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
Treasa f Irish
Possibly from Irish treise meaning "strength" or treas meaning "battle". It is also used as an Irish form of Theresa.
Faustus m Ancient Roman
Roman cognomen meaning "auspicious, lucky" in Latin. It was also occasionally used as a praenomen, or given name. This was the name of several early Christian saints.
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).
Heitor m Portuguese
Portuguese form of Hector.
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.
Radana f Czech
Originally a short form of Radovana, now used independently.
Metztli f & m Aztec and Toltec Mythology, Nahuatl
Means "moon" in Nahuatl. This was the name of the Aztec god (or goddess) of the moon.
Anikó f Hungarian
Hungarian diminutive of Anna.
Galileo m Italian (Rare)
Medieval Italian name derived from Latin galilaeus meaning "Galilean, from Galilee". Galilee is a region in northern Israel, mentioned in the New Testament as the site of several of Jesus's miracles. It is derived from the Hebrew root גָּלִיל (galil) meaning "district, roll".... [more]
Wilkin m Medieval English
Medieval diminutive of William.
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.
Ewelina f Polish
Polish form of Evelina.
Aparna f Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi, Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Bengali
Means "leafless" in Sanskrit, from the negative prefix (a) and पर्ण (parṇa) meaning "leaf". This is another name of the Hindu goddess Parvati, given because she would not eat even leaves while practicing austerity.
Flora f English, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Dutch, French, Greek, Albanian, Roman Mythology
Derived from Latin flos meaning "flower" (genitive case floris). Flora was the Roman goddess of flowers and spring, the wife of Zephyr the west wind. It has been used as a given name since the Renaissance, starting in France. In Scotland it was sometimes used as an Anglicized form of Fionnghuala.
Vienna f English (Modern)
From the name of the capital city of Austria, Vienna.
Julian m English, Polish, German
From the Roman name Iulianus, which was derived from Julius. This was the name of the last pagan Roman emperor, Julian the Apostate (4th century). It was also borne by several early saints, including the legendary Saint Julian the Hospitaller. This name has been used in England since the Middle Ages, at which time it was also a feminine name (from Juliana, eventually becoming Gillian).
Leticia f Spanish
Spanish form of Letitia.
Caitríona f Irish
Irish form of Katherine.
Catina f Romanian (Rare)
Contracted form of Cătălina.
Davide m Italian
Italian form of David.
Melia f Greek Mythology
Means "ash tree" in Greek, a derivative of μέλι (meli) meaning "honey". This was the name of a nymph in Greek myth, the daughter of the Greek god Okeanos.
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]
Martí m Catalan
Catalan form of Martin.
Quentin m French, English
French form of the Roman name Quintinus. It was borne by a 3rd-century saint, a missionary who was martyred in Gaul. The Normans introduced this name to England. In America it was brought to public attention by president Theodore Roosevelt's son Quentin Roosevelt (1897-1918), who was killed in World War I. A famous bearer is the American movie director Quentin Tarantino (1963-).
Arthur m English, French, German, Dutch, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Welsh Mythology, Arthurian Cycle
The meaning of this name is unknown. It could be derived from the Celtic elements *artos "bear" (Old Welsh arth) combined with *wiros "man" (Old Welsh gur) or *rīxs "king" (Old Welsh ri). Alternatively it could be related to an obscure Roman family name Artorius.... [more]
Venetia f English (Rare), Greek
From the Latin name of the Italian region of Veneto and the city of Venice (see the place name Venetia). This name was borne by the celebrated English beauty Venetia Stanley (1600-1633), though in her case the name may have been a Latinized form of the Welsh name Gwynedd. Benjamin Disraeli used it for the heroine of his novel Venetia (1837).
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.
Denice f English
Variant of Denise.
Syntyche f Biblical, Biblical Greek, Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek name derived from συντυχία (syntychia) meaning "occurrence, event". This is the name of a woman mentioned in Paul's epistle to the Philippians in the New Testament.
Giorgina f Italian
Diminutive of Giorgia.
Frances f English
Feminine form of Francis. The distinction between Francis as a masculine name and Frances as a feminine name did not arise until the 17th century. A notable bearer was Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini (1850-1917), a social worker and the first American to be canonized.
Liina f Estonian, Finnish
Short form of Karoliina.
Énna m Old Irish
Possibly from Old Irish én meaning "bird". This was the name of several Irish kings and heroes. It was also borne by a 6th-century saint who built the monastery of Killeany on Aran.
