Names Starting with H

gender
usage
Horsa m Anglo-Saxon Mythology
From Old English or Old Saxon hors meaning "horse". According to medieval chronicles, Horsa and his brother Hengist were the leaders of the first Saxon settlers to arrive in Britain. Horsa was said to have died in battle with the Britons. He is first mentioned in the 8th-century writings of the English historian Bede.
Horst m German
Means "wood, thicket" in Low German. Alternatively, it may derive from Horsa. This name was popular in the first half of the 20th century but has since become uncommon. It is now a German slang word for an unintelligent person.
Hortense f French, English
French form of Hortensia.
Hortensia f Ancient Roman, Spanish
Feminine form of the Roman family name Hortensius, possibly derived from Latin hortus meaning "garden".
Hortensius m Ancient Roman
Masculine form of Hortensia.
Horus m Egyptian Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Ὧρος (Horos), the Greek form of Egyptian ḥrw (reconstructed as Heru and other forms) possibly from ḥr "above, over" or ḥrj "distant". In Egyptian mythology Horus was a god of the sky and light, often depicted as a man with the head of a falcon. In some versions of the mythology he was the son of Osiris and Isis, and avenged his father's murder by killing his uncle Seth.
Horymír m Czech
Possibly from the Slavic elements gora (Czech hora) meaning "mountain" and mirŭ meaning "peace, world". According to a Czech legend, Horymír was a man sentenced to death but saved by his horse.
Hosam m Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic حسام (see Husam).
Hosanna f Biblical
From the Aramaic religious expression הושע נא (Hoshaʿ na) meaning "deliver us" in Hebrew. In the New Testament this is exclaimed by those around Jesus when he first enters Jerusalem.
Hosea m Biblical
Variant English form of Hoshea, though the name is spelled the same in the Hebrew text. Hosea is one of the twelve minor prophets of the Old Testament, the author of the Book of Hosea. Written in the northern kingdom, it draws parallels between his relationship with his unfaithful wife and the relationship between God and his people.
Hosee m Biblical Greek
Form of Hoshea (and Hosea) used in the Greek Bible.
Hoshea m Biblical, Biblical Hebrew
From the Hebrew name הוֹשֵׁעַ (Hosheaʿ) meaning "salvation", from the root יָשַׁע (yashaʿ) meaning "to save". In the Old Testament at Numbers 13:16, Moses gives the spy Hoshea the new name Yehoshuaʿ (see Joshua), which has a related origin. This name was also borne by an 8th-century BC king of Israel, who was the last ruler of that state before it was conquered by Assyria.
Hoshi f Japanese
From Japanese (hoshi) meaning "star" or other kanji with the same pronunciation.
Hoshiko f Japanese
From Japanese (hoshi) meaning "star" and (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Hosni m Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic حسني (see Husni).
Hossam m Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic حسام (see Husam).
Hossein m Persian
Persian form of Husayn.
Hotaru f Japanese
From Japanese (hotaru) meaning "firefly".
Hǫðr m Norse Mythology
Old Norse form of Hoder.
Houa f Hmong
Means "clouds" in Hmong.
Houda f Arabic (Maghrebi)
Alternate transcription of Arabic هدى (see Huda) chiefly used in North Africa.
Houria f Arabic (Maghrebi)
Alternate transcription of Arabic حوريّة (see Huriya) chiefly used in Algeria.
Hourig f Armenian
Alternate transcription of Armenian Հուրիկ (see Hurik).
Houssam m Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic حسام (see Husam).
Houston m English
From a Scottish surname meaning "Hugh's town". The original Houston is in Scotland near Glasgow, but this is also the name of a city in Texas, named after the Texas president Sam Houston (1793-1863).
Hovhannes m Armenian
Armenian form of Iohannes (see John).
Hovik m Armenian
Diminutive of Hovhannes.
Hovo m Armenian
Diminutive of Hovhannes.
Hovsep m Armenian
Armenian form of Joseph.
