Jessamine f English (Rare)From a variant spelling of the English word
jasmine (see
Jasmine), used also to refer to flowering plants in the cestrum family.
Jinan m & f ArabicMeans
"garden" or
"paradise" in Arabic.
Ji-Yeong f & m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
智 (ji) meaning "wisdom, intellect" or
知 (ji) meaning "know, perceive, comprehend" combined with
英 (yeong) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero" or
榮 (yeong) meaning "glory, honour, flourish, prosper". Many other hanja character combinations are possible.
Jonquil f English (Rare)From the English word for the type of flower, derived ultimately from Latin
iuncus "reed".
Ju f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
菊 (jú) meaning "chrysanthemum" (which is usually only feminine) or
巨 (jù) meaning "big, enormous" (usually only masculine), besides other characters that are pronounced similarly.
Kalei m & f HawaiianMeans
"the flowers" or
"the child" from Hawaiian
ka "the" and
lei "flowers, lei, child".
Kamal 2 m Indian, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Gujarati, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, NepaliModern masculine form of
Kamala.
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.
Kanon f JapaneseFrom Japanese
花 (ka) meaning "flower, blossom" and
音 (non) meaning "sound". Other kanji combinations are possible as well.
Kapua f & m HawaiianMeans
"the flower" or
"the child" from Hawaiian
ka, a definite article, and
pua "flower, offspring".
Karen 3 f JapaneseFrom Japanese
華 (ka) meaning "flower" and
蓮 (ren) meaning "lotus, water lily". Other combinations of kanji can also form this name.
Kasumi f JapaneseFrom Japanese
霞 (kasumi) meaning "mist". It can also come from
花 (ka) meaning "flower, blossom" combined with
澄 (sumi) meaning "clear, pure". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
Kielo f FinnishMeans
"lily of the valley" in Finnish (species Convallaria majalis).
Kiku f JapaneseFrom Japanese
菊 (kiku) meaning "chrysanthemum", as well as other kanji characters that are pronounced the same way.
Klytië f Greek MythologyDerived from Greek
κλυτός (klytos) meaning
"famous, noble". In Greek myth Klytië was an ocean nymph who loved the sun god Helios. Her love was not returned, and she pined away staring at him until she was transformed into a heliotrope flower, whose head moves to follow the sun.
Kulap f & m ThaiMeans
"rose" in Thai (of Persian origin).
Kunala m SanskritMeans
"lotus" in Sanskrit. This was the name of a son of the 3rd-century BC Indian emperor Ashoka.
Lăcrămioara f RomanianMeans
"lily of the valley" in Romanian (species Convallaria majalis). It is derived from a diminutive form of
lacrămă "tear".
Laelia f Ancient RomanFeminine form of
Laelius, a Roman family name of unknown meaning. This is also the name of a type of flower, an orchid found in Mexico and Central America.
Lakshmi f & m Hinduism, Indian, Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam, Marathi, Hindi, OdiaMeans
"sign, mark" in Sanskrit. This is the name of the Hindu goddess of prosperity, good luck, and beauty. She is the wife of
Vishnu and her symbol is the lotus flower, with which she is often depicted.
Lale f TurkishMeans
"tulip" in Turkish, of Persian origin.
Lalka f BulgarianFrom Bulgarian
лале (lale) meaning
"tulip". It is derived via Turkish from Persian
لاله (laleh).
Lalla f LiteratureDerived from Persian
لاله (laleh) meaning
"tulip". This was the name of the heroine of Thomas Moore's poem
Lalla Rookh (1817). In the poem, Lalla, the daughter of the emperor of Delhi, listens to a poet sing four tales.
Lan 1 f & m Chinese, VietnameseFrom Chinese
兰 (lán) meaning "orchid, elegant" (which is usually only feminine) or
岚 (lán) meaning "mountain mist". Other Chinese characters can form this name as well. As a Vietnamese name, it is derived from Sino-Vietnamese
蘭 meaning "orchid".
Leilani f & m HawaiianMeans
"heavenly flowers" or
"royal child" from Hawaiian
lei "flowers, lei, child" and
lani "heaven, sky, royal, majesty".
Leimomi f HawaiianMeans
"pearl lei" or
"pearl child" from Hawaiian
lei "flowers, lei, child" and
momi "pearl".
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.
Lilac f English (Rare)From the English word for the shrub with purple or white flowers (genus Syringa). It is derived via Arabic from Persian.
Lili f German, French, HungarianGerman, French and Hungarian diminutive of
Elisabeth and other names containing
li. It is also sometimes connected to the German word
lilie meaning
"lily".
