Ægir m Norse MythologyMeans
"sea, ocean" in Old Norse. According to Norse mythology Ægir was a god or giant (jǫtunn) who lived under the ocean.
Aeron m & f WelshFrom the name of the Welsh river Aeron, itself probably derived from the hypothetical Celtic goddess
Agrona. Alternatively, the name could be taken from Welsh
aeron meaning
"berries".
Afon f & m Welsh (Rare)Means
"river" in Welsh. This is a Welsh name of recent origin.
Alton m EnglishFrom an Old English surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"town at the source of the river".
Anat 1 f Semitic MythologyPossibly derived from a Semitic root meaning
"water spring". Anat was a goddess of fertility, hunting and war worshipped by the Semitic peoples of the Levant. She was the sister and consort of the god
Hadad.
Arethusa f Greek Mythology (Latinized)From Greek
Ἀρέθουσα (Arethousa) meaning
"quick water", which is possibly derived from
ἄρδω (ardo) meaning "water" and
θοός (thoos) meaning "quick, nimble". This was the name of a nymph in Greek mythology who was transformed into a fountain.
Asherah f Semitic MythologyPerhaps derived from Semitic roots meaning
"she who walks in the sea". This was the name of a Semitic mother goddess. She was worshipped by the Israelites before the advent of monotheism.
Aysu f TurkishDerived from Turkish
ay meaning "moon" and
su meaning "water".
Beckett m English (Modern)From an English surname that could be derived from various sources, including from Middle English
beke meaning
"beak" or
bekke meaning
"stream, brook".
Beverly f & m EnglishFrom an English surname that was originally derived from the name of a Yorkshire city, itself from Old English
beofor "beaver" and (possibly)
licc "stream". It came into use as a masculine given name in the 19th century, then became common as an American feminine name after the publication of George Barr McCutcheon's 1904 novel
Beverly of Graustark. It was most popular in the 1930s, and has since greatly declined in use.
Bolívar m Spanish (Latin American)From a surname that 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.
Cansu f TurkishFrom Turkish
can meaning "soul, life" and
su meaning "water".
Clinton m EnglishFrom an English surname that was originally derived from towns named
Glinton, of uncertain meaning, or
Glympton, meaning
"settlement on the River Glyme". A famous bearer of the surname is former American president Bill Clinton (1946-).
Conway m EnglishFrom a Welsh surname that was derived from the name of the River Conwy, which possibly means "holy water" in Welsh.
Dacre m English (Rare)From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name in Cumbria, of Brythonic origin meaning
"trickling stream".
Derya f TurkishMeans
"sea, ocean" in Turkish, ultimately from Persian.
Douglas m Scottish, EnglishFrom a Scottish surname that was from the name of a town in Lanarkshire, itself named after a tributary of the River Clyde called the Douglas Water. It means
"dark river", derived from Gaelic
dubh "dark" and
glais "water, river" (an archaic word related to
glas "grey, green"). This was a Scottish Lowland clan, the leaders of which were powerful earls in the medieval period. The Gaelic form is
Dùghlas or
Dùbhghlas. It has been used as a given name since the 16th century.
Ea 1 m Semitic MythologyMeaning unknown, perhaps from Sumerian meaning
"house of water", or perhaps of Akkadian or Hurrian origin. This was the Akkadian, Assyrian, Hurrian and Babylonian name of the Sumerian water god
Enki.
Glyndwr m WelshGiven in honour of Owain Glyndwr (or
Glyn Dŵr, Anglicized as
Glendower), a 14th-century Welsh patriot who led a revolt against England. His byname means
"valley water", and was probably inspired by the name of his estate at Glyndyfrdwy (meaning "valley of the River
Dee").
Guadalupe f & m SpanishFrom 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.
Gwenfrewi f Welsh (Rare)Derived from Welsh
gwen meaning "white, fair, blessed" combined with another element of uncertain meaning. It could possibly be Welsh
ffreu meaning "stream, flow" or the obscure word
ffrewi meaning "pacify, quell, reconcile". This may be the original form of
Winifred. In any case, it is the Welsh name for the saint.
