Andor 1 m NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Arnþórr, derived from the element
ǫrn "eagle" combined with the name of the Norse god
Þórr (see
Thor).
Andrea 1 m ItalianItalian form of
Andreas (see
Andrew). A notable bearer of this name was Andrea Verrocchio, a Renaissance sculptor who taught Leonardo da Vinci and Perugino.
Andreas m German, Greek, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Welsh, Ancient Greek, Biblical Latin, Biblical GreekAncient Greek and Latin form of
Andrew. It is also the form used in Modern Greek, German and Welsh.
Andrew m English, BiblicalEnglish form of the Greek name
Ἀνδρέας (Andreas), which was derived from
ἀνδρεῖος (andreios) meaning
"manly, masculine", a derivative of
ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man". In the New Testament the apostle Andrew, the first disciple to join
Jesus, is the brother of
Simon Peter. According to tradition, he later preached in the Black Sea region, with some legends saying he was crucified on an X-shaped cross.
Andrew, being a Greek name, was probably only a nickname or a translation of his real Hebrew name, which is not known.
... [more] Aneirin m Old Welsh, WelshOld Welsh name, possibly from the Latin name
Honorius. This was the name of a 6th-century Brythonic poet, also known as Neirin or Aneurin, who is said to be the author of the poem
Y Gododdin.
Angra Mainyu m Persian MythologyMeans
"evil spirit", from Avestan
𐬀𐬢𐬭𐬀 (angra) meaning "evil, destructive" and
𐬨𐬀𐬌𐬥𐬌𐬌𐬎 (mainiiu) meaning "spirit, mind". In Zoroastrianism Angra Mainyu was the god of darkness, death and destruction, the enemy of
Ahura Mazda.
Anker m DanishFrom the Old Danish name
Ankarl, of uncertain meaning, possibly a combination of Old Norse
ǫrn "eagle" and
karl "man".
Ansar m Arabic, UrduMeans
"helpers" in Arabic, referring to those who helped the Prophet
Muhammad when he came to Medina.
Ansbert m GermanicComposed of the Old German elements
ansi "god" and
beraht "bright". It is a cognate of
Osbert. This name was borne by a 7th-century Frankish saint, a bishop of Rouen.
Antares m AstronomyFrom Greek
Ἀντάρης (Antares), traditionally said to mean
"opposing Ares". This is the name of the brightest star in the constellation Scorpius.
Anteros m Greek MythologyMeans
"love returned" in Greek, derived from
ἀντί (anti) meaning "against, compared to, like" and
ἔρως (eros) meaning "love". Anteros was the Greek god of requited love, the brother of
Eros.
Anterus m Late RomanDerived from Greek
ἀνθηρός (antheros) meaning
"flowery". This name was notably borne by a 3rd-century pope.
Antipater m Ancient Greek (Latinized)From the Greek name
Ἀντίπατρος (Antipatros), which meant
"like the father" from Greek
ἀντί (anti) meaning "against, compared to, like" and
πατήρ (pater) meaning "father" (genitive
πατρός). This was the name of an officer of Alexander the Great who became the regent of Macedon during Alexander's absence.
Anwar m Arabic, Urdu, IndonesianMeans
"brighter, more luminous" in Arabic, related to
نور (nūr) meaning "light". This name was borne by Egyptian president Anwar Sadat (1918-1981), who was assassinated three years after being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Apollinaire m French (Rare)French form of
Apollinaris. It was adopted as a surname by the Polish-French poet Guillaume Apollinaire (1880-1918), who based it on his Polish middle name Apolinary.
Apollinaris m Ancient GreekAncient Greek name derived from the name of the god
Apollo. This was the name of several early saints and martyrs, including a bishop of Ravenna and a bishop of Hierapolis.
Ara m Armenian, Armenian MythologyMeaning unknown, possibly of Sumerian origin. In Armenian legend this was the name of an Armenian king who was so handsome that the Assyrian queen
Semiramis went to war to capture him. During the war Ara was slain.
