GOLDA f YiddishFrom Yiddish
גאָלד (gold) meaning "gold". This is the name of Tevye's wife in the musical 'Fiddler on the Roof' (1964). It was also borne by the Israeli prime minister Golda Meir (1898-1978).
GOLDIE (1) f EnglishFrom a nickname for a person with blond hair, from the English word
gold.
GORETTI f VariousFrom the surname of Maria Goretti, a 20th-century Italian saint who forgave her murderer on her deathbed. Her surname was derived from the given name
GREGORIO.
GORMLAITH f Irish, ScottishDerived from Irish
gorm "blue" or "illustrious" and
flaith "princess, lady". This was the name of a wife of the 11th-century Irish ruler
Brian Boru.
GRACE f EnglishFrom the English word
grace, which ultimately derives from Latin
gratia. This was one of the virtue names created in the 17th century by the Puritans. The actress Grace Kelly (1929-1982) was a famous bearer.
GRÁINNE f Irish, Irish MythologyPossibly derived from Gaelic
grán meaning "grain". This was the name of an ancient Irish grain goddess. The name also belonged to the fiancée of
Fionn mac Cumhail and the lover of
Diarmaid in later Irish legend, and it is often associated with
gráidh "love".
GRAY m & f EnglishFrom an English surname meaning "grey", originally given to a person who had grey hair or clothing.
GRAŻYNA f PolishMeans "beautiful" in Lithuanian. This name was created by Polish poet Adam Mickiewicz for his poem 'Grażyna' (1823).
GRETEL f GermanDiminutive of
GRETE. This name is well-known as the character in Grimm's fairy tale who is captured, with her brother Hansel, by a witch.
GRID f Norse MythologyMeans "peace" in Old Norse. In Norse myth she was a frost giantess, the mother of Víðarr by
Odin. She also aided
Thor in his fight against the giant Geirrod.
GRISELDA f English, Scottish, Spanish, LiteraturePossibly derived from the Germanic elements
gris "grey" and
hild "battle". It is not attested as a Germanic name. This was the name of a patient wife in medieval tales by Boccaccio and Chaucer.
GUADALUPE f & m SpanishFrom a Spanish title of the Virgin
Mary,
Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, meaning "Our Lady of Guadalupe". Guadalupe is a Spanish place name, the site of a famous convent, derived from Arabic
وادي (wadi) meaning "valley, river" possibly combined with Latin
lupus meaning "wolf". In the 16th century Our Lady of Guadalupe supposedly appeared in a vision to a native Mexican man, and she is now regarded as a patron saint of the Americas.
GUANTING m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
冠 (guān) meaning "cap, crown, headgear" combined with
廷 (tíng) meaning "court". This name can also be formed from other character combinations.
GUANYU m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
冠 (guān) meaning "cap, crown, headgear" combined with
宇 (yǔ) meaning "house, eaves, universe". Other character combinations are possible.
GUDRUN f Norse Mythology, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, GermanFrom the Old Norse name
Guðrún meaning "god's secret lore", derived from the elements
guð "god" and
rún "secret lore". In Norse legend Gudrun was the wife of
Sigurd. After his death she married Atli, but when he murdered her brothers, she killed her sons by him, fed him their hearts, and then slew him.
GUINEVERE f Arthurian RomanceFrom the Norman French form of the Welsh name
Gwenhwyfar, derived from the elements
gwen meaning "fair, white, blessed" and
sebara meaning "phantom, magical being". In Arthurian legend she was the beautiful wife of King
Arthur. According to the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth, she was seduced by
Mordred before the battle of Camlann, which led to the deaths of both Mordred and Arthur. According to the 12th-century French poet Chrétien de Troyes, she engaged in an adulterous affair with Sir
Lancelot.
... [more] GUIOMAR f & m Portuguese, Spanish, Arthurian RomancePossibly derived from the Germanic name
Wigmar, which is formed of the elements
wig "war, battle" and
mari "famous". In the medieval 'Lancelot-Grail' cycle he plays a minor role as a cousin of Guinevere, who banishes him after he becomes a lover of Morgan le Fey. In modern Portugal and Spain it is a feminine name.
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.
GÜL f TurkishMeans "rose" in Turkish, ultimately from Persian.
GUL m & f Urdu, PashtoMeans "flower, rose" in Urdu and Pashto, ultimately from Persian.
GULBADAN f Urdu (Rare)Means "having a body like a rose" in Persian. This was the name of a daughter of the Mughal emperor Babur.
GULISA f GeorgianMeans "little heart" in Georgian, derived from
გული (guli) "heart" combined with a diminutive suffix.
GÜLNUR f TurkishMeans "rose light" in Turkish, ultimately from Persian
گل (gol) meaning "flower, rose" and Arabic
نور (nur) meaning "light".
GULRUKH f UrduMeans "rose faced" in Persian. This was the name of a wife of the Mughal emperor Babur.
GUNBORG f SwedishFrom the Old Norse name
Gunnbjǫrg, derived from the elements
gunnr "war" and
bjǫrg "help, save, rescue".
GUO m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
国 (guó) meaning "country" or other Chinese characters pronounced in a similar way.
GWEN f Welsh, EnglishFrom Welsh
gwen, the feminine form of
gwyn meaning "white, fair, blessed". It can also be a short form of
GWENDOLEN,
GWENLLIAN, and other names beginning with
Gwen.
GWENDA f Welsh, EnglishDerived from the Welsh elements
gwen meaning "white, fair, blessed" and
da meaning "good". This name was created in the 20th century.
