Habakkuk m BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
חֲבַקּוּק (Chavaqquq), perhaps meaning
"embrace" from the root
חָבַק (chavaq). In the Old Testament this is one of the twelve minor prophets, the author of the Book of Habakkuk.
Hachirō m JapaneseFrom Japanese
八 (hachi) meaning "eight" and
郎 (rō) meaning "son". This was traditionally a name for the eighth son. Other kanji combinations are also possible.
Hadad m Semitic MythologyDerived from a Semitic root meaning
"thunder". Hadad was a Western Semitic (Levantine) god of thunder and storms, often called
Ba'al. He was imported to Mesopotamia by the Amorites, where he was known as
Adad to the Assyrians and Babylonians.
Hades m Greek MythologyFrom Greek
Ἅιδης (Haides), derived from
ἀϊδής (aides) meaning
"unseen". In Greek mythology Hades was the dark god of the underworld, a place that also came to be called Hades. His brothers were
Zeus and
Poseidon and his wife was
Persephone, whom he had abducted.
Hadley f & m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"heather field" in Old English.
Hadrian m HistoryFrom the Roman cognomen
Hadrianus, which meant
"from Hadria" in Latin. Hadria was the name of two Roman settlements. The first (modern Adria) is in northern Italy and was an important Etruscan port town. The second (modern Atri) is in central Italy and was named after the northern town. The Adriatic Sea is also named after the northern town.
... [more] Ha-Eun f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
夏 (ha) meaning "summer, great, grand" combined with
恩 (eun) meaning "kindness, mercy, charity". This name can also be formed by other hanja character combinations.
Hafiz m ArabicMeans
"custodian, guardian" in Arabic. In Islamic tradition
الحفيظ (al-Hafiz) is one of the 99 names of Allah.
Hafsa f Arabic, Urdu, TurkishMeans
"gathering" in Arabic. This was the name of the daughter of
Umar, the second caliph, and a wife of
Muhammad. It was also borne by the influential mother of
Süleyman the Magnificent.
Hagar f Biblical, Biblical German, Biblical HebrewPossibly means
"flight" in Hebrew, though it could also be of unknown Egyptian origin. In the Old Testament she is the second wife of
Abraham and the mother of
Ishmael, the founder of the Arab people. After Abraham's first wife
Sarah finally gave birth to a child, she had Hagar and Ishmael expelled into the desert. However, God heard their crying and saved them.
Hagen m German, Germanic MythologyDerived from the Old German element
hag meaning
"enclosure" (Proto-Germanic *
hagô). In the medieval German saga the
Nibelungenlied he is the cunning half-brother of
Gunther. He killed the hero
Siegfried by luring him onto a hunting expedition and then stabbing him with a javelin in his one vulnerable spot.
Haggai m BiblicalMeans
"festive" in Hebrew, from the root
חָגַג (chagag). This is one of the twelve minor prophets of the Old Testament. He was the author of the Book of Haggai, which urges the exiles returning from Babylonia to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem.
Hai m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
海 (hǎi) meaning "sea, ocean" or other characters that are pronounced similarly.
Haidar m ArabicMeans
"lion, warrior" in Arabic. This is a title of
Ali ibn Abi Talib.
Haidee f LiteraturePerhaps intended to derive from Greek
αἰδοῖος (aidoios) meaning
"modest, reverent". This name was created by Lord Byron for a character (written as
Haidée) in his 1819 poem
Don Juan.
Haides m Greek MythologyAncient Greek form of
Hades. After the classical period, the
ι in the sequence
αι (often written as a subscript like
ᾳ) was not pronounced.
Hailey f English (Modern)Variant of
Hayley. This is currently the most common spelling in the United States, surpassing
Haley in 2001 and attaining a high rank of 19th in 2010.
Haim m HebrewAlternate transcription of Hebrew
חַיִּים (see
Chaim). This seems to be the most common transcription for Israeli Jews.
