Madyson's Personal Name List

Means "beautiful" in Swahili.

Feminine form of Zosimos (see Zosimus).

Latinized form of Zosime and Italian feminine form of Zosimo.

Masculine form of Zora.

Perhaps means "enchanting" or "dawn" in Arabic. This was the name of a minor 12th-century Spanish saint, a convert from Islam. The name was used by Cervantes for a character in his novel Don Quixote (1606), in which Zoraida is a beautiful Moorish woman of Algiers who converts to Christianity and elopes with a Spanish officer.

Means "dawn, aurora" in the South Slavic languages, as well as Czech and Slovak.

From the Hebrew name צִפּוֹרָה (Tsippora), derived from צִפּוֹר (tsippor) meaning "bird" [1]. In the Old Testament this is the name of the Midianite wife of Moses. She was the daughter of the priest Jethro.

Alternate transcription of Hebrew זְאֵב (see Zeev).

French feminine form of Zephyrinus (see Zeferino).

From the Greek Ζέφυρος (Zephyros) meaning "west wind". Zephyros was the Greek god of the west wind.

Variant of Selma 1.

Means "wolf" in Hebrew, an animal particularly associated with the tribe of Benjamin (see Genesis 49:27).

Possibly based on Zahra 2 or the Nigerian city of Zaria.

Used 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).

In England the name was popularized when Princess Anne gave it to her daughter in 1981. Use of the name may also be influenced by the trendy Spanish clothing retailer Zara.

Diminutive of Rozalija.

It is most probable that it is the feminine form of the name Yvain. Though, it is commonly thought of as a combination of Yvonne and Elaine.

The name is most popularly recognized as the name of the fallen star in Neil Gaiman's novella 'Stardust'.

Anglicized form of Iorwerth.

Perhaps a feminine variant of Wiley or an invented name based on the sound of Twyla.

Elaborated form of Wren. It coincides with Old English wrenna meaning "(male) wren".

From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "enclosure belonging to Wine" in Old English.

Transferred use of the surname Whitley.

In the case of the character from J. M. Barrie's play Peter Pan (1904), it was created from the nickname fwendy "friend", given to the author by a young friend. However, the name was used prior to the play (rarely), in which case it could be related to the Welsh name Gwendolen and other names beginning with the element gwen meaning "white, blessed". The name only became common after Barrie's play ran.

From 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).

Place name from Old English: “wooded valley”.

Most famous as the name of Walden Pond in Massachusetts where philosopher Henry David Thoreau wrote his book “Walden”.

Used as a male name by J.K. Rowling in the "Harry Potter" books.

Probably a diminutive of Yvonne, Siobhan, Veronica, and other names containing the same sound.

French form of Viviana.

From the Latin name Vivianus, which was derived from Latin vivus "alive". Saint Vivian was a French bishop who provided protection during the Visigoth invasion of the 5th century. It has been occasionally used as an English (masculine) name since the Middle Ages. In modern times it is also used as a feminine name, in which case it is either an Anglicized form of Bébinn or a variant of Vivien 2.

Means "violet" in Latin. This is the name of the heroine of William Shakespeare's comedy Twelfth Night (1602). In the play she is the survivor of a shipwreck who disguises herself as a man named Cesario. Working as a messenger for Duke Orsino, she attempts to convince Olivia to marry him. Instead Viola falls in love with the duke.

Short form of names containing the Old Norse element víg "war".

Earlier form of Beatrix.

Variant of Verbena, the Latin name for the plant known in English as vervain. The spelling of the name might have been influenced by verveine, the French word for the plant.

French form of Verena.

Possibly related to Latin verus "true". This might also be a Coptic form of the Ptolemaic name Berenice. Saint Verena was a 3rd-century Egyptian-born nurse who went with the Theban Legion to Switzerland. After the legion was massacred she settled near Zurich.

Means "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.

The name of a star in the constellation Lyra. Its name is from Arabic الواقع (al-Wāqiʿ) meaning "the swooping (eagle)".

Feminine form of Varinius.

Diminutive of Ivan.

From the name of cities in Spain and Venezuela, both derived from Latin valentia meaning "strength, vigour".

From the English word meaning "wide river valley".

Probably from the Celtic name Drustan, a diminutive of Drust, which occurs as Drystan in a few Welsh sources. As Tristan, it first appears in 12th-century French tales, probably altered by association with Old French triste "sad". According to the tales Tristan was sent to Ireland by his uncle King Mark of Cornwall in order to fetch Iseult, who was to be the king's bride. On the way back, Tristan and Iseult accidentally drink a potion that makes them fall in love. Later versions of the tale make Tristan one of King Arthur's knights. His tragic story was very popular in the Middle Ages, and the name has occasionally been used since then.

Means "good" in Hebrew.

From the Old Norse name Þórsteinn, which meant "Thor's stone" from the name of the Norse god Þórr (see Thor) combined with steinn "stone".

Meaning unknown. It has been suggested that it is of Irish origin, though no suitable derivation can be found.

From the Hebrew name תִּרְצָה (Tirtsa) meaning "favourable". Tirzah is the name of one of the daughters of Zelophehad in the Old Testament. It also occurs in the Old Testament as a place name, the early residence of the kings of the northern kingdom.

Saint Tigris of Britain is traditionally recorded as a sister of Saint Patrick.
The origin and meaning of her name are unknown; however, Saint Patrick (and thus his family, too) is thought to be of either Breton or Welsh heritage and so it has been suggested that Saint Tigris's name might be of Celtic origin. One theory tries to connect her name to Celtic *tigir which may or may not be related to Gaelic tigern "lord".
Things are further complicated by the existence of 10th-century Spanish saint Tigrida or Tigridia with whom she is sometimes confused. Concerning her name, early 20th-century Irish historian and language scholar Helena Concannon theorized that it suggests a Gallic origin.

Tigris is a cousin of president Snow in 'The Hunger Games' by Suzanne Collins.

Modern form of Þóra.

Derived from Middle English thistel "thistle", this was either a nickname or a topographic name for someone who lived near a place overgrown with thistles.

Derived from Greek θηράω (therao) meaning "to hunt".

Short form of Theodore, Theobald and other names that begin with Theo.

