Behind the Name: UniqueNameLover's Personal Name List

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English, Spanish, Polish, Romanian, Ancient Germanic

Pronounced: ə-DEL-ə (English), ah-DE-lah (Polish)

Rating: 59% based on 31 votes

Originally a short form of names beginning with the Germanic element adal meaning "noble". Saint Adela was a 7th-century Frankish princess who founded a monastery at Pfazel in France. This name was also borne by a daughter of William the Conqueror.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: German, English, Italian, Finnish

Pronounced: ə-DEL (English)

Rating: 62% based on 32 votes

Gender: Feminine

Usage: French, English

Pronounced: a-də-LEEN (French), AD-ə-lien (English)

Personal note: LOVE! Add-uh-line for FN or Add-uh-lynn for MN

Rating: 68% based on 37 votes

Diminutive of ADÈLE

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Spanish

Pronounced: ah-DHO-rah

Personal note: First name or Middle Name

Rating: 42% based on 39 votes

Short form of ADORACIÓN

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Ancient Roman

Personal note: Cannot use with Atlas...

Rating: 48% based on 40 votes

Roman cognomen meaning "white, bright" in Latin.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English, French, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Polish, Dutch

Pronounced: AL-frəd (English), al-FRED (French), AHL-fret (German, Polish), AHL-frət (Dutch)

Personal note: FN only

Rating: 54% based on 30 votes

Derived from the Old English name Ælfræd, composed of the elements ælf "elf" and ræd "counsel". Alfred the Great was a 9th-century king of Wessex who fought unceasingly against the Danes living in the northeast of 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. A famous bearer was the British poet Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809-1892).

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English, French, Portuguese, Italian

Pronounced: AL-is (English), a-LEES (French), ah-LEE-che (Italian)

Personal note: Possible MN for Persephone

Rating: 74% based on 35 votes

From the Old French name Aalis, a short form of Adelais, itself a short form of the Germanic name Adalheidis (see ADELAIDE). This name became popular in France and England in the 12th century. It was borne by the heroine of Lewis Carroll's 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' (1865) and 'Through the Looking Glass' (1871).

Anglicized form of ALASDAIR

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Hebrew

Other Scripts: עַלִיזָה (Hebrew)

Pronounced: ah-LEE-zah

Rating: 46% based on 13 votes

Means "joyful" in Hebrew.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English (Rare), Italian (Rare)

Pronounced: ə-LEG-rə (English), ahl-LE-grah (Italian)

Rating: 35% based on 6 votes

Means "cheerful, lively" in Italian. It is not a traditional Italian name. It was borne by a short-lived illegitimate daughter of Lord Byron.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Greek Mythology (Latinized)

Other Scripts: Αλθαια (Ancient Greek)

Rating: 44% based on 14 votes

From the Greek name Αλθαια (Althaia), perhaps related to Greek αλθος (althos) "healing". In Greek myth she was the mother of Meleager. Soon after her son was born she was told that he would die as soon as a piece of wood that was burning on her fire was fully consumed. She immediately extinguished the piece of wood and sealed it in a chest, but in a fit of rage many years later she took it out and set it alight, thereby killing her son.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English (Rare)

Pronounced: AM-ə-thist

Personal note: middle name only "Amy"

Rating: 32% based on 13 votes

From the name of the precious stone, which is Greek in origin and means "not drunk", as it was believed to be a remedy against drunkenness.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Greek, Russian, English, Spanish, Ancient Greek

Other Scripts: Αναστασια (Greek), Анастасия (Russian)

Pronounced: ah-nah-stah-SEE-yah (Russian), a-nə-STAY-zhə (English), a-nə-STAS-yə (English), ah-nahs-TAH-syah (Spanish)

Rating: 50% based on 2 votes

Feminine form of ANASTASIUS. This was the name of a 4th-century Dalmatian saint who was martyred during the persecutions of the Roman emperor Diocletian. Due to her, the name has been common in Eastern Orthodox Christianity (in various spellings). As an English name it has been in use since the Middle Ages. A famous bearer was the youngest daughter of the last Russian tsar Nicholas II, who was rumoured to have escaped the execution of her family in 1918.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Greek Mythology

Other Scripts: Ανδρομεδη (Ancient Greek)

Pronounced: an-DRAW-mə-də (English)

Personal note: Most likely a FN

Rating: 52% based on 40 votes

Means "to think of a man" from the Greek element ανδρος (andros) "of a man" combined with μηδομαι (medomai) "to think, to be mindful of". Andromeda is a constellation in the northern sky, which gets its name from a mythical Greek princess who was rescued from sacrifice by Perseus. This is also the name of a nearby galaxy, given because it resides (from our point of view) within the constellation.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English (Rare)

Rating: 59% based on 40 votes

Medieval English variant of HONORA

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Greek Mythology

Other Scripts: Αντιγονη (Ancient Greek)

Pronounced: an-TIG-ə-nee (English)

Rating: 40% based on 1 vote

Means "against birth" from Greek αντι (anti) "against" and γονη (gone) "birth, offspring". In Greek legend Antigone was the daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta. King Creon of Thebes declared that her slain brother Polynices was to remain unburied, a great dishonour. She disobeyed and gave him a proper burial, and for this she was sealed alive in a cave.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Italian, Polish, Russian, Ancient Roman

Other Scripts: Антонина (Russian)

Pronounced: ahn-taw-NEE-nah (Polish), ahn-tah-NEE-nah (Russian)

Rating: 50% based on 6 votes

Feminine form of Antoninus (see ANTONINO).

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English

Personal note: First name only

Rating: 52% based on 37 votes

Medieval Scottish name, probably a variant of ANNABEL. It has long been associated with Latin orabilis meaning "invokable".

