Kielo f FinnishMeans
"lily of the valley" in Finnish (species Convallaria majalis).
Kiku f JapaneseFrom Japanese
菊 (kiku) meaning "chrysanthemum", as well as other kanji characters that are pronounced the same way.
Kim 1 f & m EnglishAt the present it is usually considered a short form of
Kimberly, but it in fact predates it as a given name. The author Rudyard Kipling used it for the title hero of his novel
Kim (1901), though in this case it was short for
Kimball. In her novel
Show Boat (1926) Edna Ferber used it for a female character who was born on the Mississippi River and was named from the initials of the states Kentucky, Illinois and Mississippi. The name was popularized in America by the actresses Kim Hunter (1922-2002) and Kim Novak (1933-), both of whom assumed it as a stage name.
Kimberly f EnglishFrom the name of the city of
Kimberley in South Africa, which was named after Lord
Kimberley (1826-1902). The city came to prominence in the late 19th century during the Boer War.
Kimberly has been used as a given name since the mid-20th century, eventually becoming very popular as a feminine name.
Kimiko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
貴 (ki) meaning "valuable" with
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" or
君 (kimi) meaning "lord, noble" combined with
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Kincső f HungarianDerived from Hungarian
kincs meaning
"treasure". This name was created by Hungarian author Mór Jókai in
The Novel of the Next Century (1872).
Kinneret f HebrewFrom the name of a large lake in northern Israel, usually called the Sea of Galilee in English. Its name is derived from Hebrew
כִּנּוֹר (kinnor) meaning "harp" because of its shape.
Kinsey f English (Modern)From an English surname that was derived from the given name
Cynesige. This name is borne by Kinsey Millhone, the heroine in a series of mystery novels by author Sue Grafton, beginning in 1982.
Kinsley f English (Modern)From a surname that was derived from an English place name, itself meaning
"clearing belonging to Cyne". The Old English given name
Cyne is a short form of longer names beginning with
cyne meaning "royal".
... [more] Kirby m & f EnglishFrom an English surname that was originally from a place name meaning
"church settlement" in Old Norse. This name briefly spiked in popularity for American girls in 1982 after the character Kirby Anders Colby was introduced to the soap opera
Dynasty.
Kiri f MaoriMeans
"skin of a tree or fruit" in Maori. This name has been brought to public attention by New Zealand opera singer Kiri Te Kanawa (1944-).
Kittum f Semitic MythologyFrom Akkadian
kīttu meaning
"truth", a derivative of
kīnu "legitimate, true". This was the name of the Akkadian goddess of truth.
Kiyo f JapaneseFrom Japanese
清 (kiyo) meaning "clear, pure, clean" or other homophonic words. This was a popular name in the Edo period and remained common until the early 20th century, at which time it was usually spelled using katakana.
Kiyoko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
清 (kiyo) meaning "clear, pure, clean" or
聖 (kiyo) meaning "holy" and
子 (ko) meaning "child". This name can also be formed from other combinations of kanji characters.
Kizzy f EnglishDiminutive of
Keziah. This particular spelling was repopularized in the late 1970s by a character in the book and miniseries
Roots (1977).
Kjellaug f NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Ketillaug, derived from the elements
ketill meaning "kettle" and
laug possibly meaning "vowed, promised, bound in oath".
Kjellfrid f NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Ketilríðr, derived from the elements
ketill meaning "kettle" and
fríðr meaning "beautiful, beloved".
Kleio f Greek Mythology, GreekDerived from Greek
κλέος (kleos) meaning
"glory". In Greek mythology she was the goddess of history and heroic poetry, one of the nine Muses. She was said to have introduced the alphabet to Greece.
Kleonike f Ancient GreekDerived from Greek
κλέος (kleos) meaning "glory" and
νίκη (nike) meaning "victory". This name was used by the Greek playwright Aristophanes for a character in his comedy
Lysistrata.
Klotho f Greek MythologyMeans
"spinner" in Greek. In Greek mythology Klotho was one of the three Fates or
Μοῖραι (Moirai). She was responsible for spinning the thread of life.
Klytië f Greek MythologyDerived from Greek
κλυτός (klytos) meaning
"famous, noble". In Greek myth Klytië was an ocean nymph who loved the sun god Helios. Her love was not returned, and she pined away staring at him until she was transformed into a heliotrope flower, whose head moves to follow the sun.
Koharu f JapaneseFrom Japanese
小 (ko) meaning "small" or
心 (ko) meaning "heart" combined with
春 (haru) meaning "spring". The compound word
小春 means "late summer". Other combinations of kanji characters can form this name as well.
Kohinoor f VariousFrom
Koh-i-noor, the name of a famous gemstone, meaning "mountain of light" in Persian.