GWENDOLEN f WelshMeans "white ring", derived from the Welsh elements
gwen meaning "white, fair, blessed" and
dolen meaning "ring, loop". This was the name of a mythical queen of the Britons who defeated her husband in battle, as told by Geoffrey of Monmouth.
GWENFREWI f WelshDerived from the Welsh elements
gwen meaning "white, fair, blessed" and
frewi meaning "reconciliation, peace". This was the name of a 7th-century Welsh saint and martyr.
GWENITH f WelshVariant of
GWYNETH, perhaps influenced by the Welsh word
gwenith meaning "wheat".
GWENLLIAN f WelshDerived from the Welsh elements
gwen meaning "white, fair, blessed" and
llian meaning "flaxen". This name was popular among medieval Welsh royalty. It was borne by the 14th-century daughter of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd.
GWYNEDD f & m WelshFrom the name of a region in Wales, named after an ancient kingdom, which may be derived from the old Welsh given name
Cunedda.
GWYNEIRA f WelshMeans "white snow" from the Welsh element
gwyn meaning "white, fair, blessed" combined with
eira meaning "snow".
GYEONG m & f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
京 (gyeong) meaning "capital city",
景 (gyeong) meaning "scenery, view",
敬 (gyeong) meaning "respect, honour", or other hanja characters with the same pronunciation. It usually occurs in combination with another character, though it is sometimes used as a stand-alone name.
GYEONG-HUI f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
敬 (gyeong) meaning "respect, honour" and
姬 (hui) meaning "beauty". Other hanja character combinations are possible.
GYEONG-JA f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
慶 (gyeong) meaning "congratulate, celebrate" or
敬 (gyeong) meaning "respect, honour" combined with
子 (ja) meaning "child". This name can be formed of other hanja character combinations as well. Korean feminine names ending with the character
子 (a fashionable name suffix in Japan, read as
-ko in Japanese) became less popular after Japanese rule of Korea ended in 1945.
GYEONG-SUK f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
京 (gyeong) meaning "capital city" and
淑 (suk) meaning "good, pure, virtuous, charming". Other hanja character combinations are possible.
GYNETH f LiteraturePerhaps a variant of
GWYNETH. Sir Walter Scott used this name for the daughter of King
Arthur in his work 'The Bridal of Triermain' (1813).
GYPSY f English (Rare)Simply from the English word
Gypsy for the nomadic people who originated in northern India. The word was originally a corruption of
Egyptian. It is sometimes considered pejorative.
GYTHA f English (Archaic)From
Gyða, an Old Norse diminutive of
GUÐRÍÐR. It was borne by a Danish noblewoman who married the English lord Godwin of Wessex in the 11th century. The name was used in England for a short time after that, and was revived in the 19th century.
HADLEY f & m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from a place name meaning "heather field" in Old English.
HAFSA f ArabicMeans "gathering" in Arabic. This was the name of the daughter of
Umar, the second caliph, and a wife of
Muhammad.
HAGAR f Biblical, 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.
HAI m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
海 (hǎi) meaning "sea, ocean" or other characters that are pronounced similarly.
HAIDEE f LiteraturePerhaps intended to derive from Greek
αιδοιος (aidoios) "modest, reverent". This name was created by Byron for a character in his poem 'Don Juan' (1819).
HAJNA f HungarianShortened form of
HAJNAL. The Hungarian poet Mihály Vörösmarty used it in his epic poem 'Zalán Futása' (1825).
HALA f ArabicMeans "halo around the moon" in Arabic. This was the name of a sister-in-law of the Prophet
Muhammad.
HALLE (2) f English (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).
HALLEL f HebrewDerived from Hebrew
הָלַל (halal) meaning "praise". This is the name of a Jewish prayer, consisting of several psalms.
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.
HANNA (1) f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Polish, Ukrainian, Belarusian, German, Dutch, Icelandic, Hungarian, HebrewForm of
HANNAH in several languages.
HANNAH f English, 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] HARLEY m & f EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from a place name, itself from Old English
hara "hare" and
leah "woodland, clearing".
HARLOW f & m EnglishFrom a surname derived from a place name, itself derived from Old English
hær "rock" or
here "army", combined with
hlaw "hill".
HARPER f & m EnglishFrom an Old English surname that 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'.
HARRIET f EnglishEnglish 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'.
HARU m & f JapaneseFrom 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.
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.
HARUKO f JapaneseFrom Japanese
春 (haru) meaning "spring" or
陽 (haru) meaning "light, sun, male" combined with
子 (ko) meaning "child", as well as other kanji combinations.
HARUNA f JapaneseFrom 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.
HATHOR f Egyptian Mythology (Hellenized)Greek form of Egyptian
Het-Heru meaning "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.
HATSHEPSUT f Ancient 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.
HAUKEA f HawaiianMeans "white snow" from Hawaiian
hau "snow" and
kea "white".
HAUNANI f HawaiianMeans "beautiful snow" from Hawaiian
hau "snow" and
nani "beauty, glory".
HAURVATAT f Persian MythologyMeans "health, perfection, wholeness" in Avestan. This was the name of a Zoroastrian goddess (one of the Amesha Spenta) of health and water.
HAVEN f & m EnglishFrom the English word for a safe place, derived ultimately from Old English
hæfen.
HAYDÉE f Spanish, 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).
HAYDEN m & f EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from place names meaning either "hay valley" or "hay hill", derived from Old English
heg "hay" and
denu "valley" or
dun "hill".
HAYLEY f English (Modern)From a surname that 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-YUN f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
昰 (ha) meaning "summer, name" combined with
昀 (yun) meaning "sunlight". Other hanja character combinations are possible.