CÁRTHACH m IrishMeans "loving" in Irish. This was the name of a 6th-century Irish saint.
CARWYN m WelshMeans "blessed love" from Welsh
caru "love" and
gwyn "white, fair, blessed".
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.
CASSIUS m Ancient RomanRoman family name that was possibly derived from Latin
cassus "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
Καστωρ (Kastor), possibly related to
κεκασμαι (kekasmai) meaning "to excel, to shine" (pluperfect
κεκαστο). Alternatively it could be derived from the Greek word
καστωρ (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.
CATHAIR m IrishMeans "battle man" from Gaelic
cath "battle" and
vir "man".
CATHAL m IrishDerived from the Gaelic elements
cath "battle" and
val "rule". This was the name of a 7th-century Irish saint. It has sometimes been Anglicized as
Charles.
CATHÁN m IrishDerived from Gaelic
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
κεδρος (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
Κεφαλος (Kephalos), which was derived from
κεφαλη (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
Πετρος (Petros) (in English
Peter).
CEPHEUS m Greek Mythology (Latinized)Latinized form of the Greek
Κηφευς (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 (1) m WelshPossibly derived from Welsh
caru meaning "to love".
CERNUNNOS m Celtic Mythology (Latinized)Means "horned" in Celtic. This was the name of the Celtic god 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.
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
χαρις (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] CHARLIE m & f EnglishDiminutive or feminine form of
CHARLES. A famous bearer is Charlie Brown, the main character in the comic strip 'Peanuts' by Charles Schulz.
CHARLTON m EnglishFrom a surname that was originally from a place name meaning "settlement of free men" in Old English.
CHARON m Greek MythologyPossibly means "fierce brightness" in Greek. In Greek mythology Charon was the operator of the ferry that brought the newly dead over the River Acheron into Hades.
CHASE m EnglishFrom a surname meaning "chase, hunt" in Middle English, originally a nickname for a huntsman.
CHAUNCEY m EnglishFrom a Norman surname of unknown meaning. It was used as a given name in American in honour of Harvard president Charles Chauncey (1592-1672).
CHAYIM m HebrewDerived from the Hebrew word
חַיִּים (chayyim) meaning "life". It has been used since medieval times.
CHE m SpanishFrom an Argentine expression meaning "hey!". This nickname was acquired by the Argentine revolutionary Ernesto Guevara while he was in Cuba.
CHEN (1) m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
晨 (chén) or
辰 (chén), both meaning "morning". The character
辰 also refers to the fifth Earthly Branch (7 AM to 9 AM), which is itself associated with the dragon of the Chinese zodiac. This name can be formed from other characters as well.
CHENG m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
成 (chéng) meaning "completed, finished, succeeded" or
诚 (chéng) meaning "sincere, honest, true", as well as other characters that are pronounced similarly.
CHERNOBOG m Slavic MythologyMeans "the black god" from Slavic
cherno "black" and
bogu "god". Chernobog was the Slavic god of darkness, evil and grief.
CHEROKEE f & m English (Rare)Probably derived from the Creek word
tciloki meaning "people of a different speech". This is the name of a Native American people who live in the east of North America.
CHESLEY m EnglishFrom a surname that was originally from a place name meaning "camp meadow" in Old English.
CHESTER m EnglishFrom a surname that originally belonged to a person who came from Chester, an old Roman settlement in Britain. The name of the settlement came from Latin
castrum "camp, fortress".
CHEYENNE f & m EnglishDerived from the Dakota word
shahiyena meaning "red speakers". This is the name of a Native American people of the Great Plains. The name was supposedly given to the Cheyenne by the Dakota because their language was unrelated to their own. As a given name, it has been in use since the 1950s.
CHI (2) m & f Mythology, Western African, IgboMeans "god, spiritual being" in Igbo, referring to the personal spiritual guardian that each person is believed to have. Christian Igbo people use it as a name for the personal Christian god. This can also be a short form of the many Igbo names that begin with this element.
CHIDI m & f Western African, IgboMeans "God exists" in Igbo. It is also a short form of Igbo names beginning with
Chidi.
CHIHIRO f & m JapaneseFrom Japanese
千 (chi) meaning "thousand" and
尋 (hiro) meaning "search, seek", as well as other kanji combinations.
CHIP m EnglishDiminutive of
CHARLES or
CHRISTOPHER. It can also be from a nickname given in reference to the phrase
a chip off the old block, used of a son who is similar to his father.
CHRISTIAN m English, French, German, Swedish, Norwegian, DanishFrom the medieval Latin name
Christianus meaning "a Christian" (see
CHRISTOS). In England it has been in use since the Middle Ages, during which time it was used by both males and females, but it did not become common until the 17th century. In Denmark the name has been borne by ten kings since the 15th century. A famous bearer was Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875), the Danish author of such fairy tales as 'The Ugly Duckling' and 'The Emperor's New Clothes'.
CHRISTOPHER m EnglishFrom the Late Greek name
Χριστοφορος (Christophoros) meaning "bearing
CHRIST", derived from
Χριστος (Christos) combined with
φερω (phero) "to bear, to carry". Early Christians used it as a metaphorical name, expressing that they carried Christ in their hearts. In the Middle Ages, literal interpretations of the name's etymology led to legends about a Saint Christopher who carried the young
Jesus across a river. He has come to be regarded as the patron saint of travellers.