The surname of one of the musketeers in 'The Three Musketeers' (1844) by Alexandre Dumas. Dumas based the character on Henri d'Aramitz, whose surname was derived from the French village of Aramits.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Greek Mythology

Other Scripts: Αριαδνη (Ancient Greek)

Pronounced: ah-ree-AHD-ne (Ancient Greek), ar-ee-AD-nee (English)

Rating: 58% based on 36 votes

Means "most holy", composed of the Cretan Greek elements αρι (ari) "most" and αδνος (adnos) "holy". In Greek mythology, Ariadne was the daughter of King Minos. She fell in love with Theseus and helped him to escape the Labyrinth and the Minotaur, but was later abandoned by him. Eventually she married the god Dionysus.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English, French, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Welsh Mythology

Pronounced: AHR-thər (English), ar-TUYR (French), AHR-toor (German), AHR-tur (Dutch)

Rating: 50% based on 3 votes

The meaning of this name is unknown. It could be derived from the Celtic elements artos "bear" combined with viros "man" or rigos "king". Alternatively it could be related to an obscure Roman family name Artorius. Arthur is the name of the central character in Arthurian legend, a 6th-century king of the Britons who presided over the Knights of the Round Table. He may or may not have been a real person.

The name came into general use in England in the Middle Ages due to the prevalence of Arthurian romances, and it enjoyed a surge of popularity in the 19th century. Famous bearers include German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860), mystery author and Sherlock Holmes creator Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930), and science-fiction author Arthur C. Clarke (1917-2008).

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Greek Mythology

Other Scripts: Αθηνα (Ancient Greek)

Personal note: Debating whether to use this as FN or MN

Rating: 61% based on 38 votes

Meaning unknown, perhaps derived from Greek αθηρ (ather) "sharp" and αινη (aine) "praise". Athena was the Greek goddess of wisdom and warfare, the daughter of Zeus and the patron goddess of the city of Athens in Greece. She is associated with the olive tree and the owl.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Greek Mythology

Other Scripts: Ατλας (Ancient Greek)

Pronounced: AT-ləs (English)

Personal note: First name only: #1 on my boy's list

Rating: 41% based on 38 votes

Means "not enduring" from the Greek negative prefix α combined with τλαω (tlao) "to endure". In Greek mythology he was a Titan punished by Zeus by being forced to support the heavens on his shoulders.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Ancient Roman, Dutch

Pronounced: ə-GUS-təs (English)

Rating: 50% based on 25 votes

Means "great" or "venerable", derived from Latin augere "to increase". Augustus was the title given to Octavian, the first Roman emperor. He was the adopted son of Julius Caesar who rose to power through a combination of military skill and political prowess. This was also the name of three kings of Poland.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Italian, Ancient Roman

Rating: 50% based on 6 votes

Feminine form of AURELIANUS

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, English, German, Romanian, Finnish, Roman Mythology

Pronounced: ow-RO-rah (Spanish), ə-RAWR-ə (English)

Personal note: First name only. In top 5.

Rating: 64% based on 40 votes

Means "dawn" in Latin. Aurora was the Roman goddess of the morning. It has occasionally been used as a given name since the Renaissance.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English

Pronounced: AW-təm

Personal note: MN only; Persephone Autumn, Aurora Autumn, Cordelia Autumn...

Rating: 51% based on 37 votes

From the name of the season, ultimately from Latin autumnus. This name has been in general use since the 1960s.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: BAZ-əl

Rating: 55% based on 28 votes

From the Greek name Βασιλειος (Basileios) which was derived from βασιλευς (basileus) meaning "king". Saint Basil the Great was a 4th-century bishop of Caesarea and one of the fathers of the early Christian church. Due to him, the name (in various spellings) has come into general use in the Christian world, being especially popular among Eastern Christians. It was also borne by two Byzantine emperors.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English, French, German, Dutch, Biblical

Other Scripts: בִּנְיָמִין (Ancient Hebrew)

Pronounced: BEN-jə-min (English), ben-zha-MEN (French), BEN-yah-meen (German)

Rating: 76% based on 14 votes

From the Hebrew name בִּנְיָמִין (Binyamin) which means "son of the south" or "son of the right hand". Benjamin in the Old Testament is the twelfth and youngest son of Jacob and the founder of one of the southern tribes of the Hebrews. He was originally named בֶּן־אוֹנִי (Ben-'oniy) meaning "son of my sorrow" by his mother Rachel, who died shortly after childbirth, but it was later changed by his father.

As an English name, Benjamin came into general use after the Protestant Reformation. A famous bearer was Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790), an American statesman, inventor, scientist and philosopher.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Anglo-Saxon Mythology

Pronounced: BAY-ə-woolf (English)

Rating: 32% based on 10 votes

Possibly means "bee wolf" (in effect equal to "bear") from Old English beo "bee" and wulf "wolf". This is the name of the main character in the anonymous 8th-century epic poem 'Beowulf'. The poem tells how Beowulf slays the monster Grendel and its mother, but goes on to tell how he is killed in his old age fighting a dragon.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English, Portuguese, Spanish

Pronounced: kə-LIS-tə (English)

Rating: 55% based on 33 votes

Feminine form of CALLISTUS. As an English name it might also be a variant of KALLISTO.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Greek Mythology (Latinized)

Other Scripts: Καλλιοπη (Ancient Greek)

Pronounced: kə-LIE-ə-pee (English)

Rating: 64% based on 12 votes

Latinized form of KALLIOPE

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English (Rare)

Pronounced: kə-LIS-tə

Rating: 55% based on 26 votes

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English (Rare)

Pronounced: kə-MEEL-ee-ə, kə-MEL-ee-ə

Rating: 50% based on 2 votes

From the name of the flowering shrub, which was named for the botanist and missionary Georg Josef Kamel.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek, Ancient Greek, Greek Mythology

Other Scripts: Χλοη (Ancient Greek)

Pronounced: KLO-ee (English)

Rating: 46% based on 27 votes

Means "green shoot" in Greek. This was an epithet of the Greek goddess Demeter. The name is also mentioned by Paul in one of his epistles in the New Testament. As an English name, Chloe has been in use since the Protestant Reformation.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: French, English

Pronounced: KLER

Personal note: MN only; Cordelia Claire, Persephone Claire

Rating: 70% based on 26 votes

French form of CLARA

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English

Pronounced: kawr-DEL-ee-ə, kawr-DEL-yə

Personal note: First name only; Top 2 on Girls' List

Rating: 63% based on 36 votes

From Cordeilla, possibly a Celtic name of unknown meaning. According to Geoffrey of Monmouth, Cordeilla was the youngest of the three daughters of King Lear and the only one to remain loyal to her father. When adapting the character for his play 'King Lear' (1606), Shakespeare altered the spelling to Cordelia.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English

Pronounced: DAY-zee

Rating: 67% based on 3 votes

Simply from the English word for the white flower, ultimately derived from Old English dægeseage meaning "day eye". It was first used as a given name in the 19th century, at the same time many other plant and flower names were coined.

