Behind the Name: Martha Gold's Personal Name List

Gender: Feminine

Usage: German, English, Italian, Finnish

Pronounced: ə-DEL (English)

Means "bird" in Welsh. This is a modern Welsh name.

Gender: Masculine

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

Other Scripts: Адриан (Russian)

Pronounced: AY-dree-ən (English), AHD-ryahn (Polish), AH-dree-ahn (German), ah-dree-AHN (Russian)

Form of Hadrianus (see HADRIAN). Several saints and six popes have borne this name, including the only English pope, Adrian IV, and the only Dutch pope, Adrian VI. As an English name, it has been in use since the Middle Ages, though it was not popular until modern times.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, English

Pronounced: ahd-RYAH-nah (Italian, Spanish, Polish), ayd-ree-AN-ə (English)

Feminine form of ADRIAN

Means "radiance" in Gaelic. This was the name of the queen of the fairies in Celtic mythology. It is also taken as an Irish form of Anne.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Japanese

Other Scripts: 晶, 明, 秋, 亜希 (Japanese)

From Japanese 晶 "sparkle", 明 "bright" or 秋 "autumn". It can also come from 亜 (a) "second, Asia" combined with 希 (ki) "hope".

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English

Pronounced: ə-LAN-ə

Feminine form of ALAN

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)

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: German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, French, English, Greek, Portuguese, Romanian, Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, Spanish, Ancient Greek, Greek Mythology

Other Scripts: Αλεξανδρα (Greek)

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

Feminine form of ALEXANDER. In Greek mythology this was a Mycenaean epithet of the goddess Hera, and an alternate name of Cassandra. It was borne by several early Christian saints, and also by the wife of Nicholas II, the last czar of Russia. She was from Germany and had the birth name Alix, but was renamed Alexandra upon joining the Russian Church.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English (Modern), German

Pronounced: ə-LEK-see-ə (English)

Feminine form of ALEXIS

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English, Dutch

Pronounced: AM-bər (English), AHM-bər (Dutch)

From the English word amber that denotes either the gemstone, which is formed from fossil resin, or the orange-yellow colour. The word ultimately derives from Arabic عنبر ('anbar). It began to be used as a given name in the late 19th century, but it only became popular after the release of Kathleen Winsor's novel 'Forever Amber' (1944).

Gender: Masculine & Feminine

Usage: English, Bulgarian, Macedonian

Other Scripts: Ангел (Bulgarian, Macedonian)

Pronounced: AYN-jəl (English)

From the medieval Latin masculine name Angelus which was derived from the name of the heavenly creature (itself derived from the Greek word αγγελος (angelos) meaning "messenger"). It has never been very common in the English-speaking world, where it is sometimes used as a feminine name in modern times.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Italian, English, Russian, German, Dutch, Polish, Spanish, Macedonian

Other Scripts: Ангелина (Russian, Macedonian)

Pronounced: an-jə-LEEN-ə (English), ahn-GYE-lee-nah (Russian), ahn-gye-LEE-nah (Russian), ahn-gee-LEE-nah (Russian), ahn-ge-LEE-nah (Polish)

Latinate diminutive of ANGELA

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Russian

Other Scripts: Аня (Russian)

Russian diminutive of ANNA

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English (Modern)

Pronounced: ar-ee-AN-ə, ar-ee-AHN-ə

Gender: Masculine & Feminine

Usage: Hebrew, English, French, Biblical, Biblical Greek

Other Scripts: אֲרִיאֵל (Hebrew), Αριηλ (Ancient Greek)

Pronounced: AR-ee-əl (English), ER-ee-əl (English), AY-ree-əl (English)

Means "lion of God" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament it is used as another name for the city of Jerusalem. Shakespeare used it as the name of a spirit in his play 'The Tempest' (1611), 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 Walt Disney film 'The Little Mermaid' (1989).

Gender: Feminine & Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: ASH-lee

From an English surname which was originally derived from place names meaning "ash tree clearing", from 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.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English (Rare)

Pronounced: AS-tər

From a surname derived from Occitan astur meaning "hawk".

Gender: Masculine & Feminine

Usage: English

Pronounced: AY-vər-ee, AYV-ree

From a surname which was itself derived from the Norman French form of the given names ALBERICH or ALFRED.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English (Rare)

Pronounced: A-zhər

From the English word that means "sky blue". It is ultimately (via Old French, Latin and Arabic) from Persian لاجورد (lajvard) meaning "azure, lapis lazuli".

From a surname meaning "dispute" in Middle English, originally given to a quarrelsome person.

Derived from Old French baiart meaning "bay coloured". In medieval French poetry Bayard was a bay horse owned by Renaud de Montauban and his brothers. The horse could magically adjust its size to carry multiple riders.

Modern form of BÉBINN

Short form of ISABELLA or names ending in belle. It is also associated with the French word meaning "beautiful". A famous bearer was Belle Starr (1848-1889), an outlaw of the American west, whose real given name was Maybelle.

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.

From a Scottish surname which was derived from the given name Bláán, which meant "yellow" in Gaelic. Saint Bláán was a 6th-century missionary to the Picts.

From the Roman name Blasius which meant "lisping" from Latin blaesus. A famous bearer was Blaise Pascal, a mathematician and philosopher from France.

Variant of BLÁTHNAT using a different diminutive suffix.

From a surname which was derived from Old English blæc "black" or blāc "pale". A famous bearer of the surname was the poet and artist William Blake (1757-1827).

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Irish, Irish Mythology

Pronounced: BLAW-nit

Means "little flower" from the Irish word blath "flower" combined with a diminutive suffix. In Irish legend she was a maiden abducted and married by Cú Roí. She was rescued by Cúchulainn, who killed her husband, but she was in turn murdered by one of Cú Roí's loyal servants.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English, Irish

Pronounced: BRAY-dən

From an Irish surname which was derived from Ó Bradáin meaning "descendent of BRADÁN".

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: BRAD-lee

From a surname which originally came from a place name that meant "broad clearing" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was the World War II American general Omar Bradley (1893-1981).

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English (Modern)

Pronounced: BRAY-lin

A recently created name, formed using the popular name suffix lyn.

Means "speckled" in Welsh.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Welsh, Welsh Mythology

Pronounced: BRAHN

Means "raven" in Welsh. In Welsh legend Bran the Blessed (called also Bendigeid Vran) was the son of the god Llyr. Later Welsh legends describe him as a king of Britain who was killed attacking Ireland.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English (Modern)

Pronounced: BRAN-sən

From an English surname which meant "son of Brando". Brando was a medieval Germanic name derived from brand "sword".

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Welsh, Welsh Mythology

Pronounced: BRAN-wen

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.

Anglicized form of BRÍGH

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Irish, English

Pronounced: BREN-dən (English)

From Brendanus, the Latinized form of the Irish name Bréanainn which was derived from a Welsh word meaning "prince". Saint Brendan was a 6th-century Irish abbot who, according to legend, crossed the Atlantic and reached North America with 17 other monks.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Irish, English

Pronounced: BREN-ən (English)

From an Irish surname derived from Ó Braonáin meaning "descendent of Braonán". Braonán is a given name meaning "sorrow" (Irish braon "tear drop" and a diminutive suffix).

Gender: Masculine & Feminine

Usage: English

Pronounced: BRET

From a Middle English surname meaning "a Breton", referring to an inhabitant of Brittany.

Derived from Welsh briallu meaning "primrose". This is a modern Welsh name.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English, Irish

Pronounced: bree-AN-ə (English), bree-AHN-ə (English)

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English (Modern)

Pronounced: bree-AN

Feminine form of BRIAN

Gender: Masculine & Feminine

Usage: English (Rare)

Pronounced: BRIE-ər

From the English word for the thorny plant.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English (Rare)

Pronounced: BRIE-ən-ee

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English (Rare)

Pronounced: BRIS-təl

From the name of the city in southwest England which means "the site of the bridge".

Scandinavian short form of BIRGITTA

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: BRIT-ən

Derived from a Middle English surname meaning "a Breton".

From a surname which was derived from Old English brocc meaning "badger".

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

Derived from Gaelic bróg "shoe" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of several Irish saints, including Saint Patrick's scribe.

Anglicized form of BRÓNACH

Derived from the Welsh elements bron "breast" and gwen "white, fair, blessed".

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: BRIE-ənt

From a surname which was derived from the given name BRIAN.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English (Modern)

Pronounced: BRIN

Feminine variant of BRYN

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English (Rare)

Pronounced: BURN

From an Irish surname which was derived from Ó Broin meaning "descendent of BRAN (1)".

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English (Modern)

Pronounced: KAY-dən

Sometimes explained as a derivative of the Irish surname Caden, which is a reduced form of the Gaelic surname Mac Cadáin meaning "son of Cadán". In actuality, its popularity in America beginning in the 1990s is due to its sound - it shares its fashionable aden suffix sound with other popular names like Hayden, Aidan and Braden.

Means "whelp, young dog" in Gaelic. This name is also used as a Scottish form of COLUMBA.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English (Modern)

Pronounced: KAY-lin

From the name of a type of lily. Use of the name may also be inspired by Greek καλλος (kallos) meaning "beauty".

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: KAL-ə-han

From a surname, the Anglicized form of the Irish Ó Ceallacháin, which means "descendent of CEALLACHÁN".

Derived from the French surname Chauvin, which was derived from chauve "bald". The surname was borne by Jean Chauvin (1509-1564), a theologian from France who was one of the leaders of the Protestant Reformation. His surname was Latinized as Calvinus (based on Latin calvus "bald") and he is known as John Calvin in English. It has been used as a given name in his honour since the 19th century.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Irish, Scottish

Pronounced: KEE-va, KWEE-va

Derived from Gaelic caomh meaning "beautiful, gentle, kind".

