ABILENEfEnglishFrom a place name mentioned briefly in the New Testament. It is probably from Hebrew
אָבֵל ('avel) meaning "meadow, grassy area". It has occasionally been used as a given name in modern times.
ADERYNfWelshMeans "bird" in Welsh. This is a modern Welsh name.
ADHARAfAstronomyDerived from Arabic
عذارى ('adhara) meaning "maidens". This is the name of the second brightest star (after Sirius) in the constellation Canis Major.
AELIUSmAncient RomanRoman family name which was possibly derived from the Greek word
‘ηλιος (helios) meaning "sun". This was the family name of the Roman emperor Hadrian.
AERON (1)m & fWelshEither derived from Welsh
aeron meaning "berry" or else from the name of a river in Wales.
ÆSCmAnglo-SaxonMeans "ash tree" in Old English. This was the nickname of a 5th-century king of Kent, whose birth name was Oeric.
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.
AI (1)fJapaneseFrom Japanese
愛 (ai) meaning "love, affection",
藍 (ai) meaning "indigo", or other kanji with the same pronunciation.
AINA (3)fJapaneseFrom Japanese
愛 (ai) meaning "love, affection" and
菜 (na) meaning "vegetables, greens", as well as other character combinations.
AINSLEYf & mScottish, English (Modern)From a surname which was from a place name: either Annesley in Nottinghamshire or Ansley in Warwickshire. The place names themselves derive from Old English
anne "alone, solitary" or
ansetl "hermitage" and
leah "woodland, clearing".
AIRIfJapaneseFrom Japanese
愛 (ai) meaning "love, affection" combined with
莉 (ri) meaning "white jasmine" or
梨 (ri) meaning "pear". Other combinations of kanji characters are possible.
AKI (2)fJapaneseFrom Japanese
晶 (aki) meaning "clear, crystal",
明 (aki) meaning "bright" or
秋 (aki) meaning "autumn". It can also come from
亜 (a) meaning "second, Asia" combined with
希 (ki) meaning "hope". Other kanji or combinations of kanji can form this name too.
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.
AKIRAm & fJapaneseFrom Japanese
昭 (akira) meaning "bright",
明 (akira) meaning "bright" or
亮 (akira) meaning "clear". Other kanji with the same pronunciation can also form this name.
ÁKOSmHungarianPossibly of Turkic origin meaning "white falcon". This was the name of a medieval Hungarian clan.
ALBENAfBulgarianCreated by Bulgarian writer Yordan Yovkov for the heroine in his drama 'Albena' (1930). He may have based it on
ablen, the name of a type of peony (a flowering plant).
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.
ALLONmBiblicalMeans "oak" in Hebrew. This name is mentioned briefly in the Old Testament.
ALMA (1)fEnglish, Spanish, Italian, DutchThis name became popular after the Battle of Alma (1854), which took place near the River Alma in Crimea and ended in a victory for Britain and France. However, the name was in rare use before the battle; it was probably inspired by Latin
almus "nourishing". It also coincides with the Spanish word meaning "the soul".
ALMASf & mArabicMeans "diamond" in Arabic, ultimately from Persian.
ALTONmEnglishFrom an Old English surname which was derived from a place name meaning "town at the source of the river".
ALUDRAfAstronomyDerived from Arabic
العذرا (al-'adhra) meaning "the maiden". This is the name of a star in the constellation Canis Major.
ALWYNmWelshFrom the name of the River Alwen in Wales.
ALYSSAfEnglishVariant of
ALICIA. The spelling has probably been influenced by that of the alyssum flower, the name of which is derived from Greek
α (a), a negative prefix, combined with
λυσσα (lyssa) "madness, rabies", since it was believed to cure madness.
AMARANTHAfVariousFrom the name of the amaranth flower, which is derived from Greek
αμαραντος (amarantos) meaning "unfading".
Αμαραντος (Amarantos) was also an Ancient Greek given name.
AMARYLLISfLiteratureDerived from Greek
αμαρυσσω (amarysso) "to sparkle". This was the name of a heroine in
Virgil's epic poem 'Eclogues'. The amaryllis flower is named for her.
AMBERfEnglish, DutchFrom the English word
amber that denotes either the gemstone, which is formed from fossil resin, or the orange-yellow colour. The word ultimately derives from Arabic
عنبر ('anbar). It began to be used as a given name in the late 19th century, but it only became popular after the release of Kathleen Winsor's novel 'Forever Amber' (1944).
