hesione's Personal Name List

Means "dawning, shining" in Hebrew. This is the name of a son of Judah and the twin of Perez in the Old Testament.

Alternate transcription of Arabic زهرة (see Zahra 2).

Feminine form of Zohar.

Means "ostrich" in Hebrew.

Means "spring" in many Slavic languages. This was the name of a Slavic spirit associated with the springtime. It has been used as a given name only since the 20th century.

Derived from Serbo-Croatian vesel meaning "cheerful".

Derived from Bulgarian весел (vesel) meaning "cheerful".

Serbian and Croatian diminutive of Vera 1.

Means "rose" in Hebrew, originally a borrowing from an Iranian language.

Form of Venus, from the genitive form Veneris.

Derived from the Slavic elements velĭ "great" and mirŭ "peace, world".

From the Roman family name Velius, which possibly means "concealed" in Latin.

Means "clear, cheerful" in Croatian and Serbian.

Russian diminutive of Vasiliy (masculine) or a Macedonian and Bulgarian diminutive of Vasilija (feminine).

Feminine form of Valerius. This was the name of a 2nd-century Roman saint and martyr.

Danish short form of Katrine.

Means "good" in Hebrew.

Possibly related to Georgian სინათლე (sinatle) meaning "light". The name was devised by the Georgian poet Shota Rustaveli for his 12th-century epic poem The Knight in the Panther's Skin, in which Tinatin is the ruler of Arabia and the lover of Avtandil.

Created by the Hungarian author Mór Jókai for a character in his novel The Golden Man (1873). The name is apparently based on the Greek word εὐθυμία (euthymia) meaning "good spirits, cheerfulness".

Derived from the Slavic element tixŭ (Serbo-Croatian tih) meaning "quiet".

Derived from the Old Norse elements Þórr (see Thor) and fríðr "beautiful, beloved".

From the ancient Greek name Θεόκλεια (Theokleia), which meant "glory of God" from the Greek elements θεός (theos) meaning "god" and κλέος (kleos) meaning "glory". This was the name of a 1st-century saint, appearing (as Θέκλα) in the apocryphal Acts of Paul and Thecla. The story tells how Thecla listens to Paul speak about the virtues of chastity and decides to remain a virgin, angering both her mother and her suitor.

Short form of Terhenetär, which was derived from Finnish terhen meaning "mist". In the Finnish epic the Kalevala Terhenetär is a sprite associated with mist and forests.

Possibly means "station" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament Terah is the father of Abraham. He led his people out of Ur and towards Canaan, but died along the way.

Derived from the old Celtic root *toranos meaning "thunder", cognate with Þórr (see Thor). This was the name of the Gaulish thunder god, who was often identified with the Roman god Jupiter.

Alternate transcription of Azerbaijani Təranə.

Alternate transcription of Hebrew טַלְיָה or טַלְיָא (see Talia 1).

Means "furrowed" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this name is borne by both a giant and also the father of King David's wife Maacah.

Italian form of Thaïs.

Derived from Serbian and Croatian sladak meaning "sweet".

Derived from Serbo-Croatian sin meaning "son".

Persian form of Avestan 𐬯𐬌𐬌𐬁𐬎𐬎𐬀𐬭𐬱𐬀𐬥 (Siiāuuarshan) meaning "possessing black stallions". This was the name of a virtuous prince in Iranian mythology. He appears briefly in the Avesta, with a longer account recorded in the 10th-century Persian epic the Shahnameh.

Means "my song" in Hebrew.

Means "singing" in Hebrew.

Means "light, candle" in Aramaic.

Means "lion" in Persian. A famous bearer of this name was Sher Shah, a 16th-century Mughal ruler.

Means "I have asked of God" in Hebrew, from the roots שָׁאַל (shaʾal) meaning "to ask" and אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". According to the Old Testament this was the name of the father of Zerubbabel. It was also borne by a son of King Jeconiah of Judah (he is called Salathiel in some translations).

Means "red, scarlet" in Hebrew.

Means "guardian, protector" in Hebrew, from the root שָׁמַר (shamar) "to guard, to watch".

Means "calm, tranquil" in Hebrew.

Means "dawn" in Hebrew.

Means "joy" in Azerbaijani [1].

Feminine form of Severinus.

