NamingCharacters's Personal Name List

Derived from Basque zuri "white". This is a Basque equivalent of Blanca.

Means "star" in Kazakh.

From the medieval French name Yolande, which was probably a form of the name Violante, which was itself a derivative of Latin viola "violet". Alternatively it could be of Germanic origin.

This name was borne by a 12th-century empress of the Latin Empire in Constantinople, who was originally from Flanders. It was also used by her descendants in the royal families of Hungary (spelled Jolánta) and Spain (sometimes spelled Violante). The Blessed Yolanda of Poland was a daughter of Béla IV of Hungary who married a Polish duke. It was also borne by Yolanda of Vianden, a 13th-century countess from Luxembourg who joined a convent against her parents' wishes, later becoming the subject of medieval legend. Another notable bearer was a 15th-century duchess of Lorraine, the subject of the opera Iolanta (1892) by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

From Chinese 秀 (xiù) meaning "luxuriant, beautiful, elegant, outstanding" combined with 英 (yīng) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero". Other character combinations are possible.

From the English word, "Wonder."

Means "firstborn daughter" in Dakota or Lakota. According to folklore, this was the name of a daughter of a Dakota chief (possibly Wapasha III) who leapt from a cliff to her death rather than marry a man she hated. Numerous places in the United States have been named after her. The actress Winona Ryder (1971-) was named after the city in Minnesota where she was born.

Meaning uncertain, perhaps from a German surname, or perhaps from the English word wild. It has been in use since the 19th century.

From Old English Weland, probably derived from the Germanic root *wīlą meaning "craft, cunning". In Germanic legend Weland (called Vǫlundr in Old Norse) was a master smith and craftsman. He was captured and hamstrung by King Niðhad, but took revenge by killing the king's sons.

From the rare English surname Waverley, derived from the name of a place in Surrey, itself possibly from Old English wæfre "flickering, wavering" and leah "woodland, clearing".

The surname was borne by the title character in the novel Waverley (1814) by Walter Scott. Streets in New York and San Francisco have been named Waverly after the novel, and a female character in Amy Tan's novel The Joy Luck Club (1989) is named after the San Francisco street. The name received a small boost in popularity for girls after the 1993 release of the novel's movie adaptation, and it rose further after the debut of the television series Wizards of Waverly Place (2007-2012).

Possibly derived from Finnish virvatuli meaning "will o' the wisp". In folklore, will o' the wisp is a floating ball of light that appears over water.

Norwegian form of the Old Norse name Vetrliði meaning "winter traveller", and by extension "bear cub".

Means "luck, fortune" in Turkish and Azerbaijani.

Latvian, Spanish and (Brazilian) Portuguese form of Thusnelda.

Means "brigade, troops" in Turkish.

Probably derived from Georgian ცის (tsis) meaning "of the sky", the genitive case of ცა (tsa) meaning "sky, heaven". This is also an alternative Georgian word for the forget-me-not flower.

Short form of Tracy.

Means "thunderous", from Esperanto tondro meaning "thunder".

Means "earth, land, soil" in Nahuatl [1].

From the English word meaning "moderation" or "restraint". This was one of the virtue names adopted by the Puritans in the 17th century. It experienced a modest revival in the United States during the run of the television series Bones (2005-2017), in which the main character bears this name.

Means "she who bumps into things" or "she who puts things in place" in Mohawk. Tekakwitha, also named Kateri, was a 17th-century Mohawk woman who has become the first Native American Catholic saint.

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

From Japanese 孝 (takashi) meaning "filial piety", 隆 (takashi) meaning "noble, prosperous" or 崇 (takashi) meaning "esteem, honour, venerate", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations that result in the same pronunciation.

From Japanese 颯 (sō) meaning "sudden, sound of the wind" and 真 (ma) meaning "real, genuine". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Variant of Solange.

From Greek Σίβυλλα (Sibylla), meaning "prophetess, sibyl". In Greek and Roman legend the sibyls were female prophets who practiced at different holy sites in the ancient world. In later Christian theology, the sibyls were thought to have divine knowledge and were revered in much the same way as the Old Testament prophets. Because of this, the name came into general use in the Christian world during the Middle Ages. The Normans imported it to England, where it was spelled both Sibyl and Sybil. It became rare after the Protestant Reformation, but it was revived in the 19th century, perhaps helped by Benjamin Disraeli's novel Sybil (1845).

