Ælfheah m Anglo-SaxonDerived from the Old English elements
ælf "elf" and
heah "high". This was the name of an 11th-century archbishop of Canterbury, a saint and martyr, who is commonly known as Alphege or Elphege.
Aeneas m Roman MythologyLatin form of the Greek name
Αἰνείας (Aineias), derived from Greek
αἴνη (aine) meaning
"praise". In Greek legend he was a son of
Aphrodite and was one of the chief heroes who defended Troy from the Greeks. The Roman poet
Virgil continued his story in the
Aeneid, in which Aeneas travels to Italy and founds the Roman state.
Alethea f EnglishDerived from Greek
ἀλήθεια (aletheia) meaning
"truth". This name was coined in the 16th century.
Althea f Greek Mythology (Latinized)From the Greek name
Ἀλθαία (Althaia), perhaps related to Greek
ἄλθος (althos) meaning
"healing". In Greek myth she was the mother of Meleager. Soon after her son was born she was told that he would die as soon as a piece of wood that was burning on her fire was fully consumed. She immediately extinguished the piece of wood and sealed it in a chest, but in a fit of rage many years later she took it out and set it alight, thereby killing her son.
Andrea 1 m ItalianItalian form of
Andreas (see
Andrew). A notable bearer of this name was Andrea Verrocchio, a Renaissance sculptor who taught Leonardo da Vinci and Perugino.
Andrea 2 f English, German, Spanish, Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, Romanian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Dutch, Croatian, SerbianFeminine form of
Andrew. As an English name, it has been used since the 17th century, though it was not common until the 20th century.
Andreas m German, Greek, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Welsh, Ancient Greek, Biblical Latin, Biblical GreekAncient Greek and Latin form of
Andrew. It is also the form used in Modern Greek, German and Welsh.
Aoibheann f IrishFrom Old Irish
Oébfinn or
Aíbinn, derived from
oíb meaning "beauty, appearance, form" and
finn meaning "white, blessed". This was the name of the mother of Saint Énna of Aran. It was also borne by the daughter of the 10th-century Irish high king Donnchad Donn.
Astraea f Greek Mythology (Latinized)Latinized form of the Greek
Ἀστραία (Astraia), derived from Greek
ἀστήρ (aster) meaning
"star". Astraea was a Greek goddess of justice and innocence. After wickedness took root in the world she left the earth and became the constellation Virgo.
Aurea f Late RomanLate Latin name that was derived from
aureus "golden". This was the name of a 3rd-century saint from Ostia (near Rome), as well as an 11th-century Spanish saint.
Avonlea f English (Rare)Created by L. M. Montgomery as the setting for her novel
Anne of Green Gables (1908). She may have based the name on the Arthurian island of
Avalon, though it also resembles the river name
Avon and
leah "woodland, clearing".
Azalea f English (Modern)From the name of the flower (shrubs of the genus Rhododendron), ultimately derived from Greek
ἀζαλέος (azaleos) meaning "dry".
Bear m English (Modern)From the English word for the animal, derived from Old English
bera, probably derived from a root meaning "brown".
Beatrice f Italian, English, Swedish, RomanianItalian form of
Beatrix. Beatrice Portinari (1266-1290) was the woman who was loved by the Italian poet Dante Alighieri. She serves as Dante's guide through paradise in his epic poem the
Divine Comedy (1321). This is also the name of a character in Shakespeare's comedy
Much Ado About Nothing (1599), in which Beatrice and
Benedick are fooled into confessing their love for one another.
Beatrix f German, Hungarian, Dutch, English, Late RomanProbably from
Viatrix, a feminine form of the Late Latin name
Viator meaning
"voyager, traveller". It was a common name amongst early Christians, and the spelling was altered by association with Latin
beatus "blessed, happy". Viatrix or Beatrix was a 4th-century saint who was strangled to death during the persecutions of Diocletian.
