ABILENE f English (Rare)From 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.
ACHAICUS m Biblical, Biblical LatinLatinized form of the Greek name
Ἀχαϊκός (Achaikos), which referred to the region in Greece called
Ἀχαΐα (Achaia), situated on the northern coast of the Peloponnese. In the New Testament this is the name of a Corinthian Christian who aids Saint
Paul.
ADA f English, German, Polish, Hungarian, Italian, Finnish, Ancient GermanicOriginally a short form of Germanic names such as
ADELAIDE or
ADELINA that begin with the element
adal meaning "noble". This name was borne by Augusta Ada King (1815-1852), the Countess of Lovelace (known as Ada Lovelace), a daughter of Lord Byron. She was an assistant to Charles Babbage, the inventor of an early mechanical computer.
ADELAIDE f English, Italian, PortugueseMeans
"noble type", from the French form of the Germanic name
Adalheidis, which was composed of the elements
adal "noble" and
heid "kind, sort, type". It was borne in the 10th century by Saint Adelaide, the wife of the Holy Roman emperor Otto the Great. In Britain the parallel form
Alice, derived via Old French, has historically been more common, though this form did gain some currency in the 19th century due to the popularity of the German-born wife of King William IV, for whom the city of Adelaide in Australia was named in 1836.
AFRICA (1) f African American (Rare)From the name of the continent, which is of Latin origin, possibly from the Afri people who lived near Carthage in North Africa. This rare name is used most often by African-American parents.
AILSA f ScottishFrom
Ailsa Craig, the name of an island off the west coast of Scotland, which is of uncertain derivation.
AINHOA f BasqueFrom the name of a town in southwest France where there is a famous image of the Virgin
Mary.
AINSLEY f & m Scottish, English (Modern)From a surname that 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".
AKI (2) f JapaneseFrom 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.
ALEXANDER m English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Hungarian, Slovak, Biblical, Ancient Greek (Latinized), Greek Mythology (Latinized)Latinized form of the Greek name
Ἀλέξανδρος (Alexandros), which meant
"defending men" from Greek
ἀλέξω (alexo) meaning "to defend, help" and
ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man" (genitive
ἀνδρός). In Greek mythology this was another name of the hero
Paris, and it also belongs to several characters in the New Testament. However, the most famous bearer was Alexander the Great, king of Macedon. In the 4th century BC he built a huge empire out of Greece, Egypt, Persia, and parts of India. Due to his fame, and later medieval tales involving him, use of his name spread throughout Europe.
... [more] ALEXANDRIA f EnglishFeminine form of
ALEXANDER. Alexander the Great founded several cities by this name (or renamed them) as he extended his empire eastward. The most notable of these is Alexandria in Egypt, founded by Alexander in 331 BC.
ALICE f English, French, Portuguese, Italian, German, CzechFrom the Old French name
Aalis, a short form of
Adelais, itself a short form of the Germanic name
Adalheidis (see
ADELAIDE). This name became popular in France and England in the 12th century. It was among the most common names in England until the 16th century, when it began to decline. It was revived in the 19th century.
... [more] ALTA f VariousPossibly from Latin
altus or Italian/Spanish
alto meaning
"high".
ALTON m EnglishFrom an Old English surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"town at the source of the river".
AMAIA f BasqueMeans
"the end" in Basque. This is the name of a character in the historical novel
Amaya, or the Basques in the 8th century (1879) by Francisco Navarro-Villoslada (
Amaya in the Spanish original;
Amaia in the Basque translation).
AMELIA f English, Spanish, Italian, Polish, Dutch, German, Ancient GermanicVariant of
AMALIA, though it is sometimes confused with
EMILIA, which has a different origin. The name became popular in England after the German House of Hanover came to the British throne in the 18th century - it was borne by daughters of both George II and George III. The author Henry Fielding used it for the title character in his novel
Amelia (1751). Another famous bearer was Amelia Earhart (1897-1937), the first woman to make a solo flight over the Atlantic Ocean.
... [more] AMERICA f EnglishIn the English-speaking world, this name is usually given in reference to the United States of America (see
AMERIGO). It came into use as an American name in the 19th century.
ANATOLIA f Late RomanFeminine form of
ANATOLIUS. This was the name of a 3rd-century Italian saint and martyr. This is also a place name (from the same Greek origin) referring to the large peninsula that makes up the majority of Turkey.
ÁNGELES f SpanishMeans
"angels", taken from the Spanish title of the Virgin
Mary Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles, meaning "Our Lady the Queen of the Angels".
ANI (2) f ArmenianFrom the name of an old Armenian city, of unknown meaning. Now in eastern Turkey, in the 10th and 11th centuries it was the capital of the Kingdom of Armenia, though it was later abandoned and is now only ruins.
ARARAT m ArmenianFrom the name of a mountain in eastern Turkey (formerly part of Armenia), the place where
Noah's Ark came to rest according to the Old Testament.
ARCADIA f VariousFeminine form of
ARCADIUS. This is the name of a region on the Greek Peloponnese, long idealized for its natural beauty.
ARDEN m & f EnglishFrom an English surname, originally taken from various place names, which were derived from a Celtic word meaning
"high".
ARKADIOS m Ancient GreekFrom an ancient Greek name meaning
"of Arcadia". Arcadia was a region in Greece, its name deriving from
ἄρκτος (arktos) meaning "bear". This was the name of a 3rd-century saint and martyr.
ARLO m EnglishMeaning uncertain. It was perhaps inspired by the fictional place name Arlo Hill from the poem
The Faerie Queene (1590) by Edmund Spenser. Spenser probably got Arlo by altering the real Irish place name Aherlow, which is Gaelic meaning "between two highlands".
ARRAN m ScottishFrom the name of an island off the west coast of Scotland in the Firth of Clyde.
ASHTON m & f EnglishFrom a surname that was originally derived from a place name that meant
"ash tree town" in Old English.
ASPEN f English (Modern)From the English word for the tree, derived from Old English
æspe. It is also the name of a ski resort in Colorado.
ASTON m & f English (Rare)From a surname that was originally derived from either a place name meaning "east town" in Old English or from the given name
ÆÐELSTAN.
ASUNCIÓN f SpanishMeans
"assumption" in Spanish. This name is given in reference to the assumption of the Virgin
Mary into heaven.
ATHOL m & f ScottishFrom the name of a district in Scotland that was derived from Gaelic
ath Fodhla "new Ireland".
ATTICUS m Literature, Ancient Greek (Latinized)Latinized form of Greek
Ἀττικός (Attikos) meaning
"from Attica", referring to the region surrounding Athens in Greece. This name was borne by a few notable Greeks from the Roman period (or Romans of Greek background). The author Harper Lee used the name in her novel
To Kill a Mockingbird (1960) for an Alabama lawyer who defends a black man accused of raping a white woman.
