Abdiel m Biblical, Biblical GreekMeans
"servant of God" in Hebrew, from
עֶבֶד (ʿeveḏ) meaning "servant, slave" and
אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". In the Old Testament, this is the name of a member of the tribe of Gad. In John Milton's
Paradise Lost (1667), this is the name of a seraph who withstands Satan when he urges the angels to revolt.
Abel m English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Georgian, Armenian, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical GreekFrom the Hebrew name
הֶבֶל (Hevel) meaning
"breath". In the Old Testament he is the second son of
Adam and
Eve, murdered out of envy by his brother
Cain. In England, this name came into use during the Middle Ages, and it was common during the Puritan era.
Abiel m BiblicalMeans
"God is my father" in Hebrew, from
אָב (ʾav) meaning "father" and
אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". This was the name of the grandfather of
Saul according to the Old Testament.
Abital f BiblicalMeans
"my father is dew" in Hebrew, from the roots
אָב (ʾav) meaning "father" and
טַל (ṭal) meaning "dew". She is the fifth wife of
David in the Old Testament.
Afzal m Arabic, UrduMeans
"better, superior" in Arabic, a derivative of the root
فضل (faḍala) meaning "to be in excess, to excel".
Ailill m Old Irish, Irish MythologyMeans
"elf" in Irish. This name was borne by several early Irish kings. It also occurs frequently in Irish legend, borne for example by the husband of Queen
Medb. It was also the name of two saints, both bishops of Armagh in the 6th century.
Al m EnglishShort form of
Albert and other names beginning with
Al. A notable bearer is American actor Al Pacino (1940-).
Ammiel m Biblical, Biblical HebrewMeans
"God is my kinsman" in Hebrew, from the roots
עַם (ʿam) meaning "people, nation, kinsman" and
אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". This is the name of one of the spies sent out by
Moses in the Old Testament.
Angel m & f English, Bulgarian, MacedonianFrom the medieval Latin masculine name
Angelus, which was derived from the name of the heavenly creature (itself derived from the Greek word
ἄγγελος (angelos) meaning "messenger"). It has never been very common in the English-speaking world, where it is sometimes used as a feminine name in modern times.
Anil m Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Punjabi, Gujarati, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, NepaliDerived from Sanskrit
अनिल (anila) meaning
"air, wind".
Annabel f English, DutchVariant of
Amabel, with the spelling altered as if it were a combination of
Anna and French
belle "beautiful". This name appears to have arisen in Scotland in the Middle Ages.
Annagül f TurkmenDerived from Turkmen
anna "Friday" and
gül "flower, rose".
Ansel m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from the given name
Anselm. A famous bearer was American photographer Ansel Adams (1902-1984).
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.
Aqil m Arabic, UrduMeans
"intelligent, wise, reasonable" in Arabic, from the root
عقل (ʿaqala) meaning "to have intelligence, to be reasonable". Aqil ibn Abi Talib was the name of a cousin of the Prophet
Muhammad.
Archil m GeorgianMeaning unknown, of Persian origin. This was the name of an 8th-century Georgian noble who was executed for refusing to convert to Islam.
Ariel m & f Hebrew, English, French, Spanish, Polish, Biblical, Biblical GreekMeans
"lion of God" in Hebrew, from
אֲרִי (ʾari) meaning "lion" and
אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". In the Old Testament it is used as another name for the city of Jerusalem. Shakespeare utilized it for a spirit in his play
The Tempest (1611) and Alexander Pope utilized it for a sylph in his poem
The Rape of the Lock (1712), and one of the moons of Uranus bears this name in his honour. As an English name, it became more common for females in the 1980s, especially after it was used for the title character in the Disney film
The Little Mermaid (1989).
Armel m Breton, FrenchBreton and French form of the Old Welsh name
Arthmail, which was composed of the elements
arth "bear" and
mael "prince, chieftain". This was the name of a 6th-century Welsh saint who founded abbeys in Brittany.
Asal f PersianMeans
"honey" in Persian (of Arabic origin).
