Browse Names

This is a list of names in which the origin is Ancient; and the community's impression is refined; and the order is random.
gender
usage
origin
impression
Belén f Spanish
Spanish form of Bethlehem, the name of the town in Judah where King David and Jesus were born. The town's name is from Hebrew בֵּית־לֶחֶם (Beṯ-leḥem) meaning "house of bread".
Zaccaria m Italian
Italian form of Zechariah and Zacharias.
Elwyn m English
Variant of Alvin.
Nieves f Spanish
Means "snows" in Spanish, derived from the title of the Virgin Mary Nuestra Señora de las Nieves meaning "Our Lady of the Snows".
Genoveva f Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan
Spanish, Portuguese and Catalan form of Geneviève.
Kalyna f Ukrainian (Rare)
From the Ukrainian word for a type of shrub, also called the guelder rose (species Viburnum opulus).
Ari 2 m Old Norse, Icelandic, Finnish
Old Norse byname meaning "eagle".
Claretta f Italian
Diminutive of Clara.
Édouard m French
French form of Edward.
Mary Jane f English
Combination of Mary and Jane.
Siv f Swedish, Norwegian, Norse Mythology
From Old Norse Sif, which meant "bride, kinswoman". In Norse mythology she was the wife of Thor. After the trickster Loki cut off her golden hair, an angry Thor forced him to create a replacement.
Noble m English
From an English surname meaning "noble, high-born". The name can also be given in direct reference to the English word noble.
Aglaia f Greek Mythology, Greek
Means "splendour, beauty" in Greek. In Greek mythology she was one of the three Graces or Χάριτες (Charites). This name was also borne by a 4th-century saint from Rome.
Aloisia f German (Rare)
German feminine form of Aloysius.
Éliane f French
Probably from Aeliana, the feminine form of the Roman name Aelianus, which was derived from the Roman family name Aelius. This was the name of an obscure early saint and martyr from Amasea.
Asterius m Ancient Greek (Latinized), Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Greek Ἀστέριος (Asterios) meaning "starry", a derivative of ἀστήρ (aster) meaning "star". This is the name of several figures from Greek mythology. It was also borne by a few early saints.
Alwine f German (Rare)
Feminine form of Alwin.
Dalila f French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Biblical Latin
Form of Delilah used in the Latin Old Testament, as well as in French, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese.
Zipporah f Biblical, Hebrew
From the Hebrew name צִפּוֹרָה (Tsippora), derived from צִפּוֹר (tsippor) meaning "bird". In the Old Testament this is the name of the Midianite wife of Moses. She was the daughter of the priest Jethro.
Máximo m Spanish, Portuguese
Spanish and Portuguese form of Maximus.
Leonor f Spanish, Portuguese
Spanish and Portuguese form of Eleanor. It was brought to Spain in the 12th-century by Eleanor of England, who married King Alfonso VIII of Castile.
Liisu f Estonian
Estonian diminutive of Eliisabet.
Feliciano m Spanish, Portuguese, Italian
Spanish, Portuguese and Italian form of the Roman name Felicianus, which was itself derived from the Roman name Felix. It was borne by a number of early saints, including a 3rd-century bishop of Foligno.
Catia f Italian
Italian diminutive of Caterina.
Leander m Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of the Greek name Λέανδρος (Leandros), derived from λέων (leon) meaning "lion" and ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man" (genitive ἀνδρός). In Greek legend Leander was the lover of Hero. Every night he swam across the Hellespont to meet her, but on one occasion he was drowned when a storm arose. When Hero saw his dead body she threw herself into the waters and perished.
Elaheh f Persian
Means "goddess" in Persian.
Sumit m Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Punjabi
From Sanskrit सुमित (sumita) meaning "well measured".
Piran m Cornish
Possibly derived from Ciarán. This was the name of a 5th-century Irish monk who founded a monastery in Cornwall. He is the patron saint of Cornwall.
Mina 1 f English, Dutch
Short form of Wilhelmina and other names ending in mina. This was the name of a character in the novel Dracula (1897) by Bram Stoker.
Cătălina f Romanian
Romanian form of Katherine.
Elyse f English
Diminutive of Elizabeth. It was popularized in the early 1980s by a character from the television comedy Family Ties.
Edwina f English
Feminine form of Edwin.
Éva f Hungarian, French
Hungarian form of Eve, as well as a French variant of Ève.
Eemil m Finnish
Finnish form of Emil.
Teodóra f Hungarian
Hungarian feminine form of Theodore.
Socrates m Ancient Greek (Latinized)
From the Greek name Σωκράτης (Sokrates), which was derived from σῶς (sos) meaning "whole, unwounded, safe" and κράτος (kratos) meaning "power". This was the name of an important Greek philosopher. He left no writings of his own; virtually everything that we know of his beliefs comes from his pupil Plato. He was sentenced to death for impiety.
