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
Theophanes m Ancient Greek
Means "manifestation of God" from Greek θεός (theos) meaning "god" and φανής (phanes) meaning "appearing". This name was borne by a few saints, including an 8th-century chronicler from Constantinople and a 19th-century Russian Orthodox saint, Theophanes the Recluse, who is Феофан (Feofan) in Russian. Another famous bearer was a 14th-century Byzantine icon painter active in Moscow.
Estela f Portuguese, Spanish
Portuguese and Spanish form of Estelle.
Liesbeth f Dutch
Dutch variant of Elisabeth.
Loviise f Estonian
Estonian feminine form of Louis.
Charissa f English, Dutch
Elaborated form of Charis. Edmund Spencer used it in his epic poem The Faerie Queene (1590).
Filbert m Eastern African
Possibly a form of Philibert. It is particularly used in Tanzania due to track star Filbert Bayi (1953-), who set a world record running the 1500 meter in 1974.
Baran f & m Persian, Turkish, Kurdish
Means "rain" in Persian. It is typically feminine in Persian and masculine in Turkish and Kurdish.
Morgaine f Arthurian Cycle
Variant of Morgan 2, from a French form.
Florizel m Literature
From Latin floris, the genitive case of flos meaning "flower". This name was used by Shakespeare for the prince of Bohemia and the lover of Perdita in his play The Winter's Tale (1610).
Wilfred m English
Means "desiring peace" from Old English willa "will, desire" and friþ "peace". Saint Wilfrid was a 7th-century Anglo-Saxon bishop. The name was rarely used after the Norman Conquest, but it was revived in the 19th century.
Christabel f English (Rare)
Combination of Christina and the name suffix bel (inspired by Latin bella "beautiful"). This name occurs in medieval literature, and was later used by Samuel Taylor Coleridge in his 1816 poem Christabel.
Selim m Turkish, Albanian
Turkish and Albanian form of Salim. This was the name of three Ottoman sultans, including the father of Süleyman the Magnificent.
Orli f Hebrew
Means "light for me" in Hebrew.
Crescentius m Late Roman
Latin name that was a derivative of the name Crescens. This was the name of a few early saints, including a child martyred in Rome during the persecutions of Emperor Diocletian in the early 4th century.
Vespera f Esperanto
Means "of the evening", derived from Esperanto vespero "evening", ultimately from Latin vesper.
Lysanne f Dutch
Variant of Lisanne.
Regan f & m Literature, English
Meaning unknown. In the chronicles of Geoffrey of Monmouth it is the name of a treacherous daughter of King Leir. Shakespeare adapted the story for his tragedy King Lear (1606). In the modern era it has appeared in the horror movie The Exorcist (1973) belonging to a girl possessed by the devil. This name can also be used as a variant of Reagan.
Graciana f Spanish, Portuguese
Feminine form of Graciano.
Goodwin m English (Rare)
From an English surname that was derived from the given name Godwine.
Tessa f English, Dutch
Contracted form of Theresa.
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.
Lyubov f Russian, Ukrainian
Derived from the Slavic element ľuby meaning "love".
Surya m Hinduism, Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi, Marathi, Nepali, Indonesian
Means "sun" in Sanskrit. This is the name of the Vedic Hindu god of the sun who rides a chariot across the sky.
Selini f Greek
Modern Greek transcription of Selene.
April f English
From the name of the month, probably originally derived from Latin aperio "to open, to uncover", referring to the opening of flowers. It has only been commonly used as a given name since the 1940s.
Theda f German
Short form of Theodora. A famous bearer was actress Theda Bara (1885-1955), who was born Theodosia Goodman.
Kennard m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from the Old English given names Cyneweard or Cyneheard.
Alessio m Italian
Italian form of Alexius.
Polyxena f Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Greek Πολυξένη (Polyxene), which was from the word πολύξενος (polyxenos) meaning "entertaining many guests, very hospitable", itself derived from πολύς (polys) meaning "many" and ξένος (xenos) meaning "foreigner, guest". In Greek legend she was a daughter of Priam and Hecuba, beloved by Achilles. After the Trojan War, Achilles' son Neoptolemus sacrificed her.
Caterina f Italian, Catalan
Italian and Catalan form of Katherine.
Dianna f English
Variant of Diana.
Mairead f Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic form of Margaret.
Rebecca f English, Italian, Swedish, German, Dutch, Biblical, Biblical Latin
From the Hebrew name רִבְקָה (Rivqa), probably from a Semitic root meaning "join, tie, snare". This is the name of the wife of Isaac and the mother of Esau and Jacob in the Old Testament. It came into use as an English Christian name after the Protestant Reformation, and it was popular with the Puritans in the 17th century. It has been consistently used since then, becoming especially common in the second half of the 20th century.... [more]
Willemina f Dutch
Feminine form of Willem.
