Hunor m HungarianDerived from the ethnic term
Hun, which refers to the nomadic people from Central Asia who expanded into Europe in the 4th century. The word
Hun is from Latin
Hunnus, which is possibly of Turkic origin. According to medieval Hungarian legend, the brothers Hunor and Magor were the ancestors of the Huns and the Magyars (Hungarians) respectively.
Hunter m & f EnglishFrom 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).
Igor m Russian, Polish, Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, Macedonian, Slovak, Czech, Italian, Portuguese, BasqueRussian form of the Old Norse name
Yngvarr (see
Ingvar). The Varangians brought it with them when they began settling in Eastern Europe in the 9th century. It was borne by two grand princes of Kyiv, notably Igor I the son of
Rurik and the husband of Saint
Olga. Other famous bearers include Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971), a Russian composer known for
The Rite of Spring, and Igor Sikorsky (1889-1972), the Russian-American designer of the first successful helicopter.
Iker m BasqueMeans
"visitation" in Basque. It is an equivalent of the Spanish name
Visitación, coined by Sabino Arana in his 1910 list of Basque saints names.
Ilir m AlbanianMeans
"Illyrian" in Albanian, referring to an ancient people who inhabited the Balkans.
İlker m TurkishMeans
"first man" in Turkish, derived from
ilk "first" and
er "man, hero, brave".
Ingemar m SwedishFrom the Old Norse name
Ingimárr, derived from the name of the Germanic god
Ing combined with
mærr "famous".
Ingmar m SwedishVariant of
Ingemar. This name was borne by the Swedish film director Ingmar Bergman (1918-2007).
Ingomar m German (Rare), GermanicFrom the name of the Germanic god
Ing combined with Old German
mari "famous", making it a cognate of
Ingemar. Ingomar (or Inguiomer) was a 1st-century leader of the Cherusci, a Germanic tribe.
Ishkur m Sumerian MythologyMeaning unknown, of Sumerian origin. This was the name of a Sumerian storm god, later identified by the Akkadians with
Adad.
Issachar m Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical GreekPossibly means
"man of hire" or
"there is reward", from Hebrew
שָׁכַר (shaḵar) meaning "hire, wage, reward". In the Old Testament this is the name of one of the twelve sons of
Jacob (by
Leah) and the founder of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. A justification for the name's meaning is given in
Genesis 30:18.
Ivor m Irish, Scottish, Welsh, English (British)From the Old Norse name
Ívarr, which was probably derived from the elements
ýr "yew tree, bow" and
herr "army, warrior". During the Middle Ages it was brought to Britain by Scandinavian settlers and invaders, and it was adopted in Ireland (Irish
Íomhar), Scotland (Scottish Gaelic
Iomhar) and Wales (Welsh
Ifor).
Jabbar m ArabicMeans
"powerful" in Arabic, a derivative of
جبر (jabara) meaning "to force, to compel". In Islamic tradition
الجبّار (al-Jabbār) is one of the 99 names of Allah.
Jabir m ArabicMeans
"comforter, setter of bones" in Arabic, from the root
جبر (jabara) meaning "to restore, to console, to set a bone".
Jabr m ArabicMeans
"force, compulsion, setting of bones" in Arabic, from the root
جبر (jabara) meaning "to force, to compel, to set a bone".
Jafar m Arabic, PersianMeans
"stream" in Arabic. Jafar ibn Abi Talib was a cousin of the Prophet
Muhammad who was killed fighting against Byzantium in the 7th century. Another notable bearer was Jafar al-Sadiq, the sixth Shia imam.
Jagger m English (Modern)From an English surname meaning
"carter, peddler". It is used as a given name in honour of the British musician Mick Jagger (1943-), the lead vocalist of the Rolling Stones.
Jahangir m Persian, UrduMeans
"world conqueror, world seizer" in Persian, from
جهان (jahān) meaning "world" and
گیر (gīr) meaning "catch, seize, conquer". This was the name of a 17th-century Mughal emperor.
Janvier m FrenchFrench form of
Januarius. Though now rare in France, it is more common in French-speaking parts of Africa.
Jaromír m Czech, SlovakDerived from the Slavic elements
jarŭ "fierce, energetic" and
mirŭ "peace, world". This name was borne by an 11th-century duke of Bohemia.
Jasper m English, Dutch, Judeo-Christian-Islamic LegendFrom Latin
Gaspar, perhaps from the Biblical Hebrew word
גִּזְבָּר (gizbar) meaning
"treasurer", derived from Old Persian
ganzabarah. This name was traditionally assigned to one of the wise men (also known as the Magi, or three kings) who were said to have visited the newborn
Jesus. It has occasionally been used in the English-speaking world since the Middle Ages. The name can also be given in reference to the English word for the gemstone.
