Aaliyah f Arabic, English (Modern), African American (Modern)Feminine form of
Aali. It was popularized in the English-speaking world by the singer Aaliyah Haughton (1979-2001), who was known simply as Aaliyah. This name received a boost in popularity after she released her debut album in 1994, and also in 2001 after her untimely death in an airplane crash.
Abd Allah m ArabicMeans
"servant of Allah" from Arabic
عبد (ʿabd) meaning "servant" combined with
الله (Allah). This was the name of the Prophet
Muhammad's father. He died before his son's birth.
Abiah m & f BiblicalVariant of
Abijah, similarly borne by both males and females in the Old Testament.
Abijah m & f BiblicalMeans
"my father is Yahweh" in Hebrew, from
אָב (ʾav) meaning "father" and
יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. In the Old Testament this is the name of several characters, both male and female, including the second king of Judah (also known as
Abijam).
Achsah f BiblicalMeans
"anklet, bangle" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of a daughter of
Caleb.
Adah f BiblicalMeans
"adornment, ornament" in Hebrew. This is the name of the wives of both
Lamech and
Esau in the Old Testament.
Adaiah m BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
עֲדָיָה (ʿAḏaya) meaning
"Yahweh has adorned", derived from
עָדָה (ʿaḏa) meaning "to adorn" and
יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. This is the name of numerous Old Testament characters, including the father of
Jedidah.
Adonijah m BiblicalMeans
"my lord is Yahweh" in Hebrew, from
אָדוֹן (ʾaḏon) meaning "lord, master" and
יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. This is the name of one of King
David's sons in the Old Testament. Though he was the eldest surviving son of David, he was passed over as heir to the throne in favour of
Solomon.
Ælfheah m Anglo-SaxonDerived from the Old English elements
ælf "elf" and
heah "high". This was the name of an 11th-century archbishop of Canterbury, a saint and martyr, who is commonly known as Alphege or Elphege.
Æðelfrið m Anglo-SaxonDerived from the Old English elements
æðele "noble" and
friþ "peace". The name was rarely used after the Norman Conquest.
Ah m & f ChineseFrom the Chinese character
阿 (ā), which has no distinct meaning. It is not normally given as a name, but it can be prefixed to another name to make it a diminutive.
Aholibamah f BiblicalMeans
"tent of the high place" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is one of the wives of
Esau, possibly the same as
Judith.
Alannah f Irish, English (Modern)Variant of
Alana. It has been influenced by the affectionate Anglo-Irish word
alannah, from the Irish Gaelic phrase
a leanbh meaning "O child".
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] Allah m TheologyDerived from Arabic
الإله (al-ʾilah) meaning
"the deity". It is primarily used to refer to the Islamic God, though it was originally used by pre-Islamic Arabs, and is sometimes used by Arabic-speaking Christians and Jews to refer to their god.
Alvah m BiblicalMeans
"his highness" in Hebrew. This name is mentioned in the Old Testament as belonging to a descendant of
Esau.
Amariah m BiblicalMeans
"Yahweh has said" in Hebrew, derived from the roots
אָמַר (ʾamar) meaning "to say" and
יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. This is the name of several Old Testament characters.
Amaziah m BiblicalMeans
"Yahweh strengthens" in Hebrew, derived from
אָמֵץ (ʾamets) meaning "to strengthen" and
יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. This is the name of several Old Testament characters, including a king of Judah.
Amitabh m HindiFrom Sanskrit
अमिताभ (amitābha) meaning
"immeasurable splendour". A famous bearer is Indian actor Amitabh Bachchan (1942-).
Anah f & m BiblicalMeans
"answer" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this name belongs to one female character and two male characters.
Anaiah m BiblicalMeans
"Yahweh has answered" in Hebrew, from
עָנָה (ʿana) meaning "to answer" and
יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. This is the name of a minor character in the Old Testament.
Anh m & f VietnameseOften from Sino-Vietnamese
英 (anh) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero". This name is frequently combined with a middle name to create a compound name; the meaning of
Anh can change depending on the Sino-Vietnamese characters underlying the compound.
