Algernon m EnglishOriginally a Norman French nickname, derived from
aux gernons "having a moustache", which was applied to William de Percy, a companion of William the Conqueror. It was first used a given name in the 15th century (for a descendant of William de Percy). This name was borne by a character (a mouse) in the short story
Flowers for Algernon (1958) and novel of the same title (1966) by the American author Daniel Keyes.
Ash m & f EnglishShort form of
Ashley. It can also come directly from the English word denoting either the tree or the residue of fire.
Berwyn m WelshMeans
"white top" from the Welsh elements
barr "top, head" and
gwyn "white, blessed". This is the name of a mountain range in Wales.
Blondie f English (Rare)From a nickname for a person with blond hair. This is the name of the title character in a comic strip by Chic Young.
Bob m English, DutchShort form of
Robert. It arose later than
Dob,
Hob and
Nob, which were medieval rhyming nicknames of Robert. It was borne by the character Bob Cratchit in Charles Dickens' novel
A Christmas Carol (1843). Other famous bearers include American folk musician Bob Dylan (1941-) and Jamaican reggae musician Bob Marley (1945-1981).
Bobby m EnglishDiminutive of
Bob. Hockey greats Bobby Hull (1939-2023) and Bobby Orr (1948-) have borne this name.
Boston m EnglishFrom the American city of Boston in Massachusetts, itself named after a town in Lincolnshire, England. The town's name is said to mean "
Botwulf's stone".
Buzz m EnglishFrom a nickname derived from the onomatopoeic word
buzz meaning
"buzz, hum, murmur". A notable bearer is American astronaut Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin (1930-), one of the first people to walk on the moon. The character Buzz Lightyear from the movie
Toy Story (1995) was named after Aldrin.
Caesar m Ancient RomanFrom a Roman cognomen that possibly meant
"hairy", from Latin
caesaries "hair". Julius Caesar and his adopted son Julius Caesar Octavianus (commonly known as Augustus) were both rulers of the Roman Empire in the 1st century BC.
Caesar was used as a title by the emperors that came after them.
Calvin m EnglishDerived from the French surname
Cauvin, which was derived from
chauve meaning
"bald". The surname was borne by Jean Cauvin (1509-1564), a theologian from France who was one of the leaders of the Protestant Reformation. His surname was Latinized as
Calvinus (based on Latin
calvus "bald") and he is known as John Calvin in English. It has been used as a given name in his honour since the 19th century.
... [more] Ceallach m Irish (Rare)From Old Irish
Cellach, of uncertain origin, traditionally said to mean
"bright-headed". Alternatively it could be derived from Old Irish
cellach "war, strife" or
cell "church". This name was borne by several early Irish kings and by a 12th-century saint, an archbishop of Armagh.
Céibhfhionn f Irish MythologyMeans
"fair-haired", from Old Irish
ciab "locks, hair" and
finn "white, blessed". In Irish legend this was the name of one of the three daughters of Bec mac Buain.
Crew m English (Modern)Either from a surname that was derived from the English town of Crewe (from Old Welsh
criu meaning
"weir"), or from the English vocabulary word for a group of people.
Crispin m English (Rare)From the Roman cognomen
Crispinus, which was derived from the name
Crispus. Saint Crispin was a 3rd-century Roman who was martyred with his twin brother Crispinian in Gaul. They are the patrons of shoemakers. They were popular saints in England during the Middle Ages, and the name has occasionally been used since that time.
Cybele f Near Eastern Mythology (Latinized)Meaning unknown, possibly from Phrygian roots meaning either
"stone" or
"hair". This was the name of the Phrygian mother goddess associated with fertility and nature. She was later worshipped by the Greeks and Romans.
Dean m EnglishFrom a surname, see
Dean 1 and
Dean 2. The actor James Dean (1931-1955) was a famous bearer of the surname.
Dido f Roman Mythology, Greek MythologyMeaning unknown, probably of Phoenician origin. Dido, also called
Elissa, was the queen of Carthage in
Virgil's
Aeneid. She threw herself upon a funeral pyre after Aeneas left her. Virgil based the story on earlier Greco-Roman accounts.
