innuendo's Personal Name List
Zoticus
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Ζωτικός(Ancient Greek)
Latinized form of the Greek name
Ζωτικός (Zotikos), derived from
ζωτικός (zotikos) meaning
"full of life". This was the name of several early
saints.
Zoe
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Italian, Spanish, German, Czech, Ancient Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Ζώη, Ζωή(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: ZO-ee(English) DZAW-eh(Italian) THO-eh(European Spanish) SO-eh(Latin American Spanish)
Means
"life" in Greek. From early times it was adopted by Hellenized Jews as a translation of
Eve. It was borne by two early Christian
saints, one martyred under Emperor Hadrian, the other martyred under Diocletian. The name was common in the Byzantine Empire, being borne by a ruling empress of the 11th century.
As an English name, Zoe (sometimes with a diaeresis as Zoë) has only been in use since the 19th century. It has generally been more common among Eastern Christians (in various spellings).
Zlata
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Macedonian, Bulgarian, Czech, Slovak, Russian, Ukrainian
Other Scripts: Злата(Serbian, Macedonian, Bulgarian, Russian, Ukrainian)
Pronounced: ZLA-ta(Czech) ZLA-tə(Russian)
Zion
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Jewish, Biblical
Other Scripts: צִיוֹן(Hebrew)
Pronounced: ZIE-ən(English)
From the name of a citadel that was in the center of Jerusalem. Zion is also used to refer to a Jewish homeland and to heaven.
Zeuxo
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Ζευξώ(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: ZOOK-so
Derived from Greek ζεύγνυμι (zeugnumi) "to yoke, join together, join in wedlock". In Greek mythology Zeuxo was one of the Oceanids, possibly a goddess of marriage.
Zemfira
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Azerbaijani, Tatar, Bashkir, Literature
Other Scripts: Земфира(Tatar, Bashkir)
Meaning unknown, possibly of Romani origin. This name was (first?) used by Aleksandr Pushkin in his poem The Gypsies (1827).
Zandile
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Zulu
Means "they have multipled" in Zulu.
Zalina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Chechen, Ingush, Kabardian, Karachay-Balkar, Ossetian, Malay
Other Scripts: Залина(Chechen, Ingush) Залинӕ(Ossetian) زالينا(Malay Jawi)
Pronounced: zu-LYEE-nə(Russian)
Most likely a variant of
Zarina.
Yves
Gender: Masculine
Usage: French
Pronounced: EEV
Medieval French form of
Ivo 1. This was the name of two French
saints: an 11th-century bishop of Chartres and a 13th-century parish priest and lawyer, also known as Ivo of Kermartin, the patron saint of Brittany.
Yumileidy
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish (Caribbean, Rare)
Pronounced: gyoo-mee-LAY-dhee(Spanish) yoo-mee-LAY-dhee(Spanish)
From English
You Milady.
One bearer of a variant of this name is Cuban shot putter Yumileidi (Yumisleidis) Cumbá (1975-).
Yolande
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: YAW-LAHND
French form of
Yolanda. A notable bearer of the 15th century was Yolande of Aragon, who acted as regent for the French king Charles VII, her son-in-law. She was a supporter of Joan of Arc.
Yolanda
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish, English
Pronounced: gyo-LAN-da(Spanish) yo-LAHN-də(English)
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.
Yesfir
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Russian
Other Scripts: Есфирь(Russian)
Yeseniya
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Russian
Other Scripts: Есения(Russian)
Pronounced: yi-SYEH-nyi-yə, i-SYEH-nyi-yə
Russian form of
Yesenia. The 1971 Mexican movie was extremely popular in the Soviet Union.
Yesenia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish (Latin American)
Pronounced: gyeh-SEH-nya
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].
Yakov
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Hebrew, Russian, Bulgarian (Rare)
Other Scripts: יַעֲקֹב(Hebrew) Яков(Russian, Bulgarian)
Pronounced: YA-kəf(Russian)
Xiaokai
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Chinese
Other Scripts: 小凯, 晓凯, etc.(Chinese)
Pronounced: SHYOW-KIE
From Chinese 小
(xiǎo) meaning "small" or 晓
(xiǎo) meaning "dawn, daybreak" combined with 凯
(kǎi) meaning "triumph, victory, music of triumph". This name can also be formed from other character combinations.
Xavier
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, Portuguese, Catalan, Spanish
Pronounced: ZAY-vyər(English) ig-ZAY-vyər(English) GZA-VYEH(French) shu-vee-EHR(European Portuguese) sha-vee-EKH(Brazilian Portuguese) shə-bee-EH(Catalan) kha-BYEHR(Spanish) sa-BYEHR(Spanish)
Derived from the Basque place name
Etxeberria meaning
"the new house". This was the surname of the Jesuit priest
Saint Francis Xavier (1506-1552) who was born in a village by this name. He was a missionary to India, Japan, China, and other areas in East Asia, and he is the patron saint of the Orient and missionaries. His surname has since been adopted as a given name in his honour, chiefly among Catholics.
Xavian
Gender: Masculine
Usage: African American (Modern)
Pronounced: ZAY-vee-ən, ZAY-vee-awn
Xanthippe
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ancient Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Ξανθίππη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: KSAN-TEEP-PEH(Classical Greek) zan-TIP-ee(English) zan-THIP-ee(English)
Feminine form of
Xanthippos. This was the name of the wife of
Socrates. Because of her supposedly argumentative nature, the name has been adopted (in the modern era) as a word for a scolding, ill-tempered woman.
Xanthia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Modern elaborated form of
Xanthe.
Xanthe
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Ξάνθη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: KSAN-TEH(Classical Greek)
Derived from Greek
ξανθός (xanthos) meaning
"yellow, blond, fair-haired". This was the name of a few minor figures in Greek
mythology.
Wyatt
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: WIE-ət
From an English surname that was derived from the medieval given name
Wyard or
Wyot, from the Old English name
Wigheard. Wyatt Earp (1848-1929) was an American lawman and gunfighter involved in the famous shootout at the OK Corral.
Wolf
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German, Jewish, English (Rare), Germanic [1]
Other Scripts: װאָלףֿ(Yiddish)
Pronounced: VAWLF(German) WUWLF(English)
Short form of
Wolfgang,
Wolfram and other names containing the Old German element
wolf meaning
"wolf" (Proto-Germanic *
wulfaz). It can also be simply from the German or English word. As a Jewish name it can be considered a vernacular form of
Zeev.
Winter
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: WIN-tər
From the English word for the season, derived from Old English winter.
Winslow
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: WINZ-lo
From a surname that was derived from an Old English place name meaning
"hill belonging to Wine". A famous bearer of this name was American painter Winslow Homer (1836-1910).
Weiss
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Popular Culture
Pronounced: WIES, WISE
Derived from German
weiß (which is also found spelled as
weiss) meaning "white".
In popular culture, Weiss is the name of one of the villains from the video game Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus as well as the name of Weiss Schnee, the main character of the popular web series RWBY.
Vitalina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Russian, Ukrainian, Italian, Ancient Roman
Other Scripts: Виталина(Russian, Ukrainian)
Russian, Ukranian, Italian, and Ancient Roman feminine form of
Vitale.
Vishnu
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Hinduism, Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Marathi
Other Scripts: विष्णु(Sanskrit, Hindi, Marathi) വിഷ്ണു(Malayalam) ವಿಷ್ಣು(Kannada) విష్ణు(Telugu) விஷ்ணு(Tamil)
Pronounced: VISH-noo(Sanskrit, English)
Probably means
"all-pervasive" in Sanskrit, from
विष् (viṣ) meaning "to prevade, to spread through". The Hindu god Vishnu is the protector and preserver of the universe, usually depicted as four-armed and blue-skinned. His wife is
Lakshmi. Though he appears in the
Rigveda, he features more prominently in post-Vedic texts. The great heroes
Krishna,
Rama,
Narasimha and others are regarded as avatars of Vishnu.
Vaishnavism, the largest denomination within Hinduism, views Vishnu and his avatars as the supreme god.
Virsaviya
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Russian
Other Scripts: Вирсавия(Russian)
Pronounced: vyir-SAV-eeə
Vilhelmina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Swedish (Rare), Lithuanian
Swedish and Lithuanian feminine form of
William.
Vilena
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Russian
Other Scripts: Вилена(Russian)
Pronounced: vee-LYE-nah
Vilen
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Russian
Other Scripts: Вилен(Russian)
Pronounced: vyi-LYEHN
Abbreviation of
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, the name of the founder of the former Soviet state (see
Vladimir and
Lenin).
Vikentiy
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Russian
Other Scripts: Викентий(Russian)
Pronounced: vyi-KYEHN-tyee
Victoria
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Spanish, Romanian, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, French, Late Roman, Roman Mythology
Pronounced: vik-TAWR-ee-ə(English) beek-TO-rya(Spanish) vik-TO-rya(German) VEEK-TAW-RYA(French) week-TO-ree-a(Latin)
Means
"victory" in Latin, being borne by the Roman goddess of victory. It is also a feminine form of
Victorius. This name was borne by a 4th-century
saint and martyr from North Africa.
