AIDAfArabic, LiteratureVariant of
AYDA. This name was used in Verdi's opera 'Aida' (1871), where it belongs to an Ethiopian princess held captive in Egypt.
ALADDINmLiteratureAnglicized form of
ALA AL-DIN. This is the name of a mischievous boy in one of the tales of 'The 1001 Nights'. He is trapped in a cave by a magician but escapes with the help of a genie.
AMARYLLISfLiteratureDerived from Greek
αμαρυσσω (amarysso) "to sparkle". This was the name of a heroine in
Virgil's epic poem 'Eclogues'. The amaryllis flower is named for her.
AMINTAmLiteratureForm of
AMYNTAS used by the Italian poet Torquato Tasso for his play 'Aminta' (1573). In the play Aminta is a shepherd who falls in love with a nymph.
AMIRANmGeorgian, LiteratureVariant of
AMIRANI. This is the name of the central character in the medieval Georgian romance 'Amiran-Darejaniani' by Moses of Khoni. The author was inspired by the mythical Amirani and the stories surrounding him, and loosely based his tale on them.
ANGELICAfEnglish, Italian, Romanian, LiteratureDerived from Latin
angelicus meaning "angelic", ultimately related to Greek
αγγελος (angelos) "messenger". The poets Boiardo and Ariosto used this name in their 'Orlando' poems (1495 and 1532), where it belongs to Orlando's love interest. It has been used as a given name since the 18th century.
ARAGORNmLiteratureMeaning unexplained, though the first element is presumably Sindarin
ara "noble, kingly". This is the name of a character in 'The Lord of the Rings' (1954) by J. R. R. Tolkien. In the book Aragorn is the heir of the Dúnedain kings of the north.
ARAMISmLiteratureThe surname of one of the musketeers in 'The Three Musketeers' (1844) by Alexandre Dumas. Dumas based the character on Henri d'Aramitz, whose surname was derived from the French village of Aramits.
ARMIDEfLiteratureFrench form of
ARMIDA. This is the name of operas by Jean-Baptiste Lully (in 1686) and Christoph Willibald Gluck (in 1777), both of which were based on 'Jerusalem Delivered' by Torquato Tasso.
ARTHURmEnglish, French, German, Dutch, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Welsh Mythology, Arthurian RomanceThe meaning of this name is unknown. It could be derived from the Celtic elements
artos "bear" combined with
viros "man" or
rigos "king". Alternatively it could be related to an obscure Roman family name
Artorius. Arthur is the name of the central character in Arthurian legend, a 6th-century king of the Britons who resisted Saxon invaders. He may or may not have been a real person. He first appears in Welsh poems and chronicles (some possibly as early as the 7th century) but his character was not developed until the chronicles of the 12th-century Geoffrey of Monmouth.
... [more] ARWENfLiteratureMeans "noble maiden" in Sindarin. In 'The Lord of the Rings' (1954) by J. R. R. Tolkien, Arwen was the daughter of
Elrond and the lover of
Aragorn.
ASTAROTHmLiteratureFrom
Ashtaroth, the plural form of
ASHTORETH used in the bible to refer to Phoenician idols. This spelling was used in late medieval demonology texts to refer to a type of (masculine) demon.
ASTROPHELmLiteratureProbably intended to mean "star lover", from Greek
αστηρ (aster) "star" and
φιλος (philos) "lover, friend". This name was first used by the 16th-century poet Sir Philip Sidney in his collection of sonnets 'Astrophel and Stella'.
ATTICUSmLiteratureFrom a Roman name meaning "from Attica" in Latin. Attica is the region surrounding Athens in Greece. The author Harper Lee used this name in her novel 'To Kill a Mockingbird' (1960).
AVTANDILmGeorgian, LiteratureCreated by the Georgian poet Shota Rustaveli for his 12th-century epic 'The Knight in the Panther's Skin'. Rustaveli based it on Persian
آفتاب (aftab) "sunshine" and
دل (dil) "heart". In the poem Avtandil is a knight who is sent by
Tinatin to search for the mysterious knight of the title.
AYLA (3)fLiteratureCreated for the novel 'Clan of the Cave Bear' (1980) by author Jean M. Auel. In the novel Ayla is an orphaned Cro-Magnon girl adopted by Neanderthals.
Ayla is the Neanderthal pronunciation of her real name, which is not given.
