Browse Names

Ælfweard m Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English elements ælf "elf" and weard "guardian".

Æthelweard m Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English element æðele "noble" combined with weard "guardian".

Aina 4 f Latvian
Feminine form of Ainārs.

Ainārs m Latvian
From Latvian aina meaning "scene, sight".

Aisling f Irish
Means "dream" or "vision" in Irish. This name was created in the 20th century.

Alemayehu m & f Amharic
Means "I have seen the world" in Amharic.

Algirdas m Lithuanian
Possibly means "all-hearing", from the Lithuanian roots al- "all, every" and gird- "to hear". This was the name of a 14th-century Grand Duke of Lithuania.

Alvarus m Gothic (Latinized)
Latinized (Old Spanish) form of a Gothic name (see Álvaro).

Alvydas m Lithuanian
Means "all-seeing", from the Lithuanian roots al- "all, every" and vyd- "to see".

Aminah 1 f Arabic, Malay, Indonesian
Derived from Arabic أمن (amina) meaning "feel safe". This was the name of the Prophet Muhammad's mother, who died when he was young.

Arvydas m Lithuanian
Derived from Lithuanian ar "also" and the root vyd- "to see".

Avalokiteshvara m Buddhism
Means "the lord who looks down" in Sanskrit, derived from अवलोक् (avalok) meaning "to look down" and ईश्वर (ishvara) meaning "lord, god". The original form of the name may have been अवलोकितस्वर (Avalokitasvara), with the final element being स्वर (svara) meaning "sound, tone" (as evidenced by the Chinese form Guanyin). In Buddhist belief this is the name of a bodhisattva associated with compassion.

Ayumi f Japanese
From Japanese 歩 (ayumi) meaning "walk, step". It can also be from 亜 (a) meaning "second, Asia" combined with 由 (yu) meaning "reason, cause" and 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful". Otherwise it can be written with different combinations of kanji, or with the hiragana writing system.

Ayumu m Japanese
From Japanese 歩 (ayu) meaning "walk, step" and 夢 (mu) meaning "dream, vision". It can also be written with 歩 alone, or with other combinations of kanji.

Budi m Indonesian
Means "reason, mind, character" in Indonesian, ultimately from Sanskrit बुद्धि (buddhi) meaning "intellect" (related to Buddha).

Conn m Irish, Irish Mythology, Old Irish
Perhaps from Old Irish conn meaning "sense, reason" or cenn meaning "head, chief". This was the name of a legendary high king of Ireland, Conn of the Hundred Battles.

Cyneweard m Anglo-Saxon
Derived from Old English cyne "royal" and weard "guard".

Danya 1 f Hebrew
Feminine form of Dan 1. It can also be considered a compound meaning "judgement from God", using the element יָה (yah) referring to the Hebrew God.

Darshan m Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Kannada
Means "seeing, observing, understanding" in Sanskrit.

Darshana f Marathi
Feminine form of Darshan.

Dilipa m Hinduism
Means "protector of Delhi" from Sanskrit दिल्ली (see Delhi) combined with प (pa) meaning "protecting". This is the name of several kings in Hindu texts.

Drishti f Hindi
Means "sight" in Sanskrit.

Durward m English
From an occupational surname meaning "door guard" in Middle English.

Edward m English, Polish
Means "rich guard", derived from the Old English elements ead "wealth, fortune" and weard "guard". This was the name of several Anglo-Saxon kings, the last being Saint Edward the Confessor shortly before the Norman Conquest in the 11th century. He was known as a just ruler, and because of his popularity his name remained in use after the conquest when most other Old English names were replaced by Norman ones. The 13th-century Plantagenet king Henry III named his son and successor after the saint, and seven subsequent kings of England were also named Edward.... [more]

Elioenai m Biblical
Means "my eyes look to God" in Hebrew. This was the name of several minor characters in the Old Testament.

Epaphus m Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Derived from Greek ἐπαφή (epaphe) meaning "touch". According to Greek mythology this was the name of a king of Egypt. He was the son of Zeus and Io, who became pregnant when Zeus touched her with his hand.

Eudoxia f Ancient Greek
From Greek εὐδοξία (eudoxia) meaning "good repute, good judgement", itself from εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and δόξα (doxa) meaning "notion, reputation, honour".

Goemon m History
Meaning unknown. His name is composed of the kanji 五 (go) meaning "five", 右 (not pronounced) meaning "right-hand, west", 衛 (e) meaning "guard, protect", and 門 (mon) meaning "gate, door". This was the name of a semi-legendary 16th-century samurai who stole from the rich to give to the poor. After a failed assassination attempt on the daimyo Toyotomi Hideyoshi, he was boiled alive.

