sweetkit's Personal Name List

Means "dove" in Armenian.

Russian form of Agrippina.

From Arabic عَهْد (ʿahd) meaning "knowledge, fulfillment, observance".

From Navajo ajéí meaning "heart" [1].

Means "maidservant of the merciful" from Arabic أمة ال (amat al) meaning "maidservant of the" combined with رحمن (rahman) meaning "merciful".

From the Late Latin name Ambrosius, which was derived from the Greek name Ἀμβρόσιος (Ambrosios) meaning "immortal". Saint Ambrose was a 4th-century theologian and bishop of Milan, who is considered a Doctor of the Church. Due to the saint, the name came into general use in Christian Europe, though it was never particularly common in England.

Armenian form of Anahita, introduced during the period of Iranian domination in the 1st millenium BC. Anahit was an important Armenian mother goddess associated with fertility and protection. She was a daughter of Aramazd.

Means "anguishes", taken from a Spanish title of the Virgin Mary, Nuestra Señora de las Angustias, meaning "Our Lady of Anguishes". She is the patron saint of Granada, Spain.

Meaning uncertain; possibly a variant of Afra 1, or possibly a variant of Aphrah, a biblical place name meaning "dust". This name was borne by the English writer Aphra Behn (1640-1689).

Spanish form of Apollinaris.

Possibly derived from the name of the city of Arta in southwestern Greece. A city with connections to Albania and Albanians. The name of the city is popularly held to be derived from Albanian artë "golden" (compare ar "gold")

Probably intended to mean "star lover", from Greek ἀστήρ (aster) meaning "star" and φίλος (philos) meaning "lover, friend". This name was first used by the 16th-century poet Philip Sidney in his collection of sonnets Astrophel and Stella.

Means "white top" from the Welsh elements barr "top, head" and gwyn "white, blessed". This is the name of a mountain range in Wales.

English form of Geneviève.

Yiddish variant of Hannah.

From the Late Latin name Peregrinus, which meant "traveller". This was the name of several early saints.

Modern Turkish form of Tomyris.

Probably a diminutive of names beginning with the Old English element eald "old". It has been in use as an English given name since the Middle Ages, mainly in East Anglia [1]. The British author Aldous Huxley (1894-1963) was a famous bearer of this name.

Modern Greek form of Homer.

From the English word opal for the iridescent gemstone, the birthstone of October. The word ultimately derives from Sanskrit उपल (upala) meaning "jewel".

Anglicized form of the Irish name Ruadhán. As an English name, it can also be derived from the surname Rowan, itself derived from the Irish given name. It could also be given in reference to the rowan tree, a word of Old Norse origin (coincidentally sharing the same Indo-European root meaning "red" with the Irish name).

Derived from Arabic سَهُلَ (sahula) meaning "level, even". This is the Arabic name of the second brightest star in the sky, known in the western world as Canopus. It is also the official (IAU) name of the third brightest star in the constellation Vela.

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

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

Meaning uncertain. This is the name of the 11th-century patron saint of Toledo, Spain. It might have an Arabic origin (Saint Casilda was a Moorish princess), perhaps from قصيدة (qasidah) meaning "poem". Alternatively it could be derived from a Visigothic name in which the second element is hilds meaning "battle".

Welsh form of Ambrose. Emrys Wledig (or Ambrosius Aurelianus) was a Romano-British military leader who fought against the invading Anglo-Saxons in the 5th century. Tales of his life were used by the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth to help shape the early character of Merlin, whom he called Merlinus Ambrosius in Latin.

Variant of Forrest, or else directly from the English word forest.

From the Greek name Σάββας (Sabbas), which was derived from Aramaic סַבָא (sava') meaning "old man, grandfather". Saints bearing this name include a 4th-century Gothic martyr, a 5th-century Cappadocian hermit, and a 12th-century archbishop of Serbia who is the patron saint of that country.

Means "volcano" in Turkish.

From Latin Winifreda, possibly from a Welsh name Gwenfrewi (maybe influenced by the Old English masculine name Winfred). Saint Winifred was a 7th-century Welsh martyr, probably legendary. According to the story, she was decapitated by a prince after she spurned his advances. Where her head fell there arose a healing spring, which has been a pilgrimage site since medieval times. Her story was recorded in the 12th century by Robert of Shrewsbury, and she has been historically more widely venerated in England than in Wales. The name has been used in England since at least the 16th century.

The meaning of this name is unknown. It could be derived from the Celtic elements *artos "bear" (Old Welsh arth) combined with *wiros "man" (Old Welsh gur) or *rīxs "king" (Old Welsh ri). Alternatively it could be related to an obscure Roman family name Artorius.

Arthur is the name of the central character in Arthurian legend, a 6th-century king of the Britons who resisted Saxon invaders. He may or may not have been based on a real person. He first appears in Welsh poems and chronicles (perhaps briefly in the 7th-century poem Y Gododdin and more definitively and extensively in the 9th-century History of the Britons [1]). However, his character was not developed until the chronicles of the 12th-century Geoffrey of Monmouth [2]. His tales were later taken up and expanded by French and English writers.

The name came into general use in England in the Middle Ages due to the prevalence of Arthurian romances, and it enjoyed a surge of popularity in the 19th century. Famous bearers include German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860), mystery author and Sherlock Holmes creator Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930), and science-fiction author Arthur C. Clarke (1917-2008).

Means "honouring, praising" in Sanskrit. This is the name of a Hindu ritual.

Derived from Thracian búzas "he-goat, buck" (similar to Indo-European bhugo "buck" and Greek bous "ox, cow"); since Thracian was not a Hellenic language, one could probably call Byzas a hellenization of sorts. According to legend, this was the name of the founder of the city Byzantion (better known under its latinized form Byzantium); the city's name is derived from his name (from byzantos, the genitive case of his name). Also, in Greek mythology, this was the name of the son of Poseidon and Keroessa.

Used by Irish writer Sheridan Le Fanu for the title character of his Gothic novella 'Carmilla' (1872), about a lesbian vampire. Le Fanu probably based the name on Carmella.

Russian form of Hera.

Latin form of Esther. Like Esther, it has been used in England since the Protestant Reformation. Nathaniel Hawthorne used it for the heroine of his novel The Scarlet Letter (1850), Hester Prynne, a Puritan woman forced to wear a red letter A on her chest after giving birth to a child out of wedlock.

Means "distinguished" in Arabic. The Taj Mahal was built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as tomb for his wife Mumtaz Mahal (1593-1631).

From Arabic قربان (qurban) meaning "sacrifice, sacrificial animal". It is associated with the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha, which features the ritual sacrifice of an animal.

From the Latin name Vivianus, which was derived from Latin vivus "alive". Saint Vivian was a French bishop who provided protection during the Visigoth invasion of the 5th century. It has been occasionally used as an English (masculine) name since the Middle Ages. In modern times it is also used as a feminine name, in which case it is either an Anglicized form of Bébinn or a variant of Vivien 2.

Means "goodness, excellence", derived from Arabic جاد (jada) meaning "to be excellent".

Means "orchid" in Spanish and Portuguese, from Latin orchis, Greek ὄρχις (orchis).

