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
Mahalia f English
Variant of Mahala.
Freyr m Norse Mythology, Icelandic
Means "lord" in Old Norse, derived from the Germanic root *fraujô. This is the name of a Norse god. He may have originally been called Yngvi, with the name Freyr being his title. Freyr is associated with fertility, sunlight and rain, and is the husband of the giantess Gerd. With his twin sister Freya and father Njord he is one of the group of deities called the Vanir.
Vitaliy m Russian, Ukrainian
Russian and Ukrainian form of Vitalis (see Vitale).
Celeste f & m Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, English
Italian feminine and masculine form of Caelestis. It is also the Portuguese, Spanish and English feminine form.
Konrad m German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Polish, Slovene
German, Scandinavian, Polish and Slovene form of Conrad.
Circe f Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Greek Κίρκη (Kirke), possibly from κίρκος (kirkos) meaning "hawk". In Greek mythology Circe was a sorceress who changed Odysseus's crew into hogs, as told in Homer's Odyssey. Odysseus forced her to change them back, then stayed with her for a year before continuing his voyage.
Milica f Serbian, Croatian, Slovene, Macedonian
From the Slavic element milŭ meaning "gracious, dear" combined with a diminutive suffix. This name was borne by the wife of the 14th-century Serbian ruler Lazar.
Athanaric m Gothic (Anglicized)
From the Gothic name *Aþanareiks, derived from the element aþn meaning "year" combined with reiks meaning "ruler, king". Athanaric was a 4th-century ruler of the Visigoths.
Ioannes m Biblical Greek
Biblical Greek form of Yoḥanan (see John).
Vasia f Greek
Diminutive of Vasiliki.
Arsène m French
French form of Arsenios. A notable fictional bearer is Arsène Lupin, a gentleman burglar in novels by Maurice Leblanc, beginning 1907.
Archimedes m Ancient Greek
Derived from the Greek elements ἀρχός (archos) meaning "master" and μήδεα (medea) meaning "plans, counsel, cunning". This was the name of a 3rd-century BC Greek mathematician, astronomer and inventor.
Maybelle f English
Variant of Mabel.
Channary f Khmer
Means "moon-faced girl" from Khmer ចន្ទ (chan) meaning "moon" and នារី (neari) meaning "woman, girl".
Santo m Italian
Means "saint" in Italian, ultimately from Latin sanctus.
Orion m Greek Mythology
Meaning uncertain, but possibly related to Greek ὅριον (horion) meaning "boundary, limit". Alternatively it may be derived from Akkadian 𒌋𒊒𒀭𒈾 (Uru-anna) meaning "light of the heavens". This is the name of a constellation, which gets its name from a legendary Greek hunter who was killed by a scorpion sent by the earth goddess Gaia.
Danielle f French, English, Dutch
French feminine form of Daniel. It has been commonly used in the English-speaking world only since the 20th century.
Lisette f French, English
Diminutive of Élisabeth.
Chloë f Dutch, English
Dutch form and English variant of Chloe.
Mina 3 f Persian
Means "glaze, enamel" in Persian.
Izabela f Polish, Czech, Slovak, Slovene
Polish, Czech, Slovak and Slovene form of Isabella.
Pascal m French, German, Dutch
From the Late Latin name Paschalis, which meant "relating to Easter" from Latin Pascha "Easter", which was in turn from Hebrew פֶּסַח (pesaḥ) meaning "Passover". Passover is the ancient Hebrew holiday celebrating the liberation from Egypt. Because it coincided closely with the later Christian holiday of Easter, the same Latin word was used for both. The name Pascal can also function as a surname, as in the case of Blaise Pascal (1623-1662), the French philosopher, mathematician and inventor.
Theseus m Greek Mythology
Possibly derived from Greek τίθημι (tithemi) meaning "to set, to place". Theseus was a heroic king of Athens in Greek mythology. He was the son of Aethra, either by Aegeus or by the god Poseidon. According to legend, every seven years the Cretan king Minos demanded that Athens supply Crete with seven boys and seven girls to be devoured by the Minotaur, a half-bull creature that was the son of Minos's wife Pasiphaë. Theseus volunteered to go in place of one of these youths in order to slay the Minotaur in the Labyrinth where it lived. He succeeded with the help of Minos's daughter Ariadne, who provided him with a sword and a roll of string so he could find his way out of the maze.... [more]
Septima f Ancient Roman
Feminine form of Septimus.
Katrīna f Latvian
Latvian form of Katherine.
Raimunde f German (Rare)
German feminine form of Raymond.
Elisavet f Greek
Modern Greek form of Elizabeth.
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]
Gavriel m Hebrew
Hebrew form of Gabriel.
Gabriele 2 f German
German feminine form of Gabriel.