Possibly derived from Greek θεά (thea) meaning "goddess". In Greek myth this was the name of a Titan goddess of light, glittering and glory. She was the wife of Hyperion and the mother of the sun god Helios, the moon goddess Selene, and the dawn goddess Eos.

Derived from Greek θάλλω (thallo) meaning "to blossom". Thales of Miletus was a 6th-century BC Greek philosopher and mathematician.

Means "warmth" in Welsh.

Derived from the Welsh elements teg "beautiful, pretty" and gwen "white, blessed". This name was created in the 19th century [1].

Meaning unknown. This was the name of the Phoenician goddess of love, fertility, the moon and the stars. She was particularly associated with the city of Carthage, being the consort of Ba'al Hammon.

Greek form of Tanith.

This name was used by Shakespeare for the evil queen of the Goths in his tragedy Titus Andronicus (1593). Shakespeare's source for the play is unknown, but he may have based the name on Tomyris. A known bearer is American fantasy writer Tamora Pierce (1954-), in whose case it originated as a misspelling of Tamara.

Means "crown" in Arabic.

From the English word, ultimately from Ancient Greek σύζυγος (súzugos) "yolked together". In astronomy, this term refers to the alignment of three celestial bodies, such as what occurs during an eclipse.

From the Old English name Swiðhun or Swiþhun, derived from swiþ "strong" and perhaps hun "bear cub". Saint Swithin was a 9th-century bishop of Winchester.

Means "summer" in Finnish.

Diminutive of the name Susanna.

Form of Susanna found in some versions of the Old Testament.

Scandinavian form of the Old English name Sunngifu, which meant "sun gift" from the Old English elements sunne "sun" and giefu "gift". This was the name of a legendary English saint who was shipwrecked in Norway and killed by the inhabitants.

From an Irish surname, the Anglicized form of Ó Súileabháin, itself from the given name Súileabhán, which was derived from Irish súil "eye" and dubh "dark, black" combined with a diminutive suffix. This name has achieved a moderate level of popularity in France since the 1970s. In the United States it was rare before the 1990s, after which it began climbing steadily. A famous fictional bearer of the surname was James P. Sullivan from the animated movie Monsters, Inc. (2001).

From Esperanto stelaro meaning "constellation", ultimately from Latin stella "star".

Anglicized form of the Old Norse name Sumarliði meaning "summer traveller". This was the name of a 12th-century Norse-Gaelic king of Mann and the Scottish Isles.

Variant of Solange.

From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Sluaghadháin, itself derived from the given name Sluaghadhán.

Czech form of Silvia.

From the English word for the precious metal or the colour, ultimately derived from Old English seolfor.

The name of a companion of Saint Paul in the New Testament. It is probably a short form of Silvanus, a name that Paul calls him by in the epistles. It is possible that Silvanus and Silas were Latin and Greek forms of the Hebrew name Saul (via Aramaic).

As an English name it was not used until after the Protestant Reformation. It was utilized by George Eliot for the title character in her novel Silas Marner (1861).

Means "order, sequence" in Hebrew. It refers to a weekly reading portion of the Torah, so the whole Torah is completed every year. This name is typical of North African Jewry.

From the English surname Sidney. It was first used as a given name in honour of executed politician Algernon Sidney (1622-1683). Another notable bearer of the surname was the poet and statesman Philip Sidney (1554-1586).

As a given name, it has traditionally been more masculine than feminine. In America however, after the variant Sydney became popular for girls, Sidney was used more for girls than boys between 1993 and 2019.

Diminutive of Srbislava, the feminine form of Srbislav. Srbislava was the birth name of Sibi Blažić (1970-), the Serbian-born wife of actor Christian Bale.

Variant of Sibbie.

Means "sweet" in Persian. This was the name of a character in Persian and Turkish legend.

Means "singing" in Hebrew.

From an Irish surname (Anglicized from Irish Gaelic Ó Sirideáin), which was derived from the given name Sirideán possibly meaning "searcher".

From a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "shelf town" in Old English.

From an English surname, which was possibly a variant of Selby. Though previously in use as a rare masculine name, it was popularized as a feminine name by the main character in the movie The Woman in Red (1935). It was later reinforced by the movie Steel Magnolias (1989) in which Julia Roberts played a character by this name.

Anglicized form of Séaghdha, sometimes used as a feminine name.

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".

From the Hebrew name ùÑÈàåÌì (Sha'ul) which meant "asked for" or "prayed for". This was the name of the first king of Israel who ruled just before King David, as told in the Old Testament.

Diminutive of Francesca.

Means "star" in Welsh. This is a recently created Welsh name.

Means "moon" in Greek. This was the name of a Greek goddess of the moon, a Titan. She was sometimes identified with the goddess Artemis.

From the Latin name Sebastianus, which meant "from Sebaste". Sebaste was the name a town in Asia Minor, its name deriving from Greek σεβαστός (sebastos) meaning "venerable" (a translation of Latin Augustus, the title of the Roman emperors). According to Christian tradition, Saint Sebastian was a 3rd-century Roman soldier martyred during the persecutions of the emperor Diocletian. After he was discovered to be a Christian, he was tied to a stake and shot with arrows. This however did not kill him. Saint Irene of Rome healed him and he returned to personally admonish Diocletian, whereupon the emperor had him beaten to death.

Due to the saint's popularity, the name came into general use in medieval Europe, especially in Spain and France. It was also borne by a 16th-century king of Portugal who died in a crusade against Morocco.

Diminutive of Sarah, often used independently.

From the English word sage, which denotes either a type of spice or else a wise person.

Portuguese form of Sapphira. It coincides with the Portuguese word for "sapphire".

Variant of Ruy.

From Old Irish Ruarcc. It was possibly an early borrowing from the Old Norse name Hrǿríkr. Alternatively it might be derived from Old Irish elements such as rúad "red" and arg "hero, champion". This was the name of a 9th-century king of Leinster.

Means "rose" in Breton.

Diminutive of Rose.

French diminutive of Rose.

Feminine form of Rosendo.

Combination of Rose and Mary. This name can also be given in reference to the herb, which gets its name from Latin ros marinus meaning "dew of the sea". It came into use as a given name in the 19th century.

