Names Deemed "nerdy"

Ara m Armenian, Armenian Mythology
Meaning unknown, possibly of Sumerian origin. In Armenian legend this was the name of an Armenian king who was so handsome that the Assyrian queen Semiramis went to war to capture him. During the war Ara was slain.

Arachne f Greek Mythology
Means "spider" in Greek. In Greek myth Arachne was a mortal woman who defeated Athena in a weaving contest. After this Arachne hanged herself, but Athena brought her back to life in the form of a spider.

Aradhana f Hindi
Means "worship" in Sanskrit.

Aram 1 m Kurdish
Means "calm" in Kurdish.

Aram 2 m Armenian
Meaning uncertain. According to the 5th-century Armenian historian Movses Khorenatsi this was the name of an ancient ancestor of the Armenian people. A famous bearer was the composer Aram Khachaturian (1903-1978).

Aravind m Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Tamil
Means "lotus" in Sanskrit.

Arcadia f Spanish (Latin American)
Feminine form of Arcadius. This is the name of a region on the Greek Peloponnese, long idealized for its natural beauty.

Arcadius m Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Latinized form of Arkadios.

Arcelia f Spanish (Latin American)
Variant of Araceli.

Archibald m Scottish, English
Derived from the Germanic name Ercanbald, composed of the elements erkan meaning "pure, holy, genuine" and bald meaning "bold, brave". The first element was altered due to the influence of Greek names beginning with the element ἀρχός (archos) meaning "master". The Normans brought this name to England. It first became common in Scotland in the Middle Ages (sometimes used to Anglicize the Gaelic name Gilleasbuig, for unknown reasons).

Archimedes m Ancient Greek
Derived from the Greek elements ἀρχός (archos) meaning "master" and μήδεα (medea) meaning "plans, counsel, cunning". This was the name of a 3rd-century BC Greek mathematician, astronomer and inventor.

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.

Ardeshir m Persian
Modern Persian form of Ardashir.

Ardito m Italian (Rare)
Derived from medieval Italian ardito meaning "bold".

Aretas m Biblical
Greek form of an Aramaic name, of unknown meaning. This was the name of four Nabataean kings of Petra in Jordan, including the first king (2nd century BC). King Aretas IV is mentioned briefly in the New Testament.

Arete f Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek
Means "virtue" in Greek. In Greek mythology Arete was the personification of virtue and excellence.

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.

Argider m Basque
Derived from Basque argi "light" and eder "beautiful".

Argyris m Greek
Modern Greek form of Argyros.

Argyros m Ancient Greek
Means "silver" in Greek.

Ari 1 m Hebrew
Means "lion" in Hebrew.

Ariadna f Spanish, Catalan, Russian, Polish
Spanish, Catalan, Russian and Polish form of Ariadne.

Ariadne f Greek Mythology
Means "most holy", composed of the Greek prefix ἀρι (ari) meaning "most" combined with Cretan Greek ἀδνός (adnos) meaning "holy". In Greek mythology, Ariadne was the daughter of King Minos. She fell in love with Theseus and helped him to escape the Labyrinth and the Minotaur, but was later abandoned by him. Eventually she married the god Dionysus.

Arianne f French (Rare)
Variant of Ariane.

Arianrhod f Welsh Mythology
Probably means "silver wheel" from Welsh arian "silver" and rhod "wheel". According to the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi, Arianrhod was the mother of the twins Dylan and Lleu Llaw Gyffes, whom she spontaneously birthed when she stepped over a magical wand. It is speculated that in earlier myths she may have been a goddess of the moon.

Aris 1 m Greek
Modern Greek form of Ares. It is also used as a short form of Aristotelis.

Aris 2 m Dutch
Diminutive of Adriaan.

Aristaeus m Greek Mythology (Latinized)
From the Greek name Ἀρισταῖος (Aristaios), derived from ἄριστος (aristos) meaning "best". This was the name of a minor Greek god of agriculture, hunting and cattle. He was the son of Apollo and the mortal Cyrene.

Aristarchus m Ancient Greek (Latinized)
From the Greek name Ἀρίσταρχος (Aristarchos), derived from ἄριστος (aristos) meaning "best" and ἀρχός (archos) meaning "master". This name was borne by Aristarchus of Samos, a 3rd-century BC Greek astronomer and mathematician.

Aristarkh m Russian
Russian form of Aristarchus.

Aristide m French, Italian
French and Italian form of Aristides.

Aristides m Ancient Greek (Latinized), Portuguese
From the Greek name Ἀριστείδης (Aristeides), derived from ἄριστος (aristos) meaning "best" and the patronymic suffix ἴδης (ides). This name was borne by the 5th-century BC Athenian statesman Aristides the Just, who was renowned for his integrity. It was also the name of a 2nd-century saint.

Aristocles m Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Latinized form of the Greek name Ἀριστοκλῆς (Aristokles) meaning "the best glory", derived from ἄριστος (aristos) meaning "best" and κλέος (kleos) meaning "glory". This was the real name of the philosopher Plato.

Aristodemos m Ancient Greek, Greek Mythology
Derived from the Greek elements ἄριστος (aristos) meaning "best" and δῆμος (demos) meaning "the people". This was the name of a descendant of Herakles in Greek legend.

Aristomache f Ancient Greek
Derived from the Greek elements ἄριστος (aristos) meaning "best" and μάχη (mache) meaning "battle".

Ariston m Ancient Greek
Derived from Greek ἄριστος (aristos) meaning "the best".

Aristotelis m Greek
Modern Greek form of Aristotle.

