ABELmEnglish, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Georgian, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical GreekFrom the Hebrew name
הֶבֶל (Hevel) meaning "breath". In the Old Testament he is the second son of
Adam and
Eve, murdered out of envy by his brother
Cain. In England, this name came into use during the Middle Ages, and it was common during the Puritan era.
ABENEfBasqueDerived from Basque
abe meaning "pillar". It is a Basque equivalent of
Pilar.
ABRAHAMmEnglish, Hebrew, Spanish, French, Dutch, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Biblical, Biblical LatinThis name may be viewed either as meaning "father of many" in Hebrew or else as a contraction of
ABRAM (1) and
הָמוֹן (hamon) meaning "many, multitude". The biblical patriarch Abraham was originally named Abram but God changed his name (see Genesis 17:5). With his father
Terah, he led his wife
Sarah, his nephew
Lot and their other followers from Ur into Canaan. He is regarded by Jews as being the founder of the Hebrews through his son
Isaac and by Muslims as being the founder of the Arabs through his son
Ishmael.
... [more] ADAMmEnglish, French, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Russian, Ukrainian, Croatian, Serbian, Macedonian, Romanian, Catalan, Hebrew, Arabic, Georgian, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek, Biblical HebrewThis is the Hebrew word for "man". It could be ultimately derived from Hebrew
אדם ('adam) meaning "to be red", referring to the ruddy colour of human skin, or from Akkadian
adamu meaning "to make".
... [more] ADELAfEnglish, Spanish, Romanian, Polish, Ancient GermanicOriginally a short form of names beginning with the Germanic element
adal meaning "noble". Saint Adela was a 7th-century Frankish princess who founded a monastery at Pfazel in France. This name was also borne by a daughter of William the Conqueror.
ADORACIÓNfSpanishMeans "adoration" in Spanish. This name refers to the event that is known in Christian tradition as the Adoration of the Magi, which is when the three Magi presented gifts to the infant
Jesus and worshipped him.
ÁFRICAfSpanishSpanish form of
AFRICA (1). It is usually taken from the title of the Virgin
Mary,
Nuestra Señora de África, the patron saint of the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in North Africa.
AGAPITOmSpanish, ItalianFrom the Late Latin name
Agapitus or
Agapetus which was derived from the Greek name
Αγαπητος (Agapetos) meaning "beloved". The name Agapetus was borne by two popes.
AGURNEfBasqueFrom Basque
agur meaning "greeting, salutation".
AINHOAfBasqueFrom the name of a town in southwest France where there is a famous image of the Virgin
Mary.
AITORmBasquePossibly means "good fathers" from Basque
aita "father" and
on "good". This was the name of a legendary ancestor of the Basques.
ALBA (1)fItalian, Spanish, CatalanThis name is derived from two distinct names,
ALBA (2) and
ALBA (3), with distinct origins, Latin and Germanic. Over time these names have become confused with one another. To further complicate the matter,
alba means "dawn" in Italian, Spanish and Catalan. This may be the main inspiration behind its use in Italy and Spain.
ALBERTmEnglish, French, Catalan, German, Polish, Russian, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Romanian, Hungarian, Ancient GermanicFrom the Germanic name
Adalbert, which was composed of the elements
adal "noble" and
beraht "bright". This name was common among medieval German royalty. The Normans introduced it to England, where it replaced the Old English cognate
Æðelberht. Though it became rare in England by the 17th century, it was repopularized in the 19th century by the German-born Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria.
... [more] ALEXANDRAfEnglish, German, Dutch, French, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Greek, Portuguese, Romanian, Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, Catalan, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Ukrainian, Ancient Greek, Greek MythologyFeminine form of
ALEXANDER. In Greek mythology this was a Mycenaean epithet of the goddess
Hera, and an alternate name of
Cassandra. It was borne by several early Christian saints, and also by the wife of Nicholas II, the last czar of Russia. She was from Germany and had the birth name
Alix, but was renamed
Александра (Aleksandra) upon joining the Russian Church.
ALFONSOmSpanish, ItalianSpanish and Italian form of a Visigothic Germanic name, probably meaning "noble and ready", from the element
adal "noble" combined with
funs "ready". Other theories claim the first element is
hadu or
hild (see
ILDEFONSO), both of which mean "battle". It is possible that two or more names merged into a single form. This was the name of six kings of Portugal and kings of several ancient regions of Spain.
ALMA (1)fEnglish, Spanish, Italian, DutchThis name became popular after the Battle of Alma (1854), which took place near the River Alma in Crimea and ended in a victory for Britain and France. However, the name was in rare use before the battle; it was probably inspired by Latin
almus "nourishing". It also coincides with the Spanish word meaning "the soul".
ALMUDENAfSpanishDerived from Arabic
المدينة (al-mudaynah) meaning "the citadel". It was in a building by this name that a concealed statue of the Virgin
Mary was discovered during the Reconquista in Madrid. The Virgin of Almudena, that is Mary, is the patron saint of Madrid.
