These names occur primarily in literature. They are not commonly given to real people.
Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
AbenámarmLiterature Abenámar is the main character of El romance de Abenámar anonimously written and set in 1431. Abenámar is either King Yusuf IV (Abenalmao) himself or one of his courtiers. The poem is a dialogue between Abenámar and King John II of Castille, who wishes for complete possession of Granada (that occurs only in 1492).
AberforthmLiterature Variant of Aberford, a village in West Yorkshire, meaning "Eadburg's ford" in Old English. This was the name of schoolmaster Albus Dumbledore's more eccentric brother in J. K. Rowling's 'Harry Potter' books, released between 1997 and 2007.
AbrafHistory, Literature Possibly a feminine form of Abraham. It coincides with a Latin word meaning "maid". A known bearer was Saint Abra of Poitiers, a Gallo-Roman nun of the 4th century.
AbraxosmLiterature Possibly a variant of Abraxas. This was used by American author Sarah J. Maas for a character (a wyvern) in her Throne of Glass series of high fantasy novels (2014-2018).
AcanthisfGreek Mythology (Latinized), Literature Latinized form of Greek Ἀκανθίς (Akanthis), which was the name of a type of finch, known as thistle finch in English, literally meaning "prickly" from Greek ἄκανθα (akantha) "thorn, prickle, thistle" (compare Acantha, Acanthus)... [more]
AccolonmArthurian Romance Of uncertain origin, perhaps a derivative of the Gaulish name Acco (itself from Gaulish *acu- meaning "fast, swift, quick"). Sir Accolon, also spelled Accalon, is a character in Arthurian legends, possibly first appearing in the Post-Vulgate Suite du Merlin (c.1230-40)... [more]
AcheflowfArthurian Romance Variant of Acheflour, which is probably a corruption of Blancheflour (see Blanchefleur) meaning "white flower" in Old French. In the Middle English romance 'Sir Perceval of Galles', Acheflour was the sister of King Arthur and mother of Perceval.
AdalmiinafFinnish, Literature Used by Zacharias Topelius, a Finnish fairy tale writer, in his story 'Adalmiinan helmi' ('Adalmiina's pearl' in English, 'Adalminas pärla' in Swedish), which was published during the late 1800s.... [more]
AdamastormLiterature, Portuguese (Rare) Derived from Greek ἀδάμαστος (adamastos) meaning "untamed" or "untameable" (also see Adamastos). The giant Adamastor is a personification of the Cape of Good Hope in the 16th-century Portuguese poet Luís de Camões' epic work Os Lusíadas (The Lusiads)... [more]
AdanedhelmLiterature Means "elfman, half-elf" in Sindarin, from the elements adan "man" and edhel "elf".
AdindafIndonesian, Dutch, Literature Means "sister" or "eldest daughter" (a formal, poetic term) in Indonesian. The name was used by Dutch writer Eduard Douwes Dekker (1820-1887), better known by his pen name Multatuli, for one of the eponymous characters in his story "Saïdjah and Adinda" in his 1860 novel Max Havelaar.
AdriusmLiterature The name of an antagonist in the Red Rising series of science fiction novels by American author Pierce Brown.
AdsarthafLiterature Means "child of the warrior star" in Atlantean, the fictional language used in Marion Zimmer Bradley's novel, 'The Fall of Atlantis'.
AdsomLiterature Form of Azzo. Adso da Melk is a fictional Medieval character in Umberto Eco masterpiece 'Il nome della rosa' (1980). That character is loosely based on a real person: the monk Adso de Montier-en-Der (910/915 – 992)... [more]
AegonmLiterature, Popular Culture Derived from the Germanic element agjō "edge of a sword" and the Greek word αγώνας (agónas) "struggle". This is the name of multiple characters in George R. R. Martin's 'A Song of Ice and Fire' series, as well as the TV show based on the books 'Game of Thrones'.
AelinfLiterature Possibly inspired by Aylin. It is the name of a character in the 'Throne of Glass' series by Sarah J. Maas.
AelphabafLiterature Variant of Elphaba. In the novel 'Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West' (1995), this was the name of a legendary saint, Elphaba's namesake, who disappeared behind a waterfall for hundreds of years to read a book.
ÆlswithfLiterature, Popular Culture Variant of Ealhswiþ used in Bernard Cornwell's book series "The Saxon Stories," as well as the TV series "The Last Kingdom" based on the series (though in the show it appears as Aelswith, without the æsh).... [more]
AemmafLiterature Created by author George R. R. Martin for a character in his series "A Song of Ice and Fire". It is possibly derived from Emma. In the series, Aemma Arryn is the mother of Rhaenyra Targaryen, a claimant to the throne of Westeros.
AemonmLiterature, Popular Culture Possibly derived from Amon. This is the name of a character in George R. R. Martin's 'A Song of Ice and Fire' series, as well as the TV show based on the books 'Game of Thrones'.
AemondmLiterature Created by author George R. R. Martin for a character in his series "A Song of Ice and Fire" and the television series "House of the Dragon". Prince Aemond is a member of House Targaryen. He is the second son of King Viserys I Targaryen by his second wife, Queen Alicent Hightower, and the younger brother of King Aegon II Targaryen.
AenarmLiterature Created by author George R. R. Martin for a character in his series "A Song of Ice and Fire". In the series, Aenar Targaryen is an ancestor of the Targaryen monarchs in Westeros.
