Bertha f German, English, GermanicOriginally a short form of Germanic names beginning with the Old Frankish or Old Saxon element
berht, Old High German
beraht meaning
"bright" (Proto-Germanic *
berhtaz). This was the name of a few early saints, including a 6th-century Frankish princess who married and eventually converted King
Æþelbeorht of Kent. It was also borne by the mother of
Charlemagne in the 8th century (also called
Bertrada), and it was popularized in England by the Normans. It died out as an English name after the Middle Ages, but was revived in the 19th century.
... [more] Berthild f GermanicDerived from the Old German elements
beraht "bright" and
hilt "battle". This was the name of a 7th-century saint, an abbess of Chelles in France.
Bertilo m GermanicOriginally a short form of Germanic names beginning with the element
beraht meaning
"bright, famous".
Bertrand m French, English, GermanicDerived from the Old German elements
beraht meaning "bright" and
rant meaning "rim (of a shield)". From an early date it has been confused with
Bertram and the two names have merged to some degree. Saint Bertrand was an 11th-century bishop of Comminges in France. Another famous bearer was the English philosopher Bertrand Russell (1872-1970).
Berwyn m WelshMeans
"white top" from the Welsh elements
barr "top, head" and
gwyn "white, blessed". This is the name of a mountain range in Wales.
Bessarion m Late GreekMeaning uncertain, possibly from Greek
βῆσσα (bessa) meaning
"wooded valley". This was the name of a 5th-century Egyptian hermit who was a disciple of Saint Anthony the Great. It was later adopted by the scholar Basilios Bessarion (1403-1472), a Greek born in Byzantine Anatolia who became a Roman Catholic bishop.
Betelgeuse m AstronomyThe name of the star that marks the right shoulder of the constellation Orion. It is derived from Arabic
يد الجوزا (yad al-Jawzā) meaning
"the hand of Jawza".
جوزا (Jawzā) meaning "central one" was the old Arabic name for the constellation Orion (also for Gemini).
Bethany f EnglishFrom the name of a biblical town,
Βηθανία (Bethania) in Greek, which is probably of Aramaic or Hebrew origin, possibly meaning "house of affliction" or "house of figs". In the New Testament the town of Bethany is the home of Lazarus and his sisters Mary and Martha. It has been in use as a rare given name in the English-speaking world since the 19th century, in honour of Mary of Bethany. In America it became moderately common after the 1950s.
Bethel f EnglishFrom an Old Testament place name meaning
"house of God" in Hebrew. This was a town north of Jerusalem, where
Jacob saw his vision of the stairway. It is occasionally used as a given name.
Bethuel m BiblicalPossibly means
"destruction of God" in Hebrew, from
בָּתָה (baṯa) meaning "destruction" and
אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". In the Old Testament this is the name of the father of
Rebecca.
Beulah f Biblical, EnglishMeans
"married" in Hebrew. The name is used in the Old Testament to refer to the land of Israel (
Isaiah 62:4). As an English given name,
Beulah has been used since the Protestant Reformation.
Bevan m EnglishFrom a Welsh surname that was derived from
ap Evan meaning
"son of Evan". As a given name, it is particularly common in New Zealand and Australia.
Beverly f & m EnglishFrom an English surname that was originally derived from the name of a Yorkshire city, itself from Old English
beofor "beaver" and (possibly)
licc "stream". It came into use as a masculine given name in the 19th century, then became common as an American feminine name after the publication of George Barr McCutcheon's 1904 novel
Beverly of Graustark. It was most popular in the 1930s, and has since greatly declined in use.
Bevis m English (Rare)From an English surname that is possibly derived from the name of the French town
Beauvais.
Beylke f Yiddish (Rare)Diminutive of
Beyle. This is the name of a daughter of Tevye in late 19th-century Yiddish stories by Sholem Aleichem, on which the musical
Fiddler on the Roof was based.
Beyoncé f African American (Modern)Popularized by the American singer Beyoncé Knowles (1981-) whose given name came from her mother's maiden name (which was originally
Beyincé, of Louisiana Creole origin). This name appeared on the United States top 1000 list in 2001, around the time her group Destiny's Child was at the height of their popularity.
Bharata m HinduismMeans
"being maintained" in Sanskrit. This is one of the names of
Agni, the Hindu god of fire, and is also the name of a brother of
Rama in the Hindu epic the
Ramayana. It was also borne by a legendary king, the son of
Dushyanta and
Shakuntala. The official name of the country of India, Bharat, derives from him.
