Ba'al m Semitic Mythology, Biblical HebrewHebrew form of Semitic
ba'l meaning
"lord, master, possessor". This was the title of various deities, often associated with storms and fertility, who were worshipped by the Canaanites, Phoenicians, and other peoples of the ancient Near East. It was particularly applied to the god
Hadad.
Ba'al Hammon m Semitic MythologyFrom Phoenician
𐤁𐤏𐤋 (baʿl) meaning "lord" prefixing another word of uncertain meaning. This was the name of the supreme god worshipped in the Phoenician city of Carthage, alongside his consort
Tanith.
Babak m PersianFrom Middle Persian
𐭯𐭠𐭯𐭪𐭩 (Papak) meaning
"little father". This was the name of the father of
Ardashir, the founder of the Sasanian Empire in Persia. It was also borne by the 9th-century resistance leader Babak Khorramdin.
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.
Babur m UrduFrom a Persian word meaning
"tiger". This was the nickname of Zahir ud-Din Muhammad, the 16th-century founder of the Mughal Empire in India.
Babylas m Late Greek, French (Rare)Derived from the name of the ancient Mesopotamian city of Babylon. Saint Babylas was a 3rd-century patriarch of Antioch who was martyred during the reign of the Roman emperor Decius.
Bademus m History (Ecclesiastical)Latinized form of a Persian name of unknown meaning. Saint Bademus was a 4th-century Persian martyr who was a victim of Shapur II's persecutions.
Baer m LimburgishShort form of
Albaer and other Limburgish names ending in
baer, often derived from the Germanic element
beraht meaning "bright".
Bagadata m Old PersianOld Persian name derived from
𐏎 (baga) meaning "god" and
𐎭𐎠𐎫 (data) meaning "given". This was the name of a 3rd-century BC Persian satrap under the Seleucid Empire.
Baggi m Old NorseByname derived from Old Norse
baggi meaning
"bag, pack".
Bahadır m TurkishTurkish form of Persian
بهادر (bahador), itself from Turkic
bagatur meaning
"hero, warrior".
Bahadur m Indian, Hindi, NepaliFrom Persian
بهادر (bahador), itself from Turkic
bagatur meaning
"hero, warrior". This was the name of rulers of the Mughal Empire.
Bahman m Persian, Persian MythologyModern Persian form of Avestan
𐬬𐬊𐬵𐬎 𐬨𐬀𐬥𐬀𐬵 (Vohu Manah) meaning
"good mind". This was the name of a Zoroastrian god (one of the Amesha Spenta) associated with domestic animals. The eleventh month of the Iranian calendar was named for him.
Bahram m Persian, Persian MythologyModern Persian form of Avestan
𐬬𐬆𐬭𐬆𐬚𐬭𐬀𐬖𐬥𐬀 (Vərəthraghna) meaning
"victory over resistance". This was the name of a Zoroastrian god (one of the Amesha Spenta) associated with victory and war. It was also borne by several Sasanian emperors. It is also the Persian name for the planet Mars.
Bai m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
白 (bái) meaning "white, pure",
百 (bǎi) meaning "one hundred, many" or
柏 (bǎi) meaning "cypress tree, cedar" (which is usually only masculine). Other Chinese characters can form this name as well. This name was borne in the 8th century by the Tang dynasty poet Li Bai, whose given was
白.
Baihu m Chinese MythologyFrom Chinese
白 (bái) meaning "white, pure" and
虎 (hǔ) meaning "tiger". This is the Chinese name of the White Tiger, associated with the west and the autumn season.
Bailey m & f EnglishFrom an English surname derived from Middle English
baili meaning
"bailiff", originally denoting one who was a bailiff.
... [more] Baker m English (Modern)From an English occupational surname derived from Old English
bakere meaning
"baker".
Bakır m TurkishTurkish form of
Baqir. It coincides with the Turkish word
bakır meaning "copper".
Bakr m ArabicMeans
"young camel" in Arabic.
Abu Bakr was a father-in-law of the Prophet
Muhammad and the first caliph of the Muslim world.
Bala 1 m & f Hinduism, TamilMeans
"young" in Sanskrit. This is a transcription of both the masculine form
बाल and the feminine form
बाला (a minor Hindu goddess).
Baladeva m HinduismMeans
"god of strength" from Sanskrit
बल (bala) meaning "strength" combined with
देव (deva) meaning "god". Baladeva (also called Balarama) is the name of the older brother of the Hindu god
Krishna.
Balarama m HinduismFrom Sanskrit
बल (bala) meaning "strength, might" combined with the name of the Hindu deity
Rama 1. This is the name of a Hindu god, the elder brother of
Krishna.
Balbus m Ancient RomanRoman cognomen meaning
"stammerer" in Latin. This was a family name of the mother of Emperor Augustus, Atia Balba Caesonia.
