Browse Names

Fenton m English
From a surname that was originally taken from a place name meaning "marsh town" in Old English.

Ferdowsi m History
From the Persian byname فردوسی (Ferdosi) meaning "paradisiacal, heavenly", derived from Arabic فردوس (firdaws), itself of Iranian origin. Ferdowsi was a 10th-century poet and historian, the author of the epic Shahnameh, which tells the history of Persia.

Finbar m Irish
Anglicized form of Irish Fionnbharr, Old Irish Finnbarr, derived from finn "white, blessed" and barr "top, head". Saint Finbar of Cork was a 6th-century bishop who supposedly performed miraculous cures. The Isle of Barra off Scotland was (probably) named for him.

Fırat m Turkish
From the Turkish name of the Euphrates River, which was derived (via Persian and Arabic) from Elamite or Sumerian.

Firdaus m & f Arabic, Indonesian, Malay, Urdu
Derived from the Arabic word فردوس (firdaws) meaning "paradise", ultimately from an Iranian language, akin to Avestan 𐬞𐬀𐬌𐬭𐬌⸱𐬛𐬀𐬉𐬰𐬀 (pairi daēza) meaning "garden, enclosure".

Firenze f Various (Rare)
From the name of an Italian city, commonly called Florence in English.

Flemming m Danish
From a medieval Norse nickname meaning "from Flanders".

Forbes m Scottish
From a Scottish surname that was originally taken from the name of a village in Aberdeenshire, which means "field, area of land" in Gaelic.

Forest m English
Variant of Forrest, or else directly from the English word forest.

Forrest m English
From an English surname meaning "forest", originally belonging to a person who lived near a forest. In America it has sometimes been used in honour of the Confederate Civil War general Nathan Bedford Forrest (1821-1877). This name was borne by the title character in the movie Forrest Gump (1994) about a loveable simpleton. Use of the name increased when the movie was released, but has since faded away.

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

France 1 f French
From the name of the country, sometimes considered a feminine form of Frank or short form of Françoise, both of which are ultimately related to the name of the country.

Francis m & f English, French
English form of the Late Latin name Franciscus meaning "Frenchman", ultimately from the Germanic tribe of the Franks, who were named for a type of spear that they used (Proto-Germanic *frankô). This name was borne by the 13th-century Saint Francis of Assisi, who was originally named Giovanni but was given the nickname Francesco by his father, an admirer of the French. Francis went on to renounce his father's wealth and devote his life to the poor, founding the Franciscan order of friars. Later in his life he apparently received the stigmata.... [more]

Frankenstein m Popular Culture
From the surname Frankenstein, used by Mary Shelley in her 1818 novel of the same name for the scientist Victor Frankenstein. The monster that Frankenstein created, which has no name in the novel, is sometimes called Frankenstein in modern speech, as if it were his given name.

Fulton m English
From a surname that was derived from the name of the town of Foulden in Norfolk, itself meaning "bird hill" in Old English.

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.

Gagik m Armenian
Possibly derived from Armenian գագաթ (gagat) meaning "summit, peak, top". This was the name of two kings of Armenia.

Gai m Hebrew
Means "valley, ravine" in Hebrew.

Gaia f Greek Mythology, Italian
From the Greek word γαῖα (gaia), a parallel form of γῆ (ge) meaning "earth". In Greek mythology Gaia was the mother goddess who presided over the earth. She was the mate of Uranus and the mother of the Titans and the Cyclopes.

Galaad m Arthurian Cycle
French form of Galahad.

Galileo m Italian (Rare)
Medieval Italian name derived from Latin galilaeus meaning "Galilean, from Galilee". Galilee is a region in northern Israel, mentioned in the New Testament as the site of several of Jesus's miracles. It is derived from the Hebrew root גָּלִיל (galil) meaning "district, roll".... [more]

Gang m Chinese
From Chinese 刚 (gāng) meaning "hard, rigid, strong", as well as other characters with a similar pronunciation.

Garfield m English
From a surname meaning "triangle field" in Old English. A famous bearer was American president James A. Garfield (1831-1881). It is now associated with the cat in Jim Davis's cartoon strip Garfield.

Garland m English
From a surname meaning "triangle land" from Old English gara and land. The surname originally belonged to a person who owned a triangle-shaped piece of land.

Garrick m English
From an English surname, of French Huguenot origin, that was derived from Occitan garric meaning "oak tree grove".

Garth m English
From an English surname meaning "garden" in Old Norse, originally denoting one who lived near or worked in a garden.

Gaufrid m Germanic
Derived from the Old German elements gawi "territory, region" and fridu "peace".

Geb m Egyptian Mythology
From Egyptian 𓎼𓃀𓃀 (gbb) meaning "earth". In Egyptian mythology he was the god of the earth and crops. His consort was his sister the sky goddess Nut.

George m English, Romanian, Indian (Christian)
From the Greek name Γεώργιος (Georgios), which was derived from the Greek word γεωργός (georgos) meaning "farmer, earthworker", itself derived from the elements γῆ (ge) meaning "earth" and ἔργον (ergon) meaning "work". Saint George was a 3rd-century Roman soldier from Cappadocia who was martyred during the persecutions of Emperor Diocletian. Later legends describe his defeat of a dragon, with which he was often depicted in medieval art.... [more]

Gerd 2 f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Norse Mythology
From 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.

Germanicus m Ancient Roman
Roman name derived from Germania, traditionally the area north of the Roman Empire inhabited by early Germanic tribes. This was the agnomen of the Roman general Decimus Claudius Drusus, given posthumously because of his victories in Germania in the 1st century BC. It was also given to his young son, Germanicus Julius Caesar, later a successful general in his own right, who is known to history as simply Germanicus.

Gethsemane f Various (Rare)
From a biblical place name, the garden where Jesus was arrested, located on the Mount of Olives near Jerusalem. It is derived from Γεθσημανί (Gethsemani), the Greek form of an Aramaic name meaning "oil vat". It is very rarely used as a given name.

Ghadir f Arabic
Means "stream" in Arabic.

Giang f & m Vietnamese
From Sino-Vietnamese 江 (giang) meaning "river".

Gilead m Biblical
From an Old Testament place name meaning "heap of witness" in Hebrew. This is a mountainous region east of the Jordan River. Besides being a place name, it is also borne by people in the Bible.