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.
Carita f Swedish
Derived from Latin caritas meaning "dearness, esteem, love".
Fanni f Finnish, Hungarian
Finnish diminutive of Francisca and a Hungarian diminutive of Franciska or Stefánia.
Georgina f English, Spanish, Hungarian
Feminine form of George.
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.
Valentín m Spanish, Slovak
Spanish and Slovak form of Valentinus (see Valentine 1).
Sigrid f Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, German, Estonian, Finnish (Archaic)
From the Old Norse name Sigríðr, which was derived from the elements sigr "victory" and fríðr "beautiful, beloved".
Adella f English
Variant of Adela.
Nicoletta f Italian
Feminine diminutive of Nicola 1.
Niobe f Greek Mythology
Meaning unknown. In Greek mythology Niobe was the daughter of Tantalos, a king of Asia Minor. Because she boasted that she was superior to Leto, Leto's children Apollo and Artemis killed her 14 children with poison arrows. In grief, Niobe was turned to stone by Zeus.
Constantin m Romanian, French
Romanian and French form of Constantinus (see Constantine 1).
Aimee f English
Variant of Amy, influenced by French Aimée.
Katarine f German (Rare)
German variant form of Katherine.
Idony f English (Archaic)
Medieval English vernacular form of Idonea.
Ingrid f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Estonian, German, Dutch
From the Old Norse name Ingríðr meaning "Ing is beautiful", derived from the name of the Germanic god Ing combined with fríðr "beautiful, beloved". A famous bearer was the Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman (1915-1982).
Anatole m French
French form of Anatolius.
Halyna f Ukrainian
Ukrainian form of Galina.
Tomislav m Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Macedonian, Bulgarian
Probably derived from the Slavic element tomiti "to torment" combined with slava "glory". This was the name of the first king of Croatia (10th century).
Stelios m Greek
Variant of Stylianos.
Dionne f English
Feminine form of Dion.
Niles m English
From an English surname that was derived from the given name Neil.
Giosetta f Italian (Rare)
Italian form of Josette.
Lucrèce f & m French
French form of both Lucretia and its masculine form Lucretius.
Nina 1 f Russian, Italian, English, German, French, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Lithuanian, Dutch, Polish, Slovene, Czech, Slovak, Croatian, Serbian, Bulgarian, Ukrainian, Belarusian
Short form of names that end in nina, such as Antonina or Giannina. It was imported to Western Europe from Russia and Italy in the 19th century. This name also nearly coincides with the Spanish word niña meaning "little girl" (the word is pronounced differently than the name).... [more]
Charmian f Literature
Form of Charmion used by Shakespeare in his play Antony and Cleopatra (1606).
Samara f English (Modern), Portuguese (Brazilian)
Possibly derived from the name of the city of Samarra (in Iraq) or Samara (in Russia). The former appears in the title of the novel Appointment in Samarra (1934) by John O'Hara, which refers to an ancient Babylonian legend about a man trying to evade death. Alternatively, this name could be derived from the word for the winged seeds that grow on trees such as maples and elms.... [more]
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.
Clifford m English
From a surname that was originally from a place name meaning "ford by a cliff" in Old English.
Kian 1 m Persian
Means "king, foundation, symbol of pride" in Persian.
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.
Valentino m Italian
Italian form of Valentinus (see Valentine 1).
Janelle f English
Diminutive of Jane. It has been in use only since the 20th century.
Wilhelmine f German
German feminine form of Wilhelm.
Eemil m Finnish
Finnish form of Emil.
Mabelle f English
Variant of Mabel. It also coincides with the French phrase ma belle meaning "my beautiful".
Simeon m Biblical, Bulgarian, Serbian
From Συμεών (Symeon), the Old Testament Greek form of the Hebrew name Shimʿon (see Simon 1). In the Old Testament this is the name of the second son of Jacob and Leah and the founder of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. In the New Testament the Greek rendering Σίμων (Simon) is more common, though Συμεών occurs belonging to a man who blessed the newborn Jesus. He is recognized as a saint in most Christian traditions.... [more]
Harding m English
From an English surname that was derived from the Old English given name Heard. A famous bearer of the surname was American president Warren G. Harding (1865-1923).
Gigi f & m French, Italian, Romanian, Georgian
Diminutive of names containing the letters or sound gi, such as French Georgine or Virginie, Italian Luigi, Romanian George and Georgian Giorgi.
