Hashim m Arabic, Urdu, MalayMeans
"crusher, breaker" in Arabic. This was the nickname of a great-grandfather of the Prophet
Muhammad. He acquired this nickname because of his practice of crumbling bread and giving it to pilgrims.
Hasim m ArabicMeans
"decisive" in Arabic, derived from
حسم (hasama) meaning "to sever, to finish, to decide".
Hassan m Arabic, Persian, UrduMeans
"beautifier, improver" in Arabic. Hassan ibn Thabit was a 7th-century poet who was a companion of the Prophet
Muhammad. This name is sometimes transcribed as
Hasan, though the two names are spelled distinctly in Arabic.
Hasso m German, GermanicGermanic name, possibly referring to a member of the Germanic tribe of the Hessians, called the Chatti in antiquity.
Hastiin m NavajoMeans
"man, elder" in Navajo. This is typically an honorific preceding the name.
Hauke m Frisian, GermanFrisian short form of Old German given names containing the element
hugu meaning
"mind, thought, spirit".
Haven f & m EnglishFrom the English word for a safe place, derived ultimately from Old English
hæfen.
Havilah m BiblicalProbably means
"to dance, to circle, to twist" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is both a place name and a masculine personal name.
Hayat f & m Arabic, Persian, UrduMeans
"life" in Arabic, from
حيي (hayiya) meaning "to live". In Arabic and Persian it is a feminine name, while in Urdu it is masculine.
Hayate m JapaneseFrom Japanese
颯 (hayate) meaning "sudden, sound of the wind". Other kanji with the same pronunciation can also form this name.
Hayato m JapaneseFrom Japanese
隼 (haya) meaning "falcon" (using a nanori reading) and
人 (to) meaning "person". Other kanji combinations can also make up this name.
Hayden m & f EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from place names meaning either
"hay valley" or
"hay hill", derived from Old English
heg "hay" and
denu "valley" or
dun "hill". Its popularity at the end of the 20th century was due to the sound it shared with other trendy names of the time, such as
Braden and
Aidan.
Haydn m English (British)From a German surname meaning
"heathen". It is used in honour of the Austrian composer Joseph Haydn (1732-1809).
Hayk m ArmenianProbably from the Armenian word
հայ (hay) meaning
"Armenian", although some hold that the ethnic name is in fact derived from the given name. This was the name of the legendary forefather of the Armenian people, supposedly a great-great-grandson of
Noah, according to the 5th-century Armenian historian Movses Khorenatsi.
Haywood m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"fenced wood" in Old English.
Hazael m BiblicalMeans
"God sees" in Hebrew. This is the name of a king of Aram in the Old Testament.
He f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
河 (hé) meaning "river, stream",
和 (hé) meaning "harmony, peace", or
荷 (hé) meaning "lotus, water lily" (which is usually only feminine). Other characters can form this name as well. A famous bearer was the Ming dynasty explorer Zheng He (1371-1433).
Heard m Anglo-SaxonShort form of various Old English names containing the element
heard meaning
"hard, firm, brave, hardy".
Heath m EnglishFrom an English surname that denoted one who lived on a heath. It was popularized as a given name by the character Heath Barkley from the 1960s television series
The Big Valley.
Heber 2 m BiblicalMeans
"enclave" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this name is borne by a great-grandson of
Jacob and also by the husband of
Jael.
Hector m English, French, Greek Mythology (Latinized), Arthurian CycleLatinized form of Greek
Ἕκτωρ (Hektor), which was derived from
ἕκτωρ (hektor) meaning
"holding fast", ultimately from
ἔχω (echo) meaning "to hold, to possess". In Greek legend Hector was one of the Trojan champions who fought against the Greeks. After he killed
Achilles' friend
Patroclus in battle, he was himself brutally slain by Achilles, who proceeded to tie his dead body to a chariot and drag it about. This name also appears in Arthurian legends where it belongs to King
Arthur's foster father.
... [more] Heddwyn m WelshDerived from Welsh
hedd "peace" and
gwyn "white, blessed". This name has been given in honour of the poet Ellis Humphrey Evans (1887-1917), who used Hedd Wyn as his bardic name.
Hedley m English (Rare)From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"heather clearing" in Old English.
Heidrich m GermanicDerived from the Old German element (possibly)
heida "heath, heather" combined with
rih "ruler, king".
