PurpleManners's Personal Name List

Short form of names beginning with the Old German element alb "elf".

This is the Hebrew word for "man". It could be ultimately derived from Hebrew אדם ('adam) meaning "to be red", referring to the ruddy colour of human skin, or from Akkadian adamu meaning "to make".

According to Genesis in the Old Testament Adam was created from the earth by God (there is a word play on Hebrew אֲדָמָה ('adamah) meaning "earth"). He and Eve were supposedly the first humans, living happily in the Garden of Eden until they ate the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. As a result they were expelled from Eden to the lands to the east, where they gave birth to the second generation, including Cain, Abel and Seth.

As an English Christian name, Adam has been common since the Middle Ages, and it received a boost after the Protestant Reformation. A famous bearer was Scottish economist Adam Smith (1723-1790).

Originally a short form of names beginning with the Old German element adal meaning "noble" (Proto-Germanic *aþalaz). 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.

Variant of Adalar.

German form of Adallinda.

Variant of Adalrad.

Means "bird" in Welsh. This is a modern Welsh name.

Means "justice" in Kyrgyz and Kazakh, ultimately from Arabic عدل ('adala) meaning "to act justly".

Short form of Adoración.

Dutch form of Adriel.

Feminine form of Aelius.

Feminine form of Aelianus.

Latinized form of Greek Αἰθήρ (Aither) meaning "ether, heaven", derived from αἴθω (aitho) meaning "to burn, to ignite". In Greek mythology this was the name of the god of the upper sky.

Means "river" in Welsh. This is a Welsh name of recent origin.

Derived from Greek ἀγάπη (agape) meaning "love". This name was borne by at least two early saints.

The Alatyr in Russian legends and folklore is a sacred stone, the "father to all stones", the navel of the earth, containing sacred letters and endowed with healing properties. The awareness of the existence of such a stone exists in various parts of the Slavdom. It is often mentioned in stories and referred to in love spells as "a mighty force that has no end."

Feminine form of Albus.

Short form of Aleksey, Aleksandr or Aleksandra.

Form of Alexander in several languages.

Form of Alexander in several languages.

Slovene form of Alexius.

Derived from Greek ἀλήθεια (aletheia) meaning "truth". This name was coined in the 16th century.

Short form of Adelina, Albina and names that end in alina.

Possibly a variant of Alethea.

Variant of Alkanor.

German and Czech form of Aloysius.

Means "red dawn" in Turkish.

Means "love of God", derived from Latin amare "to love" and Deus "God". A famous bearer was the Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791), who was actually born Wolfgang Theophilus Mozart but preferred the Latin translation of his Greek middle name. This name was also assumed as a middle name by the German novelist E. T. A. Hoffmann (1776-1822), who took it in honour of Mozart.

Spanish form of Amator.

From the English word amber that denotes either the gemstone, which is formed from fossil resin, or the orange-yellow colour. The word ultimately derives from Arabic عنبر ('anbar). It began to be used as a given name in the late 19th century, but it only became popular after the release of Kathleen Winsor's novel Forever Amber (1944).

Elaboration of Amber, influenced by the spelling of the name Kimberly.

Means "lovable" in Esperanto.

Biblical Hebrew name of uncertain meaning, possibly "God answers" (making it an equivalent of Anaiah, using el "God" as the second element as opposed to yah "Yahweh"); alternatively the first element may be related to chanah "favour, grace" (making it a relative of Hananiah and perhaps a form of Hanniel or Channiel). This name is mentioned only briefly in the Apocrypha (Tobit 1:21) belonging to a brother of Tobit. In Jewish tradition Anael is an angel (also known as Aniel or Hanael), often named as one of the seven archangels and associated with the planet Venus.

Means "immaculate, undefiled" in Old Persian, from the Old Iranian prefix *an- "not" combined with *āhita "unclean, dirty". This was the name of an Iranian goddess of fertility and water. In the Zoroastrian religious texts the Avesta she is called 𐬀𐬭𐬆𐬛𐬎𐬎𐬍 (Arəduuī) in Avestan, with 𐬀𐬥𐬁𐬵𐬌𐬙𐬀 (anāhita) appearing only as a descriptive epithet [1]. In origin she is possibly identical to the Indian goddess Saraswati. She has historically been identified with the Semitic goddess Ishtar and the Greek goddess Artemis.

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.

Russian form of Anthimos via Anthimus.

Croatian form of Anthony.

Bulgarian and Romanian form of Anthimos.

Means "very beautiful" in Welsh, from the intensive prefix an- combined with gwen "white, blessed".

Meaning uncertain. In Greek legend this name belonged to a son of Aras, an autochthon who was believed to have built Arantea, the most ancient town in Phliasia. When his sister Araethyrea died, Aoris renamed the country of Phliasia after her ("Araethyrea").

Form of Apollon (see Apollo) in various languages.

The surname of one of the musketeers in The Three Musketeers (1844) by Alexandre Dumas. Dumas based the character on the 17th-century Henri d'Aramitz, whose surname was derived from the French village of Aramits (itself from Basque aran meaning "valley").

Meaning unknown. This was the name of the god of the underworld, called Annwfn, in Welsh mythology.

Variant of Araceli.

From Ancient Greek Ἀρκτοῦρος (Arktouros), the name of the fourth brightest star in the sky, part of the constellation Boötes. It means "guardian of the bear", derived from ἄρκτος (arktos) meaning "bear" and οὖρος (ouros) meaning "guardian", referring to the star's position close to the constellations Ursa Minor and Ursa Major.

Dutch and German variant of Arnold. This is also the Dutch word for "eagle".

Bulgarian variant of Argyris.

Means "silver" in Greek.

Derived from Welsh arian "silver" and gwen "white, blessed". This was the name of a 5th-century Welsh saint, one of the supposed daughters of Brychan Brycheiniog.

In Greek mythology, Arion is the name of a divine immortal talking horse, who is the son of the gods Poseidon and Demeter. In real life, this name was borne by a Greek singer and poet of Methymna on Lesbos, skilled at the cithara and inventor of the dithyramb. He is said to have lived at Periander's court in Corinth in the late 7th century B.C. A legend repeated by Herodotus tells how, having been thrown overboard by pirates, Arion was saved from the sea by a dolphin that had been charmed by his music. And, finally, Arion is also the name of several characters in popular culture, such the mystical hero of a DC comic book.

Meaning uncertain. It was perhaps inspired by the fictional place name Arlo Hill from the poem The Faerie Queene (1590) by Edmund Spenser. Spenser probably got Arlo by altering the real Irish place name Aherlow, meaning "between two highlands".

Breton and French form of the Old Welsh name Arthmail, which was composed of the elements arth "bear" and mael "prince, chieftain". This was the name of a 6th-century Welsh saint who founded abbeys in Brittany.

