Jane f EnglishMedieval English form of
Jehanne, an Old French feminine form of
Iohannes (see
John). This became the most common feminine form of
John in the 17th century, surpassing
Joan. In the first half of the 20th century
Joan once again overtook
Jane for a few decades in both the United States and the United Kingdom.
... [more] Janet f EnglishMedieval diminutive of
Jane. This was a popular name throughout the English-speaking world in the 20th century, especially the 1930s to the 60s. Its popularity has since faded.
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.
Jasmine f English, FrenchFrom the English word for the climbing plant with fragrant flowers that is used for making perfumes. It is derived via Arabic from Persian
یاسمین (yāsamīn), which is also a Persian name. In the United States this name steadily grew in popularity from the 1970s, especially among African Americans. It reached a peak in the early 1990s shortly after the release of the animated Disney movie
Aladdin (1992), which featured a princess by this name.
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.
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.
Jermaine m African AmericanVariant of
Germain. This name rapidly increased in popularity in the early 1970s as a result of the newfound fame of Jermaine Jackson (1954-), a member of the singing group The Jackson 5.
Jessamine f English (Rare)From a variant spelling of the English word
jasmine (see
Jasmine), used also to refer to flowering plants in the cestrum family.
Jeunesse f VariousMeans
"youth" in French. It is not used as a given name in France itself.
Johannes m German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Late RomanLatin form of Greek
Ioannes (see
John). Notable bearers include the inventor of the printing press Johannes Gutenberg (1398-1468), astronomer Johannes Kepler (1571-1630), painter Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675), and composer Johannes Brahms (1833-1897).
Jolene f EnglishFormed from
Jo and the common name suffix
lene. This name was created in the early 20th century. It received a boost in popularity after the release of Dolly Parton's 1973 song
Jolene.
Jones m EnglishFrom the English and Welsh surname, itself derived from the given name
John.
Jordanes m Late RomanThe name of a 6th-century Roman author of Gothic background, who wrote a history of the Goths. His name is probably derived from that of the
Jordan River. However, some theories suggest that it could contain a trace of the Germanic root *
erþō meaning
"earth" (Gothic
airþa, Old Norse
jǫrð).
Joséphine f FrenchFrench feminine form of
Joseph. A notable bearer of this name was the first wife of Napoleon Bonaparte, Joséphine de Beauharnais (1763-1814).
Joukahainen m Finnish MythologyMeaning unknown. In the Finnish epic the
Kalevala this is the name of a youth who challenges
Väinämöinen to a chanting (or spellcasting) duel. Joukahainen loses, and must promise his sister
Aino to Väinämöinen.
June f EnglishFrom the name of the month, which was originally derived from the name of the Roman goddess
Juno. It has been used as a given name since the 19th century.
Justine f French, EnglishFrench form of
Iustina (see
Justina). This is the name of the heroine in the novel
Justine (1791) by the Marquis de Sade.
Kaneonuskatew m Cree (Anglicized)Means
"he who walks on four claws" in Cree, derived from
ᓀᐅᐧ (newo) "four" and the root
ᐊᐢᑲᓯᕀ (askasiy) "claw". This was the name of a 19th-century Plains Cree chief in Saskatchewan, also known as George Gordon.
Karine 3 f ArmenianProbably from
Կարին (Karin), the Armenian name for the city of Erzurum in eastern Turkey. It was an Armenian city in classical times.
Katherine f EnglishFrom the Greek name
Αἰκατερίνη (Aikaterine). The etymology is debated: it could derive from an earlier Greek name
Ἑκατερινη (Hekaterine), itself from
ἑκάτερος (hekateros) meaning
"each of the two"; it could derive from the name of the goddess
Hecate; it could be related to Greek
αἰκία (aikia) meaning
"torture"; or it could be from a Coptic name meaning
"my consecration of your name". In the early Christian era it became associated with Greek
καθαρός (katharos) meaning
"pure", and the Latin spelling was changed from
Katerina to
Katharina to reflect this.
... [more] Kenelm m English (Rare)From the Old English name
Cenhelm, which was composed of the elements
cene "bold, keen" and
helm "helmet". Saint Kenelm was a 9th-century martyr from Mercia, where he was a member of the royal family. The name was occasionally used during the Middle Ages, but has since become rare.
