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
Setare f Persian
Alternate transcription of Persian ستاره (see Setareh).
Jocasta f Greek Mythology (Anglicized)
From the Greek name Ἰοκάστη (Iokaste), which is of unknown meaning. In Greek mythology she was the mother Oedipus by the Theban king Laius. In a case of tragic mistaken identity, she married her own son.
Maybelline f English (Rare)
Diminutive of Mabel. This is an American cosmetics company, which was named after the founder's sister Mabel in 1915.
Miia f Finnish
Finnish form of Mia.
Sariah f Mormon
Possibly from an alternate reading of Hebrew שׂריה (see Seraiah). In the Book of Mormon this is the name of Lehi's wife.
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.
Callistus m Late Roman
Late Latin name that was derived from the Greek name Κάλλιστος (Kallistos) meaning "most beautiful". This was the name of three popes (also known as Callixtus), including the 3rd-century Callistus I who is regarded as a saint.
Amédée m French
French form of Amadeus.
Rebecka f Swedish
Swedish variant of Rebecca.
Leonarda f Italian
Feminine form of Leonardo.
Slàine f Scottish Gaelic (Rare)
Scottish Gaelic form of Sláine.
Irène f French
French form of Irene.
Kian 1 m Persian
Means "king, foundation, symbol of pride" in Persian.
Tennyson m & f English (Rare)
From an English surname that meant "son of Tenney", Tenney being a medieval form of Denis. A notable bearer of the surname was the British poet Alfred Tennyson (1809-1892), commonly called Lord Tennyson after he became a baron in 1884.
Amanda f English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Hungarian, Latvian, Late Roman
In part this is a feminine form of Amandus. However, it was not used during the Middle Ages. In the 17th century it was recreated by authors and poets who based it directly on Latin amanda meaning "lovable, worthy of love". Notably, the playwright Colley Cibber used it for a character in his play Love's Last Shift (1696). It came into regular use during the 19th century.
Kenna f Scottish
Feminine form of Kenneth.
Posy f English
Diminutive of Josephine. It can also be inspired by the English word posy for a bunch of flowers.
Anja f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, German, Dutch
Form of Anya in several languages.
Nedelya f Bulgarian
Means "Sunday" in Bulgarian.
Lilien f Hungarian
Hungarian form of Lillian.
Matilda f English, Swedish, Finnish, Slovak, Slovene
From the Germanic name Mahthilt meaning "strength in battle", from the elements maht "might, strength" and hilt "battle". Saint Matilda was the wife of the 10th-century German king Henry I the Fowler. The name was common in many branches of European royalty in the Middle Ages. It was brought to England by the Normans, being borne by the wife of William the Conqueror himself. Another notable royal by this name was a 12th-century daughter of Henry I of England, known as the Empress Matilda because of her first marriage to the Holy Roman emperor Henry V. She later invaded England, laying the foundations for the reign of her son Henry II.... [more]
Lucienne f French
Feminine form of Lucien.
Vincente f French
French feminine form of Vincent.
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.
Leanna f English
Probably this was originally a variant of Liana. It is now often considered a combination of Lee and Anna.
Bronwen f Welsh
Seemingly derived from Welsh bron "breast" and gwen "white, blessed", though it has sometimes occurred as a variant spelling of the legendary name Branwen. It has been used as a given name in Wales since the 19th century. It is borne by a character in Richard Llewellyn's 1939 novel How Green Was My Valley, as well as the 1941 movie adaptation.
Soroush m Persian Mythology, Persian
Modern Persian form of Avestan 𐬯𐬭𐬀𐬊𐬱𐬀 (Sraosha) meaning "obedience". In Zoroastrianism this was the name of a Yazata (a holy being), later equated with the angel Gabriel.
Huguette f French
Feminine form of Hugues.
Rosella f Italian
Italian diminutive of Rosa 1.
Apollonia f Ancient Greek, Italian
Feminine form of Apollonios. This was the name of a 3rd-century saint and martyr from Alexandria.
Surya m Hinduism, Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi, Marathi, Nepali, Indonesian
Means "sun" in Sanskrit. This is the name of the Vedic Hindu god of the sun who rides a chariot across the sky.
