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, Ancient GermanicDerived from the Germanic elements
burg meaning "protection" and
hard "brave, hardy". Saint Burkhard was a bishop who founded several monasteries in Germany in the 8th century.
Burton m EnglishFrom a surname that was originally taken from an Old English place name meaning
"fortified town". 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.
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 a surname that was originally derived from a nickname meaning
"round" in Old English.
Cadell m WelshFrom Welsh
cad "battle" and a diminutive suffix.
Caden m English (Modern)Sometimes explained as a derivative of the Irish surname
Caden, which is a reduced form of the Irish Gaelic
Mac Cadáin meaning
"son of Cadán". In actuality, its popularity in America beginning in the 1990s is due to its sound - it shares its fashionable
den suffix sound with other popular names like
Hayden,
Aidan and
Braden.
Cadeyrn m Ancient WelshMeans
"battle king" from Welsh
cad "battle" and
teyrn "king, monarch". Cadeyrn (also known as Catigern) was a 5th-century king of Powys in Wales, the son of Vortigern.
Cadfael m WelshMeans
"battle prince" from Welsh
cad "battle" and
mael "prince".
Cadfan m WelshMeans
"battle peak" from Welsh
cad "battle" and
ban "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 WelshDerived from Welsh
cad meaning
"battle". This was the name of a 6th-century Welsh saint who was martyred by the Saxons.
Cadwalader m WelshMeans
"leader of the battle" from Welsh
cad "battle" and
gwaladr "leader". This was the name of a Welsh saint of the 7th century.
Cadwgan m WelshMeans
"glory in battle" from Welsh
cad "battle" and
gwogawn "glory, honour". In the Mabinogion, a collection of tales from Welsh myth, this name is briefly mentioned as the son of Iddon.
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 historian Bede.
Cáel m Irish MythologyFrom Irish
caol meaning
"slender". In Irish legend Cáel was a warrior of the Fianna and the lover of Créd.
Caerwyn m WelshDerived from the Welsh elements
caer "fortress" and
gwyn "white, fair".
Caesar m Ancient RomanFrom a Roman cognomen that possibly meant
"hairy", from Latin
caesaries "hair". Julius Caesar and his adopted son Julius Caesar Octavianus (commonly known as Augustus) were both rulers of the Roman Empire in the 1st century BC.
Caesar was used as a title by the emperors that came after them.
Caeso m Ancient RomanRoman praenomen, or given name, that was probably derived from Latin
caesius meaning
"blue-grey". This praenomen was only used by a few families.
Çağatay m TurkishFrom the Mongolian name
Tsagadai (of unknown meaning), which was borne by the second son of
Genghis Khan, known as
Chagatai in English.
Çağrı m & f TurkishMeans
"invitation" or
"falcon" in Turkish.
Caiaphas m BiblicalMeaning unknown, probably of Aramaic origin. In the New Testament this is the name of the Jewish high priest who condemns
Jesus.
Cain m Biblical, Biblical LatinMeans
"acquired" in Hebrew. In Genesis in the Old Testament Cain is the first son of
Adam and
Eve. He killed his brother
Abel after God accepted Abel's offering of meat instead of his offering of plant-based foods. After this Cain was banished to be a wanderer.
Cairbre m IrishMeans
"charioteer" in Irish. This was the name of two semi-legendary high kings of Ireland.
Caishen m Chinese MythologyMeans
"god of wealth", from Chinese
财 (cái) meaning "wealth, riches" and
神 (shén) meaning "god". This is the name of a Chinese god of wealth.
Caleb m English, BiblicalMost likely related to Hebrew
כֶּלֶב (kelev) meaning
"dog". An alternate theory connects it to Hebrew
כָּל (kal) meaning "whole, all of" and
לֵב (lev) meaning "heart". In the Old Testament this is the name of one of the twelve spies sent by
Moses into Canaan. Of the Israelites who left Egypt with Moses, Caleb and
Joshua were the only ones who lived to see the Promised Land.
... [more] Caligula m HistoryMeans
"little boot" in Latin. This was a nickname for the Roman emperor Gaius Caesar Germanicus given to him in his youth by his father's soldiers.
Calixtus m Late RomanVariant of
Callistus, the spelling perhaps influenced by Latin
calix "wine cup". This was the name of three popes (also known as Callistus).
Callan m EnglishFrom a surname, the Anglicized form of the Irish
Ó Cathaláin, which means
"descendant of Cathalán".
Callistus m Late RomanLate Latin name that was derived from the Greek name
Κάλλιστος (Kallistos) meaning
"most beautiful". This was the name of three popes (also known as Callixtus), including the 3rd-century Callistus I who is regarded as a saint.
Callixtus m Late RomanVariant of
Callistus, the spelling perhaps influenced by Latin
calix "wine cup". This was the name of three popes (also known as Callistus).
