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
Caitríona f Irish
Irish form of Katherine.
Pascual m Spanish
Spanish form of Pascal.
Horatio m English
Variant of Horatius. Shakespeare used it for a character in his tragedy Hamlet (1600). It was borne by the British admiral Horatio Nelson (1758-1805), famous for his defeat of Napoleon's forces in the Battle of Trafalgar, in which he was himself killed. Since his time the name has been occasionally used in his honour.
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.
Anthelme m French (Rare)
French form of Anthelm.
Nicolás m Spanish
Spanish form of Nicholas.
Whitney f & m English
From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "white island" in Old English. Its popular use as a feminine name was initiated by actress Whitney Blake (1925-2002) in the 1960s, and further boosted in the 1980s by singer Whitney Houston (1963-2012).
Leona f English, Czech
Feminine form of Leon.
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).
Madhu f & m Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu
From Sanskrit मधु (madhu) meaning "honey, sweet". This is another name of Chaitra, the first month of the Hindu year (which occurs in March and April).
Maribel f Spanish
Short form of María Isabel.
Carina 1 f English, Portuguese, Spanish, German, Late Roman
Late Latin name derived from cara meaning "dear, beloved". This was the name of a 4th-century saint and martyr. It is also the name of a constellation in the southern sky, though in this case it means "keel" in Latin, referring to a part of Jason's ship the Argo.
Evette f English
Variant of Yvette.
Svetlana f Russian, Slovak, Bulgarian, Serbian, Macedonian, Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Armenian, Georgian
Derived from Russian свет (svet) meaning "light, world". It was popularized by the poem Svetlana (1813) by the poet Vasily Zhukovsky. It is sometimes used as a translation of Photine.
Sence f Medieval Spanish
Old variant of Sancha.
Rosella f Italian
Italian diminutive of Rosa 1.
Esteri f Finnish
Finnish form of Esther.
Pasha m Russian
Diminutive of Pavel.
Shahin m Persian, Arabic, Bengali
Means "falcon" in Persian, referring more specifically to the Barbary falcon (species Falco pelegrinoides). The bird's name is a derivative of Persian شاه (shāh) meaning "king".
Adrienn f Hungarian
Hungarian feminine form of Adrian.
Kamilla f Russian, Hungarian, Polish, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish
Russian and Hungarian form of Camilla, as well as a Polish and Scandinavian variant. This is also the Hungarian word for the chamomile flower (species Matricaria chamomilla).
Adélaïde f French
French form of Adelaide.
Clare f English
Medieval English form of Clara. The preferred spelling in the English-speaking world is now the French form Claire, though Clare has been fairly popular in the United Kingdom and Australia.... [more]
Korinna f Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek form of Corinna.
Panna f Hungarian
Hungarian diminutive of Anna.
Mirja f Finnish
Finnish form of Miriam.
Susie f English
Diminutive of Susan.
Gervais m French
French form of Gervasius.
Crescencia f Spanish
Spanish form of Crescentia.
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.
Marguerite f French
French form of Margaret. This is also the French word for the daisy flower (species Leucanthemum vulgare).
Siobhán f Irish
Irish form of Jehanne, a Norman French variant of Jeanne.
Corine f Dutch, French
Dutch form of Corinne, as well as a French variant.
Theodosius m Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Latinized form of the Greek name Θεοδόσιος (Theodosios) meaning "giving to god", derived from θεός (theos) meaning "god" and δόσις (dosis) meaning "giving". Saint Theodosius of Palestine was a monk who founded a monastery near Bethlehem in the 5th century. This also was the name of emperors of the Eastern Roman and Byzantine Empires.
Félicien m French
French form of Felicianus (see Feliciano).
Idony f English (Archaic)
Medieval English vernacular form of Idonea.
Kaarina f Finnish
Finnish form of Katherine.
Nicoletta f Italian
Feminine diminutive of Nicola 1.
Adrien m French
French form of Adrian.
