ABIJAH m & f BiblicalMeans
"my father is YAHWEH" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of several characters, both male and female, including the second king of Judah (also known as
Abijam).
ADDISON f & m EnglishFrom an English surname meaning
"son of ADAM". Its recent popularity as a feminine name stems from its similarity in sound to
Madison.
AERON m & f WelshDerived either from Welsh
aeron meaning
"berry" or else from the name of the River Aeron in Wales.
AFON f & m WelshMeans
"river" in Welsh. This is a Welsh name of recent origin.
AGRIPPA m & f Ancient Roman, BiblicalRoman cognomen of unknown meaning, possibly from a combination of Greek
ἄγριος (agrios) meaning "wild" and
ἵππος (hippos) meaning "horse" or alternatively of Etruscan origin. It was also used as a praenomen, or given name, by the Furia and Menenia families. In the New Testament this name was borne by Herod Agrippa (a grandson of Herod the Great), the king of Israel who put the apostle James to death. It was also borne by the 1st-century BC Roman general Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa.
AH m & f ChineseFrom the Chinese character
阿 (ā), which has no distinct meaning. It is not normally given as a name, but it can be prefixed to another name to make it a diminutive.
AI (1) f JapaneseFrom Japanese
愛 (ai) meaning "love, affection",
藍 (ai) meaning "indigo", or other kanji with the same pronunciation.
AI (2) f ChineseFrom Chinese
爱 (ài) meaning "love, affection",
蔼 (ǎi) meaning "friendly, lush", or other characters that are pronounced similarly.
AILBHE f & m IrishPossibly derived from the old Irish root
albho meaning
"white" or
ail meaning
"rock". In Irish legend this was the name of a female warrior of the Fianna. It was also the name of a 6th-century masculine saint, the founder of a monastery at Emly.
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".
AKANE f JapaneseFrom Japanese
茜 (akane) meaning "deep red, dye from the rubia plant". Other kanji or combinations of kanji can form this name as well.
AKARI f JapaneseFrom Japanese
明 (aka) meaning "bright" or
朱 (aka) meaning "vermilion red" combined with
里 (ri) meaning "village" or
莉 (ri) meaning "white jasmine". Other combinations of kanji characters can also form this name.
AKEMI f JapaneseFrom Japanese
明 (ake) meaning "bright" and
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful". Other kanji combinations are possible.
AKIRA m & f JapaneseFrom Japanese
昭 (akira) meaning "bright",
明 (akira) meaning "bright" or
亮 (akira) meaning "clear". Other kanji with the same pronunciation can also form this name. A famous bearer was the Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998), given name written
明.
ALEX m & f English, Dutch, German, French, Portuguese, Italian, Romanian, Greek, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Hungarian, Czech, RussianShort form of
ALEXANDER,
ALEXANDRA, and other names beginning with
Alex.
ALEXIS m & f German, French, English, Greek, Ancient GreekFrom the Greek name
Ἄλεξις (Alexis) meaning
"helper" or
"defender", derived from Greek
ἀλέξω (alexo) meaning "to defend, to help". This was the name of a 3rd-century BC Greek comic poet, and also of several saints. It is used somewhat interchangeably with the related name
Ἀλέξιος or
Alexius, borne by five Byzantine emperors. In the English-speaking world it is more commonly used as a feminine name.
ALI (1) m Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Pashto, Indonesian, Malay, Avar, Kazakh, Dhivehi, Albanian, BosnianMeans
"lofty, sublime" in Arabic. Ali ibn Abi Talib was a cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet
Muhammad and the fourth caliph to rule the Muslim world. His followers were the original Shia Muslims, who regard him as the first rightful caliph.
... [more] ALISON f English, FrenchNorman French diminutive of
Aalis (see
ALICE). It was common in England, Scotland and France in the Middle Ages, and was later revived in England in the 20th century via Scotland. Unlike most other English names ending in
son, it is not derived from a surname.
ALLI f FinnishFinnish diminutive of names beginning with
Al. This is also the Finnish word for a type of duck.
ALLISON f & m EnglishFrom the middle of the 20th century this has primarily been used as a variant of the feminine name
ALISON. However, prior to that it was used as an uncommon masculine name, derived from the English and Scottish surname
ALLISON.
ALMAS f & m ArabicMeans
"diamond" in Arabic, ultimately from Persian.