From Japanese 真 (shin) meaning "real, genuine" combined with 也 (ya) meaning "also", as well as other kanji combinations having the same pronunciation.

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

From the Germanic name Sigilina, itself a diminutive derivative of the element sigu meaning "victory" (Proto-Germanic *segiz). This was the name of a 7th-century saint from Albi, France.

From an English and Scottish surname that referred to a person from Scotland or a person who spoke Scottish Gaelic. It is derived from Latin Scoti meaning "Gael, Gaelic speaker", with the ultimate origin uncertain.

French, German and Dutch form of Rosalia. In the English-speaking this name received a boost after the release of the movie Rosalie (1938), which was based on an earlier musical.

Means "lord of the sun" from Sanskrit रवि (ravi) meaning "sun" combined with the name of the Hindu god Indra, used here to mean "lord". This is another name for the Hindu god Surya.

Means "dark, night" in Sanskrit. This is another name of the Hindu goddess Durga.

Short form of Old Norse names beginning with the element regin "advice, counsel".

Means "pillar" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin Mary, María del Pilar, meaning "Mary of the Pillar". According to legend, when Saint James the Greater was in Saragossa in Spain, the Virgin Mary appeared on a pillar.

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

Derived from Greek ὠφέλεια (opheleia) meaning "help, advantage". This was a rare ancient Greek name, which was either rediscovered or recreated by the poet Jacopo Sannazaro for a character in his poem Arcadia (1480). It was borrowed by Shakespeare for his play Hamlet (1600), in which it belongs to the daughter of Polonius and the potential love interest of Hamlet. She eventually goes insane and drowns herself after Hamlet kills her father. In spite of this negative association, the name has been in use since the 19th century.

Means "child is family" in Yoruba.

Means "white footprint" from Welsh ol "footprint, track" and gwen "white, blessed". In the Welsh tale Culhwch and Olwen she was a beautiful maiden, the lover of Culhwch and the daughter of the giant Yspaddaden. Her father insisted that Culhwch complete several seemingly impossible tasks before he would allow them to marry.

Means "God made this" in Yoruba.

Means "work of God" in Igbo.

Means "sibling is greater" in Igbo.

Means "that to come is greater" in Igbo.

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

From Sanskrit नील (nīla) meaning "dark blue".

Derived from South Slavic neven meaning "marigold".

Greek name meaning "new plant, new child", from a word that was derived from νέος (neos) meaning "new" and φυτόν (phyton) meaning "plant".

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

Means "hope" in Russian and Bulgarian.

Means "relying on, leaning on" in Arabic. Al-Mu'tamid was a 9th-century Abbasid caliph. This was also the name of an 11th-century Abbadid ruler of Seville, who was a patron of the arts and a poet.

Means "vengeance and glory" from the Slavic elements mĭstĭ "vengeance" and slava "glory". Mstislav the Great was a 12th-century grand prince of Kiev.

Derived from Italian moro or Spanish moreno meaning "dark-skinned".

From Mélanie, the French form of the Latin name Melania, derived from Greek μέλαινα (melaina) meaning "black, dark". This was the name of a Roman saint who gave all her wealth to charity in the 5th century. Her grandmother was also a saint with the same name.

The name was common in France during the Middle Ages, and was introduced from there to England, though it eventually became rare. Interest in it was revived by the character Melanie Wilkes from the novel Gone with the Wind (1936) and the subsequent movie adaptation (1939).

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.

Originally a name for a person from Marlow in Buckinghamshire, England. The place name means "remnants of a lake" from Old English mere "lake" and lafe "remnants, remains". A notable bearer was the English playwright and poet Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593).

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

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".

Means "of the sea", taken from the Latin title of the Virgin Mary, Stella Maris, meaning "star of the sea".

From an English surname was derived from Old French maleüré meaning "unfortunate" [1]. It first became common in the 1980s due to the American sitcom Family Ties (1982-1989), which featured a character by this name.

Means "raspberry" in several Slavic languages.

From Japanese 誠 (makoto) meaning "sincerity", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations.

From the English word magnolia for the flower, which was named for the French botanist Pierre Magnol.

From the English word magic meaning "the power of apparently influencing the course of events by using mysterious or supernatural forces".

