zeesqueere's Personal Name List
Aelian
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, History
Personal remark: sun
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
English form of
Aelianus. A bearer of this name was Claudius Aelianus - often called Aelian in English - a Roman author and philosopher from the 3rd century AD.
Alain
Gender: Masculine
Usage: French
Pronounced: A-LEHN
Personal remark: handsome, little rock, name of Iranian tribe
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
French form of
Alan. A notable bearer is the French actor Alain Delon (1935-).
Alaric
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Gothic (Anglicized)
Other Scripts: 𐌰𐌻𐌰𐍂𐌴𐌹𐌺𐍃(Gothic)
Pronounced: AL-ə-rik(English)
Personal remark: ruler of all
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
From the Gothic name *
Alareiks meaning
"ruler of all", derived from the element
alls "all" combined with
reiks "ruler, king". This was the name of a king of the Visigoths who sacked Rome in the 5th century.
Albion
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: AL-bee-an
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
From the ancient name of Great Britain, which is said to have been inspired by the White Cliffs of Dover. The word is ultimately of Celtic origin (of which the meaning is not entirely certain), but it is etymologically related to Latin albus "white".
Alcide
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian, French
Pronounced: al-CHEE-deh(Italian) AL-SEED(French)
Personal remark: strength
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
Italian and French form of
Alcides.
Alder
Usage: English
Personal remark: name of tree, noble army
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
Alderic
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Germanic, Provençal, Niçard
Personal remark: old power
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
Alonso
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: a-LON-so
Personal remark: battle-ready noble
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
Aloysius
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: al-o-ISH-əs
Personal remark: famous battle
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
Latinized form of
Aloys, an old Occitan form of
Louis. This was the name of an Italian
saint, Aloysius Gonzaga (1568-1591). The name has been in occasional use among Catholics since his time.
Alvaro
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: AL-va-ro
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
Italian form of
Alvarus (see
Álvaro).
Amedeo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: a-meh-DEH-o
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
Italian form of
Amadeus. A notable bearer of this name was Amedeo Avogadro (1776-1856), an Italian chemist most famous for the constant that now bears his name: Avogadro's Number. Another famous bearer was the Italian painter and sculptor Amedeo Modigliani (1884-1920).
Answin
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Germanic
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
Derived from Old High German ans "god" combined with Old High German wini "friend."
Aodhán
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish
Personal remark: little fire
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
From the Old Irish name
Áedán meaning
"little fire", a
diminutive of
Áed (see
Aodh). This name was borne by a 6th-century king of Dál Riata. It was also the name of a few early Irish
saints, including a 6th-century bishop of Ferns and a 7th-century bishop of Lindisfarne.
Arastoo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Persian
Other Scripts: ارسطو(Persian)
Pronounced: a-ras-TOO
Personal remark: best purpose
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
Archibald
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Scottish, English
Pronounced: AHR-chi-bawld
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
Derived from the Germanic name
Ercanbald, composed of the elements
erkan meaning "pure, holy, genuine" and
bald meaning "bold, brave". The first element was altered due to the influence of Greek names beginning with the element
ἀρχός (archos) meaning "master". The
Normans brought this name to England. It first became common in Scotland in the Middle Ages (sometimes used to Anglicize the Gaelic name
Gilleasbuig, for unknown reasons).
Ardal
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish
Pronounced: AHR-dəl(English)
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
Armel
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Breton, French
Pronounced: AR-MEHL(French)
Personal remark: bear prince
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
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.
Arthfael
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Medieval Welsh
Personal remark: bear prince
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
Medieval Welsh form of
Armel.
Arthur
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, German, Dutch, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Welsh Mythology, Arthurian Cycle
Pronounced: AHR-thər(English) AR-TUYR(French) AR-tuwr(German) AHR-tuyr(Dutch)
Rating: 35% based on 2 votes
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).
Artyom
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Russian
Other Scripts: Артём(Russian)
Pronounced: ur-TYUYM
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
Arwel
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Welsh
Pronounced: AR-wehl
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
Old Welsh name of unknown meaning.
Astrophel
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Literature
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
Probably intended to mean "star lover", from Greek
ἀστήρ (aster) meaning "star" and
φίλος (philos) meaning "lover, friend". This name was first used by the 16th-century poet Philip Sidney in his collection of sonnets
Astrophel and Stella.
Atarino
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Obscure
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
Auberon
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Literature
Pronounced: AW-bər-ahn(English) O-bər-ahn(English)
Rating: 70% based on 2 votes
From a
diminutive form of
Auberi, an Old French form of
Alberich. It is the name of the fairy king in the 13th-century epic
Huon de Bordeaux.
Aydan 2
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: AY-dən
Personal remark: little fire
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
Baldric
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Archaic)
Pronounced: BAWLD-rik
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
Derived from the Old German elements
bald "bold, brave" and
rih "ruler, king". It was borne by a 7th-century Frankish
saint, the founder of the monastery of Montfaucon. The
Normans introduced this name to Britain, and it was common in the Middle Ages.
Bedivere
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Welsh Mythology, Arthurian Cycle
Personal remark: name of literary figure
Rating: 30% based on 1 vote
From the Welsh name
Bedwyr, possibly from
bedwen "birch" and
gwr "man". In Arthurian legends Bedivere was one of the original companions of King
Arthur. He first appears in early Welsh tales, and his story was later expanded by Geoffrey of Monmouth in the 12th century. He is the one who throws the sword Excalibur into the lake at the request of the dying Arthur.
Birch
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: BURCH
Rating: 70% based on 2 votes
From the English word for the birch tree. Famous bearers include Birch Evans Bayh III, senator from Indiana, who assumed office in 1999. Birch Evans Bayh II was a senator from Indiana 1963-1981.
Blythe
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: BLIEDH
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
From a surname meaning "cheerful" in Old English.
