CLEMATIS f English (Rare)From the English word for a type of flowering vine, ultimately derived from Greek
κλήμα (klema) meaning "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
Κλεοπάτρα (Kleopatra) meaning
"glory of the father", derived from
κλέος (kleos) meaning "glory" combined with
πατήρ (pater) meaning "father" (genitive
πατρός). 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) tells the story of her life.
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 the former American Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (1954-) 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
κοράλλιον (korallion).
CORALINE f Literature, FrenchCreated by the French composer Adolphe Adam for one of the main characters in his opera
Le toréador (1849). He probably based it on the name
CORALIE. It was also used by the author Neil Gaiman for the young heroine in his novel
Coraline (2002). Gaiman has stated that in this case the name began as a typo of
Caroline.
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
Κορίννα (Korinna), which was derived from
κόρη (kore) meaning
"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.
CREE m & f English (Rare)From the name of a Native American tribe of central Canada. Their name derives via French from the Cree word
kiristino.
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
κρύσταλλος (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.
CVETKA f SloveneDerived from Slovene
cvet meaning
"blossom, flower".
CYBELE f Near Eastern Mythology (Latinized)Meaning unknown, possibly from Phrygian roots meaning either
"stone" or
"hair". This was the name of the Phrygian mother goddess associated with fertility and nature. She was later worshipped by the Greeks and Romans.
CYBILL f English (Rare)Variant of
SIBYL. This name was borne by actress Cybill Shepherd (1950-), who was named after her grandfather Cy and her father Bill.
CYNEBURG f Anglo-SaxonMeans
"royal fortress" from Old English
cyne "royal" and
burg "fortress". Saint Cyneburga, a daughter of a king of Mercia, was the founder of an abbey at Gloucester in the 7th century.
CYNTHIA f English, Greek Mythology (Latinized)Latinized form of Greek
Κυνθία (Kynthia), which means
"woman from Kynthos". This was an epithet of the Greek moon goddess
Artemis, given because Kynthos was the mountain on Delos on which she and her twin brother
Apollo were born. It was not used as a given name until the Renaissance, and it did not become common in the English-speaking world until the 19th century. It reached a peak of popularity in the United States in 1957 and has declined steadily since then.
CYRA f HistoryMeaning unknown. Saint Cyra was a 5th-century Syrian hermit who was martyred with her companion Marana.
DA m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
达 (dá) meaning "achieve, arrive at, intelligent" (which is usually only masculine),
大 (dà) meaning "big, great, vast, high", or other characters with a similar pronunciation.
DAENERYS f LiteratureCreated by author George R. R. Martin for a character in his series
A Song of Ice and Fire, first published 1996, and the television adaptation
Game of Thrones (2011-2019). An explanation for the meaning of her name is not provided, though it is presumably intended to be of Valyrian origin. In the series Daenerys Targaryen is a queen of the Dothraki and a claimant to the throne of Westeros.
DAFFODIL f English (Rare)From the name of the flower, ultimately derived from Dutch
de affodil meaning "the asphodel".
DAFNA f HebrewMeans
"laurel" in Hebrew, of Greek origin.
DAGRUN f NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Dagrún, which was derived from the Old Norse elements
dagr "day" and
rún "secret lore".
DÁIRÍNE f IrishDerived from Irish Gaelic
dáire meaning
"fruitful, fertile".
DAISY f EnglishSimply from the English word for the white flower, ultimately derived from Old English
dægeseage meaning "day eye". It was first used as a given name in the 19th century, at the same time many other plant and flower names were coined.
DAIVA f LithuanianCreated by the Lithuanian writer Vydūnas, who possibly derived it from a Sanskrit word meaning
"destiny".
DAKOTA m & f English (Modern)Means
"allies, friends" in the Dakota language. This is the name of a Native American people of the northern Mississippi valley.
DALE m & f EnglishFrom an English surname that originally belonged to a person who lived near a dale or valley.
DALEY m & f Irish, English (Rare)From an Irish surname that was derived from
Ó Dálaigh meaning
"descendant of Dálach". The name
Dálach means "assembly" in Gaelic.
DALIA (2) f Lithuanian, Baltic MythologyMeans
"fate, luck" in Lithuanian. This was the name of the Lithuanian goddess of weaving, fate and childbirth, often associated with Laima.
DALIDA f Biblical GreekForm of
DELILAH used in the Greek Old Testament. A famous bearer was the Italian-Egyptian singer and actress Dalida (1933-1987), who was born as Iolanda Cristina Gigliotti.
DALLAS m & f EnglishFrom a surname that could either be of Old English origin meaning
"valley house" or of Scottish Gaelic origin meaning
"meadow dwelling". A city in Texas bears this name, probably in honour of American Vice President George M. Dallas (1792-1864).