From Gaelic caol "slender" combined with the diminutive suffix án.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English, German

Pronounced: KAHR-ə (English), KER-ə (English), KAH-rah (German)

From an Italian word meaning "beloved". It has been used as a given name since the 19th century, though it did not become popular until after the 1950s.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Spanish

Pronounced: kah-ree-DHAHD

Spanish cognate of CHARITY

Feminine form of CARL

Gender: Masculine & Feminine

Usage: Scottish, English

Pronounced: KAHR-sən

From a Scottish surname of unknown meaning. A famous bearer of the surname was the American scout Kit Carson (1809-1868).

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: KAHR-tər

From an English surname which meant "one who uses a cart".

Means "blessed love" from Welsh caru "love" and gwyn "white, fair, blessed".

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Literature

Pronounced: KAS-pee-ən (English)

Used by author C. S. Lewis for a character in his 'Chronicles of Narnia' series, first appearing in 1950. Prince Caspian first appears in the fourth book, where he is the rightful king of Narnia driven into exile by his evil uncle Miraz. Lewis probably based the name on the Caspian Sea, which was named for the city of Qazvin, which was itself named for the ancient Cas tribe.

Invented by Sir Walter Scott for a character in his novel 'Ivanhoe' (1819). Apparently he based it on the actual name Cerdic, the name of the semi-legendary founder of the kingdom of Wessex in the 6th-century. The meaning of Cerdic is uncertain, but it does not appear to be Old English in origin. It could be connected to the Brythonic name CARATACOS. The name was also used by Frances Hodgson Burnett for the main character in her novel 'Little Lord Fauntleroy' (1886).

Derived from the Welsh elements cain "lovely" and gwen "white, fair, blessed".

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Welsh, Welsh Mythology

Pronounced: ke-RID-wen

Means "blessed poetry" from Welsh cerdd "poetry" and gwen "white, fair, blessed". This is the name of a Celtic goddess of poetry.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: CHAND-lər

From an occupational surname which meant "candle seller" in Middle English, ultimately from Old French.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: French, English, Dutch

Pronounced: shawn-TAHL (French), shawn-TAL (English), shan-TAL (English), shahn-TAHL (Dutch)

From a French surname which was derived from a place name meaning "stony". It was originally given in honour of Saint Jeanne-Françoise de Chantal, the founder of the Visitation Order in the 17th century. It has become associated with French chant "song".

Gender: Masculine & Feminine

Usage: English

Pronounced: CHAHR-lee

Diminutive or feminine form of CHARLES. A famous bearer is Charlie Brown, the main character in the comic strip 'Peanuts' by Charles Schulz.

Feminine form of CHARLES. This name was popularized by South African actress Charlize Theron (1975-), who was named after her father Charles.

Diminutive of CHARLES or CHRISTOPHER. It can also be from a nickname given in reference to the phrase a chip off the old block, used of a son who is similar to his father.

Gender: Masculine

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

Pronounced: KRIS-chən (English), KRISH-chən (English), krees-TYAWN (French), kris-TEE-ahn (German)

From the Medieval Latin name Christianus meaning "a Christian" (see CHRISTOS). In England it has been in use since the Middle Ages, during which time it was used by both males and females, but it did not become common until the 17th century. In Denmark the name has been borne by ten kings since the 15th century. A famous bearer was Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875), the Danish author of such fairy tales as 'The Ugly Duckling' and 'The Emperor's New Clothes'.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Irish, Irish Mythology

Pronounced: KEE-an, KEEN

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.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Irish

Pronounced: KEER-awn, KEE-ar-awn

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.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: French, English

Pronounced: KLER

French form of CLARA

From an English surname meaning "cleric" or "scribe", from Old English clerec which originally meant "priest". A famous bearer of the surname was William Clark (1770-1838), an explorer of the west of North America. It was also borne by the American actor Clark Gable (1901-1960).

From an English surname that originally referred to a person who lived near or worked with clay. This name can also be a short form of CLAYTON.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Ancient Greek (Latinized)

Other Scripts: Κλεων (Ancient Greek)

Latinized form of Κλεων (Kleon), a Greek name derived from κλεος (kleos) "glory".

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Irish, Irish Mythology

Pronounced: KLEE-u-na

Possibly means "shapely" in Irish Gaelic. In Irish legend this was the name of a beautiful goddess. She fell in love with a mortal named Ciabhan and left the Land of Promise with him, but when she arrived on the other shore she was swept to sea by a great wave.

From a surname which was originally derived from the Old English byname COLA.

Irish form of COLUMBA. This is also an Old Irish word meaning "dove", derived from Latin columba.

From the name of a river in northern Wales.

Anglicized form of COMHGHÁN

Means "strong wolf" in Gaelic. This is the name of several characters in Irish legend including the hero Conall Cernach ("Conall of the victories"), a member of the Red Branch of Ulster, who avenged Cúchulainn's death by killing Lugaid.

Means "little wolf" or "little hound" from Gaelic cú "wolf, hound" combined with a diminutive suffix. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was the author who wrote the Sherlock Holmes mystery stories.

Means "chief" in Irish Gaelic.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Irish, English (Modern)

Pronounced: KAHN-ər (English)

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: KOOP-ər, KUWP-ər

From a surname meaning "barrel maker" in Middle English.

From the English word coral for the underwater skeletal deposits which can form reefs. It is ultimately derived (via Old French and Latin) from Greek κοραλλιον (korallion).

Either a French form of KORALIA, or a derivative of Latin corallium "coral" (see CORAL).

French form of QUIRINUS

Means "son of defilement" from Gaelic corb "defilement" and mac "son". This was the name of a 3rd-century king of Ireland.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: KAWR-win

From an English surname, perhaps derived from Old French cordoan "leather".

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English (Rare)

Pronounced: KREE

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

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English (Rare)

Pronounced: KRIE-tən

From a surname which was derived from a place name, originally from Gaelic crioch "border" combined with Old English tun "town".

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Hungarian

Pronounced: CHEEL-law

Derived from Hungarian csillag meaning "star". This name was created by the Hungarian poet Mihály Vörösmarty in the 19th century.

Means "little wolf" or "little hound" from the Irish element cú "wolf, hound" combined with a diminutive suffix.

From a surname which was derived from an Old French form of Cologne, the name of a city in Germany.

Short form of CYRUS or CYRIL

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English (Rare)

Pronounced: SIE-an

From the English word meaning "greenish blue", ultimately derived from Greek κυανος (kyanos).

Meaning unknown. Saint Cyra was a 5th-century Syrian hermit who was martyred with her companion Marana.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Irish, Irish Mythology

Pronounced: DAW-ra

Means "fruitful, fertile" in Irish Gaelic. This name is borne by many figures in Irish legend, including the Ulster chief who reneged on his promise to loan the Brown Bull of Cooley to Medb, starting the war between Connacht and Ulster as told in the Irish epic 'The Cattle Raid of Cooley'.

Gender: Masculine & Feminine

Usage: English

Pronounced: DAY-əl, DAYL

From an English surname which originally belonged to a person who lived near a dale or valley.

Means "fawn" from Gaelic damh "stag, ox" combined with a diminutive suffix.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Greek Mythology, English

Other Scripts: Δαμων (Ancient Greek)

Pronounced: DAY-mən (English)

Derived from Greek δαμαω (damao) meaning "to tame". According to Greek legend, Damon and Pythias were friends who lived on Syracuse in the 4th century BC. When Pythias was sentenced to death, he was allowed to temporarily go free on the condition that Damon take his place in prison. Pythias returned just before Damon was to be executed in his place, and the king was so impressed with their loyalty to one another that he pardoned Pythias. As an English given name, it has only been regularly used since the 20th century.

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: Feminine

Usage: Greek Mythology, English, Dutch

Other Scripts: Δαφνη (Ancient Greek)

Pronounced: DAF-nee (English), DAHF-nə (Dutch)

Means "laurel" in Greek. In Greek mythology she was a nymph turned into a laurel tree by her father in order that she might escape the pursuit of Apollo. It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the end of the 19th century.

Means "star" in Khmer.

Gender: Feminine & Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: DAHR-see

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 & Feminine

Usage: English

Pronounced: DER-ee-ən, DAR-ee-ən

Probably an elaborated form of DARREN

From the English word dawn, ultimately derived from Old English dagung.

From an English surname which was derived either from the town of Dax in France or else from the Old English given name Dæcca (of unknown meaning).

Anglicized form of Irish Deaglán, which is of unknown meaning. Saint Declan was a 5th-century missionary to Ireland.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English, Irish, Irish Mythology

Pronounced: DEER-drə (English), DEER-dree (English), DER-dre (Irish)

From the older Gaelic form Derdriu, meaning unknown, possibly derived from a Celtic word meaning "woman". This was the name of a tragic character in Irish legend who died of a broken heart after Conchobhar, the king of Ulster, forced her to be his bride and killed her lover Naoise.

It has only been commonly used as a given name since the 20th century, influenced by two plays featuring the character: William Butler Yeats' 'Deirdre' (1907) and J. M. Synge's 'Deirdre of the Sorrows' (1910).

Gender: Masculine & Feminine

Usage: English

Pronounced: DEL

From an English surname which originally denoted a person who lived in a dell or valley.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: DEN-vər

From an English surname which was from a place name meaning "Dane ford" in Old English. This is the name of the capital city of Colorado, which was named for the politician James W. Denver (1817-1892).

From the older English name Dederick, which was in origin a Low German form of THEODORIC. It was imported to England from the Low Countries in the 15th century.

