FFF's Personal Name List
Adélie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: A-DEH-LEE
Rating: 77% based on 3 votes
Elaborated form of
Adèle. Adélie Land in Antarctica was named in 1840 by the French explorer Jules Dumont d'Urville in honour of his wife Adèle (who was sometimes called Adélie).
Adeline
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French, English
Pronounced: A-DU-LEEN(French) AD-ə-lien(English)
Rating: 87% based on 3 votes
French and English form of
Adelina.
Adiv
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Hebrew (Modern, Rare)
Other Scripts: אדיב(Hebrew)
Pronounced: ah-DEEV
Rating: 70% based on 4 votes
Means "kind, gracious, polite" in Hebrew.
Alden
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: AWL-dən
Rating: 35% based on 2 votes
From a surname that was derived from the Old English given name
Ealdwine.
Alder
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: AWL-dər
Rating: 70% based on 3 votes
From the English word for the tree (comprising the genus Alnus), derived from Old English alor.
Alec
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: AL-ik
Rating: 38% based on 5 votes
Alizée
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French (Modern)
Pronounced: A-LEE-ZEH
Rating: 73% based on 3 votes
From French alizé meaning "trade wind".
Amadea
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Late Roman, German, Italian, Sicilian, Hungarian, Galician, Polish, Slovene
Rating: 35% based on 6 votes
Late Roman and German feminine form of
Amadeus, Italian and Galician feminine form of
Amadeo, Sicilian feminine form of
Amadeu, Hungarian and Polish feminine form of
Amadeusz and Slovene variant of
Amadeja.
Amandine
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: A-MAHN-DEEN
Rating: 50% based on 26 votes
Amaryllis
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Literature
Pronounced: am-ə-RIL-is(English)
Rating: 77% based on 3 votes
Derived from Greek
ἀμαρύσσω (amarysso) meaning
"to sparkle". This is the name of a character appearing in
Virgil's pastoral poems
Eclogues [1]. The amaryllis flower is named for her.
Amias
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Rating: 77% based on 3 votes
Annabel
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Dutch
Pronounced: AN-ə-behl(English) ah-na-BEHL(Dutch)
Rating: 47% based on 3 votes
Variant of
Amabel, with the spelling altered as if it were a combination of
Anna and French
belle "beautiful". This name appears to have arisen in Scotland in the Middle Ages.
Anneliese
Gender: Feminine
Usage: German, Dutch
Pronounced: A-nə-lee-zə(German) ah-nə-LEE-sə(Dutch)
Rating: 83% based on 8 votes
Anouk
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Dutch, French
Pronounced: a-NOOK(Dutch)
Rating: 48% based on 11 votes
Apolline
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: A-PAW-LEEN
Rating: 70% based on 3 votes
Araminta
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Rating: 51% based on 26 votes
Meaning unknown. This name was (first?) used by William Congreve in his comedy The Old Bachelor (1693) and later by John Vanbrugh in his comedy The Confederacy (1705). This was the original given name of abolitionist Harriet Tubman (1820-1913), who was born Araminta Ross.
Arava
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hebrew
Other Scripts: עֲרָבָה(Hebrew)
Pronounced: ah-rah-vah
Rating: 67% based on 3 votes
Modern Hebrew name meaning both "willow tree" and "desert" or "savanna, prairie". Traditionally the ערבה (aravah), a leafy willow branch, is used in a waving ceremony during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. In Israel the name also refers to a geographical plain near the Jordan, appearing in Deuteronomy 3, 17 as Arabah. (Interestingly, the Hebrew word arabha "desert" may ultimately relate to English Arab.)
Arbor
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: ARE-BORE
Rating: 67% based on 3 votes
Middle English (also denoting a lawn or flower bed) from Old French erbier, from erbe ‘grass, herb’, from Latin herba. The phonetic change to ar- (common in words having er- before a consonant) was assisted by association with Latin arbor ‘tree’.
Arden
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: AHR-dən
Rating: 80% based on 3 votes
From an English surname, originally taken from various place names, which were derived from a Celtic word meaning "high".
Ari 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Hebrew
Other Scripts: אֲרִי(Hebrew)
Rating: 60% based on 6 votes
Means "lion" in Hebrew.
Ariadne
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Ἀριάδνη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: A-REE-AD-NEH(Classical Greek) ar-ee-AD-nee(English)
Rating: 43% based on 3 votes
Means
"most holy", composed of the Greek prefix
ἀρι (ari) meaning "most" combined with Cretan Greek
ἀδνός (adnos) meaning "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.
Ariane
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French, German
Pronounced: A-RYAN(French)
Rating: 43% based on 3 votes
Arista
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Astronomy
Pronounced: ə-RIS-tə(English)
Rating: 35% based on 2 votes
Means "ear of grain" in Latin. This is the name of a star, also known as Spica, in the constellation Virgo.
Ariston
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Ἀρίστων(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: A-REES-TAWN
Rating: 38% based on 5 votes
Artemis
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology, Greek
Other Scripts: Ἄρτεμις(Ancient Greek) Άρτεμις(Greek)
Pronounced: AR-TEH-MEES(Classical Greek) AHR-tə-mis(English)
Rating: 56% based on 5 votes
Meaning unknown, possibly related either to Greek
ἀρτεμής (artemes) meaning
"safe" or
ἄρταμος (artamos) meaning
"a butcher". Artemis was the Greek goddess of the moon and hunting, the twin of
Apollo and the daughter of
Zeus and
Leto. She was known as
Diana to the Romans.
August
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German, Polish, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Catalan, English
Pronounced: OW-guwst(German) OW-goost(Polish, Norwegian) OW-guyst(Swedish) AW-gəst(English)
Rating: 60% based on 24 votes
German, Polish, Scandinavian and Catalan form of
Augustus. This was the name of three Polish kings.
As an English name it can also derive from the month of August, which was named for the Roman emperor Augustus.
Avi
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Hebrew
Other Scripts: אֲבִי(Hebrew)
Rating: 20% based on 2 votes
Aviv
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Hebrew
Other Scripts: אֲבִיב(Hebrew)
Pronounced: a-VEEV
Rating: 20% based on 2 votes
Means "spring" in Hebrew.
