ADONIS m Greek MythologyFrom Phoenician
Adonai meaning "lord". In Greek myth Adonis was a handsome young shepherd killed while hunting a wild boar. The anemone flower is said to have sprung from his blood. Because he was loved by
Aphrodite,
Zeus allowed him to be restored to life for part of each year. The Greeks borrowed this character from Semitic traditions, originally Sumerian (see
DUMUZI).
ALBENA f BulgarianCreated by Bulgarian writer Yordan Yovkov for the heroine in his drama 'Albena' (1930). He may have based it on
ablen, the name of a type of peony (a flowering plant).
ALYSSA f EnglishVariant of
ALICIA. The spelling has probably been influenced by that of the alyssum flower, the name of which is derived from Greek
α (a), a negative prefix, combined with
λυσσα (lyssa) "madness, rabies", since it was believed to cure madness.
AMARANTHA f VariousFrom the name of the amaranth flower, which is derived from Greek
αμαραντος (amarantos) meaning "unfading".
Αμαραντος (Amarantos) was also an Ancient Greek given name.
AMARYLLIS f LiteratureDerived from Greek
αμαρυσσω (amarysso) "to sparkle". This was the name of a heroine in
Virgil's epic poem 'Eclogues'. The amaryllis flower is named for her.
ANFISA f RussianRussian form of the Greek name
Ανθουσα (Anthousa), which was derived from Greek
ανθος (anthos) "flower". This was the name of a 9th-century Byzantine saint.
ANH m & f VietnameseThis name is frequently combined with a middle name to create a compound name; the meaning of
Anh changes depending on the Sino-Vietnamese characters underlying the compound. It is often from Sino-Vietnamese
英 (anh) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero", though in compounds it often takes on the meaning "intelligent, bright".
ANNAGÜL f TurkmenDerived from Turkmen
anna "Friday" and
gül "flower, rose".
ANTHONY m EnglishEnglish form of the Roman family name
Antonius, which is of unknown Etruscan origin. The most notable member of the Roman family was the general Marcus Antonius (called Mark Antony in English), who for a period in the 1st century BC ruled the Roman Empire jointly with Augustus. When their relationship turned sour, he and his mistress Cleopatra were attacked and forced to commit suicide, as related in Shakespeare's tragedy 'Antony and Cleopatra' (1606).
... [more] APRIL f EnglishFrom the name of the month, probably originally derived from Latin
aperire "to open", referring to the opening of flowers. It has only been commonly used as a given name since the 1940s.
AYAKA f JapaneseFrom Japanese
彩 (aya) meaning "colour" combined with
花 (ka) or
華 (ka) both meaning "flower". Other kanji combinations are possible.
AZAHAR f SpanishMeans "orange blossom" in Spanish, ultimately from Arabic
زهرة (zahrah) meaning "flower". It is taken from the title of the Virgin
Mary,
Nuestra Señora del Azahar, meaning "Our Lady of the Orange Blossom", because of the citrus trees that surround a church devoted to her near Murcia.
BAHARGÜL f TurkmenDerived from Turkmen
bahar meaning "spring" and
gül meaning "flower, rose" (both roots ultimately of Persian origin).
BLÁTHNAT f Irish, Irish MythologyMeans "little flower" from the Irish word
blath "flower" combined with a diminutive suffix. In Irish legend she was a maiden abducted and married by Cú Roí. She was rescued by
Cúchulainn, who killed her husband, but she was in turn murdered by one of Cú Roí's loyal servants.
BLODEUWEDD f Welsh, Welsh MythologyMeans "face of flowers" in Welsh. In a story in the Mabinogion, she is created out of flowers by
Gwydion to be the wife of his nephew
Lleu Llaw Gyffes. She is eventually changed into an owl for her infidelity.
BLODWEN f WelshMeans "white flowers" from Welsh
blodau "flowers" combined with
gwen "white, fair, blessed".
BOPHA f KhmerMeans "flower" in Khmer, ultimately from Pali.
CAMELLIA f English (Rare)From the name of the flowering shrub, which was named for the botanist and missionary Georg Josef Kamel.
CELINDA f English (Rare)Probably a blend of
CELIA and
LINDA. This is also the Spanish name for a variety of shrub with white flowers, known as sweet mock-orange in English (species Philadelphus coronarius).
