ALLON m BiblicalMeans "oak" in Hebrew. This name is mentioned briefly in the Old Testament.
ALMA (1) f English, Spanish, Italian, DutchThis name became popular after the Battle of Alma (1854), which took place near the River Alma in Crimea and ended in a victory for Britain and France. However, the name was in rare use before the battle; it was probably inspired by Latin
almus "nourishing". It also coincides with the Spanish word meaning "the soul".
ALMAS f & m ArabicMeans "diamond" in Arabic, ultimately from Persian.
ALMAST f ArmenianMeans "diamond" in Armenian, ultimately from Persian.
ÁLMOS m HungarianPossibly from Hungarian
álom "dream", though perhaps of Turkic origin meaning "bought". This was the name of the semi-legendary father of Árpád, the founder of the Hungarian state. Álmos's mother Emese supposedly had a dream in which a turul bird impregnated her and foretold that her son would be the father of a great nation.
ALMUDENA f SpanishDerived from Arabic
المدينة (al-mudaynah) meaning "the citadel". It was in a building by this name that a concealed statue of the Virgin
Mary was discovered during the Reconquista in Madrid. The Virgin of Almudena, that is Mary, is the patron saint of Madrid.
ALODIA f Ancient Germanic (Latinized)Possibly from a Visigothic name derived from the Germanic elements
alja "other, foreign" and
aud "riches, wealth". Saint Alodia was a 9th-century Spanish martyr with her sister Nunilo.
ALOYSIUS m EnglishLatinized 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.
ALPHA f & m EnglishFrom the name of the first letter in the Greek alphabet,
Α.
ALPHONSUS m HistoryLatinized 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.
ALPIN m ScottishAnglicized 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.
ALTA f VariousPossibly from Latin
altus or Italian/Spanish
alto meaning "high".
ALTE (2) m FrisianOriginally a short form of Germanic names beginning with the element
ald meaning "old".
ALTER m YiddishFrom Yiddish
אַלט (alt) meaning "old". 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.
ALTHEA f Greek 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.
ALTON m EnglishFrom an Old English surname that was derived from a place name meaning "town at the source of the river".
ALUDRA f AstronomyDerived from Arabic
العذرا (al-'adhra) meaning "the maiden". This is the name of a star in the constellation Canis Major.
ALUN m WelshWelsh form of
ALAN. This name appears in the Mabinogion, a collection of tales from Welsh myth.
ALVA (2) m EnglishVariant of
ALVAH. A famous bearer of this name was the inventor Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931).
ALVAH m BiblicalMeans "his highness" in Hebrew. This name is mentioned in the Old Testament as belonging to a descendant of Esau.
ALVIN m English, SwedishFrom 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 that was derived from the Old English names. As a Scandinavian name it is derived from
Alfvin, an Old Norse cognate of
Ælfwine.
ALVIS m Norse Mythology, LatvianFrom the Old Norse
Alvíss meaning "all wise". 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.
ALWILDA f HistoryLatinized form of
ALFHILD. This was the name of a legendary female Scandinavian pirate, also called Awilda.
ALWYN m WelshFrom the name of the River Alwen in Wales.
ALYSSA f EnglishVariant 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.
AMABILIS m Late RomanLate Latin name meaning "lovable". Saint Amabilis was a 5th-century priest in Riom, central France.
AMADEO m ItalianItalian variant of
AMADEUS. This was the name of a 19th-century king of Spain (born in Italy).
AMADEUS m Late 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.
AMAIA f BasqueMeans "the end" in Basque. This is also the name of a mountain and a village in the Basque region of Spain.
AMAL (2) m BiblicalMeans "work" in Hebrew. This was the name of an Asherite in the Old Testament.
AMALRIC m Ancient 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.
AMANDA f English, 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.
AMANDUS m Late 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.
AMANTIUS m Late RomanMeans "loving" in Latin. This was the name of several early saints. It has sometimes been confused with the name
Amandus.