Heilyn m Welsh MythologyMeans
"winebearer, dispenser" in Welsh. According to the Second Branch of the
Mabinogi he was one of only seven warriors to return from
Brân's invasion of Ireland.
Heimdall m Norse MythologyFrom Old Norse
Heimdallr, derived from Old Norse
heimr "home, house" and
dallr, possibly meaning "glowing, shining". In Norse mythology he is the god who guards the Bifröst, the bridge that connects Asgard to the other worlds. It is foretold that he will blow the Gjallarhorn to wake the gods for the final battle at the end of the world, Ragnarök. During this battle, he will fight
Loki and they will slay one another.
Hélder m PortugueseMeaning uncertain. It was borne by the Brazilian archbishop Dom Hélder Câmara (1909-1999) who was noted for his charity. It could be from the name of the Dutch town of Den Helder (possibly meaning "hell's door" in Dutch).
Heli 1 m Biblical, Biblical LatinLatin form of
Eli 1 used in the Old and New Testament. This form of the name is used in most English versions of the New Testament to refer to the father of
Joseph (husband of
Mary) in the genealogy in the Gospel of Luke.
Helier m History (Ecclesiastical)Meaning uncertain. This is the name of the patron saint of the island of Jersey in the English Channel. He was a 6th-century hermit whose name was recorded in Latin as
Helerius.
Helios m Greek MythologyMeans
"sun" in Greek. This was the name of the young Greek sun god, a Titan, who rode across the sky each day in a chariot pulled by four horses. His sister was the moon goddess
Selene.
Helmo m GermanicShort form of Germanic names that began with the element
helm meaning
"helmet, protection" (Proto-Germanic *
helmaz).
Helvius m Ancient RomanRoman cognomen derived from either Latin
helvus meaning
"honey-yellow, blond" or from the name of the Helvii, a Celtic tribe who lived west of the Rhône river. Gaius Helvius Cinna was a Roman poet of the 1st century BC.
Hendrix m English (Modern)From a Dutch surname that was derived from the given name
Hendrik. A famous bearer of the surname was the American rock musician Jimi Hendrix (1942-1970).
Heng m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
恒 (héng) meaning "constant, persistent", as well as other characters with a similar pronunciation. Lui Heng, known as Wen of Han, was a 2nd-century BC emperor of the Han dynasty.
Hengist m Anglo-Saxon MythologyMeans
"stallion" in Old English or Old Saxon. According to medieval histories (recorded by Bede in the 8th century), Hengist and his brother
Horsa were the leaders of the first Saxon settlers in Britain. Hengist established a kingdom in Kent in the 5th century.
Henri m French, FinnishFrench form of
Heinrich (see
Henry). A notable bearer was the French artist Henri Matisse (1869-1954).
Henrique m PortuguesePortuguese form of
Heinrich (see
Henry). This was the name of a 15th-century Portuguese naval explorer (known as Henry the Navigator in English).
Henry m EnglishFrom the Germanic name
Heimirich meaning
"home ruler", composed of the elements
heim "home" and
rih "ruler". It was later commonly spelled
Heinrich, with the spelling altered due to the influence of other Germanic names like
Haganrich, in which the first element is
hag "enclosure".
... [more] Hephaestus m Greek Mythology (Latinized)Latinized form of Greek
Ἥφαιστος (Hephaistos), meaning unknown. It probably shares its origin with the Minoan city of
Φαιστός (Phaistos), which is of Pre-Greek origin. In Greek mythology Hephaestus was the god of fire and forging, the husband of the unfaithful
Aphrodite. It was said that when he was born
Hera, his mother, was so displeased with his physical deformities that she hurled him off the top of Mount Olympus.
Heraclius m Ancient Greek (Latinized)Latinized form of the Greek personal name
Ἡράκλειος (Herakleios), which was derived from the name of the Greek hero
Herakles. This was the name of a 7th-century Byzantine emperor, known for his victories over the Sasanian Persian Empire. This name was also borne by two early saints.
Herakleides m Ancient GreekMeans
"son of Herakles" in Greek, derived from the name of the mythic hero
Herakles combined with the patronymic suffix
ἴδης (ides). This was the name of a 4th-century BC Greek astronomer who theorized the rotation of the earth.
