HAFSAfArabicMeans "gathering" in Arabic. This was the name of the daughter of
Umar, the second caliph, and a wife of
Muhammad.
HAGARfBiblical, Biblical German, Biblical HebrewPossibly means "flight" in Hebrew, though it could also be of unknown Egyptian origin. In the Old Testament she is the concubine of
Abraham and the mother of
Ishmael, the founder of the Arab people. After Abraham's wife
Sarah finally gave birth to a child, she had Hagar and Ishmael expelled into the desert. However, God heard their crying and saved them.
HAIm & fChineseFrom Chinese
海 (hǎi) meaning "sea, ocean" or other characters which are pronounced similarly.
HAIDEEfLiteraturePerhaps intended to derive from Greek
αιδοιος (aidoios) "modest, reverent". This name was created by Byron for a character in his poem 'Don Juan' (1819).
HAJNAfHungarianShortened form of
HAJNAL. The Hungarian poet Mihály Vörösmarty used it in his epic poem 'Zalán Futása' (1825).
HALAfArabicMeans "halo around the moon" in Arabic. This was the name of a sister-in-law of the Prophet
Muhammad.
HALLE (2)fEnglish (Modern)In the case of American actress Halle Berry (1966-), it is from the name of a department store in Cleveland where she was born (the store was founded by brothers bearing the German surname Halle, a cognate of
HALL).
HANA (3)fJapaneseFrom Japanese
花 (hana) or
華 (hana) which both mean "flower". Other kanji or kanji combinations can form this name as well.
HANAEfJapaneseFrom 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.
HANAKOfJapaneseFrom Japanese
花 (hana) meaning "flower" and
子 (ko) meaning "child", as well as other kanji combinations.
HANNA (1)fSwedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Polish, Ukrainian, Belarusian, German, Dutch, Icelandic, HungarianCognate of
HANNAH.
HANNAHfEnglish, Hebrew, French, German, Dutch, Swedish, Arabic, BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
חַנָּה (Channah) meaning "favour, grace", derived from the root
חָנַן (chanan). In the Old Testament this is the name of the wife of
Elkanah. Her rival was Elkanah's other wife
Peninnah, who had children while Hannah remained barren. After a blessing from
Eli she finally became pregnant with
Samuel.
... [more] HARLEYm & fEnglishFrom a surname which was from a place name, itself derived from Old English
hara "hare" and
leah "woodland, clearing".
HARLOWf & mEnglishFrom a surname which was from a place name which was derived from Old English
hær "rock" or
here "army", combined with
hlaw "hill".
HARPERf & mEnglishFrom an Old English surname which originally belonged to a person who played the harp or who made harps. A notable bearer was the American author Harper Lee (1926-2016), who wrote 'To Kill a Mockingbird'.
HARRIETfEnglishEnglish form of
HENRIETTE, and thus a feminine form of
HARRY. It was first used in the 17th century, becoming very common in the English-speaking world by the 18th century. A famous bearer was Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896), the American author who wrote 'Uncle Tom's Cabin'.
HARUm & fJapaneseFrom 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.
HARUKAf & mJapaneseFrom 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.
HARUKOfJapaneseFrom Japanese
春 (haru) meaning "spring" or
陽 (haru) meaning "light, sun, male" combined with
子 (ko) meaning "child", as well as other kanji combinations.
HARUNAfJapaneseFrom 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.
HATHORfEgyptian Mythology (Hellenized)Greek form of Egyptian
Het-Heru which means "the house of Horus", derived from Egyptian
hwt "house" combined with
Hr the god
HORUS. In Egyptian mythology she was the goddess of love, often depicted with the head of a cow.
HATSHEPSUTfAncient EgyptianMeans "foremost of noble women" in Egyptian. This was the name of a pharaoh of the 18th dynasty. She may have been the first woman to take the title of Pharaoh.
HAUKEAfHawaiianMeans "white snow" from Hawaiian
hau "snow" and
kea "white".
