Bevis m English (Rare)From an English surname that is possibly derived from the name of the French town
Beauvais.
Christy f & m English, IrishDiminutive of
Christine,
Christina,
Christopher and other names beginning with
Christ. In Ireland this name is typically masculine, though elsewhere in the English-speaking world it is more often feminine (especially the United States and Canada).
Jace m EnglishShort form of
Jason, sometimes used independently. It was brought to limited attention in America by the lead character in the western television series
Tales of the Texas Rangers (1955-1958). Towards the end of the 20th century it began steadily increasing in popularity, reaching the 66th spot for boys in the United States in 2013.
Kyo m & f JapaneseAlternate transcription of Japanese Kanji
協 or
京 or
郷 or
杏 (see
Kyō).
Frode m Norwegian, DanishFrom the Old Norse name
Fróði, which was derived from
fróðr meaning
"learned, wise".
Carmi m BiblicalMeans
"vine" in Hebrew. This is the name of a son of
Reuben in the Old Testament.
Shō m JapaneseFrom Japanese
翔 (shō) meaning "soar, glide" or
奨 (shō) meaning "prize, reward" or
祥 (shō) meaning "good luck, good omen". Other kanji with identical pronunciations can also form this name.
Casey m & f EnglishFrom the Irish surname
Casey, an Anglicized form of
Ó Cathasaigh, a patronymic derived from the given name
Cathassach. 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.
Jett m English (Modern)From the English word
jet, which denotes either a jet aircraft or an intense black colour (the words derive from different sources).
Ash m & f EnglishShort form of
Ashley. It can also come directly from the English word denoting either the tree or the residue of fire.
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.
Loup m FrenchFrench form of the Roman name
Lupus meaning
"wolf". Lupus was the name of several early saints, including a 5th-century bishop of Troyes who apparently convinced
Attila to spare the city.
Sikke m FrisianOriginally a short form of names beginning with the Old German element
sigu meaning
"victory".
Bob m English, DutchShort form of
Robert. It arose later than
Dob,
Hob and
Nob, which were medieval rhyming nicknames of Robert. It is borne by the character Bob Cratchit in Charles Dickens' novel
A Christmas Carol (1843). Other famous bearers include American folk musician Bob Dylan (1941-) and Jamaican reggae musician Bob Marley (1945-1981).
Nemo m LiteratureMeans
"nobody" in Latin. This was the name used by author Jules Verne for the captain of the Nautilus in his novel
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (1870). It was later used for the title character (a fish) in the 2003 animated movie
Finding Nemo.
Elmo m Italian, English, Finnish, EstonianOriginally a short form of names ending with the Old German element
helm meaning
"helmet, protection", such as
Guglielmo or
Anselmo. It is also a derivative of
Erasmus, via the old Italian short form
Ermo. Saint Elmo, also known as Saint Erasmus, was a 4th-century martyr who is the patron of sailors. Saint Elmo's fire is said to be a sign of his protection.
... [more] Buck m EnglishFrom an English nickname meaning simply "buck, male deer", ultimately from Old English
bucc.
Keala f & m HawaiianMeans
"the path" from Hawaiian
ke, a definite article, and
ala "path".
Yoshi m & f JapaneseFrom Japanese
吉 (yoshi) meaning "good luck",
義 (yoshi) meaning "righteous", or
良 (yoshi) meaning "good, virtuous, respectable", as well as other kanji with the same reading.
Hank m EnglishOriginally a short form of
Hankin, which was a medieval diminutive of
John. Since the 17th century in the United States this name has also been used as a diminutive of
Henry, probably under the influence of the Dutch diminutive
Henk. A famous bearer is the American former baseball player Hank Aaron (1934-2021).
Toby m & f EnglishMedieval form of
Tobias. It was sometimes used as a feminine name in the 1930s and 40s due to the influence of American actress Toby Wing (1915-2001).
Kelly m & f Irish, EnglishAnglicized form of the Irish given name
Ceallach or the surname derived from it
Ó Ceallaigh. As a surname, it has been borne by actor and dancer Gene Kelly (1912-1996) and actress and princess Grace Kelly (1929-1982).
... [more] Koda m English (Modern)At least in part inspired by the name of a character from the animated movie
Brother Bear (2003). The moviemakers apparently took it from Lakota or Dakota
koda meaning
"friend, companion".
Jody f & m EnglishDiminutive of
Josephine,
Joseph,
Joanna and other names beginning with
Jo. It was popularized by the young hero (a boy) in Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings' novel
The Yearling (1938) and the subsequent film adaptation (1946). As a feminine name, it probably received an assist from the similar-sounding name
Judy, which was at the height of its American popularity when Jody was rising.
