Browse Names

Abilene f Various (Rare)
From a place name mentioned briefly in the New Testament. It is probably from Hebrew אָבֵל (ʾavel) meaning "meadow, grassy area". It has occasionally been used as a given name in modern times.

Adelaide f English, Italian, Portuguese
Means "nobleness, nobility", from the French form of the Germanic name Adalheidis, which was composed of adal "noble" and the suffix heit "kind, sort, type". It was borne in the 10th century by Saint Adelaide, the wife of the Holy Roman emperor Otto the Great.... [more]

Albina f Russian, Ukrainian, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Slovene, Polish, German, Lithuanian, Belarusian, Ancient Roman
Feminine form of Albinus. This was the name of a few early saints, including a 3rd-century martyr from Caesarea.

Alexandria f English
Feminine form of Alexander. Alexander the Great founded several cities by this name (or renamed them) as he extended his empire eastward. The most notable of these is Alexandria in Egypt, founded by Alexander in 331 BC.

Amalie f Norwegian, Danish, German (Rare)
Norwegian, Danish and German form of Amalia.

Ángeles f Spanish
Means "angels", taken from the Spanish title of the Virgin Mary Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles, meaning "Our Lady the Queen of the Angels".

Ani 2 f Armenian
From the name of an old Armenian city, of unknown meaning. Now in eastern Turkey, in the 10th and 11th centuries it was the capital of the Kingdom of Armenia, though it was later abandoned and is now only ruins.

Arabella f English
Medieval Scottish name, probably a variant of Annabel. It has long been associated with Latin orabilis meaning "invokable, yielding to prayer", and the name was often recorded in forms resembling this.... [more]

Aspen f English (Modern)
From the English word for a variety of deciduous trees in the genus Populus, derived from Old English æspe. It is also the name of a ski resort in Colorado.

Asunción f Spanish
Means "assumption" in Spanish. This name is given in reference to the assumption of the Virgin Mary into heaven.

Augusta f Italian, Portuguese, English, German, Ancient Roman
Feminine form of Augustus. It was introduced to Britain when King George III, a member of the German House of Hanover, gave this name to his second daughter in 1768.

Belén f Spanish
Spanish form of Bethlehem, the name of the town in Judah where King David and Jesus were born. The town's name is from Hebrew בֵּית־לֶחֶם (Beṯ-leḥem) meaning "house of bread".

Berlin f & m Various
From the name of the city in Germany, which is of uncertain meaning.

Beverly f & m English
From 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.

Bratislava f Serbian
Feminine form of Bratislav. This is the name of the capital city of Slovakia, though it is unrelated.

Bristol f English (Modern)
From the name of the city in southwestern England that means "the site of the bridge".

Brooklyn f & m English (Modern)
From the name of a borough of New York City, originally named after the Dutch town of Breukelen, itself meaning either "broken land" (from Dutch breuk) or "marsh land" (from Dutch broek). It can also be viewed as a combination of Brook and the popular name suffix lyn. It is considered a feminine name in the United States, but is more common as a masculine name in the United Kingdom.

Chandler m & f English
From an occupational surname that meant "candle seller" or "candle maker" in Middle English, ultimately from Latin candela via Old French. It surged in popularity after the 1994 debut of the American sitcom Friends, featuring a character by this name.

Charlotte f French, English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch
French feminine diminutive of Charles. It was introduced to Britain in the 17th century. It was the name of a German-born 18th-century queen consort of Great Britain and Ireland. Another notable bearer was Charlotte Brontë (1816-1855), the eldest of the three Brontë sisters and the author of Jane Eyre and Villette. A famous fictional bearer is the spider in the children's novel Charlotte's Web (1952) by E. B. White.... [more]

Chelsea f English
From the name of a district in London, originally derived from Old English and meaning "landing place for chalk or limestone". It has been in general use as an English given name since the 1970s.

Cheyenne f English
Derived from the Lakota word šahiyena meaning "red speakers". This is the name of a Native American people of the Great Plains. The name was supposedly given to the Cheyenne by the Lakota because their language was unrelated to their own. As a given name, it has been in use since the 1950s.

Cyrene f Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Greek Κυρήνη (Kyrene), the name of a Hellenic city in ancient Libya, itself probably named for a nearby spring Κύρη (Kyre). It has been associated with κῦρος (kyros) meaning "power, authority". In Greek mythology this is the name of a Thessalian princess loved by Apollo. He took her to Libya, where he founded the city in her honour and installed her as queen.

