CHARLIE m & f EnglishDiminutive or feminine form of
CHARLES. A famous bearer is Charlie Brown, the main character in the comic strip 'Peanuts' by Charles Schulz.
CHARLIZE f Southern African, AfrikaansFeminine form of
CHARLES using the popular Afrikaans name suffix
ize. This name was popularized by South African actress Charlize Theron (1975-), who was named after her father Charles.
CHARMAINE f EnglishMeaning unknown, perhaps a combination of
CHARMIAN or the English word
charm with the
aine suffix from
LORRAINE. It was (first?) used for a character in the play 'What Price Glory' (1924), which was made into a popular movie in 1926.
CHARMION f Ancient GreekGreek name derived from
χαρμα (charma) meaning "delight". This was the name of one of Cleopatra's servants, as recorded by Plutarch.
CHASTITY f EnglishFrom the English word
chastity, which is ultimately from Latin
castus "pure". It was borne by the daughter of Sonny Bono and Cher, which probably led to the name's increase in popularity during the 1970s.
CHELSEA f EnglishFrom the name of a district in London, originally derived from Old English and meaning "landing place for chalk or limestone". It has been in general use as an English given name since the 1970s.
CHEN (1) m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
晨 (chén) or
辰 (chén), both meaning "morning". The character
辰 also refers to the fifth Earthly Branch (7 AM to 9 AM), which is itself associated with the dragon of the Chinese zodiac. This name can be formed from other characters as well.
CHENG m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
成 (chéng) meaning "completed, finished, succeeded" or
诚 (chéng) meaning "sincere, honest, true", as well as other characters that are pronounced similarly.
CHER f EnglishShort form of
CHERYL. In the case of the American musician Cher (1946-), it is short for her real name
CHERILYN.
CHERIE f EnglishDerived from French
chérie meaning "darling". In America,
Cherie came into use shortly after the variant
Sherry, and has not been as common.
CHEROKEE f & m English (Rare)Probably derived from the Creek word
tciloki meaning "people of a different speech". This is the name of a Native American people who live in the east of North America.
CHERRY f EnglishSimply means "cherry" from the name of the fruit. It can also be a diminutive of
CHARITY. It has been in use since the late 19th century.
CHEYENNE f & m EnglishDerived from the Dakota word
shahiyena meaning "red speakers". This is the name of a Native American people of the Great Plains. The name was supposedly given to the Cheyenne by the Dakota because their language was unrelated to their own. As a given name, it has been in use since the 1950s.
CHI (2) m & f Mythology, Western African, IgboMeans "god, spiritual being" in Igbo, referring to the personal spiritual guardian that each person is believed to have. Christian Igbo people use it as a name for the personal Christian god. This can also be a short form of the many Igbo names that begin with this element.
CHIARA f ItalianItalian form of
CLARA. Saint Chiara (commonly called Saint Clare in English) was a follower of Saint Francis of Assisi.
CHIDI m & f Western African, IgboMeans "God exists" in Igbo. It is also a short form of Igbo names beginning with
Chidi.
CHIHIRO f & m JapaneseFrom Japanese
千 (chi) meaning "thousand" and
尋 (hiro) meaning "search, seek", as well as other kanji combinations.
CHIKA (2) f JapaneseFrom Japanese
千 (chi) meaning "thousand",
智 (chi) meaning "wisdom, intellect" or
散 (chi) meaning "scatter" combined with
佳 (ka) meaning "good, beautiful" or
花 (ka) meaning "flower". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
CHIKAKO f JapaneseFrom Japanese
千 (chi) meaning "thousand",
香 (ka) meaning "fragrance" and
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations can be possible.
CHINA f English (Modern)From the name of the Asian country, ultimately derived from
Qin, the name of a dynasty that ruled there in the 3rd century BC.
CHINATSU f JapaneseFrom Japanese
千 (chi) meaning "thousand" and
夏 (natsu) meaning "summer", as well as other kanji combinations.
