Garrett m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from the given name
Gerald or
Gerard. A famous bearer of the surname was Pat Garrett (1850-1908), the sheriff who shot Billy the Kid.
Garrick m EnglishFrom an English surname, of French Huguenot origin, that was derived from Occitan
garric meaning
"oak tree grove".
Garsea m Medieval SpanishMeaning unknown, possibly related to the Basque word
hartz meaning
"bear". This was the name of several medieval kings of Navarre and Leon.
Garth m EnglishFrom an English surname meaning
"garden" in Old Norse, originally denoting one who lived near or worked in a garden.
Gary m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from a Norman given name, which was itself originally a short form of names beginning with the Old German element
ger meaning
"spear". This name was popularized in the late 1920s the American actor Gary Cooper (1901-1961), who took his stage name from the city of Gary in Indiana where his agent was born. It was especially popular in the 1940s and 50s, breaking into the American top ten in 1950, though it has since waned.
Gaston m FrenchPossibly from a Germanic name derived from the element
gast meaning
"guest, stranger". This is the usual French name for Saint
Vedastus, called
Vaast in Flemish. The name was also borne by several counts of Foix-Béarn, beginning in the 13th century.
Gautama m Sanskrit, BuddhismIn the case of Siddhartha Gautama, it was a patronymic form of
Gotama.
Siddhartha Gautama, also known as the
Buddha, was the founder of Buddhism. He was a 6th-century BC nobleman who left his family in order to lead a life of meditation and poverty.
Gautstafr m Old NorseOld Norse form (possibly) of
Gustav. This form is only attested in the Old Norse period belonging to a horse.
Gavin m English, ScottishMedieval form of
Gawain. Though it died out in England, it was reintroduced from Scotland in the 20th century.
Gavino m ItalianFrom the Late Latin name
Gabinus, which possibly referred to the ancient city of Gabii in central Italy. Saint Gavino was martyred in Sardinia in the 3rd century.
Gawain m Arthurian CycleMeaning uncertain, from the Latin form
Gualguainus used in the 12th-century chronicles of Geoffrey of Monmouth (appearing also as
Walganus,
Gwalguanus and other spellings in different copies of the text), where he is one of the knights who serve his uncle King
Arthur. He can be identified with the earlier Welsh hero Gwalchmai, and it is possible that the name derives from
Gwalchmai or a misreading of it.
... [more] Gaylord m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from Old French
gaillard "high-spirited, boisterous". This name was rarely used after the mid-20th century, when the word
gay acquired the slang meaning "homosexual".
Habakkuk m BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
חֲבַקּוּק (Ḥavaqquq), probably derived from the root
חָבַק (ḥavaq) meaning
"embrace". In the Old Testament this is one of the twelve minor prophets, the author of the Book of Habakkuk.
Hachirō m JapaneseFrom Japanese
八 (hachi) meaning "eight" and
郎 (rō) meaning "son". This was traditionally a name for the eighth son. Other kanji combinations are also possible.
Hadad m Semitic MythologyDerived from a Semitic root meaning
"thunder". Hadad was a Western Semitic (Levantine) god of thunder and storms, often called
Ba'al. He was imported to Mesopotamia by the Amorites, where he was known as
Adad to the Assyrians and Babylonians.
Hades m Greek MythologyFrom Greek
Ἅιδης (Haides), derived from
ἀϊδής (aides) meaning
"unseen". In Greek mythology Hades was the dark god of the underworld, a place that also came to be called Hades. His brothers were
Zeus and
Poseidon and his wife was
Persephone, whom he had abducted.
Hadley f & m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"heather field" in Old English.
Hadrian m HistoryFrom the Roman cognomen
Hadrianus, which meant
"from Hadria" in Latin. Hadria was the name of two Roman settlements. The first (modern Adria) is in northern Italy and was an important Etruscan port town. The second (modern Atri) is in central Italy and was named after the northern town. The Adriatic Sea is also named after the northern town.
