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.
AIRI f JapaneseFrom 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.
ÁKOS m HungarianPossibly of Turkic origin meaning "white falcon". This was the name of a medieval Hungarian clan.
ALBINUS m Ancient RomanRoman cognomen which was a derivative of
ALBUS. Saint Albinus (also called Aubin) was a 6th-century bishop of Angers in Brittany.
ALPIN m ScottishAnglicized form of the Gaelic name
Ailpein, possibly derived from a Pictish word meaning "white". This was the name of two kings of Dál Riata and two kings of the Picts in the 8th and 9th centuries.
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.
ARWYN m WelshFrom the Welsh intensifying prefix
ar- and
gwyn meaning "white, fair".
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.
BARRFHIONN m IrishMeans "fair hair", derived from Gaelic
barr "head" and
fionn "white, fair".
BERWYN m WelshMeans "white head" from the Welsh elements
barr "head" and
wyn "white".
BIANCA f Italian, RomanianItalian cognate of
BLANCHE. Shakespeare used characters named Bianca in 'Taming of the Shrew' (1593) and 'Othello' (1603).
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.
BLODWEN f WelshMeans "white flowers" from Welsh
blodau "flowers" combined with
gwen "white, fair, blessed".
BORIS m Bulgarian, Russian, Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, Macedonian, Czech, Slovak, Georgian, GermanFrom the Turkic name
Bogoris, perhaps meaning "short" or "wolf" or "snow leopard". It was borne by the 9th-century King Boris I of Bulgaria who converted his country to Christianity, as well as two later Bulgarian emperors. The name was popularized in the Slavic world due to the 11th-century Saint Boris, who was a Russian prince martyred with his brother Gleb. His mother may have been Bulgarian. Another famous bearer was the 16th-century Russian emperor Boris Godunov, later the subject of a play of that name by Aleksandr Pushkin.
BRANWEN f Welsh, Welsh MythologyMeans "beautiful raven" from Welsh
bran "raven" and
gwen "fair, white, blessed". In the Mabinogion, a collection of tales from Welsh myth, she is the sister of the British king
Bran and the wife of the Irish king Matholwch.
BRONWEN f WelshDerived from the Welsh elements
bron "breast" and
gwen "white, fair, blessed".
CAERWYN m WelshDerived from the Welsh elements
caer "fortress" and
gwyn "white, fair".
CAMELLIA f English (Rare)From the name of the flowering shrub, which was named for the botanist and missionary Georg Josef Kamel.
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).
CAOILFHIONN f IrishDerived from the Gaelic elements
caol "slender" and
fionn "fair". This was the name of several Irish saints.
CARWYN m WelshMeans "blessed love" from Welsh
caru "love" and
gwyn "white, fair, blessed".
CELESTINE f & m EnglishEnglish form of
CAELESTINUS. It is more commonly used as a feminine name, from the French feminine form
Célestine.
CELINDA f English (Rare)Probably a blend of
CELIA and
LINDA. This is also the Spanish name for a variety of shrub with white flowers, known as sweet mock-orange in English (species Philadelphus coronarius).
CERIDWEN f WelshPossibly from Welsh
cyrrid "bent" or
cerdd "poetry" combined with
ven "woman" or
gwen "white, fair, blessed". According to medieval Welsh legend this was the name of a sorceress or goddess who created a potion that would grant wisdom to her son Morfan. The potion was instead consumed by her servant Gwion Bach, who was subsequently reborn as the renowned bard
Taliesin.
DAFFODIL f English (Rare)From the name of the flower, ultimately derived from Dutch
de affodil meaning "the asphodel".
DAISY f EnglishSimply from the English word for the white flower, ultimately derived from Old English
dægeseage meaning "day eye". It was first used as a given name in the 19th century, at the same time many other plant and flower names were coined.
DAR f & m HebrewMeans "mother-of-pearl, nacre" in Hebrew.
DOVE f EnglishFrom the English word for the variety of bird, seen as a symbol of peace.
EGLANTINE f English (Rare)From the English word for the flower also known as sweetbrier. It was first used as a given name (in the form
Eglentyne) in Geoffrey Chaucer's 14th-century story 'The Prioress's Tale'.
EIRWEN f WelshMeans "white snow" from the Welsh elements
eira "snow" and
gwen "white, blessed".