Silvan m German (Swiss)
German form of Silvanus.
Carmel f & m English, Jewish
From the title of the Virgin Mary Our Lady of Mount Carmel. כַּרְמֶל (Karmel) (meaning "garden" in Hebrew) is a mountain in Israel mentioned in the Old Testament. It was the site of several early Christian monasteries. As an English given name, it has mainly been used by Catholics. As a Jewish name it is unisex.
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.
Ksenija f Serbian, Croatian, Macedonian, Slovene, Latvian
Form of Xenia in several languages.
Montague m English (Rare)
From an aristocratic English surname meaning "sharp mountain", from Old French mont agu. In Shakespeare's tragedy Romeo and Juliet (1596) this is the surname of Romeo and his family.
Cyril m English, French, Czech, Slovak
From the Greek name Κύριλλος (Kyrillos), which was derived from Greek κύριος (kyrios) meaning "lord", a word used frequently in the Greek Bible to refer to God or Jesus.... [more]
Irenaeus m Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Latinized form of the Greek name Εἰρηναῖος (Eirenaios), which meant "peaceful". Saint Irenaeus was an early bishop of Lyons for whom the Greek island of Santorini is named.
Veera f Finnish, Estonian
Finnish and Estonian form of Vera 1.
Myles 2 m Greek Mythology
Probably from Greek μύλη (myle) meaning "mill". This was the name of a king of Laconia in Greek mythology.
Patricie f Czech
Czech feminine form of Patricius (see Patrick).
Summer f English
From the name of the season, ultimately from Old English sumor. It has been in use as a given name since the 1970s.
Katherina f English (Rare), German
Latinate form of Katherine. This is the name of the woman whom Petruchio marries and tries to tame in Shakespeare's comedy The Taming of the Shrew (1593).
Estee f Jewish
Diminutive of Esther. A famous bearer was the American businesswoman Estée Lauder (1908-2004), founder of the cosmetics company that bears her name. Her birth name was Josephine Esther Mentzer. Apparently she added the accent to her name Estee in order to make it appear French.
Sarai f Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Hebrew, Spanish
Means "my princess" in Hebrew, a possessive form of שָׂרָה (sara) meaning "lady, princess, noblewoman". In the Old Testament, this was Sarah's name before God changed it (see Genesis 17:15).
Aliona f Russian, Ukrainian
Alternate transcription of Russian Алёна or Ukrainian Альона (see Alyona).
Lilli f German, Danish, Finnish
German, Danish and Finnish variant of Lili.
Nes f Dutch (Rare)
Dutch short form of Agnes.
Godelieve f Flemish
Dutch (Flemish) form of Godeliva.
Donatien m French
French form of Donatianus.
Blanche f French, English
From a medieval French nickname meaning "white, fair-coloured". This word and its cognates in other languages are ultimately derived from the Germanic word *blankaz. An early bearer was the 12th-century Blanca of Navarre, the wife of Sancho III of Castile. Her granddaughter of the same name married Louis VIII of France, with the result that the name became more common in France.
Noé m French, Spanish, Portuguese, Hungarian, Biblical French, Biblical Spanish, Biblical Portuguese
French, Spanish, Portuguese and Hungarian form of Noah 1.
Esmeralda f Spanish, Portuguese, English, Albanian, Literature
Means "emerald" in Spanish and Portuguese. Victor Hugo used this name in his novel The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (1831), in which Esmeralda is the Romani girl who is loved by Quasimodo. It has occasionally been used in the English-speaking world since that time.
Mihajlo m Serbian
Serbian form of Michael.
Silvestre m Spanish, Portuguese
Spanish and Portuguese form of Silvester.
Denise f French, English, Dutch
French feminine form of Denis.
Victorine f French
French feminine form of Victorinus.
Matías m Spanish
Spanish form of Matthias.
Katyusha f Russian
Diminutive of Yekaterina. This is the name of a 1938 Soviet song, which became popular during World War II.
Nicolae m Romanian
Romanian form of Nicholas. A notable bearer was the Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu (1918-1989).
Janet f English
Medieval diminutive of Jane. This was a popular name throughout the English-speaking world in the 20th century, especially the 1930s to the 60s. Its popularity has since faded.
Thanasis m Greek
Modern Greek short form of Athanasios.
Vianne f English (Rare)
Meaning unknown, perhaps a combination of Vi and Anne 1 or a short form of Vivianne.
Fiorella f Italian
From Italian fiore "flower" combined with a diminutive suffix.
Xanthe f Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek
Derived from Greek ξανθός (xanthos) meaning "yellow, blond, fair-haired". This was the name of a few minor figures in Greek mythology.