Bhaskara m HinduismMeans
"shining, light maker", derived from Sanskrit
भास (bhāsa) meaning "light" and
कर (kara) meaning "maker". This is another name of Hindu sun god
Surya. It was additionally borne by a 12th-century Indian astronomer, also known as Bhaskaracharya.
Bhima m HinduismMeans
"terrible, formidable" in Sanskrit. In the Hindu epic the
Mahabharata this is the name of the second son of
Pandu, and thus one of the five Pandavas. His true father was the wind god
Vayu. He was known for his terrific strength and skill as a warrior.
Bhishma m HinduismMeans
"terrible, dreadful, formidable" in Sanskrit. According to the
Mahabharata he was a son of
Shantanu and the river goddess
Ganga. He was originally named
Devavrata. He became an advisor to the kings of Kuru, and was renowned for his wisdom. He reluctantly helped lead the Kauravas in their war with the Pandavas, during which he was killed by the Pandava brother
Arjuna.
Bhumi f HinduismMeans
"earth, soil" in Sanskrit. This is the name of a Hindu earth goddess. She is the wife of
Varaha, an avatar of
Vishnu.
Bianca f Italian, RomanianItalian cognate of
Blanche. Shakespeare had characters named Bianca in
The Taming of the Shrew (1593) and
Othello (1603). The German singer Freddy Breck's 1973 song
Bianca boosted the name's popularity elsewhere in Europe.
Bidzina m GeorgianFrom Georgian
ბიძა (bidza) meaning
"uncle". This was the name of a 17th-century Georgian saint and martyr.
Bilbo m LiteratureThis is the name of the hero of
The Hobbit (1937) by J. R. R. Tolkien. His real hobbit name is
Bilba, which is of unknown meaning, but this was altered by Tolkien in order to use the more masculine
o ending. In the novel Bilbo Baggins is recruited by the wizard
Gandalf to join the quest to retake Mount Erebor from the dragon Smaug.
Bile m Irish MythologyPossibly an Irish form of
Belenus, though it may derive from an Irish word meaning
"sacred tree, scion, hero". In Irish mythology this was the name of one of the Milesians who was drowned while invading Ireland.
Bill m EnglishShort form of
William. This spelling was not commonly used before the 19th century. The change in the initial consonant may have been influenced by an earlier Irish pronunciation of the name. Famous bearers include basketball player Bill Russell (1934-2022), comedian Bill Cosby (1937-), American president Bill Clinton (1946-), and Microsoft founder Bill Gates (1955-), all of whom were born with the name
William.
Billy m EnglishDiminutive of
Bill. A notable bearer was the American outlaw Billy the Kid (1859-1881), whose real name was William H. Bonney. Others include filmmaker Billy Wilder (1906-2002), actor Billy Crystal (1948-), and musician Billy Joel (1949-).
Birdie f EnglishDiminutive of
Bertha,
Bernice and other names with a similar sound, or sometimes simply from the English word
bird.
Birgitta f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, FinnishMost likely a Scandinavian form of
Bridget via the Latinized form
Brigitta. Alternatively it could be a feminine derivative of
Birger. This is the name of the patron saint of Europe, Birgitta of Sweden, the 14th-century founder of the Bridgettine nuns. Her father's name was Birger.
Birutė f LithuanianPossibly from Lithuanian
birti meaning
"to scatter, to pour out" combined with a diminutive suffix. This name was borne by the mother of the 15th-century Grand Duke
Vytautas of Lithuania.
Bithiah f BiblicalMeans
"daughter of Yahweh" in Hebrew, from the roots
בַּת (baṯ) meaning "daughter" and
יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. In the Old Testament this is the name of a daughter of Pharaoh. She is traditionally equated with the pharaoh's daughter who drew
Moses from the Nile.
Bjoern m German (Rare)German variant of
Björn. The Scandinavian names
Björn and
Bjørn are occasionally written with the digraph
oe.
Bláán m Old IrishFrom Old Irish
blá meaning
"yellow" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of 6th-century Irish saint, a bishop of Kingarth on the Isle of Bute in Scotland.
Blair m & f Scottish, EnglishFrom a Scottish surname that was derived from Gaelic
blàr meaning
"plain, field, battlefield". In Scotland this name is typically masculine.