Dallas m & f English
From a surname that could either be of Old English origin meaning "valley house" or of Scottish Gaelic origin meaning "meadow dwelling". A city in Texas bears this name, probably in honour of American Vice President George M. Dallas (1792-1864).

Denver m & f English
From an English surname that was from a place name meaning "Dane ford" in Old English. This is the name of the capital city of Colorado, which was named for the politician James W. Denver (1817-1892).

Edina f Hungarian
Possibly a diminutive of names beginning with the Old German element adal meaning "noble".

Elmira 1 f Literature
Possibly a shortened form of Edelmira. It appears in the play Tartuffe (1664) by the French playwright Molière (often spelled in the French style Elmire).

Enid f Welsh, English, Arthurian Cycle
Probably derived from Welsh enaid meaning "soul, spirit, life". In Arthurian tales she first appears in the 12th-century French poem Erec and Enide by Chrétien de Troyes, where she is the wife of Erec. In later adaptations she is typically the wife of Geraint. The name became more commonly used after the publication of Alfred Tennyson's Arthurian poem Enid in 1859, and it was fairly popular in Britain in the first half of the 20th century.

Firenze f Various (Rare)
From the name of an Italian city, commonly called Florence in English.

Florence f & m English, French
From the Latin name Florentius or the feminine form Florentia, which were derived from florens "prosperous, flourishing". Florentius was borne by many early Christian saints, and it was occasionally used in their honour through the Middle Ages. In modern times it is mostly feminine.... [more]

Geneva f English
Possibly a shortened form of Genevieve. It could also be inspired by the name of the city in Switzerland. It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the 19th century.

Ginevra f Italian
Italian form of Guinevere. This is also the Italian name for the city of Geneva, Switzerland. It is also sometimes associated with the Italian word ginepro meaning "juniper".

Gyeong m & f Korean
From Sino-Korean 京 (gyeong) meaning "capital city", 景 (gyeong) meaning "scenery, view", 敬 (gyeong) meaning "respect, honour", or 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.

Gyeong-Suk f Korean
From Sino-Korean 京 (gyeong) meaning "capital city" and 淑 (suk) meaning "good, pure, virtuous, charming". Other hanja character combinations are possible.

Ione f Greek Mythology, English
From Ancient Greek ἴον (ion) meaning "violet flower". This was the name of a sea nymph in Greek mythology. It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the 19th century, though perhaps based on the Greek place name Ionia, a region on the west coast of Asia Minor.

Karine 3 f Armenian
Probably from Կարին (Karin), the Armenian name for the city of Erzurum in eastern Turkey. It was an Armenian city in classical times.

Kashi f Hindi
From the name of a holy city in India, famous for its many temples dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. Its name is derived from Sanskrit काशि (kāśi) meaning "shining".

Kendall m & f English
From an English surname that comes from the name of the city of Kendale in northwestern England meaning "valley on the river Kent". Originally mostly masculine, the name received a boost in popularity for girls in 1993 when the devious character Kendall Hart began appearing on the American soap opera All My Children.

Kimberly f English
From the name of the city of Kimberley in South Africa, which was named after Lord Kimberley (1826-1902). The city came to prominence in the late 19th century during the Boer War. Kimberly has been used as a given name since the mid-20th century, eventually becoming very popular as a feminine name.

Kyōko f Japanese
From Japanese 京 (kyō) meaning "capital city" or 恭 (kyō) meaning "respectful, polite" combined with 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other combinations of kanji characters can also form this name.

Kyung m & f Korean
Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul 경 (see Gyeong).

Kyung-Sook f Korean
Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul 경숙 (see Gyeong-Suk).

Lamia 2 f Greek Mythology
Possibly from Greek λαιμός (laimos) meaning "throat". In Greek mythology this is the name of a queen of Libya who was a mistress of Zeus. Hera, being jealous, kills Lamia's children, causing her to go mad and transform into a monster that hunts the children of others.

Larisa f Russian, Ukrainian, Romanian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Slovene, Greek Mythology
Possibly derived from the name of the ancient city of Larisa in Thessaly, which meant "citadel". In Greek legends, the nymph Larisa was either a daughter or mother of Pelasgus, the ancestor of the mythical Pelasgians. This name was later borne by a 4th-century Greek martyr who is venerated as a saint in the Eastern Church. The name (of the city, nymph and saint) is commonly Latinized as Larissa, with a double s. As a Ukrainian name, it is more commonly transcribed Larysa.

Larissa f English, German, Portuguese (Brazilian), Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Variant of Larisa. It has been commonly used as an English given name only since the 20th century, as a borrowing from Russian. In 1991 this name was given to one of the moons of Neptune, in honour of the mythological character.

