the alphabet to Greece.
Kuno
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German, Germanic [1]
Pronounced: KOO-no(German)
Short form of names beginning with the Old German element
kuni meaning
"royal" (related to
kunni meaning "clan, family"). It can also be a short form of
Konrad.
Leila
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Persian, Arabic, Kurdish, English, French, Georgian
Other Scripts: لیلا(Persian) ليلى(Arabic) لەیلا(Kurdish Sorani) ლეილა(Georgian)
Pronounced: lay-LAW(Persian) LIE-la(Arabic) LAY-lə(English) LEE-lə(English) LIE-lə(English) LAY-LA(French)
Variant of
Layla, and the usual Persian transcription.
This spelling was used by Lord Byron for characters in The Giaour (1813) and Don Juan (1819), and it is through him that the name was introduced to the English-speaking world.
Lestari
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Indonesian
Pronounced: ləs-TA-ree
Means "eternal, abiding" in Indonesian.
Líadan
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish (Rare)
Pronounced: LYEE-dən
Possibly from Old Irish
líath meaning
"grey". According to an Irish tale this was the name of a poet who became a nun, but then missed her lover Cuirithir so much that she died of grief. The name was also borne by a 5th-century
saint, the mother of Saint Ciarán the Elder.
Lior
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Hebrew
Other Scripts: לִיאוֹר(Hebrew)
Means
"my light" in Hebrew, from
לִי (li) "for me" and
אוֹר ('or) "light".
Llywelyn
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Welsh
Pronounced: shəw-EH-lin(Welsh) loo-EHL-in(English)
Probably a Welsh form of an unattested old Celtic name *
Lugubelinos, a combination of the names of the gods
Lugus and
Belenus, or a compound of
Lugus and a Celtic root meaning "strong". Alternatively it may be derived from Welsh
llyw "leader". This was the name of several Welsh rulers, notably the 13th-century Llywelyn the Great who fought against the English.
Lonán
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish, Old Irish [1]
Pronounced: LUW-nan(Irish)
Means
"little blackbird", derived from Old Irish
lon "blackbird" combined with a
diminutive suffix. This name was borne by several early
saints.
Lorcán
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish
Pronounced: LAWR-kan
Means
"little fierce one", derived from Old Irish
lorcc "fierce" combined with a
diminutive suffix.
Saint Lorcán was a 12th-century archbishop of Dublin.
Lykke
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Danish
Means "good fortune, happiness" in Danish.
Maeve
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish, English, Irish Mythology
Pronounced: MAYV(English)
Anglicized form of the Irish name
Medb meaning
"intoxicating". In Irish legend this was the name of a warrior queen of Connacht. She and her husband
Ailill fought against the Ulster king
Conchobar and the hero
Cúchulainn, as told in the Irish epic
The Cattle Raid of Cooley.
Mikhail
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Russian, Belarusian, Bulgarian
Other Scripts: Михаил(Russian, Bulgarian) Міхаіл(Belarusian)
Pronounced: myi-khu-EEL(Russian)
Russian and Belarusian form of
Michael, and an alternate transcription of Bulgarian
Михаил (see
Mihail). This was the name of two Russian tsars. Other notable bearers include the Russian poet Mikhail Lermontov (1814-1841), the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev (1931-2022), and the Latvian-Russian-American dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov (1948-).
Naenia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Roman Mythology
Means "incantation, dirge" in Latin. This was the name of the Roman goddess of funerals.
Najwa
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: نجوى(Arabic)
Pronounced: NAJ-wa
Means "secret, whisper" in Arabic.
Naoise
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish, Irish Mythology
Pronounced: NEE-shə(Irish)
Meaning unknown, presumably of Irish origin. In Irish legend he was the young man who fled to Scotland with
Deirdre, who was due to marry
Conchobar the king of Ulster. Conchobar eventually succeeded in capturing Deirdre and killing Naoise, which caused Deirdre to die of grief.
