GUYmEnglish, FrenchNorman French form of
WIDO. The Normans introduced it to England, where it was common until the time of Guy Fawkes (1570-1606), a revolutionary who attempted to blow up the British parliament. The name was revived in the 19th century, due in part to characters in the novels 'Guy Mannering' (1815) by Sir Walter Scott and 'The Heir of Redclyffe' (1854) by C. M. Yonge.
GWENfWelsh, 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.
GWENDAfWelsh, EnglishDerived from the Welsh elements
gwen meaning "white, fair, blessed" and
da meaning "good". This name was created in the 20th century.
GYPSYfEnglish (Rare)Simply from the English word
Gypsy for the nomadic people who originated in northern India. The word was originally a corruption of
Egyptian. It is sometimes considered pejorative.
GYTHAfEnglish (Archaic)From
Gyða, an Old Norse diminutive of
GUÐRÍÐR. It was borne by a Danish noblewoman who married the English lord Godwin of Wessex in the 11th century. The name was used in England for a short time after that, and was revived in the 19th century.
HADLEYf & mEnglishFrom an English surname which was derived from a place name meaning "heather field" in Old English.
HALE (2)mEnglishFrom a surname which was derived from a place name meaning "nook, retreat" from Old English
healh.
HALLmEnglishFrom a surname which was derived from Old English
heall "manor, hall", originally belonging to a person who lived or worked in a manor.
HALLAMmEnglish (Rare)From a surname which was derived from a place name meaning either "at the rocks" or "at the nook" in Old English.
HALLE (2)fEnglish (Modern)In the case of American actress Halle Berry (1966-), it is from the name of a department store in Cleveland where she was born (the store was founded by brothers bearing the German surname Halle, a cognate of
HALL).
HAMILTONmEnglishFrom a surname which was derived from Old English
hamel "crooked, mutilated" and
dun "hill". The surname was originally taken from the name of a town in Leicestershire, England (which no longer exists). A famous bearer of the surname was Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804), a founding father of the United States who was killed in a duel with Aaron Burr.
HAMMONDmEnglish (Rare)From an English surname which was derived from either the Germanic given name
Haimund which meant "home protection" or else from the Old Norse given name
Hámundr which meant "high protection".
HAMNETmEnglish (Archaic)Diminutive of
HAMO. This was the name of a son of Shakespeare who died in childhood. His death may have provided the inspiration for his father's play 'Hamlet'.
HANKmEnglishOriginally a short form of
Hankin which was a medieval diminutive of
JOHN. Since the 17th century in the United States this name has also been used as a diminutive of
HENRY, probably under the influence of the Dutch diminutive
HENK. A famous bearer is the American former baseball player Hank Aaron (1934-).
HANNAHfEnglish, Hebrew, French, German, Dutch, Swedish, Arabic, BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
חַנָּה (Channah) meaning "favour, grace", derived from the root
חָנַן (chanan). In the Old Testament this is the name of the wife of
Elkanah. Her rival was Elkanah's other wife
Peninnah, who had children while Hannah remained barren. After a blessing from
Eli she finally became pregnant with
Samuel.
... [more] HARDINGmEnglishFrom an English surname which was derived from the Old English given name
HEARD. A famous bearer of the surname was American president Warren G. Harding (1865-1923).
HARDYmEnglishFrom a surname which was derived from Middle English
hardi "brave, hardy".
HARLANmEnglishFrom a surname which was from a place name meaning "hare land" in Old English. In America it has sometimes been given in honour of Supreme Court justice John Marshall Harlan (1833-1911).
HARLEYm & fEnglishFrom a surname which was from a place name, itself derived from Old English
hara "hare" and
leah "woodland, clearing".
HARLOWf & mEnglishFrom a surname which was from a place name which was derived from Old English
hær "rock" or
here "army", combined with
hlaw "hill".
HAROLDmEnglishFrom the Old English name
Hereweald, derived from the elements
here "army" and
weald "power, leader, ruler". The Old Norse cognate
Haraldr was also common among Scandinavian settlers in England. This was the name of five kings of Norway and three kings of Denmark. It was also borne by two kings of England, both of whom were from mixed Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon backgrounds, including Harold II who lost the Battle of Hastings (and was killed in it), which led to the Norman conquest. After the conquest the name died out, but it was eventually revived in the 19th century.
