Adanna f IgboMeans
"eldest daughter of the father" in Igbo.
Adannaya f IgboMeans
"eldest daughter of her father" in Igbo.
Ælfwynn f Anglo-SaxonDerived from the Old English elements
ælf "elf" and
wynn "joy". This name was borne by a daughter of
Æðelflæd who ruled Mercia briefly in the 10th century.
Afnan f ArabicMeans
"tree branches" in Arabic, the plural form of
فنن (fanan). It is given in reference to verse
55:48 in the Quran.
Akhenaton m Ancient EgyptianFrom Egyptian
ꜣḫ-n-jtn meaning
"effective for Aton". Akhenaton was a 14th-century BC Egyptian pharaoh of the New Kingdom, who is best known for promoting the monotheistic worship of the sun god
Aton. He changed his name from
Amenhotep in order to honour the god. After his death, polytheism resumed.
Alannah f Irish, English (Modern)Variant of
Alana. It has been influenced by the affectionate Anglo-Irish word
alannah, from the Irish Gaelic phrase
a leanbh meaning "O child".
Algernon m EnglishOriginally a Norman French nickname, derived from
aux gernons "having a moustache", which was applied to William de Percy, a companion of William the Conqueror. It was first used a given name in the 15th century (for a descendant of William de Percy). This name was borne by a character (a mouse) in the short story
Flowers for Algernon (1958) and novel of the same title (1966) by the American author Daniel Keyes.
Anakin m Popular CultureMeaning unknown. This is the name of a character (also known as Darth Vader) in the
Star Wars movie saga, created by George Lucas. Lucas may have based it on the surname of his friend and fellow director Ken Annakin.
Anan 1 m & f AkanMeans
"fourth born child" in Akan.
Anangikwe f OjibweMeans
"star woman" in Ojibwe, derived from
anang "star" and
ikwe "woman".
Aneirin m Old Welsh, WelshOld Welsh name, possibly from the Latin name
Honorius. This was the name of a 6th-century Brythonic poet, also known as Neirin or Aneurin, who is said to be the author of the poem
Y Gododdin.
Angelina f Italian, English, Russian, Bulgarian, Serbian, Macedonian, German, Dutch, Swedish, Spanish, Portuguese, Greek, ArmenianLatinate diminutive of
Angela. A famous bearer is American actress Angelina Jolie (1975-).
Angerona f Roman MythologyPossibly from Latin
angor "strangulation, torment" or
angustus "narrow, constricted". Angerona was the Roman goddess of the winter solstice, death, and silence.
Angra Mainyu m Persian MythologyMeans
"evil spirit", from Avestan
𐬀𐬢𐬭𐬀 (angra) meaning "evil, destructive" and
𐬨𐬀𐬌𐬥𐬌𐬌𐬎 (mainiiu) meaning "spirit, mind". In Zoroastrianism Angra Mainyu was the god of darkness, death and destruction, the enemy of
Ahura Mazda.
Anjana f & m Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Assamese, Malayalam, Tamil, HinduismMeans
"kohl, collyrium" in Sanskrit, referring to a black powder traditionally used as an eyeliner. This is a transcription from Sanskrit of both the feminine form
अञ्जना (long final vowel) and the masculine form
अञ्जन (short final vowel). The feminine form appears in the Hindu epic the
Ramayana belonging to the mother of
Hanuman. The modern masculine form is
Anjan.
Ankhesenamun f Ancient EgyptianFrom Egyptian
ꜥnḫ-s-n-jmn meaning
"her life is of Amon", derived from
ꜥnḫ "life" combined with the name of the god
Amon. This was the name of a 14th-century BC queen of Egypt, the wife of
Tutankhamun.
Ann f English, ManxEnglish and Manx form of
Anne 1. In the English-speaking world, both this spelling and
Anne have been used since the late Middle Ages. Currently
Ann is less popular than
Anne (and both are less popular than their relatives
Anna and
Hannah).