Kennedy f & m English, IrishFrom an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Irish Gaelic
Ó Cinnéidigh, itself derived from the given name
Cennétig. The name has sometimes been given in honour of assassinated American president John F. Kennedy (1917-1963). It was popularized as a name for girls by Lisa Kennedy Montgomery (1972-), known simply as Kennedy, the host of the television program
Alternative Nation on MTV from 1992 to 1997.
Kenneth m Scottish, English, Swedish, Danish, NorwegianAnglicized form of both
Coinneach and
Cináed. This name was borne by the Scottish king Kenneth (Cináed) mac Alpin, who united the Scots and Picts in the 9th century. It was popularized outside of Scotland by Walter Scott, who used it for the hero in his 1825 novel
The Talisman. A famous bearer was the British novelist Kenneth Grahame (1859-1932), who wrote
The Wind in the Willows.
Keone m & f HawaiianMeans
"the homeland" from Hawaiian
ke, a definite article, and
one "sand, homeland".
Kineret f HebrewFrom the name of a large lake in northern Israel, usually called the Sea of Galilee in English. Its name is derived from Hebrew
כִּנּוֹר (kinnor) meaning "harp" because of its shape.
Kotone f JapaneseFrom Japanese
琴 (koto), which refers to a type of musical instrument similar to a harp, combined with
音 (ne) meaning "sound". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
Kourtney f English (Modern)Variant of
Courtney. Like
Courtney this name declined in popularity in the 1990s, but it was briefly revived after 2007 by the television personality Kourtney Kardashian (1979-) when she began appearing on the reality show
Keeping Up with the Kardashians.
Kunegunda f Polish (Rare)Polish form of
Kunigunde. The 13th-century Saint Kunegunda was the daughter of Bela IV, king of Hungary. She married Boleslaus V of Poland, but after his death refused to assume power and instead became a nun.
Lane m EnglishFrom an English surname, meaning
"lane, path", which originally belonged to a person who lived near a lane.
Laudine f Arthurian CyclePossibly a derivative of
Lot 2 (or derived from the same place name). It was used by the 12th-century French poet Chrétien de Troyes for a character in his romance
Yvain, the Knight of the Lion. Also called the Lady of the Fountain, Laudine married
Yvain after he killed her husband.
Laverne f & m EnglishFrom a French surname that was derived from a place name, ultimately from the Gaulish word
vern "alder". It is sometimes associated with the Roman goddess
Laverna or the Latin word
vernus "of spring".
Lemminkäinen m Finnish MythologyMeaning unknown, possibly related to Finnish
lempi "love". In the Finnish epic the
Kalevala this is the name of an arrogant hero. After he was killed his mother fetched his body from the River of Death and restored him to life. He is sometimes identified with the god
Ahti.
Leofwine m Anglo-SaxonMeans
"dear friend", derived from the Old English elements
leof "dear, beloved" and
wine "friend". This was the name of an 8th-century English saint, also known as
Lebuin, who did missionary work in Frisia.
Linnéa f SwedishFrom the name of a flower, also known as the twinflower. It was named for the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus, it being his favourite flower.
Lionel m French, English, Arthurian CycleFrench diminutive of
Léon. It appears in Arthurian legend in the 13th-century
Lancelot-Grail Cycle, belonging to a knight who was the brother of Sir
Bors. A notable modern bearer is the Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi (1987-).
Lorne m EnglishFrom the title
Marquis of Lorne, which was based on the Scottish place name
Lorne, itself possibly derived from the name of the legendary king of Dál Riata, Loarn mac Eirc. This was the title of the first Governor General of Canada, where it has since been most frequently used as a given name. A famous bearer was the Canadian actor Lorne Greene (1915-1987).
Lorraine f EnglishFrom the name of a region in eastern France, originally meaning "kingdom of
Lothar". Lothar was a Frankish king, the great-grandson of
Charlemagne, whose realm was in the part of France that is now called
Lorraine, or in German
Lothringen (from Latin
Lothari regnum). As a given name, it has been used in the English-speaking world since the late 19th century, perhaps due to its similar sound with
Laura. It became popular after World War I when the region was in the news, as it was contested between Germany and France.
Ludivine f FrenchPossibly from a feminine form of
Leutwin. It was popularized in the 1970s by a character from the French miniseries
Les Gens de Mogador.
Lunete f Arthurian CycleForm of
Eluned used by the 12th-century French poet Chrétien de Troyes in his poem
Yvain, the Knight of the Lion. In the poem she is a servant of the Lady of the Fountain who aids the knight
Yvain.
