Behind the Name: Missy's Personal Name List

Gender: Masculine

Personal note: Masculine usage only. 04.04.07

Rating: 40% based on 1 vote

From an English surname which was derived from the given name EDGAR.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English, French, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Russian, Ukrainian, Croatian, Macedonian, Romanian, Hebrew, Arabic, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek, Biblical Hebrew

Other Scripts: Адам (Russian, Ukrainian, Macedonian), אָדָם (Hebrew), آدم (Arabic), Αδαμ (Ancient Greek)

Pronounced: A-dəm (English), AH-dahm (German, Dutch, Polish), ah-DAHM (Russian)

Rating: 60% based on 1 vote

This is the Hebrew word for "man". It could be ultimately derived from Hebrew אדם ('adam) meaning "to be red", referring to the ruddy colour of human skin, or from Akkadian adamu meaning "to make". According to Genesis in the Old Testament Adam was created from the earth by God (there is a word play on Hebrew אֲדָמָה ('adamah) "earth"). He and Eve were supposedly the first humans, living happily in the Garden of Eden until Adam ate a forbidden fruit given to him by Eve.

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

Italian form of ALEXIS

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Hungarian, Slovak, Biblical, Ancient Greek (Latinized), Greek Mythology (Latinized)

Other Scripts: Αλεξανδρος (Ancient Greek)

Pronounced: al-əg-ZAN-dər (English), ah-lek-SAHN-der (German), ah-lək-SAHN-dər (Dutch)

Rating: 70% based on 1 vote

Latinized form of the Greek name Αλεξανδρος (Alexandros), which meant "defending men" from Greek αλεξω (alexo) "to defend, help" and ανηρ (aner) "man" (genitive ανδρος). In Greek mythology this was another name of the hero Paris, and it also belongs to several characters in the New Testament. However, the most famous bearer was Alexander the Great, King of Macedon. In the 4th century BC he built a huge empire out of Greece, Egypt, Persia, and parts of India. Due to his fame, and later medieval tales involving him, use of his name spread throughout Europe.

The name has been used by kings of Scotland, Poland and Yugoslavia, emperors of Russia, and eight popes. Other notable bearers include English poet Alexander Pope (1688-1744), American statesman Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804), Scottish-Canadian explorer Sir Alexander MacKenzie (1764-1820), Russian poet Alexander Pushkin (1799-1837), and Alexander Graham Bell (1847-1922), the Scottish-Canadian-American inventor of the telephone.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English (Rare), Italian (Rare)

Pronounced: ə-LEG-rə (English), ahl-LE-grah (Italian)

Rating: 50% based on 1 vote

Means "cheerful, lively" in Italian. It is not a traditional Italian name. It was borne by a short-lived illegitimate daughter of Lord Byron.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English, German, Dutch

Pronounced: al-ə-WISH-əs (English), ah-LOI-zee-uws (German), ah-lo-EE-see-us (Dutch)

Personal note: Not sure why but there is something about this name I like though I would probably only use it as a middle name,

Rating: 100% based on 1 vote

Latinized form of Aloys, an old Occitan form of LOUIS. This was the name of a 16th-century Italian saint, Aloysius Gonzaga. The name has been in occasional use among Catholics since his time.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English, Biblical

Pronounced: AN-droo (English)

Personal note: Simple but strong, Moving up on my favourite list. Family name too.

Rating: 40% based on 1 vote

From the Greek name Ανδρεας (Andreas), which was derived from ανηρ (aner) "man" (genitive ανδρος (andros) "of a man"). In the New Testament the apostle Andrew, the first disciple to join Jesus, is the brother of Simon Peter. According to tradition, he later preached in the Black Sea region, with some legends saying he was crucified on an X-shaped cross. Andrew, being a Greek name, was probably only a nickname or a translation of his real Hebrew name, which is not known.

This name has been common (in various spellings) throughout the Christian world, and it became very popular in the Middle Ages. Saint Andrew is regarded as the patron of Scotland, Russia, Greece and Romania. The name has been borne by three kings of Hungary, American president Andrew Jackson (1767-1845), and, more recently, English composer Andrew Lloyd Webber (1948-).

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Swedish, Dutch, Finnish, German, English (Modern)

Pronounced: AHN-nee-kah (Dutch), AH-nee-kah (German)

Rating: 40% based on 1 vote

Swedish diminutive of ANNA

Gender: Feminine

Usage: French

Pronounced: awn-twaw-NET

Rating: 100% based on 1 vote

Feminine diminutive of ANTOINE. This name was borne by Marie Antoinette, the queen of France during the French Revolution. She was executed by guillotine.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Italian, Spanish, English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Polish, Ancient Roman

Pronounced: ahn-TO-nyah (Italian, Spanish), an-TON-ee-ə (English), ahn-TO-nee-ah (German, Dutch), ahn-TAWN-yah (Polish)

Rating: 100% based on 1 vote

Feminine form of Antonius (see ANTHONY).

