English Origin Names

Nessa 1 f English
Short form of Vanessa and other names ending in nessa.

Nevada f & m English
From the name of the American state, which means "snow-capped" in Spanish.

Nevaeh f English (Modern)
The word heaven spelled backwards. It became popular after the musician Sonny Sandoval from the rock group P.O.D. gave it to his daughter in 2000. Over the next few years it rapidly climbed the rankings in America, peaking at the 25th rank for girls in 2010.

Nevil m English (Rare)
Variant of Neville.

Neville m English (British)
From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "new town" in Norman French. As a given name it is chiefly British and Australian.

Newt m English
Short form of Newton.

Newton m English
From a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "new town" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was the English physicist Isaac Newton (1643-1727).

Nikeisha f African American (Rare)
Variant of Nakeisha.

Nikisha f African American (Modern)
Variant of Nakisha.

Niles m English
From an English surname that was derived from the given name Neil.

Nixon m English (Modern)
From an English surname meaning "son of Nick". It was borne by the American president Richard Nixon (1913-1994).

Noble m English
From an English surname meaning "noble, notable". The name can also be given in direct reference to the English word noble.

Nola f English
Meaning uncertain, possibly a feminine form of Noll inspired by Lola. It has been most common in Australia and New Zealand, especially in the first half of the 20th century.

Nolan m English, French (Modern)
From an Irish surname, the Anglicized form of Ó Nualláin, itself derived from the given name Nuallán. The baseball player Nolan Ryan (1947-) is a famous bearer. This name has climbed steadily in popularity since the 1970s.

Nolen m Hungarian (Modern)
Possibly a Hungarian form of Nolan.

Nolene f Afrikaans
Elaborated form of Nola, most commonly found in South Africa.

Norm m English
Short form of Norman.

Norma f English, Italian, Literature
Created by Felice Romani for the main character in the opera Norma (1831). He may have based it on Latin norma "rule". This name is also frequently used as a feminine form of Norman.

Norman m English, Germanic
From an old Germanic byname meaning "northman", referring to a Scandinavians. The Normans were Vikings who settled on the coast of France, in the region that became known as Normandy. In England the name Norman or Normant was used before the Norman Conquest, first as a nickname for Scandinavian settlers and later as a given name. After the Conquest it became more common, but died out around the 14th century. It was revived in the 19th century, perhaps in part due to a character by this name in C. M. Yonge's 1856 novel The Daisy Chain. Famous bearers include the American painter Norman Rockwell (1894-1978) and the American author Norman Mailer (1923-2007).

Normina f English (Rare)
Elaborated form of Norma.

Norris m English
From an English surname, either Norris 1 or Norris 2.

Norton m English
From a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "north town" in Old English.

Norwood m English
From a surname that was originally taken from a place name meaning "north wood" in Old English.

Novalee f English (Modern)
Elaboration of Nova using the popular name suffix lee. It was used for the central character in the novel Where the Heart Is (1995), as well as the 2000 film adaptation.

Nowell m English (Rare)
From the surname Nowell (a variant of Noel).

Nyla f English
Probably a feminine form of Niles. It gained popularity in the early 2000s, influenced by similar-sounding names such as Kyla.

Nylah f English (Modern)
Variant of Nyla.

Oaklee f English (Modern)
Variant of Oakley.

Oakleigh f English (Modern)
Strictly feminine variant of Oakley.

Oakley m & f English
From an English surname that was from various place names meaning "oak clearing" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was the American sharpshooter Annie Oakley (1860-1926).

Oaklyn f English (Modern)
Variant of Oakley using the popular name suffix lyn.

Oaklynn f English (Modern)
Variant of Oaklyn.

Ocean f & m English (Modern)
Simply from the English word ocean for a large body of water. It is ultimately derived from Greek Ὠκεανός (Okeanos), the name of the body of water thought to surround the Earth.

October f English (Rare)
From the name of the tenth month. It is derived from Latin octo meaning "eight", because it was originally the eighth month of the Roman year.

Odell m & f English
From an English surname that was originally from a place name, itself derived from Old English wad "woad" (a plant that produces a blue dye) and hyll "hill".

Ogden m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "oak valley" in Old English. A famous bearer was the humorous American poet Ogden Nash (1902-1971).

Ohad m Biblical
Means "united" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament he is the third son of Simeon.

Olive f English, French
From the English and French word for the type of tree, ultimately derived from Latin oliva.

Ollie m & f English
Diminutive of Oliver, Olivia or Olive.

Oneida f English
From the name of a Native American tribe, perhaps meaning "standing rock".

Onyx m & f English
From the English word for the gemstone (a variety of chalcedony), which can be black, red or other colours. It is derived from Greek ὄνυξ (onyx) meaning "claw, nail".