Gintautas m Lithuanian
From the Lithuanian root gin- "to defend" and tauta "people, nation".

Giordano m Italian
Italian form of Jordan. A notable bearer was the cosmologist Giordano Bruno (1548-1600), who was burned at the stake by the Inquisition.

Girisha m Hinduism
Means "lord of the mountain" in Sanskrit. This is a name of the Hindu god Shiva, given because of his abode in the Himalayan Mountains.

Gladys f Welsh, English, French, Spanish
From the Old Welsh name Gwladus, probably derived from gwlad meaning "country". Alternatively, it may have been adopted as a Welsh form of Claudia. Saint Gwladus or Gwladys was the mother of Saint Cadoc. She was one of the daughters of Brychan Brycheiniog. This name became popular outside of Wales after it was used in Ouida's novel Puck (1870).

Glen m English
Variant of Glenn.

Glenn m English
From a Scottish surname that was derived from Gaelic gleann "valley". It was borne by the American actor Glenn Ford (1916-2006), whose birth name was Gwyllyn. A famous bearer of the surname was American astronaut John Glenn (1921-2016). The name peaked in popularity in 1962 when he became the first American to orbit the earth.... [more]

Glenys f Welsh
Probably an elaboration of the Welsh word glân "pure, clean, holy" or glyn "valley". This name was created in the late 19th century.

Glyn m Welsh
Means "valley" in Welsh.

Glyndwr m Welsh
Given in honour of Owain Glyndwr (or Glyn Dŵr, Anglicized as Glendower), a 14th-century Welsh patriot who led a revolt against England. His byname means "valley water", and was probably inspired by the name of his estate at Glyndyfrdwy (meaning "valley of the River Dee").

Glynis f Welsh
Variant of Glenys.

Glynn m Welsh
Variant of Glyn.

Gniewomir m Polish
Derived from the Slavic elements gněvŭ "anger" and mirŭ "peace, world".

Golbahar f Persian
Means "spring flower", from Persian گل (gol) meaning "flower, rose" and بهار (bahar) meaning "spring".

Golshan f & m Persian
From an archaic Persian word meaning "rose garden", a derivative of گل (gol) meaning "flower, rose".

Golzar m & f Persian
Derived from Persian گل (gol) meaning "flower, rose" and the suffix زار (zar) meaning "place abounding in, field, garden".

Goran m Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Macedonian, Bulgarian
Derived from South Slavic gora meaning "mountain". It was popularized by the Croatian poet Ivan Goran Kovačić (1913-1943), who got his middle name because of the mountain town where he was born.

Graeme m Scottish, English
From a surname that was a variant of Graham. This particular spelling for the given name has been most common in Scotland, New Zealand and Australia.

Graham m Scottish, English
From a Scottish surname, originally derived from the English place name Grantham, which probably meant "gravelly homestead" in Old English. The surname was first taken to Scotland in the 12th century by the Norman baron William de Graham. A famous bearer of the surname was Alexander Graham Bell (1847-1922), the Scottish-Canadian-American inventor who devised the telephone. A famous bearer of the given name was the British author Graham Greene (1904-1991).... [more]

Grahame m Scottish, English
From a surname that was a variant of Graham.

Granville m English
From an English surname that was derived from a Norman place name Grainville.

Grenville m English (Rare)
From a surname that was a variant of Granville.

Grover m English
From an English surname derived from Old English graf meaning "grove of trees". A famous bearer was the American president Grover Cleveland (1837-1908), who popularized the name in the United States at the end of the 19th century. The name is now associated with a muppet character from the children's television program Sesame Street.

Guadalupe f & m Spanish
From a Spanish title of the Virgin Mary, Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, meaning "Our Lady of Guadalupe". Guadalupe is a Spanish place name, the site of a famous convent, derived from Arabic وادي (wadi) meaning "valley, river" possibly combined with Latin lupus meaning "wolf". In the 16th century Our Lady of Guadalupe supposedly appeared in a vision to a native Mexican man, and she is now regarded as a patron saint of the Americas.

Guanting m & f Chinese
From Chinese 冠 (guān) meaning "cap, crown, headgear" combined with 廷 (tíng) meaning "court". This name can also be formed from other character combinations.

Guendoleu m Welsh Mythology
Old Welsh form of Gwenddoleu.

Gülistan f Turkish
Means "rose garden" in Turkish, ultimately from Persian.

Gulistan f Kurdish
Kurdish form of Gülistan.

Günel f Azerbaijani
Derived from the Turkic elements gün "sun" and el "country, society".

Guo m & f Chinese
From Chinese 国 (guó) meaning "country" or other Chinese characters pronounced in a similar way.

Gwalchmai m Welsh Mythology
Derived from Welsh gwalch "hawk", possibly combined with Mai "May (month)" or mai "field, plain". This is the name of a character in Welsh legend (appearing in Culhwch and Olwen for example). He is probably the antecedent of Gawain from later Arthurian romance.

Gwenfrewi f Welsh (Rare)
Derived from Welsh gwen meaning "white, blessed" combined with another element of uncertain meaning. It could possibly be Welsh ffreu meaning "stream, flow" or the obscure word ffrewi meaning "pacify, quell, reconcile". This may be the original form of Winifred. In any case, it is the Welsh name for the saint.

Gwynedd f & m Welsh
From the name of the kingdom of Gwynedd, which was located in northern Wales from the 5th century. It is now the name of a Welsh county. The name may be related to Old Irish Féni meaning "Irish people", itself possibly related to the Celtic root *wēnā meaning "band of warriors".

Gyatso m Tibetan
From Tibetan རྒྱ་མཚོ (rgya-mtsho) meaning "ocean". This is one of the given names of the current Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso (1935-).

Gyeong m & f Korean
From Sino-Korean 京 (gyeong) meaning "capital city", 景 (gyeong) meaning "scenery, view", 敬 (gyeong) meaning "respect, honour", or other hanja characters with the same pronunciation. It usually occurs in combination with another character, though it is sometimes used as a stand-alone name.

Gyeong-Suk f Korean
From Sino-Korean 京 (gyeong) meaning "capital city" and 淑 (suk) meaning "good, pure, virtuous, charming". Other hanja character combinations are possible.

Hà f & m Vietnamese
From Sino-Vietnamese 河 (hà) meaning "river".

