Arieanne's Personal Name List
ADELIA
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: ə-DEL-ee-ə (English)
Rating: 53% based on 8 votes
Elaborated form of
ADELA.
ADERYN
Gender: Feminine
Rating: 32% based on 9 votes
Means "bird" in Welsh. This is a modern Welsh name.
ADILET
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Other Scripts: Адилет (Kyrgyz)
Rating: 18% based on 5 votes
Means "justice" in Kyrgyz, ultimately from Arabic.
ADRASTOS
Gender: Masculine
Rating: 43% based on 3 votes
Means "not inclined to run away" in Greek. This was the name of a king of Argos in Greek legend.
AESON
Gender: Masculine
Other Scripts: Αισων (Ancient Greek)
Rating: 23% based on 3 votes
From the Greek
Αισων (Aison), which is of unknown meaning. Aeson was the father of
Jason in Greek
mythology.
AFANEN
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: a-VAN-en
Rating: 20% based on 5 votes
Means "raspberry" in Welsh. This is a modern Welsh name.
ALAINA
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: ə-LAYN-ə
Rating: 46% based on 7 votes
ALBA (1)
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: AL-ba (Italian, Spanish), AL-bə (Catalan)
Rating: 38% based on 5 votes
This name is derived from two distinct names,
ALBA (2) and
ALBA (3), with distinct origins, Latin and
Germanic. Over time these names have become confused with one another. To further complicate the matter,
alba means "dawn" in Italian, Spanish and Catalan. This may be the main inspiration behind its use in Italy and Spain.
ALCYONE
Gender: Feminine
Other Scripts: Αλκυονη (Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: al-SIE-ə-nee (English)
Rating: 22% based on 5 votes
Latinized form of Greek
Αλκυονη (Alkyone), derived from the word
αλκυων (alkyon) meaning "kingfisher". In Greek
myth this name belonged to a daughter of Aeolus and the wife of Ceyx. After her husband was killed in a shipwreck she threw herself into the water, but the gods saved her and turned them both into kingfishers. This is also the name of the brightest of the Pleiades, the seven stars in the constellation Taurus.
ALEA
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: ə-LEE-ə
Rating: 23% based on 6 votes
ALEXANDER
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Hungarian, Slovak, Biblical, Ancient Greek (Latinized), Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Pronounced: a-lig-ZAN-dər (English), a-le-KSAN-du (German), ah-lək-SAHN-dər (Dutch), AW-lek-sawn-der (Hungarian)
Rating: 65% based on 4 votes
Latinized form of the Greek name
Αλεξανδρος (Alexandros), which meant "defending men" from Greek
αλεξω (alexo) "to defend, help" and
ανηρ (aner) "man" (genitive
ανδρος). In Greek
mythology this was another name of the hero
Paris, and it also belongs to several characters in the
New Testament. However, the most famous bearer was Alexander the Great, King of Macedon. In the 4th century BC he built a huge empire out of Greece, Egypt, Persia, and parts of India. Due to his fame, and later medieval tales involving him, use of his name spread throughout Europe.
The name has been used by kings of Scotland, Poland and Yugoslavia, emperors of Russia, and eight popes. Other notable bearers include English poet Alexander Pope (1688-1744), American statesman Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804), Scottish-Canadian explorer Sir Alexander MacKenzie (1764-1820), Russian poet Alexander Pushkin (1799-1837), and Alexander Graham Bell (1847-1922), the Scottish-Canadian-American inventor of the telephone.
ALINA
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: a-LEE-na (German, Italian), a-LYEE-na (Polish)
Rating: 50% based on 6 votes
Short form of
ADELINA and names that end in
alina.
ANDRASTE
Gender: Feminine
Rating: 26% based on 5 votes
Possibly means "invincible" in Celtic. This was the name of a Briton goddess of victory who was invoked by
Boudicca before her revolt.
ANDROMEDA
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: AN-DRO-ME-DA (Classical Greek), an-DRAH-mi-də (English)
Rating: 72% based on 5 votes
Means "to be mindful of a man" from the Greek
element ανηρ (aner) "man" (genitive
ανδρος) combined with
μεδομαι (medomai) "to be mindful of". 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.
ANNA
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Italian, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Latvian, Greek, Hungarian, Polish, Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Czech, Slovak, Bulgarian, Icelandic, Faroese, Catalan, Occitan, Breton, Biblical, Old Church Slavic, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
Other Scripts: Αννα (Greek), Анна (Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Bulgarian, Church Slavic)
Pronounced: AN-ə (English), AN-na (Italian, Polish, Icelandic), A-na (German, Greek), AHN-nah (Dutch, Norwegian, Finnish), AN-nah (Danish), AWN-naw (Hungarian), AN-nə (Russian, Catalan)
Rating: 84% based on 9 votes
Form of
Channah (see
HANNAH) used in the Greek and Latin
Old Testament. Many later Old Testament translations, including the English, use the
Hannah spelling instead of
Anna. The name appears briefly in the
New Testament belonging to a prophetess who recognized
Jesus as the Messiah. It was a popular name in the Byzantine Empire from an early date, and in the Middle Ages it became common among Western Christians due to veneration of
Saint Anna (usually known as Saint Anne in English), the name traditionally assigned to the mother of the Virgin
Mary. In the English-speaking world, this form came into general use in the 18th century, joining
Ann and
Anne.
