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
Sylviane f French
Variant of Sylvaine.
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.
Hawise f Medieval English
English form of a medieval French name appearing in various spellings such as Haueis or Haouys, which were derived from Hadewidis. The name was borne by a number of Norman and Anglo-Norman noblewomen from the 11th to 13th centuries.
Suzanne f French, English, Dutch
French form of Susanna.
Shweta f Marathi, Hindi, Gujarati
From Sanskrit श्वेत (śveta) meaning "white".
Niki 1 f Greek
Modern Greek form of Nike.
Violet f English
From the English word violet for the purple flower, ultimately derived from Latin viola. It was common in Scotland from the 16th century, and it came into general use as an English given name during the 19th century.
Adrienne f French, English
French feminine form of Adrian.
Elisaveta f Bulgarian, Macedonian
Bulgarian and Macedonian form of Elizabeth.
Solon m Ancient Greek
Possibly from Greek σόλος (solos) meaning "lump of iron". This was the name of an Athenian statesman who reformed the laws and government of the city.
Atticus m Literature, Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Latinized form of Greek Ἀττικός (Attikos) meaning "from Attica", referring to the region surrounding Athens in Greece. This name was borne by a few notable Greeks from the Roman period (or Romans of Greek background). The author Harper Lee used the name in her novel To Kill a Mockingbird (1960) for an Alabama lawyer who defends a black man accused of raping a white woman.
Julia f English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Spanish, Polish, Finnish, Estonian, Russian, Ukrainian, Ancient Roman, Biblical
Feminine form of the Roman family name Julius. Among the notable women from this family were Julia Augusta (also known as Livia Drusilla), the wife of Emperor Augustus, and Julia the Elder, the daughter of Augustus and the wife of Tiberius. A person by this name has a brief mention in the New Testament. It was also borne by a few early saints and martyrs, including the patron saint of Corsica. Additionally, Shakespeare used it in his comedy The Two Gentlemen of Verona (1594).... [more]
Eirlys f Welsh
Means "snowdrop (flower)" in Welsh, a compound of eira "snow" and llys "plant".
Marianne f French, English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish
Combination of Marie and Anne 1, though it could also be considered a variant of Mariana or Mariamne. Shortly after the formation of the French Republic in 1792, a female figure by this name was adopted as the symbol of the state.
Kaarina f Finnish
Finnish form of Katherine.
Kitty f English
Diminutive of Katherine.
Mina 2 f Hindi, Marathi, Tamil
From Sanskrit मीन (mīna) meaning "fish", which in Hindu astrology is the name of a sign of the zodiac.
Florência f Portuguese
Portuguese feminine form of Florentius (see Florence).
Adélaïde f French
French form of Adelaide.
Huguette f French
Feminine form of Hugues.
Quirina f Late Roman
Feminine form of Quirinus.
Illuminata f Late Roman
Means "illuminated, brightened, filled with light" in Latin. This name was borne by a 4th-century saint from Todi, Italy.
Ilya m Russian, Belarusian
Russian and Belarusian form of Elijah.
Santo m Italian
Means "saint" in Italian, ultimately from Latin sanctus.
Marciano m Portuguese, Spanish, Italian (Rare)
Portuguese, Spanish and Italian form of Marcianus.
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.
Xiomara f Spanish
Possibly a Spanish form of Guiomar.
Felicita f Italian
Italian form of Felicitas. It also coincides closely with Italian felicità "happiness".
Josiane f French
Diminutive of Joséphine.
Lene f Danish, Norwegian, German
Danish, Norwegian and German short form of Helene or Magdalene.
Leone 1 m Italian
Italian form of Leo and Leon.
Euanthe f Ancient Greek, Greek Mythology
Derived from Greek εὐανθής (euanthes) meaning "blooming, flowery", a derivative of εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and ἄνθος (anthos) meaning "flower". According to some sources, this was the name of the mother of the three Graces or Χάριτες (Charites) in Greek mythology.
Amador m Spanish
Spanish form of Amator.
Silvie f Czech
Czech form of Silvia.
Lillias f Scottish
Variant of Lilias.
Lucinde f French (Rare)
French form of Lucinda.