CHIKA (2) f JapaneseFrom Japanese
千 (chi) meaning "thousand",
智 (chi) meaning "wisdom, intellect" or
散 (chi) meaning "scatter" combined with
佳 (ka) meaning "good, beautiful" or
花 (ka) meaning "flower". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
CHRYSANTA f English (Rare)Shortened form of the word
chrysanthemum, the name of a flowering plant, which means "golden flower" in Greek.
CLEMATIS f English (Rare)From the English word for a type of flowering vine, ultimately derived from Greek
κλημα (klema) "twig, branch".
CLOVER f English (Rare)From the English word for the wild flower, ultimately deriving from Old English
clafre.
COLOMBINA f ItalianItalian feminine diminutive of
COLUMBA. In traditional Italian pantomimes this is the name of a stock character, the female counterpart of Arlecchino (also called Harlequin). This is also the Italian word for the columbine flower.
CVETKA f SloveneDerived from Slovene
cvet meaning "blossom, flower".
DAFFODIL f English (Rare)From the name of the flower, ultimately derived from Dutch
de affodil meaning "the asphodel".
DAISY f EnglishSimply from the English word for the white flower, ultimately derived from Old English
dægeseage meaning "day eye". It was first used as a given name in the 19th century, at the same time many other plant and flower names were coined.
EGLANTINE f English (Rare)From the English word for the flower also known as sweetbrier. It was first used as a given name (in the form
Eglentyne) in Geoffrey Chaucer's 14th-century story 'The Prioress's Tale'.
ELANOR f LiteratureMeans "star sun" in Sindarin. In 'The Lord of the Rings' (1954) by J. R. R. Tolkien this is Sam's eldest daughter, named after a type of flower.
EUN-YEONG f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
恩 (eun) meaning "kindness, mercy, charity" and
英 (yeong) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero". This name can be formed by other hanja character combinations as well.
FIORE f & m ItalianMeans "flower" in Italian. It can also be considered an Italian form of the Latin names
FLORA and
FLORUS.
FIORELLA f ItalianFrom Italian
fiore "flower" combined with a diminutive suffix.
FLEUR f French, Dutch, English (Rare)Means "flower" in French. This was the name of a character in John Galsworthy's novels 'The Forsyte Saga' (1922).
FLOWER f English (Rare)Simply from the English word
flower for the blossoming plant. It is derived (via Old French) from Latin
flos.
GARDENIA f English (Rare)From the name of the tropical flower, which was named for the Scottish naturalist Alexander Garden (1730-1791).
GENTIAN m AlbanianFrom the name of the flowering plant called the gentian, the roots of which are used to create a tonic. It is derived from the name of the Illyrian king
GENTIUS, who supposedly discovered its medicinal properties.
GUIYING m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
桂 (guì) meaning "laurel, cassia, cinnamon" combined with
英 (yīng) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero". This name can be formed from other character combinations as well.
GUL m & f Urdu, PashtoMeans "flower, rose" in Urdu and Pashto, ultimately from Persian.
GÜLNUR f TurkishMeans "rose light" in Turkish, ultimately from Persian
گل (gol) meaning "flower, rose" and Arabic
نور (nur) meaning "light".
GWYDION m Welsh MythologyMeans "born of trees" in Welsh. In the Mabinogion, Gwydion was the nephew of
Math, and like him a powerful magician. He was the uncle of
Lleu Llaw Gyffes, for whom he fashioned a wife,
Blodeuwedd, out of flowers.
HANA (3) f JapaneseFrom Japanese
花 (hana) or
華 (hana) both meaning "flower". Other kanji or kanji combinations can form this name as well.
HANAE f JapaneseFrom Japanese
花 (hana) or
華 (hana), which both mean "flower", combined with
絵 (e) meaning "picture" or
恵 (e) meaning "favour, benefit". Other kanji combinations are possible.
HANAKO f JapaneseFrom Japanese
花 (hana) meaning "flower" and
子 (ko) meaning "child", as well as other kanji combinations.
HARUKA f & m JapaneseFrom 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.
HEATHER f EnglishFrom the English word
heather for the variety of small shrubs with pink or white flowers, which commonly grow in rocky areas. It is derived from Middle English
hather. It was first used as a given name in the late 19th century, though it did not become popular until the last half of the 20th century.
HONOKA f JapaneseFrom Japanese
和 (hono) meaning "harmony" (using an obscure nanori reading) and
花 (ka) meaning "flower", as well as other combinations of kanji that have the same pronunciation. Very often it is written using the hiragana writing system.