The name was borne by several Russian royals, including an 18th-century empress of Russia. It is also the name of the main character in Leo Tolstoy's novel 'Anna Karenina' (1877), about a married aristocrat who begins an ultimately tragic relationship with Count Vronsky.
ANWEN
Gender: Feminine
Rating: 45% based on 6 votes
Means "very beautiful" in Welsh.
AODHÁN
Gender: Masculine
Rating: 35% based on 6 votes
From the old Irish name
Áedán, a
diminutive of
Áed (see
AODH). This was the name of an Irish monk and
saint of the 7th century. It was also borne by several characters in Irish
mythology.
AOIBHE
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: EE-va
Rating: 36% based on 5 votes
AOIBHEANN
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: EE-van
Rating: 40% based on 5 votes
Means "beautiful sheen" in Irish Gaelic. This was the name of the mother of
Saint Enda. It was also borne by Irish royalty.
AOIFE
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: EE-fyə (Irish)
Rating: 58% based on 6 votes
Means "beauty" from the Gaelic word
aoibh. In Irish legend Aoife was a warrior princess. In war against her sister Scathach, she was defeated in single combat by the hero
Cúchulainn. Eventually she was reconciled with her sister and became the lover of Cúchulainn. This name is sometimes used as a Gaelic form of
EVE or
EVA.
ARABELLA
Gender: Feminine
Rating: 47% based on 6 votes
Medieval Scottish name, probably a variant of
ANNABEL. It has long been associated with Latin
orabilis meaning "invokable".
ARDGHAL
Gender: Masculine
Pronounced: AHR-dahl
Rating: 28% based on 5 votes
Means "high valour", derived from the Irish
elements ard "high" and
gal "valour".
ARTEMIS
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: AR-TE-MEES (Classical Greek), AHR-tə-mis (English)
Rating: 68% based on 4 votes
Meaning unknown, possibly related either to Greek
αρτεμης (artemes) "safe" or
αρταμος (artamos) "a butcher". Artemis was the Greek goddess of the moon and hunting, the twin of
Apollo and the daughter of
Zeus and
Leto. She was known as
Diana to the Romans.
ARWEN
Gender: Feminine
Rating: 43% based on 7 votes
Means "noble maiden" in Sindarin. In 'The Lord of the Rings' (1954) by J. R. R. Tolkien, Arwen was the daughter of
Elrond and the lover of
Aragorn.
ATHENA
Gender: Feminine
Other Scripts: Αθηνα (Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: A-TE-NA (Classical Greek), ə-THEE-nə (English)
Rating: 67% based on 7 votes
Meaning unknown, perhaps derived from Greek
αθηρ (ather) "sharp" and
αινη (aine) "praise". Athena was the Greek goddess of wisdom and warfare, the daughter of
Zeus and the patron goddess of the city of Athens in Greece. She is associated with the olive tree and the owl.
AUBREY
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: AW-bree
Rating: 13% based on 6 votes
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, due to Bread's 1972 song 'Aubrey' along with its similarity to the established feminine name
Audrey.
AVRIL
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: A-VREEL (French), AV-ril (English)
Rating: 12% based on 5 votes
AYŞE
Gender: Feminine
Rating: 12% based on 5 votes
BASTIEN
Gender: Masculine
Pronounced: BAS-TYEN
Rating: 16% based on 5 votes
BEDIVERE
Gender: Masculine
Rating: 14% based on 5 votes
From the Welsh name
Bedwyr, which is of unknown meaning. In Arthurian legends Bedivere was one of the original companions of King
Arthur. He first appears in early Welsh tales, and his story was later expanded by Geoffrey of Monmouth in the 12th century. He is the one who throws the sword Excalibur into the lake at the request of the dying Arthur.
BELENUS
Gender: Masculine
Rating: 20% based on 5 votes
Probably from a Celtic word meaning "bright, brilliant". This was the name of a Gaulish solar god who was often equated with
Apollo.
BERTRAM
Gender: Masculine
Pronounced: BUR-trəm (English), BER-tram (German)
Rating: 28% based on 5 votes
BOADICEA
Gender: Feminine
Rating: 48% based on 6 votes
BRANWEN
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: BRAN-wen (Welsh)
Rating: 25% based on 6 votes
Means "beautiful raven" from Welsh
bran "raven" and
gwen "fair, white, blessed". In the Mabinogion, a collection of tales from Welsh
myth, she is the sister of the British king
Bran and the wife of the Irish king Matholwch.