Hadley f & m English
From an English surname that was derived from a place name meaning "heather field" in Old English.

Hafdís f Icelandic
Derived from Old Norse haf "sea, ocean" and dís "goddess".

Hải m Vietnamese
From Sino-Vietnamese 海 (hải) meaning "sea, ocean".

Hai m & f Chinese
From Chinese 海 (hǎi) meaning "sea, ocean" or other characters that are pronounced similarly.

Haimarīks m Old Germanic (Hypothetical)
Proto-Germanic reconstruction of Heimirich.

Haimo m Germanic
Short form of Germanic names beginning with Old Frankish haim or Old High German heim meaning "home" (Proto-Germanic *haimaz).

Hale 2 m English
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "nook, retreat" from Old English healh.

Halimede f Greek Mythology
Derived from Greek ἅλς (hals) meaning "sea, brine, salt" combined with one of the related words μέδομαι (medomai) meaning "to be mindful of, to provide for, to think on" or μέδω (medo) meaning "to protect, to rule over". According to Greek mythology this was one of the Nereids. A minor moon of Neptune is named after her.

Hall m English
From a surname that was derived from Old English heall "manor, hall", originally belonging to a person who lived or worked in a manor.

Hallam m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning either "at the rocks" or "at the nook" in Old English.

Hama m Anglo-Saxon Mythology
From Old English ham meaning "home". This is the name of a Gothic warrior who appears with his companion of Wudga in some Anglo-Saxon tales (briefly in Beowulf).

Hamilton m English
From a Scottish and English surname that was derived from Old English hamel "crooked, mutilated" and dun "hill". The surname was originally taken from the name of a town in Leicestershire, England (which no longer exists). A famous bearer of the surname was Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804), a founding father of the United States who was killed in a duel with Aaron Burr.

Haneul m & f Korean
Means "heaven, sky" in Korean.

Haran m Biblical, Biblical Hebrew
Possibly means "hill, mountain" in Hebrew. This is the name of the brother of Abraham and father of Lot in the Old Testament.

Harel m Hebrew
Means "altar, mountain of God" in Hebrew. In the Hebrew Bible this word is applied to the altar in the temple in Jerusalem (Ezekiel 43:15).

Harlan m English
From a surname that was from a place name meaning "hare land" in Old English. In America it has sometimes been given in honour of Supreme Court justice John Marshall Harlan (1833-1911).

Harland m English
From a surname that was a variant of Harlan.

Harley m & f English
From an English surname that was derived from a place name, itself from Old English hara "hare" or hær "rock, heap of stones" and leah "woodland, clearing". An American name for boys since the 19th century, it began to be used for girls after a character with the name began appearing on the soap opera Guiding Light in 1987.

Harlow f & m English
From an English surname derived from a place name, itself derived from Old English hær "rock, heap of stones" or here "army", combined with hlaw "hill". As a name for girls, it received some attention in 2008 when the American celebrity Nicole Richie used it for her daughter.

Hartley m & f English (Rare)
From an English surname that was derived from a place name, itself from Old English heorot "hart, male deer" and leah "woodland, clearing".

Haru m & f Japanese
From Japanese 陽 (haru) meaning "light, sun, male", 春 (haru) meaning "spring" or 晴 (haru) meaning "clear weather". Other kanji or kanji combinations can form this name as well.

Haruka f & m Japanese
From Japanese 遥 (haruka) meaning "distant, remote". It can also come from 春 (haru) meaning "spring" or 晴 (haru) meaning "clear weather" combined with 花 (ka) meaning "flower, blossom" or 香 (ka) meaning "fragrance". Additionally, other kanji combinations can form this name.

Haruki m Japanese
From Japanese 晴 (haru) meaning "clear weather" or 陽 (haru) meaning "light, sun, male" combined with 輝 (ki) meaning "brightness" or 生 (ki) meaning "living". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Haruko f Japanese
From Japanese 春 (haru) meaning "spring" or 陽 (haru) meaning "light, sun, male" combined with 子 (ko) meaning "child", as well as other kanji combinations.

Harumi f Japanese
From Japanese 晴 (haru) meaning "clear weather" and 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful", as well as other kanji combinations that are read the same way.

Haruna 1 f Japanese
From Japanese 晴 (haru) meaning "clear weather", 遥 (haru) meaning "distant, remote" or 春 (haru) meaning "spring" combined with 菜 (na) meaning "vegetables, greens". Other kanji combinations are possible.

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.

Hayden m & f English
From an English surname that was derived from place names meaning either "hay valley" or "hay hill", derived from Old English heg "hay" and denu "valley" or dun "hill". Its popularity at the end of the 20th century was due to the sound it shared with other trendy names of the time, such as Braden and Aidan.

Hayley f English (Modern)
From an English surname that was originally derived from the name of an English town (meaning "hay clearing" from Old English heg "hay" and leah "clearing"). It was brought to public attention as a given name, especially in the United Kingdom, by the British child actress Hayley Mills (1946-).... [more]

Haywood m English
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "fenced wood" in Old English.

He f & m Chinese
From Chinese 河 (hé) meaning "river, stream", 和 (hé) meaning "harmony, peace", or 荷 (hé) meaning "lotus, water lily" (which is usually only feminine). Other characters can form this name as well. A famous bearer was the Ming dynasty explorer Zheng He (1371-1433).

Headley m English (Rare)
Variant of Hedley.

Heath m English
From an English surname that denoted one who lived on a heath. It was popularized as a given name by the character Heath Barkley from the 1960s television series The Big Valley.

Heaven f English (Modern)
From the English vocabulary word meaning "paradise". It is derived via Middle English hevene from Old English heofon "sky".

Heavenly f English (Modern)
From the English word meaning "of the heavens, celestial, divine".

Hedley m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "heather clearing" in Old English.

Heidrich m Germanic
Derived from the Old German element (possibly) heida "heath, heather" combined with rih "ruler, king".

Heimdall m Norse Mythology
From Old Norse Heimdallr, derived from Old Norse heimr "home, house" and dallr, possibly meaning "glowing, shining". In Norse mythology he is the god who guards the Bifröst, the bridge that connects Asgard to the other worlds. It is foretold that he will blow the Gjallarhorn to wake the gods for the final battle at the end of the world, Ragnarök. During this battle, he will fight Loki and they will slay one another.