Minna f German (Archaic), Finnish, Swedish
Means "love" in Old German, specifically medieval courtly love. It is also used as a short form of Wilhelmina. This is the name of the title character in the play Minna von Barnhelm (1767) by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing.
Janel f English
Variant of Janelle.
Rosana f Portuguese, Spanish
Portuguese and Spanish form of Roxana.
Raginald m Germanic
Old German form of Reynold.
Bellamy f & m English (Modern)
From an English surname derived from Old French bel ami meaning "beautiful friend".
Faustina f Ancient Roman, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
Feminine form of Faustinus (see Faustino).
Colombina f Italian (Rare), Theatre
Italian feminine diminutive of Columba. In traditional Italian theatre (commedia dell'arte) this is the name of a stock character, a female servant who was often the lover of Arlecchino (Harlequin). This is also the Italian word for the columbine flower.
Adair m & f English (Rare)
From an English surname that was derived from the given name Edgar.
Lynne f English
Variant of Lynn.
Émilienne f French
French feminine form of Aemilianus (see Emiliano).
Jayesh m Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati
Means "lord of victory" from Sanskrit जय (jaya) meaning "victory, conquest" and ईश (īśa) meaning "lord, ruler".
Rosalia f Italian, Late Roman
Late Latin name derived from rosa "rose". This was the name of a 12th-century Sicilian saint.
Elisabet f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Catalan, Spanish, Biblical Greek
Scandinavian and Finnish form of Elizabeth. It is also used in Spain alongside the traditional form Isabel.
Justine f French, English
French form of Iustina (see Justina). This is the name of the heroine in the novel Justine (1791) by the Marquis de Sade.
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-).
Elodia f Spanish
Spanish form of Alodia.
Aurore f French
French form of Aurora.
Belén f Spanish
Spanish form of Bethlehem, the name of the town in Judah where King David and Jesus were born. The town's name is from Hebrew בֵּית־לֶחֶם (Beṯ-leḥem) meaning "house of bread".
Timotheus m Biblical Latin, German (Rare), Dutch (Rare)
Latinized form of Timotheos (see Timothy).
Ostap m Ukrainian
Ukrainian form of Eustathius.
Talya f Hebrew
Alternate transcription of Hebrew טַלְיָה or טַלְיָא (see Talia 1).
Drusilla f Biblical, Ancient Roman, Biblical Latin
Feminine diminutive of the Roman family name Drusus. In Acts in the New Testament Drusilla is the wife of Felix.
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.
Perle f French, Yiddish
French and Yiddish cognate of Pearl. It is also used as a Yiddish vernacular form of Margalit.
Margareta f German, Swedish, Romanian, Slovene, Finnish, Croatian
Form of Margaret in several languages.
Donatus m Late Roman
Latin form of Donato.
Margarita f Spanish, Russian, Bulgarian, Lithuanian, Latvian, Greek, Albanian, Late Roman
Latinate form of Margaret. This is also the Spanish word for the daisy flower (species Bellis perennis, Leucanthemum vulgare and others).
Valère m French
French form of Valerius.
Laura f English, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Catalan, French, Finnish, Estonian, Hungarian, Polish, Slovene, Croatian, Czech, Slovak, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Dutch, Lithuanian, Latvian, Late Roman
Feminine form of the Late Latin name Laurus, which meant "laurel". This meaning was favourable, since in ancient Rome the leaves of laurel trees were used to create victors' garlands. The name was borne by the 9th-century Spanish martyr Saint Laura, who was a nun thrown into a vat of molten lead by the Moors. It was also the name of the subject of poems by the 14th-century Italian poet Petrarch.... [more]
Marieke f Dutch
Dutch diminutive of Maria.
Danijela f Slovene, Croatian, Serbian
Feminine form of Daniel.
Pallas 1 f Greek Mythology
Probably derived from a Greek word meaning "maiden, young woman". This was an epithet of the Greek goddess Athena. According to some legends it was originally the name of a friend of the goddess. Athena accidentally killed her while sparring, so she took the name in honour of her friend.
Theano f Ancient Greek, Greek Mythology, Greek
From Greek θεά (thea) meaning "goddess". Theano was a 6th-century BC Greek philosopher associated with Pythagoras. The name was also borne by several figures from Greek mythology.
Olivér m Hungarian
Hungarian form of Oliver.
Anina f German
Diminutive of Anna.
Ange m & f French
French masculine and feminine form of Angelus (see Angel).
Iðunn f Norse Mythology, Old Norse, Icelandic
Probably derived from the Old Norse prefix ið- "again, repeated" and unna "to love". In Norse mythology Iðunn was the goddess of spring and immortality whose responsibility it was to guard the gods' apples of youth.
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.