Anglicized form of DIARMAID

Means "ocean" in Turkish, ultimately from Persian.

Gender: Masculine & Feminine

Usage: English, Irish

Pronounced: DEV-in

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

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: DEKS-tər

From an occupational surname meaning "one who dyes" in Old English. It also coincides with the Latin word dexter meaning "right-handed, skilled".

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Irish, Irish Mythology

Pronounced: DEER-mid

Perhaps means "without envy" in Irish. In Irish mythology this was the name of a warrior who became the lover of Gráinne. It was also the name of several ancient Irish kings.

Gender: Masculine & Feminine

Usage: Hebrew, Biblical, Biblical Hebrew

Other Scripts: דִּקְלָה (Hebrew)

Possibly means "palm grove" in Hebrew or Aramaic. In the Old Testament this is the name of a son of Joktan. In modern times it is also used as a feminine name.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Biblical, Biblical Hebrew, English

Other Scripts: דִּינָה (Ancient Hebrew)

Pronounced: DIE-nə (English)

Means "judged" in Hebrew. She is the daughter of Jacob and Leah in the Old Testament. It has been used as an English given name since after the Protestant Reformation.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: DAHM-ə-nik

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.

From an Irish surname which was derived from Ó Donndubháin meaning "descendent of DONNDUBHÁN".

Gender: Masculine & Feminine

Usage: Hebrew

Other Scripts: דּוֹר (Hebrew)

Means "generation" in Hebrew.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English, French

Pronounced: DAWR-ee-ən (English)

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 probably took it from the name of the ancient Greek tribe the Dorians.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Scottish, English

Pronounced: DUN-kən (English)

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: Welsh, English, Welsh Mythology

Pronounced: DUL-an (Welsh), DIL-ən (English)

From the Welsh elements dy "great" and llanw "tide, flow". In Welsh mythology Dylan was a god or hero associated with the sea. He was the son of Arianrhod and was accidentally slain by his uncle Govannon.

Famous bearers include the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas (1914-1953) and the American musician Bob Dylan (1941-), real name Robert Zimmerman, who took his stage surname from the poet's given name. Due to those two bearers, use of the name has spread outside of Wales in the last half of the 20th century. It received a further boost in popularity in the 1990s due to a character on the television series 'Beverly Hills 90210'.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English (Rare)

Pronounced: DIE-sən

From an English surname which meant "son of DYE".

Means "snow" in Welsh.

Means "bright, beautiful" in Welsh.

Means "white snow" from the Welsh elements eira "snow" and gwen "white, blessed".

Means "fawn" in Welsh.

Means "star sun" in Sindarin. In 'The Lord of the Rings' (1954) by J. R. R. Tolkien this is Sam's eldest daughter, named after a type of flower.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English

Pronounced: EL-ə-nawr

From the Old French form of the Occitan name Aliénor. It was first borne by 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.

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.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English, Hebrew, Biblical, Biblical Greek, Biblical Hebrew

Other Scripts: עֵלִי (Hebrew), Ηλι (Ancient Greek)

Pronounced: EE-lie (English)

Means "ascension" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament he is the high priest of Israel and the teacher of Samuel. In England, Eli has been used as a Christian given name since the Protestant Reformation.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Hebrew

Other Scripts: אֵלִי (Hebrew)

Means "my God" in Hebrew.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English, Irish

Pronounced: ER-in

Anglicized form of EIREANN. It has been used as a given name since the middle of the 20th century.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English, Jewish, French, Biblical, Biblical Latin

Other Scripts: אֵיתָן (Hebrew)

Pronounced: EE-thən (English)

Means "solid, enduring" in Hebrew. This is the name of a wise man in the Old Testament. After the Protestant Reformation it was occasionally used as a given name in the English-speaking world, and it became somewhat common in America due to the fame of the revolutionary Ethan Allen (1738-1789). It only became popular towards the end of the 20th century. This was the name of the main character in Edith Wharton's novel 'Ethan Frome' (1911).

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Welsh, English

Pronounced: EV-ən (English)

Anglicized form of Iefan, a Welsh form of JOHN.

Anglicized form of EOGHAN

Older form of FAOLÁN

From an Irish surname which was derived from Ó Fallamhain meaning "descendent of Fallamhan". The given name Fallamhan meant "leader". It was popularized in the 1980s by a character on the soap opera 'Dynasty'.

From the English word fawn for a young deer.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English

Pronounced: fi-LIS-i-tee

From the English word felicity meaning "happiness", which ultimately derives from Latin felicitas "good luck". This was one of the virtue names adopted by the Puritans around the 17th century. It can sometimes be used as an English form of the Latin name FELICITAS (1). This name was revived in the late 1990s after the appearance of the television series 'Felicity'.

Dutch feminine form of FELINUS

Anglicized form of FIONNLAGH

Older Irish form of FIONN. This is also the usual Anglicized spelling of the name. As a surname it is borne by Huckleberry Finn, a character in Mark Twain's novels.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Irish, English (Modern)

Pronounced: FIN-ə-gən

From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Fionnagáin meaning "descendent of Fionnagán". The name Fionnagán is a diminutive of FIONN. This was the name of a character in James Joyce's novel 'Finnegans Wake' (1939), the title of which was based on a 19th-century Irish ballad called 'Finnegan's Wake'.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Scottish, English

Pronounced: fee-O-nə

Feminine form of FIONN. This name was (first?) used by Scottish poet James Macpherson in his poem 'Fingal' (1762).

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Irish, Irish Mythology

Pronounced: FIN, FYOON

From Irish fionn (older Irish finn) meaning "fair" or "white". Fionn mac Cumhail was a legendary Irish hero who became all-wise by eating an enchanted salmon. He fought against the giant Fomors with his son Oisín and grandson Oscar.

Means "king of princes" from Gaelic flaith "prince" and rí "king".

Gender: Masculine & Feminine

Usage: Irish

Pronounced: FLAN

Means "red" in Irish Gaelic. This was the name of a 9th-century king of Tara in Ireland.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: FLECH-ər

From a surname meaning "maker of arrows" in Middle English, ultimately from Old French flechier.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English (Rare)

Pronounced: FLIN

From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Floinn meaning "descendent of FLANN".

From a surname which was derived from a place name meaning "ford" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was the American industrialist Henry Ford (1863-1947).

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: FAWS-tər

From an English surname which has several different origins: see FOSTER (1), FOSTER (2), FOSTER (3) and FOSTER (4).

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Scottish, English (Rare)

Pronounced: FRAY-zər, FRAY-zhər

From a Scottish surname which is of unknown meaning. A famous bearer of the surname was Simon Fraser (1776-1862), a Canadian explorer.

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)

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.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: GAY-lən

Modern form of the Greek name Γαληνος (Galenos), which meant "calm" from Greek γαληνη (galene). It was borne by a 2nd-century BC Greco-Roman physician who contributed to anatomy and medicine. In modern times the name is occasionally given in his honour.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: GER-it, GAR-it

From an English surname which was derived from the given name GERALD or GERARD. A famous bearer of the surname was Pat Garrett (1850-1908), the sheriff who shot Billy the Kid.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: GER-ik, GAR-ik

From a surname which was originally derived from a given name meaning "spear power" from Germanic ger "spear" and ric "power".

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English, Scottish

Pronounced: GAV-in (English)

Medieval form of GAWAIN. Though it died out in England, it was reintroduced from Scotland in the 20th century.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Italian, English (British), Dutch

Pronounced: JEM-ə (English)

Medieval Italian nickname meaning "gem, precious stone". It was borne by the 13th-century wife of the Italian poet Dante Alighieri.

Short form of GIOVANNA

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Biblical, English, Hebrew

Other Scripts: גִּדְעוֹן (Hebrew)

Pronounced: GID-ee-ən (English)

Means "feller" or "hewer" in Hebrew. Gideon was a hero of the Old Testament who led the Israelites against the Midianites. In the English-speaking world, Gideon has been used as a given name since the Protestant Reformation, and it was popular among the Puritans.

From the English word ginger for the spice or the reddish-brown colour. It can also be a diminutive of VIRGINIA, as in the case of actress and dancer Ginger Rogers (1911-1995), by whom the name was popularized.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: French, English (Modern)

Pronounced: zhee-ZEL (French), ji-ZEL (English)

Derived from the Germanic word gisil meaning "hostage" or "pledge". This name may have originally been a descriptive nickname for a child given as a pledge to a foreign court. It was borne by a daughter of the French king Charles III who married the Norman leader Rollo in the 10th century. The name was popular in France during the Middle Ages (the more common French form is Gisèle). Though it became known in the English-speaking world due to Adolphe Adam's ballet 'Giselle' (1841), it was not regularly used until the 20th century.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Scottish, English

Pronounced: GRAY-əm, GRAM

From a Scottish surname, originally derived from the English place name Grantham, which probably meant "gravelly homestead" in Old English. The surname was first taken to Scotland in the 12th century by the Norman baron William de Graham. A famous bearer was Alexander Graham Bell (1847-1922), the Scottish-Canadian-American inventor who devised the telephone.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Irish, Irish Mythology

Pronounced: GRAWN-ya

Possibly derived from Gaelic grán meaning "grain". This was the name of an ancient Irish grain goddess. The name also belonged to the fiancée of Fionn mac Cumhail and the lover of Diarmaid in later Irish legend, and it is often associated with gráidh "love".

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English, Scottish

Pronounced: GRANT

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.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: German, English

Pronounced: GRET-khen (German), GRECH-ən (English)

German diminutive of MARGARETA

Latinized form of GRUFFUDD. This name can also be inspired by the English word griffin, a creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle, ultimately from Greek γρυψ (gryps).

