ÆSCmAnglo-SaxonMeans "ash tree" in Old English. This was the nickname of a 5th-century king of Kent, whose birth name was Oeric.
AINSLEYf & mScottish, English (Modern)From a surname which was from a place name: either Annesley in Nottinghamshire or Ansley in Warwickshire. The place names themselves derive from Old English
anne "alone, solitary" or
ansetl "hermitage" and
leah "woodland, clearing".
AIRIfJapaneseFrom Japanese
愛 (ai) meaning "love, affection" combined with
莉 (ri) meaning "white jasmine" or
梨 (ri) meaning "pear". Other combinations of kanji characters are possible.
ALLONmBiblicalMeans "oak" in Hebrew. This name is mentioned briefly in the Old Testament.
ANARAfKazakh, KyrgyzMeans "pomegranate" in Kazakh and Kyrgyz, ultimately from Persian.
ARLIEf & mEnglishFrom a surname which was derived from a place name meaning "eagle wood" in Old English. This name can also be a diminutive of
ARLENE.
ASHm & fEnglishShort form of
ASHLEY. It can also come directly from the English word denoting either the tree or the residue of fire.
ASHLEYf & mEnglishFrom an English surname which was originally derived from place names meaning "ash tree clearing", from a combination of Old English
æsc and
leah. Until the 1960s it was more commonly given to boys in the United States, but it is now most often used on girls.
ASHTONm & fEnglishFrom a surname which was originally derived from a place name which meant "ash tree town" in Old English.
ASKmNorse MythologyDerived from Old Norse
askr "ash tree". In Norse mythology Ask and his wife
Embla were the first humans created by the gods.
ASPENfEnglish (Modern)From the English word for the tree, derived from Old English
æspe. It is also the name of a ski resort in Colorado.
ASSEmFrisianOriginally a short form of Germanic names beginning with the element
asc meaning "ash tree" or
ans meaning "god".
AVALONfEnglish (Rare)From the name of the island paradise to which King
Arthur was brought after his death. The name of this island is perhaps related to Welsh
afal meaning "apple", a fruit which was often linked with paradise.
BAIm & fChineseFrom Chinese
白 (bái) meaning "white, pure",
百 (bǎi) meaning "one hundred, many" or
柏 (bǎi) meaning "cypress tree, cedar" (which is usually only masculine). Other Chinese characters can form this name as well. This name was borne in the 8th century by the Tang dynasty poet Li Bai, whose given was
白.
BARCLAYmScottish, English (Rare)From a Scottish surname which was likely derived from the English place name
Berkeley, meaning "birch wood" in Old English.
BENTLEYmEnglishFrom a surname which was from a place name, itself derived from Old English
beonet "bent grass" and
leah "woodland, clearing". Various towns in England bear this name.
BESSARIONmLate GreekMeaning uncertain, possibly from Greek
βησσα (bessa) "wooded valley". This was the name of a 5th-century Egyptian hermit who was a disciple of Saint Anthony the Great. It was later adopted by the scholar Basilios Bessarion (1403-1472), a Greek born in Byzantine Anatolia who became a Roman Catholic bishop.
BORmSloveneShort form of names containing
bor, such as
BORISLAV or
BORIS. It is also a South Slavic word meaning "pine tree".
BRISCOEmEnglish (Rare)From a surname which was derived from a place name meaning "birch wood" in Old Norse.
CEDARf & mEnglish (Rare)From the English word for the coniferous tree, derived (via Old French and Latin) from Greek
κεδρος (kedros).
CHERRYfEnglishSimply means "cherry" from the name of the fruit. It can also be a diminutive of
CHARITY. It has been in use since the late 19th century.
CYPRIANmPolish, English (Rare)From the Roman family name
Cyprianus which meant "from Cyprus" in Latin. Saint Cyprian was a 3rd-century bishop of Carthage and a martyr under the emperor Valerian.
DAIKImJapaneseFrom Japanese
大 (dai) meaning "big, great" combined with
輝 (ki) meaning "brightness",
樹 (ki) meaning "tree" or
貴 (ki) meaning "valuable". Other combinations of kanji can also form this name.
DAPHNEfGreek Mythology, English, DutchMeans "laurel" in Greek. In Greek mythology she was a nymph turned into a laurel tree by her father in order that she might escape the pursuit of
Apollo. It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the end of the 19th century.
DARA (1)mIrishFrom the Irish
Mac Dara which means "oak tree". This was the name of a 6th-century saint from Connemara. It is also used as an Anglicized form of
DÁIRE.
DEFORESTmEnglishFrom a French surname meaning "from the forest". It was originally given in honour of American author John Deforest (1826-1906).