Marsaili f Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic form of Marcella, now also associated with Marjorie.
Viviana f Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Late Roman
Feminine form of Vivianus (see Vivian). Saint Viviana (also known as Bibiana) was a Roman saint and martyr of the 4th century.
Ottilia f Swedish
Swedish form of Odilia.
Euanthe f Ancient Greek, Greek Mythology
Derived from Greek εὐανθής (euanthes) meaning "blooming, flowery", a derivative of εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and ἄνθος (anthos) meaning "flower". According to some sources, this was the name of the mother of the three Graces or Χάριτες (Charites) in Greek mythology.
Clelia f Italian
Italian form of Cloelia.
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".
Domitila f Spanish, Portuguese (Rare)
Spanish and Portuguese form of Domitilla.
Amore m & f Italian (Rare)
Italian form of Amor.
Svitlana f Ukrainian
Ukrainian form of Svetlana.
Vira f Ukrainian
Ukrainian cognate of Vera 1.
Julienne f French
French feminine form of Iulianus (see Julian).
Oswald m English, German
Derived from the Old English elements os "god" and weald "powerful, mighty". Saint Oswald was a king of Northumbria who introduced Christianity to northeastern England in the 7th century before being killed in battle. There was also an Old Norse cognate Ásvaldr in use in England, being borne by the 10th-century Saint Oswald of Worcester, who was of Danish ancestry. Though the name had died out by the end of the Middle Ages, it was revived in the 19th century.
Valeria f Italian, Spanish, Romanian, German, Russian, Ukrainian, Ancient Roman
Feminine form of Valerius. This was the name of a 2nd-century Roman saint and martyr.
Miranda f English, Dutch
Derived from Latin mirandus meaning "admirable, worthy of being admired". The name was created by Shakespeare for the heroine in his play The Tempest (1611), in which Miranda and her father Prospero are stranded on an island. It did not become a common English given name until the 20th century. This is also the name of one of the moons of Uranus, named after the Shakespearean character.
Sviatoslav m Russian, Ukrainian
Alternate transcription of Russian/Ukrainian Святослав (see Svyatoslav).
Anneli f Finnish, Estonian, Swedish, German
Finnish, Estonian and Swedish form of Annelie, as well as a German variant.
Federica f Italian
Italian feminine form of Frederick.
Delfina f Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
Italian, Spanish and Portuguese form of Delphina.
Liesl f German
German short form of Elisabeth.
Basil 1 m English
From the Greek name Βασίλειος (Basileios), which was derived from βασιλεύς (basileus) meaning "king". Saint Basil the Great was a 4th-century bishop of Caesarea and one of the fathers of the early Christian church. Due to him, the name (in various spellings) has come into general use in the Christian world, being especially popular among Eastern Christians. It was also borne by two Byzantine emperors.
Evy f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch
Diminutive of Eva or Evelina.
Anastasio m Italian, Spanish
Italian and Spanish form of Anastasius.
Julien m French
French form of Iulianus (see Julian).
Dionisia f Italian, Spanish
Italian and Spanish feminine form of Dionysius.
Miša m & f Serbian, Slovene
Serbian diminutive of Mihailo, Miroslav and other names beginning with a similar sound. In Slovenia it is typically feminine.
Leone 1 m Italian
Italian form of Leo and Leon.
Nicoleta f Romanian
Romanian feminine form of Nicholas.
Isaia m Italian, Old Church Slavic
Italian form of Isaiah, as well as the Old Church Slavic form.
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.
Renée f French, Dutch
French feminine form of René.
Manisha f Hindi, Marathi, Nepali
Feminine form of Manish.
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.
Emilia f Italian, Spanish, Romanian, Finnish, Polish, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, English, Greek, Bulgarian
Feminine form of Aemilius (see Emily). In Shakespeare's tragedy Othello (1603) this is the name of the wife of Iago.
Essie f English
Diminutive of Estelle or Esther.
Joana f Portuguese, Catalan
Portuguese and Catalan form of Iohanna (see Joanna).
