CarolineCarolina's Personal Name List
ADA
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: AY-də (English), A-da (Polish), AH-dah (Finnish)
Rating: 59% based on 12 votes
Short form of
ADELAIDE and other names beginning with the same sound. This name was borne by Augusta Ada King (1815-1852), the Countess of Lovelace (known as Ada Lovelace), a daughter of Lord Byron. She was an assistant to Charles Babbage, the inventor of an early mechanical computer.
AGNES
Gender: Feminine
Other Scripts: ‘Αγνη (Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: AG-nis (English), AK-nəs (German), AHKH-nəs (Dutch), AHNG-nes (Swedish)
Rating: 62% based on 12 votes
Latinized form of the Greek name
‘Αγνη (Hagne), derived from Greek
‘αγνος (hagnos) meaning "chaste".
Saint Agnes was a virgin martyred during the persecutions of the Roman emperor Diocletian. The name became associated with Latin
agnus "lamb", resulting in the saint's frequent depiction with a lamb by her side. Due to her renown, the name became common in Christian Europe, being especially popular in England in the Middle Ages.
ALEXANDER
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Hungarian, Slovak, Biblical, Ancient Greek (Latinized), Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Pronounced: a-lig-ZAN-dər (English), a-le-KSAN-du (German), ah-lək-SAHN-dər (Dutch), AW-lek-sawn-der (Hungarian)
Rating: 74% based on 19 votes
Latinized form of the Greek name
Αλεξανδρος (Alexandros), which meant "defending men" from Greek
αλεξω (alexo) "to defend, help" and
ανηρ (aner) "man" (genitive
ανδρος). In Greek
mythology this was another name of the hero
Paris, and it also belongs to several characters in the
New Testament. However, the most famous bearer was Alexander the Great, King of Macedon. In the 4th century BC he built a huge empire out of Greece, Egypt, Persia, and parts of India. Due to his fame, and later medieval tales involving him, use of his name spread throughout Europe.
The name has been used by kings of Scotland, Poland and Yugoslavia, emperors of Russia, and eight popes. Other notable bearers include English poet Alexander Pope (1688-1744), American statesman Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804), Scottish-Canadian explorer Sir Alexander MacKenzie (1764-1820), Russian poet Alexander Pushkin (1799-1837), and Alexander Graham Bell (1847-1922), the Scottish-Canadian-American inventor of the telephone.
ALFRED
Gender: Masculine
Pronounced: AL-fred (English), AL-FRED (French), AL-fret (German, Polish), AHL-frət (Dutch)
Rating: 56% based on 12 votes
Derived from the
Old English name
Ælfræd, composed of the
elements ælf "elf" and
ræd "counsel". Alfred the Great was a 9th-century king of Wessex who fought unceasingly against the Danes living in northeast England. He was also a scholar, and he translated many Latin books into Old English. His fame helped to ensure the usage of this name even after the
Norman conquest, when most Old English names were replaced by Norman ones. It became rare by the end of the Middle Ages, but was revived in the 18th century.
Famous bearers include the British poet Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809-1892), the Swedish inventor and Nobel Prize founder Alfred Nobel (1833-1896), and the British-American film director Alfred Hitchcock (1899-1980).
ANNA
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Italian, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Latvian, Greek, Hungarian, Polish, Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Czech, Slovak, Bulgarian, Icelandic, Faroese, Catalan, Occitan, Breton, Biblical, Old Church Slavic, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
Other Scripts: Αννα (Greek), Анна (Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Bulgarian, Church Slavic)
Pronounced: AN-ə (English), AN-na (Italian, Polish, Icelandic), A-na (German, Greek), AHN-nah (Dutch, Norwegian, Finnish), AN-nah (Danish), AWN-naw (Hungarian), AN-nə (Russian, Catalan)
Rating: 68% based on 19 votes
Form of
Channah (see
HANNAH) used in the Greek and Latin
Old Testament. Many later Old Testament translations, including the English, use the
Hannah spelling instead of
Anna. The name appears briefly in the
New Testament belonging to a prophetess who recognized
Jesus as the Messiah. It was a popular name in the Byzantine Empire from an early date, and in the Middle Ages it became common among Western Christians due to veneration of
Saint Anna (usually known as Saint Anne in English), the name traditionally assigned to the mother of the Virgin
Mary. In the English-speaking world, this form came into general use in the 18th century, joining
Ann and
Anne.
