Browse Names - Behind the Name

Aglaé f French
French form of Aglaia.

Danaë f Greek Mythology
From Δαναοί (Danaoi), a word used by Homer to designate the Greeks. In Greek mythology Danaë was the daughter of the Argive king Acrisius. It had been prophesied to her father that he would one day be killed by Danaë's son, so he attempted to keep his daughter childless. However, Zeus came to her in the form of a shower of gold, and she became the mother of Perseus. Eventually the prophecy was fulfilled and Perseus killed Acrisius, albeit accidentally.

Desirae f English (Modern)
Variant of Desiree.

Ešeeva'e f Cheyenne
Means "day woman" in Cheyenne.

Esmae f English (Modern)
Feminine form of Esmé.

Fae f English
Variant of Fay.

Gae f English (Rare)
Variant of Gay.

Hanae f Japanese
From Japanese 花 (hana) or 華 (hana), which both mean "flower", combined with 絵 (e) meaning "picture" or 恵 (e) meaning "favour, benefit". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Jae 1 m & f Korean
From Sino-Korean 才 (jae) meaning "talent, ability" or 財 (jae) meaning "wealth, riches", as well as other hanja characters with the same pronunciation. It usually occurs in combination with another character, though it is sometimes used as a stand-alone name.

Jae 2 m & f English (Rare)
Variant of Jay 1.

Janae f English (Modern)
Elaborated form of Jane.

Jenae f English (Rare)
Diminutive of Jennifer.

Kae f English (Rare)
Variant of Kay 1.

Mae f English
Variant of May. A famous bearer was the American actress Mae West (1893-1980), whose birth name was Mary.

Ma'evehpota'e f Cheyenne
Means "red leaf woman", from Cheyenne ma'e- "red" and vehpȯtse "leaf" combined with the feminine suffix -e'é.

Pahoevotona'e f Cheyenne
Means "attached feathers woman", from Cheyenne pȧhoe- "attach to" and voto "feather, plume" combined with the feminine suffix -e'é.

Rae f English
Short form of Rachel. It can also be used as a feminine form of Ray.

Renae f English
English variant of Renée.

Shae f & m English (Modern)
Variant of Shea.

Shanae f English (Modern), African American (Modern)
Combination of the popular phonetic elements sha and nay.

Shantae f African American (Rare)
Variant of Chanté.

Ve'keseha'e f Cheyenne
Means "bird woman" in Cheyenne, derived from vé'kėséhe- "bird" and the feminine suffix -e'é.

Voestaa'e f Cheyenne
Means "white bison calf woman" in Cheyenne, derived from vóésta "white bison calf" and the feminine suffix -e'é. Because white bison calves were rare they were considered sacred.

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