CERI (1)mWelshPossibly derived from Welsh
caru meaning "to love".
CERNUNNOSmCeltic 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.
CHADmEnglishFrom 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.
CHADWICKmEnglishFrom a surname which was derived from the name of towns in England, meaning "settlement belonging to
CHAD" in Old English.
CHANm & fKhmerMeans "moon" in Khmer, ultimately from Sanskrit.
CHANCEmEnglishOriginally 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").
CHANDAm & fHinduism, 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).
CHANDLERmEnglishFrom an occupational surname which meant "candle seller" in Middle English, ultimately from Old French.
CHANDRAm & fHinduism, 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.
CHANGm & fChineseFrom 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.
CHAOm & fChineseFrom Chinese
超 (chāo) meaning "surpass, leap over" (which is usually only masculine),
潮 (cháo) meaning "tide, flow, damp", or other characters which are pronounced similarly.
CHARESmAncient 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.
CHARLEMAGNEmHistoryFrom 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.
CHARLESmEnglish, 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] CHARLIEm & fEnglishDiminutive or feminine form of
CHARLES. A famous bearer is Charlie Brown, the main character in the comic strip 'Peanuts' by Charles Schulz.
CHARLTONmEnglishFrom a surname which was originally from a place name meaning "settlement of free men" in Old English.
CHARONmGreek 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.
CHASEmEnglishFrom a surname meaning "chase, hunt" in Middle English, originally a nickname for a huntsman.
CHAUNCEYmEnglishFrom a Norman surname of unknown meaning. It was used as a given name in American in honour of Harvard president Charles Chauncey (1592-1672).
CHAYYIMmHebrewDerived from the Hebrew word
חַיִּים (chayyim) meaning "life". It has been used since medieval times.
CHEmSpanishFrom an Argentine expression meaning "hey!". This nickname was acquired by the Argentine revolutionary Ernesto Guevara while he was in Cuba.
CHEN (1)m & fChineseFrom Chinese
晨 (chén) or
辰 (chén) which both mean "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.
CHENGm & fChineseFrom Chinese
成 (chéng) meaning "completed, finished, succeeded" or
诚 (chéng) meaning "sincere, honest, true", as well as other characters which are pronounced similarly.
CHERNOBOGmSlavic MythologyMeans "the black god" from Slavic
cherno "black" and
bogu "god". Chernobog was the Slavic god of darkness, evil and grief.
CHEROKEEf & mEnglish (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.
CHESLEYmEnglishFrom a surname that was originally from a place name meaning "camp meadow" in Old English.
CHESTERmEnglishFrom a surname which 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".
CHEYENNEf & mEnglishDerived 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 & fMythology, Western African, IgboMeans "god, spirtual 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.
CHIPmEnglishDiminutive 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.
CHRISTIANmEnglish, 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'.
CHRISTOPHERmEnglishFrom 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] CHRISTOSmTheology, 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] CHUCKmEnglishDiminutive 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.
CHUKWUmMythologyDerived from Igbo
chi "god, spirtual 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.
CHUNf & mChineseFrom Chinese
春 (chūn) meaning "spring (the season)" or other characters with a similar pronunciation.
CIANmIrish, 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.
CIANÁNmIrishDiminutive of
CIAN. This was the name of a 5th-century Irish saint.
CIARmIrishDerived from Irish
ciar meaning "black".
CIARÁNmIrishDiminutive 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.
CICEROmAncient RomanRoman cognomen which meant "chickpea" from Latin
cicer. Marcus Tullius Cicero (known simply as Cicero) was a statesman, orator and author of the 1st century BC.
CILLIANmIrishProbably 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.
CINÁEDmScottish, 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.
CLANCYmIrish, English (Rare)From the Irish surname
Mac Fhlannchaidh which means "son of Flannchadh". The Gaelic name Flannchadh means "red warrior".
CLARENCEmEnglishFrom 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.
CLARKmEnglishFrom an English surname meaning "cleric" or "scribe", from Old English
clerec which originally meant "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).
CLAUDEm & fFrench, 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).
CLAUDIUSmAncient RomanFrom a Roman family name which 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.
CLAYmEnglishFrom 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.
CLAYTONmEnglishFrom a surname which was originally derived from various English place names, all meaning "clay settlement" in Old English.
CLEDWYNmWelshDerived from the Welsh element
caled "rough" combined with
gwyn "white, fair, blessed".
CLEMENTmEnglishEnglish 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.
CLETUSmEnglishShort form of
ANACLETUS. This name is sometimes used to refer to the third pope, Saint Anacletus. It can also function an an Anglicized form of
KLEITOS.
CLEVELANDmEnglishFrom a surname which 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).
CLIFFORDmEnglishFrom a surname which was originally from a place name meaning "ford by a cliff" in Old English.
CLIFTONmEnglishFrom a surname which was originally derived from a place name meaning "settlement by a cliff" in Old English.
CLÍMACOmSpanishSpanish form of
Climacus, derived from Greek
κλιμαξ (klimax) "ladder". The 7th-century monk Saint John Climacus (also known as John of the Ladder) acquired this name because he wrote a book called 'The Ladder of Divine Ascent'.
CLINTmEnglishShort form of
CLINTON. A notable bearer is American actor Clint Eastwood (1930-), who became famous early in his career for his western movies.
