Grigoriy m RussianRussian form of
Gregory. This name was borne by the Russian mystic Grigoriy Rasputin (1869-1916), more commonly known by only his surname.
Grinch m Popular CulturePossibly from French
grincheux meaning
"grumpy". This is the name of a grumpy green character created by the American author Dr. Seuss for his children's book
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1957). His name is almost always preceded by the definite article
the.
Griselda f English, Spanish, LiteraturePossibly derived from the Old German elements
gris "grey" and
hilt "battle". It is not attested as a Germanic name. This was the name of a patient wife in medieval folklore, adapted into tales by Boccaccio (in
The Decameron) and Chaucer (in
The Canterbury Tales).
Gronw m Welsh MythologyMeaning unknown, perhaps from Old Welsh
gur "man". According to the Fourth Branch of the
Mabinogi he was the lover of
Blodeuwedd. He attempted to murder her husband
Lleu Llaw Gyffes with a special spear he crafted over the course of a year, but Lleu transformed into an eagle. After he was restored to human form he killed Gronw.
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.
Gruffudd m WelshFrom the Old Welsh name
Grifud, the second element deriving from Old Welsh
iudd "lord, prince" but the first element being of uncertain meaning (possibly
cryf "strong"). This was a common name among medieval Welsh royalty. Gruffudd (or Gruffydd) ap Llywelyn was an 11th-century Welsh ruler who fought against England.
Guadalupe f & m SpanishFrom a Spanish title of the Virgin
Mary,
Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, meaning "Our Lady of Guadalupe". Guadalupe is a Spanish place name, the site of a famous convent, derived from Arabic
وادي (wādī) meaning "valley, river" possibly combined with Latin
lupus meaning "wolf". In the 16th century Our Lady of Guadalupe supposedly appeared in a vision to a native Mexican man, and she is now regarded as a patron saint of the Americas.
Guanting m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
冠 (guān) meaning "cap, crown, headgear" combined with
廷 (tíng) meaning "court". This name can also be formed from other character combinations.
Guanyin f BuddhismMeans
"one who observes sounds", from Chinese
观 (guān) meaning "to observe, to see" and
音 (yīn) meaning "sound, tone", referring to prayers. This is the Chinese name of
Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion (who is regarded as female in China). It originated as a calque of Sanskrit
अवलोकितस्वर (Avalokitasvara), an earlier form of Avalokiteshvara's name.
Guanyu m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
冠 (guān) meaning "cap, crown, headgear" combined with
宇 (yǔ) meaning "house, eaves, universe". Other character combinations are possible.
Gudbrand m NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Guðbrandr meaning
"god's sword", derived from the elements
guð "god" and
brandr "fire, torch, sword".
Gudrun f Norse Mythology, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, GermanFrom the Old Norse name
Guðrún meaning
"god's secret lore", derived from the elements
guð "god" and
rún "secret lore, rune". In Norse legend Gudrun was the wife of
Sigurd. After his death she married
Atli, but when he murdered her brothers, she killed her sons by him, fed him their hearts, and then slew him. Her story appears in Norse literature such as the
Eddas and the
Völsungasaga. She is called
Kriemhild in German versions of the tale. This is also an unrelated character in the medieval German epic
Kudrun.
Guido m Italian, GermanLatinized form of
Wido. Notable bearers include the music theorist Guido d'Arezzo (c. 991-1033), poet Guido Cavalcanti (c. 1250-1300), and Baroque painter Guido Reni (1575-1642).
Guifré m Catalan (Rare)Catalan form of
Vilifredus, a Latinized form of
Willifrid (or perhaps a Visigothic cognate). This was the name of a 9th-century count of Barcelona.