AeneafLiterature Possibly intended to be a feminine form of Aeneas, or possibly taken from the Latin word aēneus meaning "made of copper, made of bronze; brazen" (feminine aēnea), a derivative of aes "copper, bronze"... [more]
AenysmLiterature Created by author George R. R. Martin for a character in his series "A Song of Ice and Fire". In the series, Aenys Targaryen is the second Targaryen monarch in Westeros.
AethelflaedfLiterature, Popular Culture Variant of Æðelflæd spelled without æsh or ðæt letters. This is the variant / transcription used for the daughter of Alfred the Great in the TV series "The Last Kingdom," which is based on the book series "The Saxon Stories" by Bernard Cornwell.
AfferyfLiterature, Medieval English Meaning uncertain, possibly of Old English origin. It may be related to Avery or Aphra. Affery Flintwinch is a character in Charles Dickens' novel 'Little Dorrit' (1855-7).
AghanmLiterature Aghan is the name of a human being in J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" book series.
AgrestesmArthurian Romance Derived from Latin agrestis meaning "rural, rustic, wild, brutish", from ager "field, farm". This is the name of an ancient pagan king of Camelot in the Old French Arthurian romance 'Estoire del Saint Graal' ("History of the Holy Grail", 1220-35)... [more]
AibileenfLiterature Possibly an alteration of Abilene influenced by Maybelline. This is the name of one of the main characters in Kathryn Stockett's novel 'The Help' (2009) and the subsequent movie adaptation (2011).
AidoannfLiterature Means "moon" in the Romulan language created by Diane Duane for her non-canon series of science fiction novels Star Trek: Rihannsu.
AilinelfLiterature Used by J.R.R. Tolkien, this is a Quenya name of unknown meaning. It likely comes from ailin meaning "lake" combined with the feminine suffix el.
AilinónëfLiterature From ailinon meaning "water lily" in Quenya, a language invented by Tolkien.
AilleannfArthurian Romance Of uncertain derivation. This was the name of the title character in the Irish Arthurian romance Céilidhe Iosgaide Léithe (The Visit of the Grey-Hammed Lady). She married King Arthur when she took him and his knights to the Otherworld... [more]
AirellefFrench (Rare), English (Rare), Literature Derived from airelle, the French name for the plant genus Vaccinium. The French derived the name from Portuguese airella, which in turn was derived from Latin atra "dark, black, gloomy".
AkashafLiterature, Indian Means "ether (quintessence)" in Sanskrit and Hindi. Related to the masculine Akash meaning "open sky". Used by Anne Rice in her Vampire Chronicles for the mother of all vampires, a pre-Egyptian queen.
AkelafLiterature, Various A character in The Jungle Book novel, meaning "single" or "solitary" in Hindi and Urdu.
AlaizabelfLiterature The Haunting Of Alaizabel Cray (2004) is a Gothic steampunk horror/alternate history novel by Chris Wooding about a young man and an amnesiac girl fighting a cult in an alternate Victorian era London.
AlaynefLiterature Variant of Elaine. This is the name of a minor character in George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire.
AlcidianefLiterature Perhaps derived from Alcide. Jean-Baptiste Lully used it for one of the title characters in his 'Ballet d'Alcidiane et Polexandre' (1658), which was based on the 1636 French novel 'Polexandre' by Marin le Roy de Gomberville (where it belongs to a princess of the Isle inaccessible).
AlemandinefArthurian Romance Possibly from Old French alemandine, the name of a gem of a deep red colour (and the source of English almandine); this word was a corruption of Latin alabandicus "Alabandic (stone)", the name applied by Pliny the Elder to a variety of carbuncle worked at the city of Alabanda in Asia Minor (see Alabandus)... [more]
AlicentfLiterature Created by author George R. R. Martin for a character in his series "A Song of Ice and Fire" and the upcoming television series "House of the Dragon". In the series, Alicent Hightower is the daughter of Otto Hightower, the Hand of the King, and a member of the royal court of Westeros under King Viserys Targaryen.
AlienafTheatre, Literature Means "stranger" in Latin. This was the false identity of Celia in Shakespeare's play 'As You Like It' (1599) when she goes into hiding in the forest of Arden, presumably a pun on the word alias... [more]
AlisandermLiterature Medieval variant of Alexander occurring in Shakespeare and Malory. The herb Smyrnium olusatrum is also known commonly as "alisanders".
AlisaundermScots, Medieval English, Literature Scots form and medieval English variant of Alexander. 'King Alisaunder' or 'Kyng Alisaunder', dating from the end of the 13th century or the early 14th century, is a Middle English romance or romantic epic telling the story of Alexander the Great's career from his youth, through his successful campaigns against the Persian king Darius and other adversaries, his discovery of the wonders of the East, and his untimely death.
AliyandermLiterature Name of a sorcerer and antagonist in "The Princess and the Frog" by Robin McKinley.
Alizarinf & mLiterature From alizarin crimson, the English name of a shade of red. The color is named after a red dye originally obtained from the root of the madder plant, ultimately from Arabic al-usara meaning "the juice"... [more]
AlliwfLiterature Meaning unknown. It is used in Robert Beatty’s novel Willa of the Wood. In this case, it was used as an inverse of Willa.
AlmaïdefLiterature (Rare) Variant of Alma. It appears in 'Almaïde d'Etremont' (1900), a novel by the French poet Francis Jammes.
AlmériefLiterature The name of a character in Jean-Pierre Camus' l'Iphigene (1625).