Kokoro f JapaneseFrom Japanese
心 (kokoro) meaning "heart, mind, soul" or other kanji and kanji combinations having the same pronunciation. It is often written using the hiragana writing system.
Komang m & f BalineseMeaning unknown. This name is traditionally given to the third-born child in Balinese families.
Koraljka f CroatianFrom Croatian
koralj meaning
"coral", ultimately from Latin
corallium.
Kore f Greek MythologyMeans
"maiden" in Greek. This was another name for the Greek goddess Persephone.
Kotone f JapaneseFrom Japanese
琴 (koto), which refers to a type of musical instrument similar to a harp, combined with
音 (ne) meaning "sound". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
Kourtney f English (Modern)Variant of
Courtney. Like
Courtney this name declined in popularity in the 1990s, but it was briefly revived after 2007 by the television personality Kourtney Kardashian (1979-) when she began appearing on the reality show
Keeping Up with the Kardashians.
Kreka f HistoryMeaning unknown, possibly of Turkic or Germanic origin. This name was borne by the most powerful of
Attila's wives.
Kriemhild f German (Rare), Germanic MythologyDerived from the Old German elements
grimo "mask" and
hilt "battle". Kriemhild was a beautiful heroine in the medieval German saga the
Nibelungenlied, where she is the sister of
Gunther and the wife of
Siegfried. After her husband is killed by
Hagen with the consent of Gunther, Kriemhild tragically exacts her revenge. She is called
Gudrun in Norse versions of the tale.
Kristina f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Estonian, Russian, German, Slovene, Czech, Lithuanian, Serbian, Croatian, Albanian, Faroese, English, BulgarianForm of
Christina in several languages. It is also an English variant of
Christina and a Bulgarian variant of
Hristina.
Krystle f English (Modern)Variant of
Crystal. This particular spelling was popularized by the character Krystle Carrington from the American soap opera
Dynasty (1981-1989).
Kulap f & m ThaiMeans
"rose" in Thai (of Persian origin).
Kumari f Hinduism, Hindi, TeluguFeminine form of
Kumara. In the Hindu epic the
Mahabharata Kumari is the wife of the warrior Bhima. This is also another name of the Hindu goddess
Durga.
Kumiko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
久 (ku) meaning "long time",
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" and
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Kun f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
坤 (kūn) meaning "earth, female", as well as other characters with a similar pronunciation.
Kunegunda f Polish (Rare)Polish form of
Kunigunde. The 13th-century Saint Kunegunda was the daughter of Bela IV, king of Hungary. She married Boleslaus V of Poland, but after his death refused to assume power and instead became a nun.
Kunigunde f German (Rare)Derived from the Old German element
kuni "royal" combined with
gunda "war". It was borne by a 4th-century Swiss saint, a companion of Saint
Ursula. Another saint by this name was the 11th-century wife of the Holy Roman emperor Henry II.
Kunthea f KhmerMeans
"perfume, fragrance" in Khmer, ultimately from Sanskrit
गनध (gandha). It is also said to derive from Khmer
គុណ (kun) meaning "virtue, good deed" and
ធារ (thear) meaning "profusion, abundance".
Kunti f HinduismMeans
"spear" in Sanskrit. In the Hindu epic the
Mahabharata this is the name of the mother of the Pandavas.
Kyla f EnglishFeminine form of
Kyle, or a combination of the popular phonetic elements
ky and
la.
Kylie f EnglishThis name arose in Australia, where it is said to mean "boomerang" in the Australian Aboriginal language Nyungar. An early bearer was the author Kylie Tennant (1912-1988). It was among the most popular names in Australia in the 1970s and early 80s. It can also be considered a feminine form of
Kyle, or a combination of the popular sounds
ky and
lee, and it is likely in those capacities that it began to be used in America in the late 1970s. A famous bearer is the Australian pop singer Kylie Minogue (1968-).
Kyllikki f Finnish, Finnish MythologyDerived from Finnish
kyllä "abundance" or
kyllin "enough". This is the name of a character in the Finnish epic the
Kalevala.
Kyo m & f JapaneseAlternate transcription of Japanese Kanji
協 or
京 or
郷 or
杏 (see
Kyō).
Kyō m & f JapaneseFrom Japanese
協 (kyō) meaning "unite, cooperate",
京 (kyō) meaning "capital city",
郷 (kyō) meaning "village",
杏 (kyō) meaning "apricot", or other kanji with the same pronunciation.
Kyōko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
京 (kyō) meaning "capital city" or
恭 (kyō) meaning "respectful, polite" combined with
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other combinations of kanji characters can also form this name.
Kyou m & f JapaneseAlternate transcription of Japanese Kanji
協 or
京 or
郷 or
杏 (see
Kyō).