Diminutive of Rose. This is the name of a type of flowering shrub (species Hibiscus sabdariffa) native to Africa but now grown in many places, used to make hibiscus tea.

Portuguese and Spanish form of Roxana.

Medieval variant of Rosalind. This is the name of characters in Shakespeare's Love's Labour's Lost (1594) and Romeo and Juliet (1596).

Combination of Rosa 1 and the common name suffix bel, inspired by Latin bella "beautiful". This name was created in the 18th century.

Anglicized 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-).

Variant of Rhona.

Possibly a variant of Romana.

Means "famous battle" from the Germanic elements hruom "fame, glory" and hilt "battle".

From the Old German elements hruod meaning "fame" and lant meaning "land", though some theories hold that the second element was originally nand meaning "brave" [1].

Roland was an 8th-century military commander, serving under Charlemagne, who was killed by the Basques at the Battle of Roncevaux. His name was recorded in Latin as Hruodlandus. His tale was greatly embellished in the 11th-century French epic La Chanson de Roland, in which he is a nephew of Charlemagne killed after being ambushed by the Saracens. The Normans introduced the name to England.

From an Irish surname (Anglicized from Irish Gaelic Ó Ríoghbhárdáin), which was derived from the given name Rígbarddán.

From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "ridge farm" in Old Norse.

From an English surname that was originally derived from various place names meaning either "reed clearing" or "channel clearing" in Old English.

Derived from Welsh rhiain meaning "maiden, young woman".

From Latin rex meaning "king". It has been used as a given name since the 19th century.

Meaning unknown. In the chronicles of Geoffrey of Monmouth it is the name of a treacherous daughter of King Leir. Shakespeare adapted the story for his tragedy King Lear (1606). In the modern era it has appeared in the horror movie The Exorcist (1973) belonging to a girl possessed by the devil. This name can also be used as a variant of Reagan.

Anglicized form of Rhys.

Means "flower" in Mapuche.

Means "sun" in Sanskrit. Ravi is a Hindu god of the sun, sometimes equated with Surya. A famous bearer was the musician Ravi Shankar (1920-2012).

Either an elaboration of Raven, or else from the name of the city of Ravenna in Italy.

Means "sky" in Maori. In Maori and other Polynesian mythology Rangi or Ranginui was a god of the sky, husband of the earth goddess Papa. They were locked in a crushing embrace but were eventually separated by their children, the other gods.

From an English and Scottish surname that was derived from a place name meaning "garlic island" in Old English.

Variant of Ramesses.

Probably a Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian form of Herais.

From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Caoindealbháin, itself from the given name Caoindealbhán (Old Irish Caíndelbán).

Variant of Price.

Roman name, a diminutive of Prisca. In Acts in the New Testament Paul lived with Priscilla (also known as Prisca) and her husband Aquila in Corinth for a while. It has been used as an English given name since the Protestant Reformation, being popular with the Puritans. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow used it in his 1858 poem The Courtship of Miles Standish [1].

From the English word for the flower, ultimately deriving from Latin prima rosa "first rose".

Transferred use of the surname Prentice.

Diminutive of Josephine. It can also be inspired by the English word posy for a bunch of flowers.

Variant of Porcia, the feminine form of the Roman family name Porcius, used by William Shakespeare for the heroine of his play The Merchant of Venice (1596). In the play Portia is a woman who disguises herself as a man in order to defend Antonio in court. It is also the name of a moon of Uranus, after the Shakespearean character.

From Latin pomus "fruit tree". This was the name of the Roman goddess of fruit trees.

Combination of Polly and Anna. This was the name of the main character in Eleanor H. Porter's novel Pollyanna (1913).

Roman form of Greek Πολυδεύκης (Polydeukes) meaning "very sweet", from Greek πολύς (polys) meaning "much" and δευκής (deukes) meaning "sweet". In mythology he was the twin brother of Castor and a son of Zeus. The constellation Gemini, which represents the two brothers, contains a star by this name.

Possibly derived from Ciarán. This was the name of a 5th-century Irish monk who founded a monastery in Cornwall. He is the patron saint of Cornwall.

Diminutive of Willem.

Variant of Phryne used by Shakespeare in his play Timon of Athens (first performed between 1607 and 1608).

French form of Philomena.

From Greek Φιλουμένη (Philoumene) meaning "to be loved", an inflection of φιλέω (phileo) meaning "to love". This was the name of an obscure early saint and martyr. The name came to public attention in 1802 after a tomb seemingly marked with the name Filumena was found in Rome, supposedly belonging to another martyr named Philomena. This may have in fact been a representation of the Greek word φιλουμένη, not a name.

Latinate feminine form of Philip. As an English name, it is chiefly British.

From Old Slavic perunŭ meaning "thunder". In Slavic mythology Perun was the god of lightning and the sky, sometimes considered to be the supreme god. Oak trees were sacred to him.

Derived from Latin perditus meaning "lost". Shakespeare created this name for the daughter of Hermione and Leontes in his play The Winter's Tale (1610). Abandoned as an infant by her father the king, she grows up to be a shepherdess and falls in love with with Florizel.

Means "head, top" in Welsh. This was the name of two characters in Welsh legend. It can also come from the English surname which was from a place name meaning "hill" in Old English.

Means "peace" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin Mary, Nuestra Señora de la Paz, meaning "Our Lady of Peace".

"Parrish" is a novel by Mildred Savage that was published in 1958.

Means "like a fairy" in Persian, derived from پری (parī) meaning "fairy, sprite, supernatural being".

Meaning unknown, possibly of Luwian or Hittite origin. In Greek mythology he was the Trojan prince who kidnapped Helen and began the Trojan War. Though presented as a somewhat of a coward in the Iliad, he did manage to slay the great hero Achilles. He was himself eventually slain in battle by Philoctetes.

Means "flower" in Sotho.

From a French and English surname that meant "little page" (see Paige).

Diminutive form of Page, which is of Old French origin, and an occupational name for a young servant, a personal attendant in a noble's house, from the Old French, Middle English "page", ultimately deriving from the Greek "paidion", a boy, child. Padgett itself contains the intrusive "-d-", due to dialectal influences, and the diminutive suffix "-ett"; hence, "little page".