BRISEIS
Gender: Feminine
Other Scripts: Βρισηις (Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: brie-SEE-is (English)
Rating: 34% based on 5 votes
Patronymic derived from
Βρισευς (Briseus), a Greek name of unknown meaning. In Greek
mythology Briseis (real name Hippodameia) was the daughter of Briseus. She was captured during the Trojan War by
Achilles. After
Agamemnon took her away from him, Achilles refused to fight in the war.
BROGAN
Gender: Masculine
Rating: 22% based on 5 votes
Derived from Gaelic
bróg "shoe" combined with a
diminutive suffix. This was the name of several Irish
saints, including Saint
Patrick's scribe.
BRONWEN
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: BRAHN-wen
Rating: 40% based on 7 votes
Derived from the Welsh
elements bron "breast" and
gwen "white, fair, blessed".
CADEYRN
Gender: Masculine
Rating: 18% based on 5 votes
Means "battle king" from Welsh cad "battle" and teyrn "king, monarch". Cadeyrn (also known as Catigern) was a 5th-century king of Powys in Wales, the son of Vortigern.
CADOGAN
Gender: Masculine
Rating: 27% based on 6 votes
CAERWYN
Gender: Masculine
Rating: 22% based on 5 votes
Derived from the Welsh
elements caer "fortress" and
gwyn "white, fair".
CALISTA
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: kə-LIS-tə (English), ka-LEE-sta (Spanish)
Rating: 69% based on 8 votes
Feminine form of
CALLISTUS. As an English name it might also be a variant of
KALLISTO.
CAMERON
Gender: Masculine
Pronounced: KAM-rən
Rating: 23% based on 6 votes
From a Scottish surname meaning "crooked nose" from Gaelic cam "crooked" and sròn "nose".
CAOIMHE
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: KEE-va
Rating: 60% based on 7 votes
Derived from Gaelic caomh meaning "beautiful, gentle, kind".
CARLOTTA
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: kar-LOT-ta
Rating: 47% based on 6 votes
CELESTE
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: che-LE-ste (Italian), sə-LEST (English)
Rating: 52% based on 6 votes
Italian feminine and masculine form of
CAELESTIS. It is also the English feminine form.
CERIDWEN
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: ke-RID-wen
Rating: 62% based on 6 votes
Possibly from Welsh
cyrrid "bent" or
cerdd "poetry" combined with
ven "woman" or
gwen "white, fair, blessed". According to medieval Welsh legend this was the name of a sorceress or goddess who created a potion that would grant wisdom to her son Morfan. The potion was instead consumed by her servant Gwion Bach, who was subsequently reborn as the renowned bard
Taliesin.
CERNUNNOS
Gender: Masculine
Rating: 46% based on 5 votes
Means "horned" in Celtic. This was the name of the Celtic god fertility, animals, wealth, and the underworld. He was usually depicted having antlers, and was identified with the Roman god
Mercury.
CERYS
Gender: Feminine
Rating: 23% based on 6 votes
CIAN
Gender: Masculine
Pronounced: KYEE-ən (Irish)
Rating: 43% based on 6 votes
Means "ancient" in Gaelic. This was the name of the mythical ancestor of the Cianachta in Irish legend. Cian was also the name of a son-in-law of
Brian Boru.
CONCHOBHAR
Gender: Masculine
Rating: 26% based on 5 votes
Original Irish form of
CONOR.
CONRÍ
Gender: Masculine
Rating: 24% based on 5 votes
Means "wolf king" in Irish Gaelic.
CÚCHULAINN
Gender: Masculine
Rating: 18% based on 5 votes
Means "hound of Culann" in Irish. This was the usual name of the warrior hero who was named Sétanta at birth, given to him because he took the place of one of Culann's hounds after he accidentally killed it. Irish legend tells of Cúchulainn's many adventures, including his single-handed defense of Ulster against the army of queen
Medb.
DAMIAN
Gender: Masculine
Pronounced: DAY-mee-ən (English), DA-myan (Polish)
Rating: 57% based on 6 votes
From the Greek name
Δαμιανος (Damianos) which was derived from Greek
δαμαζω (damazo) "to tame".
Saint Damian was martyred with his twin brother Cosmo in Syria early in the 4th century. They are the patron saints of physicians. Due to his renown, the name came into general use in Christian Europe. Another saint by this name was Peter Damian, an 11th-century cardinal and theologian from Italy.
DAVINIA
Gender: Feminine
Rating: 45% based on 6 votes
DERRICK
Gender: Masculine
Pronounced: DER-ik
Rating: 54% based on 7 votes
DEVIN
Gender: Masculine
Pronounced: DEV-in
Rating: 47% based on 7 votes
DIONYSOS
Gender: Masculine
Pronounced: DEE-O-NUY-SOS (Classical Greek)
Rating: 33% based on 3 votes
From Greek
Διος (Dios) meaning "of
ZEUS" combined with
NYSA, the name of the region where young Dionysos was said to have been raised. In Greek
mythology Dionysos was the god of wine, revelry, fertility and dance. He was the son of
Zeus and
Semele.