Ascelin m Germanic
Derived from a diminutive of the Old German element asc meaning "ash tree" (Proto-Germanic *askaz).
Anthelme m French (Rare)
French form of Anthelm.
Hayat f & m Arabic, Persian, Urdu
Means "life" in Arabic, from حيي (ḥayiya) meaning "to live". In Arabic and Persian it is a feminine name, while in Urdu it is masculine.
Eloisa f Italian
Italian form of Eloise.
Rosanna f Italian, English
Combination of Rosa 1 and Anna.
Matthew m English, Biblical
English form of Ματθαῖος (Matthaios), which is the New Testament Greek form of Mattithiah. Matthew, probably also called Levi, was one of the twelve apostles. He was a tax collector, and supposedly the author of the first gospel in the New Testament. He is considered a saint in many Christian traditions. The variant Matthias also occurs in the New Testament belonging to a separate apostle.... [more]
Rikke f Danish
Danish short form of Frederikke.
Caitlin f Irish, English
Anglicized form of Caitlín.
Edgar m English, French, Portuguese, German
Derived from the Old English elements ead "wealth, fortune" and gar "spear". This was the name of a 10th-century English king, Edgar the Peaceful. The name did not survive long after the Norman Conquest, but it was revived in the 18th century, in part due to a character by this name in Walter Scott's novel The Bride of Lammermoor (1819), which tells of the tragic love between Edgar Ravenswood and Lucy Ashton. Famous bearers include author and poet Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849), French impressionist painter Edgar Degas (1834-1917), and author Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875-1950).
Amery m & f English (Rare)
Variant of Emery.
Pio m Italian, Portuguese (Rare)
Italian and Portuguese form of Pius.
Clelia f Italian
Italian form of Cloelia.
Isadore m English
Variant of Isidore.
Félicité f French
French form of Felicitas.
Melody f English
From the English word melody, which is derived (via Old French and Late Latin) from Greek μέλος (melos) meaning "song" combined with ἀείδω (aeido) meaning "to sing".
Cléa f French
Short form of Cléopâtre.
Vivien 2 f Literature, Hungarian
Used by Alfred Tennyson as the name of the Lady of the Lake in his Arthurian epic Idylls of the King (1859). Tennyson may have based it on Vivienne, but it possibly arose as a misreading of Ninian. A famous bearer was British actress Vivien Leigh (1913-1967), who played Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind.
Lilavati f Sanskrit
Means "amusing, charming, graceful" in Sanskrit. The 12th-century mathematician Bhaskara gave this name to one of his books on mathematics, possibly after his daughter. This was also the name of a 13th-century queen of Sri Lanka.
Mari 1 f Estonian, Finnish, Welsh, Breton, Hungarian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Georgian, Armenian
Estonian, Finnish, Welsh and Breton form of Maria, as well as a Hungarian diminutive of Mária. It is also a Scandinavian, Georgian and Armenian form of the French name Marie.
Tehila f Hebrew
Means "praise" in Hebrew, from the root הָלַל (halal) meaning "to praise, to shine".
Xiana f Galician
From Xuliana, the Galician form of Juliana.
Kennard m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from the Old English given names Cyneweard or Cyneheard.
Asterion m Greek Mythology
Means "of the stars", derived from Greek ἀστήρ (aster) "star". This is the name of several figures in Greek mythology, including a river god.
Shira f Hebrew
Means "singing" in Hebrew.
Clemente m Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
Italian, Spanish and Portuguese form of Clemens (see Clement).
Hannah f English, Hebrew, German, Dutch, Arabic, Biblical
From the Hebrew name חַנָּה (Ḥanna) meaning "favour, grace", derived from the root חָנַן (ḥanan) meaning "to be gracious". In the Old Testament this is the name of the wife of Elkanah. Her rival was Elkanah's other wife Peninnah, who had children while Hannah remained barren. After a blessing from Eli she finally became pregnant with Samuel.... [more]
Joyce f & m English
From the medieval masculine name Josse, which was derived from the earlier Iudocus, which was a Latinized form of the Breton name Judoc meaning "lord". The name belonged to a 7th-century Breton saint, and Breton settlers introduced it to England after the Norman Conquest. It became rare after the 14th century, but was later revived as a feminine name, perhaps because of similarity to the Middle English word joise "to rejoice". This given name also became a surname, as in the case of the Irish novelist James Joyce (1882-1941).
Celestyn m Polish
Polish form of Caelestinus.
Bernarda f Slovene, Croatian, Spanish
Feminine form of Bernard.
Élie m French
French form of Elijah.
Vendela f Swedish
Swedish feminine form of Wendel.
Kiran f & m Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, Tamil, Gujarati, Nepali, Urdu
Derived from Sanskrit किरण (kiraṇa), which can mean "dust" or "thread" or "sunbeam".