HUA f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
华 (huá) meaning "splendid, illustrious, Chinese" or
花 (huā) meaning "flower, blossom" (which is usually only feminine). Other Chinese characters can form this name as well.
HYACINTHUS m Greek Mythology (Latinized), Ancient Greek (Latinized)Latinized form of the Greek name
‘Υακινθος (Hyakinthos), which was derived from the name of the hyacinth flower. In Greek legend Hyakinthos was accidentally killed by the god
Apollo, who mournfully caused this flower to arise from his blood. The name was also borne by several early saints, notably a 3rd-century martyr who was killed with his brother Protus.
IOLANTHE f VariousProbably a variant of
YOLANDA influenced by the Greek words
ιολη (iole) "violet" and
ανθος (anthos) "flower". This name was (first?) used by Gilbert and Sullivan in their comic opera 'Iolanthe' (1882).
IONE f Greek Mythology, EnglishFrom Ancient Greek
ιον (ion) meaning "violet flower". This was the name of a sea nymph in Greek mythology. It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the 19th century, though perhaps based on the Greek place name
Ionia, a region on the west coast of Asia Minor.
IRIS f Greek Mythology, English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, French, Spanish, GreekMeans "rainbow" in Greek. Iris was the name of the Greek goddess of the rainbow, also serving as a messenger to the gods. This name can also be given in reference to the word (which derives from the same Greek source) for the iris flower or the coloured part of the eye.
IVY f EnglishFrom the English word for the climbing plant that has small yellow flowers. It is ultimately derived from Old English
ifig.
JASMINE f English, FrenchFrom the English word for the climbing plant with fragrant flowers that is used for making perfumes. It is derived from Persian
یاسمن (yasamen), which is also a Persian name.
JESSAMINE f English (Rare)From a variant spelling of the English word
jasmine (see
JASMINE), used also to refer to flowering plants in the cestrum family.
JI-YEONG f & m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
智 (ji) meaning "wisdom, intellect" or
知 (ji) meaning "know, perceive, comprehend" combined with
英 (yeong) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero" or
榮 (yeong) meaning "glory, honour, flourish, prosper". Many other hanja character combinations are possible.
JONQUIL f English (Rare)From the English word for the type of flower, derived ultimately from Latin
iuncus "reed".
KANON f JapaneseFrom Japanese
花 (ka) meaning "flower, blossom" and
音 (non) meaning "sound". Other kanji combinations are possible as well.
KAPUA f & m HawaiianMeans "the flower" or "the child" from Hawaiian
ka, a definite article, and
pua "flower, offspring".
KAREN (3) f JapaneseFrom Japanese
華 (ka) meaning "flower" and
蓮 (ren) meaning "lotus, water lily". Other combinations of kanji can also form this name.
KASUMI f JapaneseFrom Japanese
霞 (kasumi) meaning "mist". It can also come from
花 (ka) meaning "flower, blossom" combined with
澄 (sumi) meaning "clear, pure". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
KLYTIË f Greek MythologyDerived from Greek
κλυτος (klytos) meaning "famous, noble". In Greek myth Klytië was an ocean nymph who loved the sun god Helios. Her love was not returned, and she pined away staring at him until she was transformed into a heliotrope flower, whose head moves to follow the sun.
LAELIA f Ancient RomanFeminine form of
Laelius, a Roman family name of unknown meaning. This is also the name of a type of flower, an orchid found in Mexico and Central America.
LAKSHMI f & m Hinduism, Indian, Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam, Marathi, HindiMeans "sign, mark" in Sanskrit. This is the name of the Hindu goddess of prosperity, good luck, and beauty. She is the wife of
Vishnu and her symbol is the lotus flower, with which she is often depicted.
LEILANI f & m HawaiianMeans "heavenly flowers" or "royal child" from Hawaiian
lei "flowers, lei, child" and
lani "heaven, sky, royal, majesty".
LEIMOMI f HawaiianMeans "pearl lei" or "pearl child" from Hawaiian
lei "flowers, lei, child" and
momi "pearl".
LILAC f English (Rare)From the English word for the shrub with purple or white flowers. It is derived via Arabic from Persian.
LILY f EnglishFrom the name of the flower, a symbol of purity. The word is ultimately derived from Latin
lilium.
LINNÉA f SwedishFrom the name of a flower, also known as the twinflower. The Swedish botanist Carolus Linnaeus named it after himself, it being his favourite flower.