Lynet f Arthurian CycleForm of
Lunete used in Thomas Malory's 15th-century tale
Le Morte d'Arthur, where it is borne by a woman who enlists the help of Sir
Gareth to rescue her sister
Lyonesse. She eventually marries his brother
Gaheris.
Lynette f English, Arthurian CycleForm of
Lynet used by Alfred Tennyson in his 1872 poem
Gareth and Lynette. According to Tennyson, Gareth and Lynette were eventually married. In modern times it is also regarded as a diminutive of
Lynn.
Lyonesse f Arthurian CycleMeans
"lioness" in Middle English. In Thomas Malory's 15th-century tale
Le Morte d'Arthur this is the name of a woman trapped in a castle by the Red Knight. Her sister
Lynet gains the help of the knight
Gareth in order to save her.
Madeline f EnglishEnglish form of
Madeleine. This is the name of the heroine in a series of children's books by the Austrian-American author Ludwig Bemelmans, first published 1939.
Magdalene f German, English, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical GreekFrom a title meaning
"of Magdala".
Mary Magdalene, a character in the New Testament, was named thus because she was from Magdala — a village on the Sea of Galilee whose name meant "tower" in Aramaic. She was cleaned of evil spirits by
Jesus and then remained with him during his ministry, witnessing the crucifixion and the resurrection. She was a popular saint in the Middle Ages, and the name became common then. In England it is traditionally rendered
Madeline, while
Magdalene or
Magdalen is the learned form.
Malone m & f English (Rare)From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of
Ó Maoil Eoin meaning
"descendant of a disciple of Saint John".
Marjolaine f FrenchMeans
"marjoram" in French, from Latin
maiorana. Marjoram is a minty herb.
Marlene f German, EnglishBlend of
Maria and
Magdalene. It refers, therefore, to Mary Magdalene, a character in the New Testament. The name was popularized by the German actress and singer Marlene Dietrich (1901-1992), whose real name was Maria Magdalene Dietrich.
Maxine f EnglishFeminine form of
Max. It has been commonly used only since the beginning of the 20th century.
Mégane f French (Modern)French form of
Megan. This name rapidly climbed in popularity beginning in the late 1980s, though it fell out of favour after the French car company Renault used it for one of their vehicles in 1995.
Meine m Frisian, DutchOriginally a Frisian short form of names beginning with the Old German element
megin meaning
"power, strength" (Proto-Germanic *
mageną).
Melpomene f Greek MythologyDerived from Greek
μέλπω (melpo) meaning
"to sing, to celebrate with song". This was the name of one of the nine Muses in Greek mythology, the muse of tragedy.
Melusine f MythologyMeaning unknown. In European folklore Melusine was a water fairy who turned into a serpent from the waist down every Saturday. She made her husband, Raymond of Poitou, promise that he would never see her on that day, and when he broke his word she left him forever.
Menelaus m Greek Mythology (Latinized)From the Greek name
Μενέλαος (Menelaos), derived either from
μένω (meno) meaning "to stay, to last" or
μένος (menos) meaning "mind, strength, force" combined with
λαός (laos) meaning "people". In Greek legend he was a king of Sparta and the husband of
Helen. When his wife was taken by
Paris, the Greeks led by his brother
Agamemnon besieged the city of Troy in an effort to get her back. After the war Menelaus and Helen settled down to a happy life.
Menes m Ancient Egyptian (Hellenized)Greek form of Egyptian
mnj probably meaning
"he who endures", derived from
mn "to endure". According to tradition, Menes was the Egyptian pharaoh who first united Upper and Lower Egypt around the 31st century BC. He is probably the same as the pharaoh known as
Narmer; Menes could have been his throne name.
Menesa f Turkish (Modern)From the biblical name
Manasseh. This name became popular in Turkey after it appeared on the Turkish version of the popular Iranian television series
Prophet Joseph (2008). In the series Menesa is the daughter of
Joseph and
Asenath, whereas in the biblical account Manasseh was their son.
Meona'hane m CheyenneMeans
"morning killer" in Cheyenne, derived from
méo- "morning" and
-na'hané "kill, coup".
Minea f FinnishCreated by the Finnish writer Mika Waltari for a character in his historical novel
The Egyptian (1945). He may have based it on the name
Minos, as the character is herself of Cretan origin.
Minenhle f & m ZuluFrom Zulu
imini "day" and
hle "beautiful".