Means "from Artagnan" in French, Artagnan being a town in southwestern France. This was the name of a character in the novel 'The Three Musketeers' (1884) by Alexandre Dumas. In the novel D'Artagnan is an aspiring musketeer who first duels with the three title characters and then becomes their friend.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Ancient Greek

Other Scripts: Δημητρια (Ancient Greek)

Personal note: Will not use

Rating: 50% based on 26 votes

Feminine form of DEMETRIUS

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Greek Mythology

Other Scripts: Ηχω (Ancient Greek)

Pronounced: E-ko (English)

Personal note: First name and middle name

Rating: 46% based on 37 votes

Means "echo" from the word for the repeating reflected sound, which derives from Greek ηχη (eche) "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.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English (Modern)

Pronounced: EE-dən

Rating: 66% based on 14 votes

Means "place of pleasure" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament the Garden of Eden is the place where the first people, Adam and Eve, live before they are expelled.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English, French

Pronounced: ED-gər (English), ed-GAHR (French)

Rating: 51% based on 26 votes

Derived from the Old English elements ead "rich, blessed" and gar "spear". This was the name of a 10th-century English king, Edgar the Peaceful. The name did not survive long after the Norman conquest, but it was revived in the 18th century, in part due to a character by this name in Sir Walter Scott's novel 'The Bride of Lammermoor' (1819). Famous bearers include author and poet Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849), French impressionist painter Edgar Degas (1834-1917), and author Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875-1950).

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Cornish

Personal note: First name only. Might spell it Elowyn

Rating: 55% based on 33 votes

Derived from Cornish elew "elm tree". This is a recently coined Cornish name.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English

Pronounced: EM-ə-leen

Rating: 47% based on 21 votes

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English (Archaic)

Pronounced: EM-ə-leen

Personal note: MN only

Rating: 61% based on 25 votes

From an Old French form of the Germanic name Amelina, originally a diminutive of Germanic names beginning with the element amal meaning "work". The Normans introduced this name to England.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Italian, French

Rating: 41% based on 10 votes

The meaning of this name is uncertain. In some cases it seems to be an old Italian form of HEINZ, though in other cases it could be a variant of the Germanic name ANZO. In modern times it is also used as a short form of names ending in enzo, such as VINCENZO or LORENZO.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Greek Mythology

Other Scripts: Ηως (Ancient Greek)

Pronounced: E:-os (Ancient Greek), EE-aws (English)

Rating: 32% based on 24 votes

Means "dawn" in Greek. This was the name of the Greek goddess of the dawn.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Literature

Pronounced: AY-ə-win (English)

Rating: 0% based on 1 vote

Means "horse joy" in Old English. This name was invented by J. R. R. Tolkien who used Old English to represent the Rohirric language. In his novel 'The Lord of the Rings' (1954) Eowyn is the niece of King Theoden of Rohan. She slays the Lord of the Nazgul in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Late Greek (Latinized)

Other Scripts: Ερασμος (Ancient Greek)

Rating: 42% based on 5 votes

Derived from Greek ερασμιος (erasmios) meaning "beloved". Saint Erasmus, also known as Saint Elmo, was a 4th-century martyr who is the patron saint of sailors. Erasmus was also the name of a Dutch scholar of the Renaissance period.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Greek Mythology

Other Scripts: Ερως (Ancient Greek)

Pronounced: ER-aws (English)

Personal note: FN!!!

Rating: 27% based on 20 votes

Means "love" in Greek. In Greek mythology he was a young god, the son of Aphrodite, who was armed with arrows that caused the victim to fall in love.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Spanish, Portuguese, English

Pronounced: es-me-RAHL-dah (Spanish), ez-mə-RAHL-də (English)

Personal note: Middle name only

Rating: 49% based on 33 votes

Means "emerald" in Spanish. Victor Hugo used this name in his novel 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame' (1831), in which Esmeralda is the Gypsy girl who is loved by Quasimodo. It has occasionally been used in the English-speaking world since that time.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: FRED-ə-rik, FRED-rik

Rating: 68% based on 12 votes

English form of a Germanic name meaning "peaceful ruler", derived from frid "peace" and ric "ruler, power". This name has long been common in continental Germanic-speaking regions, being borne by rulers of the Holy Roman Empire, Germany, Austria, Scandinavia, and Prussia. Notables among these rulers include the 12th-century Holy Roman Emperor and crusader Frederick I Barbarossa, the 13th-century emperor and patron of the arts Frederick II, and the 18th-century Frederick II of Prussia, known as Frederick the Great.

The Normans brought the name to England in the 11th century but it quickly died out. It was reintroduced by the German House of Hanover when they inherited the British throne in the 18th century. A famous bearer was Frederick Douglass (1818-1895), an American ex-slave who became a leading advocate of abolition.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: French

Pronounced: zhe-nə-VYEV, zhawn-VYEV

Personal note: Middle Name only

Rating: 69% based on 32 votes

From Genovefa, a Gaulish name possibly meaning "tribe woman". Saint Geneviève, the patron saint of Paris, inspired the city to resist the Huns in the 5th century.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English

Pronounced: JEN-ə-veev

Rating: 57% based on 11 votes

English form of GENEVIÈVE

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Spanish, Portuguese

Pronounced: he-no-VE-vah (Spanish), zhə-noo-VE-və (Portuguese)

Rating: 40% based on 6 votes

Spanish and Portuguese form of GENEVIÈVE

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Italian

Pronounced: je-ro-NEE-mo

Personal note: Will not use

Rating: 25% based on 29 votes

Rare Italian form of JEROME. The Apache chief Goyathlay was better known as Geronimo, the name given to him by the Mexicans.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Biblical, English, Hebrew

Other Scripts: גִּדְעוֹן (Hebrew)

Pronounced: GID-ee-ən (English)

Personal note: Middle Name only

Rating: 70% based on 30 votes

Means "feller" or "hewer" in Hebrew. Gideon was a hero of the Old Testament who led the Israelites against the Midianites. In the English-speaking world, Gideon has been used as a given name since the Protestant Reformation, and it was popular among the Puritans.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Welsh Mythology

Pronounced: GWIN-ə-vir (English)

Personal note: Most likely a middle name for Aurora.

