kingdom_of_daydreams's Personal Name List

Means "flower" in Amharic.

Latinized form of Greek Ἄκανθα (Akantha), which meant "thorn, prickle". In Greek legend she was a nymph loved by Apollo.

Means "death-mist, mist-over-eyes" in Greek. In Greek mythology Achlys was the personification of misery and sadness as well as daemon of the "death-mist", i.e., the clouding over of the eyes preceding death. She was portrayed on the shield of Heracles as a pale, emaciated wraith of a woman, covered in tears, blood and dust.

Feminine form of Adamantios.

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.

Means "bird" in Welsh. This is a modern Welsh name.

Feminine form of Adrastos. In Greek mythology this name was borne by a nymph who fostered the infant Zeus. This was also another name of the goddess Nemesis.

Means "not inclined to run away" in Greek, from the negative prefix ἀ (a) and διδράσκω (didrasko) meaning "to run away". This was the name of a king of Argos in Greek legend.

From Cherokee ᎠᏥᎳ (atsila) "fire" or ᎠᏥᎸᏍᎩ (atsilunsgi) "flower, blossom".

Created by Russian author Aleksey Tolstoy for his science fiction novel Aelita (1923), where it belongs to a Martian princess. In the book, the name is said to mean "starlight seen for the last time" in the Martian language.

Means "whirlwind" in Greek. In Greek myth this was the name of an Amazon warrior killed by Herakles during his quest for Hippolyta's girdle.

Latinized form of Greek Αἰθήρ (Aither) meaning "ether, heaven", derived from αἴθω (aitho) meaning "to burn, to ignite". In Greek mythology this was the name of the god of the upper sky.

Means "legend, myth, fable" in Persian.

From Cree ᐊᑖᐦᑲᑯᐦᑊ (Atâhkakohp) meaning "star blanket", derived from ᐊᑖᕁ (atâhk) "star" and ᐊᑯᐦᑊ (akohp) "blanket". This was the name of an early 19th-century chief of a Plains Cree people.

Means "wise moon" in Kazakh, from ай (ay) meaning "moon" and дана (dana) meaning "wise".

Means "elf" in Irish. This name was borne by several early Irish kings. It also occurs frequently in Irish legend, borne for example by the husband of Queen Medb. It was also the name of two saints, both bishops of Armagh in the 6th century.

From Ailsa Craig, the name of an island off the west coast of Scotland, which is of uncertain derivation.

Means "radiance, brilliance" in Irish. This was the name of a goddess of love and fertility in Irish legend, thought to dwell at the hill of Cnoc Áine in Limerick. It has sometimes been Anglicized as Anne.

Means "dream" or "vision" in Irish. This name was created in the 20th century.

From Kazakh ай (ay) meaning "moon" and жан (zhan) meaning "soul".

Occitan form of Eleanor.

Means "golden rose" in Mongolian, from алтан (altan) meaning "golden" and сарнай (sarnai) meaning "rose".

Means "golden flower" in Mongolian, from алтан (altan) meaning "golden" and цэцэг (tsetseg) meaning "flower".

Means "love of God", derived from Latin amare "to love" and Deus "God". A famous bearer was the Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791), who was actually born Wolfgang Theophilus Mozart but preferred the Latin translation of his Greek middle name. This name was also assumed as a middle name by the German novelist E. T. A. Hoffmann (1776-1822), who took it in honour of Mozart.

Derived from Greek ἀμαρύσσω (amarysso) meaning "to sparkle". This is the name of a character appearing in Virgil's pastoral poems Eclogues [1]. The amaryllis flower is named for her.

Means "shining over heaven", from Japanese 天 (ama) meaning "heaven, sky" and 照 (terasu) meaning "shine". This was the name of the Japanese sun goddess, the ruler of the heavens. She was born when Izanagi washed his left eye after returning from the underworld. At one time the Japanese royal family claimed descent from her.

Italian cognate of Amber.

Means "flying woman" in Cheyenne.

From Egyptian jmnt (reconstructed as Yamanut), the feminine form of Amon. In Egyptian mythology she was a primordial goddess, a consort of Amon. She was later overshadowed by Mut.

Derived from Greek ἀμύντωρ (amyntor) meaning "defender". This was the name of several kings of Macedon.

Means "immaculate, undefiled" in Old Persian, from the Old Iranian prefix *an- "not" combined with *āhita "unclean, dirty". This was the name of an Iranian goddess of fertility and water. In the Zoroastrian religious texts the Avesta she is called 𐬀𐬭𐬆𐬛𐬎𐬎𐬍 (Arəduuī) in Avestan, with 𐬀𐬥𐬁𐬵𐬌𐬙𐬀 (anāhita) appearing only as a descriptive epithet [1]. In origin she is possibly identical to the Indian goddess Saraswati. She has historically been identified with the Semitic goddess Ishtar and the Greek goddess Artemis.

Feminine form of Anastasius. This was the name of a 4th-century Dalmatian saint who was martyred during the persecutions of the Roman emperor Diocletian. Due to her, the name has been common in Eastern Orthodox Christianity (in various spellings). As an English name it has been in use since the Middle Ages. A famous bearer was the youngest daughter of the last Russian tsar Nicholas II, who was rumoured to have escaped the execution of her family in 1918.

Derived from Greek ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man" (genitive ἀνδρός) combined with one of the related words μέδομαι (medomai) meaning "to be mindful of, to provide for, to think on" or μέδω (medo) meaning "to protect, to rule over". In Greek mythology Andromeda was an Ethiopian princess rescued from sacrifice by the hero Perseus. A constellation in the northern sky is named for her. This is also the name of a nearby galaxy, given because it resides (from our point of view) within the constellation.

