CLIFFORD m EnglishFrom a surname that was originally from a place name meaning "ford by a cliff" in Old English.
CLIFTON m EnglishFrom a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "settlement by a cliff" in Old English.
CLÍMACO m SpanishSpanish 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'.
CLINT m EnglishShort form of
CLINTON. A notable bearer is American actor Clint Eastwood (1930-), who became famous early in his career for his western movies.
CLINTON m EnglishFrom a surname that was originally from an Old English place name meaning "settlement on the River Glyme". A famous bearer of the surname is former American president Bill Clinton (1946-).
CLIVE m EnglishFrom a surname meaning "cliff" in Old English, originally belonging to a person who lived near a cliff.
CLOPAS m BiblicalMeaning 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.
CLYDE m EnglishFrom the name of the River Clyde in Scotland, from Cumbric
Clud, which is of uncertain 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.
CODRIN m RomanianFrom Romanian
codru meaning "forest", a word of uncertain origin.
CODRUȚ m RomanianFrom Romanian
codru meaning "forest", a word of uncertain origin.
CODY m EnglishFrom the Irish 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).
COHEN m EnglishFrom a common Jewish surname that was derived from Hebrew
כֹּהֵן (kohen) meaning "priest". This surname was traditionally associated with the hereditary priests who claimed descent from the biblical
Aaron.
COLA m Anglo-SaxonOld English byname meaning "charcoal", originally given to a person with dark features.
COLBY m EnglishFrom a surname, originally from various English place names, derived from the Old Norse nickname
Koli (meaning "coal, dark") and
býr "town".
COLE m EnglishFrom a surname that was originally derived from the Old English byname
COLA.
COLMÁN m IrishDiminutive of
Colm (see
COLUM). This was the name of a large number of Irish saints.
COLT m EnglishFrom the English word for a young male horse or from the surname of the same origin. It may be given in honour of the American industrialist Samuel Colt (1814-1862) or the firearms company that bears his name.
COLUM m IrishIrish form of
COLUMBA. This is also an Old Irish word meaning "dove", derived from Latin
columba.
COLUMBA m & f Late 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.
COLUMBAN m IrishPossibly 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.
COLUMBANUS m Late 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.
COLWYN m WelshFrom the name of a river in northern Wales.
COMHGHALL m IrishMeans "joint pledge" from Irish
comh "together" and
gall "pledge".
COMHGHÁN m IrishMeans "born together" from Irish
comh "together" and
gan "born".
CONALL m Irish, 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.
CONAN m IrishMeans "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.
CONFUCIUS m HistoryAnglicized 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.
CONLAOCH m Irish 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.
CONLETH m IrishModern 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.
CONOR m Irish, English, Irish MythologyAnglicized form of the Irish name
Conchobar, 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.
CONRAD m English, 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.
CONSTANS m Late RomanLate Latin name meaning "constant, steadfast". This was the name of a 4th-century Roman emperor, a son of
Constantine the Great.
CONSTANTINE m HistoryFrom 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).
CONSUS m Roman MythologyPossibly derived from Latin
conserere meaning "to sow, to plant". Consus was a Roman god of the harvest and grain.
CONWAY m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from the name of the River Conwy, which possibly means "holy water" in Welsh.
COOPER m EnglishFrom a surname meaning "barrel maker" in Middle English.
CORBIN m EnglishFrom a French surname that was derived from
corbeau "raven", originally denoting a person who had dark hair. The name was probably popularized in America by actor Corbin Bernsen (1954-).
CORDELL m EnglishFrom a surname meaning "maker of cord" or "seller of cord" in Middle English.
CORENTIN m Breton, FrenchPossibly means "hurricane" in Breton. This was the name of a 5th-century bishop of Quimper in Brittany.
COREY m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from the Old Norse given name
Kóri, of unknown meaning. This name became popular in the 1960s due to the character Corey Baker on the television series 'Julia'.
CORMAC m IrishPossibly derived from Irish Gaelic
corb "raven" or "wheel" and
mac "son". This was the name of a 3rd-century king of Ireland.
CORNELIUS m Ancient Roman, English, Dutch, German, BiblicalRoman family name that possibly derives from the Latin element
cornu "horn". In Acts in the New Testament Cornelius is a centurion who is directed by an angel to seek
Peter. After speaking with Peter he converts to Christianity, and he is traditionally deemed the first gentile convert. The name was also borne by a few early saints, including a 3rd-century pope. In England it came into use in the 16th century, partly due to Dutch influence.
CORWIN m EnglishFrom an English surname, derived from Old French
cordoan "leather", ultimately from the name of the Spanish city of
Cordova.
