Browse Names

Ganymedes m Greek Mythology
Greek form of Ganymede.

Gaspar m Spanish, Portuguese, Judeo-Christian-Islamic Legend
Spanish and Portuguese form of Jasper, as well as the Latin form.

Gautama m Sanskrit, Buddhism
In 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.

Geb m Egyptian Mythology
From Egyptian 𓎼𓃀𓃀 (gbb) meaning "earth". In Egyptian mythology he was the god of the earth and crops. His consort was his sister the sky goddess Nut.

Gemini m Roman Mythology, Astronomy
Means "twins" in Latin. This is the name of the third sign of the zodiac. The two brightest stars in the constellation, Castor and Pollux, are named for the mythological twin sons of Leda.

Geraint m Welsh, Welsh Mythology, Arthurian Cycle
Meaning unknown, possibly a Welsh form of Gerontius. This was the name of a figure in various Welsh legends. He was also incorporated into Arthurian tales (the romance Geraint and Enid) as one of the Knights of the Round Table and the husband of Enid.

Giano m Roman Mythology (Italianized)
Italian form of Ianus (see Janus).

Gilgamesh m Sumerian Mythology, Semitic Mythology
Possibly means "the ancestor is a hero", from Sumerian 𒉋𒂵 (bilga) meaning "ancestor" and 𒈩 (mes) meaning "hero, young man". This was the name of a Sumerian hero, later appearing in the Akkadian poem the Epic of Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh, with his friend Enkidu, battled the giant Humbaba and stopped the rampage of the Bull of Heaven, besides other adventures. Gilgamesh was probably based on a real person: a king of Uruk who ruled around the 27th century BC.

Giove m Roman Mythology (Italianized)
Italian form of Iovis (see Jove). This is the Italian name for the Roman god Jupiter.

Girisha m Hinduism
Means "lord of the mountain" in Sanskrit. This is a name of the Hindu god Shiva, given because of his abode in the Himalayan Mountains.

Giv m Persian Mythology
Meaning unknown. This is the name of a hero in the 10th-century Persian epic the Shahnameh.

Glaucus m Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Greek Γλαῦκος (Glaukos), a name meaning "bluish grey". This was the name of a Greek sea god, as well as other characters in Greek legend.

Glaukos m Greek Mythology
Greek form of Glaucus.

Glooscap m New World Mythology
Derived from an Eastern Algonquian phrase meaning "man from nothing". Glooscap (or Gluskabe) was a hero involved in the creation myths of the Wabanaki people of eastern North America.

Gobannos m Gaulish Mythology
From old Celtic *goban meaning "smith". This was the name of a scantily attested Gaulish smith god.

Gofannon m Welsh Mythology
From Welsh gof meaning "smith". This was the name of a smith in Welsh legends. He is possibly a later development of an earlier Celtic god (seen also in Gaulish Gobannos and Irish Goibniu).

Goibniu m Irish Mythology
Derived from Old Irish gobae meaning "smith". In Irish mythology this was the name of a divine metalsmith and weapon maker of the Tuatha Dé Danann. He also provided them with feasts that protected them from old age. He may be derived from an earlier Celtic smith god (seen also in Gaulish Gobannos and Welsh Gofannon).

Gonggong m Chinese Mythology
Meaning unknown, though usually spelled using the Chinese characters 共 (gòng) meaning "together" and 工 (gōng) meaning "work". This is the name of a Chinese water god, depicted as a serpent with a human head. He damaged the heavenly pillar Mount Buzhou, making the sky tilt to the northwest and the earth tilt to the southeast. A dwarf planet in the outer solar system was named for him in 2019.

Gopala m Hinduism
Means "cow protector" from Sanskrit गो (go) meaning "cow" and पाल (pāla) meaning "guard, protector". This is another name of the Hindu god Krishna. It was also borne by the 8th-century founder of the Pala Empire in Bengal.

Gopinatha m Hinduism
Means "leader of the gopis" in Sanskrit. This is another name of the Hindu god Krishna, acquired because of his association with the gopis (milkmaids).

Goronwy m Welsh, Welsh Mythology
Variant of Gronw. This form appears in the Book of Taliesin. It was borne by the Welsh poet Goronwy Owen (1723-1769).

Gotama m Hinduism
Means "the best ox" from Sanskrit गो (go) meaning "ox, cow" and तम (tama) meaning "best". It is best known in its patronymic form Gautama (with the initial vowel lengthened), which was borne by the Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama. In Hindu texts this is also the name of one of the Saptarshis, or seven sages. Additionally it was borne by an early Indian philosopher who wrote the Nyaya Sutras.

Govannon m Welsh Mythology
Variant of Gofannon.

Govinda m Hinduism, Marathi, Malayalam, Kannada
Means "cow finder", derived from Sanskrit गो (go) meaning "cow" combined with विन्द (vinda) meaning "finding". This is an epithet of the Hindu god Vishnu or his avatar Krishna.

Gowad m Persian Mythology
Middle Persian form of Vata.

Gronw m Welsh Mythology
Meaning unknown, perhaps from Old Welsh gur "man". According to the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi he was the lover of Blodeuwedd. He attempted to murder her husband Lleu Llaw Gyffes with a special spear he crafted over the course of a year, but Lleu transformed into an eagle. After he was restored to human form he killed Gronw.

Guendoleu m Welsh Mythology
Old Welsh form of Gwenddoleu.

Gundahar m Germanic, Germanic Mythology
Old German form of Gunther.

Gunnar m Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Norse Mythology
From the Old Norse name Gunnarr, which was derived from the elements gunnr "war" and herr "army, warrior" (making it a cognate of Gunther). In Norse legend Gunnar was the husband of Brynhildr. He had his brother-in-law Sigurd murdered based on his wife's false accusations that Sigurd had taken her virginity.

Gunnarr m Old Norse, Norse Mythology
Old Norse form of Gunnar.

Gunther m German, Germanic Mythology
From the Old German name Gundahar, derived from the elements gunda "war" and heri "army" (making it a cognate of Gunnar). This was the name of a semi-legendary 5th-century Burgundian king. He appears in the medieval German saga the Nibelungenlied, which has him wooing the Icelandic queen Brunhild. He wins her hand in marriage with the help of the hero Siegfried. He ultimately betrays Siegfried, but Siegfried's widow Kriemhild (Gunther's sister) takes her revenge upon him.... [more]

Gwalchmai m Welsh Mythology
Derived from Welsh gwalch "hawk", possibly combined with Mai "May (month)" or mai "field, plain". This is the name of a character in Welsh legend (appearing in Culhwch and Olwen for example). He is probably the antecedent of Gawain from later Arthurian romance.

Gwalchmei m Welsh Mythology
Variant of Gwalchmai.

Gwawl m Welsh Mythology
Means "wall" in Welsh. In the First Branch of the Mabinogi Gwawl is an unwelcome suitor of Rhiannon.

Gwenddoleu m Welsh Mythology
From Old Welsh Guendoleu, possibly derived from gwyn meaning "white, blessed" and dol (plural dolau) meaning "meadow". This was the name of a semi-legendary 6th-century king of Arfderydd in Cumbria. His defeat at the Battle of Arfderydd caused his bard Myrddin to go mad with grief.

Gwydion m Welsh, Welsh Mythology
Probably means "born of trees" from Old Welsh guid "trees" and the suffix gen "born of". In the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi, Gwydion is the nephew of King Math of Gwynedd, and like him a powerful magician. In an elaborate plot to give his brother a chance to rape his uncle's footbearer, he arranged a war between Gwynedd and the neighbouring kingdom of Dyfed. Gwydion himself killed King Pryderi of Dyfed at the end of the war. In punishment for the rape, Math transformed Gwydion and his brother into different animals over the course of three years. Gwydion was the uncle of Lleu Llaw Gyffes, whom he fostered. Math and Gwydion fashioned Lleu a wife, Blodeuwedd, out of flowers and they later aided him after her betrayal. Gwydion also appears in older Welsh poetry such as the Book of Taliesin.