Aragorn m LiteratureMeaning unexplained, though the first element is presumably Sindarin
ara "noble, kingly". This is the name of a character in
The Lord of the Rings (1954) by J. R. R. Tolkien. In the book Aragorn is the heir of the Dúnedain kings of the north.
Aram 2 m ArmenianMeaning uncertain. According to the 5th-century Armenian historian Movses Khorenatsi this was the name of an ancient ancestor of the Armenian people. A famous bearer was the composer Aram Khachaturian (1903-1978).
Aramazd m Armenian MythologyArmenian form of
Ahura Mazda. This was the name of the supreme creator god in pre-Christian Armenian mythology. He and other Zoroastrian deities were introduced to Armenia during the period of Iranian domination in the 1st millenium BC.
Aramis m LiteratureThe surname of one of the musketeers in
The Three Musketeers (1844) by Alexandre Dumas. Dumas based the character on the 17th-century Henri d'Aramitz, whose surname was derived from the French village of Aramits (itself from Basque
aran meaning "valley").
Aran 1 m & f IrishFrom the name of the Aran Islands off the west coast of Ireland.
Aran 3 m & f CatalanFrom the name of a mountainous region in the north of Catalonia where the Occitan language is spoken, originally derived from Basque
haran meaning "valley".
Ararat m ArmenianFrom the name of a mountain in eastern Turkey (formerly part of Armenia), the place where
Noah's Ark came to rest according to the Old Testament.
Arash m Persian, Persian MythologyFrom Avestan
𐬆𐬭𐬆𐬑𐬱𐬀 (Ərəxsha), of uncertain meaning, possibly from a root meaning
"bear". In Iranian legend Arash was an archer who was ordered by the Turans to shoot an arrow, the landing place of which would determine the new location of the Iran-Turan border. Arash climbed a mountain and fired his arrow with such strength that it flew for several hours and landed on the banks of the far-away Oxus River.
Arata m JapaneseFrom Japanese
新 (arata) meaning "fresh, new". Other kanji or kanji combinations can also form this name.
Arawn m Welsh MythologyMeaning unknown. This was the name of the god of the underworld, called Annwfn, in Welsh mythology.
Archer m EnglishFrom an English surname meaning
"bowman, archer", of Old French origin. Although already slowly growing in popularity, this name accelerated its rise after the premiere of the American television series
Archer in 2009.
Archibald m Scottish, EnglishDerived from the Germanic name
Ercanbald, composed of the elements
erkan meaning "pure, holy, genuine" and
bald meaning "bold, brave". The first element was altered due to the influence of Greek names beginning with the element
ἀρχός (archos) meaning "master". The Normans brought this name to England. It first became common in Scotland in the Middle Ages (sometimes used to Anglicize the Gaelic name
Gilleasbuig, for unknown reasons).
Archie m Scottish, EnglishDiminutive of
Archibald. This name is borne by Archie Andrews, an American comic-book character created in 1941. It was also used by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle for the name of their son born 2019.
Archil m GeorgianMeaning unknown, of Persian origin. This was the name of an 8th-century Georgian noble who was executed for refusing to convert to Islam.
Archimedes m Ancient GreekDerived from the Greek elements
ἀρχός (archos) meaning "master" and
μήδεα (medea) meaning "plans, counsel, cunning". This was the name of a 3rd-century BC Greek mathematician, astronomer and inventor.
Archippos m Ancient Greek, Biblical GreekMeans
"master of horses" from the Greek elements
ἀρχός (archos) meaning "master" and
ἵππος (hippos) meaning "horse". In the New Testament it is borne by a man mentioned in the epistles (spelled as
Archippus, the Latinized form, in the English version).
