Levar m African AmericanPopularized by the American actor LeVar Burton (1957-) after he starred in the popular American miniseries
Roots (1977). His birth name was Levardis, after his father, of unknown meaning. It can be spelled
Levar or with a capitalized third letter as
LeVar.
Lillemor f Swedish, Norwegian (Rare)Means
"little mother", from Swedish and Norwegian
lille, an inflected form of
liten meaning "little", combined with
mor meaning "mother". This name was first recorded in Norway and Sweden at the beginning of the 20th century.
Lir m Irish MythologyPossibly 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 MythologyMeans
"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.
Lothar m German, GermanicFrom the Germanic name
Hlothar meaning
"famous army", derived from the elements
hlut "famous, loud" and
heri "army". This was the name of medieval Frankish rulers of the Holy Roman Empire, Italy and France. It was also borne by four earlier Merovingian kings of the Franks, though their names are usually spelled as
Chlothar.
Lucifer m Judeo-Christian-Islamic LegendMeans
"bringing light", derived from Latin
lux "light" and
fero "to bring". In Latin this name originally referred to the morning star, Venus, but later became associated with the chief angel who rebelled against God's rule in heaven (see
Isaiah 14:12). In later literature, such as the
Divine Comedy (1321) by Dante and
Paradise Lost (1667) by John Milton, Lucifer became associated with Satan himself.
Ludger m GermanFrom the Old German name
Leutgar, which was derived from the elements
liut "people" and
ger "spear". Saint Ludger was an 8th-century Frisian Benedictine bishop who founded a monastery at Munster.
Lumír m CzechMeaning unknown, though possibly related to the Slavic element
mirŭ meaning "peace, world". In Czech legend this is the name of a bard.
Lur f & m BasqueMeans
"earth, ground" in Basque.
Luther m EnglishFrom a German surname, itself derived from the Old German given name
Leuthar. The surname was borne by Martin Luther (1483-1546), a monk and theologian who started the Protestant Reformation by nailing his famous 95 theses to a church door. It has since been used as a given name in his honour, especially among Protestants. A notable bearer from the modern era was the American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968).
Magnar m NorwegianFrom the Old Norse elements
magn "power, strength" and
herr "army, warrior". This name was coined in the 19th century.
Maider f BasqueFrom the name of the goddess
Mari 3 combined with Basque
eder meaning "beautiful".
Major m EnglishFrom an English surname that was originally derived from the given name
Mauger, a Norman French form of the Germanic name
Malger meaning
"council spear". The name can also be given in reference to the English word
major.
Majvor f SwedishFrom Swedish
maj meaning "May (month)" combined with
vår meaning "spring" or the Old Norse name element
vǫr meaning "vigilant, cautious". This name was first used in the early 20th century.
Malger m GermanicDerived from the Old German elements
mahal meaning "meeting, assembly, court" and
ger meaning "spear".
Manar f ArabicMeans
"beacon, lighthouse, minaret" in Arabic.
Mar f Spanish, CatalanMeans
"sea" in Spanish and Catalan. It is from a devotional title of the Virgin
Mary,
Nuestra Señora del Mar "Our Lady of the Sea", the patron saint of the Spanish province of Almería.
Mehr m & f Persian, Persian MythologyModern Persian form of
Mithra. As a Persian vocabulary word it means
"friendship, love, kindness". It is also the name of the seventh month of the Persian calendar. All of these derive from the same source: the Indo-Iranian root *
mitra meaning "oath, covenant, agreement".
Meinir f WelshMeans
"tall and slender, beautiful maiden" in Welsh (a compound of
main "slender" and
hir "tall").
Menander m Ancient Greek (Latinized)Latinized form of the Greek name
Μένανδρος (Menandros), derived from either
μένω (meno) meaning "to stay, to last" or
μένος (menos) meaning "mind, strength, force" combined with
ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man" (genitive
ἀνδρός). This was the name of a 4th-century BC Greek dramatist. It was also borne by a 2nd-century BC Indo-Greek king who expanded the realm to its greatest extent.
