ALOYSIUSmEnglishLatinized form of
Aloys, an old Occitan form of
LOUIS. This was the name of a 16th-century Italian saint, Aloysius Gonzaga. The name has been in occasional use among Catholics since his time.
ALPHAf & mEnglishFrom the name of the first letter in the Greek alphabet,
Α.
ALPHONSUSmHistoryLatinized form of
ALFONSO. This name was borne by Saint Alphonsus Liguori, an 18th-century Italian bishop who is regarded as a Doctor of the Church.
ALPINmScottishAnglicized form of the Gaelic name
Ailpein, possibly derived from a Pictish word meaning "white". This was the name of two kings of Dál Riata and two kings of the Picts in the 8th and 9th centuries.
ALTAfVariousPossibly from Latin
altus or Italian/Spanish
alto meaning "high".
ALTE (2)mFrisianOriginally a short form of Germanic names beginning with the element
ald meaning "old".
ALTERmYiddishMeans "old" in Yiddish. This name was traditionally given to a sickly newborn by Jewish parents in order to confuse the Angel of Death, in the hopes that he would go looking for somebody younger or somebody else.
ALTHEAfGreek Mythology (Latinized)From the Greek name
Αλθαια (Althaia), perhaps related to Greek
αλθος (althos) "healing". In Greek myth she was the mother of Meleager. Soon after her son was born she was told that he would die as soon as a piece of wood that was burning on her fire was fully consumed. She immediately extinguished the piece of wood and sealed it in a chest, but in a fit of rage many years later she took it out and set it alight, thereby killing her son.
ALTONmEnglishFrom an Old English surname which was derived from a place name meaning "town at the source of the river".
ALUDRAfAstronomyDerived from Arabic
العذرا (al-'adhra) meaning "the maiden". This is the name of a star in the constellation Canis Major.
ALUNmWelshWelsh form of
ALAN. This name appears in the Mabinogion, a collection of tales from Welsh myth.
ALVA (2)mEnglishVariant of
ALVAH. A famous bearer of this name was the inventor Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931).
ALVAHmBiblicalMeans "his highness" in Hebrew. This name is mentioned in the Old Testament as belonging to a descendant of Esau.
ALVINmEnglishFrom a medieval form of any of the Old English names
ÆLFWINE,
ÆÐELWINE or
EALDWINE. It was revived in the 19th century, in part from a surname which was derived from the Old English names.
ALVISmNorse MythologyMeans "all wise" in Old Norse. In Norse mythology this was the name of a dwarf who was to marry
Thor's daughter Thrud. Thor was not pleased with this so he tricked Alvis by asking him questions until the sun rose, at which time the dwarf was turned into stone.
ALWILDAfHistoryLatinized form of
ALFHILD. This was the name of a legendary female Scandinavian pirate, also called Awilda.
ALWYNmWelshFrom the name of the River Alwen in Wales.
ALYSSAfEnglishVariant of
ALICIA. The spelling has probably been influenced by that of the alyssum flower, the name of which is derived from Greek
α (a), a negative prefix, combined with
λυσσα (lyssa) "madness, rabies", since it was believed to cure madness.
AMABILISmLate RomanLate Latin name meaning "lovable". Saint Amabilis was a 5th-century priest in Riom, central France.
AMADEOmItalianItalian variant of
AMADEUS. This was the name of a 19th-century king of Spain (born in Italy).
AMADEUSmLate RomanMeans "love of God", derived from Latin
amare "to love" and
Deus "God". A famous bearer was the Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791), who was actually born Wolfgang Theophilus Mozart but preferred the Latin translation of his Greek middle name. This name was also assumed as a middle name by the German novelist E. T. A. Hoffmann (1776-1822), who took it in honour of Mozart.
AMAIAfBasqueMeans "the end" in Basque. This is also the name of a mountain and a village in the Basque region of Spain.
AMAL (2)mBiblicalMeans "work" in Hebrew. This was the name of an Asherite in the Old Testament.
AMALRICmAncient GermanicGermanic name derived from the elements
amal meaning "work, labour" and
ric meaning "power". This was the name of a 6th-century king of the Visigoths, as well as two 12th-century rulers of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem.
AMANDAfEnglish, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Late RomanIn part this is a feminine form of
AMANDUS. However, it was not used during the Middle Ages. In the 17th century it was recreated by authors and poets who based it directly on Latin
amanda meaning "lovable, worthy of love". Notably, the playwright Colley Cibber used it for a character in his play 'Love's Last Shift' (1696). It came into regular use during the 19th century.
AMANDUSmLate RomanDerived from Latin
amanda meaning "lovable, worthy of love". Saint Amandus was a 5th-century bishop of Bordeaux. It was also borne by a 7th-century French saint who evangelized in Flanders.
AMANTIUSmLate RomanMeans "loving" in Latin. This was the name of several early saints. It has sometimes been confused with the name
Amandus.
AMARANTHAfVariousFrom the name of the amaranth flower, which is derived from Greek
αμαραντος (amarantos) meaning "unfading".