AlomafCatalan (Rare), Literature This name was used by the medieval writer and philosopher Ramon Llull in his novel Blanquerna (1283), where it belongs to the mother of the main character. Llull possibly based it on the masculine name Alomar (nowadays found as a surname - see Alomar), which derives from the Germanic name Aldemar... [more]
AlraunefLiterature, German (Rare) Variant of Alruna, also coinciding with the German word for "mandrake". This is the name of the title character in the novel 'Alraune' (1911) by Hanns Heinz Ewers.
AludamGeorgian, Literature This name is best known for being the name of the eponymous hero of the epic poem Aluda Ketelauri (1888) written by the Georgian poet and writer Vazha-Pshavela (1861-1915).... [more]
AlynefArthurian Romance, Portuguese (Brazilian) Variant of Aline. It appears in Thomas Malory's 15th-century compilation of Arthurian legends Le Morte d'Arthur, where it belongs to a daughter of Pellinore who commits suicide after her lover is killed.
AlzirefTheatre, Literature Used by Voltaire for the heroine of his tragic play 'Alzire, ou les Américains' (1736), about a young indigenous Peruvian woman, daughter of a powerful chief. The heroine is named Alzira in Verdi's opera based on the play... [more]
AmabellefLiterature Variant of Amabel influenced by French (i.e., with a French feminine name suffix). Used by Haitian-born author Edwidge Danticat for a character in the historical novel 'The Farming of Bones' (1998); the book chronicles a young Haitian girl named Amabelle Desir's 1937 escape from the Dominican Republic following the Parsley Massacre and the spread of antihaitianismo.
AmaethonmWelsh Mythology, Arthurian Romance Derived from the Brittonic name *Ambaχtonos meaning "divine ploughman" or "ploughman-god". This was the name of the Welsh god of agriculture. In the late 11th-century legend of Culhwch and Olwen, Amathaon appeared as an Arthurian warrior; as one of his tasks, Culhwch had to convince Amathaon to plow the lands of the giant Ysbaddaden.
AmagoiafBasque, Literature Of unknown origin and meaning. This was the name of the aunt of Amaya in Francisco Navarro-Villoslada's Romantic historical novel Amaya o los vascos en el siglo VIII (Amaya, or the Basques in the 8th century), published in 1879, which is set during the invasion of Visigothic Spain by the Moors.
AmagoyafBasque (Hispanicized), Literature Spanish spelling of Amagoia used in the historical novel Amaya, or the Basques in the 8th century (1879) by Francisco Navarro-Villoslada (Amagoya in the Spanish original; Amagoia in the Basque translation).
AmaïdéefLiterature (Rare) Feminine form of Amédée. Used in 'Amaïdée' (1889), a poem by the French author Jules Barbey d'Aurévilly.
AmariëfLiterature Used by J.R.R. Tolkien this is a Quenya name of unknown meaning. It possibly comes from mára meaning "good" or mar meaning "home".
AmatisfLiterature The name of Luke Garroway's sister in the book series "The Mortal Instruments" by Cassandra Clare (Amatis Herondale). Also means "you love" (pl) in Latin.
AmatsuyumLiterature, Popular Culture Amatsuyu "Joro" Kisaragi is the protagonist of the light novel series 'Are You the Only One Who Loves Me?'. This name is not generally used on real people.
AmbartomLiterature Means "upwards-exalted" in Quenya. In Tolkien's Legendarium this is the mother-name of Amrod.
AmbarussamLiterature Means "russet-top". In Tolkien's Legendarium this is the mother-name of Amras.
AmbrosinusmLiterature, Popular Culture This is the latinized name of Merlin in the novel "The Last Legion" written by Valerio Massimo Manfredi (b. 1943), but also in the 2007 film based on the book. In the novel, his full name is Meridius Ambrosinus (while his original Gaelic name is MyrddinEmrys), but he is usually referred to as simply Ambrosinus.
AmdírmLiterature Possibly means "hope" or "looking up" in Sindarin. In 'Tolkien's Legendarium' this is the name of an elf, the King of Lórien. He was also called Malgalad.
AmenafArthurian Romance The name of a queen helped by Sir Gawain's son Wigalois in an Arthurian romance written by German knight Wirnt von Grafenberg in the early years of the 13th century. Its origin is uncertain; some scholars argue that it might be an adoption of Arabic Amina, while others theorize a derivation from Spanish ameno "delightful" (see Amoena).
AmlaithmLiterature A character from J. R. R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" series bears this name. Amlaith was the king of the fictional kingdom of Arthedain. His name is derived from a Sindarin word.
AmlawddmWelsh Mythology, Arthurian Romance Derived from the Welsh intensive prefix *an-/am- combined with llawdd "praise". In Welsh myth he is the father of Eigyr (Igraine) and therefore the grandfather of King Arthur... [more]
AmlethmLiterature, Medieval Scandinavian Origins uncertain. This earlier form of Hamlet appeared in a story published by Danish writer Christiern Pedersen in 1514, based on a legend recorded by Saxo Grammaticus in his 'History of the Danes'.
AmoretfLiterature Perhaps based on the Italian word amoretto which is a representation of Cupid in a work of art. The word is based on amore meaning "love" combined with a diminutive suffix... [more]
AmpflisefArthurian Romance Form of Amphelise used by the 13th-century poet Wolfram von Eschenbach for two characters in his Middle High German romance Parzival, one of whom was the queen of France during the time of Uther.
