QueenBethany's Personal Name List

Feminine elaboration of Aaron using the popular name suffix lyn.

From the name of a type of tree, ultimately derived from Greek ἀκή (ake) meaning "thorn, point".

Means "nobleness, nobility", from the French form of the Germanic name Adalheidis, which was composed of adal "noble" and the suffix heit "kind, sort, type". It was borne in the 10th century by Saint Adelaide, the wife of the Holy Roman emperor Otto the Great.

In Britain the parallel form Alice, derived via Old French, has historically been more common than Adelaide, though this form did gain some currency in the 19th century due to the popularity of the German-born wife of King William IV, for whom the city of Adelaide in Australia was named in 1836.

Variant of Adela.

Feminine form of Adrastos. In Greek mythology this name was borne by a nymph who fostered the infant Zeus. This was also another name of the goddess Nemesis.

Latinized form of the Greek name Ἀγαθή (Agathe), derived from Greek ἀγαθός (agathos) meaning "good". Saint Agatha was a 3rd-century martyr from Sicily who was tortured and killed after spurning the advances of a Roman official. The saint was widely revered in the Middle Ages, and her name has been used throughout Christian Europe (in various spellings). The mystery writer Agatha Christie (1890-1976) was a famous modern bearer of this name.

Feminine form of Alan.

Possibly derived from Arabic ألْف (alf) meaning "thousand". Alternatively, it may be of Turkic origin.

Alternate transcription of Arabic علياء (see Alya 1).

Variant of Elora.

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.

Used by Voltaire for the heroine of his tragic play 'Alzire, ou les Américains' (1736), about a young indigenous Peruvian woman, daughter of a powerful chief. The heroine is named Alzira in Verdi's opera based on the play. It was also used by Zola for a character in his novel 'Germinal' (1885).

In part this is a feminine form of Amandus. However, it was not used during the Middle Ages. In the 17th century it was recreated by authors and poets who based it directly on Latin amanda meaning "lovable, worthy of love". Notably, the playwright Colley Cibber used it for a character in his play Love's Last Shift (1696). It came into regular use during the 19th century.

From the name of the purple semi-precious stone, which is derived from the Greek negative prefix ἀ (a) and μέθυστος (methystos) meaning "intoxicated, drunk", as it was believed to be a remedy against drunkenness. It is the traditional birthstone of February.

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

Feminine form of Andrew.

Derived from Greek ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man" (genitive ἀνδρός) combined with one of the related words μέδομαι (medomai) meaning "to be mindful of, to provide for, to think on" or μέδω (medo) meaning "to protect, to rule over". In Greek mythology Andromeda was an Ethiopian princess rescued from sacrifice by the hero Perseus. A constellation in the northern sky is named for her. This is also the name of a nearby galaxy, given because it resides (from our point of view) within the constellation.

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 England, this Latin form has been used alongside the vernacular forms Ann and Anne since the late Middle Ages. Anna is currently the most common of these spellings in all English-speaking countries (since the 1970s), however the biblical form Hannah is presently more popular than all three.

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.

Latinate form of Annabel. It can also be interpreted as a combination of Anna and Latin/Italian bella "beautiful".

Combination of Anna and Lise.

French form of Anna. It was imported to England in the 13th century, but it did not become popular until three centuries later. The spelling variant Ann was also commonly found from this period, and is still used to this day.

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. Another notable bearer was the German-Jewish diarist Anne (Annelies) Frank, a young victim of the Holocaust in 1945. This is also the name of the heroine in the 1908 novel Anne of Green Gables by Canadian author L. M. Montgomery.

From the name of the month, probably originally derived from Latin aperire "to open", referring to the opening of flowers. It has only been commonly used as a given name since the 1940s.

One of the princesses in Disney's "The Little Mermaid." The name probably comes from aqua, water.

Medieval Scottish name, probably a variant of Annabel. It has long been associated with Latin orabilis meaning "invokable, yielding to prayer", and the name was often recorded in forms resembling this.

Unrelated, this was an older name of the city of Irbid in Jordan, from Greek Ἄρβηλα (Arbela).

Means "lion of God" in Hebrew, from אֲרִי ('ari) meaning "lion" and אֵל ('el) meaning "God". In the Old Testament it is used as another name for the city of Jerusalem. Shakespeare utilized it for a spirit in his play The Tempest (1611) and Alexander Pope utilized it for a sylph in his poem The Rape of the Lock (1712), and one of the moons of Uranus bears this name in his honour. As an English name, it became more common for females in the 1980s, especially after it was used for the title character in the Disney film The Little Mermaid (1989).

Strictly feminine form of Ariel.

Means "ear of grain" in Latin. This is the name of a star, also known as Spica, in the constellation Virgo.

Perhaps derived from Semitic roots meaning "she who walks in the sea". This was the name of a Semitic mother goddess. She was worshipped by the Israelites before the advent of monotheism.

From an English surname that was originally derived from place names meaning "ash tree clearing", from a combination of Old English æsc and leah. Until the 1960s it was more commonly given to boys in the United States, but it is now most often used on girls. It reached its height of popularity in America in 1987, but it did not become the highest ranked name until 1991, being overshadowed by the likewise-popular Jessica until then. In the United Kingdom it is still more common as a masculine name.

From an English surname, itself derived from a place name meaning "ash tree town" in Old English. This was a rare masculine name until the 1980s, when it gradually began becoming more common for both genders. Inspired by the female character Ashton Main from the 1985 miniseries North and South, parents in America gave it more frequently to girls than boys from 1986 to 1997 [1]. Since then it has been overwhelmingly masculine once again, perhaps due in part to the fame of the actor Ashton Kutcher (1978-).

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

From Navajo awéé' meaning "baby" [1].

Variant of Azriel. This was the name of an angel in Jewish and Islamic tradition who separated the soul from the body upon death. He is sometimes referred to as the Angel of Death.

French diminutive of Élisabeth or Barbara.

Diminutive of András.

From the English word, ultimately from the late Latin bannire "to proclaim". Used by My Chemical Romance vocalist Gerard Way and Mindless Self Indulgence bassist Lyn-Z for their daughter.

