Gwythyr m Welsh MythologyWelsh 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.
Gyatso m TibetanFrom Tibetan
རྒྱ་མཚོ (rgya-mtsho) meaning
"ocean". This is one of the given names of the current Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso (1935-).
Gyeong-Ja f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
慶 (gyeong) meaning "congratulate, celebrate" or
敬 (gyeong) meaning "respect, honour" combined with
子 (ja) meaning "child". This name can be formed of other hanja character combinations as well. Korean feminine names ending with the character
子 (a fashionable name suffix in Japan, read as
-ko in Japanese) became less popular after Japanese rule of Korea ended in 1945.
Habakkuk m BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
חֲבַקּוּק (Ḥavaqquq), probably derived from the root
חָבַק (ḥavaq) meaning
"embrace". In the Old Testament this is one of the twelve minor prophets, the author of the Book of Habakkuk.
Hajnalka f HungarianMeans
"morning glory (flower)" in Hungarian, derived from
hajnal "dawn" combined with a diminutive suffix.
Hamilcar m Phoenician (Latinized), HistoryPossibly means
"brother of Melqart", derived from Phoenician
𐤀𐤇 (ʾaḥ) meaning "brother" combined with the name of the god
Melqart. This was a common Punic name. Among the notable bearers was Hamilcar Barca, a 3rd-century BC Carthaginian general who was the father of
Hannibal and
Hasdrubal.
Hamnet m English (Archaic)Diminutive of
Hamo. This was the name of a son of Shakespeare who died in childhood. His death may have provided the inspiration for his father's play
Hamlet.
Hannibal m Phoenician (Latinized), HistoryFrom the Punic name
𐤇𐤍𐤁𐤏𐤋 meaning
"my grace is Ba'al", derived from Phoenician
𐤇𐤍𐤍 (ḥann) meaning "grace, favour" combined with the name of the god
Ba'al. This name occurs often in Carthaginian history. It was most notably borne by the famed general and tactician Hannibal Barca, who threatened Rome during the Second Punic War in the 3rd century BC. It is also associated with the fictional villain Hannibal Lecter from the books by Thomas Harris (debuting 1981) and subsequent movie adaptations.
Hasdrubal m Phoenician (Latinized), HistoryMeans
"Ba'al helps", derived from Phoenician
𐤏𐤆𐤓 (ʿazru) meaning "to help" combined with the name of the god
Ba'al. This name was borne by several figures from Carthaginian history, including the 3rd-century BC general Hasdrubal Barca (brother of
Hannibal) who fought in the Second Punic War.
Hatshepsut f Ancient EgyptianFrom Egyptian
ḥꜣt-špswt meaning
"foremost of noble women". This was the name of a pharaoh of the 18th dynasty (15th century BC), among the first women to take this title.
Havilah m BiblicalProbably means
"to dance, to circle, to twist" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is both a place name and a masculine personal name.
Hawise f Medieval EnglishEnglish form of a medieval French name appearing in various spellings such as
Haueis or
Haouys, which were derived from
Hadewidis. The name was borne by a number of Norman and Anglo-Norman noblewomen from the 11th to 13th centuries.
Hayk m ArmenianProbably from the Armenian word
հայ (hay) meaning
"Armenian", although some hold that the ethnic name is in fact derived from the given name. This was the name of the legendary forefather of the Armenian people, supposedly a great-great-grandson of
Noah, according to the 5th-century Armenian historian Movses Khorenatsi.
Hecate f Greek Mythology (Latinized)From the Greek
Ἑκάτη (Hekate), possibly derived from
ἑκάς (hekas) meaning
"far off". In Greek mythology Hecate was a goddess associated with witchcraft, crossroads, tombs, demons and the underworld.
Heddwyn m WelshDerived from Welsh
hedd "peace" and
gwyn "white, blessed". This name has been given in honour of the poet Ellis Humphrey Evans (1887-1917), who used Hedd Wyn as his bardic name.
Heidrich m GermanicDerived from the Old German element (possibly)
heida "heath, heather" combined with
rih "ruler, king".
Heidrun f Norse Mythology, GermanDerived from Old Norse
heiðr meaning "bright, clear" and
rún meaning "secret lore, rune". In Norse mythology this was the name of a goat that would eat the leaves from the tree of life and produce mead in her udder.
Hemera f Greek MythologyMeans
"day" in Greek. This was the name of the Greek goddess who personified the daytime. According to Hesiod she was the daughter of
Nyx, the personification of the night.
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.
Herakleides m Ancient GreekMeans
"son of Herakles" in Greek, derived from the name of the mythic hero
Herakles combined with the patronymic suffix
ἴδης (ides). This was the name of a 4th-century BC Greek astronomer who theorized the rotation of the earth.
