Names Starting with C

gender
usage
Criseyde f Literature
Form of Criseida used by the English poet Geoffrey Chaucer in his 14th-century epic poem Troilus and Criseyde.
Crisóstomo m Spanish (Rare), Portuguese (Rare)
Spanish and Portuguese form of Chrysostomos.
Crispian m English (Archaic)
Medieval variant of Crispin.
Crispin m English (Rare)
From the Roman cognomen Crispinus, which was derived from the name Crispus. Saint Crispin was a 3rd-century Roman who was martyred with his twin brother Crispinian in Gaul. They are the patrons of shoemakers. They were popular saints in England during the Middle Ages, and the name has occasionally been used since that time.
Crispus m Ancient Roman
Roman cognomen meaning "curly-haired" in Latin.
Cristi m Romanian
Diminutive of Cristian.
Cristián m Spanish
Spanish form of Christian.
Cristian m Romanian, Spanish
Romanian and Spanish form of Christian.
Cristiana f Italian, Portuguese, Romanian
Italian, Portuguese and Romanian form of Christina.
Cristiano m Italian, Portuguese
Italian and Portuguese form of Christian. A famous bearer is Portuguese soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo (1985-).
Cristina f Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, Romanian
Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan and Romanian form of Christina.
Cristóbal m Spanish
Spanish form of Christopher.
Cristoforo m Italian
Italian form of Christopher.
Cristopher m Spanish
Spanish form of the English name Christopher.
Cristóvão m Portuguese
Portuguese form of Christopher.
Crocifissa f Italian (Rare)
Means "crucifix" in Italian, derived from Latin crucifixus "fixed to a cross", from crux "cross" and fixus "fixed, fastened".
Crofton m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "town with a small enclosed field" in Old English.
Croía f Irish (Modern)
From Irish croí meaning "heart". This name was used by Irish martial artist Conor McGregor for his daughter born 2019.
Cronus m Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of the Greek Κρόνος (Kronos), possibly derived from the Indo-European root *(s)ker- meaning "to cut". Cronus was the Titan who fathered the Greek gods. As his wife Rhea gave birth to the gods, Cronus swallowed them fearing the prophecy that he would be overthrown by one of his children. However Rhea hid Zeus, her last child, who eventually forced his father to disgorge his siblings. Cronus and the rest of the Titans were then defeated by the gods and exiled.
Crosby m English (Modern)
From a surname that was derived from the name of an English town, itself meaning "cross town" in Old Norse.
Črt m Slovene
Short form of Črtomir.
Črtomir m Slovene
Derived from Slovene črt "hatred" combined with the Slavic element mirŭ "peace, world". This is the name of the hero in the Slovene national epic Baptism on the Savica (1835) by France Prešeren.
Cruella f Popular Culture
From the English word cruel, ultimately from Latin crudelis "hard, severe, cruel". This is the name of the antagonist, Cruella de Vil, in the 1961 Disney movie 101 Dalmatians, based on a 1956 novel by Dodie Smith.
Cruz f & m Spanish, Portuguese
Means "cross" in Spanish or Portuguese, referring to the cross of the crucifixion.
Cruzita f Spanish (Rare)
Diminutive of Cruz.
Crystal f English
From the English word crystal for the clear, colourless glass, sometimes cut into the shape of a gemstone. The English word derives ultimately from Greek κρύσταλλος (krystallos) meaning "ice". It has been in use as a given name since the 19th century.
Csaba m Hungarian
Possibly means either "shepherd" or "gift" in Hungarian. According to legend this was the name of a son of Attila the Hun.
Csanád m Hungarian
Derived from the old Hungarian name Csana, of unknown meaning. This was the name of an 11th-century ruler, also known as Cenad, of the Hungarian region that came to be called Csanád County (now split between Hungary and Romania).
Csenge f Hungarian
Possibly derived from Hungarian cseng meaning "to ring, to clang".
Csilla f Hungarian
Derived from Hungarian csillag meaning "star". This name was created by the Hungarian author András Dugonics for an 1803 novel and later used and popularized by the poet Mihály Vörösmarty.
Csongor m Hungarian
Possibly from a Turkic root meaning "falcon". The Hungarian poet and dramatist Mihály Vörösmarty used it in his play Csongor és Tünde (1830).
Cthulhu m Literature
Created by author H. P. Lovecraft for a gigantic, horrible, octopus-like god, first introduced in the short story The Call of Cthulhu (1926). Lovecraft may have based the name on the word chthonic meaning "under the earth, subterranean", a derivative of Greek χθών (chthon) meaning "earth, ground, soil".
Ctibor m Czech
Derived from the Slavic elements čĭstĭ "honour" and borti "battle".
Ctirad m Czech
Derived from the Slavic elements čĭstĭ "honour" and radŭ "happy, willing". In Czech legend this was the name of one of the men tricked by Šárka.
Cua f Hmong
Means "wind" in Hmong.
Cúán m Old Irish
Means "little wolf" or "little hound" from Old Irish meaning "wolf, hound" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of an 8th-century saint.