LOTUS f English (Rare)From the name of the lotus flower (species Nelumbo nucifera) or the mythological lotus tree. They are ultimately derived from Greek
λωτος (lotos). In Greek and Roman mythology the lotus tree was said to produce a fruit causing sleepiness and forgetfulness.
LULJETA f AlbanianMeans "flower of life" in Albanian, from
lule "flower" and
jetë "life".
MADARA f LatvianFrom the Latvian name for a type of flowering plant, known as cleavers or bedstraw in English.
MAGNOLIA f EnglishFrom the English word
magnolia for the flower, which was named for the French botanist Pierre Magnol.
MALAI f ThaiMeans "garland of flowers" in Thai.
MARGANITA f HebrewFrom the name of a type of flowering plant common in Israel, called the scarlet pimpernel in English.
MARGHERITA f ItalianItalian form of
MARGARET. This is also the Italian word for the daisy flower (species Leucanthemum vulgare).
MARGRIET f DutchDutch form of
MARGARET. This is also the Dutch word for the daisy flower (species Leucanthemum vulgare).
MARGUERITE f FrenchFrench form of
MARGARET. This is also the French word for the daisy flower (species Leucanthemum vulgare).
MARYAM f Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Bashkir, TatarArabic, Persian, Urdu, Bashkir and Tatar form of
Miryam (see
MARY). In Iran it is also the name of a flower, the tuberose, which is named after the Virgin Mary.
MAY f EnglishDerived from the name of the month of May, which derives from
Maia, the name of a Roman goddess. May is also another name of the hawthorn flower. It is also used as a diminutive of
MARY,
MARGARET or
MABEL.
MOMOKA f JapaneseFrom Japanese
百 (momo) meaning "hundred" or
桃 (momo) meaning "peach" combined with
花 (ka) meaning "flower" or
香 (ka) meaning "fragrance". Other kanji combinations are possible.
MYRTLE f EnglishSimply from the English word
myrtle for the evergreen shrub, ultimately from Greek
μυρτος (myrtos). It was first used as a given name in the 19th century, at the same time many other plant and flower names were coined.
NARCISSE m & f FrenchFrench masculine and feminine form of
NARCISSUS. This is also the French word for the narcissus flower.
NURGÜL f TurkishMeans "radiant rose" in Turkish, ultimately from Arabic
نور (nur) meaning "light" and Persian
گل (gol) meaning "flower, rose".
NURIT f HebrewMeans "buttercup flower" in Hebrew (genus Ranunculus).
NYDIA f English (Rare), Spanish, LiteratureUsed by British author Edward Bulwer-Lytton for a blind flower-seller in his novel 'The Last Days of Pompeii' (1834). He perhaps based it on Latin
nidus "nest".
ORNELLA f ItalianCreated by the Italian author Gabriele d'Annunzio for his novel 'La Figlia di Jorio' (1904). It is derived from Tuscan Italian
ornello meaning "flowering ash tree".
PANKAJA m HinduismMeans "born of mud", referring to the lotus flower, derived from Sanskrit
पङ्क (panka) meaning "mud" and
ज (ja) meaning "born". This is another name of the Hindu god
Brahma.
PANSY f EnglishFrom the English word for a type of flower, ultimately deriving from Old French
pensee "thought".
PEONY f English (Rare)From the English word for the type of flower. It was originally believed to have healing qualities, so it was named after the Greek medical god
Pæon.
PETUNIA f English (Rare)From the name of the flower, derived ultimately from a Tupi (South American) word.
POSY f EnglishDiminutive of
JOSEPHINE. It can also be inspired by the English word
posy for a bunch of flowers.
PRIMROSE f English (Rare)From the English word for the flower, ultimately deriving from Latin
prima rosa "first rose".
PRIMULA f English (Rare)From the name of a genus of several species of flowers, including the primrose. It is derived from the Latin word
primulus meaning "very first".
PRUNELLA f English (Rare)From the English word for the type of flower, also called self-heal, ultimately a derivative of the Latin word
pruna "plum".
PUALANI f HawaiianMeans "heavenly flower" or "royal offspring" from Hawaiian
pua "flower, offspring" and
lani "heaven, sky, royal, majesty".
PUANANI f HawaiianMeans "beautiful flower" or "beautiful offspring" from Hawaiian
pua "flower, offspring" and
nani "beauty, glory".
RATREE f ThaiFrom the name of a variety of jasmine flower, the night jasmine, ultimately from a poetic word meaning "night".