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Russian

Other Scripts: Аня (Russian)

Personal note: Favourite Russian name.

Rating: 40% based on 1 vote

Russian diminutive of ANNA

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, French

Pronounced: AHS-trit (German)

Personal note: Pretty sounding. Heard it first in a Sherrilyn Kenyon novel.

Rating: 100% based on 1 vote

Modern form of ÁSTRÍÐR. This name was borne by the Swedish writer Astrid Lindgren (1907-2002), the author of 'Pippi Longstocking'.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: AWB-ree

Personal note: For masculine use only. 04.04.07

Rating: 60% based on 1 vote

Norman French form of the Germanic name ALBERICH. As an English masculine name it was common in the Middle Ages, and was revived in the 19th century. Since the mid-1970s it has more frequently been given to girls, probably because of its similarity to Audrey.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English

Pronounced: AWD-ree

Personal note: Classic, old fashioned.

Rating: 70% based on 1 vote

Medieval diminutive of ÆÐELÞRYÐ. This was the name of a 7th-century saint, a princess of East Anglia who founded a monastery at Ely. It was also borne by a character in Shakespeare's comedy 'As You Like It' (1599). At the end of the Middle Ages the name became rare due to association with the word tawdry (which was derived from St. Audrey, the name of a fair where cheap lace was sold), but it was revived in the 19th century.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: French

Pronounced: o-GOOST

Personal note: More likely as a middle name only. 05.04.07

Rating: 20% based on 1 vote

French form of AUGUSTUS

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English

Pronounced: AW-gəs-teen, ə-GUS-tin

Personal note: Prefer for female usage. 04.04.07

Rating: 20% based on 1 vote

From the Roman name Augustinus, itself derived from the Roman name AUGUSTUS. Saint Augustine of Hippo was a 5th-century Christian theologian and author from North Africa. For his contributions to Christian philosophy he is known as a Doctor of the Church. Due to his renown, the name came into general use in the Christian world. It became popular in England in the Middle Ages partly because of a second saint by this name, Augustine of Canterbury, a 6th-century Italian monk sent to England to convert the Anglo-Saxons.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: BEN-ət

Rating: 60% based on 1 vote

Medieval form of BENEDICT. This was the more common spelling in England until the 18th century. Modern use of the name is probably also influenced by the common surname Bennett, itself a derivative of the medieval name.

Anglicized form of BRÍD

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: BRO-dee

Rating: 10% based on 1 vote

From an Irish surname which was originally derived from a place name meaning "ditch" in Gaelic.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English (Rare)

Pronounced: BRAHN-tee

Personal note: Like as a middle name for a girl 05.06.10

Rating: 20% based on 1 vote

From a surname, an Anglicized form of Irish Ó Proinntigh meaning "descendent of Proinnteach". The given name Proinnteach meant "bestower" in Gaelic. The Brontë sisters - Charlotte, Emily, and Anne - were 19th-century English novelists.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: KAYD

Personal note: Cade Everett

Rating: 20% based on 1 vote

From a surname which was originally derived from a nickname meaning "round" in Old English.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English, Biblical

Other Scripts: כָּלֵב (Ancient Hebrew)

Pronounced: KAY-ləb (English)

Rating: 0% based on 1 vote

Means "dog" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of one of the twelve spies sent by Moses into Israel. Of the Israelites who left Egypt with Moses, Caleb and Joshua were the only ones who lived to see the Promised Land. As an English name, Caleb came into use after the Protestant Reformation. It was common among the Puritans, who introduced it to America in the 17th century.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: French, English

Pronounced: ka-MEE (French), kə-MEEL (English)

Rating: 50% based on 1 vote

French feminine and masculine form of CAMILLA. It is also used in the English-speaking world, where it is generally only feminine.

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

English form of CAELESTINUS. It is more commonly used as a feminine name, from the French feminine form Célestine.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English, French

Pronounced: CHAHR-əlz (English), SHAHRL (French)

Personal note: Nickname Charlie 04.04.07

Rating: 100% based on 1 vote

From the Germanic name Karl, which was derived from a Germanic word which meant "man". However, an alternative theory states that it is derived from the common Germanic element hari meaning "army, warrior".

The popularity of the name in continental Europe was due to the fame of Charles the Great (742-814), commonly known as Charlemagne, a king of the Franks who came to rule over most of Europe. It was subsequently borne by several Holy Roman Emperors, as well as kings of France, Spain, Portugal, Sweden and Hungary. The name did not become common in Britain until the 17th century when it was carried by the Stuart king Charles I. It had been introduced into the Stuart royal family by Mary Queen of Scots, who had been raised in France.

