Names Starting with B

gender
usage
Bosco m Spanish, Italian (Rare)
From the surname Bosco, given in honour of the Italian saint John Bosco (1815-1888).
Bose f Yoruba
Short form of Bosede.
Bosede f Yoruba
Variant of Abosede.
Boško m Serbian, Croatian, Slovene
Originally a diminutive of Božidar.
Bosmat f Hebrew
Hebrew variant of Basemath.
Bosse m Swedish
Swedish diminutive of Bo 1.
Boštjan m Slovene
Short form of Sebastjan.
Boston m English
From the American city of Boston in Massachusetts, itself named after a town in Lincolnshire, England. The town's name is said to mean "Botwulf's stone".
Bóthildr f Old Norse
Old Norse form of Bodil.
Botond m Hungarian
Means "stick, mace" in Hungarian.
Botros m Arabic, Coptic
Alternate transcription of Arabic بطرس (see Butrus).
Botum f & m Khmer
From Pali paduma meaning "lotus", from Sanskrit पद्म (padma).
Botwulf m Anglo-Saxon
From Old English bot meaning "improvement" and wulf meaning "wolf". Saint Botwulf was a 7th-century English abbot. He may be the person after whom Boston is named.
Bouchra f Arabic (Maghrebi)
Alternate transcription of Arabic بشرى (see Bushra) chiefly used in North Africa.
Boudewijn m Dutch
Dutch form of Baldwin.
Boudicca f Brythonic (Latinized)
Derived from Brythonic boud meaning "victory". This was the name of a 1st-century queen of the Iceni who led the Britons in revolt against the Romans. Eventually her forces were defeated and she committed suicide. Her name is first recorded in Roman histories, as Boudicca by Tacitus and Βουδουῖκα (Boudouika) by Cassius Dio.
Boulos m Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic بولس (see Bulus).
Bounmy m & f Lao
Means "happy", from Lao ບຸນ (boun) meaning "happiness, prosperity, goodness" combined with ມີ (mi) meaning "to have".
Boutros m Arabic, Coptic
Alternate transcription of Arabic بطرس (see Butrus).
Bowen m English (Modern)
From a Welsh surname, derived from ap Owain meaning "son of Owain".
Bowie m & f English (Modern), Dutch (Modern)
From a Scottish surname, derived from Gaelic buidhe meaning "yellow". It has been used as a given name in honour of the British musician David Bowie (1947-2016), born David Robert Jones, who took his stage name from the American pioneer James Bowie (1796-1836), though with a different pronunciation.
Boyan m Bulgarian
Bulgarian form of Bojan.
Boyana f Bulgarian
Bulgarian feminine form of Bojan.
Boyce m English
From an English surname that was derived from Old French bois "wood".
Boyd m English
From a Scottish surname that was possibly derived from the name of the island of Bute (Bód in Gaelic).
Boyka f Bulgarian
Feminine form of Boyko.
Boyko m Bulgarian
Originally a diminutive of names containing the Slavic element bojĭ meaning "battle".
Boža m Serbian
Diminutive of Božidar.
Božena f Czech, Slovak, Slovene, Croatian
Derived from the Slavic element božĭjĭ meaning "divine". This name was borne by a wife of Duke Oldřich of Bohemia (11th century).
Bożena f Polish
Polish cognate of Božena.
Bozhidar m Bulgarian, Macedonian
Bulgarian form of Božidar, as well as an alternate transcription for Macedonian.
Bozhidara f Bulgarian
Bulgarian feminine form of Božidar.
Božica f Croatian
Derived from the Slavic element božĭjĭ meaning "divine". It also means "goddess" in Croatian.
Božidar m Serbian, Croatian, Slovene, Macedonian, Sorbian
Means "divine gift" from the Slavic elements božĭjĭ "divine" and darŭ "gift". This is a Slavic translation of Theodore.
Božidarka f Serbian
Feminine form of Božidar.
Božo m Croatian, Serbian, Slovene
Diminutive of Božidar, now often used independently.
