futuremother99's Personal Name List

From the Hebrew name ץְפַןְיָה (Tsefanya) meaning "Yahweh has hidden", derived from צָפַן (tsafan) meaning "to hide" and יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. This is the name of one of the twelve minor prophets of the Old Testament, the author of the Book of Zephaniah.

The Angel of Memory in all three of the main Abrahamic faiths.

Alternate transcription of Russian Юлия or Ukrainian/Belarusian Юлія (see Yuliya).

Means "hope" in Punu.

Variant of Joseph.

Feminine form of Yona.

Hebrew form of Jochebed.

Means 'A dream,' in an Indigenous Australian language.

Means "jade" in Turkish.

From Jessenia, the genus name of a variety of palm trees found in South America. As a given name, it was popularized by the writer Yolanda Vargas Dulché in the 1970 Mexican telenovela Yesenia and the 1971 film adaptation [1].

Hebrew form of Jerusha.

Variant of Jenna.

Hebrew form of Jemima.

Hebrew form of Jedidah.

Alternate transcription of Arabic ياسمين (see Yasmin).

Means "jasmine" in Arabic and Hebrew, derived from Persian یاسمین (yāsamīn). In modern times it has been used in the western world, as an Arabic-influenced variant of Jasmine.

Derived from Sanskrit यशस् (yaśas) meaning "fame, praise, glory".

Hebrew form of Jared. This form is also used in Ethiopia. It was borne by a semi-legendary 6th-century Ethiopian musician who is considered a saint in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.

Italian form and variant transcription of Yaara.

Arabic form of Yaʿaqov (see Jacob) appearing in the Quran.

Meaning unknown, possibly derived from an Arabic name. It has been used in Mexico since at least the 1940s [1], perhaps inspired by the Colombian actress Yadira Jiménez (1928-?), who performed in Mexican films beginning in 1946.

Meaning uncertain, said to mean "the flower that arrived" in Zapotec.

From the English word for the season, derived from Old English winter.

From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "white island" in Old English. Its popular use as a feminine name was initiated by actress Whitney Blake (1925-2002) in the 1960s, and further boosted in the 1980s by singer Whitney Houston (1963-2012).

A person who can see beyond what others see , and a person who understands everything.

Alternate transcription of Vilai.

From the name of the capital city of Austria, Vienna.

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.

Derived from Albanian verë meaning "summer".

Means "yearning, desire" in Sanskrit. According to Hindu scripture this was the name of an evil and irreligious king.

Means "destiny" in Khmer.

Probably of Persian origin, possibly a superlative form of 𐎺𐎢 (vahu) meaning "good". According to the Old Testament this was the name of the first wife of King Ahasuerus of Persia before he married Esther.

Invented by author Jonathan Swift for his 1726 poem Cadenus and Vanessa [1]. He arrived at it by rearranging the initial syllables of the first name and surname of Esther Vanhomrigh, his close friend. Vanessa was later used as the name of a genus of butterfly. It was a rare given name until the mid-20th century, at which point it became fairly popular.

Derived from the Lithuanian noun vandenė meaning "mermaid", which is derived from the Lithuanian adjective vandens meaning "aqueous, aquatic", itself ultimately derived from the Lithuanian noun vanduo meaning "water". Also compare Undinė, which is etymologically related.

Feminine form of Valentinus (see Valentine 1). A famous bearer is the Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova (1937-), who in 1963 became the first woman to visit space.

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

From Tahitian vai "water" and miti "sea, salt".

From Tahitian vai "water" and here "loved, dear".

Meaning unknown, though it likely means "king, prince, noble, chief" based on the fact that the meaning of Mapu 'a Vaea, natural blowholes in Houma on the island of Tongatapu in Tonga, is known to be 'Whistle of the Noble/Chief/King' in Tongan.

The name has been born by Tongan kings and chiefs in antiquity. Baron Vaea, born Siaosi Tuʻihala ʻAlipate Vaea Tupou, was the Prime Minister of Tonga from 1991-2000. Mount Vaea is a mountain overlooking the Samoan capital of Apia on the island of Upolu, and is best known as the burial site of writer Robert Louis Stevenson. The name of the mountain comes from the Samoan myth of the giant Vaea who, in grieving for the loss of his son, petrified and became the mountain.

Hebrew form of Zipporah.

Variation of the name Tzephanya or Tzephanyahu. Means (Hebrew): 'Secret of God'.

Derived from the notable wife of the Tzar and popularized in the newer 21st century due to it's exotic pronunciation. It means "wife of the great Tzar"

From an English nickname meaning "three".