Though in use elsewhere in Europe, the name was very rare in the English-speaking world until the 19th century, when Queen Victoria began her long rule of Britain. She was named after her mother, who was of German royalty. Many geographic areas are named after the queen, including an Australian state and a Canadian city.
Vestana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (American, Rare, Archaic)
Probably derived from the place of the same name in the Italian municipality Corniglio, which in turn may have derived its name from
Vesta.
Vesta
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Roman Mythology
Pronounced: WEHS-ta(Latin) VEHS-tə(English)
Probably a Roman
cognate of
Hestia. Vesta was the Roman goddess of the hearth. A continuous fire, tended by the Vestal Virgins, was burned in the Temple of Vesta in Rome.
Vespasian
Gender: Masculine
Usage: History
Pronounced: vehs-PAY-zhee-ən(English) vehs-PAY-zhən(English)
From the Roman
cognomen Vespasianus, derived either from Latin
vesper meaning
"west" or
"evening" or
vespa meaning
"wasp". This was the name of a 1st-century Roman emperor, Titus Flavius Vespasianus, the founder of the Flavian dynasty.
Veronica
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Italian, Romanian, Late Roman
Pronounced: və-RAHN-i-kə(American English) və-RAWN-i-kə(British English) veh-RAW-nee-ka(Italian)
Latin alteration of
Berenice, the spelling influenced by the ecclesiastical Latin phrase
vera icon meaning
"true image". This was the name of a legendary
saint who wiped
Jesus' face with a towel and then found his image imprinted upon it. Due to popular stories about her, the name was occasionally used in the Christian world in the Middle Ages. It was borne by the Italian saint and mystic Veronica Giuliani (1660-1727). As an English name, it was not common until the 19th century, when it was imported from France and Scotland.
Vercingetorix
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Gaulish
Pronounced: wehr-king-GEH-taw-riks(Latin) vər-sin-JEHT-ə-riks(English)
Means "king over warriors" from Gaulish wer "on, over" combined with kingeto "marching men, warriors" and rix "king". This name was borne by a 1st-century BC chieftain of the Gaulish tribe the Arverni. He led the resistance against Julius Caesar's attempts to conquer Gaul, but he was eventually defeated, brought to Rome, and executed.
Vasilissa
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Russian
Vasilisa
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Russian
Other Scripts: Василиса(Russian)
Pronounced: və-syi-LYEE-sə
Vashti
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Biblical
Other Scripts: וַשְׁתִּי(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced: VASH-tee(English)
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.
Varushka
Gender: Feminine
Usage: South African (Rare)
Vangelija
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Macedonian
Other Scripts: Вангелија(Macedonian)
Valeria
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Spanish, Romanian, German, Russian, Ukrainian, Ancient Roman
Other Scripts: Валерия(Russian) Валерія(Ukrainian)
Pronounced: va-LEH-rya(Italian) ba-LEH-rya(Spanish) vu-LYEH-ryi-yə(Russian) wa-LEH-ree-a(Latin) və-LEHR-ee-ə(English) və-LIR-ee-ə(English)
Feminine form of
Valerius. This was the name of a 2nd-century Roman
saint and martyr.
Valentino
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: va-lehn-TEE-no
Valencia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Various
Pronounced: ba-LEHN-sya(Latin American Spanish) ba-LEHN-thya(European Spanish) və-LEHN-see-ə(English)
From the name of cities in Spain and Venezuela, both derived from Latin valentia meaning "strength, vigour".
Uxue
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Basque
Pronounced: oo-SHOO-eh
From the Basque name of the Spanish town of Ujué where there is a church dedicated to the Virgin
Mary. Its name is derived from Basque
usoa "dove".
Uxía
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Galician
Pronounced: oo-SHEE-u
Ustinya
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Russian (Rare)
Other Scripts: Устинья(Russian)
Russian variant form of
Iustina (see
Justina).
Unna
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Old Norse, Danish (Rare), Faroese, Icelandic (Rare), Swedish (Rare), Finnish (Rare)
Pronounced: UHN-nah(Swedish)
Derived from Old Norse
unna "to love" or
unnr "wave".
Unice
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Ulysse
Gender: Masculine
Usage: French
Pronounced: UY-LEES
Ulrich
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German, Germanic [1]
Pronounced: UWL-rikh(German)
From the Old German name
Odalric, derived from the element
uodil "heritage" combined with
rih "ruler, king". This was the name of two German
saints. Another famous bearer was Ulrich Zwingli (1484-1531), also known as Huldrych, the leader of the
Protestant Reformation in Switzerland.
Uliana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Russian, Ukrainian
Other Scripts: Ульяна(Russian) Уляна(Ukrainian)
Pronounced: uw-LYA-nə(Russian)
Ualan
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Scottish Gaelic (Rare)
Uaithne
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Medieval Irish [1]
Possibly from Old Irish
úaine meaning
"green". Alternatively, it may come from the name of the Irish tribe the Uaithni
[2].
Tylan
Gender: Masculine
Usage: American (Modern, Rare)
Tyche
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Τύχη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: TUY-KEH(Classical Greek) TIE-kee(English)
Means "chance, luck, fortune" in Greek. This was the name of the Greek goddess of fortune, luck and fate.
Tybalt
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Literature
Pronounced: TIB-əlt(English)
The name of a cousin of
Juliet killed by
Romeo in William Shakespeare's drama
Romeo and Juliet (1596). The character earlier appears as Tebaldo, an Italian form of
Theobald, in Luigi Da Porto's novella
Giulietta e Romeo (1524), one of Shakespeare's sources. Shakespeare was also inspired by the character of Tybalt the Cat (from
Thibault the French form of
Theobald) in medieval fables of Reynard the Fox (evidenced by
Mercutio calling Tybalt the "prince of cats").
Trinity
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: TRIN-i-tee
From the English word Trinity, given in honour of the Christian belief that God has one essence, but three distinct expressions of being: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It has only been in use as a given name since the 20th century.
Tomiris
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Kazakh, Tajik
Other Scripts: Томирис(Kazakh, Tajik)
Tomila
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Russian (Rare)
Other Scripts: Томила(Russian)
Possibly from Slavic
tomiti meaning
"to torment". In some cases communist parents may have derived it from the phrase
торжество Маркса и Ленина (torzhestvo Marksa i Lenina) meaning "victory of Marx and Lenin".
Tomaso
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: to-MA-zo
Toma 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Russian
Other Scripts: Тома(Russian)
Tjaart
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Afrikaans
Tisha
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, African American
Pronounced: TISH-ə(English)
Tinashe
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Shona
Means "we are with God", from Shona ti "we", na "with" and ishe "lord, God".
Timothée
Gender: Masculine
Usage: French
Pronounced: TEE-MAW-TEH
Tierra
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Various
Pronounced: TYEH-ra(Spanish)
Means "earth" in Spanish.
Tiece
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Medieval French, Medieval English
Thomasine
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare), English (Puritan), Swedish (Rare), Danish (Archaic), French (Archaic)
Pronounced: TAHM-ə-sin(English) TAWM-ə-sin(English) TAW-MA-SEEN(French)
Thierry
Gender: Masculine
Usage: French
Pronounced: TYEH-REE
French form of
Theodoric. It was very popular in France from the 1950s, peaking in the mid-1960s before falling away. A famous bearer is the French former soccer player Thierry Henry (1977-).
Thaddeus
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Biblical, Biblical Latin
Other Scripts: Θαδδαῖος(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: THAD-ee-əs(English) tha-DEE-əs(English)
From
Θαδδαῖος (Thaddaios), the Greek form of the Aramaic name
תַדַּי (Ṯaddai). It is possibly derived from Aramaic
תַּד (taḏ) meaning
"heart, breast", but it may in fact be an Aramaic form of a Greek name such as
Θεόδωρος (see
Theodore). In the Gospel of Matthew, Thaddaeus is listed as one of the twelve apostles, though elsewhere in the
New Testament his name is omitted and
Jude's appears instead. It is likely that the two names refer to the same person.
Thaddée
Gender: Masculine
Usage: French, French (Belgian)
Thabit
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: ثابت(Arabic)
Pronounced: THA-beet
Means "constant, continuing, stable, firm" in Arabic.
Teresita
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: teh-reh-SEE-ta
Spanish
diminutive of
Teresa. It is most common in the Philippines and Latin America.
Temple
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: TEHM-pəl
From an English surname that originally belonged to a person who was associated with the Knights Templar, a medieval religious military order.
Tempest
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: TEHM-pist
From the English word meaning "storm". It appears in the title of William Shakespeare's play The Tempest (1611).