Cecil m English
From the Roman name Caecilius. Though it was in use during the Middle Ages in England, it did not become common until the 19th century when it was given in honour of the noble Cecil family, who had been prominent since the 16th century. Their surname was derived from the Welsh given name Seisyll, which was derived from the Roman name Sextilius, a derivative of Sextus.
Venetia f English (Rare), Greek
From the Latin name of the Italian region of Veneto and the city of Venice (see the place name Venetia). This name was borne by the celebrated English beauty Venetia Stanley (1600-1633), though in her case the name may have been a Latinized form of the Welsh name Gwynedd. Benjamin Disraeli used it for the heroine of his novel Venetia (1837).
Mykhaylo m Ukrainian
Alternate transcription of Ukrainian Михайло (see Mykhailo).
Martha f English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, German, Greek, Biblical, Biblical Greek, Biblical Latin, Old Church Slavic
From Aramaic מַרְתָּא (marta) meaning "the lady, the mistress", feminine form of מַר (mar) meaning "master". In the New Testament this is the name of the sister of Lazarus and Mary of Bethany (who is sometimes identified with Mary Magdalene). She was a witness to Jesus restoring her dead brother to life.... [more]
Adair m & f English (Rare)
From an English surname that was derived from the given name Edgar.
Sixtus m Late Roman
Probably the Latin form of the Greek name Ξύστος (Xystos) meaning "scraped, polished". This name was borne by five popes. The first pope by this name was the sixth to serve after Saint Peter, so there is a possibility that this name is in fact derived from Latin sextus "sixth".
Aubert m French
French variant of Albert.
Vinay m Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil
From Sanskrit विनय (vinaya) meaning "leading, guidance, modesty".
Opal f English
From the English word opal for the iridescent gemstone, the birthstone of October. The word ultimately derives from Sanskrit उपल (upala) meaning "jewel".
Basia 2 f Jewish
Diminutive of Batyah.
Thanasis m Greek
Modern Greek short form of Athanasios.
Renée f French, Dutch
French feminine form of René.
Polona f Slovene
Short form of Apolonija.
Cassandra f English, French, Greek Mythology (Latinized)
From the Greek name Κασσάνδρα (Kassandra), possibly derived from κέκασμαι (kekasmai) meaning "to excel, to shine" and ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man" (genitive ἀνδρός). In Greek myth Cassandra was a Trojan princess, the daughter of Priam and Hecuba. She was given the gift of prophecy by Apollo, but when she spurned his advances he cursed her so nobody would believe her prophecies.... [more]
Lucienne f French
Feminine form of Lucien.
Savva m Russian
Russian form of Sabas.
Eileen f Irish, English
Anglicized form of Eibhlín. It is also sometimes considered an Irish form of Helen. It first became popular in the English-speaking world outside of Ireland near the end of the 19th century.
Margarita f Spanish, Russian, Bulgarian, Lithuanian, Latvian, Greek, Albanian, Late Roman
Latinate form of Margaret. This is also the Spanish word for the daisy flower (species Bellis perennis, Leucanthemum vulgare and others).
Valentin m French, Romanian, German, Czech, Russian, Bulgarian, Slovene, Croatian, Swedish, Danish, Finnish
Form of Valentinus (see Valentine 1) in several languages.
Salathiel m Biblical, Biblical Greek
Greek form of Shealtiel. This form is also used in some English translations of the Bible (including the King James Version).
Sappho f Ancient Greek
Possibly from Greek σάπφειρος (sappheiros) meaning "sapphire" or "lapis lazuli". This was the name of a 7th-century BC Greek poetess from Lesbos.
Rohese f Medieval English
Norman French form of Hrodohaidis.
Phyllida f English (Rare)
From Φυλλίδος (Phyllidos), the genitive form of Phyllis. This form was used in 17th-century pastoral poetry.
Llewella f Welsh
Feminine form of Llywelyn.
Marie-France f French
Combination of Marie and France 1.
Prisca f Biblical, Ancient Roman, Biblical Latin
Feminine form of Priscus, a Roman family name meaning "ancient" in Latin. This name appears in the epistles in the New Testament, referring to Priscilla the wife of Aquila.
Étiennette f French
French feminine form of Stephen.
Theano f Ancient Greek, Greek Mythology, Greek
From Greek θεά (thea) meaning "goddess". Theano was a 6th-century BC Greek philosopher associated with Pythagoras. The name was also borne by several figures from Greek mythology.
Justina f English, Spanish, Portuguese, Slovene, Lithuanian, Late Roman
From Latin Iustina, the feminine form of Iustinus (see Justin). This name was borne by several early saints and martyrs.
Sissel f Norwegian
Norwegian variant form of Cecilia.
Valentijn m Dutch
Dutch form of Valentinus (see Valentine 1).
Newton m English
From a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "new town" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was the English physicist Isaac Newton (1643-1727).
Saara f Finnish
Finnish form of Sarah.
Marianela f Spanish
Combination of María and Estela.