DIKLAHm & fHebrew, Biblical, Biblical HebrewPossibly means "palm grove" in Hebrew or Aramaic. In the Old Testament this is the name of a son of Joktan. In modern times it is also used as a feminine name.
EBONYfEnglishFrom the English word
ebony for the black wood which comes from the ebony tree. It is ultimately from the Egyptian word
hbnj. In America this name is most often used by black parents.
EGLĖfLithuanianMeans "spruce tree" in Lithuanian. In a Lithuanian legend Eglė was a young woman who married a sea snake.
ELAHf & mHebrew, Biblical, Biblical HebrewMeans "oak tree" or "terebinth tree" in Hebrew. This was the name of the fourth king of Israel, as told in the Old Testament. He was murdered by
Zimri, who succeeded him. In modern Hebrew this is typically a feminine name.
ELMERmEnglishFrom a surname which was derived from the Old English name
ÆÐELMÆR. In the United States it is sometimes given in honour of brothers Jonathan (1745-1817) and Ebenezer Elmer (1752-1843), who were active in early American politics.
ELONmBiblicalMeans "oak" in Hebrew. This was the name of one of the ruling judges of the Israelites according to the Old Testament.
ELOWENfCornishMeans "elm tree" in Cornish. This is a recently coined Cornish name.
ELWOODmEnglishFrom an English surname which was derived from a place name meaning "elder tree forest" in Old English.
EOGHANmIrish, Scottish, Irish MythologyPossibly means "born from the yew tree" in Irish, though it is possibly derived from
EUGENE. It was borne by several legendary or semi-legendary Irish figures, including a son of
Niall of the Nine Hostages.
FORRESTmEnglishFrom an English surname meaning "forest", originally belonging to a person who lived near a forest. In America it has sometimes been used in honour of the Confederate Civil War general Nathan Bedford Forrest (1821-1877). This name was borne by the title character in the movie 'Forrest Gump' (1994) about a loveable simpleton. Use of the name increased when the movie was released, but has since faded away.
GARRICKmEnglishFrom a surname which was originally derived from Occitan
garric meaning "oak tree grove".
GINEVRAfItalianItalian form of
GUINEVERE. This is also the Italian name for the city of Geneva, Switzerland. It is also sometimes associated with the Italian word
ginepro meaning "juniper".
GROVERmEnglishFrom a surname meaning "grove of trees" from Old English
graf. A famous bearer was the American president Grover Cleveland (1837-1908), who popularized the name in the United States at the end of the 19th century. The name is now associated with a muppet character from the children's television program 'Sesame Street'.
GWYDIONmWelsh MythologyMeans "born of trees" in Welsh. In the Mabinogion, Gwydion was the nephew of
Math, and like him a powerful magician. He was the uncle of
Lleu Llaw Gyffes, for whom he fashioned a wife,
Blodeuwedd, out of flowers.
HAZELfEnglishFrom the English word
hazel for the tree or the light brown colour, derived ultimately from Old English
hæsel. It was coined as a given name in the 19th century.
HIDEKImJapaneseFrom Japanese
秀 (hide) meaning "excellent, outstanding" or
英 (hide) meaning "excellent, fine" combined with
樹 (ki) meaning "tree". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.
HIROKImJapaneseFrom Japanese
大 (hiro) meaning "big, great" and
輝 (ki) meaning "brightness" or
樹 (ki) meaning "tree". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
HOLLISm & fEnglishFrom an English surname which was derived from Middle English
holis "holly trees". It was originally given to a person who lived near a group of those trees.
HOLLYfEnglishFrom the English word for the holly tree, ultimately derived from Old English
holen.
IEVAfLithuanian, LatvianLithuanian and Latvian form of
EVE. This is also the Lithuanian and Latvian word for a type of cherry tree (species Prunus padus).
ITSUKImJapaneseFrom Japanese
樹 (itsuki) meaning "tree", using the kanji's nanori reading. Other kanji or kanji combinations can also form this name.
IVESmHistoryEnglish form of
YVES, used to refer to Saint Ives (also called Ivo) of Huntingdonshire, a semi-legendary English bishop.
IVO (1)mGerman, Dutch, Italian, Portuguese, Czech, Ancient GermanicGermanic name, originally a short form of names beginning with the Germanic element
iv meaning "yew". Alternative theories suggest that it may in fact be derived from a cognate Celtic element. This was the name of several saints (who are also commonly known as Saint
Yves or
Ives).
