Natalia f Polish, Italian, Spanish, Romanian, English, German, Dutch, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Greek, Georgian, Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Late RomanLatinate form of
Natalia (see
Natalie).
Nazaret f & m Spanish, ArmenianFrom Nazareth, the town in Galilee where
Jesus lived. This name is primarily feminine in Spanish and primarily masculine in Armenian.
Nélida f Literature, 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.
Nelson m English, SpanishFrom an English surname meaning
"son of Neil". It was originally given in honour of the British admiral Horatio Nelson (1758-1805). His most famous battle was the Battle of Trafalgar, in which he destroyed a combined French and Spanish fleet, but was himself killed. Another notable bearer was the South African statesman Nelson Mandela (1918-2013). Mandela's birth name was
Rolihlahla; as a child he was given the English name
Nelson by a teacher.
Nerea f Basque, SpanishPossibly from Basque
nere, a dialectal variant of
nire meaning
"mine". Alternatively, it could be a feminine form of
Nereus. This name arose in Basque-speaking regions of Spain in the first half of the 20th century, though it is now popular throughout the country.
Nereida f SpanishDerived from Greek
Νηρηΐδες (Nereides) meaning
"nymphs, sea sprites", ultimately derived from the name of the Greek sea god
Nereus, who supposedly fathered them.
Nestor m Greek Mythology, Russian, Portuguese, FrenchMeans
"returner, homecomer" in Greek, from
νέομαι (neomai) meaning "to return". In
Homer's
Iliad this was the name of the king of Pylos, famous for his great wisdom and longevity, who acted as a counselor to the Greek allies.
Nieves f SpanishMeans
"snows" in Spanish, derived from the title of the Virgin
Mary Nuestra Señora de las Nieves meaning "Our Lady of the Snows".
Nuno m Portuguese, Medieval PortugueseMedieval Portuguese and Spanish name, possibly from Latin
nonus "ninth" or
nunnus "grandfather". Saint Nuno was a 14th-century Portuguese general who defeated a Castilian invasion.
Núria f Catalan, PortugueseFrom a Catalan title of the Virgin
Mary,
Nostra Senyora de Núria, meaning "Our Lady of Nuria". Nuria is a sanctuary in Spain in which there is a shrine containing a famous statue of Mary.
Nydia f English (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".
Obdulia f SpanishMeaning unknown. This was the name of a saint from Toledo, Spain. The details of her life are unknown.
Odalis f & m Spanish (Latin American)Possibly an elaboration of
Odilia used in Latin America. In most countries it is a feminine name, but in the Dominican Republic it is commonly masculine.
Olegario m SpanishFrom
Olegarius, the Latinized form of a Germanic name, possibly
Aldegar or a metathesized form of
Odalgar. This was the name of a 12th-century saint, a bishop of Barcelona.
Olga f Russian, Ukrainian, Polish, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Finnish, Estonian, Latvian, Hungarian, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, Czech, Slovene, Serbian, Bulgarian, GreekRussian form of the Old Norse name
Helga. The 10th-century Saint Olga was the wife of
Igor I, the ruler of Kievan Rus (a state based around the city of Kyiv). Like her husband she was probably a Varangian, who were Norse people who settled in eastern Europe beginning in the 9th century. Following Igor's death she ruled as regent for her son
Svyatoslav for 18 years. After she was baptized in Constantinople she attempted to convert her subjects to Christianity, though this goal was only achieved by her grandson
Vladimir.
Oliva f Late Roman, SpanishLate Latin name meaning
"olive". This was the name of a 2nd-century saint from Brescia.
Olivia f English, Italian, Spanish, French, German, Finnish, Swedish, Norwegian, DanishThis name was used in this spelling by William Shakespeare for a character in his comedy
Twelfth Night (1602). This was a rare name in Shakespeare's time that may have been based on
Oliva or
Oliver, or directly from the Latin word
oliva meaning
"olive". In the play Olivia is a noblewoman who is wooed by Duke
Orsino but instead falls in love with his messenger Cesario, who is actually
Viola in disguise.
