Aya 3 f Semitic MythologyMeans
"dawn" in Akkadian. In Akkadian mythology this was the name of the goddess of the dawn, associated with sexual appeal and beauty. She was the consort of the sun god
Shamash. The Babylonians sometimes called her
kallatum meaning "the bride".
Ayah f ArabicMeans
"sign, evidence" or
"verse" in Arabic, as in one of the passages that make up the Quran.
Ayaka f JapaneseFrom Japanese
彩 (aya) meaning "colour" combined with
花 (ka) or
華 (ka) both meaning "flower". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Ayako f JapaneseFrom Japanese
彩 (aya) meaning "colour",
綾 (aya) meaning "design" or
絢 (aya) meaning "brilliant fabric design, kimono design" combined with
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other combinations of kanji characters are also possible.
Ayame f JapaneseFrom Japanese
菖蒲 (ayame) meaning "iris (flower)". Other kanji or combinations of kanji can also form this name.
Ayan 2 f & m Azerbaijani, KazakhMeans
"clear, obvious, revelation" in Kazakh and Azerbaijani, from Arabic
عيان ('iyan) meaning "witnessing, seeing, clear", a derivative of
عاين ('ayana) meaning "to see". It is feminine in Azerbaijan and masculine in Kazakhstan.
Ayane f JapaneseFrom Japanese
彩 (aya) meaning "colour",
綾 (aya) meaning "design" or
絢 (aya) meaning "brilliant fabric design, kimono design" combined with
音 (ne) meaning "sound". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Ayano f JapaneseFrom Japanese
彩 (aya) meaning "colour" or
綾 (aya) meaning "design" combined with
乃 (no), a possessive particle. Other combinations of kanji characters can also form this name.
Ayaru f KazakhMeans
"beautiful moon", derived from Kazakh
ай (ay) meaning "moon" and
ару (aru) meaning "beauty".
Ayaulym f KazakhMeans
"my beloved, my dear" in Kazakh, derived from
аяулы (ayauly) meaning "beloved, dear" and the possessive suffix
ым (ym).
Ayda f Arabic, Persian, TurkishMeans
"returning, visitor" in Arabic. In Turkey this is also associated with
ay meaning "moon".
Ayelen f MapucheFrom Mapuche
ayelen "laughing",
ayliñ "clear" or
aylen "ember".
Ayelet f HebrewMeans
"doe, female deer, gazelle". It is taken from the Hebrew phrase
אַיֶלֶת הַשַׁחַר ('ayelet hashachar), literally "gazelle of dawn", which is a name of the morning star.
Aygül f Turkish, Uyghur, AzerbaijaniDerived from the Turkic element
ay meaning "moon" combined with Persian
گل (gol) meaning "flower, rose". In some languages this is also a name for a variety of flowering plant that grows in central Asia (species Fritillaria eduardii).
Ayhan m & f TurkishDerived from Turkish
ay meaning "moon" and
han meaning "khan, ruler, leader".
Ayla 3 f Literature, English (Modern)Created for the novel
Clan of the Cave Bear (1980) by author Jean M. Auel. In the novel Ayla is an orphaned Cro-Magnon girl adopted by Neanderthals.
Ayla is the Neanderthal pronunciation of her real name, which is not given.
... [more] Ayn f Various (Rare)This name was assumed by Ayn Rand (1905-1982), originally named Alice Rosenbaum, a Russian-American writer and philosopher. She apparently based it on a Finnish name she had heard, but never seen written.
Aýna f TurkmenMeans
"mirror" in Turkmen, ultimately from Persian
آینه (ayneh).
Aýnabat f TurkmenDerived from Turkmen
aý "moon" and
nabat, a type of crystallized sugar candy.
Ayo f & m YorubaFrom Yoruba
ayọ̀ meaning
"joy", or a short form of other names containing this element.
Aysel f Turkish, AzerbaijaniMeans
"moon flood" in Turkish and Azerbaijani, derived from
ay "moon" and
sel "flood, stream" (of Arabic origin).
Aysima f TurkishDerived from Turkish
ay meaning "moon" and
sima meaning "face" (of Persian origin).
Aysun f TurkishFrom Turkish
ay meaning "moon" combined with an uncertain element.
Aytaç m & f TurkishDerived from Turkish
ay meaning "moon" and
taç meaning "crown" (of Persian origin).
Ayten f TurkishDerived from Turkish
ay meaning "moon" and
ten meaning "skin" (of Persian origin).
Ayumi f JapaneseFrom 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.
Ayym f KazakhMeans
"my moon" in Kazakh, derived from
ай (ay) meaning "moon" and the possessive suffix
ым (ym).
Azahar f Spanish (Rare)Means
"orange blossom" in Spanish, ultimately from Arabic
زهرة (zahrah) meaning "flower". It is taken from the title of the Virgin
Mary,
Nuestra Señora del Azahar, meaning "Our Lady of the Orange Blossom", because of the citrus trees that surround a church devoted to her near Murcia.
