English Names

Connor m Irish, English (Modern)
Variant of Conor, based on the usual spelling of the surname that is derived from the name. This is currently the most common way of spelling it in the English-speaking world, apart from Ireland.

Conor m Irish, English, Irish Mythology
Anglicized form of Conchobar (or the Modern Irish form Conchúr).

Conrad m English, German, Germanic
Means "brave counsel", derived from the Old German elements kuoni "brave" and rat "counsel, advice". This was the name of a 10th-century saint and bishop of Konstanz, in southern Germany. It was also borne by several medieval German kings and dukes, notably Conrad II, the first of the Holy Roman Emperors from the Salic dynasty. In England it was occasionally used during the Middle Ages, but has only been common since the 19th century when it was reintroduced from Germany.

Constance f English, French
Medieval form of Constantia. The Normans introduced this name to England (it was the name of a daughter of William the Conqueror).

Constant m French, Dutch (Rare), English (Rare)
From the Late Latin name Constans. It was also used by the Puritans as a vocabulary name, from the English word constant.

Conway m English
From a Welsh surname that was derived from the name of the River Conwy, which possibly means "foremost water" in Welsh.

Cooper m English
From a surname meaning "barrel maker", from Middle English couper.

Cora f English, German, Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Kore. It was not used as a given name in the English-speaking world until after it was employed by James Fenimore Cooper for a character in his novel The Last of the Mohicans (1826). In some cases it may be a short form of Cordula, Corinna and other names beginning with a similar sound.

Coral f English, Spanish
From the English and Spanish word coral for the underwater skeletal deposits that can form reefs. It is ultimately derived (via Old French and Latin) from Greek κοράλλιον (korallion).

Corbin m English
From a French surname that was derived from corbeau "raven", originally denoting a person who had dark hair. The name was probably popularized in America by actor Corbin Bernsen (1954-).

Cordelia f Literature, English
From Cordeilla, a name appearing in the 12th-century chronicles of Geoffrey of Monmouth, borne by the youngest of the three daughters of King Leir and the only one to remain loyal to her father. Geoffrey possibly based her name on that of Creiddylad, a character from Welsh legend.... [more]

Cordell m English
From an English surname meaning "maker of cord" or "seller of cord" in Middle English.

Coreen f English (Rare)
Variant of Corinne.

Coretta f English
Diminutive of Cora. It was borne by Coretta Scott King (1927-2006), the wife of Martin Luther King Jr.

Corey m English
From an English surname that was derived from the Old Norse given name Kóri, of unknown meaning. This name became popular in the 1960s due to the character Corey Baker on the television series Julia.

Cori f English
Feminine form of Corey.

Coriander f English (Rare)
From the name of the spice, also called cilantro, which may ultimately be of Phoenician origin (via Latin and Greek).

Corie f English
Variant of Corrie.

Corinna f German, Italian, English, Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Latinized form of the Greek name Κόριννα (Korinna), which was derived from κόρη (kore) meaning "maiden". This was the name of a Greek lyric poet of the 5th century BC. The Roman poet Ovid used it for the main female character in his book Amores. In the modern era it has been in use since the 17th century, when Robert Herrick used it in his poem Corinna's going a-Maying.

Corinne f French, English
French form of Corinna. The French-Swiss author Madame de Staël used it for her novel Corinne (1807).

Cornelia f German, Romanian, Italian, Dutch, English, Ancient Roman
Feminine form of Cornelius. In the 2nd century BC it was borne by Cornelia Scipionis Africana (the daughter of the military hero Scipio Africanus), the mother of the two reformers known as the Gracchi. After her death she was regarded as an example of the ideal Roman woman. The name was revived in the 18th century.

Cornelius m Ancient Roman, English, Dutch, German, Biblical
Roman family name that possibly derives from the Latin element cornu meaning "horn". In Acts in the New Testament Cornelius is a centurion who is directed by an angel to seek Peter. After speaking with Peter he converts to Christianity, and he is traditionally deemed the first gentile convert. The name was also borne by a few early saints, including a 3rd-century pope. In England it came into use in the 16th century, partly due to Dutch influence.

Cornell m English
From an English surname that was derived from the given name Cornelius.

Corrie f English, Dutch
Diminutive of Corinna, Cora, Cornelia, and other names starting with Cor. Since the 1970s it has also been used as a feminine form of Corey.

Corrina f English
Variant of Corinna.

Corrine f English
Variant of Corinne.

Cortney f & m English
Variant of Courtney.

Corwin m English
From an English surname, derived from Old French cordoan "leather", ultimately from the name of the Spanish city of Cordova.

Cory m English
Variant of Corey.

Corynn f English (Rare)
Variant of Corinne.

Cosmo m Italian, English
Italian variant of Cosimo. It was introduced to Britain in the 18th century by the second Scottish Duke of Gordon, who named his son and successor after his friend Cosimo III de' Medici. On the American sitcom Seinfeld (1989-1998) this was the seldom-used first name of Jerry's neighbour Kramer.

