Bleda m HistoryPossibly from a Turkic root meaning
"wise". According to other theories the name was of Gothic origin, or was a Gothicized form of a Hunnic name. This was the name of the brother of
Attila.
Bleddyn m WelshFrom Welsh
blaidd "wolf" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of an 11th-century king of Gwynedd and Powys.
Blessing m & f English (African)From the English word
blessing, of Old English origin. This name is most common in Nigeria, Zimbabwe and other parts of Africa.
Blue m & f English (Rare)From the English word for the colour, derived via Norman French from a Frankish word (replacing the native Old English cognate
blaw). Despite the fact that this name was used by the American musicians Beyoncé and Jay-Z in 2012 for their first daughter, it has not come into general use in the United States.
Bo 1 m Swedish, DanishFrom the Old Norse byname
Búi, which was derived from Old Norse
bua meaning
"to live".
Bo 2 m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
波 (bō) meaning "wave", as well as other characters with a similar pronunciation.
Boaz m Biblical, Hebrew, Dutch, Biblical HebrewMeans
"swiftness" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of the man who marries
Ruth. This was also the name of one of the two pillars that stood outside Solomon's Temple (with
Jachin).
Bob m English, DutchShort form of
Robert. It arose later than
Dob,
Hob and
Nob, which were medieval rhyming nicknames of Robert. It was borne by the character Bob Cratchit in Charles Dickens' novel
A Christmas Carol (1843). Other famous bearers include American folk musician Bob Dylan (1941-) and Jamaican reggae musician Bob Marley (1945-1981).
Bobby m EnglishDiminutive of
Bob. Hockey greats Bobby Hull (1939-2023) and Bobby Orr (1948-) have borne this name.
Bode m Low GermanFrom the Germanic name
Bodo, derived from the Old High German element
bot, Old Saxon
bod meaning
"command, order" (Proto-Germanic *
budą). Saint Bodo, also called Leudinus, was a 7th-century bishop of Toul in northern France.
Bogusław m PolishMeans
"glory of God" from the Slavic elements
bogu "god" and
slava "glory". This name was borne by several dukes of Pomerania, beginning in the 12th century.
Bolat m KazakhFrom a Turkic word meaning
"steel", ultimately from Persian.
Bolesław m PolishDerived from the Slavic elements
bolye "more, greater" and
slava "glory". This was the name of kings of Poland, starting in the 11th century with the first Polish king Bolesław the Brave.
Bolívar m Spanish (Latin American)From a surname that was taken from the Basque place name
Bolibar, which was derived from
bolu "mill" and
ibar "riverside". A famous bearer of the surname was Simón Bolívar (1783-1830), a South American revolutionary leader, after whom the country of Bolivia is named.
Bomilcar m Phoenician (Latinized)From the Punic name
𐤁𐤃𐤌𐤋𐤒𐤓𐤕 (Bodmilqart), from Phoenician
𐤁𐤃 (bod) meaning "on behalf of" or perhaps from
𐤏𐤁𐤃 (ʿabd) meaning "servant, slave" combined with the name of the god
Melqart. This name was borne by a few figures from Carthaginian history.
Bonaventura m Italian, CatalanMeans
"good fortune" in Italian. Saint Bonaventura was a 13th-century Franciscan monk who is considered a Doctor of the Church.
Boniface m French, English (Rare)From the Late Latin name
Bonifatius, which meant
"good fate" from
bonum "good" and
fatum "fate". This was the name of nine popes and also several saints, including an 8th-century Anglo-Saxon missionary to Germany (originally named
Winfrið) who is now regarded as the patron saint of that country. It came into use in England during the Middle Ages, but became rare after the Protestant Reformation.
Bonitus m Late RomanDerived from a diminutive of Latin
bonus meaning
"good". This was the name of a 7th-century century saint, a bishop of Auvergne.