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Welsh, English

Pronounced: GWEN

From Welsh gwen, the feminine form of gwyn meaning "white, fair, blessed". It can also be a short form of GWENDOLEN, GWENLLIAN, and other names beginning with Gwen.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Welsh, English

Pronounced: GWEN-də-lin (English)

Variant of GWENDOLEN

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English (Rare)

Pronounced: JIP-see

Simply from the English word Gypsy for the nomadic people who originated in northern India. The word was originally a corruption of Egyptian. It is sometimes considered pejorative.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Literature

Pronounced: HAY-dee (English)

Perhaps intended to derive from Greek αιδοιος (aidoios) "modest, reverent". This name was created by Byron for a character in his poem 'Don Juan' (1819).

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English, Hebrew, French, German, Dutch, Biblical

Other Scripts: חַנָּה (Hebrew)

Pronounced: HAN-ə (English), HAH-nah (German)

From the Hebrew name חַנָּה (Channah) meaning "favour" or "grace". Hannah is the mother of the prophet Samuel in the Old Testament. As an English name, Hannah was not regularly used until after the Protestant Reformation. The Greek and Latin version Anna is used in the New Testament and was traditionally more widely used as a Christian name.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: HAHR-lən

From a surname which was from a place name meaning "hare land" in Old English. In America it has sometimes been given in honour of Supreme Court justice John Marshall Harlan (1833-1911).

Gender: Feminine & Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: HAHR-pər

From an Old English surname which originally belonged to a person who played the harp or who made harps. A notable bearer was the American author Harper Lee (1926-), who wrote 'To Kill a Mockingbird'.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: HER-ee, HAR-ee

Medieval English form of HENRY. In modern times it is used as a diminutive of both Henry and HAROLD. A famous bearer was American president Harry S. Truman (1884-1972). It is also the name of the boy wizard in J. K. Rowling's 'Harry Potter' series of books, first released in 1997.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English (British)

Pronounced: HAY-dən

From a German surname meaning "heathen". It is used in honour of the Austrian composer Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809).

From the English word hazel for the tree or the light brown colour, derived ultimately from Old English hæsel. It was coined as a given name in the 19th century.

Gender: Feminine

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

Pronounced: HIE-dee (German, English)

German diminutive of ADELHEID. This is the name of the title character in the children's novel 'Heidi' (1880) by Johanna Spyri. The name began to be used in the English-speaking world shortly after the 1937 release of the movie adaptation, which starred Shirley Temple.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English (Modern)

Pronounced: HOL-dən

From a surname which was originally derived from a place name meaning "deep valley" in Old English. This is the name of the main character in J. D. Salinger's novel 'The Catcher in the Rye' (1951), Holden Caufield.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Scottish, English

Pronounced: EE-ən (English)

Modern Scottish form of JOHN

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Indian, Hinduism

Other Scripts: इन्दिरा (Hindi, Sanskrit)

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).

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English, Scottish

Pronounced: ie-ON-ə (English)

From the name of the island off Scotland where Saint Columba founded a monastery. The name of the island is Old Norse in origin, and apparently derives simply from ey meaning "island".

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Greek Mythology, English

Other Scripts: Ιονη (Ancient Greek)

Pronounced: ie-O-nee (English), IE-o-nee (English), ie-ON (English)

From Greek ιον (ion) meaning "violet flower". This was the name of a sea nymph in Greek mythology. It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the 19th century, though perhaps based on the Greek place name Ionia, a region on the west coast of Asia Minor.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English, Jewish, Biblical, Biblical Latin

Other Scripts: יִצְחָק (Hebrew)

Pronounced: IE-zək (English)

From the Hebrew name יִצְחָק (Yitzchaq) which meant "he laughs". Isaac in the Old Testament is the son of Abraham and the father of Esau and Jacob. As recounted in Genesis, God tested Abraham's faith by ordering him to sacrifice his son, though an angel prevented the act at the last moment.

As an English Christian name, Isaac was occasionally used during the Middle Ages, though it was more common among Jews. It became more widespread after the Protestant Reformation. Famous bearers include the physicist and mathematician Sir Isaac Newton (1643-1727) and the science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov (1920-1992).

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Italian, Spanish, German, English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Romanian

Pronounced: ee-zah-BEL-lah (Italian), iz-ə-BEL-ə (English)

Latinate form of ISABEL. A notable bearer of the name was the powerful ruling queen Isabella of Castile, who sponsored the explorations of Christopher Columbus.

Variant of ISLAY, typically used as a feminine name.

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

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

Gender: Masculine & Feminine

Usage: English (Modern)

Pronounced: JAY-dən

An invented name, using the popular aden suffix sound found in such names as Braden, Hayden and Aidan. This name first became common in American in the 1990s when similar-sounding names were increasing in popularity. It is sometimes considered a variant of JADON.

Gender: Masculine & Feminine

Usage: Scottish, English

Pronounced: JAY-mee

Originally a Lowland Scots diminutive of JAMES. Since the late 19th century it has also been used as a feminine form.

Gender: Masculine & Feminine

Usage: Scottish, English

Pronounced: JAY-mee

Originally a Lowland Scots diminutive of JAMES. Since the late 19th century it has also been used as a feminine form.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English, Biblical

Other Scripts: יָרֶד, יֶרֶד (Ancient Hebrew)

Pronounced: JER-əd (English), JAR-əd (English)

From the Hebrew name יָרֶד (Yared) or יֶרֶד (Yered) meaning "descent". This is the name of a close descendent of Adam in the Old Testament. It has been used as an English name since the Protestant Reformation, and it was popularized in the 1960s by the character Jarrod Barkley on the television series 'The Big Valley'.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Popular Culture

Pronounced: JER-əth (English), JAR-əth (English)

Probably a blend of JARED and GARETH. This was the name of the Goblin King, played by David Bowie, in the movie 'Labyrinth' (1986).

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: JER-ət, JAR-ət

From a surname which was a variant of GARRETT.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English, French

Pronounced: JAZ-min (English), zhas-MEEN (French)

From the English word for the climbing plant with fragrant flowers which is used for making perfumes. It is derived from Persian یاسمن (yasamen) (which is also a Persian name).

Variant of JENNY. Use of the name was popularized in the 1980s by the character Jenna Wade on the television series 'Dallas'.

From the Greek name ‘Ιερωνυμος (Hieronymos) meaning "sacred name". Saint Jerome was responsible for the creation of the Vulgate, the Latin translation of the Bible, in the 5th century. He is regarded as a Doctor of the Church. The name was used in his honour in the Middle Ages, especially in Italy and France, and has been used in England since the 12th century.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English, Dutch, Biblical

Other Scripts: יִשַׁי (Ancient Hebrew)

Pronounced: JES-ee (English)

From the Hebrew name יִשַׁי (Yishay) which possibly means "gift". Jesse is the father of King David in the Old Testament. It began to be used as an English given name after the Protestant Reformation. A famous bearer of this name was Jesse James (1847-1882), an American outlaw who held up banks and stagecoaches. He was eventually shot by a fellow gang member for a reward. Another famous bearer was the American athlete Jesse Owens (1913-1980), whose real name was James Cleveland (or J. C.) Owens.

Short form of GILLIAN

Gender: Feminine & Masculine

Usage: English, French

Pronounced: JAHS-lin (English), JAHS-ə-lin (English)

From the Germanic masculine name Gautselin, which was derived from the name of a Germanic tribe, the Gauts. The Normans brought this name to England in the form Goscelin or Joscelin, and it was common until the 14th century. It was revived in the 20th century primarily as a feminine name, perhaps an adaptation of the surname Jocelyn (a medieval derivative of the given name). In France this is a masculine name only.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English, Swedish, Finnish, Biblical

Other Scripts: יוֹאֵל (Ancient Hebrew)

Pronounced: JOL (English), JO-əl (English)

From the Hebrew name יוֹאֵל (Yo'el) meaning "YAHWEH is God". Joel is one of the twelve minor prophets of the Old Testament, the author of the Book of Joel. In England, it was first used as a Christian name after the Protestant Reformation.

Formed from JO and the popular name suffix lene. This name was created in the 20th century.

Gender: Masculine & Feminine

Usage: English, Macedonian

Other Scripts: Јордан (Macedonian)

Pronounced: JAWR-dən (English)

From the name of the river which flows between the countries of Jordan and Israel. The river's name in Hebrew is יַרְדֵן (Yarden), and it is derived from יָרַד (yarad) meaning "descend" or "flow down". In the New Testament John the Baptist baptizes Jesus Christ in its waters, and it was adopted as a personal name in Europe after crusaders brought water back from the river to baptize their children. There may have been some influence from the Germanic name JORDANES, notably borne by a 6th-century Gothic historian.

This name died out after the Middle Ages, but was revived in the 19th century. In America and other countries it became fairly popular in the second half of the 20th century. A famous bearer of the surname is former basketball star Michael Jordan (1963-).

Gender: Feminine & Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: JAWS

Short form of JOCELYN

Simply from the English word joy, ultimately derived from Norman French joie, Latin gaudia. Is has been regularly used as a given name since the late 19th century.

Means "sea" in Hawaiian.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Indian

Other Scripts: कावेरी (Hindi)

From the name of the Kaveri River in southern India.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Irish, English

Pronounced: KEE-gən

From an Irish surname, the Anglicized form of the Gaelic Mac Aodhagáin, which means "descendent of Aodhagán". The given name Aodhagán is a double diminutive of AODH.

Anglicized form of CAOILFHIONN, sometimes used as a masculine name.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English (Modern)

Pronounced: KEE-lee

From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Caolaidhe meaning "descendent of Caoladhe". The given name Caoladhe is derived from the Gaelic word caol "slender".