HARPERf & mEnglishFrom an Old English surname which originally belonged to a person who played the harp or who made harps. A notable bearer was the American author Harper Lee (1926-2016), who wrote 'To Kill a Mockingbird'.
HARRIETfEnglishEnglish form of
HENRIETTE, and thus a feminine form of
HARRY. It was first used in the 17th century, becoming very common in the English-speaking world by the 18th century. A famous bearer was Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896), the American author who wrote 'Uncle Tom's Cabin'.
HARRISONmEnglishFrom an English surname which meant "son of
HARRY". This was the surname of two American presidents, William Henry Harrison (1773-1841) and his grandson Benjamin Harrison (1833-1901). The actor Harrison Ford (1942-), who starred in such movies as 'Star Wars' and 'Indiana Jones', is a famous bearer.
HARRYmEnglishMedieval English form of
HENRY. In modern times it is used as a diminutive of both
Henry and
HAROLD. A famous bearer was American president Harry S. Truman (1884-1972). It is also the name of the boy wizard in J. K. Rowling's 'Harry Potter' series of books, first released in 1997.
HARTLEYmEnglishFrom a surname which was derived from a place name meaning "hart clearing" in Old English.
HARVEYmEnglishFrom the Breton given name
Haerviu, which meant "battle worthy", from
haer "battle" and
viu "worthy". This was the name of a 6th-century Breton hermit who is the patron saint of the blind. Settlers from Brittany introduced it to England after the Norman conquest. During the later Middle Ages it became rare, but it was revived in the 19th century.
HAVENf & mEnglishFrom the English word for a safe place, derived ultimately from Old English
hæfen.
HAYDENm & fEnglishFrom an English surname which was derived from place names meaning either "hay valley" or "hay hill", derived from Old English
heg "hay" and
denu "valley" or
dun "hill".
HAYDNmEnglish (British)From a German surname meaning "heathen". It is used in honour of the Austrian composer Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809).
HAYLEYfEnglish (Modern)From a surname which was originally derived from the name of an English town (meaning "hay clearing" from Old English
heg "hay" and
leah "clearing"). It was popularized by the British child actress Hayley Mills (1946-), though the name did not become common until over a decade after she first became famous.
HAYWOODmEnglishFrom a surname which was derived from a place name meaning "fenced wood" in Old English.
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.
HEATHmEnglishFrom an English surname which denoted one who lived on a heath. It was popularized as a given name by the character Heath Barkley from the 1960s television series 'The Big Valley'.
HEATHERfEnglishFrom 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.
HECTORmEnglish, French, Greek Mythology (Latinized), Arthurian RomanceLatinized form of Greek
‘Εκτωρ (Hektor), which was derived from
‘εκτωρ (hektor) "holding fast", ultimately from
εχω (echo) meaning "to hold, to possess". In Greek legend Hector was one of the Trojan champions who fought against the Greeks. After he killed
Achilles' friend
Patroclus in battle, he was himself brutally slain by Achilles, who proceeded to tie his dead body to a chariot and drag it about. This name also appears in Arthurian legends belonging to King
Arthur's foster father.
... [more] HEDLEYmEnglish (Rare)From a surname which was derived from a place name meaning "heather clearing" in Old English.
HEIDIfGerman, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, EnglishGerman diminutive of
ADELHEID. This is the name of the title character in the children's novel 'Heidi' (1880) by Johanna Spyri. The name began to be used in the English-speaking world shortly after the 1937 release of the movie adaptation, which starred Shirley Temple.
HELENAfGerman, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Portuguese, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Finnish, Estonian, Slovene, Croatian, English, Ancient Greek (Latinized), Greek Mythology (Latinized)Latinate form of
HELEN.
HENRYmEnglishFrom the Germanic name
Heimirich which meant "home ruler", composed of the elements
heim "home" and
ric "power, ruler". It was later commonly spelled
Heinrich, with the spelling altered due to the influence of other Germanic names like
Haganrich, in which the first element is
hagan "enclosure".
