Aaron m English, French, German, Finnish, Jewish, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical GreekFrom the Hebrew name
אַהֲרֹן (ʾAharon), which is most likely of unknown Egyptian origin. Other theories claim a Hebrew derivation, and suggest meanings such as
"high mountain" or
"exalted". In the Old Testament this name is borne by the older brother of
Moses. He acted as a spokesman for his brother when they appealed to the pharaoh to release the Israelites from slavery. Aaron's rod produced miracles and plagues to intimidate the pharaoh. After the departure from Egypt and arrival at Mount Sinai, God installed Aaron as the first high priest of the Israelites and promised that his descendants would become the priesthood.
... [more] Abaddon m BiblicalMeans
"ruin, destruction" in Hebrew. In Revelation in the New Testament this is another name of the angel of the abyss.
Abbán m Old IrishMeans
"little abbot", derived from Irish
abb "abbot" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of a 6th-century Irish saint, the son of King Cormac of Leinster.
Abd ar-Rahman m ArabicMeans
"servant of the merciful" from Arabic
عبد (ʿabd) meaning "servant" combined with
رحْمن (raḥman) meaning "merciful". This was the name of two early caliphs of the Umayyad dynasty in Spain.
Abdastartus m Phoenician (Latinized)From the Greek form
Ἀβδάσταρτος (Abdastartos) of the Phoenician name
𐤏𐤁𐤃𐤏𐤔𐤕𐤓𐤕 (ʿAbdʿashtart) meaning
"servant of Ashtoreth", derived from
𐤏𐤁𐤃 (ʿabd) meaning "servant, slave" combined with the name of the goddess
Ashtoreth. This was the name of a 10th-century BC king of Tyre, as recorded by the historian Josephus.
Abdolhossein m PersianMeans
"servant of al-Husayn" from Arabic
عبد (ʿabd) meaning "servant" combined with
حسین (Ḥoseyn), the Persian form of Arabic
Husayn. This name refers to Husayn ibn Ali, the son of Ali.
Abundius m Late RomanFrom Latin
abundus meaning
"abundant, plentiful". This was the name of several early saints, including a 5th-century bishop of Como.
Achaemenes m Old Persian (Latinized)Latin form of
Ἀχαιμένης (Achaimenes), the Greek form of the Old Persian name
𐏃𐎧𐎠𐎶𐎴𐎡𐏁 (Haxamaniš), derived from Old Iranian *
haxa "friend, companion, ally" and *
manah "mind, intellect, thought". This was the name of the founder of the Achaemenid dynasty (7th century BC).
Achaicus m Biblical, Biblical LatinLatinized form of the Greek name
Ἀχαϊκός (Achaikos), which referred to the region in Greece called
Ἀχαΐα (Achaia), situated on the northern coast of the Peloponnese. In the New Testament this is the name of a Corinthian Christian who aids Saint
Paul.
Achan m BiblicalPossibly a variation of the Hebrew word
עֲכָר (ʿaḵar) meaning
"trouble". In the Old Testament, Achan is stoned to death because he steals forbidden items during the assault on Jericho.
Achelous m Greek Mythology (Latinized)From Greek
Ἀχελώιος (Acheloios), which is of unknown meaning, possibly of Semitic origin. This was the name of a Greek god of water and rivers, in particular the Achelous River in western Greece. He fought with (and was defeated by)
Herakles for the hand of
Deianeira.
Achilles m Greek Mythology (Latinized), Ancient Greek (Latinized)From the Greek
Ἀχιλλεύς (Achilleus), which is of unknown meaning, perhaps derived from Greek
ἄχος (achos) meaning
"pain" or else from the name of the Achelous River. This was the name of a warrior in Greek legend, one of the central characters in
Homer's
Iliad. The bravest of the Greek heroes in the war against the Trojans, he was eventually killed by an arrow to his heel, the only vulnerable part of his body.
