GRATIAN m HistoryFrom the Roman name
Gratianus, which meant
"grace" from Latin
gratus. Saint Gratian was the first bishop of Tours (4th century). This was also the name of a Roman emperor.
GRAY m & f EnglishFrom an English surname meaning
"grey", originally given to a person who had grey hair or clothing.
GRAYSON m English (Modern)From an English surname meaning
"son of the steward", derived from Middle English
greyve "steward".
GREGOR m German, Scottish, Slovak, SloveneGerman, Scottish, Slovak and Slovene form of
Gregorius (see
GREGORY). A famous bearer was Gregor Mendel (1822-1884), a Czech monk and scientist who did experiments in genetics.
GREGORY m EnglishEnglish form of Latin
Gregorius, which was from the Late Greek name
Γρηγοριος (Gregorios), derived from
γρηγορος (gregoros) meaning
"watchful, alert". This name was popular among early Christians, being borne by a number of important saints including Saint Gregory Thaumaturgus (3rd century), Saint Gregory the Illuminator (4th century), Saint Gregory of Nyssa (4th century), Saint Gregory of Nazianzus (4th century), and Saint Gregory of Tours (6th century). It was also borne by the 6th-century pope Saint Gregory I the Great, a reformer and Doctor of the Church, as well as 15 subsequent popes.
... [more] GRESHAM m English (Rare)From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"grazing homestead" in Old English.
GRIFFIN m EnglishLatinized form of
GRUFFUDD. This name can also be inspired by the English word
griffin, a creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle, ultimately from Greek
γρυψ (gryps).
GRIGORIY m RussianRussian form of
GREGORY. This name was borne by the Russian mystic Grigoriy Rasputin (1869-1916), more commonly known by only his surname.
GROVER m EnglishFrom a surname meaning
"grove of trees" from Old English
graf. A famous bearer was the American president Grover Cleveland (1837-1908), who popularized the name in the United States at the end of the 19th century. The name is now associated with a muppet character from the children's television program
Sesame Street.
GRUFFUDD m WelshFrom the Old Welsh name
Grippiud, the second element deriving from Welsh
udd "lord, prince" but the first element being of uncertain meaning (possibly
cryf "strong"). This was a common name among medieval Welsh royalty. Gruffudd (or Gruffydd) ap Llywelyn was an 11th-century Welsh ruler who fought against England.
GRWN m WelshMeans
"ridge" in Welsh. This is a Welsh name of recent origin.
GUADALUPE f & m SpanishFrom a Spanish title of the Virgin
Mary,
Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, meaning "Our Lady of Guadalupe". Guadalupe is a Spanish place name, the site of a famous convent, derived from Arabic
وادي (wadi) meaning "valley, river" possibly combined with Latin
lupus meaning "wolf". In the 16th century Our Lady of Guadalupe supposedly appeared in a vision to a native Mexican man, and she is now regarded as a patron saint of the Americas.
GUANTING m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
冠 (guān) meaning "cap, crown, headgear" combined with
廷 (tíng) meaning "court". This name can also be formed from other character combinations.
GUANYU m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
冠 (guān) meaning "cap, crown, headgear" combined with
宇 (yǔ) meaning "house, eaves, universe". Other character combinations are possible.
GUIDO m Italian, GermanLatinized form of
WIDO. This was the name of two 11th-century saints. Other notable bearers include 11th-century music theorist Guido d'Arezzo, 13th-century poet Guido Cavalcanti, and 17th-century painter Guido Reni.
GUIOMAR f & m Portuguese, Spanish, Arthurian RomancePossibly derived from the Germanic name
Wigmar, which is formed of the elements
wig "war, battle" and
mari "famous". In the medieval
Lancelot-Grail cycle he plays a minor role as a cousin of Guinevere, who banishes him after he becomes a lover of Morgan le Fey. In modern Portugal and Spain it is a feminine name.
GUIYING m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
桂 (guì) meaning "laurel, cassia, cinnamon" combined with
英 (yīng) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero". This name can be formed from other character combinations as well.
GUL m & f Urdu, PashtoMeans
"flower, rose" in Urdu and Pashto, ultimately from Persian.
GÜNTHER m German, Germanic MythologyFrom the Germanic name
Gundahar, derived from the elements
gund "war" and
hari "army, warrior". This was the name of a semi-legendary 5th-century Burgundian king. He appears in the Germanic saga the
Nibelungenlied, which has him wooing the Icelandic queen
Brünhild. He wins her hand in marriage with the help of the hero
Siegfried. He ultimately betrays Siegfried, but Siegfried's widow
Kriemhild (Günther's sister) takes her revenge upon him.
GUNTRAM m GermanMeans
"war raven" from the Germanic elements
gund "war" and
hramn "raven". This was the name of a 6th-century Frankish king.
GUO m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
国 (guó) meaning "country" or other Chinese characters pronounced in a similar way.
GURGEN m Armenian, GeorgianDerived from Middle Persian
gurg "wolf" combined with a diminutive suffix. This name was borne by several Georgian kings and princes.
