Garance f FrenchFrom the French name for a variety of flowering plant (genus Rubia; called
madder in English), which is used to make red dye. This name was borne by the central character in the French film
Les Enfants du Paradis (1945).
Garbhán m IrishFrom Old Irish
Garbán meaning
"little rough one", derived from
garb "rough" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of a 7th-century Irish saint.
Gardenia f English (Rare)From the name of the tropical flower, which was named for the Scottish naturalist Alexander Garden (1730-1791).
Garibald m GermanicDerived from the Old German elements
garo meaning "ready, prepared" and
bald meaning "bold, brave". This name was borne by two rulers of Bavaria in the 6th and 7th centuries, as well as a king of the Lombards in the 7th century.
Garland m EnglishFrom a surname meaning
"triangle land" from Old English
gara and
land. The surname originally belonged to a person who owned a triangle-shaped piece of land.
Garsea m Medieval SpanishMeaning unknown, possibly related to the Basque word
hartz meaning
"bear". This was the name of several medieval kings of Navarre and Leon.
Georgia f English, GreekLatinate feminine form of
George. This is the name of an American state, which was named after the British king George II. The country of Georgia has an unrelated etymology. A famous bearer was the American painter Georgia O'Keeffe (1887-1986).
Gera m Biblical, Biblical HebrewPossibly means
"a grain" in Hebrew. This is the name of several members of the tribe of Benjamin in the Old Testament.
Geraint m Welsh, Welsh Mythology, Arthurian CycleMeaning unknown, possibly a Welsh form of
Gerontius. This was the name of a figure in various Welsh legends. He was also incorporated into Arthurian tales (the romance
Geraint and Enid) as one of the Knights of the Round Table and the husband of
Enid.
Gerald m English, German, DutchFrom a Germanic name meaning
"power of the spear", from the elements
ger meaning "spear" and
walt meaning "power, authority". The Normans brought it to Britain. Though it died out in England during the Middle Ages, it remained common in Ireland. It was revived in the English-speaking world in 19th century.
... [more] Geraldine f EnglishFeminine form of
Gerald. This name was created by the poet Henry Howard for use in a 1537 sonnet praising Lady Elizabeth FitzGerald, whom he terms
The Geraldine.
Geralt m LiteratureVariant of
Gerald used by the Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski for the main character in
The Witcher book series (starting 1990). The series was adapted into a popular video game in 2007.
Gerard m English, Dutch, Catalan, PolishDerived from the Old German element
ger meaning "spear" combined with
hart meaning "hard, firm, brave, hardy". This name was borne by saints from Belgium, Germany, Hungary and Italy. The Normans introduced it to Britain. It was initially much more common there than the similar name
Gerald, with which it was often confused, but it is now less common.
Gerasimos m Greek, Late GreekDerived from Greek
γέρας (geras) meaning
"honour, gift". Saint Gerasimus was a 5th-century hermit who lived near the Jordan River.
Gerbald m GermanicDerived from the Old German elements
ger meaning "spear" and
bald meaning "bold, brave". This was the name of a 7th-century Frankish saint, a bishop of Bayeux (also called Gerbold).
Gerlach m Dutch (Rare), GermanicDerived from the Old German element
ger "spear" combined with (possibly)
lahhi "doctor, healer". Saint Gerlach was a 12th-century Dutch soldier who became a hermit.
Germaine f FrenchFrench feminine form of
Germain. Saint Germaine was a 16th-century peasant girl from France.
Germanicus m Ancient RomanRoman name derived from
Germania, traditionally the area north of the Roman Empire inhabited by early Germanic tribes. This was the agnomen of the Roman general Decimus Claudius Drusus, given posthumously because of his victories in Germania in the 1st century BC. It was also given to his young son, Germanicus Julius Caesar, later a successful general in his own right, who is known to history as simply Germanicus.
Germanus m Ancient RomanRoman cognomen meaning
"brother" in Latin. This was the name of several early saints.
Gervasius m Germanic (Latinized)Possibly a Latinized form of a Germanic name with a first element deriving from
ger "spear". The second element is uncertain, though some propose it to be Gaulish *
wassos "servant". Alternatively the name could be related to the Greek word
γεραιός (geraios) "old".