Lucyna f Polish
Polish form of Lucina.
Meera f Hindi, Marathi, Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada
Alternate transcription of Hindi/Marathi मीरा, Malayalam മീര, Tamil மீரா or Kannada ಮೀರಾ (see Mira 1).
Cecil m English
From the Roman name Caecilius. Though it was in use during the Middle Ages in England, it did not become common until the 19th century when it was given in honour of the noble Cecil family, who had been prominent since the 16th century. Their surname was derived from the Welsh given name Seisyll, which was derived from the Roman name Sextilius, a derivative of Sextus.
Prasad m Telugu, Marathi, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, Odia, Bengali, Nepali
From Sanskrit प्रसाद (prasāda) meaning "brightness, clearness, graciousness, offering". This is a word referring to an offering of food made to a deity.
Vanna 2 f & m Khmer
From Khmer វណ្ណ (von) meaning "colour", ultimately from Sanskrit वर्ण (varṇa).
Deepali f Hindi, Marathi
Alternate transcription of Hindi/Marathi दीपाली (see Dipali).
Nestor m Greek Mythology, Russian, Portuguese, French
Means "returner, homecomer" in Greek, from νέομαι (neomai) meaning "to return". In Homer's Iliad this was the name of the king of Pylos, famous for his great wisdom and longevity, who acted as a counselor to the Greek allies.
Orianne f French
French form of Oriana.
Dorina 1 f Romanian
Feminine form of Dorin.
Tricia f English
Short form of Patricia.
Kaarina f Finnish
Finnish form of Katherine.
Fanni f Finnish, Hungarian
Finnish diminutive of Francisca and a Hungarian diminutive of Franciska or Stefánia.
Ellis m & f English, Welsh
From an English surname that was derived from the given name Elis, a medieval vernacular form of Elias. This name has also functioned as an Anglicized form of Welsh Elisedd.
Hans m German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
German short form of Johannes, now used independently. This name has been very common in German-speaking areas of Europe since the late Middle Ages. From an early period it was transmitted to the Low Countries and Scandinavia. Two famous bearers were Hans Holbein (1497-1543), a German portrait painter, and Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875), a Danish writer of fairy tales.
Polymnia f Greek Mythology
Means "abounding in song", derived from Greek πολύς (polys) meaning "much" and ὕμνος (hymnos) meaning "song, hymn". In Greek mythology she was the goddess of dance and sacred songs, one of the nine Muses.
Bennett m English
Medieval form of Benedict. This was the more common spelling in England until the 18th century. Modern use of the name is probably also influenced by the common surname Bennett, itself a derivative of the medieval name.
Biljana f Serbian, Macedonian, Croatian, Slovene
From the South Slavic word биље (bilje) meaning "herb".
Glory f English (Rare)
Simply from the English word glory, ultimately from Latin gloria.
Anastazja f Polish
Polish form of Anastasia.
Narayana m Hinduism, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil
Possibly from Sanskrit नर (nara) meaning "man" and अयन (ayana) meaning "path". In Hindu creation legends this is the name of an eternal god who created the universe. He is considered an incarnation of Vishnu (or sometimes Brahma). According to the Mahabharata and the Bhagavata Purana Narayana and his brother Nara were sages.
Pema m & f Tibetan, Bhutanese
Tibetan form of Padma.
Laurits m Danish, Norwegian
Danish and Norwegian form of Laurentius (see Laurence 1).
Patrice 1 m French
French form of Patricius (see Patrick).
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).
Gala 1 f Russian
Short form of Galina.
Hyperion m Greek Mythology
Derived from Greek ὑπέρ (hyper) meaning "over". In Greek myth this was the name of a Titan who presided over the sun and light. By Theia he was the father of the sun god Helios, the moon goddess Selene, and the dawn goddess Eos.
Mariana f Portuguese, Spanish, Romanian, Czech, Bulgarian, Ancient Roman
Roman feminine form of Marianus. After the classical era it was sometimes interpreted as a combination of Maria and Ana. In Portuguese it is further used as a form of Mariamne.
Olalla f Galician, Spanish
Galician variant of Eulalia.
Agathangelos m Ancient Greek
Means "bearer of good news", derived from Greek ἀγαθός (agathos) meaning "good" and ἄγγελος (angelos) meaning "messenger, angel". Saint Agathangelus of Rome was a 4th-century deacon who was martyred during the persecutions of the emperor Diocletian.
Senka f Serbian, Croatian
Means "shadow, shade" in Serbian and Croatian. It can also be a diminutive of Ksenija.
Caecilius m Ancient Roman
Original Latin masculine form of Cecilia. Saint Caecilius was a 1st-century missionary to Granada, Spain. It was also part of the full name of Saint Cyprian, Thascius Caecilius Cyprianus.
