BRONTEm & fEnglish (Rare)From a surname, an Anglicized form of Irish
Ó Proinntigh meaning "descendant of Proinnteach". The given name
Proinnteach meant "bestower" in Gaelic. The Brontë sisters - Charlotte, Emily, and Anne - were 19th-century English novelists. Their father changed the spelling of the family surname from
Brunty to
Brontë, possibly to make it coincide with Greek
βροντη meaning "thunder".
BRONTESmGreek MythologyMeans "thunderer" in Greek. In Greek mythology (according to Hesiod), this was the name of one of the three Cyclopes, who were the sons of
Uranus and
Gaia.
BRONWENfWelshDerived from the Welsh elements
bron "breast" and
gwen "white, fair, blessed".
BROOKm & fEnglishFrom an English surname which denoted one who lived near a brook.
BROOKEfEnglishVariant of
BROOK. The name came into use in the 1950s, probably influenced by American socialite Brooke Astor (1902-2007). It was further popularized by actress Brooke Shields (1965-).
BROOKLYNfEnglish (Modern)From the name of the borough of New York City, originally derived from Dutch
Breukelen meaning "broken land". It can also be viewed as a combination of
BROOK and the popular name suffix
lyn.
BRUCEmScottish, EnglishFrom a Scottish surname, of Norman origin, which probably originally referred to the town of Brix in France. The surname was borne by Robert the Bruce, a Scottish hero of the 14th century who achieved independence from England and became the king of Scotland. It has been in use as a given name in the English-speaking world since the 19th century. A notable bearer is the American musician Bruce Springsteen (1949-).
BRÜNHILDfGerman, Germanic MythologyDerived from the Germanic elements
brun "armour, protection" and
hild "battle". It is cognate with the Old Norse name
Brynhildr (from the elements
bryn and
hildr). In Norse legend
Brynhildr was the queen of the Valkyries who was rescued by the hero
Sigurd. In the Germanic saga the 'Nibelungenlied' she was a queen of Iceland and the wife of
Günther. Both of these characters were probably inspired by the eventful life of the 6th-century Frankish queen Brunhilda (of Visigothic birth).
BRUTUSmAncient RomanRoman cognomen meaning "heavy" in Latin. Famous bearers include Lucius Junius Brutus, the traditional founder of the Roman Republic, and Marcus Junius Brutus, the statesman who conspired to assassinated Julius Caesar.
BRYNm & fWelsh, EnglishMeans "hill, mound" in Welsh. It is now used as a feminine name as well.
BRYNHILDRfNorse Mythology, Ancient ScandinavianOld Norse cognate of
BRÜNHILD. In the Norse legend the 'Volsungasaga' Brynhildr was rescued by the hero
Sigurd in the guise of
Gunnar. Brynhildr and Gunnar were married, but when Sigurd's wife
Gudrun let slip that it was in fact Sigurd who had rescued her, Brynhildr plotted against him. She accused Sigurd of taking her virginity, spurring Gunnar to arrange Sigurd's murder.
BRYONYfEnglish (Rare)From the name of a type of Eurasian vine, formerly used as medicine. It ultimately derives from Greek
βρυω (bryo) "to swell".
BUCKmEnglishFrom an English nickname meaning simply "buck, male deer", ultimately from Old English
bucc.
BUDDHAmHistoryMeans "enlightened" in Sanskrit. This is a title applied to Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism, as well as to a handful of other enlightened individuals.
BUDDYmEnglishFrom the English word meaning "friend". It probably originated as a nursery form of the word
brother.
BUFFYfEnglishDiminutive of
ELIZABETH, from a child's pronunciation of the final syllable. It is now associated with the main character from the television series 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' (1997-2003).
BURAKmTurkishFrom Arabic
براق (Buraq), the name of the legendary creature that, according to Islamic tradition, transported the Prophet
Muhammad. Its name is derived from Arabic
برق (barq) "lightning".
BURGUNDYfEnglish (Rare)This name can refer either to the region in France, the wine (which derives from the name of the region), or the colour (which derives from the name of the wine).
BURKEmEnglishFrom an English surname which was derived from Old English
burg meaning "fortress".
BURKHARDmGerman, Ancient GermanicDerived from the Germanic elements
burg meaning "protection" and
hard "brave, hardy". Saint Burkhard was a bishop who founded several monasteries in Germany in the 8th century.
BURTONmEnglishFrom a surname which was originally taken from an Old English place name meaning "fortified town". A famous bearer of the surname was Sir Richard Burton (1821-1890), an explorer of Africa and Asia.
BUSTERmEnglishOriginally a nickname denoting a person who broke things, from the word
bust. A famous bearer was the silent movie star Buster Keaton (1895-1966).
BYELOBOGmSlavic MythologyMeans "the white god" from Slavic
byelo "white" and
bogu "god". This was the name of the Slavic god of the sun, happiness and fortune.
BYEONG-HOmKoreanFrom Sino-Korean
炳 (byeong) meaning "bright, luminous, glorious" combined with
浩 (ho) meaning "great, numerous, vast" or
昊 (ho) meaning "summer, sky, heaven". Other hanja character combinations are possible.
BYRONmEnglishFrom a surname which was originally from a place name meaning "place of the cow sheds" in Old English. This was the surname of the romantic poet Lord Byron (1788-1824), the writer of 'Don Juan' and many other works.
BYSSHEmEnglish (Rare)From an English surname, a variant of the surname
Bush, which originally indicated a person who lived near a bush. This was the middle name of the romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822).