Herakles m Greek MythologyMeans
"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.
Hereward m Anglo-SaxonDerived from the Old English elements
here "army" and
weard "guard". This was the name of an 11th-century Anglo-Saxon leader who rebelled against Norman rule.
Herleva f Germanic (Latinized)Possibly from the Old German elements
heri "army" and
leiba "remainder, remnant, legacy" (or the Old Norse cognates
herr and
leif, see
Herleif). This was the name of the mother of William the Conqueror, who, according to tradition, was a commoner.
Hermenegildo m Spanish, PortugueseSpanish and Portuguese form of a Visigothic name, from the Gothic elements
airmans "great, immense" and
gild "payment, tribute, compensation". It was borne by a 6th-century saint, the son of Liuvigild the Visigothic king of Hispania.
Herminius m Ancient RomanRoman name that was possibly of unknown Etruscan origin, but could also be derived from the name of the god
Hermes. In Roman legend this was the name of a companion of Aeneas.
Hermione f Greek MythologyDerived from the name of the Greek messenger god
Hermes. In Greek myth Hermione was the daughter of
Menelaus and
Helen. This is also the name of the wife of
Leontes in Shakespeare's play
The Winter's Tale (1610). It is now closely associated with the character Hermione Granger from the
Harry Potter series of books, first released in 1997.
Herodion m Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical GreekDerivative of the Greek name
Herodes (see
Herod). This name is mentioned briefly in
Paul's epistle to the Romans in the New Testament. According to tradition he was a bishop of Patras, Greece, and was later martyred in Rome with Saint Peter.
Herodotus m Ancient Greek (Latinized)Latinized form of the Greek name
Ἡρόδοτος (Herodotos), derived from the name of the goddess
Hera combined with
δοτός (dotos) meaning "given, granted". Herodotus was a Greek historian of the 5th century BC who wrote the
Histories, a detailed account of the Greco-Persian Wars. He is known as the Father of History.
Hersilia f Roman MythologyMeaning 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.
Hesperos m Ancient GreekMeans
"evening" in Greek. This was the name of the personification of the Evening Star (the planet Venus) in Greek mythology.
Hezekiah m BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
חִזְקִיָהוּ (Ḥizqiyahu), which means
"Yahweh strengthens", from the roots
חָזַק (ḥazaq) meaning "to strength" and
יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. This name was borne by a powerful king of Judah who reigned in the 8th and 7th centuries BC. Also in the Old Testament, this is the name of an ancestor of the prophet
Zephaniah.
Hiawatha m History, Iroquois (Anglicized)Meaning uncertain, of Iroquois origin, possibly meaning
"he who combs". This was the name of a Mohawk or Onondaga leader who founded the Iroquois Confederacy around the 15th century. He was later the subject of a fictionalized 1855 poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
Hideaki m JapaneseFrom Japanese
英 (hide) meaning "excellent, fine" and
明 (aki) meaning "bright, light, clear", as well as other combinations of kanji.
Hideyoshi m JapaneseFrom Japanese
秀 (hide) meaning "excellent, outstanding" combined with
良 (yoshi) meaning "good, virtuous, respectable" or
吉 (yoshi) meaning "good luck". Other kanji combinations are possible. Toyotomi Hideyoshi (Hideyoshi
秀吉 being his given name) was a 16th-century daimyo who unified Japan and attempted to conquer Korea. He also banned the ownership of weapons by the peasantry, and banished Christian missionaries.
Hildebrand m German (Archaic), GermanicMeans
"battle sword", derived from the Old German element
hilt "battle" combined with
brant "fire, torch, sword". This was the name of the hero of an 8th-century poem written in Old High German.
Hildegard f German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, GermanicDerived from the Old German elements
hilt "battle" and
gart "enclosure, yard". This was the name of the second wife of
Charlemagne (8th century). Also, Saint Hildegard was a 12th-century mystic from Bingen in Germany who was famous for her writings and poetry and also for her prophetic visions.
Hirsh m YiddishMeans
"deer" in Yiddish, from Old High German
hiruz. This was a vernacular form of the Hebrew name
Tzvi. The deer is particularly associated with the tribe of
Naphtali (see
Genesis 49:21).
Hjördis f SwedishSwedish form of the Old Norse name
Hjǫrdís meaning
"sword goddess", derived from the elements
hjǫrr "sword" and
dís "goddess".
Hodiah f & m BiblicalMeans
"majesty of Yahweh" in Hebrew, from
הוֹד (hoḏ) meaning "majesty, splendour" and
יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. This is (probably) the name of a wife of
Ezra in the Old Testament. It is also borne by a few male biblical characters.