Guinevere f Arthurian CycleFrom the Norman French form of the Welsh name
Gwenhwyfar meaning
"white phantom", ultimately from the old Celtic roots *
windos meaning "white" (modern Welsh
gwen) and *
sēbros meaning "phantom, magical being". In Arthurian legend she was the beautiful wife of King
Arthur. According to the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth, she was seduced by
Mordred before the battle of Camlann, which led to the deaths of both Mordred and Arthur. According to the 12th-century French poet Chrétien de Troyes, she engaged in an adulterous affair with Sir
Lancelot.
... [more] 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.
Guiscard m Medieval FrenchNorman French form of the Norman name
Wischard, from Old Norse
vizkr "wise" and the Old French pejorative suffix
-ard (from Old Frankish
hard "hard, firm, brave, hardy"). This was the byname of Robert Guiscard, an 11th-century Norman conqueror of Sicily.
Guiying m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
桂 (guì) meaning "laurel, cassia, cinnamon" combined with
英 (yīng) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero". This name can be formed from other character combinations as well.
Gül f TurkishMeans
"rose" in Turkish, ultimately from Persian.
Gul m & f Urdu, PashtoMeans
"flower, rose" in Urdu and Pashto, ultimately from Persian.
Gula f Sumerian MythologyMeans
"the great" in Sumerian. This may have originally been a title rather then a name. Gula was a Sumerian and Akkadian goddess of healing, medicine and midwifery. She was often depicted alongside dogs. In later periods she was equated with other healing goddesses such as
Ninisina.
Gülay f Turkish, AzerbaijaniMeans
"rose moon" in Turkish and Azerbaijani, derived from
gül, ultimately Persian
گل (gol), meaning "rose" combined with
ay meaning "moon".
Gulbadan f Urdu (Rare)Means
"having a body like a rose" in Persian. This was the name of a daughter of the Mughal emperor Babur.
Gülbahar f TurkishTurkish form of
Golbahar. This was the name of a 16th-century concubine of
Süleyman the Magnificent, sultan of the Ottoman Empire. She was also named Mahidevran.
Gulisa f GeorgianMeans
"of the heart" in Georgian, from
გულის (gulis), the genitive of
გული (guli) meaning "heart".
Gull f SwedishShort form of various Scandinavian names beginning with the Old Norse element
guð meaning
"god".
Gülnur f TurkishMeans
"rose light" in Turkish, ultimately from Persian
گل (gol) meaning "flower, rose" and Arabic
نور (nūr) meaning "light".
Gulrukh f UrduMeans
"rose faced" in Persian. This was the name of a wife of the Mughal emperor Babur.
Gülsüm f TurkishTurkish form of
Kulthum. It can also be interpreted as an elaboration of the Turkish word
gül meaning "rose".
Gülten f TurkishMeans
"rose skin" in Turkish, ultimately from Persian
گل (gol) meaning "flower, rose" and
تن (tan) meaning "body, skin".
Gumersindo m SpanishFrom the medieval name
Gomesendus, the Latin form of a Germanic (Visigothic or Suebian) name probably composed of
guma "man" and
sinþs "time". This was the name of a 9th-century martyr from Córdoba.
Gunborg f SwedishFrom the Old Norse name
Gunnbjǫrg, derived from the elements
gunnr "war" and
bjǫrg "help, save, rescue".
Gundega f LatvianMeans
"buttercup (flower)" in Latvian. This name was used by the Latvian playwright Anna Brigadere in her play
Princese Gundega un Karalis Brusubārda (1923).
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] Guntram m GermanMeans
"war raven" from the Old German elements
gunda "war" and
hram "raven". This was the name of a 6th-century Frankish king, sometimes called Gontrand, who is considered a saint.
Guo m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
国 (guó) meaning "country" or other Chinese characters pronounced in a similar way.
Gurgen m Armenian, GeorgianDerived from Middle Persian
𐭢𐭥𐭫𐭢 (gurg) meaning
"wolf" combined with a diminutive suffix. This name was borne by several Georgian kings and princes.
Gustav m Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, German, CzechPossibly means
"staff of the Geats", derived from the Old Norse elements
gautr meaning "Geat" and
stafr meaning "staff". However, the root name
Gautstafr is not well attested in the Old Norse period. Alternatively, it might be derived from the Old Slavic name
Gostislav.
