Bjørnar m NorwegianFrom the Old Norse elements
bjǫrn "bear" and
herr "army, warrior". This name was coined in the 19th century.
Blair m & f Scottish, EnglishFrom a Scottish surname that was derived from Gaelic
blàr meaning
"plain, field, battlefield". In Scotland this name is typically masculine.
... [more] Blanchard m GermanicDerived from the Old German elements
blanc meaning "white" and
hart meaning "hard, firm, brave, hardy". This was the name of an obscure (perhaps legendary) 7th-century French saint.
Bolívar m Spanish (Latin American)From a surname that was taken from the Basque place name
Bolibar, which was derived from
bolu "mill" and
ibar "riverside". A famous bearer of the surname was Simón Bolívar (1783-1830), a South American revolutionary leader, after whom the country of Bolivia is named.
Bomilcar m Phoenician (Latinized)From the Punic name
𐤁𐤃𐤌𐤋𐤒𐤓𐤕 (Bodmilqart), from Phoenician
𐤁𐤃 (bod) meaning "on behalf of" or perhaps from
𐤏𐤁𐤃 (ʿabd) meaning "servant, slave" combined with the name of the god
Melqart. This name was borne by a few figures from Carthaginian history.
Bonaventura m Italian, CatalanMeans
"good fortune" in Italian, from Latin
bonus "good" and
venturas "the things that will come, the future". Saint Bonaventura was a 13th-century Franciscan monk who is considered a Doctor of the Church.
Bradford m EnglishFrom an English surname that originally came from a place name that meant
"broad ford" in Old English.
Burkhard m German, GermanicDerived from the Old German elements
burg "fortress" and
hart "hard, firm, brave, hardy", or perhaps from the Old English cognate
Burgheard. Saint Burkhard was an 8th-century Anglo-Saxon missionary to Germany (a companion of
Boniface) who became the first bishop of Würzburg.
Cadeyrn m Welsh (Rare)From Old Welsh
Catigirn meaning
"battle king", derived from
cat "battle" and
tigirn "king, monarch". This was the name of a 5th-century king of Powys in Wales, the son of
Vortigern.
Cadwaladr m WelshFrom Old Welsh
Catgualatr (also recorded in many other spellings) meaning
"leader of the battle", from
cat "battle" and
gwaladr "leader". This was the name of a 7th-century king of Gwynedd. According to Geoffrey of Monmouth he was the last king of all of the Britons. This name was also borne by a 7th-century Welsh saint.
Caesar m Ancient RomanFrom a Roman cognomen that possibly meant
"hairy", from Latin
caesaries "hair". Julius Caesar and his adopted son Julius Caesar Octavianus (commonly known as Augustus) were both rulers of the Roman Empire in the 1st century BC.
Caesar was used as a title by the emperors that came after them.
Çağrı m & f TurkishMeans
"invitation" or
"falcon" in Turkish.
Cahir m IrishAnglicized form of Irish
Cathaoir, possibly meaning
"battle man" from Old Irish
cath "battle" and
fer "man".
Cairbre m IrishMeans
"charioteer" in Irish. This was the name of two semi-legendary high kings of Ireland.
Calogero m ItalianFrom the Late Latin name
Calogerus meaning
"beautiful elder", from Greek
καλός (kalos) meaning "beautiful" and
γέρων (geron) meaning "old man, elder". This was the name of a 5th-century saint, a hermit of Sicily.
Cameron m & f EnglishFrom the Scottish surname
Cameron meaning
"crooked nose", derived from Gaelic
cam "crooked" and
sròn "nose". As a given name it is mainly used for boys. It got a little bump in popularity for girls in the second half of the 1990s, likely because of the fame of actress Cameron Diaz (1972-). In the United States, the forms
Camryn and
Kamryn are now more popular than
Cameron for girls.
Caner m TurkishFrom Turkish
can meaning "soul, life" and
er meaning "man, hero, brave".