AVALON f English (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 that was often linked with paradise.
AVILA f Ancient GermanicDerived from the Germanic element
avi, of unknown meaning, possibly
"desired". This name is also given in honour of the 16th-century mystic Saint Teresa of Ávila,
Ávila being the name of the town in Spain where she was born.
AVONLEA f English (Rare)Created by Lucy Maud Montgomery as the setting for her novel
Anne of Green Gables (1908). She may have based the name on the Arthurian island of
AVALON, though it also resembles the river name
AVON and
leah "woodland, clearing".
BABYLAS m Late Greek, French (Rare)Derived from the name of the ancient Mesopotamian city of Babylon. Saint Babylas was a 3rd-century patriarch of Antioch who was martyred during the reign of the Roman emperor Decius.
BALFOUR m English (Rare)From a Scottish surname, originally from various place names, which meant
"village pasture" in Gaelic.
BELÉN f SpanishSpanish form of
Bethlehem, the name of the town in Judah where King
David and
Jesus were born. The town's name is from Hebrew
בֵּית־לֶחֶם (Beit-lechem) meaning "house of bread".
BENTLEY m EnglishFrom a surname that was from a place name, itself derived from Old English
beonet "bent grass" and
leah "woodland, clearing". Various towns in England bear this name.
BENTON m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from a place name, composed of Old English
beonet "bent grass" and
tun "enclosure".
BERLIN f & m VariousFrom the name of the city in Germany, which is of uncertain meaning.
BETHANY f EnglishFrom the name of a biblical town,
Βηθανία (Bethania) in Greek, which is probably of Aramaic or Hebrew origin, possibly meaning "house of affliction" or "house of figs". In the New Testament the town of Bethany is the home of Lazarus and his sisters Mary and Martha. It has been in use as a rare given name in the English-speaking world since the 19th century, used primarily by Catholics in honour of Mary of Bethany. In America it became moderately common after the 1950s.
BOONE m EnglishFrom an English surname that was either derived from Old French
bon meaning
"good" or from the name of the town of Bohon, France.
BRANDON m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"hill covered with broom" in Old English. It is sometimes also used as a variant of
BRENDAN.
BRAXTON m English (Modern)From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning
"Bracca's town" in Old English.
BRENT m EnglishFrom an English surname, originally taken from various place names, perhaps derived from a Celtic word meaning
"hill".
BRIELLE f English (Modern)Short form of
GABRIELLE. This is also the name of towns in the Netherlands and New Jersey, though their names derive from a different source.
BRITANNIA f English (Rare)From the Latin name of the island of Britain, in occasional use as an English given name since the 18th century. This is also the name of the Roman female personification of Britain pictured on some British coins.
BRITTANY f EnglishFrom the name of the region in the northwest of France, called in French
Bretagne. It was named for the Britons who settled there after the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the invasions of the Anglo-Saxons.
... [more] BRITTON m EnglishDerived from a Middle English surname meaning
"a Briton" (a Celt of England) or
"a Breton" (an inhabitant of Brittany).
BRODY m EnglishFrom a surname that was originally derived from a place in Moray, Scotland. It probably means "ditch, mire" in Gaelic.
BROOKLYN f & m English (Modern)From the name of a borough of New York City, originally named after the Dutch town of
Breukelen, itself meaning either "broken land" (from Dutch
breuk) or "marsh land" (from Dutch
broek). It can also be viewed as a combination of
BROOK and the popular name suffix
lyn. It is considered a feminine name in the United States, but is more common as a masculine name in the United Kingdom.
BURGUNDY f English (Rare)This name can refer either to the region in France, the wine (which derives from the name of the region), or the colour (which derives from the name of the wine).
BYRON m EnglishFrom a surname that was originally from a place name meaning
"place of the cow sheds" in Old English. This was the surname of the romantic poet Lord Byron (1788-1824), the writer of
Don Juan and many other works.
CAMBRIA f VariousLatin form of the Welsh
Cymru, the Welsh name for the country of Wales, derived from
cymry meaning "the people". It is occasionally used as a given name in modern times.
CAMDEN m English (Modern)From a surname that was derived from a place name, perhaps meaning
"enclosed valley" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was the English historian William Camden (1551-1623).
CARMEL f English, 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.
CASPIAN m LiteratureUsed by author C. S. Lewis for a character in his
Chronicles of Narnia series, first appearing in 1950. Prince Caspian first appears in the fourth book, where he is the rightful king of Narnia driven into exile by his evil uncle Miraz. Lewis probably based the name on the Caspian Sea, which was named for the city of Qazvin, which was itself named for the ancient Cas tribe.
CAVAN m EnglishEither from the name of the Irish county, which is derived from Irish
cabhán "hollow", or else from the Irish surname
CAVAN.
CHAD m EnglishFrom the Old English name
Ceadda, which is of unknown meaning, possibly based on Welsh
cad "battle". This was the name of a 7th-century English saint. Borne primarily by Catholics, it was a rare name until the 1960s when it started to become more common amongst the general population. This is also the name of a country in Africa, though it originates from a different source.
CHADWICK m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from the name of towns in England, meaning
"settlement belonging to CHAD" in Old English.
CHANTAL f French, English, DutchFrom a French surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"stony". It was originally given in honour of Saint Jeanne-Françoise de Chantal, the founder of the Visitation Order in the 17th century. It has become associated with French
chant "song".
CHARLOTTE f French, English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, DutchFrench feminine diminutive of
CHARLES. It was introduced to Britain in the 17th century. It was the name of a German-born 18th-century queen consort of Great Britain and Ireland. Another notable bearer was Charlotte Brontë (1816-1855), the eldest of the three Brontë sisters and the author of
Jane Eyre and
Villette.
... [more] CHELSEA f EnglishFrom the name of a district in London, originally derived from Old English and meaning
"landing place for chalk or limestone". It has been in general use as an English given name since the 1970s.
CHEYENNE f & m EnglishDerived from the Dakota word
shahiyena meaning "red speakers". This is the name of a Native American people of the Great Plains. The name was supposedly given to the Cheyenne by the Dakota because their language was unrelated to their own. As a given name, it has been in use since the 1950s.
CHINA f English (Modern)From the name of the Asian country, ultimately derived from
Qin, the name of a dynasty that ruled there in the 3rd century BC.
CLARE f EnglishMedieval English form of
CLARA. This is also the name of an Irish county, which was itself probably derived from Irish
clár meaning "plank, level surface".