Variant of Trey.

From the name of a 1981 Avon perfume, derived from the Italian verb toccare "to touch".

Means "light" in Tamazight [1].

Means "flower" in Tahitian, also specifically referring to the species Gardenia taitensis.

Means "the Pleiades" in Arabic. The Pleiades are a group of stars in the constellation Taurus.

Short form of Theresa. This is the name of the main character in Thomas Hardy's novel Tess of the d'Urbervilles (1891).

Teos was the name of Pharaon Teos of the Thirtieth Dynasty of Egypt (380-343 BC).

Means "darling" in Welsh, derived from a diminutive of Welsh teg "beautiful, pretty". It was somewhat common in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Canada in the 1980s and 90s. It was borne by an Australian character on the television series Doctor Who from 1981 to 1984.

Probably of Egyptian origin, possibly meaning "the wife of the king", derived from the feminine determiner tꜣ and ḥmt "woman, wife" combined with the masculine determiner pꜣ and nsw "king". Queen Tahpenes was a wife of an Egyptian pharaoh according to the Book of Kings in the Old Testament.

Variant of Talia 2.

Means "princess" in Romani, possibly a cognate of Sarah.

Derived from Sanskrit sura meaning "goddess."

Means "conception" in Basque. It was coined by Sabino Arana in 1910 as an equivalent of the Spanish name Concepción.

Variant of Sonya.

Persian form of Sumayya.

Variant of Solange.

French form of the Late Latin name Sollemnia, which was derived from Latin sollemnis "religious". This was the name of a French shepherdess who became a saint after she was killed by her master.

Russian, Ukrainian and Bulgarian form of Sophia.

Derived from Spanish sirena "mermaid". The Spanish dramatist Jacinto Benavente used this name in his play 'Los intereses creados' (1907), where it belongs to a poor widow and matchmaker called Doña Sirena.

Means "sunflower" in Tongan.

Means "breeze" in Kurdish.

Feminine form of Simon 1.

Means "follow me home" in Yoruba.

Simidele Adeagbo is a Canadian-born Nigerian skeleton racer who competed at 2018 Winter Olympics. She is Nigeria and Africa’s first female skeleton athlete, as well as the first black female athlete in the sport of skeleton.

Variant of Sienna, with the spelling perhaps influenced by that of the Italian city.

Means "peace of Zion" in Hebrew. Queen Salome Alexandra of Judaea (141-67 BCE) is known as Shlomtzion in Hebrew. It is borne by journalist Shlomzion Kenan, daughter of the late Israeli writer Amos Kenan.

Means "peaceful" in Hebrew.

From 白南天 shironanten, white-fruited nandina. Symbolizes "love growing stronger" and "good home" in the language of flowers.

Hebrew form of Shiphrah.

Means "name" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament, Shem is one of Noah's three sons (along with Japheth and Ham) and the ancestor of the Semitic peoples.

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.

Means "sky" or "heaven" in Persian.

Means "highest heaven" in Hebrew.

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

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.

Latin form of Zipporah.

Turkish form of Sadaf.

From Old Irish Ségdae, probably derived from ségda meaning "fine, good, favourable, learned". According to an Irish legend this was the name of a boy who was set to be sacrificed but was saved by his mother [1].

Meaning uncertain, possibly a derivative of Mapuche ayün "love".

"dawn, new beginning"

From the Old German element sahso meaning "a Saxon". The Saxons were a Germanic tribe, their name ultimately deriving from the Germanic word *sahsą meaning "knife". Saskia van Uylenburgh (1612-1642) was the wife of the Dutch painter Rembrandt.

Russian and Ukrainian diminutive of Aleksandr or Aleksandra.

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).

Means "freedom" in Irish Gaelic. It was first used as a given name in the 20th century.

Feminine form of Sani 1.

Feminine form of Sami 2.

Feminine form of Samir 1.

Alternate transcription of Arabic ثمينة (see Thamina), as well as the usual Urdu transcription.

Means “happy” in Hebrew.

Means "tranquil, peaceful" in Sanskrit. From the Sanskrit सामय (sAmaya), from सामयति (sAmayati).

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.

Feminine form of Salih.

Alternate transcription of Arabic سالم (see Salim).

Derived from Latin sal meaning "salt". This was the name of the Roman goddess of salt water.

Hausa and Kazakh form of Safiyya. It is also an alternate transcription of the Arabic name.

Maghrebi transcription of Safaa used in Morocco.

Diminutive of Sarah.

Alternate transcription of Arabic سعدية (see Sadia).

Variant of Sadie.