... [more] HERBERTmEnglish, German, Dutch, French, SwedishDerived from the Germanic elements
hari "army" and
beraht "bright". The Normans introduced this name to England, where it replaced an Old English cognate
Herebeorht. In the course of the Middle Ages it became rare, but it was revived in the 19th century.
HERMANmEnglish, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Slovene, Ancient GermanicMeans "army man", derived from the Germanic elements
hari "army" and
man "man". It was introduced to England by the Normans, died out, and was revived in the English-speaking world in the 19th century. It was borne by a 18th-century Russian missionary to Alaska who is venerated as a saint in the Orthodox Church. Another famous bearer was Herman Melville (1819-1891), the author of 'Moby-Dick'.
HESTERfEnglish, Biblical LatinLatin form of
ESTHER. Like
Esther, it has been used in England since the Protestant Reformation. Nathaniel Hawthorne used it for the heroine of his novel 'The Scarlet Letter' (1850), Hester Prynne.
HILARYf & mEnglishMedieval English form of
HILARIUS or
HILARIA. During the Middle Ages it was primarily a masculine name. It was revived in Britain at the beginning of the 20th century as a predominantly feminine name. In America, this name and the variant
Hillary seemed to drop in popularity after Hillary Clinton (1947-) became the first lady.
HILDREDf & mEnglishPossibly from the Old English masculine name
Hildræd, which was composed of the elements
hild "battle" and
ræd "counsel". This name was revived in the late 19th century, probably because of its similarity to the popular names
Hilda and
Mildred.
HILLARYfEnglishVariant of
HILARY. A famous bearer of the surname was Sir Edmund Hillary (1919-2008), the first man to climb Mount Everest.
HIRAMmBiblical, Biblical Hebrew, EnglishProbably of Phoenician origin, though it could be from Hebrew meaning "exalted brother". This was the name of a king of Tyre in the Old Testament. As an English given name,
Hiram came into use after the Protestant Reformation. In the 17th century the Puritans brought it to America, where it gained some currency.
HOLDENmEnglish (Modern)From a surname which was originally derived from a place name meaning "deep valley" in Old English. This is the name of the main character in J. D. Salinger's novel 'The Catcher in the Rye' (1951), Holden Caufield.
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.
HOMERmEnglish, Ancient Greek (Anglicized)From the Greek name
‘Ομηρος (Homeros), derived from
‘ομηρος (homeros) meaning "hostage, pledge". Homer was the Greek epic poet who wrote the 'Iliad', about the Trojan War, and the 'Odyssey', about
Odysseus's journey home after the war. There is some debate about when he lived, or if he was even a real person, though most scholars place him in the 8th century BC. In the modern era,
Homer has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world (chiefly in America) since the 18th century. This name is borne by the cartoon father on the television series 'The Simpsons'.
HONEYfEnglish (Rare)Simply from the English word
honey, ultimately from Old English
hunig. This was originally a nickname for a sweet person.
HONOURfEnglish (Rare)From the English word
honour, which is of Latin origin. This was one of the virtue names adopted by the Puritans in the 17th century. It can also be viewed as a form of
HONORIA or
HONORATA, which are ultimately derived from the same source.
HOPEfEnglishFrom the English word
hope, ultimately from Old English
hopian. This name was first used by the Puritans in the 17th century.
HORACEmEnglish, FrenchEnglish and French form of
HORATIUS, and the name by which the Roman poet Quintus Horatius Flaccus is commonly known those languages. In the modern era it has been used as a given name since the Renaissance, in honour of the poet.
HORATIOmEnglishVariant of
HORATIUS. It was borne by the British admiral Horatio Nelson (1758-1805), famous for his defeat of Napoleon's forces in the Battle of Trafalgar, in which he was himself killed. Since his time the name has been occasionally used in his honour.