Possibly from one of the Indo-European roots *lewk- "light, brightness", *lewg- "dark" or *lewgh- "oath". This was the name of a Celtic (Gaulish) god of commerce and craftsmanship, who was equated by the Romans with Mercury. He probably forms the basis for the characters and names of Lugh (Irish) and Lleu (Welsh).

From an English surname that was derived from a Norman French nickname, from lou "wolf" and a diminutive suffix. The surname was borne by American poet and satirist James Russell Lowell (1819-1891).

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

Means "liberator" in Italian.

Variant of Lorinda.

From the name of the laurel tree, ultimately from Latin laurus.

From the English word for the type of songbird.

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

Means "made of candy" in Esperanto, a derivative of kando meaning "candy, rock sugar".

From the Greek name Ἱερώνυμος (Hieronymos) meaning "sacred name", derived from ἱερός (hieros) meaning "sacred" and ὄνυμα (onyma) meaning "name". Saint Jerome was responsible for the creation of the Vulgate, the Latin translation of the Bible, in the 5th century. He is regarded as a Doctor of the Church. The name was used in his honour in the Middle Ages, especially in Italy and France, and has been used in England since the 12th century [1].

From the Greek name Ἰάσων (Iason) meaning "healer", derived from Greek ἰάομαι (iaomai) meaning "to heal". In Greek mythology Jason was the leader of the Argonauts. After his uncle Pelias overthrew his father Aeson as king of Iolcos, Jason went in search of the Golden Fleece in order to win back the throne. During his journeys he married the sorceress Medea, who helped him gain the fleece and kill his uncle, but who later turned against him when he fell in love with another woman.

This name also appears in the New Testament, belonging to man who sheltered Paul and Silas. In his case, it may represent a Hellenized form of a Hebrew name. It was not used in England until after the Protestant Reformation.

From Phoenician 𐤇𐤓𐤌 (Ḥirom) meaning "exalted brother". This was the name of a king of Tyre according to the Old Testament. He may have reigned in the 10th century BC. As an English given name, Hiram came into use after the Protestant Reformation. In the 17th century the Puritans brought it to America, where it gained some currency.

From the Greek Ἑκάτη (Hekate), possibly derived from ἑκάς (hekas) meaning "far off". In Greek mythology Hecate was a goddess associated with witchcraft, crossroads, tombs, demons and the underworld.

Variant of Harlow.

From a surname that was a variant of Harlan.

Old English name derived from the elements glæd "bright, cheerful, glad" and wine "friend". This name was not actually recorded in the Old English era, though it is attested starting in the 11th century [3].

Medieval form of Guinevere.

Probably from the ethno-linguistic term Gael, which refers to speakers of Gaelic languages.

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.

From the Hebrew name אֶסְתֵר (ʾEsṯer), which possibly means "star" in Persian. Alternatively it could be a derivative of the name of the Near Eastern goddess Ishtar. The Book of Esther in the Old Testament tells the story of Queen Esther, the Jewish wife of the king of Persia. The king's advisor Haman persuaded the king to exterminate all the Jews in the realm. Warned of this plot by her cousin Mordecai, Esther revealed her Jewish ancestry and convinced the king to execute Haman instead. Her original Hebrew name was Hadassah.

This name has been used in the English-speaking world since the Protestant Reformation. In America it received a boost in popularity after the birth of Esther Cleveland (1893-1980), the daughter of President Grover Cleveland [1].

Means "person with a story, storied person" in Yoruba.

From the Roman family name Aemilius, which was derived from Latin aemulus meaning "rival".

Meaning unknown. In Irish legend she was the wife of Cúchulainn. She was said to possess the six gifts of womanhood: beauty, voice, speech, needlework, wisdom and chastity.

Middle English form of the Old English name Ælfþryð meaning "elf strength", derived from the element ælf "elf" combined with þryþ "strength". Ælfþryð was common amongst Anglo-Saxon nobility, being borne for example by the mother of King Æðelræd the Unready. This name was rare after the Norman Conquest, but it was revived in the 19th century.

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

From the characters 恶 (è, meaning “evil, malevolence”) and 来 (lái, meaning “to come”). This was the name of a bodyguard who served King Zhou, the last ruler of the Shang Dynasty (c. 1600 -1048 B.C.E.). He was known for having immense physical strength and was the son of Feilian, also a Shang retainer.