Bożydar m Polish
Polish cognate of Božidar.
Braam m Afrikaans
Afrikaans short form of Abraham.
Bracha f Hebrew
Means "blessing" in Hebrew.
Brad m English
Short form of Bradley, Bradford and other names beginning with Brad. A famous bearer is American actor Brad Pitt (1963-).
Brádach m Medieval Irish
Irish byname, possibly derived from bradach meaning "thieving, roguish, spirited".
Bradamante f Carolingian Cycle
Used by Matteo Maria Boiardo for a female knight in his epic poem Orlando Innamorato (1483). He possibly intended it to derive from Italian brado "wild, untamed, natural" and amante "loving" or perhaps Latin amantis "lover, sweetheart, mistress", referring to her love for the Saracen Ruggiero. Bradamante also appears in Ludovico Ariosto's poem Orlando Furioso (1532) and Handel's opera Alcina (1735).
Bradán m Medieval Irish
Means "salmon" in Irish. It could also be formed from Irish brad "thief" and a diminutive suffix.
Braden m English
From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Bradáin, which was in turn derived from the byname Bradán. Like other similar-sounding names such as Hayden and Aidan, it and its variant Brayden became popular in America at the end of the 20th century.
Bradford m English
From an English surname that originally came from a place name that meant "broad ford" in Old English.
Bradley m English
From an English surname that originally came from a place name meaning "broad clearing" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was the World War II American general Omar Bradley (1893-1981).
Brady m English
From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Brádaigh, itself derived from the byname Brádach. A famous bearer of the surname is the American football quarterback Tom Brady (1977-). It was also borne by a fictional family on the television series The Brady Bunch (1969-1974).
Braelyn f English (Modern)
A recently created name, formed using the popular name suffix lyn.
Brage m Norse Mythology, Norwegian
Modern Scandinavian form of Bragi.
Bragi m Norse Mythology, Icelandic
Derived from Old Norse bragr meaning "first, foremost" or "poetry". In Norse mythology Bragi is the god of poetry and the husband of Iðunn.
Brahim m Arabic (Maghrebi)
North African short form of Ibrahim.
Brahma m Hinduism
Means "growth, expansion, creation" in Sanskrit. The Hindu god Brahma is the creator and director of the universe, the balance between the opposing forces of Vishnu and Shiva. After the classical period Brahma was no longer as highly revered as Vishnu and Shiva. He is often depicted with four heads and four arms.
Braidy m & f English (Rare)
Variant of Brady.
Brais m Galician
Galician form of Blaise.
Braith m English (Australian, Rare)
Meaning uncertain, perhaps from Welsh brith, braith meaning "speckled".
Brajan m Polish (Modern)
Polish form of Brian.
Bram m English, Dutch
Short form of Abraham. This name was borne by Bram Stoker (1847-1912), the Irish author who wrote Dracula.
Brân m Welsh Mythology
Means "raven" in Welsh. According to the Second Branch of the Mabinogi, 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.
Bran 1 m Irish, Irish Mythology, Old Irish
Means "raven" in Irish. In Irish legend Bran mac Febail was a mariner who was involved in several adventures on his quest to find the Otherworld.
Bran 2 m Welsh Mythology
Unaccented variant of Brân. This is also the Middle Welsh form.
Branca f Portuguese, Galician
Portuguese and Galician form of Blanche.
Brand m English (Rare)
From a surname, a variant of Brant.
Branda f English (Rare)
Perhaps a variant of Brandy or a feminine form of Brand.
Brandán m Galician
Galician form of Brendan.
Brande f English
Variant of Brandy.
Brandee f English
Variant of Brandy.
Branden m English
Variant of Brandon.
Brandi f English
Variant of Brandy.
Brandie f English
Variant of Brandy.
Brando m Germanic
Germanic name derived from the element brant meaning "fire, torch, sword".