Mira 2 f Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Macedonian, Polish
Short form of Miroslava and other names beginning with Mir (often the Slavic element mirŭ meaning "peace, world").
Nahid f Persian Mythology, Persian, Bengali
Modern Persian form of Anahita. This is also the Persian name for the planet Venus.
Natalina f Italian, Portuguese
Diminutive of Natalia (Italian) or Natália (Portuguese).
Pradip m Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Nepali
Derived from Sanskrit प्रदीप (pradīpa) meaning "light, lantern".
Narges f Persian
Means "daffodil, narcissus" in Persian, ultimately derived from Greek (see Narcissus).
Amelia f English, Spanish, Italian, Polish, Medieval French
Variant of Amalia, though it is sometimes confused with Emilia, which has a different origin. The name became popular in England after the German House of Hanover came to the British throne in the 18th century — it was borne by daughters of both George II and George III. The author Henry Fielding used it for the title character in his novel Amelia (1751). Another famous bearer was Amelia Earhart (1897-1937), the first woman to make a solo flight over the Atlantic Ocean.... [more]
Oktawia f Polish
Polish form of Octavia.
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).
Isidore m English, French, Georgian (Rare), Jewish
From the Greek name Ἰσίδωρος (Isidoros) meaning "gift of Isis", derived from the name of the Egyptian goddess Isis combined with Greek δῶρον (doron) meaning "gift". Saint Isidore of Seville was a 6th-century archbishop, historian and theologian.... [more]
Stela f Romanian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Slovak
Form of Stella 1 in several languages, derived from Latin stella meaning "star" (modern Romanian stea).
Nicolai m Danish, Norwegian
Danish and Norwegian variant form of Nicholas.
Kaija f Finnish
Diminutive of Katariina.
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.
Aris 2 m Dutch
Diminutive of Adriaan.
Mariella f Italian
Italian diminutive of Maria.
Aphrodite f Greek Mythology
Meaning unknown, possibly of Phoenician origin. Aphrodite was the Greek goddess of love and beauty, identified with the Roman goddess Venus. She was the wife of Hephaestus and the mother of Eros, and she was often associated with the myrtle tree and doves. The Greeks connected her name with ἀφρός (aphros) meaning "foam", resulting in the story that she was born from the foam of the sea. Many of her characteristics are based on the goddess known as Ashtoreth to the Phoenicians and Ishtar to the Mesopotamian Semitic peoples, and on the Sumerian goddess Inanna.
Elissa 1 f Roman Mythology
Meaning unknown, possibly Phoenician in origin. This is another name of Dido, the legendary queen of Carthage.
Laurus m Late Roman
Original masculine form of Laura. It was borne by a 2nd-century saint and martyr from Illyricum.
Desiree f English
English form of Désirée. It was popularized in the English-speaking world by the movie Désirée (1954).
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.
Sakshi f Hindi, Marathi
From Sanskrit साक्षिन् (sākṣin) meaning "witness".
Azélie f French (Rare)
Perhaps a form of Azalaïs. It was borne by Saint Marie-Azélie Guérin (1831-1877), also called Zélie, the mother of Thérèse of Lisieux.
Ilia m Georgian, Russian, Bulgarian, Belarusian, Old Church Slavic
Georgian form of Elijah. It is also an alternate transcription of Russian Илья or Belarusian Ілья (see Ilya) or Bulgarian Илия (see Iliya).
Ennio m Italian
Italian form of the Roman family name Ennius, which is of unknown meaning. Quintus Ennius was an early Roman poet.
Avinash m Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Kannada
From Sanskrit अविनाश (avināśa) meaning "indestructible".
Iolanthe f Various (Rare)
Probably a variant of Yolanda influenced by the Greek words ἰόλη (iole) meaning "violet" and ἄνθος (anthos) meaning "flower". This name was (first?) used by Gilbert and Sullivan in their comic opera Iolanthe (1882).
Anuki f Georgian
Diminutive of Ana.
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.
Darina 1 f Irish
Anglicized form of Dáirine.
Cynthia f English, French, Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Greek Κυνθία (Kynthia), which means "woman from Cynthus". This was an epithet of the Greek moon goddess Artemis, given because Cynthus was the mountain on Delos on which she and her twin brother Apollo were born. It was not used as a given name until the Renaissance, and it did not become common in the English-speaking world until the 19th century. It reached a peak of popularity in the United States in 1957 and has declined steadily since then.
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]
Daphné f French
French form of Daphne.
Atalia f Hebrew
Modern Hebrew transcription of Athaliah.
Alma 1 f English, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Latvian, Lithuanian, Albanian, Slovene, Croatian
This name became popular after the Battle of Alma (1854), which took place near the River Alma in Crimea and ended in a victory for Britain and France. However, the name was in rare use before the battle; it was probably inspired by Latin almus "nourishing". It also coincides with the Spanish word meaning "the soul".
