Browse Names

Gabija f Lithuanian, Baltic Mythology
Probably from Lithuanian gaubti meaning "to cover". In Lithuanian mythology this was the name of the goddess of fire and the home.

Gaea f Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Gaia.

Gaia f Greek Mythology, Italian
From the Greek word γαῖα (gaia), a parallel form of γῆ (ge) meaning "earth". In Greek mythology Gaia was the mother goddess who presided over the earth. She was the mate of Uranus and the mother of the Titans and the Cyclopes.

Galatea f Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Greek Γαλάτεια (Galateia), probably derived from γάλα (gala) meaning "milk". This was the name of several characters in Greek mythology including a sea nymph who was the daughter of Doris and Nereus and the lover of Acis. According to some sources, this was also the name of the ivory statue carved by Pygmalion that came to life.

Galateia f Greek Mythology
Greek form of Galatea.

Galene f Ancient Greek, Greek Mythology
Ancient Greek feminine form of Galenos (see Galen). This was the name of a minor Greek goddess who personified calm seas.

Gandalf m Norse Mythology, Literature
Means "wand elf" in Old Norse, from the elements gandr "wand, staff, magic, monster" and alfr "elf". This name belongs to a dwarf (Gandálfr) in the Völuspá, a 13th-century Scandinavian manuscript that 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).

Gandálfr m Norse Mythology
Old Norse form of Gandalf.

Ganesha m Hinduism
Means "lord of hordes" from Sanskrit गण (gaṇa) meaning "horde, multitude" and ईश (īśa) meaning "lord, ruler". This is the name of the Hindu god of wisdom and good luck, the son of Shiva and Parvati. He is often depicted as a stout man with the head of an elephant.

Ganga f & m Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi, Nepali, Telugu
From Sanskrit गङ्गा (Gaṅgā), the name of the Ganges River, derived from गम् (gam) meaning "to go". In Hindu tradition this is a personification of the river, typically depicted as a fair-skinned goddess riding a sea creature. As a given name, it is used by males as well.

Ganymede m Greek Mythology (Anglicized)
From Greek Γανυμήδης (Ganymedes), which was possibly derived from γάνυμαι (ganymai) meaning "to be glad" and μήδεα (medea) meaning "plans, counsel, cunning". In Greek mythology this was the name of a beautiful boy who was abducted by Zeus to become the cupbearer to the gods, the successor of Hebe. A moon of Jupiter is named after him.

Ganymedes m Greek Mythology
Greek form of Ganymede.

Gargi f Hinduism, Hindi, Bengali
Meaning unknown. This was the name of a 7th-century BC Indian philosopher who appears in the Upanishads, which are parts of Hindu scripture.

Gaspar m Spanish, Portuguese, Judeo-Christian-Islamic Legend
Spanish and Portuguese form of Jasper, as well as the Latin form.

Gauri f Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi
Derived from Sanskrit गौर (gaura) meaning "white, pale, yellow". This is a Hindu goddess, another name of Parvati the wife of Shiva, so named because of her fair complexion.

Gautama m Sanskrit, Buddhism
In the case of Siddhartha Gautama, it was a patronymic form of Gotama. Siddhartha Gautama, also known as the Buddha, was the founder of Buddhism. He was a 6th-century BC nobleman who left his family in order to lead a life of meditation and poverty.

Gayatri f Hinduism, Marathi, Hindi
From Sanskrit गायत्र (gāyatra), which refers to a type of hymn or song with a particular meter, derived from गै (gai) meaning "to sing". The original hymn, also called the Savitri, is in the Rigveda and is a dedication to the sun god Savitr. As a goddess, Gayatri is a personification of this hymn. She is identified with Saraswati.

Geb m Egyptian Mythology
From Egyptian 𓎼𓃀𓃀 (gbb) meaning "earth". In Egyptian mythology he was the god of the earth and crops. His consort was his sister the sky goddess Nut.

Gefion f Norse Mythology
Variant of Gefjon.

Gefjon f Norse Mythology
Probably means "the giving one", from Old Norse gefa "to give". Gefjon or Gefion was a Norse goddess associated with ploughing and fertility.

