D'Artagnan m LiteratureMeans
"from Artagnan" in French, Artagnan being a town in southwestern France. This was the name of a character in the novel
The Three Musketeers (1884) by Alexandre Dumas. In the novel D'Artagnan is an aspiring musketeer who first duels with the three title characters and then becomes their friend.
Dathan m BiblicalPossibly means
"fountain" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of one of the conspirators against
Moses.
Daumantas m LithuanianFrom Lithuanian
daug "much" combined with
mantus "intelligent" or
manta "property, wealth". This name was borne by a 13th-century Lithuanian ruler of Pskov who is venerated as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church.
Dean m EnglishFrom a surname, see
Dean 1 and
Dean 2. The actor James Dean (1931-1955) was a famous bearer of the surname.
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.
Declan m Irish, EnglishAnglicized form of Irish
Deaglán, Old Irish
Declán, which is of unknown meaning. Saint Declan was a 5th-century missionary to the Déisi peoples of Ireland and the founder of the monastery at Ardmore.
... [more] Dehgewanus f SenecaFrom a name, also spelled as
Dickewamis or
Dehhewämis, which was given to the young British settler Mary Jemison (1743-1833) after she was captured and assimilated into the Seneca. Much later she claimed the name meant
"pretty girl, pleasant thing", though this interpretation does not seem to be valid.
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.
Delano m EnglishFrom a surname, recorded as
de la Noye in French, indicating that the bearer was from a place called La Noue (ultimately Gaulish meaning "wetland, swamp"). It has been used in honour of American president Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882-1945), whose middle name came from his mother's maiden name.
Devante m African American (Modern)Combination of the phonetic elements
da,
von and
tay. DeVanté Swing (1969-), stage name of Donald DeGrate Jr., was a singer with the group Jodeci. His name dramatically rose in popularity in the early 1990s when the group released their first successful songs, though it soon began to recede again.
... [more] Diadumenian m HistoryFrom the Roman cognomen
Diadumenianus, which was derived from the Greek name
Diadumenus. This was the name of a Roman Emperor who reigned briefly in the 3rd century.
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] Diocletian m HistoryFrom the Roman cognomen
Diocletianus, a derivative of
Diokles. This was the name of a Roman emperor of the 3rd and 4th centuries (Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus). He is remembered for persecuting Christians, but he also reformed and stabilized the crumbling Empire.
Django m Popular CultureThe name of Romani-French musician Django Reinhardt (1910-1953), whose real name was Jean. It is possibly from a Romani word meaning
"I awake", though it might in fact be derived from the name
Jean 1. This is the name of the title character in the Italian western movie
Django (1966), as well as numerous subsequent films.
Doğukan m TurkishFrom Turkish
doğu "east" combined with either
kan "blood" or
han "khan, leader".
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.
Domantas m LithuanianFrom the Lithuanian root
do- "to give" combined with
mantus "intelligent" or
manta "property, wealth". It is sometimes conflated with
Daumantas.
Domitian m HistoryFrom the Roman cognomen
Domitianus, itself derived from the family name
Domitius. This was the name of a 1st-century Roman emperor, born as Titus Flavius Domitianus.
Donovan m EnglishFrom an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of
Ó Donndubháin, itself derived from the given name
Donndubán. This name is borne by the Scottish folk musician Donovan Leitch (1946-), known simply as Donovan.
Doran m English (Rare)From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of
Ó Deoradháin, from the byname
Deoradhán, derived from Irish
deoradh meaning "exile, wanderer" combined with a diminutive suffix.
Dorian m English, French, Romanian, PolishThe name was first used by Oscar Wilde in his novel
The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891), which tells the story of a man whose portrait ages while he stays young. Wilde may have taken it from the name of the ancient Greek tribe the Dorians.
Drustan m PictishDiminutive of
Drust. This name was borne by a 7th-century Irish saint who was active among the Picts in Scotland.
Duane m EnglishFrom an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of
Ó Dubháin, itself derived from the given name
Dubhán. Usage in America began around the start of the 20th century. It last appeared on the top 1000 rankings in 2002, though the variant
Dwayne lingered a few years longer.
Dubhán m Irish (Rare)From Old Irish
Dubán meaning
"little dark one", derived from
dub "dark, black" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of a few early saints.
Duncan m Scottish, EnglishAnglicized form of the Scottish Gaelic name
Donnchadh, derived from Old Irish
donn "brown" and
cath "battle". This was the name of two kings of Scotland, including the one who was featured in Shakespeare's play
Macbeth (1606).
