AL m EnglishShort form of
ALBERT and other names beginning with
Al. A notable bearer is American actor Al Pacino (1940-).
ALTHEA f Greek Mythology (Latinized)From the Greek name
Ἀλθαία (Althaia), perhaps related to Greek
ἄλθος (althos) meaning
"healing". In Greek myth she was the mother of Meleager. Soon after her son was born she was told that he would die as soon as a piece of wood that was burning on her fire was fully consumed. She immediately extinguished the piece of wood and sealed it in a chest, but in a fit of rage many years later she took it out and set it alight, thereby killing her son.
ANITA (1) f Spanish, Portuguese, Croatian, Slovene, English, Dutch, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Polish, LatvianSpanish, Portuguese, Croatian and Slovene diminutive of
ANA.
ARAMINTA f English (Rare)Meaning unknown. This name was (first?) used by William Congreve in his comedy
The Old Bachelor (1693) and later by Sir John Vanbrugh in his comedy
The Confederacy (1705). This was the real name of abolitionist Harriet Tubman (1820-1913), who was born Araminta Ross.
ARETHA f EnglishPossibly derived from Greek
ἀρετή (arete) meaning
"virtue". This name was popularized in the 1960s by American singer Aretha Franklin (1942-).
BARACK m ArabicAlternate transcription of Arabic
باراك (see
BARAK (2)). A famous bearer is former American president Barack Obama (1961-), who was named after his Kenyan father.
BAYARD m LiteratureDerived from Old French
baiart meaning
"bay coloured". In medieval French poetry Bayard was a bay horse owned by Renaud de Montauban and his brothers. The horse could magically adjust its size to carry multiple riders.
BLANCHE f French, EnglishFrom a medieval French nickname meaning
"white, fair". This name and its cognates in other languages are ultimately derived from the Germanic word
blanc. An early bearer was the 12th-century Blanca of Navarre, the wife of Sancho III of Castile. Her granddaughter of the same name married Louis VIII of France, with the result that the name became more common in France.
BOOKER m EnglishFrom an English occupational surname meaning
"maker of books". A famous bearer was Booker T. Washington (1856-1915), an African-American leader.
CASSIUS m Ancient RomanRoman family name that was possibly derived from Latin
cassus meaning
"empty, vain". This name was borne by several early saints. In modern times, it was the original first name of boxer Muhammad Ali (1942-2016), who was named after his father Cassius Clay, who was himself named after the American abolitionist Cassius Clay (1810-1903).
CHADWICK m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from the name of towns in England, meaning
"settlement belonging to CHAD" in Old English.
CHARLES m English, FrenchFrom the Germanic name
Karl, which was derived from a Germanic word meaning
"man". However, an alternative theory states that it is derived from the common Germanic name element
hari meaning
"army, warrior".
... [more] CHUCK m EnglishDiminutive of
CHARLES. It originated in America in the early 20th century. Two famous bearers of this name were pilot Chuck Yeager (1923-), the first man to travel faster than the speed of sound, and the musician Chuck Berry (1926-2017), one of the pioneers of rock music.
CONDOLEEZZA f VariousIn the case of the former American Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (1954-) it is derived from the Italian musical term
con dolcezza meaning
"with sweetness".
CORETTA f EnglishDiminutive of
CORA. It was borne by Coretta Scott King (1927-2006), the wife of Martin Luther King.
DANIEL m English, Hebrew, French, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovene, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Croatian, Armenian, Georgian, Biblical, Biblical GreekFrom the Hebrew name
דָּנִיֵּאל (Daniyyel) meaning
"God is my judge", from the roots
דִּין (din) meaning "to judge" and
אֵל ('el) meaning "God". Daniel was a Hebrew prophet whose story is told in the Book of Daniel in the Old Testament. He lived during the Jewish captivity in Babylon, where he served in the court of the king, rising to prominence by interpreting the king's dreams. The book also presents Daniel's four visions of the end of the world.
... [more] DARRELL m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from Norman French
d'Airelle, originally denoting one who came from Airelle in France.
DESMOND m English, IrishFrom an Irish surname that was derived from
Deasmhumhain meaning
"South Munster", originally indicating a person who came from that region in Ireland.
DOROTHY f EnglishUsual English form of
DOROTHEA. It has been in use since the 16th century. The author L. Frank Baum used it for the central character in his fantasy novel
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) and several of its sequels.
