Felinus m Late RomanLate Latin name meaning
"cat-like". This was the name of a possibly legendary saint who was martyred with Gratian in the 3rd century.
Felix m German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, English, Romanian, Ancient Roman, Biblical, Biblical LatinFrom a Roman cognomen meaning
"lucky, successful" in Latin. It was acquired as an agnomen, or nickname, by the 1st-century BC Roman general Sulla. It also appears in the New Testament belonging to the governor of Judea who imprisoned Saint
Paul.
... [more] Femme m FrisianDiminutive of Germanic names beginning with the element
frid "peace".
Fen 1 f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
芬 (fēn) meaning "fragrance, aroma, perfume" (which is usually only feminine) or
奋 (fèn) meaning "strive, exert" (usually only masculine). Other Chinese characters are also possible.
Fen 2 m FrisianDiminutive of Germanic names beginning with the element
frid "peace".
Fenrir m Norse MythologyFrom Old Norse
fen meaning
"marsh, fen". In Norse mythology Fenrir was a ferocious wolf, one of the offspring of
Loki and the giantess
Angrboða. Because it was foretold he would bring about disaster, the gods bound him with a magical fetter, though in the process
Tyr's hand was bitten off. At the time of Ragnarök, the end of the world, it is told that he will break free and kill
Odin.
Fenton m EnglishFrom a surname that was originally taken from a place name meaning
"marsh town" in Old English.
Ferdinand m German, French, Dutch, English, Slovak, Czech, Slovene, Croatian, Ancient GermanicFrom
Ferdinando, the old Spanish form of a Germanic name composed of the elements
fardi "journey" and
nand "daring, brave". The Visigoths brought the name to the Iberian Peninsula, where it entered into the royal families of Spain and Portugal. From there it became common among the Habsburg royal family of the Holy Roman Empire and Austria, starting with the Spanish-born Ferdinand I in the 16th century. A notable bearer was Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan (1480-1521), called Fernão de Magalhães in Portuguese, who was the leader of the first expedition to sail around the earth.
Ferdowsi m HistoryFrom the Persian byname
فردوسی (Ferdosi) meaning "paradisiacal, heavenly", derived from Arabic
فردوس (firdaws), itself of Avestan origin. Ferdowsi was an 10th-century poet and historian, the author of the epic
Shahnameh, which tells the history of Persia.
Fereydoun m Persian, Persian MythologyMeans
"the third" in Persian. In the 10th-century Persian epic the
Shahnameh this is the name of a virtuous king who ruled for 500 years.
Fermin m BasqueBasque form of
Firmin. This is the name of the patron saint of the city of Pamplona in Navarre, Spain.
Fernão m Portuguese (Archaic)Portuguese form of
Ferdinand. This name was borne by the Portuguese explorer Fernão de Magalhães (1480-1521), better known in English as Ferdinand Magellan.
Ferrer m VariousFrom a surname that meant
"blacksmith" in Catalan. This name is often given in honour of Saint Vicente Ferrer, a 14th-century missionary who is the patron saint of builders.
Ferruccio m ItalianDerived from the Late Latin name
Ferrutius, a derivative of
ferrum meaning
"iron, sword". Saint Ferrutius was a 3rd-century martyr with his brother Ferreolus.
Fester m Popular CultureFrom the English word
fester meaning
"rot, rankle". This is the name of the uncle on the Addams Family television series (1964-1966) and subsequent adaptations.
Fiachna m IrishDerived from Irish
fiach meaning
"raven". This was the name of a king in Irish legend.
Fiachra m Irish, Irish MythologyDerived from Irish
fiach meaning
"raven". In Irish legend Fiachra was one of the four children of
Lir transformed into swans for a period of 900 years. This is also the name of the patron saint of gardeners, a 7th-century Irish abbot who settled in France.
Fidel m SpanishFrom the Late Latin name
Fidelis meaning
"faithful". A famous bearer was revolutionary leader Fidel Castro (1926-2016), the former president of Cuba.
Fido m PetMeans
"I am faithful" in Latin. This name is commonly given to dogs.
Fife m ScottishFrom a Scottish place name that was formerly the name of a kingdom in Scotland. It is said to be named for the legendary Pictish hero Fib.