Sophia f English, Greek, German, Ancient Greek
Means "wisdom" in Greek. This was the name of an early, probably mythical, saint who died of grief after her three daughters were martyred during the reign of the emperor Hadrian. Legends about her probably arose as a result of a medieval misunderstanding of the phrase Hagia Sophia "Holy Wisdom", which is the name of a large basilica in Constantinople.... [more]
Isabeau f Medieval French, French (Rare), Dutch (Modern)
Medieval French variant of Isabel. A famous bearer of this name was Isabeau of Bavaria (1385-1422), wife of the French king Charles VI.
Fiorenza f Italian
Italian feminine form of Florentius (see Florence).
Annachiara f Italian
Combination of Anna and Chiara.
Fioralba f Italian (Rare)
Combination of Italian fiore "flower" (Latin flos) and alba "dawn".
Donelle f English (Rare)
Feminine form of Don.
Cezara f Romanian
Romanian feminine form of Caesar.
Magdaléna f Slovak, Czech, Hungarian
Slovak and Czech form of Magdalene, as well as a Hungarian variant form.
Alphonse m French
French form of Alfonso.
Thales m Ancient Greek, Portuguese (Brazilian)
Derived from Greek θάλλω (thallo) meaning "to blossom". Thales of Miletus was a 6th-century BC Greek philosopher and mathematician.
Orla 1 f Irish
Anglicized form of Órlaith.
Viera f Slovak, Belarusian
Slovak form of Vera 1, as well as an alternate transcription of Belarusian Вера (see Vera 1).
Bahram m Persian, Persian Mythology
Modern Persian form of Avestan 𐬬𐬆𐬭𐬆𐬚𐬭𐬀𐬖𐬥𐬀 (Vərəthraghna) meaning "victory over resistance". This was the name of a Zoroastrian god (one of the Amesha Spenta) associated with victory and war. It was also borne by several Sasanian emperors. It is also the Persian name for the planet Mars.
Lýdia f Slovak, Faroese
Slovak and Faroese form of Lydia.
Esperanza f Spanish
Spanish form of the Late Latin name Sperantia, which was derived from spero "to hope".
Vashti f Biblical
Probably of Persian origin, possibly a superlative form of 𐎺𐎢 (vahu) meaning "good". According to the Old Testament this was the name of the first wife of King Ahasuerus of Persia before he married Esther.
Mahsa f Persian
Means "like the moon" in Persian.
Theodoric m Gothic (Anglicized)
From the Gothic name *Þiudareiks meaning "ruler of the people", derived from the elements þiuda "people" and reiks "ruler, king". It was notably borne by Theodoric the Great, a 6th-century king of the Ostrogoths who eventually became the ruler of Italy. By Theodoric's time the Ostrogoths were partially Romanized and his name was regularly recorded as Theodoricus. This was also the name of two earlier (5th century) Visigothic kings.
Mele f Hawaiian, Tongan, Samoan
Means "song" in Hawaiian. This is also the Hawaiian, Tongan and Samoan form of Mary.
Henna f Finnish
Finnish feminine form of Heinrich (see Henry).
Rosanna f Italian, English
Combination of Rosa 1 and Anna.
Kae f English (Rare)
Variant of Kay 1.
Jasmine f English, French
From the English word for the climbing plant with fragrant flowers that is used for making perfumes. It is derived via Arabic from Persian یاسمین (yāsamīn), which is also a Persian name. In the United States this name steadily grew in popularity from the 1970s, especially among African Americans. It reached a peak in the early 1990s shortly after the release of the animated Disney movie Aladdin (1992), which featured a princess by this name.
Amore m & f Italian (Rare)
Italian form of Amor.
Jacqueline f French, English
French feminine form of Jacques, also commonly used in the English-speaking world.
Kore f Greek Mythology
Means "maiden" in Greek. This was another name for the Greek goddess Persephone.
Raina f Bulgarian
Alternate transcription of Bulgarian Райна (see Rayna 1).
Jonah m English, Biblical
From the Hebrew name יוֹנָה (Yona) meaning "dove". This was the name of a prophet swallowed by a fish, as told in the Old Testament Book of Jonah. Jonah was commanded by God to preach in Nineveh, but instead fled by boat. After being caught in a storm, the other sailors threw Jonah overboard, at which point he was swallowed. He emerged from the fish alive and repentant three days later.... [more]
Carroll m Irish
Anglicized form of Cearbhall. A famous bearer of the surname was Lewis Carroll (1832-1898), whose real name was Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, a British author known for Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
Alcide m Italian, French
Italian and French form of Alcides.