Herakles m Greek MythologyMeans
"glory of Hera" from the name of the goddess
Hera combined with Greek
κλέος (kleos) meaning "glory". This was the name of a hero in Greek and Roman mythology, the son of
Zeus and the mortal woman
Alcmene. After being driven insane by
Hera and killing his own children, Herakles completed twelve labours in order to atone for his crime and become immortal.
Herbert m English, German, Dutch, Czech, Swedish, FrenchDerived from the Old German elements
heri "army" and
beraht "bright". It was borne by two Merovingian Frankish kings, usually called
Charibert. The Normans introduced this name to England, where it replaced an Old English cognate
Herebeorht. In the course of the Middle Ages it became rare, but it was revived in the 19th century.
... [more] Hercule m FrenchFrench form of
Hercules. It was used by the British writer Agatha Christie for the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, the protagonist in many of her mystery novels (debuting 1920).
Hereward m Anglo-SaxonDerived from the Old English elements
here "army" and
weard "guard". This was the name of an 11th-century Anglo-Saxon leader who rebelled against Norman rule.
Hermagoras m Ancient GreekFrom the name of the messenger god
Hermes combined with Greek
ἀγορά (agora) meaning "assembly, marketplace". Saint Hermagoras (3rd century) was the first bishop of Aquileia in Italy.
Herman m English, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Slovene, GermanicMeans
"army man", derived from the Old German elements
heri "army" and
man "person, man". It was introduced to England by the Normans, died out, and was revived in the English-speaking world in the 19th century. It was borne by an 18th-century Russian missionary to Alaska who is venerated as a saint in the Orthodox Church, though in his case the name is an alternate transcription of
German. Another famous bearer was the American writer Herman Melville (1819-1891), the author of
Moby-Dick.
Hermann m GermanGerman form of
Herman. A famous bearer was the German author Hermann Hesse (1877-1962).
Hermenegildo m Spanish, PortugueseSpanish and Portuguese form of a Visigothic name, from the Gothic elements
airmans "great, immense" and
gild "payment, tribute, compensation". It was borne by a 6th-century saint, the son of Liuvigild the Visigothic king of Hispania.
Hermes m Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek, SpanishProbably from Greek
ἕρμα (herma) meaning
"cairn, pile of stones, boundary marker". Hermes was a Greek god associated with speed and good luck, who served as a messenger to
Zeus and the other gods. He was also the patron of travellers, writers, athletes, merchants, thieves and orators.
... [more] Herminius m Ancient RomanRoman name that was possibly of unknown Etruscan origin, but could also be derived from the name of the god
Hermes. In Roman legend this was the name of a companion of Aeneas.
Hernando m SpanishMedieval Spanish form of
Ferdinand. A famous bearer of this name was the Spanish conquistador Hernando (or Hernán) Cortés (1485-1547).
Herod m BiblicalFrom the Greek name
Ἡρῴδης (Herodes), which probably means
"song of the hero" from
ἥρως (heros) meaning "hero, warrior" combined with
ᾠδή (ode) meaning "song, ode". This was the name of several rulers of Judea during the period when it was part of the Roman Empire. This includes two who appear in the New Testament: Herod the Great, the king who ordered the slaughter of the children, and his son Herod Antipas, who had
John the Baptist beheaded.
Herodion m Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical GreekDerivative of the Greek name
Herodes (see
Herod). This name is mentioned briefly in
Paul's epistle to the Romans in the New Testament. According to tradition he was a bishop of Patras, Greece, and was later martyred in Rome with Saint Peter.
Herodotus m Ancient Greek (Latinized)Latinized form of the Greek name
Ἡρόδοτος (Herodotos), derived from the name of the goddess
Hera combined with
δοτός (dotos) meaning "given, granted". Herodotus was a Greek historian of the 5th century BC who wrote the
Histories, a detailed account of the Greco-Persian Wars. He is known as the Father of History.
Heron m Ancient GreekDerived from Greek
ἥρως (heros) meaning
"hero". This was the name of a 1st-century Greek inventor (also known as
Hero) from Alexandria.
Hershel m American, YiddishYiddish diminutive of
Hirsh. As a non-Jewish American name (somewhat common around the end of the 19th century), it was likely inspired by the German surname
Herschel, borne for instance by the British-German astronomer William Herschel (1738-1822).
