Browse Names

Abital f Biblical
Means "my father is dew" in Hebrew, from the roots אָב (ʾav) meaning "father" and טַל (ṭal) meaning "dew". She is the fifth wife of David in the Old Testament.

Aeronwy f Welsh (Rare)
Extended form of Aeron.

Aino f Finnish, Estonian, Finnish Mythology
Means "the only one" in Finnish. In the Finnish epic the Kalevala this is the name of a girl who drowns herself when she finds out she must marry the old man Väinämöinen.

Alcyone f Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Greek Ἀλκυόνη (Alkyone), derived from the word ἀλκυών (alkyon) meaning "kingfisher". In Greek myth this name belonged to a daughter of Aeolus and the wife of Ceyx. After her husband was killed in a shipwreck she threw herself into the water, but the gods saved her and turned them both into kingfishers. This is also the name of the brightest of the Pleiades, a group of stars in the constellation Taurus, supposedly the daughters of Atlas and Pleione.

Aled m Welsh
From the name of a Welsh river, of uncertain meaning.

Alma 1 f English, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Latvian, Lithuanian, Albanian, Slovene, Croatian
This name became popular after the Battle of Alma (1854), which took place near the River Alma in Crimea and ended in a victory for Britain and France. However, the name was in rare use before the battle; it was probably inspired by Latin almus "nourishing". It also coincides with the Spanish word meaning "the soul".

Alton m English
From an English surname that was derived from a place name meaning "town at the source of the river" in Old English.

Alwyn m Welsh
From the name of the River Alwen in northern Wales (a tributary of the River Dee).

Anahita f Persian, Persian Mythology
Means "immaculate, undefiled" in Old Persian, from the Old Iranian prefix *an- "not" combined with *āhita "unclean, dirty". This was the name of an Iranian goddess of fertility and water. In the Zoroastrian religious texts the Avesta she is called 𐬀𐬭𐬆𐬛𐬎𐬎𐬍 (Arəduuī) in Avestan, with 𐬀𐬥𐬁𐬵𐬌𐬙𐬀 (anāhita) appearing only as a descriptive epithet. In origin she is possibly identical to the Indian goddess Saraswati. She has historically been identified with the Semitic goddess Ishtar and the Greek goddess Artemis.

Aphrodisia f Ancient Greek
Feminine form of Aphrodisios.

Aphrodisios m Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek personal name that was derived from the name of the Greek goddess Aphrodite.

Aphrodite f Greek Mythology
Meaning unknown, possibly of Phoenician origin. Aphrodite was the Greek goddess of love and beauty, identified with the Roman goddess Venus. She was the wife of Hephaestus and the mother of Eros, and she was often associated with the myrtle tree and doves. The Greeks connected her name with ἀφρός (aphros) meaning "foam", resulting in the story that she was born from the foam of the sea. Many of her characteristics are based on the goddess known as Ashtoreth to the Phoenicians and Ishtar to the Mesopotamian Semitic peoples, and on the Sumerian goddess Inanna.

Appius m Ancient Roman
This was a Roman praenomen, or given name, used predominantly by the Claudia family. Its etymology is unknown. A famous bearer of this name was Appius Claudius Caecus, a Roman statesman of the 3rd century BC. He was responsible for the Aqua Appia (the first Roman aqueduct) and the Appian Way (a road between Rome and Capua), both of which were named for him.

Ardalion m Late Greek, Georgian (Rare), Russian (Rare)
Probably derived from Greek ἀρδάλιον (ardalion) meaning "water pot". This was the name of a 4th-century saint and martyr from Asia Minor.

Arethusa f Greek Mythology (Latinized)
From Greek Ἀρέθουσα (Arethousa) meaning "quick water", which is possibly derived from ἄρδω (ardo) meaning "water" and θοός (thoos) meaning "quick, nimble". This was the name of a nymph in Greek mythology who was transformed into a fountain.

Aysel f Turkish, Azerbaijani
Means "moon flood" in Turkish and Azerbaijani, derived from ay "moon" and sel "flood, stream, torrent" (of Arabic origin).

Bahargül f Turkmen
Derived from Turkmen bahar meaning "spring" and gül meaning "flower, rose" (both roots ultimately of Persian origin).

Baptiste m French
Means "baptist" in French, originally deriving from Greek βάπτω (bapto) meaning "to dip". This name is usually given in honour of Saint John the Baptist, and as such it is often paired with the name Jean.