Aviva
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hebrew
Other Scripts: אֲבִיבָה(Hebrew)
Pronounced: ah-VEE-vah
Rating: 42% based on 25 votes
Feminine variant of
Aviv.
Ayelet
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hebrew
Other Scripts: אַיֶלֶת(Hebrew)
Rating: 30% based on 1 vote
Means
"doe, female deer, gazelle". It is taken from the Hebrew phrase
אַיֶלֶת הַשַׁחַר (ʾayeleṯ hashaḥar), literally "gazelle of dawn", which is a name of the morning star.
Azalea
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: ə-ZAY-lee-ə
Rating: 30% based on 4 votes
From the name of the flower (shrubs of the genus Rhododendron), ultimately derived from Greek
ἀζαλέος (azaleos) meaning "dry".
Beckett
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: BEHK-it
Rating: 80% based on 3 votes
From an English surname that could be derived from various sources, including from Middle English bec meaning "beak" or bekke meaning "stream, brook".
Benedict
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: BEHN-ə-dikt
Rating: 41% based on 9 votes
From the Late Latin name
Benedictus, which meant
"blessed".
Saint Benedict was an Italian monk who founded the Benedictines in the 6th century. After his time the name was common among Christians, being used by 16 popes. In England it did not come into use until the 12th century, at which point it became very popular. This name was also borne by the American general Benedict Arnold (1741-1801), who defected to Britain during the American Revolution.
Benesh
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Yiddish (Rare)
Other Scripts: בענעש(Yiddish)
Rating: 30% based on 7 votes
Bly
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (American, Modern, Rare)
Rating: 70% based on 2 votes
Blythe
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: BLIEDH
Rating: 70% based on 2 votes
From a surname meaning "cheerful" in Old English.
Booker
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: BUWK-ər
Rating: 70% based on 2 votes
From an English occupational surname meaning "maker of books". A famous bearer was Booker T. Washington (1856-1915), an African-American leader.
Brigitte
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French, German, Dutch
Pronounced: BREE-ZHEET(French) bree-GI-tə(German)
Rating: 70% based on 3 votes
French and German form of
Bridget. A famous bearer is the French model and actress Brigitte Bardot (1934-).
Broderick
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: BRAHD-ə-rik, BRAHD-rik
Rating: 30% based on 1 vote
Caius
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Roman
Pronounced: GA-ee-oos(Latin) KIE-əs(English)
Rating: 63% based on 4 votes
Calder
Gender: Masculine
Usage: American
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
Transferred use of the surname
Calder.
Caoimhe
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish
Pronounced: KEE-vyə
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
Derived from Irish caomh meaning "dear, beloved, gentle".
Carissa
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: kə-RIS-ə
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
Cavan
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
Either from the name of the Irish county, which is derived from Irish
cabhán "hollow", or else from the Irish surname
Cavan.
Cedar
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: SEE-dər
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
From the English word for the coniferous tree, derived (via Old French and Latin) from Greek
κέδρος (kedros). Besides the true cedars from the genus Cedrus, it is also used to refer to some tree species in the cypress family.
Céleste
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: French
Pronounced: SEH-LEST
Rating: 53% based on 3 votes
French feminine and masculine form of
Caelestis.
Celestine
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: SEHL-ə-steen
Rating: 53% based on 24 votes
English form of
Caelestinus. It is more commonly used as a feminine name, from the French feminine form
Célestine.
Céline
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: SEH-LEEN
Rating: 50% based on 2 votes
French feminine form of
Caelinus. This name can also function as a short form of
Marceline.
Cerise
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: SU-REEZ
Rating: 100% based on 2 votes
Means "cherry" in French.
Cianán
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish, Old Irish [1]
Rating: 47% based on 3 votes
Clarine
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Dutch (Rare), Flemish (Rare), French (Belgian, Rare), French (Modern, Rare), Afrikaans (Rare), English (Rare)
Rating: 100% based on 2 votes
Clarisse
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: KLA-REES
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
Cliff
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: KLIF
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
Clyde
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: KLIED
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
From the name of the River Clyde in Scotland, from Cumbric
Clud, which is of uncertain origin. It became a common given name in America in the middle of the 19th century, perhaps in honour of Colin Campbell (1792-1863) who was given the title Baron Clyde in 1858
[1].
Coda
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Various (Rare)
Pronounced: KO-də
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
Colmán
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish, Old Irish [1]
Rating: 28% based on 5 votes
Constantine
Gender: Masculine
Usage: History
Pronounced: KAHN-stən-teen(English)
Rating: 30% based on 3 votes
From the Latin name
Constantinus, a derivative of
Constans. Constantine the Great (272-337), full name Flavius Valerius Constantinus, was the first Roman emperor to adopt Christianity. He moved the capital of the empire from Rome to Byzantium, which he renamed Constantinople (modern Istanbul).
Coralie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: KAW-RA-LEE
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
Either a French form of
Koralia, or a derivative of Latin
corallium "coral" (see
Coral).
Coraline
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Literature, French
Pronounced: KAWR-ə-lien(English) KAW-RA-LEEN(French)
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
Created by the French composer Adolphe Adam for one of the main characters in his opera
Le Toréador (1849). He probably based it on the name
Coralie. It was also used by the author Neil Gaiman for the young heroine in his novel
Coraline (2002). Gaiman has stated that in this case the name began as a typo of
Caroline.
Corinne
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French, English
Pronounced: KAW-REEN(French) kə-REEN(English) kə-RIN(English)
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
French form of
Corinna. The French-Swiss author Madame de Staël used it for her novel
Corinne (1807).
Cosima
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: KAW-zee-ma
Rating: 42% based on 23 votes
Italian feminine form of
Cosimo.
Cove
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: KOV
Rating: 20% based on 1 vote
Either from the English surname
Cove or else directly from the vocabulary word
cove, which refers to a small coastal inlet.
