Almudena f SpanishDerived from Arabic
المدينة (al-mudaynah) meaning
"the citadel". It was in a building by this name that a concealed statue of the Virgin
Mary was discovered during the Reconquista in Madrid. The Virgin of Almudena, that is Mary, is the patron saint of Madrid.
Ayan 1 m BengaliMeans
"road, path, solar path" in Bengali, from Sanskrit
अयन (ayana) meaning
"path" or
"precession".
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.
Briggs m English (Modern)From a surname that was derived from Middle English
brigge, Old English
brycg meaning
"bridge".
Brigham m English (Rare)From a surname that was originally derived from place names meaning
"bridge settlement" in Old English.
Burke m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from Old English
burg meaning
"fortress".
Burkhard m German, GermanicDerived from the Old German elements
burg "fortress" and
hart "hard, firm, brave, hardy", or perhaps from the Old English cognate
Burgheard. Saint Burkhard was an 8th-century Anglo-Saxon missionary to Germany (a companion of
Boniface) who became the first bishop of Würzburg.
Ceallach m Irish (Rare)From Old Irish
Cellach, of uncertain origin, traditionally said to mean
"bright-headed". Alternatively it could be derived from Old Irish
cellach "war, strife" or
cell "church". This name was borne by several early Irish kings and by a 12th-century saint, an archbishop of Armagh.
Cillian m IrishProbably from Old Irish
cell meaning
"church" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of a 7th-century Irish saint who evangelized in Franconia. He was martyred in Würzburg.
Clayton m EnglishFrom a surname that was originally derived from various English place names, all meaning
"clay settlement" in Old English.
Clifton m EnglishFrom a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning
"settlement by a cliff" in Old English.
Cyneburg f Anglo-SaxonMeans
"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.
Dallas m & f EnglishFrom a surname that could either be of Old English origin meaning
"valley house" or of Scottish Gaelic origin meaning
"meadow dwelling". A city in Texas bears this name, probably in honour of American Vice President George M. Dallas (1792-1864).
Dalton m EnglishFrom an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning
"valley town" in Old English. A notable bearer of the surname was John Dalton (1766-1844), the English chemist and physicist who theorized about the existence of atoms.
Dathan m BiblicalPossibly means
"fountain" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of one of the conspirators against
Moses.
Domagoj m CroatianDerived from the Slavic elements
domŭ "home" and
gojiti "grow, heal, foster, nurture". This name was borne by a 9th-century duke of Croatia.
Do-Yun m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
道 (do) meaning "path, road, way" and
允 (yun) meaning "allow, consent", as well as other hanja character combinations.
Durward m EnglishFrom an occupational surname meaning
"door guard" in Middle English.
Ea 1 m Semitic MythologyMeaning unknown, perhaps from Sumerian meaning
"house of water", or perhaps of Akkadian or Hurrian origin. This was the Akkadian, Assyrian, Hurrian and Babylonian name of the Sumerian water god
Enki.
Easton m English (Modern)From an English surname that was derived from place names meaning
"east town" in Old English.
Edelgard f GermanFrom an Old German name, which was derived from the elements
adal "noble" and
gart "enclosure, yard".
Egypt f & m English (Modern)From the name of the North African country, which derives from Greek
Αἴγυπτος (Aigyptos), itself probably from Egyptian
ḥwt-kꜣ-ptḥ meaning
"the house of the soul of Ptah", the name of the temple to the god
Ptah in Memphis.
Ermengard f GermanicDerived from the Old German elements
irmin meaning "whole, great" and
gart meaning "enclosure, yard". This name was borne by the wife of the Frankish king Louis the Pious (9th century). This was also the name of one of her granddaughters, an abbess of Frauenwörth who is regarded as a saint.
Eudocia f Ancient Greek (Latinized)Latinized form of the Greek name
Εὐδοκία (Eudokia), derived from the word
εὐδοκέω (eudokeo) meaning
"to be well pleased, to be satisfied", itself derived from
εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and
δοκέω (dokeo) meaning "to think, to imagine, to suppose". This name was common among Byzantine royalty. Saint Eudocia was the wife of the 5th-century emperor Theodosius II.
Eugene m EnglishEnglish form of
Eugenius, the Latin form of the Greek name
Εὐγένιος (Eugenios), which was derived from the Greek word
εὐγενής (eugenes) meaning
"well born". It is composed of the elements
εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and
γενής (genes) meaning "born". This was the name of several saints and four popes.
