Senko's Personal Name List

Means "just, fair" in Basque.

Derived from Basque zuri "white". This is a Basque equivalent of Blanca.

Means "my rock is God" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this name is borne by a chief of the Merarite Levites at the time of the Exodus.

Meaning uncertain, possibly of Arabic origin. According to medieval tradition, notably related by the 15th-century Persian poet Jami, this was the name of the biblical Potiphar's wife. She has been a frequent subject of poems and tales.

Feminine form of Zorion.

From the name of a citadel that was in the center of Jerusalem. Zion is also used to refer to a Jewish homeland and to heaven.

Means "sky" in Basque.

Possibly means "command of God" in Hebrew. The Book of Enoch names him as one of the seven archangels. His name is sometimes rendered as Sarakiel.

Modern form of Yngvi.

Variant of Ingvar.

Means "she-wolf", a derivative of Old Norse úlfr "wolf".

From the English word for the small songbird. It is ultimately derived from Old English wrenna.

From the English word for the season, derived from Old English winter.

From Latin Winifreda, possibly from a Welsh name Gwenfrewi (maybe influenced by the Old English masculine name Winfred). Saint Winifred was a 7th-century Welsh martyr, probably legendary. According to the story, she was decapitated by a prince after she spurned his advances. Where her head fell there arose a healing spring, which has been a pilgrimage site since medieval times. Her story was recorded in the 12th century by Robert of Shrewsbury, and she has been historically more widely venerated in England than in Wales. The name has been used in England since at least the 16th century.

From a German and Dutch surname that was derived from the given name Wendel. In America this name has been given in honour of the poet Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. (1809-1894) and his son the Supreme Court justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. (1841-1935). The elder's middle name came from his mother's maiden name (which had been brought to America by a Dutch ancestor in the form Wendel, with the extra l added later).

English form of Václav, via the Latinized form Venceslaus.

From a surname that was derived from the name of a town in England, itself from Old English wer "weir, dam" and wic "settlement".

From the Old Slavic name *Voldislavŭ, derived from the elements volděti "to rule" and slava "glory". This name has been borne by kings, princes and dukes of Croatia, Serbia, Bohemia, Poland and Wallachia.

Derived from viorea, the Romanian word for the alpine squill flower (species Scilla bifolia) or the sweet violet flower (species Viola odorata). It is derived from Latin viola "violet".

From the English word violet for the purple flower, ultimately derived from Latin viola. It was common in Scotland from the 16th century, and it came into general use as an English given name during the 19th century.

Means "violet" in Latin. This is the name of the heroine of William Shakespeare's comedy Twelfth Night (1602). In the play she is the survivor of a shipwreck who disguises herself as a man named Cesario. Working as a messenger for Duke Orsino, she attempts to convince Olivia to marry him. Instead Viola falls in love with the duke.

From the French name for Vienna, the capital city of Austria.

Means "victory" in Latin, being borne by the Roman goddess of victory. It is also a feminine form of Victorius. This name was borne by a 4th-century saint and martyr from North Africa.

Though in use elsewhere in Europe, the name was very rare in the English-speaking world until the 19th century, when Queen Victoria began her long rule of Britain. She was named after her mother, who was of German royalty. Many geographic areas are named after the queen, including an Australian state and a Canadian city.

Means "knowledge" in Sanskrit.

Diminutive of Varvara.

Short form of Giovanni.

Means "twinflower" in Finnish.

Means "shield" in Armenian.

Means "dove" in Basque.

From the Old Welsh name Urbgen, possibly from the Celtic root *orbo- "heir" and the suffix gen "born of". This was the name of a 6th-century king of Rheged. Passing into Arthurian tales, he became the king of Gore, the husband of Morgan le Fay, and the father of Owain.

From the Latin name Urbanus meaning "city dweller". This name is mentioned briefly in one of Paul's epistles in the New Testament. It was subsequently borne by eight popes.

Swedish feminine form of Ulrich. This was the name of two queens of Sweden.

Yiddish diminutive of Sarah. This is the name of Tevye's oldest daughter in the musical Fiddler on the Roof (1964), based on Sholem Aleichem's stories from the late 19th century.

From the Old Norse name Þýri, a variant of the Norse names Þórví or Þórveig. Use of the name in the English-speaking world (especially among African Americans) may be in part from the Swedish name, though it is probably also viewed as a feminine form of Tyrone or Tyree. A famous bearer is the American model and actress Tyra Banks (1973-).

Derived from Old Norse tryggr meaning "trustworthy".

Danish short form of Katrine.

From the Old Norse name Þórgeirr, which meant "Thor's spear" from the name of the Norse god Þórr (see Thor) combined with geirr "spear".

Modern form of Þóra.

Greek form of Tobiah. This is the name of the hero of the apocryphal Book of Tobit, which appears in many English versions of the Old Testament. It relates how Tobit's son Tobias, with the help of the angel Raphael, is able to drive away a demon who has plagued Sarah, who subsequently becomes his wife. This story was popular in the Middle Ages, and the name came into occasional use in parts of Europe at that time. In England it became common after the Protestant Reformation.

Feminine form of Itri.

From the Hebrew name תִּרְצָה (Tirtzah) meaning "favourable". Tirzah is the name of one of the daughters of Zelophehad in the Old Testament. It also occurs in the Old Testament as a place name, the early residence of the kings of the northern kingdom.

Variant of Tyra.

Variant of Torvald.

Variant of Torsten.

Modern form of Þóra.

Possibly derived from Greek θεά (thea) meaning "goddess". In Greek myth this was the name of a Titan goddess of light, glittering and glory. She was the wife of Hyperion and the mother of the sun god Helios, the moon goddess Selene, and the dawn goddess Eos.

Short form of Dorothea, Theodora, Theresa and other names with a similar sound.

Form of Thekla in several languages.

Means "darling" in Welsh, derived from a diminutive of Welsh teg "beautiful, pretty". It was somewhat common in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Canada in the 1980s and 90s. It was borne by an Australian character on the television series Doctor Who from 1981 to 1984.

Short form of Dorothea, Theodora and other names containing a similar sound.

Alternate transcription of Azerbaijani Təranə.

Means "star" in Sanskrit. Tara is the name of a Hindu astral goddess, the wife of Brhaspati. She was abducted by Chandra, the god of the moon, leading to a great war that was only ended when Brahma intervened and released her. This is also the name of a Buddhist deity (a bodhisattva).

Means "man" in Maori. In Maori and other Polynesian mythology Tāne was the god of forests and light. He was the son of the sky god Rangi and the earth goddess Papa, who were locked in an embrace and finally separated by their son. He created the tui bird and, by some accounts, man.

Alternate transcription of Hebrew טַלְיָה or טַלְיָא (see Talia 1).

