Names Starting with L

gender
usage
Leelo f Estonian
Means "folk song" in Estonian.
Leena f Finnish, Estonian
Finnish and Estonian short form of Helena or Matleena.
Leesa f English
Variant of Lisa.
Leevi m Finnish
Finnish form of Levi.
Lefteris m Greek
Short form of Eleftherios.
Lef-Traru m Mapuche
Mapuche form of Lautaro.
Lefty m English
From a nickname, in most cases given to a left-handed person.
Legacy f & m English (Modern)
From the English word, meaning "something inherited from a predecessor, heritage". It is derived from Old French legacie, itself from Latin legatum "bequest, legacy".
Legend m English (Modern)
From the English word, referring to a story about the past (or by extension, a heroic character in such a story), ultimately from Latin legere "to read".
Legolas m Literature
Means "green leaves" in the fictional language Sindarin, from laeg "green" combined with go-lass "collection of leaves". In The Lord of the Rings (1954) by J. R. R. Tolkien, Legolas is the son of the elf lord Thranduil and a member of the Fellowship of the Ring.
Lehi m Mormon
From an Old Testament place name meaning "jawbone" in Hebrew, so called because it was the site where the hero Samson defeated 1,000 warriors using only the jawbone of a donkey as a weapon. It is also used in the Book of Mormon as the name of a prophet who travels out of Jerusalem and settles in the Americas.
Lehua f & m Hawaiian
Means "ohia flower" in Hawaiian.
Lei 1 m & f Hawaiian
Means "flowers, lei, child" in Hawaiian.
Lei 2 m & f Chinese
From Chinese (lěi) meaning "pile of stones" (which is typically masculine) or (lěi) meaning "bud" (typically feminine). Other characters can also form this name.
Leia f Biblical Greek, Portuguese, Popular Culture
Form of Leah used in the Greek Old Testament, as well as a Portuguese form. This is the name of a princess in the Star Wars movies by George Lucas, who probably based it on Leah.
Leib m Yiddish
Means "lion" in Yiddish, from Old High German lewo. This is a vernacular form of Arieh.
Leida f Estonian
Meaning unknown. It was popularized by a character in Estonian writer Andres Saal's historical stories Vambola (1889) and Aita (1891). Saal associated it with Estonian leidma "to find".
Leif m Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
From the Old Norse name Leifr meaning "descendant, heir". Leif Eriksson was a Norse explorer who reached North America in the early 11th century. He was the son of Erik the Red.
Leifr m Old Norse
Old Norse form of Leif.
Leifur m Icelandic
Icelandic form of Leif.
Leigh f & m English
From a surname that was a variant of Lee.
Leighton f & m English
Variant of Layton. It jumped in popularity as a feminine name after 2007, when actress Leighton Meester (1986-) began appearing on the television series Gossip Girl.
Leigong m Chinese Mythology
Means "lord of thunder", from Chinese (léi) meaning "thunder" and (gōng) meaning "lord, prince". This is the name of a Chinese thunder god.
Leila f Persian, Arabic, Kurdish, English, French, Georgian
Variant of Layla, and the usual Persian transcription.... [more]
Leilani f & m Hawaiian
Means "heavenly flowers" or "royal child" from Hawaiian lei "flowers, lei, child" and lani "heaven, sky, royal, majesty".
Leili 1 f Estonian
Probably from Laila 2, but also associated with Estonian leil meaning "vapour, steam". It became popular due to Andres Saal's novel Leili (1892).
Leili 2 f Persian
Persian variant of Leila.
Leimomi f Hawaiian
Means "pearl lei" or "pearl child" from Hawaiian lei "flowers, lei, child" and momi "pearl".
Leir m Literature
The 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).
Leire f Basque, Spanish
Basque form and Spanish variant of Leyre.
Leith m & f English (Rare)
From a surname, originally from the name of a Scottish town (now a district of Edinburgh), which is derived from Gaelic lìte "wet, damp". It is also the name of the river that flows though Edinburgh.