Anglicized form of Owain.

From the Roman family name Ovidius, which was possibly derived from Latin ovis "a sheep". Alternatively, it could have a Sabellic origin. Publius Ovidius Naso, better known as Ovid, was a 1st-century BC Roman poet who is best known as the author of the Metamorphoses. He was sent into exile on the coast of the Black Sea by Emperor Augustus for no apparent reason.

Derived from Greek οὐράνιος (ouranios) meaning "heavenly". In Greek mythology she was the goddess of astronomy and astrology, one of the nine Muses.

Later 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).

Means "golden-beautiful" in Esperanto, ultimately from Latin aurea "gold" and bella "beautiful".

Anglicized form of Úna, as well as a Finnish form.

Feminine form of Olympos.

Diminutive or elaborated form of Olive, or directly from the English and French word olivine that denotes a type of gemstone, whose name ultimately goes back to Latin oliva "olive" (so named in the late 18th century for its olive green color).

Feminine form of Oliver. This was the name of the title character in the French opera Les noces d'Olivette (1879) by Edmond Audran.

From the English and French word for the type of tree, ultimately derived from Latin oliva.

From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "oak valley" in Old English. A famous bearer was the humorous American poet Ogden Nash (1902-1971).

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.

In Norse mythology Odin is the highest of the gods, presiding over war, wisdom and death. He is the husband of Frigg and resides in Valhalla, where warriors go after they are slain. He is usually depicted as a one-eyed older man, carrying two ravens on his shoulders who inform him of all the events of the world. At the time of Ragnarök, the final battle, it is told that he will be killed fighting the great wolf Fenrir.

From the name of a Ukrainian city that sits on the north coast of the Black Sea, which was named after the ancient Greek city of Ὀδησσός (Odessos), of uncertain meaning. This name can also be used as a feminine form of Odysseus.

Means "night" in Greek. This was the name of the Greek goddess of the night, the daughter of Khaos and the wife of Erebos.

Used by British author Edward Bulwer-Lytton for a blind flower-seller in his novel The Last Days of Pompeii (1834). He perhaps based it on Latin nidus "nest".

Diminutive of Ione or Nora 1.

Meaning 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.

Modern Hebrew form of Noah 2, the daughter of Zelophehad in the Bible. It is also the form used in several other languages, as well as the spelling used in some English versions of the Old Testament.

From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "new town" in Norman French. As a given name it is chiefly British and Australian.

Medieval Welsh diminutive of Agnes.

Old Irish form of Neasa.

Created by Shakespeare for a character in his play The Merchant of Venice (1596). He possibly took it from Greek Νηρηΐς (Nereis) meaning "nymph, sea sprite", ultimately derived from the name of the Greek sea god Nereus, who supposedly fathered them.

Means "divine grace" in Swahili, from Arabic نعمة (niʿma) meaning "blessing".

From a Scottish surname, an Anglicized and reduced form of Gaelic Mac an Fhilidh (or McNeilly) meaning "son of the poet".

Means "Sunday" in Bulgarian.

Means "beautiful" in Hebrew.

Diminutive of Anne 1.

Previously a medieval diminutive of Annis, though since the 18th century it has been a diminutive of Ann. It is now usually regarded as an independent name. During the 20th century it became very popular in the United States. A city in the Lorraine region of France bears this name, though it derives from a different source.

Meaning uncertain, possibly derived from Greek Ναϊάς (Naias), a type of water nymph in Greek mythology (plural Ναϊάδες). Alternatively it might be related to Persian Nahid.

Means "incantation, dirge" in Latin. This was the name of the Roman goddess of funerals.

French diminutive of Nadia 1.

From a surname, which is either Scottish or Irish in origin (see Murray 1 and Murray 2).

From a surname that was a variant of Monroe.

From a surname that was originally from an Old English place name meaning "marsh clearing".

From the Old Welsh masculine name Morcant, which was possibly derived from Welsh mor "sea" and cant "circle". Since the 1980s in America Morgan has been more common for girls than boys, perhaps due to stories of Morgan le Fay or the fame of actress Morgan Fairchild (1950-).

From an aristocratic English surname meaning "sharp mountain", from Old French mont agu. In Shakespeare's tragedy Romeo and Juliet (1596) this is the surname of Romeo and his family.

From a Scottish surname meaning "from the mouth of the Roe". The Roe is a river in Northern Ireland. Two famous bearers of the surname were American president James Monroe (1758-1831) and American actress Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962).

As a given name it was mostly masculine in America until around 2009. It was already rising in popularity for girls when singer Mariah Carey gave it to her daughter born 2011 (though this probably helped accelerate it).

Means "bewitching, infatuating, charming" in Sanskrit. This is a transcription of both the masculine form मोहन (an epithet of the Hindu gods Shiva and Krishna) and the feminine form मोहना (spelled with a long final vowel).

Danish form of Magnus.

Spanish, Italian and Croatian cognate of Myrtle.

Variant of Mireia.

Basque form of Maria.

Yiddish diminutive of Miriam.

Diminutive and feminine form of Meine.

From the Germanic name Milo, introduced by the Normans to England in the form Miles. The meaning is not known for certain. It is possibly connected to the Slavic name element milŭ meaning "gracious, dear". From an early date it was associated with Latin miles meaning "soldier".

A notable bearer was the American musician Miles Davis (1926-1991). In Scotland this name was historically used to Anglicize Maoilios.

Means "sweet" in Esperanto, derived from mielo "honey", ultimately from Latin mel.

French feminine diminutive of Michel.

Alternate transcription of Hebrew מֵאִיר (see Meir). It also coincides with a German surname meaning "mayor, leader".

From Greek μέρος (meros) meaning "share, part" and ὄψ (ops) meaning "face, eye". This was the name of several characters in Greek mythology, including the seventh of the Pleiades and the foster mother of Oedipus.

Variant of Muriel.

From the Welsh name Maredudd or Meredydd, from Old Welsh forms such as Margetud, possibly from mawredd "greatness, magnificence" combined with iudd "lord". The Welsh forms of this name were well used through the Middle Ages. Since the mid-1920s it has been used more often for girls than for boys in English-speaking countries, though it is still a masculine name in Wales. A famous bearer of this name as surname was the English novelist and poet George Meredith (1828-1909).