Carlisle
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: kahr-LIEL
Rating: 70% based on 2 votes
From a surname that was derived from the name of a city in northern England. The city was originally called by the Romans
Luguvalium meaning "stronghold of
Lugus". Later the Brythonic element
ker "fort" was appended to the name of the city.
Carwyn
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Welsh
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
Derived from Welsh
caru "to love" and
gwyn "white, blessed". This name was created in the 20th century
[1].
Cassander
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Κάσσανδρος(Ancient Greek)
Personal remark: excellent shining man, name of historical figure
Rating: 40% based on 1 vote
Latinized form of Greek
Κάσσανδρος (Kassandros), the masculine form of
Cassandra. This was the name of a 3rd-century BC king of Macedon.
Castor
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Κάστωρ(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: KAS-tər(English)
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
From the Greek name
Κάστωρ (Kastor), possibly related to
κέκασμαι (kekasmai) meaning
"to excel, to shine" (pluperfect
κέκαστο). Alternatively it could be derived from the Greek word
κάστωρ (kastor) meaning
"beaver", though the legends about Castor do not mention beavers, which were foreign animals to the Greeks. In Greek
myth Castor was a son of
Zeus and the twin brother of
Pollux. The constellation Gemini, which represents the two brothers, contains a star by this name.
Cedric
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: SEHD-rik
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
Invented by Walter Scott for a character in his novel
Ivanhoe (1819). Apparently he based it on the actual name
Cerdic, the name of the semi-legendary founder of the kingdom of Wessex in the 6th century. The meaning of
Cerdic is uncertain, but it does not appear to be Old English in origin. It could be connected to the Brythonic name
Caratācos. The name was also used by Frances Hodgson Burnett for the main character in her novel
Little Lord Fauntleroy (1886).
Celino
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian (Rare), Spanish (Rare)
Pronounced: cheh-LEE-no(Italian) theh-LEE-no(European Spanish) seh-LEE-no(Latin American Spanish)
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
Ceri
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Welsh
Pronounced: KEH-ri
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
Meaning uncertain. It could come from the name of the Ceri River in Ceredigion, Wales; it could be a short form of
Ceridwen; it could be derived from Welsh
caru meaning "to love".
Cledwyn
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Welsh
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
Possibly derived from Welsh
caled "rough, hard" and
gwyn "white, blessed". This is the name of a small river (Cledwen) in Conwy, Wales.
Corbin
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: KAWR-bin
Rating: 30% based on 2 votes
From a French surname that was derived from
corbeau "raven", originally denoting a person who had dark hair. The name was probably popularized in America by actor Corbin Bernsen (1954-)
[1].
Cormac
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish Mythology, Irish
Rating: 83% based on 3 votes
From Old Irish
Cormacc or
Corbmac, of uncertain meaning, possibly from
corb "chariot, wagon" or
corbbad "defilement, corruption" combined with
macc "son". This is the name of several characters from Irish legend, including the semi-legendary high king Cormac mac Airt who supposedly ruled in the 3rd century, during the adventures of the hero
Fionn mac Cumhaill. This name was also borne by a few early
saints.
Cosimo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: KAW-zee-mo
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
Italian form of
Cosmas. A famous bearer was Cosimo de' Medici (1389-1464), the founder of Medici rule in Florence, who was a patron of the Renaissance and a successful merchant. Other members of the Medici family have also borne this name.
Cynemær
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Anglo-Saxon [1][2]
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
Derived from Old English
cyne "royal" and
mære "famous".
Cyprian
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Polish, History (Ecclesiastical)
Pronounced: TSI-pryan(Polish) SIP-ree-ən(English)
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
From the Roman family name
Cyprianus, which meant
"from Cyprus".
Saint Cyprian was a 3rd-century bishop of Carthage and a martyr under the emperor Valerian.
Cyril
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, Czech, Slovak
Pronounced: SIR-əl(English) SEE-REEL(French) TSI-ril(Czech)
Personal remark: lord
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
From the Greek name
Κύριλλος (Kyrillos), which was derived from Greek
κύριος (kyrios) meaning
"lord", a word used frequently in the Greek Bible to refer to God or Jesus.
This name was borne by a number of important saints, including Cyril of Jerusalem, a 4th-century bishop and Doctor of the Church, and Cyril of Alexandria, a 5th-century theologian. Another Saint Cyril was a 9th-century Greek missionary to the Slavs, who is credited with creating the Glagolitic alphabet with his brother Methodius in order to translate the Bible into Slavic. The Cyrillic alphabet, named after him, is descended from Glagolitic.
This name has been especially well-used in Eastern Europe and other places where Orthodox Christianity is prevalent. It came into general use in England in the 19th century.
Dandelion
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: DAN-de-lie-on
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
The English name, Dandelion, is a corruption of the French dent de lion meaning "lion's tooth", referring to the coarsely toothed leaves. It is usually is used as a nickname.
Darach
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish
Personal remark: fertile oak tree
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
Means
"of oak" in Irish, from the genitive case of
dair.
Destrier
Usage: French
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
Dill
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (American)
Pronounced: DIL(American English)
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
Dill
Harris was the childhood friend of Jem and Scout in
Harper Lee's book To Kill a Mockingbird. Dill, whose given name was
Charles Baker Harris, is believed to be based on Lee's real-life friend,
Truman Capote.
Possibly used as a diminutive of Dillan.
Donovan
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: DAHN-ə-vən
Personal remark: son of little dark brown
Rating: 80% based on 2 votes
From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of
Ó Donndubháin, itself derived from the given name
Donndubán. This name is borne by the Scottish folk musician Donovan Leitch (1946-), known simply as Donovan.
Dorian
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, Romanian
Pronounced: DAWR-ee-ən(English) DAW-RYAHN(French)
Rating: 40% based on 1 vote
The name was first used by Oscar Wilde in his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891), which tells the story of a man whose portrait ages while he stays young. Wilde may have taken it from the name of the ancient Greek tribe the Dorians.