Brandon m English
From an English surname that was derived from a place name meaning "hill covered with broom" in Old English.... [more]
Brandr m Old Norse
Old Norse byname meaning "fire, torch, sword".
Brandt m English
From a surname, a variant of Brant.
Brândușa f Romanian
Means "crocus" in Romanian.
Brandy f English
From the English word brandy for the alcoholic drink. It is ultimately from Dutch brandewijn "burnt wine". It has been in use as a given name since the 1960s.
Branimir m Croatian, Serbian, Bulgarian, Slovene
Derived from the Slavic element borna "protection" combined with mirŭ "peace, world".
Branislav m Serbian, Slovak, Czech, Slovene, Croatian, Macedonian
Form of Bronisław in several languages.
Branka f Serbian, Croatian, Slovene
Feminine form of Branko.
Brankica f Croatian, Serbian
Derived from the Slavic element borna (South Slavic brana) meaning "protection" combined with a diminutive suffix.
Branko m Serbian, Croatian, Slovene, Macedonian
Originally a diminutive of names beginning with the Slavic element borna (South Slavic brana) meaning "protection".
Brannon m English
From an Irish surname, a variant of Brennan.
Branson m English (Modern)
From an English surname that meant "son of Brandr".
Brant m English
From an English surname that was derived from the Old Norse given name Brandr. This is also the name for a variety of wild geese.
Brantley m English (Modern)
From a surname, an Americanized form of the German surname Brändle, ultimately from Old High German brant "fire".
Branwen f Welsh, Welsh Mythology
Means "white raven" from Old Welsh bran "raven" and gwen "white, blessed". According to the Second Branch of the Mabinogi 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.
Brás m Portuguese
Portuguese form of Blaise.
Bratislav m Serbian
Derived from the Slavic elements bratŭ "brother" and slava "glory".
Bratislava f Serbian
Feminine form of Bratislav. This is the name of the capital city of Slovakia, though it is unrelated.
Bratumił m Polish (Rare)
Derived from the Slavic elements bratŭ "brother" and milŭ "gracious, dear".
Brava f Esperanto
Means "valiant, brave" in Esperanto.
Braxton m English
From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "Bracca's town" in Old English. In some cases it is given in honour of the Confederate general Braxton Bragg (1817-1876).
Brayden m English (Modern)
Variant of Braden. This is currently the more popular spelling of the name.
Braylon m English (Modern)
An invented name, using the same sounds found in names such as Braden and Jalen.
Bréanainn m Old Irish
Old Irish form of Brendan.
Breandán m Irish
Irish Gaelic form of Brendan.
Breann f English (Modern)
Feminine form of Brian.
Breanna f English
Variant of Briana.
Breanne f English (Modern)
Feminine form of Brian.
Brecht m Dutch
Short form of names containing brecht, often derived from the Old German element beraht meaning "bright".
Brechtje f Dutch
Feminine form of Brecht.
Breda 1 f Irish
Anglicized form of Bríd.
Breda 2 f Slovene
Meaning unknown. It was used by the Slovene author Ivan Pregelj for the title character in his novel Mlada Breda (1913).
Bree f English
Anglicized form of Brígh. It can also be a short form of Brianna, Gabriella and other names containing bri.
Breeshey f Manx
Manx form of Bridget.
Breindel f Yiddish (Rare)
Means "brunette" in Yiddish.
Breixo m Galician
Galician form of Veríssimo.
Brenda f English
Possibly a feminine form of the Old Norse name Brandr, meaning "fire, torch, sword", which was brought to Britain in the Middle Ages. This name is sometimes used as a feminine form of Brendan.
Brendan m Irish, English, Breton
From Brendanus, the Latinized form of the Old Irish name Bréanainn, which was derived from Old Welsh breenhin meaning "king, prince". Saint Brendan was a 6th-century Irish abbot who, according to legend, crossed the Atlantic and reached North America with 17 other monks.
Brendanus m Old Irish (Latinized)
Latinized form of Bréanainn (see Brendan).
Brenden m English
Variant of Brendan.
