Agaue f Greek MythologyMeans
"illustrious, noble" in Greek. This was the mother of Pentheus in Greek myth.
Agrippina f Ancient RomanFeminine derivative of
Agrippa. This name was borne by the scheming mother of the Roman emperor
Nero, who eventually had her killed. This was also the name of a 3rd-century Roman saint who is venerated in Sicily.
Althea f Greek Mythology (Latinized)From the Greek name
Ἀλθαία (Althaia), perhaps related to Greek
ἄλθος (althos) meaning
"healing". In Greek myth she was the mother of Meleager. Soon after her son was born she was told that he would die as soon as a piece of wood that was burning on her fire was fully consumed. She immediately extinguished the piece of wood and sealed it in a chest, but in a fit of rage many years later she took it out and set it alight, thereby killing her son.
Amane f BasqueFrom Basque
ama "mother". It was coined by the Basque writer Sabino Arana as the equivalent of the rare Spanish devotional name
Maternidad.
Amina 1 f Arabic, Bosnian, Tatar, Bashkir, Chechen, Ingush, Kazakh, Urdu, Swahili, HausaDerived from Arabic
أمن (ʾamina) meaning
"safe, secure". This was the name of the Prophet
Muhammad's mother, who died when he was young.
Angrboða f Norse MythologyMeans
"she who brings grief" in Old Norse, derived from
angr "grief" and
boða "to forebode, to proclaim". According to Norse mythology Angrboða was a giantess (jǫtunn) and the mother of three of
Loki's children:
Fenrir,
Jörmungandr and
Hel.
Aphrodite f Greek MythologyMeaning unknown, possibly of Phoenician origin. Aphrodite was the Greek goddess of love and beauty, identified with the Roman goddess
Venus. She was the wife of
Hephaestus and the mother of
Eros, and she was often associated with the myrtle tree and doves. The Greeks connected her name with
ἀφρός (aphros) meaning
"foam", resulting in the story that she was born from the foam of the sea. Many of her characteristics are based on the goddess known as
Ashtoreth to the Phoenicians and
Ishtar to the Mesopotamian Semitic peoples, and on the Sumerian goddess
Inanna.
Arianrhod f Welsh MythologyProbably means
"silver wheel" from Welsh
arian "silver" and
rhod "wheel". According to the Fourth Branch of the
Mabinogi, Arianrhod was the mother of the twins
Dylan and
Lleu Llaw Gyffes, whom she spontaneously birthed when she stepped over a magical wand. It is speculated that in earlier myths she may have been a goddess of the moon.
Åse f Norwegian, Swedish, DanishNorwegian form of
Åsa, as well as a Swedish and Danish variant. It was used by the Norwegian dramatist Henrik Ibsen in his play
Peer Gynt (1867), where it belongs to the mother of the title character.
Bathsheba f BiblicalMeans
"daughter of the oath" in Hebrew, derived from
בַּת (baṯ) meaning "daughter" and
שָׁבַע (shavaʿ) meaning "oath". According to the Old Testament, this was the name of a woman married to
Uriah the Hittite. She became pregnant by King
David, so he arranged to have her husband killed in battle and then married her. She was the mother of
Solomon.
Bertha f German, English, GermanicOriginally a short form of Germanic names beginning with the Old Frankish or Old Saxon element
berht, Old High German
beraht meaning
"bright" (Proto-Germanic *
berhtaz). This was the name of a few early saints, including a 6th-century Frankish princess who married and eventually converted King
Æþelbeorht of Kent. It was also borne by the mother of
Charlemagne in the 8th century (also called
Bertrada), and it was popularized in England by the Normans. It died out as an English name after the Middle Ages, but was revived in the 19th century.
... [more] Clytemnestra f Greek Mythology (Latinized)Latinized form of Greek
Κλυταιμνήστρα (Klytaimnestra) and
Κλυταιμήστρα (Klytaimestra), in which the first element is
κλυτός (klytos) meaning "famous, noble". The spelling
Klytaimnestra would suggest the second element is
μνηστήρ (mnester) meaning "courter, wooer", while
Klytaimestra would suggest a connection to
μήδομαι (medomai) meaning "to plan, to intend". There is debate over which spelling is earlier or more authentic, since the ancient texts seem to make puns based on both etymologies.
Klytaimestra appears in the works of the Greek tragedians such as Aeschylus, while
Klytaimnestra appears in Homer's poems (the earliest extant copy dating from the post-classical period).