The name was borne by several Russian royals, including an 18th-century empress of Russia. It is also the name of the main character in Leo Tolstoy's novel 'Anna Karenina' (1877), about a married aristocrat who begins an ultimately tragic relationship with Count Vronsky.
ANNABEL
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: AN-ə-bel (English)
Rating: 52% based on 17 votes
Variant of
AMABEL influenced by the name
ANNA. This name appears to have arisen in Scotland in the Middle Ages.
ANNE (1)
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: AN (French, English), AN-ne (Danish), AHN-ne (Finnish), A-nə (German), AHN-nə (Dutch)
Rating: 62% based on 17 votes
French form of
ANNA. In the 13th-century it was imported to England, where it was also commonly spelled
Ann. The name was borne by a 17th-century English queen and also by the second wife of Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn (the mother of Queen Elizabeth I), who was eventually beheaded in the Tower of London. This is also the name of the heroine in 'Anne of Green Gables' (1908) by Canadian author L. M. Montgomery.
ARTHUR
Gender: Masculine
Pronounced: AHR-thər (English), AR-TUYR (French), AR-tuwr (German), AHR-tuyr (Dutch)
Rating: 71% based on 13 votes
The meaning of this name is unknown. It could be derived from the Celtic
elements artos "bear" combined with
viros "man" or
rigos "king". Alternatively it could be related to an obscure Roman family name
Artorius. Arthur is the name of the central character in Arthurian legend, a 6th-century king of the Britons who resisted Saxon invaders. He may or may not have been a real person. He first appears in Welsh poems and chronicles (some possibly as early as the 7th century) but his character was not developed until the chronicles of the 12th-century Geoffrey of Monmouth.
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).
BENJAMIN
Gender: Masculine
Pronounced: BEN-jə-min (English), BEN-ZHA-MEN (French), BEN-ya-meen (German)
Rating: 63% based on 18 votes
From the Hebrew name
בִּנְיָמִין (Binyamin) which means "son of the south" or "son of the right hand". Benjamin in the
Old Testament is the twelfth and youngest son of
Jacob and the founder of one of the southern tribes of the Hebrews. He was originally named
בֶּן־אוֹנִי (Ben-'oniy) meaning "son of my sorrow" by his mother
Rachel, who died shortly after childbirth, but it was later changed by his father (see Genesis 35:18).
As an English name, Benjamin came into general use after the Protestant Reformation. A famous bearer was Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790), an American statesman, inventor, scientist and philosopher.
CECILIA
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: se-SEE-lee-ə (English), se-SEEL-yə (English), che-CHEE-lya (Italian), the-THEE-lya (European Spanish), se-SEE-lya (Latin American Spanish), se-SEEL-yah (Danish, Norwegian)
Rating: 72% based on 13 votes
Latinate feminine form of the Roman family name
Caecilius, which was derived from Latin
caecus "blind".
Saint Cecilia was a semi-legendary 2nd- or 3rd-century martyr who was sentenced to die because she refused to worship the Roman gods. After attempts to suffocate her failed, she was beheaded. She was later regarded as the patron saint of music and musicians.
Due to the popularity of the saint, the name became common in the Christian world during the Middle Ages. The Normans brought it to England, where it was commonly spelled Cecily - the Latinate form Cecilia came into use in the 18th century.
CELIA
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: SEEL-yə (English), SEE-lee-ə (English), THE-lya (European Spanish), SE-lya (Latin American Spanish)
Rating: 60% based on 13 votes
Feminine form of the Roman family name
CAELIUS.
Shakespeare used it in his play 'As You Like It' (1599), which introduced the name to the English-speaking public at large. It is sometimes used as a short form of
CECILIA.
CHARLES
Gender: Masculine
Pronounced: CHAHRLZ (English), SHARL (French)
Rating: 73% based on 19 votes
From the
Germanic name
Karl, which was derived from a Germanic word meaning "man". However, an alternative theory states that it is derived from the common Germanic name
element hari meaning "army, warrior".
The popularity of the name in continental Europe was due to the fame of Charles the Great (742-814), commonly known as Charlemagne, a king of the Franks who came to rule over most of Europe. His grandfather Charles Martel had also been a noted leader of the Franks. It was subsequently the name of several Holy Roman Emperors, as well as kings of France, Spain, Portugal, Sweden and Hungary (in various spellings). After Charlemagne, his name was adopted as a word meaning "king" in many Eastern European languages, for example Czech král, Hungarian király, Russian король (korol), and Turkish kral.