Brendon m English
Variant of Brendan.
Brenna f English
Possibly a variant of Brenda or a feminine form of Brennan.
Brennan m English
From an Irish surname (Anglicized from Irish Gaelic Ó Braonáin) that was derived from the byname Braonán, itself from Irish braon meaning "rain, moisture, drop" combined with a diminutive suffix. As a given name, it has been used since the 1960s as an alternative to Brendan or Brandon, though it has not been as popular as them.
Brennus m Gaulish (Latinized)
Latinized form of a Celtic name (or title) that possibly meant either "king, prince" or "raven". Brennus was a Gallic leader of the 4th century BC who attacked and sacked Rome.
Breno m Portuguese
Portuguese form of Brennus.
Brent m English
From an English surname, originally taken from various place names, perhaps derived from a Celtic word meaning "hill".
Brenton m English
From a surname that was derived from an English place name meaning "Bryni's town". Bryni was an Old English name meaning "fire".
Bret m English
Variant of Brett.
Břetislav m Czech
Possibly from Slavic bręcati "to make a sound, to buzz" combined with slava "glory". This name was borne by three medieval dukes of Bohemia.
Brett m English
From a Middle English surname meaning "a Breton", referring to an inhabitant of Brittany. A famous bearer is the American football quarterback Brett Favre (1969-).
Bria f English
Short form of Brianna, Gabriella and other names containing bri.
Briallen f Welsh (Rare)
Derived from Welsh briallu meaning "primrose". This is a modern Welsh name.
Brian m English, Irish, Old Irish
Meaning uncertain, possibly related to the old Celtic root *brixs "hill, high" (Old Irish brií) or the related *brigā "might, power" (Old Irish briíg). It was borne by the Irish king Brian Boru, who thwarted Viking attempts to conquer Ireland in the 11th century. He was slain in the Battle of Clontarf, though his forces were decisively victorious. This name was common in Ireland after his time, and it was introduced to northern England by Norse-Gael settlers. It was also used in Brittany, and was brought to England by Bretons in the wake of the Norman Conquest. Though it eventually became rare in the English-speaking world, it was strongly revived in the 20th century, becoming a top-ten name for boys in most regions.
Briana f English
Feminine form of Brian. It appears in Edmund Spenser's epic poem The Faerie Queene (1590). The name was not commonly used until the 1970s, when it rapidly became popular in the United States.
Brianna f English
Variant of Briana. This is currently the more popular spelling of the name.
Brianne f English (Modern)
Feminine form of Brian.
Briar m & f English (Modern)
From the English word for the thorny plant.
Briar Rose f Literature
English translation of German Dornröschen. This is the name of the fairy tale character Sleeping Beauty in the Brothers Grimm version of the story.
Brice m French, English
From the name Bricius, which was probably a Latinized form of a Gaulish name meaning "speckled". This was the name of a 5th-century saint, a disciple of Saint Martin of Tours.
Bricius m Gaulish (Latinized)
Latin form of Brice, probably ultimately of Gaulish origin.
Bríd f Irish
Modern Irish form of Brighid.
Bride f Irish
Anglicized form of Bríd.
Bridger m English (Modern)
From an English surname that originally indicated a person who lived near or worked on a bridge.
Bridget f Irish, English
Anglicized form of the Irish name Brighid, Old Irish Brigit, from old Celtic *Brigantī meaning "the exalted one". In Irish mythology this was the name of the goddess of fire, poetry and wisdom, the daughter of the god Dagda. In the 5th century it was borne by Saint Brigid, the founder of a monastery at Kildare and a patron saint of Ireland. Because of the saint, the name was considered sacred in Ireland, and it did not come into general use there until the 17th century. In the form Birgitta this name has been common in Scandinavia, made popular by the 14th-century Saint Birgitta of Sweden, patron saint of Europe.
Bridie f Irish
Anglicized diminutive of Bríd.
Brie f English
Short form of Brianna, Gabriella and other names containing bri.
