ADERYNfWelshMeans "bird" in Welsh. This is a modern Welsh name.
AGRIPPAm & fAncient Roman, BiblicalRoman cognomen of unknown meaning, possibly from Greek
αγριος (agrios) "wild" and
‘ιππος (hippos) "horse" or possibly of Etruscan origin. It was also used as a praenomen, or given name, by the Furia and Menenia families. In the New Testament this name was borne by Herod Agrippa (a grandson of Herod the Great), the king of Israel who put the apostle James to death. It was also borne by the 1st-century BC Roman general Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa.
ALCYONEfGreek Mythology (Latinized)Latinized form of Greek
Αλκυονη (Alkyone), derived from the word
αλκυων (alkyon) meaning "kingfisher". In Greek myth this name belonged to a daughter of Aeolus and the wife of Ceyx. After her husband was killed in a shipwreck she threw herself into the water, but the gods saved her and turned them both into kingfishers. This is also the name of the brightest of the Pleiades, the seven stars in the constellation Taurus.
ARELImBiblicalMeans "lion of God, hero" in Hebrew. This was the name of a son of Gad in the Old Testament.
ARIESmRoman MythologyMeans "ram" in Latin. This is the name of a constellation and the first sign of the zodiac. Some Roman legends state that the ram in the constellation was the one who supplied the Golden Fleece sought by
Jason.
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] AVISfEnglishProbably a Latinized form of the Germanic name
Aveza, which was derived from the element
avi, of unknown meaning, possibly "desired". The Normans introduced this name to England and it became moderately common during the Middle Ages, at which time it was associated with Latin
avis "bird".
AYELETfHebrewMeans "gazelle, hind". It is taken from the Hebrew phrase
אַיֶלֶת הַשַׁחַר ('ayelet hashachar), literally "gazelle of dawn", which is a name of the morning star.
BAMBIfEnglishDerived from Italian
bambina meaning "young girl". The American novelist Marjorie Benton Cooke used it in her novel 'Bambi' (1914). This was also the name of a male deer in a cartoon by Walt Disney, which was based on a 1923 novel by Swiss author Felix Salten.
BERNARDmEnglish, French, Dutch, Polish, Croatian, Slovene, Czech, Ancient GermanicDerived from the Germanic element
bern "bear" combined with
hard "brave, hardy". The Normans brought it to England, where it replaced the Old English cognate
Beornheard. This was the name of several saints, including Saint Bernard of Menthon who built hospices in the Swiss Alps in the 10th century, and Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, a 12th-century theologian and Doctor of the Church. Other famous bearers include the Irish playwright and essayist George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) and the British World War II field marshal Bernard Montgomery (1887-1976).
BORISmBulgarian, Russian, Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, Macedonian, Georgian, GermanFrom the Turkic name
Bogoris, perhaps meaning "short" or "wolf" or "snow leopard". It was borne by the 9th-century King Boris I of Bulgaria who converted his country to Christianity, as well as two later Bulgarian emperors. The name was popularized in the Slavic world due to the 11th-century Saint Boris, who was a Russian prince martyred with his brother Gleb. His mother may have been Bulgarian. Another famous bearer was the 16th-century Russian emperor Boris Godunov, later the subject of a play of that name by Aleksandr Pushkin.
BUCKmEnglishFrom an English nickname meaning simply "buck, male deer", ultimately from Old English
bucc.
CONORmIrish, English, Irish MythologyAnglicized form of the Gaelic name
Conchobhar, derived from Old Irish
con "hound, dog, wolf" and
cobar "desiring". It has been in use in Ireland for centuries and was the name of several Irish kings. It was also borne by the legendary Ulster king Conchobar mac Nessa, known for his tragic desire for
Deirdre.
CORBINmEnglishFrom a French surname which 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-).
CRAWFORDmEnglishFrom a surname which was derived from a place name meaning "crow ford" in Old English.
CUÁNmIrishMeans "little wolf" or "little hound" from the Irish element
cú meaning "wolf, hound" combined with a diminutive suffix.
CUAUHTÉMOCmNative American, NahuatlMeans "falling eagle" in Nahuatl. This was the name of the last Aztec emperor, ruling until he was captured and executed by the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés in the year 1525.
CÚCHULAINNmIrish MythologyMeans "hound of Culann" in Irish. This was the usual name of the warrior hero who was named Sétanta at birth, given to him because he took the place of one of Culann's hounds after he accidentally killed it. Irish legend tells of Cúchulainn's many adventures, including his single-handed defense of Ulster against the army of Queen
Medb.