Dagan
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Semitic Mythology
Other Scripts: 𒀭𒁕𒃶(Akkadian Cuneiform)
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
Dáire
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish, Irish Mythology
Pronounced: DA-ryə(Irish)
Rating: 70% based on 2 votes
Means
"fruitful, fertile" in Irish. This name is borne by many figures in Irish legend, including the Ulster chief Dáire mac Fiachna who reneged on his promise to loan the Brown Bull of Cooley to
Medb, starting the war between Connacht and Ulster as told in the Irish epic
The Cattle Raid of Cooley.
Dara 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish
Rating: 30% based on 1 vote
Anglicized form of
Dáire.
Darius
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Lithuanian, Romanian, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Old Persian (Latinized)
Other Scripts: 𐎭𐎠𐎼𐎹𐎢𐏁(Old Persian)
Pronounced: də-RIE-əs(English) DAR-ee-əs(English)
Rating: 77% based on 3 votes
Latin form of Greek
Δαρεῖος (Dareios), from the Old Persian name
𐎭𐎠𐎼𐎹𐎢𐏁 (Darayauš), shortened from
𐎭𐎠𐎼𐎹𐎺𐎢𐏁 (Darayavauš). It means
"possessing goodness", composed of
𐎭𐎠𐎼𐎹 (daraya) meaning "to possess, to hold" and
𐎺𐎢 (vau) meaning "good"
[1]. Three ancient kings of Persia bore this name, including Darius the Great who expanded the Achaemenid Empire to its greatest extent. His forces invaded Greece but were defeated in the Battle of Marathon.
It has never been very common as a given name in the English-speaking world, though it rose in popularity after the middle of the 20th century. In the United States it is frequently an African-American name. In Lithuania it may be given in honour of the Lithuanian-American aviator Steponas Darius (1896-1933), who died attempting to fly nonstop from New York to Lithuania. His surname was an Americanized form of the original Darašius.
Davina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: də-VEE-nə
Rating: 20% based on 2 votes
Feminine form of
David. It originated in Scotland.
Dean
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: DEEN
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
From a surname, see
Dean 1 and
Dean 2. The actor James Dean (1931-1955) was a famous bearer of the surname.
Deio
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Welsh
Pronounced: DAY-o
Rating: 60% based on 3 votes
Demeter 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Δημήτηρ(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: DEH-MEH-TEHR(Classical Greek) də-MEET-ər(English)
Rating: 73% based on 6 votes
Possibly means
"earth mother", derived from Greek
δᾶ (da) meaning "earth" and
μήτηρ (meter) meaning "mother". In Greek
mythology Demeter was the goddess of agriculture, the daughter of
Cronus, the sister of
Zeus, and the mother of
Persephone. She was an important figure in the Eleusinian Mysteries, which were secret rites performed at Eleusis near Athens.
Desmond
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Irish
Pronounced: DEHZ-mənd(English)
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
Anglicized form of Irish Deasmhumhain meaning "south Munster", referring to the region of Desmond in southern Ireland, formerly a kingdom. It can also come from the related surname (an Anglicized form of Ó Deasmhumhnaigh), which indicated a person who came from that region. A famous bearer is the South African archbishop and activist Desmond Tutu (1931-2021).
Digby
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: DIG-bee
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
From a surname that was derived from the name of an English town, itself derived from a combination of Old English dic "dyke, ditch" and Old Norse byr "farm, town".
Donovan
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: DAHN-ə-vən
Rating: 100% based on 2 votes
From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of
Ó Donndubháin, itself derived from the given name
Donndubán. This name is borne by the Scottish folk musician Donovan Leitch (1946-), known simply as Donovan.
Duska
Usage: English (Rare)
Rating: 30% based on 1 vote
Anglicized spelling of
Duška.
Eirlys
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Welsh
Pronounced: AYR-lis
Rating: 43% based on 23 votes
Means
"snowdrop (flower)" in Welsh, a compound of
eira "snow" and
llys "plant".
Eli 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Hebrew, Biblical, Biblical Greek [1], Biblical Hebrew [2]
Other Scripts: עֵלִי(Hebrew) Ἠλί, Ἡλί(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: EE-lie(English)
Rating: 50% based on 2 votes
Means
"ascension" in Hebrew, a derivative of
עָלָה (ʿala) meaning "to ascend". In the Books of Samuel in the
Old Testament he is a high priest of the Israelites. He took the young
Samuel into his service and gave him guidance when God spoke to him. Because of the misdeeds of his sons, Eli and his descendants were cursed to die before reaching old age.
Eli has been used as an English Christian given name since the Protestant Reformation. A notable bearer was the American inventor of the cotton gin Eli Whitney (1765-1825).
Elio
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: EH-lyo
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
Elowen
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Cornish
Rating: 100% based on 2 votes
Means "elm tree" in Cornish. This is a recently coined Cornish name.
Eska
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Frisian
Rating: 30% based on 1 vote
Frisian short form of names that contained the Old Frisian element ēs "Æsir" (with the Æsir being members of the principal pantheon in the indigenous Germanic religion).
Esmée
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (British), Dutch
Pronounced: EHZ-may(British English) EHZ-mee(British English) ehs-MEH(Dutch)
Rating: 100% based on 2 votes
Evangeline
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: i-VAN-jə-leen, i-VAN-jə-lien
Rating: 62% based on 26 votes
Means
"good news" from Greek
εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and
ἄγγελμα (angelma) meaning "news, message". It was (first?) used by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in his 1847 epic poem
Evangeline [1][2]. It also appears in Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel
Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852) as the full name of the character Eva.
Evanthe
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Εὐάνθη(Ancient Greek)
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
Falco
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Late Roman, Italian, German
Rating: 80% based on 3 votes
Means "hawk" in Italian. It derives from Late Latin falco, ultimately from Latin falx meaning "scythe" referring to the raptor's claws.
Farley
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: FAHR-lee
Rating: 43% based on 3 votes
From a surname that was originally from a place name meaning "fern clearing" in Old English. A notable bearer of this name was Canadian author Farley Mowat (1921-2014).
Fauna
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Roman Mythology
Pronounced: FOW-na(Latin) FAW-nə(English)
Rating: 100% based on 2 votes
Feminine form of
Faunus. Fauna was a Roman goddess of fertility, women and healing, a daughter and companion of Faunus.