Red m EnglishFrom the English word for the colour, ultimately derived from Old English
read. This is typically a nickname given to a person with red hair or a ruddy complexion.
Kay 2 m Welsh Mythology, Arthurian CycleFrom the Welsh name
Cai or
Cei, possibly a form of the Roman name
Gaius. Sir Kay was one of the Knights of the Round Table in Arthurian legend. He first appears in Welsh tales as a brave companion of Arthur. In later medieval tales, notably those by the 12th-century French poet Chrétien de Troyes, he is portrayed as an unrefined boor.
Pippin 2 m LiteratureThe name of a hobbit in
The Lord of the Rings (1954) by J. R. R. Tolkien. His full given name is
Peregrin, a semi-translation into English of his true hobbit name
Razanur meaning
"traveller".
Pip m & f EnglishDiminutive of
Philip or
Philippa. This is the name of the main character in
Great Expectations (1860) by Charles Dickens.
Sam 1 m & f EnglishShort form of
Samuel,
Samson,
Samantha and other names beginning with
Sam. A notable fictional bearer is Sam Spade, a detective in Dashiell Hammett's novel
The Maltese Falcon (1930). In J. R. R. Tolkien's 1954 novel
The Lord of the Rings (1954) this is a short form of
Samwise.
Bobby m EnglishDiminutive of
Bob. Hockey greats Bobby Hull (1939-2023) and Bobby Orr (1948-) have borne this name.
Brett m EnglishFrom a Middle English surname meaning
"a Breton", referring to an inhabitant of
Brittany. A famous bearer is the American football quarterback Brett Favre (1969-).
Enu m & f AkanMeans
"fifth born child" in Akan.
Rusty m EnglishFrom a nickname that was originally given to someone with a rusty, or reddish-brown, hair colour.
Spike m EnglishFrom a nickname that may have originally been given to a person with spiky hair.
Tom 1 m English, Dutch, German, Norwegian, Danish, SwedishShort form of
Thomas. Tom Sawyer is the main character in several of Mark Twain's novels, first appearing in
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876). Other famous bearers include American actors Tom Hanks (1956-) and Tom Cruise (1962-), as well as American football player Tom Brady (1977-).
Goku m Literature, Popular CultureJapanese calque of
Wukong, referring to the Monkey King. Starting in 1984 it was used by Akira Toriyama for the hero in the
Dragon Ball manga, and subsequently in several animated television series and video games.
Dewi 1 m WelshPossibly from
Dewydd, an Old Welsh form of
David. Saint Dewi, the patron saint of Wales, was a 6th-century bishop of Mynyw. A later Welsh form of David was
Dafydd, which was more common in the medieval period. Dewi was revived in the 19th century.
Chuck m EnglishDiminutive of
Charles. It originated in America in the early 20th century. Two famous bearers of this name were pilot Chuck Yeager (1923-2020), 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.
Tracy f & m EnglishFrom an English surname that was taken from a Norman French place name meaning
"domain belonging to Thracius". Charles Dickens used it for a male character in his novel
The Pickwick Papers (1837). It was later popularized as a feminine name by the main character Tracy Lord in the movie
The Philadelphia Story (1940). This name is also sometimes used as a diminutive of
Theresa.
Andy m & f EnglishDiminutive of
Andrew or sometimes
Andrea 2. American pop artist and filmmaker Andy Warhol (1928-1987) was a famous bearer of this name.
Amse m FrisianOriginally a short form of
Adelmar (and other names starting with the Old German element
adal "noble" and a second element beginning with
m).
Cree m & f English (Rare)From the name of a Native American tribe of central Canada. Their name derives via French from the Cree word
kiristino.
Neely m & f English (Rare)From a Scottish surname, an Anglicized and reduced form of Gaelic
Mac an Fhilidh (or
McNeilly) meaning
"son of the poet".
Wiley m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from various English place names: towns named
Willey or the River
Wylye.
Sam 2 m Persian, Persian MythologyMeans
"fire" in Persian (from an earlier Iranian root meaning "black"). This is the name of a hero in the 10th-century Persian epic the
Shahnameh.
Jip m & f Frisian, DutchOriginally a Frisian short form of names beginning with the Old German element
geba meaning
"gift". This is the name of a boy in the Dutch children's book series
Jip and Janneke, first published 1952.
Diogo m PortuguesePortuguese form of
Diego. This name was borne by the Portuguese explorer Diogo Cão (1452-1486).
Pau m Catalan, OccitanCatalan and Occitan form of
Paul. It also coincides with the Catalan word for
"peace".
Kobe 2 m VariousFrom the name of a city in Japan. The parents of basketball player Kobe Bryant (1978-2020) chose this name after seeing Kobe beef (which is from the Japanese city) on a menu.