Leiv m Norwegian
Norwegian variant of Leif.
Lėja f Lithuanian
Lithuanian form of Leah.
Lejla f Bosnian
Bosnian form of Layla.
Lekan m Yoruba
Short form of Olamilekan.
Lela 1 f Georgian
Meaning uncertain, possibly from the name of a type of plant.
Lela 2 f English
Variant of Leila.
Leland m English
From a surname, originally from an English place name, which meant "fallow land" in Old English. A famous bearer was the politician, businessman and Stanford University founder Leland Stanford (1824-1893).
Lelia f Italian
Italian form of Laelia.
Lelio m Italian
Italian form of Laelius (see Laelia).
Lelisa m Oromo
From Oromo leellisaa meaning "admirer".
Lelise f Oromo
Feminine form of Lelisa.
Lelle m Swedish
Diminutive of Lennart.
Lemekh m Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew form of Lamech.
Lemminkäinen m Finnish Mythology
Meaning unknown, possibly related to Finnish lempi "love". In the Finnish epic the Kalevala this is the name of an arrogant hero. After he was killed his mother fetched his body from the River of Death and restored him to life. He is sometimes identified with the god Ahti.
Lemoine m English (Rare)
From a French surname meaning "the monk" in French.
Lempi f Finnish
Means "love" in Finnish.
Lemuel m Biblical, Mormon, Biblical Hebrew
Means "for God" in Hebrew, from the proposition לְמוֹ (lemo) combined with אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". This was the name of a king briefly mentioned in Proverbs in the Old Testament. In the Book of Mormon it is the name of a rebellious son of Lehi and Sariah. It is also borne by the hero of Jonathan Swift's novel Gulliver's Travels (1726).
Len m English
Short form of Leonard.
Léna f French, Hungarian
French and Hungarian form of Lena.
Lena f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Dutch, Polish, Finnish, Russian, Ukrainian, English, Italian, Portuguese, Greek, Georgian, Armenian
Short form of names ending in lena, such as Helena, Magdalena or Yelena. It is often used independently.
Lénárd m Hungarian
Hungarian form of Leonard.
Lenard m English
Variant of Leonard.
Lenart m Slovene
Slovene form of Leonard.
Lencho m Oromo
Means "lion" in Oromo.
Lene f Danish, Norwegian, German
Danish, Norwegian and German short form of Helene or Magdalene.
Leni f German
German diminutive of Helene or Magdalena.
Lenka f Czech, Slovak
Originally a diminutive of Magdaléna or Helena. It is now used as an independent name.
Lenn m Dutch
Short form of Lennart.
Lenna f Estonian
Estonian feminine form of Lennart.
Lennard m Dutch
Dutch variant of Leonard.
Lennart m Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Finnish, Estonian, Low German, Dutch
Swedish and Low German form of Leonard.
Lenni m Finnish
Finnish diminutive of Lennart.
Lennie m & f English
Diminutive of Leonard, sometimes a feminine form.
Lennon m & f English (Modern)
From an Irish surname, derived from the Irish byname Leannán meaning "lover". The surname was borne by musician and Beatle member John Lennon (1940-1980), and it may be used as a given name in his honour. In America it is now more common as a feminine name, possibly inspired in part by the singer Lennon Stella (1999-), who began appearing on the television series Nashville in 2012.
Lennox m & f English (Modern)
From a Scottish surname that was derived from the name of a district in Scotland. The district, called Leamhnachd in Gaelic, possibly means "place of elms". This name steadily rose in popularity in the 2000s, at the same time as the similar-sounding (but unrelated) names Lennon and Knox.
Lenny m English
Diminutive of Leonard.
Lenora f English
Short form of Elenora.
Lenore f English
Short form of Eleanor. This is the name of the departed love of the narrator in Edgar Allan Poe's poem The Raven (1845).
Lenox m English (Rare)
From a surname that was a variant of Lennox.
