Črtomir m SloveneDerived from Slovene
črt "hatred" combined with the Slavic element
mirŭ "peace, world". This is the name of the hero in the Slovene national epic
Baptism on the Savica (1835) by France Prešeren.
Csongor m HungarianPossibly from a Turkic root meaning
"falcon". The Hungarian poet and dramatist Mihály Vörösmarty used it in his play
Csongor és Tünde (1830).
Daler m TajikFrom Tajik
далерӣ (daleri) meaning
"courage", ultimately from Persian
دلاور (delāver) meaning "brave, valiant".
Damir 1 m Croatian, Serbian, SlovenePossibly derived from the Slavic elements
danŭ "given" and
mirŭ "peace, world". Otherwise, it might be of Turkic or Russian origin (see
Damir 2). It was popularized by a character from Marija Jurić Zagorka's novel
Gordana (1935).
Dar f & m HebrewMeans
"mother-of-pearl, nacre" in Hebrew.
Davor m Croatian, Serbian, SloveneMeaning uncertain, possibly from an old Slavic exclamation expressing joy or sorrow. This was the name of a supposed Slavic war god. His name was the basis for the word
davorije, a type of patriotic war song popular in the 19th century.
Deemer m English (Rare)From an English and Scottish surname meaning
"judge", from Old English
demere.
Delmar m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from Norman French
de la mare meaning
"from the pond".
Denver m & f EnglishFrom 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).
Dexter m EnglishFrom an occupational surname meaning
"one who dyes" in Old English. It also coincides with the Latin word
dexter meaning
"right-handed, skilled".
Dieter m GermanMeans
"warrior of the people", derived from the Old German elements
theod meaning "people" (Old High German
diota, Old Frankish
þeoda) and
heri meaning "army". This name is also used as a short form of
Dietrich.
Dior f & m English (Modern)From a French surname, possibly from
doré meaning
"golden". As a given name it has been inspired by the French luxury fashion house Dior, founded by the designer Christian Dior (1905-1957).
Diyar m & f KurdishMeans
"apparent, visible, clear" in Kurdish.
Djoser m Ancient EgyptianFrom Egyptian
ḏsr meaning
"splendour, glory". This was the name of the founding pharaoh of the 3rd dynasty of Egypt's Old Kingdom (27th century BC).
Dor m & f HebrewMeans
"generation" in Hebrew.
Dror m HebrewMeans
"freedom" or
"sparrow" in Hebrew.
Dzhokhar m ChechenPossibly from Persian
گوهر (gōhar) meaning
"jewel, essence" or
جوهر (jōhar) meaning
"essence, ink" (which comes from the same root, but via a loan to Arabic and retransmission to Persian).
Ebenezer m Literature, EnglishFrom the name of a monument erected by
Samuel in the Old Testament, from Hebrew
אֶבֶן הָעָזֶר (ʾEven Haʿazer) meaning
"stone of help". Charles Dickens used it for the miserly character Ebenezer Scrooge in his novel
A Christmas Carol (1843). Currently the name is most common in parts of English-influenced Africa, such as Ghana.
Eber m Biblical, Biblical GreekMeans
"region beyond" in Hebrew, derived from the root
עָבַר (ʿavar) meaning "to pass over, to cross". In the Old Testament he is a descendant of
Shem said to be the ancestor of the Hebrews.
Edgar m English, French, Portuguese, GermanDerived from the Old English elements
ead "wealth, fortune" and
gar "spear". This was the name of a 10th-century English king, Edgar the Peaceful. The name did not survive long after the Norman Conquest, but it was revived in the 18th century, in part due to a character by this name in Walter Scott's novel
The Bride of Lammermoor (1819), which tells of the tragic love between Edgar Ravenswood and Lucy Ashton. Famous bearers include author and poet Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849), French impressionist painter Edgar Degas (1834-1917), and author Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875-1950).
Egilmar m GermanicDerived from the Old German elements
agil "edge, blade" and
mari "famous". Egilmar (or Elimar) was the name of two counts of Oldenburg in the 12th century.
Éibhear m Irish MythologyFrom Old Irish
Éber, meaning uncertain. According to Irish legend this name belonged to two of the sons of Míl, Éibhear Dunn and Éibhear Finn, the first of the Gaels to conquer Ireland.
Ejder m TurkishMeans
"dragon" in Turkish, of Persian origin.
Elmer m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from the Old English name
Æðelmær. In the United States it is sometimes given in honour of brothers Jonathan (1745-1817) and Ebenezer Elmer (1752-1843), who were active in early American politics.
Elnur m AzerbaijaniMeans
"light of the people" in Azerbaijani, ultimately derived from Turkic
el meaning "country, society" and Arabic
نور (nūr) meaning "light".
Eser f & m TurkishMeans
"product, achievement" in Turkish.