Gwyn m Welsh, Welsh Mythology
Means "white, blessed" in Welsh. In Welsh legend Gwyn was a king of the Otherworld and the leader of the Wild Hunt. He appears in the Welsh tale Culhwch and Olwen, where he is one of the many who help Culhwch hunt the monstrous boar Trwyth. The story also tells of his rivalry with Gwythyr for the beautiful Creiddylad.

Gwythyr m Welsh Mythology
Welsh form of Victor. This name appears in the Welsh tale Culhwch and Olwen belonging to the rival of Gwyn for the maiden Creiddylad. Seeking peace between the two, King Arthur declared that Gwyn and Gwythyr shall only fight once each year on May Day.

Hadad m Semitic Mythology
Derived 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 Mythology
From 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.

Hagano m Germanic, Germanic Mythology
Old German form of Hagen.

Hagen m German, Germanic Mythology
Derived 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.

Haides m Greek Mythology
Ancient Greek form of Hades. After the classical period, the ι in the sequence αι (often written as a subscript like ᾳ) was not pronounced.

Hama m Anglo-Saxon Mythology
From 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).

Hanuman m Hinduism
Probably 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.

Hapi m Egyptian Mythology (Hypothetical)
Reconstructed Egyptian form of Apis.

Hari m Hinduism, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Nepali
Means "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.

Heber 1 m Irish Mythology
Anglicized form of Éibhear.

Hector m English, French, Greek Mythology (Latinized), Arthurian Cycle
Latinized form of Greek Ἕκτωρ (Hektor), which was derived from ἕκτωρ (hektor) meaning "holding fast", ultimately from ἔχω (echo) meaning "to hold, to possess". In Greek legend Hector was one of the Trojan champions who fought against the Greeks. After he killed Achilles' friend Patroclus in battle, he was himself brutally slain by Achilles, who proceeded to tie his dead body to a chariot and drag it about. This name also appears in Arthurian legends where it belongs to King Arthur's foster father.... [more]

Heilyn m Welsh Mythology
Means "winebearer, dispenser" in Welsh. According to the Second Branch of the Mabinogi he was one of only seven warriors to return from Brân's invasion of Ireland.

Heimdall m Norse Mythology
From Old Norse Heimdallr, derived from Old Norse heimr "home, house" and dallr, possibly meaning "glowing, shining". In Norse mythology he is the god who guards the Bifröst, the bridge that connects Asgard to the other worlds. It is foretold that he will blow the Gjallarhorn to wake the gods for the final battle at the end of the world, Ragnarök. During this battle, he will fight Loki and they will slay one another.

Heimdallr m Norse Mythology
Old Norse form of Heimdall.

Heimir m Norse Mythology, Icelandic
From Old Norse heimr meaning "home" (a cognate of Hama). In the Völsungasaga he is a king of Hlymdalir.

Hektor m Greek Mythology
Greek form of Hector.

Helios m Greek Mythology
Means "sun" in Greek. This was the name of the young Greek sun god, a Titan, who rode across the sky each day in a chariot pulled by four horses. His sister was the moon goddess Selene.

Hengist m Anglo-Saxon Mythology
Means "stallion" in Old English or Old Saxon. According to medieval histories (recorded by Bede in the 8th century), Hengist and his brother Horsa were the leaders of the first Saxon settlers in Britain. Hengist established a kingdom in Kent in the 5th century.

Hephaestus m Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Greek Ἥφαιστος (Hephaistos), meaning unknown. It probably shares its origin with the Minoan city of Φαιστός (Phaistos), which is of Pre-Greek origin. In Greek mythology Hephaestus was the god of fire and forging, the husband of the unfaithful Aphrodite. It was said that when he was born Hera, his mother, was so displeased with his physical deformities that she hurled him off the top of Mount Olympus.

Hephaistos m Greek Mythology
Greek form of Hephaestus.

Heracles m Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Herakles. However, the spelling used by the Romans was Hercules.

Herakles m Greek Mythology
Means "glory of Hera" from the name of the goddess Hera combined with Greek κλέος (kleos) meaning "glory". This was the name of a hero in Greek and Roman mythology, the son of Zeus and the mortal woman Alcmene. After being driven insane by Hera and killing his own children, Herakles completed twelve labours in order to atone for his crime and become immortal.

Hercules m Roman Mythology
Latin form of Herakles.

Herla m Anglo-Saxon Mythology
Meaning uncertain, though connections to various Germanic words have been proposed. According to the 12th-century author Walter Map, who was likely expanding on older Germanic tales, Herla was a king of the Britons who became the leader of the Wild Hunt.

Herlequin m Folklore
The name of a demon in medieval tales, first attested in a report by the 12th-century monk Orderic Vitalis, and later appearing in French passion plays. His name is possibly related to that of King Herla from Germanic legend (in Old English Herla Cyning).

Hermes m Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek, Spanish
Probably from Greek ἕρμα (herma) meaning "cairn, pile of stones, boundary marker". Hermes was a Greek god associated with speed and good luck, who served as a messenger to Zeus and the other gods. He was also the patron of travellers, writers, athletes, merchants, thieves and orators.... [more]

Heru m Egyptian Mythology (Hypothetical)
Reconstructed Egyptian form of Horus.

Hildingr m Old Norse, Norse Mythology
Means "chief, warrior", a derivative of Old Norse hildr "battle". This is the name of a character in the Norse tale Frithiof's Saga.

Hippolytos m Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek
Means "freer of horses" from Greek ἵππος (hippos) meaning "horse" and λύω (luo) meaning "to loosen". In Greek legend he was the son of Theseus who was tragically loved by his stepmother Phaedra. This was also the name of a 3rd-century theologian, saint and martyr.

Hoder m Norse Mythology
From Old Norse Hǫðr, derived from hǫð meaning "battle". In Norse mythology he was a blind god, tricked by Loki into killing his brother Balder.

Hordad f & m Persian Mythology
Middle Persian form of Haurvatat.

Hormazd m Persian Mythology
Persian variant form of Ahura Mazda.

Hormizd m Persian Mythology, Middle Persian
Middle Persian form of Ahura Mazda. This name was borne by several rulers of the Sasanian Empire. It was also borne by a Christian saint who was martyred in Persia in the 5th century.

Hormoz m Persian Mythology, Persian
Modern Persian form of Ahura Mazda.

Horos m Egyptian Mythology (Hellenized)
Greek form of Heru (see Horus).

Horsa m Anglo-Saxon Mythology
From Old English or Old Saxon hors meaning "horse". According to medieval chronicles, Horsa and his brother Hengist were the leaders of the first Saxon settlers to arrive in Britain. Horsa was said to have died in battle with the Britons. He is first mentioned in the 8th-century writings of the English historian Bede.

Horus m Egyptian Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Ὧρος (Horos), the Greek form of Egyptian ḥrw (reconstructed as Heru and other forms) possibly from ḥr "above, over" or ḥrj "distant". In Egyptian mythology Horus was a god of the sky and light, often depicted as a man with the head of a falcon. In some versions of the mythology he was the son of Osiris and Isis, and avenged his father's murder by killing his uncle Seth.

Hǫðr m Norse Mythology
Old Norse form of Hoder.

Huangdi m Chinese Mythology
From Chinese 黄 (huáng) meaning "yellow" and 帝 (dì) meaning "god, emperor". This is the Chinese name for the Yellow Emperor, a mythical ruler and deity who is said to have reigned in the 3rd millennium BC. He is regarded as the ancestor of the Chinese people.

Huanglong m Chinese Mythology
From Chinese 黄 (huáng) meaning "yellow" and 龙 (lóng) meaning "dragon". This is the Chinese name for the Yellow Dragon, who is considered the animal form of the mythical Yellow Emperor Huangdi.

Huitzilopochtli m Aztec and Toltec Mythology
Means "left side of the hummingbird" or "southern hummingbird" in Nahuatl, derived from huitzilin "hummingbird" and ōpōchtli "left, south". In Aztec mythology he was the god of the sun and war. He was a patron deity of the city of Tenochtitlan (at the site of modern Mexico City).

