Abha f HindiMeans
"splendour, light" in Sanskrit.
'Abla f ArabicMeans
"full-figured" in Arabic. The 7th-century Arabic poet Antara dedicated much of his poetry to a woman named Abla.
Adva f HebrewMeans
"small wave, ripple" in Hebrew.
Afon f & m Welsh (Rare)Means
"river" in Welsh. This is a Welsh name of recent origin.
Afra 1 f Late Roman, ItalianOriginally used by the Romans as a nickname for a woman from Africa. This was the name of two early saints.
Afua f AkanMeans
"born on Friday" in Akan.
Aija f LatvianOf uncertain meaning, possibly related to Latvian
aijāt meaning
"to rock, to lull". It was used by the Latvian writer Jānis Jaunsudrabiņš for the title character of his novel
Aija (1911).
Aiko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
愛 (ai) meaning "love, affection" and
子 (ko) meaning "child", as well as other character combinations.
Aimi f JapaneseFrom Japanese
愛 (ai) meaning "love, affection" and
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful". Other combinations of kanji characters are possible.
Aina 3 f JapaneseFrom Japanese
愛 (ai) meaning "love, affection" and
菜 (na) meaning "vegetables, greens", as well as other character combinations.
Áine f Irish, Irish Mythology, Old IrishMeans
"radiance, brilliance" in Irish. This was the name of a goddess of love and fertility in Irish legend, thought to dwell at the hill of Cnoc Áine in Limerick. It has sometimes been Anglicized as
Anne.
Airi 1 f JapaneseFrom Japanese
愛 (ai) meaning "love, affection" combined with
莉 (ri) meaning "white jasmine" or
梨 (ri) meaning "pear". Other combinations of kanji characters are possible.
Airi 2 f FinnishFrom Finnish
airut meaning
"messenger, herald", also influenced by place names beginning with the same sound.
Aiza f UrduMeaning unknown, possibly of Arabic origin.
Akie f JapaneseFrom Japanese
秋 (aki) meaning "autumn" or
昭 (aki) meaning "bright" combined with
絵 (e) meaning "picture, painting" or
恵 (e) meaning "favour, benefit". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.
Akua f AkanMeans
"born on Wednesday" in Akan.
Alba 1 f Italian, Spanish, CatalanThis name is derived from two distinct names,
Alba 2 and
Alba 3, with distinct origins, Latin and Germanic. Over time these names have become confused with one another. To further complicate the matter,
alba means "dawn" in Italian, Spanish and Catalan. This may be the main inspiration behind its use in Italy and Spain.
Alba 3 f GermanicOriginally a short form of Germanic names beginning with the element
alb meaning
"elf" (Proto-Germanic *
albaz).
Alex m & f English, Dutch, German, French, Portuguese, Romanian, Greek, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Hungarian, Czech, RussianShort form of
Alexander,
Alexandra and other names beginning with
Alex.
Alix f & m FrenchMedieval French variant of
Alice, also sometimes used as a masculine name. This is the name of the hero (a young Gaulish man) of a French comic book series, which debuted in 1948.
Alli f FinnishFinnish diminutive of names beginning with
Al. This is also the Finnish word for a type of duck.
Ally 1 f EnglishDiminutive of
Alison 1,
Alexandra and other names beginning with the same sound. This name jumped in popularity in 1997 after the premiere of the American television series
Ally McBeal.
Alma 1 f English, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Latvian, Lithuanian, Albanian, Slovene, CroatianThis name became popular after the Battle of Alma (1854), which took place near the River Alma in Crimea and ended in a victory for Britain and France. However, the name was in rare use before the battle; it was probably inspired by Latin
almus "nourishing". It also coincides with the Spanish word meaning
"the soul".
Alta f VariousPossibly from Latin
altus or Italian/Spanish
alto meaning
"high".
Anah f & m Biblical, Biblical HebrewMeans
"answer" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this name belongs to one female character and two male characters.
Anan 1 m & f AkanMeans
"fourth born child" in Akan.