DIONYSUS
Gender: Masculine
Pronounced: die-ə-NIE-səs (English)
Rating: 30% based on 5 votes
DOMINIC
Gender: Masculine
Pronounced: DAWM-i-nik
Rating: 81% based on 7 votes
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.
DRUSTAN
Gender: Masculine
Rating: 14% based on 5 votes
Older form of
TRISTAN. This name was borne by a 7th-century Scottish
saint.
DRYSTAN
Gender: Masculine
Rating: 18% based on 5 votes
ÉABHA
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: AY-va
Rating: 24% based on 5 votes
EDWARD
Gender: Masculine
Pronounced: ED-wərd (English), ED-vart (Polish)
Rating: 68% based on 6 votes
Means "rich guard", derived from the
Old English elements ead "wealth, fortune" and
weard "guard". This was the name of several Anglo-Saxon kings, the last being
Saint Edward the Confessor shortly before the
Norman conquest in the 11th century. He was known as a just ruler, and because of his popularity his name remained in use after the conquest when most other Old English names were replaced by Norman ones. The 13th-century Plantagenet king Henry III named his son and successor after the saint, and seven subsequent kings of England were also named Edward.
This is one of the few Old English names to be used throughout Europe (in various spellings). A famous bearer was the British composer Edward Elgar (1857-1934). It was also used by author Charlotte Brontë for the character Edward Rochester, the main love interest of the title character in her novel 'Jane Eyre' (1847).
EILWEN
Gender: Feminine
Rating: 24% based on 5 votes
Perhaps means "white brow" from Welsh ael "brow" and gwen "white, fair, blessed".
EIRIAN
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Rating: 30% based on 5 votes
Means "bright, beautiful" in Welsh.
EIRWEN
Gender: Feminine
Rating: 32% based on 5 votes
Means "white snow" from the Welsh
elements eira "snow" and
gwen "white, blessed".
ELAINE
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: i-LAYN (English)
Rating: 30% based on 5 votes
From an Old French form of
HELEN. It appears in Arthurian legend; in Thomas Malory's 15th-century compilation 'Le Morte d'Arthur' Elaine was the daughter of Pelleas, the lover of
Lancelot, and the mother of
Galahad. It was not commonly used as an English given name until after the appearance of Tennyson's Arthurian epic 'Idylls of the King' (1859).
ELECTRA
Gender: Feminine
Other Scripts: Ηλεκτρα (Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: ə-LEKT-rə (English)
Rating: 58% based on 4 votes
Latinized form of Greek
Ηλεκτρα (Elektra), derived from
ηλεκτρον (elektron) meaning "amber". In Greek
myth she was the daughter of
Agamemnon and
Clytemnestra and the sister of
Orestes. She helped her brother kill their mother and her lover Aegisthus in vengeance for Agamemnon's murder. Also in Greek mythology, this name was borne by one of the Pleiades, who were the daughters of
Atlas and Pleione.
ELIZABETH
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: i-LIZ-ə-bəth (English)
Rating: 89% based on 8 votes
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. It has also been borne (in various spellings) by many other European royals, including a ruling empress of Russia in the 18th century. Famous modern bearers include the British queen Elizabeth II (1926-) and actress Elizabeth Taylor (1932-2011).
ERIS
Gender: Feminine
Other Scripts: Ερις (Ancient Greek)
Rating: 32% based on 5 votes
Means "strife" in Greek. In Greek
mythology Eris was the goddess of discord. She was the sister and companion of
Ares.
EROS
Gender: Masculine
Other Scripts: Ερως (Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: E-RAWS (Classical Greek), ER-aws (English)
Rating: 50% based on 3 votes
Means "love" in Greek. In Greek
mythology he was a young god, the son of
Aphrodite, who was armed with arrows that caused the victim to fall in love.
EVADNE
Gender: Feminine
Other Scripts: Ευαδνη (Ancient Greek)
Rating: 65% based on 4 votes
From Greek
Ευαδνη (Euadne), from
ευ (eu) meaning "good" possibly combined with Cretan Greek
αδνος (adnos) meaning "holy". In Greek legend Evadne was the wife of Capaneus. After Capaneus was killed by a lightning bolt sent from
Zeus she committed suicide by throwing herself onto his burning body.
EVANDER (1)
Gender: Masculine
Pronounced: ee-VAN-dər (English), ə-VAN-dər (English)
Rating: 73% based on 4 votes
Variant of
Evandrus, the Latin form of the Greek name
Ευανδρος (Euandros), derived from Greek
ευ (eu) meaning "good" and
ανηρ (aner) meaning "man" (genitive
ανδρος). In Roman
mythology Evander was an Arcadian hero of the Trojan War who founded the city of Pallantium near the spot where Rome was later built.