Rating: 62% based on 33 votes

From the Norman French form of the Welsh name Gwenhwyfar, composed of the elements gwen meaning "fair, white" and hwyfar meaning "smooth". In Arthurian legend she was the beautiful wife of King Arthur who engaged in an adulterous affair with Sir Lancelot. According to Geoffrey of Monmouth, she was seduced by Mordred before the battle of Camlann, which led to the deaths of both Mordred and Arthur.

The Cornish form of this name, Jennifer, has become popular in the English-speaking world.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Welsh, English

Pronounced: GWEN-də-lin (English)

Personal note: MN only. "Wendy" NN.

Rating: 59% based on 33 votes

Variant of GWENDOLEN

Means "white snow" from the Welsh element gwyn "white, fair, blessed" combined with eira "snow".

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Greek Mythology (Latinized)

Other Scripts: ‘Αιδης (Ancient Greek)

Pronounced: HAY-deez (English)

Personal note: Will not use

Rating: 24% based on 30 votes

From Greek ‘Αιδης (Haides), derived from αιδης (aides) meaning "unseen". In Greek mythology Hades was the dark god of the underworld, which was also called Hades. His brother was Zeus and his wife was Persephone.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Greek Mythology

Other Scripts: ‘Αρμονια (Ancient Greek)

Rating: 90% based on 1 vote

Means "harmony, agreement" in Greek. She was the daughter of Ares and Aphrodite, given by Zeus to Cadmus to be his wife.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: HEN-ree

Personal note: First name

Rating: 72% based on 33 votes

From the Germanic name Heimirich which meant "home ruler", composed of the elements heim "home" and ric "power, ruler". It was later commonly spelled Heinrich, with the spelling altered due to the influence of other Germanic names like Haganrich, in which the first element is hagan "enclosure".

Heinrich was popular among continental royalty, being the name of seven German kings, starting with the 10th-century Henry I the Fowler, and four French kings. In France it was rendered Henri from the Latin form Henricus.

The Normans introduced this name to England, and it was subsequently used by eight kings, ending with the infamous Henry VIII in the 16th century. During the Middle Ages it was generally rendered as Harry or Herry in English pronunciation. Notable bearers include arctic naval explorer Henry Hudson (1570-1611), British novelist Henry James (1843-1916), and American automobile manufacturer Henry Ford (1863-1947).

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Greek Mythology

Other Scripts: ‘Ερμιονη (Ancient Greek)

Pronounced: hər-MIE-ə-nee (English)

Rating: 52% based on 11 votes

Derived from the name of the Greek messenger god HERMES. In Greek myth Hermione was the daughter of Menelaus and Helen. This is also the name of the wife of Leontes in Shakespeare's play 'The Winter's Tale' (1610).

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Spanish, Anglo-Saxon (Latinized), Ancient Germanic

Pronounced: HIL-də (English), HIL-dah (German, Dutch)

Rating: 44% based on 24 votes

Originally a short form of names containing the Germanic element hild "battle". It was used for both Old English and continental Germanic names. Saint Hilda of Whitby was a 7th-century English saint and abbess. The name became rare in England during the later Middle Ages, but was revived in the 19th century.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Various

Pronounced: ie-ə-LAN-thee (English)

Rating: 33% based on 9 votes

Probably a variant of YOLANDA influenced by the Greek words ιολη (iole) "violet" and ανθος (anthos) "flower". This name was (first?) used by Gilbert and Sullivan in their comic opera 'Iolanthe' (1882).

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English, Scottish

Pronounced: ie-ON-ə (English)

Rating: 60% based on 11 votes

From the name of the island off Scotland where Saint Columba founded a monastery. The name of the island is Old Norse in origin, and apparently derives simply from ey meaning "island".

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English, Jewish, Biblical, Biblical Latin

Other Scripts: יִצְחָק (Hebrew)

Pronounced: IE-zək (English)

Personal note: First or Middle name

Rating: 63% based on 30 votes

From the Hebrew name יִצְחָק (Yitzchaq) which meant "he laughs". Isaac in the Old Testament is the son of Abraham and the father of Esau and Jacob. As recounted in Genesis, God tested Abraham's faith by ordering him to sacrifice his son, though an angel prevented the act at the last moment.

As an English Christian name, Isaac was occasionally used during the Middle Ages, though it was more common among Jews. It became more widespread after the Protestant Reformation. Famous bearers include the physicist and mathematician Sir Isaac Newton (1643-1727) and the science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov (1920-1992).

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English

Personal note: First name only

Rating: 56% based on 35 votes

Variant of ISIDORA. A famous bearer was the American dancer Isadora Duncan (1877-1927).

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Egyptian Mythology (Hellenized)

Other Scripts: Ισις (Ancient Greek)

Pronounced: IE-sis (English)

Personal note: Isis Dahlia Winter

Rating: 45% based on 33 votes

Greek form of Egyptian Ist (reconstructed as Iset or Ueset), which possibly meant "the throne". In Egyptian mythology Isis was the goddess of the sky and nature, the wife of Osiris and the mother of Horus. She was originally depicted wearing a throne-shaped headdress, but in later times she was conflated with the goddess Hathor and depicted having the horns of a cow on her head. She was also worshipped by people outside of Egypt, such as the Greeks and Romans.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English (Rare), German, Celtic Mythology

Pronounced: i-ZOL-də (English), i-SOL-də (English), ee-ZAWL-du (German)

Personal note: Middle name only

Rating: 60% based on 33 votes

The origins of this name are uncertain, though some Celtic roots have been suggested. It is possible that the name is ultimately Germanic, perhaps from a hypothetic name like Ishild, composed of the elements is "ice" and hild "battle".