DUKE m EnglishFrom the noble title
duke, which was originally derived from Latin
dux "leader".
EARTHA f EnglishCombination of the English word
earth with the feminine name suffix
a. It has been used in honour of African-American philanthropist Eartha M. M. White (1876-1974). Another famous bearer was American singer and actress Eartha Kitt (1927-2008).
ELLA (1) f EnglishNorman form of the Germanic name
Alia, which was a short form of names containing the Germanic element
alja meaning
"other". It was introduced to England by the Normans and used until the 14th century, and it was later revived in the 19th century. A famous bearer was the American singer Ella Fitzgerald (1917-1996).
EMMETT m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from a diminutive of the feminine given name
EMMA.
ETTA f EnglishShort form of
HENRIETTA and other names that end with
etta. A famous bearer was the American singer Etta James (1938-2012), who took her stage name from her real given name Jamesetta.
FREDERICK m EnglishEnglish form of a Germanic name meaning
"peaceful ruler", derived from
frid "peace" and
ric "ruler, mighty". This name has long been common in continental Germanic-speaking regions, being borne by rulers of the Holy Roman Empire, Germany, Austria, Scandinavia, and Prussia. Notables among these rulers include the 12th-century Holy Roman emperor and crusader Frederick I Barbarossa, the 13th-century emperor and patron of the arts Frederick II, and the 18th-century Frederick II of Prussia, known as Frederick the Great.
... [more] FREEMAN m EnglishFrom an English surname meaning
"free man". It originally denoted a person who was not a serf.
HALLE (2) f English (Modern)In the case of American actress Halle Berry (1966-), it is from the name of a department store in Cleveland where she was born (the store was founded by brothers bearing the German surname Halle, a cognate of
HALL).
HARRIET f EnglishEnglish form of
HENRIETTE, and thus a feminine form of
HARRY. It was first used in the 17th century, becoming very common in the English-speaking world by the 18th century. Famous bearers include the Americans Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896), the author of
Uncle Tom's Cabin, and the abolitionist Harriet Tubman (1820-1913).
HIRAM m Biblical, Biblical Hebrew, EnglishProbably of Phoenician origin, though it could be from Hebrew meaning
"exalted brother". This was the name of a king of Tyre in the Old Testament. As an English given name,
Hiram came into use after the Protestant Reformation. In the 17th century the Puritans brought it to America, where it gained some currency.
JACKIE m & f EnglishDiminutive of
JACK or
JACQUELINE. A notable bearer was baseball player Jackie Robinson (1919-1972), the first African American to play in Major League Baseball.
JESSE m English, Dutch, Finnish, BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
יִשַׁי (Yishai), which possibly means
"gift". In the Old Testament Jesse is the father of King
David. It began to be used as an English given name after the Protestant Reformation. A famous bearer was Jesse James (1847-1882), an American outlaw who held up banks and stagecoaches. He was eventually shot by a fellow gang member for a reward. Another famous bearer was the American athlete Jesse Owens (1913-1980), whose real name was James Cleveland (or J. C.) Owens.
KAMALA f & m Hinduism, Tamil, Indian, Kannada, Telugu, Hindi, NepaliMeans
"lotus" or
"pale red" in Sanskrit. In Sanskrit this is a transcription of both the feminine form
कमला and the masculine form
कमल, though in modern languages it is only a feminine form. This is the name of one of the Krittikas, or Pleiades, in the Hindu epic the
Mahabharata. It is also another name of the Hindu goddess
Lakshmi.
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] LORRAINE f EnglishFrom the name of a region in 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.
LOUIS m French, English, DutchFrench form of
Ludovicus, the Latinized form of
LUDWIG. This was the name of 18 kings of France, starting with Louis I the son of
Charlemagne. Others include Louis IX (Saint Louis) who led two crusades and Louis XIV (called the Sun King) who was the ruler of France during the height of its power, the builder of the Palace of Versailles, and the longest reigning monarch in the history of Europe. It was also borne by kings of Germany (as
Ludwig), Hungary (as
Lajos), and other places.