Edwina f English
Feminine form of Edwin.
Yosyp m Ukrainian
Ukrainian form of Joseph.
Nefertiti f Ancient Egyptian
From Egyptian nfrt-jjtj meaning "the beautiful one has come". Nefertiti was a powerful Egyptian queen of the New Kingdom (14th century BC), the principal wife of Akhenaton, the pharaoh that briefly imposed a monotheistic religion centered around the sun god Aton.
Emer f Irish Mythology
Meaning unknown. In Irish legend she was the wife of Cúchulainn. She was said to possess the six gifts of womanhood: beauty, voice, speech, needlework, wisdom and chastity.
Jean-François m French
Combination of Jean 1 and François.
Ariel m & f Hebrew, English, French, Spanish, Polish, Biblical, Biblical Greek
Means "lion of God" in Hebrew, from אֲרִי (ʾari) meaning "lion" and אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". In the Old Testament it is used as another name for the city of Jerusalem. Shakespeare utilized it for a spirit in his play The Tempest (1611) and Alexander Pope utilized it for a sylph in his poem The Rape of the Lock (1712), and one of the moons of Uranus bears this name in his honour. As an English name, it became more common for females in the 1980s, especially after it was used for the title character in the Disney film The Little Mermaid (1989).
Judite f Portuguese
Portuguese form of Judith.
Angelique f Dutch
Dutch form of Angélique.
Vittoria f Italian
Italian form of Victoria.
Clemency f English (Rare)
Medieval variant of Clemence. It can also simply mean "clemency, mercy" from the English word, ultimately from Latin clemens "merciful".
Odetta f English (Rare)
Latinate form of Odette.
Melaina f Greek Mythology
Derived from Greek μέλαινα (melaina) meaning "black, dark". This was the name of a nymph in Greek mythology.
Iolyn m Welsh (Rare)
Diminutive of Iorwerth.
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.
Albertine f French
French feminine form of Albert.
Velvel m Yiddish (Rare)
Means "little wolf" in Yiddish, a diminutive of װאָלףֿ (volf) meaning "wolf". This is a vernacular form of Zeev.
Marciana f Ancient Roman, Spanish, Portuguese (Brazilian)
Feminine form of Marcianus. This was the name of a young woman martyred in North Africa during the persecutions of the Roman emperor Diocletian in the early 4th century.
Cenric m Anglo-Saxon
Derived from Old English cene "bold" and ric "ruler, king".
Mabella f English (Rare)
Elaborated form of Mabel.
Millicent f English
From the Gothic name *Amalaswinþa, composed of the elements amals "unceasing, vigorous, brave" and swinþs "strong". Amalaswintha was a 6th-century queen of the Ostrogoths. The Normans introduced this name to England in the form Melisent or Melisende. Melisende was a 12th-century queen of Jerusalem, the daughter of Baldwin II.
Johannes m German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Late Roman
Latin form of Greek Ioannes (see John). Notable bearers include the inventor of the printing press Johannes Gutenberg (1398-1468), astronomer Johannes Kepler (1571-1630), painter Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675), and composer Johannes Brahms (1833-1897).
Aurel m Romanian, German (Rare)
Romanian and German form of Aurelius.
Naveen m Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam
Alternate transcription of Hindi/Marathi नवीन, Kannada ನವೀನ್, Telugu నవీన్, Tamil நவீன் or Malayalam നവീൻ (see Navin).
Xián m Galician
From Xulián, the Galician form of Julian.
Honorine f French
French form of Honorina, a feminine form of the Roman name Honorinus, a derivative of Honorius. Saint Honorina was a 4th-century martyr from the Normandy region in France.
Pamela f English
This name was invented in the late 16th century by the poet Philip Sidney for use in his romance Arcadia (1593). He possibly intended it to mean "all sweetness" from Greek πᾶν (pan) meaning "all" and μέλι (meli) meaning "honey". It was later employed by author Samuel Richardson for the heroine in his novel Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded (1740), after which time it became used as a given name. It did not become popular until the 20th century.
Mahavir m Hindi
Modern form of Mahavira.
Loránd m Hungarian
Hungarian form of Roland.
Apolena f Czech, Slovak
Czech and Slovak form of Apollonia.
Michèle f French
French feminine form of Michel.
Maëlle f French, Breton
Feminine form of Maël.