Clark m English
From an English surname meaning "cleric" or "scribe", from Old English clerec originally meaning "priest". A famous bearer of the surname was William Clark (1770-1838), an explorer of the west of North America. As a first name it was borne by the American actor Clark Gable (1901-1960), as well as the comic book character Clark Kent, the mild-mannered alter ego of Superman, first created 1938.
Sílvia f Portuguese, Catalan
Portuguese and Catalan form of Silvia.
Donatus m Late Roman
Latin form of Donato.
Julius m Ancient Roman, English, German, Finnish, Lithuanian, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Dutch, Czech
From a Roman family name that was possibly derived from Greek ἴουλος (ioulos) meaning "downy-bearded". Alternatively, it could be related to the name of the Roman god Jupiter. This was a prominent patrician family of Rome, who claimed descent from the mythological Julus, son of Aeneas. Its most notable member was Gaius Julius Caesar, who gained renown as a military leader for his clever conquest of Gaul. After a civil war he became the dictator of the Roman Republic, but was eventually stabbed to death in the senate.... [more]
Antonio m Spanish, Italian, Croatian
Spanish and Italian form of Antonius (see Anthony). This has been a common name in Italy since the 14th century. In Spain it was the most popular name for boys in the 1950s and 60s.... [more]
Arete f Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek
Means "virtue" in Greek. In Greek mythology Arete was the personification of virtue and excellence.
Anatoly m Russian
Alternate transcription of Russian Анатолий (see Anatoliy).
Franklin m English
From an English surname that was derived from Middle English frankelin "freeman". A famous bearer of the surname was Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790), an American statesman, inventor, scientist and philosopher. The name has commonly been given in his honour in the United States. It also received a boost during the term of American president Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945).
Joy f English
Simply from the English word joy, ultimately derived from Norman French joie, Latin gaudium. It has been regularly used as a given name since the late 19th century.
Nessa 3 f Irish, Irish Mythology
Anglicized form of Neasa.
Évelyne f French
French form of Evelina.
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.
Alodia f Gothic (Latinized)
Possibly from a Visigothic name, maybe from Gothic elements such as alls "all" or aljis "other" combined with auds "riches, wealth". Saint Alodia was a 9th-century Spanish martyr with her sister Nunilo.
Éva f Hungarian, French
Hungarian form of Eve, as well as a French variant of Ève.
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).
Christopher m English
From the Late Greek name Χριστόφορος (Christophoros) meaning "bearing Christ", derived from Χριστός (Christos) combined with φέρω (phero) meaning "to bear, to carry". Early Christians used it as a metaphorical name, expressing that they carried Christ in their hearts. In the Middle Ages, literal interpretations of the name's etymology led to legends about a Saint Christopher who carried the young Jesus across a river. He has come to be regarded as the patron saint of travellers.... [more]
Anežka f Czech
Czech form of Agnes.
Delphia f English
Possibly from the name of the Greek city of Delphi, the site of an oracle of Apollo, which is possibly related to Greek δελφύς (delphys) meaning "womb". It was used in the play The Prophetess (1647), in which it belongs to the title prophetess.
Theodoor m Dutch
Dutch form of Theodore.
Evelia f Spanish
Elaborated form of Eva.
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).
Claudine f French
French diminutive of Claude.
Lommán m Old Irish
Means "little bare one", derived from Old Irish lomm "bare" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of a 5th-century saint, a nephew of Saint Patrick.
Elia 1 m Italian
Italian form of Elijah.
Elissa 1 f Roman Mythology
Meaning unknown, possibly Phoenician in origin. This is another name of Dido, the legendary queen of Carthage.
Ilene f English
Variant of Eileen, probably inspired by the spelling of Irene.
Lyssa 2 f Greek Mythology
Means "rage, fury, anger" in Greek. In Greek mythology Lyssa is a goddess associated with uncontrolled rage.
Roseline f French
French form of Rosalind. Saint Roseline of Villeneuve was a 13th-century nun from Provence.
Oshea m Biblical
Variant of Hoshea used in some versions of the Bible.
Sláine f & m Old Irish, Irish Mythology
From Old Irish slán meaning "health, safety". This was the name of a legendary high king of Ireland, one of the Fir Bolg. It was also the name of a daughter of the 11th-century high king Brian Boru.
