Aafje f DutchShort form of names beginning with the Old German element
alb "elf".
Aarre m FinnishMeans
"treasure" in Finnish. It may also be used as a variant of the uncommon older name
Aaretti, itself from a Low German form of
Arnold.
Aatto m FinnishFinnish form of
Adolf. It also means
"eve, evening before" in Finnish, as the day before an important holiday.
Abe 2 m Frisian, DutchOriginally a Frisian short form of
Adalbert (and other names starting with the Old German element
adal "noble" and a second element beginning with
b).
Abundius m Late RomanFrom Latin
abundus meaning
"abundant, plentiful". This was the name of several early saints, including a 5th-century bishop of Como.
Ada 1 f English, Italian, Spanish, German, Dutch, Norwegian, Polish, Finnish, GermanicOriginally a short form of Germanic names such as
Adelaide or
Adelina that begin with the element
adal meaning "noble". Saint Ada was a 7th-century Frankish abbess at Le Mans. This name was also borne by Augusta Ada King (1815-1852), the Countess of Lovelace (known as Ada Lovelace), a daughter of Lord Byron. She was an assistant to Charles Babbage, the inventor of an early mechanical computer.
Adalhard m GermanicDerived from the Old German elements
adal "noble" and
hart "hard, firm, brave, hardy". Saint Adalhard or Adalard was a cousin of
Charlemagne who became an abbot of Corbie.
Adallinda f GermanicDerived from the Old German elements
adal "noble" and
lind "soft, flexible, tender". Adallinda (or Adalindis or Ethelind) was the name of one of the concubines of
Charlemagne, with whom she had at least two children.
Addolorata f ItalianMeans
"grieving" in Italian, from the title of the Virgin
Mary,
Maria Addolorata. It is most common in southern Italy. It is the equivalent of Spanish
Dolores.
Ade 2 m FrisianOriginally a short form of Germanic names beginning with the element
adal meaning
"noble".
Adela f English, Spanish, Romanian, Polish, Slovak, GermanicOriginally a short form of names beginning with the Old German element
adal meaning
"noble" (Proto-Germanic *
aþalaz). Saint Adela was a 7th-century Frankish princess who founded a monastery at Pfazel in France. This name was also borne by a daughter of William the Conqueror.
Adelaide f English, Italian, PortugueseMeans
"nobleness, nobility", from the French form of the Germanic name
Adalheidis, which was composed of
adal "noble" and the suffix
heit "kind, sort, type". It was borne in the 10th century by Saint Adelaide, the wife of the Holy Roman emperor Otto the Great.
... [more] Adele f German, English, ItalianForm of
Adela used in several languages. A famous bearer was the dancer and actress Adele Astaire (1896-1981). It was also borne by the British singer Adele Adkins (1988-), known simply as Adele. Shortly after she released her debut album in 2008 the name reentered the American top 1000 chart after a 40-year absence.
Adélie f FrenchElaborated form of
Adèle. Adélie Land in Antarctica was named in 1840 by the French explorer Jules Dumont d'Urville in honour of his wife Adèle (who was sometimes called Adélie).
Admir m Bosnian, AlbanianMeaning uncertain. It might be a variant of
Amir 1 or it could be derived from Latin
admiror meaning
"admire".
Adolf m German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Czech, Hungarian, Polish, GermanicFrom the Old German name
Adalwolf, which meant
"noble wolf" from the elements
adal "noble" and
wolf. It was borne by several Swedish kings as a first or second name, most notably by Gustav II Adolf in the 17th century. Association with Adolf Hitler (1889-1945), the leader of the Nazi party in Germany during World War II, has lessened the use of this name.
Adrian m English, Romanian, Polish, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, RussianForm of
Hadrianus (see
Hadrian) used in several languages. Several saints and six popes have borne this name, including the only English pope, Adrian IV, and the only Dutch pope, Adrian VI. As an English name, it has been in use since the Middle Ages, though it was not popular until modern times.
Adrianus m DutchOfficial Dutch form of
Adrian, used on birth certificates but not commonly in daily life.
Aelita f Literature, Russian, LatvianCreated by Russian author Aleksey Tolstoy for his science fiction novel
Aelita (1923), where it belongs to a Martian princess. In the book, the name is said to mean "starlight seen for the last time" in the Martian language.
Aelius m Ancient RomanRoman family name that was possibly derived from the Greek word
ἥλιος (helios) meaning
"sun". This was the family name of the Roman emperor Hadrian.
Aetius m Ancient RomanRoman cognomen that was probably derived from Greek
ἀετός (aetos) meaning
"eagle". A famous bearer was the 5th-century Roman general Flavius Aetius, who defeated
Attila the Hun at the Battle of Chalons.