ALMAST f ArmenianMeans
"diamond" in Armenian, ultimately from Persian.
ALPHA f & m EnglishFrom the name of the first letter in the Greek alphabet,
Α.
AMBER f English, DutchFrom the English word
amber that denotes either the gemstone, which is formed from fossil resin, or the orange-yellow colour. The word ultimately derives from Arabic
عنبر ('anbar). It began to be used as a given name in the late 19th century, but it only became popular after the release of Kathleen Winsor's novel
Forever Amber (1944).
AMETHYST f English (Rare)From the name of the purple semi-precious stone, which is derived from the Greek negative prefix
ἀ (a) and
μέθυστος (methystos) meaning "intoxicated, drunk", as it was believed to be a remedy against drunkenness.
AN (1) m & f Chinese, VietnameseFrom Chinese
安 (ān) meaning "peace, quiet" or other characters with a similar pronunciation. As a Vietnamese name, it is derived from Sino-Vietnamese
安 meaning "safe, secure".
ANAH f & m Biblical, Biblical HebrewMeans
"answer" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this name belongs to one female character and two male characters.
ANDREA (1) m ItalianItalian form of
Andreas (see
ANDREW). A notable bearer of this name was Andrea Verrocchio, a Renaissance sculptor who taught Leonardo da Vinci and Perugino.
ANDREA (2) f English, German, Spanish, Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Dutch, Croatian, SerbianFeminine form of
ANDREW. As an English name, it has been used since the 17th century, though it was not common until the 20th century.
ANDY m & f EnglishDiminutive of
ANDREW or sometimes
ANDREA (2). American pop artist and filmmaker Andy Warhol (1928-1987) was a famous bearer of this name.
ANGEL m & f English, Bulgarian, MacedonianFrom the medieval Latin masculine name
Angelus, which was derived from the name of the heavenly creature (itself derived from the Greek word
ἄγγελος (angelos) meaning "messenger"). It has never been very common in the English-speaking world, where it is sometimes used as a feminine name in modern times.
ANH m & f VietnameseThis name is frequently combined with a middle name to create a compound name; the meaning of
Anh changes depending on the Sino-Vietnamese characters underlying the compound. It is often from Sino-Vietnamese
英 (anh) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero", though in compounds it often takes on the meaning "intelligent, bright".
ANTONIA f Italian, Spanish, English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Romanian, Greek, Croatian, Bulgarian, Ancient RomanFeminine form of
Antonius (see
ANTHONY).
ANWAR m Arabic, Urdu, IndonesianMeans
"brighter, more luminous" in Arabic. This name was borne by Egyptian president Anwar Sadat (1918-1981), who was assassinated three years after being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
AOI f & m JapaneseFrom Japanese
葵 (aoi) meaning "hollyhock, althea" or an adjectival form of
碧 (ao) meaning "green, blue". Other kanji with the same reading can form this name as well.
APRIL f EnglishFrom the name of the month, probably originally derived from Latin
aperire "to open", referring to the opening of flowers. It has only been commonly used as a given name since the 1940s.
ARAN (1) f & m IrishFrom the name of the Aran Islands off the west coast of Ireland.
ARDEN m & f EnglishFrom an English surname, originally taken from various place names, which were derived from a Celtic word meaning
"high".
ARIEL m & f Hebrew, English, French, Spanish, Biblical, Biblical GreekMeans
"lion of God" in Hebrew, from
אֲרִי ('ari) meaning "lion" and
אֵל ('el) meaning "God". In the Old Testament it is used as another name for the city of Jerusalem. Shakespeare used it as the name of a spirit in his play
The Tempest (1611), and one of the moons of Uranus bears this name in his honour. As an English name, it became more common for females in the 1980s, especially after it was used for the title character in the Disney film
The Little Mermaid (1989).
ARJUNA m HinduismMeans
"white, clear" in Sanskrit. This is the name of a hero in Hindu texts, the son of the god
Indra and the princess Kunti.
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".
ARTHIT m ThaiMeans
"sun" in Thai, derived from the name of the Hindu god
ADITYA.
ARYA (1) m & f Persian, Indian, Hindi, MalayalamFrom an old Indo-Iranian root meaning "Aryan, noble". In India, this is a transcription of both the masculine form
आर्य and the feminine form
आर्या. In Iran it is only a masculine name.