The name did not become common in Britain until the 17th century when it was borne by the Stuart king Charles I. It had been introduced into the Stuart royal family by Mary Queen of Scots, who had been raised in France.
Famous bearers of the name include naturalist Charles Darwin (1809-1882) who revolutionized biology with his theory of evolution, novelist Charles Dickens (1812-1870) who wrote such works as 'Great Expectations' and 'A Tale of Two Cities', French statesman Charles de Gaulle (1890-1970), and American cartoonist Charles Schulz (1922-2000), the creator of the 'Peanuts' comic strip.
CLAIRE
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: KLER
Rating: 71% based on 18 votes
DUNCAN
Gender: Masculine
Pronounced: DUN-kən (English)
Rating: 59% based on 18 votes
Anglicized form of the Gaelic name
Donnchadh, derived from Gaelic
donn "brown" and
cath "battle". This was the name of two kings of Scotland, including the one who was featured in
Shakespeare's play 'Macbeth' (1606).
EDMUND
Gender: Masculine
Pronounced: ED-mənd (English), ET-muwnt (German), ED-moont (Polish)
Rating: 55% based on 12 votes
From the
Old English elements ead "wealth, fortune" and
mund "protection". This was the name of two Anglo-Saxon kings of England. It was also borne by two
saints, including a 9th-century king of East Anglia who, according to tradition, was shot to death with arrows after refusing to divide his Christian kingdom with an invading pagan Danish leader. This Old English name remained in use after the
Norman conquest (even being used by king Henry III for one of his sons), though it became less common after the 15th century.
Famous bearers of the name include the English poet Edmund Spenser (1552-1599), the German-Czech philosopher Edmund Husserl (1859-1938) and New Zealand mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary (1919-2008), the first person to climb Mount Everest.
EDWARD
Gender: Masculine
Pronounced: ED-wərd (English), ED-vart (Polish)
Rating: 62% based on 18 votes
Means "rich guard", derived from the
Old English elements ead "wealth, fortune" and
weard "guard". This was the name of several Anglo-Saxon kings, the last being
Saint Edward the Confessor shortly before the
Norman conquest in the 11th century. He was known as a just ruler, and because of his popularity his name remained in use after the conquest when most other Old English names were replaced by Norman ones. The 13th-century Plantagenet king Henry III named his son and successor after the saint, and seven subsequent kings of England were also named Edward.
This is one of the few Old English names to be used throughout Europe (in various spellings). A famous bearer was the British composer Edward Elgar (1857-1934). It was also used by author Charlotte Brontë for the character Edward Rochester, the main love interest of the title character in her novel 'Jane Eyre' (1847).
ELEANOR
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: EL-ə-nawr
Rating: 82% based on 13 votes
From the Old French form of the Occitan name
Aliénor. Among the name's earliest bearers was the influential Eleanor of Aquitaine (12th century), who was the queen of Louis VII, the king of France, and later Henry II, the king of England. She was named
Aenor after her mother, and was called by the Occitan phrase
alia Aenor "the other
AENOR" in order to distinguish her from her mother. However, there appear to be examples of bearers prior to Eleanor of Aquitaine. It is not clear whether they were in fact Aenors who were retroactively recorded as having the name Eleanor, or whether there is an alternative explanation for the name's origin.
The popularity of the name Eleanor in England during the Middle Ages was due to the fame of Eleanor of Aquitaine, as well as two queens of the following century: Eleanor of Provence, the wife of Henry III, and Eleanor of Castile, the wife of Edward I. More recently, it was borne by first lady Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962), the wife of American president Franklin Roosevelt.
ELIZA
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: i-LIE-zə (English), e-LYEE-za (Polish)
Rating: 60% based on 17 votes
Short form of
ELIZABETH. It was borne by the character Eliza Doolittle in George Bernard Shaw's play 'Pygmalion' (1913) and the subsequent musical adaptation 'My Fair Lady' (1956).
EMILY
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: EM-ə-lee
Rating: 61% based on 12 votes
English feminine form of
Aemilius (see
EMIL). In the English-speaking world it was not common until after the German House of Hanover came to the British throne in the 18th century; the princess Amelia Sophia (1711-1786) was commonly known as
Emily in English, even though
Amelia is an unrelated name.
Famous bearers include the British author Emily Brontë (1818-1848), who wrote 'Wuthering Heights', and the American poet Emily Dickinson (1830-1886).