Means "love" in Maori.

Polish, Croatian and Scandinavian form of Aaron.

Short form of Arthur.

Russian form of Artemon.

Ukrainian form of Artemios. It is also an alternate transcription of Russian Артём (see Artyom).

From an ancient Greek name that was derived from the name of the Greek goddess Artemis. This was the name of a 4th-century general in the Roman army who is venerated as a saint in the Orthodox Church.

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.

Feminine form of Artemisios. This was the name of the 4th-century BC builder of the Mausoleum, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. She built it in memory of her husband, the Carian prince Mausolus.

Russian variant form of Artemios.

From an ancient Greek name that was derived from the name of the Greek goddess Artemis.

The meaning of this name is unknown. It could be derived from the Celtic elements *artos "bear" (Old Welsh arth) combined with *wiros "man" (Old Welsh gur) or *rīxs "king" (Old Welsh ri). 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 resisted Saxon invaders. He may or may not have been based on a real person. He first appears in Welsh poems and chronicles (perhaps briefly in the 7th-century poem Y Gododdin and more definitively and extensively in the 9th-century History of the Britons [1]). However, his character was not developed until the chronicles of the 12th-century Geoffrey of Monmouth [2]. His tales were later taken up and expanded by French and English writers.

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).

Variant transliteration of Артём (see Artyom).

Estonian form of Artemios.

Form of Arthur in several languages.

Russian form of Artemios.

Means "noble maiden" in the fictional language Sindarin. In The Lord of the Rings (1954) by J. R. R. Tolkien, Arwen was the daughter of Elrond and the lover of Aragorn.

Means "travel at night" in Arabic. It is related to Isra.

Means "star", ultimately from Greek ἀστήρ (aster). This name has only been (rarely) used since the 20th century.

Variant of Athina.

From the word aura (derived from Latin, ultimately from Greek αὔρα meaning "breeze") for a distinctive atmosphere or illumination.

Feminine form of Aurelius.

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

Means "south" in Latin (descended from the Indo-European root *hews- meaning "dawn", making it related to the English word east). Auster was the Roman god of the south wind.

From a misapprehension of the spelling of the name Arthur or from the occupation.

From the Norman French form of the Germanic name Avelina, a diminutive of Avila. The Normans introduced this name to Britain. After the Middle Ages it became rare as an English name, though it persisted in America until the 19th century [1].

Feminine form of Avitus, meaning "ancestral". This name was used for a character in Caroline Lawrence's book series "The Roman Mysteries", first released in 2001. The little girl in the story was named after her father, Avitus.

From a Roman family name that meant "ancestral" in Latin. This was the name of an emperor who briefly reigned over the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century. It was also the name of several saints, including a 6th-century bishop of Vienne.

From the name of the flower (shrubs of the genus Rhododendron), ultimately derived from Greek ἀζαλέος (azaleos) meaning "dry".

From Greek Βελισάριος (Belisarios), probably of Illyric origin. This was the name of a famed Byzantine general and war hero who served the emperor Justinian. He was possibly of Slavic ancestry which has led to speculation that the name derives from Slavonic Beli-tzar "white prince" (the -sarius element being interpreted as coming from the old Slavic word tsesar or tsesari, which was derived from Caesar, thus giving Belisarius a "princely" connotation), but this etymology has since been discounted as somewhat dubious.

Derived from the South Slavic word бисер (biser) meaning "pearl" (ultimately of Arabic origin).

Croatian and Serbian form of Bisera.

From a Bulgar Turkic name, also recorded as Bogoris, perhaps meaning "short" or "wolf" or "snow leopard". It was borne by the 9th-century Boris I of Bulgaria, who converted his realm to Christianity and is thus regarded as a saint in the Orthodox Church. To the north in Kievan Rus it was the name of another saint, a son of Vladimir the Great who was murdered with his brother Gleb in the 11th century. His mother may have been Bulgarian.

Other notable bearers of the name include the Russian emperor Boris Godunov (1552-1605), later the subject of a play of that name by Aleksandr Pushkin, as well as the Russian author Boris Pasternak (1890-1960), the Bulgarian king Boris III (1894-1943), and the Russian president Boris Yeltsin (1931-2007).

Originally a diminutive of names beginning with the Slavic element borna (South Slavic brana) meaning "protection".

Means "white raven" from Old Welsh bran "raven" and gwen "white, blessed". According to the Second Branch of the Mabinogi [1] she was the daughter of Llŷr. After she was mistreated by her husband Matholwch, the king of Ireland, she managed to get a message to her brother Brân, the king of Britain. Brân launched a costly invasion to rescue her, but she died of grief shortly after her return.

Derived from Irish caomh meaning "dear, beloved, gentle".

Derived from Latin caritas meaning "dearness, esteem, love".

Spanish diminutive of Carmel.

Derived from Welsh caru "to love" and gwyn "white, blessed". This name was created in the 20th century [1].

Derived from Welsh caru meaning "love". This is a relatively modern Welsh name, in common use only since the middle of the 20th century.

Used by author C. S. Lewis for a character in his Chronicles of Narnia series, first appearing in 1950. Prince Caspian first appears in the fourth book, where he is the rightful king of Narnia driven into exile by his evil uncle Miraz. Lewis probably based the name on the Caspian Sea, which was named for the city of Qazvin, which was itself named for the ancient Cas tribe.

In Incan mythology, Ch'aska ("Venus") or Ch'aska Quyllur ("Venus star") was the goddess of dawn and twilight, the planet Venus, flowers, maidens, and sex. She protected virgin girls. This name is of a separate etmology, with the Quechua ch'aska referring to what they thought was the brightest star but was the planet Venus. The Quechue quyllur means 'star'.

From the Late Greek name Χριστόφορος (Christophoros) meaning "bearing Christ", derived from Χριστός (Christos) combined with φέρω (phero) meaning "to bear, to carry". Early Christians used it as a metaphorical name, expressing that they carried Christ in their hearts. In the Middle Ages, literal interpretations of the name's etymology led to legends about a Saint Christopher who carried the young Jesus across a river. He has come to be regarded as the patron saint of travellers.

As an English given name, Christopher has been in general use since the 15th century. It became very popular in the second half of the 20th century, reaching the top of the charts for England and Wales in the 1980s, and nearing it in the United States.

In Denmark this name was borne by three kings (their names are usually spelled Christoffer), including the 15th-century Christopher of Bavaria who also ruled Norway and Sweden. Other famous bearers include Italian explorer Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), English playwright Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593), English architect Christopher Wren (1632-1723) and the fictional character Christopher Robin from A. A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh books.

After the drink, Cider. Means, "strong drink"

Late Latin name meaning "heart" from Latin cor (genitive cordis). Saint Cordula was one of the 4th-century companions of Saint Ursula.