ERIKA f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, German, Hungarian, Czech, Slovene, Croatian, English, ItalianFeminine form of
ERIK. It also coincides with the word for "heather" in some languages.
EURWEN f WelshDerived from Welsh
aur "gold" and
gwen "white, fair, blessed".
FANNAR m IcelandicPossibly derived from Old Norse
fönn meaning "snow drift".
FINGAL m ScottishFrom Scottish Gaelic
Fionnghall meaning "white stranger", derived from
fionn "white, fair" and
gall "stranger". This was the name of the hero in James Macpherson's epic poem 'Fingal' (1762), which he claimed to have based on early Gaelic legends about
Fionn mac Cumhail.
FINNIAN m IrishDerived from Old Irish
finn "white". This was the name of several Irish saints.
FINTAN m Irish, Irish MythologyPossibly means either "white fire" or "white bull" in Irish. According to legend this was the name of the only Irish person to survive the great flood. This name was also borne by many Irish saints.
FIONN m Irish, Irish MythologyFrom Irish
fionn (older Irish
finn) meaning "fair" or "white". Fionn mac Cumhail was a legendary Irish hero who became all-wise by eating an enchanted salmon. He fought against the giant Fomors with his son
Oisín and grandson
Oscar.
FIONNBHARR m IrishMeans "fair hair", derived from Irish
fionn "white, fair" and
barr "head". Saint Fionnbharr of Cork was a 6th-century bishop who supposedly performed miraculous cures. The Barry Islands off Wales were named for him.
FIONNUALA f Irish, Irish MythologyMeans "white shoulder" from Irish
fionn "white, fair" and
guala "shoulder". In Irish legend Fionnuala was one of the four children of
Lir who were transformed into swans for a period of 900 years.
FUYUKO f JapaneseFrom Japanese
冬 (fuyu) meaning "winter" and
子 (ko) meaning "child", as well as other combinations of kanji.
GARDENIA f English (Rare)From the name of the tropical flower, which was named for the Scottish naturalist Alexander Garden (1730-1791).
GRETEL f GermanDiminutive of
GRETE. This name is well-known as the character in Grimm's fairy tale who is captured, with her brother Hansel, by a witch.
GUINEVERE f Arthurian RomanceFrom the Norman French form of the Welsh name
Gwenhwyfar, derived from the elements
gwen meaning "fair, white, blessed" and
sebara meaning "phantom, magical being". In Arthurian legend she was the beautiful wife of King
Arthur. According to the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth, she was seduced by
Mordred before the battle of Camlann, which led to the deaths of both Mordred and Arthur. According to the 12th-century French poet Chrétien de Troyes, she engaged in an adulterous affair with Sir
Lancelot.
... [more] GWEN f Welsh, EnglishFrom Welsh
gwen, the feminine form of
gwyn meaning "white, fair, blessed". It can also be a short form of
GWENDOLEN,
GWENLLIAN, and other names beginning with
Gwen.
GWENAËL m French, BretonMeans "blessed and generous" from Breton
gwenn meaning "white, fair, blessed" and
hael meaning "generous". Saint Gwenhael was a 6th-century abbot of Brittany.
GWENDA f Welsh, EnglishDerived from the Welsh elements
gwen meaning "white, fair, blessed" and
da meaning "good". This name was created in the 20th century.
GWENDOLEN f WelshMeans "white ring", derived from the Welsh elements
gwen meaning "white, fair, blessed" and
dolen meaning "ring, loop". This was the name of a mythical queen of the Britons who defeated her husband in battle, as told by Geoffrey of Monmouth.
GWENFREWI f WelshDerived from the Welsh elements
gwen meaning "white, fair, blessed" and
frewi meaning "reconciliation, peace". This was the name of a 7th-century Welsh saint and martyr.
GWENLLIAN f WelshDerived from the Welsh elements
gwen meaning "white, fair, blessed" and
llian meaning "flaxen". This name was popular among medieval Welsh royalty. It was borne by the 14th-century daughter of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd.
GWYN m WelshMeans "white, fair, blessed" in Welsh.
GWYNEIRA f WelshMeans "white snow" from the Welsh element
gwyn meaning "white, fair, blessed" combined with
eira meaning "snow".
HADLEY f & m EnglishFrom an English surname which was derived from a place name meaning "heather field" in Old English.
HAUKEA f HawaiianMeans "white snow" from Hawaiian
hau "snow" and
kea "white".