EVE
Gender: Feminine
Other Scripts: חַוָּה (Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced: EEV (English)
Rating: 62% based on 13 votes
From the Hebrew name
חַוָּה (Chawwah), which was derived from the Hebrew word
חוה (chawah) "to breathe" or the related word
חיה (chayah) "to live". According to the
Old Testament Book of Genesis, Eve and
Adam were the first humans. God created her from one of Adam's ribs to be his companion. At the urging of a serpent she ate the forbidden fruit and shared some with Adam, causing their expulsion from the Garden of
Eden.
Despite this potentially negative association, the name was occasionally used by Christians during the Middle Ages. In the English-speaking world both Eve and the Latin form Eva were revived in the 19th century.
FLORA
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: FLAW-rə (English), FLO-ra (German)
Rating: 58% based on 18 votes
Derived from Latin
flos meaning "flower". Flora was the Roman goddess of flowers and spring, the wife of Zephyr the west wind. It has been used as a given name since the Renaissance, starting in France. In Scotland it was sometimes used as an Anglicized form of
Fionnghuala.
FRANCES
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: FRAN-sis
Rating: 52% based on 13 votes
Feminine form of
FRANCIS. The distinction between
Francis as a masculine name and
Frances as a feminine name did not arise until the 17th century. A notable bearer was
Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini (1850-1917), a social worker and the first American to be canonized.
FRANCESCA
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: fran-CHES-ka (Italian), frən-SES-kə (Catalan)
Rating: 47% based on 19 votes
Italian and Catalan feminine form of
Franciscus (see
FRANCIS).
FREDERICK
Gender: Masculine
Pronounced: FRED-ə-rik, FRED-rik
Rating: 70% based on 13 votes
English form of a
Germanic name meaning "peaceful ruler", derived from
frid "peace" and
ric "ruler, power". This name has long been common in continental Germanic-speaking regions, being borne by rulers of the Holy Roman Empire, Germany, Austria, Scandinavia, and Prussia. Notables among these rulers include the 12th-century Holy Roman Emperor and crusader Frederick I Barbarossa, the 13th-century emperor and patron of the arts Frederick II, and the 18th-century Frederick II of Prussia, known as Frederick the Great.
The Normans brought the name to England in the 11th century but it quickly died out. It was reintroduced by the German House of Hanover when they inherited the British throne in the 18th century. A famous bearer was Frederick Douglass (1818-1895), an American ex-slave who became a leading advocate of abolition.
GENEVIÈVE
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: ZHU-NU-VYEV, ZHUN-VYEV
Rating: 64% based on 17 votes
From the medieval name
Genovefa, which is of uncertain origin. It could be derived from the
Germanic elements kuni "kin, family" and
wefa "wife, woman". Alternatively it could be of Gaulish origin, from the related Celtic element
genos "kin, family" combined with a second element of unknown meaning. This name was borne by
Saint Geneviève, the patron saint of Paris, who inspired the city to resist the Huns in the 5th century.
GENEVIEVE
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: JEN-ə-veev
Rating: 62% based on 12 votes
GILBERT
Gender: Masculine
Pronounced: GIL-bərt (English), ZHEEL-BER (French), KHIL-bərt (Dutch), GIL-bert (German)
Rating: 45% based on 12 votes
Means "bright pledge", derived from the
Germanic elements gisil "pledge, hostage" and
beraht "bright". The
Normans introduced this name to England, where it was common during the Middle Ages. It was borne by a 12th-century British
saint, the founder of the religious order known as the Gilbertines.
GRACE
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: GRAYS
Rating: 72% based on 11 votes
From the English word
grace, which ultimately derives from Latin
gratia. This was one of the virtue names created in the 17th century by the
Puritans. The actress Grace Kelly (1929-1982) was a famous bearer.
HENRY
Gender: Masculine
Pronounced: HEN-ree
Rating: 85% based on 17 votes
From the
Germanic name
Heimirich which meant "home ruler", composed of the
elements heim "home" and
ric "power, ruler". It was later commonly spelled
Heinrich, with the spelling altered due to the influence of other Germanic names like
Haganrich, in which the first element is
hagan "enclosure".
Heinrich was popular among continental royalty, being the name of seven German kings, starting with the 10th-century Henry I the Fowler, and four French kings. In France it was rendered Henri from the Latin form Henricus.
The Normans introduced the French form to England, and it was subsequently used by eight kings, ending with the infamous Henry VIII in the 16th century. During the Middle Ages it was generally rendered as Harry or Herry in English pronunciation. Notable bearers include arctic naval explorer Henry Hudson (1570-1611), British novelist Henry James (1843-1916), and American automobile manufacturer Henry Ford (1863-1947).