This is the name of waterfalls in Georgia. Popularly claimed to mean "leaping waters" in the Choctaw language, it may actually mean "town" in the Creek language. It was borne by American actress Tallulah Bankhead (1902-1968), who was named after her grandmother, who may have been named after the waterfalls.

Means "shining brow", derived from Welsh tal "brow, head" and iesin "shining, radiant". This was the name of a semi-legendary 6th-century Welsh poet and bard, supposedly the author of the collection of poems the Book of Taliesin. He appears briefly in the Welsh legend Culhwch and Olwen and the Second Branch of the Mabinogi. He is the central character in the Tale of Taliesin, a medieval legend recorded in the 16th century, which tells how Ceridwen's servant Gwion Bach was reborn to her as Taliesin; how he becomes the bard for Elffin; and how Taliesin defends Elffin from the machinations of the king Maelgwn Gwynedd.

Italian form of Thaddeus.

Punjabi form of Swarna.

German feminine form of Sven.

Danish form of Sven.

Short form of Svanhildur.

Means "dream" in Lithuanian.

Scandinavian form of the Old English name Sunngifu, which meant "sun gift" from the Old English elements sunne "sun" and giefu "gift". This was the name of a legendary English saint who was shipwrecked in Norway and killed by the inhabitants.

Alternate transcription of Hindi सुन्दर or Tamil சுந்தர் (see Sundar).

Derived from Sanskrit सुन्दर (sundara) meaning "beautiful". This is the name of several minor characters in Hindu texts, and is also another name of the Hindu god Krishna.

From Croatian sunčan meaning "sunny", a derivative of sunce meaning "sun".

Diminutive of Susanna or Susan.

Alternate transcription of Arabic سهيل (see Suhail).

Scandinavian short form of Christina and other names ending in stina.

Modern Norwegian form of Stígandr.

Means "star" in Cornish.

Meaning unknown, perhaps related to Old Norse stilling "calm", or perhaps of German origin.

Form of Stephen used in several languages. Famous bearers include the Serbian rulers Stefan Nemanja, Stefan Nemanjić, and Stefan Lazarević, who are all considered saints in the Orthodox Church.

Danish cognate of Sten.

Means "conception" in Basque. It was coined by Sabino Arana in 1910 as an equivalent of the Spanish name Concepción.

Feminine form of Sorin.

Possibly derived from Romanian soare meaning "sun".

Danish form of Severinus. Søren Kierkegaard (1813-1855) was a Danish philosopher who is regarded as a precursor of existentialism.

Russian diminutive of Sophia. This is the name of a character in Leo Tolstoy's novel War and Peace (1869, English translation 1886).

Form of Sonya in various languages.

Latin form of Solange.

Derived from the Serbo-Croatian word snežan meaning "snowy".

Short form of Sylvester. The actor Sylvester Stallone (1946-) is a well-known bearer of this nickname.

From an English surname that was derived from Old English slæd meaning "valley".

Diminutive of Sjaak.

Dutch form of Jacques or Isaac.

Means "nation" in Xhosa.

From Old Norse Sif, which meant "bride, kinswoman". In Norse mythology she was the wife of Thor. After the trickster Loki cut off her golden hair, an angry Thor forced him to create a replacement.

Means "star" in Urdu, ultimately from Persian.

Short form of Sigrid.

Short form of Siranush.

Derived from Serbo-Croatian sin meaning "son".

Means "sparkle" in Old Norse. In Norse mythology this was the name of a dwarf, also named Eitri. With his brother Brokkr he made several magical items for the gods, including Odin's ring Draupnir and Thor's hammer Mjölnir.

Norwegian form of Sindri.

Means "happiness, joy" in Hebrew.

Norwegian and Danish diminutive of Cecilia.

Finnish and Estonian diminutive of Cecilia.

The name of a companion of Saint Paul in the New Testament. It is probably a short form of Silvanus, a name that Paul calls him by in the epistles. It is possible that Silvanus and Silas were Latin and Greek forms of the Hebrew name Saul (via Aramaic).

As an English name it was not used until after the Protestant Reformation. It was utilized by George Eliot for the title character in her novel Silas Marner (1861).

Originally a short form of names beginning with the Old German element sigu meaning "victory".

Derived from the Old Norse elements sigr "victory" and rún "secret lore, rune". This was the name of a valkyrie in Norse legend.

Norwegian form of Sigrún.

From the Old Norse name Sigríðr, which was derived from the elements sigr "victory" and fríðr "beautiful, beloved".

Norwegian variant form of Signý.

Derived from the Old German elements sigu "victory" and lind "soft, flexible, tender". Sieglinde was the mother of Siegfried in the medieval German saga the Nibelungenlied.

Scots diminutive of Hugh.

Probably an Anglicized form of Gaelic sìoltaich meaning "sower, propagator". It has occasionally been used in the Douglas family since the 17th century, after David Hume of Godscroft claimed it was the name of the 7th-century founder of the clan [1].

From Japanese 真珠 (shinju) meaning "pearl".

Means "shooting star, meteor" in Arabic.

From an Irish surname (Anglicized from Irish Gaelic Ó Sirideáin), which was derived from the given name Sirideán possibly meaning "searcher".

Variant of Sheena.

Means "I have asked of God" in Hebrew. This was the name of the son of King Jeconiah of Judah and the father of Zerubbabel in the Old Testament.

Means "fragrant" in Arabic.

Means "protection, comfort, joy" in Sanskrit.

Modern transcription of Shankara.

Means "fabulous" in Urdu.

Either from Hebrew שַׁי (shai) meaning "gift" or else a Hebrew diminutive of Isaiah.

Means "delight of the king" from Persian شاه (shah) meaning "king" and ناز (naz) meaning "delight, comfort, coquetry".

Scottish Gaelic form of James.

From Σήθ (Seth), the Greek form of Egyptian swtẖ or stẖ (reconstructed as Sutekh), which is of unknown meaning. Seth was the Egyptian god of chaos and the desert, the slayer of Osiris. Osiris's son Horus eventually defeats Seth and has him banished to the desert.

Derived from Turkish ser meaning "head, top" and han, which is from the title khan meaning "leader".

Means "star" in Welsh. This is a recently created Welsh name.

Diminutive of Kreszentia.

Means "strong" in Basque.

Old variant of Sancha.

From a surname that was originally derived from an Old English given name, which was formed of the elements sele "manor" and wine "friend".

Variant of Zelig.

From Shona seka meaning "laugh" [1].

Derived from Finnish seijas meaning "tranquil, serene".

Means "fairy tale, fable" in Finnish.

