ANB's Personal Name List

From an Italian word meaning "beloved" or an Irish word meaning "friend". It has been used as a given name since the 19th century, though it did not become popular until after the 1950s.

From a surname, see Dean 1 and Dean 2. The actor James Dean (1931-1955) was a famous bearer of the surname.

Short form of names beginning with D. It may also be given in reference to the Dee River in Scotland.

Diminutive of Eleanor, Ellen 1 and other names beginning with El. This name became popular in the United Kingdom in the 1990s, being ranked second for girls in 2003.

Form of Eve used in various languages. This form is used in the Latin translation of the New Testament, while Hava is used in the Latin Old Testament. A notable bearer was the Argentine first lady Eva Perón (1919-1952), the subject of the musical Evita. The name also appears in Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852) belonging to the character Little Eva, whose real name is in fact Evangeline.

This is also an alternate transcription of Russian Ева (see Yeva).

Means “light” or “jungle” in various African languages.

Derived from the Romani word djilia "song", which ultimately goes back to Sanskrit kheli "play; sport".

The form Djilia is also found.

Name of the Mogwai from "Gremlins" (1984).

Diminutive of Grace.

From Welsh gwen, the feminine form of gwyn meaning "white, blessed". It can also be a short form of Gwendolen, Gwenllian and other names beginning with Gwen.

Medieval diminutive of Harry. In Shakespeare's two historical plays about Henry IV, Prince Hal is the name of the future King Henry V.

From an English surname that originally belonged to a person who played or made harps (Old English hearpe). A notable bearer was the American author Harper Lee (1926-2016), who wrote To Kill a Mockingbird. It rapidly gained popularity in the 2000s and 2010s, entering the American top ten for girls in 2015.

From Japanese 遥 (haruka) meaning "distant, remote". It can also come from 春 (haru) meaning "spring" or 晴 (haru) meaning "clear weather" combined with 花 (ka) meaning "flower, blossom" or 香 (ka) meaning "fragrance". Additionally, other kanji combinations can form this name.

Transferred use of the surname Hershey.

From Japanese 陽 (hi) meaning "light, sun" or 日 (hi) meaning "sun, day" combined with 菜 (na) meaning "vegetables, greens". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Simply from the English word honey, ultimately from Old English hunig. This was originally a nickname for a sweet person.

From an English occupational surname for a hunter, derived from Old English hunta. A famous bearer was the eccentric American journalist Hunter S. Thompson (1937-2005).

Diminutive of Isaac. This was the nickname of the American president Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969), based on the initial sound of his surname.

Short form of Irina.

Means "rainbow" in Greek. Iris was the name of the Greek goddess of the rainbow, also serving as a messenger to the gods. This name can also be given in reference to the word (which derives from the same Greek source) for the iris flower or the coloured part of the eye.

From the English word for the climbing plant that has small yellow flowers. It is ultimately derived from Old English ifig.

Short form of names beginning with the sound J, such as James or Jason. It was originally used in America in honour of founding father John Jay (1749-1825), whose surname was derived from the jaybird.

Originally a medieval English diminutive of Jane. Since the middle of the 20th century it has been primarily considered a diminutive of Jennifer.

Short form of Judith.

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-).

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.

Meaning unknown, possibly related to an Indo-European root meaning "young", or possibly of Etruscan origin. In Roman mythology Juno was the wife of Jupiter and the queen of the heavens. She was the protectress of marriage and women, and was also the goddess of finance.

Variant of Cara.

Short form of Katherine, often used independently. It is short for Katherina in Shakespeare's play The Taming of the Shrew (1593). It has been used in England since the Middle Ages. A famous bearer is the British actress Kate Winslet (1975-).

Short form of Katherine and other names beginning with K.

Diminutive of Francisco or Enrique.

Diminutive of Kimberly or Kim 1.

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

Short form of Alana (English) or Svetlana (Russian). In the English-speaking world it was popularized by actress Lana Turner (1921-1995), who was born Julia Jean Turner.

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.

Short form of names ending in lena, such as Helena, Magdalena or Yelena.

Derived from Greek λέων (leon) meaning "lion". During the Christian era this Greek name was merged with the Latin cognate Leo, with the result that the two forms are used somewhat interchangeably across European languages. In England during the Middle Ages this was a common name among Jews. A famous bearer was the communist revolutionary Leon Trotsky (1879-1940), whose name is Лев in Russian.

Possibly means "joined, attached" in Hebrew. As told in the Old Testament, Levi was the third son of Jacob and Leah, and the ancestor of one of the twelve tribes of the Israelites, known as the Levites. This was the tribe that formed the priestly class of the Israelites. The brothers Moses and Aaron were members. This name also occurs in the New Testament, where it is another name for the apostle Matthew.

