BALTHAZAR m Judeo-Christian LegendVariant of
BELSHAZZAR. Balthazar is the name traditionally assigned to one of the wise men (also known as the Magi, or three kings) who visited the newborn
Jesus. He was said to have come from Arabia.
BAO f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
宝 (bǎo) meaning "treasure, jewel, precious, rare",
褒 (bāo) meaning "praise, honour" or
苞 (bāo) meaning "bud" (which is usually only feminine). Other Chinese characters are possible as well.
BAPTISTE m FrenchMeans
"baptist" in French, originally deriving from Greek
βάπτω (bapto) meaning "to dip". This name is usually given in honour of Saint John the Baptist, and as such it is often paired with the name
Jean.
BAQI m ArabicMeans
"eternal" in Arabic. This was the pen name of a 16th-century Turkish poet.
BAQIR m ArabicMeans
"to rip open" in Arabic. Muhammad al-Baqir was the fifth imam of the Shia Muslims.
BARACK m ArabicAlternate transcription of Arabic
باراك (see
BARAK (2)). A famous bearer is former American president Barack Obama (1961-), who was named after his Kenyan father.
BARAN f & m Persian, Turkish, KurdishMeans
"rain" in Persian. It is typically feminine in Persian and masculine in Turkish and Kurdish.
BARCLAY m Scottish, English (Rare)From a Scottish surname that was likely derived from the English place name
Berkeley, meaning
"birch wood" in Old English.
BÅRD m NorwegianNorwegian form of the Old Norse name
Bárðr, which was derived from the elements
baðu "battle" and
friðr "peace".
BARLAAM m Judeo-Christian LegendMeaning unknown. In Christian legends Barlaam (recorded as Greek
Βαρλαάμ) was a 3rd-century hermit who converted Josaphat, the son of an Indian king, to Christianity. The story is based on that of the Buddha. This name was also borne by two saints.
BARRETT m EnglishFrom a surname probably meaning
"strife" in Middle English, originally given to a quarrelsome person.
BARRFHIONN m IrishMeans
"fair hair", derived from Gaelic
barr "head" and
fionn "white, fair".
BARTHOLOMEW m English, BiblicalFrom
Βαρθολομαῖος (Bartholomaios), which was the Greek form of an Aramaic name meaning
"son of TALMAI". In the New Testament
Bartholomew is the byname of an apostle, possibly the same person as the apostle
Nathanael. According to tradition he was a missionary to India before returning westward to Armenia, where he was martyred by flaying. Due to the popularity of this saint the name became common in England during the Middle Ages.
BARUCH m Biblical, HebrewMeans
"blessed" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of a companion of the prophet Jeremiah, acting as his scribe and assistant. The deuterocanonical Book of Baruch was supposedly written by him. A famous bearer was Baruch Spinoza (1632-1677), a Dutch-Jewish rationalist philosopher.
BASAJAUN m MythologyMeans
"lord of the woods" from Basque
baso "woods" and
jaun "lord". This is the name of a character in Basque folklore, the Old Man of the Woods.
BASIL (1) m EnglishFrom the Greek name
Βασίλειος (Basileios), which was derived from
βασιλεύς (basileus) meaning
"king". Saint Basil the Great was a 4th-century bishop of Caesarea and one of the fathers of the early Christian church. Due to him, the name (in various spellings) has come into general use in the Christian world, being especially popular among Eastern Christians. It was also borne by two Byzantine emperors.
BASIR m ArabicMeans
"wise" in Arabic. In Islamic tradition
البصير (al-Basir) is one of the 99 names of Allah.
BATRAZ m Ossetian, Caucasian MythologyPossibly from Turkic
bagatur meaning
"hero, warrior, brave". This is the name of the leader of the superhuman Narts in Caucasian mythology.
BATU m MongolianMeans
"strong, firm" in Mongolian. Batu Khan was a 13th-century Mongol leader, the founder of the Golden Horde.
BATUHAN m TurkishCombination of
BATU and Turkish
han meaning "khan, ruler, leader", referring to the 13th-century Mongol ruler Batu Khan.