Anna f English, Italian, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Latvian, Greek, Hungarian, Polish, Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Czech, Slovak, Bulgarian, Armenian, Icelandic, Faroese, Catalan, Occitan, Breton, Scottish Gaelic, Biblical, Biblical Greek, Biblical Latin, Old Church SlavicForm of
Hannah used in the Greek and Latin Old Testament. Many later Old Testament translations, including the English, use the
Hannah spelling instead of
Anna. The name appears briefly in the New Testament belonging to a prophetess who recognized
Jesus as the Messiah. It was a popular name in the Byzantine Empire from an early date, and in the Middle Ages it became common among Western Christians due to veneration of Saint Anna (usually known as Saint Anne in English), the name traditionally assigned to the mother of the Virgin
Mary.
... [more] Annabel f English, DutchVariant of
Amabel, with the spelling altered as if it were a combination of
Anna and French
belle "beautiful". This name appears to have arisen in Scotland in the Middle Ages.
Annagül f TurkmenDerived from Turkmen
anna "Friday" and
gül "flower, rose".
Anne 1 f French, English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, German, Dutch, BasqueFrench form of
Anna. It was imported to England in the 13th century, but it did not become popular until three centuries later. The spelling variant
Ann was also commonly found from this period, and is still used to this day.
... [more] Anne 2 m FrisianShort form of names beginning with the Old German element
arn meaning "eagle".
Annisa f IndonesianIndonesian feminine form of
Anis. It could also be inspired by the chapter an-Nisa in the Quran (see
Nisa).
Annunziata f ItalianMeans
"announced" in Italian, referring to the event in the New Testament in which the angel Gabriel tells the Virgin
Mary of the imminent birth of
Jesus.
Anona f EnglishMeaning unknown. It was possibly inspired by an American song by this name written by Vivian Grey in 1903 and recorded by musician Vess Ossman. The lyrics tell of a Native American woman named Anona from Arizona.
Anthony m EnglishEnglish form of the Roman family name
Antonius, which is of unknown Etruscan origin. The most notable member of the Roman family was the general Marcus Antonius (called Mark Antony in English), who for a period in the 1st century BC ruled the Roman Empire jointly with Augustus. When their relationship turned sour, he and his mistress Cleopatra were attacked and forced to commit suicide, as related in Shakespeare's tragedy
Antony and Cleopatra (1606).
... [more] Antigone f Greek Mythology, Ancient GreekDerived from Greek
ἀντί (anti) meaning "against, compared to, like" and
γονή (gone) meaning "birth, offspring". In Greek legend Antigone was the daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta. King Creon of Thebes declared that her slain brother Polynices was to remain unburied, a great dishonour. She disobeyed and gave him a proper burial, and for this she was sealed alive in a cave.
Antigonus m Ancient Greek (Latinized)From the Greek name
Ἀντίγονος (Antigonos), derived from
ἀντί (anti) meaning "against, compared to, like" and
γόνος (gonos) meaning "offspring, race, stock". This was the name of one of Alexander the Great's generals. After Alexander died, he took control of most of Asia Minor.
Antiman m MapucheMeans
"condor of the sun" in Mapuche, from
antü "sun" and
mañku "condor".
Antinanco m MapucheMeans
"eagle of the sun" in Mapuche, from
antü "sun" and
ñamko "eagle, hawk, buzzard".
Antoine m French, African AmericanFrench form of
Antonius (see
Anthony). A famous bearer was the French writer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (1900-1944), the author of
The Little Prince.
Antoinette f FrenchFeminine diminutive of
Antoine. This name was borne by Marie Antoinette, the queen of France during the French Revolution. She was executed by guillotine.
Anton m German, Russian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Dutch, Bulgarian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Slovene, Slovak, Macedonian, Croatian, Romanian, Estonian, Finnish, Georgian, EnglishForm of
Antonius (see
Anthony) used in various languages. A notable bearer was the Russian playwright Anton Chekhov (1860-1904).
Antoni m Polish, CatalanPolish and Catalan form of
Antonius (see
Anthony). A notable bearer was the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí (1852-1926).