... [more] Cornelia f German, Romanian, Italian, Dutch, English, Ancient RomanFeminine form of
Cornelius. In the 2nd century BC it was borne by Cornelia Scipionis Africana (the daughter of the military hero Scipio Africanus), the mother of the two reformers known as the Gracchi. After her death she was regarded as an example of the ideal Roman woman. The name was revived in the 18th century.
Danaë f Greek MythologyFrom
Δαναοί (Danaoi), a word used by
Homer to designate the Greeks. In Greek mythology Danaë was the daughter of the Argive king Acrisius. It had been prophesied to her father that he would one day be killed by Danaë's son, so he attempted to keep his daughter childless. However,
Zeus came to her in the form of a shower of gold, and she became the mother of
Perseus. Eventually the prophecy was fulfilled and Perseus killed Acrisius, albeit accidentally.
Demeter 1 f Greek MythologyPossibly means
"earth mother", derived from Greek
δᾶ (da) meaning "earth" and
μήτηρ (meter) meaning "mother". In Greek mythology Demeter was the goddess of agriculture, the daughter of
Cronus, the sister of
Zeus, and the mother of
Persephone. She was an important figure in the Eleusinian Mysteries, which were secret rites performed at Eleusis near Athens.
Dione 1 f Greek MythologyFrom Greek
Διός (Dios) meaning
"of Zeus". By extension, it means
"goddess". This was the name of a Greek goddess who, according to some legends, was the mother of
Aphrodite. A moon of Saturn is named after her.
Echidna f Greek MythologyMeans
"viper, snake" in Greek, a variant of
ἔχις (echis). In Greek mythology this was the name of a monster who was half woman and half snake. By Typhon she was the mother of
Cerberus, the Hydra, the Chimera, and other monsters.
Emese f HungarianPossibly derived from Finno-Ugric
eme meaning
"mother". In Hungarian legend this was the name of the grandmother of Árpád, founder of the Hungarian state.
Enikő f HungarianCreated by the Hungarian poet Mihály Vörösmarty in the 19th century. He based it on the name of the legendary mother of the Hungarian people,
Enéh, of Turkic origin meaning
"young hind" (modern Hungarian
ünő).
Eunice f Biblical, English, Biblical LatinLatinized form of the Greek name
Εὐνίκη (Eunike) meaning
"good victory", derived from
εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and
νίκη (nike) meaning "victory". The New Testament mentions her as the mother of
Timothy. As an English name, it was first used after the Protestant Reformation.
Europa f Greek Mythology (Latinized)Latinized form of Greek
Εὐρώπη (Europe), which meant
"wide face" from
εὐρύς (eurys) meaning "wide" and
ὄψ (ops) meaning "face, eye". In Greek mythology Europa was a Phoenician princess who was abducted and taken to Crete by
Zeus in the guise of a bull. She became the first queen of Crete, and later fathered
Minos by Zeus. The continent of Europe said to be named for her, though it is more likely her name is from that of the continent. This is also the name of a moon of Jupiter.
Eve f English, Estonian, BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
חַוָּה (Ḥawwa), which was derived from the Hebrew word
חָוָה (ḥawa) meaning
"to breathe" or the related word
חָיָה (ḥaya) meaning
"to live". According to the Old Testament Book of Genesis, Eve and
Adam were the first humans. God created her from one of Adam's ribs to be his companion. At the urging of a serpent she ate the forbidden fruit and shared some with Adam, causing their expulsion from the Garden of
Eden.
... [more] Fantine f LiteratureThis name was used by Victor Hugo for the mother of Cosette in his novel
Les Misérables (1862). The name was given to her by a passerby who found the young orphan on the street. Hugo may have intended it to be a derivative of the French word
enfant "child".
Gaia f Greek Mythology, ItalianFrom the Greek word
γαῖα (gaia), a parallel form of
γῆ (ge) meaning
"earth". In Greek mythology Gaia was the mother goddess who presided over the earth. She was the mate of
Uranus and the mother of the Titans and the Cyclopes.
Golda f YiddishFrom Yiddish
גאָלד (gold) meaning
"gold". This is the name of Tevye's wife in the musical
Fiddler on the Roof (1964). It was also borne by the Israeli prime minister Golda Meir (1898-1978).
Gudrun f Norse Mythology, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, GermanFrom the Old Norse name
Guðrún meaning
"god's secret lore", derived from the elements
guð "god" and
rún "secret lore, rune". In Norse legend Gudrun was the wife of
Sigurd. After his death she married
Atli, but when he murdered her brothers, she killed her sons by him, fed him their hearts, and then slew him. Her story appears in Norse literature such as the
Eddas and the
Völsungasaga. She is called
Kriemhild in German versions of the tale. This is also an unrelated character in the medieval German epic
Kudrun.