IVORmIrish, Scottish, Welsh, English (British)From the Old Norse name
Ívarr, which was derived from the elements
yr "yew, bow" and
arr "warrior". During the Middle Ages it was brought to Britain by Scandinavian settlers and invaders, and it was adopted in Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
JUNÍPEROmVariousThis was the name assumed by the 18th-century Spanish Franciscan monk Miguel José Serra, a missionary to California. He named himself after one of Saint Francis's companions, who was named from Latin
iuniperus "juniper".
KAEDEf & mJapaneseFrom Japanese
楓 (kaede) meaning "maple" or other kanji which are pronounced the same way.
KAURImMaoriFrom the name of a type of tree found in New Zealand (species Agathis australis).
KAZUKImJapaneseFrom Japanese
一 (kazu) meaning "one" or
和 (kazu) meaning "harmony, peace" combined with
輝 (ki) meaning "brightness",
希 (ki) meaning "hope" or
樹 (ki) meaning "tree", as well as other combinations of kanji characters.
KEITHmEnglish, ScottishFrom a Scottish surname which 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.
KEKOAmHawaiianMeans "the warrior" from Hawaiian
ke, a definite article, and
koa "warrior, koa tree".
KEZIAHfBiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
קְצִיעָה (Qetzi'ah) meaning "cassia, cinnamon", from the name of the spice tree. In the Old Testament she is a daughter of Job.
KINGSLEYmEnglish (Modern)From a surname which was originally derived from a place name meaning "king's wood" in Old English.
KIRIfMaoriMeans "skin of a tree or fruit" in Maori. This name has been brought to public attention by New Zealand opera singer Kiri Te Kanawa (1944-).
KIZZYfEnglishDiminutive of
KEZIAH. This particular spelling was repopularized in the late 1970s by a character in the book and miniseries 'Roots'.
LAURAfEnglish, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Finnish, Estonian, Hungarian, Polish, Slovene, Croatian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Dutch, Late RomanFeminine form of the Late Latin name
Laurus, which meant "laurel". This meaning was favourable, since in ancient Rome the leaves of laurel trees were used to create victors' garlands. The name was borne by the 9th-century Spanish martyr Saint Laura, who was a nun thrown into a vat of molten lead by the Moors. It was also the name of the subject of poems by the 14th-century Italian poet Petrarch.
... [more] LAURELfEnglishFrom the name of the laurel tree, ultimately from Latin
laurus.
LAURENCE (1)mEnglishFrom 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] LAVERNEf & mEnglishFrom a surname which 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".
LENNOXm & fScottish, English (Modern)From a Scottish surname which was derived from the name of a district in Scotland. The district, called
Leamhnachd in Gaelic, possibly means "place of elms".
LESLIEf & mEnglishFrom a Scottish surname which 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.
LINm & fChineseFrom Chinese
林 (lín) meaning "forest" or
琳 (lín) meaning "fine jade, gem". Other characters can also form this name.
LINDENmEnglishFrom a German surname which was derived from Old High German
linta meaning "linden tree".
LINFORDmEnglish (Rare)From a surname which was originally taken from place names meaning either "flax ford" or "linden tree ford" in Old English.
LINTONmEnglishFrom a surname which was originally from place names meaning either "flax town" or "linden tree town" in Old English.
LINWOODmEnglishFrom a surname which was originally from a place name meaning "stream forest" in Old English.
LORETOf & mItalian, 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.
LOTUSfEnglish (Rare)From the name of the lotus flower (species Nelumbo nucifera) or the mythological lotus tree. They are ultimately derived from Greek
λωτος (lotos). In Greek and Roman mythology the lotus tree was said to produce a fruit causing sleepiness and forgetfulness.
LUBNAfArabicMeans "storax tree" in Arabic. According to a 7th-century legend Lubna and Qays were a couple forced to divorce by Qays's father.
LUCINAfRoman MythologyDerived from Latin
lucus meaning "grove", but later associated with
lux "light". This was the name of a Roman goddess of childbirth.
LYNDONmEnglishFrom an English surname which was derived from a place name meaning "linden tree hill" in Old English. A famous bearer was American president Lyndon B. Johnson (1908-1973).
MAI (1)fVietnameseFrom Sino-Vietnamese
梅 (mai) meaning "plum, apricot" (refers specifically to the species Prunus mume).
MEI (1)fChineseFrom Chinese
美 (měi) meaning "beautiful" or
梅 (méi) meaning "Chinese plum" (species Prunus mume), as well as other characters which are pronounced similarly.
MELIAfGreek MythologyMeans "ash tree" in Greek, a derivative of
μελι (meli) "honey". This was the name of a nymph in Greek myth, the daughter of the Greek god Okeanos.