Dunstan m English (Rare), Anglo-SaxonFrom the Old English elements
dunn "dark" and
stan "stone". This name was borne by a 10th-century saint, the archbishop of Canterbury. It was occasionally used in the Middle Ages, though it died out after the 16th century. It was revived by the Tractarian movement in the 19th century.
Durante m ItalianItalian form of the Late Latin name
Durans, which meant
"enduring".
Duryodhana m HinduismMeans
"difficult to defeat" from the Sanskrit prefix
दुस् (dus) meaning "difficult, bad" and
योधन (yodhana) meaning "fighting". This is the name of the leader of the Kauravas in the Hindu epic the
Mahabharata, which tells of the war between the Pandavas and the Kauravas. Duryodhana, a powerful warrior, was eventually defeated by the Pandava brother
Bhima.
Dushyanta m HinduismPossibly means
"destroyer of evil" in Sanskrit. In the Hindu epic the
Mahabharata this is the name of a king who is the husband of
Shakuntala and the father of
Bharata. The story was adapted by Kalidasa for the 5th-century play
Abhijnanashakuntalam.
Dylan m Welsh, English, Welsh MythologyFrom the Welsh prefix
dy meaning "to, toward" and
llanw meaning "tide, flow". According to the Fourth Branch of the
Mabinogi, Dylan was a son of
Arianrhod and the twin brother of
Lleu Llaw Gyffes. Immediately after he was baptized he took to the sea, where he could swim as well as a fish. He was slain accidentally by his uncle
Gofannon. According to some theories the character might be rooted in an earlier and otherwise unattested Celtic god of the sea.
... [more] Eachann m Scottish GaelicFrom the Old Irish name
Echdonn meaning
"brown horse", from
ech "horse" and
donn "brown". This name was historically common among the chiefs of Clan MacLean. It has sometimes been Anglicized as
Hector.
Eglantine f English (Rare)From the English word for the flower also known as sweetbrier. It is derived via Old French from Vulgar Latin *
aquilentum meaning "prickly". It was early used as a given name (in the form
Eglentyne) in Geoffrey Chaucer's 14th-century story
The Prioress's Tale (one of
The Canterbury Tales).
Eimantas m LithuanianFrom the Lithuanian root
ei- "to go" combined with
mantus "intelligent" or
manta "property, wealth".
Éireann f Irish (Rare)From
Éireann, the genitive case of Irish Gaelic
Éire, meaning "Ireland". It is commonly Anglicized as
Erin.
Elanor f LiteratureMeans
"star sun" in the fictional language Sindarin. In
The Lord of the Rings (1954) by J. R. R. Tolkien this is Sam's eldest daughter, named after a type of flower.
Elanur f TurkishMeans
"hazel light", from Turkish
ela meaning "hazel" combined with Arabic
نور (nūr) meaning "light".
Elcan m AzerbaijaniMeans
"soul of the people" in Azerbaijani, ultimately derived from Turkic
el meaning "country, society" and Persian
جان (jān) meaning "soul, life".
Eleanor f EnglishFrom the Old French form of the Occitan name
Alienòr. Among the name's earliest bearers was the influential Eleanor of Aquitaine (12th century), who was the queen of Louis VII, the king of France, and later Henry II, the king of England. She was named
Aenor after her mother, and was called by the Occitan phrase
alia Aenor "the other Aenor" in order to distinguish her from her mother. However, there appear to be examples of bearers prior to Eleanor of Aquitaine. It is not clear whether they were in fact Aenors who were retroactively recorded as having the name Eleanor, or whether there is an alternative explanation for the name's origin.
... [more] Elhanan m BiblicalMeans
"God is gracious" in Hebrew, from
אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God" and
חָנַן (ḥanan) meaning "to be gracious". This is the name of two Old Testament characters.
Éliane f FrenchProbably from
Aeliana, the feminine form of the Roman name
Aelianus, which was derived from the Roman family name
Aelius. This was the name of an obscure early saint and martyr from Amasea.
Elkanah m BiblicalMeans
"God has purchased" in Hebrew, from
אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God" and
קָנָה (qana) meaning "to acquire, to purchase". In the Old Testament this is the name of the father of
Samuel.
Elnathan m BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
אֶלְנָתָן (ʾElnaṯan) meaning
"God has given", derived from
אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God" and
נָתַן (naṯan) meaning "to give". In the Old Testament this is the name of both a grandfather of King Jehoiachin and a son of Akbor.
Elouan m Breton, FrenchPossibly from a Breton word meaning
"light". This name was borne by an obscure 6th-century saint who is now venerated mainly in Brittany and Cornwall.
