Fergal m Irish, Old IrishMeans
"man of valour", derived from the Old Irish elements
fer "man" and
gal "valour". This was the name of an 8th-century king of Ireland. As well as the Old Irish form of the name, this is the usual Anglicization of the Modern Irish form
Fearghal.
Fergus m Irish, Scottish, Irish Mythology, Old IrishMeans
"man of vigour", derived from the Old Irish elements
fer "man" and
guss "vigour, strength, force". This was the name of several early rulers of Ireland and Dál Riata, as well as many characters from Irish legend. Notably it was borne by the hero Fergus mac Róich, who was tricked into giving up the kingship of Ulster to
Conchobar. However, he remained loyal to the new king until Conchobar betrayed
Deirdre and
Naoise, at which point he defected to Connacht in anger. The name was also borne by an 8th-century saint, a missionary to Scotland.
... [more] Fermin m BasqueBasque form of
Firminus (see
Firmin). This is the name of the patron saint of the city of Pamplona in Navarre, Spain.
Fern f EnglishFrom the English word for the plant, ultimately from Old English
fearn. It has been used as a given name since the late 19th century.
Fernão m Portuguese (Archaic)Portuguese form of
Ferdinand. This name was borne by the Portuguese explorer Fernão de Magalhães (1480-1521), better known in English as Ferdinand Magellan.
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.
Ferruccio m ItalianDerived from the Late Latin name
Ferrutius, a derivative of
ferrum meaning
"iron, sword". Saint Ferrutius was a 3rd-century martyr with his brother Ferreolus.
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.
Feyz m PersianMeans
"grace" in Persian, from Arabic
فئض (faʾiḍ) meaning
"abundance, plenty", a derivative of the root
فاض (fāḍa) meaning "to overflow, to flood".
Ffion f WelshMeans
"foxglove" in Welsh (species Digitalis purpurea). This is a recently created Welsh name.
Fiachna m Irish Mythology, Old IrishDerived from Irish
fiach meaning
"raven". This is the name of several characters from Irish legend. It was also borne by Fiachna mac Báetáin, a 7th-century king of Dál Araide.
Fiachra m Irish, Irish MythologyFrom Old Irish
Fiachrae, possibly from
fiach "raven" or
fích "battle" combined with
rí "king". This was the name of several legendary figures, including one of the four children of
Lir transformed into swans for a period of 900 years. This is also the name of the patron saint of gardeners: a 7th-century Irish abbot who settled in France, usually called Saint Fiacre.
Fiadh f Irish (Modern)Means
"wild, wild animal, deer" (modern Irish
fia) or
"respect" in Irish.
Fiammetta f ItalianDiminutive of
Fiamma. This is the name of a character appearing in several works by the 14th-century Italian author Boccaccio. She was probably based on the Neapolitan noblewoman Maria d'Aquino.
Fidel m SpanishFrom the Late Latin name
Fidelis meaning
"faithful", a derivative of
fides "faith". A famous bearer was the revolutionary leader and Cuban president Fidel Castro (1926-2016).
Fido m & f PetFrom Latin
fidus meaning
"faithful". This a stereotypical name for dogs.
Fife m Scottish (Rare)From a Scottish place name that was formerly the name of a kingdom in Scotland. It is said to be named for a Pictish kingdom called Fib.
Figaro m LiteratureCreated by playwright Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais for the central character in his plays
The Barber of Seville (1775),
The Marriage of Figaro (1784) and
The Guilty Mother (1792). Beaumarchais may have based the character's name on the French phrase
fils Caron meaning
"son of Caron", which was his own nickname and would have been pronounced in a similar way. In modern French the word
figaro has acquired the meaning "barber", reflecting the character's profession.
Fihr m ArabicMeans
"stone pestle" in Arabic. This was the name of an ancestor of the Prophet
Muhammad.
Filbert m Eastern AfricanPossibly a form of
Philibert. It is particularly used in Tanzania due to track star Filbert Bayi (1953-), who set a world record running the 1500 meter in 1974.
Filibert m GermanicMeans
"much brightness" from the Old German elements
filu "much" and
beraht "bright". This was the name of a 7th-century Frankish saint, commonly called Philibert.
Filip m Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Czech, Slovak, Bulgarian, Polish, Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Macedonian, Romanian, FinnishForm of
Philip in various languages.
Fina f Italian, SpanishShort form of
Serafina. Saint Fina, also known as Saint Serafina, was a 13th-century girl from the town of San Gimignano in Italy.
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.
Fingal m LiteratureMeans
"white stranger", derived from the Old Irish elements
finn "white, blessed" and
gall "foreigner, stranger". This was the name of the hero in the Scottish author James Macpherson's 1761 poem
Fingal, which he claimed to have based on early Gaelic legends about
Fionn mac Cumhaill.