In Arthurian legend she was an Irish princess betrothed to King Mark of Cornwall. She became the lover of his knight Tristan, which led to their tragic deaths. The story was popular during the Middle Ages and the name became relatively common in England at that time. It was rare by the 19th century, though some interest was generated by Richard Wagner's opera 'Tristan und Isolde' (1865).

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Russian, Bulgarian, Ukrainian, Serbian, Croatian, Czech, Slovene, Macedonian, English

Other Scripts: Иван (Russian, Bulgarian, Serbian, Macedonian), Іван (Ukrainian)

Pronounced: ee-VAHN (Russian), IE-vən (English)

Personal note: First or Middle name for Vladimir

Rating: 44% based on 10 votes

Newer form of the old Slavic name Іѡаннъ (Ioannu), which was derived from Greek Ioannes (see JOHN). This was the name of six Russian rulers, including the 15th-century Ivan III the Great and 16th-century Ivan IV the Terrible, the first tsar of Russia. It was also borne by nine emperors of Bulgaria. Other notable bearers include the Russian author Ivan Turgenev (1818-1883), who wrote 'Fathers and Sons', and the Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936), who is best known for his discovery of the conditioned reflex.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English, Biblical

Pronounced: JAYMZ (English)

Personal note: Middle name for Atlas or James Leopold

Rating: 79% based on 24 votes

English form of the Late Latin name Iacomus which was derived from Ιακωβος (Iakobos), the New Testament Greek form of the Hebrew name Ya'aqov (see JACOB). This was the name of two apostles in the New Testament. The first was Saint James the Greater, the apostle John's brother, who was beheaded under Herod Agrippa in the Book of Acts. The second was James the Lesser, son of Alphaeus. Another James (known as James the Just) is also mentioned in the Bible as being the brother of Jesus.

Since the 13th century this form of the name has been used in England, though it became more common in Scotland, where it was borne by several kings. In the 17th century the Scottish king James VI inherited the English throne, becoming the first ruler of all Britain, and the name grew much more popular. Famous bearers include the explorer Captain James Cook (1728-1779), the inventor James Watt (1736-1819), and the novelist and poet James Joyce (1882-1941). This name has also been borne by six American presidents. A notable fictional bearer is the British spy James Bond, created by author Ian Fleming.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English

Pronounced: JAYN

Personal note: MN only; Persephone Jane, Tabitha Jane

Rating: 73% based on 25 votes

Medieval English form of Jehanne, an Old French feminine form of Iohannes (see JOHN). This became the most common feminine form of John in the 17th century, surpassing Joan. Famous bearers include the uncrowned English queen Lady Jane Grey (1536-1554), who ruled for only 9 days, the British novelist Jane Austen (1775-1817), who wrote 'Sense and Sensibility' and 'Pride and Prejudice', and the British primatologist Jane Goodall (1934-). This was also the name of the central character in Charlotte Bronte's novel 'Jane Eyre' (1847).

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Biblical

Other Scripts: יְרֵחוֹ (Ancient Hebrew)

Pronounced: JER-i-ko (English)

Personal note: Middle name only

Rating: 46% based on 31 votes

From the name of a city in Israel which 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".

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English (Rare)

Pronounced: JES-ə-min

Personal note: Middle name

Rating: 64% based on 31 votes

From a variant spelling of the English word jasmine (see JASMINE), used also to refer to flowering plants in the cestrum family.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Spanish, Portuguese, English (Rare), Macedonian

Other Scripts: Јордана (Macedonian)

Pronounced: hor-DAH-nah (Spanish), jawr-DAN-ə (English)

Rating: 34% based on 11 votes

Feminine form of JORDAN

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English

Pronounced: JOO-lee-et, JOOL-yət

Personal note: MN only

Rating: 77% based on 14 votes

Anglicized form of JULIETTE or GIULIETTA. This spelling was first used by Shakespeare for the lover of Romeo in his play 'Romeo and Juliet' (1596).

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Greek Mythology

Other Scripts: Ληδα (Ancient Greek)

Pronounced: LEE-də (English)

Rating: 60% based on 11 votes

Possibly means "woman" from Greek. In Greek myth she was the mother of Castor, Pollux, Helen and Clytemnestra by the god Zeus, who came upon her in the form of a swan.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: French

Pronounced: lay-AWN

Rating: 50% based on 2 votes

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Greek, Ancient Greek

Other Scripts: Λεωνιδας (Greek)

From Greek λεων (leon) "lion". Leonidas was a Spartan king of the 5th century BC who sacrificed his life 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.

French form of LEOPOLD

Gender: Masculine

Usage: German, Dutch, English, Slovene, Polish

Pronounced: LE-o-pawlt (German), LEE-ə-pold (English), le-AW-pawlt (Polish)

Rating: 66% based on 21 votes

Derived from the Germanic elements leud "people" and bald "bold". 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' (1920).

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Near Eastern Mythology, Judeo-Christian Legend

Pronounced: LIL-ith (English)

Rating: 48% based on 32 votes

Derived from Akkadian lilitu meaning "of the night". This was the name of a demon in ancient Assyrian myths. In Jewish tradition she was Adam's first wife, sent out of Eden and replaced by Eve because she would not submit to him. The offspring of Adam and Lilith were the evil spirits of the world.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Germanic Mythology

Pronounced: lawr-e-LIE, LAWR-e-lie

Personal note: Middle name only

Rating: 54% based on 33 votes

From a Germanic name meaning "luring rock". This is the name of a rock headland on the Rhine River. Legends say that a maiden named the Lorelei lives on the rock and lures fishermen to their death with her song.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English, German, Finnish, Biblical, Old Church Slavic, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek

Other Scripts: Λυδια (Ancient Greek), Лѷдіа (Church Slavic)

Pronounced: LID-ee-ə (English), LUY-dee-ah (German)

Rating: 78% based on 33 votes

Means "from Lydia" in Greek. Lydia was a region on the west coast of Asia Minor. In the New Testament this is the name of a woman converted to Christianity by Saint Paul. In the modern era the name has been in use since the Protestant Reformation.