BATYR m TurkmenTurkmen form of the Turkic word
bagatur meaning
"hero, warrior".
BAUDELIO m SpanishFrom
Baudelius, a Latinized form of a possibly Germanic name. Saint Baudelius was a 3rd-century saint and martyr from Orleans.
BAXTER m EnglishFrom an occupational surname that meant
"(female) baker" in Old English.
BAYARD m LiteratureDerived from Old French
baiart meaning
"bay coloured". In medieval French poetry Bayard was a bay horse owned by Renaud de Montauban and his brothers. The horse could magically adjust its size to carry multiple riders.
BEATUS m Late RomanMasculine form of
BEATA. According to legend, Saint Beatus was ordained a priest by Saint
Peter and evangelized in Switzerland. Another saint by this name was an 8th-century Asturian theologian.
BEAU m & f English, DutchMeans
"beautiful" in French. It has been used as a given name since the middle of the 20th century. In Margaret Mitchell's novel
Gone with the Wind (1936) this is the name of Ashley and Melanie's son.
... [more] BECKETT m English (Modern)From an English surname that could be derived from various sources, including from Middle English
beke meaning
"beak" or
bekke meaning
"stream, brook".
BECKHAM m English (Modern)From an English surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"Becca's homestead" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname is retired English soccer player David Beckham (1975-).
BEDE m HistoryModern form of the Old English name
Baeda, possibly related to Old English
bed "prayer". Saint Bede, called the Venerable Bede, was an 8th-century historian, scholar and Doctor of the Church.
BEDIVERE m Welsh Mythology, Arthurian RomanceFrom the Welsh name
Bedwyr, which is of unknown meaning. In Arthurian legends Bedivere was one of the original companions of King
Arthur. He first appears in early Welsh tales, and his story was later expanded by Geoffrey of Monmouth in the 12th century. He is the one who throws the sword Excalibur into the lake at the request of the dying Arthur.
BEHAR m AlbanianFrom the archaic Albanian word
behar meaning
"summer".
BEHNAM m PersianMeans
"reputable" (literally
"good name") in Persian.
BÉLA m HungarianThe meaning of this name is not known for certain. It could be derived from Hungarian
bél meaning "guts, bowel" or Slavic
бѣлъ (belu) meaning "white". This was the name of four Hungarian kings.
BELENUS m Celtic MythologyProbably from a Celtic word meaning
"bright, brilliant". This was the name of a Gaulish solar god who was often equated with
Apollo.
BELI m Welsh MythologyProbably a Welsh derivative of
BELENUS. Beli Mawr was a Welsh ancestor deity who established several royal lines in Wales.
BELIAL m Biblical, Biblical Latin, Judeo-Christian LegendMeans
"worthless" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this term is used to refer to various wicked people. In the New Testament, Paul uses it as a name for Satan. In later Christian tradition Belial became an evil angel associated with lawlessness and lust.
BELSHAZZAR m Babylonian (Anglicized), BiblicalFrom
בֵּלְשַׁאצַּר (Belshatzzar), the Hebrew form of the Akkadian name
Bel-sharra-usur meaning "
BEL protect the king". This was the name of the son of Nabonidus, the last king of the Babylonian Empire before the Persians conquered it in the 6th century BC. In the Old Testament Book of Daniel Belshazzar is the last king of Babylon who sees the mystical handwriting on the wall, which is interpreted by Daniel to portend the end of the empire.
BENDEGÚZ m HungarianHungarian variant of the Turkic name
Mundzuk, possibly from
mončuq meaning
"jewel, bead". This was the name of
Attila the Hun's father.
BENEDICT m EnglishFrom the Late Latin name
Benedictus, which meant
"blessed". Saint Benedict was an Italian monk who founded the Benedictines in the 6th century. After his time the name was common among Christians, being used by 16 popes. In England it did not come into use until the 12th century, at which point it became very popular. This name was also borne by the American general Benedict Arnold (1741-1801), who defected to Britain during the American Revolution.
