ADONAI m TheologyMeans
"my lord" in Hebrew. This was the title used to refer to the God of the Israelites,
Yahweh, whose name was forbidden to be spoken.
ADONIJAH m BiblicalMeans
"my lord is YAHWEH" in Hebrew. This is the name of one of King
David's sons in the Old Testament. Though he was the eldest surviving son of David, he was passed over as heir to the throne in favour of
Solomon.
ADONIS m Greek MythologyFrom Phoenician
Adonai meaning
"lord". In Greek myth Adonis was a handsome young shepherd killed while hunting a wild boar. The anemone flower is said to have sprung from his blood. Because he was loved by
Aphrodite,
Zeus allowed him to be restored to life for part of each year. The Greeks borrowed this character from Semitic traditions, originally Sumerian (see
DUMUZI).
ADORACIÓN f SpanishMeans
"adoration" in Spanish. This name refers to the event that is known in Christian tradition as the Adoration of the Magi, which is when the three Magi presented gifts to the infant
Jesus and worshipped him.
ADRASTOS m Greek MythologyMeans
"not inclined to run away" in Greek. This was the name of a king of Argos in Greek legend.
ADRIAN m English, Romanian, Polish, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, RussianForm of
Hadrianus (see
HADRIAN) used in several languages. Several saints and six popes have borne this name, including the only English pope, Adrian IV, and the only Dutch pope, Adrian VI. As an English name, it has been in use since the Middle Ages, though it was not popular until modern times.
ADRIANUS m DutchOfficial Dutch form of
ADRIAN, used on birth certificates but not commonly in daily life.
ADVA f HebrewMeans
"small wave, ripple" in Hebrew.
AEGLE f Greek 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.
ÆLFGIFU f Anglo-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.
ÆLFHEAH m Anglo-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.
ÆLFWINE m Anglo-SaxonDerived from the Old English elements
ælf "elf" and
wine "friend". This name was not commonly used after the Norman Conquest.
AELIUS m Ancient RomanRoman family name that was possibly derived from the Greek word
‘ηλιος (helios) meaning
"sun". This was the family name of the Roman emperor Hadrian.
AELLA f Greek 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.
AENEAS m Roman 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 m & f WelshDerived either from Welsh
aeron meaning
"berry" or else from the name of the River Aeron in Wales.
ÆSC m Anglo-SaxonMeans
"ash tree" in Old English. This was the nickname of a 5th-century king of Kent, whose birth name was Oeric.
AESOP m Ancient 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. Though his existence is uncertain, he was later said to have been a slave on the island of Samos.
ÆÐELBERHT m Anglo-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.
ÆÐELFLÆD f Anglo-SaxonOld English name composed of the elements
æðel "noble" and
flæd "beauty". Æðelflæd was a 10th-century queen of Mercia.
ÆÐELFRIÐ m Anglo-SaxonDerived from the Old English elements
æðel "noble" and
friþ "peace". The name was rarely used after the Norman Conquest.
ÆÐELRÆD m Anglo-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.
ÆÐELRIC m Anglo-SaxonDerived from the Old English elements
æðel "noble" and
ric "ruler". This was the name of several early Anglo-Saxon kings.
ÆÐELSTAN m Anglo-SaxonDerived from the Old English elements
æðel "noble" and
stan "stone". This was the name of a 10th-century English king, the first to rule all of England. The name was rarely used after the Norman Conquest, though it enjoyed a modest revival (as
Athelstan) in the 19th century.
ÆÐELWINE m Anglo-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.
AETIUS m Ancient RomanRoman cognomen that was probably derived from Greek
αετος (aetos) meaning
"eagle". A famous bearer was the 5th-century Roman general Flavius Aetius, who defeated
Attila the Hun at the Battle of Chalons.
AFËRDITA f AlbanianMeans
"daybreak, morning" in Albanian, from
afër "nearby, close" and
ditë "day".
AFON f & m WelshMeans
"river" in Welsh. This is a Welsh name of recent origin.
AFRA (1) f Late RomanOriginally used by the Romans as a nickname for a woman from Africa. This was the name of two early saints.
ÁFRICA f SpanishSpanish 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) f African 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.
AFRICANUS m Ancient 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.
AGAPIOS m Greek, 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 in the early 4th century.
AGAPITO m Spanish, 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.
AGATHA f English, 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.