From an English surname derived from Old English sacc meaning "sack, bag", referring to a person who was a bag maker. A famous bearer was the American baseball player Satchel Paige (1906-1982). In his case it was a childhood nickname acquired because he sold bags.

Swedish diminutive of Astrid, Alexandra or Sara [1].

Form of Sarah used in various languages.

Means "freedom" in Irish Gaelic. It was first used as a given name in the 20th century.

Means "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.

Old variant of Sancho.

Dutch and Danish short form of Susanna.

Short form of Susanna. It can also be derived from Swedish sann meaning "true".

Means "uniting, joining" in Sanskrit.

Means "twilight" in Sanskrit. This is the name of the daughter of the Hindu god Brahma.

Possibly means "full of grace" in Persian.

Means "health" or "cheers" in Catalan.

Greek form of Shealtiel. This form is also used in some English versions of the Bible (including the King James Version).

Diminutive of Sakari.

Diminutive of Sari 1.

Armenian form of Isaac. This was the name of a 5th-century patriarch of the Armenian Church.

From Old Norse Sága, possibly meaning "seeing one", derived from sjá "to see". This is the name of a Norse goddess, possibly connected to Frigg. As a Swedish and Icelandic name, it is also derived from the unrelated word saga "story, fairy tale, saga".

Diminutive of Sarah.

Feminine form of Sa'di.

From Japanese 幸 (sachi) meaning "happiness, good luck" and 枝 (e) meaning "branch" or 恵 (e) meaning "favour, benefit". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.

From a now extinct English surname that was derived from a Norman place name. It was occasionally given in honour of the English preacher Henry Sacheverell (1674-1724), especially by the Sitwell noble family.

Feminine form of Rune.

Meaning uncertain. According to the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth, this was the name of a daughter of the Saxon chief Hengist. It is possible (but unsupported) that Geoffrey based it on the Old English elements hroð "fame" and wynn "joy", or alternatively on the Old Welsh elements ron "spear" and gwen "white". It was popularized by Walter Scott, who used it for a character in his novel Ivanhoe (1819).

Means "light, bright" in Persian.

Generally 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. Famous bearers include the Polish-German revolutionary Rosa Luxemburg (1871-1919) and the American civil rights activist Rosa Parks (1913-2005).

Breton form of Robert.

Spanish and Hungarian form of Romanus (see Roman).

Derived from Sanskrit रोहण (rohana) meaning "ascending".

Variant of Jeremiel appearing in some versions of the Old Testament.

Means "remedy" in Catalan, a Catalan equivalent of Remedios.

From the Germanic name Raginheri, composed of the elements regin "advice, counsel, decision" and heri "army". Saint Rainerius was a 12th-century hermit from Pisa. The Normans brought this name to England where it came into general use, though it was rare by the end of the Middle Ages.

Diminutive of Rayna 1 or Raisa 1.

Biblical Latin form of Rachel, as well as a German form.

Modern Scandinavian form of Ragnvaldr.

Modern Scandinavian form of Ragnarr.

Combination of Rae and the popular name suffix lyn.

Originally a diminutive of names beginning with the Slavic element radŭ meaning "happy, willing".

From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Caoindealbháin, itself from the given name Caoindealbhán (Old Irish Caíndelbán).

Feminine form of Priscus, a Roman family name meaning "ancient" in Latin. This name appears in the epistles in the New Testament, referring to Priscilla the wife of Aquila.

From the English word for the flower, ultimately deriving from Latin prima rosa "first rose".

From the English word praise, which is ultimately derived (via Old French) from Late Latin preciare, a derivative of Latin pretium "price, worth". This name is most common in English-speaking Africa.

From the Greek Φαίδρα (Phaidra), derived from φαιδρός (phaidros) meaning "bright". Phaedra was the daughter of Minos and the wife of Theseus in Greek mythology. Aphrodite caused her to fall in love with her stepson Hippolytos, and after she was rejected by him she killed herself.

Meaning unknown, probably of Pre-Greek origin, but perhaps related to Greek πέρθω (pertho) meaning "to destroy" and φόνος (phonos) meaning "murder". In Greek myth she was the daughter of Demeter and Zeus. She was abducted to the underworld by Hades, but was eventually allowed to return to the surface for part of the year. The result of her comings and goings is the changing of the seasons. With her mother she was worshipped in the Eleusinian Mysteries, which were secret rites practiced at the city of Eleusis near Athens.

From the Late Latin name Peregrinus, which meant "traveller". This was the name of several early saints.

Russian, Czech, Bulgarian, Slovene, Macedonian and Belarusian form of Paul.

Means "all gifts", derived from a combination of Greek πᾶν (pan) meaning "all" and δῶρον (doron) meaning "gift". In Greek mythology Pandora was the first mortal woman. Zeus gave her a jar containing all of the troubles and ills that mankind now knows, and told her not to open it. Unfortunately her curiosity got the best of her and she opened it, unleashing the evil spirits into the world.

French form of Osanna.

Means "cure, remedy" in Basque. It is an equivalent of Remedios, proposed by Sabino Arana in his 1910 list of Basque saints names.

Means "memory" in Basque.

Means "pine tree" in Hebrew.

Derived from Greek ὠφέλεια (opheleia) meaning "help, advantage". This was a rare ancient Greek name, which was either rediscovered or recreated by the poet Jacopo Sannazaro for a character in his poem Arcadia (1480). It was borrowed by Shakespeare for his play Hamlet (1600), in which it belongs to the daughter of Polonius and the potential love interest of Hamlet. She eventually goes insane and drowns herself after Hamlet kills her father. In spite of this negative association, the name has been in use since the 19th century.

From Old Irish Nuadu, probably from Nodens. In Irish mythology he was the first king of the Tuatha Dé Danann. After he lost an arm in battle it was replaced with one made from silver, and he received the byname Airgetlám meaning "silver hand". He was later killed fighting the monstrous Fomorians led by Balor. This name was also borne by a few semi-legendary Irish kings.

Means "star" in Tumbuka.

Irish diminutive of Nora 1.

Anglicized form of Naomhán.

Means "good listener" in Persian.

Meaning unknown, possibly of Akkadian origin or possibly meaning "rebel" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament Nimrod is a renowned hunter, the great-grandson of Noah. He was the founder of Babylon.

Due to the biblical character, this name was adopted as an English-language vocabulary word meaning "hunter". In American English it acquired a further meaning of "fool", after the oafish character Elmer Fudd (a hunter) was called such by Daffy Duck in a 1948 short cartoon.

Means "snows" in Spanish, derived from the title of the Virgin Mary Nuestra Señora de las Nieves meaning "Our Lady of the Snows".

Derived from South Slavic neven meaning "marigold".

Anglicized form of Naomhán.

Short form of Geneva.

Means "miracle" in Hebrew.