Ferelith
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Scottish (Rare), English (British, Rare)
Fia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish (Modern, Rare)
Pronounced: fyee-ə
Rating: 100% based on 2 votes
Allegedly derived from Irish fia "deer" (via Old Irish fíad "wild animals, game, especially deer", ultimately from fid "wood").
Fiamma
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: FYAM-ma
Rating: 100% based on 2 votes
Means "flame" in Italian.
Forrest
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: FAWR-ist
Rating: 95% based on 2 votes
From an English surname meaning "forest", originally belonging to a person who lived near a forest. In America it has sometimes been used in honour of the Confederate Civil War general Nathan Bedford Forrest (1821-1877). This name was borne by the title character in the movie Forrest Gump (1994) about a loveable simpleton. Use of the name increased when the movie was released, but has since faded away.
Griffin
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: GRIF-in
Rating: 51% based on 25 votes
Latinized form of
Gruffudd. This name can also be inspired by the English word
griffin, a creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle, ultimately from Greek
γρύψ (gryps).
Gust
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Dutch
Rating: 80% based on 2 votes
Gusto
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Sami
Rating: 100% based on 2 votes
Harrison
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: HAR-i-sən, HEHR-i-sən
Rating: 50% based on 2 votes
From an English surname that meant
"son of Harry". This was the surname of two American presidents, William Henry Harrison (1773-1841) and his grandson Benjamin Harrison (1833-1901). As a given name it reached a low point in America in 1977 before it was revived by the career of actor Harrison Ford (1942-), who starred in such movies as
Star Wars in 1977 and
Indiana Jones in 1984.
Hart
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German, English
Pronounced: HAHRT
Rating: 100% based on 2 votes
Either a short form of
Hardy,
Hartmann, or other name beginning with the element
hart or
hard, "hardy, strong"; or from the Old English
heorot or Middle Low German
harte, a male deer. A famous bearer is Hart Crane, the 20th century poet.
Hawthorne
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Rating: 20% based on 1 vote
Hayes
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: HAYZ
Rating: 100% based on 2 votes
From a surname, either
Hayes 1 or
Hayes 2. It was borne by American president Rutherford B. Hayes (1822-1893).
Hila
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hebrew
Other Scripts: הִילָה(Hebrew)
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
Means
"halo, aura" in Hebrew, from the root
הָלַל (halal) meaning "to praise, to shine".
Huck
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Literature
Pronounced: HUK(English)
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
Hugo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Spanish, Portuguese, English, Dutch, German, French, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Germanic [1]
Pronounced: OO-gho(Spanish) OO-goo(Portuguese) HYOO-go(English) HUY-gho(Dutch) HOO-go(German) UY-GO(French)
Rating: 59% based on 25 votes
Old German form of
Hugh. As a surname it has belonged to the French author Victor Hugo (1802-1885), the writer of
The Hunchback of Notre-Dame and
Les Misérables.
Ilaria
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: ee-LA-rya
Rating: 25% based on 2 votes
Indigo
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: IN-di-go
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
From the English word
indigo for the purplish-blue dye or the colour. It is ultimately derived from Greek
Ἰνδικόν (Indikon) meaning "Indic, from India".
Iona 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Scottish
Pronounced: ie-O-nə(English)
Rating: 90% based on 2 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".
Jacqueline
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French, English
Pronounced: ZHAK-LEEN(French) JAK-ə-lin(English) JAK-wə-lin(English) JAK-ə-leen(English)
Rating: 100% based on 2 votes
French feminine form of
Jacques, also commonly used in the English-speaking world.
Javan
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical
Other Scripts: יָוָן(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced: JAY-vən(English)
Rating: 35% based on 2 votes
Means
"Greece" in Hebrew, probably related to Greek
Ἴωνες (Iones), the name for the tribe of the Ionians. In the
Old Testament this is the name of a grandson of
Noah and the ancestor of the Greek peoples.
Jessamine
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: JEHS-ə-min
Rating: 70% based on 8 votes
From a variant spelling of the English word
jasmine (see
Jasmine), used also to refer to flowering plants in the cestrum family.
Jette
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Danish
Rating: 100% based on 2 votes
Jonas 2
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Dutch, French, Biblical
Other Scripts: Ἰωνᾶς(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: YOO-nas(Swedish) YO-nas(German) YO-nahs(Dutch) JO-nəs(English)
Rating: 42% based on 25 votes
From
Ἰωνᾶς (Ionas), the Greek form of
Jonah. This spelling is used in some English translations of the
New Testament.
Joni 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: JO-nee
Jove
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Roman Mythology (Anglicized)
Pronounced: JOV(English)
Rating: 70% based on 2 votes
From Latin
Iovis, the genitive case of
Iuppiter (see
Jupiter). Though this form is grammatically genitive, post-classically it has been used nominatively as another name for Jupiter.
Jovian
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Roman (Anglicized)
From Latin
Iovianus, a Roman
cognomen that was a derivative of
Iovis (see
Jove). This was the name of a 4th-century Roman emperor.
July
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: juw-LIE
Rating: 100% based on 2 votes
From the name of the month, which was originally named for Julius Caesar.
Juniper
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: JOON-i-pər
Rating: 90% based on 2 votes
From the English word for the type of tree, derived ultimately from Latin iuniperus.
Keeva
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish
Pronounced: KEE-və(English)
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
Keir
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Scottish
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
From a surname that was a variant of
Kerr.
Keith
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Scottish
Pronounced: KEETH(English)
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
From a Scottish surname that was originally derived from the name of a place in East Lothian, itself possibly derived from the Celtic root *kayto- meaning "wood". This was the surname of a long line of Scottish nobles. It has been used as a given name since the 19th century, becoming fairly common throughout the English-speaking world in the 20th century.
Kenina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Scottish
Rating: 20% based on 2 votes
Kerensa
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Cornish
Rating: 39% based on 23 votes
Means "love" in Cornish.
Kinvara
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (British, Rare)
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
Apparently from an Irish place name, which meant "head of the sea" in Gaelic. Lady Kinvara Balfour (1975-) is an English playwright and novelist.
Kip
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: KIP
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
From a nickname, probably from the English word kipper meaning "male salmon".
