Ieuan m WelshMedieval Welsh form of
Iohannes (see
John), revived in the 19th century.
Ifan m WelshModern form of
Ieuan, a medieval Welsh form of
Iohannes (see
John).
Ignatius m Late RomanFrom the Roman family name
Egnatius, meaning unknown, of Etruscan origin. The spelling was later altered to resemble Latin
ignis "fire". This was the name of several saints, including the third bishop of Antioch who was thrown to wild beasts by Emperor Trajan, and by Saint Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556), founder of the Jesuits, whose real birth name was in fact
Íñigo.
I-Jun m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
利 (i) meaning "advantage, benefit" combined with
准 (jun) meaning "approve, permit". This name can be formed by other hanja characters as well.
İlhan m TurkishFrom the Mongolian title
il-Khan meaning
"subordinate Khan", which was first adopted by Genghis Khan's grandson Hulagu, who ruled a realm called the Ilkhanate that stretched from modern Iran to eastern Turkey.
Ilmarinen m Finnish MythologyDerived from Finnish
ilma meaning
"air". Ilmarinen is an immortal smith in Finnish mythology, the creator of the sky and the magic mill known as the Sampo. He is one of the main characters in the Finnish epic the
Kalevala.
Imants m LatvianPossibly from Livonian (a Finnic language that was spoken in Latvia)
im "miracle" and
and "to give".
Imogen f English (British)The name of the daughter of King
Cymbeline in the play
Cymbeline (1609) by William Shakespeare. He based her on a legendary character named
Innogen, but it was printed incorrectly and never emended.
Innogen is probably derived from Gaelic
inghean meaning
"maiden". As a given name it is chiefly British and Australian.
Inas f ArabicMeans
"friendliness" in Arabic, from the root
أنس (ʾanisa) meaning "to be friendly".
Inken f FrisianOriginally a diminutive of
Ingeborg and other names beginning with the element
ing, which refers to the Germanic god
Ing.
Ioannikios m Late GreekCombination of
Ioannes and Greek
νίκη (nike) meaning "victory". This name was borne by Ioannikios (or Joannicius) the Great, a 9th-century Byzantine saint.
Ion 2 m Greek MythologyOf unknown etymology, possibly Pre-Greek. According to Greek mythology he was a son of Creusa and Xuthus (or alternatively the god
Apollo). He was said to be the ancestor of the Greek tribe of the Ionians.
Iris f Greek Mythology, English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, French, Spanish, Catalan, Italian, Slovene, Croatian, GreekMeans
"rainbow" in Greek. Iris was the name of the Greek goddess of the rainbow, also serving as a messenger to the gods. This name can also be given in reference to the word (which derives from the same Greek source) for the iris flower or the coloured part of the eye.
Irnerius m HistoryProbably from
Wernerius, a Latinized form of the Germanic name
Werner. This was the name of a 12th-century Italian scholar and jurist. He sometimes wrote his name as
Wernerius.
Isis f Egyptian Mythology (Hellenized)Greek form of Egyptian
ꜣst (reconstructed as
Iset,
Aset or
Ueset), possibly from
st meaning
"throne". In Egyptian mythology Isis was the goddess of the sky and nature, the wife of
Osiris and the mother of
Horus. She was originally depicted wearing a throne-shaped headdress, but in later times she was conflated with the goddess
Hathor and depicted having the horns of a cow on her head. She was also worshipped by people outside of Egypt, such as the Greeks and Romans.
Islwyn m WelshFrom the name of a mountain in Wales that means "below the forest" from Welsh
is "below" and
llwyn "forest, grove".
István m HungarianHungarian form of
Stephen. This was the name of the first king of Hungary. Ruling in the 11th century, he encouraged the spread of Christianity among his subjects and is considered the patron saint of Hungary.
Italus m Roman MythologyMeans
"of Italy" in Latin. In Roman legend Italus was the father of
Romulus and
Remus, the founders of Rome. He supposedly gave his name to the region known as Italia or Italy (in fact the region may have gotten its name from Oscan
Víteliú meaning "land of bulls").
Iðunn f Norse Mythology, Old Norse, IcelandicProbably derived from the Old Norse prefix
ið- "again, repeated" and
unna "to love". In Norse mythology Iðunn was the goddess of spring and immortality whose responsibility it was to guard the gods' apples of youth.