Baran f & m Persian, Turkish, Kurdish
Means "rain" in Persian. It is typically feminine in Persian and masculine in Turkish and Kurdish.

Beverley f English
Variant of Beverly.

Beverly f & m English
From an English surname that was originally derived from the name of a Yorkshire city, itself from Old English beofor "beaver" and (possibly) licc "stream". It came into use as a masculine given name in the 19th century, then became common as an American feminine name after the publication of George Barr McCutcheon's 1904 novel Beverly of Graustark. It was most popular in the 1930s, and has since greatly declined in use.

Bo 2 m & f Chinese
From Chinese 波 (bō) meaning "wave", as well as other characters with a similar pronunciation.

Bradán m Medieval Irish
Means "salmon" in Irish. It could also be formed from Irish brad "thief" and a diminutive suffix.

Bridget f Irish, English
Anglicized form of the Irish name Brighid, Old Irish Brigit, from old Celtic *Brigantī meaning "the exalted one". In Irish mythology this was the name of the goddess of fire, poetry and wisdom, the daughter of the god Dagda. In the 5th century it was borne by Saint Brigid, the founder of a monastery at Kildare and a patron saint of Ireland. Because of the saint, the name was considered sacred in Ireland, and it did not come into general use there until the 17th century. In the form Birgitta this name has been common in Scandinavia, made popular by the 14th-century Saint Birgitta of Sweden, patron saint of Europe.

Brigid f Irish, Irish Mythology
Irish variant of Brighid (see Bridget).

Caspian m Literature
Used by author C. S. Lewis for a character in his Chronicles of Narnia series, first appearing in 1950. Prince Caspian first appears in the fourth book, where he is the rightful king of Narnia driven into exile by his evil uncle Miraz. Lewis probably based the name on the Caspian Sea, which was named for the city of Qazvin, which was itself named for the ancient Cas tribe.

Clare f English
Medieval English form of Clara. The preferred spelling in the English-speaking world is now the French form Claire, though Clare has been fairly popular in the United Kingdom and Australia.... [more]

Cloelia f Ancient Roman
Feminine form of Cloelius. In Roman legend Cloelia was a maiden who was given to an Etruscan invader as a hostage. She managed to escape by swimming across the Tiber, at the same time helping some of the other captives to safety.

Conway m English
From a Welsh surname that was derived from the name of the River Conwy, which possibly means "foremost water" in Welsh.

Corentin m Breton, French
French form of the Breton name Kaourintin, possibly from korventenn meaning "hurricane, storm". Alternatively, it could be connected to the Brythonic root *karid meaning "love" (modern Breton karout). This was the name of a 5th-century bishop of Quimper in Brittany.

Delano m English
From a surname, recorded as de la Noye in French, indicating that the bearer was from a place called La Noue (ultimately Gaulish meaning "wetland, swamp"). It has been used in honour of American president Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882-1945), whose middle name came from his mother's maiden name.

Delmar m English
From an English surname that was derived from Norman French de la mare meaning "from the pond".

Doris f English, German, Swedish, Danish, Croatian, Spanish, Ancient Greek, Greek Mythology
From the Greek name Δωρίς (Doris), which meant "Dorian woman". The Dorians were a Greek tribe who occupied the Peloponnese starting in the 12th century BC. In Greek mythology Doris was a sea nymph, one of the many children of Oceanus and Tethys. It began to be used as an English name in the 19th century. A famous bearer is the American actress Doris Day (1924-2019).

Douglas m Scottish, English
From a Scottish surname that was from the name of a town in Lanarkshire, itself named after a tributary of the River Clyde called the Douglas Water. It means "dark river", derived from Gaelic dubh "dark" and glais "water, river" (an archaic word related to glas "grey, green"). This was a Scottish Lowland clan, the leaders of which were powerful earls in the medieval period. The Gaelic form is Dùghlas or Dùbhghlas. It has been used as a given name since the 16th century.

Endymion m Greek Mythology
Derived from Greek ἐνδύω (endyo) meaning "to dive into, to enter". In Greek mythology he was an Aeolian mortal loved by the moon goddess Selene, who asked Zeus to grant him eternal life. Zeus complied by putting him into an eternal sleep in a cave on Mount Latmos.

Epaphras m Biblical, Biblical Greek, Biblical Latin, Ancient Greek
Shortened form of Epaphroditos. In the New Testament this is the name of one of Paul's co-workers.