Semiramis f Ancient Assyrian (Hellenized)
Probably from a Greek form of the name Shammuramat. According to ancient Greek and Armenian sources, Semiramis (Շամիրամ (Shamiram) in Armenian) was an Assyrian queen who conquered much of Asia. Though the tales are legendary, she might be loosely based on the real Assyrian queen.
Sílvia f Portuguese, Catalan
Portuguese and Catalan form of Silvia.
Angelique f Dutch
Dutch form of Angélique.
Illarion m Russian (Rare)
Russian form of Hilarion.
Lizette f English
Diminutive of Elizabeth.
Donella f Scottish
Feminine form of Donald.
Alvina f English
Feminine form of Alvin.
Carys f Welsh
Derived from Welsh caru meaning "love". This is a relatively modern Welsh name, in common use only since the middle of the 20th century.
Oliwer m Polish
Polish form of Oliver.
Cicely f English
Medieval variant of Cecily.
Laurie f & m English, French
Diminutive of Laura or Laurence 1.
Jaya f & m Hinduism, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Marathi
Derived from Sanskrit जय (jaya) meaning "victory". In Sanskrit this is a transcription of both the feminine form जया (long final vowel) and the masculine form जय (short final vowel), both of which are used as names or epithets for several characters in Hindu texts. As a modern personal name, this transcription is both feminine and masculine in southern India, but typically only feminine in the north.
Priscilla f English, Italian, French, Ancient Roman, Biblical Latin, Biblical
Roman name, a diminutive of Prisca. In Acts in the New Testament Paul lived with Priscilla (also known as Prisca) and her husband Aquila in Corinth for a while. It has been used as an English given name since the Protestant Reformation, being popular with the Puritans. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow used it in his 1858 poem The Courtship of Miles Standish.
Félicien m French
French form of Felicianus (see Feliciano).
Shashi m & f Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Kannada, Telugu
Traditional name for the moon, it literally means "having a hare" in Sanskrit. This is a transcription of both the masculine form शशि and the feminine form शशी (spelled with a long final vowel).
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.
Delia 2 f English
Short form of Adelia or Bedelia.
Mozelle f English
Possibly a feminine form of Moses.
Jasna f Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Macedonian
Derived from South Slavic jasno meaning "clearly, obviously".
Veeti m Finnish
Finnish diminutive of Fredrik or Ferdinand.
Lavina f English
Variant of Lavinia.
Angèle f French
French feminine form of Angelus (see Angel).
Alban m German, French, Albanian, English (Rare)
From the Roman cognomen Albanus, which meant "from Alba". Alba (from Latin albus "white") was the name of various places within the Roman Empire, including the city Alba Longa. This name was borne by Saint Alban, the first British martyr (4th century). According to tradition, he sheltered a fugitive priest in his house. When his house was searched, he disguised himself as the priest, was arrested in his stead, and was beheaded. Another 4th-century martyr by this name was Saint Alban of Mainz.... [more]
Narendra m Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Telugu
Means "lord of men" from Sanskrit नर (nara) meaning "man" combined with the name of the Hindu god Indra, used here to mean "lord".
Kimberly f English
From the name of the city of Kimberley in South Africa, which was named after Lord Kimberley (1826-1902). The city came to prominence in the late 19th century during the Boer War. Kimberly has been used as a given name since the mid-20th century, eventually becoming very popular as a feminine name.
Monet f & m Various
From a French surname that was derived from either Hamon or Edmond. This was the surname of the French impressionist painter Claude Monet (1840-1926).
Laurentine f French (Rare)
French feminine form of Laurentinus.
Oktawiusz m Polish
Polish form of Octavius.
Theresa f English, German
From the Spanish and Portuguese name Teresa. It was first recorded as Therasia, being borne by the Spanish wife of Saint Paulinus of Nola in the 4th century. The meaning is uncertain, but it could be derived from Greek θέρος (theros) meaning "summer", from Greek θερίζω (therizo) meaning "to harvest", or from the name of the Greek island of Therasia (the western island of Santorini).... [more]
Selene f Greek Mythology
Means "moon" in Greek. This was the name of a Greek goddess of the moon, a Titan. She was sometimes identified with the goddess Artemis.
Gavino m Italian
From the Late Latin name Gabinus, which possibly referred to the ancient city of Gabii in central Italy. Saint Gavino was martyred in Sardinia in the 3rd century.
Marinella f Italian
Diminutive of Marina.
Calanthia f English (Rare)
Elaborated form of Calanthe.
Katariina f Finnish, Estonian
Finnish and Estonian form of Katherine.
Fáelán m Old Irish
Old Irish form of Faolán.
Lilian f & m English, French, Romanian
English variant of Lillian, as well as a French and Romanian masculine form.