Earnest
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: UR-nist
Variant of
Ernest influenced by the spelling of the English word
earnest.
Edgar
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, Portuguese, German
Pronounced: EHD-gər(English) EHD-GAR(French)
Derived from the Old English elements
ead "wealth, fortune" and
gar "spear". This was the name of a 10th-century English king, Edgar the Peaceful. The name did not survive long after the
Norman Conquest, but it was revived in the 18th century, in part due to a character by this name in Walter Scott's novel
The Bride of Lammermoor (1819), which tells of the tragic love between Edgar Ravenswood and Lucy Ashton
[1]. Famous bearers include author and poet Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849), French impressionist painter Edgar Degas (1834-1917), and author Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875-1950).
Elouan
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Breton, French
Pronounced: eh-LOO-an(Breton) EH-LOO-AHN(French)
Possibly from a Breton word meaning
"light". This name was borne by an obscure 6th-century
saint who is now venerated mainly in Brittany and Cornwall.
Elric
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Medieval English
Pronounced: EHL-rik(English)
Emiliano
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Spanish, Italian, Portuguese
Pronounced: eh-mee-LYA-no(Spanish, Italian)
Spanish, Italian and Portuguese form of the Roman
cognomen Aemilianus, which was itself derived from the family name
Aemilius (see
Emil). This was the name of a 6th-century Spanish
saint.
Émilien
Gender: Masculine
Usage: French
Pronounced: EH-MEE-LYEHN
Rating: 73% based on 3 votes
French form of
Aemilianus (see
Emiliano).
Erasmo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
Pronounced: eh-RAZ-mo(Spanish)
Italian, Spanish and Portuguese form of
Erasmus.
Erwann
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Breton
Evander 2
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Scottish
Pronounced: ee-VAN-dər(English) ə-VAN-dər(English)
Personal remark: yew bowman
Rating: 40% based on 2 votes
Fabian
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German, Dutch, Polish, Romanian, English
Pronounced: FA-bee-an(German) FA-bee-ahn(Dutch) FA-byan(Polish) FAY-bee-ən(English)
Personal remark: bean
Rating: 30% based on 2 votes
From the Roman
cognomen Fabianus, which was derived from
Fabius.
Saint Fabian was a 3rd-century pope.
Felix
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, English, Romanian, Ancient Roman, Biblical, Biblical Latin
Pronounced: FEH-liks(German, Dutch, Swedish) FEE-liks(English) FEH-leeks(Latin)
Rating: 30% based on 1 vote
From a Roman
cognomen meaning
"lucky, successful" in Latin. It was acquired as an
agnomen, or nickname, by the 1st-century BC Roman general Sulla. It also appears in the
New Testament belonging to the governor of Judea who imprisoned
Saint Paul.
Due to its favourable meaning, this name was popular among early Christians, being borne by many early saints and four popes. It has been used in England since the Middle Ages, though it has been more popular in continental Europe. A notable bearer was the German composer Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847).
Fiachra
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish, Irish Mythology
Pronounced: FYEEKH-rə(Irish)
From Old Irish
Fiachrae, possibly from
fiach "raven" or
fích "battle" combined with
rí "king". This was the name of several legendary figures, including one of the four children of
Lir transformed into swans for a period of 900 years. This is also the name of the patron
saint of gardeners: a 7th-century Irish abbot who settled in France, usually called Saint Fiacre.
Florian
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German, French, Romanian, Polish, History
Pronounced: FLO-ree-an(German) FLAW-RYAHN(French) FLAW-ryan(Polish)
Rating: 40% based on 1 vote
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.
Gawain
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arthurian Cycle
Pronounced: gə-WAYN(English) GAH-win(English)
Rating: 40% based on 1 vote
Meaning uncertain, from the Latin form
Gualguainus used in the 12th-century chronicles of Geoffrey of Monmouth (appearing also as
Walganus,
Gwalguanus and other spellings in different copies of the text), where he is one of the knights who serve his uncle King
Arthur. He can be identified with the earlier Welsh hero Gwalchmai, and it is possible that the name derives from
Gwalchmai or a misreading of it.
Gawain was a popular hero in medieval tales such as those by Chrétien de Troyes, where his name appears in the French form Gauvain or Gauvains. He is the main character of the 14th-century anonymous poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, in which he accepts a potentially fatal challenge from the mysterious Green Knight.
Geoffrey
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French
Pronounced: JEHF-ree(English) ZHAW-FREH(French)
Rating: 40% based on 1 vote
From a Norman French form of a Frankish name. The second element is Old German
fridu "peace", while the first element could be *
gautaz "Geat" (a North Germanic tribe),
gawi "territory" or
walah "foreigner". It is possible that two or more names merged into a single form. In the later Middle Ages
Geoffrey was further confused with the distinct name
Godfrey.
The Normans introduced this name to England where it became common among the nobility. Famous medieval literary bearers include the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth and the 14th-century poet Geoffrey Chaucer, writer of The Canterbury Tales. By the end of the Middle Ages it had become uncommon, but it was revived in the 20th century, often in the spelling Jeffrey.
Gladwin
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: GLAD-win
From a surname that was derived from the Old English given name
Glædwine.
Godfrey
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: GAHD-free
From the Germanic name
Godefrid, which meant
"peace of god" from the Old German elements
got "god" and
fridu "peace". The
Normans brought this name to England, where it became common during the Middle Ages. A notable bearer was Godfrey of Bouillon, an 11th-century leader of the First Crusade and the first ruler of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem.
Gordan
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Serbian, Croatian
Other Scripts: Гордан(Serbian, Macedonian)
Pronounced: GOR-dan
Derived from South Slavic gord meaning "proud". This name and the feminine form Gordana were popularized by the publication of Croatian author Marija Jurić Zagorka's novel Gordana (1935).