... [more] Achlys f Greek MythologyMeans
"mist, darkness" in Greek. According to a poem by Hesiod, she was one of the figures portrayed on the shield of
Herakles. She is described as a wraithlike woman personifying death and sorrow.
Addison f & m EnglishFrom an English surname meaning
"son of Adam". Its recent popularity as a feminine name stems from its similarity in sound to
Madison.
Adin m BosnianMeaning unknown, possibly from Turkish
ad meaning
"name".
Adonis m Greek MythologyFrom Phoenician
𐤀𐤃𐤍 (ʾadon) meaning
"lord, master". In Greek myth Adonis was a handsome young shepherd killed while hunting a wild boar. The anemone flower is said to have sprung from his blood. Because he was loved by
Aphrodite,
Zeus allowed him to be restored to life for part of each year. The Greeks borrowed this character from Semitic traditions, originally Sumerian (see
Dumuzi).
Adoración f SpanishMeans
"adoration" in Spanish. This name refers to the event that is known in Christian tradition as the Adoration of the Magi, which is when the three Magi presented gifts to the infant
Jesus and worshipped him.
Adrastos m Greek MythologyMeans
"not inclined to run away" in Greek, from the negative prefix
ἀ (a) and
διδράσκω (didrasko) meaning "to run away". This was the name of a king of Argos in Greek legend.
Adrian m English, Romanian, Polish, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, RussianForm of
Hadrianus (see
Hadrian) used in several languages. Several saints and six popes have borne this name, including the only English pope, Adrian IV, and the only Dutch pope, Adrian VI. As an English name, it has been in use since the Middle Ages, though it was not popular until modern times.
Adrianus m DutchOfficial Dutch form of
Adrian, used on birth certificates but not commonly in daily life.
Aegeus m Greek Mythology (Latinized)Latinized form of Greek
Αἰγεύς (Aigeus), probably derived from Greek
αἴξ (aix) meaning
"goat" (genitive
αἰγός). The plural of this word,
αἶγες, additionally means
"waves". According to Greek mythology this was the name of a king of Athens. Believing his son
Theseus to have been killed by the Minotaur, he threw himself into the sea and was drowned. The sea was henceforth known as the Aegean.
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.
Aelius m Ancient RomanRoman family name that was possibly derived from the Greek word
ἥλιος (helios) meaning
"sun". This was the family name of the Roman emperor Hadrian.
Aeneas m Roman MythologyLatin form of the Greek name
Αἰνείας (Aineias), derived from Greek
αἴνη (aine) meaning
"praise". In Greek legend he was a son of
Aphrodite and was one of the chief heroes who defended Troy from the Greeks. The Roman poet
Virgil continued his story in the
Aeneid, in which Aeneas travels to Italy and founds the Roman state.
Aeron m & f WelshFrom the name of the Welsh river Aeron, itself probably derived from the hypothetical Celtic goddess
Agrona. Alternatively, the name could be taken from Welsh
aeron meaning
"berries".
Æðelstan m Anglo-SaxonDerived from the Old English elements
æðele "noble" and
stan "stone". This was the name of a 10th-century English king, the first to rule all of England. The name was rarely used after the Norman Conquest, though it enjoyed a modest revival (as
Athelstan) in the 19th century.
Aetius m Ancient RomanRoman cognomen that was probably derived from Greek
ἀετός (aetos) meaning
"eagle". A famous bearer was the 5th-century Roman general Flavius Aetius, who defeated
Attila the Hun at the Battle of Chalons.
Affan m ArabicMeans
"chaste, modest, pure" in Arabic, from the root
عفّ (ʿaffa) meaning "to refrain, to be chaste". This was the name of the father of the caliph
Uthman.
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.
Afon f & m Welsh (Rare)Means
"river" in Welsh. This is a Welsh name of recent origin.
Africanus m Ancient RomanRoman cognomen derived from the place name
Africa, which in Roman times referred only to North Africa. This was the agnomen of the 3rd-century BC Roman general Scipio Africanus, who was honoured with it after his victory over Carthage in the Second Punic War. His descendants used it as a cognomen.