IRIS
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology, English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, French, Spanish, Greek
Other Scripts: Ιρις (Greek)
Pronounced: IE-ris (English), EE-ris (German, Dutch), EE-rees (Finnish, Spanish), EE-REES (French)
Rating: 65% based on 17 votes
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.
ISABELLE
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: EE-ZA-BEL (French), IZ-ə-bel (English), ee-za-BE-lə (German), ee-sah-BEL-lə (Dutch)
Rating: 66% based on 17 votes
ISIDORE
Gender: Masculine
Pronounced: IZ-i-dawr (English), EE-ZEE-DAWR (French)
Rating: 43% based on 17 votes
From the Greek name
Ισιδωρος (Isidoros) which meant "gift of Isis", derived from the name of the Egyptian goddess
ISIS combined with Greek
δωρον (doron) "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.
ISOLDE
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: i-ZOL-də (English), i-SOL-də (English), ee-ZAWL-də (German)
Rating: 63% based on 15 votes
The origins of this name are uncertain, though some Celtic roots have been suggested. It is possible that the name is ultimately
Germanic, perhaps from a hypothetic name like
Ishild, composed of the
elements is "ice, iron" and
hild "battle".
In medieval Arthurian legend Isolde was an Irish princess betrothed to King Mark of Cornwall. After accidentally drinking a love potion, she became the lover of his knight Tristan, which led to their tragic deaths. The story was popular during the Middle Ages and the name became relatively common in England at that time. It was rare by the 19th century, though some interest was generated by Richard Wagner's opera 'Tristan und Isolde' (1865).
JAMES
Gender: Masculine
Pronounced: JAYMZ (English)
Rating: 64% based on 16 votes
English form of the Late Latin name
Iacomus which was derived from
Ιακωβος (Iakobos), the
New Testament Greek form of the Hebrew name
Ya'aqov (see
JACOB). This was the name of two apostles in the New Testament. The first was
Saint James the Greater, the apostle
John's brother, who was beheaded under Herod Agrippa in the Book of Acts. The second was James the Lesser, son of Alphaeus. Another James (known as James the Just) is also mentioned in the Bible as being the brother of
Jesus.
Since the 13th century this name has been used in England, though it became more common in Scotland where it was borne by several kings. In the 17th century the Scottish king James VI inherited the English throne, becoming the first ruler of all Britain, and the name grew much more popular. Famous bearers include the English explorer Captain James Cook (1728-1779), the Scottish inventor James Watt (1736-1819), and the Irish novelist and poet James Joyce (1882-1941). This name has also been borne by six American presidents. A notable fictional bearer is the British spy James Bond, created by author Ian Fleming.
JANE
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: JAYN
Rating: 70% based on 16 votes
Medieval English form of
Jehanne, an Old French feminine form of
Iohannes (see
JOHN). This became the most common feminine form of
John in the 17th century, surpassing
Joan.
Famous bearers include the uncrowned English queen Lady Jane Grey (1536-1554), who ruled for only 9 days, the British novelist Jane Austen (1775-1817), who wrote 'Sense and Sensibility' and 'Pride and Prejudice', and the British primatologist Jane Goodall (1934-). This is also the name of the central character in Charlotte Brontë's novel 'Jane Eyre' (1847), which tells of her sad childhood and her relationship with Edward Rochester.
JOHN
Gender: Masculine
Pronounced: JAHN (American English), JAWN (British English)
Rating: 53% based on 15 votes
English form of
Iohannes, the Latin form of the Greek name
Ιωαννης (Ioannes), itself derived from the Hebrew name
יוֹחָנָן (Yochanan) meaning "
YAHWEH is gracious". The Hebrew form occurs in the
Old Testament (spelled
Johanan or
Jehohanan in the English version), but this name owes its popularity to two
New Testament characters, both highly revered
saints. The first is John the Baptist, a Jewish ascetic who is considered the forerunner of
Jesus. He baptized Jesus and was later executed by
Herod Antipas. The second is the apostle John, who is traditionally regarded as the author of the fourth gospel and Revelation. With the apostles
Peter and
James (his brother), he was part of the inner circle of Jesus.
This name was initially more common among Eastern Christians in the Byzantine Empire, but it flourished in Western Europe after the First Crusade. In England it became extremely popular: during the later Middle Ages it was given to approximately a fifth of all English boys.