AnardafSpanish, Literature An elaboration of Ana created by Cervantes for his novel 'Don Quixote' (1605).
AnárionmLiterature Means "son of the sun" in Quenya. This was the name of the younger son of Elendil in Tolkien's works. He was a king of Gondor and slain in combat with Sauron.
AnathemafLiterature Name of the fictional character Ananthema Device from the show Good Omens inspired by Terry Pratchett Neil Gaiman's book. The name is derived from the word meaning "someone who is disliked" or "a curse by a pope or minister of the church", which makes sense as the character is an occultist.
AnayansifLiterature, Spanish (Latin American) Used by Panamanian author Octavio Méndez Pereira for a character in his historical novel Núñez de Balboa, el tesoro de Dabaibe (1934), where it belongs to an indigenous princess who falls in love with the Spanish conquistador Vasco Núñez de Balboa... [more]
AncalimëfLiterature Means "most bright" in Quenya. This was the name of the first Ruling Queen of Númenor in Tolkien's works. She was the daughter of Erendis and Tar-Aldarion.
AndretmArthurian Romance The name of a character in the Tristan and Isolde legends, a nephew of King Mark of Cornwall and cousin to Tristan. Andret, also spelled Andred, is a villainous character in later versions.
AndrethfLiterature Means "patience" in Sindarin. Andreth was a wise-woman of the House of Bëor in J.R.R. Tolkien's legendarium.
AndruschmLiterature Germanized form of Handroš. Andrusch is a minor character in Otfried Preußler's 1971 German fantasy novel 'Krabat' (published in English as 'The Satanic Mill' in 1972, 'The Curse of the Darkling Mill' in 2000 and 'Krabat' in 2011), which is based on a Sorbian legend.
AnfortasmArthurian Romance, Literature Probably derived from Old French enfertez or enfermetez meaning "infirmity". This was Wolfram's name for the wounded Fisher King in his epic 'Parzifal'.
AnguishmArthurian Romance King of Ireland and father to Iseult, beloved of Tristan. Demanding tribute from Cornwall, Anguish sends his brother-in-law, Morholt, to enforce the tribute in single combat with the Cornish champion (Celtic tribes often settled disputes by a battle of champions rather than field combat... [more]
AniarafSwedish (Modern, Rare), Literature, Astronomy From Greek ἀνιαρός (aniarós) meaning "sad, despairing". The name was invented by Swedish author Harry Martinson for the space ship in his poem of science fiction 'Aniara: en revy om människan i tid och rum' published in 1956... [more]
AnidorifLiterature From Shannon Hale's novel, The Goose Girl, a retelling of the Grimms' fairytale. The princess Anidori Kiladra Talianna Isilee's lady-in-waiting leads a mutiny during the princess's journey to be married in a foreign land... [more]
AnnaelmLiterature Meaning unknown, it possibly combines the Quenya and Sindarin components anna meaning "gift" and el meaning "star". This name was used by J.R.R. Tolkien for an elf in his book "The Lord of the Rings", released in 1954.
AnthiafHistory (Ecclesiastical), Literature Possibly a variant of Anthea. This name was borne by a 2nd-century Illyrian saint who was martyred with her son Eleutherius during the persecutions of the Roman emperor Hadrian... [more]
AntikoniefArthurian Romance Medieval German variant of Antigone. In Arthurian legend, she is the sister of King Vergulaht of Ascalun who became infatuated with Gawain during one of his visits... [more]
AntinéafLiterature, French Created by Pierre Benoit in his novel L'Atlantide (1919) for Queen Antinéa. The name is inspired by Tinhinan, a 4th-century Tuareg queen with a legendary story... [more]
AntiochmLiterature, History English form of Antiochus. The capital city of Syria bore this name, an important centre in early Christianity (founded c.300 BC by Seleucus I Nictor and named for his father, Antiochus)... [more]
ÁntoniafLiterature Used in ''My Ántonia'', as the name of a Bohemian (Czech) protagonist. A form of the name Antonia, different than the usual Czech form Antonie-1... [more]
AoudafLiterature This is the name of a Parsi Princess in Jules Verne's novel Around The World In Eighty Days.
ApollafLiterature Feminine form of Apollo. It was used in the "Twitches" novel series by H. B. Gilmour and Randi Reisfeld.
ApollinusmLiterature Variant of Apollonius used by John Gower for the hero of his 1,737-line Middle English narrative 'The Tale of Apollinus' (in the 'Confessio amantis'), his version of the classical romance 'Apollonius of Tyre', widely popular in the Middle Ages.
AquareinefLiterature Combination of Latin aqua meaning "water" and French reine meaning "queen". This is the name of a mermaid queen in L. Frank Baum's novel ''The Sea Fairies'' (1911).
ArakánomLiterature Means "high commander" in Quenya. In Tolkien's Legendarium, this is the original name of Argon, the youngest child of Fingolfin and Anairë... [more]
ArathornmLiterature Arathorn II is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth universe. He is the fifteenth of the Chieftains of the Dúnedain, and the father of Aragorn II, one of the major characters in The Lord of the Rings.
AravisfEnglish (Rare), Literature Aravis is a main character in C.S. Lewis' The Horse and his Boy. She is a Tarkheena, a female member of the ruling class of the fictional empire of Calormen, located far to the south of Narnia.... [more]
AreúsafTheatre, Literature Perhaps a feminine form of Areus. This is the name of one of the characters in the play 'La Celestina' (1499) by Mariano de Rojas.