BAYARDmLiteratureDerived from Old French
baiart meaning "bay coloured". In medieval French poetry Bayard was a bay horse owned by Renaud de Montauban and his brothers. The horse could magically adjust its size to carry multiple riders.
BEDIVEREmWelsh Mythology, Arthurian RomanceFrom the Welsh name
Bedwyr, which is of unknown meaning. In Arthurian legends Bedivere was one of the original companions of King
Arthur. He first appears in early Welsh tales, and his story was later expanded by Geoffrey of Monmouth in the 12th century. He is the one who throws the sword Excalibur into the lake at the request of the dying Arthur.
BELPHOEBEfLiteratureCombination of
belle "beautiful" and the name
PHOEBE. This name was first used by Edmund Spenser in his poem 'The Faerie Queene' (1590).
BILBOmLiteratureThis was the name of the hero of 'The Hobbit' (1937) by J. R. R. Tolkien. His real hobbit name was
Bilba, which is of unknown meaning, but this was altered by Tolkien in order to use the more masculine
o ending. In the novel Bilbo Baggins was recruited by the wizard
Gandalf to join the quest to retake Mount Erebor from the dragon Smaug.
CASPIANmLiteratureUsed by author C. S. Lewis for a character in his 'Chronicles of Narnia' series, first appearing in 1950. Prince Caspian first appears in the fourth book, where he is the rightful king of Narnia driven into exile by his evil uncle Miraz. Lewis probably based the name on the Caspian Sea, which was named for the city of Qazvin, which was itself named for the ancient Cas tribe.
CINDERELLAfLiteratureFrom the French name
Cendrillon which means "little ashes". This is best known as the main character in the fairy tale 'Cinderella'.
COSETTEfFrench, LiteratureFrom French
chosette meaning "little thing". This is the nickname of the illegitimate daughter of Fantine in Victor Hugo's novel 'Les Misérables' (1862). Her real name is
Euphrasie, though it is seldom used. In the novel young Cosette is the ward of the cruel Thénardiers until she is retrieved by Jean Valjean.
CRESSIDAfLiteratureMedieval form of
CHRYSEIS. Various medieval tales describe her as a woman of Troy, daughter of Calchus, who leaves her Trojan lover Troilus for the Greek hero Diomedes. Shakespeare's play 'Troilus and Cressida' (1602) was based on these tales.
CYRANOmLiteraturePossibly derived from the name of the ancient Greek city of Cyrene, which was located in North Africa. Edmond Rostand used this name in his play 'Cyrano de Bergerac' (1897). He based his character upon a real person, Savinien Cyrano de Bergerac, a French satirist of the 17th century.
DAENERYSfLiteratureCreated by author George R. R. Martin for a character in his series 'A Song of Ice and Fire', first published 1996, and the television adaption 'Game of Thrones' (2011-). An explanation for the meaning of her name is not provided, though it is presumably intended to be of Valyrian origin. In the series Daenerys Targaryen is a queen of the Dothraki and a claimant to the throne of Westeros.
D'ARTAGNANmLiteratureMeans "from Artagnan" in French, Artagnan being a town in southwest France. This was the name of a character in the novel 'The Three Musketeers' (1884) by Alexandre Dumas. In the novel D'Artagnan is an aspiring musketeer who first duels with the three title characters and then becomes their friend.
DULCINEAfLiteratureDerived from Spanish
dulce meaning "sweet". This name was (first?) used by Miguel de Cervantes in his novel 'Don Quixote' (1605), where it belongs to the love interest of the main character, though she never actually appears in the story.
ELAINEfEnglish, Arthurian RomanceFrom an Old French form of
HELEN. It appears in Arthurian legend; in Thomas Malory's 15th-century compilation 'Le Morte d'Arthur' Elaine was the daughter of Pelleas, the lover of
Lancelot, and the mother of
Galahad. It was not commonly used as an English given name until after the appearance of Tennyson's Arthurian epic 'Idylls of the King' (1859).
ELANORfLiteratureMeans "star sun" in Sindarin. In 'The Lord of the Rings' (1954) by J. R. R. Tolkien this is Sam's eldest daughter, named after a type of flower.
ELMIRAfLiteratureShortened form of
EDELMIRA. It appears in the play 'Tartuffe' (1664) by the French playwright Molière (often spelled in the French style
Elmire).
