ms.felice's Personal Name List

Addolorata
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: ad-do-lo-RA-ta
Means "grieving" in Italian, from the title of the Virgin Mary, Maria Addolorata. It is most common in southern Italy. It is the equivalent of Spanish Dolores.
Adelina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Romanian, Bulgarian, Germanic (Latinized) [1]
Other Scripts: Аделина(Bulgarian)
Pronounced: a-deh-LEE-na(Italian) a-dheh-LEE-na(Spanish)
From a Germanic name that was derived from the element adal meaning "noble" (Proto-Germanic *aþalaz).
Adeline
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French, English
Pronounced: A-DU-LEEN(French) AD-ə-lien(English)
French and English form of Adelina.
Agata
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Polish, Slovene, Russian, Croatian, Serbian, Swedish
Other Scripts: Агата(Russian, Serbian)
Pronounced: A-ga-ta(Italian) a-GA-ta(Polish) u-GA-tə(Russian)
Form of Agatha in various languages.
Agatha
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, German, Dutch, Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Ἀγαθή(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: AG-ə-thə(English) a-GHA-ta(Dutch)
Latinized form of the Greek name Ἀγαθή (Agathe), derived from Greek ἀγαθός (agathos) meaning "good". Saint Agatha was a 3rd-century martyr from Sicily who was tortured and killed after spurning the advances of a Roman official. The saint was widely revered in the Middle Ages, and her name has been used throughout Christian Europe (in various spellings). The mystery writer Agatha Christie (1890-1976) was a famous modern bearer of this name.
Aiko
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 愛子, etc.(Japanese Kanji) あいこ(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: A-EE-KO
From Japanese (ai) meaning "love, affection" and (ko) meaning "child", as well as other character combinations.
Aldo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian, Germanic [1]
Pronounced: AL-do(Italian)
Originally a short form of Germanic names beginning with the element alt meaning "old" (Proto-Germanic *aldaz), and sometimes also with adal meaning "noble" (Proto-Germanic *aþalaz).
Allegra
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, English (Rare)
Pronounced: al-LEH-gra(Italian) ə-LEHG-rə(English)
Means "cheerful, lively" in Italian. It was borne by a short-lived illegitimate daughter of Lord Byron (1817-1822).
Alvise
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: al-VEE-zeh
Venetian form of Louis.
Amaranta
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish (Rare), Italian (Rare)
Pronounced: a-ma-RAN-ta
Spanish and Italian form of Amarantha.
Amata
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Late Roman
Feminine form of Amatus.
Amelia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Spanish, Italian, Polish, Medieval French
Pronounced: ə-MEE-lee-ə(English) ə-MEEL-yə(English) a-MEH-lya(Spanish, Italian) an-MEH-lya(Polish)
Variant 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 both George II and George III. The author Henry Fielding used it for the title character in his novel Amelia (1751). Another famous bearer was Amelia Earhart (1897-1937), the first woman to make a solo flight over the Atlantic Ocean.

This name experienced a rise in popularity at the end of the 20th century. It was the most popular name for girls in England and Wales from 2011 to 2015.

Angelo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: ANG-jeh-lo
Italian form of Angelus (see Angel).
Annunziata
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: an-noon-TSYA-ta
Means "announced" in Italian, referring to the event in the New Testament in which the angel Gabriel tells the Virgin Mary of the imminent birth of Jesus.
Apollonia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ancient Greek, Italian
Other Scripts: Ἀπολλωνία(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: A-POL-LAW-NEE-A(Classical Greek)
Feminine form of Apollonios. This was the name of a 3rd-century saint and martyr from Alexandria.
Arcangelo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: ar-KAN-jeh-lo
Means "archangel" in Italian.
Ardito
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian (Rare)
Derived from medieval Italian ardito meaning "bold".
Ascanio
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Italian form of Ascanius.
Ascanius
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Roman Mythology
Other Scripts: Ἀσκάνιος(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: as-KA-nee-oos(Latin)
From Greek Ἀσκάνιος (Askanios), of unknown meaning. In Greek and Roman mythology Ascanius, also called Julus, was the son of Aeneas.
Aura
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Italian, Spanish, Finnish
Pronounced: AWR-ə(English) OW-ra(Spanish) OW-rah(Finnish)
From the word aura (derived from Latin, ultimately from Greek αὔρα meaning "breeze") for a distinctive atmosphere or illumination.
Aurelia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ancient Roman, Romanian, Italian, Spanish, Polish
Pronounced: ow-REH-lee-a(Latin) ow-REH-lya(Italian, Spanish, Polish)
Feminine form of Aurelius.
Aureliana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian (Rare), Ancient Roman
Feminine form of Aurelianus.
Aureliano
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Spanish, Italian
Pronounced: ow-reh-LYA-no(Spanish)
Spanish and Italian form of Aurelianus.
Aurelio
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian, Spanish
Pronounced: ow-REH-lyo
Italian and Spanish form of Aurelius.
Azzurra
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: ad-DZOOR-ra
Means "azure, sky blue" in Italian.
Beatrice
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, English, Swedish, Romanian
Pronounced: beh-a-TREE-cheh(Italian) BEE-ə-tris(English) BEET-ris(English) BEH-ah-trees(Swedish) beh-ah-TREES(Swedish)
Italian form of Beatrix. Beatrice Portinari (1266-1290) was the woman who was loved by the Italian poet Dante Alighieri. She serves as Dante's guide through paradise in his epic poem the Divine Comedy (1321). This is also the name of a character in Shakespeare's comedy Much Ado About Nothing (1599), in which Beatrice and Benedick are fooled into confessing their love for one another.
Beckett
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: BEHK-it
From an English surname that could be derived from various sources, including from Middle English bec meaning "beak" or bekke meaning "stream, brook".
Bradley
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: BRAD-lee
From an English surname that originally came from a place name meaning "broad clearing" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was the World War II American general Omar Bradley (1893-1981).
Callisto 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: kal-LEE-sto
Italian form of Callistus.
Catia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Italian diminutive of Caterina.
Catiuscia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Italian borrowing of Katyusha.
Celestina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish, Italian
Pronounced: theh-lehs-TEE-na(European Spanish) seh-lehs-TEE-na(Latin American Spanish) cheh-leh-STEE-na(Italian)
Latinate feminine form of Caelestinus.
Chiara
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: KYA-ra
Italian form of Clara. Saint Chiara (commonly called Clare in English) was a follower of Saint Francis of Assisi.
Cinzia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Italian form of Cynthia.
Claudia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Italian, Spanish, Romanian, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Ancient Roman
Pronounced: KLAW-dee-ə(English) KLOW-dya(German, Italian, Romanian) KLOW-dee-a(Dutch, Latin) KLOW-dhya(Spanish)
Feminine form of Claudius. It is mentioned briefly in the New Testament. As a Christian name it was very rare until the 16th century.
Claudio
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian, Spanish
Pronounced: KLOW-dyo(Italian) KLOW-dhyo(Spanish)
Italian and Spanish form of Claudius.
Clelia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Italian form of Cloelia.
Coraline
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Literature, French
Pronounced: KAWR-ə-lien(English) KAW-RA-LEEN(French)
Created by the French composer Adolphe Adam for one of the main characters in his opera Le Toréador (1849). He probably based it on the name Coralie. It was also used by the author Neil Gaiman for the young heroine in his novel Coraline (2002). Gaiman has stated that in this case the name began as a typo of Caroline.
Damiana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: da-MYA-na
Italian feminine form of Damian.
Damiano
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: da-MYA-no
Italian form of Damian.
Dante
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: DAN-teh
Medieval short form of Durante. The most notable bearer of this name was Dante Alighieri, the 13th-century Italian poet who wrote the Divine Comedy.
Dashiell
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: də-SHEEL, DASH-il
In the case of American author Dashiell Hammett (1894-1961) it was from his mother's surname, which was possibly an Anglicized form of French de Chiel, of unknown meaning.
David
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Hebrew, French, Scottish, Welsh, Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Czech, Slovene, Russian, Croatian, Serbian, Macedonian, Romanian, Biblical, Biblical Latin
Other Scripts: דָּוִד(Hebrew) Давид(Russian, Serbian, Macedonian)
Pronounced: DAY-vid(English) da-VEED(Hebrew, Brazilian Portuguese) DA-VEED(French) da-BEEDH(Spanish) du-VEED(European Portuguese) də-BEET(Catalan) DA-vit(German, Dutch, Czech) DAH-vid(Swedish, Norwegian) du-VYEET(Russian)
From the Hebrew name דָּוִד (Dawid), which was derived from Hebrew דּוֹד (dod) meaning "beloved" or "uncle". David was the second and greatest of the kings of Israel, ruling in the 10th century BC. Several stories about him are told in the Old Testament, including his defeat of Goliath, a giant Philistine. According to the New Testament, Jesus was descended from him.