Means "hanging branch" in Hebrew.

Form of Daniel in various languages.

Medieval short form of Durante. The most notable bearer of this name was Dante Alighieri (1265-1321), the Italian poet who wrote the Divine Comedy.

From a surname that was derived from the Old English given name Deorwine. The surname was borne by the British naturalist Charles Darwin (1809-1882), the man who first proposed the theory of natural selection and subsequently revolutionized biology.

From the English word dawn, ultimately derived from Old English dagung.

Means "adorning the heart", from Persian دل (del) meaning "heart" and آرا (ara) meaning "decorate, adorn".

Perhaps a diminutive of Delphine or Delphia, or a direct borrowing of the ancient Greek place name.

Means "divine, goddesslike", a derivative of Latin dia or diva meaning "goddess". It is ultimately related to the same Indo-European root *dyew- found in Zeus. Diana was a Roman goddess of the moon, hunting, forests and childbirth, often identified with the Greek goddess Artemis.

As a given name, Diana has been regularly used since the Renaissance. It became more common in the English-speaking world following Walter Scott's novel Rob Roy (1817), which featured a character named Diana Vernon. It also appeared in George Meredith's novel Diana of the Crossways (1885). A notable bearer was the British royal Diana Spencer (1961-1997), the Princess of Wales.

From dianthus, the name of a type of flower (ultimately from Greek meaning "heavenly flower").

Latinization of Dione 1 as well as the Albanian form of the name.

Derived from the Slavic element dorgŭ (South Slavic drag) meaning "precious".

Derived from the Slavic element dorgŭ (South Slavic drag) meaning "precious", originally a diminutive of names beginning with that element.

Italian form of the Late Latin name Durans, which meant "enduring".

Variant of Ephraim.

Means "bright, beautiful" in Welsh [1].

Means "white snow" from the Welsh elements eira "snow" and gwen "white, blessed". This name was created in the early 20th century.

Form of Eleanor in several languages.

Italian form of Elijah.

Dutch variant of names beginning with Eli, such as Elijah or Elisabeth.

Italian, Spanish and Portuguese form of Éliane.

Probably from Aeliana, the feminine form of the Roman name Aelianus, which was derived from the Roman family name Aelius. This was the name of an obscure early saint and martyr from Amasea.

Portuguese form of Éliane.

Variant of Alianora.

Form of Elijah used in several languages. This is also the form used in the Greek New Testament.

Croatian and Serbian form of Aelian.

Means "my God is my light" in Hebrew.

Feminine form of Elior.

German and Dutch form of Elizabeth. It is also a variant English form, reflecting the spelling used in the Authorized Version of the New Testament.

Means "elm tree" in Cornish. This is a recently coined Cornish name.

Anglicized form of Ailbhe.

Means "colours" in Turkish.

Variant of Elwen.

Diminutive of Ema 1.

Feminine form of Aemilius (see Emily).

Means "bee" in Basque.

Possibly means "star" in Persian. Alternatively it could be a derivative of the name of the Near Eastern goddess Ishtar. The Book of Esther in the Old Testament tells the story of Queen Esther, the Jewish wife of the king of Persia. The king's advisor Haman persuaded the king to exterminate all the Jews in the realm. Warned of this plot by her cousin Mordecai, Esther revealed her Jewish ancestry and convinced the king to execute Haman instead. Her original Hebrew name was Hadassah.

This name has been used in the English-speaking world since the Protestant Reformation. In America it received a boost in popularity after the birth of Esther Cleveland (1893-1980), the daughter of President Grover Cleveland [1].

Modern Greek and Italian form of Hestia.

Allegedly a borrowing of Ethel.

From the Hebrew name אֵיתָן ('Eitan) meaning "solid, enduring, firm". In the Old Testament this name is borne by a few minor characters, including the wise man Ethan the Ezrahite, supposedly the author of Psalm 89.

After the Protestant Reformation it was occasionally used as a given name in the English-speaking world, and it became somewhat common in America due to the fame of the revolutionary Ethan Allen (1738-1789). It only became popular towards the end of the 20th century. It is the name of the main character in Edith Wharton's novel Ethan Frome (1911), about a man in love with his wife's cousin.

Means "good gift" in Greek, from the elements εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and δῶρον (doron) meaning "gift". This was the name of a nymph, one of the Hyades, in Greek mythology.

Derived from the Greek noun εὔκλεια (eukleia) meaning "good repute, glory", which consists of Greek εὖ (eu) meaning "good, well" combined with the Greek noun κλέος (kleos) meaning "glory". Also compare the masculine name Eukles, which is closely related.

In Greek mythology, Eukleia was the personification of good repute and glory, frequently depicted as an attendant of Aphrodite, in whose entourage she represented the good repute of a chaste bride. Eukleia was also an epithet of the goddess Artemis, under which she was worshipped in Boeotia.

Derived from Greek εὔλαλος (eulalos) meaning "sweetly-speaking", itself from εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and λαλέω (laleo) meaning "to talk". This was the name of an early 4th-century saint and martyr from Mérida in Spain. Another martyr by this name, living at the same time, is a patron saint of Barcelona. These two saints might be the same person.

Anglicized form of Ifan, a Welsh form of John.

Variant of Evandrus, the Latin form of the Greek name Εὔανδρος (Euandros) meaning "good of man", derived from εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man" (genitive ἀνδρός). In Roman mythology Evander was an Arcadian hero of the Trojan War who founded the city of Pallantium near the spot where Rome was later built.

Anglicized form of Iomhar.

Latinized form of Euanthe.

Means "cosmos, the universe" in Turkish. In Turkic mythology the Evren is a gigantic snake-like dragon.

Male name of Arabic derivation, from ezan, Islamic call to worship.

Russian hypochoristic form of Felizata.

Feminine form of the Latin name Felicius, a derivative of Felix. As an English name, it has occasionally been used since the Middle Ages.

A Russian form of Felicitas.

From the Roman family name Flavianus, which was derived from Flavius. This was the name of several early saints including a 5th-century patriarch of Constantinople who was beaten to death.

From the Roman cognomen Florianus, a derivative of Florus. This was the name of a short-lived Roman emperor of the 3rd century, Marcus Annius Florianus. It was also borne by Saint Florian, a martyr of the 3rd century, the patron saint of Poland and Upper Austria.

Bulgarian and Russian form of Φωτεινός (Photeinos) and Φωτίνος (Photinos).

From the Hebrew name גַבְרִיאֵל (Gavri'el) meaning "God is my strong man", derived from גֶּבֶר (gever) meaning "strong man, hero" and אֵל ('el) meaning "God". Gabriel is an archangel in Hebrew tradition, often appearing as a messenger of God. In the Old Testament he is sent to interpret the visions of the prophet Daniel, while in the New Testament he serves as the announcer of the births of John to Zechariah and Jesus to Mary. According to Islamic tradition he was the angel who dictated the Quran to Muhammad.

