Feminine Names

gender
usage
Hecuba f Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Greek Ἑκάβη (Hekabe), which is of uncertain meaning. According to Greek mythology this was the name of the primary wife of King Priam of Troy. By him she was the mother of Hector, Paris, Cassandra and many others.
Hed m & f Hebrew
Means "echo" in Hebrew.
Hedda f Norwegian, Swedish
Diminutive of Hedvig. This is the name of the heroine of the play Hedda Gabler (1890) by the Norwegian dramatist Henrik Ibsen.
Hédi 1 f Hungarian
Hungarian diminutive of Hedvig.
Hedieh f Persian
Persian form of Hadia 1.
Hediye f Turkish
Turkish form of Hadia 1.
Hedvig f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Hungarian
Scandinavian, Finnish and Hungarian form of Hedwig.
Hedviga f Slovak
Slovak form of Hedwig.
Hedvika f Czech, Slovene
Czech and Slovene form of Hedwig.
Hedwig f German, Dutch
From the Old German name Hadewig, derived from the Old German elements hadu "battle, combat" and wig "war". This was the name of a 13th-century German saint, the wife of the Polish duke Henry the Bearded. It was subsequently borne by a 14th-century Polish queen (usually known by her Polish name Jadwiga) who is now also regarded as a saint.
Hedy f German, Dutch
Diminutive of Hedwig.
Hefina f Welsh
Feminine form of Hefin.
Hege f Norwegian
Norwegian diminutive of Helga.
Heida f German
German diminutive of Adelheid.
Heide f German
German diminutive of Adelheid. It also coincides with the German word meaning "heath".
Heidemarie f German
Combination of Heide and Marie.
Heidi f German, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Finnish, English
German diminutive of Adelheid. This is the name of the title character in the children's novel Heidi (1880) by the Swiss author Johanna Spyri. The name began to be used in the English-speaking world shortly after the 1937 release of the movie adaptation, which starred Shirley Temple.
Heidrun f Norse Mythology, German
Derived from Old Norse heiðr meaning "bright, clear" and rún meaning "secret lore, rune". In Norse mythology this was the name of a goat that would eat the leaves from the tree of life and produce mead in her udder.
Heike f & m Low German, German
Low German diminutive of Henrike or Henrik.
Heilwig f German (Rare), Germanic
Derived from the Old German elements heil "healthy, whole" and wig "war".
Heinrike f German (Rare)
Feminine form of Heinrich.
Heintje f & m Dutch
Feminine and masculine diminutive of Hendrik.
Heirani f Tahitian
From Tahitian hei "crown, garland" and raʻi "heaven, sky".
Heiðrún f Norse Mythology, Icelandic
Old Norse and Icelandic form of Heidrun.
Heitiare f Tahitian
From Tahitian hei "crown, garland" and tiare "flower".
Hekabe f Greek Mythology
Greek form of Hecuba.
Hekate f Greek Mythology
Greek form of Hecate.
Hekla f Icelandic
From the name of an active Icelandic volcano, derived from Old Norse hekla meaning "cloak".
Hel f Norse Mythology
In Norse mythology this was the name of the daughter of Loki. She got her name from the underworld, also called Hel, where she ruled, which meant "to conceal, to cover" in Old Norse (related to the English word hell).
Helah f Biblical
Means "rust" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this name is mentioned as one of the wives of Ashur.
Heledd f Welsh
Meaning unknown. This is the narrator of the medieval poem Canu Heledd, which laments the loss of her family, including her brother Prince Cynddylan, and the destruction of the kingdom of Powys in the 7th century.
Heleen f Dutch
Dutch variant of Helen.
Heleena f Finnish
Finnish variant of Helena.
Heleentje f Dutch
Dutch diminutive of Helen.
Helen f English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Estonian, Greek Mythology (Anglicized)
English form of the Greek Ἑλένη (Helene), probably from Greek ἑλένη (helene) meaning "torch" or "corposant", or possibly related to σελήνη (selene) meaning "moon". In Greek mythology Helen was the daughter of Zeus and Leda, whose kidnapping by Paris was the cause of the Trojan War. The name was also borne by the 4th-century Saint Helena, mother of the Roman emperor Constantine, who supposedly found the True Cross during a trip to Jerusalem.... [more]
Heléna f Hungarian
Hungarian form of Helen.
Helēna f Latvian
Latvian form of Helen.
Helena f German, Dutch, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Icelandic, Portuguese, Catalan, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Finnish, Estonian, Slovene, Croatian, Sorbian, English, Ancient Greek (Latinized), Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinate form of Helen. This is the name of the heroine of William Shakespeare's play All's Well That Ends Well (1603).