Hesperos m Ancient GreekMeans
"evening" in Greek. This was the name of the personification of the Evening Star (the planet Venus) in Greek mythology.
Hezekiah m BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
חִזְקִיָהוּ (Chizqiyahu), which means
"Yahweh strengthens", from the roots
חָזַק (chazaq) meaning "to strength" and
יָה (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. This name was borne by a powerful king of Judah who reigned in the 8th and 7th centuries BC. Also in the Old Testament, this is the name of an ancestor of the prophet
Zephaniah.
Hiawatha m History, Iroquois (Anglicized)Meaning uncertain, of Iroquois origin, possibly meaning
"he who combs". This was the name of a Mohawk or Onondaga leader who founded the Iroquois Confederacy around the 15th century. He was later the subject of a fictionalized 1855 poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
Hidde m FrisianOriginally a short form of names beginning with the Old German element
hilt meaning
"battle".
Hideaki m JapaneseFrom Japanese
英 (hide) meaning "excellent, fine" and
明 (aki) meaning "bright, light, clear", as well as other combinations of kanji.
Hideki m JapaneseFrom Japanese
秀 (hide) meaning "excellent, outstanding" or
英 (hide) meaning "excellent, fine" combined with
樹 (ki) meaning "tree". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.
Hidemi m JapaneseFrom Japanese
秀 (hide) meaning "excellent, outstanding" and
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful", as well as other combinations of kanji characters.
Hideo m JapaneseFrom Japanese
英 (hide) meaning "excellent, fine" or
秀 (hide) meaning "excellent, outstanding" combined with
雄 (o) meaning "hero, manly" or
夫 (o) meaning "husband, man". Other kanji combinations can also form this name. A famous bearer is the video game developer Hideo Kojima (1963-).
Hideyoshi m JapaneseFrom Japanese
秀 (hide) meaning "excellent, outstanding" combined with
良 (yoshi) meaning "good, virtuous, respectable" or
吉 (yoshi) meaning "good luck". Other kanji combinations are possible. Toyotomi Hideyoshi (Hideyoshi
秀吉 being his given name) was a 16th-century daimyo who unified Japan and attempted to conquer Korea. He also banned the ownership of weapons by the peasantry, and banished Christian missionaries.
Hifumi m & f JapaneseFrom Japanese
一 (hi) meaning "one",
二 (fu) meaning "two" and
三 (mi) meaning "three".
Hikari f & m JapaneseFrom Japanese
光 (hikari) meaning "light". Other kanji can also form this name. It is often written with the hiragana writing system.
Hikaru m & f JapaneseFrom Japanese
光 (hikaru) meaning "light" or
輝 (hikaru) meaning "brightness". Other kanji can also form this name.
Hilal m & f Arabic, TurkishMeans
"crescent moon" in Arabic, also referring to the new moon on the Islamic calendar. As a given name it is typically masculine in Arabic and feminine in Turkish.
Hilarius m Ancient RomanRoman name derived from Latin
hilaris meaning
"cheerful". Alternatively, it could be derived from the Greek name
Ἱλαρός (Hilaros) also meaning "cheerful" (the Greek word
ἱλαρός was the source of the Latin word
hilaris). Saint Hilarius was a 4th-century theologian and bishop of Poitiers. This was also the name of a 5th-century pope.
Hilary f & m EnglishMedieval English form of
Hilarius or
Hilaria. During the Middle Ages it was primarily a masculine name. It was revived in Britain at the beginning of the 20th century as a predominantly feminine name. In America, this name and the variant
Hillary seemed to drop in popularity after Hillary Clinton (1947-) became the first lady in 1993. Famous bearers include American actresses Hilary Swank (1974-) and Hilary Duff (1987-).
Hildebert m German (Rare)Means
"bright battle" from the Old German elements
hilt "battle" and
beraht "bright". This name was borne by four early Frankish kings, usually called
Childebert.
Hildebrand m German (Archaic), GermanicMeans
"battle sword", derived from the Old German element
hilt "battle" combined with
brant "fire, torch, sword". This was the name of the hero of an 8th-century poem written in Old High German.
Hilderic m GermanicDerived from the Old German elements
hilt "battle" and
rih "ruler, king". Hilderic was a 6th-century king of the Vandals. This name was also borne by three early Merovingian Frankish kings, though their name is usually spelled as
Childeric.
