Browse Names - Behind the Name

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Berach m Old Irish
Derived from Old Irish berach meaning "sharp, pointed". This was the name of a 6th-century Irish saint.

Carme 2 f Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Greek Κάρμη (Karme), which was derived from κείρω (keiro) meaning "to shear". This was the name of a Cretan goddess of the harvest.

Cearbhall m Irish
From Old Irish Cerball, probably from cerb meaning "pointed, sharp, cutting". This was the name of a few medieval Irish kings.

Cenric m Anglo-Saxon
Derived from Old English cene "bold" and ric "ruler, king".

Cronus m Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of the Greek Κρόνος (Kronos), possibly derived from the Indo-European root *(s)ker- meaning "to cut". Cronus was the Titan who fathered the Greek gods. As his wife Rhea gave birth to the gods, Cronus swallowed them fearing the prophecy that he would be overthrown by one of his children. However Rhea hid Zeus, her last child, who eventually forced his father to disgorge his siblings. Cronus and the rest of the Titans were then defeated by the gods and exiled.

Ji-Min f & m Korean
From Sino-Korean 志 (ji) meaning "will, purpose, ambition" or 智 (ji) meaning "wisdom, intellect" combined with 旼 (min) meaning "gentle, affable", 敏 (min) meaning "quick, clever, sharp" or 珉 (min) meaning "jade, stone resembling jade". Other hanja character combinations are possible.

Kenelm m English (Rare)
From the Old English name Cenhelm, which was composed of the elements cene "bold, keen" and helm "helmet". Saint Kenelm was a 9th-century martyr from Mercia, where he was a member of the royal family. The name was occasionally used during the Middle Ages, but has since become rare.

Mergen m Turkmen
Means "sharp-eyed" in Turkmen.

Min 1 m & f Chinese, Korean
From 敏 (mǐn) meaning "quick, clever, sharp", 民 (mín) meaning "people, citizens", or other Chinese/Sino-Korean characters that are pronounced similarly.

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.

Min-Jun m & f Korean
From Sino-Korean 敏 (min) meaning "quick, clever, sharp" or 旼 (min) meaning "gentle, affable" combined with 俊 (jun) meaning "talented, handsome". Other hanja combinations are possible.

Min-Seo f Korean
From Sino-Korean 民 (min) meaning "people, citizens" or 敏 (min) meaning "quick, clever, sharp" combined with 徐 (seo) meaning "slowly, calmly, composed, dignified" or 序 (seo) meaning "series, sequence". This name can also be formed from other character combinations.

Montague m English (Rare)
From an aristocratic English surname meaning "sharp mountain", from Old French mont agu. In Shakespeare's tragedy Romeo and Juliet (1596) this is the surname of Romeo and his family.

Nobutoshi m Japanese
From Japanese 信 (nobu) meaning "trust" and 敏 (toshi) meaning "quick, clever, sharp". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.

Seong-Min m & f Korean
From Sino-Korean 成 (seong) meaning "completed, finished, succeeded" or 性 (seong) meaning "nature, character, sex" combined with 敏 (min) meaning "quick, clever, sharp" or 旻 (min) meaning "quick, clever, sharp". Many other hanja character combinations are possible.

Sherman m English
From an English surname meaning "shear man", originally denoting a person who cut cloth. Famous bearers of the surname include American politician Roger Sherman (1721-1793) and American Civil War general William Tecumseh Sherman (1820-1891).

Toshiko f Japanese
From Japanese 敏 (toshi) meaning "quick, clever, sharp" and 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji characters can also form this name.

Toshirō m Japanese
From Japanese 俊 (toshi) meaning "talented, handsome" or 敏 (toshi) meaning "quick, clever, sharp" combined with 郎 (rō) meaning "son". This name can also be formed from other combinations of kanji characters.

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