London f & m English (Modern)
From the name of the capital city of the United Kingdom, the meaning of which is uncertain. As a surname it was borne by the American author Jack London (1876-1916).

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.

Madina f Tajik, Uzbek, Kazakh, Avar, Chechen
From the name of the city of Medina, Arabic المدينة (al-Madīna), which means "the city". The Saudi city is considered an Islamic holy site because the Prophet Muhammad was based there for a period.

Madison f & m English
From an English surname meaning "son of Maud". It was not commonly used as a feminine name until after the movie Splash (1984), in which the main character adopted it as her name after seeing a street sign for Madison Avenue in New York City. It was ranked second for girls in the United States by 2001. This rise from obscurity to prominence in only 18 years represents an unprecedented 550,000 percent increase in usage.... [more]

Marceline f French
French feminine form of Marcellinus.

Marietta f Italian, Greek, Hungarian, German, Polish
Diminutive of Maria.

Medina f Kazakh, Bosnian
Kazakh and Bosnian form of Madina.

Medine f Turkish
Turkish form of Madina.

Memphis m & f English (Modern)
From the name of an important city of ancient Egypt, or the city in Tennessee that was named after it. It is derived from a Greek form of Egyptian mn-nfr meaning "enduring beauty".

Merida f Popular Culture
The name of the main character in the Disney/Pixar movie Brave (2012) about a medieval Scottish princess. The meaning of her name is unexplained, though it could be based on the Spanish city of Mérida, derived from Latin Emerita Augusta meaning "veterans of Augustus", so named because it was founded by the emperor Augustus as a colony for his veterans.

Mi-Gyeong f Korean
From Sino-Korean 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" combined with 京 (gyeong) meaning "capital city" or 景 (gyeong) meaning "scenery, view". Other hanja combinations are possible.

Mi-Kyung f Korean
Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul 미경 (see Mi-Gyeong).

Naiara f Basque
From the Basque name of the Spanish city of Nájera, which is Arabic in origin. In the 12th century there was a reported apparition of the Virgin Mary in a nearby cave.

Nairobi f African American (Modern)
From the name of the capital city of Kenya, derived from Maasai enkare nyrobi meaning "cold water".

Nancy f English
Previously a medieval diminutive of Annis, though since the 18th century it has been a diminutive of Ann. It is now usually regarded as an independent name. During the 20th century it became very popular in the United States. A city in the Lorraine region of France bears this name, though it derives from a different source.

Odessa f Various
From the name of a Ukrainian city that sits on the north coast of the Black Sea, which was named after the ancient Greek city of Ὀδησσός (Odessos), of uncertain meaning. This name can also be used as a feminine form of Odysseus.

Olinda f Literature, Portuguese, Spanish (Latin American)
The name of a princess of Norway in the medieval Spanish tale of the knight Amadis of Gaul. It is perhaps related to Greek ὀλύνθη (olynthe) meaning "wild fig tree" (similar to Olindo). Olinda is also the name of a Brazilian city.

Olympia f Greek, Slovak
Feminine form of Olympos.

Paris 2 f Various
From the name of the capital city of France, which got its name from the Gaulish tribe known as the Parisii. In America the popularity of this name spiked up and then down between 2003 and 2006, around the time that the television personality and socialite Paris Hilton (1981-) was at the height of her fame.

Petra f German, Dutch, Spanish, Czech, Slovak, Slovene, Croatian, Bulgarian, Hungarian, Swedish, Finnish, English
Feminine form of Peter. This was also the name of an ancient city in the region that is now Jordan.

Philadelphia f English (Rare)
From the name of a city in Asia Minor mentioned in Revelation in the New Testament. The name of the city meant "brotherly love" from Greek φιλέω (phileo) meaning "to love" and ἀδελφός (adelphos) meaning "brother". It is also the name of a city in the United States.

Phoenix m & f English (Modern)
From the name of a beautiful immortal bird that appears in Egyptian and Greek mythology. After living for several centuries in the Arabian Desert, it would be consumed by fire and rise from its own ashes, with this cycle repeating every 500 years. The name of the bird was derived from Greek φοῖνιξ (phoinix) meaning "dark red".

Pomona f Roman Mythology
From Latin pomus "fruit tree". This was the name of the Roman goddess of fruit trees.

Raleigh m & f English
From an English surname that was derived from a place name meaning either "red clearing" or "roe deer clearing" in Old English. A city in North Carolina bears this name, after the English courtier, poet and explorer Walter Raleigh (1552-1618).