ArgantemLiterature, Italian Name used by Italian author Torquato Tasso in his masterpiece 'Gerusalemme Liberata' (1581) and 'Gerusalemme Conquistata' (1583). Argante is a Muslim, king of Jerusalem. The name's origin is uncertain... [more]
ArienfLiterature Means "sun maiden" in the fictional language Quenya, derived from Quenya árë meaning "sun" or "day" and -ien meaning "maiden" or simply a feminine suffix. It also later gained the meaning "daisy" in Sindarin, another Elvish language... [more]
ArkarianmLiterature The name of a character in the Guardians of Time book series by Marianne Curly.
ArmulynmLiterature Armulyn is a character in Andrew Peterson's Wingfeather Saga, a bard and freedom fighter. His name and character were inspired by popular singer Rich Mullins' first initial and last name (R... [more]
ÅroliljafLiterature, Norwegian (Rare) Occurs in the medieval Norwegian ballad 'Bendik og Årolilja', where it belongs to a princess who dies of heartache when her lover is hanged under her father's orders.
ArriettyfLiterature Possibly a variant of Harriet. This is the name of a character from 'The Borrowers' by Mary Norton.
ArtanisfLiterature Means "noble woman" in Quenya. Artanis was the given name of Galadriel, given to her by her father.
ArtesiafTheatre, Arthurian Romance Likely from Artois, the name of a region in France (for which "artesian wells" are named), itself derived from Atrebates, a Belgic tribe that inhabited the region of Gaul and Britain during Julius Caesar's time; Atrebates is cognate with Irish aittrebaid meaning "inhabitant".... [more]
ArthammLiterature Variant of Arthur, used in Andrew Peterson's Wingfeather Saga. The character was inspired by the author's brother, Arthur.
ArvirargusmOld Celtic, Literature Possibly a Latinized form of an old Celtic name, composed of the elements ard "high, paramount" and rhaig "king". This was the name of a legendary, possibly historical, British king of the 1st century AD... [more]
AshlarmLiterature A character in the novel "Taltos" by Anne Rice.
AslaugafLiterature Latinized form of Aslaug used by the German novelist Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué.
AsmatfLiterature, Georgian Georgian form of Asma according to a Russian source, but Georgian sources say that this name means "innocent, chaste, virginal" and "honest" in Arabic.... [more]
AsnethafLiterature (Rare) Presumably a form of Asenath. Miss Asnetha Sleep is a character in The Tilted Cross (1961) by Australian author Hal Porter.
AsphodelfLiterature From the name of the flower. J. R. R. Tolkien used this name on one of his characters in The Lord of the Rings.
AsrafLiterature Invented by Samuel Coleridge for his poem 'A Day-Dream' (composed 1802, published 1828). He arrived at it by inverting the first two letters of Sara, the first name of Sara Hutchinson, with whom he was in love... [more]
AsrielmBiblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek, Literature Variant of Azriel used in the Geneva Bible (1560), Douay-Rheims Bible (1582-1610), the Clementine Vulgate (1592) and the Nova Vulgata ("Neo-Vulgate", 1979). The latter two are respectively the former and current official Bible of the Roman Catholic Church.... [more]
AstaraelfLiterature Astarael is the seventh of the seven bells used by necromancers and the Abhorsen in Garth Nix's Old Kingdom trilogy. Astarael is the Weeper, the bell that throws everyone who hears her deep into Death.
AsteryfLiterature Form of Asteria used by Edmund Spenser in his poem 'Muiopotmus; or, the Fate of the Butterfly' (1591), where it belongs to a nymph turned into a butterfly.
AstolfomItalian, Spanish, Portuguese, Literature Italian, Spanish and Portuguese form of the Germanic name Aistulf. In medieval legend Astolfo was one of Charlemagne's paladins, who appears as a magical character in the 'Orlando' poems (1495 and 1532) by Boiardo and Ariosto.... [more]
AstrielfLiterature In the Sindarin (Elvish) language of JRR Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” series, this name is translated to “princess of ash”, derived from “ast” (meaning “ash, dust, sand”) & “-riel” (a common, feminine suffix meaning “princess”).
AstrildfLiterature Claimed to mean "love fire" from Old Norse ást "love" and eldr "fire". Astrild was a personification of love in Scandinavian poetry (particularly during the Baroque and Rococo eras), probably introduced in the 17th century by Swedish poet Georg Stiernhielm.
AthelstonmMedieval English, English (Rare), Literature Medieval variant of Æthelstan, which is still in use today. In literature, this is the name of the eponymous character of the Middle English verse romance Athelston (14th century), the author of which is unknown.... [more]
ÄtheriafLiterature, Late Roman (Germanized) Germanised form of Etheria, from Ancient Greek αἰθήρ (aithḗr) 'purer upper air of the atmosphere; heaven, sky; theoretical medium supposed to fill unoccupied space and transmit heat and light', related to German Äther 'ether' and English ether.... [more]
AtréjumLiterature Created by German author Michael Ende for the hero of his fantasy novel 'Die unendliche Geschichte' (1979; English: 'The Neverending Story'). The character is a boy warrior whose name is explained as meaning "son of all" in his fictional native language, given to him because he was raised by all of the members of his village after being orphaned as a newborn.