BENIGNO m Italian, Spanish, PortugueseItalian, Spanish and Portuguese form of the Late Latin name
Benignus, which meant
"kind, friendly". This was the name of several saints including a 5th-century disciple of Saint
Patrick who later became the chief Bishop of Ireland.
BENITO m Spanish, ItalianSpanish form of
BENEDICT. This name was borne by Mexican president Benito Juárez, and also by Benito Mussolini (who was named after Juárez), the fascist dictator of Italy during World War II.
BENJAMIN m English, French, German, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
בִּנְיָמִין (Binyamin) meaning
"son of the south" or
"son of the right hand", from the roots
בֵּן (ben) meaning "son" and
יָמִין (yamin) meaning "right hand, south". Benjamin in the Old Testament was the twelfth and youngest son of
Jacob and the founder of one of the southern tribes of the Hebrews. He was originally named
בֶּן־אוֹנִי (Ben-'oni) meaning "son of my sorrow" by his mother
Rachel, who died shortly after childbirth, but it was later changed by his father (see
Genesis 35:18).
... [more] BENNETT m EnglishMedieval form of
BENEDICT. This was the more common spelling in England until the 18th century. Modern use of the name is probably also influenced by the common surname
Bennett, itself a derivative of the medieval name.
BENNO m GermanShort form of German names containing the element
bern "bear".
BENTLEY m EnglishFrom a surname that was from a place name, itself derived from Old English
beonet "bent grass" and
leah "woodland, clearing". Various towns in England bear this name.
BENTON m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from a place name, composed of Old English
beonet "bent grass" and
tun "enclosure".
BENVENUTO m ItalianMeans
"welcome" in Italian. A famous bearer was the Italian Renaissance sculptor and writer Benvenuto Cellini (1500-1571).
BENVOLIO m LiteratureMeans
"good will" in Italian. This name was used by Shakespeare for a friend of Romeo in his play
Romeo and Juliet (1596). The character had been created earlier by the Italian writer Matteo Bandello, whose play
Giuletta e Romeo (1554) was one of Shakespeare's sources.
BEOWULF m Anglo-Saxon MythologyPossibly means
"bee wolf" (in effect equal to "bear") from Old English
beo "bee" and
wulf "wolf". Alternatively, the first element may be
beadu "battle". This is the name of the main character in the anonymous 8th-century epic poem
Beowulf. Set in Denmark, the poem tells how he slays the monster Grendel and its mother at the request of King
Hroðgar. After this Beowulf becomes the king of the Geats. The conclusion of the poem tells how Beawulf, in his old age, slays a dragon but is himself mortally wounded in the act.
BERACH m IrishDerived from Irish
biorach meaning
"sharp". This was the name of a 6th-century Irish saint.
BERARD m Ancient GermanicVariant of
BERNARD using the related root
bero "bear" as the first element. This was the name of a 13th-century saint who was martyred in Morocco.
BERAT m TurkishPossibly from Turkish
berat meaning
"letters patent".
BERENGAR m Ancient GermanicGermanic name derived from the elements
bern "bear" and
ger "spear". This was the name of two medieval kings of Italy and a Holy Roman emperor.
BERLIN f & m VariousFrom the name of the city in Germany, which is of uncertain meaning.
BERNARD m English, French, Dutch, Polish, Croatian, Slovene, Czech, Ancient GermanicDerived from the Germanic element
bern "bear" combined with
hard "brave, hardy". The Normans brought it to England, where it replaced the Old English cognate
Beornheard. This was the name of several saints, including Saint Bernard of Menthon who built hospices in the Swiss Alps in the 10th century, and Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, a 12th-century theologian and Doctor of the Church. Other famous bearers include the Irish playwright and essayist George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) and the British World War II field marshal Bernard Montgomery (1887-1976).
BERTRAM m English, German, Ancient GermanicMeans
"bright raven", derived from the Germanic element
beraht "bright" combined with
hramn "raven". The Normans introduced this name to England. Shakespeare used it in his play
All's Well That Ends Well (1603).
BERTRAND m French, English, Ancient GermanicDerived from the Germanic elements
beraht meaning "bright" and
rand meaning "rim (of a shield)". From an early date it has been confused with
BERTRAM and the two names have merged to some degree. A famous bearer was English philosopher Bertrand Russell (1872-1970).