Dinah f Biblical, English
Means "judged" in Hebrew, derived from דִּין (din) meaning "to judge". According to the Old Testament, Dinah was a daughter of Jacob and Leah who was abducted by Shechem. It has been used as an English given name since after the Protestant Reformation.
Larissa f English, German, Portuguese (Brazilian), Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Variant of Larisa. It has been commonly used as an English given name only since the 20th century, as a borrowing from Russian. In 1991 this name was given to one of the moons of Neptune, in honour of the mythological character.
Lidija f Latvian, Lithuanian, Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, Macedonian
Form of Lydia in several languages.
Tali f Hebrew
Means "my dew" in Hebrew.
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.
Leonard m English, Dutch, German, Polish, Romanian, Germanic
Means "brave lion", derived from the Old German elements lewo "lion" (of Latin origin) and hart "hard, firm, brave, hardy". This was the name of a 6th-century Frankish saint from Noblac who is the patron of prisoners and horses. The Normans brought this name to England, where it was used steadily through the Middle Ages, becoming even more common in the 20th century.
Antonette f English
Diminutive of Antonia.
Bianka f German, Hungarian, Polish
German, Hungarian and Polish form of Bianca.
Anđela f Croatian, Serbian
Croatian and Serbian form of Angela.
Delphia f English
Possibly from the name of the Greek city of Delphi, the site of an oracle of Apollo, which is possibly related to Greek δελφύς (delphys) meaning "womb". It was used in the play The Prophetess (1647), in which it belongs to the title prophetess.
Bettina f German, Danish, Italian, Hungarian
Diminutive of Elisabeth (German and Danish), Benedetta or Elisabetta (Italian), or Erzsébet (Hungarian).
Emma f English, French, Italian, Spanish, Catalan, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Finnish, Latvian, Dutch, German, Hungarian, Germanic
Originally a short form of Germanic names that began with the element irmin meaning "whole" or "great" (Proto-Germanic *ermunaz). It was introduced to England by Emma of Normandy, who was the wife both of King Ethelred II (and by him the mother of Edward the Confessor) and later of King Canute. It was also borne by an 11th-century Austrian saint, who is sometimes called Hemma.... [more]
Narges f Persian
Means "daffodil, narcissus" in Persian, ultimately derived from Greek (see Narcissus).
Ophelia f English, Literature, Ancient Greek
Derived from Greek ὠφέλεια (opheleia) meaning "help, advantage". This was a rare ancient Greek name, which was either rediscovered or recreated by the poet Jacopo Sannazaro for a character in his poem Arcadia (1480). It was borrowed by Shakespeare for his play Hamlet (1600), in which it belongs to the daughter of Polonius and the potential love interest of Hamlet. She eventually goes insane and drowns herself after Hamlet kills her father. In spite of this negative association, the name has been in use since the 19th century.
Emiliya f Bulgarian, Ukrainian, Russian
Bulgarian, Ukrainian and Russian feminine form of Aemilius (see Emily).
Alison 1 f English, French
Norman French diminutive of Aalis (see Alice). It was common in England, Scotland and France in the Middle Ages, and was later revived in England in the 20th century via Scotland. Unlike most other English names ending in son, it is not derived from a surname.
Eurwen f Welsh
Derived from Welsh aur "gold" and gwen "white, blessed".
Ea 2 f Danish, Norwegian
Short form of names ending in ea.
Bethany f English
From the name of a biblical town, Βηθανία (Bethania) in Greek, which is probably of Aramaic or Hebrew origin, possibly meaning "house of affliction" or "house of figs". In the New Testament the town of Bethany is the home of Lazarus and his sisters Mary and Martha. It has been in use as a rare given name in the English-speaking world since the 19th century, in honour of Mary of Bethany. In America it became moderately common after the 1950s.
Lovel m English (Rare)
From a surname that was a variant of Lowell.
Enea m Italian
Italian form of Aeneas.
Katerina f Macedonian, Albanian, Russian, Bulgarian, Greek, Late Roman
Macedonian and Albanian form of Katherine, a Russian short form of Yekaterina, a Bulgarian short form of Ekaterina, and a Greek variant of Aikaterine.
Loránd m Hungarian
Hungarian form of Roland.
James m English, Biblical
English form of the Late Latin name Iacomus, a variant of the Biblical Latin form Iacobus, from the Hebrew name Yaʿaqov (see Jacob). This was the name of two apostles in the New Testament. The first was Saint James the Greater, the apostle John's brother, who was beheaded under Herod Agrippa in the Book of Acts. The second was James the Lesser, son of Alphaeus. Another James (known as James the Just) is also mentioned in the Bible as being the brother of Jesus.... [more]
Aline f French, Portuguese (Brazilian), English
Medieval short form of Adeline. As an English name, in modern times it has sometimes been regarded as a variant of Eileen. This was the name of a popular 1965 song by the French singer Christophe.