Timothea f Ancient Greek, Greek
Feminine form of Timothy.
Euryalus m Greek Mythology (Latinized), Roman Mythology
From Greek Εὐρύαλος (Euryalos) meaning "broad". This name was borne by several figures in Greek legend. In Virgil's Aeneid it belongs to the friend of Nisus, with whom he is killed while raiding the Rutuli.
Eglantine f English (Rare)
From the English word for the flower also known as sweetbrier. It is derived via Old French from Vulgar Latin *aquilentum meaning "prickly". It was early used as a given name (in the form Eglentyne) in Geoffrey Chaucer's 14th-century story The Prioress's Tale (one of The Canterbury Tales).
Ludovic m French
French form of Ludovicus, the Latinized form of Ludwig. This was the name of an 1833 opera by the French composer Fromental Halévy.
Koralia f Greek, Late Greek
Derived from Ancient Greek κοράλλιον (korallion) meaning "coral" (in Modern Greek κοράλλι). This was the name of an obscure 4th-century saint and martyr from Thrace.
Philipp m German
German form of Philip.
Selena f Spanish, English, Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Selene. This name was borne by popular Mexican-American singer Selena Quintanilla (1971-1995), who was known simply as Selena. Another famous bearer is the American actress and singer Selena Gomez (1992-).
Nikhil m Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Odia, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil
From Sanskrit निखिल (nikhila) meaning "whole, entire".
Elissa 1 f Roman Mythology
Meaning unknown, possibly Phoenician in origin. This is another name of Dido, the legendary queen of Carthage.
Aili f Finnish, Estonian
Finnish and Estonian form of Áile.
Danica f Serbian, Croatian, Slovene, Slovak, Macedonian, English
From a Slavic word meaning "morning star, Venus". This name occurs in Slavic folklore as a personification of the morning star. It has sometimes been used in the English-speaking world since the 1970s.
Gio m Georgian
Short form of Giorgi.
Mentor m Greek Mythology
Possibly related to Greek μένος (menos) meaning "mind, strength, force". In Greek legend Mentor was the son of Alkimos. When Odysseus left to fight in the Trojan War he entrusted Mentor with the care of his palace and the guardianship of his son Telemachos. When the goddess Athena visited Telemachos she took the guise of Mentor.
Joasia f Polish
Polish diminutive of Joanna.
Henry m English
From the Germanic name Heimirich meaning "home ruler", composed of the elements heim "home" and rih "ruler". It was later commonly spelled Heinrich, with the spelling altered due to the influence of other Germanic names like Haganrich, in which the first element is hag "enclosure".... [more]
Iseult f Arthurian Cycle
The origins of this name are uncertain, though some Celtic roots have been suggested. It is possible that the name is ultimately Germanic, from a hypothetical name like *Ishild, composed of the elements is "ice" and hilt "battle".... [more]
Nerea f Basque, Spanish
Possibly from Basque nere, a dialectal variant of nire meaning "mine". Alternatively, it could be a feminine form of Nereus. This name arose in Basque-speaking regions of Spain in the first half of the 20th century, though it is now popular throughout the country.
Aleida f Dutch, Spanish (Latin American)
Dutch and Spanish short form of Adelaide.
Elliot m & f English
From a surname that was a variant of Elliott.
Iveta f Czech, Slovak, Latvian
Czech, Slovak and Latvian form of Yvette.
Adelle f English
Variant of Adele.
Malinda f English
Variant of Melinda.
Josefa f Spanish, Portuguese
Spanish and Portuguese feminine form of Joseph.
Emilie f German, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Czech
German, Scandinavian and Czech feminine form of Aemilius (see Emily).
Sebastián m Spanish, Czech
Spanish and Czech form of Sebastianus (see Sebastian).
Cosmina f Romanian
Feminine form of Cosmin.
Handan f Turkish
From Persian خندان (khandān) meaning "laughing, smiling".
Lir m Irish Mythology
Possibly from the patronymic Manannán mac Lir, in which case Lir is the genitive case of the name Ler. The medieval Irish legend the Children of Lir tells how Lir of the Tuatha Dé Danann had his children transformed into swans by his third wife Aoife. The legendary characters Lir and Ler seem to be distinct.
Evelina f English, Italian, Swedish, Lithuanian, Greek, Russian, Bulgarian
Latinate form of Aveline. It was revived by the author Fanny Burney for the heroine of her first novel Evelina (1778). It is often regarded as a variant of the related name Evelyn or an elaboration of Eve.