Booker m EnglishFrom an English occupational surname meaning
"maker of books". A famous bearer was Booker T. Washington (1856-1915), an African-American leader.
Boone m EnglishFrom an English surname that was either derived from Old French
bon meaning
"good" or from the name of the town of Bohon, France.
Bor m SloveneShort form of names containing
bor, such as
Borislav or
Boris. It is also a South Slavic word meaning "pine tree".
Bora 1 m TurkishMeans
"storm, squall" in Turkish, ultimately related to Greek
Βορέας (Boreas), the name of the god of the north wind.
Boris m Bulgarian, Russian, Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, Macedonian, Czech, Slovak, Georgian, German, FrenchFrom a Bulgar Turkic name, also recorded as
Bogoris, perhaps meaning
"short" or
"wolf" or
"snow leopard". It was borne by the 9th-century Boris I of Bulgaria who converted his realm to Christianity and is thus regarded as a saint in the Orthodox Church. To the north in Kievan Rus it was the name of another saint, a son of
Vladimir the Great who was murdered with his brother
Gleb in the 11th century. His mother may have been Bulgarian.
... [more] Bořivoj m CzechDerived from the Slavic elements
borti "battle" and
voji "soldier". This name was borne by a 9th-century Duke of Bohemia.
Borja m SpanishFrom a Spanish surname, used as a given name in honour of the Jesuit priest Saint Francis Borja (1510-1572). The surname, also spelled Borgia, is derived from the name of a Spanish town, ultimately from Arabic
بُرْج (burj) meaning "tower".
Bors m Arthurian RomanceFrom French
Bohort, probably from Old French
behort or
bohort meaning
"jousting" or
"jousting lance". First appearing in the 13th-century
Lancelot-Grail Cycle, Bors was one of Arthur's knights who quested for the Holy Grail. His father, the king of Gaunnes, was also named Bors.
Boston m EnglishFrom the American city of Boston in Massachusetts, itself named after a town in Lincolnshire, England. The town's name is said to mean "
Botwulf's stone".
Botwulf m Anglo-SaxonFrom Old English
bot meaning "improvement" and
wulf meaning "wolf". Saint Botwulf was a 7th-century English abbot. He may be the person after whom
Boston is named.
Bounmy m & f LaoMeans
"happy", from Lao
ບຸນ (boun) meaning "happiness, prosperity, goodness" combined with
ມີ (mi) meaning "to have".
Bowie m & f English (Modern), Dutch (Modern)From a Scottish surname, derived from Gaelic
buidhe meaning
"yellow". It has been used as a given name in honour of the British musician David Bowie (1947-2016), born David Robert Jones, who took his stage name from the American pioneer James Bowie (1796-1836).
Boyce m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from Old French
bois "wood".
Boyd m EnglishFrom a Scottish surname that was possibly derived from the name of the island of Bute (
Bód in Gaelic).
Boyko m BulgarianOriginally a diminutive of names containing the Slavic element
boji meaning
"battle".
Brad m EnglishShort form of
Bradley,
Bradford and other names beginning with
Brad. A famous bearer is American actor Brad Pitt (1963-).
Brádach m Medieval IrishIrish byname, possibly derived from
bradach meaning
"thieving, roguish, spirited".
Bradán m Medieval IrishMeans
"salmon" in Irish. It could also be formed from Irish
brad "thief" and a diminutive suffix.
Braden m EnglishFrom an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of
Ó Bradáin, which was in turn derived from the byname
Bradán. Like other similar-sounding names such as
Hayden and
Aidan, it and its variant
Brayden became popular in America at the end of the 20th century.
Bradford m EnglishFrom an English surname that originally came from a place name that meant
"broad ford" in Old English.
Bradley m EnglishFrom an English surname that originally came from a place name meaning
"broad clearing" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was the World War II American general Omar Bradley (1893-1981).
