AFONf & mWelshMeans "river" in Welsh. This is a Welsh name of recent origin.
ALTONmEnglishFrom an Old English surname which was derived from a place name meaning "town at the source of the river".
ANAT (1)fNear Eastern MythologyPossibly derived from a Semitic root meaning "water spring". Anat was a goddess of fertility, hunting and war worshipped in many regions of the ancient near east. She was the sister and consort of the god
Hadad.
ASHERAHfNear Eastern MythologyPerhaps derived from Semitic roots meaning "she who walks in the sea". This was the name of an ancient Israelite goddess who was worshipped before the advent of monotheism.
BECKETTmEnglish (Modern)From an English surname which could be derived from various sources, including from Middle English
beke meaning "beak" or
bekke meaning "stream, brook".
BEVERLYf & mEnglishFrom a surname which was originally derived from the name of an English city, itself meaning "beaver stream" in Old English. It came into use as a masculine given name in the 19th century, and it became common as an American feminine name after the publication of George Barr McCutcheon's novel 'Beverly of Graustark' (1904).
BOLÍVARmSpanish (Latin American)From a surname which was taken from the Basque place name
Bolibar, which was derived from
bolu "mill" and
ibar "riverside". A famous bearer of the surname was Simón Bolívar (1783-1830), a South American revolutionary leader, after whom the country of Bolivia is named.
CANSUfTurkishFrom Turkish
can meaning "soul, life" and
su meaning "water".
CLINTONmEnglishFrom a surname which was originally from an Old English place name meaning "settlement on the River Glyme". A famous bearer of the surname was American president Bill Clinton (1946-).
CONWAYmEnglishFrom a surname which was derived from the name of the River Conwy, which possibly means "holy water" in Welsh.
DACREmEnglish (Rare)From a surname which was originally derived from a place name in Cumbria, of Brythonic origin meaning "trickling stream".
DERYAf & mTurkishMeans "sea, ocean" in Turkish, ultimately from Persian.
DOUGLASmScottish, EnglishAnglicized form of the Scottish surname
Dubhghlas, meaning "dark river" from Gaelic
dubh "dark" and
glais "water, river" (an archaic word related to
glas "grey, green"). Douglas was originally a place name (for example, a tributary of the River Clyde), which then became a Scottish clan name borne by a powerful line of earls. It has been used as a given name since the 16th century.
EA (1)mNear Eastern MythologyMeaning unknown, perhaps from Sumerian meaning "house of water". This was the Akkadian and Babylonian name of the Sumerian water god
Enki.
GLYNDWRmWelshFrom a Welsh surname which was originally derived from a place name meaning "valley water". This name is often given in honour of Owain Glyndwr, a 14th-century Welsh patriot who led a revolt against England.
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.
GYATSOmTibetanFrom Tibetan
རྒྱ་མཚོ (rgya-mtsho) meaning "ocean". This is one of the given names of the current Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso (1935-).
HAIm & fChineseFrom Chinese
海 (hǎi) meaning "sea, ocean" or other characters which are pronounced similarly.
HEf & mChineseFrom Chinese
河 (hé) meaning "river, stream",
和 (hé) meaning "harmony, peace", or
荷 (hé) meaning "lotus, water lily" (which is usually only feminine). Other characters can form this name as well. A famous bearer was the 15th-century explorer Zheng He.
IARAfNative American, TupiFrom Tupi
y "water" and
îara "lady, mistress". In Brazilian legend this is the name of a beautiful river nymph who would lure men into the water. She may have been based upon earlier Tupi legends.
INDIAfEnglishFrom the name of the country, which is itself derived from the name of the Indus River. The river's name is ultimately from Sanskrit
सिन्धु (Sindhu) meaning "body of trembling water, river".
IRVINGmEnglish, Scottish, JewishFrom a Scottish surname which was in turn derived from a Scottish place name meaning "green water". Historically this name has been relatively common among Jews, who have used it as an American-sounding form of Hebrew names beginning with
I such as
Isaac,
Israel and
Isaiah. A famous bearer was the Russian-American songwriter and lyricist Irving Berlin (1888-1989), whose birth name was Israel Beilin.