Haimo m GermanicShort form of Germanic names beginning with the Old Frankish element
haim, Old High German
heim meaning
"home" (Proto-Germanic *
haimaz).
Haji m ArabicRefers to a person who has participated in the
حَجّ (hajj), the annual pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia that Muslims must undertake at least once in their lifetimes.
Hajime m JapaneseMeans
"beginning" in Japanese, written with kanji having the same or similar meanings, such as
肇,
一 or
元, as well others.
Hajna f HungarianShortened form of
Hajnal. The Hungarian poet Mihály Vörösmarty used it in his epic poem
Zalán Futása (1825).
Ha-Jun m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
夏 (ha) meaning "summer, great, grand" combined with
准 (jun) meaning "approve, permit". This name can be formed by other hanja characters as well.
Hakeem m ArabicAlternate transcription of Arabic
حكيم (see
Hakim). A famous bearer is Nigerian-born former basketball player Hakeem Olajuwon (1963-).
Hakim m ArabicMeans
"wise" in Arabic. In Islamic tradition
الحكيم (al-Hakim) is one of the 99 names of Allah.
Håkon m NorwegianModern Norwegian form of the Old Norse name
Hákon, derived from the element
hár "high" or
hǫð "battle, combat" combined with and
konr "son, descendant". This was the name of seven kings of Norway.
Hal m EnglishMedieval diminutive of
Harry. In Shakespeare's two historical plays about Henry IV, Prince Hal is the name of the future King Henry V.
Hala f ArabicMeans
"halo around the moon" in Arabic. This was the name of a sister-in-law of the Prophet
Muhammad.
Haldor m NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Hallþórr, which meant
"Thor's rock" from
hallr "rock" combined with the name of the Norse god
Þórr (see
Thor).
Hale 2 m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"nook, retreat" from Old English
healh.
Haley f English (Modern)Variant of
Hayley. This spelling gained some popularity in the United States in 1977, possibly due to the author Alex Haley, whose book
Roots was adapted into a popular miniseries that year. This was the most common American spelling from then to 2001, when it was eclipsed by
Hailey.
Halfdan m Norwegian, DanishFrom the Old Norse name
Hálfdan meaning
"half Danish", composed of the elements
hálfr "half" and
Danr "Dane", originally a nickname for a person who was half Danish.
Halim m Arabic, TurkishMeans
"patient, tolerant, mild" in Arabic. In Islamic tradition
الحليم (al-Halim) is one of the 99 names of Allah.
Hall m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from Old English
heall "manor, hall", originally belonging to a person who lived or worked in a manor.
Hallam m English (Rare)From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning either
"at the rocks" or
"at the nook" in Old English.
Halle 2 f English (Modern)In the case of American actress Halle Berry (1966-), it is from the name of a department store in Cleveland where she was born (the store was founded by brothers bearing the German surname Halle, a cognate of
Hall).
Hallel f & m HebrewDerived from Hebrew
הָלַל (halal) meaning
"praise". This is the name of a Jewish prayer, consisting of several psalms. The more traditional name
Hillel, which is typically only masculine, is spelled the same but is vocalized with a different vowel.
Halo f English (Modern)From the English word
halo meaning
"luminous disc or ring", derived from Greek
ἅλως (halos). Haloes often appear in religious art above the heads of holy people.
Halvard m NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Hallvarðr, which meant
"rock guardian" from
hallr "rock" combined with
vǫrðr "guard, guardian".
Ham m BiblicalMeans
"hot, warm" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament, Ham is one of
Noah's three sons, along with
Shem and
Japheth. He was the ancestor of the Egyptians and Canaanites.
Hama m Anglo-Saxon MythologyFrom Old English
ham meaning
"home". This is the name of a Gothic warrior who appears with his companion of Wudga in some Anglo-Saxon tales (briefly in
Beowulf).
Haman m Biblical, Biblical HebrewMeaning uncertain, of Persian origin. In the Book of Esther in the Old Testament Haman, called the Agagite, is an adviser to the Persian king. He plots to have all the Jews in the realm executed, but is foiled by Queen
Esther.