Probably from Greek Νηρηΐδες (see Nereida). This name was used by Torquato Tasso for a character in his play Aminta (1573), and subsequently by Giacomo Leopardi in his poem Le Ricordanze (1829).

Possibly 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.

Means "sorrows" in Basque. It is an equivalent of Dolores, coined by Sabino Arana in his 1910 list of Basque saints names.

Variant of Aneirin.

From Old Irish Ness, meaning uncertain. In Irish legend she was the mother of Conchobar. She installed her son as king of Ulster by convincing Fergus mac Róich (her husband and Conchobar's stepfather) to give up his throne to the boy for a year and then helping him rule so astutely that the Ulstermen demanded that he remain as king. According to some versions of the legend she was originally named Assa "gentle", but was renamed Ní-assa "not gentle" after she sought to avenge the murders of her foster fathers.

Means "found", derived from Bulgarian найда (nayda) meaning "to find".

From the Hebrew name נְתַנְאֵל (Netan'el) meaning "God has given", from the elements נָתַן (natan) meaning "to give" and אֵל ('el) meaning "God". It is borne by several minor characters in the Old Testament, typically spelled Nethanel or Nethaneel. In the New Testament this is the name of an apostle, probably another name of the apostle called Bartholomew.

Modern northern Indian form of Narayana.

Means "holy" in Irish. This name was created in the 20th century.

Meaning unknown, presumably of Irish origin. In Irish legend he was the young man who fled to Scotland with Deirdre, who was due to marry Conchobar the king of Ulster. Conchobar eventually succeeded in capturing Deirdre and killing Naoise, which caused Deirdre to die of grief.

Possibly derived from Old Norse nanþ meaning "daring, brave". In Norse mythology she was a goddess who died of grief when her husband Balder was killed.

Variant of Nawel using Spanish spelling conventions.

From Basque nahi meaning "desire, wish".

Means "lord of snakes" from Sanskrit नाग (naga) meaning "snake" (also "elephant") combined with the name of the Hindu god Indra, used here to mean "lord". This is another name for Vasuki, the king of snakes, in Hindu mythology.

Cornish form of Michael.

Arabic, Turkish and Hausa form of Moses.

From the name of a region in western Scotland, also called Morvern or in Gaelic A' Mhorbhairne, meaning "the big gap". This is the location of Fingal's kingdom in James Macpherson's 18th-century poems.

Means "servant of Marduk" in Persian. In the Old Testament Mordecai is the cousin and foster father of Esther. He thwarted a plot to kill the Persian king, though he made an enemy of the king's chief advisor Haman.

Basque form of Maria.

From the Slavic element milŭ meaning "gracious, dear", originally a short form of names that began with that element. It was originally used in Czech, Slovak, and the South Slavic languages, though it has recently become popular elsewhere in Europe.

A city in Italy bears this name, though in this case it originates from Latin Mediolanum, perhaps ultimately of Celtic origin meaning "middle of the plain". In some cases the city name may be an influence on the use of the given name.

Variant of Mervyn or Marvin.

From a surname meaning "happy weather" in Middle English, originally belonging to a cheery person. A notable bearer of the name was Meriwether Lewis (1774-1809), who, with William Clark, explored the west of North America.

Means "tall and slender, beautiful maiden" in Welsh (a compound of main "slender" and hir "tall").

Variant of Mehetabel.

Derived from the name of the month of May, which derives from Maia, the name of a Roman goddess. May is also another name of the hawthorn flower. It is also used as a diminutive of Mary, Margaret or Mabel.

Spanish feminine form of Maximus.

From the name of the type of bird, also called the song thrush, derived from Old French mauvis, of uncertain origin. It was first used as a given name by the British author Marie Corelli, who used it for a character in her novel The Sorrows of Satan (1895).

Probably originally a Polish diminutive of Maria or Małgorzata.

Danish diminutive of Marina or Maria.

Catalan form of Manuel.

Late Latin name meaning "great". It was borne by a 7th-century saint who was a missionary in Germany. It became popular in Scandinavia after the time of the 11th-century Norwegian king Magnus I, who was said to have been named after Charlemagne, or Carolus Magnus in Latin (however there was also a Norse name Magni). The name was borne by six subsequent kings of Norway as well as three kings of Sweden. It was imported to Scotland and Ireland during the Middle Ages.

Latinate form of Magdalene.

Danish short form of Mathias.

Variant of Madeline.

The name of the constellation in the northern sky containing the star Vega. It is said to be shaped after the lyre of Orpheus. This is the name of the main character in the His Dark Materials series of books by Philip Pullman (beginning 1995).

Variant of Linwood.

From an English surname that was derived from Welsh llyn meaning "lake". Before the start of the 20th century it was primarily used for boys, but it has since come to be more common for girls. In some cases it may be thought of as a short form of Linda or names that end in lyn or line.

From an English surname that was derived from Norman French l'isle meaning "island".

From a Scottish surname that was derived from the Old Norse given name Liulfr (which was derived in part from úlfr "wolf").

Means "poetry" in Estonian.

Feminine form of Lucius. Saint Lucia was a 4th-century martyr from Syracuse. She was said to have had her eyes gouged out, and thus she is the patron saint of the blind. She was widely revered in the Middle Ages, and her name has been used throughout Christian Europe (in various spellings). It has been used in the England since the 12th century, usually in the spellings Lucy or Luce.

This 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, whom he called lux casta "pure light".

From an English surname that was derived from a Norman French nickname, from lou "wolf" and a diminutive suffix. The surname was borne by American poet and satirist James Russell Lowell (1819-1891).

Old Scandinavian form of Laurence 1.

Variant of Lore 2.

Means "little fierce one", derived from Old Irish lorcc "fierce" combined with a diminutive suffix. Saint Lorcán was a 12th-century archbishop of Dublin.

From a Welsh surname that was derived from llwyd meaning "grey". The composer Andrew Lloyd Webber (1948-) is a famous bearer of this name.

Catalan form of Laurentius (see Laurence 1).

Variant of Llywelyn influenced by the Welsh word llew "lion".

Spanish and Italian form of Lily, as well as an alternate transcription of Russian Лилия or Ukrainian Лілія (see Liliya).

Means "you are mine" in Hebrew.

Derived from Greek λέων (leon) meaning "lion" combined with the patronymic suffix ἴδης (ides). Leonidas was a Spartan king of the 5th century BC who sacrificed his life and his army defending the pass of Thermopylae from the Persians. This was also the name of a 3rd-century saint and martyr, the father of Origen, from Alexandria.

Means "dear friend", derived from the Old English elements leof "dear, beloved" and wine "friend". This was the name of an 8th-century English saint, also known as Lebuin, who did missionary work in Frisia.