Anat 1 f Semitic MythologyPossibly derived from a Semitic root meaning
"water spring". Anat was a goddess of fertility, hunting and war worshipped by the Semitic peoples of the Levant. She was the sister and consort of the god
Hadad.
Andy m & f EnglishDiminutive of
Andrew or sometimes
Andrea 2. American pop artist and filmmaker Andy Warhol (1928-1987) was a famous bearer of this name.
Ange m & f FrenchFrench masculine and feminine form of
Angelus (see
Angel).
Anna f English, Italian, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Latvian, Greek, Hungarian, Polish, Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Czech, Slovak, Bulgarian, Armenian, Icelandic, Faroese, Catalan, Occitan, Breton, Scottish Gaelic, Biblical, Biblical Greek, Biblical Latin, Old Church SlavicForm of
Channah (see
Hannah) used in the Greek and Latin Old Testament. Many later Old Testament translations, including the English, use the
Hannah spelling instead of
Anna. The name appears briefly in the New Testament belonging to a prophetess who recognized
Jesus as the Messiah. It was a popular name in the Byzantine Empire from an early date, and in the Middle Ages it became common among Western Christians due to veneration of Saint Anna (usually known as Saint Anne in English), the name traditionally assigned to the mother of the Virgin
Mary.
... [more] Anne 1 f French, English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, German, Dutch, BasqueFrench form of
Anna. It was imported to England in the 13th century, but it did not become popular until three centuries later. The spelling variant
Ann was also commonly found from this period, and is still used to this day.
... [more] Ansa f FinnishDerived from Finnish
ansio "virtue" or
ansa "trap".
Aran 1 m & f IrishFrom the name of the Aran Islands off the west coast of Ireland.
Arax f ArmenianFrom the name of an Armenian river, also called the Aras.
Aria 1 f English (Modern)Means
"song, melody" in Italian (literally means "air"). An aria is an elaborate vocal solo, the type usually performed in operas. As an English name, it has only been in use since the 20th century, its rise in popularity accelerating after the 2010 premier of the television drama
Pretty Little Liars, featuring a character by this name. It is not traditionally used in Italy.
Arja f FinnishVariant of
Irja. The Finnish poet Eino Leino used it in his poem
Arja and Selinä (1916), though belonging to a male character.
Arke 1 f Greek MythologyFrom Greek
ἀρκής (arkes) meaning
"swift". Arke was the twin sister of the rainbow goddess
Iris in Greek mythology. Because she sided with the Titans, Zeus had her imprisoned with them in Tartarus.
Arpi f ArmenianMeans
"sun, ether" in Armenian (a poetic word).
Arwa f ArabicMeans
"female ibex, mountain goat" in Arabic. This name was borne by some relatives of the Prophet
Muhammad. It was also the name of a 12th-century queen of Yemen.
Arya 1 m & f Persian, Hindi, MalayalamFrom an old Indo-Iranian root meaning "Aryan, noble". In India, this is a transcription of both the masculine form
आर्य and the feminine form
आर्या. In Iran it is only a masculine name.
Arya 2 f LiteratureCreated by author George R. R. Martin for a popular character in his series
A Song of Ice and Fire, published beginning 1996, and the television adaptation
Game of Thrones (2011-2019). In the story Arya is the second daughter of Ned Stark, the lord of Winterfell.
Asal f PersianMeans
"honey" in Persian (of Arabic origin).
Åsne f NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Ásný, derived from the elements
áss "god" and
nýr "new".
Asra f ArabicMeans
"travel at night" in Arabic. It is related to
Isra.
Aştî f & m KurdishMeans
"peace, tranquility" in Kurdish.
Avis f EnglishProbably a Latinized form of the Germanic name
Aveza, which was derived from the element
awi, of unknown meaning. The Normans introduced this name to England and it became moderately common during the Middle Ages, at which time it was associated with Latin
avis "bird".
Awee f & m NavajoFrom Navajo
awéé' meaning
"baby".
Ayah f ArabicMeans
"sign, evidence" or
"verse" in Arabic, as in one of the passages that make up the Quran.