Pearle f English
Variant of Pearl.
Flore f French
French form of Flora.
Ignatius m Late Roman
From the Roman family name Egnatius, meaning unknown, of Etruscan origin. The spelling was later altered to resemble Latin ignis "fire". This was the name of several saints, including the third bishop of Antioch who was thrown to wild beasts by Emperor Trajan, and by Saint Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556), founder of the Jesuits, whose real birth name was in fact Íñigo.
Loviisa f Finnish
Finnish feminine form of Louis.
Bernadette f French, English, German, Dutch
French feminine form of Bernard. Bernadette Soubirous (1844-1879) was a young woman from Lourdes in France who claimed to have seen visions of the Virgin Mary. She was declared a saint in 1933.
Chetana f Marathi, Hindi
Feminine form of Chetan.
Moira f Irish, Scottish, English
Anglicized form of Máire. It also coincides with Greek Μοῖρα (Moira) meaning "fate, destiny", the singular of Μοῖραι, the Greek name for the Fates. They were the three female personifications of destiny in Greek mythology.
Séraphine f French
French form of Seraphina.
Florentine f French
French form of Florentina.
Liesel f German
German diminutive of Elisabeth.
Luciano m Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
Italian, Spanish and Portuguese form of Lucianus.
Francis m & f English, French
English form of the Late Latin name Franciscus meaning "Frenchman", ultimately from the Germanic tribe of the Franks, who were named for a type of spear that they used (Proto-Germanic *frankô). This name was borne by the 13th-century Saint Francis of Assisi, who was originally named Giovanni but was given the nickname Francesco by his father, an admirer of the French. Francis went on to renounce his father's wealth and devote his life to the poor, founding the Franciscan order of friars. Later in his life he apparently received the stigmata.... [more]
Margaux f French
Variant of Margot influenced by the name of the wine-producing French town. It was borne by Margaux Hemingway (1954-1996), granddaughter of author Ernest Hemingway, who had it changed from Margot.
Katriina f Finnish
Short form of Katariina.
Tzeitel f Yiddish (Rare)
Yiddish diminutive of Sarah. This is the name of Tevye's oldest daughter in the musical Fiddler on the Roof (1964), based on Sholem Aleichem's stories from the late 19th century.
Lior m & f Hebrew
Means "my light" in Hebrew, from לִי (li) "for me" and אוֹר (ʾor) "light".
Clarice f English
Medieval vernacular form of the Late Latin name Claritia, which was a derivative of Clara.
Eliina f Finnish
Finnish form of Helen.
Massimo m Italian
Italian form of Maximus.
Mikołaj m Polish
Polish form of Nicholas.
Aglaé f French
French form of Aglaia.
Olena f Ukrainian
Ukrainian form of Helen.
Anabel f Spanish
Spanish form of Annabel, also commonly used as a contraction of Ana Isabel.
Carwyn m Welsh
Derived from Welsh caru "to love" and gwyn "white, blessed". This name was created in the 20th century.
Azariah m Biblical
From the Hebrew name עֲזַרְיָה (ʿAzarya) meaning "Yahweh has helped", derived from עָזַר (ʿazar) meaning "help" and יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. This is the name of many Old Testament characters including of one of the three men the Babylonian king ordered cast into a fiery furnace. His Babylonian name was Abednego.
Tiitus m Finnish, Estonian
Finnish and Estonian form of Titus.
Estera f Polish, Slovak, Romanian, Lithuanian
Polish, Slovak, Romanian and Lithuanian form of Esther.
Stelios m Greek
Variant of Stylianos.
Siri f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
Short form of Sigrid.
Glenna f English
Feminine form of Glenn.
Anika 1 f German, Dutch, Danish, Polish, Slovene
Diminutive of Anna or Ana.
Aila f Finnish
Finnish form of Áile.
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.
Nefertiti f Ancient Egyptian
From Egyptian nfrt-jjtj meaning "the beautiful one has come". Nefertiti was a powerful Egyptian queen of the New Kingdom (14th century BC), the principal wife of Akhenaton, the pharaoh that briefly imposed a monotheistic religion centered around the sun god Aton.
Odetta f English (Rare)
Latinate form of Odette.