Feminine form of Sabinus, a Roman cognomen meaning "a Sabine" in Latin. The Sabines were an ancient people who lived in central Italy, their lands eventually taken over by the Romans after several wars. According to legend, the Romans abducted several Sabine women during a raid, and when the men came to rescue them, the women were able to make peace between the two groups. This name was borne by several early saints.

From the name of the bitter medicinal herb, ultimately deriving from Greek ῥυτή (rhyte). This is also sometimes used as a short form of Ruth 1.

From Sanskrit रुचिर (rucira) meaning "brilliant, radiant, agreeable, splendid". It is used as a feminine name in Thailand and India while it is unisex in Sri Lanka.

Generally this can be considered to be from Latin rosa meaning "rose", though originally it may have come from the unrelated Germanic name Roza 2. This was the name of a 13th-century saint from Viterbo in Italy. In the English-speaking world it was first used in the 19th century. Famous bearers include the Polish-German revolutionary Rosa Luxemburg (1871-1919) and the American civil rights activist Rosa Parks (1913-2005).

Feminine form of Romed, Romedio, or Romedius.

Diminutive of Róis or the Irish word rós meaning "rose" (of Latin origin). It appears in the 17th-century song Róisín Dubh.

From Japanese 梨 (ri) meaning "pear" combined with 来 (ra) meaning "to come". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Usage of this name is, most likely, influenced by the name Lila 2.

Means "joy, singing" in Hebrew.

Means "friend of God" in Hebrew, from רֵעַ (reaʿ) meaning "friend" and אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". In the Old Testament this is another name for Jethro. The fantasy author John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (1892-1973) was a famous bearer.

Means "queen" in Latin (or Italian). It was in use as a Christian name from early times, and was borne by a 2nd-century saint. In England it was used during the Middle Ages in honour of the Virgin Mary, and it was later revived in the 19th century. A city in Canada bears this name, in honour of Queen Victoria.

Alternate transcription of Arabic ريم (see Rim).

Punjabi in origin, this name means "sunflower" (literally "the beauty of the sun", compare Sanskrit ravi "sun").

Raveena Tandon (born 1974) is an Indian actress, producer, and a former model.

Means "good sense, good guidance" in Arabic, from the root رشد (rashada) meaning "to be on the right path".

Spanish and Portuguese form of Ramirus, earlier Ranimirus, a Latinized form of a Visigothic name derived from the Gothic element rana "wedge" or perhaps ragin "law, decree, assessment, responsibility" combined with mers "famous". Saint Ramirus was a 6th-century prior of the Saint Claudius Monastery in León. He and several others were executed by the Arian Visigoths, who opposed orthodox Christianity. This name was subsequently borne by kings of León, Asturias and Aragon.

Feminine form of Quirinus.

Variant of Potyra.

Greek form of Phoebe.

Latinized form of the Greek name Φοίβη (Phoibe), which meant "bright, pure" from Greek φοῖβος (phoibos). In Greek mythology Phoibe was a Titan associated with the moon. This was also an epithet of her granddaughter, the moon goddess Artemis. The name appears in Paul's epistle to the Romans in the New Testament, where it belongs to a female minister in the church at Cenchreae.

In England, it began to be used as a given name after the Protestant Reformation. It was moderately common in the 19th century. It began to rise in popularity again in the late 1980s, probably helped along by characters on the American television shows Friends (1994-2004) and Charmed (1998-2006). It is currently much more common in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand than the United States.

A moon of Saturn bears this name, in honour of the Titan.

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.

Means "rumour, reputation" in Greek. In Greek mythology she was the personification of fame and rumours.

Derived from Greek Πέτρος (Petros) meaning "stone". This is a translation used in most versions of the New Testament of the name Cephas, meaning "stone" in Aramaic, which was given to the apostle Simon by Jesus (compare Matthew 16:18 and John 1:42). Simon Peter was the most prominent of the apostles during Jesus' ministry and is often considered the first pope.

Due to the renown of the apostle, this name became common throughout the Christian world (in various spellings). In England the Normans introduced it in the Old French form Piers, which was gradually replaced by the spelling Peter starting in the 15th century [1].

Besides the apostle, other saints by this name include the 11th-century reformer Saint Peter Damian and the 13th-century preacher Saint Peter Martyr. It was also borne by rulers of Aragon, Portugal, and Russia, including the Russian tsar Peter the Great (1672-1725), who defeated Sweden in the Great Northern War. Famous fictional bearers include Peter Rabbit from Beatrix Potter's children's books, Peter Pan, the boy who refused to grow up in J. M. Barrie's 1904 play, and Peter Parker, the real name of the comic book superhero Spider-Man.

