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".
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.
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 (1) 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.
... [more] 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 author Franz Kafka (1883-1924), writer of
The Trial and
The Castle among other works. Also, rulers of Austria and the Holy Roman Empire have had this name.
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 ItalianItalian 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 was the name of a Norse god. He may have originally been called
Yngvi, with the name
Freyr being his title. Freyr presided over fertility, sunlight and rain, and was the husband of the frost giantess
Gerd. With his twin sister
Freya and father
Njord he was 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 Danish, NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Fróði, which was derived from
fróðr meaning
"learned, wise".
FRODO m LiteratureDerived from the Germanic element
frod meaning
"wise". This was 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 real name was
Maura). In the novel Frodo Baggins was 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.
FULTON m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from the name of the town of Foulden in Norfolk, itself meaning
"bird hill" in Old English.
FULVIO m ItalianItalian form of the Roman family name
Fulvius, which was derived from Latin
fulvus "yellow, tawny".
FURQAN m Arabic, UrduMeans
"criterion between right and wrong" or
"proof" in Arabic. This is the name of the 25th chapter (surah al-Furqan) of the Quran.
FYODOR m RussianRussian form of
THEODORE. It was borne by three tsars of Russia. Another notable bearer was Fyodor Dostoyevsky (1821-1881), the Russian author of such works as
Crime and Punishment and
The Brothers Karamazov.
GABRIEL m French, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Catalan, English, Romanian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Georgian, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical GreekFrom the Hebrew name
גַבְרִיאֵל (Gavri'el) meaning
"God is my strong man", derived from
גֶּבֶר (gever) meaning "strong man, hero" and
אֵל ('el) meaning "God". Gabriel is an archangel in Hebrew tradition, often appearing as a messenger of God. In the Old Testament he is sent to interpret the visions of the prophet
Daniel, while in the New Testament he serves as the announcer of the births of
John to
Zechariah and
Jesus to
Mary. According to Islamic tradition he was the angel who dictated the Quran to
Muhammad.
... [more] GAD m BiblicalMeans
"fortune, luck" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament, Gad is the first son of
Jacob by
Leah's slave-girl
Zilpah, and the ancestor of one of the twelve tribes of the Israelites. His name is explained in
Genesis 30:11. Another Gad in the Old Testament is a prophet of King
David.
GAËL m French, BretonMeaning uncertain. It possibly derives from the ethno-linguistic term
Gael, which refers to speakers of Gaelic languages. Alternatively it may be a variant of
GWENAËL.
GAETANO m ItalianItalian form of the Latin name
Caietanus, which meant
"from Caieta". Caieta (now called Gaeta) was a town in ancient Italy, its name deriving either from
Kaiadas, the name a Greek location where prisoners were executed, or else from
Caieta, the name of the nurse of Aeneas. Saint Gaetano was a 16th-century Italian priest who founded the Theatines.
GAGE m English (Modern)From an English surname of Old French origin meaning either "measure", originally denoting one who was an assayer, or "pledge", referring to a moneylender. It was popularized as a given name by a character from the book
Pet Sematary (1983) and the subsequent movie adaptation (1989).
GAI m HebrewMeans
"valley, ravine" in Hebrew.
GAIUS m Ancient Roman, Biblical Latin, BiblicalRoman praenomen, or given name, of uncertain meaning. It is possibly derived from Latin
gaudere "to rejoice", though it may be of unknown Etruscan origin. This was a very common Roman praenomen, the most famous bearers being Gaius Julius Caesar, the great leader of the Roman Republic, and his adopted son Gaius Octavius (later known as Augustus), the first Roman emperor. This name also appears in the New Testament belonging to a bishop of Ephesus who is regarded as a saint.
GALAHAD m Arthurian RomanceMeaning unknown. In Arthurian legend Sir Galahad was the son of
Lancelot and
Elaine. He was the most pure of the Knights of the Round Table, and he was the only one to succeed in finding the Holy Grail. He first appears in the medieval French
Lancelot-Grail cycle.
GALE (2) m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from Middle English
gaile "jovial".
GALEN m EnglishModern form of the Greek name
Γαληνος (Galenos), which meant
"calm" from Greek
γαληνη (galene). It was borne by a 2nd-century BC Greco-Roman physician who contributed to anatomy and medicine. In modern times the name is occasionally given in his honour.
GALLUS m Ancient RomanRoman cognomen meaning
"rooster" in Latin. It could also refer to a person from Gaul (Latin
Gallia). This was the name of a 7th-century Irish saint, a companion of Saint Columbanus, who later became a hermit in Switzerland.
GANDALF m Norse Mythology, LiteratureMeans
"wand elf" in Old Norse, from the elements
gandr "wand, staff, cane" and
álfr "elf". This name belongs to a dwarf in the
Völuspá, a 13th-century Scandinavian manuscript that forms part of the Poetic Edda. The author J. R. R. Tolkien borrowed the name for a wizard in his novels
The Hobbit (1937) and
The Lord of the Rings (1954).