EVANGELINE
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: ə-VAN-jə-leen
Rating: 86% based on 8 votes
Means "good news" from Greek
ευ (eu) "good" and
αγγελμα (angelma) "news, message". It was (first?) used by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in his epic poem 'Evangeline' (1847). It also appears in Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' (1852) as the full name of the character Eva.
GABRIEL
Gender: Masculine
Usage: French, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Catalan, English, Romanian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
Pronounced: GA-BREE-YEL (French), ga-BRYEL (Spanish), GA-bree-el (German, Classical Latin), GAHB-ree-el (Finnish), GAY-bree-əl (English), GAB-ryel (Polish)
Rating: 81% based on 7 votes
From the Hebrew name
גַבְרִיאֵל (Gavri'el) meaning "God is my strong man", derived from
גֶּבֶר (gever) "strong man, hero" and
אֶל ('El) "God". Gabriel was one of the seven archangels in Hebrew tradition, often appearing as a messenger of God. In the
Old Testament he is sent to interpret the visions of the prophet
Daniel, while in the
New Testament he serves as the announcer of the births of
John to
Zechariah and
Jesus to
Mary. According to Islamic tradition he was the angel who dictated the 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.
GABRIELLE
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: GA-BREE-YEL (French), ga-bree-EL (English)
Rating: 60% based on 7 votes
French feminine form of
GABRIEL. This was the real name of French fashion designer Coco Chanel (1883-1971).
GAVIN
Gender: Masculine
Pronounced: GAV-in (English)
Rating: 18% based on 6 votes
Medieval form of
GAWAIN. Though it died out in England, it was reintroduced from Scotland in the 20th century.
GRACE
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: GRAYS
Rating: 74% based on 9 votes
From the English word
grace, which ultimately derives from Latin
gratia. This was one of the virtue names created in the 17th century by the
Puritans. The actress Grace Kelly (1929-1982) was a famous bearer.
GRANT
Gender: Masculine
Pronounced: GRANT (English)
Rating: 50% based on 6 votes
From an English and Scottish surname which was derived from Norman French grand meaning "great, large". A famous bearer of the surname was Ulysses Grant (1822-1885), the commander of the Union forces during the American Civil War who later served as president. In America the name has often been given in his honour.
GRATIAN
Gender: Masculine
Pronounced: GRAY-shən (English)
Rating: 14% based on 5 votes
From the Roman name
Gratianus, which meant "grace" from Latin
gratus.
Saint Gratian was the first bishop of Tours (4th century). This was also the name of a Roman emperor.
GWENDOLEN
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: GWEN-də-lin (English)
Rating: 66% based on 7 votes
Means "white ring", derived from the Welsh
elements gwen meaning "white, fair, blessed" and
dolen meaning "ring, loop". This was the name of a mythical queen of the Britons who defeated her husband in battle, as told by Geoffrey of Monmouth.
GWENEVERE
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: GWEN-ə-vir
Rating: 69% based on 7 votes
GWRTHEYRN
Gender: Masculine
Rating: 27% based on 6 votes
Means "supreme king" from Welsh gor meaning "over" and teyrn meaning "king, monarch". It is possible that this is not a name, but a title. Gwrtheyrn (also known as Vortigern) was a 5th-century king of the Britons. It was he who invited Horsa and Hengist to Britain, which eventually led to the Anglo-Saxon conquest of England.
HALA
Gender: Feminine
Other Scripts: هالة (Arabic)
Rating: 37% based on 6 votes
Means "halo around the moon" in Arabic. This was the name of a sister-in-law of the Prophet
Muhammad.
HENRIETTA
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: hen-ree-ET-ə (English), HEN-ree-et-taw (Hungarian), HEN-ree-et-tah (Finnish)
Rating: 58% based on 6 votes
Latinate form of
HENRIETTE. It was introduced to England by Henriette Marie, the wife of the 17th-century English king Charles I. The name
Henriette was also Anglicized as
Harriet, a form which was initially more popular.
IAIN
Gender: Masculine
Rating: 55% based on 6 votes
INDIRA
Gender: Feminine
Rating: 62% based on 6 votes
Means "beauty" in
Sanskrit. This is another name of
Lakshmi, the wife of the Hindu god
Vishnu. A notable bearer was India's first female prime minister, Indira Gandhi (1917-1984).
ISABELLA
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: ee-za-BEL-la (Italian), ee-za-BE-la (German), iz-ə-BEL-ə (English)
Rating: 56% based on 7 votes
Latinate form of
ISABEL. This name was borne by many medieval royals, including queen consorts of England, France, Portugal, the Holy Roman Empire and Hungary, as well as the powerful ruling queen Isabella of Castile (properly called
Isabel).
