AEGLEfGreek Mythology (Latinized)Latinized form of the Greek
Αιγλη (Aigle) which meant "light, radiance, glory". This was the name of several characters in Greek myth, including one of the Heliades and one of the Hesperides.
ÆLFGIFUfAnglo-SaxonDerived from the Old English elements
ælf "elf" and
giefu "gift". This was the name of the first wife of the English king Æðelræd II.
ÆLFHEAHmAnglo-SaxonDerived from the Old English elements
ælf "elf" and
heah "high". This was the name of an 11th-century archbishop of Canterbury, a saint and martyr, who is commonly known as Alphege or Elphege.
ÆLFWINEmAnglo-SaxonDerived from the Old English elements
ælf "elf" and
wine "friend". This name was not commonly used after the Norman conquest.
AELIUSmAncient RomanRoman family name which was possibly derived from the Greek word
‘ηλιος (helios) meaning "sun". This was the family name of the Roman emperor Hadrian.
AELLAfGreek MythologyMeans "whirlwind" in Greek. In Greek myth this was the name of an Amazon warrior killed by
Herakles during his quest for Hippolyta's girdle.
AENEASmRoman MythologyLatin form of the Greek name
Αινειας (Aineias), derived from Greek
αινη (aine) meaning "praise". In Greek legend he was a son of
Aphrodite and was one of the chief heroes who defended Troy from the Greeks. The Roman poet
Virgil continued his story in the 'Aeneid', in which Aeneas travels to Italy and founds the Roman state.
AERON (1)m & fWelshEither derived from Welsh
aeron meaning "berry" or else from the name of a river in Wales.
ÆSCmAnglo-SaxonMeans "ash tree" in Old English. This was the nickname of a 5th-century king of Kent, whose birth name was Oeric.
AESOPmAncient Greek (Anglicized)From the Greek
Αισωπος (Aisopos), which is of unknown meaning. This was the name of a Greek fabulist of the 6th century BC, famous for such tales as 'The Tortoise and the Hare'.
ÆÐELBERHTmAnglo-SaxonOld English cognate of
Adalbert (see
ALBERT). This was the name of a Saxon king of England and two kings of Kent, one of whom was a saint. It became unused after the Normans introduced their form of
Adalbert after their invasion.
ÆÐELFLÆDfAnglo-SaxonOld English name composed of the elements
æðel "noble" and
flæd "beauty". Æðelflæd was a 10th-century queen of Mercia.
ÆÐELFRIÐmAnglo-SaxonDerived from the Old English elements
æðel "noble" and
friþ "peace". The name was rarely used after the Norman conquest.
ÆÐELRÆDmAnglo-SaxonDerived from the Old English elements
æðel "noble" and
ræd "counsel". This was the name of two Saxon kings of England including Æðelræd II "the Unready" whose realm was overrun by the Danes in the early 11th century. The name was rarely used after the Norman conquest.
ÆÐELRICmAnglo-SaxonDerived from the Old English elements
æðel "noble" and
ric "power, rule". This was the name of several early Anglo-Saxon kings.
ÆÐELSTANmAnglo-SaxonDerived from the Old English elements
æðel "noble" and
stan "stone". This was the name of an early king of England. The name was rarely used after the Norman conquest.
ÆÐELWINEmAnglo-SaxonDerived from the Old English elements
æðel "noble" and
wine "friend". This name became rare after the Norman conquest. Saint Æðelwine was a 7th-century bishop of Lindsey, England.
AETIUSmAncient RomanRoman cognomen which was probably derived from Greek
αετος (aetos) "eagle". A famous bearer was the 5th-century Roman general Flavius Aetius, who defeated
Attila the Hun at the Battle of Chalons.
AFËRDITAfAlbanianMeans "daybreak, morning" in Albanian, from
afër "nearby, close" and
ditë "day".
AFONf & mWelshMeans "river" in Welsh. This is a Welsh name of recent origin.
AFRA (1)fLate RomanOriginally used by the Romans as a nickname for a woman from Africa. This was the name of two early saints.
ÁFRICAfSpanishSpanish form of
AFRICA (1). It is usually taken from the title of the Virgin
Mary,
Nuestra Señora de África, the patron saint of the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in North Africa.