Gemini m Roman Mythology, Astronomy
Means "twins" in Latin. This is the name of the third sign of the zodiac. The two brightest stars in the constellation, Castor and Pollux, are named for the mythological twin sons of Leda.

Geraint m Welsh, Welsh Mythology, Arthurian Cycle
Meaning unknown, possibly a Welsh form of Gerontius. This was the name of a figure in various Welsh legends. He was also incorporated into Arthurian tales (the romance Geraint and Enid) as one of the Knights of the Round Table and the husband of Enid.

Gerd 2 f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Norse Mythology
From Old Norse Gerðr, derived from garðr meaning "enclosure, yard". According to Norse myth, Gerd was a beautiful giantess (jǫtunn). After Freyr fell in love with her, he had his servant Skírnir convince her to marry him.

Gerðr f Norse Mythology
Old Norse form of Gerd 2.

Giano m Roman Mythology (Italianized)
Italian form of Ianus (see Janus).

Gilgamesh m Sumerian Mythology, Semitic Mythology
Possibly means "the ancestor is a hero", from Sumerian 𒉋𒂵 (bilga) meaning "ancestor" and 𒈩 (mes) meaning "hero, young man". This was the name of a Sumerian hero, later appearing in the Akkadian poem the Epic of Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh, with his friend Enkidu, battled the giant Humbaba and stopped the rampage of the Bull of Heaven, besides other adventures. Gilgamesh was probably based on a real person: a king of Uruk who ruled around the 27th century BC.

Giove m Roman Mythology (Italianized)
Italian form of Iovis (see Jove). This is the Italian name for the Roman god Jupiter.

Girisha m Hinduism
Means "lord of the mountain" in Sanskrit. This is a name of the Hindu god Shiva, given because of his abode in the Himalayan Mountains.

Giunone f Roman Mythology (Italianized)
Italian form of Iuno (see Juno).

Giv m Persian Mythology
Meaning unknown. This is the name of a hero in the 10th-century Persian epic the Shahnameh.

Glaucus m Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Greek Γλαῦκος (Glaukos), a name meaning "bluish grey". This was the name of a Greek sea god, as well as other characters in Greek legend.

Glaukos m Greek Mythology
Greek form of Glaucus.

Glooscap m New World Mythology
Derived from an Eastern Algonquian phrase meaning "man from nothing". Glooscap (or Gluskabe) was a hero involved in the creation myths of the Wabanaki people of eastern North America.

Gobannos m Gaulish Mythology
From old Celtic *goban meaning "smith". This was the name of a scantily attested Gaulish smith god.

Gofannon m Welsh Mythology
From Welsh gof meaning "smith". This was the name of a smith in Welsh legends. He is possibly a later development of an earlier Celtic god (seen also in Gaulish Gobannos and Irish Goibniu).

Goibniu m Irish Mythology
Derived from Old Irish gobae meaning "smith". In Irish mythology this was the name of a divine metalsmith and weapon maker of the Tuatha Dé Danann. He also provided them with feasts that protected them from old age. He may be derived from an earlier Celtic smith god (seen also in Gaulish Gobannos and Welsh Gofannon).

Goldilocks f Folklore
From the English words gold and locks, referring to blond hair. This is best known as the name of the trespassing girl in the English fairy tale Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

Gonggong m Chinese Mythology
Meaning unknown, though usually spelled using the Chinese characters 共 (gòng) meaning "together" and 工 (gōng) meaning "work". This is the name of a Chinese water god, depicted as a serpent with a human head. He damaged the heavenly pillar Mount Buzhou, making the sky tilt to the northwest and the earth tilt to the southeast. A dwarf planet in the outer solar system was named for him in 2019.

Gopala m Hinduism
Means "cow protector" from Sanskrit गो (go) meaning "cow" and पाल (pāla) meaning "guard, protector". This is another name of the Hindu god Krishna. It was also borne by the 8th-century founder of the Pala Empire in Bengal.