Herleva f Germanic (Latinized)Possibly from the Old German elements
heri "army" and
leiba "remainder, remnant, legacy" (or the Old Norse cognates
herr and
leif, see
Herleif). This was the name of the mother of William the Conqueror, who, according to tradition, was a commoner.
Iemanjá f Afro-American MythologyPortuguese form of
Yemọja, used in Brazil by adherents of Candomblé. She is identified with Our Lady of Immaculate Conception as well as other aspects of the Virgin
Mary.
Isis f Egyptian Mythology (Hellenized)Greek form of Egyptian
ꜣst (reconstructed as
Iset,
Aset or
Ueset), possibly from
st meaning
"throne". In Egyptian mythology Isis was the goddess of the sky and nature, the wife of
Osiris and the mother of
Horus. She was originally depicted wearing a throne-shaped headdress, but in later times she was conflated with the goddess
Hathor and depicted having the horns of a cow on her head. She was also worshipped by people outside of Egypt, such as the Greeks and Romans.
Izanami f Japanese MythologyProbably means
"female who invites" in Japanese, from
誘 (izana) meaning "invite, lure, attract". In Japanese mythology she was a creator goddess, the wife of
Izanagi. She died giving birth to Kagutsuchi, the god of fire.
Jedidah f BiblicalFrom Hebrew
יָדִיד (yaḏiḏ) meaning
"beloved, friend". In the Old Testament this is the name of the wife of King Amon of Judah and the mother of
Josiah.
Joyce f & m EnglishFrom the medieval masculine name
Josse, which was derived from the earlier
Iudocus, which was a Latinized form of the Breton name
Judoc meaning
"lord". The name belonged to a 7th-century Breton saint, and Breton settlers introduced it to England after the Norman Conquest. It became rare after the 14th century, but was later revived as a feminine name, perhaps because of similarity to the Middle English word
joise "to rejoice". This given name also became a surname, as in the case of the Irish novelist James Joyce (1882-1941).
Kausalya f HinduismMeans
"of the Kosala people" in Sanskrit. Kosala was an ancient Indian kingdom that was at its most powerful in the 6th century BC. Kausalya is the mother of the hero
Rama in the Hindu epic the
Ramayana.
Khadija f Arabic, Urdu, BengaliMeans
"premature child" in Arabic. This was the name of the Prophet
Muhammad's first wife and the mother of all of his children, with the exception of one. She was a wealthy merchant and a widow when they married in the year 595. Muhammad received his first revelation 15 years after their marriage, and she was the first person to convert to Islam.
Kunti f HinduismMeans
"spear" in Sanskrit. In the Hindu epic the
Mahabharata this is the name of a wife of
Pandu and the mother of three of the five Pandavas. By the sun god
Surya she was also the mother of the hero
Karna.
Lamia 2 f Greek MythologyPossibly from Greek
λαιμός (laimos) meaning
"throat". In Greek mythology this is the name of a queen of Libya who was a mistress of
Zeus.
Hera, being jealous, kills Lamia's children, causing her to go mad and transform into a monster that hunts the children of others.
Leto f Greek MythologyPossibly from Lycian
lada meaning
"wife". Other theories connect it to Greek
λήθω (letho) meaning
"hidden, forgotten". In Greek mythology she was the mother of
Apollo and
Artemis by
Zeus.
Lillemor f Swedish, Norwegian (Rare)Means
"little mother", from Swedish and Norwegian
lille, an inflected form of
liten meaning "little", combined with
mor meaning "mother". This name was first recorded in Norway and Sweden at the beginning of the 20th century.
Lois 1 f English, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical GreekPossibly derived from Greek
λωίων (loion) meaning
"more desirable" or
"better". Lois is mentioned in the New Testament as the mother of
Eunice and the grandmother of
Timothy. As an English name, it came into use after the Protestant Reformation. In fiction, this is the name of the girlfriend of the comic book hero Superman.
Mari 3 f Basque MythologyPossibly from Basque
emari meaning
"donation" or
amari meaning
"mother". This was the name of a goddess of nature and fertility in Basque mythology.
Mary f English, BiblicalUsual English form of
Maria, the Latin form of the New Testament Greek names
Μαριάμ (Mariam) and
Μαρία (Maria) — the spellings are interchangeable — which were from Hebrew
מִרְיָם (Miryam), a name borne by the sister of
Moses in the Old Testament. The meaning is not known for certain, but there are several theories including
"sea of bitterness",
"rebelliousness", and
"wished for child". However it was most likely originally an Egyptian name, perhaps derived in part from
mry "beloved" or
mr "love".