Means "brocade, soft silk wrought with gold or silver" in Arabic. The inspiration for this name originated from the brocade mentioned in Sura 76/21, as it is slowly becoming more and more common for muslim parents to name their children after concepts from the Qur'an.

Possibly means "marker, stake" in Turkish.

Feminine variant of Aviv.

Spanish form of Balthazar. This is also the form (of Belshazzar) used in the Greek Old Testament.

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

Combination of Eva and María.

Medieval English feminine form of Julian. This spelling has been in use since the 13th century, though it was not declared a distinct name from Julian until the 17th century [1].

From a Scottish surname that was originally derived from a place in Berwickshire, itself derived from Brythonic elements meaning "spacious fort". It was originally used in honour of Charles George Gordon (1833-1885), a British general who died defending the city of Khartoum in Sudan.

This was a fairly popular name throughout the English-speaking world during the 20th century, especially in Scotland and Canada. It peaked in both the United Kingdom and United States in the 1930s and has since disappeared from most of the popularity charts.

Means "thought" in Finnish.

Means "anklet, bangle" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of the daughter of Caleb.

From Cherokee ᎠᏥᎳ (atsila) "fire" or ᎠᏥᎸᏍᎩ (atsilunsgi) "flower, blossom".

Alternate transcription of Russian Афанасий (see Afanasiy).

From the Old Norse name Agnarr, derived from agi "awe, fear" or egg "edge of a sword" combined with herr "army, warrior".

Latinized form of the Greek name Ἁγνή (Hagne), derived from Greek ἁγνός (hagnos) meaning "chaste". Saint Agnes was a virgin martyred during the persecutions of the Roman emperor Diocletian. The name became associated with Latin agnus "lamb", resulting in the saint's frequent depiction with a lamb by her side. Due to her renown, the name became common in Christian Europe.

As an English name it was highly popular from the Middle Ages until the 17th century. It was revived in the 19th century and was common into the 20th, but it fell into decline after the 1930s. It last appeared on the American top 1000 rankings in 1972.

Probably of Illyrian origin, maybe related to Albanian ag meaning "dawn". Alternatively it might be connected to Greek ἀγρός (agros) meaning "field". This was the name of a 3rd-century BC Illyrian king, the husband of Teuta.

Perhaps derived from the old Celtic root *agro- meaning "battle, slaughter". This is possibly the name of a Brythonic goddess for whom the River Ayr in Scotland and River Aeron in Wales were named.

Means "echo" in Lithuanian.

Modern form of Ajita.

Middle English form of Ealdgyð.

Modern Greek form of Alcmene.

From Ἀλφαῖος (Alphaios), the Greek form of a Hebrew name that meant "changing". In the New Testament this is the name of the fathers of the apostles James and Levi.

Medieval name derived from Latin amicus meaning "friend". This was a popular name in the Middle Ages, though it has since become uncommon.

Medieval name, a masculine form of Amice. It appears in the medieval French poem Amis and Amiles, about two friends who make sacrifices for one another.

Modern Persian form of Amytis.

From Hebrew עָמַס ('amas) meaning "load, burden". Amos is one of the twelve minor prophets of the Old Testament, the author of the Book of Amos, which speaks against greed, corruption and oppression of the poor. Written about the 8th century BC, it is among the oldest of the prophetic books. As an English name, Amos has been used since the Protestant Reformation, and was popular among the Puritans.

Spanish and Portuguese form of Hannibal.

Combination of Anne 1 and Liese.

Greek form of a Hebrew name that possibly meant "increasing". This is a name mentioned in Paul's epistle to Philemon in the New Testament.

The surname of one of the musketeers in The Three Musketeers (1844) by Alexandre Dumas. Dumas based the character on the 17th-century Henri d'Aramitz, whose surname was derived from the French village of Aramits (itself from Basque aran meaning "valley").

Persian form of Aristotle.

Means "desire" in Persian.

Spanish form of Archimedes.

Feminine form of Artemisios. This was the name of the 4th-century BC builder of the Mausoleum, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. She built it in memory of her husband, the Carian prince Mausolus.

Means "female ibex, mountain goat" in Arabic. This name was borne by some relatives of the Prophet Muhammad. It was also the name of a 12th-century queen of Yemen.

Means "collector" in Hebrew. This name belongs to several minor characters in the Old Testament.

Means "devoted to the goddess Neith" in Ancient Egyptian. In the Old Testament this is the name of Joseph's Egyptian wife. She was the mother of Manasseh and Ephraim.

Meaning unknown. Athena was the Greek goddess of wisdom and warfare and the patron goddess of the city of Athens in Greece. It is likely that her name is derived from that of the city, not vice versa. The earliest mention of her seems to be a 15th-century BC Mycenaean Greek inscription from Knossos on Crete.

The daughter of Zeus, she was said to have sprung from his head fully grown after he impregnated and swallowed her mother Metis. Athena is associated with the olive tree and the owl.

Modern Persian form of Atossa.

French variant of Albert.

French feminine form of Aldo.

Feminine form of Aurelius.

Russian form of Obadiah.

Aventia was a minor Celtic goddess of waters and springs. Her name is derived from Proto-Germanic H2euentiH2 "spring".

Means "good news" in Armenian.

Means "violet flower" in Persian.

From the Welsh name Bedwyr, possibly from bedwen "birch" and gwr "man". In Arthurian legends Bedivere was one of the original companions of King Arthur. He first appears in early Welsh tales, and his story was later expanded by Geoffrey of Monmouth in the 12th century. He is the one who throws the sword Excalibur into the lake at the request of the dying Arthur.

From an Old French form of the Germanic name Belissendis, possibly composed of the elements bili "suitable, proper, fitting, decent, amiable" (cf. Biligard) and swind "strong, brave, powerful".

The form Belisent belongs to a legendary daughter of Charlemagne in the poems 'Ami et Amile' (c.1200) and 'Otinel' or 'Otuel a Knight' (c.1330). In the late 13th-century Arthurian tale 'Arthour and Merlin', Belisent is Arthur's half-sister, the wife of Lot and mother of Gareth; Alfred Lord Tennyson also used the form Belicent in his Arthurian epic 'Gareth and Lynette'.

From the surname of the 13th-century Italian saint Philip Benitius (Filippo Benizi in Italian; Felipe Benicio in Spanish). A notable bearer of the given name is the Puerto Rican actor Benicio del Toro (1967-).

Derived from Cornish Borlowen "morning star, Venus".

Means "clear" in Turkish.

Means "very white" in Turkish, ultimately from Arabic بيضاء (bayda).

From the English word for the birch tree. Famous bearers include Birch Evans Bayh III, senator from Indiana, who assumed office in 1999. Birch Evans Bayh II was a senator from Indiana 1963-1981.

Croatian and Serbian form of Bisera.

From a surname meaning "cheerful" in Old English.

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

From the English word for the thorny plant.

Anglo-Scandinavian name (originally byname) meaning "without breeches", composed of Old Norse brók "breeches, pants" and -lauss "-less".

Anglicized form of Brónach.

Seemingly derived from Welsh bron "breast" and gwen "white, blessed", though it has sometimes occurred as a variant spelling of the legendary name Branwen [1]. It has been used as a given name in Wales since the 19th century. It is borne by a character in Richard Llewellyn's 1939 novel How Green Was My Valley, as well as the 1941 movie adaptation.