... [more] LUTHER m EnglishFrom a German surname, itself from the Germanic given name
LEUTHAR. The surname was borne by Martin Luther, a 16th-century monk and theologian, who started the Protestant Reformation by nailing his famous 95 theses to a church door. It has since been used as a given name in his honour, especially among Protestants. A notable bearer from the modern era was the American civil rights leader Martin Luther King (1929-1968).
MALCOLM m Scottish, EnglishFrom Scottish Gaelic
Máel Coluim, which means
"disciple of Saint COLUMBA". This was the name of four kings of Scotland starting in the 10th century, including Malcolm III, who became king after killing Macbeth, the usurper who had murdered his father. The character Malcolm in Shakespeare's tragedy
Macbeth (1606) is based on him. Another famous bearer was Malcolm X (1925-1965), an American civil rights leader.
MARIAH f EnglishVariant of
MARIA. It is usually pronounced in a way that reflects an older English pronunciation of
Maria. The name was popularized in the early 1990s by the American singer Mariah Carey (1970-).
MARIAN (1) f EnglishVariant of
MARION (1). This name was borne in English legend by Maid Marian, Robin Hood's love. It is sometimes considered a combination of
MARY and
ANN.
MARTIN m English, French, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Estonian, Russian, Romanian, Czech, Slovak, Slovene, Croatian, Hungarian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, FinnishFrom the Roman name
Martinus, which was derived from
Martis, the genitive case of the name of the Roman god
MARS. Saint Martin of Tours was a 4th-century bishop who is the patron saint of France. According to legend, he came across a cold beggar in the middle of winter so he ripped his cloak in two and gave half of it to the beggar. He was a favourite saint during the Middle Ages, and his name has become common throughout the Christian world.
... [more] MARY f English, BiblicalUsual English form of
Maria, the Latin form of the New Testament Greek names
Μαριάμ (Mariam) and
Μαρία (Maria) - the spellings are interchangeable - which were from Hebrew
מִרְיָם (Miryam), a name borne by the sister of
Moses in the Old Testament. The meaning is not known for certain, but there are several theories including
"sea of bitterness",
"rebelliousness", and
"wished for child". However it was most likely originally an Egyptian name, perhaps derived in part from
mry "beloved" or
mr "love".
... [more] MAYA (2) f EnglishVariant of
MAIA (1). This name can also be given in reference to the Maya peoples, a Native American culture who built a great civilization in southern Mexico and Latin America.
MICHAEL m English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Czech, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical GreekFrom the Hebrew name
מִיכָאֵל (Mikha'el) meaning
"who is like God?". This is a rhetorical question, implying no person is like God. Michael is one of the archangels in Hebrew tradition and the only one identified as an archangel in the Bible. In the Book of Daniel in the Old Testament he is named as a protector of Israel. In the Book of Revelation in the New Testament he is portrayed as the leader of heaven's armies in the war against Satan, and is thus considered the patron saint of soldiers in Christianity.
... [more] MICHELLE f French, English, DutchFrench feminine form of
MICHEL. It has been common in the English-speaking world since the middle of the 20th century. A famous bearer is the former American first lady Michelle Obama (1964-).
MILES m EnglishFrom the Germanic name
Milo, introduced by the Normans to England in the form
Miles. The meaning is not known for certain. It is possibly connected to the Slavic name element
milu meaning
"gracious". From an early date it was associated with Latin
miles "soldier".
... [more] MISTY f EnglishFrom the English word
misty, ultimately derived from Old English. The jazz song
Misty (1954) by Erroll Garner may have helped popularize the name.
NAOMI (1) f English, Hebrew, BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
נָעֳמִי (Na'omi) meaning
"pleasantness". In the Old Testament this is the name of the mother-in-law of
Ruth. After the death of her husband and sons, she returned to Bethlehem with Ruth. There she declared that her name should be
Mara (see
Ruth 1:20).
... [more] NELSON m EnglishFrom an English surname meaning
"son of NEIL". It was originally given in honour of the British admiral Horatio Nelson (1758-1805). His most famous battle was the Battle of Trafalgar, in which he destroyed a combined French and Spanish fleet, but was himself killed. Another notable bearer was the South African statesman Nelson Mandela (1918-2013). Mandela's birth name was
Rolihlahla; as a child he was given the English name
Nelson by a teacher.
OPRAH f VariousIn the case of television personality Oprah Winfrey, it was a childhood mispronunciation of her real name
ORPAH that became permanent.