Coty m English (Modern)
Variant of Cody.

Courteney f English
Variant of Courtney. A famous bearer is actress Courteney Cox (1964-).

Courtney f & m English
From an aristocratic English surname that was derived either from the French place name Courtenay (originally a derivative of the personal name Curtenus, itself derived from Latin curtus "short") or else from a Norman nickname meaning "short nose".... [more]

Cove m & f English (Rare)
From the English vocabulary word cove, which refers to a small coastal inlet.

Coy m English
From a surname that meant "quiet, shy, coy" from Middle English coi.

Craig m Scottish, English
From a Scottish surname that was derived from Gaelic creag meaning "crag, rocks, outcrop", originally indicating a person who lived near a crag.

Crawford m English
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "crow ford" in Old English.

Cree m & f English (Rare)
From the name of a Native American tribe of central Canada. Their name derives via French from the Cree word kiristino.

Creighton m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from a place name, originally from Gaelic crioch "border" combined with Old English tun "town".

Crew m English (Modern)
Either from a surname that was derived from the English town of Crewe (from Old Welsh criu meaning "weir"), or from the English vocabulary word for a group of people.

Crispian m English (Archaic)
Medieval variant of Crispin.

Crispin m English (Rare)
From the Roman cognomen Crispinus, which was derived from the name Crispus. Saint Crispin was a 3rd-century Roman who was martyred with his twin brother Crispinian in Gaul. They are the patrons of shoemakers. They were popular saints in England during the Middle Ages, and the name has occasionally been used since that time.

Cristen f English (Modern)
Variant of Kristin.

Crofton m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "town with a small enclosed field" in Old English.

Crosby m English (Modern)
From a surname that was derived from the name of an English town, itself meaning "cross town" in Old Norse.

Crystal f English
From the English word crystal for the clear, colourless glass, sometimes cut into the shape of a gemstone. The English word derives ultimately from Greek κρύσταλλος (krystallos) meaning "ice". It has been in use as a given name since the 19th century.

Cullen m English
From a surname, either Cullen 1 or Cullen 2. It jumped a little in popularity as a given name after Stephenie Meyer's novel Twilight (2005), featuring a vampire named Edward Cullen, was adapted into a movie in 2008.

Curran m English (Rare)
From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Corraidhín, itself from the given name Corraidhín.

Curt m English
Either a variant of Kurt or short form of Curtis.

Curtis m English
From an English surname that originally meant "courteous" in Old French.

Cuthbert m English (Rare)
Derived from the Old English elements cuþ "known, familiar" and beorht "bright". Saint Cuthbert was a 6th-century hermit who became the bishop of Lindisfarne, an island off the coast of England. He was known as performer of healing miracles. Because of the saint, this name remained in use in England even after the Norman Conquest. It became rare after the Protestant Reformation, but it was (briefly) revived in the 19th century.

Cy m English
Short form of Cyrus or Cyril.

Cyan f & m English (Rare)
From the English word meaning "greenish blue, cyan", ultimately derived from Greek κύανος (kyanos).

Cybill f English (Rare)
Variant of Sibyl. This name was borne by actress Cybill Shepherd (1950-), who was named after her grandfather Cy and her father Bill.

Cydney f English (Modern)
Variant of Sydney.

Cymone f English (Rare)
Variant of Simone 1.

Cyndi f English
Short form of Cynthia.

Cynthia f English, French, Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Greek Κυνθία (Kynthia), which means "woman from Cynthus". This was an epithet of the Greek moon goddess Artemis, given because Cynthus was the mountain on Delos on which she and her twin brother Apollo were born. It was not used as a given name until the Renaissance, and it did not become common in the English-speaking world until the 19th century. It reached a peak of popularity in the United States in 1957 and has declined steadily since then.

Cyril m English, French, Czech, Slovak
From the Greek name Κύριλλος (Kyrillos), which was derived from Greek κύριος (kyrios) meaning "lord", a word used frequently in the Greek Bible to refer to God or Jesus.... [more]

Cyrilla f English (Rare)
Feminine form of Cyril.

Cyrus m English, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Old Persian (Latinized)
Latin form of Greek Κῦρος (Kyros), from the Old Persian name 𐎤𐎢𐎽𐎢𐏁 (Kuruš), possibly meaning "young" or "humiliator (of the enemy)". Alternatively it could be of Elamite origin. The name has sometimes been associated with Greek κύριος (kyrios) meaning "lord".... [more]

Dacre m English (Rare)
From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name in Cumbria, of Brythonic origin meaning "trickling stream".

Daffodil f English (Rare)
From the name of the flower, ultimately derived from Dutch de affodil meaning "the asphodel".

Dahlia f English (Modern)
From the name of the flower, which was named for the Swedish botanist Anders Dahl.