Feminine form of Aneirin, also considered a combination of Welsh an, an intensifying prefix, and eira "snow" (see Eira 1), with the intended meaning of "much snow" or "very snowy". It was first used in the late 19th century.

Means "minuteness" from Sanskrit अणिमन (animan). In yoga texts, this is the name of the ability to make oneself infinitely small so to be invisible.

Means "thunder, thunderer" in Ojibwe. In Anishinaabe mythology this is the name of the thunderbird, an immense flying creature that makes thunder with its flapping wings.

Means "song" in Greek. In Greek mythology she was one of the original three muses, the muse of song.

From Old Irish Aífe, derived from oíph meaning "beauty" (modern Irish aoibh). This was the name of several characters in Irish legend, including a woman at war with Scáthach (her sister in some versions). She was defeated in single combat by the hero Cúchulainn, who spared her life on the condition that she bear him a child (Connla). Another legendary figure by this name appears in the Children of Lir as the jealous third wife of Lir.

This name is sometimes Anglicized as Eve or Eva.

From the name of a mountain in eastern Turkey (formerly part of Armenia), the place where Noah's Ark came to rest according to the Old Testament.

Meaning unknown, possibly related either to Greek ἀρτεμής (artemes) meaning "safe" or ἄρταμος (artamos) meaning "a butcher". Artemis was the Greek goddess of the moon and hunting, the twin of Apollo and the daughter of Zeus and Leto. She was known as Diana to the Romans.

Feminine form of Artemisios. This was the name of the 4th-century BC builder of the Mausoleum, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. She built it in memory of her husband, the Carian prince Mausolus.

Means "noble maiden" in the fictional language Sindarin. In The Lord of the Rings (1954) by J. R. R. Tolkien, Arwen was the daughter of Elrond and the lover of Aragorn.

Means "changing woman", from Navajo asdzáán "woman" and nádleeh "become, change". In Navajo mythology this is the name of a being who created humans from parts of her body.

Perhaps derived from Semitic roots meaning "she who walks in the sea". This was the name of a Semitic mother goddess. She was worshipped by the Israelites before the advent of monotheism.

Derived from Greek ἀσπάσιος (aspasios) meaning "welcome, embrace". This was the name of the lover of Pericles (5th century BC).

Means "travel at night" in Arabic. It is related to Isra.

From the name of the flower, which is derived via Latin from Greek ἀστήρ (aster) meaning "star".

Means "of the stars", derived from Greek ἀστήρ (aster) "star". This is the name of several figures in Greek mythology, including a river god.

Latinized form of Greek Ἀστέριος (Asterios) meaning "starry", a derivative of ἀστήρ (aster) meaning "star". This is the name of several figures from Greek mythology. It was also borne by a few early saints.

Modern Scandinavian form of Ástríðr. This name was borne by the Swedish writer Astrid Lindgren (1907-2002), the author of Pippi Longstocking. It was also borne by a Swedish princess (1905-1935) who became the queen of Belgium as the wife of Leopold III.

Means "green whip snake, dragon" in Albanian.

Possibly means "enduring" from Greek τλάω (tlao) meaning "to endure". In Greek mythology he was a Titan punished by Zeus by being forced to support the heavens on his shoulders.

Derived from Old Frankish aud "wealth, fortune" combined with war "true" or war "aware, cautious". This was the name of the first wife of Chilperic I of Neustria.

Polish form of Aurelius.

Means "dawn" in Latvian.

Greek form of Aura.

Means "fawn" in Cherokee, derived from ᎠᏫ (awi) meaning "deer".

Means "returning, visitor" in Arabic. In Turkey this is also associated with ay meaning "moon".

Means "doe, female deer, gazelle". It is taken from the Hebrew phrase אַיֶלֶת הַשַׁחַר ('ayelet hashachar), literally "gazelle of dawn", which is a name of the morning star.

The name Aylintá comes from the West African nation of Senegal and means Bearer of Light or Bringer of Light.

Derived from Turkmen aý "moon" and nabat, a type of crystallized sugar candy.

Means "moon flood" in Turkish and Azerbaijani, derived from ay "moon" and sel "flood, stream" (of Arabic origin).

Derived from Turkish ay meaning "moon" and sima meaning "face" (of Persian origin).

Means "azure, sky blue" in Italian.

Means "fragrance" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of a wife of Esau.

Means "producing, manifesting, thought, emotion" in Sanskrit.

Means "earth, soil" in Sanskrit. This is the name of a Hindu earth goddess. She is the wife of Varaha, an avatar of Vishnu.

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.

Means "face of flowers" in Welsh. According to the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi [1], she was created out of flowers by Gwydion to be the wife of his nephew Lleu Llaw Gyffes. Originally she was named Blodeuedd meaning simply "flowers". She was eventually transformed into an owl by Gwydion after she and her lover Gronw attempted to murder Lleu, at which point he renamed her Blodeuwedd.

Derived from Old Norse bragr meaning "first, foremost" or "poetry". In Norse mythology Bragi is the god of poetry and the husband of Iðunn.

Means "raven" in Welsh. According to the Second Branch of the Mabinogi [1], Brân the Blessed (called Bendigeidfran) was a giant king of Britain. He was the son of the divine figure Llŷr. After his sister Branwen was mistreated by her husband the Irish king Matholwch, Brân led an attack on Ireland (the text says that he was so big he was able to wade there). Although victorious, the British lost all except seven men with Brân being mortally wounded by a poisoned spear. He asked the survivors to cut of his head and return with it to Britain. The head continued to speak for many years until it was buried in London.