Gopinatha m Hinduism
Means "leader of the gopis" in Sanskrit. This is another name of the Hindu god Krishna, acquired because of his association with the gopis (milkmaids).

Goronwy m Welsh, Welsh Mythology
Variant of Gronw. This form appears in the Book of Taliesin. It was borne by the Welsh poet Goronwy Owen (1723-1769).

Gotama m Hinduism
Means "the best ox" from Sanskrit गो (go) meaning "ox, cow" and तम (tama) meaning "best". It is best known in its patronymic form Gautama (with the initial vowel lengthened), which was borne by the Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama. In Hindu texts this is also the name of one of the Saptarshis, or seven sages. Additionally it was borne by an early Indian philosopher who wrote the Nyaya Sutras.

Govannon m Welsh Mythology
Variant of Gofannon.

Govinda m Hinduism, Marathi, Malayalam, Kannada
Means "cow finder", derived from Sanskrit गो (go) meaning "cow" combined with विन्द (vinda) meaning "finding". This is an epithet of the Hindu god Vishnu or his avatar Krishna.

Gowad m Persian Mythology
Middle Persian form of Vata.

Gráinne f Irish, Irish Mythology, Old Irish
Possibly derived from Old Irish grán meaning "grain" or gráin meaning "hatred, fear". In the Irish legend The Pursuit of Diarmaid and Gráinne she escaped from her arranged marriage to Fionn mac Cumhaill by fleeing with her lover Diarmaid. Another famous bearer was the powerful 16th-century Irish landowner and seafarer Gráinne Ní Mháille (known in English as Grace O'Malley), who was sometimes portrayed as a pirate queen in later tales.

Grid f Norse Mythology
From Old Norse Gríðr, probably derived from either gríð "zeal, vehemence" or grið "peace". In Norse myth she was a giantess (jǫtunn), the mother of Vidar by Odin. She aided Thor in his fight against the giant Geirrod.

Grímhildr f Norse Mythology, Old Norse
Old Norse cognate of Kriemhild. In the Norse Völsungasaga Grímhildr is the mother of Gunnar and Gudrun, while in the German counterpart the Nibelungenlied Kriemhild is the sister of Gunther and she herself has a role equivalent to Gudrun.

Grimhilt f Germanic, Germanic Mythology
Old German form of Kriemhild.

Gríðr f Norse Mythology
Old Norse form of Grid.

Gróa f Norse Mythology, Icelandic
Derived from Old Norse gróa meaning "to grow". This is the name of a seeress in Norse mythology.

Gronw m Welsh Mythology
Meaning unknown, perhaps from Old Welsh gur "man". According to the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi he was the lover of Blodeuwedd. He attempted to murder her husband Lleu Llaw Gyffes with a special spear he crafted over the course of a year, but Lleu transformed into an eagle. After he was restored to human form he killed Gronw.

Guanyin f Buddhism
Means "one who observes sounds", from Chinese 观 (guān) meaning "to observe, to see" and 音 (yīn) meaning "sound, tone", referring to prayers. This is the Chinese name of Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion (who is regarded as female in China). It originated as a calque of Sanskrit अवलोकितस्वर (Avalokitasvara), an earlier form of Avalokiteshvara's name.

Gudrun f Norse Mythology, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German
From the Old Norse name Guðrún meaning "god's secret lore", derived from the elements guð "god" and rún "secret lore, rune". In Norse legend Gudrun was the wife of Sigurd. After his death she married Atli, but when he murdered her brothers, she killed her sons by him, fed him their hearts, and then slew him. Her story appears in Norse literature such as the Eddas and the Völsungasaga. She is called Kriemhild in German versions of the tale. This is also an unrelated character in the medieval German epic Kudrun.

Guendoleu m Welsh Mythology
Old Welsh form of Gwenddoleu.

Gula f Sumerian Mythology
Means "the great" in Sumerian. This may have originally been a title rather then a name. Gula was a Sumerian and Akkadian goddess of healing, medicine and midwifery. She was often depicted alongside dogs. In later periods she was equated with other healing goddesses such as Ninisina.