Lenuța f Romanian
Romanian diminutive of Elena.
Lenz m German
Short form of Lorenz. This is also a German poetic word referring to the springtime.
Léo 1 m French
French form of Leo.
Léo 2 m Portuguese
Short form of Leonardo.
Leo m German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, English, Croatian, Armenian, Late Roman
Derived from Latin leo meaning "lion", a cognate of Leon. It was popular among early Christians and was the name of 13 popes, including Saint Leo the Great who asserted the dominance of the Roman bishops (the popes) over all others in the 5th century. It was also borne by six Byzantine emperors and five Armenian kings. Another famous bearer was the Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910), name spelled Лев in Russian, whose works include War and Peace and Anna Karenina. Leo is also a constellation and the fifth sign of the zodiac.
Leobwin m Germanic
Old German name derived from the elements liob "dear, beloved" and wini "friend", making it a cognate of Leofwine.
Leocádia f Portuguese (Rare)
Portuguese form of Leocadia.
Leocadia f Spanish, Late Roman
Late Latin name that might be derived from the name of the Greek island of Leucadia or from Greek λευκός (leukos) meaning "bright, clear, white" (which is also the root of the island's name). Saint Leocadia was a 3rd-century martyr from Spain.
Leocadio m Spanish
Masculine form of Leocadia.
Leocadius m Late Roman
Masculine form of Leocadia.
Leofcild m Anglo-Saxon
Means "dear child", derived from the Old English elements leof "dear, beloved" and cild "child".
Leofdæg m & f Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English element leof "dear, beloved" combined with dæg "day".
Leofflæd f Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English elements leof "dear, beloved" and flæd, possibly meaning "beauty".
Leofgifu f Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English elements leof "dear, beloved" and giefu "gift".
Leofgyð f Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English elements leof "dear, beloved" and guð "battle".
Leofric m Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English element leof "dear, beloved" combined with ric "ruler, king".
Leofsige m Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English elements leof "dear, beloved" and sige "victory".
Leofstan m Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English element leof "dear, beloved" combined with stan "stone".
Leofwine m Anglo-Saxon
Means "dear friend", derived from the Old English elements leof "dear, beloved" and wine "friend". This was the name of an 8th-century English saint, also known as Lebuin, who did missionary work in Frisia.
Leokadia f Polish
Polish form of Leocadia.
Leola f English
Feminine form of Leo.
Leolin m Welsh
Anglicized form of Llywelyn influenced by Latin leo "lion".
Leoluca m Italian
Combination of Leone 1 and Luca 1. This was the name of a 9th-century Sicilian saint.
Léon m French
French form of Leon (used to refer to the popes named Leo).
León m Spanish
Spanish form of Leo and Leon. This is also the name of a city and province in Spain (see León), though the etymology is unrelated.
Leon m English, German, Dutch, Polish, Slovene, Croatian, Greek, Ancient Greek
Derived from Greek λέων (leon) meaning "lion". During the Christian era this Greek name was merged with the Latin cognate Leo, with the result that the two forms are used somewhat interchangeably across European languages. In England during the Middle Ages this was a common name among Jews. A famous bearer was the communist revolutionary Leon Trotsky (1879-1940), whose name is Лев in Russian.
Leona f English, Czech
Feminine form of Leon.
Léonard m French
French form of Leonard.
Leonard m English, Dutch, German, Polish, Romanian, Germanic
Means "brave lion", derived from the Old German elements lewo "lion" (of Latin origin) and hart "hard, firm, brave, hardy". This was the name of a 6th-century Frankish saint from Noblac who is the patron of prisoners and horses. The Normans brought this name to England, where it was used steadily through the Middle Ages, becoming even more common in the 20th century.
Leonarda f Italian
Feminine form of Leonardo.
Leonardas m Lithuanian
Lithuanian form of Leonard.