Kanye m African American (Modern)Meaning uncertain. It could be from the name of a town in Botswana (of Tswana origin). Yoruba, Igbo, Xhosa and Fula meanings have also been suggested. It is borne by the American rapper Kanye West (1977-), and the name briefly appeared on the United States top 1000 list in 2004 when he released his debut album.
Lon m EnglishShort form of
Alonzo and other names containing the same sound. Famous bearers were American actors Lon Chaney Sr. (1883-1930) and Lon Chaney Jr. (1906-1973). The elder's birth name was Leonidas.
Zan f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
赞 (zàn) meaning "help, support", as well as other characters with a similar pronunciation.
Huckleberry m LiteratureFrom the name of the variety of shrubs (genus Vaccinium) or the berries that grow on them. It was used by author Mark Twain for the character of Huckleberry (Huck) Finn in his novels
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884).
Ace 1 m EnglishFrom the English word meaning
"highest rank". More commonly a nickname, it is occasionally used as a given name.
Jamie m & f Scottish, EnglishOriginally a Lowland Scots diminutive of
James. Since the late 19th century it has also been used as a feminine form.
Babe m & f EnglishFrom a nickname meaning
"baby", also a slang term meaning
"attractive person". As a feminine name, in some cases it is a diminutive of
Barbara.
Corey m EnglishFrom an English 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.
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.
Baylor m & f English (Modern)From a surname, possibly an Americanized form of the German surname
Beiler, derived from Middle High German
beile meaning
"measuring stick".
Fido m & f PetFrom Latin
fidus meaning
"faithful". This a stereotypical name for dogs.
Sher m Urdu, PashtoMeans
"lion" in Persian. A famous bearer of this name was Sher Shah, a 16th-century Mughal ruler.
Beli m Welsh MythologyProbably a Welsh derivative of
Belenus. Beli Mawr was a Welsh ancestor deity who established several royal lines in Wales.
Chesley m & f English (Rare)From a surname that was originally from a place name meaning
"camp meadow" in Old English.
Grady m EnglishFrom an Irish surname, itself derived from the byname
Gráda meaning "noble, illustrious".
Tyrese m African American (Modern)Invented name, an elaboration of the initial sound in names such as
Tyrone,
Tyrell and
Tyree. It jumped in popularity after the American singer and actor Tyrese Gibson (1978-) released his debut album in 1998.
Jock m ScottishScots form of
Jack. Among the English, this is a slang term for a Scotsman.
Milo 1 m English, GermanicOld German form of
Miles, as well as the Latinized form. This form was revived as an English name in the 19th century. It is also possible that the otherwise unrelated classical name
Milo 2 was responsible for the revival, at least in part.
Wido m GermanicOriginally a short form of names beginning with the Old Frankish or Old Saxon element
widu, Old High German
witu, meaning
"wood" (Proto-Germanic *
widuz). This was the name of two 11th-century saints, one from Belgium and one from northern Italy, both commonly called
Guido or
Guy. From early times this name has been confused with the Latin name
Vitus.
Che m SpanishFrom an Argentine expression meaning
"hey!". This nickname was acquired by the Argentine revolutionary Ernesto Guevara while he was in Cuba.
Su 2 f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
素 (sù) meaning "plain, simple" or
肃 (sù) meaning "respectful", besides other characters pronounced in a similar way.
Duri f & m KoreanMeans
"two" in Korean (Gyeongsang dialect).
Melle m DutchOriginally a short form of Germanic names beginning with the element
mahal meaning
"meeting, assembly, court" (Proto-Germanic *
maþlą).
Kylo m Popular CultureMeaning unexplained. This is the name of the villain, Kylo Ren, in the
Star Wars movie sequels, starting with
The Force Awakens in 2015. Originally named Ben Solo, he is the son of Han Solo and Leia Skywalker. His name might simply be formed from the
ky of
Skywalker and the
lo of
Solo.
Hani m ArabicMeans
"happy, delighted" in Arabic, from the root
هنأ (hanaʾa) meaning "to gladden, to enjoy".
Colter m English (Modern)From an English surname that was originally given to a keeper of horses, derived from Middle English
colt.
Sothy m & f KhmerMeans
"intelligence, wisdom" in Khmer.
Jorma m FinnishFinnish (allegedly Karelian) form of
Jeremiah. This was the name of a character in Juhani Aho's novel
Panu (1897).
Dax m EnglishFrom an English surname, which was derived either from the town of Dax in France or from the Old English given name
Dæcca (of unknown meaning). The name was brought to public attention by the main character in the 1966 novel
The Adventurers and its 1970 movie adaptation. It became popular in the 2010s due to its similarity to other names like
Max and
Jax.