Anargyros m GreekFrom the Greek term
ἀνάργυρος (anargyros) meaning
"poor, incorruptible", derived from Greek
ἀ (a), a negative prefix, combined with
ἄργυρος (argyros) meaning "silver". This term referred to saints who did not accept payment for their services.
Anas m ArabicMeans
"friendliness" in Arabic. This was the name of one of the Prophet
Muhammad's companions.
Anastasius m Ancient Greek (Latinized)Latinized form of the Greek name
Ἀναστάσιος (Anastasios), which meant
"resurrection" from Greek
ἀνάστασις (anastasis) (composed of the elements
ἀνά (ana) meaning "up" and
στάσις (stasis) meaning "standing"). This was the name of numerous early saints and martyrs, including a 7th-century monk and writer from Alexandria who is especially venerated in the Eastern Church.
Andeolus m Late RomanMeaning unknown. This was the name of a saint who was martyred in southern Gaul (at the town now known as Bourg-Saint-Andéol) in 3rd century.
Andor 1 m NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Arnþórr, derived from the element
ǫrn "eagle" combined with the name of the Norse god
Þórr (see
Thor).
Andrea 1 m ItalianItalian form of
Andreas (see
Andrew). A notable bearer of this name was Andrea Verrocchio, a Renaissance sculptor who taught Leonardo da Vinci and Perugino.
Andreas m German, Greek, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Welsh, Ancient Greek, Biblical Latin, Biblical GreekAncient Greek and Latin form of
Andrew. It is also the form used in Modern Greek, German and Welsh.
Andrew m English, BiblicalEnglish form of the Greek name
Ἀνδρέας (Andreas), which was derived from
ἀνδρεῖος (andreios) meaning
"manly, masculine", a derivative of
ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man". In the New Testament the apostle Andrew, the first disciple to join
Jesus, is the brother of
Simon Peter. According to tradition, he later preached in the Black Sea region, with some legends saying he was crucified on an X-shaped cross.
Andrew, being a Greek name, was probably only a nickname or a translation of his real Hebrew name, which is not known.
... [more] Andy m & f EnglishDiminutive of
Andrew or sometimes
Andrea 2. American pop artist and filmmaker Andy Warhol (1928-1987) was a famous bearer of this name.
Aneirin m Old Welsh, WelshOld Welsh name, possibly from the Latin name
Honorius. This was the name of a 6th-century Brythonic poet, also known as Neirin or Aneurin, who is said to be the author of the poem
Y Gododdin.
Ange m & f FrenchFrench masculine and feminine form of
Angelus (see
Angel).
Angel m & f English, Bulgarian, MacedonianFrom the medieval Latin masculine name
Angelus, which was derived from the name of the heavenly creature (itself derived from the Greek word
ἄγγελος (angelos) meaning "messenger"). It has never been very common in the English-speaking world, where it is sometimes used as a feminine name in modern times.
Angra Mainyu m Persian MythologyMeans
"evil spirit", from Avestan
𐬀𐬢𐬭𐬀 (angra) meaning "evil, destructive" and
𐬨𐬀𐬌𐬥𐬌𐬌𐬎 (mainiiu) meaning "spirit, mind". In Zoroastrianism Angra Mainyu was the god of darkness, death and destruction, the enemy of
Ahura Mazda.
Anh m & f VietnameseOften from Sino-Vietnamese
英 (anh) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero". This name is frequently combined with a middle name to create a compound name; the meaning of
Anh can change depending on the Sino-Vietnamese characters underlying the compound.
Aniello m ItalianFrom Italian
agnello meaning
"lamb", ultimately from a diminutive of Latin
agnus.
Anil m Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Punjabi, Gujarati, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, NepaliDerived from Sanskrit
अनिल (anila) meaning
"air, wind". This is another name of
Vayu, the Hindu god of the wind.
Animikii m Ojibwe, New World MythologyMeans
"thunder, thunderer" in Ojibwe. In Anishinaabe mythology this is the name of the thunderbird, an immense flying creature that makes thunder with its flapping wings.
Anish m Hindi, MarathiMeans
"supreme, paramount, without a ruler", from the Sanskrit negative prefix
अ (a) and
ईश (isha) meaning "ruler, lord".
Anit m HindiPossibly means
"not guided" in Sanskrit.
Anker m DanishFrom the Old Danish name
Ankarl, of uncertain meaning, possibly a combination of Old Norse
ǫrn "eagle" and
karl "man".