DORCASfBiblicalDerived from Greek
δορκας (dorkas) meaning "gazelle". This is the Greek translation of the name
Tabitha in the New Testament (see Acts 9:36).
DOVEfEnglishFrom the English word for the variety of bird, seen as a symbol of peace.
DRACOmAncient Greek (Latinized)From the Greek name
Δρακων (Drakon) which meant "dragon, serpent". This was the name of a 7th-century BC Athenian legislator. This is also the name of a constellation in the northern sky.
DRAKEmEnglishFrom an English surname derived from the Old Norse byname
Draki or the Old English byname
Draca both meaning "dragon", both via Latin from Greek
δρακων (drakon) meaning "dragon, serpent". This name coincides with the unrelated English word
drake meaning "male duck".
ELMERmEnglishFrom a surname which was derived from the Old English name
ÆÐELMÆR. In the United States it is sometimes given in honour of brothers Jonathan (1745-1817) and Ebenezer Elmer (1752-1843), who were active in early American politics.
FAUNAfRoman MythologyFeminine form of
FAUNUS. Fauna was a Roman goddess of fertility, women and healing, a daughter and companion of Faunus.
FAWNfEnglishFrom the English word
fawn for a young deer.
FIACHRAmIrish, Irish MythologyDerived from Gaelic
fiach meaning "raven". In Irish legend Fiachra was 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.
GUNTRAMmGermanMeans "war raven" from the Germanic elements
gund "war" and
hramn "raven". This was the name of a 6th-century Frankish king.
HARTLEYmEnglishFrom a surname which was derived from a place name meaning "hart clearing" in Old English.
HAYATOmJapaneseFrom Japanese
隼 (haya) meaning "falcon" and
人 (to) meaning "person". Other kanji combinations can also make up this name.
HORSTmGermanMeans "wood, thicket" in German. Alternatively, it may derive from the Germanic element
hros or
hors meaning "horse".
HULDAHfBiblicalMeans "weasel, mole" in Hebrew. This name appears in the Old Testament belonging to a prophetess.
JAELfBiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
יָעֵל (Ya'el) meaning "ibex, mountain goat". This name appears in the Old Testament belonging to the wife of
Heber the Kenite. After Sisera, the captain of the Canaanite army, was defeated in battle by
Deborah and
Barak he took refuge in Heber's tent. When he fell asleep Jael killed him by hammering a tent peg into his head.
JONAHmEnglish, BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
יוֹנָה (Yonah) meaning "dove". This was the name of a prophet swallowed by a fish, as told in the Old Testament Book of Jonah. Jonah was commanded by God to preach in Nineveh, but instead fled by boat. After being caught in a storm, the other sailors threw Jonah overboard, at which point he was swallowed. He emerged from the fish alive and repentant three days later.
... [more] KHULANfMongolianMeans "onager, wild donkey" in Mongolian. This was the name of a wife of Genghis Khan.
LEONIDASmGreek, Ancient GreekDerived from Greek
λεων (leon) meaning "lion" combined with the patronymic suffix
ιδης (ides). Leonidas was a Spartan king of the 5th century BC who sacrificed his life and his army defending the pass of Thermopylae from the Persians. This was also the name of a 3rd-century saint and martyr, the father of Origen, from Alexandria.
LOWELLmEnglishFrom an English surname which was derived from a Norman French nickname, from
lou "wolf" and a diminutive suffix. The surname was borne by American poet and satirist James Russell Lowell (1819-1891).
MATHmWelsh MythologyPossibly from Celtic
matu meaning "bear". According to the Mabinogion, Math ap Mathonwy was a king of Gwynedd and a magician. He was the uncle of the hero
Gwydion.
MELISSAfEnglish, Dutch, Ancient Greek, Greek MythologyMeans "bee" in Greek. This was the name of a nymph that cared for young
Zeus in Greek mythology. It is also the name of the fairy who helps Rogero escape from the witch Alcina in Ludovico Ariosto's poem 'Orlando Furioso' (1516). As an English given name,
Melissa has been used since the 18th century.
MERLEf & mEnglishVariant of
MERRILL or
MURIEL. The spelling has been influenced by the word
merle meaning "blackbird" (via French, from Latin
merula).
OISÍNmIrish, Irish MythologyMeans "little deer", derived from Irish
os "deer" combined with a diminutive suffix. In Irish legend Oisín was a warrior hero and a poet, the son of
Fionn mac Cumhail.
