Brynn f English (Modern)Feminine variant of
Bryn. It was brought to limited public attention in 1978 when the actress Brynn Thayer (1949-) began appearing on the American soap opera
One Life to Live.
Canaan m BiblicalFrom
כְּנַעַן (Kenaʿan), the Hebrew name of the ancient region of Canaan, which was possibly derived from a root meaning
"low, humble". In the Old Testament this is the name of a son of
Ham. He is said to be the ancestor and namesake of the Canaanite peoples.
Cannon m EnglishFrom an English surname, which was derived from Middle English
canon, referring to a church official or servant who worked in a clergy house. This name may also be used in reference to the vocabulary word for the large gun, derived from Italian
cannone "large tube", from Latin
canna "cane, reed".
Caoilfhionn f IrishDerived from the Old Irish elements
cáel "slender" and
finn "white, blessed". This was the name of several Irish saints.
Céibhfhionn f Irish MythologyMeans
"fair-haired", from Old Irish
ciab "locks, hair" and
finn "white, blessed". In Irish legend this was the name of one of the three daughters of Bec mac Buain.
Ceinwen f WelshDerived from Welsh
cain "good, lovely" and
gwen "white, blessed". This was the name of a 5th-century Welsh saint also known as
Cain or
Keyne.
Cennétig m Old IrishOld Irish byname meaning either
"armoured head" or
"misshapen head" (Old Irish
cenn "head" and
étiud "armour, clothing" or
étig "ugly, misshapen"). This was the name of an Irish king, the father of
Brian Boru.
Cernunnos m Gaulish Mythology (Latinized)Means
"great horned one", from Celtic *
karnos "horn" and the divine or augmentative suffix
-on. This was the name of the Celtic god of fertility, animals, wealth, and the underworld. He was usually depicted having antlers, and was identified with the Roman god
Mercury.
Channary f KhmerMeans
"moon-faced girl" from Khmer
ចន្ទ (chan) meaning "moon" and
នារី (neari) meaning "woman, girl".
Chenaniah m BiblicalVariant of
Kenaniah used in several translations of the Old Testament (including the King James Version).
Cheyenne f EnglishDerived from the Lakota word
šahiyena meaning "red speakers". This is the name of a Native American people of the Great Plains. The name was supposedly given to the Cheyenne by the Lakota because their language was unrelated to their own. As a given name, it has been in use since the 1950s.
Clinton m EnglishFrom an English surname that was originally derived from towns named
Glinton, of uncertain meaning, or
Glympton, meaning
"settlement on the River Glyme". A famous bearer of the surname is former American president Bill Clinton (1946-).
Coinneach m Scottish GaelicScottish Gaelic form of the Old Irish name
Cainnech, derived from
caín meaning
"handsome, beautiful, good". It is often Anglicized as
Kenneth. It is also used as a modern Scottish Gaelic form of the unrelated name
Cináed.
Conan m IrishMeans
"little wolf" or
"little hound" from Irish
cú "wolf, hound" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of several early saints, including a 7th-century bishop of the Isle of Man. It appears in Irish legend as a companion
Fionn mac Cumhaill. A famous bearer of it as a middle name was Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930), the author of the Sherlock Holmes mystery stories. It is also the name of the hero of the
Conan the Barbarian series of books, comics and movies, debuting 1932.
Concepción f SpanishMeans
"conception" in Spanish. This name is given in reference to the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin
Mary. A city in Chile bears this name.
Conn m Irish, Irish Mythology, Old IrishPerhaps from Old Irish
conn meaning
"sense, reason" or
cenn meaning
"head, chief". This was the name of a legendary high king of Ireland, Conn of the Hundred Battles.
Connla m Irish MythologyFrom Old Irish
Conláech, derived from
cú "hound, dog, wolf" (genitive
con) and
láech "warrior". This was the name of several characters in Irish legend including the son of
Cúchulainn and
Aoife. When he finally met his father they fought because Connla would not identify himself, and the son was slain.
Connor m Irish, English (Modern)Variant of
Conor, based on the usual spelling of the surname that is derived from the name. This is currently the most common way of spelling it in the English-speaking world, apart from Ireland.
Consolación f SpanishMeans
"consolation" in Spanish. It is taken from a title of the Virgin
Mary,
Nuestra Señora de Consolación, meaning "Our Lady of Consolation".
Constans m Late RomanLate Latin name meaning
"constant, steadfast". This was the name of a 4th-century Roman emperor, a son of
Constantine the Great.
Constantine 1 m HistoryFrom the Latin name
Constantinus, a derivative of
Constans. Constantine the Great (272-337), full name Flavius Valerius Constantinus, was the first Roman emperor to adopt Christianity. He moved the capital of the empire from Rome to Byzantium, which he renamed Constantinople (modern Istanbul).