Hebrew form of Merab 1.

Means "abundant" in Hebrew. This is the name of a daughter of Saul in the Old Testament.

Meaning unknown. In European folklore Melusine was a water fairy who turned into a serpent from the waist down every Saturday. She made her husband, Raymond of Poitou, promise that he would never see her on that day, and when he broke his word she left him forever.

From the English word melody, which is derived (via Old French and Late Latin) from Greek μέλος (melos) meaning "song" combined with ἀείδω (aeido) meaning "to sing".

Usage of this still relatively new French given name first started with Mazarine Pingeot (b. 1974), the illegitimate daughter of former French president François Mitterrand (1916-1996) and his mistress Anne Pingeot (b. 1943), whose existence was only brought to light in 1994 or 1995. Her parents' love of books is said to have inspired them to name their daughter after the Bibliothèque Mazarine, the oldest public library in France. The library itself was named after the 17th-century cardinal Jules Raymond Mazarin, who had been born in Italy as Giulio Raimondo Mazzarino. He came from a family that was originally from Sicily and had taken their surname from their ancestral town, Mazzarino.

The town's name is said to have been derived from Mazzara, which either originates from Arabic mazari or mazar meaning "shrine", or is a corruption of Mactorium, the name of a town that had existed in the area in ancient times. That town had been founded by ancient Greek colonists, who had called it Μακτώριον (Maktorion). It is uncertain what the town's name meant in Greek, but it is possibly related to the Greek noun μακτήριον (makterion) meaning "food". Also compare Μαιμακτηριών (Maimakterion), which is the name of one of the lunar months of the Hellenic calendar used in ancient Attica. Alternatively, an etymological relation with the Greek adjective μακτός (maktos) meaning "kneaded" is also possible. This word is ultimately derived from the Greek verb μάσσω (masso) meaning "to knead, to press into a mould".

With that said, the given name Mazarine is quite rare in France today. It was virtually unknown in the country, until the existence of Mitterrand's illegitimate daughter was revealed in 1994 or 1995. The name gained quite a bit of exposure after that, which made it possible for prospective parents to take a liking to the name and bestow it upon their daughters. This clearly shows in the available statistics for the name Mazarine: it suddenly appeared on the radar in the mid-1990s and has remained on it ever since, whereas in previous decades, the name was not used on a noteworthy scale at all (as was to be expected, since this name was more or less "invented" as a given name).

From the name of a town in southern France, said to derive from Occitan mair "mother" and French lys "lily". It is also sometimes considered a combination of Marie and lys.

From the Roman name Mauritius, a derivative of Maurus. Saint Maurice was a 3rd-century Roman soldier from Egypt. He and the other Christians in his legion were supposedly massacred on the orders of Emperor Maximian for refusing to worship Roman gods. Thus, he is the patron saint of infantry soldiers.

This name was borne by a 6th-century Byzantine emperor. Another notable bearer was Maurice of Nassau (called Maurits in Dutch), a 17th-century prince of Orange who helped establish the Dutch Republic. The name has been used in England since the Norman Conquest, usually in the spelling Morris or Moris.

Croatian feminine form of Mateo.

Feminine form of Matan.

Combination of Marie and Yvonne.

Meaning unknown. This name was popularized by the American actor Marlon Brando (1924-2004), who was named after his father.

Means "marjoram" in French, from Latin maiorana. Marjoram is a minty herb.

Dutch form of Marianne.

Finnish and Sorbian form of Maria, as well as a Dutch variant. It also means "berry" in Finnish.

From the title of the Virgin Mary, Stella Maris, meaning "star of the sea" in Latin. It can also be a combination of Maria and Estela.

French diminutive of Marie.

French diminutive of Marie.

Diminutive of Maria.

Diminutive of Maria. In the case of the American actress Mariel Hemingway (1961-), the name was inspired by the Cuban town of Mariel.

Roman feminine form of Marianus. After the classical era it was sometimes interpreted as a combination of Maria and Ana. In Portuguese it is further used as a form of Mariamne.

Possibly from Basque emari meaning "donation" or amari meaning "mother". This was the name of a goddess of nature and fertility in Basque mythology.

Hungarian and Scandinavian form of Margaret.

Variant of Margot influenced by the name of the wine-producing French town. It was borne by Margaux Hemingway (1954-1996), granddaughter of author Ernest Hemingway, who had it changed from Margot.

Manx form of Margaret.

Diminutive of Maria and other names beginning with Mar.

Diminutive of Marcia.

From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Maoil Eoin meaning "descendant of a disciple of Saint John".

From the Old Welsh name Matauc, derived from mad meaning "good, fortunate" combined with a diminutive suffix. This is the name of a warrior mentioned in the 7th-century Welsh poem Y Gododdin. It was also borne by several medieval rulers, including the 12th-century Madoc ap Maredudd, the last prince of Powys. Another bearer, according to later folklore, was a son of the 12th-century Owain the Great who sailed to the Americas.

Medieval feminine form of Amabilis. This spelling and Amabel were common during the Middle Ages, though they became rare after the 15th century. It was revived in the 19th century after the publication of C. M. Yonge's 1854 novel The Heir of Redclyffe [1], which featured a character named Mabel (as well as one named Amabel).

Means "from Lydia" in Greek. Lydia was a region on the west coast of Asia Minor, said to be named for the legendary king Lydos. In the New Testament this is the name of a woman converted to Christianity by Saint Paul. In the modern era the name has been in use since the Protestant Reformation.

From Armenian լուսին (lusin) meaning "moon".

Form of Eluned used by the 12th-century French poet Chrétien de Troyes in his poem Yvain, the Knight of the Lion. In the poem she is a servant of the Lady of the Fountain who aids the knight Yvain.

Means "snow" in Finnish.

Variant of Louella.

Derived from Latin lucus meaning "grove", but later associated with lux meaning "light". This was the name of a Roman goddess of childbirth.

French form of Lucilla. A famous bearer was American comedienne Lucille Ball (1911-1989).

Feminine form of Lucien.

