ABIJAH m & f BiblicalMeans "my father is
YAHWEH" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of several characters, both male and female, including the second king of Judah.
ADDISON f & m EnglishFrom an English surname meaning "son of
ADAM". Its recent popularity as a feminine name stems from its similarity in sound to
Madison.
AERON (1) m & f WelshEither derived from Welsh
aeron meaning "berry" or else from the name of a river in Wales.
AFON f & m WelshMeans "river" in Welsh. This is a Welsh name of recent origin.
AGRIPPA m & f Ancient Roman, BiblicalRoman cognomen of unknown meaning, possibly from Greek
αγριος (agrios) "wild" and
‘ιππος (hippos) "horse" or possibly of Etruscan origin. It was also used as a praenomen, or given name, by the Furia and Menenia families. In the New Testament this name was borne by Herod Agrippa (a grandson of Herod the Great), the king of Israel who put the apostle James to death. It was also borne by the 1st-century BC Roman general Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa.
AH m & f ChineseFrom the Chinese character
阿 (ā), which has no distinct meaning. It is not normally given as a name, but it can be prefixed to another name to make it a diminutive.
AILBHE f & m IrishPossibly derived from the old Irish root
albho meaning "white" or
ail meaning "rock". In Irish legend this was the name of a female warrior of the Fianna. It was also the name of a 6th-century masculine saint, the founder of a monastery at Emly.
AINSLEY f & m Scottish, English (Modern)From a surname that was from a place name: either Annesley in Nottinghamshire or Ansley in Warwickshire. The place names themselves derive from Old English
anne "alone, solitary" or
ansetl "hermitage" and
leah "woodland, clearing".
AKIRA m & f JapaneseFrom Japanese
昭 (akira) meaning "bright",
明 (akira) meaning "bright" or
亮 (akira) meaning "clear". Other kanji with the same pronunciation can also form this name. A famous bearer was the Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998), given name written
明.
ALEX m & f English, Dutch, German, French, Portuguese, Italian, Romanian, Greek, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Hungarian, Czech, RussianShort form of
ALEXANDER,
ALEXANDRA, and other names beginning with
Alex.
ALEXIS m & f German, French, English, Greek, Ancient GreekFrom the Greek name
Αλεξις (Alexis) meaning "helper" or "defender", derived from Greek
αλεξω (alexo) "to defend, to help". This was the name of a 3rd-century BC Greek comic poet, and also of several saints. It is used somewhat interchangeably with the related name
Αλεξιος or
Alexius, borne by five Byzantine emperors. In the English-speaking world it is more commonly used as a feminine name.
ALMAS f & m ArabicMeans "diamond" in Arabic, ultimately from Persian.
ALPHA f & m EnglishFrom the name of the first letter in the Greek alphabet,
Α.
AN (1) m & f Chinese, VietnameseFrom Chinese
安 (ān) meaning "peace, quiet" or other characters with a similar pronunciation. As a Vietnamese name, it is derived from Sino-Vietnamese
安 meaning "safe, secure".
ANAH f & m Biblical, Biblical HebrewMeans "answer" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this name belongs to one female character and two male characters.
ANDY m & f EnglishDiminutive of
ANDREW or sometimes
ANDREA (2). American pop artist and filmmaker Andy Warhol (1928-1987) was a famous bearer of this name.
ANGEL m & f English, Bulgarian, MacedonianFrom the medieval Latin masculine name
Angelus, which was derived from the name of the heavenly creature (itself derived from the Greek word
αγγελος (angelos) meaning "messenger"). It has never been very common in the English-speaking world, where it is sometimes used as a feminine name in modern times.
ANH m & f VietnameseThis name is frequently combined with a middle name to create a compound name; the meaning of
Anh changes depending on the Sino-Vietnamese characters underlying the compound. It is often from Sino-Vietnamese
英 (anh) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero", though in compounds it often takes on the meaning "intelligent, bright".
AOI f & m JapaneseFrom Japanese
葵 (aoi) meaning "hollyhock, althea" or an adjectival form of
碧 (ao) meaning "green, blue". Other kanji with the same reading can form this name as well.
ARAN (1) f & m IrishFrom the name of the Aran Islands off the west coast of Ireland.
ARDEN m & f EnglishFrom an English surname, originally taken from various place names, which were derived from a Celtic word meaning "high".
ARIEL m & f Hebrew, English, French, Spanish, Biblical, Biblical GreekMeans "lion of God" in Hebrew, from
אֲרִי ('ari) meaning "lion" and
אֵל ('el) meaning "God". In the Old Testament it is used as another name for the city of Jerusalem. Shakespeare used it as the name of a spirit in his play 'The Tempest' (1611), and one of the moons of Uranus bears this name in his honour. As an English name, it became more common for females in the 1980s, especially after it was used for the title character in the Walt Disney film 'The Little Mermaid' (1989).