Antonia f Italian, Spanish, English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Romanian, Greek, Croatian, Bulgarian, Ancient RomanFeminine form of
Antonius (see
Anthony).
Antonín m CzechCzech form of
Antoninus, also used as the Czech form of
Antonius (see
Anthony). A famous bearer was the Czech composer Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904).
Antonin m FrenchFrench form of
Antoninus. This name was borne by the French playwright Antonin Artaud (1896-1948).
Antoninus m Ancient RomanRoman cognomen, a derivative of
Antonius (see
Anthony). There were several early saints named Antoninus, including the patrons of Sorrento and Piacenza. This was also the name of a 2nd-century Roman emperor, Antoninus Pius (full name Titus Aelius Hadrianus Antoninus Pius).
Antonio m Spanish, Italian, CroatianSpanish 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] Antony m EnglishVariant of
Anthony. This was formerly the usual English spelling of the name, but during the 17th century the
h began to be added.
Anunciación f SpanishMeans
"annunciation" in Spanish, referring to the event in the New Testament in which the angel Gabriel announces to the Virgin
Mary that she will give birth to
Jesus.
Anwen f WelshMeans
"very beautiful" in Welsh, from the intensive prefix
an- combined with
gwen "white, blessed".
Aoibheann f IrishFrom Old Irish
Oébfinn or
Aíbinn, derived from
oíb meaning "beauty, appearance, form" and
finn meaning "white, blessed". This was the name of the mother of Saint Énna of Aran. It was also borne by the daughter of the 10th-century Irish high king Donnchad Donn.
Aoibhinn f IrishVariant of
Aoibheann. It also coincides with the related Irish word
aoibhinn meaning "delightful, pleasant".
Argentina f Spanish, Portuguese, ItalianFrom the name of the country of
Argentina in South America, itself derived from Latin
argentinus meaning "silvery". There are a few examples of bearers born before the place was named in the 16th century, in which case their name comes directly from the word.
Arianwen f WelshDerived from Welsh
arian "silver" and
gwen "white, blessed". This was the name of a 5th-century Welsh saint, one of the supposed daughters of
Brychan Brycheiniog.
Arnfinn m NorwegianNorwegian form of
Arnfinnr, which was derived from the elements
ǫrn "eagle" and
finnr "Sámi, person from Finland".
Ascensión f SpanishMeans
"ascension" in Spanish. This name is given in reference to the Ascension of
Jesus into heaven.
Asdzáán Nádleehé f New World MythologyMeans
"changing woman", from Navajo
asdzáán "woman" and
nádleeh "become, change". In Navajo mythology this is the name of a being who created humans from parts of her body.
Asunción f SpanishMeans
"assumption" in Spanish. This name is given in reference to the assumption of the Virgin
Mary into heaven.
Avicenna m HistoryLatinized form of the Arabic patronymic
ابن سينا (ibn Sīnā), referring to the famed Arabic-speaking Persian philosopher and physician Abu Ali al-Husayn ibn Abdullah ibn al-Hasan ibn Ali ibn Sina (980-1037). His patronymic commemorates an ancestor named
Sina.
Ayanna f African AmericanMeaning uncertain. In 1970 it was featured in
The Book of African Names by Chief Osuntoki with a listed meaning of
"beautiful flower". American comedian and activist Dick Gregory used it for his daughter in 1971.
Bébinn f Old Irish, Irish MythologyMeans
"white woman", from Old Irish
bé "woman" and
finn "white, blessed". This name was borne by several characters in Irish mythology, including the mother of the hero Fráech.
Belladonna f VariousFrom the name of a toxic plant, also called deadly nightshade (species Atropa belladonna). The plant's name is of Italian origin, probably derived from Latin
bladona "mullein plant" and altered through association with the Italian words
bella "beautiful, fair" and
donna "lady".
Benigno m Spanish, Italian, Portuguese (Rare)Spanish, Italian and Portuguese form of the Late Latin name
Benignus, which meant
"kind, friendly". This was the name of several saints including a 5th-century disciple of Saint
Patrick who later became the archbishop of Armagh.
