Dina 1 f Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Latvian, Russian, Ukrainian, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Hebrew, Biblical Hebrew, Biblical Greek, Biblical LatinForm of
Dinah in several languages, as well as the form in the Hebrew, Greek and Latin Old Testament.
Dinah f Biblical, EnglishMeans
"judged" in Hebrew, derived from
דִּין (din) meaning "to judge". According to the Old Testament, Dinah was a daughter of
Jacob and
Leah who was abducted by Shechem. It has been used as an English given name since after the Protestant Reformation.
Dinara f Kazakh, Tatar, KyrgyzMeaning uncertain, perhaps from Arabic
دينار (dīnār), a currency used in several Muslim countries, ultimately derived from Latin
denarius. Alternatively it may be a derivative of
دين (dīn) meaning "religion".
Dione 1 f Greek MythologyFrom Greek
Διός (Dios) meaning
"of Zeus". By extension, it means
"goddess". This was the name of a Greek goddess who, according to some legends, was the mother of
Aphrodite. A moon of Saturn is named after her.
Discordia f Roman MythologyMeans
"discord, strife" in Latin. This was the name of the Roman goddess of discord, equivalent to the Greek goddess
Eris.
Ditte f DanishDanish diminutive of
Edith,
Dorothea or names containing
dit. It was popularized by Martin Andersen Nexø's novel
Ditte, Child of Man (1921) and the film adaptation (1946).
Doireann f Irish, Irish MythologyPossibly from the Old Irish prefix
der "daughter" and
finn "white, blessed". Alternatively it may be derived from Irish
doireann "sullen, tempestuous". This was the name of several characters in Irish legend, including a daughter of Bodb Derg who poisoned
Fionn mac Cumhaill after he spurned her advances.
Dolly f EnglishDiminutive of
Dorothy.
Doll and
Dolly were used from the 16th century, and the common English word
doll (for the plaything) is derived from them. In modern times this name is also sometimes used as a diminutive of
Dolores.
Dolores f Spanish, EnglishMeans
"sorrows", taken from the Spanish title of the Virgin
Mary Nuestra Señora de los Dolores, meaning "Our Lady of Sorrows". It has been used in the English-speaking world since the 19th century, becoming especially popular in America during the 1920s and 30s.
Domitilla f Italian, Ancient RomanFeminine diminutive of the Roman family name
Domitius. This was the name of the wife of the Roman emperor Vespasian and the mother of emperors Titus and Domitian.
Domna f Late Roman, GreekFeminine form of
Domnus. Saint Domna of Nicomedia was martyred during the persecutions of the early 4th century. However, in the case of Julia Domna, the Syrian wife of the Roman emperor Septimius Severus, it seems her name was actually of Semitic origin.
Donna f EnglishFrom Italian
donna meaning
"lady". It is also used as a feminine form of
Donald.
Dora f Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Greek, Croatian, Serbian, Bulgarian, English, German, DutchShort form of
Dorothy,
Theodora or
Isidora.
Doreen f EnglishCombination of
Dora and the name suffix
een. This name first appeared in the 19th century. It was used by the novelist Edna Lyall in her novel
Doreen (1894).
Dorinda f English, GalicianCombination of
Dora and the name suffix
inda. It was apparently coined by the English writers John Dryden and William D'Avenant for their play
The Enchanted Island (1667). In the play, a loose adaptation of Shakespeare's
The Tempest, Dorinda is the sister of Miranda.
Doris f English, German, Swedish, Danish, Croatian, Ancient Greek, Greek MythologyFrom the Greek name
Δωρίς (Doris), which meant
"Dorian woman". The Dorians were a Greek tribe who occupied the Peloponnese starting in the 12th century BC. In Greek mythology Doris was a sea nymph, one of the many children of Oceanus and Tethys. It began to be used as an English name in the 19th century. A famous bearer is the American actress Doris Day (1924-2019).
Dornröschen f LiteratureFrom German
Dorn "thorn" and
Rose "rose" combined with the diminutive suffix
-chen. This is the name of Sleeping Beauty in the Brothers Grimm telling of the fairy tale.
Dorothea f German, Dutch, English, Ancient GreekFeminine form of the Greek name
Δωρόθεος (Dorotheos), which meant
"gift of god" from Greek
δῶρον (doron) meaning "gift" and
θεός (theos) meaning "god". The name
Theodore is composed of the same elements in reverse order. Dorothea was the name of two early saints, notably the 4th-century martyr Dorothea of Caesarea. It was also borne by the 14th-century Saint Dorothea of Montau, who was the patron saint of Prussia.
Dorothy f EnglishUsual English form of
Dorothea. It has been in use since the 16th century. The author L. Frank Baum used it for the central character, Dorothy Gale, in his fantasy novel
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) and several of its sequels.
