ADDISONf & mEnglishFrom an English surname meaning "son of
ADAM". Its recent popularity as a feminine name stems from its similarity in sound to
Madison.
AONGHUSmIrish, Scottish, Irish MythologyPossibly meaning "one strength" derived from Irish
óen "one" and
gus "force, strength, energy". Aonghus (sometimes surnamed
Mac Og meaning "young son") was the Irish god of love and youth. The name was also borne by an 8th-century Pictish king and several Irish kings.
ASHURBANIPALmAncient Assyrian (Anglicized)From Akkadian
Ashur-bani-apli meaning "
ASHUR is creator of a son". This was the name of one of the final kings of the Assyrian Empire, reigning late in the 7th century BC. He appears in the Old Testament under the name
Asnappar.
BARNABASmGerman (Rare), English (Rare), Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical GreekGreek form of an Aramaic name. In Acts in the New Testament the byname Barnabas was given to a man named
Joseph, a Jew from Cyprus who was a companion of
Paul on his missionary journeys. The original Aramaic form is unattested, but it may be from
בּר נביא (bar naviya') meaning "son of the prophet", though in Acts 4:36 it is claimed that the name means "son of encouragement". As an English name, it came into occasional use after the 12th century.
BARTHOLOMEWmEnglish, BiblicalFrom
Βαρθολομαιος (Bartholomaios), which was the Greek form of an Aramaic name meaning "son of
TALMAI". In the New Testament
Bartholomew is the byname of an apostle, possibly the same person as the apostle
Nathanael. According to tradition he was a missionary to India before returning westward to Armenia, where he was martyred by flaying. Due to the popularity of this saint the name became common in England during the Middle Ages.
BENJAMINmEnglish, French, German, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
בִּנְיָמִין (Binyamin) which means "son of the south" or "son of the right hand", from the roots
בֵּן (ben) meaning "son" and
יָמִין (yamin) meaning "right hand, south". Benjamin in the Old Testament is the twelfth and youngest son of
Jacob and the founder of one of the southern tribes of the Hebrews. He was originally named
בֶּן־אוֹנִי (Ben-'oni) meaning "son of my sorrow" by his mother
Rachel, who died shortly after childbirth, but it was later changed by his father (see Genesis 35:18).
... [more] BEVANmWelshFrom a Welsh surname which was derived from
ap Evan meaning "son of
EVAN".
CADENmEnglish (Modern)Sometimes explained as a derivative of the Irish surname
Caden, which is a reduced form of the Gaelic surname
Mac Cadáin meaning "son of Cadán". In actuality, its popularity in America beginning in the 1990s is due to its sound - it shares its fashionable
aden suffix sound with other popular names like
Hayden,
Aidan and
Braden.
CLANCYmIrish, English (Rare)From the Irish surname
Mac Fhlannchaidh which means "son of Flannchadh". The Gaelic name Flannchadh means "red warrior".
CORMACmIrishPossibly derived from Irish Gaelic
corb "raven" or "wheel" and
mac "son". This was the name of a 3rd-century king of Ireland.
DAWSONmEnglishFrom a surname meaning "son of
DAVID". This name was popularized in the late 1990s by the television drama 'Dawson's Creek'.
DUMUZImSumerian MythologyFrom Sumerian
𒌉 (dumu) meaning "son, child" and
𒍣 (zid) meaning "true, loyal". This was the name of a Sumerian god of shepherds and vegetation, the husband of
Inanna. He was said to spend half of each year in the underworld, resulting in the yearly cycle of seasons. He was known to the Semitic peoples of Mesopotamia as
Tammuz.
EDISONmEnglishFrom an English surname which meant either "son of
EDA (2)" or "son of
ADAM". A famous bearer of the surname was the inventor Thomas Edison (1847-1931).
EMERSONm & fEnglishFrom an English surname meaning "son of
EMERY". The surname was borne by Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), an American writer and philosopher who wrote about transcendentalism.
FIGAROmLiteratureCreated by playwright Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais for the central character in his plays 'The Barber of Seville' (1775), 'The Marriage of Figaro' (1784) and 'The Guilty Mother' (1792). Beaumarchais may have based the character's name on the French phrase
fils Caron meaning "son of Caron", which was his own nickname and would have been pronounced in a similar way. In modern French the word
figaro has acquired the meaning "barber", reflecting the character's profession.
FITZmEnglish (Rare)Short form of various given names which are derived from surnames beginning with Norman French
fitz meaning "son of" (for example
FITZROY).
FITZROYmEnglish (Rare)From an English surname meaning "son of the king" in Old French, originally given to illegitimate sons of monarchs.
GILROYmIrish, ScottishFrom an Irish surname, either
Mac Giolla Ruaidh, which means "son of the red-haired servant", or
Mac Giolla Rí, which means "son of the king's servant".
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.
GRAYSONmEnglish (Modern)From an English surname meaning "son of the steward", derived from Middle English
greyve "steward".
HACHIROUmJapaneseFrom Japanese
八 (hachi) meaning "eight" and
郎 (rou) meaning "son". This was traditionally a name for the eighth son. Other kanji combinations are also possible.