CLAYTON m EnglishFrom a surname that was originally derived from various English place names, all meaning
"clay settlement" in Old English.
CLINTON m EnglishFrom a surname that was originally from an Old English place name meaning
"settlement on the River Glyme". A famous bearer of the surname is former American president Bill Clinton (1946-).
COLBY m EnglishFrom a surname, originally from various English place names, derived from the Old Norse nickname
Koli (meaning "coal, dark") and
býr "town".
CORA f English, German, Greek Mythology (Latinized)Latinized form of
KORE. It was not used as a given name in the English-speaking world until after it was employed by James Fenimore Cooper for a character in his novel
The Last of the Mohicans (1826). In some cases it may be a short form of
CORDULA,
CORINNA or other names beginning with a similar sound.
COURTNEY f & m EnglishFrom an aristocratic English surname that was derived either from the French place name
Courtenay (originally a derivative of the personal name
Curtenus, itself derived from Latin
curtus "short") or else from a Norman nickname meaning "short nose". As a feminine name in America, it first became popular during the 1970s.
CROFTON m English (Rare)From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"town with a small enclosed field" in Old English.
CYPRIAN m Polish, English (Rare)From the Roman family name
Cyprianus, which meant
"from Cyprus". Saint Cyprian was a 3rd-century bishop of Carthage and a martyr under the emperor Valerian.
DAKOTA m & f English (Modern)From the name of the Native American people of the northern Mississippi valley, or from the two American states that were named for them: North and South Dakota (until 1889 unified as the Dakota Territory). The tribal name means
"allies, friends" in the Dakota language.
DALLAS m & f EnglishFrom a surname that could either be of Old English origin meaning
"valley house" or of Scottish Gaelic origin meaning
"meadow dwelling". A city in Texas bears this name, probably in honour of American Vice President George M. Dallas (1792-1864).
DALTON m EnglishFrom an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning
"valley town" in Old English. A notable bearer of the surname was John Dalton (1766-1844), the English chemist and physicist who theorized about the existence of atoms.
DARBY m & f EnglishFrom an English surname, which was derived from the name of the town of
Derby, meaning "deer town" in Old Norse.
DARRELL m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from Norman French
d'Airelle, originally denoting one who came from Airelle in France.
DAWSON m EnglishFrom a surname meaning
"son of DAVID". This name was popularized in the late 1990s by the television drama
Dawson's Creek.
DAX m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived either from the town of Dax in France or else from the Old English given name
Dæcca (of unknown meaning).
DELANO m EnglishFrom a surname, recorded as
de la Noye in French, indicating that the bearer was from a place called La Noue (ultimately Gaulish meaning "wetland, swamp"). It has been used in honour of American president Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882-1945), whose middle name came from his mother's maiden name.
DELIA (1) f English, Italian, Spanish, Romanian, Greek MythologyMeans
"of Delos" in Greek. This was an epithet of the Greek goddess
Artemis, given because she and her twin brother
Apollo were born on the island of Delos. The name appeared in several poems of the 16th and 17th centuries, and it has occasionally been used as a given name since that time.
DELTA f EnglishFrom the name of the fourth letter in the Greek alphabet,
Δ. It is also the name for an island formed at the mouth of a river.
DEMELZA f English (British)From a Cornish place name meaning
"fort of Maeldaf". It has been used as a given name since the middle of the 20th century. It was popularized in the 1970s by a character from the British television series
Poldark, which was set in Cornwall.
DENHOLM m English (Rare)From a surname that was originally taken from a place name meaning
"valley island" in Old English.
DENTON m EnglishFrom a surname, originally from a place name, which meant
"valley town" in Old English.
DENVER m EnglishFrom an English surname that was from a place name meaning
"Dane ford" in Old English. This is the name of the capital city of Colorado, which was named for the politician James W. Denver (1817-1892).
DESMOND m English, IrishFrom an Irish surname that was derived from
Deasmhumhain meaning
"South Munster", originally indicating a person who came from that region in Ireland.
DEVEREUX m English (Rare)From an English surname, of Norman French origin, meaning
"from Evreux". Evreux is a town in France.
DEVON m & f EnglishVariant of
DEVIN. It may also be partly inspired by the name of the county of Devon in England, which got its name from the Dumnonii, a Celtic tribe.
DOUGLAS m Scottish, EnglishAnglicized form of the Scottish surname
Dubhghlas, meaning
"dark river" from Gaelic
dubh "dark" and
glais "water, river" (an archaic word related to
glas "grey, green"). Douglas was originally a place name (for example, a tributary of the River Clyde), which then became a Scottish clan name borne by a powerful line of earls. It has been used as a given name since the 16th century.
DRUMMOND m English (Rare)From a Scottish surname that was derived from various place names, themselves derived from Gaelic
druim meaning
"ridge".
DUDLEY m EnglishFrom a surname that was originally from a place name meaning
"Dudda's clearing" in Old English. The surname was borne by a British noble family.
EASTON m English (Modern)From an English surname that was derived from place names meaning
"east town" in Old English.
EBENEZER m BiblicalMeans
"stone of help" in Hebrew. This was the name of a monument erected by
Samuel in the Old Testament. Charles Dickens used it for the miserly character Ebenezer Scrooge in his novel
A Christmas Carol (1843).
EDEN f & m Hebrew, English (Modern)Possibly from Hebrew
עֵדֶן ('eden) meaning "pleasure, delight", or perhaps derived from Sumerian
𒂔 (edin) meaning "plain". According to the Old Testament the Garden of Eden was the place where the first people,
Adam and
Eve, lived before they were expelled.
ELIDI f VariousMeaning unknown, possibly of Greek or Welsh origin. It may have been inspired by the name of the
Ήλιδα (Ilida) valley and ancient city in western Greece (
Elis in English).
ELSDON m English (Rare)From a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning
"Elli's valley" in Old English.
ELWOOD m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"elder tree forest" in Old English.
ELYSIA f VariousFrom
Elysium, the name of the realm of the dead in Greek and Roman mythology, which means
"blissful".
EMLYN m WelshProbably from the name of an ancient region in Wales, its name meaning "around the valley". It has also been suggested that this name is a Welsh form of
Aemilianus (see
EMILIANO).
ENNIS m EnglishFrom an Irish surname that was derived from
inis meaning
"island".
ERROL m EnglishFrom a surname that was originally derived from a Scottish place name. It was popularized as a given name by the Australian actor Errol Flynn (1909-1959).
ERSKINE m Scottish, Irish, English (Rare)From a surname that was originally derived from the name of a Scottish town meaning
"projecting height" in Gaelic. A famous bearer of the name was the Irish novelist and nationalist Erskine Childers (1870-1922).