Kit
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: KIT
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
Lachlan
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Scottish, English
Pronounced: LAKH-lən(Scottish) LAWK-lən(British English) LAK-lən(American English)
Rating: 58% based on 24 votes
Anglicized form of
Lachlann, the Scottish Gaelic form of
Lochlainn. In the English-speaking world, this name was especially popular in Australia towards the end of the 20th century.
Laoise
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish
Pronounced: LEE-shə
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
Possibly a newer form of
Luigsech, or from the name of the county of Laois in central Ireland. It is also used as an Irish form of
Lucy or
Louise.
Leda
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology, Italian
Other Scripts: Λήδα(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: LEH-DA(Classical Greek) LEE-də(English) LAY-də(English) LEH-da(Italian)
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
Leta
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
Possibly derived from Latin laetus meaning "glad". Otherwise, it could be a short form of names ending in leta.
Lewin
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Rating: 100% based on 2 votes
From an English surname that was derived from the given name
Leofwine.
Lexine
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: LEHK-seen
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
Lise
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, English
Pronounced: LEEZ(French, English) LEE-seh(Swedish, Norwegian, Danish) LEES(English)
Rating: 95% based on 2 votes
Llyr
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Welsh Mythology
Rating: 80% based on 3 votes
Unaccented variant of
Llŷr.
Louisa
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, German, Dutch
Pronounced: loo-EEZ-ə(English) loo-EE-za(German)
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
Latinate feminine form of
Louis. A famous bearer was the American novelist Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888), the author of
Little Women.
Lowell
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: LO-əl
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
From an English surname that was derived from a Norman French nickname, from
lou "wolf" and a
diminutive suffix. The surname was borne by American poet and satirist James Russell Lowell (1819-1891).
Lowen
Gender: Masculine
Usage: French (Modern)
Rating: 30% based on 1 vote
Lucia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, German, Dutch, English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Romanian, Slovak, Ancient Roman
Pronounced: loo-CHEE-a(Italian) LOO-tsya(German) loo-TSEE-a(German) LUY-see-ya(Dutch) LOO-shə(English) loo-SEE-ə(English) luy-SEE-a(Swedish) LOO-chya(Romanian) LOO-kee-a(Latin)
Rating: 80% based on 3 votes
Feminine form of
Lucius.
Saint Lucia was a 4th-century martyr from Syracuse. She was said to have had her eyes gouged out, and thus she is the patron saint of the blind. She was widely revered in the Middle Ages, and her name has been used throughout Christian Europe (in various spellings). It has been used in the England since the 12th century, usually in the spellings
Lucy or
Luce.
Ludo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Flemish
Pronounced: LUY-do
Rating: 90% based on 2 votes
Lumas
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Romani, African American
Rating: 70% based on 2 votes
Lupin
Usage: Bengali
Rating: 30% based on 1 vote
Lyra
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Astronomy
Pronounced: LIE-rə(English)
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
The name of the constellation in the northern sky containing the star Vega. It is said to be shaped after the lyre of Orpheus. This is the name of the main character in the His Dark Materials series of books by Philip Pullman (beginning 1995).
Lys
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French (Rare)
Pronounced: LEES
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
Mabel
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: MAY-bəl
Rating: 65% based on 6 votes
Medieval feminine form of
Amabilis. This spelling and
Amabel were common during the Middle Ages, though they became rare after the 15th century. It was revived in the 19th century after the publication of C. M. Yonge's 1854 novel
The Heir of Redclyffe [1], which featured a character named Mabel (as well as one named Amabel).
Madeleine
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French, English, Swedish
Pronounced: MAD-LEHN(French) MAD-ə-lin(English) MAD-ə-lien(English) MAD-lin(English) mahd-eh-LEHN(Swedish)
Rating: 100% based on 2 votes
Madoc
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Welsh (Rare)
Rating: 77% based on 3 votes
From the Old Welsh name
Matauc, derived from
mad meaning
"good, fortunate" combined with a
diminutive suffix. This is the name of a warrior mentioned in the 7th-century Welsh poem
Y Gododdin. It was also borne by several medieval rulers, including the 12th-century Madoc ap Maredudd, the last prince of Powys. Another bearer, according to later folklore, was a son of the 12th-century
Owain the Great who sailed to the Americas.
Maëlys
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: MA-EH-LEES
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
Feminine form of
Maël, possibly influenced by the spelling of
Mailys.
Maeve
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish, English, Irish Mythology
Pronounced: MAYV(English)
Rating: 74% based on 7 votes
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.
Magnolia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: mag-NO-lee-ə
Rating: 53% based on 25 votes
From the English word magnolia for the flower, which was named for the French botanist Pierre Magnol.
Mailys
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: MAY-LEES, MA-EE-LEES
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
Marguerite
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: MAR-GU-REET
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
French form of
Margaret. This is also the French word for the daisy flower (species Leucanthemum vulgare).
Mariève
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French (Quebec)
Rating: 70% based on 2 votes
Marine
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French, Armenian, Georgian
Other Scripts: Մարինէ(Armenian) მარინე(Georgian)
Pronounced: MA-REEN(French)
Rating: 70% based on 2 votes
French, Armenian and Georgian form of
Marina.
Martine
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French, Dutch, Norwegian
Pronounced: MAR-TEEN(French) mahr-TEE-nə(Dutch)
Rating: 100% based on 2 votes
French, Dutch and Norwegian form of
Martina.
Matan
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Hebrew
Other Scripts: מַתָּן(Hebrew)
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
Modern Hebrew transcription of
Mattan.
Mattea
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: mat-TEH-a
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
Maude
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, French
Pronounced: MAWD(English) MOD(French)
Maxine
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: mak-SEEN
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
Feminine form of
Max. It has been commonly used only since the beginning of the 20th century.
Maylis
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: MAY-LEES, MA-EE-LEES
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
From the name of a town in southern France, said to derive from Occitan
mair "mother" and French
lys "lily". It is also sometimes considered a combination of
Marie and
lys.