Famous bearers of the name include naturalist Charles Darwin (1809-1882) who revolutionized biology with his theory of evolution, novelist Charles Dickens (1812-1870) who wrote such works as 'Great Expectations' and 'A Tale of Two Cities', French statesman Charles de Gaulle (1890-1970), and American cartoonist Charles Schulz (1922-2000), the creator of the 'Peanuts' comic strip.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: CHAYS

Rating: 30% based on 1 vote

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

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek, Ancient Greek, Greek Mythology

Other Scripts: Χλοη (Ancient Greek)

Pronounced: KLO-ee (English)

Rating: 40% based on 1 vote

Means "green shoot" in Greek. 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.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Irish

Pronounced: KEER-awn, KEE-ar-awn

Personal note: Prefer it spelt Cieran. Favourite boy name on 04.18.07. Changed as of 10.12.09

Rating: 80% based on 1 vote

Diminutive of CIAR. This was the name of two Irish saints: Saint Ciarán the Elder, the patron of the Kingdom of Munster, and Saint Ciarán of Clonmacnoise, the founder of a monastery in the 6th century.

Possibly from a medieval French form of Claritia, a derivative of CLARA. It was brought to England in the Middle Ages.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: KAWR-bin

Rating: 60% based on 1 vote

From a French surname which 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-).

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Italian

Pronounced: KAW-zee-maw, KO-zi-mo

Rating: 100% based on 1 vote

Italian variant of COSMAS. A famous bearer was Cosimo de' Medici, the 15th-century 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.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: DAYN

Rating: 60% based on 1 vote

From an English surname which was either a variant of the surname DEAN or else an ethnic name referring to a person from Denmark.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Italian

Pronounced: DAHN-te

Rating: 100% based on 1 vote

Medieval short form of DURANTE. The most notable bearer of this name was Dante Alighieri, the 13th-century Italian poet who wrote 'The Divine Comedy'.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: DAHR-bee

Rating: 50% based on 1 vote

From an English surname, which was derived from the name of the town of Derby, meaning "deer town" in Old Norse.

Gender: Feminine & Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: DAHR-see

Rating: 100% based on 1 vote

From an English surname which was derived from Norman French d'Arcy, originally denoting one who came from Arcy in France. This was the surname of a character in Jane Austen's novel 'Pride and Prejudice' (1813).

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English, Irish

Pronounced: DEV-in

Personal note: Masculine usage only. 04.04.07

Rating: 40% based on 1 vote

From a surname, either the Irish surname DEVIN (1) or the English surname DEVIN (2).

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Indian

Other Scripts: दिव्या (Hindi)

Personal note: div-ee-uh

Means "divine, heavenly" in Sanskrit.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: DAHM-ə-nik

Rating: 100% based on 1 vote

From the Late Latin name Dominicus meaning "of the Lord". This name was traditionally given to a child born on Sunday. Several saints have borne this name, including the 13th-century founder of the Dominican order of friars. It was in this saint's honour that the name was first used in England, starting around the 13th century. It is primarily used by Catholics.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: DRAYK

Rating: 30% based on 1 vote

From an English surname derived from the Old Norse given name Draki or the Old English given name Draca both meaning "dragon".

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Scottish, English

Pronounced: DUN-kən (English)

Rating: 70% based on 1 vote

Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Donnchadh meaning "brown warrior", derived from Gaelic donn "brown" and cath "warrior". This was the name of two kings of Scotland, including the one who was featured in Shakespeare's play 'Macbeth' (1606).

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English, French

Pronounced: ED-gər (English), ed-GAHR (French)

Rating: 100% based on 1 vote

Derived from the Old English elements ead "rich, blessed" 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 Sir Walter Scott's novel 'The Bride of Lammermoor' (1819). 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).

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Polish

Pronounced: e-DI-tah

Rating: 40% based on 1 vote

Polish form of EDITH

Gender: Feminine

Usage: German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, English, Biblical, Biblical Latin

Pronounced: e-LEE-zah-bet (German), i-LIZ-ə-bəth (English)

Rating: 100% based on 1 vote

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

Gender: Feminine

Usage: German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, English

Pronounced: e-LEE-zə (German), i-LEES (English), i-LEEZ (English)

Personal note: Middle name only. 04.04.07

Rating: 100% based on 1 vote

Short form of ELIZABETH

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English, Biblical

Pronounced: i-LIZ-ə-bəth (English)

Rating: 100% based on 1 vote

From Ελισαβετ (Elisabet), the Greek form of the Hebrew name אֱלִישֶׁבַע ('Elisheva') meaning "my God is an oath" or perhaps "my God is abundance". The Hebrew form appears in the Old Testament where Elisheba is the wife of Aaron, while the Greek form appears in the New Testament where Elizabeth is the mother of John the Baptist.