Means "white raven" from Old Welsh bran "raven" and gwen "white, blessed". According to the Second Branch of the Mabinogi [1] she was the daughter of Llŷr. After she was mistreated by her husband Matholwch, the king of Ireland, she managed to get a message to her brother Brân, the king of Britain. Brân launched a costly invasion to rescue her, but she died of grief shortly after her return.

Derived from Welsh briallu meaning "primrose". This is a modern Welsh name.

Seemingly derived from Welsh bron "breast" and gwen "white, blessed", though it has sometimes occurred as a variant spelling of the legendary name Branwen [1]. It has been used as a given name in Wales since the 19th century. It is borne by a character in Richard Llewellyn's 1939 novel How Green Was My Valley, as well as the 1941 movie adaptation.

Variant of Brunhild.

Spanish and Portuguese feminine form of Calixtus.

Means "Candlemas" in Spanish, ultimately derived from Spanish candela "candle". This name is given in honour of the church festival of Candlemas, which commemorates the presentation of Christ in the temple and the purification of the Virgin Mary.

Means "vigilant" in Irish.

Polish feminine form of Caelestinus.

Derived from the Hebrew word חַיִּים (chayyim) meaning "life". It has been used since medieval times.

Means "moon" in Sanskrit, derived from चन्द (chand) meaning "to shine". This is a transcription of the masculine form चण्ड (a name of the moon in Hindu texts, which is often personified as a deity) as well as the feminine form चण्डा.

Means "moon-faced girl" from Khmer ចន្ទ (chan) meaning "moon" and នារី (neari) meaning "woman, girl".

From Greek χάρις (charis) meaning "grace, kindness" and κλέος (kleos) meaning "glory". This is the name of the heroine of the 3rd-century novel Aethiopica, about the love between Charikleia and Theagenes, written by Heliodorus of Emesa.

Means "visible, conscious, soul" in Sanskrit.

Means "golden flower" from Greek χρύσεος (chryseos) meaning "golden" combined with ἄνθος (anthos) meaning "flower". This name was borne by a semi-legendary 3rd-century Egyptian saint.

Means "golden mouth", from Greek χρυσός (chrysos) meaning "gold" and στόμα (stoma) meaning "mouth". This was an epithet applied to eloquent orators, notably Saint John Chrysostom, a 4th-century archbishop of Constantinople.

Means "star" in Nahuatl [1].

Means "the one who writes blossoms" from Hopi cíhu "blossom, flower" combined with bána "to figure, write, draw" and ka "the one that".

From the Latin name Constantinus, a derivative of Constans. Constantine the Great (272-337), full name Flavius Valerius Constantinus, was the first Roman emperor to adopt Christianity. He moved the capital of the empire from Rome to Byzantium, which he renamed Constantinople (modern Istanbul).

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 Dacian.

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

From Greek δηιόω (deioo) meaning "to slay" and ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man". In Greek mythology this was the name of the wife of Herakles. She unwittingly poisoned her husband by giving him the Shirt of Nessus.

Feminine form of the Latin name Delphinus, which meant "of Delphi". Delphi was a city in ancient Greece, the name of which is possibly related to Greek δελφύς (delphys) meaning "womb". The Blessed Delphina was a 14th-century Provençal nun.

From a Cornish place name meaning "fort of Maeldaf". It has been used as a given name since the middle of the 20th century. It was popularized in the 1970s by a character from the British television series Poldark, which was set in Cornwall.

Possibly means "earth mother", derived from Greek δᾶ (da) meaning "earth" and μήτηρ (meter) meaning "mother". In Greek mythology Demeter was the goddess of agriculture, the daughter of Cronus, the sister of Zeus, and the mother of Persephone. She was an important figure in the Eleusinian Mysteries, which were secret rites performed at Eleusis near Athens.

Derived from Kurdish dema meaning "time" and gula meaning "rose".

Means "of the snows" in French, taken from the title of the Virgin Mary Notre Dame des Neiges meaning "Our Lady of the Snows" (see Nieves).

Means "planting stars" in Navajo. This is the Navajo name of the star cluster known in English as the Pleiades.

Means "row of lamps" in Sanskrit.

Means "star" in Macedonian.

Means "snow" in Basque, from edur, a variant of elur "snow". It is an equivalent of Nieves, proposed by the writer Sabino Arana in his 1910 list of Basque saints names.

Feminine form of Elior.

Scottish form of Elizabeth.

Probably derived from Welsh enaid meaning "soul, spirit, life". In Arthurian tales she first appears in the 12th-century French poem Erec and Enide by Chrétien de Troyes, where she is the wife of Erec. In later adaptations she is typically the wife of Geraint. The name became more commonly used after the publication of Alfred Tennyson's Arthurian poem Enid in 1859, and it was fairly popular in Britain in the first half of the 20th century.

Derived from the name of the Enchelei, an Illyrian tribe. Their name itself is probably derived from Ancient Greek ἔγχελῠς (énkhelus) und thus popularly interpreted as "eel-people".

Possibly from Old Irish én meaning "bird". This was the name of several Irish kings and heroes. It was also borne by a 6th-century saint who built the monastery of Killeany on Aran.

Means "horse joy" in Old English. This name was invented by J. R. R. Tolkien who used Old English to represent the Rohirric language. In his novel The Lord of the Rings (1954) Eowyn is the niece of King Theoden of Rohan. She slays the Lord of the Nazgul in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields.

French form of Epponina. Victor Hugo used this name in his novel Les Misérables (1862) for a daughter of the Thénardiers. Her mother got her name from a romance novel.