COSIMO m ItalianItalian form of
COSMAS. A famous bearer was Cosimo de' Medici, the 15th-century founder of Medici rule in Florence, who was a patron of the Renaissance and a successful merchant. Other members of the Medici family have also borne this name.
COSMAS m Ancient Greek (Latinized)From the Greek name
Κοσμας (Kosmas), which was derived from
κοσμος (kosmos) meaning "order, decency". Saint Cosmas was martyred with his twin brother Damian in the 4th century. They are the patron saints of physicians.
COSMO m Italian, EnglishItalian variant of
COSIMO. It was introduced to Britain in the 18th century by the second Scottish Duke of Gordon, who named his son and successor after his friend Cosimo III de' Medici.
COURTNEY f & m EnglishFrom an aristocratic English surname that was derived either from the French place name
Courtenay (originally a derivative of the personal name
Curtenus, itself derived from Latin
curtus "short") or else from a Norman nickname meaning "short nose". As a feminine name in America, it first became popular during the 1970s.
COY m EnglishFrom a surname that meant "quiet, shy, coy" from Middle English
coi.
CRAIG m Scottish, EnglishFrom a Scottish surname that was derived from Gaelic
creag meaning "crag" or "rocks", originally indicating a person who lived near a crag.
CRAWFORD m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "crow ford" in Old English.
CREE m English (Rare)From the name of a Native American tribe of central Canada. Their name derives via French from the Cree word
kiristino.
CREIGHTON m English (Rare)From a surname that was derived from a place name, originally from Gaelic
crioch "border" combined with Old English
tun "town".
CRESCENTIUS m Late RomanLatin name that was a derivative of the name
CRESCENS. Saint Crescentius was a child martyred in Rome during the persecutions of Emperor Diocletian in the early 4th century.
CRISPIN m English (Rare)From the Roman cognomen
Crispinus, which was derived from the name
CRISPUS. Saint Crispin was a 3rd-century Roman who was martyred with his twin brother Crispinian in Gaul. They are the patrons of shoemakers. They were popular saints in England during the Middle Ages, and the name has occasionally been used since that time.
CROFTON m English (Rare)From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "town with a small enclosed field" in Old English.
CRONUS m Greek Mythology (Latinized)Latinized form of the Greek
Κρονος (Kronos), possibly derived from the Indo-European root *
ker- meaning "to cut". Cronus was the Titan who fathered the Greek gods. As his wife
Rhea gave birth to the gods, Cronus swallowed them fearing the prophecy that he would be overthrown by one of his children. However Rhea hid
Zeus, her last child, who eventually forced his father to disgorge his siblings. Cronus and the rest of the Titans were then defeated by the gods and exiled.
ČRTOMIR m SloveneDerived from the Slavic elements
črt "hatred" and
miru "peace, world". This is the name of the hero in the Slovene national epic 'Baptism on the Savica' (1835) by France Prešeren.
CRUZ f & m Spanish, PortugueseMeans "cross" in Spanish or Portuguese, referring to the cross of the crucifixion.
CSABA m HungarianPossibly means either "shepherd" or "gift" in Hungarian. According to legend this was the name of a son of
Attila the Hun.
CSANÁD m HungarianDerived from the old Hungarian name
Csana, of unknown meaning. This was the name of an 11th-century ruler, also known as
Cenad, of the Hungarian region that came to be called Csanád County (now split between Hungary and Romania).
CSONGOR m HungarianPossibly from a Turkic root meaning "falcon". The Hungarian poet and dramatist Mihály Vörösmarty used it in his play 'Csongor és Tünde' (1830).
CTIRAD m Czech, SlovakDerived from the Slavic elements
chisti meaning "honour" and
rad meaning "happy, willing". In Czech legend this was the name of one of the men tricked by
Šárka.
CUÁN m IrishMeans "little wolf" or "little hound" from the Irish element
cú meaning "wolf, hound" combined with a diminutive suffix.
CUAUHTÉMOC m Native American, NahuatlMeans "falling eagle" in Nahuatl. This was the name of the last Aztec emperor, ruling until he was captured and executed by the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés in the year 1525.
CÚCHULAINN m Irish MythologyMeans "hound of Culann" in Irish. This was the usual name of the warrior hero who was named Sétanta at birth, given to him because he took the place of one of Culann's hounds after he accidentally killed it. Irish legend tells of Cúchulainn's many adventures, including his single-handed defense of Ulster against the army of Queen
Medb.
CUIMÍN m IrishPossibly from Celtic
cam meaning "bent, crooked". This was the name of a 6th-century Irish saint.