Aristotle m Ancient Greek (Anglicized)
From the Greek name Ἀριστοτέλης (Aristoteles) meaning "the best purpose", derived from ἄριστος (aristos) meaning "best" and τέλος (telos) meaning "purpose, result, completion". This was the name of a Greek philosopher of the 4th century BC who made lasting contributions to Western thought, including the fields of logic, metaphysics, ethics and biology.

Arisztid m Hungarian (Rare)
Hungarian form of Aristides.

Arkadiy m Russian
Russian form of Arkadios. This is the name of one of the main characters in Ivan Turgenev's Fathers and Sons (1862).

Arlet f Catalan
Catalan form of Arlette.

Armand m French, Catalan
French and Catalan form of Herman.

Armida f Italian, Spanish (Latin American)
Probably created by the 16th-century Italian poet Torquato Tasso for his epic poem Jerusalem Delivered (1580). In the poem Armida is a beautiful enchantress who bewitches many of the crusaders.

Armin m German
Modern form of Arminius.

Arminius m Old Germanic (Latinized)
Latinized form of a Germanic name, possibly derived from the element *ermunaz meaning "whole, universal". Other theories claim that it is related to Herman, or that it is not Germanic at all. Arminius was a 1st-century chief of the Germanic tribe of the Cherusci. Raised in Rome as a hostage, he eventually became a citizen and joined the army. However, he turned against the Empire, leading the Germans in a surprise attack in the Teutoburg Forest and driving the Romans from Germania.

Armo m Finnish (Rare)
Means "grace, mercy" in Finnish.

Arnborg f Norwegian (Rare)
Norwegian variant form of Arnbjǫrg.

Arndt m German
German short form of Arnold.

Arnold m English, German, Dutch, Polish, Germanic
From a Germanic name meaning "eagle power", derived from the elements arn "eagle" and walt "power, authority". The Normans brought it to England, where it replaced the Old English cognate Earnweald. It died out as an English name after the Middle Ages, but it was revived in the 19th century.... [more]

Áron m Hungarian
Hungarian form of Aaron.

Arsène m French
French form of Arsenios.

Arseniy m Russian, Ukrainian
Russian and Ukrainian form of Arsenios.

Artaxerxes m Old Persian (Hellenized), Biblical, History
Greek form of the Old Persian name 𐎠𐎼𐎫𐎧𐏁𐏂𐎠 (Artaxšaça) meaning "reign through truth", derived from 𐎠𐎼𐎫 (arta) meaning "truth" and 𐎧𐏁𐏂𐎶 (xšaçam) meaning "reign, kingdom". This was the name of several Achaemenid Persian rulers. It was also borne by the founder of the Sasanian Empire, usually known by the Middle Persian form Ardashir.

Artaxshaça m Old Persian
Old Persian form of Artaxerxes.

Artem m Ukrainian, Russian
Ukrainian form of Artemios. It is also an alternate transcription of Russian Артём (see Artyom).

Artemio m Italian, Spanish
Italian and Spanish form of Artemios.

Artemis f Greek Mythology, Greek
Meaning unknown, possibly related either to Greek ἀρτεμής (artemes) meaning "safe" or ἄρταμος (artamos) meaning "a butcher". Artemis was the Greek goddess of the moon and hunting, the twin of Apollo and the daughter of Zeus and Leto. She was known as Diana to the Romans.

Artemisia f Ancient Greek
Feminine form of Artemisios. This was the name of the 4th-century BC builder of the Mausoleum, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. She built it in memory of her husband, the Carian prince Mausolus.

Artemius m Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Latinized form of Artemios.

Artemiy m Russian
Russian variant form of Artemios.

Arthur m English, French, German, Dutch, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Welsh Mythology, Arthurian Cycle
The meaning of this name is unknown. It could be derived from the Celtic elements *artos "bear" (Old Welsh arth) combined with *wiros "man" (Old Welsh gur) or *rīxs "king" (Old Welsh ri). Alternatively it could be related to an obscure Roman family name Artorius.... [more]

Artie m & f English
Diminutive and feminine form of Arthur.

Artur m Portuguese, Galician, Catalan, Polish, Czech, Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, German, Estonian, Swedish, Albanian, Armenian
Form of Arthur in several languages.

Arushi f Hinduism, Hindi
From Sanskrit अरुष (arusha) meaning "reddish, dawn", a word used in the Rigveda to describe the red horses of Agni. This name also appears in the Hindu epic the Mahabharata belonging to a daughter of Manu and the wife of Chyavana, though in this case it might derive from Sanskrit आरुषी (arushi) meaning "hitting, killing".

Aruzhan f Kazakh
Means "beautiful soul" in Kazakh.

Arvid m Swedish, Norwegian
From the Old Norse name Arnviðr, derived from the elements ǫrn "eagle" and viðr "tree".

Arwyn m Welsh
From the Welsh intensifying prefix ar- and gwyn meaning "white, blessed".

Asal f Persian
Means "honey" in Persian (of Arabic origin).

Ascelin m Germanic
Derived from a diminutive of the Old German element asc meaning "ash tree" (Proto-Germanic *askaz).

Asen m Bulgarian
Meaning unknown, probably of Turkic origin. This was the name of a 12th-century Bulgarian emperor (Ivan Asen I) and several of his successors.

Asherah f Semitic Mythology
Perhaps derived from Semitic roots meaning "she who walks in the sea". This was the name of a Semitic mother goddess. She was worshipped by the Israelites before the advent of monotheism.

Ashtoreth f Biblical, Semitic Mythology
From עַשְׁתֹרֶת ('Ashtoret), the Hebrew form of the name of a Phoenician goddess of love, war and fertility. Her name is cognate to that of the East Semitic goddess Ishtar.

Asil m Turkish
Means "noble" in Turkish, ultimately from Arabic أصيل (asil).

