mairinn's Personal Name List

Means "splendour, light, glow" in Arabic. This was the name of a 14th-century Islamic Indian historian.

From the name of the flower, which was itself named for the German botanist Johann Zinn.

Alternate transcription of Arabic ضياء (see Ziya), as well as the usual Urdu and Bengali transcription.

Short form of Anzélma.

Variant of Selma 1.

Originally a short form of Anzelma and Szalóme, occasionally used as a given name in its own right.

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 Zaharina.

Slovene form of Zuan, Gian or Jean 1.

From Chinese 赞 (zàn) meaning "help, support", as well as other characters with a similar pronunciation.

Diminutive of Zaharina.

Bulgarian and Macedonian feminine form of Zechariah.

Alternate transcription of Yi.

Diminutive of Eladia or Claudia. This coincides with the Spanish word yaya meaning "granny, gran".

Feminine form of William.

Diminutive of Werner.

Patronymic from the given name Wessel.

From the given name Wessel.

Old Frisian diminutive of Werner.

Old diminutive of Germanic names beginning with the element wentil (see Wendel). Saint Wendelin was a 6th-century hermit of Trier in Germany.

Old short form of Germanic names beginning with the element wentil meaning "a Vandal". The Vandals were a Germanic tribe who invaded Spain and North Africa in the 5th century. Their tribal name, which may mean "wanderer", has often been confused with that of the Wends, a Slavic people living between the Elbe and the Oder.

This is another name for Saint Wendelin.

Diminutive of Vivian and other Viv- names.

German, Scandinavian and Greek variant of Victoria. It is also an alternate transcription of Russian/Bulgarian Виктория or Ukrainian Вікторія (see Viktoriya) or Belarusian Вікторыя (see Viktoryia), as well as the usual Georgian transcription.

Short form of names ending in -via. In the USA the popularity of this name was triggered by the movie Wonder (2017) where the main character Olivia goes by Via.

Short form of Violet.

Czech and Slovak form of Wendelin.

Hungarian form of Wendel.

Short form of names beginning with V.

Feminine form of Varg.

Possibly a modern coinage based on the Old Norse elements unnr "wave" or unna "to love" combined with nýr "new" [1].

Diminutive of Victoria.

Short form of Letitia.

Variant of Toft.

From the surname Tift.

Diminutive of Theresa.

Variant of Tessa.

Basque and Scandinavian form of Theresa.

Variant of Tegan. It also coincides with a rare Irish surname Teagan. This name rose on the American popularity charts in the 1990s, probably because of its similarity to names like Megan and Reagan.

Short form of Dorothea, Theodora and other names containing a similar sound.

Hungarian form of Salome.

French and Czech form of Silvia.

Diminutive of Sylvie.

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

From Σουσάννα (Sousanna), the Greek form of the Hebrew name שׁוֹשַׁנָּה (Shoshanna). This was derived from the Hebrew word שׁוֹשָׁן (shoshan) meaning "lily" (in modern Hebrew this also means "rose"), perhaps ultimately from Egyptian sšn "lotus". In the Old Testament Apocrypha this is the name of a woman falsely accused of adultery. The prophet Daniel clears her name by tricking her accusers, who end up being condemned themselves. It also occurs in the New Testament belonging to a woman who ministers to Jesus.

As an English name, it was occasionally used during the Middle Ages in honour of the Old Testament heroine. It did not become common until after the Protestant Reformation, at which time it was often spelled Susan.

Danish and Norwegian short form of Christine and other names ending in stine.

Ukrainian form of Salome.

Combination of Sol and the subject marking particle, 이 (i).

Means "buttercup (flower)" in Icelandic (genus Ranunculus), derived from sól "sun" and ey "island".

From native Korean 솔 (sol) meaning "pine (tree)," also written in such hanja as 率 (sol) meaning "taking care; pursuit; following."

Means "sun" in Spanish or Portuguese.

Variant of Schuyler, based on the pronunciation of the surname but respelled as if it was a blend of the English word sky with names such as Tyler. It was rare before 1980, and first gained popularity as a name for boys. It is now more common for girls, though it is more evenly unisex than the mostly feminine variant Skylar.

Variant of Skyler. Originally more common for boys during the 1980s, it was popularized as a name for girls after it was used on the American soap opera The Young and the Restless in 1989 and the movie Good Will Hunting in 1997 [1]. Its sharp rise in the United States in 2011 might be attributed to the character Skyler White from the television series Breaking Bad (2008-2013) or the singer Skylar Grey (1986-), who adopted this name in 2010 after previously going by Holly Brook.