ARYA (1) m & f Persian, Indian, Hindi, MalayalamFrom an old Indo-Iranian root meaning "Aryan, noble". In India, this is a transcription of both the masculine form
आर्य and the feminine form
आर्या. In Iran it is only a masculine name.
ASH m & f EnglishShort form of
ASHLEY. It can also come directly from the English word denoting either the tree or the residue of fire.
ASHANTI f & m VariousFrom the name of an African people who reside in southern Ghana. It possibly means "warlike" in the Twi language.
ASHLEY f & m EnglishFrom an English surname that was originally derived from place names meaning "ash tree clearing", from a combination of Old English
æsc and
leah. Until the 1960s it was more commonly given to boys in the United States, but it is now most often used on girls.
ASHTON m & f EnglishFrom a surname that was originally derived from a place name that meant "ash tree town" in Old English.
AŞTÎ f & m KurdishMeans "peace, tranquility" in Kurdish.
ASTON m & f English (Rare)From a surname that was originally derived from either a place name meaning "east town" in Old English or from the given name
ÆÐELSTAN.
ASUKA f & m JapaneseFrom Japanese
明日 (asu) meaning "tomorrow" and
香 (ka) meaning "fragrance", or from
飛 (asu) meaning "to fly" and
鳥 (ka) meaning "bird". Other kanji combinations can be possible as well.
ATHALIAH f & m BiblicalPossibly means "
YAHWEH is exalted" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is both a feminine and masculine name. It was borne by the daughter of
Ahab and
Jezebel, who later came to rule Judah as a queen.
ATHOL m & f ScottishFrom the name of a district in Scotland that was derived from Gaelic
ath Fodhla "new Ireland".
AUBREY m & f EnglishNorman French form of the Germanic name
ALBERICH. As an English masculine name it was common in the Middle Ages, and was revived in the 19th century. Since the mid-1970s it has more frequently been given to girls, due to Bread's 1972 song 'Aubrey' along with its similarity to the established feminine name
Audrey.
AYTAÇ m & f TurkishDerived from Turkish
ay meaning "moon" and
taç meaning "crown" (of Persian origin).
BAI m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
白 (bái) meaning "white, pure",
百 (bǎi) meaning "one hundred, many" or
柏 (bǎi) meaning "cypress tree, cedar" (which is usually only masculine). Other Chinese characters can form this name as well. This name was borne in the 8th century by the Tang dynasty poet Li Bai, whose given was
白.
BAILEY m & f EnglishFrom a surname derived from Middle English
baili meaning "bailiff", originally denoting one who was a bailiff.
BALA (1) m & f Hinduism, TamilMeans "young" in Sanskrit. This is a transcription of both the masculine form
बाल and the feminine form
बाला (a minor Hindu goddess).
BAO f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
宝 (bǎo) meaning "treasure, jewel, precious, rare",
褒 (bāo) meaning "praise, honour" or
苞 (bāo) meaning "bud" (which is usually only feminine). Other Chinese characters are possible as well.
BARAN f & m Persian, TurkishMeans "rain" in Persian. It is typically feminine in Persian and masculine in Turkish.
BEVERLY f & m EnglishFrom a surname that was originally derived from the name of an English city, itself meaning "beaver stream" in Old English. It came into use as a masculine given name in the 19th century, and it became common as an American feminine name after the publication of George Barr McCutcheon's novel 'Beverly of Graustark' (1904).
BLAIR m & f Scottish, EnglishFrom a Scottish surname that is derived from Gaelic
blár meaning "plain, field, battlefield".
BO (2) m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
波 (bō) meaning "wave", as well as other characters with a similar pronunciation.
BRETT m & f EnglishFrom a Middle English surname meaning "a Breton", referring to an inhabitant of Brittany. A famous bearer is the American football quarterback Brett Favre (1969-).
BROGAN m & f IrishDerived from Gaelic
bróg "shoe" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of several Irish saints, including Saint
Patrick's scribe.
BRONTE m & f English (Rare)From a surname, an Anglicized form of Irish
Ó Proinntigh meaning "descendant of Proinnteach". The given name
Proinnteach meant "bestower" in Gaelic. The Brontë sisters - Charlotte, Emily, and Anne - were 19th-century English novelists. Their father changed the spelling of the family surname from
Brunty to
Brontë, possibly to make it coincide with Greek
βροντη meaning "thunder".
BROOK m & f EnglishFrom an English surname that denoted one who lived near a brook.
BRYN m & f Welsh, EnglishMeans "hill, mound" in Welsh. It is now used as a feminine name as well.
CAMERON m & f EnglishFrom a Scottish surname meaning "crooked nose" from Gaelic
cam "crooked" and
sròn "nose".
CAMILLE f & m French, EnglishFrench feminine and masculine form of
CAMILLA. It is also used in the English-speaking world, where it is generally only feminine.