From an English surname that denoted one who lived near a brook.

From the name of a type of Eurasian vine, formerly used as medicine. It ultimately derives from Greek βρύω (bryo) meaning "to swell".

Variant of Calista.

This rare given name can be derived from the surname of Campion as well as from the name of the plant, both of which likely derive their name from Old French campion meaning "champion". A known bearer of this given name is the American writer and film director Campion Murphy (b. 1962).

In literature, Campion is the name of one of the Efafran rabbits in Richard Adams' 1972 novel Watership Down.

English form of the Polish name Kazimierz, derived from the Slavic element kaziti "to destroy" combined with mirŭ "peace, world". Four kings of Poland have borne this name, including Casimir III the Great, who greatly strengthened the Polish state in the 14th century. It was also borne Saint Casimir, a 15th-century Polish prince and a patron saint of Poland and Lithuania. The name was imported into Western Europe via Germany, where it was borne by some royalty.

From the Roman name Caecilius (see Cecilia). This was the name of a 3rd-century saint, a companion of Saint Cyprian. Though it was in use during the Middle Ages in England, it did not become common until the 19th century when it was given in honour of the noble Cecil family, who had been prominent since the 16th century. Their surname was derived from the Welsh given name Seisyll, which was derived from the Roman name Sextilius, a derivative of Sextus.

After the herb used for tea. Ultimately from Greek khamaimēlon "earth apple", because the flowers smell reminiscent of apples.

Italian form of Clara. Saint Chiara (commonly called Clare in English) was a follower of Saint Francis of Assisi.

Medieval French form of Christian. A famous bearer of this name was the 12th-century French poet Chrétien de Troyes, known for his Arthurian romances.

Taken directly from the name of the flower, which is derived from Greek khrusos "gold" and anthemon "flower".
This name has been in occasional use from the 19th century onwards, making it one of the many Victorian flower names.

Polish form of Chrysippos via its latinized form Chrysippus.

Means "of the earth, underground" in Greek, a derivative of χθών (chthon) meaning "earth, ground, soil". This was an epithet of the Greek goddess Demeter.

Means "the one who writes blossoms" from Hopi cíhu "blossom, flower" combined with bána "to figure, write, draw" and ka "the one that".

From the Latin title Clarensis, which belonged to members of the British royal family. The title ultimately derives from the name of the town of Clare in Suffolk. As a given name it has been in use since the 19th century.

Shortened form of the Greek name Kleopatros (see Cleopatra). In the New Testament Cleopas is a disciple who sees Jesus after his resurrection.

The name of a life-sized mechanical doll created by the mysterious Doctor Coppélius in Léo Delibes' comic ballet Coppélia (1870), based on two macabre stories by E. T. A. Hoffmann. The inventor's name is possibly a Latinized form of Yiddish Koppel. Alternatively this name may be inspired by Greek κοπελιά (kopelia) meaning "young woman", a dialectal variant of κοπέλα (kopela).

French form of the Breton name Kaourintin, possibly from korventenn meaning "hurricane, storm". Alternatively, it could be connected to the Brythonic root *karid meaning "love" (modern Breton karout). This was the name of a 5th-century bishop of Quimper in Brittany.

From the name of the spice, also called cilantro, which may ultimately be of Phoenician origin (via Latin and Greek).

From an English surname, derived from Old French cordoan "leather", ultimately from the name of the Spanish city of Cordova.

From a surname that meant "quiet, shy, coy" from Middle English coi.

Means "token of the egg", and in effect "mundane egg", from Welsh creir "a token, jewel, sacred object" and wy "egg". In the Mabinogion, a collection of tales from Welsh myth, she was a daughter of Ceridwen and one of the three most beautiful maids of the Isle of Britain. This was also the name of a 6th-century Breton saint from Wales.

Probably means "calf, heifer, girl" from Greek δάμαλις (damalis). In the New Testament this is the name of a woman converted to Christianity by Saint Paul.

French form of Damasus.

From the Greek name Δαμιανός (Damianos), which was derived from Greek δαμάζω (damazo) meaning "to tame". Saint Damian was martyred with his twin brother Cosmas in Syria early in the 4th century. They are the patron saints of physicians. Due to his renown, the name came into general use in Christian Europe. Another saint by this name was Peter Damian, an 11th-century cardinal and theologian from Italy.

Feminine form of Dekabrin. A known bearer of this name was the Russian chess player Dekabrina Kazatsker (1913-1983).

Derived from Greek δυσδαίμων (dysdaimon) meaning "ill-fated". This is the name of the wife of Othello in Shakespeare's play Othello (1603).

Anglicized form of Irish Deasmhumhain meaning "south Munster", referring to the region of Desmond in southern Ireland, formerly a kingdom. It can also come from the related surname (an Anglicized form of Ó Deasmhumhnaigh), which indicated a person who came from that region. A famous bearer is the South African archbishop and activist Desmond Tutu (1931-2021).

Meaning unknown, possibly from Persian دیده (dideh) meaning "eye".

The name was first used by Oscar Wilde in his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891), which tells the story of a man whose portrait ages while he stays young. Wilde may have taken it from the name of the ancient Greek tribe the Dorians.

Feminine form of the Late Greek name Δωρόθεος (Dorotheos), which meant "gift of god" from Greek δῶρον (doron) meaning "gift" and θεός (theos) meaning "god". The name Theodore is composed of the same elements in reverse order. Dorothea was the name of two early saints, notably the 4th-century martyr Dorothea of Caesarea. It was also borne by the 14th-century Saint Dorothea of Montau, who was the patron saint of Prussia.

Means "bear" in Hebrew.

From the English word for the variety of bird, seen as a symbol of peace.

Feminine diminutive of the Roman family name Drusus. In Acts in the New Testament Drusilla is the wife of Felix.

Scandinavian, Finnish, Estonian and Hungarian form of Edwin.

From the English word for the flower also known as sweetbrier. It is derived via Old French from Vulgar Latin *aquilentum meaning "prickly". It was early used as a given name (in the form Eglentyne) in Geoffrey Chaucer's 14th-century story The Prioress's Tale (one of The Canterbury Tales).

From Hebrew אֱלִיעֶזֶר ('Eli'ezer) meaning "my God is help". This is the name of several characters in the Old Testament, including a servant of Abraham and one of the sons of Moses (see Exodus 18:4 for an explanation of the significance of the name).

Means "diamond" in Turkish, ultimately from Persian.

Means "friend, brother" in Turkish. This name was borne by the 13th-century Turkish poet Yunus Emre.

Means "swallow (bird)" in Basque.

Means "jewel ornament" in Mongolian, from эрдэнэ (erdene) meaning "jewel, treasure" and чимэг (chimeg) meaning "ornament".

Spanish and Portuguese form of Erebus.

The word used for planet Jupiter in the terminology of ancient Turkish astronomy.

Feminine form of Ernest.

Variant of Asbjørn.

Welsh form of Iseult.

French form of Stephen.

Apparently a masculine form of Eva. A notable bearer is Bolivian president Evo Morales.

Means "melody" in Turkish.

From the Late Latin name Facundus, which meant "eloquent". This was the name of a few early saints, including a 3rd-century Spanish martyr.

Means "dawn, beginning" in Arabic.