AFRICA (1)fAfrican American (Rare)From the name of the continent, which is of Latin origin, possibly from the Afri people who lived near Carthage in North Africa. This rare name is used most often by African-American parents.
AFRICANUSmAncient RomanRoman cognomen derived from the place name
AFRICA, which in Roman times referred only to North Africa. This was the agnomen of the 3rd-century BC Roman general Scipio Africanus, who was honoured with it after his victory over Carthage in the Second Punic War. His descendants used it as a cognomen.
AGAMEMNONmGreek MythologyPossibly meaning "very steadfast" in Greek. In Greek mythology he was the brother of
Menelaus. He led the Greek expedition to Troy to recover his brother's wife
Helen. After the Trojan War Agamemnon was killed by his wife
Clytemnestra.
AGAPIOSmGreek, Ancient GreekMasculine form of
AGAPE. This was the name of a saint from Caesarea who was martyred during the persecutions of the Roman emperor Diocletian.
AGAPITOmSpanish, ItalianFrom the Late Latin name
Agapitus or
Agapetus which was derived from the Greek name
Αγαπητος (Agapetos) meaning "beloved". The name Agapetus was borne by two popes.
AGATHAfEnglish, Ancient Greek (Latinized)Latinized form of the Greek name
Αγαθη (Agathe), derived from Greek
αγαθος (agathos) meaning "good". Saint Agatha was a 3rd-century martyr from Sicily who was tortured and killed after spurning the advances of a Roman official. The saint was widely revered in the Middle Ages, and her name has been used throughout Christian Europe (in various spellings). The mystery writer Agatha Christie (1890-1976) was a famous modern bearer of this name.
AGATHANGELOSmLate GreekMeans "bearer of good news", derived from Greek
αγαθος (agathos) "good" and
αγγελος (angelos) "messenger, angel". Saint Agathangelus of Rome was a 4th-century deacon who was martyred during the persecutions of the emperor Diocletian.
AGAUEfGreek MythologyMeans "illustrious, noble" in Greek. This was the mother of Pentheus in Greek myth.
AGE (1)mFrisianOriginally a short form of Germanic names beginning with the element
agil meaning "edge (of a sword), blade".
AGILULFmAncient GermanicGermanic name derived from the elements
agil "edge (of a sword), blade" and
wulf "wolf". This name was borne by a 6th-century king of the Lombards and by an 8th-century bishop of Cologne and saint.
AGLAIAfGreek Mythology, GreekMeans "splendour, beauty" in Greek. In Greek mythology she was one of the three Graces or
Χαριτες (Charites). This name was also borne by a 4th-century saint from Rome.
AGNESfEnglish, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Ancient Greek (Latinized)Latinized form of the Greek name
‘Αγνη (Hagne), derived from Greek
‘αγνος (hagnos) meaning "chaste". Saint Agnes was a virgin martyred during the persecutions of the Roman emperor Diocletian. The name became associated with Latin
agnus "lamb", resulting in the saint's frequent depiction with a lamb by her side. Due to her renown, the name became common in Christian Europe, being especially popular in England in the Middle Ages.
AGNImHinduism, Indian, HindiMeans "fire" in Sanskrit. This is the name of the ancient Hindu fire god, usually depicted as red-skinned with three legs, seven arms, and two faces.
AGRIPPAm & fAncient Roman, BiblicalRoman cognomen of unknown meaning, possibly from Greek
αγριος (agrios) "wild" and
‘ιππος (hippos) "horse" or possibly of Etruscan origin. It was also used as a praenomen, or given name, by the Furia and Menenia families. In the New Testament this name was borne by Herod Agrippa (a grandson of Herod the Great), the king of Israel who put the apostle James to death. It was also borne by the 1st-century BC Roman general Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa.
AGRIPPINAfAncient RomanFeminine derivative of
AGRIPPA. This name was borne by the scheming mother of the Roman emperor Nero, who eventually had her killed. This was also the name of a 3rd-century Roman saint who is venerated in Sicily.
AGRONAfCeltic MythologyDerived from the old Celtic element
agro meaning "battle, slaughter". This was the name of the Brythonic goddess of war and death.