Caracalla m Ancient RomanFrom Latin
caracalla, which referred to a type of hooded tunic worn by the Gauls. This was the agnomen, or nickname, of a 3rd-century Roman emperor.
Caradog m Welsh, Arthurian CycleFrom the Old Welsh name
Caratauc, a Welsh form of
Caratācos. This is the name of several figures in Welsh history and legend, including an 8th-century king of Gwynedd, a 12th-century saint, and a son of
Brân the Blessed. In Arthurian romance Caradog is a Knight of the Round Table. He first appears in Welsh poems, with his story expanded by French authors such as Chrétien de Troyes.
Caratacus m Brythonic (Latinized)Latinized form of the Brythonic name *
Caratācos meaning
"loved", derived from the old Celtic root *
karu "to love". According to Roman writers, this was the name of a 1st-century British chieftain who rebelled against Roman rule.
Carey m & f EnglishFrom an Irish surname, the Anglicized form of
Ó Ciardha, which is a patronymic derived from the given name
Ciardha.
Carl m German, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, EnglishGerman and Scandinavian variant of
Karl (see
Charles). Noteworthy bearers of the name include the Swedish biologist Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778), who founded modern taxonomy, the German mathematician Carl Gauss (1777-1855), who made contributions to number theory and algebra as well as physics and astronomy, and the Swiss psychologist Carl Jung (1875-1961), who founded analytical psychology. It was imported to America in the 19th century by German immigrants.
Carlisle m & f English (Rare)From a surname that was derived from the name of a city in northern England. The city was originally called by the Romans
Luguvalium meaning "stronghold of
Lugus". Later the Brythonic element
ker "fort" was appended to the name of the city.
Carloman m GermanicFrom an Old German name derived from
karl meaning "man" and
man meaning "person, man". This was the name of several Frankish rulers, including the 8th-century Carloman I who ruled jointly with his brother
Charlemagne for a time.
Carmel f & m English, JewishFrom the title of the Virgin
Mary Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
כַּרְמֶל (Karmel) (meaning "garden" in Hebrew) is a mountain in Israel mentioned in the Old Testament. It was the site of several early Christian monasteries. As an English given name, it has mainly been used by Catholics. As a Jewish name it is unisex.
Carmi m BiblicalMeans
"vine" in Hebrew. This is the name of a son of
Reuben in the Old Testament.
Carol 1 f & m EnglishShort form of
Caroline. It was formerly a masculine name, derived from
Carolus. The name can also be given in reference to the English vocabulary word, which means "song" or "hymn".
Caron f & m WelshFrom the name of places near the town of Tregaron in Ceredigion, Wales.
Carpus m Biblical, Biblical LatinLatin form of the Greek name
Καρπός (Karpos), which meant
"fruit, profits". The name is mentioned briefly in the New Testament in the second epistle of Timothy.
Carroll m IrishAnglicized form of
Cearbhall. A famous bearer of the surname was Lewis Carroll (1832-1898), whose real name was Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, a British author known for
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
Carson m & f EnglishFrom a Scottish surname of uncertain meaning. A famous bearer of the surname was the American scout Kit Carson (1809-1868).
Carter m EnglishFrom an English surname that meant
"one who uses a cart". A famous bearer of the surname is former American president Jimmy Carter (1924-2024).
Carthach m Old IrishMeans
"loving" in Irish. This was the name of two Irish saints, from the 6th and 7th centuries.
Carwyn m WelshDerived from Welsh
caru "to love" and
gwyn "white, blessed". This name was created in the 20th century.
Cary m & f EnglishVariant of
Carey. A famous bearer was the British-American actor Cary Grant (1904-1986).
Casimir m English, FrenchEnglish form of the Polish name
Kazimierz, derived from the Slavic element
kaziti "to destroy" combined with
mirŭ "peace, world". Four kings of Poland have borne this name, including Casimir III the Great, who greatly strengthened the Polish state in the 14th century. It was also borne Saint Casimir, a 15th-century Polish prince and a patron saint of Poland and Lithuania. The name was imported into Western Europe via Germany, where it was borne by some royalty.