Figaro m LiteratureCreated by playwright Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais for the central character in his plays
The Barber of Seville (1775),
The Marriage of Figaro (1784) and
The Guilty Mother (1792). Beaumarchais may have based the character's name on the French phrase
fils Caron meaning
"son of Caron", which was his own nickname and would have been pronounced in a similar way. In modern French the word
figaro has acquired the meaning "barber", reflecting the character's profession.
Fihr m ArabicMeans
"stone pestle" in Arabic. This was the name of an ancestor of
Muhammad.
Fikri m Arabic, TurkishMeans
"intellectual" in Arabic, a derivative of
فكر (fakara) meaning "to think, to reflect".
Filbert m Eastern AfricanVariant of
Filibert. It is particularly used in Tanzania due to track star Filbert Bayi (1953-), who set a world record running the 1500 meter in 1974.
Filip m Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Czech, Slovak, Bulgarian, Polish, Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Macedonian, Romanian, FinnishForm of
Philip in various languages.
Fingal m ScottishFrom Scottish Gaelic
Fionnghall meaning
"white stranger", derived from
fionn "white, fair" and
gall "stranger". This was the name of the hero in James Macpherson's 1762 epic poem
Fingal, which he claimed to have based on early Gaelic legends about
Fionn mac Cumhail.
Finnegan m Irish, English (Modern)From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of
Ó Fionnagáin meaning
"descendant of Fionnagán". The name
Fionnagán is a diminutive of
Fionn. This was the name of a character in James Joyce's novel
Finnegans Wake (1939), the title of which was based on a 19th-century Irish ballad called
Finnegan's Wake.
Finnian m IrishDerived from Old Irish
finn "white". This was the name of several Irish saints.
Fintan m Irish, Irish MythologyPossibly means either
"white fire" or
"white bull" in Irish. According to legend this was the name of the only Irish person to survive the great flood. This name was also borne by many Irish saints.
Fionn m Irish, Irish MythologyFrom Irish
fionn (older Irish
finn) meaning
"fair" or
"white". Fionn mac Cumhail was a legendary Irish hero who became all-wise by eating an enchanted salmon. He fought against the giant Fomors with his son
Oisín and grandson
Oscar.
Fionnbharr m IrishMeans
"fair hair", derived from Irish
fionn "white, fair" and
barr "head". Saint Fionnbharr of Cork was a 6th-century bishop who supposedly performed miraculous cures. The Barry Islands off Wales were named for him.
Fiore f & m ItalianMeans
"flower" in Italian. It can also be considered an Italian form of the Latin names
Flora and
Florus.
Fırat m TurkishFrom the Turkish name of the Euphrates River, which was derived from Old Persian
Ufratu, itself derived from Elamite or Sumerian.
Firdaus m Arabic, Indonesian, UrduDerived from the Arabic word
فردوس (firdaws) meaning
"paradise", ultimately from Avestan
pairidaeza meaning "garden, enclosure".
Firmin m French, Medieval EnglishFrom the Late Latin name
Firminus meaning
"firm". This was the name of several early saints, notably the 3rd-century bishop Saint Firmin (or Fermin) of Amiens who is especially venerated in Navarre, Spain.
Firouz m PersianFrom Persian
پیروز (piruz) or
فیروز (firuz) meaning "victorious". This name was borne by Firuz Shah Tughlaq, a 14th-century sultan of Delhi who did much to build the city's infrastructure.
Fishel m YiddishMeans
"little fish" in Yiddish, a diminutive of
פֿיש (fish) meaning "fish".
Fitz m English (Rare)Short form of various given names that are derived from surnames beginning with Norman French
fitz meaning
"son of" (for example
Fitzroy).
Fitzroy m English (Rare)From an English surname meaning
"son of the king" in Old French, originally given to illegitimate sons of monarchs.
Flaithrí m IrishMeans
"king of princes" from Gaelic
flaith "prince" and
rí "king".
Flanagan m English (Rare)From an Irish surname that was derived from
Ó Flannagáin meaning
"descendant of Flannagán". The given name
Flannagán is derived from Irish
flann "red" and a diminutive suffix.
Flann m & f IrishMeans
"red" in Irish Gaelic. This was the name of a 9th-century king of Tara in Ireland.