JAFARmArabic, IranianMeans "stream" in Arabic. Jafar ibn Abi Talib was a cousin of the Prophet
Muhammad who was killed fighting against Byzantium in the 7th century. Another notable bearer was Jafar al-Sadiq, the sixth Shia imam.
JIANGm & fChineseFrom Chinese
江 (jiāng) meaning "river, Yangtze", as well as other characters with a similar pronunciation.
JUBALmBiblicalMeans "stream" in Hebrew. This name is mentioned in Genesis in the Old Testament as belonging to the first person to be a musician.
KAIMANAm & fHawaiianFrom Hawaiian
kai "ocean, sea" and
mana "power". It is also Hawaiian meaning "diamond", derived from the English word
diamond.
KAITOmJapaneseFrom Japanese
海 (kai) meaning "sea, ocean" combined with
斗 (to), which refers to a Chinese constellation, or
翔 (to) meaning "soar, fly". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
KAREN (3)fJapaneseFrom Japanese
華 (ka) meaning "flower" and
蓮 (ren) meaning "lotus, water lily". Other combinations of kanji can also form this name.
KELVINmEnglishFrom the name of a Scottish river, perhaps meaning "narrow water". As a title it was borne by the Irish-Scottish physicist William Thomson, Lord Kelvin (1824-1907), who acquired his title from the river.
KENDALLm & fEnglishFrom a surname which comes from the name of the city of Kendale in northwest England meaning "valley on the river Kent".
KENTONmEnglishFrom a surname which was derived from an English place name meaning either "town on the River Kenn" or "royal town" in Old English.
LAKEm & fEnglish (Rare)From the English word
lake, for the inland body of water. It is ultimately derived from Latin
lacus.
LAMARmEnglish, African AmericanFrom a French and English surname, originally from a place name in Normandy, which was derived from Old French
la mare meaning "the pool".
LINCOLNmEnglishFrom a surname which was originally from the name of a city in England, called
Lindum Colonia by the Romans, derived from Brythonic
lindo "lake, pool" and Latin
colonia "colony". This name is usually given in honour of Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), president of the United States during the American Civil War.
LINWOODmEnglishFrom a surname which was originally from a place name meaning "stream forest" in Old English.
LLYRmWelsh MythologyMeans "the sea" in Welsh. This was the name of the Welsh god of the sea. He possibly forms the basis for the legendary King Lear of the Britons.
LYNNf & mEnglishFrom an English surname which was derived from Welsh
llyn "lake". Before the start of the 20th century it was primarily used for boys, but it has since come to be more common for girls. In some cases it may be thought of as a short form of
LINDA or names that end in
lyn or
line.
MANAMIfJapaneseFrom Japanese
愛 (mana) meaning "love, affection" combined with
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" or
海 (mi) meaning "sea, ocean". Other kanji combinations are possible.
MARISfEnglish (Rare)Means "of the sea", taken from the Latin title of the Virgin
Mary,
Stella Maris, meaning "star of the sea".
MARLOWEfEnglish (Modern)From a surname which was derived from a place name meaning "remnants of a lake" in Old English.
MARYfEnglish, BiblicalUsual English form of
Maria, the Latin form of the New Testament Greek names
Μαριαμ (Mariam) and
Μαρια (Maria) - the spellings are interchangeable - which were from Hebrew
מִרְיָם (Miryam), a name borne by the sister of
Moses in the Old Testament. The meaning is not known for certain, but there are several theories including "sea of bitterness", "rebelliousness", and "wished for child". However it was most likely originally an Egyptian name, perhaps derived in part from
mry "beloved" or
mr "love".
... [more] MAXWELLmEnglishFrom a Scottish surname meaning "Mack's stream", from the name
Mack, a short form of the Scandinavian name
MAGNUS, combined with Old English
wella "stream". A famous bearer of the surname was James Maxwell (1831-1879), a Scottish physicist who studied gases and electromagnetism.
MEHRABmPersian, LiteratureFrom
مهر (Mehr), the Persian word for
MITHRA, combined with Persian
آب (ab) "water". This is the name of a character in the 11th-century Persian epic the 'Shahnameh'.
MERAUDfCornishMeaning unknown, perhaps based on Cornish
mor "sea".