Variant of Schuyler.

Simply from the English word sky, which was ultimately derived from Old Norse ský "cloud".

From Old Norse Sif, which meant "bride, kinswoman". In Norse mythology she was the wife of Thor. After the trickster Loki cut off her golden hair, an angry Thor forced him to create a replacement.

Short form of Sigrid.

Irish form of Jehanne, a Norman French variant of Jeanne.

Anglicised form of Siobhán.

Irish form of Jeannette.

Anglicised form of Sinéad.

Danish diminutive of Cecilia.

Norwegian and Danish diminutive of Cecilia.

Finnish and Estonian diminutive of Cecilia.

From the Old Norse name Sigríðr, which was derived from the elements sigr "victory" and fríðr "beautiful, beloved".

Old German form of Sieglinde.

Derived from the Old German elements sigu "victory" and lind "soft, flexible, tender". Sieglinde was the mother of Siegfried in the medieval German saga the Nibelungenlied.

Occupational name for a maker of seals or signet rings, ultimately from Latin sigillum "seal".

Derived from the diminutive of Old German given names beginning with the element sigu meaning "victory".

Variant of Segal 1.

English form of Siân.

Diminutive of any name containing the element -sia-. A noted bearer is Australian singer-songwriter Sia, born Sia Kate Isobelle Furler (b.1975), best known for her collaboration songs 'Titanium', with David Guetta, and 'Wild Ones', with Flo Rida.

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

Biblical Hebrew form of Solomon.

From Yiddish שיין (shein) meaning "beautiful".

Alternate transcription of Hebrew שַׁי (see Shai).

From the name of the River Shannon, the longest river in Ireland, called an tSionainn in Irish. It is associated with the legendary figure Sionann and is sometimes said to be named for her. However it is more likely she was named after the river, which may be related to Old Irish sen "old, ancient" [1]. As a given name, it first became common in America after the 1940s.

Means "girl" in Korean.

Feminine form of the Late Latin name Seraphinus, derived from the biblical word seraphim, which was Hebrew in origin and meant "fiery ones". The seraphim were an order of angels, described by Isaiah in the Bible as having six wings each.

This was the name of a 13th-century Italian saint who made clothes for the poor. As an English name, it has never been common.

Turkish and Albanian form of Salman.

Turkish form of Salma.

Modern Greek transcription of Selene.

Variant of Celina or Selena. As an English name, it first came into use in the 17th century.

Turkish and Albanian form of Salim. This was the name of three Ottoman sultans, including the father of Süleyman the Magnificent.

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.

Latinized form of Selene. This name was borne by popular Mexican-American singer Selena Quintanilla (1971-1995), who was known simply as Selena. Another famous bearer is the American actress and singer Selena Gomez (1992-).

Variant of Sainabou.

From a diminutive of the given name Siegfried.

Short form of Susanna. It can also be derived from Swedish sann meaning "true".

Alternate transcription of Arabic سناء (see Sanaa).

From Japanese 紗 (sa) meaning "gauze, thread" combined with 夏 (na) meaning "summer".

Name- Sana Sanaa सना
MEANING- for ever, from of old, eternally, perpetually, long lasting
Origin - Sanskrit, Indian
Usage - Sanskrit, Indian, Tamil, Telugu, Nepali, Sinhala, Hindi, Sikh, Buddhist
Pronunciation - as English word ' sun' with 'aa' suffix

Diminutive of Samuel, Samson or Samantha.

Perhaps intended to be a feminine form of Samuel, using the name suffix antha (possibly inspired by Greek ἄνθος (anthos) meaning "flower"). It originated in America in the 18th century but was fairly uncommon until 1964, when it was popularized by the main character on the television show Bewitched.

Variant of Samantha used in several languages.

Polish form of Salome.

From an Aramaic name that was related to the Hebrew word שָׁלוֹם (shalom) meaning "peace". According to the historian Josephus this was the name of the daughter of Herodias (the consort of Herod Antipas, the tetrarch of Galilee). In the New Testament, though a specific name is not given, it was a daughter of Herodias who danced for Herod and was rewarded with the head of John the Baptist, and thus Salome and the dancer have traditionally been equated.