The name of the constellation in the northern sky containing the star Vega. It is said to be shaped after the lyre of Orpheus.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Pacific/Polynesian, French

Rating: 40% based on 12 votes

Means "welcome" in Tahitian.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Irish, Irish Mythology

Pronounced: MAYV

Personal note: Middle name only

Rating: 67% based on 25 votes

Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Medb meaning "intoxicating". In Irish legend this was the name of a warrior queen of Connacht. Her fight against Ulster and the hero Cúchulainn is told in the Irish epic 'The Cattle Raid of Cooley'.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: French

Pronounced: mar-GO

Rating: 48% based on 12 votes

Variant of MARGOT influenced by the name of the wine-producing French town. It was borne by Margaux Hemingway (1954-1996), granddaughter of author Ernest Hemingway, who had it changed from Margot.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English (Rare)

Pronounced: MER-ə-gold, MAR-ə-gold

Rating: 53% based on 3 votes

From the name of the flower, which comes from a combination of MARY and the English word gold.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Greek, Russian, Romanian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Serbian, Macedonian, Georgian, Ancient Roman

Other Scripts: Μαρινα (Greek), Марина (Russian, Bulgarian, Serbian, Macedonian), მარინა (Georgian)

Pronounced: mah-REE-nah (Italian, Spanish, German, Russian)

Rating: 63% based on 4 votes

Feminine form of MARINUS

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: MER-ee-ən, MAR-ee-ən

Rating: 100% based on 1 vote

From a French surname which was derived from MARION (1). This was the real name of American actor John Wayne (1907-1979), who was born Marion Robert Morrison.

Elaborated form of MARISA

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English (Modern)

Pronounced: MED-o

Personal note: Middle name only

Rating: 39% based on 23 votes

From the English word meadow, ultimately from Old English mædwe.

French form of MILLICENT used by Maurice Maeterlinck in his play 'Pelléas et Mélisande' (1893). The play was later adapted by Claude Debussy into an opera (1902).

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English

Pronounced: MEL-ə-dee

Personal note: Middle name only

Rating: 38% based on 24 votes

From the English word melody, which is derived (via Old French and Late Latin) from Greek μελος (melos) "song" combined with αειδω (aeido) "to sing".

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Roman Mythology, English

Pronounced: mi-NUR-və (English)

Rating: 52% based on 22 votes

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.

Latinate form of MIRABELLE

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Hebrew, English, German, Biblical, Biblical Hebrew

Other Scripts: מִרְיָם (Hebrew)

Pronounced: MIR-ee-əm (English)

Personal note: Middle name only

Rating: 67% based on 32 votes

Original Hebrew form of MARY. It is used in the Old Testament, where it belongs to the elder sister of Moses and Aaron. It has long been popular among Jews, and it has been used as an English Christian name since the Protestant Reformation.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Italian

Pronounced: neek-ko-LO

Rating: 50% based on 5 votes

Italian form of NICHOLAS. A famous bearer was Niccolò Machiavelli, a 16th-century political philosopher from Florence.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Greek Mythology

Other Scripts: Νιοβη (Ancient Greek)

Rating: 28% based on 5 votes

Meaning unknown. In Greek mythology Niobe was the daughter of Tantalos, a king of Asia Minor. Because she boasted that she was superior to Leto, Leto's children Apollo and Artemis killed her 14 children with poison arrows. In grief, Niobe was turned to stone by Zeus.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Irish, English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Dutch, Italian

Pronounced: NAWR-ə (English), NO-rah (German)

Personal note: Definitely FN material...Nora Adeline? Nora Persephone? Nora Guinevere?

Rating: 64% based on 26 votes

Short form of HONORA or ELEANOR. Henrik Ibsen used it for a character in his play 'A Doll's House' (1879).

Gender: Masculine & Feminine

Usage: English (Rare)

Pronounced: O-shən

Personal note: Ocean Phoenix or Ocean Alexander

Rating: 26% based on 8 votes

Simply from the English word ocean for a large body of water. It is ultimately derived from Greek Ωκεανος (Okeanos), the name of the body of water thought to surround the Earth.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: French

Pronounced: o-say-AHN

Rating: 25% based on 10 votes

Derived from French océan meaning "ocean".

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Norse Mythology

Rating: 33% based on 21 votes

Swedish form of ODIN

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Greek Mythology

Other Scripts: Οδυσσευς (Ancient Greek)

Pronounced: o-DIS-ee-əs (English)

Rating: 17% based on 10 votes

Perhaps derived from Greek οδυσσομαι (odyssomai) "to hate". In Greek legend Odysseus was one of the Greek heroes who fought in the Trojan War. In the 'Odyssey' Homer relates Odysseus's misadventures on his way back to his kingdom and his wife Penelope.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Serbian, Croatian, Macedonian, Czech, Slovak

Other Scripts: Оливер (Serbian, Macedonian)

Pronounced: AHL-ə-vər (English), AW-lee-ver (German)

Rating: 78% based on 24 votes

From Olivier, a Norman French form of a Germanic name such as ALFHER or an Old Norse name such as Áleifr (see OLAF). The spelling was altered by association with Latin oliva "olive tree". In the Middle Ages the name became well-known in Western Europe because of the French epic 'La Chanson de Roland', in which Olivier was a friend and advisor of the hero Roland.

In England Oliver was a common medieval name, however it became rare after the 17th century because of the military commander Oliver Cromwell, who ruled the country following the civil war. The name was revived in the 19th century, perhaps in part due to the title character in Charles Dickens' novel 'Oliver Twist' (1838), which was about a poor orphan living on the streets of London.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: French, Dutch

Pronounced: o-lee-VYAY (French), O-lee-veer (Dutch)

Personal note: Not sure if this will be used...

