Bertram m English, German, GermanicMeans
"bright raven", derived from the Old German element
beraht "bright" combined with
hram "raven". This name has long been conflated with
Bertrand. The Normans introduced it to England, and Shakespeare used it in his play
All's Well That Ends Well (1603).
Blake m & f EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from Old English
blæc "black" or
blac "pale". A famous bearer of the surname was the poet and artist William Blake (1757-1827). It was originally a mainly masculine name but in 2007 actress Blake Lively (1987-) began starring in the television series
Gossip Girl, after which time it increased in popularity for girls.
Blakely f English (Modern)From an English surname that was derived from Old English
blæc "black" and
leah "woodland clearing".
Brân m Welsh MythologyMeans
"raven" in Welsh. According to the Second Branch of the
Mabinogi, Brân the Blessed (called
Bendigeidfran) was a giant king of Britain. He was the son of the divine figure
Llŷr. After his sister
Branwen was mistreated by her husband the Irish king Matholwch, Brân led an attack on Ireland (the text says that he was so big he was able to wade there). Although victorious, the British lost all except seven men with Brân being mortally wounded by a poisoned spear. He asked the survivors to cut of his head and return with it to Britain. The head continued to speak for many years until it was buried in London.
Bran 1 m Irish, Irish Mythology, Old IrishMeans
"raven" in Irish. In Irish legend Bran mac Febail was a mariner who was involved in several adventures on his quest to find the Otherworld.
Brennus m Gaulish (Latinized)Latinized form of a Celtic name (or title) that possibly meant either
"king, prince" or
"raven". Brennus was a Gallic leader of the 4th century BC who attacked and sacked Rome.
Chernobog m Slavic MythologyMeans
"the black god" from Slavic
cherno "black" and
bogu "god". Chernobog was the Slavic god of darkness, evil and grief.
Ciar m & f Irish, Irish Mythology, Old IrishDerived from Irish
ciar meaning
"black". In Irish legend Ciar was a son of
Fergus mac Róich and
Medb, and the ancestor of the tribe of the Ciarraige (after whom County Kerry is named). As a feminine name, it was borne by an Irish nun (also called
Ciara) who established a monastery in Tipperary in the 7th century.
Ciarán m Irish, Old IrishDiminutive of
Ciar. This was the name of two 6th-century Irish saints: Ciarán the Elder, the founder of the monastery at Saighir, and Ciarán the Younger, the founder of the monastery at Clonmacnoise.
Cola m Anglo-SaxonOld English byname meaning
"charcoal", originally given to a person with dark features.
Colby m EnglishFrom an English surname, originally from various place names, derived from the Old Norse nickname
Koli (meaning "coal, dark") and
býr "town". As a given name, its popularity spiked in the United States and Canada in 2001 when Colby Donaldson (1974-) appeared on the reality television show
Survivor.
Corbin m EnglishFrom a French surname that was derived from
corbeau "raven", originally denoting a person who had dark hair. The name was probably popularized in America by actor Corbin Bernsen (1954-).
Cormac m Irish Mythology, IrishFrom Old Irish
Cormacc or
Corbmac, of uncertain meaning, possibly from
corb "chariot, wagon" or
corbbad "defilement, corruption" combined with
macc "son". This is the name of several characters from Irish legend, including the semi-legendary high king Cormac mac Airt who supposedly ruled in the 3rd century, during the adventures of the hero
Fionn mac Cumhaill. This name was also borne by a few early saints.
Crawford m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"crow ford" in Old English.
Dougal m ScottishAnglicized form of the Scottish Gaelic name
Dubhghall meaning
"dark stranger", from Old Irish
dub "dark" and
gall "stranger". This name was borne by a few medieval Scottish chiefs.
Duane m EnglishFrom 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.
Dubhán m Irish (Rare)From Old Irish
Dubán meaning
"little dark one", derived from
dub "dark, black" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of a few early saints.
Dubhshláine m Old IrishDerived from Old Irish
dub "dark, black" and either
slán "challenge, defiance" or
Sláine, the Irish name of the River Slaney.
Dubthach m Old IrishOld Irish name derived from
dub "dark, black" in combination with a second element of unknown meaning. This was the name of a 6th-century saint, a bishop of Armagh. It also appears in Irish legend as a companion of
Fergus mac Róich.
Ebony f African AmericanFrom the English word
ebony for the black wood that comes from the ebony tree. It is ultimately from the Egyptian word
hbnj. In America this name is most often used in the black community.
Emery m & f EnglishNorman French form of
Emmerich. The Normans introduced it to England, and though it was never popular, it survived until the end of the Middle Ages. As a modern given name, now typically feminine, it is likely inspired by the surname
Emery, which was itself derived from the medieval given name. It can also be given in reference to the hard black substance called emery.