This name has been used in Britain since the Middle Ages. It has been especially popular in Wales, where it is used in honour of the 5th-century patron saint of Wales (also called Dewi), as well as in Scotland, where it was borne by two kings. Over the last century it has been one of the English-speaking world's most consistently popular names, never leaving the top 30 names for boys in the United States, and reaching the top rank in England and Wales during the 1950s and 60s. In Spain it was the most popular name for boys during the 1970s and 80s.

Famous bearers include empiricist philosopher David Hume (1711-1776), explorer David Livingstone (1813-1873), musician David Bowie (1947-2016), and soccer player David Beckham (1975-). This is also the name of the hero of Charles Dickens' semi-autobiographical novel David Copperfield (1850).

Delfina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
Pronounced: dehl-FEE-na(Spanish)
Italian, Spanish and Portuguese form of Delphina.
Desideria
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian (Rare), Spanish (Rare), Late Roman
Pronounced: deh-see-DHEH-rya(Spanish)
Feminine form of Desiderio. This was the Latin name of a 19th-century queen of Sweden, the wife of Karl XIV. She was born in France with the name Désirée.
Diletta
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: dee-LEHT-ta
Means "beloved" in Italian, from Latin dilectus.
Domenic
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: DAHM-i-nik
Variant of Dominic.
Dominick
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: DAHM-i-nik
Variant of Dominic.
Edgar
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, Portuguese, German
Pronounced: EHD-gər(English) EHD-GAR(French)
Derived from the Old English elements ead "wealth, fortune" and gar "spear". This was the name of a 10th-century English king, Edgar the Peaceful. The name did not survive long after the Norman Conquest, but it was revived in the 18th century, in part due to a character by this name in Walter Scott's novel The Bride of Lammermoor (1819), which tells of the tragic love between Edgar Ravenswood and Lucy Ashton [1]. Famous bearers include author and poet Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849), French impressionist painter Edgar Degas (1834-1917), and author Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875-1950).
Edgardo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Spanish, Italian
Pronounced: edh-GHAR-dho(Spanish) ehd-GAR-do(Italian)
Spanish and Italian form of Edgar.
Efisio
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: eh-FEE-zyo
From the Latin byname Ephesius, which originally belonged to a person who was from the city of Ephesus in Ionia. This was the name of a saint martyred on Sardinia in the 4th century.
Eliana 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, English (Modern)
Pronounced: eh-LYA-na(Italian, Spanish) ehl-lee-AN-ə(English) ehl-lee-AHN-ə(English)
Italian, Spanish and Portuguese form of Éliane.
Ettore
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: EHT-to-reh
Italian form of Hector.
Eufemia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Spanish
Pronounced: ew-FEH-mya(Spanish)
Italian and Spanish form of Euphemia.
Euphemia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ancient Greek, English (Archaic)
Other Scripts: Εὐφημία(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: yoo-FEE-mee-ə(English) yoo-FEH-mee-ə(English)
Means "to use words of good omen" from Greek εὐφημέω (euphemeo), a derivative of εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and φημί (phemi) meaning "to speak, to declare". Saint Euphemia was an early martyr from Chalcedon.
Fausta
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Ancient Roman
Feminine form of Faustus.
Felice
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: feh-LEE-cheh
Italian form of Felix.
Felicia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Italian, Spanish, Romanian, Dutch, Swedish, Late Roman
Pronounced: fə-LEE-shə(English) feh-LEE-cha(Italian) feh-LEE-thya(European Spanish) feh-LEE-sya(Latin American Spanish) feh-LEE-chee-a(Romanian) feh-LEE-see-a(Dutch) feh-LEE-see-ah(Swedish)
Feminine form of the Latin name Felicius, a derivative of Felix. As an English name, it has occasionally been used since the Middle Ages.
Feliciana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish, Italian, Late Roman
Pronounced: feh-lee-THYA-na(European Spanish) feh-lee-SYA-na(Latin American Spanish) feh-lee-CHA-na(Italian)
Feminine form of Felicianus (see Feliciano).
Feliciano
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Spanish, Portuguese, Italian
Pronounced: feh-lee-THYA-no(European Spanish) feh-lee-SYA-no(Latin American Spanish) feh-lee-CHA-no(Italian)
Spanish, Portuguese and Italian form of the Roman name Felicianus, which was itself derived from the Roman name Felix. It was borne by a number of early saints, including a 3rd-century bishop of Foligno.
Fiammetta
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: fyam-MEHT-ta
Diminutive of Fiamma.
Filomena
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Lithuanian
Pronounced: fee-lo-MEH-na(Italian, Spanish)
Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and Lithuanian form of Philomena.
Fiore
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: FYO-reh
Means "flower" in Italian. It can also be considered an Italian form of the Latin names Flora and Florus.
Flavia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Spanish, Romanian, Ancient Roman
Pronounced: FLA-vya(Italian) FLA-bya(Spanish) FLA-wee-a(Latin)
Feminine form of Flavius.
Flavio
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian, Spanish
Pronounced: FLA-vyo(Italian) FLA-byo(Spanish)
Italian and Spanish form of Flavius.
Flora
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Dutch, French, Greek, Albanian, Roman Mythology
