Ilmarinen m Finnish MythologyDerived from Finnish
ilma meaning
"air". Ilmarinen is an immortal smith in Finnish mythology, the creator of the sky and the magic mill known as the Sampo. He is one of the main characters in the Finnish epic the
Kalevala.
Imants m LatvianPossibly from Livonian (a Finnic language that was spoken in Latvia)
im "miracle" and
and "to give".
Islambek m ChechenDerived from
Islam, the name of the religion (ultimately from Arabic
إسلام), combined with the Turkic military title
beg meaning "chieftain, master".
Jewel f & m EnglishIn part from the English word
jewel, a precious stone, derived from Old French
jouel, which was possibly related to
jeu "game". It is also in part from the surname
Jewel or
Jewell (a derivative of the Breton name
Judicaël), which was sometimes used in honour of the 16th-century bishop of Salisbury John Jewel. It has been in use as a given name since the 19th century.
Jolie f EnglishMeans
"pretty" in French. This name was popularized by American actress Angelina Jolie (1975-), whose surname was originally her middle name. It is not used as a given name in France.
Joyce f & m EnglishFrom the medieval masculine name
Josse, which was derived from the earlier
Iudocus, which was a Latinized form of the Breton name
Judoc meaning
"lord". The name belonged to a 7th-century Breton saint, and Breton settlers introduced it to England after the Norman Conquest. It became rare after the 14th century, but was later revived as a feminine name, perhaps because of similarity to the Middle English word
joise "to rejoice". This given name also became a surname, as in the case of the Irish novelist James Joyce (1882-1941).
Kara 2 m Ottoman TurkishMeans
"black, dark" in Turkish. This was sometimes used as a byname by Ottoman officials, figuratively meaning "courageous".
Kim 1 f & m English, Dutch, GermanAt the present it is usually considered a short form of
Kimberly, but it in fact predates it as a given name. The author Rudyard Kipling used it for the title hero of his novel
Kim (1901), though in this case it was short for
Kimball. In her novel
Show Boat (1926) Edna Ferber used it for a female character who was born on the Mississippi River and was named from the initials of the states Kentucky, Illinois and Mississippi. The name was popularized in America by the actresses Kim Hunter (1922-2002) and Kim Novak (1933-), both of whom assumed it as a stage name.
Kublai m HistoryFrom the Mongolian name
Khubilai, of unknown meaning. Kublai Khan was a 13th-century grandson of
Genghis Khan (being the son of his son Tolui), and the fifth ruler of the Mongol Empire. He is also considered the first ruler of the Chinese Yuan dynasty.
Laima f Lithuanian, Latvian, Baltic MythologyFrom Latvian
laime and Lithuanian
laima, which mean
"luck, fate". This was the name of the Latvian and Lithuanian goddess of fate, luck, pregnancy and childbirth. She was the sister of the goddesses Dēkla and Kārta, who were also associated with fate.
Lamar m English, African AmericanFrom a French and English surname, originally from a place name in Normandy, which was derived from Old French
la mare meaning
"the pool". In the second half of the 20th century this name has been well-used in the African-American community, probably because of its popular phonetic components
la and
mar.
Lauma f Latvian, Baltic MythologyMeaning unknown. In Latvian mythology this is the name of a forest spirit sometimes associated with childbirth and weaving.
Lech m Polish, Slavic MythologyAccording to Polish legend this was the name of the founder of the Lechites, a group that includes the Poles. The name probably derives from that of the old Slavic tribe the Lendians, called the
Lędzianie in Polish.
... [more] Leslie f & m EnglishFrom 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.
Leszek m PolishOriginally a diminutive of
Lech. The name was borne by several medieval dukes of Poland.
Linas m LithuanianLithuanian form of
Linus. This is also the Lithuanian word for
"flax" (a cognate of the name's root).
Macbeth m HistoryAnglicized form of the Scottish Gaelic given name
Mac Beatha meaning
"son of life", implying holiness. This was the name of an 11th-century Scottish king who came to power after defeating and killing King
Duncan in battle. Years later he was himself slain in battle with Duncan's son
Malcolm. Shakespeare based his play
Macbeth (1606) loosely on this king's life, drawing from the tales related in
Holinshed's Chronicles (1587).
Maël m French, BretonFrench form of Breton
Mael meaning
"prince, chieftain, lord". Saint Mael was a 5th-century Breton hermit who lived in Wales.
Malcolm m Scottish, EnglishAnglicized form of Scottish Gaelic
Máel Coluim, which means
"disciple of Saint Columba". This was the name of four kings of Scotland starting in the 10th century, including Malcolm III, who became king after killing
Macbeth, the usurper who had defeated his father
Duncan. The character Malcolm in Shakespeare's tragedy
Macbeth (1606) is loosely based on him. Another famous bearer was Malcolm X (1925-1965), an American civil rights leader.