Anglicized form of CAOLÁN

Possibly derived from Old Norse kildr meaning "a spring".

Gender: Masculine & Feminine

Usage: Irish, English

Pronounced: KEL-ee

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).

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Biblical

Other Scripts: קֵינָן (Ancient Hebrew)

Pronounced: KEE-nən (English)

Possibly means "possession" in Hebrew. He is a son of Enosh and a great-grandson of Adam in the Old Testament.

Gender: Masculine & Feminine

Usage: English

Pronounced: KEN-dahl

From a surname which comes from the name of the city of Kendale in northwest England meaning "valley on the river Kent".

Feminine form of KENNETH

From a surname which was originally derived from Kent, the name of a county in England, which may be derived from a Brythonic word meaning "coastal district".

From a Scottish surname which was derived from a place name meaning "rough wet ground" in Old Norse.

Gender: Masculine & Feminine

Usage: Hebrew

Other Scripts: קֶשֶׁת (Hebrew)

Means "rainbow" in Hebrew.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English (Rare)

Pronounced: KES-trəl

From the name of the bird of prey, ultimately derived from Old French crecelle "rattle", which refers to the sound of its cry.

Diminutive of KRISTINA

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Irish

Pronounced: KEER-awn, KEE-ar-awn

Anglicized form of CIARÁN

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Irish, German

Pronounced: KEE-lee-ahn (German)

Irish variant and German form of CILLIAN

From a nickname, probably from the English word kipper meaning "male salmon".

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Russian

Other Scripts: Кира (Russian)

Pronounced: KEE-rah

Russian feminine form of CYRUS

Gender: Masculine & Feminine

Usage: Indian

Other Scripts: किरण (Hindi)

Derived from the Sanskrit word किरण (kirana), which can mean "dust" or "thread" or "sunbeam".

Gender: Masculine & Feminine

Usage: English

Pronounced: KIT

Diminutive of CHRISTOPHER or KATHERINE. A notable bearer was Kit Carson (1809-1868), an American frontiersman and explorer.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Thai

Other Scripts: กลัาหาญ (Thai)

Means "brave" in Thai.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Indian, Hinduism

Other Scripts: कृष्ण (Hindi, Sanskrit)

Pronounced: KRISH-na

Means "black, dark" in Sanskrit. This is the name of a Hindu god believed to be an incarnation of the god Vishnu. He was the youngest of King Vasudeva's eight children, six of whom were killed by King Kamsa because of a prophecy that a child of Vasudeva would kill Kamsa. Krishna however was saved and he eventually killed the king as well as performing many other great feats. In some Hindu traditions, Krishna is regarded as the supreme deity.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: KIEL, KIE-əl

From a Scottish surname which was derived from Gaelic caol meaning "narrows, channel, strait".

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English (Modern)

Pronounced: KIE-lər

Probably a variant of KYLE, blending it with TYLER. It also coincides with the rare surname Kyler, an Anglicized form of Dutch Cuyler, which is of uncertain meaning.

This name arose in Australia, where it is said to mean "boomerang" in an Australian Aboriginal language. It is more likely a feminine form of KYLE, and it is in this capacity that it began to be used in America in the 1970s. A famous bearer is the Australian singer Kylie Minogue (1968-).

Gender: Feminine & Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: LAY-see

From a surname which was a variant of LACY

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: English (Rare)

Pronounced: LAYK

From the English word lake, for the inland body of water. It is ultimately derived from Latin lacus.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: LAN-dən

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).

From a surname meaning "lane, path" which originally belonged to a person who lived near a lane.

Possibly a newer form of LUIGSECH. It is also used as an Irish form of Louise.

Icelandic form of LAURA

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Russian, Ukrainian, Croatian, Latvian, Greek Mythology

Other Scripts: Лариса (Russian, Ukrainian), Λαρισα (Ancient Greek)

Pronounced: lah-REE-sah (Russian)

Possibly derived from the name of the ancient city of Larisa in Thessaly, which meant "citadel". In Greek mythology, the nymph Larisa was a daughter of Pelasgus. This name was later borne by a 4th-century Greek martyr who is venerated as a saint in the Eastern Church.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English (Rare)

Pronounced: LAHRK

From the English word for the type of songbird.

From the name of the laurel tree, ultimately from Latin laurus.

Gender: Masculine & Feminine

Usage: English

Pronounced: LEE

From a surname which was derived from Old English leah meaning "clearing". The surname belonged to Robert E. Lee (1807-1870), commander of the Confederate forces during the American Civil War. In his honour, it has been commonly used as a given name in the American South.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: LAY-tən

From a surname which was a variant of LAYTON.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Scottish, English (Rare)

Pronounced: LEN-ən

Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Leannáin, which means "descendent of Leannán". The name Leannán means "lover" in Gaelic. This surname was borne by musician John Lennon (1940-1980), a member of the Beatles.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Scottish, English (Rare)

Pronounced: LEN-əks

From a Scottish surname which was derived from the name of a district in Scotland. The district, called Leamhnachd in Gaelic, possibly means "place of elms".

Means "grey lady" in Irish Gaelic. In Irish legend she was a poetess who became a nun, but then missed her lover Cuirithir so much that she died of grief.

German diminutive of ELISABETH

From the name of the flower, a symbol of purity. The word is ultimately derived from Latin lilium.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: French, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, English

Pronounced: LEE-se (Swedish, Norwegian, Danish), LEES (English), LEEZ (English)

Short form of ELISABETH or ELIZABETH

From a surname which was derived from Welsh llwyd meaning "grey". The composer Andrew Lloyd Webber (1948-) is a famous bearer of this name.

Gender: Masculine & Feminine

Usage: Scottish, English

Pronounced: LO-gən

From a surname which was originally derived from a Scottish place name meaning "little hollow" in Scottish Gaelic.

Means "little blackbird", derived from Irish Gaelic lon "blackbird" combined with a diminutive suffix.

Gender: Masculine & Feminine

Usage: English (Modern)

Pronounced: LUN-dən

From the name of the capital city of the United Kingdom, the meaning of which is uncertain. As a surname it was borne by the American author Jack London (1876-1916).

Means "little fierce one", derived from Irish Gaelic lorcc "fierce" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of a 12th-century archbishop of Dublin.

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.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English, Biblical

Pronounced: LOOK (English)

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.

Means "the moon" in Latin. Luna was the Roman goddess of the moon, frequently depicted driving a white chariot through the sky.

Gender: Feminine & Masculine

Usage: Various

Pronounced: LUKS (English)

Derived from Latin lux meaning "light".

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Spanish

Pronounced: LOOTH (Spanish), LOOS (Latin American Spanish)

Means "light" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin Mary, Nuestra Señora de la Luz, meaning "Our Lady of Light".

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English, German, Finnish, Biblical, Old Church Slavic, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek

Other Scripts: Λυδια (Ancient Greek), Лѷдіа (Church Slavic)

Pronounced: LID-ee-ə (English), LUY-dee-ah (German)

Means "from Lydia" in Greek. Lydia was a region on the west coast of Asia Minor. In the New Testament this is the name of a woman converted to Christianity by Saint Paul. In the modern era the name has been in use since the Protestant Reformation.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: LIN-dən

From an English surname which was derived from a place name meaning "lime tree hill" in Old English. A famous bearer was American president Lyndon B. Johnson (1908-1973).

The name of the constellation in the northern sky containing the star Vega. It is said to be shaped after the lyre of Orpheus.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English (Modern)

Pronounced: LIR-ik

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

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English (Modern)

Pronounced: MAD-əks

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.

Possibly derived from Welsh mad "fortunate" combined with a diminutive suffix.

Scottish form of MARY

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Irish

Pronounced: MOI-reen, MAW-reen

Irish diminutive of MARY

Combination of MAIR and Welsh gwen meaning "white, fair, blessed".

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: MAY-jər

From a surname which was originally derived from the given name Mauger, an Old French form of the Germanic name Malger meaning "council spear". The name can also be given in reference to the English word major.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Hebrew, English, Biblical, Biblical Latin

Other Scripts: מַלְאָכִי (Hebrew)

Pronounced: MAL-ə-kie (English)

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: Masculine

Usage: Scottish, English

Pronounced: MAL-kəm

From Scottish Máel Coluim which means "disciple of Saint COLUMBA". This was the name of four kings of Scotland starting in the 10th century, including Malcolm III, who became king after killing Macbeth, the usurper who had murdered his father. The character Malcolm in Shakespeare's tragedy 'Macbeth' (1606) is based on him. Another famous bearer was Malcolm X (1925-1965), an American civil rights leader.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Biblical

Other Scripts: מָרָא (Ancient Hebrew)

Pronounced: MAHR-ə (English), MAR-ə (English)

Means "bitter" in Hebrew. This is a name taken by Naomi in the Old Testament (see Ruth 1:20).

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English

Pronounced: MAHR-grit, MAHR-gə-rit

Derived from Latin Margarita, which was from Greek μαργαριτης (margarites) meaning "pearl", probably ultimately a borrowing from Sanskrit. Saint Margaret, the patron of expectant mothers, was martyred at Antioch in the 4th century. Later legends told of her escape from a dragon, with which she was often depicted in medieval art. The saint was popular during the Middle Ages, and her name has been widely used in the Christian world.

Other saints by this name include a queen of Scotland and a princess of Hungary. It was also borne by Queen Margaret I of Denmark, who united Denmark, Sweden, and Norway in the 14th century. Famous literary bearers include American writer Margaret Mitchell (1900-1949), the author of 'Gone with the Wind', and Canadian writer Margaret Atwood (1939-).