From the name of the Middle Eastern country Persia, now referred to as Iran. Its name is derived from Avestan Parsa, the ancient tribal name of the people ruled by Cyrus the Great.

As a given name, it has been occasionally found in the English-speaking world from the early 19th century onwards.

Spanish form of Paulus (see Paul). Spanish painter and sculptor Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) and Chilean poet Pablo Neruda (1904-1973) were famous bearers of this name.

Feminine form of Oren.

Perhaps based on Latin oro "to pray". It was first used in America in the 19th century.

Hebrew form of Ophir. In modern times it is also used as a feminine name.

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.

Nigerian name meaning "fate, fortune, destiny".

Form of Odilia.

Means "born when the sun shines", derived from Luo chieng meaning "sun".

A modern coinage derived from the name of the Ancient Berber kingdom and later Roman province Numidia.

It is probably not directly linked to Late Roman name Numidia.

From Navajo nizhóní meaning "beautiful" [1].

Means "plowed field" in Hebrew.

Means "bright" in Irish. She was the daughter of the sea god Manannán mac Lir in Irish legends. She fell in love with the poet Oisín, the son of Fionn mac Cumhaill. It has been used as a given name for people only since the early 20th century.

Means "purpose, aim" in Swahili, borrowed from Arabic نيّة (nīya) [1].

Egyptian variant of Nasrin.

Possibly means "water lily" in an Australian Aboriginal language.

Altered form of Naomi 1 (compare Naoma), though it is popularly claimed to mean "new moon" in Greek (apparently by association with the prefix neo "new, young" and mene "moon").

From Persian نازی (nāzī) meaning "sweet, coy".

Possibly from Zapotec nadxiie lii meaning "I love you" or nayele' meaning "open".

Means "helper" in Arabic, from the root نصر (naṣara) meaning "to help, to aid". This transcription represents two related yet distinct Arabic names: ناصر, in which the first vowel is long, and نصير, in which the second vowel is long.

Naria was a Gallo-Roman goddess worshiped in western Switzerland. While her functions have been lost to time, it can be deduced from the sole image of her that she may have been a goddess of good luck and blessings, as her image was done in the generic style of Fortuna, the Roman goddess of luck. The origin and meaning of her name are unknown.

Means "pleasantness".

Means "beauty, glory" in Hawaiian.

Means "dolphin" in Hawaiian.

Means "wave, sea foam" in Basque.

Meaning unknown.

Derived from Georgian მზე (mze) meaning "sun".

Variant of Myria or Miriah. Usage of this name began in England in the 18th century, though at that time, it was rarely given to girls. In the United States, it began to be used in the 19th century, where it was concentrated most in the American South.
After the 1970s, it can also be considered as a variant of Mariah, which might be influenced by Myra or other names that start with My-.

Created by the 17th-century poet Fulke Greville. He possibly based it on Latin myrra meaning "myrrh" (a fragrant resin obtained from a tree). Otherwise, he may have simply rearranged the letters from the name Mary. Although unrelated etymologically, this is also the name of an ancient city of Anatolia.

Tamazight form of Muhammad.

Hebrew form of Moses.

From Hebrew מֹרִיָה (Moriya) possibly meaning "seen by Yahweh". This is a place name in the Old Testament, both the land where Abraham is to sacrifice Isaac and the mountain upon which Solomon builds the temple. They may be the same place. Since the 1980s it has occasionally been used as a feminine given name in America.

Either a diminutive of Montgomery or from the Spanish or Italian vocabulary word meaning "mountain". Its use as an Armenian name is inspired by the Armenian-American revolutionary Monte Melkonian (1957-1993).

Anglicized form of Máire. It also coincides with Greek Μοῖρα (Moira) meaning "fate, destiny", the singular of Μοῖραι, the Greek name for the Fates. They were the three female personifications of destiny in Greek mythology.

Means "glowing like a moon" in Armenian.

Turkish form of Miraj.

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.

From Sanskrit मीर (mīra) meaning "sea, ocean". This was the name of a 16th-century Indian princess who devoted her life to the god Krishna.

Biblical Hebrew form of Michael.

Means "strife" or "judgment" in Hebrew. In the Hebrew Bible, Midian was a son of Abraham and Keturah.

