Crew m English (Rare)Either from a surname that was derived from the English town of Crewe (from Old Welsh
criu meaning
"weir"), or from the English vocabulary word for a group of people.
Crispin m English (Rare)From the Roman cognomen
Crispinus, which was derived from the name
Crispus. Saint Crispin was a 3rd-century Roman who was martyred with his twin brother Crispinian in Gaul. They are the patrons of shoemakers. They were popular saints in England during the Middle Ages, and the name has occasionally been used since that time.
Crofton m English (Rare)From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"town with a small enclosed field" in Old English.
Crystal f EnglishFrom the English word
crystal for the clear, colourless glass, sometimes cut into the shape of a gemstone. The English word derives ultimately from Greek
κρύσταλλος (krystallos) meaning "ice". It has been in use as a given name since the 19th century.
Cullen m EnglishFrom a surname, either
Cullen 1 or
Cullen 2. It jumped a little in popularity as a given name after Stephenie Meyer's novel
Twilight (2005), featuring a vampire named Edward Cullen, was adapted into a movie in 2008.
Curtis m EnglishFrom an English surname that originally meant
"courteous" in Old French.
Cuthbert m English (Rare)Derived from the Old English elements
cuþ "famous" and
beorht "bright". Saint Cuthbert was a 6th-century hermit who became the bishop of Lindisfarne, an island off the coast of England. He was known as performer of healing miracles. Because of the saint, this name remained in use in England even after the Norman Conquest. It became rare after the Protestant Reformation, but it was (briefly) revived in the 19th century.
Cybill f English (Rare)Variant of
Sibyl. This name was borne by actress Cybill Shepherd (1950-), who was named after her grandfather Cy and her father Bill.
Cynthia f English, French, Greek Mythology (Latinized)Latinized form of Greek
Κυνθία (Kynthia), which means
"woman from Cynthus". This was an epithet of the Greek moon goddess
Artemis, given because Cynthus was the mountain on Delos on which she and her twin brother
Apollo were born. It was not used as a given name until the Renaissance, and it did not become common in the English-speaking world until the 19th century. It reached a peak of popularity in the United States in 1957 and has declined steadily since then.
Cyprian m Polish, English (Rare)From the Roman family name
Cyprianus, which meant
"from Cyprus". Saint Cyprian was a 3rd-century bishop of Carthage and a martyr under the emperor Valerian.
Cyrus m English, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Ancient Greek (Latinized)From
Κῦρος (Kyros), the Greek form of the Persian name
Kūrush, which may mean
"far sighted" or
"young". The name is sometimes associated with Greek
κύριος (kyrios) meaning "lord". It was borne by several kings of Persia, including Cyrus the Great, who conquered Babylon. He is famous in the Old Testament for freeing the captive Jews and allowing them to return to Israel. As an English name, it first came into use among the Puritans after the Protestant Reformation.
Dacre m English (Rare)From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name in Cumbria, of Brythonic origin meaning
"trickling stream".
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.
... [more] Dakota m & f English (Modern)From the name of the Native American people of the northern Mississippi Valley, or from the two American states that were named for them: North and South Dakota (until 1889 unified as the Dakota Territory). The tribal name means
"allies, friends" in the Dakota language.
... [more] Dale m & f EnglishFrom an English surname that originally belonged to a person who lived near a dale or valley.
Dallas m & f EnglishFrom a surname that could either be of Old English origin meaning
"valley house" or of Scottish Gaelic origin meaning
"meadow dwelling". A city in Texas bears this name, probably in honour of American Vice President George M. Dallas (1792-1864).
Dalton m EnglishFrom an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning
"valley town" in Old English. A notable bearer of the surname was John Dalton (1766-1844), the English chemist and physicist who theorized about the existence of atoms.
Damian m English, Polish, Romanian, Dutch (Modern)From the Greek name
Δαμιανός (Damianos), which was derived from Greek
δαμάζω (damazo) meaning
"to tame". Saint Damian was martyred with his twin brother
Cosmas in Syria early in the 4th century. They are the patron saints of physicians. Due to his renown, the name came into general use in Christian Europe. Another saint by this name was Peter Damian, an 11th-century cardinal and theologian from Italy.