Kathryn f English
Contracted form of Katherine.
Archana f Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil
From Sanskrit अर्चन (arcana) meaning "honouring, praising". This is the name of a Hindu ritual.
Susie f English
Diminutive of Susan.
Alis f Welsh
Welsh form of Alice.
'Ester f Biblical Hebrew
Biblical Hebrew form of Esther.
Aurélie f French
French feminine form of Aurelius.
Mae f English
Variant of May. A famous bearer was the American actress Mae West (1893-1980), whose birth name was Mary.
Alexandrine f French
French diminutive of Alexandra. This was the name of a Danish queen, the wife of King Christian X.
Aurora f Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, English, Romanian, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish, Roman Mythology
Means "dawn" in Latin. Aurora was the Roman goddess of the morning. It has occasionally been used as a given name since the Renaissance.
Negin f Persian
Means "gemstone" in Persian.
Susan f English
English variant of Susanna. This has been most common spelling since the 18th century. It was especially popular both in the United States and the United Kingdom from the 1940s to the 1960s. A notable bearer was the American feminist Susan B. Anthony (1820-1906).
Alastair m Scottish
Anglicized form of Alasdair.
Fauna f Roman Mythology
Feminine form of Faunus. Fauna was a Roman goddess of fertility, women and healing, a daughter and companion of Faunus.
Alene f English
Variant of Aline.
Lawrence m English
Variant of Laurence 1. This spelling of the name is now more common than Laurence in the English-speaking world, probably because Lawrence is the usual spelling of the surname. The surname was borne by the author and poet D. H. Lawrence (1885-1930), as well as the revolutionary T. E. Lawrence (1888-1935), who was known as Lawrence of Arabia.
Bénédicte f French
French feminine form of Benedict.
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.
Gloria f English, Spanish, Italian, German
Means "glory", from the Portuguese and Spanish titles of the Virgin Mary Maria da Glória and María de Gloria. Maria da Glória (1819-1853) was the daughter of the Brazilian emperor Pedro I, eventually becoming queen of Portugal as Maria II.... [more]
Piia f Finnish, Estonian
Finnish and Estonian form of Pia.
Henri m French, Finnish
French form of Heinrich (see Henry). A notable bearer was the French artist Henri Matisse (1869-1954).
Francesca Pia f Italian
Combination of Francesca and Pia.
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).
Lilijana f Slovene, Lithuanian
Slovene and Lithuanian form of Lillian.
Endymion m Greek Mythology
Derived from Greek ἐνδύω (endyo) meaning "to dive into, to enter". In Greek mythology he was an Aeolian mortal loved by the moon goddess Selene, who asked Zeus to grant him eternal life. Zeus complied by putting him into an eternal sleep in a cave on Mount Latmos.
Magali f French, Occitan
Occitan form of Magdalene.
Perpetua f Spanish, Late Roman
Derived from Latin perpetuus meaning "continuous". This was the name of a 3rd-century saint martyred with another woman named Felicity.
Caeso m Ancient Roman
Roman praenomen, or given name, that was probably derived from Latin caesius meaning "blue-grey". This praenomen was only used by a few families.
Ugène m Norman
Norman form of Eugenius (see Eugene).
Élisabeth f French
French form of Elizabeth.
Lilly f English, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish
English variant of Lily. It is also used in Scandinavia, as a form of Lily or a diminutive of Elisabeth.
Serina f English
Variant of Serena.
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.
Erwin m German, Dutch, Polish, Germanic
Derived from the Old German name Hariwini, composed of the elements heri "army" and wini "friend". It may have merged somewhat with the name Eberwin. A notable bearer was Erwin Schrödinger (1887-1961), an Austrian physicist who made contributions to quantum theory.
Nelly f English, Swedish, French, German
Diminutive of Nell and other names containing nel.
Sanne f Dutch, Danish
Dutch and Danish short form of Susanna.
Palle m Danish
Danish diminutive of Paul.
Kasimira f German (Archaic)
Feminine form of Kasimir.
Giulia f Italian
Italian feminine form of Julius.