Benjamin m English, French, German, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, Slovene, Croatian, BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
בִּנְיָמִין (Binyamin) meaning
"son of the south" or
"son of the right hand", from the roots
בֵּן (ben) meaning "son" and
יָמִין (yamin) meaning "right hand, south". Benjamin in the Old Testament was the twelfth and youngest son of
Jacob and the founder of one of the southern tribes of the Hebrews. He was originally named
בֶּן־אוֹנִי (Ben-ʾoni) meaning "son of my sorrow" by his mother
Rachel, who died shortly after childbirth, but it was later changed by his father (see
Genesis 35:18).
... [more] Bennett m EnglishMedieval form of
Benedict. This was the more common spelling in England until the 18th century. Modern use of the name is probably also influenced by the common surname
Bennett, itself a derivative of the medieval name.
Benno m GermanShort form of German names containing the element
bern "bear".
Benton m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from a place name, composed of Old English
beonet "bent grass" and
tun "enclosure".
Benvenuto m ItalianMeans
"welcome" in Italian. A famous bearer was the Italian Renaissance sculptor and writer Benvenuto Cellini (1500-1571).
Blandine f FrenchFrench form of the Roman name
Blandina, which was the feminine form of
Blandinus, which was itself a derivative of the cognomen
Blandus. Saint Blandina was a 2nd-century slave from Lyons who was martyred by being thrown to wild beasts.
Boann f Irish MythologyPossibly from Old Irish
bó "cow" and
finn "white, blessed". In Irish mythology this was the name of the goddess of the River Boyne, which is named for her. She was the wife of
Nechtan and the father of
Aonghus (by
Dagda).
Bonaventura m Italian, CatalanMeans
"good fortune" in Italian, from Latin
bonus "good" and
venturas "the things that will come, the future". Saint Bonaventura was a 13th-century Franciscan monk who is considered a Doctor of the Church.
Bonnie f EnglishMeans
"pretty" from the Scottish word
bonnie, which was itself derived from Middle French
bon "good". It has been in use as an American given name since the 19th century, and it became especially popular after the movie
Gone with the Wind (1939), in which it was the nickname of Scarlett's daughter.
Brandon m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"hill covered with broom" in Old English.
... [more] Branwen f Welsh, Welsh MythologyMeans
"white raven" from Old Welsh
bran "raven" and
gwen "white, blessed". According to the Second Branch of the
Mabinogi she was the daughter of
Llŷr. After she was mistreated by her husband Matholwch, the king of Ireland, she managed to get a message to her brother
Brân, the king of Britain. Brân launched a costly invasion to rescue her, but she died of grief shortly after her return.
Brendan m Irish, English, BretonFrom
Brendanus, the Latinized form of the Old Irish name
Bréanainn, which was derived from Old Welsh
breenhin meaning
"king, prince". Saint Brendan was a 6th-century Irish abbot who, according to legend, crossed the Atlantic and reached North America with 17 other monks.
Brennan m EnglishFrom an Irish surname (Anglicized from Irish Gaelic
Ó Braonáin) that was derived from the byname
Braonán, itself from Irish
braon meaning "rain, moisture, drop" combined with a diminutive suffix. As a given name, it has been used since the 1960s as an alternative to
Brendan or
Brandon, though it has not been as popular as them.
Brennus m Gaulish (Latinized)Latinized form of a Celtic name (or title) that possibly meant either
"king, prince" or
"raven". Brennus was a Gallic leader of the 4th century BC who attacked and sacked Rome.
Brenton m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from an English place name meaning
"Bryni's town".
Bryni was an Old English name meaning "fire".
Britannia f English (Rare)From the Latin name of the island of
Britain, in occasional use as an English given name since the 18th century. This is also the name of the Roman female personification of Britain pictured on some British coins.
Bronwen f WelshSeemingly 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.
Bronwyn f EnglishVariant of
Bronwen used in the English-speaking world (especially Australia and New Zealand).