Short form of Eleanor. This is the name of the departed love of the narrator in Edgar Allan Poe's poem The Raven (1845).

Originally a diminutive of Magdaléna or Helena. It is now used as an independent name.

Italian form of Laelia.

From the Old Norse name Leifr meaning "descendant, heir". Leif Eriksson was a Norse explorer who reached North America in the early 11th century. He was the son of Erik the Red.

Means "night" in Arabic. Layla was the love interest of the poet Qays (called Majnun) in an old Arab tale, notably retold by the 12th-century Persian poet Nizami Ganjavi in his poem Layla and Majnun. This story was a popular romance in medieval Arabia and Persia. The name became used in the English-speaking world after the 1970 release of the song Layla by Derek and the Dominos, the title of which was inspired by the medieval story.

From the English word for the aromatic flower or the pale purple colour.

Danish and Norwegian form of Laurentius (see Laurence 1).

From the Germanic name Lanzo, originally a short form of names that began with the Old Frankish or Old Saxon element land, Old High German lant meaning "land" (Proto-Germanic *landą). During the Middle Ages it became associated with Old French lance meaning "spear, lance". A famous bearer is American cyclist Lance Armstrong (1971-).

Possibly means "to make low" in Hebrew. This is the name of two characters in Genesis in the Old Testament, the first being a descendant of Cain, and the second being a descendant of Seth and the father of Noah.

Short form of Eulalia.

Means "boy" in Hindi, derived from Sanskrit लल (lala) meaning "playing, caressing".

Sami variant form of Helga.

Means "gift" in Finnish.

Feminine form of Laelius, a Roman family name of unknown meaning. This is also the name of a type of flower, an orchid found in Mexico and Central America.

Means "of God" in Hebrew. This is the name of the father of Eliasaph in the Old Testament. It is misspelled as Δαήλ (Dael) in the Greek translation, the Septuagint.

German form of Crescentia.

Basque form of Louis.

Derived from Sanskrit किरण (kirana), which can mean "dust" or "thread" or "sunbeam".

Scandinavian short form of Joachim.

Basque form of Germanus.

Means "love" in Cornish.

Means "horn" or "ray of light" in Hebrew.

Basque form of Cephas.

Means "courage, vigour" in Basque.

Danish form of Ketil.

Dutch diminutive of Cornelis. A notable bearer was the Dutch painter Kees van Dongen (1877-1968).

Variant of Cassia.

Western Armenian transcription of Garen.

Means "imagining, fantasy" in Sanskrit.

Estonian form of Kaleva. This is the name of a character (the father of Kalevipoeg) in the Estonian epic poem Kalevipoeg.

Means "echo" in Estonian.

Danish form of Kai 1.

Meaning uncertain, possibly a Frisian diminutive of Gerhard, Nicolaas, Cornelis or Gaius [1]. It is borne by a boy captured by the Snow Queen in an 1844 fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen. Spreading from Germany and Scandinavia, this name became popular in the English-speaking world and other places in Western Europe around the end of the 20th century.

Means "happiness" in Kyrgyz.

From the English word for the type of tree, derived ultimately from Latin iuniperus.

From the name of the month, which was originally derived from the name of the Roman goddess Juno. It has been used as a given name since the 19th century.

From Chinese 君 (jūn) meaning "king, ruler", 俊 (jùn) meaning "talented, handsome" (which is usually only masculine) or 军 (jūn) meaning "army" (also usually only masculine) [1]. This is also a single-character Korean name, often from the hanja 俊 meaning "talented, handsome". This name can be formed by other characters besides those shown here.

Feminine form of the Roman family name Julius. Among the notable women from this family were Julia Augusta (also known as Livia Drusilla), the wife of Emperor Augustus, and Julia the Elder, the daughter of Augustus and the wife of Tiberius. A person by this name has a brief mention in the New Testament. It was also borne by a few early saints and martyrs, including the patron saint of Corsica. Additionally, Shakespeare used it in his comedy The Two Gentlemen of Verona (1594).

It has been common as a given name in the English-speaking world only since the 18th century. A famous modern bearer is American actress Julia Roberts (1967-).

Cornish form of John.

Portuguese and Catalan form of Joachim.

From Hebrew אִיזֶבֶל ('Izevel), probably from a Phoenician name, possibly containing the Semitic root zbl meaning "to exalt, to dwell". According to one theory it might be an altered form of the Phoenician name 𐤁𐤏𐤋𐤀𐤆𐤁𐤋 (Baʿlʾizbel) meaning "Ba'al exalts" with the first element removed or replaced [1].

According to the Old Testament Jezebel was the Phoenician wife of Ahab, a king of Israel. She is portrayed as an evil figure because she encouraged the worship of the god Ba'al. After she was thrown from a window to her death her body was eaten by dogs, fulfilling Elijah's prophecy.

English form of the Late Latin name Iacomus, a variant of the Biblical Latin form Iacobus, from the Hebrew name Ya'aqov (see Jacob). This was the name of two apostles in the New Testament. The first was Saint James the Greater, the apostle John's brother, who was beheaded under Herod Agrippa in the Book of Acts. The second was James the Lesser, son of Alphaeus. Another James (known as James the Just) is also mentioned in the Bible as being the brother of Jesus.

This name has been used in England since the 13th century, though it became more common in Scotland where it was borne by several kings. In the 17th century the Scottish king James VI inherited the English throne, becoming the first ruler of all Britain, and the name grew much more popular. In American name statistics (recorded since 1880) this name has never been out of the top 20, making it arguably the era's most consistently popular name. It was the top ranked name for boys in the United States from 1940 to 1952.

Famous bearers include the English explorer James Cook (1728-1779), the Scottish inventor James Watt (1736-1819), and the Irish novelist and poet James Joyce (1882-1941). This name has also been borne by six American presidents. A notable fictional bearer is the British spy James Bond, created by author Ian Fleming in 1953.

Means "ice" in Basque.

Means "blossoming, prospering" in Arabic.

Possibly means "rainbow lady", from Classic Maya ix "lady" and chel "rainbow". Ixchel was a Maya goddess associated with the earth, jaguars, medicine and childbirth. She was often depicted with a snake in her hair and crossbones embroidered on her skirt.

From the name of a mountain in Wales that means "below the forest" from Welsh is "below" and llwyn "forest, grove".

Variant of Islay, typically used as a feminine name. It also coincides with the Spanish word isla meaning "island".

Arabic, Indonesian and Malay form of Alexander.

Greek form of Egyptian ꜣst (reconstructed as Iset, Aset or Ueset), possibly from st meaning "throne". In Egyptian mythology Isis was the goddess of the sky and nature, the wife of Osiris and the mother of Horus. She was originally depicted wearing a throne-shaped headdress, but in later times she was conflated with the goddess Hathor and depicted having the horns of a cow on her head. She was also worshipped by people outside of Egypt, such as the Greeks and Romans.