Castor m Greek Mythology (Latinized)From the Greek name
Κάστωρ (Kastor), possibly related to
κέκασμαι (kekasmai) meaning
"to excel, to shine" (pluperfect
κέκαστο). Alternatively it could be derived from the Greek word
κάστωρ (kastor) meaning
"beaver", though the legends about Castor do not mention beavers, which were foreign animals to the Greeks. In Greek myth Castor was a son of
Zeus and the twin brother of
Pollux. The constellation Gemini, which represents the two brothers, contains a star by this name.
Cearbhall m IrishFrom Old Irish
Cerball, probably from
cerb meaning
"pointed, sharp, cutting". This was the name of a few medieval Irish kings.
Cedar f & m English (Rare)From the English word for the coniferous tree, derived (via Old French and Latin) from Greek
κέδρος (kedros). Besides the true cedars from the genus Cedrus, it is also used to refer to some tree species in the cypress family.
Chandler m & f EnglishFrom an occupational surname that meant
"candle seller" or
"candle maker" in Middle English, ultimately from Latin
candela via Old French. It surged in popularity after the 1994 debut of the American sitcom
Friends, featuring a character by this name.
Chares m Ancient GreekDerived from Greek
χάρις (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.
Charibert m GermanicOld German (Frankish) variant of
Haribert. This name was borne by two Merovingian kings of the Franks (6th and 7th centuries).
Charizard m Popular CultureFrom a blend of the English words
char and
lizard. This is the name of a dragon-like creature in the Pokémon series of video games starting 1996. Technically the name of the species, it is used as a given name for the creature in some contexts. It is called
リザードン (Rizādon) in Japan.
Charlemagne m HistoryFrom 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.
Charles m English, FrenchFrench and English form of
Carolus, the Latin form of the Germanic name
Karl, which was derived from a word meaning
"man" (Proto-Germanic *
karlaz). However, an alternative theory states that it is derived from the common Germanic name element *
harjaz meaning "army".
... [more] Charlie m & f EnglishDiminutive or feminine form of
Charles. A famous bearer was the British comic actor Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977). It is also borne by Charlie Brown, the main character in the comic strip
Peanuts by Charles Schulz.
Charlton m EnglishFrom a surname that was originally from a place name meaning
"settlement of free men" in Old English.
Charon m Greek 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.
Chiharu f & m JapaneseFrom Japanese
千 (chi) meaning "thousand" combined with
春 (haru) meaning "spring". Other combinations of kanji characters can form this name as well.
Chikara m JapaneseFrom Japanese
力 (chikara) meaning "power, capability, influence". This name can also be formed by other kanji or combinations of kanji.
Ciar m & f Irish, Irish Mythology, Old IrishDerived from Irish
ciar meaning
"black". In Irish legend Ciar was a son of
Fergus mac Róich and
Medb, and the ancestor of the tribe of the Ciarraige (after whom County Kerry is named). As a feminine name, it was borne by an Irish nun (also called
Ciara) who established a monastery in Tipperary in the 7th century.
Ciarán m Irish, Old IrishDiminutive of
Ciar. This was the name of two 6th-century Irish saints: Ciarán the Elder, the founder of the monastery at Saighir, and Ciarán the Younger, the founder of the monastery at Clonmacnoise.
Clarence m EnglishFrom 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.
Clark m EnglishFrom an English surname meaning
"cleric" or
"scribe", from Old English
clerec originally meaning "priest". A famous bearer of the surname was William Clark (1770-1838), an explorer of the west of North America. As a first name it was borne by the American actor Clark Gable (1901-1960), as well as the comic book character Clark Kent, the mild-mannered alter ego of Superman, first created 1938.