BERWYN m WelshMeans
"fair head" from the Welsh elements
barr "head" and
gwyn "white, fair".
BESSARION m Late GreekMeaning uncertain, possibly from Greek
βῆσσα (bessa) meaning
"wooded valley". This was the name of a 5th-century Egyptian hermit who was a disciple of Saint Anthony the Great. It was later adopted by the scholar Basilios Bessarion (1403-1472), a Greek born in Byzantine Anatolia who became a Roman Catholic bishop.
BETELGEUSE m AstronomyThe name of the star that marks the right shoulder of the constellation Orion. It is derived from Arabic
يد الجوزا (yad al-Jawza) meaning
"the hand of Jawza".
جوزا (Jawza) meaning "central one" was the old Arabic name for the constellation Orion (also for Gemini).
BETHUEL m BiblicalPossibly means
"God destroys" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of the father of
Rebecca.
BEVAN m WelshFrom a Welsh surname that was derived from
ap Evan meaning
"son of EVAN".
BEVERLY f & m EnglishFrom a surname that was originally derived from the name of an English city, itself meaning
"beaver stream" in Old English. It came into use as a masculine given name in the 19th century, and it became common as an American feminine name after the publication of George Barr McCutcheon's 1904 novel
Beverly of Graustark.
BEVIS m English (Rare)From an English surname that is possibly derived from the name of the French town
Beauvais.
BHARATA m HinduismMeans
"being maintained" in Sanskrit. This is one of the names of
Agni, the Hindu god of fire, and is also the name of the brother of
Rama in the Hindu epic the
Ramayana. It was also borne by a legendary king, the son of
Dushyanta and
Shakuntala. The official name of the country of India, Bharat, derives from him.
BHASKARA m HinduismMeans
"shining", derived from a combination of Sanskrit
भास (bhasa) meaning "light" and
कर (kara) meaning "maker". This is another name of the sun and the Hindu god
Shiva. It was additionally borne by a 12th-century Indian astronomer, also known as Bhaskaracharya.
BHIMA m HinduismMeans
"terrible, formidable" in Sanskrit. In the Hindu epic the
Mahabharata this is the name of the second son of Pandu, and thus one of the five Pandavas. He was known for his terrific strength and skill as a warrior.
BIDZINA m GeorgianPossibly from Georgian
ბიძა (bidza) meaning
"uncle". This was the name of a 17th-century Georgian saint and martyr.
BIFF m English (Rare)From a nickname that was based on the English word
biff, which means
"punch, hit, strike".
BILAL m Arabic, UrduMeans
"wetting, moistening" in Arabic. This was the name of a companion of the Prophet
Muhammad.
BILBO m LiteratureThis was the name of the hero of
The Hobbit (1937) by J. R. R. Tolkien. His real hobbit name was
Bilba, which is of unknown meaning, but this was altered by Tolkien in order to use the more masculine
o ending. In the novel Bilbo Baggins was recruited by the wizard
Gandalf to join the quest to retake Mount Erebor from the dragon Smaug.
BILE m Irish MythologyPossibly an Irish form of
BELENUS, though it may derive from an Irish word meaning "hero". In Irish mythology this was the name of one of the Milesians who was drowned while invading Ireland.
BILL m EnglishShort form of
WILLIAM. This spelling was first used in the 19th century. The change in the initial consonant may have been influenced by an earlier Irish pronunciation of the name. Famous bearers include basketball player Bill Russell (1934-), comedian Bill Cosby (1937-), American president Bill Clinton (1946-), and Microsoft founder Bill Gates (1955-).
BILLY m EnglishDiminutive of
BILL. A notable bearer was the American outlaw Billy the Kid (1859-1881), whose real name was William H. Bonney.
BIRKIR m IcelandicFrom Icelandic
birki meaning
"birch", specifically the downy birch (species Betula pubescens).
BISHOP m EnglishEither from the English occupational surname, or else directly from the English word. It is ultimately derived from Greek
ἐπίσκοπος (episkopos) meaning "overseer".