Ravenna f English (Rare)
Either an elaboration of Raven, or else from the name of the city of Ravenna in Italy.

Regina f English, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Lithuanian, Estonian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Russian, Hungarian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Late Roman
Means "queen" in Latin (or Italian). It was in use as a Christian name from early times, and was borne by a 2nd-century saint. In England it was used during the Middle Ages in honour of the Virgin Mary, and it was later revived in the 19th century. A city in Canada bears this name, in honour of Queen Victoria.

Rio 1 m & f Various
Means "river" in Spanish or Portuguese. A city in Brazil bears this name. Its full name is Rio de Janeiro, which means "river of January", so named because the first explorers came to the harbour in January and mistakenly thought it was a river mouth.

Rochelle f English
From the name of the French city La Rochelle, meaning "little rock". It first became commonly used as a given name in America in the 1930s, probably due to the fame of actress Rochelle Hudson (1914-1972) and because of the similarity to the name Rachel.

Roma 2 f Various
From the name of the Italian city, commonly called Rome in English.

Ronda f English
Variant of Rhonda.

Samara f English (Modern), Portuguese (Brazilian)
Possibly derived from the name of the city of Samarra (in Iraq) or Samara (in Russia). The former appears in the title of the novel Appointment in Samarra (1934) by John O'Hara, which refers to an ancient Babylonian legend about a man trying to evade death. Alternatively, this name could be derived from the word for the winged seeds that grow on trees such as maples and elms.... [more]

Savannah f English
From the English word for the large grassy plain, ultimately deriving from the Taino (Native American) word zabana. It came into use as a given name in America in the 19th century. It was revived in the 1980s by the movie Savannah Smiles (1982).

Scheherazade f Literature
Anglicized form of Shahrazad.

Sela f English (Rare)
From the name of a city, the capital of Edom, which appears in the Old Testament. It means "rock" in Hebrew.

Shahrazad f Persian (Rare), Arabic
Possibly means "noble lineage" from Persian چهر (chehr) meaning "lineage, origin" and آزاد (āzād) meaning "free, noble". Alternatively, it might mean "child of the city" from شهر (shahr) meaning "city, land" combined with the suffix زاد (zād) meaning "child of". This is the name of the fictional storyteller in The 1001 Nights. She tells a story to her husband the king every night for 1001 nights in order to delay her execution.

Siena f English (Modern)
Variant of Sienna, with the spelling perhaps influenced by that of the Italian city.

Sienna f English (Modern)
From the English word meaning "orange-red". It is ultimately from the name of the city of Siena in Italy, because of the colour of the clay there.

Sofia f Greek, Italian, Portuguese, Catalan, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Finnish, Estonian, Slovak, Romanian, English, Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian
Form of Sophia used in various languages.

Sydney f & m English
From a surname that was a variant of the surname Sidney. This is the name of the largest city in Australia, which was named for Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney in 1788. Formerly used by both genders, since the 1980s this spelling of the name has been mostly feminine.

Valencia f Various
From the name of cities in Spain and Venezuela, both derived from Latin valentia meaning "strength, vigour".

Vega 1 f Spanish
Means "meadow, plain" in Spanish. It is taken from a title of the Virgin Mary, La Virgen de la Vega, meaning "The Virgin of the Meadow". She is the patron saint of several Spanish municipalities, such as Salamanca.

Venetia f English (Rare), Greek
From the Latin name of the Italian region of Veneto and the city of Venice (see the place name Venetia). This name was borne by the celebrated English beauty Venetia Stanley (1600-1633), though in her case the name may have been a Latinized form of the Welsh name Gwynedd. Benjamin Disraeli used it for the heroine of his novel Venetia (1837).

Verona f Various
From the name of the city in Italy, which is itself of unknown meaning.

Victoria f English, Spanish, Romanian, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, French, Late Roman, Roman Mythology
Means "victory" in Latin, being borne by the Roman goddess of victory. It is also a feminine form of Victorius. This name was borne by a 4th-century saint and martyr from North Africa.... [more]

Vienna f English (Modern)
From the name of the capital city of Austria, Vienna.

Vienne f Various (Rare)
From the French name for Vienna, the capital city of Austria.

Winona f English, Sioux
Means "firstborn daughter" in Dakota or Lakota. According to folklore, this was the name of a daughter of a Dakota chief (possibly Wapasha III) who leapt from a cliff to her death rather than marry a man she hated. Numerous places in the United States have been named after her. The actress Winona Ryder (1971-) was named after the city in Minnesota where she was born.

Zaria f English (Modern)
Possibly based on Zahra 2 or the Nigerian city of Zaria.