Cinderella f LiteratureMeans
"little ashes", in part from the French name
Cendrillon. This is the main character in the folktale
Cinderella about a maltreated young woman who eventually marries a prince. This old story is best known in the English-speaking world from the French author Charles Perrault's 1697 version. She has other names in other languages, usually with the meaning "ashes", such as German
Aschenputtel and Italian
Cenerentola.
Circe f Greek Mythology (Latinized)Latinized form of Greek
Κίρκη (Kirke), possibly from
κίρκος (kirkos) meaning
"hawk". In Greek mythology Circe was a sorceress who changed
Odysseus's crew into hogs, as told in Homer's
Odyssey. Odysseus forced her to change them back, then stayed with her for a year before continuing his voyage.
Claire f French, EnglishFrench form of
Clara. This was a common name in France throughout the 20th century, though it has since been eclipsed there by
Clara. It was also very popular in the United Kingdom, especially in the 1970s.
Clara f German, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French, Catalan, Romanian, English, Swedish, Danish, Late RomanFeminine form of the Late Latin name
Clarus, which meant
"clear, bright, famous". The name
Clarus was borne by a few early saints. The feminine form was popularized by the 13th-century Saint Clare of Assisi (called
Chiara in Italian), a friend and follower of Saint Francis, who left her wealthy family to found the order of nuns known as the Poor Clares.
... [more] Clare f EnglishMedieval English form of
Clara. The preferred spelling in the English-speaking world is now the French form
Claire, though
Clare has been fairly popular in the United Kingdom and Australia.
... [more] Claribel f EnglishCombination of
Clara and the common name suffix
bel, from Latin
bella "beautiful". This name was used by Edmund Spenser in his poem
The Faerie Queene (1590; in the form
Claribell) and by Shakespeare in his play
The Tempest (1611). Alfred Tennyson also wrote a poem entitled
Claribel (1830).
Clarice f EnglishMedieval vernacular form of the Late Latin name
Claritia, which was a derivative of
Clara.
Clarissa f English, ItalianLatinate form of
Clarice. This is the name of the title character in a 1748 novel by Samuel Richardson. In the novel Clarissa Harlowe is a virtuous woman who is tragically exploited by her family and her lover. Another literary character by this name is Clarissa Dalloway from the novel
Mrs. Dalloway (1925) by Virginia Woolf.
Clarity f English (Rare)Simply means "clarity, lucidity" from the English word, ultimately from Latin
clarus "clear".
Clemence f EnglishFeminine form of
Clementius (see
Clement). It has been in use since the Middle Ages, though it became rare after the 17th century.
Clemency f English (Rare)Medieval variant of
Clemence. It can also simply mean "clemency, mercy" from the English word, ultimately from Latin
clemens "merciful".
Cleopatra f Ancient Greek (Latinized)From the Greek name
Κλεοπάτρα (Kleopatra) meaning
"glory of the father", derived from
κλέος (kleos) meaning "glory" combined with
πατήρ (pater) meaning "father" (genitive
πατρός). This was the name of queens of Egypt from the Ptolemaic royal family, including Cleopatra VII, the mistress of both Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. After being defeated by Augustus she committed suicide (according to popular belief, by allowing herself to be bitten by a venomous asp). Shakespeare's tragedy
Antony and Cleopatra (1606) tells the story of her life.
Clíodhna f Irish, Irish MythologyMeaning unknown. In Irish legend this was the name of a beautiful goddess. She fell in love with a mortal named Ciabhán and left the Land of Promise with him, but when she arrived on the other shore she was swept to sea by a great wave.
Clodagh f IrishFrom the Clodiagh, a small river in County Waterford, Ireland. It was first used as a given name by Clodagh Beresford (1879-1957), daughter of the Marquess of Waterford.
Cloelia f Ancient RomanFeminine form of
Cloelius. In Roman legend Cloelia was a maiden who was given to an Etruscan invader as a hostage. She managed to escape by swimming across the Tiber, at the same time helping some of the other captives to safety.