Daisy f English
Simply from the English word for the white flower, ultimately derived from Old English dægeseage meaning "day eye". It was first used as a given name in the 19th century, at the same time many other plant and flower names were coined.... [more]

Dakota m & f English (Modern)
From the name of the Native American people of the northern Mississippi Valley, or from the two American states that were named for them: North and South Dakota (until 1889 unified as the Dakota Territory). The tribal name means "allies, friends" in the Dakota language.... [more]

Dale m & f English
From an English surname that originally belonged to a person who lived near a dale or valley.

Daley f & m English (Rare), Dutch (Modern)
From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Dálaigh, itself derived from the given name Dálach. Its recent popularity in the Netherlands can be attributed to the Dutch soccer player Daley Blind (1990-).

Dallas m & f English
From a surname that could either be of Old English origin meaning "valley house" or of Scottish Gaelic origin meaning "meadow dwelling". A city in Texas bears this name, probably in honour of American Vice President George M. Dallas (1792-1864).

Dalton m English
From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "valley town" in Old English. A notable bearer of the surname was John Dalton (1766-1844), the English chemist and physicist who theorized about the existence of atoms.

Daly f & m English (Rare)
From a surname that was a variant of Daley.

Damian m English, Polish, Romanian, Dutch (Modern)
From the Greek name Δαμιανός (Damianos), which was derived from Greek δαμάζω (damazo) meaning "to tame". Saint Damian was martyred with his twin brother Cosmas in Syria early in the 4th century. They are the patron saints of physicians. Due to his renown, the name came into general use in Christian Europe. Another saint by this name was Peter Damian, an 11th-century cardinal and theologian from Italy.

Damion m English
Variant of Damian.

Damon m Greek Mythology, English
Derived from Greek δαμάζω (damazo) meaning "to tame". According to Greek legend, Damon and Pythias were friends who lived on Syracuse in the 4th century BC. When Pythias was sentenced to death, he was allowed to temporarily go free on the condition that Damon take his place in prison. Pythias returned just before Damon was to be executed in his place, and the king was so impressed with their loyalty to one another that he pardoned Pythias. As an English given name, it has only been regularly used since the 20th century.

Dan 2 m English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Romanian, Czech, German, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian
Short form of Daniel.

Dana 2 m & f English
From a surname that is of unknown origin. It was originally given in honour of American lawyer Richard Henry Dana Jr. (1815-1882), the author of the memoir Two Years Before the Mast.

Dane m English
From an English surname that was either a variant of the surname Dean or else an ethnic name referring to a person from Denmark.

Danette f English
Feminine diminutive of Daniel.

Dani 1 f English
Diminutive of Danielle.

Danica f Serbian, Croatian, Slovene, Slovak, Macedonian, English
From a Slavic word meaning "morning star, Venus". This name occurs in Slavic folklore as a personification of the morning star. It has sometimes been used in the English-speaking world since the 1970s.

Daniel m English, Hebrew, French, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, Romanian, Slovene, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Croatian, Finnish, Estonian, Armenian, Georgian, Biblical, Biblical Greek
From the Hebrew name דָּנִיֵּאל (Daniyyel) meaning "God is my judge", from the roots דִּין (din) meaning "to judge" and אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". Daniel was a Hebrew prophet whose story is told in the Book of Daniel in the Old Testament. He lived during the Jewish captivity in Babylon, where he served in the court of the king, rising to prominence by interpreting the king's dreams. The book also presents Daniel's four visions of the end of the world.... [more]

Daniela f Italian, German, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Romanian, Portuguese, Spanish, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Hebrew, English
Feminine form of Daniel.

Daniella f English, Hungarian
Feminine form of Daniel.

Danielle f French, English, Dutch
French feminine form of Daniel. It has been commonly used in the English-speaking world only since the 20th century.

Danika f English (Modern)
Variant of Danica.

Danita f English
Feminine diminutive of Daniel.

Danna f English
Feminine form of Daniel or Dan 1.

Danni f & m English, Danish
Diminutive of Danielle (English) or Daniel (Danish).

Dannie m & f English
Diminutive of Daniel or Danielle.

Danny m English, Dutch
Diminutive of Daniel.

Daphne f Greek Mythology, English, Dutch
Means "laurel" in Greek. In Greek mythology she was a nymph turned into a laurel tree by her father in order that she might escape the pursuit of Apollo. It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the end of the 19th century.

Darby m & f English
From an English surname, which was derived from the name of the town of Derby, itself from Old Norse djúr "animal" and býr "farm, settlement".

Darcey f English
Feminine variant of Darcy.

Darcie f English
Feminine variant of Darcy.

D'Arcy f & m English
Variant of Darcy.

Darcy f & m English
From an English surname that was derived from Norman French d'Arcy, originally denoting one who came from the town of Arcy in La Manche, France. This is the surname of a character, Fitzwilliam Darcy, in Jane Austen's novel Pride and Prejudice (1813).

Darden m English (Rare)
From an English surname of unknown meaning, possibly from a place name.

Darell m English
Variant of Darrell.

Daren m English
Variant of Darren. In fact this form occurs earlier in American records, though Darren eventually became more popular.