Amélie f French
French form of Amelia.
Laurence 1 m English
From the Roman cognomen Laurentius, which meant "from Laurentum". Laurentum was a city in ancient Italy, its name probably deriving from Latin laurus "laurel". Saint Laurence was a 3rd-century deacon and martyr from Rome. According to tradition he was roasted alive on a gridiron because, when ordered to hand over the church's treasures, he presented the sick and poor. Due to the saint's popularity, the name came into general use in the Christian world (in various spellings).... [more]
Na'ima f Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic نعيمة (see Naima).
Montague m English (Rare)
From an aristocratic English surname meaning "sharp mountain", from Old French mont agu. In Shakespeare's tragedy Romeo and Juliet (1596) this is the surname of Romeo and his family.
Timothea f Ancient Greek, Greek
Feminine form of Timothy.
Aemilia f Ancient Roman
Feminine form of Aemilius (see Emily).
Vendelín m Czech, Slovak
Czech and Slovak form of Wendelin.
Lilia f Spanish, Italian, Polish, Russian, Ukrainian
Latinate form of Lily, as well as an alternate transcription of Russian Лилия or Ukrainian Лілія (see Liliya).
April f English
From the name of the month, probably originally derived from Latin aperio "to open, to uncover", referring to the opening of flowers. It has only been commonly used as a given name since the 1940s.
Laurena f English (Rare)
Elaboration of Lauren.
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.
Alethea f English
Derived from Greek ἀλήθεια (aletheia) meaning "truth". This name was coined in the 16th century.
Eleanor f English
From the Old French form of the Occitan name Alienòr. Among the name's earliest bearers was the influential Eleanor of Aquitaine (12th century), who was the queen of Louis VII, the king of France, and later Henry II, the king of England. She was named Aenor after her mother, and was called by the Occitan phrase alia Aenor "the other Aenor" in order to distinguish her from her mother. However, there appear to be examples of bearers prior to Eleanor of Aquitaine. It is not clear whether they were in fact Aenors who were retroactively recorded as having the name Eleanor, or whether there is an alternative explanation for the name's origin.... [more]
Anasztázia f Hungarian
Hungarian form of Anastasia.
Mary Jane f English
Combination of Mary and Jane.
Angelo m Italian
Italian form of Angelus (see Angel).
Bernadette f French, English, German, Dutch
French feminine form of Bernard. Bernadette Soubirous (1844-1879) was a young woman from Lourdes in France who claimed to have seen visions of the Virgin Mary. She was declared a saint in 1933.
Soline f French
Variant of Solange.
Edelgard f German
From an Old German name, which was derived from the elements adal "noble" and gart "enclosure, yard".
Keira f English (Modern)
Variant of Ciara 1. This spelling was popularized by British actress Keira Knightley (1985-).
Cadwalader m Welsh (Rare)
Anglicized form of Cadwaladr.
Gaëlle f French, Breton
Feminine form of Gaël.
Heitor m Portuguese
Portuguese form of Hector.
Raina f Bulgarian
Alternate transcription of Bulgarian Райна (see Rayna 1).
Liina f Estonian, Finnish
Short form of Karoliina.
Venera 1 f Russian, Bulgarian, Albanian
Form of Venus, from the genitive form Veneris.
Sanna f Swedish, Finnish
Short form of Susanna. It can also be derived from Swedish sann meaning "true".
Alison 1 f English, French
Norman French diminutive of Aalis (see Alice). It was common in England, Scotland and France in the Middle Ages, and was later revived in England in the 20th century via Scotland. Unlike most other English names ending in son, it is not derived from a surname.
Filippa f Greek, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Italian
Greek, Scandinavian and Italian feminine form of Philip.
Biljana f Serbian, Macedonian, Croatian, Slovene
From the South Slavic word биље (bilje) meaning "herb".
Levan m Georgian
Georgian form of Leon.
Eleftheria f Greek
Feminine form of Eleftherios.
Athina f Greek
Modern Greek form of Athena.
Annelie f German, Swedish
German diminutive of Anna or short form of Anneliese.
Korë f Greek Mythology
Alternate transcription of Ancient Greek Κόρη (see Kore).