Leticia f Spanish
Spanish form of Letitia.
Maristela f Portuguese, Spanish (Rare)
From the title of the Virgin Mary, Stella Maris, meaning "star of the sea" in Latin. It can also be a combination of Maria and Estela.
Friedrich m German
German form of Frederick. This was the name of several rulers of the Holy Roman Empire, Austria and Prussia. The philosophers Friedrich Engels (1820-1895) and Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) are two other famous bearers of this name.
Rosamund f English (Rare)
Derived from the Old German elements hros "horse" and munt "protection". This name was borne by the wife of the Lombard king Alboin in the 6th century. The Normans introduced it to England. It was subsequently interpreted as coming from Latin rosa munda "pure rose" or rosa mundi "rose of the world". This was the name of the mistress of Henry II, the king of England in the 12th century. According to legends she was murdered by his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine.
Stefanos m Greek
Modern Greek transcription of Στέφανος (see Stephen).
Yulia f Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian
Alternate transcription of Russian Юлия or Ukrainian/Belarusian Юлія (see Yuliya).
Angelia f English
Elaborated form of Angela.
Evaline f English
Variant of Evelyn.
Britta f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
Scandinavian short form of Birgitta.
Penelope f Greek Mythology, English
Probably derived from Greek πηνέλοψ (penelops), a type of duck. Alternatively it could be from πήνη (pene) meaning "threads, weft" and ὄψ (ops) meaning "face, eye". In Homer's epic the Odyssey this is the name of the wife of Odysseus, forced to fend off suitors while her husband is away fighting at Troy.... [more]
Laurence 2 f French
French feminine form of Laurentius (see Laurence 1).
Theodora f English, Greek, Ancient Greek
Feminine form of Theodore. This name was common in the Byzantine Empire, being borne by several empresses including the influential wife of Justinian in the 6th century.
Elisabete f Portuguese
Portuguese form of Elizabeth. This more recent form is used alongside the traditional Portuguese form Isabel.
Gala 2 f Spanish
Spanish feminine form of Gallus.
Serina f English
Variant of Serena.
Janice f English
Elaborated form of Jane, created by Paul Leicester Ford for his novel Janice Meredith (1899).
Consolata f Italian
Means "consoled" in Italian. It is taken from the title of the Virgin Mary, Maria Consolata.
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.
Alexandrina f Portuguese, Romanian, English (Rare)
Elaborated form of Alexandra. This was the first name of Queen Victoria; her middle name was Victoria.
Valentine 1 m English
From the Roman cognomen Valentinus, which was itself a derivative of the cognomen Valens meaning "strong, vigorous, healthy" in Latin. Saint Valentine was a 3rd-century martyr. His feast day was the same as the Roman fertility festival of Lupercalia, which resulted in the association between Valentine's Day and love.... [more]
Dominique f & m French
French feminine and masculine form of Dominicus (see Dominic).
Thaddeus m English, Biblical, Biblical Latin
From Θαδδαῖος (Thaddaios), the Greek form of the Aramaic name תַדַּי (Ṯaddai). It is possibly derived from Aramaic תַּד (taḏ) meaning "heart, breast", but it may in fact be an Aramaic form of a Greek name such as Θεόδωρος (see Theodore). In the Gospel of Matthew, Thaddaeus is listed as one of the twelve apostles, though elsewhere in the New Testament his name is omitted and Jude's appears instead. It is likely that the two names refer to the same person.
Lidia f Polish, Italian, Spanish, Romanian, Georgian, Old Church Slavic
Polish, Italian, Spanish and Georgian form of Lydia.
Frida 2 f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
Derived from Old Norse fríðr meaning "beautiful, beloved".
Lale f Turkish
Means "tulip" in Turkish, of Persian origin.
Evelien f Dutch
Dutch form of Evelina.
Michèle f French
French feminine form of Michel.
Eden f & m Hebrew, English (Modern), French (Modern)
From the biblical place name, itself possibly from Hebrew עֵדֶן (ʿeḏen) meaning "pleasure, delight", or perhaps derived from Sumerian 𒂔 (edin) meaning "plain". According to the Old Testament the Garden of Eden was the place where the first people, Adam and Eve, lived before they were expelled.
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.
Amabel f English (Rare)
Medieval feminine form of Amabilis.
Elena f Italian, Spanish, Romanian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Slovak, Czech, Lithuanian, Estonian, Finnish, Russian, Greek, German, English
Form of Helen used in various languages, as well as an alternate transcription of Russian Елена (see Yelena).
Cátia f Portuguese
Diminutive of Catarina.