... [more] Gustave m FrenchFrench form of
Gustav. This name was borne by the French artist Gustave Doré (1832-1883) and the French engineer Gustave Eiffel (1832-1923).
Guy 1 m English, FrenchOld French form of
Wido. The Normans introduced it to England, where it was common until the time of Guy Fawkes (1570-1606), a revolutionary who attempted to blow up the British parliament. The name was revived in the 19th century, due in part to characters in the novels
Guy Mannering (1815) by Walter Scott and
The Heir of Redclyffe (1854) by C. M. Yonge.
Guy 2 m HebrewAlternate transcription of Hebrew
גַּיְא (see
Gai). This is the more common transcription.
Gwalchmai m Welsh MythologyDerived from Welsh
gwalch "hawk", possibly combined with
Mai "May (month)" or
mai "field, plain". This is the name of a character in Welsh legend (appearing in
Culhwch and Olwen for example). He is probably the antecedent of
Gawain from later Arthurian romance.
Gwenaël m French, BretonMeans
"blessed and generous" from Breton
gwenn meaning "white, blessed" and
hael meaning "generous". Saint Gwenhael was a 6th-century abbot of Brittany.
Gwenda f Welsh, EnglishDerived from the Welsh elements
gwen meaning "white, blessed" and
da meaning "good". This name was created in the 19th century.
Gwendal m BretonDerived from Breton
gwenn meaning "white, blessed" and
tal meaning "brow, forehead".
Gwenddoleu m Welsh MythologyFrom Old Welsh
Guendoleu, possibly derived from
gwyn meaning "white, blessed" and
dol (plural
dolau) meaning "meadow". This was the name of a semi-legendary 6th-century king of Arfderydd in Cumbria. His defeat at the Battle of Arfderydd caused his bard
Myrddin to go mad with grief.
Gwenddydd f Welsh MythologyDerived from Welsh
gwen meaning "white, blessed" and
dydd meaning "day". In medieval Welsh tales this is the name of
Myrddin's sister. Geoffrey of Monmouth calls her
Ganieda and also makes her the wife of
Rhydderch Hael.
Gwendolen f WelshPossibly means
"white ring", derived from Welsh
gwen meaning "white, blessed" and
dolen meaning "ring, loop". This name appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's 12th-century chronicles, written in the Latin form
Guendoloena, where it belongs to an ancient queen of the Britons who defeats her ex-husband in battle. Geoffrey later used it in
Vita Merlini for the wife of the prophet
Merlin. An alternate theory claims that the name arose from a misreading of the masculine name
Guendoleu by Geoffrey.
... [more] Gwenfrewi f Welsh (Rare)Derived from Welsh
gwen meaning "white, blessed" combined with another element of uncertain meaning. It could possibly be Welsh
ffreu meaning "stream, flow" or the obscure word
ffrewi meaning "pacify, quell, reconcile". This may be the original form of
Winifred. In any case, it is the Welsh name for the saint.
Gwenllian f WelshDerived from the Welsh elements
gwen meaning "white, blessed" and possibly
lliain meaning "flaxen, made of linen" or
lliant meaning "flow, flood". This name was used by medieval Welsh royalty, notably by a 12th-century princess of Deheubarth who died in battle with the Normans. It was also borne by the 13th-century daughter of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, the last prince of Gwynedd.
Gwenneg m BretonDerived from Breton
gwenn meaning
"white, blessed" combined with a diminutive suffix. Saint Gwenneg was an 8th-century monk of Brittany.
Gwrtheyrn m Old Welsh (Modernized)From Old Welsh
Guorthigirn meaning
"supreme king", from
guor meaning "over" and
tigirn meaning "king, monarch". It is possible that this is not a name, but a title. According to medieval chroniclers, Gwrtheyrn (also known as Vortigern) was a 5th-century king of the Britons. It was he who invited the brothers
Hengist and
Horsa to Britain, which eventually led to the Anglo-Saxon conquest of England.