HAUNANI f HawaiianMeans "beautiful snow" from Hawaiian
hau "snow" and
nani "beauty, glory".
HEATHER f EnglishFrom the English word
heather for the variety of small shrubs with pink or white flowers which commonly grow in rocky areas. It is derived from Middle English
hather. It was first used as a given name in the late 19th century, though it did not become popular until the last half of the 20th century.
HEDLEY m English (Rare)From a surname which was derived from a place name meaning "heather clearing" in Old English.
HYEON-JU f & m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
賢 (hyeon) meaning "virtuous, worthy, able" and
珠 (ju) meaning "jewel, pearl". This name can be formed by other hanja character combinations as well.
IVORY m & f African AmericanFrom the English word for the hard, creamy-white substance which comes from elephant tusks and was formerly used to produce piano keys.
JASMINE f English, FrenchFrom the English word for the climbing plant with fragrant flowers which is used for making perfumes. It is derived from Persian
یاسمن (yasamen) (which is also a Persian name).
JESSAMINE f English (Rare)From a variant spelling of the English word
jasmine (see
JASMINE), used also to refer to flowering plants in the cestrum family.
JONAH m English, BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
יוֹנָה (Yonah) meaning "dove". This was the name of a prophet swallowed by a fish, as told in the Old Testament Book of Jonah. Jonah was commanded by God to preach in Nineveh, but instead fled by boat. After being caught in a storm, the other sailors threw Jonah overboard, at which point he was swallowed. He emerged from the fish alive and repentant three days later.
... [more] LEIMOMI f HawaiianMeans "pearl lei" or "pearl child" from Hawaiian
lei "flowers, lei, child" and
momi "pearl".
LEOCADIA f Spanish, Late RomanLate Latin name which might be derived from the name of the Greek island of
Leucadia or from Greek
λευκος (leukos) meaning "bright, clear, white" (which is also the root of the island's name). Saint Leocadia was a 3rd-century martyr from Spain.
LILAC f English (Rare)From the English word for the shrub with purple or white flowers. It is derived via Arabic from Persian.
MADARA f LatvianFrom the Latvian name for a type of flowering plant, known as cleavers or bedstraw in English.
MAIRWEN f WelshCombination of
MAIR and Welsh
gwen meaning "white, fair, blessed".
MARGARET f EnglishDerived from Latin
Margarita, which was from Greek
μαργαριτης (margarites) meaning "pearl", probably ultimately a borrowing from Sanskrit
मञ्यरी (manyari). Saint Margaret, the patron of expectant mothers, was martyred at Antioch in the 4th century. Later legends told of her escape from a dragon, with which she was often depicted in medieval art. The saint was popular during the Middle Ages, and her name has been widely used in the Christian world.
... [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.
MARGHERITA f ItalianItalian form of
MARGARET. This is also the Italian word for the daisy flower (species Leucanthemum vulgare).
MARGRIET f DutchDutch form of
MARGARET. This is also the Dutch word for the daisy flower (species Leucanthemum vulgare).
MARGUERITE f FrenchFrench form of
MARGARET. This is also the French word for the daisy flower (species Leucanthemum vulgare).
MARJORIE f EnglishMedieval variant of
MARGERY, influenced by the name of the herb
marjoram. After the Middle Ages this name was rare, but it was revived at the end of the 19th century.
MARYAM f Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Bashkir, TatarArabic, Persian, Urdu, Bashkir and Tatar form of
Miryam (see
MARY). In Iran it is also the name of a flower, the tuberose, which is named after the Virgin Mary.
MAY f EnglishDerived from the name of the month of May, which derives from
Maia, the name of a Roman goddess. May is also another name of the hawthorn flower. It is also used as a diminutive of
MARY,
MARGARET or
MABEL.
MEGAN f Welsh, EnglishWelsh diminutive of
MARGARET. In the English-speaking world outside of Wales it has only been regularly used since the middle of the 20th century.
MÜGE f TurkishMeans "lily of the valley" in Turkish (species Convallaria majalis).
NARCISSE m & f FrenchFrench masculine and feminine form of
NARCISSUS. This is also the French word for the narcissus flower.
NEVADA f EnglishFrom the name of the American state, which means "snow-capped" in Spanish.
NIEVES f SpanishMeans "snows" in Spanish, derived from the title of the Virgin
Mary Nuestra Señora de las Nieves meaning "Our Lady of the Snows".