Howard m English
From an English surname that can derive from several different sources: the Anglo-Norman given name Huard, which was from the Germanic name Hughard; the Anglo-Scandinavian given name Haward, from the Old Norse name Hávarðr; or the Middle English term ewehirde meaning "ewe herder". This is the surname of a British noble family, members of which have held the title Duke of Norfolk from the 15th century to the present. A famous bearer of the given name was the American industrialist Howard Hughes (1905-1976).
Howell m Welsh
Anglicized form of Hywel.
Howie m English
Diminutive of Howard.
Hoyt m English
From an English surname that was derived from Middle English hoit "stick", originally a nickname for a thin person.
Hozan m & f Kurdish
Means "poet, intellect" in Kurdish.
Hraban m Germanic
From an Old German byname derived from hraban meaning "raven".
Hrafn m Icelandic, Old Norse
Means "raven" in Old Norse.
Hrafnhildr f Old Norse
From the Old Norse elements hrafn "raven" and hildr "battle".
Hrafnhildur f Icelandic
Icelandic form of Hrafnhildr.
Hrambert m Germanic
Derived from the Old German elements hram "raven" and beraht "bright".
Hranislav m Serbian
Derived from the Slavic element xorniti (Serbo-Croatian hraniti) meaning "to feed, to protect" combined with slava meaning "glory".
Hrefna f Icelandic, Old Norse
Feminine form of Hrafn.
Hreiðarr m Old Norse
Old Norse form of Reidar.
Hreiðunn f Old Norse
Old Norse form of Reidun.
Hrihoriy m Ukrainian
Alternate transcription of Ukrainian Григорій (see Hryhoriy).
Hristijan m Macedonian
Macedonian form of Christian.
Hristina f Bulgarian, Macedonian, Serbian
Bulgarian, Macedonian and Serbian form of Christina.
Hristiyan m Bulgarian
Bulgarian form of Christian.
Hristo m Bulgarian, Macedonian
Bulgarian and Macedonian short form of Christopher or Christian.
Hristofor m Bulgarian, Macedonian, Serbian (Rare)
Bulgarian, Macedonian and Serbian form of Christopher.
Hróaldr m Old Norse
Old Norse form of Roald.
Hróarr m Old Norse
Old Norse name, derived from the element hróðr "praise, fame" combined with either geirr "spear" (making it a relation of Hróðgeirr), herr "army, warrior" or varr "aware, cautious". This is the name of a legendary Danish king, the same one who is featured in the Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf with the name Hroðgar.
Hrodebert m Germanic
Old German form of Robert.
Hroderich m Germanic
Old German form of Roderick.
Hrodger m Germanic
Old German form of Roger.
Hrodland m Germanic
Old German form of Roland.
Hrodohaidis f Germanic
Old German form of Rose.
Hrodulf m Germanic
Old German form of Rudolf.
Hrœrekr m Old Norse
Old West Norse form of Hrǿríkr.
Hrolf m Germanic
Contracted form of Hrodulf.
Hrólfr m Old Norse
Contracted form of Hróðulfr.
Hrönn f Icelandic
Icelandic form of Hrǫnn.
Hrǫnn f Norse Mythology
Means "wave" in Old Norse. In Norse mythology she was one of the nine daughters of Ægir and Rán.
Hrǿríkr m Old Norse (Hypothetical)
From Old Norse hróðr "praise, fame, glory" and ríkr "ruler, king" (a cognate of Roderick).
Hroðgar m Anglo-Saxon
From Old English hroð "fame, glory" and gar "spear", making it a cognate of Hrodger (see Roger). The name became unused after the Normans introduced the continental form. In the Old English poem Beowulf this is the name of the Danish king.
Hróðgeirr m Old Norse
From Old Norse hróðr "praise, fame" and geirr "spear", making it a cognate of Hrodger (see Roger).
Hrōþiberhtaz m Old Germanic (Hypothetical)
Proto-Germanic reconstruction of Robert.
Hrōþigaizaz m Old Germanic (Hypothetical)
Proto-Germanic reconstruction of Hrodger, Hroðgar and Hróðgeirr.
Hrōþihildiz f Old Germanic (Hypothetical)
Proto-Germanic reconstruction of Chrodechildis (see Clotilde).
