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.
Quinlan m & f English (Rare)From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of
Ó Caoindealbháin, itself from the given name
Caoindealbhán (Old Irish
Caíndelbán).
Sang m & f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
常 (sang) meaning "common, frequent, regular" or other characters that are pronounced similarly. It usually occurs in combination with another character.
Zheng m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
正 (zhèng) meaning "right, proper, correct" or
政 (zhèng) meaning "government", as well as other hanja characters with a similar pronunciation.
Honour f & m English (Rare)From the English word
honour, which is of Latin origin. This was one of the virtue names adopted by the Puritans in the 17th century. It can also be viewed as a form of
Honoria or
Honorata, which are ultimately derived from the same source.
Odalis f & m Spanish (Latin American)Possibly an elaboration of
Odilia used in Latin America. In most countries it is a feminine name, but in the Dominican Republic it is commonly masculine.
Nazaret f & m Spanish, ArmenianFrom Nazareth, the town in Galilee where
Jesus lived. This name is primarily feminine in Spanish and primarily masculine in Armenian.
Lian 2 m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
莲 (lián) meaning "lotus, water lily",
濂 (lián) meaning "waterfall", or other Chinese characters that are pronounced similarly.
Ciar m & f Irish, Irish Mythology, Old IrishDerived from Irish
ciar meaning
"black". In Irish legend Ciar was a son of
Fergus mac Róich and
Medb, and the ancestor of the tribe of the Ciarraige (after whom County Kerry is named). As a feminine name, it was borne by an Irish nun (also called
Ciara) who established a monastery in Tipperary in the 7th century.
Heng m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
恒 (héng) meaning "constant, persistent", as well as other characters with a similar pronunciation. Lui Heng, known as Wen of Han, was a 2nd-century BC emperor of the Han dynasty.
Ling f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
灵 (líng) meaning "spirit, soul",
铃 (líng) meaning "bell, chime", or other Chinese characters that are pronounced similarly.
Florence f & m English, FrenchFrom the Latin name
Florentius or the feminine form
Florentia, which were derived from
florens "prosperous, flourishing".
Florentius was borne by many early Christian saints, and it was occasionally used in their honour through the Middle Ages. In modern times it is mostly feminine.
... [more] Tenzin m & f Tibetan, BhutaneseFrom Tibetan
བསྟན་འཛིན (bstan-'dzin) meaning
"upholder of teachings". This is one of the given names of the current Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso (1935-).
Obi m & f IgboMeans
"heart" in Igbo.
Xinyi m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
欣 (xīn) meaning "happy, joyous, delighted" or
心 (xīn) meaning "heart, mind, soul" combined with
怡 (yí) meaning "joy, harmony". This name can also be formed from other character combinations.
Winslow m & f English (Rare)From a surname that was derived from an Old English place name meaning
"hill belonging to Wine". A famous bearer of this name was American painter Winslow Homer (1836-1910).
Ji-Hu m & f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
智 (ji) meaning "wisdom, intellect" combined with
厚 (hu) meaning "thick". Other combinations of hanja characters can form this name as well.
Jeong f & m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
靜 (jeong) meaning "quiet, still, gentle" or
貞 (jeong) meaning "virtuous, chaste, loyal", as well as other characters that are pronounced similarly. It usually occurs in combination with another character, though it is sometimes used as a stand-alone name.
Carlisle m & f English (Rare)From a surname that was derived from the name of a city in northern England. The city was originally called by the Romans
Luguvalium meaning "stronghold of
Lugus". Later the Brythonic element
ker "fort" was appended to the name of the city.
Kaipo m & f HawaiianMeans
"the sweetheart" from Hawaiian
ka, a definite article, and
ipo "sweetheart".
Keahi f & m HawaiianMeans
"the fire" from Hawaiian
ke, a definite article, and
ahi "fire".
Shun 2 f & m JapaneseFrom Japanese
駿 (shun) meaning "fast",
俊 (shun) meaning "talented", or other kanji that are pronounced the same way.
Hildred f & m EnglishPossibly from the Old English masculine name
Hildræd, which was composed of the elements
hild "battle" and
ræd "counsel, advice". This name was revived in the late 19th century, probably because of its similarity to the popular names
Hilda and
Mildred.
Vivian m & f English, Swedish, Norwegian, DanishFrom the Latin name
Vivianus, which was derived from Latin
vivus "alive". Saint Vivian was a French bishop who provided protection during the Visigoth invasion of the 5th century. It has been occasionally used as an English (masculine) name since the Middle Ages. In modern times it is also used as a feminine name, in which case it is either an Anglicized form of
Bébinn or a variant of
Vivien 2.
