Ivalu f GreenlandicMeans
"sinew, tendon, thread" in Greenlandic. It was used by the Danish explorer and author Peter Freuchen for the heroine of his novel
Ivalu, the Eskimo Wife (1930).
Ivaylo m BulgarianPerhaps derived from an old Bulgar name meaning
"wolf". This was the name of a 13th-century emperor of Bulgaria. It is possible that this spelling was the result of a 15th-century misreading of his real name
Vulo from historical documents.
Ivo 1 m German, Dutch, Czech, Italian, Portuguese, Estonian, Latvian, GermanicGermanic name, originally a short form of names beginning with the element
iwa meaning
"yew". Alternative theories suggest that it may in fact be derived from a cognate Celtic element. This was the name of saints (who are also commonly known as Saint
Yves or
Ives), hailing from Cornwall, France, and Brittany.
Ivor m Irish, Scottish, Welsh, English (British)From the Old Norse name
Ívarr, which was probably derived from the elements
ýr "yew tree, bow" and
herr "army, warrior". During the Middle Ages it was brought to Britain by Scandinavian settlers and invaders, and it was adopted in Ireland (Irish
Íomhar), Scotland (Scottish Gaelic
Iomhar) and Wales (Welsh
Ifor).
Ivory m & f African AmericanFrom the English word for the hard, creamy-white substance that comes from elephant tusks and was formerly used to produce piano keys.
Ixchel f Mayan Mythology, MayanPossibly means
"rainbow lady", from Classic Maya
ix "lady" and
chel "rainbow". Ixchel was a Maya goddess associated with the earth, jaguars, medicine and childbirth. She was often depicted with a snake in her hair and crossbones embroidered on her skirt.
Izaro f BasqueMeans
"island" in Basque, from the name of a small island off the Spanish coast in the Bay of Biscay.
Iztok m SloveneDerived from an archaic Slovene word meaning
"east".
Jaala m BiblicalMeans
"wild goat" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of a servant of
Solomon.
Jackson m EnglishFrom an English surname meaning
"son of Jack". A famous bearer of the surname was American president Andrew Jackson (1767-1845).
Jacob m English, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Jewish, BiblicalFrom the Latin
Iacob, which was from the Greek
Ἰακώβ (Iakob), which was from the Hebrew name
יַעֲקֹב (Yaʿaqov). In the Old Testament Jacob (later called
Israel) is the son of
Isaac and
Rebecca and the father of the twelve founders of the twelve tribes of Israel. He was born holding his twin brother
Esau's heel, and his name is explained as meaning
"holder of the heel" or
"supplanter", because he twice deprived his brother of his rights as the firstborn son (see
Genesis 27:36). Other theories claim that it is in fact derived from a hypothetical name like
יַעֲקֹבְאֵל (Yaʿaqovʾel) meaning
"may God protect".
... [more] Jacobo m SpanishSpanish form of
Iacobus, the New Testament Latin form of
James. The apostles are also commonly denoted
Santiago in Spanish.
Jadon m BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
יָדוֹן (Yaḏon), of uncertain meaning. It might mean
"thankful" from the root
יָדָה (yaḏa), or it could mean
"he will judge" from the root
דִּין (din). This name is borne by a minor character in the Old Testament.
Jael f Biblical, Biblical PortugueseFrom the Hebrew name
יָעֵל (Yaʿel) meaning
"ibex, mountain goat". This name appears in the Old Testament belonging to the wife of
Heber the Kenite. After Sisera, the captain of the Canaanite army, was defeated in battle by
Deborah and
Barak he took refuge in Heber's tent. When he fell asleep Jael killed him by hammering a tent peg into his head.
Jae-Seong m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
在 (jae) meaning "located at, exist" or
宰 (jae) meaning "kill, rule" combined with
成 (seong) meaning "completed, finished, succeeded" or
誠 (seong) meaning "sincere, honest, true". Other hanja combinations are possible.
Jahleel m BiblicalMeans
"God waits" in Hebrew, from
יָחַל (yaḥal) meaning "to wait" and
אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". This name is mentioned briefly in the Old Testament.