Valeriya f Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian
Russian and Ukrainian feminine form of Valerius, as well as an alternate transcription of Belarusian Валерыя (see Valeryia).
Lilija f Lithuanian, Latvian
Lithuanian and Latvian cognate of Lily.
Mehrnaz f Persian, Persian Mythology
From Persian مهر (mehr) meaning "sun" or "friendship" and ناز (nāz) meaning "delight, comfort". This is the name of a character in the 10th-century Persian epic the Shahnameh.
Lowell m English
From an English surname that was derived from a Norman French nickname, from lou "wolf" and a diminutive suffix. The surname was borne by American poet and satirist James Russell Lowell (1819-1891).
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.
Amrita f Hindi, Punjabi, Bengali
Feminine form of Amrit.
Diane f French, English
French form of Diana, also regularly used in the English-speaking world.
Melaina f Greek Mythology
Derived from Greek μέλαινα (melaina) meaning "black, dark". This was the name of a nymph in Greek mythology.
Apollonia f Ancient Greek, Italian
Feminine form of Apollonios. This was the name of a 3rd-century saint and martyr from Alexandria.
Arlet f Catalan
Catalan form of Arlette.
Teddie m & f English
Diminutive of Edward or Theodore, sometimes a feminine form.
Valéry m French
Derived from the Old German elements walah "foreigner, Celt, Roman" and rih "ruler, king". It has been frequently confused with the name Valère. Saint Walaric (or Valery) was a 7th-century Frankish monk who founded an abbey near Leuconaus at the mouth of the Somme River.
Freja f Danish, Swedish
Danish and Swedish form of Freya.
Évelyne f French
French form of Evelina.
Angélica f Spanish, Portuguese
Spanish and Portuguese form of Angelica.
Jelena f Serbian, Croatian, Slovene, Estonian, Lithuanian
Form of Yelena in several languages. In Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia it is also associated with the South Slavic words jelen meaning "deer, stag" and jela meaning "fir tree".
Nadine f French, German, English, Dutch
French diminutive of Nadia 1.
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.
Eira 1 f Welsh
Means "snow" in Welsh. This is a recently created name.
Irina f Russian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Romanian, Georgian, Finnish, Estonian
Form of Irene in several languages.
Parisa f Persian
Means "like a fairy" in Persian, derived from پری (parī) meaning "fairy, sprite, supernatural being".
Isis f Egyptian Mythology (Hellenized)
Greek form of Egyptian ꜣst (reconstructed as Iset, Aset or Ueset), possibly from st meaning "throne". In Egyptian mythology Isis was the goddess of the sky and nature, the wife of Osiris and the mother of Horus. She was originally depicted wearing a throne-shaped headdress, but in later times she was conflated with the goddess Hathor and depicted having the horns of a cow on her head. She was also worshipped by people outside of Egypt, such as the Greeks and Romans.
Viera f Slovak, Belarusian
Slovak form of Vera 1, as well as an alternate transcription of Belarusian Вера (see Vera 1).
Mihai m Romanian
Romanian form of Michael. Mihai the Brave was a prince of Wallachia who united Romania in the early 17th century.
Charis f & m Ancient Greek, Greek
Ancient Greek feminine form of Chares. This was the word (in the singular) for one of the three Graces (plural Χάριτες).... [more]
Solange f French, Portuguese
French form of the Late Latin name Sollemnia, which was derived from Latin sollemnis "religious". This was the name of a French shepherdess who became a saint after she was killed by her master.
Iliya m Bulgarian
Bulgarian form of Elijah.
Margherita f Italian
Italian form of Margaret. This is also the Italian word for the daisy flower (species Bellis perennis, Leucanthemum vulgare and others).
Yasaman f Persian
Variant of Yasamin.
Damaris f Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
Probably means "calf, heifer, girl" from Greek δάμαλις (damalis). In the New Testament this is the name of a woman converted to Christianity by Saint Paul.
Amy f English
English form of the Old French name Amée meaning "beloved" (modern French aimée), a vernacular form of the Latin Amata. As an English name, it was in use in the Middle Ages (though not common) and was revived in the 19th century.
Whitaker m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "white field" in Old English.
Cassandra f English, French, Greek Mythology (Latinized)
From the Greek name Κασσάνδρα (Kassandra), possibly derived from κέκασμαι (kekasmai) meaning "to excel, to shine" and ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man" (genitive ἀνδρός). In Greek myth Cassandra was a Trojan princess, the daughter of Priam and Hecuba. She was given the gift of prophecy by Apollo, but when she spurned his advances he cursed her so nobody would believe her prophecies.... [more]
Adrià m Catalan
Catalan form of Adrian.