Hélène f French
French form of Helen.
Helene f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Ancient Greek, Greek Mythology
Ancient Greek form of Helen, as well as the modern Scandinavian and German form.
Helenka f Czech, Polish
Czech and Polish diminutive of Helena.
Heli 2 f Finnish, Estonian
Diminutive of Helena. In Estonian this coincides with the word heli meaning "sound".
Hélia f Portuguese
Portuguese feminine form of Helios.
Helka f Finnish
Finnish variant of Helga.
Hella f German, Danish
Diminutive of names beginning with Hel, such as Helga or Helena.
Hellä f Finnish
Means "gentle, tender" in Finnish.
Helle 1 f Danish, Norwegian, Estonian
Danish diminutive of names beginning with Hel, such as Helga or Helena.
Helle 2 f Greek Mythology
Meaning unknown. In Greek mythology Helle was the daughter of Athamus and Nephele. She and her brother Phrixus escaped sacrifice by fleeing on the back of a golden ram, but during their flight she fell off and drowned in the strait that connects the Aegean Sea with the Sea of Marmara, which was thereafter called the Hellespont ("the sea of Helle").
Hellen f English
Variant of Helen.
Helma f German, Dutch
Short form of Wilhelmina.
Helmi f Finnish, Swedish
Diminutive of Vilhelmiina or Vilhelmina. It also means "pearl" in Finnish.
Helmine f German
Short form of Wilhelmine.
Heloísa f Portuguese
Portuguese form of Eloise.
Héloïse f French
French form of Eloise.
Helve f Estonian
Means "flake, snowflake" in Estonian.
Helvi f Finnish
Finnish vernacular form of Hedvig.
Helvia f Ancient Roman
Feminine form of Helvius.
Hema f Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Kannada
Means "golden" in Sanskrit.
Hemera f Greek Mythology
Means "day" in Greek. This was the name of the Greek goddess who personified the daytime. According to Hesiod she was the daughter of Nyx, the personification of the night.
Hend f Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic هند (see Hind).
Henda f Yiddish (Rare)
Yiddish variant of Hannah.
Hendel f Yiddish (Rare)
Yiddish diminutive of Hannah.
Hendrika f Dutch
Feminine form of Hendrik.
Hendrikje f Dutch
Feminine form of Hendrik.
Hendrina f Dutch
Feminine form of Hendrik.
Hene f Yiddish (Rare)
Yiddish variant of Hannah.
Heng m & f Chinese
From Chinese (héng) meaning "constant, persistent", as well as other characters with a similar pronunciation. Lui Heng, known as Wen of Han, was a 2nd-century BC emperor of the Han dynasty.
Henna f Finnish
Finnish feminine form of Heinrich (see Henry).
Hennie m & f Dutch
Dutch diminutive and feminine form of Hendrik.
Henny f & m Dutch, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish
Diminutive of Henriette, Hendrika and other names containing hen. In Dutch it can also be masculine as a diminutive of Hendrik.
Henrietta f English, Hungarian, Finnish, Swedish
Latinate form of Henriette. It was introduced to England by Henriette Marie, the wife of the 17th-century English king Charles I. The name Henriette was also Anglicized as Harriet, a form that was initially more popular.
Henriëtte f Dutch
Dutch form of Henriette.
Henriette f French, German, Dutch, Danish, Norwegian
French feminine diminutive of Henri.
Henriikka f Finnish
Finnish feminine form of Heinrich (see Henry).
Henrika f Lithuanian, Swedish (Rare)
Lithuanian and Swedish feminine form of Henrik.
Henrike f German
German feminine form of Heinrich (see Henry).
Henryka f Polish
Polish feminine form of Heinrich (see Henry).
Henye f Yiddish (Rare)
Yiddish variant of Hannah.
Hephzibah f Biblical
From the Hebrew name חֶףְצִי־בָּה (Ḥeftsi-ba) meaning "my delight is in her". In the Old Testament she is the wife of King Hezekiah of Judah and the mother of Manasseh. The meaning of her name is explained in Isaiah 62:4.
Hera f Greek Mythology
Uncertain meaning, possibly from Greek ἥρως (heros) meaning "hero, warrior"; ὥρα (hora) meaning "period of time"; or αἱρέω (haireo) meaning "to be chosen". In Greek mythology Hera was the queen of the gods, the sister and wife of Zeus. She presided over marriage and childbirth.
Herais f Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek personal name that was probably derived from the name of the Greek goddess Hera. It was borne by a saint and martyr from Alexandria who was killed during the early 4th-century persecutions of the Roman emperor Diocletian.