HÅKONmNorwegianModern Norwegian form of the Old Norse name
Hákon, which meant "high son" from
há "high" and
konr "son, descendant". This was the name of seven kings of Norway.
HARRISONmEnglishFrom an English surname which meant "son of
HARRY". This was the surname of two American presidents, William Henry Harrison (1773-1841) and his grandson Benjamin Harrison (1833-1901). The actor Harrison Ford (1942-), who starred in such movies as 'Star Wars' and 'Indiana Jones', is a famous bearer.
HUDSONmEnglishFrom an English surname which meant "son of
HUDDE". A famous bearer of the surname was the English explorer Henry Hudson (1570-1611).
ICHIROUmJapaneseFrom Japanese
一 (ichi) meaning "one" and
郎 (rou) meaning "son". This was traditionally a name given to the first son. Other combinations of kanji characters are also possible.
JACKSONmEnglishFrom an English surname meaning "son of
JACK". A famous bearer of the surname was American president Andrew Jackson (1767-1845).
JEFFERSONmEnglishFrom an English surname meaning "son of
JEFFREY". It is usually given in honour of Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), the third president of the United States and the primary author of the Declaration of Independence.
JIROUmJapaneseFrom Japanese
二 (ji) meaning "two" and
郎 (rou) meaning "son". This was traditionally a name given to the second son. Other combinations of kanji characters can also be possible.
JUUROUmJapaneseFrom Japanese
十 (juu) meaning "ten" and
郎 (rou) meaning "son". Traditionally this name was given to the tenth son. Other combinations of kanji characters are possible as well.
KATSUROUmJapaneseFrom Japanese
勝 (katsu) meaning "victory" and
郎 (rou) meaning "son". Different kanji characters can combine to form this name as well.
KENDRICKmEnglishFrom a surname which has several different origins. It could be from the Old English given names
Cyneric "royal power" or
Cenric "bold power", or from the Welsh name
Cynwrig "chief hero". It can also be an Anglicized form of the Gaelic surname
Mac Eanraig meaning "son of
HENRY".
KERMITmEnglishFrom a Manx surname, a variant of the Irish surname
MacDermott meaning "son of
DIARMAID". Theodore Roosevelt used it for one of his sons. The name is now associated with Kermit the Frog, one of the Muppets created by puppeteer Jim Henson.
KICHIROUmJapaneseFrom Japanese
吉 (kichi) meaning "good luck" and
郎 (rou) meaning "son". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
KUMARAmHinduismDerived from Sanskrit
कुमार (kumara) meaning "boy, son". In Hindu texts this is an epithet of both the fire god
Agni and the war god
Skanda.
KUROUmJapaneseFrom Japanese
九 (ku) meaning "nine" and
郎 (rou) meaning "son". This name was traditionally given to the ninth son. Other combinations of kanji characters are also possible.
MACBETHmHistoryAnglicized form of the Gaelic given name
Mac Beatha meaning "son of life", implying holiness. This was the name of an 11th-century Scottish king. Shakespeare based his play 'Macbeth' loosely on this king's life.
MACK (1)mEnglishFrom a surname which was originally a shortened form of various Gaelic surnames beginning with
Mac or
Mc (from Gaelic
mac meaning "son"). It is also used as a generic slang term for a man.
MACKENZIEf & mEnglishFrom the Gaelic surname
Mac Coinnich, which means "son of
COINNEACH". A famous bearer of the surname was William Lyon MacKenzie (1795-1861), a Canadian journalist and political rebel. As a feminine given name, it was popularized by the American actress Mackenzie Phillips (1959-).
MADDOXmEnglish (Modern)From a Welsh surname meaning "son of
MADOC". It was brought to public attention when the actress Angelina Jolie gave this name to her adopted son in 2002.
MADISONf & mEnglishFrom an English surname meaning "son of
MAUD". It was not commonly used as a feminine name until after the movie 'Splash' (1984), in which the main character adopted it as her name after seeing a street sign for Madison Avenue in New York City. A famous bearer of the surname was James Madison (1751-1836), one of the authors of the American constitution who later served as president.
MOACIRmNative American, TupiPossibly means "son of pain" in Tupi. This is the name of the son of
Iracema and Martim in the novel 'Iracema' (1865) by José de Alencar.
MOSESmEnglish, Jewish, Biblical, Biblical LatinFrom the Hebrew name
מֹשֶׁה (Mosheh) which is most likely derived from Egyptian
mes meaning "son", but could also possibly mean "deliver" in Hebrew. The meaning suggested in the Old Testament of "drew out" from Hebrew
משה (mashah) is probably an invented etymology (see Exodus 2:10). The biblical Moses was drawn out of the Nile by the pharaoh's daughter and adopted into the royal family, at a time when the Israelites were slaves in Egypt. With his brother
Aaron he demanded the pharaoh release the Israelites, which was only done after God sent ten plagues upon Egypt. Moses led the people across the Red Sea and to Mount Sinai, where he received the Ten Commandments from God. After 40 years of wandering in the desert the people reached Canaan, the Promised Land, but Moses died just before entering it.