Katarin f Breton
Breton form of Katherine.
Federico m Spanish, Italian
Spanish and Italian form of Frederick. Spanish poet Federico García Lorca (1898-1936) and Italian filmmaker Federico Fellini (1920-1993) are famous bearers of this name.
Delora f English
Altered form of Dolores.
Havryil m Ukrainian (Rare)
Ukrainian form of Gabriel.
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).
Maurice m French, English
From the Roman name Mauritius, a derivative of Maurus. Saint Maurice was a 3rd-century Roman soldier from Egypt. He and the other Christians in his legion were supposedly massacred on the orders of Emperor Maximian for refusing to worship Roman gods. Thus, he is the patron saint of infantry soldiers.... [more]
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.
Osmond m English (Rare)
From the Old English elements os "god" and mund "protection". During the Anglo-Saxon period a Norse cognate Ásmundr was also used in England, and another version was imported by the Normans. Saint Osmund was an 11th-century Norman nobleman who became an English bishop. Though it eventually became rare, it was revived in the 19th century, in part from a surname that was derived from the given name.
Yvette f French, English
French feminine form of Yves.
Hanan 2 f Arabic
Means "mercy, compassion" in Arabic, derived from the root حنّ (ḥanna) meaning "to sympathize, to pity".
Dmytro m Ukrainian
Ukrainian form of Demetrius.
Charlotta f Swedish
Swedish variant of Charlotte.
Sona 1 f Hindi
Means "gold" in Hindi, derived from Sanskrit सुवर्ण (suvarṇa) meaning literally "good colour".
Lily f English
From the name of the flower, a symbol of purity. The word is ultimately derived from Latin lilium. This is the name of the main character, Lily Bart, in the novel The House of Mirth (1905) by Edith Wharton. A famous bearer is the American actress Lily Tomlin (1939-).
Rozália f Hungarian, Slovak
Hungarian and Slovak form of Rosalia.
Lia 1 f Italian, Portuguese, Catalan, Georgian, Greek, Biblical Latin
Italian, Portuguese, Georgian and Greek form of Leah.
Kallias m Ancient Greek
Derived from Greek κάλλος (kallos) meaning "beauty". This was the name of an Athenian who fought at Marathon who later became an ambassador to the Persians.
Serena f English, Italian, Late Roman
From a Late Latin name that was derived from Latin serenus meaning "clear, tranquil, serene". This name was borne by an obscure early saint. Edmund Spenser also used it in his poem The Faerie Queene (1590). A famous bearer from the modern era is tennis player Serena Williams (1981-).
Josefine f Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, German
Scandinavian and German form of Joséphine.
Fiona f Scottish, English
Feminine form of Fionn. This name was (first?) used by the Scottish poet James Macpherson in his poem Fingal (1761), in which it is spelled as Fióna.
Vitalis m Late Roman
Latin form of Vitale.
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.
Leone 1 m Italian
Italian form of Leo and Leon.
Marinette f French
French diminutive of Marine.
Norina f Italian
Italian diminutive of Nora 1.
Daphnée f French (Rare)
French variant form of Daphne.
Marianna f Italian, Hungarian, Slovak, Polish, Finnish, Estonian, Latvian, Russian, Greek, English
Combination of Maria and Anna. It can also be regarded as a variant of the Roman name Mariana, or as a Latinized form of Mariamne.
Alona f Hebrew
Feminine form of Alon 1.
Gregorio m Italian, Spanish
Italian and Spanish form of Gregorius (see Gregory).
Ernestine f French, German, English
Feminine form of Ernest.
Pranay m Hindi, Marathi
From Sanskrit प्रणय (praṇaya) meaning "leader, guidance, love".
Watson m English
From an English surname meaning "son of Wat". A famous fictional bearer of the surname was Dr. Watson, the assistant to Sherlock Holmes in Arthur Conan Doyle's mystery stories beginning in 1887.
Renard m French (Rare)
French form of Reynard. Because of the medieval character Reynard the Fox, renard became a French word meaning "fox".
Florin m Romanian
Romanian form of Florinus.
Théodore m French
French form of Theodore.
Rebekah f Biblical, English
Form of Rebecca used in some versions of the Bible.
Adella f English
Variant of Adela.
Faina f Russian
Meaning unknown, possibly derived from Phaenna.
Francisca f Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Late Roman
Feminine form of Franciscus (see Francis).
Dieudonné m French
Means "given by God" in French, used as a French form of Deusdedit. It is currently much more common in French-speaking Africa than it is in France.
