Hruodnand m GermanicFrom the Old German elements
hruod meaning "fame" and
nand meaning "brave". According to some theories, this was the original form of
Roland.
Huan f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
欢 (huān) meaning "happy, pleased", as well as other characters pronounced in a similar way.
Huang m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
煌 (huáng) meaning "bright, shining, luminous" (which is usually only masculine) or
凰 (huáng) meaning "phoenix" (usually only feminine). Other Chinese characters are also possible.
Huangdi m Chinese MythologyFrom Chinese
黄 (huáng) meaning "yellow" and
帝 (dì) meaning "god, emperor". This is the Chinese name for the Yellow Emperor, a mythical ruler and deity who is said to have reigned in the 3rd millennium BC. He is regarded as the ancestor of the Chinese people.
Huanglong m Chinese MythologyFrom Chinese
黄 (huáng) meaning "yellow" and
龙 (lóng) meaning "dragon". This is the Chinese name for the Yellow Dragon, who is considered the animal form of the mythical Yellow Emperor
Huangdi.
Hudson m EnglishFrom an English surname meaning
"son of Hudde". A famous bearer of the surname was the English explorer Henry Hudson (1570-1611).
Hunahpu m Mayan MythologyPossibly means
"one blowgunner", from Classic Maya
jun "one" and
puw "blowgun" (with the agentive prefix
aj-). Hunahpu and his twin brother
Xbalanque are the central characters of the
Popol Vuh, the sacred book of the K'iche' Maya.
Hunor m HungarianDerived from the ethnic term
Hun, which refers to the nomadic people from Central Asia who expanded into Europe in the 4th century. The word
Hun is from Latin
Hunnus, which is possibly of Turkic origin. According to medieval Hungarian legend, the brothers Hunor and Magor were the ancestors of the Huns and the Magyars (Hungarians) respectively.
Hunter m & f EnglishFrom an English occupational surname for a hunter, derived from Old English
hunta. A famous bearer was the eccentric American journalist Hunter S. Thompson (1937-2005).
Husayn m ArabicDiminutive of
Hasan. Husayn ibn Ali (also commonly transliterated
Hussein) was the son of
Ali and the grandson of the Prophet
Muhammad. His older brother was named
Hasan. The massacre of Husayn and his family was a major event in the split between Shia and Sunni Muslims, which continues to this day. In more recent times this was the name of a king of Jordan (1935-1999).
Hwan m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
煥 (hwan) meaning "shining, brilliant, lustrous" or other characters that are pronounced similarly. It usually occurs in combination with another character.
Hyacinthus m Greek Mythology (Latinized), Ancient Greek (Latinized)Latinized form of the Greek name
Ὑάκινθος (Hyakinthos), which was derived from the name of the hyacinth flower. In Greek legend Hyakinthos was accidentally killed by the god
Apollo, who mournfully caused this flower to arise from his blood. The name was also borne by several early saints, notably a 3rd-century martyr who was killed with his brother Protus.
Hye-Jin f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
慧 (hye) meaning "bright, intelligent" or
惠 (hye) meaning "favour, benefit" combined with
珍 (jin) meaning "precious, rare". This name can be formed by a variety of other hanja character combinations as well.
Hyeon m & f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
賢 (hyeon) meaning "virtuous, worthy, able" or other characters that are pronounced similarly. It usually occurs in combination with another character, though it is sometimes used as a stand-alone name.
Hyeon-Jeong f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
賢 (hyeon) meaning "virtuous, worthy, able" or
炫 (hyeon) meaning "shine, glitter" combined with
廷 (jeong) meaning "courtyard" or
貞 (jeong) meaning "virtuous, chaste, loyal". This name can be formed by other hanja character combinations as well.
Hyeon-Ju f & m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
賢 (hyeon) meaning "virtuous, worthy, able" and
珠 (ju) meaning "jewel, pearl". This name can be formed by other hanja character combinations as well.