Mantas m LithuanianFrom Lithuanian
mantus meaning
"intelligent, clever" or
manta meaning
"property, wealth". Herkus Mantas was a 13th-century Prussian hero who fought against the Teutonic Knights.
Mantvydas m LithuanianFrom Lithuanian
mantus "intelligent" or
manta "property, wealth" combined with the root
vyd- "to see".
Mayrbek m ChechenDerived from Nakh
майра (mayra) meaning "husband, brave man" combined with the Turkic military title
beg meaning "chieftain, master".
Metehan m TurkishCombination of
Mete and Turkish
han meaning "khan, ruler, leader", referring to the 3rd-century BC Xiongnu ruler Modu Chanyu.
Mielikki f Finnish MythologyDerived from Finnish
mieli meaning
"mind, mood". This was the name of a Finnish goddess of forests and hunting. By some accounts she is the wife of the god Tapio.
Miervaldis m LatvianMeans
"ruling with peace", from Latvian
miers "peace" and
valdīt "to rule".
Millard m EnglishFrom an occupational English surname meaning
"guardian of the mill" in Old English.
Miller m & f EnglishFrom an English occupational surname for a miller, derived from Middle English
mille "mill".
Milton m English, Spanish (Latin American)From an English surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"mill town" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was John Milton (1608-1674), the poet who wrote
Paradise Lost.
Mindaugas m LithuanianPossibly from Lithuanian
mintis "thought" or
minti "to remember" combined with
daug "much". This was the name of a 13th-century ruler of Lithuania.
Miray f TurkishMeaning uncertain, possibly from Arabic
أمير (ʾamīr) meaning "commander" combined with Turkish
ay meaning "moon, month".
Modu m HistoryPossibly a Middle Chinese form of the old Turkic honorific
bagatur meaning
"hero, warrior". Modu Chanyu was a 3rd-century BC ruler of the Xiongnu, a people from Mongolia.
Mokosh f Slavic MythologyDerived from the Old Slavic root
mok meaning
"wet, moist". Mokosh was a Slavic goddess associated with weaving, women, water and fertility.
Mór 1 f Medieval IrishMeans
"great" in Irish. This was a popular medieval Irish name. It was probably given in some cases as an alternative to
Máire, which was considered too sacred for general use.
Morana f Slavic Mythology, CroatianFrom Old Slavic
morŭ meaning
"death, plague". In Slavic mythology this was the name of a goddess associated with winter and death.
Nazerke f KazakhDerived from Persian
ناز (nāz) meaning "delight, comfort" and Kazakh
ерке (erke) meaning "naughty, spoiled, darling".
Neville m English (British)From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning
"new town" in Norman French. As a given name it is chiefly British and Australian.
Nolan m English, French (Modern)From an Irish surname, the Anglicized form of
Ó Nualláin, itself derived from the given name
Nuallán. The baseball player Nolan Ryan (1947-) is a famous bearer. This name has climbed steadily in popularity since the 1970s.
Norma f English, Italian, LiteratureCreated by Felice Romani for the main character in the opera
Norma (1831). He may have based it on Latin
norma "rule". This name is also frequently used as a feminine form of
Norman.
Norman m English, GermanicFrom an old Germanic byname meaning
"northman", referring to a Scandinavians. The Normans were Vikings who settled on the coast of France, in the region that became known as Normandy. In England the name
Norman or
Normant was used before the Norman Conquest, first as a nickname for Scandinavian settlers and later as a given name. After the Conquest it became more common, but died out around the 14th century. It was revived in the 19th century, perhaps in part due to a character by this name in C. M. Yonge's 1856 novel
The Daisy Chain. Famous bearers include the American painter Norman Rockwell (1894-1978) and the American author Norman Mailer (1923-2007).
Nuallán m Medieval IrishIrish byname derived from
nuall meaning
"famous, loud" combined with a diminutive suffix.
Nuno m Portuguese, Medieval PortugueseMedieval Portuguese and Spanish name, possibly from Latin
nonus "ninth" or
nunnus "grandfather". Saint Nuno was a 14th-century Portuguese general who defeated a Castilian invasion.
Nurbek m KyrgyzFrom Kyrgyz
нур (nur) meaning "light" (of Arabic origin) combined with the Turkic military title
beg meaning "chieftain, master".
Oğuzhan m TurkishFrom
Oğuz, the name of an ancient Turkic people, combined with Turkish
han meaning "khan, ruler, leader".
Oighrig f Scottish GaelicFrom the older Gaelic name
Aithbhreac, derived from the intensive prefix
ath- and
breac "speckled". It has been Anglicized as
Effie,
Euphemia and
Affrica.