Edgar m English, French, Portuguese, GermanDerived from the Old English elements
ead "wealth, fortune" and
gar "spear". This was the name of a 10th-century English king, Edgar the Peaceful. The name did not survive long after the Norman Conquest, but it was revived in the 18th century, in part due to a character by this name in Walter Scott's novel
The Bride of Lammermoor (1819), which tells of the tragic love between Edgar Ravenswood and Lucy Ashton. Famous bearers include author and poet Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849), French impressionist painter Edgar Degas (1834-1917), and author Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875-1950).
Esau m Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical GreekFrom the Hebrew name
עֵשָׂו ('Esaw), which possibly meant
"hairy". In the Old Testament Esau is the elder of the twin sons of
Isaac and
Rebecca. Once when he was very hungry he sold his birthright to his twin
Jacob for a bowl of stew. Later Jacob disguised himself as Esau and received the elder son's blessing from the blind Isaac. Esau, also called
Edom, was the ancestor of the Edomites.
Finbar m IrishAnglicized form of Irish
Fionnbharr, Old Irish
Finnbarr, derived from
finn "white, blessed" and
barr "top, head". Saint Finbar of Cork was a 6th-century bishop who supposedly performed miraculous cures. The Isle of Barra off Scotland was (probably) named for him.
Flannery f English (Rare)From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of
Ó Flannghaile, derived from the given name
Flannghal meaning "red valour". A famous bearer was American author Flannery O'Connor (1925-1964).
Flavian m History (Ecclesiastical)From the Roman family name
Flavianus, which was derived from
Flavius. This was the name of several early saints including a 5th-century patriarch of Constantinople who was beaten to death.
Flavius m Ancient Roman, RomanianRoman family name meaning
"golden" or
"yellow-haired" from Latin
flavus "yellow, golden". Flavius was the family name of the 1st-century Roman emperors Vespasian, Titus and Domitian. It was used as a personal name by several later emperors, notably by
Constantine.
Gilroy m English (Rare)From an Irish surname, either
Mac Giolla Ruaidh, which means
"son of the red-haired servant", or
Mac Giolla Rí, which means
"son of the king's servant".
Ginger f EnglishFrom the English word
ginger for the spice or the reddish-brown colour. It can also be a diminutive of
Virginia, as in the case of actress and dancer Ginger Rogers (1911-1995), by whom the name was popularized.
Goldie 1 f EnglishFrom a nickname for a person with blond hair, from the English word
gold.
Goldilocks f FolkloreFrom the English words
gold and
locks, referring to blond hair. This is best known as the name of the trespassing girl in the English fairy tale
Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
Granuaile f HistoryFrom Irish
Gráinne Mhaol meaning "bald
Gráinne". This was another name of Gráinne Ní Mháille, given in reference to her close-cropped hair as a young woman.
Gray m & f English (Rare)From an English surname meaning
"grey", originally given to a person who had grey hair or clothing.
Harry m EnglishMedieval English form of
Henry. In modern times it is used as a diminutive of both
Henry and names beginning with
Har. Famous bearers include the American president Harry S. Truman (1884-1972), who was named after his uncle Harrison, and the British royal Prince Harry (1984-), who is actually named Henry. It is also the name of the boy wizard in J. K. Rowling's
Harry Potter series of books, first released in 1997.
Hiawatha m History, Indigenous American, Iroquois (Anglicized)Meaning uncertain, of Iroquois origin, possibly meaning
"he who combs". This was the name of a Mohawk or Onondaga leader who founded the Iroquois Confederacy around the 15th century. He was later the subject of a fictionalized 1855 poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
Indigo f & m English (Rare)From the English word
indigo for the purplish-blue dye or the colour. It is ultimately derived from Greek
Ἰνδικόν (Indikon) meaning "Indic, from India".
Ivy f EnglishFrom the English word for the climbing plant that has small yellow flowers. It is ultimately derived from Old English
ifig.
Jett m English (Modern)From the English word
jet, which denotes either a jet aircraft or an intense black colour (the words derive from different sources).