The name of the character in the Australian Cartoon "Bluey".
Bandit is a secondary character and the mate/husband of Chilli, Bluey and Bingo’s father, Uncle Stripe’s older brother and Socks and Muffin‘s uncle.

Diminutive of Barbara. This is the name of a doll produced by the Mattel toy company since 1959. It was named after the original designer's daughter.

Transferred use of the surname Barron.

Known bearers of Barron as a given name include the American business magnate Barron Hilton (b. 1927), his grandson Barron Hilton II (b. 1989) and Barron Trump (b. 2006), the youngest son of the American businessman and president Donald Trump (b. 1946).

From an occupational surname that meant "(female) baker", from Old English bæcere and a feminine agent suffix.

Italian form of Beatrix. Beatrice Portinari (1266-1290) was the woman who was loved by the Italian poet Dante Alighieri. She serves as Dante's guide through paradise in his epic poem the Divine Comedy (1321). This is also the name of a character in Shakespeare's comedy Much Ado About Nothing (1599), in which Beatrice and Benedick are fooled into confessing their love for one another.

From Italian bella "beautiful, fair" and donna "lady". This is the name of a toxic plant, also called deadly nightshade (species Atropa belladonna).

Means "female warrior" in Latin. This is the name of the star that marks the left shoulder of the constellation Orion.

From an English surname that originally meant "son of Benedict".

From the name of a biblical town, Βηθανία (Bethania) in Greek, which is probably of Aramaic or Hebrew origin, possibly meaning "house of affliction" or "house of figs". In the New Testament the town of Bethany is the home of Lazarus and his sisters Mary and Martha. It has been in use as a rare given name in the English-speaking world since the 19th century, used primarily by Catholics in honour of Mary of Bethany. In America it became moderately common after the 1950s.

Means'Pure'

From a Scottish surname that was derived from Gaelic blàr meaning "plain, field, battlefield". In Scotland this name is typically masculine.

In the United States it became more common for girls in the early 1980s, shortly after the debut of the television sitcom The Facts of Life (1979-1988), which featured a character named Blair Warner. The name left the American top 1000 rankings two decades later, but was resurrected by another television character, this time Blair Waldorf from the series Gossip Girl (2007-2012).

From the English word blossom, ultimately from Old English blóstm. It came into use as a rare given name in the 19th century.

From the English word for the colour, derived via Norman French from a Frankish word (replacing the native Old English cognate blaw). Despite the fact that this name was used by the American musicians Beyoncé and Jay-Z in 2012 for their first daughter, it has not come into general use in the United States.

Variant of Briana.

Meaning uncertain, possibly related to the old Celtic root *brixs "hill, high" (Old Irish brií) or the related *brigā "might, power" (Old Irish briíg). It was borne by the Irish king Brian Boru, who thwarted Viking attempts to conquer Ireland in the 11th century. He was slain in the Battle of Clontarf, though his forces were decisively victorious. This name was common in Ireland after his time, and it was introduced to northern England by Norse-Gael settlers. It was also used in Brittany, and was brought to England by Bretons in the wake of the Norman Conquest. Though it eventually became rare in the English-speaking world, it was strongly revived in the 20th century, becoming a top-ten name for boys in most regions.

From the English word for the thorny plant.

Short form of Gabrielle. This is also the name of towns in the Netherlands and New Jersey, though their names derive from a different source.

Variant of Brittany. This name is borne by the American pop singer Britney Spears (1981-).

Feminine variant of Bryn. It was brought to limited public attention in 1978 when the actress Brynn Thayer (1949-) began appearing on the American soap opera One Life to Live [1].

From the English word for the yellow flower (genus Ranunculus). Author William Goldman used it for Princess Buttercup in his book The Princess Bride (1973) and the subsequent film adaptation (1987).

Used to invoke the brilliantly-colored winged insect, which is widely seen as a symbol of metamorphosis, renewal, and rebirth, as well as one of youth and beauty. This is the birth name of a noted Australian folk singer, Butterfly Boucher, among others.

From an English word meaning "rhythm, flow". It has been in use only since the 20th century.

From the English word, a sweet dessert food, ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European *gog "ball-shaped object".

Catalan, Galician, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese form of Calypso.

Diminutive of Candace. It is also influenced by the English word candy.

From Latin Capricornus meaning "horned like a goat" (from caper, genitive capri "goat" and cornu "horn"), a loan-translation of Greek Aigokheros, the name of the constellation. This is also the name of the tenth sign of the zodiac.

From the name of the Italian island of Capri.

Feminine form of Carlo, Carlos or Carl.

Diminutive of Caroline.

Diminutive of Catherine. It can also be a nickname from the English word for the animal.

From the English word charity, ultimately derived from Late Latin caritas "generous love", from Latin carus "dear, beloved". Caritas was in use as a Roman Christian name. The English name Charity came into use among the Puritans after the Protestant Reformation. It is currently most common in parts of English-influenced Africa.

From an English surname meaning "chase, hunt" in Middle English, originally a nickname for a huntsman.

From an English surname that originally belonged to a person who came from Chester, an old Roman settlement in Britain. The name of the settlement came from Latin castrum "camp, fortress".

From Sino-Vietnamese 枝 (chi) meaning "branch".

Named for the spicy fruit from Central and South America used in cooking. The word is from the Nahuatl language. Has gained some interest in Australia since restaurateur Pete Evans chose this name for his eldest daughter around 2005.

From the name of the Asian country, ultimately derived from Qin, the name of a dynasty that ruled there in the 3rd century BC.

Means "green shoot" in Greek, referring to new plant growth in the spring. This was an epithet of the Greek goddess Demeter. The name is also mentioned by Paul in one of his epistles in the New Testament.

As an English name, Chloe has been in use since the Protestant Reformation. It started getting more popular in the 1980s in the United Kingdom and then the United States. It was the most popular name for girls in England and Wales from 1997 to 2002. This is one of the few English-language names that is often written with a diaeresis, as Chloë.

From the name of the holiday, which means "Christ festival".

Variant of China.

Means "ancient, enduring" in Irish. In Irish mythology this was the name of the father of Lugh Lámfada. It was also borne by the mythical ancestor of the Ciannachta and by a son-in-law of Brian Boru.