Damon m Greek Mythology, EnglishDerived from Greek
δαμάζω (damazo) meaning
"to tame". According to Greek legend, Damon and Pythias were friends who lived on Syracuse in the 4th century BC. When Pythias was sentenced to death, he was allowed to temporarily go free on the condition that Damon take his place in prison. Pythias returned just before Damon was to be executed in his place, and the king was so impressed with their loyalty to one another that he pardoned Pythias. As an English given name, it has only been regularly used since the 20th century.
Dana 2 m & f EnglishFrom a surname that is of unknown origin. It was originally given in honour of American lawyer Richard Henry Dana Jr. (1815-1882), the author of the memoir
Two Years Before the Mast.
Dane m EnglishFrom an English surname that was either a variant of the surname
Dean or else an ethnic name referring to a person from Denmark.
Danica f Serbian, Croatian, Slovene, Slovak, Macedonian, EnglishFrom a Slavic word meaning
"morning star, Venus". This name occurs in Slavic folklore as a personification of the morning star. It has sometimes been used in the English-speaking world since the 1970s.
Daniel m English, Hebrew, French, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, Romanian, Slovene, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Croatian, Finnish, Estonian, Armenian, Georgian, Biblical, Biblical GreekFrom the Hebrew name
דָּנִיֵּאל (Daniyyel) meaning
"God is my judge", from the roots
דִּין (din) meaning "to judge" and
אֵל ('el) meaning "God". Daniel was a Hebrew prophet whose story is told in the Book of Daniel in the Old Testament. He lived during the Jewish captivity in Babylon, where he served in the court of the king, rising to prominence by interpreting the king's dreams. The book also presents Daniel's four visions of the end of the world.
... [more] Daniela f Italian, German, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Romanian, Portuguese, Spanish, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Hebrew, EnglishFeminine form of
Daniel.
Danielle f French, EnglishFrench feminine form of
Daniel. It has been commonly used in the English-speaking world only since the 20th century.
Daphne f Greek 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.
Darby m & f EnglishFrom an English surname, which was derived from the name of the town of
Derby, meaning "deer town" in Old Norse.
Darcy f & m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from Norman French
d'Arcy, originally denoting one who came from the town of Arcy in La Manche, France. This is the surname of a character, Fitzwilliam Darcy, in Jane Austen's novel
Pride and Prejudice (1813).
Darin m EnglishVariant of
Darren. This was the adopted surname of the singer Bobby Darin (1936-1973), who was born Robert Cassotto and chose his stage name from a street sign.
Darius m English, Lithuanian, Romanian, Biblical, Biblical LatinRoman form of
Δαρεῖος (Dareios), which was the Greek form of the Persian name
Dārayavahush meaning
"possessing goodness", composed of the elements
dâraya "to possess" and
vahu "good". Three ancient kings of Persia bore this name, including Darius the Great who expanded the Achaemenid Empire to its greatest extent. His forces invaded Greece but were defeated in the Battle of Marathon.
... [more] Darlene f EnglishFrom the English word
darling combined with the common name suffix
lene. This name has been in use since the beginning of the 20th century.
Darnell m English, African AmericanFrom an English surname that was derived from Old French
darnel, a type of grass. In some cases the surname may be from a place name, itself derived from Old English
derne "hidden" and
halh "nook".
Darrell m English, African AmericanFrom an English surname that was derived from Norman French
d'Airelle, originally denoting one who came from Airelle in France. As a given name it was moderately popular from the 1930s to the 1970s, but it dropped off the American top 1000 rankings in 2018.
Darren m EnglishThe meaning of this name is not known for certain. It could be from a rare Irish surname or it could be an altered form of
Darrell. It was first brought to public attention in the late 1950s by the American actor Darren McGavin (1922-2006). It was further popularized in the 1960s by the character Darrin Stephens from the television show
Bewitched.