Clotilde f French, Italian, Portuguese, SpanishFrench form of
Chrodechildis, the Latin form of a Frankish name composed of the elements
hruod "fame, glory" and
hilt "battle". Saint Clotilde (whose name was originally recorded in forms such as
Chrodechildis or
Chrotchildis in Latin sources) was the wife of the Frankish king Clovis, whom she converted to Christianity. It was also borne by others in the Merovingian royal family. In the Middle Ages this name was confused with
Chlodechilda, in which the first element is
hlut "famous, loud".
Clover f English (Modern)From the English word for the wild flower, ultimately deriving from Old English
clafre.
Clytemnestra f Greek Mythology (Latinized)Latinized form of Greek
Κλυταιμνήστρα (Klytaimnestra) and
Κλυταιμήστρα (Klytaimestra), in which the first element is
κλυτός (klytos) meaning "famous, noble". The spelling
Klytaimnestra would suggest the second element is
μνηστήρ (mnester) meaning "courter, wooer", while
Klytaimestra would suggest a connection to
μήδομαι (medomai) meaning "to plan, to intend". There is debate over which spelling is earlier or more authentic, since the ancient texts seem to make puns based on both etymologies.
Klytaimestra appears in the works of the Greek tragedians such as Aeschylus, while
Klytaimnestra appears in Homer's poems (the earliest extant copy dating from the post-classical period).
... [more] Coco f VariousDiminutive of names beginning with
Co, influenced by the word
cocoa. However, this was not the case for French fashion designer Coco Chanel (1883-1971; real name Gabrielle), whose nickname came from the name of a song she performed while working as a cabaret singer.
Colleen f EnglishDerived from the Irish word
cailín meaning
"girl". It is not commonly used in Ireland itself, but has been used in America since the early 20th century.
Comfort f English (African)From the English word
comfort, ultimately from Latin
conforto "to strengthen", a derivative of
fortis "strong". It was used as a given name after the Protestant Reformation. It is now most common in parts of English-influenced Africa.
Concetta f ItalianMeans
"conceived" in Italian, referring to the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin
Mary.
Condoleezza f Various (Rare)In the case of the former American Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (1954-), it is derived from the Italian musical term
con dolcezza meaning
"with sweetness".
Consolata f ItalianMeans
"consoled" in Italian. It is taken from the title of the Virgin
Mary,
Maria Consolata.
Coral f English, SpanishFrom the English and Spanish word
coral for the underwater skeletal deposits that can form reefs. It is ultimately derived (via Old French and Latin) from Greek
κοράλλιον (korallion).
Cordelia f Literature, EnglishFrom
Cordeilla, a name appearing in the 12th-century chronicles of Geoffrey of Monmouth, borne by the youngest of the three daughters of King
Leir and the only one to remain loyal to her father. Geoffrey possibly based her name on that of
Creiddylad, a character from Welsh legend.
... [more] Cordula f GermanLate Latin name meaning
"heart" from Latin
cor (genitive
cordis). Saint Cordula was one of the 4th-century companions of Saint Ursula.
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.
Cornelia f German, Romanian, Italian, Dutch, English, Ancient RomanFeminine form of
Cornelius. In the 2nd century BC it was borne by Cornelia Scipionis Africana (the daughter of the military hero Scipio Africanus), the mother of the two reformers known as the Gracchi. After her death she was regarded as an example of the ideal Roman woman. The name was revived in the 18th century.
Cosette f French, LiteratureFrom French
chosette meaning
"little thing". This is the nickname of the illegitimate daughter of Fantine in Victor Hugo's novel
Les Misérables (1862). Her real name is
Euphrasie, though it is seldom used. In the novel young Cosette is the ward of the cruel Thénardiers until she is retrieved by Jean Valjean.