Heimir m Norse Mythology, Icelandic
From Old Norse heimr meaning "home" (a cognate of Hama). In the Völsungasaga he is a king of Hlymdalir.

Heirani f Tahitian
From Tahitian hei "crown, garland" and raʻi "heaven, sky".

Hekla f Icelandic
From the name of an active Icelandic volcano, derived from Old Norse hekla meaning "cloak".

Hel f Norse Mythology
In Norse mythology this was the name of the daughter of Loki. She got her name from the underworld, also called Hel, where she ruled, which meant "to conceal, to cover" in Old Norse (related to the English word hell).

Henry m English
From the Germanic name Heimirich meaning "home ruler", composed of the elements heim "home" and rih "ruler". It was later commonly spelled Heinrich, with the spelling altered due to the influence of other Germanic names like Haganrich, in which the first element is hag "enclosure".... [more]

Heremoana m Tahitian
From Tahitian here "loved, dear" and moana "ocean".

Hermes m Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek, Spanish
Probably 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, Germanic
Derived 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.

Hinata f & m Japanese
From Japanese 日向 (hinata) meaning "sunny place", 陽向 (hinata) meaning "toward the sun", or a non-standard reading of 向日葵 (himawari) meaning "sunflower". Other kanji compounds are also possible. Because of the irregular readings, this name is often written using the hiragana writing system.

Hōkūlani f Hawaiian
Means "heavenly star" from Hawaiian hōkū "star" and lani "heaven, sky, royal, majesty".

Holden m English (Modern)
From a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "deep valley" in Old English. This is the name of the main character in J. D. Salinger's novel The Catcher in the Rye (1951), Holden Caulfield.

Holger m Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, German, Carolingian Cycle
From the Old Norse name Hólmgeirr, derived from the elements holmr "small island" and geirr "spear". In Scandinavia and Germany this is the usual name for the hero Ogier the Dane from medieval French romance.

Hólmfríðr f Old Norse
Old Norse name derived from the elements holmr "small island" and fríðr "beautiful, beloved".

Horst m German
Means "wood, thicket" in Low German. Alternatively, it may derive from Horsa. This name was popular in the first half of the 20th century but has since become uncommon. It is now a German slang word for an unintelligent person.

Hortensia f Ancient Roman, Spanish
Feminine form of the Roman family name Hortensius, possibly derived from Latin hortus meaning "garden".

Horymír m Czech
Possibly from the Slavic elements gora (Czech hora) meaning "mountain" and mirŭ meaning "peace, world". According to a Czech legend, Horymír was a man sentenced to death but saved by his horse.

Houston m English
From a Scottish surname meaning "Hugh's town". The original Houston is in Scotland near Glasgow, but this is also the name of a city in Texas, named after the Texas president Sam Houston (1793-1863).

Hrōþilandaz m Old Germanic (Hypothetical)
Proto-Germanic reconstruction of Roland.

Huxley m English (Modern)
From an English surname that was derived from the name of a town in Cheshire. The final element is Old English leah "woodland, clearing", while the first element might be hux "insult, scorn". A famous bearer of the surname was the British author Aldous Huxley (1894-1963).

Hyeon-Jeong f & m Korean
From Sino-Korean 賢 (hyeon) meaning "virtuous, worthy, able" or 炫 (hyeon) meaning "shine, glitter" combined with 廷 (jeong) meaning "courtyard" or 貞 (jeong) meaning "virtuous, chaste, loyal". This name can be formed by other hanja character combinations as well.

Ibai m Basque
Means "river" in Basque.

Idoia f Basque
From the name of a sanctuary in Isaba, Navarre, possibly meaning "pond" in Basque, an important place of worship of the Virgin Mary.

Ila f Hindi
Means "earth" or "speech" in Sanskrit.

İldar m Tatar
Tatar form of Eldar.

Ildar m Bashkir, Tatar
Bashkir form of Eldar, as well as an alternate transcription of Tatar Илдар (see İldar).

Illtyd m Welsh
From Old Welsh Eltut, derived from the intensive prefix el- combined with tut "people, country". This was the name of a 6th-century Welsh saint who founded the abbey of Llanilltud in Glamorgan.

İlshat m Tatar
Tatar form of Elşad.

Ilshat m Bashkir, Tatar
Bashkir form of Elşad, as well as an alternate transcription of Tatar Илшат (see İlshat).

Inanna f Sumerian Mythology
Possibly derived from Sumerian nin-an-a(k) meaning "lady of the heavens", from 𒎏 (nin) meaning "lady" and the genitive form of 𒀭 (an) meaning "heaven, sky". Inanna was the Sumerian goddess of love, fertility and war. She descended into the underworld where the ruler of that place, her sister Ereshkigal, had her killed. The god Enki interceded, and Inanna was allowed to leave the underworld as long as her husband Dumuzi took her place.... [more]

India f English, Spanish (Modern)
From the name of the country, which is itself derived from the name of the Indus River. The river's name is ultimately from Sanskrit सिन्धु (Sindhu) meaning "body of trembling water, river". India Wilkes is a character in the novel Gone with the Wind (1936) by Margaret Mitchell.

Indiana f & m English
From the name of the American state, which means "land of the Indians". This is the name of the hero in the Indiana Jones series of movies, starring Harrison Ford.

Indika m Sinhalese
Means "Indian, person from India" in Sinhala.

Ingegerd f Swedish
From the Old Norse name Ingigerðr, which was derived from the name of the Germanic god Ing combined with garðr meaning "enclosure, yard".

Iona 1 f English, Scottish
From the name of the island off Scotland where Saint Columba founded a monastery. The name of the island is Old Norse in origin, and apparently derives simply from ey meaning "island".

Iordanus m Late Roman
Latin form of Jordan.

Irati f Basque
Means "fern field" in Basque.

Ireland f English (Modern)
From the name of the European island country, derived from Irish Gaelic Éire, which may mean something like "abundant land" in Old Irish.

Irmak f Turkish
Means "river" in Turkish.

Irvin m English
From a surname that was a variant of either Irving or Irwin.

Irvine m English, Scottish
From a surname that was a variant of Irving.

Irving m English, Jewish
From a Scottish surname that was derived from the town of Irvine in North Ayrshire, itself named for the River Irvine, which is derived from Brythonic elements meaning "green water". Historically this name has been relatively common among Jews, who have used it as an American-sounding form of Hebrew names beginning with I such as Isaac, Israel and Isaiah. A famous bearer was the Russian-American songwriter and lyricist Irving Berlin (1888-1989), whose birth name was Israel Beilin.

