Browse Names - Behind the Name

Arnau m Catalan
Catalan form of Arnold.

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]

Châu f & m Vietnamese
From Sino-Vietnamese 珠 (châu) meaning "pearl, gem".

Esau m Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
From the Hebrew name עֵשָׂו ('Esaw), which possibly meant "hairy". In the Old Testament Esau is the elder of the twin sons of Isaac and Rebecca. Once when he was very hungry he sold his birthright to his twin Jacob for a bowl of stew. Later Jacob disguised himself as Esau and received the elder son's blessing from the blind Isaac. Esau, also called Edom, was the ancestor of the Edomites.

Jaasau m Biblical
Means "they will do" in Hebrew. This was the name of a descendant of Bani in the Old Testament.

Jatau m Hausa
Means "fair-coloured, light" in Hausa.

Joan Pau m Catalan
Combination of Joan 2 and Pau.

Kamau m Kikuyu
Meaning unknown. This was the birth name of the Kenyan president Jomo Kenyatta (1897-1978).

Ladislau m Romanian, Portuguese
Romanian and Portuguese form of Vladislav.

Lau m Dutch
Dutch short form of Laurens.

Marceau m French
Old French variant of Marcel. A famous bearer of the surname was the French general François Séverin Marceau (1769-1796).

Nicolau m Portuguese, Galician, Catalan
Portuguese, Galician and Catalan form of Nicholas.

Nīkau m Maori
From the name of a type of palm tree found in New Zealand (species Rhopalostylis sapida).

Ninniau m Brythonic (Hypothetical)
Possible early form of Ninian.

Pau m Catalan, Occitan
Catalan and Occitan form of Paul. It also coincides with the Catalan word for "peace".

Stanislau m Belarusian
Belarusian form of Stanislav.

Tau m Tswana, Sotho
Means "lion" in Tswana and Sotho. Tau was the name of the last ruler of the Rolong in South Africa (18th century).

Uladzislau m Belarusian
Belarusian form of Vladislav.

Venceslau m Portuguese (Rare)
Portuguese form of Václav, via the Latinized form Venceslaus.

Viachaslau m Belarusian
Belarusian form of Veceslav (see Václav).

Yakau m Belarusian
Belarusian form of Jacob (or James).

Yaraslau m Belarusian
Belarusian form of Yaroslav.

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