AMARANTHA f VariousFrom the name of the amaranth flower, which is derived from Greek
αμαραντος (amarantos) meaning "unfading".
Αμαραντος (Amarantos) was also an Ancient Greek given name.
AMARIAH m BiblicalMeans "
YAHWEH has said" in Hebrew. This was the name of several Old Testament characters.
AMARO m Galician, Portuguese, SpanishPossibly from the Germanic name
ADELMAR, maybe influenced by Latin
amarus "bitter". This was the name of a legendary saint who was said to have sailed across the Atlantic to a paradise. He is especially popular in Galicia and Asturias in Spain.
AMARYLLIS f LiteratureDerived 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.
AMATERASU f Far 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.
AMATOR m Late RomanLate Latin name meaning "lover (of God)". Saint Amator was a 5th-century bishop of Auxerre.
AMATUS m Late RomanLate Latin name meaning "beloved". The 7th-century Saint Amatus was the first abbot of Remiremont Abbey.
AMBER f English, 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).
AMBROSE m EnglishFrom 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.
AMEDEO m ItalianItalian 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).
AMELIA f English, 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.
AMENEMHET m Ancient EgyptianMeans "
AMON is foremost" in Egyptian. This was the name of four Egyptian pharaohs, including the founder of the 12th dynasty.
AMENHOTEP m Ancient 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.
AMERETAT f Persian MythologyMeans "immortality" in Avestan. This was the name of a Zoroastrian goddess (one of the Amesha Spenta) of plants and long life.
AMERICA f EnglishIn 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.
AMERIGO m ItalianMedieval 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).
AMETHYST f English (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) m BiblicalMeans "trustworthy, reliable" in Hebrew. This was the name of a servant of King
Solomon in the Old Testament.
AMI (3) f JapaneseFrom Japanese
亜 (a) meaning "second, Asia" and
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful". Other kanji combinations are possible.
AMICE f Medieval EnglishMedieval name derived from Latin
amicus meaning "friend". This was a popular name in the Middle Ages, though it has since become uncommon.
AMIN m Arabic, Persian, UrduDerived from Arabic
امين (amin) meaning "truthful". This was the name of the sixth Abbasid caliph.
AMINTA m LiteratureForm 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.
AMIRAN m Georgian, 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.
AMIRANI m Georgian 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.
AMISTA f ChamorroMeans "loyalty" in Chamorro, derived from Spanish
amistad "friendship".
AMIT (1) m Indian, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Assamese, Odia, Punjabi, Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, NepaliMeans "immeasurable, infinite" in Sanskrit.
AMITABH m Indian, HindiMeans "immeasurable splendour" in Sanskrit. A famous bearer is Indian actor Amitabh Bachchan (1942-).
AMITY f English (Rare)From the English word meaning "friendship", ultimately deriving from Latin
amicitia.
AMON m Egyptian Mythology (Anglicized)From
Αμμων (Ammon), the Greek form of Egyptian
Ymn (reconstructed as
Yamanu) meaning "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.
AMOS m English, 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.
AMPELIO m ItalianItalian 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.
AMPORN f ThaiDerived from Thai
อํา (am) "hidden, concealed" and
พร (phon) "blessing".
AMRIT m Indian, HindiMeans "immortal" from Sanskrit
अ (a) meaning "not" and
मृत (mrta) meaning "dead". In Hindu texts it refers to a drink that gives immortality.
AMULIUS m Roman 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.
AMUND m NorwegianDerived from the Old Norse name
Agmundr, from the element
egg "edge of a sword" or
agi "awe, terror" combined with
mundr "protection".
AMY f EnglishEnglish 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.
AMYAS m English (Rare)Meaning unknown, perhaps a derivative of
AMIS. Alternatively, it may come from a surname that 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 & f Chinese, 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) m Sumerian 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.
ANAH f & m Biblical, Biblical HebrewMeans "answer" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this name belongs to one female character and two male characters.