Browse Names

Ashurbanipal m Ancient Assyrian (Anglicized)
From Akkadian Ashur-bani-apli meaning "Ashur is creator of a son". This was the name of one of the final kings of the Assyrian Empire, reigning late in the 7th century BC. He appears in the Old Testament under the name Asnappar.

Bhaskara m Hinduism
Means "shining", derived from a combination of Sanskrit भास (bhasa) meaning "light" and कर (kara) meaning "maker". This is another name of Hindu sun god Surya. It was additionally borne by a 12th-century Indian astronomer, also known as Bhaskaracharya.

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.

Chandler m & f English
From an occupational surname that meant "candle seller" or "candle maker" in Middle English, ultimately from Latin candela via Old French. It surged in popularity after the 1994 debut of the American sitcom Friends, featuring a character by this name.

Colter m English (Modern)
From an English surname that was originally given to a keeper of horses, derived from Middle English colt.

Cooper m English
From a surname meaning "barrel maker", from Middle English couper.

Cordell m English
From an English surname meaning "maker of cord" or "seller of cord" in Middle English.

Dexter m English
From an occupational surname meaning "one who dyes" in Old English. It also coincides with the Latin word dexter meaning "right-handed, skilled".

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

Fletcher m English
From a surname meaning "maker of arrows" in Middle English, ultimately from Old French flechier.

Foster 1 m English
From an English surname that has several different origins: see Foster 1, Foster 2, Foster 3 and Foster 4.

Fuxi m Chinese Mythology
From Chinese 伏 (fú) meaning "prostrate, lying down" and 羲 (xī), a character that refers to the god himself. In Chinese mythology Fuxi is the twin brother and husband of Nüwa. He is said to have taught humans how to hunt and cook, as well as devising the trigrams. He is sometimes depicted with the body of a snake.

Hunter m & f English
From an English occupational surname for a hunter, derived from Old English hunta. A famous bearer was the eccentric American journalist Hunter S. Thompson (1937-2005).

Jaasiel m Biblical, Biblical Spanish
Means "God is my maker", derived from Hebrew עָשָׂה ('asah) meaning "to make" and אֵל ('el) meaning "God". This is the name of two minor characters in the Old Testament.

Khaliq m Arabic
Means "creator" in Arabic. In Islamic tradition الخليق (al-Khaliq) is one of the 99 names of Allah.

Khayyam m Arabic
Means "tent maker" in Arabic. This was the surname of the 12th-century Persian poet Umar Khayyam.

Kiefer m English (Modern)
From a German surname meaning either "pine tree" or "barrel maker".

Madhukar m Hindi, Marathi
Means "bee, honey-maker" in Sanskrit.

Miller m & f English
From an English occupational surname for a miller, derived from Middle English mille "mill".

Naiche m Apache
Means "mischief maker" in Apache. This name was borne by a 19th-century Chiricahua Apache chief, the son of Cochise.

Nüwa f Chinese Mythology
From Chinese 女 (nǚ) meaning "woman, female" and 娲 (wā), a character of uncertain origin that refers to the goddess herself. This is the name of the creator goddess in Chinese mythology, depicted as a snake with a human head. She molded humans from earth or clay with her brother Fuxi.

Parker m & f English
From an English occupational surname that meant "keeper of the park".

Piper f English (Modern)
From an English surname that was originally given to a person who played on a pipe (a flute). It was popularized as a given name by a character from the television series Charmed, which debuted in 1998.

Prabhakara m Hinduism
Means "light maker", derived from Sanskrit प्रभा (prabha) meaning "light" and कर (kara) meaning "maker". This is a name given to the sun in Hindu texts. It was also borne by a medieval Hindu scholar.

Ptah m Egyptian Mythology
From Egyptian ptḥ meaning "opener, creator". Ptah was an Egyptian god associated with creation and the arts.

Sawyer m & f English (Modern)
From an English surname meaning "sawer of wood". Mark Twain used it for the hero in his novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876).... [more]

Scarlett f English
From an English surname that denoted a person who sold or made clothes made of scarlet (a kind of cloth, possibly derived from Persian سقرلاط (saqrelat)). Margaret Mitchell used it for the main character, Scarlett O'Hara, in her novel Gone with the Wind (1936). Her name is explained as having come from her grandmother. Despite the fact that the book was adapted into a popular movie in 1939, the name was not common until the 21st century. It started rising around 2003, about the time that the career of American actress Scarlett Johansson (1984-) started taking off.

Shankara m Hinduism
Derived from the Sanskrit elements शम् (sham) meaning "auspicious, lucky" and कर (kara) meaning "maker". This is another name of the Hindu god Shiva. This was also the name of a 9th-century Indian religious philosopher also known as Shankaracharya.

Spencer m English
From an English surname that meant "dispenser of provisions", derived from Middle English spense "larder, pantry". A famous bearer was American actor Spencer Tracy (1900-1967). It was also the surname of Princess Diana (1961-1997).

Turner m English
From an English surname for one who worked with a lathe, derived from Old English turnian "to turn", of Latin origin.

Wayne m English
From an occupational surname meaning "wagon maker", derived from Old English wægn "wagon". Use of it as a given name can be partly attributed to the popularity of the actor John Wayne (1907-1979). Another famous bearer is Canadian hockey player Wayne Gretzky (1961-), generally considered the greatest player in the history of the sport.

Webster m English
From an occupational surname meaning "weaver", derived from Old English webba.