CAREY m & f EnglishFrom an Irish surname that was derived from
Ó Ciardha meaning "descendant of
CIARDHA".
CAROL (1) f & m EnglishShort form of
CAROLINE. It was formerly a masculine name, derived from
CAROLUS. The name can also be given in reference to the English vocabulary word, which means "song" or "hymn".
CARON f & m WelshDerived from Welsh
caru meaning "to love".
CARSON m & f EnglishFrom a Scottish surname of uncertain meaning. A famous bearer of the surname was the American scout Kit Carson (1809-1868).
CASEY m & f English, IrishFrom an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of
Ó Cathasaigh meaning "descendant of
CATHASACH". This name can be given in honour of Casey Jones (1863-1900), a train engineer who sacrificed his life to save his passengers. In his case,
Casey was a nickname acquired because he was raised in the town of Cayce, Kentucky.
CAT f & m EnglishDiminutive of
CATHERINE. It can also be a nickname from the English word for the animal.
CEDAR f & m English (Rare)From the English word for the coniferous tree, derived (via Old French and Latin) from Greek
κεδρος (kedros).
CELESTINE f & m EnglishEnglish form of
CAELESTINUS. It is more commonly used as a feminine name, from the French feminine form
Célestine.
CHAN m & f KhmerMeans "moon" in Khmer, ultimately from Sanskrit.
CHANDA m & f Hinduism, Indian, HindiMeans "fierce, hot, passionate" in Sanskrit. This is a transcription of both the masculine form
चण्ड and the feminine form
चण्डा (an epithet of the Hindu goddess
Durga).
CHANDLER m & f EnglishFrom an occupational surname that meant "candle seller" in Middle English, ultimately from Old French.
CHANDRA m & f Hinduism, Bengali, Indian, Assamese, Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, NepaliMeans "moon" in Sanskrit, derived from
चन्द (chand) meaning "to shine". This is a transcription of the masculine form
चण्ड (a name of the moon in Hindu texts, which is often personified as a deity) as well as the feminine form
चण्डा.
CHANG m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
昌 (chāng) meaning "flourish, prosper, good, sunlight" (which is usually only masculine),
畅 (chàng) meaning "smooth, free, unrestrained" or
长 (cháng) meaning "long". Other Chinese characters are also possible.
CHAO m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
超 (chāo) meaning "surpass, leap over" (which is usually only masculine),
潮 (cháo) meaning "tide, flow, damp", or other characters that are pronounced similarly.
CHARLIE m & f EnglishDiminutive or feminine form of
CHARLES. A famous bearer is Charlie Brown, the main character in the comic strip 'Peanuts' by Charles Schulz.
CHEN (1) m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
晨 (chén) or
辰 (chén), both meaning "morning". The character
辰 also refers to the fifth Earthly Branch (7 AM to 9 AM), which is itself associated with the dragon of the Chinese zodiac. This name can be formed from other characters as well.
CHENG m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
成 (chéng) meaning "completed, finished, succeeded" or
诚 (chéng) meaning "sincere, honest, true", as well as other characters that are pronounced similarly.
CHEROKEE f & m English (Rare)Probably derived from the Creek word
tciloki meaning "people of a different speech". This is the name of a Native American people who live in the east of North America.
CHEYENNE f & m EnglishDerived from the Dakota word
shahiyena meaning "red speakers". This is the name of a Native American people of the Great Plains. The name was supposedly given to the Cheyenne by the Dakota because their language was unrelated to their own. As a given name, it has been in use since the 1950s.
CHI (2) m & f Mythology, Western African, IgboMeans "god, spiritual being" in Igbo, referring to the personal spiritual guardian that each person is believed to have. Christian Igbo people use it as a name for the personal Christian god. This can also be a short form of the many Igbo names that begin with this element.
CHIDI m & f Western African, IgboMeans "God exists" in Igbo. It is also a short form of Igbo names beginning with
Chidi.
CHIHIRO f & m JapaneseFrom Japanese
千 (chi) meaning "thousand" and
尋 (hiro) meaning "search, seek", as well as other kanji combinations.
CHUN f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
春 (chūn) meaning "spring (the season)" or other characters with a similar pronunciation.
CIEL f & m VariousMeans "sky" in French. It is not used as a given name in France itself.
CLAUDE m & f French, EnglishFrench masculine and feminine form of
CLAUDIUS. In France the masculine name has been common since the Middle Ages due to the 7th-century Saint Claude of Besançon. It was imported to Britain in the 16th century by the aristocratic Hamilton family, who had French connections. A famous bearer of this name was the French impressionist painter Claude Monet (1840-1926).