MEREDITHm & fWelsh, EnglishFrom the Welsh name
Maredudd or
Meredydd, possibly meaning "great lord" or "sea lord". Since the mid-1920s it has been used more often for girls than for boys in English-speaking countries, though it is still a masculine name in Wales. A famous bearer of this name as surname was the English novelist and poet George Meredith (1828-1909).
MERLINmArthurian Romance, EnglishForm of the Welsh name
Myrddin (meaning "sea fortress") used by Geoffrey of Monmouth in his 12th-century Arthurian tales. Writing in Latin, he likely chose the form
Merlinus over
Merdinus in order to prevent associations with French
merde "excrement".
... [more] MERTONmEnglishFrom a surname which was derived from a place name meaning "town on a lake" in Old English.
MILBURNmEnglishFrom an English surname which was from a place name meaning "mill stream" in Old English.
MOANAf & mMaori, Hawaiian, TahitianMeans "ocean, wide expanse of water, deep sea" in Maori and Hawaiian (as well as in other Polynesian languages).
MORGAN (1)m & fWelsh, English, FrenchFrom the Old Welsh masculine name
Morcant, which was possibly derived from Welsh
mor "sea" and
cant "circle". Since the 1980s in America
Morgan has been more common for girls than boys, perhaps due to stories of
Morgan le Fay or the fame of actress Morgan Fairchild (1950-).
MORTIMERmEnglishFrom an English surname which was derived from a place name meaning "still water" in Old French.
MUIRmScottishFrom a surname which was originally taken from a Scottish place name meaning "moor, fen". It also means "sea" in Scottish Gaelic.
MUIRGELfIrishMeans "bright sea", derived from Gaelic
muir "sea" and
geal "bright".
MUIRGENfIrish, Irish MythologyMeans "born of the sea" in Gaelic. In Irish legend this was the name of a woman (originally named
Líban) who was transformed into a mermaid. After 300 years she was brought to shore, baptized, and transformed back into a woman.
NANAMIfJapaneseFrom Japanese
七 (nana) meaning "seven" and
海 (mi) meaning "sea". It can also come from
菜 (na) meaning "vegetables, greens" duplicated and
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
NEREIDAfSpanishDerived from Greek
Νηρειδες (Nereides) meaning "nymphs, sea sprites", ultimately derived from the name of the Greek sea god
NEREUS, who supposedly fathered them.
NEREUSmGreek Mythology, Ancient Greek, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical GreekDerived from Greek
νηρος (neros) meaning "water". In Greek myth this was the name of a god of the sea, the father of the Nereids. It is mentioned briefly in the New Testament, belonging to a Christian in Rome. This was also the name of a Roman saint of the 1st century, a member of the army, who was martyred with his companion Achilleus because they refused to execute Christians.
NERISSAfLiteratureCreated by Shakespeare for a character in his play 'The Merchant of Venice' (1596). He possibly took it from Greek
Νηρεις (Nereis) meaning "nymph, sea sprite", ultimately derived from the name of the Greek sea god
NEREUS, who supposedly fathered them.
OCEANm & fEnglish (Rare)Simply from the English word
ocean for a large body of water. It is ultimately derived from Greek
Ωκεανος (Okeanos), the name of the body of water thought to surround the Earth.
PEGASUSmGreek Mythology (Latinized)From the Greek
Πηγασος (Pegasos), possibly either from
πηγος (pegos) "strong" or
πηγαιος (pegaios) "from a water spring". In Greek mythology Pegasus was the winged horse that sprang from the blood of Medusa after she was killed by
Perseus. There is a constellation in the northern sky named after the horse.
PONTIUSmAncient Roman, Biblical Latin, BiblicalRoman family name. The family had Samnite roots so the name probably originated from the Oscan language, likely meaning "fifth" (a cognate of Latin
Quintus). Alternatively, it could be derived from the name of the ancient province of
Pontus in Asia Minor, itself probably from Greek
ποντος (pontos) "sea". A notable bearer of this name was Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea who appears in the New Testament.