As a Christian given name, Salome has been in occasional use since the Protestant Reformation. This was due to a second person of this name in the New Testament: one of the women who witnessed the crucifixion and later discovered that Jesus' tomb was empty. It is used in Georgia due to the 4th-century Salome of Ujarma, who is considered a saint in the Georgian Church.

Diminutive of Sarah, often used independently.

Perhaps an invented name based on similar-sounding names such as Selina.

Short form of Sally, Salvador and other names beginning with Sal.

Finnish form of Sarah.

Romanian form of Roxana.

Transferred use of the surname Rumer.

From Chinese 儒 (rú) meaning "scholar", 如 (rú) meaning "like, as, if", or other characters with similar pronunciations.

Diminutive of Roxana.

Variant of Roxanne.

Variant of Roxane.

Variant of Roxana.

French and English form of Roxana. This is the name of Cyrano's love interest in the play Cyrano de Bergerac (1897).

Latin form of Ῥωξάνη (Rhoxane), the Greek form of an Old Persian or Bactrian name, from Old Iranian *rauxšnā meaning "bright, shining" [1]. This was the name of Alexander the Great's first wife, a daughter of the Bactrian nobleman Oxyartes. In the modern era it came into use during the 17th century. In the English-speaking world it was popularized by Daniel Defoe, who used it in his novel Roxana (1724).

From Hindi and Marathi रौशनी (raushanī) meaning "light, brightness", ultimately of Persian origin.

Combination of the Old Norse name elements rós "rose" and ey "island; flat land along a coast" (which is also often related to the Old Norse name element auja "(gift of) luck; fortune").

Diminutive of Rosa 1, Rose and of compound names that start with Ros-, such as Rosaline.

For men, this name is typically a diminutive of Roosevelt.

Russian and Polish form of Roxana.

Short 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).

From Japanese 凛 (rin) meaning "dignified, severe, cold" or other kanji that are pronounced the same way.

Short form of Fredrika, Henrika and other names ending in rika.

Derived from the Chinese character 日 (rì) meaning "Sun, day, date".

Other characters combinations are also possible.

Feminine form of Renatus.

From Japanese 蓮 (ren) meaning "lotus", 恋 (ren) meaning "romantic love", or other kanji that are pronounced the same way.

Either a variant of Renée or a diminutive of names ending in reen.

Short form of Marie and other names containing the same sound. A known bearer of the nickname is Ann Marie "Ree" Drummond (1969-), host of the Food Network show 'The Pioneer Woman'. It was also used for the central character in the film 'Winter's Bone' (2010).

Either a Bulgarian form of Regina or a feminine form of Rayno.

Short form of Raymond, often used as an independent name. It coincides with an English word meaning "beam of light". Science-fiction author Ray Bradbury (1920-2012) and musician Ray Charles (1930-2004) are two notable bearers of the name.

Feminine form of Ramón. It was popularized in the English-speaking world by Helen Hunt Jackson's novel Ramona (1884), as well as several subsequent movies based on the book.

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 pixie referring to a playful sprite or elf-/fairy-like creature, originating from Devon and Cornwall in southwest England.

Diminutive of Philippa.

Modern Greek form of Penelope.

In the case of singer-songwriter Phildel, it is a combination of her parents names - Philip and Della. -

From the Greek Φαίδρα (Phaidra), derived from φαιδρός (phaidros) meaning "bright". Phaedra was the daughter of Minos and the wife of Theseus in Greek mythology. Aphrodite caused her to fall in love with her stepson Hippolytos, and after she was rejected by him she killed herself.

Meaning unknown, probably of Pre-Greek origin, but perhaps related to Greek πέρθω (pertho) meaning "to destroy" and φόνος (phonos) meaning "murder". In Greek myth she was the daughter of Demeter and Zeus. She was abducted to the underworld by Hades, but was eventually allowed to return to the surface for part of the year. The result of her comings and goings is the changing of the seasons. With her mother she was worshipped in the Eleusinian Mysteries, which were secret rites practiced at the city of Eleusis near Athens.

French form of Penelope.

Probably derived from Greek πηνέλοψ (penelops), a type of duck. Alternatively it could be from πήνη (pene) meaning "threads, weft" and ὄψ (ops) meaning "face, eye". In Homer's epic the Odyssey this is the name of the wife of Odysseus, forced to fend off suitors while her husband is away fighting at Troy.

It has occasionally been used as an English given name since the 16th century. It was moderately popular in the 1940s, but had a more notable upswing in the early 2000s. This may have been inspired by the Spanish actress Penélope Cruz (1974-), who gained prominence in English-language movies at that time. It was already rapidly rising when celebrities Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick gave it to their baby daughter in 2012.