Ivan m Russian, Bulgarian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Serbian, Macedonian, Croatian, Czech, Slovak, Slovene, English, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, EstonianNewer form of the Old Church Slavic name
Іѡаннъ (Ioannŭ), which was derived from Greek
Ioannes (see
John). This was the name of six Russian rulers, including the 15th-century Ivan III the Great and 16th-century Ivan IV the Terrible, the first tsar of Russia. It was also borne by nine emperors of Bulgaria. Other notable bearers include the Russian author Ivan Turgenev (1818-1883), who wrote
Fathers and Sons, and the Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936), who is best known for his discovery of the conditioned reflex.
Iwan m Welsh, PolishModern Welsh form of
Ieuan, a medieval Welsh form of
Iohannes (see
John). It is also a Polish form of
Ivan.
Izaskun f BasqueFrom the name of a sanctuary dedicated to the Virgin
Mary near Tolosa, Gipuzkoa, Spain. It possibly means "broom bush above the valley" in Basque.
Izz ad-Din m ArabicMeans
"glory of religion", derived from Arabic
عزّ (ʿizz) meaning "glory, honour, power" and
دين (dīn) meaning "religion, faith". In the 13th century Izz ad-Din Aybak became the first Mamluk ruler of Egypt. The Mamluks were a warrior caste who were originally slaves.
Jabin m BiblicalMeans
"perceptive" in Hebrew. This name was borne by two kings of Hazor according to the Old Testament.
Jachin m BiblicalMeans
"he establishes" in Hebrew, derived from
כּוּן (kun) meaning "to establish". This was the name of a son of
Simeon in the Old Testament. It was also the name of one of the two pillars that stood outside Solomon's Temple,
Boaz being the other.
Jackson m EnglishFrom the English surname
Jackson meaning
"son of Jack". Famous bearers of the surname were American president Andrew Jackson (1767-1845) and American musician Michael Jackson (1958-2009).
Jaden m & f English (Modern)An invented name, using the popular
den suffix sound found in such names as
Braden,
Hayden and
Aidan. This name first became common in America in the 1990s when similar-sounding names were increasing in popularity. The spelling
Jayden has been more popular since 2003. It is sometimes considered a variant of the biblical name
Jadon.
Jadis f LiteratureUsed by the author C. S. Lewis as the proper name of the White Witch, the antagonist in his novel
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950). He may have based it on French
jadis meaning
"long ago, of old" or Persian
جادو (jādū) meaning
"magic, witch".
Jadon m BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
יָדוֹן (Yaḏon), of uncertain meaning. It might mean
"thankful" from the root
יָדָה (yaḏa), or it could mean
"he will judge" from the root
דִּין (din). This name is borne by a minor character in the Old Testament.
Jahan m PersianMeans
"world" in Persian. This name was borne by Shah Jahan, a 17th-century Mughal emperor who is best known as the builder of the Taj Mahal.
Jairus m BiblicalFrom
Ἰάϊρος (Iairos), the Greek form of
Jair used in the New Testament, where it belongs to the father of a young girl brought back to life by
Jesus.
Jalal ad-Din m ArabicMeans
"greatness of the faith" from Arabic
جلال (jalāl) meaning "greatness, splendour" and
دين (dīn) meaning "religion, faith". Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi, commonly called just Rumi, was a 13th-century Persian poet.
Jalen m African American (Modern)An invented name. In America it was popularized in the 1990s by basketball player Jalen Rose (1973-), whose name was a combination of those of his father
James and maternal uncle
Leonard.
Jamal ad-Din m ArabicMeans
"beauty of the faith" from Arabic
جمال (jamāl) meaning "beauty" and
دين (dīn) meaning "religion, faith". Jamal ad-Din al-Afghani (1839-1897) was a political activist who promoted pan-Islamism.
James m English, BiblicalEnglish form of the Late Latin name
Iacomus, a variant of the Biblical Latin form
Iacobus, from the Hebrew name
Yaʿaqov (see
Jacob). This was the name of two apostles in the New Testament. The first was Saint James the Greater, the apostle
John's brother, who was beheaded under Herod Agrippa in the Book of Acts. The second was James the Lesser, son of
Alphaeus. Another James (known as James the Just) is also mentioned in the Bible as being the brother of
Jesus.
... [more] Jamin m BiblicalMeans
"right hand" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of a son of
Simeon.