Tamila
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ukrainian, Russian
Other Scripts: Таміла(Ukrainian) Тамила(Russian)
Tamara
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Czech, Slovak, Polish, Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, Macedonian, Hungarian, English, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, Lithuanian, Georgian
Other Scripts: Тамара(Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Serbian, Macedonian) თამარა(Georgian)
Pronounced: tu-MA-rə(Russian) TA-ma-ra(Czech, Slovak) ta-MA-ra(Polish, Dutch, Spanish, Italian) TAW-maw-raw(Hungarian) tə-MAR-ə(English) tə-MAHR-ə(English) TAM-ə-rə(English) tu-mu-RU(Lithuanian)
Russian form of
Tamar. Russian performers such as Tamara Karsavina (1885-1978), Tamara Drasin (1905-1943), Tamara Geva (1907-1997) and Tamara Toumanova (1919-1996) introduced it to the English-speaking world. It rapidly grew in popularity in the United States starting in 1957. Another famous bearer was the Polish cubist painter Tamara de Lempicka (1898-1980).
Tahir
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Urdu, Turkish, Azerbaijani, Bosnian
Other Scripts: طاهر(Arabic) طاہر(Urdu)
Pronounced: TA-heer(Arabic) ta-HEER(Turkish)
Means "virtuous, pure, chaste" in Arabic.
Sylvana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Various
Pronounced: sil-VAN-ə(English)
Sybille
Gender: Feminine
Usage: German, French
Pronounced: zee-BI-lə(German) SEE-BEEL(French)
German and French form of
Sibyl.
Swan
Gender: Masculine
Usage: French (Modern)
Sose
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Σωση(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: SO-see
Derived from Greek σως (sos) meaning "safe, whole, unwounded". In Greek mythology this was the name of a prophetic Oreiad or Naiad nymph of Arcadia (a southern region of Greece). According to one account she was the mother of the god Pan by Hermes.
Sorrel
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: SAWR-əl
From the name of the sour tasting plant, derived from Old French sur "sour", a word of Frankish origin.
Sorina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Romanian
Pronounced: so-REE-na
Soraya
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Persian, Spanish, French, Portuguese (Brazilian)
Other Scripts: ثریا(Persian)
Pronounced: so-ra-YAW(Persian) so-RA-ya(Spanish)
Persian form of
Thurayya. It became popular in some parts of Europe because of the fame of Princess Soraya (1932-2001), wife of the last Shah of Iran, who became a European socialite.
Somnath
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Indian, Bengali, Marathi
Other Scripts: সোমনাথ(Bengali) सोमनाथ(Marathi)
Derived from Sanskrit सोमनाथ
(somnatha) meaning "lord of Soma", from the name of the Hindu god
Soma 2 and Sanskrit नाथ
(nātha) meaning "master, lord". This is an epithet of the Hindu god
Shiva as well as one of the twelve major jyotirlingas (temples in which different representations of Shiva reside).
Solveig
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Norwegian, Swedish, Danish
Pronounced: SOOL-vie(Norwegian) SOOL-vay(Swedish)
From an Old Norse name, which was derived from the elements
sól "sun" and
veig "strength". This is the name of the heroine in Henrik Ibsen's play
Peer Gynt (1876).
Solstråle
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Swedish (Modern, Rare)
Pronounced: SOOL-staw-leh
Means "ray of sunshine" in Swedish (a combination of Swedish sol "sun" and stråle "ray, beam"). It's also used as an affectionate term for a happy person, often a child.
Solstice
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (Modern, Rare)
Pronounced: SAWL-stis
Derived from Latin
solsticium and thus ultimately from
sol "sun" and
stito "to stand still". The English word
solstice refers to two times of the year when the sun's apparent position in the sky reaches its northernmost or southernmost extremes.
Lionel Shriver (born Margaret Shriver), used Solstice for a character in her novel 'Big Brother' (2013).
Soleil
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Various
Pronounced: SAW-LAY(French)
Means "sun" in French. It is not commonly used as a name in France itself.
Solange
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: SAW-LAHNZH
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.
Sloane
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: SLON
From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of
Ó Sluaghadháin, itself derived from the given name
Sluaghadhán.
Skyler
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: SKIE-lər
Variant of
Schuyler, based on the pronunciation of the surname but respelled as if it was a blend of the English word
sky with names such as
Tyler. It was rare before 1980, and first gained popularity as a name for boys. It is now more common for girls, though it is more evenly unisex than the mostly feminine variant
Skylar.
Skye
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: SKIE
From the name of the Isle of Skye off the west coast of Scotland. It is sometimes considered a variant of
Sky.
Sky
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: SKIE
Simply from the English word sky, which was ultimately derived from Old Norse ský "cloud".
Sixtine
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: SEEKS-TEEN
French feminine form of
Sixtus.
Sirena
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: sə-REEN-ə
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.
Simone 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French, English, German, Dutch, Danish, Portuguese
Pronounced: SEE-MAWN(French) sə-MON(English) zee-MO-nə(German) see-MO-nə(Dutch)
French feminine form of
Simon 1. A famous bearer was Simone de Beauvoir (1908-1986), a French feminist and philosopher.
Shamil
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Kazakh, Avar, Chechen, Tatar, Azerbaijani
Other Scripts: شاميل(Arabic) Шәміл(Kazakh) Шамил(Avar, Tatar) Шамиль(Chechen)
Pronounced: sha-MEEL(Arabic)
Means
"comprehensive, universal" in Arabic, a derivative of
شمل (shamila) meaning "to contain"
[1].
Shahnaz
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Persian, Arabic, Urdu
Other Scripts: شهناز(Persian, Arabic) شہناز(Urdu)
Pronounced: shah-NAWZ(Persian) shah-NAZ(Arabic)
Means
"delight of the king" from Persian
شاه (shāh) meaning "king" and
ناز (nāz) meaning "delight, comfort, coquetry".
Semen
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ukrainian, Russian
Other Scripts: Семен(Ukrainian) Семён(Russian)
Pronounced: seh-MEHN(Ukrainian) syi-MYUYN(Russian)
Ukrainian form of
Simon 1, as well as an alternate transcription of Russian
Семён (see
Semyon).
Sébastienne
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: SEH-BAS-TYEHN
French feminine form of
Sebastianus (see
Sebastian).
Sebastian
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German, English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Polish, Finnish, Romanian, Czech
Pronounced: zeh-BAS-tee-an(German) sə-BAS-chən(American English) sə-BAS-tee-ən(British English) seh-BAS-dyan(Danish) seh-BAS-tyan(Polish) SEH-bahs-tee-ahn(Finnish) seh-bas-tee-AN(Romanian) SEH-bas-ti-yan(Czech)
From the Latin name
Sebastianus, which meant
"from Sebaste". Sebaste was the name a town in Asia Minor, its name deriving from Greek
σεβαστός (sebastos) meaning "venerable" (a translation of Latin
Augustus, the title of the Roman emperors). According to Christian tradition,
Saint Sebastian was a 3rd-century Roman soldier martyred during the persecutions of the emperor Diocletian. After he was discovered to be a Christian, he was tied to a stake and shot with arrows. This however did not kill him. Saint Irene of Rome healed him and he returned to personally admonish Diocletian, whereupon the emperor had him beaten to death.
Due to the saint's popularity, the name came into general use in medieval Europe, especially in Spain and France. It was also borne by a 16th-century king of Portugal who died in a crusade against Morocco.
Sävele
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Finnish (Rare)
Pronounced: sa-veh-leh
Means "melody". Variant of
Sävel
Sävel
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Finnish
Pronounced: sa-vehl
Means "melody", "tune", "tone" and "note". Variant of
Sävele
Saskulaana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Yakut
Other Scripts: Саскылаана(Yakut)
Saskia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Dutch, German
Pronounced: SAHS-kee-a(Dutch) ZAS-kya(German)
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.
Saske
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Japanese
Pronounced: sause-kay
it is a meaning of ``strong soul or stuborn''
Saritoy
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Uzbek
Derived from the Uzbek sari meaning "yellow" or "best" and toy meaning "colt".
Sarina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: German, Dutch, English (Modern)
Pronounced: sa-REE-na(Dutch)
Sariel
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Hebrew, Judeo-Christian-Islamic Legend
Apparently means "command of God" in Hebrew, making this name a variant or a shortened form of
Zerachiel. This is the name of an angel mainly known in judaism, who was - among others - an angel of healing and a benevolent angel of death (it is said that he was sent to retrieve the soul of
Moses).
Sarid
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical Hebrew
Other Scripts: שריד(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced: sa'-rid
A Hebrew name used in the Bible meaning "survivor, remaining, hand of a prince"
Santo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: SAN-to
Means
"saint" in Italian, ultimately from Latin
sanctus.
Samvel
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Armenian
Other Scripts: Սամվել(Armenian)
Pronounced: sahm-VEHL
Samila
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Portuguese (Brazilian, Rare)
Salomé
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French, Spanish, Portuguese
Pronounced: SA-LAW-MEH(French) sa-lo-MEH(Spanish) sə-loo-MEH(Portuguese)
French, Spanish and Portuguese form of
Salome.