... [more] Matrona 2 f Celtic MythologyMeans
"great mother", from Celtic *
mātīr meaning "mother" and the divine or augmentative suffix
-on. This was the name of a Gaulish and Brythonic mother goddess, the namesake of the River Marne.
Medea f Greek Mythology (Latinized), GeorgianFrom Greek
Μήδεια (Medeia), derived from
μήδεα (medea) meaning
"plans, counsel, cunning". In Greek mythology Medea was a sorceress from Colchis (modern Georgia) who helped
Jason gain the Golden Fleece. They were married, but eventually Jason left her for another woman. For revenge Medea slew Jason's new lover and also had her own children by Jason killed.
Mnemosyne f Greek MythologyMeans
"remembrance" in Greek. In Greek mythology Mnemosyne was a Titan goddess of memory. She was the mother by
Zeus of the nine Muses.
Monica f English, Italian, Romanian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Late RomanMeaning unknown, most likely of Berber or Phoenician origin. In the 4th century this name was borne by a North African saint, the mother of Saint
Augustine of Hippo, whom she converted to Christianity. Since the Middle Ages it has been associated with Latin
moneo "advisor" and Greek
μονός (monos) "one, single".
... [more] Muirne f Irish MythologyFrom Irish
muirn meaning either
"affection, endearment" or
"festivity, exuberance". In Irish legend this was the name of the mother of
Fionn mac Cumhaill. She is also called
Muirenn.
Mumbi f KikuyuMeans
"she who shapes" in Kikuyu. In Kikuyu mythology Mumbi was the wife of Gikuyu and the mother of his nine daughters.
Mut f Egyptian MythologyFrom Egyptian
mwt meaning
"mother". In Egyptian mythology she was a mother goddess, the consort of
Amon and the mother of
Khonsu. She was sometimes depicted wearing a headdress with vulture wings.
Neasa f Irish, Irish MythologyFrom Old Irish
Ness, meaning uncertain. In Irish legend she was the mother of
Conchobar. She installed her son as king of Ulster by convincing
Fergus mac Róich (her husband and Conchobar's stepfather) to give up his throne to the boy for a year and then helping him rule so astutely that the Ulstermen demanded that he remain as king. According to some versions of the legend she was originally named
Assa "gentle", but was renamed
Ní-assa "not gentle" after she sought to avenge the murders of her foster fathers.
Nephele f Greek MythologyFrom Greek
νέφος (nephos) meaning
"cloud". In Greek legend Nephele was created from a cloud by
Zeus, who shaped the cloud to look like
Hera in order to trick Ixion, a mortal who desired her. Nephele was the mother of the centaurs by Ixion, and was also the mother of Phrixus and Helle by Athamus.
Ninsun f Sumerian MythologyFrom Sumerian
nin-sumun-a(k) meaning
"lady of the wild cow", derived from
𒎏 (nin) meaning "lady" and the genitive form of
𒄢 (sumun) meaning "wild cow". In Sumerian mythology Ninsun was the divine mother of
Gilgamesh.
Padmavati f HinduismMeans
"resembling lotuses", derived from the Sanskrit word
पद्म (padma) meaning "lotus" combined with
वती (vatī) meaning "resemblance". This is the name of a Hindu goddess, the wife of Venkateswara. She is considered an aspect of
Lakshmi. This was also the name of a semi-legendary 14th-century queen of Mewar.
Papa f Polynesian MythologyMeans
"earth" in Maori. In Maori and other Polynesian mythology Papa or Papatuanuku was the goddess of the earth and the mother of many of the other gods. She and her husband
Rangi, the god of the sky, were locked in a tight embrace. Their children decided to separate them, a feat of strength accomplished by the god
Tāne.
Parvati f Hinduism, HindiMeans
"of the mountains", derived from Sanskrit
पर्वत (parvata) meaning "mountain". Parvati is a Hindu goddess of love and power, the benign form of the wife of
Shiva. A daughter of the mountain god Himavat, she was a reincarnation of Shiva's first wife
Sati. She is the mother of
Ganesha and
Skanda.
Rebecca f English, Italian, Swedish, German, Dutch, Biblical, Biblical LatinFrom the Hebrew name
רִבְקָה (Rivqa), probably from a Semitic root meaning
"join, tie, snare". This is the name of the wife of
Isaac and the mother of
Esau and
Jacob in the Old Testament. It came into use as an English Christian name after the Protestant Reformation, and it was popular with the Puritans in the 17th century. It has been consistently used since then, becoming especially common in the second half of the 20th century.