Islay f & m Scottish
From the name of the island of Islay, which lies off of the west coast of Scotland.

Islwyn m Welsh
From the name of a mountain in Wales that means "below the forest" from Welsh is "below" and llwyn "forest, grove".

Italia f Italian
From the Italian name of the country of Italy, Italia (see Italus).

Italus m Roman Mythology
Means "of Italy" in Latin. In Roman legend Italus was the father of Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome. He supposedly gave his name to the region known as Italia or Italy (in fact the region may have gotten its name from Oscan Víteliú meaning "land of bulls").

Ithamar m Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
From the Hebrew name אִיתָמָר ('Itamar) meaning "date palm island". This is the name of a son of Aaron in the Old Testament.

Itsaso f Basque
Means "ocean" in Basque.

Izaro f Basque
Means "island" in Basque, from the name of a small island off the Spanish coast in the Bay of Biscay.

Izaskun f Basque
From the name of a sanctuary dedicated to the Virgin Mary near Tolosa, Gipuzkoa, Spain. It possibly means "broom bush above the valley" in Basque.

Izumi f Japanese
From Japanese 泉 (izumi) meaning "fountain, spring". This name can also be constructed from other combinations of kanji.

Jael f Biblical, Biblical Portuguese
From the Hebrew name יָעֵל (Ya'el) meaning "ibex, mountain goat". This name appears in the Old Testament belonging to the wife of Heber the Kenite. After Sisera, the captain of the Canaanite army, was defeated in battle by Deborah and Barak he took refuge in Heber's tent. When he fell asleep Jael killed him by hammering a tent peg into his head.

Jafar m Arabic, Persian
Means "stream" in Arabic. Jafar ibn Abi Talib was a cousin of the Prophet Muhammad who was killed fighting against Byzantium in the 7th century. Another notable bearer was Jafar al-Sadiq, the sixth Shia imam.

Jagadisha m Hinduism
Means "ruler of the world" from Sanskrit जगत् (jagat) meaning "world" and ईश (isha) meaning "ruler". This is another name of the Hindu god Vishnu.

Jagannatha m Hinduism
Means "master of the world" from Sanskrit जगत् (jagat) meaning "world" and नाथ (natha) meaning "master". This is a title of the Hindu gods Vishnu and Krishna.

Jagjit m Indian (Sikh)
From Sanskrit जगत् (jagat) meaning "world, universe" and जिति (jiti) meaning "victory, conquering".

Jahan m Persian
Means "world" in Persian. This name was borne by Shah Jahan, a 17th-century Mughal emperor who is best known as the builder of the Taj Mahal.

Jahanara f Persian (Archaic), Bengali
From Persian جهان (jahan) meaning "world" and آرا (ara) meaning "decorate, adorn". This was the name of the eldest daughter of the 17th-century Mughal emperor Shah Jahan.

Jahangir m Persian, Urdu
Means "world conqueror, world seizer" in Persian, from جهان (jahan) meaning "world" and گیر (gir) meaning "catch, seize, conquer". This was the name of a 17th-century Mughal emperor.

Jannat f Bengali, Urdu
Means "paradise, garden" in Bengali and Urdu, derived from Arabic جنّة (jannah).

Jannatul Ferdous f Bengali
From the Arabic phrase جنّات الفردوس (jannat al-firdaws) meaning "gardens of paradise".

Jaromír m Czech, Slovak
Derived from the Slavic elements jarŭ "fierce, energetic" and mirŭ "peace, world". This name was borne by an 11th-century duke of Bohemia.

Jennet f Turkmen
Turkmen form of Cennet.

Jericho m English (Modern)
From the name of a city in Israel that is mentioned several times in the Old Testament. The meaning of the city's name is uncertain, but it may be related to the Hebrew word יָרֵחַ (yareach) meaning "moon", or otherwise to the Hebrew word רֵיחַ (reyach) meaning "fragrant".

Jia m & f Chinese
From Chinese 佳 (jiā) meaning "good, auspicious, beautiful", 家 (jiā) meaning "home, family", or other characters that are pronounced similarly.

Jiahao m Chinese
From Chinese 家 (jiā) meaning "home, family" combined with 豪 (háo) meaning "brave, heroic, chivalrous". This name can be formed from other character combinations as well.

Jiang m & f Chinese
From Chinese 江 (jiāng) meaning "river, Yangtze", as well as other characters with a similar pronunciation.

Ji-Ho m Korean
From Sino-Korean 智 (ji) meaning "wisdom, intellect" and 鎬 (ho) meaning "stove, bright" or 昊 (ho) meaning "summer, sky, heaven". This name can also be formed by other hanja character combinations.

Jinan m & f Arabic
Means "garden" or "paradise" in Arabic.

Jing m & f Chinese
From Chinese 静 (jìng) meaning "quiet, still, gentle", 精 (jīng) meaning "essence, spirit", 晶 (jīng) meaning "clear, crystal" or 京 (jīng) meaning "capital city". Other characters can also form this name.

Jordà m Catalan
Catalan form of Jordan.

Jordaan m Dutch (Rare)
Dutch form of Jordan.

Jordán m Spanish
Spanish form of Jordan.

Jordan m & f English, French, Macedonian, Serbian
From the name of the river that flows between the countries of Jordan and Israel. The river's name in Hebrew is יַרְדֵן (Yarden), and it is derived from יָרַד (yarad) meaning "descend" or "flow down". In the New Testament John the Baptist baptizes Jesus Christ in its waters, and it was adopted as a personal name in Europe after crusaders brought water back from the river to baptize their children. There may have been some influence from the Latin name Jordanes, notably borne by a 6th-century Gothic historian.... [more]

Jordanes m Late Roman
The name of a 6th-century Roman author of Gothic background, who wrote a history of the Goths. His name is probably derived from that of the Jordan River. However, some theories suggest that it could contain a trace of the Germanic root *erþō meaning "earth" (Gothic airþa, Old Norse jǫrð).

Jordão m Portuguese (Rare)
Portuguese form of Jordan.

Jourdain m French (Archaic)
Traditional French form of Jordan.