Courtney f & m EnglishFrom the aristocratic English surname
Courtney, which was derived either from the French place name
Courtenay (originally a derivative of the personal name
Curtenus, itself derived from Latin
curtus "short") or else from a Norman nickname meaning "short nose".
... [more] Crocifissa f Italian (Rare)Means
"crucifix" in Italian, derived from Latin
crucifixus "fixed to a cross", from
crux "cross" and
fixus "fixed, fastened".
Cruella f Popular CultureFrom the English word
cruel, ultimately from Latin
crudelis "hard, severe, cruel". This is the name of the antagonist, Cruella de Vil, in the 1961 Disney movie
101 Dalmatians, based on a 1956 novel by Dodie Smith.
Crystal f EnglishFrom the English word
crystal for the clear, colourless glass, sometimes cut into the shape of a gemstone. The English word derives ultimately from Greek
κρύσταλλος (krystallos) meaning "ice". It has been in use as a given name since the 19th century.
Csilla f HungarianDerived from Hungarian
csillag meaning
"star". This name was created by the Hungarian author András Dugonics for an 1803 novel and later used and popularized by the poet Mihály Vörösmarty.
Cybele f Near Eastern Mythology (Latinized)Meaning unknown, possibly from Phrygian roots meaning either
"stone" or
"hair". This was the name of the Phrygian mother goddess associated with fertility and nature. She was later worshipped by the Greeks and Romans.
Cybill f English (Rare)Variant of
Sibyl. This name was borne by actress Cybill Shepherd (1950-), who was named after her grandfather Cy and her father Bill.
Cynthia f English, French, Greek Mythology (Latinized)Latinized form of Greek
Κυνθία (Kynthia), which means
"woman from Cynthus". This was an epithet of the Greek moon goddess
Artemis, given because Cynthus was the mountain on Delos on which she and her twin brother
Apollo were born. It was not used as a given name until the Renaissance, and it did not become common in the English-speaking world until the 19th century. It reached a peak of popularity in the United States in 1957 and has declined steadily since then.
Daenerys f LiteratureCreated by author George R. R. Martin for a character in his series
A Song of Ice and Fire, first published 1996, and the television adaptation
Game of Thrones (2011-2019). An explanation for the meaning of her name is not provided, though it is presumably intended to be of Valyrian origin. In the series Daenerys Targaryen is a queen of the Dothraki and a claimant to the throne of Westeros.
Daffodil f English (Rare)From the name of the flower, ultimately derived from Dutch
de affodil meaning "the asphodel".
Dafna f HebrewMeans
"laurel" in Hebrew, of Greek origin.
Daisy f EnglishSimply from the English word for the white flower, ultimately derived from Old English
dægeseage meaning "day eye". It was first used as a given name in the 19th century, at the same time many other plant and flower names were coined.
... [more] Daiva f LithuanianCreated by the Lithuanian writer Vydūnas, who possibly derived it from a Sanskrit word meaning
"destiny".
Dalia 2 f Lithuanian, Baltic MythologyFrom Lithuanian
dalis meaning
"portion, share". This was the name of the Lithuanian goddess of weaving, fate and childbirth, often associated with
Laima.
Damodara m HinduismMeans
"rope around the belly", derived from Sanskrit
दाम (dāma) meaning "rope" and
उदर (udara) meaning "belly". This is another name of the Hindu god
Krishna, given to him because his foster mother
Yashoda tied him to a large urn.
Dana 2 m & f EnglishFrom a surname that is of unknown origin. It was originally given in honour of American lawyer Richard Henry Dana Jr. (1815-1882), the author of the memoir
Two Years Before the Mast.
Danaë f Greek MythologyFrom
Δαναοί (Danaoi), a word used by
Homer to designate the Greeks. In Greek mythology Danaë was the daughter of the Argive king Acrisius. It had been prophesied to her father that he would one day be killed by Danaë's son, so he attempted to keep his daughter childless. However,
Zeus came to her in the form of a shower of gold, and she became the mother of
Perseus. Eventually the prophecy was fulfilled and Perseus killed Acrisius, albeit accidentally.