CHIYO f JapaneseFrom Japanese
千 (chi) meaning "thousand" combined with
代 (yo) meaning "generation" or
世 (yo) meaning "world". Other kanji combinations are possible.
CHIYOKO f JapaneseFrom Japanese
千 (chi) meaning "thousand" and
代 (yo) meaning "generation" and
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other combinations of kanji characters are possible.
CHLORIS f Greek MythologyDerived from Greek
χλωρος (chloros) meaning "pale green". Chloris, in Greek mythology, was a minor goddess of vegetation.
CHOUKO f JapaneseFrom Japanese
蝶 (chou) meaning "butterfly" and
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations can be possible.
CHRISTABEL f English (Rare)Combination of
CHRISTINA and the name suffix
bel. This name occurs in medieval literature, and was later used by Samuel Coleridge in his poem 'Christabel' (1800).
CHRISTINA f English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, GreekFrom
Christiana, the Latin feminine form of
CHRISTIAN. This was the name of an early, possibly legendary, saint who was tormented by her pagan father. It was also borne by a 17th-century Swedish queen and patron the arts who gave up her crown in order to become a Roman Catholic.
CHRYSANTA f English (Rare)Shortened form of the word
chrysanthemum, the name of a flowering plant, which means "golden flower" in Greek.
CHRYSEIS f Greek MythologyPatronymic derived from
CHRYSES. In Greek legend she was the daughter of Chryses, a priest of
Apollo. After she was taken prisoner by the Greeks besieging Troy, Apollo sent a plague into their camp, forcing the Greeks to release her.
CHUN f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
春 (chūn) meaning "spring (the season)" or other characters with a similar pronunciation.
CIARA (1) f IrishFeminine form of
CIAR. Saint Ciara was an Irish nun who established a monastery at Kilkeary in the 7th century.
CIARA (2) f English (Modern)Variant of
SIERRA. Use of the name has perhaps been influenced by the brand of perfume called Ciara, which was introduced by Revlon in 1973.
CIEL f & m VariousMeans "sky" in French. It is not used as a given name in France itself.
CINDERELLA f LiteratureFrom the French name
Cendrillon meaning "little ashes". This is best known as the main character in the fairy tale 'Cinderella'.
CLARA f German, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French, Catalan, Romanian, English, Swedish, Danish, Late RomanFeminine form of the Late Latin name
Clarus, which meant "clear, bright, famous". The name
Clarus was borne by a few early saints. The feminine form was popularized by the 13th-century Saint Clare of Assisi (called
Chiara in Italian), a friend and follower of Saint Francis, who left her wealthy family to found the order of nuns known as the Poor Clares. As an English name it has been in use since the Middle Ages, originally in the form
Clare, though the Latinate spelling
Clara became more popular in the 19th century.
CLARE f EnglishMedieval English form of
CLARA. This is also the name of an Irish county, which was originally named for the Norman invader Richard de Clare (known as Strongbow), whose surname was derived from the name of an English river.
CLARIBEL f EnglishCombination of
CLARA and the popular name suffix
bel. This name was used by Edmund Spenser in his poem 'The Faerie Queene' (in the form
Claribell) and by Shakespeare in his play 'The Tempest' (1611). Alfred Lord Tennyson also wrote a poem entitled 'Claribel' (1830).
CLARICE f EnglishMedieval vernacular form of the Late Latin name
Claritia, which was a derivative of
CLARA.
CLARINDA f EnglishCombination of
CLARA and the popular name suffix
inda. It was first used by Edmund Spenser in his epic poem 'The Faerie Queene' (1590).
CLARISSA f English, Italian, Portuguese, SpanishLatinate form of
CLARICE. This was the name of the title character in a 1748 novel by Samuel Richardson. In the novel Clarissa is a virtuous woman who is tragically exploited by her family and her lover.
CLARITY f English (Rare)Simply means "clarity, lucidity" from the English word, ultimately from Latin
clarus "clear".