... [more] Rhea f Greek Mythology, Roman MythologyMeaning unknown, perhaps related to
ῥέω (rheo) meaning
"to flow" or
ἔρα (era) meaning
"ground". In Greek mythology Rhea was a Titan, the wife of
Cronus, and the mother of the Olympian gods
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.
Sadb f Irish Mythology, Old IrishProbably derived from the old Celtic root *
swādu- meaning
"sweet". This was a common name in medieval Ireland. In Irish mythology Sadb was a woman transformed into a deer. She was the mother of
Oisín by
Fionn mac Cumhaill.
Sara f Hebrew, Greek, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, French, Catalan, Galician, Romanian, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Finnish, Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, Albanian, Macedonian, Polish, English, Arabic, Persian, Amharic, Tigrinya, Biblical Hebrew, Biblical LatinForm of
Sarah used in various languages.
Sarah f English, French, German, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Dutch, Hebrew, Arabic, BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
שָׂרָה (Sara) meaning
"lady, princess, noblewoman". In the Old Testament this is the name of
Abraham's wife, considered the matriarch of the Jewish people. She was barren until she unexpectedly became pregnant with
Isaac at the age of 90. Her name was originally
Sarai, but God changed it at the same time Abraham's name was changed (see
Genesis 17:15).
... [more] Séaghdha m Irish (Rare)From Old Irish
Ségdae, probably derived from
ségda meaning
"fine, good, favourable, learned". According to an Irish legend this was the name of a boy who was set to be sacrificed but was saved by his mother.
Silvia f Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, German, Dutch, English, Late Roman, Roman MythologyFeminine form of
Silvius.
Rhea Silvia was the mother of
Romulus and
Remus, the founders of Rome. This was also the name of a 6th-century saint, the mother of the pope Gregory the Great. It has been a common name in Italy since the Middle Ages. It was introduced to England by Shakespeare, who used it for a character in his play
The Two Gentlemen of Verona (1594). It is now more commonly spelled
Sylvia in the English-speaking world.
Sophia f English, Greek, German, Ancient GreekMeans
"wisdom" in Greek. This was the name of an early, probably mythical, saint who died of grief after her three daughters were martyred during the reign of the emperor Hadrian. Legends about her probably arose as a result of a medieval misunderstanding of the phrase
Hagia Sophia "Holy Wisdom", which is the name of a large basilica in Constantinople.
... [more] Sumati f Hinduism, HindiMeans
"wise, good mind", derived from Sanskrit
सु (su) meaning "good" and
मति (mati) meaning "mind, thought". According to Hindu tradition this was the name of King Sagara's second wife, who bore him 60,000 children.
Theia f Greek MythologyPossibly derived from Greek
θεά (thea) meaning
"goddess". In Greek myth this was the name of a Titan goddess of light, glittering and glory. She was the wife of
Hyperion and the mother of the sun god
Helios, the moon goddess
Selene, and the dawn goddess
Eos.
Thetis f Greek MythologyPossibly derived from Greek
θέτης (thetes) meaning
"one who places", a derivative of
τίθημι (tithemi) meaning "to set, to place". This was the name of one of the Nereids in Greek mythology. With
Peleus she was the mother of
Achilles.
Tiamat f Semitic MythologyFrom Akkadian
tâmtu meaning
"sea". In Babylonian myth Tiamat was the personification of the sea, appearing in the form of a huge dragon. By Apsu she gave birth to the first of the gods. Later, the god
Marduk (her great-grandson) defeated her, cut her in half, and used the pieces of her body to make the earth and the sky.
Yemayá f Afro-American MythologySpanish form of
Yemọja, used in various Afro-American syncretic religions in the Caribbean and South America. In Cuba she is identified with Our Lady of
Regla, an aspect of the Virgin
Mary.
Yemọja f Yoruba MythologyMeans
"mother of fish" in Yoruba, derived from
iye "mother",
ọmọ "child" and
ẹja "fish". In traditional Yoruba religion she is the goddess of the Ogun River, pregnancy and motherhood.
Zibiah f BiblicalMeans
"female gazelle" in Hebrew, the feminine form of the word
צְבִי (tsevi). In the Old Testament this is the name of the mother of King
Joash of Judah.
Zilpah f BiblicalMeans
"frailty" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of the handmaid who was given to
Jacob by
Leah.