Javohir m UzbekMeans
"jewels" in Uzbek, ultimately from Persian.
Jóarr m Old NorseFrom Old Norse
jór "horse" and
herr "army, warrior". This name appears on runestones as
ioar and
iuar, though the latter form could also represent
Ívarr.
Jörmungandr m Norse MythologyFrom Old Norse
Jǫrmungandr, derived from
jǫrmun "great, immense" and
gandr "monster, magic, wand". In Norse mythology Jörmungandr was an enormous sea serpent, also known as the World Serpent because he was said to encircle the world. He was one of the offspring of
Loki and
Angrboða. During Ragnarök, the battle at end of the world, it is said that he will fight his old enemy
Thor and both of them will die.
Junior m EnglishFrom a nickname that was originally used for a boy who had the same name as his father.
Jupiter m Roman Mythology (Anglicized)From Latin
Iuppiter, which was ultimately derived from the vocative form of Indo-European *
Dyēws-pətēr, composed of the elements
Dyēws (see
Zeus) and
pətēr "father". Jupiter was the supreme god in Roman mythology. He presided over the heavens and light, and was responsible for the protection and laws of the Roman state. This is also the name of the fifth and largest planet in the solar system.
Kaiser m VariousGerman form of the Roman title
Caesar (see
Caesar). It is not used as a given name in Germany itself.
Kausar f & m Urdu, KazakhUrdu and Kazakh form of
Kawthar. It is a unisex name in Urdu, but solely feminine in Kazakh.
Kerr m ScottishFrom a Scots surname that was derived from a word meaning
"thicket, marsh", ultimately from Old Norse
kjarr.
Kolr m Old NorseByname derived from Old Norse
kol meaning
"coal".
Krešimir m CroatianFrom the Slavic elements
krěsiti "to spark, to flare up, to bring to life, to resurrect" and
mirŭ "peace, world". This was the name of four kings of Croatia in the 10th and 11th centuries. Their names were recorded in Latin as
Cresimirus.
Kumar m Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Assamese, Odia, Gujarati, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, NepaliModern form of
Kumara.
Lamar m English, African AmericanFrom a French and English surname, originally from a place name in Normandy, which was derived from Old French
la mare meaning
"the pool". In the second half of the 20th century this name has been well-used in the African-American community, probably because of its popular phonetic components
la and
mar.
Lambaer m LimburgishLimburgish form of
Lambert. Its spelling has been influenced by the French pronunciation of Lambert.
Lazer m YiddishYiddish variant of
Eliezer. This is the name of a character in the musical
Fiddler on the Roof (1964).
Leander m Greek Mythology (Latinized)Latinized form of the Greek name
Λέανδρος (Leandros), derived from
λέων (leon) meaning "lion" and
ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man" (genitive
ἀνδρός). In Greek legend Leander was the lover of Hero. Every night he swam across the Hellespont to meet her, but on one occasion he was drowned when a storm arose. When Hero saw his dead body she threw herself into the waters and perished.
Lear m LiteratureForm of
Leir used by Shakespeare for the title character of his tragic play
King Lear (1606).
Leir m LiteratureThe name of an early king of the Britons, according to the 12th-century chronicles of Geoffrey of Monmouth. Leir's name may be connected to the city where he reigned, Leicester (named
Kaerleir by Geoffrey). Alternatively it might be derived from the name of the legendary Welsh figure
Llŷr. The story of Leir and his daughters was later adapted by Shakespeare for his play
King Lear (1606).
Ler m Irish MythologyMeans
"the sea" in Old Irish. Ler was probably an Irish god or personification of the sea, best known as the father of
Manannán mac Lir.
Lester m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from the name of the city of Leicester, originally denoting a person who was from that place. The city's name is derived from the river name
Ligore combined with Latin
castra "camp".
Levar m African AmericanPopularized by the American actor LeVar Burton (1957-) after he starred in the popular American miniseries
Roots (1977). His birth name was Levardis, after his father, of unknown meaning. It can be spelled
Levar or with a capitalized third letter as
LeVar.
Lir m Irish MythologyPossibly from the patronymic
Manannán mac Lir, in which case
Lir is the genitive case of the name
Ler. The medieval Irish legend the
Children of Lir tells how Lir of the Tuatha Dé Danann had his children transformed into swans by his third wife
Aoife. The legendary characters Lir and Ler seem to be distinct.
Llŷr m Welsh MythologyMeans
"the sea" in Welsh. According to the
Mabinogi he was the father of
Brân,
Branwen and
Manawydan. His name is cognate with Irish
Ler, and it is typically assumed that Llŷr may have originally been regarded as a god of the sea. He might also be the basis for the legendary King
Leir of the Britons.