AtreyumLiterature (Anglicized) Anglicized variant of Atréju, which was created by German author Michael Ende for the hero of his fantasy novel 'Die unendliche Geschichte' (1979; English: 'The Neverending Story')... [more]
AufidiusmAncient Roman, History, Literature From the Roman nomen gentile Aufidius, which is of uncertain origin and meaning. The first element, au, may have been derived from the Latin preverb au "away, off", but it could also have been a phonetic variant of the Latin preverb ab "from"... [more]
AulëmLiterature Means "invention" in Quenya. Aulë is the Vala who created the dwarves in 'The Silmarillion' by J.R.R. Tolkien.
AureljomLiterature Created for Ursula Poznanski's Eleria trilogy for one of the main characters.
AuricmPopular Culture, Literature Auric Goldfinger is the antogonist of James Bond in 'Goldfinger' by Ian Flemming. The name derives from Latin #aurum "gold" and maens "golden". Also in the case of French composer Georges Auric (1899-1983), transferred from the surname Auric.
AviallefLiterature Avialle Jongleur, character in Tad William's Otherland series.
AviendhafLiterature She is a Maiden of the Spear from the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan. Thorny in character, yet as beautiful as a rose, and as strong as a warrior.
AwasinmLiterature This is the name of a protagonist, a Cree chief's son, in the novel 'Lost in the Barrens' (also sometimes called 'Two Against the North') by Canadian author Farley Mowat, first published in 1956. It won a Governor General's Award in 1956 and the Canada Library Association Book of the Year for Children Award in 1958.... [more]
AzazellomLiterature Variant of Azazel used by the Russian writer Mikhail Bulgakov in his novel 'The Master and Margarita' (1967), where it belongs to a demon.
AzelmafLiterature Victor Hugo used this name in his novel 'Les Misérables' (1862) for a daughter of the Thénardiers (a sister of Eponine and Gavroche).
AziraphalemLiterature Aziraphale is the name of a the angel in the Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett collaboration, Good Omens. The authors state that though the name is made up of real elements, it's made up.
AziyadéfLiterature Aziyadé (1879) is a novel by French author Pierre Loti. It tells the story of the 27-year-old Loti's illicit love affair with an 18-year-old harem girl named Aziyadé.
BabiolefLiterature Means "bauble" or "trinket" in French. According to the French fairytale, Babiole is the daughter of a queen. The fairy Fanfreluche tricks the queen into turning her daughter into a monkey.
BadroulbadourfLiterature, Folklore From Arabic بدر البدور (Badr ul-Budūr) meaning "full moon of full moons" (see also Budur). This is the name of the princess in the Middle Eastern fairy tale 'Aladdin', one of the tales in the 'Arabian Nights'.
BagdemagusmArthurian Romance Meaning unknown. In Arthurian legend, Bagdemagus is the king of Gorre, a Knight of the Round Table and the father of Maleagant.
BagheeramLiterature Bagheera is a black panther (black Indian leopard) who is a fictional character in Rudyard Kipling's Mowgli stories in The Jungle Book (coll. 1894) and The Second Jungle Book (coll. 1895). The word Bagh (बाघ) means tiger in Hindi.
BagungusmArthurian Romance (Archaic) Meaning unknown. An extremely rare figure in Arthurian legend, Bagungus only appears in the earliest transcriptions of the works of Laghamon, from about 1190, and due to its rarity is thought by some to be a corruption of the name Bagdemagus.
BainmLiterature Bain was the son of Bard in J. R. R. Tolkien's book, The Hobbit. "Bain" means "beautiful" in J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional language, Sindarin (Elvish).
BalinmArthurian Romance, Literature The name was used in Arthurian legend by Sir Thomas Malory as the name of one of King Arthur's valiant knights. ... [more]
BalinormPopular Culture (Rare), Arthurian Romance The name Balinor has no known meaning. However, it was once used in the television series 'Merlin' (2008–2012) where the character Balinor was the father of Merlin and a former Dragonlord... [more]
BalthamosmLiterature This is the name of an angel in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials book series.
BarahirmLiterature Means "fiery lord" in Sindarin. In Tolkien's 'The Silmarillion', this was the name of the father of Beren. It was also mentioned in 'The Lord of the Rings' as the name of both a Steward of Gondor and the grandson of Eowyn and Faramir.
BardmLiterature A significant supporting character in The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien, Bard the Bowman (abbreviated to Bard) of Esgaroth was a skilled archer and the heir of Girion, the last king of old Dale. He was described as "grim faced" and while a guardsman of Esgaroth he was often predicting floods and poisoned fish... [more]
BartlebymLiterature This name was apparently invented by the 19th-century writer Herman Melville, who perhaps intended it to mean "Bartholomew's town" from the medieval English name Bartle, a diminutive of Bartholomew, combined with the English place name suffix by meaning "farm, settlement" from Old Norse býr (compare Darby, Colby and Willoughby).... [more]
BasiloklesmAncient Greek, Literature The first element of this name is derived from the Greek noun βασιλεύς (basileus) meaning "king" (see Basil 1), though technically both βασίλεια (basileia) meaning "queen, princess" and βασίλειος (basileios) meaning "royal, kingly" are also possible.... [more]
BeaflursfArthurian Romance Means "beautiful flower" (compare Blanchefleur). This was the name of a fairy in the Middle High German romance 'Parzival' (Wolfram von Eschenbach's adaptation of 'Perceval, the Story of the Grail', a poem by Chrétien de Troyes)... [more]
BeezusfLiterature In the case of the character from Beverly Cleary's 'Ramona' book series, it originated as a nursery form of Beatrice (her real name), given to her by her younger sister.