Daria f Italian, Polish, Romanian, English, Croatian, Russian, Late Roman
Feminine form of Darius. Saint Daria was a 3rd-century woman who was martyred with her husband Chrysanthus under the Roman emperor Numerian. It has never been a particularly common English given name. As a Russian name, it is more commonly transcribed Darya.

Darian m & f English
Probably an elaborated form of Darren.

Dariel m English (Modern), Spanish (Caribbean, Modern)
Probably an elaborated form of Darrell, with an ending similar to biblical names such as Daniel.

Darien m English
Variant of Darian.

Darin m English
Variant of Darren. This was the adopted surname of the singer Bobby Darin (1936-1973), who was born Robert Cassotto and chose his stage name from a street sign.

Darion m English (Modern)
Variant of Darian.

Darius m English, Lithuanian, Romanian, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Old Persian (Latinized)
Latin form of Greek Δαρεῖος (Dareios), from the Old Persian name 𐎭𐎠𐎼𐎹𐎢𐏁 (Darayauš), shortened from 𐎭𐎠𐎼𐎹𐎺𐎢𐏁 (Darayavauš). It means "possessing goodness", composed of 𐎭𐎠𐎼𐎹 (daraya) meaning "to possess, to hold" and 𐎺𐎢 (vau) meaning "good". Three ancient kings of Persia bore this name, including Darius the Great who expanded the Achaemenid Empire to its greatest extent. His forces invaded Greece but were defeated in the Battle of Marathon.... [more]

Darla f English
Variant of Darlene using the suffix la.

Darleen f English
Variant of Darlene.

Darlene f English
From the English word darling combined with the common name suffix lene. This name has been in use since the beginning of the 20th century.

Darnell m English, African American
From an English surname that was derived from Old French darnel, a type of grass. In some cases the surname may be from a place name, itself derived from Old English derne "hidden" and halh "nook".

Darrel m English
Variant of Darrell.

Darrell m English, African American
From an English surname that was derived from Norman French d'Airelle, originally denoting one who came from Airelle in France. As a given name it was moderately popular from the 1930s to the 1970s, but it dropped off the American top 1000 rankings in 2018.

Darren m English
The meaning of this name is not known for certain. In the spelling Daren, it was used by the novelist Zane Grey for the central character in his novel The Day of the Beast (1922). Grey may have based it on a rare Irish surname, or perhaps created it as a variant of Darrell. It was brought to public attention in the late 1950s by the American actor Darren McGavin (1922-2006; born as William Lyle Richardson). It was further popularized in the 1960s by the character Darrin Stephens from the television show Bewitched.

Darrin m English
Variant of Darren.

Darryl m English, African American
Variant of Darrell. In the United States, this spelling was more popular than Darrell from 1960 to 1966, being especially well-used in the African-American community.

Darwin m English
From a surname that was derived from the Old English given name Deorwine. The surname was borne by the British naturalist Charles Darwin (1809-1882), the man who first proposed the theory of natural selection and subsequently revolutionized biology.

Daryl m English
Variant of Darrell.

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.

Dashiell m English (Rare)
In the case of American author Dashiell Hammett (1894-1961) it was from his mother's surname, which was possibly an Anglicized form of French de Chiel, of unknown meaning.

Dave m English
Short form of David.

Davena f English (Rare)
Variant of Davina.

Davey m English
Diminutive of David.

David m English, Hebrew, French, Scottish, Welsh, Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Czech, Slovene, Russian, Croatian, Serbian, Macedonian, Romanian, Biblical, Biblical Latin
From the Hebrew name דָּוִד (Dawiḏ), which was derived from דּוֹד (doḏ) meaning "beloved" or "uncle". David was the second and greatest of the kings of Israel, ruling in the 10th century BC. Several stories about him are told in the Old Testament, including his defeat of Goliath, a giant Philistine. According to the New Testament, Jesus was descended from him.... [more]

Davida f English (Rare)
Feminine form of David.

Davie m English, Scottish
Diminutive of David.

Davin m English
Possibly a variant of Devin influenced by David.

Davina f English
Feminine form of David. It originated in Scotland.

Davinia f English (Rare), Spanish (Modern)
Probably an elaboration of Davina. About 1980 this name jumped in popularity in Spain, possibly due to the main character on the British television series The Foundation (1977-1979), which was broadcast in Spain as La Fundación.

Davis m English
From an English surname that was derived from the given name David. A famous bearer of the surname was Jefferson Davis (1808-1889), the only president of the Confederate States of America.

Davy m English
Diminutive of David.

Dawn f English
From the English word dawn, ultimately derived from Old English dagung.

Dawson m English
From an English surname meaning "son of David". As a given name, it was popularized in the late 1990s by the central character on the television drama Dawson's Creek (1998-2003). In the United States the number of boys receiving the name increased tenfold between 1997 and 1999. It got another boost in 2014 after it was used for a main character in the movie The Best of Me.

