Æðelflæd f Anglo-SaxonOld English name composed of the elements
æðel "noble" and
flæd "beauty". Æðelflæd was a 10th-century queen of Mercia.
Æðelstan m Anglo-SaxonDerived from the Old English elements
æðel "noble" and
stan "stone". This was the name of a 10th-century English king, the first to rule all of England. The name was rarely used after the Norman Conquest, though it enjoyed a modest revival (as
Athelstan) in the 19th century.
Albert m English, French, Catalan, German, Polish, Russian, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Finnish, Romanian, Hungarian, Ancient GermanicFrom the Germanic name
Adalbert meaning
"noble and bright", composed of the elements
adal "noble" and
beraht "bright". This name was common among medieval German royalty. The Normans introduced it to England, where it replaced the Old English cognate
Æðelberht. Though it became rare in England by the 17th century, it was repopularized in the 19th century by the German-born Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria.
... [more] Alvah m BiblicalMeans
"his highness" in Hebrew. This name is mentioned in the Old Testament as belonging to a descendant of Esau.
Basil 1 m EnglishFrom the Greek name
Βασίλειος (Basileios), which was derived from
βασιλεύς (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.
Blanche f French, EnglishFrom a medieval French nickname meaning
"white, fair". This name and its cognates in other languages are ultimately derived from the Germanic word
blanc. An early bearer was the 12th-century Blanca of Navarre, the wife of Sancho III of Castile. Her granddaughter of the same name married Louis VIII of France, with the result that the name became more common in France.
Brennus m Gaulish (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.
Cadeyrn m Welsh (Rare)From Old Welsh
Catigirn meaning
"battle king", derived from
cat "battle" and
tigirn "king, monarch". This was the name of a 5th-century king of Powys in Wales, the son of
Vortigern.
Cadfael m Welsh (Rare)From Old Welsh
Catmail meaning
"battle prince", from
cat "battle" and
mael "prince". This was apparently the birth name of Saint Cadoc. It was used by the British author Ellis Peters for the main character in her books
The Cadfael Chronicles, first released in 1977.
Cambyses m HistoryFrom
Καμβύσης (Kambyses), the Greek form of the Old Persian name
Kambujiya, which is of unknown meaning. Two Persian kings bore this name, including Cambyses II who conquered Egypt.
Casimir m English, FrenchEnglish form of the Polish name
Kazimierz, derived from the Slavic element
kaziti "to destroy" combined with
miru "peace, world". Four kings of Poland have borne this name, including Casimir III the Great, who greatly strengthened the Polish state in the 14th century. It was also borne Saint Casimir, a 15th-century Polish prince and a patron saint of Poland and Lithuania. The name was imported into Western Europe via Germany, where it was borne by some royalty.
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.
Chobin m HistoryFrom Persian
چوبین (Chubin) meaning
"spear-like". Bahram Chobin was a 6th-century Sasanian general and, for a short period, the king. He received this nickname because he was tall and thin. He appears in the 10th-century Persian epic the
Shahnameh.
Clarence m EnglishFrom the Latin title
Clarensis, which belonged to members of the British royal family. The title ultimately derives from the name of the town of Clare in Suffolk. As a given name it has been in use since the 19th century.
Clotilde f French, Italian, Portuguese, SpanishFrench form of the Germanic name
Chlotichilda, which was composed of the elements
hlud "fame" and
hild "battle". Saint Clotilde was the wife of the Frankish king Clovis, whom she converted to Christianity.
Cyneburg f Anglo-SaxonMeans
"royal fortress" from Old English
cyne "royal" and
burg "fortress". Saint Cyneburga, a daughter of a king of Mercia, was the founder of an abbey at Gloucester in the 7th century.
Eudocia f Ancient Greek (Latinized)Latinized form of the Greek name
Εὐδοκία (Eudokia), derived from the word
εὐδοκέω (eudokeo) meaning
"to be well pleased, to be satisfied", itself derived from
εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and
δοκέω (dokeo) meaning "to think, to imagine, to suppose". This name was common among Byzantine royalty. Saint Eudocia was the wife of the 5th-century emperor Theodosius II.
Faustin m FrenchFrench form of
Faustinus (see
Faustino). It is currently more common in French-speaking Africa and the French Caribbean than it is in France. A famous bearer was Faustin Soulouque (1782-1867), a president and then emperor of Haiti.
