Aelita f Literature, Russian, LatvianCreated by Russian author Aleksey Tolstoy for his science fiction novel
Aelita (1923), where it belongs to a Martian princess. In the book, the name is said to mean "starlight seen for the last time" in the Martian language.
Aija f LatvianOf uncertain meaning, possibly related to Latvian
aijāt meaning
"to rock, to lull". It was used by the Latvian writer Jānis Jaunsudrabiņš for the title character of his novel
Aija (1911).
Aivars m LatvianLatvian form of
Ivar. The Latvian author Vilis Lācis used it for a character in his novel
Uz Jauno Krastu (1952).
Aleksandra f Russian, Ukrainian, Polish, Serbian, Bulgarian, Slovene, Croatian, Macedonian, Finnish, Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian, GeorgianForm of
Alexandra in several languages.
Alma 1 f English, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Latvian, Lithuanian, Albanian, Slovene, CroatianThis name became popular after the Battle of Alma (1854), which took place near the River Alma in Crimea and ended in a victory for Britain and France. However, the name was in rare use before the battle; it was probably inspired by Latin
almus "nourishing". It also coincides with the Spanish word meaning
"the soul".
Alvis m Norse Mythology, LatvianFrom the Old Norse
Alvíss meaning
"all wise". In Norse mythology this was the name of a dwarf who was to marry
Thor's daughter
Thrud. Thor was not pleased with this so he tricked Alvis by asking him questions until the sun rose, at which time the dwarf was turned into stone.
Amanda f English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Hungarian, Latvian, Late RomanIn part this is a feminine form of
Amandus. However, it was not used during the Middle Ages. In the 17th century it was recreated by authors and poets who based it directly on Latin
amanda meaning
"lovable, worthy of love". Notably, the playwright Colley Cibber used it for a character in his play
Love's Last Shift (1696). It came into regular use during the 19th century.
Anita 1 f Spanish, Portuguese, Croatian, Slovene, English, Dutch, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Polish, Latvian, HungarianSpanish, Portuguese, Croatian and Slovene diminutive of
Ana.
Anna f English, Italian, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Latvian, Greek, Hungarian, Polish, Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Czech, Slovak, Bulgarian, Armenian, Icelandic, Faroese, Catalan, Occitan, Breton, Scottish Gaelic, Biblical, Biblical Greek, Biblical Latin, Old Church SlavicForm of
Hannah used in the Greek and Latin Old Testament. Many later Old Testament translations, including the English, use the
Hannah spelling instead of
Anna. The name appears briefly in the New Testament belonging to a prophetess who recognized
Jesus as the Messiah. It was a popular name in the Byzantine Empire from an early date, and in the Middle Ages it became common among Western Christians due to veneration of Saint Anna (usually known as Saint Anne in English), the name traditionally assigned to the mother of the Virgin
Mary.
... [more] Bruno m German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Croatian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Latvian, GermanicDerived from the Old German element
brunna meaning
"armour, protection" (Proto-Germanic *
brunjǭ) or
brun meaning
"brown" (Proto-Germanic *
brūnaz). Saint Bruno of Cologne was a German monk of the 11th century who founded the Carthusian Order. The surname has belonged to Giordano Bruno, a philosopher burned at the stake by the Inquisition. A modern bearer is the American singer Bruno Mars (1985-), born Peter Gene Hernandez.
Daiga f LatvianMeaning unknown, possibly related to Lithuanian
daigas meaning
"sprout, seedling".
Dina 1 f Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Latvian, Russian, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Biblical Hebrew, Biblical Greek, Biblical LatinForm of
Dinah in several languages, as well as the form in the Hebrew, Greek and Latin Old Testament.
Eleonora f Italian, German, Swedish, Latvian, Lithuanian, Dutch, Polish, Bulgarian, Russian, Ukrainian, GreekForm of
Eleanor in several languages.
Emma f English, French, Italian, Spanish, Catalan, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Finnish, Latvian, Dutch, German, Hungarian, GermanicOriginally a short form of Germanic names that began with the element
irmin meaning
"whole" or
"great" (Proto-Germanic *
ermunaz). It was introduced to England by Emma of Normandy, who was the wife both of King Ethelred II (and by him the mother of Edward the Confessor) and later of King Canute. It was also borne by an 11th-century Austrian saint, who is sometimes called
Hemma.