Asiya f Arabic
Possibly from Arabic أسي (asy) meaning "distressed, grieved". According to Islamic tradition this was the name of the wife of the pharaoh at the time of Moses. She took care of the infant Moses and later accepted monotheism.

Ásketill m Old Norse
Derived from Old Norse áss "god" and ketill "cauldron, helmet".

Aslan m Turkish, Kazakh, Azerbaijani, Chechen, Ossetian, Circassian, Literature
From Turkic arslan meaning "lion". This was a byname or title borne by several medieval Turkic rulers, including the Seljuk sultan Alp Arslan (a byname meaning "brave lion") who drove the Byzantines from Anatolia in the 11th century. The author C. S. Lewis later used the name Aslan for the main protagonist (a lion) in his Chronicles of Narnia series of books, first appearing in 1950.

Asmodeus m Biblical, Judeo-Christian-Islamic Legend
From Greek Ἀσμοδαῖος (Asmodaios) and Hebrew אשְׁמְדּאי ('Ashmed'ai), probably from Avestan 𐬀𐬉𐬱𐬆𐬨𐬀 (aēshəma) meaning "wrath" and 𐬛𐬀𐬉𐬎𐬎𐬀 (daēuua) meaning "demon". In the apocryphal Book of Tobit this is the name of a demon who successively kills seven of Sarah's husbands on their wedding nights. He also appears in the Talmud.

Aspasia f Ancient Greek, Greek
Derived from Greek ἀσπάσιος (aspasios) meaning "welcome, embrace". This was the name of the lover of Pericles (5th century BC).

Ásta f Old Norse, Icelandic
Short form of Ástríðr. It nearly coincides with Icelandic ást meaning "love".

Astaroth m Literature
From Ashtaroth, the plural form of Ashtoreth used in the Bible to refer to Phoenician idols. This spelling was used in late medieval demonology texts to refer to a type of (masculine) demon.

Astarte f Semitic Mythology (Hellenized), Biblical Greek
Greek form of Ashtoreth.

Aster f & m English (Rare)
From the name of the flower, which is derived via Latin from Greek ἀστήρ (aster) meaning "star".

Asterix m Popular Culture
The name of a Gaulish hero (Astérix in the original French) in a comic book series of the same name, debuting 1959. His name is a pun based on French astérisque meaning "asterisk, little star" but appearing to end with the Gaulish element rix meaning "king" (seen for example in the historical figure Vercingetorix). All male Gauls in the series have humorous names ending with -ix.

Astor m English (Rare)
From a German and French surname derived from Occitan astur meaning "hawk". The wealthy and influential Astor family, prominent in British and American society, originated in the Italian Alps.

Astoria f English (Rare)
Feminine form of Astor. This is also the name of several American towns, after the businessman John Jacob Astor.

Astraea f Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of the Greek Ἀστραία (Astraia), derived from Greek ἀστήρ (aster) meaning "star". Astraea was a Greek goddess of justice and innocence. After wickedness took root in the world she left the earth and became the constellation Virgo.

Astraia f Greek Mythology
Greek form of Astraea.

Astrid f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, French, English
Modern Scandinavian form of Ástríðr. This name was borne by the Swedish writer Astrid Lindgren (1907-2002), the author of Pippi Longstocking. It was also borne by a Swedish princess (1905-1935) who became the queen of Belgium as the wife of Leopold III.

Ástríðr f Old Norse
Derived from the Old Norse elements áss "god" and fríðr "beautiful, beloved".

Astrophel m Literature
Probably intended to mean "star lover", from Greek ἀστήρ (aster) meaning "star" and φίλος (philos) meaning "lover, friend". This name was first used by the 16th-century poet Philip Sidney in his collection of sonnets Astrophel and Stella.

Asuman f Turkish
Means "sky" in Turkish.

Atalia f Hebrew
Modern Hebrew transcription of Athaliah.

Atallah m Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic عطا الله (see Ataullah).

Athaliah f & m Biblical
Possibly means "Yahweh is exalted" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is both a feminine and masculine name. It was borne by the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, who later came to rule Judah as a queen.

Athanaric m Gothic (Anglicized)
From the Gothic name *Aþanareiks, derived from the element aþn meaning "year" combined with reiks meaning "ruler, king". Athanaric was a 4th-century ruler of the Visigoths.

Athanasia f Greek, Ancient Greek
Feminine form of Athanasios (see Athanasius).

Athanasios m Greek, Ancient Greek
Greek form of Athanasius.

Athanasius m Ancient Greek (Latinized)
From the Greek name Ἀθανάσιος (Athanasios) meaning "immortal", from Greek ἀ (a), a negative prefix, combined with θάνατος (thanatos) meaning "death". Saint Athanasius was a 4th-century bishop of Alexandria who strongly opposed Arianism.

Athelstan m English (Archaic)
Modern form of Æðelstan. This name was revived in Britain the latter half of the 19th century.

Athena f Greek Mythology, English
Meaning unknown. Athena was the Greek goddess of wisdom and warfare and the patron goddess of the city of Athens in Greece. It is likely that her name is derived from that of the city, not vice versa. The earliest mention of her seems to be a 15th-century BC Mycenaean Greek inscription from Knossos on Crete.... [more]

Athénaïs f French
French form of Athenais.

Athenais f Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek personal name that was derived from the name of the Greek goddess Athena.

Athene f Greek Mythology
Variant of Athena.

Atlas m Greek Mythology
Possibly means "enduring" from Greek τλάω (tlao) meaning "to endure". In Greek mythology he was a Titan punished by Zeus by being forced to support the heavens on his shoulders.