Means "Yahweh is ruler" in Hebrew, from שָׂרָה (sara) meaning "to have power" and יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. This is the name of several minor characters in the Old Testament, including the father of Ezra.

Means "wild" in Italian.

Italian feminine form of Xavier.

Serbian and Bulgarian form of Sabas.

Variant of Sondra.

From a Sanskrit word referring to a type of thrush (species Turdus salica) or myna bird (species Gracula religiosa).

Means "my princess" in Hebrew, a possessive form of שָׂרָה (sara) meaning "lady, princess, noblewoman". In the Old Testament, this was Sarah's name before God changed it (see Genesis 17:15).

Apparently derived from Latin sana meaning "healthy".

French diminutive of Sandra.

From Salvatrix, the feminine form of Salvator (see Salvador).

Means "elevated, sublime" in Hebrew.

Means "ray of light" in Finnish.

Means "rose" in Breton.

Italian form of Roxana.

From Persian روشن (rōshan) meaning "light" and آرا (ārā) meaning "decorate, adorn". This was the name of the second daughter of the 17th-century Mughal emperor Shah Jahan.

Italian feminine form of Rosario.

Either a variant of Ríoghnach or a short form of Caitríona.

Variant of Rina 2.

Short form of Margaretha.

Limburgish form of Rayner.

Feminine form of Renatus.

Variant of Jeremiel appearing in some versions of the Old Testament.

Derived from Yiddish ריין (rein) meaning "clean, pure".

Feminine form of Raziel.

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

Variant of Rein.

Italian feminine form of Raphael.

Short form of Milorad and other names containing the Slavic element radŭ meaning "happy, willing". It is often used independently.

Derived from the Slavic element radŭ meaning "happy, willing", originally a short form of names beginning with that element.

Means "fresh, invigorating" in Hebrew.

Means "cloud" in Finnish and Estonian.

Italian feminine form of Peter.

Derived from Greek φῶς (phos) meaning "light" (genitive φωτός (photos)). This is the name traditionally given to the Samaritan woman Jesus met at the well (see John 4:7). She is venerated as a saint by the Eastern Church.

From a Latin name, a diminutive of Petronia, the feminine form of Petronius. This was the name of an obscure 1st-century Roman saint, later believed to be a daughter of Saint Peter.

Serbian, Croatian, Bulgarian and Macedonian form of Peter.

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.

Serbian, Macedonian, Croatian and Georgian form of Paul.

Croatian diminutive of Paula.

Means "butterfly" in Persian.

Italian form of Hosanna. This was the name of a 15th-century Italian saint and mystic, as well as a 16th-century Montenegrin saint.

Means "light for me" in Hebrew.

Means "light" in Hebrew.

Means "my light" in Hebrew.

Means "pine tree" in Hebrew.

Means "light of God" in Hebrew.

Frisian diminutive of Katherine.

Italian diminutive of Nora 1.

Variant of Noreen.

French form of Naomi 1.

Form of Naomi 1 in several languages.

From Sanskrit निशान्त (niśānta) meaning "night's end, dawn".

Derived from Greek νικητής (niketes) meaning "winner, victor". Saint Niketas was a 4th-century bishop of Remesiana in Serbia. He is a patron saint of Romania.

Means "snows" in Spanish, derived from the title of the Virgin Mary Nuestra Señora de las Nieves meaning "Our Lady of the Snows".

Derived from South Slavic neven meaning "marigold".

Masculine form of Nevena.

Means "miracle" in Hebrew.

Probably from Greek Νηρηΐδες (see Nereida). This name was used by Torquato Tasso for a character in his play Aminta (1573), and subsequently by Giacomo Leopardi in his poem Le Ricordanze (1829).

Means "lamp of Yahweh" in Hebrew, from נֵר (ner) meaning "lamp, light" and יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. This is the name of the father of Baruch in the Old Testament.

Means "unexpected" in Serbian and Croatian. In the Serbian folk song Predrag and Nenad this is the name of Predrag's brother.

From Old Irish Ness, meaning uncertain. In Irish legend she was the mother of Conchobar. She installed her son as king of Ulster by convincing Fergus mac Róich (her husband and Conchobar's stepfather) to give up his throne to the boy for a year and then helping him rule so astutely that the Ulstermen demanded that he remain as king. According to some versions of the legend she was originally named Assa "gentle", but was renamed Ní-assa "not gentle" after she sought to avenge the murders of her foster fathers.

