Libe f BasqueBasque form of
Libya, suggested by the Basque writer Sabino Arana in 1910.
Liběna f CzechDerived from Czech
libý meaning
"pleasant, nice", from the Slavic element
ľuby meaning "love".
Liberatus m Late RomanLate Latin name meaning
"freed, released". This name was borne by a 3rd-century saint and martyr.
Liberius m Late RomanLate Latin name that was derived from Latin
liber "free". This name was borne by a 2nd-century saint and a 4th-century pope.
Liberty f & m EnglishSimply 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).
Libitina f Roman MythologyMeaning uncertain, possibly from Etruscan
lupu "dead". Libitina was the Roman goddess of funerals, corpses and death.
Liborius m Late RomanPossibly 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 CzechDerived from Czech
libý meaning
"pleasant, nice", from the Slavic element
ľuby meaning "love". According to Czech legend Libuše was the founder of Prague.
Ligeia f Greek MythologyDerived 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).
Lilavati f SanskritMeans
"amusing, charming, graceful" in Sanskrit. The 12th-century mathematician Bhaskara gave this name to one of his books on mathematics, possibly after his daughter. This was also the name of a 13th-century queen of Sri Lanka.
Lili f German, French, HungarianGerman, French and Hungarian diminutive of
Elisabeth and other names containing
li. It is also sometimes connected to the German word
lilie meaning
"lily".
Lilit f ArmenianArmenian form of
Lilith. This is the name of a 1921 poem by the Armenian poet Avetik Isahakyan, based on the myth of Lilith.
Lilith f Semitic Mythology, Judeo-Christian-Islamic LegendDerived from Akkadian
lilitu meaning
"of the night". This was the name of a demon in ancient Assyrian myths. In Jewish tradition she was
Adam's first wife, sent out of Eden and replaced by
Eve because she would not submit to him. The offspring of Adam (or
Samael) and Lilith were the evil spirits of the world.
Lill f Norwegian, SwedishDiminutive of
Elisabet and other names containing
li. It is also associated with Norwegian and Swedish
lille, an inflected form of
liten meaning "little".
Lillemor f Swedish, Norwegian (Rare)Means
"little mother", from Swedish and Norwegian
lille, an inflected form of
liten meaning "little", combined with
mor meaning "mother". This name was first recorded in Norway and Sweden at the beginning of the 20th century.
Lillian f EnglishProbably originally a diminutive of
Elizabeth. It may also be considered an elaborated form of
Lily, from the Latin word for "lily"
lilium. This name has been used in England since the 16th century.
Lilou f FrenchEither a diminutive of French names containing the sound
lee or a combination of
Lili and
Louise.
Lily f EnglishFrom the name of the flower, a symbol of purity. The word is ultimately derived from Latin
lilium. This is the name of the main character, Lily Bart, in the novel
The House of Mirth (1905) by Edith Wharton. A famous bearer is the American actress Lily Tomlin (1939-).
Lina 2 f English, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, German, French, Lithuanian, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, SloveneShort form of names ending in
lina.
Linas m LithuanianLithuanian form of
Linus. This is also the Lithuanian word for
"flax" (a cognate of the name's root).
Linda f English, German, Dutch, Italian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, French, Latvian, Finnish, Estonian, Hungarian, Czech, Slovak, GermanicOriginally a medieval short form of Germanic names containing the element
lind meaning
"soft, flexible, tender" (Proto-Germanic *
linþaz). It also coincides with the Spanish and Portuguese word
linda meaning
"beautiful". In the English-speaking world this name experienced a spike in popularity beginning in the 1930s, peaking in the late 1940s, and declining shortly after that. It was the most popular name for girls in the United States from 1947 to 1952.
Linden m & f EnglishFrom a German and Dutch surname that was derived from Old High German
linta meaning
"linden tree".
Lindy m & f EnglishOriginally this was a masculine name, coming into use in America in 1927 when the dance called the Lindy Hop became popular. The dance was probably named for aviator Charles Lindbergh. Later this name was used as a diminutive of
Linda.