Anabel f Spanish
Spanish form of Annabel, also commonly used as a contraction of Ana Isabel.
Stefani f English, Bulgarian
English variant and Bulgarian form of Stephanie. A notable bearer is Stefani Germanotta (1986-), an American singer better known as Lady Gaga.
Valens m Ancient Roman
Roman cognomen (see Valentine 1). This name was borne by a 4th-century Roman emperor.
Lelia f Italian
Italian form of Laelia.
Mariasole f Italian
Combination of Maria and Sole.
Tobiah m Biblical
From the Hebrew name טוֹבִיָּה (Ṭoviyya) meaning "Yahweh is good", from the elements טוֹב (ṭov) meaning "good" and יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. This was the name of an Ammonite in the Book of Nehemiah in the Old Testament.
Benjamín m Spanish, Czech, Slovak, Icelandic
Spanish, Czech, Slovak and Icelandic form of Benjamin.
Ivet f Bulgarian, Catalan
Bulgarian and Catalan form of Yvette.
Ange m & f French
French masculine and feminine form of Angelus (see Angel).
Pratima f Hindi, Marathi
From Sanskrit प्रतिमा (pratimā) meaning "image, likeness, reflection".
Mie f Danish, Norwegian
Danish and Norwegian diminutive of Marie.
Antonius m Ancient Roman, Dutch
Latin form of Anthony. This is also the official Dutch form of the name, used on birth certificates but commonly rendered Anton or Antoon in daily life.
Jovana f Serbian, Macedonian
Serbian and Macedonian feminine form of John.
Idella f English
Elaboration of Ida.
Denice f English
Variant of Denise.
Kari 1 f Norwegian
Norwegian short form of Katarina.
Maëlys f French
Feminine form of Maël, possibly influenced by the spelling of Mailys.
Rajani f & m Hinduism, Telugu, Kannada, Marathi, Hindi, Nepali
Means "dark, night" in Sanskrit. This is another name of the Hindu goddess Durga.
Erzsébet f Hungarian
Hungarian form of Elizabeth. This is the native name of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary. It was also borne by the infamous Erzsébet Báthory (1560-1614), a countess and alleged murderer.
Hendrick m Dutch (Archaic)
Dutch variant of Hendrik.
Félicienne f French
French feminine form of Felicianus (see Feliciano).
Cecílie f Czech
Czech form of Cecilia.
Kshitij m Hindi, Marathi
From Sanskrit क्षितिज (kṣitija) meaning "born of the earth" or "horizon".
Kathrin f German
German short form of Katharina.
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.
Liselot f Dutch
Dutch variant of Liselotte.
Galina f Russian, Bulgarian
Russian and Bulgarian feminine form of Galenos (see Galen).
Lis f Danish, Swedish
Short form of Elisabet.
Mairwen f Welsh
Combination of Mair and Welsh gwen meaning "white, blessed".
Anděla f Czech
Czech form of Angela.
Eemil m Finnish
Finnish form of Emil.
Catrina f Scottish, English
Anglicized form of Caitrìona.
Natasa f Greek
Greek diminutive of Anastasia.
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.
Seneca m Ancient Roman
From a Roman cognomen derived from Latin senectus meaning "old". This was the name of both a Roman orator (born in Spain) and also of his son, a philosopher and statesman.... [more]
Leone 1 m Italian
Italian form of Leo and Leon.
Donatienne f French
French feminine form of Donatianus.
Britta f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
Scandinavian short form of Birgitta.
Laoise f Irish
Possibly a newer form of Luigsech, or from the name of the county of Laois in central Ireland. It is also used as an Irish form of Lucy or Louise.
Valerie f English, German, Czech
English and German form of Valeria, as well as a Czech variant of Valérie.
Samuele m Italian
Italian form of Samuel.
Aura f English, Italian, Spanish, Finnish
From the word aura (derived from Latin, ultimately from Greek αὔρα meaning "breeze") for a distinctive atmosphere or illumination.