Hunahpu m Mayan Mythology
Possibly means "one blowgunner", from Classic Maya jun "one" and puw "blowgun" (with the agentive prefix aj-). Hunahpu and his twin brother Xbalanque are the central characters of the Popol Vuh, the sacred book of the K'iche' Maya.

Hvare Khshaeta m Persian Mythology
Alternate transcription of Avestan 𐬵𐬎𐬎𐬀𐬭𐬆⸱𐬑𐬱𐬀𐬉𐬙𐬀 (see Hvare Xshaeta).

Hvare Xshaeta m Persian Mythology
Avestan form of Khorshid.

Hyacinth 1 m Greek Mythology (Anglicized)
English form of Hyacinthus.

Hyacinthus m Greek Mythology (Latinized), Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Latinized form of the Greek name Ὑάκινθος (Hyakinthos), which was derived from the name of the hyacinth flower. In Greek legend Hyakinthos was accidentally killed by the god Apollo, who mournfully caused this flower to arise from his blood. The name was also borne by several early saints, notably a 3rd-century martyr who was killed with his brother Protus.

Hyakinthos m Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek
Greek form of Hyacinthus.

Hyperion m Greek Mythology
Derived from Greek ὑπέρ (hyper) meaning "over". In Greek myth this was the name of a Titan who presided over the sun and light. By Theia he was the father of the sun god Helios, the moon goddess Selene, and the dawn goddess Eos.

Hypnos m Greek Mythology
Means "sleep" in Greek. In Greek myth this was the name of the personification of sleep, twin brother of Thanatos.

Iacchus m Greek Mythology (Latinized)
From Greek Ἴακχος (Iakchos), derived from ἰάχω (iacho) meaning "to shout". This was the name of an obscure Greek god worshipped in the Eleusinian mysteries and later identified with Dionysos.

Iah m Egyptian Mythology
From Egyptian jꜥḥ meaning "moon". In Egyptian mythology this was the name of a god of the moon, later identified with Thoth.

Ianus m Roman Mythology
Latin form of Janus.

Iapetos m Greek Mythology
Derived from Greek ἰάπτω (iapto) meaning "to wound, to pierce". In Greek mythology this was the name of a Titan, the father of Atlas, Prometheus and Epimetheus.

Iapetus m Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Iapetos. This is the name of one of Saturn's moons.

Iason m Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek, Biblical Greek, Biblical Latin, Greek, Georgian
Greek and Georgian form of Jason.

Icarus m Greek Mythology (Latinized)
From the Greek Ἴκαρος (Ikaros), of unknown meaning. In Greek myth Icarus was the son of Daedalus, locked with his father inside the Labyrinth by Minos. They escaped from the maze using wings devised from wax, but Icarus flew too close to the sun and the wax melted, plunging him to his death.

Ikaros m Greek Mythology
Greek form of Icarus.

Ilmarinen m Finnish Mythology
Derived from Finnish ilma meaning "air". Ilmarinen is an immortal smith in Finnish mythology, the creator of the sky and the magic mill known as the Sampo. He is one of the main characters in the Finnish epic the Kalevala.

Ilu m Semitic Mythology
Akkadian cognate of El, often used to refer to Anu.

Inari f & m Japanese Mythology
Means "carrying rice" in Japanese, from 稲 (ina) meaning "rice" and 荷 (ri) meaning "carry". This is the name of a Japanese divinity associated with prosperity, rice and foxes, represented as both female and male.

Indra m Hinduism, Hindi, Nepali, Indonesian
Means "possessing drops of rain" from Sanskrit इन्दु (indu) meaning "a drop" and र (ra) meaning "acquiring, possessing". Indra is the name of the ancient Hindu warrior god of the sky and rain, frequently depicted riding the elephant Airavata. He is the chief god in the Rigveda.

Indrajit m Hinduism, Bengali, Hindi
Means "conqueror of Indra" from the name of the god Indra combined with Sanskrit जिति (jiti) meaning "victory, conquering". In the Hindu epic the Ramayana this is another name of Meghanada, the son of Ravana, the demon king of Lanka. He was given this name by Brahma after he defeated Indra.

Ing m Germanic Mythology
From the Germanic *Ingwaz, possibly meaning "ancestor". This was the name of an obscure Germanic fertility god who was considered the ancestor of the tribe the Ingaevones. It is possible he was an earlier incarnation of the god Freyr.

Inti m Quechua, Inca Mythology
Means "sun" in Quechua. This was the name of the Inca god of the sun. He was a son of Viracocha.

Ioachim m Judeo-Christian-Islamic Legend
Latin form of Ioakeim.

Ioakeim m Judeo-Christian-Islamic Legend
Greek form of Joachim, found in the apocryphal Gospel of James.

Ion 2 m Greek Mythology
Of unknown etymology, possibly Pre-Greek. According to Greek mythology he was a son of Creusa and Xuthus (or alternatively the god Apollo). He was said to be the ancestor of the Greek tribe of the Ionians.

Iovis m Roman Mythology
Older form of Jove.

Isha f & m Hindi, Marathi, Hinduism
Means "master, lord, ruler" in Sanskrit. This is a transcription of both the feminine form ईशा and the masculine form ईश (an epithet of the Hindu god Shiva). It is also the name of one of the Upanishads, which are parts of Hindu scripture.

Ishkur m Sumerian Mythology
Meaning unknown, of Sumerian origin. This was the name of a Sumerian storm god, later identified by the Akkadians with Adad.

Israfil m Judeo-Christian-Islamic Legend
Meaning unknown. In Islamic tradition this is the name of the angel who will blow the trumpet that signals the coming of Judgement Day. He is sometimes equated with the angels Raphael or Uriel from Judeo-Christian tradition.

Italus m Roman Mythology
Means "of Italy" in Latin. In Roman legend Italus was the father of Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome. He supposedly gave his name to the region known as Italia or Italy (in fact the region may have gotten its name from Oscan Víteliú meaning "land of bulls").

Itzamna m Mayan Mythology, Mayan
From Classic Maya itzam, an element found in the names of some Maya gods (possibly from itz "enchanted, nectar" and mam "grandfather"), combined with nah "great". Itzamna was the Maya creator god.

Iuppiter m Roman Mythology
Latin form of Jupiter.

Izanagi m Japanese Mythology
Probably means "male who invites" in Japanese, from 誘 (izana) meaning "invite, lure, attract". In Japanese mythology the god Izanagi was the husband of Izanami. When she died he unsuccessfully journeyed to the underworld to retrieve her. In the purifying rites that followed his return, the gods of the sun, moon and wind were created.

Izrail m Judeo-Christian-Islamic Legend
Arabic form of Azrael.

Jagadisha m Hinduism
Means "ruler of the world" from Sanskrit जगत् (jagat) meaning "world" and ईश (īśa) meaning "ruler, lord". This is another name of the Hindu god Vishnu or his avatar Krishna.

Jagannatha m Hinduism
Means "master of the world" from Sanskrit जगत् (jagat) meaning "world" and नाथ (nātha) meaning "master". This is a title of the Hindu gods Vishnu and Krishna.

Jam m Persian Mythology
Persian form of Avestan 𐬫𐬌𐬨𐬀 (Yima) meaning "twin" (related to Sanskrit Yama). This was the name of a mythological king, more commonly called Jamshid.

Jamshid m Persian, Uzbek, Persian Mythology
Modern Persian form of Avestan 𐬫𐬌𐬨𐬀⸱𐬑𐬱𐬀𐬉𐬙𐬀 (Yima Xshaēta), which meant "shining Jam". This was the name of a mythological king of Persia who ruled during a golden age. He appears in the 10th-century epic the Shahnameh. He is known as either Jamshid or Jam, where Jamshid is a combination of his original name and an honorific.

Janaka m Hinduism, Sinhalese
Means "father" in Sanskrit. According to the Hindu epic the Ramayana he was the king of Videha in northeastern India. He was the father of Sita.

Janus m Roman Mythology
Means "archway" in Latin. Janus was the Roman god of gateways and beginnings, often depicted as having two faces looking in opposite directions. The month of January is named for him.