Opal f English
From the English word opal for the iridescent gemstone, the birthstone of October. The word ultimately derives from Sanskrit उपल (upala) meaning "jewel".

Opaline f English (Rare)
Elaborated form of Opal. This is also an English word meaning "resembling an opal".

Ora 1 f & m English
Perhaps based on Latin oro "to pray". It was first used in America in the 19th century.

Oral m English
Meaning uncertain. This name was borne by the influential American evangelist Oral Roberts (1918-2009), who was apparently named by his cousin.

Orinda f English (Rare)
Probably an elaboration of Spanish oro "gold". This was the pseudonym of the English poet Katherine Philips (1631-1664).

Ormond m English (Rare)
From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Irish Gaelic Ó Ruaidh, derived from the given name Ruadh.

Ormonde m English (Rare)
Variant of Ormond.

Orrell m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "ore hill" in Old English.

Orson m English
From a Norman nickname derived from a diminutive of Norman French ors "bear", ultimately from Latin ursus. American actor and director Orson Welles (1915-1985) was a famous bearer of this name.

Orval m English
Variant of Orville.

Orville m English
This name was invented by the 18th-century writer Fanny Burney, who perhaps intended it to mean "golden city" in French. Orville Wright (1871-1948), together with his brother Wilbur, invented the first successful airplane.

Osborne m English
From a surname that was a variant of Osborn.

Osbourne m English (Rare)
From a surname that was a variant of Osborn.

Othniel m Biblical
Meaning uncertain, possibly "lion of God" or "strength of God" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament he is a nephew or brother of Caleb who becomes the first of the ruling judges of the Israelites.

Otis m English
From an English surname that was derived from the medieval given name Ode, a cognate of Otto. In America it has been used in honour of the revolutionary James Otis (1725-1783).

Pace m English (Rare)
From an English surname that was derived from the Middle English word pace meaning "peace".

Pacey m & f English (Rare)
From an English surname that was derived from the French place name Pacy, itself derived from Gaulish given name of unknown meaning.

Paden m English (Rare)
From a surname, itself probably a derivative of the given name Pate, a short form of Patrick. It was an obscure given name in America until 1985, when it appeared in the western movie Silverado. Its modest usage after that can probably be attributed to the fact that it ends in the popular den sound found in more-popular names such as Braden, Hayden and Aidan.

Page m & f English
From a surname that was a variant of Paige.

Paget f & m English (Rare)
From a French and English surname that meant "little page" (see Paige).

Paige f English
From an English surname meaning "servant, page" in Middle English. It is ultimately derived (via Old French and Italian) from Greek παιδίον (paidion) meaning "little boy".... [more]

Paislee f English (Modern)
Variant of Paisley.

Paisley f English (Modern)
From a Scots surname, originally from the name of a town near Glasgow, maybe ultimately derived from Latin basilica "church". This is also a word (derived from the name of that same town) for a type of pattern commonly found on fabrics.

Paityn f English (Modern)
Variant of Peyton.

Pallu m Biblical
Means "distinguished" in Hebrew. This was the name of a son of Reuben in the Old Testament.

Palmer m & f English
From an English surname meaning "pilgrim". It is ultimately from Latin palma "palm tree", since pilgrims to the Holy Land often brought back palm fronds as proof of their journey.

Pansy f English
From the English word for a type of flower, ultimately deriving from Old French pensee "thought".

Parker m & f English
From an English occupational surname that meant "keeper of the park".

Parris m & f English (Rare)
From an English surname that originally denoted a person who came from the French city of Paris (see Paris 2).

Parry m English (Rare)
From a Welsh surname that was derived from ap Harry meaning "son of Harry".

Patience f English
From the English word patience, ultimately from Latin patientia, a derivative of pati "to suffer". This was one of the virtue names coined by the Puritans in the 17th century. It is now most commonly used in African countries where English is widely understood, such as Nigeria and Ghana.

Patton m English (Rare)
From an English surname that was derived from a diminutive of Patrick. A notable bearer of the surname was the American World War II general George S. Patton (1885-1945), who played an important part in the allied offensive in France.

Paxton m English (Modern)
From an English surname that was derived from a place name meaning "Pœcc's town". Pœcc is an Old English given name of unknown meaning.

Payton f & m English (Modern)
Variant of Peyton.

Peace f English (African)
From the English word peace, ultimately derived from Latin pax. This name is most common in Nigeria and other parts of Africa.

Pearce m English (Rare)
Variant of Pierce.

Pearl f English
From the English word pearl for the concretions formed in the shells of some mollusks, ultimately from Late Latin perla. Like other gemstone names, it has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the 19th century. The pearl is the traditional birthstone for June, and it supposedly imparts health and wealth.