HAUNANIfHawaiianMeans "beautiful snow" from Hawaiian
hau "snow" and
nani "beauty, glory".
HAURVATATfPersian MythologyMeans "health, perfection, wholeness" in Avestan. This was the name of a Zoroastrian goddess (one of the Amesha Spenta) of health and water.
HAVENf & mEnglishFrom the English word for a safe place, derived ultimately from Old English
hæfen.
HAYDÉEfSpanish, French (Rare)Spanish and French form of
HAIDEE, from Byron's 'Don Juan' (1819). It was later used by Alexander Dumas for a character in 'The Count of Monte Cristo' (1844).
HAYDENm & fEnglishFrom an English surname which was derived from place names meaning either "hay valley" or "hay hill", derived from Old English
heg "hay" and
denu "valley" or
dun "hill".
HAYLEYfEnglish (Modern)From a surname which was originally derived from the name of an English town (meaning "hay clearing" from Old English
heg "hay" and
leah "clearing"). It was popularized by the British child actress Hayley Mills (1946-), though the name did not become common until over a decade after she first became famous.
HA-YUNfKoreanFrom Sino-Korean
昰 (ha) meaning "summer, name" combined with
昀 (yun) meaning "sunlight". Other hanja character combinations are possible.
HAZELfEnglishFrom the English word
hazel for the tree or the light brown colour, derived ultimately from Old English
hæsel. It was coined as a given name in the 19th century.
HEf & mChineseFrom 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 15th-century explorer Zheng He.
HEATHERfEnglishFrom 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.
HEBEfGreek MythologyDerived from Greek
‘ηβη (hebe) meaning "youth". In Greek mythology Hebe was the daughter of
Zeus and
Hera. She was a goddess of youth who acted as the cupbearer to the gods.
HECATEfGreek Mythology (Latinized)From the Greek
‘Εκατη (Hekate), possibly derived from
‘εκας (hekas) meaning "far off". In Greek mythology Hecate was a goddess associated with witchcraft, crossroads, tombs, demons and the underworld.
HEDDAfNorwegian, SwedishDiminutive of
HEDVIG. This is the name of the heroine of the play 'Hedda Gabler' (1890) by the Norwegian dramatist Henrik Ibsen.
HEDWIGfGermanFrom the Germanic name
Hadewig, derived from the Germanic elements
hadu "battle, combat" and
wig "war". This was the name of a 13th-century German saint, the wife of the Polish duke Henry the Bearded. It was subsequently borne by a 14th-century Polish queen (usually known by her Polish name
Jadwiga) who is now also regarded as a saint.
HEIDIfGerman, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, EnglishGerman diminutive of
ADELHEID. This is the name of the title character in the children's novel 'Heidi' (1880) by Johanna Spyri. The name began to be used in the English-speaking world shortly after the 1937 release of the movie adaptation, which starred Shirley Temple.
HEIDRUNfNorse Mythology, GermanDerived from Old Norse
heiðr meaning "bright, clear" and
rún meaning "secret". In Norse mythology this was the name of a goat that would eat the leaves from the tree of life and produce mead in her udder.
HELfNorse MythologyIn 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).
HELAHfBiblicalMeans "rust" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this name is mentioned as one of the wives of Asher.
HELEDDfWelshMeaning unknown. This was the name of a semi-legendary 7th-century Welsh princess.
HELENAfGerman, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Portuguese, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Finnish, Estonian, Slovene, Croatian, English, Ancient Greek (Latinized), Greek Mythology (Latinized)Latinate form of
HELEN.
HELLE (2)fGreek MythologyMeaning unknown. In Greek mythology Helle was the daughter of Athamus and Nephele. She and her brother Phrixus escaped sacrifice by fleeing on the back of a golden ram, but during their flight she fell off and drowned in the strait that connects the Aegean Sea with the Sea of Marmara, which was thereafter called the Hellespont ("the sea of Helle").
