Adhara f AstronomyDerived from Arabic
عذارى ('adhara) meaning
"maidens". This is the name of the second brightest star (after
Sirius) in the constellation Canis Major.
Affan m ArabicFrom Arabic
عفّ ('aff) meaning
"chaste, modest, pure". This was the name of the father of the caliph
Uthman.
Agnes f English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Estonian, Ancient Greek (Latinized)Latinized form of the Greek name
Ἁγνή (Hagne), derived from Greek
ἁγνός (hagnos) meaning
"chaste". Saint Agnes was a virgin martyred during the persecutions of the Roman emperor Diocletian. The name became associated with Latin
agnus "lamb", resulting in the saint's frequent depiction with a lamb by her side. Due to her renown, the name became common in Christian Europe.
... [more] Aludra f AstronomyDerived from Arabic
العذراء (al-'adhra) meaning
"the maiden". This is the name of a star in the constellation Canis Major.
Anahita f Persian, Persian MythologyMeans
"immaculate, undefiled" in Old Persian, from the Old Iranian prefix *
an- "not" combined with *
āhita "unclean, dirty". This was the name of an Iranian goddess of fertility and water. In the Zoroastrian religious texts the
Avesta she is called
𐬀𐬭𐬆𐬛𐬎𐬎𐬍 (Arəduuī) in Avestan, with
𐬀𐬥𐬁𐬵𐬌𐬙𐬀 (anāhita) appearing only as a descriptive epithet. In origin she is possibly identical to the Indian goddess
Saraswati. She has historically been identified with the Semitic goddess
Ishtar and the Greek goddess
Artemis.
Anaïs f FrenchPossibly a French variant of
Anahita. A famous bearer was the French writer Anaïs Nin (1903-1977), known for her diaries.
Astraea f Greek Mythology (Latinized)Latinized form of the Greek
Ἀστραία (Astraia), derived from Greek
ἀστήρ (aster) meaning
"star". Astraea was a Greek goddess of justice and innocence. After wickedness took root in the world she left the earth and became the constellation Virgo.
Atsushi m JapaneseFrom Japanese
淳 (atsushi) meaning "pure" or
敦 (atsushi) meaning "kindness, honesty". This name can also be formed from other kanji or kanji combinations.
Bai m & f ChineseFrom 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.
Batul f ArabicMeans
"virgin" in Arabic. This is an Arabic epithet of the Virgin
Mary.
Belphoebe f LiteratureCombination of Old French
bele "beautiful" and the name
Phoebe. This name was first used by Edmund Spenser in his poem
The Faerie Queene (1590).
Bláthnat f Irish MythologyMeans
"little flower" from Irish
bláth "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 was in turn murdered by one of Cú Roí's loyal servants.
Candida f Late Roman, EnglishLate Latin name derived from
candidus meaning
"white". This was the name of several early saints, including a woman supposedly healed by Saint
Peter. As an English name, it came into use after George Bernard Shaw's play
Candida (1898).
Chastity f EnglishFrom the English word
chastity, which is ultimately from Latin
castus "pure". It was borne by the child of Sonny Bono and Cher, which probably led to the name's increase in popularity during the 1970s.
Cloelia f Ancient RomanFeminine form of
Cloelius. In Roman legend Cloelia was a maiden who was given to an Etruscan invader as a hostage. She managed to escape by swimming across the Tiber, at the same time helping some of the other captives to safety.
Dido f Roman Mythology, Greek MythologyMeaning unknown, probably of Phoenician origin. Dido, also called
Elissa, was the queen of Carthage in
Virgil's
Aeneid. She threw herself upon a funeral pyre after Aeneas left her. Virgil based the story on earlier Greco-Roman accounts.
Fatimah f Arabic, Malay, IndonesianMeans
"to abstain" in Arabic. Fatimah was a daughter of the Prophet
Muhammad and the wife of
Ali, the fourth caliph. She is regarded as the exemplary Muslim woman, especially among Shias.
Febronia f Late RomanPossibly from
Februa, a Roman purification festival that was held during the month of February (and which gave the month its name). The festival was derived from Latin
februum meaning "purging, purification". This name was borne by Saint Febronia of Nisibis, a 4th-century martyr.
Glenys f WelshProbably an elaboration of the Welsh word
glân "pure, clean, holy" or
glyn "valley". This name was created in the late 19th century.