Finley m & f EnglishVariant of
Finlay. This is by far the preferred spelling in the United States, where it has lately been more common as a feminine name.
Finnegan m English (Modern)From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of
Ó Fionnagáin, itself derived from the given name
Fionnagán, a diminutive of
Fionn. This is the surname of a relatively minor character in James Joyce's novel
Finnegans Wake (1939), the title of which was based on a 19th-century Irish ballad called
Finnegan's Wake.
Finnian m IrishDerived from Old Irish
finn "white, blessed". This was the name of several Irish saints, including the founders of monasteries at Clonard and Movilla (both 6th century).
Finnick m LiteratureCreated by author Suzanne Collins for a character in the second book of
The Hunger Games series, published 2009, later appearing in the 2013 movie adaptation. She may have derived it from the slang word
finicky meaning
"demanding, fussy".
Fintan m Irish, Irish Mythology, Old IrishPossibly means either
"white fire" or
"white ancient" in Irish. According to legend this was the name of the only Irish person to survive the great flood. This name was also borne by many Irish saints.
Fíona f IrishDerived from Irish
fíon meaning
"wine".
Fiona f Scottish, EnglishFeminine form of
Fionn. This name was (first?) used by the Scottish poet James Macpherson in his poem
Fingal (1761), in which it is spelled as
Fióna.
Fionn m Irish, Irish MythologyFrom the Old Irish name
Finn, derived from
finn meaning
"white, blessed". It occurs frequently in Irish history and legends, the most noteworthy bearer being Fionn mac Cumhaill, the central character of one of the four main cycles of Irish mythology, the Fenian Cycle. Fionn was born as
Deimne, and acquired his nickname because of his fair hair. He grew all-wise by eating an enchanted salmon, and later became the leader of the Fianna after defeating the fire-breathing demon Áillen. He was the father of
Oisín and grandfather of
Oscar.
Fionnlagh m Scottish GaelicMeans
"white warrior", derived from Old Irish
finn "white, blessed" and
láech "warrior". An earlier form was
Findláech — this was the name of the father of the 11th-century Scottish king Macbeth.
Fionnuala f Irish, Irish MythologyMeans
"white shoulder" from Old Irish
finn "white, blessed" and
gúala "shoulder". In Irish legend Fionnuala was one of the four children of
Lir who were transformed into swans for a period of 900 years.
Fiore f & m ItalianMeans
"flower" in Italian. It can also be considered an Italian form of the Latin names
Flora and
Florus.
Fiorella f ItalianFrom Italian
fiore "flower" combined with a diminutive suffix.
Fırat m TurkishFrom the Turkish name of the Euphrates River, which was derived (via Persian and Arabic) from Elamite or Sumerian.
Firmin m French, Medieval EnglishFrom the Late Latin name
Firminus meaning
"firm". This was the name of several early saints, notably the 3rd-century bishop Saint Firmin (or Fermin) of Amiens who is especially venerated in Navarre, Spain.
Firouz m PersianFrom Persian
پیروز (pīrūz) or
فیروز (fīrūz) meaning "victorious". This name was borne by Firuz Shah Tughlaq, a 14th-century sultan of Delhi who did much to build the city's infrastructure.
Firouzeh f PersianMeans
"turquoise (gemstone)" in Persian. Alternatively, it may be a feminine form of
Firouz.
Fishel m YiddishMeans
"little fish" in Yiddish, a diminutive of
פֿיש (fish) meaning "fish".
Fitri f & m Indonesian, MalayMeans
"pure, natural" in Indonesian and Malay, ultimately from Arabic
فطْري (fiṭrī) meaning "natural". It is a feminine name in Indonesia and a masculine name in Malaysia.
Fitz m English (Rare)Short form of various given names that are derived from surnames beginning with Norman French
fitz meaning
"son of" (for example
Fitzroy).
Fitzroy m English (Rare)From an English surname meaning
"son of the king" in Old French, originally given to illegitimate sons of monarchs.
Fitzwilliam m LiteratureFrom an English surname meaning
"son of William", formed using the Anglo-Norman French prefix
fitz-, derived from Latin
filius "son". This is the given name of Mr. Darcy, a character in Jane Austen's novel
Pride and Prejudice (1813).
Flaminius m Ancient RomanRoman family name meaning
"priestly", derived from Latin
flamen, a type of priest. A notable bearer of the family name was the 3rd-century consul Gaius Flaminius. He was killed in battle against Hannibal's forces during the Second Punic War.
Flanagan m English (Rare)From an Irish surname, the Anglicized form of
Ó Flannagáin, itself from the given name
Flannagán, which was derived from Irish
flann "blood red" and a diminutive suffix.
Flann m & f Irish, Old IrishMeans
"blood red" in Irish. This was the name of a 9th-century high king of Ireland.