Dos-teh-seh f ApachePossibly means
"something at the campire already cooked" in Apache. This was the name of the wife of the Chiricahua Apache chief
Cochise.
Dove f EnglishFrom the English word for the variety of bird, seen as a symbol of peace.
Draupadi f HinduismMeans
"daughter of Drupada" in Sanskrit. In the Hindu epic the
Mahabharata this is the name of the daughter of King Drupada of Panchala. She married all of the Pandavas, the five sons of
Pandu.
Dulcibella f English (Archaic)From Latin
dulcis "sweet" and
bella "beautiful". The usual medieval spelling of this name was
Dowsabel, and the Latinized form
Dulcibella was revived in the 18th century.
Dulcinea f LiteratureDerived from Spanish
dulce meaning
"sweet". This name was (first?) used by Miguel de Cervantes in his novel
Don Quixote (1605), where it belongs to the love interest of the main character, though she never actually appears in the story.
Durdona f UzbekMeans
"pearl" in Uzbek (a word of Arabic origin).
Durga f & m Hinduism, Hindi, Nepali, TeluguMeans
"unattainable, unassailable" in Sanskrit. Durga is a Hindu warrior goddess, usually depicted with multiple arms and riding on the back of a lion or tiger. The Puranas relate that she came into being to combat the buffalo demon Mahishasura. She is sometimes considered a fierce aspect of
Parvati the wife of
Shiva. In Shaktism she is viewed as a principal aspect of the supreme goddess
Mahadevi.
Dusty m & f EnglishFrom a nickname originally given to people perceived as being dusty. It is also used a diminutive of
Dustin. A famous bearer was British singer Dusty Springfield (1939-1999), who acquired her nickname as a child.
Dymphna f History (Ecclesiastical), IrishForm of
Damhnait. According to legend, Saint Dymphna was a young 7th-century woman from Ireland who was martyred by her father in the Belgian town of Geel. She is the patron saint of the mentally ill.
Eartha f EnglishCombination of the English word
earth with the feminine name suffix
a. It has been used in honour of African-American philanthropist Eartha M. M. White (1876-1974). Another famous bearer was American singer and actress Eartha Kitt (1927-2008).
Easter f EnglishFrom the English name of the Christian festival celebrating the resurrection of
Jesus. It was ultimately named for the Germanic spring goddess Eostre. It was traditionally given to children born on Easter, though it is rare in modern times.
Ebba 2 f English (Rare)From the Old English name
Æbbe, meaning unknown, perhaps a contracted form of a longer name. Saint Ebba was a 7th-century daughter of King Æthelfrith of Bernicia and the founder of monasteries in Scotland. Another saint named Ebba was a 9th-century abbess and martyr who mutilated her own face so that she would not be raped by the invading Danes.
Ebru f TurkishMeans
"paper marbling" in Turkish. Paper marbling is the art of creating colourful patterns on paper.
Echidna f Greek MythologyMeans
"viper, snake" in Greek, a variant of
ἔχις (echis). In Greek mythology this was the name of a monster who was half woman and half snake. By Typhon she was the mother of
Cerberus, the Hydra, the Chimera, and other monsters.
Echo f Greek MythologyFrom the Greek word
ἠχώ (echo) meaning
"echo, reflected sound", related to
ἠχή (eche) meaning "sound". In Greek mythology Echo was a nymph given a speech impediment by
Hera, so that she could only repeat what others said. She fell in love with
Narcissus, but her love was not returned, and she pined away until nothing remained of her except her voice.
Edda 2 f Icelandic, Old NorsePossibly from Old Norse meaning
"great-grandmother". This was the name of two 13th-century Icelandic literary works: the
Poetic Edda and the
Prose Edda. This is also the name of a character in the
Poetic Edda, though it is unclear if her name is connected to the name of the collection.
Edel f IrishIn Ireland this name is given in honour of the Irish missionary Edel Quinn (1907-1944). She was named after the edelweiss flower (species Leontopodium alpinum), which is derived from German
edel "noble" and
weiß "white".
Eden f & m Hebrew, English (Modern), French (Modern)From the biblical place name, itself possibly from Hebrew
עֵדֶן (ʿeḏen) meaning "pleasure, delight", or perhaps derived from Sumerian
𒂔 (edin) meaning "plain". According to the Old Testament the Garden of Eden was the place where the first people,
Adam and
Eve, lived before they were expelled.
Edina f HungarianPossibly a diminutive of names beginning with the Old German element
adal meaning
"noble".
Édith f FrenchFrench form of
Edith. A notable bearer was the French cabaret singer Édith Piaf (1915-1963).
Edith f English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, DutchFrom the Old English name
Eadgyð, derived from the elements
ead "wealth, fortune" and
guð "battle". It was popular among Anglo-Saxon royalty, being borne for example by Saint Eadgyeth;, the daughter of King Edgar the Peaceful. It was also borne by the Anglo-Saxon wife of the Holy Roman Emperor Otto I. The name remained common after the Norman Conquest. It became rare after the 15th century, but was revived in the 19th century.