Goswin
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Dutch (Archaic)
From the Germanic name
Gautwin, derived from the elements *
gautaz "Geat" (a North Germanic tribe) and
wini "friend".
Gundhram
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Germanic [1]
Gwenaël
Gender: Masculine
Usage: French, Breton
Pronounced: GWEH-NA-EHL(French)
Means
"blessed and generous" from Breton
gwenn meaning "white, blessed" and
hael meaning "generous".
Saint Gwenhael was a 6th-century abbot of Brittany.
Gwydion
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Welsh, Welsh Mythology
Personal remark: name of mythological figure ("born of trees")
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.
Gwynfor
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Welsh
Derived from the Welsh element
gwyn meaning "white, blessed" combined with
maur meaning "great, large". This name was created in the 19th century.
Hamo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Medieval English
Norman form of
Haimo. The
Normans brought this name to Britain.
Hector
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, Greek Mythology (Latinized), Arthurian Cycle
Other Scripts: Ἕκτωρ(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: HEHK-tər(English) EHK-TAWR(French)
Rating: 40% based on 1 vote
Latinized form of Greek
Ἕκτωρ (Hektor), which was derived from
ἕκτωρ (hektor) meaning
"holding fast", ultimately from
ἔχω (echo) meaning "to hold, to possess". In Greek legend Hector was one of the Trojan champions who fought against the Greeks. After he killed
Achilles' friend
Patroclus in battle, he was himself brutally slain by Achilles, who proceeded to tie his dead body to a chariot and drag it about. This name also appears in Arthurian legends where it belongs to King
Arthur's foster father.
Hector has occasionally been used as a given name since the Middle Ages, probably because of the noble character of the classical hero. It has been historically common in Scotland, where it was used as an Anglicized form of Eachann.
Hefin
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Welsh
Pronounced: HEH-vin
Means
"summer" in Welsh, a poetic form of
Haf.
Henry
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: HEHN-ree
Rating: 30% based on 3 votes
From the Germanic name
Heimirich meaning
"home ruler", composed of the elements
heim "home" and
rih "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
hag "enclosure".
Heinrich was popular among continental royalty, being the name of seven German kings, starting with the 10th-century Henry I the Fowler (the first of the Saxon kings), and four French kings. In France it was usually 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 later Middle Ages it was fairly popular, and was generally rendered as Harry or Herry in English pronunciation. Notable bearers include arctic naval explorer Henry Hudson (1570-1611), American-British novelist Henry James (1843-1916), American automobile manufacturer Henry Ford (1863-1947), and American actor Henry Fonda (1905-1982).
Heron
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Greek
Other Scripts: Ἥρων(Ancient Greek)
Derived from Greek
ἥρως (heros) meaning
"hero". This was the name of a 1st-century Greek inventor (also known as
Hero) from Alexandria.
Hieronymus
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Greek (Latinized), German (Archaic), Dutch (Archaic)
Other Scripts: Ἱερώνυμος(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: hie-ə-RAHN-i-məs(English) hee-RO-nuy-muws(German) hyeh-RO-nuy-muws(German) hee-yeh-RO-nee-muyz(Dutch)
Rating: 100% based on 2 votes
Latin form of
Jerome, formerly common in Germany and the Netherlands. Hieronymus Bosch (1450-1516) was a Dutch painter known for his depictions of the torments of hell.
Horace
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French
Pronounced: HAWR-əs(English) AW-RAS(French)
English and French form of
Horatius, and the name by which the Roman poet Quintus Horatius Flaccus is commonly known those languages. In the modern era it has been used as a given name since the Renaissance, in honour of the poet.
Humphrey
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: HUM-free
From the Old German elements
hun "bear cub" and
fridu "peace". The
Normans introduced this name to England, where it replaced the Old English
cognate Hunfrith, and it was regularly used through the Middle Ages. A famous bearer was the American actor Humphrey Bogart (1899-1957), who starred in
The Maltese Falcon and
Casablanca.
Ignatius
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Late Roman
Pronounced: ig-NAY-shəs(English)
Rating: 25% based on 2 votes
From the Roman family name
Egnatius, meaning unknown, of Etruscan origin. The spelling was later altered to resemble Latin
ignis "fire". This was the name of several
saints, including the third bishop of Antioch who was thrown to wild beasts by Emperor Trajan, and by Saint Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556), founder of the Jesuits, whose real birth name was in fact
Íñigo.
Jacinto
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Spanish, Portuguese
Pronounced: kha-THEEN-to(European Spanish) kha-SEEN-to(Latin American Spanish)
Jareth
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Popular Culture
Pronounced: JAR-əth(English)
Invented name, probably inspired by names such as
Jared and
Gareth. This is the name of the Goblin King, played by David Bowie, in the movie
Labyrinth (1986).
Jason
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, Greek Mythology (Anglicized), Biblical
Other Scripts: Ἰάσων(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: JAY-sən(English) ZHA-ZAWN(French)
Rating: 60% based on 2 votes
From the Greek name
Ἰάσων (Iason) meaning
"healer", derived from Greek
ἰάομαι (iaomai) meaning "to heal". In Greek
mythology Jason was the leader of the Argonauts. After his uncle
Pelias overthrew his father
Aeson as king of Iolcos, Jason went in search of the Golden Fleece in order to win back the throne. During his journeys he married the sorceress
Medea, who helped him gain the fleece and kill his uncle, but who later turned against him when he fell in love with another woman.
This name also appears in the New Testament, belonging to man who sheltered Paul and Silas. In his case, it may represent a Hellenized form of a Hebrew name. It was not used in England until after the Protestant Reformation.