... [more] Eugraphios m Ancient GreekFrom Greek
εὐγραφής (eugraphes) meaning
"well-drawn" or
"well-written", itself from
εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and
γραφή (graphe) meaning "drawing, writing". Saint Eugraphios or Eugraphos was a 3rd or 4th-century martyr from Alexandria.
Eun-U m & f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
恩 (eun) meaning "kindness, mercy, charity" combined with
宇 (u) meaning "house, eaves, universe" or
祐 (u) meaning "divine intervention, protection". This name can be formed by other hanja character combinations as well.
Generosus m Late RomanDerived from Latin
generosus meaning
"well-born, noble, excellent", from
genus meaning "birth, origin". This name was borne by a few early saints, including a 4th-century martyr from Ortona dei Marsi in Italy.
Gerd 2 f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Norse MythologyFrom Old Norse
Gerðr, derived from
garðr meaning
"enclosure, yard". According to Norse myth, Gerd was a beautiful giantess (jǫtunn). After
Freyr fell in love with her, he had his servant Skírnir convince her to marry him.
Goemon m HistoryMeaning 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.
Gonzalo m SpanishFrom the medieval name
Gundisalvus, which was the Latin form of a Germanic (possibly Visigothic or Suebi) name composed of
gunda "war" and maybe
salba "salve, ointment",
salo "dark, dusky" or
sal "house, hall" (with the spelling perhaps influenced by Latin
salvus "safe"). Saint Gonzalo was an 11th-century bishop of Mondoñedo in Galicia, Spain.
Guanyu m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
冠 (guān) meaning "cap, crown, headgear" combined with
宇 (yǔ) meaning "house, eaves, universe". Other character combinations are possible.
Hagen m German, Germanic MythologyDerived from the Old German element
hag meaning
"enclosure" (Proto-Germanic *
hagô). In the medieval German saga the
Nibelungenlied he is the cunning half-brother of
Gunther. He killed the hero
Siegfried by luring him onto a hunting expedition and then stabbing him with a javelin in his one vulnerable spot.
Hall m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from Old English
heall "manor, hall", originally belonging to a person who lived or worked in a manor.
Hathor f Egyptian Mythology (Hellenized)Greek form of Egyptian
ḥwt-ḥrw (reconstructed as
Hut-Heru) meaning
"the house of Horus", derived from Egyptian
ḥwt "house" combined with the god
Horus. In Egyptian mythology she was the goddess of love, often depicted with the head of a cow.
Haywood m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"fenced wood" in Old English.
Hermagoras m Ancient GreekFrom the name of the messenger god
Hermes combined with Greek
ἀγορά (agora) meaning "assembly, marketplace". Saint Hermagoras (3rd century) was the first bishop of Aquileia in Italy.
Hermes m Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek, SpanishProbably from Greek
ἕρμα (herma) meaning
"cairn, pile of stones, boundary marker". Hermes was a Greek god associated with speed and good luck, who served as a messenger to
Zeus and the other gods. He was also the patron of travellers, writers, athletes, merchants, thieves and orators.
... [more] Hildegard f German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, GermanicDerived from the Old German elements
hilt "battle" and
gart "enclosure, yard". This was the name of the second wife of
Charlemagne (8th century). Also, Saint Hildegard was a 12th-century mystic from Bingen in Germany who was famous for her writings and poetry and also for her prophetic visions.
Hywel m WelshFrom 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.
Ingegerd f SwedishFrom the Old Norse name
Ingigerðr, which was derived from the name of the Germanic god
Ing combined with
garðr meaning "enclosure, yard".
Izumi f JapaneseFrom Japanese
泉 (izumi) meaning "fountain, spring". This name can also be constructed from other combinations of kanji.
Ji-U f & m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
芝 (ji) meaning "sesame" or
志 (ji) meaning "will, purpose, ambition" combined with
雨 (u) meaning "rain" or
宇 (u) meaning "house, eaves, universe". Other combinations of hanja characters can form this name as well.
Khayyam m ArabicMeans
"tent maker" in Arabic. This was the surname of the 12th-century Persian poet Umar Khayyam.
Kirby m & f EnglishFrom an English surname that was originally from a place name meaning
"church settlement" in Old Norse. This name briefly spiked in popularity for American girls in 1982 after the character Kirby Anders Colby was introduced to the soap opera
Dynasty.
Kirk m EnglishFrom an English and Scottish surname meaning
"church" from Old Norse
kirkja, ultimately from Greek
κυριακόν (kyriakon). A famous bearer was American actor Kirk Douglas (1916-2020), whose birth name was Issur Danielovitch.