ELRONDmLiteratureMeans "star dome" in Sindarin. In 'The Lord of the Rings' (1954) by J. R. R. Tolkien, Elrond was the elven ruler of Rivendell.
ÉOWYNfLiteratureMeans "horse joy" in Old English. This name was invented by J. R. R. Tolkien who used Old English to represent the Rohirric language. In his novel 'The Lord of the Rings' (1954) Eowyn is the niece of King Theoden of Rohan. She slays the Lord of the Nazgul in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields.
EPONINEfLiteratureMeaning unknown. Victor Hugo used this name in his novel 'Les Misérables' (1862) for a daughter of the Thénardiers. Her mother got her name from a romance novel.
ESMERALDAfSpanish, Portuguese, English, LiteratureMeans "emerald" in Spanish and Portuguese. Victor Hugo used this name in his novel 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame' (1831), in which Esmeralda is the Gypsy girl who is loved by Quasimodo. It has occasionally been used in the English-speaking world since that time.
FANTINEfLiteratureThis name was used by Victor Hugo for the mother of Cosette in his novel 'Les Misérables' (1862). The name was given to her by a passerby who found the young orphan on the street. Hugo may have intended it to be a derivative of the French word
enfant "child".
FAUSTmLiteratureFrom a German surname which was derived from the Latin name
FAUSTUS. This is the name of a character in German legends about a man who makes a deal with the devil. He is believed to be based on the character of Dr. Johann Faust (1480-1540). His story was adapted by writers such as Christopher Marlowe and Goethe.
FIGAROmLiteratureCreated by playwright Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais for the central character in his plays 'The Barber of Seville' (1775), 'The Marriage of Figaro' (1784) and 'The Guilty Mother' (1792). Beaumarchais may have based the character's name on the French phrase
fils Caron meaning "son of Caron", which was his own nickname and would have been pronounced in a similar way. In modern French the word
figaro has acquired the meaning "barber", reflecting the character's profession.
FRODOmLiteratureDerived from the Germanic element
frod "wise". This was the name of the hobbit hero in 'The Lord of the Rings' (1954) by J. R. R. Tolkien, who used Old English to translate some hobbit names (Frodo's real name was
Maura). In the novel Frodo Baggins was the bearer of the One Ring on the quest to destroy it in Mount Doom.
GALADRIELfLiteratureMeans "maiden crowned with a radiant garland" in Sindarin. Galadriel was a Noldorin elf princess renowned for her beauty and wisdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's novels. The elements are
galad "radiant" and
riel "garlanded maiden".
Alatáriel is the Quenya form of her name.
GALAHADmArthurian RomanceMeaning unknown. In Arthurian legend Sir Galahad was the son of
Lancelot and
Elaine. He was the most pure of the Knights of the Round Table, and he was the only one to succeed in finding the Holy Grail. He first appears in the medieval French 'Lancelot-Grail' cycle.
GANDALFmNorse Mythology, LiteratureMeans "wand elf" in Old Norse, from the elements
gandr "wand, staff, cane" and
álfr "elf". This name belongs to a dwarf in the 'Völuspá', a 13th-century Scandinavian manuscript which forms part of the Poetic Edda. The author J. R. R. Tolkien borrowed the name for a wizard in his novels 'The Hobbit' (1937) and 'The Lord of the Rings' (1954).
GARETHmWelsh, English (British), Arthurian RomanceMeaning unknown. It first appears in this form in Thomas Malory's 15th-century compilation of Arthurian legends 'Le Morte d'Arthur', in which Gareth was a Knight of the Round Table, the brother of Sir
Gawain. Malory based the name on
Gahariet, which was the name of a similar Arthurian character in French sources. It may ultimately have a Welsh origin, possibly related to
gwaredd meaning "gentleness".
GAWAINmWelsh, Arthurian RomanceMeaning uncertain, from the Latin form
Walganus used by the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth. This was the name of a nephew of King
Arthur and one of the Knights of the Round Table in Arthurian legend. He can be identified with the earlier Welsh hero Gwalchmei, and it is likely that the name derives from
GWALCHMEI. Alternatively it may have a different Celtic or even a Germanic origin. Gawain was a popular hero in medieval stories such as the 14th-century romantic poem 'Sir Gawain and the Green Knight'.