ASCENSIÓN f SpanishMeans
"ascension" in Spanish. This name is given in reference to the Ascension of
Jesus into heaven.
ASH m & f EnglishShort form of
ASHLEY. It can also come directly from the English word denoting either the tree or the residue of fire.
ASHANTI f & m VariousFrom the name of an African people who reside in southern Ghana. It possibly means "warlike" in the Twi language.
ASHLEY f & m EnglishFrom an English surname that 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. It reached its height of popularity in America in 1987, but it did not become the highest ranked name until 1991, being overshadowed by the likewise-popular
Jessica until then. In the United Kingdom it is still more common as a masculine name.
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.
AŞTÎ f & m KurdishMeans
"peace, tranquility" in Kurdish.
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.
ASUKA f & m JapaneseFrom Japanese
明日 (asu) meaning "tomorrow" and
香 (ka) meaning "fragrance", or from
飛 (asu) meaning "to fly" and
鳥 (ka) meaning "bird". Other kanji combinations can be possible as well.
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".
ATLAS m Greek MythologyPossibly means
"enduring" from Greek
τλάω (tlao) meaning "to endure". In Greek mythology he was a Titan punished by
Zeus by being forced to support the heavens on his shoulders.
ATROPOS f Greek MythologyMeans
"inevitable, inflexible" in Greek, derived from the negative prefix
ἀ (a) combined with
τρόπος (tropos) meaning "direction, manner, fashion". Atropos was one of the three Fates or
Μοῖραι (Moirai) in Greek mythology. When her sister Lachesis decided that a person's life was at an end, Atropos would choose the manner of death and cut the person's life thread.
AUBREY m & f EnglishNorman French form of the Germanic name
ALBERICH. As an English masculine name it was common in the Middle Ages, and was revived in the 19th century. Since the mid-1970s it has more frequently been given to girls, due to Bread's 1972 song
Aubrey along with its similarity to the established feminine name
Audrey.
AUTUMN f EnglishFrom the name of the season, ultimately from Latin
autumnus. This name has been in general use since the 1960s.
AYA (1) f JapaneseFrom Japanese
彩 (aya) meaning "colour",
綾 (aya) meaning "design", or other kanji characters with the same pronunciation.
AYAME f JapaneseFrom Japanese
菖蒲 (ayame) meaning "iris (flower)". Other kanji or combinations of kanji can also form this name.
AYGÜL f Turkish, Uyghur, AzerbaijaniDerived from the Turkic element
ay meaning "moon" combined with Persian
گل (gol) meaning "flower, rose". In some languages this is also a name for a variety of flowering plant that grows in central Asia (species Fritillaria eduardii).
AYMAN m ArabicMeans
"right-handed, blessed, lucky" in Arabic.
AYTAÇ m & f TurkishDerived from Turkish
ay meaning "moon" and
taç meaning "crown" (of Persian origin).
AZARIAH m BiblicalMeans
"YAHWEH has helped" in Hebrew, derived from
עָזַר ('azar) meaning "help" and
יָה (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. This is the name of many Old Testament characters including of one of the three men the Babylonian king ordered cast into a fiery furnace. His Babylonian name was
Abednego.
AZURE f English (Rare)From the English word that means "sky blue". It is ultimately (via Old French, Latin and Arabic) from Persian
لاجورد (lajvard) meaning "azure, lapis lazuli".
BAHARGÜL f TurkmenDerived from Turkmen
bahar meaning "spring" and
gül meaning "flower, rose" (both roots ultimately of Persian origin).
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.
BAIHU m Chinese MythologyFrom Chinese
白 (bái) meaning "white, pure" and
虎 (hǔ) meaning "tiger". This is the Chinese name of the White Tiger, associated with the west and the autumn season.
BALA (1) m & f Hinduism, TamilMeans
"young" in Sanskrit. This is a transcription of both the masculine form
बाल and the feminine form
बाला (a minor Hindu goddess).
BAO f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
宝 (bǎo) meaning "treasure, jewel, precious, rare",
褒 (bāo) meaning "praise, honour" or
苞 (bāo) meaning "bud" (which is usually only feminine). Other Chinese characters are possible as well.
BARAN f & m Persian, Turkish, KurdishMeans
"rain" in Persian. It is typically feminine in Persian and masculine in Turkish and Kurdish.