Gopala m Hinduism
Means "cow protector" from Sanskrit गो (go) meaning "cow" and पाल (pala) meaning "guard, protector". This is another name of the Hindu god Krishna. This name was also borne by the 8th-century founder of the Pala Empire in Bengal.

Guanyin f Buddhism
Means "one who observes sounds", from Chinese 观 (guān) meaning "to observe, to see" and 音 (yīn) meaning "sound, tone", referring to prayers. This is the Chinese name of Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion (who is regarded as female in China). It originated as a calque of Sanskrit अवलोकितस्वर (Avalokitasvara), an earlier form of Avalokiteshvara's name.

Halvard m Norwegian
From the Old Norse name Hallvarðr, which meant "rock guardian" from hallr "rock" combined with vǫrðr "guard, guardian".

Harding m English
From an English surname that was derived from the Old English given name Heard. A famous bearer of the surname was American president Warren G. Harding (1865-1923).

Hávarðr m Old Norse
From the Old Norse element hár "high" or hǫð "battle, combat" combined with vǫrðr "guard, guardian".

Hazael m Biblical
Means "God sees" in Hebrew. This is the name of a king of Aram in the Old Testament.

Hereward m Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English elements here "army" and weard "guard". This was the name of an 11th-century Anglo-Saxon leader who rebelled against Norman rule.

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.

Inderpal m & f Indian (Sikh)
Means "protector of Indra" from the name of the god Indra combined with Sanskrit पाल (pala) meaning "protector".

Iscah f Biblical
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.

Ishmael m Biblical
From the Hebrew name יִשְׁמָעֵאל (Yishma'el) meaning "God will hear", from the roots שָׁמַע (shama') meaning "to hear" and אֵל ('el) meaning "God". In the Old Testament this is the name of a son of Abraham. He is the traditional ancestor of the Arab people. Also in the Old Testament, it is borne by a man who assassinates Gedaliah the governor of Judah. The author Herman Melville later used this name for the narrator in his novel Moby-Dick (1851).

Ishmerai m Biblical
Means "he guards me" in Hebrew. This name is mentioned briefly in the Old Testament.

Jacey f & m English (Modern)
An invented name, using the popular phonetic element jay and the same sound found in names such as Casey and Macy.

Jaycee f & m English (Modern)
Variant of Jacey.

Ji-Eun f Korean
From Sino-Korean 枝 (ji) meaning "branch, limb", 知 (ji) meaning "know, perceive, comprehend" or 志 (ji) meaning "will, purpose, ambition" combined with 恩 (eun) meaning "kindness, mercy, charity". This name can be formed by other hanja character combinations as well.

Ji-Won f & m Korean
From Sino-Korean 智 (ji) meaning "wisdom, intellect" or 志 (ji) meaning "will, purpose, ambition" combined with 媛 (won) meaning "beautiful woman" or 元 (won) meaning "first, origin". This name can also be formed from many other hanja combinations.

Ji-Yeon f Korean
From Sino-Korean 智 (ji) meaning "wisdom, intellect" or 志 (ji) meaning "will, purpose, ambition" combined with 妍 (yeon) meaning "beautiful". Other combinations of hanja characters can also form this name.

Ji-Yeong f & m Korean
From Sino-Korean 智 (ji) meaning "wisdom, intellect" or 知 (ji) meaning "know, perceive, comprehend" combined with 英 (yeong) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero" or 榮 (yeong) meaning "glory, honour, flourish, prosper". Many other hanja character combinations are possible.

Kannon 1 f Buddhism
Japanese form of Guanyin.

Laocoön m Greek Mythology (Latinized)
From Greek Λαοκόων (Laokoon), derived from λαός (laos) meaning "people" and ἀκούω (akouo) meaning "to hear". In Greek mythology this was the name of a Trojan priest who warned against accepting the wooden horse left by the Greeks. He and his sons were strangled by sea serpents sent by the gods.

Li 1 f & m Chinese
From Chinese 理 (lǐ) meaning "reason, logic", 立 (lì) meaning "stand, establish", 黎 (lí) meaning "black, dawn", 力 (lì) meaning "power, capability, influence" (which is usually only masculine) or 丽 (lì) meaning "beautiful" (usually only feminine). Other Chinese characters are also possible.

Mantvydas m Lithuanian
From Lithuanian mantus "intelligent" or manta "property, wealth" combined with the root vyd- "to see".