Olga f Russian, Ukrainian, Polish, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Finnish, Estonian, Latvian, Hungarian, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, Czech, Slovene, Serbian, Bulgarian, GreekRussian form of the Old Norse name
Helga. The 10th-century Saint Olga was the wife of
Igor I, the ruler of Kievan Rus (a state based around the city of Kyiv). Like her husband she was probably a Varangian, who were Norse people who settled in Eastern Europe beginning in the 9th century. Following Igor's death she ruled as regent for her son
Svyatoslav for 18 years. After she was baptized in Constantinople she attempted to convert her subjects to Christianity, though this goal was only achieved by her grandson
Vladimir.
Oliver m English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Catalan, Serbian, Croatian, Macedonian, Czech, Slovak, Carolingian CycleFrom Old French
Olivier, which was possibly derived from Latin
oliva "olive tree". Alternatively there could be an underlying Germanic name, such as Old Norse
Áleifr (see
Olaf) or Frankish
Alawar (see
Álvaro), with the spelling altered by association with the Latin word. In the Middle Ages the name became well-known in Western Europe because of the French epic
La Chanson de Roland, in which Olivier is a friend and advisor to the hero
Roland.
... [more] Olivette f LiteratureFeminine form of
Oliver. This was the name of the title character in the French opera
Les noces d'Olivette (1879) by Edmond Audran.
Olivia f English, Italian, Spanish, French, German, Finnish, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, DutchThis name was used in this spelling by William Shakespeare for a character in his comedy
Twelfth Night (1602). This was a rare name in Shakespeare's time that may have been based on
Oliva or
Oliver, or directly on the Latin word
oliva meaning
"olive". In the play Olivia is a noblewoman wooed by Duke
Orsino. Instead she falls in love with his messenger Cesario, who is actually
Viola in disguise.
... [more] Orhan m TurkishDerived from Turkish
or, of uncertain meaning, possibly from a Turkic root meaning "place", and
han meaning "khan, ruler, leader". This was the name of a 14th-century sultan of the Ottoman Empire.
Oriana f Italian, SpanishPossibly derived from Latin
aurum "gold" or from its derivatives, Spanish
oro or French
or. In medieval legend Oriana was the daughter of a king of England who married the knight
Amadis.
Ormond m English (Rare)From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Irish Gaelic
Ó Ruaidh, derived from the given name
Ruadh.
Paige f EnglishFrom an English surname meaning
"servant, page" in Middle English. It is ultimately derived (via Old French and Italian) from Greek
παιδίον (paidion) meaning "little boy".
... [more] Parker m & f EnglishFrom an English occupational surname that meant
"keeper of the park".
Perun m Slavic MythologyFrom Old Slavic
perunŭ meaning
"thunder". In Slavic mythology Perun was the god of lightning and the sky, sometimes considered to be the supreme god. Oak trees were sacred to him.
Porsche f English (Modern)From the name of the German car company, which was founded by Ferdinand Porsche (1875-1951).
Přemysl m CzechFrom an Old Slavic name that meant
"trick, stratagem", from the prefix
pre "over, again, very" and
myslĭ "thought, idea". This was the name of the legendary founder of the Přemyslid dynasty, which ruled Bohemia from the 9th to the 14th century.
Rade m Serbian, CroatianShort form of
Milorad and other names containing the Slavic element
radŭ meaning
"happy, willing". It is often used independently.
Ramūnas m LithuanianDerived from Lithuanian
ramus meaning
"calm, peaceful" combined with the patronymic suffix
ūnas.
Răzvan m RomanianMeaning unknown, possibly related to the name
Radovan. Alternatively it may have been brought to Romania by the Romani people (note that Romanian and Romani are unrelated), perhaps ultimately from
Rizwan.
Renesmee f LiteratureInvented by the American author Stephenie Meyer for a character in her novel
Breaking Dawn (2008), the fourth book of her
Twilight series. The character is the baby daughter of Bella Swan and Edward Cullen, with her name combining the names of her grandmothers:
Renée and
Esme.
Rimantas m LithuanianFrom Lithuanian
rimti "to calm down" combined with
mantus "intelligent" or
manta "property, wealth".
Roy m Scottish, English, DutchAnglicized form of
Ruadh. A notable bearer was the Scottish outlaw and folk hero Rob Roy (1671-1734). It is often associated with French
roi "king".
Ruadh m Medieval Irish, Medieval ScottishIrish and Scottish Gaelic byname meaning
"red", often a nickname for one with red hair. This was the nickname of the Scottish outlaw Raibeart Ruadh MacGregor (1671-1734), known as Rob Roy in English.
Salambek m ChechenDerived from Arabic
سلام (salām) meaning "peace" combined with the Turkic military title
beg meaning "chieftain, master".