Hrōþilandaz m Old Germanic (Hypothetical)
Proto-Germanic reconstruction of Roland.
Hrōþirīks m Old Germanic (Hypothetical)
Proto-Germanic reconstruction of Roderick.
Hrōþiwulfaz m Old Germanic (Hypothetical)
Proto-Germanic reconstruction of Hrodulf, Hróðulfr and Hroðulf.
Hroðulf m Anglo-Saxon
From Old English hroð "fame, glory" and wulf "wolf", making it a cognate of Hrodulf (see Rudolf). This name appears in Beowulf belonging to the nephew of Hroðgar.
Hróðulfr m Old Norse
From Old Norse hróðr "praise, fame" and ulfr "wolf", making it an Old Norse cognate of Hrodulf (see Rudolf).
Hróðvaldr m Old Norse
Old Norse form of Roald.
Hrotsuitha f Germanic
Old German variant of Hruodsuind.
Hruodnand m Germanic
From the Old German elements hruod meaning "fame" and nand meaning "brave". According to some theories, this was the original form of Roland.
Hruodsuind f Germanic
Old German form of Roswitha.
Hrvoje m Croatian
Derived from Croatian Hrvat meaning "Croat".
Hryhoriy m Ukrainian
Ukrainian form of Gregory.
Hua f & m Chinese
From Chinese (huá) meaning "splendid, illustrious, Chinese" or (huā) meaning "flower, blossom" (which is usually only feminine). Other Chinese characters can form this name as well.
Huan f & m Chinese
From Chinese (huān) meaning "happy, pleased", as well as other characters pronounced in a similar way.
Huang m & f Chinese
From Chinese (huáng) meaning "bright, shining, luminous" (which is usually only masculine) or (huáng) meaning "phoenix" (usually only feminine). Other Chinese characters are also possible.
Huangdi m Chinese Mythology
From Chinese (huáng) meaning "yellow" and () meaning "god, emperor". This is the Chinese name for the Yellow Emperor, a mythical ruler and deity who is said to have reigned in the 3rd millennium BC. He is regarded as the ancestor of the Chinese people.
Huanglong m Chinese Mythology
From Chinese (huáng) meaning "yellow" and (lóng) meaning "dragon". This is the Chinese name for the Yellow Dragon, who is considered the animal form of the mythical Yellow Emperor Huangdi.
Hubert m English, German, Dutch, French, Polish, Czech, Germanic
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.
Hubrecht m Dutch (Archaic)
Dutch variant of Hubert.
Huck m Literature
Short form of Huckleberry.
Huckleberry m Literature
From the name of the variety of shrubs (genus Vaccinium) or the berries that grow on them. It was used by author Mark Twain for the character of Huckleberry (Huck) Finn in his novels The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884).
Huda f Arabic
Means "right guidance" in Arabic, from the root هدى (hadā) meaning "to lead the right way, to guide".
Hudde m Medieval English
Medieval diminutive of Hugh or possibly Richard.
Hudson m English
From an English surname meaning "son of Hudde". A famous bearer of the surname was the English explorer Henry Hudson (1570-1611).
Huệ f Vietnamese
From Sino-Vietnamese (huệ) meaning "bright, intelligent" or (huệ) meaning "tuberose (flower)".
Huey m English
Variant of Hughie.
Hug m Catalan (Rare)
Catalan form of Hugh.
Hugh m English
From the Germanic name Hugo, derived from Old Frankish hugi or Old High German hugu meaning "mind, thought, spirit" (Proto-Germanic *hugiz). It was common among Frankish and French nobility, being borne by Hugh Capet, a 10th-century king of France who founded the Capetian dynasty. The Normans brought the name to England and it became common there, even more so after the time of the 12th-century bishop Saint Hugh of Lincoln, who was known for his charity. This was also the name of kings of Cyprus and the crusader kingdom of Jerusalem. The name is used in Ireland and Scotland as the Anglicized form of Aodh and Ùisdean.
Hughard m Germanic
Derived from the Old German elements hugu "mind, thought, spirit" and hart "hard, firm, brave, hardy".