Sabit
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Turkish, Kazakh, Bosnian, Azerbaijani, Albanian
Other Scripts: ثابت(Arabic) Сәбит(Kazakh) ٴسابىيت(Kazakh Arabic)
Pronounced: THA-beet(Arabic) SA-beet(Turkish) sah-BEET(Azerbaijani)
Arabic alternate transcription of
Thabit as well as the form used in various languages.
Ruth 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Estonian, Spanish, Biblical, Biblical Latin
Other Scripts: רוּת(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced: ROOTH(English) ROOT(German, Spanish)
From the Hebrew name
רוּת (Ruṯ), probably derived from the word
רְעוּת (reʿuṯ) meaning
"female friend". This is the name of the central character in the Book of Ruth in the
Old Testament. She was a Moabite woman who accompanied her mother-in-law
Naomi back to Bethlehem after Ruth's husband died. There she met and married
Boaz. She was an ancestor of King
David.
As a Christian name, Ruth has been in use since the Protestant Reformation. In England it was associated with the archaic word ruth meaning "pity, compassion" (now only commonly seen in the word ruthless). The name became very popular in America following the birth of "Baby" Ruth Cleveland (1891-1904), the daughter of President Grover Cleveland.
Ruslan
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Russian, Tatar, Bashkir, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Uzbek, Turkmen, Azerbaijani, Ossetian, Chechen, Ingush, Avar, Circassian, Indonesian, Malay
Other Scripts: Руслан(Russian, Tatar, Bashkir, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Uzbek, Ossetian, Chechen, Ingush, Avar) Руслъан(Western Circassian, Eastern Circassian)
Pronounced: ruws-LAN(Russian)
Form of
Yeruslan used by Aleksandr Pushkin in his poem
Ruslan and Ludmila (1820), which was loosely based on Russian and Tatar folktales of Yeruslan Lazarevich.
Rosario
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Spanish, Italian
Pronounced: ro-SA-ryo(Spanish) ro-ZA-ryo(Italian)
Means
"rosary", and is taken from the Spanish title of the Virgin
Mary Nuestra Señora del Rosario meaning "Our Lady of the Rosary". This name is feminine in Spanish and masculine in Italian.
Rita
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Estonian, Hungarian, Spanish, Portuguese, Latvian, Lithuanian
Pronounced: REE-ta(Italian, German, Spanish) REET-ə(English) REE-taw(Hungarian) ryi-TU(Lithuanian)
Short form of
Margherita and other names ending in
rita.
Saint Rita (born Margherita Lotti) was a 15th-century nun from Cascia, Italy. Another famous bearer was the American actress Rita Hayworth (1918-1987).
Rex
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: REHKS
From Latin rex meaning "king". It has been used as a given name since the 19th century.
Rene
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: rə-NAY
Ravil
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Tatar
Other Scripts: Равил(Tatar)
Meaning unknown, possibly of Arabic origin.
Ravenna
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: rə-VEHN-ə
Either an elaboration of
Raven, or else from the name of the city of Ravenna in Italy.
Ravenel
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English
Transferred use of the surname
Ravenel.
Raquel
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish, Portuguese, English
Pronounced: ra-KEHL(Spanish) ru-KEHL(European Portuguese) ha-KEW(Brazilian Portuguese) rə-KEHL(English)
Spanish and Portuguese form of
Rachel.
Ramiz
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Turkish, Azerbaijani, Albanian
Other Scripts: رامز(Arabic)
Pronounced: RA-meez(Arabic)
Means "symbolize, sign" in Arabic.
Ramina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ancient Assyrian
Pronounced: RA-MI-NA, RA-MEE-NA
Rameses
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Egyptian (Anglicized)
Pronounced: RAM-ə-seez(English) ra-MEHS-eez(English) RAM-seez(English) RAM-zeez(English)
Ralph
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, German, Swedish
Pronounced: RALF(English, German) RAYF(British English)
Contracted form of the Old Norse name
Ráðúlfr (or its Norman form
Radulf). Scandinavian settlers introduced it to England before the
Norman Conquest, though afterwards it was bolstered by Norman influence. In the Middle Ages it was variously spelled
Rauf,
Rafe or
Ralf reflecting the usual pronunciation. The
Ralph spelling became more common in the 18th century. A famous bearer of the name was Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), an American poet and author who wrote on transcendentalism.
Rainier
Gender: Masculine
Usage: French (Rare)
Pronounced: REH-NYEH
Radana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Czech
Pronounced: RA-da-na
Originally a short form of
Radovana, now used independently.
Priscilla
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Italian, French, Ancient Roman, Biblical Latin, Biblical
Pronounced: pri-SIL-ə(English) preesh-SHEEL-la(Italian)
Prim
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Literature
Pronounced: Prim
Poppy
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: PAHP-ee
From the word for the red flower, derived from Old English popæg.
Pippa
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: PIP-ə
Phares
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical Greek [1], Biblical Latin, Biblical
Other Scripts: Φαρές(Ancient Greek)
Form of
Perez used in the Greek and Latin Bibles, as well as some English translations of the
New Testament.
Perdita
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Literature
Derived from Latin
perditus meaning
"lost". Shakespeare created this name for the daughter of
Hermione and
Leontes in his play
The Winter's Tale (1610). Abandoned as an infant by her father the king, she grows up to be a shepherdess and falls in love with with
Florizel.
Paxton
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: PAK-stən
From an English surname that was derived from a place name meaning "Pœcc's town". Pœcc is an Old English given name of unknown meaning.
Pavel
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Russian, Czech, Bulgarian, Slovene, Macedonian, Belarusian
Other Scripts: Павел(Russian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Belarusian)
Pronounced: PA-vyil(Russian) PA-vehl(Czech)
Russian, Czech, Bulgarian, Slovene, Macedonian and Belarusian form of
Paul.
Paris 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Πάρις(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: PA-REES(Classical Greek) PAR-is(English) PEHR-is(English)
Meaning unknown, possibly of Luwian or Hittite origin. In Greek
mythology he was the Trojan prince who kidnapped
Helen and began the Trojan War. Though presented as a somewhat of a coward in the
Iliad, he did manage to slay the great hero
Achilles. He was himself eventually slain in battle by Philoctetes.
Owena
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Welsh
Ophelia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Literature, Ancient Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Ὠφελία(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: o-FEEL-ee-ə(English) o-FEEL-yə(English)
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.
Olimpia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Spanish, Romanian, Polish (Rare), Hungarian (Rare)
Pronounced: o-LEEM-pya(Italian, Spanish) aw-LEEM-pya(Polish) O-leem-pee-aw(Hungarian)
Oleg
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Russian, Georgian
Other Scripts: Олег(Russian) ოლეგ(Georgian)
Pronounced: u-LYEHK(Russian)
Russian form of the Old Norse name
Helgi (see
Helge). The Varangians brought this name from Scandinavia to Eastern Europe: it was borne by a 9th-century Varangian ruler who conquered Kyiv and made it the capital of the state of Kievan Rus.
Nynniaw
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Old Welsh
Probably a Welsh form of *
Ninniau (see
Ninian). This form is used for
Nennius in
Brut y Brenhinedd [1], the Middle Welsh translation of the 12th-century Latin chronicles of Geoffrey of Monmouth. The name also appears in the Welsh tale
Culhwch and Olwen belonging to a man who is transformed into an ox
[2].
Nevaeh
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: nə-VAY-ə
The word heaven spelled backwards. It became popular after the musician Sonny Sandoval from the rock group P.O.D. gave it to his daughter in 2000. Over the next few years it rapidly climbed the rankings in America, peaking at the 25th rank for girls in 2010.
Náyade
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: NA-ya-dheh
From the Spanish word náyade meaning "Naiad", which is a river nymph in Greek and Roman mythology; it derives from Greek Ναιάς (Naias) (plural Ναϊάδες (Naiades)), itself a derivative of the verb νάω (nao) "to flow".
Nathanael
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical, Biblical Greek [1]
Other Scripts: ןְתַןְאֵל(Ancient Hebrew) Ναθαναήλ(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: nə-THAN-yəl(English)
Nanaea
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Semitic Mythology (Latinized)
Other Scripts: 𒀭𒈾𒈾𒀀(Akkadian Cuneiform)
Nana 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek
Other Scripts: Νάνα(Greek)
Nagaina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Literature
An antagonist from the book "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" (1978) by Rudyard Kipling. A Nagaina is also a type of spider.
Nadine
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French, German, English, Dutch
Pronounced: NA-DEEN(French) na-DEE-nə(German, Dutch) na-DEEN(German, Dutch) nay-DEEN(English)
Mylène
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: MEE-LEHN
Muslim
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Urdu, Kazakh, Indonesian, Malay
Other Scripts: مسلم(Arabic, Urdu) Мүслім(Kazakh)
Pronounced: MOOS-leem(Arabic)
Name for a follower of Islam, ultimately from Arabic
أسْلم (ʾaslama) meaning "to surrender, to submit".