Calogero m ItalianFrom the Late Latin name
Calogerus meaning
"beautiful elder", from Greek
καλός (kalos) meaning "beautiful" and
γέρων (geron) meaning "old man, elder". This was the name of a 5th-century saint, a hermit of Sicily.
Calvin m EnglishDerived from the French surname
Cauvin, which was derived from
chauve meaning
"bald". The surname was borne by Jean Cauvin (1509-1564), a theologian from France who was one of the leaders of the Protestant Reformation. His surname was Latinized as
Calvinus (based on Latin
calvus "bald") and he is known as John Calvin in English. It has been used as a given name in his honour since the 19th century.
... [more] Cambyses m HistoryFrom
Καμβύσης (Kambyses), the Greek form of the Old Persian name
Kambujiya, which is of unknown meaning. Two Persian kings bore this name, including Cambyses II who conquered Egypt.
Camden m English (Modern)From a surname that was derived from a place name, perhaps meaning
"enclosed valley" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was the English historian William Camden (1551-1623).
Cameron m & f EnglishFrom a Scottish surname meaning
"crooked nose" from Gaelic
cam "crooked" and
sròn "nose".
Camille f & m French, EnglishFrench feminine and masculine form of
Camilla. It is also used in the English-speaking world, where it is generally only feminine.
Camillus m Ancient RomanRoman cognomen, which is probably of Etruscan origin and unknown meaning. It is probably not related to Latin
camillus "a youth employed in religious services". This name was borne by the 16th-century Italian monk Saint Camillus de Lellis.
Campbell m & f EnglishFrom a Scottish surname meaning
"crooked mouth" from Gaelic
cam "crooked" and
béul "mouth".
Can m TurkishMeans
"soul, life" or by extension
"darling, sweetheart" in Turkish, from Persian
جان (jan).
Canaan m BiblicalMeaning unknown. In the Old Testament this is the name of a son of
Ham. He is said to be the ancestor of the Canaanite people.
Candide m & f French (Rare), LiteratureFrench form of
Candidus or
Candida. The French philosopher and author Voltaire used this name for the main character (a male) in his satire
Candide (1759). In French
candide also means
"naive", which is descriptive of the book's protagonist.
Caner m TurkishFrom Turkish
can meaning "soul, life" and
er meaning "brave man".
Caolán m IrishFrom Irish
caol meaning
"slender" combined with the diminutive suffix
án.
Caracalla m Ancient RomanFrom Latin
caracalla, which referred to a type of hooded tunic worn by the Gauls. This was the agnomen, or nickname, of a 3rd-century Roman emperor.
Caradog m WelshWelsh form of
Caratacos. This is the name of several figures in Welsh history and legend, including a 6th-century king of Gwent and a Knight of the Round Table in Arthurian romance.
Caratacos m BrythonicDerived from the Celtic element
car meaning
"love". This was the name of a 1st-century British chieftain who rebelled against Roman rule.
Carey m & f EnglishFrom an Irish surname that was derived from
Ó Ciardha meaning
"descendant of Ciardha".
Carl m German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, EnglishGerman form of
Charles. Two noteworthy bearers of the name were the German mathematician Carl Gauss (1777-1855), who made contributions to number theory and algebra as well as physics and astronomy, and the Swiss psychologist Carl Jung (1875-1961), who founded analytical psychology. It was imported to America in the 19th century by German immigrants.
Carlisle m & f English (Rare)From a surname that was derived from the name of a city in northern England. The city was originally called by the Romans
Luguvalium meaning "stronghold of
Lugus". Later the Brythonic element
ker "fort" was appended to the name of the city.
Carmi m BiblicalMeans
"vine" in Hebrew. This was the name of a son of Reuben in the Old Testament.
Carol 1 f & m EnglishShort form of
Caroline. It was formerly a masculine name, derived from
Carolus. The name can also be given in reference to the English vocabulary word, which means "song" or "hymn".
Caron f & m WelshDerived from Welsh
caru meaning
"to love".
Carpus m Biblical, Biblical LatinLatin form of the Greek name
Καρπός (Karpos), which meant
"fruit, profits". The name is mentioned briefly in the New Testament in the second epistle of Timothy.
Carroll m IrishAnglicized form of
Cearbhall. A famous bearer of the surname was Lewis Carroll (1832-1898), whose real name was Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, the author of
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
Carson m & f EnglishFrom a Scottish surname of uncertain meaning. A famous bearer of the surname was the American scout Kit Carson (1809-1868).
Carter m EnglishFrom an English surname that meant
"one who uses a cart". A famous bearer of the surname is former American president Jimmy Carter (1924-).
Cárthach m IrishMeans
"loving" in Irish. This was the name of a 6th-century Irish saint.
Carwyn m WelshMeans
"blessed love" from Welsh
caru "to love" and
gwyn "white, fair, blessed".
