Anwar m Arabic, Urdu, IndonesianMeans
"brighter, more luminous" in Arabic, related to
نور (nūr) meaning "light". This name was borne by Egyptian president Anwar Sadat (1918-1981), who was assassinated three years after being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Arwa f ArabicMeans
"female ibex, mountain goat" in Arabic. This name was borne by some relatives of the Prophet
Muhammad. It was also the name of a 12th-century queen of Yemen.
Cadwaladr m WelshFrom Old Welsh
Catgualatr (also recorded in many other spellings) meaning
"leader of the battle", from
cat "battle" and
gwaladr "leader". This was the name of a 7th-century king of Gwynedd. According to Geoffrey of Monmouth he was the last king of all of the Britons. This name was also borne by a 7th-century Welsh saint.
Conway m EnglishFrom a Welsh surname that was derived from the name of the River Conwy, which possibly means "foremost water" in Welsh.
Dehgewanus f SenecaFrom a name, also spelled as
Dickewamis or
Dehhewämis, which was given to the young British settler Mary Jemison (1743-1833) after she was captured and assimilated into the Seneca. Much later she claimed the name meant
"pretty girl, pleasant thing", though this interpretation does not seem to be valid.
Dewayne m EnglishVariant of
Duane, with the spelling altered due to the influence of
Wayne. It can be spelled
Dewayne or with a capitalized third letter as
DeWayne.
Durward m EnglishFrom an occupational surname meaning
"door guard" in Middle English.
Dwayne m EnglishVariant of
Duane, with the spelling altered due to the influence of
Wayne. A notable bearer is the American actor Dwayne Johnson (1972-), known as The Rock when he was a professional wrestler.
Eadwald m Anglo-SaxonDerived from the Old English elements
ead "wealth, fortune" and
weald "powerful, mighty". This was the name of an 8th-century king of East Anglia.
Edward m English, PolishMeans
"rich guard", derived from the Old English elements
ead "wealth, fortune" and
weard "guard". This was the name of several Anglo-Saxon kings, the last being Saint Edward the Confessor shortly before the Norman Conquest in the 11th century. He was known as a just ruler, and because of his popularity his name remained in use after the conquest when most other Old English names were replaced by Norman ones. The 13th-century Plantagenet king Henry III named his son and successor after the saint, and seven subsequent kings of England were also named Edward.
... [more] Ewald m German, Dutch, GermanicFrom an Old German name that was composed of the elements
ewa "law, custom" and
walt "power, authority". This name was borne by two 7th-century saints from Northumbria who were martyred in Saxony.
Ewart m English (Rare)From an English and Scottish surname that was either based on a Norman form of
Edward, or else derived from a place name of unknown meaning.
Gawain m Arthurian CycleMeaning uncertain, from the Latin form
Gualguainus used in the 12th-century chronicles of Geoffrey of Monmouth (appearing also as
Walganus,
Gwalguanus and other spellings in different copies of the text), where he is one of the knights who serve his uncle King
Arthur. He can be identified with the earlier Welsh hero Gwalchmai, and it is possible that the name derives from
Gwalchmai or a misreading of it.
... [more] Gwalchmai m Welsh MythologyDerived from Welsh
gwalch "hawk", possibly combined with
Mai "May (month)" or
mai "field, plain". This is the name of a character in Welsh legend (appearing in
Culhwch and Olwen for example). He is probably the antecedent of
Gawain from later Arthurian romance.
Hereward m Anglo-SaxonDerived from the Old English elements
here "army" and
weard "guard". This was the name of an 11th-century Anglo-Saxon leader who rebelled against Norman rule.
Hiawatha m History, Iroquois (Anglicized)Meaning uncertain, of Iroquois origin, possibly meaning
"he who combs". This was the name of a Mohawk or Onondaga leader who founded the Iroquois Confederacy around the 15th century. He was later the subject of a fictionalized 1855 poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
Howard m EnglishFrom an English surname that can derive from several different sources: the Anglo-Norman given name
Huard, which was from the Germanic name
Hughard; the Anglo-Scandinavian given name
Haward, from the Old Norse name
Hávarðr; or the Middle English term
ewehirde meaning "ewe herder". This is the surname of a British noble family, members of which have held the title Duke of Norfolk from the 15th century to the present. A famous bearer of the given name was the American industrialist Howard Hughes (1905-1976).
