Levi m Hebrew, English, Dutch, German, Biblical, Biblical LatinPossibly means
"joined, attached" in Hebrew. As told in the Old Testament, Levi was the third son of
Jacob and
Leah, and the ancestor of one of the twelve tribes of the Israelites, known as the Levites. This was the tribe that formed the priestly class of the Israelites. The brothers
Moses and
Aaron were members. This name also occurs in the New Testament, where it is borne by a son of
Alphaeus. He might be the same person as the apostle
Matthew.
... [more] 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.
Link m EnglishShort form of
Lincoln. This is the name of the hero in the
Legend of Zelda video game series (first appearing in 1986), derived from the English word
link meaning
"link, connection". He is called
リンク (Rinku) in Japanese.
Lita f EnglishShort form of names ending in
lita. This name was brought to the public eye in the 1920s due to Lita Grey (1908-1995), who was the second wife of Charlie Chaplin. Her birth name was Lillita Louise MacMurray.
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.
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.
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.
Love 2 f EnglishSimply from the English word
love, derived from Old English
lufu.
Luke m English, BiblicalEnglish form of Latin
Lucas, from the Greek name
Λουκᾶς (Loukas), probably a shortened form of
Λουκανός (Loukanos) meaning
"from Lucania", Lucania being a region in southern Italy. Luke was a doctor who travelled in the company of the apostle
Paul. According to tradition, he was the author of the third gospel and Acts in the New Testament. He was probably of Greek ethnicity. He is considered a saint by many Christian denominations.
... [more] Lyle m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from Norman French
l'isle meaning
"island".
Lynn f & m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from Welsh
llyn meaning
"lake". Before the start of the 20th century it was primarily used for boys, but it has since come to be more common for girls. In some cases it may be thought of as a short form of
Linda or names that end in
lyn or
line.
Mack 1 m EnglishFrom a surname, originally a shortened form of various Irish and Scottish surnames beginning with
Mac or
Mc (from Irish
mac meaning "son"). It is also used as a generic slang term for a man.
Macy f EnglishFrom an English surname that was from various towns called
Massy in France. The towns themselves were originally derived from a Gallo-Roman personal name that was Latinized as
Maccius. The name was brought to public attention in 1989 when the character Macy Alexander was introduced to the soap opera
The Bold and the Beautiful. It is also notable as the name of a chain of American department stores founded by Rowland Hussey Macy in 1858.
Mark m English, Russian, Belarusian, Dutch, Danish, Armenian, BiblicalForm of Latin
Marcus used in several languages. Saint Mark was the author of the second gospel in the New Testament. Though the author's identity is not certain, some traditions hold him to be the same person as the John Mark who appears in the Book of Acts. He is the patron saint of Venice, where he is supposedly buried. Though in use during the Middle Ages,
Mark was not common in the English-speaking world until the 19th century, when it began to be used alongside the classical form
Marcus.
... [more] Mary f English, BiblicalUsual English form of
Maria, the Latin form of the New Testament Greek names
Μαριάμ (Mariam) and
Μαρία (Maria) — the spellings are interchangeable — which were from Hebrew
מִרְיָם (Miryam), a name borne by the sister of
Moses in the Old Testament. The meaning is not known for certain, but there are several theories including
"sea of bitterness",
"rebelliousness", and
"wished for child". However it was most likely originally an Egyptian name, perhaps derived in part from
mry "beloved" or
mr "love".
... [more] Matt m EnglishShort form of
Matthew. Famous bearers include American actors Matt Dillon (1964-) and Matt Damon (1970-).
Maud f English, French, Dutch, SwedishMedieval English and French form of
Matilda. Though it became rare after the 14th century, it was revived and once more grew popular in the 19th century, perhaps due to Alfred Tennyson's 1855 poem
Maud.
Maya 2 f EnglishVariant of
Maia 1. This name can also be given in reference to the Maya, an indigenous people of southern Mexico and parts of Central America whose civilization flourished between the 3rd and 8th centuries. A famous bearer was the American poet and author Maya Angelou (1928-2014).
Milo m English, GermanicOld German form of
Miles, as well as the Latinized form. This form was revived as an English name in the 19th century.