Ashurbanipal m Ancient Assyrian (Anglicized)From Akkadian
Ashur-bani-apli meaning
"Ashur is creator of a son". This was the name of one of the final kings of the Assyrian Empire, reigning late in the 7th century BC. He appears in the Old Testament under the name
Asnappar.
Assol f Russian (Rare), LiteratureFrom the 1923 Russian novel
Scarlet Sails by Alexander Grin, adapted into a 1961 Soviet movie. In the story, Assol is a young girl who is told by a prophetic old man that she will one day marry a prince. The meaning of the name is not uncertain, but it has been suggested that it was inspired by the Russian question
а соль (a sol) meaning
"and the salt?".
Astrophel m LiteratureProbably intended to mean "star lover", from Greek
ἀστήρ (aster) meaning "star" and
φίλος (philos) meaning "lover, friend". This name was first used by the 16th-century poet Philip Sidney in his collection of sonnets
Astrophel and Stella.
Athol m & f ScottishFrom
Atholl, the name of a district in Scotland, from Scottish Gaelic
Athall, possibly derived from Old Irish
ath Fhotla "new Ireland".
Avtandil m Georgian, LiteratureCreated by the Georgian poet Shota Rustaveli for his 12th-century epic
The Knight in the Panther's Skin. Rustaveli based it on Persian
آفتاب (āftāb) meaning "sunshine" and
دل (del) meaning "heart". In the poem Avtandil is a knight who is sent by
Tinatin to search for the mysterious knight of the title.
Aygül f Turkish, Uyghur, AzerbaijaniDerived from the Turkic element
ay meaning "moon" combined with Persian
گل (gol) meaning "flower, rose". In some languages this is also a name for a variety of flowering plant that grows in central Asia (species Fritillaria eduardii).
Aysel f Turkish, AzerbaijaniMeans
"moon flood" in Turkish and Azerbaijani, derived from
ay "moon" and
sel "flood, stream" (of Arabic origin).
Azazel m BiblicalMeans
"scapegoat" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament, this is the name of the recipient of a sacrificial goat. The identity of Azazel is not clear; it may in fact be the name of the place where the goat is to be sacrificed, or it may be the name of some sort of evil desert demon.
Azel m BiblicalMeans
"reserved" in Hebrew. This is both the name of a minor character and a place name in the Old Testament.
Aziel m Biblical, Biblical HebrewPossibly means
"God comforts" in Hebrew, from the roots
עוּז (ʿuz) meaning "to take refuge" and
אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". Otherwise it might a variant of
Uzziel. This is the name of a musician (also called Jaaziel) in the Old Testament.
Azrael m Judeo-Christian-Islamic LegendVariant of
Azarel. This is the name of an angel in Jewish and Islamic tradition who separates the soul from the body upon death. He is sometimes referred to as the Angel of Death.
Azriel m BiblicalMeans
"my help is God" in Hebrew, derived from
עֶזְרָה (ʿezra) meaning "help" and
אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". This is the name of three minor characters in the Old Testament.
Ba'al m Semitic Mythology, Biblical HebrewHebrew form of Semitic root
bʿl meaning
"lord, master, possessor". This was the title of various deities, often associated with storms and fertility, who were worshipped by the Canaanites, Phoenicians, and other peoples of the ancient Near East. It was particularly applied to the god
Hadad.
Bahargül f TurkmenDerived from Turkmen
bahar meaning "spring" and
gül meaning "flower, rose" (both roots ultimately of Persian origin).
Baktygul f KyrgyzDerived from Persian
بخت (bakht) meaning "fortune, happiness" and
گل (gol) meaning "flower, rose".
Basil 1 m EnglishFrom the Greek name
Βασίλειος (Basileios), which was derived from
βασιλεύς (basileus) meaning
"king". Saint Basil the Great was a 4th-century bishop of Caesarea and one of the fathers of the early Christian church. Due to him, the name (in various spellings) has come into general use in the Christian world, being especially popular among Eastern Christians. It was also borne by two Byzantine emperors.
Batul f ArabicMeans
"virgin" in Arabic. This is an Arabic epithet of the Virgin
Mary.