Hughie m English
Diminutive of Hugh.
Hugleikr m Old Norse
Old Norse name derived from hugr "mind, thought, mood" and leikr "play".
Hugo m Spanish, Portuguese, English, Dutch, German, French, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Germanic
Old German form of Hugh. As a surname it has belonged to the French author Victor Hugo (1802-1885), the writer of The Hunchback of Notre-Dame and Les Misérables.
Hugubert m Germanic
Old German form of Hubert.
Hugues m French
French form of Hugh.
Huguette f French
Feminine form of Hugues.
Huguo m Germanic
Old German variant of Hugo.
Huhana f Maori
Maori form of Susan.
Hui f & m Chinese
From Chinese (huì) meaning "intelligent, wise" (which is usually only feminine), (huī) meaning "brightness", besides other characters that are pronounced similarly.
Huitzilopochtli m Aztec and Toltec Mythology
Means "left side of the hummingbird" or "southern hummingbird" in Nahuatl, derived from huitzilin "hummingbird" and ōpōchtli "left, south". In Aztec mythology he was the god of the sun and war. He was a patron deity of the city of Tenochtitlan (at the site of modern Mexico City).
Huld f Norse Mythology
Old Norse variant of Hulda 1.
Hulda 1 f Icelandic, Swedish, Norwegian, Norse Mythology
Derived from Old Norse hulda meaning "hiding, secrecy". This was the name of a sorceress in Norse mythology. As a modern name, it can also derive from archaic Swedish huld meaning "gracious, sweet, lovable".
Hulda 2 f Biblical
Variant of Huldah.
Huldah f Biblical
Means "weasel, mole" in Hebrew. This name appears in the Old Testament belonging to a prophetess.
Hulderic m Germanic
Derived from the Old German elements hold "favourable, gracious, graceful, loyal" and rih "ruler, king".
Hülya f Turkish
Means "daydream" in Turkish.
Humaira f Arabic, Urdu
Alternate transcription of Arabic حميراء (see Humayra), as well as the usual Urdu transcription.
Humayra f Arabic
Means "red" in Arabic. This was a name given by the Prophet Muhammad to his wife Aisha.
Humbert m French, German (Rare), English (Rare), Germanic
Derived from the Old German elements hun "bear cub" and beraht "bright". The Normans introduced this name to England, though it has always been uncommon there. It was the name of a 7th-century Frankish saint who founded Maroilles Abbey. It was also borne by two kings of Italy (called Umberto in Italian), who ruled in the 19th and 20th centuries. A notable fictional bearer is Humbert Humbert from Vladimir Nabokov's novel Lolita (1955).
Humberto m Spanish, Portuguese
Spanish and Portuguese form of Humbert.
Hümeyra f Turkish
Turkish form of Humayra.
Humphrey m English
From the Old German elements hun "bear cub" and fridu "peace". The Normans introduced this name to England, where it replaced the Old English cognate Hunfrith, and it was regularly used through the Middle Ages. A famous bearer was the American actor Humphrey Bogart (1899-1957), who starred in The Maltese Falcon and Casablanca.
Hunahpu m Mayan Mythology
Possibly means "one blowgunner", from Classic Maya jun "one" and puw "blowgun" (with the agentive prefix aj-). Hunahpu and his twin brother Xbalanque are the central characters of the Popol Vuh, the sacred book of the K'iche' Maya.
Hunbeorht m Anglo-Saxon
From the Old English elements hun "bear cub" and beorht "bright", making it a cognate of Humbert. This name was borne by a 9th-century English saint.
Hunberht m Germanic
Old German form of Humbert.
Hunfrid m Germanic
Old German form of Humphrey.
Hùng m Vietnamese
From Sino-Vietnamese (hùng) meaning "brave, manly".
Hunor m Hungarian
Derived from the ethnic term Hun, which refers to the nomadic people from Central Asia who expanded into Europe in the 4th century. The word Hun is from Latin Hunnus, which is possibly of Turkic origin. According to medieval Hungarian legend, the brothers Hunor and Magor were the ancestors of the Huns and the Magyars (Hungarians) respectively.