Jubal m Biblical
Means "stream" in Hebrew. This name is mentioned in Genesis in the Old Testament as belonging to the first person to be a musician.

Jun-Ho m Korean
From Sino-Korean 俊 (jun) meaning "talented, handsome" combined with 鎬 (ho) meaning "stove, bright" or 昊 (ho) meaning "summer, sky, heaven". This name can be formed by other hanja character combinations as well.

Jūratė f Lithuanian
From Lithuanian jūra meaning "sea". This is the name of a sea goddess who falls in love with a fisherman in the Lithuanian folktale Jūratė and Kastytis.

Kai 3 m & f Hawaiian
Means "sea" in Hawaiian.

Kailani f Hawaiian
From Hawaiian kai "ocean, sea" and lani "sky, heaven".

Kailash m Hindi, Marathi
From the name of a mountain in the Himalayas that is believed to be the paradise of the Hindu god Shiva. It possibly means "crystal" in Sanskrit.

Kaimana m & f Hawaiian
From Hawaiian kai "ocean, sea" and mana "power". It is also Hawaiian meaning "diamond", derived from the English word diamond.

Kaito m Japanese
From Japanese 海 (kai) meaning "sea, ocean" combined with 斗 (to), which refers to a Chinese constellation, or 翔 (to) meaning "soar, fly". Other kanji combinations are also possible.

Kalani m & f Hawaiian
Means "the heavens" from Hawaiian ka "the" and lani "heaven, sky, royal, majesty".

Kamalani f & m Hawaiian
Means "heavenly child" or "royal child" from Hawaiian kama "child" and lani "heaven, sky, royal, majesty".

Kamaria f Comorian
From Arabic qamar meaning "moon", also the root of the name of the island country of the Comoros.

Kənan m Azerbaijani
From the Azerbaijani name for the ancient region of Canaan.

Kashi f Hindi
From the name of a holy city in India, famous for its many temples dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. Its name is derived from Sanskrit काशि (kashi) meaning "shining".

Kasi f Telugu, Tamil
Southern Indian form of Kashi.

Katar f Armenian
Means "summit, crest" in Armenian.

Kaya 1 m Turkish
Means "rock, cliff" in Turkish.

Keighley f English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from an English place name, ultimately meaning "clearing belonging to Cyhha". The Old English given name Cyhha is of unknown meaning. This name also serves as a variant of Kaylee.

Keir m Scottish
From a surname that was a variant of Kerr.

Keith m English, Scottish
From a Scottish surname that was originally derived from the name of a place in East Lothian, itself possibly derived from the Celtic root *kayto- meaning "wood". This was the surname of a long line of Scottish nobles. It has been used as a given name since the 19th century, becoming fairly common throughout the English-speaking world in the 20th century.

Kelda f English (Rare)
Possibly derived from Old Norse kildr meaning "a spring".

Kellen m English (Modern)
Possibly from a German surname, itself derived from Middle Low German kel "swampy area". This name began to be used in the United States in the early 1980s after the American football player Kellen Winslow (1957-) began his professional career.

Kena'an m Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew form of Canaan.

Kenan 2 m Turkish
From the Turkish name for the ancient region of Canaan.

Kendal m & f English (Modern)
From a surname that was a variant of Kendall.

Kendall m & f English
From an English surname that comes from the name of the city of Kendale in northwestern England meaning "valley on the river Kent". Originally mostly masculine, the name received a boost in popularity for girls in 1993 when the devious character Kendall Hart began appearing on the American soap opera All My Children.

Kenya f English, African American
From the name of the African country. The country is named for Mount Kenya, which in the Kikuyu language is called Kĩrĩnyaga meaning "the one having stripes". It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the 1960s.

Keone m & f Hawaiian
Means "the homeland" from Hawaiian ke, a definite article, and one "sand, homeland".

Kerr m Scottish
From a Scots surname that was derived from a word meaning "thicket, marsh", ultimately from Old Norse kjarr.

Kerry m & f English
From the name of the Irish county, called Ciarraí in Irish Gaelic, which means "Ciar's people".

Ki f Sumerian Mythology
Means "earth" in Sumerian. This was the name of the Sumerian goddess of the earth, the consort of An.

Kielo f Finnish
Means "lily of the valley" in Finnish (species Convallaria majalis).

Kimberley f English
Variant of Kimberly.

Kimberly f English
From the name of the city of Kimberley in South Africa, which was named after Lord Kimberley (1826-1902). The city came to prominence in the late 19th century during the Boer War. Kimberly has been used as a given name since the mid-20th century, eventually becoming very popular as a feminine name.

Kingsley m English (Modern)
From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "king's wood" in Old English. This name may have received a boost in popularity after the release of the 2007 movie Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, featuring the character Kingsley Shacklebolt.

Kingston m English (Modern)
From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "king's town" in Old English. This name rose significantly on the popularity charts after musicians Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale used it for their son born 2006.

Kinneret f Hebrew
From the name of a large lake in northern Israel, usually called the Sea of Galilee in English. Its name is derived from Hebrew כִּנּוֹר (kinnor) meaning "harp" because of its shape.

Kinsley f English (Modern)
From a surname that was derived from an English place name, itself meaning "clearing belonging to Cyne". The Old English given name Cyne is a short form of longer names beginning with cyne meaning "royal".... [more]

Kirby m & f English
From 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 English
From 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.

Knox m English
From a Scots surname that was derived from various places named Knock, from Gaelic cnoc "round hill". It jumped in popularity after the actors Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt had a baby by this name in 2008.

Kobe 2 m Various
From the name of the city in Japan. The parents of basketball player Kobe Bryant (1978-2020) chose this name after seeing Kobe beef (which is from the Japanese city) on a menu.

Koharu f Japanese
From Japanese 小 (ko) meaning "small" or 心 (ko) meaning "heart" combined with 春 (haru) meaning "spring". The compound word 小春 means "late summer". Other combinations of kanji characters can form this name as well.

Krasimir m Bulgarian
Derived from the Slavic elements krasa "beauty, adornment" and mirŭ "peace, world".

Krešimir m Croatian
From the Slavic elements krěsiti "to spark, to flare up, to bring to life, to resurrect" and mirŭ "peace, world". This was the name of four kings of Croatia in the 10th and 11th centuries. Their names were recorded in Latin as Cresimirus.