Danica f Serbian, Croatian, Slovene, Slovak, Macedonian, EnglishFrom a Slavic word meaning
"morning star, Venus". This name occurs in Slavic folklore as a personification of the morning star. It has sometimes been used in the English-speaking world since the 1970s.
Daniela f Italian, German, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Romanian, Portuguese, Spanish, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Hebrew, EnglishFeminine form of
Daniel.
Danya 1 f HebrewFeminine form of
Dan 1. It can also be considered a compound meaning
"judgement from God", using the element
יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God.
Daphne f Greek Mythology, English, DutchMeans
"laurel" in Greek. In Greek mythology she was a nymph turned into a laurel tree by her father in order that she might escape the pursuit of
Apollo. It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the end of the 19th century.
Dawn f EnglishFrom the English word
dawn, ultimately derived from Old English
dagung.
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.
Deborah f English, BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
דְּבוֹרָה (Devora) meaning
"bee". In the Old Testament Book of Judges, Deborah is a heroine and prophetess who leads the Israelites when they are threatened by the Canaanites. She forms an army under the command of
Barak, and together they destroy the army of the Canaanite commander Sisera. Also in the Old Testament, this is the name of the nurse of Rebecca.
... [more] Deianeira f Greek MythologyFrom Greek
δηιόω (deioo) meaning "to slay" and
ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man". In Greek mythology this was the name of the wife of
Herakles. She unwittingly poisoned her husband by giving him the Shirt of Nessus.
Deirbhile f IrishMeans
"daughter of a poet" from Old Irish
der "daughter" and
fili "poet" (genitive
filed). This was the name of a 6th-century Irish saint, also called Dervla.
Deirdre f English, Irish, Irish MythologyFrom the Old Irish name
Derdriu, meaning unknown, possibly derived from
der meaning
"daughter". This was the name of a tragic character in Irish legend who died of a broken heart after
Conchobar, the king of Ulster, forced her to be his bride and killed her lover
Naoise.
... [more] Deja f African American (Modern)Means
"already" from the French phrase
déjà vu meaning "already seen". It received a popularity boost in 1995 when a character named Deja appeared in the movie
Higher Learning.
Delaiah m BiblicalMeans
"Yahweh has drawn up" in Hebrew, from
דָּלָה (dala) meaning "to draw up, to hang" and
יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. This is the name of several Old Testament characters.
Delara f PersianMeans
"adorning the heart", from Persian
دل (del) meaning "heart" and
آرا (ārā) meaning "decorate, adorn".
Delia 1 f English, Italian, Spanish, Romanian, Greek MythologyMeans
"of Delos" in Greek. This was an epithet of the Greek goddess
Artemis, given because she and her twin brother
Apollo were born on the island of Delos. The name appeared in several poems of the 16th and 17th centuries, and it has occasionally been used as a given name since that time.
Delicia f English (Rare)Either from Latin
deliciae "delight, pleasure" or a variant of the English word
delicious. It has been used since the 17th century (rarely).
Delilah f Biblical, EnglishMeans
"delicate, weak, languishing" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament she is the lover of
Samson, whom she betrays to the Philistines by cutting his hair, which is the source of his power. Despite her character flaws, the name began to be used by the Puritans in the 17th century. It has been used occasionally in the English-speaking world since that time.
Delphia f EnglishPossibly from the name of the Greek city of Delphi, the site of an oracle of
Apollo, which is possibly related to Greek
δελφύς (delphys) meaning "womb". It was used in the play
The Prophetess (1647), in which it belongs to the title prophetess.
Delphina f Late RomanFeminine form of the Latin name
Delphinus, which meant
"of Delphi". Delphi was a city in ancient Greece, the name of which is possibly related to Greek
δελφύς (delphys) meaning "womb". The Blessed Delphina was a 14th-century Provençal nun.