... [more] Blake m & f EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from Old English
blæc "black" or
blac "pale". A famous bearer of the surname was the poet and artist William Blake (1757-1827). It was originally a mainly masculine name but in 2007 actress Blake Lively (1987-) began starring in the television series
Gossip Girl, after which time it increased in popularity for girls.
Blanchard m GermanicDerived from the Old German elements
blanc meaning "white" and
hart meaning "hard, firm, brave, hardy". This was the name of an obscure (perhaps legendary) 7th-century French saint.
Blanche f French, EnglishFrom a medieval French nickname meaning
"white, fair-coloured". This word and its cognates in other languages are ultimately derived from the Germanic word *
blankaz. An early bearer was the 12th-century Blanca of Navarre, the wife of Sancho III of Castile. Her granddaughter of the same name married Louis VIII of France, with the result that the name became more common in France.
Blandine f FrenchFrench form of the Roman name
Blandina, which was the feminine form of
Blandinus, which was itself a derivative of the cognomen
Blandus. Saint Blandina was a 2nd-century slave from Lyons who was martyred by being thrown to wild beasts.
Bláthnat f Irish MythologyMeans
"little flower" from Irish
bláth "flower" combined with a diminutive suffix. In Irish legend she was a maiden abducted and married by Cú Roí. She was rescued by
Cúchulainn, who killed her husband, but was in turn murdered by one of Cú Roí's loyal servants.
Blažej m Czech, SlovakCzech and Slovak form of
Blaise, also associated with the word
blažený meaning
"blissful, happy, blessed".
Bleda m HistoryPossibly from a Turkic root meaning
"wise". According to other theories the name was of Gothic origin, or was a Gothicized form of a Hunnic name. This was the name of the brother of
Attila.
Bleddyn m WelshFrom Welsh
blaidd "wolf" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of an 11th-century king of Gwynedd and Powys.
Blessing m & f English (African)From the English word
blessing, of Old English origin. This name is most common in Nigeria, Zimbabwe and other parts of Africa.
Blodeuwedd f Welsh MythologyMeans
"face of flowers" in Welsh. According to the Fourth Branch of the
Mabinogi, she was created out of flowers by
Gwydion to be the wife of his nephew
Lleu Llaw Gyffes. Originally she was named
Blodeuedd meaning simply "flowers". She was eventually transformed into an owl by Gwydion after she and her lover
Gronw attempted to murder Lleu, at which point he renamed her
Blodeuwedd.
Blodwen f WelshMeans
"white flowers" from Welsh
blodau "flowers" combined with
gwen "white, blessed". This is the name of an 1878 Welsh opera by Joseph Parry.
Blondie f English (Rare)From a nickname for a person with blond hair. This is the name of the title character in a comic strip by Chic Young.
Boann f Irish MythologyPossibly from Old Irish
bó "cow" and
finn "white, blessed". In Irish mythology this was the name of the goddess of the River Boyne, which is named for her. She was the wife of
Nechtan and the father of
Aonghus (by
Dagda).
Boaz m Biblical, Hebrew, Dutch, Biblical HebrewMeans
"swiftness" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of the man who marries
Ruth. This was also the name of one of the two pillars that stood outside Solomon's Temple (with
Jachin).
Bob m English, DutchShort form of
Robert. It arose later than
Dob,
Hob and
Nob, which were medieval rhyming nicknames of Robert. It is borne by the character Bob Cratchit in Charles Dickens' novel
A Christmas Carol (1843). Other famous bearers include American folk musician Bob Dylan (1941-) and Jamaican reggae musician Bob Marley (1945-1981).
Bobby m EnglishDiminutive of
Bob. Hockey greats Bobby Hull (1939-2023) and Bobby Orr (1948-) have borne this name.
Bode m Low GermanFrom the Germanic name
Bodo, derived from the Old High German element
bot, Old Saxon
bod meaning
"command, order" (Proto-Germanic *
budą). Saint Bodo, also called Leudinus, was a 7th-century bishop of Toul in northern France.
Boel f SwedishFrom
Boeld, a medieval form of the Old Norse name
Bóthildr (see
Bodil).
Bogusław m PolishMeans
"glory of God" from the Slavic elements
bogŭ "god" and
slava "glory". This name was borne by several dukes of Pomerania, beginning in the 12th century.