BEAU m & f English, DutchMeans
"beautiful" in French. It has been used as a given name since the middle of the 20th century. In Margaret Mitchell's novel
Gone with the Wind (1936) this is the name of Ashley and Melanie's son.
... [more] BEHAR m AlbanianFrom the archaic Albanian word
behar meaning
"summer".
BERLIN f & m VariousFrom the name of the city in Germany, which is of uncertain meaning.
BETELGEUSE m AstronomyThe name of the star that marks the right shoulder of the constellation Orion. It is derived from Arabic
يد الجوزا (yad al-Jawza) meaning
"the hand of Jawza".
جوزا (Jawza) meaning "central one" was the old Arabic name for the constellation Orion (also for Gemini).
BETHEL f EnglishFrom an Old Testament place name meaning
"house of God" in Hebrew. This was a town north of Jerusalem, where
Jacob saw his vision of the stairway. It is occasionally used as a given name.
BEVERLY f & m EnglishFrom a surname that was originally derived from the name of an English city, itself meaning
"beaver stream" in Old English. It came into use as a masculine given name in the 19th century, and it became common as an American feminine name after the publication of George Barr McCutcheon's 1904 novel
Beverly of Graustark.
BHUMI f HinduismMeans
"earth, soil" in Sanskrit. This is the name of a Hindu earth goddess. She is the wife of Varaha, an avatar of Vishnu.
BLAIR m & f Scottish, EnglishFrom a Scottish surname that is derived from Gaelic
blár meaning
"plain, field, battlefield".
BLAISE m FrenchFrom the Roman name
Blasius, which was derived from Latin
blaesus meaning
"lisping". A famous bearer was the French mathematician and philosopher Blaise Pascal (1623-1662).
BLAKE m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from Old English
blæc "black" or
blac "pale". A famous bearer of the surname was the poet and artist William Blake (1757-1827).
BLAKELY f English (Modern)From a surname that was derived from Old English
blæc "black" and
leah "woodland clearing".
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.
BONAVENTURA m ItalianMeans
"good fortune" in Italian. Saint Bonaventura was a 13th-century Franciscan monk who is considered a Doctor of the Church.
BONITA f EnglishMeans
"pretty" in Spanish, ultimately from Latin
bonus "good". It has been used as a name in the English-speaking world since the beginning of the 20th century.
BONNIE f EnglishMeans
"pretty" from the Scottish word
bonnie, which was itself derived from Middle French
bon "good". It has been in use as an American given name since the 19th century, and it became especially popular after the movie
Gone with the Wind (1939), in which it was the nickname of Scarlett's daughter.
BOUNMY m & f LaoMeans
"happy", from Lao
ບຸນ (boun) meaning "happiness, prosperity, goodness" combined with
ມີ (mi) meaning "to have".
BRINLEY f English (Modern)From an English surname that was taken from the name of a town meaning
"burned clearing" in Old English.
BRITTON m EnglishDerived from a Middle English surname meaning
"a Briton" (a Celt of England) or
"a Breton" (an inhabitant of Brittany).
BRONTE m & f English (Rare)From a surname, an Anglicized form of Irish
Ó Proinntigh meaning
"descendant of Proinnteach". The given name
Proinnteach meant "bestower" in Gaelic. The Brontë sisters - Charlotte, Emily, and Anne - were 19th-century English novelists. Their father changed the spelling of the family surname from
Brunty to
Brontë, possibly to make it coincide with Greek
βροντή meaning "thunder".
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.
CADENCE f English (Modern)From an English word meaning
"rhythm, flow". It has been in use only since the 20th century.
CAMPBELL m & f EnglishFrom a Scottish surname meaning
"crooked mouth" from Gaelic
cam "crooked" and
béul "mouth".
CAREY m & f EnglishFrom an Irish surname that was derived from
Ó Ciardha meaning
"descendant of CIARDHA".
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.
CARMINHO f PortugueseDiminutive of
CARMO. It has been popularized in Portugal by the singer simply known as Carminho (1984-).
CAROL (1) f & m EnglishShort form of
CAROLINE. It was formerly a masculine name, derived from
CAROLUS. The name can also be given in reference to the English vocabulary word, which means "song" or "hymn".
CARON f & m WelshDerived from Welsh
caru meaning
"to love".