Means "little ashes", in part from the French name Cendrillon. This is the main character in the folktale Cinderella about a maltreated young woman who eventually marries a prince. This old story is best known in the English-speaking world from the French author Charles Perrault's 1697 version. She has other names in other languages, usually with the meaning "ashes", such as German Aschenputtel and Italian Cenerentola.

Simply from the English word cinnamon for the spice. It derives from Latin cinnamum, cinnamomum "cinnamon", which was used as a term of endearment.

Short form of Cleopatra, Cleon or Cleopas.

From the Greek name Κλεοπάτρα (Kleopatra) meaning "glory of the father", derived from κλέος (kleos) meaning "glory" combined with πατήρ (pater) meaning "father" (genitive πατρός). This was the name of queens of Egypt from the Ptolemaic royal family, including Cleopatra VII, the mistress of both Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. After being defeated by Augustus she committed suicide (according to popular belief, by allowing herself to be bitten by a venomous asp). Shakespeare's tragedy Antony and Cleopatra (1606) tells the story of her life.

From a surname that was originally from a place name meaning "ford by a cliff" in Old English.

From the English word for the wild flower, ultimately deriving from Old English clafre.

Diminutive of names beginning with Co, influenced by the word cocoa. However, this was not the case for French fashion designer Coco Chanel (1883-1971; real name Gabrielle), whose nickname came from the name of a song she performed while working as a cabaret singer.

Old English byname meaning "charcoal", originally given to a person with dark features.

A nickname with meaning that can be particular to the bearer. Cookie can suggest someone who is sweet, or it can be a nickname for someone who cooks, as in the long running cartoon strip 'Beetle Bailey' where the camp cook is known as Cookie.

Latinized form of Kore. It was not used as a given name in the English-speaking world until after it was employed by James Fenimore Cooper for a character in his novel The Last of the Mohicans (1826). In some cases it may be a short form of Cordula, Corinna and other names beginning with a similar sound.

Created by the French composer Adolphe Adam for one of the main characters in his opera Le Toréador (1849). He probably based it on the name Coralie. It was also used by the author Neil Gaiman for the young heroine in his novel Coraline (2002). Gaiman has stated that in this case the name began as a typo of Caroline.

French form of Quirinus.

From an aristocratic English surname that was derived either from the French place name Courtenay (originally a derivative of the personal name Curtenus, itself derived from Latin curtus "short") or else from a Norman nickname meaning "short nose".

Originally more common as a name for boys in America, it became more popular for girls in the 1960s. It began rapidly increasing after 1973, possibly due to a character (played by Natalie Wood) in the television movie The Affair. It reached an apex in the United States ranked 17th in 1990, though it has quickly fallen away since then.

From the name of a Native American tribe of central Canada. Their name derives via French from the Cree word kiristino.

Latinized form of Greek Κυνθία (Kynthia), which means "woman from Cynthus". This was an epithet of the Greek moon goddess Artemis, given because Cynthus was the mountain on Delos on which she and her twin brother Apollo were born. It was not used as a given name until the Renaissance, and it did not become common in the English-speaking world until the 19th century. It reached a peak of popularity in the United States in 1957 and has declined steadily since then.

French feminine form of Daniel. It has been commonly used in the English-speaking world only since the 20th century.

Short form of David.

Transferred use of the surname Delancey.

From a surname: either the English surname Delaney 1 or the Irish surname Delaney 2.

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

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

Feminine form of Dipaka.

Means "discord, strife" in Latin. This was the name of the Roman goddess of discord, equivalent to the Greek goddess Eris.

Means "region, direction" in Sanskrit.

Means "divine, heavenly" in Sanskrit.

From the term that refers to the southern United States, used by Daniel D. Emmett in his song Dixie in 1859. The term may be derived from French dix "ten", which was printed on ten-dollar bills issued from a New Orleans bank. Alternatively it may come from the term Mason-Dixon Line, the boundary between Pennsylvania and Maryland.

From Italian donna meaning "lady". It is also used as a feminine form of Donald.

Short form of Dorothy, Theodora or Isidora.

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.

Ancient Greek δράκων, Latin draco "dragon; snake".

Short form of Andrew.

From a nickname originally given to people perceived as being dusty. It is also used a diminutive of Dustin. A famous bearer was British singer Dusty Springfield (1939-1999), who acquired her nickname as a child.

From the English name of the Christian festival celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. It was ultimately named for the Germanic spring goddess Eostre. It was traditionally given to children born on Easter, though it is rare in modern times.

From the Old French form of the Occitan name Alienòr. 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.

Latinate form of Eleanor.

Variant of Eleanor.

Basque form of Elizabeth.

Norman name, originally a short form of Germanic names containing the element alles meaning "other" (Proto-Germanic *aljaz). It was introduced to England by the Normans and used until the 14th century, and it was later revived in the 19th century. A famous bearer was the American singer Ella Fitzgerald (1917-1996).

Diminutive of Eleanor and other names beginning with El. This name can also be given in reference to the French pronoun elle meaning "she".

Already growing in popularity due to Australian model Elle Macpherson (1964-), this name received a boost in the United States after the release of the 2001 movie Legally Blonde featuring the main character Elle Woods. In the United Kingdom the name was already fairly common at the time the movie came out, and it actually started declining there shortly afterwards. A famous bearer is American actress Elle Fanning (1998-).

Diminutive of Eleanor, Ellen 1 and other names beginning with El. This name became popular in the United Kingdom in the 1990s, being ranked second for girls in 2003.

From the English word ember, ultimately from Old English æmerge.

Originally a short form of Germanic names that began with the element irmin meaning "whole" or "great" (Proto-Germanic *ermunaz). It was introduced to England by Emma of Normandy, who was the wife both of King Ethelred II (and by him the mother of Edward the Confessor) and later of King Canute. It was also borne by an 11th-century Austrian saint, who is sometimes called Hemma.

After the Norman Conquest this name became common in England. It was revived in the 18th century, perhaps in part due to Matthew Prior's 1709 poem Henry and Emma [2]. It was also used by Jane Austen for the central character, the matchmaker Emma Woodhouse, in her novel Emma (1816).