Caitria f Irish (Rare)
Possibly a form of Caitríona.
Delaiah m Biblical
Means "Yahweh has drawn up" in Hebrew, from דָּלָה (dala) meaning "to draw up, to hang" and יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. This is the name of several Old Testament characters.
Patricie f Czech
Czech feminine form of Patricius (see Patrick).
Lidiya f Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian
Russian, Ukrainian and Bulgarian form of Lydia.
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.
Korë f Greek Mythology
Alternate transcription of Ancient Greek Κόρη (see Kore).
Lucia f Italian, German, Dutch, English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Romanian, Slovak, Ancient Roman
Feminine form of Lucius. Saint Lucia was a 4th-century martyr from Syracuse. She was said to have had her eyes gouged out, and thus she is the patron saint of the blind. She was widely revered in the Middle Ages, and her name has been used throughout Christian Europe (in various spellings). It has been used in the England since the 12th century, usually in the spellings Lucy or Luce.
Sari 1 f Finnish
Finnish variant of Saara.
Silvija f Latvian, Lithuanian, Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Macedonian
Form of Silvia in several languages.
Vilde 1 f Norwegian
Short form of Alvilde.
Angelique f Dutch
Dutch form of Angélique.
Světlana f Czech
Czech form of Svetlana.
Martine f French, Dutch, Norwegian
French, Dutch and Norwegian form of Martina.
Anahita f Persian, Persian Mythology
Means "immaculate, undefiled" in Old Persian, from the Old Iranian prefix *an- "not" combined with *āhita "unclean, dirty". This was the name of an Iranian goddess of fertility and water. In the Zoroastrian religious texts the Avesta she is called 𐬀𐬭𐬆𐬛𐬎𐬎𐬍 (Arəduuī) in Avestan, with 𐬀𐬥𐬁𐬵𐬌𐬙𐬀 (anāhita) appearing only as a descriptive epithet. In origin she is possibly identical to the Indian goddess Saraswati. She has historically been identified with the Semitic goddess Ishtar and the Greek goddess Artemis.
Philomel f Literature
From an English word meaning "nightingale" (ultimately from Philomela). It has been used frequently in poetry to denote the bird.
Juliana f Dutch, German, English, Spanish, Portuguese, Slovak, Ancient Roman
Feminine form of Iulianus (see Julian). This was the name of a 4th-century saint and martyr from Nicomedia, and also of the Blessed Juliana of Norwich, also called Julian, a 14th-century mystic and author. The name was also borne by a 20th-century queen of the Netherlands. In England, this form has been in use since the 18th century, alongside the older form Gillian.
Alene f English
Variant of Aline.
Maximilienne f French (Rare)
French feminine form of Maximilian.
Delora f English
Altered form of Dolores.
Adina 2 f Romanian
Meaning uncertain, possibly a short form of Adelina.
Ignacio m Spanish
Spanish form of Ignatius.
Meera f Hindi, Marathi, Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada
Alternate transcription of Hindi/Marathi मीरा, Malayalam മീര, Tamil மீரா or Kannada ಮೀರಾ (see Mira 1).
Prosper m French, English
From the Latin name Prosperus, which meant "fortunate, successful". This was the name of a 5th-century saint, a supporter of Saint Augustine. It has never been common as an English name, though the Puritans used it, partly because it is identical to the English word prosper.
Floriane f French
French feminine form of Florian.
Calanthe f English (Rare)
From the name of a type of orchid, ultimately meaning "beautiful flower", derived from Greek καλός (kalos) meaning "beautiful" and ἄνθος (anthos) meaning "flower".
Athelstan m English (Archaic)
Modern form of Æðelstan. This name was revived in Britain the latter half of the 19th century.
Neve f Irish
Anglicized form of Niamh.
Célestin m French
French form of Caelestinus.