Conchobar m Old Irish, Irish MythologyDerived from Old Irish
cú "hound, dog, wolf" (genitive
con) and
cobar "desiring". It has been in use in Ireland for centuries and was the name of several Irish rulers. It was borne by the Ulster king Conchobar mac Nessa, one of the central characters in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology, known for his tragic desire for
Deirdre and his war with Queen
Medb of Connacht.
Crawford m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"crow ford" in Old English.
Dacre m English (Rare)From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name in Cumbria, of Brythonic origin meaning
"trickling stream".
Dagobert m Germanic, GermanMeans
"bright day", derived from Old Frankish
dag or Old High German
tag meaning "day" combined with Old Frankish
berht or Old High German
beraht meaning "bright". This was the name of a 7th-century Merovingian king of the Franks.
... [more] Dáire m Irish, Irish MythologyMeans
"fruitful, fertile" in Irish. This name is borne by many figures in Irish legend, including the Ulster chief Dáire mac Fiachna 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.
Daler m TajikFrom Tajik
далерӣ (daleri) meaning
"courage", ultimately from Persian
دلاور (delāver) meaning "brave, valiant".
Damir 1 m Croatian, Serbian, SlovenePossibly derived from the Slavic elements
danŭ "given" and
mirŭ "peace, world". Otherwise, it might be of Turkic or Russian origin (see
Damir 2). It was popularized by a character from Marija Jurić Zagorka's novel
Gordana (1935).
Damodara m HinduismMeans
"rope around the belly", derived from Sanskrit
दाम (dāma) meaning "rope" and
उदर (udara) meaning "belly". This is another name of the Hindu god
Krishna, given to him because his foster mother
Yashoda tied him to a large urn.
Dar f & m HebrewMeans
"mother-of-pearl, nacre" in Hebrew.
Darby m & f EnglishFrom an English surname, which was derived from the name of the town of
Derby, itself from Old Norse
djúr "animal" and
býr "farm, settlement".
Darcy f & m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from Norman French
d'Arcy, originally denoting one who came from the town of Arcy in La Manche, France. This is the surname of a character, Fitzwilliam Darcy, in Jane Austen's novel
Pride and Prejudice (1813).
Dardan m AlbanianFrom the name of the Dardani, an Illyrian tribe who lived on the Balkan Peninsula. Their name may derive from an Illyrian word meaning "pear". They were unrelated to the ancient people who were also called the Dardans who lived near Troy.
Daren m EnglishVariant of
Darren. In fact this form occurs earlier in American records, though
Darren eventually became more popular.
Darin m EnglishVariant of
Darren. This was the adopted surname of the singer Bobby Darin (1936-1973), who was born Robert Cassotto and chose his stage name from a street sign.
Darius m English, Lithuanian, Romanian, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Old Persian (Latinized)Latin form of Greek
Δαρεῖος (Dareios), from the Old Persian name
𐎭𐎠𐎼𐎹𐎢𐏁 (Darayauš), shortened from
𐎭𐎠𐎼𐎹𐎺𐎢𐏁 (Darayavauš). It means
"possessing goodness", composed of
𐎭𐎠𐎼𐎹 (daraya) meaning "to possess, to hold" and
𐎺𐎢 (vau) meaning "good". Three ancient kings of Persia bore this name, including Darius the Great who expanded the Achaemenid Empire to its greatest extent. His forces invaded Greece but were defeated in the Battle of Marathon.
... [more] Darnell m English, African AmericanFrom an English surname that was derived from Old French
darnel, a type of grass. In some cases the surname may be from a place name, itself derived from Old English
derne "hidden" and
halh "nook".
Darrell m English, African AmericanFrom an English surname that was derived from Norman French
d'Airelle, originally denoting one who came from Airelle in France. As a given name it was moderately popular from the 1930s to the 1970s, but it dropped off the American top 1000 rankings in 2018.