Arcturus m AstronomyFrom Ancient Greek
Ἀρκτοῦρος (Arktouros), the name of the fourth brightest star in the sky, part of the constellation Boötes. It means
"guardian of the bear", derived from
ἄρκτος (arktos) meaning "bear" and
οὖρος (ouros) meaning "guardian", referring to the star's position close to the constellations Ursa Minor and Ursa Major.
Arda m TurkishPossibly means
"marker, stake" in Turkish.
Ardashir m Middle PersianMiddle Persian form of Old Persian
Artaxšaça (see
Artaxerxes). This was the name of a 3rd-century king of Persia who defeated the Parthians and founded the Sasanian Empire. He also reestablished Zoroastrianism as the state religion.
Arden m & f EnglishFrom an English surname, originally taken from various place names, which were derived from a Celtic word meaning
"high".
Ardit m AlbanianMeans
"golden day" in Albanian, from
ar "gold" and
ditë "day".
Areg m ArmenianMeans
"sun, bright" in Armenian (a poetic word).
Ares m Greek MythologyPerhaps from either Greek
ἀρή (are) meaning
"bane, ruin" or
ἄρσην (arsen) meaning
"male". The name first appears as
a-re in Mycenaean Greek writing. Ares was the bloodthirsty god of war in Greek mythology, a son of
Zeus and
Hera.
Aretas m BiblicalGreek form of an Aramaic name, of unknown meaning. This was the name of four Nabataean kings of
Petra in Jordan, including the first king (2nd century BC). King Aretas IV is mentioned briefly in the New Testament.
Argider m BasqueDerived from Basque
argi "light" and
eder "beautiful".
Argimiro m SpanishSpanish form of
Argimirus, the Latin form of a Visigothic or Suebi name probably composed of the Germanic elements
heri "army" and
mari "famous". This name was borne by a 9th-century Spanish saint who was martyred by the Moors.
Argus m Greek Mythology (Latinized)From the Greek
Ἄργος (Argos), derived from
ἀργός (argos) meaning
"glistening, shining". This name was borne by several characters from Greek myth, including the man who built the Argo and a giant with one hundred eyes.
Aridai m BiblicalMeaning uncertain, possibly of Persian origin. In the Old Testament this is the name of one of the ten sons of
Haman killed by the Jews.
Ariel m & f Hebrew, English, French, Spanish, Polish, Biblical, Biblical GreekMeans
"lion of God" in Hebrew, from
אֲרִי (ʾari) meaning "lion" and
אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". In the Old Testament it is used as another name for the city of Jerusalem. Shakespeare utilized it for a spirit in his play
The Tempest (1611) and Alexander Pope utilized it for a sylph in his poem
The Rape of the Lock (1712), and one of the moons of Uranus bears this name in his honour. As an English name, it became more common for females in the 1980s, especially after it was used for the title character in the Disney film
The Little Mermaid (1989).
Aries m AstronomyMeans
"ram" in Latin. This is the name of a constellation and the first sign of the zodiac. Some Roman legends state that the ram in the constellation was the one who supplied the Golden Fleece sought by
Jason.
Aristotle m Ancient Greek (Anglicized)From the Greek name
Ἀριστοτέλης (Aristoteles) meaning
"the best purpose", derived from
ἄριστος (aristos) meaning "best" and
τέλος (telos) meaning "purpose, result, completion". This was the name of a Greek philosopher of the 4th century BC who made lasting contributions to Western thought, including the fields of logic, metaphysics, ethics and biology.
Arius m Ancient Greek (Latinized)Latinized form of the Greek name
Ἄρειος (Areios), derived from the name of the Greek god
Ares. Arius was a 4th-century Christian theologian, the founder of the doctrine known as Arianism (which was condemned as heretical in his lifetime).
Arjuna m HinduismMeans
"white, clear" in Sanskrit. In the Hindu epic the
Mahabharata this is the name of one of the five Pandavas, the sons of
Pandu. He was actually fathered by the god
Indra and Pandu's wife
Kunti. Arjuna was known as a skilled archer.