Dax m English
From an English surname, which was derived either from the town of Dax in France or from the Old English given name Dæcca (of unknown meaning). The name was brought to public attention by the main character in the 1966 novel The Adventurers and its 1970 movie adaptation. It became popular in the 2010s due to its similarity to other names like Max and Jax.

Daxton m English (Modern)
Elaboration of Dax influenced by names such as Paxton and Braxton.

Dayna f English
Feminine variant of Dana 2.

Dayton m English
From an English surname that was derived from places named Deighton, meaning "ditch town" in Old English. Dayton is also the name of a city in Ohio. As a given name, it gained a bit of popularity in the 1990s, probably because it shares a similar sound with names such as Peyton and Clayton.

Deacon m English (Modern)
Either from the occupational surname Deacon or directly from the vocabulary word deacon, which refers to a cleric in the Christian church (ultimately from Greek διάκονος (diakonos) meaning "servant").

Dean m English
From a surname, see Dean 1 and Dean 2. The actor James Dean (1931-1955) was a famous bearer of the surname.

Deana f English
Variant of Deanna.

Deanna f English
Either a variant of Diana or a feminine form of Dean. This name was popularized by the Canadian actress and singer Deanna Durbin (1921-2013), whose birth name was Edna. Her stage name was a rearrangement of the letters of her real name.

Deanne f English
Variant of Deanna.

Deb f English
Short form of Deborah.

Debbi f English
Diminutive of Deborah.

Debbie f English
Diminutive of Deborah.

Debby f English
Diminutive of Deborah.

Debi f English
Diminutive of Deborah.

Deborah f English, Biblical
From 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]

Debra f English
Variant of Deborah.

Declan m Irish, English
Anglicized form of Irish Deaglán, Old Irish Declán, which is of unknown meaning. Saint Declan was a 5th-century missionary to the Déisi peoples of Ireland and the founder of the monastery at Ardmore.... [more]

Dederick m English (Archaic)
Older form of Derek.

Dee f & m English
Short form of names beginning with D. It may also be given in reference to the Dee River in Scotland.

Deeann f English
Variant of Deanna.

Deedee f English
Originally a nickname, typically for names beginning with D. It can be spelled Deedee, DeeDee or Dee Dee.

Deemer m English (Rare)
From an English and Scottish surname meaning "judge", from Old English demere.

Deena f English
Variant of Deanna.

Deforest m English
From a French surname meaning "from the forest". It was originally given in honour of American author John Deforest (1826-1906).

Deforrest m English (Rare)
Variant of Deforest.

Deidra f English
Variant of Deirdre.

Deidre f English
Variant of Deirdre.

Deirdre f English, Irish, Irish Mythology
From the Old Irish name Derdriu, meaning unknown, possibly derived from der meaning "daughter". This was the name of a tragic character in Irish legend who died of a broken heart after Conchobar, the king of Ulster, forced her to be his bride and killed her lover Naoise.... [more]

Deitra f English (Rare)
Variant of Deirdre.

Delaney f English (Modern)
From a surname: either the English surname Delaney 1 or the Irish surname Delaney 2.

Delano m English
From a surname, recorded as de la Noye in French, indicating that the bearer was from a place called La Noue (ultimately Gaulish meaning "wetland, swamp"). It has been used in honour of American president Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882-1945), whose middle name came from his mother's maiden name.

Delbert m English
Short form of Adelbert. As an American name it was first used in the New York area by people of Dutch ancestry.

Delia 1 f English, Italian, Spanish, Romanian, Greek Mythology
Means "of Delos" in Greek. This was an epithet of the Greek goddess Artemis, given because she and her twin brother Apollo were born on the island of Delos. The name appeared in several poems of the 16th and 17th centuries, and it has occasionally been used as a given name since that time.

Delia 2 f English
Short form of Adelia or Bedelia.

Delice f English (Rare)
Variant of Delicia.

Delicia f English (Rare)
Either from Latin deliciae "delight, pleasure" or a variant of the English word delicious. It has been used since the 17th century (rarely).

Delight f English (Rare)
Means simply "delight, happiness" from the English word.

Delilah f Biblical, English
Means "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.

Dell m & f English
From an English surname that originally denoted a person who lived in a dell or valley.

Della f English
Diminutive of Adela or Adelaide. A famous bearer was American actress and singer Della Reese (1931-2017).

Delma f English
Possibly a short form of Adelma.

Delmar m English
From an English surname that was derived from Norman French de la mare meaning "from the pond".

Delora f English
Altered form of Dolores.

Delores f English
Variant of Dolores.

Deloris f English
Variant of Dolores.

Delphia f English
Possibly from the name of the Greek city of Delphi, the site of an oracle of Apollo, which is possibly related to Greek δελφύς (delphys) meaning "womb". It was used in the play The Prophetess (1647), in which it belongs to the title prophetess.

Delroy m English (Rare)
Possibly an alteration of Leroy.

Delta f English
From the name of the fourth letter in the Greek alphabet, Δ. It is also the name for an island formed at the mouth of a river.