Hyeon-U m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
賢 (hyeon) meaning "virtuous, worthy, able" or
顯 (hyeon) meaning "manifest, clear" combined with
祐 (u) meaning "divine intervention, protection" or
雨 (u) meaning "rain". This name can be formed by other hanja character combinations as well.
Hyperion m Greek MythologyDerived from Greek
ὑπέρ (hyper) meaning
"over". In Greek myth this was the name of a Titan who presided over the sun and light. By
Theia he was the father of the sun god
Helios, the moon goddess
Selene, and the dawn goddess
Eos.
Ian m Scottish, EnglishAnglicized form of Scottish Gaelic
Iain, itself from Latin
Iohannes (see
John). It became popular in the United Kingdom outside of Scotland in the first half of the 20th century, but did not begin catching on in America until the 1960s.
Ianeira f Greek MythologyPossibly from Greek
Ἰάν (Ian), a variant of
Ἴων (Ion) meaning
"Ionian", the Ionians being a Greek tribe. The name Ianeira was borne by a few characters in Greek mythology, including one of the Nereids and one of the Oceanids.
Iben f Danish, NorwegianPossibly a feminine form of
Ib. It is associated with Danish
ibenholt meaning "ebony".
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.
Iemanjá f Afro-American MythologyPortuguese form of
Yemọja, used in Brazil by adherents of Candomblé. She is identified with Our Lady of Immaculate Conception as well as other aspects of the Virgin
Mary.
Ieuan m WelshMedieval Welsh form of
Iohannes (see
John), revived in the 19th century.
Ifan m WelshModern form of
Ieuan, a medieval Welsh form of
Iohannes (see
John).
Ifunanya f IgboMeans
"love" in Igbo (literally "to see in one's eye").
Ignatius m Late RomanFrom the Roman family name
Egnatius, meaning unknown, of Etruscan origin. The spelling was later altered to resemble Latin
ignis "fire". This was the name of several saints, including the third bishop of Antioch who was thrown to wild beasts by Emperor Trajan, and by Saint Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556), founder of the Jesuits, whose real birth name was in fact
Íñigo.
Igone f BasqueMeans
"ascension" in Basque. It is an equivalent of
Ascensión coined by the Basque writer Sabino Arana in 1910.
Igraine f Arthurian CycleMeaning unknown, from
Igerna, the Latinized form of Welsh
Eigyr. In Arthurian legend she is the mother of King
Arthur by Uther Pendragon and the mother of
Morgan le Fay by Gorlois. The Welsh form
Eigyr or
Eigr was rendered into Latin as
Igerna by the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth.
I-Jun m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
利 (i) meaning "advantage, benefit" combined with
准 (jun) meaning "approve, permit". This name can be formed by other hanja characters as well.
Ildefonso m SpanishSpanish form of the Visigothic name *
Hildifuns, which meant
"battle ready", derived from the Gothic elements
hilds "battle" and
funs "ready". This was the name of a 7th-century saint, an archbishop of Toledo.
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.
İlhan m TurkishFrom the Mongolian title
il-Khan meaning
"subordinate Khan", which was first adopted by Genghis Khan's grandson Hulagu, who ruled a realm called the Ilkhanate that stretched from modern Iran to eastern Turkey.
İlknur f TurkishMeans
"first light", from Turkish
ilk meaning "first" combined with Arabic
نور (nūr) meaning "light".
Illuminata f Late RomanMeans
"illuminated, brightened, filled with light" in Latin. This name was borne by a 4th-century saint from Todi, Italy.
Ilmarinen m Finnish MythologyDerived from Finnish
ilma meaning
"air". Ilmarinen is an immortal smith in Finnish mythology, the creator of the sky and the magic mill known as the Sampo. He is one of the main characters in the Finnish epic the
Kalevala.