In the United States, it was third in rank in 1880 (behind only the ubiquitous Mary and Anna). It declined steadily over the next century, beginning another rise in the 1980s and eventually becoming the most popular name for girls in 2008. At this time it also experienced similar levels of popularity elsewhere, including the United Kingdom (where it began rising a decade earlier), Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Scandinavia and the Netherlands. Famous bearers include the actresses Emma Thompson (1959-), Emma Stone (1988-) and Emma Watson (1990-).

From an English surname that was derived from a diminutive of the feminine given name Emma.

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

From the name of the Christian festival (January 6) that commemorates the visit of the Magi to the infant Jesus. It is also an English word meaning "sudden appearance" or "sudden perception", ultimately deriving from Greek ἐπιφάνεια (epiphaneia) meaning "manifestation".

Latinized form of the Greek name Ἔραστος (Erastos) meaning "beloved, lovely". This was the name of an assistant of Paul mentioned in Acts and two epistles in the New Testament.

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

Diminutive of Estelle or Esther.

Latinate form of Estelle. This is the name of the heroine, Estella Havisham, in Charles Dickens' novel Great Expectations (1860).

Short form of Henrietta and other names that end with etta. A famous bearer was the American singer Etta James (1938-2012), who took her stage name from her real given name Jamesetta.

Form of Eve used in various languages. This form is used in the Latin translation of the New Testament, while Hava is used in the Latin Old Testament. A notable bearer was the Argentine first lady Eva Perón (1919-1952), the subject of the musical Evita. The name also appears in Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852) belonging to the character Little Eva, whose real name is in fact Evangeline.

This is also an alternate transcription of Russian Ева (see Yeva).

Feminine form of Fabius.

Means "joy, happiness" in Arabic.

Short form of Olufemi.

Simply from the English word flower for the blossoming plant. It is derived (via Old French) from Latin flos.

From Old Norse Freyja meaning "lady". This is the name of a goddess associated with love, beauty, war and death in Norse mythology. She claims half of the heroes who are slain in battle and brings them to her realm of Fólkvangr. Along with her brother Freyr and father Njord, she is one of the Vanir (as opposed to the Æsir). Some scholars connect her with the goddess Frigg.

This is not the usual spelling in any of the Scandinavian languages (in Sweden and Denmark it is Freja and in Norway it is Frøja) but it is the common spelling of the goddess's name in English. In the 2000s it became popular in Britain.

From Fuchsia, a genus of flowering plants, itself named after the German botanist Leonhart Fuchs (1501-1566), whose surname means "fox" in German.

It was most famously used by British author Mervyn Peake for the character Fuchsia Groan in his Gormenghast books (1946-1959).

From the English word galaxy, "a collection of star systems", ultimately from from Ancient Greek γαλαξίας (galaxías, "Milky Way"), from γάλα (gála, "milk").

From the English word garnet for the precious stone, the birthstone of January. The word is derived from Middle English gernet meaning "dark red".

Means "twins" in Latin. This is the name of the third sign of the zodiac. The two brightest stars in the constellation, Castor and Pollux, are named for the mythological twin sons of Leda.

English form of Geneviève.

Feminine form of George.

Diminutive of Gianna.

Means "bright pledge", derived from the Old German elements gisal "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 English saint, the founder of the religious order known as the Gilbertines.

Italian form of Iohanna (see Joanna), making it the feminine form of Giovanni.

From the English word given, meaning "A condition that is assumed to be true without further evaluation.".

From Middle English given, from Old Norse gefa (“to give”), from Proto-Germanic *gebaną (“to give”). Displaced or merged with native Middle English yiven, ȝeven, from Old English ġiefan, from the same Proto-Germanic source (compare the obsolete inherited English doublet yive).
Cognate with Scots gie (“to give”), Danish give (“to give”), Swedish giva, ge (“to give”), Icelandic gefa (“to give”), North Frisian jiw, jiiw, jeewe (“to give”), West Frisian jaan (“to give”), Low German geven (“to give”), Dutch geven (“to give”), German geben (“to give”).

Given Singuluma is a soccer player for the TP Mazembe, National Assembly F.C., Bay United F.C., Zanaco F.C., and Zambia national football team. Given was born on July 19th, 1986 in Lusaka Province.

Means "glory", from the Portuguese and Spanish titles of the Virgin Mary Maria da Glória and María de Gloria. Maria da Glória (1819-1853) was the daughter of the Brazilian emperor Pedro I, eventually becoming queen of Portugal as Maria II.

The name was introduced to the English-speaking world by E. D. E. N. Southworth's novel Gloria (1891) and George Bernard Shaw's play You Never Can Tell (1898), which both feature characters with a Portuguese background [1]. It was popularized in the early 20th century by American actress Gloria Swanson (1899-1983). Another famous bearer is feminist Gloria Steinem (1934-).

Goofy is a funny-animal cartoon character created in 1932 at Walt Disney Productions.

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.

This name was very popular in the English-speaking world at the end of the 19th century. Though it declined in use over the next 100 years, it staged a successful comeback at the end of the 20th century. The American sitcom Will and Grace (1998-2006) may have helped, though the name was already strongly rising when it premiered. It was the top name for girls in England and Wales in 2006.

German diminutive of Margareta.

Diminutive of Grete. It is well-known as a character from an 1812 Brothers Grimm fairy tale who is captured, with her brother Hansel, by a witch. The Grimm's story was based on earlier European folktales.

Variant of Grayson.

Anglicized form of Hänsel. This is the name of a boy in a German fairy tale, recorded in 1812 by the Brothers Grimm with the title Hänsel und Gretel. In the tale Hansel and his sister Gretel are abandoned in the woods by their parents, then taken captive by a witch.

From the English word happy, derived from Middle English hap "chance, luck", of Old Norse origin.

From the English word harmony, ultimately deriving from Greek ἁρμονία (harmonia).

From an English surname that was derived from a place name, itself from Old English heorot "hart, male deer" and leah "woodland, clearing".

Feminine variant of Hartley influenced by the English word: Heart.

From the English word for the holly tree, ultimately derived from Old English holen. Holly Golightly is the main character in the novella Breakfast at Tiffany's (1958) by Truman Capote.

Simply from the English word honey, ultimately from Old English hunig. This was originally a nickname for a sweet person.

Means "carrying rice" in Japanese, from 稲 (ina) meaning "rice" and 荷 (ri) meaning "carry". This is the name of a Japanese divinity associated with prosperity, rice and foxes, represented as both female and male.