FENTON m EnglishFrom a surname that was originally taken from a place name meaning
"marsh town" in Old English.
FIFE m ScottishFrom a Scottish place name that was formerly the name of a kingdom in Scotland. It is said to be named for the legendary Pictish hero Fib.
FIRENZE f VariousFrom the name of an Italian city, commonly called
Florence in English.
FLORENCE f & m English, FrenchFrom the Latin name
Florentius or the feminine form
Florentia, which were derived from
florens "prosperous, flourishing".
Florentius was borne by many early Christian saints, and it was occasionally used in their honour through the Middle Ages. In modern times it is mostly feminine.
... [more] FORD m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"ford" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was the American industrialist Henry Ford (1863-1947).
FRANCE (1) f FrenchFrom the name of the country, sometimes considered a feminine form of
FRANK or short form of
FRANÇOISE, both of which are ultimately related to the name of the country.
GAETANO m ItalianItalian form of the Latin name
Caietanus, which meant
"from Caieta". Caieta (now called Gaeta) was a town in ancient Italy, its name deriving either from
Kaiadas, the name a Greek location where prisoners were executed, or else from
Caieta, the name of the nurse of Aeneas. Saint Gaetano was a 16th-century Italian priest who founded the Theatines.
GENEVA f EnglishPossibly a shortened form of
GENEVIEVE. It could also be inspired by the name of the city in Switzerland. It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the 19th century.
GEORGIA f English, GreekLatinate feminine form of
GEORGE. This is the name of an American state, which was named after the British king George II. A famous bearer was the American painter Georgia O'Keeffe (1887-1986).
GETHSEMANE f VariousFrom a biblical place name, the garden where
Jesus was arrested, located on the Mount of Olives near Jerusalem. It is derived from
Γεθσημανί (Gethsemani), the Greek form of an Aramaic name meaning "oil vat". It is very rarely used as a given name.
GILEAD m BiblicalFrom an Old Testament place name meaning
"heap of witness" in Hebrew. This was a mountainous region east of the Jordan River. Besides being a place name, it is also borne by people in the Bible.
GLYNDWR m WelshFrom a Welsh surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning
"valley water". This name is often given in honour of Owain Glyndwr, a 14th-century Welsh patriot who led a revolt against England.
GORDIAN m HistoryFrom the Roman cognomen
Gordianus meaning
"from Gordium", Gordium being the capital of Phrygia in Asia Minor. This is the name by which three Roman emperors are known.
GORDON m Scottish, EnglishFrom a Scottish surname that was originally derived from a place name in Berwickshire meaning
"spacious fort". It was originally used in honour of Charles George Gordon (1833-1885), a British general who died defending the city of Khartoum in Sudan.
GRAHAM m Scottish, EnglishFrom a Scottish surname, originally derived from the English place name
Grantham, which probably meant
"gravelly homestead" in Old English. The surname was first taken to Scotland in the 12th century by the Norman baron William de Graham. A famous bearer was Alexander Graham Bell (1847-1922), the Scottish-Canadian-American inventor who devised the telephone.
GRESHAM m English (Rare)From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"grazing homestead" in Old English.
GUADALUPE f & m SpanishFrom a Spanish title of the Virgin
Mary,
Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, meaning "Our Lady of Guadalupe". Guadalupe is a Spanish place name, the site of a famous convent, derived from Arabic
وادي (wadi) meaning "valley, river" possibly combined with Latin
lupus meaning "wolf". In the 16th century Our Lady of Guadalupe supposedly appeared in a vision to a native Mexican man, and she is now regarded as a patron saint of the Americas.
HADRIAN m HistoryFrom the Roman cognomen
Hadrianus, which meant
"from Hadria" in Latin. Hadria was the name of two Roman settlements. The first (modern Adria) is in northern Italy and was an important Etruscan port town. The second (modern Atri) is in central Italy and was named after the northern town. The Adriatic Sea is also named after the northern town.
... [more] HALE (2) m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"nook, retreat" from Old English
healh.
HALL m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from Old English
heall "manor, hall", originally belonging to a person who lived or worked in a manor.
HALLAM m English (Rare)From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning either
"at the rocks" or
"at the nook" in Old English.
HAMILTON m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from Old English
hamel "crooked, mutilated" and
dun "hill". The surname was originally taken from the name of a town in Leicestershire, England (which no longer exists). A famous bearer of the surname was Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804), a founding father of the United States who was killed in a duel with Aaron Burr.
HAMLET m Literature, ArmenianAnglicized form of the Danish name
Amleth. Shakespeare used this name for the Prince of Denmark in his play
Hamlet (1600), which he based upon earlier Danish tales.
HARLEY m & f EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from a place name, itself from Old English
hara "hare" and
leah "woodland, clearing".
HARLOW f & m EnglishFrom a surname derived from a place name, itself derived from Old English
hær "rock" or
here "army", combined with
hlaw "hill".
HARTLEY m & f English (Rare)From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"hart clearing" in Old English.
HAVEN f & m EnglishFrom the English word for a safe place, derived ultimately from Old English
hæfen.
HAVILAH m BiblicalProbably means
"to dance, to circle, to twist" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is both a place name and a masculine personal name.
HAYDEN m & f EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from place names meaning either
"hay valley" or
"hay hill", derived from Old English
heg "hay" and
denu "valley" or
dun "hill".
HAYWOOD m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"fenced wood" in Old English.
HOLDEN m English (Modern)From a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning
"deep valley" in Old English. This is the name of the main character in J. D. Salinger's novel
The Catcher in the Rye (1951), Holden Caufield.
HOUSTON m EnglishFrom a Scottish surname meaning "
HUGH's town". The original Houston is in Scotland near Glasgow, but this is also the name of a city in Texas, named after the Texas president Sam Houston (1793-1863).
HUDSON m EnglishFrom an English surname meaning
"son of HUDDE". A famous bearer of the surname was the English explorer Henry Hudson (1570-1611).
IDOIA f BasqueFrom the name of a sanctuary in Isaba, Navarre, possibly meaning
"pond" in Basque, an important place of worship of the Virgin
Mary.
INDIA f EnglishFrom the name of the country, which is itself derived from the name of the Indus River. The river's name is ultimately from Sanskrit
सिन्धु (Sindhu) meaning "body of trembling water, river".
INDIANA f & m EnglishFrom the name of the American state, which means "land of the Indians". This is the name of the hero in the
Indiana Jones series of movies, starring Harrison Ford.
IONA (1) f English, ScottishFrom the name of the island off Scotland where Saint Columba founded a monastery. The name of the island is Old Norse in origin, and apparently derives simply from
ey meaning "island".