Valeriya f Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian
Russian and Ukrainian feminine form of Valerius, as well as an alternate transcription of Belarusian Валерыя (see Valeryia).
Ivonne f German, Dutch
German and Dutch variant of Yvonne.
Domenico m Italian
Italian form of Dominicus (see Dominic). Domenico Veneziano was a Renaissance painter who lived in Florence.
Elea f English
Short form of Eleanor. This was also the name of an ancient Italian town (modern Velia) that is well known for being the home of the philosopher Parmenides and his student Zeno of Elea, who was famous for his paradoxes.
Luvenia f English
Possibly a form of Lavinia. It has been used in America since the 19th century.
Neve f Irish
Anglicized form of Niamh.
Ciprian m Romanian
Romanian form of Cyprianus (see Cyprian).
Anne-Sophie f French
Combination of Anne 1 and Sophie.
Anahera f Maori
Means "angel" in Maori.
Livia 2 f English
Short form of Olivia.
India f English, Spanish (Modern)
From the name of the country of India, 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.
Emer f Irish Mythology
Meaning unknown. In Irish legend she was the wife of Cúchulainn. She was said to possess the six gifts of womanhood: beauty, voice, speech, needlework, wisdom and chastity.
Dior f & m English (Modern)
From a French surname, possibly from doré meaning "golden". As a given name it has been inspired by the French luxury fashion house Dior, founded by the designer Christian Dior (1905-1957).
Timaeus m Ancient Greek (Latinized), Biblical Latin, Biblical
Latinized form of the Greek name Τίμαιος (Timaios), derived from τιμάω (timao) meaning "to honour". This is the name of one of Plato's dialogues, featuring Timaeus and Socrates. Timaeus is also the name of a person mentioned briefly in the New Testament (Mark 10:46).
Cosima f Italian
Italian feminine form of Cosimo.
Marcellinus m Ancient Roman
Roman family name that was derived from Marcellus. Saint Marcellinus was a pope of the early 4th century who was supposedly martyred during the persecutions of the Roman emperor Diocletian.
Callan m English
From an Irish surname, the Anglicized form of Ó Cathaláin, derived from the given name Cathalán.
Cadwalader m Welsh (Rare)
Anglicized form of Cadwaladr.
Ekaterine f Georgian
Georgian form of Katherine.
Rosangela f Italian
Combination of Rosa 1 and Angela.
Coraline f Literature, French
Created by the French composer Adolphe Adam for one of the main characters in his opera Le Toréador (1849). He probably based it on the name Coralie. It was also used by the author Neil Gaiman for the young heroine in his novel Coraline (2002). Gaiman has stated that in this case the name began as a typo of Caroline.
Sunitha f Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam
Southern Indian form of Sunita.
Lala f Bulgarian (Rare)
From Bulgarian лале (lale) meaning "tulip" (of Persian origin).
Júlia f Portuguese, Catalan, Hungarian, Slovak
Portuguese, Catalan, Hungarian and Slovak form of Julia.
Placide m & f French
French masculine and feminine form of Placidus (see Placido).
Theodoor m Dutch
Dutch form of Theodore.
Valent m Croatian
Croatian short form of Valentin.
Caerwyn m Welsh
Derived from the Welsh elements caer "fortress" and gwyn "white, blessed".
Posy f English
Diminutive of Josephine. It can also be inspired by the English word posy for a bunch of flowers.
Eugenia f Italian, Spanish, Romanian, Polish, English, Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Feminine form of Eugenius (see Eugene). It was borne by a semi-legendary 3rd-century saint who escaped persecution by disguising herself as a man. The name was occasionally found in England during the Middle Ages, but it was not regularly used until the 19th century.
Milton m English, Spanish (Latin American)
From an English surname that was derived from a place name meaning "mill town" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was John Milton (1608-1674), the poet who wrote Paradise Lost.
Hersilia f Roman Mythology
Meaning uncertain, perhaps related to Greek ἕρση (herse) meaning "dew". In Roman legend this was the name of a Sabine woman who became the wife of Romulus.
Fionola f Irish (Rare)
Anglicized form of Fionnuala.
Costantino m Italian
Italian form of Constantinus (see Constantine 1).
Cecílie f Czech
Czech form of Cecilia.
Divina f Spanish (Philippines), Portuguese (Brazilian)
From Spanish or Portuguese divina meaning "divine, godlike".
Maeve f Irish, English, Irish Mythology
Anglicized form of the Irish name Medb meaning "intoxicating". In Irish legend this was the name of a warrior queen of Connacht. She and her husband Ailill fought against the Ulster king Conchobar and the hero Cúchulainn, as told in the Irish epic The Cattle Raid of Cooley.
Antoine m French, African American
French form of Antonius (see Anthony). A famous bearer was the French writer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (1900-1944), the author of The Little Prince.
Étienne m French
French form of Stephen.
