Jeremy m English, BiblicalEnglish form of
Jeremiah, originally a medieval vernacular form. This is the spelling used in some English versions of the New Testament.
Jingyi m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
静 (jìng) meaning "quiet, still, gentle" combined with
怡 (yí) meaning "joy, harmony". Other character combinations are possible as well.
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.
Johnny m EnglishDiminutive of
John. A famous bearer is American actor Johnny Depp (1963-).
Jolyon m English (Rare)Medieval form of
Julian. The author John Galsworthy used it for a character in his
Forsyte Saga novels (published between 1906 and 1922).
Junayd m ArabicMeans
"small army", derived from Arabic
جند (jund) meaning "army, soldiers".
Kaguya f LiteratureMeans
"bright, shining" in Japanese. It is spelled with the kanji
赫 (kagaya) meaning "bright" and
映 (ya) meaning "reflect". The name originates from the old Japanese folktale
The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, about a bamboo cutter who finds a tiny baby in a bamboo stalk and names her
Kaguya-hime "shining princess". When she grows up she rejects all proposals for marriage (including that from the Emperor) and eventually returns to her true home on the moon.
... [more] Kalyna f Ukrainian (Rare)From the Ukrainian word for a type of shrub, also called the guelder rose (species Viburnum opulus).
Kaylee f English (Modern)Combination of the popular phonetic elements
kay and
lee. This name, in various spellings, steadily rose in popularity starting in the 1980s. This particular spelling peaked in America in 2009, ranked 26th, and has since declined.
Kayoko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
加 (ka) meaning "add, increase" or
佳 (ka) meaning "good, auspicious, beautiful" combined with
代 (yo) meaning "generation, era" or
余 (yo) meaning "surplus" and finishing with
子 (ko) meaning "child". This name can also be formed from other combinations of kanji characters.
Kazuya m JapaneseFrom Japanese
一 (kazu) meaning "one" or
和 (kazu) meaning "harmony, peace" combined with
也 (ya) meaning "to be, also". Other combinations of kanji can form this name as well.
Kelsey f & m EnglishFrom an English surname that is derived from town names in Lincolnshire. It may mean "Cenel's island", from the Old English name
Cenel "fierce" in combination with
eg "island".
Kenyon m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from an English place name, of uncertain meaning.
Khayra f ArabicMeans
"good deed" in Arabic, a derivative of
خير (khayr) meaning "goodness, charity".
Khayri m ArabicMeans
"charitable, benificent" in Arabic, a derivative of
خير (khayr) meaning "goodness, charity".
Kinsey f English (Modern)From an English surname that was derived from the given name
Cynesige. This name is borne by Kinsey Millhone, the heroine in a series of mystery novels by author Sue Grafton, beginning in 1982.
Kiyoko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
清 (kiyo) meaning "clear, pure, clean" or
聖 (kiyo) meaning "holy" and
子 (ko) meaning "child". This name can also be formed from other combinations of kanji characters.
Klytië f Greek MythologyDerived from Greek
κλυτός (klytos) meaning
"famous, noble". In Greek myth Klytië was an ocean nymph who loved the sun god Helios. Her love was not returned, and she pined away staring at him until she was transformed into a heliotrope flower, whose head moves to follow the sun.
Landry m FrenchFrench form of
Landric. This name was borne by a few French saints, including a 5th-century bishop of Sées and a 7th-century bishop of Paris.
Layton m EnglishFrom a surname that was originally derived from the name of English towns meaning
"town with a leek garden" in Old English. Like similar-sounding names such as
Peyton and
Dayton, this name began rising in popularity in the 1990s.
Legacy f & m English (Modern)From the English word, meaning
"something inherited from a predecessor, heritage". It is derived from Old French
legacie, itself from Latin
legatum "bequest, legacy".
Lyanna f LiteratureCreated by author George R. R. Martin for a character in his series
A Song of Ice and Fire, published beginning 1996, and the television adaptation
Game of Thrones (2011-2019). In the story Lyanna was the sister of Ned Stark. Her abduction and subsequent death was the cause of the civil war that toppled the Targaryens.
