Godiva f Anglo-Saxon (Latinized)Latinized form of the Old English name
Godgifu meaning
"gift of god", from the elements
god and
giefu "gift". Lady Godiva was an 11th-century English noblewoman who, according to legend, rode naked through the streets of Coventry to protest the high taxes imposed by her husband upon the townspeople.
Godric m Anglo-SaxonMeans
"god's ruler", derived from Old English
god combined with
ric "ruler, king". This name died out a few centuries after the Norman Conquest.
Godwine m Anglo-SaxonMeans
"friend of god", derived from Old English
god combined with
wine "friend". This was the name of the powerful 11th-century Earl of Wessex, the father of King Harold II of England.
Gopinatha m HinduismMeans
"leader of the gopis" in Sanskrit. This is another name of the Hindu god
Krishna, acquired because of his association with the gopis (milkmaids).
Gordon m Scottish, EnglishFrom a Scottish surname that was originally derived from a place in Berwickshire, itself derived from Brythonic elements meaning
"spacious fort". It was originally used in honour of Charles George Gordon (1833-1885), a British general who died defending the city of Khartoum in Sudan.
... [more] Gormlaith f Old IrishDerived from Old Irish
gorm "blue" or "illustrious" and
flaith "ruler, sovereign, princess". This was the name of several medieval Irish royals, including the wife of the 11th-century king
Brian Boru.
Gotama m HinduismMeans
"the best ox" from Sanskrit
गो (go) meaning "ox, cow" and
तम (tama) meaning "best". It is best known in its patronymic form
Gautama (with the initial vowel lengthened), which was borne by the
Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama. In Hindu texts this is also the name of one of the Saptarshis, or seven sages. Additionally it was borne by an early Indian philosopher who wrote the Nyaya Sutras.
Gottfried m GermanGerman form of
Godfrey. This name was borne by the 13th-century German poet Gottfried von Strassburg and the German philosopher and mathematician Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646-1716), one of the inventors of calculus.
Gotthilf m German (Rare)Derived from German
Gott "God" and
hilf "help". This name was created in the 17th century.
Gottschalk m German (Archaic)Derived from the Old German elements
got "god" and
scalc "servant". Saint Gottschalk was a (perhaps spurious) 11th-century prince of the Wends who was martyred by his brother-in-law.
Grace f EnglishFrom the English word
grace, which ultimately derives from Latin
gratia. This was one of the virtue names created in the 17th century by the Puritans. The actress Grace Kelly (1929-1982) was a famous bearer.
... [more] Graham m Scottish, EnglishFrom a Scottish surname, originally derived from the English place name
Grantham, which probably meant
"gravelly homestead" in Old English. The surname was first taken to Scotland in the 12th century by the Norman baron William de Graham. A famous bearer of the surname was Alexander Graham Bell (1847-1922), the Scottish-Canadian-American inventor who devised the telephone. A famous bearer of the given name was the British author Graham Greene (1904-1991).
... [more] Gratian m HistoryFrom the Roman name
Gratianus, which was derived from Latin
gratus meaning
"grateful". Saint Gratian was the first bishop of Tours (4th century). This was also the name of a Roman emperor.
Grażyna f PolishFrom Lithuanian
graži meaning
"beautiful". This name was created by Polish poet Adam Mickiewicz for his poem
Grażyna (1823).
Gregor m German, Scottish, Slovak, SloveneGerman, Scottish, Slovak and Slovene form of
Gregorius (see
Gregory). A famous bearer was Gregor Mendel (1822-1884), a Czech monk and scientist who did experiments in genetics.
Gregory m EnglishEnglish form of Latin
Gregorius, which was from the Late Greek name
Γρηγόριος (Gregorios), derived from
γρήγορος (gregoros) meaning
"watchful, alert". This name was popular among early Christians, being borne by a number of important saints including Saint Gregory Thaumaturgus (3rd century), Saint Gregory the Illuminator (4th century), Saint Gregory of Nyssa (4th century), Saint Gregory of Nazianzus (4th century), and Saint Gregory of Tours (6th century). It was also borne by the 6th-century pope Saint Gregory I the Great, a reformer and Doctor of the Church, as well as 15 subsequent popes.
... [more] Gresham m English (Rare)From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"grazing homestead" in Old English.
Grigoriy m RussianRussian form of
Gregory. This name was borne by the Russian mystic Grigoriy Rasputin (1869-1916), more commonly known by only his surname.
Griselda f English, Spanish, LiteraturePossibly derived from the Old German elements
gris "grey" and
hilt "battle". It is not attested as a Germanic name. This was the name of a patient wife in medieval folklore, adapted into tales by Boccaccio (in
The Decameron) and Chaucer (in
The Canterbury Tales).