Erasmus m Late Greek (Latinized)
Derived from Greek ἐράσμιος (erasmios) meaning "beloved, desired". Saint Erasmus, also known as Saint Elmo, was a 4th-century martyr who is the patron saint of sailors. Erasmus was also the name of a Dutch scholar of the Renaissance period.

Ersilia f Italian
Italian form of Hersilia.

Eudora f Greek Mythology
Means "good gift" in Greek, from the elements εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and δῶρον (doron) meaning "gift". This was the name of a nymph, one of the Hyades, in Greek mythology.

Fenrir m Norse Mythology
From Old Norse fen meaning "marsh, fen". In Norse mythology Fenrir was a ferocious wolf, one of the offspring of Loki and the giantess Angrboða. Because it was foretold he would bring about disaster, the gods bound him with a magical fetter, though in the process Tyr's hand was bitten off. At the time of Ragnarök, the end of the world, it is told that he will break free and kill Odin.

Fenton m English
From a surname that was originally taken from a place name meaning "marsh town" in Old English.

Fu m & f Chinese
From Chinese 富 (fù) meaning "abundant, rich, wealthy", 芙 (fú) meaning "hibiscus, lotus" or 甫 (fǔ) meaning "begin, man, father", in addition to other characters with a similar pronunciation. A famous bearer was the 8th-century Tang dynasty poet Du Fu, whose given name was 甫.

Ghayth m Arabic
Means "rain" in Arabic.

Glendower m Welsh
Anglicized form of Glyndwr.

Glyndwr m Welsh
Given in honour of Owain Glyndwr (or Glyn Dŵr, Anglicized as Glendower), a 14th-century Welsh patriot who led a revolt against England. His byname means "valley water", and was probably inspired by the name of his estate at Glyndyfrdwy (meaning "valley of the River Dee").

Guadalupe f & m Spanish
From a Spanish title of the Virgin Mary, Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, meaning "Our Lady of Guadalupe". Guadalupe is a Spanish place name, the site of a famous convent, derived from Arabic وادي (wādī) meaning "valley, river" possibly combined with Latin lupus meaning "wolf". In the 16th century Our Lady of Guadalupe supposedly appeared in a vision to a native Mexican man, and she is now regarded as a patron saint of the Americas.

Gwenllian f Welsh
Derived from the Welsh elements gwen meaning "white, blessed" and possibly lliain meaning "flaxen, made of linen" or lliant meaning "flow, flood". This name was used by medieval Welsh royalty, notably by a 12th-century princess of Deheubarth who died in battle with the Normans. It was also borne by the 13th-century daughter of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, the last prince of Gwynedd.

Hadrian m History
From the Roman cognomen Hadrianus, which meant "from Hadria" in Latin. Hadria was the name of two Roman settlements. The first (modern Adria) is in northern Italy and was an important Etruscan port town. The second (modern Atri) is in central Italy and was named after the northern town. The Adriatic Sea is also named after the northern town.... [more]

Helle 2 f Greek Mythology
Meaning unknown. In Greek mythology Helle was the daughter of Athamus and Nephele. She and her brother Phrixus escaped sacrifice by fleeing on the back of a golden ram, but during their flight she fell off and drowned in the strait that connects the Aegean Sea with the Sea of Marmara, which was thereafter called the Hellespont ("the sea of Helle").

Hero 1 f Greek Mythology
Derived from Greek ἥρως (heros) meaning "hero". In Greek legend she was the lover of Leander, who would swim across the Hellespont each night to meet her. He was killed on one such occasion when he got caught in a storm while in the water, and when Hero saw his dead body she drowned herself. This is also the name of a character in Shakespeare's play Much Ado About Nothing (1599).

Hersilia f Roman Mythology
Meaning uncertain, perhaps related to Greek ἕρση (herse) meaning "dew". In Roman legend this was the name of a Sabine woman who became the wife of Romulus.

Iara f Tupi
Means "lady of the water" in Tupi, from y "water" and îara "lady, mistress". In Brazilian folklore this is the name of a beautiful river nymph who would lure men into the water. She may have been based upon earlier Tupi legends.

Irvin m English
From a surname that is a variant of either Irving or Irwin.