Lyndon m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"linden tree hill" in Old English. A famous bearer was American president Lyndon B. Johnson (1908-1973).
Manley m EnglishFrom an English surname, originally a place name, meaning
"common clearing" in Old English.
Marley f & m English (Modern)From an English surname that was taken from a place name meaning either "pleasant wood", "boundary wood" or "marten wood" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was the Jamaican musician Bob Marley (1945-1981).
Maryam f Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Indonesian, Bashkir, TatarArabic form of
Miryam (see
Mary) appearing in the Quran. It is also the form used in several other languages. In Iran it is also the name of a flower, the tuberose, which is named after the Virgin Mary.
Masuyo f JapaneseFrom Japanese
益 (masu) meaning "profit, benefit" and
世 (yo) meaning "world". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Maylis f FrenchFrom the name of a town in southern France, said to derive from Occitan
mair "mother" and French
lys "lily". It is also sometimes considered a combination of
Marie and
lys.
Mayumi 1 f JapaneseFrom Japanese
真 (ma) meaning "real, genuine" combined with
弓 (yumi) meaning "archery bow" or
由 (yu) meaning "reason, cause" and
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful". This name can also be constructed from other kanji combinations.
Melody f EnglishFrom the English word
melody, which is derived (via Old French and Late Latin) from Greek
μέλος (melos) meaning "song" combined with
ἀείδω (aeido) meaning "to sing".
Memory f English (African)From the English word
memory, ultimately from Latin
memor "mindful, remembering". This name is most common in Malawi, Zimbabwe and other parts of Africa.
Merfyn m WelshFrom an Old Welsh name (recorded variously as
Mermin,
Merhin or
Merwin), of uncertain meaning. It is possibly from
mer "bone marrow" or
mor "sea" with the second element possibly
mynawg "eminent, noble",
mynnu "wish, desire" or
myn "young goat, kid". This was the name of a 9th-century king of Gwynedd, Merfyn Frych.
Merlyn m & f EnglishVariant of
Merlin, sometimes used as a feminine form. It has perhaps been influenced by the Welsh word
merlyn meaning "pony".
Merryn f CornishMeaning unknown. This was the name of an early Cornish (male) saint.
Mickey m & f EnglishDiminutive or feminine form of
Michael. This was the name that Walt Disney gave to Ub Iwerks' cartoon character Mickey Mouse (debuting 1928), who was called Mortimer Mouse while being developed. Another famous bearer was the American baseball player Mickey Mantle (1931-1995).
Miyako f JapaneseFrom Japanese
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful",
夜 (ya) meaning "night" and
子 (ko) meaning "child". This name can be formed from other combinations of kanji as well.
Miyoko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful",
代 (yo) meaning "generation" and
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.
Miyuki f JapaneseFrom Japanese
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" combined with
幸 (yuki) meaning "happiness" or
雪 (yuki) meaning "snow". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.
Monday m & f English (African)From the English word for the day of the week, which was derived from Old English
mona "moon" and
dæg "day". This can be given to children born on Monday, especially in Nigeria.
Morley m English (Rare)From a surname that was originally from an Old English place name meaning
"marsh clearing".
Mostyn m WelshFrom the name of a town in northern Wales, which is probably derived from Old English elements meaning
"moss town".
Murphy m & f EnglishFrom a common Irish surname, the Anglicized form of Irish Gaelic
Ó Murchadha, itself derived from the given name
Murchadh. As a given name, it has been borne by female characters on the American television series
Murphy Brown (1988-1998) and the movie
Interstellar (2014).
Mwenya f & m ChewaFrom the Chewa word for a type of flowering tree (species Breonadia salicina).
Myeong m & f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
明 (myeong) meaning "bright, light, clear" or other hanja characters with the same pronunciation. Although it does appear rarely as a single-character name, it is more often used in combination with another character.
Myrtle f EnglishSimply from the English word
myrtle for the evergreen shrub, ultimately from Greek
μύρτος (myrtos). It was first used as a given name in the 19th century, at the same time many other plant and flower names were coined.