Elpis f Ancient Greek, Greek Mythology
Means "hope" in Greek. In Greek mythology Elpis was the personification of hope. She was the last spirit to remain in the jar after Pandora unleashed the evils that were in it.
Valarie f English
Variant of Valerie.
Eirene f Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek form of Irene.
Celestina f Spanish, Italian
Latinate feminine form of Caelestinus.
Serafima f Russian
Russian form of Seraphina.
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]
Hyacinthe m & f French
French masculine and feminine form of Hyacinthus.
Amariah m Biblical
Means "Yahweh has said" in Hebrew, derived from the roots אָמַר (ʾamar) meaning "to say" and יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. This is the name of several Old Testament characters.
Ptolemy m History
From the Greek name Πτολεμαῖος (Ptolemaios), derived from Greek πολεμήϊος (polemeios) meaning "aggressive, warlike". Ptolemy was the name of several Greco-Egyptian rulers of Egypt, all descendants of Ptolemy I Soter, one of the generals of Alexander the Great. This was also the name of a 2nd-century Greek astronomer.
Lucinde f French (Rare)
French form of Lucinda.
Sive f Irish
Anglicized form of Sadhbh.
Sole f Italian
Means "sun" in Italian.
Devadas m Hindi
Means "servant of the gods" from Sanskrit देव (deva) meaning "god" and दास (dāsa) meaning "servant".
Colette f French
Short form of Nicolette. Saint Colette was a 15th-century French nun who gave her money to the poor. This was also the pen name of the French author Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette (1873-1954).
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".
Silviya f Bulgarian
Bulgarian form of Silvia.
Françoise f French
Feminine form of François.
Goodwin m English (Rare)
From an English surname that was derived from the given name Godwine.
Finnian m Irish
Derived from Old Irish finn "white, blessed". This was the name of several Irish saints, including the founders of monasteries at Clonard and Movilla (both 6th century).
Antonios m Greek
Greek form of Antonius (see Anthony).
Leander m Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of the Greek name Λέανδρος (Leandros), derived from λέων (leon) meaning "lion" and ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man" (genitive ἀνδρός). In Greek legend Leander was the lover of Hero. Every night he swam across the Hellespont to meet her, but on one occasion he was drowned when a storm arose. When Hero saw his dead body she threw herself into the waters and perished.
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]
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.
Lucien m French
French form of Lucianus.
Alisa f Russian, Ukrainian, Bosnian, Finnish, Georgian
Form of Alice used in several languages.
Fe f Spanish
Means "faith" in Spanish, derived from Latin fides.
Cora f English, German, Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Kore. It was not used as a given name in the English-speaking world until after it was employed by James Fenimore Cooper for a character in his novel The Last of the Mohicans (1826). In some cases it may be a short form of Cordula, Corinna and other names beginning with a similar sound.
Flóra f Hungarian
Hungarian form of Flora.
Natalija f Serbian, Croatian, Slovene, Macedonian, Lithuanian
Form of Natalia (see Natalie) in several languages.
Dipti f Hindi, Marathi, Kannada
From Sanskrit दीपति (dīpti) meaning "brightness, light".
Lilli f German, Danish, Finnish
German, Danish and Finnish variant of Lili.
Jillian f English
Variant of Gillian.
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).
Hyacinth 2 f English (Rare)
From the name of the flower (or the precious stone that also bears this name), ultimately from Greek hyakinthos (see Hyacinthus).
Lalitha f Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu
Southern Indian form of Lalita.
Ronit 1 f Irish (Rare)
Anglicized form of Rathnait.
Donatienne f French
French feminine form of Donatianus.
Casandra f Spanish, Romanian
Spanish and Romanian form of Cassandra.
Bessarion m Late Greek
Meaning uncertain, possibly from Greek βῆσσα (bessa) meaning "wooded valley". This was the name of a 5th-century Egyptian hermit who was a disciple of Saint Anthony the Great. It was later adopted by the scholar Basilios Bessarion (1403-1472), a Greek born in Byzantine Anatolia who became a Roman Catholic bishop.
Frøya f Norwegian
Norwegian form of Freya.
Kathlyn f English
Anglicized form of Caitlín.
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.
Elisedd m Old Welsh
Derived from Welsh elus meaning "kind, benevolent". This was the name of two kings of Powys in Wales.