Linton m EnglishFrom a surname that was originally from place names meaning either "flax town" or "linden tree town" in Old English.
Linwood m EnglishFrom an English surname that was originally from a place name meaning
"stream forest" in Old English.
Lionel m French, English, Arthurian CycleFrench diminutive of
Léon. It appears in Arthurian legend in the 13th-century
Lancelot-Grail Cycle, belonging to a knight who was the brother of Sir
Bors. A notable modern bearer is the Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi (1987-).
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.
Lisbeth f German, Danish, Swedish, NorwegianGerman and Scandinavian short form of
Elisabeth. A notable fictional bearer is Lisbeth Salander from Swedish author Stieg Larsson's novel
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2005) as well as its sequels and movie adaptations.
Liv 1 f Norwegian, Swedish, DanishDerived from the Old Norse name
Hlíf meaning
"protection". Its use has been influenced by the modern Scandinavian word
liv meaning
"life".
Livius m Ancient RomanRoman family name that may be related to either Latin
liveo "to envy" or
lividus "blue, envious". Titus Livius, also known as Livy, was a Roman historian who wrote a history of the city of Rome.
Liz f EnglishShort form of
Elizabeth. This is the familiar name of actress Elizabeth Taylor (1932-2011).
Ljubinka f SerbianFrom the Slavic element
ľuby meaning
"love" combined with a diminutive suffix.
Ljubiša m SerbianFrom the Slavic element
ľuby meaning
"love" combined with a diminutive suffix.
Ljudevit m CroatianMeans
"master of the people" from the Slavic elements
ľudŭ "people" and
vitŭ "master, lord". This name was borne by a 9th-century leader of the Slavs in Lower Pannonia who fought against Frankish rule.
Lleu m Welsh MythologyProbably a Welsh form of
Lugus. In the Fourth Branch of the
Mabinogi, Lleu Llaw Gyffes is the son of
Arianrhod. He was raised by his uncle
Gwydion, who helped him overcome the curses that his mother placed upon him. His wife
Blodeuwedd and her lover
Gronw conspired to overcome his near invincibility and murder him, but they were not successful. Eventually he became the king of Gwynedd.
Lleucu f WelshMeaning unknown, possibly derived from
Lleu. This name appears in the 14th-century poem
Marwnad Lleucu Llwyd, written by Llywelyn Goch ap Meurig Hen for his deceased lover Lleucu Llwyd.
Lludd m Welsh MythologyProbably a variant of
Nudd altered due to alliterative assimilation with his byname
Llaw Ereint meaning "silver hand". Lludd Llaw Ereint is named as the father of
Creiddylad in
Culhwch and Olwen. He also appears in the Welsh tale
Lludd and Llefelys as the king of Britain, the son of
Beli Mawr.
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.
Llywelyn m WelshProbably a Welsh form of an unattested old Celtic name *
Lugubelinos, a combination of the names of the gods
Lugus and
Belenus, or a compound of
Lugus and a Celtic root meaning "strong". Alternatively it may be derived from Welsh
llyw "leader". This was the name of several Welsh rulers, notably the 13th-century Llywelyn the Great who fought against the English.
Lochlainn m Irish, Old IrishMeans
"Viking, Scandinavian" from Old Irish
Lochlann, a name for Scandinavia. It means "land of the lakes", derived from
loch "lake".
Lóegaire m Irish Mythology, Old IrishMeans
"calf herder", derived from Old Irish
lóeg "calf". In Irish legend Lóegaire Búadach was an Ulster warrior. He saved the life of the poet
Áed, but died in the process. This was also the name of several Irish high kings.
Lohengrin m Arthurian CycleFrom the earlier form
Loherangrin, derived from
Lothringen, the German name for the region of
Lorraine. It appears in Arthurian legend, initially in the 13th-century German poem
Parzival by Wolfram von Eschenbach, belonging to a son of the knight
Parzival. The tales were adapted by Richard Wagner for his opera
Lohengrin (1850).