Ayan 2 f & m Azerbaijani, KazakhMeans
"clear, obvious, revelation" in Kazakh and Azerbaijani, from Arabic
عيان ('iyan) meaning "witnessing, seeing, clear", a derivative of
عاين ('ayana) meaning "to see". It is feminine in Azerbaijan and masculine in Kazakhstan.
Ayda f Arabic, Persian, TurkishMeans
"returning, visitor" in Arabic. In Turkey this is also associated with
ay meaning "moon".
Ayla 3 f Literature, English (Modern)Created for the novel
Clan of the Cave Bear (1980) by author Jean M. Auel. In the novel Ayla is an orphaned Cro-Magnon girl adopted by Neanderthals.
Ayla is the Neanderthal pronunciation of her real name, which is not given.
... [more] Aýna f TurkmenMeans
"mirror" in Turkmen, ultimately from Persian
آینه (ayneh).
Ayym f KazakhMeans
"my moon" in Kazakh, derived from
ай (ay) meaning "moon" and the possessive suffix
ым (ym).
Babe m & f EnglishFrom a nickname meaning
"baby", also a slang term meaning
"attractive person". As a feminine name, in some cases it is a diminutive of
Barbara.
Baia f GeorgianFrom the Georgian name for the buttercup flower (or any flowering plant from the genus Ranunculus).
Bala 1 m & f Hinduism, TamilMeans
"young" in Sanskrit. This is a transcription of both the masculine form
बाल and the feminine form
बाला (a minor Hindu goddess).
Beau m & f English, Dutch (Modern)Means
"beautiful, handsome" in French. It has been used as a given name since the middle of the 20th century. In Margaret Mitchell's novel
Gone with the Wind (1936) this is the name of Ashley and Melanie's son.
... [more] Beck m & f English (Rare)From a surname of English, German or Scandinavian origins, all derived from related words meaning
"stream". As a feminine name, in some cases it is a short form of
Rebecca. A noted bearer is the American rock musician Beck Hansen (1970-), born Bek David Campbell, who goes by the stage name Beck.
Běla f CzechDerived from the Old Slavic word *
bělŭ meaning
"white".
Blue m & f English (Rare)From the English word for the colour, derived via Norman French from a Frankish word (replacing the native Old English cognate
blaw). Despite the fact that this name was used by the American musicians Beyoncé and Jay-Z in 2012 for their first daughter, it has not come into general use in the United States.
Boel f SwedishFrom
Boeld, a medieval form of the Old Norse name
Bóthildr (see
Bodil).
Bryn m & f Welsh, English (Modern)Means
"hill, mound" in Welsh. In Wales it is almost always a masculine name, though elsewhere in the English-speaking world it can be unisex (see
Brynn).
Cara f EnglishFrom an Italian word meaning
"beloved" or an Irish word meaning
"friend". It has been used as a given name since the 19th century, though it did not become popular until after the 1950s.
Cary m & f EnglishVariant of
Carey. A famous bearer was the British-American actor Cary Grant (1904-1986).
Ceri f & m WelshMeaning uncertain. It could come from the name of the Ceri River in Ceredigion, Wales; it could be a short form of
Ceridwen; it could be derived from Welsh
caru meaning "to love".
Chao m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
超 (chāo) meaning "surpass, leap over" (which is usually only masculine),
潮 (cháo) meaning "tide, flow, damp", or other characters that are pronounced similarly.
Chen 1 m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
晨 (chén) or
辰 (chén), both meaning "morning". The character
辰 also refers to the fifth Earthly Branch (7 AM to 9 AM), which is itself associated with the dragon of the Chinese zodiac. This name can be formed from other characters as well.
Cher f EnglishShort form of
Cheryl. In the case of the American musician Cher (1946-), it is short for her real name
Cherilyn.
Chie f JapaneseFrom Japanese
千 (chi) meaning "thousand" combined with
枝 (e) meaning "branch",
恵 (e) meaning "favour, benefit" or
絵 (e) meaning "picture, painting". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
Chun f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
春 (chūn) meaning "spring (season)" or other characters with a similar pronunciation.