Leopold m German, Dutch, English, Czech, Slovak, Slovene, Polish
Derived from the Old German elements liut "people" and bald "bold, brave". The spelling was altered due to association with Latin leo "lion". This name was common among German royalty, first with the Babenbergs and then the Habsburgs. Saint Leopold was a 12th-century Babenberg margrave of Austria, who is now considered the patron of that country. It was also borne by two Habsburg Holy Roman emperors, as well as three kings of Belgium. Since the 19th century this name has been occasionally used in England, originally in honour of Queen Victoria's uncle, a king of Belgium, after whom she named one of her sons. It was later used by James Joyce for the main character, Leopold Bloom, in his novel Ulysses (1922).
Tullia f Italian, Ancient Roman
Feminine form of Tullius (see Tullio).
Afërdita f Albanian
Means "daybreak, morning" in Albanian, from afër "nearby, close" and ditë "day". It is also used as an Albanian form of Aphrodite.
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).
Celestine f & m English
English form of Caelestinus. It is more commonly used as a feminine name, from the French feminine form Célestine.
Orianne f French
French form of Oriana.
Laci 1 m Hungarian
Diminutive of László.
Aether m Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Greek Αἰθήρ (Aither) meaning "ether, heaven", derived from αἴθω (aitho) meaning "to burn, to ignite". In Greek mythology this was the name of the god of light and the upper sky.
Mélisande f French (Rare)
French form of Millicent used by Maurice Maeterlinck in his play Pelléas et Mélisande (1893). The play was later adapted by Claude Debussy into an opera (1902).
Naomhán m Irish
Means "little saint", derived from Irish naomh "saint" combined with a diminutive suffix.
Anamarija f Croatian, Slovene
Combination of Ana and Marija.
Chloë f Dutch, English
Dutch form and English variant of Chloe.
Grania f Irish
Latinized form of Gráinne.
Myra f English
Created by the 17th-century poet Fulke Greville. He possibly based it on Latin myrra meaning "myrrh" (a fragrant resin obtained from a tree). Otherwise, he may have simply rearranged the letters from the name Mary. Although unrelated etymologically, this is also the name of an ancient city of Anatolia.
Edward m English, Polish
Means "rich guard", derived from the Old English elements ead "wealth, fortune" and weard "guard". This was the name of several Anglo-Saxon kings, the last being Saint Edward the Confessor shortly before the Norman Conquest in the 11th century. He was known as a just ruler, and because of his popularity his name remained in use after the conquest when most other Old English names were replaced by Norman ones. The 13th-century Plantagenet king Henry III named his son and successor after the saint, and seven subsequent kings of England were also named Edward.... [more]
Ofélia f Portuguese
Portuguese form of Ophelia.
Katariina f Finnish, Estonian
Finnish and Estonian form of Katherine.
Beverly f & m English
From an English surname that was originally derived from the name of a Yorkshire city, itself from Old English beofor "beaver" and (possibly) licc "stream". It came into use as a masculine given name in the 19th century, then became common as an American feminine name after the publication of George Barr McCutcheon's 1904 novel Beverly of Graustark. It was most popular in the 1930s, and has since greatly declined in use.
Sanne f Dutch, Danish
Dutch and Danish short form of Susanna.
Adelyn f English (Modern)
Variant of Adeline using the popular name suffix lyn.
Eleuterio m Spanish, Italian
Spanish and Italian form of Eleutherius.
Negin f Persian
Means "gemstone" in Persian.
Io f Greek Mythology
Meaning unknown. In Greek mythology Io was a princess loved by Zeus, who changed her into a heifer in order to hide her from Hera. A moon of Jupiter bears this name in her honour.
Adriel m Biblical, Biblical Hebrew
Means "flock of God" in Hebrew, from עֵדֶר (ʿeḏer) meaning "flock, herd" and אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". In the Old Testament this is the name of a man who married Saul's daughter Merab.
Domitille f French
French form of Domitilla.
Anatoliy m Russian, Ukrainian
Russian and Ukrainian form of Anatolius.
Atanas m Bulgarian, Macedonian
Bulgarian and Macedonian form of Athanasius.
Malka f Hebrew
Means "queen" in Hebrew.
Alexina f English
Feminine form of Alex, or a diminutive of Alexis.
Godelieve f Flemish
Dutch (Flemish) form of Godeliva.