Euphranor m Ancient GreekDerived from Greek
εὐφραίνω (euphraino) meaning
"to delight, to cheer". This was the name of a 4th-century BC Athenian artist.
Ezer 1 m BiblicalFrom Hebrew
אָצַר (ʾatsar) meaning
"treasured". In the Old Testament this is the name of a son of Seir the Horite. See also
Ezer 2.
Fannar m IcelandicPossibly derived from Old Norse
fǫnn meaning
"snow drift".
Favour m & f English (African)From the English word
favour, ultimately from Latin
faveo "to favour". This name is most common in Nigeria and other parts of Africa.
Fearchar m Scottish GaelicScottish Gaelic form of the Old Irish name
Ferchar, from
fer "man" and
carae "friend". This was the name of early kings of Dál Riata (sometimes as
Ferchar).
Fenrir m Norse MythologyFrom Old Norse
fen meaning
"marsh, fen". In Norse mythology Fenrir was a ferocious wolf, one of the offspring of
Loki and the giantess
Angrboða. Because it was foretold he would bring about disaster, the gods bound him with a magical fetter, though in the process
Tyr's hand was bitten off. At the time of Ragnarök, the end of the world, it is told that he will break free and kill
Odin.
Ferrer m VariousFrom a surname that meant
"blacksmith" in Catalan. This name is often given in honour of Saint Vicente Ferrer, a 14th-century missionary who is the patron saint of builders.
Fester m Popular CultureFrom the English word
fester meaning
"rot, rankle". This is the name of the uncle on the
Addams Family television series (1964-1966) and subsequent adaptations. The character was created by the cartoonist Charles Addams in the 1930s, though he was not named.
Fihr m ArabicMeans
"stone pestle" in Arabic. This was the name of an ancestor of the Prophet
Muhammad.
Finbar m IrishAnglicized form of Irish
Fionnbharr, Old Irish
Finnbarr, derived from
finn "white, blessed" and
barr "top, head". Saint Finbar of Cork was a 6th-century bishop who supposedly performed miraculous cures. The Isle of Barra off Scotland was (probably) named for him.
Fletcher m EnglishFrom a surname meaning
"maker of arrows" in Middle English, ultimately from Old French
flechier.
Freyr m Norse Mythology, IcelandicMeans
"lord" in Old Norse, derived from the Germanic root *
fraujô. This is the name of a Norse god. He may have originally been called
Yngvi, with the name
Freyr being his title. Freyr is associated with fertility, sunlight and rain, and is the husband of the giantess
Gerd. With his twin sister
Freya and father
Njord he is one of the group of deities called the Vanir.
Fyodor m RussianRussian form of
Theodore. It was borne by three tsars of Russia. Another notable bearer was Fyodor Dostoyevsky (or Dostoevsky; 1821-1881), the Russian author of such works as
Crime and Punishment and
The Brothers Karamazov.
Gautstafr m Old NorseOld Norse form (possibly) of
Gustav. This form is only attested in the Old Norse period belonging to a horse.
Giselher m GermanicDerived from the Old German elements
gisal "hostage" and
heri "army." This was the name of a 5th-century king of Burgundy.
Glyndwr m WelshGiven in honour of Owain Glyndwr (or
Glyn Dŵr, Anglicized as
Glendower), a 14th-century Welsh patriot who led a revolt against England. His byname means
"valley water", and was probably inspired by the name of his estate at Glyndyfrdwy (meaning "valley of the River
Dee").
Gohar f & m Persian, Armenian, UrduFrom Persian
گوهر (gōhar) meaning
"jewel, gemstone". This name is typically feminine in Iran and Armenia, but masculine in Pakistan.
Goizeder f & m BasqueDerived from Basque
goiz "morning" and
eder "beautiful".
Golzar m & f PersianDerived from Persian
گل (gol) meaning "flower, rose" and the suffix
زار (zār) meaning "place abounding in, field, garden".
Gregor m German, Scottish, Slovak, SloveneGerman, Scottish, Slovak and Slovene form of
Gregorius (see
Gregory). A famous bearer was Gregor Mendel (1822-1884), a Czech monk and scientist who did experiments in genetics.
Grover m EnglishFrom an English surname derived from Old English
graf meaning
"grove of trees". A famous bearer was the American president Grover Cleveland (1837-1908), who popularized the name in the United States at the end of the 19th century. The name is now associated with a muppet character from the children's television program
Sesame Street.
Guiomar f & m Portuguese, Spanish, Arthurian CyclePossibly derived from the Germanic name
Wigmar, which was formed of the elements
wig "war, battle" and
mari "famous". In the medieval
Lancelot-Grail Cycle he plays a minor role as a cousin of Guinevere, who banishes him after he becomes a lover of Morgan le Fey. In modern Portugal and Spain it is a feminine name.