Pearle f English
Variant of Pearl.

Pearlie f English
Diminutive of Pearl.

Peninnah f Biblical
Means "precious stone, pearl" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of one of the wives of Elkanah, the other being Hannah.

Peony f English (Rare)
From the English word for the type of flower. It was originally believed to have healing qualities, so it was named after the Greek medical god Pæon.

Pepper f & m English (Modern)
From the English word for the spice, which is prepared from the dried berries of the pepper plant. The word is derived from Latin piper, ultimately from an Indo-Aryan source. In popular culture, Pepper is the nickname of Virginia Potts from the Iron Man series of comic books and movies, created 1963.

Perce m English
Short form of Percy.

Percy m English
From an English surname that was derived from the name of a Norman town Perci, which was itself perhaps derived from a Gaulish given name that was Latinized as Persius. The surname was borne by a noble English family, and it first used as a given name in their honour. A famous bearer was Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822), an English romantic poet whose works include Adonais and Ozymandias. This name can also be used as a short form of Percival.

Perlie f English (Rare)
Diminutive of Pearl.

Perry m English
From a surname that is either English or Welsh in origin. It can be derived from Middle English perrie meaning "pear tree", or else from Welsh ap Herry, meaning "son of Herry". A famous bearer of the surname was Matthew Perry (1794-1858), the American naval officer who opened Japan to the West.

Petal f English (Rare)
From the English word for the flower part, derived from Greek πέταλον (petalon) meaning "leaf".

Petula f English (Rare)
Meaning unknown, created in the 20th century. The name is borne by the British singer Petula Clark (1932-), whose name was invented by her father.

Petunia f English (Rare)
From the name of the flower, derived ultimately from a Tupi (South American) word.

Peyton f & m English
From an English surname, originally a place name meaning "Pæga's town". This was a rare masculine name until the 1990s. In 1992 it was used for a female character in the movie The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, and, despite the fact that it was borne by the villain, the name began to rise in popularity for girls as well as boys.... [more]

Philadelphia f English (Rare)
From the name of a city in Asia Minor mentioned in Revelation in the New Testament. The name of the city meant "brotherly love" from Greek φιλέω (phileo) meaning "to love" and ἀδελφός (adelphos) meaning "brother". It is also the name of a city in the United States.

Philomel f Literature
From an English word meaning "nightingale" (ultimately from Philomela). It has been used frequently in poetry to denote the bird.

Phoenix m & f English (Modern)
From the name of a beautiful immortal bird that appears in Egyptian and Greek mythology. After living for several centuries in the Arabian Desert, it would be consumed by fire and rise from its own ashes, with this cycle repeating every 500 years. The name of the bird was derived from Greek φοῖνιξ (phoinix) meaning "dark red".

Pierce m English
From an English surname that was derived from the given name Piers. In America this name slowly started to grow in popularity in 1982 when actor Pierce Brosnan (1953-) began starring on the television series Remington Steele.

Piety f English (Rare)
From the English word meaning "piety, devoutness". This was a rare virtue name used by the Puritans in the 17th century.

Piper f English (Modern)
From an English surname that was originally given to a person who played on a pipe (a flute). It was popularized as a given name by a character from the television series Charmed, which debuted in 1998.

Pleasance f English (Archaic)
From the medieval name Plaisance, which meant "pleasant" in Old French.

Poppy f English
From the word for the red flower, derived from Old English popæg.

Porsche f English (Modern)
From the name of the German car company, which was founded by Ferdinand Porsche (1875-1951). His surname is derived from the given name Boris.

Porter m English
From an occupational English surname meaning "doorkeeper", ultimately from Old French porte "door", from Latin porta.

Praise f & m English (African)
From the English word praise, which is ultimately derived (via Old French) from Late Latin preciare, a derivative of Latin pretium "price, worth". This name is most common in English-speaking Africa.

Precious f English (African), African American (Modern)
From the English word precious, ultimately derived from Latin pretiosus, a derivative of Latin pretium "price, worth".

Presley f & m English
From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "priest clearing" (Old English preost and leah). This surname was borne by musician Elvis Presley (1935-1977).

Preston m English
From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "priest town" (Old English preost and tun).

Price m English
From a Welsh surname that was derived from ap Rhys meaning "son of Rhys".

Primrose f English (Rare)
From the English word for the flower, ultimately deriving from Latin prima rosa "first rose".

Primula f English (Rare), Italian (Rare)
From the name of a genus of several species of flowers, including the primrose. It is derived from the Latin word primulus meaning "very first".

Prince m English
From the English word prince, a royal title, which comes ultimately from Latin princeps. This name was borne by the American musician Prince Rogers Nelson (1958-2016), who is known simply as Prince.

Princess f English (Modern)
Feminine equivalent of Prince.