Medieval variant of Meggy, a diminutive of Margaret. The reason for the change in the initial consonant is unknown.

Variant of Patty, also used as a diminutive of Patrick.

The name Oleander originated as an Greek name. In Greek, the name Oleander means "an evergreen tree."
The origin of the name was said to have come from a young man whose ardour to his Lady Love ended in a tragedy. The young man was named Leander, and his precious lady longing for his love shouting with such forlorn “O Leander!”, “O Leander!” in the banks, until finally he was found. And clasped in his hands were sweet flowers, who have become a symbol of everlasting love, known as oleanders.

Possibly taken from the plant family, Nerium oleander (flowering shrub known as oleanders), Cascabela thevetia (yellow oleander), Acacia neriifolia (oleander wattle); or a species of moth, Daphnis nerii (oleander hawk-moth).

In the complex language of love practiced during the time of Queen Victoria, the Oleander flower means caution.

A diminutive use of Oleander could be Ollie, Lee, Lee-Ann, or Anders.

Derived from Latin novellus meaning "new, young, novel", a diminutive of novus "new". This name was borne by the 14th-century Italian scholar Novella d'Andrea, who taught law at the University of Bologna.

Combination of Nova and the popular name suffix -lie (see also Novalee).

Derived from Latin novus meaning "new". It was first used as a name in the 19th century.

Variant of Nonie.

Derived from Sanskrit निकेत (niketa) meaning "house, habitation".

Means "son of Niels 1".

Possibly derived from Old Norse nanþ meaning "daring, brave". In Norse mythology she was a goddess who died of grief when her husband Balder was killed.

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.

Originally a diminutive of Ann. It may have originated with the affectionate phrase mine Ann, which was later reinterpreted as my Nan. It is now also used as a short form of Nancy.

Means "born of the sea" in Irish. In Irish legend this was the name of a woman (originally named Lí Ban) who was transformed into a mermaid. After 300 years she was brought to shore, baptized, and transformed back into a woman.

French, either a form of Morgan 2 or a feminine form of Morgan 1.

Feminine form of Morgan 1.

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-).

Modern form of Morgen, which was used by Geoffrey of Monmouth [1] in the 12th century for the Arthurian sorceress Morgan le Fay, who was unnamed in earlier stories. Geoffrey probably did not derive it from the Welsh masculine name Morgan, which would have been spelled Morcant in his time. It is likely from Old Welsh mor "sea" and the suffix gen "born of" [2].

Variant of Morgan 2, from a French form.

Variant of Maura 2.

Scandinavian short form of Monica.

Short form of Maureen, Maurice, Morris and other names beginning with a similar sound.

Diminutive of Melissa. This is also a slang term meaning "young woman".

Hebrew diminutive of Miriam.

Derived from Latin mirandus meaning "admirable, worthy of being admired". The name was created by Shakespeare for the heroine in his play The Tempest (1611), in which Miranda and her father Prospero are stranded on an island. It did not become a common English given name until the 20th century. This is also the name of one of the moons of Uranus, named after the Shakespearean character.

Derived from Latin mirabilis meaning "wonderful". This name was coined during the Middle Ages, though it eventually died out. It was briefly revived in the 19th century.

Latinate form of Mirabelle.

Diminutive of Maria and other names beginning with M.

Variant of Madge.

From Michaj or Michał in Polish usage. From Michael in English.

Means "pearl, gem" in Welsh, derived from Latin margarita.

Means "blackbird" in Dutch.

Found in 18th- and 19th-century America, of uncertain origin, though it could have been a variant of Maisie or Matty 2, or a short form of the compound name Mary Elizabeth. Alternative theories suggest that it may be a feminine derivative of the Old Testament name Amaziah, or even a nickname based on the English word amazing (in which case it might have been influenced by the popular hymn Amazing Grace, first published in 1744).

This is also a modern name in the United States, likely influenced by the American music group Mazzy Star.

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.

Feminine form of Martinus (see Martin). Saint Martina was a 3rd-century martyr who is one of the patron saints of Rome.

Possibly a diminutive of Marina. This name was brought to public attention by Alfred Hitchcock's movie Marnie (1964), itself based on a 1961 novel by Winston Graham.

Variant of Marnie.

Dutch diminutive of Marleen as well as a combination of Maria and names that end in lie.

