Browse Names - Behind the Name

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Adannaya f Igbo
Means "eldest daughter of her father" in Igbo.

Alinafe f & m Chewa
Means "he or she is with us" in Chewa.

Angrboða f Norse Mythology
Means "she who brings grief" in Old Norse, derived from angr "grief" and boða "to forebode, to proclaim". According to Norse mythology Angrboða was a giantess (jǫtunn) and the mother of three of Loki's children: Fenrir, Jörmungandr and Hel.

Ankhesenamun f Ancient Egyptian
From Egyptian ꜥnḫ-s-n-jmn meaning "her life is of Amon", derived from ꜥnḫ "life" combined with the name of the god Amon. This was the name of a 14th-century BC queen of Egypt, the wife of Tutankhamun.

Asherah f Semitic Mythology
Perhaps derived from Semitic roots meaning "she who walks in the sea". This was the name of a Semitic mother goddess. She was worshipped by the Israelites before the advent of monotheism.

Calypso f Greek Mythology (Latinized)
From Greek Καλυψώ (Kalypso), which probably meant "she that conceals", derived from καλύπτω (kalypto) meaning "to cover, to conceal". In Greek myth this was the name of the nymph who fell in love with Odysseus after he was shipwrecked on her island of Ogygia. When he refused to stay with her she detained him for seven years until Zeus ordered her to release him.

Enyinnaya m Igbo
Means "his father's friend" in Igbo.

Hephzibah f Biblical
Means "my delight is in her" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament she is the wife of King Hezekiah of Judah and the mother of Manasseh.

Hetepheres f Ancient Egyptian
From Egyptian ḥtp-ḥrs meaning "satisfied is her face", from ḥtp "peace, satisfaction" and ḥr "face". This was the name of queens consort and princesses from the Egyptian 4th dynasty (26th century BC).

Iqbi-Damiq f Semitic Mythology
Means "she said: it is good", derived from Akkadian qabû "to say" and damqu "good, fine". This was the name of a goddess worshipped in Kish and Ashur.

Kaniehtiio f Mohawk
Means "she is good snow" in Mohawk, from ka- "she", óniehte "snow" and the suffix -iio "good".

Kawisenhawe f Mohawk
Means "she holds the ice" in Mohawk, from ka- "she", ówise "ice" and -hawe "hold, have".

Lihi f Hebrew
Means "she is mine" in Hebrew.

Meresankh f Ancient Egyptian
From Egyptian mrs-ꜥnḫ meaning "she loves life". This name was borne by several Egyptian royals during the 4th-dynasty period.

Meritites f Ancient Egyptian
From Egyptian mryt-jts meaning "loved by her father". This name was borne by several Egyptian royals, including a wife and a daughter of the pharaoh Khufu.

Mumbi f Kikuyu
Means "she who shapes" in Kikuyu. In Kikuyu mythology Mumbi was the wife of Gikuyu and the mother of his nine daughters.

Nobuyuki m Japanese
From Japanese 信 (nobu) meaning "trust" or 伸 (nobu) meaning "extend, stretch, open" combined with 行 (yuki) meaning "row, line" or 幸 (yuki) meaning "happiness". Other kanji combinations are possible as well.

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.

Serket f Egyptian Mythology
From Egyptian srqt, possibly meaning "she who lets throats breathe", from srq meaning "to open the windpipe, to breathe" and a feminine t suffix. In Egyptian mythology she was the goddess of scorpions as well as the healing of poisonous stings and bites. Eventually she came to be identified with Isis, becoming an aspect of her over time.

Tashina f Sioux (Anglicized)
From Lakota Tȟašína meaning "her blanket", derived from šiná "blanket, shawl". This is the first part of the name of historic figures such as Tȟašína Lúta, called Red Blanket, or Tȟašína Máni, called Moving Robe Woman.

Tekakwitha f Mohawk
Means "she who bumps into things" or "she who puts things in place" in Mohawk. Tekakwitha, also named Kateri, was a 17th-century Mohawk woman who has become the first Native American Catholic saint.

Unathi m & f Xhosa
Means "he or she is with us" in Xhosa, from the prefix u- meaning "he, she" and nathi meaning "with us".

Ylva f Swedish, Norwegian
Means "she-wolf", a derivative of Old Norse úlfr "wolf".

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