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English, Russian, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Biblical

Other Scripts: Марк (Russian)

Pronounced: MAHRK (English, Russian)

Form of MARCUS. Saint Mark was the author of the second Gospel in the New Testament. He is the patron saint of Venice, where he is supposedly buried. Though in use during the Middle Ages, Mark was not common in the English-speaking world until the 19th century, when it began to be used alongside the classical form Marcus.

In the Celtic legend of Tristan and Isolde this was the name of a king of Cornwall. It was also borne by the American author Mark Twain (1835-1910), real name Samuel Clemens, the author of 'Tom Sawyer' and 'Huckleberry Finn'. He actually took his pen name from a call used by riverboat workers on the Mississippi River to indicate a depth of two fathoms. This is also the usual English spelling of the name of the 1st-century BC Roman triumvir Marcus Antonius (Mark Antony).

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: MAHR-lən

Meaning unknown. This name was popularized by the American actor Marlon Brando (1924-2004), who was named after his father.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Greek, Biblical, Old Church Slavic, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek

Other Scripts: Μαρθα (Greek), Марѳа (Church Slavic)

Pronounced: MAHR-thə (English)

From Aramaic מרתא (marta') meaning "lady, mistress". In the New Testament this is the name of the sister of Lazarus and Mary of Bethany. It was not used in England until after the Protestant Reformation. A notable bearer was Martha Washington (1731-1802), the wife of the first American president George Washington.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: MAY-sən

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

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Italian, Spanish, Late Roman

Pronounced: MOW-rah (Italian, Spanish)

Feminine form of MAURUS

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Irish, Scottish, English

Pronounced: MAWR-ə

Anglicized form of MÁIRE. It has also been associated with Gaelic mór meaning "great". This was the name of an obscure 5th-century Irish or Scottish martyr.

Gender: Masculine

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

Pronounced: MAHKS (German), MAKS (English)

Short form of MAXIMILIAN (or sometimes of MAXWELL in English).

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: MAKS-wel

From a Scottish surname meaning "Mack's stream", from the name Mack, a short form of the Scandinavian name MAGNUS, combined with Old English wella "stream". A famous bearer of the surname was James Maxwell (1831-1879), a Scottish physicist who studied gases and electromagnetism.

Possibly means "lightning" in Irish Gaelic.

Medieval diminutive of MARGARET

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Hebrew

Other Scripts: מֵאִירָה (Hebrew)

Feminine form of MEIR

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English

Pronounced: MEL-ə-dee

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

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Welsh Mythology, English

Pronounced: MUR-lin (English)

Form of the Welsh name Myrddin (meaning "sea fortress") used by Geoffrey of Monmouth in his 12th-century Arthurian tales. Writing in Latin, he likely chose the form Merlinus over Merdinus in order to prevent associations with French merde "excrement".

Geoffrey based parts of Merlin's character on Myrddin Wyllt, a semi-legendary madman and prophet who lived in the Caledonian Forest. Other parts of his life were based on that of the historical 5th-century Romano-British military leader Ambrosius Aurelianus. In Geoffrey's version of the tales and later embellishments Merlin is a wizard and counselor for King Arthur.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English (Rare)

Pronounced: MER-ik

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

From an English surname, originally from a place name, which meant "boundary gate" in Old English.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: MIELZ, MIE-əlz

From the Germanic name Milo, introduced by the Normans to England in the form Miles. The meaning is not known for certain. It is possibly connected to the Slavic name element mil meaning "gracious". From an early date it was associated with Latin miles "soldier".

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English

Pronounced: mə-RAN-də

Derived from Latin mirandus meaning "admirable, wonderful". The name was created by Shakespeare for the heroine in his play 'The Tempest' (1611). It did not become a common English given name until the 20th century. This is also the name of one of the moons of Uranus.

Basque form of MARIA

Gender: Masculine & Feminine

Usage: Welsh, English, French

Pronounced: MAWR-gən (English)

From the Old Welsh masculine name Morcant, which was possibly derived from Welsh mor "sea" and cant "circle". Since the 1980s in America Morgan has been more common for girls than boys, perhaps due to stories of Morgan le Fay or the fame of actress Morgan Fairchild (1950-).

Derived from Gaelic muir "sea" and cadh "warrior".

Anglicized form of MUIRCHERTACH or MUIREDACH

Gender: Feminine

Usage: French, English, Italian

Pronounced: NAD-yə (English), NAHD-yə (English)

Variant of NADYA (1) used in the Western world. It began to be used in France in the 19th century. The name received a boost in popularity due to the Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci (1961-).

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Arabic

Other Scripts: نديّة (Arabic)

Variant transcription of NADIYYA

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English, Hebrew, Biblical

Other Scripts: נָעֳמִי (Hebrew)

Pronounced: nay-O-mee (English), nie-O-mee (English)

From the Hebrew name נָעֳמִי (Na'omiy) meaning "pleasantness". In the Old Testament this is the name of the mother-in-law of Ruth. After the death of her husband, Naomi took the name Mara (see Ruth 1:20). Though previously common as a Jewish name, Naomi was not typically used as an English Christian name until after the Protestant Reformation.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Irish, Irish Mythology

Pronounced: NES-a, NAS-a

Meaning uncertain. In Irish legend she was the mother of Conchobhar, king of Ulster. According to some versions of the legend she was originally named Assa meaning "gentle", but was renamed Ni-assa "not gentle" after she sought to avenge the murders of her foster fathers.

Medieval diminutive of ELEANOR, ELLEN (1) or HELEN. It may have arisen from the medieval affectionate phrase mine El, which was later reinterpreted as my Nel.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: NEL-sən

From an English surname meaning "son of NEIL". It was originally given in honour of the British admiral Lord Horatio Nelson (1758-1805). His most famous battle was the Battle of Trafalgar, in which he repulsed the fleet of Napoleon, but was himself killed. Another notable bearer is the South African statesman Nelson Mandela (1918-).

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

Means "miracle" in Hebrew.

Anglicized form of NAOMHÁN

Means "purpose" in Swahili.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English, French

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

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: English

Pronounced: NIELZ, NIE-əlz

From a surname which was derived from the given name NEIL.

Meaning unknown. It appears in a Latinized form Niniavus, which could be from the Welsh name NYNNIAW. This was the name of a 5th-century British saint who was apparently responsible for many miracles and cures. He is known as the Apostle to the Picts.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Indian

Other Scripts: निशा (Hindi)

Means "night" in Sanskrit.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Hebrew

Other Scripts: נִסָה (Hebrew)

Means "sign" in Hebrew.

Anglicized form of NAOMHÁN

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English, Biblical

Other Scripts: נוֹחַ (Ancient Hebrew)

Pronounced: NO-ə (English)

Derived from the Hebrew name נוֹחַ (Noach) meaning "rest, comfort". According to the Old Testament, Noah was the builder of the Ark that allowed him, his family, and animals of each species to survive the great Flood. After the Flood he received the sign of the rainbow as a covenant from God. As an English Christian name, Noah has been used since the Protestant Reformation, being common among the Puritans.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: NOL, no-EL

English form of NOËL

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Irish, English

Pronounced: NO-lan

From an Irish surname which was derived from Ó Nualláin meaning "descendent of NUALLÁN". The baseball player Nolan Ryan (1947-) is a famous bearer of this name.

Medieval diminutive of OLIVER

Derived from Latin novus meaning "new". It was first used as a name in the 19th century.

From the name of an ancient town of Asia Minor where Saint Gregory was bishop. Nyssa is also the genus name of a type of tree, also called the Tupelo.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Welsh, English

Pronounced: O-ən (English)

Modern form of OWAIN

From an English surname meaning "servant, page" in Middle English. It is ultimately derived (via Old French and Italian) from Greek παιδιον (paidion) meaning "little boy".

Gender: Masculine & Feminine

Usage: English

Pronounced: PAHR-kər

From an English occupational surname which meant "keeper of the park".

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Irish, English, French, German

Pronounced: PAT-rik (English), pat-REEK (French), PAHT-rik (German)

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.

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.

Means "peace" in Latin. In Roman mythology this was the name of the goddess of peace.

Gender: Feminine & Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: PURL

From the English word pearl for the concretions formed in the shells of some mollusks, ultimately from Late Latin perla. Like other gemstone names, it has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the 19th century. The pearl is the birthstone for June, and it supposedly imparts health and wealth.

Diminutive of PENELOPE

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English, Greek Mythology (Latinized), Biblical, Biblical Latin

Other Scripts: Φοιβη (Ancient Greek)

Pronounced: FEE-bee (English)

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).

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English (Modern)

Pronounced: PIEP-ər

From a surname which was originally given to a person who played on a pipe (a flute). It was popularized as a given name by a character from the television series 'Charmed', which debuted in 1998.

Medieval variant of MOLLY. The reason for the change in the initial consonant is unknown.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: French, English

Pronounced: kawn-TEN (French), KWEN-tin (English)

French form of the Roman name QUINTINUS. It was borne by a 3rd-century saint, a missionary who was martyred in Gaul. The Normans introduced this name to England. In America it was brought to public attention by president Theodore Roosevelt's son Quentin Roosevelt (1897-1918), who was killed in World War I.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English (Rare)

Pronounced: KWIN-lən

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

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English, Hebrew, French, German, Dutch, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek, Biblical Hebrew

Other Scripts: רָחֵל (Hebrew), Ραχηλ (Ancient Greek)

Pronounced: RAY-chəl (English), ra-SHEL (French), RAH-khəl (Dutch)

From the Hebrew name רָחֵל (Rachel) meaning "ewe". In the Old Testament this is the name of the favourite wife of Jacob and 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.