Il-Seong m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
日 (il) meaning "sun, day" and
成 (seong) meaning "completed, finished, succeeded". Other hanja character combinations are possible. A notable bearer was Kim Il-sung (1912-1994), the first leader of North Korea.
Imants m LatvianPossibly from Livonian (a Finnic language that was spoken in Latvia)
im "miracle" and
and "to give".
Imogen f English (British)The name of the daughter of King
Cymbeline in the play
Cymbeline (1609) by William Shakespeare. He based her on a legendary character named
Innogen, but it was printed incorrectly and never emended.
Innogen is probably derived from Gaelic
inghean meaning
"maiden". As a given name it is chiefly British and Australian.
Inam f ArabicMeans
"giving, bestowal, act of kindness" in Arabic, ultimately related to
نعم (naʿima) meaning "to live in comfort, to be delighted".
Inanna f Sumerian MythologyPossibly derived from Sumerian
nin-an-a(k) meaning
"lady of the heavens", from
𒎏 (nin) meaning "lady" and the genitive form of
𒀭 (an) meaning "heaven, sky". Inanna was the Sumerian goddess of love, fertility and war. She descended into the underworld where the ruler of that place, her sister
Ereshkigal, had her killed. The god
Enki interceded, and Inanna was allowed to leave the underworld as long as her husband
Dumuzi took her place.
... [more] Inari f & m Japanese MythologyMeans
"carrying rice" in Japanese, from
稲 (ina) meaning "rice" and
荷 (ri) meaning "carry". This is the name of a Japanese divinity associated with prosperity, rice and foxes, represented as both female and male.
Inas f ArabicMeans
"friendliness" in Arabic, from the root
أنس (ʾanisa) meaning "to be friendly".
Indalecio m SpanishSpanish form of the Latin name
Indaletius, of uncertain origin. Saint Indaletius was a 1st-century missionary to Almería, Spain.
India f English, Spanish (Modern)From the name of the country, which is itself derived from the name of the Indus River. The river's name is ultimately from Sanskrit
सिन्धु (Sindhu) meaning "body of trembling water, river". India Wilkes is a character in the novel
Gone with the Wind (1936) by Margaret Mitchell.
Indiana f & m EnglishFrom the name of the American state, which means "land of the Indians". This is the name of the hero in the
Indiana Jones series of movies, starring Harrison Ford.
Indie f English (Modern)Possibly a diminutive of
India or
Indiana, but also likely inspired by the term
indie, short for
independent, which is typically used to refer to media produced outside of the mainstream.
Indigo f & m English (Modern)From the English word
indigo for the purplish-blue dye or the colour. It is ultimately derived from Greek
Ἰνδικόν (Indikon) meaning "Indic, from India".
Indra m Hinduism, Hindi, Nepali, IndonesianMeans
"possessing drops of rain" from Sanskrit
इन्दु (indu) meaning "a drop" and
र (ra) meaning "acquiring, possessing". Indra is the name of the ancient Hindu warrior god of the sky and rain, frequently depicted riding the elephant Airavata. He is the chief god in the
Rigveda.
Indu f HindiMeans
"bright drop" in Sanskrit. This is a name for the moon.
Ing m Germanic MythologyFrom the Germanic *
Ingwaz, possibly meaning
"ancestor". This was the name of an obscure Germanic fertility god who was considered the ancestor of the tribe the Ingaevones. It is possible he was an earlier incarnation of the god
Freyr.
Inga f Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Icelandic, Estonian, Finnish, Latvian, Lithuanian, German, Polish, Russian, Old Norse, GermanicStrictly feminine form of
Inge.
Ingalill f SwedishCombination of
Inga and Swedish
lilla, an inflected form of
liten meaning "little".
Inge f & m Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, German, Dutch, EstonianShort form of Scandinavian and German names beginning with the element
ing, which refers to the Germanic god
Ing. In Sweden and Norway this is primarily a masculine name, elsewhere it is usually feminine.
