Achlys f Greek MythologyMeans
"mist, darkness" in Greek. According to a poem by Hesiod, she was one of the figures portrayed on the shield of
Herakles. She is described as a wraithlike woman personifying death and sorrow.
Addison f & m EnglishFrom an English surname meaning
"son of Adam". Its recent popularity as a feminine name stems from its similarity in sound to
Madison.
Adoración f SpanishMeans
"adoration" in Spanish. This name refers to the event that is known in Christian tradition as the Adoration of the Magi, which is when the three Magi presented gifts to the infant
Jesus and worshipped him.
Ælfwynn f Anglo-SaxonDerived from the Old English elements
ælf "elf" and
wynn "joy". This name was borne by a daughter of
Æðelflæd who ruled Mercia briefly in the 10th century.
Aeron m & f WelshFrom the name of the Welsh river Aeron, itself probably derived from the hypothetical Celtic goddess
Agrona. Alternatively, the name could be taken from Welsh
aeron meaning
"berries".
Afnan f ArabicMeans
"tree branches" in Arabic, the plural form of
فنن (fanan). It is given in reference to verse
55:48 in the Quran.
Afon f & m Welsh (Rare)Means
"river" in Welsh. This is a Welsh name of recent origin.
Agnes f English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Estonian, Late Greek (Latinized)Latinized form of the Greek name
Ἅγνη (Hagne), derived from Greek
ἁγνός (hagnos) meaning
"chaste". Saint Agnes was a virgin martyred during the persecutions of the Roman emperor Diocletian. The name became associated with Latin
agnus "lamb", resulting in the saint's frequent depiction with a lamb by her side. Due to her renown, the name became common in Christian Europe.
... [more] Aiman 1 f KazakhPossibly means
"my moon" in Kazakh, from
ай (ay) meaning "moon" and the Persian possessive
من (man) meaning "my". Aiman and
Sholpan are sisters in a 19th-century Kazakh epic poem, later adapted into the 1934 play
Aiman-Sholpan by Mukhtar Auezov.
Alanis f English (Rare)Feminine form of
Alan. Canadian musician Alanis Morissette (1974-) was named after her father Alan. Her parents apparently decided to use this particular spelling after seeing this word in a Greek newspaper.
Alcestis f Greek Mythology (Latinized)Latinized form of Greek
Ἄλκηστις (Alkestis), derived from
ἀλκηστής (alkestes) meaning
"brave, valiant", a derivative of
ἀλκή (alke) meaning "strength, prowess". In Greek mythology she was the wife of King
Admetus. She offered to die in place of her husband, though she was eventually rescued from the underworld by
Herakles. This story was told by the Greek playwright Euripides in his 5th-century BC tragedy
Alcestis.
Alexis m & f French, English, Greek, Spanish, Ancient GreekFrom the Greek name
Ἄλεξις (Alexis) meaning
"helper" or
"defender", derived from Greek
ἀλέξω (alexo) meaning "to defend, to help". This was the name of a 3rd-century BC Greek comic poet, and also of several saints. It is used somewhat interchangeably with the related name
Ἀλέξιος or
Alexius, borne by five Byzantine emperors.
... [more] Alison 1 f English, FrenchNorman French diminutive of
Aalis (see
Alice). It was common in England, Scotland and France in the Middle Ages, and was later revived in England in the 20th century via Scotland. Unlike most other English names ending in
son, it is not derived from a surname.
Allison f & m EnglishFrom the middle of the 20th century this has primarily been used as a variant of the feminine name
Alison 1. However, prior to that it was used as an uncommon masculine name, derived from the English and Scottish surname
Allison.
Amaryllis f LiteratureDerived from Greek
ἀμαρύσσω (amarysso) meaning
"to sparkle". This is the name of a character appearing in
Virgil's pastoral poems
Eclogues. The amaryllis flower is named for her.