Hokolesqua m ShawneeMeans
"cornstalk" in Shawnee. This was the name of an 18th-century Shawnee chief.
Hōkūlani f HawaiianMeans
"heavenly star" from Hawaiian
hōkū "star" and
lani "heaven, sky, royal, majesty".
Honoratus m Late RomanLate Latin name meaning
"esteemed, distinguished". This was the name of at least seven saints, including a 5th-century archbishop of Arles and a 6th-century bishop of Amiens who is the patron saint of bakers.
Honoria f Late RomanFeminine form of
Honorius. This name was borne by the sister of the Western Roman emperor Valentinian III. After her brother had her engaged to a man she did not like, she wrote to
Attila the Hun asking for help. Attila interpreted this as a marriage proposal and subsequently invaded.
Honorius m Late RomanLate Latin name meaning
"honour, esteem, dignity". This was the name of an emperor of the Western Roman Empire. It was also borne by a few early saints and four popes.
Horatio m EnglishVariant of
Horatius. Shakespeare used it for a character in his tragedy
Hamlet (1600). It was borne by the British admiral Horatio Nelson (1758-1805), famous for his defeat of Napoleon's forces in the Battle of Trafalgar, in which he was himself killed. Since his time the name has been occasionally used in his honour.
Horatius m Ancient RomanRoman family name that was possibly derived from Latin
hora meaning
"hour, time, season", though the name may actually be of Etruscan origin. A famous bearer was Quintus Horatius Flaccus, a Roman lyric poet of the 1st century BC who is better known as Horace in the English-speaking world.
Hroðgar m Anglo-SaxonFrom Old English
hroð "fame, glory" and
gar "spear", making it a cognate of
Hrodger (see
Roger). The name became unused after the Normans introduced the continental form. In the Old English poem
Beowulf this is the name of the Danish king.
Huanglong m Chinese MythologyFrom 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 MythologyMeans
"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).
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.
Hypatia f Ancient GreekDerived from Greek
ὕπατος (hypatos) meaning
"highest, supreme". Hypatia of Alexandria was a 5th-century philosopher and mathematician, daughter of the mathematician Theon.
Hyperion m Greek MythologyDerived 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.
Ibolya f HungarianMeans
"violet" in Hungarian, ultimately from Latin
viola.
Ibragim m Chechen, Ossetian, KyrgyzChechen, Ossetian and Kyrgyz form of
Ibrahim. This is also a Russian form, used to Russify native versions of the name in countries that were once part of the Soviet Union.
Ichabod m BiblicalMeans
"no glory" in Hebrew, from the roots
אִי (ʾi) meaning "not" and
כָּבַד (kavaḏ) meaning "to be glorious". In the Old Testament this is the grandson of
Eli and the son of
Phinehas. He was named this because his mother despaired that "the glory has departed from Israel" (
1 Samuel 4:21).
... [more] Ieuan m WelshMedieval Welsh form of
Iohannes (see
John), revived in the 19th century.
Ifunanya f IgboMeans
"love" in Igbo (literally "to see in one's eye").
Ignatius m Late RomanFrom the Roman family name
Egnatius, meaning unknown, of Etruscan origin. The spelling was later altered to resemble Latin
ignis "fire". This was the name of several saints, including the third bishop of Antioch who was thrown to wild beasts by Emperor Trajan, and by Saint Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556), founder of the Jesuits, whose real birth name was in fact
Íñigo.
Igraine f Arthurian CycleMeaning unknown, from
Igerna, the Latinized form of Welsh
Eigyr. In Arthurian legend she is the mother of King
Arthur by Uther Pendragon and the mother of
Morgan le Fay by Gorlois. The Welsh form
Eigyr or
Eigr was rendered into Latin as
Igerna by the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth.
Ilargi f BasqueMeans
"moon" in Basque, a compound of
hil "month" and
argi "light".
Ildefonso m SpanishSpanish form of the Visigothic name *
Hildifuns, which meant
"battle ready", derived from the Gothic elements
hilds "battle" and
funs "ready". This was the name of a 7th-century saint, an archbishop of Toledo.
Ileana f Romanian, Spanish, ItalianPossibly a Romanian variant of
Elena. In Romanian folklore this is the name of a princess kidnapped by monsters and rescued by a heroic knight.
Ilmarinen m Finnish MythologyDerived 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.
Imhotep m Ancient EgyptianFrom Egyptian
jj-m-ḥtp meaning
"he comes in peace". This was the name of a 27th-century BC architect, priest, physician and chief minister to the pharaoh
Djoser. Imhotep apparently designed the step pyramid at Saqqara, near Memphis.
Ingeborg f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, GermanFrom the Old Norse name
Ingibjǫrg, which was derived from the name of the Germanic god
Ing combined with
bjǫrg meaning "help, save, rescue". This name was borne by a Danish princess who married Philip II of France in the 12th century.