Musa
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Turkish, Hausa, Urdu, Bengali, Indonesian, Malay
Other Scripts: موسى(Arabic) موسیٰ(Urdu) মুসা(Bengali)
Pronounced: MOO-sa(Arabic, Indonesian, Malay) moo-SA(Turkish)
Muadhnait
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish (Rare)
Pronounced: MOO-nət
Means
"little noble one", derived from the Old Irish poetic word
muad meaning "noble, good" combined with a
diminutive suffix. This was the name of a 6th-century
saint, a sister of Saint Mo Laisse.
Montserrat
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Catalan
Pronounced: moon-sə-RAT
From the name of a mountain near Barcelona, the site of a monastery founded in the 10th century. The mountain gets its name from Latin mons serratus meaning "jagged mountain".
Montgomery
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: mənt-GUM-ə-ree, mənt-GUM-ree
From an English surname meaning
"Gumarich's mountain" in Norman French. A notable bearer of this surname was Bernard Montgomery (1887-1976), a British army commander during World War II.
Monte
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Armenian
Other Scripts: Մոնթէ(Armenian)
Pronounced: MAHN-tee(English)
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).
Monet
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Various
From a French surname that was derived from either
Hamon or
Edmond. This was the surname of the French impressionist painter Claude Monet (1840-1926).
Mona 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish, English
Pronounced: MO-nə(English)
Anglicized form of
Muadhnait. It is also associated with Greek
monos "one" and Leonardo da Vinci's painting the
Mona Lisa (in which case it is a contraction of Italian
ma donna meaning "my lady").
Modest
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Russian (Archaic)
Other Scripts: Модест(Russian)
Mislav
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Croatian
Derived from the Slavic element
myslĭ "thought" or
mojĭ "my" combined with
slava "glory". This was the name of a 9th-century duke of Croatia, also called Mojslav. His name was recorded in Latin as
Muisclavo.
Mirabelle
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French (Rare), English (Rare)
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.
Milovan
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Serbian, Croatian
Other Scripts: Милован(Serbian)
Derived from Slavic
milovati meaning
"to caress".
Miloš
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Czech, Slovak, Serbian, Slovene, Croatian, Macedonian
Other Scripts: Милош(Serbian, Macedonian)
Pronounced: MI-losh(Czech) MEE-lawsh(Slovak) MEE-losh(Serbian, Croatian)
Originally a
diminutive of names beginning with the Slavic element
milŭ meaning
"gracious, dear". This was the name of a 14th-century Serbian hero who apparently killed the Ottoman sultan Murad I at the Battle of Kosovo.
Milica
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Serbian, Croatian, Slovene, Macedonian
Other Scripts: Милица(Serbian, Macedonian)
Pronounced: MEE-lee-tsa(Serbian, Croatian)
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.
Milda
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Lithuanian, Latvian, Baltic Mythology
Meaning unknown. According to the 19th-century Polish-Lithuanian historian Teodor Narbutt, this was the name of a Lithuanian goddess of love.
Milagros
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: mee-LA-ghros
Means
"miracles" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin
Mary,
Nuestra Señora de los Milagros, which means "Our Lady of Miracles".
Migele
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Alsatian (Archaic)
Vernacular diminutive of
Maria.
Messias
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Portuguese (Brazilian)
Messiah
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Theology, English (Modern)
Pronounced: mə-SIE-ə(English)
From the English word meaning
"saviour", ultimately from Hebrew
מָשִׁיחַ (mashiyaḥ) meaning "anointed"
[1]. The word appears in the
Old Testament referring to a future king of the Jewish people. In the
New Testament it is translated as
Christ and is used as a title of
Jesus.
Mercedes
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: mehr-THEH-dhehs(European Spanish) mehr-SEH-dhehs(Latin American Spanish) mər-SAY-deez(English)
Means
"mercies" (that is, the plural of mercy), from the Spanish title of the Virgin
Mary,
Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes, meaning "Our Lady of Mercies". It is ultimately from the Latin word
merces meaning "wages, reward", which in Vulgar Latin acquired the meaning "favour, pity"
[1].
Melrose
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Melania
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Spanish, Polish, Romanian, Late Roman
Pronounced: meh-LA-nya(Italian, Spanish, Polish)
Italian, Spanish, Polish and Romanian form of
Melanie.
Megan
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Welsh, English
Pronounced: MEHG-ən(English)
Welsh
diminutive of
Margaret. In the English-speaking world outside of Wales it has only been regularly used since the middle of the 20th century.
Mecca
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (American, Rare)
Pronounced: MEH-kə(American English)
From the city of
Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest place in Islam. From there, it became a common noun for any place considered to be important to visit by people with a particular interest.
May
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: MAY
Derived from the name of the month of May, which derives from
Maia, the name of a Roman goddess. May is also another name of the hawthorn flower. It is also used as a
diminutive of
Mary,
Margaret or
Mabel.
Maude
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, French
Pronounced: MAWD(English) MOD(French)
Matvey
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Russian
Other Scripts: Матвей(Russian)
Pronounced: mut-VYAY
Matilde
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish, Portuguese, Italian
Pronounced: ma-TEEL-deh(Spanish, Italian) mu-TEEL-di(European Portuguese) ma-CHEEW-jee(Brazilian Portuguese)
Spanish, Portuguese and Italian form of
Matilda.
Matéo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: French
Pronounced: MA-TEH-O
Maryana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ukrainian, Russian
Other Scripts: Мар'яна(Ukrainian) Марьяна(Russian)
Ukrainian form of
Marianna, and a Russian variant.
Martin
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Estonian, Russian, Romanian, Czech, Slovak, Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, Hungarian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Finnish
Other Scripts: Мартин, Мартын(Russian) Мартин(Serbian, Bulgarian, Macedonian)
Pronounced: MAHR-tin(English) MAR-TEHN(French) MAR-teen(German, Slovak) MAT-in(Swedish) MAHT-tin(Norwegian) MAH-tseen(Danish) MAR-kyin(Czech) MAWR-teen(Hungarian) mar-TIN(Bulgarian) MAHR-teen(Finnish)
From the Roman name
Martinus, which was derived from
Martis, the genitive case of the name of the Roman god
Mars.
Saint Martin of Tours was a 4th-century bishop who is the patron saint of France. According to legend, he came across a cold beggar in the middle of winter so he ripped his cloak in two and gave half of it to the beggar. He was a favourite saint during the Middle Ages, and his name has become common throughout the Christian world.
An influential bearer of the name was Martin Luther (1483-1546), the theologian who began the Protestant Reformation. The name was also borne by five popes (two of them more commonly known as Marinus). Other more recent bearers include the German philosopher Martin Heidegger (1889-1976), the American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968), and the American filmmaker Martin Scorsese (1942-).
Margo
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: MAHR-go
Margiel
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Obscure
Marfa
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Russian
Other Scripts: Марфа(Russian)
Pronounced: MAR-fə
Traditional Russian form of
Martha.
Marcial
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: mar-THYAL(European Spanish) mar-SYAL(Latin American Spanish)
Spanish form of
Martialis (see
Martial).
Marcia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Spanish, Ancient Roman
Pronounced: MAHR-shə(English) mahr-SEE-ə(English) MAR-thya(European Spanish) MAR-sya(Latin American Spanish)
Feminine form of
Marcius. It was borne by a few very minor
saints. It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the 18th century
[1].
Manuel
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Spanish, Portuguese, German, Italian, French, Romanian, Late Greek (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Μανουήλ(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: ma-NWEHL(Spanish) mu-noo-EHL(European Portuguese) ma-noo-EW(Brazilian Portuguese) MA-nwehl(German, Italian) MA-NWEHL(French)
Spanish and Portuguese form of
Emmanuel. In the spelling
Μανουήλ (Manouel) it was also used in the Byzantine Empire, notably by two emperors. It is possible this form of the name was transmitted to Spain and Portugal from Byzantium, since there were connections between the royal families (king Ferdinand III of Castile married Elisabeth of Hohenstaufen, who had Byzantine roots, and had a son named Manuel). The name has been used in Iberia since at least the 13th century and was borne by two kings of Portugal.
Manana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Georgian
Other Scripts: მანანა(Georgian)
Pronounced: MAH-NAH-NAH
Means both "heather" and "manna, divine food" in Georgian.
Manaem
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical Greek
Other Scripts: Μαναήμ(Ancient Greek)
Malone
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: mə-LON
From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of
Ó Maoil Eoin meaning
"descendant of a disciple of Saint John".
Malika
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: ملكة(Arabic)
Pronounced: MA-lee-ka
Means
"queen" in Arabic, the feminine form of
Malik 1.