Baran f & m Persian, Turkish, KurdishMeans
"rain" in Persian. It is typically feminine in Persian and masculine in Turkish and Kurdish.
Chihiro f & m JapaneseFrom Japanese
千 (chi) meaning "thousand" and
尋 (hiro) meaning "fathom, armspan", as well as other kanji combinations. This is the name of the main character in the Japanese animated movie
Spirited Away (2001).
Enitan m & f YorubaMeans
"person with a story, storied person" in Yoruba.
Rayyan m & f ArabicMeans
"watered, luxuriant" in Arabic. According to Islamic tradition this is the name of one of the gates of paradise.
Sinclair m & f English (Rare)From a Scottish surname that was derived from a Norman French town called "Saint
Clair". A notable bearer was the American author Sinclair Lewis (1885-1951).
Yan 2 f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
艳 (yàn) meaning "beautiful, gorgeous" (which is usually only feminine) or
岩 (yán) meaning "cliff, rocks", as well as other Chinese characters pronounced in a similar fashion.
Diede m & f DutchShort form of names beginning with the Old High German element
diota (Old Frankish
þeoda) meaning "people".
Bronte m & f English (Rare)From a surname, an Anglicized form of Irish
Ó Proinntigh, itself derived from the given name
Proinnteach, probably from Irish
bronntach meaning "generous". 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
βροντή meaning "thunder".
Meredith m & f Welsh, EnglishFrom the Welsh name
Maredudd or
Meredydd, from Old Welsh forms such as
Margetud, possibly from
mawredd "greatness, magnificence" combined with
iudd "lord". The Welsh forms of this name were well used through the Middle Ages. Since the mid-1920s it has been used more often for girls than for boys in English-speaking countries, though it is still a masculine name in Wales. A famous bearer of this name as surname was the English novelist and poet George Meredith (1828-1909).
Guanyu m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
冠 (guān) meaning "cap, crown, headgear" combined with
宇 (yǔ) meaning "house, eaves, universe". Other character combinations are possible.
Adeola f & m YorubaMeans
"the crown of wealth" in Yoruba. It is also a surname.
Francis m & f English, FrenchEnglish form of the Late Latin name
Franciscus meaning
"Frenchman", ultimately from the Germanic tribe of the Franks, who were named for a type of spear that they used (Proto-Germanic *
frankô). This name was borne by the 13th-century Saint Francis of Assisi, who was originally named Giovanni but was given the nickname Francesco by his father, an admirer of the French. Francis went on to renounce his father's wealth and devote his life to the poor, founding the Franciscan order of friars. Later in his life he apparently received the stigmata.
... [more] Onyx m & f EnglishFrom the English word for the gemstone (a variety of chalcedony), which can be black, red or other colours. It is derived from Greek
ὄνυξ (onyx) meaning "claw, nail".
Mitra 1 m & f Hinduism, HindiMeans
"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.
Parvin f & m Persian, Urdu, HindiMeans
"the Pleiades" in Persian. The Pleiades are a group of stars in the constellation Taurus. This name is typically feminine in Iran, but unisex in India.
Merlyn m & f EnglishVariant of
Merlin, sometimes used as a feminine form. It has perhaps been influenced by the Welsh word
merlyn meaning "pony".
Çağrı m & f TurkishMeans
"invitation" or
"falcon" in Turkish.
Wen m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
文 (wén) meaning "literature, culture, writing", as well as other characters with a similar pronunciation. A famous bearer was the 2nd-century BC Emperor Wen of Han (posthumous name).
Hui f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
慧 (huì) meaning "intelligent, wise" (which is usually only feminine),
辉 (huī) meaning "brightness", besides other characters that are pronounced similarly.
Sevan f & m ArmenianFrom the name of the largest lake in Armenia, which may be from the Urartian word
suinia simply meaning "lake".
Narcisse m & f FrenchFrench masculine and feminine form of
Narcissus. This is also the French word for the narcissus flower.
Aeron m & f WelshFrom the name of the Welsh river Aeron, itself probably derived from the hypothetical Celtic goddess
Agrona. Alternatively, the name could be taken from Welsh
aeron meaning
"berries".
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 almost entirely feminine, probably in part because of its similarity to
Eve and
Evelina.
... [more] Neo 1 f & m TswanaMeans
"gift" in Tswana, a derivative of
naya "to give".
Tafadzwa m & f ShonaMeans
"we are pleased" in Shona, from
fadza meaning "please, make happy".