Zosia f Polish
Diminutive of Zofia.
Kaarina f Finnish
Finnish form of Katherine.
Sabela f Galician
Galician form of Isabel.
Emilija f Lithuanian, Slovene, Serbian, Croatian, Macedonian
Feminine form of Aemilius (see Emily).
Andrea 2 f English, German, Spanish, Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, Romanian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Dutch, Croatian, Serbian
Feminine form of Andrew. As an English name, it has been used since the 17th century, though it was not common until the 20th century.
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.
Pier m Italian, Dutch
Italian and Dutch variant form of Peter. In Italian, this form is often used in combination with another name.
Ludmila f Czech, Latvian, Russian
Means "favour of the people" from the Slavic elements ľudŭ "people" and milŭ "gracious, dear". Saint Ludmila was a 10th-century duchess of Bohemia, the grandmother of Saint Václav. She was murdered on the orders of her daughter-in-law Drahomíra.... [more]
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).
Harriet f English
English form of Henriette, and thus a feminine form of Harry. It was first used in the 17th century, becoming very common in the English-speaking world by the 18th century. Famous bearers include the Americans Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896), the author of Uncle Tom's Cabin, and the abolitionist Harriet Tubman (1820-1913).
Marsaili f Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic form of Marcella, now also associated with Marjorie.
Ethelinda f English (Archaic)
English form of the Germanic name Adallinda. The name was very rare in medieval times, but it was revived in the early 19th century.
Cielo f Spanish
Means "sky, heaven" in Spanish. In Mexico this name was popularized by a character named María del Cielo, called Cielo, on the telenovela Por tu amor (1999).
Thaïs f Ancient Greek, French
Possibly means "bandage" in Greek. This was the name of a companion of Alexander the Great. It was also borne by a 4th-century saint from Alexandria, a wealthy socialite who became a Christian convert, though in her case the name may have had a distinct Coptic origin. She has been a popular subject of art and literature, including an 1891 novel by Anatole France and an 1894 opera by Jules Massenet.
Marguerite f French
French form of Margaret. This is also the French word for the daisy flower (species Leucanthemum vulgare).
Artemio m Italian, Spanish
Italian and Spanish form of Artemios.
Suzan 1 f English
Variant of Susan.
Terence m English
From the Roman family name Terentius, which is of unknown meaning. Famous bearers include Publius Terentius Afer, a Roman playwright, and Marcus Terentius Varro, a Roman scholar. It was also borne by several early saints. The name was used in Ireland as an Anglicized form of Toirdhealbhach, but it was not found as an English name until the late 19th century. It attained only a moderate level of popularity in the 20th century, though it has been common as an African-American name especially since the 1970s.
Liviana f Italian, Ancient Roman
Feminine form of the Roman family name Livianus, which was itself derived from the family name Livius.
Jacinth f English (Rare)
From the English word for the orange precious stone, originating from the same source as Hyacinth.
Addolorata f Italian
Means "grieving" in Italian, from the title of the Virgin Mary, Maria Addolorata. It is most common in southern Italy. It is the equivalent of Spanish Dolores.
Evangeline f English
Means "good news" from Greek εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and ἄγγελμα (angelma) meaning "news, message". It was (first?) used by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in his 1847 epic poem Evangeline. It also appears in Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852) as the full name of the character Eva.
Stella 2 f Greek
Diminutive of Styliani, with the spelling influenced by that of Stella 1.
Noémi f Hungarian, French
Hungarian form and French variant of Naomi 1.
Lenora f English
Short form of Elenora.
Portia f English
Variant of Porcia, the feminine form of the Roman family name Porcius, used by William Shakespeare for the heroine of his play The Merchant of Venice (1596). In the play Portia is a woman who disguises herself as a man in order to defend Antonio in court. It is also the name of a moon of Uranus, after the Shakespearean character.
Enea m Italian
Italian form of Aeneas.
Ayala f Hebrew
Means "doe, female deer" in Hebrew.
Hypatia f Ancient Greek
Derived from Greek ὕπατος (hypatos) meaning "highest, supreme". Hypatia of Alexandria was a 5th-century philosopher and mathematician, daughter of the mathematician Theon.
Sebastiana f Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
Italian, Spanish and Portuguese feminine form of Sebastianus (see Sebastian).
Lorena 2 f English
Latinized form of Lauren. This name was first brought to public attention in America by the song Lorena (1856), written by Joseph Webster, who was said to have created the name as an anagram of Lenore (from the character in Poe's poem The Raven).