Possibly a diminutive of India or Indiana, but also likely inspired by the term indie, short for independent, which is typically used to refer to media produced outside of the mainstream.

Greek form of Joanna.

From Greek Εἰρήνη (Eirene), derived from a word meaning "peace". This was the name of the Greek goddess who personified peace, one of the Ὥραι (Horai). It was also borne by several early Christian saints. The name was common in the Byzantine Empire, notably being borne by an 8th-century empress, who was the first woman to lead the empire. She originally served as regent for her son, but later had him killed and ruled alone.

This name has traditionally been more popular among Eastern Christians. In the English-speaking world it was not regularly used until the 19th century.

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

From the English word for the climbing plant that has small yellow flowers. It is ultimately derived from Old English ifig.

Estonian form of Jacob (or James).

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

An invented name, using the popular den suffix sound found in such names as Braden, Hayden and Aidan. This name first became common in America in the 1990s when similar-sounding names were increasing in popularity. The spelling Jayden has been more popular since 2003. It is sometimes considered a variant of the biblical name Jadon.

English form of the Late Latin name Iacomus, a variant of the Biblical Latin form Iacobus, from 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.

This name has been used in England since the 13th century, 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. In American name statistics (recorded since 1880) this name has never been out of the top 20, making it arguably the era's most consistently popular name. It was the top ranked name for boys in the United States from 1940 to 1952.

Famous bearers include the English explorer 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 in 1953.

Diminutive of Jane.

Variant of Janelle.

Diminutive of Jane. It has been in use only since the 20th century.

Elaborated form of Jane, created by Paul Leicester Ford for his novel Janice Meredith (1899).

From the English word for the climbing plant with fragrant flowers that is used for making perfumes. It is derived via Arabic from Persian یاسمین (yasamin), which is also a Persian name. In the United States this name steadily grew in popularity from the 1970s, especially among African Americans [1]. It reached a peak in the early 1990s shortly after the release of the animated Disney movie Aladdin (1992), which featured a princess by this name.

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.

Variant of James.

Combination of Jean 1 and Marie.

Variant of Ximena. This form is more popular in Spain itself.

Diminutive of James. This was the usual name of American actor James Stewart (1908-1997). It is also used by the former American president Jimmy Carter (1924-).

Diminutive of Joséphine.

Variant of Journey.

From the medieval masculine name Josse, which was derived from the earlier Iudocus, which was a Latinized form of the Breton name Judoc meaning "lord". The name belonged to a 7th-century Breton saint, and Breton settlers introduced it to England after the Norman Conquest. It became rare after the 14th century, but was later revived as a feminine name, perhaps because of similarity to the Middle English word joise "to rejoice". This given name also became a surname, as in the case of the Irish novelist James Joyce (1882-1941).

French form of Julius. A notable bearer of this name was the French novelist Jules Verne (1828-1905), author of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and other works of science fiction.

French, Danish, Norwegian and Czech form of Julia. It has spread to many other regions as well. It has been common in the English-speaking world since the early 20th century.

Anglicized form of Giulietta or Juliette. This spelling was used for the ill-fated lover of Romeo in the play Romeo and Juliet (1596) by William Shakespeare. Shakespeare based his story on earlier Italian tales such as Giulietta e Romeo (1524) by Luigi Da Porto.

From the English word for the type of tree, derived ultimately from Latin iuniperus.

Means "the heavens" from Hawaiian ka "the" and lani "heaven, sky, royal, majesty".

Danish short form of Katherine. It became common in the English-speaking world after the 1930s.

Diminutive of Katherine.

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

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

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

Variant of Kaylee.

Variant of Kaylee.

Variant of Kailani or Kalani. This spelling was popularized by the American singer Kehlani Parrish (1995-), who is known simply as Kehlani.

Possibly invented, or possibly based on Keziah. It began to be used in the 1960s.

Anglicized form of the Irish given name Ceallach or the surname derived from it Ó Ceallaigh. As a surname, it has been borne by actor and dancer Gene Kelly (1912-1996) and actress and princess Grace Kelly (1929-1982).

As a given name it was mostly masculine before 1940, but it rose in popularity as a name for girls during the 40s and 50s, probably due both to Grace Kelly (who married Prince Rainier III of Monaco in 1956) and a female character on the 1957 television series Bachelor Father [1]. By the end of the 1970s it was on the decline.

Short form of Mackenzie.

Means "king, foundation, symbol of pride" in Persian.

Variant of Cian.

Hawaiian form of Diana. It was brought to wider attention in the late 1980s, likely by the Hawaiian fitness instructor Kiana Tom (1965-), who had a television show on ESPN beginning in 1988 [1].

Variant of Ciara 1 or Chiara. This name was brought to public attention in 1988 after the singing duo Kiara released their song This Time. It was further popularized by a character in the animated movie The Lion King II (1998).

Finnish feminine form of Cyrus.

At the present it is usually considered a short form of Kimberly, but it in fact predates it as a given name. The author Rudyard Kipling used it for the title hero of his novel Kim (1901), though in this case it was short for Kimball. In her novel Show Boat (1926) Edna Ferber used it for a female character who was born on the Mississippi River and was named from the initials of the states Kentucky, Illinois and Mississippi. The name was popularized in America by the actresses Kim Hunter (1922-2002) and Kim Novak (1933-), both of whom assumed it as a stage name.

From a surname that was derived from either the Welsh given name Cynbel or the Old English given name Cynebald.

Middle English form of Cyneburg.

Variant of Courtney. Like Courtney this name declined in popularity in the 1990s, but it was briefly revived after 2007 by the television personality Kourtney Kardashian (1979-) when she began appearing on the reality show Keeping Up with the Kardashians.

Variant of Kylie.

Russian short form of Larisa. It was introduced to the English-speaking world by a character from Boris Pasternak's novel Doctor Zhivago (1957) and the subsequent movie adaptation (1965). Between 1965 and 1969 it increased by almost 2,000 percent in the United States, however it is currently much more popular in the United Kingdom, Australia, Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Germany. Another famous fictional bearer is Lara Croft, first appearing in video games in 1996 and movies in 2001.

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

Probably this was originally a variant of Liana. It is now often considered a combination of Lee and Anna [1].