Brielle f English (Modern)
Short form of Gabrielle. This is also the name of towns in the Netherlands and New Jersey, though their names derive from a different source.
Briggs m English (Modern)
From a surname that was derived from Middle English brigge, Old English brycg meaning "bridge".
Brígh f Irish Mythology
From Old Irish bríg meaning "might, power". This was the name of a daughter of the Irish god Dagda.
Brigham m English (Rare)
From a surname that was originally derived from place names meaning "bridge settlement" in Old English.
Brighid f Irish, Irish Mythology
Newer Irish form of Brigit (see Bridget). Since the 1948 spelling reform, this name is spelled Bríd.
Brigid f Irish, Irish Mythology
Irish variant of Brighid (see Bridget).
Brígida f Portuguese, Spanish
Portuguese and Spanish form of Bridget.
Brigida f Italian
Italian form of Bridget.
Brigita f Slovene, Croatian, Latvian, Czech, Slovak
Form of Bridget in several languages.
Brigitta f German, Dutch, Hungarian
German, Dutch and Hungarian form of Bridget.
Brigitte f French, German, Dutch
French and German form of Bridget. A famous bearer is the French model and actress Brigitte Bardot (1934-).
Brijesha m Hinduism
Means "ruler of Brij" in Sanskrit. This is another name of the Hindu god Krishna, Brij being a region associated with him.
Briley f English (Modern)
Modern name, probably based on the sounds found in other names such as Bryson and Riley. It also coincides with the surname Briley.
Brin m Slovene
Means "juniper" in Slovene.
Brina f Slovene
Feminine form of Brin.
Brinley f English (Modern)
Combination of Bryn and the popular phonetic suffix lee. It also coincides with an English surname, which was derived from the name of a town meaning "burned clearing" in Old English.
Brion m English
Variant of Brian.
Briscoe m English (Rare)
From an English surname that was derived from a place name meaning "birch wood" in Old Norse.
Briseida f Literature
Form of Briseis used in medieval tales about the Trojan War.
Briseis f Greek Mythology
Patronymic derived from Βρισεύς (Briseus), a Greek name of unknown meaning. In Greek mythology Briseis (real name Hippodameia) was the daughter of Briseus. She was captured during the Trojan War by Achilles. After Agamemnon took her away from him, Achilles refused to fight in the war.
Bristol f English (Modern)
From the name of the city in southwestern England that means "the site of the bridge".
Brit f Norwegian
Norwegian short form of Birgitta.
Britannia f English (Rare)
From the Latin name of the island of Britain, in occasional use as an English given name since the 18th century. This is also the name of the Roman female personification of Britain pictured on some British coins.
Britney f English (Modern)
Variant of Brittany. This name is borne by the American pop singer Britney Spears (1981-).
Britt f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
Scandinavian short form of Birgitta.
Britta f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
Scandinavian short form of Birgitta.
Brittany f English
From the name of the region of Brittany in the northwest of France, called in French Bretagne. It was named for the Britons who settled there after the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the invasions of the Anglo-Saxons.... [more]
Britton m English
Derived from a Middle English surname meaning "a Briton" (a Celt of England) or "a Breton" (an inhabitant of Brittany). Both ethnonyms are related to the place name Britain.
Broccán m Old Irish
Old Irish form of Brogán.
Broccomaglos m Brythonic (Hypothetical)
Possible Brythonic form of Brochfael.
Brochfael m Medieval Welsh
From Old Welsh Brochmail, from a Brythonic name *Broccomaglos, derived from Celtic *brokkos "badger" and *maglos "chief". This was the name of a 6th-century king of Powys, also known as Brochwel.
Brochmail m Old Welsh
Old Welsh form of Brochfael.
Brock m English
From an English surname that was derived from Old English brocc meaning "badger".
Brody m English
From a Scottish surname that was originally derived from a place in Moray, Scotland. It probably means "ditch, mire" in Gaelic.
Broen m Limburgish
Limburgish form of Bruno.