Atli m Norse Mythology, Icelandic
Old Norse form of Attila, used in the Norse Völsungasaga to refer to a fictional version of Attila the Hun.

Atropos f Greek Mythology
Means "inevitable, inflexible" in Greek, derived from the negative prefix ἀ (a) combined with τρόπος (tropos) meaning "direction, manner, fashion". Atropos was one of the three Fates or Μοῖραι (Moirai) in Greek mythology. When her sister Lachesis decided that a person's life was at an end, Atropos would choose the manner of death and cut the person's life thread.

Atsuko f Japanese
From Japanese 温 (atsu) meaning "warm", 篤 (atsu) meaning "deep, true, sincere" or 敦 (atsu) meaning "honest" combined with 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Atsushi m Japanese
From Japanese 淳 (atsushi) meaning "pure" or 敦 (atsushi) meaning "kindness, honesty". This name can also be formed from other kanji or kanji combinations.

Atticus m Literature, Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Latinized form of Greek Ἀττικός (Attikos) meaning "from Attica", referring to the region surrounding Athens in Greece. This name was borne by a few notable Greeks from the Roman period (or Romans of Greek background). The author Harper Lee used the name in her novel To Kill a Mockingbird (1960) for an Alabama lawyer who defends a black man accused of raping a white woman.

Auberon m Literature
From a diminutive form of Auberi, an Old French form of Alberich. It is the name of the fairy king in the 13th-century epic Huon de Bordeaux.

Aubert m French
French variant of Albert.

Auda f Germanic
Feminine form of Audo (see Otto).

Audhild f Norwegian
Derived from the Old Norse elements auðr "wealth, fortune" and hildr "battle".

August m German, Polish, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Catalan, English
German, Polish, Scandinavian and Catalan form of Augustus. This was the name of three Polish kings.... [more]

Augusta f Italian, Portuguese, English, German, Ancient Roman
Feminine form of Augustus. It was introduced to Britain when King George III, a member of the German House of Hanover, gave this name to his second daughter in 1768.

Augustas m Lithuanian
Lithuanian form of Augustus.

Auguste 1 m French
French form of Augustus. A notable bearer was the philosopher Auguste Comte (1798-1857).

Augustin m French, Romanian, Czech, German (Rare)
Form of Augustinus (see Augustine 1) in several languages.

Augustinas m Lithuanian
Lithuanian form of Augustinus (see Augustine 1).

Augustine 1 m English
From the Roman name Augustinus, itself derived from the Roman name Augustus. Saint Augustine of Hippo was a 5th-century Christian theologian and author from North Africa. For his contributions to Christian philosophy he is known as a Doctor of the Church. Due to his renown, the name came into general use in the Christian world. It became popular in England in the Middle Ages partly because of a second saint by this name, Augustine of Canterbury, a 6th-century Italian monk sent to England to convert the Anglo-Saxons.

Augustine 2 f French
French feminine form of Augustinus (see Augustine 1).

Augustinus m Ancient Roman
Latin form of Augustine 1.

Augustus m Ancient Roman, Dutch (Rare)
Means "exalted, venerable", derived from Latin augere meaning "to increase". Augustus was the title given to Octavian, the first Roman emperor. He was the adopted son of Julius Caesar who rose to power through a combination of military skill and political prowess. In 26 BC the senate officially gave him the name Augustus, and after his death it was used as a title for subsequent emperors. This was also the name of three kings of Poland (August in Polish).

Aurangzeb m History
Means "honouring the throne" in Persian. This was the name of a 17th-century Mughal emperor of India.

Aurea f Late Roman
Late Latin name that was derived from aureus "golden". This was the name of a 3rd-century saint from Ostia (near Rome), as well as an 11th-century Spanish saint.

Aurèle m French
French form of Aurelius.

Aurélia f Slovak, Hungarian, Portuguese, French
Slovak, Hungarian and Portuguese feminine form of Aurelius, as well as a French variant of Aurélie.

Aurelia f Ancient Roman, Romanian, Italian, Spanish, Polish
Feminine form of Aurelius.

Aurelian m Romanian, History
Romanian form of Aurelianus, as well as the usual English form when referring to the Roman emperor.

Aureliana f Italian (Rare), Ancient Roman
Feminine form of Aurelianus.

Aureliano m Spanish, Portuguese, Italian
Spanish, Portuguese and Italian form of Aurelianus.

Aurélie f French
French feminine form of Aurelius.

Aurelius m Ancient Roman
Roman family name that was derived from Latin aureus meaning "golden, gilded". Marcus Aurelius was a 2nd-century Roman emperor and philosophical writer. This was also the name of several early saints.

Auster m Roman Mythology
Means "south" in Latin (descended from the Indo-European root *hews- meaning "dawn", making it related to the English word east). Auster was the Roman god of the south wind.

Auxentius m Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Latinized form of Auxentios.

Avalon f English (Rare)
From the name of the island paradise to which King Arthur was brought after his death. The name of this island is perhaps related to Welsh afal meaning "apple", a fruit that was often linked with paradise.

Avdotya f Russian
Russian form of Eudocia.

Ave f Italian, Estonian
Possibly from the name of the prayer Ave Maria, in which Ave is Latin meaning "greetings, salutations". In Estonian it is also associated with the word ava meaning "open".

Averill m & f English (Rare)
From an English surname that was originally derived from the feminine given name Eoforhild.

Avgust m Slovene, Russian
Slovene and Russian form of Augustus.

'Avi'el m Biblical Hebrew
Biblical Hebrew form of Abiel.

Avitus m Ancient Roman
From a Roman family name that meant "ancestral" in Latin. This was the name of an emperor who briefly reigned over the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century. It was also the name of several saints, including a 6th-century bishop of Vienne.