Balder m Norse MythologyFrom Old Norse
Baldr meaning
"hero, lord, prince", derived from
baldr meaning "brave, bold". In Norse mythology Balder was the handsome son of
Odin and
Frigg. Because of the disturbing dreams he had when he was young, his mother extracted an oath from every thing in the world that it would not harm him. However the devious god
Loki learned that she had overlooked mistletoe. Being jealous, he tricked the blind god
Hoder into throwing a branch of mistletoe at Balder, which killed him.
Baldilo m GermanicOriginally a diminutive of names containing the Old German element
bald meaning
"bold, brave" (Proto-Germanic *
balþaz).
Baldric m English (Archaic)Derived from the Old German elements
bald "bold, brave" and
rih "ruler, king". It was borne by a 7th-century Frankish saint, the founder of the monastery of Montfaucon. The Normans introduced this name to Britain, and it was common in the Middle Ages.
Baldwin m English, GermanicMeans
"bold friend", derived from the Old German elements
bald "bold, brave" and
wini "friend". In the Middle Ages this was a popular name in Flanders and among the Normans, who brought it to Britain. It was borne by one of the leaders of the First Crusade, an 11th-century nobleman from Flanders. After the crusaders conquered Jerusalem, he was crowned as the king of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.
Balfour m English (Rare)From a Scottish surname, originally from various place names, themselves derived from Gaelic
baile "village" and
pòr "pasture, crop, cropland".
Balor m Irish MythologyMeaning uncertain. In Irish mythology Balor was a giant king of the Fomorians. He had an evil eye that could destroy opposing armies, though it took four men to pull open the eyelid. In battle with the Tuatha Dé Danann he slew their king
Nuada, but was himself killed when the hero
Lugh shot a stone into his eye.
Balthazar m Judeo-Christian-Islamic LegendVariant of
Belshazzar. Balthazar is the name traditionally assigned to one of the wise men (also known as the Magi, or three kings) who visited the newborn
Jesus. He was said to have come from Arabia. This name was utilized by Shakespeare for minor characters in
The Comedy of Errors (1594) and
The Merchant of Venice (1596).
Banks m English (Modern)From an English surname that that was given to a person who lived near a hillside or a bank of land.
Banquo m LiteratureMeaning uncertain, possibly derived from Scottish Gaelic
bàn "white" and
cù "dog, hound". This is the name of a character in William Shakespeare's semi-historical tragedy
Macbeth (1606). He earlier appears in
Holinshed's Chronicles (1587), one of Shakespeare's sources for the play.
Bao f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
宝 (bǎo) meaning "treasure, jewel, precious, rare",
褒 (bāo) meaning "praise, honour" or
苞 (bāo) meaning "bud" (which is usually only feminine). Other Chinese characters are possible as well.
Baptiste m FrenchMeans
"baptist" in French, originally deriving from Greek
βάπτω (bapto) meaning "to dip". This name is usually given in honour of Saint John the Baptist, and as such it is often paired with the name
Jean.
Baqi m ArabicMeans
"eternal" in Arabic. This was the pen name of a 16th-century Turkish poet.
Baqir m ArabicMeans
"to rip open" in Arabic. Muhammad al-Baqir was the fifth imam of the Shia Muslims.
Barack m ArabicAlternate transcription of Arabic
باراك (see
Barak 2). A famous bearer is former American president Barack Obama (1961-), who was named after his Kenyan father.
Baran f & m Persian, Turkish, KurdishMeans
"rain" in Persian. It is typically feminine in Persian and masculine in Turkish and Kurdish.
Barclay m English (Rare)From a Scottish and English surname that was derived from the English place name
Berkeley, itself from Old English
beorc "birch" and
leah "woodland, clearing".
Bård m NorwegianNorwegian form of the Old Norse name
Bárðr, which was derived from the elements
bǫð "battle" and
friðr "peace".
Barlaam m Judeo-Christian-Islamic LegendMeaning unknown. In Christian legends Barlaam (recorded as Greek
Βαρλαάμ) was a 3rd-century hermit who converted Josaphat, the son of an Indian king, to Christianity. The story is based on that of the Buddha. This name was also borne by two saints.
Barrett m EnglishFrom a surname probably meaning
"quarrelsome, deceptive" in Middle English, originally given to a quarrelsome person.
Bartholomew m English, BiblicalEnglish form of
Βαρθολομαῖος (Bartholomaios), which was the Greek form of an Aramaic name meaning
"son of Talmai". In the New Testament
Bartholomew is the byname of an apostle, possibly the same person as the apostle
Nathanael. According to tradition he was a missionary to India before returning westward to Armenia, where he was martyred by flaying. Due to the popularity of this saint the name became common in England during the Middle Ages.