Tatiana f Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, French, Slovak, Polish, Finnish, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Dutch, Greek, Georgian, English, Russian, Bulgarian, Ancient Roman
Feminine form of the Roman name Tatianus, a derivative of the Roman name Tatius. This was the name of a 3rd-century saint who was martyred in Rome under the emperor Alexander Severus. She was especially venerated in Orthodox Christianity, and the name has been common in Russia (as Татьяна) and Eastern Europe. It was not regularly used in the English-speaking world until the 1980s.
Eugene m English
English form of Eugenius, the Latin form of the Greek name Εὐγένιος (Eugenios), which was derived from the Greek word εὐγενής (eugenes) meaning "well born". It is composed of the elements εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and γενής (genes) meaning "born". This was the name of several saints and four popes.... [more]
Riya f Hindi, Marathi, Bengali
Means "singer" in Sanskrit.
Lisette f French, English
Diminutive of Élisabeth.
Cloe f Spanish, Italian
Spanish and Italian form of Chloe.
St John m English (British, Rare)
From the title and name of Saint John the Baptist or Saint John the Evangelist (see John).
Theodoor m Dutch
Dutch form of Theodore.
Ceres f Roman Mythology
Derived from the Indo-European root *ker- meaning "grow, increase". In Roman mythology Ceres was the goddess of agriculture, equivalent to the Greek goddess Demeter.
Marcellette f French (Rare)
French feminine diminutive of Marcellus.
Gizella f Hungarian
Hungarian form of Giselle.
Claudine f French
French diminutive of Claude.
Konstancja f Polish
Polish form of Constantia.
Ilan m Hebrew
Means "tree" in Hebrew.
Stefania f Italian, Polish, Greek
Italian, Polish and Greek feminine form of Stephen.
Adelia f English, Spanish
Elaborated form of Adela.
Rachael f English
Variant of Rachel, the spelling probably influenced by that of Michael.
Juli f Hungarian
Hungarian short form of Julia.
Janine f French, English, Dutch, German
Variant of Jeannine. It has only been in use since the 20th century.
Faye f English
Variant of Fay.
Rain 2 m Estonian
Variant of Rein.
Mónika f Hungarian
Hungarian form of Monica.
Aurélie f French
French feminine form of Aurelius.
Ahuva f Hebrew
Means "beloved" in Hebrew.
Gaby f & m French, Spanish, English
Diminutive of Gabrielle or Gabriel.
Hila f Hebrew
Means "halo, aura" in Hebrew, from the root הָלַל (halal) meaning "to praise, to shine".
Theodorus m Ancient Greek (Latinized), Dutch
Latinized form of the Greek name Theodoros (see Theodore). As a Dutch name, it is used on birth certificates though a vernacular form such as Theodoor is typically used in daily life.
Céleste f & m French
French feminine and masculine form of Caelestis.
Horatius m Ancient Roman
Roman family name that was possibly derived from Latin hora meaning "hour, time, season", though the name may actually be of Etruscan origin. A famous bearer was Quintus Horatius Flaccus, a Roman lyric poet of the 1st century BC who is better known as Horace in the English-speaking world.
Mihai m Romanian
Romanian form of Michael. Mihai the Brave was a prince of Wallachia who united Romania in the early 17th century.
Susannah f Biblical
Form of Susanna found in some versions of the Old Testament.
Wendell m English
From a German and Dutch surname that was derived from the given name Wendel. In America this name has been given in honour of the poet Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. (1809-1894) and his son the Supreme Court justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. (1841-1935). The elder's middle name came from his mother's maiden name (which had been brought to America by a Dutch ancestor in the form Wendel, with the extra l added later).
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.
Lera f Russian, Ukrainian
Short form of Valeriya.
Cintia f Spanish, Hungarian
Spanish and Hungarian form of Cynthia.
Violette f French
French form of Violet.
Thierry m French
French form of Theodoric. It was very popular in France from the 1950s, peaking in the mid-1960s before falling away. A famous bearer is the French former soccer player Thierry Henry (1977-).
Althea f Greek Mythology (Latinized)
From the Greek name Ἀλθαία (Althaia), perhaps related to Greek ἄλθος (althos) meaning "healing". In Greek myth she was the mother of Meleager. Soon after her son was born she was told that he would die as soon as a piece of wood that was burning on her fire was fully consumed. She immediately extinguished the piece of wood and sealed it in a chest, but in a fit of rage many years later she took it out and set it alight, thereby killing her son.
Venera 1 f Russian, Bulgarian, Albanian
Form of Venus, from the genitive form Veneris.
Anastasiya f Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Bulgarian
Russian, Ukrainian and Bulgarian form of Anastasia. This name was borne by the wife of the Russian tsar Ivan the Terrible.
Kalliope f Greek Mythology
Means "beautiful voice" from Greek κάλλος (kallos) meaning "beauty" and ὄψ (ops) meaning "voice". In Greek mythology she was a goddess of epic poetry and eloquence, one of the nine Muses.