Means "unique, precious", derived from Arabic فرد (farada) meaning "to be unique". This was the name of a 13th-century Persian poet.

Means "wise, intelligent" in Persian.

Modern Persian form of Old Iranian *Thraitauna meaning "the third". In the 10th-century Persian epic the Shahnameh this is the name of a virtuous king who ruled for 500 years. The Avestan form of the name 𐬚𐬭𐬀𐬉𐬙𐬀𐬊𐬥𐬀 (Thraētaona) appears in the earlier texts of the Avesta.

Means "foxglove" in Welsh (species Digitalis purpurea). This is a recently created Welsh name.

Fig is the name of Hannah's cousin in Curtis Sittenfield's 'The Man of My Dreams'.
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Nature name referring to the tree which is cultivated for its fruit. In Christian symbolism, the fig symbolises chastity and humility, since fig leaves were said to be used by Adam and Eve to cover their genitals in The Book of Genesis.

Feminine form of Fionn. This name was (first?) used by the Scottish poet James Macpherson in his poem Fingal (1761), in which it is spelled as Fióna.

From the Latin name Florentius or the feminine form Florentia, which were derived from florens "prosperous, flourishing". Florentius was borne by many early Christian saints, and it was occasionally used in their honour through the Middle Ages. In modern times it is mostly feminine.

This name can also be given in reference to the city in Italy, as in the case of Florence Nightingale (1820-1910), who was born there to British parents. She was a nurse in military hospitals during the Crimean War and is usually considered the founder of modern nursing.

From Yiddish פֿרייד (freid) meaning "joy".

From Icelandic fura meaning "pine tree", or directly from Old Norse fura "fir tree; pine tree".

Probably a derivative of Greek γάλα (gala) meaning "milk" (genitive γάλακτος). This was the name of a 3rd-century saint (also called Galation) who was martyred in Emesa, Syria. It was also borne by the Georgian poet Galaktion Tabidze (1892-1959).

Latinized form of Greek Γαλάτεια (Galateia), probably derived from γάλα (gala) meaning "milk". This was the name of several characters in Greek mythology including a sea nymph who was the daughter of Doris and Nereus and the lover of Acis. According to some sources, this was also the name of the ivory statue carved by Pygmalion that came to life.

Feminine form of Galileo.

Means "my reward is God" in Hebrew. This name appears in the Old Testament belonging to a son of Pedahzur. It was also borne by a 1st-century Jewish priest and scholar, mentioned in Acts in the New Testament as a teacher of Saint Paul.

Means "bright swan" in Old Irish, from geal "bright" and geiss "swan".

From the name of the flowering plant called the gentian, the roots of which are used to create a tonic. It is derived from the name of the Illyrian king Gentius, who supposedly discovered its medicinal properties.

French feminine form of George.

Meaning unknown, possibly a Welsh form of Gerontius. This was the name of a figure in various Welsh legends. He was also incorporated into Arthurian tales (the romance Geraint and Enid) as one of the Knights of the Round Table and the husband of Enid.

Means "doe, gazelle" in Persian.

Means "bright pledge", derived from the Old German elements gisal "pledge, hostage" and beraht "bright". The Normans introduced this name to England, where it was common during the Middle Ages. It was borne by a 12th-century English saint, the founder of the religious order known as the Gilbertines.

From the Late Latin name Aegidius, which is derived from Greek αἰγίδιον (aigidion) meaning "young goat". Saint Giles was an 8th-century miracle worker who came to southern France from Greece. He is regarded as the patron saint of the crippled. In Old French the name Aegidius became Gidie and then Gilles, at which point it was imported to England. Another famous bearer was the 13th-century philosopher and theologian Giles of Rome (Egidio in Italian).

Meaning "guest of peace and earth". Combined with gost "guest" and miru "peace, world".

From an Irish surname, itself derived from the byname Gráda meaning "noble, illustrious".

From an English and Scottish surname that 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.

Derived from the Welsh elements gwen meaning "white, blessed" and possibly lliain meaning "flaxen, made of linen" or lliant meaning "flow, flood". This name was used by medieval Welsh royalty, notably by a 12th-century princess of Deheubarth who died in battle with the Normans. It was also borne by the 13th-century daughter of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, the last prince of Gwynedd.

From Hebrew הֲדַס (hadas) meaning "myrtle tree". In the Old Testament this is the Hebrew name of Queen Esther.

Modern form of Harisha.

Means "plowman, cultivator" in Arabic.

English form of a medieval French name appearing in various spellings such as Haueis or Haouys, which were derived from Hadewidis. The name was borne by a number of Norman and Anglo-Norman noblewomen from the 11th to 13th centuries.

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 and quickly became popular, reaching the 18th place for girls in the United States by 1897. It fell out of fashion in the second half of the 20th century, but has since recovered.

Latinized form of Greek Ἕκτωρ (Hektor), which was derived from ἕκτωρ (hektor) meaning "holding fast", ultimately from ἔχω (echo) meaning "to hold, to possess". In Greek legend Hector was one of the Trojan champions who fought against the Greeks. After he killed Achilles' friend Patroclus in battle, he was himself brutally slain by Achilles, who proceeded to tie his dead body to a chariot and drag it about. This name also appears in Arthurian legends where it belongs to King Arthur's foster father.

Hector has occasionally been used as a given name since the Middle Ages, probably because of the noble character of the classical hero. It has been historically common in Scotland, where it was used as an Anglicized form of Eachann.

From the name of an active Icelandic volcano, derived from Old Norse hekla meaning "cloak".

From the Old Norse name Helgi, derived from heilagr meaning "holy, blessed".

Meaning uncertain. This is the name of the patron saint of the island of Jersey in the English Channel. He was a 6th-century hermit whose name was recorded in Latin as Helerius.

Refers to a flowering plant (Heliotropium) whose tiny flowers range from white to blue or purple, and by extension the color, a pink-purple tint, inspired by the flower. It is derived from the Ancient Greek Ἥλιος (helios) "sun" and τροπεῖν (tropein) "to turn", because of the belief that heliotrope flowers turned to face the direction of the sun.

Perhaps derived from Old Norse hamr "shape", and possibly originally a nickname for a person believed to be a shape changer.

Polish form of Heinrich (see Henry).

Means "my delight is in her" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament she is the wife of King Hezekiah of Judah and the mother of Manasseh.

Ukrainian form of Gerasimos.

Finnish form of Hertha. This is also the Finnish word for the card suit hearts.

French form of Harvey.

Polish form of Hyacinthus.

Latin form of Jezebel.

English and French form of Horatius, and the name by which the Roman poet Quintus Horatius Flaccus is commonly known those languages. In the modern era it has been used as a given name since the Renaissance, in honour of the poet.

Means "bright heart", derived from the Old German elements hugu "mind, thought, spirit" and beraht "bright". Saint Hubert was an 8th-century bishop of Maastricht who is considered the patron saint of hunters. The Normans brought the name to England, where it replaced an Old English cognate Hygebeorht. It died out during the Middle Ages but was revived in the 19th century [2].

Means "joy" in Arabic.

Means "smile" in Arabic.

French form of Ignatius.

Spanish feminine form of Ignatius.

Manx form of William.