Hunter m & f English
From an English occupational surname for a hunter, derived from Old English hunta. A famous bearer was the eccentric American journalist Hunter S. Thompson (1937-2005).
Hương f Vietnamese
From Sino-Vietnamese (hương) meaning "fragrant".
Huri m Biblical, Biblical Hebrew
Means "linen weaver" in Hebrew. This is the name of the father of Abihail in the Old Testament.
Hurik f Armenian
Means "small fire" in Armenian.
Huriya f Arabic (Rare)
Means "nymph, heavenly maiden" in Arabic, referring to the houris, who are beautiful maidens who dwell in the Islamic afterlife.
Huriyyah f Arabic (Rare)
Alternate transcription of Arabic حوريّة (see Huriya).
Hürrem f Ottoman Turkish
Derived from Persian خرّم (khorram) meaning "happy, pleasant". This was a name given to Süleyman the Magnificent's concubine and eventual wife Hürrem Sultan (1504-1558), also known as Roxelana.
Hursamundō f Old Germanic (Hypothetical)
Proto-Germanic reconstruction of Rosamund.
Hurşit m Turkish
Turkish form of Khorshid.
Husain m Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic حسين (see Husayn).
Husam m Arabic
Means "sword" in Arabic, a derivative of the verb حسم (ḥasama) meaning "to sever, to finish, to decide".
Husayn m Arabic
Diminutive of Hasan. Husayn ibn Ali (also commonly transliterated Hussein) was the son of Ali and the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad. His older brother was named Hasan. The massacre of Husayn and his family was a major event in the split between Shia and Sunni Muslims, which continues to this day. In more recent times this was the name of a king of Jordan (1935-1999).
Husein m Bosnian
Bosnian form of Husayn.
Husên m Kurdish
Kurdish form of Husayn.
Hüseyin m Turkish
Turkish form of Husayn.
Hüseyn m Azerbaijani
Azerbaijani form of Husayn.
Husna f Arabic
Means "more beautiful" in Arabic.
Husni m Arabic
Derived from Arabic حسْن (ḥusn) meaning "beauty, excellence, goodness".
Husniya f Arabic (Rare)
Feminine form of Husni.
Hüsniye f Turkish
Turkish feminine form of Husni.
Hüsnü m Turkish
Turkish form of Husni.
Hussain m Arabic, Urdu, Dhivehi
Alternate transcription of Arabic حسين (see Husayn), as well as the usual Urdu and Dhivehi transcription.
Hussein m Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic حسين (see Husayn).
Hutaosa f Avestan
Avestan cognate of Old Persian *Utautha (see Atossa). This name was borne by the wife of Vishtaspa, a follower of Zarathustra.
Hut-Heru f Egyptian Mythology (Hypothetical)
Reconstructed Egyptian form of Hathor.
Hữu m Vietnamese
From Sino-Vietnamese (hữu) meaning "friend, companion".
Huub m Dutch
Dutch short form of Hubert.
Huw m Welsh
Welsh form of Hugh.
Huxley m English (Modern)
From an English surname that was derived from the name of a town in Cheshire. The final element is Old English leah "woodland, clearing", while the first element might be hux "insult, scorn". A famous bearer of the surname was the British author Aldous Huxley (1894-1963).
Huy m Vietnamese
From Sino-Vietnamese (huy) meaning "brightness".
Hwan m Korean
From Sino-Korean (hwan) meaning "shining, brilliant, lustrous" or other characters that are pronounced similarly. It usually occurs in combination with another character.
Hyacinth 2 f English (Rare)
From the name of the flower (or the precious stone that also bears this name), ultimately from Greek hyakinthos (see Hyacinthus).
Hyacintha f History (Ecclesiastical)
Latinate feminine form of Hyacinthus, used to refer to the 17th-century Italian saint Hyacintha Mariscotti (real name Giacinta).
Hyacinthe m & f French
French masculine and feminine form of Hyacinthus.
