AKIKOfJapaneseFrom Japanese
晶 (aki) meaning "clear, crystal",
明 (aki) meaning "bright" or
秋 (aki) meaning "autumn" combined with
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other combinations of kanji characters are possible.
ALANmEnglish, Scottish, Breton, FrenchThe meaning of this name is not known for certain. It was used in Brittany at least as early as the 6th century, and it possibly means either "little rock" or "handsome" in Breton. Alternatively, it may derive from the tribal name of the Alans, an Iranian people who migrated into Europe in the 4th and 5th centuries.
... [more] ALESSANDROmItalianItalian form of
ALEXANDER. A famous bearer was Alessandro Volta (1745-1827), the Italian physicist who invented the battery.
AMADEUSmLate RomanMeans "love of God", derived from Latin
amare "to love" and
Deus "God". A famous bearer was the Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791), who was actually born Wolfgang Theophilus Mozart but preferred the Latin translation of his Greek middle name. This name was also assumed as a middle name by the German novelist E. T. A. Hoffmann (1776-1822), who took it in honour of Mozart.
ANDREWmEnglish, BiblicalEnglish form of the Greek name
Ανδρεας (Andreas), which was derived from
ανδρειος (andreios) "manly, masculine", a derivative of
ανηρ (aner) "man". In the New Testament the apostle Andrew, the first disciple to join
Jesus, is the brother of
Simon Peter. According to tradition, he later preached in the Black Sea region, with some legends saying he was crucified on an X-shaped cross.
Andrew, being a Greek name, was probably only a nickname or a translation of his real Hebrew name, which is not known.
... [more] ANGELAfEnglish, Italian, German, Dutch, Romanian, Slovene, Slovak, Russian, Macedonian, Late RomanFeminine form of
Angelus (see
ANGEL). As an English name, it came into use in the 18th century.
ANTONmGerman, Russian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Dutch, Bulgarian, Ukrainian, Slovene, Macedonian, Croatian, Romanian, Estonian, FinnishForm of
Antonius (see
ANTHONY).
ANTONINmFrenchFrench form of
Antoninus (see
ANTONINO). This name was borne by the French playwright Antonin Artaud (1896-1948).
ARNOLDmEnglish, German, Dutch, Ancient GermanicFrom a Germanic name meaning "eagle power", derived from the elements
arn "eagle" and
wald "power". The Normans brought it to England, where it replaced the Old English cognate
Earnweald. It died out as an English name after the Middle Ages, but it was revived in the 19th century.
... [more] ARTHURmEnglish, French, German, Dutch, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Welsh Mythology, Arthurian RomanceThe meaning of this name is unknown. It could be derived from the Celtic elements
artos "bear" combined with
viros "man" or
rigos "king". Alternatively it could be related to an obscure Roman family name
Artorius. Arthur is the name of the central character in Arthurian legend, a 6th-century king of the Britons who resisted Saxon invaders. He may or may not have been a real person. He first appears in Welsh poems and chronicles (some possibly as early as the 7th century) but his character was not developed until the chronicles of the 12th-century Geoffrey of Monmouth.
... [more] CAMILLEf & mFrench, EnglishFrench feminine and masculine form of
CAMILLA. It is also used in the English-speaking world, where it is generally only feminine.
CHARLESmEnglish, 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] CLARAfItalian, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, Romanian, English, Swedish, Danish, Late RomanFeminine form of the Late Latin name
Clarus which meant "clear, bright, famous". The name
Clarus was borne by a few early saints. The feminine form was popularized by the 13th-century Saint Clare of Assisi (called
Chiara in Italian), a friend and follower of Saint Francis, who left her wealthy family to found the order of nuns known as the Poor Clares. As an English name it has been in use since the Middle Ages, originally in the form
Clare, though the Latinate spelling
Clara became more popular in the 19th century.
DAVIDmEnglish, Hebrew, French, Scottish, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Czech, Slovene, Russian, Croatian, Serbian, Macedonian, Romanian, Biblical, Biblical LatinFrom the Hebrew name
דָּוִד (Dawid), which was derived from Hebrew
דּוֹד (dod) meaning "beloved" or "uncle". David was the second and greatest of the kings of Israel, ruling in the 10th century BC. Several stories about him are told in the Old Testament, including his defeat of
Goliath, a giant Philistine. According to the New Testament,
Jesus was descended from him.