Nephele
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Νεφέλη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: NEH-PEH-LEH(Classical Greek) NEHF-ə-lee(English)
From Greek
νέφος (nephos) meaning
"cloud". In Greek legend Nephele was created from a cloud by
Zeus, who shaped the cloud to look like
Hera in order to trick Ixion, a mortal who desired her. Nephele was the mother of the centaurs by Ixion, and was also the mother of Phrixus and Helle by Athamus.
Niamh
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish, Irish Mythology
Pronounced: NYEEW(Irish) NYEEV(Irish)
Means
"bright" in Irish. She was the daughter of the sea god
Manannán mac Lir in Irish legends. She fell in love with the poet
Oisín, the son of
Fionn mac Cumhaill. It has been used as a given name for people only since the early 20th century.
Nikolai
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Russian, Bulgarian
Other Scripts: Николай(Russian, Bulgarian)
Pronounced: nyi-ku-LIE(Russian)
Nitya
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Hindi
Other Scripts: नित्या, नित्य(Hindi)
Means
"always, eternal" in Sanskrit. This is a transcription of both the feminine form
नित्या (an epithet of the Hindu goddess
Durga) and the masculine form
नित्य.
Oisín
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish, Irish Mythology
Pronounced: aw-SHEEN(Irish) o-SHEEN(English)
Means
"little deer", derived from Old Irish
oss "deer, stag" combined with a
diminutive suffix. In Irish legend Oisín was a warrior hero and a poet, the son of
Fionn mac Cumhaill and the narrator in many of his tales.
Órfhlaith
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish (Rare)
Pronounced: OR-lə
Paget
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: PAJ-it
From a French and English surname that meant
"little page" (see
Paige).
Patricija
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Slovene, Croatian, Lithuanian
Slovene, Croatian and Lithuanian feminine form of
Patricius (see
Patrick).
Pollux
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Roman Mythology
Pronounced: POL-looks(Latin) PAHL-əks(English)
Roman form of Greek
Πολυδεύκης (Polydeukes) meaning
"very sweet", from Greek
πολύς (polys) meaning "much" and
δευκής (deukes) meaning "sweet". In
mythology he was the twin brother of
Castor and a son of
Zeus. The constellation Gemini, which represents the two brothers, contains a star by this name.
Raine
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: RAYN
From a surname derived from the Old French nickname
reine meaning
"queen". A famous bearer was the British socialite Raine Spencer (1929-2016), the stepmother of Princess Diana. In modern times it is also considered a variant of
Rain 1.
Regina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Lithuanian, Estonian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Late Roman
Pronounced: ri-JEE-nə(English) ri-JIE-nə(English) reh-GEE-na(German, Polish) reh-JEE-na(Italian) reh-KHEE-na(Spanish) ryeh-gyi-NU(Lithuanian) REH-gi-na(Czech) REH-gee-naw(Hungarian)
Means
"queen" in Latin (or Italian). It was in use as a Christian name from early times, and was borne by a 2nd-century
saint. In England it was used during the Middle Ages in honour of the Virgin
Mary, and it was later revived in the 19th century. A city in Canada bears this name, in honour of Queen Victoria.
Rein
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Frisian, Dutch, Estonian
Pronounced: RAYN(Frisian, Dutch)
Originally a short form of Germanic names beginning with the element
regin meaning
"advice, counsel, decision" (Proto-Germanic *
raginą).
Rhiannon
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Welsh, English, Welsh Mythology
Pronounced: ri-AN-awn(Welsh) ree-AN-ən(English)
Probably derived from an unattested Celtic name *
Rīgantonā meaning
"great queen" (Celtic *
rīganī "queen" and the divine or augmentative suffix
-on). It is speculated that Rigantona was an old Celtic goddess, perhaps associated with fertility and horses like the Gaulish
Epona. As
Rhiannon, she appears in Welsh legend in the
Mabinogi [1] as a beautiful magical woman who rides a white horse. She was betrothed against her will to
Gwawl, but cunningly broke off that engagement and married
Pwyll instead. Their son was
Pryderi.
As an English name, it became popular due to the Fleetwood Mac song Rhiannon (1976), especially in the United Kingdom and Australia.