Anish m Hindi, MarathiMeans
"supreme, paramount, without a ruler", from the Sanskrit negative prefix
अ (a) and
ईश (īśa) meaning "ruler, lord".
Anush f ArmenianMeans
"sweet" in Armenian. This was the name of an 1890 novel by the Armenia writer Hovhannes Tumanyan. It was adapted into an opera in 1912 by Armen Tigranian.
Aodh m Irish, Scottish Gaelic, Irish MythologyFrom Old Irish
Áed, which meant
"fire". This was a very popular name in early Ireland, being borne by numerous figures in Irish mythology and several high kings. It has been traditionally Anglicized as
Hugh.
Arash m Persian, Persian MythologyFrom Avestan
𐬆𐬭𐬆𐬑𐬱𐬀 (Ərəxsha), of uncertain meaning, possibly from a root meaning
"bear". In Iranian legend Arash was an archer who was ordered by the Turans to shoot an arrow, the landing place of which would determine the new location of the Iran-Turan border. Arash climbed a mountain and fired his arrow with such strength that it flew for several hours and landed on the banks of the far-away Oxus River.
Ardath f EnglishFrom the name of a plain that appears in the apocryphal book of 2 Esdras (verse 9:26) in some versions of the Old Testament. This place name was used by Marie Corelli for the title of an 1889 novel, which is probably the reason it gained some currency as a given name just after this time.
Asaph m BiblicalMeans
"collector" in Hebrew. This name belongs to several minor characters in the Old Testament.
Ash m & f EnglishShort form of
Ashley. It can also come directly from the English word denoting either the tree or the residue of fire.
Asherah f Semitic MythologyPerhaps derived from Semitic roots meaning
"she who walks in the sea". This was the name of a Semitic mother goddess. She was worshipped by the Israelites before the advent of monotheism.
Astaroth m LiteratureFrom
Ashtaroth, the plural form of
Ashtoreth used in the Bible to refer to Phoenician idols. This spelling was used in late medieval demonology texts to refer to a type of (masculine) demon.
Athaliah f & m BiblicalPossibly means
"Yahweh is exalted" in Hebrew, from
עֲתַל (ʿaṯal) possibly meaning "exalted" and
יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. In the Old Testament this is both a feminine and masculine name. It was borne by the daughter of
Ahab and
Jezebel, who later came to rule Judah as a queen.
Azariah m BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
עֲזַרְיָה (ʿAzarya) meaning
"Yahweh has helped", derived from
עָזַר (ʿazar) meaning "help" and
יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. This is the name of many Old Testament characters including of one of the three men the Babylonian king ordered cast into a fiery furnace. His Babylonian name was
Abednego.
Azaziah m BiblicalMeans
"Yahweh is strong" in Hebrew, from
עָזַז (ʿazaz) meaning "to be strong" and
יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. This is the name of three minor characters in the Old Testament.
Azubah f BiblicalMeans
"forsaken" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of
Caleb's wife.
Baruch m Biblical, Biblical Latin, HebrewFrom the Hebrew name
בָּרוּך (Baruḵ) meaning
"blessed". In the Old Testament this is the name of a companion of the prophet Jeremiah, acting as his scribe and assistant. The deuterocanonical Book of Baruch was supposedly written by him. A famous bearer was Baruch Spinoza (1632-1677), a Dutch-Jewish rationalist philosopher.
Berach m Old IrishDerived from Old Irish
berach meaning
"sharp, pointed". This was the name of a 6th-century Irish saint.
Beulah f Biblical, EnglishMeans
"married" in Hebrew. The name is used in the Old Testament to refer to the land of Israel (
Isaiah 62:4). As an English given name,
Beulah has been used since the Protestant Reformation.
Bithiah f BiblicalMeans
"daughter of Yahweh" in Hebrew, from the roots
בַּת (baṯ) meaning "daughter" and
יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. In the Old Testament this is the name of a daughter of Pharaoh. She is traditionally equated with the pharaoh's daughter who drew
Moses from the Nile.