... [more] ERICmEnglish, Swedish, German, SpanishFrom the Old Norse name
Eiríkr, derived from the elements
ei "ever, always" and
ríkr "ruler". A notable bearer was Eiríkr inn Rauda (Eric the Red in English), a 10th-century navigator and explorer who discovered Greenland. This was also the name of several early kings of Sweden, Denmark and Norway.
... [more] ERIKmSwedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Czech, Slovak, Slovene, Croatian, Hungarian, German, Dutch, EnglishScandinavian form of
ERIC. This was the name of kings of Sweden, Denmark and Norway. King Erik IX of Sweden (12th century) is the patron saint of that country.
FELIXmGerman, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, English, Romanian, Ancient Roman, Biblical, Biblical LatinFrom a Roman cognomen meaning "lucky, successful" in Latin. It was acquired as an agnomen, or nickname, by the 1st-century BC Roman general Sulla. It also appears in the New Testament belonging to the governor of Judea who imprisoned Saint
Paul.
... [more] FRANÇOISmFrenchFrench form of
Franciscus (see
FRANCIS). François Villon was a French lyric poet of the 15th century. This was also the name of two kings of France.
FRANZmGermanGerman form of
Franciscus (see
FRANCIS). This name was borne by the influential author Franz Kafka (1883-1924), writer of 'The Trial' and 'The Castle' among other works. Also, rulers of Austria and the Holy Roman Empire have had this name.
FREDERICKmEnglishEnglish form of a Germanic name meaning "peaceful ruler", derived from
frid "peace" and
ric "ruler, power". 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] GABRIELmFrench, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Catalan, English, Romanian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical GreekFrom the Hebrew name
גַבְרִיאֵל (Gavri'el) meaning "God is my strong man", derived from
גֶּבֶר (gever) meaning "strong man, hero" and
אֵל (el) meaning "God". Gabriel is an archangel in Hebrew tradition, often appearing as a messenger of God. In the Old Testament he is sent to interpret the visions of the prophet
Daniel, while in the New Testament he serves as the announcer of the births of
John to
Zechariah and
Jesus to
Mary. According to Islamic tradition he was the angel who dictated the Qur'an to
Muhammad.
... [more] GAETANOmItalianItalian form of the Latin name
Caietanus, which meant "from Caieta". Caieta (now called Gaeta) was a town in ancient Italy, its name deriving either from
Kaiadas, the name a Greek location where prisoners were executed, or else from
Caieta, the name of the nurse of Aeneas. Saint Gaetano was a 16th-century Italian priest who founded the Theatines.
GEORGEmEnglish, RomanianFrom the Greek name
Γεωργιος (Georgios) which was derived from the Greek word
γεωργος (georgos) meaning "farmer, earthworker", itself derived from the elements
γη (ge) "earth" and
εργον (ergon) "work". Saint George was a 3rd-century Roman soldier from Palestine who was martyred during the persecutions of Emperor Diocletian. Later legends describe his defeat of a dragon, with which he was often depicted in medieval art.
... [more] GIOVANNImItalianItalian form of
Iohannes (see
JOHN). The Renaissance painter Giovanni Bellini (1430-1516) and the painter and sculptor Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680) were two famous bearers of this name.
GRANTmEnglish, ScottishFrom an English and Scottish surname which was derived from Norman French
grand meaning "great, large". A famous bearer of the surname was Ulysses Grant (1822-1885), the commander of the Union forces during the American Civil War who later served as president. In America the name has often been given in his honour.
GUSTAVmSwedish, Norwegian, Danish, GermanPossibly means "staff of the Goths", derived from the Old Norse elements
Gautr "Goth" and
stafr "staff". However, the root name
Gautstafr is not well attested in the Old Norse period. Alternatively, it might be derived from the Slavic name
GOSTISLAV. This name has been borne by six kings of Sweden, including the 16th-century Gustav I Vasa.
HAYDNmEnglish (British)From a German surname meaning "heathen". It is used in honour of the Austrian composer Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809).
HOWARDmEnglishFrom an English surname which can derive from several different sources: the Anglo-Norman given name
Huard, which was from the Germanic name
HUGHARD; the Anglo-Scandinavian given name
Haward, from the Old Norse name
HÁVARÐR; or the Middle English term
ewehirde meaning "ewe herder". This is the surname of a British noble family, members of which have held the title Duke of Norfolk from the 15th century to the present. A famous bearer of the given name was the American industrialist Howard Hughes (1905-1976).
HUBERTmEnglish, German, Dutch, French, Polish, Ancient GermanicMeans "bright heart", derived from the Germanic elements
hug "heart, mind" and
beraht "bright". Saint Hubert was an 8th-century bishop of Maastricht who is considered the patron saint of hunters. The Normans brought the name to England, where it replaced an Old English cognate
Hygebeorht. It died out during the Middle Ages but was revived in the 19th century.