Means "he guards me" in Hebrew. This name is mentioned briefly in the Old Testament.

From the Hebrew name יְשַׁעְיָהוּ (Yesha'yahu) meaning "Yahweh is salvation", from the roots יָשַׁע (yasha') meaning "to save" and יָה (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. Isaiah is one of the four major prophets of the Old Testament, supposedly the author of the Book of Isaiah. He was from Jerusalem and probably lived in the 8th century BC, at a time when Assyria threatened the Kingdom of Judah. As an English Christian name, Isaiah was first used after the Protestant Reformation.

Variant of Isidora. A famous bearer was the American dancer Isadora Duncan (1877-1927).

From Ancient Greek ἴον (ion) meaning "violet flower". This was the name of a sea nymph in Greek mythology. It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the 19th century, though perhaps based on the Greek place name Ionia, a region on the west coast of Asia Minor.

Germanic name composed of either the element angil, from the name of the Germanic tribe of the Angles, or engil meaning "angel" combined with hram meaning "raven". This name was brought to England by the Normans, though it died out after the medieval era. These days it is usually inspired by the surname that was derived from the medieval name.

From an English surname that was derived from Middle English holis "holly trees". It was originally given to a person who lived near a group of those trees.

Means "sunshine" in Welsh (a compound of haul "sun" and gwen "white, blessed").

From the Greek Ἑκάτη (Hekate), possibly derived from ἑκάς (hekas) meaning "far off". In Greek mythology Hecate was a goddess associated with witchcraft, crossroads, tombs, demons and the underworld.

Derived from Greek ἥβη (hebe) meaning "youth". In Greek mythology Hebe was the daughter of Zeus and Hera. She was a goddess of youth who acted as the cupbearer to the gods.

From the English word hazel for the tree or the light brown colour, derived ultimately from Old English hæsel. It was coined as a given name in the 19th century and quickly became popular, reaching the 18th place for girls in the United States by 1897. It fell out of fashion in the second half of the 20th century, but has since recovered.

Yiddish variant of Ezekiel.

Means "harmony, agreement" in Greek. She was the daughter of Ares and Aphrodite, given by Zeus to Cadmus to be his wife.

Means "mercy, compassion" in Arabic.

Old German form of Gunther.

Latinized form of Wido. Notable bearers include the music theorist Guido d'Arezzo (c. 991-1033), poet Guido Cavalcanti (c. 1250-1300), and Baroque painter Guido Reni (1575-1642).

Means "grace" in Italian, making it a cognate of Grace.

From the Roman name Gratianus, which meant "grace" from Latin gratus. Saint Gratian was the first bishop of Tours (4th century). This was also the name of a Roman emperor.

Latinized form of the Old English name Godgifu meaning "gift of god", from the elements god and giefu "gift". Lady Godiva was an 11th-century English noblewoman who, according to legend, rode naked through the streets of Coventry to protest the high taxes imposed by her husband upon the townspeople.

Means "amber" in Lithuanian.

Possibly a shortened form of Genevieve. It could also be inspired by the name of the city in Switzerland. It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the 19th century.

Means "steel hero" in Mongolian, from ган (gan) meaning "steel" and баатар (baatar) meaning "hero".

Means "saviour" in Basque. This name was proposed as an equivalent of Salvador by the Basque writer Sabino Arana in 1910.

Medieval French form of Gareth (appearing in the works of Chrétien de Troyes and in the Lancelot-Grail Cycle).

Diminutive of Eufrozina, the Hungarian form of Euphrosyne.

Feminine form of Florentinus.

From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Fionnagáin, itself derived from the given name Fionnagán, a diminutive of Fionn. This is the surname of a relatively minor character in James Joyce's novel Finnegans Wake (1939), the title of which was based on a 19th-century Irish ballad called Finnegan's Wake.

Old Irish form of Fionn, as well as the usual Anglicized spelling (with the Irish hero's name Anglicized as Finn McCool). As a surname it is borne by Huckleberry Finn, a character in Mark Twain's novels.

Variant of Finlay. This is by far the preferred spelling in the United States, where it has lately been more common as a feminine name.

Diminutive of Fiamma.

French feminine form of Faustinus (see Faustino).

Means "help" in Hebrew. Ezra is a prophet of the Old Testament and the author of the Book of Ezra. It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the Protestant Reformation. The American poet Ezra Pound (1885-1972) was a famous bearer.

From Everardus, the Latinized form of Eberhard. The Normans introduced it to England, where it joined the Old English cognate Eoforheard. It has only been rarely used since the Middle Ages. Modern use of the name may be inspired by the surname Everard, itself derived from the medieval name.

Variant of Evandrus, the Latin form of the Greek name Εὔανδρος (Euandros) meaning "good of man", derived from εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man" (genitive ἀνδρός). In Roman mythology Evander was an Arcadian hero of the Trojan War who founded the city of Pallantium near the spot where Rome was later built.

Anglicized form of Iomhar.

From Greek Εὐάδνη (Euadne), from εὖ (eu) meaning "good" possibly combined with Cretan Greek ἀδνός (adnos) meaning "holy". This name was borne by several characters in Greek legend, including the wife of Capaneus. After Capaneus was killed by a lightning bolt sent from Zeus she committed suicide by throwing herself onto his burning body.

Means "rain" in Basque.

Means "good order" in Greek, ultimately from εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and νόμος (nomos) meaning "law, custom". Eunomia was a Greek goddess, one of the Ὥραι (Horai), presiding over law.

Short form of names beginning with the Old English element æðele meaning "noble". It was coined in the 19th century, when many Old English names were revived. It was popularized by the novels The Newcomes (1855) by William Makepeace Thackeray and The Daisy Chain (1856) by C. M. Yonge. A famous bearer was American actress and singer Ethel Merman (1908-1984).

Possibly derived from Old Irish ét meaning "jealousy, passion". In Irish legend she is the subject of the 9th-century tale The Wooing of Étaín [2]. She was the wife of Midir, but his jealous first wife Fuamnach transformed her into a fly. She was accidentally swallowed, and then reborn to the woman who swallowed her. After she grew again to adulthood she married the Irish high king Eochaid Airem, having no memory of Midir. Midir and Étaín were eventually reunited after Midir defeated Eochaid in a game of chess.

In modern Irish this name is properly spelled Éadaoin.

Derived from Albanian erë meaning "wind".

Means "his father's friend" in Igbo.

Catalan form of Heinrich (see Henry).

Means "peace blessing" in Mongolian, from энх (enkh) meaning "peace, calm" and жаргал (jargal) meaning "blessing, happiness".