... [more] Gundega f LatvianMeans
"buttercup (flower)" in Latvian. This name was used by the Latvian playwright Anna Brigadere in her play
Princese Gundega un Karalis Brusubārda (1923).
Ieva f Lithuanian, LatvianLithuanian and Latvian form of
Eve. This is also the Lithuanian and Latvian word for a type of cherry tree (species Prunus padus).
Ilga f LatvianDerived from Latvian
ilgas meaning
"longing, desire" or
ilgs meaning
"long time".
Imants m LatvianPossibly from Livonian (a Finnic language that was spoken in Latvia)
im "miracle" and
and "to give".
Inga f Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Icelandic, Estonian, Finnish, Latvian, Lithuanian, German, Polish, Russian, Old Norse, GermanicStrictly feminine form of
Inge.
Ivo 1 m German, Dutch, Czech, Italian, Portuguese, Estonian, Latvian, GermanicGermanic name, originally a short form of names beginning with the element
iwa meaning
"yew". Alternative theories suggest that it may in fact be derived from a cognate Celtic element. This was the name of saints (who are also commonly known as Saint
Yves or
Ives), hailing from Cornwall, France, and Brittany.
Juta f Estonian, LatvianEstonian and Latvian form of
Jutta. This is the name of a character in the Estonian legend
Lake Endla and Juta (1852) by Friedrich Robert Faehlmann.
Laima f Lithuanian, Latvian, Baltic MythologyFrom Latvian
laime and Lithuanian
laima, which mean
"luck, fate". This was the name of the Latvian and Lithuanian goddess of fate, luck, pregnancy and childbirth. She was the sister of the goddesses Dēkla and Kārta, who were also associated with fate.
Larisa f Russian, Ukrainian, Romanian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Slovene, Greek MythologyPossibly derived from the name of the ancient city of Larisa in Thessaly, which meant
"citadel". In Greek legends, the nymph Larisa was either a daughter or mother of Pelasgus, the ancestor of the mythical Pelasgians. This name was later borne by a 4th-century Greek martyr who is venerated as a saint in the Eastern Church. The name (of the city, nymph and saint) is commonly Latinized as
Larissa, with a double
s. As a Ukrainian name, it is more commonly transcribed
Larysa.
Lauma f Latvian, Baltic MythologyMeaning unknown. In Latvian mythology this is the name of a forest spirit sometimes associated with childbirth and weaving.
Laura f English, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Catalan, French, Finnish, Estonian, Hungarian, Polish, Slovene, Croatian, Czech, Slovak, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Dutch, Lithuanian, Latvian, Late RomanFeminine form of the Late Latin name
Laurus, which meant
"laurel". This meaning was favourable, since in ancient Rome the leaves of laurel trees were used to create victors' garlands. The name was borne by the 9th-century Spanish martyr Saint Laura, who was a nun thrown into a vat of molten lead by the Moors. It was also the name of the subject of poems by the 14th-century Italian poet Petrarch.
... [more] Līga f LatvianFrom the Latvian holiday
Līgo, celebrated at the summer solstice.
Linda f English, German, Dutch, Italian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, French, Latvian, Finnish, Estonian, Hungarian, Czech, Slovak, GermanicOriginally a medieval short form of Germanic names containing the element
lind meaning
"soft, flexible, tender" (Proto-Germanic *
linþaz). It also coincides with the Spanish and Portuguese word
linda meaning
"beautiful". In the English-speaking world this name experienced a spike in popularity beginning in the 1930s, peaking in the late 1940s, and declining shortly after that. It was the most popular name for girls in the United States from 1947 to 1952.
Ludmila f Czech, Latvian, RussianMeans
"favour of the people" from the Slavic elements
ľudŭ "people" and
milŭ "gracious, dear". Saint Ludmila was a 10th-century duchess of Bohemia, the grandmother of Saint Václav. She was murdered on the orders of her daughter-in-law Drahomíra.
