Michelangelo m ItalianCombination of
Michael and
Angelo, referring to the archangel Michael. The Renaissance painter and sculptor Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564), from Florence, was the man who created such great works of art as the statue of
David and the mural on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. This name was also borne by the Baroque artist Michelangelo Merisi (1571-1610), better known as Caravaggio.
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.
Millard m EnglishFrom an occupational English surname meaning
"guardian of the mill" in Old English.
Miller m & f EnglishFrom an English occupational surname for a miller, derived from Middle English
mille "mill".
Milton m English, Spanish (Latin American)From an English surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"mill town" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was John Milton (1608-1674), the poet who wrote
Paradise Lost.
Modestus m Late RomanMeans
"moderate, restrained" in Late Latin. This was the name of several saints.
Monica f English, Italian, Romanian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Late RomanMeaning unknown, most likely of Berber or Phoenician origin. In the 4th century this name was borne by a North African saint, the mother of Saint
Augustine of Hippo, whom she converted to Christianity. Since the Middle Ages it has been associated with Latin
moneo "advisor" and Greek
μονός (monos) "one, single".
... [more] Monika f German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Czech, Slovak, Polish, Slovene, Croatian, Bulgarian, Lithuanian, LatvianForm of
Monica used in various languages.
Natalia f Polish, Italian, Spanish, Romanian, English, German, Dutch, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Greek, Georgian, Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Late RomanLatinate form of
Natalia (see
Natalie).
Natalie f English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Danish, NorwegianFrom the Late Latin name
Natalia, which meant
"Christmas Day" from Latin
natale domini. This was the name of the wife of the 4th-century martyr Saint Adrian of Nicomedia. She is venerated as a saint in the Orthodox Church, and the name has traditionally been more common among Eastern Christians than those in the West. It was popularized in America by actress Natalie Wood (1938-1981), who was born to Russian immigrants.
Natasha f Russian, Belarusian, EnglishRussian diminutive of
Natalya. This is the name of a character in Leo Tolstoy's novel
War and Peace (1865). It has been used in the English-speaking world only since the 20th century.
Nazarius m Late RomanLatin name meaning
"from Nazareth". Nazareth was the town in Galilee where
Jesus lived. This name was borne by several early saints, including a man martyred with Celsus in Milan.
Nazzareno m ItalianItalian form of the Late Latin
Nazarenus, which meant
"from Nazareth, Nazarene". Nazareth was the town in Galilee where
Jesus lived. According to the New Testament, the phrase
Iesus Nazarenus, Rex Iudaeorum meaning "Jesus the Nazarene, king of the Jews", was inscribed on the cross upon which Jesus was crucified.
Nubia f Spanish (Latin American)From the name of the ancient region and kingdom in Africa, south of Egypt. It possibly derives from the Egyptian word
nbw meaning "gold".
Olivia f English, Italian, Spanish, French, German, Finnish, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, DutchThis name was used in this spelling by William Shakespeare for a character in his comedy
Twelfth Night (1602). This was a rare name in Shakespeare's time that may have been based on
Oliva or
Oliver, or directly from the Latin word
oliva meaning
"olive". In the play Olivia is a noblewoman who is wooed by Duke
Orsino but instead falls in love with his messenger Cesario, who is actually
Viola in disguise.
... [more] 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.
Pancho m SpanishSpanish diminutive of
Francisco. This name was borne by Pancho Villa (1878-1923), a Mexican bandit and revolutionary.
Panu m FinnishFinnish short form of
Urbanus (see
Urban). This is also an archaic Finnish word meaning
"flame, fire". This name was used by the Finnish author Juhani Aho for the main character in his novel
Panu (1897).
Pascal m French, German, DutchFrom the Late Latin name
Paschalis, which meant
"relating to Easter" from Latin
Pascha "Easter", which was in turn from Hebrew
פֶּסַח (pesach) 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.
Pat m & f EnglishShort form of
Patrick or
Patricia. A famous bearer of this name was Pat Garrett (1850-1908), the sheriff who shot Billy the Kid.
Patricia f English, Spanish, German, Late RomanFeminine form of
Patricius (see
Patrick). In medieval England this spelling appears in Latin documents, but this form was probably not used as the actual name until the 18th century, in Scotland.
Patrick m Irish, English, French, German, Danish, Norwegian, SwedishFrom the Latin name
Patricius, which meant
"nobleman". This name was adopted in the 5th-century by Saint Patrick, whose birth name was Sucat. He was a Romanized Briton who was captured and enslaved in his youth by Irish raiders. After six years of servitude he escaped home, but he eventually became a bishop and went back to Ireland as a missionary. He is traditionally credited with Christianizing the island, and is regarded as Ireland's patron saint. He is called
Pádraig in Irish.