Avner m Hebrew, Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew form of Abner.

Avonlea f English (Rare)
Created by L. M. Montgomery as the setting for her novel Anne of Green Gables (1908). She may have based the name on the Arthurian island of Avalon, though it also resembles the river name Avon and leah "woodland, clearing".

Avrora f Russian, Ukrainian
Russian and Ukrainian form of Aurora.

Avtandil m Georgian, Literature
Created by the Georgian poet Shota Rustaveli for his 12th-century epic The Knight in the Panther's Skin. Rustaveli based it on Persian آفتاب (aftab) meaning "sunshine" and دل (del) meaning "heart". In the poem Avtandil is a knight who is sent by Tinatin to search for the mysterious knight of the title.

Aya 2 f Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic آية (see Ayah).

Ayane f Japanese
From Japanese 彩 (aya) meaning "colour", 綾 (aya) meaning "design" or 絢 (aya) meaning "brilliant fabric design, kimono design" combined with 音 (ne) meaning "sound". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Ayaz m Turkish, Azerbaijani, Urdu
From Turkish and Azerbaijani ayaz meaning "frost" or "dry and cold air". This was the name of a slave and later companion of the 11th-century sultan Mahmud of Ghazni.

Ayelet f Hebrew
Means "doe, female deer, gazelle". It is taken from the Hebrew phrase אַיֶלֶת הַשַׁחַר ('ayelet hashachar), literally "gazelle of dawn", which is a name of the morning star.

Ayna f Kazakh
Alternate transcription of Kazakh Айна (see Aina 5).

Ayodele m & f Yoruba
Means "joy has come home" in Yoruba.

Azahar f Spanish (Rare)
Means "orange blossom" in Spanish, ultimately from Arabic زهرة (zahrah) meaning "flower". It is taken from the title of the Virgin Mary, Nuestra Señora del Azahar, meaning "Our Lady of the Orange Blossom", because of the citrus trees that surround a church devoted to her near Murcia.

Azahara f Spanish
Variant of Azahar. It can also be given in reference to the ruined Moorish city of Medina Azahara in Córdoba, which derives from the related Arabic root زهر (zahara) meaning "to shine".

Azaria m & f Hebrew, English (Modern)
Hebrew form of Azariah (masculine), as well as a feminine variant in the English-speaking world.

Azarias m Biblical Greek, Biblical Latin
Form of Azariah used in the Greek and Latin Old Testament.

Azélie f French (Rare)
Perhaps a form of Azalaïs. It was borne by Saint Marie-Azélie Guérin (1831-1877), also called Zélie, the mother of Thérèse of Lisieux.

Azhar m Arabic, Urdu, Malay
Means "shining, brilliant, bright" in Arabic, derived from the root زهر (zahara) meaning "to shine".

Azriel m Biblical
Means "my help is God", derived from Hebrew עָזַר ('azar) meaning "help" and אֵל ('el) meaning "God". This is the name of three minor characters in the Old Testament.

Ąžuolas m Lithuanian
Means "oak tree" in Lithuanian.

Bahij m Arabic
Masculine form of Bahija.

Bahram m Persian, Persian Mythology
Modern Persian form of Avestan 𐬬𐬆𐬭𐬆𐬚𐬭𐬀𐬖𐬥𐬀 (Vərəthraghna) meaning "victory over resistance". This was the name of a Zoroastrian god (one of the Amesha Spenta) associated with victory and war. It was also borne by several Sasanian emperors. It is also the Persian name for the planet Mars.

Balam m Mayan
Means "jaguar" in Mayan (Yucatec Maya báalam; K'iche' Maya balam).

Balázs m Hungarian
Hungarian form of Blaise.

Baldewin m Germanic
Old German form of Baldwin.

Baldr m Norse Mythology
Old Norse form of Balder.

Baltasar m Spanish, Biblical Greek
Spanish form of Balthazar. This is also the form (of Belshazzar) used in the Greek Old Testament.

Balthasar m Judeo-Christian-Islamic Legend
Latin form of Balthazar. Shakespeare used it for minor characters in Romeo and Juliet (1596) and Much Ado About Nothing (1599).

Balthazar m Judeo-Christian-Islamic Legend
Variant of Belshazzar. Balthazar is the name traditionally assigned to one of the wise men (also known as the Magi, or three kings) who visited the newborn Jesus. He was said to have come from Arabia. This name was utilized by Shakespeare for minor characters in The Comedy of Errors (1594) and The Merchant of Venice (1596).

Bandile m & f Zulu, Xhosa, Ndebele
Means "they have increased" in Zulu, Xhosa and Ndebele.

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.

Barış m Turkish
Means "peace" in Turkish.

Barnabas m German (Rare), English (Rare), Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
Greek form of an Aramaic name. In Acts in the New Testament the byname Barnabas was given to a man named Joseph, a Jew from Cyprus who was a companion of Paul on his missionary journeys. The original Aramaic form is unattested, but it may be from בּר נביא (bar naviya') meaning "son of the prophet", though in Acts 4:36 it is claimed that the name means "son of encouragement".... [more]

Bartel m Dutch
Dutch diminutive of Bartholomeus.

Bartholomaios m Biblical Greek
New Testament Greek form of Bartholomew.

Bartholomäus m German (Rare)
German form of Bartholomew.

Bartholomeus m Dutch, Biblical Latin
Dutch and Latin form of Bartholomew.

Bartholomew m English, Biblical
English form of Βαρθολομαῖος (Bartholomaios), which was the Greek form of an Aramaic name meaning "son of Talmai". In the New Testament Bartholomew is the byname of an apostle, possibly the same person as the apostle Nathanael. According to tradition he was a missionary to India before returning westward to Armenia, where he was martyred by flaying. Due to the popularity of this saint the name became common in England during the Middle Ages.