Blend of Maria and Magdalene. It refers, therefore, to Mary Magdalene, a character in the New Testament. The name was popularized by the German actress and singer Marlene Dietrich (1901-1992), whose real name was Maria Magdalene Dietrich.

Latinate form of Marlene.

Short form of María Soledad. It is sometimes considered a combination of María and Sol 1, or from Spanish mar y sol "sea and sun".

Elaborated form of Marisa.

From the name of the flower, which comes from a combination of Mary and the English word gold.

Variant of Marion 1. This name was borne in English legend by Maid Marian, Robin Hood's love. It is sometimes considered a combination of Mary and Ann.

This name spiked in popularity in several places around the world in 1954 after Pope Pius declared it to be a Marian year, in honour of the Virgin Mary. A similar declaration in 1987 did not have as marked an effect.

French short form of Margaret.

Latinate form of Margaret. This is also the Spanish word for the daisy flower (species Bellis perennis, Leucanthemum vulgare and others).

Estonian form of Margaret.

Variant of Marceline.

Roman family name that was derived from Marcellus. Saint Marcellinus was a pope of the early 4th century who was supposedly martyred during the persecutions of the Roman emperor Diocletian.

Italian form of Marcellinus.

French feminine form of Marcellinus.

Feminine form of Marcellinus.

French form of Marcellinus.

Spanish and Portuguese form of Marcellinus.

French feminine form of Marcellinus.

Polish, Spanish and Portuguese feminine form of Marcellinus.

French form of Marcellinus.

Hungarian variant of Mária, and a Croatian and Serbian variant of Marija.

Variant of Maisie.

The name means "Illusion" in Sanskrit, having to do with the hindu belief that the world is all an illusion which one must overcome to reach moksha or nirvana

From 舞 (mai) "circle, wheel" and 弥 (ya) "increasingly"

Variant of Maisie.

Variant of Maylis.

Sami form of Maja.

Finnish 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).

Latinate form of Magdalene.

Short form of Magdalena.

Diminutive of Margaret (English) or Marged (Welsh).

Anglicized form of the Irish name Medb meaning "intoxicating". In Irish legend this was the name of a warrior queen of Connacht. She and her husband Ailill fought against the Ulster king Conchobar and the hero Cúchulainn, as told in the Irish epic The Cattle Raid of Cooley.

Feminine form of Maël, possibly influenced by the spelling of Mailys.

Feminine form of Maël.

English form of Maëlle.

Feminine form of Maël.

Feminine form of Maël.

French form of Breton Mael meaning "prince, chieftain, lord". Saint Mael was a 5th-century Breton hermit who lived in Wales.

Breton form of Maël.

Variant of May. A famous bearer was the American actress Mae West (1893-1980), whose birth name was Mary.

Variant of Maddie.

Diminutive of Madeline or Madison.

Diminutive of Madeline or Madison.

Means "land" in Sumerian. In Sumerian mythology, Ma is referred to as the mother of the mountain.

From Chinese 馬 (mǎ) meaning "horse". Other Han characters are possible.

Short for names beginning with Ma-, such as Margareta and Margrethe.

Short form of Maria, most often spelled as "Ma.", this name is most commonly used in legal documents and the like when paired with another name following it (example: Ma. Consuelo). It's not actually used as a diminutive.

Means "heather" in Norwegian and Danish.

Portuguese variant of Lourdes.

Diminutive of Ludovic.

Diminutive of names beginning with Lou or Lu, such as Louise or Lucinda.

Means "pearls" in Arabic.

Diminutive of Lourdes and Maria de Lourdes.

Latvian form of Lyubov.

Alternate transcription of Russian Любовь or Ukrainian Любов (see Lyubov).

Slovak form of Ljubica.

Slovak form of Ljuba.

Alternate transcription of Russian/Ukrainian Люба (see Lyuba).

From the name of a French town. It became a popular center of pilgrimage after a young girl from the town had visions of the Virgin Mary in a nearby grotto.

Diminutive of Charlotte or Liselotte.

Short form of Charlotte or Liselotte.

Short form of Elizabeth. This is the familiar name of actress Elizabeth Taylor (1932-2011).

Variant of Liv 1.

Combination of Lise and Charlotte.

Diminutive of Linda and other names beginning with Lin.

Transferred use of the surname Linney.

From an Old English female personal name Lindgifu, Lindgeofu, composed of the elements lind ‘lime (wood)’, i.e. ‘shield’ (a transferred sense) + gifu, geofu ‘gift’.

