This is a list of names in which the number of syllables is 3.
Alperen m TurkishMeans
"fighter" in Turkish, a word derived from
alp "brave, hero" and
eren "holy person".
Álvaro m Spanish, PortugueseSpanish form of
Alvarus, the Latinized form of a Visigothic name, possibly derived from the elements
alls "all" and
wars "aware, cautious" or
wards "guard". Álvar Fáñez was an 11th-century military commander and duke of Toledo, who appears as a general of El Cid in the epic poem
El Cantar de mio Cid. Verdi also used the name in his opera
The Force of Destiny (1862).
Alvydas m LithuanianMeans
"all-seeing", from the Lithuanian roots
al- "all, every" and
vyd- "to see".
Alyssa f EnglishVariant of
Alicia. The spelling has probably been influenced by that of the alyssum flower, the name of which is derived from Greek
ἀ (a), a negative prefix, combined with
λύσσα (lyssa) meaning "madness, rabies", since it was believed to cure madness.
Amalia f Spanish, Italian, Romanian, Greek, Finnish, Swedish, Dutch, German, Germanic (Latinized)Short form of Germanic names beginning with the element
amal. This element means
"unceasing, vigorous, brave", or it can refer to the Gothic dynasty of the Amali (derived from the same root).
... [more] Amalric m Gothic (Anglicized)From the Visigothic name *
Amalareiks, derived from the Gothic element
amals meaning "unceasing, vigorous, brave", also referring to the royal dynasty of the Amali, combined with
reiks meaning "ruler, king". This was the name of a 6th-century king of the Visigoths, as well as two 12th-century rulers of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem.
Amanda f English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Hungarian, Latvian, Late RomanIn part this is a feminine form of
Amandus. However, it was not used during the Middle Ages. In the 17th century it was recreated by authors and poets who based it directly on Latin
amanda meaning
"lovable, worthy of love". Notably, the playwright Colley Cibber used it for a character in his play
Love's Last Shift (1696). It came into regular use during the 19th century.
Amani f ArabicMeans
"wishes" in Arabic, related to the root
منا (manā) meaning "to tempt, to put to the test".
Amaro m Galician, Portuguese, SpanishMeaning uncertain, perhaps related to Latin
amarus "bitter", or maybe from the Visigothic name
Amalric. This was the name of a legendary saint who was said to have sailed across the Atlantic to a paradise. He is especially popular in Galicia and Asturias in Spain.
Amelia f English, Spanish, Italian, Polish, Medieval FrenchVariant of
Amalia, though it is sometimes confused with
Emilia, which has a different origin. The name became popular in England after the German House of Hanover came to the British throne in the 18th century — it was borne by daughters of both George II and George III. The author Henry Fielding used it for the title character in his novel
Amelia (1751). Another famous bearer was Amelia Earhart (1897-1937), the first woman to make a solo flight over the Atlantic Ocean.
... [more] Amethyst f English (Rare)From the name of the purple semi-precious stone, which is derived from the Greek negative prefix
ἀ (a) and
μέθυστος (methystos) meaning "intoxicated, drunk", as it was believed to be a remedy against drunkenness. It is the traditional birthstone of February.
Amika f EsperantoMeans
"friendly" in Esperanto, ultimately from Latin
amicus "friend".
Amina 1 f Arabic, Bosnian, Tatar, Bashkir, Chechen, Ingush, Kazakh, Urdu, Swahili, HausaDerived from Arabic
أمن (ʾamina) meaning
"safe, secure". This was the name of the Prophet
Muhammad's mother, who died when he was young.
Amity f English (Rare)From the English word meaning
"friendship", ultimately deriving from Latin
amicitia.
Ammiel m Biblical, Biblical HebrewMeans
"God is my kinsman" in Hebrew, from the roots
עַם (ʿam) meaning "people, nation, kinsman" and
אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". This is the name of one of the spies sent out by
Moses in the Old Testament.
Amonet f Egyptian MythologyFrom Egyptian
jmnt (reconstructed as
Yamanut), the feminine form of
Amon. In Egyptian mythology she was a primordial goddess, a consort of Amon. She was later overshadowed by
Mut.
Amparo f SpanishMeans
"protection, shelter, refuge" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin
Mary,
Nuestra Señora del Amparo, meaning "Our Lady of Refuge".