... [more] Hafiz m Arabic, Urdu, Bengali, MalayMeans
"preserver, guardian, keeper" in Arabic, a derivative of
حفظ (ḥafiẓa) meaning "to preserve, to protect". This transcription represents two related yet distinct Arabic names:
حافظ, in which the first vowel is long, and
حفيظ, in which the second vowel is long. In Islamic tradition
الحفيظ (al-Ḥafīẓ) is one of the 99 names of Allah.
Hagen m German, Germanic MythologyDerived from the Old German element
hag meaning
"enclosure" (Proto-Germanic *
hagô). In the medieval German saga the
Nibelungenlied he is the cunning half-brother of
Gunther. He killed the hero
Siegfried by luring him onto a hunting expedition and then stabbing him with a javelin in his one vulnerable spot.
Haggai m BiblicalMeans
"festive" in Hebrew, from the root
חָגַג (ḥaḡaḡ) meaning "to hold a festival, to celebrate". This is one of the twelve minor prophets of the Old Testament. He was the author of the Book of Haggai, which urges the exiles returning from Babylonia to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem.
Hai m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
海 (hǎi) meaning "sea, ocean" or other characters that are pronounced similarly.
Haidar m ArabicMeans
"lion, warrior" in Arabic. This is a title of
Ali ibn Abi Talib.
Haides m Greek MythologyAncient Greek form of
Hades. After the classical period, the
ι in the sequence
αι (often written as a subscript like
ᾳ) was not pronounced.
Haim m HebrewAlternate transcription of Hebrew
חַיִּים (see
Chaim). This seems to be the most common transcription for Israeli Jews.
Haimo m GermanicShort form of Germanic names beginning with Old Frankish
haim or Old High German
heim meaning
"home" (Proto-Germanic *
haimaz).
Haji m ArabicRefers to a person who has participated in the
حجّ (ḥajj), the annual pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia that Muslims must undertake at least once in their lifetimes.
Hajime m JapaneseMeans
"beginning" in Japanese, written with kanji having the same or similar meanings, such as
肇,
一 or
元, as well as others.
Ha-Jun m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
夏 (ha) meaning "summer, great, grand" combined with
准 (jun) meaning "approve, permit". This name can be formed by other hanja characters as well.
Hakeem m ArabicAlternate transcription of Arabic
حكيم (see
Hakim). A famous bearer is Nigerian-born former basketball player Hakeem Olajuwon (1963-).
Håkon m NorwegianModern Norwegian form of the Old Norse name
Hákon, derived from the element
hár "high" or
hǫð "battle, combat" combined with and
konr "son, descendant". This was the name of seven kings of Norway.
Hal m EnglishMedieval diminutive of
Harry. In Shakespeare's two historical plays about Henry IV, Prince Hal is the name of the future King Henry V.
Haldor m NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Hallþórr, which meant
"Thor's rock" from
hallr "rock" combined with the name of the Norse god
Þórr (see
Thor).
Hale 2 m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"nook, retreat" from Old English
healh.
Halfdan m Norwegian, DanishFrom the Old Norse name
Hálfdan meaning
"half Danish", composed of the elements
hálfr "half" and
Danr "Dane", originally a nickname for a person who was half Danish.
Hall m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from Old English
heall "manor, hall", originally belonging to a person who lived or worked in a manor.
Hallam m English (Rare)From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning either
"at the rocks" or
"at the nook" in Old English.
Hallel f & m HebrewDerived from Hebrew
הָלַל (halal) meaning
"praise". This is the name of a Jewish prayer, consisting of several psalms. The more traditional name
Hillel, which is typically only masculine, is spelled the same but is vocalized with a different vowel.
Halvard m NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Hallvarðr, which meant
"rock guardian" from
hallr "rock" combined with
vǫrðr "guard, guardian".
Ham m BiblicalMeans
"hot, warm" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament, Ham is one of
Noah's three sons, along with
Shem and
Japheth. He was the ancestor of the Egyptians and Canaanites.
Hama m Anglo-Saxon MythologyFrom Old English
ham meaning
"home". This is the name of a Gothic warrior who appears with his companion Wudga in some Anglo-Saxon tales (briefly in
Beowulf).