Among Christians, this name was originally more common in Eastern Europe. It was borne in the 12th century by Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, a daughter of King Andrew II who used her wealth to help the poor. In medieval England it was occasionally used in honour of the saint, though the form Isabel (from Occitan and Spanish) was more common. It has been very popular in England since the reign of Queen Elizabeth I in the 16th century. Famous modern bearers include the British queen Elizabeth II (1926-) and actress Elizabeth Taylor (1932-2011).

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English, Dutch

Personal note: Middle name only. 04.04.07

Rating: 60% based on 1 vote

Means "esteemed" or "loved" in Old French. It was first recorded in Scotland, being borne by the first Duke of Lennox in the 16th century.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English

Pronounced: FAY

Personal note: Middle name only. 04.04.07

Rating: 60% based on 1 vote

Derived from Middle English faie meaning "fairy". It appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Arthurian legends in the name of Morgan le Fay. It has been used as a given name since the 19th century. In some cases it may be used as a short form of FAITH.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: French

Pronounced: frawn-SWAW

Rating: 70% based on 1 vote

French form of Franciscus (see FRANCIS). François Villon was a French lyric poet of the 15th century. This was also the name of two kings of France.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: French, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, English, Romanian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek

Other Scripts: גַּבְרִיאֵל (Ancient Hebrew), Γαβριηλ (Ancient Greek)

Pronounced: ga-bree-EL (French), GAHP-ree-el (German), GAH-bryel (Spanish), GAY-bree-əl (English), GAHP-ryel (Polish)

Rating: 100% based on 1 vote

From the Hebrew name גַבְרִיאֵל (Gavri'el) meaning "strong man of God". Gabriel was one of the seven archangels in Hebrew tradition. He appears in both the Old Testament and the New Testament, where he serves as the announcer of the births of John to Zechariah and Jesus to Mary. According to Islamic tradition he was the angel who dictated the Qur'an to Muhammad.

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

Feminine form of GEORGE. This form of the name has been in use since the 18th century.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English

Pronounced: JIL-ee-ən

Rating: 20% based on 1 vote

Medieval English feminine form of JULIAN. This spelling has been in use since the 13th century, though it was not declared a distinct name from Julian until the 17th century.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Italian

Pronounced: jo-VAHN-nee

Rating: 100% based on 1 vote

Italian form of Iohannes (see JOHN). The Renaissance painter Giovanni Bellini and the 17th-century painter and sculptor Giovanni Bernini are two famous bearers of this name.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Irish, English

Pronounced: GRAY-dee

Rating: 40% based on 1 vote

From an Irish surname which was derived from Ó Grádaigh meaning "descendent of Grádaigh". The name Grádaigh means "noble" in Gaelic.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English (Modern)

Pronounced: GRAY-sən

Rating: 40% based on 1 vote

Gender: Masculine

Usage: French, Finnish

Pronounced: awn-REE (French)

Rating: 100% based on 1 vote

French form of HENRY

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Scottish, English

Pronounced: EE-ən (English)

Rating: 70% based on 1 vote

Modern Scottish form of JOHN

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Spanish, Portuguese, English, French, German

Pronounced: ee-sah-BEL (Spanish), IZ-ə-bel (English), ee-za-BEL (French), ee-zah-BEL (German)

Rating: 40% based on 2 votes

Medieval Occitan form of ELIZABETH. It spread throughout Spain, Portugal and France, becoming common among the royalty by the 12th century. It grew popular in England in the 13th century after Isabella of Angoulême married the English king John, and it was subsequently bolstered when Isabella of France married Edward II the following century.

This is the usual form of the name Elizabeth in Spain and Portugal, though elsewhere it is considered a parallel name, such as in France where it is used alongside Élisabeth.

From the Italian name of the country of Italy, Italia (see ITALUS).

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: JAK

Rating: 75% based on 2 votes

Derived from Jackin (earlier Jankin), a medieval diminutive of JOHN. It is often regarded as an independent name. During the Middle Ages it was very common, and it became a slang word meaning "man". It was frequently used in fairy tales and nursery rhymes, such as 'Jack and the Beanstalk', 'Little Jack Horner', and 'Jack Sprat'. American writers Jack London (1876-1916) and Jack Kerouac (1922-1969) were two famous bearers of this name.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: JAK-sən

Rating: 55% based on 2 votes

From an English surname meaning "son of JACK". A famous bearer of the surname was American president Andrew Jackson (1767-1845).