Jalal ad-Din m ArabicMeans
"greatness of the faith" from Arabic
جلال (jalāl) meaning "greatness, splendour" and
دين (dīn) meaning "religion, faith". Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi, commonly called just Rumi, was a 13th-century Persian poet.
Jalen m African American (Modern)An invented name. In America it was popularized in the 1990s by basketball player Jalen Rose (1973-), whose name was a combination of those of his father
James and maternal uncle
Leonard.
Jamal ad-Din m ArabicMeans
"beauty of the faith" from Arabic
جمال (jamāl) meaning "beauty" and
دين (dīn) meaning "religion, faith". Jamal ad-Din al-Afghani (1839-1897) was a political activist who promoted pan-Islamism.
Jarmila f Czech, SlovakDerived from Czech
jarý "young, fresh" and
milý "kind, dear". This is the name of a character in the Czech poem
Máj (1836) by Karel Hynek Mácha.
Jaromír m Czech, SlovakDerived from the Slavic elements
jarŭ "fierce, energetic" and
mirŭ "peace, world". This name was borne by an 11th-century duke of Bohemia.
Jaslene f English (Modern)Combination of the popular phonetic elements
jaz and
lene. It was brought to some public attention in 2007 by Puerto Rican-born model Jaslene Gonzalez (1986-), the eighth winner of the reality television series
America's Next Top Model.
Jason m English, French, Greek Mythology (Anglicized), BiblicalFrom the Greek name
Ἰάσων (Iason) meaning
"healer", derived from Greek
ἰάομαι (iaomai) meaning "to heal". In Greek mythology Jason was the leader of the Argonauts. After his uncle
Pelias overthrew his father
Aeson as king of Iolcos, Jason went in search of the Golden Fleece in order to win back the throne. During his journeys he married the sorceress
Medea, who helped him gain the fleece and kill his uncle, but who later turned against him when he fell in love with another woman.
... [more] Jasone f BasqueFrom Basque
jaso meaning
"to lift up, to raise". It was coined by Sabino Arana in 1910 as an equivalent of the Spanish name
Asunción.
Javohir m UzbekMeans
"jewels" in Uzbek, ultimately from Persian.
Jean-Luc m FrenchCombination of
Jean 1 and
Luc. A famous bearer is the French filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard (1930-2022).
Jefferson m EnglishFrom an English surname meaning
"son of Jeffrey". It is usually given in honour of Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), the third president of the United States and the primary author of the Declaration of Independence.
Jehiel m BiblicalMeans
"God will live" in Hebrew, from
חָיָה (ḥaya) meaning "to live" and
אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". This is the name of several people in the Old Testament, including one of King
David's lute players.
Jehoash m BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
יְהוֹאָשׁ (Yehoʾash), an extended form of
יוֹאָשׁ (see
Joash). According to the Old Testament, this was the name of a king of Israel. He probably reigned in the 8th century BC.
Jehohanan m BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
Yehoḥanan, an extended form of
Yoḥanan (see
John). It is borne by a few minor characters in the English Old Testament.
Jehoiachin m BiblicalMeans
"Yahweh will establish" in Hebrew, from the roots
יְהוֹ (yeho) referring to the Hebrew God and
כּוּן (kun) meaning "to establish". In the Old Testament this is the name of a king of Judah. Also known as
Jeconiah, he was imprisoned in Babylon by
Nebuchadnezzar after a brief reign in the early 6th century BC.
Jehoiakim m BiblicalMeans
"Yahweh raises up" in Hebrew, from the roots
יְהוֹ (yeho) referring to the Hebrew God and
קוּם (qum) meaning "to raise". In the Old Testament this is the name of a king of Judah. He lived in the 7th century BC, and was the son of
Josiah and the father of
Jehoiachin.
Jehoram m BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
יְהוֹרָם (Yehoram) meaning
"exalted by Yahweh", derived from
יְהוֹ (yeho) referring to the Hebrew God and
רוּם (rum) meaning "to exalt". In the Old Testament this is the name of a king of Judah and a king of Israel, both of whom ruled at about the same time in the 9th century BC.
Jehoshaphat m BiblicalMeans
"Yahweh has judged" in Hebrew, from the roots
יְהוֹ (yeho) referring to the Hebrew God and
שָׁפַט (shafaṭ) meaning "to judge". According to the Old Testament he was the fourth king of Judah, noted for having a generally peaceful and prosperous reign.