AGURNEfBasqueFrom Basque
agur meaning "greeting, salutation".
AHm & fChineseFrom the Chinese character
阿 (ā) which has no distinct meaning. It is not normally given as a name, but it can be prefixed to another name to make it a diminutive.
AHABmBiblical, Biblical LatinMeans "uncle", from Hebrew
אָח ('ach) "brother" and
אֲב ('av) "father". This was the name of a king of Israel, the husband of
Jezebel, as told in the Old Testament. He was admonished by
Elijah for his sinful behaviour. This name was later used by Herman Melville in his novel 'Moby-Dick' (1851), where it belongs to a sea captain obsessively hunting for a white whale.
AHENOBARBUSmAncient RomanFrom a Roman cognomen meaning "bronze beard" in Latin. This name was borne by a series of consuls of the late Roman Republic.
AHINOAMfBiblicalMeans "my brother is pleasant" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of wives of both
Saul and
David.
AHMOSEmAncient Egyptian (Anglicized)From Egyptian
Iah-ms meaning "born of Iah", derived from the name of the Egyptian god
IAH combined with
mesu "be born". This was the name of the first pharaoh of the 18th dynasty. He defeated the Hyksos and drove them from Egypt.
AHURA MAZDAmPersian MythologyMeans "lord of wisdom" in Avestan. In Persian mythology Ahura Mazda was the supreme creator, and the god of light, truth, and goodness.
AI (1)fJapaneseFrom Japanese
愛 (ai) meaning "love, affection",
藍 (ai) meaning "indigo", or other kanji with the same pronunciation.
AI (2)fChineseFrom Chinese
爱 (ài) meaning "love, affection",
蔼 (ǎi) meaning "friendly, lush", or other characters which are pronounced similarly.
AIBEKmKazakh, KyrgyzDerived from Turkic
ay "moon" combined with the Turkish military title
beg meaning "chieftain, master".
AIDAfArabic, LiteratureVariant of
AYDA. This name was used in Verdi's opera 'Aida' (1871), where it belongs to an Ethiopian princess held captive in Egypt.
AIKEmFrisianOriginally a short form of Germanic names beginning with the element
agil meaning "edge (of a sword), blade".
AIKOfJapaneseFrom Japanese
愛 (ai) meaning "love, affection" and
子 (ko) meaning "child", as well as other character combinations.
AILBHEf & mIrishPossibly derived from the old Gaelic root
albho meaning "white". In Irish legend this was the name of a female warrior of the Fianna. It was also the name of a 6th-century masculine saint.
AILILLmIrish, Irish MythologyMeans "elf" in Irish Gaelic. This name occurs frequently in Irish legend, borne for example by the husband of Queen
Medb.
AILSAfScottishFrom
Ailsa Craig, the name of an island off the west coast of Scotland, which is of uncertain derivation.
AIMÉmFrenchFrom Old French
Amé, the masculine form of
Amée (see
AMY).
AIMIfJapaneseFrom Japanese
愛 (ai) meaning "love, affection" and
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful". Other combinations of kanji characters are possible.
AINA (3)fJapaneseFrom Japanese
愛 (ai) meaning "love, affection" and
菜 (na) meaning "vegetables, greens", as well as other character combinations.
ÁINEfIrishMeans "radiance" in Gaelic. This was the name of the queen of the fairies in Celtic mythology. It is also taken as an Irish form of
Anne.
AINHOAfBasqueFrom the name of a town in southwest France where there is a famous image of the Virgin
Mary.
AINOfFinnish, Finnish MythologyMeans "the only one" in Finnish. In the Finnish epic the 'Kalevala' this is the name of a girl who drowns herself when she finds out she must marry the old man
Väinämöinen.
AINSLEYf & mScottish, English (Modern)From a surname which was from a place name: either Annesley in Nottinghamshire or Ansley in Warwickshire. The place names themselves derive from Old English
anne "alone, solitary" or
ansetl "hermitage" and
leah "woodland, clearing".
AIOLOSmGreek MythologyMeans "quick-moving, nimble" in Greek. This was the name of the Greek god of the winds.
AIRIfJapaneseFrom Japanese
愛 (ai) meaning "love, affection" combined with
莉 (ri) meaning "white jasmine" or
梨 (ri) meaning "pear". Other combinations of kanji characters are possible.