Gunther m German, Germanic MythologyFrom the Old German name
Gundahar, derived from the elements
gunda "war" and
heri "army" (making it a cognate of
Gunnar). This was the name of a semi-legendary 5th-century Burgundian king. He appears in the medieval German saga the
Nibelungenlied, which has him wooing the Icelandic queen
Brunhild. He wins her hand in marriage with the help of the hero
Siegfried. He ultimately betrays Siegfried, but Siegfried's widow
Kriemhild (Gunther's sister) takes her revenge upon him.
... [more] Gwynfor m WelshDerived from the Welsh element
gwyn meaning "white, blessed" combined with
maur meaning "great, large". This name was created in the 19th century.
Gwythyr m Welsh MythologyWelsh form of
Victor. This name appears in the Welsh tale
Culhwch and Olwen belonging to the rival of
Gwyn for the maiden
Creiddylad. Seeking peace between the two, King
Arthur declared that Gwyn and Gwythyr shall only fight once each year on May Day.
Haidar m ArabicMeans
"lion, warrior" in Arabic. This is a title of
Ali ibn Abi Talib.
Haldor m NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Hallþórr, which meant
"Thor's rock" from
hallr "rock" combined with the name of the Norse god
Þórr (see
Thor).
Hamilcar m Phoenician (Latinized), HistoryPossibly means
"brother of Melqart", derived from Phoenician
𐤀𐤇 (ʾaḥ) meaning "brother" combined with the name of the god
Melqart. This was a common Punic name. Among the notable bearers was Hamilcar Barca, a 3rd-century BC Carthaginian general who was the father of
Hannibal and
Hasdrubal.
Harper f & m EnglishFrom an English surname that originally belonged to a person who played or made harps (Old English
hearpe). A notable bearer was the American author Harper Lee (1926-2016), who wrote
To Kill a Mockingbird. It rapidly gained popularity in the 2000s and 2010s, entering the American top ten for girls in 2015.
Heber 2 m BiblicalMeans
"comrade" in Hebrew, derived from the root
חָבַר (ḥavar) meaning "to join". In the Old Testament this name is borne by a great-grandson of
Jacob and also by the husband of
Jael.
Heber 3 m BiblicalForm of
Eber used in some versions of the New Testament (in the genealogy of
Jesus in the Gospel of Luke).
Hector m English, French, Greek Mythology (Latinized), Arthurian CycleLatinized form of Greek
Ἕκτωρ (Hektor), which was derived from
ἕκτωρ (hektor) meaning
"holding fast", ultimately from
ἔχω (echo) meaning "to hold, to possess". In Greek legend Hector was one of the Trojan champions who fought against the Greeks. After he killed
Achilles' friend
Patroclus in battle, he was himself brutally slain by Achilles, who proceeded to tie his dead body to a chariot and drag it about. This name also appears in Arthurian legends where it belongs to King
Arthur's foster father.
... [more] Hélder m PortugueseMeaning uncertain. It was borne by the Brazilian archbishop Dom Hélder Câmara (1909-1999) who was noted for his charity. It could be from the name of the Dutch town of Den Helder (possibly meaning "hell's door" in Dutch).
Helier m History (Ecclesiastical)Meaning uncertain. This is the name of the patron saint of the island of Jersey in the English Channel. He was a 6th-century hermit whose name was recorded in Latin as
Helerius.
Hoder m Norse MythologyFrom Old Norse
Hǫðr, derived from
hǫð meaning
"battle". In Norse mythology he was a blind god, tricked by
Loki into killing his brother
Balder.
Hoebaer m LimburgishLimburgish form of
Hubert. Its spelling has been influenced by the French pronunciation of Hubert.
Homer m English, Ancient Greek (Anglicized)From the Greek name
Ὅμηρος (Homeros), derived from
ὅμηρος (homeros) meaning
"hostage, pledge". Homer was the Greek epic poet who wrote the
Iliad, about the Trojan War, and the
Odyssey, about
Odysseus's journey home after the war. There is some debate about when he lived, or if he was even a real person, though most scholars place him in the 8th century BC. In the modern era,
Homer has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world (chiefly in America) since the 18th century. This name is borne by the oafish cartoon father on the television series
The Simpsons.
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.
Horymír m CzechPossibly from the Slavic elements
gora (Czech
hora) meaning "mountain" and
mirŭ meaning "peace, world". According to a Czech legend, Horymír was a man sentenced to death but saved by his horse.
Hróarr m Old NorseOld Norse name, derived from the element
hróðr "praise, fame" combined with either
geirr "spear" (making it a relation of
Hróðgeirr),
herr "army, warrior" or
varr "aware, cautious". This is the name of a legendary Danish king, the same one who is featured in the Anglo-Saxon poem
Beowulf with the name
Hroðgar.
Hroðgar m Anglo-SaxonFrom Old English
hroð "fame, glory" and
gar "spear", making it a cognate of
Hrodger (see
Roger). The name became unused after the Normans introduced the continental form. In the Old English poem
Beowulf this is the name of the Danish king.