Derived from Greek ἐνδύω (endyo) meaning "to dive into, to enter". In Greek mythology he was an Aeolian mortal loved by the moon goddess Selene, who asked Zeus to grant him eternal life. Zeus complied by putting him into an eternal sleep in a cave on Mount Latmos.

Anglicized form of Éanna.

Possibly derived from Finno-Ugric eme meaning "mother". In Hungarian legend this was the name of the grandmother of Árpád, founder of the Hungarian state.

From the word for the green precious stone, which is the traditional birthstone of May. The emerald supposedly imparts love to the bearer. The word is ultimately from Greek σμάραγδος (smaragdos).

Means "peace" in Ibibio.

Derived from Welsh eilun meaning "image, likeness, idol". This was the name of a legendary 5th-century Welsh saint, also known as Eiliwedd, one of the supposed daughters of Brychan Brycheiniog.

From a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "Elli's valley" in Old English.

From Hebrew אֶלְנָתָן ('Elnatan) meaning "God has given". In the Old Testament this is the name of both a grandfather of King Jehoiachin and a son of Akbor.

Means "God has purchased" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of the father of Samuel.

Derived from Welsh elus meaning "kind, benevolent". This was the name of two kings of Powys in Wales.

Means "my God is my light" in Hebrew.

Means "my God has answered" in Hebrew.

Feminine form of Eleftherios.

Latinized form of Greek Ἠλέκτρα (Elektra), derived from ἤλεκτρον (elektron) meaning "amber". In Greek myth she was the daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra and the sister of Orestes. She helped her brother kill their mother and her lover Aegisthus in vengeance for Agamemnon's murder. Also in Greek mythology, this name was borne by one of the Pleiades, who were the daughters of Atlas and Pleione.

From the Hebrew name אֶלְעָזָר ('El'azar) meaning "my God has helped". In the Old Testament this is the name of one of the sons of Aaron.

Hebrew form of Eran.

Means "snow" in Welsh. This is a recently created name.

Means "mercy" in Old Norse. This was the name of a Norse goddess of healing and medicine.

From the Old Welsh name Enniaun, probably from the Latin name Ennianus, a derivative of Ennius (see Ennio). It is also a modern Welsh word meaning "anvil". This was the name of a few early Welsh rulers including Einion Frenin (5th century), who is considered a saint in some Christian traditions.

From Old Irish éim meaning "swift, prompt". This was the name of a 7th-century saint, the founder of a monastery in Kildare.

Finnish and Estonian form of Eric. A famous bearer was the architect Eero Saarinen (1910-1961).

Means "rich friend", from the Old English elements ead "wealth, fortune" and wine "friend". This was the name of a 7th-century Northumbrian king, regarded as a saint. After the Norman Conquest the name was not popular, but it was eventually revived in the 19th century. A notable bearer was the astronaut Edwin Aldrin (1930-), also known as Buzz, the second man to walk on the moon.

Masculine form of Edurne.

Old Irish form of Éibhear.

From the Late Latin name Donatus meaning "given". Several early saints had this name. The name was also borne by two Renaissance masters: the sculptor Donato di Niccolo di Bette Bardi (also known as Donatello), and the architect Donato Bramante.

Meaning unknown, though it has been suggested that it means "without envy" in Irish. In Irish legend this was the name of a warrior who became the lover of Gráinne. It was also the name of several ancient Irish kings.

Variant of Devin. It may also be partly inspired by the name of the county of Devon in England, which got its name from the Dumnonii, a Celtic tribe.

Derived from Sanskrit देव (deva) meaning "god".

Means "joy" in Amharic.

Anglicized form of Irish Deasmhumhain meaning "south Munster", referring to the region of Desmond in southern Ireland, formerly a kingdom. It can also come from the related surname (an Anglicized form of Ó Deasmhumhnaigh), which indicated a person who came from that region. A famous bearer is the South African archbishop and activist Desmond Tutu (1931-2021).

Possibly from the Welsh word deryn, a variant of aderyn meaning "bird".

From an elaboration of Welsh del "pretty". This is a recently created name.

Means "terror" in Greek. This was one of the sons of the Greek god Ares. Also, a moon of Mars bears this name.

Latin form of Greek Δαρεῖος (Dareios), from the Old Persian name 𐎭𐎠𐎼𐎹𐎢𐏁 (Darayauš), shortened from 𐎭𐎠𐎼𐎹𐎺𐎢𐏁 (Darayavauš). It means "possessing goodness", composed of 𐎭𐎠𐎼𐎹 (daraya) meaning "to possess, to hold" and 𐎺𐎢 (vau) meaning "good" [1]. Three ancient kings of Persia bore this name, including Darius the Great who expanded the Achaemenid Empire to its greatest extent. His forces invaded Greece but were defeated in the Battle of Marathon.

It has never been very common as a given name in the English-speaking world, though it rose in popularity after the middle of the 20th century. In the United States it is frequently an African-American name. In Lithuania it may be given in honour of the Lithuanian-American aviator Steponas Darius (1896-1933), who died attempting to fly nonstop from New York to Lithuania. His surname was an Americanized form of the original Darašius.

Anglicized form of Dáire.

Means "star" in Khmer, ultimately from Sanskrit तारा (tara).

Means "wealthy" in Persian.

From Δαναοί (Danaoi), a word used by Homer to designate the Greeks. In Greek mythology Danaë was the daughter of the Argive king Acrisius. It had been prophesied to her father that he would one day be killed by Danaë's son, so he attempted to keep his daughter childless. However, Zeus came to her in the form of a shower of gold, and she became the mother of Perseus. Eventually the prophecy was fulfilled and Perseus killed Acrisius, albeit accidentally.

From a surname that is of unknown origin. It was originally given in honour of American lawyer Richard Henry Dana Jr. (1815-1882), the author of the memoir Two Years Before the Mast.

Means "fruitful, fertile" in Irish. This name is borne by many figures in Irish legend, including the Ulster chief Dáire mac Fiachna who reneged on his promise to loan the Brown Bull of Cooley to Medb, starting the war between Connacht and Ulster as told in the Irish epic The Cattle Raid of Cooley.

From the Old Norse name Dagmær, derived from the elements dagr "day" and mær "maid". This was the name adopted by the popular Bohemian wife of the Danish king Valdemar II when they married in 1205. Her birth name was Markéta.

From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name in Cumbria, of Brythonic origin meaning "trickling stream".

Form of Cunobelinus used by Shakespeare in his play Cymbeline (1609).

From the English word meaning "greenish blue, cyan", ultimately derived from Greek κύανος (kyanos).