Ingegerd f SwedishFrom the Old Norse name
Ingigerðr, which was derived from the name of the Germanic god
Ing combined with
garðr meaning "enclosure, yard".
Ingemar m SwedishFrom the Old Norse name
Ingimárr, derived from the name of the Germanic god
Ing combined with
mærr "famous". This name is borne by the Swedish skier Ingemar Stenmark (1956-).
Ingomar m German (Rare), GermanicFrom the name of the Germanic god
Ing combined with Old German
mari "famous", making it a cognate of
Ingemar. Ingomar (or Inguiomer) was a 1st-century leader of the Cherusci, a Germanic tribe.
Inmaculada f SpanishMeans
"immaculate" in Spanish. This name is given to commemorate the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin
Mary.
Iolanthe f Various (Rare)Probably a variant of
Yolanda influenced by the Greek words
ἰόλη (iole) meaning "violet" and
ἄνθος (anthos) meaning "flower". This name was (first?) used by Gilbert and Sullivan in their comic opera
Iolanthe (1882).
Iorwerth m Welsh, Old WelshMeans
"worthy lord" from Old Welsh
ior "lord" and
gwerth "value, worth". This name was used by medieval Welsh royalty, including the prince Iorwerth Goch of Powys, who is mentioned in the tale the
Dream of Rhonabwy. It has sometimes been Anglicized as
Edward.
Iphigeneia f Greek MythologyDerived from Greek
ἴφιος (iphios) meaning "strong, stout" and
γενής (genes) meaning "born". In Greek myth Iphigenia was the daughter of King
Agamemnon. When her father offended
Artemis it was divined that the only way to appease the goddess was to sacrifice Iphigenia. Just as Agamemnon was about to sacrifice his daughter she was magically transported to the city of Taurus.
... [more] Isagani m TagalogPossibly from Tagalog
masaganang ani meaning
"bountiful harvest". This is the name of a character in the novel
El Filibusterismo (1891) by José Rizal.
Iseult f Arthurian CycleThe origins of this name are uncertain, though some Celtic roots have been suggested. It is possible that the name is ultimately Germanic, from a hypothetical name like *
Ishild, composed of the elements
is "ice" and
hilt "battle".
... [more] Ishmerai m BiblicalMeans
"he guards me" in Hebrew, derived from
שָׁמַר (shamar) meaning "to guard". This name is mentioned briefly in the Old Testament.
Ishvi m BiblicalMeans
"he resembles me" in Hebrew. This is the name of a son of
Asher in the Old Testament.
Islwyn m WelshFrom the name of a mountain in Wales that means "below the forest" from Welsh
is "below" and
llwyn "forest, grove".
Ismene f Greek MythologyPossibly from Greek
ἰσμή (isme) meaning
"knowledge". This was the name of the daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta in Greek legend.
Isolde f German, Arthurian CycleGerman 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.
Israfil m Judeo-Christian-Islamic LegendMeaning 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.
Issachar m Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical GreekPossibly means
"man of hire" or
"there is reward", from Hebrew
שָׁכַר (shaḵar) meaning "hire, wage, reward". In the Old Testament this is the name of one of the twelve sons of
Jacob (by
Leah) and the founder of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. A justification for the name's meaning is given in
Genesis 30:18.
Ithiel m BiblicalPossibly means
"God is with me" in Hebrew. This is the name of a minor character in the Old Testament.
Itumeleng m & f TswanaMeans
"be happy" in Tswana, from
itumela meaning "to be happy".
Itziar f Basque, SpanishFrom the name of a Basque village that contains an important shrine to the Virgin
Mary, possibly meaning "old stone".
Ivaylo m BulgarianPerhaps derived from an old Bulgar name meaning
"wolf". This was the name of a 13th-century emperor of Bulgaria. It is possible that this spelling was the result of a 15th-century misreading of his real name
Vulo from historical documents.
Ixchel f Mayan Mythology, MayanPossibly means
"rainbow lady", from Classic Maya
ix "lady" and
chel "rainbow". Ixchel was a Maya goddess associated with the earth, jaguars, medicine and childbirth. She was often depicted with a snake in her hair and crossbones embroidered on her skirt.
Izanagi m Japanese MythologyProbably 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.
Izanami f Japanese MythologyProbably means
"female who invites" in Japanese, from
誘 (izana) meaning "invite, lure, attract". In Japanese mythology she was a creator goddess, the wife of
Izanagi. She died giving birth to Kagutsuchi, the god of fire.
Izdihar f ArabicMeans
"blossoming, prospering" in Arabic, a derivative of
زهر (zahara) meaning "to shine, to bloom".