Irving m English, Jewish
From a Scottish surname that was derived from the town of Irvine in North Ayrshire, itself named for the River Irvine, which is derived from Brythonic elements meaning "green water". Historically this name has been relatively common among Jews, who have used it as an American-sounding form of Hebrew names beginning with I such as Isaac, Israel and Isaiah. A famous bearer was the Russian-American songwriter and lyricist Irving Berlin (1888-1989), whose birth name was Israel Beilin.

Iseul f & m Korean
Means "dew" in Korean.

Isolde f German, Arthurian Cycle
German form of Iseult, appearing in the 13th-century German poem Tristan by Gottfried von Strassburg. In 1865 the German composer Richard Wagner debuted his popular opera Tristan und Isolde and also used the name for his first daughter.

Jafar m Arabic, Persian
Means "stream" in Arabic. Jafar ibn Abi Talib was a cousin of the Prophet Muhammad who was killed fighting against Byzantium in the 7th century. Another notable bearer was Jafar al-Sadiq, the sixth Shia imam.

Jorah m Biblical, Literature
From the Hebrew name יוֹרָה (Yora), derived from the root יָרָה (yara) meaning variously "to teach, to throw, to rain". This name is mentioned briefly in the Book of Ezra in the Old Testament. It was used by George R. R. Martin for a character in his fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire (first published 1996) and the television adaptation Game of Thrones (2011-2019). It is not known if Martin took the name from the Bible.

Jubal m Biblical
Means "stream" in Hebrew. This name is mentioned in Genesis in the Old Testament as belonging to the first person to be a musician.

Kaniehtiio f Mohawk
Means "she is good snow" in Mohawk, from ka- "she", óniehte "snow" and the suffix -iio "good".

Kelvin m English
From the name of a Scottish river, perhaps meaning "narrow water". As a title it was borne by the Irish-Scottish physicist William Thomson, Lord Kelvin (1824-1907), who acquired his title from the river.

Kent m English
From a surname that was originally derived from Kent, the name of a county in England, which may be derived from a Brythonic word meaning "coastal district".

Kunala m Sanskrit
Means "lotus" in Sanskrit. This was the name of a son of the 3rd-century BC Indian emperor Ashoka.

Lăcrămioara f Romanian
Means "lily of the valley" in Romanian (species Convallaria majalis). It is derived from a diminutive form of lacrămă "tear".

Lanford m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "long ford" in Old English.

Lauchlan m Scottish
Variant of Lachlan.

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.

Lester m English
From an English surname that was derived from the name of the city of Leicester, originally denoting a person who was from that place. The city's name is derived from the river name Ligore combined with Latin castra "camp".

Liên f Vietnamese
From Sino-Vietnamese 蓮 (liên) meaning "lotus, water lily".

Linford m English (Rare)
From a surname that was originally taken from place names meaning either "flax ford" or "linden tree ford" in Old English.

Linton m English
From a surname that was originally from place names meaning either "flax town" or "linden tree town" in Old English.

Linwood m English
From an English surname that was originally from a place name meaning "stream forest" in Old English.

Llyr m Welsh Mythology
Unaccented variant of Llŷr.

Lochlainn m Irish, Old Irish
Means "Viking, Scandinavian" from Old Irish Lochlann, a name for Scandinavia. It means "land of the lakes", derived from loch "lake".

Lochlann m Irish
Variant of Lochlainn.

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.

Lorelei f Literature, English
From German Loreley, the name of a rock headland on the Rhine River. It is of uncertain meaning, though the second element is probably old German ley meaning "rock" (of Celtic origin). German romantic poets and songwriters, beginning with Clemens Brentano in 1801, tell that a maiden named the Lorelei lives on the rock and lures boaters to their death with her song.... [more]

Louise f French, English, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Dutch, German
French feminine form of Louis.

Mahendra m Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Sanskrit
From Sanskrit महा (mahā) meaning "great" combined with the name of the Hindu god Indra. This was the name of a son of the 3rd-century BC Indian emperor Ashoka, also called Mahinda. He is credited with introducing Buddhism to Sri Lanka.

Mair f Welsh
Welsh form of Maria (see Mary).

Mairwen f Welsh
Combination of Mair and Welsh gwen meaning "white, blessed".

Marinella f Italian
Diminutive of Marina.

Marinus m Ancient Roman, Dutch
From the Roman family name Marinus, which derives either from the name Marius or from the Latin word marinus "of the sea". Saint Marinus was a 4th-century stonemason who built a chapel on Monte Titano, in the country that is today known as San Marino.