Princeton m English (Modern)
From the name of the town or university in New Jersey. Established in the early 18th century, it is said to have been named for William III, the Prince of Orange.

Promise f & m English (African)
From the English word promise, from Latin promissum. It is currently most common in parts of English-influenced Africa.

Pru f English
Short form of Prudence.

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.

Prue f English
Short form of Prudence.

Prunella f English (Rare)
From the English word for the type of flower, also called self-heal, ultimately a derivative of the Latin word pruna "plum".

Purdie m & f English (Rare)
From an English surname that was derived from the Norman French expression pur die "by God". It was perhaps originally a nickname for a person who used the oath frequently.

Quanna f African American (Rare)
Elaboration of the phonetic element quan.

Queen f English
From an old nickname that was derived from the English word queen, ultimately from Old English cwen meaning "woman, wife".

Queenie f English
Diminutive of Queen.

Quin m & f English (Rare)
Variant of Quinn.

Quincey m & f English (Rare)
Variant of Quincy.

Quincy m & f English
From an English surname that was derived (via the place name Cuinchy) from the personal name Quintus. A famous bearer was John Quincy Adams (1767-1848), sixth president of the United States, who was born in the town of Quincy, Massachusetts. Both the town and the president were named after his maternal great-grandfather John Quincy (1689-1767). Another notable bearer is the American musician Quincy Jones (1933-).

Quinlan m & f English (Rare)
From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Caoindealbháin, itself from the given name Caoindealbhán (Old Irish Caíndelbán).

Quinn m & f English
From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Irish Gaelic Ó Cuinn, itself derived from the given name Conn. In the United States it was more common as a name for boys until 2010, the year after the female character Quinn Fabray began appearing on the television series Glee.

Rachelle f English, French
Variant of Rachel. In the English-speaking world it has likely been influenced by the spelling of Rochelle.

Radcliff m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "red cliff" in Old English.

Radclyffe m English (Rare)
From a surname, a variant of Radcliff.

Raeburn m English (Rare)
From a Scottish surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "stream where deer drink" (from Scots rae "roe deer" and burn "stream"). A famous bearer of the surname was Scottish portrait painter Henry Raeburn (1756-1823).

Raegan f English (Modern)
Variant of Reagan.

Raelene f English (Rare)
Combination of Rae and the popular name suffix lene.

Raelyn f English (Modern)
Combination of Rae and the popular name suffix lyn.

Raelynn f English (Modern)
Combination of Rae and the popular name suffix lyn.

Rafferty m English
From an Irish surname, itself derived from the given name Rabhartach meaning "flood tide".

Rahab f Biblical
Means "spacious" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of a woman of Jericho who helped the Israelites capture the city.

Rain 1 f & m English (Rare)
Simply from the English word rain, derived from Old English regn.

Rainbow f English (Rare)
From the English word for the arc of multicoloured light that can appear in a misty sky.

Raine f & m English (Rare)
From a surname derived from the Old French nickname reine meaning "queen". A famous bearer was the British socialite Raine Spencer (1929-2016), the stepmother of Princess Diana. In modern times it is also considered a variant of Rain 1.

Raleigh m & f English
From an English surname that was derived from a place name meaning either "red clearing" or "roe deer clearing" in Old English. A city in North Carolina bears this name, after the English courtier, poet and explorer Walter Raleigh (1552-1618).

Ram 1 m Biblical
Means "exalted" in Hebrew. This was a son of Hezron in the Old Testament.

Ramsay m Scottish
From a surname that was a variant of Ramsey.

Ramsey m English
From an English and Scottish surname that was derived from a place name meaning "garlic island" in Old English.

Randal m English
Variant of Randall.

Randall m English
From an English surname that was derived from the medieval given name Randel.

Randell m English
Variant of Randall.

Randy m & f English
Diminutive of Randall, Randolf or Miranda.

Raschelle f English (Rare)
Variant of Rachelle.

Rashaun m African American (Modern)
Combination of the prefix ra with the name Shaun.

Rashawn m African American (Modern)
Combination of the prefix ra with the name Shawn.

Raven f & m English
From the name of the bird, ultimately from Old English hræfn. The raven is revered by several Native American groups of the west coast. It is also associated with the Norse god Odin.

Ravenna f English (Rare)
Either an elaboration of Raven, or else from the name of the city of Ravenna in Italy.

Raylene f English (Rare)
Combination of Rae and the popular name suffix lene.

Read m English (Rare)
From a surname that was a variant of Reed.

Reagan f & m English (Modern)
From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Riagáin, derived from the given name Riagán. This surname was borne by American actor and president Ronald Reagan (1911-2004).... [more]

Rearden m English (Rare)
From an Irish surname, a variant of Riordan.

