Browse Names - Behind the Name

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Almog m & f Hebrew
Means "coral" in Hebrew.

Bradán m Medieval Irish
Means "salmon" in Irish. It could also be formed from Irish brad "thief" and a diminutive suffix.

Coral f English, Spanish
From the English and Spanish word coral for the underwater skeletal deposits that can form reefs. It is ultimately derived (via Old French and Latin) from Greek κοράλλιον (korallion).

Coralie f French
Either a French form of Koralia, or a derivative of Latin corallium "coral" (see Coral).

Coraline f Literature, French
Created by the French composer Adolphe Adam for one of the main characters in his opera Le Toréador (1849). He probably based it on the name Coralie. It was also used by the author Neil Gaiman for the young heroine in his novel Coraline (2002). Gaiman has stated that in this case the name began as a typo of Caroline.

Fishel m Yiddish
Means "little fish" in Yiddish, a diminutive of פֿיש (fish) meaning "fish".

Fisher m English
From an English surname meaning "fisherman".

Fishke m Yiddish (Rare)
Variant of Fishel.

Foka m Russian (Rare)
Russian form of Phocas.

Godzilla m Popular Culture
From Japanese ゴジラ (Gojira), a blend of ゴリラ (gorira) meaning "gorilla" and 鯨 (kujira) meaning "whale". This is the name of a massive reptilian monster from a series of Japanese movies, starting 1954.

Gojira m Popular Culture
Japanese form of Godzilla.

Iemanjá f Afro-American Mythology
Portuguese form of Yemọja, used in Brazil by adherents of Candomblé. She is identified with Our Lady of Immaculate Conception as well as other aspects of the Virgin Mary.

Iqaluk m & f Inuit
Means "fish" in Inuktitut.

Janaína f Afro-American Mythology, Portuguese (Brazilian)
Variant of Iemanjá.

Kip m English
From a nickname, probably from the English word kipper meaning "male salmon".

Koralia f Greek, Late Greek
Derived from Ancient Greek κοράλλιον (korallion) meaning "coral" (in Modern Greek κοράλλι). This was the name of an obscure 4th-century saint and martyr from Thrace.

Koraljka f Croatian
From Croatian koralj meaning "coral", ultimately from Latin corallium.

Koralo m Esperanto
Means "coral" in Esperanto, ultimately from Latin corallium.

Kōsuke m Japanese
From Japanese 康 (kō) meaning "peace", 孝 (kō) meaning "filial piety, obedience" or 浩 (kō) meaning "prosperous" combined with 介 (suke) meaning "help, assist". This name can also be formed from other combinations of kanji characters.

Kosuke m Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 康介 or 孝介 or 浩介 or 公介 (see Kōsuke).

Kousuke m Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 康介 or 孝介 or 浩介 or 公介 (see Kōsuke).

Marijani m Swahili
Means "coral" in Swahili, originally a borrowing from Arabic.

Meena f Hindi, Marathi, Tamil
Alternate transcription of Hindi/Marathi मीना or Tamil மீனா (see Mina 2).

Mercan f Turkish
Means "coral" in Turkish, of Arabic origin.

Merjen f Turkmen
Turkmen form of Mercan.

Mina 2 f Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi, Tamil
Means "fish" in Sanskrit. This is the name of the daughter of the Hindu goddess Ushas as well as the daughter of the god Kubera.

Minakshi f Hinduism, Hindi
From Sanskrit मीन (mina) meaning "fish" and अक्षि (akshi) meaning "eye". This is another name of the Hindu goddess Parvati.

Minali f Hindi
Means "fish catcher" in Sanskrit.

Minik m & f Greenlandic
Means "seal oil" in Greenlandic. A notable bearer was the Inughuit boy Minik (1890-1918), who was among a group brought by the explorer Robert Peary from Greenland to New York in 1897.

Narmer m Ancient Egyptian
From Egyptian nꜥr-mr meaning "fierce catfish", derived from nꜥr "catfish" and mr "fierce, painful". Narmer was an Egyptian ruler who is considered the first pharaoh, uniting Upper and Lower Egypt around the 31st century BC. He is probably the same person as Menes, with Narmer being his Horus name.

Phocas m Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Latinized form of the Greek name Φωκᾶς (Phokas), which meant "seal (animal)" from Greek φώκη (phoke). This was the name of an early saint and martyr from Asia Minor. Sentenced to death for being a Christian, he is said to have given his killers lodging and then dug his own grave before he was executed.

Phokas m Ancient Greek
Greek form of Phocas.

Qillaq m Greenlandic
Means "seal hide" in Greenlandic.

Rónán m Irish, Old Irish
Means "little seal", derived from Old Irish rón "seal" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of several early Irish saints, including a pilgrim to Brittany who founded the hermitage at Locronan in the 6th century.

Ronan m Breton, Irish, French, English (Modern)
Breton and Anglicized form of Rónán.

Ronin m English (Modern)
Variant of Ronan, also coinciding with the Japanese term 浪人 (ronin) meaning "masterless samurai".

Ryōsuke m Japanese
From Japanese 亮 (ryō) meaning "clear" combined with 介 (suke) meaning "help, assist". Other combinations of kanji having the same reading can also form this name.

Ryousuke m Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 亮介 or 亮輔 or 涼介 or 良介 (see Ryōsuke).

Ryūnosuke m Japanese
From Japanese 竜 or 龍 (ryū) meaning "dragon" or 隆 (ryū) meaning "noble, prosperous" combined with 之 (no), a possessive marker, and 介 (suke) meaning "help, assist". Other kanji combinations are also possible.

Ryuunosuke m Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 竜之介 or 龍之介 or 隆之介 (see Ryūnosuke).

Sango f Popular Culture
Means "coral" in Japanese. This name is used in the Japanese comic book and television show InuYasha.

Shinsuke m Japanese
From Japanese 伸 (shin) meaning "extend, stretch, open" or 真 (shin) meaning "real, genuine" combined with 介 (suke) meaning "help, assist". This name can also be formed from other combinations of kanji characters.

Trafford m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "fish-trap ford" in Old English.

Trai m Vietnamese
Means "oyster" in Vietnamese.

Yemanjá f Afro-American Mythology
Variant of Iemanjá.

Yemayá f Afro-American Mythology
Spanish form of Yemọja, used in various Afro-American syncretic religions in the Caribbean and South America. In Cuba she is identified with Our Lady of Regla, an aspect of the Virgin Mary.

Yemọja f Yoruba Mythology
Means "mother of fish" in Yoruba, derived from iye "mother", ọmọ "child" and ẹja "fish". In traditional Yoruba religion she is the goddess of the Ogun River, pregnancy and motherhood.

Yōsuke m Japanese
From Japanese 陽 (yō) meaning "light, sun, male" or 洋 (yō) meaning "ocean" combined with 介 (suke) meaning "help, assist". This name can also be formed from other combinations of kanji characters.

Yosuke m Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 陽介 or 洋介 or 洋右 (see Yōsuke).

Yousuke m Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 陽介 or 洋介 or 洋右 (see Yōsuke).

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