Combination of the names Lin and Na.

Variant of both Lina 2 and Linn.

Short form of Linnéa and other names containing the same sound.

Short form of Caroline and other names ending in line.

Short form of names ending in lina.

Icelandic and Faroese feminine form of Líni as well as the Faroese form of Hlín.

Spanish form of Linus.

From Chinese 林 (lín) meaning "forest" or 琳 (lín) meaning "fine jade, gem". Other characters can also form this name.

Bulgarian, French, Russian and Ukrainian form of Linus.

Means "bright, clear" in Burmese.

German, Danish and Finnish variant of Lili.

Short form of names starting, containing, or ending with li. In some cases it may be seen as a strictly feminine form of Lee.

From Chinese 理 (lǐ) meaning "reason, logic", 立 (lì) meaning "stand, establish", 黎 (lí) meaning "black, dawn", 力 (lì) meaning "power, capability, influence" (which is usually only masculine) or 丽 (lì) meaning "beautiful" (usually only feminine). Other Chinese characters are also possible.

Means "to me" in Hebrew.

Diminutive of Alexandra or Alexis.

From the Late Latin name Laetitia meaning "joy, happiness". This was the name of an obscure saint, who is revered mainly in Spain. It was in use in England during the Middle Ages, usually in the spelling Lettice, and it was revived in the 18th century.

From a Scottish surname that was derived from a place in Aberdeenshire, probably from Gaelic leas celyn meaning "garden of holly". It has been used as a given name since the 19th century. In America it was more common as a feminine name after the 1940s.

Derived from Greek λέων (leon) meaning "lion" combined with the patronymic suffix ἴδης (ides). Leonidas was a Spartan king of the 5th century BC who sacrificed his life and his army defending the pass of Thermopylae from the Persians. This was also the name of a 3rd-century saint and martyr, the father of Origen, from Alexandria.

Short form of Eleanor. This is the name of the departed love of the narrator in Edgar Allan Poe's poem The Raven (1845).

Short form of Elenora.

Diminutive of Leonard.

Diminutive of Leonard, sometimes a feminine form.

Short form of Leonard.

Diminutive of Laura or Laurence 1.

French feminine form of Laurentius (see Laurence 1).

Diminutive of Laurence 1. A notable bearer is former basketball player Larry Bird (1956-).

Possibly 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.

From Bulgarian лале (lale) meaning "tulip" (of Persian origin).

Directly taken from Romani lala "ruby; red; fiery".
Occasionally found in the 1800s.

Diminutive of Laura. As a Spanish name, it may also be used as a diminutive of Eulalia, Alejandra or Esmeralda.

Hawaiian form of Laura.

"Flower"

Means "boy" in Hindi, derived from Sanskrit लल (lālā) meaning "playing, caressing, cajoling". It can also be interpreted to mean "garnet" or "red, ruby" from Persian لال (lâl) or لعل (la'l).

Variant of Laney.

Means "of God" in Hebrew. This is the name of the father of Eliasaph in the Old Testament. It is misspelled as Δαήλ (Dael) in the Greek translation, the Septuagint.

Derived from Finnish kyllä "abundance" or kyllin "enough". This is the name of a character in the Finnish epic the Kalevala.

Variant of Qiana as well as a feminine form of Kyan.

Variant of Kai 1.

Diminutive of names beginning in ky, such as Kylie.

Norwegian form of Christina.

Diminutive of Katherine.

Diminutive of names beginning with or containing the sound K.

Short form of Katherine and other names beginning with K.

Diminutive of Kate.

German, Swedish and Estonian short form of Katherine.

Contracted form of Katherine.

Variant of Carita.

Variant of Calista.

Greek form of Callistus.

Derived from Greek κάλλιστος (kallistos) meaning "most beautiful", a derivative of καλός (kalos) meaning "beautiful". In Greek mythology Kallisto was a nymph who was loved by Zeus. She was changed into a she-bear by Hera, and subsequently became the Great Bear constellation. This was also an ancient Greek personal name.

Variant of Callie.

Polish, Russian and Croatian form of Calista.

Variant of Callie or Kaylee.

Variant of Callie or Kaylee.

Short form of Kaia.

From the English word for the type of tree, derived ultimately from Latin iuniperus.

From the name of the month, which was originally derived from the name of the Roman goddess Juno. It has been used as a given name since the 19th century.

Diminutive of Julia or Julian.