IRVINGmEnglish, Scottish, JewishFrom a Scottish surname which was in turn derived from a Scottish place name meaning "green water". Historically this name has been relatively common among Jews, who have used it as an American-sounding form of Hebrew names beginning with
I such as
Isaac,
Israel and
Isaiah. A famous bearer was the Russian-American songwriter and lyricist Irving Berlin (1888-1989), whose birth name was Israel Beilin.
JOHNmEnglish, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, BiblicalEnglish form of
Iohannes, the Latin form of the Greek name
Ιωαννης (Ioannes), itself derived from the Hebrew name
יוֹחָנָן (Yochanan) meaning "
YAHWEH is gracious", from the roots
יוֹ (yo) referring to the Hebrew God and
חָנַן (chanan) meaning "to be gracious". The Hebrew form occurs in the Old Testament (spelled
Johanan or
Jehohanan in the English version), but this name owes its popularity to two New Testament characters, both highly revered saints. The first is John the Baptist, a Jewish ascetic who is considered the forerunner of
Jesus. He baptized Jesus and was later executed by
Herod Antipas. The second is the apostle John, who is traditionally regarded as the author of the fourth gospel and Revelation. With the apostles
Peter and
James (his brother), he was part of the inner circle of Jesus.
... [more] LEOmGerman, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, English, Croatian, Late RomanDerived from Latin
leo meaning "lion", a cognate of
LEON. It was popular among early Christians and was the name of 13 popes, including Saint Leo the Great who asserted the dominance of the Roman bishops (the popes) over all others in the 5th century. It was also borne by six Byzantine emperors and five Armenian kings. Another famous bearer was Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910), a Russian novelist whose works include 'War and Peace' and 'Anna Karenina'. Leo is also the name of a constellation and the fifth sign of the zodiac.
LEONARDmEnglish, Dutch, German, Ancient GermanicMeans "brave lion", derived from the Germanic elements
lewo "lion" (of Latin origin) and
hard "brave, hardy". This was the name of a 5th-century Frankish saint from Noblac who is the patron of prisoners and horses. The Normans brought this name to England, though it did not become common there until the 19th century.
LEOPOLDmGerman, Dutch, English, Slovene, PolishDerived from the Germanic elements
leud "people" and
bald "bold". The spelling was altered due to association with Latin
leo "lion". This name was common among German royalty, first with the Babenbergs and then the Habsburgs. Saint Leopold was a 12th-century Babenberg margrave of Austria, who is now considered the patron of that country. It was also borne by two Habsburg Holy Roman emperors, as well as three kings of Belgium. Since the 19th century this name has been occasionally used in England, originally in honour of Queen Victoria's uncle, a king of Belgium, after whom she named one of her sons. It was later used by James Joyce for the main character, Leopold Bloom, in his novel 'Ulysses' (1920).
LOUISmFrench, 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] LUDWIGmGermanFrom the Germanic name
Chlodovech, which was composed of the elements
hlud "famous" and
wig "war, battle". This was the name of three Merovingian kings of the Franks (though their names are usually spelled in the Latinized form
Clovis) as well as several Carolingian kings and Holy Roman emperors (names often spelled in the French form
Louis). Other famous bearers include the German composer Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) and the Austrian philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951), who contributed to logic and the philosophy of language.
MAURICEmEnglish, FrenchFrom the Roman name
Mauritius, a derivative of
MAURUS. Saint Maurice was a 3rd-century Roman soldier from Egypt. He and the other Christians in his legion were supposedly massacred on the orders of Emperor Maximian for refusing to worship Roman gods. Thus, he is the patron saint of infantry soldiers.
... [more] MICHAELmEnglish, 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] MICHELmFrench, German, DutchFrench form of
MICHAEL. Michel de Notredame, also known as Nostradamus, was the 16th-century French astrologer who made predictions about future world events. This is also the German diminutive form of
MICHAEL.
PAULmEnglish, French, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Romanian, BiblicalFrom the Roman family name
Paulus, which meant "small" or "humble" in Latin. Paul was an important leader of the early Christian church. According to Acts in the New Testament, he was a Jewish Roman citizen who converted to Christianity after the resurrected
Jesus appeared to him. After this he travelled the eastern Mediterranean as a missionary. His original Hebrew name was
Saul. Many of the epistles in the New Testament were authored by him.