Αμαραντος (Amarantos) was also an Ancient Greek given name.
AMARIAHmBiblicalMeans "
YAHWEH has said" in Hebrew. This was the name of several Old Testament characters.
AMARYLLISfLiteratureDerived from Greek
αμαρυσσω (amarysso) "to sparkle". This was the name of a heroine in
Virgil's epic poem 'Eclogues'. The amaryllis flower is named for her.
AMATERASUfFar Eastern MythologyMeans "shining over heaven", from Japanese
天 (ama) meaning "heaven, sky" and
照 (terasu) meaning "shine". This was the name of the Japanese sun goddess, the ruler of the heavens. At one time the Japanese royal family claimed descent from her.
AMATORmLate RomanLate Latin name meaning "lover (of God)". Saint Amator was a 5th-century bishop of Auxerre.
AMATUSmLate RomanLate Latin name meaning "beloved". The 7th-century Saint Amatus was the first abbot of Remiremont Abbey.
AMBERfEnglish, DutchFrom the English word
amber that denotes either the gemstone, which is formed from fossil resin, or the orange-yellow colour. The word ultimately derives from Arabic
عنبر ('anbar). It began to be used as a given name in the late 19th century, but it only became popular after the release of Kathleen Winsor's novel 'Forever Amber' (1944).
AMBROSEmEnglishFrom the Late Latin name
Ambrosius, which was derived from the Greek name
Αμβροσιος (Ambrosios) meaning "immortal". Saint Ambrose was a 4th-century theologian and bishop of Milan, who is considered a Doctor of the Church. Due to the saint, the name came into general use in Christian Europe, though it was never particularly common in England.
AMEDEOmItalianItalian form of
AMADEUS. A notable bearer of this name was Amedeo Avogadro (1776-1856), an Italian chemist most famous for the constant that now bears his name: Avogadro's Number. Another famous bearer was the Italian painter and sculptor Amedeo Modigliani (1884-1920).
AMELIAfEnglish, Spanish, Italian, Polish, Dutch, German, Ancient GermanicVariant of
AMALIA, though it is sometimes confused with
EMILIA, which has a different origin. The name became popular in England after the German House of Hanover came to the British throne in the 18th century - it was borne by daughters of George II and George III. Another famous bearer was Amelia Earhart (1897-1937), the first woman to make a solo flight over the Atlantic Ocean.
AMENEMHETmAncient EgyptianMeans "
AMON is foremost" in Egyptian. This was the name of four Egyptian pharaohs, including the founder of the 12th dynasty.
AMENHOTEPmAncient EgyptianFrom the Egyptian
Ymnhtp meaning "peace of Amon", derived from the name of the Egyptian god
AMON combined with
htp "peace, satisfaction". This was the name of four pharaohs of the New Kingdom, including Amenhotep III, known as the Magnificent, who ruled over Egypt during a time of great prosperity.
AMERETATfPersian MythologyMeans "immortality" in Avestan. This was the name of a Zoroastrian goddess (one of the Amesha Spenta) of plants and long life.
AMERICAfEnglishIn the English-speaking world, this name is usually given in reference to the United States of America (see
AMERIGO). It came into use as an American name in the 19th century.
AMERIGOmItalianMedieval Italian form of
EMMERICH. Amerigo Vespucci (1451-1512) was the Italian explorer who gave the continent of America its name (from
Americus, the Latin form of his name).
AMETHYSTfEnglish (Rare)From the name of the purple semi-precious stone, which is derived from the Greek negative prefix
α (a) and
μεθυστος (methystos) meaning "intoxicated, drunk", as it was believed to be a remedy against drunkenness.
AMI (1)mBiblicalMeans "trustworthy, reliable" in Hebrew. This was the name of a servant of King Solomon in the Old Testament.
AMI (3)fJapaneseFrom Japanese
亜 (a) meaning "second, Asia" and
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful". Other kanji combinations are possible.
AMICEfMedieval EnglishMedieval name derived from Latin
amicus meaning "friend". This was a popular name in the Middle Ages, though it has since become uncommon.
AMINTAmLiteratureForm of
AMYNTAS used by the Italian poet Torquato Tasso for his play 'Aminta' (1573). In the play Aminta is a shepherd who falls in love with a nymph.
AMIRANmGeorgian, LiteratureVariant of
AMIRANI. This is the name of the central character in the medieval Georgian romance 'Amiran-Darejaniani' by Moses of Khoni. The author was inspired by the mythical Amirani and the stories surrounding him, and loosely based his tale on them.
AMIRANImGeorgian MythologyMeaning unknown, probably of Proto-Kartvelian origin. This is the name of a hero from Georgian mythology whose story is similar to that of
Prometheus from Greek mythology.
AMISTAfChamorroMeans "loyalty" in Chamorro, derived from Spanish
amistad "friendship".
AMIT (1)mIndian, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Assamese, Odia, Punjabi, Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, NepaliMeans "immeasurable, infinite" in Sanskrit.