Baruch m Biblical, Biblical Latin, HebrewMeans
"blessed" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of a companion of the prophet Jeremiah, acting as his scribe and assistant. The deuterocanonical Book of Baruch was supposedly written by him. A famous bearer was Baruch Spinoza (1632-1677), a Dutch-Jewish rationalist philosopher.
Basajaun m Basque MythologyMeans
"lord of the woods" from Basque
baso "woods" and
jaun "lord". This is the name of a character in Basque folklore, the Old Man of the Woods.
Basil 1 m EnglishFrom the Greek name
Βασίλειος (Basileios), which was derived from
βασιλεύς (basileus) meaning
"king". Saint Basil the Great was a 4th-century bishop of Caesarea and one of the fathers of the early Christian church. Due to him, the name (in various spellings) has come into general use in the Christian world, being especially popular among Eastern Christians. It was also borne by two Byzantine emperors.
Basir m ArabicMeans
"wise" in Arabic. In Islamic tradition
البصير (al-Basir) is one of the 99 names of Allah.
Bassanio m LiteratureUsed by Shakespeare for the friend of
Antonio and suitor of
Portia in his play
The Merchant of Venice (1596). It is probably from the Latin word
bassus meaning
"thick, low", or from the related Roman cognomen
Bassianus (borne by a 4th-century saint who was a bishop of Lodi).
Batraz m Ossetian, Caucasian MythologyPossibly from Turkic
bagatur meaning
"hero, warrior, brave". This is the name of the leader of the superhuman Narts in Caucasian mythology.
Batu m MongolianMeans
"strong, firm" in Mongolian. Batu Khan was a 13th-century Mongol leader, the founder of the Golden Horde.
Batuhan m TurkishCombination of
Batu and Turkish
han meaning "khan, ruler, leader", referring to the 13th-century Mongol ruler Batu Khan.
Batyr m TurkmenTurkmen form of the Turkic word
bagatur meaning
"hero, warrior".
Baudilio m SpanishFrom
Baudilius, a Latinized form of a possibly Frankish name formed of the element
bald "bold, brave". Saint Baudilius (or Baudilus) was a 3rd or 4th-century saint who was martyred at Nîmes in France.
Baxter m EnglishFrom an occupational surname that meant
"(female) baker", from Old English
bæcere and a feminine agent suffix.
Bayard m LiteratureDerived from Old French
baiart meaning
"bay coloured". In medieval French poetry Bayard was a bay horse owned by Renaud de Montauban and his brothers. The horse could magically adjust its size to carry multiple riders.
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".
Bear m English (Modern)From the English word for the animal, derived from Old English
bera, probably derived from a root meaning "brown".
Beatus m Late RomanMasculine form of
Beata. According to legend, Saint Beatus was ordained a priest by Saint
Peter and evangelized in Switzerland. Another saint by this name was an 8th-century Asturian theologian.
Beau m & f English, Dutch (Modern)Means
"beautiful, handsome" in French. It has been used as a given name since the middle of the 20th century. In Margaret Mitchell's novel
Gone with the Wind (1936) this is the name of Ashley and Melanie's son.
... [more] Beck m & f English (Rare)From a surname of English, German or Scandinavian origins, all derived from related words meaning
"stream". As a feminine name, in some cases it is a short form of
Rebecca. A noted bearer is the American rock musician Beck Hansen (1970-), born Bek David Campbell, who goes by the stage name Beck.
Beckett m English (Modern)From an English surname that could be derived from various sources, including from Middle English
bec meaning
"beak" or
bekke meaning
"stream, brook".
Beckham m English (Modern)From an English surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"Becca's homestead". The Old English byname
Becca meant
"pickaxe". A famous bearer of the surname is retired English soccer player David Beckham (1975-).
Bede m History (Ecclesiastical)Modern form of the Old English name
Baeda, possibly related to Old English
bed "prayer". Saint Bede, called the Venerable Bede, was an 8th-century historian, scholar and Doctor of the Church.
Bedivere m Welsh Mythology, Arthurian RomanceFrom the Welsh name
Bedwyr, possibly from
bedwen "birch" and
gwr "man". In Arthurian legends Bedivere was one of the original companions of King
Arthur. He first appears in early Welsh tales, and his story was later expanded by Geoffrey of Monmouth in the 12th century. He is the one who throws the sword Excalibur into the lake at the request of the dying Arthur.
Beetlejuice m Popular CultureVariant of
Betelgeuse used for the title character of the movie
Beetlejuice (1988), about an obnoxious ghost who is commissioned to scare a family out of their new house. The character's name is spelled
Betelgeuse in the credits, though in other media it appears as
Beetlejuice.
Behar m AlbanianFrom the archaic Albanian word
behar meaning
"summer".