Darryl m English, African AmericanVariant of
Darrell. In the United States, this spelling was more popular than
Darrell from 1960 to 1966, being especially well-used in the African-American community.
Darwin m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from the Old English given name
Deorwine. The surname was borne by the English naturalist Charles Darwin (1809-1882), the man who first proposed the theory of natural selection and subsequently revolutionized biology.
Dash m English (Modern)Probably inspired by the English word
dash meaning "run, sprint". In some cases it can be a short form of
Dashiell, as in the animated movie
The Incredibles (2004) where it belongs to a speedy young superhero.
Dashiell m English (Rare)In the case of American author Dashiell Hammett (1894-1961) it was from his mother's surname, which was possibly an Anglicized form of French
de Chiel, of unknown meaning.
David m English, Hebrew, French, Scottish, Welsh, Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Czech, Slovene, Russian, Croatian, Serbian, Macedonian, Romanian, Biblical, Biblical LatinFrom the Hebrew name
דָּוִד (Dawid), which was derived from Hebrew
דּוֹד (dod) meaning
"beloved" or
"uncle". David was the second and greatest of the kings of Israel, ruling in the 10th century BC. Several stories about him are told in the Old Testament, including his defeat of
Goliath, a giant Philistine. According to the New Testament,
Jesus was descended from him.
... [more] Davinia f English (Rare), Spanish (Modern)Probably an elaboration of
Davina. About 1980 this name jumped in popularity in Spain, possibly due to the main character on the British television series
The Foundation (1977-1979), which was broadcast in Spain as
La Fundación.
Davis m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from the given name
David. A famous bearer of the surname was Jefferson Davis (1808-1889), the only president of the Confederate States of America.
Dawn f EnglishFrom the English word
dawn, ultimately derived from Old English
dagung.
Dawson m EnglishFrom an English surname meaning
"son of David". As a given name, it was popularized in the late 1990s by the central character on the television drama
Dawson's Creek (1998-2003). In the United States the number of boys receiving the name increased tenfold between 1997 and 1999. It got another boost in 2014 after it was used for a main character in the movie
The Best of Me.
Dax m EnglishFrom an English surname, which was derived either from the town of Dax in France or from the Old English given name
Dæcca (of unknown meaning). The name was brought to public attention by the main character in the 1966 novel
The Adventurers and its 1970 movie adaptation. It became popular in the 2010s due to its similarity to other names like
Max and
Jax.
Dayton m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from places named
Deighton, meaning
"ditch town" in Old English. Dayton is also the name of a city in Ohio. As a given name, it gained a bit of popularity in the 1990s, probably because it shares a similar sound with names such as
Peyton and
Clayton.
Deacon m English (Modern)Either from the occupational surname
Deacon or directly from the vocabulary word
deacon, which refers to a cleric in the Christian church (ultimately from Greek
διάκονος (diakonos) meaning "servant").
Dean m EnglishFrom a surname, see
Dean 1 and
Dean 2. The actor James Dean (1931-1955) was a famous bearer of the surname.
Deanna f EnglishEither a variant of
Diana or a feminine form of
Dean. This name was popularized by the Canadian actress and singer Deanna Durbin (1921-2013), whose birth name was Edna. Her stage name was a rearrangement of the letters of her real name.
Deborah f English, BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
דְּבוֹרָה (Devorah) meaning
"bee". In the Old Testament Book of Judges, Deborah is a heroine and prophetess who leads the Israelites when they are threatened by the Canaanites. She forms an army under the command of
Barak, and together they destroy the army of the Canaanite commander Sisera. Also in the Old Testament, this is the name of the nurse of Rebecca.
... [more] Declan m Irish, EnglishAnglicized form of Irish
Deaglán, Old Irish
Declán, which is of unknown meaning. Saint Declan was a 5th-century missionary to the Déisi peoples of Ireland and the founder of the monastery at Ardmore.