GRISELDAfEnglish, Scottish, Spanish, LiteraturePossibly derived from the Germanic elements
gris "grey" and
hild "battle". It is not attested as a Germanic name. This was the name of a patient wife in medieval tales by Boccaccio and Chaucer.
GUINEVEREfArthurian RomanceFrom the Norman French form of the Welsh name
Gwenhwyfar, derived from the elements
gwen meaning "fair, white" 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] GUIOMARf & mPortuguese, Spanish, Arthurian RomancePossibly derived from the Germanic name
Wigmar, which is formed of the elements
wig "war, battle" and
mari "famous". In the medieval 'Lancelot-Grail' cycle he plays a minor role as a cousin of Guinevere, who banishes him after he becomes a lover of Morgan le Fey. In modern Portugal and Spain it is a feminine name.
GYNETHfLiteraturePerhaps a variant of
GWYNETH. Sir Walter Scott used this name for the daughter of King
Arthur in his work 'The Bridal of Triermain' (1813).
HAIDEEfLiteraturePerhaps intended to derive from Greek
αιδοιος (aidoios) "modest, reverent". This name was created by Byron for a character in his poem 'Don Juan' (1819).
HAMLETmLiterature, ArmenianAnglicized form of the Danish name
Amleth. Shakespeare used this name for the Prince of Denmark in his play 'Hamlet' (1600), which he based upon earlier Danish tales.
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] HERMIAfLiteratureFeminine form of
HERMES. Shakespeare used this name in his comedy 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' (1595).
IDRILfLiteratureMeans "sparkle brilliance" in Sindarin. In the 'Silmarillion' (1977) by J. R. R. Tolkien, Idril was the daughter of Turgon, the king of Gondolin. She escaped the destruction of that place with her husband
Tuor and sailed with him into the west.
IGRAINEfArthurian RomanceMeaning unknown, from
Igerna, the Latinized form of Welsh
Eigyr. In Arthurian legend she is the mother of King
Arthur by Uther Pendragon and the mother of
Morgan le Fay by Gorlois. The Welsh form
Eigyr or
Eigr was rendered into Latin as
Igerna by the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth.
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] KAY (2)mWelsh Mythology, Arthurian RomanceFrom the Welsh name
Cai or
Cei, possibly a form of the Roman name
GAIUS. Sir Kay was one of the Knights of the Round Table in Arthurian legend. He first appears in Welsh tales as a brave companion of Arthur. In later medieval tales, notably those by the 12th-century French poet Chrétien de Troyes, he is portrayed as an unrefined boor.
KHALEESIfLiteratureFrom a title used in the George R. R. Martin book series 'A Song of Ice and Fire' (first published 1996) and the television adaption 'Game of Thrones' (2011-). It is a feminine form of the Dothraki title
khal meaning "warlord". In the series
Daenerys Targaryen gains this title after she marries Khal Drogo.
LALAGEfLiteratureDerived from Greek
λαλαγεω (lalageo) meaning "to babble, to prattle". The Roman poet Horace used this name in one of his odes.
LALLAfLiteratureDerived from Persian
لاله (laleh) meaning "tulip". This was the name of the heroine of Thomas Moore's poem 'Lalla Rookh' (1817). In the poem, Lalla, the daughter of the emperor of Delhi, listens to a poet sing four tales.
LANCELOTmArthurian RomanceMeaning unknown, possibly an Old French diminutive of
Lanzo (see
LANCE). In Arthurian legend Lancelot was the bravest of the Knights of the Round Table. He became the lover of
Arthur's wife
Guinevere. His earliest appearance is in the works of the 12th-century French poet Chrétien de Troyes.
LAUNCEmLiteratureShort form of
Launcelot, a variant of
LANCELOT. This was the name of a clownish character in Shakespeare's play 'The Two Gentlemen of Verona' (1594).
LEGOLASmLiteratureMeans "green leaves" in Sindarin, from
laeg "green" combined with
go-lass "collection of leaves". In 'The Lord of the Rings' (1954) by J. R. R. Tolkien, Legolas is the son of the elf lord Thranduil and a member of the Fellowship of the Ring.
LESTATmLiteratureName used by author Anne Rice for a character in her 'Vampire Chronicles' series of novels, first released in 1976, where it belongs to the French vampire Lestat de Lioncourt. Rice possibly intended the name to appear derived from Old French or Occitan
l'estat "state, status", though apparently her husband's name
Stan was inspiration.