JULIA
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Spanish, Polish, Finnish, Russian, Ukrainian, Ancient Roman, Biblical
Other Scripts: Юлия (Russian), Юлія (Ukrainian)
Pronounced: JOO-lee-ə (English), YOO-lya (German, Polish), YOO-lee-ah (Swedish, Danish, Finnish), KHOO-lya (Spanish), YOO-lyi-yə (Russian), YOO-lee-a (Classical Latin)
Rating: 70% based on 8 votes
Feminine form of the Roman family name
JULIUS. Among the notable women from this family were Julia Augusta (also known as Livia Drusilla), the wife of Emperor Augustus, and Julia the Elder, the daughter of Augustus and the wife of Tiberius. A person by this name has a brief mention in the
New Testament. It was also borne by a few early
saints and martyrs, including the patron saint of Corsica. Additionally,
Shakespeare used it in his comedy 'The Two Gentlemen of Verona' (1594).
It has been common as a given name in the English-speaking world only since the 18th century. A famous modern bearer is American actress Julia Roberts (1967-).
KEEGAN
Gender: Masculine
Pronounced: KEE-gən
Rating: 18% based on 5 votes
From an Irish surname, the Anglicized form of the Gaelic
Mac Aodhagáin, which means "descendant of Aodhagán". The given name
Aodhagán is a double
diminutive of
AODH.
KIERA
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: KEER-ə (English)
Rating: 33% based on 6 votes
KIERAN
Gender: Masculine
Pronounced: KEER-ən (English), KEER-awn (English)
Rating: 37% based on 6 votes
KREIOS
Gender: Masculine
Other Scripts: Κρειος (Ancient Greek)
Rating: 47% based on 3 votes
Possibly derived from either Greek
κρειων (kreion) "lord, master" or
κριος (krios) "ram, male sheep". This was the name of a Titan in Greek
mythology.
LANDON
Gender: Masculine
Pronounced: LAN-dən
Rating: 27% based on 6 votes
From a surname which was derived from an
Old English place name meaning "long hill" (effectively meaning "ridge"). Use of the name may have been inspired in part by the actor Michael Landon (1936-1991).
LEANDER
Gender: Masculine
Pronounced: lee-AN-dər (English)
Rating: 43% based on 3 votes
Latinized form of the Greek name
Λεανδρος (Leandros), derived from
λεων (leon) meaning "lion" and
ανηρ (aner) meaning "man" (genitive
ανδρος). In Greek legend Leander was the lover of Hero. Every night he swam across the Hellespont to meet her, but on one occasion he was drowned when a storm arose. When Hero saw his dead body she threw herself into the waters and perished.
LEANDROS
Gender: Masculine
Rating: 57% based on 3 votes
LEOLIN
Gender: Masculine
Rating: 20% based on 5 votes
LEONIDAS
Gender: Masculine
Rating: 55% based on 2 votes
Derived from Greek
λεων (leon) meaning "lion" combined with the patronymic suffix
ιδης (ides). Leonidas was a Spartan king of the 5th century BC who sacrificed his life and his army defending the pass of Thermopylae from the Persians. This was also the name of a 3rd-century
saint and martyr, the father of Origen, from Alexandria.
LIAM
Gender: Masculine
Pronounced: LEE-əm (English)
Rating: 89% based on 8 votes
LISETTE
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: LEE-ZET (French)
Rating: 62% based on 6 votes
LOGAN
Gender: Masculine
Pronounced: LO-gən (English)
Rating: 50% based on 7 votes
From a surname which was originally derived from a Scottish place name meaning "little hollow" in Scottish Gaelic.
LUCIAN
Gender: Masculine
Pronounced: LOO-chyan (Romanian), LOO-shən (English)
Rating: 63% based on 6 votes
Romanian and English form of
LUCIANUS. Lucian is the usual name of Lucianus of Samosata in English.
MADOC
Gender: Masculine
Rating: 24% based on 5 votes
Possibly derived from Welsh
mad "fortunate" combined with a
diminutive suffix.
MAIARA
Gender: Feminine
Rating: 14% based on 5 votes
Means "great grandmother, wise" in Tupi.
MALINA (2)
Gender: Feminine
Other Scripts: Малина (Bulgarian, Serbian)
Pronounced: ma-LYEE-na (Polish)
Rating: 47% based on 6 votes
Means "raspberry" in several
Slavic languages.
MARCAS
Gender: Masculine
Rating: 50% based on 6 votes
Irish and Scottish form of
MARK.
MARINA
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, English, Greek, Russian, Ukrainian, Romanian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Macedonian, Georgian, Ancient Roman
Other Scripts: Μαρινα (Greek), Марина (Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Serbian, Macedonian), მარინა (Georgian)
Pronounced: ma-REE-na (Italian, Spanish, German), mə-REEN-ə (English), mu-RYEE-nə (Russian)
Rating: 52% based on 6 votes
MARYAM
Gender: Feminine
Other Scripts: مريم (Arabic), مریم (Persian)
Pronounced: MAR-yam (Arabic)
Rating: 47% based on 7 votes
Arabic and Persian form of
Miryam (see
MARY). In Iran it is also the name of a flower, the tuberose, which is named after the
Virgin Mary.