Other Scripts: Φλώρα(Greek)
Pronounced: FLAWR-ə(English) FLO-ra(Spanish, German, Latin) FLAW-ru(Portuguese)
Derived from Latin flos meaning "flower" (genitive case floris). Flora was the Roman goddess of flowers and spring, the wife of Zephyr the west wind. It has been used as a given name since the Renaissance, starting in France. In Scotland it was sometimes used as an Anglicized form of Fionnghuala.
Fortunata
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese (Rare), Late Roman
Pronounced: for-too-NA-ta(Italian, Spanish)
Feminine form of Fortunato.
Fortunato
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
Pronounced: for-too-NA-to(Italian, Spanish)
Italian, Spanish and Portuguese form of the Late Latin name Fortunatus meaning "fortunate, blessed, happy". This was the name of several early saints and martyrs.
Frances
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: FRAN-sis
Feminine form of Francis. The distinction between Francis as a masculine name and Frances as a feminine name did not arise until the 17th century [1]. A notable bearer was Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini (1850-1917), a social worker and the first American to be canonized.
Francesca
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Catalan
Pronounced: fran-CHEHS-ka(Italian) frən-SEHS-kə(Catalan)
Italian and Catalan feminine form of Franciscus (see Francis).
Fulgenzio
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian (Rare)
Pronounced: fool-JEHN-tsyo
Italian form of Fulgentius (see Fulgencio).
Gelsomina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: jehl-so-MEE-na
Italian form of Jasmine.
Genoveffa
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: jeh-no-VEHF-fa
Italian form of Geneviève.
Gioacchino
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: jo-ak-KEE-no
Italian form of Joachim.
Gioachino
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: jo-a-KEE-no
Italian form of Joachim. A famous bearer was the Italian composer Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868).
Gioele
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: jo-EH-leh
Italian form of Joel.
Giotto
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian (Rare)
Pronounced: JAWT-to
Possibly from Ambrogiotto, a diminutive of Ambrogio, or Angiolotto, a diminutive of Angiolo. This name was borne by Giotto di Bondone (1267-1337), an Italian painter and architect.
Giuanna
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Sardinian
Sardinian form of Iohanna (see Joanna).
Giulietta
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: joo-LYEHT-ta
Diminutive of Giulia.
Greta
Gender: Feminine
Usage: German, Italian, Swedish, Lithuanian, Polish, English
Pronounced: GREH-ta(German, Italian, Swedish, Polish) GREHT-ə(English)
Short form of Margareta. A famous bearer of this name was the Swedish actress Greta Garbo (1905-1990).
Guerino
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Italian form of Warin.
Hector
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, Greek Mythology (Latinized), Arthurian Romance
Other Scripts: Ἕκτωρ(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: HEHK-tər(English) EHK-TAWR(French)
Latinized form of Greek Ἕκτωρ (Hektor), which was derived from ἕκτωρ (hektor) meaning "holding fast", ultimately from ἔχω (echo) meaning "to hold, to possess". In Greek legend Hector was one of the Trojan champions who fought against the Greeks. After he killed Achilles' friend Patroclus in battle, he was himself brutally slain by Achilles, who proceeded to tie his dead body to a chariot and drag it about. This name also appears in Arthurian legends where it belongs to King Arthur's foster father.

Hector has occasionally been used as a given name since the Middle Ages, probably because of the noble character of the classical hero. It has been historically common in Scotland, where it was used as an Anglicized form of Eachann.

Hilda
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Spanish, Hungarian, Anglo-Saxon (Latinized), Germanic [1]
Pronounced: HIL-də(English) HIL-da(German, Dutch) EEL-da(Spanish) HEEL-daw(Hungarian)
Originally a short form of names containing the Old Frankish element hildi, Old High German hilt, Old English hild meaning "battle" (Proto-Germanic *hildiz). The short form was used for both Old English and continental Germanic names. Saint Hilda (or Hild) of Whitby was a 7th-century English saint and abbess. The name became rare in England during the later Middle Ages, but was revived in the 19th century.
Horatio
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: hə-RAY-shee-o, hə-RAY-sho
Variant of Horatius. Shakespeare used it for a character in his tragedy Hamlet (1600). It was borne by the British admiral Horatio Nelson (1758-1805), famous for his defeat of Napoleon's forces in the Battle of Trafalgar, in which he was himself killed. Since his time the name has been occasionally used in his honour.
Iacopo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: YA-ko-po
Italian form of Iacobus (see James).
Ilaria
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Italian feminine form of Hilarius.
Ileana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Romanian, Spanish, Italian
Pronounced: ee-LYA-na(Romanian)
Possibly a Romanian variant of Elena. In Romanian folklore this is the name of a princess kidnapped by monsters and rescued by a heroic knight.
Inara
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Portuguese (Brazilian), Popular Culture
The name of a leading female character from the TV show Firefly and Serenity movie created by Joss Whedon.

It is sometimes claimed to be a feminine form of the Basque masculine name Inar, with the meaning "ray of light", or a feminine name of Arabic origin with the meaning "heaven sent". Both of these origins, however, seem suspicious at best.