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English, Biblical

Pronounced: JAYMZ (English)

Rating: 80% based on 2 votes

English form of the Late Latin name Iacomus which was derived from Ιακωβος (Iakobos), the New Testament Greek form of the Hebrew name Ya'aqov (see JACOB). This was the name of two apostles in the New Testament. The first was Saint James the Greater, the apostle John's brother, who was beheaded under Herod Agrippa in the Book of Acts. The second was James the Lesser, son of Alphaeus. Another James (known as James the Just) is also mentioned in the Bible as being the brother of Jesus.

Since the 13th century this form of the name has been used in England, though it became more common in Scotland, where it was borne by several kings. In the 17th century the Scottish king James VI inherited the English throne, becoming the first ruler of all Britain, and the name grew much more popular. Famous bearers include the explorer Captain James Cook (1728-1779), the inventor James Watt (1736-1819), and the 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.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English

Pronounced: JAYN

Rating: 80% based on 2 votes

Medieval English form of Jehanne, an Old French feminine form of Iohannes (see JOHN). This became the most common feminine form of John in the 17th century, surpassing Joan. Famous bearers include the uncrowned English queen Lady Jane Grey (1536-1554), who ruled for only 9 days, the British novelist Jane Austen (1775-1817), who wrote 'Sense and Sensibility' and 'Pride and Prejudice', and the British primatologist Jane Goodall (1934-). This was also the name of the central character in Charlotte Bronte's novel 'Jane Eyre' (1847).

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Biblical

Other Scripts: יְרֵחוֹ (Ancient Hebrew)

Pronounced: JER-i-ko (English)

Rating: 80% based on 2 votes

From the name of a city in Israel which is mentioned several times in the Old Testament. The meaning of the city's name is uncertain, but it may be related to the Hebrew word יָרֵחַ (yareach) meaning "moon", or otherwise to the Hebrew word רֵיחַ (reyach) meaning "fragrant".

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Polish

Pronounced: YE-zhi

Rating: 50% based on 2 votes

Polish form of GEORGE

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Biblical, English

Other Scripts: יֹאשִׁיָהוּ (Ancient Hebrew)

Pronounced: jo-SIE-ə (English)

Rating: 45% based on 2 votes

Means "YAHWEH supports" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of a king of Judah famous for his religious reforms. He was killed fighting the Egyptians at Megiddo. In England this name came into use after the Protestant Reformation.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: French, English, Dutch, German

Pronounced: zhuy-STEEN (French), jus-TEEN (English)

Rating: 30% based on 2 votes

French feminine form of Iustinus (see JUSTIN). This is the name of the heroine in the novel 'Justine' (1791) by the Marquis de Sade.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English

Pronounced: KATH-ə-rin, KATH-rin

Rating: 45% based on 2 votes

From the Greek name Αικατερινη (Aikaterine). The etymology is debated: it could derive from the earlier Greek name ‘Εκατερινη (Hekaterine), which came from ‘εκατερος (hekateros) "each of the two"; it could derive from the name of the goddess HECATE; it could be related to Greek αικια (aikia) "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 καθαρος (katharos) "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.

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.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Russian

Other Scripts: Катя (Russian)

Pronounced: KAH-tyah

Rating: 0% based on 1 vote

Diminutive of YEKATERINA

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Polish

Pronounced: KAH-zhah

Rating: 30% based on 1 vote

Short form of KAZIMIERA

Anglicized variant of CILLIAN

Originally a Scottish nickname for a person who was from Norway. In Scotland, Norway was known as the "land of the lochs", or Lochlann.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, English, Croatian, Late Roman

Pronounced: LE-o (German), LAY-o (Dutch), LEE-o (English)

Derived from Latin leo "lion", a cognate of LEON. It was popular among early Christians and was the name of 13 popes, including Saint Leo the Great who asserted the dominance of the Roman bishops (the popes) over all others in the 5th century. It was also borne by six Byzantine emperors and five Armenian kings. Another famous bearer was Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910), a Russian novelist whose works include 'War and Peace' and 'Anna Karenina'. Leo is also the name of a constellation and the fifth sign of the zodiac.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Irish, English

Pronounced: LEE-əm (English)

Rating: 70% based on 2 votes

Irish short form of WILLIAM

Irish form of LACHLAN

From a Germanic name meaning "luring rock". This is the name of a rock headland on the Rhine River. Legends say that a maiden named the Lorelei lives on the rock and lures fishermen to their death with her song.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English

Pronounced: lə-RAYN

Personal note: Like the French association.