Lillian f EnglishProbably originally a diminutive of
Elizabeth. It may also be considered an elaborated form of
Lily, from the Latin word for "lily"
lilium. This name has been used in England since the 16th century.
Lily f EnglishFrom the name of the flower, a symbol of purity. The word is ultimately derived from Latin
lilium. This is the name of the main character, Lily Bart, in the novel
The House of Mirth (1905) by Edith Wharton. A famous bearer is the American actress Lily Tomlin (1939-).
Linnéa f SwedishFrom the name of a flower, also known as the twinflower. The Swedish botanist Carolus Linnaeus named it after himself, it being his favourite flower.
Loreto f & m Spanish, ItalianFrom the name of a town in Italy, originally called
Lauretum in Latin, meaning "laurel grove". Supposedly in the 13th century the house of the Virgin
Mary was miraculously carried by angels from Nazareth to the town. In Spain it is a feminine name, from the Marian title
Nuestra Señora de Loreto, while in Italy it is mostly masculine.
Lotus f English (Rare)From the name of the lotus flower (species Nelumbo nucifera) or the mythological lotus tree. They are ultimately derived from Greek
λωτός (lotos). In Greek and Roman mythology the lotus tree was said to produce a fruit causing sleepiness and forgetfulness.
Lubna f ArabicMeans
"storax tree" in Arabic. According to a 7th-century legend Lubna and Qays were a couple forced to divorce by Qays's father.
Luljeta f AlbanianMeans
"flower of life" in Albanian, from
lule "flower" and
jetë "life".
Lys f FrisianFrisian diminutive of
Elisabeth. It also coincides with the French word for "lily".
Madara f LatvianFrom the Latvian name for a type of flowering plant, known as cleavers or bedstraw in English.
Magnolia f EnglishFrom the English word
magnolia for the flower, which was named for the French botanist Pierre Magnol.
Mai 1 f VietnameseFrom Sino-Vietnamese
梅 (mai) meaning
"plum, apricot" (refers specifically to the species Prunus mume).
Malai f ThaiMeans
"garland of flowers" in Thai.
Manana f GeorgianMeans both
"heather" and
"manna, divine food" in Georgian.
Mao f JapaneseFrom Japanese
真 (ma) meaning "real, genuine" or
舞 (mai) meaning "dance" combined with
央 (o) meaning "center",
緒 (o) meaning "thread" or
桜 (o) meaning "cherry blossom". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Marganita f HebrewFrom the name of a type of flowering plant common in Israel, called the scarlet pimpernel in English.
Margaret f EnglishDerived from Latin
Margarita, which was from Greek
μαργαρίτης (margarites) meaning
"pearl", a word that was probably ultimately a borrowing from an Indo-Iranian language. Saint Margaret, the patron of expectant mothers, was martyred at Antioch in the 4th century. Later legends told of her escape from a dragon, with which she was often depicted in medieval art. The saint was popular during the Middle Ages, and her name has been widely used in the Christian world.
... [more] Margherita f ItalianItalian form of
Margaret. This is also the Italian word for the daisy flower (species Bellis perennis, Leucanthemum vulgare and others).
Margriet f DutchDutch form of
Margaret. This is also the Dutch word for the daisy flower (species Leucanthemum vulgare).
Marguerite f FrenchFrench form of
Margaret. This is also the French word for the daisy flower (species Leucanthemum vulgare).
Maryam f Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Bashkir, TatarArabic, Persian, Urdu, Bashkir and Tatar form of
Miryam (see
Mary). In Iran it is also the name of a flower, the tuberose, which is named after the Virgin Mary.
May f EnglishDerived from the name of the month of May, which derives from
Maia, the name of a Roman goddess. May is also another name of the hawthorn flower. It is also used as a diminutive of
Mary,
Margaret or
Mabel.
Maylis f FrenchFrom the name of a town in southern France, said to derive from Occitan
mair "mother" and French
lys "lily". It is also sometimes considered a combination of
Marie and
lys.
Mei 1 f ChineseFrom Chinese
美 (měi) meaning "beautiful" or
梅 (méi) meaning "Chinese plum" (species Prunus mume), as well as other characters that are pronounced similarly.
Menodora f Ancient GreekMeans
"gift of the moon", derived from Greek
μήνη (mene) meaning "moon" and
δῶρον (doron) meaning "gift". This was the name of a 4th-century saint who was martyred with her sisters Metrodora and Nymphodora.
Mio f JapaneseFrom Japanese
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" combined with
桜 (o) meaning "cherry blossom" or
緒 (o) meaning "thread". Other kanji or kanji combinations can also form this name.