Patrice 1 m French
French form of Patricius (see Patrick).
Adoniram m Biblical, Biblical Greek, Biblical Hebrew
Means "my lord is exalted" in Hebrew, derived from אָדוֹן (ʾaḏon) meaning "lord, master" and רוּם (rum) meaning "to exalt". In the Old Testament this is the name of an overseer of tribute under the kings David, Solomon and Rehoboam. He was stoned to death when the Israelites revolted.
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.
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.
Wallace m English, Scottish
From a Scottish and English surname that was derived from Norman French waleis meaning "foreigner, Celt, Welshman" (of Germanic origin). It was first used as a given name in honour of William Wallace, a Scottish hero who led the fight against the English in the 13th century.
Hilary f & m English
Medieval English form of Hilarius or Hilaria. During the Middle Ages it was primarily a masculine name. It was revived in Britain at the beginning of the 20th century as a predominantly feminine name. In America, this name and the variant Hillary seemed to drop in popularity after Hillary Clinton (1947-) became the first lady in 1993. Famous bearers include American actresses Hilary Swank (1974-) and Hilary Duff (1987-).
Genoveva f Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan
Spanish, Portuguese and Catalan form of Geneviève.
Eudocia f Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Latinized form of the Greek name Εὐδοκία (Eudokia), derived from the word εὐδοκέω (eudokeo) meaning "to be well pleased, to be satisfied", itself derived from εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and δοκέω (dokeo) meaning "to think, to imagine, to suppose". This name was common among Byzantine royalty. Saint Eudocia was the wife of the 5th-century emperor Theodosius II.
Avonlea f English (Rare)
Created by L. M. Montgomery as the setting for her novel Anne of Green Gables (1908). She may have based the name on the Arthurian island of Avalon, though it also resembles the river name Avon and leah "woodland, clearing".
Arduino m Italian
Italian form of Hartwin.
Hypatia f Ancient Greek
Derived from Greek ὕπατος (hypatos) meaning "highest, supreme". Hypatia of Alexandria was a 5th-century philosopher and mathematician, daughter of the mathematician Theon.
Odilia f Germanic (Latinized)
Derived from the Old German element uodil meaning "heritage" or ot meaning "wealth, fortune". Saint Odilia (or Odila) was an 8th-century nun who is considered the patron saint of Alsace. She was apparently born blind but gained sight when she was baptized.
Saúl m Spanish
Spanish form of Saul.
Pénélope f French
French form of Penelope.
Signe f Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Estonian, Latvian
Modern Scandinavian form of Signý.
Aubrielle f English (Modern)
Combination of Aubrey and the popular name suffix elle.
Eleanore f English
Variant of Eleanor.
Narcís m Catalan
Catalan form of Narcissus. This is also the Catalan word for the narcissus flower.
Costantino m Italian
Italian form of Constantinus (see Constantine 1).
Zaharina f Bulgarian, Macedonian
Bulgarian and Macedonian feminine form of Zechariah.
Lavinia f Roman Mythology, Romanian, Italian
Meaning unknown, probably of Etruscan origin. In Roman legend Lavinia was the daughter of King Latinus, the wife of Aeneas, and the ancestor of the Roman people. According to the legend Aeneas named the town of Lavinium in honour of his wife.
Mila f Serbian, Croatian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Slovene, Ukrainian, Russian
From the Slavic element milŭ meaning "gracious, dear", originally a short form of names containing that element.
Roshni f Marathi, Hindi
From Hindi and Marathi रौशनी (raushanī) meaning "light, brightness", ultimately of Persian origin.
Yuli m Russian
Alternate transcription of Russian Юлий (see Yuliy).
Angelle f English (Rare)
Feminine variant of Angel.
Mária f Hungarian, Slovak
Hungarian and Slovak form of Maria.
Siddhartha m Sanskrit, Buddhism, Bengali
Means "one who has accomplished a goal", derived from Sanskrit सिद्ध (siddha) meaning "accomplished" and अर्थ (artha) meaning "goal". Siddhartha Gautama was the real name of the Buddha.
Lanford m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "long ford" in Old English.
August m German, Polish, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Catalan, English
German, Polish, Scandinavian and Catalan form of Augustus. This was the name of three Polish kings.... [more]
Anamaria f Romanian
Combination of Ana and Maria.
