Abijahm & fBiblical Means "my father is Yahweh" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of several characters, both male and female, including the second king of Judah (also known as Abijam).
AmaterasufJapanese Mythology Means "shining over heaven", from Japanese 天 (ama) meaning "heaven, sky" and 照 (terasu) meaning "shine". This was the name of the Japanese sun goddess, the ruler of the heavens. She was born when Izanagi washed his left eye after returning from the underworld. At one time the Japanese royal family claimed descent from her.
AntigonusmAncient Greek (Latinized) From the Greek name Ἀντίγονος (Antigonos), derived from ἀντί (anti) meaning "against, compared to, like" and γονεύς (goneus) meaning "ancestor". This was the name of one of Alexander the Great's generals. After Alexander died, he took control of most of Asia Minor.
AulusmAncient Roman Possibly from Latin avulus meaning "little grandfather", though it could be from the Etruscan name Aule, which was possibly derived from avils meaning "years". This was a Roman praenomen, or given name. Folk etymology connects it to Latin aula meaning "palace".
AvitusmAncient Roman From a Roman family name that meant "ancestral" in Latin. This was the name of an emperor who briefly reigned over the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century. It was also the name of several saints, including a 6th-century bishop of Vienne.
BelimWelsh Mythology Probably a Welsh derivative of Belenus. Beli Mawr was a Welsh ancestor deity who established several royal lines in Wales.
CianmIrish, Irish Mythology, Old Irish Means "ancient, enduring" in Irish. In Irish mythology this was the name of the father of Lugh Lámfada. It was also borne by the mythical ancestor of the Ciannachta and by a son-in-law of Brian Boru.
DazhdbogmSlavic Mythology Possibly means "the giving god" in Slavic. He was a Slavic god of the sun and light, a son of Svarog. In some myths he is the ancestor of the Russian people.
DriscollmEnglish (Rare) From an Irish surname that was an Anglicized form of Ó hEidirsceóil meaning "descendant of the messenger".
DuanemEnglish From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Dubháin, itself derived from the given name Dubhán. Usage in America began around the start of the 20th century. It last appeared on the top 1000 rankings in 2002, though the variant Dwayne lingered a few years longer.
Edda 2fIcelandic, Old Norse Possibly from Old Norse meaning "great-grandmother". This was the name of two 13th-century Icelandic literary works: the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda. This is also the name of a character in the Poetic Edda, though it is unclear if her name is connected to the name of the collection.
EliudmBiblical, Biblical Latin, Eastern African From a Greek form of a Hebrew name meaning "God is grandeur". The Gospel of Matthew lists him as an ancestor of Jesus. This name is popular in Kenya.
GilgameshmSumerian Mythology, Semitic Mythology Possibly means "the ancestor is a hero", from Sumerian 𒉋𒂵 (bilga) meaning "ancestor" and 𒈩 (mes) meaning "hero, young man". This was the name of a Sumerian hero, later appearing in the Akkadian poem the Epic of Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh, with his friend Enkidu, battled the giant Humbaba and stopped the rampage of the Bull of Heaven, besides other adventures. Gilgamesh was probably based on a real person: a king of Uruk who ruled around the 27th century BC.
HuangdimChinese Mythology From 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.
IngmGermanic Mythology From 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.
IngeborgfSwedish, Norwegian, Danish, German From 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.
IngegerdfSwedish From the Old Norse name Ingigerðr, which was derived from the name of the Germanic god Ing combined with garðr meaning "enclosure, yard".
IngridfSwedish, Norwegian, Danish, Estonian, German, Dutch From the Old Norse name Ingríðr meaning "Ing is beautiful", derived from the name of the Germanic god Ing combined with fríðr "beautiful". A famous bearer was the Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman (1915-1982).
Ion 2mGreek Mythology Of 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.