Kshitij m Hindi, Marathi
Means "born of the earth" or "horizon" in Sanskrit.

Kshitija f Marathi, Hindi
Feminine form of Kshitij.

Kumsal f Turkish
Means "beach" in Turkish.

Kun f & m Chinese
From Chinese 坤 (kūn) meaning "earth, female", as well as other characters with a similar pronunciation.

Kyle m English
From a Scottish surname that was derived from various place names, themselves from Gaelic caol meaning "narrows, channel, strait". As a given name it was rare in the first half of the 20th century. It rose steadily in popularity throughout the English-speaking world, entering the top 50 in most places by the 1990s. It has since declined in all regions.

Kynaston m English (Rare)
From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "Cynefrið's town" in Old English.

Kyō m & f Japanese
From Japanese 協 (kyō) meaning "unite, cooperate", 京 (kyō) meaning "capital city", 郷 (kyō) meaning "village", 杏 (kyō) meaning "apricot", or other kanji with the same pronunciation.

Kyōko f Japanese
From Japanese 京 (kyō) meaning "capital city" or 恭 (kyō) meaning "respectful, polite" combined with 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other combinations of kanji characters can also form this name.

Lacey f & m English
Variant of Lacy. This is currently the most popular spelling of this name.

Lăcrămioara f Romanian
Means "lily of the valley" in Romanian (species Convallaria majalis). It is derived from a diminutive form of lacrămă "tear".

Lacy f & m English
From a surname that was derived from Lassy, the name of a town in Normandy. The name of the town was Gaulish in origin, perhaps deriving from a personal name that was Latinized as Lascius. Formerly more common for boys in America, this name began to grow in popularity for girls in 1975.

Lake m & f English (Rare)
From the English word lake, for the inland body of water. It is ultimately derived from Latin lacus.

Lamar m English, African American
From a French and English surname, originally from a place name in Normandy, which was derived from Old French la mare meaning "the pool". In the second half of the 20th century this name has been well-used in the African-American community, probably because of its popular phonetic components la and mar.

Lambert m German, Dutch, French, English, Germanic
Derived from the Old German elements lant "land" and beraht "bright". Saint Lambert of Maastricht was a 7th-century bishop who was martyred after denouncing Pepin II for adultery. The name was also borne by a 9th-century king of Italy who was crowned Holy Roman Emperor.

Lan 1 f & m Chinese, Vietnamese
From Chinese 兰 (lán) meaning "orchid, elegant" (which is usually only feminine) or 岚 (lán) meaning "mountain mist". Other Chinese characters can form this name as well. As a Vietnamese name, it is derived from Sino-Vietnamese 蘭 meaning "orchid".

Lance m English
From the Germanic name Lanzo, originally a short form of names that began with the Old Frankish or Old Saxon element land, Old High German lant meaning "land" (Proto-Germanic *landą). During the Middle Ages it became associated with Old French lance meaning "spear, lance". A famous bearer is American cyclist Lance Armstrong (1971-).

Landon m English
From a surname that was derived from an Old English place name meaning "long hill" (effectively meaning "ridge"). Use of the name may have been inspired in part by the actor Michael Landon (1936-1991).

Landric m Germanic
Germanic name derived from the elements lant "land" and rih "ruler, king".

Landulf m Germanic
Old German name derived from the elements lant meaning "land" and wolf meaning "wolf". This name was borne by several Lombard nobles.

Lanford m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "long ford" in Old English.

Langdon m English (Rare)
From a surname that was a variant of the surname Landon.

Lani f Hawaiian
Means "sky, heaven, royal, majesty" in Hawaiian.

Laudine f Arthurian Cycle
Possibly a derivative of Lot 2 (or derived from the same place name). It was used by the 12th-century French poet Chrétien de Troyes for a character in his romance Yvain, the Knight of the Lion. Also called the Lady of the Fountain, Laudine married Yvain after he killed her husband.

Layton m English
From a surname that was originally derived from the name of English towns meaning "town with a leek garden" in Old English. Like similar-sounding names such as Peyton and Dayton, this name began rising in popularity in the 1990s.

Lee m & f English
From a surname that was derived from Old English leah meaning "clearing". The surname belonged to Robert E. Lee (1807-1870), commander of the Confederate forces during the American Civil War. In his honour, it has been used as a given name in the American South. It is common as a middle name.

Lehi m Mormon
From an Old Testament place name meaning "jawbone" in Hebrew, so called because it was the site where the hero Samson defeated 1,000 warriors using only the jawbone of a donkey as a weapon. It is also used in the Book of Mormon as the name of a prophet who travels out of Jerusalem and settles in the Americas.

Leigh f & m English
From a surname that was a variant of Lee.

Leighton f & m English
Variant of Layton. It jumped in popularity as a feminine name after 2007, when actress Leighton Meester (1986-) began appearing on the television series Gossip Girl.

Leilani f & m Hawaiian
Means "heavenly flowers" or "royal child" from Hawaiian lei "flowers, lei, child" and lani "heaven, sky, royal, majesty".

Leire f Basque, Spanish
Basque form and Spanish variant of Leyre.

Leland m English
From a surname, originally from an English place name, which meant "fallow land" in Old English. A famous bearer was the politician, businessman and Stanford University founder Leland Stanford (1824-1893).

Lennox m & f English (Modern)
From a Scottish surname that was derived from the name of a district in Scotland. The district, called Leamhnachd in Gaelic, possibly means "place of elms". This name steadily rose in popularity in the 2000s, at the same time as the similar-sounding (but unrelated) names Lennon and Knox.

Lenox m English (Rare)
From a surname that was a variant of Lennox.

Ler m Irish Mythology
Means "the sea" in Old Irish. Ler was probably an Irish god or personification of the sea, best known as the father of Manannán mac Lir.

Lesley f & m English
Variant of Leslie.

Leslie f & m English
From a Scottish surname that was derived from a place in Aberdeenshire, probably from Gaelic leas celyn meaning "garden of holly". It has been used as a given name since the 19th century. In America it was more common as a feminine name after the 1940s.

Lestat m Literature
Name used by author Anne Rice for a character in her Vampire Chronicles series of novels, first released in 1976, where it belongs to the French vampire Lestat de Lioncourt. Rice possibly intended the name to appear derived from Old French or Occitan l'estat "state, status", though apparently her husband's name Stan was inspiration.