MORIKOfJapaneseFrom Japanese
森 (mori) meaning "forest" and
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
MUm & fChineseFrom Chinese
慕 (mù) meaning "admire, desire",
木 (mù) meaning "tree, wood", or other characters with similar pronunciations.
MYRAfEnglishCreated by the 17th-century poet Fulke Greville. He possibly based it on Latin
myrra meaning "myrrh" (a fragrant resin obtained from a tree). Otherwise, he may have simply rearranged the letters from the name
MARY. Although unrelated etymologically, this is also the name of an ancient city of Anatolia.
NAOKImJapaneseFrom Japanese
直 (nao) meaning "straight" and
樹 (ki) meaning "tree", as well as other combinations of different kanji with the same pronunciations.
NASHmEnglish (Modern)From a surname which was derived from the Middle English phrase
atten ash "at the ash tree". A famous bearer of the surname was the mathematician John Nash (1928-2015). The name was popularized in the 1990s by the television series 'Nash Bridges'.
NGAIOfMaoriMaori name which is derived from the name of a type of tree, also called the mousehole tree. This name was borne by New Zealand crime writer Dame Ngaio Marsh (1895-1982).
NIKAUmMaoriFrom the name of a type of palm tree found in New Zealand (species Rhopalostylis sapida).
NORWOODmEnglishFrom a surname which was originally taken from a place name meaning "north wood" in Old English.
NYSSAfVariousFrom the name of an ancient town of Asia Minor where Saint Gregory was bishop. Nyssa is also the genus name of a type of tree, also called the Tupelo.
OGDENmEnglishFrom a surname which was derived from a place name meaning "oak valley" in Old English. A famous bearer was the humourous American poet Ogden Nash (1902-1971).
OLIVAfLate RomanLate Latin name meaning "olive". This was the name of a 2nd-century saint from Brescia.
OLIVEfEnglish, FrenchFrom the English and French word for the type of tree, ultimately derived from Latin
oliva.
OLIVERmEnglish, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Serbian, Croatian, Macedonian, Czech, SlovakFrom
Olivier, a Norman French form of a Germanic name such as
ALFHER or an Old Norse name such as
Áleifr (see
OLAF). The spelling was altered by association with Latin
oliva "olive tree". In the Middle Ages the name became well-known in Western Europe because of the French epic 'La Chanson de Roland', in which Olivier was a friend and advisor of the hero Roland.
... [more] OLIVETTEfLiteratureFeminine form of
OLIVER. This was the name of the title character in the French opera 'Les noces d'Olivette' (1879) by Edmond Audran.
OLIVIAfEnglish, Italian, Spanish, German, Finnish, Swedish, Norwegian, DanishThis name was first used in this spelling by William Shakespeare for a character in his comedy 'Twelfth Night' (1602). Shakespeare may have based it on
OLIVER or
OLIVA, or perhaps directly on the Latin word
oliva meaning "olive". In the play Olivia is a noblewoman who is wooed by Duke Orsino but instead falls in love with his messenger Cesario.
... [more] ORNELLAfItalianCreated by the Italian author Gabriele d'Annunzio for his novel 'La Figlia di Jorio' (1904). It is derived from Tuscan Italian
ornello meaning "flowering ash tree".
PALMERmEnglishFrom an English surname meaning "pilgrim". It is ultimately from Latin
palma "palm tree", since pilgrims to the Holy Land often brought back palm fronds as proof of their journey.
PALMIROmItalianMeans "pilgrim" in Italian. In medieval times it denoted one who had been a pilgrim to Palestine. It is ultimately from the word
palma meaning "palm tree", because of the custom of pilgrims to bring palm fronds home with them. The name is sometimes given to a child born on Palm Sunday.
PERRYmEnglishFrom a surname which is either English or Welsh in origin. It can be derived from Middle English
perrie meaning "pear tree", or else from Welsh
ap Herry, meaning "son of
HERRY". A famous bearer of the surname was Matthew Perry (1794-1858), the American naval officer who opened Japan to the West.
PHYLLISfGreek Mythology, English, GermanMeans "foliage" in Greek. In Greek mythology this was the name of a woman who killed herself out of love for Demophon and was subsequently transformed into an almond tree. It began to be used as a given name in England in the 16th century, though it was often confused with
Felicia.
PIHLAfFinnishDerived from Finnish
pihlaja meaning "rowan tree".
POMONAfRoman MythologyFrom Latin
pomus "fruit tree". This was the name of the Roman goddess of fruit trees.
ROSCOEmEnglishFrom an English surname, originally derived from a place name, itself derived from Old Norse
rá "roebuck" and
skógr "wood, forest".