The name (in various spellings) has been borne by 21 popes and eight Byzantine emperors, as well as rulers of England, France, Sweden, Denmark, Poland, Portugal, Bulgaria, Russia and Hungary. It was also borne by the poet John Milton (1608-1674), philosopher John Locke (1632-1704), American founding father and president John Adams (1735-1826), and poet John Keats (1795-1821). Famous bearers of the 20th century include author John Steinbeck (1902-1968), assassinated American president John F. Kennedy (1917-1963), and musician John Lennon (1940-1980).
JOSEPHINE
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: JO-sə-feen (English), yo-ze-FEE-nə (German)
Rating: 59% based on 17 votes
JULIA
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Spanish, Polish, Finnish, Russian, Ukrainian, Ancient Roman, Biblical
Other Scripts: Юлия (Russian), Юлія (Ukrainian)
Pronounced: JOO-lee-ə (English), YOO-lya (German, Polish), YOO-lee-ah (Swedish, Danish, Finnish), KHOO-lya (Spanish), YOO-lyi-yə (Russian), YOO-lee-a (Classical Latin)
Rating: 66% based on 16 votes
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-).
KATHARINE
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: KATH-ə-rin (English), KATH-rin (English), ka-ta-REE-nə (German)
Personal note: "Kate"
Rating: 66% based on 15 votes
English variant of
KATHERINE and German variant of
KATHARINA. A famous bearer was American actress Katharine Hepburn (1907-2003).
LAURA
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Finnish, Estonian, Hungarian, Polish, Slovene, Croatian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Dutch, Late Roman
Pronounced: LAWR-ə (English), LOW-ra (Spanish, Italian, Polish, German), LOW-rah (Finnish, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch), LAW-oo-raw (Hungarian)
Rating: 50% based on 11 votes
Feminine form of the Late Latin name
Laurus, which meant "laurel". This meaning was favourable, since in ancient Rome the leaves of laurel trees were used to create victors' garlands. The name was borne by the 9th-century Spanish martyr
Saint Laura, who was a nun thrown into a vat of molten lead by the Moors. It was also the name of the subject of poems by the 14th-century Italian poet Petrarch.
As an English name, Laura has been used since the 13th century. Famous bearers include Laura Secord (1775-1868), a Canadian heroine during the War of 1812, and Laura Ingalls Wilder (1867-1957), an American author who wrote the 'Little House on the Prairie' series of novels.
LOUIS
Gender: Masculine
Pronounced: LWEE (French), LOO-is (English), LOO-ee (English), loo-EE (Dutch)
Rating: 64% based on 15 votes
French form of
Ludovicus, the Latinized form of
LUDWIG. This was the name of 18 kings of France, starting with Louis I the son of
Charlemagne. Others include Louis IX (
Saint Louis) who led two crusades and Louis XIV (called the Sun King) who was the ruler of France during the height of its power, the builder of the Palace of Versailles, and the longest reigning monarch in the history of Europe. It was also borne by kings of Germany (as
Ludwig), Hungary (as
Lajos), and other places.
Apart from royalty, this name was only moderately popular in France during the Middle Ages. After the French Revolution, when Louis XVI was guillotined, it became less common.
The Normans brought the name to England, where it was usually spelled Lewis, though the spelling Louis has been more common in America. Famous bearers include French scientist Louis Pasteur (1822-1895), Métis leader Louis Riel (1844-1885), who led a rebellion against Canada, Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894), who wrote 'Treasure Island' and 'Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde', and American jazz musician Louis Armstrong (1901-1971).
LOUISA
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: loo-EEZ-ə (English), loo-EES-ə (English), loo-EE-za (German)
Rating: 60% based on 15 votes
Latinate feminine form of
LOUIS. A famous bearer was the American novelist Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888), the author of 'Little Women'.
MAGNUS
Gender: Masculine
Pronounced: MAHNG-nus (Swedish), MAHNG-noos (Norwegian), MAG-nəs (English)
Rating: 45% based on 11 votes
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.
MARGARET
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: MAHR-grit, MAHR-gə-rit
Rating: 77% based on 16 votes
Derived from Latin
Margarita, which was from Greek
μαργαριτης (margarites) meaning "pearl", probably ultimately a borrowing from
Sanskrit मञ्यरी (manyari).
Saint Margaret, the patron of expectant mothers, was martyred at Antioch in the 4th century. Later legends told of her escape from a dragon, with which she was often depicted in medieval art. The saint was popular during the Middle Ages, and her name has been widely used in the Christian world.