French form of Nazarius.

Derived from Georgian ნათელი (nateli) meaning "light, bright".

Means "sun light" in Mongolian, from наран (naran) meaning "sun" and гэрэл (gerel) meaning "light".

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.

Derived from Greek μύρον (myron) meaning "sweet oil, perfume". Myron was the name of a 5th-century BC Greek sculptor. Saints bearing this name include a 3rd-century bishop of Crete and a 4th-century martyr from Cyzicus who was killed by a mob. These saints are more widely revered in the Eastern Church, and the name has generally been more common among Eastern Christians. As an English name, it has been used since the 19th century.

From Old Slavic morŭ meaning "death, plague" [1]. In Slavic mythology this was the name of a goddess associated with winter and death.

Means "viburnum shrub" in Hebrew.

From the Slavic element mirŭ meaning "peace, world", originally a diminutive of names containing that element.

From the Slavic element mirŭ meaning "peace, world" combined with a diminutive suffix.

Romanian, Croatian and Albanian form of Mireille.

Catalan form of Mirèio (see Mireille).

Derived from the Slavic elements milŭ "gracious, dear" and radŭ "happy, willing".

From the Slavic element milŭ meaning "gracious, dear" combined with a diminutive suffix. This name was borne by the wife of the 14th-century Serbian ruler Lazar.

From the Slavic element milŭ meaning "gracious, dear", originally a diminutive of names containing that element.

Feminine form of Milan. It began to be used in Italy in honour of Milena Vukotić (1847-1923), mother of Helen of Montenegro, the wife of the Italian king Victor Emmanuel III. In Italy it can also be considered a combination of Maria and Elena.

Feminine form of Milan.

Possibly means "brook" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of a daughter of Saul. She was married to David, but after David fled from Saul he remarried her to someone else. Later, when David became king, he ordered her returned to him.

From the English word merle or the French surname Merle, which both mean "blackbird" (from Latin merula). It was borne by the devious character Madame Merle (in fact her surname) in Henry James' novel The Portrait of a Lady (1880).

This name is also common for girls in Estonia, though a connection to the English-language name is uncertain.

Hebrew form of Merab 1.

Derived from Greek μέλαινα (melaina) meaning "black, dark". This was the name of a nymph in Greek mythology.

Means "dew drop" in Hebrew.

Means "giving light" in Hebrew.

From Old Irish Mellán, derived from mell meaning either "pleasant, delightful" or "lump, ball" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of a few early saints.

Means "gift" in Hebrew. This is the name of the father of Shephatiah in the Old Testament.

Italian form of Maristela.

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.

Romanian, Croatian, Serbian, Bulgarian and French form of Marinus.

Diminutive of Marija (Croatian, Serbian and Slovene) or Mária (Hungarian).

Estonian form of Margaret.

Means "bitter" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is a name that Naomi calls herself after the death of her husband and sons (see Ruth 1:20).

From the Hebrew name םְנַשֶּׁה (Menashshe) meaning "causing to forget", a derivative of נָשָׁה (nasha) meaning "to forget" [1]. In the Old Testament this is the name of the oldest son of Joseph and Asenath and the ancestor of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. It was also borne by a 7th-century BC king of Judah, condemned in the Bible for allowing the worship of other gods.

Feminine form of Malcolm.

Swedish and Norwegian short form of Magdalene.

Swedish and Spanish contracted form of Magdalena. In Spanish it can also be a contracted form of María Elena.

Basque form of Magdalene.

Short form of Magdalena.

Feminine form of Maël.

French diminutive of Madeleine, now more common as a Dutch name.

Italian form of Magdalene.

Means "little light", derived from Romanian lumina "light" combined with a diminutive suffix.

Diminutive of Luisa.

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

Feminine form of Lucien.

Italian and French variant of Lucia. This also means "light" in Italian.

This name was first used by the poet Richard Lovelace for a collection of poems called Lucasta (1649). The poems were dedicated to Lucasta, a nickname for the woman he loved Lucy Sacheverel, whom he called lux casta "pure light".

Estonian feminine form of Louis.

Means "little blackbird", derived from Old Irish lon "blackbird" combined with a diminutive suffix. This name was borne by several early saints.

Means "my dew" in Hebrew, from לִי (li) "for me" and טַל (ṭal) "dew".