Bojan m Serbian, Croatian, Slovene, MacedonianDerived from Old Slavic
bojĭ meaning
"battle". This was the name of a 9th-century Bulgarian saint and martyr, also called Enravota, a son of the Bulgarian khan Omurtag.
Bolesław m PolishDerived from Slavic
boľe "more, greater" and
slava "glory". This was the name of kings of Poland, starting in the 11th century with the first Polish king Bolesław the Brave.
Bolívar m Spanish (Latin American)From a surname that was taken from the Basque place name
Bolibar, which was derived from
bolu "mill" and
ibar "riverside". A famous bearer of the surname was Simón Bolívar (1783-1830), a South American revolutionary leader, after whom the country of Bolivia is named.
Bomilcar m Phoenician (Latinized)From the Punic name
𐤁𐤃𐤌𐤋𐤒𐤓𐤕 (Bodmilqart), from Phoenician
𐤁𐤃 (bod) meaning "on behalf of" or perhaps from
𐤏𐤁𐤃 (ʿabd) meaning "servant, slave" combined with the name of the god
Melqart. This name was borne by a few figures from Carthaginian history.
Bonaventura m Italian, CatalanMeans
"good fortune" in Italian, from Latin
bonus "good" and
venturas "the things that will come, the future". Saint Bonaventura was a 13th-century Franciscan monk who is considered a Doctor of the Church.
Boniface m French, English (Rare)From the Late Latin name
Bonifatius, which meant
"good fate" from
bonum "good" and
fatum "fate, destiny". This was the name of nine popes and also several saints, including an 8th-century Anglo-Saxon missionary to Germany (originally named
Winfrið) who is now regarded as the patron saint of that country. It came into use in England during the Middle Ages, but became rare after the Protestant Reformation.
Bonita f EnglishMeans
"pretty" in Spanish, ultimately from Latin
bonus "good". It has been used as a name in the English-speaking world since the beginning of the 20th century.
Bonitus m Late RomanDerived from a diminutive of Latin
bonus meaning
"good". This was the name of a 7th-century century saint, a bishop of Auvergne.
Bonnie f EnglishMeans
"pretty" from the Scottish word
bonnie, which was itself derived from Middle French
bon "good". It has been in use as an American given name since the 19th century, and it became especially popular after the movie
Gone with the Wind (1939), in which it was the nickname of Scarlett's daughter.
Booker m EnglishFrom an English occupational surname meaning
"maker of books". A famous bearer was Booker T. Washington (1856-1915), an African-American leader.
Boone m EnglishFrom an English surname that was either derived from Old French
bon meaning
"good" or from the name of the town of Bohon, France.
Bor m SloveneMeans
"pine tree" in Slovene. It is also a short form of names containing
bor, such as
Borislav or
Boris.
Bora 1 m TurkishMeans
"storm, squall" in Turkish, ultimately related to Greek
Βορέας (Boreas), the name of the god of the north wind.
Boris m Bulgarian, Russian, Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, Macedonian, Czech, Slovak, Georgian, German, FrenchFrom a Bulgar Turkic name, also recorded as
Bogoris, perhaps meaning
"short" or
"wolf" or
"snow leopard". It was borne by the 9th-century Boris I of Bulgaria, who converted his realm to Christianity and is thus regarded as a saint in the Orthodox Church. To the north in Kievan Rus it was the name of another saint, a son of
Vladimir the Great who was murdered with his brother
Gleb in the 11th century. His mother may have been Bulgarian.
... [more] Bořivoj m CzechDerived from the Slavic elements
borti "battle" and
vojĭ "soldier". This name was borne by a 9th-century Duke of Bohemia.
Borja m SpanishFrom a Spanish surname, used as a given name in honour of the Jesuit priest Saint Francis Borja (1510-1572). The surname, also spelled Borgia, is derived from the name of a Spanish town, ultimately from Arabic
برْج (burj) meaning "tower".
Borna m CroatianDerived from the Slavic element
borti meaning
"fight, battle". This was the name of a 9th-century duke of Croatia.
Bors m Arthurian CycleFrom French
Bohort, probably from Old French
behort or
bohort meaning
"jousting" or
"jousting lance". First appearing in the 13th-century
Lancelot-Grail Cycle, Bors was one of Arthur's knights who quested for the Holy Grail. His father, the king of Gaunnes, was also named Bors.
Boston m EnglishFrom 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".