Mentor m Greek MythologyPossibly related to Greek
μένος (menos) meaning
"mind, strength, force". In Greek legend Mentor was the son of Alkimos. When
Odysseus left to fight in the Trojan War he entrusted Mentor with the care of his palace and the guardianship of his son Telemachos. When the goddess
Athena visited Telemachos she took the guise of Mentor.
Meriwether m English (Rare)From a surname meaning
"happy weather" in Middle English, originally belonging to a cheery person. A notable bearer of the name was Meriwether Lewis (1774-1809), who, with William Clark, explored the west of North America.
Meyer m HebrewAlternate transcription of Hebrew
מֵאִיר (see
Meir). It also coincides with a German surname meaning "mayor, leader".
Miller m & f EnglishFrom the English occupational surname
Miller, originally used by those who were millers, derived from Middle English
mille "mill".
Miomir m SerbianDerived from the element
mio, a Serbian form of the Slavic element
milŭ meaning "dear", combined with
mirŭ meaning "peace" or "world".
Moacir m TupiFrom Tupi
moasy meaning
"pain, regret". This is the name of the son of
Iracema and Martim in the novel
Iracema (1865) by José de Alencar.
Mojmír m Czech, SlovakDerived from the Slavic elements
mojĭ meaning "my" and
mirŭ meaning "peace" or "world". This was the name of a 9th-century ruler of Moravia.
Mór 1 f Medieval IrishMeans
"great" in Irish. This was a popular medieval Irish name. It was probably given in some cases as an alternative to
Máire, which was considered too sacred for general use.
Mortimer m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from the name of a town in Normandy, itself meaning
"dead water, still water" in Old French.
Muammar m ArabicMeans
"given long life" in Arabic, from the root
عمر (ʿamara) meaning "to live long, to thrive". A famous bearer was the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi (1942-2011).
Muir m ScottishFrom a Scottish surname, derived from Scots
muir meaning
"moor, fen". This name could also be inspired by Scottish Gaelic
muir meaning
"sea".
Nabopolassar m Babylonian (Anglicized)From the Akkadian name
Nabu-apla-usur meaning
"Nabu protect my son", derived from the god's name
Nabu combined with
aplu meaning "son, heir" and an imperative form of
naṣāru meaning "to protect". This was the name of a 7th-century BC king of the Babylonian Empire, the first of the Chaldean dynasty.
Nahor m BiblicalMeans
"snorting" in Hebrew. Nahor is the name of both the grandfather and a brother of
Abraham in the Old Testament.
Nándor m HungarianOriginally this was a Hungarian word referring to a Bulgarian people that lived along the Danube. Since the 19th century it has been used as a Hungarian short form of
Ferdinand.
Napier m English (Rare)From an English and Scots surname meaning
"linen keeper" in Middle English, from Old French
nappe "table cloth".
Narmer m Ancient EgyptianFrom Egyptian
nꜥr-mr meaning
"fierce catfish", derived from
nꜥr "catfish" and
mr "fierce, painful". Narmer was an Egyptian ruler who is considered the first pharaoh, uniting Upper and Lower Egypt around the 31st century BC. He is probably the same person as
Menes, with Narmer being his Horus name.
Nasir m Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Bengali, MalayMeans
"helper" in Arabic, from the root
نصر (naṣara) meaning "to help, to aid". This transcription represents two related yet distinct Arabic names:
ناصر, in which the first vowel is long, and
نصير, in which the second vowel is long.
Nasr m ArabicMeans
"triumph, victory" in Arabic, from the root
نصر (naṣara) meaning "to help, to aid".
Nebuchadnezzar m Babylonian (Anglicized), BiblicalFrom
נְבוּכַדְנֶאצֲּר (Nevuḵaḏnetstsar), the Hebrew form of the Akkadian name
Nabu-kudurri-usur meaning "Nabu protect my eldest son", derived from the god's name
Nabu combined with
kudurru meaning "eldest son" and an imperative form of
naṣāru meaning "to protect". This name was borne by a 12th-century BC king of the Babylonian Empire. It was also borne by a 6th-century BC king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. He captured Jerusalem, and ultimately destroyed the city's temple and deported many of its citizens, as told in the Old Testament.