LOT (2)mArthurian RomanceFrom the name of the region of Lothian in southern Scotland, of unknown meaning. A king of Lothian by this name appears in early Latin and Welsh texts (as
Leudonus and
Lewdwn respectively). He was inserted into Arthurian legend by the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth, who makes him the father of
Gawain.
LUCASTAfLiteratureThis name was first used by the poet Richard Lovelace for a collection of poems called 'Lucasta' (1649). The poems were dedicated to Lucasta, a nickname for the woman he loved Lucy Sacheverel, who he called
lux casta "pure light".
LUCINDAfEnglish, Portuguese, LiteratureAn elaboration of
LUCIA created by Cervantes for his novel 'Don Quixote' (1605). It was subsequently used by Molière in his play 'The Doctor in Spite of Himself' (1666).
MALVINAfScottish, English, LiteratureCreated by the poet James MacPherson in the 18th century for a character in his Ossian poems. He probably intended it to mean "smooth brow" in Gaelic.
MALVOLIOmLiteratureMeans "ill will" in Italian. This name was invented by Shakespeare for a character in his play 'Twelfth Night' (1602).
MEHRABmPersian, LiteratureFrom
مهر (Mehr), the Persian word for
MITHRA, combined with Persian
آب (ab) "water". This is the name of a character in the 11th-century Persian epic the 'Shahnameh'.
MERLINmArthurian Romance, EnglishForm of the Welsh name
Myrddin (meaning "sea fortress") used by Geoffrey of Monmouth in his 12th-century Arthurian tales. Writing in Latin, he likely chose the form
Merlinus over
Merdinus in order to prevent associations with French
merde "excrement".
... [more] MERRY (2)mLiteratureThe name of a hobbit in J. R. R. Tolkien's novel 'The Lord of the Rings' (1954). His full given name was
Meriadoc, a semi-translation into English of his true hobbit name
Kalimac meaning "jolly, merry".
MIGNONfLiteratureMeans "cute, darling" in French. This is the name of a character in Ambroise Thomas's opera 'Mignon' (1866), which was based on a novel by Goethe.
MORDREDmWelsh Mythology, Arthurian RomanceFrom Welsh
Medraut, possibly from Latin
moderatus meaning "controlled, moderated". In Arthurian legend Mordred was the illegitimate son (in some versions nephew) of King
Arthur. Mordred first appears briefly (as
Medraut) in the 10th-century 'Annales Cambriae', but he was not portrayed as a traitor until the chronicles of the 12th-century Geoffrey of Monmouth. While Arthur is away he seduces his wife
Guinevere and declares himself king. This prompts the battle of Camlann, which leads to the deaths of both Mordred and Arthur.
MORGAN (2)fArthurian RomanceModern form of
Morgen, which was used by Geoffrey of Monmouth in the 12th century for the Arthurian sorceress Morgan le Fay, who was unnamed in earlier stories. Geoffrey probably did not derive it from the Welsh masculine name
Morgan, which would have been spelled
Morcant in his time. He may have based it on the Irish name
MUIRGEN.
NÉLIDAfLiterature, SpanishCreated by French author Marie d'Agoult for her semi-autobiographical novel 'Nélida' (1846), written under the name Daniel Stern. It was probably an anagram of her pen name
DANIEL.
NEMOmLiteratureMeans "nobody" in Latin. This was the name used by author Jules Verne for the captain of the Nautilus in his novel 'Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea' (1870). It was later used for the title character (a fish) in the 2003 animated movie 'Finding Nemo'.
NERISSAfLiteratureCreated by Shakespeare for a character in his play 'The Merchant of Venice' (1596). He possibly took it from Greek
Νηρεις (Nereis) meaning "nymph, sea sprite", ultimately derived from the name of the Greek sea god
NEREUS, who supposedly fathered them.
NESTAN-DAREJANfLiteratureCreated by the Georgian poet Shota Rustaveli for a character in his 12th-century epic 'The Knight in the Panther's Skin'. Rustaveli derived it from the Middle Persian phrase
نیست اندر جهان (nist andar jahan) meaning "unlike any other in the world" or "unique". In the poem Nestan-Darejan is a princess loved by Tariel.