Demelza f English (British, Rare)
From a Cornish place name meaning "fort of Maeldaf". It has been used as a given name since the middle of the 20th century. It was popularized in the 1970s by a character from the British television series Poldark, which was set in Cornwall.

Demetria f Ancient Greek, English
Feminine form of Demetrius.

Demi f Greek, English (Modern)
Alternate transcription of Greek Δήμη or Ντίμι or Ντίμη (see Dimi), as well as a short form of Demetria. A famous bearer is American actress Demi Moore (1962-), and it is because of her that the name rose in popularity in the United States in the late 1980s. Though some sources claim Moore's birth name is Demetria, the actress herself has said she was born as Demi and named after a makeup product. The name received a further boost after 2008 with the release of the debut album by the singer Demi Lovato (1992-), who pronounces the name differently than the older actress. Lovato's birth name is Demetria.

Den m English
Short form of Dennis.

Dena f English
Possibly a short form of names ending with dena. It has also been used as a variant of Deanna.

Dene m & f English (Rare)
Possibly a variant of Dean or Dena.

Denholm m English (Rare)
From a surname that was originally taken from a place name meaning "valley island" in Old English.

Denice f English
Variant of Denise.

Denis m French, Russian, English, German, Czech, Slovak, Slovene, Romanian, Croatian, Albanian
From Denys or Denis, the medieval French forms of Dionysius. Saint Denis was a 3rd-century missionary to Gaul and the first bishop of Paris. He was martyred by decapitation, after which legend says he picked up his own severed head and walked for a distance while preaching a sermon. He is credited with converting the Gauls to Christianity and is considered the patron saint of France.... [more]

Denise f French, English, Dutch
French feminine form of Denis.

Dennis m English, German, Dutch
Usual English, German and Dutch form of Denis.

Denny m English
Diminutive of Dennis.

Denton m English
From a surname, originally from a place name, which meant "valley town" in Old English.

Denver m & f English
From an English surname that was from a place name meaning "Dane ford" in Old English. This is the name of the capital city of Colorado, which was named for the politician James W. Denver (1817-1892).

Denzel m English (Modern)
Possibly a variant of Denzil. This spelling of the name was popularized by American actor Denzel Washington (1954-), who was named after his father.

Denzil m English
From a surname that originally denoted a person from the manor of Denzell in Cornwall. This given name was borne by several members of the noble Holles family starting in the 16th century, notably the statesman Denzil Holles (1599-1680). They were named for John Denzel, an ancestor whose home was Denzell.

Deon m English, African American
Variant of Dion.

Deonne f English (Rare)
Variant of Dionne.

Derby m & f English (Rare)
From an English surname that was a variant of Darby.

Derek m English
From the older English name Dederick, which was in origin a Low German form of Theodoric. It was imported to England from the Low Countries in the 15th century.

Derick m English
Variant of Derek.

Derren m English (Rare)
Variant of Darren.

Derrick m English
Variant of Derek.

Derryl m English (Rare)
Variant of Darrell.

Deryck m English (Rare)
Variant of Derek.

Des m English
Short form of Desmond.

Desi m & f English
Diminutive of Desmond, Desiree and other names beginning with a similar sound. In the case of musician and actor Desi Arnaz (1917-1986) it was a diminutive of Desiderio.

Desirae f English (Modern)
Variant of Desiree.

Desiree f English
English form of Désirée. It was popularized in the English-speaking world by the movie Désirée (1954).

Desmond m English, Irish
Anglicized form of Irish Deasmhumhain meaning "south Munster", referring to the region of Desmond in southern Ireland, formerly a kingdom. It can also come from the related surname (an Anglicized form of Ó Deasmhumhnaigh), which indicated a person who came from that region. A famous bearer is the South African archbishop and activist Desmond Tutu (1931-2021).

Destinee f English (Modern)
Variant of Destiny.

Destiny f English
Means simply "destiny, fate" from the English word, ultimately from Latin destinare "to determine", a derivative of stare "to stand". It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world only since the last half of the 20th century.

Detta f English (Rare)
Short form of names that end in detta.

Devan m & f English (Modern)
Variant of Devin.

Deven m & f English (Modern)
Variant of Devin.

Devereux m English (Rare)
From an English surname, of Norman French origin, meaning "from Evreux". Evreux is a town in France.

Devin m & f English
From a surname, either the Irish surname Devin 1 or the English surname Devin 2.

Devon m & f English
Variant of Devin. It may also be partly inspired by the name of the county of Devon in England, which got its name from the Dumnonii, a Celtic tribe.

Devyn f & m English (Modern)
Variant of Devin.

Dewayne m English
Variant 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.

Dewey m English
Probably a variant of Dewi 1.

Dex m English
Short form of Dexter.

Dexter m English
From an occupational surname meaning "one who dyes" in Old English. It also coincides with the Latin word dexter meaning "right-handed, skilled".

Dezi m & f English (Rare)
Diminutive of Desmond and other names beginning with a similar sound.