AMETHYSTfEnglish (Rare)From the name of the purple semi-precious stone, which is derived from the Greek negative prefix
α (a) and
μεθυστος (methystos) meaning "intoxicated, drunk", as it was believed to be a remedy against drunkenness.
ANARAfKazakh, KyrgyzMeans "pomegranate" in Kazakh and Kyrgyz, ultimately from Persian.
ANDROMEDAfGreek MythologyMeans "to be mindful of a man" from the Greek element
ανηρ (aner) "man" (genitive
ανδρος) combined with
μεδομαι (medomai) "to be mindful of". In Greek mythology Andromeda was an Ethiopian princess rescued from sacrifice by the hero
Perseus. A constellation in the northern sky is named for her. This is also the name of a nearby galaxy, given because it resides (from our point of view) within the constellation.
ANFISAfRussianRussian form of the Greek name
Ανθουσα (Anthousa), which was derived from Greek
ανθος (anthos) "flower". This was the name of a 9th-century Byzantine saint.
ANNAGÜLfTurkmenDerived from Turkmen
anna "Friday" and
gül "flower, rose".
AOIf & mJapaneseFrom Japanese
葵 (aoi) meaning "hollyhock, althea" or an adjectival form of
碧 (ao) meaning "green, blue". Other kanji with the same reading can form this name as well.
APHRODITEfGreek 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
αφρος (aphros) "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.
APRILfEnglishFrom the name of the month, probably originally derived from Latin
aperire "to open", referring to the opening of flowers. It has only been commonly used as a given name since the 1940s.
ARACHNEfGreek MythologyMeans "spider" in Greek. In Greek myth Arachne was a mortal woman who defeated
Athena in a weaving contest. After this Arachne hanged herself, but Athena brought her back to life in the form of a spider.
ARANTZAZUfBasqueFrom the name of a place near the Spanish town of Oñati where there is a sanctuary dedicated to the Virgin
Mary. Its name is derived from Basque
arantza "thornbush".
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.
ARISTAfAstronomyMeans "ear of corn" in Latin. This is the name of a star, also known as Spica, in the constellation Virgo.
ARLIEf & mEnglishFrom a surname which was derived from a place name meaning "eagle wood" in Old English. This name can also be a diminutive of
ARLENE.
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] ARTEMISIAfAncient GreekFeminine form of
ARTEMISIOS. This was the name of the 4th-century BC builder of the Mausoleum, one of the seven wonders of the world. She built it in memory of her husband, the Carian prince Mausolus.
ASHm & fEnglishShort form of
ASHLEY. It can also come directly from the English word denoting either the tree or the residue of fire.
ASHLEYf & mEnglishFrom an English surname which was originally derived from place names meaning "ash tree clearing", from a combination of Old English
æsc and
leah. Until the 1960s it was more commonly given to boys in the United States, but it is now most often used on girls.
ASHTONm & fEnglishFrom a surname which was originally derived from a place name which meant "ash tree town" in Old English.
ASKmNorse MythologyDerived from Old Norse
askr "ash tree". In Norse mythology Ask and his wife
Embla were the first humans created by the gods.
ASPENfEnglish (Modern)From the English word for the tree, derived from Old English
æspe. It is also the name of a ski resort in Colorado.
ASSEmFrisianOriginally a short form of Germanic names beginning with the element
asc meaning "ash tree" or
ans meaning "god".
AVALONfEnglish (Rare)From the name of the island paradise to which King
Arthur was brought after his death. The name of this island is perhaps related to Welsh
afal meaning "apple", a fruit which was often linked with paradise.
AVELINEfEnglish (Rare)From the Norman French form of the Germanic name
Avelina, a diminutive of
AVILA. The Normans introduced this name to Britain. After the Middle Ages it became rare as an English name, though it persisted in America until the 19th century.
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".
AVTANDILmGeorgian, LiteratureCreated by the Georgian poet Shota Rustaveli for his 12th-century epic 'The Knight in the Panther's Skin'. Rustaveli based it on Persian
آفتاب (aftab) "sunshine" and
دل (dil) "heart". In the poem Avtandil is a knight who is sent by
Tinatin to search for the mysterious knight of the title.