Cary m & f EnglishVariant of
Carey. A famous bearer was the British-American actor Cary Grant (1904-1986).
Casey m & f English, IrishFrom an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of
Ó Cathasaigh meaning
"descendant of Cathasach". This name can be given in honour of Casey Jones (1863-1900), a train engineer who sacrificed his life to save his passengers. In his case,
Casey was a nickname acquired because he was raised in the town of Cayce, Kentucky.
Cash m EnglishFrom an English occupational surname for a box maker, derived from Norman French
casse meaning
"case". A famous bearer of the surname was American musician Johnny Cash (1932-2003).
Casimir m English, FrenchEnglish form of the Polish name
Kazimierz, derived from the Slavic element
kaziti "to destroy" combined with
miru "peace, world". Four kings of Poland have borne this name, including Casimir III the Great, who greatly strengthened the Polish state in the 14th century. It was also borne Saint Casimir, a 15th-century Polish prince and a patron saint of Poland and Lithuania. The name was imported into Western Europe via Germany, where it was borne by some royalty.
Cason m English (Modern)From a surname derived from the English place name
Cawston, itself derived from the Old Norse given name
Kálfr combined with Old English
tun meaning "enclosure, yard, town".
Caspian m LiteratureUsed by author C. S. Lewis for a character in his
Chronicles of Narnia series, first appearing in 1950. Prince Caspian first appears in the fourth book, where he is the rightful king of Narnia driven into exile by his evil uncle Miraz. Lewis probably based the name on the Caspian Sea, which was named for the city of Qazvin, which was itself named for the ancient Cas tribe.
Cassian m Ancient Roman (Anglicized)From the Roman family name
Cassianus, which was derived from
Cassius. This was the name of several saints, including a 3rd-century martyr from Tangier who is the patron saint of stenographers and a 5th-century mystic who founded a monastery in Marseille.
Cassiel m Judeo-Christian LegendFrom Hebrew
קַפצִיאֵל (Qaftzi'el), of uncertain meaning. Suggested meanings include
"speed of God" or
"cover of God". This is the name of an angel in medieval Jewish, Christian and Islamic mysticism.
Cassius m Ancient RomanRoman family name that was possibly derived from Latin
cassus meaning
"empty, vain". This name was borne by several early saints. In modern times, it was the original first name of boxer Muhammad Ali (1942-2016), who was named after his father Cassius Clay, who was himself named after the American abolitionist Cassius Clay (1810-1903).
Castor m Greek Mythology (Latinized)From the Greek name
Κάστωρ (Kastor), possibly related to
κέκασμαι (kekasmai) meaning
"to excel, to shine" (pluperfect
κέκαστο). Alternatively it could be derived from the Greek word
κάστωρ (kastor) meaning
"beaver", though the legends about Castor do not mention beavers, which were foreign animals to the Greeks. In Greek myth Castor was a son of
Zeus and the twin brother of
Pollux. The constellation Gemini, which represents the two brothers, contains a star by this name.
Cat f & m EnglishDiminutive of
Catherine. It can also be a nickname from the English word for the animal.
Catellus m Late RomanProbably from Latin
catulus meaning
"young dog, puppy". Saint Catellus was a 9th-century bishop of Castellammare, Italy.
Cathair m IrishPossibly means
"battle man" from Irish
cath "battle" and
fer "man".
Cathal m IrishDerived from Irish
cath "battle" and
fál "ruler". This was the name of a 7th-century Irish saint. It has sometimes been Anglicized as
Charles.
Cathán m IrishDerived from Irish
cath "battle" combined with a diminutive suffix.
Cato 1 m Ancient RomanRoman cognomen meaning
"wise" in Latin. This name was bestowed upon Cato the Elder (Marcus Porcius Cato), a 2nd-century BC Roman statesman, author and censor, and was subsequently inherited by his descendants, including his great-grandson Cato the Younger (Marcus Porcius Cato Uticencis), a politician and philosopher who opposed Julius Caesar.
Cavan m EnglishEither from the name of the Irish county, which is derived from Irish
cabhán "hollow", or else from the Irish surname
Cavan.
Ceallach m IrishIrish name of uncertain origin, traditionally said to mean
"bright-headed". Alternatively it could be derived from Old Irish
ceallach "war, strife" or
ceall "church".
Cecil m EnglishFrom the Roman name
Caecilius (see
Cecilia). This was the name of a 3rd-century saint, a companion of Saint
Cyprian. Though it was in use during the Middle Ages in England, it did not become common until the 19th century when it was given in honour of the noble Cecil family, who had been prominent since the 16th century. Their surname was derived from the Welsh given name
Seisyll, which was derived from the Roman name
Sextilius, a derivative of
Sextus.
Cedar f & m English (Rare)From the English word for the coniferous tree, derived (via Old French and Latin) from Greek
κέδρος (kedros).
