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] Astor m English (Rare)From a German and French surname derived from Occitan
astur meaning
"hawk". The wealthy and influential Astor family, prominent in British and American society, originated in the Italian Alps.
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".
Bertram m English, German, GermanicMeans
"bright raven", derived from the Old German element
beraht "bright" combined with
hram "raven". This name has long been conflated with
Bertrand. The Normans introduced it to England, and Shakespeare used it in his play
All's Well That Ends Well (1603).
Brant m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from the Old Norse given name
Brandr. This is also the name for a variety of wild geese.
Corbin m EnglishFrom a French surname that was derived from
corbeau "raven", originally denoting a person who had dark hair. The name was probably popularized in America by actor Corbin Bernsen (1954-).
Crawford m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"crow ford" in Old English.
Donald m Scottish, EnglishFrom the Scottish Gaelic name
Dòmhnall meaning
"ruler of the world", composed of the Old Irish elements
domun "world" and
fal "rule". This was the name of two 9th-century kings of the Scots and Picts. It has traditionally been very popular in Scotland, and during the 20th century it became common in the rest of the English-speaking world. This is the name of one of Walt Disney's most popular cartoon characters, Donald Duck, introduced 1931. It was also borne by Australian cricket player Donald Bradman (1908-2001) and former American president Donald Trump (1946-).
Drake m EnglishFrom an English surname derived from the Old Norse byname
Draki or the Old English byname
Draca both meaning "dragon", both via Latin from Greek
δράκων (drakon) meaning "dragon, serpent". This name coincides with the unrelated English word
drake meaning "male duck". A famous bearer is the Canadian actor and rapper Drake (1986-), who was born as Aubrey Drake Graham.
Fulton m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from the name of the town of Foulden in Norfolk, itself meaning
"bird hill" in Old English.
Gavin m English, ScottishMedieval form of
Gawain. Though it died out in England, it was reintroduced from Scotland in the 20th century.
Griffin m EnglishLatinized form of
Gruffudd. This name can also be inspired by the English word
griffin, a creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle, ultimately from Greek
γρύψ (gryps).
Ingram m Germanic, English (Rare)Germanic name composed of either the element
angil, from the name of the Germanic tribe of the Angles, or
engil meaning "angel" combined with
hram meaning "raven". This name was brought to England by the Normans, though it died out after the medieval era. These days it is usually inspired by the surname that was derived from the medieval name.
Jay 1 m EnglishShort form of names beginning with the sound
J, such as
James or
Jason. It was originally used in America in honour of founding father John Jay (1749-1825), whose surname was derived from the jaybird.
Jonah m English, BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
יוֹנָה (Yona) meaning
"dove". This was the name of a prophet swallowed by a fish, as told in the Old Testament Book of Jonah. Jonah was commanded by God to preach in Nineveh, but instead fled by boat. After being caught in a storm, the other sailors threw Jonah overboard, at which point he was swallowed. He emerged from the fish alive and repentant three days later.
... [more] Martin m English, French, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Estonian, Russian, Romanian, Czech, Slovak, Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, Hungarian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, FinnishFrom the Roman name
Martinus, which was derived from
Martis, the genitive case of the name of the Roman god
Mars. Saint Martin of Tours was a 4th-century bishop who is the patron saint of France. According to legend, he came across a cold beggar in the middle of winter so he ripped his cloak in two and gave half of it to the beggar. He was a favourite saint during the Middle Ages, and his name has become common throughout the Christian world.
... [more] Merle m & f English, EstonianFrom the English word
merle or the French surname
Merle, which both mean
"blackbird" (from Latin
merula). It was borne by the devious character Madame Merle (in fact her surname) in Henry James' novel
The Portrait of a Lady (1880).
... [more] Merlin m Arthurian Cycle, EnglishForm of the Welsh name
Myrddin used by Geoffrey of Monmouth in his 12th-century chronicle. Writing in Latin, he likely chose the form
Merlinus over
Merdinus in order to prevent associations with French
merde "excrement".
... [more] Peregrine m English (Rare)From the Late Latin name
Peregrinus, which meant
"traveller". This was the name of several early saints.
Phoenix m & f English (Modern)From the name of a beautiful immortal bird that appears in Egyptian and Greek mythology. After living for several centuries in the Arabian Desert, it would be consumed by fire and rise from its own ashes, with this cycle repeating every 500 years. The name of the bird was derived from Greek
φοῖνιξ (phoinix) meaning "dark red".
Raven f & m EnglishFrom the name of the bird, ultimately from Old English
hræfn. The raven is revered by several Native American groups of the west coast. It is also associated with the Norse god
Odin.
Robin m & f English, French, Dutch, Swedish, CzechMedieval English diminutive of
Robert, now usually regarded as an independent name. Robin Hood was a legendary hero and archer of medieval England who stole from the rich to give to the poor. In modern times it has also been used as a feminine name, and it may sometimes be given in reference to the red-breasted bird.