Ilma 2 f BosnianMeaning unknown, possibly from Arabic
علْم (ʿilm) meaning
"knowledge, learning".
Bao f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
宝 (bǎo) meaning "treasure, jewel, precious, rare",
褒 (bāo) meaning "praise, honour" or
苞 (bāo) meaning "bud" (which is usually only feminine). Other Chinese characters are possible as well.
Buttercup f LiteratureFrom the English word for the yellow flower (genus Ranunculus). Author William Goldman used it for Princess Buttercup in his book
The Princess Bride (1973) and the subsequent film adaptation (1987).
Sorcha f Irish, Scottish GaelicMeans
"radiant, bright" in Irish. It has been in use since late medieval times. It is sometimes Anglicized as
Sarah (in Ireland) and
Clara (in Scotland).
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.
Noel m & f EnglishEnglish form of
Noël or
Noëlle (rarely). It was fairly popular in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand in the middle of the 20th century. It is occasionally written with a diaeresis, like in French. A famous bearer is British musician Noel Gallagher (1967-).
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.
Gargi f Hinduism, Hindi, BengaliMeaning unknown. This was the name of a 7th-century BC Indian philosopher who appears in the Upanishads, which are parts of Hindu scripture.
Amogelang m & f TswanaDerived from Tswana
amogela meaning
"welcome, accept".
Talia 2 f English (Australian)From the name of a town in South Australia, perhaps meaning
"near water" in an Australian Aboriginal language.
Etsuko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
悦 (etsu) meaning "joy, pleased" and
子 (ko) meaning "child", as well as other kanji combinations.
Perpetua f Spanish, Late RomanDerived from Latin
perpetuus meaning
"continuous". This was the name of a 3rd-century saint martyred with another woman named Felicity.
Papa f Polynesian MythologyMeans
"earth" in Maori. In Maori and other Polynesian mythology Papa or Papatuanuku was the goddess of the earth and the mother of many of the other gods. She and her husband
Rangi, the god of the sky, were locked in a tight embrace. Their children decided to separate them, a feat of strength accomplished by the god
Tāne.
Paula f German, English, Finnish, Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, Romanian, Hungarian, Polish, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Latvian, Croatian, Ancient RomanFeminine form of
Paulus (see
Paul). This was the name of a 4th-century Roman saint who was a companion of Saint
Jerome.
Nerea f Basque, SpanishPossibly from Basque
nere, a dialectal variant of
nire meaning
"mine". Alternatively, it could be a feminine form of
Nereus. This name arose in Basque-speaking regions of Spain in the first half of the 20th century, though it is now popular throughout the country.
Fionnuala f Irish, Irish MythologyMeans
"white shoulder" from Old Irish
finn "white, blessed" and
gúala "shoulder". In Irish legend Fionnuala was one of the four children of
Lir who were transformed into swans for a period of 900 years.
Shammuramat f Ancient AssyrianMeaning unknown, possibly derived from a Western Semitic language and meaning
"high heaven". Shammuramat was a 9th-century BC queen of Assyria. After her young son inherited the throne, she acted as his regent for five years. The legendary figure
Semiramis may be loosely based on her.
Jeong f & m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
靜 (jeong) meaning "quiet, still, gentle" or
貞 (jeong) meaning "virtuous, chaste, loyal", as well as other characters that are pronounced similarly. It usually occurs in combination with another character, though it is sometimes used as a stand-alone name.
Yolotzin f & m NahuatlMeans
"beloved heart" in Nahuatl, from
yōllōtl "heart" and the suffix
tzin "beloved, revered".
Kealoha f & m HawaiianMeans
"the loved one" from Hawaiian
ke, a definite article, and
aloha "love".
Anastasia f Greek, Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, English, Spanish, Italian, Georgian, Ancient GreekFeminine form of
Anastasius. This was the name of a 4th-century Dalmatian saint who was martyred during the persecutions of the Roman emperor Diocletian. Due to her, the name has been common in Eastern Orthodox Christianity (in various spellings). As an English name it has been in use since the Middle Ages. A famous bearer was the youngest daughter of the last Russian tsar Nicholas II, who was rumoured to have escaped the execution of her family in 1918.
June f EnglishFrom the name of the month, which was originally derived from the name of the Roman goddess
Juno. It has been used as a given name since the 19th century.
Orpah f BiblicalMeans
"back of the neck" in Hebrew. Orpah is
Naomi's second daughter-in-law in the Book of Ruth in the Old Testament.
Nuan f ChineseFrom Chinese
暖 (nuǎn) meaning "warm, genial" or other characters with a similar pronunciation.
Valentina f Italian, Russian, Lithuanian, German, Croatian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Slovene, Albanian, Romanian, Spanish, Greek, Ancient RomanFeminine form of
Valentinus (see
Valentine 1). A famous bearer is the Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova (1937-), who in 1963 became the first woman to visit space.