Belial m Biblical, Biblical Latin, Judeo-Christian-Islamic LegendMeans
"worthless" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this term is used to refer to various wicked people. In the New Testament, Paul uses it as a name for Satan. In later Christian tradition Belial became an evil angel associated with lawlessness and lust.
Beryl f EnglishFrom the English word for the clear or pale green precious stone, ultimately deriving from Sanskrit. As a given name, it first came into use in the 19th century.
Bethel f EnglishFrom an Old Testament place name meaning
"house of God" in Hebrew. This was a town north of Jerusalem, where
Jacob saw his vision of the stairway. It is occasionally used as a given name.
Bethuel m BiblicalPossibly means
"destruction of God" in Hebrew, from
בָּתָה (baṯa) meaning "destruction" and
אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". In the Old Testament this is the name of the father of
Rebecca.
Bill m EnglishShort form of
William. This spelling was not commonly used before the 19th century. The change in the initial consonant may have been influenced by an earlier Irish pronunciation of the name. Famous bearers include basketball player Bill Russell (1934-2022), comedian Bill Cosby (1937-), American president Bill Clinton (1946-), and Microsoft founder Bill Gates (1955-), all of whom were born with the name
William.
Boel f SwedishFrom
Boeld, a medieval form of the Old Norse name
Bóthildr (see
Bodil).
Brochfael m Medieval WelshFrom Old Welsh
Brochmail, from a Brythonic name *
Broccomaglos, derived from Celtic *
brokkos "badger" and *
maglos "chief". This was the name of a 6th-century king of Powys, also known as
Brochwel.
Cadell m Welsh (Rare)From Old Welsh
Catell, derived from
cat "battle" and a diminutive suffix. This was the name of two early kings of Powys in Wales.
Cadfael m Welsh (Rare)From Old Welsh
Catmail meaning
"battle prince", from
cat "battle" and
mael "prince". This was apparently the birth name of Saint Cadoc. It was used by the British author Ellis Peters for the main character in her books
The Cadfael Chronicles, first released in 1977.
Cáel m Irish MythologyFrom Old Irish
cáel meaning
"slender". In Irish legend Cáel was a warrior of the Fianna and the lover of Créd.
Campbell m & f EnglishFrom a Scottish surname meaning
"crooked mouth" from Gaelic
cam "crooked" and
beul "mouth".
Cansel f TurkishDerived from Turkish
can meaning "soul, life" and
sel meaning "flood, stream".
Carl m German, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, EnglishGerman and Scandinavian variant of
Karl (see
Charles). Noteworthy bearers of the name include the Swedish biologist Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778), who founded modern taxonomy, the German mathematician Carl Gauss (1777-1855), who made contributions to number theory and algebra as well as physics and astronomy, and the Swiss psychologist Carl Jung (1875-1961), who founded analytical psychology. It was imported to America in the 19th century by German immigrants.
Carmel f & m English, JewishFrom the title of the Virgin
Mary Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
כַּרְמֶל (Karmel) (meaning "garden" in Hebrew) is a mountain in Israel mentioned in the Old Testament. It was the site of several early Christian monasteries. As an English given name, it has mainly been used by Catholics. As a Jewish name it is unisex.
Carol 1 f & m EnglishShort form of
Caroline. It was formerly a masculine name, derived from
Carolus. The name can also be given in reference to the English vocabulary word, which means "song" or "hymn".
Carroll m IrishAnglicized form of
Cearbhall. A famous bearer of the surname was Lewis Carroll (1832-1898), whose real name was Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, a British author known for
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
Cassiel m Judeo-Christian-Islamic LegendFrom Hebrew
קַפצִיאֵל (Qaftsiʾel), of uncertain meaning. Suggested meanings include
"leap of God",
"drawn together by God" or
"wrath of God". This is the name of an angel in medieval Jewish, Christian and Islamic mysticism.
Castiel m Judeo-Christian-Islamic Legend, Popular CulturePossibly a variant of
Cassiel. It is the name of an angel in the grimoire the
Heptameron, a work that is sometimes (probably incorrectly) attributed to the 13th-century philosopher Pietro d'Abano. It was also the name of a character (an angel) on the American television series
Supernatural (2005-2020). The creator Eric Kripke chose it after an internet search revealed that Castiel was an angel associated with Thursdays, the day the show aired.