... [more] PETERmEnglish, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Slovene, Slovak, BiblicalDerived from the Greek
Πετρος (Petros) meaning "stone". This is a translation used in most versions of the New Testament of the name
Cephas, meaning "stone" in Aramaic, which was given to the apostle
Simon by
Jesus (compare Matthew 16:18 and John 1:42). Simon Peter was the most prominent of the apostles during Jesus' ministry and is often considered the first pope.
... [more] PHILIPmEnglish, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, BiblicalFrom the Greek name
Φιλιππος (Philippos) which means "friend of horses", composed of the elements
φιλος (philos) "friend, lover" and
‘ιππος (hippos) "horse". This was the name of five kings of Macedon, including Philip II the father of Alexander the Great. The name appears in the New Testament belonging to two people who are regarded as saints. First, one of the twelve apostles, and second, an early figure in the Christian church known as Philip the Deacon.
... [more] PYOTRmRussianRussian form of
PETER. A famous bearer was the Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893).
QUINCYmEnglishFrom a surname which was derived (via the place name
CUINCHY) from the personal name
QUINTIUS. A famous bearer was John Quincy Adams (1767-1848), sixth president of the United States, who was born in the town of Quincy, Massachusetts.
RALPHmEnglish, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, GermanContracted form of the Old Norse name
RÁÐÚLFR (or its Norman form
Radulf). Scandinavian settlers introduced it to England before the Norman conquest, though afterwards it was bolstered by Norman influence. In the Middle Ages it was usually spelled
Ralf, but by the 17th century it was most commonly
Rafe, reflecting the normal pronunciation. The
Ralph spelling appeared in the 18th century. A famous bearer of the name was Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), an American poet and author who wrote on transcendentalism.
RICHARDmEnglish, French, German, Czech, Slovak, Dutch, Ancient GermanicMeans "brave power", derived from the Germanic elements
ric "power, rule" 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] RUPERTmGerman, Dutch, EnglishGerman variant form of
ROBERT. The military commander Prince Rupert of the Rhine, a nephew of Charles I, introduced this name to England in the 17th century.
SAMUELmEnglish, French, German, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Jewish, BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
שְׁמוּאֵל (Shemu'el) which could mean either "name of God" or "God has heard". As told in the Books of Samuel in the Old Testament, Samuel was the last of the ruling judges. He led the Israelites during a period of domination by the Philistines, who were ultimately defeated in battle at Mizpah. Later he anointed
Saul to be the first king of Israel, and even later anointed his successor
David.
... [more] SEBASTIANmGerman, English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Polish, Finnish, RomanianFrom the Latin name
Sebastianus which meant "from Sebaste". Sebaste was the name a town in Asia Minor, its name deriving from Greek
σεβαστος (sebastos) "venerable" (a translation of Latin
Augustus, the title of the Roman emperors). According to Christian tradition, Saint Sebastian was a 3rd-century Roman soldier martyred during the persecutions of the emperor Diocletian. After he was discovered to be a Christian, he was tied to a stake and shot with arrows. This however did not kill him. Saint Irene of Rome healed him and he returned to personally admonish Diocletian, whereupon the emperor had him beaten to death.
... [more] STEPHENmEnglish, BiblicalFrom the Greek name
Στεφανος (Stephanos) meaning "crown", more precisely "that which surrounds". Saint Stephen was a deacon who was stoned to death, as told in Acts in the New Testament. He is regarded as the first Christian martyr. Due to him, the name became common in the Christian world. It was popularized in England by the Normans.
... [more] THEODOREmEnglishFrom the Greek name
Θεοδωρος (Theodoros), which meant "gift of god" from Greek
θεος (theos) "god" and
δωρον (doron) "gift". The name
Dorothea is derived from the same roots in reverse order. This was the name of several saints, including Theodore of Amasea, a 4th-century Greek soldier; Theodore of Tarsus, a 7th-century archbishop of Canterbury; and Theodore the Studite, a 9th-century Byzantine monk. It was also borne by two popes.
... [more] THOMASmEnglish, French, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Greek, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical GreekGreek form of the Aramaic name
תָּאוֹמָא (Ta'oma') which meant "twin". In the New Testament this is the name of an apostle. When he heard that
Jesus had risen from the dead he initially doubted the story, until Jesus appeared before him and he examined his wounds himself. According to tradition he was martyred in India. Due to his renown, the name came into general use in the Christian world.
... [more] WOLFGANGmGerman, Ancient GermanicDerived from the Germanic elements
wulf meaning "wolf" and
gang "path". Two famous bearers of this name were Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) and German novelist and poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832).