Flannery f & m English (Rare)From an Irish surname that was derived from
Ó Flannghaile meaning
"descendant of Flannghal". The given name
Flannghal means "red valour". A famous bearer was American author Flannery O'Connor (1925-1964).
Flavian m History (Ecclesiastical)From the Roman family name
Flavianus, which was derived from
Flavius. This was the name of several early saints including a 5th-century patriarch of Constantinople who was beaten to death.
Flavius m Ancient Roman, RomanianRoman family name meaning
"golden" or
"yellow-haired" from Latin
flavus "yellow, golden". Flavius was the family name of the 1st-century Roman emperors Vespasian, Titus and Domitian. It was used as a personal name by several later emperors, notably by
Constantine.
Flemming m DanishFrom a medieval Norse nickname meaning
"from Flanders".
Fletcher m EnglishFrom a surname meaning
"maker of arrows" in Middle English, ultimately from Old French
flechier.
Flint m EnglishFrom the English vocabulary word, from Old English
flint.
Florence f & m English, FrenchFrom the Latin name
Florentius or the feminine form
Florentia, which were derived from
florens "prosperous, flourishing".
Florentius was borne by many early Christian saints, and it was occasionally used in their honour through the Middle Ages. In modern times it is mostly feminine.
... [more] Florian m German, French, Romanian, PolishFrom the Roman cognomen
Florianus, a derivative of
Florus. This was the name of a short-lived Roman emperor of the 3rd century. It was also borne by Saint Florian, a martyr of the 3rd century, the patron saint of Poland and Upper Austria.
Florimond m Literature, FrenchPossibly from Latin
florens meaning "prosperous, flourishing" combined with the Germanic element
mund meaning "protection". This is the name of the prince in some versions of the fairy tale
Sleeping Beauty.
Flynn m EnglishFrom an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of
Ó Floinn meaning
"descendant of Flann".
Folke m Swedish, DanishShort form of various Old Norse names that contain the element
folk meaning
"people", and thus a cognate of
Fulk.
Forbes m ScottishFrom a surname that was originally taken from a Scottish place name meaning
"field" in Gaelic.
Ford m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"ford" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was the American industrialist Henry Ford (1863-1947).
Forrest m EnglishFrom an English surname meaning
"forest", originally belonging to a person who lived near a forest. In America it has sometimes been used in honour of the Confederate Civil War general Nathan Bedford Forrest (1821-1877). This name was borne by the title character in the movie
Forrest Gump (1994) about a loveable simpleton. Use of the name increased when the movie was released, but has since faded away.
Fortunato m Italian, Spanish, PortugueseItalian, Spanish and Portuguese form of the Late Latin name
Fortunatus meaning
"fortunate, blessed, happy". This was the name of several early saints and martyrs.
Fox m English (Modern)Either from the English word
fox or the surname
Fox, which originally given as a nickname. The surname was borne by George Fox (1624-1691), the founder of the Quakers.
France 2 m SloveneSlovene form of
Francis. This name was borne by the Slovene poet France Prešeren (1800-1849).
Francesco m ItalianItalian form of
Franciscus (see
Francis). Francesco Laurana was an Italian Renaissance sculptor.
Francis m & f English, FrenchEnglish form of the Late Latin name
Franciscus meaning
"Frenchman", ultimately from the Germanic tribe of the Franks, who were named for a type of spear that they used. This name was borne by the 13th-century Saint Francis of Assisi, who was originally named Giovanni but was given the nickname Francesco by his father, an admirer of the French. Francis went on to renounce his father's wealth and devote his life to the poor, founding the Franciscan order of friars. Later in his life he apparently received the stigmata.
... [more] Francisco m Spanish, PortugueseSpanish and Portuguese form of
Franciscus (see
Francis). This is the Spanish name of Saint Francis Xavier (1506-1552). Other notable bearers include the Spanish painter and engraver Francisco de Goya (1746-1828) and the Spanish dictator Francisco Franco (1892-1975).
François m FrenchFrench form of
Franciscus (see
Francis). François Villon was a French lyric poet of the 15th century. This was also the name of two kings of France.
Frank m English, German, Dutch, FrenchFrom a Germanic name that referred to a member of the Germanic tribe, the Franks. The Franks settled in the regions now called France and the Netherlands in the 3rd and 4th century. They possibly derived their tribal name from the name of a type of spear that they used. From medieval times, the various forms of this name have been commonly conflated with the various forms of
Francis. In modern times it is sometimes used as a short form of
Francis or
Franklin.