Delta f EnglishFrom the name of the fourth letter in the Greek alphabet,
Δ. It is also the name for an island formed at the mouth of a river.
Delyth f WelshFrom an elaboration of Welsh
del "pretty". This is a recently created name.
Demelza f English (British, Rare)From a Cornish place name meaning
"fort of Maeldaf". It has been used as a given name since the middle of the 20th century. It was popularized in the 1970s by a character from the British television series
Poldark, which was set in Cornwall.
Demeter 1 f Greek MythologyPossibly means
"earth mother", derived from Greek
δᾶ (da) meaning "earth" and
μήτηρ (meter) meaning "mother". In Greek mythology Demeter was the goddess of agriculture, the daughter of
Cronus, the sister of
Zeus, and the mother of
Persephone. She was an important figure in the Eleusinian Mysteries, which were secret rites performed at Eleusis near Athens.
Dena f EnglishPossibly a short form of names ending with
dena. It has also been used as a variant of
Deanna.
Derya f TurkishMeans
"sea, ocean" in Turkish, ultimately from Persian.
Desiree f EnglishEnglish form of
Désirée. It was popularized in the English-speaking world by the movie
Désirée (1954).
Destiny f EnglishMeans simply
"destiny, fate" from the English word, ultimately from Latin
destino "to determine", a derivative of
sto "to stand". It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world only since the last half of the 20th century.
Diamond f English (Rare), African American (Modern)From the English word
diamond for the clear colourless precious stone, the traditional birthstone of April. It is derived from Late Latin
diamas, from Latin
adamas, which is of Greek origin meaning "unconquerable, unbreakable".
Diana f English, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Catalan, German, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Estonian, Lithuanian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Armenian, Georgian, Roman MythologyMeans
"divine, goddesslike", a derivative of Latin
dia or
diva meaning
"goddess". It is ultimately related to the same Indo-European root *
dyew- found in
Zeus. Diana was a Roman goddess of the moon, hunting, forests and childbirth, often identified with the Greek goddess
Artemis.
... [more] Dido f Roman Mythology, Greek MythologyMeaning unknown, probably of Phoenician origin. Dido, also called
Elissa, was the queen of Carthage in
Virgil's
Aeneid. She threw herself upon a funeral pyre after Aeneas left her. Virgil based the story on earlier Greco-Roman accounts.
Dietlinde f GermanFrom the Germanic name
Theodelinda, derived from the elements
theod meaning "people" (Old High German
diota, Old Frankish
þeoda) and
lind meaning "soft, flexible, tender". Theodelinda was a 6th-century Bavarian princess who became queen of the Lombards.
Dilys f WelshMeans
"genuine" in Welsh. It has been used since the late 19th century.
Dina 1 f Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Latvian, Russian, Ukrainian, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Hebrew, Biblical Hebrew, Biblical Greek, Biblical LatinForm of
Dinah in several languages, as well as the form in the Hebrew, Greek and Latin Old Testament.
Dinah f Biblical, EnglishMeans
"judged" in Hebrew, derived from
דִּין (din) meaning "to judge". According to the Old Testament, Dinah was a daughter of
Jacob and
Leah who was abducted by Shechem. It has been used as an English given name since after the Protestant Reformation.
Dixie f EnglishFrom the term that refers to the southern United States, used by Daniel D. Emmett in his song
Dixie in 1859. The term may be derived from French
dix "ten", which was printed on ten-dollar bills issued from a New Orleans bank. Alternatively it may come from the term
Mason-Dixon Line, the boundary between Pennsylvania and Maryland.
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.
Dolores f Spanish, EnglishMeans
"sorrows", taken from the Spanish title of the Virgin
Mary Nuestra Señora de los Dolores, meaning "Our Lady of Sorrows". It has been used in the English-speaking world since the 19th century, becoming especially popular in America during the 1920s and 30s.