CULHWCH m Welsh, Welsh MythologyMeans "hiding place of the pig" in Welsh. In Welsh legend he was the lover of
Olwen the daughter of the giant Yspaddaden. Before the giant would allow Culhwch to marry his daughter, he insisted that Culhwch complete a series of extremely difficult tasks. Culhwch managed to complete them, and he returned to marry Olwen and kill the giant. This tale appears in the Mabinogion, a collection of tales from Welsh myth.
CUNOBELINUS m Ancient CelticPossibly means "hound of Belenus" from the old Celtic element
koun "hound" combined with the name of the god
BELENUS. This was the name of a 1st-century king of southeast Britain.
CUPID m Roman Mythology (Anglicized)From the Latin
Cupido meaning "desire". This was the name of the Roman god of love, the son of
Venus and
Mars. He was portrayed as a winged, blindfolded boy, armed with a bow and arrows, which caused the victim to fall in love. His Greek equivalent was
Eros.
CURTIS m EnglishFrom an English surname that originally meant "courteous" in Old French.
CUSTODIO m SpanishMeans "guardian" in Spanish, from Latin
custodia "protection, safekeeping".
CUTHBERT m English (Rare)Derived from the Old English elements
cuþ "famous" and
beorht "bright". Saint Cuthbert was a 6th-century hermit who became the bishop of Lindisfarne, an island off the coast of England. He was known as performer of healing miracles. Because of the saint, this name remained in use in England even after the Norman Conquest. It became rare after the Protestant Reformation, but it was (briefly) revived in the 19th century.
CYNWRIG m Ancient CelticDerived from Welsh
cyn meaning "chief" and
gwr meaning "hero, man", plus the suffix
ig indicating "has the quality of".
CYPRIAN m Polish, English (Rare)From the Roman family name
Cyprianus, which meant "from Cyprus". Saint Cyprian was a 3rd-century bishop of Carthage and a martyr under the emperor Valerian.
CYRANO m LiteraturePossibly derived from the name of the ancient Greek city of Cyrene, which was located in North Africa. Edmond Rostand used this name in his play 'Cyrano de Bergerac' (1897). He based his character upon a real person, Savinien Cyrano de Bergerac, a French satirist of the 17th century.
CYRUS m English, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Ancient Greek (Latinized)From
Κυρος (Kyros), the Greek form of the Persian name
Kūrush, which may mean "far sighted" or "young". The name is sometimes associated with Greek
κυριος (kyrios) "lord". It was borne by several kings of Persia, including Cyrus the Great, who conquered Babylon. He is famous in the Old Testament for freeing the captive Jews and allowing them to return to Israel. As an English name, it first came into use among the Puritans after the Protestant Reformation.
DA m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
达 (dá) meaning "achieve, arrive at, intelligent" (which is usually only masculine),
大 (dà) meaning "big, great, vast, high", or other characters with a similar pronunciation.
DACIAN m RomanianDerived from
Dacia, the old Roman name for the region that is now Romania and Moldova.
DACRE m English (Rare)From a surname that was originally derived from a place name in Cumbria, of Brythonic origin meaning "trickling stream".
DAEDALUS m Greek Mythology (Latinized)Latinized form of the Greek
Δαιδαλος (Daidalos), which was derived from
δαιδαλλω (daidallo) meaning "to work cunningly". In Greek myth Daedalus was an Athenian inventor who was banished to Crete. There he designed the Labyrinth for King
Minos, but he and his son
Icarus were eventually imprisoned inside it because he had aided
Theseus in his quest against the Minotaur. Daelalus and Icarus escaped using wings fashioned from wax, but Icarus fell from the sky to his death.
DAE-JUNG m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
大 (dae) meaning "big, great, vast, large, high" combined with
中 (jung) meaning "middle". Other combinations of hanja characters can form this name as well. A notable bearer was South Korean president Kim Dae-jung (1924-2009).
DAE-SEONG m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
大 (dae) meaning "big, great, vast, large, high" combined with
成 (seong) meaning "completed, finished, succeeded". Other combinations of hanja characters can also form this name.
DAFYDD m WelshWelsh form of
DAVID. This name was borne by Dafydd ap Gruffydd, a 13th-century Welsh ruler, and Dafydd ap Gwilym, a 14th-century poet.
DAGDA m Irish MythologyMeans "good god" in Celtic. In Irish myth Dagda (called also The Dagda) was the powerful god of the earth, knowledge, magic, abundance and treaties, a leader of the Tuatha De Danann. He was skilled in combat and healing and possessed a huge club, the handle of which could revive the dead.
DAGON m Semitic MythologyPerhaps related to Ugaritic
dgn meaning "grain". This was the name of a Semitic god of agriculture, usually depicted with the body of a fish.
DAI m WelshDerived from the old Celtic word
dei meaning "to shine". This name is also used as a Welsh diminutive of
DAVID.
