BÉBINN f Irish, Irish MythologyMeans "fair lady" in Irish Gaelic. This name was borne by several characters in Irish mythology, including a goddess of childbirth.
COLLEEN f EnglishDerived from the Irish word
cailín meaning "girl". It is not commonly used in Ireland itself, but has been used in America since the early 20th century.
DESPOINA f Greek Mythology, GreekMeans "mistress, lady" in Greek. In Greek mythology this was the name of the daughter of Demeter and Poseidon. She was worshipped in the Eleusinian Mysteries, which were secret rites practiced at Eleusis near Athens.
DONNA f EnglishFrom Italian
donna meaning "lady". It is also used as a feminine form of
DONALD.
ENHEDUANNA f AkkadianFrom Sumerian
En-hedu-anna, derived from
𒂗 (en) meaning "lady, high priestess" combined with
𒃶𒌌 (hedu) meaning "ornament" and the god's name
AN (2). This was the Sumerian title of a 23rd-century BC priestess and poet, identified as a daughter of
Sargon of Akkad. Presumably she had an Akkadian birth name, but it is unrecorded. She is regarded as one of the earliest known poets.
ERESHKIGAL f Sumerian MythologyMeans "lady of the great earth", from Sumerian
𒊩𒌆 (ereš) meaning "lady, queen" combined with
𒆠 (ki) meaning "earth" and
𒃲 (gal) meaning "great, big". In Sumerian mythology she was the goddess of death and the underworld.
FEMKE f Dutch, FrisianDiminutive of Germanic names beginning with the element
frid "peace". It also coincides with a Frisian word meaning "little girl".
FREYA f Norse Mythology, English (British, Modern), GermanFrom Old Norse
Freyja meaning "lady". This was the name of the goddess of love, beauty, war and death in Norse mythology. She claimed half of the heroes who were slain in battle and brought them to her realm of Fólkvangr. Along with her brother
Freyr and father
Njord, she was one of the Vanir (as opposed to the Æsir). Some scholars connect her with the goddess
Frigg.
... [more] GORMLAITH f Irish, ScottishDerived from Irish
gorm "blue" or "illustrious" and
flaith "princess, lady". This was the name of a wife of the 11th-century Irish ruler
Brian Boru.
IARA f Native American, TupiFrom Tupi
y "water" and
îara "lady, mistress". In Brazilian folklore this is the name of a beautiful river nymph who would lure men into the water. She may have been based upon earlier Tupi legends.
INANNA f Sumerian MythologyPossibly derived from Sumerian
nin-an-a(k) meaning "lady of the heavens", from
𒊩𒌆 (nin) meaning "lady" and the genitive form of
𒀭 (an) meaning "heaven, sky". Inanna was the Sumerian goddess of love, fertility and war. She descended into the underworld where the ruler of that place, her sister Ereshkigal, had her killed. The god
Enki interceded, and Inanna was allowed to leave the underworld as long as her husband
Dumuzi took her place.
... [more] IXCHEL f Mayan Mythology, Native American, MayanMeans "rainbow lady" in Mayan. Ixchel was the Maya goddess of the earth, the moon, and medicine. She was often depicted with a snake in her hair and crossbones embroidered on her skirt.
JOLÁNKA f Hungarian (Rare)Created by the Hungarian writer András Dugonics for the main character in his novel 'Jólánka, Etelkának Leánya' (1803). He may have based it on Hungarian
jóleán meaning "good girl" or possibly on the name
YOLANDA.
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.
LÍADAN f IrishMeans "grey lady" in Irish Gaelic. In Irish legend she was a poetess who became a nun, but then missed her lover Cuirithir so much that she died of grief.
MÄDCHEN f VariousMeans "girl" in German. It is not used as a name in Germany itself.
MADONNA f EnglishFrom a title of the Virgin
Mary meaning "my lady" in Italian. A famous bearer of the name is American singer Madonna Ciccone (1958-), known simply as Madonna.
MARTHA f English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, German, Greek, Biblical, Old Church Slavic, Biblical Latin, Biblical GreekFrom Aramaic
מַרְתָּא (marta') meaning "the lady, the mistress", feminine form of
מַר (mar) meaning "master". In the New Testament this is the name of the sister of
Lazarus and
Mary of Bethany (who is sometimes identified with Mary Magdalene). She was a witness to
Jesus restoring her dead brother to life.
... [more] MONA (1) f Irish, EnglishAnglicized form of
MUADHNAIT. It is also associated with Greek
monos "one" and Leonardo da Vinci's painting the 'Mona Lisa' (in which case it is a contraction of Italian
ma donna meaning "my lady").
NEPHTHYS f Egyptian Mythology (Hellenized)Greek form of Egyptian
Nebt-Het meaning "lady of the house", derived from Egyptian
nbt "lady" and
hwt "house". This was the name of an Egyptian goddess associated with the air, death and mourning. She was wife of the desert god
Seth.
NERYS f WelshPerhaps an elaboration of Welsh
ner "lord", with the intended meaning of "lady".
NINA (1) f Russian, Italian, English, German, French, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Dutch, Polish, Slovene, Czech, Slovak, Croatian, SerbianShort form of names that end in
nina, such as
ANTONINA or
GIANNINA. It was imported to Western Europe from Russia and Italy in the 19th century. This name also nearly coincides with the Spanish word
niña meaning "little girl".
NINGAL f Sumerian MythologyMeans "great lady", from Sumerian
𒊩𒌆 (nin) meaning "lady" and
𒃲 (gal) meaning "big, great". This was the name of a goddess of reeds in Sumerian mythology. She was the daughter of
Enki and the wife of
Nanna.
NINHURSAG f Sumerian MythologyMeans "lady of the mountain", from Sumerian
𒊩𒌆 (nin) meaning "lady" and
𒉺𒂅 (hursaĝ) meaning "mountain". This was the name of the Sumerian mother and fertility goddess, the primary consort of
Enki.
NINSUN f Sumerian MythologyFrom Sumerian
nin-sumun-a(k) meaning "lady of the wild cow", derived from
𒊩𒌆 (nin) meaning "lady" and the genitive form of
𒄢 (sumun) meaning "wild cow". In Sumerian mythology Ninsun was the divine mother of
Gilgamesh.
SACAGAWEA f Native AmericanProbably from Hidatsa
tsakáka wía meaning "bird woman". Alternatively it could originate from the Shoshone language and mean "boat puller". This name was borne by a Native American woman who guided the explorers Lewis and Clark. She was of Shoshone ancestry but had been abducted in her youth and raised by a Hidatsa tribe.
SARAH f English, French, German, 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 the 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] TALITHA f BiblicalMeans "little girl" in Aramaic. The name is taken from the phrase
talitha cumi meaning "little girl arise" spoken by
Jesus in order to restore a young girl to life (see Mark 5:41).
TANITH f Semitic MythologyDerived from Semitic roots meaning "serpent lady". This was the name of the Phoenician goddess of love, fertility, the moon and the stars. She was particularly associated with the city of Carthage, being the consort of
Ba'al Hammon.
VESLEMØY f NorwegianMeans "little girl" from Norwegian
vesle "little" and
møy "girl". This name was created by Norwegian writer Arne Garborg for the main character in his poem 'Haugtussa' (1895).