AMAIAfBasqueMeans "the end" in Basque. This is also the name of a mountain and a village in the Basque region of Spain.
AMANDAfEnglish, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Late RomanIn part this is a feminine form of
AMANDUS. However, it was not used during the Middle Ages. In the 17th century it was recreated by authors and poets who based it directly on Latin
amanda meaning "lovable, worthy of love". Notably, the playwright Colley Cibber used it for a character in his play 'Love's Last Shift' (1696). It came into regular use during the 19th century.
AMELIAfEnglish, Spanish, Italian, Polish, Dutch, German, Ancient GermanicVariant of
AMALIA, though it is sometimes confused with
EMILIA, which has a different origin. The name became popular in England after the German House of Hanover came to the British throne in the 18th century - it was borne by daughters of George II and George III. Another famous bearer was Amelia Earhart (1897-1937), the first woman to make a solo flight over the Atlantic Ocean.
ANASTASIAfGreek, Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, English, Spanish, Italian, Georgian, Ancient GreekFeminine form of
ANASTASIUS. This was the name of a 4th-century Dalmatian saint who was martyred during the persecutions of the Roman emperor Diocletian. Due to her, the name has been common in Eastern Orthodox Christianity (in various spellings). As an English name it has been in use since the Middle Ages. A famous bearer was the youngest daughter of the last Russian tsar Nicholas II, who was rumoured to have escaped the execution of her family in 1918.
ANDREA (2)fEnglish, German, Spanish, Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Dutch, Croatian, SerbianFeminine form of
ANDREW. As an English name, it has been used since the 17th century, though it was not common until the 20th century.
ANITA (1)fSpanish, Portuguese, Croatian, Slovene, English, Dutch, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Polish, LatvianSpanish, Portuguese, Croatian and Slovene diminutive of
ANA.
ANNAfEnglish, Italian, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Latvian, Greek, Hungarian, Polish, Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Czech, Slovak, Bulgarian, Icelandic, Faroese, Catalan, Occitan, Breton, Biblical, Old Church Slavic, Biblical Latin, Biblical GreekForm of
Channah (see
HANNAH) used in the Greek and Latin Old Testament. Many later Old Testament translations, including the English, use the
Hannah spelling instead of
Anna. The name appears briefly in the New Testament belonging to a prophetess who recognized
Jesus as the Messiah. It was a popular name in the Byzantine Empire from an early date, and in the Middle Ages it became common among Western Christians due to veneration of Saint Anna (usually known as Saint Anne in English), the name traditionally assigned to the mother of the Virgin
Mary. In the English-speaking world, this form came into general use in the 18th century, joining
Ann and
Anne.
... [more] ANNE (1)fFrench, English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, German, Dutch, BasqueFrench form of
ANNA. In the 13th-century it was imported to England, where it was also commonly spelled
Ann. The name was borne by a 17th-century English queen and also by the second wife of Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn (the mother of Queen Elizabeth I), who was eventually beheaded in the Tower of London. This is also the name of the heroine in 'Anne of Green Gables' (1908) by Canadian author L. M. Montgomery.
ANTONIAfItalian, Spanish, English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Polish, Romanian, Greek, Croatian, Bulgarian, Ancient RomanFeminine form of
Antonius (see
ANTHONY).
ANTONIOmSpanish, Italian, CroatianSpanish and Italian form of
Antonius (see
ANTHONY). A famous bearer was the Italian Renaissance painter Antonio Pisanello (c. 1395-1455). It is also the name of the main character in 'The Merchant of Venice' (1596) by William Shakespeare.
ARACELIfSpanishMeans "altar of the sky" from Latin
ara "altar" and
coeli "sky". This is an epithet of the Virgin
Mary in her role as the patron saint of Lucena, Spain.
ARANTZAZUfBasqueFrom the name of a place near the Spanish town of Oñati where there is a sanctuary dedicated to the Virgin
Mary. Its name is derived from Basque
arantza "thornbush".
ARGIDERmBasqueDerived from Basque
argi "light" and
eder "beautiful".
ARIELm & fHebrew, English, French, Spanish, Biblical, Biblical GreekMeans "lion of God" in Hebrew, from
אֲרִי ('ari) meaning "lion" and
אֵל ('el) meaning "God". In the Old Testament it is used as another name for the city of Jerusalem. Shakespeare used it as the name of a spirit in his play 'The Tempest' (1611), and one of the moons of Uranus bears this name in his honour. As an English name, it became more common for females in the 1980s, especially after it was used for the title character in the Walt Disney film 'The Little Mermaid' (1989).
ARMIDAfItalian, SpanishProbably created by the 16th-century Italian poet Torquato Tasso for his epic poem 'Jerusalem Delivered' (1580). In the poem Armida is a beautiful enchantress who bewitches many of the crusaders.