Mina 1 f English, DutchShort form of
Wilhelmina and other names ending in
mina. This was the name of a character in the novel
Dracula (1897) by Bram Stoker.
Mona 1 f Irish, EnglishAnglicized form of
Muadhnait. It is also associated with Greek
monos "one" and Leonardo da Vinci's painting the
Mona Lisa (in which case it is a contraction of Italian
ma donna meaning "my lady").
Moon 2 f & m English (Rare)From the English word for Earth's natural satellite, ultimately from Old English
mona.
Myra f EnglishCreated by the 17th-century poet Fulke Greville. He possibly based it on Latin
myrra meaning "myrrh" (a fragrant resin obtained from a tree). Otherwise, he may have simply rearranged the letters from the name
Mary. Although unrelated etymologically, this is also the name of an ancient city of Anatolia.
Nash m English (Modern)From an English surname that was derived from the Middle English phrase
atten ash "at the ash tree". A famous bearer of the surname was the mathematician John Nash (1928-2015).
... [more] Navy f & m English (Modern)From the English word meaning
"sea force, fleet, armed forces of the sea". It is derived from Old French
navie, from Latin
navigia, the plural of
navigium "boat, vessel". It also refers to a shade of dark blue, a colour traditionally associated with naval uniforms.
Neil m Irish, Scottish, EnglishFrom the Irish name
Niall, which is of disputed origin, possibly connected to the old Celtic root *
nītu- "fury, passion" or the (possibly related) Old Irish word
nia "hero". A derivation from Old Irish
nél "cloud" has also been suggested. This was the name of a few early Irish kings, notably Niall of the Nine Hostages, a semi-legendary high king of the 4th or 5th century.
... [more] Nell f EnglishMedieval diminutive of names beginning with
El, such as
Eleanor,
Ellen 1 or
Helen. It may have arisen from the medieval affectionate phrase
mine El, which was later reinterpreted as
my Nel.
Nena f EnglishVariant of
Nina 1, also coinciding with the Spanish word
nena meaning
"baby girl".
Nick m English, DutchShort form of
Nicholas. It is borne by the comic character Nick Bottom in Shakespeare's play
A Midsummer Night's Dream (1595).
Nina 1 f Russian, Italian, English, German, French, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Lithuanian, Dutch, Polish, Slovene, Czech, Slovak, Croatian, Serbian, Bulgarian, Ukrainian, BelarusianShort form of names that end in
nina, such as
Antonina or
Giannina. It was imported to Western Europe from Russia and Italy in the 19th century. This name also nearly coincides with the Spanish word
niña meaning
"little girl" (the word is pronounced differently than the name).
... [more] Noah 1 m English, German, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Dutch (Modern), French (Modern), BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
נֹחַ (Noaḥ) meaning
"rest, repose", derived from the root
נוּחַ (nuaḥ). According to the Old Testament, Noah was the builder of the Ark that allowed him, his family, and animals of each species to survive the Great Flood. After the flood he received the sign of the rainbow as a covenant from God. He was the father of
Shem,
Ham and
Japheth.
... [more] Noel m & f EnglishEnglish form of
Noël or
Noëlle (rarely). It was fairly popular in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand in the middle of the 20th century. It is occasionally written with a diaeresis, like in French. A famous bearer is British musician Noel Gallagher (1967-).
Nola f EnglishMeaning uncertain, possibly a feminine form of
Noll inspired by
Lola. It has been most common in Australia and New Zealand, especially in the first half of the 20th century.
Nona 2 f English, Ancient Roman (Rare)Feminine form of
Nonus. It was also used in 19th-century England, derived directly from Latin
nonus "ninth" and traditionally given to the ninth-born child.
Nyah f English (Modern)Meaning unknown, possibly a variant of
Nia 2 or
Nia 3. This name briefly entered the American popularity charts after it was featured in the movie
Mission: Impossible 2 (2000).
Nyla f EnglishProbably a feminine form of
Niles. It gained popularity in the early 2000s, influenced by similar-sounding names such as
Kyla.
Odin m Norse Mythology, English (Modern)Anglicized form of Old Norse
Óðinn, which was derived from
óðr meaning
"inspiration, rage, frenzy". It ultimately developed from Proto-Germanic *
Wōdanaz. The name appears as
Woden in Anglo-Saxon sources (for example, as the founder of several royal lineages in the
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle) and in forms such as
Wuotan,
Wotan or
Wodan in continental Europe, though he is best known from Norse sources.