GANESHA m HinduismMeans
"lord of hordes" from Sanskrit
गण (gana) meaning "horde, multitude" and
ईश (isha) meaning "lord, ruler". This is the name of the Hindu god of wisdom and good luck, the son of
Shiva and
Parvati. He is often depicted as a stout man with the head of an elephant.
GANG m ChineseFrom Chinese
刚 (gāng) meaning "hard, rigid, strong", as well as other characters with a similar pronunciation.
GARBHÁN m IrishMeans
"little rough one" from Irish
garbh "rough" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of a 7th-century Irish saint.
GARETH m Welsh, English (British), Arthurian RomanceMeaning unknown. It first appears in this form in Thomas Malory's 15th-century compilation of Arthurian legends
Le Morte d'Arthur, in which Gareth was a Knight of the Round Table, the brother of Sir
Gawain. Malory based the name on
Gahariet, which was the name of a similar Arthurian character in French sources. It may ultimately have a Welsh origin, possibly related to
gwaredd meaning
"gentleness".
GARFIELD m EnglishFrom a surname meaning
"triangle field" in Old English. A famous bearer was American president James A. Garfield (1831-1881). It is now associated with the cat in Jim Davis's cartoon strip
Garfield.
GARLAND m EnglishFrom a surname meaning
"triangle land" from Old English
gara and
land. The surname originally belonged to a person who owned a triangle-shaped piece of land.
GARNET (2) m & f EnglishFrom an English surname that either referred to a person who made hinges (Old French
carne) or was derived from the Norman name
GUARIN.
GARRETT m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from the given name
GERALD or
GERARD. A famous bearer of the surname was Pat Garrett (1850-1908), the sheriff who shot Billy the Kid.
GARRICK m EnglishFrom a surname that was originally derived from Occitan
garric meaning
"oak tree grove".
GARSEA m Medieval SpanishMeaning unknown, possibly related to the Basque word
hartz meaning
"bear". This was the name of several medieval kings of Navarre and Leon.
GARTH m EnglishFrom a surname meaning
"garden" in Old Norse, originally denoting one who lived near or worked in a garden.
GARY m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from a Norman given name, which was itself originally a short form of names beginning with the Germanic element
ger meaning
"spear". This name was popularized in the late 1920s the American actor Gary Cooper (1901-1961), who took his stage name from the city of Gary in Indiana where his agent was born.
GASTON m FrenchPossibly from a Germanic name derived from the element
gast meaning
"stranger, guest". This is the usual French name for Saint
Vedastus, called
Vaast in Flemish, and alternatively the name may be connected to it. The name was also borne by several counts of Foix-Béarn, beginning in the 13th century.
GAUTAMA m SanskritIn the case of Siddhartha Gautama, a patronymic form of
GOTAMA. Siddhartha Gautama, also known as Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, was a 6th-century BC nobleman who left his family in order to lead a life of meditation and poverty.
GAVIN m English, ScottishMedieval form of
GAWAIN. Though it died out in England, it was reintroduced from Scotland in the 20th century.
GAVINO m ItalianFrom the Late Latin name
Gabinus, which possibly referred to the ancient city of Gabii in central Italy. Saint Gavino was martyred in Sardinia in the 3rd century.
GAWAIN m Welsh, Arthurian RomanceMeaning uncertain, from the Latin form
Walganus used by the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth. This was the name of a nephew of King
Arthur and one of the Knights of the Round Table in Arthurian legend. He can be identified with the earlier Welsh hero Gwalchmei, and it is likely that the name derives from
GWALCHMEI. Alternatively it may have a different Celtic or even a Germanic origin. Gawain was a popular hero in medieval stories such as the 14th-century romantic poem
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.
GAYLORD m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from Old French
gaillard "high-spirited, boisterous". This name was rarely used after the mid-20th century, when the word
gay acquired the slang meaning "homosexual".
GEDALIAH m BiblicalMeans
"YAHWEH is great" in Hebrew. This was the name of several characters in the Old Testament, including the governor of Judah appointed by Nebuchadnezzar.
GELLÉRT m HungarianHungarian form of
GERARD. Saint Gellért was an 11th-century missionary to Hungary who was martyred by being thrown into the Danube.
GEMARIAH m BiblicalMeans
"YAHWEH has completed" in Hebrew. This is the name of a friend of Jeremiah in the Old Testament.
GEMINI m Roman MythologyMeans
"twins" in Latin. This is the name of the third sign of the zodiac. The two brightest stars in the constellation,
Castor and
Pollux, are named for the mythological twin sons of
Leda.
GENGHIS m HistoryFrom the title
Genghis (or
Chinggis)
Khan, meaning "universal ruler", which was adopted by the Mongol Empire founder
Temujin in the late 12th century. Remembered both for his military brilliance and his brutality towards civilians, he went on to conquer huge areas of Asia and Eastern Europe.
GENTIAN m AlbanianFrom the name of the flowering plant called the gentian, the roots of which are used to create a tonic. It is derived from the name of the Illyrian king
GENTIUS, who supposedly discovered its medicinal properties.
GENTIUS m AlbanianPossibly means
"to beget" in Illyrian. This was the name of a 2nd-century BC Illyrian king who went to war with Rome.