Amporn f ThaiDerived from Thai
อํา (am) meaning "to hide" and
พร (phon) meaning "blessing".
An 1 m & f Chinese, VietnameseFrom Chinese
安 (ān) meaning "peace, quiet" or other characters with a similar pronunciation. As a Vietnamese name, it is derived from Sino-Vietnamese
安 meaning "safe, secure".
Anaïs f FrenchMeaning uncertain, possibly a derivative of
Anne 1 or
Agnès. It was used in Jean-Henri Guy's opera
Anacréon chez Polycrate (1798), where it is borne by the daughter (otherwise unnamed in history) of the 6th-century BC tyrant
Polycrates of Samos. Guy could have adapted it from a classical name such as
Anaitis or
Athénaïs.
... [more] Anan 1 m & f AkanMeans
"fourth born child" in Akan.
Ángeles f SpanishMeans
"angels", taken from the Spanish title of the Virgin
Mary Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles, meaning "Our Lady the Queen of the Angels".
Angustias f SpanishMeans
"anguishes", taken from a Spanish title of the Virgin
Mary,
Nuestra Señora de las Angustias, meaning "Our Lady of Anguishes". She is the patron saint of Granada, Spain.
Ankhesenamun f Ancient EgyptianFrom Egyptian
ꜥnḫ-s-n-jmn meaning
"her life is of Amon", derived from
ꜥnḫ "life" combined with the name of the god
Amon. This was the name of a 14th-century BC queen of Egypt, the wife of
Tutankhamun.
Ann f English, ManxEnglish and Manx form of
Anne 1. In the English-speaking world, both this spelling and
Anne have been used since the late Middle Ages. Currently
Ann is less popular than
Anne (and both are less popular than their relatives
Anna and
Hannah).
Anunciación f SpanishMeans
"annunciation" in Spanish, referring to the event in the New Testament in which the angel Gabriel announces to the Virgin
Mary that she will give birth to
Jesus.
Anwen f WelshMeans
"very beautiful" in Welsh, from the intensive prefix
an- combined with
gwen "white, blessed".
Aoibheann f IrishFrom Old Irish
Oébfinn or
Aíbinn, derived from
oíb meaning "beauty, appearance, form" and
finn meaning "white, blessed". This was the name of the mother of Saint Énna of Aran. It was also borne by the daughter of the 10th-century Irish high king Donnchad Donn.
Aoibhinn f IrishVariant of
Aoibheann. It also coincides with the related Irish word
aoibhinn meaning "delightful, pleasant".
Aran 1 m & f IrishFrom the name of the Aran Islands off the west coast of Ireland.
Aran 3 m & f CatalanFrom the name of a mountainous region in the north of Catalonia where the Occitan language is spoken, originally derived from Basque
haran meaning "valley".
Arden m & f EnglishFrom an English surname, originally taken from various place names, which were derived from a Celtic word meaning
"high".
Arianwen f WelshDerived from Welsh
arian "silver" and
gwen "white, blessed". This was the name of a 5th-century Welsh saint, one of the supposed daughters of
Brychan Brycheiniog.
Artemis f Greek Mythology, GreekMeaning unknown, possibly related either to Greek
ἀρτεμής (artemes) meaning
"safe" or
ἄρταμος (artamos) meaning
"a butcher". Artemis was the Greek goddess of the moon and hunting, the twin of
Apollo and the daughter of
Zeus and
Leto. She was known as
Diana to the Romans.
Arwen f LiteratureMeans
"noble maiden" in the fictional language Sindarin. In
The Lord of the Rings (1954) by J. R. R. Tolkien, Arwen was the daughter of
Elrond and the lover of
Aragorn.
Ascensión f SpanishMeans
"ascension" in Spanish. This name is given in reference to the Ascension of
Jesus into heaven.