This name has been used occasionally in England since the 12th century. It was not common in the English-speaking world until the end of the 20th century.

Feminine form of Gabriel.

Medieval Italian nickname meaning "gem, precious stone". It was borne by the wife of the 13th-century Italian poet Dante Alighieri.

From Welsh gwen, the feminine form of gwyn meaning "white, blessed". It can also be a short form of Gwendolen, Gwenllian and other names beginning with Gwen.

Possibly means "white ring", derived from Welsh gwen meaning "white, blessed" and dolen meaning "ring, loop". This name appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's 12th-century chronicles, written in the Latin form Guendoloena, where it belongs to an ancient queen of the Britons who defeats her ex-husband in battle [1]. Geoffrey later used it in Vita Merlini for the wife of the prophet Merlin [2]. An alternate theory claims that the name arose from a misreading of the masculine name Guendoleu by Geoffrey [3].

This name was not regularly given to people until the 19th century [4][3]. It was used by George Eliot for a character in her novel Daniel Deronda (1876).

Probably means "born of trees" from Old Welsh guid "trees" and the suffix gen "born of". In the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi [1], Gwydion is the nephew of King Math of Gwynedd, and like him a powerful magician. In an elaborate plot to give his brother a chance to rape his uncle's footbearer, he arranged a war between Gwynedd and the neighbouring kingdom of Dyfed. Gwydion himself killed King Pryderi of Dyfed at the end of the war. In punishment for the rape, Math transformed Gwydion and his brother into different animals over the course of three years. Gwydion was the uncle of Lleu Llaw Gyffes, whom he fostered. Math and Gwydion fashioned Lleu a wife, Blodeuwedd, out of flowers and they later aided him after her betrayal. Gwydion also appears in older Welsh poetry such as the Book of Taliesin.

From the English word for a safe place, derived ultimately from Old English hæfen.

Derived from Greek ἑστία (hestia) meaning "hearth, fireside". In Greek mythology Hestia was the goddess of the hearth and domestic activity.

Variant of Horatius. Shakespeare used it for a character in his tragedy Hamlet (1600). It was borne by the British admiral Horatio Nelson (1758-1805), famous for his defeat of Napoleon's forces in the Battle of Trafalgar, in which he was himself killed. Since his time the name has been occasionally used in his honour.

Bulgarian and Macedonian form of Hilarion.

Russian form of Heliodoros.

A known bearer of this name was Sergei Trufanov (1880-1952), a lapsed hieromonk (whose monastic name was Iliodor) who was one of the enemies of Rasputin.

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".

Originally a diminutive of Ingeborg and other names beginning with the element ing, which refers to the Germanic god Ing.

Diminutive form of Ioana. Also compare Ionică. In the Netherlands, a known bearer of this name is the Dutch mathematician and science journalist Ionica Smeets (b. 1979). She is not of Romanian descent, but was named after a Romanian woman whom her parents had met during a journey in Romania.

Form of Irene in several languages.

Means "rainbow" in Greek. Iris was the name of the Greek goddess of the rainbow, also serving as a messenger to the gods. This name can also be given in reference to the word (which derives from the same Greek source) for the iris flower or the coloured part of the eye.

Cognate of Iris.

From the Hebrew name יִצְחָק (Yitzchaq) meaning "he will laugh, he will rejoice", derived from צָחַק (tzachaq) meaning "to laugh". The Old Testament explains this meaning, by recounting that Abraham laughed when God told him that his aged wife Sarah would become pregnant with Isaac (see Genesis 17:17), and later Sarah laughed when overhearing the same prophecy (see Genesis 18:12). When Isaac was a boy, God tested Abraham's faith by ordering him to sacrifice his son, though an angel prevented the act at the last moment. Isaac went on to become the father of Esau and Jacob with his wife Rebecca.

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 Isaac Newton (1643-1727) and the science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov (1920-1992).

Feminine form of Isidore. This was the name of a 4th-century Egyptian saint and hermitess.

From the Greek name Ἰσίδωρος (Isidoros) meaning "gift of Isis", derived from the name of the Egyptian goddess Isis combined with Greek δῶρον (doron) meaning "gift". Saint Isidore of Seville was a 6th-century archbishop, historian and theologian.

Though it has never been popular in the English-speaking world among Christians, it has historically been a common name for Jews, who have used it as an Americanized form of names such as Isaac, Israel and Isaiah.

Means "spark" in South Slavic.

Derived from Bulgarian and Serbian искрен (iskren) "sincere, honest; true, devoted". This name is borne by Bulgarian soccer player Iskren Pisarov (b. 1985).

Variant of Islay, typically used as a feminine name. It also coincides with the Spanish word isla meaning "island".

Polish form of Ismene.

Means "nocturnal journey", derived from Arabic سرى (sara) meaning "to travel at night".

Newer form of the Old Church Slavic name Іѡаннъ (Ioannŭ), 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.

From the name of the precious stone that is often used in carvings. It is derived from Spanish (piedra de la) ijada meaning "(stone of the) flank", relating to the belief that jade could cure renal colic. As a given name, it came into general use during the 1970s. It was initially unisex, though it is now mostly feminine.

Means "strawberry" in South Slavic, and "berry" in Polish. Also in Poland, this can be a diminutive of Jadwiga.

Means "honeycomb" and "honeysuckle" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of a descendant of Saul.

Wendish and Polabian form of Jarylo.

Bulgarian variant transcription of Ясен (see Yasen) as well as a derivation from Serbo-Croatian jasen "ash tree".

Short form of Jelena or Jelisaveta. It also means "fir tree" in Serbian and Croatian.

Form of Yelena in several languages. In Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia it is also associated with the South Slavic words jelen meaning "deer, stag" and jela meaning "fir tree".

Croatian form of Hieronymos (see Jerome).

Serbian form of Hierotheos. A notable bearer of this name was the Serbian writer Jerotej Račanin (born c. 1650, died after 1727).

English, German and Dutch form of Joséphine.

Dutch form of Joshua.

Feminine form of the Roman family name Julius. Among the notable women from this family were Julia Augusta (also known as Livia Drusilla), the wife of Emperor Augustus, and Julia the Elder, the daughter of Augustus and the wife of Tiberius. A person by this name has a brief mention in the New Testament. It was also borne by a few early saints and martyrs, including the patron saint of Corsica. Additionally, Shakespeare used it in his comedy The Two Gentlemen of Verona (1594).

It has been common as a given name in the English-speaking world only since the 18th century. A famous modern bearer is American actress Julia Roberts (1967-).

Slovene and Croatian form of George.

From Esperanto juvelo meaning "jewel".