Brádach m Medieval IrishIrish byname, possibly derived from
bradach meaning
"thieving, roguish, spirited".
Brónach f IrishMeans
"sad", derived from Irish
brón meaning "sorrow". Saint Brónach was a 6th-century Irish mystic.
Butch m EnglishFrom the English slang word
butch meaning
"manly, masculine", itself from the word
butcher. This is typically a nickname. A famous bearer was the American outlaw Butch Cassidy (1866-1908), born Robert LeRoy Parker.
Carthach m Old IrishMeans
"loving" in Irish. This was the name of two Irish saints, from the 6th and 7th centuries.
Cash m EnglishFrom an English occupational surname for a box maker, derived from Norman French
casse meaning
"case", from Latin
capsa. It coincides with the English word
cash meaning
"money" (derived from the same French and Latin roots). A famous bearer of the surname was American musician Johnny Cash (1932-2003).
Cassarah f English (Rare)Recently created name intended to mean
"what will be, will be". It is from the title of the 1956 song
Que Sera, Sera, which was taken from the Italian phrase
che sarà sarà. The phrase
que sera, sera is not grammatically correct in any Romance language.
Ceallach m Irish (Rare)From Old Irish
Cellach, of uncertain origin, traditionally said to mean
"bright-headed". Alternatively it could be derived from Old Irish
cellach "war, strife" or
cell "church". This name was borne by several early Irish kings and by a 12th-century saint, an archbishop of Armagh.
Chenaniah m BiblicalVariant of
Kenaniah used in several translations of the Old Testament (including the King James Version).
Clodagh f IrishFrom the Clodiagh, a small river in County Waterford, Ireland. It was first used as a given name by Clodagh Beresford (1879-1957), daughter of the Marquess of Waterford.
Coinneach m Scottish GaelicScottish Gaelic form of the Old Irish name
Cainnech, derived from
caín meaning
"handsome, beautiful, good". It is often Anglicized as
Kenneth. It is also used as a modern Scottish Gaelic form of the unrelated name
Cináed.
Conleth m IrishAnglicized form of the Old Irish name
Conláed, possibly meaning
"constant fire" from
cunnail "prudent, constant" and
áed "fire". Saint Conláed was a 5th-century bishop of Kildare.
Culhwch m Arthurian Cycle, Welsh MythologyMeans
"hiding place of the pig" in Welsh. In the Welsh tale
Culhwch and Olwen he was the lover of
Olwen, the daughter of the giant Yspaddaden. Before the giant would allow Culhwch to marry his daughter, he insisted that Culhwch complete a series of extremely difficult tasks. Culhwch managed to complete the tasks with the help of his cousin King
Arthur, and he returned to marry Olwen and kill the giant.
Danish m UrduFrom Persian
دانش (dānesh) meaning
"knowledge, learning".
Dash m English (Modern)Probably inspired by the English word
dash meaning "run, sprint". In some cases it can be a short form of
Dashiell, as in the animated movie
The Incredibles (2004) where it belongs to a speedy young superhero.
Deborah f English, BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
דְּבוֹרָה (Devora) meaning
"bee". In the Old Testament Book of Judges, Deborah is a heroine and prophetess who leads the Israelites when they are threatened by the Canaanites. She forms an army under the command of
Barak, and together they destroy the army of the Canaanite commander Sisera. Also in the Old Testament, this is the name of the nurse of Rebecca.
... [more] Delaiah m BiblicalMeans
"Yahweh has drawn up" in Hebrew, from
דָּלָה (dala) meaning "to draw up, to hang" and
יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. This is the name of several Old Testament characters.
Delilah f Biblical, EnglishMeans
"delicate, weak, languishing" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament she is the lover of
Samson, whom she betrays to the Philistines by cutting his hair, which is the source of his power. Despite her character flaws, the name began to be used by the Puritans in the 17th century. It has been used occasionally in the English-speaking world since that time.