... [more] Arkadios m Ancient GreekFrom an ancient Greek name meaning
"of Arcadia". Arcadia was a region in Greece, its name deriving from
ἄρκτος (arktos) meaning "bear". This was the name of a 3rd-century saint and martyr.
Arkadiy m RussianRussian form of
Arkadios. This is the name of one of the main characters in Ivan Turgenev's
Fathers and Sons (1862).
Arlo m EnglishMeaning uncertain. It was perhaps inspired by the fictional place name Arlo Hill from the poem
The Faerie Queene (1590) by Edmund Spenser. Spenser probably got Arlo by altering the real Irish place name Aherlow, meaning "between two highlands".
Arlotto m Medieval ItalianMedieval Italian name, recorded in Latin as
Arlotus. It is possibly from Old French
herlot meaning
"vagabond, tramp".
Armani m & f English (Modern)From an Italian surname meaning
"son of Ermanno". It has been used as a given name due to the fashion company Armani, which was founded by the clothing designer Giorgio Armani (1934-).
Armas m FinnishMeans
"beloved" in Finnish (an archaic poetic word).
Armel m Breton, FrenchBreton and French form of the Old Welsh name
Arthmail, which was composed of the elements
arth "bear" and
mael "prince, chieftain". This was the name of a 6th-century Welsh saint who founded abbeys in Brittany.
Arminius m Old Germanic (Latinized)Latinized form of a Germanic name, possibly derived from the element *
ermunaz meaning
"whole, universal". Other theories claim that it is related to
Herman, or that it is not Germanic at all. Arminius was a 1st-century chief of the Germanic tribe of the Cherusci. Raised in Rome as a hostage, he eventually became a citizen and joined the army. However, he turned against the Empire, leading the Germans in a surprise attack in the Teutoburg Forest and driving the Romans from Germania.
Arnfinn m NorwegianNorwegian form of
Arnfinnr, which was derived from the elements
ǫrn "eagle" and
finnr "Sámi, person from Finland".
Arnold m English, German, Dutch, Polish, GermanicFrom a Germanic name meaning
"eagle power", derived from the elements
arn "eagle" and
walt "power, authority". The Normans brought it to England, where it replaced the Old English cognate
Earnweald. It died out as an English name after the Middle Ages, but it was revived in the 19th century.
... [more] Arnulf m German, GermanicGermanic name derived from the elements
arn meaning "eagle" and
wolf meaning "wolf". This name was borne by a few early saints, notably a 7th-century Frankish bishop of Metz. It was also the name of a 9th-century Holy Roman emperor.
Árpád m HungarianFrom Hungarian
árpa meaning
"barley". This was the name of a 9th-century Magyar ruler who led his people into Hungary. He is considered a Hungarian national hero.
Arran m ScottishFrom the name of an island off the west coast of Scotland in the Firth of Clyde.
Arsène m FrenchFrench form of
Arsenios. A notable fictional bearer is Arsène Lupin, a gentleman burglar in novels by Maurice Leblanc, beginning 1907.
Arsenios m Ancient GreekMeans
"virile" in Greek. Saint Arsenius was a 5th-century deacon who was tutor to the two sons of the Roman emperor Theodosius. The two sons, Arcadius and Honorius, divided the empire into eastern and western halves upon their father's death.
Artabazos m Old Persian (Hellenized)Greek form of the Old Persian name *
Artavazda meaning
"persevering through truth", a calque of Avestan
𐬀𐬴𐬀𐬎𐬎𐬀𐬰𐬛𐬀𐬵 (Ashauuazdah). This was the name of two Achaemenid Persian satraps of Hellespontine Phrygia.
Artak m ArmenianOld Armenian name, probably derived from Old Persian
𐎠𐎼𐎫 (arta) meaning
"truth", perhaps originally a short form of names beginning with that element.