Julius m Ancient Roman, English, German, Finnish, Lithuanian, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Dutch, CzechFrom a Roman family name that was possibly derived from Greek
ἴουλος (ioulos) meaning
"downy-bearded". Alternatively, it could be related to the name of the Roman god
Jupiter. This was a prominent patrician family of Rome, who claimed descent from the mythological Julus, son of
Aeneas. Its most notable member was Gaius Julius Caesar, who gained renown as a military leader for his clever conquest of Gaul. After a civil war he became the dictator of the Roman Republic, but was eventually stabbed to death in the senate.
... [more] Jupiter m Roman Mythology (Anglicized)From Latin
Iuppiter, which was ultimately derived from the vocative form of Indo-European *
Dyēws-pətēr, composed of the elements
Dyēws (see
Zeus) and
pətēr "father". Jupiter was the supreme god in Roman mythology. He presided over the heavens and light, and was responsible for the protection and laws of the Roman state. This is also the name of the fifth and largest planet in the solar system.
Kelly m & f Irish, EnglishAnglicized form of the Irish given name
Ceallach or the surname derived from it
Ó Ceallaigh. As a surname, it has been borne by actor and dancer Gene Kelly (1912-1996) and actress and princess Grace Kelly (1929-1982).
... [more] Liberty f EnglishSimply from the English word
liberty, derived from Latin
libertas, a derivative of
liber "free". Interestingly, since 1880 this name has charted on the American popularity lists in three different periods: in 1918 (at the end of World War I), in 1976 (the American bicentennial), and after 2001 (during the War on Terrorism).
Medusa f Greek Mythology (Latinized)From the Greek
Μέδουσα (Medousa), which was derived from
μέδω (medo) meaning
"to protect, to rule over". In Greek myth this was the name of one of the three Gorgons, ugly women who had snakes for hair. She was so hideous that anyone who gazed upon her was turned to stone, so the hero
Perseus had to look using the reflection in his shield in order to slay her.
Pilar f SpanishMeans
"pillar" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin
Mary,
María del Pilar, meaning "Mary of the Pillar". According to legend, when Saint
James the Greater was in Saragossa in Spain, the Virgin Mary appeared on a pillar.
Princeton m English (Modern)From the name of the town or university in New Jersey. Established in the early 18th century, it is said to have been named for William III, the Prince of Orange.
Rachel f English, Hebrew, French, Dutch, German, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical HebrewFrom the Hebrew name
רָחֵל (Rachel) meaning
"ewe". In the Old Testament this is the name of the favourite wife of
Jacob. Her father
Laban tricked Jacob into marrying her older sister
Leah first, though in exchange for seven years of work Laban allowed Jacob to marry Rachel too. Initially barren and facing her husband's anger, she offered her handmaid
Bilhah to Jacob to bear him children. Eventually she was herself able to conceive, becoming the mother of
Joseph and
Benjamin.
... [more] Rapunzel f LiteratureFrom the name of an edible plant. It is borne by a long-haired young woman locked in a tower in an 1812 German fairy tale recorded by the Brothers Grimm. An evil sorceress gave her the name after she was taken as a baby from her parents, who had stolen the rapunzel plant from the sorceress's garden. The Grimms adapted the story from earlier tales (which used various names for the heroine).
Samson m Biblical, English, French, Biblical LatinFrom the Hebrew name
שִׁמְשׁוֹן (Shimshon), derived from
שֶׁמֶשׁ (shemesh) meaning "sun". Samson was an Old Testament hero granted exceptional strength by God. His mistress
Delilah betrayed him and cut his hair, stripping him of his power. Thus he was captured by the Philistines, blinded, and brought to their temple. However, in a final act of strength, he pulled down the pillars of the temple upon himself and his captors.
... [more] Sheard m English (Rare)From a surname that was originally from a place name meaning
"gap between hills" in Old English.
Silver m & f English (Rare)From the English word for the precious metal or the colour, ultimately derived from Old English
seolfor.
Siv f Swedish, Norwegian, Norse MythologyFrom Old Norse
Sif, which meant
"bride, kinswoman". In Norse mythology she was the wife of
Thor. After the trickster
Loki cut off her golden hair, an angry Thor forced him to create a replacement.
Spike m EnglishFrom a nickname that may have originally been given to a person with spiky hair.
Zal m Persian MythologyMeans
"albino" in Persian. According to the 10th-century Persian epic the
Shahnameh this was the name of a white-haired warrior, the father of
Rostam.