From Japanese 海 (kai) meaning "sea, ocean" combined with 斗 (to), which refers to a Chinese constellation, or 翔 (to) meaning "soar, fly". Other kanji combinations are also possible.

Means "viburnum tree" in Bulgarian, Macedonian and Polish.

Original Hebrew form of Carmel.

Croatian form of Carmela.

Bosnian, Bulgarian, Croatian and Serbian form of Cassiodorus.

From the Greek name Αἰκατερίνη (Aikaterine). The etymology is debated: it could derive from an earlier Greek name Ἑκατερινη (Hekaterine), itself from ἑκάτερος (hekateros) meaning "each of the two"; it could derive from the name of the goddess Hecate; it could be related to Greek αἰκία (aikia) meaning "torture"; or it could be from a Coptic name meaning "my consecration of your name". In the early Christian era it became associated with Greek καθαρός (katharos) meaning "pure", and the Latin spelling was changed from Katerina to Katharina to reflect this.

The name was borne by a semi-legendary 4th-century saint and martyr from Alexandria who was tortured on a spiked wheel. The saint was initially venerated in Syria, and returning crusaders introduced the name to Western Europe. It has been common in England since the 12th century in many different spellings, with Katherine and Catherine becoming standard in the later Middle Ages. To this day both spellings are regularly used in the English-speaking world. In the United States the spelling Katherine has been more popular since 1973.

Famous bearers of the name include Catherine of Siena, a 14th-century mystic, and Catherine de' Medici, a 16th-century French queen. It was also borne by three of Henry VIII's wives, including Katherine of Aragon, and by two empresses of Russia, including Catherine the Great.

From Esperanto katido meaning "kitten", ultimately from Latin cattus.

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

Form of Kavita.

Russian form of Cyriacus.

Diminutive of Kyriaki. It is the feminine equivalent of Kitsos, which is a diminutive of Kyriakos.

This could also be a diminutive of Evdokia, via its diminutive Evdokitsa.

Diminutive of Kornélie and Kornélia, rarely used as a given name in its own right.

Croatian, Polish and Serbian form of Coriolanus.

From the Slavic elements krěsiti "to spark, to flare up, to bring to life, to resurrect" and mirŭ "peace, world". This was the name of four kings of Croatia in the 10th and 11th centuries. Their names were recorded in Latin as Cresimirus.

Slavic god associated with fire, the summer solstice, and storms. Kresnik was worshipped among the Slavic population of the eastern Alps. He is probably the same deity as Svarožič, son of the Slavic sun god, Svarog, described as having golden hair and golden hands. The idea of him gradually evolved into a Slovenian national hero who lives on a golden mountain, sometimes as a deer with golden antlers, associated with the summer solstice. He became known as a mythical king with strong magic, yet still a farmer.

Means "lily", from Ancient Greek κρίνον (krínon).

Swedish variant form of Christopher.

Feminine form of Laelius, a Roman family name of unknown meaning. This is also the name of a type of flower, an orchid found in Mexico and Central America.

Bosnian variant spelling of Lejla and Scandinavian variant of Laila 2.

Possibly derived from the name of the ancient city of Larisa in Thessaly, which meant "citadel". In Greek legends, the nymph Larisa was either a daughter or mother of Pelasgus, the ancestor of the mythical Pelasgians. This name was later borne by a 4th-century Greek martyr who is venerated as a saint in the Eastern Church. The name (of the city, nymph and saint) is commonly Latinized as Larissa, with a double s. As a Ukrainian name, it is more commonly transcribed Larysa.

From the English word for the aromatic flower or the pale purple colour.

Latinized form of the Greek name Λέανδρος (Leandros), derived from λέων (leon) meaning "lion" and ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man" (genitive ἀνδρός). In Greek legend Leander was the lover of Hero. Every night he swam across the Hellespont to meet her, but on one occasion he was drowned when a storm arose. When Hero saw his dead body she threw herself into the waters and perished.

Bosnian form of Layla.

The given name is derived from the name of the Russian revolutionist Lenin.

Originally a diminutive of Magdaléna or Helena. It is now used as an independent name.

Late Latin name that might be derived from the name of the Greek island of Leucadia or from Greek λευκός (leukos) meaning "bright, clear, white" (which is also the root of the island's name). Saint Leocadia was a 3rd-century martyr from Spain.

Feminine form of Leo.

Italian short form of Eleanor.

Variant transcription of Lesya. A known bearer of this name is the Ukrainian tennis player Lesia Tsurenko (b. 1989).

Form of Lydia in several languages.

Means "play, amusement" in Sanskrit.

English variant of Lillian, as well as a French and Romanian masculine form.

Latvian form of Lilith.

Short form of Lillian or an elaborated form of Lily.

Probably originally a diminutive of Elizabeth. It may also be considered an elaborated form of Lily, from the Latin word for "lily" lilium. This name has been used in England since the 16th century.

From a German and Dutch surname that was derived from Old High German linta meaning "linden tree".

Diminutive of Aglaia (via its diminutive Aglaitsa), Apostolia (via its diminutive Apostolitsa), Emmanouella (via its diminutive Manolitsa), Evangelia (via its diminutives Evangelitsa and Vagelitsa), Garifallia (via its diminutive Filitsa), Michaela (via its diminutive Michalitsa), Natalia (via its diminutive Natalitsa), Pantelina (via its diminutive Pantelitsa), Stavroula (via its diminutive Stavroulitsa), Styliani (via its diminutive Stelitsa), Vasiliki (via its diminutive Vasilitsa), Violeta (via its diminutive Violitsa), and any other pet forms that end in -litsa.

Feminine form of Livius. This was the name of the wife of the Roman emperor Augustus, Livia Drusilla.

Unaccented variant of Llŷr.

Spanish diminutive of Dolores. A famous bearer was Lola Montez (1821-1861; birth name Eliza Gilbert), an Irish-born dancer, actress and courtesan.

Diminutive of Lola. This is the name of a 1955 novel by Vladimir Nabokov.

From the Roman cognomen Lucanus, which was derived from the name of the city of Luca in Tuscany (modern Lucca). Marcus Annaeus Lucanus, commonly called Lucan, was a 1st-century Roman poet.

This name was first used by the poet Richard Lovelace for a collection of poems called Lucasta (1649). The poems were dedicated to Lucasta, a nickname for the woman he loved Lucy Sacheverel, whom he called lux casta "pure light".

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.

Romanian and English form of Lucianus. Lucian is the usual name of Lucianus of Samosata in English.

Alternate transcription of Armenian Լուսինե (see Lusine).