Neymar m Portuguese (Brazilian, Rare)Meaning unknown. A famous bearer is the Brazilian soccer player Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior (1992-), who is usually known by just his first name. He was named after his father.
Nyarai f ShonaFrom Shona
nyara meaning
"be shy, be quiet, be humble".
Nympha f Ancient Greek, Biblical Greek, BiblicalVariant of
Nymphe (as well as the usual Latinized form). This name is mentioned briefly by
Paul in his epistle to the Colossians in the New Testament, though it is uncertain whether it refers to a woman
Nympha or a man
Nymphas. The name was later borne by an obscure 4th-century saint possibly from Palermo, Sicily.
Nyoman m & f BalinesePossibly from a Balinese word meaning
"end, remainder". This name is traditionally bestowed upon the third-born child.
Oakley m & f EnglishFrom an English surname that was from various place names meaning
"oak clearing" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was the American sharpshooter Annie Oakley (1860-1926).
Øyvind m NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Eyvindr, which was derived from
ey meaning "island" or "good fortune" and
vindr possibly meaning "victor".
Pelayo m SpanishSpanish form of
Pelagius. This was the name of the founder of the kingdom of Asturias in the 8th century.
Peyton f & m EnglishFrom an English surname, originally a place name meaning
"Pæga's town". This was a rare masculine name until the 1990s. In 1992 it was used for a female character in the movie
The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, and, despite the fact that it was borne by the villain, the name began to rise in popularity for girls as well as boys.
... [more] Pompey m HistoryModern form of the Roman family name
Pompeius, which was probably derived from a Sabellic word meaning
"five". A notable bearer was the 1st-century BC Roman general Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, also known as Pompey the Great. Initially an ally of Julius Caesar, he later fought against him in the Roman civil war of 49-45 BC.
Popeye m Popular CultureCreated by Elzie Crisler Segar in 1929 for a sailor character in his comic strip
Thimble Theatre, later renamed
Popeye. He presumably based it on the English words
pop and
eye.
Psyche f Greek MythologyMeans
"the soul", derived from Greek
ψύχω (psycho) meaning "to breathe". The Greeks thought that the breath was the soul. In Greek mythology Psyche was a beautiful maiden who was beloved by Eros (or Cupid in Roman mythology). She is the subject of Keats's poem
Ode to Psyche (1819).
Quincy m & f EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived (via the place name
Cuinchy) from the personal name
Quintus. A famous bearer was John Quincy Adams (1767-1848), sixth president of the United States, who was born in the town of Quincy, Massachusetts. Both the town and the president were named after his maternal great-grandfather John Quincy (1689-1767). Another notable bearer is the American musician Quincy Jones (1933-).
Rajiya f ArabicMeans
"hope" in Arabic, derived from
رجا (rajā) meaning "to hope, to anticipate".
Ramsey m & f EnglishFrom an English and Scottish surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"garlic island" in Old English.
Raniya f ArabicPossibly related to the Arabic root
رنا (ranā) meaning
"to gaze, to look intently".
Rawiya f ArabicMeans
"storyteller" in Arabic, derived from
روى (rawā) meaning "to relate, to tell".
Rayner m English (Archaic)From the Germanic name
Raginheri, composed of the elements
regin "advice, counsel, decision" and
heri "army". Saint Rainerius was a 12th-century hermit from Pisa. The Normans brought this name to England where it came into general use, though it was rare by the end of the Middle Ages.
Rayyan m & f ArabicMeans
"watered, luxuriant" in Arabic. According to Islamic tradition this is the name of one of the gates of paradise.
Reilly m & f English (Modern)From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of
Ó Raghailligh, derived from the given name
Raghailleach, meaning unknown.
Ridley m & f English (Rare)From an English surname that was originally derived from various place names meaning either
"reed clearing" or
"stripped clearing" in Old English.
Ripley f & m English (Rare)From a surname that was derived from the name of various English towns, from Old English
rippel "grove, thicket" and
leah "clearing". A famous fictional bearer is the character Ellen Ripley (usually only called by her surname) from the
Alien series of movies, beginning 1979.