CLAUDE m & f French, EnglishFrench masculine and feminine form of
CLAUDIUS. In France the masculine name has been common since the Middle Ages due to the 7th-century Saint Claude of Besançon. It was imported to Britain in the 16th century by the aristocratic Hamilton family, who had French connections. A famous bearer of this name was the French impressionist painter Claude Monet (1840-1926).
CLEMATIS f English (Rare)From the English word for a type of flowering vine, ultimately derived from Greek
κλημα (klema) "twig, branch".
CLEMENCE f EnglishFeminine form of
Clementius (see
CLEMENT). It has been in use since the Middle Ages, though it became rare after the 17th century.
CLEMENCY f English (Rare)Medieval variant of
CLEMENCE. It can also simply mean "clemency, mercy" from the English word, ultimately from Latin
clemens "merciful".
CLEOPATRA f Ancient Greek (Latinized)From the Greek name
Κλεοπατρα (Kleopatra) meaning "glory of the father", derived from
κλεος (kleos) "glory" combined with
πατηρ (pater) "father" (genitive
πατρος), This was the name of queens of Egypt from the Ptolemaic royal family, including Cleopatra VII, the mistress of both Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. After being defeated by Augustus she committed suicide by allowing herself to be bitten by an asp. Shakespeare's tragedy 'Antony and Cleopatra' (1606) is based on her.
CLÍODHNA f Irish, Irish MythologyPossibly means "shapely" in Irish Gaelic. In Irish legend this was the name of a beautiful goddess. She fell in love with a mortal named Ciabhan and left the Land of Promise with him, but when she arrived on the other shore she was swept to sea by a great wave.
CLODAGH f IrishFrom the name of a river in Tipperary, Ireland.
CLOELIA f Ancient RomanFeminine form of
CLOELIUS. In Roman legend Cloelia was a maiden who was given to an Etruscan invader as a hostage. She managed to escape by swimming across the Tiber, at the same time helping some of the other captives to safety.
CLOTILDE f French, Italian, Portuguese, SpanishFrench form of the Germanic name
Chlotichilda, which was composed of the elements
hlud "fame" and
hild "battle". Saint Clotilde was the wife of the Frankish king Clovis, whom she converted to Christianity.
CLOVER f English (Rare)From the English word for the wild flower, ultimately deriving from Old English
clafre.
COCO f VariousDiminutive of names beginning with
Co, influenced by the word
cocoa. However, this was not the case for French fashion designer Coco Chanel (real name Gabrielle), whose nickname came from the name of a song she performed while working as a cabaret singer.
COLETTE f FrenchShort form of
NICOLETTE. Saint Colette was a 15th-century French nun who gave her money to the poor. This was also the pen name of the French author Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette (1873-1954).
COLLEEN f EnglishDerived from the Irish word
cailín meaning "girl". It is not commonly used in Ireland itself, but has been used in America since the early 20th century.
COLOMBINA f ItalianItalian feminine diminutive of
COLUMBA. In traditional Italian pantomimes this is the name of a stock character, the female counterpart of Arlecchino (also called Harlequin). This is also the Italian word for the columbine flower.
COLUMBA m & f Late RomanLate Latin name meaning "dove". The dove is a symbol of the Holy Spirit in Christianity. This was the name of several early saints both masculine and feminine, most notably the 6th-century Irish monk Saint Columba (or Colum) who established a monastery on the island of Iona off the coast of Scotland. He is credited with the conversion of Scotland to Christianity.
COMFORT f English (Rare)From the English word
comfort, ultimately from Latin
confortare "to strengthen greatly", a derivative of
fortis "strong". It was used as a given name after the Protestant Reformation.
CONCEPCIÓN f SpanishMeans "conception" in Spanish. This name is given in reference to the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin
Mary. A city in Chile bears this name.
CONDOLEEZZA f VariousIn the case of American Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice it is derived from the Italian musical term
con dolcezza meaning "with sweetness".
CONSOLATA f ItalianMeans "consoled" in Italian. It is taken from the title of the Virgin
Mary,
María Consolata.