Jarl m Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, Norse Mythology, Old Norse
Means "chieftain, nobleman" in Old Norse (a cognate of the English word earl). In the Norse poem Rígsþula Jarl is the son of the god Ríg and the founder of the race of warriors.

Jason m English, French, Greek Mythology (Anglicized), Biblical
From the Greek name Ἰάσων (Iason) meaning "healer", derived from Greek ἰάομαι (iaomai) meaning "to heal". In Greek mythology Jason was the leader of the Argonauts. After his uncle Pelias overthrew his father Aeson as king of Iolcos, Jason went in search of the Golden Fleece in order to win back the throne. During his journeys he married the sorceress Medea, who helped him gain the fleece and kill his uncle, but who later turned against him when he fell in love with another woman.... [more]

Jasper m English, Dutch, Judeo-Christian-Islamic Legend
From Latin Gaspar, perhaps from the Biblical Hebrew word גִּזְבָּר (gizbar) meaning "treasurer", derived from Old Persian ganzabarah. This name was traditionally assigned to one of the wise men (also known as the Magi, or three kings) who were said to have visited the newborn Jesus. It has occasionally been used in the English-speaking world since the Middle Ages. The name can also be given in reference to the English word for the gemstone.

Jaya f & m Hinduism, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Marathi
Derived from Sanskrit जय (jaya) meaning "victory". In Sanskrit this is a transcription of both the feminine form जया (long final vowel) and the masculine form जय (short final vowel), both of which are used as names or epithets for several characters in Hindu texts. As a modern personal name, this transcription is both feminine and masculine in southern India, but typically only feminine in the north.

Jayanta m Hinduism, Bengali, Assamese
Derived from Sanskrit जयन्त (jayanta) meaning "victorious". This is the name of a son of the Hindu god Indra and the goddess Indrani, as well as other legendary figures.

Jeremiel m Biblical, Judeo-Christian-Islamic Legend
From Latin Hieremihel, probably from the Hebrew name Yeraḥmeʾel (see Jerahmeel). Jeremiel (also called Remiel or Uriel) is named as an archangel in some versions of the apocryphal book of 2 Esdras (preserved in Latin) in the Old Testament.

Jimmu m Japanese Mythology
Means "divine warrior", from Japanese 神 (jin) meaning "god" and 武 (mu) meaning "military, martial". In Japanese legend this was the name of the founder of Japan and the first emperor, supposedly ruling in the 7th century BC.

Joachim m German, French, Polish, Judeo-Christian-Islamic Legend
Contracted form of Jehoiachin or Jehoiakim. According to the apocryphal Gospel of James, Saint Joachim was the husband of Saint Anne and the father of the Virgin Mary. Due to his popularity in the Middle Ages, the name came into general use in Christian Europe (though it was never common in England).

Jóhonaa'éí m New World Mythology
Means "sun" in Navajo. In Navajo mythology this is the name of the sun god.

Jörmungandr m Norse Mythology
From Old Norse Jǫrmungandr, derived from jǫrmun "great, immense" and gandr "monster, magic, wand". In Norse mythology Jörmungandr was an enormous sea serpent, also known as the World Serpent because he was said to encircle the world. He was one of the offspring of Loki and Angrboða. During Ragnarök, the battle at end of the world, it is said that he will fight his old enemy Thor and both of them will die.

Jǫrmungandr m Norse Mythology
Old Norse form of Jörmungandr.

Joukahainen m Finnish Mythology
Meaning unknown. In the Finnish epic the Kalevala this is the name of a youth who challenges Väinämöinen to a chanting (or spellcasting) duel. Joukahainen loses, and must promise his sister Aino to Väinämöinen.

Jove m Roman Mythology (Anglicized)
From Latin Iovis, the genitive case of Iuppiter (see Jupiter). Though this form is grammatically genitive, post-classically it has been used nominatively as another name for Jupiter.

Júpiter m Roman Mythology (Hispanicized, Portuguesified)
Spanish and Portuguese form of Jupiter.

Jupiter m Roman Mythology (Anglicized)
From Latin Iuppiter, which was ultimately derived from the vocative form of Indo-European *Dyēws-pətēr, composed of the elements Dyēws (see Zeus) and pətēr "father". Jupiter was the supreme god in Roman mythology. He presided over the heavens and light, and was responsible for the protection and laws of the Roman state. This is also the name of the fifth and largest planet in the solar system.

Kadmos m Greek Mythology
Greek form of Cadmus.

Kalervo m Finnish, Finnish Mythology
Possibly a combination of Kaleva and Kullervo. In the Finnish epic the Kalevala this was the name of the father of Kullervo.

Kaleva m Finnish, Finnish Mythology
From the name of the mythological ancestor of the Finns, which is of unknown meaning. The name of the Finnish epic the Kalevala means "the land of Kaleva".

Kalevi m Finnish, Finnish Mythology
Variant of Kaleva.

Kama m Hinduism
Means "love, desire" in Sanskrit. Kama is the Hindu god of love and pleasure, typically depicted as a young man armed with a bow and riding on the back of a giant parrot. His wife is Rati.

Kamadeva m Hinduism
From Sanskrit काम (kāma) meaning "love, desire" and देव (deva) meaning "god". This is another name of the Hindu love god Kama.

Kamala f & m Hinduism, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Hindi, Nepali
Means "lotus" or "pale red" in Sanskrit. In Sanskrit this is a transcription of both the feminine form कमला and the masculine form कमल, though in modern languages it is only a feminine form. In Tantric Hinduism and Shaktism this is the name of a goddess, also identified with the goddess Lakshmi.

Kāne m Polynesian Mythology
Means "man" in Hawaiian, a cognate of Tāne. In Hawaiian mythology Kāne was the creator god.

Kapila m Hinduism, Sinhalese
Means "reddish brown" in Sanskrit, derived from कपि (kapi) meaning "monkey". According to Hindu tradition this was the name of a sage who founded Samkhya philosophy. He is sometimes considered an incarnation of Vishnu.

Karna m Hinduism
Derived from Sanskrit कर्ण (karṇa) meaning "ear". According to the Hindu epic the Mahabharata this was the name of the son of the sun god Surya and Kunti, who gave birth to him through her ear. He was a great warrior who became the king of Anga, eventually joining the Kauravas to fight against his half-brothers the Pandavas.

Karthikeyan m Tamil, Hinduism
Tamil form of Kartikeya.

Kartikeya m Hinduism
From Sanskrit कृत्तिका (Kṛttikā), the Indian name for the constellation the Pleiades, ultimately from कृत् (kṛt) meaning "to cut, to divide". This is another name for the Hindu god Skanda, given because he was raised by the Krttikas.

Kashyapa m Hinduism
Means "turtle, tortoise" in Sanskrit. In Hindu belief this is the name of one of the Saptarshis, or seven sages. He appears often in Hindu scripture, and is believed to be the author of several hymns in the Rigveda. According to the Puranas he was the husband of the goddess Aditi and the father by her of some of the gods.

Kastor m Greek Mythology
Greek form of Castor.

Kaveh m Persian, Persian Mythology
Meaning unknown. In the 10th-century Persian epic the Shahnameh Kaveh is a blacksmith who leads a rebellion against the evil ruler Zahhak.

K'awiil m Mayan Mythology
Variant of K'awil.

K'awil m Mayan Mythology
Possibly means "powerful one" in Classic Maya. This was the name of the Maya god of lightning, generations and corn. He was sometimes depicted with one of his legs taking the form of a serpent. His name was also used as a title for other gods.

Kay 2 m Welsh Mythology, Arthurian Cycle
From the Welsh name Cai or Cei, possibly a form of the Roman name Gaius. Sir Kay was one of the Knights of the Round Table in Arthurian legend. He first appears in Welsh tales as a brave companion of Arthur. In later medieval tales, notably those by the 12th-century French poet Chrétien de Troyes, he is portrayed as an unrefined boor.

Kephalos m Greek Mythology
Greek form of Cephalus.

Kepheus m Greek Mythology
Greek form of Cepheus.

Kerberos m Greek Mythology
Greek form of Cerberus.