HOWARDmEnglishFrom an English surname which can derive from several different sources: the Anglo-Norman given name
Huard, which was from the Germanic name
HUGHARD; the Anglo-Scandinavian given name
Haward, from the Old Norse name
HÁVARÐR; or the Middle English term
ewehirde meaning "ewe herder". This is the surname of a British noble family, members of which have held the title Duke of Norfolk from the 15th century to the present. A famous bearer of the given name was the American industrialist Howard Hughes (1905-1976).
HOYTmEnglishFrom an English surname which was derived from Middle English
hoit "stick", originally a nickname for a thin person.
HUBERTmEnglish, German, Dutch, French, Polish, Ancient GermanicMeans "bright heart", derived from the Germanic elements
hug "heart, mind" and
beraht "bright". Saint Hubert was an 8th-century bishop of Maastricht who is considered the patron saint of hunters. The Normans brought the name to England, where it replaced an Old English cognate
Hygebeorht. It died out during the Middle Ages but was revived in the 19th century.
HUDSONmEnglishFrom an English surname which meant "son of
HUDDE". A famous bearer of the surname was the English explorer Henry Hudson (1570-1611).
HUGHmEnglishFrom the Germanic element
hug, meaning "heart, mind, spirit". It was common among Frankish and French nobility, being borne by Hugh Capet, a 10th-century king of France who founded the Capetian dynasty. The Normans brought the name to England and it became common there, even more so after the time of the 12th-century bishop Saint Hugh of Lincoln, who was known for his charity. This was also the name of kings of Cyprus and the crusader kingdom of Jerusalem. The name is used in Ireland and Scotland as the Anglicized form of
Aodh and
Ùisdean.
HUGOmSpanish, Portuguese, English, Dutch, German, French, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Ancient Germanic (Latinized)Latinized form of
HUGH. As a surname it has belonged to the French author Victor Hugo (1802-1885), the writer of 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame' and 'Les Misérables'.
HUMBERTmFrench, German (Rare), English (Rare), Ancient GermanicMeans "bright warrior", derived from the Germanic elements
hun "warrior, bear cub" and
beraht "bright". The Normans introduced this name to England, though it has always been uncommon there. It was borne by two kings of Italy (called Umberto in Italian), who ruled in the 19th and 20th centuries.
HUMPHREYmEnglishMeans "peaceful warrior" from the Germanic elements
hun "warrior, bear cub" and
frid "peace". The Normans introduced this name to England, where it replaced the Old English cognate
Hunfrith, and it was regularly used through the Middle Ages. A famous bearer was the American actor Humphrey Bogart (1899-1957), who starred in 'The Maltese Falcon' and 'Casablanca'.
HUNTERm & fEnglishFrom an occupational English surname for a hunter, derived from Old English
hunta. A famous bearer was the eccentric American journalist Hunter S. Thompson (1937-2005).
HYRUMmEnglish (Rare)Variant of
HIRAM. This name was borne by Hyrum Smith (1800-1844), an early leader within the Mormon church.
IDAfEnglish, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Hungarian, Slovene, Croatian, Ancient GermanicDerived from the Germanic element
id meaning "work, labour". The Normans brought this name to England, though it eventually died out there in the Middle Ages. It was strongly revived in the 19th century, in part due to the heroine in Alfred Lord Tennyson's poem 'The Princess' (1847), which was later adapted into the play 'Princess Ida' (1884) by Gilbert and Sullivan.
... [more] IDONEAfEnglish (Archaic)Medieval English name, probably a Latinized form of
IÐUNN. The spelling may have been influenced by Latin
idonea "suitable". It was common in England from the 12th century.
IKEmEnglishDiminutive of
ISAAC. This was the nickname of the American president Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969), based on the initial sound of his surname.
IMOGENfEnglish (British)The name of a princess in the play 'Cymbeline' (1609) by Shakespeare. He based her on a legendary character named
Innogen, but the name was printed incorrectly and never corrected. The name
Innogen is probably derived from Gaelic
inghean meaning "maiden".
INDIAfEnglishFrom the name of the country, which is itself derived from the name of the Indus River. The river's name is ultimately from Sanskrit
सिन्धु (Sindhu) meaning "body of trembling water, river".