IRELAND f English (Modern)From the name of the European island country, derived from Irish Gaelic
Éire, which may mean something like "abundant land" in Old Irish.
IRVING m English, Scottish, JewishFrom a Scottish surname that was in turn derived from a Scottish place name meaning
"green water". Historically this name has been relatively common among Jews, who have used it as an American-sounding form of Hebrew names beginning with
I such as
Isaac,
Israel and
Isaiah. A famous bearer was the Russian-American songwriter and lyricist Irving Berlin (1888-1989), whose birth name was Israel Beilin.
ITALUS m Roman MythologyMeans
"of Italy" in Latin. In Roman legend Italus was the father of
Romulus and
Remus, the founders of Rome. He supposedly gave his name to the region known as Italia or Italy (in fact the region may have gotten its name from Oscan
Víteliú meaning "land of bulls").
JERICHO m English (Modern)From the name of a city in Israel that is mentioned several times in the Old Testament. The meaning of the city's name is uncertain, but it may be related to the Hebrew word
יָרֵחַ (yareach) meaning "moon", or otherwise to the Hebrew word
רֵיחַ (reyach) meaning "fragrant".
JORDAN m & f English, French, Macedonian, SerbianFrom the name of the river that flows between the countries of Jordan and Israel. The river's name in Hebrew is
יַרְדֵן (Yarden), and it is derived from
יָרַד (yarad) meaning
"descend" or
"flow down". In the New Testament
John the Baptist baptizes
Jesus Christ in its waters, and it was adopted as a personal name in Europe after crusaders brought water back from the river to baptize their children. There may have been some influence from the Germanic name
JORDANES, notably borne by a 6th-century Gothic historian.
... [more] KEATON m English (Modern)From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"shed town" in Old English.
KEITH m English, ScottishFrom a Scottish surname that was originally derived from a place name, itself probably derived from the Brythonic element
cet meaning
"wood". This was the surname of a long line of Scottish nobles. It has been used as a given name since the 19th century.
KELSEY f & m EnglishFrom an English surname that is derived from town names in Lincolnshire. It may mean "Cenel's island", from the Old English name
Cenel "fierce" in combination with
eg "island".
KENDALL m & f EnglishFrom a surname that comes from the name of the city of Kendale in northwest England meaning
"valley on the river Kent".
KENT m EnglishFrom a surname that was originally derived from
Kent, the name of a county in England, which may be derived from a Brythonic word meaning "coastal district".
KENYA f English, African AmericanFrom the name of the African country. The country is named for Mount Kenya, which in the Kikuyu language is called
Kĩrĩnyaga meaning "the one having stripes". It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the 1960s.
KERR m Scottish, English (Rare)From a Scottish surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"rough wet ground" in Old Norse.
KERRY m & f EnglishFrom the name of the Irish county, called
Ciarraí in Irish Gaelic, which means "
CIAR's people".
KIMBERLY f EnglishFrom the name of the city of
Kimberley in South Africa, which was named after Lord
KIMBERLEY (1826-1902). The city came to prominence in the late 19th century during the Boer War.
Kimberly has been used as a given name since the mid-20th century, eventually becoming very popular as a feminine name.
KOBE (2) m VariousFrom the name of the city in Japan. The parents of basketball player Kobe Bryant (1978-2020) chose this name after seeing Kobe beef (which is from the Japanese city) on a menu.
LACY f & m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from
Lassy, the name of a town in Normandy. The name of the town was Gaulish in origin, perhaps deriving from a personal name that was Latinized as
Lascius.
LAMAR m English, African AmericanFrom a French and English surname, originally from a place name in Normandy, which was derived from Old French
la mare meaning
"the pool".
LANDON m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from an Old English place name meaning
"long hill" (effectively meaning
"ridge"). Use of the name may have been inspired in part by the actor Michael Landon (1936-1991).
LANE m EnglishFrom a surname meaning
"lane, path", which originally belonged to a person who lived near a lane.
LARISA f Russian, Ukrainian, Romanian, Latvian, Greek MythologyPossibly derived from the name of the ancient city of Larisa in Thessaly, which meant
"citadel". In Greek legends, the nymph Larisa was either a daughter or mother of Pelasgus, the ancestor of the mythical Pelasgians. This name was later borne by a 4th-century Greek martyr who is venerated as a saint in the Eastern Church. The name (of the city, nymph and saint) is commonly Latinized as
Larissa, with a double
s. As a Ukrainian name, it is more commonly transcribed
Larysa.
LAURENCE (1) m EnglishFrom the Roman cognomen
Laurentius, which meant
"from Laurentum". Laurentum was a city in ancient Italy, its name probably deriving from Latin
laurus "laurel". Saint Laurence was a 3rd-century deacon and martyr from Rome. According to tradition he was roasted alive on a gridiron because, when ordered to hand over the church's treasures, he presented the sick and poor. Due to the saint's popularity, the name came into general use in the Christian world (in various spellings).
... [more] LAVERNE f & m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from a French place name, ultimately derived from the Gaulish word
vern meaning
"alder". It is sometimes associated with the Roman goddess
Laverna or the Latin word
vernus "of spring".
LAYTON m EnglishFrom a surname that was originally derived from the name of English towns meaning
"town with a leek garden" in Old English.
LEITH m & f English (Rare)From a surname, originally from the name of a Scottish town (now a district of Edinburgh), which is derived from Gaelic
lìte "wet, damp". It is also the name of the river that flows though Edinburgh.
LELAND m EnglishFrom a surname, originally from an English place name, which meant
"fallow land" in Old English. A famous bearer was the politician, businessman and Stanford University founder Leland Stanford (1824-1893).
LENNOX m & f Scottish, English (Modern)From a Scottish surname that was derived from the name of a district in Scotland. The district, called
Leamhnachd in Gaelic, possibly means "place of elms".
LESLIE f & m EnglishFrom a Scottish surname that was derived from a Scottish place name, probably derived from Gaelic
leas celyn meaning
"garden of holly". It has been used as a given name since the 19th century. In America it was more common as a feminine name after the 1940s.
LESTER m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from the name of the city of Leicester, originally denoting a person who was from that place. The city's name is derived from the river name
Ligore combined with Latin
castra "camp".
LINDSAY f & m English, ScottishFrom an English and Scottish surname that was originally derived from the name of the region
Lindsey, which means "
LINCOLN island" in Old English. As a given name it was typically masculine until the 1960s (in Britain) and 1970s (in America) when it became popular for girls, probably due to its similarity to
Linda and because of American actress Lindsay Wagner (1949-).