From Chinese 菊 (jú) meaning "chrysanthemum" (which is usually only feminine) or 巨 (jù) meaning "big, enormous" (usually only masculine), besides other characters that are pronounced similarly.

Diminutive of Júlia, Joana, João and other similar-sounding names.

Diminutive of Joseph, Jolene and other names that begin with Jo.

Diminutive of Joseph. It is occasionally used as a feminine diminutive of Josephine or Johanna.

Diminutive of Joan 1.

Diminutive of Virginia.

Originally a medieval English diminutive of Jane. Since the middle of the 20th century it has been primarily considered a diminutive of Jennifer.

Short form of Jennifer.

Serbian form of Euphemia. This name was adopted by a 14th-century Serbian poet (born Jelena Mrnjavčević).

Short form of names beginning with the sound J, such as James or Jason. It was originally used in America in honour of founding father John Jay (1749-1825), whose surname was derived from the jaybird.

From the name of the month, which was named for the Roman god Janus. This name briefly charted on the American top 1000 list for girls after it was borne by the protagonist of Jacqueline Susann's novel Once Is Not Enough (1973).

Polish form of Januarius.

Short form of Janet, Janice and other names beginning with Jan.

Diminutive of Isidore, Isabel, Israel and other names beginning with a similar sound.

From the English word for the climbing plant that has small yellow flowers. It is ultimately derived from Old English ifig.

Feminine form of Ivan.

Variant of Isobel.

Variant of Isidora. A famous bearer was the American dancer Isadora Duncan (1877-1927).

Short form of Isabella.

Short form of names ending with or otherwise containing ina, such as Martina, Christina and Carolina.

Akkadian cognate of El, often used to refer to Anu.

Bulgarian and Macedonian short form of Christopher or Christian.

From the English word honour, which is of Latin origin. This was one of the virtue names adopted by the Puritans in the 17th century. It can also be viewed as a form of Honoria or Honorata, which are ultimately derived from the same source.

Feminine form of Honorius. This name was borne by the sister of the Western Roman emperor Valentinian III. After her brother had her engaged to a man she did not like, she wrote to Attila the Hun asking for help. Attila interpreted this as a marriage proposal and subsequently invaded.

Feminine form of Honoratus.

Variant of Honoria. It was brought to England and Ireland by the Normans.

Means "ocean" and is often combined with a second character to form a given name. For example, the female name 海婷 (Hoi Ting).

Latinate form of Henriette. It was introduced to England by Henriette Marie, the wife of the 17th-century English king Charles I. The name Henriette was also Anglicized as Harriet, a form that was initially more popular.

Short form of Helena as well as a derivation from Estonian hele ''bright, clear, light''.

From the Old Welsh name Grifud, the second element deriving from Old Welsh iudd "lord, prince" but the first element being of uncertain meaning (possibly cryf "strong"). This was a common name among medieval Welsh royalty. Gruffudd (or Gruffydd) ap Llywelyn was an 11th-century Welsh ruler who fought against England.

Means "son of Gruffudd".

Anglicized form of Gruffudd.

Short form of Griffin or Griffith.

French diminutive of Georgine or Virginie.

Italian short form of Giovanna and a Modern Greek variant of Ioanna.

Its use in America started increasing in the late 20th century. It spiked in popularity in 2020 after the death of Gianna Bryant and her father, the basketball player Kobe Bryant, in a helicopter crash.

Diminutive of Gianna.

Feminine form of George. This form of the name has been in use in the English-speaking world since the 18th century.

French feminine form of George.

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

Dutch, Flemish and German short form of Fridolin and its feminine forms Fridolina and Fridoline.

In German and Yiddish, the name has also been encountered as a diminutive of names that contain the Germanic element frid meaning "peace". In those cases, the name is basically a German and Yiddish variant of Friedl. It should be noted, though, that it appears that the name is strictly feminine in Yiddish.

Known German bearers of this name include the former soccer player Friedel Rausch (b. 1940), the luger Friedel Tietze (born after 1908, died after 1953) and Frieda "Friedel" Adler Bergman (1884-1918), the mother of the Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman (1915-1982). In the Netherlands, a known bearer of this name is the singer Roxeanne Hazes (b. 1993), a daughter of the popular singer André Hazes (1951-2004). She carries the name as a middle name, which was given to her in honor of her maternal grandmother Friedel van Galen-Mak (c. 1946-2009).

German feminine form of Franciscus (see Francis).

Diminutive of Françoise.