Linden m & f English
From a German and Dutch surname that was derived from Old High German linta meaning "linden tree".
Ériu f Irish Mythology
From the name of an Irish goddess, who according to legend gave her name to Ireland (which is called Éire in Irish). In reality, the goddess probably got her name from that of the island, which may mean something like "abundant land" in Old Irish.
Marceli m Polish
Polish form of Marcellus.
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.
Jahan m Persian
Means "world" in Persian. This name was borne by Shah Jahan, a 17th-century Mughal emperor who is best known as the builder of the Taj Mahal.
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).
Alba 1 f Italian, Spanish, Catalan
This name is derived from two distinct names, Alba 2 and Alba 3, with distinct origins, Latin and Germanic. Over time these names have become confused with one another. To further complicate the matter, alba means "dawn" in Italian, Spanish and Catalan. This may be the main inspiration behind its use in Italy and Spain.
Séraphine f French
French form of Seraphina.
Lucinda f English, Portuguese, Literature
An elaboration of Lucia created by Cervantes for his novel Don Quixote (1605). It was subsequently used by Molière in his play The Doctor in Spite of Himself (1666).
Liv 2 f English
Short form of Olivia.
Illuminata f Late Roman
Means "illuminated, brightened, filled with light" in Latin. This name was borne by a 4th-century saint from Todi, Italy.
Lilibet f English
Diminutive of Elizabeth.
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.
Elyse f English
Diminutive of Elizabeth. It was popularized in the early 1980s by a character from the television comedy Family Ties.
Semele f Greek Mythology
Meaning unknown, possibly of Phrygian origin. In Greek mythology she was one of the many lovers of Zeus. Hera, being jealous, tricked Semele into asking Zeus to display himself in all his splendour as the god of thunder. When he did, Semele was struck by lightning and died, but not before giving birth to Dionysos.
Eudora f Greek Mythology
Means "good gift" in Greek, from the elements εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and δῶρον (doron) meaning "gift". This was the name of a nymph, one of the Hyades, in Greek mythology.
Liese f German, Dutch
German and Dutch diminutive of Elisabeth.
Bria f English
Short form of Brianna, Gabriella and other names containing bri.
Salma f Arabic, Urdu, Bengali, Indonesian
Means "safe" in Arabic, derived from سلم (salima) meaning "to be safe".
Azalea f English (Modern)
From the name of the flower (shrubs of the genus Rhododendron), ultimately derived from Greek ἀζαλέος (azaleos) meaning "dry".
Sibylle f German, French
German and French form of Sibyl.
Marieke f Dutch
Dutch diminutive of Maria.
Yelyzaveta f Ukrainian
Ukrainian form of Elizabeth.
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.
Marlène f French
French form of Marlene.
Linde f Dutch
Dutch variant of Linda.
Lucrecia f Spanish
Spanish form of Lucretia.
Mary Lou f English
Combination of Mary and Lou.
Emrys m Welsh
Welsh form of Ambrose. Emrys Wledig (or Ambrosius Aurelianus) was a Romano-British military leader who fought against the invading Anglo-Saxons in the 5th century. Tales of his life were used by the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth to help shape the early character of Merlin, whom he called Merlinus Ambrosius in Latin.
Azaria m & f Hebrew, English (Modern)
Hebrew form of Azariah (masculine), as well as a feminine variant in the English-speaking world.
Polina f Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Greek
Either a Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian and Greek form of Paulina or a short form of Apollinariya.
Eugénie f French
French form of Eugenia. This was the name of the wife of Napoleon III.
Serina f English
Variant of Serena.
Anastasie f & m French, Romanian (Rare)
French form of Anastasia (feminine) and Romanian form of Anastasius (masculine).