ASCENSIÓNfSpanishMeans "ascension" in Spanish. This name is given in reference to the Ascension of
Jesus into heaven.
ASUNCIÓNfSpanishMeans "assumption" in Spanish. This name is given in reference to the assumption of the Virgin
Mary into heaven.
BASAJAUNmBasqueMeans "lord of the woods" from Basque
baso "woods" and
jaun "lord". This is the name of a character in Basque folklore, the Old Man of the Woods.
BAUDELIOmSpanishFrom
Baudelius, a Latinized form of a possibly Germanic name. Saint Baudelius was a 3rd-century saint and martyr from Orleans.
BELÉNfSpanishSpanish form of
Bethlehem, the name of the town in Judah where King
David and
Jesus were born. The town's name is from Hebrew
בֵּית־לֶחֶם (Beit-lechem) meaning "house of bread".
BENIGNOmItalian, Spanish, PortugueseItalian, Spanish and Portuguese form of the Late Latin name
Benignus which meant "kind, friendly" in Latin. This was the name of several saints including a 5th-century disciple of Saint
Patrick who later became the chief Bishop of Ireland.
BENITOmSpanish, ItalianSpanish form of
BENEDICT. This name was borne by Mexican president Benito Juárez, and also by Benito Mussolini (who was named after Juárez), the fascist dictator of Italy during World War II.
BOLÍVARmSpanish (Latin American)From a surname which was taken from the Basque place name
Bolibar, which was derived from
bolu "mill" and
ibar "riverside". A famous bearer of the surname was Simón Bolívar (1783-1830), a South American revolutionary leader, after whom the country of Bolivia is named.
CANDELARIAfSpanishMeans "Candlemas" in Spanish, ultimately derived from Spanish
candela "candle". This name is given in honour of the church festival of Candlemas, which commemorates the presentation of Christ in the temple and the purification of the Virgin
Mary.
CARINA (1)fEnglish, Portuguese, Spanish, German, Late RomanLate Latin name derived from
cara meaning "dear, beloved". This was the name of a 4th-century saint and martyr. It is also the name of a constellation in the southern sky, though in this case it means "keel" in Latin, referring to a part of
Jason's ship the Argo.
CASSANDRAfEnglish, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French, German, Greek Mythology (Latinized)From the Greek name
Κασσανδρα (Kassandra), derived from possibly
κεκασμαι (kekasmai) "to excel, to shine" and
ανηρ (aner) "man" (genitive
ανδρος). In Greek myth Cassandra was a Trojan princess, the daughter of
Priam and
Hecuba. She was given the gift of prophecy by
Apollo, but when she spurned his advances he cursed her so nobody would believe her prophecies.
... [more] CECILIAfEnglish, Italian, Spanish, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Dutch, Romanian, Finnish, GermanLatinate feminine form of the Roman family name
Caecilius, which was derived from Latin
caecus "blind". Saint Cecilia was a semi-legendary 2nd- or 3rd-century martyr who was sentenced to die because she refused to worship the Roman gods. After attempts to suffocate her failed, she was beheaded. She was later regarded as the patron saint of music and musicians.
... [more] CELIAfEnglish, SpanishFeminine form of the Roman family name
CAELIUS. Shakespeare used it in his play 'As You Like It' (1599), which introduced the name to the English-speaking public at large. It is sometimes used as a short form of
CECILIA.
CHEmSpanishFrom an Argentine expression meaning "hey!". This nickname was acquired by the Argentine revolutionary Ernesto Guevara while he was in Cuba.
CLARAfItalian, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, Romanian, English, Swedish, Danish, Late RomanFeminine form of the Late Latin name
Clarus which meant "clear, bright, famous". The name
Clarus was borne by a few early saints. The feminine form was popularized by the 13th-century Saint Clare of Assisi (called
Chiara in Italian), a friend and follower of Saint Francis, who left her wealthy family to found the order of nuns known as the Poor Clares. As an English name it has been in use since the Middle Ages, originally in the form
Clare, though the Latinate spelling
Clara became more popular in the 19th century.
CLARISSAfEnglish, Italian, Portuguese, SpanishLatinate form of
CLARICE. This was the name of the title character in a 1748 novel by Samuel Richardson. In the novel Clarissa is a virtuous woman who is tragically exploited by her family and her lover.
CLÍMACOmSpanishSpanish form of
Climacus, derived from Greek
κλιμαξ (klimax) "ladder". The 7th-century monk Saint John Climacus (also known as John of the Ladder) acquired this name because he wrote a book called 'The Ladder of Divine Ascent'.
CLOTILDEfFrench, Italian, Portuguese, SpanishFrench form of the Germanic name
Chlotichilda which was composed of the elements
hlud "fame" and
hild "battle". Saint Clotilde was the wife of the Frankish king Clovis, whom she converted to Christianity.
CONCEPCIÓNfSpanishMeans "conception" in Spanish. This name is given in reference to the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin
Mary. A city in Chile bears this name.