In Egyptian mythology she was a goddess of childbirth, and the creator of each child's 'ka', a part of their soul, which she breathed into them at the moment of their birth. Because she was responsible for 'ka', she was also associated with fate, and so would sometimes be associated with Shai. In ancient Egypt, women would deliver babies while squatting on a pair of brick, known as birth bricks, and because of this Meskhenet is sometimes depicted as a brick with a woman's head wearing a cow uterus, though typically she would just be depicted as a woman wearing a cow uterus.

Means "silk" in Hebrew.

From Egyptian mryt meaning "the beloved one", the feminine perfective relative form of mrj "to love, to have affection for, to be fond of" as well as "to want, to wish, to desire".

Means "beautiful" in one of the Indigenous languages of the Sydney area, possibly Darug.

From the Hebrew name םְנַחֵם (Menaḥem) meaning "comforter", a derivative of נָחַם (naḥam) meaning "to comfort". This was the name of a king of Israel, appearing in the Old Testament. His reign was noted for its brutality.

Means "ash tree" in Greek, a derivative of μέλι (meli) meaning "honey". This was the name of a nymph in Greek myth, the daughter of the Greek god Okeanos.

Hebrew form of Mehetabel.

Crimean Tatar form of Madina.

Kazakh and Bosnian form of Madina.

Variant of Maeve.

Modern Irish form of Medb (see Maeve).

In Hebrew, the word is generally transliterated as mazal, and literally refers to a "star" or "planet in the night sky" or "zodiac constellation." It came to mean "lucky" in medieval times due to the widespread belief in astrology and that the planets and constellations can influence one's fate.

Variant of Maxine.

Form of Latin Marcus used in several languages. Saint Mark was the author of the second gospel in the New Testament. Though the author's identity is not certain, some traditions hold him to be the same person as the John Mark who appears in the Book of Acts. He is the patron saint of Venice, where he is supposedly buried. Though in use during the Middle Ages, Mark was not common in the English-speaking world until the 19th century, when it began to be used alongside the classical form Marcus.

In the medieval legend of Tristan and Iseult this was the name of a king of Cornwall. It was also borne by the American author Mark Twain (1835-1910), real name Samuel Clemens, the author of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. He took his pen name from a call used by riverboat workers on the Mississippi River to indicate a depth of two fathoms. This is also the usual English spelling of the name of the 1st-century BC Roman triumvir Marcus Antonius (Mark Antony).

From Japanese 真 (ma) meaning "true, reality" combined with 里 (ri) meaning "village" and 奈 (na) a phonetic kanji. Other kanji combinations are possible.

Latin form of Greek Μαρία, from Hebrew מִרְיָם (see Mary). Maria is the usual form of the name in many European languages, as well as a secondary form in other languages such as English (where the common spelling is Mary). In some countries, for example Germany, Poland and Italy, Maria is occasionally used as a masculine middle name.

This was the name of two ruling queens of Portugal. It was also borne by the Habsburg queen Maria Theresa (1717-1780), whose inheritance of the domains of her father, the Holy Roman emperor Charles VI, began the War of the Austrian Succession.

From the name of a stylized design common in Maori carvings. It represents a mythological creature with the head of a bird and the body of a human.

Variant of Malaysia.

Means "free, independent" in Tagalog.

From Persian ملاحت (malahat) meaning "sweetness, elegance, grace".

Means "necklace" in Sanskrit.

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

Lunja stands for a fairytale princess.

Simply from the English word love, derived from Old English lufu.

Strictly feminine form of Lior.

Means "generous" in Hawaiian. It was the name of a title character in Disney's 'Lilo and Stitch'.

The name Leihana is unknown where it originated, but has been used in many islands in the Pacific Ocean, especially in Micronesia. The first recorded use of the name Leihana was for the name of Princess Leihana of an unamed island in the Pacific. Princess Leihana was the daughter of Queen Morgana and her husband King Uraia and had a sister, Princess Nevada, and a brother, Prince Tekai. They lived in a village on the island.

The name meaning of Leihana is:
Ocean princess or Ocean Goddess

Combination of Lee and Anne 1.

French form of Junia.

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.

Simply from the English word joy, ultimately derived from Norman French joie, Latin gaudium. It has been regularly used as a given name since the late 19th century.

Spanish and Portuguese form of Joseph, as well as a French variant. In Spanish and Portuguese-speaking regions it is occasionally used as a feminine middle name (or the second part of a double name), often paired with María. This was the most popular name for boys in Spain for the first half of the 20th century. A famous bearer was the Portuguese novelist José Saramago (1922-2010).