Roman praenomen, or given name, which was derived from Latin lux "light". This was the most popular of the praenomina. Two Etruscan kings of early Rome had this name as well as several prominent later Romans, including Lucius Annaeus Seneca (known simply as Seneca), a statesman, philosopher, orator and tragedian. The name is mentioned briefly in the New Testament belonging to a Christian in Antioch. It was also borne by three popes, including the 3rd-century Saint Lucius. Despite this, the name was not regularly used in the Christian world until after the Renaissance.

Means "the moon" in Latin (as well as Italian, Spanish and other Romance languages). Luna was the Roman goddess of the moon, frequently depicted driving a white chariot through the sky.

Form of Lunete used in the Welsh tale Owain, or the Lady of the Fountain (which was based on Chrétien's poem).

Variant of Lur. A feminine, positive entity that relates to fecundity. Unlimited in all directions, she includes the stars, moon and sun inside her borders. The Earth is alive: she gives birth to the mountains, that grow and rise towards the sky, whilst other places subside. It is believed that inside the Earth, there are subterranean milk streams, inaccessible to men unless they find one of the caverns and gorges that link those places to the surface. Sometimes, great winds and stormy clouds arise from those caverns. As Lurbira, Lurra (or Lur) she has two daughters: Ilazki, the Moon, and Ekhi, the Sun. Sometimes, the Earth is linked to or merged with other spirits, receiving the name of Amalur, Mayi, Maya or Mari.

From Armenian լուսին (lusin) meaning "moon".

Means "from Lydia" in Greek. Lydia was a region on the west coast of Asia Minor, said to be named for the legendary king Lydos. 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.

French form of Breton Mael meaning "prince, chieftain, lord". Saint Mael was a 5th-century Breton hermit who lived in Wales.

Latinized form of Maira.

Latinate form of Magdalene.

Late Latin name meaning "great". It was borne by a 7th-century saint who was a missionary in Germany. It became popular in Scandinavia after the time of the 11th-century Norwegian king Magnus I, who was said to have been named after Charlemagne, or Carolus Magnus in Latin (however there was also a Norse name Magni). The name was borne by six subsequent kings of Norway as well as three kings of Sweden. It was imported to Scotland and Ireland during the Middle Ages.

From Greek μαῖα (maia) meaning "good mother, dame, foster mother", perhaps in origin a nursery form of μήτηρ (meter). In Greek and Roman mythology she was the eldest of the Pleiades, a group of stars in the constellation Taurus, who were the daughters of Atlas and Pleione. Her son by Zeus was Hermes.

Probably from Latin maior meaning "greater". This was the name of a Roman goddess of spring, a companion (sometimes wife) of Vulcan. She was later conflated with the Greek goddess Maia. The month of May is named for her.

Estonian and Basque form of Maria.

Basque form of Magdalene.

From Tupi maya arya meaning "great-grandmother".

From Greek μαρμαίρω (marmairo) meaning "sparkle, gleam, flash". This name was borne by several characters in Greek mythology, including one of the Nereids.

Combination of Mair and Welsh gwen meaning "white, blessed".

Form of Maia 1 in various languages.

Backformation from Malina 2.

Means "raspberry" in several Slavic languages.

From Japanese 愛 (mana) meaning "love, affection" combined with 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" or 海 (mi) meaning "sea, ocean". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Means "made of the sea" in Esperanto, a derivative of maro "sea", ultimately from Latin mare.

Diminutive of Maria and other names beginning with Mar.

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

Diminutive of Maria and other names beginning with Mari.

Dutch diminutive of Maria.

Blend of Maria and Luna.

Romanian, Croatian, Serbian, Bulgarian and French form of Marinus.

Feminine form of Marinus. This name was borne by a few early saints. This is also the name by which Saint Margaret of Antioch is known in the Eastern Orthodox Church.

Short form of María Soledad. It is sometimes considered a combination of María and Sol 1, or from Spanish mar y sol "sea and sun".

Croatian form of Marius or Marianus.

Serbian variant of Matija.

Spanish form of Matthew. This form is also sometimes used in Croatia, from the Italian form Matteo.

Slovene, Croatian and Serbian form of Matthias, used to refer to the apostle chosen to replace Judas Iscariot. It is occasionally used as a feminine name.

From Greek Ματθίας (Matthias), a variant of Ματθαῖος (see Matthew). This form appears in the New Testament as the name of the apostle chosen to replace the traitor Judas Iscariot. This was also the name of kings of Hungary (spelled Mátyás in Hungarian), including Matthias I who made important reforms to the kingdom in the 15th century.

Modern Greek form of Maura 1, which has spread to Eastern Europe and the Caucasus region via the Eastern Orthodox Church.

In theatre, this is the name of a 1922 comic opera composed by Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971).

Variant of Maia 1. This name can also be given in reference to the Maya, an indigenous people of southern Mexico and parts of Central America whose civilization flourished between the 3rd and 8th centuries. A famous bearer was the American poet and author Maya Angelou (1928-2014).

Created by Lord Byron for a character in his poem The Corsair (1814). It is not known what inspired Byron to use this name. The year the poem was published, it was used as the middle name of Elizabeth Medora Leigh (1814-1849), a niece and rumoured daughter of Byron.

From Japanese 恵 (megumi) meaning "favour, benefit" or 愛 (megumi) meaning "love, affection", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations that have the same reading. It is often written using the hiragana writing system.

Feminine form of Meir.

Means "ash tree" in Greek, a derivative of μέλι (meli) meaning "honey". This was the name of a nymph in Greek myth, the daughter of the Greek god Okeanos.

Elaboration of Mel, either from names such as Melissa or from Greek μέλι (meli) meaning "honey". A famous bearer was Greek-American actress Melina Mercouri (1920-1994), who was born Maria Amalia Mercouris.

Derived from Latin melior meaning "better".

Albanian, Latvian, Czech, Slovak, Croatian, Slovene, Polish and Estonian form of Melitta.

Latinized form of Menon, in the case of the philosopher Plato's dialogue Meno.

Means "gift of the moon", derived from Greek μήνη (mene) meaning "moon" and δῶρον (doron) meaning "gift". This was the name of a 4th-century saint who was martyred with her sisters Metrodora and Nymphodora.

Short form of Clement (Dutch) or a variant of Meine (West Frisian).

Derived from Greek μήτηρ (meter) meaning "mother" (genitive μητρός) and δῶρον (doron) meaning "gift". This was the name of a 4th-century saint and martyr who was killed with her sisters Menodora and Nymphodora.

Diminutive of Maria. It coincides with the Italian word mia meaning "mine".

This name was common in Sweden and Denmark in the 1970s [1]. It rose in popularity in the English-speaking world in the 1990s, entering the top ten for girls in the United States in 2009. It was also popular in many other countries at that time. Famous bearers include American actress Mia Farrow (1945-) and American soccer player Mia Hamm (1972-), birth names María and Mariel respectively.