Leonardo m Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
Italian, Spanish and Portuguese form of Leonard. A notable bearer was Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), an Italian artist and scientist of the Renaissance. He is known as the inventor of several contraptions, including flying machines, as well as the painter of the Mona Lisa. Another famous bearer was Leonardo Fibonacci, a 13th-century Italian mathematician. A more recent bearer is American actor Leonardo DiCaprio (1974-).
Leonas m Lithuanian
Lithuanian form of Leon.
Léonce m & f French
French form of Leontios, also used as a feminine name.
Leoncio m Spanish
Spanish form of Leontios.
Léone f French
French feminine form of Leon.
Leone 1 m Italian
Italian form of Leo and Leon.
Leone 2 f English
Variant of Leona.
Léonel m French
Variant of Lionel.
Leonel m Spanish, Portuguese
Spanish and Portuguese form of Lionel.
Leonhard m German
German form of Leonard. A famous bearer was the Swiss mathematician Leonhard Euler (1707-1783), who made many important contributions to calculus, number theory, geometry and theoretical physics.
Leonia f Late Roman
Feminine form of Leonius.
Leonid m Russian, Ukrainian
Russian and Ukrainian form of Leonidas.
Leonida m Italian
Italian form of Leonidas.
Leonidas m Greek, Ancient Greek
Derived from Greek λέων (leon) meaning "lion" combined with the patronymic suffix ἴδης (ides). Leonidas was a Spartan king of the 5th century BC who sacrificed his life and his army defending the pass of Thermopylae from the Persians. This was also the name of a 3rd-century saint and martyr, the father of Origen, from Alexandria.
Léonide m & f French (Rare)
French masculine and feminine form of Leonidas.
Leonīds m Latvian
Latvian form of Leonidas.
Léonie f French
French feminine form of Leonius.
Leonie f German, Dutch
German and Dutch feminine form of Leonius.
Leonius m Late Roman
Late Latin name that was derived from Leo.
Léonne f French (Rare)
Feminine form of Léon.
Leonor f Spanish, Portuguese
Spanish and Portuguese form of Eleanor. It was brought to Spain in the 12th-century by Eleanor of England, who married King Alfonso VIII of Castile.
Leonora f Italian
Italian short form of Eleanor.
Leonore f German
German short form of Eleanor.
Leons m Latvian
Latvian form of Leon.
Leontes m Literature
Variant of Leontios. This is the name of the king of Sicily in Shakespeare's play The Winter's Tale (1610). He is the husband of Hermione, whom he imprisons, and the father of Perdita, whom he abandons.
Leonti m Russian
Alternate transcription of Russian Леонтий (see Leontiy).
Leontia f Ancient Greek
Feminine form of Leontios. This name was used among Byzantine royalty.
Léontine f French
French form of Leontina.
Leontios m Ancient Greek
Derived from Greek λέοντος (leontos), the genitive case of λέων (leon) meaning "lion". This was the name of various early saints and martyrs. It was also borne by a 7th-century Byzantine emperor.
Leontiy m Russian
Russian form of Leontios.
Leonty m Russian
Alternate transcription of Russian Леонтий (see Leontiy).
Leontýna f Czech
Czech form of Leontina.
Leontyne f English (Rare)
Variant of Léontine. This name is borne by opera singer Leontyne Price (1927-).
Leonzio m Italian (Rare)
Italian form of Leontios.
Léopold m French
French form of Leopold.
Leopold m German, Dutch, English, Czech, Slovak, Slovene, Polish
Derived from the Old German elements liut "people" and bald "bold, brave". The spelling was altered due to association with Latin leo "lion". This name was common among German royalty, first with the Babenbergs and then the Habsburgs. Saint Leopold was a 12th-century Babenberg margrave of Austria, who is now considered the patron of that country. It was also borne by two Habsburg Holy Roman emperors, as well as three kings of Belgium. Since the 19th century this name has been occasionally used in England, originally in honour of Queen Victoria's uncle, a king of Belgium, after whom she named one of her sons. It was later used by James Joyce for the main character, Leopold Bloom, in his novel Ulysses (1922).