Bartoloměj m Czech
Czech form of Bartholomew.

Basajaun m Basque Mythology
Means "lord of the woods" from Basque baso "woods" and jaun "lord". This is the name of a character in Basque folklore, the Old Man of the Woods.

Basant m Hindi
Modern form of Vasanta.

Bashemath f Biblical
Variant of Basemath.

Basil 1 m English
From the Greek name Βασίλειος (Basileios), which was derived from βασιλεύς (basileus) meaning "king". Saint Basil the Great was a 4th-century bishop of Caesarea and one of the fathers of the early Christian church. Due to him, the name (in various spellings) has come into general use in the Christian world, being especially popular among Eastern Christians. It was also borne by two Byzantine emperors.

Basil 2 m Arabic
Means "brave, valiant" in Arabic.

Basile m French
French form of Basil 1.

Basileios m Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek form of Basil 1.

Basir m Arabic
Means "wise" in Arabic. In Islamic tradition البصير (al-Basir) is one of the 99 names of Allah.

Basira f Arabic
Feminine form of Basir.

Basma f Arabic
Means "smile" in Arabic, from the root بسم (basama).

Bastet f Egyptian Mythology
From Egyptian bꜣstt, which was possibly derived from bꜣs meaning "ointment jar" and a feminine t suffix. In Egyptian mythology Bastet was a goddess of cats, fertility and the sun who was considered a protector of Lower Egypt. In early times she was typically depicted with the head of a lioness. By the New Kingdom period she was more associated with domestic cats, while the similar cat goddess Sekhmet took on the fierce lioness aspect.

Bastiaan m Dutch
Short form of Sebastiaan.

Bastien m French
Short form of Sébastien.

Bat-Sheva f Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew form of Bathsheba.

Baudouin m French
French form of Baldwin.

Bautista m Spanish
Spanish form of Baptiste.

Béatrice f French
French form of Beatrix.

Beatrice f Italian, English, Swedish, Romanian
Italian form of Beatrix. Beatrice Portinari (1266-1290) was the woman who was loved by the Italian poet Dante Alighieri. She serves as Dante's guide through paradise in his epic poem the Divine Comedy (1321). This is also the name of a character in Shakespeare's comedy Much Ado About Nothing (1599), in which Beatrice and Benedick are fooled into confessing their love for one another.

Beatrix f German, Hungarian, Dutch, English, Late Roman
Probably from Viatrix, a feminine form of the Late Latin name Viator meaning "voyager, traveller". It was a common name amongst early Christians, and the spelling was altered by association with Latin beatus "blessed, happy". Viatrix or Beatrix was a 4th-century saint who was strangled to death during the persecutions of Diocletian.... [more]

Beatriz f Spanish, Portuguese
Spanish and Portuguese form of Beatrix.

Bede m History (Ecclesiastical)
Modern form of the Old English name Baeda, possibly related to Old English bed "prayer". Saint Bede, called the Venerable Bede, was an 8th-century historian, scholar and Doctor of the Church.

Bedivere m Welsh Mythology, Arthurian Cycle
From the Welsh name Bedwyr, possibly from bedwen "birch" and gwr "man". In Arthurian legends Bedivere was one of the original companions of King Arthur. He first appears in early Welsh tales, and his story was later expanded by Geoffrey of Monmouth in the 12th century. He is the one who throws the sword Excalibur into the lake at the request of the dying Arthur.

Behrouz m Persian
Means "fortunate, prosperous" in Persian, from به (beh) meaning "good, excellent" and روز (ruz) meaning "day".

Bel m Semitic Mythology
Akkadian cognate of Ba'al. The Babylonians used it as a title of the god Marduk.

Béla m Hungarian
The meaning of this name is not known for certain. It could be derived from Hungarian bél meaning "guts, bowel" or Old Slavic bělŭ meaning "white". This was the name of four Hungarian kings. It was also borne by the Hungarian composer Béla Bartók (1881-1945).

Belenus m Gaulish Mythology
Latinized form of Gaulish Belenos or Belinos, possibly from Celtic roots meaning either "bright, brilliant" (from Indo-European *bhel-) or "strong" (from Indo-European *bel-). This was the name of a Gaulish god who was often equated with Apollo. He is mostly known from Gallo-Roman inscriptions and was especially venerated in Aquileia in northern Italy.

Belinay f Turkish (Modern)
Means "reflection of the moon on a lake" in Turkish.

Bellatrix f Astronomy
Means "female warrior" in Latin. This is the name of the star that marks the left shoulder of the constellation Orion.

Bellona f Roman Mythology
Derived from Latin bellare meaning "to fight". This was the name of the Roman goddess of war, a companion of Mars.

Benas m Lithuanian
Short form of Benediktas or Benjaminas.

Benedict m English
From the Late Latin name Benedictus, which meant "blessed". Saint Benedict was an Italian monk who founded the Benedictines in the 6th century. After his time the name was common among Christians, being used by 16 popes. In England it did not come into use until the 12th century, at which point it became very popular. This name was also borne by the American general Benedict Arnold (1741-1801), who defected to Britain during the American Revolution.

Benedicta f Late Roman, Spanish
Feminine form of Benedictus (see Benedict).

Bénédicte f French
French feminine form of Benedict.

Benedikt m German, Icelandic, Czech, Russian (Rare)
Form of Benedictus (see Benedict) in several languages.

Benedikta f German (Rare)
German feminine form of Benedict.

Benedykt m Polish
Polish form of Benedictus (see Benedict).

Benjamine f French
French feminine form of Benjamin.