Deziree f English (Rare)
Variant of Désirée.

Di f English
Short form of Diana.

Diamond f English (Rare), African American (Modern)
From the English word diamond for the clear colourless precious stone, the traditional birthstone of April. It is derived from Late Latin diamas, from Latin adamas, which is of Greek origin meaning "unconquerable, unbreakable".

Diana f English, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Catalan, German, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Estonian, Lithuanian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Armenian, Georgian, Roman Mythology
Means "divine, goddesslike", a derivative of Latin dia or diva meaning "goddess". It is ultimately related to the same Indo-European root *dyew- found in Zeus. Diana was a Roman goddess of the moon, hunting, forests and childbirth, often identified with the Greek goddess Artemis.... [more]

Diane f French, English
French form of Diana, also regularly used in the English-speaking world.

Diann f English
Variant of Diane.

Dianna f English
Variant of Diana.

Dianne f English
Variant of Diane.

Diantha f Dutch (Rare), English (Rare)
From dianthus, the name of a type of flower (ultimately from Greek meaning "heavenly flower").

Dick 1 m English
Medieval diminutive of Richard. The change in the initial consonant is said to have been caused by the way the trilled Norman R was pronounced by the English.

Digby m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from the name of an English town, itself derived from a combination of Old English dic "dyke, ditch" and Old Norse byr "farm, town".

Diggory m English (Rare)
Probably an Anglicized form of Degaré. Sir Degaré was the subject of a medieval poem set in Brittany. The name may mean "lost one" from French égaré.

Dillan m English (Modern)
Variant of Dylan.

Dillon m English
Variant of Dylan based on the spelling of the surname Dillon, which has an unrelated origin.

Dina 2 f Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, English
Short form of names ending in dina, such as Bernardina or Ondina. As an English name, this can also be a variant of Deanna.

Dinah f Biblical, English
Means "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.

Dion m Ancient Greek, English
Derived from the Greek element Διός (Dios) meaning "of Zeus". This was the name of a 4th-century BC tyrant of Syracuse. It has been used as an American given name since the middle of the 20th century.

Dione 2 f English
Feminine form of Dion.

Dionne f English
Feminine form of Dion.

Dior f & m English (Modern)
From a French surname, possibly from doré meaning "golden". As a given name it has been inspired by the French luxury fashion house Dior, founded by the designer Christian Dior (1905-1957).

Dirk m Dutch, Low German, German, English
Dutch and Low German short form of Diederik. This name was borne by several counts of Frisia and Holland, beginning in the 10th century. It was popularized in the English-speaking world by actor Dirk Bogarde (1921-1999), who had some Dutch ancestry. This is also the Scots word for a type of dagger.

Dixie f English
From the term that refers to the southern United States, used by Daniel D. Emmett in his song Dixie in 1859. The term may be derived from French dix "ten", which was printed on ten-dollar bills issued from a New Orleans bank. Alternatively it may come from the term Mason-Dixon Line, the boundary between Pennsylvania and Maryland.

Dixon m English
From an English surname meaning "Dick 1's son".

Dizzy m English
From an English word meaning "dizzy, lightheaded, unbalanced". This is usually a nickname, which might be adopted for various reasons. A notable bearer was the American jazz trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie (1917-1993), whose real given name was John.

Docia f English (Archaic)
Possibly a diminutive of Theodosia.

Dodie f English
Diminutive of Dorothy.

Dollie f English
Variant of Dolly.

Dolly f English
Diminutive of Dorothy. Doll and Dolly were used from the 16th century, and the common English word doll (for the plaything) is derived from them. In modern times this name is also sometimes used as a diminutive of Dolores.

Dolores f Spanish, English
Means "sorrows", taken from the Spanish title of the Virgin Mary Nuestra Señora de los Dolores, meaning "Our Lady of Sorrows". It has been used in the English-speaking world since the 19th century, becoming especially popular in America during the 1920s and 30s.

Dolph m English
Short form of Adolph.

Dom m English
Short form of Dominic.

Domenic m English
Variant of Dominic.

Dominic m English
From the Late Latin name Dominicus meaning "of the Lord". This name was traditionally given to a child born on Sunday. Several saints have borne this name, including the 13th-century founder of the Dominican order of friars. It was in this saint's honour that the name was first used in England, starting around the 13th century. It has historically seen more use among Catholics.

Dominica f English (Rare), Late Roman
Feminine form of Dominic.

Dominick m English
Variant of Dominic.

Don m English
Short form of Donald.

Dona f English
Variant of Donna.

Donald m Scottish, English
From the Scottish Gaelic name Dòmhnall meaning "ruler of the world", composed of the Old Irish elements domun "world" and fal "rule". This was the name of two 9th-century kings of the Scots and Picts. It has traditionally been very popular in Scotland, and during the 20th century it became common in the rest of the English-speaking world. This is the name of one of Walt Disney's most popular cartoon characters, Donald Duck, introduced 1931. It was also borne by Australian cricket player Donald Bradman (1908-2001) and former American president Donald Trump (1946-).

