GONZALOmSpanishFrom the medieval name
Gundisalvus, which was the Latin form of a Germanic name composed of the elements
gund "war" and
salv which is of unknown meaning.
GOPALAmHinduismMeans "cow protector" from Sanskrit
गो (go) meaning "cow" and
पाल (pala) meaning "guard, protector". This is another name of the Hindu god
Krishna. This name was also borne by the 8th-century founder of the Pala Empire in Bengal.
GOPINATHAmHinduismMeans "leader of the gopis" in Sanskrit. This is another name of the Hindu god
Krishna, acquired because of his association with the gopis, who are cow-herding girls.
GORANmCroatian, Serbian, Slovene, Macedonian, Bulgarian (Rare)Means "mountain man", derived from South Slavic
gora "mountain". It was popularized by the Croatian poet Ivan Goran Kovačić (1913-1943), who got his middle name because of the mountain town where he was born.
GORDANmSerbian, Croatian, MacedonianDerived from South Slavic
gord meaning "dignified". This name and the feminine form Gordana were popularized by the publication of Croatian author Marija Jurić Zagorka's novel 'Gordana' (1935).
GORDIANmHistoryFrom the Roman cognomen
Gordianus which meant "from Gordium", Gordium being the capital of Phrygia in Asia Minor. This is the name by which three Roman emperors are known.
GORDIEmEnglishDiminutive of
GORDON. A famous bearer was Canadian hockey star Gordie Howe (1928-2016).
GORDONmScottish, EnglishFrom a Scottish surname which was originally derived from a place name in Berwickshire meaning "spacious fort". It was originally used in honour of Charles George Gordon (1833-1885), a British general who died defending the city of Khartoum in Sudan.
GOREmEnglish (Rare)From an English surname meaning "triangular" (from Old English
gara), originally referring to someone who lived on a triangular piece of land. A famous bearer is American writer Gore Vidal (1925-).
GORETTIfVariousFrom the surname of Maria Goretti, a 20th-century Italian saint who forgave her murderer on her deathbed. Her surname was derived from the given name
GREGORIO.
GORMLAITHfIrish, ScottishDerived from Irish
gorm "blue" or "illustrious" and
flaith "princess, lady". This was the name of a wife of the 11th-century Irish ruler
Brian Boru.
GORONWYmWelsh, Welsh MythologyMeaning unknown. In the Mabinogion, a collection of tales from Welsh myth, he was the lover of
Blodeuwedd. He attempted to murder her husband
Lleu Llaw Gyffes but was himself killed.
GOROUmJapaneseFrom Japanese
五 (go) meaning "five" and
郎 (rou) meaning "son". This was traditionally a name for the fifth son. Different combinations of kanji are also possible.
GOTAMAmHinduismMeans "the best ox" from Sanskrit
गो (go) meaning "ox, cow" and
तम (tama) meaning "best". In Hindu texts this is the name of one of the Saptarshis, or seven sages. This name was also born by an early Indian philosopher who wrote the Nyaya Sutras.
GOTTFRIEDmGermanGerman form of
GODFREY. This name was borne by the 13th-century German poet Gottfried von Strassburg and the German philosopher and mathematician Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz (1646-1716), one of the inventors of calculus.
GOTTHILFmGerman (Rare)Derived from German
Gott "God" and
hilf "help". This name was created in the 17th century.
GOTTHOLDmGerman (Rare)Derived from German
Gott "God" and
hold "lovely". This name was created in the 17th century.
GOTTLOBmGerman (Rare)Derived from German
Gott "God" and
lob "praise". This name was created in the 17th century.
GOTTSCHALKmGerman (Archaic)Derived from the Germanic elements
god "god" and
scalc "servant". Saint Gottschalk was a (perhaps spurious) 11th-century prince of the Wends who was martyred by his brother-in-law.
GOVADmPersian MythologyMeans "wind" in Persian. This was the name of a Yazata (or angel) associated with the wind in Zoroastrianism.
GOYATHLAYmNative American, ApacheMeans "one who yawns" in Apache. This was the real name of the Apache leader
Geronimo (1829-1909), who fought against Mexican and American expansion into his territory.
GRACEfEnglishFrom the English word
grace, which ultimately derives from Latin
gratia. This was one of the virtue names created in the 17th century by the Puritans. The actress Grace Kelly (1929-1982) was a famous bearer.
GRADYmIrish, EnglishFrom an Irish surname which was derived from
Ó Grádaigh meaning "descendant of Grádaigh". The name
Grádaigh means "noble" in Gaelic.
GRAHAMmScottish, EnglishFrom a Scottish surname, originally derived from the English place name
Grantham, which probably meant "gravelly homestead" in Old English. The surname was first taken to Scotland in the 12th century by the Norman baron William de Graham. A famous bearer was Alexander Graham Bell (1847-1922), the Scottish-Canadian-American inventor who devised the telephone.
