FedorafRussian (Rare), Italian Russian form of Theodora. This was the name of an 1898 opera by the Italian composer Umberto Giordano (who based it on an 1882 French play).
FrancesfEnglish Feminine form of Francis. The distinction between Francis as a masculine name and Frances as a feminine name did not arise until the 17th century. A notable bearer was Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini (1850-1917), a social worker and the first American to be canonized.
GaherismArthurian Romance Probably a variant of Gaheriet (see Gareth). In medieval Arthurian tales this is the name of a brother of Gawain and Gareth. Gareth and Gaheris, whose names are likely from the same source, probably originate from the same character.
Gale 1fEnglish Variant of Gail. It also coincides with the English word gale meaning "storm".
GaribaldmGermanic Variant of Gerbald. 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.
GautamamSanskrit, Buddhism In the case of Siddhartha Gautama, it was a patronymic form of Gotama. Siddhartha Gautama, also known as the Buddha, was the founder of Buddhism. He was a 6th-century BC nobleman who left his family in order to lead a life of meditation and poverty.
GeorgemEnglish, Romanian, Indian (Christian) From the Greek name Γεώργιος (Georgios), which was derived from the Greek word γεωργός (georgos) meaning "farmer, earthworker", itself derived from the elements γῆ (ge) meaning "earth" and ἔργον (ergon) meaning "work". Saint George was a 3rd-century Roman soldier from Cappadocia who was martyred during the persecutions of Emperor Diocletian. Later legends describe his defeat of a dragon, with which he was often depicted in medieval art.... [more]
GisbertmGerman, Germanic From a Germanic name in which the second element is beraht "bright". The first element is probably a shortened form of gisal "pledge, hostage" (making it a variant of Gilbert), though it could be related to Gaulish *gaisos "spear" (itself probably of Germanic origin).
GwynethfWelsh, English Probably a variant of Gwynedd. It has been common in Wales since the 19th century, perhaps after the Welsh novelist Gwyneth Vaughan (1852-1910), whose real name was Ann Harriet Hughes. A modern famous bearer is the American actress Gwyneth Paltrow (1972-).
HaileyfEnglish (Modern) Variant of Hayley. This is currently the most common spelling in the United States, surpassing Haley in 2001 and attaining a high rank of 19th in 2010.
HaleyfEnglish (Modern) Variant of Hayley. This spelling gained some popularity in the United States in 1977, possibly due to the author Alex Haley, whose book Roots was adapted into a popular miniseries that year. This was the most common American spelling from then to 2001, when it was eclipsed by Hailey.
IriafPortuguese, Galician Possibly a Portuguese and Galician form of Irene. This was the name of a 7th-century saint (also known as Irene) from Tomar in Portugal. This is also the name of an ancient town in Galicia (now a district of Padrón).
IsabellafItalian, German, English, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Finnish, Dutch, Romanian Latinate form of Isabel. This name was borne by many medieval royals, including queens consort of England, France, Portugal, the Holy Roman Empire and Hungary, as well as the powerful ruling queen Isabella of Castile (properly called Isabel).... [more]
ItzelfMayan Meaning uncertain, possibly from Classic Maya itz meaning "resin, nectar, dew, liquid, enchanted". Otherwise, it might be a variant of Ixchel.
IvesmHistory (Ecclesiastical) English form of Yves, used to refer to Saint Ives (also called Ivo) of Huntingdonshire, a semi-legendary English bishop.
Jadenm & fEnglish (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.
Jaime 2fEnglish Variant of Jamie. The character Jaime Sommers from the television series The Bionic Woman (1976-1978) helped to popularize the name. It can sometimes be given in reference to the French phrase j'aime meaning "I love", though it is pronounced differently.
JaspermEnglish, Dutch, Judeo-Christian-Islamic Legend From Latin Gaspar, perhaps from the Biblical Hebrew word גִּזְבָּר (gizbar) meaning "treasurer", derived from Persian ganzabara. This name was traditionally assigned to one of the wise men (also known as the Magi, or three kings) who were said to have visited the newborn Jesus. It has occasionally been used in the English-speaking world since the Middle Ages. The name can also be given in reference to the English word for the gemstone.
Jaydenm & fEnglish (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.
JehovahmTheology Form of Yahweh used in older translations of the Bible, produced by blending the letters of the Tetragrammaton with the vowels from Adonai.
JennafEnglish, Finnish, French Variant of Jenny. Use of the name was popularized in the 1980s by the character Jenna Wade on the television series Dallas.
JeremymEnglish, Biblical English form of Jeremiah, originally a medieval vernacular form. This is the spelling used in some English versions of the New Testament.
JessicafEnglish, French, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Italian, Spanish This name was first used in this form by William Shakespeare in his play The Merchant of Venice (1596), where it belongs to the daughter of Shylock. Shakespeare probably based it on the biblical name Iscah, which would have been spelled Jescha in his time. It was not commonly used as a given name until the middle of the 20th century. It reached its peak of popularity in the United States in 1987, and was the top ranked name for girls between 1985 and 1995, excepting 1991 and 1992 (when it was unseated by Ashley). Notable bearers include actresses Jessica Tandy (1909-1994) and Jessica Lange (1949-).
JitkafCzech Old Czech variant of Judith. This name was borne by an 11th-century duchess of Bohemia, a German noblewoman who was abducted by her husband Duke Bretislav.