Nestor m Greek Mythology, Russian, Portuguese, FrenchMeans
"returner, homecomer" in Greek, from
νέομαι (neomai) meaning "to return". In
Homer's
Iliad this was the name of the king of Pylos, famous for his great wisdom and longevity, who acted as a counselor to the Greek allies.
Neymar m Portuguese (Brazilian, Rare)Meaning unknown. A famous bearer is the Brazilian soccer player Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior (1992-), who is usually known by just his first name. He was named after his father.
Norbaer m LimburgishLimburgish form of
Norbert. Its spelling has been influenced by the French pronunciation of Norbert.
October f English (Rare)From the name of the tenth month. It is derived from Latin
octo meaning "eight", because it was originally the eighth month of the Roman year.
Oddvar m NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Oddvarr, derived from the elements
oddr "point of a sword" and
varr "aware, cautious".
Odoacer m Gothic (Latinized)From the Gothic name *
Audawakrs meaning
"wealthy and vigilant", derived from the elements
auds "wealth" and
wakrs "vigilant". Odoacer, sometimes called Odovacar, was a 5th-century Gothic leader who overthrew the last Western Roman emperor and became the first barbarian king of Italy.
Ofer m HebrewMeans
"fawn" in Hebrew. This makes it a modern variant of the Classical Hebrew name
Ophrah.
Okafor m IgboMeans
"boy (born on) Afor" in Igbo,
Afor being one of the four days of the Igbo week.
Oliver m English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Catalan, Serbian, Croatian, Macedonian, Czech, Slovak, Carolingian CycleFrom Old French
Olivier, which was possibly derived from Latin
oliva "olive tree". Alternatively there could be an underlying Germanic name, such as Old Norse
Áleifr (see
Olaf) or Frankish
Alawar (see
Álvaro), with the spelling altered by association with the Latin word. In the Middle Ages the name became well-known in Western Europe because of the French epic
La Chanson de Roland, in which Olivier is a friend and advisor to the hero
Roland.
... [more] Omar 1 m Arabic, Bosnian, Kazakh, Malay, English, Spanish, ItalianAlternate transcription of Arabic
عمر (see
Umar). This is the usual English spelling of the name of the 12th-century poet Umar Khayyam. In his honour it has sometimes been used in the English-speaking world, notably for the American general Omar Bradley (1893-1981).
Onur m TurkishMeans
"honour" in Turkish (borrowed from French
honneur).
Ophir m & f Biblical, HebrewFrom the Hebrew name
אוֹפִיר (ʾOfir), meaning unknown. This is the name of a son of
Joktan in the Old Testament (where it is also used as a place name).
Oscar m English, Irish, Portuguese (Brazilian), Italian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, French, Irish MythologyPossibly means
"deer friend", derived from Old Irish
oss "deer" and
carae "friend". Alternatively, it may derive from the Old English name
Osgar or its Old Norse cognate
Ásgeirr, which may have been brought to Ireland by Viking invaders and settlers. In Irish legend Oscar was the son of the poet
Oisín and the grandson of the hero
Fionn mac Cumhaill.
... [more] Oskar m German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Estonian, Finnish, Polish, Czech, Slovene, BasqueForm of
Oscar in several languages. A famous bearer was Oskar Schindler (1908-1974), who is credited for saved over 1,000 Polish Jews during World War II.
Otar m GeorgianDerived from Turkic
otar meaning
"pasture, meadow".
Otmar m German, Czech, GermanicFrom the Germanic name
Audamar, which was derived from Old Frankish
aud or Old High German
ot meaning "wealth, fortune" combined with
mari meaning "famous". This was the name of an 8th-century Swiss saint, an abbot of Saint Gall.
Palmer m & f EnglishFrom an English surname meaning
"pilgrim". It is ultimately from Latin
palma "palm tree", since pilgrims to the Holy Land often brought back palm fronds as proof of their journey.
Parker m & f EnglishFrom an English occupational surname that meant
"keeper of the park".
