Browse Names - Behind the Name

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Aki 2 f Japanese
From Japanese 晶 (aki) meaning "clear, crystal", 明 (aki) meaning "bright, light, clear" or 秋 (aki) meaning "autumn". It can also come from 亜 (a) meaning "second, Asia" combined with 希 (ki) meaning "hope". Other kanji or combinations of kanji can form this name too.

Ayah f Arabic
Means "sign, evidence" or "verse" in Arabic, as in one of the passages that make up the Quran.

Booker m English
From an English occupational surname meaning "maker of books". A famous bearer was Booker T. Washington (1856-1915), an African-American leader.

Bragi m Norse Mythology, Icelandic
Derived from Old Norse bragr meaning "first, foremost" or "poetry". In Norse mythology Bragi is the god of poetry and the husband of Iðunn.

Casilda f Spanish
Meaning uncertain. This is the name of the 11th-century patron saint of Toledo, Spain. It might have an Arabic origin (Saint Casilda was a Moorish princess), perhaps from قصيدة (qasidah) meaning "poem". Alternatively it could be derived from a Visigothic name in which the second element is hilds meaning "battle".

Enitan m & f Yoruba
Means "person with a story, storied person" in Yoruba.

Fumi f Japanese
From Japanese 文 (fumi) meaning "writing", 史 (fumi) meaning "history", or other kanji or combinations of kanji that are read the same way. It is often written in hiragana or katakana.

Fumie f Japanese
From Japanese 文 (fumi) meaning "writing" or 史 (fumi) meaning "history" combined with 江 (e) meaning "bay, inlet", 恵 (e) meaning "favour, benefit" or 絵 (e) meaning "picture, painting". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.

Fumihito m Japanese
From Japanese 文 (fumi) meaning "writing" and 仁 (hito) meaning "compassionate". A notable bearer is the Japanese crown prince Fumihito (1965-), the younger brother of Emperor Naruhito. This name can also be formed from other combinations of kanji.

Fumiko f Japanese
From Japanese 文 (fumi) meaning "writing" and 子 (ko) meaning "child", as well as other combinations of kanji that are pronounced the same way.

Fumio m Japanese
From Japanese 文 (fumi) meaning "writing" combined with 雄 (o) meaning "hero, manly" or 夫 (o) meaning "husband, man". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.

Herod m Biblical
From the Greek name Ἡρῴδης (Herodes), which probably means "song of the hero" from ἥρως (heros) meaning "hero, warrior" combined with ᾠδή (ode) meaning "song, ode". This was the name of several rulers of Judea during the period when it was part of the Roman Empire. This includes two who appear in the New Testament: Herod the Great, the king who ordered the slaughter of the children, and his son Herod Antipas, who had John the Baptist beheaded.

Hesiod m Ancient Greek (Anglicized)
From the Greek name Ἡσίοδος (Hesiodos), which probably meant "to throw song" from ἵημι (hiemi) meaning "to throw, to speak" and ᾠδή (ode) meaning "song, ode". This was the name of an 8th-century BC Greek poet.

Hitomi f Japanese
From Japanese 瞳 (hitomi) meaning "pupil of the eye". It can also come from 史 (hito) meaning "history" and 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful", as well as other kanji combinations. This name is often written with the hiragana writing system.

Kavita f Hindi, Marathi
Means "poem" in Sanskrit.

Kavitha f Telugu, Tamil, Kannada
South Indian form of Kavita.

Luule f Estonian
Means "poetry" in Estonian.

Masashi m Japanese
From Japanese 政 (masa) meaning "government" or 雅 (masa) meaning "elegant, graceful" combined with 志 (shi) meaning "will, purpose". Many other kanji combinations can form this name as well.

Miki f Japanese
From Japanese 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" and 紀 (ki) meaning "chronicle". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Noriko f Japanese
From Japanese 典 (nori) meaning "rule, ceremony" or 紀 (nori) meaning "chronicle" combined with 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Otis m English
From an English surname that was derived from the medieval given name Ode, a cognate of Otto. In America it has been used in honour of the revolutionary James Otis (1725-1783).

Richa f Hindi, Marathi, Malayalam, Bengali
Means "praise, verse, sacred text" in Sanskrit.

Saki f Japanese
From Japanese 咲 (sa) meaning "blossom" and 希 (ki) meaning "hope", besides other combinations of kanji characters.

Salme f Estonian
From Estonian salm meaning "poem, verse". This name appears in the Estonian national epic Kalevipoeg (1857) by Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald.

Setsuko f Japanese
From Japanese 節 (setsu) meaning "section, period, verse, melody" and 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations can also be possible.

Shi m & f Chinese
From Chinese 时 (shí) meaning "time, era, season", 实 (shí) meaning "real, honest", 史 (shǐ) meaning "history" or 石 (shí) meaning "stone". Other characters can form this name as well.

Shion f & m Japanese
From Japanese 紫苑 (shion) meaning "aster". It can also come from 詩 (shi) meaning "poem" and 音 (on) meaning "sound". Other kanji combinations can form this name as well.

Shiori f & m Japanese
As a feminine name it can be from Japanese 詩 (shi) meaning "poem" combined with 織 (ori) meaning "weave". It can also be from 栞 (shiori) meaning "bookmark" (usually feminine) or 撓 (shiori) meaning "lithe, bending" (usually masculine), as well as other kanji or kanji combinations.

Tariku m Amharic
Means "his history, his story" in Amharic.

Thi f Vietnamese
From Sino-Vietnamese 詩 (thi) meaning "poetry, poem, verse".

Tsuyoshi m Japanese
From Japanese 剛 (tsuyoshi) meaning "hard, rigid, strong". It can also come from an alternate reading of 剛 (tsuyo) combined with 史 (shi) meaning "history" or 志 (shi) meaning "will, purpose". Other kanji and kanji combinations can also form this name.

Văn m Vietnamese
From Sino-Vietnamese 文 (văn) meaning "literature, culture, writing". This is a common middle name for Vietnamese boys.

Wen m & f Chinese
From Chinese 文 (wén) meaning "literature, culture, writing", as well as other characters with a similar pronunciation. A famous bearer was the 2nd-century BC Emperor Wen of Han (posthumous name).

Yuki f & m Japanese
From Japanese 幸 (yuki) meaning "happiness" or 雪 (yuki) meaning "snow". It can also come from 由 (yu) meaning "reason, cause" combined with 貴 (ki) meaning "valuable" or 紀 (ki) meaning "chronicle". Other kanji or kanji combinations are also possible.

Yukio m Japanese
From Japanese 幸 (yuki) meaning "happiness" combined with 雄 (o) meaning "hero, manly" or 男 (o) meaning "male, man". Other kanji combinations can form this name as well.

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