... [more] Ginevra f ItalianItalian form of
Guinevere. This is also the Italian name for the city of Geneva, Switzerland. It is also sometimes associated with the Italian word
ginepro meaning "juniper".
Giordano m ItalianItalian form of
Jordan. A notable bearer was the cosmologist Giordano Bruno (1548-1600), who was burned at the stake by the Inquisition.
Girisha m HinduismMeans
"lord of the mountain" in Sanskrit. This is a name of the Hindu god
Shiva, given because of his abode in the Himalayan Mountains.
Gloria f English, Spanish, Italian, GermanMeans
"glory", from the Portuguese and Spanish titles of the Virgin
Mary Maria da Glória and
María de Gloria. Maria da Glória (1819-1853) was the daughter of the Brazilian emperor Pedro I, eventually becoming queen of Portugal as Maria II.
... [more] Gloriana f English (Rare)Elaborated form of Latin
gloria meaning
"glory". In Edmund Spenser's poem
The Faerie Queene (1590) this was the name of the title character, a representation of Queen Elizabeth I.
Glorinda f EsperantoMeans
"worthy of glory" in Esperanto, ultimately from Latin
gloria.
Goran m Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Macedonian, BulgarianDerived from South Slavic
gora meaning "mountain". It was popularized by the Croatian poet Ivan Goran Kovačić (1913-1943), who got his middle name because of the mountain town where he was born.
Gordan m Serbian, CroatianDerived from South Slavic
gord meaning
"proud". This name and the feminine form Gordana were popularized by the publication of Croatian author Marija Jurić Zagorka's novel
Gordana (1935).
Gordian m HistoryFrom the Roman cognomen
Gordianus meaning
"from Gordium", Gordium being the capital of Phrygia in Asia Minor. This is the name by which three Roman emperors are known.
Gormlaith f Old IrishDerived from Old Irish
gorm "blue" or "illustrious" and
flaith "ruler, sovereign, princess". This was the name of several medieval Irish royals, including the wife of the 11th-century king
Brian Boru.
Grace f EnglishFrom the English word
grace, which ultimately derives from Latin
gratia. This was one of the virtue names created in the 17th century by the Puritans. The actress Grace Kelly (1929-1982) was a famous bearer.
... [more] Grady m EnglishFrom an Irish surname, itself derived from the byname
Gráda meaning "noble, illustrious".
Graeme m Scottish, EnglishFrom a surname that was a variant of
Graham. This particular spelling for the given name has been most common in Scotland, New Zealand and Australia.
Graham m Scottish, EnglishFrom a Scottish surname, originally derived from the English place name
Grantham, which probably meant
"gravelly homestead" in Old English. The surname was first taken to Scotland in the 12th century by the Norman baron William de Graham. A famous bearer of the surname was Alexander Graham Bell (1847-1922), the Scottish-Canadian-American inventor who devised the telephone. A famous bearer of the given name was the British author Graham Greene (1904-1991).
... [more] Gráinne f Irish, Irish Mythology, Old IrishPossibly derived from Old Irish
grán meaning
"grain" or
gráin meaning
"hatred, fear". In the Irish legend
The Pursuit of Diarmaid and Gráinne she escaped from her arranged marriage to
Fionn mac Cumhaill by fleeing with her lover
Diarmaid. Another famous bearer was the powerful 16th-century Irish landowner and seafarer Gráinne Ní Mháille (known in English as Grace O'Malley), who was sometimes portrayed as a pirate queen in later tales.
Granit m AlbanianMeans
"granite" in Albanian, from Italian
granito, ultimately derived from Latin
granum meaning "grain".
Grant m English, ScottishFrom an English and Scottish surname that was derived from Norman French
grand meaning
"great, large". A famous bearer of the surname was Ulysses Grant (1822-1885), the commander of the Union forces during the American Civil War who later served as president. In America the name has often been given in his honour.
Granuaile f HistoryFrom Irish
Gráinne Mhaol meaning "bald
Gráinne". This was another name of Gráinne Ní Mháille, given in reference to her close-cropped hair as a young woman.