Hamilcar m Phoenician (Latinized), HistoryPossibly means
"brother of Melqart", derived from Phoenician
𐤀𐤇 (ʾaḥ) meaning "brother" combined with the name of the god
Melqart. This was a common Punic name. Among the notable bearers was Hamilcar Barca, a 3rd-century BC Carthaginian general who was the father of
Hannibal and
Hasdrubal.
Hamilton m EnglishFrom a Scottish and English surname that was derived from Old English
hamel "crooked, mutilated" and
dun "hill". The surname was originally taken from the name of a town in Leicestershire, England (which no longer exists). A famous bearer of the surname was Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804), a founding father of the United States who was killed in a duel with Aaron Burr.
Hamlet m Literature, ArmenianAnglicized form of the Danish name
Amleth. Shakespeare used this name for the main character in his tragedy
Hamlet (1600), which he based upon earlier Danish tales. In the play, Hamlet is a prince of Denmark seeking to avenge the death of his father (also named Hamlet) at the hands of his uncle
Claudius.
Hammoleketh f BiblicalMeans
"the reigning one, queen" in Hebrew, a derivative of
מָלַכְ (malakh) meaning "to reign". In the Old Testament, this is the name of the sister of
Gilead.
Hamnet m English (Archaic)Diminutive of
Hamo. This was the name of a son of Shakespeare who died in childhood. His death may have provided the inspiration for his father's play
Hamlet.
Hamza m Arabic, Turkish, BosnianPossibly derived from Arabic
hamuza meaning
"strong, steadfast". This was the name of the uncle of the Prophet
Muhammad who was killed in battle.
Hana 3 f JapaneseFrom Japanese
花 (hana) or
華 (hana) both meaning "flower". Other kanji or kanji combinations can form this name as well.
Hanae f JapaneseFrom Japanese
花 (hana) or
華 (hana), which both mean "flower", combined with
絵 (e) meaning "picture" or
恵 (e) meaning "favour, benefit". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Hanako f JapaneseFrom Japanese
花 (hana) meaning "flower" and
子 (ko) meaning "child", as well as other kanji combinations.
Hanan 1 m BiblicalMeans
"gracious" in Hebrew. This is the name of several minor characters in the Old Testament.
Hank m EnglishOriginally a short form of
Hankin, which was a medieval diminutive of
John. Since the 17th century in the United States this name has also been used as a diminutive of
Henry, probably under the influence of the Dutch diminutive
Henk. A famous bearer is the American former baseball player Hank Aaron (1934-2021).
Hanna 1 f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Polish, Ukrainian, Belarusian, German, Dutch, Icelandic, Hungarian, HebrewForm of
Channah (see
Hannah) in several languages.
Hannibal m Phoenician (Latinized), HistoryFrom the Punic name
𐤇𐤍𐤁𐤏𐤋 meaning
"grace of Ba'al", derived from Phoenician
𐤇𐤍 (ḥan) meaning "grace, favour" combined with the name of the god
Ba'al. This name occurs often in Carthaginian history. It was most notably borne by the famed general and tactician Hannibal Barca, who threatened Rome during the Second Punic War in the 3rd century BC. It is also associated with the fictional villain Hannibal Lecter from the books by Thomas Harris (debuting 1981) and subsequent movie adaptations.
Hans m German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, DanishGerman short form of
Johannes, now used independently. This name has been very common in German-speaking areas of Europe since the late Middle Ages. From an early period it was transmitted to the Low Countries and Scandinavia. Two famous bearers were Hans Holbein (1497-1543), a German portrait painter, and Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875), a Danish writer of fairy tales.
Hansel m LiteratureAnglicized form of
Hänsel. This is the name of a boy in a German fairy tale, recorded in 1812 by the Brothers Grimm with the title
Hänsel und Gretel. In the tale Hansel and his sister
Gretel are abandoned in the woods by their parents, then taken captive by a witch.