Léopoldine f French
French feminine form of Leopold.
Leopoldo m Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
Italian, Spanish and Portuguese form of Leopold.
Leoš m Czech
Czech form of Leo.
Lepidus m Ancient Roman
Roman cognomen meaning "pleasant, agreeable, charming" in Latin. A notable bearer was the 1st-century BC Roman general and statesman Marcus Aemilius Lepidus.
Ler m Irish Mythology
Means "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.
Lera f Russian, Ukrainian
Short form of Valeriya.
Lerato f & m Sotho
Means "love" in Sotho.
Leroy m English
From the French nickname le roi meaning "the king". It has been common as an English given name since the 19th century. Since 1920 in the United States it has been mainly used by African Americans.
Les m English
Short form of Leslie or Lester.
Lesedi f & m Tswana
Means "light" in Tswana.
Lesego m & f Tswana
Means "luck, blessing" in Tswana, from sego "blessed".
Lesia f English
Short form of Alesia.
Lesław m Polish
Short form of Lechosław.
Lesley f & m English
Variant of Leslie.
Leslie f & m English
From a Scottish surname that was derived from a place in Aberdeenshire, probably from Gaelic leas celyn meaning "garden of holly". It has been used as a given name since the 19th century. In America it was more common as a feminine name after the 1940s.
Lessie f English
Diminutive of names containing the sound les, such as Leslie.
Lestari f Indonesian
Means "eternal, abiding" in Indonesian.
Lestat m Literature
Name used by author Anne Rice for a character in her Vampire Chronicles series of novels, first released in 1976, where it belongs to the French vampire Lestat de Lioncourt. Rice possibly intended the name to appear derived from Old French or Occitan l'estat "state, status", though apparently her husband's name Stan was inspiration.
Lester m English
From 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".
Lesya f Ukrainian
Diminutive of Oleksandra.
Leszek m Polish
Originally a diminutive of Lech. The name was borne by several medieval dukes of Poland.
Leta f English
Possibly derived from Latin laetus meaning "glad". Otherwise, it could be a short form of names ending in leta.
Letha f English
Possibly a short form of Aletha.
Lethabo m & f Sotho, Tswana
Means "joy, happiness" in Sotho and Tswana.
Lethokuhle f & m Xhosa, Zulu
Means "bring goodness" in Zulu and Xhosa, from the roots letha "to bring" and hle "beautiful, good".
Letícia f Portuguese, Hungarian
Portuguese and Hungarian form of Letitia.
Leticia f Spanish
Spanish form of Letitia.
Letîf m Kurdish
Kurdish form of Latif.
Letitia f English
From the Late Latin name Laetitia meaning "joy, happiness". This was the name of an obscure saint, who is revered mainly in Spain. It was in use in England during the Middle Ages, usually in the spelling Lettice, and it was revived in the 18th century.
Letizia f Italian
Italian form of Letitia. It was borne by Napoleon Bonaparte's mother.
Leto f Greek Mythology
Possibly from Lycian lada meaning "wife". Other theories connect it to Greek λήθω (letho) meaning "hidden, forgotten". In Greek mythology she was the mother of Apollo and Artemis by Zeus.
Lettice f English (Archaic)
Medieval form of Letitia.
Lettie f English
Diminutive of Lettice.
Letty f English
Diminutive of Lettice.
Letycja f Polish
Polish form of Laetitia.
Leudbald m Germanic
Old German form of Leopold.
Leui m Biblical Greek
Form of Levi used in the Greek Bible.
Leukippos m Ancient Greek, Greek Mythology
Means "white horse", derived from Greek λευκός (leukos) meaning "white, bright" and ἵππος (hippos) meaning "horse". This name was borne by a 5th-century BC Greek philosopher, as well as by several characters in Greek mythology.
Leutbert m Germanic
Old German form of Lubbert.
Leutgar m Germanic
Old German form of Ludger.
Leutgard f Germanic
Old German form of Luitgard.