CONSUELO f SpanishMeans "consolation" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin
Mary,
Nuestra Señora del Consuelo, meaning "Our Lady of Consolation".
CORA f English, German, Greek Mythology (Latinized)Latinized form of
KORE. It was not used as a given name in the English-speaking world until after it was employed by James Fenimore Cooper for a character in his novel 'The Last of the Mohicans' (1826). In some cases it may be a short form of
CORDULA,
CORINNA or other names beginning with a similar sound.
CORAL f English, SpanishFrom the English and Spanish word
coral for the underwater skeletal deposits that can form reefs. It is ultimately derived (via Old French and Latin) from Greek
κοραλλιον (korallion).
CORDELIA f EnglishFrom
Cordeilla, possibly a Celtic name of unknown meaning. According to Geoffrey of Monmouth, Cordeilla was the youngest of the three daughters of King Lear and the only one to remain loyal to her father. When adapting the character for his play 'King Lear' (1606), Shakespeare altered the spelling to
Cordelia.
CORDULA f GermanLate Latin name meaning "heart" from Latin
cor,
cordis. Saint Cordula was one of the 4th-century companions of Saint Ursula.
CORETTA f EnglishDiminutive of
CORA. It was borne by Coretta Scott King (1927-2006), the wife of Martin Luther King.
CORIANDER f English (Rare)From the name of the spice, also called cilantro, which may ultimately be of Phoenician origin (via Latin and Greek).
CORINNA f German, Italian, English, Ancient Greek (Latinized)Latinized form of the Greek name
Κοριννα (Korinna), which was derived from
κορη (kore) "maiden". This was the name of a Greek lyric poet of the 5th century BC. The Roman poet
Ovid used it for the main female character in his book 'Amores'. In the modern era it has been in use since the 17th century, when Robert Herrick used it in his poem 'Corinna's going a-Maying'.
CORNELIA f German, Romanian, Italian, Dutch, English, Ancient RomanFeminine form of
CORNELIUS. In the 2nd century BC it was borne by Cornelia Scipionis Africana (the daughter of the military hero Scipio Africanus), the mother of the two reformers known as the Gracchi. After her death she was regarded as an example of the ideal Roman woman. The name was revived in the 18th century.
CORONA f Late Roman, Italian, SpanishMeans "crown" in Latin, as well as Italian and Spanish. This was the name of a 2nd-century saint who was martyred with her companion Victor.
COSETTE f French, LiteratureFrom French
chosette meaning "little thing". This is the nickname of the illegitimate daughter of Fantine in Victor Hugo's novel 'Les Misérables' (1862). Her real name is
Euphrasie, though it is seldom used. In the novel young Cosette is the ward of the cruel Thénardiers until she is retrieved by Jean Valjean.
COURTNEY f & m EnglishFrom an aristocratic English surname that was derived either from the French place name
Courtenay (originally a derivative of the personal name
Curtenus, itself derived from Latin
curtus "short") or else from a Norman nickname meaning "short nose". As a feminine name in America, it first became popular during the 1970s.
CRESSIDA f LiteratureMedieval form of
CHRYSEIS. Various medieval tales describe her as a woman of Troy, daughter of Calchus, who leaves her Trojan lover Troilus for the Greek hero Diomedes. Shakespeare's play 'Troilus and Cressida' (1602) was based on these tales.
CRUZ f & m Spanish, PortugueseMeans "cross" in Spanish or Portuguese, referring to the cross of the crucifixion.
CRYSTAL f EnglishFrom the English word
crystal for the clear, colourless glass, sometimes cut into the shape of a gemstone. The English word derives ultimately from Greek
κρυσταλλος (krystallos) meaning "ice". It has been in use as a given name since the 19th century.
CSENGE f HungarianPossibly derived from Hungarian
cseng meaning "to ring, to clang".
CSILLA f HungarianDerived from Hungarian
csillag meaning "star". This name was created by the Hungarian author András Dugonics for an 1803 novel and later used and popularized by the poet Mihály Vörösmarty.