Guadalupe f & m SpanishFrom 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.
Guanyu m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
冠 (guān) meaning "cap, crown, headgear" combined with
宇 (yǔ) meaning "house, eaves, universe". Other character combinations are possible.
Gudbrand m NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Guðbrandr meaning
"god's sword", derived from the elements
guð "god" and
brandr "fire, torch, sword".
Gudrun f Norse Mythology, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, GermanFrom the Old Norse name
Guðrún meaning
"god's secret lore", derived from the elements
guð "god" and
rún "secret lore, rune". In Norse legend Gudrun was the wife of
Sigurd. After his death she married
Atli, but when he murdered her brothers, she killed her sons by him, fed him their hearts, and then slew him. Her story appears in Norse literature such as the
Eddas and the
Völsungasaga. She is called
Kriemhild in German versions of the tale. This is also an unrelated character in the medieval German epic
Kudrun.
Guinevere f Arthurian CycleFrom the Norman French form of the Welsh name
Gwenhwyfar meaning
"white phantom", ultimately from the old Celtic roots *
windos meaning "white" (modern Welsh
gwen) and *
sēbros meaning "phantom, magical being". In Arthurian legend she was the beautiful wife of King
Arthur. According to the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth, she was seduced by
Mordred before the battle of Camlann, which led to the deaths of both Mordred and Arthur. According to the 12th-century French poet Chrétien de Troyes, she engaged in an adulterous affair with Sir
Lancelot.
... [more] Guiomar f & m Portuguese, Spanish, Arthurian CyclePossibly derived from the Germanic name
Wigmar, which was formed of the elements
wig "war, battle" and
mari "famous". In the medieval
Lancelot-Grail Cycle he plays a minor role as a cousin of Guinevere, who banishes him after he becomes a lover of Morgan le Fey. In modern Portugal and Spain it is a feminine name.
Guiscard m Medieval FrenchNorman French form of the Norman name
Wischard, from Old Norse
vizkr "wise" and the Old French pejorative suffix
-ard (from Old Frankish
hard "hard, firm, brave, hardy"). This was the byname of Robert Guiscard, an 11th-century Norman conqueror of Sicily.
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.
Gulrukh f UrduMeans
"rose faced" in Persian. This was the name of a wife of the Mughal emperor Babur.
Guntram m GermanMeans
"war raven" from the Old German elements
gunda "war" and
hram "raven". This was the name of a 6th-century Frankish king, sometimes called Gontrand, who is considered a saint.
Gustav m Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, German, CzechPossibly means
"staff of the Geats", derived from the Old Norse elements
gautr meaning "Geat" and
stafr meaning "staff". However, the root name
Gautstafr is not well attested in the Old Norse period. Alternatively, it might be derived from the Old Slavic name
Gostislav.
... [more] Gustave m FrenchFrench form of
Gustav. This name was borne by the French artist Gustave Doré (1832-1883) and the French engineer Gustave Eiffel (1832-1923).
Gwenaël m French, BretonMeans
"blessed and generous" from Breton
gwenn meaning "white, blessed" and
hael meaning "generous". Saint Gwenhael was a 6th-century abbot of Brittany.
Gwendolen f WelshPossibly means
"white ring", derived from Welsh
gwen meaning "white, blessed" and
dolen meaning "ring, loop". This name appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's 12th-century chronicles, written in the Latin form
Guendoloena, where it belongs to an ancient queen of the Britons who defeats her ex-husband in battle. Geoffrey later used it in
Vita Merlini for the wife of the prophet
Merlin. An alternate theory claims that the name arose from a misreading of the masculine name
Guendoleu by Geoffrey.
... [more] Gwenfrewi f Welsh (Rare)Derived from Welsh
gwen meaning "white, blessed" combined with another element of uncertain meaning. It could possibly be Welsh
ffreu meaning "stream, flow" or the obscure word
ffrewi meaning "pacify, quell, reconcile". This may be the original form of
Winifred. In any case, it is the Welsh name for the saint.
Gwenllian f WelshDerived 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.
Gwrtheyrn m Old Welsh (Modernized)From Old Welsh
Guorthigirn meaning
"supreme king", from
guor meaning "over" and
tigirn meaning "king, monarch". It is possible that this is not a name, but a title. According to medieval chroniclers, Gwrtheyrn (also known as Vortigern) was a 5th-century king of the Britons. It was he who invited the brothers
Hengist and
Horsa to Britain, which eventually led to the Anglo-Saxon conquest of England.