OLWEN f WelshMeans "white footprint" from Welsh
ol "footprint, track" and
gwen "white, fair, blessed". In Welsh legend Olwen was a beautiful maiden, the lover of
Culhwch and the daughter of the giant Yspaddaden. Her father insisted that Culhwch complete several seemingly impossible tasks before he would allow them to marry, and Culhwch was successful with all of them.
PEARL f EnglishFrom the English word
pearl for the concretions formed in the shells of some mollusks, ultimately from Late Latin
perla. Like other gemstone names, it has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the 19th century. The pearl is the birthstone for June, and it supposedly imparts health and wealth.
PEGGY f EnglishMedieval variant of
Meggy, a diminutive of
MARGARET. The reason for the change in the initial consonant is unknown.
PENINNAH f BiblicalMeans "precious stone, pearl" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of one of the wives of
Elkanah, the other being
Hannah.
RHONWEN f WelshMeans either "fair spear" or "fair hair" in Welsh. The first element is either
rhon "spear" or
rhawn "(coarse) hair", and the second element is
gwen "fair, white, blessed".
RIKO f JapaneseFrom Japanese
莉 (ri) meaning "white jasmine" or
理 (ri) meaning "reason, logic" combined with
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.
RINA (4) f JapaneseFrom Japanese
莉 (ri) meaning "white jasmine" or
里 (ri) meaning "village" combined with
奈 (na), a phonetic character, or
菜 (na) meaning "vegetables, greens". Other kanji combinations are possible.
RIO (2) f JapaneseFrom Japanese
莉 (ri) meaning "white jasmine" or
里 (ri) meaning "village" combined with
央 (o) meaning "center",
緒 (o) meaning "thread" or
桜 (o) meaning "cherry blossom". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
ROSALBA f ItalianItalian name meaning "white rose", derived from Latin
rosa "rose" and
alba "white". A famous bearer was the Venetian painter Rosalba Carriera (1675-1757).
SADAF f ArabicMeans "seashell, mother-of-pearl" in Arabic.
SMILTĖ f LithuanianMeans "sandwort" in Lithuanian, referring to flowering plants from the genus Arenaria.
TEGWEN f WelshDerived from the Welsh elements
teg "fair" and
gwen "blessed".
TSUBAKI f JapaneseFrom Japanese
椿 (tsubaki) meaning "camellia flower", as well as other combinations of kanji which are pronounced the same way.
WENDY f EnglishIn the case of the character from J. M. Barrie's play 'Peter Pan' (1904), it was created from the nickname
fwendy "friend", given to the author by a young friend. However, the name was used prior to the play (rarely), in which case it could be related to the Welsh name
GWENDOLEN and other names beginning with the element
gwen meaning "white, fair, blessed". The name only became common after Barrie's play ran.
WHITAKER m English (Rare)From a surname which was derived from a place name meaning "white field" in Old English.
WHITNEY f & m EnglishFrom a surname which was originally derived from a place name meaning "white island" in Old English. Its popular use as a feminine name was initiated by actress Whitney Blake (1925-2002) in the 1960s, and further boosted in the 1980s by singer Whitney Houston (1963-2012).
WYN m WelshDerived from Welsh
gwyn meaning "blessed, white, fair".
XUE f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
雪 (xuě) meaning "snow" or
学 (xué) meaning "study, learning, school", besides other characters pronounced similarly.
XUN m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
勋 (xūn) meaning "meritorious deed, rank" or
迅 (xùn) meaning "snow", as well as other characters with a similar pronunciation.
YUKI f & m JapaneseFrom Japanese
幸 (yuki) meaning "happiness" or
雪 (yuki) meaning "snow". It can also come from
由 (yu) meaning "reason, cause" combined with
貴 (ki) meaning "valuable" or
紀 (ki) meaning "chronicle". Other kanji or kanji combinations are also possible.
YUKIKO f JapaneseFrom Japanese
幸 (yuki) meaning "happiness" or
雪 (yuki) meaning "snow" combined with
子 (ko) meaning "child". Alternatively, it can come from
由 (yu) meaning "reason, cause" with
喜 (ki) meaning "joy" or
貴 (ki) meaning "valuable" combined with
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.
ZAL m Persian MythologyMeans "albino" in Persian. In the 11th-century Persian epic the 'Shahnameh' this is the name of a white-haired warrior.