Jerome m English
From the Greek name Ἱερώνυμος (Hieronymos) meaning "sacred name", derived from ἱερός (hieros) meaning "sacred" and ὄνυμα (onyma) meaning "name". Saint Jerome was responsible for the creation of the Vulgate, the Latin translation of the Bible, in the 5th century. He is regarded as a Doctor of the Church. The name was used in his honour in the Middle Ages, especially in Italy and France, and has been used in England since the 12th century.
Euphemia f Ancient Greek, English (Archaic)
Means "to use words of good omen" from Greek εὐφημέω (euphemeo), a derivative of εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and φημί (phemi) meaning "to speak, to declare". Saint Euphemia was an early martyr from Chalcedon.
Gwyneira f Welsh
Means "white snow" from the Welsh element gwyn meaning "white, blessed" combined with eira meaning "snow". This is a recently created Welsh name.
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.
Serafima f Russian
Russian form of Seraphina.
Valent m Croatian
Croatian short form of Valentin.
Rosaline f English
Medieval variant of Rosalind. This is the name of characters in Shakespeare's Love's Labour's Lost (1594) and Romeo and Juliet (1596).
Catalina f Spanish, Corsican
Spanish and Corsican form of Katherine.
Rosalia f Italian, Late Roman
Late Latin name derived from rosa "rose". This was the name of a 12th-century Sicilian saint.
Lanford m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "long ford" in Old English.
Mykhaylo m Ukrainian
Alternate transcription of Ukrainian Михайло (see Mykhailo).
Adán m Spanish
Spanish form of Adam.
Maya 1 f Hinduism, Buddhism, Hindi, Marathi, Nepali
Means "illusion, magic" in Sanskrit. In Buddhist tradition this is the name of the mother of Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha). This is also another name of the Hindu goddess Durga.
Euodia f Ancient Greek, Biblical Greek, Biblical
Derived from Greek εὐοδία (euodia) meaning "a good journey", a derivative of εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and ὁδός (hodos) meaning "road, way, journey". This name is mentioned briefly in Paul's epistle to the Philippians in the New Testament (though some translations assume it belongs to a man named Euodias).
Stelian m Romanian
Romanian form of Stylianos.
Aurélie f French
French feminine form of Aurelius.
Athena f Greek Mythology, English
Meaning unknown. Athena was the Greek goddess of wisdom and warfare and the patron goddess of the city of Athens in Greece. It is likely that her name is derived from that of the city, not vice versa. The earliest mention of her seems to be a 15th-century BC Mycenaean Greek inscription from Knossos on Crete.... [more]
Vladyslav m Ukrainian
Ukrainian form of Vladislav.
Merita 2 f Esperanto
Means "meritorious, worthy" in Esperanto.
Lilyana f Bulgarian
Bulgarian form of Lillian.
Madeline f English
English form of Madeleine. This is the name of the heroine in a series of children's books by the Austrian-American author Ludwig Bemelmans, first published 1939.
Nerina f Italian
Probably from Greek Νηρηΐδες (see Nereida). This name was used by Torquato Tasso for a character in his play Aminta (1573), and subsequently by Giacomo Leopardi in his poem Le Ricordanze (1829).
Lucio m Italian, Spanish
Italian and Spanish form of Lucius.
Raffaele m Italian
Italian form of Raphael.
Anwen f Welsh
Means "very beautiful" in Welsh, from the intensive prefix an- combined with gwen "white, blessed".
Markiyan m Ukrainian
Ukrainian form of Marcianus.
Pari f Persian
Means "fairy, sprite, nymph" in Persian.
Shweta f Marathi, Hindi, Gujarati
From Sanskrit श्वेत (śveta) meaning "white".
Sinjin m English (British, Rare)
Phonetic variant of St John.
Howell m Welsh
Anglicized form of Hywel.
Doireann f Irish, Irish Mythology
Possibly from the Old Irish prefix der "daughter" and finn "white, blessed". Alternatively it may be derived from Irish doireann "sullen, tempestuous". This was the name of several characters in Irish legend, including a daughter of Bodb Derg who poisoned Fionn mac Cumhaill after he spurned her advances.