... [more] Beatus m Late RomanMasculine form of
Beata. According to legend, Saint Beatus was ordained a priest by Saint
Peter and evangelized in Switzerland. Another saint by this name was an 8th-century Asturian theologian.
Beau m & f English, Dutch (Modern)Means
"beautiful, handsome" in French. It has been used as a given name since the middle of the 20th century. In Margaret Mitchell's novel
Gone with the Wind (1936) this is the name of Ashley and Melanie's son.
... [more] Cailean m Scottish GaelicMeans
"whelp, young dog" in Scottish Gaelic. This name was borne by Cailean Mór, a 13th-century Scottish lord and ancestor of Clan Campbell.
Cardea f Roman MythologyDerived from Latin
cardo meaning
"hinge, axis". This was the name of the Roman goddess of thresholds, door pivots, and change.
Ceallach m Irish (Rare)From Old Irish
Cellach, of uncertain origin, traditionally said to mean
"bright-headed". Alternatively it could be derived from Old Irish
cellach "war, strife" or
cell "church". This name was borne by several early Irish kings and by a 12th-century saint, an archbishop of Armagh.
Cearbhall m IrishFrom Old Irish
Cerball, probably from
cerb meaning
"pointed, sharp, cutting". This was the name of a few medieval Irish kings.
Chelsea f EnglishFrom the name of a district in London, originally derived from Old English and meaning
"landing place for chalk or limestone". It has been in general use as an English given name since the 1970s.
Coinneach m Scottish GaelicScottish Gaelic form of the Old Irish name
Cainnech, derived from
caín meaning
"handsome, beautiful, good". It is often Anglicized as
Kenneth. It is also used as a modern Scottish Gaelic form of the unrelated name
Cináed.
Deacon m English (Modern)Either from the occupational surname
Deacon or directly from the vocabulary word
deacon, which refers to a cleric in the Christian church (ultimately from Greek
διάκονος (diakonos) meaning "servant").
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.
Dearbháil f IrishFrom Old Irish
Derbáil meaning
"daughter of Fál", derived from the prefix
der meaning "daughter" and
Fál, a legendary name for Ireland.
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.
Dorothea f German, Dutch, English, Ancient GreekFeminine form of the Greek name
Δωρόθεος (Dorotheos), which meant
"gift of god" from Greek
δῶρον (doron) meaning "gift" and
θεός (theos) meaning "god". The name
Theodore is composed of the same elements in reverse order. Dorothea was the name of two early saints, notably the 4th-century martyr Dorothea of Caesarea. It was also borne by the 14th-century Saint Dorothea of Montau, who was the patron saint of Prussia.
Dream f English (Modern)From the English word
dream referring to imaginary events seen in the mind while sleeping or a hope or wish.
Dulcinea f LiteratureDerived from Spanish
dulce meaning
"sweet". This name was (first?) used by Miguel de Cervantes in his novel
Don Quixote (1605), where it belongs to the love interest of the main character, though she never actually appears in the story.
Ea 1 m Semitic MythologyMeaning unknown, perhaps from Sumerian meaning
"house of water", or perhaps of Akkadian or Hurrian origin. This was the Akkadian, Assyrian, Hurrian and Babylonian name of the Sumerian water god
Enki.
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.
Eadberht m Anglo-SaxonDerived from the Old English elements
ead "wealth, fortune" and
beorht "bright". This was the name of an 8th-century king of Northumbria and three kings of Kent.
Eadwald m Anglo-SaxonDerived from the Old English elements
ead "wealth, fortune" and
weald "powerful, mighty". This was the name of an 8th-century king of East Anglia.
Eadwig m Anglo-SaxonDerived from the Old English elements
ead "wealth, fortune" and
wig "war". This was the name of a Saxon king of England in the 10th century. The name fell out of use after the Norman Conquest.
Eadwulf m Anglo-SaxonDerived from the Old English elements
ead "wealth, fortune" and
wulf "wolf". This name fell out of use after the Norman Conquest.