Judicaël
Gender: Masculine
Usage: French, Breton
Pronounced: ZHUY-DEE-KA-EHL(French)
French form of the Old Breton name
Iudicael, derived from the elements
iudd "lord" and
hael "generous". This was the name of a 7th-century Breton king, also regarded as a
saint.
Judikael
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Breton
Kastor
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Κάστωρ(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: KAS-TAWR(Classical Greek)
Kenneth
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Scottish, English, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian
Pronounced: KEHN-əth(English)
Personal remark: handsome; born of fire
Rating: 40% based on 1 vote
Anglicized form of both
Coinneach and
Cináed. This name was borne by the Scottish king Kenneth (Cináed) mac Alpin, who united the Scots and Picts in the 9th century. It was popularized outside of Scotland by Walter Scott, who used it for the hero in his 1825 novel
The Talisman [1]. A famous bearer was the British novelist Kenneth Grahame (1859-1932), who wrote
The Wind in the Willows.
Kevin
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Irish, French (Modern), German (Modern), Dutch (Modern), Swedish (Modern), Norwegian (Modern), Danish (Modern)
Pronounced: KEHV-in(English) KEH-VEEN(French) KEH-vin(German)
Anglicized form of the Irish name
Caoimhín meaning
"beloved birth", derived from Old Irish
Cóemgein, composed of
cóem "dear, beloved, gentle" and
gein "birth".
Saint Caoimhín established a monastery in Glendalough, Ireland in the 6th century and is the patron saint of Dublin.
The name became popular in the English-speaking world outside of Ireland in the middle of the 20th century, and elsewhere in Europe in the latter half of the 20th century. Famous bearers include the American actors Kevin Costner (1955-) and Kevin Bacon (1958-). It was also borne by the character Kevin McCallister in the 1990 comedy movie Home Alone.
Korbinian
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German
Pronounced: kawr-BEE-nee-an
Derived from Latin
corvus meaning
"raven". This was the name of an 8th-century Frankish
saint who was sent by Pope Gregory II to evangelize in Bavaria. His real name may have been
Hraban.
Lancelot
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arthurian Cycle
Pronounced: LAN-sə-laht(English)
Possibly an Old French
diminutive of
Lanzo (see
Lance). In Arthurian legend Lancelot was the bravest of the Knights of the Round Table. He became the lover of
Arthur's wife
Guinevere, ultimately causing the destruction of Arthur's kingdom. His earliest appearance is in the works of the 12th-century French poet Chrétien de Troyes: briefly in
Erec and Enide and then as a main character in
Lancelot, the Knight of the Cart.
Langdon
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: LANG-dən
From a surname that was a variant of the surname
Landon.
Laurence 2
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: LAW-RAHNS
Rating: 40% based on 1 vote
French feminine form of
Laurentius (see
Laurence 1).
Leander
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Λέανδρος(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: lee-AN-dər(English)
Rating: 30% based on 1 vote
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.
Linden
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: LIN-dən
Rating: 30% based on 2 votes
From a German and Dutch surname that was derived from Old High German
linta meaning
"linden tree".
Lisandro
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Spanish (Latin American), Portuguese
Pronounced: lee-SAN-dro(Latin American Spanish)
Spanish and Portuguese form of
Lysander.
Lisandru
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Corsican, Sardinian
Lleu
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Welsh Mythology
Pronounced: SHAY(Welsh)
Probably a Welsh form of
Lugus. In the Fourth Branch of the
Mabinogi [1], Lleu Llaw Gyffes is the son of
Arianrhod. He was raised by his uncle
Gwydion, who helped him overcome the curses that his mother placed upon him. His wife
Blodeuwedd and her lover
Gronw conspired to overcome his near invincibility and murder him, but they were not successful. Eventually he became the king of Gwynedd.
Llew
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Welsh, Welsh Mythology
Pronounced: SHEW(Welsh)
Variant of
Lleu. It can also be a short form of
Llewelyn. It coincides with the Welsh word
llew meaning "lion".
Llyr
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Welsh Mythology
Unaccented variant of
Llŷr.
Lonán
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish, Old Irish [1]
Pronounced: LUW-nan(Irish)
Means
"little blackbird", derived from Old Irish
lon "blackbird" combined with a
diminutive suffix. This name was borne by several early
saints.
Lorenzo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian, Spanish
Pronounced: lo-REHN-tso(Italian) lo-REHN-tho(European Spanish) lo-REHN-so(Latin American Spanish)
Rating: 40% based on 1 vote
Italian and Spanish form of
Laurentius (see
Laurence 1). Lorenzo de' Medici (1449-1492), known as the Magnificent, was a ruler of Florence during the Renaissance. He was also a great patron of the arts who employed Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Botticelli and other famous artists.
Lugh
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish Mythology
Probably an Irish form of
Lugus. In Irish
mythology Lugh Lámfada was a divine hero who led the Tuatha Dé Danann against his grandfather
Balor and the Fomorians. Lugh killed Balor by shooting a stone into his giant eye.
Lysander
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Λύσανδρος(Ancient Greek)
Rating: 30% based on 1 vote
Latinized form of the Greek name
Λύσανδρος (Lysandros), derived from Greek
λύσις (lysis) meaning "a release, loosening" and
ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man" (genitive
ἀνδρός). This was the name of a notable 5th-century BC Spartan general and naval commander.
Macario
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: ma-KA-ryo
Spanish form of the Latin name
Macarius, derived from the Greek name
Μακάριος (Makarios), which was in turn derived from Greek
μάκαρ (makar) meaning
"blessed, happy". This was the name of several early
saints.
Magnus
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Late Roman
Pronounced: MANG-nuys(Swedish) MAHNG-noos(Norwegian) MOW-noos(Danish) MAG-nəs(English)
Rating: 40% based on 1 vote
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.
Marin
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Romanian, Croatian, Serbian, Bulgarian, French
Other Scripts: Марин(Serbian, Bulgarian)
Pronounced: ma-REEN(Romanian) MA-REHN(French)
Romanian, Croatian, Serbian, Bulgarian and French form of
Marinus.