Rhys
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Welsh, English
Pronounced: REES
From Old Welsh
Ris, probably meaning
"ardour, enthusiasm". Several Welsh rulers have borne this name, including the 12th-century Rhys ap Gruffydd who fought against the invading
Normans.
Riagán
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish (Rare)
Pronounced: REE-gan
From Old Irish
Riacán, probably derived from
rí "king" combined with a
diminutive suffix.
Ríoghnach
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish Mythology
Derived from Old Irish
rígain meaning
"queen". According to some sources, this was the name of a wife of the semi-legendary Irish king
Niall of the Nine Hostages.
Ruaidhrí
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish
Pronounced: RWU-ryee
From Old Irish
Ruaidrí meaning
"red king", from
rúad "red" combined with
rí "king". This was the name of the last high king of Ireland, reigning in the 12th century.
Rune
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Norwegian, Danish, Swedish
Pronounced: ROO-nə(Norwegian) ROO-neh(Danish, Swedish)
Derived from Old Norse
rún meaning
"secret lore, rune".
Sachairi
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Scottish Gaelic (Rare)
Samad
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: صمد(Arabic)
Pronounced: SA-mad
Means "eternal" in Arabic.
Saoirse
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish
Pronounced: SEER-shə
Means "freedom" in Irish Gaelic. It was first used as a given name in the 20th century.
Sé
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish
Pronounced: SHEH
Séaghdha
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish (Rare)
Pronounced: SHEH
From Old Irish
Ségdae, probably derived from
ségda meaning
"fine, good, favourable, learned". According to an Irish legend this was the name of a boy who was set to be sacrificed but was saved by his mother
[1].
Selvaggia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian (Rare)
Pronounced: sehl-VAD-ja
Means "wild" in Italian.
Shay 1
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Irish
Pronounced: SHAY(English)
Anglicized form of
Séaghdha, sometimes used as a feminine name.
Silas
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Greek, Danish, German, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
Other Scripts: Σίλας(Greek)
Pronounced: SIE-ləs(English)
The name of a companion of
Saint Paul in the
New Testament. It is probably a short form of
Silvanus, a name that Paul calls him by in the epistles. It is possible that
Silvanus and
Silas were Latin and Greek forms of the Hebrew name
Saul (via Aramaic).
As an English name it was not used until after the Protestant Reformation. It was utilized by George Eliot for the title character in her novel Silas Marner (1861).
Silvanus
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Roman Mythology, Ancient Roman, Biblical, Biblical Latin
Pronounced: SEEL-wa-noos(Latin) sil-VAYN-əs(English)
Roman
cognomen meaning
"of the woods", derived from Latin
silva meaning "wood, forest". Silvanus was the Roman god of forests. This name appears in the
New Testament belonging to one of
Saint Paul's companions, also called Silas.
Siobhán
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish
Pronounced: SHI-wan, SHUW-wan, SHI-van, shə-VAN
Irish form of
Jehanne, a Norman French variant of
Jeanne.
Síofra
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish
Pronounced: SHEE-frə
Means "elf, sprite" in Irish. This name was created in the 20th century.
Sjra
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Limburgish
Pronounced: SHRAH
Limburgish form of
Gerard. Its spelling has been influenced by the French pronunciation of Gérard.
Suleiman
Gender: Masculine
Usage: History
Suljo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Bosnian
Tabitha
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Biblical, Biblical Greek
Other Scripts: Ταβιθά(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: TAB-i-thə(English)
Means
"gazelle" in Aramaic. Tabitha in the
New Testament was a woman restored to life by
Saint Peter. Her name is translated into Greek as
Dorcas (see
Acts 9:36). As an English name,
Tabitha became common after the
Protestant Reformation. It was popularized in the 1960s by the television show
Bewitched, in which Tabitha (sometimes spelled Tabatha) is the daughter of the main character.
Talitha
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Biblical
Pronounced: TAL-i-thə(English) tə-LEE-thə(English)
Means
"little girl" in Aramaic. The name is taken from the phrase
talitha cumi meaning "little girl arise" spoken by
Jesus in order to restore a young girl to life (see
Mark 5:41).
Tamsin
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (British)
Pronounced: TAM-zin
Contracted form of
Thomasina. It was traditionally used in Cornwall.