From the Old Irish name Finn, derived from finn meaning "white, blessed". It occurs frequently in Irish history and legends, the most noteworthy bearer being Fionn mac Cumhaill, the central character of one of the four main cycles of Irish mythology, the Fenian Cycle. Fionn was born as Deimne, and acquired his nickname because of his fair hair. He grew all-wise by eating an enchanted salmon, and later became the leader of the Fianna after defeating the fire-breathing demon Áillen. He was the father of Oisín and grandfather of Oscar.

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.

Diminutive of Sofia and other names containing the element -fia-.

Allegedly derived from Irish fia "deer" (via Old Irish fíad "wild animals, game, especially deer", ultimately from fid "wood").

Shortened form of Fiona, Finnian, and other names that combine this element. Used more often as a nickname or pet name.

Hakka Chinese form of Hui.

Diminutive of Euphemia.

Variant of Fay.

Turkish, Azerbaijani and Kurdish form of Fatima, as well as an Arabic variant.

Alternate transcription of Arabic فاطمة (see Fatima), as well as the usual Malay and Indonesian form.

Derived from Arabic فطم (faṭama) meaning "to abstain, to wean" [1]. Fatima was a daughter of the Prophet Muhammad and the wife of Ali, the fourth caliph. She is regarded as the exemplary Muslim woman, especially among Shias.

Alternate transcription of Arabic فضل (see Fadl).

Means "to use words of good omen" from Greek εὐφημέω (euphemeo), a derivative of εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and φημί (phemi) meaning "to speak, to declare". Saint Euphemia was an early martyr from Chalcedon.

Italian and Spanish form of Euphemia.

Variant of Etta.

Short form of Henrietta and other names that end with etta. A famous bearer was the American singer Etta James (1938-2012), who took her stage name from her real given name Jamesetta.

Means "emerald" in Spanish and Portuguese. Victor Hugo used this name in his novel The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (1831), in which Esmeralda is the Romani girl who is loved by Quasimodo. It has occasionally been used in the English-speaking world since that time.

Diminutive of Ernest.

Feminine form of Ernest.

Anglicized form of Éireann. It was initially used by people of Irish heritage in America, Canada and Australia. It was rare until the mid-1950s.

Middle English vernacular form of Emma. In modern times it is used as a variant of Em or Emmy, and is often said to be a short form of Emmeline. This is the name of the only daughter of American actress and singer Jennifer Lopez born in 2008 (in whose case it is pronounced as two syllables).

From the word for the green precious stone, which is the traditional birthstone of May. The emerald supposedly imparts love to the bearer. The word is ultimately from Greek σμάραγδος (smaragdos).

Feminine form of Alf 1.

Probably an invented name. This is the name of an infant girl in the fantasy movie Willow (1988). Since the release of the movie the name has been steadily used, finally breaking into the top 1000 in the United States in 2015.

Italian form of the mythological name Helle 2.

Sami variant of Ella 2.

Originally a short form of Eliisabet and Helena, now used as a given name in its own right.

Kurdish form of Ali 1.

Means "my God" in Hebrew.

Feminine form of Alf 1.

Italian form of Electra.

Combination of Ele and Riin.

From the name of a Welsh river, also called the Leri, of unknown meaning. This was also the name of a 7th-century Welsh saint (masculine).

Short form of Eleriin.

Greek form of Electra.

Latinized form of Greek Ἠλέκτρα (Elektra), derived from ἤλεκτρον (elektron) meaning "amber". In Greek myth she was the daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra and the sister of Orestes. She helped her brother kill their mother and her lover Aegisthus in vengeance for Agamemnon's murder. Also in Greek mythology, this name was borne by one of the Pleiades, who were the daughters of Atlas and Pleione.

Variant of Hele.

Short form of Ellen 1, Elizabeth, Helen and other similar-looking names. There are also instances where this is a variant of Elle and Ellie.

Possibly a Spanish variant form of Alba 3.

From a Semitic root meaning "god". This was a title applied to several Semitic gods. The Canaanites used it as the name of their chief deity, the father of the gods and mankind. The Hebrews used it to refer to Yahweh.

Modern Greek form of Euphemia.

Diminutive of Euphemia. In Scotland it has been used as an Anglicized form of Oighrig.

Yiddish diminutive of David.

Diminutive of Adriana or Alexandrina.

Diminutive of Dorin.

Romanian, possibly a form of Dorian or a diminutive of Teodor.