Ioanna
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek, Biblical Greek
Other Scripts: Ιωάννα(Greek) Ἰωάννα(Ancient Greek)
Greek form of Joanna.
Iolanda
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Portuguese, Catalan, Romanian
Pronounced: yo-LAN-da(Italian, Romanian) yoo-LAN-də(Catalan)
Italian, Portuguese, Catalan and Romanian form of Yolanda.
Isacco
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: ee-ZAK-ko
Italian form of Isaac.
Isidora
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish, Serbian, Portuguese (Rare), Italian (Rare), English (Rare), Ancient Greek
Other Scripts: Исидора(Serbian, Russian) Ἰσιδώρα(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: ee-see-DHO-ra(Spanish) ee-zee-DAW-ra(Italian) iz-ə-DAWR-ə(English)
Feminine form of Isidore. This was the name of a 4th-century Egyptian saint and hermitess.
Isidoro
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Spanish, Italian, Portuguese
Pronounced: ee-see-DHO-ro(Spanish) ee-zee-DAW-ro(Italian)
Spanish, Italian and Portuguese form of Isidore.
Ismaele
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Italian form of Ishmael.
Itala
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Italian feminine form of Italus.
Ivana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Czech, Slovak, Serbian, Croatian, Slovene, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Italian
Other Scripts: Ивана(Serbian, Bulgarian, Macedonian)
Pronounced: I-va-na(Czech) EE-va-na(Slovak)
Feminine form of Ivan.
Jacopo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: YA-ko-po
Italian form of Iacobus (see James).
James
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Biblical
Pronounced: JAYMZ(English)
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 Captain 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.

Joan 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: JON
Medieval English form of Johanne, an Old French form of Iohanna (see Joanna). This was the usual English feminine form of John in the Middle Ages, but it was surpassed in popularity by Jane in the 17th century. It again became quite popular in the first half of the 20th century, entering the top ten names for both the United States and the United Kingdom, though it has since faded.

This name (in various spellings) has been common among European royalty, being borne by ruling queens of Naples, Navarre and Castile. Another famous bearer was Joan of Arc, a patron saint of France (where she is known as Jeanne d'Arc). She was a 15th-century peasant girl who, after claiming she heard messages from God, was given leadership of the French army. She defeated the English in the battle of Orléans but was eventually captured and burned at the stake.

Other notable bearers include the actress Joan Crawford (1904-1977) and the comedian Joan Rivers (1933-2014), both Americans.

Joanne
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, French
Pronounced: jo-AN(English) ZHAW-AN(French)
Variant of Joan 1 or Johanne. In some cases it might be considered a combination of Jo and Anne 1.
Joel
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish, Finnish, Estonian, Biblical
Other Scripts: יוֹאֵל(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced: JO-əl(English) JOL(English) kho-EHL(Spanish) ZHWEHL(European Portuguese) zho-EW(Brazilian Portuguese) YO-ehl(Swedish, Finnish)
From the Hebrew name יוֹאֵל (Yo'el) meaning "Yahweh is God", from the elements יוֹ (yo) and אֵל ('el), both referring to the Hebrew God. Joel is one of the twelve minor prophets of the Old Testament, the author of the Book of Joel, which describes a plague of locusts. In England, it was first used as a Christian name after the Protestant Reformation.
Johanna
Gender: Feminine
Usage: German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Hungarian, Finnish, Estonian, English, Late Roman
Pronounced: yo-HA-na(German) yuw-HA-na(Swedish) yo-HAHN-nah(Danish) yo-HAH-na(Dutch) YO-hawn-naw(Hungarian) YO-hahn-nah(Finnish) jo-HAN-ə(English) jo-AN-ə(English)
Latinate form of Greek Ioanna (see Joanna).
Jolanda
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Dutch, Slovene, Croatian, Italian
Pronounced: yo-LAHN-da(Dutch) yo-LAN-da(Italian)
Dutch, Slovene and Croatian form of Yolanda, as well as an Italian variant of Iolanda.
Juniper
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: JOON-i-pər
From the English word for the type of tree, derived ultimately from Latin iuniperus.
Katiuscia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: ka-TYOOSH-sha
Italian form of Katyusha.
Keith
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Scottish
Pronounced: KEETH(English)
From a Scottish surname that was originally derived from the name of a place in East Lothian, itself possibly derived from the Celtic root *kayto- meaning "wood". This was the surname of a long line of Scottish nobles. It has been used as a given name since the 19th century, becoming fairly common throughout the English-speaking world in the 20th century.
Laurence 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: LAWR-əns
From the Roman cognomen Laurentius, which meant "from Laurentum". Laurentum was a city in ancient Italy, its name probably deriving from Latin laurus "laurel". Saint Laurence was a 3rd-century deacon and martyr from Rome. According to tradition he was roasted alive on a gridiron because, when ordered to hand over the church's treasures, he presented the sick and poor. Due to the saint's popularity, the name came into general use in the Christian world (in various spellings).

In the Middle Ages this name was common in England, partly because of a second saint by this name, a 7th-century archbishop of Canterbury. Likewise it has been common in Ireland due to the 12th-century Saint Laurence O'Toole (whose real name was Lorcán). Since the 19th century the spelling Lawrence has been more common, especially in America. A famous bearer was the British actor Laurence Olivier (1907-1989).