OSCAR m English, Irish, Portuguese (Brazilian), Italian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, French, Irish MythologyPossibly means
"deer friend", derived from Gaelic
os "deer" and
cara "friend". Alternatively, it may derive from the Old English name
OSGAR or its Old Norse cognate
ÁSGEIRR, which may have been brought to Ireland by Viking invaders and settlers. In Irish legend Oscar was the son of the poet
Oisín and the grandson of the hero
Fionn mac Cumhail.
... [more] PRINCE m EnglishFrom the English word
prince, a royal title, which comes ultimately from Latin
princeps. This name was borne by the American musician Prince Rogers Nelson (1958-2016), who is known simply as Prince.
QUEEN f EnglishFrom an old nickname that was derived from the English word
queen, ultimately from Old English
cwen meaning "woman, wife".
QUINCY m EnglishFrom a 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).
RAPHAEL m German, English, Biblical, Biblical LatinFrom the Hebrew name
רָפָאֵל (Rafa'el) meaning
"God heals", from the roots
רָפָא (rafa') meaning "to heal" and
אֵל ('el) meaning "God". In Hebrew tradition Raphael is the name of an archangel. He appears in the Book of Tobit, in which he disguises himself as a man named
Azarias and accompanies
Tobias on his journey to Media, aiding him along the way. In the end he cures Tobias's father
Tobit of his blindness. He is not mentioned in the New Testament, though tradition identifies him with the angel troubling the water in
John 5:4.
... [more] RICHARD m English, French, German, Czech, Slovak, Dutch, Ancient GermanicMeans
"brave ruler", derived from the Germanic elements
ric "ruler, mighty" and
hard "brave, hardy". The Normans introduced this name to Britain, and it has been very common there since that time. It was borne by three kings of England including Richard I the Lionheart, one of the leaders of the Third Crusade in the 12th century.
... [more] ROSA (1) f Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Catalan, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, German, EnglishGenerally this can be considered a Latin form of
ROSE, though originally it may have come from the unrelated Germanic name
ROZA (2). This was the name of a 13th-century saint from Viterbo in Italy. In the English-speaking world it was first used in the 19th century. A famous bearer was civil rights activist Rosa Parks (1913-2005).
RUBY f EnglishSimply from the name of the precious stone (which ultimately derives from Latin
ruber "red"), which is the birthstone of July. It came into use as a given name in the 19th century.
SATCHEL m English (Rare)From a surname derived from Old English
sacc meaning
"sack, bag", referring to a person who was a bag maker.
SERENA f English, Italian, Late RomanFrom a Late Latin name that was derived from Latin
serenus meaning
"clear, tranquil, serene". This name was borne by an obscure early saint. Edmund Spenser also used it in his poem
The Faerie Queene (1590).
SHIRLEY f & m EnglishFrom a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning
"bright clearing" in Old English. This is the name of a main character in Charlotte Brontë's semi-autobiographical novel
Shirley (1849). The child actress Shirley Temple (1928-2014) helped to popularize this name.
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 Sir Philip Sidney (1554-1586).
SOLANGE f FrenchFrench form of the Late Latin name
Sollemnia, which was derived from Latin
sollemnis "religious". This was the name of a French shepherdess who became a saint after she was killed by her master.
SYLVESTER m English, German, DanishMedieval variant of
SILVESTER. This is currently the usual English spelling of the name. A famous bearer is the American actor Sylvester Stallone (1946-).
TIGER m English (Rare)From the name of the large striped cat, derived (via Old French and Latin) from Greek
τίγρις (tigris), ultimately of Iranian origin. A famous bearer is American golfer Tiger Woods (1975-).
VENUS f Roman MythologyMeans
"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.
WHITNEY f & m EnglishFrom a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning
"white island" in Old English. Its popular use as a feminine name was initiated by actress Whitney Blake (1925-2002) in the 1960s, and further boosted in the 1980s by singer Whitney Houston (1963-2012).
WILLIE m & f EnglishMasculine or feminine diminutive of
WILLIAM. A notable bearer is the retired American baseball player Willie Mays (1931-).
WINNIE f EnglishDiminutive of
WINIFRED. Winnie-the-Pooh, a stuffed bear in the children's books by A. A. Milne, was named after a real bear named
Winnipeg who lived at the London Zoo.