Brady m EnglishFrom an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of
Ó Brádaigh, itself derived from the byname
Brádach. A famous bearer of the surname is the American football quarterback Tom Brady (1977-). It was also borne by a fictional family on the television series
The Brady Bunch (1969-1974).
Bragi m Norse Mythology, IcelandicDerived from Old Norse
bragr meaning
"first, foremost" or
"poetry". In Norse mythology Bragi is the god of poetry and the husband of
Iðunn.
Brahma m HinduismMeans
"growth, expansion, creation" in Sanskrit. The Hindu god Brahma is the creator and director of the universe, the balance between the opposing forces of
Vishnu and
Shiva. He is often depicted with four heads and four arms.
Bram m English, DutchShort form of
Abraham. This name was borne by Bram Stoker (1847-1912), the Irish author who wrote
Dracula.
Brân m Welsh MythologyMeans
"raven" in Welsh. According to the Second Branch of the
Mabinogi, Brân the Blessed (called
Bendigeidfran) was a giant king of Britain. He was the son of the divine figure
Llŷr. After his sister
Branwen was mistreated by her husband the Irish king Matholwch, Brân led an attack on Ireland (the text says that he was so big he was able to wade there). Although victorious, the British lost all except seven men with Brân being mortally wounded by a poisoned spear. He asked the survivors to cut of his head and return with it to Britain. The head continued to speak for many years until it was buried in London.
Bran 1 m Irish, Irish Mythology, Old IrishMeans
"raven" in Irish. In Irish legend Bran mac Febail was a mariner who was involved in several adventures on his quest to find the Otherworld.
Brandon m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"hill covered with broom" in Old English.
... [more] Brant m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from the Old Norse given name
Brandr. This is also the name for a variety of wild geese.
Brantley m English (Modern)From a surname, an Americanized form of the German surname
Brändle, ultimately from Old High German
brant "fire".
Braxton m EnglishFrom an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning
"Bracca's town" in Old English. In some cases it is given in honour of the Confederate general Braxton Bragg (1817-1876).
Brecht m DutchShort form of names containing
brecht, often derived from the Old German element
beraht meaning "bright".
Brendan m Irish, English, BretonFrom
Brendanus, the Latinized form of the Old Irish name
Bréanainn, which was derived from Old Welsh
breenhin meaning
"king, prince". Saint Brendan was a 6th-century Irish abbot who, according to legend, crossed the Atlantic and reached North America with 17 other monks.
Brennan m EnglishFrom an Irish surname (Anglicized from Irish Gaelic
Ó Braonáin) that was derived from the byname
Braonán, itself from Irish
braon meaning "rain, moisture, drop" combined with a diminutive suffix. As a given name, it has been used since the 1960s as an alternative to
Brendan or
Brandon, though it has not been as popular as them.
Brennus m Gaulish (Latinized)Latinized form of a Celtic name (or title) that possibly meant either
"king, prince" or
"raven". Brennus was a Gallic leader of the 4th century BC who attacked and sacked Rome.
Brent m EnglishFrom an English surname, originally taken from various place names, perhaps derived from a Celtic word meaning
"hill".
Brenton m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from an English place name meaning
"Bryni's town".
Bryni was an Old English name meaning "fire".
Břetislav m CzechPossibly from Czech
brečet "cry, weep" combined with the Slavic element
slava "glory".
Brett m EnglishFrom a Middle English surname meaning
"a Breton", referring to an inhabitant of
Brittany. A famous bearer is the American football quarterback Brett Favre (1969-).
Brian m English, Irish, Old IrishMeaning uncertain, possibly related to the old Celtic root *
brixs "hill, high" (Old Irish
brií) or the related *
brigā "might, power" (Old Irish
briíg). It was borne by the Irish king Brian Boru, who thwarted Viking attempts to conquer Ireland in the 11th century. He was slain in the Battle of Clontarf, though his forces were decisively victorious. This name was common in Ireland after his time, and it was introduced to northern England by Norse-Gael settlers. It was also used in Brittany, and was brought to England by Bretons in the wake of the Norman Conquest. Though it eventually became rare in the English-speaking world, it was strongly revived in the 20th century, becoming a top-ten name for boys in most regions.