Herenui f Tahitian
From Tahitian here "loved, dear" and nui "big".
Herleif f & m Old Norse, Norwegian (Rare)
Old Norse feminine form and modern Scandinavian masculine form of Herleifr.
Herleva f Germanic (Latinized)
Possibly from the Old German elements heri "army" and leiba "remainder, remnant, legacy" (or the Old Norse cognates herr and leif, see Herleif). This was the name of the mother of William the Conqueror, who, according to tradition, was a commoner.
Hermia f Literature
Feminine form of Hermes. Shakespeare used this name in his comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream (1595).
Hermína f Czech, Slovak
Czech and Slovak form of Hermine.
Hermina f Dutch, Slovene, Hungarian, Croatian
Dutch, Slovene, Hungarian and Croatian form of Hermine.
Hermine f German, French
German feminine form of Herman.
Hermínia f Portuguese
Portuguese feminine form of Herminius.
Hermione f Greek Mythology
Derived from the name of the Greek messenger god Hermes. In Greek myth Hermione was the daughter of Menelaus and Helen. This is also the name of the wife of Leontes in Shakespeare's play The Winter's Tale (1610). It is now closely associated with the character Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter series of books, first released in 1997.
Hero 1 f Greek Mythology
Derived from Greek ἥρως (heros) meaning "hero". In Greek legend she was the lover of Leander, who would swim across the Hellespont each night to meet her. He was killed on one such occasion when he got caught in a storm while in the water, and when Hero saw his dead body she drowned herself. This is also the name of a character in Shakespeare's play Much Ado About Nothing (1599).
Herodias f Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
Feminine form of Herod. This was the name of a member of the Herodian ruling family of Judea, a sister of Herod Agrippa and the wife of Herod Antipas. She appears in the New Testament, where she contrives to have her husband Antipas imprison and execute John the Baptist.
Hersilia f Roman Mythology
Meaning uncertain, perhaps related to Greek ἕρση (herse) meaning "dew". In Roman legend this was the name of a Sabine woman who became the wife of Romulus.
Herta f German
Variant of Hertha.
Hertha f German
Form of Nerthus. The spelling change from N to H resulted from a misreading of Tacitus's text.
Hertta f Finnish
Finnish form of Hertha. This is also the Finnish word for the card suit hearts.
Herut f Hebrew
Means "freedom" in Hebrew.
Hester f English, Dutch, Biblical Latin
Latin form of Esther. Like Esther, it has been used in England since the Protestant Reformation. Nathaniel Hawthorne used it for the heroine of his novel The Scarlet Letter (1850), Hester Prynne, a Puritan woman forced to wear a red letter A on her chest after giving birth to a child out of wedlock.
Hestia f Greek Mythology
Derived from Greek ἑστία (hestia) meaning "hearth, fireside". In Greek mythology Hestia was the goddess of the hearth and domestic activity.
Heta f Finnish
Finnish vernacular form of Hedvig.
Hetepheres f Ancient Egyptian
From Egyptian ḥtp-ḥrs meaning "satisfied is her face", from ḥtp "peace, satisfaction" and ḥr "face". This was the name of queens consort and princesses from the Egyptian 4th dynasty (26th century BC).
Hettie f English
Diminutive of Henrietta or Hester.
Heulwen f Welsh
Means "sunshine" in Welsh (a compound of haul "sun" and gwen "white, blessed").
Hiacynta f Polish
Polish feminine form of Hyacinthus.
Hiba f Arabic
Means "gift" in Arabic, a derivative of وهب (wahaba) meaning "to give".
Hibiki m & f Japanese
From Japanese (hibiki) meaning "sound, echo".
Hibo f Somali
Somali form of Hiba.
Hicran f Turkish, Azerbaijani
Means "separation, parting" in Turkish and Azerbaijani (of Arabic origin).
Hideko f Japanese
From Japanese (hide) meaning "excellent, outstanding" or (hide) meaning "excellent, fine" combined with (ko) meaning "child". This name can also be formed from other combinations of kanji characters.
Hifumi m & f Japanese
From Japanese (hi) meaning "one", (fu) meaning "two" and (mi) meaning "three".
Hiʻiaka f Polynesian Mythology
Means "held essence", derived from Hawaiian hiʻi meaning "hold, carry" and aka meaning "essence, image, embryo". This is the name of a Hawaiian goddess, the youngest sister of the volcano goddess Pele. To help her sister, Hiʻiaka volunteered to retrieve Pele's lover Lohiʻau from a neighbouring island, as long as Pele promised to protect her sacred grove of trees and her lover Hōpoe in her absence. The task took longer than expected and Pele grew impatient, destroying Hiʻiaka's grove and killing her lover.