Corentin m Breton, FrenchFrench form of the Breton name
Kaourintin, possibly from
korventenn meaning
"hurricane, storm". Alternatively, it could be connected to the Brythonic root *
karid meaning
"love" (modern Breton
karout). This was the name of a 5th-century bishop of Quimper in Brittany.
Corinna f German, Italian, English, Ancient Greek (Latinized)Latinized form of the Greek name
Κόριννα (Korinna), which was derived from
κόρη (kore) meaning
"maiden". This was the name of a Greek lyric poet of the 5th century BC. The Roman poet
Ovid used it for the main female character in his book
Amores. In the modern era it has been in use since the 17th century, when Robert Herrick used it in his poem
Corinna's going a-Maying.
Cúchulainn m Irish MythologyMeans
"hound of Culann" in Irish. This was the usual name of the warrior hero who was named Sétanta at birth, given to him because he took the place of one of Culann's hounds after he accidentally killed it. The Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology tells of Cúchulainn's many adventures, including his single-handed defence of Ulster against the army of Queen
Medb.
Culann m Irish MythologyMeaning unknown. This was the name of a smith in Irish legend. After Sétanta killed one of his dogs in self-defence, Sétanta took the place of the dog and was thereafter known as
Cúchulainn.
Cunobelinus m Brythonic (Latinized)Latinized form of a Brythonic name, possibly from old Celtic *
kū "dog, hound" (genitive *
kunos) combined with either the name of the god
Belenus or another Celtic root meaning "strong". This was the name of a 1st-century king of southeastern Britain. He is known from Roman historians such as Suetonius and medieval Welsh histories, as well as from coins bearing his name.
Dagfinn m NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Dagfinnr, which was composed of the elements
dagr "day" and
finnr "Sámi, person from Finland".
D'Artagnan m LiteratureMeans
"from Artagnan" in French, Artagnan being a town in southwestern France. This was the name of a character in the novel
The Three Musketeers (1884) by Alexandre Dumas. In the novel D'Artagnan is an aspiring musketeer who first duels with the three title characters and then becomes their friend.
Deanna f EnglishEither a variant of
Diana or a feminine form of
Dean. This name was popularized by the Canadian actress and singer Deanna Durbin (1921-2013), whose birth name was Edna. Her stage name was a rearrangement of the letters of her real name.
Denton m EnglishFrom a surname, originally from a place name, which meant
"valley town" in Old English.
Diadumenian m HistoryFrom the Roman cognomen
Diadumenianus, which was derived from the Greek name
Diadumenus. This was the name of a Roman Emperor who reigned briefly in the 3rd century.
Dieudonné m FrenchMeans
"given by God" in French, used as a French form of
Deusdedit. It is currently much more common in French-speaking Africa than it is in France.
Doireann f Irish, Irish MythologyPossibly from the Old Irish prefix
der "daughter" and
finn "white, blessed". Alternatively it may be derived from Irish
doireann "sullen, tempestuous". This was the name of several characters in Irish legend, including a daughter of Bodb Derg who poisoned
Fionn mac Cumhaill after he spurned her advances.
Domninus m Late RomanLatin name that was a derivative of
Domnus. This name was borne by several early saints, including the 4th-century martyr Domninus of Fidenza.
Dong-Geun m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
東 (dong) meaning "east" and
根 (geun) meaning "root, foundation", as well as other hanja character combinations.
Donna f EnglishFrom Italian
donna meaning
"lady". It is also used as a feminine form of
Donald.
Donovan m EnglishFrom an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of
Ó Donndubháin, itself derived from the given name
Donndubán. This name is borne by the Scottish folk musician Donovan Leitch (1946-), known simply as Donovan.
Dornröschen f LiteratureFrom German
Dorn "thorn" and
Rose "rose" combined with the diminutive suffix
-chen. This is the name of Sleeping Beauty in the Brothers Grimm telling of the fairy tale.
Duncan m Scottish, EnglishAnglicized form of the Scottish Gaelic name
Donnchadh, derived from Old Irish
donn "brown" and
cath "battle". This was the name of two kings of Scotland, including the one who was featured in Shakespeare's play
Macbeth (1606).
Dunstan m English (Rare), Anglo-SaxonFrom the Old English elements
dunn "dark" and
stan "stone". This name was borne by a 10th-century saint, the archbishop of Canterbury. It was occasionally used in the Middle Ages, though it died out after the 16th century. It was revived by the Tractarian movement in the 19th century.
Eachann m Scottish GaelicFrom the Old Irish name
Echdonn meaning
"brown horse", from
ech "horse" and
donn "brown". This name was historically common among the chiefs of Clan MacLean. It has sometimes been Anglicized as
Hector.