Malena
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Swedish, Spanish
Pronounced: ma-LEH-na(Spanish)
Swedish and Spanish contracted form of
Magdalena. In Spanish it can also be a contracted form of
María Elena.
Madiyar
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Kazakh
Other Scripts: Мадияр(Kazakh) مادىييار(Kazakh Arabic)
Means "friend of Muhammad", derived from the given name
Madi (a short form of
Muhammad) and Persian یار
(yâr) meaning "friend, companion".
Madi
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Kazakh
Other Scripts: Мәди(Kazakh) ٴمادىي(Kazakh Arabic)
Madeline
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: MAD-ə-lin, MAD-lin, MAD-ə-lien
English form of
Madeleine. This is the name of the heroine in a series of children's books by the Austrian-American author Ludwig Bemelmans, first published 1939.
Madelaine
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Maddox
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: MAD-əks
From a Welsh surname meaning
"son of Madoc". It was brought to public attention when the actress Angelina Jolie gave this name to her adopted son in 2002.
Lydia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, German, Dutch, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Λυδία(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: LID-ee-ə(English) LUY-dya(German) LEE-dee-ya(Dutch)
Means
"from Lydia" in Greek. Lydia was a region on the west coast of Asia Minor, said to be named for the legendary king
Lydos. In the
New Testament this is the name of a woman converted to Christianity by
Saint Paul. In the modern era the name has been in use since the
Protestant Reformation.
Lyazzat
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Kazakh
Other Scripts: Ләззат(Kazakh) ٴلاززات(Kazakh Arabic)
Means "enjoyment, pleasure" in Kazakh, ultimately from Arabic لذة (laddah).
Lyailim
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Kazakh
Other Scripts: Ләйлім(Kazakh) ٴلايلىم(Kazakh Arabic)
Kazakh elaboration of
Layla.
Lux
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Various
Pronounced: LUKS(English)
Derived from Latin lux meaning "light".
Lulu 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, German
Pronounced: LOO-loo
Lulabelle
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: loo-lə-BEHL
Lovisa
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Swedish
Pronounced: loo-VEE-sah
Swedish feminine form of
Louis.
Loreto
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Spanish, Italian
Pronounced: lo-REH-to
From the name of a town in Italy, originally called
Lauretum in Latin, meaning "laurel grove". Supposedly in the 13th century the house of the Virgin
Mary was miraculously carried by angels from Nazareth to the town. In Spain it is a feminine name, from the Marian title
Nuestra Señora de Loreto, while in Italy it is mostly masculine.
London
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: LUN-dən
From the name of the capital city of the United Kingdom, the meaning of which is uncertain. As a surname it was borne by the American author Jack London (1876-1916).
Lolicia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Lola
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish, English, French
Pronounced: LO-la(Spanish) LO-lə(English) LAW-LA(French)
Spanish
diminutive of
Dolores. A famous bearer was Lola Montez (1821-1861; birth name Eliza Gilbert), an Irish-born dancer, actress and courtesan.
Liselotte
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Danish, Swedish, Dutch, German
Pronounced: LEE-zeh-law-tə(German)
Lionel
Gender: Masculine
Usage: French, English, Arthurian Cycle
Pronounced: LYAW-NEHL(French) LIE-ə-nəl(English) LIE-nəl(English)
French
diminutive of
Léon. It appears in Arthurian legend in the 13th-century
Lancelot-Grail Cycle, belonging to a knight who was the brother of Sir
Bors. A notable modern bearer is the Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi (1987-).
Lilo
Gender: Feminine
Usage: German
Pronounced: LEE-lo
Lieber
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Yiddish
Other Scripts: ליבער(Yiddish)
From Yiddish
ליבע (libe) meaning
"love".
Leviticus
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (American, Rare), English (African, Rare), African American
Pronounced: lə-VI-ti-kəs(American English)
From the name of the book of the Old Testament, which means "of the Levites, of the tribe of
Levi". Some parents in the United States view it as a full form or more formal version of the name
Levi.
Letitia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: li-TISH-ə
From the Late Latin name
Laetitia meaning
"joy, happiness". This was the name of an obscure
saint, who is revered mainly in Spain. It was in use in England during the Middle Ages, usually in the spelling
Lettice, and it was revived in the 18th century.
Léonce
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: LEH-AWNS
French form of
Leontios, also used as a feminine name.
Leo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, English, Croatian, Armenian, Late Roman
Other Scripts: Լեո(Armenian)
Pronounced: LEH-o(German, Danish, Finnish) LEH-yo(Dutch) LEE-o(English)
Derived from Latin
leo meaning
"lion", a
cognate of
Leon. It was popular among early Christians and was the name of 13 popes, including
Saint Leo the Great who asserted the dominance of the Roman bishops (the popes) over all others in the 5th century. It was also borne by six Byzantine emperors and five Armenian kings. Another famous bearer was the Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910), name spelled
Лев in Russian, whose works include
War and Peace and
Anna Karenina. Leo is also a constellation and the fifth sign of the zodiac.
Lennox
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: LEHN-əks
From a Scottish surname that was derived from the name of a district in Scotland. The district, called
Leamhnachd in Gaelic, possibly means "place of elms". This name steadily rose in popularity in the 2000s, at the same time as the similar-sounding (but unrelated) names
Lennon and
Knox.
Lennart
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Finnish, Estonian, Low German, Dutch
Pronounced: LEH-nahrt(Low German, Dutch)
Swedish and Low German form of
Leonard.
Lelle
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Swedish
Leland
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
From a surname, originally from an English place name, which meant "fallow land" in Old English. A famous bearer was the politician, businessman and Stanford University founder Leland Stanford (1824-1893).
Leelavathi
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Kannada, Tamil, Telugu
Other Scripts: ಲೀಲಾವತಿ(Kannada) லீலாவதி(Tamil) లీలావతి(Telugu)
Lebanah
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical
Other Scripts: לְבָנָה(Ancient Hebrew)
Means
"moon" in Hebrew, a poetic word derived from
לָבָן (lavan) meaning "white". This name appears briefly in the
Old Testament.
Laysan
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Tatar, Bashkir
Other Scripts: Ләйсән(Tatar, Bashkir)
Pronounced: lay-SAN(Bashkir)
Most likely derived from Arabic نيسان (naysan) meaning "April".
Latipa
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Indonesian, Maranao, Maguindanao, Kazakh
Other Scripts: Ләтипа(Kazakh) ٴلاتىيپا(Kazakh Arabic)
Indonesian, Maranao, Maguindanao, and Kazakh form of
Latifa.
Latif
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Urdu
Other Scripts: لطيف(Arabic) لطیف(Urdu)
Pronounced: la-TEEF(Arabic)
Means
"gentle, kind" in Arabic. In Islamic tradition
اللطيف (al-Laṭīf) is one of the 99 names of Allah.
Lambert
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German, Dutch, French, English, Germanic [1]
Pronounced: LAM-behrt(German) LAHM-bərt(Dutch) LAHN-BEHR(French) LAM-bərt(English)
Derived from the Old German elements
lant "land" and
beraht "bright".
Saint Lambert of Maastricht was a 7th-century bishop who was martyred after denouncing Pepin II for adultery. The name was also borne by a 9th-century king of Italy who was crowned Holy Roman Emperor.
Lamar
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, African American
Pronounced: lə-MAHR(English)
From a French and English surname, originally from a place name in Normandy, which was derived from Old French
la mare meaning
"the pool". In the second half of the 20th century this name has been well-used in the African-American community, probably because of its popular phonetic components
la and
mar.
Laksmi
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Indonesian, Indian, Kannada, Hindi
Other Scripts: ಲಕ್ಷ್ಮೀ(Kannada) लक्ष्मी(Hindi)
Indonesian form of
Lakshmi as well as a Kannada and Hindi alternate transcription. It is solely used as a feminine name in Indonesia, while it is unisex in India.
Lakshmi
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Hinduism, Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam, Marathi, Hindi, Odia
Other Scripts: लक्ष्मी(Sanskrit, Marathi, Hindi, Nepali) లక్ష్మి(Telugu) ಲಕ್ಷ್ಮೀ(Kannada) லட்சுமி(Tamil) ലക്ഷ്മി(Malayalam) ଲକ୍ଷ୍ମୀ(Odia)
Pronounced: LUK-shmee(Sanskrit, English)
Means
"sign, mark" in Sanskrit. This is the name of the Hindu goddess of prosperity, good luck, and beauty. She is the wife of
Vishnu and her symbol is the lotus flower, with which she is often depicted.
Laïla
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arabic (Maghrebi)
Other Scripts: ليلى(Arabic)
Pronounced: LIE-la(Arabic) LIE-LA(French)
Alternate transcription of Arabic
ليلى (see
Layla) chiefly used in North Africa (using French-influenced orthography).
Lahcène
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic (Maghrebi)
Other Scripts: لحسن(Maghrebi Arabic)
Maghrebi variant of
Hasan (chiefly Algerian).