Anne 2 m FrisianShort form of names beginning with the Old German element
arn meaning "eagle".
Ansar m Arabic, UrduMeans
"helpers" in Arabic, referring to those who helped the Prophet
Muhammad when he came to Medina.
Ansbert m GermanicComposed of the Old German elements
ansi "god" and
beraht "bright". It is a cognate of
Osbert. This name was borne by a 7th-century Frankish saint, a bishop of Rouen.
Ansel m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from the given name
Anselm. A famous bearer was American photographer Ansel Adams (1902-1984).
Anselm m German, English (Rare), GermanicDerived from the Old German elements
ansi "god" and
helm "helmet, protection". This name was brought to England in the late 11th century by Saint Anselm, who was born in northern Italy. He was archbishop of Canterbury and a Doctor of the Church.
Anso m GermanicShort form of Germanic names beginning with the element
ansi meaning
"god" (Proto-Germanic *
ansuz).
Antares m AstronomyFrom Greek
Ἀντάρης (Antares), traditionally said to mean
"opposing Ares". This is the name of the brightest star in the constellation Scorpius.
Ante 2 m FrisianShort form of names beginning with the Old German element
anto "zeal".
Anthelm m GermanicFrom the Old German element
anto meaning "zeal" combined with
helm meaning "helmet, protection". Saint Anthelm was a 12th-century bishop of Belley in France.
Anthony m EnglishEnglish form of the Roman family name
Antonius, which is of unknown Etruscan origin. The most notable member of the Roman family was the general Marcus Antonius (called Mark Antony in English), who for a period in the 1st century BC ruled the Roman Empire jointly with Augustus. When their relationship turned sour, he and his mistress Cleopatra were attacked and forced to commit suicide, as related in Shakespeare's tragedy
Antony and Cleopatra (1606).
... [more] Antigonus m Ancient Greek (Latinized)From the Greek name
Ἀντίγονος (Antigonos), derived from
ἀντί (anti) meaning "against, compared to, like" and
γόνος (gonos) meaning "offspring, race, stock". This was the name of one of Alexander the Great's generals. After Alexander died, he took control of most of Asia Minor.
Antiman m MapucheMeans
"condor of the sun" in Mapuche, from
antü "sun" and
mañku "condor".
Antinanco m MapucheMeans
"eagle of the sun" in Mapuche, from
antü "sun" and
ñamko "eagle, hawk, buzzard".
Antiochus m Ancient Greek (Latinized)From the Greek name
Ἀντίοχος (Antiochos), derived from Greek
ἀντί (anti) meaning "against, compared to, like" and
ὀχή (oche) meaning "support". This was the name of several rulers of the Seleucid Empire. It was also borne by a 2nd-century Christian martyr, the patron saint of Sardinia.
Antipater m Ancient Greek (Latinized)From the Greek name
Ἀντίπατρος (Antipatros), which meant
"like the father" from Greek
ἀντί (anti) meaning "against, compared to, like" and
πατήρ (pater) meaning "father" (genitive
πατρός). This was the name of an officer of Alexander the Great who became the regent of Macedon during Alexander's absence.
Antoine m French, African AmericanFrench form of
Antonius (see
Anthony). A famous bearer was the French writer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (1900-1944), the author of
The Little Prince.
Anton m German, Russian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Dutch, Bulgarian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Slovene, Slovak, Macedonian, Croatian, Romanian, Estonian, Finnish, Georgian, EnglishForm of
Antonius (see
Anthony) used in various languages. A notable bearer was the Russian playwright Anton Chekhov (1860-1904).
Antoni m Polish, CatalanPolish and Catalan form of
Antonius (see
Anthony). A notable bearer was the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí (1852-1926).
Antonín m CzechCzech form of
Antoninus, also used as the Czech form of
Antonius (see
Anthony). A famous bearer was the Czech composer Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904).
Antonin m FrenchFrench form of
Antoninus. This name was borne by the French playwright Antonin Artaud (1896-1948).
Antoninus m Ancient RomanRoman cognomen, a derivative of
Antonius (see
Anthony). There were several early saints named Antoninus, including the patrons of Sorrento and Piacenza. This was also the name of a 2nd-century Roman emperor, Antoninus Pius (full name Titus Aelius Hadrianus Antoninus Pius).
Antonio m Spanish, Italian, CroatianSpanish and Italian form of
Antonius (see
Anthony). This has been a common name in Italy since the 14th century. In Spain it was the most popular name for boys in the 1950s and 60s.