Khnum m Egyptian Mythology
From Egyptian ẖnmw (reconstructed as Khenmu or Khnemu), derived from ẖnm meaning "to unite". This was the name of an early Egyptian god associated with fertility, water and the Nile. He was often depicted as a man with the head of a ram, sometimes with a potter's wheel.

Khonsu m Egyptian Mythology
From Egyptian ḫnsw meaning "traveller", derived from ḫns meaning "to traverse, to cross". In Egyptian mythology he was a god of the moon, the son of Amon and Mut.

Khordad f & m Persian Mythology
Modern Persian form of Haurvatat. From the Middle Persian era, this deity was often considered masculine. The third month of the Iranian calendar is named for her.

Khorshid m & f Persian, Persian Mythology
Modern Persian form of Avestan 𐬵𐬎𐬎𐬀𐬭𐬆⸱𐬑𐬱𐬀𐬉𐬙𐬀 (Huuarə Xshaēta) meaning "shining sun". In Zoroastrianism this was the name of a Yazata (a holy being) who was associated with the sun.

K'inich m Mayan Mythology
Means "hot, sunny" in Classic Maya, derived from k'in "sun". K'inich Ajaw (ajaw meaning "king, lord") was the Maya god of the sun. K'inich was commonly used as an element in the names of Maya royalty.

Kinich m Mayan Mythology
Variant of K'inich.

Klytios m Greek Mythology
Derived from Greek κλυτός (klytos) meaning "famous, noble". This is the name of several minor characters in Greek mythology.

Koios m Greek Mythology
Possibly derived from Greek κοῖος (koios), also spelled ποῖος (poios), a questioning word meaning approximately "of what kind?". This was the name of a Titan god of intelligence in Greek mythology.

Korkut m Turkic Mythology
Probably related to Turkish korkutmak meaning "to frighten, to scare". This is the name of the narrator in the 14th-century Turkic epic the Book of Dede Korkut.

Kratos m Greek Mythology, Popular Culture
Means "power, strength" in Greek. In Greek mythology this is the name of one of the children of Styx and Pallas.... [more]

Kreios m Greek Mythology
Possibly derived from either Greek κρείων (kreion) meaning "lord, master" or κριός (krios) meaning "ram, male sheep". This was the name of a Titan in Greek mythology.

Krishna m Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Gujarati, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Nepali
Derived from Sanskrit कृष्ण (kṛṣṇa) meaning "black, dark". This is the name of a Hindu deity believed to be an incarnation of the god Vishnu. According to the Mahabharata and the Puranas he was the youngest of King Vasudeva's eight sons by Devaki, six of whom were killed by King Kamsa because of a prophecy that a child of Vasudeva would kill Kamsa. However, Krishna and his brother Balarama were saved and he eventually fulfilled the prophecy by slaying the evil king. He then helped the Pandavas defeat the Kauravas in the Mahabharata War. His philosophical conversation with the Pandava leader Arjuna forms the text of the important Hindu scripture the Bhagavad Gita.... [more]

Kronos m Greek Mythology
Greek form of Cronus.

Kshathra Vairya m Persian Mythology
Alternate transcription of Avestan 𐬑𐬱𐬀𐬚𐬭𐬀⸱𐬬𐬀𐬌𐬭𐬌𐬌𐬀 (see Xshathra Vairya).

Kubera m Hinduism
Possibly means "deformed, monstrous" in Sanskrit. This is the name of a Hindu god of wealth. In the Vedas he is presented as the chief of the evil beings.

K'uk'ulkan m Mayan Mythology
Means "feathered serpent", from Classic Maya k'uk' "quetzal, quetzal feather" and kaan "serpent, snake". This was the name of a snake god in Maya mythology, roughly equivalent to the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl. This is the Yucatec Maya form — the K'iche' name is Q'uq'umatz (which is only partially cognate).

Kukulkan m Mayan Mythology
Variant of K'uk'ulkan.

Kullervo m Finnish, Finnish Mythology
Derived from Finnish kulta "gold". In the Finnish epic the Kalevala this is the name of tragic character, a young man who seeks revenge on his uncle Untamo for destroying his tribe and selling him into slavery.

Kumara m Hinduism
Derived from Sanskrit कुमार (kumāra) meaning "boy, son". In Hindu texts this is an epithet of both the fire god Agni and the war god Skanda.

Lacedaemon m Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Λακεδαίμων (Lakedaimon), the Greek name of the city-state also commonly called Sparta. According to Greek mythology Lacedaemon, a son of Zeus, was the founder of Sparta.

Laertes m Greek Mythology
Means "gatherer of the people" in Greek. This is the name of the father of Odysseus in Greek mythology. It was later utilized by Shakespeare for a character in his tragedy Hamlet (1600), in which he is the son of Polonius. His ultimate duel with Hamlet leads to both of their deaths.

Laios m Greek Mythology
Greek form of Laius.

Laius m Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Greek Λάϊος (Laios), which is of unknown meaning. This was the name of a king of Thebes in Greek mythology, the husband of Jocasta. Due to a prophecy that he would be killed by his son, Laius left his infant Oedipus for dead. The boy survived but was ignorant of his true parentage. Years later he unwittingly killed Laius in a quarrel on the road.

Lakedaimon m Greek Mythology
Original Greek form of Lacedaemon.

Lakshmana m Hinduism
Means "having lucky marks" in Sanskrit. In the Hindu epic the Ramayana he is the younger brother and trusted companion of the hero Rama, accompanying him into exile.

Laocoön m Greek Mythology (Latinized)
From Greek Λαοκόων (Laokoon), derived from λαός (laos) meaning "people" and ἀκούω (akouo) meaning "to hear". In Greek mythology this was the name of a Trojan priest who warned against accepting the wooden horse left by the Greeks. He and his sons were strangled by sea serpents sent by the gods.

Laokoon m Greek Mythology
Greek form of Laocoön.

Leander m Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of the Greek name Λέανδρος (Leandros), derived from λέων (leon) meaning "lion" and ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man" (genitive ἀνδρός). In Greek legend Leander was the lover of Hero. Every night he swam across the Hellespont to meet her, but on one occasion he was drowned when a storm arose. When Hero saw his dead body she threw herself into the waters and perished.

Leandros m Greek Mythology
Greek form of Leander.

Lech m Polish, Slavic Mythology
According to Polish legend this was the name of the founder of the Lechites, a group that includes the Poles. The name probably derives from that of the old Slavic tribe the Lendians, called the Lędzianie in Polish.... [more]

Leigong m Chinese Mythology
Means "lord of thunder", from Chinese 雷 (léi) meaning "thunder" and 公 (gōng) meaning "lord, prince". This is the name of a Chinese thunder god.

Lemminkäinen m Finnish Mythology
Meaning unknown, possibly related to Finnish lempi "love". In the Finnish epic the Kalevala this is the name of an arrogant hero. After he was killed his mother fetched his body from the River of Death and restored him to life. He is sometimes identified with the god Ahti.

Ler m Irish Mythology
Means "the sea" in Old Irish. Ler was probably an Irish god or personification of the sea, best known as the father of Manannán mac Lir.

Leucippus m Ancient Greek (Latinized), Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Leukippos.

Leukippos m Ancient Greek, Greek Mythology
Means "white horse", derived from Greek λευκός (leukos) meaning "white, bright" and ἵππος (hippos) meaning "horse". This name was borne by a 5th-century BC Greek philosopher, as well as by several characters in Greek mythology.

Liber m Roman Mythology
Derived from Latin liber meaning "free". This was the name of a Roman fertility god, often identified with Dionysus.

Linos m Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek
Greek form of Linus.

Linus m Greek Mythology (Latinized), Ancient Greek (Latinized), Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German
From the Greek name Λίνος (Linos) meaning "flax". In Greek legend he was the son of the god Apollo, who accidentally killed him in a contest. Another son of Apollo by this name was the music teacher of Herakles. The name was also borne by the second pope, serving after Saint Peter in the 1st century. In modern times this was the name of a character in Charles Schulz's comic strip Peanuts.