Means "emerald" in Spanish and Portuguese. Victor Hugo used this name in his novel The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (1831), in which Esmeralda is the Romani girl who is loved by Quasimodo. It has occasionally been used in the English-speaking world since that time.

Spanish form of the Late Latin name Sperantia, which was derived from sperare "to hope".

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.

Means "cosmos, the universe" in Turkish. In Turkic mythology the Evren is a gigantic snake-like dragon.

Means "foxglove" in Welsh (species Digitalis purpurea). This is a recently created Welsh name.

From Old Irish Fiachrae, possibly from fiach "raven" or fích "battle" combined with rí "king". This was the name of several legendary figures, including one of the four children of Lir transformed into swans for a period of 900 years. This is also the name of the patron saint of gardeners: a 7th-century Irish abbot who settled in France, usually called Saint Fiacre.

Means "wild, wild animal, deer" (modern Irish fia) or "respect" in Irish.

Means "white shoulder" from Old Irish finn "white, blessed" and gúala "shoulder". In Irish legend Fionnuala was one of the four children of Lir who were transformed into swans for a period of 900 years.

From the Greek word γαῖα (gaia), a parallel form of γῆ (ge) meaning "earth". In Greek mythology Gaia was the mother goddess who presided over the earth. She was the mate of Uranus and the mother of the Titans and the Cyclopes.

Means "bright swan" in Old Irish, from geal "bright" and geiss "swan".

From the name of the flowering plant called the gentian, the roots of which are used to create a tonic. It is derived from the name of the Illyrian king Gentius, who supposedly discovered its medicinal properties.

From a Norman French form of a Frankish name. The second element is Old German fridu "peace", while the first element could be *gautaz "Geat" (a North Germanic tribe), gawi "territory" or walah "foreigner". It is possible that two or more names merged into a single form. In the later Middle Ages Geoffrey was further confused with the distinct name Godfrey.

The Normans introduced this name to England where it became common among the nobility. Famous medieval literary bearers include the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth and the 14th-century poet Geoffrey Chaucer, writer of The Canterbury Tales. By the end of the Middle Ages it had become uncommon, but it was revived in the 20th century, often in the spelling Jeffrey.

Italian form of Jade.

From Greek γλαφυρός (glaphyros) meaning "polished, subtle".

Meaning "guest of peace and earth". Combined with gost "guest" and miru "peace, world".

Means "to dawn" in Norwegian, Danish and Swedish.

From the Norman French form of the Welsh name Gwenhwyfar meaning "white phantom", ultimately from the old Celtic roots *windos meaning "white" (modern Welsh gwen) and *sēbros meaning "phantom, magical being" [1]. In Arthurian legend she was the beautiful wife of King Arthur. According to the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth, she was seduced by Mordred before the battle of Camlann, which led to the deaths of both Mordred and Arthur. According to the 12th-century French poet Chrétien de Troyes, she engaged in an adulterous affair with Sir Lancelot.

The Cornish form of this name, Jennifer, has become popular in the English-speaking world.

Probably means "born of trees" from Old Welsh guid "trees" and the suffix gen "born of". In the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi [1], Gwydion is the nephew of King Math of Gwynedd, and like him a powerful magician. In an elaborate plot to give his brother a chance to rape his uncle's footbearer, he arranged a war between Gwynedd and the neighbouring kingdom of Dyfed. Gwydion himself killed King Pryderi of Dyfed at the end of the war. In punishment for the rape, Math transformed Gwydion and his brother into different animals over the course of three years. Gwydion was the uncle of Lleu Llaw Gyffes, whom he fostered. Math and Gwydion fashioned Lleu a wife, Blodeuwedd, out of flowers and they later aided him after her betrayal. Gwydion also appears in older Welsh poetry such as the Book of Taliesin.

From the name of the kingdom of Gwynedd, which was located in northern Wales from the 5th century. It is now the name of a Welsh county. The name may be related to Old Irish Féni meaning "Irish people", itself possibly related to the Celtic root *wēnā meaning "band of warriors" [1].

Means "halo around the moon" in Arabic. This was the name of a sister-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad.

Means "heaven, sky" in Korean.

From Japanese 隼 (haya) meaning "falcon" or 勇 (haya) meaning "brave" combined with 雄 (o) meaning "hero, manly", 男 (o) meaning "male", 夫 (o) meaning "man, husband" or 郎 (o) meaning "son". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Famous bearer of this name is Japanese film director, producer, screenwriter, animator, author, and manga artist Hayao Miyazaki.

German diminutive of Adelheid. This is the name of the title character in the children's novel Heidi (1880) by the Swiss author Johanna Spyri. The name began to be used in the English-speaking world shortly after the 1937 release of the movie adaptation, which starred Shirley Temple.

From Phoenician 𐤇𐤓𐤌 (Ḥirom) meaning "exalted brother". This was the name of a king of Tyre in the Old Testament. He may have reigned in the 10th century BC. As an English given name, Hiram came into use after the Protestant Reformation. In the 17th century the Puritans brought it to America, where it gained some currency.

"horoscope", "horoscopy", "hour" ,a branch of traditional Indian astrology dealing with finer points of predective methods"

Feminine form of the Roman family name Hortensius, possibly derived from Latin hortus meaning "garden".

Means "violet flower", derived from Greek ἴον (ion) meaning "violet" and ἄνθος (anthos) meaning "flower". This was the name of an ocean nymph in Greek mythology.

Means "lady of the water" in Tupi, from y "water" and îara "lady, mistress". In Brazilian folklore this is the name of a beautiful river nymph who would lure men into the water. She may have been based upon earlier Tupi legends.