HEMERAfGreek MythologyMeans "day" in Greek. This was the name of the Greek goddess who personified the daytime. According to Hesiod she was the daughter of
Nyx, the personification of the night.
HENGm & fChineseFrom Chinese
恒 (héng) meaning "constant, persistent", as well as other characters with a similar pronunciation.
HERAfGreek MythologyUncertain meaning, possibly from either Greek
‘ηρως (heros) "hero, warrior";
‘ωρα (hora) "period of time"; or
‘αιρεω (haireo) "to be chosen". In Greek mythology Hera was the queen of the gods, the sister and wife of
Zeus. She presided over marriage and childbirth.
HERAISfAncient GreekAncient Greek personal name which was probably derived from the name of the Greek goddess
HERA.
HERLEVAfAncient GermanicGermanic name, possibly a derivative of
hari "army",
era "honour", or
erla "noble" (or their Old Norse cognates). This was the name of the mother of William the Conqueror, who, according to tradition, was a commoner.
HERMIAfLiteratureFeminine form of
HERMES. Shakespeare used this name in his comedy 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' (1595).
HERMIONEfGreek MythologyDerived from the name of the Greek messenger god
HERMES. In Greek myth Hermione was the daughter of Menelaus and Helen. This is also the name of the wife of Leontes in Shakespeare's play 'The Winter's Tale' (1610). It is now closely associated with the character Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter series of books, first released in 1997.
HERO (1)fGreek MythologyDerived from Greek
‘ηρως (heros) meaning "hero". In Greek legend she was the lover of Leander, who would swim across the Hellespont each night to meet her. He was killed on one such occasion when he got caught in a storm while in the water, and when Hero saw his dead body she drowned herself. This is also the name of a character in Shakespeare's play 'Much Ado About Nothing' (1599).
HERODIASfBiblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical GreekFeminine form of
HEROD. This was the name of a member of the Herodian ruling family of Judea, a sister of Herod Agrippa and the wife of Herod Antipas. She appears in the New Testament, where she contrives to have her husband Antipas imprison and execute John the Baptist.
HERSILIAfRoman MythologyMeaning unknown. In Roman legend this was the name of a Sabine woman who became the wife of Romulus.
HERTHAfGermanForm of
NERTHUS. The spelling change from
N to
H resulted from a misreading of Tacitus's text.
HESTERfEnglish, Biblical LatinLatin form of
ESTHER. Like
Esther, it has been used in England since the Protestant Reformation. Nathaniel Hawthorne used it for the heroine of his novel 'The Scarlet Letter' (1850), Hester Prynne.
HESTIAfGreek MythologyDerived from Greek
‘εστια (hestia) "hearth, fireside". In Greek mythology Hestia was the goddess of the hearth and domestic activity.
HIKARIf & mJapaneseFrom Japanese
光 (hikari) meaning "light". Other kanji can also form this name. It is often written with the hiragana writing system.
HIKARUm & fJapaneseFrom Japanese
光 (hikaru) meaning "light" or
輝 (hikaru) meaning "brightness". Other kanji can also form this name.
HILARYf & mEnglishMedieval English form of
HILARIUS or
HILARIA. During the Middle Ages it was primarily a masculine name. It was revived in Britain at the beginning of the 20th century as a predominantly feminine name. In America, this name and the variant
Hillary seemed to drop in popularity after Hillary Clinton (1947-) became the first lady.
HILDREDf & mEnglishPossibly from the Old English masculine name
Hildræd, which was composed of the elements
hild "battle" and
ræd "counsel". This name was revived in the late 19th century, probably because of its similarity to the popular names
Hilda and
Mildred.
HILJAfFinnishDerived from Finnish
hiljaisuus meaning "silence".
HILLARYfEnglishVariant of
HILARY. A famous bearer of the surname was Sir Edmund Hillary (1919-2008), the first man to climb Mount Everest.
HILTRUDfGermanMeans "strength in battle", derived from the Germanic elements
hild "battle" and
thrud "strength".