Valentina f Italian, Russian, Lithuanian, German, Croatian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Slovene, Albanian, Romanian, Spanish, Greek, Ancient Roman
Feminine form of Valentinus (see Valentine 1). A famous bearer is the Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova (1937-), who in 1963 became the first woman to visit space.
Charles m English, French
French and English form of Carolus, the Latin form of the Germanic name Karl, which was derived from a word meaning "man" (Proto-Germanic *karlaz). However, an alternative theory states that it is derived from the common Germanic name element *harjaz meaning "army".... [more]
Ava 1 f English
Variant of Eve. A famous bearer was the American actress Ava Gardner (1922-1990). This name became very popular throughout the English-speaking world in the early 21st century, entering the top ten for girls in the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. It began to rise sharply after 1997, possibly inspired by the actress Heather Locklear and musician Richie Sambora when they used it for their baby daughter that year.
Simon 1 m English, French, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Dutch, Hungarian, Slovene, Romanian, Macedonian, Georgian, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
From Σίμων (Simon), the New Testament Greek form of the Hebrew name שִׁמְעוֹן (Shimʿon) meaning "hearing, listening", derived from שָׁמַע (shamaʿ) meaning "to hear, to listen". This name is spelled Simeon, based on Greek Συμεών, in many translations of the Old Testament, where it is borne by the second son of Jacob. The New Testament spelling may show influence from the otherwise unrelated Greek name Simon 2.... [more]
Asha 1 f Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Malayalam
Derived from Sanskrit आशा (āśā) meaning "wish, desire, hope".
Phelan m Irish (Rare)
Anglicized form of Faolán.
Eloísa f Spanish, Portuguese
Spanish and Portuguese form of Eloise.
Lída f Czech
Czech diminutive of Ludmila.
Meallán m Irish (Rare)
From Old Irish Mellán, derived from mell meaning either "pleasant, delightful" or "lump, ball" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of a few early saints.
Rubina f Portuguese, Italian (Rare)
Derived from Portuguese rubi or Italian rubino meaning "ruby", ultimately from Latin ruber "red".
Yuli m Russian
Alternate transcription of Russian Юлий (see Yuliy).
Crescencia f Spanish
Spanish form of Crescentia.
Orpheus m Greek Mythology
Perhaps related to Greek ὄρφνη (orphne) meaning "the darkness of night". In Greek mythology Orpheus was a poet and musician who went to the underworld to retrieve his dead wife Eurydice. He succeeded in charming Hades with his lyre, and he was allowed to lead his wife out of the underworld on the condition that he not look back at her until they reached the surface. Unfortunately, just before they arrived his love for her overcame his will and he glanced back at her, causing her to be drawn back to Hades.
Lysander m Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Latinized form of the Greek name Λύσανδρος (Lysandros), derived from Greek λύσις (lysis) meaning "a release, loosening" and ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man" (genitive ἀνδρός). This was the name of a notable 5th-century BC Spartan general and naval commander.
Heilyn m Welsh Mythology
Means "winebearer, dispenser" in Welsh. According to the Second Branch of the Mabinogi he was one of only seven warriors to return from Brân's invasion of Ireland.
Hyperion m Greek Mythology
Derived from Greek ὑπέρ (hyper) meaning "over". In Greek myth this was the name of a Titan who presided over the sun and light. By Theia he was the father of the sun god Helios, the moon goddess Selene, and the dawn goddess Eos.
Clement m English
English form of the Late Latin name Clemens (or sometimes of its derivative Clementius), which meant "merciful, gentle". This was the name of 14 popes, including Saint Clement I, the third pope, one of the Apostolic Fathers. Another saint by this name was Clement of Alexandria, a 3rd-century theologian and church father who attempted to reconcile Christian and Platonic philosophies. It has been in general as a given name in Christian Europe (in various spellings) since early times. In England it became rare after the Protestant Reformation, though it was revived in the 19th century.
Eugênia f Portuguese (Brazilian)
Brazilian Portuguese form of Eugenia.
Nitya f & m Hinduism, Hindi
Means "always, eternal" in Sanskrit. This is a transcription of both the feminine form नित्या (an epithet of the Hindu goddess Durga) and the masculine form नित्य.
Leonora f Italian
Italian short form of Eleanor.
Lommán m Old Irish
Means "little bare one", derived from Old Irish lomm "bare" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of a 5th-century saint, a nephew of Saint Patrick.
Eilís f Irish
Irish Gaelic form of Elizabeth (or sometimes of Alice).
Aurore f French
French form of Aurora.
Elia 1 m Italian
Italian form of Elijah.
Amarantha f Various (Rare)
From the name of the amaranth flower, which is derived from Greek ἀμάραντος (amarantos) meaning "unfading". Ἀμάραντος (Amarantos) was also an Ancient Greek given name.
Federica f Italian
Italian feminine form of Frederick.
