Lotus f English (Rare)From the name of the lotus flower (species Nelumbo nucifera) or the mythological lotus tree. They are ultimately derived from Greek
λωτός (lotos). In Greek and Roman mythology the lotus tree was said to produce a fruit causing sleepiness and forgetfulness.
Lou f & m English, FrenchShort form of
Louise or
Louis. Famous bearers include the baseball player Lou Gehrig (1903-1941) and the musician Lou Reed (1942-2013).
Louhi f Finnish MythologyVariant of
Loviatar. In Finnish mythology Louhi was another name of the death goddess Loviatar. She appears in the Finnish epic the
Kalevala as a witch ruling the northern area known as Pohjola. She is the primary antagonist to the hero
Väinämöinen.
Louis m French, English, DutchFrench form of
Ludovicus, the Latinized form of
Ludwig. This was the name of 18 kings of France, starting with Louis I the son of
Charlemagne. Others include Louis IX (Saint Louis) who led two crusades and Louis XIV (called the Sun King) who was the ruler of France during the height of its power, the builder of the Palace of Versailles, and the longest reigning monarch in the history of Europe. It was also borne by kings of Germany (as
Ludwig), Hungary (as
Lajos), and other places.
... [more] Louisa f English, German, DutchLatinate feminine form of
Louis. A famous bearer was the American novelist Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888), the author of
Little Women.
Loup m FrenchFrench form of the Roman name
Lupus meaning
"wolf". Lupus was the name of several early saints, including a 5th-century bishop of Troyes who apparently convinced
Attila to spare the city.
Lourdes f Spanish, PortugueseFrom the name of a French town. It became a popular center of pilgrimage after a young girl from the town had visions of the Virgin
Mary in a nearby grotto.
Love 2 f EnglishSimply from the English word
love, derived from Old English
lufu.
Lovemore m Southern AfricanFrom the English words
love and
more. This name is most common in Zimbabwe and elsewhere in the south of Africa.
Lowell m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from a Norman French nickname, from
lou "wolf" and a diminutive suffix. The surname was borne by American poet and satirist James Russell Lowell (1819-1891).
Loyalty f English (Modern)From the English word, which was originally borrowed from Old French
loiauté, a derivative of
loial "loyal", itself derived from Latin
legalis "legal".
Luana f English, Italian, PortugueseFrom the movie
Bird of Paradise (1932), in which it was borne by the main character, a Polynesian girl. The movie was based on a 1912 play of the same name set in Hawaii.
Luann f EnglishEither a combination of
Lou and
Ann or a variant of
Luana. It was popularized in the 1950s by the singer Lu Ann Simms (1933-2003).
Lubanzi m & f Xhosa, ZuluMeans
"it is wide" in Xhosa and Zulu, from the phrase
uthando lubanzi "love is wide".
Lubbert m DutchDutch form of the Old German name
Leutbert, derived from the elements
liut "people" and
beraht "bright". Liutbert (or Liutpert) was an 8th-century Lombard king.
Lubna f Arabic, Urdu, BengaliMeans
"storax tree" in Arabic. According to a 7th-century Arabic tale Lubna and Qays were a couple forced to divorce by Qays's father.
Luboš m CzechOriginally a diminutive of names beginning with the Slavic element
ľuby meaning
"love".
Luca 1 m Italian, RomanianItalian and Romanian form of
Lucas (see
Luke). This name was borne by Luca della Robbia, a Renaissance sculptor from Florence.
Lucan m HistoryFrom the Roman cognomen
Lucanus, which was derived from the name of the city of Luca in Tuscany (modern Lucca). Marcus Annaeus Lucanus, commonly called Lucan, was a 1st-century Roman poet.
Lucasta f LiteratureThis name was first used by the poet Richard Lovelace for a collection of poems called
Lucasta (1649). The poems were dedicated to Lucasta, a nickname for the woman he loved Lucy Sacheverel, whom he called
lux casta "pure light".
Lucetta f ItalianDiminutive of
Luce. Shakespeare used this name for a character in his play
The Two Gentlemen of Verona (1594).
Lucía f SpanishSpanish form of
Lucia. This is the most popular name for girls in Spain beginning in 2003.
Lucia f Italian, German, Dutch, English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Romanian, Slovak, Ancient RomanFeminine form of
Lucius. Saint Lucia was a 4th-century martyr from Syracuse. She was said to have had her eyes gouged out, and thus she is the patron saint of the blind. She was widely revered in the Middle Ages, and her name has been used throughout Christian Europe (in various spellings). It has been used in the England since the 12th century, usually in the spellings
Lucy or
Luce.
Lucianus m Ancient RomanRoman family name that was derived from the Roman praenomen
Lucius. Lucianus (or
Λουκιανός in his native Greek) of Samosata was a 2nd-century satirist and author. This name was also borne by a 3rd-century saint and martyr from Beauvais and a 4th-century saint and martyr from Antioch.