INDIANAf & mEnglishFrom the name of the American state, which means "land of the Indians". This is the name of the hero in the 'Indiana Jones' series of movies, starring Harrison Ford.
INDIGOf & mEnglish (Rare)From the English word
indigo for the purplish-blue dye or the colour. It is ultimately derived from Greek
Ινδικον (Indikon) "Indic, from India".
INIGOmEnglish (Rare)English form of
ÍÑIGO. It became well-known in Britain due to the 17th-century English architect Inigo Jones. He was named after his father, a Catholic who was named for Saint Ignatius of Loyola.
IONA (1)fEnglish, ScottishFrom the name of the island off Scotland where Saint Columba founded a monastery. The name of the island is Old Norse in origin, and apparently derives simply from
ey meaning "island".
IONEfGreek Mythology, EnglishFrom Greek
ιον (ion) meaning "violet flower". This was the name of a sea nymph in Greek mythology. It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the 19th century, though perhaps based on the Greek place name
Ionia, a region on the west coast of Asia Minor.
IRA (1)mBiblical, English, HebrewMeans "watchful" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of King
David's priest. As an English Christian given name,
Ira began to be used after the Protestant Reformation. In the 17th century the Puritans brought it to America, where remained moderately common into the 20th century.
IRELANDfEnglish (Modern)From the name of the European island country, derived from Irish Gaelic
Éire, which may mean something like "abundant land" in Old Irish.
IRENEfEnglish, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, German, Dutch, Ancient Greek (Latinized), Greek Mythology (Latinized)From Greek
Ειρηνη (Eirene), derived from a word meaning "peace". This was the name of the Greek goddess who personified peace, one of the
‘Ωραι (Horai). It was also borne by several early Christian saints. The name was common in the Byzantine Empire, notably being borne by an 8th-century empress, who was the first woman to lead the empire. She originally served as regent for her son, but later had him killed and ruled alone.
... [more] IRISfGreek Mythology, English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, French, Spanish, GreekMeans "rainbow" in Greek. Iris was the name of the Greek goddess of the rainbow, also serving as a messenger to the gods. This name can also be given in reference to the word (which derives from the same Greek source) for the iris flower or the coloured part of the eye.
IRMAfGerman, English, Dutch, Finnish, Spanish, Italian, Georgian, Lithuanian, Hungarian (Rare), Ancient GermanicGerman short form of names beginning with the Germanic element
ermen, which meant "whole, universal". It is thus related to
EMMA. It began to be regularly used in the English-speaking world in the 19th century.
IRVINGmEnglish, Scottish, JewishFrom a Scottish surname which was in turn derived from a Scottish place name meaning "green water". Historically this name has been relatively common among Jews, who have used it as an American-sounding form of Hebrew names beginning with
I such as
Isaac,
Israel and
Isaiah. A famous bearer was the Russian-American songwriter and lyricist Irving Berlin (1888-1989), whose birth name was Israel Beilin.
ISAACmEnglish, Spanish, Catalan, Jewish, Biblical, Biblical LatinFrom the Hebrew name
יִצְחָק (Yitzchaq) meaning "he will laugh, he will rejoice", derived from
צָחַק (tzachaq) meaning "to laugh". The Old Testament explains this meaning, by recounting that
Abraham laughed when God told him that his aged wife
Sarah would become pregnant with Isaac (see Genesis 17:17), and later Sarah laughed when overhearing the same prophecy (see Genesis 18:12). When Isaac was a boy, God tested Abraham's faith by ordering him to sacrifice his son, though an angel prevented the act at the last moment. Isaac went on to become the father of
Esau and
Jacob with his wife
Rebecca.
... [more] ISABELfSpanish, Portuguese, English, French, GermanMedieval Occitan form of
ELIZABETH. It spread throughout Spain, Portugal and France, becoming common among the royalty by the 12th century. It grew popular in England in the 13th century after Isabella of Angoulême married the English king John, and it was subsequently bolstered when Isabella of France married Edward II the following century.
... [more] ISABELLAfItalian, German, English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, RomanianLatinate form of
ISABEL. This name was borne by many medieval royals, including queen consorts of England, France, Portugal, the Holy Roman Empire and Hungary, as well as the powerful ruling queen Isabella of Castile (properly called
Isabel).