Gyeong-Suk f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
京 (gyeong) meaning "capital city" and
淑 (suk) meaning "good, pure, virtuous, charming". Other hanja character combinations are possible.
Inmaculada f SpanishMeans
"immaculate" in Spanish. This name is given to commemorate the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin
Mary.
Innocent m History (Ecclesiastical), English (African)From the Late Latin name
Innocentius, which was derived from
innocens "innocent". This was the name of several early saints. It was also borne by 13 popes including Innocent III, a politically powerful ruler and organizer of the Fourth Crusade.
... [more] Jeong-Suk f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
貞 (jeong) meaning "virtuous, chaste, loyal" or
正 (jeong) meaning "right, proper, correct" combined with
淑 (suk) meaning "good, pure, virtuous, charming". Other hanja combinations are possible.
Jun 2 m & f JapaneseFrom Japanese
淳 (jun) meaning "pure",
潤 (jun) meaning "moisture",
純 (jun) meaning "pure, clean, simple", or other kanji that are pronounced the same way.
Jun'ichi m JapaneseFrom Japanese
順 (jun) meaning "obey, submit" or
淳 (jun) meaning "pure" combined with
一 (ichi) meaning "one". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Junko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
順 (jun) meaning "obedience" or
純 (jun) meaning "pure" combined with
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other combinations of kanji characters are also possible.
Junpei m JapaneseFrom Japanese
純 (jun) or
淳 (jun) both meaning "pure" combined with
平 (pei) meaning "level, even, peaceful". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.
Kasumi f JapaneseFrom Japanese
霞 (kasumi) meaning "mist". It can also come from
花 (ka) meaning "flower, blossom" combined with
澄 (sumi) meaning "clear, pure". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
Katherine f EnglishFrom the Greek name
Αἰκατερίνη (Aikaterine). The etymology is debated: it could derive from an earlier Greek name
Ἑκατερινη (Hekaterine), itself from
ἑκάτερος (hekateros) meaning
"each of the two"; it could derive from the name of the goddess
Hecate; it could be related to Greek
αἰκία (aikia) meaning
"torture"; or it could be from a Coptic name meaning
"my consecration of your name". In the early Christian era it became associated with Greek
καθαρός (katharos) meaning
"pure", and the Latin spelling was changed from
Katerina to
Katharina to reflect this.
... [more] Kiyo f JapaneseFrom Japanese
清 (kiyo) meaning "clear, pure, clean" or other homophonic words. This was a popular name in the Edo period and remained common until the early 20th century, at which time it was usually spelled using katakana.
Kiyoko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
清 (kiyo) meaning "clear, pure, clean" or
聖 (kiyo) meaning "holy" and
子 (ko) meaning "child". This name can also be formed from other combinations of kanji characters.
Kore f Greek MythologyMeans
"maiden" in Greek. This was another name for the Greek goddess Persephone.
Lily f EnglishFrom the name of the flower, a symbol of purity. The word is ultimately derived from Latin
lilium. This is the name of the main character, Lily Bart, in the novel
The House of Mirth (1905) by Edith Wharton. A famous bearer is the American actress Lily Tomlin (1939-).
Lucasta f LiteratureThis name was first used by the poet Richard Lovelace for a collection of poems called
Lucasta (1649). The poems were dedicated to Lucasta, a nickname for the woman he loved Lucy Sacheverel, whom he called
lux casta "pure light".
Masuma f Arabic, Pashto, UrduMeans
"innocent" in Arabic. After her death, this name was applied to Fatima, a daughter of the 9th-century Shia imam Musa al-Kadhim.
Mi-Suk f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" and
淑 (suk) meaning "good, pure, virtuous, charming", as well as other combinations of hanja characters with the same pronunciations.
Morwenna f Cornish, WelshFrom Old Cornish
moroin meaning
"maiden, girl" (related to the Welsh word
morwyn). This was the name of a 6th-century Cornish saint, said to be one of the daughters of
Brychan Brycheiniog.
Myeong-Suk f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
明 (myeong) meaning "bright, light, clear" combined with
淑 (suk) meaning "good, pure, virtuous, charming". Other hanja combinations are possible.
Naida f DagestaniMeaning uncertain, possibly derived from Greek
Ναϊάς (Naias), a type of water nymph in Greek mythology (plural
Ναϊάδες). Alternatively it might be related to Persian
Nahid.