Maeve f Irish, English, Irish MythologyAnglicized form of the Irish name
Medb meaning
"intoxicating". In Irish legend this was the name of a warrior queen of Connacht. She and her husband
Ailill fought against the Ulster king
Conchobar and the hero
Cúchulainn, as told in the Irish epic
The Cattle Raid of Cooley.
Etelka f HungarianFeminine form of
Etele created by the Hungarian writer András Dugonics for the main character in his novel
Etelka (1788).
Marianna f Italian, Hungarian, Slovak, Polish, Finnish, Estonian, Latvian, Russian, Greek, EnglishCombination of
Maria and
Anna. It can also be regarded as a variant of the Roman name
Mariana, or as a Latinized form of
Mariamne.
Kartini f IndonesianDerived from Indonesian
karti meaning
"act, deed", ultimately from Sanskrit
कृति (kṛti). A notable bearer was the Indonesian women's rights activist Kartini (1879-1904).
Blodeuwedd f Welsh MythologyMeans
"face of flowers" in Welsh. According to the Fourth Branch of the
Mabinogi, she was created out of flowers by
Gwydion to be the wife of his nephew
Lleu Llaw Gyffes. Originally she was named
Blodeuedd meaning simply "flowers". She was eventually transformed into an owl by Gwydion after she and her lover
Gronw attempted to murder Lleu, at which point he renamed her
Blodeuwedd.
Lăcrămioara f RomanianMeans
"lily of the valley" in Romanian (species Convallaria majalis). It is derived from a diminutive form of
lacrămă "tear".
Melinda f English, HungarianCombination of
Mel (from names such as
Melanie or
Melissa) with the popular name suffix
inda. It was created in the 18th century, and may have been inspired by the similar name
Belinda. In Hungary, the name was popularized by the 1819 play
Bánk Bán by József Katona.
Victoria f English, Spanish, Romanian, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, French, Late Roman, Roman MythologyMeans
"victory" in Latin, being borne by the Roman goddess of victory. It is also a feminine form of
Victorius. This name was borne by a 4th-century saint and martyr from North Africa.
... [more] Dornröschen f LiteratureFrom German
Dorn "thorn" and
Rose "rose" combined with the diminutive suffix
-chen. This is the name of Sleeping Beauty in the Brothers Grimm telling of the fairy tale.
Myfanwy f WelshFrom the Welsh prefix
my- meaning "my, belonging to me" (an older form of
fy) combined with either
manwy meaning "fine, delicate" or
banwy meaning "woman" (a variant of
banw). This was the name of an 1875 Welsh song composed by Joseph Parry.
Maraĵa f EsperantoMeans
"made of the sea" in Esperanto, a derivative of
maro "sea", ultimately from Latin
mare.
Shiloh m & f BiblicalFrom an Old Testament place name possibly meaning
"tranquil" in Hebrew. It is also used prophetically in the Old Testament to refer to a person, often understood to be the Messiah (see
Genesis 49:10). This may in fact be a mistranslation.
... [more] Izaskun f BasqueFrom the name of a sanctuary dedicated to the Virgin
Mary near Tolosa, Gipuzkoa, Spain. It possibly means "broom bush above the valley" in Basque.
Yeong-Hui f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
英 (yeong) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero" or
泳 (yeong) meaning "dive, swim" combined with
姬 (hui) meaning "beauty" or
嬉 (hui) meaning "enjoy, play". Other combinations of hanja characters can form this name as well.
Dearbháil f IrishFrom Old Irish
Derbáil meaning
"daughter of Fál", derived from the prefix
der meaning "daughter" and
Fál, a legendary name for Ireland.
Alba 3 f GermanicOriginally a short form of Germanic names beginning with the element
alb meaning
"elf" (Proto-Germanic *
albaz).
Enid f Welsh, English, Arthurian CycleProbably derived from Welsh
enaid meaning
"soul, spirit, life". In Arthurian tales she first appears in the 12th-century French poem
Erec and Enide by Chrétien de Troyes, where she is the wife of Erec. In later adaptations she is typically the wife of
Geraint. The name became more commonly used after the publication of Alfred Tennyson's Arthurian poem
Enid in 1859, and it was fairly popular in Britain in the first half of the 20th century.
Riko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
莉 (ri) meaning "white jasmine" or
理 (ri) meaning "reason, logic" combined with
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Tamara f Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Czech, Slovak, Polish, Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, Macedonian, Hungarian, English, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, Lithuanian, GeorgianRussian form of
Tamar. Russian performers such as Tamara Karsavina (1885-1978), Tamara Drasin (1905-1943), Tamara Geva (1907-1997) and Tamara Toumanova (1919-1996) introduced it to the English-speaking world. It rapidly grew in popularity in the United States starting in 1957. Another famous bearer was the Polish cubist painter Tamara de Lempicka (1898-1980).