Marlowe
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: MAHR-lo
Rating: 30% based on 2 votes
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "remnants of a lake" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was the English playwright Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593).
Maximiliano
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Spanish, Portuguese
Pronounced: mak-see-mee-LYA-no(Spanish)
Spanish and Portuguese form of
Maximilianus (see
Maximilian).
Mercurio
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian (Rare)
Pronounced: mehr-KOO-ryo
Mercury
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Roman Mythology (Anglicized)
Pronounced: MURK-yə-ree(English)
From the Latin
Mercurius, probably derived from Latin
mercari "to trade" or
merces "wages". This was the name of the Roman god of trade, merchants, and travellers, later equated with the Greek god
Hermes. This is also the name of the first planet in the solar system and a metallic chemical element, both named for the god.
Naïm
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic (Maghrebi)
Other Scripts: نعيم(Maghrebi Arabic)
Maghrebi variant of
Na'im.
Neirin
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Old Welsh
Personal remark: noble
Nicola 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: nee-KAW-la
Personal remark: people's victory
Italian form of
Nicholas. A notable bearer was the 13th-century sculptor Nicola Pisano.
Nigel
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: NIE-jəl
Rating: 75% based on 2 votes
From
Nigellus, a medieval Latinized form of
Neil. It was commonly associated with Latin
niger "black". It was revived in the 19th century, perhaps in part due to Walter Scott's novel
The Fortunes of Nigel (1822).
Oleander
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Greek (Rare), English (Rare)
Pronounced: AW-lee-an-der(Greek)
Rating: 40% based on 1 vote
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.
Orlando
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Carolingian Cycle
Pronounced: or-LAN-do(Italian)
Rating: 30% based on 2 votes
Italian form of
Roland, as used in the epic poems
Orlando Innamorato (1483) by Matteo Maria Boiardo and the continuation
Orlando Furioso (1532) by Ludovico Ariosto. In the poems, Orlando is a knight in
Charlemagne's army who battles against the invading Saracens. A character in Shakespeare's play
As You Like It (1599) also bears this name, as does a city in Florida.
Oscar
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Irish, Portuguese (Brazilian), Italian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, French, Irish Mythology
Pronounced: AHS-kər(English) AWS-kar(Italian, Swedish) AWS-KAR(French)
Rating: 40% based on 1 vote
Possibly means
"deer friend", derived from Old Irish
oss "deer" and
carae "friend". Alternatively, it may derive from the Old English name
Osgar or its Old Norse
cognate Ásgeirr, which may have been brought to Ireland by Viking invaders and settlers. In Irish legend Oscar was the son of the poet
Oisín and the grandson of the hero
Fionn mac Cumhaill.
This name was popularized in continental Europe by the works of the 18th-century Scottish poet James Macpherson [1]. Napoleon was an admirer of Macpherson, and he suggested Oscar as the second middle name of his godson, who eventually became king of Sweden as Oscar I. Other notable bearers include the Irish writer and humorist Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) and the Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer (1907-2012).
Ossian
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Literature
Variant of
Oisín used by James Macpherson in his 18th-century poems, which he claimed to have based on early Irish legends. In the poems Ossian is the son of
Fingal, and serves as the narrator.
Owain
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Welsh, Arthurian Cycle
Pronounced: O-wien(Welsh)
From an Old Welsh name (
Ougein,
Eugein and other spellings), which was possibly from the Latin name
Eugenius. Other theories connect it to the Celtic roots *
owi- "sheep", *
wesu- "good" or *
awi- "desire" combined with the Old Welsh suffix
gen "born of". This is the name of several figures from British history, including Owain mab Urien, a 6th-century prince of Rheged who fought against the Angles. The 12th-century French poet Chrétien de Troyes adapted him into
Yvain for his Arthurian romance
Yvain, the Knight of the Lion. Regarded as one of the Knights of the Round Table, Yvain or Owain has since appeared in many other Arthurian tales, typically being the son of King
Urien of Gore, and the errant husband of
Laudine, the Lady of the Fountain.
Other notable bearers include Owain the Great, a 12th-century king of Gwynedd, and Owain Glyndwr, a 14th-century leader of the Welsh resistance to English rule.
Owen 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Welsh, English
Pronounced: O-in(English)
Rating: 95% based on 4 votes
Anglicized form of
Owain.
Parsley
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Rating: 100% based on 2 votes
Transferred use of the surname
Parsley.
Passelewe
The medieval name is from Old French passe(r) ‘to pass or cross’ + l’ewe ‘the water’, hence a nickname, probably for a ferryman or a merchant who was in the habit of traveling overseas, or else someone who had been on a pilgrimage or crusade.
Percival
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arthurian Cycle, English
Pronounced: PUR-si-vəl(English)
Rating: 90% based on 3 votes
Created by the 12th-century French poet Chrétien de Troyes for his poem
Perceval, the Story of the Grail. Chrétien may have derived the name from Old French
perce val "pierce the valley", or he may have based it loosely on the Welsh name
Peredur [1]. In the poem Perceval is a boy from Wales who hopes to become a knight under King
Arthur. Setting out to prove himself, he eventually comes to the castle of the Fisher King and is given a glimpse of the Grail.
Peredur
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Welsh Mythology, Arthurian Cycle
Pronounced: peh-REH-dir(Welsh)
Meaning uncertain. It possibly means
"hard spears" from Welsh
peri "spears" and
dur "hard, steel"
[1]. In early Welsh poetry and histories, the brothers Peredur and Gwrgi were chieftains in Cumbria who defeated
Gwenddoleu at the Battle of Arfderydd. This name was later used by the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth in the Latin form
Peredurus for an early (fictitious) king of Britain. Entering into Arthurian romance, Peredur is an aspiring knight in the 14th-century Welsh tale
Peredur son of Efrawg (an adaptation or parallel of Chrétien de Troyes' hero
Percival).