Hikari f & m Japanese
From Japanese (hikari) meaning "light". Other kanji can also form this name. It is often written with the hiragana writing system.
Hikaru m & f Japanese
From Japanese (hikaru) meaning "light" or (hikaru) meaning "brightness". Other kanji can also form this name.
Hikmat m & f Arabic
Means "wisdom" in Arabic, related to the root حكم (ḥakama) meaning "to pass judgement, to decide".
Hila f Hebrew
Means "halo, aura" in Hebrew, from the root הָלַל (halal) meaning "to praise, to shine".
Hilal m & f Arabic, Turkish
Means "crescent moon" in Arabic, also referring to the new moon on the Islamic calendar. As a given name it is typically masculine in Arabic and feminine in Turkish.
Hilary f & m English
Medieval English form of Hilarius or Hilaria. During the Middle Ages it was primarily a masculine name. It was revived in Britain at the beginning of the 20th century as a predominantly feminine name. In America, this name and the variant Hillary seemed to drop in popularity after Hillary Clinton (1947-) became the first lady in 1993. Famous bearers include American actresses Hilary Swank (1974-) and Hilary Duff (1987-).
Hild f Anglo-Saxon
Old English form of Hilda.
Hilda f English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Spanish, Hungarian, Anglo-Saxon (Latinized), Germanic
Originally a short form of names containing the Old Frankish element hildi, Old High German hilt, Old English hild meaning "battle" (Proto-Germanic *hildiz). The short form was used for both Old English and continental Germanic names. Saint Hilda (or Hild) of Whitby was a 7th-century English saint and abbess. The name became rare in England during the later Middle Ages, but was revived in the 19th century.
Hilde f German, Dutch, Norwegian
German, Dutch and Norwegian variant of Hilda.
Hildegard f German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Germanic
Derived from the Old German elements hilt "battle" and gart "enclosure, yard". This was the name of the second wife of Charlemagne (8th century). Also, Saint Hildegard was a 12th-century mystic from Bingen in Germany who was famous for her writings and poetry and also for her prophetic visions.
Hildegarda f Czech
Czech form of Hildegard.
Hildegund f German, Germanic
Derived from the Old German elements hilt "battle" and gunda "battle, war". This was the name of a 12th-century German saint.
Hildegunn f Norwegian
Norwegian form of Hildigunnr.
Hildigunnr f Old Norse
From the Old Norse elements hildr "battle" and gunnr "battle, war". It is a cognate of Hildegund.
Hildigunnur f Icelandic
Icelandic form of Hildigunnr.
Hildigunþī f Old Germanic (Hypothetical)
Proto-Germanic reconstruction of Hildegund and Hildigunnr.
Hilditrut f Germanic
Old German form of Hiltrud.
Hildoara f Gothic (Latinized)
Latinized form of *Hildiwara (see Aldara).
Hildr f Old Norse, Norse Mythology
From Old Norse hildr meaning "battle", making it a cognate of Hilda. In Norse legend this was the name of a valkyrie.
Hildred f & m English
Possibly from the Old English masculine name Hildræd, which was composed of the elements hild "battle" and ræd "counsel, advice". This name was revived in the late 19th century, probably because of its similarity to the popular names Hilda and Mildred.
Hildur f Icelandic, Norwegian
Icelandic form of Hildr.
Hilja f Finnish, Estonian
Means "silent, quiet" in Finnish and Estonian (a rare poetic word).
Hilla f Finnish
Short form of names beginning with Hil. It also means "cloudberry" in Finnish.
Hillary f English
Variant of Hilary. A famous bearer of the surname was Edmund Hillary (1919-2008), the first man to climb Mount Everest. It is borne by the American politician Hillary Rodham Clinton (1947-). The name dropped in popularity in 1993 after she became the first lady as the wife of Bill Clinton.
Hillevi f Swedish, Finnish
Swedish and Finnish form of Heilwig.
Hilma f Finnish, Swedish
Possibly a variant of Helma or a feminine form of Hilmar.
Hiltraud f German
Variant of Hiltrud.
Hiltrud f German
Means "strength in battle", derived from the Old German elements hilt "battle" and drud "strength".
Hina f Japanese
From Japanese (hi) meaning "light, sun" or (hi) meaning "sun, day" combined with (na) meaning "vegetables, greens". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Hinata f & m Japanese
From Japanese 日向 (hinata) meaning "sunny place", 陽向 (hinata) meaning "toward the sun", or a non-standard reading of 向日葵 (himawari) meaning "sunflower". Other kanji compounds are also possible. Because of the irregular readings, this name is often written using the hiragana writing system.