Eglantine f English (Rare)From the English word for the flower also known as sweetbrier. It is derived via Old French from Vulgar Latin *
aquilentum meaning "prickly". It was early used as a given name (in the form
Eglentyne) in Geoffrey Chaucer's 14th-century story
The Prioress's Tale (one of
The Canterbury Tales).
Einion m WelshFrom the Old Welsh name
Enniaun, probably from the Latin name
Ennianus, a derivative of
Ennius (see
Ennio). It is also a modern Welsh word meaning "anvil". This was the name of a few early Welsh rulers including Einion Frenin (5th century), who is considered a saint in some Christian traditions.
Éireann f Irish (Rare)From
Éireann, the genitive case of Irish Gaelic
Éire, meaning "Ireland". It is commonly Anglicized as
Erin.
Elhanan m BiblicalMeans
"God is gracious" in Hebrew, from
אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God" and
חָנַן (ḥanan) meaning "to be gracious". This is the name of two Old Testament characters.
Elnathan m BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
אֶלְנָתָן (ʾElnaṯan) meaning
"God has given", derived from
אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God" and
נָתַן (naṯan) meaning "to give". In the Old Testament this is the name of both a grandfather of King Jehoiachin and a son of Akbor.
Encarnación f SpanishMeans
"incarnation" in Spanish. This is given in reference to the Incarnation of
Jesus in the womb of the Virgin
Mary.
Endellion f History (Ecclesiastical)Anglicized form of
Endelienta, the Latin form of a Welsh or Cornish name. It was borne by a 5th or 6th-century Cornish saint whose birth name is lost. According to some traditions she was a daughter of
Brychan Brycheiniog (identifying her with Cynheiddon).
Endymion m Greek MythologyDerived 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.
Enedina f SpanishSpanish form of the (Latin?) name
Henedina, of unknown meaning. This was the name of an early saint from Sardinia, martyred with her companions Justa and Justina.
Enheduanna f SumerianFrom Sumerian
En-hedu-anna, derived from
𒂗 (en) meaning "lady, high priestess" combined with
𒃶𒌌 (hedu) meaning "ornament" and the god's name
An 2. This was the Sumerian title of a 23rd-century BC priestess and poet, identified as a daughter of
Sargon of Akkad. Presumably she had an Akkadian birth name, but it is unrecorded. She is regarded as one of the earliest known poets.
Enitan m & f YorubaMeans
"person with a story, storied person" in Yoruba.
Énna m Old IrishPossibly from Old Irish
én meaning
"bird". This was the name of several Irish kings and heroes. It was also borne by a 6th-century saint who built the monastery of Killeany on Aran.
Ennio m ItalianItalian form of the Roman family name
Ennius, which is of unknown meaning. Quintus Ennius was an early Roman poet.
Ennis m EnglishFrom an Irish surname that was derived from
inis meaning
"island".
Éponine f LiteratureFrench form of
Epponina. Victor Hugo used this name in his novel
Les Misérables (1862) for a daughter of the Thénardiers. Her mother got her name from a romance novel.
Epponina f Gaulish (Latinized)Probably related to the name of the goddess
Epona. Epponina was the virtuous wife of the 1st-century Gallo-Roman rebel Julius Sabinus.
Erdmann m German (Archaic)Variant of
Hartmann. It can also be interpreted as meaning "earth man" from German
Erde "earth", and thus was sometimes used as a translation of
Adam.
Eun-Gyeong f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
恩 (eun) meaning "kindness, mercy, charity" or
銀 (eun) meaning "silver" combined with
敬 (gyeong) meaning "respect, honour" or
景 (gyeong) meaning "scenery, view". Other hanja character combinations can also form this name.
Eun-Jeong f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
恩 (eun) meaning "kindness, mercy, charity" or
慇 (eun) meaning "careful, anxious, attentive" combined with
廷 (jeong) meaning "courtyard" or
婷 (jeong) meaning "pretty, graceful". This name can be formed by other hanja character combinations as well.
Eun-Yeong f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
恩 (eun) meaning "kindness, mercy, charity" and
英 (yeong) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero". This name can be formed by other hanja character combinations as well.
Evangeline f EnglishMeans
"good news" from Greek
εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and
ἄγγελμα (angelma) meaning "news, message". It was (first?) used by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in his 1847 epic poem
Evangeline. It also appears in Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel
Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852) as the full name of the character Eva.
Fannar m IcelandicPossibly derived from Old Norse
fǫnn meaning
"snow drift".
Fantine f LiteratureThis name was used by Victor Hugo for the mother of Cosette in his novel
Les Misérables (1862). The name was given to her by a passerby who found the young orphan on the street. Hugo may have intended it to be a derivative of the French word
enfant "child".