Philander
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Archaic), Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Φίλανδρος(Ancient Greek)
Rating: 20% based on 1 vote
From the Greek name
Φίλανδρος (Philandros) meaning
"friend of man" from Greek
φίλος (philos) meaning "friend" and
ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man" (genitive
ἀνδρός). It was the name of a son of
Apollo with the nymph Acalle. In the 18th century this was coined as a word meaning "to womanize", and the name subsequently dropped out of use.
Philemon
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek, Ancient Greek
Other Scripts: Φιλήμων(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: fi-LEE-mən(English) fie-LEE-mən(English)
Means
"affectionate" in Greek, a derivative of
φίλημα (philema) meaning "kiss". Philemon was the recipient of one of
Paul's epistles in the
New Testament.
Porfirio
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Spanish, Italian (Rare)
Pronounced: por-FEE-ryo(Spanish)
Derived from the Greek name
Πορφύριος (Porphyrios), which was derived from the word
πορφύρα (porphyra) meaning
"purple dye". This was the name of several early
saints.
Prospero
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: PRAW-speh-ro
Italian form of
Prosper. This is the name of the main character, a shipwrecked magician, in
The Tempest (1611) by William Shakespeare.
Pryderi
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Welsh, Welsh Mythology
Personal remark: name of mythological figure ("care")
From Welsh
pryder meaning
"care, worry" (or perhaps from a derivative word *
pryderi meaning
"loss" [1]). Appearing in Welsh legend in all four branches of the
Mabinogi, Pryderi was the son of
Pwyll and
Rhiannon, eventually succeeding his father as the king of Dyfed. He was one of only seven warriors to return from
Brân's tragic invasion of Ireland, and later had several adventures with
Manawydan. He was ultimately killed in single combat with
Gwydion during the war between Dyfed and Gwynedd.
Pwyll
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Welsh Mythology
Pronounced: PUWYSH(Welsh)
Means
"wisdom, reason" in Welsh. In the First Branch of the
Mabinogi [1], Pwyll is a king of Dyfed who pursues and finally marries
Rhiannon. Their son was
Pryderi.
Qismat
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: قسمة(Arabic)
Means "fate" in Arabic.
Raban
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Germanic [1]
Rainier
Gender: Masculine
Usage: French (Rare)
Pronounced: REH-NYEH
Rayner
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Archaic)
Pronounced: RAY-nər
Personal remark: advise the army
From the Germanic name
Raginheri, composed of the elements
regin "advice, counsel, decision" and
heri "army".
Saint Rainerius was a 12th-century hermit from Pisa. The
Normans brought this name to England where it came into general use, though it was rare by the end of the Middle Ages.
Rearden
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
From an Irish surname, a variant of
Riordan.
Reginald
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: REHJ-ə-nəld
Rating: 40% based on 1 vote
From
Reginaldus, a Latinized form of
Reynold.
Remi
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Norwegian
Remigio
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian, Spanish
Pronounced: reh-MEE-jo(Italian) reh-MEE-khyo(Spanish)
Italian and Spanish form of
Remigius (see
Rémy).
Renaud
Gender: Masculine
Usage: French, Carolingian Cycle
Pronounced: RU-NO(French)
Personal remark: advise the ruler
French form of
Reynold. This name was used in medieval French literature for the hero Renaud de Montauban, a young man who flees with his three brothers from the court of
Charlemagne after killing the king's nephew. Charlemagne pardons the brothers on the condition that they enter the Crusades. A loose version of the character also appears in medieval Italian extensions of the tales, in the Italian form
Rinaldo.
Riordan
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Personal remark: little poet king
Rating: 40% based on 1 vote
From an Irish surname (Anglicized from Irish Gaelic
Ó Ríoghbhárdáin), which was derived from the given name
Rígbarddán.
Roland
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, German, Swedish, Dutch, Hungarian, Polish, Slovak, Albanian, Georgian, Carolingian Cycle
Other Scripts: როლანდ(Georgian)
Pronounced: RO-lənd(English) RAW-LAHN(French) RO-lant(German) RO-lahnt(Dutch) RO-lawnd(Hungarian) RAW-lant(Polish)
From the Old German elements
hruod meaning "fame" and
lant meaning "land", though some theories hold that the second element was originally
nand meaning "brave"
[1].
Roland was an 8th-century military commander, serving under Charlemagne, who was killed by the Basques at the Battle of Roncevaux. His name was recorded in Latin as Hruodlandus. His tale was greatly embellished in the 11th-century French epic La Chanson de Roland, in which he is a nephew of Charlemagne killed after being ambushed by the Saracens. The Normans introduced the name to England.
Roscoe
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: RAHS-ko
Rating: 25% based on 2 votes
From an English surname, originally derived from a place name, itself derived from Old Norse rá "roebuck" and skógr "wood, forest".
Ruadh
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Medieval Irish [1], Medieval Scottish
Pronounced: RWU(Irish)
Irish and Scottish Gaelic byname meaning "red", often a nickname for one with red hair. This was the nickname of the Scottish outlaw Raibeart Ruadh MacGregor (1671-1734), known as Rob Roy in English.
Satu
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Finnish
Pronounced: SAH-too
Means "fairy tale, fable" in Finnish.
Solomon
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical, English, Jewish, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
Other Scripts: שְׁלֹמֹה(Hebrew) Σολομών(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: SAHL-ə-mən(American English) SAWL-ə-mən(British English)
Rating: 30% based on 2 votes
From the Hebrew name
שְׁלֹמֹה (Shelomoh), which was derived from Hebrew
שָׁלוֹם (shalom) meaning "peace". As told in the
Old Testament, Solomon was a king of Israel, the son of
David and
Bathsheba. He was renowned for his wisdom and wealth. Towards the end of his reign he angered God by turning to idolatry. Supposedly, he was the author of the Book of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon.