Gyatso m TibetanFrom Tibetan
རྒྱ་མཚོ (rgya-mtsho) meaning
"ocean". This is one of the given names of the current Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso (1935-).
Hai m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
海 (hǎi) meaning "sea, ocean" or other characters that are pronounced similarly.
He f & m ChineseFrom 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.
Iara f Indigenous American, TupiMeans
"lady of the water" in Tupi, from
y "water" and
îara "lady, mistress". In Brazilian folklore 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.
India f English, Spanish (Modern)From 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". India Wilkes is a character in the novel
Gone with the Wind (1936) by Margaret Mitchell.
Irving m English, JewishFrom a Scottish surname that was derived from the town of Irvine in North Ayrshire, itself named for the River Irvine, which is derived from Brythonic elements 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.
Jafar m Arabic, PersianMeans
"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.
Jiang m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
江 (jiāng) meaning "river, Yangtze", as well as other characters with a similar pronunciation.
Jubal m BiblicalMeans
"stream" in Hebrew. This name is mentioned in Genesis in the Old Testament as belonging to the first person to be a musician.
Jūratė f LithuanianFrom Lithuanian
jūra meaning
"sea". This is the name of a sea goddess who falls in love with a fisherman in the Lithuanian folk tale
Jūratė and Kastytis.
Kaimana m & f HawaiianFrom Hawaiian
kai "ocean, sea" and
mana "power". It is also Hawaiian meaning "diamond", derived from the English word
diamond.
Kaito m JapaneseFrom 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 f JapaneseFrom Japanese
華 (ka) meaning "flower" and
蓮 (ren) meaning "lotus, water lily". Other combinations of kanji can also form this name.
Kelvin m EnglishFrom 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.
Kendall m & f EnglishFrom an English surname that comes from the name of the city of Kendale in northwest England meaning
"valley on the river Kent". Originally mostly masculine, the name received a boost in popularity for girls in 1993 when the devious character Kendall Hart began appearing on the American soap opera
All My Children.
Kenton m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from an English place name meaning either "town on the River Kenn" or "royal town" in Old English.
Lake m & f English (Rare)From the English word
lake, for the inland body of water. It is ultimately derived from Latin
lacus.
Lamar m English, 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". In the second half of the 20th century this name has been well-used in the African-American community, probably because of its popular phonetic components
la and
mar.
Ler m Irish MythologyMeans
"the sea" in Old Irish. Ler was probably an Irish god or personification of the sea, best known as the father of
Manannán mac Lir.
Lian 2 m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
莲 (lián) meaning "lotus, water lily",
濂 (lián) meaning "waterfall", or other Chinese characters that are pronounced similarly.
Lincoln m EnglishFrom an English surname that was originally from the name of an English city, 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.
Linwood m EnglishFrom an English surname that was originally from a place name meaning
"stream forest" in Old English.
Llŷr m Welsh MythologyMeans
"the sea" in Welsh. According to the
Mabinogi he was the father of
Brân,
Branwen and
Manawydan. His name is cognate with Irish
Ler, and it is typically assumed that Llŷr may have originally been regarded as a god of the sea. He might also be the basis for the legendary King
Leir of the Britons.
Lochlainn m Irish, Old IrishMeans
"Viking, Scandinavian" from Old Irish
Lochlann, a name for Scandinavia. It means "land of the lakes", derived from
loch "lake".
Lynn f & m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from Welsh
llyn meaning
"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.
Mai 4 f ArabicMeans
"water" in Arabic, a dialectal variant of
ماء (ma).
Manami f JapaneseFrom Japanese
愛 (mana) meaning "love, affection" combined with
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" or
海 (mi) meaning "sea, ocean". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Mar f Spanish, CatalanMeans
"sea" in Spanish and Catalan. It is from the title of the Virgin
Mary,
María del Mar.