Other saints by this name include a queen of Scotland and a princess of Hungary. It was also borne by Queen Margaret I of Denmark, who united Denmark, Sweden, and Norway in the 14th century. Famous literary bearers include American writer Margaret Mitchell (1900-1949), the author of 'Gone with the Wind', and Canadian writer Margaret Atwood (1939-).
MARGOT
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: MAR-GO
Rating: 61% based on 15 votes
MARIANNE
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: MA-RYAN (French), ma-RYA-nə (German), MAH-ree-ahn-ne (Finnish)
Rating: 47% based on 15 votes
Originally a French
diminutive of
MARIE. It is also considered a combination of
MARIE and
ANNE (1). Shortly after the formation of the French Republic in 1792, a female figure by this name was adopted as the symbol of the state.
MARY
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: MER-ee (English), MAR-ee (English)
Personal note: "Polly"
Rating: 65% based on 16 votes
Usual English form of
Maria, the Latin form of the
New Testament Greek names
Μαριαμ (Mariam) and
Μαρια (Maria) - the spellings are interchangeable - which were from Hebrew
מִרְיָם (Miryam), a name borne by the sister of
Moses in the
Old Testament. The meaning is not known for certain, but there are several theories including "sea of bitterness", "rebelliousness", and "wished for child". However it was most likely originally an Egyptian name, perhaps derived in part from
mry "beloved" or
mr "love".
This is the name of several New Testament characters, most importantly Mary the mother of Jesus. According to the gospels, Jesus was conceived in her by the Holy Spirit while she remained a virgin. This name was also borne by Mary Magdalene, a woman cured of demons by Jesus. She became one of his followers and later witnessed his crucifixion and resurrection.
Due to the Virgin Mary this name has been very popular in the Christian world, though at certain times in some cultures it has been considered too holy for everyday use. In England it has been used since the 12th century, and it has been among the most common feminine names since the 16th century. The Latinized form Maria is also used in English as well as in several other languages.
This name has been borne by two queens of England, as well as a Queen of Scotland, Mary Queen of Scots. Another notable bearer was Mary Shelley (1797-1851), the author of 'Frankenstein'. A famous fictional character by this name is Mary Poppins from the children's books by P. L. Travers, first published in 1934.
NICHOLAS
Gender: Masculine
Pronounced: NIK-ə-ləs, NIK-ləs
Rating: 63% based on 16 votes
From the Greek name
Νικολαος (Nikolaos) which meant "victory of the people" from Greek
νικη (nike) "victory" and
λαος (laos) "people".
Saint Nicholas was a 4th-century bishop from Anatolia who, according to legend, saved the daughters of a poor man from lives of prostitution. He is the patron saint of children, sailors and merchants, as well as Greece and Russia. He formed the basis for the figure known as Santa Claus (created in the 19th century from Dutch
Sinterklaas), the bringer of Christmas presents.
Due to the renown of the saint, this name has been widely used in the Christian world. It has been common in England since the 12th century, though it became a bit less popular after the Protestant Reformation. The name has been borne by five popes and two czars of Russia.
OLIVER
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Serbian, Croatian, Macedonian, Czech, Slovak
Other Scripts: Оливер (Serbian, Macedonian)
Pronounced: AWL-ə-vər (English), O-lee-vu (German), O-lee-ver (Finnish)
Rating: 75% based on 16 votes
From
Olivier, a Norman French form of a
Germanic name such as
ALFHER or an
Old Norse name such as
Áleifr (see
OLAF). The spelling was altered by association with Latin
oliva "olive tree". In the Middle Ages the name became well-known in Western Europe because of the French epic 'La Chanson de Roland', in which Olivier was a friend and advisor of the hero Roland.
In England Oliver was a common medieval name, however it became rare after the 17th century because of the military commander Oliver Cromwell, who ruled the country following the civil war. The name was revived in the 19th century, perhaps in part due to the title character in Charles Dickens' novel 'Oliver Twist' (1838), which was about a poor orphan living on the streets of London.
PETER
Gender: Masculine
Pronounced: PEE-tər (English), PE-tu (German), PAY-tər (Dutch), PE-tər (Danish, Slovene), PE-ter (Slovak)
Rating: 70% based on 15 votes
Derived from the Greek
Πετρος (Petros) meaning "stone". This is a translation used in most versions of the
New Testament of the name
Cephas, meaning "stone" in Aramaic, which was given to the apostle
Simon by
Jesus (compare Matthew 16:18 and John 1:42). Simon Peter was the most prominent of the apostles during Jesus' ministry and is often considered the first pope.