In the historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, this name is given as a nickname to the warrior Dian Wei by his master Cao Cao.

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

Means "prayer" in Arabic.

From Sanskrit दिपाली (dipālī) meaning "row of lamps".

From a surname, either the Irish surname Devin 1 or the English surname Devin 2.

Ancient Greek name derived from δῆμος (demos) meaning "the people".

Means "of oak" in Irish, from the genitive case of dair.

From a Slavic word meaning "morning star, Venus". This name occurs in Slavic folklore as a personification of the morning star. It has sometimes been used in the English-speaking world since the 1970s.

Means "song" in Lithuanian and Latvian.

From the Greek name Κύριλλος (Kyrillos), which was derived from Greek κύριος (kyrios) meaning "lord", a word used frequently in the Greek Bible to refer to God or Jesus.

This name was borne by a number of important saints, including Cyril of Jerusalem, a 4th-century bishop and Doctor of the Church, and Cyril of Alexandria, a 5th-century theologian. Another Saint Cyril was a 9th-century Greek missionary to the Slavs, who is credited with creating the Glagolitic alphabet with his brother Methodius in order to translate the Bible into Slavic. The Cyrillic alphabet, named after him, is descended from Glagolitic.

This name has been especially well-used in Eastern Europe and other places where Orthodox Christianity is prevalent. It came into general use in England in the 19th century.

Medieval Welsh name of uncertain meaning [1].

From a French surname that was derived from corbeau "raven", originally denoting a person who had dark hair. The name was probably popularized in America by actor Corbin Bernsen (1954-) [1].

From a Welsh surname that was derived from the name of the River Conwy, which possibly means "foremost water" in Welsh.

From the name of a type of orchid, ultimately meaning "beautiful flower", derived from Greek καλός (kalos) meaning "beautiful" and ἄνθος (anthos) meaning "flower".

This name can refer either to the region in France, the wine (which derives from the name of the region), or the colour (which derives from the name of the wine).

From the name of the city in southwestern England that means "the site of the bridge".

Meaning uncertain, perhaps from Welsh brith, braith meaning "speckled".

Means "married" in Hebrew. The name is used in the Old Testament to refer to the land of Israel (Isaiah 62:4). As an English given name, Beulah has been used since the Protestant Reformation.

Means "follow me home" in Yoruba.

Means "madonna lily" in Spanish.

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

French form of April. A famous bearer is the Canadian musician Avril Lavigne (1984-).

Probably a Latinized form of the Germanic name Aveza, which was derived from the element awi, of unknown meaning. The Normans introduced this name to England and it became moderately common during the Middle Ages, at which time it was associated with Latin avis "bird".

Possibly from the name of the prayer Ave Maria, in which Ave is Latin meaning "greetings, salutations". In Estonian it is also associated with the word ava meaning "open".

German, Polish, Scandinavian and Catalan form of Augustus. This was the name of three Polish kings.

As an English name it can also derive from the month of August, which was named for the Roman emperor Augustus.

Means "one who moves through darkness toward the light".

From the name of a plain that appears in the apocryphal book of 2 Esdras (verse 9:26) in some versions of the Old Testament. This place name was used by Marie Corelli for the title of an 1889 novel, which is probably the reason it gained some currency as a given name just after this time.

Means "altar of the sky" from Latin ara "altar" and coeli "sky". This is an epithet of the Virgin Mary in her role as the patron saint of Lucena, Spain.

Meaning unknown. It was possibly inspired by an American song by this name written by Vivian Grey in 1903 and recorded by musician Vess Ossman. The lyrics tell of a Native American woman named Anona from Arizona.

From the English word for the herb, also called aniseed.

Means "I have seen the world" in Amharic.

Means "not inclined to run away" in Greek, from the negative prefix ἀ (a) and διδράσκω (didrasko) meaning "to run away". This was the name of a king of Argos in Greek legend.

Means "adoration" in Spanish. This name refers to the event that is known in Christian tradition as the Adoration of the Magi, which is when the three Magi presented gifts to the infant Jesus and worshipped him.

Means "bundled up and set to dry" in Yoruba.

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 "the crown returns from over the sea" in Yoruba.

Anglicized form of Adalindis.

The name came to prominence with Adalind Schade, a main character on the television show "Grim" (2011-2017).

Means "we prayed and we received" in Yoruba.