... [more] Omar 1 m Arabic, Bosnian, Kazakh, Malay, English, Spanish, ItalianAlternate transcription of Arabic
عمر (see
Umar). This is the usual English spelling of the name of the 12th-century poet Umar Khayyam. In his honour it has sometimes been used in the English-speaking world, notably for the American general Omar Bradley (1893-1981).
Onyx m & f EnglishFrom the English word for the gemstone (a variety of chalcedony), which can be black, red or other colours. It is derived from Greek
ὄνυξ (onyx) meaning "claw, nail".
Opal f EnglishFrom the English word
opal for the iridescent gemstone, the birthstone of October. The word ultimately derives from Sanskrit
उपल (upala) meaning "jewel".
Oral m EnglishMeaning uncertain. This name was borne by the influential American evangelist Oral Roberts (1918-2009), who was apparently named by his cousin.
Otis m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from the medieval given name
Ode, a cognate of
Otto. In America it has been used in honour of the revolutionary James Otis (1725-1783).
Otto m German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, GermanicLater German form of
Audo, originally a short form of various names beginning with Old Frankish
aud or Old High German
ot meaning
"wealth, fortune". This was the name of a 9th-century king of the West Franks (name usually spelled as
Odo). This was also the name of four kings of Germany, starting in the 10th century with Otto I, the first Holy Roman Emperor, known as Otto the Great. Saint Otto of Bamberg was a 12th-century missionary to Pomerania. The name was also borne by a 19th-century king of Greece, originally from Bavaria. Another notable bearer was the German chancellor Otto von Bismarck (1815-1898).
Pace m English (Rare)From an English surname that was derived from the Middle English word
pace meaning
"peace".
Paul m English, French, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Estonian, Romanian, BiblicalFrom the Roman family name
Paulus, which meant
"small" or
"humble" in Latin. Paul was an important leader of the early Christian church. According to Acts in the New Testament, he was a Jewish Roman citizen who converted to Christianity after the resurrected
Jesus appeared to him. After this he travelled the eastern Mediterranean as a missionary. His original Hebrew name was
Saul. Many of the epistles in the New Testament were authored by him.
... [more] Phil m EnglishShort form of
Philip and various other names beginning with
Phil, often a Greek element meaning "friend, dear, beloved".
Posy f EnglishDiminutive of
Josephine. It can also be inspired by the English word
posy for a bunch of flowers.
Rafe m EnglishVariant of
Ralph. This form became common during the 17th century, reflecting the usual pronunciation.
Rand m EnglishShort form of
Randolf and other names beginning with
Rand. As a surname (also derived from Randolf), it was borne as a pen name by the Russian-American author Ayn Rand (1905-1982).
Reed m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from Old English
read meaning
"red", originally a nickname given to a person with red hair or a ruddy complexion. Unconnected, this is also the English word for tall grass-like plants that grow in marshes.
Rhys m Welsh, EnglishFrom Old Welsh
Ris, probably meaning
"ardour, enthusiasm". Several Welsh rulers have borne this name, including the 12th-century Rhys ap Gruffydd who fought against the invading Normans.
Rick m EnglishShort form of
Richard or names ending in
rick. A notable fictional bearer is Rick Blaine, portrayed by Humphrey Bogart, from the movie
Casablanca (1942).
Rita f Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, English, German, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Hungarian, Latvian, Lithuanian, EstonianShort form of
Margherita and other names ending in
rita. Saint Rita (born Margherita Lotti) was a 15th-century nun from Cascia, Italy. Another famous bearer was the American actress Rita Hayworth (1918-1987).
Rolf m German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, EnglishFrom the Old German name
Hrolf (or its Old Norse cognate
Hrólfr), a contracted form of
Hrodulf (see
Rudolf). The Normans introduced this name to England but it soon became rare. In the modern era it has occasionally been used in the English-speaking world as a German import.
Rory m & f Irish, Scottish, EnglishAnglicized form of
Ruaidhrí. Typically a masculine name, it gained some popularity for girls in the United States after it was used on the television series
Gilmore Girls (2000-2007), in this case as a nickname for
Lorelai. Despite this, the name has grown more common for boys in America, especially after 2011, perhaps due to Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy (1989-).