DALMA f HungarianCreated by the Hungarian poet Mihály Vörösmarty for a male character in his epic poem
Zalán Futása (1825). It was used by later writers such as Mór Jókai for female characters.
DAMAYANTI f HinduismMeans
"subduing" in Sanskrit. In the Hindu epic the
Mahabharata this is the name of a beautiful princess, the wife of Nala.
DAMHNAIT f IrishMeans
"fawn" from Gaelic
damh "stag, ox" combined with a diminutive suffix.
DANA (2) m & f EnglishFrom a surname that originally belonged to a person who was Danish. It was originally given in honour of American lawyer Richard Henry Dana (1815-1882), the author of
Two Years Before the Mast.
DANAË f Greek MythologyFrom
Δαναοί (Danaoi), a word used by
Homer to designate the Greeks. In Greek mythology Danaë was the daughter of the Argive king Acrisius. It had been prophesized to her father that he would one day be killed by Danaë's son, so he attempted to keep his daughter childless. However,
Zeus came to her in the form of a shower of gold, and she became the mother of
Perseus. Eventually the prophecy was fulfilled and Perseus killed Acrisius, albeit accidentally.
DANICA f Serbian, Croatian, Slovene, Slovak, Macedonian, EnglishFrom a Slavic word meaning
"morning star, Venus". This name occurs in Slavic folklore as a personification of the morning star. It has sometimes been used in the English-speaking world since the 1970s.
DANIELA f Italian, German, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Romanian, Portuguese, Spanish, Bulgarian, Macedonian, EnglishFeminine form of
DANIEL.
DANIELLE f French, EnglishFrench feminine form of
DANIEL. It has been commonly used in the English-speaking world only since the 20th century.
DANUTĖ f LithuanianMeaning uncertain, possibly a feminine form of
DANIEL. It is found in Lithuania from at least 14th century, being borne by a sister of Vytautas the Great.
DANYA (1) f HebrewFeminine form of
DAN (1). It can also be considered a compound meaning
"judgement from God", using the element
יָה (yah) referring to the Hebrew God.
DAPHNE f Greek Mythology, English, DutchMeans
"laurel" in Greek. In Greek mythology she was a nymph turned into a laurel tree by her father in order that she might escape the pursuit of
Apollo. It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the end of the 19th century.
DAR f & m HebrewMeans
"mother-of-pearl, nacre" in Hebrew.
DARA (2) f & m KhmerMeans
"star" in Khmer, ultimately from Sanskrit.
DARBY m & f EnglishFrom an English surname, which was derived from the name of the town of
Derby, meaning "deer town" in Old Norse.
DARCY f & m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from Norman French
d'Arcy, originally denoting one who came from Arcy in France. This was the surname of a character in Jane Austen's novel
Pride and Prejudice (1813).
DARLENE f EnglishFrom the English word
darling combined with the popular name suffix
lene. This name has been in use since the beginning of the 20th century.
DAWN f EnglishFrom the English word
dawn, ultimately derived from Old English
dagung.
DEANNA f EnglishEither a variant of
DIANA or a feminine form of
DEAN. This name was popularized by the Canadian actress and singer Deanna Durbin (1921-), whose birth name was Edna. Her stage name was a rearrangement of the letters of her real name.
DEARBHÁIL f IrishMeans
"daughter of Fál", derived from the Old Irish poetic word
der meaning "daughter" and
Fál, a legendary name for Ireland.
DEBORAH f English, BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
דְּבוֹרָה (Devorah) meaning
"bee". In the Old Testament Book of Judges, Deborah is a heroine and prophetess who leads the Israelites when they are threatened by the Canaanites. She forms an army under the command of
Barak, and together they destroy the army of the Canaanite commander Sisera. Also in the Old Testament, this is the name of the nurse of Rebecca.
... [more] DEE f & m EnglishShort form of names beginning with
D. It may also be given in reference to the
Dee River in Scotland.
DEIANEIRA f Greek MythologyFrom Greek
δηιόω (deioo) meaning "to slay" and
ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man". In Greek mythology this was the name of the wife of
Herakles. She unwittingly poisoned her husband by giving him the Shirt of Nessus.
DEIRBHILE f IrishMeans
"daughter of a poet" from Old Irish
der "daughter" and
file "poet". This was the name of a 6th-century Irish saint.
DEIRDRE f English, Irish, Irish MythologyFrom the older Gaelic form
Derdriu, meaning unknown, possibly derived from Old Irish
der meaning
"daughter". This was the name of a tragic character in Irish legend who died of a broken heart after
Conchobhar, the king of Ulster, forced her to be his bride and killed her lover
Naoise.
... [more] DEJA f VariousMeans
"already" from the French phrase
deja vu meaning "already seen".
DELARA f PersianMeans
"adorning the heart", from Persian
دل (del) meaning "heart" and
آرا (ara) meaning "decorate, adorn".