LINFORD m English (Rare)From a surname that was originally taken from place names meaning either "flax ford" or "linden tree ford" in Old English.
LINTON m EnglishFrom a surname that was originally from place names meaning either "flax town" or "linden tree town" in Old English.
LINWOOD m EnglishFrom a surname that was originally from a place name meaning
"stream forest" in Old English.
LOGAN m & f Scottish, EnglishFrom a surname that was originally derived from a Scottish place name meaning
"little hollow" in Scottish Gaelic.
LONDON f & m English (Modern)From the name of the capital city of the United Kingdom, the meaning of which is uncertain. As a surname it was borne by the American author Jack London (1876-1916).
LORETO f & m Italian, SpanishFrom 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.
LORRAINE f EnglishFrom the name of a region in France, originally meaning "kingdom of
LOTHAR". Lothar was a Frankish king, the great-grandson of
Charlemagne, whose realm was in the part of France that is now called
Lorraine, or in German
Lothringen (from Latin
Lothari regnum). As a given name, it has been used in the English-speaking world since the late 19th century, perhaps due to its similar sound with
Laura. It became popular after World War I when the region was in the news, as it was contested between Germany and France.
LOWELL m EnglishFrom an English surname that 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).
LUCAN m HistoryFrom the Roman cognomen
Lucanus, which was derived from the name of the city of Luca in Tuscany (modern Lucca). Marcus Annaeus Lucanus, commonly called Lucan, was a 1st-century Roman poet.
LUKE m English, BiblicalEnglish form of Latin
Lucas, from the Greek name
Λουκᾶς (Loukas) meaning
"from Lucania", Lucania being a region in southern Italy (of uncertain meaning). Luke was a doctor who travelled in the company of the apostle
Paul. According to tradition, he was the author of the third gospel and Acts in the New Testament. He was probably of Greek ethnicity. He is considered a saint by many Christian denominations.
... [more] MACARENA f SpanishFrom the name of a barrio (district) in Seville, which got its name from a temple that may have been named for a person named
Macarius (see
MACARIO). The Virgin of Macarena, that is
Mary, is widely venerated in Seville.
MACY f EnglishFrom an English surname that was from various towns named
Massy in France. The towns themselves were originally named from a Gallo-Roman personal name that was Latinized as
Maccius. This is the name of a chain of American department stores founded by Rowland Hussey Macy (1822-1877).
MADISON f & m EnglishFrom an English surname meaning
"son of MAUD". It was not commonly used as a feminine name until after the movie
Splash (1984), in which the main character adopted it as her name after seeing a street sign for Madison Avenue in New York City. It was ranked second for girls in the United States by 2001. This rise from obscurity to prominence in only 18 years represents an unprecedented 550,000 percent increase in usage.
... [more] MARGAUX f FrenchVariant of
MARGOT influenced by the name of the wine-producing French town. It was borne by Margaux Hemingway (1954-1996), granddaughter of author Ernest Hemingway, who had it changed from
Margot.
MARLOWE f & m English (Modern)From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"remnants of a lake" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was the English playwright Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593).
MARWA f ArabicFrom the Arabic name of a fragrant plant. Al-Marwa is the name of one of the two sacred hills near Mecca.
MAYLIS f FrenchFrom the name of a town in southern France, possibly derived from Occitan
mair "mother" and French
lys "lily". It is also sometimes considered a combination of
MARIE and
lys.
MELCHIOR m Dutch, Judeo-Christian LegendPossibly from the Hebrew roots
מֶלֶכְ (melekh) meaning "king" and
אוֹר ('or) meaning "light". This was a name traditionally assigned to one of the wise men (also known as the Magi, or three kings) who were said to have visited the newborn
Jesus. According to medieval tradition he was a king of Persia.
MELVILLE m EnglishFrom a Scottish surname that was originally from a Norman French place name meaning
"bad town". A famous bearer of the surname was the American author Herman Melville (1819-1891), who wrote several novels including
Moby-Dick.
MEMPHIS m English (Modern)From the name of an important city of ancient Egypt, or the city in Tennessee that was named after it. It is derived from a Greek form of Egyptian
mn-nfr meaning "enduring beauty".
MERCIA f English (Rare)Latinate form of
MERCY. This was also the name of an old Anglo-Saxon kingdom, though it has a different origin.
MERRITT m EnglishFrom an English surname, originally from a place name, which meant
"boundary gate" in Old English.
MERTON m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"town on a lake" in Old English.
MILAN m Czech, Slovak, Russian, Serbian, Croatian, Slovene, Bulgarian, MacedonianFrom the Slavic element
milu meaning
"gracious, dear", originally a short form of names that began with that element. A city in Italy bears this name, though it originates from a different source.
MILBURN m EnglishFrom an English surname that was from a place name meaning
"mill stream" in Old English.
MILFORD m EnglishFrom an English surname that was originally derived from various place names all meaning
"ford by a mill" in Old English.
MILTON m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"mill town" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was John Milton (1608-1674), the poet who wrote
Paradise Lost.
MIRON (2) m HebrewFrom the name of the highest mountain in Israel, Mount Meron. It is also the name of a village on its slopes, thought to be on the same site as the ancient Canaanite city of Merom.
MONICA f English, Italian, Romanian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Late RomanMeaning unknown, most likely of North African or Phoenician origin. In the 4th century this name was borne by the North African saint Monica of Hippo, the mother of Saint Augustine, whom she converted to Christianity. Since the Middle Ages it has been associated with Latin
moneo "advisor" and Greek
monos "one". As an English name,
Monica has been in general use since the 18th century.
MONTANA f & m English (Modern)From the name of the American state, which is derived from Latin
montanus "mountainous".
MONTSERRAT f CatalanFrom the name of a mountain near Barcelona, the site of a monastery founded in the 10th century. The mountain gets its name from Latin
mons serratus meaning
"jagged mountain".
MORTIMER m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"still water" in Old French.
MOSTYN m WelshFrom a Welsh place name meaning
"moss town" in Old English.
MUIR m ScottishFrom a surname that was originally taken from a Scottish place name meaning
"moor, fen". It also means
"sea" in Scottish Gaelic.
NAPOLEON m History, EnglishFrom the old Italian name
Napoleone, used most notably by the French emperor Napoléon Bonaparte (1769-1821), who was born on Corsica. The etymology is uncertain, but it is possibly derived from the Germanic
Nibelungen meaning
"sons of mist", a name used in Germanic mythology to refer to the keepers of a hoard of treasure (often identified with the Burgundians). Alternatively, it could be connected to the name of the Italian city of Napoli (Naples).