Rosa 1 f Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Catalan, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Finnish, Dutch, German, EnglishGenerally this can be considered to be from Latin
rosa meaning
"rose", though originally it may have come from the unrelated Germanic name
Roza 2. This was the name of a 13th-century saint from Viterbo in Italy. In the English-speaking world it was first used in the 19th century. Famous bearers include the Polish-German revolutionary Rosa Luxemburg (1871-1919) and the American civil rights activist Rosa Parks (1913-2005).
Rose f English, FrenchOriginally a Norman French form of the Germanic name
Hrodohaidis meaning
"famous type", composed of the elements
hruod "fame" and
heit "kind, sort, type". The Normans introduced it to England in the forms
Roese and
Rohese. From an early date it was associated with the word for the fragrant flower
rose (derived from Latin
rosa). When the name was revived in the 19th century, it was probably with the flower in mind.
Ross m Scottish, EnglishFrom a Scottish and English surname that originally indicated a person from a place called
Ross (such as the region of Ross in northern Scotland), derived from Gaelic
ros meaning "promontory, headland". A famous bearer of the surname was James Clark Ross (1800-1862), an Antarctic explorer.
Ruby f EnglishSimply from the name of the precious stone (which ultimately derives from Latin
ruber "red"), which is the traditional birthstone of July. It came into use as a given name in the 16th century.
Ruth 1 f English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Estonian, Spanish, Biblical, Biblical LatinFrom the Hebrew name
רוּת (Ruṯ), probably derived from the word
רְעוּת (reʿuṯ) meaning
"female friend". This is the name of the central character in the Book of Ruth in the Old Testament. She was a Moabite woman who accompanied her mother-in-law
Naomi back to Bethlehem after Ruth's husband died. There she met and married
Boaz. She was an ancestor of King
David.
... [more] Ryan m EnglishFrom a common Irish surname, the Anglicized form of
Ó Riain. This patronymic derives from the given name
Rian, which is of uncertain meaning. It is traditionally said to mean
"little king", from Irish
rí "king" combined with a diminutive suffix.
... [more] Sage f & m English (Modern)From the English word
sage, which denotes either a type of spice or else a wise person.
Sara f Hebrew, Greek, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, French, Catalan, Galician, Romanian, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Finnish, Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, Albanian, Macedonian, Polish, English, Arabic, Persian, Amharic, Tigrinya, Biblical Hebrew, Biblical LatinForm of
Sarah used in various languages.
Sean m Irish, EnglishAnglicized form of
Seán. This name name, along with variants
Shawn and
Shaun, began to be be used in the English-speaking world outside of Ireland around the middle of the 20th century.
Sela f English (Rare)From the name of a city, the capital of Edom, which appears in the Old Testament. It means "rock" in Hebrew.
Shaw m English (Rare)From a surname. As an English surname it is derived from Old English
sceaga meaning
"thicket". As a Scottish surname it is derived from the Gaelic byname
Sitheach meaning
"wolf".
Skye f English (Modern)From the name of the Isle of Skye off the west coast of Scotland. It is sometimes considered a variant of
Sky.
Stan 1 m EnglishShort form of
Stanley. A famous bearer was British comedian Stan Laurel (1890-1965).
Star f EnglishFrom the English word for the celestial body, ultimately from Old English
steorra.
Tara 1 f EnglishAnglicized form of the Irish place name
Teamhair, which possibly means
"elevated place". This was the name of the sacred hill near Dublin where the Irish high kings resided. It was popularized as a given name by the novel
Gone with the Wind (1936) and the subsequent movie adaptation (1939), in which it is the name of the O'Hara plantation.
Tate m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from the Old English given name
Tata.
Teal f English (Rare)From the English word for the type of duck or the greenish-blue colour.
Tess f English, DutchShort form of
Theresa. This is the name of the main character in Thomas Hardy's novel
Tess of the d'Urbervilles (1891).
Tina f English, Italian, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, German, Slovene, Croatian, Macedonian, GeorgianShort form of
Christina,
Martina and other names ending in
tina. In addition to these names, it is also used in Dutch as a short form of
Catharina, in Swedish and Croatian as a short form of
Katarina, and in Georgian as a short form of
Tinatin. A famous bearer is the American musician Tina Turner (1939-2023), born Anna Mae Bullock.