Kyrie 2 f English (Modern)From the name of a Christian prayer, also called the
Kyrie eleison meaning "Lord, have mercy". It is ultimately from Greek
κύριος (kyrios) meaning
"lord".
Lacey f & m EnglishVariant of
Lacy. This is currently the most popular spelling of this name.
Lachesis f Greek MythologyMeans
"apportioner" in Greek. She was one of the three Fates or
Μοῖραι (Moirai) in Greek mythology. She was responsible for deciding how long each person had to live.
Laci 2 f English (Modern)Variant of
Lacy. This name jumped in popularity in 2003 after the media coverage of the murder of Laci Peterson (1975-2002).
Lăcrămioara f RomanianMeans
"lily of the valley" in Romanian (species Convallaria majalis). It is derived from a diminutive form of
lacrămă "tear".
Lacy f & m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from
Lassy, the name of a town in Normandy. The name of the town was Gaulish in origin, perhaps deriving from a personal name that was Latinized as
Lascius. Formerly more common for boys in America, this name began to grow in popularity for girls in 1975.
Ladi f HausaFrom Hausa
Lahadi meaning
"Sunday" (of Arabic origin).
Lady f Spanish (Latin American)From the English noble title
Lady, derived from Old English
hlæfdige, originally meaning "bread kneader". This name grew in popularity in Latin America after the marriage of Diana Spencer, known as Lady Di, to Prince Charles in 1981 and her death in 1997.
Laelia f Ancient RomanFeminine form of
Laelius, a Roman family name of unknown meaning. This is also the name of a type of flower, an orchid found in Mexico and Central America.
Laetitia f Late Roman, FrenchOriginal Latin form of
Letitia, as well as a French variant. This name began rising in popularity in France around the same time that Serge Gainsbourg released his 1963 song
Elaeudanla Téïtéïa (this title is a phonetic rendering of the letters in the name
Lætitia). It peaked in 1982 as the fourth most common name for girls.
Laima f Lithuanian, Latvian, Baltic MythologyFrom Latvian
laime and Lithuanian
laima, which mean
"luck, fate". This was the name of the Latvian and Lithuanian goddess of fate, luck, pregnancy and childbirth. She was the sister of the goddesses Dēkla and Kārta, who were also associated with fate.
Lake m & f English (Rare)From the English word
lake, for the inland body of water. It is ultimately derived from Latin
lacus.
Lakshmi f & m Hinduism, Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam, Marathi, Hindi, OdiaMeans
"sign, mark" in Sanskrit. This is the name of the Hindu goddess of prosperity, good luck, and beauty. She is the wife of
Vishnu and her symbol is the lotus flower, with which she is often depicted.
Lalage f LiteratureDerived from Greek
λαλαγέω (lalageo) meaning
"to babble, to prattle". The Roman poet Horace used this name in one of his odes.
Lale f TurkishMeans
"tulip" in Turkish, of Persian origin.
Lali f GeorgianMeans
"ruby" in Georgian, of Sanskrit origin.
Lalka f BulgarianFrom Bulgarian
лале (lale) meaning
"tulip". It is derived via Turkish from Persian
لاله (laleh).
Lalla f LiteratureDerived from Persian
لاله (laleh) meaning
"tulip". This was the name of the heroine of Thomas Moore's poem
Lalla Rookh (1817). In the poem, Lalla, the daughter of the emperor of Delhi, listens to a poet sing four tales.
Lamia 2 f Greek MythologyPossibly from Greek
λαιμός (laimos) meaning
"throat". In Greek mythology this is the name of a queen of Libya who was a mistress of
Zeus.
Hera, being jealous, kills Lamia's children, causing her to go mad and transform into a monster that hunts the children of others.
Lamya f ArabicDerived from the poetic Arabic word
لمى (lama) meaning
"dark red lips".
Lan 1 f & m Chinese, VietnameseFrom Chinese
兰 (lán) meaning "orchid, elegant" (which is usually only feminine) or
岚 (lán) meaning "mountain mist". Other Chinese characters can form this name as well. As a Vietnamese name, it is derived from Sino-Vietnamese
蘭 meaning "orchid".
Lani f HawaiianMeans
"sky, heaven, royal, majesty" in Hawaiian.
Laodice f Ancient Greek (Latinized), Greek Mythology (Latinized)Latinized form of Greek
Λαοδίκη (Laodike) meaning
"justice of the people", derived from Greek
λαός (laos) meaning "people" and
δίκη (dike) meaning "justice, custom, order". In Greek mythology this was the name of several women, notably the daughter of King
Priam of Troy. It was also common among the royal family of the Seleucid Empire, being borne by the mother of Seleucus himself (4th century BC).