Ashton m & f English (Modern)From an English surname, itself derived from a place name meaning
"ash tree town" in Old English. This was a rare masculine name until the 1980s, when it gradually began becoming more common for both genders. Inspired by the female character Ashton Main from the 1985 miniseries
North and South, parents in America gave it more frequently to girls than boys from 1986 to 1997. Since then it has been overwhelmingly masculine once again, perhaps due in part to the fame of the actor Ashton Kutcher (1978-).
Aslıhan f TurkishCombination of Turkish
aslı meaning "origin, original, essence" and
han meaning "khan, ruler, leader".
Aspen f English (Modern)From the English word for a variety of deciduous trees in the genus Populus, derived from Old English
æspe. It is also the name of a ski resort in Colorado.
Aston m & f English (Rare)From a surname that was originally derived from either a place name meaning "east town" in Old English or from the given name
Æðelstan.
Asunción f SpanishMeans
"assumption" in Spanish. This name is given in reference to the assumption of the Virgin
Mary into heaven.
Atropos f Greek MythologyMeans
"inevitable, inflexible" in Greek, derived from the negative prefix
ἀ (a) combined with
τρόπος (tropos) meaning "direction, manner, fashion". Atropos was one of the three Fates or
Μοῖραι (Moirai) in Greek mythology. When her sister Lachesis decided that a person's life was at an end, Atropos would choose the manner of death and cut the person's life thread.
Autumn f EnglishFrom the name of the season, ultimately from Latin
autumnus. This name has been in general use since the 1960s.
Avalon f English (Rare)From the name of the island paradise to which King
Arthur was brought after his death. The name of this island is perhaps related to Welsh
afal meaning "apple", a fruit that was often linked with paradise.
Avis f EnglishProbably a Latinized form of the Germanic name
Aveza, which was derived from the element
awi, of unknown meaning. The Normans introduced this name to England and it became moderately common during the Middle Ages, at which time it was associated with Latin
avis "bird".
Ayan 2 f & m Azerbaijani, KazakhMeans
"clear, obvious, revelation" in Kazakh and Azerbaijani, from Arabic
عيان (ʿiyān) meaning "witnessing, seeing, clear", a derivative of
عاين (ʿāyana) meaning "to see". It is feminine in Azerbaijan and masculine in Kazakhstan.
Ayazhan f KazakhFrom an element of uncertain meaning combined with Kazakh
жан (zhan) meaning "soul" (of Persian origin).
Ayelen f MapucheFrom Mapuche
ayelen "laughing",
ayliñ "clear" or
aylen "ember".
Ayhan m & f TurkishDerived from Turkish
ay meaning "moon" and
han meaning "khan, ruler, leader".
Ayn f Various (Rare)This name was assumed by Ayn Rand (1905-1982), originally named Alice Rosenbaum, a Russian-American writer and philosopher. She apparently based it on a Finnish name she had heard, but never seen written.
Aysun f TurkishFrom Turkish
ay meaning "moon" combined with an uncertain element.
Ayten f TurkishDerived from Turkish
ay meaning "moon" and
ten meaning "skin" (of Persian origin).
Baran f & m Persian, Turkish, KurdishMeans
"rain" in Persian. It is typically feminine in Persian and masculine in Turkish and Kurdish.
Bébinn f Old Irish, Irish MythologyMeans
"white woman", from Old Irish
bé "woman" and
finn "white, blessed". This name was borne by several characters in Irish mythology, including the mother of the hero Fráech.
Belén f SpanishSpanish form of
Bethlehem, the name of the town in Judah where King
David and
Jesus were born. The town's name is from Hebrew
בֵּית־לֶחֶם (Beṯ-leḥem) meaning "house of bread".
Berfîn f KurdishMeans
"snowdrop (flower)" in Kurdish (genus Galanthus).
Berlin f & m VariousFrom the name of the city in Germany, which is of uncertain meaning.
Blodwen f WelshMeans
"white flowers" from Welsh
blodau "flowers" combined with
gwen "white, blessed". This is the name of an 1878 Welsh opera by Joseph Parry.