Gundahar m Germanic, Germanic Mythology
Old German form of Gunther.

Gunnar m Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Norse Mythology
From the Old Norse name Gunnarr, which was derived from the elements gunnr "war" and herr "army, warrior" (making it a cognate of Gunther). In Norse legend Gunnar was the husband of Brynhildr. He had his brother-in-law Sigurd murdered based on his wife's false accusations that Sigurd had taken her virginity.

Gunnarr m Old Norse, Norse Mythology
Old Norse form of Gunnar.

Gunnr f Norse Mythology
Derived from Old Norse gunnr meaning "war". This was the name of a valkyrie in Norse legend.

Gunther m German, Germanic Mythology
From the Old German name Gundahar, derived from the elements gunda "war" and heri "army" (making it a cognate of Gunnar). This was the name of a semi-legendary 5th-century Burgundian king. He appears in the medieval German saga the Nibelungenlied, which has him wooing the Icelandic queen Brunhild. He wins her hand in marriage with the help of the hero Siegfried. He ultimately betrays Siegfried, but Siegfried's widow Kriemhild (Gunther's sister) takes her revenge upon him.... [more]

Guðrún f Old Norse, Norse Mythology, Icelandic
Old Norse form of Gudrun, as well as the modern Icelandic form.

Gwalchmai m Welsh Mythology
Derived from Welsh gwalch "hawk", possibly combined with Mai "May (month)" or mai "field, plain". This is the name of a character in Welsh legend (appearing in Culhwch and Olwen for example). He is probably the antecedent of Gawain from later Arthurian romance.

Gwalchmei m Welsh Mythology
Variant of Gwalchmai.

Gwawl m Welsh Mythology
Means "wall" in Welsh. In the First Branch of the Mabinogi Gwawl is an unwelcome suitor of Rhiannon.

Gwenddoleu m Welsh Mythology
From Old Welsh Guendoleu, possibly derived from gwyn meaning "white, blessed" and dol (plural dolau) meaning "meadow". This was the name of a semi-legendary 6th-century king of Arfderydd in Cumbria. His defeat at the Battle of Arfderydd caused his bard Myrddin to go mad with grief.

Gwenddydd f Welsh Mythology
Derived from Welsh gwen meaning "white, blessed" and dydd meaning "day". In medieval Welsh tales this is the name of Myrddin's sister. Geoffrey of Monmouth calls her Ganieda and also makes her the wife of Rhydderch Hael.

Gwenhwyfar f Welsh Mythology, Arthurian Cycle
Welsh form of Guinevere.

Gwydion m Welsh, Welsh Mythology
Probably means "born of trees" from Old Welsh guid "trees" and the suffix gen "born of". In the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi, Gwydion is the nephew of King Math of Gwynedd, and like him a powerful magician. In an elaborate plot to give his brother a chance to rape his uncle's footbearer, he arranged a war between Gwynedd and the neighbouring kingdom of Dyfed. Gwydion himself killed King Pryderi of Dyfed at the end of the war. In punishment for the rape, Math transformed Gwydion and his brother into different animals over the course of three years. Gwydion was the uncle of Lleu Llaw Gyffes, whom he fostered. Math and Gwydion fashioned Lleu a wife, Blodeuwedd, out of flowers and they later aided him after her betrayal. Gwydion also appears in older Welsh poetry such as the Book of Taliesin.

Gwyn m Welsh, Welsh Mythology
Means "white, blessed" in Welsh. In Welsh legend Gwyn was a king of the Otherworld and the leader of the Wild Hunt. He appears in the Welsh tale Culhwch and Olwen, where he is one of the many who help Culhwch hunt the monstrous boar Trwyth. The story also tells of his rivalry with Gwythyr for the beautiful Creiddylad.

Gwythyr m Welsh Mythology
Welsh form of Victor. This name appears in the Welsh tale Culhwch and Olwen belonging to the rival of Gwyn for the maiden Creiddylad. Seeking peace between the two, King Arthur declared that Gwyn and Gwythyr shall only fight once each year on May Day.