Gwydion m Welsh, Welsh MythologyProbably means
"born of trees" from Old Welsh
guid "trees" and the suffix
gen "born of". In the Fourth Branch of the
Mabinogi, Gwydion is the nephew of King
Math of Gwynedd, and like him a powerful magician. In an elaborate plot to give his brother a chance to rape his uncle's footbearer, he arranged a war between Gwynedd and the neighbouring kingdom of Dyfed. Gwydion himself killed King
Pryderi of Dyfed at the end of the war. In punishment for the rape, Math transformed Gwydion and his brother into different animals over the course of three years. Gwydion was the uncle of
Lleu Llaw Gyffes, whom he fostered. Math and Gwydion fashioned Lleu a wife,
Blodeuwedd, out of flowers and they later aided him after her betrayal. Gwydion also appears in older Welsh poetry such as the
Book of Taliesin.
Gwyn m Welsh, Welsh MythologyMeans
"white, blessed" in Welsh. In Welsh legend Gwyn was a king of the Otherworld and the leader of the Wild Hunt. He appears in the Welsh tale
Culhwch and Olwen, where he is one of the many who help
Culhwch hunt the monstrous boar Trwyth. The story also tells of his rivalry with
Gwythyr for the beautiful
Creiddylad.
Gwynedd f & m WelshFrom the name of the kingdom of Gwynedd, which was located in northern Wales from the 5th century. It is now the name of a Welsh county. The name may be related to Old Irish
Féni meaning "Irish people", itself possibly related to the Celtic root *
wēnā meaning "band of warriors".
Gwyneira f WelshMeans
"white snow" from the Welsh element
gwyn meaning "white, blessed" combined with
eira meaning "snow". This is a recently created Welsh name.
Gwyneth f Welsh, EnglishProbably a variant of
Gwynedd. It has been common in Wales since the 19th century, perhaps after the Welsh novelist Gwyneth Vaughan (1852-1910), whose real name was Ann Harriet Hughes. A modern famous bearer is the American actress Gwyneth Paltrow (1972-).
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.
Gyatso m TibetanFrom Tibetan
རྒྱ་མཚོ (rgya-mtsho) meaning
"ocean". This is one of the given names of the current Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso (1935-).
Gyeong m & f KoreanFrom 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-Hui f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
敬 (gyeong) meaning "respect, honour" and
姬 (hui) meaning "beauty". Other hanja character combinations are possible.
Gyeong-Ja f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
慶 (gyeong) meaning "congratulate, celebrate" or
敬 (gyeong) meaning "respect, honour" combined with
子 (ja) meaning "child". This name can be formed of other hanja character combinations as well. Korean feminine names ending with the character
子 (a fashionable name suffix in Japan, read as
-ko in Japanese) became less popular after Japanese rule of Korea ended in 1945.
Gyeong-Suk f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
京 (gyeong) meaning "capital city" and
淑 (suk) meaning "good, pure, virtuous, charming". Other hanja character combinations are possible.
Gyöngyvér f HungarianMeans
"sister of pearl", from Hungarian
gyöngy "pearl" and
testvér "sibling". This name was created by the Hungarian poet János Arany for a character in his poem
The Death of King Buda (1864).
Gypsy f English (Rare)Simply from the English word
Gypsy for the nomadic people who originated in northern India. The word was originally a corruption of
Egyptian. As an ethnic term it is sometimes considered offensive.
Gytha f English (Archaic)From
Gyða, an Old Norse diminutive of
Guðríðr. It was borne by a Danish noblewoman who married the English lord Godwin of Wessex in the 11th century. The name was used in England for a short time after that, and was revived in the 19th century.
Gyula m HungarianFrom a Hungarian royal title, which was probably of Turkic origin. This name is also used as a Hungarian form of
Julius.