DAICHI m JapaneseFrom Japanese
大 (dai) meaning "big, great" combined with
地 (chi) meaning "earth, land" or
智 (chi) meaning "wisdom, intellect". Other kanji combinations are possible.
DAIKI m JapaneseFrom Japanese
大 (dai) meaning "big, great" combined with
輝 (ki) meaning "brightness",
樹 (ki) meaning "tree" or
貴 (ki) meaning "valuable". Other combinations of kanji can also form this name.
DÁIRE m Irish, Irish MythologyMeans "fruitful, fertile" in Irish Gaelic. This name is borne by many figures in Irish legend, including the Ulster chief who reneged on his promise to loan the Brown Bull of Cooley to
Medb, starting the war between Connacht and Ulster as told in the Irish epic 'The Cattle Raid of Cooley'.
DAISUKE m JapaneseFrom Japanese
大 (dai) meaning "big, great" and
輔 (suke) meaning "help". Other kanji combinations are possible.
DÁITHÍ m IrishPossibly means "swift" in Irish Gaelic. It is sometimes used as an Irish form of
David.
DAKOTA m & f English (Modern)Means "allies, friends" in the Dakota language. This is the name of a Native American people of the northern Mississippi valley.
DÁLACH m IrishDerived from Irish
dál meaning "assembly".
DALE m & f EnglishFrom an English surname that originally belonged to a person who lived near a dale or valley.
DALEY m Irish, English (Rare)From an Irish surname that was derived from
Ó Dálaigh meaning "descendant of Dálach". The name
Dálach means "assembly" in Gaelic.
DALLAS m & f EnglishFrom a surname that was originally taken from a Scottish place name meaning "meadow dwelling". A city in Texas bears this name, probably in honour of American Vice President George Mifflin Dallas (1792-1864).
DALTON m EnglishFrom an English surname that was originally from a place name meaning "valley town" in Old English. A notable bearer of the surname was John Dalton (1766-1844), the English chemist and physicist who theorized about the existence of atoms.
DAMHÁN m IrishMeans "fawn" from Gaelic
damh "stag, ox" combined with a diminutive suffix.
DAMIAN m English, Polish, DutchFrom the Greek name
Δαμιανος (Damianos), which was derived from Greek
δαμαζω (damazo) "to tame". Saint Damian was martyred with his twin brother Cosmo in Syria early in the 4th century. They are the patron saints of physicians. Due to his renown, the name came into general use in Christian Europe. Another saint by this name was Peter Damian, an 11th-century cardinal and theologian from Italy.
DAMOCLES m Greek Mythology (Latinized)Latinized form of the Greek name
Δαμοκλης (Damokles), which was derived from
δαμος (damos) "the people", a Doric Greek variant of
δημος (demos), and
κλεος (kleos) "glory". In Greek legend Damocles was a member of the court of Dionysius the Elder, the king of Syracuse. Damocles expressed envy of the king's station so Dionysius offered to switch roles with him for a day. To illustrate to Damocles the peril of a man in his position he suspended a sword over the throne.
DAMODARA m HinduismMeans "rope around the belly", derived from Sanskrit
दाम (dama) meaning "rope" and
उदर (udara) meaning "belly". This is another name of the Hindu god
Krishna, given to him because his foster-mother tied him to a large urn.
DAMON m Greek Mythology, EnglishDerived from Greek
δαμαζω (damazo) meaning "to tame". According to Greek legend, Damon and Pythias were friends who lived on Syracuse in the 4th century BC. When Pythias was sentenced to death, he was allowed to temporarily go free on the condition that Damon take his place in prison. Pythias returned just before Damon was to be executed in his place, and the king was so impressed with their loyalty to one another that he pardoned Pythias. As an English given name, it has only been regularly used since the 20th century.
DANA (2) m & f EnglishFrom a surname that originally belonged to a person who was Danish. It was originally given in honour of American lawyer Richard Henry Dana (1815-1882), the author of 'Two Years Before the Mast'.
DANE m EnglishFrom an English surname that was either a variant of the surname
DEAN or else an ethnic name referring to a person from Denmark.
DANIEL m English, Hebrew, French, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovene, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Croatian, Armenian, Georgian, Biblical, Biblical GreekFrom the Hebrew name
דָּנִיֵּאל (Daniyyel) meaning "God is my judge", from the roots
דִּין (din) meaning "to judge" and
אֵל ('el) meaning "God". Daniel was a Hebrew prophet whose story is told in the Book of Daniel in the Old Testament. He lived during the Jewish captivity in Babylon, where he served in the court of the king, rising to prominence by interpreting the king's dreams. The book also presents Daniel's four visions of the end of the world.
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