Fenton m EnglishFrom a surname that was originally taken from a place name meaning
"marsh town" in Old English.
Ferdinand m German, French, Dutch, English, Slovak, Czech, Slovene, CroatianFrom
Fredenandus, the Latinized form of a Gothic name composed of the elements
friþus "peace" (or perhaps
farþa "journey") and
nanþa "boldness, daring". The Visigoths brought the name to the Iberian Peninsula, where it entered into the royal families of Spain and Portugal. From there it became common among the Habsburg royal family of the Holy Roman Empire and Austria, starting with the Spanish-born Ferdinand I in the 16th century. A notable bearer was Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan (1480-1521), called Fernão de Magalhães in Portuguese, who was the leader of the first expedition to sail around the earth.
Finnegan m English (Modern)From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of
Ó Fionnagáin, itself derived from the given name
Fionnagán, a diminutive of
Fionn. This is the surname of a relatively minor character in James Joyce's novel
Finnegans Wake (1939), the title of which was based on a 19th-century Irish ballad called
Finnegan's Wake.
Finnian m IrishDerived from Old Irish
finn "white, blessed". This was the name of several Irish saints, including the founders of monasteries at Clonard and Movilla (both 6th century).
Finnick m LiteratureCreated by author Suzanne Collins for a character in the second book of
The Hunger Games series, published 2009, later appearing in the 2013 movie adaptation. She may have derived it from the slang word
finicky meaning
"demanding, fussy".
Fintan m Irish, Irish Mythology, Old IrishPossibly means either
"white fire" or
"white ancient" in Irish. According to legend this was the name of the only Irish person to survive the great flood. This name was also borne by many Irish saints.
Fionn m Irish, Irish MythologyFrom the Old Irish name
Finn, derived from
finn meaning
"white, blessed". It occurs frequently in Irish history and legends, the most noteworthy bearer being Fionn mac Cumhaill, the central character of one of the four main cycles of Irish mythology, the Fenian Cycle. Fionn was born as
Deimne, and acquired his nickname because of his fair hair. He grew all-wise by eating an enchanted salmon, and later became the leader of the Fianna after defeating the fire-breathing demon Áillen. He was the father of
Oisín and grandfather of
Oscar.
Fionnlagh m Scottish GaelicMeans
"white warrior", derived from Old Irish
finn "white, blessed" and
láech "warrior". An earlier form was
Findláech — this was the name of the father of the 11th-century Scottish king Macbeth.
Fionnuala f Irish, Irish MythologyMeans
"white shoulder" from Old Irish
finn "white, blessed" and
gúala "shoulder". In Irish legend Fionnuala was one of the four children of
Lir who were transformed into swans for a period of 900 years.
Flanagan m English (Rare)From an Irish surname, the Anglicized form of
Ó Flannagáin, itself from the given name
Flannagán, which was derived from Irish
flann "blood red" and a diminutive suffix.
Flann m & f Irish, Old IrishMeans
"blood red" in Irish. This was the name of a 9th-century high king of Ireland.
Flannery f English (Rare)From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of
Ó Flannghaile, derived from the given name
Flannghal meaning "red valour". A famous bearer was American author Flannery O'Connor (1925-1964).
Flynn m EnglishFrom an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of
Ó Floinn, which was derived from the given name or byname
Flann. A famous bearer of the surname was American actor Errol Flynn (1909-1959). As a given name, it grew in popularity after it was featured as a character in the Disney movie
Tangled in 2010.
Frankenstein m Popular CultureFrom the surname
Frankenstein, used by Mary Shelley in her 1818 novel of the same name for the scientist Victor Frankenstein. The monster that Frankenstein created, which has no name in the novel, is sometimes called Frankenstein in modern speech, as if it were his given name.
Franklin m EnglishFrom 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).
Fuensanta f SpanishFrom Spanish
fuente santa meaning
"holy fountain, holy spring". This is a title of the Virgin
Mary,
Nuestra Señora de la Fuensanta, meaning "Our Lady of the Holy Fountain". She is the patron saint of the city of Murcia in Spain.
Ganelon m Carolingian CycleFrench form of the Old German name
Wenilo. In the medieval French epic
La Chanson de Roland Ganelon is the knight who betrays
Charlemagne's army to the Saracens, resulting in the death of
Roland and the rest of the rear guard. He was based on Wenilo, a 9th-century archbishop of Sens who betrayed Charles the Bald (Charlemagne's grandson).
Gentian m AlbanianFrom the name of the flowering plant called the gentian, the roots of which are used to create a tonic. It is derived from the name of the Illyrian king
Gentius, who supposedly discovered its medicinal properties.