Elşən m AzerbaijaniFrom Azerbaijani
el meaning "country, society" and
şən meaning "happy, cheerful" (of Armenian origin).
Emiliano m Spanish, Italian, PortugueseSpanish, Italian and Portuguese form of the Roman cognomen
Aemilianus, which was itself derived from the family name
Aemilius (see
Emil). This was the name of a 6th-century Spanish saint.
Emirhan m TurkishDerived from Turkish
emir meaning "amir, prince" and
han meaning "khan, ruler, leader".
Emmanuel m Biblical, French, EnglishFrom the Hebrew name
עִמָּנוּאֵל (ʿImmanuʾel) meaning
"God is with us", from the roots
עִם (ʿim) meaning "with" and
אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". This was the foretold name of the Messiah in the Old Testament. It has been used in England since the 16th century in the spellings
Emmanuel and
Immanuel, though it has not been widespread. The name has been more common in continental Europe, especially in Spain and Portugal (in the spellings
Manuel and
Manoel).
Enheduanna f SumerianFrom Sumerian
En-hedu-anna, derived from
𒂗 (en) meaning "lady, high priestess" combined with
𒃶𒌌 (hedu) meaning "ornament" and the god's name
An 2. This was the Sumerian title of a 23rd-century BC priestess and poet, identified as a daughter of
Sargon of Akkad. Presumably she had an Akkadian birth name, but it is unrecorded. She is regarded as one of the earliest known poets.
Enitan m & f YorubaMeans
"person with a story, storied person" in Yoruba.
Eoghan m Irish, Irish MythologyPossibly means
"born from the yew tree", from Old Irish
eó "yew" and the suffix
gan "born". Alternatively, it might be derived from the Latin name
Eugenius. It was borne by several legendary or semi-legendary Irish figures, including a son of the king
Niall of the Nine Hostages.
Epifanio m Spanish, ItalianFrom the Latin name
Epiphanius, which was from the Greek name
Ἐπιφάνιος (Epiphanios), itself derived from the Greek word
ἐπιφάνεια (epiphaneia) meaning
"appearance, manifestation". This name was borne by a few early saints. It is associated with the event known in English as the Epiphany (Spanish
Epifanía, Italian
Epifania, Latin
Epiphania), the coming of the three Magi to visit the infant
Jesus.
Epiphanes m Ancient GreekMeans
"appearing, manifesting" in Greek. This was an epithet of two 2nd-century BC Hellenistic rulers: the Seleucid king Antiochus IV and the Ptolemaic king Ptolemy V.
Epiphany f English (Rare)From the name of the Christian festival (January 6) that commemorates the visit of the Magi to the infant
Jesus. It is also an English word meaning "sudden appearance" or "sudden perception", ultimately deriving from Greek
ἐπιφάνεια (epiphaneia) meaning "manifestation".
Ercan m TurkishFrom Turkish
er meaning "man, hero, brave" and
can meaning "soul, life".
Erdmann m German (Archaic)Variant of
Hartmann. It can also be interpreted as meaning "earth man" from German
Erde "earth", and thus was sometimes used as a translation of
Adam.
Erdoğan m TurkishFrom Turkish
er meaning "man, hero, brave" and
doğan meaning "falcon".
Erhan m TurkishFrom Turkish
er meaning "man, hero, brave" and
han, which is from the title
khan meaning "leader".
Erkan m TurkishFrom Turkish
er "man, hero, brave" combined with either
kan "blood" or
han "khan, leader".
Esperanza f SpanishSpanish form of the Late Latin name
Sperantia, which was derived from
sperare "to hope".
Étan f Irish MythologyPossibly a variant of
Étaín. In Irish mythology she was the daughter of Dian Cécht, the god of healing.
Ethan m English, French, Biblical, Biblical LatinFrom the Hebrew name
אֵיתָן (ʾEṯan) meaning
"solid, enduring, firm". In the Old Testament this name is borne by a few minor characters, including the wise man Ethan the Ezrahite, supposedly the author of Psalm 89.
... [more] Euphranor m Ancient GreekDerived from Greek
εὐφραίνω (euphraino) meaning
"to delight, to cheer". This was the name of a 4th-century BC Athenian artist.
Evangeline f EnglishMeans
"good news" from Greek
εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and
ἄγγελμα (angelma) meaning "news, message". It was (first?) used by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in his 1847 epic poem
Evangeline. It also appears in Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel
Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852) as the full name of the character Eva.