Behnam m PersianMeans
"reputable" (literally
"good name") in Persian.
Bekzat m KazakhFrom the Turkic military title
beg meaning "chieftain, master" and the Persian suffix
زاد (zad) meaning "son of".
Béla m HungarianThe meaning of this name is not known for certain. It could be derived from Hungarian
bél meaning "guts, bowel" or Slavic
бѣлъ (belu) meaning "white". This was the name of four Hungarian kings.
Belenus m Gaulish MythologyLatinized form of Gaulish
Belenos or
Belinos, possibly from Celtic roots meaning either
"bright, brilliant" (from Indo-European *
bhel-) or
"strong" (from Indo-European *
bel-). This was the name of a Gaulish god who was often equated with
Apollo. He is mostly known from Gallo-Roman inscriptions and was especially venerated in Aquileia in northern Italy.
Beli m Welsh MythologyProbably a Welsh derivative of
Belenus. Beli Mawr was a Welsh ancestor deity who established several royal lines in Wales.
Belial m Biblical, Biblical Latin, Judeo-Christian-Islamic LegendMeans
"worthless" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this term is used to refer to various wicked people. In the New Testament, Paul uses it as a name for Satan. In later Christian tradition Belial became an evil angel associated with lawlessness and lust.
Bellerophon m Greek MythologyFrom
Βελλεροφόντης (Bellerophontes), possibly from Greek
βέλος (belos) meaning "dart" and the suffix
φόντης (phontes) meaning "slayer of". Alternatively the first element might come from a defeated foe named Belleros, who is otherwise unattested. In Greek legend Bellerophon or Bellerophontes was a hero who tamed
Pegasus and killed the monstrous Chimera. He was killed by
Zeus when he attempted to ride Pegasus to Mount Olympus.
Bello m Western African, Fula, HausaPossibly from Fula
ballo meaning
"helper". This name was borne by Muhammad Bello (1781-1837), the second leader of the Sokoto Caliphate.
Belshazzar m Babylonian (Anglicized), BiblicalFrom
בֵּלְשַׁאצַּר (Belshatzzar), the Hebrew form of the Akkadian name
Bel-sharra-usur meaning "
Bel protect the king". This was the name of the son of Nabonidus, the last king of the Babylonian Empire before the Persians conquered it in the 6th century BC. In the Old Testament Book of Daniel Belshazzar is the last king of Babylon who sees the mystical handwriting on the wall, which is interpreted by Daniel to portend the end of the empire.
Bendegúz m HungarianHungarian variant of the Turkic name
Mundzuk, possibly from
mončuq meaning
"jewel, bead". This was the name of
Attila the Hun's father.
Benedict m EnglishFrom the Late Latin name
Benedictus, which meant
"blessed". Saint Benedict was an Italian monk who founded the Benedictines in the 6th century. After his time the name was common among Christians, being used by 16 popes. In England it did not come into use until the 12th century, at which point it became very popular. This name was also borne by the American general Benedict Arnold (1741-1801), who defected to Britain during the American Revolution.
Benigno m Spanish, Italian, Portuguese (Rare)Spanish, Italian and Portuguese form of the Late Latin name
Benignus, which meant
"kind, friendly". This was the name of several saints including a 5th-century disciple of Saint
Patrick who later became the archbishop of Armagh.
Benito m Spanish, ItalianSpanish form of
Benedict. This name was borne by Mexican president Benito Juárez, and also by Benito Mussolini (who was named after Juárez), the fascist dictator of Italy during World War II.
Benjamin m English, French, German, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, Slovene, Croatian, BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
בִּנְיָמִין (Binyamin) meaning
"son of the south" or
"son of the right hand", from the roots
בֵּן (ben) meaning "son" and
יָמִין (yamin) meaning "right hand, south". Benjamin in the Old Testament was the twelfth and youngest son of
Jacob and the founder of one of the southern tribes of the Hebrews. He was originally named
בֶּן־אוֹנִי (Ben-'oni) meaning "son of my sorrow" by his mother
Rachel, who died shortly after childbirth, but it was later changed by his father (see
Genesis 35:18).
... [more] Bennett m EnglishMedieval form of
Benedict. This was the more common spelling in England until the 18th century. Modern use of the name is probably also influenced by the common surname
Bennett, itself a derivative of the medieval name.
Benno m GermanShort form of German names containing the element
bern "bear".
Bentley m EnglishFrom a surname that was from a place name, itself derived from Old English
beonet "bent grass" and
leah "woodland, clearing". Various towns in England bear this name.
Benton m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from a place name, composed of Old English
beonet "bent grass" and
tun "enclosure".
Benvenuto m ItalianMeans
"welcome" in Italian. A famous bearer was the Italian Renaissance sculptor and writer Benvenuto Cellini (1500-1571).