Cathal m Irish, Old IrishDerived from Old Irish
cath "battle" and
fal "rule". This was the name of a 7th-century Irish saint. It was also borne by several Irish kings. It has sometimes been Anglicized as
Charles.
Cearbhall m IrishFrom Old Irish
Cerball, probably from
cerb meaning
"pointed, sharp, cutting". This was the name of a few medieval Irish kings.
Cecil m EnglishFrom the Roman name
Caecilius. Though it was in use during the Middle Ages in England, it did not become common until the 19th century when it was given in honour of the noble Cecil family, who had been prominent since the 16th century. Their surname was derived from the Welsh given name
Seisyll, which was derived from the Roman name
Sextilius, a derivative of
Sextus.
Chanel f EnglishFrom a French surname that meant either
"channel", indicating a person who lived near a channel of water, or
"jug, jar, bottle", indicating a manufacturer of jugs. It has been used as an American given name since 1970s, influenced by the Chanel brand name (a line of women's clothing and perfume), which was named for French fashion designer Coco Chanel (1883-1971).
Chantal f French, English, DutchFrom a French surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"stony". It was originally given in honour of Saint Jeanne-Françoise de Chantal, the founder of the Visitation Order in the 17th century. It has become associated with French
chant "song".
Cheryl f EnglishElaboration of
Cherie, perhaps influenced by
Beryl. This name was very rare before the 20th century. It seems to have been popularized in America by the actress Cheryl Walker (1918-1971), who had a prominent role in the 1943 movie
Stage Door Canteen. After peaking in the 1950s the name has subsequently faded from the popularity charts.
Christabel f English (Rare)Combination of
Christina and the name suffix
bel (inspired by Latin
bella "beautiful"). This name occurs in medieval literature, and was later used by Samuel Taylor Coleridge in his 1816 poem
Christabel.
Ciel f & m Various (Rare)Means
"sky" in French. It is not used as a given name in France itself.
Claribel f EnglishCombination of
Clara and the common name suffix
bel, from Latin
bella "beautiful". This name was used by Edmund Spenser in his poem
The Faerie Queene (1590; in the form
Claribell) and by Shakespeare in his play
The Tempest (1611). Alfred Tennyson also wrote a poem entitled
Claribel (1830).
Comhghall m Irish (Rare)Means
"fellow hostage" from Old Irish
com "with, together" and
gíall "hostage". This was the name of a 6th-century saint, the founder of a monastery at Bangor, Ireland.
Conall m Irish, Old Irish, Irish MythologyMeans
"rule of a wolf", from Old Irish
cú "hound, dog, wolf" (genitive
con) and
fal "rule". This is the name of several characters in Irish legend including the hero Conall Cernach ("Conall of the victories"), a member of the Red Branch of Ulster, who avenged
Cúchulainn's death by killing
Lugaid.
Coral f English, SpanishFrom the English and Spanish word
coral for the underwater skeletal deposits that can form reefs. It is ultimately derived (via Old French and Latin) from Greek
κοράλλιον (korallion).
Cordell m EnglishFrom an English surname meaning
"maker of cord" or
"seller of cord" in Middle English.
Crystal f EnglishFrom the English word
crystal for the clear, colourless glass, sometimes cut into the shape of a gemstone. The English word derives ultimately from Greek
κρύσταλλος (krystallos) meaning "ice". It has been in use as a given name since the 19th century.
Cybill f English (Rare)Variant of
Sibyl. This name was borne by actress Cybill Shepherd (1950-), who was named after her grandfather Cy and her father Bill.
Daffodil f English (Rare)From the name of the flower, ultimately derived from Dutch
de affodil meaning "the asphodel".
Daniel m English, Hebrew, French, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, Romanian, Slovene, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Croatian, Finnish, Estonian, Armenian, Georgian, Biblical, Biblical GreekFrom the Hebrew name
דָּנִיֵּאל (Daniyyel) meaning
"God is my judge", from the roots
דִּין (din) meaning "to judge" and
אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". Daniel was a Hebrew prophet whose story is told in the Book of Daniel in the Old Testament. He lived during the Jewish captivity in Babylon, where he served in the court of the king, rising to prominence by interpreting the king's dreams. The book also presents Daniel's four visions of the end of the world.