Lauretta
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Italian diminutive of Laura.
Laurie
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English, Dutch
Pronounced: LAWR-ee(English) LOW-ree(Dutch)
Diminutive of Laura or Laurence 1.
Lavinia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Roman Mythology, Romanian, Italian
Pronounced: la-WEE-nee-a(Latin) lə-VIN-ee-ə(English) la-VEE-nya(Italian)
Meaning unknown, probably of Etruscan origin. In Roman legend Lavinia was the daughter of King Latinus, the wife of Aeneas, and the ancestor of the Roman people. According to the legend Aeneas named the town of Lavinium in honour of his wife.
Leoluca
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Combination of Leone 1 and Luca 1. This was the name of a 9th-century Sicilian saint.
Livia 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Romanian, German, Dutch, Swedish, Finnish, Ancient Roman
Pronounced: LEE-vya(Italian)
Feminine form of Livius. This was the name of the wife of the Roman emperor Augustus, Livia Drusilla.
Llewyn
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Probably from the Welsh word llew meaning "lion", though it is not used as a name in Wales. It was used in the 2013 film 'Inside Llewyn Davis'.
Loretta
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Italian
Pronounced: lə-REHT-ə(English) lo-REHT-ta(Italian)
Perhaps a variant of Lauretta or Loreto. A famous bearer was the American actress Loretta Young (1913-2000), whose birth name was Gretchen.
Luca 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian, Romanian
Pronounced: LOO-ka
Italian and Romanian form of Lucas (see Luke). This name was borne by Luca della Robbia, a Renaissance sculptor from Florence.
Luce
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, French
Pronounced: LOO-cheh(Italian) LUYS(French)
Italian and French variant of Lucia. This also means "light" in Italian.
Luciana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, Ancient Roman
Pronounced: loo-CHA-na(Italian) loo-THYA-na(European Spanish) loo-SYA-na(Latin American Spanish)
Feminine form of Lucianus.
Luciano
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
Pronounced: loo-CHA-no(Italian) loo-THYA-no(European Spanish) loo-SYA-no(Latin American Spanish) loo-SYU-noo(Portuguese)
Italian, Spanish and Portuguese form of Lucianus.
Luna
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Roman Mythology, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, English
Pronounced: LOO-na(Latin, Spanish, Italian) LOO-nə(English)
Means "the moon" in Latin (as well as Italian, Spanish and other Romance languages). Luna was the Roman goddess of the moon, frequently depicted driving a white chariot through the sky.
Maddalena
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: mad-da-LEH-na
Italian form of Magdalene.
Marcellina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ancient Roman, Italian
Pronounced: mar-chehl-LEE-na(Italian)
Feminine form of Marcellinus.
Marcellino
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: mar-chehl-LEE-no
Italian form of Marcellinus.
Marcello
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: mar-CHEHL-lo
Italian form of Marcellus.
Marco
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Dutch
Pronounced: MAR-ko(Italian, Spanish, German) MAR-koo(European Portuguese) MAKH-koo(Brazilian Portuguese) MAHR-ko(Dutch)
Italian form of Marcus (see Mark). During the Middle Ages this name was common in Venice, where Saint Mark was supposedly buried. A famous bearer was the Venetian explorer Marco Polo, who travelled across Asia to China in the 13th century.
Margaret
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: MAHR-grit, MAHR-gə-rit
Derived from Latin Margarita, which was from Greek μαργαρίτης (margarites) meaning "pearl", a word that was probably ultimately a borrowing from an Indo-Iranian language. Saint Margaret, the patron of expectant mothers, was martyred at Antioch in the 4th century. Later legends told of her escape from a dragon, with which she was often depicted in medieval art. The saint was popular during the Middle Ages, and her name has been widely used in the Christian world.

As an English name it has been very popular since the Middle Ages. It was the top name for girls in England and Wales in the 1920s, 30s and 40s, but it declined in the latter half of the 20th century.

Other saints by this name include a queen of Scotland and a princess of Hungary. It was also borne by Queen Margaret I of Denmark, who united Denmark, Sweden, and Norway in the 14th century. Famous literary bearers include American writer Margaret Mitchell (1900-1949), the author of Gone with the Wind, and Canadian writer Margaret Atwood (1939-). Others include American anthropologist Margaret Mead (1901-1978) and British prime minister Margaret Thatcher (1925-2013).

Margherita
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: mar-geh-REE-ta
Italian form of Margaret. This is also the Italian word for the daisy flower (species Bellis perennis, Leucanthemum vulgare and others).
Margot
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: MAR-GO
French short form of Margaret.
Mariantonia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Contraction of Maria and Antonia.
Marilena
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Romanian, Greek
Other Scripts: Μαριλένα(Greek)
Pronounced: ma-ree-LEH-na(Italian)
Combination of Maria and Elena.
Marina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, English, Greek, Finnish, Estonian, Russian, Romanian, Czech, Bulgarian, Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Macedonian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Georgian, Ancient Roman
Other Scripts: Μαρίνα(Greek) Марина(Russian, Bulgarian, Serbian, Macedonian) მარინა(Georgian)
Pronounced: ma-REE-na(Italian, Spanish, German) mə-REE-nə(Catalan) mə-REEN-ə(English) mu-RYEE-nə(Russian) MA-ri-na(Czech)
Feminine form of Marinus. This name was borne by a few early saints. This is also the name by which Saint Margaret of Antioch is known in the Eastern Orthodox Church.
Marinella
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Diminutive of Marina.
Maristella
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Italian form of Maristela.
Marjorie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: MAHR-jə-ree
Medieval variant of Margery, influenced by the name of the herb marjoram. After the Middle Ages this name was rare, but it was revived at the end of the 19th century.
Marlena
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Polish, English
Pronounced: mar-LEH-na(Polish) mahr-LEEN-ə(English)
Latinate form of Marlene.
Marzio
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: MAR-tsyo
Italian form of Marcius.
Massimiliano
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: mas-see-mee-LYA-no
Italian form of Maximilian.
Matilda
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Swedish, Finnish, Slovak, Slovene
Pronounced: mə-TIL-də(English) MAH-teel-dah(Finnish) MA-teel-da(Slovak)
From the Germanic name Mahthilt meaning "strength in battle", from the elements maht "might, strength" and hilt "battle". Saint Matilda was the wife of the 10th-century German king Henry I the Fowler. The name was common in many branches of European royalty in the Middle Ages. It was brought to England by the Normans, being borne by the wife of William the Conqueror himself. Another notable royal by this name was a 12th-century daughter of Henry I of England, known as the Empress Matilda because of her first marriage to the Holy Roman emperor Henry V. She later invaded England, laying the foundations for the reign of her son Henry II.

The name was very popular until the 15th century in England, usually in the vernacular form Maud. Both forms were revived by the 19th century. This name appears in the popular Australian folk song Waltzing Matilda, written in 1895.