COLUMBA m & f Late RomanLate Latin name meaning "dove". The dove is a symbol of the Holy Spirit in Christianity. This was the name of several early saints both masculine and feminine, most notably the 6th-century Irish monk Saint Columba (or Colum) who established a monastery on the island of Iona off the coast of Scotland. He is credited with the conversion of Scotland to Christianity.
COURTNEY f & m EnglishFrom an aristocratic English surname that was derived either from the French place name
Courtenay (originally a derivative of the personal name
Curtenus, itself derived from Latin
curtus "short") or else from a Norman nickname meaning "short nose". As a feminine name in America, it first became popular during the 1970s.
CRUZ f & m Spanish, PortugueseMeans "cross" in Spanish or Portuguese, referring to the cross of the crucifixion.
DA m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
达 (dá) meaning "achieve, arrive at, intelligent" (which is usually only masculine),
大 (dà) meaning "big, great, vast, high", or other characters with a similar pronunciation.
DAKOTA m & f English (Modern)Means "allies, friends" in the Dakota language. This is the name of a Native American people of the northern Mississippi valley.
DALE m & f EnglishFrom an English surname that originally belonged to a person who lived near a dale or valley.
DALLAS m & f EnglishFrom a surname that was originally taken from a Scottish place name meaning "meadow dwelling". A city in Texas bears this name, probably in honour of American Vice President George Mifflin Dallas (1792-1864).
DANA (2) m & f EnglishFrom a surname that originally belonged to a person who was Danish. It was originally given in honour of American lawyer Richard Henry Dana (1815-1882), the author of 'Two Years Before the Mast'.
DAR f & m HebrewMeans "mother-of-pearl, nacre" in Hebrew.
DARA (2) f & m KhmerMeans "star" in Khmer, ultimately from Sanskrit.
DARBY m & f EnglishFrom an English surname, which was derived from the name of the town of
Derby, meaning "deer town" in Old Norse.
DARCY f & m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from Norman French
d'Arcy, originally denoting one who came from Arcy in France. This was the surname of a character in Jane Austen's novel 'Pride and Prejudice' (1813).
DEE f & m EnglishShort form of names beginning with
D. It may also be given in reference to the
Dee River in Scotland.
DELL m & f EnglishFrom an English surname that originally denoted a person who lived in a dell or valley.
DERYA f & m TurkishMeans "sea, ocean" in Turkish, ultimately from Persian.
DEVON m & f EnglishVariant of
DEVIN. It may also be partly inspired by the name of the county of Devon in England, which got its name from the Dumnonii, a Celtic tribe.
DIEDE m & f DutchShort form of
DIEDERIK and other names beginning with the same element, originally from Germanic
theud meaning "people".
DIKLAH m & f Hebrew, Biblical, Biblical HebrewPossibly means "palm grove" in Hebrew or Aramaic. In the Old Testament this is the name of a son of
Joktan. In modern times it is also used as a feminine name.
DOR m & f HebrewMeans "generation" in Hebrew.
DURI f & m KoreanMeans "two" in Korean (Gyeongsang dialect).
DUSTY m & f EnglishFrom a nickname originally given to people perceived as being dusty. It is also used a diminutive of
DUSTIN. A famous bearer was British singer Dusty Springfield (1939-1999), who acquired her nickname as a child.
DWI m & f IndonesianMeans "two, second" in Indonesian, ultimately from Sanskrit
द्वि (dvi).
EDEN f & m Hebrew, English (Modern)Possibly from Hebrew
עֵדֶן ('eden) meaning "pleasure, delight", or perhaps derived from Sumerian
𒂔 (edin) meaning "plain". According to the Old Testament the Garden of Eden was the place where the first people,
Adam and
Eve, lived before they were expelled.
EIKE m & f GermanShort form of names beginning with the Germanic element
ag "edge".
EMERSON m & f EnglishFrom an English surname meaning "son of
EMERY". The surname was borne by Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), an American writer and philosopher who wrote about transcendentalism.
EMERY m & f EnglishNorman form of
EMMERICH. The Normans introduced it to England, and though it was never popular, it survived until the end of the Middle Ages. As a modern given name, it is likely inspired by the surname
Emery, which was itself derived from the medieval given name. It can also be given in reference to the hard black substance called emery.
ESER f & m TurkishMeans "product, achievement" in Turkish.
ESMÉ m & f English (British)Means "esteemed" or "loved" in Old French. It was first recorded in Scotland, being borne by the first Duke of Lennox in the 16th century. It is now more common as a feminine name.
EUN m & f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
恩 (eun) meaning "kindness, mercy, charity" or
銀 (eun) meaning "silver, money", as well as other hanja characters that are pronounced in the same way. It usually occurs in combination with another character, though it is sometimes used as a stand-alone name.
EVELYN f & m English, GermanFrom an English surname that was derived from the given name
AVELINE. In the 17th century when it was first used as a given name it was more common for boys, but it is now regarded as mainly feminine due to association with the related name
Evelina.