Means "love" in Igbo (literally "to see in one's eye").

Means "inspiration" in Arabic.

Means "flower amulet" in Quechua.

Italian and Spanish form of Irmhild. The Blessed Imelda Lambertini was a young 14th-century nun from Bologna.

From the Old Norse name Ingríðr meaning "Ing is beautiful", derived from the name of the Germanic god Ing combined with fríðr "beautiful, beloved". A famous bearer was the Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman (1915-1982).

Derived from Cherokee ᎢᏃᎵ (inoli) meaning "black fox".

Means "to soar" in Hawaiian.

Derived from Greek ἴφιος (iphios) meaning "strong, stout" and γενής (genes) meaning "born". In Greek myth Iphigenia was the daughter of King Agamemnon. When her father offended Artemis it was divined that the only way to appease the goddess was to sacrifice Iphigenia. Just as Agamemnon was about to sacrifice his daughter she was magically transported to the city of Taurus.

In Christian tradition this was also the name of a legendary early saint, the daughter of an Ethiopian king Egippus.

Means "nocturnal journey", derived from Arabic سرى (sara) meaning "to travel at night".

Means "honey moon" in Tupi, from îasy "moon" and yra "honey".

From Persian جهان (jahan) meaning "world" and آرا (ara) meaning "decorate, adorn". This was the name of the eldest daughter of the 17th-century Mughal emperor Shah Jahan.

From the Arabic phrase جنّات الفردوس (jannat al-firdaws) meaning "gardens of paradise".

Means "jewels" in Arabic, ultimately from Persian گوهر (gohar) meaning "jewel, essence".

From Chinese 静 (jìng) meaning "quiet, still, gentle", 精 (jīng) meaning "essence, spirit", 晶 (jīng) meaning "clear, crystal" or 京 (jīng) meaning "capital city". Other characters can also form this name.

Means "bright, shining" in Japanese. It is spelled with the kanji 赫 (kagaya) meaning "bright" and 映 (ya) meaning "reflect". The name originates from the old Japanese folktale The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, about a bamboo cutter who finds a tiny baby in a bamboo stalk and names her Kaguya-hime "shining princess". When she grows up she rejects all proposals for marriage (including that from the Emperor) and eventually returns to her true home on the moon.

Many characters from Japanese anime and other popular culture bear this name, after her.

Means "all-beings; universe" in Arabic, Urdu and Persian. It is the plural of كَائن (kâ'in) meaning "being" coming from the Arabic root ك و ن‎ (k-w-n) meaning “to be; to exist in a place”.

Means "beautiful fate", derived from the Greek elements καλος (kalos) "beautiful, fair" and μοιρα (moira) "share, fate". A known bearer is the Greek-American pop singer Kalomira Sarantis (1985-).

Means "imagining, fantasy" in Sanskrit.

From Sanskrit कृत्तिका (krttika), the name for the constellation of the Pleiades, ultimately from कृत् (krt) meaning "to cut, to divide". This is another name for the Hindu god Skanda.

Feminine form of Kazimierz (Polish) or Kazimieras (Lithuanian).

Polish form of Casimir.

Means "butterfly" in Turkish.

Alternate transcription of Arabic خديجة (see Khadija), as well as the usual Malay form.

From Koh-i-noor, the name of a famous gemstone, meaning "mountain of light" in Persian.

Means "rose" in Khmer, ultimately from Persian گلاب (golab).

Coined by Polish writer Juliusz Słowacki for the title character of his drama Kordian (1833). Słowacki likely based the name on Latin cor "heart" (genitive cordis).

Derived from Sanskrit कुसुम (kusuma) meaning "flower".

Derived from the Slavic elements květŭ "flower" and slava "glory".

Means "lily of the valley" in Romanian (species Convallaria majalis). It is derived from a diminutive form of lacrămă "tear".

Means "mosaic of flowers" in Meitei.

Means "eternal, abiding" in Indonesian.

Means "stone flower" in Mapuche, from likan "a type of black stone" and rayen "flower". According to a Mapuche legend this was the name of a maiden who sacrificed herself in order to stop the wrath of the evil spirit of a volcano.

Derived from Akkadian lilitu meaning "of the night". This was the name of a demon in ancient Assyrian myths. In Jewish tradition she was Adam's first wife, sent out of Eden and replaced by Eve because she would not submit to him. The offspring of Adam (or Samael) and Lilith were the evil spirits of the world.

From Chinese 灵 (líng) meaning "spirit, soul", 铃 (líng) meaning "bell, chime", or other Chinese characters that are pronounced similarly.

From the name of a flower, also known as the twinflower. The Swedish botanist Carolus Linnaeus named it after himself, it being his favourite flower.

Directly taken from Zulu liyana "it is raining". As an English name, it is a variant of Liana.

Probably a Welsh form of an unattested old Celtic name *Lugubelinos, a combination of the names of the gods Lugus and Belenus, or a compound of Lugus and a Celtic root meaning "strong". Alternatively it may be derived from Welsh llyw "leader". This was the name of several Welsh rulers, notably the 13th-century Llywelyn the Great who fought against the English.

Means "Viking, Scandinavian" from Old Irish Lochlann, a name for Scandinavia. It means "land of the lakes", derived from loch "lake".

An elaboration of Lucia created by Cervantes for his novel Don Quixote (1605). It was subsequently used by Molière in his play The Doctor in Spite of Himself (1666).

Means "flower of life" in Albanian, from lule "flower" and jetë "life".

Means "brilliance" in Tagalog.

From Armenian լուսին (lusin) meaning "moon".

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).

Feminine form of Maël.

From the English word magnolia for the flower, which was named for the French botanist Pierre Magnol.