Kyle
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: KIEL
From a Scottish surname that was derived from various place names, themselves from Gaelic caol meaning "narrows, channel, strait". As a given name it was rare in the first half of the 20th century. It rose steadily in popularity throughout the English-speaking world, entering the top 50 in most places by the 1990s. It has since declined in all regions.
Kinaan
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Pronounced: Ka-Nan
It means arrow case
Khalifah
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: خليفة(Arabic)
Pronounced: kha-LEE-fa
Alternate transcription of Arabic خليفة (see
Khalifa).
Khalif
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Somali, African American
Other Scripts: خليف(Arabic, Wadaad Arabic)
Pronounced: kha-LEEF(Arabic)
Alternate transcription of
Khalifa as well as the Somali form.
Kenneth
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Scottish, English, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian
Pronounced: KEHN-əth(English)
Anglicized form of both
Coinneach and
Cináed. This name was borne by the Scottish king Kenneth (Cináed) mac Alpin, who united the Scots and Picts in the 9th century. It was popularized outside of Scotland by Walter Scott, who used it for the hero in his 1825 novel
The Talisman [1]. A famous bearer was the British novelist Kenneth Grahame (1859-1932), who wrote
The Wind in the Willows.
Kanye
Gender: Masculine
Usage: African American (Modern)
Pronounced: KAHN-yay(English)
Meaning uncertain. It could be from the name of a town in Botswana (of Tswana origin). Yoruba, Igbo, Xhosa and Fula meanings have also been suggested. It is borne by the American rapper Kanye West (1977-), and the name briefly appeared on the United States top 1000 list in 2004 when he released his debut album.
Kanat
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Kazakh, Kyrgyz
Other Scripts: Қанат(Kazakh) قانات(Kazakh Arabic) Канат(Kyrgyz)
Pronounced: kah-NAHT
From Kazakh қанат (qanat) or Kyrgyz канат (kanat) both meaning "wing".
Justina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Spanish, Portuguese, Slovene, Lithuanian, Late Roman
Pronounced: jus-TEE-nə(English) khoos-TEE-na(Spanish) zhoosh-TEE-nu(European Portuguese) zhoos-CHEE-nu(Brazilian Portuguese)
From Latin
Iustina, the feminine form of
Iustinus (see
Justin). This name was borne by several early
saints and martyrs.
Junia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Biblical, Ancient Roman
Pronounced: YOO-nee-a(Latin)
Feminine form of
Junius. This is the name of an early Christian mentioned in
Paul's epistle to the Romans in the
New Testament (there is some debate about whether the name belongs to a woman
Junia or a man
Junias).
Jubel
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Dutch (Rare)
Pronounced: JOO-bel
Variant of
Jubal. Also, means "jubilant" in Dutch.
Joaquín
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: kho-a-KEEN, khwa-KEEN
Javier
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: kha-BYEHR
Jasmine
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, French
Pronounced: JAZ-min(English) ZHAS-MEEN(French)
From the English word for the climbing plant with fragrant flowers that is used for making perfumes. It is derived via Arabic from Persian
یاسمین (yāsamīn), which is also a Persian name. In the United States this name steadily grew in popularity from the 1970s, especially among African Americans
[1]. It reached a peak in the early 1990s shortly after the release of the animated Disney movie
Aladdin (1992), which featured a princess by this name.
Janine
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French, English, Dutch, German
Pronounced: ZHA-NEEN(French) jə-NEEN(English) ya-NEE-nə(German)
Variant of
Jeannine. It has only been in use since the 20th century.
Jade
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English, French
Pronounced: JAYD(English) ZHAD(French)
From the name of the precious stone that is often used in carvings. It is derived from Spanish (piedra de la) ijada meaning "(stone of the) flank", relating to the belief that jade could cure renal colic. As a given name, it came into general use during the 1970s. It was initially unisex, though it is now mostly feminine.
Izzy
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: IZ-ee
Iunia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ancient Roman, Biblical Latin
Pronounced: YOO-nee-a(Latin)
István
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Hungarian
Pronounced: EESHT-van
Hungarian form of
Stephen. This was the name of the first king of Hungary. Ruling in the 11th century, he encouraged the spread of Christianity among his subjects and is considered the patron
saint of Hungary.
Islam
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Kazakh, Chechen, Ingush
Other Scripts: إسلام(Arabic) Ислам(Kazakh, Chechen, Ingush)
Pronounced: ees-LAM(Arabic) is-LAHM(Kazakh)
From the name of the religion, derived from Arabic
إسلام (ʾIslām) meaning
"submission (to God)".
Isla
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Scottish, English
Pronounced: IE-lə
Variant of
Islay, typically used as a feminine name. It also coincides with the Spanish word
isla meaning "island".
Iskhak
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Tatar, Kyrgyz, Indonesian
Other Scripts: Исхак(Tatar, Kyrgyz)
Tatar, Kyrgyz, and Indonesian form of
Ishaq (see
Isaac).
Iolanthe
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Various (Rare)
Pronounced: ie-o-LAN-thee(English)
Probably a variant of
Yolanda influenced by the Greek words
ἰόλη (iole) meaning "violet" and
ἄνθος (anthos) meaning "flower". This name was (first?) used by Gilbert and Sullivan in their comic opera
Iolanthe (1882).
Innis
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Inna
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Russian, Ukrainian, History (Ecclesiastical)
Other Scripts: Инна(Russian) Інна(Ukrainian)
Pronounced: EEN-nə(Russian)
Meaning unknown. This was the name of an early Scythian
saint and martyr, a male, supposedly a disciple of Saint
Andrew.
Imre
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Hungarian
Pronounced: EEM-reh
Hungarian form of
Emmerich. This was the name of an 11th-century Hungarian
saint, the son of Saint Istvan. He is also known as Emeric.
Imani
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Swahili, African American
Means
"faith" in Swahili, ultimately from Arabic
إيمان (ʾīmān).
Iman
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Indonesian, Malay
Other Scripts: إيمان(Arabic) ایمان(Persian, Urdu)
Pronounced: ee-MAN(Arabic) ee-MAWN(Persian) EE-man(Indonesian)
Means
"faith" in Arabic, derived from
أمن (ʾamuna) meaning "to be faithful". It is typically feminine in Arabic and masculine in Persian.
Ilyas
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: إلياس(Arabic)
Pronounced: eel-YAS
Ian
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Scottish, English
Pronounced: EE-ən(English)
Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic
Iain, itself from Latin
Iohannes (see
John). It became popular in the United Kingdom outside of Scotland in the first half of the 20th century, but did not begin catching on in America until the 1960s.
Harper
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: HAHR-pər
From an English surname that originally belonged to a person who played or made harps (Old English hearpe). A notable bearer was the American author Harper Lee (1926-2016), who wrote To Kill a Mockingbird. It rapidly gained popularity in the 2000s and 2010s, entering the American top ten for girls in 2015.
Habib
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Persian, Urdu
Other Scripts: حبيب(Arabic) حبیب(Persian, Urdu)
Pronounced: ha-BEEB(Arabic)
Means "beloved, darling" in Arabic.
Graciela
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: gra-THYEH-la(European Spanish) gra-SYEH-la(Latin American Spanish)
Grace
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: GRAYS
From the English word
grace, which ultimately derives from Latin
gratia. This was one of the virtue names created in the 17th century by the
Puritans. The actress Grace Kelly (1929-1982) was a famous bearer.
This name was very popular in the English-speaking world at the end of the 19th century. Though it declined in use over the next 100 years, it staged a successful comeback at the end of the 20th century. The American sitcom Will and Grace (1998-2006) may have helped, though the name was already strongly rising when it premiered. It was the top name for girls in England and Wales in 2006.
Godfried
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Dutch
Pronounced: GHAWT-freet
Glaphyra
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ancient Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Γλαφύρα(Ancient Greek)
From Greek
γλαφυρός (glaphyros) meaning
"polished, subtle".
Gemma
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Catalan, English (British), Dutch
Pronounced: JEHM-ma(Italian) ZHEHM-mə(Catalan) JEHM-ə(British English) GHEH-ma(Dutch)
Medieval Italian nickname meaning "gem, precious stone". It was borne by the wife of the 13th-century Italian poet Dante Alighieri.
Gela
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Georgian
Other Scripts: გელა(Georgian)
Pronounced: GEH-LAH
Possibly from Georgian
მგელი (mgeli) meaning
"wolf".
Galen
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: GAY-lən
Modern form of the Greek name
Γαληνός (Galenos), which meant
"calm" from Greek
γαλήνη (galene). It was borne by a 2nd-century BC Greco-Roman physician who contributed to anatomy and medicine. In modern times the name is occasionally given in his honour.
Galeazzo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian (Rare)
Pronounced: ga-leh-AT-tso
Gala 2
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: GA-la
Spanish feminine form of
Gallus.