Felix m German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, English, Romanian, Ancient Roman, Biblical, Biblical LatinFrom a Roman cognomen meaning
"lucky, successful" in Latin. It was acquired as an agnomen, or nickname, by the 1st-century BC Roman general Sulla. It also appears in the New Testament belonging to the governor of Judea who imprisoned Saint
Paul.
... [more] Ferdinand m German, French, Dutch, English, Slovak, Czech, Slovene, Croatian, Ancient GermanicFrom
Ferdinando, the old Spanish form of a Germanic name composed of the elements
fardi "journey" and
nand "daring, brave". The Visigoths brought the name to the Iberian Peninsula, where it entered into the royal families of Spain and Portugal. From there it became common among the Habsburg royal family of the Holy Roman Empire and Austria, starting with the Spanish-born Ferdinand I in the 16th century. A notable bearer was Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan (1480-1521), called Fernão de Magalhães in Portuguese, who was the leader of the first expedition to sail around the earth.
Friedrich m GermanGerman form of
Frederick. This was the name of kings of Germany. The socialist Friedrich Engels (1820-1895) and the philosopher Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (1844-1900) are two famous bearers of this name.
Gabriel m French, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Catalan, English, Romanian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Georgian, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical GreekFrom the Hebrew name
גַבְרִיאֵל (Gavri'el) meaning
"God is my strong man", derived from
גֶּבֶר (gever) meaning "strong man, hero" and
אֵל ('el) meaning "God". Gabriel is an archangel in Hebrew tradition, often appearing as a messenger of God. In the Old Testament he is sent to interpret the visions of the prophet
Daniel, while in the New Testament he serves as the announcer of the births of
John to
Zechariah and
Jesus to
Mary. According to Islamic tradition he was the angel who dictated the Quran to
Muhammad.
... [more] Genghis m HistoryFrom the title
Genghis (or
Chinggis)
Khan, meaning "universal ruler", which was adopted by the Mongol Empire founder
Temujin in the late 12th century. Remembered both for his military brilliance and his brutality towards civilians, he went on to conquer huge areas of Asia and Eastern Europe.
Gormlaith f Old IrishDerived from Old Irish
gorm "blue" or "illustrious" and
flaith "ruler, sovereign, princess". This was the name of several medieval Irish royals, including the wife of the 11th-century king
Brian Boru.
Gruffudd m WelshFrom the Old Welsh name
Grifud, the second element deriving from Old Welsh
iudd "lord, prince" but the first element being of uncertain meaning (possibly
cryf "strong"). This was a common name among medieval Welsh royalty. Gruffudd (or Gruffydd) ap Llywelyn was an 11th-century Welsh ruler who fought against England.
Gurgen m Armenian, GeorgianDerived from Middle Persian
gurg "wolf" combined with a diminutive suffix. This name was borne by several Georgian kings and princes.
Hermenegildo m Spanish, PortugueseSpanish and Portuguese form of a Visigothic name meaning
"complete sacrifice", from the Germanic elements
ermen "whole, entire" and
gild "sacrifice, value". It was borne by a 6th-century saint, the son of Liuvigild the Visigothic king of Hispania.
Hōkūlani f HawaiianMeans
"heavenly star" from Hawaiian
hōkū "star" and
lani "heaven, sky, royal, majesty".
Judith f English, Jewish, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Spanish, French, BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
יְהוּדִית (Yehudit) meaning
"Jewish woman", feminine of
יְהוּדִי (yehudi), ultimately referring to a person from the tribe of
Judah. In the Old Testament Judith is one of the Hittite wives of
Esau. This is also the name of the main character of the apocryphal Book of Judith. She killed Holofernes, an invading Assyrian commander, by beheading him in his sleep.
... [more] Kahina f Northern African, BerberDerived from Arabic
الكاهِنة (al-Kahinah) meaning
"the diviner, the fortuneteller". This was a title applied to the 7th-century Berber queen Dihya, who resisted the Arab expansion into North Africa.
Kalani m & f HawaiianMeans
"the heavens" from Hawaiian
ka "the" and
lani "heaven, sky, royal, majesty".