Rating: 57% based on 29 votes

French and Dutch form of OLIVER

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Greek, Slovak

Other Scripts: Ολυμπια (Greek)

Personal note: Most likely will not use

Rating: 46% based on 31 votes

Feminine form of OLYMPOS

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English, Literature

Pronounced: o-FEEL-yə (English)

Rating: 63% based on 31 votes

Derived from Greek οφελος (ophelos) meaning "help". This name was probably created by the 15th-century poet Jacopo Sannazaro for a character in his poem 'Arcadia'. It was borrowed by Shakespeare for his play 'Hamlet' (1600), in which it belongs to Hamlet's lover who eventually goes insane and drowns herself. In spite of this, the name has been used since the 19th century.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Esperanto

Pronounced: o-rah-BE-lah

Rating: 30% based on 22 votes

Means "golden-beautiful" in Esperanto.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Egyptian Mythology (Hellenized)

Other Scripts: Οσιρις (Ancient Greek)

Pronounced: o-SIE-ris (English)

Personal note: Not sure if this will be used

Rating: 30% based on 29 votes

Greek form of the Egyptian Asar which is of unknown meaning. In Egyptian mythology Osiris was the god of the dead and the judge of the underworld. He was slain by his brother Seth, but revived by his wife Isis.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English, German, Anglo-Saxon

Pronounced: AHZ-wawld (English), AWS-vahlt (German)

Rating: 32% based on 22 votes

Derived from the Old English elements os "god" and weald "rule". Saint Oswald was a king of Northumbria who introduced Christianity to northeast England in the 7th century before being killed in battle. There was also an Old Norse cognate Ásvaldr in use in England, being borne by the 10th-century Saint Oswald of Worcester, who was of Danish ancestry. Though the name had died out by the end of the Middle Ages, it was revived in the 19th century.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Literature

Pronounced: o-THEL-o (English)

Personal note: Not sure if I will use this...

Rating: 29% based on 29 votes

Perhaps an Italian diminutive of OTHO. Shakespeare used this name in his tragedy 'Othello' (1603), where it belongs to a Moor who is manipulated by Iago into killing his wife Desdemona.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Greek Mythology

Other Scripts: Ουρανιη, Ουρανια (Ancient Greek)

Derived from Greek ουρανιος (ouranios) meaning "heavenly". In Greek mythology she was the goddess of astronomy and astrology, one of the nine Muses.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Greek Mythology

Other Scripts: Πανδωρα (Ancient Greek)

Pronounced: pan-DAWR-ə (English)

Personal note: Probably couldn't use this with Persephone :(

Rating: 40% based on 32 votes

Means "all gifts", derived from a combination of Greek παν (pan) "all" and δωρον (doron) "gift". In Greek mythology Pandora was the first mortal woman. Zeus gave her a jar containing all of the troubles and ills that mankind now knows, and told her not to open it. Unfortunately her curiosity got the best of her and she opened it, unleashing the evil spirits into the world.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Irish, English, French, German

Pronounced: PAT-rik (English), pat-REEK (French), PAHT-rik (German)

Rating: 78% based on 10 votes

From the Latin name Patricius, which meant "nobleman". This name was adopted in the 5th-century by Saint Patrick, whose birth name was Sucat. He was a Romanized Briton who was captured and enslaved in his youth by Irish raiders. After six years of servitude he escaped home, but he eventually became a bishop and went back to Ireland as a missionary. He is traditionally credited with Christianizing the island, and is regarded as Ireland's patron saint.

In England and elsewhere in Europe during the Middle Ages this name was used in honour of the saint. However, it was not generally given in Ireland before the 17th century because it was considered too sacred for everyday use. It has since become very common there.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Greek Mythology

Other Scripts: Περσεφονη (Ancient Greek)

Pronounced: pər-SEF-ə-nee (English)

Personal note: #1 on Girls' first name list

Rating: 54% based on 33 votes

Meaning unknown, perhaps related to Greek περθω (pertho) "to destroy" and φονη (phone) "murder". In Greek myth she was the daughter of Demeter and Zeus. She was abducted to the underworld by Hades, but was eventually allowed to return to the surface for part of the year. The result of her comings and goings is the changing of the seasons.

Gender: Masculine & Feminine

Usage: English (Modern)

Pronounced: FEE-niks

Personal note: Boy...middle name only

Rating: 53% based on 30 votes

From the name of a beautiful immortal bird which appears in Egyptian and Greek mythology. After living for several centuries in the Arabian Desert, it would be consumed by fire and rise from its own ashes, with this cycle repeating every 500 years. The name of the bird was derived from Greek φοινιξ (phoinix) meaning "dark red".

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English, Italian, Ancient Roman, Biblical Latin, Biblical

Pronounced: pri-SIL-ə (English), pree-SHEEL-lah (Italian)

Rating: 52% based on 26 votes

Roman name, a diminutive of PRISCA. In Acts in the New Testament Paul lived with Priscilla and her husband Aquila in Corinth for a while. It has been used as an English given name since the Protestant Reformation, being popular with the Puritans. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow used it in his poem 'The Courtship of Miles Standish' (1858).

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Greek Mythology

Other Scripts: Προμηθευς (Ancient Greek)

Pronounced: prə-MEE-thee-əs (English)

Personal note: Will not use

Rating: 24% based on 29 votes

Derived from Greek προμηθεια (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.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: REJ-i-nəld

Rating: 32% based on 9 votes

From Reginaldus, a Latinized form of REYNOLD

Gender: Feminine

Usage: French, German, English

Personal note: Middle name only

Rating: 76% based on 34 votes

French and German form of ROSALIA. In the English-speaking this name received a boost after the release of the movie 'Rosalie' (1938), which was based on an earlier musical.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English

Pronounced: ROZ-ə-lind

Rating: 67% based on 33 votes

Derived from the Germanic elements hros "horse" and linde "soft, tender". The Normans introduced this name to England, though it was not common. During the Middle Ages its spelling was influenced by the Latin phrase rosa linda "beautiful rose". The name was popularized by Edmund Spencer, who used it in his poetry, and by William Shakespeare, who used it for the heroine in his comedy 'As You Like It' (1599).