Lothar m German, GermanicFrom the Germanic name
Hlothar meaning
"famous army", derived from the elements
hlut "famous, loud" and
heri "army". This was the name of medieval Frankish rulers of the Holy Roman Empire, Italy and France. It was also borne by four earlier Merovingian kings of the Franks, though their names are usually spelled as
Chlothar.
Lucifer m Judeo-Christian-Islamic LegendMeans
"bringing light", derived from Latin
lux "light" and
ferre "to bring". In Latin this name originally referred to the morning star, Venus, but later became associated with the chief angel who rebelled against God's rule in heaven (see
Isaiah 14:12). In later literature, such as the
Divine Comedy (1321) by Dante and
Paradise Lost (1667) by John Milton, Lucifer became associated with Satan himself.
Ludger m GermanFrom the Old German name
Leutgar, which was derived from the elements
liut "people" and
ger "spear". Saint Ludger was an 8th-century Frisian Benedictine bishop who founded a monastery at Munster.
Lumír m CzechMeaning unknown, though possibly related to the Slavic element
mirŭ meaning "peace, world". In Czech legend this is the name of a bard.
Lur f & m BasqueMeans
"earth, ground" in Basque.
Luther m EnglishFrom a German surname, itself derived from the Old German given name
Leuthar. The surname was borne by Martin Luther (1483-1546), a monk and theologian who started the Protestant Reformation by nailing his famous 95 theses to a church door. It has since been used as a given name in his honour, especially among Protestants. A notable bearer from the modern era was the American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968).
Magnar m NorwegianFrom the Old Norse elements
magn "power, strength" and
herr "army, warrior". This name was coined in the 19th century.
Major m EnglishFrom an English surname that was originally derived from the given name
Mauger, a Norman French form of the Germanic name
Malger meaning
"council spear". The name can also be given in reference to the English word
major.
Malger m GermanicDerived from the Old German elements
mahal meaning "meeting, assembly, court" and
ger meaning "spear".
Mehr m & f Persian, Persian MythologyModern Persian form of
Mithra. As a Persian vocabulary word it means
"friendship, love, kindness". It is also the name of the seventh month of the Persian calendar. All of these derive from the same source: the Indo-Iranian root *
mitra meaning "oath, covenant, agreement".
Menander m Ancient Greek (Latinized)Latinized form of the Greek name
Μένανδρος (Menandros), derived from either
μένω (meno) meaning "to stay, to last" or
μένος (menos) meaning "mind, strength, force" combined with
ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man" (genitive
ἀνδρός). This was the name of a 4th-century BC Greek dramatist. It was also borne by a 2nd-century BC Indo-Greek king who expanded the realm to its greatest extent.
Mentor m Greek MythologyPossibly related to Greek
μένος (menos) meaning
"mind, strength, force". In Greek legend Mentor was the son of Alkimos. When
Odysseus left to fight in the Trojan War he entrusted Mentor with the care of his palace and the guardianship of his son Telemachos. When the goddess
Athena visited Telemachos she took the guise of Mentor.
Meriwether m English (Rare)From a surname meaning
"happy weather" in Middle English, originally belonging to a cheery person. A notable bearer of the name was Meriwether Lewis (1774-1809), who, with William Clark, explored the west of North America.
Meyer m HebrewAlternate transcription of Hebrew
מֵאִיר (see
Meir). It also coincides with a German surname meaning "mayor, leader".
Miller m & f EnglishFrom an English occupational surname for a miller, derived from Middle English
mille "mill".
Miomir m SerbianDerived from the element
mio, a Serbian form of the Slavic element
milŭ meaning "dear", combined with
mirŭ meaning "peace" or "world".
Moacir m TupiFrom Tupi
moasy meaning
"pain, regret". This is the name of the son of
Iracema and Martim in the novel
Iracema (1865) by José de Alencar.
Mojmír m Czech, SlovakDerived from the Slavic elements
mojĭ meaning "my" and
mirŭ meaning "peace" or "world". This was the name of a 9th-century ruler of Moravia.
Mortimer m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from the name of a town in Normandy, itself meaning
"dead water, still water" in Old French.
Muammar m ArabicMeans
"given long life" in Arabic, from the root
عمر (ʿamara) meaning "to live long, to thrive". A famous bearer was the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi (1942-2011).
Muir m ScottishFrom a Scottish surname, derived from Scots
muir meaning
"moor, fen". This name could also be inspired by Scottish Gaelic
muir meaning
"sea".