Leuthar m Germanic
Old German name composed of the elements liut "people" and heri "army".
Leutwin m Germanic
Old German name derived from the elements liut "people" and wini "friend". Saint Leutwin (or Leudwinus) was an 8th-century bishop of Trier.
Lev 1 m Russian
Means "lion" in Russian, functioning as a vernacular form of Leo. This was the real Russian name of both author Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910) and revolutionary Leon Trotsky (1879-1940).
Lev 2 m Hebrew
Means "heart" in Hebrew.
Levan m Georgian
Georgian form of Leon.
Levana 1 f & m Hebrew, Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew form of Lebanah. In modern Hebrew it is typically a feminine name.
Levana 2 f Roman Mythology
From Latin levare meaning "to raise, to lift". This was the name of a Roman goddess associated with newborn babies and the rituals of childbirth.
Levar m African American
Popularized 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.
Levent m Turkish
From the Ottoman Turkish term levend, referring to a member of the navy, which is possibly ultimately derived from Italian levante "person from the eastern Mediterranean". The Turkish word has now come to mean "tall, handsome, roguish".
Levente m Hungarian
Old Hungarian name, possibly of Slavic origin, or possibly from Hungarian lesz "will be". This name was used by the Árpád royal family since at least the 10th century.
Levi m Hebrew, English, Dutch, German, Biblical, Biblical Latin
Possibly means "joined, attached" in Hebrew. As told in the Old Testament, Levi was the third son of Jacob and Leah, and the ancestor of one of the twelve tribes of the Israelites, known as the Levites. This was the tribe that formed the priestly class of the Israelites. The brothers Moses and Aaron were members. This name also occurs in the New Testament, where it is borne by a son of Alphaeus. He might be the same person as the apostle Matthew.... [more]
Leviathan m Biblical
From Hebrew לִוְיָתָן (Liwyaṯan), derived from לִוְיָה (liwya) meaning "garland, wreath". This is the name of an enormous sea monster mentioned in the Old Testament.
Levin m German
German form of Leobwin.
Levon m Armenian
Armenian form of Leon. This was the name of several kings of Cilician Armenia, including the first king Levon I the Magnificent.
Lew 1 m English
Short form of Lewis.
Lew 2 m Polish (Rare)
Polish cognate of Lev 1.
Lewi m Biblical Hebrew
Biblical Hebrew form of Levi.
Lewin m English (Rare)
From an English surname that was derived from the given name Leofwine.
Lewis m English
Medieval English form of Louis. A famous bearer was Lewis Carroll (1832-1898), the author of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. This was also the surname of C. S. Lewis (1898-1963), the author of the Chronicles of Narnia series.
Lex m English, Dutch
Short form of Alexander.
Lexa f English
Short form of Alexandra or Alexa.
Lexi f English
Diminutive of Alexandra or Alexis.
Lexia f English
Short form of Alexia.
Lexie f English
Diminutive of Alexandra or Alexis.
Lexine f English
Diminutive of Alexandra.
Lexus f English
Short form of Alexus. Its use has been influenced by the Lexus brand name (a line of luxury automobiles made by Toyota).
Lexy f English
Diminutive of Alexandra or Alexis.
Leyla f Turkish, Azerbaijani, Kurdish, Persian, Arabic, English (Modern)
Variant of Leila, and the usual Turkish, Azerbaijani and Kurdish form.
Leyre f Spanish
From the name of a mountain in Navarre in northern Spain, the site of the old monastery of San Salvador of Leyre. It is from Basque Leire, possibly derived from Latin legionarius meaning "pertaining to a legion".
Leyton m English (Modern)
From a surname that was a variant of Layton.
Lhamo f & m Tibetan, Bhutanese
Means "goddess" in Tibetan.
Li 1 f & m Chinese
From Chinese () meaning "reason, logic", () meaning "stand, establish", () meaning "black, dawn", () meaning "power, capability, influence" (which is usually only masculine) or () meaning "beautiful" (usually only feminine). Other Chinese characters are also possible.