Méline
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: MEH-LEEN
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
Micah
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical, English
Other Scripts: מִיכָה(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced: MIE-kə(English)
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
Contracted form of
Micaiah. Micah is one of the twelve minor prophets of the
Old Testament. He authored the Book of Micah, which alternates between prophesies of doom and prophesies of restoration. This is also the name of a separate person in the Book of Judges, the keeper of an idol. It was occasionally used as an English given name by the
Puritans after the
Protestant Reformation, but it did not become common until the end of the 20th century.
Milena
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Serbian, Macedonian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Slovene, Czech, Slovak, Polish, Russian, Italian
Other Scripts: Милена(Serbian, Macedonian, Bulgarian, Russian)
Pronounced: MI-leh-na(Czech) MEE-leh-na(Slovak) mee-LEH-na(Polish, Italian) myi-LYEH-nə(Russian)
Rating: 56% based on 27 votes
Feminine form of
Milan. It began to be used in Italy in honour of Milena Vukotić (1847-1923), mother of Helen of Montenegro, the wife of the Italian king Victor Emmanuel III. In Italy it can also be considered a combination of
Maria and
Elena.
Mirabelle
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French (Rare), English (Rare)
Rating: 95% based on 2 votes
Derived from Latin mirabilis meaning "wonderful". This name was coined during the Middle Ages, though it eventually died out. It was briefly revived in the 19th century.
Nadette
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French (Rare), Dutch (Rare), Maltese (Rare)
Rating: 95% based on 2 votes
Nava
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hebrew
Other Scripts: נָאוָה(Hebrew)
Rating: 45% based on 2 votes
Means "beautiful" in Hebrew.
Nerys
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Welsh
Rating: 100% based on 2 votes
Probably a feminized form of Welsh nêr meaning "lord".
Neveh
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Hebrew
Other Scripts: נוה, נווה(Hebrew)
Rating: 95% based on 2 votes
Means "oasis" in Hebrew.
Niamh
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish, Irish Mythology
Pronounced: NYEEW(Irish) NYEEV(Irish)
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
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.
Niles
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: NIELZ
Rating: 100% based on 2 votes
From an English surname that was derived from the given name
Neil.
Ninon
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: NEE-NAWN
Rating: 63% based on 4 votes
Noémie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: NAW-EH-MEE
Rating: 50% based on 2 votes
Nomi
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Swedish (Rare), Norwegian (Rare), Danish (Rare), Hebrew (Rare), English (Rare)
Scandinavian variant of
Noomi as well as an English and Hebrew contracted form of
Naomi 1.
Nydia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare), Spanish, Literature
Pronounced: NID-ee-ə(English) NEE-dhya(Spanish)
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
Used by British author Edward Bulwer-Lytton for a blind flower-seller in his novel The Last Days of Pompeii (1834). He perhaps based it on Latin nidus "nest".
Oberon
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Literature
Pronounced: O-bər-ahn(English)
Rating: 80% based on 3 votes
Variant of
Auberon. Oberon and
Titania are the king and queen of the fairies in Shakespeare's comedy
A Midsummer Night's Dream (1595). A moon of Uranus bears this name in his honour.
Ondine
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French (Rare), French (Belgian, Rare)
Rating: 45% based on 2 votes
Opal
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: O-pəl
From the English word
opal for the iridescent gemstone, the birthstone of October. The word ultimately derives from Sanskrit
उपल (upala) meaning "jewel".
Orion
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Ὠρίων(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: AW-REE-AWN(Classical Greek) o-RIE-ən(English)
Rating: 80% based on 5 votes
Meaning uncertain, but possibly related to Greek
ὅριον (horion) meaning
"boundary, limit". Alternatively it may be derived from Akkadian
Uru-anna meaning
"light of the heavens". This is the name of a constellation, which gets its name from a legendary Greek hunter who was killed by a scorpion sent by the earth goddess
Gaia.
Orson
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: AWR-sən
Rating: 34% based on 23 votes
From a Norman nickname derived from a
diminutive of Norman French
ors "bear", ultimately from Latin
ursus. American actor and director Orson Welles (1915-1985) was a famous bearer of this name.
Otis
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: O-tis
Rating: 33% based on 3 votes
From an English surname that was derived from the medieval given name
Ode, a
cognate of
Otto. In America it has been used in honour of the revolutionary James Otis (1725-1783).
Pasco
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Cornish
Rating: 85% based on 2 votes
Pepina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Bulgarian, Romanian
Other Scripts: Пепина(Bulgarian)
Petra
Gender: Feminine
Usage: German, Dutch, Spanish, Czech, Slovak, Slovene, Croatian, Bulgarian, Hungarian, Swedish, Finnish, English
Other Scripts: Петра(Bulgarian) Πέτρα(Greek)
Pronounced: PEH-tra(German, Dutch, Spanish, Czech, Slovak) PEH-traw(Hungarian) PEHT-rah(Finnish) PEHT-rə(English)
Rating: 90% based on 2 votes
Feminine form of
Peter. This was also the name of an ancient city in the region that is now Jordan.
Raisa 2
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Yiddish
Other Scripts: רייזאַ(Yiddish)
Rating: 90% based on 2 votes
From Yiddish
רויז (roiz) meaning
"rose".
Redmond
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish
Rating: 83% based on 4 votes
Revel
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Rating: 20% based on 1 vote
Meaning, "enjoy oneself in a lively and noisy way, especially with drinking and dancing."
Reverie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: REHV-ə-ree
Rating: 30% based on 1 vote
From the English word meaning "daydream, fanciful musing", derived from Old French resverie, itself from resver meaning "to dream, to rave".
Rhodri
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Welsh
Pronounced: RAW-dri
Rating: 25% based on 2 votes
From the Old Welsh name
Rotri, derived from
rod "wheel" and
ri "king". This name was borne by several medieval Welsh rulers, including Rhodri the Great, a 9th-century king of Gwynedd.
Rhys
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Welsh, English
Pronounced: REES
Rating: 63% based on 26 votes
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.
Rigby
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: RIG-bee
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "ridge farm" in Old Norse.
Romane
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: RAW-MAN
Rating: 60% based on 2 votes
French feminine form of
Romanus (see
Roman).