Rating: 70% based on 2 votes

From the name of a region in France, originally meaning "kingdom of LOTHAR". Lothar was a Frankish king, the great-grandson of Charlemagne, whose realm was in the part of France that is now called Lorraine, or in German Lothringen (from Latin Lothari regnum). As a given name, it has been used in the English-speaking world since the late 19th century, perhaps due to its similar sound with Laura. It became popular after World War I when the region was in the news, as it was contested between Germany and France.

Swedish feminine form of LOUIS

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Romanian, English

Pronounced: LOO-shən (English)

Rating: 45% based on 2 votes

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

French form of LUCIANUS

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English

Pronounced: LOO-see

Rating: 95% based on 2 votes

English form of LUCIA, in use since the Middle Ages.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English, Biblical

Pronounced: LOOK (English)

Rating: 85% based on 2 votes

English form of the Greek name Λουκας (Loukas) which meant "from Lucania", Lucania being a region in Italy. Saint Luke, the author of the third Gospel and Acts in the New Testament, was a doctor who travelled in the company of Saint Paul. Due to his renown, the name became common in the Christian world (in various spellings). As an English name, Luke has been in use since the 12th century. A famous fictional bearer was the hero Luke Skywalker from the 'Star Wars' movies.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Late Roman

Pronounced: MAG-nəs (English)

Rating: 75% based on 2 votes

Late Latin name meaning "great". It was borne by 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. 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.

Diminutive of MAIREAD

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Hebrew, English, Biblical, Biblical Latin

Other Scripts: מַלְאָכִי (Hebrew)

Pronounced: MAL-ə-kie (English)

Rating: 50% based on 1 vote

From the Hebrew name מַלְאָכִי (Mal'akhiy) meaning "my messenger" or "my angel". This is one of the twelve minor prophets of the Old Testament, the author of the Book of Malachi, which some claim foretells the coming of Christ. In England the name came into use after the Protestant Reformation.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: French

Pronounced: mar-gə-REET, mar-GREET

Rating: 75% based on 2 votes

French form of MARGARET. This is also a French word meaning "daisy flower" (species Leucanthemum vulgare).

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Greek, Russian, Romanian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Serbian, Macedonian, Georgian, Ancient Roman

Other Scripts: Μαρινα (Greek), Марина (Russian, Bulgarian, Serbian, Macedonian), მარინა (Georgian)

Pronounced: mah-REE-nah (Italian, Spanish, German, Russian)

Rating: 75% based on 2 votes

Feminine form of MARINUS

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Hungarian, Dutch

Pronounced: mah-RIS-kah (Dutch)

Rating: 75% based on 2 votes

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: MAY-sən

Rating: 60% based on 2 votes

From an English surname meaning "stoneworker", from an Old French word of Germanic origin (akin to Old English macian "to make").

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Italian, Portuguese

Pronounced: MOW-ro (Italian)

Rating: 100% based on 1 vote

Italian and Portuguese form of MAURUS

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: MAV-ə-rik

Rating: 55% based on 2 votes

Derived from the English word maverick meaning "independent". The word itself is derived from the surname of a 19th-century Texas rancher who did not brand his calves.

Variant of MAITE (1)

French form of MILLICENT used by Maurice Maeterlinck in his play 'Pelléas et Mélisande' (1893). The play was later adapted by Claude Debussy into an opera (1902).

Gender: Masculine & Feminine

Usage: Welsh, English

Pronounced: MER-ə-dith (English)

Rating: 45% based on 2 votes

From the Welsh name Maredudd or Meredydd, possibly meaning "great lord" or "sea lord". Since the mid-1920s it has been used more often for girls than for boys in English-speaking countries, though it is still a masculine name in Wales. A famous bearer of this name as surname was the English novelist and poet George Meredith (1828-1909).

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English (Rare)

Pronounced: MER-ik

Rating: 50% based on 2 votes

From an English surname which was originally derived from a Norman given name, composed of the Germanic elements meri "fame" and ric "power".

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Biblical, English

Other Scripts: מִיכָה (Ancient Hebrew)

Pronounced: MIE-kə (English)

Rating: 30% based on 2 votes

Contracted form of MICAIAH. Micah is one of the twelve minor prophets of the Old Testament. He predicted the destruction of Jerusalem. It was occasionally used as an English given name by the Puritans after the Protestant Reformation, but it did not become common until the end of the 20th century.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Russian

Other Scripts: Миша (Russian)

Rating: 35% based on 2 votes

Russian diminutive of MIKHAIL

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Irish, Scottish

Pronounced: MOI-ra

Rating: 20% based on 2 votes

Anglicized form of MÁIRE

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English

Pronounced: MAHL-ee

Rating: 10% based on 2 votes

Diminutive of MARY. It developed from Malle and Molle, other medieval diminutives. James Joyce used this name in his novel 'Ulysses' (1920), where it belongs to Molly Bloom, the wife of the main character.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Biblical, Hebrew

Other Scripts: מָרְדֳּכַי (Hebrew)

Pronounced: MAWR-də-kie (English)

Rating: 30% based on 2 votes

Means "servant of MARDUK" in Persian. In the Old Testament, Mordecai is the cousin and foster father of Esther.