Theresia f German, Dutch
German and Dutch form of Theresa.
Corinne f French, English
French form of Corinna. The French-Swiss author Madame de Staël used it for her novel Corinne (1807).
Martin m English, French, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Estonian, Russian, Romanian, Czech, Slovak, Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, Hungarian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Finnish
From the Roman name Martinus, which was derived from Martis, the genitive case of the name of the Roman god Mars. Saint Martin of Tours was a 4th-century bishop who is the patron saint of France. According to legend, he came across a cold beggar in the middle of winter so he ripped his cloak in two and gave half of it to the beggar. He was a favourite saint during the Middle Ages, and his name has become common throughout the Christian world.... [more]
Shweta f Marathi, Hindi, Gujarati
From Sanskrit श्वेत (śveta) meaning "white".
Melissa f English, Dutch, Ancient Greek, Greek Mythology
Means "bee" in Greek. In Greek mythology this was the name of a daughter of Procles, as well as an epithet of various Greek nymphs and priestesses. According to the early Christian writer Lactantius this was the name of the sister of the nymph Amalthea, with whom she cared for the young Zeus. Later it appears in Ludovico Ariosto's 1532 poem Orlando Furioso belonging to the fairy who helps Ruggiero escape from the witch Alcina. As an English given name, Melissa has been used since the 18th century.
Calista f English, Portuguese (Rare), Spanish (Rare)
Feminine form of Callistus. As an English name it might also be a variant of Kallisto.
Inessa f Russian, Ukrainian
Russian and Ukrainian form of Inés.
Mnemosyne f Greek Mythology
Means "remembrance" in Greek. In Greek mythology Mnemosyne was a Titan goddess of memory. She was the mother by Zeus of the nine Muses.
Arezou f Persian
Means "desire" in Persian.
Ciel f & m Various (Rare)
Means "sky" in French. It is not used as a given name in France itself.
Ostap m Ukrainian
Ukrainian form of Eustathius.
Na'ima f Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic نعيمة (see Naima).
Costel m Romanian
Romanian diminutive of Constantin.
Maybelline f English (Rare)
Diminutive of Mabel. This is an American cosmetics company, which was named after the founder's sister Mabel in 1915.
Merlyn m & f English
Variant of Merlin, sometimes used as a feminine form. It has perhaps been influenced by the Welsh word merlyn meaning "pony".
Dilara f Turkish
Turkish form of Delara.
Niven m Scottish
Anglicized form of Naomhán.
Finella f Scottish
Variant of Fenella.
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.
Lavanya f Hindi, Telugu, Tamil
From Sanskrit लावण्य (lāvaṇya) meaning "beauty, loveliness, charm".
Calixta f Spanish, Portuguese (Rare)
Spanish and Portuguese feminine form of Calixtus.
Laboni f Bengali
Means "saline, salted, tasteful, graceful", derived from Sanskrit लवण (lavaṇa) meaning "salt".
Mykhailo m Ukrainian
Ukrainian form of Michael.
Anett f Hungarian
Hungarian form of Annette.
Mattea f Italian
Italian feminine form of Matthew.
Nia 1 f Welsh
Welsh form of Niamh. The Welsh poet T. Gwynn Jones used it in his long poem Tir na n-Óg (1916), referring to the lover of Oisín.
Fanni f Finnish, Hungarian
Finnish diminutive of Francisca and a Hungarian diminutive of Franciska or Stefánia.
Hyacinthus m Greek Mythology (Latinized), Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Latinized form of the Greek name Ὑάκινθος (Hyakinthos), which was derived from the name of the hyacinth flower. In Greek legend Hyakinthos was accidentally killed by the god Apollo, who mournfully caused this flower to arise from his blood. The name was also borne by several early saints, notably a 3rd-century martyr who was killed with his brother Protus.
Natalya f Russian, Ukrainian
Russian and Ukrainian form of Natalia (see Natalie).
Nikhila f Telugu, Hindi
Feminine form of Nikhil.
Józef m Polish
Polish form of Joseph.
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.
Liwia f Polish
Polish form of Livia 1.
Jules 1 m French
French form of Julius. A notable bearer of this name was the French novelist Jules Verne (1828-1905), author of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and other works of science fiction.
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.
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.
Margaret f English
Derived from Latin Margarita, which was from Greek μαργαρίτης (margarites) meaning "pearl", a word that was probably ultimately a borrowing from an Indo-Iranian language. Saint Margaret, the patron of expectant mothers, was martyred at Antioch in the 4th century. Later legends told of her escape from a dragon, with which she was often depicted in medieval art. The saint was popular during the Middle Ages, and her name has been widely used in the Christian world.... [more]
Ilya m Russian, Belarusian
Russian and Belarusian form of Elijah.