Donelle f English (Rare)
Feminine form of Don.

Donna f English
From Italian donna meaning "lady". It is also used as a feminine form of Donald.

Donnie m English
Diminutive of Donald.

Donny m English
Diminutive of Donald.

Donovan m English
From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Donndubháin, itself derived from the given name Donndubán. This name is borne by the Scottish folk musician Donovan Leitch (1946-), known simply as Donovan.

Dora f Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Greek, Croatian, Serbian, Bulgarian, English, German, Dutch
Short form of Dorothy, Theodora or Isidora.

Doran m English (Rare)
From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Deoradháin, from the byname Deoradhán, derived from Irish deoradh meaning "exile, wanderer" combined with a diminutive suffix.

Dorcas f Biblical, English (African)
Derived from Greek δορκάς (dorkas) meaning "gazelle". This is the Greek translation of the name Tabitha in the New Testament (see Acts 9:36). At present it is most commonly used in English-speaking Africa.

Dorean f English
Variant of Doreen.

Doreen f English
Combination of Dora and the name suffix een. This name first appeared in the 19th century. It was used by the novelist Edna Lyall in her novel Doreen (1894).

Doretta f English, Italian
Diminutive of Dora.

Doria f English (Rare)
Possibly a feminine form of Dorian or an elaboration of Dora.

Dorian m English, French, Romanian, Polish
The name was first used by Oscar Wilde in his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891), which tells the story of a man whose portrait ages while he stays young. Wilde may have taken it from the name of the ancient Greek tribe the Dorians.

Dorinda f English, Galician
Combination of Dora and the name suffix inda. It was apparently coined by the English writers John Dryden and William D'Avenant for their play The Enchanted Island (1667). In the play, a loose adaptation of Shakespeare's The Tempest, Dorinda is the sister of Miranda.

Dorine f English
Variant of Doreen.

Doris f English, German, Swedish, Danish, Croatian, Ancient Greek, Greek Mythology
From the Greek name Δωρίς (Doris), which meant "Dorian woman". The Dorians were a Greek tribe who occupied the Peloponnese starting in the 12th century BC. In Greek mythology Doris was a sea nymph, one of the many children of Oceanus and Tethys. It began to be used as an English name in the 19th century. A famous bearer is the American actress Doris Day (1924-2019).

Dorothea f German, Dutch, English, Ancient Greek
Feminine form of the Greek name Δωρόθεος (Dorotheos), which meant "gift of god" from Greek δῶρον (doron) meaning "gift" and θεός (theos) meaning "god". The name Theodore is composed of the same elements in reverse order. Dorothea was the name of two early saints, notably the 4th-century martyr Dorothea of Caesarea. It was also borne by the 14th-century Saint Dorothea of Montau, who was the patron saint of Prussia.

Dorothy f English
Usual English form of Dorothea. It has been in use since the 16th century. The author L. Frank Baum used it for the central character, Dorothy Gale, in his fantasy novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) and several of its sequels.

Dorris f English
Variant of Doris.

Dortha f English
Variant of Dorothy.

Dorthy f English
Variant of Dorothy.

Dory f English
Diminutive of Dorothy or Doris. This is the name of a fish in the animated film Finding Nemo (2003).

Dot f English
Diminutive of Dorothy.

Dottie f English
Diminutive of Dorothy.

Dotty f English
Diminutive of Dorothy.

Doug m English
Short form of Douglas.

Douglas m Scottish, English
From a Scottish surname that was from the name of a town in Lanarkshire, itself named after a tributary of the River Clyde called the Douglas Water. It means "dark river", derived from Gaelic dubh "dark" and glais "water, river" (an archaic word related to glas "grey, green"). This was a Scottish Lowland clan, the leaders of which were powerful earls in the medieval period. The Gaelic form is Dùghlas or Dùbhghlas. It has been used as a given name since the 16th century.

Douglass m English
Variant of Douglas.

Dove f English
From the English word for the variety of bird, seen as a symbol of peace.

Doyle m English
From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Dubhghaill, itself derived from the given name Dubhghall. A famous bearer of the surname was Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930), the author of the Sherlock Holmes mystery stories.

Drake m English
From an English surname derived from the Old Norse byname Draki or the Old English byname Draca both meaning "dragon", both via Latin from Greek δράκων (drakon) meaning "dragon, serpent". This name coincides with the unrelated English word drake meaning "male duck". A famous bearer is the Canadian actor and rapper Drake (1986-), who was born as Aubrey Drake Graham.

Dre m English
Short form of Andre. A famous bearer is the American rapper and music producer Dr. Dre (1965-), born Andre Young.

Drea f English
Short form of Andrea 2.

Dream f English (Modern)
From the English word dream referring to imaginary events seen in the mind while sleeping or a hope or wish.

Dreda f English (Archaic)
Short form of Etheldreda.

Drew m English
Short form of Andrew.

Drina f English (Rare)
Diminutive of Adriana or Alexandrina.