... [more] Olvido f SpanishMeans
"oblivion, forgetting" in Spanish, taken from the title of the Virgin
Mary Nuestra Señora del Olvido, Triunfo y Misericordias meaning "Our Lady of Oblivion, Triumph and Mercies". It commemorates an 1831 vision of Mary by the Spanish nun Sor Patrocinio.
Omar 1 m Arabic, Kazakh, Malay, English, Spanish, ItalianAlternate transcription of Arabic
عمر (see
Umar). This is the usual English spelling of the 12th-century poet Umar Khayyam's name. In his honour it has sometimes been used in the English-speaking world, notably for the American general Omar Bradley (1893-1981).
Oriana f Italian, SpanishPossibly derived from Latin
aurum "gold" or from its derivatives, Spanish
oro or French
or. In medieval legend Oriana was the daughter of a king of England who married the knight
Amadis.
Orlando m Italian, Spanish, PortugueseItalian form of
Roland, as used in the epic poems
Orlando Innamorato (1483) by Matteo Maria Boiardo and
Orlando Furioso (1532) by Ludovico Ariosto. A character in Shakespeare's play
As You Like It (1599) also bears this name, as does a city in Florida.
Oscar m English, Irish, Portuguese (Brazilian), Italian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, French, Irish MythologyPossibly means
"deer friend", derived from Old Irish
oss "deer" and
carae "friend". Alternatively, it may derive from the Old English name
Osgar or its Old Norse cognate
Ásgeirr, which may have been brought to Ireland by Viking invaders and settlers. In Irish legend Oscar was the son of the poet
Oisín and the grandson of the hero
Fionn mac Cumhaill.
... [more] Pablo m SpanishSpanish form of
Paulus (see
Paul). Spanish painter and sculptor Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) was a famous bearer of this name.
Pachakutiq m Indigenous American, QuechuaMeans
"changer of the world" in Quechua, derived from
pacha "world, time" and
kutiy "to return, to change" combined with the agentive suffix
-q "doer". This name was borne by a 15th-century (precontact) ruler of the Inca Empire.
Pancho m SpanishSpanish diminutive of
Francisco. This name was borne by Pancho Villa (1878-1923), a Mexican bandit and revolutionary.
Patricia f English, Spanish, German, Late RomanFeminine form of
Patricius (see
Patrick). In medieval England this spelling appears in Latin documents, but this form was probably not used as the actual name until the 18th century, in Scotland.
Patrocinio f & m SpanishMeans
"patronage, sponsorship" in Spanish, taken from the title of the Virgin
Mary,
La Virgen del Patrocinio, meaning "The Virgin of Patronage".
Paula f German, English, Finnish, Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, Romanian, Hungarian, Polish, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Latvian, Croatian, Ancient RomanFeminine form of
Paulus (see
Paul). This was the name of a 4th-century Roman saint who was a companion of Saint
Jerome.
Paulino m Spanish, PortugueseSpanish and Portuguese form of the Roman family name
Paulinus, which was itself derived from
Paulus (see
Paul). Saint Paulinus of Nola was a 5th-century nobleman from Gaul who gave up his wealthy lifestyle and became bishop of Nola. He was also noted for his poetry. Another saint by this name was a 7th-century missionary to England who became the first bishop of York.
Paz 1 f SpanishMeans
"peace" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin
Mary,
Nuestra Señora de la Paz, meaning "Our Lady of Peace".
Pedro m Spanish, PortugueseSpanish and Portuguese form of
Peter. This was the name of the only two emperors of Brazil, reigning between 1822 and 1889.
Pelayo m SpanishSpanish form of
Pelagius. This was the name of the founder of the kingdom of Asturias in the 8th century.
Perpetua f Spanish, Late RomanDerived from Latin
perpetuus meaning
"continuous". This was the name of a 3rd-century saint martyred with another woman named Felicity.