From the Hebrew name יִתְרוֹ (Yiṯro), which was derived from the Hebrew word יֶתֶר (yeṯer) meaning "abundance" [1]. According to the Old Testament, Jethro was a Midianite priest who sheltered Moses when he fled Egypt. He was the father of Zipporah, who became Moses's wife. A famous bearer of the name was Jethro Tull (1674-1741), an English inventor and agriculturist.

Diminutive of Jessica.

Derived from Hebrew יְרֵשָׁה (yeresha) meaning "possession" [1]. In the Old Testament she is the wife of King Uzziah of Judah and the mother of Jotham.

Means "beauty" in Arabic, from the root جمل (jamala) meaning "to be beautiful".

From the berber word meaning "Olive tree".

Possibly means "rainbow lady", from Classic Maya ix "lady" and chel "rainbow". Ixchel was a Maya goddess associated with the earth, jaguars, medicine and childbirth. She was often depicted with a snake in her hair and crossbones embroidered on her skirt.

Means "star" in Tamazight.

From the Old Norse name Ingríðr meaning "Ing is beautiful", derived from the name of the Germanic god Ing combined with fríðr "beautiful, beloved". A famous bearer was the Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman (1915-1982).

Possibly means "interpreter, teacher" in Arabic, related to the root درس (darasa) meaning "to study, to learn". According to the Quran this was the name of an ancient prophet. He is traditionally equated with the Hebrew prophet Enoch.

Transferred use of the surname Hennessy. It is the name of a brand of cognac (which is a type of brandy) that is frequently referenced in rap music lyrics.

Use of the name among Hispanic Americans may be due in part to its phonetic similarity to Génesis.

Latinate form of Helen. This is the name of the heroine of William Shakespeare's play All's Well That Ends Well (1603).

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

German diminutive of Margareta.

English form of Latin Gregorius, which was from the Late Greek name Γρηγόριος (Gregorios), derived from γρήγορος (gregoros) meaning "watchful, alert". This name was popular among early Christians, being borne by a number of important saints including Saint Gregory Thaumaturgus (3rd century), Saint Gregory the Illuminator (4th century), Saint Gregory of Nyssa (4th century), Saint Gregory of Nazianzus (4th century), and Saint Gregory of Tours (6th century). It was also borne by the 6th-century pope Saint Gregory I the Great, a reformer and Doctor of the Church, as well as 15 subsequent popes.

Due to the renown of the saints by this name, Gregory (in various spellings) has remained common in the Christian world through the Middle Ages and to the present day. It has been used in England since the 12th century. A famous bearer from the modern era was American actor Gregory Peck (1916-2003).

Diminutive of Eugenia.

Feminine form of Gabriel.

Means "flower" in Italian. It can also be considered an Italian form of the Latin names Flora and Florus.

Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese form of Philadelphia.

From a Scottish place name that was formerly the name of a kingdom in Scotland. It is said to be named for a Pictish kingdom called Fib.

From Irish fiann meaning "band of warriors".

Means "flame" in Italian.

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

Means "star" in Tahitian.

Russian form of Theona.

Variant of Fay.

Turkish variant of Fatma.

Means "virtuous, generous" in Arabic.

Russian form of Esther.

Of uncertain origin and meaning. It might be a variant of Elora or an adoption of the name of the Ellora Caves of India, an ancient network of caverns containing hieroglyphic writings archeologists still have not deciphered the meaning of.

From the name of the North African country, which derives from Greek Αἴγυπτος (Aigyptos), itself probably from Egyptian ḥwt-kꜣ-ptḥ meaning "the house of the soul of Ptah", the name of the temple to the god Ptah in Memphis.

From Hebrew אָדֹם (ʾaḏom) meaning "red" [2]. According to the Old Testament, Esau, who is described as having red skin, was given this name because he traded his birthright for a helping of red broth. The bible goes on to tell that Esau was the founder of the ancient nation of Edom, located to the south of the kingdom of Judah.

From the biblical place name, itself possibly from Hebrew עֵדֶן (ʿeḏen) meaning "pleasure, delight" [1], or perhaps derived from Sumerian 𒂔 (edin) meaning "plain". According to the Old Testament the Garden of Eden was the place where the first people, Adam and Eve, lived before they were expelled.

Modern form of Dushyanta.

Feminine form of Dominic.

From Egyptian ḏsr meaning "splendour, glory" [1][2]. This was the name of the founding pharaoh of the 3rd dynasty of Egypt's Old Kingdom (27th century BC).

From Sanskrit दीपति (dīpti) meaning "brightness, light".

Means "God's work" or "the hand of God" in Ijaw.

Meaning unknown. This was the real name of the Berber queen Kahina.

