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
Καλλιστος (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
καλος (kalos) meaning "beautiful" and
γερων (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.
CAMBYSES m HistoryFrom
Καμβυσης (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 EnglishFrom a Scottish surname meaning
"crooked mouth" from Gaelic
cam "crooked" and
béul "mouth".
CAN m TurkishMeans
"soul, life" 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.
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.
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 Ancient CelticDerived 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 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
Καρπος (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
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 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
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 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 Celtic 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.
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.
CHOBIN m HistoryFrom Persian
چوبین (Chubin) meaning
"spear-like". Bahram Chobin was a 6th-century Sasanian general and, for a short period, the king. He received this nickname because he was tall and thin. He appears in the 11th-century Persian epic the
Shahnameh.