Gratian m HistoryFrom the Roman name
Gratianus, which was derived from Latin
gratus meaning
"grateful". Saint Gratian was the first bishop of Tours (4th century). This was also the name of a Roman emperor.
Gray m & f English (Rare)From an English surname meaning
"grey", originally given to a person who had grey hair or clothing.
Grayson m English (Modern)From an English surname meaning
"son of the steward", derived from Middle English
greyve "steward". It became common towards the end of the 20th century because of its similarity to popular names like
Jason,
Mason and
Graham.
Grażyna f PolishFrom Lithuanian
graži meaning
"beautiful". This name was created by Polish poet Adam Mickiewicz for his poem
Grażyna (1823).
Gresham m English (Rare)From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"grazing homestead" in Old English.
Griselda f English, Spanish, LiteraturePossibly derived from the Old German elements
gris "grey" and
hilt "battle". It is not attested as a Germanic name. This was the name of a patient wife in medieval folklore, adapted into tales by Boccaccio (in
The Decameron) and Chaucer (in
The Canterbury Tales).
Gudbrand m NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Guðbrandr meaning
"god's sword", derived from the elements
guð "god" and
brandr "fire, torch, sword".
Guntram m GermanMeans
"war raven" from the Old German elements
gunda "war" and
hram "raven". This was the name of a 6th-century Frankish king, sometimes called Gontrand, who is considered a saint.
Gwyneira f WelshMeans
"white snow" from the Welsh element
gwyn meaning "white, blessed" combined with
eira meaning "snow". This is a recently created Welsh name.
Hadrian m HistoryFrom the Roman cognomen
Hadrianus, which meant
"from Hadria" in Latin. Hadria was the name of two Roman settlements. The first (modern Adria) is in northern Italy and was an important Etruscan port town. The second (modern Atri) is in central Italy and was named after the northern town. The Adriatic Sea is also named after the northern town.
... [more] Haoran m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
浩 (hào) meaning "great, numerous, vast" and
然 (rán) meaning "right, correct". Other combinations of similar-sounding characters can also form this name.
Harlan m EnglishFrom a surname that was from a place name meaning
"hare land" in Old English. In America it has sometimes been given in honour of Supreme Court justice John Marshall Harlan (1833-1911).
Harpa f IcelandicFrom the name of the first summer month in the old Icelandic calendar, which might have originally been named for an unattested pre-Christian goddess. It also means
"harp" in Icelandic.
Harsha m Kannada, Telugu, SanskritMeans
"happiness" in Sanskrit. Harsha (or Harṣa, also called Harshavardhana) was a 7th-century emperor of northern India. He was also noted as an author.
Haruka f & m JapaneseFrom Japanese
遥 (haruka) meaning "distant, remote". It can also come from
春 (haru) meaning "spring" or
晴 (haru) meaning "clear weather" combined with
花 (ka) meaning "flower, blossom" or
香 (ka) meaning "fragrance". Additionally, other kanji combinations can form this name.
Haruna 1 f JapaneseFrom Japanese
晴 (haru) meaning "clear weather",
遥 (haru) meaning "distant, remote" or
春 (haru) meaning "spring" combined with
菜 (na) meaning "vegetables, greens". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Hasdrubal m Phoenician (Latinized), HistoryMeans
"Ba'al helps", derived from Phoenician
𐤏𐤆𐤓 (ʿazru) meaning "to help" combined with the name of the god
Ba'al. This name was borne by several figures from Carthaginian history, including the 3rd-century BC general Hasdrubal Barca (brother of
Hannibal) who fought in the Second Punic War.
Haurvatat f Persian MythologyMeans
"health, perfection, wholeness" in Avestan. This was the name of a Zoroastrian goddess (one of the Amesha Spenta) associated with health and water. She was often mentioned with
Ameretat.
Heirani f TahitianFrom Tahitian
hei "crown, garland" and
raʻi "heaven, sky".
Hemera f Greek MythologyMeans
"day" in Greek. This was the name of the Greek goddess who personified the daytime. According to Hesiod she was the daughter of
Nyx, the personification of the night.