GRÁINNEfIrish, Irish MythologyPossibly derived from Gaelic
grán meaning "grain". This was the name of an ancient Irish grain goddess. The name also belonged to the fiancée of
Fionn mac Cumhail and the lover of
Diarmaid in later Irish legend, and it is often associated with
gráidh "love".
GRANTmEnglish, ScottishFrom an English and Scottish surname which was derived from Norman French
grand meaning "great, large". A famous bearer of the surname was Ulysses Grant (1822-1885), the commander of the Union forces during the American Civil War who later served as president. In America the name has often been given in his honour.
GRATIANmHistoryFrom the Roman name
Gratianus, which meant "grace" from Latin
gratus. Saint Gratian was the first bishop of Tours (4th century). This was also the name of a Roman emperor.
GRAYm & fEnglishFrom an English surname meaning "grey", originally given to a person who had grey hair or clothing.
GRAYSONmEnglish (Modern)From an English surname meaning "son of the steward", derived from Middle English
greyve "steward".
GRAŻYNAfPolishMeans "beautiful" in Lithuanian. This name was created by Polish poet Adam Mickiewicz for his poem 'Grażyna' (1823).
GREGORmGerman, Scottish, Slovak, SloveneGerman, Scottish, Slovak and Slovene form of
GREGORY. A famous bearer was Gregor Mendel (1822-1884), a Czech monk and scientist who did experiments in genetics.
GREGORYmEnglishEnglish form of Latin
Gregorius, which was from the Late Greek name
Γρηγοριος (Gregorios), derived from
γρηγορος (gregoros) meaning "watchful, alert". This name was popular among early Christians, being borne by a number of important saints including Saint Gregory Thaumaturgus (3rd century), Saint Gregory the Illuminator (4th century), Saint Gregory of Nyssa (4th century), Saint Gregory of Nazianzus (4th century), and Saint Gregory of Tours (6th century). It was also borne by the 6th-century pope Saint Gregory I the Great, a reformer and Doctor of the Church, as well as 15 subsequent popes.
... [more] GRESHAMmEnglish (Rare)From a surname which was derived from a place name meaning "grazing homestead" in Old English.
GRETELfGermanDiminutive of
GRETE. This name is well-known as the character in Grimm's fairy tale who is captured, with her brother Hansel, by a witch.
GRIDfNorse MythologyMeans "peace" in Old Norse. In Norse myth she was a frost giantess, the mother of Víðarr by
Odin. She also aided
Thor in his fight against the giant Geirrod.
GRIFFINmEnglishLatinized form of
GRUFFUDD. This name can also be inspired by the English word
griffin, a creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle, ultimately from Greek
γρυψ (gryps).
GRIGORIYmRussianRussian form of
GREGORY. This name was borne by the Russian mystic Grigoriy Rasputin (1869-1916), more commonly known by only his surname.
GRISELDAfEnglish, Scottish, Spanish, LiteraturePossibly derived from the Germanic elements
gris "grey" and
hild "battle". It is not attested as a Germanic name. This was the name of a patient wife in medieval tales by Boccaccio and Chaucer.
GROVERmEnglishFrom a surname meaning "grove of trees" from Old English
graf. A famous bearer was the American president Grover Cleveland (1837-1908), who popularized the name in the United States at the end of the 19th century. The name is now associated with a muppet character from the children's television program 'Sesame Street'.
GRUFFUDDmWelshFrom the Old Welsh name
Griphiud, the second element deriving from Welsh
udd "lord, prince" but the first element being of uncertain meaning (possibly
cryf "strong"). This was a common name among medieval Welsh royalty. Gruffudd (or Gruffydd) ap Llywelyn was an 11th-century Welsh ruler who fought against England.
GRWNmWelshMeans "ridge" in Welsh. This is a Welsh name of recent origin.
GUADALUPEf & mSpanishFrom a Spanish title of the Virgin
Mary,
Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, meaning "Our Lady of Guadalupe". Guadalupe is a Spanish place name, the site of a famous convent, derived from Arabic
وادي (wadi) meaning "valley, river" possibly combined with Latin
lupus meaning "wolf". In the 16th century Our Lady of Guadalupe supposedly appeared in a vision to a native Mexican man, and she is now regarded as a patron saint of the Americas.
GUANTINGm & fChineseFrom Chinese
冠 (guān) meaning "cap, crown, headgear" combined with
廷 (tíng) meaning "court". This name can also be formed from other character combinations.
GUANYUm & fChineseFrom Chinese
冠 (guān) meaning "cap, crown, headgear" combined with
宇 (yǔ) meaning "house, eaves, universe". Other character combinations are possible.