Jan 1 m Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Czech, Polish, Slovene, German, Catalan, SorbianForm of
Johannes used in various languages. This name was borne by the Czech church reformer Jan Hus (1370-1415), the Flemish painter Jan van Eyck (1390-1441), and the Dutch painters Jan Steen (1626-1679) and Jan Vermeer (1632-1675).
Janan f ArabicMeans
"heart" or
"soul" in Arabic, a derivative of
جنّ (janna) meaning "to cover, to hide".
Januarius m Ancient RomanRoman cognomen meaning
"January" in Latin. The name of the month derives from the name of the Roman god
Janus. Saint Januarius, the patron saint of Naples, was a bishop who was beheaded during the persecutions of Emperor
Diocletian in the early 4th century.
Janus m Roman MythologyMeans
"archway" in Latin. Janus was the Roman god of gateways and beginnings, often depicted as having two faces looking in opposite directions. The month of January is named for him.
Jason m English, French, Greek Mythology (Anglicized), BiblicalFrom the Greek name
Ἰάσων (Iason) meaning
"healer", derived from Greek
ἰάομαι (iaomai) meaning "to heal". In Greek mythology Jason was the leader of the Argonauts. After his uncle
Pelias overthrew his father
Aeson as king of Iolcos, Jason went in search of the Golden Fleece in order to win back the throne. During his journeys he married the sorceress
Medea, who helped him gain the fleece and kill his uncle, but who later turned against him when he fell in love with another woman.
... [more] Javan m BiblicalMeans
"Greece" in Hebrew, probably related to Greek
Ἴωνες (Iones), the name for the tribe of the Ionians. In the Old Testament this is the name of a grandson of
Noah and the ancestor of the Greek peoples.
Jayden m & f English (Modern)Variant of
Jaden. This spelling continued to rapidly rise in popularity in the United States past 2003, unlike
Jaden, which stalled. It peaked at the fourth rank for boys in 2010, showing tremendous growth over only two decades. It has since declined.
Jean 1 m FrenchModern French form of
Jehan, the Old French form of
Iohannes (see
John). Since the 12th century it has consistently been the most common male name in France. It finally dropped from the top rank in 1958, unseated by
Philippe.
... [more] Jean 2 f English, ScottishMedieval English variant of
Jehanne (see
Jane). It was common in England and Scotland during the Middle Ages, but eventually became rare in England. It was reintroduced to the English-speaking world from Scotland in the 19th century.
Jefferson m EnglishFrom the English surname
Jefferson meaning
"son of Jeffrey". It is usually given in honour of Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), the third president of the United States and the primary author of the Declaration of Independence.
Jehohanan m BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
Yehoḥanan, an extended form of
Yoḥanan (see
John). It is borne by a few minor characters in the English Old Testament.
Jehoiachin m BiblicalMeans
"Yahweh will establish" in Hebrew, from the roots
יְהוֹ (yeho) referring to the Hebrew God and
כּוּן (kun) meaning "to establish". In the Old Testament this is the name of a king of Judah. Also known as
Jeconiah, he was imprisoned in Babylon by
Nebuchadnezzar after a brief reign in the early 6th century BC.
Jennings m EnglishFrom the English surname
Jennings, itself derived from a diminutive of the given name
John. The name's spike in popularity in the 1890s was due to the American politician William Jennings Bryan (1860-1925).
Jeong-Hun m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
正 (jeong) meaning "right, proper, correct" and
勛 (hun) meaning "meritorious deed, rank", as well as other hanja character combinations.
Jesus m Theology, Biblical, PortugueseEnglish form of
Ἰησοῦς (Iesous), which was the Greek form of the Aramaic name
יֵשׁוּעַ (Yeshuaʿ).
Yeshuaʿ is itself a contracted form of
Yehoshuaʿ (see
Joshua). Yeshua ben Yoseph, better known as Jesus Christ, is the central figure of the New Testament and the source of the Christian religion. The four gospels state that he was the son of God and the Virgin
Mary who fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah. He preached for three years before being crucified in Jerusalem.
Jian m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
建 (jiàn) meaning "build, establish",
健 (jiàn) meaning "strong, healthy", or other characters that are pronounced in a similar fashion.
Ji-Eun f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
枝 (ji) meaning "branch, limb",
知 (ji) meaning "know, perceive, comprehend" or
志 (ji) meaning "will, purpose, ambition" combined with
恩 (eun) meaning "kindness, mercy, charity". This name can be formed by other hanja character combinations as well.