BeirafLiterature, Celtic Mythology Anglicized form of Bheur or Bhuer perhaps meaning "cutting, sharp, shrill" in Scottish Gaelic, from Cailleach Bheur "sharp old wife", the name of the Scottish personification of winter, a reference to wintry winds... [more]
BelacquamLiterature Possibly from a contraction of Bevilacqua, an Italian surname that was originally a nickname derived from the expression bevi l'acqua meaning "drinks water", probably applied ironically to a heavy drinker of alcohol... [more]
BelcolorefMedieval Italian, Literature Combination of Italian bel "beautiful" and colore "colour". The Italian novelist Boccaccio used this name in his work 'The Decameron' (1350).
Belgaerf & mLiterature Belgaer is the fifth of the seven bells used by necromancers and the Abhorsen in Garth Nix's Old Kingdom trilogy. Belgaer is the Thinker, the bell that gives or takes freedom of thought from the listener.
BelgarathmLiterature Belgarath is used in David Edding's book series, the Belgariad. He is the old sorcerer that helps Garion.
BélinefFrench (Rare), Literature, Theatre, History Gallicized form of Belina. It was used by Molière in his play 'The Imaginary Invalid' (1673) ('Le Malade imaginaire' in French), where it belongs to the wife of Argan.
BelladonnafLiterature, Medieval Italian From Italian bella "beautiful, fair" and donna "lady". This is the name of an extremely poisonous plant (Atropa belladonna; also bears the popular name of deadly nightshade). The author J. R. R. Tolkien used it as a hobbit name in 'The Lord of the Rings' (1954), where it belongs to the mother of Bilbo Baggins.
BellangeremArthurian Romance Alteration of Berengar, possibly influenced by French bel, beau meaning "fine, beautiful, great" and anger "anger" (thus "righteous anger")... [more]
BellariafLiterature Perhaps derived from Latin bellare meaning "to fight". This name was used by Robert Greene for a character in his prose romance 'Pandosto: The Triumph of Time' (1588). It was also used by Henry Fielding in his play 'The Temple Beau' (1730), and by Aaron Hill (1685-1750) in his poem 'Bellaria, at her Spinnet'.
BellicentfLiterature, Arthurian Romance From an Old French form of the Germanic name Belissendis, possibly composed of the elements bili "suitable, proper, fitting, decent, amiable" (cf. Biligard) and swind "strong, brave, powerful".... [more]
BellottefLiterature, French (Rare, Archaic) Derived from French belle meaning "beautiful". This is the name of Laidronette's sister in Madame d'Aulnoy's fairy tale The Green Serpent.
BelvinafLiterature Apparently from the Latin word meaning "beast-like" (also written beluina), derived from bēlua "beast, monster" (Italian belva) with the adjectival suffix -īnus "of, like"... [more]
BenjenmPopular Culture, Literature Contracted form of Benjamin. It is the name of a character in the 'Game of Thrones' and 'A Song of Ice and Fire' series, Benjen Stark.
BeoccamAnglo-Saxon, Literature Possibly derived from Old English beo "bee" and a diminutive suffix, therefore meaning "little bee." It may also be related to the Old English masculine name Becca, from which Beckham is derived... [more]
BeornmAnglo-Saxon, Literature Derived from Old English beorn meaning "man, hero, warrior". In some cases it could be an anglicized form of the Old Norse name Bjǫrn.... [more]
BerenmLiterature Means "brave" in Sindarin. Beren (also known as Beren Erchamion, 'the One-handed', and Beren Camlost, 'the Empty-handed') is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He was the son of Barahir and Emeldir, the husband of Lúthien, the father of Dior Eluchíl, and ancestor of Elros and of him of Aragorn, and ancestor of Elrond and of him Arwen... [more]
BericmEnglish (British), Literature, Popular Culture Variant of Berrick. Beric Dondarrian is a character in 'A Song of Ice and Fire', as well as it's TV counterpart 'Game of Thrones', known for leading the Brotherhood without Banners and being repeatedly resurrected, though in his case, the name is a variant of Barak 1, as he is known as The Lightning Lord.
BerinthiafTheatre, Literature, English (Rare) Meaning unknown, perhaps first used by Sir John Vanbrugh for a young widow in his play 'The Relapse' (1697). It was subsequently used by Richard Brinsley Sheridan for a widow in his play 'A Trip to Scarborough' (1777), and also appears in Dickens's 'Dombey and Son' (1848) belonging to Mrs Pipchin's niece.
BerzsiánmLiterature Coined by Ervin Lázár for the title character of his novel Berzsián és Dideki.
BevelmLiterature A word meaning “a slope from the horizontal or vertical in carpentry and stonework; a sloping surface or edge,” coming from the French for “to gape.” Flannery O'Connor used it for two characters in her 1955 short story "The River."
BianafLiterature Means "fair skinned", "white", or "fair". It was invented for a character in the Keeper of the Lost Cities series, Biana Amberly Vacker, by Shannon Messenger.
BijanmPersian, Literature Modern form of Bizhan. In literature, Bijan is the name of a character in the 11th-century epic poem 'Shahnameh' written by the Persian poet Ferdowsi.
BilbifLiterature Hebrew transcription of Pippi, used in the Hebrew translation of 'The Adventures of Pippi Longstocking'.
