Albena f BulgarianCreated by Bulgarian writer Yordan Yovkov for the heroine in his drama
Albena (1930). He may have based it on
ablen, the name of a type of peony (a flowering plant).
Alberich m Germanic, Germanic MythologyDerived from the Old German elements
alb "elf" and
rih "ruler, king". It was borne by two Lombard dukes of Spoleto in the 10th century. It was also the name of a 12th-century French saint who helped found the Cistercian Order.
... [more] Albert m English, German, French, Catalan, Polish, Czech, Russian, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Finnish, Romanian, Hungarian, Albanian, GermanicFrom the Germanic name
Adalbert meaning
"noble and bright", composed of the elements
adal "noble" and
beraht "bright". This name was common among medieval German royalty. The Normans introduced it to England, where it replaced the Old English cognate
Æþelbeorht. Though it became rare in England by the 17th century, it was repopularized in the 19th century by the German-born Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria.
... [more] Albina f Russian, Ukrainian, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Slovene, Polish, German, Lithuanian, Belarusian, Ancient RomanFeminine form of
Albinus. This was the name of a few early saints, including a 3rd-century martyr from Caesarea.
Albinus m Ancient RomanRoman cognomen that was a derivative of
Albus. Saint Albinus (also called Aubin) was a 6th-century bishop of Angers in Brittany.
Alboin m GermanicFrom the Old German elements
alb "elf" and
wini "friend". It is a cognate of
Ælfwine. This was the name of a 6th-century king of the Lombards who began the Lombard conquest of Italy.
Alborz m PersianFrom the name of a mountain range (of unknown etymology) in northern Iran.
Albrecht m GermanGerman variant of
Albert. A notable bearer was the German Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528).
Alcestis f Greek Mythology (Latinized)Latinized form of Greek
Ἄλκηστις (Alkestis), derived from
ἀλκηστής (alkestes) meaning
"brave, valiant", a derivative of
ἀλκή (alke) meaning "strength, prowess". In Greek mythology she was the wife of King
Admetus. She offered to die in place of her husband, though she was eventually rescued from the underworld by
Herakles. This story was told by the Greek playwright Euripides in his 5th-century BC tragedy
Alcestis.
Alcibiades m Ancient Greek (Latinized)Latinized form of the Greek name
Ἀλκιβιάδης (Alkibiades), derived from
ἀλκή (alke) meaning "strength, prowess" and
βία (bia) meaning "force" with the patronymic suffix
ἴδης (ides). This was the name of a notable Greek statesman and general during the Peloponnesian War. He changed allegiance from Athens to Sparta and back again during the course of the war. He features in Shakespeare's tragedy
Timon of Athens (1607).
Alcina f Carolingian CycleUsed by Ludovico Ariosto in his poem
Orlando Furioso (1532), where it belongs to a sorceress who abducts
Ruggiero. Ariosto may have borrowed the name from the mythological
Alcinoe or directly from the Greek word
ἀλκή (alke) meaning "strength, prowess". George Frideric Handel adapted the story into his opera
Alcina in 1735.
Alcyone f Greek Mythology (Latinized)Latinized form of Greek
Ἀλκυόνη (Alkyone), derived from the word
ἀλκυών (alkyon) meaning
"kingfisher". In Greek myth this name belonged to a daughter of Aeolus and the wife of Ceyx. After her husband was killed in a shipwreck she threw herself into the water, but the gods saved her and turned them both into kingfishers. This is also the name of the brightest of the Pleiades, a group of stars in the constellation Taurus, supposedly the daughters of
Atlas and
Pleione.
Aldara f GalicianGalician form of the Visigothic name *
Hildiwara, which was composed of the Gothic elements
hilds "battle" and
wars "aware, cautious". This was the name of the 7th-century wife of the Visigothic king Gundemar. It was also borne by the mother of Saint
Rosendo (10th century).
Aldebrand m GermanicOld German name derived from the elements
alt meaning "old" and
brant meaning "fire, torch, sword". Saint Aldebrand was a 12th-century bishop of Fossombrone in Italy.
Aldegund f GermanicGermanic name, derived from the elements
alt "old" and
gunda "war". Alternatively, it could be a metathesized form of
Adalgund. Saint Aldegund (or Aldegundis or Adelgundis) was a 7th-century Frankish abbess at Maubeuge.
Alder m English (Rare)From the English word for the tree (comprising the genus Alnus), derived from Old English
alor.
Aldiyar m KazakhDerived from the archaic Kazakh title
алдияр (aldiyar), which was used to address a ruler (equivalent to English
Your Majesty). The word is ultimately of Persian origin, but of uncertain meaning.
Aldo m Italian, GermanicOriginally a short form of Germanic names beginning with the element
alt meaning
"old" (Proto-Germanic *
aldaz), and sometimes also with
adal meaning
"noble" (Proto-Germanic *
aþalaz).