... [more] Dee f & m EnglishShort form of names beginning with
D. It may also be given in reference to the
Dee River in Scotland.
Deemer m English (Rare)From an English and Scottish surname meaning
"judge", from Old English
demere.
Deforest m EnglishFrom a French surname meaning
"from the forest". It was originally given in honour of American author John Deforest (1826-1906).
Deirdre f English, Irish, Irish MythologyFrom the Old Irish name
Derdriu, meaning unknown, possibly derived from
der meaning
"daughter". This was the name of a tragic character in Irish legend who died of a broken heart after
Conchobar, the king of Ulster, forced her to be his bride and killed her lover
Naoise.
... [more] Delano m EnglishFrom a surname, recorded as
de la Noye in French, indicating that the bearer was from a place called La Noue (ultimately Gaulish meaning "wetland, swamp"). It has been used in honour of American president Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882-1945), whose middle name came from his mother's maiden name.
Delbert m EnglishShort form of
Adelbert. As an American name it was first used in the New York area by people of Dutch ancestry.
Delia 1 f English, Italian, Spanish, Romanian, Greek MythologyMeans
"of Delos" in Greek. This was an epithet of the Greek goddess
Artemis, given because she and her twin brother
Apollo were born on the island of Delos. The name appeared in several poems of the 16th and 17th centuries, and it has occasionally been used as a given name since that time.
Delicia f English (Rare)Either from Latin
deliciae "delight, pleasure" or a variant of the English word
delicious. It has been used since the 17th century (rarely).
Delilah f Biblical, Biblical Hebrew, EnglishMeans
"delicate, weak, languishing" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament she is the lover of
Samson, whom she betrays to the Philistines by cutting his hair, which is the source of his power. Despite her character flaws, the name began to be used by the Puritans in the 17th century. It has been used occasionally in the English-speaking world since that time.
Dell m & f EnglishFrom an English surname that originally denoted a person who lived in a dell or valley.
Delmar m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from Norman French
de la mare meaning
"from the pond".
Delphia f EnglishPossibly from the name of the Greek city of Delphi, the site of an oracle of
Apollo, which is possibly related to Greek
δελφύς (delphys) meaning "womb". It was used in the play
The Prophetess (1647), in which it belongs to the title prophetess.
Delta f EnglishFrom the name of the fourth letter in the Greek alphabet,
Δ. It is also the name for an island formed at the mouth of a river.
Demelza f English (British, Rare)From a Cornish place name meaning
"fort of Maeldaf". It has been used as a given name since the middle of the 20th century. It was popularized in the 1970s by a character from the British television series
Poldark, which was set in Cornwall.
Demi f Greek, English (Modern)Alternate transcription of Greek
Δήμη or
Ντίμι or
Ντίμη (see
Dimi), as well as a short form of
Demetria. A famous bearer is American actress Demi Moore (1962-), and it is because of her that the name rose in popularity in the United States in the late 1980s. Though some sources claim Moore's birth name is Demetria, the actress herself has said she was born as Demi and named after a makeup product. The name received a further boost after 2008 when the singer Demi Lovato (1992-), who pronounces the name differently than the older actress, released their debut album. Lovato's birth name is Demetria.
Dena f EnglishPossibly a short form of names ending with
dena. It has also been used as a variant of
Deanna.
Denholm m English (Rare)From a surname that was originally taken from a place name meaning
"valley island" in Old English.
Denis m French, Russian, English, German, Czech, Slovak, Slovene, Romanian, CroatianFrom
Denys or
Denis, the medieval French forms of
Dionysius. Saint Denis was a 3rd-century missionary to Gaul and the first bishop of Paris. He was martyred by decapitation, after which legend says he picked up his own severed head and walked for a distance while preaching a sermon. He is credited with converting the Gauls to Christianity and is considered the patron saint of France.
... [more] Denton m EnglishFrom a surname, originally from a place name, which meant
"valley town" in Old English.
Denver m EnglishFrom an English surname that was from a place name meaning
"Dane ford" in Old English. This is the name of the capital city of Colorado, which was named for the politician James W. Denver (1817-1892).