Graciela f Spanish
Elaboration of Gracia.
Elysia f Various
From Elysium, the name of the realm of the dead in Greek and Roman mythology.
Pru f English
Short form of Prudence.
Louisa f English, German, Dutch
Latinate feminine form of Louis. A famous bearer was the American novelist Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888), the author of Little Women.
Anežka f Czech
Czech form of Agnes.
Finola f Irish
Anglicized form of Fionnuala.
Glenda f English
Probably a feminine form of Glenn using the suffix da (from names such as Linda and Wanda). This name was not regularly used until the 20th century.
Ave f Italian, Estonian
Possibly from the name of the prayer Ave Maria, in which Ave is Latin meaning "greetings, salutations". In Estonian it is also associated with the word ava meaning "open".
Oliwer m Polish
Polish form of Oliver.
Abilene f Various (Rare)
From a place name mentioned briefly in the New Testament. It is probably from Hebrew אָבֵל (ʾavel) meaning "meadow, grassy area". It has occasionally been used as a given name in modern times.
René m French, German, Dutch, Spanish, Slovak, Czech
French form of Renatus. Famous bearers include the French mathematician and rationalist philosopher René Descartes (1596-1650) and the Belgian surrealist painter René Magritte (1898-1967).
Gabrielė f Lithuanian
Lithuanian feminine form of Gabriel.
Phillip m English
Variant of Philip, inspired by the usual spelling of the surname.
Azaziah m Biblical
Means "Yahweh is strong" in Hebrew, from עָזַז (ʿazaz) meaning "to be strong" and יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. This is the name of three minor characters in the Old Testament.
Mariasole f Italian
Combination of Maria and Sole.
Anya f Russian, English
Russian diminutive of Anna.
Elena f Italian, Spanish, Romanian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Slovak, Czech, Lithuanian, Estonian, Finnish, Russian, Greek, German, English
Form of Helen used in various languages, as well as an alternate transcription of Russian Елена (see Yelena).
Ardalion m Late Greek, Georgian (Rare), Russian (Rare)
Probably derived from Greek ἀρδάλιον (ardalion) meaning "water pot". This was the name of a 4th-century saint and martyr from Asia Minor.
Jonna f Danish, Swedish, Finnish
Short form of Johanna.
Arduino m Italian
Italian form of Hartwin.
Adrasteia f Greek Mythology
Feminine form of Adrastos. In Greek mythology this name was borne by a nymph who fostered the infant Zeus. This was also another name of the goddess Nemesis.
Cynthia f English, French, Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Greek Κυνθία (Kynthia), which means "woman from Cynthus". This was an epithet of the Greek moon goddess Artemis, given because Cynthus was the mountain on Delos on which she and her twin brother Apollo were born. It was not used as a given name until the Renaissance, and it did not become common in the English-speaking world until the 19th century. It reached a peak of popularity in the United States in 1957 and has declined steadily since then.
Rosamund f English (Rare)
Derived from the Old German elements hros "horse" and munt "protection". This name was borne by the wife of the Lombard king Alboin in the 6th century. The Normans introduced it to England. It was subsequently interpreted as coming from Latin rosa munda "pure rose" or rosa mundi "rose of the world". This was the name of the mistress of Henry II, the king of England in the 12th century. According to legends she was murdered by his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine.
Bertram m English, German, Germanic
Means "bright raven", derived from the Old German element beraht "bright" combined with hram "raven". This name has long been conflated with Bertrand. The Normans introduced it to England, and Shakespeare used it in his play All's Well That Ends Well (1603).
Elliott m & f English
From an English surname that was derived from a diminutive of the medieval name Elias.
Laleh f Persian
Means "tulip" in Persian.
Zvonimir m Croatian
Derived from the Slavic elements zvonŭ "sound, chime" and mirŭ "peace, world". Dmitar Zvonimir was an 11th-century Croatian king.
Florimond m Literature, French
Possibly from Latin florens meaning "prosperous, flourishing" combined with the Old German element munt meaning "protection". This is the name of the prince in some versions of the fairy tale Sleeping Beauty.
Christophe m French
French form of Christopher.
Mihajlo m Serbian
Serbian form of Michael.
Alodia f Gothic (Latinized)
Possibly from a Visigothic name, maybe from Gothic elements such as alls "all" or aljis "other" combined with auds "riches, wealth". Saint Alodia was a 9th-century Spanish martyr with her sister Nunilo.
Naama f Hebrew
Modern Hebrew form of Naamah.
Séphora f French
French form of Zipporah.
Ciril m Slovene
Slovene form of Cyril.
Levan m Georgian
Georgian form of Leon.
Annmarie f English
Combination of Ann and Marie.
Amelie f German
German variant of Amelia.
Vasyl m Ukrainian
Ukrainian form of Basil 1.
Snow f English (Rare)
From the English word, derived from Old English snāw.