Ampelio m ItalianItalian form of
Ampelius, the Latin form of the Greek name
Ἀμπέλιος (Ampelios), which was derived from
ἄμπελος (ampelos) meaning
"vine". Saint Ampelius was a 7th-century bishop of Milan.
Anahí f Spanish (Latin American)Possibly from the Guarani name for the cockspur coral tree (species Erythrina crista-galli). In a Guarani legend this is the name of a young woman burned at the stake by the conquistadors, after which she is transformed into the flowering tree.
Anahit f Armenian, Armenian MythologyArmenian form of
Anahita, introduced during the period of Iranian domination in the 1st millenium BC. Anahit was an important Armenian mother goddess associated with fertility and protection. She was a daughter of
Aramazd.
Anaïs f FrenchMeaning uncertain, possibly a derivative of
Anne 1 or
Agnès. It was used in Jean-Henri Guy's opera
Anacréon chez Polycrate (1798), where it is borne by the daughter (otherwise unnamed in history) of the 6th-century BC tyrant
Polycrates of Samos. Guy could have adapted it from a classical name such as
Anaitis or
Athénaïs.
... [more] Anakin m Popular CultureMeaning unknown. This is the name of a character (also known as Darth Vader) in the
Star Wars movie saga, created by George Lucas. Lucas may have based it on the surname of his friend and fellow director Ken Annakin.
Anara f Kazakh, KyrgyzFrom Kazakh and Kyrgyz
анар (anar) meaning
"pomegranate", a word ultimately derived from Persian.
Anaya f English (Modern)Meaning unknown, possibly from the Spanish surname
Anaya (itself from the name of a Spanish town), used because of its similarity to
Amaya.
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.
Aneirin m Old Welsh, WelshOld Welsh name, possibly from the Latin name
Honorius. This was the name of a 6th-century Brythonic poet, also known as Neirin or Aneurin, who is said to be the author of the poem
Y Gododdin.
Anfisa f RussianRussian form of the Greek name
Ἀνθοῦσα (Anthousa), which was derived from Greek
ἄνθος (anthos) meaning
"flower". This was the name of a 9th-century Byzantine saint.
Angela f English, Italian, German, Dutch, Romanian, Slovene, Slovak, Russian, Macedonian, Greek, Late RomanFeminine form of
Angelus (see
Angel). As an English name, it came into use in the 18th century. A notable bearer is the former German chancellor Angela Merkel (1954-).
Ángeles f SpanishMeans
"angels", taken from the Spanish title of the Virgin
Mary Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles, meaning "Our Lady the Queen of the Angels".
Angustias f SpanishMeans
"anguishes", taken from a Spanish title of the Virgin
Mary,
Nuestra Señora de las Angustias, meaning "Our Lady of Anguishes". She is the patron saint of Granada, Spain.
Anima 2 f English (Rare)Means
"soul, spirit" in Latin. In Jungian psychology the anima is an individual's true inner self, or soul.
Anita 1 f Spanish, Portuguese, Croatian, Slovene, English, Dutch, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Polish, Latvian, HungarianSpanish, Portuguese, Croatian and Slovene diminutive of
Ana.
Anjana f & m Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Assamese, Malayalam, Tamil, HinduismMeans
"kohl, collyrium" in Sanskrit, referring to a black powder traditionally used as an eyeliner. This is a transcription from Sanskrit of both the feminine form
अञ्जना (long final vowel) and the masculine form
अञ्जन (short final vowel). The feminine form appears in the Hindu epic the
Ramayana belonging to the mother of
Hanuman. The modern masculine form is
Anjan.
Annabel f English, DutchVariant of
Amabel, with the spelling altered as if it were a combination of
Anna and French
belle "beautiful". This name appears to have arisen in Scotland in the Middle Ages.
Antares m AstronomyFrom Greek
Ἀντάρης (Antares), traditionally said to mean
"opposing Ares". This is the name of the brightest star in the constellation Scorpius.
Anthony m EnglishEnglish form of the Roman family name
Antonius, which is of unknown Etruscan origin. The most notable member of the Roman family was the general Marcus Antonius (called Mark Antony in English), who for a period in the 1st century BC ruled the Roman Empire jointly with Augustus. When their relationship turned sour, he and his mistress Cleopatra were attacked and forced to commit suicide, as related in Shakespeare's tragedy
Antony and Cleopatra (1606).