Gwydion m Welsh, Welsh MythologyProbably means
"born of trees" from Old Welsh
guid "trees" and the suffix
gen "born of". In the Fourth Branch of the
Mabinogi, Gwydion is the nephew of King
Math of Gwynedd, and like him a powerful magician. In an elaborate plot to give his brother a chance to rape his uncle's footbearer, he arranged a war between Gwynedd and the neighbouring kingdom of Dyfed. Gwydion himself killed King
Pryderi of Dyfed at the end of the war. In punishment for the rape, Math transformed Gwydion and his brother into different animals over the course of three years. Gwydion was the uncle of
Lleu Llaw Gyffes, whom he fostered. Math and Gwydion fashioned Lleu a wife,
Blodeuwedd, out of flowers and they later aided him after her betrayal. Gwydion also appears in older Welsh poetry such as the
Book of Taliesin.
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".
Gwyneira f WelshMeans
"white snow" from the Welsh element
gwyn meaning "white, blessed" combined with
eira meaning "snow". This is a recently created Welsh name.
Gwyneth f Welsh, EnglishProbably a variant of
Gwynedd. It has been common in Wales since the 19th century, perhaps after the Welsh novelist Gwyneth Vaughan (1852-1910), whose real name was Ann Harriet Hughes. A modern famous bearer is the American actress Gwyneth Paltrow (1972-).
Gwynfor m WelshDerived from the Welsh element
gwyn meaning "white, blessed" combined with
maur meaning "great, large". This name was created in the 19th century.
Gyeong m & f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
京 (gyeong) meaning "capital city",
景 (gyeong) meaning "scenery, view",
敬 (gyeong) meaning "respect, honour", or other hanja characters with the same pronunciation. It usually occurs in combination with another character, though it is sometimes used as a stand-alone name.
Hades m Greek MythologyFrom Greek
Ἅιδης (Haides), derived from
ἀϊδής (aides) meaning
"unseen". In Greek mythology Hades was the dark god of the underworld, a place that also came to be called Hades. His brothers were
Zeus and
Poseidon and his wife was
Persephone, whom he had abducted.
Hadrian m HistoryFrom 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] Haidar m ArabicMeans
"lion, warrior" in Arabic. This is a title of
Ali ibn Abi Talib.
Hajime m JapaneseMeans
"beginning" in Japanese, written with kanji having the same or similar meanings, such as
肇,
一 or
元, as well as others.
Håkon m NorwegianModern Norwegian form of the Old Norse name
Hákon, derived from the element
hár "high" or
hǫð "battle, combat" combined with and
konr "son, descendant". This was the name of seven kings of Norway.
Hallam m English (Rare)From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning either
"at the rocks" or
"at the nook" in Old English.
Halvard m NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Hallvarðr, which meant
"rock guardian" from
hallr "rock" combined with
vǫrðr "guard, guardian".
Hamilton m EnglishFrom a Scottish and English surname that was derived from Old English
hamel "crooked, mutilated" and
dun "hill". The surname was originally taken from the name of a town in Leicestershire, England (which no longer exists). A famous bearer of the surname was Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804), a founding father of the United States who was killed in a duel with Aaron Burr.
Hamlet m Literature, ArmenianAnglicized form of the Danish name
Amleth. Shakespeare used this name for the main character in his tragedy
Hamlet (1600), which he based upon earlier Danish tales. In the play, Hamlet is a prince of Denmark seeking to avenge the death of his father (also named Hamlet) at the hands of his uncle
Claudius.
Hanan 1 m BiblicalMeans
"gracious" in Hebrew. This is the name of several minor characters in the Old Testament.
Hanan 2 f ArabicMeans
"mercy, compassion" in Arabic, derived from the root
حنّ (ḥanna) meaning "to sympathize, to pity".
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.
Hans m German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, DanishGerman short form of
Johannes, now used independently. This name has been very common in German-speaking areas of Europe since the late Middle Ages. From an early period it was transmitted to the Low Countries and Scandinavia. Two famous bearers were Hans Holbein (1497-1543), a German portrait painter, and Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875), a Danish writer of fairy tales.
Harding m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from the Old English given name
Heard. A famous bearer of the surname was American president Warren G. Harding (1865-1923).
Harold m EnglishFrom the Old English name
Hereweald, derived from the elements
here "army" and
weald "powerful, mighty". The Old Norse cognate
Haraldr was also common among Scandinavian settlers in England. This was the name of five kings of Norway and three kings of Denmark. It was also borne by two kings of England, both of whom were from mixed Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon backgrounds, including Harold II who lost the Battle of Hastings (and was killed in it), which led to the Norman Conquest. After the conquest the name died out, but it was eventually revived in the 19th century.