Derived from Hungarian csillag meaning "star". This name was created by the Hungarian author András Dugonics for an 1803 novel and later used and popularized by the poet Mihály Vörösmarty.

Feminine form of Crescentius. Saint Crescentia was a 4th-century companion of Saint Vitus. This is also the name of the eponymous heroine of a 12th-century German romance.

Feminine form of Cosmin.

Italian form of Conrad. This was a 14th-century saint from Piacenza, Italy.

From Cordeilla, a name appearing in the 12th-century chronicles [1] of Geoffrey of Monmouth, borne by the youngest of the three daughters of King Leir and the only one to remain loyal to her father. Geoffrey possibly based her name on that of Creiddylad, a character from Welsh legend.

The spelling was later altered to Cordelia when Geoffrey's story was adapted by others, including Edmund Spenser in his poem The Faerie Queene (1590) and Shakespeare in his tragedy King Lear (1606).

Spanish form of Constantia.

Feminine form of the Late Latin name Constantius, which was itself derived from Constans.

From the English word for the wild flower, ultimately deriving from Old English clafre.

Meaning unknown. In Irish legend this was the name of a beautiful goddess. She fell in love with a mortal named Ciabhán and left the Land of Promise with him, but when she arrived on the other shore she was swept to sea by a great wave.

Possibly derived from Welsh caled "rough, hard" and gwyn "white, blessed". This is the name of a small river (Cledwen) in Conwy, Wales.

Italian form of Cynthia.

Derived from Greek χρύσεος (chryseos) meaning "golden". In Greek mythology Chryses was the father of Chryseis, a woman captured by Agamemnon during the Trojan War.

Means "God is answering" in Igbo.

Diminutive of Charles.

Possibly from cyrrid "bent, crooked" (a derivative of Old Welsh cwrr "corner") combined with ben "woman" or gwen "white, blessed". According to the medieval Welsh legend the Tale of Taliesin (recorded by Elis Gruffyd in the 16th century) this was the name of a sorceress who created a potion that would grant wisdom to her son Morfan. The potion was instead consumed by her servant Gwion Bach, who was subsequently reborn as the renowned bard Taliesin.

This name appears briefly in a poem in the Black Book of Carmarthen in the form Kyrridven [1] and in a poem in the Book of Taliesin in the form Kerrituen [2]. Some theories connect her to an otherwise unattested Celtic goddess of inspiration, and suppose her name is related to Welsh cerdd "poetry".

From the name of the flower, which is derived from Greek χελιδών (chelidon) meaning "swallow (bird)".

Variant of Kathleen.

Derived from Old Irish cath "battle" combined with a diminutive suffix. Saint Cathán was a 6th-century Irish monk, a missionary to the Isle of Bute.

Derived from Old Irish cath "battle" and fal "rule". This was the name of a 7th-century Irish saint. It was also borne by several Irish kings. It has sometimes been Anglicized as Charles.

Latinized form of Carmel.

Latin form of Καμβύσης (Kambyses), the Greek form of the Old Persian name 𐎣𐎲𐎢𐎪𐎡𐎹 (Kabujiya), which is of uncertain meaning, possibly related to the geographical name Kamboja, a historical region in Central Asia [1]. Two Persian kings bore this name, including Cambyses II, the second ruler of the Achaemenid Empire, who conquered Egypt.

From the name of two types of plants, the true calla (species Calla palustris) and the calla lily (species Calla aethiopica), both having white flowers and growing in marshy areas. Use of the name may also be inspired by Greek κάλλος (kallos) meaning "beauty".

From the name of a type of orchid, ultimately meaning "beautiful flower", derived from Greek καλός (kalos) meaning "beautiful" and ἄνθος (anthos) meaning "flower".

Feminine form of Caelinus.

Means "moon" (or "month") in Indonesian.

Manx form of Bridget.

Means "crocus" in Romanian.

Feminine form of Bojan.

From a surname meaning "cheerful" in Old English.

Means "flower" in Cornish.

Means "little flower" from Irish bláth "flower" combined with a diminutive suffix. In Irish legend she was a maiden abducted and married by Cú Roí. She was rescued by Cúchulainn, who killed her husband, but was in turn murdered by one of Cú Roí's loyal servants.

From a Scottish surname that was derived from the Old Irish given name Bláán.

Ancient Greek name derived from βίος (bios) meaning "life".

From the South Slavic word биље (bilje) meaning "herb".

Combination of Old French bele "beautiful" and the name Phoebe. This name was first used by Edmund Spenser in his poem The Faerie Queene (1590).

Derived from Latin bellare meaning "to fight". This was the name of the Roman goddess of war, a companion of Mars.

Spanish 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".

Diminutive of Batyah.

From Persian بانو (banu) meaning "lady".

From Persian بهادر (bahador), itself from Turkic bagatur meaning "hero, warrior". This was the name of rulers of the Mughal Empire.

Means "my help is God", derived from Hebrew עָזַר ('azar) meaning "help" and אֵל ('el) meaning "God". This is the name of three minor characters in the Old Testament.

Means "reserved" in Hebrew. This is both the name of a minor character and a place name in the Old Testament.

Means "God has helped" in Hebrew. This is the name of several minor Old Testament characters.

Means "right-handed, blessed, lucky" in Arabic.

Feminine variant of Aviv.

Derived from the Old German element awi, of unknown meaning. Rarely, this name may be given in honour of the 16th-century mystic Saint Teresa of Ávila, Ávila being the name of the town in Spain where she was born.

Means "dawn" in Lithuanian.

From the word aura (derived from Latin, ultimately from Greek αὔρα meaning "breeze") for a distinctive atmosphere or illumination.

Means "willing, helpful" in Finnish.

Variant of Audrey.

From Auberi, an Old French form of Alberich brought to England by the Normans. It was common in the Middle Ages, and was revived in the 19th century. Since the mid-1970s it has more frequently been given to girls, due to Bread's 1972 song Aubrey along with its similarity to the established feminine name Audrey.

Latinized form of the Greek Ἀστραία (Astraia), derived from Greek ἀστήρ (aster) meaning "star". Astraea was a Greek goddess of justice and innocence. After wickedness took root in the world she left the earth and became the constellation Virgo.

Means "star", ultimately from Greek ἀστήρ (aster). This name has only been (rarely) used since the 20th century.

Means "happy, blessed" in Hebrew. Asher in the Old Testament is a son of Jacob by Leah's handmaid Zilpah, and the ancestor of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. The meaning of his name is explained in Genesis 30:13.

Possibly means "healer" in Hebrew. This name was borne by the third king of Judah, as told in the Old Testament.

Italian variant form of Heinrich (see Henry).

Means "love" in Maori.

French and Catalan form of Herman.

Means "rock" in Basque.

Dutch form of Adrian.