ROSE f English, FrenchOriginally a Norman form of a Germanic name, which was composed of the elements
hrod "fame" and
heid "kind, sort, type". The Normans introduced it to England in the forms
Roese and
Rohese. From an early date it was associated with the word for the fragrant flower
rose (derived from Latin
rosa). When the name was revived in the 19th century, it was probably with the flower in mind.
RUZHA f Bulgarian, MacedonianMeans "hollyhock" in Bulgarian and Macedonian (referring to flowering plants from the genera Alcea and Althaea).
SAFFRON f English (Rare)From the English word that refers either to a spice, the crocus flower from which it is harvested, or the yellow-orange colour of the spice. It is derived via Old French from Arabic
زعفران (za'faran), itself probably from Persian meaning "gold leaves".
SAMANTHA f English, Italian, DutchPerhaps intended to be a feminine form of
SAMUEL, using the name suffix
antha (possibly inspired by Greek
ανθος (anthos) "flower"). It originated in America in the 18th century but was fairly uncommon until 1964, when it was popularized by the main character on the television show 'Bewitched'.
SHARON f EnglishFrom an Old Testament place name, in Hebrew
שָׁרוֹן (Sharon), which means "plain", referring to the fertile plain near the coast of Israel. This is also the name of a type of flowering shrub, the rose of Sharon. It has been in use as a given name since the 1920s, possibly inspired by the heroine in the serial novel 'The Skyrocket' (1925) by Adela Rogers St. Johns.
SMILTĖ f LithuanianMeans "sandwort" in Lithuanian, referring to flowering plants from the genus Arenaria.
TANSY f English (Rare)From the name of the flower, which is derived via Old French from Late Latin
tanacita.
TIARE f TahitianMeans "flower" in Tahitian, also specifically referring to the species Gardenia taitensis.
TSUBAKI f JapaneseFrom Japanese
椿 (tsubaki) meaning "camellia flower", as well as other combinations of kanji that are pronounced the same way.
VIOLET f EnglishFrom the English word
violet for the purple flower, ultimately derived from Latin
viola. It was common in Scotland from the 16th century, and it came into general use as an English given name during the 19th century.
VIOREL m RomanianDerived from
viorea, the Romanian word for the alpine squill flower (species Scilla bifolia) or the sweet violet flower (species Viola odorata). It is derived from Latin
viola "violet".
XIUYING f ChineseFrom Chinese
秀 (xiù) meaning "luxuriant, beautiful, elegant, outstanding" combined with
英 (yīng) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero". Other character combinations are possible.
YEONG f & m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
英 (yeong) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero", as well as other hanja characters that are pronounced similarly. It usually occurs in combination with another character, though it is sometimes used as a stand-alone name. This name was borne by Jang Yeong-sil (where
Jang is the surname), a 15th-century Korean scientist and inventor.
YEONG-HO m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
英 (yeong) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero",
映 (yeong) meaning "reflect light" or
泳 (yeong) meaning "dive, swim" combined with
浩 (ho) meaning "great, numerous, vast" or
皓 (ho) meaning "bright, luminous, clear, hoary". Other hanja combinations are possible.
YEONG-HUI f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
英 (yeong) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero" or
泳 (yeong) meaning "dive, swim" combined with
姬 (hui) meaning "beauty" or
嬉 (hui) meaning "enjoy, play". Other combinations of hanja characters can form this name as well.
YEONG-JA f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
英 (yeong) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero" and
子 (ja) meaning "child". Other hanja character combinations can form this name as well. Feminine names ending with the character
子 (a fashionable name suffix in Japan, read as
-ko in Japanese) were popular in Korea during the period of Japanese rule (1910-1945). After liberation this name and others like it declined in popularity.
YEONG-SUK f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
英 (yeong) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero" and
淑 (suk) meaning "good, pure, virtuous, charming". Other hanja character combinations are possible.
YUUKA f JapaneseFrom Japanese
優 (yuu) meaning "excellence, superiority, gentleness" and
花 (ka) meaning "flower, blossom". It can also be composed of different kanji that have the same pronunciations.
ZAYNAB f ArabicMeaning uncertain. It is possibly related to Arabic
زين (zayn) meaning "beauty"; it could be from the name of a fragrant flowering tree; or it could be an Arabic form of
ZENOBIA, a name borne by a pre-Islamic queen of Palmyra. Zaynab was the name of a daughter, a granddaughter, and two wives of the Prophet
Muhammad.
ZINNIA f English (Rare)From the name of the flower, which was itself named for the German botanist Johann Zinn.