Mie f Danish, Norwegian
Danish and Norwegian diminutive of Marie.
Vinicio m Italian, Spanish
Italian and Spanish form of the Roman family name Vinicius, which was possibly derived from Latin vinum "wine".
Chloé f French
French form of Chloe.
Claretta f Italian
Diminutive of Clara.
Bautista m Spanish
Spanish form of Baptiste.
Beau m & f English, Dutch (Modern)
Means "beautiful, handsome" in French. It has been used as a given name since the middle of the 20th century. In Margaret Mitchell's novel Gone with the Wind (1936) this is the name of Ashley and Melanie's son.... [more]
Mindy f English
Diminutive of Melinda.
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).
Stefan m German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Polish, Bulgarian, Serbian, Macedonian
Form of Stephen used in several languages. Famous bearers include the Serbian rulers Stefan Nemanja, Stefan Nemanjić, and Stefan Lazarević, who are all considered saints in the Orthodox Church.
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.
Jasna f Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Macedonian
Derived from South Slavic jasno meaning "clearly, obviously".
Xanthe f Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek
Derived from Greek ξανθός (xanthos) meaning "yellow, blond, fair-haired". This was the name of a few minor figures in Greek mythology.
Eliseo m Italian, Spanish
Italian and Spanish form of Elisha.
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]
Eirlys f Welsh
Means "snowdrop (flower)" in Welsh, a compound of eira "snow" and llys "plant".
Atalia f Hebrew
Modern Hebrew transcription of Athaliah.
Frida 2 f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
Derived from Old Norse fríðr meaning "beautiful, beloved".
René m French, German, Dutch, Spanish, Slovak, Czech
French form of Renatus. Famous bearers include the French mathematician and rationalist philosopher René Descartes (1596-1650) and the Belgian surrealist painter René Magritte (1898-1967).
Evangelos m Greek
Means "bringing good news" from the Greek word εὐάγγελος (euangelos), a derivative of εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and ἄγγελος (angelos) meaning "messenger".
Antonin m French
French form of Antoninus. This name was borne by the French playwright Antonin Artaud (1896-1948).
Julieta f Spanish, Portuguese
Spanish and Portuguese form of Juliet.
Maritta f Finnish
Finnish diminutive of Maria.
Jure m Slovene, Croatian
Slovene and Croatian form of George.
Audrey f English, French
Medieval diminutive of Æðelþryð. This was the name of a 7th-century saint, a princess of East Anglia who founded a monastery at Ely. It was also used by William Shakespeare for a character in his comedy As You Like It (1599). At the end of the Middle Ages the name became rare due to association with the word tawdry (which was derived from St. Audrey, the name of a fair where cheap lace was sold), but it was revived in the 19th century. A famous bearer was British actress Audrey Hepburn (1929-1993).
Dearbháil f Irish
From Old Irish Derbáil meaning "daughter of Fál", derived from the prefix der meaning "daughter" and Fál, a legendary name for Ireland.
Pranay m Hindi, Marathi
From Sanskrit प्रणय (praṇaya) meaning "leader, guidance, love".
Elva 1 f Irish
Anglicized form of Ailbhe.
Paloma f Spanish
Means "dove, pigeon" in Spanish.
Cintia f Spanish, Hungarian
Spanish and Hungarian form of Cynthia.
Agnetha f Swedish
Swedish variant of Agnes.
Mathilde f French, German, Dutch, Norwegian, Danish
Form of Matilda in several languages.
Théophile m French
French form of Theophilus.
Lucija f Slovene, Croatian
Slovene and Croatian form of Lucia.
Phoebe f English, Greek Mythology (Latinized), Biblical, Biblical Latin
Latinized form of the Greek name Φοίβη (Phoibe), which meant "bright, pure" from Greek φοῖβος (phoibos). In Greek mythology Phoibe was a Titan associated with the moon. This was also an epithet of her granddaughter, the moon goddess Artemis. The name appears in Paul's epistle to the Romans in the New Testament, where it belongs to a female minister in the church at Cenchreae.... [more]
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).
Dmytro m Ukrainian
Ukrainian form of Demetrius.