Evangelista m & f Italian, Spanish, PortugueseMeans
"evangelist, preacher" in Italian, Spanish and Portuguese, derived from Latin, ultimately from Greek
εὐάγγελος (euangelos) meaning "bringing good news". It is often used in honour of the Four Evangelists (the authors of the gospels in the New Testament:
Matthew,
Mark,
Luke and
John). It is traditionally masculine, though occasionally given to girls. A famous bearer was the Italian physicist and mathematician Evangelista Torricelli (1608-1647), who invented the barometer.
Evanthia f GreekModern Greek feminine form of
Εὐανθία (Euanthia), a variant of
Euanthe. This was the name of a 1st-century martyr from Skepsis who is considered a saint in the Orthodox Church.
Fancy f English (Rare)From the English word
fancy, which means either
"like, love, inclination" or
"ornamental". It is derived from Middle English
fantasie, which comes (via Norman French and Latin) from Greek
φαίνω (phaino) meaning "to show, to appear".
Fang f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
芳 (fāng) meaning "fragrant, virtuous, beautiful" or other characters with a similar pronunciation.
Fannar m IcelandicPossibly derived from Old Norse
fǫnn meaning
"snow drift".
Fantine f LiteratureThis name was used by Victor Hugo for the mother of Cosette in his novel
Les Misérables (1862). The name was given to her by a passerby who found the young orphan on the street. Hugo may have intended it to be a derivative of the French word
enfant "child".
Faolán m Irish (Rare)Means
"little wolf", derived from Old Irish
fáel "wolf" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of an Irish saint who did missionary work in Scotland.
Feliciano m Spanish, Portuguese, ItalianSpanish, Portuguese and Italian form of the Roman name
Felicianus, which was itself derived from the Roman name
Felix. It was borne by a number of early saints, including a 3rd-century bishop of Foligno.
Ferdinand m German, French, Dutch, English, Slovak, Czech, Slovene, CroatianFrom
Fredenandus, the Latinized form of a Gothic name composed of the elements
friþus "peace" (or perhaps
farþa "journey") and
nanþa "boldness, daring". The Visigoths brought the name to the Iberian Peninsula, where it entered into the royal families of Spain and Portugal. From there it became common among the Habsburg royal family of the Holy Roman Empire and Austria, starting with the Spanish-born Ferdinand I in the 16th century. A notable bearer was Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan (1480-1521), called Fernão de Magalhães in Portuguese, who was the leader of the first expedition to sail around the earth.
Finnegan m English (Modern)From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of
Ó Fionnagáin, itself derived from the given name
Fionnagán, a diminutive of
Fionn. This is the surname of a relatively minor character in James Joyce's novel
Finnegans Wake (1939), the title of which was based on a 19th-century Irish ballad called
Finnegan's Wake.
Finnian m IrishDerived from Old Irish
finn "white, blessed". This was the name of several Irish saints, including the founders of monasteries at Clonard and Movilla (both 6th century).
Fintan m Irish, Irish Mythology, Old IrishPossibly means either
"white fire" or
"white ancient" in Irish. According to legend this was the name of the only Irish person to survive the great flood. This name was also borne by many Irish saints.
Flanagan m English (Rare)From an Irish surname, the Anglicized form of
Ó Flannagáin, itself from the given name
Flannagán, which was derived from Irish
flann "blood red" and a diminutive suffix.
Flann m & f Irish, Old IrishMeans
"blood red" in Irish. This was the name of a 9th-century high king of Ireland.
Flannery f English (Rare)From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of
Ó Flannghaile, derived from the given name
Flannghal meaning "red valour". A famous bearer was American author Flannery O'Connor (1925-1964).
Flavian m History (Ecclesiastical)From the Roman family name
Flavianus, which was derived from
Flavius. This was the name of several early saints including a 5th-century patriarch of Constantinople who was beaten to death.
Florian m German, French, Romanian, Polish, HistoryFrom the Roman cognomen
Florianus, a derivative of
Florus. This was the name of a short-lived Roman emperor of the 3rd century, Marcus Annius Florianus. It was also borne by Saint Florian, a martyr of the 3rd century, the patron saint of Poland and Upper Austria.
France 1 f FrenchFrom the name of the country, sometimes considered a feminine form of
Frank or short form of
Françoise, both of which are ultimately related to the name of the country.
France 2 m SloveneSlovene form of
Francis. This name was borne by the Slovene poet France Prešeren (1800-1849).
Frances f EnglishFeminine 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.
Francesco m ItalianItalian form of
Franciscus (see
Francis). Francesco Petrarca (1304-1374) was an Italian Renaissance poet, usually known in English as Petrarch.