Ji-Hun m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
智 (ji) meaning "wisdom, intellect" or
志 (ji) meaning "will, purpose, ambition" combined with
勛 (hun) meaning "meritorious deed, rank". This name can be formed by other hanja character combinations as well.
Ji-Min f & m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
志 (ji) meaning "will, purpose, ambition" or
智 (ji) meaning "wisdom, intellect" combined with
旼 (min) meaning "gentle, affable",
敏 (min) meaning "quick, clever, sharp" or
珉 (min) meaning "jade, stone resembling jade". Other hanja character combinations are possible.
Jin 1 m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
金 (jīn) meaning "gold, metal, money",
锦 (jǐn) meaning "tapestry, brocade, embroidered" or
津 (jīn) meaning "ferry". Other Chinese characters can form this name as well.
Jin 2 m JapaneseFrom Japanese
仁 (jin) meaning "compassionate" or other kanji having the same reading.
Jinan m & f ArabicMeans
"garden" or
"paradise" in Arabic, ultimately from the root
جنّ (janna) meaning "to cover, to hide".
Ji-Won f & m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
智 (ji) meaning "wisdom, intellect" or
志 (ji) meaning "will, purpose, ambition" combined with
媛 (won) meaning "beautiful woman" or
元 (won) meaning "first, origin". This name can also be formed from many other hanja combinations.
Ji-Yeon f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
智 (ji) meaning "wisdom, intellect" or
志 (ji) meaning "will, purpose, ambition" combined with
妍 (yeon) meaning "beautiful". Other combinations of hanja characters can also form this name.
Ji-Yun f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
志 (ji) meaning "will, purpose, ambition" and
胤 (yun) meaning "heir, successor", as well as many other combinations of hanja characters.
Joan 1 f EnglishMedieval English form of
Johanne, an Old French form of
Iohanna (see
Joanna). This was the usual English feminine form of
John in the Middle Ages, but it was surpassed in popularity by
Jane in the 17th century. It again became quite popular in the first half of the 20th century, entering the top ten names for both the United States and the United Kingdom, though it has since faded.
... [more] Jocelyn f & m English, FrenchFrom a Frankish masculine name, variously written as
Gautselin,
Gauzlin, along with many other spellings. It was derived from the Germanic element *
gautaz, which was from the name of the Germanic tribe the Geats, combined with a Latin diminutive suffix. The Normans brought this name to England in the form
Goscelin or
Joscelin, and it was common until the 14th century. It was revived in the 20th century primarily as a feminine name, perhaps an adaptation of the surname
Jocelyn (a medieval derivative of the given name). In France this is a masculine name only.
Johanan m BiblicalForm of
Yoḥanan (see
John) used in the English Old Testament, where is borne by several people including a military leader in the time of the prophet
Jeremiah.
Johann m GermanGerman form of
Iohannes (see
John). Famous bearers include German composer Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), German novelist and poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832), and Austrian composers Johann Strauss the Elder (1804-1849) and his son Johann Strauss the Younger (1825-1899).
Johannes m German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Late RomanLatin form of Greek
Ioannes (see
John). Notable bearers include the inventor of the printing press Johannes Gutenberg (1398-1468), astronomer Johannes Kepler (1571-1630), painter Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675), and composer Johannes Brahms (1833-1897).
John m English, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Dutch, BiblicalEnglish form of
Iohannes, the Latin form of the Greek name
Ἰωάννης (Ioannes), itself derived from the Hebrew name
יוֹחָנָן (Yoḥanan). It means
"Yahweh is gracious", from the roots
יוֹ (yo) referring to the Hebrew God and
חָנַן (ḥanan) meaning "to be gracious". The Hebrew form occurs in the Old Testament (spelled
Johanan or
Jehohanan in the English version), but this name owes its popularity to two New Testament characters, both highly revered saints. The first is John the Baptist, a Jewish ascetic who is considered the forerunner of
Jesus. He baptized Jesus and was later executed by
Herod Antipas. The second is the apostle John, who is traditionally regarded as the author of the fourth gospel and Revelation. With the apostles
Peter and
James (John's brother), he was part of the inner circle of Jesus.
... [more] Joktan m BiblicalMeans
"small" in Hebrew. This is the name of a son of
Eber in the Old Testament.
Jolyon m English (Rare)Medieval form of
Julian. The author John Galsworthy used it for a character in his
Forsyte Saga novels (published between 1906 and 1922).