Lucifer m Judeo-Christian-Islamic LegendMeans
"bringing light", derived from Latin
lux "light" and
ferre "to bring". In Latin this name originally referred to the morning star, Venus, but later became associated with the chief angel who rebelled against God's rule in heaven (see
Isaiah 14:12). In later literature, such as the
Divine Comedy (1321) by Dante and
Paradise Lost (1667) by John Milton, Lucifer became associated with Satan himself.
Lucilius m Ancient RomanRoman family name that was a derivative of the given name
Lucius. This was the family name of the 2nd-century BC Roman satirist Gaius Lucilius.
Lucina f Roman MythologyDerived from Latin
lucus meaning
"grove", but later associated with
lux meaning
"light". This was the name of a Roman goddess of childbirth.
Lucinda f English, Portuguese, LiteratureAn 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).
Lucius m Ancient Roman, Biblical, EnglishRoman praenomen, or given name, which was derived from Latin
lux "light". This was the most popular of the praenomina. Two Etruscan kings of early Rome had this name as well as several prominent later Romans, including Lucius Annaeus Seneca (known simply as Seneca), a statesman, philosopher, orator and tragedian. The name is mentioned briefly in the New Testament belonging to a Christian in Antioch. It was also borne by three popes, including the 3rd-century Saint Lucius. Despite this, the name was not regularly used in the Christian world until after the Renaissance.
Lucky m & f English, HindiFrom a nickname given to a lucky person. It is also sometimes used as a diminutive of
Luke. A famous bearer was the Italian-American gangster "Lucky" Luciano (1897-1962).
Lucretia f Ancient Roman, Roman MythologyFeminine form of the Roman family name
Lucretius, possibly from Latin
lucrum meaning
"profit, wealth". According Roman legend Lucretia was a maiden who was raped by the son of the king of Rome. This caused a great uproar among the Roman citizens, and the monarchy was overthrown. This name was also borne by a 4th-century saint and martyr from Mérida, Spain.
Ludger m GermanFrom the Old German name
Leutgar, which was derived from the elements
liut "people" and
ger "spear". Saint Ludger was an 8th-century Frisian Benedictine bishop who founded a monastery at Munster.
Ludivine f FrenchPossibly from a feminine form of
Leutwin. It was popularized in the 1970s by a character from the French miniseries
Les Gens de Mogador.
Ludmila f Czech, Latvian, RussianMeans
"favour of the people" from the Slavic elements
ľudŭ "people" and
milŭ "gracious, dear". Saint Ludmila was a 10th-century duchess of Bohemia, the grandmother of Saint Václav. She was murdered on the orders of her daughter-in-law Drahomíra.
... [more] Ludolf m German (Rare), GermanicFrom the Old German name
Hludolf, which was composed of the elements
hlut meaning "famous, loud" and
wolf meaning "wolf". Saint Ludolf (or Ludolph) was a 13th-century bishop of Ratzeburg.
Ludovic m FrenchFrench form of
Ludovicus, the Latinized form of
Ludwig. This was the name of an 1833 opera by the French composer Fromental Halévy.
Ludoviko m EsperantoEsperanto form of
Ludwig. This is the Esperanto name of the philologist Ludwig Zamenhof (1859-1917), the creator of the Esperanto language.
Ludwig m GermanFrom the Germanic name
Hludwig meaning
"famous in battle", composed of the elements
hlut "famous, loud" and
wig "war, battle". This was the name of three Merovingian kings of the Franks (though their names are usually spelled as
Clovis) as well as several Carolingian kings and Holy Roman emperors (names often spelled in the French form
Louis). Other famous bearers include the German composer Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) and the Austrian philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951), who contributed to logic and the philosophy of language.
Luena f PortugueseMeaning unknown, possibly from the name of a city in Angola. It was popularized in Portugal by a character on the telenovela
A Única Mulher (2015-2017).
Lugh m Irish MythologyProbably an Irish form of
Lugus. In Irish mythology Lugh Lámfada was a divine hero who led the Tuatha Dé Danann against his grandfather
Balor and the Fomorians. Lugh killed Balor by shooting a stone into his giant eye.
Lughaidh m Irish MythologyFrom Old Irish
Lugaid, a combination of the name of the mythological figure
Lugh and Old Irish
dech "honour, better". This was the name of several characters in Irish legend, including the king Lugaid mac Con.
Lugus m Gaulish Mythology (Hypothetical)Possibly from one of the Indo-European roots *
lewk- "light, brightness", *
lewg- "dark" or *
lewgh- "oath". This was the name of a Celtic (Gaulish) god of commerce and craftsmanship, who was equated by the Romans with
Mercury. He probably forms the basis for the characters and names of
Lugh (Irish) and
Lleu (Welsh).
Luigi m ItalianItalian form of
Louis. It has been borne by five prime ministers of Italy since the 19th century. This is also the name of
Mario's brother in Nintendo video games (debuting 1983), called
ルイージ (Ruīji) in Japanese.
Luigsech f Old IrishProbably derived from the name of the mythological figure
Lugh. This was the name of an obscure early Irish saint, mentioned in the martyrologies of Tallaght and Gorman.