Harriet f EnglishEnglish form of
Henriette, and thus a feminine form of
Harry. It was first used in the 17th century, becoming very common in the English-speaking world by the 18th century. Famous bearers include the Americans Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896), the author of
Uncle Tom's Cabin, and the abolitionist Harriet Tubman (1820-1913).
Harrison m EnglishFrom an English surname that meant
"son of Harry". This was the surname of two American presidents, William Henry Harrison (1773-1841) and his grandson Benjamin Harrison (1833-1901). As a given name it reached a low point in America in 1977 before it was revived by the career of actor Harrison Ford (1942-), who starred in such movies as
Star Wars in 1977 and
Indiana Jones in 1984.
Hasan m Arabic, Turkish, Persian, Urdu, Punjabi, Bengali, Indonesian, Malay, Albanian, BosnianMeans
"handsome" in Arabic, from the root
حسن (ḥasuna) meaning "to be beautiful, to be good". Hasan was the son of
Ali and the grandson of the Prophet
Muhammad. He was poisoned by one of his wives and is regarded as a martyr by Shia Muslims. This was also the name of two kings of Morocco. It is sometimes transcribed as
Hassan, though this is a distinct name in Arabic.
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.
Hayato m JapaneseFrom Japanese
隼 (haya) meaning "falcon" (using a nanori reading) and
人 (to) meaning "person". Other kanji combinations can also make up this name.
Ha-Yun f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
昰 (ha) meaning "summer, name" combined with
昀 (yun) meaning "sunlight". Other hanja character combinations are possible.
Hazael m BiblicalMeans
"God sees" in Hebrew, from
חָזָה (ḥaza) meaning "to see" and
אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". This is the name of a king of Aram in the Old Testament.
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.
Hector m English, French, Greek Mythology (Latinized), Arthurian CycleLatinized form of Greek
Ἕκτωρ (Hektor), which was derived from
ἕκτωρ (hektor) meaning
"holding fast", ultimately from
ἔχω (echo) meaning "to hold, to possess". In Greek legend Hector was one of the Trojan champions who fought against the Greeks. After he killed
Achilles' friend
Patroclus in battle, he was himself brutally slain by Achilles, who proceeded to tie his dead body to a chariot and drag it about. This name also appears in Arthurian legends where it belongs to King
Arthur's foster father.
... [more] Hedwig f German, DutchFrom the Old German name
Hadewig, derived from the Old German elements
hadu "battle, combat" and
wig "war". This was the name of a 13th-century German saint, the wife of the Polish duke Henry the Bearded. It was subsequently borne by a 14th-century Polish queen (usually known by her Polish name
Jadwiga) who is now also regarded as a saint.
Heidrich m GermanicDerived from the Old German element (possibly)
heida "heath, heather" combined with
rih "ruler, king".
Hekla f IcelandicFrom the name of an active Icelandic volcano, derived from Old Norse
hekla meaning "cloak".
Hel f Norse MythologyIn Norse mythology this was the name of the daughter of
Loki. She got her name from the underworld, also called Hel, where she ruled, which meant "to conceal, to cover" in Old Norse (related to the English word
hell).
Heledd f WelshMeaning unknown. This is the narrator of the medieval poem
Canu Heledd, which laments the loss of her family, including her brother Prince Cynddylan, and the destruction of the kingdom of Powys in the 7th century.
Helen f English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Estonian, Greek Mythology (Anglicized)English form of the Greek
Ἑλένη (Helene), probably from Greek
ἑλένη (helene) meaning
"torch" or
"corposant", or possibly related to
σελήνη (selene) meaning
"moon". In Greek mythology Helen was the daughter of
Zeus and
Leda, whose kidnapping by
Paris was the cause of the Trojan War. The name was also borne by the 4th-century Saint Helena, mother of the Roman emperor
Constantine, who supposedly found the True Cross during a trip to Jerusalem.
... [more] Helena f German, Dutch, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Icelandic, Portuguese, Catalan, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Finnish, Estonian, Slovene, Croatian, Sorbian, English, Ancient Greek (Latinized), Greek Mythology (Latinized)Latinate form of
Helen. This is the name of the heroine of William Shakespeare's play
All's Well That Ends Well (1603).
Helga f Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Icelandic, German, Dutch, Finnish, Hungarian, Czech, Portuguese, Old NorseFeminine form of
Helge.
Helios m Greek MythologyMeans
"sun" in Greek. This was the name of the young Greek sun god, a Titan, who rode across the sky each day in a chariot pulled by four horses. His sister was the moon goddess
Selene.