Jehosheba f BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
יְהוֹשֶׁבַע (Yehoshevaʿ) meaning
"Yahweh is an oath", derived from
יְהוֹ (yeho) referring to the Hebrew God and
שָׁבַע (shavaʿ) meaning "oath". In the Old Testament she is the daughter of King
Jehoram of Judah. With her husband Jehoiada she rescued the future king
Joash, her nephew, from a purge.
Jehovah m TheologyForm of
Yahweh used in older translations of the Bible, produced by blending the letters of the Tetragrammaton with the vowels from
Adonai.
Jelani m & f African American (Modern)This name began to be used rarely in the United States in 1973 after it was featured in a nation-wide newspaper article about African baby names. It probably represents the Arabic name
Jilani, given in honour of the Sufi scholar Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani (the meaning quoted by the newspaper article ("mighty") coincides with the meaning of
Qadir).
... [more] Jelle m Frisian, DutchOriginally a Frisian short form of names beginning with the Old German element
gelt meaning
"payment, tribute, compensation". It can also be a Dutch diminutive of
Willem.
Jenő m HungarianFrom the name of an ancient Hungarian tribe. Since the 19th century it has been used as a Hungarian form of
Eugene.
Jeong f & m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
靜 (jeong) meaning "quiet, still, gentle" or
貞 (jeong) meaning "virtuous, chaste, loyal", as well as other characters that are pronounced similarly. It usually occurs in combination with another character, though it is sometimes used as a stand-alone name.
Jeong-Ho m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
正 (jeong) meaning "right, proper, correct" combined with
好 (ho) meaning "good, excellent" or
浩 (ho) meaning "great, numerous, vast". This name can be formed by other hanja character combinations as well.
Jeong-Hui f & m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
正 (jeong) meaning "right, proper, correct" or
靜 (jeong) meaning "quiet, still, gentle" combined with
姬 (hui) meaning "beauty" or
熙 (hui) meaning "bright, splendid, glorious". Other combinations of hanja characters can form this name as well.
Jeong-Hun m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
正 (jeong) meaning "right, proper, correct" and
勛 (hun) meaning "meritorious deed, rank", as well as other hanja character combinations.
Jeong-Suk f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
貞 (jeong) meaning "virtuous, chaste, loyal" or
正 (jeong) meaning "right, proper, correct" combined with
淑 (suk) meaning "good, pure, virtuous, charming". Other hanja combinations are possible.
Jerahmeel m BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
יְרַחְמְאֵל (Yeraḥmeʾel) meaning
"God will have pity", derived from
רָחַם (raḥam) meaning "to pity" and
אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". This name is borne by a few minor characters in the Old Testament.
Jericho m English (Modern)From the name of a city in Israel that is mentioned several times in the Old Testament. The meaning of the city's name is uncertain, but it may be related to the Hebrew word
יָרֵחַ (yareaḥ) meaning "moon", or otherwise to the Hebrew word
רֵיחַ (reyaḥ) meaning "fragrance".
Jerioth f BiblicalMeans
"curtains, drapes" in Hebrew. This name occurs in the Old Testament belonging to a wife of
Caleb the son of Hezron.
Jeroboam m BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
יָרָבְעָם (Yarovʿam) meaning
"the people will contend", derived from the roots
רִיב (riv) meaning "to strive, to contend" and
עַם (ʿam) meaning "people, nation". According to the Old Testament, this was the name of the leader of the revolt against King
Rehoboam of Israel. The kingdom was split into Judah in the south and Israel in the north, with Jeroboam becoming the first king of the latter.
Jerome m EnglishFrom the Greek name
Ἱερώνυμος (Hieronymos) meaning
"sacred name", derived from
ἱερός (hieros) meaning "sacred" and
ὄνυμα (onyma) meaning "name". Saint Jerome was responsible for the creation of the Vulgate, the Latin translation of the Bible, in the 5th century. He is regarded as a Doctor of the Church. The name was used in his honour in the Middle Ages, especially in Italy and France, and has been used in England since the 12th century.