Boann f Irish MythologyPossibly from Old Irish
bó "cow" and
finn "white, blessed". In Irish mythology this was the name of the goddess of the River Boyne, which is named for her. She was the wife of
Nechtan and the father of
Aonghus (by
Dagda).
Branwen f Welsh, Welsh MythologyMeans
"white raven" from Old Welsh
bran "raven" and
gwen "white, blessed". According to the Second Branch of the
Mabinogi she was the daughter of
Llŷr. After she was mistreated by her husband Matholwch, the king of Ireland, she managed to get a message to her brother
Brân, the king of Britain. Brân launched a costly invasion to rescue her, but she died of grief shortly after her return.
Briseis f Greek MythologyPatronymic derived from
Βρισεύς (Briseus), a Greek name of unknown meaning. In Greek mythology Briseis (real name Hippodameia) was the daughter of Briseus. She was captured during the Trojan War by
Achilles. After
Agamemnon took her away from him, Achilles refused to fight in the war.
Bronwen f WelshSeemingly derived from Welsh
bron "breast" and
gwen "white, blessed", though it has sometimes occurred as a variant spelling of the legendary name
Branwen. It has been used as a given name in Wales since the 19th century. It is borne by a character in Richard Llewellyn's 1939 novel
How Green Was My Valley, as well as the 1941 movie adaptation.
Bronwyn f EnglishVariant of
Bronwen used in the English-speaking world (especially Australia and New Zealand).
Brooklyn f & m English (Modern)From the name of a borough of New York City, originally named after the Dutch town of
Breukelen, itself meaning either "broken land" (from Dutch
breuk) or "marsh land" (from Dutch
broek). It can also be viewed as a combination of
Brook and the popular name suffix
lyn. It is considered a feminine name in the United States, but is more common as a masculine name in the United Kingdom.
Bryn m & f Welsh, English (Modern)Means
"hill, mound" in Welsh. In Wales it is almost always a masculine name, though elsewhere in the English-speaking world it can be unisex (see
Brynn).
Brynn f English (Modern)Feminine variant of
Bryn. It was brought to limited public attention in 1978 when the actress Brynn Thayer (1949-) began appearing on the American soap opera
One Life to Live.
Cameron m & f EnglishFrom a Scottish surname meaning
"crooked nose" from Gaelic
cam "crooked" and
sròn "nose". As a given name it is mainly used for boys. It got a little bump in popularity for girls in the second half of the 1990s, likely because of the fame of actress Cameron Diaz (1972-). In the United States, the forms
Camryn and
Kamryn are now more popular than
Cameron for girls.
Caoilfhionn f IrishDerived from the Old Irish elements
cáel "slender" and
finn "white, blessed". This was the name of several Irish saints.
Carmen f Spanish, English, Italian, Portuguese, French, Romanian, GermanMedieval Spanish form of
Carmel, appearing in the devotional title of the Virgin
Mary Nuestra Señora del Carmen meaning "Our Lady of Mount Carmel". The spelling has been altered through association with the Latin word
carmen meaning
"song". This was the name of the main character in George Bizet's opera
Carmen (1875).
Caron f & m WelshFrom the name of places near the town of Tregaron in Ceredigion, Wales.
Carson m & f EnglishFrom a Scottish surname of uncertain meaning. A famous bearer of the surname was the American scout Kit Carson (1809-1868).
Carys f WelshDerived from Welsh
caru meaning
"love". This is a relatively modern Welsh name, in common use only since the middle of the 20th century.
Céibhfhionn f Irish MythologyMeans
"fair-haired", from Old Irish
ciab "locks, hair" and
finn "white, blessed". In Irish legend this was the name of one of the three daughters of Bec mac Buain.
Ceinwen f WelshDerived from Welsh
cain "good, lovely" and
gwen "white, blessed". This was the name of a 5th-century Welsh saint also known as
Cain or
Keyne.