Cedric m EnglishInvented by Sir Walter Scott for a character in his novel
Ivanhoe (1819). Apparently he based it on the actual name
Cerdic, the name of the semi-legendary founder of the kingdom of Wessex in the 6th century. The meaning of
Cerdic is uncertain, but it does not appear to be Old English in origin. It could be connected to the Brythonic name
Caratacos. The name was also used by Frances Hodgson Burnett for the main character in her novel
Little Lord Fauntleroy (1886).
Celestine f & m EnglishEnglish form of
Caelestinus. It is more commonly used as a feminine name, from the French feminine form
Célestine.
Celsus m Ancient RomanRoman family name meaning
"tall" in Latin. This was the name of a 2nd-century philosopher who wrote against Christianity. It was also borne by an early saint martyred with Nazarius in Milan.
Cenk m TurkishMeans
"battle, war" in Turkish, ultimately from Persian.
Cennétig m IrishOld Irish byname meaning
"armoured head" or
"misshapen head". This was the name of an Irish king, the father of
Brian Boru.
Cephalus m Greek Mythology (Latinized)Latinized form of the Greek
Κέφαλος (Kephalos), which was derived from
κεφαλή (kephale) meaning
"head". In Greek legend he remained faithful to his wife Procris even though he was pursued by the goddess Eos.
Cephas m Biblical, Biblical LatinMeans
"rock" in Aramaic. The apostle
Simon was called Cephas by
Jesus because he was to be the rock upon which the Christian church was to be built. In most versions of the New Testament
Cephas is translated into Greek
Πέτρος (Petros) (in English
Peter).
Cepheus m Greek Mythology (Latinized)Latinized form of the Greek
Κηφεύς (Kepheus), which is of unknown meaning. In Greek legend he was a king of Ethiopia, the husband of
Cassiopeia. After he died he was made into a constellation and placed in the sky.
Ceri m & f WelshMeaning uncertain. It could come from the name of the Ceri River in Ceredigion, Wales; it could be a short form of
Ceridwen; it could be derived from Welsh
caru meaning "to love".
Cernunnos m Gaulish Mythology (Latinized)Means
"horned" in Celtic. This was the name of the Celtic god of fertility, animals, wealth, and the underworld. He was usually depicted having antlers, and was identified with the Roman god
Mercury.
Chad m EnglishFrom the Old English name
Ceadda, which is of unknown meaning, possibly based on Welsh
cad "battle". This was the name of a 7th-century English saint. Borne primarily by Catholics, it was a rare name until the 1960s when it started to become more common amongst the general population. This is also the name of a country in Africa, though it originates from a different source.
Chadwick m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from the name of towns in England, meaning
"settlement belonging to Chad" in Old English.
Chaim m HebrewDerived from the Hebrew word
חַיִּים (chayyim) meaning
"life". It has been used since medieval times.
Chan m & f KhmerMeans
"moon" in Khmer, ultimately from Sanskrit.
Chance m EnglishOriginally a diminutive of
Chauncey. It is now usually given in reference to the English word
chance meaning "luck, fortune" (ultimately derived from Latin
cadens "falling").
Chanda m & f Hinduism, Indian, HindiMeans
"fierce, hot, passionate" in Sanskrit. This is a transcription of both the masculine form
चण्ड and the feminine form
चण्डा (an epithet of the Hindu goddess
Durga).
Chandler m & f EnglishFrom an occupational surname that meant
"candle seller" in Middle English, ultimately from Old French.
Chandra m & f Hinduism, Bengali, Indian, Assamese, Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, NepaliMeans
"moon" in Sanskrit, derived from
चन्द (chand) meaning "to shine". This is a transcription of the masculine form
चण्ड (a name of the moon in Hindu texts, which is often personified as a deity) as well as the feminine form
चण्डा.
Chang m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
昌 (chāng) meaning "flourish, prosper, good, sunlight" (which is usually only masculine),
畅 (chàng) meaning "smooth, free, unrestrained" or
长 (cháng) meaning "long". Other Chinese characters are also possible.
Chao m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
超 (chāo) meaning "surpass, leap over" (which is usually only masculine),
潮 (cháo) meaning "tide, flow, damp", or other characters that are pronounced similarly.
Chares m Ancient GreekDerived from Greek
χάρις (charis) meaning
"grace, kindness". This was the name of a 4th-century BC Athenian general. It was also borne by the sculptor who crafted the Colossus of Rhodes.
Charlemagne m HistoryFrom Old French
Charles le Magne meaning
"Charles the Great". This is the name by which the Frankish king Charles the Great (742-814) is commonly known.
Charles m English, FrenchFrom the Germanic name
Karl, which was derived from a Germanic word meaning
"man". However, an alternative theory states that it is derived from the common Germanic name element
hari meaning
"army, warrior".
... [more]