Italian and Spanish form of Irmhild. The Blessed Imelda Lambertini was a young 14th-century nun from Bologna.

Russian form of Jochebed.

Georgian form of Herakles.

From the Hebrew name יִסְכָּה (Yiskah) meaning "to behold". In the Old Testament this is the name of Abraham's niece, mentioned only briefly. This is the basis of the English name Jessica.

From the Greek name Ἰσίδωρος (Isidoros) meaning "gift of Isis", derived from the name of the Egyptian goddess Isis combined with Greek δῶρον (doron) meaning "gift". Saint Isidore of Seville was a 6th-century archbishop, historian and theologian.

Though it has never been popular in the English-speaking world among Christians, it has historically been a common name for Jews, who have used it as an Americanized form of names such as Isaac, Israel and Isaiah.

German form of Iseult, appearing in the 13th-century German poem Tristan by Gottfried von Strassburg. In 1865 the German composer Richard Wagner debuted his popular opera Tristan und Isolde and also used the name for his first daughter.

Means "blossoming, prospering" in Arabic.

Polish form of Hyacinthus. Saint Jacenty was a 13th-century Dominican monk from Krakow who was said to have taken missionary journeys throughout Northern Europe and Asia.

Polish form of Hedwig. This was the name of a 14th-century ruling queen of Poland who has recently been canonized as a saint.

From Latin Gaspar, perhaps from the Biblical Hebrew word גִּזְבָּר (gizbar) meaning "treasurer", derived from Persian ganzabara. This name was traditionally assigned to one of the wise men (also known as the Magi, or three kings) who were said to have visited the newborn Jesus. It has occasionally been used in the English-speaking world since the Middle Ages. The name can also be given in reference to the English word for the gemstone.

Means "jewels" in Arabic, ultimately from Persian گوهر (gohar) meaning "jewel, essence".

Means "curtains, drapes" in Hebrew. This name occurs in the Old Testament belonging to a wife of Caleb the son of Hezron.

Means "Friday" or "week" in Arabic.

Means "pearl" in Arabic.

From Japanese 純 (jun) or 淳 (jun) both meaning "pure" combined with 平 (pei) meaning "level, even, peaceful". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.

Means "all-beings; universe" in Arabic, Urdu and Persian. It is the plural of كَائن (kâ'in) meaning "being" coming from the Arabic root ك و ن‎ (k-w-n) meaning “to be; to exist in a place”.

Means "kohl, collyrium, lotion for the eyes" in Sanskrit.

Polish form of Caietanus (see Gaetano).

Modern Greek transcription of Καλλιρρόη (see Callirrhoe).

Dutch, Czech and Slovene form of Charles.

Means "abundance" in Arabic. This is the name of the 108th chapter (surah al-Kawthar) of the Quran.

Derived from Finnish keiju meaning "elf, fairy".

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

Finnish form of Gertrude.

Means "given by the cross" in Armenian.

Means "goodness of women", from Arabic خير (khair) meaning "goodness" combined with نساء (nisa') meaning "women". This is an epithet of Khadija.

Means "Thursday" in Arabic.

Derived from Arabic هَدَى (hadā) meaning "to guide".

Derived from Persian خرّم (khorram) meaning "happy, pleasant".

From Lakota kimímela meaning "butterfly".

Middle English form of Cyneburg.

From Japanese 光 (kō) meaning "light" or 幸 (kō) meaning "happiness, good luck" combined with 希 (ki) meaning "hope" or 輝 (ki) meaning "brightness". This name can be formed from other combinations of kanji characters as well.

German and Polish form of Cornelia.

Means "gold" in Hmong.

Means "full-cheeked, beautiful" in Arabic.

From Japanese 九 (ku) meaning "nine" and 郎 (rō) meaning "son". This name was traditionally given to the ninth son. Other combinations of kanji characters are also possible.

Tamil form of Quiteria.

Ukrainian form of Kirykos.

Modern Greek form of Cybele.

Medieval diminutive of Laurence 1.

Derived from Akkadian lilitu meaning "of the night". This was the name of a demon in ancient Assyrian myths. In Jewish tradition she was Adam's first wife, sent out of Eden and replaced by Eve because she would not submit to him. The offspring of Adam (or Samael) and Lilith were the evil spirits of the world.

Probably originally a diminutive of Elizabeth. It may also be considered an elaborated form of Lily, from the Latin word for "lily" lilium. This name has been used in England since the 16th century.

Possibly derived from Arabic لؤي (luʔay), diminutive of لأى (laʔan) meaning "wild ox", ultimately from the roots ل-ء-ي (l-ʔ-y) meaning "to be slow".

Means "from Lydia" in Greek. Lydia was a region on the west coast of Asia Minor, said to be named for the legendary king Lydos. 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.

Greek form of Lycus.

From the Hebrew name מָחֲלַת (Machalat) meaning "lyre". In the Old Testament she is the daughter of Ishmael and the wife of Esau.

Modern form of Mahesha.

Means "glory, exaltation" in Arabic, with various secondary meanings including "beauty, splendour", "magnificence" and "nobility, honour".

Derived from Albanian malësor "from the mountains; mountaineer".

Derived from Chechen малх (malkh) meaning "sun" combined with хаза (khaza) meaning "beautiful".

Means "victorious" in Arabic. Abu Jafar al-Mansur was an 8th-century Abbasid caliph and the founder of the city of Baghdad.

From Lithuanian mantus meaning "intelligent, clever" or manta meaning "property, wealth". Herkus Mantas was a 13th-century Prussian hero who fought against the Teutonic Knights.

Contraction of María Ángeles or María de los Ángeles.

From the Arabic name of a fragrant plant. Al-Marwa is the name of one of the two sacred hills near Mecca.

Derived from Arabic مرضية (mardiyah) meaning "satisfactory, pleasing".

From Japanese 勝 (masaru) meaning "victory" or 優 (masaru) meaning "excellence". Other kanji or kanji combinations can also form this name.

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

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

From Old Irish Mellán, derived from mell meaning either "pleasant, delightful" or "lump, ball" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of a few early saints.

From the title of the Virgin Mary, referring to her intercessory role as a mediator in the salvific redemption by her son Jesus Christ (compare English and French equivalents Mediatrix and Médiatrice, Portuguese Medianeira and Spanish/Portuguese Mediadora).

From Persian مهر (mehr) meaning "sun" or "friendship" and داد (dad) meaning "given". Since مهر is also the Modern Persian form of Mithra, this name can also function as a modern form of Mithridates.

From Persian مهر (mehr) meaning "kindness, friendship" or "sun" and نوش (nuš) meaning "ambrosia, nectar".

Possibly from the Hebrew roots מֶלֶכְ (melekh) meaning "king" and אוֹר ('or) meaning "light". This was a name traditionally assigned to one of the wise men (also known as the Magi, or three kings) who were said to have visited the newborn Jesus. According to medieval tradition he was a king of Persia.

Meaning unknown. In European folklore Melusine was a water fairy who turned into a serpent from the waist down every Saturday. She made her husband, Raymond of Poitou, promise that he would never see her on that day, and when he broke his word she left him forever.

French form of Mercurius (see Mercury).

From Egyptian mrs-ꜥnḫ meaning "she loves life". This name was borne by several Egyptian royals during the 4th-dynasty period.