Erasmus m Late Greek (Latinized)
Derived from Greek ἐράσμιος (erasmios) meaning "beloved, desired". Saint Erasmus, also known as Saint Elmo, was a 4th-century martyr who is the patron saint of sailors. Erasmus was also the name of a Dutch scholar of the Renaissance period.
Cassander m Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Latinized form of Greek Κάσσανδρος (Kassandros), the masculine form of Cassandra. This was the name of a 3rd-century BC king of Macedon.
Nahum m Biblical
Means "comforter" in Hebrew, from the root נָחַם (naḥam) meaning "to comfort, to console". Nahum is one of the twelve minor prophets of the Old Testament. He authored the Book of Nahum in which the downfall of Nineveh is foretold.
Eira 1 f Welsh
Means "snow" in Welsh. This is a recently created name.
Áine f Irish, Irish Mythology, Old Irish
Means "radiance, brilliance" in Irish. This was the name of a goddess of love and fertility in Irish legend, thought to dwell at the hill of Cnoc Áine in Limerick. It has sometimes been Anglicized as Anne.
Charline f French
French feminine diminutive of Charles.
Fernande f French
French feminine form of Ferdinand.
Valorie f English
Variant of Valerie.
Ahava f Hebrew
Means "love" in Hebrew.
Rosalyn f English
Variant of Rosaline. It can also be considered an elaboration of Rose with the common name suffix lyn.
Brooke f English
Variant of Brook. The name came into use in the 1950s, probably influenced by American socialite Brooke Astor (1902-2007). It was further popularized by actress Brooke Shields (1965-).
Séafra m Irish
Irish form of Geoffrey.
Brianne f English (Modern)
Feminine form of Brian.
Casandra f Spanish, Romanian
Spanish and Romanian form of Cassandra.
Ottilie f German
German form of Odilia.
Aeliana f Ancient Roman
Feminine form of Aelianus.
Sofiya f Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian
Russian, Ukrainian and Bulgarian form of Sophia.
Clementine f English
English form of Clémentine.
Wincenty m Polish
Polish form of Vincent.
Helene f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Ancient Greek, Greek Mythology
Ancient Greek form of Helen, as well as the modern Scandinavian and German form.
Caterina f Italian, Catalan
Italian and Catalan form of Katherine.
Metztli f & m Aztec and Toltec Mythology, Nahuatl
Means "moon" in Nahuatl. This was the name of the Aztec god (or goddess) of the moon.
Lenora f English
Short form of Elenora.
Oles m Ukrainian
Short form of Oleksandr or Oleksiy.
Amabilia f Late Roman
Feminine form of Amabilis.
Leone 2 f English
Variant of Leona.
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.
Valeriya f Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian
Russian and Ukrainian feminine form of Valerius, as well as an alternate transcription of Belarusian Валерыя (see Valeryia).
Arina f Russian
Russian variant of Irina.
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.
Venera 1 f Russian, Bulgarian, Albanian
Form of Venus, from the genitive form Veneris.
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.
Bria f English
Short form of Brianna, Gabriella and other names containing bri.
Anaiah m Biblical
Means "Yahweh has answered" in Hebrew, from עָנָה (ʿana) meaning "to answer" and יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. This is the name of a minor character in the Old Testament.
Colette f French
Short form of Nicolette. Saint Colette was a 15th-century French nun who gave her money to the poor. This was also the pen name of the French author Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette (1873-1954).
Lucretia f Ancient Roman, Roman Mythology
Feminine form of the Roman family name Lucretius, possibly from Latin lucrum meaning "profit, wealth". According Roman legend Lucretia was a maiden who was raped by the son of the king of Rome. This caused a great uproar among the Roman citizens, and the monarchy was overthrown. This name was also borne by a 4th-century saint and martyr from Mérida, Spain.
Winston m English
From an English surname that was derived from the Old English given name Wynnstan. A famous bearer was Winston Churchill (1874-1965), the British prime minister during World War II. This name was also borne by the fictional Winston Smith, the protagonist in George Orwell's 1949 novel 1984.
Hero 1 f Greek Mythology
Derived from Greek ἥρως (heros) meaning "hero". In Greek legend she was the lover of Leander, who would swim across the Hellespont each night to meet her. He was killed on one such occasion when he got caught in a storm while in the water, and when Hero saw his dead body she drowned herself. This is also the name of a character in Shakespeare's play Much Ado About Nothing (1599).