Means "power of the moon" in Omaha-Ponca, from Omaha miⁿ "moon, sun" and akoⁿda "power".

Means "sweet" in Esperanto, derived from mielo "honey", ultimately from Latin mel.

Czech form of Nicholas.

From the Slavic element milŭ meaning "gracious, dear", originally a short form of names containing that element.

Diminutive of Miodrag, Milan, and other names containing the Slavic element milŭ meaning "gracious, dear". It is often used independently.

Derived from the element mio, a Serbian form of the Slavic element milŭ meaning "dear", combined with mirŭ meaning "peace" or "world".

Derived from the name Milna, through the process of L-vocalization, by which the lateral "l" is replaced by the vowel "o". The root of this name is verb milovati, meaning "to caress", to "love", as well as the adjective mil, meaning "dear, beloved".

Means "sea, ocean" in Sanskrit. This was the name of a 16th-century Indian princess who devoted her life to the god Krishna.

Unknown. Possibly derived from Dimitra or Mitrodora, or female form of Mitre. Seems to be related to Mithra.

Short form of Dimitar.

Russian form of Metrophanes.

This name can be used as 美海, 美羽奈, 美羽菜, 美羽南, 美羽名, 美生菜, 美生奈, 美宇名, 海羽奈, 海羽菜, 海羽南, 未羽奈, 未羽那 or 未生奈 with 美 (bi, mi, utsuku.shii) meaning "beautiful, beauty," 海 (kai, umi, mi, una) meaning "ocean, sea," 未 (bi, mi, ima.da, hitsuji, ma.da) meaning "even now, hitherto, not yet, still, sign of the ram (8th sign of Chinese zodiac)," 羽 (u, ha, hane, wa) meaning "feathers," 生 (shou, sei, i.kiru, i.keru, -u, u.mare, o.u, ki, na.ru, ha.eru) meaning "birth, genuine, life," 宇 (u) meaning "eaves, heaven, house, roof," 奈 (dai, na, nai, ikan, karanashi) meaning "Nara, what?," 菜 (sai, na) meaning "greens, side dish, vegetable," 南 (na, nan, minami, nami) meaning "south," 名 (myou, mei, na, -na) meaning "distinguished, name, noted, reputation" and 那 (na, da, nani, nanzo, ikan) meaning "what?"

One bearer of this name is pop singer and former member of Country Musume, Miuna Saitō (斉藤 美海) (1987-).

This name is rarely given to girls, if given at all.

From Japanese 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful", 夜 (ya) meaning "night" and 子 (ko) meaning "child". This name can be formed from other combinations of kanji as well.

From Japanese 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" and 代 (yo) meaning "generation", or other kanji combinations having the same reading.

Serbian form of Mojmír.

From the Old Welsh masculine name Morcant, which was possibly derived from Welsh mor "sea" and cant "circle". Since the 1980s in America Morgan has been more common for girls than boys, perhaps due to stories of Morgan le Fay or the fame of actress Morgan Fairchild (1950-).

Means "born of the sea" in Irish. In Irish legend this was the name of a woman (originally named Lí Ban) who was transformed into a mermaid. After 300 years she was brought to shore, baptized, and transformed back into a woman.

Modern Persian form of Anahita. This is also the Persian name for the planet Venus.

Means "wave, sea foam" in Basque.

Latinate form of Natalia (see Natalie).

The name of a naiad of the springs of the town of Nemea in Argolis, and a daughter of Asopos. Her name is taken from that place. Alternatively, Nemea may have been another name for Pandeia, a daughter of Zeus and Selene.

Bulgarian and Macedonian form of Neophytos.

Variant of Nicander.

Russian, Bulgarian and Macedonian form of Nikephoros.

Anglicized form of Naomhán.

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

Derived from Latin novus meaning "new". It was first used as a name in the 19th century.

Means "sun, day" in Tibetan.

The name Oleander originated as an Greek name. In Greek, the name Oleander means "an evergreen tree."
The origin of the name was said to have come from a young man whose ardour to his Lady Love ended in a tragedy. The young man was named Leander, and his precious lady longing for his love shouting with such forlorn “O Leander!”, “O Leander!” in the banks, until finally he was found. And clasped in his hands were sweet flowers, who have become a symbol of everlasting love, known as oleanders.

Possibly taken from the plant family, Nerium oleander (flowering shrub known as oleanders), Cascabela thevetia (yellow oleander), Acacia neriifolia (oleander wattle); or a species of moth, Daphnis nerii (oleander hawk-moth).

In the complex language of love practiced during the time of Queen Victoria, the Oleander flower means caution.

A diminutive use of Oleander could be Ollie, Lee, Lee-Ann, or Anders.

Ukrainian form of Eleutherius. Olefir (or Olifer) Holub was an early XVII-century Cossack hetman.

From Old French Olivier, which was possibly derived from Latin oliva "olive tree" [1]. Alternatively there could be an underlying Germanic name, such as Old Norse Áleifr (see Olaf) or Frankish Alawar (see Álvaro), with the spelling altered by association with the Latin word. In the Middle Ages the name became well-known in Western Europe because of the French epic La Chanson de Roland, in which Olivier is a friend and advisor to 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 due in part to the title character in Charles Dickens' novel Oliver Twist (1838), about a poor orphan living on the streets of London. It became very popular at the beginning of the 21st century, reaching the top rank for boys in England and Wales in 2009 and entering the top ten in the United States in 2017.

From the English word opal for the iridescent gemstone, the birthstone of October. The word ultimately derives from Sanskrit उपल (upala) meaning "jewel".

Means "golden-beautiful" in Esperanto, ultimately from Latin aurea "gold" and bella "beautiful".

Russian and Ukrainian form of Orithyia. According to Greek mythology, upon the death of her mother, she became the new queen of the Amazons. She was famous for her perpetual virginity. Her war techniques were outstanding and brought much honor to the Amazon empire.

Derived from Bulgarian орел (orel) "eagle".

From the Roman family name Ovidius, which was possibly derived from Latin ovis "a sheep". Alternatively, it could have a Sabellic origin. Publius Ovidius Naso, better known as Ovid, was a 1st-century BC Roman poet who is best known as the author of the Metamorphoses. He was sent into exile on the coast of the Black Sea by Emperor Augustus for no apparent reason.

Anglicized form of Owain.

Derived from the passive voice of an older Slavic verb ozreti se meaning "to look, glance".
This is the name of three mountains, two in Serbia and one in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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From Serbian озарити/ozariti meaning "to make radiant".

Possibly from the Indo-European root *peh- meaning "shepherd, protect". In Greek mythology Pan was a half-man, half-goat god associated with shepherds, flocks and pastures.

Means "all gifts", derived from a combination of Greek πᾶν (pan) meaning "all" and δῶρον (doron) meaning "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.

Serbian, Macedonian, Croatian and Georgian form of Paul.