NIMUEfArthurian RomanceMeaning unknown. In Arthurian legends this is the name of a sorceress, also known as the Lady of the Lake, Vivien, or Niniane. Various versions of the tales have
Merlin falling in love with her and becoming imprisoned by her magic. She first appears in the medieval French 'Lancelot-Grail' cycle.
NORMAfEnglish, Italian, LiteratureCreated by Felice Romani for the main character in the opera 'Norma' (1831). He may have based it on Latin
norma "rule". This name is also frequently used as a feminine form of
NORMAN.
NYDIAfEnglish (Rare), Spanish, LiteratureUsed by British author Edward Bulwer-Lytton for a blind flower-seller in his novel 'The Last Days of Pompeii' (1834). He perhaps based it on Latin
nidus "nest".
OBERONmLiteratureVariant of
AUBERON. Oberon was the king of the fairies in Shakespeare's comedy 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' (1595). A moon of Uranus bears this name in his honour.
OLIVETTEfLiteratureFeminine form of
OLIVER. This was the name of the title character in the French opera 'Les noces d'Olivette' (1879) by Edmond Audran.
OPHELIAfEnglish, LiteratureDerived from Greek
οφελος (ophelos) meaning "help". This name was probably created by the 15th-century poet Jacopo Sannazaro for a character in his poem 'Arcadia'. It was borrowed by Shakespeare for his play 'Hamlet' (1600), in which it belongs to
Hamlet's lover who eventually goes insane and drowns herself. In spite of this, the name has been used since the 19th century.
ORINTHIAfLiteraturePossibly related to Greek
ορινω (orino) meaning "to excite, to agitate". George Bernard Shaw used this name in his play 'The Apple Cart' (1929).
OSSIANmLiteratureVariant of
OISÍN used by James Macpherson in his epic poems, which he claimed to have based on early Irish legends.
OTHELLOmLiteraturePerhaps an Italian diminutive of
OTHO. Shakespeare used this name in his tragedy 'Othello' (1603), where it belongs to a Moor who is manipulated by
Iago into killing his wife
Desdemona.
OWAINmWelsh, Welsh Mythology, Arthurian RomanceProbably a Welsh form of
EUGENE, though it might be derived from Welsh
eoghunn meaning "youth". This was the name of several figures from Welsh history and mythology. In Arthurian legend Owain (also called
Yvain in French sources) was one of the Knights of the Round Table, the son of King Urien and husband of the Lady of the Fountain. His character was based on that of Owain ap Urien, a 6th-century Welsh prince who fought against the Angles. This name was also borne by Owain Glyndwr, a 14th-century leader of Welsh resistance against English rule.
PERCIVALmArthurian Romance, EnglishCreated by the 12th-century French poet Chrétien de Troyes for his poem 'Perceval, the Story of the Grail'. In the poem Perceval was one of King
Arthur's Knights of the Round Table who was given a glimpse of the Holy Grail. The character (and probably the name) of Perceval was based on that of the Welsh hero
PEREDUR. The spelling was perhaps altered under the influence of Old French
percer val "to pierce the valley".
PERDITAfLiteratureDerived from Latin
perditus meaning "lost". Shakespeare created this name for the daughter of Hermione in his play 'The Winter's Tale' (1610).
PEREDURmWelsh Mythology, Arthurian RomancePossibly means "hard spears" in Welsh. This was the name of several figures from Welsh mythology. It was later used by the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth in his Arthurian tales. The character of
Percival was probably based on him.
PHILOMELfLiteratureFrom an English word meaning "nightingale" (ultimately from
PHILOMELA). It has been used frequently in poetry to denote the bird.
PIPPIN (2)mLiteratureThe name of a hobbit in 'The Lord of the Rings' (1954) by J. R. R. Tolkien. His full given name was
Peregrin, a semi-translation into English of his true hobbit name
Razanur meaning "traveller".
ROHAN (2)fLiteratureFrom the novel 'The Lord of the Rings' (1954) by J. R. R. Tolkien, where it is a place name meaning "horse country" in Sindarin.
SAM (3)mLiteratureThe name of a hobbit in J. R. R. Tolkien's novel 'The Lord of the Rings' (1954). His full given name was
Samwise meaning "half wise" in Old English (the language used by Tolkien to represent the old hobbit speech).
SHERLOCKmLiteratureUsed by Scottish author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle for his character Sherlock Holmes, who was a detective in Doyle's mystery stories beginning in 1887. The character's name was from an English surname meaning "shear lock", originally referring to a person with closely cut hair.