Hwan m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
煥 (hwan) meaning "shining, brilliant, lustrous" or other characters that are pronounced similarly. It usually occurs in combination with another character.
Idwal m WelshFrom the Old Welsh name
Iudgual derived from
iudd "lord" combined with
gual "ruler, leader".
Iwan m Welsh, PolishModern Welsh form of
Ieuan, a medieval Welsh form of
Iohannes (see
John). It is also a Polish form of
Ivan.
Jawad m ArabicMeans
"generous" in Arabic, a derivative of
جاد (jāda) meaning "to be excellent, to be generous".
Kawacatoose m Cree (Anglicized)From Cree
ᑲᐋᐧᐦᑲᑐᐢ (Kawâhkatos) meaning
"poor man, weak from hunger". This was the name of a 19th-century Plains Cree chief in Saskatchewan.
Khwaja m UrduFrom the Persian title
خواجه (khājeh) meaning
"master, owner". It is more commonly a title than a given name.
Kwaku m AkanMeans
"born on Wednesday" in Akan.
Kwame m AkanMeans
"born on Saturday" in Akan.
Lawal m HausaFrom Arabic
أوّل (ʾawwal) meaning
"first". It is sometimes added to the name of the first of multiple siblings who share the same given name.
LaWanda f African AmericanCombination of the popular prefix
la and the name
Wanda. This name has been used in America since the 1910s. It peaked in popularity in 1977, the same year that actress LaWanda Page (1920-2002) finished portraying the character Aunt Esther on the television comedy
Sanford and Son. It subsequently faded from the charts.
Longwang m Chinese MythologyFrom Chinese
龙 (lóng) meaning "dragon" and
王 (wáng) meaning "king". This is the Chinese name of the Dragon King, a god associated with water and rain.
Marwa f ArabicFrom the Arabic name of a fragrant plant. Al-Marwa is the name of one of the two sacred hills near Mecca.
Mistawasis m Cree (Anglicized)Means
"big child" in Cree, derived from
ᒥᐢᑕᐦᐃ (mistahi) "big, great" and
ᐊᐋᐧᓯᐢ (awâsis) "child". This was the name of a prominent 19th-century Cree chief.
Mwangi m KikuyuMeans
"rapid expansion" in Kikuyu. Kikuyu males were traditionally organized into age sets or generations. The
Mwangi generation started around the beginning of the 20th century and lasted for about 30 years.
Najwa f ArabicMeans
"secret, whisper, confidential talk" in Arabic, from the root
نجا (najā) meaning "to save, to entrust, to confide in".
Nüwa f Chinese MythologyFrom Chinese
女 (nǚ) meaning "woman, female" and
娲 (wā), a character of uncertain origin that refers to the goddess herself. This is the name of the creator goddess in Chinese mythology, depicted as a snake with a human head. She molded humans from earth or clay with her brother
Fuxi.
Onangwatgo m Oneida (Anglicized)Means
"big medicine" in Oneida, from
onúhkwaht "medicine" and the suffix
-koó "big, great". This was the name of a chief of the Oneida people, also named Cornelius Hill (1834-1907).
Oswald m English, GermanDerived from the Old English elements
os "god" and
weald "powerful, mighty". Saint Oswald was a king of Northumbria who introduced Christianity to northeastern England in the 7th century before being killed in battle. There was also an Old Norse cognate
Ásvaldr in use in England, being borne by the 10th-century Saint Oswald of Worcester, who was of Danish ancestry. Though the name had died out by the end of the Middle Ages, it was revived in the 19th century.