Mari 2 f Japanese
From Japanese 真 (ma) meaning "real, genuine" combined with 理 (ri) meaning "reason, logic" or 里 (ri) meaning "village". Many other combinations of kanji characters can form this name.

Mayumi 1 f Japanese
From Japanese 真 (ma) meaning "real, genuine" combined with 弓 (yumi) meaning "archery bow" or 由 (yu) meaning "reason, cause" and 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful". This name can also be constructed from other kanji combinations.

Millard m English
From an occupational English surname meaning "guardian of the mill" in Old English.

Min-Ji f Korean
From Sino-Korean 敏 (min) meaning "quick, clever, sharp" combined with 智 (ji) meaning "wisdom, intellect" or 知 (ji) meaning "know, perceive, comprehend". Other hanja combinations are possible.

Nîga f Kurdish
Means "look, gaze" in Kurdish, of Persian origin.

Penjani m & f Tumbuka
Means "seek for, look for" in Tumbuka.

Pratik m Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali
Means "look, appearance" in Sanskrit.

Prosdocimus m Late Greek (Latinized)
Latinized form of Greek Προσδόκιμος (Prosdokimos) meaning "expected, looked for". The 1st-century saint Prosdocimus was the first bishop of Padua.

Pwyll m Welsh Mythology
Means "wisdom, reason" in Welsh. In the First Branch of the Mabinogi, Pwyll is a king of Dyfed who pursues and finally marries Rhiannon. Their son was Pryderi.

Raniya f Arabic
Means "looking at", derived from Arabic رنا (rana) meaning "to gaze".

Rashad m Arabic, Azerbaijani
Means "good sense, good guidance" in Arabic, from the root رشد (rashada) meaning "to be on the right path".

Reuben m Biblical, Hebrew, English
Means "behold, a son" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament he is the eldest son of Jacob and Leah and the ancestor of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. Reuben was cursed by his father because he slept with Jacob's concubine Bilhah. It has been used as a Christian name in Britain since the Protestant Reformation.

Rie f Japanese
From Japanese 理 (ri) meaning "reason, logic" or 里 (ri) meaning "village" combined with 恵 (e) meaning "favour, benefit". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.

Riko f Japanese
From Japanese 莉 (ri) meaning "white jasmine" or 理 (ri) meaning "reason, logic" combined with 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Ruya f Arabic
Means "vision, sight" in Arabic.

Saga f Norse Mythology, Swedish, Icelandic
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".

Samuel m English, French, German, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Romanian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Jewish, Amharic, Biblical
From the Hebrew name שְׁמוּאֵל (Shemu'el) meaning "name of God", from the roots שֵׁם (shem) meaning "name" and אֵל ('el) meaning "God". Other interpretations have the first root being שָׁמַע (shama') meaning "to hear" leading to a meaning of "God has heard". As told in the Books of Samuel in the Old Testament, Samuel was the last of the ruling judges. He led the Israelites during a period of domination by the Philistines, who were ultimately defeated in battle at Mizpah. Later he anointed Saul to be the first king of Israel, and even later anointed his successor David.... [more]

Sawyer m & f English (Modern)
From an English surname meaning "sawer of wood". Mark Twain used it for the hero in his novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876).... [more]

Shemaiah m Biblical
Means "heard by Yahweh" in Hebrew. This name is borne by many characters in the Old Testament including a prophet in the reign of Rehoboam.

Shimei m Biblical
From Hebrew שָׁמַע (shama') meaning "to hear, to listen". This is the name of many characters in the Old Testament.

Sigeweard m Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English elements sige "victory" and weard "guard, guardian", making it a cognate of Sigurd.

Sigiward m Germanic
Derived from the Old German elements sigu "victory" and wart "guard, guardian". It is a cognate of Sigurd.

Sigiwardaz m Old Germanic (Hypothetical)
Proto-Germanic reconstruction of Sigurðr, Sigeweard and Sigiward.

Sigurd m Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Norse Mythology
From the Old Norse name Sigurðr, which was derived from the elements sigr "victory" and vǫrðr "guard, guardian". Sigurd was the hero of the Norse epic the Völsungasaga, which tells how his foster-father Regin sent him to recover a hoard of gold guarded by the dragon Fafnir. After slaying the dragon Sigurd tasted some of its blood, enabling him to understand the language of birds, who told him that Regin was planning to betray him. In a later adventure, Sigurd disguised himself as Gunnar (his wife Gudrun's brother) and rescued the maiden Brynhildr from a ring of fire, with the result that Gunnar and Brynhildr were married. When the truth eventually came out, Brynhildr took revenge upon Sigurd. The stories of the German hero Siegfried were in part based on him.