From the title Marquis of Lorne, which was based on the Scottish place name Lorne, itself possibly derived from the name of the legendary king of Dál Riata, Loarn mac Eirc. This was the title of the first Governor General of Canada, where it has since been most frequently used as a given name. A famous bearer was the Canadian actor Lorne Greene (1915-1987).

Either a short form of Laurence 1 (masculine) or a variant of Lauren (feminine).

From German Loreley, the name of a rock headland on the Rhine River. It is of uncertain meaning, though the second element is probably old German ley meaning "rock" (of Celtic origin). German romantic poets and songwriters, beginning with Clemens Brentano in 1801, tell that a maiden named the Lorelei lives on the rock and lures boaters to their death with her song.

In the English-speaking world this name has been occasionally given since the early 20th century. It started rising in America after the variant Lorelai was used for the main character (and her daughter, nicknamed Rory) on the television series Gilmore Girls (2000-2007).

Short form of Olivia.

Diminutive of Élisabeth.

Possibly from the patronymic Manannán mac Lir, in which case Lir is the genitive case of the name Ler. The medieval Irish legend the Children of Lir tells how Lir of the Tuatha Dé Danann had his children transformed into swans by his third wife Aoife. The legendary characters Lir and Ler seem to be distinct.

From the word for the type of flower, also called the twinflower (see Linnéa).

Short 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.

Either a diminutive of French names containing the sound lee or a combination of Lili and Louise.

Means "little mother", from Swedish and Norwegian lille, an inflected form of liten meaning "little", combined with mor meaning "mother". This name was first recorded in Norway and Sweden at the beginning of the 20th century.

Diminutive of Evangelia or Ioulia.

Diminutive of Elizabeth.

From a surname, originally from an English place name, which meant "fallow land" in Old English. A famous bearer was the politician, businessman and Stanford University founder Leland Stanford (1824-1893).

Means "folk song" in Estonian.

Meaning unknown. In Greek myth she was a Spartan queen and the mother of Castor, Pollux, Helen and Clytemnestra by the god Zeus, who came upon her in the form of a swan.

Latinized form of the Greek name Λέανδρος (Leandros), derived from λέων (leon) meaning "lion" and ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man" (genitive ἀνδρός). In Greek legend Leander was the lover of Hero. Every night he swam across the Hellespont to meet her, but on one occasion he was drowned when a storm arose. When Hero saw his dead body she threw herself into the waters and perished.

Variant of Lane.

From an English surname meaning "son of Laurence 1".

Meaning unknown, probably of Etruscan origin. In Roman legend Lavinia was the daughter of King Latinus, the wife of Aeneas, and the ancestor of the Roman people. According to the legend Aeneas named the town of Lavinium in honour of his wife.

From a Scottish surname that was derived from various place names, themselves from Gaelic caol meaning "narrows, channel, strait". As a given name it was rare in the first half of the 20th century. It rose steadily in popularity throughout the English-speaking world, entering the top 50 in most places by the 1990s. It has since declined in all regions.

Finnish form of Christina, or a short form of Kirsikka. It also means "frost" in Finnish.

Means "skin of a tree or fruit" in Maori. This name has been brought to public attention by New Zealand opera singer Kiri Te Kanawa (1944-).

Derived from Sanskrit किरण (kiraṇa), which can mean "dust" or "thread" or "sunbeam".

From a surname that was derived from either the Welsh given name Cynbel or the Old English given name Cynebald.

From the name of the bird of prey, ultimately derived from Old French crecelle "rattle", which refers to the sound of its cry.

Diminutive of Christopher.

Means "love" in Cornish.

From a surname derived from Middle English kempe meaning "champion, athlete, warrior".

From a surname that was a variant of Kerr.

From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Caolaidhe, itself derived from the given name Caoladhe, from Irish caol "slender".

Means "viburnum tree" in Bulgarian, Macedonian and Polish.

From Esperanto juvelo meaning "jewel".

From the Roman name Iulianus, which was derived from Julius. This was the name of the last pagan Roman emperor, Julian the Apostate (4th century). It was also borne by several early saints, including the legendary Saint Julian the Hospitaller. This name has been used in England since the Middle Ages, at which time it was also a feminine name (from Juliana, eventually becoming Gillian).

From Latin Iovis, the genitive case of Iuppiter (see Jupiter). Though this form is grammatically genitive, post-classically it has been used nominatively as another name for Jupiter.

Serbian and Macedonian feminine form of John.

Cornish form of George.

Feminine form of Jordan.

From the name of the river that flows between the countries of Jordan and Israel. The river's name in Hebrew is יַרְדֵן (Yarḏen), and it is derived from יָרַד (yaraḏ) meaning "descend, flow down". In the New Testament John the Baptist baptizes Jesus Christ in its waters, and it was adopted as a personal name in Europe after crusaders brought water back from the river to baptize their children. There may have been some influence from the Latin name Jordanes, notably borne by a 6th-century Gothic historian.

This name died out after the Middle Ages, but was revived in the 19th century. In America and other countries it became fairly popular in the second half of the 20th century. A famous bearer of the surname is former basketball star Michael Jordan (1963-).

Contracted form of Yehoram (see Jehoram). This name belongs to several minor characters in the Old Testament, as well as being another name for the kings Jehoram of Israel and Jehoram of Judah.

From the Hebrew name יוֹנָה (Yona) meaning "dove". This was the name of a prophet swallowed by a fish, as told in the Old Testament Book of Jonah. Jonah was commanded by God to preach in Nineveh, but instead fled by boat. After being caught in a storm, the other sailors threw Jonah overboard, at which point he was swallowed. He emerged from the fish alive and repentant three days later.

Jonah's story was popular in the Middle Ages, and the Hellenized form Jonas was occasionally used in England. The form Jonah did not become common until after the Protestant Reformation.

Feminine form of John.

Latinate form of Greek Ioanna (see Joanna).

Means "garden" or "paradise" in Arabic, ultimately from the root جنّ (janna) meaning "to cover, to hide".

Means "youth" in French. It is not used as a given name in France itself.

Traditionally said to mean "dove", it may actually be related to Hebrew יוֹמָם (yomam) meaning "daytime" [1]. This was the oldest of the three daughters of Job in the Old Testament. As an English name, Jemima first became common during the Puritan era.