Denzel m English (Modern)Possibly a variant of
Denzil. This spelling of the name was popularized by American actor Denzel Washington (1954-), who was named after his father.
Denzil m EnglishFrom a surname that originally denoted a person from the manor of Denzell in Cornwall. This given name was borne by several members of the noble Holles family starting in the 16th century, notably the statesman Denzil Holles (1599-1680). They were named for John Denzel, an ancestor whose home was Denzell.
Derek m EnglishFrom the older English name
Dederick, which was in origin a Low German form of
Theodoric. It was imported to England from the Low Countries in the 15th century.
Desi m & f EnglishDiminutive of
Desmond,
Desiree and other names beginning with a similar sound. In the case of musician and actor Desi Arnaz (1917-1986) it was a diminutive of
Desiderio.
Desiree f EnglishEnglish form of
Désirée. It was popularized in the English-speaking world by the movie
Désirée (1954).
Desmond m English, IrishAnglicized form of Irish
Deasmhumhain meaning "south Munster", referring to the region of Desmond in southern Ireland, formerly a kingdom. It can also come from the related surname (an Anglicized form of
Ó Deasmhumhnaigh), which indicated a person who came from that region. A famous bearer is the South African archbishop and activist Desmond Tutu (1931-2021).
Destiny f EnglishMeans simply
"destiny, fate" from the English word, ultimately from Latin
destinare "to determine", a derivative of
stare "to stand". It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world only since the last half of the 20th century.
Devereux m English (Rare)From an English surname, of Norman French origin, meaning
"from Evreux". Evreux is a town in France.
Devon m & f EnglishVariant of
Devin. It may also be partly inspired by the name of the county of Devon in England, which got its name from the Dumnonii, a Celtic tribe.
Dewayne m EnglishVariant of
Duane, with the spelling altered due to the influence of
Wayne. It can be spelled
Dewayne or with a capitalized third letter as
DeWayne.
Dexter m EnglishFrom an occupational surname meaning
"one who dyes" in Old English. It also coincides with the Latin word
dexter meaning
"right-handed, skilled".
Diamond f English (Rare), African American (Modern)From the English word
diamond for the clear colourless precious stone, the traditional birthstone of April. It is derived from Late Latin
diamas, from Latin
adamas, which is of Greek origin meaning "invincible, untamed".
Diana f English, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Catalan, German, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Estonian, Lithuanian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Roman MythologyMeans
"divine, goddesslike", a derivative of
dia or
diva meaning
"goddess". It is ultimately related to the same Indo-European root *
dyew- found in
Zeus. Diana was a Roman goddess of the moon, hunting, forests and childbirth, often identified with the Greek goddess
Artemis.
... [more] Dick 1 m EnglishMedieval diminutive of
Richard. The change in the initial consonant is said to have been caused by the way the trilled Norman
R was pronounced by the English.
Digby m English (Rare)From a surname that was derived from the name of an English town, itself derived from a combination of Old English
dic "dyke, ditch" and Old Norse
byr "farm, town".
Diggory m English (Rare)Probably an Anglicized form of
Degaré. Sir Degaré was the subject of a medieval poem set in Brittany. The name may mean "lost one" from French
égaré.
Dillon m EnglishVariant of
Dylan based on the spelling of the surname
Dillon, which has an unrelated origin.
Dinah f Biblical, Biblical Hebrew, EnglishMeans
"judged" in Hebrew. According to the Old Testament, Dinah was a daughter of
Jacob and
Leah who was abducted by Shechem. It has been used as an English given name since after the Protestant Reformation.
Dion m Ancient Greek, EnglishShort form of
Dionysios and other Greek names beginning with the Greek element
Διός (Dios) meaning "of
Zeus". This was the name of a 4th-century BC tyrant of Syracuse. It has been used as an American given name since the middle of the 20th century.