Agelaos m Ancient Greek, Greek MythologyFrom Greek
ἄγω (ago) meaning "to lead" and
λαός (laos) meaning "people". Alternatively, it could come from
ἀγέλη (agele) meaning "herd" or the related adjective
ἀγελαῖος (agelaios) meaning
"belonging to the herd". This is the name of several figures from Greek mythology, including one of the suitors of
Penelope.
Agnes f English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Estonian, Late Greek (Latinized)Latinized form of the Greek name
Ἅγνη (Hagne), derived from Greek
ἁγνός (hagnos) meaning
"chaste". Saint Agnes was a virgin martyred during the persecutions of the Roman emperor
Diocletian. The name became associated with Latin
agnus "lamb", resulting in the saint's frequent depiction with a lamb by her side. Due to her renown, the name became common in Christian Europe.
... [more] Agron m AlbanianProbably of Illyrian origin, maybe related to Albanian
ag meaning
"dawn". Alternatively it might be connected to Greek
ἀγρός (agros) meaning
"field". This was the name of a 3rd-century BC Illyrian king, the husband of
Teuta.
Ahasuerus m BiblicalFrom Hebrew
אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ (ʾAḥashwerosh), from the Old Persian name
Xšayarša (see
Xerxes). This name appears several times in the Old Testament belonging to a king of Persia. In the Book of Esther, Ahasuerus is the husband of
Esther.
Ahenobarbus m Ancient RomanFrom a Roman cognomen meaning
"bronze beard" in Latin. This name was borne by a series of consuls of the late Roman Republic.
Aidan m Irish, English (Modern)Anglicized form of
Aodhán. In the latter part of the 20th century it became popular in America due to its sound, since it shares a sound with such names as
Braden and
Hayden. It peaked ranked 39th for boys in 2003.
Aiman 1 f KazakhPossibly means
"my moon" in Kazakh, from
ай (ay) meaning "moon" and the Persian possessive
من (man) meaning "my". Aiman and
Sholpan are sisters in a 19th-century Kazakh epic poem, later adapted into the 1934 play
Aiman-Sholpan by Mukhtar Auezov.
Aiolos m Greek MythologyMeans
"quick-moving, nimble" in Greek. This was the name of the Greek god of the winds.
Aisultan m KazakhDerived from Kazakh
ай (ay) meaning "moon" and
сұлтан (sultan) meaning "sultan, king" (of Arabic origin).
Aivars m LatvianLatvian form of
Ivar. The Latvian author Vilis Lācis used it for a character in his novel
Uz Jauno Krastu (1952).
Akakios m Greek, Ancient GreekFrom a Greek word meaning
"innocent, not evil", derived from
ἀ (a), a negative prefix, combined with
κάκη (kake) meaning "evil". This was the name of three early saints, two of whom were martyred.
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.
Ákos m HungarianPossibly of Turkic origin meaning
"white falcon". This was the name of a medieval Hungarian clan.
Ala ad-Din m ArabicMeans
"excellence of religion" from Arabic
علاء (ʿalāʾ) meaning "excellence, elevation" combined with
دين (dīn) meaning "religion, faith". This was the name of several sultans of Delhi.
Aladdin m LiteratureAnglicized form of
Ala ad-Din. This is the name of a mischievous boy in one of the tales of
The 1001 Nights. A magician traps him in a cave, but he escapes with the help of a genie.
Alain m FrenchFrench form of
Alan. A notable bearer was the French actor Alain Delon (1935-2024).
Alan m English, Scottish, Breton, French, PolishThe meaning of this name is not known for certain. It was used in Brittany at least as early as the 6th century, and it could be of Brythonic origin meaning
"little rock". Alternatively, it may derive from the tribal name of the Alans, an Iranian people who migrated into Europe in the 4th and 5th centuries.
... [more] Alanis f English (Rare)Feminine form of
Alan. Canadian musician Alanis Morissette (1974-) was named after her father Alan. Her parents apparently decided to use this particular spelling after seeing this word in a Greek newspaper.