MELAINA
Gender: Feminine
Other Scripts: Μελαινα (Ancient Greek)
Rating: 43% based on 6 votes
MERCEDES
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: mer-THE-dhes (European Spanish), mer-SE-dhes (Latin American Spanish)
Rating: 45% based on 6 votes
Means "mercies" (that is, the plural of mercy), from the Spanish title of the Virgin
Mary,
María de las Mercedes, meaning "Mary of Mercies". It is ultimately from the Latin word
merces meaning "wages, reward", which in Vulgar Latin acquired the meaning "favour, pity".
MERRICK
Gender: Masculine
Pronounced: MER-ik
Rating: 36% based on 5 votes
From a surname which was originally derived from the Welsh given name
MEURIG.
MIKHAIL
Gender: Masculine
Other Scripts: Михаил (Russian, Bulgarian)
Pronounced: myi-khu-EEL (Russian)
Rating: 43% based on 6 votes
Russian form of
MICHAEL, and a variant
transcription of Bulgarian
MIHAIL. This was the name of two Russian tsars. Other notable bearers include the poet Mikhail Lermontov (1814-1841) and the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev (1931-).
MIRIAM
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: MIR-ee-əm (English), MI-ryam (German)
Rating: 75% based on 6 votes
Original 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 since the
Protestant Reformation.
MORGAINE
Gender: Feminine
Rating: 20% based on 5 votes
MORRIGAN
Gender: Feminine
Rating: 30% based on 5 votes
Derived from Irish
Mór Ríoghain meaning "great queen". In Irish
myth she was a goddess of war and death who often took the form of a crow.
MURCHADH
Gender: Masculine
Rating: 20% based on 5 votes
Derived from Gaelic muir "sea" and cadh "warrior".
NASRIN
Gender: Feminine
Rating: 20% based on 5 votes
Means "wild rose" in Persian.
NERYS
Gender: Feminine
Rating: 22% based on 6 votes
Perhaps an elaboration of Welsh ner "lord", with the intended meaning of "lady".
NIAMH
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: NYEE-əv (Irish), NYEEV (Irish)
Rating: 56% based on 7 votes
Means "bright" in Irish. She was the daughter of the sea god in Irish legends. She fell in love with the poet
Oisín, son of
Fionn.
NIMUE
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: NIM-oo-ay (English)
Rating: 34% based on 5 votes
Meaning unknown. In Arthurian legends this is the name of a sorceress, also known as the Lady of the Lake, Vivien, or Niniane. Various versions of the tales have
Merlin falling in love with her and becoming imprisoned by her magic. She first appears in the medieval French 'Lancelot-Grail' cycle.
OLIVIA
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: o-LIV-ee-ə (English), o-LEE-vya (Italian, German), o-LEE-bya (Spanish), O-lee-vee-ah (Finnish)
Rating: 50% based on 6 votes
This name was first used in this spelling by
William Shakespeare for a character in his comedy 'Twelfth Night' (1602). Shakespeare may have based it on
OLIVER or
OLIVA, or perhaps directly on the Latin word
oliva meaning "olive". In the play Olivia is a noblewoman who is wooed by Duke Orsino but instead falls in love with his messenger Cesario.
The name has been used in the English-speaking world since the 18th century, though it did not become overly popular until the last half of the 20th century. Its rise in popularity in America was precipitated by a character on the 1970s television series 'The Waltons'.
OLWEN
Gender: Feminine
Rating: 22% based on 6 votes
Means "white footprint" from Welsh
ol "footprint, track" and
gwen "white, fair, blessed". In Welsh legend Olwen was a beautiful maiden, the lover of
Culhwch and the daughter of the giant Yspaddaden. Her father insisted that Culhwch complete several seemingly impossible tasks before he would allow them to marry, and Culhwch was successful with all of them.
PÁDRAIGÍN
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: PAW-dri-geen
Rating: 22% based on 5 votes
PHOEBE
Gender: Feminine
Other Scripts: Φοιβη (Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: FEE-bee (English)
Rating: 51% based on 7 votes
Latinized form of the Greek name
Φοιβη (Phoibe), which meant "bright, pure" from Greek
φοιβος (phoibos). In Greek
mythology Phoibe was a Titan associated with the moon. This was also an epithet of her granddaughter, the moon goddess
Artemis. The name appears in
Paul's epistle to the Romans in the
New Testament, where it belongs to a female minister in the church at Cenchreae. In England, it began to be used as a given name after the
Protestant Reformation. A moon of Saturn bears this name (in honour of the Titan).
PUCK
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Pronounced: PUK (English)
Rating: 43% based on 3 votes
Meaning unknown, from
Old English puca. It could ultimately be of either
Germanic or Celtic origin. In English legend this was the name of a mischievous spirit, also known as Robin Goodfellow. He appears in
Shakespeare's play 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' (1600).
RAVEN
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Pronounced: RAY-vən
Rating: 23% based on 6 votes
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.