Gender: Feminine & Masculine

Usage: English (Rare)

Pronounced: RAYN

Simply from the English word rain, derived from Old English regn.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Arabic

Other Scripts: رشا (Arabic)

Means "young gazelle" in Arabic.

Gender: Feminine & Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: RAY-vən

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 "flower" in Mapuche.

From the English word, ultimately derived from Old English read. It was originally a nickname given to a person with red hair or a ruddy complexion.

From an English surname which comes from multiple sources, including Old English read meaning "red" (originally a nickname given to a person with red hair or a ruddy complexion) and Old English ried meaning "clearing" (given to a person who lived in a clearing in the woods).

Anglicized form of RHYS

Meaning unknown, probably of Celtic origin. Shakespeare took the name from earlier British legends and used it in his tragedy 'King Lear' (1606) for a treacherous daughter of the king. In the modern era it has appeared in the horror movie 'The Exorcist' (1973) belonging to a girl possessed by the devil. This name can also be used as a variant of REAGAN.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Biblical, Hebrew, English

Other Scripts: רְאוּבֵן (Hebrew)

Pronounced: ROO-bən (English)

Means "behold, a son" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament he is the eldest son of Jacob and Leah and the ancestor of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. It has been used as a Christian name in Britain since the Protestant Reformation.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Greek Mythology

Other Scripts: ‘Ρεια (Ancient Greek)

From a surname, an Anglicized form of the Dutch de Raedt, derived from raet "advice, counsel". Margaret Mitchell used this name for the character Rhett Butler in her novel 'Gone with the Wind' (1936).

Derived from Welsh rhiain meaning "maiden".

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Welsh, English, Welsh Mythology

Pronounced: hri-AN-ahn (Welsh), ree-AN-ən (English), REE-ən-ən (English)

Derived from the old Celtic name Rigantona meaning "great queen". In Welsh mythology Rhiannon was the goddess of fertility and the moon. This name is also borne by a princess in Welsh legends, the wife of Pwyll. As an English name, it became popular due to the Fleetwood Mac song 'Rhiannon' (1976).

Possibly derived from the name of the Hebridean island Rona, which means "rough island" in Gaelic.

Means either "fair spear" or "fair hair" in Welsh. The first element is either rhon "spear" or rhawn "(coarse) hair", and the second element is gwen "fair, white, blessed".

Means "rose" in Welsh. This is a modern Welsh name.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Welsh

Pronounced: HREES (Welsh), REES (English)

Means "enthusiasm" in Welsh. Several Welsh rulers have borne this name.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English (Rare)

Pronounced: RID-lee

From a surname which was originally derived from a place name meaning "reed clearing" or "cleared wood" in Old English.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English, French, German, Swedish

Pronounced: RAH-jər (English), ro-ZHE (French)

Means "famous spear" from the Germanic elements hrod "fame" and ger "spear". The Normans brought this name to England, where it replaced the Old English cognate Hroðgar (the name of the Danish king in the Anglo-Saxon epic 'Beowulf'). It was a common name in England during the Middle Ages. By the 18th century it was rare, but it was revived in following years. The name was borne by the Norman lords Roger I, who conquered Sicily in the 11th century, and his son Roger II, who ruled Sicily as a king.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Indian

Other Scripts: रोहण (Hindi)

Derived from Sanskrit रोहण (rohana) meaning "ascending".

From the novel 'The Lord of the Rings' (1954) by J. R. R. Tolkien, where it is a place name meaning "horse country" in Sindarin.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Russian

Other Scripts: Ролан (Russian)

Russian form of ROLAND

Gender: Masculine

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

Other Scripts: Роман (Russian, Ukrainian)

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

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

Means "little seal", derived from Irish rón "seal" combined with a diminutive suffix.

Frisian short form of Germanic names beginning with the element hraban meaning "raven".

From the older Irish name Ríoghbhardán, which meant "little poet king" from Irish Gaelic ríogh "king" combined with bard "poet" and a diminutive suffix.

French and German form of ROSALIA. In the English-speaking this name received a boost after the release of the movie 'Rosalie' (1938), which was based on an earlier musical.

Gender: Masculine & Feminine

Usage: Iranian, Indian

Other Scripts: روشن (Persian)

Means "light, bright" in Persian.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Scottish, English

Pronounced: RAWS (English)

From a Scottish and English surname which originally indicated a person from a place called Ross (such as the region of Ross in northern Scotland), derived from Gaelic ros meaning "promontory, headland". A famous bearer of the surname was Sir James Clark Ross (1800-1862), an Antarctic explorer.

Means "famous strength" from the Germanic elements hrod "fame" and swinþ "strength". This was the name of a 10th-century nun from Saxony who wrote several notable poems.

Gender: Masculine & Feminine

Usage: Irish, English (Modern)

Pronounced: RO-ən (English)

From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Ruadháin meaning "descendent of RUADHÁN". This name can also be given in reference to the rowan tree.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English (Modern)

Pronounced: RIE-lən

Possibly a variant of the English surname Ryland, which was originally derived from a place name meaning "rye land" in Old English.

Gender: Feminine & Masculine

Usage: Arabic

Other Scripts: صباح (Arabic)

Means "morning" in Arabic.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: French, German

Pronounced: sa-BEEN (French), za-BEE-nə (German)

French and German form of SABINA

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English (Modern)

Pronounced: SAY-bəl

From the English word meaning "black", derived from the name of the black-furred mammal native to Northern Asia, ultimately of Slavic origin.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English (Rare)

Pronounced: SAF-rən

From the English word which refers either to a spice, the crocus flower from which it is harvested, or the yellow-orange colour of the spice. It is ultimately derived from Arabic زعفران (za'faran).

Gender: Feminine & Masculine

Usage: English (Modern)

Pronounced: SAYJ

From the English word sage, which denotes either a type of spice or else a wise person.

Gender: Masculine & Feminine

Usage: English

Pronounced: SAN-dee

Originally a diminutive of ALEXANDER. As a feminine name it is a diminutive of ALEXANDRA or SANDRA. It can also be given in reference to the colour.

Means "freedom" in Irish Gaelic.

Gender: Masculine & Feminine

Usage: English (Rare)

Pronounced: SACH-əl

From a surname derived from Old English sacc meaning "sack, bag", referring to a person who was a bag maker.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English

Pronounced: sə-VAN-ə

From the English word for the large grassy plain, ultimately deriving from the Taino (Native American) word zabana. It came into use as a given name in America in the 19th century. It was revived in the 1980s by the movie 'Savannah Smiles' (1982).

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English (Modern)

Pronounced: SOI-ər, SAW-yər

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

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English, Scottish

Pronounced: SKAHT

From an English and Scottish surname which referred to a person from Scotland or a person who spoke Scottish Gaelic. It is derived from Latin Scoti meaning "Gaelic speaker", with the ultimately origin uncertain.

Possibly means "admirable" or "hawk-like" in Gaelic.

Means "star" in Welsh.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English, Italian, Late Roman

Pronounced: sə-REEN-ə (English), se-RE-nah (Italian)

From a Late Latin name which was derived from Latin serenus meaning "clear, tranquil, serene". This name was borne by an obscure early saint. Edmund Spenser also used it in his poem 'The Faerie Queene' (1590).

Gender: Feminine & Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: SHAN-ən

From the name of the River Shannon, the longest river in Ireland, called Abha na tSionainn in Irish. It is associated with the goddess Sionann and is sometimes said to be named for her. However it is more likely the goddess was named after the river, which may be related to Old Irish sen "old, ancient". As a given name, it first became common in America after the 1940s.

Gender: Masculine & Feminine

Usage: Biblical

Other Scripts: שִׁלוֹ, שִׁילֹה (Ancient Hebrew)

Pronounced: SHIE-lo (English)

From an Old Testament place name meaning "tranquil" in Hebrew. It is also used prophetically in the Old Testament to refer to a person, often understood to be the Messiah (see Genesis 49:10). This may in fact be a mistranslation.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Japanese

Other Scripts: 栞 (Japanese)

Means "bookmark" in Japanese.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Hebrew

Other Scripts: שׁירי (Hebrew)

Means "my song" in Hebrew.

Gender: Masculine & Feminine

Usage: English

Pronounced: SID-nee

From the English surname SIDNEY. It was first used as a given name in honour of executed politician Algernon Sidney (1622-1683). Another notable bearer of the surname was the poet and statesman Sir Philip Sidney (1554-1586).

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English (Modern)

Pronounced: see-EN-ə

From the English word meaning "orange-red". It is ultimately from the name of the city of Siena in Italy, because of the colour of the clay there.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English (Modern)

Pronounced: see-ER-ə

Means "mountain range" in Spanish, referring specifically to a mountain range with jagged peaks.

Variant of SÍTHMAITH

Short form of SIGRID

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English (Modern)

Pronounced: SKIE

From the name of the Isle of Skye off the west coast of Scotland. It is sometimes considered a variant of SKY.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English (Modern)

Pronounced: SLAYD

From a surname which meant "valley" in Old English.

Means "health" in Irish Gaelic.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English (Rare)

Pronounced: SLON

From an Irish surname which was derived from an Anglicized form of the given name SLUAGHADHÁN.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Spanish

Pronounced: so-le-DHAHD

Means "solitude" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin Mary, María de Soledad, meaning "Mary of Solitude".

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Indian

Other Scripts: सोनल (Hindi)

Means "golden" in Hindi.

Means "radiant" in Gaelic.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English (Rare)

Pronounced: SAWR-əl

From the name of the sour tasting plant, which may ultimately derive from Germanic sur "sour".