Baila f Yiddish
Variant of Beyle.
Eleuterio m Spanish, Italian
Spanish and Italian form of Eleutherius.
Éliane f French
Probably from Aeliana, the feminine form of the Roman name Aelianus, which was derived from the Roman family name Aelius. This was the name of an obscure early saint and martyr from Amasea.
Sevastian m Russian (Rare)
Alternate transcription of Russian Севастьян (see Sevastyan).
Anabela f Portuguese
Portuguese form of Annabel.
Lucía f Spanish
Spanish form of Lucia. This is the most popular name for girls in Spain beginning in 2003.
Zéphyrine f French (Rare)
French feminine form of Zephyrinus (see Zeferino).
Bronwyn f English
Variant of Bronwen used in the English-speaking world (especially Australia and New Zealand).
Sumit m Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Punjabi
From Sanskrit सुमित (sumita) meaning "well measured".
Katrien f Dutch
Dutch (especially Flemish) form of Katherine.
Lorette f French
Variant of Laurette. This is also the usual French form of Loreto.
Miina f Finnish
Short form of Vilhelmiina.
Tiziana f Italian
Feminine form of Tiziano.
Brielle f English (Modern)
Short form of Gabrielle. This is also the name of towns in the Netherlands and New Jersey, though their names derive from a different source.
Lauressa f English (Rare)
Diminutive of Laura.
Elyse f English
Diminutive of Elizabeth. It was popularized in the early 1980s by a character from the television comedy Family Ties.
Raphaëlle f French
French feminine form of Raphael.
Priscilla f English, Italian, French, Ancient Roman, Biblical Latin, Biblical
Roman name, a diminutive of Prisca. In Acts in the New Testament Paul lived with Priscilla (also known as Prisca) and her husband Aquila in Corinth for a while. It has been used as an English given name since the Protestant Reformation, being popular with the Puritans. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow used it in his 1858 poem The Courtship of Miles Standish.
Anhelina f Ukrainian, Belarusian
Ukrainian and Belarusian form of Angelina.
Camillo m Italian
Italian form of Camillus.
Apolena f Czech, Slovak
Czech and Slovak form of Apollonia.
Akilina f Russian (Rare)
Russian form of the Roman name Aquilina, a feminine derivative of Aquila.
Nora 1 f English, Irish, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Latvian, German, Dutch, Italian, Spanish
Short form of Honora or Eleanor. Henrik Ibsen used it for a character in his play A Doll's House (1879).
Hilde f German, Dutch, Norwegian
German, Dutch and Norwegian variant of Hilda.
María f & m Spanish, Galician, Icelandic
Spanish, Galician and Icelandic form of Maria.... [more]
Tria f English (Rare)
Perhaps a short form of Demetria and other names ending in a similar sound.
Astrid f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, French, English
Modern Scandinavian form of Ástríðr. This name was borne by the Swedish writer Astrid Lindgren (1907-2002), the author of Pippi Longstocking. It was also borne by a Swedish princess (1905-1935) who became the queen of Belgium as the wife of Leopold III.
Kishore m Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu
Alternate transcription of Hindi/Marathi किशोर, Tamil கிஷோர் or Telugu కిశోర్ (see Kishor).
Katalin f Hungarian, Basque
Hungarian and Basque form of Katherine.
Artem m Ukrainian, Russian
Ukrainian form of Artemios. It is also an alternate transcription of Russian Артём (see Artyom).
Cyneweard m Anglo-Saxon
Derived from Old English cyne "royal" and weard "guard".
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.
Olympia f Greek, Slovak
Feminine form of Olympos.
Vitaliya f Russian, Ukrainian
Russian and Ukrainian feminine form of Vitalis (see Vitale).
Anya f Russian, English
Russian diminutive of Anna.
Chloris f Greek Mythology
Derived from Greek χλωρός (chloros) meaning "pale green". Chloris, in Greek mythology, was a minor goddess of vegetation.
Vincenza f Italian
Italian feminine form of Vincent.
Amery m & f English (Rare)
Variant of Emery.
Stelian m Romanian
Romanian form of Stylianos.