Larisa f Russian, Ukrainian, Romanian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Slovene, Greek MythologyPossibly derived from the name of the ancient city of Larisa in Thessaly, which meant
"citadel". In Greek legends, the nymph Larisa was either a daughter or mother of Pelasgus, the ancestor of the mythical Pelasgians. This name was later borne by a 4th-century Greek martyr who is venerated as a saint in the Eastern Church. The name (of the city, nymph and saint) is commonly Latinized as
Larissa, with a double
s. As a Ukrainian name, it is more commonly transcribed
Larysa.
Luitgard f GermanFrom the Old German name
Leutgard, which was derived from the elements
liut "people" and
gart "enclosure, yard". It was borne by
Charlemagne's fifth and last wife. This was also the name of a 13th-century Flemish nun, the patron saint of easy deliveries.
Malger m GermanicDerived from the Old German elements
mahal meaning "meeting, assembly, court" and
ger meaning "spear".
Melle m DutchOriginally a short form of Germanic names beginning with the element
mahal meaning
"meeting, assembly, court" (Proto-Germanic *
maþlą).
Merritt m & f EnglishFrom an English surname, originally from a place name, which meant
"boundary gate" in Old English.
Methodius m Late Greek (Latinized)Latinized form of the Greek name
Μεθόδιος (Methodios), derived from Greek
μέθοδος (methodos) meaning
"pursuit" or
"method", ultimately from
μετά (meta) meaning "with" and
ὁδός (hodos) meaning "road, way, journey". Saint Methodius was a Greek missionary to the Slavs who developed the Cyrillic alphabet (with his brother Cyril) in order to translate the Bible into Slavic.
Milburn m EnglishFrom an English surname that was from a place name meaning
"mill stream" in Old English.
Mildburg f Anglo-SaxonDerived from the Old English elements
milde "gentle" and
burg "fortress". Saint Mildburg or Milburga, the sister of Saint
Mildred, was a daughter of a 7th-century Mercian king. She was supposedly in possession of magical powers.
Milford m EnglishFrom an English surname that was originally derived from various place names all meaning
"ford by a mill" in Old English.
Millard m EnglishFrom an occupational English surname meaning
"guardian of the mill" in Old English.
Miller m & f EnglishFrom an English occupational surname for a miller, derived from Middle English
mille "mill".
Milton m English, Spanish (Latin American)From an English surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"mill town" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was John Milton (1608-1674), the poet who wrote
Paradise Lost.
Myles 2 m Greek MythologyProbably from Greek
μύλη (myle) meaning
"mill". This was the name of a king of Laconia in Greek mythology.
Nephthys f Egyptian Mythology (Hellenized)Greek form of Egyptian
nbt-ḥwt (reconstructed as
Nebet-Hut) meaning
"lady of the house", derived from
nbt "lady" and
ḥwt "house". This was the name of an Egyptian goddess associated with the air, death and mourning. She was wife of the desert god
Seth.
Newton m EnglishFrom a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning
"new town" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was the English physicist Isaac Newton (1643-1727).
Norton m EnglishFrom a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning
"north town" in Old English.
Olve m NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Ǫlvir, possibly derived from
allr "all" or
alh "temple, shelter" combined with
vir "holy man" or "warrior".
Paisley f English (Modern)From a Scots surname, originally from the name of a town near Glasgow, maybe ultimately derived from Latin
basilica "church". This is also a word (derived from the name of that same town) for a type of pattern commonly found on fabrics.
Preston m EnglishFrom an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning
"priest town" (Old English
preost and
tun).
Pythagoras m Ancient GreekDerived from
Pythios, a name of
Apollo, combined with Greek
ἀγορά (agora) meaning "assembly, marketplace". This was the name of a 6th-century BC Greek philosopher and mathematician from Samos. He was the founder of a school of philosophy whose members believed that numbers described the universe.
Richardis f Germanic (Latinized)Germanic name, possibly a feminine form of
Ricohard, though it is likely the second element is
gart "enclosure" (being more common as a second element in feminine names). This was the name of the 9th-century wife of the Frankish emperor Charles the Fat. She is regarded as a saint.
Seong-Jin m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
成 (seong) meaning "completed, finished, succeeded" or
星 (seong) meaning "star, planet" combined with
鎭 (jin) meaning "town, marketplace" or
震 (jin) meaning "shake, tremor, excite". Other hanja character combinations are also possible.