... [more] 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.
Patty f EnglishOriginally a variant of
Matty, a 17th-century diminutive of
Martha. It is now commonly used as a diminutive of
Patricia.
Pearl f EnglishFrom 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.
Peggy f EnglishMedieval variant of
Meggy, a diminutive of
Margaret. The reason for the change in the initial consonant is unknown.
Peregrine m English (Rare)From the Late Latin name
Peregrinus, which meant
"traveller". This was the name of several early saints.
Perpetua f Spanish, Late RomanDerived from Latin
perpetuus meaning
"continuous". This was the name of a 3rd-century saint martyred with another woman named Felicity.
Pius m Late RomanLate Latin name meaning
"pious, dutiful". This was the name of twelve popes.
Placido m ItalianItalian form of the Late Latin name
Placidus meaning
"quiet, calm". Saint Placidus was a 6th-century Italian saint, a disciple of Saint Benedict.
Primitivus m Late RomanLate Latin name meaning
"first formed". Saint Primitivus was a 3rd-century Spanish martyr.
Primo m ItalianItalian form of the Late Latin name
Primus, which meant
"first". This was the name of three early saints, each of whom was martyred.
Prosper m French, EnglishFrom the Latin name
Prosperus, which meant
"fortunate, successful". This was the name of a 5th-century saint, a supporter of Saint
Augustine. It has never been common as an English name, though the Puritans used it, partly because it is identical to the English word
prosper.
Prospero m ItalianItalian form of
Prosper. This is the name of the main character, a shipwrecked magician, in
The Tempest (1611) by William Shakespeare.
Prudence f & m English, FrenchMedieval 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.
Prudentius m Late RomanLate Latin name derived from
prudens "prudent, wise, skilled". This was the name of a 9th-century bishop of Troyes. He is considered a local saint there.
Regina f English, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Lithuanian, Estonian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Late RomanMeans
"queen" in Latin (or Italian). It was in use as a Christian name from early times, and was borne by a 2nd-century saint. In England it was used during the Middle Ages in honour of the Virgin
Mary, and it was later revived in the 19th century. A city in Canada bears this name, in honour of Queen Victoria.
Rémy m FrenchFrench form of the Latin name
Remigius, which was derived from Latin
remigis "oarsman, rower". Saint Rémy was a 5th-century bishop who converted and baptized Clovis, king of the Franks.
Renata f Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, German, Polish, Czech, Lithuanian, Croatian, Slovene, Romanian, Late RomanFeminine form of
Renatus.
Renesmee f LiteratureInvented by the American author Stephenie Meyer for a character in her novel
Breaking Dawn (2008), the fourth book of her
Twilight series. The character is the baby daughter of Bella Swan and Edward Cullen, with her name combining the names of her grandmothers:
Renée and
Esme.
Rīta f Latvian (Rare)Possibly derived from Latvian
rīts meaning
"morning". Alternatively it could be a Latvian variant of
Rita.
Rita f Italian, English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Estonian, Hungarian, Spanish, Portuguese, Latvian, LithuanianShort form of
Margherita and other names ending in
rita. Saint Rita (born Margherita Lotti) was a 15th-century nun from Cascia, Italy. Another famous bearer was the American actress Rita Hayworth (1918-1987).
Rogatus m Late RomanFrom Latin
rogatus meaning
"request, entreaty", in turn derived from
rogo meaning "to ask, to request". This name was borne by several early and relatively obscure martyrs and saints.
Rogelio m SpanishSpanish form of the Late Latin name
Rogellus or
Rogelius. This was probably related to the Germanic name
Hrodger (see
Roger), perhaps a remnant of a Visigothic cognate. It has also been suggested that it could be derived from a diminutive of the Latin name
Rogatus. Saint Rogellus was a 9th-century martyr from Córdoba.
Roman m Russian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Ukrainian, Slovene, Croatian, Estonian, German, EnglishFrom the Late Latin name
Romanus meaning
"Roman". This name was borne by several early saints including a 7th-century bishop of Rouen, as well as medieval rulers of Bulgaria, Kyiv and Moldavia.
Romeo m Italian, RomanianItalian form of the Late Latin
Romaeus or Late Greek
Ρωμαῖος (Romaios), which meant
"from Rome" or
"Roman". Romeo is best known as the lover of
Juliet in William Shakespeare's tragedy
Romeo and Juliet (1596). Shakespeare based his play on earlier Italian stories by Luigi Da Porto (1524) and Matteo Bandello (1554), which both featured characters named Giulietta and Romeo.