Misaki f JapaneseFrom Japanese
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" and
咲 (saki) meaning "blossom". This name can be formed from other combinations of kanji as well.
Momoka f JapaneseFrom Japanese
百 (momo) meaning "hundred" or
桃 (momo) meaning "peach" combined with
花 (ka) meaning "flower" or
香 (ka) meaning "fragrance". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Müge f TurkishMeans
"lily of the valley" in Turkish (species Convallaria majalis).
Mulan f Chinese MythologyFrom Chinese
木兰 (mùlán) meaning
"magnolia". This is the name of a legendary female warrior who disguises herself as a man to take her ailing father's place when he is conscripted into the army.
Myrtle f EnglishSimply from the English word
myrtle for the evergreen shrub, ultimately from Greek
μύρτος (myrtos). It was first used as a given name in the 19th century, at the same time many other plant and flower names were coined.
Narcisse m & f FrenchFrench masculine and feminine form of
Narcissus. This is also the French word for the narcissus flower.
Nurgül f TurkishMeans
"radiant rose" in Turkish, ultimately from Arabic
نور (nur) meaning "light" and Persian
گل (gol) meaning "flower, rose".
Nurit f HebrewMeans
"buttercup (flower)" in Hebrew (genus Ranunculus).
Õie f EstonianDerived from Estonian
õis meaning
"flower".
Ornella f ItalianCreated by the Italian author Gabriele d'Annunzio for his novel
La Figlia di Jorio (1904). It is derived from Tuscan Italian
ornello meaning "flowering ash tree".
Padma f & m Hinduism, Indian, Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, TeluguMeans
"lotus" in Sanskrit. This is a transcription of both the feminine form
पद्मा and the masculine form
पद्म. According to Hindu tradition a lotus holding the god
Brahma arose from the navel of the god
Vishnu. The name Padma is used in Hindu texts to refer to several characters, including the goddess
Lakshmi and the hero
Rama.
Padmavati f HinduismMeans
"resembling lotuses", derived from the Sanskrit word
पद्म (padma) meaning "lotus" combined with
वती (vati) meaning "resemblance". This is the name of the foster-mother of the god Hindu Skanda. This was also the name of a semi-legendary 14th-century queen of Mewar.
Pankaja m HinduismMeans
"born of mud", referring to the lotus flower, derived from Sanskrit
पङ्क (panka) meaning "mud" and
ज (ja) meaning "born". This is another name of the Hindu god
Brahma.
Pansy f EnglishFrom the English word for a type of flower, ultimately deriving from Old French
pensee "thought".
Patigül f UyghurUyghur elaboration of
Patime using the suffix
گۇل (gul) meaning "flower, rose" (of Persian origin).
Peony f English (Rare)From the English word for the type of flower. It was originally believed to have healing qualities, so it was named after the Greek medical god
Pæon.
Petunia f English (Rare)From the name of the flower, derived ultimately from a Tupi (South American) word.
Phuong f & m KhmerMeans
"garland, bouquet (of flowers)" in Khmer.
Phyllis f Greek Mythology, EnglishMeans
"foliage" in Greek. In Greek mythology this was the name of a woman who killed herself out of love for Demophon and was subsequently transformed into an almond tree. It began to be used as a given name in England in the 16th century, though it was often confused with
Felicia.
Poppy f EnglishFrom the word for the red flower, derived from Old English
popæg.
Posy f EnglishDiminutive of
Josephine. It can also be inspired by the English word
posy for a bunch of flowers.
Primrose f English (Rare)From the English word for the flower, ultimately deriving from Latin
prima rosa "first rose".
Primula f English (Rare)From the name of a genus of several species of flowers, including the primrose. It is derived from the Latin word
primulus meaning "very first".
Prunella f English (Rare)From the English word for the type of flower, also called self-heal, ultimately a derivative of the Latin word
pruna "plum".
Pua f & m HawaiianMeans
"flower, offspring" in Hawaiian.
Pualani f HawaiianMeans
"heavenly flower" or
"royal offspring" from Hawaiian
pua "flower, offspring" and
lani "heaven, sky, royal, majesty".
Puanani f HawaiianMeans
"beautiful flower" or
"beautiful offspring" from Hawaiian
pua "flower, offspring" and
nani "beauty, glory".
Quỳnh f & m VietnameseFrom Sino-Vietnamese
瓊 (quỳnh) meaning
"deep red". This is also the Vietnamese name for a variety of flowering plant (genus Epiphyllum).
Ran f JapaneseFrom Japanese
蘭 (ran) meaning "orchid" or other kanji pronounced in the same way.