Kamalani f & m HawaiianMeans
"heavenly child" or
"royal child" from Hawaiian
kama "child" and
lani "heaven, sky, royal, majesty".
Kaur f Indian (Sikh)Means
"princess", ultimately from Sanskrit
कुमारी (kumari) meaning "girl". This surname was assigned to all female Sikhs in 1699 by Guru Gobind Singh. It is now used as a surname or a middle name by most female Sikhs. The male equivalent is
Singh.
Kendrick m EnglishFrom a surname that has several different origins. It could be from the Old English given names
Cyneric "royal power" or
Cenric "bold power", or from the Welsh name
Cynwrig "chief hero". It can also be an Anglicized form of the Gaelic surname
Mac Eanraig meaning "son of
Henry".
... [more] Kenelm m English (Rare)From the Old English name
Cenhelm, which was composed of the elements
cene "bold, keen" and
helm "helmet". Saint Kenelm was a 9th-century martyr from Mercia, where he was a member of the royal family. The name was occasionally used during the Middle Ages, but has since become rare.
Kingsley m English (Modern)From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning
"king's wood" in Old English. This name may have received a boost in popularity after the release of the 2007 movie
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, featuring the character Kingsley Shacklebolt.
Kinsley f English (Modern)From a surname that was derived from an English place name, itself meaning
"clearing belonging to Cyne". The Old English given name
Cyne is a short form of longer names beginning with
cyne meaning "royal".
... [more] Krešimir m CroatianFrom the Slavic elements
kresu "spark, light, rouse" and
miru "peace, world". This was the name of four kings of Croatia.
Kunegunda f Polish (Rare)Polish form of
Kunigunde. The 13th-century Saint Kunegunda was the daughter of Bela IV, king of Hungary. She married Boleslaus V of Poland, but after his death refused to assume power and instead became a nun.
Lani f HawaiianMeans
"sky, heaven, royal, majesty" in Hawaiian.
László m HungarianHungarian form of
Vladislav. Saint László was an 11th-century king of Hungary, looked upon as the embodiment of Christian virtue and bravery.
Leilani f & m HawaiianMeans
"heavenly flowers" or
"royal child" from Hawaiian
lei "flowers, lei, child" and
lani "heaven, sky, royal, majesty".
Makeda f HistoryPossibly means
"greatness" in Ethiopic. This was the name of an Ethiopian queen of the 10th-century BC. She is probably the same person as the Queen of Sheba, who visited Solomon in the Old Testament.
Malik 1 m ArabicMeans
"king" in Arabic. In Islamic tradition
الملك (al-Malik) is one of the 99 names of Allah. This can also be another way of transcribing the name
مالك (see
Maalik).
Marguerite f FrenchFrench form of
Margaret. This is also the French word for the daisy flower (species Leucanthemum vulgare).
Masako f JapaneseFrom Japanese
雅 (masa) meaning "elegant, graceful" or
正 (masa) meaning "right, proper" combined with
子 (ko) meaning "child". Masako (1963-) is the current empress consort of Japan. This name can also be formed from other combinations of kanji.
Mathgamain m Old IrishMeans
"bear" in Old Irish, a compound of
math, itself meaning "bear", and
gamuin meaning "calf". This was the name of a brother of the Irish king
Brian Boru.
Melita f Greek Mythology (Latinized)Latinized form of
Melite. However, in the case of Queen Victoria's granddaughter Princess Victoria Melita (1876-1936), it was derived from
Melita, the Latin name of the island country of Malta where she was born.
Menes m Ancient Egyptian (Hellenized)Greek form of Egyptian
mnj, possibly derived from
mn "to endure". Menes was an Egyptian king who united Upper and Lower Egypt around 3000 BC. He is also known as Narmer; Menes was probably his funeral name.
Meresankh f Ancient EgyptianFrom Egyptian
mrs-ꜥnḫ meaning
"she loves life". This name was borne by several Egyptian royals during the 4th-dynasty period.
Meritites f Ancient EgyptianFrom Egyptian
mryt-jts meaning
"loved by her father". This name was borne by several Egyptian royals, including a wife and a daughter of the pharaoh
Khufu.
Mikhail m Russian, Belarusian, BulgarianRussian and Belarusian form of
Michael, and an alternate transcription of Bulgarian
Михаил (see
Mihail). This was the name of two Russian tsars. Other notable bearers include the poet Mikhail Lermontov (1814-1841) and the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev (1931-).