ISAIAHmEnglish, BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
יְשַׁעְיָהוּ (Yesha'yahu) meaning "
YAHWEH is salvation", from the roots
יָשַׁע (yasha') meaning "to save" and
יָה (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. Isaiah is one of the four major prophets of the Old Testament, supposedly the author of the Book of Isaiah. He was from Jerusalem and probably lived in the 8th century BC, at a time when Assyria threatened the Kingdom of Judah. As an English Christian name,
Isaiah was first used after the Protestant Reformation.
ISOLDEfEnglish (Rare), German, Arthurian RomanceThe origins of this name are uncertain, though some Celtic roots have been suggested. It is possible that the name is ultimately Germanic, perhaps from a hypothetic name like
Ishild, composed of the elements
is "ice, iron" and
hild "battle".
... [more] ISRAELmJewish, English, Biblical, Biblical GreekFrom the Hebrew name
יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisra'el) meaning "God contends", from the roots
שָׂרָה (sarah) meaning "to contend, to fight" and
אֵל ('el) meaning "God". In the Old Testament Israel (who was formerly named
Jacob; see Genesis 32:28) wrestles with an angel. The ancient and modern states of Israel took their names from him.
IVANmRussian, Bulgarian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Serbian, Croatian, Czech, Slovak, Macedonian, Slovene, English, Italian, Danish, Swedish, NorwegianNewer form of the old Slavic name
Іѡаннъ (Ioannu), which was derived from Greek
Ioannes (see
JOHN). This was the name of six Russian rulers, including the 15th-century Ivan III the Great and 16th-century Ivan IV the Terrible, the first tsar of Russia. It was also borne by nine emperors of Bulgaria. Other notable bearers include the Russian author Ivan Turgenev (1818-1883), who wrote 'Fathers and Sons', and the Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936), who is best known for his discovery of the conditioned reflex.
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.
IVYfEnglishFrom the English word for the climbing plant that has small yellow flowers. It is ultimately derived from Old English
ifig.
JACKmEnglishDerived from
Jackin (earlier
Jankin), a medieval diminutive of
JOHN. It is often regarded as an independent name. During the Middle Ages it was very common, and it became a slang word meaning "man". It was frequently used in fairy tales and nursery rhymes, such as 'Jack and the Beanstalk', 'Little Jack Horner', and 'Jack Sprat'. American writers Jack London (1876-1916) and Jack Kerouac (1922-1969) were two famous bearers of this name. It is also borne by American actor Jack Nicholson (1937-).
JACKIEm & fEnglishDiminutive of
JACK or
JACQUELINE. A notable bearer was baseball player Jackie Robinson (1919-1972), the first African-American to play in Major League Baseball.
JACKSONmEnglishFrom an English surname meaning "son of
JACK". A famous bearer of the surname was American president Andrew Jackson (1767-1845).
JACOBmEnglish, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Jewish, BiblicalFrom the Latin
Iacobus, which was from the Greek
Ιακωβος (Iakobos), which was from the Hebrew name
יַעֲקֹב (Ya'aqov). In the Old Testament Jacob (later called
Israel) is the son of
Isaac and
Rebecca and the father of the twelve founders of the twelve tribes of Israel. He was born holding his twin brother
Esau's heel, and his name is explained as meaning "holder of the heel" or "supplanter", because he twice deprived his brother of his rights as the firstborn son (see Genesis 27:36). Other theories claim that it is in fact derived from a hypothetical name like
יַעֲקֹבְאֵל (Ya'aqov'el) meaning "may God protect".
... [more] JADA (1)fEnglishPossibly an elaborated form of
JADE. This name came into general use in the 1960s, and was popularized in the 1990s by actress Jada Pinkett Smith (1971-).
JADEf & mEnglish, FrenchFrom the name of the precious stone that is often used in carvings. It is derived from Spanish
(piedra de la) ijada meaning "(stone of the) flank", relating to the belief that jade could cure renal colic. As a given name, it came into general use during the 1970s. It was initially unisex, though it is now mostly feminine.