... [more] CHRISTOS m Theology, GreekFrom Greek
Χριστος (Christos) meaning "anointed", derived from
χριω (chrio) meaning "to anoint". This was a name applied to
Jesus by early Greek-speaking Christians. It is a translation of the Hebrew word
מָשִׁיחַ (mashiyach), commonly spelled in English
messiah, which also means "anointed".
... [more] CHUCK m EnglishDiminutive of
CHARLES. It originated in America in the early 20th century. Two famous bearers of this name were pilot Chuck Yeager (1923-), the first man to travel faster than the speed of sound, and the musician Chuck Berry (1926-2017), one of the pioneers of rock music.
CHUKWU m MythologyDerived from Igbo
chi "god, spiritual being" and
ukwu "great". In Igbo mythology Chukwu is the supreme god who created the universe. Christian Igbo people use this name for the Christian god.
CHUN f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
春 (chūn) meaning "spring (the season)" or other characters with a similar pronunciation.
CIAN m Irish, Irish MythologyMeans "ancient" in Gaelic. This was the name of the mythical ancestor of the Cianachta in Irish legend. Cian was also the name of a son-in-law of
Brian Boru.
CIANÁN m IrishDiminutive of
CIAN. This was the name of a 5th-century Irish saint.
CIAR m IrishDerived from Irish
ciar meaning "black".
CIARÁN m IrishDiminutive of
CIAR. This was the name of two Irish saints: Saint Ciarán the Elder, the patron of the Kingdom of Munster, and Saint Ciarán of Clonmacnoise, the founder of a monastery in the 6th century.
CICERO m Ancient RomanRoman cognomen derived from Latin
cicer meaning "chickpea". Marcus Tullius Cicero (known simply as Cicero) was a statesman, orator and author of the 1st century BC.
CIEL f & m VariousMeans "sky" in French. It is not used as a given name in France itself.
CILLIAN m IrishProbably from Gaelic
ceall "church" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of a 7th-century Irish saint who evangelized in Franconia. He was martyred in Würzburg.
CINÁED m Scottish, IrishMeans "born of fire" in Gaelic. This was the name of the first king of the Scots and Picts (9th century). It is often Anglicized as
Kenneth.
CLANCY m Irish, English (Rare)From the Irish surname
Mac Fhlannchaidh, which means "son of Flannchadh". The Irish name
Flannchadh means "red warrior".
CLARENCE m EnglishFrom the Latin title
Clarensis, which belonged to members of the British royal family. The title ultimately derives from the name of the town of Clare in Suffolk. As a given name it has been in use since the 19th century.
CLARK m EnglishFrom an English surname meaning "cleric" or "scribe", from Old English
clerec originally meaning "priest". A famous bearer of the surname was William Clark (1770-1838), an explorer of the west of North America. It was also borne by the American actor Clark Gable (1901-1960).
CLAUDE m & f French, EnglishFrench masculine and feminine form of
CLAUDIUS. In France the masculine name has been common since the Middle Ages due to the 7th-century Saint Claude of Besançon. It was imported to Britain in the 16th century by the aristocratic Hamilton family, who had French connections. A famous bearer of this name was the French impressionist painter Claude Monet (1840-1926).
CLAUDIUS m Ancient RomanFrom a Roman family name that was possibly derived from Latin
claudus meaning "lame, crippled". This was the name of a patrician family prominent in Roman politics. The ancestor of the family was said to have been a 6th-century BC Sabine leader named Attius Clausus, who adopted the name Appius Claudius upon becoming a Roman citizen. The family produced several Roman emperors of the 1st century, including the emperor known simply as Claudius. He was poisoned by his wife Agrippina in order to bring her son Nero (Claudius's stepson) to power. The name was later borne by several early saints, including a 7th-century bishop of Besançon.
CLAY m EnglishFrom an English surname that originally referred to a person who lived near or worked with clay. This name can also be a short form of
CLAYTON.
CLAYTON m EnglishFrom a surname that was originally derived from various English place names, all meaning "clay settlement" in Old English.
CLEDWYN m WelshDerived from the Welsh element
caled "rough" combined with
gwyn "white, fair, blessed".
CLEMENT m EnglishEnglish form of the Late Latin name
Clemens (or sometimes of its derivative
Clementius), which meant "merciful, gentle". This was the name of 14 popes, including Saint Clement I, the third pope, one of the Apostolic Fathers. Another saint by this name was Clement of Alexandria, a 3rd-century theologian and church father who attempted to reconcile Christian and Platonic philosophies. It has been in general as a given name in Christian Europe (in various spellings) since early times. In England it became rare after the Protestant Reformation, though it was revived in the 19th century.
CLETUS m EnglishShort form of
ANACLETUS. This name is sometimes used to refer to the third pope, Saint Anacletus. It can also function as an Anglicized form of
KLEITOS.
CLEVELAND m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from an Old English place name meaning "hilly land". This was the surname of American president Grover Cleveland (1837-1908). It is also the name of an American city, which was founded by surveyor Moses Cleaveland (1754-1806).