Morrígan f Irish MythologyMeans either
"demon queen" or
"great queen", derived from Old Irish
mor "demon, evil spirit" or
mór "great, big" combined with
rígain "queen". In Irish mythology Morrígan (called also The Morrígan) was a goddess of war and death who often took the form of a crow.
Nanda m Hinduism, Indian, Kannada, TamilMeans
"joy" in Sanskrit. In Hindu texts this is a name of both
Vishnu and the foster-father of
Krishna, as well as various other characters. In Buddhist texts this is the name of a god and a disciple of Buddha. Nanda was also the name of a 4th-century BC king who founded a dynasty in Magadha in India.
Noelani f HawaiianMeans
"heavenly mist" from Hawaiian
noe "mist" and
lani "heaven, sky, royal, majesty".
Oscar m English, Irish, Portuguese (Brazilian), Italian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, French, Irish MythologyPossibly means
"deer friend", derived from Old Irish
oss "deer" and
carae "friend". Alternatively, it may derive from the Old English name
Osgar or its Old Norse cognate
Ásgeirr, which may have been brought to Ireland by Viking invaders and settlers. In Irish legend Oscar was the son of the poet
Oisín and the grandson of the hero
Fionn mac Cumhaill.
... [more] Peter m English, German, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Slovene, Slovak, BiblicalDerived from Greek
Πέτρος (Petros) meaning
"stone". This is a translation used in most versions of the New Testament of the name
Cephas, meaning "stone" in Aramaic, which was given to the apostle
Simon by
Jesus (compare
Matthew 16:18 and
John 1:42). Simon Peter was the most prominent of the apostles during Jesus' ministry and is often considered the first pope.
... [more] Pomare m & f TahitianMeans
"night cough", from Tahitian
po "night" and
mare "cough". This name was borne by four kings and a queen of Tahiti. The first king adopted the name after his child died of a cough in the night.
Puteri f MalayMeans
"daughter, princess" in Malay, ultimately from Sanskrit
पुत्री (putri).
Raja 2 m Urdu, Tamil, Indian, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Hindi, Marathi, IndonesianMeans
"king, ruler", from Sanskrit
राजन् (rajan).
Roderick m English, Scottish, WelshMeans
"famous ruler" from the Germanic elements
hrod "fame" and
ric "ruler, mighty". This name was in use among the Visigoths; it was borne by their last king (also known as Rodrigo), who died fighting the Muslim invaders of Spain in the 8th century. It also had cognates in Old Norse and West Germanic, and Scandinavian settlers and Normans introduced it to England, though it died out after the Middle Ages. It was revived in the English-speaking world by Walter Scott's 1811 poem
The Vision of Don Roderick.
... [more] Rory m & f Irish, Scottish, EnglishAnglicized form of
Ruaidhrí. Typically a masculine name, it gained some popularity for girls in the United States after it was used on the television series
Gilmore Girls (2000-2007), in this case as a nickname for
Lorelai. Despite this, the name has grown more common for boys in America, especially after 2011, perhaps due to Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy (1989-).
Royal m & f EnglishFrom the English word
royal, derived (via Old French) from Latin
regalis, a derivative of
rex "king". It was first used as a given name in the 19th century.
Royalty f English (Modern)From the English word
royalty, derived (via Old French) from Latin
regalitas, a derivative of
rex "king".
Ruaidhrí m IrishFrom Old Irish
Ruaidrí meaning
"red king", from
rúad "red" combined with
rí "king". This was the name of the last high king of Ireland, reigning in the 12th century.
Ryan m EnglishFrom a common Irish surname, the Anglicized form of
Ó Riain. This patronymic derives from the given name
Rian, which is of uncertain meaning. It is traditionally said to mean
"little king", from Irish
rí "king" combined with a diminutive suffix.
... [more] Sarah f English, French, German, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Dutch, Hebrew, Arabic, Biblical, Biblical HebrewMeans
"lady, princess, noblewoman" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of
Abraham's wife, considered the matriarch of the Jewish people. She was barren until she unexpectedly became pregnant with
Isaac at the age of 90. Her name was originally
Sarai, but God changed it at the same time Abraham's name was changed (see
Genesis 17:15).