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Irish

Pronounced: SEER-sha

Personal note: FN only; Saoirse Isolde

Rating: 60% based on 33 votes

Means "freedom" in Irish Gaelic.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Literature

Personal note: Would not use

Rating: 41% based on 30 votes

Anglicized form of SHAHRAZAD

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English (Rare), German (Rare), Late Roman

Personal note: Middle names: Willow Isis, Isadora Belle, Guinevere Isis, Isis Guinevere

Rating: 50% based on 2 votes

Feminine form of the Late Latin name Seraphinus, derived from the biblical word seraphim which was Hebrew in origin and meant "fiery ones". The seraphim were an order of angels, described by Isaiah in the Bible as having six wings each. This was the name of a 13th-century Italian saint who made clothes for the poor. As an English name, it has never been common.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English, Greek, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek

Other Scripts: Σιλας (Greek)

Pronounced: SIE-ləs (English)

Personal note: FN, Silas Gideon

Rating: 65% based on 30 votes

Short form of SILVANUS. This is the name of a companion of Saint Paul in the New Testament. It was not used as an English name until after the Protestant Reformation.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Biblical, English, Jewish

Other Scripts: שְׁלֹמֹה (Hebrew)

Pronounced: SAHL-ə-mən (English)

Rating: 100% based on 1 vote

From the Hebrew name שְׁלֹמֹה (Shelomoh) which was derived from Hebrew שָׁלוֹם (shalom) "peace". Solomon was a king of Israel, the son of David, renowned for his wisdom. Supposedly, he wrote the Book of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon in the Old Testament. This name has never been overly common in the Christian world, and it is considered typically Jewish.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Iranian, Spanish, French

Other Scripts: ثریا (Persian)

Personal note: Most likely will not use

Rating: 50% based on 33 votes

Iranian form of THURAYYA. It became popular in some parts of Europe because of the fame of Princess Soraya, wife of the last Shah of Iran, who became a European socialite.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English, Biblical, Biblical Greek

Other Scripts: Ταβιθα (Ancient Greek)

Pronounced: TAB-i-thə (English)

Personal note: Tabitha Rain? Tabitha Rose? Tabitha Jane?

Rating: 54% based on 23 votes

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.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Native American, Shawnee

Pronounced: te-KUM-se

Personal note: Debating whether to use this...

Rating: 27% based on 30 votes

Means "panther passing across" in Shawnee. This was the name of a Shawnee leader who, with his brother Tenskwatawa, resisted European expansion in the early 19th century.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English, Biblical, Biblical Latin

Pronounced: THAD-ee-əs (English)

Rating: 61% based on 23 votes

From Θαδδαιος (Thaddaios), the Greek form of the Aramaic name Thaddai. It is possibly derived from a word meaning "heart", but it may in fact be an Aramaic form of a Greek name such as Θεοδωρος (see THEODORE). In the Gospel of Matthew, Thaddaeus is listed as one of the twelve apostles, though elsewhere in the New Testament his name is omitted and Jude's appears instead. It is likely that the two names refer to the same person.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Norse Mythology, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian

Pronounced: THOR (English), TOR (Danish), TOOR (Swedish, Norwegian)

Personal note: Will not use

Rating: 36% based on 29 votes

From the Old Norse Þórr meaning "thunder", ultimately from the early Germanic *Þunraz. Thor was the Norse god of strength, thunder and war, the son of Odin. He was armed with a hammer called Mjolnir, and wore an enchanted belt that doubled his strength.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: TO-bin

Personal note: First name only

Rating: 57% based on 31 votes

From an English surname which was itself derived from the given name TOBIAS.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Spanish

Pronounced: bah-LEN-thyah (Spanish), bah-LEN-syah (Latin American Spanish)

Rating: 51% based on 16 votes

From a Late Latin name which was derived from valentia "power". Cities in Spain and Venezuela bear this name.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English, Spanish, Romanian, Late Roman

Pronounced: vik-TAWR-ee-ə (English)

Rating: 75% based on 4 votes

Feminine form of VICTORIUS, though later it was regarded as coming directly from Latin victoria meaning "victory". It was borne by a 4th-century saint and martyr from North Africa. Though in use elsewhere in Europe, the name was very rare in the English-speaking world until the 19th century, when Queen Victoria began her long rule of Britain. She was named after her mother, who was of German royalty. Many geographic areas are named after the queen, including an Australian state and a Canadian city.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English, Italian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish

Pronounced: vie-O-lə (English), vee-O-lə (English), VIE-ə-lə (English), VYO-lah (Italian)

Personal note: First name only

Rating: 60% based on 31 votes

Means "violet" in Latin. This was the name of the heroine in Shakespeare's play 'Twelfth Night' (1602).

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English

Pronounced: VIE-lət, VIE-ə-lət

Personal note: Can't use with Viola.

Rating: 73% based on 30 votes

From the English word violet for the purple flower, ultimately derived from Latin viola. It was common in Scotland from the 16th century, and it came into general use as an English given name during the 19th century.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English (Rare)

Personal note: Middle name only

Rating: 26% based on 11 votes

Diminutive of VIVIENNE. William John Locke used this name for the title character in his novel 'Viviette' (1910).

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Russian, Serbian, Croatian, Slovene, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Medieval Slavic

Other Scripts: Владимир (Russian, Serbian, Bulgarian, Macedonian)

Pronounced: vlah-DEE-meer (Russian), VLAH-dee-meer (Croatian)

Personal note: Isaac Vladimir or Vladimir Isaac

Rating: 34% based on 10 votes

Means "to rule with greatness", derived from the Slavic element volod "rule" combined with mer "great, famous". The second element has also been associated with mir meaning "peace" or "world". This was the name of an 11th-century Grand Prince of Kiev who is venerated as a saint because of his efforts to Christianize Russia. It was also borne by the founder of the former Soviet state, Vladimir Ilyich Lenin (1870-1924).

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Polish, Italian, Ancient Germanic

Pronounced: WAWL-tər (English), VAHL-ter (German, Polish, Italian)

Personal note: HONORING GRANDFATHER, FN or MN, "Wally" NN

Rating: 66% based on 24 votes

From a Germanic name meaning "ruler of the army", composed of the elements wald "rule" and hari "army". The Normans brought it to England, where it replaced the Old English cognate Wealdhere. A famous bearer of the name was Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832), a Scottish novelist who wrote 'Ivanhoe' and other notable works.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English (Modern)

Pronounced: WIL-o

Personal note: Middle name only

Rating: 67% based on 32 votes

From the name of the tree, which is ultimately derived from Old English welig.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English (Modern)

Pronounced: WIN-tər

Personal note: Middle Name only

Rating: 49% based on 25 votes

From the English word for the season, derived from Old English winter.