Irène f French
French form of Irene.
Agustina f Spanish, Indonesian
Spanish feminine form of Augustinus (see Augustine 1), also used in Indonesia.
Elspeth f Scottish
Scottish form of Elizabeth.
Eleftheria f Greek
Feminine form of Eleftherios.
Philip m English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Biblical
From the Greek name Φίλιππος (Philippos) meaning "friend of horses", composed of the elements φίλος (philos) meaning "friend, lover" and ἵππος (hippos) meaning "horse". This was the name of five kings of Macedon, including Philip II the father of Alexander the Great. The name appears in the New Testament belonging to two people who are regarded as saints. First, one of the twelve apostles, and second, an early figure in the Christian church known as Philip the Deacon.... [more]
Sebastián m Spanish, Czech
Spanish and Czech form of Sebastianus (see Sebastian).
Joscelin m Old Norman
Norman form of Jocelyn.
Mele f Hawaiian, Tongan, Samoan
Means "song" in Hawaiian. This is also the Hawaiian, Tongan and Samoan form of Mary.
Augustus m Ancient Roman, Dutch (Rare)
Means "exalted, venerable", derived from Latin augeo meaning "to increase". Augustus was the title given to Octavian, the first Roman emperor. He was an adopted son of Julius Caesar who rose to power through a combination of military skill and political prowess. In 26 BC the senate officially gave him the name Augustus, and after his death it was used as a title for subsequent emperors. This was also the name of three kings of Poland (called August in Polish).
Thalia f Greek Mythology (Latinized), Greek
From the Greek name Θάλεια (Thaleia), derived from θάλλω (thallo) meaning "to blossom". In Greek mythology she was one of the nine Muses, presiding over comedy and pastoral poetry. This was also the name of one of the three Graces or Χάριτες (Charites).
Naomi 1 f English, Hebrew, Biblical
From the Hebrew name נָעֳמִי (Naʿomi) meaning "my pleasantness", a derivative of נָעַם (naʿam) meaning "to be pleasant". In the Old Testament this is the name of the mother-in-law of Ruth. After the death of her husband and sons, she returned to Bethlehem with Ruth. There she declared that her name should be Mara because of her misfortune (see Ruth 1:20).... [more]
Wright m English
From an occupational surname meaning "craftsman", ultimately from Old English wyrhta. Famous bearers of the surname were the Wright brothers (Wilbur 1867-1912 and Orville 1871-1948), the inventors of the first successful airplane, and Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959), an American architect.
Jonna f Danish, Swedish, Finnish
Short form of Johanna.
Therese f German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, English
German and Scandinavian variant of Theresa.
Llewellyn m Welsh
Variant of Llewelyn.
Edwin m English, Dutch
Means "rich friend", from the Old English elements ead "wealth, fortune" and wine "friend". This was the name of a 7th-century Northumbrian king, regarded as a saint. After the Norman Conquest the name was not popular, but it was eventually revived in the 19th century. A notable bearer was the astronaut Edwin Aldrin (1930-), also known as Buzz, the second man to walk on the moon.
Dilay f Turkish
Derived from Persian دل (del) meaning "heart" and Turkish ay meaning "moon".
Lana f English, Russian, Croatian, Slovene, Georgian
Short form of Alana (English) or Svetlana (Russian). In the English-speaking world it was popularized by actress Lana Turner (1921-1995), who was born Julia Jean Turner.
Hieronymus m Ancient Greek (Latinized), German (Archaic), Dutch (Rare)
Latin form of Jerome, formerly common in Germany and the Netherlands. Hieronymus Bosch (1450-1516) was a Dutch painter known for his depictions of the torments of hell.
Ninon f French
French diminutive of Anne 1.
Clotilda f English (Rare)
English form of Clotilde.
Clarice f English
Medieval vernacular form of the Late Latin name Claritia, which was a derivative of Clara.