RAEBURNmEnglish (Rare)From a surname which was originally derived from a Scottish place name meaning "stream where does drink" in Middle English. A famous bearer of the surname was Scottish portrait painter Sir Henry Raeburn (1756-1823).
RAYYANm & fArabicMeans "watered, luxuriant" in Arabic. According to Islamic tradition this is the name of one of the gates of paradise.
RIO (1)mVariousMeans "river" in Spanish or Portuguese. A city in Brazil bears this name. Its full name is Rio de Janeiro, which means "river of January", so named because the first explorers came to the harbour in January and mistakenly thought it was a river mouth.
RIVERm & fEnglish (Modern)From the English word that denotes a flowing body of water. The word is ultimately derived (via Old French) from Latin
ripa "riverbank".
ROSEMARYfEnglishCombination of
ROSE and
MARY. This name can also be given in reference to the herb, which gets its name from Latin
ros marinus meaning "dew of the sea". It came into use as a given name in the 19th century.
SEVANf & mArmenianFrom the name of the largest lake in Armenia, which may be from the Urartian word
suinia simply meaning "lake".
SHUIm & fChineseFrom Chinese
水 (shuǐ) meaning "water", as well as other characters pronounced in a similar way.
SOHRABmPersian, Persian MythologyProbably from Middle Persian
swhr "red" and
ab "water". In the 11th-century Persian epic the 'Shahnameh' this is the name of the son of the hero
Rostam. He was tragically slain in battle by his father, who was unaware he was fighting his own son.
TAKUMImJapaneseFrom Japanese
匠 (takumi) meaning "artisan" or
巧 (takumi) meaning "skillful". It can also come from
拓 (taku) meaning "expand, open, support" combined with
海 (mi) meaning "sea, ocean" or
実 (mi) meaning "fruit, good result, truth". This name can also be formed of other kanji combinations.
TALLULAHfEnglish (Rare)Popularly claimed to mean "leaping waters" in the Choctaw language, it may actually mean "town" in the Creek language. This is the name of waterfalls in Georgia. It was borne by American actress Tallulah Bankhead (1902-1968), who was named after her grandmother, who may have been named after the waterfalls.
TIAMATfNear Eastern MythologyFrom Akkadian
tâmtu meaning "sea". In Babylonian myth Tiamat was the personification of the sea, appearing in the form of a huge dragon. By Apsu she gave birth to the first of the gods. Later, the god
Marduk (her great-grandson) defeated her, cut her in half, and used the pieces of her body to make the earth and the sky.
TIRTAm & fIndonesianMeans "sacred water, place of pilgrimage" in Indonesian, ultimately from Sanskrit
तीर्थ (tirtha).
VÄINÄMÖINENmFinnish MythologyDerived from Finnish
väinä "wide and slow-flowing river". In Finnish mythology Väinämöinen was a wise old magician, the son of the primal goddess
Ilmatar. He is the hero of the Finnish epic the 'Kalevala'.
VALEfEnglishFrom the English word meaning "wide river valley".
WALTONmEnglishFrom a surname which was originally taken from various Old English place names meaning "stream town", "wood town", or "wall town".
WILBURNmEnglishFrom a surname which was probably originally derived from an unknown place name. The second element corresponds with Old English
burne "stream".
WILTONmEnglishFrom a surname which was derived from the names of several English towns. The town names mean variously "willow town", "well town" or "town on the River Wylye" in Old English. The river name is itself of Celtic origin, possibly meaning "tricky".
WINDSORm & fEnglish (Rare)From an English surname which was from a place name meaning "riverbank with a windlass" in Old English (a windlass is a lifting apparatus). This has been the surname of the royal family of the United Kingdom since 1917.
YAMmNear Eastern MythologyMeans "sea" in Ugaritic. Yam was the Ugaritic god of the sea, also associated with chaos, storms and destruction. He was a son of the chief god
El.
YANGm & fChineseFrom Chinese
洋 (yáng) meaning "ocean" or
阳 (yáng) meaning "light, sun, male" (which is typically only masculine), as well as other Chinese characters pronounced similarly.
YOUKOfJapaneseFrom Japanese
陽 (you) meaning "light, sun, male" or
洋 (you) meaning "ocean" combined with
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other combinations of kanji characters are possible.