Means "my song, my joy" in Hebrew, from לִי (li) "for me" and רֹן (ron) "joy, song".

Means "my light" in Hebrew, from לִי (li) "for me" and אוֹר (ʾor) "light".

Scottish Gaelic of Lillian [1].

Means "lilac" in Hebrew.

Short form of Juliana, Liliana and other names that end in liana. This is also the word for a type of vine that grows in jungles.

Italian form of Letitia. It was borne by Napoleon Bonaparte's mother.

Diminutive of Oleksandra.

Means "light" in Tswana.

Feminine form of Leontius.

Italian short form of Eleanor.

Spanish and Portuguese form of Eleanor. It was brought to Spain in the 12th-century by Eleanor of England, who married King Alfonso VIII of Castile.

Feminine form of Leander.

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.

Means "wave" in Estonian.

Bulgarian and Macedonian form of Cyril.

Alternate transcription of Hebrew כִּנֶּרֶת (see Kineret).

From the Hebrew name קְצִיעָה (Qetsiʿa) meaning "cassia, cinnamon", from the name of the spice tree. In the Old Testament she is a daughter of Job.

Means "rainbow" in Hebrew.

Variant of Karena.

Means "horn" or "ray of light" in Hebrew.

From Hebrew ךְּלִיל (kelil) meaning "crown, wreath, garland" or "complete, perfect".

Basque form of Katherine.

Variant of Catriona.

Dutch (especially Flemish) form of Katherine.

Greek contracted form of Katerina. This name had a spike in popularity in America in 1972 when it was used for a newborn baby on the soap opera Where the Heart Is.

Croatian, Slovene and Hungarian diminutive of Katherine.

From the Mohawk pronunciation of Katherine. This was the name adopted by the 17th-century Mohawk saint Tekakwitha upon her baptism.

Breton form of Katherine.

Hungarian and Basque form of Katherine.

Diminutive of Katarzyna.

French form of Carina 1. It can also function as a short form of Catherine, via Swedish Karin.

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

Hebrew form of Caleb.

Hawaiian form of Karen 1.

Finnish and Estonian diminutive of Katherine.

Estonian form of Katherine.

Form of Yvonne in several languages.

Means "daisy" in Croatian.

Short form of Ivana.

From the Hebrew name אִיתָמָר (ʾIṯamar) meaning "date palm island", derived from אִי (ʾi) meaning "island" and תָּמָר (tamar) meaning "date palm". This is the name of a son of Aaron in the Old Testament.

Modern Hebrew form of Ittai.

Meaning unknown. In Islamic tradition this is the name of the angel who will blow the trumpet that signals the coming of Judgement Day. He is sometimes equated with the angels Raphael or Uriel from Judeo-Christian tradition.

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.

Means "spark" in South Slavic.

Turkish form of Alexander.

Arabic, Indonesian and Malay form of Alexander.

Means "he guards me" in Hebrew, derived from שָׁמַר (shamar) meaning "to guard". This name is mentioned briefly in the Old Testament.

From the Hebrew name יִשְׁמָעֵאל (Yishmaʿel) meaning "God will hear", from the roots שָׁמַע (shamaʿ) meaning "to hear" and אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". In the Old Testament this is the name of a son of Abraham. He is the traditional ancestor of the Arab people. Also in the Old Testament, it is borne by a man who assassinates Gedaliah the governor of Judah. The author Herman Melville later used this name for the narrator in his novel Moby-Dick (1851).

From the Hebrew name יִסְכָּה (Yiska) meaning "to behold". In the Old Testament this is the name of Abraham's niece, mentioned only briefly. This is the basis of the English name Jessica.

Means "asphodel (flower)" in Hebrew.

Latinized form of the Greek name Εἰρηναῖος (Eirenaios), which meant "peaceful". Saint Irenaeus was an early bishop of Lyons for whom the Greek island of Santorini is named.

Italian cognate of Inmaculada.

Old Hungarian form of Helen, possibly via a Slavic form. In Finland it is associated with the word ilona, a derivative of ilo "joy".

Derived from Finnish ilma "air" combined with a feminine suffix. In Finnish mythology Ilmatar was a semi-androgynous goddess of the heavens. She was the mother of Ilmarinen, Väinämöinen and Lemminkäinen.