Marian 1 f English
Variant of Marion 1. This name was borne in English legend by Maid Marian, Robin Hood's love. It is sometimes considered a combination of Mary and Ann.... [more]
Adrián m Spanish, Hungarian, Slovak
Spanish, Hungarian and Slovak form of Hadrianus (see Hadrian).
Anniina f Finnish
Finnish diminutive of Anna.
Shri f Hinduism
Means "diffusing light, radiance, beauty" in Sanskrit, a word used as a title of respect in India. This is another name of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi.
Camilla f English, Italian, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, German, Ancient Roman, Roman Mythology
Feminine form of Camillus. This was the name of a legendary warrior maiden of the Volsci, as told by Virgil in the Aeneid. It was popularized in the English-speaking world by Fanny Burney's novel Camilla (1796).
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.
Leocadio m Spanish
Masculine form of Leocadia.
Priscila f Portuguese, Spanish
Portuguese and Spanish form of Priscilla.
Efthalia f Greek
Modern Greek form of Euthalia.
Cece f English
Diminutive of Cecilia and other names containing a similar sound.
Eydís f Old Norse, Icelandic
Derived from the Old Norse elements ey "good fortune" or "island" and dís "goddess".
Wiktoria f Polish
Polish form of Victoria.
Devadas m Hindi
Means "servant of the gods" from Sanskrit देव (deva) meaning "god" and दास (dāsa) meaning "servant".
Danne m Swedish
Swedish diminutive of Daniel or Dan 3.
Marigold f English (Modern)
From the name of the flower, which comes from a combination of Mary and the English word gold.
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.
Costanza f Italian
Italian feminine form of Constans.
Ksenia f Polish, Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian
Polish form of Xenia, as well as an alternate transcription of Russian Ксения or Ukrainian/Belarusian Ксенія (see Kseniya).
Elyse f English
Diminutive of Elizabeth. It was popularized in the early 1980s by a character from the television comedy Family Ties.
Gianna f Italian, Greek, English (Modern)
Italian short form of Giovanna and a Modern Greek variant of Ioanna.... [more]
Amore m & f Italian (Rare)
Italian form of Amor.
Ormond m English (Rare)
From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Irish Gaelic Ó Ruaidh, derived from the given name Ruadh.
Cloelia f Ancient Roman
Feminine form of Cloelius. In Roman legend Cloelia was a maiden who was given to an Etruscan invader as a hostage. She managed to escape by swimming across the Tiber, at the same time helping some of the other captives to safety.
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.
Kári m Old Norse
Old Norse form of Kåre.
Carmelita f Spanish
Spanish diminutive of Carmel.
Eilwen f Welsh
Perhaps means "white brow", derived from Welsh ael "brow" and gwen "white, blessed". This is a recently created Welsh name.
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.
Prudence f & m English, French
Medieval English form of Prudentia, the feminine form of Prudentius. In France it is both the feminine form and a rare masculine form. In England it was used during the Middle Ages and was revived in the 17th century by the Puritans, in part from the English word prudence, ultimately of the same source.
Camillo m Italian
Italian form of Camillus.
Glenna f English
Feminine form of Glenn.
Manisha f Hindi, Marathi, Nepali
Feminine form of Manish.
Andreea f Romanian
Romanian feminine form of Andrew.
Rosalind f English
Derived from the Old German elements hros meaning "horse" and lind meaning "soft, flexible, tender". The Normans introduced this name to England, though it was not common. During the Middle Ages its spelling was influenced by the Latin phrase rosa linda "beautiful rose". The name was popularized by Edmund Spencer, who used it in his poetry, and by William Shakespeare, who used it for the heroine in his comedy As You Like It (1599).
Fidelis m Late Roman
Original form of Fidel.
Jacques m French
French form of Iacobus, the New Testament Latin form of James.
Cosmas m Ancient Greek (Latinized)
From the Greek name Κοσμᾶς (Kosmas), which was derived from κόσμος (kosmos) meaning "order, world, universe". Saint Cosmas was martyred with his twin brother Damian in the 4th century. They are the patron saints of physicians.
Andromeda f Greek Mythology
Derived from Greek ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man" (genitive ἀνδρός) combined with one of the related words μέδομαι (medomai) meaning "to be mindful of, to provide for, to think on" or μέδω (medo) meaning "to protect, to rule over". In Greek mythology Andromeda was an Ethiopian princess rescued from sacrifice by the hero Perseus. A constellation in the northern sky is named for her. This is also the name of a nearby galaxy, given because it resides (from our point of view) within the constellation.
Lilyana f Bulgarian
Bulgarian form of Lillian.
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.
Diogenes m Ancient Greek
Means "born of Zeus" from Greek Διός (Dios) meaning "of Zeus" and γενής (genes) meaning "born". This was the name of a Greek Cynic philosopher.