Brice m French, EnglishFrom the name
Bricius, which was probably a Latinized form of a Gaulish name meaning
"speckled". This was the name of a 5th-century saint, a disciple of Saint Martin of Tours.
Bridger m English (Modern)From an English surname that originally indicated a person who lived near or worked on a bridge.
Briggs m English (Modern)From a surname that was derived from Middle English
brigge, Old English
brycg meaning
"bridge".
Brigham m English (Rare)From a surname that was originally derived from place names meaning
"bridge settlement" in Old English.
Brijesha m HinduismMeans
"ruler of Brij" in Sanskrit. This is another name of the Hindu god
Krishna, Brij being a region associated with him.
Briscoe m English (Rare)From an English surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"birch wood" in Old Norse.
Britton m EnglishDerived from a Middle English surname meaning
"a Briton" (a Celt of England) or
"a Breton" (an inhabitant of Brittany). Both ethnonyms are related to the place name
Britain.
Brochfael m Medieval WelshFrom Old Welsh
Brochmail, from a Brythonic name *
Broccomaglos, derived from Celtic *
brokkos "badger" and *
maglos "chief". This was the name of a 6th-century king of Powys, also known as
Brochwel.
Brock m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from Old English
brocc meaning
"badger".
Brody m EnglishFrom a Scottish surname that was originally derived from a place in Moray, Scotland. It probably means "ditch, mire" in Gaelic.
Brogán m Irish (Rare)From the Old Irish name
Broccán, derived from
bróc "shoe, sandal, greave" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of several Irish saints, including Saint
Patrick's scribe.
Brokkr m Norse MythologyMeans
"badger" in Old Norse. In Norse mythology this was the name of a dwarf, the brother and assistant of
Sindri.
Bronisław m PolishDerived from the Slavic elements
borna "protection" and
slava "glory". A famous Polish anthropologist, Bronisław Malinowski (1884-1942), has borne this name.
Bronte m & f English (Rare)From a surname, an Anglicized form of Irish
Ó Proinntigh, itself derived from the given name
Proinnteach, probably from Irish
bronntach meaning "generous". The Brontë sisters — Charlotte, Emily, and Anne — were 19th-century English novelists. Their father changed the spelling of the family surname from
Brunty to
Brontë, possibly to make it coincide with Greek
βροντή meaning "thunder".
Brontes m Greek MythologyMeans
"thunderer" in Greek. In Greek mythology (according to Hesiod), this was the name of one of the three Cyclopes, who were the sons of
Uranus and
Gaia.
Brook m & f EnglishFrom an English surname that denoted one who lived near a brook.
Brooklyn f & m English (Modern)From the name of a borough of New York City, originally named after the Dutch town of
Breukelen, itself meaning either "broken land" (from Dutch
breuk) or "marsh land" (from Dutch
broek). It can also be viewed as a combination of
Brook and the popular name suffix
lyn. It is considered a feminine name in the United States, but is more common as a masculine name in the United Kingdom.
Bror m SwedishFrom the Old Norse name
Bróðir meaning
"brother".
Bruce m Scottish, EnglishFrom a Scottish surname, of Norman origin, which probably originally referred to the town of Brix in France. The surname was borne by Robert the Bruce, a Scottish hero of the 14th century who achieved independence from England and became the king of Scotland. It has been in use as a given name in the English-speaking world since the 19th century, becoming especially popular in the 1940s and 50s. Notable bearers include Chinese-American actor Bruce Lee (1940-1973), American musician Bruce Springsteen (1949-), and American actor Bruce Willis (1955-). It is also the real name of the comic book superheroes Batman (Bruce Wayne), created 1939, and the Hulk (Bruce Banner), created 1962.