Ealdhelm m Anglo-SaxonDerived from the Old English elements
eald "old" and
helm "helmet, protection". This was the name of a 7th-century English saint (commonly called
Aldhelm).
Ealdræd m Anglo-SaxonFrom the Old English elements
eald "old" and
ræd "counsel, advice". This name was rarely used after the Norman Conquest.
Éamon m IrishVariant of
Éamonn. This name was borne by American-born Irish president Éamon de Valera (1882-1975), whose birth name was Edward.
Earl m EnglishFrom the aristocratic title, which derives from Old English
eorl "nobleman, warrior". It has been used as a given name since the 19th century.
Eartha f EnglishCombination of the English word
earth with the feminine name suffix
a. It has been used in honour of African-American philanthropist Eartha M. M. White (1876-1974). Another famous bearer was American singer and actress Eartha Kitt (1927-2008).
Easter f EnglishFrom the English name of the Christian festival celebrating the resurrection of
Jesus. It was ultimately named for the Germanic spring goddess Eostre. It was traditionally given to children born on Easter, though it is rare in modern times.
Easton m English (Modern)From an English surname that was derived from place names meaning
"east town" in Old English.
Éibhear m Irish MythologyFrom Old Irish
Éber, meaning uncertain. According to Irish legend this name belonged to two of the sons of Míl, Éibhear Dunn and Éibhear Finn, the first of the Gaels to conquer Ireland.
Éireann f Irish (Rare)From
Éireann, the genitive case of Irish Gaelic
Éire, meaning "Ireland". It is commonly Anglicized as
Erin.
Elea f EnglishShort form of
Eleanor. This was also the name of an ancient Italian town (modern Velia) that is well known for being the home of the philosopher Parmenides and his student Zeno of Elea, who was famous for his paradoxes.
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] Fearchar m Scottish GaelicScottish Gaelic form of the Old Irish name
Ferchar, from
fer "man" and
carae "friend". This was the name of early kings of Dál Riata (sometimes as
Ferchar).
Galatea f Greek Mythology (Latinized)Latinized form of Greek
Γαλάτεια (Galateia), probably derived from
γάλα (gala) meaning
"milk". This was the name of several characters in Greek mythology including a sea nymph who was the daughter of
Doris and
Nereus and the lover of Acis. According to some sources, this was also the name of the ivory statue carved by
Pygmalion that came to life.
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.
Gilead m BiblicalFrom an Old Testament place name meaning
"heap of witness" in Hebrew. This is a mountainous region east of the Jordan River. Besides being a place name, it is also borne by people in the Bible.
Haukea f HawaiianMeans
"white snow" from Hawaiian
hau "snow" and
kea "white".
Haumea f Polynesian MythologyMeans
"red ruler", from Hawaiian
hau "ruler" and
mea "reddish brown". Haumea is the Hawaiian goddess of fertility and childbirth. A dwarf planet in the outer solar system was named for her in 2008.
Heard m Anglo-SaxonShort form of various Old English names containing the element
heard meaning
"hard, firm, brave, hardy".
Heath m EnglishFrom an English surname that denoted one who lived on a heath. It was popularized as a given name by the character Heath Barkley from the 1960s television series
The Big Valley.
Heather f EnglishFrom the English word
heather for the variety of small shrubs with pink or white flowers, which commonly grow in rocky areas. It is derived from Middle English
hather. It was first used as a given name in the late 19th century, though it did not become popular until the last half of the 20th century.
Heaven f English (Modern)From the English vocabulary word meaning
"paradise". It is derived via Middle English
hevene from Old English
heofon "sky".
Hideaki m JapaneseFrom Japanese
英 (hide) meaning "excellent, fine" and
明 (aki) meaning "bright, light, clear", as well as other combinations of kanji.
Horea m RomanianFrom Romanian
horă, a type of circle dance. This was the nickname of Vasile Ursu Nicola (1731-1785), a leader of a peasant rebellion in Romania. He was eventually captured, tortured and executed.