... [more] Antiman m MapucheMeans
"condor of the sun" in Mapuche, from
antü "sun" and
mañku "condor".
Antoinette f FrenchFeminine diminutive of
Antoine. This name was borne by Marie Antoinette, the queen of France during the French Revolution. She was executed by guillotine.
Antoni m Polish, CatalanPolish and Catalan form of
Antonius (see
Anthony). A notable bearer was the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí (1852-1926).
Antonia f Italian, Spanish, English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Romanian, Greek, Croatian, Bulgarian, Ancient RomanFeminine form of
Antonius (see
Anthony).
Antonín m CzechCzech form of
Antoninus, also used as the Czech form of
Antonius (see
Anthony). A famous bearer was the Czech composer Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904).
Antonin m FrenchFrench form of
Antoninus. This name was borne by the French playwright Antonin Artaud (1896-1948).
Antonio m Spanish, Italian, CroatianSpanish and Italian form of
Antonius (see
Anthony). This has been a common name in Italy since the 14th century. In Spain it was the most popular name for boys in the 1950s and 60s.
... [more] Antony m EnglishVariant of
Anthony. This was formerly the usual English spelling of the name, but during the 17th century the
h began to be added.
Anubis m Egyptian Mythology (Latinized)Latinized form of
Ἄνουβις (Anoubis), the Greek form of Egyptian
jnpw (reconstructed as
Anapa and other forms), which coincided with a word meaning
"royal child, prince". However, it might alternatively be derived from the root
jnp meaning
"to decay". Anubis was the Egyptian god who led the dead to the underworld. He was often depicted as a man with the head of a jackal. The Greeks equated him with their god
Hermes.
Aoi f & m JapaneseFrom Japanese
葵 (aoi) meaning "hollyhock, althea" or an adjectival form of
碧 (ao) meaning "green, blue". Other kanji with the same reading can form this name as well.
Aoide f Greek MythologyMeans
"song" in Greek. In Greek mythology she was one of the original three muses, the muse of song.
Apollo m Greek Mythology (Latinized)From Greek
Ἀπόλλων (Apollon), which is of unknown meaning, though perhaps related to the Indo-European root *
apelo- meaning
"strength". Another theory states that Apollo can be equated with Appaliunas, an Anatolian god whose name possibly means
"father lion" or
"father light". The Greeks later associated Apollo's name with the Greek verb
ἀπόλλυμι (apollymi) meaning
"to destroy". In Greek mythology Apollo was the son of
Zeus and
Leto and the twin of
Artemis. He was the god of prophecy, medicine, music, art, law, beauty, and wisdom. Later he also became the god of the sun and light.
Apphia f BiblicalGreek form of a Hebrew name that possibly meant
"increasing". This is a name mentioned in
Paul's epistle to
Philemon in the New Testament.
Appius m Ancient RomanThis was a Roman praenomen, or given name, used predominantly by the Claudia family. Its etymology is unknown. A famous bearer of this name was Appius Claudius Caecus, a Roman statesman of the 3rd century BC. He was responsible for the Aqua Appia (the first Roman aqueduct) and the Appian Way (a road between Rome and Capua), both of which were named for him.
Arachne f Greek MythologyMeans
"spider" in Greek. In Greek myth Arachne was a mortal woman who defeated
Athena in a weaving contest. After this Arachne hanged herself, but Athena brought her back to life in the form of a spider.
Ararat m ArmenianFrom the name of a mountain in eastern Turkey (formerly part of Armenia), the place where
Noah's Ark came to rest according to the Old Testament.
Arata m JapaneseFrom Japanese
新 (arata) meaning "fresh, new". Other kanji or kanji combinations can also form this name.
Archibald m Scottish, EnglishDerived from the Germanic name
Ercanbald, composed of the elements
erkan meaning "pure, holy, genuine" and
bald meaning "bold, brave". The first element was altered due to the influence of Greek names beginning with the element
ἀρχός (archos) meaning "master". The Normans brought this name to England. It first became common in Scotland in the Middle Ages (sometimes used to Anglicize the Gaelic name
Gilleasbuig, for unknown reasons).