Simon 1 m English, French, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Dutch, Hungarian, Slovene, Romanian, Macedonian, Georgian, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
From Σίμων (Simon), the New Testament Greek form of the Hebrew name שִׁמְעוֹן (Shim'on) meaning "hearing, listening", derived from שָׁמַע (shama') meaning "to hear, to listen". This name is spelled Simeon, based on Greek Συμεών, in many translations of the Old Testament, where it is borne by the second son of Jacob. The New Testament spelling may show influence from the otherwise unrelated Greek name Simon 2.... [more]

Soudeh f Persian
Means "touched" or "painted" in Persian.

Sudarshan m Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada
Means "beautiful, good-looking" in Sanskrit, derived from the Sanskrit prefix सु (su) meaning "good" combined with दर्शन (darshana) meaning "seeing, observing".

Sudarshana f Hindi
Feminine form of Sudarshan.

Taiwo m & f Yoruba
Means "taste the world, taste life" in Yoruba.

Tal'at m Arabic
Possibly means "face, sight" in Arabic.

Tautvydas m Lithuanian
From Lithuanian tauta "people, nation" and the root vyd- "to see".

Theodoard m Germanic
Germanic name composed of the elements theod meaning "people" (Old High German diota, Old Frankish þeoda) and wart meaning "guard, guardian".

Theophylaktos m Ancient Greek
Means "watched by god" from Greek θεός (theos) meaning "god" and φυλακτέος (phylakteos) meaning "to be watched". Saint Theophylaktos was a 9th-century bishop of Nicomedia who was banished to Caria.

Tichaona m Shona
Means "we will see" from Shona ticha "we will" and ona "see".

Tzofiya f Hebrew (Rare)
Means "watching" in Hebrew.

Uche m & f Igbo
Means "wisdom, sense, mind" in Igbo.

Uchenna m & f Igbo
Means "wisdom of the father, sense of the father" in Igbo.

Vidmantas m Lithuanian
From the Lithuanian root vyd- "to see" combined with mantus "intelligent" or manta "property, wealth".

Vytautas m Lithuanian
From the Lithuanian root vyd- "to see" or vyti "to chase, to drive away" combined with tauta "people, nation". This was the name of a 15th-century Grand Duke of Lithuania, revered as a national hero in that country.

Ward 1 m English
From an occupational surname for a watchman, derived from Old English weard "guard".

Wardell m English
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "watch hill" in Old English.

Yoshie f & m Japanese
From Japanese 芳 (yoshi) meaning "fragrant, virtuous, beautiful" or 由 (yoshi) meaning "reason, case" combined with 恵 (e) meaning "favour, benefit". Other kanji combinations with the same reading can also form this name.

Yuka f Japanese
From Japanese 由 (yu) meaning "reason, cause" combined with 香 (ka) meaning "fragrance" or 佳 (ka) meaning "good, beautiful". It can also be formed from different kanji that have similar pronunciations.

Yuki f & m Japanese
From Japanese 幸 (yuki) meaning "happiness" or 雪 (yuki) meaning "snow". It can also come from 由 (yu) meaning "reason, cause" combined with 貴 (ki) meaning "valuable" or 紀 (ki) meaning "chronicle". Other kanji or kanji combinations are also possible.

Yukiko f Japanese
From Japanese 幸 (yuki) meaning "happiness" or 雪 (yuki) meaning "snow" combined with 子 (ko) meaning "child". Alternatively, it can come from 由 (yu) meaning "reason, cause" with 喜 (ki) meaning "joy" or 貴 (ki) meaning "valuable" combined with 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.

Yukio m Japanese
From Japanese 幸 (yuki) meaning "happiness" combined with 雄 (o) meaning "hero, manly" or 男 (o) meaning "male, man". Other kanji combinations can form this name as well.

Yume f Japanese
From Japanese 夢 (yume) meaning "dream, vision". It can also come from 裕 (yu) meaning "abundant, rich, plentiful" and 芽 (me) meaning "bud, sprout", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations.

Yumi f Japanese
From Japanese 弓 (yumi) meaning "archery bow". It can also come from 由 (yu) meaning "reason, cause", 友 (yu) meaning "friend" or a nanori reading of 弓 (yu) meaning "archery bow" combined with 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful". Other kanji or kanji combinations are also possible.

Yumiko f Japanese
From Japanese 弓 (yumi) meaning "archery bow" or 由 (yu) meaning "reason, cause" with 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" combined with 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.