CLINTONmEnglishFrom a surname which was originally from an Old English place name meaning "settlement on the River Glyme". A famous bearer of the surname was American president Bill Clinton (1946-).
CLIVEmEnglishFrom a surname meaning "cliff" in Old English, originally belonging to a person who lived near a cliff.
CLOPASmBiblicalMeaning unknown, probably of Aramaic origin. In the New Testament Clopas is mentioned briefly as the husband of one of the women who witnessed the crucifixion, sometimes identified with
Alphaeus.
CLYDEmEnglishFrom the name of the River Clyde in Scotland, which is of unknown origin. It became a common given name in America in the middle of the 19th century, perhaps in honour of Sir Colin Campbell (1792-1863) who was given the title Baron Clyde in 1858.
CODYmEnglish, IrishFrom the Gaelic surname
Ó Cuidighthigh, which means "descendant of
CUIDIGHTHEACH". A famous bearer of the surname was the American frontiersman and showman Buffalo Bill Cody (1846-1917).
COHENmEnglishFrom a common Jewish surname which was derived from Hebrew
כֹּהֵן (kohen) meaning "priest". This surname was traditionally associated with the hereditary priests who claimed descent from the biblical
Aaron.
COLAmAnglo-SaxonOld English byname meaning "charcoal", originally given to a person with dark features.
COLBYmEnglishFrom a surname, originally from various English place names, derived from the Old Norse nickname
Koli (meaning "coal, dark") and
býr "town".
COLEmEnglishFrom a surname which was originally derived from the Old English byname
COLA.
COLMÁNmIrishDiminutive of
Colm (see
COLUM). This was the name of a large number of Irish saints.
COLUMmIrishIrish form of
COLUMBA. This is also an Old Irish word meaning "dove", derived from Latin
columba.
COLUMBAm & fLate RomanLate Latin name meaning "dove". The dove is a symbol of the Holy Spirit in Christianity. This was the name of several early saints both masculine and feminine, most notably the 6th-century Irish monk Saint Columba (or Colum) who established a monastery on the island of Iona off the coast of Scotland. He is credited with the conversion of Scotland to Christianity.
COLUMBANmIrishPossibly an Irish diminutive of
COLUMBA. Alternatively, it may be derived from Old Irish
colum "dove" and
bán "white". The 7th-century Saint Columban of Leinster was the founder of several monasteries in Europe.
COLUMBANUSmLate RomanThis name can be viewed as a derivative of
COLUMBA or a Latinized form of
COLUMBAN, both derivations being approximately equivalent. This is the name of Saint Columban in Latin sources.
COLWYNmWelshFrom the name of a river in northern Wales.
COMHGHALLmIrishMeans "joint pledge" from Irish
comh "together" and
gall "pledge".
COMHGHÁNmIrishMeans "born together" from Irish
comh "together" and
gan "born".
CONALLmIrish, Scottish, Irish MythologyMeans "strong wolf" in Gaelic. This is the name of several characters in Irish legend including the hero Conall Cernach ("Conall of the victories"), a member of the Red Branch of Ulster, who avenged
Cúchulainn's death by killing Lugaid.
CONANmIrishMeans "little wolf" or "little hound" from Irish
cú "wolf, hound" combined with a diminutive suffix. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) was the author of the Sherlock Holmes mystery stories.
CONFUCIUSmHistoryAnglicized form of the Chinese name
Kong Fuzi. The surname
孔 (Kong) means "hole, opening" and the title
夫子 (Fuzi) means "master". This was the name of a 6th-century BC Chinese philosopher. His given name was
Qiu.
CONLAOCHmIrish MythologyPossibly derived from Gaelic
conn "chief" and
flaith "lord". This was the name of several characters in Irish legend including a son of
Cúchulainn who was accidentally killed by his father.
CONLETHmIrishModern form of the old Irish name
Conláed, possibly meaning "chaste fire" from Gaelic
connla "chaste" and
aodh "fire". Saint Conláed was a 5th-century bishop of Kildare.
CONORmIrish, English, Irish MythologyAnglicized form of the Gaelic name
Conchobhar, derived from Old Irish
con "hound, dog, wolf" and
cobar "desiring". It has been in use in Ireland for centuries and was the name of several Irish kings. It was also borne by the legendary Ulster king Conchobar mac Nessa, known for his tragic desire for
Deirdre.
CONRADmEnglish, German, Ancient GermanicDerived from the Germanic elements
kuoni "brave" and
rad "counsel". This was the name of a 10th-century saint and bishop of Konstanz, in southern Germany. It was also borne by several medieval German kings and dukes. In England it was occasionally used during the Middle Ages, but has only been common since the 19th century when it was reintroduced from Germany.
CONSTANSmLate RomanLate Latin name meaning "constant, steadfast". This was the name of a 4th-century Roman emperor, a son of
Constantine the Great.
CONSTANTINEmHistoryFrom the Latin name
Constantinus, a derivative of
CONSTANS. Constantine the Great (272-337) was the first Roman emperor to adopt Christianity. He moved the capital of the empire from Rome to Byzantium, which he renamed Constantinople (modern Istanbul).
CONSUSmRoman MythologyPossibly derived from Latin
conserere meaning "to sow, to plant". Consus was a Roman god of the harvest and grain.
CONWAYmEnglishFrom a surname which was derived from the name of the River Conwy, which possibly means "holy water" in Welsh.