GUSTAV m Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, CzechPossibly means
"staff of the Geats", derived from the Old Norse elements
gautr "Geat, Goth" and
stafr "staff". However, the root name
Gautstafr is not well attested in the Old Norse period. Alternatively, it might be derived from the Slavic name
GOSTISLAV. This name has been borne by six kings of Sweden, including the 16th-century Gustav I Vasa.
GUSTAVE m FrenchFrench form of
GUSTAV. This name was borne by the French artist Gustave Doré (1832-1883).
GUY (1) m English, FrenchNorman French form of
WIDO. The Normans introduced it to England, where it was common until the time of Guy Fawkes (1570-1606), a revolutionary who attempted to blow up the British parliament. The name was revived in the 19th century, due in part to characters in the novels
Guy Mannering (1815) by Sir Walter Scott and
The Heir of Redclyffe (1854) by C. M. Yonge.
GWALCHMEI m Welsh MythologyDerived from Welsh
gwalch "hawk", possibly combined with
mei "May (the month)". This is the name of a character in Welsh legend. He is probably the antecedent of
Gawain from Arthurian romance.
GWENAËL m French, BretonMeans
"blessed and generous" from Breton
gwenn meaning "white, fair, blessed" and
hael meaning "generous". Saint Gwenhael was a 6th-century abbot of Brittany.
GWENDAL m BretonDerived from Breton
gwenn meaning "white, fair, blessed" and
tal meaning "brow, forehead".
GWENNEG m BretonDerived from Breton
gwenn meaning
"white, fair, blessed" combined with a diminutive suffix. Saint Gwenneg was an 8th-century monk of Brittany.
GWRTHEYRN m Ancient CelticMeans
"supreme king" from Welsh
gor meaning "over" and
teyrn meaning "king, monarch". It is possible that this is not a name, but a title. According to medieval chroniclers, Gwrtheyrn (also known as Vortigern) was a 5th-century king of the Britons. It was he who invited the brothers
Hengist and
Horsa to Britain, which eventually led to the Anglo-Saxon conquest of England.
GWYDION m Welsh MythologyMeans
"born of trees" in Welsh. In the Mabinogion, Gwydion was the nephew of
Math, and like him a powerful magician. He was the uncle of
Lleu Llaw Gyffes, for whom he fashioned a wife,
Blodeuwedd, out of flowers.
GWYN m WelshMeans
"white, fair, blessed" in Welsh.
GWYNEDD f & m WelshFrom the name of a region in Wales, named after an ancient kingdom, which may be derived from the old Welsh given name
Cunedda.
GWYNFOR m WelshDerived from the Welsh element
gwyn meaning "white, fair, blessed" combined with
mawr meaning "great, large".
GYATSO m TibetanFrom Tibetan
རྒྱ་མཚོ (rgya-mtsho) meaning
"ocean". This is one of the given names of the current Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso (1935-).
GYEONG m & f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
京 (gyeong) meaning "capital city",
景 (gyeong) meaning "scenery, view",
敬 (gyeong) meaning "respect, honour", or other hanja characters with the same pronunciation. It usually occurs in combination with another character, though it is sometimes used as a stand-alone name.
GYULA m HungarianFrom a Hungarian royal title, which was probably of Turkic origin. This name is also used as a Hungarian form of
JULIUS.
HABAKKUK m BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
חֲבַקּוּק (Chavaqquq), perhaps meaning
"embrace" from the root
חָבַק (chavaq). In the Old Testament this is one of the twelve minor prophets, the author of the Book of Habakkuk.
HACHIRŌ m JapaneseFrom Japanese
八 (hachi) meaning "eight" and
郎 (rō) meaning "son". This was traditionally a name for the eighth son. Other kanji combinations are also possible.
HADAD m Semitic MythologyDerived from a Semitic root meaning
"thunder". Hadad was a Western Semitic (Levantine) god of thunder and storms, often called
Ba'al. He was imported to Mesopotamia by the Amorites, where he was known as
Adad to the Assyrians and Babylonians.
HADLEY f & m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"heather field" in Old English.
HADRIAN m HistoryFrom the Roman cognomen
Hadrianus, which meant
"from Hadria" in Latin. Hadria was the name of two Roman settlements. The first (modern Adria) is in northern Italy and was an important Etruscan port town. The second (modern Atri) is in central Italy and was named after the northern town. The Adriatic Sea is also named after the northern town.
... [more] HAFIZ m ArabicMeans
"custodian, guardian" in Arabic. In Islamic tradition
الحفيظ (al-Hafiz) is one of the 99 names of Allah.
HAGEN (1) m German, Germanic MythologyDerived from the Germanic element
hagan meaning
"enclosure". In the Germanic saga the
Nibelungenlied he is the half-brother of
Günther. He killed the hero
Siegfried by luring him onto a hunting expedition and then stabbing him with a javelin in his one vulnerable spot.
HAGGAI m BiblicalMeans
"festive" in Hebrew, from the root
חָגַג (chagag). This is one of the twelve minor prophets of the Old Testament. He was the author of the Book of Haggai, which urges the exiles returning from Babylonia to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem.