Jarah m Biblical
Means "honeycomb" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of a descendant of Saul.
Olivier m French, Dutch, Carolingian Cycle
French and Dutch form of Oliver. This is also a French word meaning "olive tree".
Dafna f Hebrew
Means "laurel" in Hebrew, of Greek origin.
Gladwin m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from the Old English given name Glædwine.
Aveline f English (Rare)
From the Norman French form of the Germanic name Avelina, a diminutive of Avila. The Normans introduced this name to Britain. After the Middle Ages it became rare as an English name, though it persisted in America until the 19th century.
Oshea m Biblical
Variant of Hoshea used in some versions of the Bible.
Michel m French, German, Dutch
French form of Michael. Michel de Nostredame (1503-1566), also known as Nostradamus, was a French astrologer who made predictions about future world events. Another famous bearer is the retired French soccer player Michel Platini (1955-). This is also the German diminutive form of Michael.
Alyssa f English
Variant of Alicia. The spelling has probably been influenced by that of the alyssum flower, the name of which is derived from Greek (a), a negative prefix, combined with λύσσα (lyssa) meaning "madness, rabies", since it was believed to cure madness.
Chandan m Hindi, Bengali, Odia
Derived from Sanskrit चन्दन (candana) meaning "sandalwood".
Alona f Hebrew
Feminine form of Alon 1.
Wynn m Welsh
Variant of Wyn.
Gaia f Greek Mythology, Italian
From the Greek word γαῖα (gaia), a parallel form of γῆ (ge) meaning "earth". In Greek mythology Gaia was the mother goddess who presided over the earth. She was the mate of Uranus and the mother of the Titans and the Cyclopes.
Vitaliy m Russian, Ukrainian
Russian and Ukrainian form of Vitalis (see Vitale).
Aleida f Dutch, Spanish (Latin American)
Dutch and Spanish short form of Adelaide.
Amethyst f English (Rare)
From the name of the purple semi-precious stone, which is derived from the Greek negative prefix (a) and μέθυστος (methystos) meaning "intoxicated, drunk", as it was believed to be a remedy against drunkenness. It is the traditional birthstone of February.
Alaina f English (Modern)
Variant of Alana, probably influenced by Elaine.
Domenico m Italian
Italian form of Dominicus (see Dominic). Domenico Veneziano was a Renaissance painter who lived in Florence.
Lucilla f Italian, Ancient Roman
Latin diminutive of Lucia. This was the name of a 3rd-century saint martyred in Rome.
Anděla f Czech
Czech form of Angela.
Alexandr m Czech, Russian
Czech form of Alexander, as well as an alternate transcription of Russian Александр (see Aleksandr).
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.
Fabián m Spanish
Spanish form of Fabianus (see Fabian).
Sabela f Galician
Galician form of Isabel.
Anjali f Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Nepali
From Sanskrit अञ्जलि (añjali) meaning "salutation".
Silvestre m Spanish, Portuguese
Spanish and Portuguese form of Silvester.
Adelia f English, Spanish
Elaborated form of Adela.
Mabel f English
Medieval feminine form of Amabilis. This spelling and Amabel were common during the Middle Ages, though they became rare after the 15th century. It was revived in the 19th century after the publication of C. M. Yonge's 1854 novel The Heir of Redclyffe, which featured a character named Mabel (as well as one named Amabel).
Cyprien m French
French form of Cyprianus (see Cyprian).
Benoîte f French
French feminine form of Benedict.
Louella f English
Combination of Lou and the popular name suffix ella.
Eibhlín f Irish
Irish form of Aveline.
Godelieve f Flemish
Dutch (Flemish) form of Godeliva.
Orlando m Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Carolingian Cycle
Italian form of Roland, as used in the epic poems Orlando Innamorato (1483) by Matteo Maria Boiardo and the continuation Orlando Furioso (1532) by Ludovico Ariosto. In the poems, Orlando is a knight in Charlemagne's army who battles against the invading Saracens. A character in Shakespeare's play As You Like It (1599) also bears this name, as does a city in Florida.