Variant of MORGAN (2), from a French form.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English (Rare)

Pronounced: mawr-GAN-ə

Rating: 30% based on 2 votes

Feminine form of MORGAN (1)

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Welsh Mythology

Personal note: Top female name. 04.04.07

Rating: 30% based on 2 votes

Earlier form of MORGAN (2)

Anglicized form of MUIRNE

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Russian, English

Other Scripts: Наташа (Russian)

Pronounced: nə-TASH-ə (English)

Rating: 55% based on 2 votes

Russian diminutive of NATALYA. This is the name of a character in Leo Tolstoy's novel 'War and Peace' (1865). It has been used in the English-speaking world only since the 20th century.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English, French

Pronounced: NIK-ə-ləs (English), nee-ko-LAH (French)

Rating: 100% based on 2 votes

From the Greek name Νικολαος (Nikolaos) which meant "victory of the people" from Greek νικη (nike) "victory" and λαος (laos) "people". Saint Nicholas was a 4th-century bishop from Anatolia who, according to legend, saved the daughters of a poor man from lives of prostitution. He is the patron saint of children, sailors and merchants, as well as Greece and Russia. He formed the basis for the figure known as Santa Claus (created in the 19th century from Dutch Sinterklaas), the bringer of Christmas presents.

Due to the renown of the saint, this name has been widely used in the Christian world. It has been common in England since the 12th century, though it became a bit less popular after the Protestant Reformation. The name has been borne by five popes and two czars of Russia.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: French

Pronounced: nee-ko-LAH

Personal note: Family name.

Rating: 100% based on 1 vote

French form of NICHOLAS

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Italian

Pronounced: nee-ko-LEE-nah

Rating: 100% based on 2 votes

Feminine diminutive of NICOLA (1)

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Russian, Bulgarian

Other Scripts: Николай (Russian, Bulgarian)

Pronounced: nee-kah-LIE (Russian)

Rating: 80% based on 2 votes

Russian and Bulgarian form of NICHOLAS. A notable bearer was Nikolai Gogol, a 19th-century Russian novelist.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English, Greek

Other Scripts: Νικολας (Greek)

Rating: 80% based on 2 votes

Variant of NICHOLAS or NIKOLAOS

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English

Pronounced: no-EL

Rating: 85% based on 2 votes

English form of NOËLLE

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English, Spanish, Ancient Roman

Pronounced: ahk-TAYV-ee-ə (English)

Rating: 80% based on 2 votes

Feminine form of OCTAVIUS. Octavia was the wife of Mark Antony and the sister of Roman emperor Augustus. In 19th-century England it was sometimes given to the eighth-born child.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English, Literature

Pronounced: o-FEEL-yə (English)

Rating: 80% based on 2 votes

Derived from Greek οφελος (ophelos) meaning "help". This name was probably created by the 15th-century poet Jacopo Sannazaro for a character in his poem 'Arcadia'. It was borrowed by Shakespeare for his play 'Hamlet' (1600), in which it belongs to Hamlet's lover who eventually goes insane and drowns herself. In spite of this, the name has been used since the 19th century.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Spanish

Pronounced: pah-LO-mah

Rating: 95% based on 2 votes

Means "dove, pigeon" in Spanish.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Greek Mythology

Other Scripts: Πανδωρα (Ancient Greek)

Pronounced: pan-DAWR-ə (English)

Rating: 40% based on 2 votes

Means "all gifts", derived from a combination of Greek παν (pan) "all" and δωρον (doron) "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.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: French

Pronounced: PYER

Rating: 60% based on 2 votes

French form of PETER. This name was borne by Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919), a French impressionist painter, and by Pierre Curie (1859-1906), a physicist who discovered radioactivity with his wife Marie.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Russian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Ukrainian, Slovene, Croatian, German

Other Scripts: Роман (Russian, Ukrainian)

Pronounced: rah-MAHN (Russian), RAW-mahn (Polish)

Rating: 35% based on 2 votes

From the Late Latin name Romanus which meant "Roman".