NAZARET f & m Spanish, ArmenianFrom Nazareth, the town in Galilee where
Jesus lived. This name is feminine in Spanish and masculine in Armenian.
NEVADA f & m EnglishFrom the name of the American state, which means
"snow-capped" in Spanish.
NEWTON m EnglishFrom a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning
"new town" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was the English physicist Isaac Newton (1643-1727).
NORTON m EnglishFrom a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning
"north town" in Old English.
NUBIA f VariousFrom the name of the ancient region and kingdom in Africa, south of Egypt. It possibly derives from the Egyptian word
nbw meaning "gold".
NYSSA f VariousFrom the name of an ancient town of Asia Minor where Saint Gregory was bishop in the 4th century. Nyssa is also the genus name of a type of tree, also called the Tupelo.
ODELL m & f EnglishFrom a surname that was originally from an English place name, itself derived from Old English
wad "woad" (a plant that produces a blue dye) and
hyll "hill".
ODESSA f VariousFrom the name of a Ukrainian city that sits on the north coast of the Black Sea. This name can also be used as a feminine form of
ODYSSEUS.
OGDEN m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"oak valley" in Old English. A famous bearer was the humorous American poet Ogden Nash (1902-1971).
OPHRAH m BiblicalMeans
"fawn" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of both a man mentioned in genealogies and a city in Manasseh.
PACEY m & f English (Rare)From an English surname that was derived from the French place name
Pacy, itself derived from Gaulish given name of unknown meaning.
PAISLEY f English (Modern)From a Scottish surname, originally from the name of a town, which may ultimately be derived from Latin
basilica "church". This is also a word (derived from the name of that same town) for a type of pattern commonly found on fabrics.
PARIS (2) f VariousFrom the name of the capital city of France, which got its name from the ancient Celtic tribe known as the Parisii.
PAXTON m English (Modern)From an English surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"Pœcc's town".
Pœcc is an Old English given name of unknown meaning.
PEYTON m & f EnglishFrom an English surname, originally a place name meaning
"PÆGA's town". A famous bearer was Peyton Randolph (1721-1775), the first president of the Continental Congress. It is also borne by American football quarterback Peyton Manning (1976-).
PHILADELPHIA f English (Rare)From the name of a city in Asia Minor mentioned in Revelation in the New Testament. The name of the city meant "brotherly love" from Greek
φιλέω (phileo) meaning "to love" and
ἀδελφός (adelphos) meaning "brother". It is also the name of a city in the United States.
POMONA f Roman MythologyFrom Latin
pomus "fruit tree". This was the name of the Roman goddess of fruit trees.
PONTIUS m Ancient Roman, Biblical Latin, BiblicalRoman family name. The family had Samnite roots so the name probably originated from the Oscan language, likely meaning
"fifth" (a cognate of Latin
Quintus). Alternatively, it could be derived from the name of the ancient province of
Pontus in Asia Minor, itself probably from Greek
πόντος (pontos) meaning
"sea". A notable bearer of this name was Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea who appears in the New Testament.
PRESLEY f & m EnglishFrom an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning
"priest clearing" (Old English
preost and
leah). This surname was borne by musician Elvis Presley (1935-1977).
QUERALT f CatalanFrom the name of a Spanish sanctuary (in Catalonia) that is devoted to the Virgin
Mary.
QUINCY m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived (via the place name
CUINCHY) from the personal name
QUINTUS. A famous bearer was John Quincy Adams (1767-1848), sixth president of the United States, who was born in the town of Quincy, Massachusetts. Both the town and the president were named after his maternal great-grandfather John Quincy (1689-1767).
RALEIGH m & f EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from a place name meaning either "red clearing" or "roe deer clearing" in Old English. A city in North Carolina bears this name, after the English courtier, poet and explorer Sir Walter Raleigh (1552-1618).
RAMSEY m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"wild-garlic island" in Old English.
REGINA f English, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Lithuanian, Estonian, Polish, Czech, Hungarian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Late RomanMeans
"queen" in Latin (or Italian). It was in use as a Christian name from early times, and was borne by a 2nd-century saint. In England it was used during the Middle Ages in honour of the Virgin
Mary, and it was later revived in the 19th century. A city in Canada bears this name, in honour of Queen Victoria.
REMINGTON m & f EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from the name of the town of Rimington in Lancashire, itself meaning
"settlement on the Riming stream". It may be given in honour of the American manufacturer Eliphalet Remington (1793-1861) or his sons, founders of the firearms company that bears their name.
RHONA f ScottishPossibly derived from the name of the Hebridean island
Rona, which means
"rough island" in Gaelic.
RHONDA f EnglishProbably intended to mean "good spear" from Welsh
rhon "spear" and
da "good", but possibly influenced by the name of the Rhondda Valley in South Wales, which means "noisy". It has been in use only since the 20th century. Its use may have been partially inspired by Margaret Mackworth, Viscountess Rhondda (1883-1956), a British feminist.
RIGBY m English (Rare)From a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning
"ridge farm" in Old Norse.
RILEY m & f EnglishFrom a surname that comes from two distinct sources. As an Irish surname it is a variant of
REILLY. As an English surname it is derived from a place name meaning
"rye clearing" in Old English.
RODNEY m EnglishFrom a surname, originally derived from a place name, which meant "Hroda's island" in Old English (where
Hroda is a Germanic given name meaning "fame"). It was first used as a given name in honour of the British admiral Lord Rodney (1719-1792).
ROHAN (2) f LiteratureFrom the novel
The Lord of the Rings (1954) by J. R. R. Tolkien, where it is a place name meaning
"horse country" in Sindarin.
ROSCOE m EnglishFrom an English surname, originally derived from a place name, itself derived from Old Norse
rá "roebuck" and
skógr "wood, forest".
ROSWELL m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from an Old English place name meaning
"horse spring".
ROXELANA f HistoryFrom a Turkish nickname meaning
"Ruthenian". This referred to the region of Ruthenia, covering Belarus, Ukraine and western Russia. Roxelana (1502-1558), also known by the name Hürrem, was a slave and then concubine of Süleyman the Magnificent, sultan of the Ottoman Empire. She eventually became his wife and produced his heir, Selim II.
RUDYARD m English (Rare)From a place name meaning
"red yard" in Old English. This name was borne by Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936), the author of
The Jungle Book and other works, who was named after Rudyard Lake in Staffordshire.
SACHEVERELL m English (Rare)From a surname that was derived from a Norman place name. It was occasionally given in honour of preacher Henry Sacheverell (1674-1724).