Owain m Welsh, Arthurian CycleFrom an Old Welsh name (
Ougein,
Eugein and other spellings), which was possibly from the Latin name
Eugenius. Other theories connect it to the Celtic roots *
owi- "sheep", *
wesu- "good" or *
awi- "desire" combined with the Old Welsh suffix
gen "born of". This is the name of several figures from British history, including Owain mab Urien, a 6th-century prince of Rheged who fought against the Angles. The 12th-century French poet Chrétien de Troyes adapted him into
Yvain for his Arthurian romance
Yvain, the Knight of the Lion. Regarded as one of the Knights of the Round Table, Yvain or Owain has since appeared in many other Arthurian tales, typically being the son of King
Urien of Gore, and the errant husband of
Laudine, the Lady of the Fountain.
... [more] Pitikwahanapiwiyin m Cree (Anglicized)From Cree
ᐲᐦᑐᑲᐦᐊᓇᐱᐏᔨᐣ (Pîhtokahanapiwiyin) meaning
"sits at the buffalo pound", derived from
ᐲᐦᑐᑲᐦᐋᐣ (pîhtokahân) "buffalo pound, buffalo corral" and
ᐊᐱᐤ (apiw) "sit". This was the name of a Plains Cree chief, also known as Poundmaker (1842-1886).
Potsʉnakwahipʉ m ComancheMeans
"male bison back" in Comanche, derived from
potsʉ "male bison" and
kwahi "back (body part)". This name was borne by a 19th-century war chief of the Penateka Comanche, also called Buffalo Hump.
Rowan m & f Irish, English (Modern)Anglicized form of the Irish name
Ruadhán. As an English name, it can also be derived from the surname Rowan, itself derived from the Irish given name. It could also be given in reference to the rowan tree, a word of Old Norse origin (coincidentally sharing the same Indo-European root meaning "red" with the Irish name).
Saraswati f Hinduism, Hindi, MarathiMeans
"possessing water" from Sanskrit
सरस् (saras) meaning "fluid, water, lake" and
वती (vatī) meaning "having". This is the name of a Hindu river goddess, also associated with learning and the arts, who is the wife of
Brahma. She appears in the Vedas.
Setiawan m IndonesianFrom Indonesian
setia meaning
"loyal, true", ultimately from Sanskrit
सत्य (satya), combined with the masculine suffix
-wan.
Sława f PolishShort form of names containing the Slavic element
slava meaning
"glory".
Swanhild f German (Rare)Derived from the Old German elements
swan "swan" and
hilt "battle". Swanhild (or Swanachild) was the second wife of the Frankish ruler Charles Martel in the 8th century.
Swarna m & f Telugu, HindiMeans
"good colour" or
"golden", a contraction of the Sanskrit prefix
सु (su) meaning "good" and
वर्ण (varṇa) meaning "colour". This is a transcription of both the masculine form
स्वर्ण and the feminine form
स्वर्णा (spelled with a long final vowel).
Swati f Hindi, MarathiFrom the Indian name of the fourth brightest star in the night sky, called
Arcturus in the western world.
Tafadzwa m & f ShonaMeans
"we are pleased" in Shona, from
fadza meaning "please, make happy".
Tenskwatawa m ShawneeMeans
"open door" in Shawnee. This name was borne by the Shawnee prophet Tenskwatawa (1775-1836). With his brother
Tecumseh he urged resistance against American expansion.
Tudwal m Welsh (Rare)From the Old Welsh and Breton name
Tutgual, derived from
tut "people, country" and
gual "ruler, leader". This was the name of a 6th-century Breton saint.
Tʉhʉyakwahipʉ m ComancheMeans
"horse back" in Comanche, derived from
tʉhʉya "horse" and
kwahi "back (body part)". This was the name of a 19th-century chief of the Nokoni Comanche.
Wace m Old NormanNorman form of
Wazo. This name was borne by a 12th-century Norman poet from the island of Jersey.
Wadud m ArabicMeans
"lover, affectionate" in Arabic, from the root
ودّ (wadda) meaning "to love". In Islamic tradition
الودود (al-Wadūd) is one of the 99 names of Allah.
Wærmund m Anglo-SaxonFrom Old English
wær "aware, cautious" and
mund "protection", making it a (partial) cognate of
Veremund. This was the name of a legendary ancestor of the Mercians according to the
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle.
Wafa f ArabicMeans
"loyalty, faithfulness" in Arabic, a derivative of
وفى (wafā) meaning "to fulfill, to live up to a promise".