Collin m English
Variant of Colin 2.
Essie f English
Diminutive of Estelle or Esther.
Kiera f Irish, English
Anglicized form of Ciara 1.
Sybilla f Polish, Late Roman
Polish form and Latin variant of Sibylla.
Kornelia f German, Polish
German and Polish form of Cornelia.
Lia 2 f Italian, Dutch, German
Short form of Rosalia, Julia and other names ending in lia.
Ilarion m Bulgarian (Rare), Macedonian (Rare)
Bulgarian and Macedonian form of Hilarion.
Oshea m Biblical
Variant of Hoshea used in some versions of the Bible.
Caitlín f Irish
Irish form of Cateline, the Old French form of Katherine.
Marion 1 f French, English, German, Dutch
Medieval French diminutive of Marie.
Younes m Arabic (Maghrebi), Persian
North African and Persian form of Yunus.
Katarin f Breton
Breton form of Katherine.
Miša m & f Serbian, Slovene
Serbian diminutive of Mihailo, Miroslav and other names beginning with a similar sound. In Slovenia it is typically feminine.
Clarisa f Spanish
Spanish form of Clarissa.
Caoimhe f Irish
Derived from Irish caomh meaning "dear, beloved, gentle".
Manca f Slovene
Slovene diminutive of Marija.
Fidelia f Spanish (Latin American)
Feminine form of Fidel. It appears in the epic poem The Faerie Queene (1590) belonging to the sister of Speranza.
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.
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.
Aldwin m Germanic
Derived from the Old German elements alt "old" and wini "friend". This is a cognate of Old English Ealdwine.
Benoît m French
French form of Benedict.
Tria f English (Rare)
Perhaps a short form of Demetria and other names ending in a similar sound.
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".
Maëlle f French, Breton
Feminine form of Maël.
Deanna f English
Either a variant of Diana or a feminine form of Dean. This name was popularized by the Canadian actress and singer Deanna Durbin (1921-2013), whose birth name was Edna. Her stage name was a rearrangement of the letters of her real name.
Cláudia f Portuguese
Portuguese form of Claudia.
Stelara f Esperanto
From Esperanto stelaro meaning "constellation", ultimately from Latin stella "star".
Honoré m French
French form of Honoratus or Honorius. A notable bearer was the French author Honoré de Balzac (1799-1850).
Sapphira f Biblical
From the Greek name Σαπφείρη (Sappheire), which was from Greek σάπφειρος (sappheiros) meaning "sapphire" or "lapis lazuli" (ultimately derived from the Hebrew word סַפִּיר (sappir)). Sapphira is a character in Acts in the New Testament who is killed by God for lying.
Steven m English, Dutch
Medieval English variant of Stephen, and a Dutch variant of Stefan. The filmmaker Steven Spielberg (1946-), director of E.T. and Indiana Jones, is a famous bearer of this name.
Lara 1 f Russian, English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Hungarian, Slovene, Croatian
Russian short form of Larisa. It was introduced to the English-speaking world by a character from Boris Pasternak's novel Doctor Zhivago (1957) and the subsequent movie adaptation (1965). Between 1965 and 1969 it increased by almost 2,000 percent in the United States, however it is currently much more popular in the United Kingdom, Australia, Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Germany. Another famous fictional bearer is Lara Croft, first appearing in video games in 1996 and movies in 2001.
Éva f Hungarian, French
Hungarian form of Eve, as well as a French variant of Ève.
Leonarda f Italian
Feminine form of Leonardo.
Konrad m German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Polish, Slovene
German, Scandinavian, Polish and Slovene form of Conrad.
Batel f Hebrew
Means "daughter of God" in Hebrew.
Clair m French, English
French form of Clarus (see Clara).
Liberty f & m English
Simply from the English word liberty, derived from Latin libertas, a derivative of liber "free". Interestingly, since 1880 this name has charted on the American popularity lists in three different periods: in 1918 (at the end of World War I), in 1976 (the American bicentennial), and after 2001 (during the War on Terrorism).