Derived from Albanian jehonë meaning "echo".

English form of the Late Latin name Iacomus, a variant of the Biblical Latin form Iacobus, from the Hebrew name Yaʿaqov (see Jacob). This was the name of two apostles in the New Testament. The first was Saint James the Greater, the apostle John's brother, who was beheaded under Herod Agrippa in the Book of Acts. The second was James the Lesser, son of Alphaeus. Another James (known as James the Just) is also mentioned in the Bible as being the brother of Jesus.

This name has been used in England since the 13th century, though it became more common in Scotland where it was borne by several kings. In the 17th century the Scottish king James VI inherited the English throne, becoming the first ruler of all Britain, and the name grew much more popular. In American name statistics (recorded since 1880) this name has never been out of the top 20, making it arguably the era's most consistently popular name. It was the top ranked name for boys in the United States from 1940 to 1952.

Famous bearers include the English explorer James Cook (1728-1779), the Scottish inventor James Watt (1736-1819), and the Irish novelist and poet James Joyce (1882-1941). This name has also been borne by six American presidents. A notable fictional bearer is the British spy James Bond, created by author Ian Fleming in 1953.

From the English word for the hard, creamy-white substance that comes from elephant tusks and was formerly used to produce piano keys.

Newer form of the Old Church Slavic name Іѡаннъ (Ioannŭ), which was derived from Greek Ioannes (see John). This was the name of six Russian rulers, including the 15th-century Ivan III the Great and 16th-century Ivan IV the Terrible, the first tsar of Russia. It was also borne by nine emperors of Bulgaria. Other notable bearers include the Russian author Ivan Turgenev (1818-1883), who wrote Fathers and Sons, and the Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936), who is best known for his discovery of the conditioned reflex.

Means "nocturnal journey" in Arabic, derived from سرى (sarā) meaning "to travel by night". According to Islamic tradition, the Isra was a miraculous journey undertaken by the Prophet Muhammad.

Italian form of Iseult.

Variant of Islay, typically used as a feminine name. It also coincides with the Spanish word isla meaning "island".

Greek form of Egyptian ꜣst (reconstructed as Iset, Aset or Ueset), possibly from st meaning "throne". In Egyptian mythology Isis was the goddess of the sky and nature, the wife of Osiris and the mother of Horus. She was originally depicted wearing a throne-shaped headdress, but in later times she was conflated with the goddess Hathor and depicted having the horns of a cow on her head. She was also worshipped by people outside of Egypt, such as the Greeks and Romans.

Form of Irene in several languages.

Means "to soar" in Hawaiian.

English form of Inés.

The name of the daughter of King Cymbeline in the play Cymbeline (1609) by William Shakespeare. He based her on a legendary character named Innogen, but it was printed incorrectly and never emended. Innogen is probably derived from Gaelic inghean meaning "maiden". As a given name it is chiefly British and Australian.

Means "era" in Hebrew.

From a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "deep valley" in Old English. This is the name of the main character in J. D. Salinger's novel The Catcher in the Rye (1951), Holden Caulfield.

Means "sunshine" in Welsh (a compound of haul "sun" and gwen "white, blessed").

Derived from Greek ἑστία (hestia) meaning "hearth, fireside". In Greek mythology Hestia was the goddess of the hearth and domestic activity.

Diminutive of Henrik.

Transferred use of the surname Harvester.
This name has been in occasional use since the 1800s.

From an English surname that was derived from a place name, itself from Old English heorot "hart, male deer" and leah "woodland, clearing".

From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "nook, retreat" from Old English healh.

Probably a variant of Gwynedd. It has been common in Wales since the 19th century, perhaps after the Welsh novelist Gwyneth Vaughan (1852-1910), whose real name was Ann Harriet Hughes. A modern famous bearer is the American actress Gwyneth Paltrow (1972-).

Means "to dawn" in Norwegian, Danish and Swedish.

Diminutive of Grete. It is well-known as a character from an 1812 Brothers Grimm fairy tale who is captured, with her brother Hansel, by a witch. The Grimm's story was based on earlier European folktales.

From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "grazing homestead" in Old English.

From the Roman name Gratianus, which meant "grace" from Latin gratus. Saint Gratian was the first bishop of Tours (4th century). This was also the name of a Roman emperor.

Means "glory", from the Portuguese and Spanish titles of the Virgin Mary Maria da Glória and María de Gloria. Maria da Glória (1819-1853) was the daughter of the Brazilian emperor Pedro I, eventually becoming queen of Portugal as Maria II.

The name was introduced to the English-speaking world by E. D. E. N. Southworth's novel Gloria (1891) and George Bernard Shaw's play You Never Can Tell (1898), which both feature characters with a Portuguese background [1]. It was popularized in the early 20th century by American actress Gloria Swanson (1899-1983). Another famous bearer is feminist Gloria Steinem (1934-).

From the Hebrew name גִּדְעוֹן (Giḏʿon) meaning "feller, hewer", derived from גָּדַע (gaḏaʿ) meaning "to cut, to hew" [1]. Gideon is a hero and judge of the Old Testament. He led the vastly outnumbered Israelites against the Midianites, defeated them, and killed their two kings. In the English-speaking world, Gideon has been used as a given name since the Protestant Reformation, and it was popular among the Puritans.

Latinate feminine form of George. This is the name of an American state, which was named after the British king George II. The country of Georgia has an unrelated etymology. A famous bearer was the American painter Georgia O'Keeffe (1887-1986).

French feminine form of George.

Medieval Italian nickname meaning "gem, precious stone". It was borne by the wife of the 13th-century Italian poet Dante Alighieri.

Short form of Gemma or directly from the English word gem, "precious stone" from Latin gemma "precious stone, jewel".

Bulgarian, Macedonian and Romanian form of Gabriel.

Anglicized form of Garbhán.

Modern form of the Greek name Γαληνός (Galenos), which meant "calm" from Greek γαλήνη (galene). It was borne by a 2nd-century BC Greco-Roman physician who contributed to anatomy and medicine. In modern times the name is occasionally given in his honour.

From a surname that was derived from Middle English gaile "jovial". It also coincides with the English word gale meaning "storm".