From Dakota or Lakota maȟpíya meaning "cloud, sky". This is the first part of the names of the Dakota chief Mahpiya Wicasta (1780-1863), known as Cloud Man, and the Lakota chiefs Mahpiya Luta (1822-1909), known as Red Cloud, and Mahpiya Iyapato (1838-1905), known as Touch the Clouds.

From Greek μαρμαίρω (marmairo) meaning "sparkle, gleam, flash". This name was borne by several characters in Greek mythology, including one of the Nereids.

Irish form of Maria (see Mary). The form Muire is used to refer to the Virgin Mary.

Means "sad, grieved" in Pashto. This was the name of a Pashtun woman who encouraged the Afghan forces during the 1880 Battle of Maiwand against the British.

Means "moon" in Maori. This is the name of a moon god (or goddess) in Maori mythology.

Italian form of Maristela.

Possibly a diminutive of Marina. This name was brought to public attention by Alfred Hitchcock's movie Marnie (1964), itself based on a 1961 novel by Winston Graham.

Means "rose" in Malay and Indonesian.

Possibly from the Hebrew roots מֶלֶכְ (melekh) meaning "king" and אוֹר ('or) meaning "light". This was a name traditionally assigned to one of the wise men (also known as the Magi, or three kings) who were said to have visited the newborn Jesus. According to medieval tradition he was a king of Persia.

Means "miracles" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin Mary, Nuestra Señora de los Milagros, which means "Our Lady of Miracles".

Variant of Mirèio using classical Occitan spelling conventions.

Means "peace" in Luganda.

Derived from the Slavic elements mirŭ "peace, world" and slava "glory". This was the name of a 10th-century king of Croatia who was deposed by one of his nobles after ruling for four years.

Possibly derived from the Slavic word mir meaning "peace" or Romanian mira meaning "to wonder, to astound".

Anglicized form of Máire. It also coincides with Greek Μοῖρα (Moira) meaning "fate, destiny", the singular of Μοῖραι, the Greek name for the Fates. They were the three female personifications of destiny in Greek mythology.

From the name of a mountain near Barcelona, the site of a monastery founded in the 10th century. The mountain gets its name from Latin mons serratus meaning "jagged mountain".

From Old Slavic morŭ meaning "death, plague" [1]. In Slavic mythology this was the name of a goddess associated with winter and death.

Means "lily of the valley" in Turkish (species Convallaria majalis).

Created by the 17th-century poet Fulke Greville. He possibly based it on Latin myrra meaning "myrrh" (a fragrant resin obtained from a tree). Otherwise, he may have simply rearranged the letters from the name Mary. Although unrelated etymologically, this is also the name of an ancient city of Anatolia.

Derived from Greek μύρον (myron) meaning "sweet oil, perfume". Myron was the name of a 5th-century BC Greek sculptor. Saints bearing this name include a 3rd-century bishop of Crete and a 4th-century martyr from Cyzicus who was killed by a mob. These saints are more widely revered in the Eastern Church, and the name has generally been more common among Eastern Christians. As an English name, it has been used since the 19th century.

From Aymara nayra meaning "eye" or "early".

Means "path of man" in Sanskrit. In Hindu belief this is the name of the god of creation, later synonymous with the god Brahma, and even later with Vishnu.

Latinized form of Greek Ναυσικάα (Nausikaa) meaning "burner of ships". In Homer's epic the Odyssey this is the name of a daughter of Alcinous who helps Odysseus on his journey home.

From Greek νέφος (nephos) meaning "cloud". In Greek legend Nephele was created from a cloud by Zeus, who shaped the cloud to look like Hera in order to trick Ixion, a mortal who desired her. Nephele was the mother of the centaurs by Ixion, and was also the mother of Phrixus and Helle by Athamus.

Derived from Greek Νηρηΐδες (Nereides) meaning "nymphs, sea sprites", ultimately derived from the name of the Greek sea god Nereus, who supposedly fathered them.

Possibly means "water lily" in an Australian Aboriginal language.

Means "eglantine, sweetbrier" in Kurdish.

Means "bright" in Irish. She was the daughter of the sea god Manannán mac Lir in Irish legends. She fell in love with the poet Oisín, the son of Fionn mac Cumhaill. It has been used as a given name for people only since the early 20th century.

Means "night's end, dawn" in Sanskrit.

From the Breton phrase Noyal Gwenn meaning "holy one from Noyal". This was the epithet of a 6th-century saint and martyr from Brittany.

Means "night" in Greek. This was the name of the Greek goddess of the night, the daughter of Khaos and the wife of Erebos.

From the name of a Ukrainian city that sits on the north coast of the Black Sea, which was named after the ancient Greek city of Ὀδησσός (Odessos), of uncertain meaning. This name can also be used as a feminine form of Odysseus.

Means "star flower" in Mongolian, from од (od) meaning "star" and цэцэг (tsetseg) meaning "flower".

Feminine form of Olympos.

Derived from the Old English elements os "god" and weald "powerful, mighty". Saint Oswald was a king of Northumbria who introduced Christianity to northeastern England in the 7th century before being killed in battle. There was also an Old Norse cognate Ásvaldr in use in England, being borne by the 10th-century Saint Oswald of Worcester, who was of Danish ancestry. Though the name had died out by the end of the Middle Ages, it was revived in the 19th century.

Means "flower" in Sotho.

Means "butterfly" in Persian.

Means "the Pleiades" in Persian. The Pleiades are a group of stars in the constellation Taurus. This name is typically feminine in Iran, but unisex in India.