Aldona f Lithuanian, PolishMeaning unknown. This was the name of a 14th-century Polish queen, the daughter of a Grand Duke of Lithuania.
Aldous m English (Rare)Probably a diminutive of names beginning with the Old English element
eald "old". It has been in use as an English given name since the Middle Ages, mainly in East Anglia. The British author Aldous Huxley (1894-1963) was a famous bearer of this name.
Ale 2 m FrisianOriginally a short form of Germanic names beginning with the element
adal meaning
"noble".
Aled m WelshFrom the name of a Welsh river, of uncertain meaning.
Alejandro m SpanishSpanish form of
Alexander. This was the most popular name for boys in Spain from the 1990s until 2006 (and again in 2011).
Aleksandra f Russian, Ukrainian, Polish, Serbian, Bulgarian, Slovene, Croatian, Macedonian, Finnish, Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian, GeorgianForm of
Alexandra in several languages.
Aleksey m RussianRussian form of
Alexius. This name was borne by a 14th-century Metropolitan of Kiev who is regarded as a saint in the Orthodox Church. It was also the name of a 17th-century tsar of Russia.
Alessandro m ItalianItalian form of
Alexander. A famous bearer was Alessandro Volta (1745-1827), the Italian physicist who invented the battery.
Aleta f EnglishPossibly a variant of
Alethea. This was the name of the wife of the title character in the comic strip
Prince Valiant, which first appeared in 1937.
Alethea f EnglishDerived from Greek
ἀλήθεια (aletheia) meaning
"truth". This name was coined in the 16th century.
Alex m & f English, Dutch, German, French, Portuguese, Romanian, Greek, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Hungarian, Czech, RussianShort form of
Alexander,
Alexandra and other names beginning with
Alex.
Alexander m English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Hungarian, Slovak, Biblical, Ancient Greek (Latinized), Greek Mythology (Latinized)Latinized form of the Greek name
Ἀλέξανδρος (Alexandros), which meant
"defending men" from Greek
ἀλέξω (alexo) meaning "to defend, help" and
ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man" (genitive
ἀνδρός). In Greek mythology this was another name of the hero
Paris, and it also belongs to several characters in the New Testament. However, the most famous bearer was Alexander the Great, king of Macedon. In the 4th century BC he built a huge empire out of Greece, Egypt, Persia, and parts of India. Due to his fame, and later medieval tales involving him, use of his name spread throughout Europe.
... [more] Alexandra f English, German, Dutch, French, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Greek, Portuguese, Romanian, Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, Catalan, Russian, Ukrainian, Ancient Greek, Greek MythologyFeminine form of
Alexander. In Greek mythology this was a Mycenaean epithet of the goddess
Hera, and an alternate name of
Cassandra. It was borne by several early Christian saints, and also by the wife of Nicholas II, the last tsar of Russia. She was from Germany and had the birth name
Alix, but was renamed
Александра (Aleksandra) upon joining the Russian Church.
Alexandria f EnglishFeminine form of
Alexander. Alexander the Great founded several cities by this name (or renamed them) as he extended his empire eastward. The most notable of these is Alexandria in Egypt, founded by Alexander in 331 BC.
Alexis m & f French, English, Greek, Spanish, Ancient GreekFrom the Greek name
Ἄλεξις (Alexis) meaning
"helper" or
"defender", derived from Greek
ἀλέξω (alexo) meaning "to defend, to help". This was the name of a 3rd-century BC Greek comic poet, and also of several saints. It is used somewhat interchangeably with the related name
Ἀλέξιος or
Alexius, borne by five Byzantine emperors.
... [more] Alexius m Ancient Greek (Latinized)Latinized form of the Greek name
Ἀλέξιος (Alexios), a derivative of
Ἄλεξις (see
Alexis). This was the name of five Byzantine emperors. It was also borne by a 5th-century Syrian saint who is especially venerated in the Eastern Church.
Aleyna f Turkish (Modern)Possibly from Arabic
علينا (ʿalaynā) meaning
"to us". Alternatively, it could be from Arabic
أليناء (ʾalaynāʾ), a plural form of
ليّن (layyin) meaning
"gentle, soft".
Alf 1 m Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Norse MythologyDerived from Old Norse
alfr meaning
"elf". In Norse legend this was the name of king, the suitor of a reluctant maiden named
Alfhild. She avoided marrying him by disguising herself as a warrior, but when they fought she was so impressed by his strength that she changed her mind.
Alfhild f Norwegian, SwedishFrom the Old Norse name
Alfhildr, which was composed of the elements
alfr "elf" and
hildr "battle". In Scandinavian legend Alfhild was a maiden who disguised herself as a warrior in order to avoid marriage to King
Alf. Her life was perhaps based on that of a 9th-century Viking pirate.
Alfia f Bashkir, TatarPossibly derived from Arabic
ألْف (ʾalf) meaning
"thousand". Alternatively, it may be of Turkic origin.