Li 2 f & m Hebrew
Means "to me" in Hebrew.
Lía f Galician
Galician form of Leah.
Lia 1 f Italian, Portuguese, Catalan, Georgian, Greek, Biblical Latin
Italian, Portuguese, Georgian and Greek form of Leah.
Lia 2 f Italian, Dutch, German
Short form of Rosalia, Julia and other names ending in lia.
Líadain f Irish
Variant of Líadan.
Líadan f Irish (Rare)
Possibly from Old Irish líath meaning "grey". According to an Irish tale this was the name of a poet who became a nun, but then missed her lover Cuirithir so much that she died of grief. The name was also borne by a 5th-century saint, the mother of Saint Ciarán the Elder.
Liam m Irish, English, French (Modern), Dutch (Modern), German (Modern), Swedish (Modern), Norwegian (Modern)
Irish short form of William. It became popular in the United Kingdom in the 1980s, and elsewhere in Europe and the Americas after that. It was the top ranked name for boys in the United States beginning in 2017. Famous bearers include British actor Liam Neeson (1952-), British musician Liam Gallagher (1972-), and Australian actor Liam Hemsworth (1990-).
Lian 1 m German
Short form of Julian or Kilian.
Lian 2 m & f Chinese
From Chinese (lián) meaning "lotus, water lily", (lián) meaning "waterfall", or other Chinese characters that are pronounced similarly.
Lian 3 f Hebrew
Probably a Hebrew form of Leanne.
Liāna f Latvian
Short form of Juliāna.
Liana f Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, English, Georgian
Short form of Juliana, Liliana and other names that end in liana. This is also the word for a type of vine that grows in jungles.
Liane f German
Short form of Juliane.
Lias m Swedish
Swedish short form of Elias.
Liat f Hebrew
Means "you are mine" in Hebrew.
Liba f Yiddish
From Yiddish ליבע (libe) meaning "love".
Libbie f English
Variant of Libby.
Libby f English
Originally a medieval diminutive of Ibb, itself a diminutive of Isabel. It is also used as a diminutive of Elizabeth.
Libe f Basque
Basque form of Libya, suggested by the Basque writer Sabino Arana in 1910.
Liběna f Czech
Derived from Czech libý meaning "pleasant, nice", from the Slavic element ľuby meaning "love".
Liber m Roman Mythology
Derived from Latin liber meaning "free". This was the name of a Roman fertility god, often identified with Dionysus.
Liberata f Late Roman
Feminine form of Liberatus. This was the name of a few early saints, including the patron of Pizzone, Italy.
Liberato m Italian, Spanish (Latin American), Portuguese (Rare)
Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese form of Liberatus.
Liberatore m Italian (Rare)
Means "liberator" in Italian.
Liberatus m Late Roman
Late Latin name meaning "freed, released". This name was borne by a 3rd-century saint and martyr.
Liberia f Late Roman
Feminine form of Liberius.
Liberius m Late Roman
Late Latin name that was derived from Latin liber "free". This name was borne by a 2nd-century saint and a 4th-century pope.
Libertad f Spanish
Means "freedom, liberty" in Spanish, a cognate of Liberty.
Liberty f & m English
Simply from the English word liberty, derived from Latin libertas, a derivative of liber "free". Interestingly, since 1880 this name has charted on the American popularity lists in three different periods: in 1918 (at the end of World War I), in 1976 (the American bicentennial), and after 2001 (during the War on Terrorism).
Libi f Hebrew
Means "my heart" in Hebrew.
Libia f Spanish
Spanish form of Libya.
Libitina f Roman Mythology
Meaning uncertain, possibly from Etruscan lupu "dead". Libitina was the Roman goddess of funerals, corpses and death.
Libor m Czech
Czech form of Liberius.
Liboria f Italian
Italian (particularly Sicilian) feminine form of Liborius.
Liborio m Italian
Italian (particularly Sicilian) form of Liborius.