Created by the 12th-century French poet Chrétien de Troyes for his poem Perceval, the Story of the Grail. Chrétien may have derived the name from Old French perce val "pierce the valley", or he may have based it loosely on the Welsh name Peredur [1]. In the poem Perceval is a boy from Wales who hopes to become a knight under King Arthur. Setting out to prove himself, he eventually comes to the castle of the Fisher King and is given a glimpse of the Grail.

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

Greek name meaning "Persian woman". This was the name of a woman mentioned in Paul's epistle to the Romans in the New Testament.

Feminine form of Peter. This was also the name of an ancient city in the region that is now Jordan.

Name of a star cluster, likely meaning "to sail", from the ancient Greek 'plein'. Also used in Greek mythology, the Pleiades were the seven daughters of Pleione and Atlas, thus meaning "daughters of Pleione".

From masculine قَمَرِيّ (qamariyy) or feminine قَمَرِيَّة (qamariyya), both meaning "lunar, related to the moon" in Arabic. It may therefore be seen as a strictly feminine variant of Qamar.

Either an elaboration of Raven, or else from the name of the city of Ravenna in Italy.

Means "watered, luxuriant" in Arabic. According to Islamic tradition this is the name of one of the gates of paradise.

Feminine form of Raziel.

French form of Renatus. A famous bearer was the French mathematician and rationalist philosopher René Descartes (1596-1650).

Meaning unknown, perhaps related to ῥέω (rheo) meaning "to flow" or ἔρα (era) meaning "ground". In Greek mythology Rhea was a Titan, the wife of Cronus, and the mother of the Olympian gods Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Hera, Demeter and Hestia. Also, in Roman mythology a woman named Rhea Silvia was the mother of Romulus and Remus, the legendary founders of Rome.

Means "teardrop" in Maori.

Diminutive of Róis or the Irish word rós meaning "rose" (of Latin origin). It appears in the 17th-century song Róisín Dubh.

Means "rosary" in French.

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).

Old Norse, Icelandic and Faroese feminine form of Rune.

Derived either from Arabic رقى (ruqia) meaning "rise, ascent" or from رقية (ruqyah) meaning "spell, charm, incantation". This was the name of one of the daughters of the Prophet Muhammad. She became a wife of Uthman, the third caliph of the Muslims. The name was also borne by daughters of Ali and Husayn.

Means "hawk" in Turkish, of Persian origin.

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

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

Means "my princess" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament, this was Sarah's name before God changed it (see Genesis 17:15).

From сарыал (sarıal) meaning "radiance, halo, shining".

From the Old German element sahso meaning "a Saxon". The Saxons were a Germanic tribe, their name ultimately deriving from the Germanic word *sahsą meaning "knife". Saskia van Uylenburgh (1612-1642) was the wife of the Dutch painter Rembrandt.

Means "moon" in Greek. This was the name of a Greek goddess of the moon, a Titan. She was sometimes identified with the goddess Artemis.

French form of Zipporah.

Italian, Spanish and Portuguese form of Seraphina.

French form of Seraphinus (see Seraphina).

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.

Means "dawn" in Hebrew.

Means "daughter of the mountain" in Sanskrit, from शैल (shaila) meaning "mountain" and ज (ja) meaning "born". This is another name of the Hindu goddess Parvati.

Means "autumnal, associated with autumn" in Sanskrit, a derivative of शरद् (sharad) meaning "autumn". This is another name for the Hindu goddess Saraswati.

From an Old Testament place name possibly meaning "tranquil" in Hebrew. It is also used prophetically in the Old Testament to refer to a person, often understood to be the Messiah (see Genesis 49:10). This may in fact be a mistranslation.

This name was brought to public attention after actors Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt gave it to their daughter in 2006.

Means "singing" in Hebrew.

Means "blossom" in Persian.

Means "elf, sprite" in Irish. This name was created in the 20th century.

Derived from Estonian sireli, the genitive form of sirel, "lilac".

Means "star" in Urdu, ultimately from Persian.

Means "solitude" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin Mary, María de la Soledad, meaning "Mary of Solitude".

Solikha means "Flower of death" but actually is the flower of salvation. It is noted in old Sanskrit text abut a mountain made of corpses. Atop that mountain was a large black flower with sweetest scented dew. Many men have trek the path up the mountain because rumor has it, that the flower grant wishes. In truth, it did not. The flower's nature was to reveal your true intentions. If you went to ask it in false, you'd smell the sweet dew and get poison and become part of the mountain. If you are true, then the path of enlightenment is revealed.

From an Old Norse name, which was derived from the elements sól "sun" and veig "strength". This is the name of the heroine in Henrik Ibsen's play Peer Gynt (1876).

Possibly means "morning star" from Apache sons-ee-ah-ray [1]. This name was featured in the western movie Broken Arrow (1950).

Means "self-controlled, sensible" in Greek. This name was borne by the 5th-century BC writer Sophron of Syracuse.

Persian form of Thurayya. It became popular in some parts of Europe because of the fame of Princess Soraya (1932-2001), wife of the last Shah of Iran, who became a European socialite.

Means "radiant, bright" in Irish. It has been in use since late medieval times [2]. It is sometimes Anglicized as Sarah (in Ireland) and Clara (in Scotland).

Allegedly means "creation of the stars", in which case it would be related to Persian sitareh "star". This was probably the usual name of Alexander the Great's second wife, a daughter of the Persian king Darius III, formally named Barsine. After Alexander's death Stateira was murdered by his first wife Roxana.

Modern historians have tried to identify the biblical Vashti with that of the Persian queen Stateira, even suggesting that Vashti is a diminutive of Vashtateira.