Delyth f WelshFrom an elaboration of Welsh
del "pretty". This is a recently created name.
Dietrich m GermanGerman form of
Theodoric. The character Dietrich von Bern, loosely based on Theodoric the Great, appears in medieval German literature such as the
Hildebrandslied, the
Nibelungenlied and the
Eckenlied.
Diklah m BiblicalPossibly means
"palm grove" in Hebrew or Aramaic. In the Old Testament this is the name of a son of
Joktan.
Dinah f Biblical, EnglishMeans
"judged" in Hebrew, derived from
דִּין (din) meaning "to judge". According to the Old Testament, Dinah was a daughter of
Jacob and
Leah who was abducted by Shechem. It has been used as an English given name since after the Protestant Reformation.
Dinesh m Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Gujarati, Bengali, Punjabi, Nepali, SinhaleseModern form of
Dinesha.
Dos-teh-seh f ApachePossibly means
"something at the campire already cooked" in Apache. This was the name of the wife of the Chiricahua Apache chief
Cochise.
Dubthach m Old IrishOld Irish name derived from
dub "dark, black" in combination with a second element of unknown meaning. This was the name of a 6th-century saint, a bishop of Armagh. It also appears in Irish legend as a companion of
Fergus mac Róich.
Dutch m EnglishFrom a nickname given to Americans of German descent (though nowadays it refers to a person from the Netherlands). It is related to
deutsch, the German word meaning "German".
Édith f FrenchFrench form of
Edith. A notable bearer was the French cabaret singer Édith Piaf (1915-1963).
Edith f English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, DutchFrom the Old English name
Eadgyð, derived from the elements
ead "wealth, fortune" and
guð "battle". It was popular among Anglo-Saxon royalty, being borne for example by Saint Eadgyeth;, the daughter of King Edgar the Peaceful. It was also borne by the Anglo-Saxon wife of the Holy Roman Emperor Otto I. The name remained common after the Norman Conquest. It became rare after the 15th century, but was revived in the 19th century.
Elah m BiblicalMeans
"terebinth tree" in Hebrew. This was the name of the fourth king of Israel, as told in the Old Testament. He was murdered by
Zimri, who succeeded him.
Elijah m English, Hebrew, BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
אֱלִיָּהוּ (ʾEliyyahu) meaning
"my God is Yahweh", derived from the roots
אֵל (ʾel) and
יָהּ (yah), both referring to the Hebrew God. Elijah was a Hebrew prophet and miracle worker, as told in the two Books of Kings in the Old Testament. He was active in the 9th century BC during the reign of King
Ahab of Israel and his Phoenician-born queen
Jezebel. Elijah confronted the king and queen over their idolatry of the Canaanite god
Ba'al and other wicked deeds. At the end of his life he was carried to heaven in a chariot of fire, and was succeeded by
Elisha. In the New Testament, Elijah and
Moses appear next to
Jesus when he is transfigured.
... [more] Elizabeth f English, BiblicalFrom
Ἐλισάβετ (Elisabet), the Greek form of the Hebrew name
אֱלִישֶׁבַע (ʾElishevaʿ) meaning
"my God is an oath", derived from the roots
אֵל (ʾel) referring to the Hebrew God and
שָׁבַע (shavaʿ) meaning "oath". The Hebrew form appears in the Old Testament where Elisheba is the wife of
Aaron, while the Greek form appears in the New Testament where Elizabeth is the mother of
John the Baptist.
... [more] Elkanah m BiblicalMeans
"God has purchased" in Hebrew, from
אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God" and
קָנָה (qana) meaning "to acquire, to purchase". In the Old Testament this is the name of the father of
Samuel.
Emmerich m German, GermanicGermanic name, in which the second element is
rih "ruler, king". The first element may be
irmin "whole, great" (making it a relative of
Ermenrich),
amal "unceasing, vigorous, brave" (making it a relative of
Amalric) or
heim "home" (making it a relative of
Henry). It is likely that several forms merged into a single name.