Rodney m EnglishFrom an English surname, originally derived from a place name, which meant "Hroda's island" in Old English (where
Hroda is an Old English given name meaning "fame"). It was first used as a given name in honour of the British admiral Lord Rodney (1719-1792).
Roydon m English (Rare)From a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning
"rye hill", from Old English
ryge "rye" and
dun "hill".
Ryland m English (Modern)From an English surname, which was originally derived from a place name meaning
"rye land" in Old English.
Ryuuji m JapaneseAlternate transcription of Japanese Kanji
竜二 or
龍二 or
隆二 or
竜司 or
龍司 or
隆司 or
竜次 or
龍次 or
竜児 or
龍児 (see
Ryūji).
Sawyer m & f English (Modern)From an English surname meaning
"sawer of wood". Mark Twain used it for the hero in his novel
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876).
... [more] Sayaka f JapaneseFrom Japanese
沙 (sa) meaning "sand" or
紗 (sa) meaning "thread, silk" with
也 (ya) meaning "also" or
耶 (ya), an interjection, combined with
香 (ka) meaning "fragrance" or
加 (ka) meaning "increase". This name can also be composed of other kanji combinations. It is often written using the hiragana writing system.
Saylor f English (Modern)From an English surname that was derived from Old French
sailleor meaning
"acrobat, dancer". As a modern English given name it could also come from the homophone vocabulary word
sailor.
Sayuri f JapaneseFrom Japanese
小 (sa) meaning "small" and
百合 (yuri) meaning "lily". This name can also be composed of other kanji combinations.
Sayyid m ArabicMeans
"lord, master" in Arabic. A famous bearer was the Egyptian musician Sayyid Darwish (1892-1923).
Selwyn m English (Rare)From a surname that was originally derived from an Old English given name, which was formed of the elements
sele "manor" and
wine "friend".
Seo-Yun f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
瑞 (seo) meaning "felicitous omen, auspicious" and
潤 (yun) meaning "soft, sleek", as well as other hanja character combinations.
Shelby m & f EnglishFrom an English surname, which was possibly a variant of
Selby. Though previously in use as a rare masculine name, it was popularized as a feminine name by the main character in the movie
The Woman in Red (1935). It was later reinforced by the movie
Steel Magnolias (1989) in which Julia Roberts played a character by this name.
Sherry f EnglishProbably inspired by the French word
chérie meaning
"darling" or the English word
sherry, a type of fortified wine named from the Spanish town of Jerez. This name came into popular use during the 1920s, inspired by other similar-sounding names and by Collette's novels
Chéri (1920, English translation 1929) and
The Last of Chéri (1926, English translation 1932), in which it is a masculine name.
... [more] Shin'ya m JapaneseFrom Japanese
真 (shin) meaning "real, genuine" combined with
也 (ya) meaning "also", as well as other kanji combinations having the same pronunciation.
Sidney m & f EnglishFrom the English surname
Sidney. It was first used as a given name in honour of executed politician Algernon Sidney (1622-1683). Another notable bearer of the surname was the poet and statesman Philip Sidney (1554-1586).
... [more] Sidony f English (Archaic)Feminine form of
Sidonius. This name was in use in the Middle Ages, when it became associated with the word
sindon (of Greek origin) meaning "linen", a reference to the Shroud of Turin.
Simiyu m LuhyaMeans
"born during the dry season" in Luhya.
Skylar f & m English (Modern)Variant of
Skyler. Originally more common for boys during the 1980s, it was popularized as a name for girls after it was used on the American soap opera
The Young and the Restless in 1989 and the movie
Good Will Hunting in 1997. Its sharp rise in the United States in 2011 might be attributed to the character Skyler White from the television series
Breaking Bad (2008-2013) or the singer Skylar Grey (1986-), who adopted this name in 2010 after previously going by Holly Brook.
Skyler m & f English (Modern)Variant of
Schuyler, based on the pronunciation of the surname but respelled as if it was a blend of the English word
sky with names such as
Tyler. It was rare before 1980, and first gained popularity as a name for boys. It is now more common for girls, though it is more evenly unisex than the mostly feminine variant
Skylar.