Luitgard f GermanFrom the Old German name
Leutgard, which was derived from the elements
liut "people" and
gart "enclosure, yard". It was borne by
Charlemagne's fifth and last wife. This was also the name of a 13th-century Flemish nun, the patron saint of easy deliveries.
Luján f Spanish (Latin American)From a Spanish title of the Virgin
Mary,
Nuestra Señora de Luján, meaning "Our Lady of Luján". This is the name of a city in Argentina near Buenos Aires. Our Lady of Luján is a 17th-century statue of Mary. Supposedly the horses transporting the statue further into Argentina refused to pull the cart past Luján, so a shrine was built at the spot. She is regarded as a patron saint of Argentina.
Luke m English, BiblicalEnglish form of Latin
Lucas, from the Greek name
Λουκᾶς (Loukas), probably a shortened form of
Λουκανός (Loukanos) meaning
"from Lucania", Lucania being a region in southern Italy. Luke was a doctor who travelled in the company of the apostle
Paul. According to tradition, he was the author of the third gospel and Acts in the New Testament. He was probably of Greek ethnicity. He is considered a saint by many Christian denominations.
... [more] Luljeta f AlbanianMeans
"flower of life" in Albanian, from
lule "flower" and
jetë "life".
Lulzim m AlbanianFrom Albanian
lulëzim meaning
"blooming, flowering, prosperity".
Luminița f RomanianMeans
"little light", derived from Romanian
lumina "light" combined with a diminutive suffix.
Lumír m CzechMeaning unknown, though possibly related to the Slavic element
mirŭ meaning "peace, world". In Czech legend this is the name of a bard.
Lunete f Arthurian CycleForm of
Eluned used by the 12th-century French poet Chrétien de Troyes in his poem
Yvain, the Knight of the Lion. In the poem she is a servant of the Lady of the Fountain who aids the knight
Yvain.
Lur f & m BasqueMeans
"earth, ground" in Basque.
Luther m EnglishFrom a German surname, itself derived from the Old German given name
Leuthar. The surname was borne by Martin Luther (1483-1546), a monk and theologian who started the Protestant Reformation by nailing his famous 95 theses to a church door. It has since been used as a given name in his honour, especially among Protestants. A notable bearer from the modern era was the American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968).
Lux f & m VariousDerived from Latin
lux meaning
"light".
Luz f SpanishMeans
"light" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin
Mary,
Nuestra Señora de la Luz, meaning "Our Lady of Light".
Luzviminda f FilipinoBlend of
Luzon,
Visayas and
Mindanao, the names of the three main island groups of the Philippines.
Lyall m English (Rare)From a Scottish surname that was derived from the Old Norse given name
Liulfr (which was derived in part from
úlfr "wolf").
Lyanna f LiteratureCreated by author George R. R. Martin for a character in his series
A Song of Ice and Fire, published beginning 1996, and the television adaptation
Game of Thrones (2011-2019). In the story Lyanna was the sister of Ned Stark. Her abduction and subsequent death was the cause of the civil war that toppled the Targaryens.
Lydia f English, German, Dutch, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical GreekMeans
"from Lydia" in Greek. Lydia was a region on the west coast of Asia Minor, said to be named for the legendary king
Lydos. In the New Testament this is the name of a woman converted to Christianity by Saint
Paul. In the modern era the name has been in use since the Protestant Reformation.
Lydos m Ancient GreekMeaning unknown. This was the name of the semi-legendary king who gave his name to the region of
Lydia in Asia Minor.
Lykke f DanishMeans
"good fortune, happiness" in Danish.
Lyle m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from Norman French
l'isle meaning
"island".
Lyndon m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"linden tree hill" in Old English. A famous bearer was American president Lyndon B. Johnson (1908-1973).
Lynet f Arthurian CycleForm of
Lunete used in Thomas Malory's 15th-century tale
Le Morte d'Arthur, where it is borne by a woman who enlists the help of Sir
Gareth to rescue her sister
Lyonesse. She eventually marries his brother
Gaheris.
Lynette f English, Arthurian CycleForm of
Lynet used by Alfred Tennyson in his 1872 poem
Gareth and Lynette. According to Tennyson, Gareth and Lynette were eventually married. In modern times it is also regarded as a diminutive of
Lynn.
Lynn f & m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from Welsh
llyn meaning
"lake". Before the start of the 20th century it was primarily used for boys, but it has since come to be more common for girls. In some cases it may be thought of as a short form of
Linda or names that end in
lyn or
line.
Lyonesse f Arthurian CycleMeans
"lioness" in Middle English. In Thomas Malory's 15th-century tale
Le Morte d'Arthur this is the name of a woman trapped in a castle by the Red Knight. Her sister
Lynet gains the help of the knight
Gareth in order to save her.
Lyonors f Arthurian CycleProbably from Middle English
lyon meaning
"lion". It appears in Thomas Malory's 15th-century compilation of Arthurian legends
Le Morte d'Arthur, belonging to a woman who had a child with Arthur. Alfred Tennyson used the name in his poem
Gareth and Lynette (1872) for the sister of
Lynette (this character is called
Lyonesse in Malory's version of the story).
Lyra f AstronomyThe 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).