Fiore f & m ItalianMeans
"flower" in Italian. It can also be considered an Italian form of the Latin names
Flora and
Florus.
Eike m & f Low German, GermanOriginally a short form of
Ekkehard and other names beginning with the Old High German element
ekka, Old Saxon
eggia meaning
"edge, blade". This name was borne by Eike of Repgow, who compiled the law book the
Sachsenspiegel in the 13th century.
Nikephoros m & f Ancient Greek, Greek MythologyMeans
"carrying victory" from Greek
νίκη (nike) meaning "victory" and
φέρω (phero) meaning "to carry, to bear". This name was borne by several Byzantine emperors, including the 10th-century Nikephoros II Phokas. Besides being a masculine personal name, it was also a title borne by the goddess
Athena.
Min-Seo f & m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
民 (min) meaning "people, citizens" or
敏 (min) meaning "quick, clever, sharp" combined with
徐 (seo) meaning "slowly, calmly, composed, dignified" or
序 (seo) meaning "series, sequence". This name can also be formed from other character combinations.
Engel m & f Germanic, German (Rare)Originally this may have been a short form of Germanic names beginning with the element
angil, referring to the Germanic tribe known in English as the Angles. However, from early times it has been strongly associated with the Old German word
engil meaning
"angel" (of Latin and Greek origin).
Hai m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
海 (hǎi) meaning "sea, ocean" or other characters that are pronounced similarly.
Jian m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
建 (jiàn) meaning "build, establish",
健 (jiàn) meaning "strong, healthy", or other characters that are pronounced in a similar fashion.
Hilal m & f Arabic, TurkishMeans
"crescent moon" in Arabic, also referring to the new moon on the Islamic calendar. As a given name it is typically masculine in Arabic and feminine in Turkish.
Marlowe f & m English (Modern)From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"remnants of a lake" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was the English playwright Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593).
Vesper m & f Roman Mythology, Dutch (Modern)Latin cognate of
Hesperos. This name was used by the British author Ian Fleming for a female character, a love interest of James Bond, in his novel
Casino Royale (1953). She also appears in the film adaptations of 1967 and 2006.
Willoughby m & f English (Rare)From a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning
"willow town" in Old English.
Ning f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
宁 (níng) meaning "peaceful, calm, serene", as well as other characters pronounced in a similar way.
Gwynedd f & m WelshFrom the name of the kingdom of Gwynedd, which was located in northern Wales from the 5th century. It is now the name of a Welsh county. The name may be related to Old Irish
Féni meaning "Irish people", itself possibly related to the Celtic root *
wēnā meaning "band of warriors".
Ophir m & f Biblical, HebrewFrom the Hebrew name
אוֹפִיר (ʾOfir), meaning unknown. This is the name of a son of
Joktan in the Old Testament (where it is also used as a place name).
Quincy m & f EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived (via the place name
Cuinchy) from the personal name
Quintus. A famous bearer was John Quincy Adams (1767-1848), sixth president of the United States, who was born in the town of Quincy, Massachusetts. Both the town and the president were named after his maternal great-grandfather John Quincy (1689-1767). Another notable bearer is the American musician Quincy Jones (1933-).
Masami f & m JapaneseFrom Japanese
成 (masa) meaning "become" or
正 (masa) meaning "right, proper" combined with
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful". This name can also be formed from other combinations of kanji.
Abrar f & m Arabic, Urdu, BengaliMeans
"virtuous" in Arabic. It is typically feminine in the Arab world, and typically masculine in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh.
Nollaig f & m IrishMeans
"Christmas" in Irish. This name was created in the 20th century as a translation of
Noël.
Veasna m & f KhmerMeans
"fate, destiny" in Khmer, ultimately from Sanskrit
वासना (vāsanā) meaning "imagination, impression".
Minh m & f VietnameseFrom Sino-Vietnamese
明 (minh) meaning
"bright". This was an adopted name of the communist revolutionary Hồ Chí Minh (1890-1969).
Ji-Won f & m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
智 (ji) meaning "wisdom, intellect" or
志 (ji) meaning "will, purpose, ambition" combined with
媛 (won) meaning "beautiful woman" or
元 (won) meaning "first, origin". This name can also be formed from many other hanja combinations.
Seong m & f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
成 (seong) meaning "completed, finished, succeeded", as well as other hanja characters with the same pronunciation. Although it does appear as a single-character name, it is more often used in combination with another character.
Athaliah f & m BiblicalPossibly means
"Yahweh is exalted" in Hebrew, from
עֲתַל (ʿaṯal) possibly meaning "exalted" and
יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. 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.