Diminutive of Leonard.

Originally a medieval diminutive of Ibb, itself a diminutive of Isabel. It is also used as a diminutive of Elizabeth.

From the English word for the shrub with purple or white flowers (genus Syringa). It is derived via Arabic from Persian.

From an English and Scottish surname that was originally derived from the name of the eastern English region of Lindsey, which means "Lincoln island" in Old English. As a given name it was typically masculine until the 1960s (in Britain) and 70s (in America) when it became popular for girls, probably due to its similarity to Linda and because of American actress Lindsay Wagner (1949-) [1].

Variant of Lindsay.

Variant of Lindsay.

Short form of Elizabeth (though often used independently) and its cognates in other languages. This is the name of the subject of one of the world's most famous paintings, the Mona Lisa, the portrait of Lisa del Giocondo by Leonardo da Vinci.

In the United States this form was more popular than the full form Elizabeth from 1958 to 1978, and was in fact the top ranked American name between 1962 and 1969.

Diminutive of Elizabeth.

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

Variant of Lorraine.

Diminutive of Laura, Lorraine and other names beginning with Lor. This name rapidly rose in popularity in the United States in the 1950s and 60s, peaking in the 8th spot for girls in 1963.

Means simply "lyric, songlike" from the English word, ultimately derived from Greek λυρικός (lyrikos).

From Hebrew מָעַך (ma'akh) meaning "to press, to crush". This name is borne by both male and female characters in the Old Testament.

From a Welsh surname meaning "son of Madoc". It was brought to public attention when the actress Angelina Jolie gave this name to her adopted son in 2002.

Variant of Madeline.

Anglicized form of the Irish name Medb meaning "intoxicating". In Irish legend this was the name of a warrior queen of Connacht. She and her husband Ailill fought against the Ulster king Conchobar and the hero Cúchulainn, as told in the Irish epic The Cattle Raid of Cooley.

From the name of a beach city in California, which is derived from Ventureño Chumash Humaliwo meaning "the surf sounds loudly".

From the English word for the tree, derived from Old English mapul. This is the name of a girl in Robert Frost's poem Maple (1923) who wonders about the origin of her unusual name.

Derived from Latin Margarita, which was from Greek μαργαρίτης (margarites) meaning "pearl", a word that was probably ultimately a borrowing from an Indo-Iranian language. 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.

As an English name it has been very popular since the Middle Ages. It was the top name for girls in England and Wales in the 1920s, 30s and 40s, but it declined in the latter half of the 20th century.

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-). Others include American anthropologist Margaret Mead (1901-1978) and British prime minister Margaret Thatcher (1925-2013).

Latin form of Greek Μαρία, from Hebrew מִרְיָם (see Mary). Maria is the usual form of the name in many European languages, as well as a secondary form in other languages such as English (where the common spelling is Mary). In some countries, for example Germany, Poland and Italy, Maria is occasionally used as a masculine middle name.

This was the name of two ruling queens of Portugal. It was also borne by the Habsburg queen Maria Theresa (1717-1780), whose inheritance of the domains of her father, the Holy Roman emperor Charles VI, began the War of the Austrian Succession.

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

From the Germanic name Mahthilt meaning "strength in battle", from the elements maht "might, strength" and hilt "battle". Saint Matilda was the wife of the 10th-century German king Henry I the Fowler. The name was common in many branches of European royalty in the Middle Ages. It was brought to England by the Normans, being borne by the wife of William the Conqueror himself. Another notable royal by this name was a 12th-century daughter of Henry I of England, known as the Empress Matilda because of her first marriage to the Holy Roman emperor Henry V. She later invaded England, laying the foundations for the reign of her son Henry II.

The name was very popular until the 15th century in England, usually in the vernacular form Maud. Both forms were revived by the 19th century. This name appears in the popular Australian folk song Waltzing Matilda, written in 1895.

From Hebrew מַזִּיקִין (mazziqin) meaning "damagers, harmful spirits", derived from מַזִּיק (mazziq) meaning "damaging". As a given name it is borne by a companion of Lucifer in the comic book series Lucifer, as well as on the 2016-2021 television adaptation.

From the English word meadow, ultimately from Old English mædwe. Previously very rare, it rose in popularity after it was used as the name of Tony Soprano's daughter on the television series The Sopranos (1999-2007).

From the Greek Μέδουσα (Medousa), which was derived from μέδω (medo) meaning "to protect, to rule over". In Greek myth this was the name of one of the three Gorgons, ugly women who had snakes for hair. She was so hideous that anyone who gazed upon her was turned to stone, so the hero Perseus had to look using the reflection in his shield in order to slay her.

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

From an Old Welsh name (recorded variously as Mermin, Merhin or Merwin [1]), of uncertain meaning. It is possibly from mer "bone marrow" or mor "sea" with the second element possibly mynawg "eminent, noble" [2], mynnu "wish, desire" [3] or myn "young goat, kid" [4]. This was the name of a 9th-century king of Gwynedd, Merfyn Frych.

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

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

Feminine form of Michael.

Diminutive or feminine form of Michael. This was the name that Walt Disney gave to Ub Iwerks' cartoon character Mickey Mouse (debuting 1928), who was called Mortimer Mouse while being developed. Another famous bearer was the American baseball player Mickey Mantle (1931-1995).

Originally a diminutive of names containing the Slavic element milŭ meaning "gracious, dear".

Diminutive of Wilhelmina. This name was used by Walt Disney for the cartoon character Minnie Mouse, introduced 1928.

Derived from Old French mirable "wonderful; admirable", ultimately from Latin mirabilis "wonderful, marvellous, astonishing, extraordinary, remarkable, amazing" (compare Mirabelle).

Hebrew diminutive of Miriam.

Hebrew form of Mary. It is used in the Old Testament, where it belongs to the elder sister of Moses and Aaron. She watched over the infant Moses as the pharaoh's daughter drew him from the Nile. The name has long been popular among Jews, and it has been used as an English Christian name (alongside Mary) since the Protestant Reformation.

Means "ocean, wide expanse of water, deep sea" in Maori, Hawaiian and other Polynesian languages.

Russian form of Modestus.