Benoît m French
French form of Benedict.

Benoîte f French
French feminine form of Benedict.

Berahthraban m Germanic
Old German form of Bertram, using an extended form of the second element.

Beren f & m Turkish
Means "strong, smart" in Turkish.

Berengaria f Germanic (Latinized)
Latinized feminine form of Berengar. This name was borne by a 13th-century queen of Castile.

Bérenger m French
French form of Berengar.

Berenice f English, Italian, Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Latinized form of Βερενίκη (Berenike), the Macedonian form of the Greek name Φερενίκη (Pherenike), which meant "bringing victory" from φέρω (phero) meaning "to bring" and νίκη (nike) meaning "victory". This name was common among the Ptolemy ruling family of Egypt, a dynasty that was originally from Macedon. It occurs briefly in Acts in the New Testament (in most English bibles it is spelled Bernice) belonging to a sister of King Herod Agrippa II. As an English name, Berenice came into use after the Protestant Reformation.

Bergliot f Norwegian
Variant of Bergljot.

Berkant m Turkish
Means "solid oath" in Turkish.

Bernadett f Hungarian
Hungarian form of Bernadette.

Bernard m English, French, Dutch, Polish, Croatian, Slovene, Czech, Germanic
Derived from the Old German element bern "bear" combined with hart "hard, firm, brave, hardy". The Normans brought it to England, where it replaced the Old English cognate Beornheard. This was the name of several saints, including Saint Bernard of Menthon who built hospices in the Swiss Alps in the 10th century, and Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, a 12th-century theologian and Doctor of the Church. Other famous bearers include the Irish playwright and essayist George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) and the British World War II field marshal Bernard Montgomery (1887-1976).

Bernardetta f Italian (Rare)
Italian feminine form of Bernard.

Bernát m Hungarian
Hungarian form of Bernard.

Bernd m German
Short form of Bernhard.

Bernhard m German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Germanic
German, Dutch and Scandinavian form of Bernard.

Bertalan m Hungarian
Hungarian form of Bartholomew.

Berthold m German
Means "bright power" from the Old German element beraht "bright" combined with walt "power, authority".

Bertoldo m Italian (Rare)
Italian form of Berthold.

Bertram m English, German, Germanic
Means "bright raven", derived from the Old German element beraht "bright" combined with hram "raven". This name has long been conflated with Bertrand. The Normans introduced it to England, and Shakespeare used it in his play All's Well That Ends Well (1603).

Bertrand m French, English, Germanic
Derived from the Old German elements beraht meaning "bright" and rant meaning "rim (of a shield)". From an early date it has been confused with Bertram and the two names have merged to some degree. Saint Bertrand was an 11th-century bishop of Comminges in France. Another famous bearer was the English philosopher Bertrand Russell (1872-1970).

Bertrando m Italian (Rare)
Italian form of Bertrand.

Bessarion m Late Greek
Meaning uncertain, possibly from Greek βῆσσα (bessa) meaning "wooded valley". This was the name of a 5th-century Egyptian hermit who was a disciple of Saint Anthony the Great. It was later adopted by the scholar Basilios Bessarion (1403-1472), a Greek born in Byzantine Anatolia who became a Roman Catholic bishop.

Betelgeuse m Astronomy
The name of the star that marks the right shoulder of the constellation Orion. It is derived from Arabic يد الجوزا (yad al-Jawza) meaning "the hand of Jawza". جوزا (Jawza) meaning "central one" was the old Arabic name for the constellation Orion (also for Gemini).

Bethuel m Biblical
Possibly means "God destroys" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of the father of Rebecca.

Betrys f Welsh
Welsh form of Beatrice.

Beyza f Turkish
Means "very white" in Turkish, ultimately from Arabic بيضاء (bayda).

Bharata m Hinduism
Means "being maintained" in Sanskrit. This is one of the names of Agni, the Hindu god of fire, and is also the name of the brother of Rama in the Hindu epic the Ramayana. It was also borne by a legendary king, the son of Dushyanta and Shakuntala. The official name of the country of India, Bharat, derives from him.

Bhumi f Hinduism
Means "earth, soil" in Sanskrit. This is the name of a Hindu earth goddess. She is the wife of Varaha, an avatar of Vishnu.

Biljana f Serbian, Macedonian, Croatian, Slovene
From the South Slavic word биље (bilje) meaning "herb".

Bình m & f Vietnamese
From Sino-Vietnamese 平 (bình) meaning "level, even, peaceful".

Bjarke m Danish
Danish diminutive of Bjørn.

Björk f Icelandic
Means "birch tree" in Icelandic.

Bleddyn m Welsh
From Welsh blaidd "wolf" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of an 11th-century king of Gwynedd and Powys.

Blodeuyn f Welsh (Rare)
Means "flower" in Welsh.

Boban m Serbian, Macedonian
Diminutive of Bogdan or Slobodan.

Boglárka f Hungarian
Means "buttercup (flower)" in Hungarian (genus Ranunculus), derived from the archaic word boglár meaning "ornament".

Bohdan m Czech, Slovak, Ukrainian, Polish
Czech, Slovak and Ukrainian form of Bogdan, as well as a Polish variant.

Bohdana f Czech, Slovak, Ukrainian
Czech, Slovak and Ukrainian feminine form of Bogdan.

Bonaventura m Italian, Catalan
Means "good fortune" in Italian, from Latin bonus "good" and venturas "the things that will come, the future". Saint Bonaventura was a 13th-century Franciscan monk who is considered a Doctor of the Church.

Bonifacio m Italian, Spanish
Italian and Spanish form of Bonifatius (see Boniface).