Celyn m & f WelshMeans
"holly" in Welsh. It appears briefly in the Welsh tale
Culhwch and Olwen, belonging to a son of Caw, but was not typically used as a given name until the 20th century.
Ceren f TurkishMeans
"gazelle" in Turkish (probably of Mongolian origin, originally referring to the Mongolian gazelle, the zeren).
Ceres f Roman MythologyDerived from the Indo-European root *
ker- meaning
"grow, increase". In Roman mythology Ceres was the goddess of agriculture, equivalent to the Greek goddess
Demeter.
Ceridwen f WelshPossibly from
cyrrid "bent, crooked" (a derivative of Old Welsh
cwrr "corner") combined with
ben "woman" or
gwen "white, blessed". According to the medieval Welsh legend the
Tale of Taliesin (recorded by Elis Gruffyd in the 16th century) this was the name of a sorceress 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.
... [more] 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.
Chalkis f Greek MythologyDerived from Greek
χαλκός (chalkos) meaning
"copper, bronze". According to Greek mythology this was the name of a naiad, said to be the namesake of the city of Chalkis on Euboia.
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.
Chloris f Greek MythologyDerived from Greek
χλωρός (chloros) meaning
"pale green". Chloris, in Greek mythology, was a minor goddess of vegetation.
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 (season)" or other characters with a similar pronunciation.
Clematis f English (Rare)From the English word for a type of flowering vine, ultimately derived from Greek
κλήμα (klema) meaning "twig, branch".
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.
Collins f & m EnglishFrom a surname, which is either Irish or English in origin (see
Collins 1 and
Collins 2). It increased in popularity as a name for girls after it appeared in the movie
The Blind Side (2009), which was based on a 2006 biography. As a masculine name, it is currently most common in parts of English-speaking Africa.
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.
Consolación f SpanishMeans
"consolation" in Spanish. It is taken from a title of the Virgin
Mary,
Nuestra Señora de Consolación, meaning "Our Lady of Consolation".
Cyan f & m English (Rare)From the English word meaning
"greenish blue, cyan", ultimately derived from Greek
κύανος (kyanos).
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.
Dagrun f NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Dagrún, which was derived from the Old Norse elements
dagr "day" and
rún "secret lore, rune".
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).
Dawn f EnglishFrom the English word
dawn, ultimately derived from Old English
dagung.
Dehgewanus f SenecaFrom a name, also spelled as
Dickewamis or
Dehhewämis, which was given to the young British settler Mary Jemison (1743-1833) after she was captured and assimilated into the Seneca. Much later she claimed the name meant
"pretty girl, pleasant thing", though this interpretation does not seem to be valid.
Deryn f & m WelshPossibly from the Welsh word
deryn, a variant of
aderyn meaning
"bird".
Desamparados f SpanishMeans
"helpless, defenceless, forsaken" in Spanish. It is taken from an epithet of the Virgin
Mary,
Nuestra Señora de los Desamparados, meaning "Our Lady of the Helpless". She is the patron saint of Valencia, Spain.
Devon m & f EnglishVariant of
Devin. It may also be partly inspired by the name of the county of Devon in England, which got its name from the Dumnonii, a Celtic tribe.
Dilys f WelshMeans
"genuine" in Welsh. It has been used since the late 19th century.
Doireann f Irish, Irish MythologyPossibly from the Old Irish prefix
der "daughter" and
finn "white, blessed". Alternatively it may be derived from Irish
doireann "sullen, tempestuous". This was the name of several characters in Irish legend, including a daughter of Bodb Derg who poisoned
Fionn mac Cumhaill after he spurned her advances.
Dolores f Spanish, EnglishMeans
"sorrows", taken from the Spanish title of the Virgin
Mary Nuestra Señora de los Dolores, meaning "Our Lady of Sorrows". It has been used in the English-speaking world since the 19th century, becoming especially popular in America during the 1920s and 30s.