Leyre f Spanish
From the name of a mountain in Navarre in northern Spain, the site of the old monastery of San Salvador of Leyre. It is from Basque Leire, possibly derived from Latin legionarius meaning "pertaining to a legion".

Leyton m English (Modern)
From a surname that was a variant of Layton.

Lian 2 m & f Chinese
From Chinese 莲 (lián) meaning "lotus, water lily", 濂 (lián) meaning "waterfall", or other Chinese characters that are pronounced similarly.

Libya f Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Λιβύη (Libye), the Greek name of the ancient region of Libya (North Africa). According to Greek legend Libya was the daughter of Epaphus, the king of Egypt.

Lin m & f Chinese
From Chinese 林 (lín) meaning "forest" or 琳 (lín) meaning "fine jade, gem". Other characters can also form this name.

Lincoln m English
From an English surname that was originally from the name of an English city, called Lindum Colonia by the Romans, derived from Brythonic lindo "lake, pool" and Latin colonia "colony". This name is usually given in honour of Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), president of the United States during the American Civil War.

Lindon m English (Rare)
From a surname that was a variant of Lyndon.

Lindsay f & m English
From an English and Scottish surname that was originally derived from the name of the eastern English region of Lindsey, which means "Lincoln island" in Old English. As a given name it was typically masculine until the 1960s (in Britain) and 70s (in America) when it became popular for girls, probably due to its similarity to Linda and because of American actress Lindsay Wagner (1949-).

Linton m English
From a surname that was originally from place names meaning either "flax town" or "linden tree town" in Old English.

Linwood m English
From an English surname that was originally from a place name meaning "stream forest" in Old English.

Lir m Irish Mythology
Possibly from the patronymic Manannán mac Lir, in which case Lir is the genitive case of the name Ler. The medieval Irish legend the Children of Lir tells how Lir of the Tuatha Dé Danann had his children transformed into swans by his third wife Aoife. The legendary characters Lir and Ler seem to be distinct.

Llŷr m Welsh Mythology
Means "the sea" in Welsh. According to the Mabinogi he was the father of Brân, Branwen and Manawydan. His name is cognate with Irish Ler, and it is typically assumed that Llŷr may have originally been regarded as a god of the sea. He might also be the basis for the legendary King Leir of the Britons.

Loherangrin m Arthurian Cycle
Form of Lohengrin used by the 13th-century German poet Wolfram von Eschenbach.

London f & m English (Modern)
From the name of the capital city of the United Kingdom, the meaning of which is uncertain. As a surname it was borne by the American author Jack London (1876-1916).

Lorelei f Literature, English
From German Loreley, the name of a rock headland on the Rhine River. It is of uncertain meaning, though the second element is probably old German ley meaning "rock" (of Celtic origin). German romantic poets and songwriters, beginning with Clemens Brentano in 1801, tell that a maiden named the Lorelei lives on the rock and lures boaters to their death with her song.... [more]

Lorena 1 f Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian
Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and Romanian form of Lorraine.

Loreto f & m Spanish, Italian
From the name of a town in Italy, originally called Lauretum in Latin, meaning "laurel grove". Supposedly in the 13th century the house of the Virgin Mary was miraculously carried by angels from Nazareth to the town. In Spain it is a feminine name, from the Marian title Nuestra Señora de Loreto, while in Italy it is mostly masculine.

Lorette f French
Variant of Laurette. This is also the usual French form of Loreto.

Lorna f English
Created by the author R. D. Blackmore for the title character in his novel Lorna Doone (1869), set in southern England, which describes the dangerous love between John Ridd and Lorna Doone. Blackmore may have based the name on the Scottish place name Lorne or on the title Marquis of Lorne (see Lorne).

Lorne m English
From the title Marquis of Lorne, which was based on the Scottish place name Lorne, itself possibly derived from the name of the legendary king of Dál Riata, Loarn mac Eirc. This was the title of the first Governor General of Canada, where it has since been most frequently used as a given name. A famous bearer was the Canadian actor Lorne Greene (1915-1987).

Lorraine f English
From the name of a region in eastern France, originally meaning "kingdom of Lothar". Lothar was a Frankish king, the great-grandson of Charlemagne, whose realm was in the part of France that is now called Lorraine, or in German Lothringen (from Latin Lothari regnum). As a given name, it has been used in the English-speaking world since the late 19th century, perhaps due to its similar sound with Laura. It became popular after World War I when the region was in the news, as it was contested between Germany and France.

Lot 2 m Arthurian Cycle
From the name of the region of Lothian in southern Scotland, of unknown meaning. A king of Lothian by this name appears in early Latin and Welsh texts (as Leudonus and Lewdwn respectively). He was inserted into Arthurian legend by the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth, who makes him the father of Gawain.

Lourdes f Spanish, Portuguese
From the name of a French town. It became a popular center of pilgrimage after a young girl from the town had visions of the Virgin Mary in a nearby grotto.

Lubomír m Czech
Derived from the Slavic elements ľuby "love" and mirŭ "peace, world".

Lucina f Roman Mythology
Derived from Latin lucus meaning "grove", but later associated with lux meaning "light". This was the name of a Roman goddess of childbirth.

Luitgard f German
From 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.

Luján f Spanish (Latin American)
From a Spanish title of the Virgin Mary, Nuestra Señora de Luján, meaning "Our Lady of Luján". This is the name of a city in Argentina near Buenos Aires. Our Lady of Luján is a 17th-century statue of Mary. Supposedly the horses transporting the statue further into Argentina refused to pull the cart past Luján, so a shrine was built at the spot. She is regarded as a patron saint of Argentina.

Lwandle m & f Zulu, Xhosa
Means "ocean" in Zulu and Xhosa.

Lyle m English
From an English surname that was derived from Norman French l'isle meaning "island".

Lyndon m English
From an English surname that was derived from a place name meaning "linden tree hill" in Old English. A famous bearer was American president Lyndon B. Johnson (1908-1973).

Lynn f & m English
From an English surname that was derived from Welsh llyn meaning "lake". Before the start of the 20th century it was primarily used for boys, but it has since come to be more common for girls. In some cases it may be thought of as a short form of Linda or names that end in lyn or line.

Lynton m English (Rare)
Variant of Linton.

Lynwood m English
Variant of Linwood.

Maayan f & m Hebrew
Means "spring of water" in Hebrew.