Red m English
From the English word for the colour, ultimately derived from Old English read. It was originally a nickname given to a person with red hair or a ruddy complexion.

Redd m English (Rare)
Variant of Red.

Reed m English
From an English surname that was derived from Old English read meaning "red", originally a nickname given to a person with red hair or a ruddy complexion. Unconnected, this is also the English word for tall grass-like plants that grow in marshes.

Regan f & m Literature, English
Meaning unknown. In the chronicles of Geoffrey of Monmouth it is the name of a treacherous daughter of King Leir. Shakespeare adapted the story for his tragedy King Lear (1606). In the modern era it has appeared in the horror movie The Exorcist (1973) belonging to a girl possessed by the devil. This name can also be used as a variant of Reagan.

Reid m English
From a surname, a Scots variant of Reed.

Reign f & m English (Modern)
From the English word reign, derived from Latin regnum "royal power".

Reilly m & f English (Modern)
From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Raghailligh, derived from the given name Raghailleach, meaning unknown.

Remington m & f English
From an English surname that was derived from the name of the town of Rimington in Lancashire, itself meaning "settlement on the Riming stream". It may be given in honour of the American manufacturer Eliphalet Remington (1793-1861) or his sons, founders of the firearms company that bears their name.

Reumah f Biblical
Means "elevated, exalted" in Hebrew, derived רָאַם (ra'am) meaning "to rise". In the Old Testament, Reumah was a concubine of Nahor and by him the mother of four sons.

Reverie f English (Rare)
From the English word meaning "daydream, fanciful musing", derived from Old French resverie, itself from resver meaning "to dream, to rave".

Rex m English
From Latin rex meaning "king". It has been used as a given name since the 19th century.

Rexana f English (Rare)
Variant of Rexanne.

Rexanne f English (Rare)
Variant of Roxane influenced by Rex.

Rhett m English
From a surname, an Anglicized form of the Dutch de Raedt, derived from raet "advice, counsel". Margaret Mitchell used this name for the character Rhett Butler in her novel Gone with the Wind (1936).

Rhetta f English (Rare)
Feminine form of Rhett.

Rhonda f English
Probably a blend of the sounds of Rhoda and Linda, but maybe also influenced by the name of the Rhondda Valley in South Wales and/or the noted British feminist Margaret Mackworth, Viscountess Rhondda (1883-1956). This name has only been used since the beginning of the 20th century, at first rarely. It started becoming popular in the mid-1940s at the same time as the American actress Rhonda Fleming (1923-2020), born Marilyn Louis. It peaked in the United States in 1965 and thereafter declined.

Rhonwen f Welsh
Welsh form of Rowena, appearing in medieval Welsh poems and stories as a personification of the English people.

Rian m Irish, Old Irish, English
Irish form of Ryan, as well as an English variant.

Richelle f English
Variant of Rachel or Rochelle, probably influenced by Michelle.

Ridge m English (Modern)
From the English vocabulary word denoting a continuous elevated mountain crest, or from the English surname derived from the word.

Ridley m & f English (Rare)
From an English surname that was originally derived from various place names meaning either "reed clearing" or "channel clearing" in Old English.

Rigby m English (Rare)
From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "ridge farm" in Old Norse.

Riley m & f English
From a surname that comes from two distinct sources. As an Irish surname it is a variant of Reilly. As an English surname it is derived from a place name meaning "rye clearing" in Old English.... [more]

Riordan m English (Rare)
From an Irish surname (Anglicized from Irish Gaelic Ó Ríoghbhárdáin), which was derived from the given name Rígbarddán.

Ripley f & m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from the name of various English towns, from Old English rippel "grove, thicket" and leah "clearing". A famous fictional bearer is the character Ellen Ripley (usually only called by her surname) from the Alien series of movies, beginning 1979.

River m & f English (Modern)
From the English word that denotes a flowing body of water. The word is ultimately derived (via Old French) from Latin ripa "riverbank".

Rizpah f Biblical
Means "coal, hot stone" in Hebrew. According to the Old Testament Rizpah was one of Saul's concubines. After her sons were put to death by the Gibeonites, she guarded the displayed bodies for five months to prevent animals from eating them.

Rochelle f English
From the name of the French city La Rochelle, meaning "little rock". It first became commonly used as a given name in America in the 1930s, probably due to the fame of actress Rochelle Hudson (1914-1972) and because of the similarity to the name Rachel.

Rocky m English
Diminutive of Rocco and other names beginning with a similar sound, or else a nickname referring to a tough person. This is the name of the boxer Rocky Balboa (played by Sylvester Stallone) in the movie Rocky (1976) and its sequels.

Rod m English
Short form of Roderick or Rodney.

Roddy m English, Scottish
Diminutive of Roderick or Rodney.