Liborius m Late Roman
Possibly a variant of Liberius, or possibly a Latinized form of a Gaulish name. Saint Liborius was a 4th-century bishop of Le Mans.
Libuše f Czech
Derived from Czech libý meaning "pleasant, nice", from the Slavic element ľuby meaning "love". According to Czech legend Libuše was the founder of Prague.
Libya f Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Λιβύη (Libye), the Greek name of the ancient region of Libya (North Africa). According to Greek legend Libya was the daughter of Epaphus, the king of Egypt.
Libye f Greek Mythology
Original Greek form of Libya.
Licarayen f Mapuche
Means "stone flower" in Mapuche, from likan "a type of black stone" and rayen "flower". According to a Mapuche legend this was the name of a maiden who sacrificed herself in order to stop the wrath of the evil spirit of a volcano.
Lída f Czech
Czech diminutive of Ludmila.
Liddy f English
Diminutive of Elizabeth or Lydia.
Lídia f Portuguese, Catalan, Hungarian
Portuguese, Catalan and Hungarian form of Lydia.
Lidia f Polish, Italian, Spanish, Romanian, Georgian, Old Church Slavic
Polish, Italian, Spanish and Georgian form of Lydia.
Lidija f Latvian, Lithuanian, Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, Macedonian
Form of Lydia in several languages.
Lidiya f Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian
Russian, Ukrainian and Bulgarian form of Lydia.
Lidka f Polish
Polish diminutive of Lidia.
Lidmila f Czech
Variant of Ludmila.
Lidochka f Russian
Russian diminutive of Lidiya.
Lidziya f Belarusian
Belarusian form of Lydia.
Lieber m Yiddish
From Yiddish ליבע (libe) meaning "love".
Lieke f Dutch
Dutch diminutive of Angelique or names ending in lia.
Liel f & m Hebrew
Means "my God" in Hebrew, from לִי (li) "for me" and אֵל (ʾel) "God".
Liêm m Vietnamese
From Sino-Vietnamese (liêm) meaning "clean, honest, upright".
Liên f Vietnamese
From Sino-Vietnamese (liên) meaning "lotus, water lily".
Lien f Dutch
Short form of Carolien and other names ending in lien.
Liene f Latvian
Diminutive of Helēna.
Liepa f Lithuanian
Means "linden tree" or "July" in Lithuanian.
Lies f German, Dutch
German and Dutch diminutive of Elisabeth.
Liesa f German
German diminutive of Elisabeth.
Liesbeth f Dutch
Dutch variant of Elisabeth.
Liese f German, Dutch
German and Dutch diminutive of Elisabeth.
Liesel f German
German diminutive of Elisabeth.
Liesje f Dutch
Dutch diminutive of Elisabeth.
Liesl f German
German short form of Elisabeth.
Lieve f Flemish
Short form of Godelieve.
Lieven m Flemish
Flemish form of Leobwin.
Lievin m Flemish
Flemish form of Leobwin.
Līga f Latvian
From the Latvian holiday Līgo, celebrated at the summer solstice.
Ligaya f Tagalog
Means "happiness" in Tagalog.
Ligeia f Greek Mythology
Derived from Greek λιγύς (ligys) meaning "clear-voiced, shrill, whistling". This was the name of one of the Sirens in Greek legend. It was also used by Edgar Allan Poe in his story Ligeia (1838).
Lígia f Portuguese
Portuguese form of Ligeia.
Ligia f Romanian, Spanish
Romanian and Spanish form of Ligeia.
Ligita f Latvian, Lithuanian
Possibly a derivative of Līga.
Lihi f Hebrew
Means "she is mine" in Hebrew.
Lihuén m & f Mapuche (Hispanicized)
Variant of Liwen using Spanish spelling conventions.
Liidia f Estonian
Estonian form of Lydia.
Liina f Estonian, Finnish
Short form of Karoliina.
Liis f Estonian
Estonian short form of Eliisabet.