Nergüi m & f MongolianMeans
"no name" in Mongolian. This name was traditionally given in order to mislead bad spirits.
Sri m & f Telugu, Tamil, IndonesianIndonesian and southern Indian form of
Shri. It is sometimes a short form of longer names containing this element.
Lakshmi f & m Hinduism, Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam, Marathi, Hindi, OdiaMeans
"sign, mark" in Sanskrit. This is the name of the Hindu goddess of prosperity, good luck, and beauty. She is the wife of
Vishnu and her symbol is the lotus flower, with which she is often depicted.
Makara m & f KhmerMeans
"January" in Khmer, ultimately from Sanskrit
मकर (makara), referring to the constellation Capricornus.
Noam m & f Hebrew, FrenchMeans
"pleasantness" in Hebrew. A famous bearer is Noam Chomsky (1928-), an American linguist and philosopher.
Yating f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
雅 (yǎ) meaning "elegant, graceful, refined" combined with
婷 (tíng) meaning "pretty, graceful". Other character combinations are possible.
Windsor m & f English (Rare)From an English surname that was from a place name meaning
"riverbank with a windlass" in Old English (a windlass is a lifting apparatus). This has been the surname of the royal family of the United Kingdom since 1917.
Guiying m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
桂 (guì) meaning "laurel, cassia, cinnamon" combined with
英 (yīng) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero". This name can be formed from other character combinations as well.
Kalei m & f HawaiianMeans
"the flowers" or
"the child" from Hawaiian
ka "the" and
lei "flowers, lei, child".
Yahui f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
雅 (yǎ) meaning "elegant, graceful, refined" combined with
惠 (huì) meaning "favour, benefit". This name can also be formed from other character combinations.
Everest m & f English (Modern)From the English name for the world's highest mountain, itself named after the British surveyor George
Everest (1790-1866).
Quỳnh f & m VietnameseFrom Sino-Vietnamese
瓊 (quỳnh) meaning
"deep red". This is also the Vietnamese name for a variety of flowering plant (genus Epiphyllum).
Arden m & f EnglishFrom an English surname, originally taken from various place names, which were derived from a Celtic word meaning
"high".
Yijun m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
怡 (yí) meaning "joy, harmony" combined with
君 (jūn) meaning "king, ruler". This name can also be formed from other character combinations.
Ange m & f FrenchFrench masculine and feminine form of
Angelus (see
Angel).
Zhihao m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
志 (zhì) meaning "will, purpose, ambition" or
智 (zhì) meaning "wisdom, intellect" combined with
豪 (háo) meaning "brave, heroic, chivalrous". Many other character combinations are possible.
Makoto m & f JapaneseFrom Japanese
誠 (makoto) meaning "sincerity", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations.
Yun f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
云 (yún) meaning "cloud" or
允 (yǔn) meaning "allow, consent", as well as other Chinese characters that are pronounced in a similar way.
Katsumi m & f JapaneseFrom Japanese
克 (katsu) meaning "overcome" or
勝 (katsu) meaning "victory" combined with
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" or
己 (mi) meaning "self". Other kanji combinations having the same pronunciation can also form this name.
Yi f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
宜 (yí) meaning "suitable, proper",
毅 (yì) meaning "resolute, decisive, firm",
义 (yì) meaning "justice, righteousness",
益 (yì) meaning "profit, benefit",
怡 (yí) meaning "joy, harmony" (which is usually only feminine) or
仪 (yí) meaning "ceremony, rites" (also usually feminine). Other characters can also form this name.
Shakti f & m Hinduism, HindiMeans
"power" in Sanskrit. In Hinduism a shakti is the female counterpart of a god. The name Shakti is used in particular to refer to the female counterpart of
Shiva, also known as
Parvati among many other names.
Itumeleng m & f TswanaMeans
"be happy" in Tswana, from
itumela meaning "to be happy".
Yunuen f & m Spanish (Mexican)Meaning unknown, probably of indigenous (maybe Purépecha) origin. This is the name of an island on Lake Pátzcuaro in Mexico.
Huang m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
煌 (huáng) meaning "bright, shining, luminous" (which is usually only masculine) or
凰 (huáng) meaning "phoenix" (usually only feminine). Other Chinese characters are also possible.
Lin m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
林 (lín) meaning "forest" or
琳 (lín) meaning "fine jade, gem". Other characters can also form this name.
Shui m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
水 (shuǐ) meaning "water", as well as other characters pronounced in a similar way.