Alban m German, French, Albanian, English (Rare)From the Roman cognomen
Albanus, which meant
"from Alba". Alba (from Latin
albus "white") was the name of various places within the Roman Empire, including the city Alba Longa. This name was borne by Saint Alban, the first British martyr (4th century). According to tradition, he sheltered a fugitive priest in his house. When his house was searched, he disguised himself as the priest, was arrested in his stead, and was beheaded. Another 4th-century martyr by this name was Saint Alban of Mainz.
... [more] Albinus m Ancient RomanRoman cognomen that was a derivative of
Albus. Saint Albinus (also called Aubin) was a 6th-century bishop of Angers in Brittany.
Alboin m GermanicFrom the Old German elements
alb "elf" and
wini "friend". It is a cognate of
Ælfwine. This was the name of a 6th-century king of the Lombards who began the Lombard conquest of Italy.
Alcestis f Greek Mythology (Latinized)Latinized form of Greek
Ἄλκηστις (Alkestis), derived from
ἀλκηστής (alkestes) meaning
"brave, valiant", a derivative of
ἀλκή (alke) meaning "strength, prowess". In Greek mythology she was the wife of King
Admetus. She offered to die in place of her husband, though she was eventually rescued from the underworld by
Herakles. This story was told by the Greek playwright Euripides in his 5th-century BC tragedy
Alcestis.
Alcibiades m Ancient Greek (Latinized)Latinized form of the Greek name
Ἀλκιβιάδης (Alkibiades), derived from
ἀλκή (alke) meaning "strength, prowess" and
βία (bia) meaning "force" with the patronymic suffix
ἴδης (ides). This was the name of a notable Greek statesman and general during the Peloponnesian War. He changed allegiance from Athens to Sparta and back again during the course of the war. He features in Shakespeare's tragedy
Timon of Athens (1607).
Aldous m English (Rare)Probably a diminutive of names beginning with the Old English element
eald "old". It has been in use as an English given name since the Middle Ages, mainly in East Anglia. The British author Aldous Huxley (1894-1963) was a famous bearer of this name.
Alexis m & f French, English, Greek, Spanish, Ancient GreekFrom the Greek name
Ἄλεξις (Alexis) meaning
"helper" or
"defender", derived from Greek
ἀλέξω (alexo) meaning "to defend, to help". This was the name of a 3rd-century BC Greek comic poet, and also of several saints. It is used somewhat interchangeably with the related name
Ἀλέξιος or
Alexius, borne by five Byzantine emperors.
... [more] Alexius m Ancient Greek (Latinized)Latinized form of the Greek name
Ἀλέξιος (Alexios), a derivative of
Ἄλεξις (see
Alexis). This was the name of five Byzantine emperors. It was also borne by a 5th-century Syrian saint who is especially venerated in the Eastern Church.
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.
Algimantas m LithuanianFrom Lithuanian
alga "salary, pay" combined with
mantus "intelligent" or
manta "property, wealth".
Algirdas m LithuanianPossibly means
"all-hearing", from the Lithuanian roots
al- "all, every" and
gird- "to hear". This was the name of a 14th-century Grand Duke of Lithuania.
Alikhan m KazakhCombination of the name
Ali 1 and the Turkic title
khan meaning "ruler, leader".
Alimjan m UyghurUyghur elaboration of
Alim using the suffix
جان (jan) meaning "dear, darling" (of Persian origin).
Alin m RomanianPossibly a Romanian masculine form of
Alina. Alternatively it may derive from Romanian
alina "to soothe".
Alison 1 f English, FrenchNorman French diminutive of
Aalis (see
Alice). It was common in England, Scotland and France in the Middle Ages, and was later revived in England in the 20th century via Scotland. Unlike most other English names ending in
son, it is not derived from a surname.
Alkinoos m Greek MythologyMeans
"strong mind", derived from Greek
ἀλκή (alke) "strength, prowess" and
νόος (noos) "mind, thought". According to Greek mythology this was the name of a king of the Phaeacians.