Rónán
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish, Old Irish [1]
Pronounced: RO-nan(Irish)
Rating: 63% based on 24 votes
Means
"little seal", derived from Old Irish
rón "seal" combined with a
diminutive suffix. This was the name of several early Irish
saints, including a pilgrim to Brittany who founded the hermitage at Locronan in the 6th century.
Ronen
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Hebrew
Other Scripts: רוֹנֶן(Hebrew)
Rating: 100% based on 2 votes
Derived from Hebrew
רֹן (ron) meaning
"song, joy".
Rosalyn
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: RO-zə-lin, RAHZ-ə-lin
Rating: 100% based on 2 votes
Variant of
Rosaline. It can also be considered an elaboration of
Rose with the common name suffix
lyn.
Roscoe
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: RAHS-ko
Rating: 43% based on 4 votes
From an English surname, originally derived from a place name, itself derived from Old Norse rá "roebuck" and skógr "wood, forest".
Rosetta
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: ro-ZEHT-ta
Rating: 54% based on 24 votes
Rosheen
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish
Rating: 30% based on 2 votes
Roslyn
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: RAHZ-lin
Rating: 100% based on 2 votes
Ross
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Scottish, English
Pronounced: RAWS(English)
Rating: 50% based on 2 votes
From a Scottish and English surname that originally indicated a person from a place called Ross (such as the region of Ross in northern Scotland), derived from Gaelic ros meaning "promontory, headland". A famous bearer of the surname was James Clark Ross (1800-1862), an Antarctic explorer.
Rowena
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: ro-EEN-ə
Rating: 57% based on 26 votes
Meaning uncertain. According to the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth, this was the name of a daughter of the Saxon chief Hengist. It is possible (but unsupported) that Geoffrey based it on the Old English elements
hroð "fame" and
wynn "joy", or alternatively on the Old Welsh elements
ron "spear" and
gwen "white". It was popularized by Walter Scott, who used it for a character in his novel
Ivanhoe (1819).
Rune
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Norwegian, Danish, Swedish
Pronounced: ROO-nə(Norwegian) ROO-neh(Danish, Swedish)
Rating: 100% based on 2 votes
Derived from Old Norse
rún meaning
"secret lore, rune".
Sabine
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French, German, Dutch, Danish
Pronounced: SA-BEEN(French) za-BEE-nə(German) sa-BEE-nə(Dutch)
Rating: 100% based on 2 votes
French, German, Dutch and Danish form of
Sabina.
Sable
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: SAY-bəl
Rating: 90% based on 2 votes
From the English word meaning "black", derived from the name of the black-furred mammal native to northern Asia, ultimately of Slavic origin.
Saffron
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: SAF-rən
Rating: 77% based on 11 votes
From the English word that refers either to a spice, the crocus flower from which it is harvested, or the yellow-orange colour of the spice. It is derived via Old French from Arabic
زعفران (zaʿfarān), itself probably from Persian meaning "gold leaves".
Sage
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: SAYJ
Rating: 74% based on 7 votes
From the English word sage, which denotes either a type of spice or else a wise person.
Samson
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical, English, French, Biblical Latin
Other Scripts: שִׁםְשׁוֹן(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced: SAM-sən(English) SAHN-SAWN(French)
Rating: 50% based on 5 votes
From the Hebrew name
שִׁםְשׁוֹן (Shimshon), derived from
שֶׁמֶשׁ (shemesh) meaning "sun". Samson was an
Old Testament hero granted exceptional strength by God. His mistress
Delilah betrayed him and cut his hair, stripping him of his power. Thus he was captured by the Philistines, blinded, and brought to their temple. However, in a final act of strength, he pulled down the pillars of the temple upon himself and his captors.
This name was known among the Normans due to the Welsh bishop Saint Samson, who founded monasteries in Brittany and Normandy in the 6th century. In his case, the name may have been a translation of his true Celtic name. As an English name, Samson was common during the Middle Ages, having been introduced by the Normans. It is currently most common in Africa, especially in countries that have an British colonial past.
Saorla
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish
Pronounced: SAYR-la, SEER-la
Rating: 70% based on 2 votes
Senara
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Cornish
Pronounced: ze-NAH-rah
Rating: 90% based on 2 votes
From the name of the patron saint of Zennor, a village in Cornwall, which is of obscure origin. Conceivably it may be derived from the Breton name
Azenor or the old Celtic
Senovara. According to local legend Saint Senara was originally Princess Azenor of Brest in Lower Brittany, the mother of Saint Budoc. She is also said to have been a mermaid before her conversion (though even after becoming a Christian, "she continued to pine for the sea"). This name was given to 52 girls born in England and Wales in the years 1916-2005.
Serena
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Italian, Late Roman
Pronounced: sə-REEN-ə(English) seh-REH-na(Italian)
Rating: 58% based on 24 votes
From a Late Latin name that was derived from Latin
serenus meaning
"clear, tranquil, serene". This name was borne by an obscure early
saint. Edmund Spenser also used it in his poem
The Faerie Queene (1590). A famous bearer from the modern era is tennis player Serena Williams (1981-).
Shai
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Hebrew
Other Scripts: שַׁי(Hebrew)
Rating: 100% based on 2 votes
Shiloh
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Biblical
Other Scripts: שִׁלוֹ, שִׁילֹה(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced: SHIE-lo(English)
Rating: 50% based on 2 votes
From an
Old Testament place name possibly meaning
"tranquil" in Hebrew. It is also used prophetically in the Old Testament to refer to a person, often understood to be the Messiah (see
Genesis 49:10). This may in fact be a mistranslation.
This name was brought to public attention after actors Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt gave it to their daughter in 2006.
Shira
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hebrew
Other Scripts: שִׁירָה(Hebrew)
Rating: 44% based on 24 votes
Means "singing" in Hebrew.
Sholto
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Scottish
Probably an Anglicized form of Gaelic
sìoltaich meaning
"sower, propagator". It has occasionally been used in the Douglas family since the 17th century, after David Hume of Godscroft claimed it was the name of the 7th-century founder of the clan
[1].
Signy
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Norwegian
Rating: 35% based on 2 votes
Norwegian variant form of
Signý.