... [more] Frankenstein m Popular CultureFrom the surname
Frankenstein, used by Mary Shelley in her 1818 novel of the same name for the scientist Victor Frankenstein. The monster that Frankenstein created, which has no name in the novel, is sometimes called Frankenstein in modern speech, as if it were his given name.
Franklin m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from Middle English
frankelin "freeman". A famous bearer of the surname was Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790), an American statesman, inventor, scientist and philosopher. The name has commonly been given in his honour in the United States. It also received a boost during the term of American president Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945).
Franz m GermanGerman form of
Franciscus (see
Francis). This name was borne by the influential writer Franz Kafka (1883-1924), author of
The Trial and
The Castle among other works. It was also the name of rulers of Austria and the Holy Roman Empire.
Fraser m Scottish, English (Rare)From a Scottish surname that is of unknown meaning. A famous bearer of the surname was Simon Fraser (1776-1862), a Canadian explorer.
Frederick m EnglishEnglish form of a Germanic name meaning
"peaceful ruler", derived from
frid "peace" and
ric "ruler, mighty". This name has long been common in continental Germanic-speaking regions, being borne by rulers of the Holy Roman Empire, Germany, Austria, Scandinavia, and Prussia. Notables among these rulers include the 12th-century Holy Roman emperor and crusader Frederick I Barbarossa, the 13th-century emperor and patron of the arts Frederick II, and the 18th-century Frederick II of Prussia, known as Frederick the Great.
... [more] Frederik m Danish, DutchDanish and Dutch form of
Frederick. This was the name of nine kings of Denmark over the past 500 years, alternating each generation with the name Christian.
Frediano m Italian (Rare)Italian form of the Roman name
Frigidianus, which was derived from Latin
frigidus "cold". This was the name of a 6th-century Irish bishop who made a pilgrimage to Rome and settled as a hermit on Mount Pisano.
Freeman m EnglishFrom an English surname meaning
"free man". It originally denoted a person who was not a serf.
Freyr m Norse Mythology, IcelandicMeans
"lord" in Old Norse. This is the name of a Norse god. He may have originally been called
Yngvi, with the name
Freyr being his title. Freyr is associated with fertility, sunlight and rain, and is the husband of the frost giantess
Gerd. With his twin sister
Freya and father
Njord he is one of the group of deities called the Vanir.
Friedrich m GermanGerman form of
Frederick. This was the name of kings of Germany. The socialist Friedrich Engels (1820-1895) and the philosopher Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (1844-1900) are two famous bearers of this name.
Friso m FrisianRefers to a member of the ethnic group, the Frisians, a Germanic tribe of northwest Europe. Friesland in the Netherlands is named for them.
Frode m Norwegian, DanishFrom the Old Norse name
Fróði, which was derived from
fróðr meaning
"learned, wise".
Frodo m LiteratureDerived from Old English
froda meaning
"wise". This is the name of the hobbit hero in
The Lord of the Rings (1954) by J. R. R. Tolkien, who used Old English to translate some hobbit names (Frodo's true hobbit-language name is
Maura). In the novel Frodo Baggins is the bearer of the One Ring on the quest to destroy it in Mount Doom.
Fu m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
富 (fù) meaning "abundant, rich, wealthy",
芙 (fú) meaning "hibiscus, lotus" or
甫 (fǔ) meaning "begin, man, father", in addition to other characters with a similar pronunciation. A famous bearer was the 8th-century Tang dynasty poet Du Fu, whose given name was
甫.
Fūjin m Japanese MythologyFrom Japanese
風 (fū) meaning "wind" and
神 (jin) meaning "god, spirit". This is the name of the Japanese wind god, who carries the wind in a bag over his shoulders.
Fulgencio m SpanishSpanish form of the Late Latin name
Fulgentius, which meant
"shining" from Latin
fulgens. Saint Fulgentius was a 6th-century bishop from Tunisia who was a friend of Saint Augustine.
Fulk m English (Archaic)From the Germanic name
Fulco, a short form of various names beginning with the element
fulc "people". The Normans brought this name to England, though it is now very rare.