... [more] Madara f LatvianFrom the Latvian name for a type of flowering plant, known as cleavers or bedstraw in English.
Maija f Finnish, LatvianFinnish and Latvian variant of
Maria or
Marija. The Latvian playwright Anna Brigadere used this name for the main character in her play
Maija un Paija (1922).
Māra f Latvian, Baltic MythologyThis was the name of a Latvian mother goddess. Her name is possibly derived from
Maria, identifying her with the Virgin Mary. In modern times this name is used as a variant of
Marija.
Marianna f Italian, Hungarian, Slovak, Polish, Finnish, Estonian, Latvian, Russian, Greek, EnglishCombination of
Maria and
Anna. It can also be regarded as a variant of the Roman name
Mariana, or as a Latinized form of
Mariamne.
Marina f Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, English, Greek, Finnish, Estonian, Russian, Romanian, Czech, Bulgarian, Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Macedonian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Georgian, Ancient RomanFeminine form of
Marinus. This name was borne by a few early saints. This is also the name by which Saint
Margaret of Antioch is known in the Eastern Orthodox Church.
Marta f Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Catalan, Polish, Czech, Slovak, German, Dutch, Romanian, Slovene, Bulgarian, Serbian, Croatian, Macedonian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Russian, Swedish, Icelandic, Latvian, Estonian, GeorgianForm of
Martha used in various languages.
Miervaldis m LatvianMeans
"ruling with peace", from Latvian
miers "peace" and
valdīt "to rule".
Mirdza f LatvianDerived from Latvian
mirdzēt meaning
"to shine, to glitter". This is the name of a tragic character in the play
Vaidelote (1894) by the Latvian poet and playwright Aspazija.
Monika f German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Czech, Slovak, Polish, Slovene, Croatian, Bulgarian, Lithuanian, LatvianForm of
Monica used in various languages.
Monta f LatvianModern Latvian name, possibly from Latin
mons "mountain".
Olga f Russian, Ukrainian, Polish, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Finnish, Estonian, Latvian, Hungarian, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, Czech, Slovene, Serbian, Bulgarian, GreekRussian form of the Old Norse name
Helga. The 10th-century Saint Olga was the wife of
Igor I, the ruler of Kievan Rus (a state based around the city of Kyiv). Like her husband she was probably a Varangian, who were Norse people who settled in Eastern Europe beginning in the 9th century. Following Igor's death she ruled as regent for her son
Svyatoslav for 18 years. After she was baptized in Constantinople she attempted to convert her subjects to Christianity, though this goal was only achieved by her grandson
Vladimir.
Paula f German, English, Finnish, Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, Romanian, Hungarian, Polish, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Latvian, Croatian, Ancient RomanFeminine form of
Paulus (see
Paul). This was the name of a 4th-century Roman saint who was a companion of Saint
Jerome.
Rīta f Latvian (Rare)Possibly derived from Latvian
rīts meaning
"morning". Alternatively it could be a Latvian variant of
Rita.
Rita f Italian, English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Estonian, Hungarian, Spanish, Portuguese, Latvian, LithuanianShort 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).
Rūta f Lithuanian, LatvianMeans
"rue" in Lithuanian, the rue plant being a bitter medicinal herb that is a national symbol of Lithuania. This is also the Lithuanian form of
Ruth 1.
Sandra f Italian, English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, Macedonian, Czech, RomanianShort form of
Alessandra. It was introduced to the English-speaking world (where it is usually used independently of
Alexandra) by author George Meredith, who used it for the heroine in his novel
Emilia in England (1864) and the reissued version
Sandra Belloni (1887). A famous bearer is the American actress Sandra Bullock (1964-).
Svetlana f Russian, Slovak, Bulgarian, Serbian, Macedonian, Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Armenian, GeorgianDerived from Russian
свет (svet) meaning
"light, world". It was popularized by the poem
Svetlana (1813) by the poet Vasily Zhukovsky. It is sometimes used as a translation of
Photine.
Valdis m LatvianShort form of
Voldemārs and other Latvian names containing the Baltic/Germanic element
vald "rule".