Sigrid
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, German, Estonian, Finnish (Archaic)
Pronounced: SEE-grid(Swedish) SEEG-reed(Finnish)
Rating: 70% based on 2 votes
From the Old Norse name
Sigríðr, which was derived from the elements
sigr "victory" and
fríðr "beautiful, beloved".
Silvan
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German (Swiss)
Rating: 68% based on 4 votes
Silvester
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Slovak, Slovene, Serbian, German, English, Late Roman
Other Scripts: Силвестер(Serbian)
Pronounced: zil-VEHS-tu(German) sil-VEHS-tər(English)
Rating: 62% based on 10 votes
From a Latin name meaning
"wooded, wild", derived from
silva "wood, forest". This was the name of three popes, including
Saint Silvester I who supposedly baptized the first Christian Roman emperor,
Constantine the Great. As an English name,
Silvester (or
Sylvester) has been in use since the Middle Ages, though it became less common after the
Protestant Reformation.
Simone 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French, English, German, Dutch, Danish, Portuguese
Pronounced: SEE-MAWN(French) sə-MON(English) zee-MO-nə(German) see-MO-nə(Dutch)
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
French feminine form of
Simon 1. A famous bearer was Simone de Beauvoir (1908-1986), a French feminist and philosopher.
Starling
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: STAHR-ling
Rating: 80% based on 2 votes
From the
English word for the type of bird. It is commonly associated with the name
Star.
It is the original name of children's illustrator Tasha Tudor.
Stig
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
Pronounced: STEEG(Swedish)
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
Sullivan
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French
Pronounced: SUL-i-vən(English)
Rating: 55% based on 4 votes
From an Irish surname, the Anglicized form of
Ó Súileabháin, itself from the given name
Súileabhán, which was derived from Irish
súil "eye" and
dubh "dark, black" combined with a
diminutive suffix. This name has achieved a moderate level of popularity in France since the 1970s. In the United States it was rare before the 1990s, after which it began climbing steadily. A famous fictional bearer of the surname was James P. Sullivan from the animated movie
Monsters, Inc. (2001).
Sunniva
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Norwegian
Rating: 90% based on 2 votes
Scandinavian form of the Old English name
Sunngifu, which meant
"sun gift" from the Old English elements
sunne "sun" and
giefu "gift". This was the name of a legendary English
saint who was shipwrecked in Norway and killed by the inhabitants.
Sylvie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French, Czech
Pronounced: SEEL-VEE(French) SIL-vi-yeh(Czech)
Rating: 54% based on 25 votes
French and Czech form of
Silvia.
Teodora
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, Polish, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Serbian, Swedish
Other Scripts: Теодора(Bulgarian, Macedonian, Serbian)
Pronounced: teh-o-DAW-ra(Italian) teh-o-DHO-ra(Spanish) teh-o-DO-ra(Romanian) teh-aw-DAW-ra(Polish)
Rating: 70% based on 2 votes
Feminine form of
Theodoros (see
Theodore).
Teva
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Hebrew (Modern, Rare)
Other Scripts: טבע(Hebrew)
Pronounced: TEH-vah
Rating: 85% based on 2 votes
Means "nature" in Hebrew.
Thea
Gender: Feminine
Usage: German, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, English
Pronounced: TEH-a(German) THEE-ə(English)
Rating: 95% based on 2 votes
Tomine
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Norwegian
Rating: 60% based on 2 votes
Torben
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Danish, German
Pronounced: TOR-behn(Danish) TAWR-bən(German)
Rating: 35% based on 2 votes
Torin
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Modern)
Rating: 53% based on 24 votes
Meaning unknown. It has been suggested that it is of Irish origin, though no suitable derivation can be found.
Tuva
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Swedish, Norwegian
Rating: 50% based on 2 votes
Swedish and Norwegian variant of
Tove.
Twila
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: TWIE-lə
Rating: 100% based on 2 votes
Meaning unknown. Perhaps based on the English word
twilight, or maybe from a Cajun pronunciation of French
étoile "star"
[1]. It came into use as an American given name in the late 19th century.
Vaila
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Scottish, Norwegian (Rare)
Pronounced: VAY-la(Scottish)
Rating: 100% based on 2 votes
Taken from the name of a small island off the Shetland Islands, Scotland. It is a traditional Shetlandic girls' name.
Van
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: VAN
Rating: 70% based on 2 votes
Short form of names containing
van, such as
Vance or
Ivan.
Vesper
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Roman Mythology, Dutch (Modern)
Pronounced: WEHS-pehr(Latin) VEHS-pər(English, Dutch)
Rating: 20% based on 1 vote
Latin
cognate of
Hesperos. This name was used by the British author Ian Fleming for a female character, a love interest of James Bond, in his novel
Casino Royale (1953). She also appears in the film adaptations of 1967 and 2006.
Vesta
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Roman Mythology
Pronounced: WEHS-ta(Latin) VEHS-tə(English)
Rating: 90% based on 2 votes
Probably a Roman
cognate of
Hestia. Vesta was the Roman goddess of the hearth. A continuous fire, tended by the Vestal Virgins, was burned in the Temple of Vesta in Rome.
Vianne
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Rating: 75% based on 2 votes
Meaning unknown, perhaps a combination of
Vi and
Anne 1 or a short form of
Vivianne.
Violet
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: VIE-lit, VIE-ə-lit
Rating: 100% based on 2 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.
Wade
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: WAYD
Rating: 100% based on 2 votes
Wilder
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Rating: 100% based on 2 votes
From an English surname meaning "wild, untamed, uncontrolled", from Old English wilde.
Willa
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: WIL-ə
Rating: 75% based on 2 votes
Wren
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: REHN
Rating: 100% based on 2 votes
From the English word for the small songbird. It is ultimately derived from Old English wrenna.
Wyn
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Welsh
Pronounced: WIN
Rating: 100% based on 2 votes
Derived from Welsh
gwyn meaning
"white, blessed".
Zélie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Rating: 100% based on 2 votes
Short form of
Azélie. This is another name of
Saint Marie-Azélie Guérin (1831-1877).
Zev
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Hebrew
Other Scripts: זְאֵב(Hebrew)
Rating: 95% based on 2 votes
Alternate transcription of Hebrew
זְאֵב (see
Zeev).
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