Maraĵa f EsperantoMeans
"made of the sea" in Esperanto, a derivative of
maro "sea", ultimately from Latin
mare.
Marinus m Ancient Roman, DutchFrom the Roman family name
Marinus, which derives either from the name
Marius or from the Latin word
marinus "of the sea". Saint Marinus was a 4th-century stonemason who built a chapel on Monte Titano, in the country that is today known as San Marino.
Maris 2 f English (Rare)Means
"of the sea", taken from the Latin title of the Virgin
Mary,
Stella Maris, meaning "star of the sea".
Marlowe f & m English (Modern)From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"remnants of a lake" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was the English playwright Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593).
Mary f English, BiblicalUsual English form of
Maria, the Latin form of the New Testament Greek names
Μαριάμ (Mariam) and
Μαρία (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] Maxwell m EnglishFrom a Scottish surname meaning
"Mack's stream", from the name
Mack, a short form of the Scandinavian name
Magnus, combined with Old English
wille "well, stream". A famous bearer of the surname was James Maxwell (1831-1879), a Scottish physicist who studied gases and electromagnetism.
... [more] Mehrab m Persian, LiteratureFrom
مهر (Mehr), the Persian word for
Mithra, combined with Persian
آب (ab) meaning "water". This is the name of the king of Kabul in the 10th-century Persian epic the
Shahnameh.
Meraud f CornishMeaning unknown, perhaps based on Cornish
mor "sea".
Merton m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"town on a lake" in Old English.
Milburn m EnglishFrom an English surname that was from a place name meaning
"mill stream" in Old English.
Morgan 1 m & f Welsh, 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-).
Morgan 2 f Arthurian RomanceModern form of
Morgen, which was used by Geoffrey of Monmouth in the 12th century for the Arthurian sorceress Morgan le Fay, who was unnamed in earlier stories. Geoffrey probably did not derive it from the Welsh masculine name
Morgan, which would have been spelled
Morcant in his time. It is likely from Old Welsh
mor "sea" and the suffix
gen "born of".
Mortimer m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from the name of a town in Normandy, itself meaning
"dead water, still water" in Old French.
Muir m ScottishFrom a Scottish surname, derived from Scots
muir meaning
"moor, fen". This name could also be inspired by Scottish Gaelic
muir meaning
"sea".
Muirgen f Irish MythologyMeans
"born of the sea" in Irish. In Irish legend this was the name of a woman (originally named
Lí Ban) who was transformed into a mermaid. After 300 years she was brought to shore, baptized, and transformed back into a woman.
Myrddin m Welsh Mythology, WelshOriginal Welsh form of
Merlin. It is probably ultimately from the name of the Romano-British settlement
Moridunum, derived from Celtic *
mori "sea" and *
dūnom "rampart, hill fort". Prefixed with Welsh
caer "fort", this town has been called Caerfyrddin (Carmarthen in English) from medieval times. It is thought that
Caerfyrddin may have mistakenly been interpreted as meaning "fort of Myrddin", as if
Myrddin were a personal name instead of a later development of
Moridunum.
... [more] Nanami f JapaneseFrom 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.
Neith f Egyptian Mythology (Hellenized)Greek form of Egyptian
nt, possibly from
nt "water" or
nrw "fear, dread". This was the name of an early Egyptian goddess of weaving, hunting and war. Her character may have some correspondences with the goddesses
Tanith,
Anat or
Athena.
Nereida f SpanishDerived from Greek
Νηρηΐδες (Nereides) meaning
"nymphs, sea sprites", ultimately derived from the name of the Greek sea god
Nereus, who supposedly fathered them.
Nereus m Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical GreekDerived from Greek
νηρός (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.
Nerissa f LiteratureCreated by Shakespeare for a character in his play
The Merchant of Venice (1596). He possibly took it from Greek
Νηρηΐς (Nereis) meaning "nymph, sea sprite", ultimately derived from the name of the Greek sea god
Nereus, who supposedly fathered them.