... [more] Antony m EnglishVariant of
Anthony. This was formerly the usual English spelling of the name, but during the 17th century the
h began to be added.
Anubis m Egyptian Mythology (Latinized)Latinized form of
Ἄνουβις (Anoubis), the Greek form of Egyptian
jnpw (reconstructed as
Anapa and other forms), which coincided with a word meaning
"royal child, prince". However, it might alternatively be derived from the root
jnp meaning
"to decay". Anubis was the Egyptian god who led the dead to the underworld. He was often depicted as a man with the head of a jackal. The Greeks equated him with their god
Hermes.
Anuj m Hindi, MarathiMeans
"born later, younger" in Sanskrit. This name is sometimes given to the younger sibling of an older child.
Anwar m Arabic, Urdu, IndonesianMeans
"brighter, more luminous" in Arabic. This name was borne by Egyptian president Anwar Sadat (1918-1981), who was assassinated three years after being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Aodh m Irish, Scottish Gaelic, Irish MythologyFrom Old Irish
Áed, which meant
"fire". This was a very popular name in early Ireland, being borne by numerous figures in Irish mythology and several high kings. It has been traditionally Anglicized as
Hugh.
Aodhán m IrishFrom the Old Irish name
Áedán meaning
"little fire", a diminutive of
Áed (see
Aodh). This name was borne by a 6th-century king of Dál Riata. It was also the name of a few early Irish saints, including a 6th-century bishop of Ferns and a 7th-century bishop of Lindisfarne.
Aoi f & m JapaneseFrom Japanese
葵 (aoi) meaning "hollyhock, althea" or an adjectival form of
碧 (ao) meaning "green, blue". Other kanji with the same reading can form this name as well.
Aonghus m Irish, Scottish Gaelic, Irish MythologyFrom Old Irish
Óengus, possibly meaning
"one strength" from
óen "one" and
guss "force, strength". Aonghus (sometimes surnamed
Mac Og meaning "young son") was an Irish god of love and youth, one of the Tuatha Dé Danann. He was the son of
Dagda and
Boann. The name was also borne by an 8th-century Pictish king, several Irish kings, and a few saints, including a 9th-century bishop of Tallaght.
Apollinaire m French (Rare)French form of
Apollinaris. It was adopted as a surname by the Polish-French poet Guillaume Apollinaire (1880-1918), who based it on his Polish middle name Apolinary.
Apollinaris m Ancient GreekAncient Greek name derived from the name of the god
Apollo. This was the name of several early saints and martyrs, including a bishop of Ravenna and a bishop of Hierapolis.
Apollo m Greek Mythology (Latinized)From Greek
Ἀπόλλων (Apollon), which is of unknown meaning, though perhaps related to the Indo-European root *
apelo- meaning
"strength". Another theory states that Apollo can be equated with Appaliunas, an Anatolian god whose name possibly means
"father lion" or
"father light". The Greeks later associated Apollo's name with the Greek verb
ἀπόλλυμι (apollymi) meaning
"to destroy". In Greek mythology Apollo was the son of
Zeus and
Leto and the twin of
Artemis. He was the god of prophecy, medicine, music, art, law, beauty, and wisdom. Later he also became the god of the sun and light.
Apollonios m Ancient GreekFrom an ancient Greek personal name that was derived from the name of the Greek god
Apollo. It was borne by a Greek poet of the 3rd century BC. Several saints have also had this name.
Appius m Ancient RomanThis was a Roman praenomen, or given name, used predominantly by the Claudia family. Its etymology is unknown. A famous bearer of this name was Appius Claudius Caecus, a Roman statesman of the 3rd century BC. He was responsible for the Aqua Appia (the first Roman aqueduct) and the Appian Way (a road between Rome and Capua), both of which were named for him.
Aqil m ArabicMeans
"intelligent, wise" in Arabic. This transcription represents two different Arabic spellings.
Aqissiaq m GreenlandicMeans
"young ptarmigan" in Greenlandic (a ptarmigan is a type of bird that lives in cold regions).
Ara m Armenian, Armenian MythologyMeaning unknown, possibly of Sumerian origin. In Armenian legend this was the name of an Armenian king who was so handsome that the Assyrian queen
Semiramis went to war to capture him. During the war Ara was slain.
Aragorn m LiteratureMeaning unexplained, though the first element is presumably Sindarin
ara "noble, kingly". This is the name of a character in
The Lord of the Rings (1954) by J. R. R. Tolkien. In the book Aragorn is the heir of the Dúnedain kings of the north.