From the English word pearl for the concretions formed in the shells of some mollusks, ultimately from Late Latin perla. Like other gemstone names, it has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the 19th century. The pearl is the traditional birthstone for June, and it supposedly imparts health and wealth.

From Old Slavic perunŭ meaning "thunder". In Slavic mythology Perun was the god of lightning and the sky, sometimes considered to be the supreme god. Oak trees were sacred to him.

Serbian, Croatian, Bulgarian and Macedonian form of Peter.

Feminine form of Petko. Saint Paraskeva of the Balkans is known by this name in Serbia and Bulgaria.

Derived from Bulgarian Петък (Petak) or Macedonian Петок (Petok) meaning "Friday". This is a vernacular form of Paraskeve.

From the Greek name Φίλων (Philon), which was derived from φίλος (philos) meaning "lover, friend". This was the name of a 1st-century Hellenistic Jewish philosopher and theologian from Alexandria.

From Greek Φιλουμένη (Philoumene) meaning "to be loved", an inflection of φιλέω (phileo) meaning "to love". This was the name of an obscure early saint and martyr. The name came to public attention in 1802 after a tomb seemingly marked with the name Filumena was found in Rome, supposedly belonging to another martyr named Philomena. This may have in fact been a representation of the Greek word φιλουμένη, not a name.

Means "friendliness, kindliness" in Greek, a derivative of φίλος (philos) meaning "friend, lover" and φρήν (phren) meaning "mind, heart". In Greek mythology this was the name of the personification of welcome and friendliness.

Means "flame, fire" in South Slavic.

Derived from the Proto-Slavic word *pravьda meaning "truth; justice" in many Slavic languages.

Likely to come from "храбар" ("hrabrar"), which means "brave".

One of the wizards in the books by J.R.R. Tolkien. His name may mean "tender of beasts" in Adûnaic.

Probably a Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian form of Herais.

Means "lovely, delightful" in Esperanto.

From the name of the bird, ultimately from Old English hræfn. The raven is revered by several Native American groups of the west coast. It is also associated with the Norse god Odin.

Means "my secret is God" in Hebrew. This is the name of an archangel in Jewish tradition.

Roman cognomen meaning "prince, little king", a diminutive of Latin rex "king". This was the cognomen of several 3rd-century BC consuls from the gens Atilia. It was also the name of several early saints. A star in the constellation Leo bears this name as well.

Means "queen" in Spanish.

Variant form of Revomir. A known bearer of this name is the Russian former sambo wrestler Remir Solnitsev (b. 1933).

Originally a short form of names beginning with the Old German element hraban meaning "raven".

Derived from Sanskrit रोहण (rohana) meaning "ascending".

From the Late Latin name Romanus meaning "Roman". This name was borne by several early saints including a 7th-century bishop of Rouen, as well as medieval rulers of Bulgaria, Kyiv and Moldavia.

Bosnian, Croatian and Romanian form of Romulus.

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.

Derived from Hebrew רֹן (ron) meaning "song, joy".

Italian name meaning "white rose", derived from Latin rosa "rose" and alba "white". A famous bearer was the Venetian painter Rosalba Carriera (1675-1757).

Latinate form of Rosaline.

Derived from Bulgarian росен (rosen) "dittany (a type of flower)". This name is borne by Rosen Plevneliev (1964-), the fourth president of Bulgaria.

Anglicized form of the Irish name Ruadhán. As an English name, it can also be derived from the surname Rowan, itself derived from the Irish given name. It could also be given in reference to the rowan tree, a word of Old Norse origin (coincidentally sharing the same Indo-European root meaning "red" with the Irish name).

Means "rose" in Russian, Bulgarian and Macedonian. It is a cognate of Rosa 1.

From Esperanto rubeno meaning "ruby", ultimately from Latin ruber "red".

Bulgarian, Croatian, French, Provençal, Polish, Russian and Serbian form of Rufinus.

Derived from Old Norse rún meaning "secret lore, rune".

From the name of the gemstone, typically blue, which is the traditional birthstone of September. It is derived from Greek σάπφειρος (sappheiros), ultimately from the Hebrew word סַפִּיר (sappir).

From Japanese 小 (sa) meaning "small" and 百合 (yuri) meaning "lily". This name can also be composed of other kanji combinations.

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.

Means "star" in Welsh. This is a recently created Welsh name.

From the name of the largest lake in Armenia, which may be from the Urartian word suinia simply meaning "lake".

From the Arabic name of a type of tree, known as the lote tree (or "lotus tree") in English, which is given in reference to an Islamic symbol of the upper limit of heaven. When the prophet Muhammad ascended to Paradise, saw at the end of the seventh, highest heaven a lote tree, marking the place "beyond which neither prophets nor angels may pass" (only Allah), which he called سدرة المنتهى‎ (sidra-tul-muntaha) "lote tree of the utmost boundary, of the last frontier".

German form of Silvanus.

From the English word for the precious metal or the colour, ultimately derived from Old English seolfor.

Means "silvery" in Persian.

Means "star" in Urdu, ultimately from Persian.

Simply from the English word sky, which was ultimately derived from Old Norse ský "cloud".

Form of Sophia used in various languages.

Form of Sophia in several languages.

Means "sun" in Spanish or Portuguese.

Form of Sonya in various languages.

Means "judge, lawyer" in Khmer.

From Japanese 空 (sora) or 昊 (sora) both meaning "sky". Other kanji with the same pronunciations can also form this name.

Means "radiant, bright" in Irish. It has been in use since late medieval times [2]. It is sometimes Anglicized as Sarah (in Ireland) and Clara (in Scotland).

Possibly derived from Romanian soare meaning "sun".

Transferred use of the surname Soul. May also be used in reference to the word soul, from Old English sāwol, sāw(e)l, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch ziel and German Seele.

Means "hope" in Latin. In Roman mythology this was the name of the personification of hope.

From Esperanto stelaro meaning "constellation", ultimately from Latin stella "star".

Means "star" in Latin. This name was created by the 16th-century poet Philip Sidney for the subject of his collection of sonnets Astrophel and Stella. It was a nickname of a lover of Jonathan Swift, real name Esther Johnson (1681-1728), though it was not commonly used as a given name until the 19th century. It appears in Tennessee Williams' play A Streetcar Named Desire (1947), belonging to the sister of Blanche DuBois and the wife of Stanley Kowalski.

From the vocabulary word, ultimately from Old English or Old Dutch storm, or in the case of the Scandinavian name, from Old Norse stormr.

From Middle English storie, storye, from Anglo-Norman estorie, from Late Latin storia meaning "history."

Variant of Stribog.

Derived from the Celtic name Sulgen meaning "born from the sun". This was the name of a Celtic sun god. It was borne by several early saints.