Flannery f English (Rare)From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of
Ó Flannghaile, derived from the given name
Flannghal meaning "red valour". A famous bearer was American author Flannery O'Connor (1925-1964).
Flavian m History (Ecclesiastical)From the Roman family name
Flavianus, which was derived from
Flavius. This was the name of several early saints including a 5th-century patriarch of Constantinople who was beaten to death.
Flavius m Ancient Roman, RomanianRoman family name meaning
"golden" or
"yellow-haired" from Latin
flavus "yellow, golden". Flavius was the family name of the 1st-century Roman emperors Vespasian, Titus and Domitian. It was used as a personal name by several later emperors, notably by
Constantine.
Flemming m DanishFrom a medieval Norse nickname meaning
"from Flanders".
Fletcher m EnglishFrom a surname meaning
"maker of arrows" in Middle English, ultimately from Old French
flechier.
Fleur f French, Dutch, English (British)Means
"flower" in French. Saint Fleur of Issendolus (
Flor in Gascon) was a 14th-century nun from Maurs, France. This was also the name of a character in John Galsworthy's novels
The Forsyte Saga (1922).
Flint m EnglishFrom the English vocabulary word, from Old English
flint.
Flora f English, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Dutch, French, Greek, Albanian, Roman MythologyDerived from Latin
flos meaning
"flower" (genitive case
floris). Flora was the Roman goddess of flowers and spring, the wife of Zephyr the west wind. It has been used as a given name since the Renaissance, starting in France. In Scotland it was sometimes used as an Anglicized form of
Fionnghuala.
Florence f & m English, FrenchFrom 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] Florian m German, French, Romanian, Polish, HistoryFrom the Roman cognomen
Florianus, a derivative of
Florus. This was the name of a short-lived Roman emperor of the 3rd century, Marcus Annius Florianus. It was also borne by Saint Florian, a martyr of the 3rd century, the patron saint of Poland and Upper Austria.
Florica f RomanianDerived from Romanian
floricea, itself a diminutive of
floare "flower".
Florimond m Literature, FrenchPossibly from Latin
florens meaning "prosperous, flourishing" combined with the Old German element
munt meaning "protection". This is the name of the prince in some versions of the fairy tale
Sleeping Beauty.
Florizel m LiteratureFrom Latin
floris, the genitive case of
flos meaning
"flower". This name was used by Shakespeare for the prince of Bohemia and the lover of
Perdita in his play
The Winter's Tale (1610).
Florus m Ancient RomanRoman cognomen that was derived from Latin
flos meaning
"flower" (genitive case
floris). It was borne by a 2nd-century saint who was martyred with Laurus in Illyricum.
Flower f English (Rare)Simply from the English word
flower for the blossoming plant. It is derived (via Old French) from Latin
flos.
Flynn m EnglishFrom an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of
Ó Floinn, which was derived from the given name or byname
Flann. A famous bearer of the surname was American actor Errol Flynn (1909-1959). As a given name, it grew in popularity after it was featured as a character in the Disney movie
Tangled in 2010.
Folke m Swedish, DanishShort form of various Old Norse names that contain the element
folk meaning
"people", and thus a cognate of
Fulk.
Forbes m ScottishFrom a Scottish surname that was originally taken from the name of a village in Aberdeenshire, which means
"field, area of land" in Gaelic.
Ford m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"ford" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was the American industrialist Henry Ford (1863-1947).
Forrest m EnglishFrom an English surname meaning
"forest", originally belonging to a person who lived near a forest. In America it has sometimes been used in honour of the Confederate Civil War general Nathan Bedford Forrest (1821-1877). This name was borne by the title character in the movie
Forrest Gump (1994) about a loveable simpleton. Use of the name increased when the movie was released, but has since faded away.
Fortuna f Roman MythologyMeans
"luck" in Latin. In Roman mythology this was the name of the personification of luck.
Fortunato m Italian, Spanish, PortugueseItalian, Spanish and Portuguese form of the Late Latin name
Fortunatus meaning
"fortunate, blessed, happy". This was the name of several early saints and martyrs.
Fox m English (Modern)Either from the English word
fox or the surname
Fox, which originally given as a nickname. The surname was borne by George Fox (1624-1691), the founder of the Quakers.
France 1 f FrenchFrom the name of the country, sometimes considered a feminine form of
Frank or short form of
Françoise, both of which are ultimately related to the name of the country.
France 2 m SloveneSlovene form of
Francis. This name was borne by the Slovene poet France Prešeren (1800-1849).
Frances f EnglishFeminine form of
Francis. The distinction between
Francis as a masculine name and
Frances as a feminine name did not arise until the 17th century. A notable bearer was Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini (1850-1917), a social worker and the first American to be canonized.
Francesco m ItalianItalian form of
Franciscus (see
Francis). Francesco Petrarca (1304-1374) was an Italian Renaissance poet, usually known in English as Petrarch.