Mattea
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: mat-TEH-a
Italian feminine form of Matthew.
Matteo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: mat-TEH-o
Italian form of Matthew.
Melchiorre
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: mehl-KYAWR-reh
Italian form of Melchior.
Mercurio
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian (Rare)
Pronounced: mehr-KOO-ryo
Italian form of Mercury.
Michelangela
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian (Rare)
Pronounced: mee-keh-LAN-jeh-la
Feminine form of Michelangelo.
Michelangelo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: mee-keh-LAN-jeh-lo(Italian) mie-kə-LAN-jə-lo(English)
Combination of Michael and Angelo, referring to the archangel Michael. The Renaissance painter and sculptor Michelangelo Buonarroti, from Florence, was the man who created such great works of art as the statue of David and the mural on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. This name was also borne by the Baroque artist Michelangelo Merisi, better known as Caravaggio.
Milena
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Bulgarian, Czech, Serbian, Croatian, Slovene, Macedonian, Polish, Russian, Slovak, Italian
Other Scripts: Милена(Bulgarian, Serbian, Macedonian, Russian)
Pronounced: MI-leh-na(Czech) myee-LEH-na(Polish) myi-LYEH-nə(Russian) MEE-leh-na(Slovak) mee-LEH-na(Italian)
Feminine form of Milan. It began to be used in Italy in honour of Milena Vukotić (1847-1923), mother of Helen of Montenegro, the wife of the Italian king Victor Emmanuel III. In Italy it can also be considered a combination of Maria and Elena.
Mirabella
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian (Rare)
Latinate form of Mirabelle.
Miriam
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hebrew, English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Italian, Portuguese, Czech, Slovak, Polish, Biblical, Biblical Hebrew
Other Scripts: מִרְיָם(Hebrew)
Pronounced: MIR-ee-əm(English) MI-ryam(German) MI-ri-yam(Czech) MEE-ree-am(Slovak)
Hebrew form of Mary. It is used in the Old Testament, where it belongs to the elder sister of Moses and Aaron. She watched over the infant Moses as the pharaoh's daughter drew him from the Nile. The name has long been popular among Jews, and it has been used as an English Christian name (alongside Mary) since the Protestant Reformation.
Monica
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Italian, Romanian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Late Roman
Pronounced: MAHN-i-kə(English) MAW-nee-ka(Italian) mo-NEE-ka(Romanian)
Meaning unknown, most likely of Berber or Phoenician origin. In the 4th century this name was borne by a North African saint, the mother of Saint Augustine of Hippo, whom she converted to Christianity. Since the Middle Ages it has been associated with Latin moneo "advisor" and Greek monos "one".

As an English name, Monica has been in general use since the 18th century. In America it reached the height of its popularity in the 1970s, declining since then. A famous bearer was the Yugoslavian tennis player Monica Seles (1973-).

Movses
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Armenian
Other Scripts: Մովսես(Armenian)
Armenian form of Moses.
Myriam
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: MEE-RYAM
French form of Miriam.
Nadia 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French, Italian, Spanish, English, Russian, Bulgarian, Ukrainian
Other Scripts: Надя(Russian, Bulgarian) Надія(Ukrainian)
Pronounced: NA-DYA(French) NAD-ee-ə(English) NAHD-ee-ə(English) NA-dyə(Russian)
Variant of Nadya 1 used in western Europe, as well as an alternate transcription of the Slavic name. It began to be used in France in the 19th century [1]. The name received a boost in popularity from the Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci (1961-) [2].
Natalia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Polish, Italian, Spanish, Romanian, English, German, Dutch, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Greek, Georgian, Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Late Roman
Other Scripts: Ναταλία(Greek) ნატალია(Georgian) Наталия(Russian, Bulgarian) Наталія(Ukrainian)
Pronounced: na-TA-lya(Polish, Spanish) na-ta-LEE-a(Italian) na-TA-lee-a(Romanian) nə-TAHL-ee-ə(English)
Latinate form of Natalia (see Natalie).
Natalina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Portuguese
Diminutive of Natalia (Italian) or Natália (Portuguese).
Natalino
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Diminutive of Natale.
Nero 2
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: NEH-ro
Short form of Raniero. It also coincides with the Italian word nero meaning "black".
Niccolò
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: neek-ko-LAW
Italian form of Nicholas. A famous bearer was Niccolò Machiavelli, a 16th-century political philosopher from Florence.
Nico
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian, Dutch, German, Spanish, Portuguese
Pronounced: NEE-ko(Italian, Dutch, Spanish)
Short form of Nicholas (or sometimes Nicodemus).
Nicolò
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: nee-ko-LAW
Italian variant form (particularly Sicilian) of Nicholas.
Nicomede
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian (Rare)
Pronounced: nee-ko-MEH-deh
Italian form of Nikomedes.
Nicostrato
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian (Rare)
Pronounced: nee-KAW-stra-to, nee-ko-STRA-to
Italian form of Nikostratos.
Oliver
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Catalan, Serbian, Croatian, Macedonian, Czech, Slovak
Other Scripts: Оливер(Serbian, Macedonian)
Pronounced: AHL-i-vər(English) O-lee-vu(German) O-lee-vehr(Finnish) oo-lee-BEH(Catalan) O-li-vehr(Czech) AW-lee-vehr(Slovak)
From Old French Olivier, possibly derived from a Germanic name, perhaps Old Norse Áleifr (see Olaf) or Frankish Alawar (see Álvaro). The spelling was altered by association with Latin oliva "olive tree". In the Middle Ages the name became well-known in Western Europe because of the French epic La Chanson de Roland, in which Olivier was a friend and advisor of the hero Roland.

In England Oliver was a common medieval name, however it became rare after the 17th century because of the military commander Oliver Cromwell, who ruled the country following the civil war. The name was revived in the 19th century, perhaps due in part to the title character in Charles Dickens' novel Oliver Twist (1838), which was about a poor orphan living on the streets of London. It became very popular at the beginning of the 21st century, reaching the top rank for boys in England and Wales in 2009 and entering the top ten in the United States in 2017.