As an English Christian name, Levi came into use after the Protestant Reformation.

English variant of Lily. It is also used in Scandinavia, as a form of Lily or a diminutive of Elisabeth.

Short form of names ending in lina.

Spanish diminutive of Dolores. A famous bearer was Lola Montez (1821-1861; birth name Eliza Gilbert), an Irish-born dancer, actress and courtesan.

English form of Lucia, in use since the Middle Ages.

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.

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).

Diminutive of Madeline or Madison.

Diminutive of Maria. This is also the Estonian and Norwegian name for the month of May.

Variant of Maisie.

Variant of Magnus.

Usual English form of Maria, the Latin form of the New Testament Greek names Μαριάμ (Mariam) and Μαρία (Maria) — the spellings are interchangeable — which were from Hebrew מִרְיָם (Miryam), a name borne by the sister of Moses in the Old Testament. The meaning is not known for certain, but there are several theories including "sea of bitterness", "rebelliousness", and "wished for child". However it was most likely originally an Egyptian name, perhaps derived in part from mry "beloved" or mr "love".

This is the name of several New Testament characters, most importantly Mary the mother of Jesus. According to the gospels, Jesus was conceived in her by the Holy Spirit while she remained a virgin. This name was also borne by Mary Magdalene, a woman cured of demons by Jesus. She became one of his followers and later witnessed his crucifixion and resurrection.

Due to the Virgin Mary this name has been very popular in the Christian world, though at certain times in some cultures it has been considered too holy for everyday use. In England it has been used since the 12th century, and it has been among the most common feminine names since the 16th century. In the United States in 1880 it was given more than twice as often as the next most popular name for girls (Anna). It remained in the top rank in America until 1946 when it was bumped to second (by Linda). Although it regained the top spot for a few more years in the 1950s it was already falling in usage, and has since dropped out of the top 100 names.

This name has been borne by two queens of England, as well as a queen of Scotland, Mary Queen of Scots. Another notable bearer was Mary Shelley (1797-1851), the author of Frankenstein. A famous fictional character by this name is Mary Poppins from the children's books by P. L. Travers, first published in 1934.

The Latinized form of this name, Maria, is also used in English as well as in several other languages.

From the English word melody, which is derived (via Old French and Late Latin) from Greek μέλος (melos) meaning "song" combined with ἀείδω (aeido) meaning "to sing".

Diminutive of Michael.

Diminutive of Mildred, Millicent and other names containing the same sound.

Old German form of Miles, as well as the Latinized form. This form was revived as an English name in the 19th century [2].

From Japanese 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" combined with 桜 (o) meaning "cherry blossom" or 緒 (o) meaning "thread". Other kanji or kanji combinations can also form this name.

From Japanese もち (mochi), a Japanese rice cake that is made of mochigome, a short-grain japonica glutinous rice.

Medieval diminutive of Mary, now often used independently. It developed from Malle and Molle, other medieval diminutives. James Joyce used this name in his novel Ulysses (1922), where it belongs to Molly Bloom, the wife of the main character.

Derived from the word "moonbeam", which describes the brilliant silver light the full moon shines down. This name was borne by a character from the Filmation Associates company "Happily Ever After". It acts as a non-Disney sequel to the old classic "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves". The Seven Dwarves are replaced with their female cousins, the Seven Dwarfelles. Moonbeam is Sleepy's female counterpart.

Diminutive of Margaret or Mary, possibly an elaborated form of Muffy. It may also be given in relation to the baked goods called muffins.

From a common Irish surname, the Anglicized form of Irish Gaelic Ó Murchadha, itself derived from the given name Murchadh. As a given name, it has been borne by female characters on the American television series Murphy Brown (1988-1998) and the movie Interstellar (2014).

The name of a lion in the animated movie The Lion King (1994). Though many sources claim it means "gift" or "beloved" in Swahili, it does not appear to have a meaning in that language.

Diminutive of Fernando.

Short form of Gyulnara, the Armenian form of Gulnar.

Diminutive of Edward and Edmund.

Said to mean "law" or "given by God".

English form of Noël or Noëlle (rarely). It was fairly popular in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand in the middle of the 20th century. It is occasionally written with a diaeresis, like in French. A famous bearer is British musician Noel Gallagher (1967-).

Means "joy, singing" in Hebrew.

Feminine variant of Ryan.

Short form of names ending in sina, such as Rosina, Gesina or Thomasina.

From Sanskrit वीणा (Vina) meaning "lute".