Allen m EnglishVariant of
Alan, or from a surname that was derived from this same name. A famous bearer of this name was Allen Ginsberg (1926-1997), an American beat poet. Another is the American film director and actor Woody Allen (1935-), who took the stage name Allen from his real first name.
Allison f & m EnglishFrom the middle of the 20th century this has primarily been used as a variant of the feminine name
Alison 1. However, prior to that it was used as an uncommon masculine name, derived from the English and Scottish surname
Allison.
Almantas m LithuanianFrom the Lithuanian root
al- "all, every" combined with
mantus "intelligent" or
manta "property, wealth".
Álmos m HungarianPossibly from Hungarian
álom "dream", though perhaps of Turkic origin meaning "bought". This was the name of the semi-legendary father of Árpád, the founder of the Hungarian state. Álmos's mother
Emese supposedly had a dream in which a turul bird impregnated her and foretold that her son would be the father of a great nation.
Aloysius m EnglishLatinized form of
Aloys, an old Occitan form of
Louis. This was the name of an Italian saint, Aloysius Gonzaga (1568-1591). The name has been in occasional use among Catholics since his time.
Alparslan m Turkish, AzerbaijaniFrom Turkish
alp meaning "brave, hero" and
arslan meaning "lion", referring to the 11th-century Seljuk sultan Alp Arslan, who expanded the Seljuk Empire into Anatolia.
Alperen m TurkishMeans
"fighter" in Turkish, a word derived from
alp "brave, hero" and
eren "holy person".
Alphius m Late RomanMeaning unknown, possibly a variant of
Alphaeus, or possibly from an Umbrian root meaning
"white". This was the name of a 3rd-century saint who was martyred in Sicily.
Alphonsus m Gothic (Latinized)Latinized form of the Gothic name *
Aþalfuns (see
Alfonso). This name was borne by Saint Alphonsus Liguori, an 18th-century Italian bishop who is regarded as a Doctor of the Church.
Alpin m Scottish (Rare)Anglicized form of the Scottish Gaelic name
Ailpean, possibly derived from a Pictish word meaning
"white". This was the name of two kings of Dál Riata and two kings of the Picts in the 8th and 9th centuries.
Alton m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"town at the source of the river" in Old English.
Alun m WelshWelsh form of
Alan. It is also the name of two rivers in Wales.
Alvin m English, SwedishFrom a medieval form of any of the Old English names
Ælfwine,
Æðelwine or
Ealdwine. It was revived in the 19th century, in part from a surname that was derived from the Old English names. As a Scandinavian name it is derived from
Alfvin, an Old Norse cognate of
Ælfwine.
Alvis m Norse Mythology, LatvianFrom the Old Norse
Alvíss meaning
"all wise". In Norse mythology this was the name of a dwarf who was to marry
Thor's daughter
Thrud. Thor was not pleased with this so he tricked Alvis by asking him questions until the sun rose, at which time the dwarf was turned into stone.
Alvydas m LithuanianMeans
"all-seeing", from the Lithuanian roots
al- "all, every" and
vyd- "to see".
Alwyn m WelshFrom the name of the River Alwen in northern Wales (a tributary of the River Dee).
Amabilis m Late RomanLate Latin name meaning
"lovable". Saint Amabilis was a 5th-century priest in Riom, central France.
Amadeus m Late RomanMeans
"love of God", derived from Latin
amo "to love" and
Deus "God". A famous bearer was the Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791), who was actually born Wolfgang
Theophilus Mozart but preferred the Latin translation of his Greek middle name. This name was also assumed as a middle name by the German novelist E. T. A. Hoffmann (1776-1822), who took it in honour of Mozart.
Amadis m LiteratureProbably an Old Spanish form of
Amadeus. In a medieval tale Amadis of Gaul was a heroic knight-errant and the lover of
Oriana. The earliest extant version of the story,
Amadís de Gaula, was written by Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo in 1508.