Maris 2 f English (Rare)
Means "of the sea", taken from the Latin title of the Virgin Mary, Stella Maris, meaning "star of the sea".

Mary f English, Biblical
Usual English form of Maria, the Latin form of the New Testament Greek names Μαριάμ (Mariam) and Μαρία (Maria) — the spellings are interchangeable — which were from Hebrew מִרְיָם (Miryam), a name borne by the sister of Moses in the Old Testament. The meaning is not known for certain, but there are several theories including "sea of bitterness", "rebelliousness", and "wished for child". However it was most likely originally an Egyptian name, perhaps derived in part from mry "beloved" or mr "love".... [more]

Maryam f Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Indonesian, Bashkir, Tatar
Arabic form of Miryam (see Mary) appearing in the Quran. It is also the form used in several other languages. In Iran it is also the name of a flower, the tuberose, which is named after the Virgin Mary.

Maxwell m English
From a Scottish surname meaning "Mack's stream", from the name Mack, a short form of the Scandinavian name Magnus, combined with Old English wille "well, stream". A famous bearer of the surname was James Maxwell (1831-1879), a Scottish physicist who studied gases and electromagnetism.... [more]

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.

Meltem f Turkish
Means "sea wind" in Turkish.

Melusine f Mythology
Meaning unknown. In European folklore Melusine was a water fairy who turned into a serpent from the waist down every Saturday. She made her husband, Raymond of Poitou, promise that he would never see her on that day, and when he broke his word she left him forever.

Melville m English
From a Scots surname that was originally from a Norman French place name Malleville meaning "bad town". A famous bearer of the surname was the American author Herman Melville (1819-1891), who wrote several novels including Moby-Dick.

Meraud f Cornish
Meaning unknown, perhaps based on Cornish mor "sea".

Meriel f English (Archaic)
Variant of Muriel.

Merlin m Arthurian Cycle, English
Form of the Welsh name Myrddin used by Geoffrey of Monmouth in his 12th-century chronicle. Writing in Latin, he likely chose the form Merlinus over Merdinus in order to prevent associations with French merde "excrement".... [more]

Merrill m English
From an English surname that was derived either from the given name Muriel or from place names meaning "pleasant hill".

Merton m English
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "town on a lake" in Old English.

Mervin m English
Variant of Mervyn or Marvin.

Mervyn m Welsh, English
Welsh variant of Merfyn, as well as the usual Anglicized form.

Meryl f English
Variant of Muriel. A famous bearer is American actress Meryl Streep (1949-), whose real name is Mary Louise Streep.

Michal 2 f Biblical, Hebrew
Possibly means "brook" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of a daughter of Saul. She was married to David, but after David fled from Saul he remarried her to someone else. Later, when David became king, he ordered her returned to him.

Michol f Biblical Latin
Biblical Latin form of Michal 2.

Milburn m English
From an English surname that was from a place name meaning "mill stream" in Old English.

Milford m English
From an English surname that was originally derived from various place names all meaning "ford by a mill" in Old English.

Mokosh f Slavic Mythology
Derived from the Old Slavic root mok meaning "wet, moist". Mokosh was a Slavic goddess associated with weaving, women, water and fertility.

Morcant m Old Welsh
Old Welsh form of Morgan 1.

Morgaine f Arthurian Cycle
Variant of Morgan 2, from a French form.

Mortimer m English
From an English surname that was derived from the name of a town in Normandy, itself meaning "dead water, still water" in Old French.

Muir m Scottish
From a Scottish surname, derived from Scots muir meaning "moor, fen". This name could also be inspired by Scottish Gaelic muir meaning "sea".

Muireall f Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic form of Muirgel.

Muirenn f Old Irish, Irish Mythology
From Old Irish muir "sea" and finn "white, blessed". This is another name of Muirne, the mother of the legendary hero Fionn mac Cumhaill.

Muirgen f Irish Mythology
Means "born of the sea" in Irish. In Irish legend this was the name of a woman (originally named Lí Ban) who was transformed into a mermaid. After 300 years she was brought to shore, baptized, and transformed back into a woman.

Muirgheal f Irish (Rare)
Modern form of Muirgel.

Muirín f Irish (Rare)
Modern form of Muirgen.

Murchadh m Medieval Irish, Scottish Gaelic
Means "sea battle", derived from Old Irish muir "sea" and cath "battle". This name was borne by several medieval Irish chieftains and kings. It is Anglicized as Murdo in Scotland.