Spanish name, possibly a shortened form of Santiago. In medieval records Diego was Latinized as Didacus, and it has been suggested that it in fact derives from Greek διδαχή (didache) meaning "teaching". Saint Didacus (or Diego) was a 15th-century Franciscan brother based in Alcalá, Spain.

Other famous bearers of this name include Spanish painter Diego Velázquez (1599-1660), Mexican muralist Diego Rivera (1886-1957) and Argentine soccer player Diego Maradona (1960-2020).

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.

Means "love" in Lembaama.

Means "joy, happiness" in Amharic.

Variant of Dion. A notable bearer is retired American football player Deion Sanders (1967-).

Means 'grain'.

Combination of the popular name prefix de and Andre.

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

Feminine form of David.

Medieval short form of Durante. The most notable bearer of this name was Dante Alighieri (1265-1321), the Italian poet who wrote the Divine Comedy.

Alternate transcription of Arabic دانية (see Daniya).

Alternate transcription of Arabic دانية (see Daniya).

Means "wise" in Persian.

French form of Damian.

From Lithuanian dalis meaning "portion, share". This was the name of the Lithuanian goddess of weaving, fate and childbirth, often associated with Laima.

Serbian, Croatian and Albanian variant of Diana, reflecting the English pronunciation.

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

From the aristocratic title, derived from Latin comitissa "countess". More commonly a word, it was occasionally used as a medieval given name.

Short form of Cleopatra, Cleon or Cleopas.

From Greek χιών (chion) meaning "snow". In Greek mythology this is the name of a daughter of the north wind Boreas. Another figure by this name is the daughter of the naiad Callirrhoe who was transformed into a snow cloud.

Means "God gave" in Igbo, derived from Chi 2, referring to God, and nyè meaning "give".

Means "kindness, goodness" in Hebrew.

Means "lily" in Hebrew, presumably taken from the phrase חבצלת השרון (Chavatzelet HaSharon) "rose of Sharon" found in the Old Testament book the Song of Solomon. (In Israel, Solomon's "rose of Sharon" is popularly accepted to have been the sand lily, which grows in the Sharon plain in coastal sands, though technically the flower has not been identified.)

From a French surname that meant either "channel", indicating a person who lived near a channel of water, or "jug, jar, bottle", indicating a manufacturer of jugs. It has been used as an American given name since 1970s, influenced by the Chanel brand name (a line of women's clothing and perfume), which was named for French fashion designer Coco Chanel (1883-1971).

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.

Meaning unknown, possibly a combination of the phonetic elements ka, ree and sha or an elaborated form of Cara. A notable bearer is the American rapper Caresha Brownlee (1994-) from the rap duo City Girls, who goes by the stage name 'Yung Miami'.

From an Italian word meaning "beloved" or an Irish word meaning "friend". It has been used as a given name since the 19th century, though it did not become popular until after the 1950s.

From the Hebrew name קָיִן (Qayin) possibly meaning "acquired", from the root קָנָה (qana) meaning "to acquire, to purchase". In Genesis in the Old Testament Cain is the first son of Adam and Eve. He killed his brother Abel after God accepted Abel's offering of meat instead of his offering of plant-based foods. After this Cain was banished to be a wanderer.

From a surname, an Anglicized form of Irish Ó Proinntigh, itself derived from the given name Proinnteach, probably from Irish bronntach meaning "generous". The Brontë sisters — Charlotte, Emily, and Anne — were 19th-century English novelists. Their father changed the spelling of the family surname from Brunty to Brontë, possibly to make it coincide with Greek βροντή meaning "thunder".

From the English word brandy for the alcoholic drink. It is ultimately from Dutch brandewijn "burnt wine". It has been in use as a given name since the 1960s.

Spanish form of Bethlehem, the name of the town in Judah where King David and Jesus were born. The town's name is from Hebrew בֵּית־לֶחֶם (Beṯ-leḥem) meaning "house of bread".

Possibly an elaboration of Belkis. This is the real name of American rapper, songwriter and television personality Cardi B (1992-), born Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar to Caribbean immigrants (a Dominican father and a Trinidadian mother).

Means "fish" in Igbo.

German form of Azalea.

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.

Means "peace, tranquility" in Kurdish.

From the name of the flower. J. R. R. Tolkien used this name on one of his characters in The Lord of the Rings.

From the name of the continent, which is perhaps derived from Akkadian asu, meaning "east".

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.

From an English surname that was originally derived from place names meaning "ash tree clearing", from a combination of Old English æsc and leah. Until the 1960s it was more commonly given to boys in the United States, but it is now most often used on girls. It reached its height of popularity in America in 1987, but it did not become the highest ranked name until 1991, being overshadowed by the likewise-popular Jessica until then. In the United Kingdom it is still more common as a masculine name.