Alfonso m Spanish, ItalianSpanish and Italian form of
Alphonsus, the Latin form of the Visigothic name *
Aþalafuns meaning
"noble and ready", derived from the Gothic elements
aþals "noble" and
funs "ready". This was the name of several kings of Spain (Asturias, León, Castile and Aragon) and Portugal, starting with Alfonso I of Asturias in the 8th century. His name was sometimes recorded in the Latin spelling
Adefonsus, and on that basis it is theorized that first element might be from another source (perhaps
haþus meaning "battle"). It is possible that two or more names merged into a single form.
Alfred m English, French, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Polish, Dutch, AlbanianMeans
"elf counsel", derived from the Old English name
Ælfræd, composed of the elements
ælf "elf" and
ræd "counsel, advice". Alfred the Great was a 9th-century king of Wessex who fought unceasingly against the Danes living in northeastern England. He was also a scholar, and he translated many Latin books into Old English. His fame helped to ensure the usage of this name even after the Norman Conquest, when most Old English names were replaced by Norman ones. It became rare by the end of the Middle Ages, but was revived in the 18th century.
... [more] Algar m English (Rare)Means
"elf spear" from Old English
ælf "elf" and
gar "spear". This Old English name was rarely used after the Norman Conquest, being absorbed by similar-sounding names and Norman and Scandinavian cognates. It was briefly revived in the 19th century.
Algernon m EnglishOriginally a Norman French nickname, derived from
aux gernons "having a moustache", which was applied to William de Percy, a companion of William the Conqueror. It was first used a given name in the 15th century (for a descendant of William de Percy). This name was borne by a character (a mouse) in the short story
Flowers for Algernon (1958) and novel of the same title (1966) by the American author Daniel Keyes.
Algimantas m LithuanianFrom Lithuanian
alga "salary, pay" combined with
mantus "intelligent" or
manta "property, wealth".
Algirdas m LithuanianPossibly means
"all-hearing", from the Lithuanian roots
al- "all, every" and
gird- "to hear". This was the name of a 14th-century Grand Duke of Lithuania.
Alhaji m HausaMeans
"the pilgrim" in Hausa, a derivative of Arabic
حجّ (ḥajj) meaning "pilgrimage, hajj". It is typically a title, not a name.
Ali 1 m Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Urdu, Pashto, Indonesian, Malay, Avar, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Uzbek, Tajik, Dhivehi, Albanian, BosnianMeans
"lofty, sublime" in Arabic, from the root
علا (ʿalā) meaning "to be high". Ali ibn Abi Talib was a cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet
Muhammad and the fourth caliph to rule the Muslim world. His followers were the original Shia Muslims, who regard him as the first rightful caliph.
... [more] Alice f English, French, Portuguese, Italian, German, Czech, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, DutchFrom the Old French name
Aalis, a short form of
Adelais, itself a short form of the Germanic name
Adalheidis (see
Adelaide). This name became popular in France and England in the 12th century. It was among the most common names in England until the 16th century, when it began to decline. It was revived in the 19th century.
... [more] Alikhan m KazakhCombination of the name
Ali 1 and the Turkic title
khan meaning "ruler, leader".
Alimjan m UyghurUyghur elaboration of
Alim using the suffix
جان (jan) meaning "dear, darling" (of Persian origin).
Alin m RomanianPossibly a Romanian masculine form of
Alina. Alternatively it may derive from Romanian
alina "to soothe".
Alisher m Uzbek, Kazakh, TajikFrom the given name
Ali 1 combined with Persian
شیر (shīr) meaning "lion". It was borne by the Timurid poet Ali-Shir Nava'i (1441-1501), who wrote in the Chagatai Turkic language.
Alison 1 f English, FrenchNorman French diminutive of
Aalis (see
Alice). It was common in England, Scotland and France in the Middle Ages, and was later revived in England in the 20th century via Scotland. Unlike most other English names ending in
son, it is not derived from a surname.
Alix f & m FrenchMedieval French variant of
Alice, also sometimes used as a masculine name. This is the name of the hero (a young Gaulish man) of a French comic book series, which debuted in 1948.
Aliya 2 f HebrewMeans
"ascent" in Hebrew, a derivative of
עָלָה (ʿala) meaning "to ascend, to climb". This is also a Hebrew word referring to immigration to Israel.
Aljaž m SloveneDerived from a Slovene surname, which is of unknown meaning.
Alkinoos m Greek MythologyMeans
"strong mind", derived from Greek
ἀλκή (alke) "strength, prowess" and
νόος (noos) "mind, thought". According to Greek mythology this was the name of a king of the Phaeacians.
Allah m TheologyDerived from Arabic
الإله (al-ʾilah) meaning
"the deity". It is primarily used to refer to the Islamic God, though it was originally used by pre-Islamic Arabs, and is sometimes used by Arabic-speaking Christians and Jews to refer to their god.
Allegra f Italian, English (Rare)Means
"cheerful, lively" in Italian. It was borne by a short-lived illegitimate daughter of Lord Byron (1817-1822).