Tanith
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Semitic Mythology
Other Scripts: 𐤕𐤍𐤕(Phoenician)
Meaning unknown. This was the name of the Phoenician goddess of love, fertility, the moon and the stars. She was particularly associated with the city of Carthage, being the consort of
Ba'al Hammon.
Tighearnach
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Medieval Irish
Pronounced: TYEER-nəkh
From Old Irish
Tigernach, derived from
tigerna meaning
"lord". This was the name of an Irish
saint, the founder of the monastery at Clones in the 6th century. According to some tales of his life, he was taken by British pirates to the monastery of Rosnat in his youth, but he escaped and returned to Ireland.
Tighearnán
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Medieval Irish
Pronounced: TYEER-nan
From Old Irish
Tigernán meaning
"little lord", from
tigerna "lord" combined with a
diminutive suffix. It was borne by a 6th-century
saint who founded a monastery at Errew. It was also the name of a 12th-century king of Breifne.
Torin
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Modern)
Meaning unknown. It has been suggested that it is of Irish origin, though no suitable derivation can be found.
Treasach
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Medieval Irish
From Old Irish Tressach meaning "warlike, fierce".
Ursula
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Swedish, Danish, German, Dutch, Finnish, Late Roman
Pronounced: UR-sə-lə(English) UR-syoo-lə(English) UWR-zoo-la(German) OOR-soo-lah(Finnish)
Means
"little bear", derived from a
diminutive form of the Latin word
ursa "she-bear".
Saint Ursula was a legendary virgin princess of the 4th century who was martyred by the Huns while returning from a pilgrimage. In England the saint was popular during the Middle Ages, and the name came into general use at that time.
Valko
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Bulgarian
Other Scripts: Вълко(Bulgarian)
Derived from Bulgarian
вълк (valk) meaning
"wolf".
Vashti
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Biblical
Other Scripts: וַשְׁתִּי(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced: VASH-tee(English)
Possibly means
"thread" in Hebrew, but it is most likely of Persian origin. In the
Old Testament this is the name of the first wife of King
Ahasuerus of Persia before he marries Esther.
Vasili
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Russian
Other Scripts: Василий(Russian)
Pronounced: vu-SYEE-lyee
Vibeke
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Danish, Norwegian
Danish form of
Wiebke. It was borne by an influential mistress of Christian IV of Denmark (17th century).
Virva
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Finnish
Pronounced: VEER-vah
Possibly derived from Finnish virvatuli meaning "will o' the wisp". In folklore, will o' the wisp is a floating ball of light that appears over water.
Werner
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German, Dutch
Pronounced: VEHR-nu(German) VEHR-nər(Dutch)
From an Old German name derived from the element
warin, related to
war meaning "aware, cautious", combined with
heri meaning "army". This was the name of a 13th-century boy from Oberwesel, Germany who was formerly regarded as a
saint. He is no longer recognized as such by the Church. Another famous bearer was the German physicist Werner Heisenberg (1901-1976).
Wszemir
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Medieval Polish
Pronounced: VSHEH-meer(Old Polish)
Derived from Slavic wsze "all, always" combined with Slavic mir "peace".
Xerxes
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Old Persian (Hellenized), History
Other Scripts: 𐎧𐏁𐎹𐎠𐎼𐏁𐎠(Old Persian) Ξέρξης(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: ZURK-seez(English)
Greek form of the Old Persian name
𐎧𐏁𐎹𐎠𐎼𐏁𐎠 (Xšayarša), which meant
"ruler over heroes". This was the name of a 5th-century BC king of Persia, the son of
Darius the Great. He attempted an invasion of Greece, which ended unsuccessfully at the battle of Salamis.
Zilpah
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Biblical, Biblical Hebrew
Other Scripts: זִלְפָּה(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced: ZIL-pə(English)
Means
"frailty" in Hebrew. In the
Old Testament this is the name of the handmaid who was given to
Jacob by
Leah.
Zyanya
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Zapotec
Possibly means "forever, always" in Zapotec. It appears in the novel Aztec (1980) by the American author Gary Jennings.
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