Naomh f IrishMeans
"holy" in Irish. This name was created in the 20th century.
Oanez f BretonDerived from Breton
oan "lamb" (ultimately from Latin
agnus) and used as a Breton form of
Agnes.
Pallas 1 f Greek MythologyProbably derived from a Greek word meaning
"maiden, young woman". This was an epithet of the Greek goddess
Athena. According to some legends it was originally the name of a friend of the goddess. Athena accidentally killed her while sparring, so she took the name in honour of her friend.
Phoebe f English, Greek Mythology (Latinized), Biblical, Biblical LatinLatinized form of the Greek name
Φοίβη (Phoibe), which meant
"bright, pure" from Greek
φοῖβος (phoibos). In Greek mythology Phoibe was a Titan associated with the moon. This was also an epithet of her granddaughter, the moon goddess
Artemis. The name appears in
Paul's epistle to the Romans in the New Testament, where it belongs to a female minister in the church at Cenchreae.
... [more] Purificación f SpanishMeans
"purification" in Spanish. This name is given in reference to the ritual purification of the Virgin
Mary after her childbirth.
Rosamund f English (Rare)Derived from the Old German elements
hros "horse" and
munt "protection". This name was borne by the wife of the Lombard king Alboin in the 6th century. The Normans introduced it to England. It was subsequently interpreted as coming from Latin
rosa munda "pure rose" or
rosa mundi "rose of the world". This was the name of the mistress of Henry II, the king of England in the 12th century. According to legends she was murdered by his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine.
Safaa f & m ArabicMeans
"pure", from Arabic
صفا (safa). As-Safaa is the name of one of the two sacred hills near Mecca. This can also be an alternate transcription of Arabic
صفاء (see
Safaa').
Shu f ChineseFrom Chinese
淑 (shū) meaning "good, pure, virtuous, charming", besides other characters that are pronounced similarly.
Shufen f ChineseFrom Chinese
淑 (shū) meaning "good, pure, virtuous, charming" combined with
芬 (fēn) meaning "fragrance, aroma, perfume". Other character combinations are possible as well.
Suk-Ja f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
淑 (suk) meaning "good, pure, virtuous, charming" and
子 (ja) meaning "child". Other hanja characters can form this name as well. Korean feminine names ending with the character
子 (a fashionable name suffix in Japan, read as
-ko in Japanese) declined in popularity after 1945 when Korea was liberated from Japanese rule.
Táhirih f HistoryVariant of
Tahira. This was the title of Fatimah Baraghani, a 19th-century Persian poet, theologian and reformer.
Thekla f German (Rare), Greek (Rare), Late GreekFrom the ancient Greek name
Θεόκλεια (Theokleia), which meant
"glory of God" from the Greek elements
θεός (theos) meaning "god" and
κλέος (kleos) meaning "glory". This was the name of a 1st-century saint, appearing (as
Θέκλα) in the apocryphal
Acts of Paul and Thecla. The story tells how Thecla listens to Paul speak about the virtues of chastity and decides to remain a virgin, angering both her mother and her suitor.
Tom 2 m & f HebrewMeans
"the end, innocence, simplicity" from Hebrew
תּוֹם (tom). It can also be an alternate transcription of
תָּם (see
Tam 2).
Ursula f English, Swedish, Danish, German, Dutch, Finnish, Late RomanMeans
"little bear", derived from a diminutive form of the Latin word
ursa "she-bear". Saint Ursula was a legendary virgin princess of the 4th century who was martyred by the Huns while returning from a pilgrimage. In England the saint was popular during the Middle Ages, and the name came into general use at that time.
Virgo f AstronomyMeans
"maiden, virgin" in Latin. This is the name of a constellation and the sixth sign of the zodiac.
Yeong-Suk f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
英 (yeong) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero" and
淑 (suk) meaning "good, pure, virtuous, charming". Other hanja character combinations are possible.
Zaccai m BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
זַכָּי (Zakkai) meaning
"pure". This is the name of a minor character in the Old Testament.
Zacchaeus m BiblicalFrom
Ζακχαῖος (Zakchaios), the Greek form of
Zaccai. According to the New Testament, Zacchaeus was a tax collector who climbed a tree in order to catch a glimpse of
Jesus, then gave half of his possessions to charity.