Rembrandt m Dutch (Rare)
From a Germanic name that was composed of the elements regin "advice, counsel, decision" and brant "fire, torch, sword". This name belonged to the Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669).
Ilene f English
Variant of Eileen, probably inspired by the spelling of Irene.
Albert m English, German, French, Catalan, Polish, Czech, Russian, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Finnish, Romanian, Hungarian, Albanian, Germanic
From the Germanic name Adalbert meaning "noble and bright", composed of the elements adal "noble" and beraht "bright". This name was common among medieval German royalty. The Normans introduced it to England, where it replaced the Old English cognate Æþelbeorht. Though it became rare in England by the 17th century, it was repopularized in the 19th century by the German-born Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria.... [more]
Aila f Finnish
Finnish form of Áile.
Scholastica f Late Roman
From a Late Latin name that was derived from scholasticus meaning "rhetorician, orator". Saint Scholastica was a 6th-century Benedictine abbess, the sister of Saint Benedict of Nursia.
Carissa f English
Variant of Charissa.
Heidi f German, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Finnish, English
German diminutive of Adelheid. This is the name of the title character in the children's novel Heidi (1880) by the Swiss author Johanna Spyri. The name began to be used in the English-speaking world shortly after the 1937 release of the movie adaptation, which starred Shirley Temple.
Danijela f Slovene, Croatian, Serbian
Feminine form of Daniel.
Anne-Marie f French
Combination of Anne 1 and Marie.
Salomé f French, Spanish, Portuguese
French, Spanish and Portuguese form of Salome.
Suresha m Hinduism
Means "ruler of the gods" from Sanskrit सुर (sura) meaning "god" and ईश (īśa) meaning "ruler, lord". This is another name of the Hindu gods Indra, Shiva or Vishnu.
Vidal m Spanish, Catalan
Spanish and Catalan form of Vitalis (see Vitale).
Clara f German, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French, Catalan, Romanian, English, Swedish, Danish, Late Roman
Feminine form of the Late Latin name Clarus, which meant "clear, bright, famous". The name Clarus was borne by a few early saints. The feminine form was popularized by the 13th-century Saint Clare of Assisi (called Chiara in Italian), a friend and follower of Saint Francis, who left her wealthy family to found the order of nuns known as the Poor Clares.... [more]
Artemis f Greek Mythology, Greek
Meaning unknown, possibly related either to Greek ἀρτεμής (artemes) meaning "safe" or ἄρταμος (artamos) meaning "a butcher". Artemis was the Greek goddess of the moon and hunting, the twin of Apollo and the daughter of Zeus and Leto. She was known as Diana to the Romans.
Mirthe f Dutch
Variant of Myrthe.
Miina f Finnish
Short form of Vilhelmiina.
Luanna f English (Rare)
Either a combination of Lou and Anna or a variant of Luana.
Vera 1 f Russian, English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, Hungarian, Slovene, Serbian, Croatian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Belarusian, Georgian
Means "faith" in Russian, though it is sometimes associated with the Latin word verus "true". It has been in general use in the English-speaking world since the late 19th century.
Galatea f Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Greek Γαλάτεια (Galateia), probably derived from γάλα (gala) meaning "milk". This was the name of several characters in Greek mythology including a sea nymph who was the daughter of Doris and Nereus and the lover of Acis. According to some sources, this was also the name of the ivory statue carved by Pygmalion that came to life.
Violetta f Italian, Russian, Hungarian
Italian, Russian and Hungarian form of Violet.
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]
Aurea f Late Roman
Late Latin name that was derived from aureus "golden". This was the name of a 3rd-century saint from Ostia (near Rome), as well as an 11th-century Spanish saint.
Florry f English
Diminutive of Florence or Flora.
Élie m French
French form of Elijah.
Maiken f Danish, Norwegian
Danish and Norwegian diminutive of Maria.
Paschal m History
Variant of Paschalis (see Pascal). Paschal or Paschalis was the name of two popes.
Isabella f Italian, German, English, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Finnish, Dutch, Romanian
Latinate form of Isabel. This name was borne by many medieval royals, including queens consort of England, France, Portugal, the Holy Roman Empire and Hungary, as well as the powerful ruling queen Isabella of Castile (properly called Isabel).... [more]
Artem m Ukrainian, Russian
Ukrainian form of Artemios. It is also an alternate transcription of Russian Артём (see Artyom).
Aquilina f Ancient Roman, Spanish
Feminine form of Aquilinus. This was the name of a 3rd-century saint from Byblos.
Jean-François m French
Combination of Jean 1 and François.
Leontyne f English (Rare)
Variant of Léontine. This name is borne by opera singer Leontyne Price (1927-).