Hind f Arabic
Possibly means "group of camels" in Arabic. Hind bint Abi Umayyah, also known as Umm Salama, was one of the wives of the Prophet Muhammad. This is also the Arabic name for the country of India.
Hine f Maori
Means "girl" in Maori.
Hipólita f Spanish (Rare), Portuguese (Rare)
Spanish and Portuguese form of Hippolyte 1.
Hippolyta f Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Hippolyte 1. In Shakespeare's comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream (1595) she is the queen of the Amazons, due to marry Theseus the Duke of Athens.
Hippolyte 1 f Greek Mythology
Feminine form of Hippolytos. In Greek legend Hippolyte was the daughter of Ares, and the queen of the Amazons. She was killed by Herakles in order to obtain her magic girdle.
Hira 1 f & m Urdu, Nepali, Punjabi, Gujarati, Hindi
Derived from Sanskrit हीर (hīra) meaning "diamond". It is typically feminine in Pakistan and unisex in India and Nepal.
Hira 2 f Turkish
From Arabic حراء (Ḥirāʾ), which according to tradition was the name of the cave where the Prophet Muhammad received his first revelation.
Hiranur f Turkish (Modern)
From Arabic حراء (Ḥirāʾ), the name of the cave where the Prophet Muhammad received his first revelation, combined with نور (nūr) meaning "light".
Hiroko f Japanese
From Japanese (hiro) meaning "tolerant, generous", (hiro) meaning "abundant" or (hiro) meaning "prosperous" combined with (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Hirune f Basque
Variant of Irune.
Hisako f Japanese
From Japanese (hisa) meaning "long time, long time ago" or 寿 (hisa) meaning "long life, lifespan" combined with (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.
Hitomi f Japanese
From Japanese (hitomi) meaning "pupil of the eye". It can also come from (hito) meaning "history" and (mi) meaning "beautiful", as well as other kanji combinations. This name is often written with the hiragana writing system.
Hiwot f Amharic
Means "life" in Amharic.
Hjördís f Icelandic
Icelandic form of Hjördis.
Hjördis f Swedish
Swedish form of the Old Norse name Hjǫrdís meaning "sword goddess", derived from the elements hjǫrr "sword" and dís "goddess".
Hjørdis f Danish, Norwegian
Danish and Norwegian form of Hjördis.
Hjǫrdís f Old Norse
Old Norse form of Hjördis.
Hla m & f Burmese
Means "pretty, favourable" in Burmese.
Hlengiwe f Zulu, Xhosa, Ndebele, Swazi
Means "helped, rescued, redeemed" in Zulu, Xhosa, Ndebele and Swazi.
Hlíf f Old Norse, Icelandic
Old Norse and Icelandic form of Liv 1.
Hlūdahildiz f Old Germanic (Hypothetical)
Proto-Germanic reconstruction of Chlodechilda.
Hnub f Hmong
Means "sun" in Hmong.
Hoa f Vietnamese
From Sino-Vietnamese (hoa) meaning "flower".
Hoda f Persian, Arabic
Persian form of Huda, as well as an alternate Arabic transcription.
Hodan f Somali
Means "rich, lush" in Somali.
Hode f Yiddish (Rare)
Yiddish short form of Hadassah.
Hodel f Yiddish (Rare)
Diminutive of Hode. This is the name of Tevye's second daughter in the musical Fiddler on the Roof (1964), based on late 19th-century stories by Sholem Aleichem.
Hodesh f Biblical
Means "new moon, month" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament, this is the wife of Shaharaim.
Hodia f Hebrew
Modern Hebrew form of Hodiah.
Hodiah f & m Biblical
Means "majesty of Yahweh" in Hebrew, from הוֹד (hoḏ) meaning "majesty, splendour" and יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. This is (probably) the name of a wife of Ezra in the Old Testament. It is also borne by a few male biblical characters.
Hodiya f & m Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew form of Hodiah.
Hoglah f Biblical
Means "partridge" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of one of the daughters of Zelophehad.
Hōkūlani f Hawaiian
Means "heavenly star" from Hawaiian hōkū "star" and lani "heaven, sky, royal, majesty".
Hollie f English
Variant of Holly.
Hollis m & f English
From an English surname that was derived from Middle English holis "holly trees". It was originally given to a person who lived near a group of those trees.