Azahara f SpanishVariant of
Azahar. It can also be given in reference to the ruined Moorish city of Medina Azahara in Córdoba, which derives from the related Arabic root
زهر (zahara) meaning "to shine".
Azalea f English (Modern)From the name of the flower (shrubs of the genus Rhododendron), ultimately derived from Greek
ἀζαλέος (azaleos) meaning "dry".
Azélie f French (Rare)Perhaps a form of
Azalaïs. It was borne by Saint Marie-Azélie Guérin (1831-1877), also called Zélie, the mother of Thérèse of Lisieux.
Azubah f BiblicalMeans
"forsaken" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of
Caleb's wife.
Azure f & m English (Rare)From the English word that means "sky blue". It is ultimately (via Old French, Latin and Arabic) from Persian
لاجورد (lajvard) meaning "azure, lapis lazuli".
Baako m & f AkanMeans
"first born child" in Akan.
Babe m & f EnglishFrom a nickname meaning
"baby", also a slang term meaning
"attractive person". As a feminine name, in some cases it is a diminutive of
Barbara.
Bahargül f TurkmenDerived from Turkmen
bahar meaning "spring" and
gül meaning "flower, rose" (both roots ultimately of Persian origin).
Bai m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
白 (bái) meaning "white, pure",
百 (bǎi) meaning "one hundred, many" or
柏 (bǎi) meaning "cypress tree, cedar" (which is usually only masculine). Other Chinese characters can form this name as well. This name was borne in the 8th century by the Tang dynasty poet Li Bai, whose given was
白.
Baia f GeorgianFrom the Georgian name for the buttercup flower (or any flowering plant from the genus Ranunculus).
Bailey m & f EnglishFrom an English surname derived from Middle English
baili meaning
"bailiff", originally denoting one who was a bailiff.
... [more] Bakarne f BasqueFrom Basque
bakar meaning
"alone". It was proposed by Sabino Arana in 1910 as an equivalent of the Spanish name
Soledad.
Baktygul f KyrgyzDerived from Persian
بخت (bakht) meaning "fortune, happiness" and
گل (gol) meaning "flower, rose".
Bala 1 m & f Hinduism, TamilMeans
"young" in Sanskrit. This is a transcription of both the masculine form
बाल and the feminine form
बाला (a minor Hindu goddess).
Balthild f GermanicDerived from the Old German elements
bald "bold, brave" and
hilt "battle". This was the name of a 7th-century saint, the wife of the Frankish king Clovis II. She was apparently an Anglo-Saxon, her original name being the Old English cognate
Bealdhild. She is also called
Bathilde.
Bambi f EnglishDerived from Italian
bambina meaning
"young girl". The American novelist Marjorie Benton Cooke used it in her novel
Bambi (1914). This was also the name of a male deer in a cartoon by Walt Disney, which was based on a 1923 novel by Swiss author Felix Salten.
Bao f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
宝 (bǎo) meaning "treasure, jewel, precious, rare",
褒 (bāo) meaning "praise, honour" or
苞 (bāo) meaning "bud" (which is usually only feminine). Other Chinese characters are possible as well.
Baran f & m Persian, Turkish, KurdishMeans
"rain" in Persian. It is typically feminine in Persian and masculine in Turkish and Kurdish.
Barbe f FrenchFrench form of
Barbara. In modern times it is usually only used in reference to the saint, while
Barbara is more common as a given name.
Barbie f EnglishDiminutive of
Barbara. This is the name of a doll produced by the Mattel toy company since 1959. It was named after the original designer's daughter.
Başak f TurkishMeans
"ear of wheat" in Turkish. This is also the Turkish name for the constellation Virgo.
Bastet f Egyptian MythologyFrom Egyptian
bꜣstt, which was possibly derived from
bꜣs meaning
"ointment jar" and a feminine
t suffix. In Egyptian mythology Bastet was a goddess of cats, fertility and the sun who was considered a protector of Lower Egypt. In early times she was typically depicted with the head of a lioness. By the New Kingdom period she was more associated with domestic cats, while the similar cat goddess
Sekhmet took on the fierce lioness aspect.
Bathilde f French (Rare)Derived from the Old German elements
batu and
hilt, which both mean
"battle". This is another name used to refer to Saint
Balthild. It is also borne by a character in Adolphe Adam's ballet
Giselle (1841).
Bathsheba f BiblicalMeans
"daughter of the oath" in Hebrew. According to the Old Testament, this was the name of a woman married to
Uriah the Hittite. She became pregnant by King
David, so he arranged to have her husband killed in battle and then married her. She was the mother of
Solomon.
Batul f ArabicMeans
"virgin" in Arabic. This is an Arabic epithet of the Virgin
Mary.
Bau f Sumerian MythologyMeaning unknown. This was the name of a Sumerian mother goddess, also associated with healing and midwifery.