Snow f English (Rare)
From the English word, derived from Old English snāw.
Ariston m Ancient Greek
Derived from Greek ἄριστος (aristos) meaning "the best".
Toinette f French
Short form of Antoinette.
Silvestre m Spanish, Portuguese
Spanish and Portuguese form of Silvester.
Nima 2 m Persian
Persian name of uncertain meaning, possibly "just, fair" or "half moon".
Erland m Swedish, Danish, Norwegian
From the Old Norse byname Erlendr, which was derived from ørlendr meaning "foreigner".
Cecilie f Norwegian, Danish, Czech
Norwegian and Danish form of Cecilia, as well as a Czech variant of Cecílie.
Alexis m & f French, English, Greek, Spanish, Ancient Greek
From the Greek name Ἄλεξις (Alexis) meaning "helper" or "defender", derived from Greek ἀλέξω (alexo) meaning "to defend, to help". This was the name of a 3rd-century BC Greek comic poet, and also of several saints. It is used somewhat interchangeably with the related name Ἀλέξιος or Alexius, borne by five Byzantine emperors.... [more]
Dorina 2 f Hungarian
Elaboration of Dóra.
Shayla f English
Invented name, based on the sounds found in other names such as Sheila and Kayla.
Meira f Hebrew
Feminine form of Meir.
Judit f Hungarian, Spanish, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German (Rare)
Form of Judith used in several languages.
Shea m & f Irish
Anglicized form of Séaghdha, sometimes used as a feminine name.
Suzan 1 f English
Variant of Susan.
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.
Sonje f German (Rare)
German variant of Sonja.
Friederike f German
German feminine form of Frederick.
Asherah f Semitic Mythology
Perhaps derived from Semitic roots meaning "she who walks in the sea". This was the name of a Semitic mother goddess. She was worshipped by the Israelites before the advent of monotheism.
Elisabeth f German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, English, Biblical, Biblical Latin
German and Dutch form of Elizabeth. It is also a variant English form, reflecting the spelling used in the Authorized Version of the New Testament.
Inês f Portuguese
Portuguese form of Agnes.
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.
Jasmina f Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian, Slovene, Macedonian
Form of Jasmine in several languages.
Metrodora f Ancient Greek
Derived from Greek μήτηρ (meter) meaning "mother" (genitive μητρός) and δῶρον (doron) meaning "gift". This was the name of a 4th-century saint and martyr who was killed with her sisters Menodora and Nymphodora.
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".
Vitaliya f Russian, Ukrainian
Russian and Ukrainian feminine form of Vitalis (see Vitale).
Frédéric m French
French form of Frederick. A famous bearer was the Polish composer Fryderyk or Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849).
Metis f Greek Mythology
Means "wisdom, skill, cunning" in Greek. In Greek mythology she was a Titan. Because it was prophesied that her children would be wiser than Zeus, he swallowed her after he had impregnated her. However, their daughter Athena eventually burst from his head fully grown.
Luna f Roman Mythology, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, English
Means "the moon" in Latin (as well as Italian, Spanish and other Romance languages). Luna was the Roman goddess of the moon, frequently depicted driving a white chariot through the sky.
Liron m & f Hebrew
Means "my song, my joy" in Hebrew, from לִי (li) "for me" and רֹן (ron) "joy, song".
Huguette f French
Feminine form of Hugues.
Aviel m Hebrew
Modern Hebrew form of Abiel.
Charity f English
From the English word charity, ultimately derived from Late Latin caritas "generous love", from Latin carus "dear, beloved". Caritas was in use as a Roman Christian name. The English name Charity came into use among the Puritans after the Protestant Reformation. It is currently most common in parts of English-influenced Africa.
Beatrise f Latvian
Latvian form of Beatrix.
Lesya f Ukrainian
Diminutive of Oleksandra.