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
ffrewi meaning "reconciliation, peace". Saint Gwenffrewi or Winifred was a 7th-century Welsh 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 probably
lliain 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
αἰδοῖος (aidoios) meaning
"modest, reverent". This name was created by Lord Byron for a character (written as
Haidée) in his 1819 poem
Don Juan.
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
Channah (see
HANNAH) in several languages.
HAPPY f & m English (Rare)From the English word
happy, derived from Middle English
hap "chance, luck", of Old Norse origin.
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
hut-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.
HAWISE f Medieval EnglishEnglish form of a medieval French name appearing in various spellings such as
Haueis or
Haouys, which were derived from
HADEWIDIS. The name was borne by a number of Norman and Anglo-Norman noblewomen from the 11th to 13th centuries.
HAYDÉE f Spanish, French (Rare)Spanish and French form of
HAIDEE, from Lord 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.
HAZEL f EnglishFrom 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.
HE f & m ChineseFrom 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.
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.
HEBE f Greek MythologyDerived from Greek
ἥβη (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.
HECATE f Greek Mythology (Latinized)From the Greek
Ἑκάτη (Hekate), possibly derived from
ἑκάς (hekas) meaning
"far off". In Greek mythology Hecate was a goddess associated with witchcraft, crossroads, tombs, demons and the underworld.
HEDDA f Norwegian, SwedishDiminutive of
HEDVIG. This is the name of the heroine of the play
Hedda Gabler (1890) by the Norwegian dramatist Henrik Ibsen.
HEDWIG f GermanFrom 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.
HEIDE f GermanGerman diminutive of
ADELHEID. It also coincides with the German word meaning "heath".
HEIDI f German, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Finnish, EnglishGerman diminutive of
ADELHEID. This is the name of the title character in the children's novel
Heidi (1880) by the Swiss author 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.
HEIDRUN f Norse 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.
HEIRANI f TahitianFrom Tahitian
hei "crown, garland" and
rani "heaven, sky".
HEKLA f IcelandicFrom the name of an active Icelandic volcano, derived from Old Norse
hekla meaning "cloak".
HEL f Norse 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).
HELAH f BiblicalMeans
"rust" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this name is mentioned as one of the wives of Asher.
HELEDD f WelshMeaning unknown. This was the name of a semi-legendary 7th-century Welsh princess.
HELENA f German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Portuguese, Catalan, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Finnish, Estonian, Slovene, Croatian, Sorbian, English, Ancient Greek (Latinized), Greek Mythology (Latinized)Latinate form of
HELEN.
HELLE (2) f Greek 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").
HEMERA f Greek 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.
HENG m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
恒 (héng) meaning "constant, persistent", as well as other characters with a similar pronunciation.
HERA f Greek MythologyUncertain meaning, possibly from Greek
ἥρως (heros) meaning
"hero, warrior";
ὥρα (hora) meaning
"period of time"; or
αἱρέω (haireo) meaning
"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.
HERAIS f Ancient GreekAncient Greek personal name that was probably derived from the name of the Greek goddess
HERA.
HERLEVA f Ancient 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.
HERMIA f LiteratureFeminine form of
HERMES. Shakespeare used this name in his comedy
A Midsummer Night's Dream (1595).
HERMIONE f Greek 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) f Greek MythologyDerived from Greek
ἥρως (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).
HERODIAS f Biblical, 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.
HERTHA f GermanForm of
NERTHUS. The spelling change from
N to
H resulted from a misreading of Tacitus's text.
HESTER f English, 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, a Puritan woman forced to wear a red letter
A on her chest after giving birth to a child out of wedlock.
HESTIA f Greek MythologyDerived from Greek
ἑστία (hestia) meaning
"hearth, fireside". In Greek mythology Hestia was the goddess of the hearth and domestic activity.