Teagan f English (Modern)Variant of
Tegan. It also coincides with a rare Irish surname
Teagan. This name rose on the American popularity charts in the 1990s, probably because of its similarity to names like
Megan and
Reagan.
José m & f Spanish, Portuguese, FrenchSpanish and Portuguese form of
Joseph, as well as a French variant. In Spanish and Portuguese-speaking regions it is occasionally used as a feminine middle name (or the second part of a double name), often paired with
María. This was the most popular name for boys in Spain for the first half of the 20th century. A famous bearer was the Portuguese novelist José Saramago (1922-2010).
Mehr m & f Persian, Persian MythologyModern Persian form of
Mithra. As a Persian vocabulary word it means
"friendship, love, kindness". It is also the name of the seventh month of the Persian calendar. All of these derive from the same source: the Indo-Iranian root *
mitra meaning "oath, covenant, agreement".
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.
Mi-Gyeong f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" combined with
京 (gyeong) meaning "capital city" or
景 (gyeong) meaning "scenery, view". Other hanja combinations are possible.
Alexandria f EnglishFeminine form of
Alexander. Alexander the Great founded several cities by this name (or renamed them) as he extended his empire eastward. The most notable of these is Alexandria in Egypt, founded by Alexander in 331 BC.
Meinwen f WelshMeans
"slender and beautiful maiden" from a Welsh compound of
main "slender" and
gwen "white, blessed".
Blandine f FrenchFrench form of the Roman name
Blandina, which was the feminine form of
Blandinus, which was itself a derivative of the cognomen
Blandus. Saint Blandina was a 2nd-century slave from Lyons who was martyred by being thrown to wild beasts.
Pippi f LiteratureCreated by the daughter of Swedish author Astrid Lindgren for the main character in her mother's
Pippi Longstocking series of stories, first published 1945. In the books Pippi (Swedish name
Pippi Långstrump; full first name
Pippilotta) is a brash and exceptionally strong young girl who lives in a house by herself.
Ocean f & m English (Modern)Simply from the English word
ocean for a large body of water. It is ultimately derived from Greek
Ὠκεανός (Okeanos), the name of the body of water thought to surround the Earth.
Uchenna m & f IgboMeans
"wisdom of the father, sense of the father" in Igbo.
Navy f & m English (Modern)From the English word meaning
"sea force, fleet, armed forces of the sea". It is derived from Old French
navie, from Latin
navigia, the plural of
navigium "boat, vessel". It also refers to a shade of dark blue, a colour traditionally associated with naval uniforms.
Perdita f LiteratureDerived from Latin
perditus meaning
"lost". Shakespeare created this name for the daughter of
Hermione and
Leontes in his play
The Winter's Tale (1610). Abandoned as an infant by her father the king, she grows up to be a shepherdess and falls in love with with
Florizel.
Dymphna f History (Ecclesiastical), IrishForm of
Damhnait. According to legend, Saint Dymphna was a young 7th-century woman from Ireland who was martyred by her father in the Belgian town of Geel. She is the patron saint of the mentally ill.
Seraphina f English (Rare), German (Rare), Late RomanFeminine form of the Late Latin name
Seraphinus, derived from the biblical word
seraphim, which was Hebrew in origin and meant
"fiery ones". The seraphim were an order of angels, described by Isaiah in the Bible as having six wings each.
... [more] Janan f ArabicMeans
"heart" or
"soul" in Arabic, a derivative of
جنّ (janna) meaning "to cover, to hide".
Eormenhild f Anglo-SaxonFrom the Old English elements
eormen "whole, great" and
hild "battle". This was the name of a 7th-century saint, a daughter of King Eorcenberht of Kent.
Kaniehtiio f MohawkMeans
"she is good snow" in Mohawk, from
ka- "she",
óniehte "snow" and the suffix
-iio "good".
Isra f ArabicMeans
"nocturnal journey" in Arabic, derived from
سرى (sarā) meaning "to travel by night". According to Islamic tradition, the
Isra was a miraculous journey undertaken by the Prophet
Muhammad.
Mary f English, BiblicalUsual English form of
Maria, the Latin form of the New Testament Greek names
Μαριάμ (Mariam) and
Μαρία (Maria) — the spellings are interchangeable — which were from Hebrew
מִרְיָם (Miryam), a name borne by the sister of
Moses in the Old Testament. The meaning is not known for certain, but there are several theories including
"sea of bitterness",
"rebelliousness", and
"wished for child". However it was most likely originally an Egyptian name, perhaps derived in part from
mry "beloved" or
mr "love".
... [more] Tyra f Swedish, English, African AmericanFrom the Old Norse name
Þýri, a variant of the Norse names
Þórví or
Þórveig. Use of the name in the English-speaking world (especially among African Americans) may be in part from the Swedish name, though it is probably also viewed as a feminine form of
Tyrone or
Tyree. A famous bearer is the American model and actress Tyra Banks (1973-).