Petra f German, Dutch, Spanish, Czech, Slovak, Slovene, Croatian, Bulgarian, Hungarian, Swedish, Finnish, EnglishFeminine form of
Peter. This was also the name of an ancient city in the region that is now Jordan.
Piedad f SpanishMeans
"mercy, piety" in Spanish, ultimately from Latin
pietas.
Pilar f SpanishMeans
"pillar" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin
Mary,
María del Pilar, meaning "Mary of the Pillar". According to legend, when Saint
James the Greater was in Saragossa in Spain, the Virgin Mary appeared on a pillar.
Presentación f SpanishMeans
"presentation, appearance" in Spanish. This name commemorates the tale of the presentation of the young Virgin
Mary at the Temple in Jerusalem.
Purificación f SpanishMeans
"purification" in Spanish. This name is given in reference to the ritual purification of the Virgin
Mary after her childbirth.
Ramiro m Spanish, PortugueseSpanish and Portuguese form of
Ramirus, earlier
Ranimirus, a Latinized form of a Visigothic name derived from the Gothic element
rana "wedge" or perhaps
ragin "law, decree, assessment, responsibility" combined with
mers "famous". Saint Ramirus was a 6th-century prior of the Saint Claudius Monastery in León. He and several others were executed by the Arian Visigoths, who opposed orthodox Christianity. This name was subsequently borne by kings of León, Asturias and Aragon.
Ramona f Spanish, Romanian, EnglishFeminine form of
Ramón. It was popularized in the English-speaking world by Helen Hunt Jackson's novel
Ramona (1884), as well as several subsequent movies based on the book.
Regina f English, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Lithuanian, Estonian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Late RomanMeans
"queen" in Latin (or Italian). It was in use as a Christian name from early times, and was borne by a 2nd-century saint. In England it was used during the Middle Ages in honour of the Virgin
Mary, and it was later revived in the 19th century. A city in Canada bears this name, in honour of Queen Victoria.
Regla f SpanishMeans
"rule" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin
Mary,
Nuestra Señora de Regla, meaning "Our Lady of the Rule". This name is especially common in Cuba.
Remedios f SpanishMeans
"remedies" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin
Mary,
Nuestra Señora de los Remedios, meaning "Our Lady of the Remedies".
Renata f Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, German, Polish, Czech, Lithuanian, Croatian, Slovene, Romanian, Late RomanFeminine form of
Renatus.
Reyes f & m SpanishMeans
"kings" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin
Mary,
La Virgen de los Reyes, meaning "The Virgin of the Kings". According to legend, the Virgin Mary appeared to King Ferdinand III of Castile and told him his armies would defeat those of the Moors in Seville.
Rita f Italian, English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Estonian, Hungarian, Spanish, Portuguese, Latvian, LithuanianShort form of
Margherita and other names ending in
rita. Saint Rita (born Margherita Lotti) was a 15th-century nun from Cascia, Italy. Another famous bearer was the American actress Rita Hayworth (1918-1987).
Rivaldo m Portuguese (Brazilian)Meaning uncertain, possibly a variant of
Rinaldo, possibly influenced by Portuguese
rio, Latin
rivus meaning "river". A famous bearer is the Brazilian former soccer player Rivaldo Vítor Borba Ferreira (1972-), who is usually known by only his first name.
Roberto m Italian, Spanish, PortugueseItalian, Spanish and Portuguese form of
Robert. Saint Roberto Bellarmine was a 16th-century cardinal who is regarded as a Doctor of the Church. Another famous bearer was Roberto de Nobili, a Jesuit missionary to India in the 17th century.
Rocío f SpanishMeans
"dew" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin
Mary María del Rocío meaning "Mary of the Dew".
Rodrigo m Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, GalicianSpanish, Portuguese, Italian and Galician form of
Roderick, via the Latinized Gothic form
Rudericus. A notable bearer was Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, also known as El Cid, an 11th-century Spanish military commander.