Brogán m Irish (Rare)
From the Old Irish name Broccán, derived from bróc "shoe, sandal, greave" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of several Irish saints, including Saint Patrick's scribe.
Brokkr m Norse Mythology
Means "badger" in Old Norse. In Norse mythology this was the name of a dwarf, the brother and assistant of Sindri.
Bron f Welsh
Short form of Bronwen.
Brónach f Irish
Means "sad", derived from Irish brón meaning "sorrow". Saint Brónach was a 6th-century Irish mystic.
Bronagh f Irish
Anglicized form of Brónach.
Bronislav m Czech, Slovak, Russian, Ukrainian
Czech, Slovak, Russian and Ukrainian form of Bronisław.
Bronislava f Czech, Slovak, Russian
Czech, Slovak and Russian feminine form of Bronisław.
Bronisław m Polish
Derived from the Slavic elements borna "protection" and slava "glory". A famous Polish anthropologist, Bronisław Malinowski (1884-1942), has borne this name.
Bronisława f Polish
Feminine form of Bronisław.
Bronislovas m Lithuanian
Lithuanian form of Bronisław.
Bronson m English (Modern)
From an English surname meaning "son of the brown one".
Bronte m & f English (Rare)
From a surname, an Anglicized form of Irish Ó Proinntigh, itself derived from the given name Proinnteach, probably from Irish bronntach meaning "generous". The Brontë sisters — Charlotte, Emily, and Anne — were 19th-century English novelists. Their father changed the spelling of the family surname from Brunty to Brontë, possibly to make it coincide with Greek βροντή meaning "thunder".
Brontes m Greek Mythology
Means "thunderer" in Greek. In Greek mythology (according to Hesiod), this was the name of one of the three Cyclopes, who were the sons of Uranus and Gaia.
Bronwen f Welsh
Seemingly derived from Welsh bron "breast" and gwen "white, blessed", though it has sometimes occurred as a variant spelling of the legendary name Branwen. 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.
Bronwyn f English
Variant of Bronwen used in the English-speaking world (especially Australia and New Zealand).
Brook m & f English
From an English surname that denoted one who lived near a brook.
Brooke f English
Variant of Brook. The name came into use in the 1950s, probably influenced by American socialite Brooke Astor (1902-2007). It was further popularized by actress Brooke Shields (1965-).
Brooklyn f & m English (Modern)
From the name of a borough of New York City, originally named after the Dutch town of Breukelen, itself meaning either "broken land" (from Dutch breuk) or "marsh land" (from Dutch broek). It can also be viewed as a combination of Brook and the popular name suffix lyn. It is considered a feminine name in the United States, but is more common as a masculine name in the United Kingdom.
Brooks m English
From an English surname, a variant of Brook.
Broos m Dutch
Dutch short form of Ambroos.
Bror m Swedish
From the Old Norse name Bróðir meaning "brother".
Bróðir m Old Norse
Old Norse form of Bror.
Bru m Catalan
Catalan form of Bruno.
Bruce m Scottish, English
From a Scottish surname, of Norman origin, which probably originally referred to the town of Brix in France. The surname was borne by Robert the Bruce, a Scottish hero of the 14th century who achieved independence from England and became the king of Scotland. It has been in use as a given name in the English-speaking world since the 19th century, becoming especially popular in the 1940s and 50s. Notable bearers include Chinese-American actor Bruce Lee (1940-1973), American musician Bruce Springsteen (1949-), and American actor Bruce Willis (1955-). It is also the real name of the comic book superheroes Batman (Bruce Wayne), created 1939, and the Hulk (Bruce Banner), created 1962.
Bruna f Italian, Portuguese, Croatian
Feminine form of Bruno.
Brunella f Italian
Feminine diminutive of Bruno.
Brunello m Italian, Carolingian Cycle
Diminutive of Bruno. This is the name of a Saracen thief in the Italian epic Orlando poems (1483 and 1532) by Boiardo and Ariosto.