Afra 1 f Late Roman, ItalianOriginally used by the Romans as a nickname for a woman from Africa. This was the name of two early saints.
África f SpanishSpanish form of
Africa 1. It is usually taken from the title of the Virgin
Mary,
Nuestra Señora de África, the patron saint of the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in North Africa.
Africa 1 f African American (Rare)From the name of the continent, which is of Latin origin, possibly from the Afri people who lived near Carthage in North Africa. This rare name is used most often by African-American parents.
Africanus m Ancient RomanRoman cognomen derived from the place name
Africa, which in Roman times referred only to North Africa. This was the agnomen of the 3rd-century BC Roman general Scipio Africanus, who was honoured with it after his victory over Carthage in the Second Punic War. His descendants used it as a cognomen.
Agilulf m GermanicOld German name derived from the elements
agil meaning "edge, blade" and
wolf meaning "wolf". This name was borne by a 6th-century king of the Lombards and by an 8th-century saint (a bishop of Cologne).
Ago m GermanicFrom the Old High German element
ekka, Old Saxon
eggia meaning
"edge, blade" (Proto-Germanic *
agjō). Alternatively it could be from Old High German
egi meaning
"fear" (Proto-Germanic *
agaz). This was the name of a 7th-century Duke of Friuli.
Agrippa m & f Ancient Roman, BiblicalRoman cognomen of unknown meaning, possibly from a combination of Greek
ἄγριος (agrios) meaning "wild" and
ἵππος (hippos) meaning "horse" or alternatively of Etruscan origin. It was also used as a praenomen, or given name, by the Furia and Menenia families. In the New Testament this name was borne by Herod Agrippa (a grandson of Herod the Great), the king of Israel who put the apostle James to death. It was also borne by the 1st-century BC Roman general Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa.
Agrippina f Ancient RomanFeminine derivative of
Agrippa. This name was borne by the scheming mother of the Roman emperor
Nero, who eventually had her killed. This was also the name of a 3rd-century Roman saint who is venerated in Sicily.
Ahenobarbus m Ancient RomanFrom a Roman cognomen meaning
"bronze beard" in Latin. This name was borne by a series of consuls of the late Roman Republic.
Aifric f IrishFrom Old Irish
Affraic, possibly from
Afraicc, the Old Irish name of the continent of Africa (see
Africa 1). Alternatively, it could be from *
Aithbrecc, an unattested earlier form of
Aithbhreac. This was the name of two abbesses of Kildare in the 8th and 9th centuries. It was also borne by a 12th-century daughter of the king of the Isle of Mann who married the Anglo-Norman knight John de Courcy.
Aike m FrisianDiminutive of names beginning with the Old German element
ekka meaning
"edge, blade" or
adal meaning
"noble".
Aimé m FrenchFrom Old French
Amé, the masculine form of
Amée (see
Amy).
Aimeric m GermanicProbably a variant of
Heimirich. Aimeric (or Aimery) was the name of several viscounts of Narbonne between the 11th and 13th centuries. It was also borne by the first king of Cyprus (12th century), originally from Poitou, France.
Aistulf m GermanicDerived from the Old German elements
heisti "loud, violent" and
wolf "wolf". This was the name of an 8th-century king of the Lombards.
Al m EnglishShort form of
Albert and other names beginning with
Al. A notable bearer is American actor Al Pacino (1940-).
Alba 1 f Italian, Spanish, CatalanThis name is derived from two distinct names,
Alba 2 and
Alba 3, with distinct origins, Latin and Germanic. Over time these names have become confused with one another. To further complicate the matter,
alba means "dawn" in Italian, Spanish and Catalan. This may be the main inspiration behind its use in Italy and Spain.
Alba 3 f GermanicOriginally a short form of Germanic names beginning with the element
alb meaning
"elf" (Proto-Germanic *
albaz).
Albaer m LimburgishLimburgish form of
Albert. Its spelling has been influenced by the French pronunciation of Albert.
Alban m German, French, Albanian, English (Rare)From the Roman cognomen
Albanus, which meant
"from Alba". Alba (from Latin
albus "white") was the name of various places within the Roman Empire, including the city Alba Longa. This name was borne by Saint Alban, the first British martyr (4th century). According to tradition, he sheltered a fugitive priest in his house. When his house was searched, he disguised himself as the priest, was arrested in his stead, and was beheaded. Another 4th-century martyr by this name was Saint Alban of Mainz.
... [more] Alberich m Germanic, Germanic MythologyDerived from the Old German elements
alb "elf" and
rih "ruler, king". It was borne by two Lombard dukes of Spoleto in the 10th century. It was also the name of a 12th-century French saint who helped found the Cistercian Order.