Holly f English
From the English word for the holly tree, ultimately derived from Old English holen. Holly Golightly is the main character in the novella Breakfast at Tiffany's (1958) by Truman Capote.
Hólmfríðr f Old Norse
Old Norse name derived from the elements holmr "small island" and fríðr "beautiful, beloved".
Honey f English (Rare)
Simply from the English word honey, ultimately from Old English hunig. This was originally a nickname for a sweet person.
Hồng f Vietnamese
From Sino-Vietnamese (hồng) meaning "pink, rosy".
Hong m & f Chinese
From Chinese (hóng) meaning "rainbow", (hóng) meaning "enlarge, expand, great" (which is usually only masculine) or 鸿 (hóng) meaning "wild swan, great, vast" (also usually only masculine). Other characters can also form this name.
Honoka f Japanese
From Japanese (hono) meaning "harmony" (using an obscure nanori reading) and (ka) meaning "flower", as well as other combinations of kanji that have the same pronunciation. Very often it is written using the hiragana writing system.
Honor f & m English (Rare)
Variant of Honour, using the American spelling.
Honora f Irish, English
Variant of Honoria. It was brought to England and Ireland by the Normans.
Honorata f Late Roman, Polish
Feminine form of Honoratus.
Honoria f Late Roman
Feminine form of Honorius. This name was borne by the sister of the Western Roman emperor Valentinian III. After her brother had her engaged to a man she did not like, she wrote to Attila the Hun asking for help. Attila interpreted this as a marriage proposal and subsequently invaded.
Honorina f Late Roman
Feminine form of Honorinus.
Honorine f French
French form of Honorina, a feminine form of the Roman name Honorinus, a derivative of Honorius. Saint Honorina was a 4th-century martyr from the Normandy region in France.
Honour f & m English (Rare)
From the English word honour, which is of Latin origin. This was one of the virtue names adopted by the Puritans in the 17th century. It can also be viewed as a form of Honoria or Honorata, which are ultimately derived from the same source.
Hooda f Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic هدى (see Huda).
Ho'otseoo'e f Cheyenne
Means "lightning woman" in Cheyenne.
Hope f English
From the English word hope, ultimately from Old English hopian. This name was first used by the Puritans in the 17th century.
Horatia f Ancient Roman
Feminine form of Horatius.
Hordad f & m Persian Mythology
Middle Persian form of Haurvatat.
Hortense f French, English
French form of Hortensia.
Hortensia f Ancient Roman, Spanish
Feminine form of the Roman family name Hortensius, possibly derived from Latin hortus meaning "garden".
Hosanna f Biblical
From the Aramaic religious expression הושע נא (Hoshaʿ na) meaning "deliver us" in Hebrew. In the New Testament this is exclaimed by those around Jesus when he first enters Jerusalem.
Hoshi f Japanese
From Japanese (hoshi) meaning "star" or other kanji with the same pronunciation.
Hoshiko f Japanese
From Japanese (hoshi) meaning "star" and (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Hotaru f Japanese
From Japanese (hotaru) meaning "firefly".
Houa f Hmong
Means "clouds" in Hmong.
Houda f Arabic (Maghrebi)
Alternate transcription of Arabic هدى (see Huda) chiefly used in North Africa.
Houria f Arabic (Maghrebi)
Alternate transcription of Arabic حوريّة (see Huriya) chiefly used in Algeria.
Hourig f Armenian
Alternate transcription of Armenian Հուրիկ (see Hurik).
Hozan m & f Kurdish
Means "poet, intellect" in Kurdish.
Hrafnhildr f Old Norse
From the Old Norse elements hrafn "raven" and hildr "battle".
Hrafnhildur f Icelandic
Icelandic form of Hrafnhildr.
Hrefna f Icelandic, Old Norse
Feminine form of Hrafn.
Hreiðunn f Old Norse
Old Norse form of Reidun.
Hristina f Bulgarian, Macedonian, Serbian
Bulgarian, Macedonian and Serbian form of Christina.
Hrodohaidis f Germanic
Old German form of Rose.
Hrönn f Icelandic
Icelandic form of Hrǫnn.
Hrǫnn f Norse Mythology
Means "wave" in Old Norse. In Norse mythology she was one of the nine daughters of Ægir and Rán.
Hrōþihildiz f Old Germanic (Hypothetical)
Proto-Germanic reconstruction of Chrodechildis (see Clotilde).
Hrotsuitha f Germanic
Old German variant of Hruodsuind.
Hruodsuind f Germanic
Old German form of Roswitha.
Hua f & m Chinese
From Chinese (huá) meaning "splendid, illustrious, Chinese" or (huā) meaning "flower, blossom" (which is usually only feminine). Other Chinese characters can form this name as well.