Rodney m English
From an English surname, originally derived from a place name, which meant "Hroda's island" in Old English (where Hroda is an Old English given name meaning "fame"). It was first used as a given name in honour of the British admiral Lord Rodney (1719-1792).

Romey f English (Rare)
Diminutive of Rosemary.

Romilly m & f English (British, Rare)
From an English surname that was derived from the name of various Norman towns, themselves from the given name Romilius.

Romy f German, Dutch, French, English
Diminutive of Rosemarie or Rosemary.

Ronda f English
Variant of Rhonda.

Roosevelt m English
From a Dutch surname meaning "rose field". This name is often given in honour of American presidents Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919) or Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945).

Ros f English
Short form of Rosalind, Rosamund and other names beginning with Ros.

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).

Rosabel f English (Rare)
Combination of Rosa 1 and the common name suffix bel, inspired by Latin bella "beautiful". This name was created in the 18th century.

Rosabella f English (Rare)
Variant of Rosabel.

Rosalyn f English
Variant of Rosaline. It can also be considered an elaboration of Rose with the common name suffix lyn.

Rosalynne f English (Rare)
Variant of Rosalyn.

Rosanna f Italian, English
Combination of Rosa 1 and Anna.

Rosannah f English (Rare)
Variant of Rosanna.

Rosanne f English, Dutch
Combination of Rose and Anne 1.

Roscoe m English
From an English surname, originally derived from a place name, itself derived from Old Norse rá "roebuck" and skógr "wood, forest".

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.

Roseann f English
Variant of Rosanne.

Roseanne f English
Variant of Rosanne.

Roselle f Various
Diminutive of Rose. This is the name of a type of flowering shrub (species Hibiscus sabdariffa) native to Africa but now grown in many places, used to make hibiscus tea.

Roselyn f English
Variant of Rosalyn.

Rosemarie f English, German, Dutch
Variant of Rosemary.

Rosemary f English
Combination of Rose and Mary. This name can also be given in reference to the herb, which gets its name from Latin ros marinus meaning "dew of the sea". It came into use as a given name in the 19th century.

Rosie f English
Diminutive of Rose.

Roslyn f English
Variant of Rosalyn.

Ross m Scottish, English
From a Scottish and English surname that originally indicated a person from a place called Ross (such as the region of Ross in northern Scotland), derived from Gaelic ros meaning "promontory, headland". A famous bearer of the surname was James Clark Ross (1800-1862), an Antarctic explorer.

Roswell m English
From a surname that was derived from an Old English place name meaning "horse spring".

Rosy f English
Diminutive of Rose.

Rowan m & f Irish, English (Modern)
Anglicized form of the Irish name Ruadhán. As an English name, it can also be derived from the surname Rowan, itself derived from the Irish given name. It could also be given in reference to the rowan tree, a word of Old Norse origin (coincidentally sharing the same Indo-European root meaning "red" with the Irish name).

Rowanne f English (Rare)
Feminine variant of Rowan.

Rowen m & f English (Modern)
Variant of Rowan.

Rowena f English
Meaning uncertain. According to the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth, this was the name of a daughter of the Saxon chief Hengist. It is possible (but unsupported) that Geoffrey based it on the Old English elements hroð "fame" and wynn "joy", or alternatively on the Old Welsh elements ron "spear" and gwen "white". It was popularized by Walter Scott, who used it for a character in his novel Ivanhoe (1819).

Rowina f English (Rare)
Variant of Rowena.

Royal m & f English
From the English word royal, derived (via Old French) from Latin regalis, a derivative of rex "king". It was first used as a given name in the 19th century.

Royale f & m English (Rare)
Variant of Royal.

Royalty f English (Modern)
From the English word royalty, derived (via Old French) from Latin regalitas, a derivative of rex "king".

Royce m English
From an English surname that was derived from the medieval given name Royse, a variant of Rose.

Roydon m English (Rare)
From a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "rye hill", from Old English ryge "rye" and dun "hill".

Royle m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "rye hill" from Old English ryge "rye" and hyll "hill".

Royston m English (British)
From a surname that was originally taken from an Old English place name meaning "town of Royse". The given name Royse was a medieval variant of Rose.

Roz f English
Short form of Rosalind, Rosamund and other names beginning with the same sound.

Rozanne f English
Variant of Rosanne.

Ruby f English
Simply from the name of the precious stone (which ultimately derives from Latin ruber "red"), which is the traditional birthstone of July. It came into use as a given name in the 16th century.

Rubye f English
Variant of Ruby.

Rudyard m English (Rare)
From a place name meaning "red yard" in Old English. This name was borne by Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936), the author of The Jungle Book and other works, who was named after Rudyard Lake in Staffordshire.