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.
Bertille f French
French form of Berthild.
Fidan f Turkish, Azerbaijani
Means "sapling" in Turkish and Azerbaijani.
Marilyn f English
Combination of Mary and the common name suffix lyn. It was very rare before the start of the 20th century. It was popularized in part by the American stage star Marilyn Miller (1898-1936), who was born Mary Ellen Reynolds and took her stage name from a combination of her birth name and her mother's middle name Lynn. It became popular in the United States during the 1920s, reaching a high point ranked 13th in 1936. Famous bearers include American actress Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962; real name Norma Jeane Mortenson) and American opera singer Marilyn Horne (1934-).
Lyssa 2 f Greek Mythology
Means "rage, fury, anger" in Greek. In Greek mythology Lyssa is a goddess associated with uncontrolled rage.
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.
Scheherazade f Literature
Anglicized form of Shahrazad.
Melpomene f Greek Mythology
Derived from Greek μέλπω (melpo) meaning "to sing, to celebrate with song". This was the name of one of the nine Muses in Greek mythology, the muse of tragedy.
Delphina f Late Roman
Feminine form of the Latin name Delphinus, which meant "of Delphi". Delphi was a city in ancient Greece, the name of which is possibly related to Greek δελφύς (delphys) meaning "womb". The Blessed Delphina was a 14th-century Provençal nun.
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).
Milani f English (Modern)
From the name of the Italian city of Milan, as in the name of the American cosmetics company founded in 2002. It could also a variant of Melanie.
Amalthea f Greek Mythology (Latinized)
From the Greek Ἀμάλθεια (Amaltheia), derived from μαλθάσσω (malthasso) meaning "to soften, to soothe". In Greek myth she was a nymph (in some sources a goat) who nursed the infant Zeus.
Kasi f Telugu, Tamil
Southern Indian form of Kashi.
Leontyne f English (Rare)
Variant of Léontine. This name is borne by opera singer Leontyne Price (1927-).
Bethan f Welsh
Welsh diminutive of Elizabeth.
Marcell m Hungarian
Hungarian form of Marcellus.
Iliana f Greek, Bulgarian
Feminine form of Ilias (Greek) or Iliya (Bulgarian).
Tonje f Norwegian
Variant of Torny.
Mikołaj m Polish
Polish form of Nicholas.
Love 2 f English
Simply from the English word love, derived from Old English lufu.
Benjamine f French
French feminine form of Benjamin.
Amandine f French
French diminutive of Amanda.
Anina f German
Diminutive of Anna.
Stephan m German, Dutch
German and Dutch form of Stephen.
Fabiana f Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Ancient Roman
Feminine form of Fabianus (see Fabian).
Sophus m Ancient Greek (Latinized)
From the Greek name Σόφος (Sophos) meaning "skilled, clever".
Emilian m Romanian, Polish
Romanian and Polish form of Aemilianus (see Emiliano).
Veeti m Finnish
Finnish diminutive of Fredrik or Ferdinand.
Adrasteia f Greek Mythology
Feminine form of Adrastos. In Greek mythology this name was borne by a nymph who fostered the infant Zeus. This was also another name of the goddess Nemesis.
Devi f Hinduism, Hindi, Tamil
Derived from Sanskrit देवी (devī) meaning "goddess". This name can be used to refer to Mahadevi.
Rose f English, French
Originally a Norman French form of the Germanic name Hrodohaidis meaning "famous type", composed of the elements hruod "fame" and heit "kind, sort, type". The Normans introduced it to England in the forms Roese and Rohese. From an early date it was associated with the word for the fragrant flower rose (derived from Latin rosa). When the name was revived in the 19th century, it was probably with the flower in mind.
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.
Ofelia f Spanish, Italian
Spanish and Italian form of Ophelia.
Ofeliya f Azerbaijani, Russian (Rare), Ukrainian (Rare), Bulgarian (Rare)
Azerbaijani, Russian, Ukrainian and Bulgarian form of Ophelia.
Kasimira f German (Archaic)
Feminine form of Kasimir.
Reine f French
Means "queen" in French, ultimately from Latin regina.
Philomel f Literature
From an English word meaning "nightingale" (ultimately from Philomela). It has been used frequently in poetry to denote the bird.
Finola f Irish
Anglicized form of Fionnuala.