... [more] Albert m English, German, French, Catalan, Polish, Czech, Russian, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Finnish, Romanian, Hungarian, Albanian, GermanicFrom the Germanic name
Adalbert meaning
"noble and bright", composed of the elements
adal "noble" and
beraht "bright". This name was common among medieval German royalty. The Normans introduced it to England, where it replaced the Old English cognate
Æþelbeorht. Though it became rare in England by the 17th century, it was repopularized in the 19th century by the German-born Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria.
... [more] Albina f Russian, Ukrainian, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Slovene, Polish, German, Lithuanian, Belarusian, Ancient RomanFeminine form of
Albinus. This was the name of a few early saints, including a 3rd-century martyr from Caesarea.
Albinus m Ancient RomanRoman cognomen that was a derivative of
Albus. Saint Albinus (also called Aubin) was a 6th-century bishop of Angers in Brittany.
Alboin m GermanicFrom the Old German elements
alb "elf" and
wini "friend". It is a cognate of
Ælfwine. This was the name of a 6th-century king of the Lombards who began the Lombard conquest of Italy.
Albrecht m GermanGerman variant of
Albert. A notable bearer was the German Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528).
Aldebrand m GermanicOld German name derived from the elements
alt meaning "old" and
brant meaning "fire, torch, sword". Saint Aldebrand was a 12th-century bishop of Fossombrone in Italy.
Aldegund f GermanicGermanic name, derived from the elements
alt "old" and
gunda "war". Alternatively, it could be a metathesized form of
Adalgund. Saint Aldegund (or Aldegundis or Adelgundis) was a 7th-century Frankish abbess at Maubeuge.
Aldo m Italian, GermanicOriginally a short form of Germanic names beginning with the element
alt meaning
"old" (Proto-Germanic *
aldaz), and sometimes also with
adal meaning
"noble" (Proto-Germanic *
aþalaz).
Ale 2 m FrisianOriginally a short form of Germanic names beginning with the element
adal meaning
"noble".
Alice f English, French, Portuguese, Italian, German, Czech, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, DutchFrom the Old French name
Aalis, a short form of
Adelais, itself a short form of the Germanic name
Adalheidis (see
Adelaide). This name became popular in France and England in the 12th century. It was among the most common names in England until the 16th century, when it began to decline. It was revived in the 19th century.
... [more] Alison 1 f English, FrenchNorman French diminutive of
Aalis (see
Alice). It was common in England, Scotland and France in the Middle Ages, and was later revived in England in the 20th century via Scotland. Unlike most other English names ending in
son, it is not derived from a surname.
Alix f & m FrenchMedieval French variant of
Alice, also sometimes used as a masculine name. This is the name of the hero (a young Gaulish man) of a French comic book series, which debuted in 1948.
Alli f FinnishFinnish diminutive of names beginning with
Al. This is also the Finnish word for a type of duck.
Allie f EnglishDiminutive of
Alison 1,
Alexandra and other names beginning with the same sound. After a 34-year absence from the American top 1000 chart this name began growing in popularity after the premiere of the sitcom
Kate and Allie in 1984.
Allison f & m EnglishFrom the middle of the 20th century this has primarily been used as a variant of the feminine name
Alison 1. However, prior to that it was used as an uncommon masculine name, derived from the English and Scottish surname
Allison.
Ally 1 f EnglishDiminutive of
Alison 1,
Alexandra and other names beginning with the same sound. This name jumped in popularity in 1997 after the premiere of the American television series
Ally McBeal.
Alma 1 f English, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Latvian, Lithuanian, Albanian, Slovene, CroatianThis name became popular after the Battle of Alma (1854), which took place near the River Alma in Crimea and ended in a victory for Britain and France. However, the name was in rare use before the battle; it was probably inspired by Latin
almus "nourishing". It also coincides with the Spanish word meaning
"the soul".
Aloysius m EnglishLatinized form of
Aloys, an old Occitan form of
Louis. This was the name of an Italian saint, Aloysius Gonzaga (1568-1591). The name has been in occasional use among Catholics since his time.
Altagracia f Spanish (Caribbean)Means
"high grace", taken from the Spanish title of the Virgin
Mary Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia, meaning "Our Lady of High Grace". She is considered the patron saint of the Dominican Republic, and it is there that this name is most often used.
Alte 2 m FrisianOriginally a short form of names beginning with the Old German element
alt meaning
"old".
Alyssa f EnglishVariant of
Alicia. The spelling has probably been influenced by that of the alyssum flower, the name of which is derived from Greek
ἀ (a), a negative prefix, combined with
λύσσα (lyssa) meaning "madness, rabies", since it was believed to cure madness.