Derived from Albanian meriton "to deserve; to merit".

From the name of a village in Andorra where there is a sanctuary dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The name of the village may derive from Latin meridies meaning "midday".

Means "friend, ally" in Hebrew, derived from שָׁלַם (shalam) meaning "to be complete, to be at peace". This is the name of many characters in the Old Testament.

Means "sun and moon" in Farsi from the word مهر (mehr) meaning "sun" and ماه (mah) meaning "moon".

A famous bearer is the daughter of the Ottoman Empire's Sultan Suleiman I The Magnificent.

Both names Mehr and Mah are also tied with Ancient Persian deities.

Medieval English variant of Millicent.

Originally a diminutive of names beginning with the Slavic element milŭ meaning "gracious, dear". This was the name of a 14th-century Serbian hero who apparently killed the Ottoman sultan Murad I at the Battle of Kosovo.

Means "heaven, paradise" in Persian.

From Arabic أَمِير (ʾamīr) meaning "prince, commander" combined with عَلِيم (ʿalīm) meaning "knowing, learned".

Possibly means "noble ruler", derived from Persian میر‎ (mir) meaning "leader, ruler, headman" possibly combined with Arabic أُوَيْس (ʾawais) meaning "little wolf". This was the name of an 18th-century Pashtun tribal chief who founded the Hotak dynasty of Afghanistan.

Means "eyelashes" in Persian.

Means "given long life" in Arabic, from the root عمر ('amara) meaning "to live long, to thrive". A famous bearer was the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi (1942-2011).

Means "esteemed, honored, respected" in Turkish.

Refers to a type of iron sword from India, derived from Arabic الْهِنْد (al-Hind) meaning "India".

Derived from Arabic مُحَرَّم (muḥarram) meaning "forbidden". This is the name of the first month in the Islamic calendar, so named because it is unlawful to fight during this month.

Means "with God" in Shona, derived from ishe meaning "lord, God".

Anglicized form of Irish Muirgel and Scottish Muireall. A form of this name was also used in Brittany, and it was first introduced to medieval England by Breton settlers in the wake of the Norman Conquest. In the modern era it was popularized by a character from Dinah Craik's novel John Halifax, Gentleman (1856).

Modern Greek form of Nausicaa.

Means "victory of Allah" from Arabic نصر (nasr) meaning "victory, triumph" combined with الله (Allah). Known bearers of this name include the Afghan crown prince Nasrullah Khan (1874–1920) and the Pakistani politician Nasrullah Khan Khattak (1923-2009).

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

From Sino-Vietnamese 絨 (nhung) meaning "velvet".

Means "water lily" in Persian.

English form of Noël or Noëlle (rarely). It was fairly popular in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand in the middle of the 20th century. It is occasionally written with a diaeresis, like in French. A famous bearer is British musician Noel Gallagher (1967-).

Means "sweet, pleasant" in Persian.

From Arabic نور (nur) meaning "light" and جنة (jannah) meaning "paradise, garden".

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

Derived from Breton oan "lamb" (ultimately from Latin agnus) and used as a Breton form of Agnes.

French diminutive of Oda or Odilia. This is the name of a princess who has been transformed into a swan in the ballet Swan Lake (1877) by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

French form of Audagar. In La Chanson de Roland and other medieval French romances, this is the name of one of Charlemagne's knights. He is said to be from Denmark, and is sometimes called Holger.

From the older Gaelic name Aithbhreac, derived from the intensive prefix ath- and breac "speckled". It has been Anglicized as Effie, Euphemia and Affrica.

Means "archer" in Turkish.

Derived from Russian октябрь (oktyabr) meaning "October". This name was created by communist parents who were eager to reject traditional names and commemorate the October Revolution of 1917.

From Olegarius, the Latinized form of a Germanic name, possibly Aldegar or a metathesized form of Odalgar. This was the name of a 12th-century saint, a bishop of Barcelona.

Feminine form of Humbelin, a medieval diminutive of Humbert. The Blessed Humbeline (known as Hombeline or Ombeline in French) was a 12th-century nun, the sister of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux.

Derived from Greek ὠφελέω (ôpheleô) meaning "to help, aid, succour, be of use".

Feminine equivalent of Orguelleus. This was used by the 13th-century German poet Wolfram von Eschenbach in Parzival, his expansion and completion of Chrétien de Troyes' unfinished romance Perceval, the Story of the Grail, for a hitherto unnamed character. In Chrétien, the character (known as the Haughty Maiden of Logres) escorts Sir Gawain through his adventures in Galloway, attempting to lead him into danger at every turn. In Wolfram, Orguelleuse (or Orgeluse) marries Gawain.

Possibly derived from Greek ὄρνυμι (ornymi) or Greek ὀρνύω (ornyo), both of which mean "to rouse, to stir, to awaken". These words may be etymologically related to Greek ὄρνις (ornis) meaning "bird, chicken".

Perhaps related to Greek ὄρφνη (orphne) meaning "the darkness of night". In Greek mythology Orpheus was a poet and musician who went to the underworld to retrieve his dead wife Eurydice. He succeeded in charming Hades with his lyre, and he was allowed to lead his wife out of the underworld on the condition that he not look back at her until they reached the surface. Unfortunately, just before they arrived his love for her overcame his will and he glanced back at her, causing her to be drawn back to Hades.

Possibly means "deer friend", derived from Old Irish oss "deer" and carae "friend". Alternatively, it may derive from the Old English name Osgar or its Old Norse cognate Ásgeirr, which may have been brought to Ireland by Viking invaders and settlers. In Irish legend Oscar was the son of the poet Oisín and the grandson of the hero Fionn mac Cumhaill.

This name was popularized in continental Europe by the works of the 18th-century Scottish poet James Macpherson [1]. Napoleon was an admirer of Macpherson, and he suggested Oscar as the second middle name of his godson, who eventually became king of Sweden as Oscar I. Other notable bearers include the Irish writer and humorist Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) and the Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer (1907-2012).

Ukrainian form of Eustathius.

Medieval form of the Old English name Ósgýð, derived from the elements ós "god" and gyð "war" (perhaps meaning "divine war"). Saint Osyth was a martyr of the 7th century, an Anglian princess who founded a monastery at the village Chich in Essex, which was renamed St Osyth. It is occasionally used as a given name in modern times, especially in the early 20th century.

Means "bear" in Finnish.

German form of Odilia.

Form of Uzziah used in the Greek and Latin Old Testament.

Means "swallow (bird)" in Persian.

Means "butterfly" in Persian.

From Anglo-Norman pesible, peisible, Middle French paisible, from pais (“peace”) + -ible; Meaning, "free from argument or conflict; peaceful."

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 traditional birthstone for June, and it supposedly imparts health and wealth.

Means "partridge" in Greek. In Greek myth Perdix or Talos was a nephew of the inventor Daedalus, to whom he was apprenticed. His teacher became jealous of his skill and pushed him headlong off the temple of Athena on the Acropolis, but before Perdix hit the ground, the goddess turned him into a partridge.

Polish form of Persephone.

From the name of the Persimmon, a brightly colored fruit. The word persimmon is derived from Powhatan, an Algonquian language of the eastern United States, meaning "a dry fruit".

As a given name, it has been occasionally found in the English-speaking world from the 19th century onwards.

