CECILIA f English, Italian, Spanish, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Dutch, Romanian, Finnish, GermanLatinate feminine form of the Roman family name
Caecilius, which was derived from Latin
caecus meaning
"blind". Saint Cecilia was a semi-legendary 2nd- or 3rd-century martyr who was sentenced to die because she refused to worship the Roman gods. After attempts to suffocate her failed, she was beheaded. She was later regarded as the patron saint of music and musicians.
... [more] CEDAR f & m English (Rare)From the English word for the coniferous tree, derived (via Old French and Latin) from Greek
κέδρος (kedros).
CEINWEN f WelshDerived from the Welsh elements
cain "good, lovely" and
gwen "white, fair, blessed".
CELESTINE f & m EnglishEnglish form of
CAELESTINUS. It is more commonly used as a feminine name, from the French feminine form
Célestine.
CELIA f English, SpanishFeminine form of the Roman family name
CAELIUS. Shakespeare used it in his play
As You Like It (1599), which introduced the name to the English-speaking public at large. It is sometimes used as a short form of
CECILIA.
CELINDA f English (Rare)Probably a blend of
CELIA and
LINDA. This is also the Spanish name for a variety of shrub with white flowers, known as sweet mock-orange in English (species Philadelphus coronarius).
CEMRE f TurkishFrom a term used in Turkish folklore referring to the warming of temperature at the end of winter, thought to occur in three stages affecting air, water, then earth.
CENNET f TurkishMeans
"paradise, garden" in Turkish, derived from Arabic
جنّة (jannah).
CERES f Roman MythologyDerived from the Indo-European root *
ker meaning
"to grow". In Roman mythology Ceres was the goddess of agriculture, equivalent to the Greek goddess
Demeter.
CERI m & f WelshMeaning uncertain. It could come from the name of the Ceri River in Ceredigion, Wales; it could be a short form of
CERIDWEN; it could be derived from Welsh
caru meaning "to love".
CERIDWEN f WelshPossibly from Welsh
cyrrid "bent" or
cerdd "poetry" combined with
ven "woman" or
gwen "white, fair, blessed". According to medieval Welsh legend this was the name of a sorceress or goddess who created a potion that would grant wisdom to her son Morfan. The potion was instead consumed by her servant Gwion Bach, who was subsequently reborn as the renowned bard
Taliesin.
CHAE-WON f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
采 (chae) meaning "collect, gather, pluck" or
彩 (chae) meaning "colour" combined with
原 (won) meaning "source, origin, beginning". Other hanja combinations can also form this name.
CHAE-YEONG f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
彩 (chae) meaning "colour" combined with
榮 (yeong) meaning "glory, honour" or
瑛 (yeong) meaning "jade". This name can be formed using other hanja combinations as well.
CHAN m & f KhmerMeans
"moon" in Khmer, ultimately from Sanskrit.
CHANDA m & f Hinduism, Indian, HindiMeans
"fierce, hot, passionate" in Sanskrit. This is a transcription of both the masculine form
चण्ड and the feminine form
चण्डा (an epithet of the Hindu goddess
Durga).
CHANDLER m & f EnglishFrom an occupational surname that meant
"candle seller" in Middle English, ultimately from Old French.
CHANDRA m & f Hinduism, Bengali, Indian, Assamese, Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, NepaliMeans
"moon" in Sanskrit, derived from
चन्द (chand) meaning "to shine". This is a transcription of the masculine form
चण्ड (a name of the moon in Hindu texts, which is often personified as a deity) as well as the feminine form
चण्डा.
CHANEL f EnglishFrom a French surname that meant
"pipe". It has been used as an American given name since 1970s, influenced by the Chanel brand name (a line of women's clothing and perfume), which was named for French fashion designer Coco Chanel (1883-1971).
CHANG m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
昌 (chāng) meaning "flourish, prosper, good, sunlight" (which is usually only masculine),
畅 (chàng) meaning "smooth, free, unrestrained" or
长 (cháng) meaning "long". Other Chinese characters are also possible.
CHANNARY f KhmerMeans
"moon-faced girl" from Khmer
ចន្ទ (chan) meaning "moon" and
នារី (neari) meaning "woman, girl".
CHANTAL f French, English, DutchFrom a French surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"stony". It was originally given in honour of Saint Jeanne-Françoise de Chantal, the founder of the Visitation Order in the 17th century. It has become associated with French
chant "song".
CHAO m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
超 (chāo) meaning "surpass, leap over" (which is usually only masculine),
潮 (cháo) meaning "tide, flow, damp", or other characters that are pronounced similarly.
CHARIKLEIA f Greek, Ancient GreekFrom Greek
χάρις (charis) meaning "grace, kindness" and
κλέος (kleos) meaning "glory". This is the name of the heroine of the 3rd-century novel
Aethiopica by Heliodorus of Emesa, about the love between Chariclea and Theagenes.
CHARISSA f EnglishElaborated form of
CHARIS. Edmund Spencer used it in his epic poem
The Faerie Queene (1590).
CHARISSE f EnglishFrom a French surname of unknown meaning. It was used as a given name in honour of American actress and dancer Cyd Charisse (1921-2008).
CHARITY f EnglishFrom the English word
charity, ultimately derived from Late Latin
caritas meaning "generous love", from Latin
carus "dear, beloved".
Caritas was in use as a Roman Christian name. The English name
Charity came into use among the Puritans after the Protestant Reformation.
CHARLIE m & f EnglishDiminutive or feminine form of
CHARLES. A famous bearer was the British comic actor Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977). It is also borne by 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.
CHARLOTTE f French, English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, DutchFrench feminine diminutive of
CHARLES. It was introduced to Britain in the 17th century. It was the name of a German-born 18th-century queen consort of Great Britain and Ireland. Another notable bearer was Charlotte Brontë (1816-1855), the eldest of the three Brontë sisters and the author of
Jane Eyre and
Villette.
... [more] 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
χάρμα (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.
CHESLEY m & f English (Rare)From a surname that was originally from a place name meaning
"camp meadow" in Old English.
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
χλωρός (chloros) meaning
"pale green". Chloris, in Greek mythology, was a minor goddess of vegetation.
CHŌKO f JapaneseFrom Japanese
蝶 (chō) 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 in 1800 by Samuel Coleridge in his poem
Christabel.
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.
ĈIELA f EsperantoMeans
"heavenly, from the sky" in Esperanto, from
ĉielo "sky", ultimately derived from Latin
caelum.
CINDERELLA f LiteratureMeans
"little ashes", in part from the French name
Cendrillon. This is the main character in the folk tale
Cinderella about a maltreated young woman who eventually marries a prince. This old story is best known in the English-speaking world from the French author Charles Perrault's 1697 version. She has other names in other languages, usually with the meaning "ashes", such as German
Aschenputtel and Italian
Cenerentola.
CIRCE f Greek Mythology (Latinized)Latinized form of Greek
Κίρκη (Kirke), possibly from
κίρκος (kirkos) meaning
"hawk". In Greek mythology Circe was a sorceress who changed
Odysseus's crew into hogs, as told in Homer's
Odyssey. Odysseus forced her to change them back, then stayed with her for a year before continuing his voyage.
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 itself probably derived from Irish
clár meaning "plank, level surface".
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, ItalianLatinate 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).