Huan f & m Chinese
From Chinese (huān) meaning "happy, pleased", as well as other characters pronounced in a similar way.
Huang m & f Chinese
From Chinese (huáng) meaning "bright, shining, luminous" (which is usually only masculine) or (huáng) meaning "phoenix" (usually only feminine). Other Chinese characters are also possible.
Huda f Arabic
Means "right guidance" in Arabic, from the root هدى (hadā) meaning "to lead the right way, to guide".
Huệ f Vietnamese
From Sino-Vietnamese (huệ) meaning "bright, intelligent" or (huệ) meaning "tuberose (flower)".
Huguette f French
Feminine form of Hugues.
Huhana f Maori
Maori form of Susan.
Hui f & m Chinese
From Chinese (huì) meaning "intelligent, wise" (which is usually only feminine), (huī) meaning "brightness", besides other characters that are pronounced similarly.
Huld f Norse Mythology
Old Norse variant of Hulda 1.
Hulda 1 f Icelandic, Swedish, Norwegian, Norse Mythology
Derived from Old Norse hulda meaning "hiding, secrecy". This was the name of a sorceress in Norse mythology. As a modern name, it can also derive from archaic Swedish huld meaning "gracious, sweet, lovable".
Hulda 2 f Biblical
Variant of Huldah.
Huldah f Biblical
Means "weasel, mole" in Hebrew. This name appears in the Old Testament belonging to a prophetess.
Hülya f Turkish
Means "daydream" in Turkish.
Humaira f Arabic, Urdu
Alternate transcription of Arabic حميراء (see Humayra), as well as the usual Urdu transcription.
Humayra f Arabic
Means "red" in Arabic. This was a name given by the Prophet Muhammad to his wife Aisha.
Hümeyra f Turkish
Turkish form of Humayra.
Hunter m & f English
From an English occupational surname for a hunter, derived from Old English hunta. A famous bearer was the eccentric American journalist Hunter S. Thompson (1937-2005).
Hương f Vietnamese
From Sino-Vietnamese (hương) meaning "fragrant".
Hurik f Armenian
Means "small fire" in Armenian.
Huriya f Arabic (Rare)
Means "nymph, heavenly maiden" in Arabic, referring to the houris, who are beautiful maidens who dwell in the Islamic afterlife.
Huriyyah f Arabic (Rare)
Alternate transcription of Arabic حوريّة (see Huriya).
Hürrem f Ottoman Turkish
Derived from Persian خرّم (khorram) meaning "happy, pleasant". This was a name given to Süleyman the Magnificent's concubine and eventual wife Hürrem Sultan (1504-1558), also known as Roxelana.
Hursamundō f Old Germanic (Hypothetical)
Proto-Germanic reconstruction of Rosamund.
Husna f Arabic
Means "more beautiful" in Arabic.
Husniya f Arabic (Rare)
Feminine form of Husni.
Hüsniye f Turkish
Turkish feminine form of Husni.
Hutaosa f Avestan
Avestan cognate of Old Persian *Utautha (see Atossa). This name was borne by the wife of Vishtaspa, a follower of Zarathustra.
Hut-Heru f Egyptian Mythology (Hypothetical)
Reconstructed Egyptian form of Hathor.
Hyacinth 2 f English (Rare)
From the name of the flower (or the precious stone that also bears this name), ultimately from Greek hyakinthos (see Hyacinthus).
Hyacintha f History (Ecclesiastical)
Latinate feminine form of Hyacinthus, used to refer to the 17th-century Italian saint Hyacintha Mariscotti (real name Giacinta).
Hyacinthe m & f French
French masculine and feminine form of Hyacinthus.
Hydra f Astronomy, Greek Mythology
Means "water serpent" in Greek, related to ὕδωρ (hydor) meaning "water". In Greek myth this was the name of a many-headed Lernaean serpent slain by Herakles. It is also the name of a northern constellation, as well as a moon of Pluto.
Hye-Jin f Korean
From Sino-Korean (hye) meaning "bright, intelligent" or (hye) meaning "favour, benefit" combined with (jin) meaning "precious, rare". This name can be formed by a variety of other hanja character combinations as well.
Hyeon m & f Korean
From Sino-Korean (hyeon) meaning "virtuous, worthy, able" or other characters that are pronounced similarly. It usually occurs in combination with another character, though it is sometimes used as a stand-alone name.