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.
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.
Hengist m Anglo-Saxon MythologyMeans
"stallion" in Old English or Old Saxon. According to medieval histories (recorded by Bede in the 8th century), Hengist and his brother
Horsa were the leaders of the first Saxon settlers in Britain. Hengist established a kingdom in Kent in the 5th century.
Henri m French, FinnishFrench form of
Heinrich (see
Henry). A notable bearer was the French artist Henri Matisse (1869-1954).
Henrique m PortuguesePortuguese form of
Heinrich (see
Henry). This was the name of a 15th-century Portuguese naval explorer (known as Henry the Navigator in English).
Henry m EnglishFrom the Germanic name
Heimirich meaning
"home ruler", composed of the elements
heim "home" and
rih "ruler". It was later commonly spelled
Heinrich, with the spelling altered due to the influence of other Germanic names like
Haganrich, in which the first element is
hag "enclosure".
... [more] 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.
Hera f Greek MythologyUncertain meaning, possibly from Greek
ἥρως (heros) meaning
"hero, warrior";
ὥρα (hora) meaning
"period of time"; or
αἱρέω (haireo) meaning
"to be chosen". In Greek mythology Hera was the queen of the gods, the sister and wife of
Zeus. She presided over marriage and childbirth.
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.
Herbert m English, German, Dutch, Czech, Swedish, FrenchDerived from the Old German elements
heri "army" and
beraht "bright". It was borne by two Merovingian Frankish kings, usually called
Charibert. The Normans introduced this name to England, where it replaced an Old English cognate
Herebeorht. In the course of the Middle Ages it became rare, but it was revived in the 19th century.
... [more] Hercule m FrenchFrench form of
Hercules. It was used by the British writer Agatha Christie for the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, the protagonist in many of her mystery novels (debuting 1920).
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.
Herman m English, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Slovene, GermanicMeans
"army man", derived from the Old German elements
heri "army" and
man "person, man". It was introduced to England by the Normans, died out, and was revived in the English-speaking world in the 19th century. It was borne by an 18th-century Russian missionary to Alaska who is venerated as a saint in the Orthodox Church, though in his case the name is an alternate transcription of
German. Another famous bearer was the American writer Herman Melville (1819-1891), the author of
Moby-Dick.
Hermann m GermanGerman form of
Herman. A famous bearer was the German author Hermann Hesse (1877-1962).
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.
Hernando m SpanishMedieval Spanish form of
Ferdinand. A famous bearer of this name was the Spanish conquistador Hernando (or Hernán) Cortés (1485-1547).
Herod m BiblicalFrom the Greek name
Ἡρῴδης (Herodes), which probably means
"song of the hero" from
ἥρως (heros) meaning "hero, warrior" combined with
ᾠδή (ode) meaning "song, ode". This was the name of several rulers of Judea during the period when it was part of the Roman Empire. This includes two who appear in the New Testament: Herod the Great, the king who ordered the slaughter of the children, and his son Herod Antipas, who had
John the Baptist beheaded.
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.
Hershel m American, YiddishYiddish diminutive of
Hirsh. As a non-Jewish American name (somewhat common around the end of the 19th century), it was likely inspired by the German surname
Herschel, borne for instance by the British-German astronomer William Herschel (1738-1822).
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.
Hester f English, Dutch, Biblical LatinLatin form of
Esther. Like
Esther, it has been used in England since the Protestant Reformation. Nathaniel Hawthorne used it for the heroine of his novel
The Scarlet Letter (1850), Hester Prynne, a Puritan woman forced to wear a red letter
A on her chest after giving birth to a child out of wedlock.
Hestia f Greek MythologyDerived from Greek
ἑστία (hestia) meaning
"hearth, fireside". In Greek mythology Hestia was the goddess of the hearth and domestic activity.
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.
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.
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.
Hilary f & m EnglishMedieval English form of
Hilarius or
Hilaria. During the Middle Ages it was primarily a masculine name. It was revived in Britain at the beginning of the 20th century as a predominantly feminine name. In America, this name and the variant
Hillary seemed to drop in popularity after Hillary Clinton (1947-) became the first lady in 1993. Famous bearers include American actresses Hilary Swank (1974-) and Hilary Duff (1987-).
Hildebert m German (Rare)Means
"bright battle" from the Old German elements
hilt "battle" and
beraht "bright". This name was borne by four early Frankish kings, usually called
Childebert.
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.
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.
Hiltrud f GermanMeans
"strength in battle", derived from the Old German elements
hilt "battle" and
drud "strength".