HAI m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
海 (hǎi) meaning "sea, ocean" or other characters that are pronounced similarly.
HAJI m ArabicRefers to a person who has participated in the
حَجّ (hajj), the annual pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia that Muslims must undertake at least once in their lifetimes.
HA-JUN m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
夏 (ha) meaning "summer, great, grand" combined with
准 (jun) meaning "approve, permit". This name can be formed by other hanja characters as well.
HAKEEM m ArabicAlternate transcription of Arabic
حكيم (see
HAKIM). A famous bearer is Nigerian-born former basketball player Hakeem Olajuwon (1963-).
HAKIM m ArabicMeans
"wise" in Arabic. In Islamic tradition
الحكيم (al-Hakim) is one of the 99 names of Allah.
HÅKON m NorwegianModern Norwegian form of the Old Norse name
Hákon, which meant
"high son" from
há "high" and
konr "son, descendant". This was the name of seven kings of Norway.
HALDOR m NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Hallþórr, which meant
"Thor's rock" from
hallr "rock" combined with the name of the Norse god
Þórr (see
THOR).
HALE (2) m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"nook, retreat" from Old English
healh.
HALFDAN m Norwegian, DanishFrom the Old Norse name
Hálfdan meaning
"half Danish", composed of the elements
hálfr "half" and
Danr "Dane", originally a nickname for a person who was half Danish.
HALIM m ArabicMeans
"patient, tolerant, mild" in Arabic. In Islamic tradition
الحليم (al-Halim) is one of the 99 names of Allah.
HALL m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from Old English
heall "manor, hall", originally belonging to a person who lived or worked in a manor.
HALLAM m English (Rare)From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning either
"at the rocks" or
"at the nook" in Old English.
HALLE (1) m NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Halli, a diminutive of names containing the element
hallr meaning "rock".
HALVARD m NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Hallvarðr, which meant
"rock guardian" from
hallr "rock" combined with
varðr "guardian".
HAM m BiblicalMeans
"hot, warm" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament, Ham is one of
Noah's three sons, along with
Shem and
Japheth. He was the ancestor of the Egyptians and Canaanites.
HAMA m Anglo-Saxon MythologyFrom Old English
ham meaning
"home". This is the name of a Gothic warrior who appears with his companion of Wudga in some Anglo-Saxon tales (briefly in
Beowulf).
HAMAN m Biblical, Biblical HebrewMeaning uncertain, of Persian origin. In the Book of Esther in the Old Testament Haman, called the Agagite, is an adviser to the Persian king. He plots to have all the Jews in the realm executed, but is foiled by Queen
Esther.
HAMILTON m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from Old English
hamel "crooked, mutilated" and
dun "hill". The surname was originally taken from the name of a town in Leicestershire, England (which no longer exists). A famous bearer of the surname was Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804), a founding father of the United States who was killed in a duel with Aaron Burr.
HAMLET m Literature, ArmenianAnglicized form of the Danish name
Amleth. Shakespeare used this name for the Prince of Denmark in his play
Hamlet (1600), which he based upon earlier Danish tales.
HAMMOND m English (Rare)From an English surname that was derived from either the Germanic given name
Haimund, which meant "home protection", or else the Old Norse given name
Hámundr, which meant "high protection".
HAMNET m English (Archaic)Diminutive of
HAMO. This was the name of a son of Shakespeare who died in childhood. His death may have provided the inspiration for his father's play
Hamlet.
HAMZA m Arabic, Turkish, BosnianPossibly derived from Arabic
hamuza meaning
"strong, steadfast". This was the name of the uncle of the Prophet
Muhammad who was killed in battle.
HANAN (1) m BiblicalMeans
"gracious" in Hebrew. This is the name of several minor characters in the Old Testament.
HANK m EnglishOriginally a short form of
Hankin, which was a medieval diminutive of
JOHN. Since the 17th century in the United States this name has also been used as a diminutive of
HENRY, probably under the influence of the Dutch diminutive
HENK. A famous bearer is the American former baseball player Hank Aaron (1934-).
HANNIBAL m Phoenician (Latinized), HistoryMeans
"grace of Ba'al" from Phoenician
hann "grace" combined with the name of the god
BA'AL. Hannibal was the Carthaginian general who threatened Rome during the Second Punic War in the 3rd century BC.
HANS m German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, DanishGerman short form of
JOHANNES, now used independently. This name has been very common in German-speaking areas of Europe since the late Middle Ages. From an early period it was transmitted to the Low Countries and Scandinavia. Two famous bearers were Hans Holbein (1497-1543), a German portrait painter, and Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875), a Danish writer of fairy tales.
HANZŌ m JapaneseFrom Japanese
半 (han) meaning "half" and
蔵 (zō) meaning "to hide". This name was borne by the noted samurai Hattori Hanzou (1542-1596). The name can also be formed from other kanji combinations.
HARDING m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from the Old English given name
HEARD. A famous bearer of the surname was American president Warren G. Harding (1865-1923).