Wafai m ArabicMeans
"loyalty, faithfulness" in Arabic, derived from
وفى (wafā) meaning "to fulfill, to live up to a promise".
Wafi m ArabicMeans
"trustworthy, reliable, loyal, perfect" in Arabic, derived from the root
وفى (wafā) meaning "to fulfill, to live up to a promise".
Wafula m LuhyaMeans
"born during the rainy season", from Luhya
ifula meaning "rainy season".
Wahunsenacawh m PowhatanMeaning unknown. This name was borne by a 17th-century chief of the Powhatan people. He was also known as Powhatan, as a result of confusion between his name and his birthplace.
Wail m ArabicPossibly means
"refuge, shelter" in Arabic.
Wairimu f KikuyuFrom Kikuyu
irimũ meaning
"ogre, giant". In the Kikuyu origin legend Wairimu is of one of the nine daughters of
Mumbi.
Wakana f JapaneseFrom Japanese
和 (wa) meaning "harmony, peace" and
奏 (kana) meaning "play music, complete", as well as other combinations of kanji that are pronounced the same way.
Walburga f GermanMeans
"power of the fortress" from Old German
walt meaning "power, authority" and
burg meaning "fortress" (or perhaps from Old English cognates, though as an Old English name it is unattested). This was the name of an 8th-century Anglo-Saxon saint who did missionary work in Germany.
Waldebert m GermanicGermanic name composed of the elements
walt "power, authority" and
beraht "bright". This was the name of a 7th-century Frankish saint from Luxeuil (called
Valbert or
Gaubert in French).
Waldo 1 m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from the Anglo-Scandinavian given name
Waltheof. Its present use in the English-speaking world is usually in honour of Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), an American transcendentalist, poet and author. His name came from a surname from his father's side of the family.
Waldo 2 m GermanicOriginally a short form of Germanic names containing the Old Frankish element
wald or Old High German element
walt meaning
"power, authority" (Proto-Germanic *
waldaz). This was the name of an 8th-century abbot of Reichenau. It was also borne by the 12th-century French merchant Peter Waldo, who founded the religious order of the Waldensians.
Walid m ArabicMeans
"newborn" in Arabic, derived from
ولد (walada) meaning "to give birth". This was the name of the Umayyad caliph who conquered Spain in the 8th century.
Walker m EnglishFrom an English surname that referred to the medieval occupational of a walker, also known as a fuller. Walkers would tread on wet, unprocessed wool in order to clean and thicken it. The word ultimately derives from Old English
wealcan "to walk".
Wallace m English, ScottishFrom a Scottish and English surname that was derived from Norman French
waleis meaning
"foreigner, Celt, Welshman" (of Germanic origin). It was first used as a given name in honour of William Wallace, a Scottish hero who led the fight against the English in the 13th century.
Wallis m & f English (Rare)From a surname that was a variant of
Wallace. Wallis Simpson (1895-1986) was the divorced woman whom Edward VIII married, which forced him to abdicate the British throne.
Walt m EnglishShort form of
Walter. A famous bearer was the American animator and filmmaker Walt Disney (1901-1966).
Wálter m Spanish, PortugueseSpanish and Portuguese variant form of
Walter, more common in South America than Europe. It is often written without the diacritic.
Walter m English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Polish, Italian, GermanicFrom the Germanic name
Waltheri meaning
"power of the army", from the elements
walt "power, authority" and
heri "army". In medieval German tales (notably
Waltharius by Ekkehard of Saint Gall) Walter of Aquitaine is a heroic king of the Visigoths. The name was also borne by an 11th-century French saint, Walter of Pontoise. The Normans brought it to England, where it replaced the Old English cognate
Wealdhere.
... [more] Waltheof m Anglo-SaxonOld English name derived from the Old Norse
Valþjófr. This was the name of a 12th-century English saint, an abbot of Melrose.
Walton m EnglishFrom a surname that was originally taken from various Old English place names meaning
"stream town",
"wood town", or
"wall town".