JADENm & fEnglish (Modern)An invented name, using the popular
aden suffix sound found in such names as
Braden,
Hayden and
Aidan. This name first became common in American in the 1990s when similar-sounding names were increasing in popularity. It is sometimes considered a variant of
JADON.
JAIME (2)fEnglishVariant of
JAMIE. The character Jaime Sommers from the television series 'The Bionic Woman' (1976-1978) helped to popularize the name. It can sometimes be given in reference to the French phrase
j'aime meaning "I love", though it is pronounced differently.
JAMESmEnglish, BiblicalEnglish form of the Late Latin name
Iacomus which was derived from
Ιακωβος (Iakobos), the New Testament Greek form of the Hebrew name
Ya'aqov (see
JACOB). This was the name of two apostles in the New Testament. The first was Saint James the Greater, the apostle
John's brother, who was beheaded under Herod Agrippa in the Book of Acts. The second was James the Lesser, son of Alphaeus. Another James (known as James the Just) is also mentioned in the Bible as being the brother of
Jesus.
... [more] JAMIEm & fScottish, EnglishOriginally a Lowland Scots diminutive of
JAMES. Since the late 19th century it has also been used as a feminine form.
JANEfEnglishMedieval English form of
Jehanne, an Old French feminine form of
Iohannes (see
JOHN). This became the most common feminine form of
John in the 17th century, surpassing
Joan.
... [more] JANICEfEnglishElaborated form of
JANE, created by Paul Leicester Ford for his novel 'Janice Meredith' (1899).
JAREDmEnglish, BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
יָרֶד (Yared) or
יֶרֶד (Yered) meaning "descent". This is the name of a close descendant of
Adam in the Old Testament. It has been used as an English name since the Protestant Reformation, and it was popularized in the 1960s by the character Jarrod Barkley on the television series 'The Big Valley'.
JASMINEfEnglish, 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).
JASONmEnglish, French, Greek Mythology (Anglicized), BiblicalFrom the Greek name
Ιασων (Iason), which was derived from Greek
ιασθαι (iasthai) "to heal". In Greek mythology Jason was the leader of the Argonauts. After his uncle Pelias overthrew his father
Aeson as king of Iolcos, Jason went in search of the Golden Fleece in order to win back the throne. During his journeys he married the sorceress
Medea, who helped him gain the fleece and kill his uncle, but who later turned against him when he fell in love with another woman.
... [more] JASPERmEnglish, Dutch, Judeo-Christian LegendFrom Latin
Gaspar, perhaps from the biblical Hebrew word
גִּזְבָּר (gizbar) meaning "treasurer", derived from Persian
ganzabara. This name was traditionally assigned to one of the wise men (also known as the Magi, or three kings) who were said to have visited the newborn
Jesus. It has occasionally been used in the English-speaking world since the Middle Ages. The name can also be given in reference to the English word for the gemstone.
JAY (1)mEnglishShort form of names beginning with the sound
J, such as
JAMES or
JASON. It was originally used in America in honour of founding father John Jay (1749-1825), whose surname was derived from the jaybird.
JEAN (2)fEnglish, ScottishMedieval English variant of
Jehanne (see
JANE). It was common in England and Scotland during the Middle Ages, but eventually became rare in England. It was reintroduced to the English-speaking world from Scotland in the 19th century.
JEANNEfFrench, EnglishModern French form of
Jehanne, an Old French feminine form of
Iohannes (see
JOHN). Joan of Arc is known as Jeanne d'Arc in France.
JEBmEnglishSometimes a diminutive of
JACOB. This name may have also resulted from a nickname of James Ewell Brown Stuart (1833-1864), a Confederate general in the American Civil War, which was formed from the initial letters of his three given names.
JEFFERSONmEnglishFrom an English surname meaning "son of
JEFFREY". It is usually given in honour of Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), the third president of the United States and the primary author of the Declaration of Independence.
JEFFREYmEnglishMedieval variant of
GEOFFREY. In America,
Jeffrey has been more common than
Geoffrey, though this is not true in Britain.