Anissa f EnglishThis name was first brought to public attention in 1966 by the child actress Anissa Jones (1958-1976). In her case it was a transcription of the Arabic name
أنيسة (see
Anisa), given to honour her Lebanese heritage. Other parents who have since used this name may view it simply as an elaboration of
Anna using the popular name suffix
issa.
Belphoebe f LiteratureCombination of
belle "beautiful" and the name
Phoebe. This name was first used by Edmund Spenser in his poem
The Faerie Queene (1590).
Celinda f English (Rare)Probably a blend of
Celia and
Linda. This is also the Spanish name for a variety of shrub with white flowers, known as sweet mock-orange in English (species Philadelphus coronarius).
Charmaine f EnglishMeaning unknown, perhaps a combination of
Charmian or the English word
charm with the
aine suffix from
Lorraine. It was (first?) used for a character in the play
What Price Glory (1924), which was made into a popular movie in 1926.
Christabel f English (Rare)Combination of
Christina and the name suffix
bel. This name occurs in medieval literature, and was later used in 1800 by Samuel Coleridge in his poem
Christabel.
Claribel f EnglishCombination of
Clara and the popular name suffix
bel. This name was used by Edmund Spenser in his poem
The Faerie Queene (1590; in the form
Claribell) and by Shakespeare in his play
The Tempest (1611). Alfred Lord Tennyson also wrote a poem entitled
Claribel (1830).
Clarinda f EnglishCombination of
Clara and the popular name suffix
inda. It was first used by Edmund Spenser in his epic poem
The Faerie Queene (1590).
Darlene f EnglishFrom the English word
darling combined with the popular name suffix
lene. This name has been in use since the beginning of the 20th century.
Kayla f EnglishCombination of
Kay 1 and the popular name suffix
la. Use of the name was greatly increased in the 1980s after the character Kayla Brady began appearing on the American soap opera
Days of Our Lives.
Kayleigh f English (Modern)Variant of
Kaylee. This is also a common Anglicized form of the Gaelic word
ceilidh, a traditional social gathering and dance.
Lilou f FrenchEither a diminutive of French names containing the sound
lee or a combination of
Lili and
Louise.
Luann f EnglishEither a combination of
Lou and
Ann or a variant of
Luana. It was popularized in the 1950s by the singer Lu Ann Simms (1933-2003).
Maider f BasqueFrom the name of the goddess
Mari 3 combined with Basque
eder meaning "beautiful".
Mairwen f WelshCombination of
Mair and Welsh
gwen meaning "white, fair, blessed".
Marilyn f EnglishCombination of
Mary and
lyn. It has been used since the start of the 20th century. A famous bearer was the American actress Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962).
Marlene f German, EnglishBlend of
Maria and
Magdalene. It refers, therefore, to Mary Magdalene, a character in the New Testament. The name was popularized by the German actress and singer Marlene Dietrich (1901-1992), whose real name was Maria Magdalene Dietrich.
Maximón m MythologyThe name of a trickster folk deity, also called San Simón, worshipped by the Maya people in parts of Guatemala. He is a syncretic figure thought to have arisen during the Spanish conquest, and is typically represented by a man-sized, cigar-smoking, alcohol-drinking wooden effigy. The meaning of the name is uncertain. It could be a blend of
Mam, a title of some of the Maya gods meaning "grandfather", and
Simón, referring to Saint
Peter. Alternatively it might be related to Mayan
max "tobacco".
Maylis f FrenchFrom the name of a town in southern France, possibly derived from Occitan
mair "mother" and French
lys "lily". It is also sometimes considered a combination of
Marie and
lys.
Michelangelo m ItalianCombination of
Michael and
Angelo, referring to the archangel Michael. The Renaissance painter and sculptor Michelangelo Buonarroti, from Florence, was the man who created such great works of art as the statue of
David and the mural on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. This name was also borne by the Baroque artist Michelangelo Merisi, better known as Caravaggio.
Milena f Bulgarian, Czech, Serbian, Croatian, Slovene, Macedonian, Polish, Russian, Slovak, ItalianFeminine form of
Milan. It began to be used in Italy in honour of Milena Vukotić (1847-1923), mother of Helen of Montenegro, the wife of the Italian king Victor Emmanuel III. In Italy it can also be considered a combination of
Maria and
Elena.
Milou f DutchShort form of
Marie-Louise. This is the name of a (male) dog in the French-language Belgian comic series
The Adventures of Tintin by Hergé, first appearing in 1929. He is named
Snowy in the English version and
Bobbie in the Dutch version.
Richmal f English (Rare)Meaning uncertain, possibly a combination of
Richard and
Mary. This name has been used since at least the late 18th century, mainly confined to the town of Bury in Lancashire.
Rosalba f ItalianItalian name meaning
"white rose", derived from Latin
rosa "rose" and
alba "white". A famous bearer was the Venetian painter Rosalba Carriera (1675-1757).
Rosemary f EnglishCombination of
Rose and
Mary. This name can also be given in reference to the herb, which gets its name from Latin
ros marinus meaning "dew of the sea". It came into use as a given name in the 19th century.
Santiago m Spanish, PortugueseMeans
"Saint James", derived from Spanish
santo "saint" combined with
Yago, an old Spanish form of
James, the patron saint of Spain. This is the name of the capital city of Chile, as well as several other cities in the Spanish-speaking world.
Serapis m Egyptian Mythology (Hellenized)From a compound of
Asar, the Egyptian form of
Osiris, and
Apis, the sacred bull of the Egyptians. This was the name of a syncretic Greco-Egyptian god, apparently promoted by Ptolemy I Soter in the 3rd-century BC in an attempt to unite the native Egyptians and the Greeks in the Ptolemaic Kingdom.
Suellen f EnglishContraction of
Susan and
Ellen 1. Margaret Mitchell used this name in her novel
Gone with the Wind (1936), where it belongs to Scarlett's sister.