Lir m Irish Mythology
Possibly from the patronymic Manannán mac Lir, in which case Lir is the genitive case of the name Ler. The medieval Irish legend the Children of Lir tells how Lir of the Tuatha Dé Danann had his children transformed into swans by his third wife Aoife. The legendary characters Lir and Ler seem to be distinct.

Lleu m Welsh Mythology
Probably a Welsh form of Lugus. In the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi, Lleu Llaw Gyffes is the son of Arianrhod. He was raised by his uncle Gwydion, who helped him overcome the curses that his mother placed upon him. His wife Blodeuwedd and her lover Gronw conspired to overcome his near invincibility and murder him, but they were not successful. Eventually he became the king of Gwynedd.

Llew m Welsh, Welsh Mythology
Variant of Lleu. It can also be a short form of Llewelyn. It coincides with the Welsh word llew meaning "lion".

Lludd m Welsh Mythology
Probably a variant of Nudd altered due to alliterative assimilation with his byname Llaw Ereint meaning "silver hand". Lludd Llaw Ereint is named as the father of Creiddylad in Culhwch and Olwen. He also appears in the Welsh tale Lludd and Llefelys as the king of Britain, the son of Beli Mawr.

Llŷr m Welsh Mythology
Means "the sea" in Welsh. According to the Mabinogi he was the father of Brân, Branwen and Manawydan. His name is cognate with Irish Ler, and it is typically assumed that Llŷr may have originally been regarded as a god of the sea. He might also be the basis for the legendary King Leir of the Britons.

Llyr m Welsh Mythology
Unaccented variant of Llŷr.

Lóegaire m Irish Mythology, Old Irish
Means "calf herder", derived from Old Irish lóeg "calf". In Irish legend Lóegaire Búadach was an Ulster warrior. He saved the life of the poet Áed, but died in the process. This was also the name of several Irish high kings.

Loke m Norse Mythology, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
Modern Scandinavian form of Loki.

Loki m Norse Mythology
Meaning unknown, possibly derived from the Germanic root *luką meaning "lock". In Norse mythology Loki was a trickster god associated with magic and shape shifting. Loki's children include the wolf Fenrir, the sea serpent Jörmungandr, and the queen of the dead Hel. After he orchestrated the death of Balder, the other gods tied him to a rock below a snake that dripped venom onto his face. It is told that he will break free during Ragnarök, the final battle, and slay and be slain by Heimdall.

Longwang m Chinese Mythology
From Chinese 龙 (lóng) meaning "dragon" and 王 (wáng) meaning "king". This is the Chinese name of the Dragon King, a god associated with water and rain.

Lú m Irish Mythology
Modern Irish form of Lugh.

Lucifer m Judeo-Christian-Islamic Legend
Means "bringing light", derived from Latin lux "light" and fero "to bring". In Latin this name originally referred to the morning star, Venus, but later became associated with the chief angel who rebelled against God's rule in heaven (see Isaiah 14:12). In later literature, such as the Divine Comedy (1321) by Dante and Paradise Lost (1667) by John Milton, Lucifer became associated with Satan himself.

Lug m Irish Mythology
Old Irish form of Lugh.

Lugaid m Old Irish, Irish Mythology
Old Irish form of Lughaidh.

Lugalbanda m Sumerian Mythology
From Sumerian lugal "king" and banda "young, wild, fierce". This was the name of a legendary king of Uruk who was said to be the father of Gilgamesh in Sumerian mythology.

Lugh m Irish Mythology
Probably an Irish form of Lugus. In Irish mythology Lugh Lámfada was a divine hero who led the Tuatha Dé Danann against his grandfather Balor and the Fomorians. Lugh killed Balor by shooting a stone into his giant eye.

Lughaidh m Irish Mythology
From Old Irish Lugaid, a combination of the name of the mythological figure Lugh and Old Irish dech "honour, better". This was the name of several characters in Irish legend, including the king Lugaid mac Con.

Lugos m Gaulish Mythology
Variant of Lugus.

Lugus m Gaulish Mythology (Hypothetical)
Possibly from one of the Indo-European roots *lewk- "light, brightness", *lewg- "dark" or *lewgh- "oath". This was the name of a Celtic (Gaulish) god of commerce and craftsmanship, who was equated by the Romans with Mercury. He probably forms the basis for the characters and names of Lugh (Irish) and Lleu (Welsh).

Lycurgus m Greek Mythology (Latinized), Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Latinized form of the Greek name Λυκοῦργος (Lykourgos), derived from λύκος (lykos) meaning "wolf" and ἔργον (ergon) meaning "work, deed". In Greek legend this was the name of a king who was driven mad by the gods because of his impiety. This was also the name of a Spartan legislator of the 9th century BC.

Lycus m Greek Mythology (Latinized), Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Latinized form of the Greek name Λύκος (Lykos) meaning "wolf". This name was borne by several characters in Greek mythology including a legendary ruler of Thebes.

Lykos m Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek
Greek form of Lycus.

Lykourgos m Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek
Greek form of Lycurgus.

Mabon m Welsh Mythology
Later Welsh form of Maponos. In the Welsh tale Culhwch and Olwen he is a prisoner freed by Arthur's warriors in order to help hunt the great boar Trwyth. His mother is Modron.

Macsen m Welsh Mythology
Welsh form of Maximus. Magnus Maximus (known as Macsen Wledig in Welsh) was a 4th-century co-ruler of the Western Roman Empire. In Wales he was regarded as the founder of several royal lineages. He appears in the medieval Welsh tale The Dream of Macsen.

Madana m Hinduism
Means "intoxicating, maddening" in Sanskrit. This is another name of the Hindu love god Kama.

Madhava m Hinduism, Sanskrit
Means "sweet, vernal, of the springtime" in Sanskrit, a derivative of मधु (madhu) meaning "honey, sweet". This was the name of a 14th-century Indian scholar from Sangamagrama. This is also an epithet of the Hindu deity Krishna, given because he was a descendant of a Yadava king named Madhu.

Magni m Old Norse, Norse Mythology
Derived from the Old Norse element magn meaning "power, strength". In Norse mythology this name is borne by a son of Thor and the giant Járnsaxa.

Mahesha m Hinduism
Means "great lord" from Sanskrit महा (mahā) meaning "great" and ईश (īśa) meaning "lord, ruler". This is another name of the Hindu god Shiva.

Manannán m Irish Mythology
Probably from the name of the Isle of Man, itself possibly from the Celtic root *moniyo- meaning "mountain". In Irish mythology Manannán mac Lir was a god of the sea and one of the Tuatha Dé Danann.

Manawydan m Welsh Mythology
Welsh cognate of Manannán. According to the Mabinogi he was a son of Llŷr, and the brother of Brân and Branwen. He participated in his brother's invasion of Ireland, and was one of only seven warriors to return. Afterwards he became a companion of Pryderi and married his widowed mother Rhiannon.

Mani 1 m Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada, Hinduism
Means "jewel" in Sanskrit. This name is mentioned briefly in the Mahabharata belonging to both a giant serpent and an attendant of Skanda.

Manjushri m Buddhism
Means "beautiful radiance", derived from Sanskrit मञ्जु (mañju) meaning "lovely, beautiful" and श्री (śrī) meaning "radiance, splendour, beauty". According to Buddhist tradition this is the name of a bodhisattva.

Manoja m Hinduism
Means "born of the mind", from Sanskrit मनस् (manas) meaning "mind, intellect, spirit" and ज (ja) meaning "born". This is another name of the Hindu god Kama.

Manu 1 m Hinduism, Hindi, Kannada
Means "thinking, wise" in Sanskrit. In Hindu belief this is a title of Swayambhuva, the progenitor of the human race, as well as several of his descendants.

Maponos m Celtic Mythology
Means "great son", from the Celtic root *makwos meaning "son" (Gaulish and Brythonic mapos) combined with the divine or augmentative suffix -on. This was the name of a god of youth worshipped in Gaul and Britain. He was commonly equated with the Greco-Roman god Apollo.

Marama f & m Maori, Polynesian Mythology
Means "moon" in Maori. This is the name of a moon god (or goddess) in Maori mythology.