AGATHANGELOS m Late GreekMeans
"bearer of good news", derived from Greek
αγαθος (agathos) meaning "good" and
αγγελος (angelos) meaning "messenger, angel". Saint Agathangelus of Rome was a 4th-century deacon who was martyred during the persecutions of the emperor Diocletian.
AGAUE f Greek MythologyMeans
"illustrious, noble" in Greek. This was the mother of Pentheus in Greek myth.
AGE (1) m FrisianOriginally a short form of Germanic names beginning with the element
agil meaning
"edge (of a sword), blade".
AGILULF m Ancient 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.
AGLAIA f Greek 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.
AGNES f English, 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.
... [more] AGNI (1) m Hinduism, 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.
AGRIPPA m & f Ancient Roman, BiblicalRoman cognomen of unknown meaning, possibly from a combination of Greek
αγριος (agrios) meaning "wild" and
‘ιππος (hippos) meaning "horse" or alternatively 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.
AGRIPPINA f Ancient 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.
AGRONA f Celtic MythologyPerhaps derived from an old Celtic element
agro meaning
"battle, slaughter". This is possibly the name of a Brythonic goddess for whom the River Ayr in Scotland was named.
AGURNE f BasqueFrom Basque
agur meaning
"greeting, salutation".
AH m & f ChineseFrom 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.
AHAB m Biblical, Biblical LatinMeans
"uncle", from Hebrew
אָח ('ach) meaning "brother" and
אָב ('av) meaning "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. Herman Melville later used this name in his novel
Moby-Dick (1851), where it belongs to a sea captain obsessively hunting for a white whale.
AHENOBARBUS m Ancient RomanFrom a Roman cognomen meaning
"bronze beard" in Latin. This name was borne by a series of consuls of the late Roman Republic.
AHINOAM f BiblicalMeans
"my brother is pleasant" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of wives of both
Saul and
David.
AHMOSE m Ancient 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 MAZDA m Persian 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) f JapaneseFrom Japanese
愛 (ai) meaning "love, affection",
藍 (ai) meaning "indigo", or other kanji with the same pronunciation.
AI (2) f ChineseFrom Chinese
爱 (ài) meaning "love, affection",
蔼 (ǎi) meaning "friendly, lush", or other characters that are pronounced similarly.
AIBEK m Kazakh, KyrgyzDerived from Turkic
ay "moon" combined with the Turkish military title
beg meaning "chieftain, master".
AIDA f Arabic, LiteratureVariant of
AYDA. This name was used in Verdi's opera
Aida (1871), where it belongs to an Ethiopian princess held captive in Egypt.
AIKE m FrisianOriginally a short form of Germanic names beginning with the element
agil meaning
"edge (of a sword), blade".
AIKO f JapaneseFrom Japanese
愛 (ai) meaning "love, affection" and
子 (ko) meaning "child", as well as other character combinations.
AILBHE f & m IrishPossibly derived from the old Irish root
albho meaning
"white" or
ail meaning
"rock". 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, the founder of a monastery at Emly.
AILSA f ScottishFrom
Ailsa Craig, the name of an island off the west coast of Scotland, which is of uncertain derivation.
AIMÉ m FrenchFrom Old French
Amé, the masculine form of
Amée (see
AMY).
AIMI f JapaneseFrom Japanese
愛 (ai) meaning "love, affection" and
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful". Other combinations of kanji characters are possible.
AINA (3) f JapaneseFrom Japanese
愛 (ai) meaning "love, affection" and
菜 (na) meaning "vegetables, greens", as well as other character combinations.
ÁINE f IrishMeans
"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.
AINHOA f BasqueFrom the name of a town in southwest France where there is a famous image of the Virgin
Mary.
AINO f Finnish, 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.
AINSLEY f & m Scottish, English (Modern)From a surname that 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".
AIOLOS m Greek MythologyMeans
"quick-moving, nimble" in Greek. This was the name of the Greek god of the winds.
AIRI (1) f JapaneseFrom 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.
AIRI (2) f FinnishFrom Finnish
airut meaning
"messenger, herald", also influenced by place names beginning with the same sound.
AISHA f Arabic, 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] AISLING f IrishMeans
"dream" or
"vision" in Irish Gaelic. This name was created in the 20th century.
AISTĖ f LithuanianFrom the name of the Baltic tribe of the Aesti, mentioned by the Roman historian Tacitus, called the
Aisçiai in Lithuanian.
AITANA f SpanishFrom the name of a mountain range in Valencia, eastern Spain. The Spanish poet Rafael Alberti used it for his daughter in 1941.