Dirk m Dutch, German, EnglishShort form of
Diederik. The name was popularized in the English-speaking world by actor Dirk Bogarde (1921-1999), who had some Dutch ancestry. This is also the Scots word for a type of dagger.
Dixie f EnglishFrom the term that refers to the southern United States, used by Daniel D. Emmett in his song
Dixie in 1859. The term may be derived from French
dix "ten", which was printed on ten-dollar bills issued from a New Orleans bank.
Dolly f EnglishDiminutive of
Dorothy.
Doll and
Dolly were used from the 16th century, and the common English word
doll (for the plaything) is derived from them. In modern times this name is also sometimes used as a diminutive of
Dolores.
Dolores f Spanish, EnglishMeans
"sorrows", taken from the Spanish title of the Virgin
Mary María de los Dolores, meaning "Mary of Sorrows". It has been used in the English-speaking world since the 19th century, becoming especially popular in America during the 1920s and 30s.
Dominic m EnglishFrom the Late Latin name
Dominicus meaning
"of the Lord". This name was traditionally given to a child born on Sunday. Several saints have borne this name, including the 13th-century founder of the Dominican order of friars. It was in this saint's honour that the name was first used in England, starting around the 13th century. It is primarily used by Catholics.
Donald m Scottish, EnglishFrom the Scottish Gaelic name
Dòmhnall meaning
"ruler of the world", composed of the Old Irish elements
domun "world" and
fal "rule". This was the name of two 9th-century kings of the Scots and Picts. It has traditionally been very popular in Scotland, and during the 20th century it became common in the rest of the English-speaking world. This is the name of one of Walt Disney's most popular cartoon characters, Donald Duck, introduced 1931. It was also borne by Australian cricket player Donald Bradman (1908-2001) and former American president Donald Trump (1946-).
Donna f EnglishFrom Italian
donna meaning
"lady". It is also used as a feminine form of
Donald.
Donovan m EnglishFrom an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of
Ó Donndubháin, itself derived from the given name
Donndubán. This name is borne by the Scottish folk musician Donovan Leitch (1946-), known simply as Donovan.
Dora f Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Greek, Croatian, Serbian, Bulgarian, English, German, DutchShort form of
Dorothy,
Theodora or
Isidora.
Doran m English (Rare)From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of
Ó Deoradháin, from the byname
Deoradhán, derived from Irish
deoradh meaning "exile, wanderer" combined with a diminutive suffix.
Doreen f EnglishCombination of
Dora and the name suffix
een. The name was (first?) used by novelist Edna Lyall in her novel
Doreen (1894).
Dorian m English, French, RomanianThe name was first used by Oscar Wilde in his novel
The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891), which tells the story of a man whose portrait ages while he stays young. Wilde may have taken it from the name of the ancient Greek tribe the Dorians.
Dorinda f EnglishCombination of
Dora and the name suffix
inda. It was apparently coined by the English writers John Dryden and William D'Avenant for their play
The Enchanted Island (1667). In the play, a loose adaptation of Shakespeare's
The Tempest, Dorinda is the sister of Miranda.
Doris f English, German, Swedish, Danish, Croatian, Ancient Greek, Greek MythologyFrom the Greek name
Δωρίς (Doris), which meant
"Dorian woman". The Dorians were a Greek tribe who occupied the Peloponnese starting in the 12th century BC. In Greek mythology Doris was a sea nymph, one of the many children of Oceanus and Tethys. It began to be used as an English name in the 19th century. A famous bearer is the American actress Doris Day (1924-2019).
Dorothea f German, Dutch, English, Late GreekFeminine form of the Late Greek name
Δωρόθεος (Dorotheos), which meant
"gift of God" from Greek
δῶρον (doron) meaning "gift" and
θεός (theos) meaning "god". The name
Theodore is composed of the same elements in reverse order. Dorothea was the name of two early saints, notably the 4th-century martyr Dorothea of Caesarea. It was also borne by the 14th-century Saint Dorothea of Montau, who was the patron saint of Prussia.