Marduk m Semitic Mythology
Probably from Sumerian amar-Utuk meaning "calf of Utu", derived from amar "calf" combined with the name of the sun god Utu. This was the name of the chief Babylonian god, presiding over heaven, light, sky, battle, and fertility. After killing the dragon Tiamat, who was an old enemy of the gods, he created the world and sky from the pieces of her body.

Mars m Roman Mythology
Possibly related to Latin mas meaning "male" (genitive maris). In Roman mythology Mars was the god of war, often equated with the Greek god Ares. This is also the name of the fourth planet in the solar system.

Marte 2 m Roman Mythology (Italianized, Hispanicized, Portuguesified)
Italian, Spanish and Portuguese form of Mars.

Math m Welsh Mythology
Possibly from the old Celtic root *matus meaning "bear". According to the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi, Math ap Mathonwy was a king of Gwynedd and a magician. Whenever he was not at war, it was required that he rest his feet in the lap of a virgin. He was the uncle of the hero Gwydion, with whom he shared most of his adventures.

Māui m & f Hawaiian, Polynesian Mythology
Meaning unknown. In Hawaiian mythology Māui was a trickster who created the Hawaiian Islands by having his brothers fish them out of the sea. He was also responsible for binding the sun and slowing its movement.

Maximón m Mythology
The name of a trickster folk deity, also called San Simón, worshipped by the Maya people in parts of Guatemala. He is a syncretic figure thought to have arisen during the Spanish conquest, and is typically represented by a man-sized, cigar-smoking, alcohol-drinking wooden effigy. The meaning of the name is uncertain. It could be a blend of Mam, a title of some of the Maya gods meaning "grandfather", and Simón, referring to Saint Peter.

Medraut m Welsh Mythology, Arthurian Cycle
Welsh form of Mordred.

Medrod m Welsh Mythology, Arthurian Cycle
Welsh form of Mordred.

Meghanada m Hinduism
Means "cloud roar, thunder" from Sanskrit मेघ (megha) meaning "cloud" and नाद (nāda) meaning "sound, roar". This is the name of a powerful son of the demon king Ravana in the Hindu epic the Ramayana, where he is also called Indrajit.

Mehr m & f Persian, Persian Mythology
Modern Persian form of Mithra. As a Persian vocabulary word it means "friendship, love, kindness". It is also the name of the seventh month of the Persian calendar. All of these derive from the same source: the Indo-Iranian root *mitra meaning "oath, covenant, agreement".

Mehrab m Persian, Persian Mythology
From Persian مهر (mehr) meaning "sun" or "friendship" and آب (āb) meaning "water". This is the name of the king of Kabul in the 10th-century Persian epic the Shahnameh.

Melanthios m Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek
Derived from Greek μέλας (melas) meaning "black, dark" and ἄνθος (anthos) meaning "flower". In Homer's epic the Odyssey this is the name of an insolent goatherd killed by Odysseus.

Melchior m Judeo-Christian-Islamic Legend, French (Rare), Dutch (Rare)
Possibly from the Hebrew roots מֶלֶךְ (meleḵ) meaning "king" and אוֹר (ʾor) meaning "light". This was a name traditionally assigned to one of the wise men (also known as the Magi, or three kings) who were said to have visited the newborn Jesus. According to medieval tradition he was a king of Persia.

Melqart m Semitic Mythology
Means "king of the city", from Phoenician 𐤌𐤋𐤊 (milk) meaning "king" and 𐤒𐤓𐤕 (qart) meaning "city". This was the name of a Phoenician god worshipped especially in the city of Tyre.

Menelaos m Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek, Greek
Greek form of Menelaus.

Menelaus m Greek Mythology (Latinized)
From the Greek name Μενέλαος (Menelaos), derived either from μένω (meno) meaning "to stay, to last" or μένος (menos) meaning "mind, strength, force" combined with λαός (laos) meaning "people". In Greek legend he was a king of Sparta and the husband of Helen. When his wife was taken by Paris, the Greeks led by his brother Agamemnon besieged the city of Troy in an effort to get her back. After the war Menelaus and Helen settled down to a happy life.

Mentor m Greek Mythology
Possibly related to Greek μένος (menos) meaning "mind, strength, force". In Greek legend Mentor was the son of Alkimos. When Odysseus left to fight in the Trojan War he entrusted Mentor with the care of his palace and the guardianship of his son Telemachos. When the goddess Athena visited Telemachos she took the guise of Mentor.

Mercurius m Roman Mythology
Latin form of Mercury.

Mercury m Roman Mythology (Anglicized)
From the Latin Mercurius, probably derived from Latin mercari "to trade" or merces "wages". This was the name of the Roman god of trade, merchants, and travellers, later equated with the Greek god Hermes. This is also the name of the first planet in the solar system and a metallic chemical element, both named for the god.

Metztli f & m Aztec and Toltec Mythology, Nahuatl
Means "moon" in Nahuatl. This was the name of the Aztec god (or goddess) of the moon.

Meztli f & m Aztec and Toltec Mythology, Nahuatl
Variant of Metztli.

Mictlantecuhtli m Aztec and Toltec Mythology
Means "lord of Mictlan" in Nahuatl. In Aztec mythology he was the skeletal ruler of Mictlan, the realm of the dead, with his wife Mictecacihuatl.

Midas m Greek Mythology
Meaning unknown. In Greek myth Midas was a king of Phrygia in Asia Minor. He was granted a wish by the god Dionysos — that everything he touch be turned to gold.

Mihr m Armenian Mythology
Armenian form of Mithra. This was the name of the Armenian god of light, a son of Aramazd.

Minos m Greek Mythology
Possibly from a Cretan word or title meaning "king". This was the name of a king of Crete in Greek mythology. He was the son of Zeus and Europa. Because Minos had refused to sacrifice a certain bull to Poseidon, the god had caused his wife Pasiphaë to mate with the bull, which produced the half-bull creature called the Minotaur. Minos had Daedalus construct the Labyrinth to house the beast, but it was eventually slain by Theseus.

Mithra m Persian Mythology
From Avestan 𐬨𐬌𐬚𐬭𐬀 (mithra) meaning "oath, covenant, agreement", derived from an Indo-Iranian root *mitra meaning "that which binds". According Zoroastrian mythology Mithra was a god of light and friendship, the son of the supreme god Ahura Mazda. Worship of him eventually spread outside of Persia to the Roman Empire, where it was known as Mithraism.

Mithras m Persian Mythology (Hellenized)
Greek form of Mithra.

Mitra 1 m & f Hinduism, Hindi
Means "friend" in Sanskrit, a cognate of Mithra. This is the name of a Vedic god (मित्र) who is associated with friendship and contracts and is frequently paired with the god Varuna. The feminine form मित्रा (spelled with a final long vowel) is also transcribed as Mitra.

Modred m Welsh Mythology, Arthurian Cycle
Variant of Mordred.

Mohana m & f Hinduism
Means "bewitching, infatuating, charming" in Sanskrit. This is a transcription of both the masculine form मोहन (an epithet of the Hindu gods Shiva and Krishna) and the feminine form मोहना (spelled with a long final vowel).

Montu m Egyptian Mythology
From Egyptian mnṯw meaning "nomad". In Egyptian mythology he was the god of war, depicted as a man with the head of a falcon or a bull.

Mordred m Welsh Mythology, Arthurian Cycle
From Welsh Medraut, possibly from Latin moderatus meaning "controlled, moderated". In Arthurian legend Mordred was the illegitimate son (in some versions nephew) of King Arthur. Mordred first appears briefly (as Medraut) in the 10th-century Annales Cambriae, but he was not portrayed as a traitor until the chronicles of the 12th-century Geoffrey of Monmouth. While Arthur is away he seduces his wife Guinevere and declares himself king. This prompts the battle of Camlann, which leads to the deaths of both Mordred and Arthur.

Morpheus m Greek Mythology
Derived from Greek μορφή (morphe) meaning "shape", referring to the shapes seen in dreams. In Greek mythology Morpheus was the god of dreams.