Cuauhtemoc m Nahuatl
Means "descending eagle" in Nahuatl, from cuāuhtli "eagle" and temo "descend". This was the name of the last Aztec emperor, ruling until he was captured and executed by the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés in the year 1525.
Cúc f Vietnamese
From Sino-Vietnamese (cúc) meaning "chrysanthemum".
Cúchulainn m Irish Mythology
Means "hound of Culann" in Irish. This was the usual name of the warrior hero who was named Sétanta at birth, given to him because he took the place of one of Culann's hounds after he accidentally killed it. The Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology tells of Cúchulainn's many adventures, including his single-handed defence of Ulster against the army of Queen Medb.
Cuidightheach m Medieval Irish
Irish byname meaning "helpful" (cuidigh means "help").
Cuimín m Old Irish
Probably from Old Irish camm meaning "bent, crooked". This was the name of a 6th-century Irish saint.
Culann m Irish Mythology
Meaning unknown. This was the name of a smith in Irish legend. After Sétanta killed one of his dogs in self-defence, Sétanta took the place of the dog and was thereafter known as Cúchulainn.
Culhwch m Arthurian Cycle, Welsh Mythology
Means "hiding place of the pig" in Welsh. In the Welsh tale Culhwch and Olwen he was the lover of Olwen, the daughter of the giant Yspaddaden. Before the giant would allow Culhwch to marry his daughter, he insisted that Culhwch complete a series of extremely difficult tasks. Culhwch managed to complete the tasks with the help of his cousin King Arthur, and he returned to marry Olwen and kill the giant.
Cullen m English
From a surname, either Cullen 1 or Cullen 2. It jumped a little in popularity as a given name after Stephenie Meyer's novel Twilight (2005), featuring a vampire named Edward Cullen, was adapted into a movie in 2008.
Cumhur m Turkish
Means "public, people" in Turkish.
Cunégonde f French (Rare)
French form of Kunigunde. Voltaire used this name in his novel Candide (1759).
Cüneyt m Turkish
Turkish form of Junayd.
Cunigund f Germanic
Old German form of Kunigunde.
Cunmin m Medieval Breton
Old Breton form of Cuimín.
Cunobelinos m Brythonic (Hypothetical)
Possible Brythonic form of Cunobelinus.
Cunobelinus m Brythonic (Latinized)
Latinized form of a Brythonic name, possibly from old Celtic * "dog, hound" (genitive *kunos) combined with either the name of the god Belenus or another Celtic root meaning "strong". This was the name of a 1st-century king of southeastern Britain. He is known from Roman historians such as Suetonius and medieval Welsh histories, as well as from coins bearing his name.
Cupid m Roman Mythology (Anglicized)
From the Latin Cupido meaning "desire". This was the name of the Roman god of love, the son of Venus and Mars. He was portrayed as a winged, blindfolded boy, armed with a bow and arrows, which caused the victim to fall in love. His Greek equivalent was Eros.
Cupido m Roman Mythology
Latin form of Cupid.
Curran m English (Rare)
From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Corraidhín, itself from the given name Corraidhín.
Curro m Spanish
Andalusian diminutive of Francisco.
Curt m English
Either a variant of Kurt or short form of Curtis.
Curtis m English
From an English surname that originally meant "courteous" in Old French.
Cusmaan m Somali
Somali form of Osman.
Custódia f Portuguese
Portuguese feminine form of Custodio.
Custodia f Spanish
Feminine form of Custodio.
Custódio m Portuguese
Portuguese form of Custodio.
Custodio m Spanish
Means "guardian" in Spanish, from Latin custodia "protection, safekeeping".
Cuthberht m Anglo-Saxon
Old English form of Cuthbert.
Cuthbert m English (Rare)
Derived from the Old English elements cuþ "known, familiar" and beorht "bright". Saint Cuthbert was a 6th-century hermit who became the bishop of Lindisfarne, an island off the coast of England. He was known as performer of healing miracles. Because of the saint, this name remained in use in England even after the Norman Conquest. It became rare after the Protestant Reformation, but it was (briefly) revived in the 19th century.
Cveta f Serbian
Serbian form of Cvetka.
Cvetka f Slovene
Derived from Slovene cvet meaning "blossom, flower".
Cvetko m Slovene
Masculine form of Cvetka.
Cvijeta f Croatian, Serbian
Croatian and Serbian form of Cvetka.
Cvita f Croatian
Croatian form of Cvetka.
Cy m English
Short form of Cyrus or Cyril.
Cyan f & m English (Rare)
From the English word meaning "greenish blue, cyan", ultimately derived from Greek κύανος (kyanos).
Cybele f Near Eastern Mythology (Latinized)
Meaning unknown, possibly from Phrygian roots meaning either "stone" or "hair". This was the name of the Phrygian mother goddess associated with fertility and nature. She was later worshipped by the Greeks and Romans.
Cybill f English (Rare)
Variant of Sibyl. This name was borne by actress Cybill Shepherd (1950-), who was named after her grandfather Cy and her father Bill.