Brünhild f Germanic Mythology
German form of Brunhild, used when referring to the character from the Nibelungenlied.
Brunhild f German, Germanic Mythology, Germanic
Derived from the Old German elements brunna "armour, protection" and hilt "battle". It is cognate with the Old Norse name Brynhildr (from the elements brynja and hildr). In Norse legend Brynhildr was the queen of the valkyries who was rescued by the hero Sigurd. In the medieval German saga the Nibelungenlied she was a queen of Iceland and the wife of Gunther. Both of these characters were probably inspired by the eventful life of the 6th-century Frankish queen Brunhilda (of Visigothic birth).... [more]
Brunhilda f History
Variant of Brunhild, referring to the Frankish queen.
Brunihild f Germanic
Old German variant of Brunhild.
Brunilda f Albanian, Spanish (Rare), Italian (Rare), Portuguese (Rare)
Albanian, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese form of Brunhild.
Brunjōhildiz f Old Germanic (Hypothetical)
Proto-Germanic reconstruction of Brunhild and Brynhildr.
Bruno m German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Croatian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Latvian, Germanic
Derived from the Old German element brunna meaning "armour, protection" (Proto-Germanic *brunjǭ) or brun meaning "brown" (Proto-Germanic *brūnaz). Saint Bruno of Cologne was a German monk of the 11th century who founded the Carthusian Order. The surname has belonged to Giordano Bruno, a philosopher burned at the stake by the Inquisition. A modern bearer is the American singer Bruno Mars (1985-), born Peter Gene Hernandez.
Brutus m Ancient Roman
Roman cognomen meaning "heavy" in Latin. Famous bearers include Lucius Junius Brutus, the traditional founder of the Roman Republic, and Marcus Junius Brutus, the statesman who conspired to assassinate Julius Caesar.
Bryan m English
Variant of Brian, based on the usual spelling of the surname that is derived from the name.
Bryanne f English (Rare)
Feminine form of Brian.
Bryant m English
From an English surname that was derived from the given name Brian.
Bryce m English
Variant of Brice.
Brychan m Old Welsh
Derived from Welsh brych meaning "speckled, freckled" combined with a diminutive suffix. Brychan Brycheiniog was a legendary Welsh king, said to be Irish by birth, the founder of the kingdom of Brycheiniog in central Wales. He reputedly fathered dozens of children, many of whom are regarded as saints.
Brygida f Polish
Polish form of Bridget.
Bryn m & f Welsh, English (Modern)
Means "hill, mound" in Welsh. In Wales it is almost always a masculine name, though elsewhere in the English-speaking world it can be unisex (see Brynn).
Bryndís f Icelandic
Derived from the Old Norse elements brynja "armour" and dís "goddess".
Brynhildr f Norse Mythology, Old Norse
Old Norse cognate of Brunhild. In the Norse epic the Völsungasaga Brynhildr was rescued by the hero Sigurd in the guise of Gunnar. Brynhildr and Gunnar were married, but when Sigurd's wife Gudrun let slip that it was in fact Sigurd who had rescued her, Brynhildr plotted against him. She accused Sigurd of taking her virginity, spurring Gunnar to arrange Sigurd's murder.
Brynhildur f Icelandic
Icelandic form of Brynhildr.
Brynja f Icelandic, Old Norse
Means "armour" in Old Norse.
Brynjar m Norwegian, Icelandic
Derived from the Old Norse elements brynja "armour" and herr "army, warrior".
Brynjarr m Old Norse
Old Norse form of Brynjar.
Brynmor m Welsh
From the Welsh place name Brynmawr meaning "great hill".
Brynn f English (Modern)
Feminine variant of Bryn. It was brought to limited public attention in 1978 when the actress Brynn Thayer (1949-) began appearing on the American soap opera One Life to Live.
Bryon m English
Variant of Brian.
Bryony f English (Rare)
From the name of a type of Eurasian vine, formerly used as medicine. It ultimately derives from Greek βρύω (bryo) meaning "to swell".