RHIANNA
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: ree-AN-ə
Rating: 47% based on 6 votes
RHIANNON
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: ree-AN-awn (Welsh), ree-AN-ən (English), REE-ən-ən (English)
Rating: 56% based on 7 votes
Probably derived from the old Celtic name
Rigantona meaning "great queen". It is speculated that this was the name of an otherwise unattested Celtic goddess of fertility and the moon. The name
Rhiannon appears later in Welsh legend in the Mabinogion, borne by the wife of
Pwyll and the mother of
Pryderi.
As an English name, it became popular due to the Fleetwood Mac song 'Rhiannon' (1976).
RODERICK
Gender: Masculine
Pronounced: RAHD-ə-rik (English), RAHD-rik (English)
Rating: 28% based on 6 votes
Means "famous power" from the
Germanic elements hrod "fame" and
ric "power". This name was in use among the Visigoths; it was borne by their last king (also known as Rodrigo), who died fighting the Muslim invaders of Spain in the 8th century. It also had cognates in
Old Norse and West Germanic, and Scandinavian settlers and
Normans introduced it to England, though it died out after the Middle Ages. It was revived in the English-speaking world by Sir Walter Scott's poem 'The Vision of Don Roderick' (1811).
SAGE
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Pronounced: SAYJ
Rating: 67% based on 7 votes
From the English word sage, which denotes either a type of spice or else a wise person.
SAXON
Gender: Masculine
Pronounced: SAK-sən
Rating: 33% based on 6 votes
From a surname which was derived from the name of the
Germanic tribe the Saxons, ultimately deriving from the Germanic word
sahs meaning "knife". This name can also be given in direct reference to the tribe.
SELENE
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: SE-LE-NE (Classical Greek), si-LEE-nee (English)
Rating: 60% based on 6 votes
Means "moon" in Greek. This was the name of a Greek goddess of the moon, sometimes identified with the goddess
Artemis.
SIENA
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: see-EN-ə
Rating: 49% based on 7 votes
Variant of
SIENNA, with the spelling perhaps influenced by that of the Italian city.
SKYE
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: SKIE
Rating: 59% based on 7 votes
From the name of the Isle of Skye off the west coast of Scotland. It is sometimes considered a variant of
SKY.
TARANIS
Gender: Masculine
Rating: 13% based on 3 votes
Derived from Celtic
taran meaning "thunder",
cognate with
Þórr (see
THOR). This was the name of the Gaulish thunder god, who was often identified with the Roman god
Jupiter.
TEAGAN
Gender: Masculine
Rating: 33% based on 6 votes
From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of
Ó Tadhgáin meaning "descendant of Tadhgán". The given name
Tadhgán is a
diminutive of
TADHG.
THALIA
Gender: Feminine
Rating: 74% based on 8 votes
From the Greek name
Θαλεια (Thaleia), derived from
θαλλω (thallo) meaning "to blossom". In Greek
mythology she was one of the nine Muses, presiding over comedy and pastoral poetry. This was also the name of one of the three Graces or
Χαριτες (Charites).
TREVELYAN
Gender: Masculine
Pronounced: trə-VEL-yən
Rating: 22% based on 5 votes
From a surname which was derived from a Cornish place name meaning "homestead on the hill".
VALERIUS
Gender: Masculine
Pronounced: wa-LE-ree-oos (Classical Latin), və-LER-ee-əs (English)
Rating: 57% based on 6 votes
Roman family name which was derived from Latin
valere "to be strong". This was the name of several early
saints.
WARRICK
Gender: Masculine
Pronounced: WAWR-ik
Rating: 26% based on 5 votes
From a surname which was a variant of
WARWICK.
WILLIAM
Gender: Masculine
Pronounced: WIL-yəm
Rating: 85% based on 8 votes
From the
Germanic name
Willahelm, which was composed of the
elements wil "will, desire" and
helm "helmet, protection".
Saint William of Gellone was an 8th-century cousin of
Charlemagne who became a monk. The name was common among the
Normans, and it became extremely popular in England after William the Conqueror was recognized as the first Norman king of England in the 11th century. It was later borne by three other English kings, as well as rulers of Scotland, Sicily (of Norman origin), the Netherlands and Prussia.
Other famous bearers include William Wallace, a 13th-century Scottish hero, and William Tell, a legendary 14th-century Swiss hero. In the literary world it was borne by dramatist William Shakespeare (1564-1616), poet William Blake (1757-1827), poet William Wordsworth (1770-1850), dramatist William Butler Yeats (1865-1939), author William Faulkner (1897-1962), and author William S. Burroughs (1914-1997).
WINTER
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: WIN-tər
Rating: 60% based on 8 votes
From the English word for the season, derived from
Old English winter.
ZIBA (1)
Gender: Feminine
Other Scripts: زیبا (Persian)
Rating: 48% based on 6 votes
Means "beautiful" in Persian.
ZOSIA
Gender: Feminine
Pronounced: ZAW-sha
Rating: 45% based on 6 votes
Copyright © Mike Campbell 1996-2017.