Edna f English, Hebrew, BiblicalMeans
"pleasure" in Hebrew, a derivative of
עָדַן (ʿaḏan) meaning "to delight". This name appears in the Old Testament Apocrypha, for instance in the Book of Tobit belonging to the wife of
Raguel. It was borne by the American poet Edna Dean Proctor (1829-1923). It did not become popular until the second half of the 19th century, after it was used for the heroine in the successful 1866 novel
St. Elmo by Augusta Jane Evans. It peaked around the turn of the century and has declined steadily since then, falling off the American top 1000 list in 1992.
Edurne f BasqueMeans
"snow" in Basque, from
edur, a variant of
elur "snow". It is an equivalent of
Nieves, proposed by the writer Sabino Arana in his 1910 list of Basque saints names.
Eglantine f English (Rare)From the English word for the flower also known as sweetbrier. It is derived via Old French from Vulgar Latin *
aquilentum meaning "prickly". It was early used as a given name (in the form
Eglentyne) in Geoffrey Chaucer's 14th-century story
The Prioress's Tale (one of
The Canterbury Tales).
Eglė f LithuanianMeans
"spruce tree" in Lithuanian. In a Lithuanian folktale Eglė is a young woman who marries a grass snake. At the end of the tale she turns herself into a spruce.
Egypt f & m English (Modern)From the name of the North African country, which derives from Greek
Αἴγυπτος (Aigyptos), itself probably from Egyptian
ḥwt-kꜣ-ptḥ meaning
"the house of the soul of Ptah", the name of the temple to the god
Ptah in Memphis.
Eike m & f Low German, GermanOriginally a short form of
Ekkehard and other names beginning with the Old High German element
ekka, Old Saxon
eggia meaning
"edge, blade". This name was borne by Eike of Repgow, who compiled the law book the
Sachsenspiegel in the 13th century.
Eila f FinnishMeaning uncertain, possibly a variant of
Aila or a rare Norwegian diminutive of
Elin. It was used by the Finnish author Väinö Kataja for a character in his novel
Tuskaa (1907), and it became fairly popular in Finland in the first half of the 20th century.
Eileen f Irish, EnglishAnglicized form of
Eibhlín. It is also sometimes considered an Irish form of
Helen. It first became popular in the English-speaking world outside of Ireland near the end of the 19th century.
Eilonwy f LiteratureFrom Welsh
eilon meaning
"deer, stag" or
"song, melody". This name was used by Lloyd Alexander in his book series
The Chronicles of Prydain (1964-1968) as well as the Disney film adaptation
The Black Cauldron (1985).
Éireann f Irish (Rare)From
Éireann, the genitive case of Irish Gaelic
Éire, meaning "Ireland". It is commonly Anglicized as
Erin.
Eithne f Irish, Irish Mythology, Old IrishPossibly from Old Irish
etne meaning
"kernel, grain". In Irish mythology Eithne or Ethniu was a Fomorian and the mother of
Lugh Lámfada. It was borne by several other legendary and historical figures, including a few early saints.
Elaine f English, Arthurian CycleFrom an Old French form of
Helen. It appears in Arthurian legend; in Thomas Malory's 15th-century compilation
Le Morte d'Arthur Elaine was the daughter of
Pelles, the lover of
Lancelot, and the mother of
Galahad. It was not commonly used as an English given name until after the publication of Alfred Tennyson's Arthurian epic
Idylls of the King (1859).
Elanor f LiteratureMeans
"star sun" in the fictional language Sindarin. In
The Lord of the Rings (1954) by J. R. R. Tolkien this is Sam's eldest daughter, named after a type of flower.
Elara f Greek MythologyPossibly derived from Greek
ἄλαρα (alara) meaning
"hazelnut, spear-shaft". In Greek mythology Elara was one of
Zeus's mortal lovers and by him the mother of the giant Tityos. A moon of Jupiter bears this name in her honour.
Elea f EnglishShort form of
Eleanor. This was also the name of an ancient Italian town (modern Velia) that is well known for being the home of the philosopher Parmenides and his student Zeno of Elea, who was famous for his paradoxes.
Eleanor f EnglishFrom the Old French form of the Occitan name
Alienòr. Among the name's earliest bearers was the influential Eleanor of Aquitaine (12th century), who was the queen of Louis VII, the king of France, and later Henry II, the king of England. She was named
Aenor after her mother, and was called by the Occitan phrase
alia Aenor "the other Aenor" in order to distinguish her from her mother. However, there appear to be examples of bearers prior to Eleanor of Aquitaine. It is not clear whether they were in fact Aenors who were retroactively recorded as having the name Eleanor, or whether there is an alternative explanation for the name's origin.
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