Murdag f Scottish Gaelic
Feminine form of Murdo.

Murdo m Scottish
Anglicized form of Murchadh.

Muriel f English, French, Irish, Scottish, Medieval Breton (Anglicized)
Anglicized form of Irish Muirgel and Scottish Muireall. A form of this name was also used in Brittany, and it was first introduced to medieval England by Breton settlers in the wake of the Norman Conquest. In the modern era it was popularized by a character from Dinah Craik's novel John Halifax, Gentleman (1856).

Murielle f French
French variant of Muriel.

Murrough m Irish
Anglicized form of Murchadh.

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]

Nada 1 f Arabic
From Arabic نَدًى (nadan) meaning "dew, moisture, generosity", a derivative of ندي (nadiya) meaning "to be moist, to be damp".

Nahal f Hebrew
Means "stream" in Hebrew.

Napoleon m History, English
From the old Italian name Napoleone, used most notably by the French emperor Napoléon Bonaparte (1769-1821), who was born on Corsica. The etymology is uncertain, but it is possibly derived from Old German Nibelungen meaning "sons of mist", a name used in Germanic legend to refer to the keepers of a hoard of treasure, often identified with the Burgundians. Alternatively, it could be connected to the name of the Italian city of Napoli (Naples).

Nausicaa f Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Greek Ναυσικάα (Nausikaa) meaning "burner of ships". In Homer's epic the Odyssey this is the name of a daughter of Alcinous who helps Odysseus on his journey home.

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).

Neil m Irish, Scottish, English
From the Irish name Niall, which is of disputed origin, possibly connected to the old Celtic root *nītu- "fury, passion" or the (possibly related) Old Irish word nia "hero". A derivation from Old Irish nél "cloud" has also been suggested. This was the name of a few early Irish kings, notably Niall of the Nine Hostages, a semi-legendary high king of the 4th or 5th century.... [more]

Neith f Egyptian Mythology (Hellenized)
Greek form of Egyptian nt, possibly from nt "water" or nrw "fear, dread". This was the name of an early Egyptian goddess of weaving, hunting and war. Her character may have some correspondences with the goddesses Tanith, Anat or Athena.

Nephele f Greek Mythology
From Greek νέφος (nephos) meaning "cloud". In Greek legend Nephele was created from a cloud by Zeus, who shaped the cloud to look like Hera in order to trick Ixion, a mortal who desired her. Nephele was the mother of the centaurs by Ixion, and was also the mother of Phrixus and Helle by Athamus.

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.

Nereo m Italian, Spanish (Latin American)
Italian and Spanish form of Nereus.

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.

Ngaire f Maori
Possibly from the name of the town of Ngaere in New Zealand, of Maori origin meaning "wetland".

Nimue f Arthurian Cycle
Meaning unknown. In Arthurian legends this is the name of a sorceress, also known as the Lady of the Lake, Vivien, or Niniane. Various versions of the tales have Merlin falling in love with her and becoming imprisoned by her magic. She first appears in the medieval French Lancelot-Grail Cycle.

Niraj m Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Nepali
From Sanskrit नीरज (nīraja) meaning "water-born, lotus".

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.

Okeanos m Greek Mythology
From the name of the river or body of water thought by the ancient Greeks to surround the Earth. In Greek mythology Okeanos was the Titan who personified this body of water.

Ondina f Portuguese, Italian
Portuguese and Italian form of Undine.

Padmavati f Hinduism
Means "resembling lotuses", derived from the Sanskrit word पद्म (padma) meaning "lotus" combined with वती (vatī) meaning "resemblance". This is the name of a Hindu goddess, the wife of Venkateswara. She is considered an aspect of Lakshmi. This was also the name of a semi-legendary 14th-century queen of Mewar.

Padmini f Kannada, Tamil, Telugu
Means "multitude of lotuses", a derivative of Sanskrit पद्म (padma) meaning "lotus".

Pegasus m Greek Mythology (Latinized)
From the Greek Πήγασος (Pegasos), possibly either from πηγός (pegos) meaning "strong" or πηγαῖος (pegaios) meaning "from a water spring". In Greek mythology Pegasus was the winged horse that sprang from the blood of Medusa after she was killed by Perseus. There is a constellation in the northern sky named after the horse.

Pelageya f Russian
Russian form of Pelagia.