Ciar m & f Irish, Irish Mythology, Old IrishDerived from Irish
ciar meaning
"black". In Irish legend Ciar was a son of
Fergus mac Róich and
Medb, and the ancestor of the tribe of the Ciarraige (after whom County Kerry is named). As a feminine name, it was borne by an Irish nun (also called
Ciara) who established a monastery in Tipperary in the 7th century.
Ciel f & m Various (Rare)Means
"sky" in French. It is not used as a given name in France itself.
Coco f VariousDiminutive of names beginning with
Co, influenced by the word
cocoa. However, this was not the case for French fashion designer Coco Chanel (1883-1971; real name Gabrielle), whose nickname came from the name of a song she performed while working as a cabaret singer.
Cora f English, German, Greek Mythology (Latinized)Latinized form of
Kore. It was not used as a given name in the English-speaking world until after it was employed by James Fenimore Cooper for a character in his novel
The Last of the Mohicans (1826). In some cases it may be a short form of
Cordula,
Corinna and other names beginning with a similar sound.
Cree m & f English (Rare)From the name of a Native American tribe of central Canada. Their name derives via French from the Cree word
kiristino.
Cruz f & m Spanish, PortugueseMeans
"cross" in Spanish or Portuguese, referring to the cross of the crucifixion.
Cyan f & m English (Rare)From the English word meaning
"greenish blue, cyan", ultimately derived from Greek
κύανος (kyanos).
Dale m & f EnglishFrom an English surname that originally belonged to a person who lived near a dale or valley.
Dana 2 m & f EnglishFrom a surname that is of unknown origin. It was originally given in honour of American lawyer Richard Henry Dana Jr. (1815-1882), the author of the memoir
Two Years Before the Mast.
Dawn f EnglishFrom the English word
dawn, ultimately derived from Old English
dagung.
Deja f African American (Modern)Means
"already" from the French phrase
déjà vu meaning "already seen". It received a popularity boost in 1995 when a character named Deja appeared in the movie
Higher Learning.
Dell m & f EnglishFrom an English surname that originally denoted a person who lived in a dell or valley.
Demi f Greek, English (Modern)Alternate transcription of Greek
Δήμη or
Ντίμι or
Ντίμη (see
Dimi), as well as a short form of
Demetria. A famous bearer is American actress Demi Moore (1962-), and it is because of her that the name rose in popularity in the United States in the late 1980s. Though some sources claim Moore's birth name is Demetria, the actress herself has said she was born as Demi and named after a makeup product. The name received a further boost after 2008 with the release of the debut album by the singer Demi Lovato (1992-), who pronounces the name differently than the older actress. Lovato's birth name is Demetria.
Dena f EnglishPossibly a short form of names ending with
dena. It has also been used as a variant of
Deanna.
Desi m & f EnglishDiminutive of
Desmond,
Desiree and other names beginning with a similar sound. In the case of musician and actor Desi Arnaz (1917-1986) it was a diminutive of
Desiderio.
Devi f Hinduism, Hindi, TamilDerived from Sanskrit
देवी (devi) meaning
"goddess". Devi is the Hindu mother goddess who manifests herself as all other goddesses.
Dido f Roman Mythology, Greek MythologyMeaning unknown, probably of Phoenician origin. Dido, also called
Elissa, was the queen of Carthage in
Virgil's
Aeneid. She threw herself upon a funeral pyre after Aeneas left her. Virgil based the story on earlier Greco-Roman accounts.
Diệu f & m VietnameseFrom Sino-Vietnamese
妙 (diệu) meaning
"mysterious, subtle, exquisite".
Dike f Greek MythologyMeans
"justice, custom, order" in Greek. In Greek mythology Dike was the goddess of justice, one of the
Ὥραι (Horai).
Dina 1 f Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Latvian, Russian, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Biblical Latin, Biblical GreekVariant of
Dinah, and also the form used in the Greek and Latin Old Testament.
Dior f & m English (Modern)From a French surname, possibly from
doré meaning
"golden". As a given name it has been inspired by the French luxury fashion house Dior, founded by the designer Christian Dior (1905-1957).
Dora f Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Greek, Croatian, Serbian, Bulgarian, English, German, DutchShort form of
Dorothy,
Theodora or
Isidora.