Cymbeline m Literature
Form of Cunobelinus used by Shakespeare in his play Cymbeline (1609).
Cynbel m Medieval Welsh
Medieval Welsh name of uncertain meaning.
Cyndi f English
Short form of Cynthia.
Cynebald m Anglo-Saxon
Derived from Old English cyne "royal" and beald "bold, brave".
Cyneberht m Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English elements cyne "royal" and beorht "bright".
Cyneburg f Anglo-Saxon
Means "royal fortress" from Old English cyne "royal" and burg "fortress". Saint Cyneburga, a daughter of a king of Mercia, was the founder of an abbey at Castor in the 7th century.
Cynefrið m Anglo-Saxon
Means "royal peace" from Old English cyne "royal" and friþ "peace".
Cyneheard m Anglo-Saxon
Derived from Old English cyne "royal" and heard "hard, firm, brave, hardy".
Cynemær m Anglo-Saxon
Derived from Old English cyne "royal" and mære "famous".
Cyneric m Anglo-Saxon
Derived from Old English cyne "royal" and ric "ruler, king".
Cynesige m Anglo-Saxon
Derived from Old English cyne "royal" and sige "victory".
Cyneswiþ f Anglo-Saxon
From Old English cyne "royal" and swiþ "strong". Saint Cyneswitha was a younger sister of Saint Cyneburg.
Cyneweard m Anglo-Saxon
Derived from Old English cyne "royal" and weard "guard".
Cynog m Welsh
Welsh name of uncertain meaning. This was the name of a 5th-century Welsh saint, allegedly a son of Brychan Brycheiniog.
Cynthia f English, French, Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Greek Κυνθία (Kynthia), which means "woman from Cynthus". This was an epithet of the Greek moon goddess Artemis, given because Cynthus was the mountain on Delos on which she and her twin brother Apollo were born. It was not used as a given name until the Renaissance, and it did not become common in the English-speaking world until the 19th century. It reached a peak of popularity in the United States in 1957 and has declined steadily since then.
Cynwrig m Old Welsh
Derived from Old Welsh cynt meaning "first, chief" and gur meaning "man", plus the suffix ig indicating "has the quality of".
Cyprian m Polish, History (Ecclesiastical)
From the Roman family name Cyprianus, which meant "from Cyprus". Saint Cyprian was a 3rd-century bishop of Carthage who was martyred under the Roman emperor Valerian.
Cyprianus m Ancient Roman
Original Latin form of Cyprian.
Cyprien m French
French form of Cyprianus (see Cyprian).
Cyra f History (Ecclesiastical)
Meaning unknown. Saint Cyra was a 5th-century Syrian hermit who was martyred with her companion Marana.
Cyrano m Literature
Possibly derived from the name of the ancient Greek city of Cyrene, which was located in North Africa. Edmond Rostand used this name in his play Cyrano de Bergerac (1897). He based his character upon a real person, the French satirist Savinien Cyrano de Bergerac (1619-1655).
Cyrene f Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Greek Κυρήνη (Kyrene), the name of a Hellenic city in ancient Libya, itself probably named for a nearby spring Κύρη (Kyre). It has been associated with κῦρος (kyros) meaning "power, authority". In Greek mythology this is the name of a Thessalian princess loved by Apollo. He took her to Libya, where he founded the city in her honour and installed her as queen.
Cyriaca f Late Roman
Feminine form of Cyriacus.
Cyriacus m Late Roman
Latinized form of the Greek name Κυριακός (Kyriakos), which meant "of the lord" (derived from Greek κύριος (kyrios) meaning "lord"). This was the name of a few early saints.
Cyriaque m French
French form of Cyriacus. This name is currently most common in parts of French-influenced Africa.
Cyriel m Flemish
Dutch (Flemish) form of Cyril.
Cyrielle f French
French feminine form of Cyril.
Cyril m English, French, Czech, Slovak
From the Greek name Κύριλλος (Kyrillos), which was derived from Greek κύριος (kyrios) meaning "lord", a word used frequently in the Greek Bible to refer to God or Jesus.... [more]
Cyrilla f English (Rare)
Feminine form of Cyril.
Cyrille m & f French
French form of Cyril, sometimes used as a feminine form.
Cyrus m English, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Old Persian (Latinized)
Latin form of Greek Κῦρος (Kyros), from the Old Persian name 𐎤𐎢𐎽𐎢𐏁 (Kuruš), possibly meaning "young" or "humiliator (of the enemy)". Alternatively it could be of Elamite origin. The name has sometimes been associated with Greek κύριος (kyrios) meaning "lord".... [more]
Cyryl m Polish
Polish form of Cyril.
Cystennin m Welsh
Welsh form of Constantine.
Cytherea f Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Κυθέρεια (Kythereia) meaning "woman from Cythera". This was an epithet of Aphrodite, given because she was born on the island of Cythera (according to some Greek legends).
Czcibor m Polish (Rare)
Polish form of Ctibor.
Czesław m Polish
Derived from the Slavic elements čĭstĭ "honour" and slava "glory".
Czesława f Polish
Feminine form of Czesław.