OPHRAHmBiblicalMeans "fawn" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of both a man mentioned in genealogies and a city in Manasseh.
OSBORNmEnglishDerived from the Old English elements
os "god" and
beorn "bear". During the Anglo-Saxon period there was also a Norse cognate
Ásbjörn used in England, and after the Norman conquest the Norman cognate
Osbern was introduced. It was occasionally revived in the 19th century, in part from a surname that was derived from the given name.
PEREGRINEmEnglish (Rare)From the Late Latin name
Peregrinus, which meant "traveller". This was the name of several early saints.
PHILOMELfLiteratureFrom an English word meaning "nightingale" (ultimately from
PHILOMELA). It has been used frequently in poetry to denote the bird.
PHINEHASmBiblicalProbably means "Nubian" from the Egyptian name
Panhsj, though some believe it means "serpent's mouth" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament Phinehas is a grandson of
Aaron who kills an Israelite because he is intimate with a Midianite woman, thus stopping a plague sent by God. Also in the Bible this is the son of
Eli, killed in battle with the Philistines.
QUETZALCOATLmAztec and Toltec MythologyMeans "feathered snake" in Nahuatl, derived from
quetzalli "feather" and
coatl "snake". In Aztec and other Mesoamerican mythology he was the god of the sky, wind, and knowledge, also associated with the morning star. According to one legend he created the humans of this age using the bones of humans from the previous age and adding his own blood.
RALEIGHmEnglishFrom a surname which was from a place name meaning either "red clearing" or "roe deer clearing" in Old English.
RAVENf & mEnglishFrom 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.
RHEAfGreek Mythology (Latinized), Roman MythologyLatinized form of Greek
‘Ρεια (Rheia), meaning unknown, perhaps related to
‘ρεω (rheo) "to flow" or
ερα (era) "ground". In Greek mythology Rhea was a Titan, the wife of
Cronus, and the mother of
Zeus,
Poseidon,
Hades,
Hera,
Demeter and
Hestia. Also, in Roman mythology a woman named Rhea
Silvia was the mother of
Romulus and
Remus, the legendary founders of Rome.
ROBINm & fEnglish, Dutch, SwedishMedieval diminutive of
ROBERT. Robin Hood was a legendary hero and archer of medieval England who stole from the rich to give to the poor. In modern times it has also been used as a feminine name, and it may sometimes be given in reference to the red-breasted bird.
RONNEmFrisianFrisian short form of Germanic names beginning with the element
hraban meaning "raven".
ROSCOEmEnglishFrom an English surname, originally derived from a place name, itself derived from Old Norse
rá "roebuck" and
skógr "wood, forest".
ROSWELLmEnglishFrom a surname which was derived from an Old English place name meaning "horse spring".
SANDALIOmSpanishSpanish form of
Sandalius, a Latinized form of the Gothic name
Sandulf which meant "true wolf" from
sand "true" and
ulf "wolf". This was the name of a 9th-century Spanish saint martyred by the Moors.
SEQUOYAHmNative American, CherokeePossibly from Cherokee
siqua meaning "hog". This was the name of the Cherokee man (also known as George Guess) who devised the Cherokee writing system in the 19th century.
SHERmUrdu, PashtoMeans "lion" in Persian. A famous bearer of this name was Sher Shah, a 16th-century Mughal ruler.
SUZUMEfJapanese (Rare)From Japanese
雀 (suzume) meaning "sparrow", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations which are pronounced the same way.
TODDmEnglishFrom a surname meaning "fox", derived from Middle English
todde.
USAGIfPopular CultureMeans "rabbit" in Japanese. This name was used on the Japanese television show 'Sailor Moon', which first aired in the 1990s.
UTHMANmArabicMeans "baby bustard" in Arabic (a bustard is a type of large bird). Uthman was a companion of
Muhammad who married two of his daughters. He was the third caliph of the Muslims.
VESPASIANmHistoryFrom the Roman cognomen
Vespasianus, derived either from Latin
vesper meaning "west" or "evening" or
vespa meaning "wasp". This was the name of a 1st-century Roman emperor, Titus Flavius Vespasianus, the founder of the Flavian dynasty.
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).
WRENfEnglish (Modern)From the English word for the small songbird. It is ultimately derived from Old English
wrenna.
ZARATHUSTRAmHistoryPossibly means "golden camel" in Old Iranian, derived from
zarat meaning "golden" combined with
ushtra meaning "camel". Zarathustra was the Persian prophet who founded the ancient religion of Zoroastrianism about the 10th century BC.