Sujata f Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Odia, BuddhismMeans
"well-born", derived from the Sanskrit prefix
सु (su) meaning "good" and
जात (jata) meaning "born, grown". According to Buddhist lore this was the name of the woman who gave Siddhartha Gautama (the
Buddha) a bowl of pudding, ending his period of severe asceticism.
Sunita f Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi, NepaliMeans
"well conducted, wise", derived from the Sanskrit prefix
सु (su) meaning "good" combined with
नीत (nita) meaning "conducted, led". In Hindu legend this is the name of the daughter of King Anga of Bengal.
Sushila f & m Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi, NepaliMeans
"good-tempered, well-disposed", derived from the Sanskrit prefix
सु (su) meaning "good" combined with
शील (shila) meaning "conduct, disposition". This is a transcription of both the feminine form
सुशीला and the masculine form
सुशील. This name is borne by wives of the Hindu gods
Krishna and
Yama.
Sutton f & m English (Modern)From a surname, itself derived from the name of numerous English towns, of Old English origin meaning
"south town".
Tariq m Arabic, UrduMeans
"visitor, knocker at the door" in Arabic, from
طرق (taraqa) "to knock". This is the Arabic name of the morning star. Tariq ibn Ziyad was the Islamic general who conquered Spain for the Umayyad Caliphate in the 8th century.
Tenskwatawa m ShawneeMeans
"open door" in Shawnee. This name was borne by the Shawnee prophet Tenskwatawa (1775-1836). With his brother
Tecumseh he urged resistance against American expansion.
Togzhan f KazakhPossibly from Kazakh
тоқ (toq) meaning "full, well-fed, prosperous" and
жан (zhan) meaning "soul".
U-Jin m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
宇 (u) meaning "house, eaves, universe" or
佑 (u) meaning "help, protect, bless" combined with
眞 (jin) meaning "real, genuine" or
鎭 (jin) meaning "town, market place". Other combinations of hanja characters can form this name as well.
Vegard m NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Végarðr, derived from the elements
vé "holy" and
garðr "enclosure, yard".
Vinal m English (Rare)From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"vine hall" in Middle English.
Walburga f GermanMeans
"power of the fortress" from Old German
walt meaning "power, authority" and
burg meaning "fortress" (or perhaps from Old English cognates, though as an Old English name it is unattested). This was the name of an 8th-century Anglo-Saxon saint who did missionary work in Germany.
Walton m EnglishFrom a surname that was originally taken from various Old English place names meaning
"stream town",
"wood town", or
"wall town".
Warren m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived either from Norman French
warrene meaning
"animal enclosure", or else from the town of La Varenne in Normandy. This name was borne by the American president Warren G. Harding (1865-1923).
Wells m EnglishFrom an English surname that originally denoted a person who lived near a well or spring, from Middle English
wille.
Wihtburg f Anglo-SaxonDerived from the Old English elements
wiht "creature, being" and
burg "fortress". This was the name of an 8th-century saint, said to be the youngest daughter of King Anna of East Anglia.
Winton m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"enclosure belonging to Wine" in Old English.
Woodrow m EnglishFrom an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning
"row of houses by a wood" in Old English. It was borne by the American president Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924), who was given his mother's maiden name as his middle name (his first name was Thomas). During his candidacy and presidency (1912-1921) the name became popular, reaching the 44th rank in 1913, though it quickly declined after that.
Xavier m English, French, Portuguese, Catalan, SpanishDerived from the Basque place name
Etxeberria meaning
"the new house". This was the surname of the Jesuit priest Saint Francis Xavier (1506-1552) who was born in a village by this name. He was a missionary to India, Japan, China, and other areas in East Asia, and he is the patron saint of the Orient and missionaries. His surname has since been adopted as a given name in his honour, chiefly among Catholics.
Xue f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
雪 (xuě) meaning "snow" or
学 (xué) meaning "study, learning, school", besides other characters pronounced similarly.
Yu f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
玉 (yù) meaning "jade, precious stone, gem",
愉 (yú) meaning "pleasant, delightful" or
雨 (yǔ) meaning "rain". Other characters can form this name as well.
Zebulun m BiblicalFrom Hebrew
זְבוּל (zevul) meaning
"exalted house". In the Old Testament Zebulun is the tenth son of
Jacob (his sixth son by
Leah) and the ancestor of one of the twelve tribes of Israel.
Genesis 30:20 connects the name to the related verb
זָבַל (zaval), translated as "exalt, honour" or "dwell with" in different versions of the Bible, when Leah says
my husband will exalt/dwell with me.