Derived from Finnish ilma meaning "air". Ilmarinen is an immortal smith in Finnish mythology, the creator of the sky and the magic mill known as the Sampo. He is one of the main characters in the Finnish epic the Kalevala.

Means "first light", from Turkish ilk meaning "first" combined with Arabic نور (nūr) meaning "light".

Feminine form of Ilija.

Feminine form of Ilias (Greek) or Iliya (Bulgarian).

Georgian form of Elijah. It is also an alternate transcription of Russian Илья or Belarusian Ілья (see Ilya) or Bulgarian Илия (see Iliya).

Italian feminine form of Hilarius.

Feminine form of Ilan.

From the Roman family name Egnatius, meaning unknown, of Etruscan origin. The spelling was later altered to resemble Latin ignis "fire". This was the name of several saints, including the third bishop of Antioch who was thrown to wild beasts by Emperor Trajan, and by Saint Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556), founder of the Jesuits, whose real birth name was in fact Íñigo.

Means "cloud" in Basque.

Hebrew form of Abel.

Means "freedom" in Hebrew.

Means "wind" in Basque.

From Hebrew הֲדַס (haḏas) meaning "myrtle tree". In the Old Testament this is the Hebrew name of Queen Esther.

Italian form of Guinevere. This is also the Italian name for the city of Geneva, Switzerland. It is also sometimes associated with the Italian word ginepro meaning "juniper".

Means "dark-skinned, swarthy" in Welsh.

Italian form of Geneviève.

Bulgarian form of Gabriel.

From the English word garnet for the precious stone, the birthstone of January. The word is derived from Middle English gernet meaning "dark red".

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.

Means "sapling" in Turkish and Azerbaijani.

Diminutive of Fiamma. This is the name of a character appearing in several works by the 14th-century Italian author Boccaccio. She was probably based on the Neapolitan noblewoman Maria d'Aquino.

Means "dark man" from Old Irish fer "man" and dorchae "dark".

From Yiddish פֿויגל (foigl) meaning "bird", a vernacular form of Zipporah.

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.

Form of Eter with the nominative suffix, used when the name is written stand-alone.

Persian form of Alexander.

Means "the wind" in Turkish.

Possibly from Old Irish én meaning "bird". This was the name of several Irish kings and heroes. It was also borne by a 6th-century saint who built the monastery of Killeany on Aran.

Spanish form of a Visigothic name, recorded from the 10th century in forms such as Geloyra or Giluira. It is of uncertain meaning, possibly composed of the Gothic element gails "happy" or gails "spear" combined with wers "friendly, agreeable, true". The name was borne by members of the royal families of León and Castille. This is also the name of a character in Mozart's opera Don Giovanni (1787).

Possibly from a Breton word meaning "light". This name was borne by an obscure 6th-century saint who is now venerated mainly in Brittany and Cornwall.

Contracted form of Eleanora.

Hebrew form of Elizabeth.

Means "my God is deliverance" in Hebrew, from the roots אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God" and פָּלַט (palaṭ) meaning "to deliver, to rescue". This is the name of several people in the Old Testament including a son of David.

Scandinavian and Welsh form of Helen.

Probably from Aeliana, the feminine form of the Roman name Aelianus, which was derived from the Roman family name Aelius. This was the name of an obscure early saint and martyr from Amasea.

Means "my God has answered" in Hebrew.

Italian form of Electra.

Modern Greek form of Helen.

Form of Helen used in various languages, as well as an alternate transcription of Russian Елена (see Yelena).

Short form of Eleanor. This was also the name of an ancient Italian town (modern Velia) that is well known for being the home of the philosopher Parmenides and his student Zeno of Elea, who was famous for his paradoxes.

From an Old French form of Helen. It appears in Arthurian legend; in Thomas Malory's 15th-century compilation Le Morte d'Arthur Elaine was the daughter of Pelles, the lover of Lancelot, and the mother of Galahad. It was not commonly used as an English given name until after the publication of Alfred Tennyson's Arthurian epic Idylls of the King (1859).

Means "terebinth tree" in Hebrew. This was the name of the fourth king of Israel, as told in the Old Testament. He was murdered by Zimri, who succeeded him.

Modern Hebrew form of Ethan.

Scottish Gaelic form of Eleanor.

Diminutive of Eilionoir, also taken to be a Gaelic form of Helen.