This name has never been overly common in the Christian world, and it is considered typically Jewish. It was however borne by an 11th-century Hungarian king.
Soren
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Modern)
Rating: 40% based on 1 vote
Télesphore
Gender: Masculine
Usage: French (Archaic)
French form of the Greek name
Τελεσφόρος (Telesphoros) meaning
"bringing fulfillment" or
"bearing fruit" [1].
Saint Telesphorus was a 2nd-century pope and martyr.
Theodoric
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Gothic (Anglicized)
Other Scripts: 𐌸𐌹𐌿𐌳𐌰𐍂𐌴𐌹𐌺𐍃(Gothic)
Pronounced: thee-AHD-ə-rik(English)
Personal remark: ruler of the people
Rating: 30% based on 2 votes
From the Gothic name *
Þiudareiks meaning
"ruler of the people", derived from the elements
þiuda "people" and
reiks "ruler, king". It was notably borne by Theodoric the Great, a 6th-century king of the Ostrogoths who eventually became the ruler of Italy. By Theodoric's time the Ostrogoths were partially Romanized and his name was regularly recorded as
Theodoricus. This was also the name of two earlier (5th century) Visigothic kings.
Theron
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Θήρων(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: TEH-RAWN(Classical Greek) THEHR-ən(English)
Rating: 30% based on 2 votes
Thyme
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
From Old French thym, from Latin thymum, from Ancient Greek θύμον (thúmon).
Tielo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Medieval German
Tirion
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Welsh (Rare), Welsh Mythology
Pronounced: Tee-ree-ohn(Welsh Mythology)
Personal remark: gentle, happy
Means "gentle; happy" in Welsh.
While this name appears as a male name in Welsh mythology, it is mostly used for girls now (with the occasional masculine use).
Torin
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Modern)
Rating: 75% based on 2 votes
Meaning unknown. It has been suggested that it is of Irish origin, though no suitable derivation can be found.
Tristan
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, Arthurian Cycle
Pronounced: TRIS-tən(English) TREES-TAHN(French)
Rating: 87% based on 3 votes
Probably from the Celtic name
Drustan, a
diminutive of
Drust, which occurs as
Drystan in a few Welsh sources. As
Tristan, it first appears in 12th-century French tales, probably altered by association with Old French
triste "sad". According to the tales Tristan was sent to Ireland by his uncle King Mark of Cornwall in order to fetch
Iseult, who was to be the king's bride. On the way back, Tristan and Iseult accidentally drink a potion that makes them fall in love. Later versions of the tale make Tristan one of King
Arthur's knights. His tragic story was very popular in the Middle Ages, and the name has occasionally been used since then.
Urien
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arthurian Cycle
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
From the Old Welsh name
Urbgen, possibly from the Celtic root *
orbo- "heir" and the suffix
gen "born of". This was the name of a 6th-century king of Rheged. Passing into Arthurian tales, he became the king of Gore, the husband of
Morgan le Fay, and the father of
Owain.
Väinämöinen
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Finnish Mythology
Pronounced: VIE-na-mui-nehn(Finnish)
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
Derived from Finnish
väinä meaning
"wide and slow-flowing river". In Finnish
mythology Väinämöinen was a wise old magician, the son of the primal goddess
Ilmatar. He is the hero of the Finnish epic the
Kalevala.
Verne
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (American, Rare)
Pronounced: VURN(American English)
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
Variant of
Vern, or transferred use of the surname
Verne.
Vernon
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: VURN-ən
Rating: 65% based on 2 votes
From a Norman surname, which was from a French place name, ultimately derived from the Gaulish word vern meaning "alder".
Virgil
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Romanian
Pronounced: VUR-jil(English)
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
From the Roman family name Vergilius, which is of unknown meaning. This name was borne by the 1st-century BC Roman poet Publius Vergilius Maro, commonly called Virgil, who was the writer of the Aeneid. Due to him, Virgil has been in use as a given name in the English-speaking world since the 19th century.
Wesley
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: WEHS-lee, WEHZ-lee
Rating: 30% based on 2 votes
From an English surname that was derived from a place name, itself meaning
"west meadow" from Old English
west "west" and
leah "woodland, clearing". It has been sometimes given in honour of John Wesley (1703-1791), the founder of Methodism.
Winslow
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: WINZ-lo
Rating: 25% based on 2 votes
From a surname that was derived from an Old English place name meaning
"hill belonging to Wine". A famous bearer of this name was American painter Winslow Homer (1836-1910).
Yorick
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Literature, English, Dutch
Pronounced: YAWR-ik(English) YO-rik(Dutch)
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
Possibly an altered form of
Jörg. Shakespeare used this name for a deceased court jester in his play
Hamlet (1600).
Yvain
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arthurian Cycle
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
Form of
Owain used by the 12th-century French poet Chrétien de Troyes for his Arthurian romance
Yvain, the Knight of the Lion.
Ywain
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arthurian Cycle
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
Zeferino
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Portuguese
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
Portuguese form of the Roman name
Zephyrinus, which was derived from the Greek
Zephyros (see
Zephyr).
Saint Zephyrinus was a 3rd-century pope.
Zephyr
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Greek Mythology (Anglicized)
Other Scripts: Ζέφυρος(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: ZEHF-ər(English)
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
From the Greek
Ζέφυρος (Zephyros) meaning
"west wind". Zephyros was the Greek god of the west wind.
Zorion
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Basque
Personal remark: happiness
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
Means "happiness" in Basque.
Zubin
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Indian (Parsi)
Other Scripts: ज़ुबिन(Hindi)
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
Possibly a Parsi form of
Chobin.
behindthename.com · Copyright © 1996-2024