AYAKAfJapaneseFrom Japanese
彩 (aya) meaning "colour" combined with
花 (ka) or
華 (ka) which both mean "flower". Other kanji combinations are possible.
AYAMEfJapaneseFrom Japanese
菖蒲 (ayame) meaning "iris". Other kanji or combinations of kanji can also form this name.
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.
AZUREfEnglish (Rare)From the English word that means "sky blue". It is ultimately (via Old French, Latin and Arabic) from Persian
لاجورد (lajvard) meaning "azure, lapis lazuli".
BAHARGÜLfTurkmenDerived from Turkmen
bahar meaning "spring" and
gül meaning "flower, rose" (both roots ultimately of Persian origin).
BAHRAMmPersian, Persian MythologyModern Persian form of Avestan
Verethragna meaning "victory over resistance". This was the name of a Zoroastrian god (one of the Amesha Spenta) associated with victory and war. This name was borne by several Sassanid emperors. It is also the Persian name for the planet Mars.
BAIm & fChineseFrom Chinese
白 (bái) meaning "white, pure",
百 (bǎi) meaning "one hundred, many" or
柏 (bǎi) meaning "cypress tree, cedar" (which is usually only masculine). Other Chinese characters can form this name as well. This name was borne in the 8th century by the Tang dynasty poet Li Bai, whose given was
白.
BAOf & mChineseFrom Chinese
宝 (bǎo) meaning "treasure, jewel, precious, rare",
褒 (bāo) meaning "praise, honour" or
苞 (bāo) meaning "bud" (which is usually only feminine). Other Chinese characters are possible as well.
BARCLAYmScottish, English (Rare)From a Scottish surname which was likely derived from the English place name
Berkeley, meaning "birch wood" in Old English.
BAŞAKfTurkishMeans "ear of wheat" in Turkish. This is also the Turkish name for the constellation Virgo.
BASIL (1)mEnglishFrom the Greek name
Βασιλειος (Basileios) which was derived from
βασιλευς (basileus) meaning "king". Saint Basil the Great was a 4th-century bishop of Caesarea and one of the fathers of the early Christian church. Due to him, the name (in various spellings) has come into general use in the Christian world, being especially popular among Eastern Christians. It was also borne by two Byzantine emperors.
BASTfEgyptian MythologyPossibly means "fire, heat" or "ointment jar" in Egyptian. In Egyptian mythology Bast was a goddess of cats, fertility and the sun who was considered a protector of Lower Egypt. She was often depicted with the head of a lioness or a house cat. As her role in the Egyptian pantheon diminished, she was called
Bastet.
BASTETfEgyptian MythologyVariant of
BAST. This form of the name, a diminutive, was given to her after the similar goddess Sekhmet (protector of Upper Egypt) became more important.
BAYARDmLiteratureDerived from Old French
baiart meaning "bay coloured". In medieval French poetry Bayard was a bay horse owned by Renaud de Montauban and his brothers. The horse could magically adjust its size to carry multiple riders.
BELLATRIXfAstronomyMeans "female warrior" in Latin. This is the name of the star that marks the left shoulder of the constellation Orion.
BENTLEYmEnglishFrom a surname which was from a place name, itself derived from Old English
beonet "bent grass" and
leah "woodland, clearing". Various towns in England bear this name.
BENTONmEnglishFrom a surname which was derived from a place name, composed of Old English
beonet "bent grass" and
tun "enclosure".
BEOWULFmAnglo-Saxon MythologyPossibly means "bee wolf" (in effect equal to "bear") from Old English
beo "bee" and
wulf "wolf". Alternatively, the first element may be
beadu "battle". This is the name of the main character in the anonymous 8th-century epic poem 'Beowulf'. Set in Denmark, the poem tells how he slays the monster Grendel and its mother at the request of King
Hroðgar. After this Beowulf becomes the king of the Geats. The conclusion of the poem tells how Beawulf, in his old age, slays a dragon but is himself mortally wounded in the act.
BERRY (2)fEnglish (Rare)From the English word referring to the small fruit. It is ultimately derived from Old English
berie. This name has only been in use since the 20th century.
BERTRAMmEnglish, German, Ancient GermanicMeans "bright raven", derived from the Germanic element
beraht "bright" combined with
hramn "raven". The Normans introduced this name to England. Shakespeare used it in his play 'All's Well That Ends Well' (1603).