Darren m EnglishThe meaning of this name is not known for certain. In the spelling
Daren, it was used by the novelist Zane Grey for the central character in his novel
The Day of the Beast (1922). Grey may have based it on a rare Irish surname, or perhaps created it as a variant of
Darrell. It was brought to public attention in the late 1950s by the American actor Darren McGavin (1922-2006; born as William Lyle Richardson). It was further popularized in the 1960s by the character Darrin Stephens from the television show
Bewitched.
Darryl m English, African AmericanVariant of
Darrell. In the United States, this spelling was more popular than
Darrell from 1960 to 1966, being especially well-used in the African-American community.
D'Artagnan m LiteratureMeans
"from Artagnan" in French, Artagnan being a town in southwestern France. This was the name of a character in the novel
The Three Musketeers (1884) by Alexandre Dumas. In the novel D'Artagnan is an aspiring musketeer who first duels with the three title characters and then becomes their friend.
Darwin m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from the Old English given name
Deorwine. The surname was borne by the British naturalist Charles Darwin (1809-1882), the man who first proposed the theory of natural selection and subsequently revolutionized biology.
Dasharatha m HinduismMeans
"ten chariots" from Sanskrit
दशन् (daśan) meaning "ten" and
रथ (ratha) meaning "chariot". In the Hindu epic the
Ramayana he is the king of Ayodhya and the father of the hero
Rama. He was given this name because of his skill with a chariot.
Davor m Croatian, Serbian, SloveneMeaning uncertain, possibly from an old Slavic exclamation expressing joy or sorrow. This was the name of a supposed Slavic war god. His name was the basis for the word
davorije, a type of patriotic war song popular in the 19th century.
Dayaram m HindiMeans
"compassion of Rama", from Sanskrit
दया (dayā) meaning "compassion" combined with the name of the god
Rama 1.
Delmar m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from Norman French
de la mare meaning
"from the pond".
Diarmaid m Irish, Irish MythologyMeaning unknown, though it has been suggested that it means
"without envy" in Irish. In Irish legend this was the name of a warrior who became the lover of
Gráinne. It was also the name of several ancient Irish kings.
Diyar m & f KurdishMeans
"apparent, visible, clear" in Kurdish.
Duarte m PortuguesePortuguese form of
Edward. This name was borne by a 15th-century king of Portugal, who was named after his maternal ancestor Edward III of England.
Durward m EnglishFrom an occupational surname meaning
"door guard" in Middle English.
Dzhokhar m ChechenPossibly from Persian
گوهر (gōhar) meaning
"jewel, essence" or
جوهر (jōhar) meaning
"essence, ink" (which comes from the same root, but via a loan to Arabic and retransmission to Persian).
Eadberht m Anglo-SaxonDerived from the Old English elements
ead "wealth, fortune" and
beorht "bright". This was the name of an 8th-century king of Northumbria and three kings of Kent.
Ealdræd m Anglo-SaxonFrom the Old English elements
eald "old" and
ræd "counsel, advice". This name was rarely used after the Norman Conquest.
Earl m EnglishFrom the aristocratic title, which derives from Old English
eorl "nobleman, warrior". It has been used as a given name since the 19th century.
Eberhard m German, GermanicOld German name meaning
"brave boar", derived from the elements
ebur "wild boar" and
hart "hard, firm, brave, hardy". This name was borne by an influential 9th-century Duke of Friuli. It was also the name of a 12th-century German saint, an archbishop of Salzburg.
Edgar m English, French, Portuguese, GermanDerived from the Old English elements
ead "wealth, fortune" and
gar "spear". This was the name of a 10th-century English king, Edgar the Peaceful. The name did not survive long after the Norman Conquest, but it was revived in the 18th century, in part due to a character by this name in Walter Scott's novel
The Bride of Lammermoor (1819), which tells of the tragic love between Edgar Ravenswood and Lucy Ashton. Famous bearers include author and poet Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849), French impressionist painter Edgar Degas (1834-1917), and author Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875-1950).
Eduard m German, Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Czech, Slovak, Croatian, Catalan, Dutch, Estonian, Romanian, Georgian, ArmenianForm of
Edward in various languages.