Waltraud f GermanFrom the Old German elements
walt "power, authority" and
drud "strength". This name was borne by a 7th-century Frankish saint who founded a convent near Mons, Belgium.
Wamalwa m LuhyaMeans
"born during the brewing season" in Luhya.
Wambui f KikuyuMeans
"zebra" in Kikuyu. This is one of
Mumbi's nine daughters in the Kikuyu origin legend.
Wanda f Polish, English, German, FrenchPossibly from a Germanic name meaning
"a Wend", referring to the Slavic people who inhabited eastern Germany. In Polish legends this was the name of the daughter of King Krak, the legendary founder of Krakow. It was introduced to the English-speaking world by the author Ouida, who used it for the heroine in her novel
Wanda (1883).
Wangari f KikuyuFrom Kikuyu
ngarĩ meaning
"leopard". In the Kikuyu origin legend this is the name of one of the nine daughters of
Mumbi.
Wangchuk m & f Tibetan, BhutaneseMeans
"mighty" in Tibetan, from
དབང (dbang) meaning "power" and
ཕྱུག (phyug) meaning "wealthy, possessing". This is the Tibetan name for the god
Shiva.
Wangui f KikuyuFrom Kikuyu
ngũi meaning
"song leader". This is one of
Mumbi's nine daughters in the Kikuyu origin legend.
Wanjala m LuhyaMeans
"born during famine", from Luhya
injala meaning "hunger, famine".
Wanjiku f KikuyuMeaning unknown. This is one of
Mumbi's nine daughters in the Kikuyu origin legend.
Wanjiru f KikuyuPossibly from Kikuyu
njĩra meaning
"way, path". In the Kikuyu origin legend this is the name of one of the nine daughters of
Mumbi.
Wanyonyi m LuhyaMeans
"born during the weeding season", from Luhya
enyonyi meaning "weeds".
Wapasha m SiouxMeans
"red leaf" in Dakota, from
waȟpé "leaf" and
šá "red". This was the name of several Dakota chiefs.
Ward 1 m EnglishFrom an occupational surname for a watchman, derived from Old English
weard "guard".
Warda f ArabicMeans
"rose" in Arabic, ultimately a borrowing from an Iranian language.
Wardell m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"watch hill" in Old English.
Warin m GermanicOld German name derived from the element
war meaning
"aware, cautious" (Proto-Germanic *
waraz, and the related verbs *
warjaną "to ward off" and *
warnōną "to ward off").
Wario m Popular CultureCombination of
Mario and Japanese
悪い (warui) meaning "bad, evil". This is the name of Mario's evil counterpart in Nintendo video games, first appearing 1992.
Warren m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived either from Norman French
warrene meaning
"animal enclosure", or else from the town of La Varenne in Normandy. This name was borne by the American president Warren G. Harding (1865-1923).
Warwick m English (Rare)From a surname that was derived from the name of a town in England, itself from Old English
wer "weir, dam" and
wic "settlement".
Washington m English, Spanish (Latin American), Portuguese (Brazilian)From a surname that was originally derived from the name of an English town, itself meaning
"settlement belonging to Wassa's people". The given name is usually given in honour of George Washington (1732-1799), commander of the Continental Army during the American Revolution and the first president of the United States.
Wasi m ArabicMeans
"broad-minded, liberal, learned" in Arabic.
Wasim m ArabicMeans
"handsome" in Arabic, related to the root
وسم (wasama) meaning "to mark, to distinguish".
Wassa f Anglo-SaxonMeaning uncertain. It may be a short form of a longer name such as
Wāðsige, composed of the elements
wāð "hunt" and
sige "victory".
Watson m EnglishFrom an English surname meaning
"son of Wat". A famous fictional bearer of the surname was Dr. Watson, the assistant to Sherlock Holmes in Arthur Conan Doyle's mystery stories beginning in 1887.
Waverly f & m EnglishFrom the rare English surname
Waverley, derived from the name of a place in Surrey, itself possibly from Old English
wæfre "flickering, wavering" and
leah "woodland, clearing".
... [more] Wawatam m OjibwePossibly means
"little goose" in Ojibwe. This was the name of an 18th-century chief of the Ottawa people.