ItzamnamMayan Mythology, Indigenous American, Mayan From Classic Maya itzam, an element found in the names of some Maya gods (possibly from itz "enchanted, nectar" and mam "grandfather"), combined with nah "great". Itzamna was the Maya creator god.
Jong-SumKorean From Sino-Korean 宗 (jong) meaning "lineage, ancestry" and 秀 (su) meaning "luxuriant, beautiful, elegant, outstanding", as well as other combinations of hanja characters with the same pronunciations.
Legacyf & mEnglish (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".
NnamdimWestern African, Igbo Means "my father is alive" in Igbo. This name is given to a child when it is believed that he is a reincarnation of his grandfather.
NnennafWestern African, Igbo Means "father's mother" in Igbo. This name is given in honour of the child's paternal grandmother.
NnennefWestern African, Igbo Means "mother's mother" in Igbo. This name is given in honour of the child's maternal grandmother.
NokomisfNew World Mythology From Ojibwe nookomis meaning "my grandmother". In Anishinaabe legend this is the name of Nanabozho's grandmother. It was used by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow for the grandmother of Hiawatha in his 1855 poem The Song of Hiawatha.
NunomPortuguese, Medieval Portuguese Medieval Portuguese and Spanish name, possibly from Latin nonus "ninth" or nunnus "grandfather". Saint Nuno was a 14th-century Portuguese general who defeated a Castilian invasion.
OlafmNorwegian, Danish, German, Dutch, Polish From the Old Norse name Áleifr meaning "ancestor's descendant", derived from the elements anu "ancestor" and leif "inheritance, legacy". This was the name of five kings of Norway, including Saint Olaf (Olaf II).
OlegariomSpanish From Olegarius, the Latinized form of a Germanic name, possibly Aldegar or a metathesized form of Odalgar. This was the name of a 12th-century saint, a bishop of Barcelona.
OlivermEnglish, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Catalan, Serbian, Croatian, Macedonian, Czech, Slovak From Old French Olivier, possibly derived from a Germanic name, perhaps Old Norse Áleifr (see Olaf) or Frankish Alawar (see Álvaro). The spelling was altered by association with Latin oliva "olive tree". In the Middle Ages the name became well-known in Western Europe because of the French epic La Chanson de Roland, in which Olivier was a friend and advisor of the hero Roland.... [more]
OlivettefLiterature Feminine form of Oliver. This was the name of the title character in the French opera Les noces d'Olivette (1879) by Edmond Audran.
OliviafEnglish, Italian, Spanish, French, German, Finnish, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish This name was used in this spelling by William Shakespeare for a character in his comedy Twelfth Night (1602). This was a rare name in Shakespeare's time that may have been based on Oliva or Oliver, or directly from the Latin word oliva meaning "olive". In the play Olivia is a noblewoman who is wooed by Duke Orsino but instead falls in love with his messenger Cesario.... [more]
SabasmSpanish From the Greek name Σάββας (Sabbas), which was derived from Hebrew סַבָא (sava') meaning "old man, grandfather". Saints bearing this name include a 4th-century Gothic martyr, a 5th-century Cappadocian hermit, and a 12th-century archbishop of Serbia who is the patron saint of that country.
TethysfGreek Mythology Derived from Greek τήθη (tethe) meaning "grandmother". In Greek mythology this was the name of a Titan associated with the sea. She was the wife of Oceanus.
TorleifmNorwegian From the Old Norse name Þórleifr, derived from the name of the Norse god Þórr (see Thor) combined with leif "inheritance, legacy".
VenusfRoman Mythology Means "love, sexual desire" in Latin. This was the name of the Roman goddess of love and sex. Her character was assimilated with that of the Greek goddess Aphrodite. As the mother of Aeneas she was considered an ancestor of the Roman people. The second planet from the sun is named after her.
YngvimNorse Mythology Possibly an Old Norse cognate of Ing. This was an alternate name of the god Freyr, who as Yngvi-Freyr was regarded as the ancestor of the Swedish royal family.