Nathanael m Biblical, Biblical Greek
From the Hebrew name נְתַנְאֵל (Neṯanʾel) meaning "God has given", from the roots נָתַן (naṯan) meaning "to give" and אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". It is borne by several minor characters in the Old Testament, typically spelled Nethanel or Nethaneel. In the New Testament this is the name of an apostle, probably another name of the apostle called Bartholomew.
Marcelino m Spanish, Portuguese
Spanish and Portuguese form of Marcellinus.
Ari 2 m Old Norse, Icelandic, Finnish
Old Norse byname meaning "eagle".
Alenka f Slovene
Slovene diminutive of Alena 1.
Nicoletta f Italian
Feminine diminutive of Nicola 1.
Carmel f & m English, Jewish
From the title of the Virgin Mary Our Lady of Mount Carmel. כַּרְמֶל (Karmel) (meaning "garden" in Hebrew) is a mountain in Israel mentioned in the Old Testament. It was the site of several early Christian monasteries. As an English given name, it has mainly been used by Catholics. As a Jewish name it is unisex.
Longina f Polish, Ancient Roman
Feminine form of Longinus.
Teodóra f Hungarian
Hungarian feminine form of Theodore.
Helen f English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Estonian, Greek Mythology (Anglicized)
English form of the Greek Ἑλένη (Helene), probably from Greek ἑλένη (helene) meaning "torch" or "corposant", or possibly related to σελήνη (selene) meaning "moon". In Greek mythology Helen was the daughter of Zeus and Leda, whose kidnapping by Paris was the cause of the Trojan War. The name was also borne by the 4th-century Saint Helena, mother of the Roman emperor Constantine, who supposedly found the True Cross during a trip to Jerusalem.... [more]
Aithan m Biblical Greek
Form of Ethan used in the Greek Old Testament.
Solène f French
Variant of Solange.
Pernille f Danish, Norwegian
Danish and Norwegian short form of Petronilla.
Nicol 2 f Spanish (Latin American), Czech
Spanish and Czech form of Nicole.
Massimo m Italian
Italian form of Maximus.
Rosaria f Italian
Italian feminine form of Rosario.
Synnøve f Norwegian
Norwegian variant of Sunniva.
Angel m & f English, Bulgarian, Macedonian
From the medieval Latin masculine name Angelus, which was derived from the name of the heavenly creature (itself derived from the Greek word ἄγγελος (angelos) meaning "messenger"). It has never been very common in the English-speaking world, where it is sometimes used as a feminine name in modern times.
Elián m Various (Rare)
In the case of Elián Gonzalez (1993-) it is a combination of Elizabeth and Juan 1, the names of his parents.
Anastázie f Czech
Czech form of Anastasia.
Valentine 2 f French
French feminine form of Valentinus (see Valentine 1).
Stefanos m Greek
Modern Greek transcription of Στέφανος (see Stephen).
Franz m German
German form of Franciscus (see Francis). This name was borne by the Austrian composer Franz Schubert (1797-1828), the Hungarian composer Franz Liszt (1811-1886) and the Austrian-Czech author Franz Kafka (1883-1924), whose works include The Trial and The Castle. It was also the name of rulers of Austria and the Holy Roman Empire.
Ivona f Czech, Slovak, Croatian, Serbian, Macedonian
Form of Yvonne in several languages.
Augustine 2 f French
French feminine form of Augustinus (see Augustine 1).
Alícia f Catalan, Portuguese
Catalan form of Alice, as well as a Portuguese variant.
Emelie f Swedish
Swedish feminine form of Aemilius (see Emily).
Lucrecia f Spanish
Spanish form of Lucretia.
Valens m Ancient Roman
Roman cognomen (see Valentine 1). This name was borne by a 4th-century Roman emperor.
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).
Edita f Czech, Slovak, Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, Lithuanian
Form of Edith in several languages.
Mehrdad m Persian
From Persian مهر (mehr) meaning "sun" or "friendship" and داد (dād) meaning "given". Since مهر is also the Modern Persian form of Mithra, this name can also function as a modern form of Mithridates.
Savva m Russian
Russian form of Sabas.
Elodia f Spanish
Spanish form of Alodia.