Ratree f ThaiFrom the name of a variety of jasmine flower, the night jasmine, ultimately from a poetic word meaning "night".
Ren m & f JapaneseFrom Japanese
蓮 (ren) meaning "lotus",
恋 (ren) meaning "love", or other kanji that are pronounced the same way.
Rhoda f Biblical, EnglishDerived from Greek
ῥόδον (rhodon) meaning
"rose". In the New Testament this name was borne by a maid in the house of Mary the mother of John Mark. As an English given name,
Rhoda came into use in the 17th century.
Rhodopis f Ancient GreekDerived from Greek
ῥόδον (rhodon) meaning "rose" and
ὄψ (ops) meaning "face, eye". According to Herodotus this was the name of a prostitute who was a slave with
Aesop on Samos. The same figure appears in the 1st-century BC writings of Strabo, which recount the tale of a slave named Rhodopis who marries the Egyptian pharaoh after he finds her sandal and has his men locate the owner. Some sources spell her name as
Rhodope.
Riko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
莉 (ri) meaning "white jasmine" or
理 (ri) meaning "reason, logic" combined with
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Rina 4 f JapaneseFrom Japanese
莉 (ri) meaning "white jasmine" or
里 (ri) meaning "village" combined with
奈 (na), a phonetic character, or
菜 (na) meaning "vegetables, greens". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Rio 2 f JapaneseFrom Japanese
莉 (ri) meaning "white jasmine" or
里 (ri) meaning "village" combined with
央 (o) meaning "center",
緒 (o) meaning "thread" or
桜 (o) meaning "cherry blossom". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
Róis f Irish (Rare)Irish form of
Rose, or directly from the Irish word
rós meaning
"rose" (genitive
róis; of Latin origin).
Róisín f IrishDiminutive of
Róis or the Irish word
rós meaning
"rose" (of Latin origin). It appears in the 17th-century song
Róisín Dubh.
Rong f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
荣 (róng) meaning "glory, honour, flourish, prosper",
融 (róng) meaning "fuse, harmonize" or
容 (róng) meaning "appearance, form" (which is usually only feminine). Other Chinese characters can form this name as well.
Roosevelt m EnglishFrom a Dutch surname meaning
"rose field". This name is often given in honour of American presidents Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919) or Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945).
Rosa 1 f Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Catalan, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Finnish, Dutch, German, EnglishGenerally this can be considered to be from Latin
rosa meaning
"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 the American civil rights activist Rosa Parks (1913-2005).
Rosabel f English (Rare)Combination of
Rosa 1 and the common name suffix
bel, inspired by Latin
bella "beautiful". This name was created in the 18th century.
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).
Rosalie f French, German, Dutch, EnglishFrench, German and Dutch form of
Rosalia. In the English-speaking this name received a boost after the release of the movie
Rosalie (1938), which was based on an earlier musical.
Rosalind f EnglishDerived from the Old German elements
hros meaning "horse" and
lind meaning "soft, flexible, tender". The Normans introduced this name to England, though it was not common. During the Middle Ages its spelling was influenced by the Latin phrase
rosa linda "beautiful rose". The name was popularized by Edmund Spencer, who used it in his poetry, and by William Shakespeare, who used it for the heroine in his comedy
As You Like It (1599).
Rosaline f EnglishMedieval variant of
Rosalind. This is the name of characters in Shakespeare's
Love's Labour's Lost (1594) and
Romeo and Juliet (1596).
Rosamund f English (Rare)Derived from the Old German elements
hros "horse" and
munt "protection". This name was borne by the wife of the Lombard king Alboin in the 6th century. The Normans introduced it to England. It was subsequently interpreted as coming from Latin
rosa munda "pure rose" or
rosa mundi "rose of the world". This was the name of the mistress of Henry II, the king of England in the 12th century. According to legends she was murdered by his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine.
Rosaura f SpanishMeans
"golden rose", derived from Latin
rosa "rose" and
aurea "golden". This name was (first?) used by Pedro Calderón de la Barca for a character in his play
Life Is a Dream (1635).
Rose f English, FrenchOriginally a Norman French form of the Germanic name
Hrodohaidis meaning
"famous type", composed of the elements
hruod "fame" and
heit "kind, sort, type". The Normans introduced it to England in the forms
Roese and
Rohese. From an early date it was associated with the word for the fragrant flower
rose (derived from Latin
rosa). When the name was revived in the 19th century, it was probably with the flower in mind.
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.
Rosina f ItalianItalian diminutive of
Rosa 1. This is the name of a character in Rossini's opera
The Barber of Seville (1816).