TALIESINmWelsh, Arthurian RomanceMeans "shining brow", derived from Welsh
tal "brow" and
iesin "shining". This was the name of a 6th-century Welsh poet and bard. In later Welsh legends he is portrayed as a wizard and prophet, or as a companion of King
Arthur.
TINATINfGeorgian, LiteraturePossibly related to Georgian
სინათლე (sinatle) "light". The name was devised by the Georgian poet Shota Rustaveli for his 12th-century epic poem 'The Knight in the Panther's Skin', in which Tinatin is the ruler of Arabia and the lover of
Avtandil.
TINUVIELfLiteratureMeans "nightingale" in Sindarin. In the 'Silmarillion' (1977) by J. R. R. Tolkien, Tinuviel was the daughter of Thingol the elf king and the beloved of Beren, who with her help retrieved one of the Silmarils from the iron crown of Morgoth.
TITANIAfLiteraturePerhaps based on Latin
Titanius meaning "of the Titans". This name was (first?) used by Shakespeare in his comedy 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' (1595) where it is the name of the queen of the fairies. This is also a moon of Uranus, named after the Shakespearian character.
TRISTANmWelsh, English, French, Arthurian RomanceOld French form of the Pictish name
Drustan, a diminutive of
DRUST. The spelling was altered by association with Latin
tristis "sad". Tristan is a character in medieval French tales, probably inspired by older Celtic legends, and ultimately merged into Arthurian legend. According to the story Tristan was sent to Ireland in order to fetch
Isolde, who was to be the bride of King Mark of Cornwall. On the way back, Tristan and Isolde accidentally drink a potion which makes them fall in love. Their tragic story was very popular in the Middle Ages, and the name has occasionally been used since that time.
TUORmLiteratureMeans "strength vigour" in Sindarin. In the 'Silmarillion' (1977) by J. R. R. Tolkien, Tuor was the mortal man who came to the hidden city of Gondolin to warn of its imminent doom. When Gondolin was attacked and destroyed he escaped with his wife
Idril and son Eärendil, and sailed into the west.
TURINmLiteratureMeans "victory mood" in Sindarin. In the 'Silmarillion' (1977) by J. R. R. Tolkien, Turin was a cursed hero, the slayer of the dragon Glaurung. He was also called Turambar, Mormegil, and other names. This is also the Anglicized name of the city of Torino in Italy.
TYBALTmLiteratureMedieval form of
THEOBALD. This is the name of a cousin of Juliet killed by Romeo in Shakespeare's drama 'Romeo and Juliet' (1596).
UNDINEfLiteratureDerived from Latin
unda meaning "wave". The word
undine was created by the medieval author Paracelsus, who used it for female water spirits.
UTHERmWelsh Mythology, Arthurian RomanceFrom the Welsh name
Uthyr, derived from Welsh
uthr "terrible". In Arthurian legend Uther was the father of King
Arthur. He appears in some early Welsh texts, but is chiefly known from the 12th-century chronicles of Geoffrey of Monmouth.
VIVIEN (2)fLiteratureUsed by Alfred Lord Tennyson as the name of the Lady of the Lake in his Arthurian epic 'Idylls of the King' (1859). Tennyson may have based it on
VIVIENNE, but it possibly arose as a misreading of
NINIAN. A famous bearer was British actress Vivien Leigh (1913-1967), who played Scarlett O'Hara in 'Gone with the Wind'.
WENONAHfLiteratureVariant of
WINONA. This spelling of the name was used by the American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow for the mother of Hiawatha in his epic poem 'The Song of Hiawatha' (1855).
ZAÏREfLiteratureUsed by Voltaire for the heroine of his tragic play 'Zaïre' (1732), about a Christian woman enslaved by Muslims. The heroine is named
Zara in some English translations. Voltaire may have based the name on
ZAHRAH.
ZEMFIRAfTatar, Bashkir, LiteratureMeaning unknown, possibly of Romani origin. This name was (first?) used by Aleksandr Pushkin in his poem 'The Gypsies' (1827).
ZULEIKAfLiteraturePossibly means "brilliant beauty" in Persian. According to medieval legends this was the name of Potiphar's wife in the Bible. She has been a frequent subject of poems and tales.