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Indian, Hinduism

Other Scripts: श्री (Hindi, Sanskrit)

Pronounced: SHREE

Variant transcription of SHRI

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English

Pronounced: STAHR-lə

Elaborated form of STAR

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

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Biblical

Other Scripts: שׁוֹשַׁנָּה (Ancient Hebrew)

Form of SUSANNA found in some versions of the Old Testament.

Variant of SIBYL. This spelling variation has existed since the Middle Ages.

Gender: Feminine & Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: SID-nee

From a surname which was a variant of the surname SIDNEY. This is the name of the largest city in Australia, which was named for Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney in 1788. Since the 1990s this name has been mainly feminine.

Gender: Feminine

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

Pronounced: SIL-vee-ə (English)

Variant of SILVIA. This has been the most common English spelling since the 19th century.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English, Biblical, Biblical Greek

Other Scripts: Ταβιθα (Ancient Greek)

Pronounced: TAB-i-thə (English)

Means "gazelle" in Aramaic. Tabitha in the New Testament was a woman restored to life by Saint Peter. Her name is translated into Greek as Dorcas (see Acts 9:36). As an English name, Tabitha became common after the Protestant Reformation. It was popularized in the 1960s by the television show 'Bewitched', in which Tabitha (sometimes spelled Tabatha) is the daughter of the main character.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English (British)

Pronounced: TAM-sin

Contracted form of THOMASINA. It was traditionally used in Cornwall.

Derived from Semitic roots meaning "serpent lady". This was the name of the Phoenician goddess of love, fertility, the moon and the stars.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Ukrainian, Russian

Other Scripts: Тарас (Ukrainian, Russian)

Pronounced: tah-RAHS (Russian)

Ukrainian and Russian form of the Greek name Ταρασιος (Tarasios), which possibly means "from Taras". Taras was an Italian city, now called Taranto, which was founded by Greek colonists in the 8th century BC and was named for the Greek mythological figure Taras, a son of Poseidon. Saint Tarasios was an 8th-century bishop of Constantinople.

From an English surname which was derived from the Old English given name Tata, of unknown origin.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Russian, Slovak, Bulgarian, Romanian, Polish, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Finnish, English, Ancient Roman

Other Scripts: Татьяна (Russian), Татяна (Bulgarian)

Pronounced: tah-TYAH-nah (Russian, Polish, Spanish, Italian), ta-tee-AN-ə (English), ta-TYAN-ə (English)

Feminine form of the Roman name Tatianus, a derivative of the Roman name TATIUS. This was the name of a 3rd-century saint who was martyred in Rome under the emperor Alexander Severus. She was especially venerated in Orthodox Christianity, and the name has been common in Russia and Eastern Europe. It was not regularly used in the English-speaking world until the 1980s.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English (Modern)

Pronounced: TA-təm

From a surname which was originally derived from a place name meaning "Tata's homestead" in Old English.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English (Modern)

Pronounced: TAW-nee

From the English word, ultimately deriving from Old French tané, which means "light brown".

From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Tadhgáin meaning "descendent of Tadhgán". The given name Tadhgán is a diminutive of TADHG.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English (Rare)

Pronounced: TEEL

From the English word for the type of duck or the greenish-blue colour.

Derived from Welsh teg "fair".

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English (Rare)

Pronounced: THAYN

From the Scottish and English noble title, which was originally from Old English thegn.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: German, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, English

Pronounced: TE-ah (German), THEE-ə (English)

Short form of DOROTHEA or THEODORA

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Near Eastern Mythology

Pronounced: TEE-ə-maht (English), TYAH-maht (English)

Means "sea" in Akkadian. In Babylonian myth Tiamat was the personification of the sea, appearing in the form of a huge dragon. By Apsu she gave birth to the first of the gods. Later, the god Marduk (her great-grandson) defeated her, cut her in half, and used the pieces of her body to make the earth and the sky.

Anglicized form of TIGHEARNÁN

Means "chief" in Irish Gaelic.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Swedish, Danish, German

Pronounced: TAWR-sten (German)

From the Old Norse name Þórsteinn, which meant "Thor's stone" from the name of the Norse god Þórr (see THOR) combined with steinn "stone".

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: TREN-tən

From the name of a New Jersey city established in the 17th century by William Trent. It means "TRENT's town".

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Welsh, English

Pronounced: TRE-vər (English)

From a surname which was originally from a place name meaning "big village" from Welsh tref "village" and mawr "large".

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Welsh, English, French, Celtic Mythology

Pronounced: TRIS-tən (English), trees-TAWN (French)

Old French form of the Pictish name Drustan, a diminutive of DRUST. The spelling was altered by association with Latin tristis "sad". In Celtic legend Tristan was sent to Ireland in order to fetch Isolde, who was to be the bride of King Mark of Cornwall. Instead, Tristan and Isolde end up falling in love. Their tragic story was very popular in the Middle Ages, and the name has occasionally been used since that time.

From a surname that originally denoted a person from the city of Troyes in France. This was also the name of the ancient city that was besieged by the Greeks in Homer's 'Iliad'.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: TROO-mən

From a surname which meant "trusty man" in Middle English. A famous bearer of the surname was American president Harry S. Truman (1884-1972). It was also borne by American writer Truman Capote (1924-1984).

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English (Modern)

Pronounced: TUK-ər

From an occupational surname derived from Old English tucian meaning "one who fulls cloth".

Means "victory mood" in Sindarin. In the 'Silmarillion' (1977) by J. R. R. Tolkien, Turin was a cursed hero, the slayer of the dragon Glaurung. He was also called Turambar, Mormegil, and other names. This is also the Anglicized name of the city of Torino in Italy.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: TIE-lər

From an English surname meaning "tiler of roofs". The surname was borne by American president John Tyler (1790-1862).

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: TIE-sən

From an English surname which could be derived from a nickname for a quarrelsome person, from Old French tison meaning "firebrand". Alternatively, it could be a variant of DYSON. A famous bearer of the surname was boxer Mike Tyson (1966-).

Derived from Latin unda meaning "wave". The word undine was created by the medieval author Paracelsus, who used it for female water spirits.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English, Italian, Portuguese, German, Dutch

Pronounced: və-NES-ə (English)

Invented by author Jonathan Swift for his poem 'Cadenus and Vanessa' (1726). He arrived at it by rearranging the initial syllables of the first name and surname of Esther Vanhomrigh, his close friend. Vanessa was later used as the name of a genus of butterfly. It was a rare given name until the mid-20th century, at which point it became fairly popular.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Welsh, English

Pronounced: VAWN

From a Welsh surname which was derived from Welsh bychan meaning "little".

Gender: Feminine

Usage: German, Late Roman

Pronounced: ve-RE-nah (German)

Possibly related to Latin verus "true". This might also be a Coptic form of the Ptolemaic name BERENICE. Saint Verena was a 3rd-century Egyptian-born nurse who went with the Theban Legion to Switzerland. After the legion was massacred she settled near Zurich.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: VUR-nən

From a Norman surname which was from a French place name, ultimately derived from the Gaulish word vern meaning "alder".

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: WAWK-ər

From an English surname which referred to the medieval occupational of a walker, also known as a fuller. Walkers would tread on wet, unprocessed wool in order to clean and thicken it. The word ultimately derives from Old English wealcan "to walk".

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English, Scottish

Pronounced: WAHL-əs

From a Scottish and English surname which originally meant "Welsh" or "foreigner" in Norman French. It was first used as given name in honour of Sir William Wallace, the Scottish hero who led a rebellion to expel the English invaders from Scotland in the 13th century.

From an occupational surname for a watchman, derived from Old English weard "guard".

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: WAWR-ən

From an English surname which was derived either from Norman French warrene meaning "animal enclosure", or else from the town of La Varenne in Normandy. This name was borne by the American president Warren G. Harding (1865-1923).

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: WAY-lən

Variant of WAYLAND. This name was popularized by country music singer Waylon Jennings (1937-2002), who was originally named Wayland.

In the case of the character from J. M. Barrie's play 'Peter Pan' (1904), it was created from the nickname fwendy "friend", given to the author by a young friend. However, the name was used prior to the play (rarely), in which case it could be related to the Welsh name GWENDOLEN and other names beginning with the element gwen meaning "white, fair, blessed".

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English (Rare)

Pronounced: REN

From the English word for the small songbird. It is ultimately derived from Old English wrenna.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English, French, Portuguese, Catalan, Spanish (Archaic)

Pronounced: ZAY-vee-ər (English), ZAY-vyər (English), ig-ZAY-vee-ər (English), za-VYAY (French), sha-VYER (Portuguese)

Derived from the Basque place name Etxaberri meaning "the new house". This was the surname of the Jesuit priest Saint Francis Xavier (1506-1552). He was a missionary to India, Japan, China, and other areas in East Asia, and he is the patron saint of the Orient and missionaries. His surname has since been adopted as a given name in his honour, chiefly among Catholics.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Iranian, Arabic, English (Modern)

Other Scripts: یاسمین (Persian), يسمين (Arabic)

Pronounced: YAZ-min (English)

From Persian یاسمن (yasamen) meaning "jasmine". In modern times it has been used in the English-speaking world, as a variant of JASMINE.

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: ZAK-ə-ree

Usual English form of ZACHARIAS. 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).

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Jewish, Biblical

Other Scripts: צִיוֹן (Hebrew)

Pronounced: ZIE-ahn (English)

From the name of a citadel which was in the center of Jerusalem. Zion is also used to refer to a Jewish homeland and to heaven.

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English, Greek, Italian, Ancient Greek

Other Scripts: Ζωη (Greek)

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

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).