From Esperanto stelaro meaning "constellation", ultimately from Latin stella "star".

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.

Derived from Sanskrit स्वपन (svapana) meaning "sleeping, dreaming".

Polish form and Latin variant of Sibylla.

Either a variant of Silvanus or directly from the Latin word silva meaning "wood, forest".

Kabyle variant of Tajddigt.

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.

Ukrainian, Russian and Belarusian form of the Greek name Ταράσιος (Tarasios), which possibly means "from Taras". Taras was an Italian city, now called Taranto, which was founded by Greek colonists in the 8th century BC and was named for the Greek mythological figure Taras, a son of Poseidon. Saint Tarasios was an 8th-century bishop of Constantinople. It was also borne by the Ukrainian writer and artist Taras Shevchenko (1814-1861).

Feminine form of the Roman name Tatianus, a derivative of the Roman name Tatius. This was the name of a 3rd-century saint who was martyred in Rome under the emperor Alexander Severus. She was especially venerated in Orthodox Christianity, and the name has been common in Russia (as Татьяна) and Eastern Europe. It was not regularly used in the English-speaking world until the 1980s.

Means "young beaver" in Cherokee, derived from ᏙᏯ (doya) meaning "beaver".

From the English word meaning "moderation" or "restraint". This was one of the virtue names adopted by the Puritans in the 17th century. It experienced a modest revival in the United States during the run of the television series Bones (2005-2017), in which the main character bears this name.

Variant of Tara 1, perhaps influenced by the Latin word terra meaning "land, earth".

Means "sea" in Greek. In Greek mythology she was the personification of the sea. A small moon of Neptune is named for her.

Means "death" in Greek. This was the name of the Greek god of death who resided with Hades in the underworld.

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

From the ancient Greek name Θεόκλεια (Theokleia), which meant "glory of God" from the Greek elements θεός (theos) meaning "god" and κλέος (kleos) meaning "glory". This was the name of a 1st-century saint, appearing (as Θέκλα) in the apocryphal Acts of Paul and Thecla. The story tells how Thecla listens to Paul speak about the virtues of chastity and decides to remain a virgin, angering both her mother and her suitor.

Feminine form of Theophanes.

Means "the Pleiades" in Arabic. The Pleiades are a group of stars in the constellation Taurus.

From Akkadian tâmtu meaning "sea". In Babylonian myth Tiamat was the personification of the sea, appearing in the form of a huge dragon. By Apsu she gave birth to the first of the gods. Later, the god Marduk (her great-grandson) defeated her, cut her in half, and used the pieces of her body to make the earth and the sky.

Means "to twinkle, to sparkle" in Swedish.

Derived from Bulgarian цвет (tsvet) meaning "flower, blossom".

From Sino-Vietnamese 雪 (tuyết) meaning "snow".

Probably derived from Old Irish úan meaning "lamb". This was a common name in medieval Ireland.

Scottish Gaelic form of Úna.

Means "little bear", derived from a diminutive form of the Latin word ursa "she-bear". Saint Ursula was a legendary virgin princess of the 4th century who was martyred by the Huns while returning from a pilgrimage. In England the saint was popular during the Middle Ages, and the name came into general use at that time.

Derived from Old Norse valr meaning "the dead, the slain" and dís meaning "goddess".

Means "chooser of the slain", derived from Old Norse valr "the slain" and kyrja "chooser". In Norse myth the Valkyries were maidens who led heroes killed in battle to Valhalla.

Derived from Armenian վարդ (vard) meaning "rose", ultimately from an Iranian language.

Russian feminine form of Basil 1.

Means "rose" in Hebrew, originally a borrowing from an Iranian language.

Latin cognate of Hesperos. This name was used by the British author Ian Fleming for a female character, a love interest of James Bond, in his novel Casino Royale (1953). She also appears in the film adaptations of 1967 and 2006.

Means "of the evening", derived from Esperanto vespero "evening", ultimately from Latin vesper.

Roman name meaning "victor, conqueror" in Latin. It was common among early Christians, and was borne by several early saints and three popes. It was rare as an English name during the Middle Ages, but it was revived in the 19th century. A famous bearer was the French writer Victor Hugo (1802-1885), who authored The Hunchback of Notre-Dame and Les Misérables.

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.

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".

Italian form of Victoria.

Means "morning star, Venus" in Cree.

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.

Means "night-flowering jasmine" in Assamese.

Means "daydream, illusion" in Kurdish.

Meaning uncertain, said to mean "the flower that arrived" in Zapotec.

Means "flower prince" in Nahuatl, from xōchitl "flower" and pilli "noble child, prince" [1]. Xochipilli was the Aztec god of love, flowers, song and games, the twin brother of Xochiquetzal.

Derived from Nahuatl xōchitl "flower" and quetzalli "quetzal feather, precious thing" [1]. This was the name of the Aztec goddess of love, flowers and the earth, the twin sister of Xochipilli.

Derived from Nahuatl yōllōtl "heart" and xōchitl "flower" [1].

From Japanese 夢 (yume) meaning "dream, vision". It can also come from 裕 (yu) meaning "abundant, rich, plentiful" and 芽 (me) meaning "bud, sprout", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations.

From the Greek Ζέφυρος (Zephyros) meaning "west wind". Zephyros was the Greek god of the west wind.

From Kazakh жан (zhan) meaning "soul" and сая (saya) meaning "shadow, shade, protection, comfort" (both of Persian origin).

Means "flower garden" in Yezidi.

Means "Venus (planet)" in Swahili and Dhivehi. Both are borrowed from Arabic الزهرة (al-Zuharah), derived from the root زهر (zahara) meaning "to shine".