Sanjar m Uzbek, Medieval TurkicTurkic name meaning
"he who pierces, he who thrusts". Ahmad Sanjar was an 11th-century sultan of the Seljuq Empire.
Şener m TurkishFrom Turkish
şen meaning "happy" and
er meaning "man, hero, brave".
Serkan m TurkishMeans
"leader, chief" from Turkish
ser "head, top" and
kan "blood".
Sevda f Turkish, AzerbaijaniMeans
"love, infatuation" in Turkish and Azerbaijani, ultimately from Arabic
سوداء (sawdāʾ) meaning "black bile, melancholy, sadness".
Simay f TurkishMeans
"silver moon" in Turkish, from
sim meaning "silver, glitter" and
ay meaning "moon".
Soner m TurkishFrom Turkish
son meaning "last, final" and
er meaning "man, hero, brave".
Songül f TurkishFrom Turkish
son meaning "last, final" and
gül meaning "rose".
Spencer m EnglishFrom an English surname that meant
"dispenser of provisions", derived from Middle English
spense "larder, pantry". A famous bearer was American actor Spencer Tracy (1900-1967). It was also the surname of Princess Diana (1961-1997).
Stribog m Slavic MythologyPossibly from Old Slavic
sterti "to extend, to spread" and
bogŭ "god". Alternatively it could come from
strybati "to flow, to move quickly". Stribog was a Slavic god who was possibly associated with the wind.
Svarog m Slavic MythologyProbably means
"fire", from Old Slavic
sŭvarŭ meaning "heat". This was the name of a Slavic god associated with blacksmithing.
Tage m Danish, SwedishFrom the medieval Danish byname
Taki, derived from Old Norse
taka meaning "to take, to capture".
Taimi f Finnish, EstonianFrom Finnish
taimi meaning
"sapling, young tree" or Estonian
taim meaning
"plant" (words from a common origin).
Talvikki f Finnish (Rare)Derived from Finnish
talvi meaning
"winter". This is also the Finnish word for the wintergreen plant (genus Pyrola).
Taner m TurkishFrom Turkish
tan meaning "dawn" and
er meaning "man, hero, brave".
Taylor m & f EnglishFrom an English surname that originally denoted someone who was a tailor, from Norman French
tailleur, ultimately from Latin
taliare "to cut".
... [more] Temujin m HistoryMeans
"of iron" in Mongolian, derived ultimately from the Turkic word
temür "iron". This was the original name of the Mongolian leader better known by the title
Genghis Khan. Born in the 12th century, he managed to unite the tribes of Mongolia and then conquer huge areas of Asia and Eastern Europe.
Temuri m GeorgianForm of
Temur with the nominative suffix, used in Georgian when the name is written stand-alone.
Timur m Tatar, Chechen, Kazakh, Uzbek, Turkish, Russian, HistoryFrom the Turkic and Mongol name
Temür meaning
"iron". This was the name of several Mongol, Turkic and Yuan leaders. A notable bearer was Timur, also known as
Tamerlane (from Persian
تیمور لنگ (Tīmūr e Lang) meaning "Timur the lame"), a 14th-century Turkic leader who conquered large areas of western Asia.
Todd m EnglishFrom an English surname meaning
"fox", derived from Middle English
todde. As a given name it was rare before 1930. It peaked in popularity in most parts of the English-speaking world in the 1960s or 70s, but it has since declined.
Trahaearn m Medieval WelshMeans
"very much like iron", derived from Welsh
tra "very, over" prefixed to
haearn "iron". This name was borne by an 11th-century king of Gwynedd.
Truman m EnglishFrom a surname that meant
"trusty man" in Middle English. A famous bearer of the surname was American president Harry S. Truman (1884-1972). It was also borne by American writer Truman Capote (1924-1984).
Tuulikki f Finnish, Finnish MythologyMeans
"little wind" in Finnish, derived from
tuuli "wind". This was the name of a Finnish forest goddess, the daughter of Tapio.
Uaithne m Medieval IrishPossibly from Old Irish
úaine meaning
"green". Alternatively, it may come from the name of the Irish tribe the Uaithni.
Úna f Irish, Medieval IrishProbably derived from Old Irish
úan meaning
"lamb". This was a common name in medieval Ireland.
Una f EnglishAnglicized form of Irish
Úna or Scottish
Ùna. It is also associated with Latin
una, feminine form of
unus meaning
"one". The name features in Edmund Spenser's poem
The Faerie Queene (1590).
Vadim m RussianMeaning uncertain. It is used as a Russian form of the saintly name
Bademus. Alternatively it may be derived from Slavic
vaditi "to accuse, to argue" or from an Old Norse source. According to legend, this was the name of a legendary leader of the Ilmen Slavs who fought against the Varangians.