Peer m Danish, NorwegianVariant of
Per. The Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen used this name for the main character in his play
Peer Gynt (1867).
Pepper f & m English (Modern)From the English word for the spice, which is prepared from the dried berries of the pepper plant. The word is derived from Latin
piper, ultimately from an Indo-Aryan source. In popular culture, Pepper is the nickname of Virginia Potts from the
Iron Man series of comic books and movies, created 1963.
Peredur m Welsh Mythology, Arthurian CycleMeaning uncertain. It possibly means
"hard spears" from Welsh
peri "spears" and
dur "hard, steel". In early Welsh poetry and histories, the brothers Peredur and Gwrgi were chieftains in Cumbria who defeated
Gwenddoleu at the Battle of Arfderydd. This name was later used by the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth in the Latin form
Peredurus for an early (fictitious) king of Britain. Entering into Arthurian romance, Peredur is an aspiring knight in the 14th-century Welsh tale
Peredur son of Efrawg (an adaptation or parallel of Chrétien de Troyes' hero
Percival).
Peter m English, German, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Slovene, Slovak, BiblicalDerived from Greek
Πέτρος (Petros) meaning
"stone". This is a translation used in most versions of the New Testament of the name
Cephas, meaning "stone" in Aramaic, which was given to the apostle
Simon by
Jesus (compare
Matthew 16:18 and
John 1:42). Simon Peter was the most prominent of the apostles during Jesus' ministry and is often considered the first pope.
... [more] Pier m Italian, DutchItalian and Dutch variant form of
Peter. In Italian, this form is often used in combination with another name.
Pieter m DutchDutch form of
Peter. This name was borne by the Flemish painter Pieter Brueghel the Elder (c. 1525-1569).
Pilar f SpanishMeans
"pillar" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin
Mary,
María del Pilar, meaning "Mary of the Pillar". According to legend, when Saint
James the Greater was in Saragossa in Spain, the Virgin Mary appeared on a pillar.
Piper f English (Modern)From an English surname that was originally given to a person who played on a pipe (a flute). It was popularized as a given name by a character from the television series
Charmed, which debuted in 1998.
Porter m EnglishFrom an occupational English surname meaning
"doorkeeper", ultimately from Old French
porte "door", from Latin
porta.
Prosper m French, EnglishFrom the Latin name
Prosperus, which meant
"fortunate, successful". This was the name of a 5th-century saint, a supporter of Saint
Augustine. It has never been common as an English name, though the Puritans used it, partly because it is identical to the English word
prosper.
Pyotr m RussianRussian form of
Peter. A famous bearer was the Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893).
Qadir m Arabic, UrduMeans
"capable, powerful, mighty" in Arabic, from the root
قدر (qadara) meaning "to have power, to be able". This transcription represents two related yet distinct Arabic names:
قادر, in which the first vowel is long, and
قدير, in which the second vowel is long. In Islamic tradition
القادر (al-Qādir) is one of the 99 names of Allah.
Quaoar m New World MythologyEnglish rendering of a Takic name (alternatively
Kwawar or
Kwauwar), of unknown meaning. In the mythology of the Mission Indians of southern California, Quaoar was a creator god also known as Chinigchinix. A dwarf planet in the outer solar system was named for him in 2002.
Ragnarr m Old NorseFrom the Old Norse elements
regin "advice, counsel" and
herr "army, warrior". It is a cognate of
Rayner. This name was borne by the legendary Viking hero Ragnar Lodbrok.
Ratomir m SerbianDerived from the Slavic elements
ortĭ (Serbo-Croatian
rat) meaning "war, battle" and
mirŭ meaning "peace, world".
Rayner m English (Archaic)From the Germanic name
Raginheri, composed of the elements
regin "advice, counsel, decision" and
heri "army". Saint Rainerius was a 12th-century hermit from Pisa. The Normans brought this name to England where it came into general use, though it was rare by the end of the Middle Ages.
Reidar m NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Hreiðarr, which was derived from the elements
hreiðr "nest, home" and
herr "army, warrior".