AMITABHmIndian, HindiMeans "immeasurable splendour" in Sanskrit. A famous bearer is Indian actor Amitabh Bachchan (1942-).
AMITTAImBiblicalMeans "my truth" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of the father of the prophet Jonah.
AMITYfEnglish (Rare)From the English word meaning "friendship", ultimately deriving from Latin
amicitia.
AMONmEgyptian Mythology (Anglicized)From
Αμμων (Ammon), the Greek form of Egyptian
Ymn (reconstructed as
Yamanu) which meant "the hidden one". In early Egyptian mythology he was a god of the air, creativity and fertility, who was particularly revered in Thebes. Later, during the Middle Kingdom, his attributes were combined with those of the god
Ra and he was worshipped as the supreme solar deity
Amon-Ra.
AMOSmEnglish, Hebrew, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek, Biblical HebrewFrom Hebrew
עָמַס ('amas) meaning "load, burden". Amos is one of the twelve minor prophets of the Old Testament, the author of the Book of Amos, which speaks against greed, corruption and oppression of the poor. Written about the 8th century BC, it is among the oldest of the prophetic books. As an English name,
Amos has been used since the Protestant Reformation, and was popular among the Puritans.
AMPELIOmItalianItalian form of
Ampelius, the Latin form of the Greek name
Αμπελιος (Ampelios), which was derived from
αμπελος (ampelos) meaning "vine". Saint Ampelius was a 7th-century bishop of Milan.
AMPORNfThaiDerived from Thai
อํา (am) "hidden, concealed" and
พร (phon) "blessing".
AMRITmIndian, HindiMeans "immortal" from Sanskrit
अ (a) meaning "not" and
मृत (mrta) meaning "dead". In Hindu texts it refers to a drink which gives immortality.
AMULIUSmRoman MythologyMeaning unknown. In Roman mythology Amulius overthrew his brother Numitor, king of Alba Longa, but was eventually deposed by Numitor's grandsons
Romulus and
Remus.
AMUNDmNorwegianDerived from the Old Norse name
Agmundr, from the element
egg "edge of a sword" or
agi "awe, terror" combined with
mundr "protection".
AMYfEnglishEnglish form of the Old French name
Amée meaning "beloved" (modern French
aimée), a vernacular form of the Latin
Amata. As an English name, it was in use in the Middle Ages (though not common) and was revived in the 19th century.
AMYASmEnglish (Rare)Meaning unknown, perhaps a derivative of
AMIS. Alternatively, it may come from a surname which originally indicated that the bearer was from the city of Amiens in France. Edmund Spenser used this name for a minor character in his epic poem 'The Faerie Queene' (1590).
AN (1)m & fChinese, VietnameseFrom Chinese
安 (ān) meaning "peace, quiet" or other characters with a similar pronunciation. As a Vietnamese name, it is derived from Sino-Vietnamese
安 meaning "safe, secure".
AN (2)mSumerian MythologyMeans "heaven, sky" in Sumerian. An was the supreme Sumerian god of the heavens, the father of
Enlil and
Enki. His cuneiform sign
𒀭 (dingir) was prefixed to the names of other deities in writing, though it was not pronounced.
ANAHf & mBiblical, Biblical HebrewMeans "answer" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this name belongs to one female character and two male characters.
ANAKINmPopular CultureMeaning unknown. This is the name of a character (also known as Darth Vader) in the 'Star Wars' movie saga, created by George Lucas. Lucas may have based it on the surname of his friend and fellow director Ken Annakin.
ANARAfKazakh, KyrgyzMeans "pomegranate" in Kazakh and Kyrgyz, ultimately from Persian.
ANARGYROSmGreekFrom the Greek term
αναργυρος (anargyros) meaning "poor, incorruptible", derived from Greek
α (a), a negative prefix, combined with
αργυρος (argyros) "silver". This term referred to saints who did not accept payment for their services.
ANASmArabicMeans "friendliness" in Arabic. This was the name of one of the Prophet
Muhammad's companions.
ANASTASIAfGreek, Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, English, Spanish, Italian, Georgian, Ancient GreekFeminine form of
ANASTASIUS. This was the name of a 4th-century Dalmatian saint who was martyred during the persecutions of the Roman emperor Diocletian. Due to her, the name has been common in Eastern Orthodox Christianity (in various spellings). As an English name it has been in use since the Middle Ages. A famous bearer was the youngest daughter of the last Russian tsar Nicholas II, who was rumoured to have escaped the execution of her family in 1918.
ANASTASIUSmAncient Greek (Latinized)Latinized form of the Greek name
Αναστασιος (Anastasios) which meant "resurrection" from Greek
αναστασις (anastasis) (composed of the elements
ανα (ana) "up" and
στασις (stasis) "standing"). This was the name of numerous early saints and martyrs, including a 7th-century monk and writer from Alexandria who is especially venerated in the Eastern Church.
ANAT (1)fSemitic MythologyPossibly derived from a Semitic root meaning "water spring". Anat was a goddess of fertility, hunting and war worshipped by the Semitic peoples of the Levant. She was the sister and consort of the god
Hadad.