Arcturus m AstronomyFrom Ancient Greek
Ἀρκτοῦρος (Arktouros), the name of the fourth brightest star in the sky, part of the constellation Boötes. It means
"guardian of the bear", derived from
ἄρκτος (arktos) meaning "bear" and
οὖρος (ouros) meaning "guardian", referring to the star's position close to the constellations Ursa Minor and Ursa Major.
Aretha f EnglishPossibly derived from Greek
ἀρετή (arete) meaning
"virtue". This name was popularized in the 1960s by American singer Aretha Franklin (1942-2018).
Argider m BasqueDerived from Basque
argi "light" and
eder "beautiful".
Aria 1 f English (Modern)Means
"song, melody" in Italian (literally means "air"). An aria is an elaborate vocal solo, the type usually performed in operas. As an English name, it has only been in use since the 20th century, its rise in popularity accelerating after the 2010 premier of the television drama
Pretty Little Liars, featuring a character by this name. It is not traditionally used in Italy.
Arianrhod f Welsh MythologyProbably means
"silver wheel" from Welsh
arian "silver" and
rhod "wheel". According to the Fourth Branch of the
Mabinogi, Arianrhod was the mother of the twins
Dylan and
Lleu Llaw Gyffes, whom she spontaneously birthed when she stepped over a magical wand. It is speculated that in earlier myths she may have been a goddess of the moon.
Arianwen f WelshDerived from Welsh
arian "silver" and
gwen "white, blessed". This was the name of a 5th-century Welsh saint, one of the supposed daughters of
Brychan Brycheiniog.
Ariel m & f Hebrew, English, French, Spanish, Polish, Biblical, Biblical GreekMeans
"lion of God" in Hebrew, from
אֲרִי (ʾari) meaning "lion" and
אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". In the Old Testament it is used as another name for the city of Jerusalem. Shakespeare utilized it for a spirit in his play
The Tempest (1611) and Alexander Pope utilized it for a sylph in his poem
The Rape of the Lock (1712), and one of the moons of Uranus bears this name in his honour. As an English name, it became more common for females in the 1980s, especially after it was used for the title character in the Disney film
The Little Mermaid (1989).
Aries m AstronomyMeans
"ram" in Latin. This is the name of a constellation and the first sign of the zodiac. Some Roman legends state that the ram in the constellation was the one who supplied the Golden Fleece sought by
Jason.
Arista f AstronomyMeans
"ear of grain" in Latin. This is the name of a star, also known as Spica, in the constellation Virgo.
Arjuna m HinduismMeans
"white, clear" in Sanskrit. In the Hindu epic the
Mahabharata this is the name of one of the five Pandavas, the sons of
Pandu. He was actually fathered by the god
Indra and Pandu's wife
Kunti. Arjuna was known as a skilled archer.
... [more] Arkadiy m RussianRussian form of
Arkadios. This is the name of one of the main characters in Ivan Turgenev's
Fathers and Sons (1862).
Armani m & f English (Modern)From an Italian surname meaning
"son of Ermanno". It has been used as a given name due to the fashion company Armani, which was founded by the clothing designer Giorgio Armani (1934-).
Armida f Italian, Spanish (Latin American)Probably created by the 16th-century Italian poet Torquato Tasso for his epic poem
Jerusalem Delivered (1580). In the poem Armida is a beautiful enchantress who bewitches many of the crusaders.
Artemis f Greek Mythology, GreekMeaning unknown, possibly related either to Greek
ἀρτεμής (artemes) meaning
"safe" or
ἄρταμος (artamos) meaning
"a butcher". Artemis was the Greek goddess of the moon and hunting, the twin of
Apollo and the daughter of
Zeus and
Leto. She was known as
Diana to the Romans.
Aruna m & f Hinduism, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, HindiMeans
"reddish brown, dawn" in Sanskrit. The Hindu god Aruna (
अरुण) is the charioteer who drives the sun god
Surya across the sky. The modern feminine form
अरुणा (spelled with a final long vowel) is also transcribed as
Aruna, however the modern masculine form is
Arun.
Arya 1 m & f Persian, Hindi, MalayalamFrom an old Indo-Iranian root meaning "Aryan, noble". In India, this is a transcription of both the masculine form
आर्य and the feminine form
आर्या. In Iran it is only a masculine name.
Asahi m & f JapaneseFrom Japanese
旭 (asahi) or
朝日 (asahi) both meaning "morning sun". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.