Rue f English
From the name of the bitter medicinal herb, ultimately deriving from Greek ῥυτή (rhyte). This is also sometimes used as a short form of Ruth 1.

Russ m English
Short form of Russell.

Russel m English
Variant of Russell.

Russell m English
From an English surname, of Norman origin, meaning "little red one" (a diminutive of Old French rous "red"). A notable bearer of the surname was the agnostic British philosopher Bertrand Russell (1872-1970), who wrote on many subjects including logic, epistemology and mathematics. He was also a political activist for causes such as pacifism and women's rights.... [more]

Rusty m English
From a nickname that was originally given to someone with a rusty, or reddish-brown, hair colour.

Ruzanna f Armenian
Elaboration of Ruzan, perhaps influenced by Rosanna.

Ry m & f English
Short form of Ryan and other names beginning with Ry.

Ryan m English
From a common Irish surname, the Anglicized form of Ó Riain. This patronymic derives from the given name Rian, which is of uncertain meaning. It is traditionally said to mean "little king", from Irish rí "king" combined with a diminutive suffix.... [more]

Ryana f English (Rare)
Feminine variant of Ryan.

Ryann f English (Modern)
Feminine variant of Ryan.

Ryanne f English (Rare)
Feminine variant of Ryan.

Ryder m English (Modern)
From an English occupational surname derived from Old English ridere meaning "mounted warrior" or "messenger". It has grown in popularity in the 2000s because it starts with the same sound found in other popular names like Ryan and Riley.

Ryker m English (Modern)
Possibly a variant of the German surname Riker, a derivative of Low German rike "rich". As a modern English name, it has become popular because it shares the same trendy sounds found in other names such as Ryan and Ryder.

Rylan m English (Modern)
Possibly a variant of Ryland, though it could also be an invented name inspired by other names like Ryan and Riley.

Ryland m English (Modern)
From an English surname, which was originally derived from a place name meaning "rye land" in Old English.

Rylee f & m English (Modern)
Variant of Riley.

Ryleigh f English (Modern)
Feminine variant of Riley.

Ryley m & f English (Modern)
Variant of Riley.

Rylie f & m English (Modern)
Variant of Riley.

Sable f English (Modern)
From the English word meaning "black", derived from the name of the black-furred mammal native to northern Asia, ultimately of Slavic origin.

Sabrina f English, Italian, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese
Latinized form of Habren, the original Welsh name of the River Severn. According to Geoffrey of Monmouth, Sabrina was the name of a princess who was drowned in the Severn. Supposedly the river was named for her, but it is more likely that her name was actually derived from that of the river, which is of unknown meaning. She appears as a water nymph in John Milton's masque Comus (1634).... [more]

Sabryna f English (Rare)
Variant of Sabrina.

Sacheverell m English (Rare)
From a now extinct English surname that was derived from a Norman place name. It was occasionally given in honour of the English preacher Henry Sacheverell (1674-1724), especially by the Sitwell noble family.

Saffron f English (Rare)
From the English word that refers either to a spice, the crocus flower from which it is harvested, or the yellow-orange colour of the spice. It is derived via Old French from Arabic زعفران (za'faran), itself probably from Persian meaning "gold leaves".

Sage f & m English (Modern)
From the English word sage, which denotes either a type of spice or else a wise person.

Saige f English (Modern)
Variant of Sage.

Saint m English (Modern)
From the English word, ultimately from Latin sanctus "holy, saintly".

Salem 2 f & m English (Modern)
From the name of a biblical town, שָׁלֵם (Shalem) in Hebrew, meaning "complete, safe, peaceful". According to the Old Testament this was the town where Melchizedek was king. It is usually identified with Jerusalem. Many places are named after the biblical town, most in America, notably a city in Massachusetts where the infamous Salem witch trials occurred in 1692.

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]

Sampson 2 m English
From an English surname that was itself derived from a medieval form of the given name Samson.

Sandford m English (Rare)
From a surname that was a variant of Sanford.

Sanford m English
From an English surname, originally from a place name, which meant "sand ford" in Old English.

Santana f & m Spanish (Latin American), Portuguese (Brazilian), English (Modern)
From a contraction of Santa Ana (referring to Saint Anna) or from a Spanish and Portuguese surname derived from any of the numerous places named for the saint. It can be given in honour of the Mexican-American musician Carlos Santana (1947-), the founder of the band Santana. The name received a boost in popularity for American girls after the character Santana Andrade began appearing on the soap opera Santa Barbara in 1984.

Sapphire f English (Modern)
From the name of the gemstone, typically blue, which is the traditional birthstone of September. It is derived from Greek σάπφειρος (sappheiros), ultimately from the Hebrew word סַפִּיר (sappir).