SEBASTIAN m German, English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Polish, Finnish, Romanian, CzechFrom the Latin name
Sebastianus, which meant
"from Sebaste". Sebaste was the name a town in Asia Minor, its name deriving from Greek
σεβαστός (sebastos) meaning "venerable" (a translation of Latin
Augustus, the title of the Roman emperors). According to Christian tradition, Saint Sebastian was a 3rd-century Roman soldier martyred during the persecutions of the emperor Diocletian. After he was discovered to be a Christian, he was tied to a stake and shot with arrows. This however did not kill him. Saint Irene of Rome healed him and he returned to personally admonish Diocletian, whereupon the emperor had him beaten to death.
... [more] SELBY m & f English (Rare)From an English surname that was from a place name meaning
"willow farm" in Old Norse.
SEVAN f & m ArmenianFrom the name of the largest lake in Armenia, which may be from the Urartian word
suinia simply meaning "lake".
SHEBA m BiblicalMeans
"oath" in Hebrew. This is the name of several characters in the Old Testament. Also in the Bible, this is a place name, referring to a region in Ethiopia. The queen of Sheba visited Solomon after hearing of his wisdom.
SHELDON m EnglishFrom a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning
"valley with steep sides" in Old English. Sheldon is the name of several locations in England.
SHERWOOD m EnglishFrom an English place name (or from a surname that was derived from it) meaning
"bright forest". This was the name of the forest in which the legendary outlaw Robin Hood made his home.
SHILOH m & f BiblicalFrom an Old Testament place name possibly meaning
"tranquil" in Hebrew. It is also used prophetically in the Old Testament to refer to a person, often understood to be the Messiah (see
Genesis 49:10). This may in fact be a mistranslation. This name was brought to public attention after actors Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt gave it to their daughter in 2006.
SIDONIUS m Late RomanLatin name meaning
"of Sidon". Sidon was an ancient Phoenician city corresponding to modern-day Saida in Lebanon. This name was borne by the 5th-century saint Sidonius Apollinaris, a 5th-century bishop of Clermont.
SIENNA f English (Modern)From the English word meaning
"orange-red". It is ultimately from the name of the city of Siena in Italy, because of the colour of the clay there.
SIERRA f English (Modern)Means
"mountain range" in Spanish, referring specifically to a mountain range with jagged peaks.
SINCLAIR m & f English (Rare)From a surname that was derived from a Norman French town called "Saint
CLAIR". A notable bearer was the American author Sinclair Lewis (1885-1951).
SKYE f English (Modern)From the name of the Isle of Skye off the west coast of Scotland. It is sometimes considered a variant of
SKY.
SOFIA f Greek, Italian, Portuguese, Catalan, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Finnish, Estonian, Slovak, Romanian, Russian, Ukrainian, BulgarianForm of
SOPHIA used in various languages.
STAFFORD m EnglishFrom a surname that was from a place name meaning
"landing-place ford" in Old English.
STANFORD m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"stone ford" in Old English.
STERLING m EnglishFrom a Scottish surname that was derived from city of Stirling, which is itself of unknown meaning. The name can also be given in reference to the English word
sterling meaning "excellent". In this case, the word derives from sterling silver, which was so named because of the emblem that some Norman coins bore, from Old English meaning "little star".
SYDNEY f & m EnglishFrom a surname that was a variant of the surname
SIDNEY. This is the name of the largest city in Australia, which was named for Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney in 1788. Since the 1990s this name has been mainly feminine.
TALIN f ArmenianFrom the name of an Armenian town (meaning unknown), which is home to a famous 7th-century cathedral.
TALLULAH f English (Rare)Popularly claimed to mean "leaping waters" in the Choctaw language, it may actually mean "town" in the Creek language. This is the name of waterfalls in Georgia. It was borne by American actress Tallulah Bankhead (1902-1968), who was named after her grandmother, who may have been named after the waterfalls.
TAMAR f Hebrew, Georgian, Biblical, Biblical HebrewMeans
"date palm" in Hebrew. According to the Old Testament Tamar was the daughter-in-law of
Judah and later his wife. This was also the name of a daughter of King
David. She was raped by her half-brother
Amnon, leading to his murder by her brother
Absalom. The name was borne by a 12th-century ruling queen of Georgia who presided over the kingdom at the peak of its power.
TARA (1) f EnglishAnglicized form of the Irish place name
Teamhair, which possibly means
"elevated place" in Gaelic. This was the name of the sacred hill near Dublin where the Irish high kings resided. It was popularized as a given name by the novel
Gone with the Wind (1936) and the subsequent movie adaptation (1939), in which it is the name of the O'Hara plantation.
THISBE f Greek Mythology, Roman MythologyFrom the name of an ancient Greek town in Boeotia, itself supposedly named after a nymph. In a Greek legend (the oldest surviving version appearing in Latin in Ovid's
Metamorphoses) this is the name of a young woman from Babylon. Believing her to be dead, her lover Pyramus kills himself, after which she does the same to herself. The splashes of blood from their suicides is the reason mulberry fruit are red.
TIRZAH f BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
תִּרְצָה (Tirtzah) meaning
"favourable". Tirzah is the name of one of the daughters of
Zelophehad in the Old Testament. It also occurs in the Old Testament as a place name, the early residence of the kings of the northern kingdom.
TIVOLI m & f VariousFrom the name of a picturesque Italian town, used as a summer resort by the ancient Romans.
TRACY f & m EnglishFrom an English surname that was taken from a Norman French place name meaning
"domain belonging to THRACIUS". Charles Dickens used it for a male character in his novel
The Pickwick Papers (1837). It was later popularized as a feminine name by the main character Tracy Lord in the movie
The Philadelphia Story (1940). This name is also sometimes used as a diminutive of
THERESA.
TRENT m EnglishFrom a surname that originally denoted someone who lived by the River
Trent in England.
Trent is also a city in Italy, though the etymology is unrelated.
TRENTON m EnglishFrom the name of a New Jersey city established in the 17th century by William Trent. It means "
TRENT's town".
TREVOR m Welsh, EnglishFrom a surname that was originally from a place name meaning
"big village" from Welsh
tref "village" and
mawr "large".
TRINIDAD f & m SpanishMeans
"trinity" in Spanish, referring to the Holy Trinity. An island in the West Indies bears this name.
TROY m EnglishOriginally from a surname that denoted a person from the city of Troyes in France. It is now more likely used in reference to the ancient city of Troy that was besieged by the Greeks in
Homer's
Iliad. The city's name, from Greek
Τροία (Troia), is said to derive from its mythical founder
Τρώς (Tros), but is more likely of Luwian or Hittite origin. This name was popularized in the 1960s by the actor Troy Donahue (1936-2001), who took his stage name from that of the ancient city.