GUDRUNfNorse Mythology, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, GermanFrom the Old Norse name
Guðrún meaning "god's secret lore", derived from the elements
guð "god" and
rún "secret lore". In Norse legend Gudrun was the wife of
Sigurd. After his death she married Atli, but when he murdered her brothers, she killed her sons by him, fed him their hearts, and then slew him.
GUIDOmItalian, GermanLatinized form of
WIDO. This was the name of two 11th-century saints. Other notable bearers include 11th-century music theorist Guido d'Arezzo, 13th-century poet Guido Cavalcanti, and 17th-century painter Guido Reni.
GUINEVEREfArthurian RomanceFrom the Norman French form of the Welsh name
Gwenhwyfar, derived from the elements
gwen meaning "fair, white" and
sebara meaning "phantom, magical being". In Arthurian legend she was the beautiful wife of King
Arthur. According to the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth, she was seduced by
Mordred before the battle of Camlann, which led to the deaths of both Mordred and Arthur. According to the 12th-century French poet Chrétien de Troyes, she engaged in an adulterous affair with Sir
Lancelot.
... [more] GUIOMARf & mPortuguese, Spanish, Arthurian RomancePossibly derived from the Germanic name
Wigmar, which is formed of the elements
wig "war, battle" and
mari "famous". In the medieval 'Lancelot-Grail' cycle he plays a minor role as a cousin of Guinevere, who banishes him after he becomes a lover of Morgan le Fey. In modern Portugal and Spain it is a feminine name.
GUIYINGm & fChineseFrom Chinese
桂 (guì) meaning "laurel, cassia, cinnamon" combined with
英 (yīng) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero". This name can be formed from other character combinations as well.
GÜLfTurkishMeans "rose" in Turkish, ultimately from Persian.
GULm & fUrdu, PashtoMeans "flower, rose" in Urdu and Pashto, ultimately from Persian.
GULBADANfUrdu (Rare)Means "having a body like a rose" in Persian. This was the name of a daughter of the Mughal emperor Babur.
GULISAfGeorgianMeans "little heart" in Georgian, derived from
გული (guli) "heart" combined with a diminutive suffix.
GÜLNURfTurkishMeans "rose light" in Turkish, ultimately from Persian
گل (gol) meaning "flower, rose" and Arabic
نور (nur) meaning "light".
GULRUKHfUrduMeans "rose faced" in Persian. This was the name of a wife of the Mughal emperor Babur.
GÜNTHERmGerman, Germanic MythologyFrom the Germanic name
Gundahar, derived from the elements
gund "war" and
hari "army, warrior". This was the name of a semi-legendary 5th-century Burgundian king. He appears in the Germanic saga the 'Nibelungenlied', which has him wooing the Icelandic queen
Brünhild. He wins her hand in marriage with the help of the hero
Siegfried. He ultimately betrays Siegfried, but Siegfried's widow
Kriemhild (Günther's sister) takes her revenge upon him.
GUNTRAMmGermanMeans "war raven" from the Germanic elements
gund "war" and
hramn "raven". This was the name of a 6th-century Frankish king.
GUOm & fChineseFrom Chinese
国 (guó) meaning "country" or other Chinese characters pronounced in a similar way.
GURGENmArmenian, GeorgianDerived from Middle Persian
gurg "wolf" combined with a diminutive suffix. This name was borne by several Georgian kings and princes.
GUSTAVmSwedish, Norwegian, Danish, GermanPossibly means "staff of the Goths", derived from the Old Norse elements
Gautr "Goth" and
stafr "staff". However, the root name
Gautstafr is not well attested in the Old Norse period. Alternatively, it might be derived from the Slavic name
GOSTISLAV. This name has been borne by six kings of Sweden, including the 16th-century Gustav I Vasa.
GUSTAVEmFrenchFrench form of
GUSTAV. This name was borne by the French artist Gustave Doré (1832-1883).
GUYmEnglish, FrenchNorman French form of
WIDO. The Normans introduced it to England, where it was common until the time of Guy Fawkes (1570-1606), a revolutionary who attempted to blow up the British parliament. The name was revived in the 19th century, due in part to characters in the novels 'Guy Mannering' (1815) by Sir Walter Scott and 'The Heir of Redclyffe' (1854) by C. M. Yonge.
GWALCHMEImWelsh MythologyDerived from Welsh
gwalch "hawk", possibly combined with
mei "May (the month)". This is the name of a character in Welsh legend. He is probably the antecedent of
Gawain from Arthurian romance.
GWENfWelsh, EnglishFrom Welsh
gwen, the feminine form of
gwyn meaning "white, fair, blessed". It can also be a short form of
GWENDOLEN,
GWENLLIAN, and other names beginning with
Gwen.
GWENAËLmFrench, BretonMeans "blessed and generous" from Breton
gwenn meaning "white, fair, blessed" and
hael meaning "generous". Saint Gwenhael was a 6th-century abbot of Brittany.