Hera f Greek MythologyUncertain meaning, possibly from Greek
ἥρως (heros) meaning
"hero, warrior";
ὥρα (hora) meaning
"period of time"; or
αἱρέω (haireo) meaning
"to be chosen". In Greek mythology Hera was the queen of the gods, the sister and wife of
Zeus. She presided over marriage and childbirth.
Heraclius m Ancient Greek (Latinized)Latinized form of the Greek personal name
Ἡράκλειος (Herakleios), which was derived from the name of the Greek hero
Herakles. This was the name of a 7th-century Byzantine emperor, known for his victories over the Sasanian Persian Empire. This name was also borne by two early saints.
Herais f Ancient GreekAncient Greek personal name that was probably derived from the name of the Greek goddess
Hera. It was borne by a saint and martyr from Alexandria who was killed during the early 4th-century persecutions of the Roman emperor
Diocletian.
Herakleides m Ancient GreekMeans
"son of Herakles" in Greek, derived from the name of the mythic hero
Herakles combined with the patronymic suffix
ἴδης (ides). This was the name of a 4th-century BC Greek astronomer who theorized the rotation of the earth.
Herakles m Greek MythologyMeans
"glory of Hera" from the name of the goddess
Hera combined with Greek
κλέος (kleos) meaning "glory". This was the name of a hero in Greek and Roman mythology, the son of
Zeus and the mortal woman
Alcmene. After being driven insane by
Hera and killing his own children, Herakles completed twelve labours in order to atone for his crime and become immortal.
Hereward m Anglo-SaxonDerived from the Old English elements
here "army" and
weard "guard". This was the name of an 11th-century Anglo-Saxon leader who rebelled against Norman rule.
Herla m Anglo-Saxon MythologyMeaning uncertain, though connections to various Germanic words have been proposed. According to the 12th-century author Walter Map, who was likely expanding on older Germanic tales, Herla was a king of the Britons who became the leader of the Wild Hunt.
Herleva f Germanic (Latinized)Possibly from the Old German elements
heri "army" and
leiba "remainder, remnant, legacy" (or the Old Norse cognates
herr and
leif, see
Herleif). This was the name of the mother of William the Conqueror, who, according to tradition, was a commoner.
Hermagoras m Ancient GreekFrom the name of the messenger god
Hermes combined with Greek
ἀγορά (agora) meaning "assembly, marketplace". Saint Hermagoras (3rd century) was the first bishop of Aquileia in Italy.
Herman m English, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Slovene, GermanicMeans
"army man", derived from the Old German elements
heri "army" and
man "person, man". It was introduced to England by the Normans, died out, and was revived in the English-speaking world in the 19th century. It was borne by an 18th-century Russian missionary to Alaska who is venerated as a saint in the Orthodox Church, though in his case the name is an alternate transcription of
German. Another famous bearer was the American writer Herman Melville (1819-1891), the author of
Moby-Dick.
Hermann m GermanGerman form of
Herman. A famous bearer was the German author Hermann Hesse (1877-1962).
Hermia f LiteratureFeminine form of
Hermes. Shakespeare used this name in his comedy
A Midsummer Night's Dream (1595).
Hernando m SpanishMedieval Spanish form of
Ferdinand. A famous bearer of this name was the Spanish conquistador Hernando (or Hernán) Cortés (1485-1547).
Herodias f Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical GreekFeminine form of
Herod. This was the name of a member of the Herodian ruling family of Judea, a sister of Herod Agrippa and the wife of Herod Antipas. She appears in the New Testament, where she contrives to have her husband Antipas imprison and execute John the Baptist.
Hersilia f Roman MythologyMeaning uncertain, perhaps related to Greek
ἕρση (herse) meaning
"dew". In Roman legend this was the name of a Sabine woman who became the wife of
Romulus.
Hertha f GermanForm of
Nerthus. The spelling change from
N to
H resulted from a misreading of Tacitus's text.
Hertta f FinnishFinnish form of
Hertha. This is also the Finnish word for the card suit hearts.
Hildebrand m German (Archaic), GermanicMeans
"battle sword", derived from the Old German element
hilt "battle" combined with
brant "fire, torch, sword". This was the name of the hero of an 8th-century poem written in Old High German.