Mot m Semitic Mythology
Means "death" in Ugaritic. This was the name of the Ugaritic god of death and the lord of the netherworld. He was a son of the supreme god El.

Mukesha m Hinduism
Means "ruler of Muka" in Sanskrit. This is another name of the Hindu god Shiva, given to him because he killed Muka, a demon in the form of a wild boar.

Murali m Hinduism, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi
Means "flute" in Sanskrit. This is another name of the Hindu god Krishna, given to him because he played the flute.

Murugan m Hinduism, Tamil
From a Tamil word meaning "young". This was the name of a Tamil war god who is now identified with Skanda.

Myles 2 m Greek Mythology
Probably from Greek μύλη (myle) meaning "mill". This was the name of a king of Laconia in Greek mythology.

Myrddin m Welsh Mythology, Welsh
Original Welsh form of Merlin. It is probably ultimately from the name of the Romano-British settlement Moridunum, derived from Celtic *mori "sea" and *dūnom "rampart, hill fort". Prefixed with Welsh caer "fort", this town has been called Caerfyrddin (Carmarthen in English) from medieval times. It is thought that Caerfyrddin may have mistakenly been interpreted as meaning "fort of Myrddin", as if Myrddin were a personal name instead of a later development of Moridunum.... [more]

Nabu m Semitic Mythology
Possibly from a Semitic root meaning "to announce". This was the name of a Babylonian and Assyrian god of wisdom, letters and writing.

Nagendra m Hinduism, Kannada, Telugu
Means "lord of snakes" from Sanskrit नाग (nāga) meaning "snake" (also "elephant") combined with the name of the Hindu god Indra, used here to mean "lord". This is another name for Vasuki, the king of snakes, in Hindu mythology.

Nairyosangha m Persian Mythology
Derived from Avestan 𐬥𐬀𐬌𐬭𐬌𐬌𐬀 (nairiia) meaning "male" and 𐬯𐬀𐬢𐬵𐬀 (sangha) meaning "word, utterance, proclamation". Nairyosangha was a Zoroastrian Yazata (a holy being) who served as a messenger for Ahura Mazda.

Nala 1 m Hinduism
Means "stem" in Sanskrit. This is the name of a king of the Nishadha people in the Hindu epic the Mahabharata.

Nanabozho m New World Mythology
Means "my rabbit" in Ojibwe, derived from waabooz "rabbit". In Anishinaabe legend Nanabozho (also called Wenabozho) is a trickster spirit.

Nanabush m New World Mythology
Variant of Nanabozho.

Nanda m & f Hinduism, Buddhism, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Odia, Nepali, Burmese, Hindi, Marathi
Means "joy" in Sanskrit. This is a transcription of both the masculine form नन्द and the feminine form नन्दा (spelled with a long final vowel).... [more]

Nanna 2 m Sumerian Mythology
Meaning unknown. This was the name of the Sumerian god of the moon. He was the son of Enlil and the husband of Ningal.

Naoise m Irish, Irish Mythology
Meaning unknown, presumably of Irish origin. In Irish legend he was the young man who fled to Scotland with Deirdre, who was due to marry Conchobar the king of Ulster. Conchobar eventually succeeded in capturing Deirdre and killing Naoise, which caused Deirdre to die of grief.

Narasimha m Hinduism, Telugu
Means "man-lion", derived from Sanskrit नर (nara) meaning "man" combined with सिंह (siṃha) meaning "lion". This is the name of a lion-headed avatar of the god Vishnu who kills the evil king Hiranyakashipu.

Narasingha m Hinduism
Alternate transcription of Sanskrit नरसिंह (see Narasimha).

Narayana m Hinduism, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil
Possibly from Sanskrit नर (nara) meaning "man" and अयन (ayana) meaning "path". In Hindu creation legends this is the name of an eternal god who created the universe. He is considered an incarnation of Vishnu (or sometimes Brahma). According to the Mahabharata and the Bhagavata Purana Narayana and his brother Nara were sages.

Narcissus m Greek Mythology (Latinized), Late Roman, Biblical
Latinized form of Greek Νάρκισσος (Narkissos), possibly derived from νάρκη (narke) meaning "sleep, numbness". Narkissos was a beautiful youth in Greek mythology who stared at his own reflection for so long that he eventually died and was turned into the narcissus flower.... [more]

Narkissos m Greek Mythology
Greek form of Narcissus.

Nechtan m Irish Mythology, Old Irish
Irish name of uncertain meaning, possibly from a Celtic root meaning "damp" (cognate with Neptune). In Irish mythology Nechtan was the husband of Boann, the goddess of the River Boyne. He is sometimes identified with Nuada. This name was borne by the 5th-century Saint Nectan of Hartland in Devon, who was supposedly born in Ireland. It was also the name of several kings of the Picts (described mostly from Gaelic sources, this may represent a Pictish cognate).

Neilos m Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek
Greek name of the Nile River, possibly of Semitic origin meaning "river". In Greek mythology he was the god of the Nile, the son of Okeanos and Tethys.... [more]

Neoptolemos m Greek Mythology
Greek form of Neoptolemus.

Neoptolemus m Greek Mythology (Latinized)
From the Greek name Νεοπτόλεμος (Neoptolemos) meaning "new war", derived from νέος (neos) meaning "new" combined with an Epic Greek form of πόλεμος (polemos) meaning "war". In Greek legend this was the name of the son of Achilles, brought into the Trojan War because it was prophesied the Greeks could not win it unless he was present. After the war he was slain by Orestes fighting over Hermione.

Neptune m Roman Mythology (Anglicized)
From the Latin Neptunus, which is of unknown meaning, possibly related to the Indo-European root *nebh- "wet, damp, clouds". Neptune was the god of the sea in Roman mythology, approximately equivalent to the Greek god Poseidon. This is also the name of the eighth planet in the solar system.

Neptuno m Roman Mythology (Hispanicized, Portuguesified)
Spanish and European Portuguese form of Neptune.

Neptunus m Roman Mythology
Latin form of Neptune.

Nereus m Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
Derived from Greek νηρός (neros) meaning "water". In Greek myth this was the name of a god of the sea, the father of the Nereids. It is mentioned briefly in the New Testament, belonging to a Christian in Rome. This was also the name of a Roman saint of the 1st century, a member of the army, who was martyred with his companion Achilleus because they refused to execute Christians.

Nerþuz f & m Germanic Mythology (Hypothetical)
Proto-Germanic reconstruction of Nerthus and Njord.

Nestor m Greek Mythology, Russian, Portuguese, French
Means "returner, homecomer" in Greek, from νέομαι (neomai) meaning "to return". In Homer's Iliad this was the name of the king of Pylos, famous for his great wisdom and longevity, who acted as a counselor to the Greek allies.

Nettuno m Roman Mythology (Italianized)
Italian form of Neptune.

Netuno m Roman Mythology (Portuguesified)
Brazilian Portuguese form of Neptune.

Nilus m Greek Mythology (Latinized), Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Latinized form of Neilos.

Ninurta m Sumerian Mythology, Semitic Mythology
Derived from Sumerian 𒎏 (nin) meaning "lord" and 𒅁 (urta) meaning "ear of barley". In Sumerian, Akkadian and Babylonian mythology Ninurta was a god of agriculture, hunting and healing, later associated with war. He was also called Ningirsu, though they may have originally been separate deities.

Nisus m Roman Mythology
Meaning unknown. According to Virgil's Aeneid, this was the name of the son of the Trojan Hyrtacus (himself mentioned in the Iliad, though Nisus is not). In the Aeneid Nisus is the friend of Euryalus. After Euryalus is captured by the Rutuli, both are slain when Nisus attempts to save him.

Njord m Norse Mythology, Swedish (Rare), Norwegian (Rare), Danish (Rare)
From Old Norse Njǫrðr, derived from Proto-Germanic *Nerþuz. It might derive from the Indo-European root *hnerto- meaning "strong, vigorous". Njord was the Norse god associated with the sea, sailing, fishing and fertility. With his children Freyr and Freya he was a member of the Vanir gods.