Latinized form of Étaín. This was the name of an early Irish saint.

Feminine form of Desiderio. This was the Latin name of a 19th-century queen of Sweden, the wife of Karl XIV. She was born in France with the name Désirée.

Possibly from the Welsh word deryn, a variant of aderyn meaning "bird".

Feminine form of the Latin name Delphinus, which meant "of Delphi". Delphi was a city in ancient Greece, the name of which is possibly related to Greek δελφύς (delphys) meaning "womb". The Blessed Delphina was a 14th-century Provençal nun.

From the Hebrew name דְּבוֹרָה (Devora) meaning "bee". In the Old Testament Book of Judges, Deborah is a heroine and prophetess who leads the Israelites when they are threatened by the Canaanites. She forms an army under the command of Barak, and together they destroy the army of the Canaanite commander Sisera. Also in the Old Testament, this is the name of the nurse of Rebecca.

Long a common Jewish name, Deborah was first used by English Christians after the Protestant Reformation, and it was popular among the Puritans.

Italian diminutive of Daniela.

Bulgarian variant form of Daniel.

Possibly derived from Dáire. This was the name of the daughter of the legendary Irish king Túathal Techtmar.

Means "crucifix" in Italian, derived from Latin crucifixus "fixed to a cross", from crux "cross" and fixus "fixed, fastened".

Means "consoled" in Italian. It is taken from the title of the Virgin Mary, Maria Consolata.

Anglicized form of the Old Irish name Conláed, possibly meaning "constant fire" from cunnail "prudent, constant" and áed "fire". Saint Conláed was a 5th-century bishop of Kildare.

Means "conceived" in Italian, referring to the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary.

Late Latin name meaning "dove". The dove is a symbol of the Holy Spirit in Christianity. This was the name of several early saints both masculine and feminine, most notably the 6th-century Irish monk Saint Columba (or Colum) who established a monastery on the island of Iona off the coast of Scotland. He is credited with the conversion of Scotland to Christianity.

Latinized form of Greek Κίρκη (Kirke), possibly from κίρκος (kirkos) meaning "hawk". In Greek mythology Circe was a sorceress who changed Odysseus's crew into hogs, as told in Homer's Odyssey. Odysseus forced her to change them back, then stayed with her for a year before continuing his voyage.

Italian form of Cynthia.

Possibly from Old Irish cin "respect, esteem, affection" or cinid "be born, come into being" combined with áed "fire", though it might actually be of Pictish origin. This was the name of the first king of the Scots and Picts (9th century). It is often Anglicized as Kenneth. The originally unrelated name Coinneach is sometimes used as the modern Scottish Gaelic form.

Irish byname derived from ciar meaning "black".

Means "kindness, goodness" in Hebrew.

Modern Hebrew form of Eve.

From a Slavic word meaning "black".

Feminine form of the Roman family name Caelius. Shakespeare used it in his play As You Like It (1599), which introduced the name to the English-speaking public at large. It is sometimes used as a short form of Cecilia.

From the name of the flower, which is derived from Greek χελιδών (chelidon) meaning "swallow (bird)".

Anglicized form of Caitríona (Irish) or Caitrìona (Scottish Gaelic).

Welsh form of Katherine, as well as a German short form of Katharina.

Contracted form of Cătălina.

Medieval French form of Katherine.

Spanish and Corsican form of Katherine.

Means "black hoof" in Shawnee. This was the name of an 18th-century Shawnee warrior and chief.

From the title of the Virgin Mary Our Lady of Mount Carmel. כַּרְמֶל (Karmel) (meaning "garden" in Hebrew) is a mountain in Israel mentioned in the Old Testament. It was the site of several early Christian monasteries. As an English given name, it has mainly been used by Catholics. As a Jewish name it is unisex.

Late Latin name derived from cara meaning "dear, beloved". This was the name of a 4th-century saint and martyr. It is also the name of a constellation in the southern sky, though in this case it means "keel" in Latin, referring to a part of Jason's ship the Argo.

Variant of Kaja 1.

Possibly a form of Caitríona.

Means "light" in Malay and Indonesian, ultimately from Sanskrit छाया (chāyā).

Short form of Catrin.

Means "azure, sky blue" in Italian.

Means "my help is God" in Hebrew, derived from עֶזְרָה (ʿezra) meaning "help" and אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". This is the name of three minor characters in the Old Testament.