Féchín m Old IrishMeans
"little raven" from Old Irish
fiach "raven" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of an Irish saint of the 7th century, the founder of the monastery at Fore. He died of the yellow plague.
Ferrer m VariousFrom a surname that meant
"blacksmith" in Catalan. This name is often given in honour of Saint Vicente Ferrer, a 14th-century missionary who is the patron saint of builders.
Fiachna m Irish Mythology, Old IrishDerived from Irish
fiach meaning
"raven". This is the name of several characters from Irish legend. It was also borne by Fiachna mac Báetáin, a 7th-century king of Dál Araide.
Fiachra m Irish, Irish MythologyFrom Old Irish
Fiachrae, possibly from
fiach "raven" or
fích "battle" combined with
rí "king". This was the name of several legendary figures, including one of the four children of
Lir transformed into swans for a period of 900 years. This is also the name of the patron saint of gardeners: a 7th-century Irish abbot who settled in France, usually called Saint Fiacre.
Flint m EnglishFrom the English vocabulary word, from Old English
flint.
Guntram m GermanMeans
"war raven" from the Old German elements
gunda "war" and
hram "raven". This was the name of a 6th-century Frankish king, sometimes called Gontrand, who is considered a saint.
Iben f Danish, NorwegianPossibly a feminine form of
Ib. It is associated with Danish
ibenholt meaning "ebony".
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.
Inken f FrisianOriginally a diminutive of
Ingeborg and other names beginning with the element
ing, which refers to the Germanic god
Ing.
Isa 3 m GermanicShort form of Germanic names beginning with the element
is meaning
"ice" (Proto-Germanic *
īsą).
Itzcoatl m Indigenous American, NahuatlMeans
"obsidian snake" in Nahuatl, from
itztli "obsidian" and
cōātl "snake". Itzcoatl was the fourth king of Tenochtitlan and the first emperor of the Aztec Empire (15th century).
Jett m English (Modern)From the English word
jet, which denotes either a jet aircraft or an intense black colour (the words derive from different sources).
Kali 1 f & m Hinduism, Bengali, TamilMeans
"the black one" in Sanskrit. The Hindu goddess Kali is the fierce destructive form of the wife of
Shiva. She is usually depicted with black skin and four arms, holding a severed head and brandishing a sword. As a personal name, it is generally masculine in India.
Kara 2 m Ottoman TurkishMeans
"black, dark" in Turkish. This was sometimes used as a byname by Ottoman officials, figuratively meaning "courageous".
Kerry m & f EnglishFrom the name of the Irish county, called
Ciarraí in Irish Gaelic, which means "
Ciar's people".
Kiara f English (Modern)Variant of
Ciara 1 or
Chiara. This name was brought to public attention in 1988 after the singing duo Kiara released their song
This Time. It was further popularized by a character in the animated movie
The Lion King II (1998).
Korbinian m GermanDerived from Latin
corvus meaning
"raven". This was the name of an 8th-century Frankish saint who was sent by Pope Gregory II to evangelize in Bavaria. His real name may have been
Hraban.
Krishna m Hinduism, Indian, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Gujarati, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, NepaliMeans
"black, dark" in Sanskrit. This is the name of a Hindu god believed to be an incarnation of the god
Vishnu. He was the youngest of King Vasudeva's eight children, six of whom were killed by King Kamsa because of a prophecy that a child of Vasudeva would kill Kamsa. Krishna however was saved and he eventually killed the king as well as performing many other great feats. In some Hindu traditions, Krishna is regarded as the supreme deity. He is usually depicted with blue skin.
Li 1 f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
理 (lǐ) meaning "reason, logic",
立 (lì) meaning "stand, establish",
黎 (lí) meaning "black, dawn",
力 (lì) meaning "power, capability, influence" (which is usually only masculine) or
丽 (lì) meaning "beautiful" (usually only feminine). Other Chinese characters are also possible.
Licarayen f Indigenous American, MapucheMeans
"stone flower" in Mapuche, from
likan "a type of black stone" and
rayen "flower". According to a Mapuche legend this was the name of a maiden who sacrificed herself in order to stop the wrath of the evil spirit of a volcano.
Lonán m Irish, Old IrishMeans
"little blackbird", derived from Old Irish
lon "blackbird" combined with a diminutive suffix. This name was borne by several early saints.
Melanie f English, German, DutchFrom
Mélanie, the French form of the Latin name
Melania, derived from Greek
μέλαινα (melaina) meaning
"black, dark". This was the name of a Roman saint who gave all her wealth to charity in the 5th century. Her grandmother was also a saint with the same name.