Lois 1 f English, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical GreekPossibly derived from Greek
λωίων (loion) meaning
"more desirable" or
"better". Lois is mentioned in the New Testament as the mother of
Eunice and the grandmother of
Timothy. As an English name, it came into use after the Protestant Reformation. In fiction, this is the name of the girlfriend of the comic book hero Superman.
Loki m Norse MythologyMeaning unknown, possibly derived from the Germanic root *
luką meaning
"lock". In Norse mythology Loki was a trickster god associated with magic and shape shifting. Loki's children include the wolf
Fenrir, the sea serpent
Jörmungandr, and the queen of the dead
Hel. After he orchestrated the death of
Balder, the other gods tied him to a rock below a snake that dripped venom onto his face. It is told that he will break free during Ragnarök, the final battle, and slay and be slain by
Heimdall.
Lola f Spanish, English, FrenchSpanish diminutive of
Dolores. A famous bearer was Lola Montez (1821-1861; birth name Eliza Gilbert), an Irish-born dancer, actress and courtesan.
Lolita f SpanishDiminutive of
Lola. This is the name of a 1955 novel by Vladimir Nabokov.
Lommán m Old IrishMeans
"little bare one", derived from Old Irish
lomm "bare" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of a 5th-century saint, a nephew of Saint
Patrick.
Lon m EnglishShort form of
Alonzo and other names containing the same sound. Famous bearers were American actors Lon Chaney Sr. (1883-1930) and Lon Chaney Jr. (1906-1973). The elder's birth name was Leonidas.
Lonán m Irish, Old IrishMeans
"little blackbird", derived from Old Irish
lon "blackbird" combined with a diminutive suffix. This name was borne by several early saints.
London f & m English (Modern)From the name of the capital city of the United Kingdom, the meaning of which is uncertain. As a surname it was borne by the American author Jack London (1876-1916).
Longinus m Ancient RomanRoman cognomen derived from Latin
longus "long". According to Christian legend Saint Longinus was the name of the Roman soldier who pierced
Jesus' side with a spear, then converted to Christianity and was martyred. The name was also borne by the 3rd-century Greek philosopher Cassius Longinus.
Lorcán m IrishMeans
"little fierce one", derived from Old Irish
lorcc "fierce" combined with a diminutive suffix. Saint Lorcán was a 12th-century archbishop of Dublin.
Lorena 2 f EnglishLatinized form of
Lauren. This name was first brought to public attention in America by the song
Lorena (1856), written by Joseph Webster, who was said to have created the name as an anagram of
Lenore (from the character in Poe's poem
The Raven).
Lorenzo m Italian, SpanishItalian and Spanish form of
Laurentius (see
Laurence 1). Lorenzo de' Medici (1449-1492), known as the Magnificent, was a ruler of Florence during the Renaissance. He was also a great patron of the arts who employed Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Botticelli and other famous artists.
Loreto f & m Spanish, ItalianFrom the name of a town in Italy, originally called
Lauretum in Latin, meaning "laurel grove". Supposedly in the 13th century the house of the Virgin
Mary was miraculously carried by angels from Nazareth to the town. In Spain it is a feminine name, from the Marian title
Nuestra Señora de Loreto, while in Italy it is mostly masculine.
Lori f EnglishDiminutive of
Laura,
Lorraine and other names beginning with
Lor. This name rapidly rose in popularity in the United States in the 1950s and 60s, peaking in the 8th spot for girls in 1963.
Lorraine f EnglishFrom the name of a region in eastern France, originally meaning "kingdom of
Lothar". Lothar was a Frankish king, the great-grandson of
Charlemagne, whose realm was in the part of France that is now called
Lorraine, or in German
Lothringen (from Latin
Lothari regnum). As a given name, it has been used in the English-speaking world since the late 19th century, perhaps due to its similar sound with
Laura. It became popular after World War I when the region was in the news, as it was contested between Germany and France.