Pelagia f Ancient Greek, Greek, Polish (Rare)
Feminine form of Pelagius. This was the name of a few early saints, including a young 4th-century martyr who threw herself from a rooftop in Antioch rather than lose her virginity.

Pelagius m Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Latinized form of the Greek name Πελάγιος (Pelagios), which was derived from πέλαγος (pelagos) meaning "the sea". This was the name of several saints and two popes. It was also borne by a 4th-century British theologian whose teachings were eventually declared heretical.

Pelayo m Spanish
Spanish form of Pelagius. This was the name of the founder of the kingdom of Asturias in the 8th century.

Phirun m Khmer
Khmer form of Varuna.

Pontius m Ancient Roman, Biblical Latin, Biblical
Roman family name. The family had Samnite roots so the name probably originated from the Oscan language, likely meaning "fifth" (a cognate of Latin Quintus). Alternatively, it could be derived from the name of the ancient province of Pontus in Asia Minor, itself probably from Greek πόντος (pontos) meaning "sea". A notable bearer of this name was Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea who appears in the New Testament.

Poseidon m Greek Mythology
Possibly derived from Greek πόσις (posis) meaning "husband, lord" and δᾶ (da) meaning "earth". The name first appears in Mycenaean Greek inscriptions as po-se-da-o. In Greek mythology Poseidon was the unruly god of the sea and earthquakes, the brother of Zeus. He was often depicted carrying a trident and riding in a chariot drawn by white horses.

Raeburn m English (Rare)
From a Scottish surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "stream where deer drink" (from Scots rae "roe deer" and burn "stream"). A famous bearer of the surname was Scottish portrait painter Henry Raeburn (1756-1823).

Remigio m Italian, Spanish
Italian and Spanish form of Remigius (see Rémy).

Rhea f Greek Mythology, Roman Mythology
Meaning unknown, perhaps related to ῥέω (rheo) meaning "to flow" or ἔρα (era) meaning "ground". In Greek mythology Rhea was a Titan, the wife of Cronus, and the mother of the Olympian gods Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Hera, Demeter and Hestia. Also, in Roman mythology a woman named Rhea Silvia was the mother of Romulus and Remus, the legendary founders of Rome.

Rocío f Spanish
Means "dew" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin Mary María del Rocío meaning "Mary of the Dew".

Roimata f Maori
Means "teardrop" in Maori.

Rosa 2 f Bulgarian, Serbian, Croatian, Macedonian
Means "dew" in the South Slavic languages.

Rosemarie f English, German, Dutch
Variant of Rosemary.

Rosemary f English
Combination of Rose and Mary. This name can also be given in reference to the herb, which gets its name from Latin ros marinus meaning "dew of the sea". It came into use as a given name in the 19th century.

Rostam m Persian, Persian Mythology
Meaning unknown, possibly from Iranian roots *rautas "river" and *taxma "strong". Rostam was a warrior hero in Persian legend. The 10th-century Persian poet Ferdowsi recorded his tale in the Shahnameh.

Ruarc m Irish
From Old Irish Ruarcc. It was possibly an early borrowing from the Old Norse name Hrǿríkr. Alternatively it might be derived from Old Irish elements such as rúad "red" and arg "hero, champion". This was the name of a 9th-century king of Leinster.

Rudyard m English (Rare)
From a place name meaning "red yard" in Old English. This name was borne by Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936), the author of The Jungle Book and other works, who was named after Rudyard Lake in Staffordshire.

Rustam m Kazakh, Uzbek, Tajik, Indonesian
Form of Rostam in various languages.

Sæwine m Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English elements sæ "sea" and wine "friend".

Salacia f Roman Mythology
Derived from Latin sal meaning "salt". This was the name of the Roman goddess of salt water.

Saraswati f Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi
Means "possessing water" from Sanskrit सरस् (saras) meaning "fluid, water, lake" and वती (vatī) meaning "having". This is the name of a Hindu river goddess, also associated with learning and the arts, who is the wife of Brahma. She appears in the Vedas.

Shui m & f Chinese
From Chinese 水 (shuǐ) meaning "water", as well as other characters pronounced in a similar way.

Sohrab m Persian, Persian Mythology
From Persian سهر (sohr) meaning "red" and آب (āb) meaning "water". In the 10th-century Persian epic the Shahnameh this is the name of the son of the hero Rostam. He was tragically slain in battle by his father, who was unaware he was fighting his own son.

Stanford m English
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "stone ford" in Old English.