Dorothy f EnglishUsual English form of
Dorothea. It has been in use since the 16th century. The author L. Frank Baum used it for the central character, Dorothy Gale, in his fantasy novel
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) and several of its sequels.
Douglas m Scottish, EnglishFrom a Scottish surname that was from the name of a town in Lanarkshire, itself named after a tributary of the River Clyde called the Douglas Water. It means
"dark river", derived from Gaelic
dubh "dark" and
glais "water, river" (an archaic word related to
glas "grey, green"). This was a Scottish Lowland clan, the leaders of which were powerful earls in the medieval period. The Gaelic form is
Dùghlas or
Dùbhghlas. It has been used as a given name since the 16th century.
Dove f EnglishFrom the English word for the variety of bird, seen as a symbol of peace.
Doyle m EnglishFrom an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of
Ó Dubhghaill, itself derived from the given name
Dubhghall. A famous bearer of the surname was Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930), the author of the Sherlock Holmes mystery stories.
Drake m EnglishFrom an English surname derived from the Old Norse byname
Draki or the Old English byname
Draca both meaning "dragon", both via Latin from Greek
δράκων (drakon) meaning "dragon, serpent". This name coincides with the unrelated English word
drake meaning "male duck". A famous bearer is the Canadian actor and rapper Drake (1986-), who was born as Aubrey Drake Graham.
Dre m EnglishShort form of
Andre. A famous bearer is the American rapper and music producer Dr. Dre (1965-), born Andre Young.
Dream f English (Modern)From the English word
dream referring to imaginary events seen in the mind while sleeping or a hope or wish.
Driscoll m English (Rare)From an Irish surname that was an Anglicized form of
Ó hEidirsceóil meaning
"descendant of the messenger".
Drogo m English (Archaic)Norman name, possibly derived from Gothic
dragen meaning
"to carry" or Saxon
drog meaning
"ghost". Alternatively, it could be from the Slavic element
dragu meaning
"precious, dear". The Normans introduced this name to England.
Drummond m English (Rare)From a Scottish surname that was derived from various place names, themselves derived from Gaelic
druim meaning
"ridge".
Duane m EnglishFrom an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of
Ó Dubháin, itself derived from the given name
Dubhán. Usage in America began around the start of the 20th century. It last appeared on the top 1000 rankings in 2002, though the variant
Dwayne lingered a few years longer.
Dudley m EnglishFrom a surname that was originally from a place name meaning
"Dudda's clearing" in Old English. The surname was borne by a British noble family.
Duff m English (Rare)From a Scottish or Irish surname, derived from Anglicized spellings of Gaelic
dubh meaning
"dark".
Duke m EnglishFrom the noble title
duke, which was originally derived from Latin
dux "leader".
Dulcibella f English (Archaic)From Latin
dulcis "sweet" and
bella "beautiful". The usual medieval spelling of this name was
Dowsabel, and the Latinized form
Dulcibella was revived in the 18th century.
Dulcie f EnglishFrom Latin
dulcis meaning
"sweet". It was used in the Middle Ages in the spellings
Dowse and
Duce, and was recoined in the 19th century.
Duncan m Scottish, EnglishAnglicized form of the Scottish Gaelic name
Donnchadh, derived from Old Irish
donn "brown" and
cath "battle". This was the name of two kings of Scotland, including the one who was featured in Shakespeare's play
Macbeth (1606).
Dunstan m English (Rare), Anglo-SaxonFrom the Old English elements
dunn "dark" and
stan "stone". This name was borne by a 10th-century saint, the archbishop of Canterbury. It was occasionally used in the Middle Ages, though it died out after the 16th century. It was revived by the Tractarian movement in the 19th century.
Durward m EnglishFrom an occupational surname meaning
"door guard" in Middle English.
Dustin m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from the Old Norse given name
Þórsteinn (see
Torsten). The name was popularized by the actor Dustin Hoffman (1937-), who was apparently named after the earlier silent movie star Dustin Farnum (1874-1929).