Hyacinthus m Greek Mythology (Latinized), Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Latinized form of the Greek name Ὑάκινθος (Hyakinthos), which was derived from the name of the hyacinth flower. In Greek legend Hyakinthos was accidentally killed by the god Apollo, who mournfully caused this flower to arise from his blood. The name was also borne by several early saints, notably a 3rd-century martyr who was killed with his brother Protus.
Hyam m Hebrew
Alternate transcription of Hebrew חַיִּים (see Chaim).
Hyder m Urdu
Alternate transcription of Urdu حیدر (see Haider).
Hydra f Astronomy, Greek Mythology
Means "water serpent" in Greek, related to ὕδωρ (hydor) meaning "water". In Greek myth this was the name of a many-headed Lernaean serpent slain by Herakles. It is also the name of a northern constellation, as well as a moon of Pluto.
Hye m Korean
From Sino-Korean (hye) meaning "bright, intelligent" or other characters that are pronounced in the same way. Although it does appear rarely as a single-character name, it is more often used in combination with another character. A notable bearer was a 6th-century king of Baekje.
Hye-Jin f Korean
From Sino-Korean (hye) meaning "bright, intelligent" or (hye) meaning "favour, benefit" combined with (jin) meaning "precious, rare". This name can be formed by a variety of other hanja character combinations as well.
Hyeon m & f Korean
From Sino-Korean (hyeon) meaning "virtuous, worthy, able" or other characters that are pronounced similarly. It usually occurs in combination with another character, though it is sometimes used as a stand-alone name.
Hyeon-Jeong f Korean
From Sino-Korean (hyeon) meaning "virtuous, worthy, able" or (hyeon) meaning "shine, glitter" combined with (jeong) meaning "courtyard" or (jeong) meaning "virtuous, chaste, loyal". This name can be formed by other hanja character combinations as well.
Hyeon-Ju f & m Korean
From Sino-Korean (hyeon) meaning "virtuous, worthy, able" and (ju) meaning "jewel, pearl". This name can be formed by other hanja character combinations as well.
Hyeon-U m Korean
From Sino-Korean (hyeon) meaning "virtuous, worthy, able" or (hyeon) meaning "manifest, clear" combined with (u) meaning "divine intervention, protection" or (u) meaning "rain". This name can be formed by other hanja character combinations as well.
Hyginos m Ancient Greek
Greek form of Hyginus.
Hyginus m Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Latinized form of Ὑγῖνος (Hyginos), a Greek name derived from ὑγιεινός (hygieinos) meaning "healthy". This was the name of the ninth pope.
Hyman m Jewish
Alteration of Hyam influenced by Yiddish מאַן (man) meaning "man".
Hymie m Jewish
Diminutive of Hyman.
Hynek m Czech
Diminutive of Heinrich.
Hypatia f Ancient Greek
Derived from Greek ὕπατος (hypatos) meaning "highest, supreme". Hypatia of Alexandria was a 5th-century philosopher and mathematician, daughter of the mathematician Theon.
Hypatos m Ancient Greek
Masculine form of Hypatia.
Hyperion m Greek Mythology
Derived from Greek ὑπέρ (hyper) meaning "over". In Greek myth this was the name of a Titan who presided over the sun and light. By Theia he was the father of the sun god Helios, the moon goddess Selene, and the dawn goddess Eos.
Hypnos m Greek Mythology
Means "sleep" in Greek. In Greek myth this was the name of the personification of sleep, twin brother of Thanatos.
Hyrum m English (Rare)
Variant of Hiram. This name was borne by Hyrum Smith (1800-1844), an early leader within the Mormon Church.
Hyun m & f Korean
Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul (see Hyeon).
Hyun-Joo f & m Korean
Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul 현주 (see Hyeon-Ju).
Hyun-Jung f & m Korean
Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul 현정 (see Hyeon-Jeong).
Hyun-Woo m Korean
Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul 현우 (see Hyeon-U).
Hywel m Welsh
From Old Welsh Higuel meaning "eminent, prominent" (literally "well-seen"). This was the name of a few Welsh kings, including the 10th-century Hywel the Good who was known for establishing laws.