Hosea m BiblicalVariant English form of
Hoshea, though the name is spelled the same in the Hebrew text. Hosea is one of the twelve minor prophets of the Old Testament, the author of the Book of Hosea. Written in the northern kingdom, it draws parallels between his relationship with his unfaithful wife and the relationship between God and his people.
Hoshea m Biblical, Biblical HebrewFrom the Hebrew name
הוֹשֵׁעַ (Hosheaʿ) meaning
"salvation", from the root
יָשַׁע (yashaʿ) meaning "to save". In the Old Testament at
Numbers 13:16,
Moses gives the spy Hoshea the new name
Yehoshuaʿ (see
Joshua), which has a related origin. This name was also borne by an 8th-century BC king of Israel, who was the last ruler of that state before it was conquered by Assyria.
Idonea f English (Archaic)Medieval English name, probably a Latinized form of
Iðunn. The spelling may have been influenced by Latin
idonea "suitable". It was common in England from the 12th century.
Ileana f Romanian, Spanish, ItalianPossibly a Romanian variant of
Elena. In Romanian folklore this is the name of a princess kidnapped by monsters and rescued by a heroic knight.
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.
Jean-Luc m FrenchCombination of
Jean 1 and
Luc. A famous bearer is the French filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard (1930-2022).
Jeanne f French, EnglishModern French form of
Jehanne, an Old French feminine form of
Iohannes (see
John). This has been the most reliably popular French name for girls since the 13th century. Joan of Arc is known as Jeanne d'Arc in France.
Keahi f & m HawaiianMeans
"the fire" from Hawaiian
ke, a definite article, and
ahi "fire".
Keala f & m HawaiianMeans
"the path" from Hawaiian
ke, a definite article, and
ala "path".
Kealoha f & m HawaiianMeans
"the loved one" from Hawaiian
ke, a definite article, and
aloha "love".
Keano m Dutch (Modern)Perhaps a variant of
Keanu. It was popularized by a child (born 2004) on the Flemish reality show
De Pfaffs (2002-2011).
Keanu m & f HawaiianMeans
"the cool breeze" from Hawaiian
ke, a definite article, and
anu "coolness". This name is now associated with Canadian actor Keanu Reeves (1964-).
Kunthea f KhmerMeans
"perfume, fragrance" in Khmer, ultimately from Sanskrit
गनध (gandha). It is also said to derive from Khmer
គុណ (kun) meaning "virtue, good deed" and
ធារ (thear) meaning "profusion, abundance".
Lea f Hebrew, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Slovene, Croatian, Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, Italian, Biblical HebrewForm of
Leah used in several languages.
Leah f English, Hebrew, BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
לֵאָה (Leʾa), which was probably derived from the Hebrew word
לָאָה (laʾa) meaning
"weary, grieved". Alternatively it might be related to Akkadian
littu meaning
"cow". In the Old Testament Leah is the first wife of
Jacob and the mother of seven of his children. Jacob's other wife was Leah's younger sister
Rachel, whom he preferred. Leah later offered Jacob her handmaid
Zilpah in order for him to conceive more children.
... [more] Leander m Greek Mythology (Latinized)Latinized form of the Greek name
Λέανδρος (Leandros), derived from
λέων (leon) meaning "lion" and
ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man" (genitive
ἀνδρός). In Greek legend Leander was the lover of Hero. Every night he swam across the Hellespont to meet her, but on one occasion he was drowned when a storm arose. When Hero saw his dead body she threw herself into the waters and perished.
Lear m LiteratureForm of
Leir used by Shakespeare for the title character of his tragic play
King Lear (1606).
Leatrice f EnglishPossibly a combination of
Leah and
Beatrice. This name was first brought to public attention by the American actress Leatrice Joy (1893-1985).
Linnéa f SwedishFrom the name of a flower, also known as the twinflower. The Swedish botanist Carolus Linnaeus named it after himself, it being his favourite flower.