Bora 1 m Turkish
Means "storm, squall" in Turkish, ultimately related to Greek Βορέας (Boreas), the name of the god of the north wind.

Boštjan m Slovene
Short form of Sebastjan.

Braam m Afrikaans
Afrikaans short form of Abraham.

Branimir m Croatian, Serbian, Bulgarian, Slovene
Derived from the Slavic element borna "protection" combined with mirŭ "peace, world".

Branislav m Serbian, Slovak, Czech, Slovene, Croatian, Macedonian
Form of Bronisław in several languages.

Branka f Serbian, Croatian, Slovene
Feminine form of Branko.

Brennus m Gaulish (Latinized)
Latinized form of a Celtic name (or title) that possibly meant either "king, prince" or "raven". Brennus was a Gallic leader of the 4th century BC who attacked and sacked Rome.

Briar Rose f Literature
English translation of German Dornröschen. This is the name of the fairy tale character Sleeping Beauty in the Brothers Grimm version of the story.

Brígh f Irish Mythology
From Old Irish bríg meaning "might, power". This was the name of a daughter of the Irish god Dagda.

Brigham m English (Rare)
From a surname that was originally derived from place names meaning "bridge settlement" in Old English.

Brighid f Irish, Irish Mythology
Newer Irish form of Brigit (see Bridget). Since the 1948 spelling reform, this name is spelled Bríd.

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

Brigita f Slovene, Croatian, Latvian, Czech, Slovak
Form of Bridget in several languages.

Brina f Slovene
Feminine form of Brin.

Bronte m & f English (Rare)
From a surname, an Anglicized form of Irish Ó Proinntigh, itself derived from the given name Proinnteach, probably from Irish bronntach meaning "generous". The Brontë sisters — Charlotte, Emily, and Anne — were 19th-century English novelists. Their father changed the spelling of the family surname from Brunty to Brontë, possibly to make it coincide with Greek βροντή meaning "thunder".

Bronwen f Welsh
Seemingly derived from Welsh bron "breast" and gwen "white, blessed", though it has sometimes occurred as a variant spelling of the legendary name Branwen. It has been used as a given name in Wales since the 19th century. It is borne by a character in Richard Llewellyn's 1939 novel How Green Was My Valley, as well as the 1941 movie adaptation.

Brygida f Polish
Polish form of Bridget.

Brynmor m Welsh
From the Welsh place name Brynmawr meaning "great hill".

Buse f Turkish
Means "kiss" in Turkish, from Persian بوسه (buseh).

Cäcilia f German
German form of Cecilia.

Caderina f Sardinian
Sardinian form of Katherine.

Cadmus m Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Greek Κάδμος (Kadmos), of uncertain meaning. In Greek mythology Cadmus was the son of the Phoenician king Agenor. He was sent by his father to rescue his sister Europa, who had been abducted by Zeus, although he did not succeed in retrieving her. According to legend, Cadmus founded the city of Thebes and introduced the alphabet to Greece.

Cadwalader m Welsh (Rare)
Anglicized form of Cadwaladr.

Cadwgan m Welsh (Rare)
From Old Welsh Catguocaun (and many other spellings) meaning "glory in battle", from cat "battle" and guocaun "glory, honour". It appears briefly in the medieval Welsh tale The Dream of Rhonabwy.

Caecilia f Ancient Roman
Original Latin form of Cecilia.

Caecilius m Ancient Roman
Original Latin masculine form of Cecilia.

Caedmon m History (Ecclesiastical)
Meaning unknown, though the first element is likely connected to Brythonic kad meaning "battle". Saint Caedmon was a 7th-century Anglo-Saxon poet who supposedly received his poetic inspiration from a dream. Our only knowledge of him is through the 8th-century writings of the historian Bede.

Caelestinus m Late Roman
Late Latin name, a derivative of Caelestis. This name was borne by five popes (usually spelled Celestine in English).

Caelestis m Late Roman
Late Latin name meaning "of the sky, heavenly".

Caelina f Ancient Roman
Feminine form of Caelinus.

Caelius m Ancient Roman
Roman family name that was derived from Latin caelum meaning "heaven".

Caesar m Ancient Roman
From a Roman cognomen that possibly meant "hairy", from Latin caesaries "hair". Julius Caesar and his adopted son Julius Caesar Octavianus (commonly known as Augustus) were both rulers of the Roman Empire in the 1st century BC. Caesar was used as a title by the emperors that came after them.

Caeso m Ancient Roman
Roman praenomen, or given name, that was probably derived from Latin caesius meaning "blue-grey". This praenomen was only used by a few families.

Caetano m Portuguese
Portuguese form of Caietanus (see Gaetano).

Çağla f Turkish
Means "almonds" in Turkish.

Çağrı m & f Turkish
Means "invitation" or "falcon" in Turkish.

Cahir m Irish
Anglicized form of Irish Cathaoir, possibly meaning "battle man" from Old Irish cath "battle" and fer "man".

Cai 2 m Welsh Mythology, Arthurian Cycle
Welsh form of Kay 2.

Caiaphas m Biblical, Biblical Latin
Latinized form of Greek Καϊάφας (Kaiaphas), probably of Aramaic origin. In the New Testament this is the name of the Jewish high priest who condemns Jesus.

Cairistìona f Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic form of Christina.

Caiside m Medieval Irish
Irish byname meaning "curly haired", from Irish cas "twisted, curly".

Caitrìona f Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic form of Katherine.

Calanthe f English (Rare)
From the name of a type of orchid, ultimately meaning "beautiful flower", derived from Greek καλός (kalos) meaning "beautiful" and ἄνθος (anthos) meaning "flower".

Calanthia f English (Rare)
Elaborated form of Calanthe.