Haman m Biblical, Biblical HebrewMeaning uncertain, probably of Persian origin. In the Book of Esther in the Old Testament Haman, called the Agagite, is an adviser to the Persian king. He plots to have all the Jews in the realm executed, but is foiled by Queen
Esther.
Hamilcar m Phoenician (Latinized), HistoryPossibly means
"brother of Melqart", derived from Phoenician
𐤀𐤇 (ʾaḥ) meaning "brother" combined with the name of the god
Melqart. This was a common Punic name. Among the notable bearers was Hamilcar Barca, a 3rd-century BC Carthaginian general who was the father of
Hannibal and
Hasdrubal.
Hamilton m EnglishFrom a Scottish and English surname that was derived from Old English
hamel "crooked, mutilated" and
dun "hill". The surname was originally taken from the name of a town in Leicestershire, England (which no longer exists). A famous bearer of the surname was Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804), a founding father of the United States who was killed in a duel with Aaron Burr.
Hamisu m HausaFrom Arabic
خامس (khāmis) meaning
"fifth", a derivative of
خمسة (khamsa) meaning "five". It is sometimes added to a given name to indicate the fifth sibling bearing it.
Hamlet m Literature, ArmenianAnglicized form of the Danish name
Amleth. Shakespeare used this name for the main character in his tragedy
Hamlet (1600), which he based upon earlier Danish tales. In the play, Hamlet is a prince of Denmark seeking to avenge the death of his father (also named Hamlet) at the hands of his uncle
Claudius.
Hamnet m English (Archaic)Diminutive of
Hamo. This was the name of a son of Shakespeare who died in childhood. His death may have provided the inspiration for his father's play
Hamlet.
Hamza m Arabic, Turkish, BosnianMeans
"lion" in Arabic, a derivative of
حمز (ḥamuza) meaning "strong, sturdy". This was the name of an uncle of the Prophet
Muhammad who was killed in battle.
Han m ChineseFrom Chinese
汉 (hàn) meaning "man", also referring to the Han Chinese people, or
翰 (hàn) meaning "writing, painting". Other characters can form this name as well.
Hanan 1 m BiblicalMeans
"gracious" in Hebrew. This is the name of several minor characters in the Old Testament.
Hani m ArabicMeans
"happy, delighted" in Arabic, from the root
هنأ (hanaʾa) meaning "to gladden, to enjoy".
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).
Hannibal m Phoenician (Latinized), HistoryFrom the Punic name
𐤇𐤍𐤁𐤏𐤋 meaning
"my grace is Ba'al", derived from Phoenician
𐤇𐤍𐤍 (ḥann) meaning "grace, favour" combined with the name of the god
Ba'al. This name occurs often in Carthaginian history. It was most notably borne by the famed general and tactician Hannibal Barca, who threatened Rome during the Second Punic War in the 3rd century BC. It is also associated with the fictional villain Hannibal Lecter from the books by Thomas Harris (debuting 1981) and subsequent movie adaptations.
Hans m German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, DanishGerman short form of
Johannes, now used independently. This name has been very common in German-speaking areas of Europe since the late Middle Ages. From an early period it was transmitted to the Low Countries and Scandinavia. Two famous bearers were Hans Holbein (1497-1543), a German portrait painter, and Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875), a Danish writer of fairy tales.
Hansel m LiteratureAnglicized form of
Hänsel. This is the name of a boy in a German fairy tale, recorded in 1812 by the Brothers Grimm with the title
Hänsel und Gretel. In the tale Hansel and his sister
Gretel are abandoned in the woods by their parents, then taken captive by a witch.
Hanuman m HinduismProbably derived from Sanskrit
हनु (hanu) meaning
"cheek, jaw". In the Hindu epic the
Ramayana this is the name of a monkey god who helps
Rama. He was the son of
Anjana and
Vayu.
Hanzō m JapaneseFrom Japanese
半 (han) meaning "half" and
蔵 (zō) meaning "to hide". This name was borne by the noted samurai Hattori Hanzou (1542-1596). The name can also be formed from other kanji combinations.
Haoran m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
浩 (hào) meaning "great, numerous, vast" and
然 (rán) meaning "right, correct". Other combinations of similar-sounding characters can also form this name.