Ocean m & f English (Rare)Simply from the English word
ocean for a large body of water. It is ultimately derived from Greek
Ὠκεανός (Okeanos), the name of the body of water thought to surround the Earth.
Okeanos m Greek MythologyFrom the name of the river or body of water thought by the ancient Greeks to surround the Earth. In Greek mythology Okeanos was the Titan who personified this body of water.
Pegasus m Greek Mythology (Latinized)From the Greek
Πήγασος (Pegasos), possibly either from
πηγός (pegos) meaning
"strong" or
πηγαῖος (pegaios) meaning
"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.
Pontius m Ancient 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
πόντος (pontos) meaning
"sea". A notable bearer of this name was Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea who appears in the New Testament.
Raeburn m English (Rare)From a Scottish surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning
"stream where deer drink" (from Scots
rae "roe deer" and
burn "stream"). A famous bearer of the surname was Scottish portrait painter Sir Henry Raeburn (1756-1823).
Rayyan m & f ArabicMeans
"watered, luxuriant" in Arabic. According to Islamic tradition this is the name of one of the gates of paradise.
Remington m & f EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from the name of the town of Rimington in Lancashire, itself meaning
"settlement on the Riming stream". It may be given in honour of the American manufacturer Eliphalet Remington (1793-1861) or his sons, founders of the firearms company that bears their name.
Rio 1 m & f VariousMeans
"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.
River m & f English (Modern)From the English word that denotes a flowing body of water. The word is ultimately derived (via Old French) from Latin
ripa "riverbank".
Rosemary f EnglishCombination 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.
Sevan f & m ArmenianFrom the name of the largest lake in Armenia, which may be from the Urartian word
suinia simply meaning "lake".
Shui m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
水 (shuǐ) meaning "water", as well as other characters pronounced in a similar way.
Sohrab m Persian, Persian MythologyProbably from Middle Persian
swhr "red" and
ab "water". In the 10th-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.
Suijin m Japanese MythologyFrom Japanese
水 (sui) meaning "water" and
神 (jin) meaning "god, spirit". This is the name of the god (or gods) of water, lakes and pools in Japanese mythology.
Takumi m JapaneseFrom 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.
Talia 2 f English (Australian)From the name of a town in South Australia, perhaps meaning
"near water" in an Australian Aboriginal language.
Tallulah f English (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.
Tiamat f Semitic 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.
Tirta m & f IndonesianMeans
"sacred water, place of pilgrimage" in Indonesian, ultimately from Sanskrit
तीर्थ (tirtha).
Väinämöinen m Finnish MythologyDerived from Finnish
väinä meaning
"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.
Viracocha m Inca MythologyPossibly from Quechua
wira "fat, thick" and
qucha "lake". This is the name of the creator god in Inca mythology.
Walton m EnglishFrom a surname that was originally taken from various Old English place names meaning
"stream town",
"wood town", or
"wall town".
Wilburn m EnglishFrom an English surname that was probably originally derived from an unknown place name. The second element corresponds with Old English
burne "stream".
Wilton m EnglishFrom a surname that 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".
Windsor m & f English (Rare)From an English surname that 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.
Yam m Semitic 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.
Yang m & f ChineseFrom 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.
Yōko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
陽 (yō) meaning "light, sun, male" or
洋 (yō) meaning "ocean" combined with
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other combinations of kanji characters can also form this name.
Yōsuke m JapaneseFrom Japanese
陽 (yō) meaning "light, sun, male" or
洋 (yō) meaning "ocean" combined with
介 (suke) meaning "help, assist". This name can also be formed from other combinations of kanji characters.
Zaire m African American (Modern)From the name of a country in Africa from 1971 to 1997, now called the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is said to be derived from Kikongo
nzadi o nzere meaning
"river swallowing rivers", referring to the Congo River.