Nabopolassar m Babylonian (Anglicized)From the Akkadian name
Nabu-apla-usur meaning
"Nabu protect my son", derived from the god's name
Nabu combined with
aplu meaning "son, heir" and an imperative form of
naṣāru meaning "to protect". This was the name of a 7th-century BC king of the Babylonian Empire, the first of the Chaldean dynasty.
Nahor m BiblicalMeans
"snorting" in Hebrew. Nahor is the name of both the grandfather and a brother of
Abraham in the Old Testament.
Nándor m HungarianOriginally this was a Hungarian word referring to a Bulgarian people that lived along the Danube. Since the 19th century it has been used as a Hungarian short form of
Ferdinand.
Napier m English (Rare)From an English and Scots surname meaning
"linen keeper" in Middle English, from Old French
nappe "table cloth".
Narmer m Ancient EgyptianFrom Egyptian
nꜥr-mr meaning
"fierce catfish", derived from
nꜥr "catfish" and
mr "fierce, painful". Narmer was an Egyptian ruler who is considered the first pharaoh, uniting Upper and Lower Egypt around the 31st century BC. He is probably the same person as
Menes, with Narmer being his Horus name.
Nasir m Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Bengali, MalayMeans
"helper" in Arabic, from the root
نصر (naṣara) meaning "to help, to aid". This transcription represents two related yet distinct Arabic names:
ناصر, in which the first vowel is long, and
نصير, in which the second vowel is long.
Nasr m ArabicMeans
"triumph, victory" in Arabic, from the root
نصر (naṣara) meaning "to help, to aid".
Nebuchadnezzar m Babylonian (Anglicized), BiblicalFrom
נְבוּכַדְנֶאצֲּר (Nevuḵaḏnetstsar), the Hebrew form of the Akkadian name
Nabu-kudurri-usur meaning "Nabu protect my eldest son", derived from the god's name
Nabu combined with
kudurru meaning "eldest son" and an imperative form of
naṣāru meaning "to protect". This name was borne by a 12th-century BC king of the Babylonian Empire. It was also borne by a 6th-century BC king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. He captured Jerusalem, and ultimately destroyed the city's temple and deported many of its citizens, as told in the Old Testament.
Nestor m Greek Mythology, Russian, Portuguese, FrenchMeans
"returner, homecomer" in Greek, from
νέομαι (neomai) meaning "to return". In
Homer's
Iliad this was the name of the king of Pylos, famous for his great wisdom and longevity, who acted as a counselor to the Greek allies.
Neymar m Portuguese (Brazilian, Rare)Meaning unknown. A famous bearer is the Brazilian soccer player Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior (1992-), who is usually known by just his first name. He was named after his father.
Norbaer m LimburgishLimburgish form of
Norbert. Its spelling has been influenced by the French pronunciation of Norbert.
Oddvar m NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Oddvarr, derived from the elements
oddr "point of a sword" and
varr "aware, cautious".
Odoacer m Gothic (Latinized)From the Gothic name *
Audawakrs meaning
"wealthy and vigilant", derived from the elements
auds "wealth" and
wakrs "vigilant". Odoacer, sometimes called Odovacar, was a 5th-century Gothic leader who overthrew the last Western Roman emperor and became the first barbarian king of Italy.
Ofer m HebrewMeans
"fawn" in Hebrew. This makes it a modern variant of the Classical Hebrew name
Ophrah.
Okafor m IgboMeans
"boy (born on) Afor" in Igbo,
Afor being one of the four days of the Igbo week.
Oliver m English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Catalan, Serbian, Croatian, Macedonian, Czech, Slovak, Carolingian CycleFrom Old French
Olivier, which was possibly derived from Latin
oliva "olive tree". Alternatively there could be an underlying Germanic name, such as Old Norse
Áleifr (see
Olaf) or Frankish
Alawar (see
Álvaro), with the spelling altered by association with the Latin word. In the Middle Ages the name became well-known in Western Europe because of the French epic
La Chanson de Roland, in which Olivier is a friend and advisor to the hero
Roland.
... [more] Omar 1 m Arabic, Bosnian, Kazakh, Malay, English, Spanish, ItalianAlternate transcription of Arabic
عمر (see
Umar). This is the usual English spelling of the name of the 12th-century poet Umar Khayyam. In his honour it has sometimes been used in the English-speaking world, notably for the American general Omar Bradley (1893-1981).
Omer m & f HebrewMeans
"sheaf of wheat" in Hebrew.
Onur m TurkishMeans
"honour" in Turkish (borrowed from French
honneur).
Ophir m & f Biblical, HebrewFrom the Hebrew name
אוֹפִיר (ʾOfir), meaning unknown. This is the name of a son of
Joktan in the Old Testament (where it is also used as a place name).