Toby m & f EnglishMedieval form of
Tobias. It was sometimes used as a feminine name in the 1930s and 40s due to the influence of American actress Toby Wing (1915-2001).
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.
Tony m EnglishShort form of
Anthony. Famous bearers include singer Tony Bennett (1926-2023) and skateboarder Tony Hawk (1968-). It is also the real name of the comic book superhero Iron Man (Tony Stark), created 1963, and two antihero criminal characters: Tony Montana from the movie
Scarface (1983) and Tony Soprano from the television series
The Sopranos (1999-2007).
Trey m EnglishFrom an English nickname meaning
"three".
Troy m EnglishOriginally from a surname that denoted a person from the city of Troyes in France. It is now more likely used in reference to the ancient city of Troy that was besieged by the Greeks in
Homer's
Iliad. The city's name, from Greek
Τροία (Troia), is said to derive from its mythical founder
Τρώς (Tros), but is more likely of Luwian or Hittite origin. This name was popularized in the 1960s by the actor Troy Donahue (1936-2001), who took his stage name from that of the ancient city.
Tyra f Swedish, English, African AmericanFrom the Old Norse name
Þýri, a variant of the Norse names
Þórví or
Þórveig. Use of the name in the English-speaking world (especially among African Americans) may be in part from the Swedish name, though it is probably also viewed as a feminine form of
Tyrone or
Tyree. A famous bearer is the American model and actress Tyra Banks (1973-).
Vera 1 f Russian, English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, Hungarian, Slovene, Serbian, Croatian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Belarusian, GeorgianMeans
"faith" in Russian, though it is sometimes associated with the Latin word
verus "true". It has been in general use in the English-speaking world since the late 19th century.
Vere m English (Rare)From a Norman surname, which was from a French place name, which was itself derived from a Gaulish word meaning
"alder".
Walt m EnglishShort form of
Walter. A famous bearer was the American animator and filmmaker Walt Disney (1901-1966).
Ward 1 m EnglishFrom an occupational surname for a watchman, derived from Old English
weard "guard".
Will m EnglishShort form of
William and other names beginning with
Will. A famous bearer is American actor Will Smith (1968-), whose full name is Willard.
Wilt m EnglishShort form of
Wilton. This name was borne by basketball player Wilt Chamberlain (1936-1999).
Wren f English (Modern)From the English word for the small songbird. It is ultimately derived from Old English
wrenna.
Yale m English (Rare)From a Welsh surname, which was itself derived from a place name meaning
"fertile upland" (from Welsh
ial).
York m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from York, the name of a city in northern England. The city name was originally
Eburacon, Latinized as
Eboracum, meaning "yew" in Brythonic. In the Anglo-Saxon period it was corrupted to
Eoforwic, as if from Old English
eofor "boar" and
wic "village". This was rendered as
Jórvík by the Vikings and eventually reduced to
York.
Zane 1 m EnglishFrom an English surname of unknown meaning. It was introduced as a given name by American author Zane Grey (1872-1939). Zane was in fact his middle name — it had been his mother's maiden name.
Zara 1 f Literature, EnglishUsed by William Congreve for a character in his tragedy
The Mourning Bride (1697), where it belongs to a captive North African queen. Congreve may have based it on the Arabic name
Zahra 1. In 1736 the English writer Aaron Hill used it to translate
Zaïre for his popular adaptation of Voltaire's French play
Zaïre (1732).
... [more] Zena f EnglishMeaning unknown. It could be a variant of
Xenia or a diminutive of names featuring this sound, such as
Alexina,
Rosina or
Zenobia. This name has occasionally been used since the 19th century.
Zola 1 f EnglishMeaning unknown, perhaps an invented name. It has been in occasional use in the English-speaking world since the 19th century. It coincides with an Italian surname, a famous bearer being the French-Italian author Émile Zola (1840-1902).
Zula 2 f EnglishMeaning unknown. It has been in use since the 19th century. It is possibly related to the name of the African tribe that lives largely in South Africa, the Zulus. In the 19th century the Zulus were a powerful nation under their leader Shaka.