Hildred f & m EnglishPossibly from the Old English masculine name
Hildræd, which was composed of the elements
hild "battle" and
ræd "counsel, advice". This name was revived in the late 19th century, probably because of its similarity to the popular names
Hilda and
Mildred.
Hillel m Biblical, Hebrew, Biblical HebrewDerived from Hebrew
הָלַל (halal) meaning
"praise". This name is mentioned briefly in the Old Testament as the father of the judge Abdon. It was also borne by the 1st-century BC Jewish scholar Hillel the Elder.
Hilperic m GermanicDerived from the Old German elements
helfa "help" and
rih "ruler, king". This name was borne by two Burgundian kings and two Frankish kings (usually called
Chilperic).
Hinata f & m JapaneseFrom Japanese
日向 (hinata) meaning "sunny place",
陽向 (hinata) meaning "toward the sun", or a non-standard reading of
向日葵 (himawari) meaning "sunflower". Other kanji compounds are also possible. Because of the irregular readings, this name is often written using the hiragana writing system.
Hirah m BiblicalMeans
"splendour" in Hebrew. This was the name of a companion of Judah in the Old Testament.
Hiraku m JapaneseFrom Japanese
拓 (hiraku) meaning "expand, open, support". Other kanji can also form this name.
Hiram m Biblical, Biblical Hebrew, EnglishFrom Phoenician
𐤇𐤓𐤌 (Ḥirom) meaning
"exalted brother". This was the name of a king of Tyre in the Old Testament. He may have reigned in the 10th century BC. As an English given name,
Hiram came into use after the Protestant Reformation. In the 17th century the Puritans brought it to America, where it gained some currency.
Hirohito m JapaneseFrom Japanese
裕 (hiro) meaning "abundant" and
人 (hito) meaning "person" or
仁 (hito) meaning "compassionate". Hirohito (1901-1989), name written
裕仁, was the emperor of Japan from 1926 to 1989. Different combinations of kanji can also form this name.
Hiroki m JapaneseFrom Japanese
大 (hiro) meaning "big, great" and
輝 (ki) meaning "brightness" or
樹 (ki) meaning "tree". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
Hiroshi m JapaneseFrom Japanese
寛 (hiroshi) meaning "tolerant, generous",
浩 (hiroshi) meaning "prosperous", or other kanji and kanji combinations that are read the same way.
Hiroto m JapaneseFrom Japanese
大 (hiro) meaning "big, great" or
博 (hiro) meaning "command, esteem" combined with
人 (to) meaning "person",
翔 (to) meaning "soar, glide" or
斗 (to), which refers to a Chinese constellation. Other kanji combinations can also form this name.
Hirsh m YiddishMeans
"deer" in Yiddish, from Old High German
hiruz. This was a vernacular form of the Hebrew name
Tzvi. The deer is particularly associated with the tribe of
Naphtali (see
Genesis 49:21).
Hisham m ArabicMeans
"generous" in Arabic, ultimately from
hashama "to crush". The meaning derives from the traditional Arab act of crushing bread into crumbs in order to share it. This was the name of an 8th-century caliph of the Umayyad dynasty in Spain.
Hla m & f BurmeseMeans
"pretty, favourable" in Burmese.
Hoder m Norse MythologyFrom Old Norse
Hǫðr, derived from
hǫð meaning
"battle". In Norse mythology he was a blind god, tricked by
Loki into killing his brother
Balder.
Hoebaer m LimburgishLimburgish form of
Hubert. Its spelling has been influenced by the French pronunciation of Hubert.
Hoel m Breton, Arthurian CycleBreton form of
Hywel. This was the name of two dukes of Brittany. According to the chronicles of Geoffrey of Monmouth, it was borne by a ruler of Brittany who was an ally of King
Arthur.
Hokolesqua m ShawneeMeans
"cornstalk" in Shawnee. This was the name of an 18th-century Shawnee chief.
Holden m English (Modern)From a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning
"deep valley" in Old English. This is the name of the main character in J. D. Salinger's novel
The Catcher in the Rye (1951), Holden Caulfield.
Hollis m & f EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from Middle English
holis "holly trees". It was originally given to a person who lived near a group of those trees.