Due to the renown of the apostle, this name became common throughout the Christian world (in various spellings). In England the Normans introduced it in the Old French form Piers, which was gradually replaced by the spelling Peter starting in the 15th century.
Besides the apostle, other saints by this name include the 11th-century reformer Saint Peter Damian and the 13th-century preacher Saint Peter Martyr. It was also borne by rulers of Aragon, Portugal, and Russia, including the Russian tsar Peter the Great (1672-1725), who defeated Sweden in the Great Northern War. Famous fictional bearers include Peter Rabbit from Beatrix Potter's children's books, and Peter Pan, the boy who refused to grow up in J. M. Barrie's 1904 play.
REBECCA
Gender: Feminine
Other Scripts: רִבְקָה (Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced: rə-BEK-ə (English), re-BEK-ka (Italian)
Rating: 61% based on 16 votes
From the Hebrew name
רִבְקָה (Rivqah) from an unattested root probably meaning "join, tie, snare". This is the name of the wife of
Isaac and the mother of
Esau and
Jacob in the
Old Testament. It came into use as a Christian name after the
Protestant Reformation, and it was popular with the
Puritans in the 17th century.
SALLY
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: SAL-ee
Rating: 44% based on 17 votes
SUSANNAH
Gender: Feminine
Rating: 44% based on 17 votes
SYLVIE
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: SEEL-VEE
Rating: 65% based on 15 votes
THOMAS
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Greek, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
Other Scripts: Θωμας (Greek)
Pronounced: TAHM-əs (American English), TAWM-əs (British English), TAW-MA (French), TO-mas (German), TO-mahs (Dutch), tho-MAHS (Greek)
Rating: 66% based on 16 votes
Greek form of the Aramaic name
תָּאוֹמָא (Ta'oma') which meant "twin". In the
New Testament this is the name of an apostle. When he heard that
Jesus had risen from the dead he initially doubted the story, until Jesus appeared before him and he examined his wounds himself. According to tradition he was martyred in India. Due to his renown, the name came into general use in the Christian world.
In England the name was introduced by the Normans and became very popular due to Saint Thomas Becket, a 12th-century archbishop of Canterbury and martyr. Another notable saint by this name was the 13th-century Italian philosopher and theologian Thomas Aquinas, who is regarded as a Doctor of the Church. Other famous bearers include philosopher Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679), American president Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), novelist Thomas Hardy (1840-1928), and inventor Thomas Edison (1847-1931).
VIRGINIA
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: vər-JIN-yə (English), veer-JEE-nya (Italian), beer-KHEE-nya (Spanish)
Rating: 45% based on 11 votes
Feminine form of the Roman family name
Verginius or
Virginius which is of unknown meaning, but long associated with Latin
virgo "maid, virgin". According to a legend, it was the name of a Roman woman killed by her father so as to save her from the clutches of a crooked official.
This was the name of the first English baby born in the New World: Virginia Dare in 1587 on Roanoke Island. Perhaps because of this, the name has generally been more popular in America than elsewhere in the English-speaking world, though in both Britain and America it was not often used until the 19th century. The baby was named after the Colony of Virginia, which was itself named for Elizabeth I, the Virgin Queen. A more recent bearer was the English novelist Virginia Woolf (1882-1941).
WILLIAM
Gender: Masculine
Pronounced: WIL-yəm
Rating: 55% based on 17 votes
From the
Germanic name
Willahelm, which was composed of the
elements wil "will, desire" and
helm "helmet, protection".
Saint William of Gellone was an 8th-century cousin of
Charlemagne who became a monk. The name was common among the
Normans, and it became extremely popular in England after William the Conqueror was recognized as the first Norman king of England in the 11th century. It was later borne by three other English kings, as well as rulers of Scotland, Sicily (of Norman origin), the Netherlands and Prussia.
Other famous bearers include William Wallace, a 13th-century Scottish hero, and William Tell, a legendary 14th-century Swiss hero. In the literary world it was borne by dramatist William Shakespeare (1564-1616), poet William Blake (1757-1827), poet William Wordsworth (1770-1850), dramatist William Butler Yeats (1865-1939), author William Faulkner (1897-1962), and author William S. Burroughs (1914-1997).
Copyright © Mike Campbell 1996-2017.