From the name of an African people who reside in southern Ghana. It possibly means "warlike" in the Twi language.

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.

Meaning unknown.

From Sanskrit अर्चन (arcana) meaning "honouring, praising". This is the name of a Hindu ritual.

Variant of Angelica.

Means "angel" in Tamazight.

From the medieval Latin masculine name Angelus, which was derived from the name of the heavenly creature (itself derived from the Greek word ἄγγελος (angelos) meaning "messenger"). It has never been very common in the English-speaking world, where it is sometimes used as a feminine name in modern times.

Italian form of Andreas (see Andrew). A notable bearer of this name was Andrea Verrocchio, a Renaissance sculptor who taught Leonardo da Vinci and Perugino.

French, Portuguese and Galician form of Andreas (see Andrew).

Means "angel" in Maori.

From Ἄμμων (Ammon), the Greek form of Egyptian jmn (reconstructed as Yamanu) meaning "the hidden one". In early Egyptian mythology he was a god of the air, creativity and fertility, who was particularly revered in Thebes. Later, during the Middle Kingdom, his attributes were combined with those of the god Ra and he was worshipped as the supreme solar deity Amon-Ra.

Means "friend" in Hebrew.

From Japanese 亜 (a) meaning "second, Asia", 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" combined with 莉 (ri) meaning "white jasmine" or 理 (ri) meaning "reason, logic". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Feminine form of Amir 1.

Means "treetop" in Hebrew.

Alternate transcription of Arabic Amina 1 or Amina 2, as well as the usual form in Malay and Indonesian.

Transferred use of the Spanish surname Almeda.

In the English-speaking world, Almeda is as much a borrowing of the Spanish name as it used to be the traditional "translated" form of a Welsh saint's name. Which saint exactly would have been Anglicized as Almeda is debated by modern-day academics: the most popular theory opts for Eluned or Eiliwedd (via its old Latinization Almedha).

Basque and Aragonese form of Alice.

Means "clear quartz crystal" from the word allirea in Wurundjeri, spoken near Melbourne, Australia.

Means "niece" in Arrernte, spoken in Alice Springs, central Australia. It can also mean "daughter" in other Aboriginal languages.

Alternate transcription of Arabic علياء (see Alya 1), عالية (see Aaliyah) or عليّة (see Aliya 1).

From the name of the African country.

Italian form of Alexandra.

Means "enough" or "it is enough" in Khana.

Means "dream" or "vision" in Irish. This name was created in the 20th century.

From Egyptian jꜥḥ-ms meaning "born of Iah" [1], derived from the name of the Egyptian god Iah combined with msj meaning "be born". This was the name of the first pharaoh of the 18th dynasty (16th century BC). He defeated the Hyksos and drove them from Egypt. It was also borne by others among Egyptian royalty from the same era, including several queens consort.

Variant of Afua.

Latinized form of the Greek Aigyptos (Αἴγυπτος), derived from Amarna Hikuptah, which corresponds to Egyptian Ha(t)-ka-ptah "temple of the soul of Ptah". Historically one of the names of Memphis, it was taken by the Greeks to be the name of the whole country.

In Greek myth Aegyptus, a descendent of Io and Neilus, was the twin and enemy of Danaus, king of Argos. Aegyptus had 50 sons who all but one were slain by forty-nine of the fifty daughters of Danaus (the exceptions being Lynceus and Hypermnestra who married instead). He is said to have fled to Egypt, where he ruled as the eponym king.

Means "fiery" in Persian, figuratively "beautiful".

Feminine form of Adir.

Means "strong, mighty" in Hebrew. This word is used in the Hebrew Bible to describe God.

From the Hebrew name עֲדִינָא (ʿAḏina), derived from עָדִין (ʿaḏin) meaning "delicate". This name is borne by a soldier in the Old Testament.

The feminine name Adina 3 is from the same root, but is spelled differently in Hebrew.

Means "queen" in Igede and "(valuable) gift" in Swahili, from Hausa adia "gift".

From Yoruba adé meaning "crown", also a short form of other names beginning with this element.

Means "justice" in Azerbaijani, of Arabic origin.

Means "eldest daughter of the king" in Igbo.

Means "you are the Nile" in Amharic.

Means "health, well-being, freedom from illness" in Arabic.

Means "original power" or "first creator" in Sanskrit.

Derived from Sanskrit आदेश (ādeśa) meaning "order, mandate, injunction".