Rogelio m SpanishSpanish form of the Late Latin name
Rogellus or
Rogelius. This was probably related to the Germanic name
Hrodger (see
Roger), perhaps a remnant of a Visigothic cognate. It has also been suggested that it could be derived from a diminutive of the Latin name
Rogatus. Saint Rogellus was a 9th-century martyr from Córdoba.
Ronaldinho m PortugueseDiminutive of
Ronaldo. A famous bearer is the retired Brazilian soccer player Ronaldo de Assis Moreira (1980-), who is usually called simply Ronaldinho.
Ronaldo m PortuguesePortuguese form of
Ronald. A notable bearer is the retired Brazilian soccer player Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima (1976-), who is commonly known only by his first name.
Rosa 1 f Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Catalan, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Finnish, Dutch, German, EnglishGenerally this can be considered to be from Latin
rosa meaning
"rose", though originally it may have come from the unrelated Germanic name
Roza 2. This was the name of a 13th-century saint from Viterbo in Italy. In the English-speaking world it was first used in the 19th century. A famous bearer was the American civil rights activist Rosa Parks (1913-2005).
Rosario f & m Spanish, ItalianMeans
"rosary", and is taken from the Spanish title of the Virgin
Mary Nuestra Señora del Rosario meaning "Our Lady of the Rosary". This name is feminine in Spanish and masculine in Italian.
Rosaura f SpanishMeans
"golden rose", derived from Latin
rosa "rose" and
aurea "golden". This name was (first?) used by Pedro Calderón de la Barca for a character in his play
Life Is a Dream (1635).
Rosendo m SpanishSpanish form of the Visigothic name *
Hroþisinþs, composed of the Gothic elements
hroþs "fame" and
sinþs "time". This was the name of a 10th-century Galician saint, also known as Rudesind.
Roxana f English, Spanish, Romanian, Ancient Greek (Latinized)Latin form of
Ῥωξάνη (Rhoxane), the Greek form of an Old Persian or Bactrian name, from Old Iranian *
rauxšnā meaning
"bright, shining". This was the name of Alexander the Great's first wife, a daughter of the Bactrian nobleman Oxyartes. In the modern era it came into use during the 17th century. In the English-speaking world it was popularized by Daniel Defoe, who used it in his novel
Roxana (1724).
Rubens m Portuguese (Brazilian)Possibly from Latin
rubens "being red", participle of
rubeo "to be red". It may also be inspired by the 17th-century Flemish painter Peter Paul Rubens.
Ruy m Portuguese, SpanishMedieval Portuguese and Spanish short form of
Rodrigo. It is another name of the 11th-century Spanish military commander Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, also known as El Cid.
Sabas m SpanishFrom the Greek name
Σάββας (Sabbas), which was derived from Hebrew
סַבָא (sava') meaning
"old man, grandfather". Saints bearing this name include a 4th-century Gothic martyr, a 5th-century Cappadocian hermit, and a 12th-century archbishop of Serbia who is the patron saint of that country.
Sabina f Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, Polish, Czech, Slovene, Russian, Croatian, Swedish, Ancient RomanFeminine form of
Sabinus, a Roman cognomen meaning
"a Sabine" in Latin. The Sabines were an ancient people who lived in central Italy, their lands eventually taken over by the Romans after several wars. According to legend, the Romans abducted several Sabine women during a raid, and when the men came to rescue them, the women were able to make peace between the two groups. This name was borne by several early saints.
Sabrina f English, Italian, German, French, SpanishLatinized form of
Habren, the original Welsh name of the River Severn. According to Geoffrey of Monmouth, Sabrina was the name of a princess who was drowned in the Severn. Supposedly the river was named for her, but it is more likely that her name was actually derived from that of the river, which is of unknown meaning. She appears as a water nymph in John Milton's masque
Comus (1634).
... [more] Sagrario f SpanishMeans
"sanctuary, tabernacle" in Spanish, derived from Latin
sacrarium. It is taken from an epithet of the Virgin
Mary,
Nuestra Señora del Sagrario, and is associated with Toledo Cathedral.