Eochaidh m Medieval IrishFrom the Old Irish name
Eochaid meaning
"horseman", derived from
ech "horse". This name was borne by many historical and legendary Irish kings.
Erich m GermanGerman form of
Eric. The German novelist Erich Maria Remarque (1898-1970) was the author of
All Quiet on the Western Front.
Ermenrich m GermanicFrom the Gothic name *
Airmanareiks, from the elements
airmans "great, immense" and
reiks "ruler, king". Ermenrich (also often called Ermanaric) was a 4th-century Gothic king.
Faith f EnglishSimply from the English word
faith, ultimately from Latin
fidere "to trust". This was one of the virtue names adopted by the Puritans in the 17th century.
Farrokh m PersianMeans
"happy, auspicious" in Persian. This was the birth name of the musician Freddie Mercury (1946-1991), who was born on Zanzibar to Parsi parents.
Fatih m Turkish, ArabicMeans
"conqueror" in Arabic, derived from the root
فتح (fataḥa) meaning "to open, to conquer". The Ottoman sultan
Mehmed II the Conqueror is called
Fatih Sultan Mehmed in Turkish.
Fiadh f Irish (Modern)Means
"wild, wild animal, deer" (modern Irish
fia) or
"respect" in Irish.
Fionnlagh m Scottish GaelicMeans
"white warrior", derived from Old Irish
finn "white, blessed" and
láech "warrior". An earlier form was
Findláech — this was the name of the father of the 11th-century Scottish king Macbeth.
Firouzeh f PersianMeans
"turquoise (gemstone)" in Persian. Alternatively, it may be a feminine form of
Firouz.
Friedrich m GermanGerman form of
Frederick. This was the name of several rulers of the Holy Roman Empire, Austria and Prussia. The philosophers Friedrich Engels (1820-1895) and Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) are two other famous bearers of this name.
Gareth m Welsh, English (British), Arthurian CycleMeaning uncertain. It appears in this form in Thomas Malory's 15th-century compilation of Arthurian legends
Le Morte d'Arthur, in which the knight Gareth (also named
Beaumains) is a brother of
Gawain. He goes with
Lynet to rescue her sister
Lyonesse from the Red Knight. Malory based the name on
Gaheriet or
Guerrehet, which was the name of a similar character in French sources. It may ultimately have a Welsh origin, possibly from the name
Gwrhyd meaning
"valour" (found in the tale
Culhwch and Olwen) or
Gwairydd meaning
"hay lord" (found in the chronicle
Brut y Brenhinedd).
Garth m EnglishFrom an English surname meaning
"garden" in Old Norse, originally denoting one who lived near or worked in a garden.
Gedaliah m BiblicalMeans
"Yahweh is great" in Hebrew, from
גָּדַל (gaḏal) meaning "to grow, to become great" and
יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. This is the name of several characters in the Old Testament, including the governor of Judah appointed by Nebuchadnezzar.
Gerlach m Dutch (Rare), GermanicDerived from the Old German element
ger "spear" combined with (possibly)
lahhi "doctor, healer". Saint Gerlach was a 12th-century Dutch soldier who became a hermit.
Gian-nah-tah m ApacheMeans
"always ready" in Apache. This was the name of a 19th-century chief of the Mescalero Apache.
Gilgamesh m Sumerian Mythology, Semitic MythologyPossibly means
"the ancestor is a hero", from Sumerian
𒉋𒂵 (bilga) meaning "ancestor" and
𒈩 (mes) meaning "hero, young man". This was the name of a Sumerian hero, later appearing in the Akkadian poem the
Epic of Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh, with his friend
Enkidu, battled the giant Humbaba and stopped the rampage of the Bull of Heaven, besides other adventures. Gilgamesh was probably based on a real person: a king of Uruk who ruled around the 27th century BC.
Gormlaith f Old IrishDerived from Old Irish
gorm "blue" or "illustrious" and
flaith "ruler, sovereign, princess". This was the name of several medieval Irish royals, including the wife of the 11th-century king
Brian Boru.