Bruno m German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Croatian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Latvian, GermanicDerived from the Old German element
brunna meaning
"armour, protection" (Proto-Germanic *
brunjǭ) or
brun meaning
"brown" (Proto-Germanic *
brūnaz). Saint Bruno of Cologne was a German monk of the 11th century who founded the Carthusian Order. The surname has belonged to Giordano Bruno, a philosopher burned at the stake by the Inquisition. A modern bearer is the American singer Bruno Mars (1985-), born Peter Gene Hernandez.
Brutus m Ancient RomanRoman cognomen meaning
"heavy" in Latin. Famous bearers include Lucius Junius Brutus, the traditional founder of the Roman Republic, and Marcus Junius Brutus, the statesman who conspired to assassinate Julius Caesar.
Bryan m EnglishVariant of
Brian, based on the usual spelling of the surname that is derived from the name.
Brychan m Old WelshDerived from Welsh
brych meaning
"speckled, freckled" combined with a diminutive suffix. Brychan Brycheiniog was a legendary Welsh king, said to be Irish by birth, the founder of the kingdom of Brycheiniog in central Wales. He reputedly fathered dozens of children, many of whom are regarded as saints.
Bryn m & f Welsh, English (Modern)Means
"hill, mound" in Welsh. In Wales it is almost always a masculine name, though elsewhere in the English-speaking world it can be unisex (see
Brynn).
Brynmor m WelshFrom the Welsh place name
Brynmawr meaning
"great hill".
Bryson m EnglishFrom an English surname meaning
"son of Brice". Starting in the 1970s this name began steadily growing in popularity, likely because it features the same popular sounds found in other names such as
Brice and
Tyson.
Buck m EnglishFrom an English nickname meaning simply "buck, male deer", ultimately from Old English
bucc.
Buddha m HistoryMeans
"enlightened" in Sanskrit. This is a title applied to Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism, as well as to a handful of other enlightened individuals.
Buddy m EnglishFrom the English word meaning
"friend". It probably originated as a nursery form of the word
brother.
Bugs m Popular CultureFrom the slang term
bugs meaning
"crazy, unstable". Bugs Bunny is an animated cartoon rabbit originally developed in the 1930s by staff at Leon Schlesinger Productions. He was named for the animator Ben "Bugs" Hardaway.
Bugsy m EnglishFrom a nickname derived from the slang term
bugsy meaning
"crazy, unstable". It was notably borne by the American gangster Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel (1906-1947).
Bulcsú m HungarianHungarian name of uncertain meaning. This was the name of a 10th-century Hungarian military leader.
Burak m TurkishFrom Arabic
براق (Buraq), the name of the legendary creature that, according to Islamic tradition, transported the Prophet
Muhammad. Its name is derived from Arabic
برق (barq) meaning "lightning".
Burke m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from Old English
burg meaning
"fortress".
Burkhard m German, GermanicDerived from the Old German elements
burg "fortress" and
hart "hard, firm, brave, hardy", or perhaps from the Old English cognate
Burgheard. Saint Burkhard was an 8th-century Anglo-Saxon missionary to Germany (a companion of
Boniface) who became the first bishop of Würzburg.
Burton m EnglishFrom an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning
"fortified town" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was Sir Richard Burton (1821-1890), an explorer of Africa and Asia.
Buster m EnglishOriginally a nickname denoting a person who broke things, from the word
bust, a dialectal variant of
burst. A famous bearer was the silent movie star Buster Keaton (1895-1966).
Buz m BiblicalMeans
"contempt" in Hebrew. This is the name of a son of
Abraham's brother
Nahor in the Old Testament.
Buzz m EnglishFrom a nickname derived from the onomatopoeic word
buzz meaning
"buzz, hum, murmur". A notable bearer is American astronaut Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin (1930-), one of the first people to walk on the moon. The character Buzz Lightyear from the movie
Toy Story (1995) was named after Aldrin.