Alicia f Spanish, English, Swedish, French
Latinized form of Alice.
Tria f English (Rare)
Perhaps a short form of Demetria and other names ending in a similar sound.
Elinor f English
Variant of Eleanor.
Azalaïs f Occitan
Occitan form of Adelais.
Edmond m French, Albanian
French and Albanian form of Edmund. A notable bearer was the English astronomer Edmond Halley (1656-1742), for whom Halley's comet is named.
Oksana f Ukrainian, Russian
Ukrainian form of Xenia.
Honoré m French
French form of Honoratus or Honorius. A notable bearer was the French author Honoré de Balzac (1799-1850).
Liva f Danish
Variant of Liv 1.
Théophile m French
French form of Theophilus.
Aikaterine f Ancient Greek (Rare)
Ancient Greek form of Katherine.
Liberatore m Italian (Rare)
Means "liberator" in Italian.
Cyneweard m Anglo-Saxon
Derived from Old English cyne "royal" and weard "guard".
Efa f Welsh
Welsh form of Eva.
Méabh f Irish, Irish Mythology
Modern Irish form of Medb (see Maeve).
Cécile f French
French form of Cecilia.
Susannah f Biblical
Form of Susanna found in some versions of the Old Testament.
Rachelle f English, French
Variant of Rachel. In the English-speaking world it has likely been influenced by the spelling of Rochelle.
Clemency f English (Rare)
Medieval variant of Clemence. It can also simply mean "clemency, mercy" from the English word, ultimately from Latin clemens "merciful".
Karine 1 f French
French form of Carina 1. It can also function as a short form of Catherine, via Swedish Karin.
Willa f English
Feminine form of William.
Pranav m Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati
This is the Sanskrit word referring to ओम् (om), the Hindu sacred syllable.
Alita f English (Rare)
Possibly a variant of Alethea.
Franklin m English
From an English surname that was derived from Middle English frankelin "freeman". A famous bearer of the surname was Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790), an American statesman, inventor, scientist and philosopher. The name has commonly been given in his honour in the United States. It also received a boost during the term of American president Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945).
Kaisa f Finnish, Estonian
Finnish and Estonian diminutive of Katherine.
Aoife f Irish, Irish Mythology
From Old Irish Aífe, derived from oíph meaning "beauty" (modern Irish aoibh). This was the name of several characters in Irish legend, including a woman at war with Scáthach (her sister in some versions). She was defeated in single combat by the hero Cúchulainn, who spared her life on the condition that she bear him a child (Connla). Another legendary figure by this name appears in the Children of Lir as the jealous third wife of Lir.... [more]
Quentin m French, English
French form of the Roman name Quintinus. It was borne by a 3rd-century saint, a missionary who was martyred in Gaul. The Normans introduced this name to England. In America it was brought to public attention by president Theodore Roosevelt's son Quentin Roosevelt (1897-1918), who was killed in World War I. A famous bearer is the American movie director Quentin Tarantino (1963-).
Echo f Greek Mythology
From the Greek word ἠχώ (echo) meaning "echo, reflected sound", related to ἠχή (eche) meaning "sound". In Greek mythology Echo was a nymph given a speech impediment by Hera, so that she could only repeat what others said. She fell in love with Narcissus, but her love was not returned, and she pined away until nothing remained of her except her voice.
Léonard m French
French form of Leonard.
Senta f German
Diminutive of Kreszentia.
Ignacy m Polish
Polish form of Ignatius.
Szilvia f Hungarian
Hungarian form of Silvia.
Íde f Irish
From Old Irish Íte, possibly derived from ítu meaning "thirst". This was the name of a 6th-century Irish nun, the patron saint of Killeedy.
Felícia f Hungarian, Portuguese
Hungarian and Portuguese form of Felicia.
Letha f English
Possibly a short form of Aletha.
Asa m Biblical, Hebrew, Biblical Hebrew
Possibly means "healer" in Hebrew. This name was borne by the third king of Judah, as told in the Old Testament.
Alistair m Scottish
Anglicized form of Alasdair.
Pratima f Hindi, Marathi
From Sanskrit प्रतिमा (pratimā) meaning "image, likeness, reflection".
Niina f Finnish, Estonian
Finnish short form of Anniina, or a Finnish and Estonian form of Nina 1.
Mariella f Italian
Italian diminutive of Maria.
Adela f English, Spanish, Romanian, Polish, Slovak, Germanic
Originally a short form of names beginning with the Old German element adal meaning "noble" (Proto-Germanic *aþalaz). Saint Adela was a 7th-century Frankish princess who founded a monastery at Pfazel in France. This name was also borne by a daughter of William the Conqueror.
Viviane f French, Portuguese
French form of Viviana, as well as a Portuguese variant. It is also the French form of Vivien 2.