Medieval diminutive of Mary, now often used independently. It developed from Malle and Molle, other medieval diminutives. James Joyce used this name in his novel Ulysses (1922), where it belongs to Molly Bloom, the wife of the main character.

Derived from Bulgarian момче (momche) meaning "boy".

Means "moist, tender, delicate" in Arabic.

From the Hebrew name נָעֳמִי (Na'omi) meaning "pleasantness". In the Old Testament this is the name of the mother-in-law of Ruth. After the death of her husband and sons, she returned to Bethlehem with Ruth. There she declared that her name should be Mara because of her misfortune (see Ruth 1:20).

Though long common as a Jewish name, Naomi was not typically used as an English Christian name until after the Protestant Reformation. A notable bearer is the British model Naomi Campbell (1970-).

Derived from Greek Νηρηΐδες (Nereides) meaning "nymphs, sea sprites", ultimately derived from the name of the Greek sea god Nereus, who supposedly fathered them.

Possibly means "water lily" in an Australian Aboriginal language.

Created by Shakespeare for a character in his play The Merchant of Venice (1596). He possibly took it from Greek Νηρηΐς (Nereis) meaning "nymph, sea sprite", ultimately derived from the name of the Greek sea god Nereus, who supposedly fathered them.

Combination of Nicole and Michelle. This name spiked in popularity in the late 1960s when the actress Nichelle Nichols (1932-2022) portrayed Nyota Uhura on the Star Trek television series. Nichols was given the name Grace at birth but it was changed at a young age.

Short form of names that end in nina, such as Antonina or Giannina. It was imported to Western Europe from Russia and Italy in the 19th century. This name also nearly coincides with the Spanish word niña meaning "little girl" (the word is pronounced differently than the name).

A famous bearer was the American jazz musician Nina Simone (1933-2003).

Means "fire" in Quechua and Aymara.

Russian form of Nino 2.

Variant of Neith.

Means "night" in Greek. This was the name of the Greek goddess of the night, the daughter of Khaos and the wife of Erebos.

From an English surname that was from various place names meaning "oak clearing" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was the American sharpshooter Annie Oakley (1860-1926).

Derived from Greek ὠφέλεια (opheleia) meaning "help, advantage". This was a rare ancient Greek name, which was either rediscovered or recreated by the poet Jacopo Sannazaro for a character in his poem Arcadia (1480). It was borrowed by Shakespeare for his play Hamlet (1600), in which it belongs to the daughter of Polonius and the potential love interest of Hamlet. She eventually goes insane and drowns herself after Hamlet kills her father. In spite of this negative association, the name has been in use since the 19th century.

Transferred use of the surname Orchard.

Meaning uncertain, but possibly related to Greek ὅριον (horion) meaning "boundary, limit". Alternatively it may be derived from Akkadian Uru-anna meaning "light of the heavens". This is the name of a constellation, which gets its name from a legendary Greek hunter who was killed by a scorpion sent by the earth goddess Gaia.

Later German form of Audo, originally a short form of various names beginning with Old Frankish aud or Old High German ot meaning "wealth, fortune". This was the name of a 9th-century king of the West Franks (name usually spelled as Odo). This was also the name of four kings of Germany, starting in the 10th century with Otto I, the first Holy Roman Emperor, known as Otto the Great. Saint Otto of Bamberg was a 12th-century missionary to Pomerania. The name was also borne by a 19th-century king of Greece, originally from Bavaria. Another notable bearer was the German chancellor Otto von Bismarck (1815-1898).

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

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

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

From the English word peace, ultimately derived from Latin pax. This name is most common in Nigeria and other parts of Africa.

From the English word for the color "periwinkle", from Middle English parwynke, referring to a "light blue and purple shade". It's also the name of a flower.

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

A nickname from the color pink, or a diminutive of names such as Patrick or Patricia.

Variant of Portia.

From the English word promise, from Latin promissum. It is currently most common in parts of English-influenced Africa.

Feminine diminutive of Quintus.

From the Hebrew name רָחֵל (Rachel) meaning "ewe". In the Old Testament this is the name of the favourite wife of Jacob. Her father Laban tricked Jacob into marrying her older sister Leah first, though in exchange for seven years of work Laban allowed Jacob to marry Rachel too. Initially barren and facing her husband's anger, she offered her handmaid Bilhah to Jacob to bear him children. Eventually she was herself able to conceive, becoming the mother of Joseph and Benjamin.

The name was common among Jews in the Middle Ages, but it was not generally used as a Christian name in the English-speaking world until after the Protestant Reformation. It was moderately popular in the first half of the 20th century, but starting in the 1960s it steadily rose, reaching highs in the 1980s and 90s. The character Rachel Green on the American sitcom Friends (1994-2004) may have only helped delay its downswing.

Notable bearers include American conservationist Rachel Carson (1907-1964), British actress Rachel Weisz (1970-), and Canadian actress Rachel McAdams (1978-).

From the English word for the arc of multicoloured light that can appear in a misty sky.

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

Means "queen" in Latin (or Italian). It was in use as a Christian name from early times, and was borne by a 2nd-century saint. In England it was used during the Middle Ages in honour of the Virgin Mary, and it was later revived in the 19th century. A city in Canada bears this name, in honour of Queen Victoria.

English form of René or Renée.

French form of Renatus. A famous bearer was the French mathematician and rationalist philosopher René Descartes (1596-1650).

Originally a Norman French form of the Germanic name Hrodohaidis meaning "famous type", composed of the elements hruod "fame" and heit "kind, sort, type". The Normans introduced it to England in the forms Roese and Rohese. From an early date it was associated with the word for the fragrant flower rose (derived from Latin rosa). When the name was revived in the 19th century, it was probably with the flower in mind.

Italian diminutive of Rosa 1.

Diminutive of Rose.

From a nickname that was originally given to someone with a rusty, or reddish-brown, hair colour.

Variant of Sage.

Possibly derived from the name of the city of Samarra (in Iraq) or Samara (in Russia). The former appears in the title of the novel Appointment in Samarra (1934) by John O'Hara, which refers to an ancient Babylonian legend about a man trying to evade death. Alternatively, this name could be derived from the word for the winged seeds that grow on trees such as maples and elms.

The name received a boost in popularity after it was borne by the antagonist in the horror movie The Ring (2002).