Aram 2 m ArmenianMeaning uncertain. According to the 5th-century Armenian historian Movses Khorenatsi this was the name of an ancient ancestor of the Armenian people. A famous bearer was the composer Aram Khachaturian (1903-1978).
Aramazd m Armenian MythologyArmenian form of
Ahura Mazda. This was the name of the supreme creator god in pre-Christian Armenian mythology. He and other Zoroastrian deities were introduced to Armenia during the period of Iranian domination in the 1st millenium BC.
Aramis m LiteratureThe surname of one of the musketeers in
The Three Musketeers (1844) by Alexandre Dumas. Dumas based the character on the 17th-century Henri d'Aramitz, whose surname was derived from the French village of Aramits (itself from Basque
aran meaning "valley").
Aran 1 m & f IrishFrom the name of the Aran Islands off the west coast of Ireland.
Ararat m ArmenianFrom the name of a mountain in eastern Turkey (formerly part of Armenia), the place where
Noah's Ark came to rest according to the Old Testament.
Arash m Persian, Persian MythologyFrom Avestan
𐬆𐬭𐬆𐬑𐬱𐬀 (Ərəxsha), of uncertain meaning, possibly from a root meaning
"bear". In Iranian legend Arash was an archer who was ordered by the Turans to shoot an arrow, the landing place of which would determine the new location of the Iran-Turan border. Arash climbed a mountain and fired his arrow with such strength that it flew for several hours and landed on the banks of the far-away Oxus River.
Arata m JapaneseFrom Japanese
新 (arata) meaning "fresh, new". Other kanji or kanji combinations can also form this name.
Arawn m Welsh MythologyMeaning unknown. This was the name of the god of the underworld, called Annwfn, in Welsh mythology.
Archer m EnglishFrom an English surname meaning
"bowman, archer", of Old French origin. Although already slowly growing in popularity, this name accelerated its rise after the premiere of the American television series
Archer in 2009.
Archibald m Scottish, EnglishDerived from the Germanic name
Ercanbald, composed of the elements
erkan meaning "pure, holy, genuine" and
bald meaning "bold, brave". The first element was altered due to the influence of Greek names beginning with the element
ἀρχός (archos) meaning "master". The Normans brought this name to England. It first became common in Scotland in the Middle Ages (sometimes used to Anglicize the Gaelic name
Gilleasbuig, for unknown reasons).
Archie m Scottish, EnglishDiminutive of
Archibald. This name is borne by Archie Andrews, an American comic-book character created in 1941. It was also used by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle for the name of their son born 2019.
Archil m GeorgianMeaning unknown, of Persian origin. This was the name of an 8th-century Georgian noble who was executed for refusing to convert to Islam.
Archimedes m Ancient GreekDerived from the Greek elements
ἀρχός (archos) meaning "master" and
μήδεα (medea) meaning "plans, counsel, cunning". This was the name of a 3rd-century BC Greek mathematician, astronomer and inventor.
Archippos m Ancient Greek, Biblical GreekMeans
"master of horses" from the Greek elements
ἀρχός (archos) meaning "master" and
ἵππος (hippos) meaning "horse". In the New Testament it is borne by a man mentioned in the epistles (spelled as
Archippus, the Latinized form, in the English version).
Arcturus m AstronomyFrom Ancient Greek
Ἀρκτοῦρος (Arktouros), the name of the fourth brightest star in the sky, part of the constellation Boötes. It means
"guardian of the bear", derived from
ἄρκτος (arktos) meaning "bear" and
οὖρος (ouros) meaning "guardian", referring to the star's position close to the constellations Ursa Minor and Ursa Major.
Arda m TurkishPossibly means
"marker, stake" in Turkish.
Ardashir m Middle PersianMiddle Persian form of Old Persian
Artaxšaça (see
Artaxerxes). This was the name of a 3rd-century king of Persia who defeated the Parthians and founded the Sasanian Empire. He also reestablished Zoroastrianism as the state religion.
Arden m & f EnglishFrom an English surname, originally taken from various place names, which were derived from a Celtic word meaning
"high".
Ardit m AlbanianMeans
"golden day" in Albanian, from
ar "gold" and
ditë "day".
Areg m ArmenianMeans
"sun, bright" in Armenian (a poetic word).
Areli m BiblicalMeans
"lion of God, hero" in Hebrew. This was the name of a son of
Gad in the Old Testament.