HINAfJapaneseFrom Japanese
陽 (hi) meaning "light, sun, male" or
日 (hi) meaning "sun, day" combined with
菜 (na) meaning "vegetables, greens". Other kanji combinations are possible.
HINATAf & mJapaneseFrom 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.
HINDfArabicPossibly means "group of camels" in Arabic. Hind bint Abi Umayyah, also known as Umm Salama, was one of the wives of the Prophet
Muhammad. This is also the Arabic name for the country of India.
HIROKOfJapaneseFrom Japanese
寛 (hiro) meaning "tolerant, generous",
裕 (hiro) meaning "abundant" or
浩 (hiro) meaning "prosperous" combined with
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.
HIRUNEfBasqueMeans "trinity" in Basque, derived from
hiru meaning "three".
HITOMIfJapaneseFrom Japanese
瞳 (hitomi) meaning "pupil of the eye". It can also come from
史 (hito) meaning "history" and
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful", as well as other kanji combinations. This name is often written with the hiragana writing system.
HLAm & fBurmeseMeans "pretty, favourable" in Burmese.
HOKULANIfHawaiianMeans "heavenly star" from Hawaiian
hōkū "star" and
lani "heaven, sky, royal, majesty".
HOLLISm & fEnglishFrom an English surname which was derived from Middle English
holis "holly trees". It was originally given to a person who lived near a group of those trees.
HOLLYfEnglishFrom the English word for the holly tree, ultimately derived from Old English
holen.
HONEYfEnglish (Rare)Simply from the English word
honey, ultimately from Old English
hunig. This was originally a nickname for a sweet person.
HONGm & fChineseFrom Chinese
虹 (hóng) meaning "rainbow",
弘 (hóng) meaning "enlarge, expand, great" (which is usually only masculine) or
鸿 (hóng) meaning "wild swan, great, vast" (also usually only masculine). Other characters can also form this name.
HONOKAfJapaneseFrom Japanese
和 (hono) meaning "harmony" (using an obscure nanori reading) and
花 (ka) meaning "flower", as well as other combinations of kanji which have the same pronunciation. Very often it is written using the hiragana writing system.
HONORINEfFrenchFrench form of
Honorina, a feminine form of the Roman name
Honorinus, a derivative of
HONORIUS. Saint Honorina was a 4th-century martyr from the Normandy region in France.
HONOURfEnglish (Rare)From the English word
honour, which is of Latin origin. This was one of the virtue names adopted by the Puritans in the 17th century. It can also be viewed as a form of
HONORIA or
HONORATA, which are ultimately derived from the same source.
HOPEfEnglishFrom the English word
hope, ultimately from Old English
hopian. This name was first used by the Puritans in the 17th century.
HOSANNAfBiblicalFrom the Aramaic religious expression
הושע נא (Hosha' na') meaning "deliver us" in Hebrew. In the New Testament this is exclaimed by those around
Jesus when he first enters Jerusalem.
HOSHIfJapaneseFrom Japanese
星 (hoshi) meaning "star" or other kanji with the same pronunciation.
HOSHIKOfJapaneseFrom Japanese
星 (hoshi) meaning "star" and
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.
HUAf & mChineseFrom 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.
HUANf & mChineseFrom Chinese
欢 (huān) meaning "happy, pleased", as well as other characters pronounced in a similar way.
HUANGm & fChineseFrom Chinese
煌 (huáng) meaning "bright, shining, luminous" (which is usually only masculine) or
凰 (huáng) meaning "phoenix" (usually only feminine). Other Chinese characters are also possible.
HUỆfVietnameseFrom Sino-Vietnamese
慧 (huệ) meaning "bright, intelligent" or
蕙 (huệ) meaning "orchid".
HUIf & mChineseFrom Chinese
慧 (huì) meaning "intelligent, wise" (which is usually only feminine),
辉 (huī) meaning "brightness", besides other characters which are pronounced similarly.