Previous Names of the Day

HANS   m   German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish Jun 17th
German, Dutch and Scandinavian short form of JOHANNES. Two famous bearers were Hans Holbein (1497-1543), a Renaissance portrait painter from Germany, and Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875), a Danish writer of fairy tales.

GENEVIÈVE   f   French Jun 16th
From the medieval name Genovefa, which is of uncertain origin. It could be derived from the Germanic elements kuni "kin, family" and wefa "wife, woman". Alternatively it could be of Gaulish origin, from the related Celtic element genos "kin, family" combined with a second element of unknown meaning.

JAMES   m   English, Biblical Jun 15th
English 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.

LINUS   m   Greek Mythology (Latinized), Ancient Greek (Latinized), German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish Jun 14th
From the Greek name Λινος (Linos) meaning "flax". In Greek legend he was the son of the god Apollo, who accidentally killed him in a contest. Another son of Apollo by this name was the music teacher of Herakles. The name was also borne by the second pope, serving after Saint Peter in the 1st century.

CANDELARIA   f   Spanish Jun 13th
Means "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.

DANIEL   m   English, Hebrew, French, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovene, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Croatian, Armenian, Georgian, Biblical, Biblical Greek Jun 12th
From the Hebrew name דָּנִיֵּאל (Daniyyel) meaning "God is my judge", from the roots דִּין (din) meaning "to judge" and אֵל (el) meaning "God". Daniel was a Hebrew prophet whose story is told in the Book of Daniel in the Old Testament.

GANESHA   m   Hinduism Jun 11th
Means "lord of hordes" from Sanskrit गण (gana) meaning "horde, multitude" and ईश (isha) 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.