Jethro m BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
יִתְרוֹ (Yiṯro), which was derived from the Hebrew word
יֶתֶר (yeṯer) meaning
"abundance". According to the Old Testament, Jethro was a Midianite priest who sheltered
Moses when he fled Egypt. He was the father of
Zipporah, who became Moses's wife. A famous bearer of the name was Jethro Tull (1674-1741), an English inventor and agriculturist.
Jewel f & m EnglishIn part from the English word
jewel, a precious stone, derived from Old French
jouel, which was possibly related to
jeu "game". It is also in part from the surname
Jewel or
Jewell (a derivative of the Breton name
Judicaël), which was sometimes used in honour of the 16th-century bishop of Salisbury John Jewel. It has been in use as a given name since the 19th century.
Jezebel f BiblicalFrom Hebrew
אִיזֶבֶל (ʾIzevel), probably from a Phoenician name, possibly containing the Semitic root
zbl meaning
"to exalt, to dwell". According to one theory it might be an altered form of the Phoenician name
𐤁𐤏𐤋𐤀𐤆𐤁𐤋 (Baʿlʾizbel) meaning "Ba'al exalts" with the first element removed or replaced.
... [more] Jiahao m ChineseFrom Chinese
家 (jiā) meaning "home, family" combined with
豪 (háo) meaning "brave, heroic, chivalrous". This name can be formed from other character combinations as well.
Jianhong m ChineseFrom Chinese
健 (jiàn) meaning "build, establish" combined with
宏 (hóng) meaning "wide, spacious, great, vast". This name can also be formed from other character combinations.
Ji-Ho m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
智 (ji) meaning "wisdom, intellect" and
鎬 (ho) meaning "stove, bright" or
昊 (ho) meaning "summer, sky, heaven". This name can also be formed by other hanja character combinations.
Jilani m ArabicFrom the Arabic surname
الجيلاني (al-Jīlānī), borne by the 12th-century Persian Sufi scholar Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani (or Abdul Qadir Gilani), indicating he came from the town of Gilan near Baghdad.
Jirō m JapaneseFrom Japanese
二 (ji) meaning "two" and
郎 (rō) meaning "son". This was traditionally a name given to the second son. Other combinations of kanji characters can also be possible.
Ji-Won f & m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
智 (ji) meaning "wisdom, intellect" or
志 (ji) meaning "will, purpose, ambition" combined with
媛 (won) meaning "beautiful woman" or
元 (won) meaning "first, origin". This name can also be formed from many other hanja combinations.
Ji-Yeon f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
智 (ji) meaning "wisdom, intellect" or
志 (ji) meaning "will, purpose, ambition" combined with
妍 (yeon) meaning "beautiful". Other combinations of hanja characters can also form this name.
Ji-Yeong f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
智 (ji) meaning "wisdom, intellect" or
知 (ji) meaning "know, perceive, comprehend" combined with
英 (yeong) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero" or
榮 (yeong) meaning "glory, honour, flourish, prosper". Many other hanja character combinations are possible.
Joab m BiblicalMeans
"Yahweh is father" in Hebrew, from
יוֹ (yo) referring to the Hebrew God and
אָב (ʾav) meaning "father". According to the Old Testament, he was the commander of King
David's army. In separate incidents he killed both
Abner and
Absalom. When
Solomon came to power he was executed.
Joah m BiblicalMeans
"Yahweh is brother" in Hebrew, from
יוֹ (yo) referring to the Hebrew God and
אָח (ʾaḥ) meaning "brother". This is the name of four people in the Old Testament.
Joan 1 f EnglishMedieval English form of
Johanne, an Old French form of
Iohanna (see
Joanna). This was the usual English feminine form of
John in the Middle Ages, but it was surpassed in popularity by
Jane in the 17th century. It again became quite popular in the first half of the 20th century, entering the top ten names for both the United States and the United Kingdom, though it has since faded.
... [more] Joanna f English, Polish, BiblicalEnglish and Polish form of Latin
Iohanna, which was derived from Greek
Ἰωάννα (Ioanna), the feminine form of
Ioannes (see
John). This is the spelling used in the English New Testament, where it belongs to a follower of
Jesus who is regarded as a saint. In the Middle Ages in England it was used as a Latinized form of
Joan (the usual feminine form of
John) and it became common as a given name in the 19th century.