Means "moon flood" in Turkish and Azerbaijani, derived from ay "moon" and sel "flood, stream" (of Arabic origin).

Means "moonlight" in Turkish, Azerbaijani and Uyghur, ultimately from Turkic ay meaning "moon" and Arabic نور (nūr) meaning "light".

Means "of the moon" in Turkish and Azerbaijani, from Turkic ay "moon".

Derived from the Turkic elements ay "moon" and gün "sun".

Derived from the Turkic element ay meaning "moon" combined with Persian گل (gol) meaning "flower, rose". In some languages this is also a name for a variety of flowering plant that grows in central Asia (species Fritillaria eduardii).

Means "doe, female deer, gazelle". It is taken from the Hebrew phrase אַיֶלֶת הַשַׁחַר (ʾayeleṯ hashaḥar), literally "gazelle of dawn", which is a name of the morning star.

From the Norman French form of the Germanic name Avelina, a diminutive of Avila. The Normans introduced this name to Britain. After the Middle Ages it became rare as an English name, though it persisted in America until the 19th century [1].

Feminine form of Aurelius.

From the word aura (derived from Latin, ultimately from Greek αὔρα meaning "breeze") for a distinctive atmosphere or illumination.

Possibly means "Yahweh is exalted" in Hebrew, from עֲתַל (ʿaṯal) possibly meaning "exalted" and יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. In the Old Testament this is both a feminine and masculine name. It was borne by the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, who later came to rule Judah as a queen.

Means "crown" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament Atarah is a minor character, the wife of Jerahmeel.

Bulgarian and Macedonian form of Athanasius.

Means "peace, tranquility" in Kurdish.

Means "taken up, received, assumed" in Italian, referring to the assumption of the Virgin Mary into heaven.

Means "travel at night" in Arabic.

Means "the beginning", from Basque hasi.

From עַשְׁתֹרֶת (ʿAshṯoreṯ), the Hebrew form of the name of a Phoenician goddess of love, war and fertility. Her name is cognate to that of the East Semitic goddess Ishtar.

Means "belonging to the goddess Neith" in Ancient Egyptian. In the Old Testament this is the name of Joseph's Egyptian wife. She was the mother of Manasseh and Ephraim.

Turkish variant and Turkmen form of Aslan.

Derived from Hebrew אֲרִי (ʾari) meaning "lion", an animal particularly associated with the tribe of Judah (see Genesis 49:9). This is the name of an officer of King Pekahiah in the Old Testament.

Means "song, melody" in Italian (literally means "air"). An aria is an elaborate vocal solo, the type usually performed in operas. As an English name, it has only been in use since the 20th century, its rise in popularity accelerating after the 2010 premier of the television drama Pretty Little Liars, featuring a character by this name. It is not traditionally used in Italy.

Derived from Basque argi "light" and eder "beautiful".

Medieval English variant of Honora.

Latinate diminutive of Anna.

Means "Yahweh has answered" in Hebrew, from עָנָה (ʿana) meaning "to answer" and יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. This is the name of a minor character in the Old Testament.

Means "the end" in Basque. This is the name of a character in the historical novel Amaya, or the Basques in the 8th century (1879) by Francisco Navarro-Villoslada (Amaya in the Spanish original; Amaia in the Basque translation).

French form of Eleanor.

Belarusian form of Alexius.

Slovene diminutive of Alena 1.

Short form of Magdalena or Helena. This was the name of a saint, possibly legendary, who was martyred near Brussels in the 7th century.

Finnish form of Alexander.

Medieval Slavic form of Alexander.

Feminine form of Alastar.

Means "joyful, happy" from Basque alai.

Possibly means "good fathers" from Basque aita "father" and on "good". This was the name of a legendary ancestor of the Basques.

Means "glory" in Basque.

Basque form of Angelus (see Angel).

Greek form of Aegle.

Means "love" in Hebrew.

From Basque agurtza meaning "worship, reverence" and "rosary". It was proposed by Sabino Arana in 1910 as an equivalent of the Spanish name Rosario.

From Basque agur meaning "greeting, salutation".

Probably a Latinized form of a Germanic name of unknown meaning. This was the name of the mother of Eleanor of Aquitaine.

Means "bird" in Welsh. This is a modern Welsh name.

Means "noble" in Hebrew.