Ewelina f Polish
Polish form of Evelina.
Janelle f English
Diminutive of Jane. It has been in use only since the 20th century.
Venera 1 f Russian, Bulgarian, Albanian
Form of Venus, from the genitive form Veneris.
Columbán m Old Irish
Possibly an Irish diminutive of Columba. Alternatively, it may be derived from Old Irish colum "dove" and bán "white". The 7th-century Saint Columbán of Leinster was the founder of several monasteries in Europe.
Ilse f German, Dutch
German and Dutch diminutive of Elisabeth, used independently.
Nephele f Greek Mythology
From Greek νέφος (nephos) meaning "cloud". In Greek legend Nephele was created from a cloud by Zeus, who shaped the cloud to look like Hera in order to trick Ixion, a mortal who desired her. Nephele was the mother of the centaurs by Ixion, and was also the mother of Phrixus and Helle by Athamus.
Jacomina f Dutch
Dutch feminine form of Iacomus (see James).
Félicie f French
French form of Felicia.
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.
Rupinder m & f Indian (Sikh)
Means "greatest beauty" from Sanskrit रूप (rūpa) meaning "beauty, form" combined with the name of the Hindu god Indra, used here to mean "greatest".
Ildikó f Hungarian
Possibly a form of Hilda. This name was borne by the last wife of Attila the Hun.
Elina f Finnish, Estonian, Swedish
Finnish, Estonian and Swedish form of Helen.
Luciano m Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
Italian, Spanish and Portuguese form of Lucianus.
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]
Cirila f Slovene
Slovene feminine form of Cyril.
Alden m English
From a surname that was derived from the Old English given name Ealdwine.
Rishi m Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Nepali
From Sanskrit ऋषि (ṛṣi) meaning "sage, poet", perhaps ultimately deriving from a root meaning "to see".
Rajnish m Hindi
Means "lord of the night" from Sanskrit रजनी (rajanī) meaning "night" and ईश (īśa) meaning "lord, ruler". This is another name for the moon in Hindu texts.
Archibald m Scottish, English
Derived from the Germanic name Ercanbald, composed of the elements erkan meaning "pure, holy, genuine" and bald meaning "bold, brave". The first element was altered due to the influence of Greek names beginning with the element ἀρχός (archos) meaning "master". The Normans brought this name to England. It first became common in Scotland in the Middle Ages (sometimes used to Anglicize the Gaelic name Gilleasbuig, for unknown reasons).
Victorine f French
French feminine form of Victorinus.
Cara f English
From an Italian word meaning "beloved" or an Irish word meaning "friend". It has been used as a given name since the 19th century, though it did not become popular until after the 1950s.
Rahela f Romanian, Croatian, Serbian
Romanian, Croatian and Serbian form of Rachel.
Amálie f Czech
Czech form of Amalia.
Frøya f Norwegian
Norwegian form of Freya.
Suzanne f French, English, Dutch
French form of Susanna.
Henrique m Portuguese
Portuguese form of Heinrich (see Henry). This was the name of a 15th-century Portuguese naval explorer (known as Henry the Navigator in English).
Keila f Portuguese (Brazilian), English (Modern)
Variant of Kayla. It could also be inspired by the name of the town of Keilah from the Old Testament.
Livie f French (Rare), Czech (Rare)
French and Czech feminine form of Livius.
Annette f French, English, German, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Dutch
French diminutive of Anne 1. It has also been widely used in the English-speaking world, and it became popular in America in the late 1950s due to the fame of actress Annette Funicello (1942-2013).
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-).
Luella f English
Variant of Louella.
Saara f Finnish
Finnish form of Sarah.
Halyna f Ukrainian
Ukrainian form of Galina.
Rosa 1 f Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Catalan, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Finnish, Dutch, German, English
Generally this can be considered to be from Latin rosa meaning "rose", though originally it may have come from the unrelated Germanic name Roza 2. This was the name of a 13th-century saint from Viterbo in Italy. In the English-speaking world it was first used in the 19th century. Famous bearers include the Polish-German revolutionary Rosa Luxemburg (1871-1919) and the American civil rights activist Rosa Parks (1913-2005).
Jenae f English (Rare)
Diminutive of Jennifer.
Kateryna f Ukrainian
Ukrainian form of Katherine.
Ambrosine f English (Rare)
Feminine form of Ambrose.
Themis f Greek Mythology
Means "law of nature, divine law, custom" in Greek. In Greek mythology this was the name of a Titan who presided over custom and natural law. She was often depicted blindfolded and holding a pair of scales. By Zeus she was the mother of many deities, including the three Μοῖραι (Moirai) and the three Ὥραι (Horai).
Ottilia f Swedish
Swedish form of Odilia.