ROWANm & fIrish, English (Modern)From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of
Ó Ruadháin meaning "descendant of
RUADHÁN". This name can also be given in reference to the rowan tree.
SAKURAfJapaneseFrom Japanese
桜 (sakura) meaning "cherry blossom", though it is often written using the hiragana writing system. It can also come from
咲 (saku) meaning "blossom" and
良 (ra) meaning "good, virtuous, respectable" as well as other kanji combinations.
SELBYm & fEnglish (Rare)From an English surname which was from a place name meaning "willow farm" in Old Norse.
SEQUOIAf & mEnglish (Rare)From the name of huge trees that grow in California. The tree got its name from the 19th-century Cherokee scholar
Sequoyah (also known as George Guess), the inventor of the Cherokee writing system.
SHELBYm & fEnglishFrom a surname, which was possibly a variant of
SELBY. Though previously in use as a rare masculine name, it was popularized as a feminine name by the main character in the movie 'The Woman in Red' (1935). It was later reinforced by the movie 'Steel Magnolias' (1989) in which Julia Roberts played a character by this name.
SHERWOODmEnglishFrom an English place name (or from a surname which was derived from it) meaning "bright forest". This was the name of the forest in which the legendary outlaw Robin Hood made his home.
SILVESTERmDutch, English, Slovene, Slovak, German, Late RomanFrom a Roman name meaning "of the forest" from Latin
silva "wood, forest". This was the name of three popes, including Saint Silvester I who supposedly baptized the first Christian Roman emperor,
Constantine the Great. As an English name,
Silvester (or
Sylvester) has been in use since the Middle Ages, though it became less common after the Protestant Reformation.
SILVIAfItalian, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, English, German, Late Roman, Roman MythologyFeminine form of
SILVIUS.
Rhea Silvia was the mother of
Romulus and
Remus, the founders of Rome. This was also the name of a 6th-century saint, the mother of the pope Gregory the Great. It has been a common name in Italy since the Middle Ages. It was introduced to England by Shakespeare, who used it for a character in his play 'The Two Gentlemen of Verona' (1594). It is now more commonly spelled
Sylvia in the English-speaking world.
SILVIUSmLate Roman, Roman MythologyDerived from Latin
silva "wood, forest". This was the family name of several of the legendary kings of Alba Longa. It was also the name of an early saint martyred in Alexandria.
SLYmEnglishShort form of
SYLVESTER. The actor Sylvester Stallone (1946-) is a well-known bearer of this nickname.
TAIKImJapaneseFrom Japanese
大 (tai) meaning "big, great" and
輝 (ki) meaning "brightness" or
樹 (ki) meaning "tree". Other kanji combinations are possible.
TAMARfHebrew, 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.
TAMARAfRussian, Ukrainian, Czech, Slovak, Polish, Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, Macedonian, Hungarian, English, Dutch, Spanish, ItalianRussian form of
TAMAR. Russian performers such as Tamara Karsavina (1885-1978), Tamara Drasin (1905-1943), Tamara Geva (1907-1997) and Tamara Toumanova (1919-1996) introduced it to the English-speaking world. It was also borne by the Polish cubist painter Tamara de Lempicka (1898-1980).
TAMIAfEnglish (Modern)Elaborated form of the popular name syllable
Tam, from names such as
TAMARA or
TAMIKA. It was popularized by Canadian singer Tamia Hill (1975-), who is known simply as Tamia.
TANEmMaori, Polynesian MythologyMeans "man" in Maori. In Maori and other Polynesian mythology Tane was the god of forests and light. He was the son of the sky god
Rangi and the earth goddess
Papa, who were locked in an embrace and finally separated by their son. He created the tui bird and, by some accounts, man.
TUBAfArabic, TurkishFrom the name of a type of tree that is believed to grow in heaven in Islamic tradition. It means "blessedness" in Arabic.
TUULIKKIfFinnish, Finnish MythologyMeans "little wind" in Finnish, derived from
tuuli "wind". This was the name of a Finnish forest goddess, the daughter of Tapio.
TYRONEmEnglishFrom the name of a county in Northern Ireland which is derived from Irish Gaelic
Tir Eoghain meaning "land of
EOGHAN". This name was popularized by American actor Tyrone Power (1914-1958), who was named after his great-grandfather, an Irish actor.
VEREmEnglishFrom a Norman surname which was from a French place name, which was itself derived from a Gaulish word meaning "alder".
VERNAfEnglishFeminine form of
VERNON, sometimes associated with the Latin word
vernus "spring". It has been in use since the 19th century.