Alternate transcription of Arabic سناء (see Sanaa).

From an English surname meaning "sawer of wood". Mark Twain used it for the hero in his novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876).

Very rare as an American given name before 1980, it increased in popularity in the 1980s and 90s. It got a boost in 2004 after the debut of the television series Lost, which featured a character by this name.

From the English word for the number, derived from Old English seofon (from an Indo-European root shared by Latin septem and Greek ἑπτά (hepta)).

Roman praenomen, or given name, meaning "sixth" in Latin. It was traditionally given to the sixth child.

Short form of Michelle or Shelley. It can also be simply from the English word shell (ultimately from Old English sciell).

Used by Scottish author Arthur Conan Doyle for his character Sherlock Holmes, who was a detective in Doyle's mystery stories beginning in 1887. The character's name was from an English surname meaning "shear lock", originally referring to a person with closely cut hair.

Estonian and Finnish diminutive of Sigrid.

From Σίμων (Simon), the New Testament Greek form of the Hebrew name שִׁמְעוֹן (Shim'on) meaning "hearing, listening", derived from שָׁמַע (shama') meaning "to hear, to listen". This name is spelled Simeon, based on Greek Συμεών, in many translations of the Old Testament, where it is borne by the second son of Jacob. The New Testament spelling may show influence from the otherwise unrelated Greek name Simon 2.

In the New Testament Simon is the name of several characters, including the man who carried the cross for Jesus. Most importantly however it was borne by the leading apostle Simon, also known as Peter (a name given to him by Jesus).

Because of the apostle, this name has been common in the Christian world. In England it was popular during the Middle Ages, though it became more rare after the Protestant Reformation.

From earlier Akkadian Su'en, of unknown meaning. This was the name of the Akkadian, Assyrian and Babylonian god of the moon. He was closely identified with the Sumerian god Nanna.

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

From the name of the sour tasting plant, derived from Old French sur "sour", a word of Frankish origin.

From an English surname that meant "dispenser of provisions", derived from Middle English spense "larder, pantry". A famous bearer was American actor Spencer Tracy (1900-1967). It was also the surname of Princess Diana (1961-1997).

The name of the main character in a popular kids cartoon series, Spongebob Squarepants. Originally his name was SpongeBoy, however upon discovering this name was taken for a mop product.

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

Nickname derived from the English word, usually referring to someone with a sweet personality.

From the name of the season, ultimately from Old English sumor. It has been in use as a given name since the 1970s.

From the English word meaning "sunny, cheerful".

From the English word, ultimately from Old English sunne "sun" and scinan "shine".

Russian diminutive of Tatiana. It began to be used in the English-speaking world during the 1930s.

Form of Thekla in several languages.

Short form of Dorothea, Theodora, Theresa and other names with a similar sound.

Feminine form of Theodore. This name was common in the Byzantine Empire, being borne by several empresses including the influential wife of Justinian in the 6th century.

From the name of an ancient Greek town in Boeotia, itself supposedly named after a nymph. In a Greek legend (the oldest surviving version appearing in Latin in Ovid's Metamorphoses) this is the name of a young woman from Babylon. Believing her to be dead, her lover Pyramus kills himself, after which she does the same to herself. The splashes of blood from their suicides is the reason mulberry fruit are red.

From the English word for the yellow precious stone, the traditional birthstone of November, ultimately derived from Greek τόπαζος (topazos).

From the English word, ultimately from Greek θησαυρός (thesauros) meaning "treasure, collection".

From the English word Trinity, given in honour of the Christian belief that God has one essence, but three distinct expressions of being: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It has only been in use as a given name since the 20th century.

Diminutive of Beatrix.

From the English word "twinkle", ultimately from Old English twincan, "to blink".

Probably from Old Norse una meaning "to enjoy".

From the English word unity, which is ultimately derived from Latin unitas.

Flemish, Norman and Picard form of Vedastus.

Persian and Azerbaijani form of Wahid.

From a Welsh surname, a variant of Vaughan.

Means "knowledge" in Sanskrit.

Means "victory" in Latin, being borne by the Roman goddess of victory. It is also a feminine form of Victorius. This name was borne by a 4th-century saint and martyr from North Africa.

Though in use elsewhere in Europe, the name was very rare in the English-speaking world until the 19th century, when Queen Victoria began her long rule of Britain. She was named after her mother, who was of German royalty. Many geographic areas are named after the queen, including an Australian state and a Canadian city.

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

From Old English weald "powerful, mighty" and here "army", making it a cognate of Walter.

From an occupational surname meaning "weaver", derived from Old English webba.

Hawaiian form of Victoria.

Polish form of Victoria.

Dutch and German feminine form of Wilhelm. This name was borne by a queen of the Netherlands (1880-1962).

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

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

Derived from Greek ξένος (xenos) meaning "foreigner, guest".

Alternate transcription of Arabic ياسمين (see Yasmin).

From Japanese 幸 (yuki) meaning "happiness" or 雪 (yuki) meaning "snow". It can also come from 由 (yu) meaning "reason, cause" combined with 貴 (ki) meaning "valuable" or 紀 (ki) meaning "chronicle". Other kanji or kanji combinations are also possible.

From Japanese 優 (yu) meaning "excellence, superiority, gentleness" and 子 (ko) meaning "child", as well as other combinations of kanji.

From Japanese 弓 (yumi) meaning "archery bow". It can also come from 由 (yu) meaning "reason, cause", 友 (yu) meaning "friend" or a nanori reading of 弓 (yu) meaning "archery bow" combined with 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful". Other kanji or kanji combinations are also possible.

Medieval French form of Ivo 1. This was the name of two French saints: an 11th-century bishop of Chartres and a 13th-century parish priest and lawyer, also known as Ivo of Kermartin, the patron saint of Brittany.

French feminine form of Yves.

French feminine form of Yvon. It has been regularly used in the English-speaking world since the late 19th century.

Usual English form of Zacharias, used in some English versions of the New Testament. This form has been in use since the Middle Ages, though it did not become common until after the Protestant Reformation. It was borne by American military commander and president Zachary Taylor (1784-1850).

Variant of Zoe.

Means "dawn, aurora" in the South Slavic languages, as well as Czech and Slovak.