Hyeon-Jeong f Korean
From Sino-Korean (hyeon) meaning "virtuous, worthy, able" or (hyeon) meaning "shine, glitter" combined with (jeong) meaning "courtyard" or (jeong) meaning "virtuous, chaste, loyal". This name can be formed by other hanja character combinations as well.
Hyeon-Ju f & m Korean
From Sino-Korean (hyeon) meaning "virtuous, worthy, able" and (ju) meaning "jewel, pearl". This name can be formed by other hanja character combinations as well.
Hypatia f Ancient Greek
Derived from Greek ὕπατος (hypatos) meaning "highest, supreme". Hypatia of Alexandria was a 5th-century philosopher and mathematician, daughter of the mathematician Theon.
Hyun m & f Korean
Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul (see Hyeon).
Hyun-Joo f & m Korean
Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul 현주 (see Hyeon-Ju).
Hyun-Jung f & m Korean
Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul 현정 (see Hyeon-Jeong).
Iael f Biblical Greek
Form of Jael used in the Greek Old Testament.
Iahel f Biblical Latin
Form of Jael used in the Latin Old Testament.
Iahmesu m & f Ancient Egyptian (Hypothetical)
Reconstructed Egyptian form of Ahmose.
Ianeira f Greek Mythology
Possibly from Greek Ἰάν (Ian), a variant of Ἴων (Ion) meaning "Ionian", the Ionians being a Greek tribe. The name Ianeira was borne by a few characters in Greek mythology, including one of the Nereids and one of the Oceanids.
Ianthe f Greek Mythology
Means "violet flower", derived from Greek ἴον (ion) meaning "violet" and ἄνθος (anthos) meaning "flower". This was the name of an ocean nymph in Greek mythology.
Iara f Tupi
Means "lady of the water" in Tupi, from y "water" and îara "lady, mistress". In Brazilian folklore this is the name of a beautiful river nymph who would lure men into the water. She may have been based upon earlier Tupi legends.
Iasmim f Portuguese (Brazilian, Modern)
Portuguese (mainly Brazilian) variant of Yasmin.
Iasmina f Romanian
Romanian form of Jasmine.
Ibb f Medieval English
Medieval diminutive of Isabel.
Ibbie f English
Diminutive of Isabel.
Iben f Danish, Norwegian
Possibly a feminine form of Ib. It is associated with Danish ibenholt meaning "ebony".
Ibolya f Hungarian
Means "violet" in Hungarian, ultimately from Latin viola.
Ibtihaj f Arabic
Means "joy" in Arabic, from the root بهج (bahija) meaning "to be happy, to rejoice in".
Ibtisam f Arabic
Means "a smile" in Arabic, from the root بسم (basama) meaning "to smile".
Icíar f Spanish
Spanish variant of Itziar.
Ida f English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Italian, French, Polish, Finnish, Hungarian, Slovak, Slovene, Germanic
Derived from the Germanic element id possibly meaning "work, labour" (Proto-Germanic *idiz). The Normans brought this name to England, though it eventually died out there in the Middle Ages. It was strongly revived in the 19th century, in part due to the heroine in Alfred Tennyson's poem The Princess (1847), which was later adapted into the play Princess Ida (1884) by Gilbert and Sullivan.... [more]
Idalia f Germanic (Latinized), Greek Mythology, Polish (Rare)
Probably from a Germanic name derived from the element idal, an extended form of id possibly meaning "work, labour". Unrelated, this was also an epithet of the Greek goddess Aphrodite, given because the city of Idalion on Cyprus was a center of her cult.... [more]
Íde f Irish
From Old Irish Íte, possibly derived from ítu meaning "thirst". This was the name of a 6th-century Irish nun, the patron saint of Killeedy.
Idella f English
Elaboration of Ida.
Idelle f English (Rare)
Elaboration of Ida.
Idida f Biblical Latin
Form of Jedidah used in the Latin Old Testament.
Idoia f Basque
From the name of a sanctuary in Isaba, Navarre, possibly meaning "pond" in Basque, an important place of worship of the Virgin Mary.
Idonea f English (Archaic)
Medieval English name, probably a Latinized form of Iðunn. The spelling may have been influenced by Latin idonea "suitable". It was common in England from the 12th century.
Idony f English (Archaic)
Medieval English vernacular form of Idonea.
Idowu m & f Yoruba
Means "born after twins" in Yoruba.
Idoya f Basque
Variant of Idoia.
Idril f Literature
Means "sparkle brilliance" in the fictional language Sindarin. In the Silmarillion (1977) by J. R. R. Tolkien, Idril was the daughter of Turgon, the king of Gondolin. She escaped the destruction of that place with her husband Tuor and sailed with him into the west.