... [more] NABOPOLASSARmBabylonian (Anglicized)From the Akkadian name
Nabu-apla-usur meaning "Nabu protect my son", derived from the god's name
NABU combined with
aplu meaning "son, heir" and an imperative form of
naṣāru meaning "to protect". This was the name of a 7th-century BC king of the Babylonian Empire, the first of the Chaldean dynasty.
NEBUCHADNEZZARmBabylonian (Anglicized), BiblicalFrom
נְבוּכַדְנֶאצֲּר (Nevukhadnetzzar), the Hebrew form of the Akkadian name
Nabu-kudurri-usur meaning "Nabu protect my eldest son", derived from the god's name
NABU combined with
kudurru meaning "eldest son" and an imperative form of
naṣāru meaning "to protect". This name was borne by a 12th-century BC king of the Babylonian Empire. It was also borne by a 6th-century BC king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. He captured Jerusalem, and ultimately destroyed the city's temple and deported many of its citizens, as told in the Old Testament.
NEELYmEnglishFrom a Scottish surname, an Anglicized form of
Mac an Fhilidh meaning "son of the poet" in Gaelic.
NELSONmEnglishFrom an English surname meaning "son of
NEIL". It was originally given in honour of the British admiral Horatio Nelson (1758-1805). His most famous battle was the Battle of Trafalgar, in which he destroyed a combined French and Spanish fleet, but was himself killed. Another notable bearer was the South African statesman Nelson Mandela (1918-2013). Mandela's birth name was
Rolihlahla; as a child he was given the English name
Nelson by a teacher.
PARRYmWelshFrom a Welsh surname which was derived from
ap Harry meaning "son of
HARRY".
PERRYmEnglishFrom a surname which is either English or Welsh in origin. It can be derived from Middle English
perrie meaning "pear tree", or else from Welsh
ap Herry, meaning "son of
HERRY". A famous bearer of the surname was Matthew Perry (1794-1858), the American naval officer who opened Japan to the West.
PRICEmWelshFrom a Welsh surname which was derived from
ap Rhys meaning "son of
RHYS".
REUBENmBiblical, Hebrew, EnglishMeans "behold, a son" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament he is the eldest son of
Jacob and
Leah and the ancestor of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. Reuben was cursed by his father because he slept with Jacob's concubine
Bilhah. It has been used as a Christian name in Britain since the Protestant Reformation.
ROKUROUmJapaneseFrom Japanese
六 (roku) meaning "six" and
郎 (rou) meaning "son". This name was traditionally given to the sixth son. Other combinations of kanji characters can be possible.
SABUROUmJapaneseFrom Japanese
三 (sabu) meaning "three" and
郎 (rou) meaning "son". This was traditionally a name for the third son. Other kanji combinations are possible as well.
SHAPURmPersianMeans "son of the king" in Persian. This was the name of three Sassanid emperors.
SHICHIROUmJapaneseFrom Japanese
七 (shichi) meaning "seven" and
郎 (rou) meaning "son". This was traditionally a name given to the seventh son. Other kanji combinations can be possible.
SHIROUmJapaneseFrom Japanese
四 (shi) meaning "four" and
郎 (rou) meaning "son". This was traditionally a name for the fourth son. Other kanji combinations are possible.
TAROUmJapaneseFrom Japanese
太 (ta) meaning "thick, big" and
郎 (rou) meaning "son". Other kanji combinations are possible.
TAVISHmScottishAnglicized form of
Thàmhais, vocative case of
TÀMHAS. Alternatively it could be taken from the Scottish surname
MacTavish, Anglicized form of
Mac Tàmhais, meaning "son of Thomas".
TENNYSONmEnglish (Rare)From an English surname which meant "son of Tenney",
Tenney being a medieval form of
DENIS. A notable bearer of the surname was British poet Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809-1892).
TIGLATH-PILESERmBiblical, Biblical HebrewFrom
תִּגְלַת פִּלְאֶסֶר (Tiglat Pil'eser), the Hebrew form of Akkadian
Tukulti-apil-esharra meaning "my trust is in the son of Esharra", Esharra being the main temple dedicated to the god
Ashur in the city of Ashur. This was the name of three kings of Assyria, including the conqueror Tiglath-Pileser III (8th century BC), who is mentioned in the Old Testament.
WILSONmEnglishFrom an English surname meaning "son of
WILLIAM". The surname was borne by Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924), the American president during World War I.
XIMENOmMedieval SpanishMedieval Spanish or Basque name of uncertain meaning. It is possibly a form of
SIMON (1), though it may in fact derive from Basque
seme meaning "son".
YANCYmEnglishFrom a surname, which was an Americanized form of the Dutch surname
Jansen meaning "
JAN (1)'s son".
YOSHIROUmJapaneseFrom Japanese
義 (yoshi) meaning "righteous" and
郎 (rou) meaning "son". Other kanji combinations are also possible.