Hanzō m JapaneseFrom Japanese
半 (han) meaning "half" and
蔵 (zō) meaning "to hide". This name was borne by the noted samurai Hattori Hanzou (1542-1596). The name can also be formed from other kanji combinations.
Happy f & m English (Rare)From the English word
happy, derived from Middle English
hap "chance, luck", of Old Norse origin.
Harding m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from the Old English given name
Heard. A famous bearer of the surname was American president Warren G. Harding (1865-1923).
Hardy 1 m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from Middle English
hardi "bold, hardy".
Hardy 2 m GermanDiminutive of names containing the Old German element
hart meaning "hard, firm, brave, hardy".
Harel m HebrewMeans
"altar, mountain of God" in Hebrew. In the Hebrew Bible this word is applied to the altar in the temple in Jerusalem (
Ezekiel 43:15).
Hari m Hinduism, Indian, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, NepaliMeans
"brown, yellow, tawny" in Sanskrit, and by extension
"monkey, horse, lion". This is another name of the Hindu god
Vishnu, and sometimes of
Krishna. It is also borne by the son of the Garuda, the bird-like mount of Vishnu.
Harlan m EnglishFrom a surname that was from a place name meaning
"hare land" in Old English. In America it has sometimes been given in honour of Supreme Court justice John Marshall Harlan (1833-1911).
Harley m & f EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from a place name, itself from Old English
hara "hare" or
hær "rock, heap of stones" and
leah "woodland, clearing". An American name for boys since the 19th century, it began to be used for girls after a character with the name began appearing on the soap opera
Guiding Light in 1987.
Harlow f & m EnglishFrom an English surname derived from a place name, itself derived from Old English
hær "rock, heap of stones" or
here "army", combined with
hlaw "hill". As a name for girls, it received some attention in 2008 when the American celebrity Nicole Richie used it for her daughter.
Harold m EnglishFrom the Old English name
Hereweald, derived from the elements
here "army" and
weald "powerful, mighty". The Old Norse cognate
Haraldr was also common among Scandinavian settlers in England. This was the name of five kings of Norway and three kings of Denmark. It was also borne by two kings of England, both of whom were from mixed Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon backgrounds, including Harold II who lost the Battle of Hastings (and was killed in it), which led to the Norman Conquest. After the conquest the name died out, but it was eventually revived in the 19th century.
Harper f & m EnglishFrom an English surname that originally belonged to a person who played or made harps (Old English
hearpe). A notable bearer was the American author Harper Lee (1926-2016), who wrote
To Kill a Mockingbird. It rapidly gained popularity in the 2000s and 2010s, entering the American top ten for girls in 2015.
Harriet f EnglishEnglish form of
Henriette, and thus a feminine form of
Harry. It was first used in the 17th century, becoming very common in the English-speaking world by the 18th century. Famous bearers include the Americans Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896), the author of
Uncle Tom's Cabin, and the abolitionist Harriet Tubman (1820-1913).
Harrison m EnglishFrom an English surname that meant
"son of Harry". This was the surname of two American presidents, William Henry Harrison (1773-1841) and his grandson Benjamin Harrison (1833-1901). As a given name it reached a low point in America in 1977 before it was revived by the career of actor Harrison Ford (1942-), who starred in such movies as
Star Wars in 1977 and
Indiana Jones in 1984.
Harry m EnglishMedieval English form of
Henry. In modern times it is used as a diminutive of both
Henry and names beginning with
Har. Famous bearers include the American president Harry S. Truman (1884-1972), who was named after his uncle Harrison, and the British royal Prince Harry (1984-), who is actually named Henry. It is also the name of the boy wizard in J. K. Rowling's
Harry Potter series of books, first released in 1997.
Harsha m Indian, Kannada, Telugu, SanskritMeans
"happiness" in Sanskrit. This was the name of a 7th-century emperor of northern India. He was also noted as an author.