Tennyson m & f English (Rare)
From an English surname that meant "son of Tenney", Tenney being a medieval form of Denis. A notable bearer of the surname was the British poet Alfred Tennyson (1809-1892), commonly called Lord Tennyson after he became a baron in 1884.
Vespasien m French (Rare)
French form of Vespasianus (see Vespasian).
Cathrine f Norwegian, Danish, Swedish
Scandinavian contracted form of Katherine.
Vencel m Hungarian
Hungarian form of Václav.
Odelia 2 f Hebrew
Means "I will thank Yahweh" in Hebrew. This is a modern Hebrew name probably inspired by Odelia 1.
Lilijana f Slovene, Lithuanian
Slovene and Lithuanian form of Lillian.
Aurelian m Romanian, History
Romanian form of Aurelianus, as well as the usual English form when referring to the Roman emperor.
Elmira 1 f Literature
Possibly a shortened form of Edelmira. It appears in the play Tartuffe (1664) by the French playwright Molière (often spelled in the French style Elmire).
Álex m Spanish
Short form of Alejandro.
Claretta f Italian
Diminutive of Clara.
Roslyn f English
Variant of Rosalyn.
Ariadna f Spanish, Catalan, Russian, Polish
Spanish, Catalan, Russian and Polish form of Ariadne.
Sinclair m & f English (Rare)
From a Scottish surname that was derived from a Norman French town called "Saint Clair". A notable bearer was the American author Sinclair Lewis (1885-1951).
Robyn f English
Feminine variant of Robin.
Pio m Italian, Portuguese (Rare)
Italian and Portuguese form of Pius.
Theresia f German, Dutch
German and Dutch form of Theresa.
Aloisia f German (Rare)
German feminine form of Aloysius.
Michele 1 m Italian
Italian form of Michael.
Azriel m Biblical
Means "my help is God" in Hebrew, derived from עֶזְרָה (ʿezra) meaning "help" and אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". This is the name of three minor characters in the Old Testament.
Atalia f Hebrew
Modern Hebrew transcription of Athaliah.
Avila f Germanic
Derived from the Old German element awi, of unknown meaning. Rarely, this name may be given in honour of the 16th-century mystic Saint Teresa of Ávila, Ávila being the name of the town in Spain where she was born.
Simone 1 f French, English, German, Dutch, Danish, Portuguese
French feminine form of Simon 1. A famous bearer was Simone de Beauvoir (1908-1986), a French feminist and philosopher. This name is also borne by the American gymnast Simone Biles (1997-).
Nerea f Basque, Spanish
Possibly from Basque nere, a dialectal variant of nire meaning "mine". Alternatively, it could be a feminine form of Nereus. This name arose in Basque-speaking regions of Spain in the first half of the 20th century, though it is now popular throughout the country.
Jayesh m Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati
Means "lord of victory" from Sanskrit जय (jaya) meaning "victory, conquest" and ईश (īśa) meaning "lord, ruler".
Mattias m Swedish, Estonian
Swedish and Estonian form of Matthias.
Magali f French, Occitan
Occitan form of Magdalene.
Stephanie f English, German
Feminine form of Stephen.
Charlemagne m History
From Old French Charles le Magne meaning "Charles the Great". This is the name by which the Frankish king Charles the Great (742-814) is commonly known.
Lucero f & m Spanish (Mexican), Spanish (Latin American)
Means "light source, bright star, morning star" in Spanish, a derivative of luz "light". It is most common in Mexico and Colombia.
Alena 1 f German, Czech, Slovak, Slovene
Short form of Magdalena or Helena. This was the name of a saint, possibly legendary, who was martyred near Brussels in the 7th century.
Émeline f French
French form of Emmeline.
Florus m Ancient Roman
Roman cognomen that was derived from Latin flos meaning "flower" (genitive case floris). It was borne by a 2nd-century saint who was martyred with Laurus in Illyricum.
Geneva f English
Possibly a shortened form of Genevieve. It could also be inspired by the name of the city in Switzerland. It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the 19th century.
Oria f Italian (Rare)
Italian form of Aurea.
Steffan m Welsh
Welsh form of Stephen.
Sébastien m French
French form of Sebastianus (see Sebastian).
Mihajlo m Serbian
Serbian form of Michael.
Gabriëlle f Dutch
Dutch feminine form of Gabriel.
Aenor f Germanic (Latinized)
Probably a Latinized form of a Germanic name of unknown meaning. This was the name of the mother of Eleanor of Aquitaine.