Haoyu m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
浩 (hào) meaning "great, numerous, vast" and
宇 (yǔ) meaning "house, eaves, universe". Other combinations of similar-sounding characters can also form this name.
Happy f & m English (Rare)From the English word
happy, derived from Middle English
hap "chance, luck", of Old Norse origin.
Harding m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from the Old English given name
Heard. A famous bearer of the surname was American president Warren G. Harding (1865-1923).
Hardy 1 m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from Middle English
hardi "bold, hardy".
Hardy 2 m GermanDiminutive of names containing the Old German element
hart meaning "hard, firm, brave, hardy".
Harel m HebrewMeans
"altar, mountain of God" in Hebrew. In the Hebrew Bible this word is applied to the altar in the temple in Jerusalem (
Ezekiel 43:15).
Hari m Hinduism, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, NepaliMeans
"brown, yellow, tawny" in Sanskrit, and by extension
"monkey, horse, lion". This is another name of the Hindu god
Vishnu, and sometimes of his avatar
Krishna. In this context it is sometimes considered a derivative of Sanskrit
हृ (hṛ) meaning "to take away", referring to the removal of sins.
Harlan m EnglishFrom a surname that was from a place name meaning
"hare land" in Old English. In America it has sometimes been given in honour of Supreme Court justice John Marshall Harlan (1833-1911).
Harlequin m TheatreFrom Old French
Herlequin, the name of a demon in French passion plays. In traditional Italian theatre (commedia dell'arte) the stock character Harlequin, called
Arlecchino in Italian, is a mischievous and acrobatic servant who is usually dressed in colourful clothing.
Harley m & f EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from a place name, itself from Old English
hara "hare" or
hær "rock, heap of stones" and
leah "woodland, clearing". An American name for boys since the 19th century, it began to be used for girls after a character with the name began appearing on the soap opera
Guiding Light in 1987.
Harlow f & m EnglishFrom an English surname derived from a place name, itself derived from Old English
hær "rock, heap of stones" or
here "army", combined with
hlaw "hill". As a name for girls, it received some attention in 2008 when the American celebrity Nicole Richie used it for her daughter.
Harold m EnglishFrom the Old English name
Hereweald, derived from the elements
here "army" and
weald "powerful, mighty". The Old Norse cognate
Haraldr was also common among Scandinavian settlers in England. This was the name of five kings of Norway and three kings of Denmark. It was also borne by two kings of England, both of whom were from mixed Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon backgrounds, including Harold II who lost the Battle of Hastings (and was killed in it), which led to the Norman Conquest. After the conquest the name died out, but it was eventually revived in the 19th century.
Harper f & m EnglishFrom an English surname that originally belonged to a person who played or made harps (Old English
hearpe). A notable bearer was the American author Harper Lee (1926-2016), who wrote
To Kill a Mockingbird. It rapidly gained popularity in the 2000s and 2010s, entering the American top ten for girls in 2015.
Harrison m EnglishFrom an English surname that meant
"son of Harry". This was the surname of two American presidents, William Henry Harrison (1773-1841) and his grandson Benjamin Harrison (1833-1901). As a given name it reached a low point in America in 1977 before it was revived by the career of actor Harrison Ford (1942-), who starred in such movies as
Star Wars in 1977 and
Indiana Jones in 1984.
Harry m English, Dutch, Swedish, GermanMedieval English form of
Henry. In modern times it is used as a diminutive of both
Henry and names beginning with
Har. Famous bearers include the American president Harry S. Truman (1884-1972), who was named after his uncle Harrison, and the British royal Prince Harry (1984-), who is actually named Henry. It is also the name of the boy wizard in J. K. Rowling's
Harry Potter series of books, first released in 1997.
Harsha m Kannada, Telugu, SanskritMeans
"happiness" in Sanskrit. Harsha (or Harṣa, also called Harshavardhana) was a 7th-century emperor of northern India. He was also noted as an author.
Hartley m & f English (Rare)From an English surname that was derived from a place name, itself from Old English
heorot "hart, male deer" and
leah "woodland, clearing".