AISHAfArabic, Urdu, AmericanMeans "alive" in Arabic. This was the name of
Muhammad's third wife, the daughter of
Abu Bakr. Some time after Muhammad's death she went to war against
Ali, the fourth caliph, but was defeated. This name is used more by Sunni Muslims and less by Shias.
... [more] AISLINGfIrishMeans "dream" or "vision" in Irish Gaelic. This name was created in the 20th century.
AITORmBasquePossibly means "good fathers" from Basque
aita "father" and
on "good". This was the name of a legendary ancestor of the Basques.
AJAXmGreek Mythology (Latinized)From the Greek name
Αιας (Aias), perhaps deriving from Greek
αιαστης (aiastes) "mourner" or
αια (aia) "earth, land". In Greek mythology this was the name of two of the heroes who fought for the Greeks in the Trojan War, the son of Telamon and the son of Oileus. When the armour of the slain hero
Achilles was not given to Ajax Telamonian, he became mad with jealousy and killed himself.
AJAYmIndian, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, TamilMeans "unconquered", from Sanskrit
अ (a) meaning "not" and
जय (jaya) meaning "victory, conquest".
AKAKIOSmGreek, Ancient GreekFrom a Greek word meaning "innocent, not evil", derived from
α (a), a negative prefix, combined with
κακη (kake) "evil". This was the name of three early saints, two of whom were martyred.
AKANEfJapaneseFrom Japanese
茜 (akane) meaning "deep red, dye from the rubia plant". Other kanji or combinations of kanji can form this name as well.
AKARIfJapaneseFrom Japanese
明 (aka) meaning "bright" or
朱 (aka) meaning "vermilion red" combined with
里 (ri) meaning "village" or
莉 (ri) meaning "white jasmine". Other combinations of kanji characters can also form this name.
AKEMIfJapaneseFrom Japanese
明 (ake) meaning "bright" and
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful". Other kanji combinations are possible.
AKHENATONmAncient EgyptianPossibly means "spirit of
ATON" in Egyptian. Akhenaton was a 14th-century BC Egyptian pharaoh of the New Kingdom, who is best known for promoting the monotheistic worship of the sun god
Aton. He changed his name from
Amenhotep IV in order to honour the god. After his death polytheism resumed.
AKI (2)fJapaneseFrom Japanese
晶 (aki) meaning "clear, crystal",
明 (aki) meaning "bright" or
秋 (aki) meaning "autumn". It can also come from
亜 (a) meaning "second, Asia" combined with
希 (ki) meaning "hope". Other kanji or combinations of kanji can form this name too.
AKIBAmHebrewForm of
YAAKOV. Akiba ben Joseph was a prominent 1st-century Jewish sage.
AKIKOfJapaneseFrom Japanese
晶 (aki) meaning "clear, crystal",
明 (aki) meaning "bright" or
秋 (aki) meaning "autumn" combined with
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other combinations of kanji characters are possible.
AKIOmJapaneseFrom Japanese
昭 (aki) meaning "bright, luminous" combined with
夫 (o) meaning "man, husband",
男 (o) meaning "male" or
雄 (o) meaning "hero, manly". Other kanji combinations are possible.
AKIRAm & fJapaneseFrom Japanese
昭 (akira) meaning "bright",
明 (akira) meaning "bright" or
亮 (akira) meaning "clear". Other kanji with the same pronunciation can also form this name.
ÁKOSmHungarianPossibly of Turkic origin meaning "white falcon". This was the name of a medieval Hungarian clan.
ALmEnglishShort form of
ALBERT and other names beginning with
Al. A notable bearer is American actor Al Pacino (1940-).
ALAmArabicMeans "excellence, elevation" in Arabic.
ALA AL-DINmArabicMeans "excellence of religion" from Arabic
علاء ('ala) meaning "excellence, elevation" combined with
دين (din) meaning "religion, faith". This was the name of several sultans of Delhi.
ALADDINmLiteratureAnglicized form of
ALA AL-DIN. This is the name of a mischievous boy in one of the tales of 'The 1001 Nights'. He is trapped in a cave by a magician but escapes with the help of a genie.