Orlando
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
Pronounced: or-LAN-do(Italian)
Italian 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.
Ottaviano
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Italian form of Octavianus (see Octavian).
Petronia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ancient Roman
Feminine form of Petronius.
Raffaele
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: raf-fa-EH-leh
Italian form of Raphael.
Raffaello
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: raf-fa-EHL-lo
Italian form of Raphael.
Raniero
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: ra-NYEH-ro
Italian form of Rayner.
Remo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: REH-mo
Italian form of Remus.
Remus
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Roman Mythology, Romanian
Pronounced: REH-moos(Latin) REE-məs(English)
Meaning unknown. In Roman legend Romulus and Remus were the founders of Rome. Remus was later slain by Romulus.
Renata
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, German, Polish, Czech, Lithuanian, Croatian, Slovene, Romanian, Late Roman
Pronounced: reh-NA-ta(Italian, Spanish, German, Polish) REH-na-ta(Czech)
Feminine form of Renatus.
Renato
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Croatian
Pronounced: reh-NA-to(Italian, Spanish) ri-NA-too(European Portuguese) heh-NA-too(Brazilian Portuguese)
Italian, Portuguese and Spanish form of Renatus.
Rita
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Estonian, Hungarian, Spanish, Portuguese, Latvian, Lithuanian
Pronounced: REE-ta(Italian, German, Spanish) REET-ə(English) REE-taw(Hungarian) ryi-TU(Lithuanian)
Short 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).
Roman
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Russian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Ukrainian, Slovene, Croatian, Estonian, German, English
Other Scripts: Роман(Russian, Ukrainian)
Pronounced: ru-MAN(Russian) RAWN-man(Polish) RO-man(Czech, German) RAW-man(Slovak) RO-mən(English)
From the Late Latin name Romanus meaning "Roman". This name was borne by several early saints including a 7th-century bishop of Rouen, as well as medieval rulers of Bulgaria, Kyiv and Moldavia.
Romeo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian, Romanian
Pronounced: ro-MEH-o(Italian) RO-mee-o(English)
Italian form of the Late Latin Romaeus or Late Greek Ρωμαῖος (Romaios), which meant "from Rome" or "Roman". Romeo is best known as the lover of Juliet in William Shakespeare's tragedy Romeo and Juliet (1596). Shakespeare based his play on earlier Italian stories by Luigi Da Porto (1524) and Matteo Bandello (1554), which both featured characters named Giulietta and Romeo.
Romulus
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Roman Mythology, Romanian
Pronounced: RO-moo-loos(Latin) RAHM-yuw-ləs(English)
Means "of Rome" in Latin. In Roman legend Romulus and Remus were the founders of the city of Rome.
Rosangela
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: ro-ZAN-jeh-la
Combination of Rosa 1 and Angela.
Salvatrice
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
From Salvatrix, the feminine form of Salvator (see Salvador).
Sam 1
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English, Literature
Pronounced: SAM(English)
Short form of Samuel, Samson, Samantha and other names beginning with Sam. This is the name of a detective in Dashiell Hammett's novel The Maltese Falcon (1930). In J. R. R. Tolkien's 1954 novel The Lord of the Rings (1954) this is a short form of Samwise.
Sandy
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: SAN-dee
Originally a diminutive of Alexander. As a feminine name it is a diminutive of Alexandra or Sandra. It can also be given in reference to the colour.
Saturnina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ancient Roman, Spanish
Pronounced: sa-toor-NEE-na(Spanish)
Feminine form of Saturninus. This was the name of a legendary saint who was supposedly martyred in northern France.
Saturnino
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Spanish, Italian (Rare), Portuguese (Rare)
Pronounced: sa-toor-NEE-no(Spanish, Italian)
Spanish, Italian and Portuguese form of Saturninus.
Savio
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: SA-vyo
Means "wise" in Italian.
Sebastiana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
Pronounced: seh-ba-STYA-na(Italian)
Italian, Spanish and Portuguese feminine form of Sebastianus (see Sebastian).
Sebastiano
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: seh-ba-STYA-no
Italian form of Sebastianus (see Sebastian).
Selvaggia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian (Rare)
Pronounced: sehl-VAD-ja
Means "wild" in Italian.
Serafina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese (Rare)
Pronounced: seh-ra-FEE-na(Spanish)
Italian, Spanish and Portuguese form of Seraphina.
Serafino
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Italian form of Seraphinus (see Seraphina).
Seraphina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare), German (Rare), Late Roman
Pronounced: sehr-ə-FEEN-ə(English) zeh-ra-FEE-na(German)
Feminine form of the Late Latin name Seraphinus, derived from the biblical word seraphim, which was Hebrew in origin and meant "fiery ones". The seraphim were an order of angels, described by Isaiah in the Bible as having six wings each.

This was the name of a 13th-century Italian saint who made clothes for the poor. As an English name, it has never been common.

Serena
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Italian, Late Roman
Pronounced: sə-REEN-ə(English) seh-REH-na(Italian)
From a Late Latin name that was derived from Latin serenus meaning "clear, tranquil, serene". This name was borne by an obscure early saint. Edmund Spenser also used it in his poem The Faerie Queene (1590). A famous bearer from the modern era is tennis player Serena Williams (1981-).
Silver
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: SIL-vər
From the English word for the precious metal or the colour, ultimately derived from Old English seolfor.
Silvestra
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Slovene, Italian (Rare)
Pronounced: seel-VEH-stra(Italian)
Feminine form of Silvester.
Simcha
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Hebrew
Other Scripts: שִׂמְחָה(Hebrew)
Means "happiness, joy" in Hebrew.
Simon 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Dutch, Hungarian, Slovene, Romanian, Macedonian, Georgian, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
Other Scripts: Симон(Macedonian) სიმონ(Georgian) Σίμων(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: SIE-mən(English) SEE-MAWN(French) SEE-mawn(Danish, Dutch, Macedonian) ZEE-mawn(German) SHEE-mon(Hungarian)
From Σίμων (Simon), the New Testament Greek form of the Hebrew name שִׁמְעוֹן (Shim'on) meaning "hearing, listening", derived from שָׁמַע (shama') meaning "to hear, to listen". This name is spelled Simeon, based on Greek Συμεών, in many translations of the Old Testament, where it is borne by the second son of Jacob. The New Testament spelling may show influence from the otherwise unrelated Greek name Simon 2.

In the New Testament Simon is the name of several characters, including the man who carried the cross for Jesus. Most importantly however it was borne by the leading apostle Simon, also known as Peter (a name given to him by Jesus).

Because of the apostle, this name has been common in the Christian world. In England it was popular during the Middle Ages, though it became more rare after the Protestant Reformation.