Hartmut m German, GermanicMeans
"brave mind", derived from the Old German elements
hart "hard, firm, brave, hardy" and
muot "mind, spirit". This is the kidnapper of
Gudrun in the medieval German epic
Kudrun.
Haru m & f JapaneseFrom Japanese
陽 (haru) meaning "light, sun, male",
春 (haru) meaning "spring" or
晴 (haru) meaning "clear weather". Other kanji or kanji combinations can form this name as well.
Haruka f & m JapaneseFrom Japanese
遥 (haruka) meaning "distant, remote". It can also come from
春 (haru) meaning "spring" or
晴 (haru) meaning "clear weather" combined with
花 (ka) meaning "flower, blossom" or
香 (ka) meaning "fragrance". Additionally, other kanji combinations can form this name.
Haruki m JapaneseFrom Japanese
晴 (haru) meaning "clear weather" or
陽 (haru) meaning "light, sun, male" combined with
輝 (ki) meaning "brightness" or
生 (ki) meaning "living". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Haruto m JapaneseFrom Japanese
陽 (haru) meaning "light, sun, male",
遥 (haru) meaning "distant, remote" or
晴 (haru) meaning "clear weather" combined with
斗 (to), which refers to a Chinese constellation, or
翔 (to) meaning "soar, fly". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.
Harvey m EnglishFrom the Breton given name
Haerviu, which meant
"battle worthy", from
haer "battle" and
viu "worthy". This was the name of a 6th-century Breton hermit who is the patron saint of the blind. Settlers from Brittany introduced it to England after the Norman Conquest. During the later Middle Ages it became rare, but it was revived in the 19th century.
Hasan m Arabic, Turkish, Persian, Urdu, Punjabi, Bengali, Indonesian, Malay, Albanian, BosnianMeans
"handsome" in Arabic, from the root
حسن (ḥasuna) meaning "to be beautiful, to be good". Hasan was the son of
Ali and the grandson of the Prophet
Muhammad. He was poisoned by one of his wives and is regarded as a martyr by Shia Muslims. This was also the name of two kings of Morocco. It is sometimes transcribed as
Hassan, though this is a distinct name in Arabic.
Hasdrubal m Phoenician (Latinized), HistoryMeans
"Ba'al helps", derived from Phoenician
𐤏𐤆𐤓 (ʿazru) meaning "to help" combined with the name of the god
Ba'al. This name was borne by several figures from Carthaginian history, including the 3rd-century BC general Hasdrubal Barca (brother of
Hannibal) who fought in the Second Punic War.
Hashim m Arabic, Urdu, MalayMeans
"crusher, breaker" in Arabic, derived from the root
هشم (hashama) meaning "to crush, to destroy". This was the nickname of a great-grandfather of the Prophet
Muhammad. He acquired this nickname because of his practice of crumbling bread and giving it to pilgrims.
Hasim m ArabicMeans
"decisive" in Arabic, derived from
حسم (ḥasama) meaning "to sever, to finish, to decide".
Hasso m German, GermanicGermanic name, possibly referring to a member of the Germanic tribe of the Hessians, called the Chatti in antiquity.
Hastiin m NavajoMeans
"man, elder" in Navajo. This is typically an honorific preceding the name.
Hatim m ArabicMeans
"determined, decisive" in Arabic, derived from
حتم (ḥatama) meaning "to decree, to decide".
Hauke m Frisian, GermanFrisian short form of Old German given names containing the element
hugu meaning
"mind, thought, spirit".
Haven f & m EnglishFrom the English word for a safe place, derived ultimately from Old English
hæfen.
Havilah m BiblicalProbably means
"to dance, to circle, to twist" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is both a place name and a masculine personal name.
Hayat f & m Arabic, Persian, UrduMeans
"life" in Arabic, from
حيي (ḥayiya) meaning "to live". In Arabic and Persian it is a feminine name, while in Urdu it is masculine.
Hayate m JapaneseFrom Japanese
颯 (hayate) meaning "sudden, sound of the wind". Other kanji with the same pronunciation can also form this name.