Salvador m Spanish, Portuguese, CatalanSpanish, Portuguese and Catalan form of the Late Latin name
Salvator, which meant
"saviour", referring to
Jesus. A famous bearer of this name was the Spanish surrealist painter Salvador Dalí (1904-1989).
Samara f English (Modern), Portuguese (Brazilian)Possibly derived from the name of the city of Samarra (in Iraq) or Samara (in Russia). The former appears in the title of the novel
Appointment in Samarra (1934) by John O'Hara, which refers to an ancient Babylonian legend about a man trying to evade death. Alternatively, this name could be derived from the word for the winged seeds that grow on trees such as maples and elms.
... [more] Samuel m English, French, German, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Jewish, Eastern African, Amharic, BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
שְׁמוּאֵל (Shemu'el) meaning
"name of God", from the roots
שֵׁם (shem) meaning "name" and
אֵל ('el) meaning "God". Other interpretations have the first root being
שָׁמַע (shama') meaning "to hear" leading to a meaning of
"God has heard". As told in the Books of Samuel in the Old Testament, Samuel was the last of the ruling judges. He led the Israelites during a period of domination by the Philistines, who were ultimately defeated in battle at Mizpah. Later he anointed
Saul to be the first king of Israel, and even later anointed his successor
David.
... [more] Sancho m Spanish, PortuguesePossibly a Spanish and Portuguese form of the Late Latin name
Sanctius, which was derived from the word
sanctus meaning
"saintly, holy". Alternatively,
Sancho and
Sanctius may be derived from an older Iberian name. This was the name of a 9th-century saint who was martyred by the Moors at Córdoba. It was also borne by several Spanish and Portuguese kings. Miguel de Cervantes used it in his novel
Don Quixote (1605), where it belongs to the squire of Don Quixote.
Sandalio m SpanishSpanish form of
Sandalius, possibly a Latinized form of a Gothic name composed of the elements
swinþs "strong" and
wulfs "wolf". It also nearly coincides with Latin
sandalium "sandal". This was the name of a 9th-century Spanish saint martyred by the Moors.
Sandra f Italian, English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, Macedonian, Czech, RomanianShort form of
Alessandra. It was introduced to the English-speaking world by author George Meredith, who used it for the heroine in his novel
Emilia in England (1864) and the reissued version
Sandra Belloni (1887). A famous bearer is the American actress Sandra Bullock (1964-).
Santana f & m Spanish (Latin American), Portuguese (Brazilian), English (Modern)From a contraction of
Santa Ana (referring to Saint
Anna) or from a Spanish and Portuguese surname derived from any of the numerous places named for the saint. It can be given in honour of the Mexican-American musician Carlos Santana (1947-), the founder of the band Santana. The name received a boost in popularity for American girls after the character Santana Andrade began appearing on the soap opera
Santa Barbara in 1984.
Santiago m Spanish, PortugueseMeans
"Saint James", derived from Spanish
santo "saint" combined with
Yago, an old Spanish form of
James, the patron saint of Spain. It is the name of the main character in the novella
The Old Man and the Sea (1951) by Ernest Hemingway. This also is the name of the capital city of Chile, as well as several other cities in the Spanish-speaking world.
Santos m SpanishMeans
"saints" in Spanish. It is used in reference to the Christian festival
Día de Todos los Santos (All Saints' Day) celebrated on November 1.
Sara f Greek, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, French, Catalan, Galician, Romanian, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Finnish, Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, Albanian, Macedonian, Polish, English, Hebrew, Arabic, Persian, Biblical GreekForm of
Sarah used in various languages.
Selena f Spanish, Russian, Greek Mythology (Latinized)Latinized form of
Selene. This name was borne by popular Mexican-American singer Selena Quintanilla (1971-1995), who was known simply as Selena. Another famous bearer is the American actress and singer Selena Gomez (1992-).