BESSARIONmLate GreekMeaning uncertain, possibly from Greek
βησσα (bessa) "wooded valley". This was the name of a 5th-century Egyptian hermit who was a disciple of Saint Anthony the Great. It was later adopted by the scholar Basilios Bessarion (1403-1472), a Greek born in Byzantine Anatolia who became a Roman Catholic bishop.
BETELGEUSEmAstronomyThe name of the star that marks the right shoulder of the constellation Orion. It is derived from Arabic
يد الجوزا (yad al-Jawza) meaning "the hand of Jawza".
جوزا (Jawza) meaning "central one" was the old Arabic name for the constellation Orion (also for Gemini).
BLAIRm & fScottish, EnglishFrom a Scottish surname which is derived from Gaelic
blár meaning "plain, field, battlefield".
BLÁTHNATfIrish, Irish MythologyMeans "little flower" from the Irish word
blath "flower" combined with a diminutive suffix. In Irish legend she was a maiden abducted and married by Cú Roí. She was rescued by
Cúchulainn, who killed her husband, but she was in turn murdered by one of Cú Roí's loyal servants.
BLODEUWEDDfWelsh, Welsh MythologyMeans "face of flowers" in Welsh. In a story in the Mabinogion, she is created out of flowers by
Gwydion to be the wife of his nephew
Lleu Llaw Gyffes. She is eventually changed into an owl for her infidelity.
BLODWENfWelshMeans "white flowers" from Welsh
blodau "flowers" combined with
gwen "white, fair, blessed".
BLOSSOMfEnglishFrom the English word
blossom, ultimately from Old English
blóstm. It came into use as a rare given name in the 19th century.
BOGLÁRKAfHungarianMeans "buttercup" in Hungarian, derived from the archaic word
boglár meaning "ornament".
BOPHAfKhmerMeans "flower" in Khmer, ultimately from Pali.
BORmSloveneShort form of names containing
bor, such as
BORISLAV or
BORIS. It is also a South Slavic word meaning "pine tree".
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.
BRAN (2)mWelsh, Welsh MythologyMeans "raven" in Welsh. In Welsh legend Bran the Blessed (called also Bendigeid Vran) was the son of the god
Llyr. Later Welsh legends describe him as a king of Britain who was killed attacking Ireland.
BRANWENfWelsh, Welsh MythologyMeans "beautiful raven" from Welsh
bran "raven" and
gwen "fair, white, blessed". In the Mabinogion, a collection of tales from Welsh myth, she is the sister of the British king
Bran and the wife of the Irish king Matholwch.
BRENNUSmAncient Celtic (Latinized)Latinized form of a Celtic name (or title) that possibly meant either "king, prince" or "raven". Brennus was a Gallic leader of the 4th century BC who attacked and sacked Rome.
BRIALLENfWelshDerived from Welsh
briallu meaning "primrose". This is a modern Welsh name.
BRISCOEmEnglish (Rare)From a surname which was derived from a place name meaning "birch wood" in Old Norse.
BROOKm & fEnglishFrom an English surname which denoted one who lived near a brook.
BRYONYfEnglish (Rare)From the name of a type of Eurasian vine, formerly used as medicine. It ultimately derives from Greek
βρυω (bryo) "to swell".
BUCKmEnglishFrom an English nickname meaning simply "buck, male deer", ultimately from Old English
bucc.
CALLAfEnglishFrom the name of a type of lily. Use of the name may also be inspired by Greek
καλλος (kallos) meaning "beauty".
CAMELLIAfEnglish (Rare)From the name of the flowering shrub, which was named for the botanist and missionary Georg Josef Kamel.
CAPUCINEfFrenchMeans "nasturtium" in French. This was the stage name of the French actress and model Capucine (1928-1990).
CARINA (1)fEnglish, Portuguese, Spanish, German, Late RomanLate Latin name derived from
cara meaning "dear, beloved". This was the name of a 4th-century saint and martyr. It is also the name of a constellation in the southern sky, though in this case it means "keel" in Latin, referring to a part of
Jason's ship the Argo.
CARMELfEnglish, JewishFrom the title of the Virgin
Mary Our Lady of Carmel.
כַּרְמֶל (Karmel) (meaning "garden" in Hebrew) is a mountain in Israel mentioned in the Old Testament. It was the site of several early Christian monasteries. As an English given name, it has mainly been used by Catholics.