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Irish, Scottish

Pronounced: RAWR-ee

Rating: 35% based on 2 votes

Anglicized form of RUAIDHRÍ

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English, German, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek

Other Scripts: Σαλωμη (Ancient Greek)

Pronounced: sə-LO-mee (English)

Rating: 10% based on 1 vote

From an Aramaic name which was related to the Hebrew word שָׁלוֹם (shalom) meaning "peace". According to the historian Josephus this was the name of the daughter of Herodias (the consort of Herod Antipas, the tetrarch of Galilee). In the New Testament, though a specific name is not given, it was a daughter of Herodias who danced for Herod and was rewarded with the head of John the Baptist, and thus Salome and the dancer have traditionally been equated.

As a Christian given name, Salome has been in occasional use since the Protestant Reformation. This was due to a second person of this name in the New Testament: one of the women who witnessed the crucifixion and later discovered that Jesus' tomb was empty.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Biblical

Pronounced: sə-FIE-rə (English)

Rating: 20% based on 2 votes

From the Greek name Σαπφειρη (Sappheire), which was from Greek σαπφειρος (sappheiros) meaning "sapphire" or "lapis lazuli" (ultimately derived from the Hebrew word סַפִּיר (sappir)). Sapphira is a character in Acts in the New Testament who is killed by God for lying.

Gender: Masculine & Feminine

Usage: Russian

Other Scripts: Саша (Russian)

Personal note: Like as a nickname for Alexander. Not as common as Alex.

Rating: 80% based on 2 votes

Russian diminutive of ALEKSANDR or ALEKSANDRA

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Dutch, German

Pronounced: ZAHS-kee-ah (German)

Rating: 25% based on 2 votes

From the Germanic element sachs "Saxon". The Saxons were a Germanic tribe, their name ultimately deriving from the Germanic word sahs meaning "knife".

Gender: Masculine

Usage: German, English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Polish, Finnish, Romanian

Pronounced: ze-BAHS-tee-ahn (German), sə-BAS-chən (English), se-BAHS-tyahn (Polish)

Rating: 45% based on 2 votes

From the Latin name Sebastianus which meant "from Sebaste". Sebaste was the name a town in Asia Minor, its name deriving from Greek σεβαστος (sebastos) "venerable" (a translation of Latin Augustus, the title of the Roman emperors). Saint Sebastian was a 3rd-century Roman soldier martyred by arrows after it was discovered he was a Christian. Due to the saint's popularity, the name came into general use in medieval Europe, especially in Spain and France. It was also borne by a 16th-century king of Portugal who died in a crusade against Morocco.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek

Other Scripts: שֵׁת (Ancient Hebrew), Σηθ (Ancient Greek)

Pronounced: SETH (English)

Rating: 50% based on 2 votes

Means "placed" or "appointed" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament he is the third named son of Adam and Eve. In England this name came into use after the Protestant Reformation.

Short form of THEODORE, THEOBALD, and other names that begin with Theo.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Hebrew

Other Scripts: טוֹבָה (Hebrew)

Rating: 25% based on 2 votes

Variant transcription of TOVA (1)

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: VAL-ən-tien

Rating: 85% based on 2 votes

From the Roman cognomen Valentinus which was itself from the name Valens meaning "strong, vigourous, healthy" in Latin. Saint Valentine was a 3rd-century martyr. His feast day was the same as the Roman fertility festival of Lupercalia, which resulted in the association between Valentine's day and love. As an English name, it has been used occasionally since the 12th century.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Polish

Pronounced: VOI-chekh

Personal note: Like the sound of it.

Rating: 35% based on 2 votes

Derived from the Slavic elements voi "soldier" and tech "solace, comfort, joy".

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: WIE-ət

Personal note: Has a cowboy feel.

Rating: 25% based on 2 votes

From an English surname which was derived from the medieval given name WYOT. Wyatt Earp (1848-1929) was an American lawman and gunfighter involved in the famous shootout at the OK Corral.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Biblical

Other Scripts: צִלָּה (Ancient Hebrew)

Pronounced: ZIL-ə (English)

Means "shade" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament she is the second wife of Lamech.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English, Greek, Italian, Ancient Greek

Other Scripts: Ζωη (Greek)

Pronounced: ZO-ee (English), DZO-e (Italian)

Rating: 75% based on 2 votes

Means "life" in Greek. From early times it was adopted by Hellenized Jews as a translation of EVE. It was borne by two early Christian saints, one martyred under emperor Hadrian, the other martyred under Diocletian. The name was common in the Byzantine Empire, being borne by a ruling empress of the 11th century. As an English name, Zoe has only been in use since the 19th century. It has generally been more common among Eastern Christians (in various spellings).

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Czech, Slovak, Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Bulgarian, Macedonian

Other Scripts: Зора (Serbian, Bulgarian, Macedonian)

Rating: 55% based on 2 votes