... [more] Shaka m HistoryFrom Zulu
uShaka, apparently from
ishaka, a stomach cramp caused by an intestinal parasite. This was the name of a Zulu warrior king (1787-1828), supposedly given because his unmarried mother Nandi and/or his father Senzangakhona blamed her pregnancy symptoms on the parasite.
Sophia f English, Greek, German, Ancient GreekMeans
"wisdom" in Greek. This was the name of an early, probably mythical, saint who died of grief after her three daughters were martyred during the reign of the emperor Hadrian. Legends about her probably arose as a result of a medieval misunderstanding of the phrase
Hagia Sophia "Holy Wisdom", which is the name of a large basilica in Constantinople.
... [more] Sophonisba f Phoenician (Latinized), HistoryFrom the Punic name
𐤑𐤐𐤍𐤁𐤏𐤋 (Ṣapanbaʿl) probably meaning
"Ba'al conceals", derived from Phoenician
𐤑𐤐𐤍 (ṣapan) possibly meaning "to hide, to conceal" combined with the name of the god
Ba'al. Sophonisba was a 3rd-century BC Carthaginian princess who killed herself rather than surrender to the Romans. Her name was recorded in this form by Roman historians such as Livy. She later became a popular subject of plays from the 16th century onwards.
Sultan m & f Arabic, Turkish, Urdu, Bengali, AvarMeans
"ruler, king, sultan" in Arabic. In the Arab world this name is typically masculine, but Turkey it is given to both boys and girls.
Takehiko m JapaneseFrom Japanese
武 (take) meaning "military, martial" or
竹 (take) meaning "bamboo" combined with
彦 (hiko) meaning "boy, prince". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
Talulla f Irish (Rare)Anglicized form of the Old Irish name
Taileflaith,
Tuileflaith or
Tuilelaith, probably from
tuile "abundance" and
flaith "ruler, sovereign, princess". This was the name of an early saint, an abbess of Kildare.
Tarquin m HistoryFrom
Tarquinius, a Roman name of unknown meaning, possibly Etruscan in origin. This was the name of two early kings of Rome.
Tatius m Roman Mythology, Ancient RomanRoman family name of unknown meaning, possibly of Sabine origin. According to Roman legend, Titus Tatius was an 8th-century BC king of the Sabines who came to jointly rule over the Romans and Sabines with the Roman king Romulus.
Teuta f AlbanianPossibly derived from an Illyrian word or title meaning
"queen". This was the name of a 3rd-century BC Illyrian queen.
Tudor 1 m WelshAnglicized form of the medieval Welsh name
Tudur, possibly from a hypothetical Celtic name *
Toutorīxs meaning "ruler of the people" (cognate with
Theodoric). As a surname it was borne by five monarchs of England beginning with Henry VII in the 15th century. These monarchs were descended from Owain ap Maredudd ap Tudur, a Welsh nobleman.
Uʻilani f & m HawaiianMeans
"heavenly beauty" or
"royal beauty" from Hawaiian
uʻi "youth, beauty" and
lani "heaven, sky, royal, majesty".
Vytautas m LithuanianFrom the Baltic element
vyti- "chase, drive away" or
vyd- "see" combined with
tauta "people, nation". This was the name of a 15th-century Grand Duke of Lithuania, revered as a national hero in that country.
Waldemar m German, Polish, Swedish, Norwegian, DanishGermanic derivative of the Slavic name
Vladimir (or perhaps a cognate composed of the Germanic elements
wald "rule" and
mari "famous"). It was introduced into Scandinavia by the 12th-century Danish king Waldemar (or Valdemar) who was named after a royal ancestor of his Ukrainian mother.
Yoshiko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
良 (yoshi) meaning "good, virtuous, respectable",
芳 (yoshi) meaning "fragrant, virtuous, beautiful" or
悦 (yoshi) meaning "joy, pleased" combined with
子 (ko) meaning "child". This name can be formed from other kanji combinations as well.
Zabel f ArmenianArmenian form of
Isabel. A 13th-century ruling queen of Cilician Armenia bore this name.
Ziemowit m PolishFrom an old Slavic name derived from the elements
sem "family" and
vit "lord, master". This was the name of a legendary Piast prince of Poland. It was also borne by several other Piast rulers.