Siobhán
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish
Pronounced: SHI-wan, SHUW-wan, SHI-van, shə-VAN
Irish form of Jehanne, a Norman French variant of Jeanne.
Siria
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: SEE-rya
Possibly a feminine form of Cyrus. It also coincides with the Italian name for the country of Syria.
Sloane
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: SLON
From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Sluaghadháin, itself derived from the given name Sluaghadhán.
Sofia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek, Italian, Portuguese, Catalan, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Finnish, Estonian, Slovak, Romanian, Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian
Other Scripts: Σοφία(Greek) София(Russian, Bulgarian) Софія(Ukrainian)
Pronounced: saw-FEE-a(Greek) so-FEE-a(Italian) soo-FEE-u(European Portuguese) so-FEE-u(Brazilian Portuguese) soo-FEE-ə(Catalan) suw-FEE-a(Swedish) zo-FEE-a(German) SO-fee-ah(Finnish)
Form of Sophia used in various languages.
Sona 3
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Armenian
Other Scripts: Սոնա(Armenian)
Pronounced: saw-NAH
Meaning unknown.
Sparrow
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: SPAR-o, SPEHR-o
From the name of the bird, ultimately from Old English spearwa.
Stefania
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Polish, Greek
Other Scripts: Στεφανία(Greek)
Pronounced: steh-FA-nya(Italian) steh-FAN-ya(Polish)
Italian, Polish and Greek feminine form of Stephen.
Sveva
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Possibly from the name of the Germanic tribe of the Suebi (svevo in Italian).
Tamara
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Czech, Slovak, Polish, Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, Macedonian, Hungarian, English, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, Lithuanian, Georgian
Other Scripts: Тамара(Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Serbian, Macedonian) თამარა(Georgian)
Pronounced: tu-MA-rə(Russian) TA-ma-ra(Czech, Slovak) tan-MA-ra(Polish) TAW-maw-raw(Hungarian) tə-MAR-ə(English) tə-MAHR-ə(English) TAM-ə-rə(English) ta-MA-ra(Spanish, Italian) tu-mu-RU(Lithuanian) TA-MAR(Georgian)
Russian form of Tamar. Russian performers such as Tamara Karsavina (1885-1978), Tamara Drasin (1905-1943), Tamara Geva (1907-1997) and Tamara Toumanova (1919-1996) introduced it to the English-speaking world. It rapidly grew in popularity in the United States starting in 1957. Another famous bearer was the Polish cubist painter Tamara de Lempicka (1898-1980).
Tancredi
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Italian form of Tancred. Gioachino Rossini used this name in his opera Tancredi (1813).
Teresa
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Catalan, Polish, Lithuanian, Finnish, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, English
Pronounced: teh-REH-sa(Spanish, Polish) teh-REH-za(Italian, German) tə-REH-zə(Catalan) tyeh-ryeh-SU(Lithuanian) TEH-reh-sah(Finnish) tə-REE-sə(English) tə-REE-zə(English)
Form of Theresa used in several languages. Saint Teresa of Ávila was a 16th-century Spanish nun who reformed the Carmelite monasteries and wrote several spiritual books. It was also borne by the Albanian missionary Saint Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997), better known as Mother Teresa, who worked with the poor in India. She adopted the name in honour of the French saint Thérèse of Lisieux, who is the patron of missionaries.
Valenta
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Russian (Archaic)
Valentina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Russian, Lithuanian, German, Croatian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Slovene, Albanian, Romanian, Spanish, Greek, Ancient Roman
Other Scripts: Валентина(Russian, Bulgarian, Macedonian) Βαλεντίνα(Greek)
Pronounced: va-lehn-TEE-na(Italian) və-lyin-TYEE-nə(Russian) vu-lyehn-tyi-NU(Lithuanian) ba-lehn-TEE-na(Spanish)
Feminine form of Valentinus (see Valentine 1). A famous bearer is the Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova (1937-), who in 1963 became the first woman to visit space.
Valentino
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: va-lehn-TEE-no
Italian form of Valentinus (see Valentine 1).
Vauquelin
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Medieval French
Old French form of the Norman name Walchelin, derived from Old Frankish walh or Old High German walah meaning "foreigner, Celt, Roman" (Proto-Germanic *walhaz).
Velia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: VEH-lya
From the Roman family name Velius, which possibly means "concealed" in Latin.
Venera
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Sicilian, Russian, Bulgarian, Albanian
Other Scripts: Венера(Russian, Bulgarian)
Pronounced: vyi-NYEH-rə(Russian)
Form of Venus, from the genitive form Veneris. This name was borne by a 2nd-century saint who was martyred in Rome or Sicily.
Vespasiano
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian (Rare)
Italian form of Vespasianus (see Vespasian).
Vianne
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Meaning unknown, perhaps a combination of Vi and Anne 1 or a short form of Vivianne.
Vincent
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Slovak
Pronounced: VIN-sənt(English, Dutch) VEHN-SAHN(French) VEEN-tsent(Slovak)
From the Roman name Vincentius, which was derived from Latin vincere meaning "to conquer". This name was popular among early Christians, and it was borne by many saints. As an English name, Vincent has been in use since the Middle Ages, though it did not become common until the 19th century. Famous bearers include the French priest Saint Vincent de Paul (1581-1660) and the post-impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890).
Vincente
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: VEHN-SAHNT
French feminine form of Vincent.
Violante
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Late Roman, Italian
Pronounced: vee-o-LAN-teh(Italian)
Latin form of Yolanda.
Virna
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
As an Italian name it owes its usage primarily to the actress Virna Lisi (1936-2014). Her name was invented by her father.
Vitalia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian (Rare)
Feminine form of Vitale.
Vitaliano
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Italian form of Vitalianus.
Vito
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian, Spanish
Pronounced: VEE-to(Italian) BEE-to(Spanish)
Italian and Spanish form of Vitus. A notable fictional bearer is Vito Corleone from The Godfather novel (1969) and movie (1972).
Vittorino
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Italian form of Victorinus.
Ylenia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Spanish (Modern)
Variant of Ilenia.
Zaira
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Spanish
Pronounced: DZIE-ra(Italian) THIE-ra(European Spanish) SIE-ra(Latin American Spanish)
Italian and Spanish form of Zaïre. It was used by Vincenzo Bellini for the heroine of his opera Zaira (1829), which was based on Voltaire's 1732 play Zaïre.
Zita 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Portuguese, German, Czech, Slovak, Lithuanian, Latvian
Pronounced: DZEE-ta(Italian) TSEE-ta(German) ZI-ta(Czech) ZEE-ta(Slovak) zyi-TU(Lithuanian)
Means "little girl" in Tuscan Italian. This was the name of a 13th-century saint, the patron saint of servants.
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