Originally a short form of names containing the Old German element fridu meaning "peace" (Proto-Germanic *friþuz). A famous bearer was the Mexican painter Frida Kahlo (1907-1954).

From Yiddish פֿרייד (freid) meaning "joy".

From the name of the country, sometimes considered a feminine form of Frank or short form of Françoise, both of which are ultimately related to the name of the country.

Either from the English word fox or the surname Fox, which originally given as a nickname. The surname was borne by George Fox (1624-1691), the founder of the Quakers.

French feminine form of Florian.

Flita (The blossom and the fruit) is the title of a novel by the theosophic author Mabel Collins. The protagonist of the novel is a practioner of black magic.

Feminine form of Fionn. This name was (first?) used by the Scottish poet James Macpherson in his poem Fingal (1761), in which it is spelled as Fióna.

Possibly means either "white fire" or "white ancient" in Irish. According to legend this was the name of the only Irish person to survive the great flood. This name was also borne by many Irish saints.

Transferred use of the surname Finch.

Means "proud" in Esperanto.

Feminine form of Felinus.

Means "person who can tell right from wrong" in Arabic. This was the name of the last king of Egypt (1920-1965).

Means "happy" in Arabic, from the root فرح (fariḥa) meaning "to be happy".

Means "joy, happiness" in Arabic, from the root فرح (fariḥa) meaning "to be happy".

Variant of Fayruz.

Means "help" in Hebrew. Ezra is a prophet of the Old Testament and the author of the Book of Ezra. It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the Protestant Reformation. The American poet Ezra Pound (1885-1972) was a famous bearer.

Variant of Yvonne.

Variant of Yvette.

From Everardus, the Latinized form of Eberhard. The Normans introduced it to England, where it joined the Old English cognate Eoforheard. It has only been rarely used since the Middle Ages. Modern use of the name may be inspired by the surname Everard, itself derived from the medieval name.

French form of Eulalia.

From an Old French name meaning "star", ultimately derived from Latin stella. It was rare in the English-speaking world in the Middle Ages, but it was revived in the 19th century, perhaps due to the character Estella Havisham in Charles Dickens' novel Great Expectations (1860).

Possibly a Turkish form of Asra.

Derived from German Esche meaning "ash (tree)", a habitational name for someone who lived near an ash tree, or came from a place named after it. This name was borne by the Dutch graphic artist M. C. Escher, known for making works inspired by mathematics.

Diminutive of Erzsébet.

Variant of Ephraim. A known bearer of this name was Ephrem the Syrian, a 4th-century Syrian deacon who was also a prolific Syriac language hymn writer and theologian. He is venerated by Christians throughout the world, and especially among Syriac Orthodox Christians, as a saint.

The meaning of this name is uncertain. In some cases it seems to be an old Italian form of Heinz, though in other cases it could be a variant of the Germanic name Anzo. In modern times it is also used as a short form of names ending in enzo, such as Vincenzo or Lorenzo.

A famous bearer was the Italian racecar driver and industrialist Enzo Ferrari (1898-1988).

Probably derived from Welsh enaid meaning "soul, spirit, life". In Arthurian tales she first appears in the 12th-century French poem Erec and Enide by Chrétien de Troyes, where she is the wife of Erec. In later adaptations she is typically the wife of Geraint. The name became more commonly used after the publication of Alfred Tennyson's Arthurian poem Enid in 1859, and it was fairly popular in Britain in the first half of the 20th century.

Means "very rare" in Turkish.

Welsh form of Ambrose. Emrys Wledig (or Ambrosius Aurelianus) was a Romano-British military leader who fought against the invading Anglo-Saxons in the 5th century. Tales of his life were used by the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth to help shape the early character of Merlin, whom he called Merlinus Ambrosius in Latin.

Germanic name, in which the second element is rih "ruler, king". The first element may be irmin "whole, great" (making it a relative of Ermenrich), amal "unceasing, vigorous, brave" (making it a relative of Amalric) or heim "home" (making it a relative of Henry). It is likely that several forms merged into a single name.

Scottish form of Elizabeth.

Variant of Elizabeth.

Means "elm tree" in Cornish. This is a recently coined Cornish name.

Italian form of Electra.

Cymricised variant of Iris.

Variant of Edwina.

Spanish feminine form of Adelmar.

Alternate transcription of Hebrew עִידָן (see Idan).

Medieval diminutive of Edith.

From the English word ebony for the black wood that comes from the ebony tree. It is ultimately from the Egyptian word hbnj. In America this name is most often used in the black community.

From the English name of the Christian festival celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. It was ultimately named for the Germanic spring goddess Eostre. It was traditionally given to children born on Easter, though it is rare in modern times.

Early 17th century from Dutch duin, from Middle Dutch dūne, probably ultimately from the same Celtic base as down3.

Feminine diminutive of the Roman family name Drusus. In Acts in the New Testament Drusilla is the wife of Felix.

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.

French feminine and masculine form of Dominicus (see Dominic).

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.

From dianthus, the name of a type of flower (ultimately from Greek meaning "heavenly flower").

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.

As a given name, Diana has been regularly used since the Renaissance. It became more common in the English-speaking world following Walter Scott's novel Rob Roy (1817), which featured a character named Diana Vernon. It also appeared in George Meredith's novel Diana of the Crossways (1885). A notable bearer was the British royal Diana Spencer (1961-1997), the Princess of Wales.

From an English surname, of Norman French origin, meaning "from Evreux". Evreux is a town in France.

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.

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.

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.

It has only been commonly used as a given name since the 20th century, influenced by two plays featuring the character: William Butler Yeats' Deirdre (1907) and J. M. Synge's Deirdre of the Sorrows (1910).

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.

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.

Probably an elaborated form of Darren.

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.

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.

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.

This name was fairly popular at the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th. The American author F. Scott Fitzgerald used it for the character of Daisy Buchanan in The Great Gatsby (1925). The Walt Disney cartoon character Daisy Duck was created in 1940 as the girlfriend of Donald Duck. It was at a low in popularity in the United States in the 1970s when it got a small boost from a character on the television series The Dukes of Hazzard in 1979.

From the name of the flower, which was named for the Swedish botanist Anders Dahl.