Prashant m Hindi, Marathi, Nepali, Bengali
From Sanskrit प्रशान्त (praśānta) meaning "calm, quiet".
Jenci m Hungarian
Diminutive of Jenő.
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).
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.
Dimitrios m Greek
Modern Greek transcription of Demetrios.
Avelina 1 f Germanic
Diminutive of Avila.
Merita 2 f Esperanto
Means "meritorious, worthy" in Esperanto.
Amora f English (Modern)
Apparently a modern coinage based on Latin amor meaning "love".
Mirica f Croatian
From the Slavic element mirŭ meaning "peace, world" combined with a diminutive suffix.
Stella 1 f English, Italian, Dutch, German
Means "star" in Latin. This name was created by the 16th-century poet Philip Sidney for the subject of his collection of sonnets Astrophel and Stella. It was a nickname of a lover of Jonathan Swift, real name Esther Johnson (1681-1728), though it was not commonly used as a given name until the 19th century. It appears in Tennessee Williams' play A Streetcar Named Desire (1947), belonging to the sister of Blanche DuBois and the wife of Stanley Kowalski.
Aubrey m & f English
From Auberi, an Old French form of Alberich brought to England by the Normans. It was common in the Middle Ages, and was revived in the 19th century. Since the mid-1970s it has more frequently been given to girls, due to Bread's 1972 song Aubrey along with its similarity to the established feminine name Audrey.
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]
Léa f French
French form of Leah.
Rozabela f Esperanto
Means "rosy-beautiful" in Esperanto, ultimately from Latin rosa "rose" and bella "beautiful".
Willem m Dutch
Dutch form of William. Willem the Silent, Prince of Orange, was the leader of the Dutch revolt against Spain that brought about the independence of the Netherlands. He is considered the founder of the Dutch royal family. In English he is commonly called William of Orange.
Melpomene f Greek Mythology
Derived from Greek μέλπω (melpo) meaning "to sing, to celebrate with song". This was the name of one of the nine Muses in Greek mythology, the muse of tragedy.
Zinaida f Russian, Belarusian, Ukrainian
Russian, Belarusian and Ukrainian form of Zenaida.
Richárd m Hungarian
Hungarian form of Richard.
Persephone f Greek Mythology
Meaning unknown, probably of Pre-Greek origin, but perhaps related to Greek πέρθω (pertho) meaning "to destroy" and φόνος (phonos) meaning "murder". In Greek myth she was the daughter of Demeter and Zeus. She was abducted to the underworld by Hades, but was eventually allowed to return to the surface for part of the year. The result of her comings and goings is the changing of the seasons. With her mother she was worshipped in the Eleusinian Mysteries, which were secret rites practiced at the city of Eleusis near Athens.
Nevena f Bulgarian, Macedonian, Croatian, Serbian
Derived from South Slavic neven meaning "marigold".
Lillian f English
Probably originally a diminutive of Elizabeth. It may also be considered an elaborated form of Lily, from the Latin word for "lily" lilium. This name has been used in England since the 16th century.
Eli 3 f Spanish, Norwegian, Danish
Spanish, Norwegian and Danish short form of Elisabet or Elin.
Pratima f Hindi, Marathi
From Sanskrit प्रतिमा (pratimā) meaning "image, likeness, reflection".
Tria f English (Rare)
Perhaps a short form of Demetria and other names ending in a similar sound.
Victoire f French
French form of Victoria.
Arthur m English, French, German, Dutch, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Welsh Mythology, Arthurian Cycle
The meaning of this name is unknown. It could be derived from the Celtic elements *artos "bear" (Old Welsh arth) combined with *wiros "man" (Old Welsh gur) or *rīxs "king" (Old Welsh ri). Alternatively it could be related to an obscure Roman family name Artorius.... [more]
Luanna f English (Rare)
Either a combination of Lou and Anna or a variant of Luana.
Vincent m English, French, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Slovak
From the Roman name Vincentius, which was derived from Latin vinco meaning "to conquer". This name was popular among early Christians, and it was borne by many saints. As an English name, Vincent has been in use since the Middle Ages, though it did not become common until the 19th century. Famous bearers include the French priest Saint Vincent de Paul (1581-1660) and the Dutch post-impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890).