Bryson m English
From an English surname meaning "son of Brice". Starting in the 1970s this name began steadily growing in popularity, likely because it features the same popular sounds found in other names such as Brice and Tyson.
Buana m Indonesian
Means "the world" in Indonesian, ultimately from Sanskrit भुवन (bhuvana).
Buck m English
From an English nickname meaning simply "buck, male deer", ultimately from Old English bucc.
Bud m English
Short form of Buddy.
Buddha m Buddhism
Means "enlightened" in Sanskrit. This is a title applied to Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism, as well as to a handful of other enlightened individuals.
Buddy m English
From the English word meaning "friend". It probably originated as a nursery form of the word brother.
Budi m Indonesian
Means "reason, mind, character" in Indonesian, ultimately from Sanskrit बुद्धि (buddhi) meaning "intellect" (related to Buddha).
Budur f Arabic
Means "full moons" in Arabic (a plural form of Badr).
Buenaventura m Spanish
Spanish form of Bonaventura.
Buffy f English
Diminutive of Elizabeth, from a child's pronunciation of the final syllable. It is now associated with the main character from the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003).
Buğlem f Turkish (Modern)
Meaning unknown.
Buğra m Turkish
Means "baby camel" in Turkish.
Bugs m Popular Culture
From the slang term bugs meaning "crazy, unstable". Bugs Bunny is an animated cartoon rabbit originally developed in the 1930s by staff at Leon Schlesinger Productions. He was named for the animator Ben "Bugs" Hardaway.
Bugsy m English
From a nickname derived from the slang term bugsy meaning "crazy, unstable". It was notably borne by the American gangster Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel (1906-1947).
Buhle f & m Xhosa, Ndebele
From Xhosa and Ndebele buhle "beautiful, handsome", from the root hle.
Búi m Old Norse
Old Norse form of Bo 1.
Bujar m Albanian
Means "generous, noble" in Albanian.
Bukar m Hausa
Short form of Abubakar.
Bukola f Yoruba
Means "add to wealth" in Yoruba.
Bulan f Indonesian
Means "moon" (or "month") in Indonesian.
Bulat m Kazakh
Alternate transcription of Kazakh Болат (see Bolat).
Bulcsú m Hungarian
Hungarian name of uncertain meaning. This was the name of a 10th-century Hungarian military leader.
Bülent m Turkish
From Persian بلند (boland) meaning "high, mighty".
Bulus m Arabic
Arabic form of Paul.
Bulut m Turkish
Means "cloud" in Turkish.
Bunny f English
Diminutive of Berenice.
Bünyamin m Turkish
Turkish form of Benjamin.
Burak m Turkish
From Arabic براق (Burāq), the name of the legendary creature that, according to Islamic tradition, transported the Prophet Muhammad. Its name is derived from Arabic برق (barq) meaning "lightning".
Burçin f & m Turkish
Means "hind, doe" in Turkish.
Burcu f Turkish
Means "sweet smelling, fragrant" in Turkish.
Burgheard m Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English elements burg "fortress" and heard "hard, firm, brave, hardy". It is a cognate of Burkhard.
Burgundy f English (Rare)
This name can refer either to the region in France, the wine (which derives from the name of the region), or the colour (which derives from the name of the wine).
Burhan m Arabic, Turkish, Indonesian
Means "proof" in Arabic.
Burhan ad-Din m Arabic
Means "proof of religion", derived from Arabic برهان (burhān) meaning "proof" and دين (dīn) meaning "religion, faith".
Burhan al-Din m Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic برهان الدين (see Burhan ad-Din).
Burhanuddin m Arabic, Indonesian, Malay, Dari Persian
Alternate transcription of Arabic برهان الدين (see Burhan ad-Din), as well as the Indonesian, Malay and Dari Persian form.
Burim m Albanian
Means "spring, well, water source" in Albanian.
Burke m English
From an English surname that was derived from Old English burg meaning "fortress".