Satchel m English (Rare)
From an English surname derived from Old English sacc meaning "sack, bag", referring to a person who was a bag maker. A famous bearer was the American baseball player Satchel Paige (1906-1982). In his case it was a childhood nickname acquired because he sold bags.

Savanna f English (Modern)
Variant of Savannah.

Savannah f English
From the English word for the large grassy plain, ultimately deriving from the Taino (Native American) word zabana. It came into use as a given name in America in the 19th century. It was revived in the 1980s by the movie Savannah Smiles (1982).

Sawyer m & f English (Modern)
From an English surname meaning "sawer of wood". Mark Twain used it for the hero in his novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876).... [more]

Saxon m English (Rare)
From an English surname that was derived from the name of the Germanic tribe the Saxons, ultimately deriving from the Germanic word *sahsą meaning "knife". This name can also be given in direct reference to the tribe.

Saylor f English (Modern)
From an English surname that was derived from Old French sailleor meaning "acrobat, dancer". As a modern English given name it could also come from the homophone vocabulary word sailor.

Scarlet f English (Modern)
Either a variant of Scarlett or else from the English word for the red colour (both of the same origin, a type of cloth).

Scarlett f English
From an English surname that denoted a person who sold or made clothes made of scarlet (a kind of cloth, possibly derived from Persian سقرلاط (saqrelat)). Margaret Mitchell used it for the main character, Scarlett O'Hara, in her novel Gone with the Wind (1936). Her name is explained as having come from her grandmother. Despite the fact that the book was adapted into a popular movie in 1939, the name was not common until the 21st century. It started rising around 2003, about the time that the career of American actress Scarlett Johansson (1984-) started taking off.

Scarlette f English (Modern)
Variant of Scarlett.

Schuyler m & f English
From a Dutch surname meaning "scholar". Dutch settlers brought the surname to America, where it was subsequently adopted as a given name in honour of the American general and senator Philip Schuyler (1733-1804).

Scot m English, Scottish
Variant form of Scott.

Scott m English, Scottish
From an English and Scottish surname that referred to a person from Scotland or a person who spoke Scottish Gaelic. It is derived from Latin Scoti meaning "Gael, Gaelic speaker", with the ultimate origin uncertain.

Scottie m & f English
Diminutive of Scott, also used as a feminine form.

Scotty m English
Diminutive of Scott.

Scout f & m English (Modern)
From the English word scout meaning "one who gathers information covertly", which is derived from Old French escouter "to listen". Harper Lee used this name in her novel To Kill a Mockingbird (1960).

Sefton m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "town in the rushes" in Old English.

Sela f English (Rare)
From the name of a city, the capital of Edom, which appears in the Old Testament. It means "rock" in Hebrew.

Selah f Biblical
From a Hebrew musical term that occurs many times in the Old Testament Psalms. It was probably meant to indicate a musical pause.

Selby m & f English (Rare)
From an English surname that was from a place name meaning "willow farm" in Old Norse.

Selwyn m English (Rare)
From a surname that was originally derived from an Old English given name, which was formed of the elements sele "manor" and wine "friend".

September f English (Rare)
From the name of the ninth month (though it means "seventh month" in Latin, since it was originally the seventh month of the Roman year), which is sometimes used as a given name for someone born in September.

Sequoia f & m English (Rare)
From the name of huge trees that grow in California. The tree got its name from the 19th-century Cherokee scholar Sequoyah (also known as George Guess), the inventor of the Cherokee writing system.

Serenity f English (Modern)
From the English word meaning "serenity, tranquility", ultimately from Latin serenus meaning "clear, calm".

Seven m & f English (Modern)
From the English word for the number, derived from Old English seofon (from an Indo-European root shared by Latin septem and Greek ἑπτά (hepta)).

Sevyn f & m English (Modern)
Variant of Seven.

Seward m English
From an English surname, either Seward 1 or Seward 2.

Seymour m English
From a Norman surname that originally belonged to a person coming from the French town of Saint Maur (which means "Saint Maurus").

Shadrach m Biblical
Means "command of Aku" in Akkadian, Aku being the name of the Babylonian god of the moon. In the Old Testament Shadrach is the Babylonian name of Hananiah, one of the three men cast into a fiery furnace but saved by God.

Shaelyn f English (Rare)
Elaboration of Shae using the popular name suffix lyn.

Shameka f African American (Modern)
Variant of Shamika.

Shamgar m Biblical
Possibly means "sword" in Hebrew. Shamgar was one of the Old Testament judges.

Shamika f African American (Modern)
An invented name, blending the popular phonetic prefix sha and the name Tamika.

Shana 1 f English
Variant of Shanna.

Shanae f English (Modern), African American (Modern)
Combination of the popular phonetic elements sha and nay.

Shaneka f African American (Modern)
Variant of Shanika.