Means "foliage" in Greek. In Greek mythology this was the name of a woman who killed herself out of love for Demophon and was subsequently transformed into an almond tree. It began to be used as a given name in England in the 16th century, though it was often confused with Felicia.

From Middle English ploume, from Old English plume "plum, plum tree," from an early Germanic borrowing (Middle Dutch prume, Dutch pruim, Old High German pfluma, pfruma, German Pflaume) from Vulgar Latin *pruna, from Latin prunum "plum," from Greek prounon, a later form of proumnon, a word of unknown origin, which is probably, like the tree itself, of Anatolian origin.

Means "full moon" in Sanskrit.

Means "holy, sacred" in Arabic. In Islamic tradition, القدوس (al-Quddus) is one of the 99 names of Allah.

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. A famous bearer is the American movie director Quentin Tarantino (1963-).

From the name of a Spanish sanctuary (in Catalonia) that is devoted to the Virgin Mary.

German form of Quirinus.

From Arabic قرة العين, variously transcribed as Qurat-ul-Ain or Qurratu'l-`Ayn, meaning "solace, consolation of the eyes" (sometimes "coolness of the eyes"). This was a title of Fátimih Baraghání, a 19th-century poet and theologian of the Bábí religion in Iran who has been described as "the first women's suffrage martyr".

history: Prophet Muhammad used to call her daughter with love

Spanish form of Raymond.

Feminine form of Ramón. It was popularized in the English-speaking world by Helen Hunt Jackson's novel Ramona (1884), as well as several subsequent movies based on the book.

Variant of Jeremiel appearing in some versions of the Old Testament.

From the English word meaning "daydream, fanciful musing", derived from Old French resverie, itself from resver meaning "to dream, to rave".

Persian form of Ridha.

From the Old German elements hruod meaning "fame" and lant meaning "land", though some theories hold that the second element was originally nand meaning "brave" [1].

Roland was an 8th-century military commander, serving under Charlemagne, who was killed by the Basques at the Battle of Roncevaux. His name was recorded in Latin as Hruodlandus. His tale was greatly embellished in the 11th-century French epic La Chanson de Roland, in which he is a nephew of Charlemagne killed after being ambushed by the Saracens. The Normans introduced the name to England.

Presumably an altered form of Rhodanthe, using the Latin element rosa (compare Rose) as opposed to the Greek rhodon (compare Rhoda). The name was (first?) used by Welsh writer Ann Julia Hatton for a character in her popular Gothic novel 'Deeds of Olden Times' (1826). It was also used by Eliza Rennie in her poetic sketch 'The Myrtle Branch' (1828).

Means "adorned with gold" in Sanskrit. In Hindu belief this is the name of a princess who became the wife of Krishna.

German variant form of Robert, from the Old German variant Hrodperht. It was borne by the 7th century Saint Rupert of Salzburg and the 8th-century Saint Rupert of Bingen. The military commander Prince Rupert of the Rhine, a nephew of Charles I, introduced this name to England in the 17th century. A notable bearer is the Australian-American businessman Rupert Murdoch (1931-).

Means "greatest beauty" from Sanskrit रूप (rupa) meaning "beauty, form" combined with the name of the Hindu god Indra, used here to mean "greatest".

Means "following the right path" in Arabic, from the root رشد (rashada) meaning "to be on the right path".

Feminine form of Rushd.

From Old Norse Sága, possibly meaning "seeing one", derived from sjá "to see". This is the name of a Norse goddess, possibly connected to Frigg. As a Swedish and Icelandic name, it is also derived from the unrelated word saga "story, fairy tale, saga".

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

Means "sanctuary, tabernacle" in Spanish, derived from Latin sacrarium. It is taken from an epithet of the Virgin Mary, Nuestra Señora del Sagrario, and is associated with Toledo Cathedral.

Means "solid rock" in Arabic. This name appears in the poems of the 7th-century poetess Al-Khansa.

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

As a Christian given name, Salome has been in occasional use since the Protestant Reformation. This was due to a second person of this name in the New Testament: one of the women who witnessed the crucifixion and later discovered that Jesus' tomb was empty. It is used in Georgia due to the 4th-century Salome of Ujarma, who is considered a saint in the Georgian Church.

Means "brunette" in Arabic.

Spanish form of Sandalius, possibly a Latinized form of a Gothic name composed of the elements swinþs "strong" and wulfs "wolf". It also nearly coincides with Latin sandalium "sandal". This was the name of a 9th-century Spanish saint martyred by the Moors.

Derived from South Slavic sanjati meaning "to dream".

From the Old German element sahso meaning "a Saxon". The Saxons were a Germanic tribe, their name ultimately deriving from the Germanic word *sahsą meaning "knife". Saskia van Uylenburgh (1612-1642) was the wife of the Dutch painter Rembrandt.

Means "sword of Allah" from Arabic سيف (sayf) meaning "sword" combined with الله (Allah).

Derived from Finnish seijas meaning "tranquil, serene".

Amharic form of Shulammite.

Means "little old one", derived from Old Irish sen "old" combined with a diminutive suffix. Saint Senán was a 6th-century monk who founded the monastery on Inis Cathaigh.

Irish form of George.

Means "love, infatuation" in Turkish and Azerbaijani, ultimately from Arabic سوداء (sawda) meaning "black bile, melancholy, sadness".

Means "poppy" in Persian.

Means "witness" in Arabic. In Islamic tradition الشاهد (al-Shahid) is one of the 99 names of Allah.

Possibly means "beauty marks" in Arabic. This was the name of the daughter of Halimah, the foster mother of the Prophet Muhammad.

Alternate transcription of Arabic شَمس الدين (see Shams ad-Din), as well as the usual Bengali and Malay form.

Hebrew form of Shiphrah.

From Japanese 真 (shin) meaning "real, genuine" combined with 司 (ji) meaning "officer, boss" or 二 (ji) meaning "two". Other kanji combinations are possible as well.

From Japanese 真珠 (shinju) meaning "pearl".

From Japanese 翔 (shō) meaning "soar, glide" or 奨 (shō) meaning "prize, reward". Other kanji with identical pronunciations can also form this name.

Means "blossom" in Persian.

Means "thanking" in Arabic.

Feminine form of Sidonius. This name was in use in the Middle Ages, when it became associated with the word sindon (of Greek origin) meaning "linen", a reference to the Shroud of Turin.

Derived from the Old German elements sigu "victory" and munt "protection" (or in the case of the Scandinavian cognate, from Old Norse sigr and mundr). An early variant of this name was Sigismund, borne by a 6th-century saint and king of the Burgundians. In the Norse Völsungasaga Sigmund is the hero Sigurd's father, the bearer of the powerful sword Gram. A notable bearer was the Austrian psychologist Sigmund Freud (1856-1939), the creator of the revolutionary theory of psychoanalysis.

Ukrainian form of Salome.

Apparently a feminine form of Solomon. According to Eastern Orthodox tradition, Solomonia was the unnamed woman with seven sons described in 2 Maccabees 7 of the Old Testament. It was borne by Solomonia Saburova (c.1490-1542), a Russian royal consort and Orthodox saint.