... [more] Melina f English, GreekElaboration of
Mel, either from names such as
Melissa or from Greek
μέλι (meli) meaning "honey". A famous bearer was Greek-American actress Melina Mercouri (1920-1994), who was born Maria Amalia Mercouris.
Melinda f English, HungarianCombination of
Mel (from names such as
Melanie or
Melissa) with the popular name suffix
inda. It was created in the 18th century, and may have been inspired by the similar name
Belinda. In Hungary, the name was popularized by the 1819 play
Bánk Bán by József Katona.
Merle f & m English, EstonianVariant of
Merrill or
Muriel. The spelling has been influenced by the word
merle meaning "blackbird" (via French, from Latin
merula). This name is also common in Estonia, though a connection to the English-language name is uncertain.
Nigel m EnglishFrom
Nigellus, a medieval Latinized form of
Neil. It was commonly associated with Latin
niger "black". It was revived in the 19th century, perhaps in part due to Walter Scott's novel
The Fortunes of Nigel (1822).
Onyx m & f EnglishFrom the English word for the gemstone (a variety of chalcedony), which can be black, red or other colours. It is derived from Greek
ὄνυξ (onyx) meaning "claw, nail".
Pantheras m Ancient GreekDerived from Greek
πάνθηρ (panther) meaning
"panther", a word ultimately of Sanskrit origin, though folk etymology connects it to Greek
πᾶν (pan) meaning "all" and
θηράω (therao) meaning "to hunt". According to some legends a Roman soldier named Panthera was the father of
Jesus.
Rambert m GermanicVariant of
Raginbert. Saint Rambert, also called Ragnebert, was martyred near Lyon in the 7th century. There seems to be some confusion with the name
Hrambert.
Raven f & m EnglishFrom the name of the bird, ultimately from Old English
hræfn. The raven is revered by several Native American groups of the west coast. It is also associated with the Norse god
Odin.
Roan m FrisianOriginally a short form of names beginning with the Old German element
hraban meaning
"raven".
Rocco m Italian, GermanicGermanic name possibly derived from
hruoh meaning
"crow, rook". This was the name of a 14th-century French saint who nursed victims of the plague but eventually contracted the disease himself. He is the patron saint of the sick.
Sable f English (Modern)From the English word meaning
"black", derived from the name of the black-furred mammal native to Northern Asia, ultimately of Slavic origin.
Shyama m & f Hinduism, Indian, HindiDerived from Sanskrit
श्याम (shyama) meaning
"dark, black, blue". This is a transcription of the masculine form
श्याम, which is another name of the Hindu god
Krishna, as well as the feminine form
श्यामा, one of the many names of the wife of the god
Shiva. It is also the name of a Jain goddess.
Siavash m Persian, Persian MythologyPersian form of Avestan
𐬯𐬌𐬌𐬁𐬎𐬎𐬀𐬭𐬱𐬀𐬥 (Siiāuuarshan) meaning
"possessing black stallions". This was the name of a virtuous prince in Iranian mythology. He appears briefly in the
Avesta, with a longer account recorded in the 10th-century Persian epic the
Shahnameh.
Solon m Ancient GreekPossibly from Greek
σόλος (solos) meaning
"lump of iron". This was the name of an Athenian statesman who reformed the laws and government of the city.
Sullivan m English, FrenchFrom an Irish surname, the Anglicized form of
Ó Súileabháin, itself from the given name
Súileabhán, which was derived from Irish
súil "eye" and
dubh "dark, black" combined with a diminutive suffix. This name has achieved a moderate level of popularity in France since the 1970s. In the United States it was rare before the 1990s, after which it began climbing steadily. A famous fictional bearer of the surname was James P. Sullivan from the animated movie
Monsters, Inc. (2001).
Tecumseh m Indigenous American, ShawneeMeans
"panther passing across" in Shawnee. This name was borne by the Shawnee leader Tecumseh (1768-1813), who resisted American expansion along with his brother the spiritual leader
Tenskwatawa.
Trahaearn m Medieval WelshMeans
"very much like iron", derived from Welsh
tra "very, over" prefixed to
haearn "iron". This name was borne by an 11th-century king of Gwynedd.
Vasco m Portuguese, Spanish, ItalianFrom the medieval Spanish name
Velasco, which possibly meant
"crow" in Basque. A famous bearer was the 15th-century Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama, the first person to sail from Europe around Africa to India.
Wolfram m GermanDerived from the Old German element
wolf meaning "wolf" combined with
hram meaning "raven". Saint Wolfram (or Wulfram) was a 7th-century archbishop of Sens. This name was also borne by the 13th-century German poet Wolfram von Eschenbach, the author of
Parzival.