Calypso f Greek Mythology (Latinized)
From Greek Καλυψώ (Kalypso), which probably meant "she that conceals", derived from καλύπτω (kalypto) meaning "to cover, to conceal". In Greek myth this was the name of the nymph who fell in love with Odysseus after he was shipwrecked on her island of Ogygia. When he refused to stay with her she detained him for seven years until Zeus ordered her to release him.
Mie f Danish, Norwegian
Danish and Norwegian diminutive of Marie.
Cateline f Medieval French
Medieval French form of Katherine.
Cosmas m Ancient Greek (Latinized)
From the Greek name Κοσμᾶς (Kosmas), which was derived from κόσμος (kosmos) meaning "order, world, universe". Saint Cosmas was martyred with his twin brother Damian in the 4th century. They are the patron saints of physicians.
Alicja f Polish
Polish form of Alice.
Pénélope f French
French form of Penelope.
Natasa f Greek
Greek diminutive of Anastasia.
Élisabeth f French
French form of Elizabeth.
Alfredo m Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
Italian, Spanish and Portuguese form of Alfred.
Elvire f French
French form of Elvira.
Roberts m Latvian
Latvian form of Robert.
Cleopatra f Ancient Greek (Latinized)
From the Greek name Κλεοπάτρα (Kleopatra) meaning "glory of the father", derived from κλέος (kleos) meaning "glory" combined with πατήρ (pater) meaning "father" (genitive πατρός). This was the name of queens of Egypt from the Ptolemaic royal family, including Cleopatra VII, the mistress of both Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. After being defeated by Augustus she committed suicide (according to popular belief, by allowing herself to be bitten by a venomous asp). Shakespeare's tragedy Antony and Cleopatra (1606) tells the story of her life.
Ina f German, Dutch, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, English, Slovene, Latvian
Short form of names ending with or otherwise containing ina, such as Martina, Christina and Carolina.
Felicity f English
From the English word felicity meaning "happiness", which ultimately derives from Latin felicitas "good luck". This was one of the virtue names adopted by the Puritans around the 17th century. It can sometimes be used as an English form of the Latin name Felicitas. This name jumped in popularity in the United States after the premiere of the television series Felicity in 1998. It is more common in the United Kingdom.
Anatoli m Russian, Ukrainian, Georgian
Alternate transcription of Russian Анатолий or Ukrainian Анатолій (see Anatoliy), as well as the Georgian form.
Fionnuala f Irish, Irish Mythology
Means "white shoulder" from Old Irish finn "white, blessed" and gúala "shoulder". In Irish legend Fionnuala was one of the four children of Lir who were transformed into swans for a period of 900 years.
Nefertari f Ancient Egyptian
From Egyptian nfrt-jrj meaning "the most beautiful". This was the name of an Egyptian queen of the New Kingdom (13th century BC), the favourite wife of Ramesses II.
Sibylle f German, French
German and French form of Sibyl.
Alice f English, French, Portuguese, Italian, German, Czech, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Dutch
From the Old French name Aalis, a short form of Adelais, itself a short form of the Germanic name Adalheidis (see Adelaide). This name became popular in France and England in the 12th century. It was among the most common names in England until the 16th century, when it began to decline. It was revived in the 19th century.... [more]
Olle m Swedish
Swedish diminutive of Olaf or Oliver.
Giosuè m Italian
Italian form of Joshua.
Geneviève f French
From the medieval name Genovefa, which is of uncertain origin. It could be derived from the Germanic elements *kunją "clan, family, lineage" and *wībą "wife, woman". Alternatively it could be of Gaulish origin, from the related Celtic element *genos "kin, family" combined with a second element of unknown meaning. This name was borne by Saint Geneviève, the patron saint of Paris, who inspired the city to resist the Huns in the 5th century.
Avis f English
Probably a Latinized form of the Germanic name Aveza, which was derived from the element awi, of unknown meaning. The Normans introduced this name to England and it became moderately common during the Middle Ages, at which time it was associated with Latin avis "bird".
Dearbháil f Irish
From Old Irish Derbáil meaning "daughter of Fál", derived from the prefix der meaning "daughter" and Fál, a legendary name for Ireland.
Marilena f Italian, Romanian, Greek
Combination of Maria and Elena.
Patricia f English, Spanish, German, French, Dutch, Late Roman
Feminine form of Patricius (see Patrick). In medieval England this spelling appears in Latin documents, but this form was probably not used as the actual name until the 18th century, in Scotland.
Vidal m Spanish, Catalan
Spanish and Catalan form of Vitalis (see Vitale).
Mona 1 f Irish, English
Anglicized form of Muadhnait. It is also associated with Greek monos "one" and Leonardo da Vinci's painting the Mona Lisa (in which case it is a contraction of Italian ma donna meaning "my lady").
Lorita f Italian (Rare)
Possibly a variant of Loreto.
Karolína f Czech, Slovak
Czech and Slovak feminine form of Carolus.
Davide m Italian
Italian form of David.