CARPUSmBiblical, Biblical LatinLatin form of the Greek name
Καρπος (Karpos), which meant "fruit, profits". The name is mentioned briefly in the New Testament in the second epistle of Timothy.
CEDARf & mEnglish (Rare)From the English word for the coniferous tree, derived (via Old French and Latin) from Greek
κεδρος (kedros).
CELESTINEf & mEnglishEnglish form of
CAELESTINUS. It is more commonly used as a feminine name, from the French feminine form
Célestine.
CELINDAfEnglish (Rare)Probably a blend of
CELIA and
LINDA. This is also the Spanish name for a variety of shrub with white flowers, known as sweet mock-orange in English (species Philadelphus coronarius).
CEPHASmBiblical, Biblical LatinMeans "rock" in Aramaic. The apostle
Simon was called Cephas by
Jesus because he was to be the rock upon which the Christian church was to be built. In most versions of the New Testament
Cephas is translated into Greek
Πετρος (Petros) (in English
Peter).
CHANm & fKhmerMeans "moon" in Khmer, ultimately from Sanskrit.
CHANDRAm & fHinduism, Bengali, Indian, Assamese, Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, NepaliMeans "moon" in Sanskrit, derived from
चन्द (chand) meaning "to shine". This is a transcription of the masculine form
चण्ड (a name of the moon in Hindu texts which is often personified as a deity) as well as the feminine form
चण्डा.
CHERRYfEnglishSimply means "cherry" from the name of the fruit. It can also be a diminutive of
CHARITY. It has been in use since the late 19th century.
CHESLEYmEnglishFrom a surname that was originally from a place name meaning "camp meadow" in Old English.
CHIKA (2)fJapaneseFrom Japanese
千 (chi) meaning "thousand",
智 (chi) meaning "wisdom, intellect" or
散 (chi) meaning "scatter" combined with
佳 (ka) meaning "good, beautiful" or
花 (ka) meaning "flower". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
CHOUKOfJapaneseFrom Japanese
蝶 (chou) meaning "butterfly" and
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations can be possible.
CHRYSANTAfEnglish (Rare)Shortened form of the word
chrysanthemum, the name of a flowering plant, which means "golden flower" in Greek.
CICEROmAncient RomanRoman cognomen which meant "chickpea" from Latin
cicer. Marcus Tullius Cicero (known simply as Cicero) was a statesman, orator and author of the 1st century BC.
CLAYmEnglishFrom an English surname that originally referred to a person who lived near or worked with clay. This name can also be a short form of
CLAYTON.
CLODAGHfIrishFrom the name of a river in Tipperary, Ireland.
CLOVERfEnglish (Rare)From the English word for the wild flower, ultimately deriving from Old English
clafre.
COLMÁNmIrishDiminutive of
Colm (see
COLUM). This was the name of a large number of Irish saints.
COLOMBINAfItalianItalian feminine diminutive of
COLUMBA. In traditional Italian pantomimes this is the name of a stock character, the female counterpart of Arlecchino (also called Harlequin). This is also the Italian word for the columbine flower.
COLUMmIrishIrish form of
COLUMBA. This is also an Old Irish word meaning "dove", derived from Latin
columba.
COLUMBAm & fLate RomanLate Latin name meaning "dove". The dove is a symbol of the Holy Spirit in Christianity. This was the name of several early saints both masculine and feminine, most notably the 6th-century Irish monk Saint Columba (or Colum) who established a monastery on the island of Iona off the coast of Scotland. He is credited with the conversion of Scotland to Christianity.
COLUMBANmIrishPossibly an Irish diminutive of
COLUMBA. Alternatively, it may be derived from Old Irish
colum "dove" and
bán "white". The 7th-century Saint Columban of Leinster was the founder of several monasteries in Europe.
COLUMBANUSmLate RomanThis name can be viewed as a derivative of
COLUMBA or a Latinized form of
COLUMBAN, both derivations being approximately equivalent. This is the name of Saint Columban in Latin sources.
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.
CONSUSmRoman MythologyPossibly derived from Latin
conserere meaning "to sow, to plant". Consus was a Roman god of the harvest and grain.
CORALfEnglish, SpanishFrom the English and Spanish word
coral for the underwater skeletal deposits which can form reefs. It is ultimately derived (via Old French and Latin) from Greek
κοραλλιον (korallion).
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-).