Dusty m & f EnglishFrom a nickname originally given to people perceived as being dusty. It is also used a diminutive of
Dustin. A famous bearer was British singer Dusty Springfield (1939-1999), who acquired her nickname as a child.
Dutch m EnglishFrom a nickname given to Americans of German descent. It is related to
deutsch, the German word for "German".
Dwight m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from the medieval feminine name
Diot, a diminutive of
Dionysia, the feminine form of
Dionysius. In America it was sometimes given in honour of Yale president Timothy Dwight (1752-1817). A famous bearer was the American president Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969).
Dylan m Welsh, English, Welsh MythologyFrom the Welsh prefix
dy meaning "to, toward" and
llanw meaning "tide, flow". According to the Fourth Branch of the
Mabinogi, Dylan was a son of
Arianrhod and the twin brother of
Lleu Llaw Gyffes. Immediately after he was baptized he took to the sea, where he could swim as well as a fish. He was slain accidentally by his uncle
Gofannon. According to some theories the character might be rooted in an earlier and otherwise unattested Celtic god of the sea.
... [more] Earl m EnglishFrom the aristocratic title, which derives from Old English
eorl "nobleman, warrior". It has been used as a given name since the 19th century.
Eartha f EnglishCombination of the English word
earth with the feminine name suffix
a. It has been used in honour of African-American philanthropist Eartha M. M. White (1876-1974). Another famous bearer was American singer and actress Eartha Kitt (1927-2008).
Easter f EnglishFrom the English name of the Christian festival celebrating the resurrection of
Jesus. It was ultimately named for the Germanic spring goddess Eostre. It was traditionally given to children born on Easter, though it is rare in modern times.
Easton m English (Modern)From an English surname that was derived from place names meaning
"east town" in Old English.
Ebba 2 f English (Rare)From the Old English name
Æbbe, meaning unknown, perhaps a contracted form of a longer name. Saint Ebba was a 7th-century daughter of King Æthelfrith of Bernicia and the founder of monasteries in Scotland. Another saint named Ebba was a 9th-century abbess and martyr who mutilated her own face so that she would not be raped by the invading Danes.
Ebenezer m Literature, English (Archaic)From the name of a monument erected by
Samuel in the Old Testament, from Hebrew
אֶבֶן הָעָזֶר ('Even Ha'azer) meaning
"stone of help". Charles Dickens used it for the miserly character Ebenezer Scrooge in his novel
A Christmas Carol (1843).
Ebony f EnglishFrom the English word
ebony for the black wood that comes from the ebony tree. It is ultimately from the Egyptian word
hbnj. In America this name is most often used in the black community.
Eden f & m Hebrew, English (Modern)Possibly from Hebrew
עֵדֶן ('eden) meaning "pleasure, delight", or perhaps derived from Sumerian
𒂔 (edin) meaning "plain". According to the Old Testament the Garden of Eden was the place where the first people,
Adam and
Eve, lived before they were expelled.
Edgar m English, French, Portuguese, GermanDerived from the Old English elements
ead "wealth, fortune" and
gar "spear". This was the name of a 10th-century English king, Edgar the Peaceful. The name did not survive long after the Norman Conquest, but it was revived in the 18th century, in part due to a character by this name in Walter Scott's novel
The Bride of Lammermoor (1819), which tells of the tragic love between Edgar Ravenswood and Lucy Ashton. Famous bearers include author and poet Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849), French impressionist painter Edgar Degas (1834-1917), and author Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875-1950).
Edison m EnglishFrom an English surname that meant either
"son of Eda 2" or
"son of Adam". A famous bearer of the surname was the inventor Thomas Edison (1847-1931).
Edith f English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, DutchFrom the Old English name
Eadgyð, derived from the elements
ead "wealth, fortune" and
gyð "war". It was popular among Anglo-Saxon royalty, being borne for example by Saint Eadgyeth;, the daughter of King Edgar the Peaceful. It was also borne by the Anglo-Saxon wife of the Holy Roman Emperor Otto I. The name remained common after the Norman Conquest. It became rare after the 15th century, but was revived in the 19th century.