Modern Persian form of Avestan 𐬯𐬭𐬀𐬊𐬱𐬀 (Sraosha) meaning "obedience". In Zoroastrianism this was the name of a Yazata (a holy being), later equated with the angel Gabriel.

Means "forceful" from Greek σθένος (sthenos) "strength, vigour". In Greek mythology this was the name of one of the Gorgons, the elder sister of Medusa and Euryale.

Derived from Bulgarian стоя (stoya) meaning "to stand, to stay".

Means "hated, abhorred" in Greek. In Greek mythology she was one of Danaus' fifty daughters, the Danaids. When ordered to kill her husband on their wedding night, Stygne and almost all of her sisters complied, with the exception of Hypermnestra.

Meaning uncertain. It could be derived from Arabic صوف (suf) meaning "wool", صفا (safa) meaning "pure, clean" or صعف (sa'f) meaning "slim, thin". Sufyan al-Thawri was an 8th-century Islamic scholar.

Spanish, Portuguese and Russian form of Shulammite.

From the English word sycamore for various types of trees, ultimately from Greek συκόμορος (sūkomoros) meaning "fig-mulberry".

French form of Silvanus.

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.

Means "crown of Allah", derived from Arabic تاج (taj) meaning "crown" combined with Allah.

Derived from Sanskrit तरुण (taruna) meaning "young, fresh".

From Lakota Tȟašína meaning "her blanket", derived from šiná "blanket, shawl". This is the first part of the name of historic figures such as Tȟašína Lúta, called Red Blanket, or Tȟašína Máni, called Moving Robe Woman.

From a Greek word meaning "broad leather strap". According to Greek mythology he was a king of Salamis and the father of the heroes Ajax and Teucer.

Possibly means "bandage" in Greek. This was the name of a companion of Alexander the Great. It was also borne by a 4th-century saint from Alexandria, a wealthy socialite who became a Christian convert, though in her case the name may have had a distinct Coptic origin. She has been a popular subject of art and literature, including an 1891 novel by Anatole France and an 1894 opera by Jules Massenet.

Means "sea" in Greek. In Greek mythology she was the personification of the sea. A small moon of Neptune is named for her.

From Hebrew תִּירָס (Tiras), meaning unknown. Tiras is a grandson of Noah in the Old Testament. This is also a modern Hebrew word meaning "corn".

From an English surname meaning "fox", derived from Middle English todde. As a given name it was rare before 1930. It peaked in popularity in most parts of the English-speaking world in the 1960s or 70s, but it has since declined.

Kazakh and Tajik form of Tomyris.

From Sino-Vietnamese 松 (tòng) meaning "pine tree, fir tree" or 从 (tòng) meaning "follow".

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

Spanish form of the Latin name Turibius, of unknown meaning. This name has been borne by three Spanish saints, from the 5th, 6th and 16th centuries (the latter being an archbishop of Lima).

From the name of a type of crystal.
This crystal's English name is derived from Sinhalese tòramalli, via French tourmaline. The meaning of this word seems to be not entirely certain, although one theory suggests that it simply means "cornelian".
As a name, Tourmaline has been in use since the late 20th century.

Spanish and Portuguese form of Tranquillus.

Feminine form of Triantafyllos. This is also the Greek word for "rosebush".

Probably from the Celtic name Drustan, a diminutive of Drust, which occurs as Drystan in a few Welsh sources. As Tristan, it first appears in 12th-century French tales, probably altered by association with Old French triste "sad". According to the tales Tristan was sent to Ireland by his uncle King Mark of Cornwall in order to fetch Iseult, who was to be the king's bride. On the way back, Tristan and Iseult accidentally drink a potion that makes them fall in love. Later versions of the tale make Tristan one of King Arthur's knights. His tragic story was very popular in the Middle Ages, and the name has occasionally been used since then.

Feminine form of Umair.

Polish form of Ursinus. This name was borne by Julian Ursyn Niemcewicz (1757-1841), Polish playwright, poet and novelist.

Finnish form of Walburga.

Modern form of Vasanta.

Possibly means "thread" in Hebrew, but it is most likely of Persian origin. In the Old Testament this is the name of the first wife of King Ahasuerus of Persia before he marries Esther.

A French form of Waldrada. It was borne by a 7th-century saint, the first abbess of Saint-Pierre-aux-Nonnais in Metz, France.

From a colloquial form of the Finnish word veli meaning "brother".

From the English word for the soft fabric. It became used as a given name after the main character in Enid Bagnold's book National Velvet (1935) and the movie (1944) and television (1960) adaptations.

Czech form of Venus.

From the Roman family name Vergilius, which is of unknown meaning. This name was borne by the 1st-century BC Roman poet Publius Vergilius Maro, commonly called Virgil, who was the writer of the Aeneid. Due to him, Virgil has been in use as a given name in the English-speaking world since the 19th century.

Means "wisdom, distinction, discrimination" in Sanskrit.

From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "white field" in Old English.

Means "love" in Arabic.

From an English surname that was originally derived from the nickname Wildbor meaning "wild boar" in Middle English. This name was borne by Wilbur Wright (1867-1912), one half of the Wright brothers, who together invented the first successful airplane. Wright was named after the Methodist minister Wilbur Fisk (1792-1839). A famous fictional bearer is the main character (a pig) in the children's novel Charlotte's Web (1952) by E. B. White.

Means "desiring peace" from Old English willa "will, desire" and friþ "peace". Saint Wilfrid was a 7th-century Anglo-Saxon bishop. The name was rarely used after the Norman Conquest, but it was revived in the 19th century.

Feminine form of William.

From a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "willow town" in Old English.

From an English surname that was derived from the Old English given name Wynnstan. A famous bearer was Winston Churchill (1874-1965), the British prime minister during World War II. This name was also borne by the fictional Winston Smith, the protagonist in George Orwell's 1949 novel 1984.

Derived from the Old German element wolf meaning "wolf" combined with hram meaning "raven". Saint Wolfram (or Wulfram) was a 7th-century archbishop of Sens. This name was also borne by the 13th-century German poet Wolfram von Eschenbach, the author of Parzival.

Somali form of Halimah.

Derived from the Basque place name Etxeberria meaning "the new house". This was the surname of the Jesuit priest Saint Francis Xavier (1506-1552) who was born in a village by this name. 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.

Meaning uncertain, said to mean "the flower that arrived" in Zapotec.

Transferred use of the surname Yarrow, and/or from the word for the flowering plant (Achillea millefolium).

Belarusian form of Eugenia.

Russian form of Ephraim.

Russian, Ukrainian and Armenian form of Eve.

Breton form of Iudicael (see Judicaël).

Hebrew form of Jochebed.

Variant of IJsbrand.

Means "pious, devout" in Arabic.

(Feminine) variant transcription of Zayn. A known bearer is Princess Zein of Jordan (1968-), a daughter of the late King Hussein who was named for his mother, Zein al-Sharaf Talal (1916-1994).

Means "moonlight" in Tamazight [1].

Basque form of Circe.

Latinized form of Greek Ζωΐλος (Zoilos), derived from ζωή (zoe) meaning "life". This name was borne by a 4th-century BC Greek philosopher known as a critic of Homer, and also by two Indo-Greek kings. Saint Zoilus was martyred at Córdoba, Spain during the persecutions of the Roman emperor Diocletian in the early 4th century.

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