BirkmSwedish, Norwegian, Danish, Literature Short form of Berkhard. Birk Borkason is a character in Astrid Lindgren's 'Ronia, the Robber's Daughter' (1981). He was originally named Bork before Lindgren realized that it was too easily confused with his father's name (Borka) and thus changed to Birk.
BlackavarmLiterature A rabbit who escaped from a warren called Efrafa in the book Watership Down by Richard Adams.
BlanchefleurfMedieval French, Literature Meaning "white flower" from the French elements blanche and fleur. Blanchefleur was the name of the heroine in the medieval romance of Floris and Blanchefleur. This was also the given name of the mother of Tristan in Tristan and Iseult.
BlightmLiterature Used by author Suzanne Collins in her novel 'Catching Fire' for District Seven's male Quarter Quell tribute, likely given in reference to the English word for plant disease. It may ultimately come from Old English blæce/blæcðu, a skin condition, or from Old Norse blikna, meaning "to become pale".
BlondinefLiterature, Folklore, Haitian Creole, Yiddish From a diminutive of French blonde meaning "fair-haired". This is the name of two characters in Madame d'Aulnoy's fairy tales: Belle-Etoile's mother in Princess Belle-Etoile (whose sisters are named Roussette and Brunette) and a minor character in The Imp Prince... [more]
BöfLiterature ‘Bö’ or ‘Böe’ means "gust", "blast" or "scud" in German and is one of the shortest words in that language. It is also remindful of "beauty", as in Beau... [more]
BombamLiterature Bomba the Jungle Boy is a series of American boys' adventure books produced by the Stratemeyer Syndicate under the pseudonym Roy Rockwood; it was published between 1926 and 1938.
BoremundmLiterature Created by author George R. R. Martin for a character in his series "A Song of Ice and Fire" and the television series "House of the Dragon". In the series, Boremund Baratheon is the Lord of Storm's End and the head of House Baratheon early in the reign of King Viserys Targaryen during the middle years of the Targaryen dynasty in Westeros.
BorkamLiterature, Swedish (Rare) Borka is the father of Birk Borkason and one of the antagonists in Astrid Lindgren's 'Ronia the Robber's Daughter'. Lindgren might have gotten the name from Lake Borkasjön in Lapland, northern Sweden.
BoromirmLiterature Means "jeweled hand" in Sindarin. In 'The Lord of the Rings' (1954) by J. R. R. Tolkien, this is the name of one of the nine walkers in the Fellowship of the Ring.
BorrosmLiterature Created by author George R. R. Martin for a character in his series "A Song of Ice and Fire". In the series, Borros Baratheon is the patriarch of House Baratheon and the Lord of Storm's End during Viserys Targaryen's reign in Westeros.
BrandochmLiterature Brandoch Daha is a lord in the novel "The Worm Ouroboros" by Eric Rücker Eddison.
BrangainefArthurian Romance Probably a medieval corruption of Branwen. This is the name of Isolde's faithful and beautiful handmaiden in almost all the Tristan and Isolde legends.
BredonmLiterature This is one of the many names of Lord Peter Wimsey, a fictional character created by Dorothy L. Sayers. It is also the name of his firstborn son.
BrisenfArthurian Romance The name of a witch in Arthurian legend. One theory connects it to Old Norse brisinga "glowing, twinkling" (a word-forming element associated with Freya's famous necklace, the brísingamen).
BritomartfLiterature Form of Britomartis used by Edmund Spenser for a female knight in his poem 'The Faerie Queene' (1590). Folk etymology associated Brito- with "Briton" and -martis with Mars (genitive Martis), the Roman god of war.
BrommLiterature Brom is a fictional character in Christopher Paolini's Inheritance Trilogy. He is a former Dragon Rider and good member of the Varden. He is the trilogy's main character's mentor through the first book... [more]
BronnmLiterature, Popular Culture Ser Bronn of the Blackwater is the name of a character from the Song of Ice and Fire books by GRR Martin and the TV show Game of Thrones based upon the former. ... [more]
BrunormArthurian Romance Likely derived from the Germanic element brunna "armour, protection" or brun "brown". This is the name of several characters in Arthurian tales, including the father of Sir Galehaut and the Knight of the Ill-Fitting Coat.
BuckbeakmLiterature, Pet From the name of a fictional creature (hippogriff) that is featured on the movie Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
Caddyf & mEnglish (Rare), Literature Variant of Caddie. Fictional bearers include Caddy Jellyby, a character in Charles Dickens' novel Bleak House (1853), and Candace "Caddy" Compson, a character in William Faulkner's novel The Sound and the Fury (1929).
CadenusmLiterature Invented by author Jonathan Swift for his 1726 poem Cadenus and Vanessa. The name is an anagram for the latin word decanus, meaning Dean, because he was the dean of St... [more]
CadigafArabic (Latinized), Literature Archaic transcription of Khadija. This form is mostly used in older English translations of the Koran, as well as early translations of the Arabian Nights. A notable bearer of this name is the titular character's wife from the Arabian Nights-inspired novel "The History of Nourjahad" (1767) by Frances Sheridan.
CadormArthurian Romance, Cornish Probably a form of Cadeyrn, perhaps derived from its Cornish cognate. In Arthurian romance this was the name of Guinevere's guardian. According to the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth, Cador was a ruler of Cornwall and the father of Constantine, King Arthur's successor.... [more]