... [more] Darnell m English, African AmericanFrom an English surname that was derived from Old French
darnel, a type of grass. In some cases the surname may be from a place name, itself derived from Old English
derne "hidden" and
halh "nook".
Darrell m English, African AmericanFrom an English surname that was derived from Norman French
d'Airelle, originally denoting one who came from Airelle in France. As a given name it was moderately popular from the 1930s to the 1970s, but it dropped off the American top 1000 rankings in 2018.
Darryl m English, African AmericanVariant of
Darrell. In the United States, this spelling was more popular than
Darrell from 1960 to 1966, being especially well-used in the African-American community.
Dashiell m English (Rare)In the case of American author Dashiell Hammett (1894-1961) it was from his mother's surname, which was possibly an Anglicized form of French
de Chiel, of unknown meaning.
Dearbháil f IrishFrom Old Irish
Derbáil meaning
"daughter of Fál", derived from the prefix
der meaning "daughter" and
Fál, a legendary name for Ireland.
Decebal m RomanianMeans
"powerful, brave" in Dacian. This was the name adopted by Diurpaneus, a 1st-century king of Dacia. For many years he successfully resisted Roman expansion into his territory but was finally defeated by the forces of Emperor Trajan in 106.
Dell m & f EnglishFrom an English surname that originally denoted a person who lived in a dell or valley.
Denzel m English (Modern)Possibly a variant of
Denzil. This spelling of the name was popularized by American actor Denzel Washington (1954-), who was named after his father.
Denzil m EnglishFrom a surname that originally denoted a person from the manor of Denzell in Cornwall. This given name was borne by several members of the noble Holles family starting in the 16th century, notably the statesman Denzil Holles (1599-1680). They were named for John Denzel, an ancestor whose home was Denzell.
Dougal m ScottishAnglicized form of the Scottish Gaelic name
Dubhghall meaning
"dark stranger", from Old Irish
dub "dark" and
gall "stranger". This name was borne by a few medieval Scottish chiefs.
Driscoll m English (Rare)From an Irish surname that was an Anglicized form of
Ó hEidirsceóil meaning
"descendant of the messenger".
Earl m EnglishFrom the aristocratic title, which derives from Old English
eorl "nobleman, warrior". It has been used as a given name since the 19th century.
Edel f IrishIn Ireland this name is given in honour of the Irish missionary Edel Quinn (1907-1944). She was named after the edelweiss flower (species Leontopodium alpinum), which is derived from German
edel "noble" and
weiß "white".
Edsel m VariousVariant of
Etzel notably borne by Edsel Ford (1893-1943), the son of the American industrialist Henry Ford.
Egil m NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Egill, a diminutive of names that began with the element
agi "awe, fear". This was the name of a semi-legendary 10th-century Viking, described in the Icelandic
Egill's Saga.
El m Semitic MythologyFrom a Semitic root meaning
"god". This was a title applied to several Semitic gods. The Canaanites used it as the name of their chief deity, the father of the gods and mankind. The Hebrews used it to refer to
Yahweh.
Emel f TurkishMeans
"desire" in Turkish, ultimately of Arabic origin, making this name a relative of
Amal.
Emil m Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Romanian, Bulgarian, Czech, Slovak, Polish, Russian, Slovene, Serbian, Croatian, Macedonian, Hungarian, Icelandic, EnglishFrom the Roman family name
Aemilius, which was derived from Latin
aemulus meaning
"rival".
Emmanuel m Biblical, French, EnglishFrom the Hebrew name
עִמָּנוּאֵל (ʿImmanuʾel) meaning
"God is with us", from the roots
עִם (ʿim) meaning "with" and
אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". This was the foretold name of the Messiah in the Old Testament. It has been used in England since the 16th century in the spellings
Emmanuel and
Immanuel, though it has not been widespread. The name has been more common in continental Europe, especially in Spain and Portugal (in the spellings
Manuel and
Manoel).