Ingeborg f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, GermanFrom the Old Norse name
Ingibjǫrg, which was derived from the name of the Germanic god
Ing combined with
bjǫrg meaning "help, save, rescue". This name was borne by a Danish princess who married Philip II of France in the 12th century.
Ingegerd f SwedishFrom the Old Norse name
Ingigerðr, which was derived from the name of the Germanic god
Ing combined with
garðr meaning "enclosure, yard".
Ingela f SwedishOld variant of
Ingegerd. It can also be considered a diminutive of other names beginning with
Ing.
Ingemar m SwedishFrom the Old Norse name
Ingimárr, derived from the name of the Germanic god
Ing combined with
mærr "famous".
Ingmar m SwedishVariant of
Ingemar. This name was borne by the Swedish film director Ingmar Bergman (1918-2007).
Ingomar m German (Rare), GermanicFrom the name of the Germanic god
Ing combined with Old German
mari "famous", making it a cognate of
Ingemar. Ingomar (or Inguiomer) was a 1st-century leader of the Cherusci, a Germanic tribe.
Ingram m Germanic, English (Rare)Germanic name composed of either the element
angil, from the name of the Germanic tribe of the Angles, or
engil meaning "angel" combined with
hram meaning "raven". This name was brought to England by the Normans, though it died out after the medieval era. These days it is usually inspired by the surname that was derived from the medieval name.
Ingrid f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Estonian, German, DutchFrom the Old Norse name
Ingríðr meaning
"Ing is beautiful", derived from the name of the Germanic god
Ing combined with
fríðr "beautiful, beloved". A famous bearer was the Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman (1915-1982).
Íñigo m SpanishMedieval Spanish form of
Eneko. This was the birth name of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, who changed it in honour of Saint Ignatius of Antioch. As such, this name is sometimes regarded as a form of
Ignatius.
Inigo m English (Rare)English form of
Íñigo. It became well-known in Britain due to the English architect Inigo Jones (1573-1652). He was named after his father, a Catholic who was named for Saint Ignatius of Loyola.
Inja f SloveneSlovene short form of names ending with
ina.
Inken f FrisianOriginally a diminutive of
Ingeborg and other names beginning with the element
ing, which refers to the Germanic god
Ing.
Inmaculada f SpanishMeans
"immaculate" in Spanish. This name is given to commemorate the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin
Mary.
Innocent m History (Ecclesiastical), English (African)From the Late Latin name
Innocentius, which was derived from
innocens "innocent". This was the name of several early saints. It was also borne by 13 popes including Innocent III, a politically powerful ruler and organizer of the Fourth Crusade.
... [more] Inunnguaq m GreenlandicMeans
"little person" in Greenlandic, from
inuk "person, human" and the diminutive suffix
-nnguaq.
Ioannikios m Late GreekCombination of
Ioannes and Greek
νίκη (nike) meaning "victory". This name was borne by Ioannikios (or Joannicius) the Great, a 9th-century Byzantine saint.
Iolanthe f Various (Rare)Probably a variant of
Yolanda influenced by the Greek words
ἰόλη (iole) meaning "violet" and
ἄνθος (anthos) meaning "flower". This name was (first?) used by Gilbert and Sullivan in their comic opera
Iolanthe (1882).
Ion 2 m Greek MythologyOf unknown etymology, possibly Pre-Greek. According to Greek mythology he was a son of Creusa and Xuthus (or alternatively the god
Apollo). He was said to be the ancestor of the Greek tribe of the Ionians.
Iona 1 f English, ScottishFrom the name of the island off Scotland where Saint Columba founded a monastery. The name of the island is Old Norse in origin, and apparently derives simply from
ey meaning "island".
Ione f Greek Mythology, EnglishFrom Ancient Greek
ἴον (ion) meaning
"violet flower". This was the name of a sea nymph in Greek mythology. It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the 19th century, though perhaps based on the Greek place name
Ionia, a region on the west coast of Asia Minor.