Susanna f Italian, Catalan, Swedish, Finnish, Russian, Ukrainian, Dutch, English, Armenian, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Old Church Slavic
From Σουσάννα (Sousanna), the Greek form of the Hebrew name שׁוֹשַׁנָּה (Shoshanna). This was derived from the Hebrew word שׁוֹשָׁן (shoshan) meaning "lily" (in modern Hebrew this also means "rose"), perhaps ultimately from Egyptian sšn "lotus". In the Old Testament Apocrypha this is the name of a woman falsely accused of adultery. The prophet Daniel clears her name by tricking her accusers, who end up being condemned themselves. It also occurs in the New Testament belonging to a woman who ministers to Jesus.... [more]

Susanoo m Japanese Mythology
Of Japanese origin, possibly meaning "wild male, impetuous male". In Japanese mythology he was the god of storms and the sea, as well as the brother and adversary of the goddess Amaterasu. He was born when Izanagi washed his nose after returning from the underworld. After he was banished from the heavens, he descended to earth and slew an eight-headed dragon.

Tethys f Greek Mythology
Derived from Greek τήθη (tethe) meaning "grandmother". In Greek mythology this was the name of a Titan associated with the sea. She was the wife of Oceanus.

Tiamat f Semitic Mythology
From Akkadian tâmtu meaning "sea". In Babylonian myth Tiamat was the personification of the sea, appearing in the form of a huge dragon. By Apsu she gave birth to the first of the gods. Later, the god Marduk (her great-grandson) defeated her, cut her in half, and used the pieces of her body to make the earth and the sky.

Tiberius m Ancient Roman
Roman praenomen, or given name, meaning "of the Tiber" in Latin. The Tiber is the river that runs through Rome. Tiberius was the second Roman emperor, the stepson of Emperor Augustus. He was born Tiberius Claudius Nero, but was renamed Tiberius Julius Caesar after he was designated as the heir of Augustus.

Undine f Literature
Derived from Latin unda meaning "wave". The word undine was created by the 16th-century Swiss author Paracelsus, who used it for female water spirits.

Väinämöinen m Finnish Mythology
Derived from Finnish väinä meaning "wide and slow-flowing river". In Finnish mythology Väinämöinen was a wise old magician, the son of the primal goddess Ilmatar. He is the hero of the Finnish epic the Kalevala.

Vellamo f Finnish Mythology
From Finnish velloa "to surge, to swell". This was the name of a Finnish goddess of the sea, the wife of Ahti.

Victoria f English, Spanish, Romanian, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, French, Late Roman, Roman Mythology
Means "victory" in Latin, being borne by the Roman goddess of victory. It is also a feminine form of Victorius. This name was borne by a 4th-century saint and martyr from North Africa.... [more]

Virva f Finnish
Possibly derived from Finnish virvatuli meaning "will o' the wisp". In folklore, will o' the wisp is a floating ball of light that appears over water.

Vivien 2 f Literature, Hungarian
Used by Alfred Tennyson as the name of the Lady of the Lake in his Arthurian epic Idylls of the King (1859). Tennyson may have based it on Vivienne, but it possibly arose as a misreading of Ninian. A famous bearer was British actress Vivien Leigh (1913-1967), who played Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind.

Walton m English
From a surname that was originally taken from various Old English place names meaning "stream town", "wood town", or "wall town".

Warrick m English (Rare)
From a surname that was a variant of Warwick.

Warwick m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from the name of a town in England, itself from Old English wer "weir, dam" and wic "settlement".

Weldon m English
From an English surname that was derived from a place name meaning "hill near a spring" in Old English.

Wilburn m English
From an English surname that was probably originally derived from an unknown place name. The second element corresponds with Old English burne "stream".

Wilford m English
From a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "willow ford" in Old English.

Yeong-Hui f Korean
From Sino-Korean 英 (yeong) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero" or 泳 (yeong) meaning "dive, swim" combined with 姬 (hui) meaning "beauty" or 嬉 (hui) meaning "enjoy, play". Other combinations of hanja characters can form this name as well.

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.

Zedong m & f Chinese
From Chinese 泽 (zé) meaning "moist, grace, brilliance" combined with 东 (dōng) meaning "east", as well as other character combinations. A notable bearer was the founder of the People's Republic of China, Mao Zedong (1893-1976).

Zurab m Georgian
Georgian form of Sohrab.