Byelobog m Slavic MythologyMeans
"the white god" from Slavic
byelo "white" and
bogu "god". This was the name of the Slavic god of the sun, happiness and fortune.
Byeong-Ho m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
炳 (byeong) meaning "bright, luminous, glorious" combined with
浩 (ho) meaning "great, numerous, vast" or
昊 (ho) meaning "summer, sky, heaven". Other hanja character combinations are possible.
Byron m EnglishFrom a surname that was originally from a place name meaning
"place of the cow sheds" in Old English. This was the surname of the romantic poet Lord Byron (1788-1824), the writer of
Don Juan and many other works.
Bysshe m English (Rare)From an English surname, a variant of the surname
Bush, which originally indicated a person who lived near a bush. This was the middle name of the romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822).
Cade m EnglishFrom an English surname that was originally derived from a nickname meaning
"round" in Old English.
Cadell m Welsh (Rare)From Old Welsh
Catell, derived from
cat "battle" and a diminutive suffix. This was the name of two early kings of Powys in Wales.
Caden m English (Modern)Sometimes explained as deriving from the Irish surname
Caden, which is an Anglicized form of Irish Gaelic
Mac Cadáin, itself from the given name
Cadán (of unknown meaning). In actuality, the popularity of this name in America beginning in the 1990s is due to its sound — it shares its fashionable
den suffix sound with other trendy names like
Hayden,
Aidan and
Braden.
Cadeyrn m Welsh (Rare)From Old Welsh
Catigirn meaning
"battle king", derived from
cat "battle" and
tigirn "king, monarch". This was the name of a 5th-century king of Powys in Wales, the son of
Vortigern.
Cadfael m Welsh (Rare)From Old Welsh
Catmail meaning
"battle prince", from
cat "battle" and
mael "prince". This was apparently the birth name of Saint Cadoc. It was used by the British author Ellis Peters for the main character in her books
The Cadfael Chronicles, first released in 1977.
Cadfan m Old WelshFrom an Old Welsh name, recorded in Latinized forms such as
Catamanus, meaning
"battle peak" from
cat "battle" and
bann "peak". Saint Cadfan, from Brittany, was a 6th-century missionary to Wales.
Cadmus m Greek Mythology (Latinized)Latinized form of Greek
Κάδμος (Kadmos), of uncertain meaning. In Greek mythology Cadmus was the son of the Phoenician king Agenor. He was sent by his father to rescue his sister
Europa, who had been abducted by
Zeus, although he did not succeed in retrieving her. According to legend, Cadmus founded the city of Thebes and introduced the alphabet to Greece.
Cadoc m Old WelshFrom an Old Welsh name, recorded in Latinized forms such as
Catocus, derived from
cat meaning
"battle". This was the name of a 6th-century Welsh saint who was martyred by the Saxons.
Cadwaladr m WelshFrom Old Welsh
Catgualatr (also recorded in many other spellings) meaning
"leader of the battle", from
cat "battle" and
gwaladr "leader". This was the name of a 7th-century king of Gwynedd. According to Geoffrey of Monmouth he was the last king of all of the Britons. This name was also borne by a 7th-century Welsh saint.
Cadwgan m Welsh (Rare)From Old Welsh
Catguocaun (and many other spellings) meaning
"glory in battle", from
cat "battle" and
guocaun "glory, honour". It appears briefly in the medieval Welsh tale
The Dream of Rhonabwy.
Caedmon m History (Ecclesiastical)Meaning unknown, though the first element is likely connected to Brythonic
kad meaning "battle". Saint Caedmon was a 7th-century Anglo-Saxon poet who supposedly received his poetic inspiration from a dream. Our only knowledge of him is through the 8th-century writings of the historian Bede.
Cáel m Irish MythologyFrom Old Irish
cáel meaning
"slender". In Irish legend Cáel was a warrior of the Fianna and the lover of Créd.