Baylor m & f English (Modern)From a surname, possibly an Americanized form of the German surname
Beiler, derived from Middle High German
beile meaning
"measuring stick".
Beatrix f German, Hungarian, Dutch, English, Late RomanProbably from
Viatrix, a feminine form of the Late Latin name
Viator meaning
"voyager, traveller". It was a common name amongst early Christians, and the spelling was altered by association with Latin
beatus "blessed, happy". Viatrix or Beatrix was a 4th-century saint who was strangled to death during the persecutions of Diocletian.
... [more] Bébinn f Old Irish, Irish MythologyMeans
"white woman", from Old Irish
bé "woman" and
finn "white, blessed". This name was borne by several characters in Irish mythology, including the mother of the hero Fráech.
Beck m & f English (Rare)From a surname of English, German or Scandinavian origins, all derived from related words meaning
"stream". As a feminine name, in some cases it is a short form of
Rebecca. A noted bearer is the American rock musician Beck Hansen (1970-), born Bek David Campbell, who goes by the stage name Beck.
Begoña f Spanish, BasqueFrom a title of the Virgin
Mary,
Nuestra Señora de Begoña, meaning "Our Lady of Begoña", the patron saint of Biscay, Spain. Begoña is a district and basilica in the city of Bilbao.
Begüm f TurkishFrom a royal title, a feminine form of the Turkic
beg meaning "chieftain" (modern Turkish
bey).
Behnaz f PersianFrom Persian
به (beh) meaning "good, excellent" and
ناز (naz) meaning "delight, comfort".
Behnoosh f PersianFrom Persian
به (beh) meaning "good, excellent" and
نوش (nush) meaning "ambrosia, nectar".
Běla f CzechDerived from the Old Slavic word *
bělŭ meaning
"white".
Belén f SpanishSpanish form of
Bethlehem, the name of the town in Judah where King
David and
Jesus were born. The town's name is from Hebrew
בֵּית־לֶחֶם (Beit-lechem) meaning "house of bread".
Bella f EnglishShort form of
Isabella and other names ending in
bella. It is also associated with the Italian word
bella meaning
"beautiful". It was used by the American author Stephenie Meyer for the main character in her popular
Twilight series of novels, first released 2005, later adapted into a series of movies beginning 2008.
Belladonna f VariousFrom Italian
bella "beautiful, fair" and
donna "lady". This is the name of a toxic plant, also called deadly nightshade (species Atropa belladonna).
Bellatrix f AstronomyMeans
"female warrior" in Latin. This is the name of the star that marks the left shoulder of the constellation Orion.
Belle f EnglishShort form of
Isabella or names ending in
belle. It is also associated with the French word
belle meaning "beautiful". A famous bearer was Belle Starr (1848-1889), an outlaw of the American west, whose real given name was Maybelle.
Bellona f Roman MythologyDerived from Latin
bellare meaning
"to fight". This was the name of the Roman goddess of war, a companion of
Mars.
Belphoebe f LiteratureCombination of Old French
bele "beautiful" and the name
Phoebe. This name was first used by Edmund Spenser in his poem
The Faerie Queene (1590).
Berenice f English, Italian, Ancient Greek (Latinized)Latinized form of
Βερενίκη (Berenike), the Macedonian form of the Greek name
Φερενίκη (Pherenike), which meant
"bringing victory" from
φέρω (phero) meaning "to bring" and
νίκη (nike) meaning "victory". This name was common among the Ptolemy ruling family of Egypt, a dynasty that was originally from Macedon. It occurs briefly in Acts in the New Testament (in most English bibles it is spelled
Bernice) belonging to a sister of King Herod Agrippa II. As an English name,
Berenice came into use after the Protestant Reformation.
Berlin f & m VariousFrom the name of the city in Germany, which is of uncertain meaning.
Berthild f GermanicDerived from the Old German elements
beraht "bright" and
hilt "battle". This was the name of a 7th-century saint, an abbess of Chelles in France.
Bethel f EnglishFrom an Old Testament place name meaning
"house of God" in Hebrew. This was a town north of Jerusalem, where
Jacob saw his vision of the stairway. It is occasionally used as a given name.
Beylke f Yiddish (Rare)Diminutive of
Beyle. This is the name of a daughter of Tevye in late 19th-century Yiddish stories by Sholem Aleichem, on which the musical
Fiddler on the Roof was based.
Beyoncé f African American (Modern)Popularized by the American singer Beyoncé Knowles (1981-) whose given name came from her mother's maiden name (which was originally
Beyincé, of Louisiana Creole origin). This name appeared on the United States top 1000 list in 2001, around the time her group Destiny's Child was at the height of their popularity.
Bhumi f HinduismMeans
"earth, soil" in Sanskrit. This is the name of a Hindu earth goddess. She is the wife of Varaha, an avatar of Vishnu.