Gal 1
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Hebrew
Other Scripts: גַּל(Hebrew)
Means "wave" in Hebrew.
Fleur
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French, Dutch, English (British)
Pronounced: FLUUR(French, Dutch) FLU(British English) FLUR(American English)
Means
"flower" in French.
Saint Fleur of Issendolus (
Flor in Gascon) was a 14th-century nun from Maurs, France. This was also the name of a character in John Galsworthy's novels
The Forsyte Saga (1922).
Firouzeh
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Persian
Other Scripts: فیروزه(Persian)
Pronounced: fee-roo-ZEH
Means
"turquoise (gemstone)" in Persian. Alternatively, it may be a feminine form of
Firouz.
Fidel
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: fee-DHEHL
From the Late Latin name Fidelis meaning "faithful", a derivative of fides "faith". A famous bearer was the revolutionary leader and Cuban president Fidel Castro (1926-2016).
Fiammetta
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: fyam-MEHT-ta
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.
Ffion
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Welsh
Pronounced: FEE-awn, FI-awn
Means "foxglove" in Welsh (species Digitalis purpurea). This is a recently created Welsh name.
Feruza
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Uzbek
Other Scripts: Феруза(Uzbek)
Femme
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Frisian
Originally a Frisian short form of
Fridumar or
Friduman (and other names starting with the Old German element
fridu "peace" and a second element beginning with
m [1]).
Fazilet
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Turkish
Faris
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Bosnian
Other Scripts: فارس(Arabic)
Pronounced: FA-rees(Arabic)
Means "horseman, knight" in Arabic.
Faramond
Gender: Masculine
Usage: History
Farah
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Malay
Other Scripts: فرح(Arabic, Persian, Urdu)
Pronounced: FA-rah(Arabic)
Means
"joy, happiness" in Arabic, from the root
فرح (fariḥa) meaning "to be happy".
Famke
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Frisian, Dutch
Pronounced: FAHM-kə(Dutch)
Variant of
Femke. It also coincides with a Frisian word meaning "girl".
Evseviy
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Bulgarian (Rare), Russian (Rare)
Other Scripts: Евсевий(Bulgarian, Russian)
Everly
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: EHV-ər-lee
From an English surname that was from a place name, itself derived from Old English
eofor "boar" and
leah "woodland, clearing". Notable bearers of the surname were the musical duo the Everly Brothers, Don (1937-2021) and Phil (1939-2014).
This name began rising on the American popularity charts in 2008, slowly until 2012 and then rapidly after that. This might have been triggered by the folk band Everly (not associated with the Everly Brothers), which had music featured on the television series One Tree Hill in that period. It also might have simply been inspired by similar-sounding names like Everett, Evelyn and Beverly.
Everett
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: EHV-ə-rit, EHV-rit
From an English surname that was derived from the given name
Everard.
Eunike
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Biblical Greek [1], Ancient Greek [2]
Other Scripts: Εὐνίκη(Ancient Greek)
Eulalia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish, Italian, Polish, English, Ancient Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Εὐλαλία(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: ew-LA-lya(Spanish, Italian) yoo-LAY-lee-ə(English)
Derived from Greek
εὔλαλος (eulalos) meaning
"sweetly-speaking", itself from
εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and
λαλέω (laleo) meaning "to talk". This was the name of an early 4th-century
saint and martyr from Mérida in Spain. Another martyr by this name, living at the same time, is a patron saint of Barcelona. These two saints might be the same person.
Eudoxia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ancient Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Εὐδοξία(Ancient Greek)
From Greek
εὐδοξία (eudoxia) meaning
"good repute, good judgement", itself from
εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and
δόξα (doxa) meaning "notion, reputation, honour".
Euanthe
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ancient Greek [1], Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Εὐάνθη(Ancient Greek)
Derived from Greek
εὐανθής (euanthes) meaning
"blooming, flowery", a derivative of
εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and
ἄνθος (anthos) meaning "flower". According to some sources, this was the name of the mother of the three Graces or
Χάριτες (Charites) in Greek
mythology.
Étienne
Gender: Masculine
Usage: French
Pronounced: EH-TYEHN(European French) EH-TSYEHN(Quebec French)
Eteri
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Georgian
Other Scripts: ეთერი(Georgian)
Pronounced: EH-TEH-REE
Form of
Eter with the nominative suffix, used when the name is written stand-alone.
Estiñe
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Basque (Rare)
Estevo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Galician
Estera
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Polish, Slovak, Romanian, Lithuanian
Pronounced: eh-STEH-ra(Polish)
Polish, Slovak, Romanian and Lithuanian form of
Esther.
Estelle
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, French
Pronounced: ehs-TEHL(English) EHS-TEHL(French)
From an Old French name meaning
"star", ultimately derived from Latin
stella. It was rare in the English-speaking world in the Middle Ages, but it was revived in the 19th century, perhaps due to the character Estella Havisham in Charles Dickens' novel
Great Expectations (1860).
Estefanía
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: ehs-teh-fa-NEE-a
Esteban
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: ehs-TEH-ban
Esmée
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (British), Dutch
Pronounced: EHZ-may(British English) EHZ-mee(British English) ehs-MEH(Dutch)
Esme
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: EHZ-may, EHZ-mee
Esmé
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: EHZ-may, EHZ-mee
Means "esteemed" or "loved" in Old French. It was first recorded in Scotland, being borne by the first Duke of Lennox in the 16th century. It is now more common as a feminine name.
Esdras
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical, Biblical Greek
Other Scripts: Ἔσδρας(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: EHZ-drəs(English)
Esbjörn
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Swedish
Eric
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Swedish, German, Spanish
Pronounced: EHR-ik(English) EH-rik(Swedish, German) EH-reek(Spanish)
Means
"ever ruler", from the Old Norse name
Eiríkr, derived from the elements
ei "ever, always" and
ríkr "ruler, king". A notable bearer was Eiríkr inn Rauda (Eric the Red in English), a 10th-century navigator and explorer who discovered Greenland. This was also the name of several early kings of Sweden, Denmark and Norway.
This common Norse name was first brought to England by Danish settlers during the Anglo-Saxon period. It was not popular in England in the Middle Ages, but it was revived in the 19th century, in part due to the children's novel Eric, or Little by Little (1858) by Frederic William Farrar.
Enyinnaya
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Igbo
Means "his father's friend" in Igbo.
Enya
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish
Pronounced: EHN-yə(English)
Enrico
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: ehn-REE-ko
Italian form of
Heinrich (see
Henry). Enrico Fermi (1901-1954) was an Italian physicist who did work on the development of the nuclear bomb.
Emmet
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: EHM-it
Variant of
Emmett. It is used in Ireland in honour of the nationalist and rebel Robert Emmet (1778-1803).
Emmerich
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German, Germanic [1]
Pronounced: EH-mə-rikh(German)
Germanic name, in which the second element is
rih "ruler, king". The first element may be
irmin "whole, great" (making it a relative of
Ermenrich),
amal "unceasing, vigorous, brave" (making it a relative of
Amalric) or
heim "home" (making it a relative of
Henry). It is likely that several forms merged into a single name.
Emmanuel
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical, French, English
Other Scripts: עִמָּנוּאֵל(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced: EH-MA-NWEHL(French) i-MAN-yoo-ehl(English)
From the Hebrew name
עִמָּנוּאֵל (ʿImmanuʾel) meaning
"God is with us", from the roots
עִם (ʿim) meaning "with" and
אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". This was the foretold name of the Messiah in the
Old Testament. It has been used in England since the 16th century in the spellings
Emmanuel and
Immanuel, though it has not been widespread
[1]. The name has been more common in continental Europe, especially in Spain and Portugal (in the spellings
Manuel and
Manoel).
Emilio
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian, Spanish
Pronounced: eh-MEE-lyo
Italian and Spanish form of
Aemilius (see
Emil).
Emilie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: German, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Czech
Pronounced: eh-MEE-lyə(German) eh-MEE-lee-eh(Norwegian) EHM-i-lee(Swedish)
German, Scandinavian and Czech feminine form of
Aemilius (see
Emily).
Emiliano
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Spanish, Italian, Portuguese
Pronounced: eh-mee-LYA-no(Spanish, Italian)
Spanish, Italian and Portuguese form of the Roman
cognomen Aemilianus, which was itself derived from the family name
Aemilius (see
Emil). This was the name of a 6th-century Spanish
saint.
Emilian
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Romanian, Polish
Pronounced: eh-MEE-lyan(Polish)
Romanian and Polish form of
Aemilianus (see
Emiliano).
Emil
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Romanian, Bulgarian, Czech, Slovak, Polish, Russian, Slovene, Serbian, Croatian, Macedonian, Hungarian, Icelandic, English
Other Scripts: Емил(Bulgarian, Serbian, Macedonian) Эмиль(Russian)
Pronounced: EH-mil(Swedish, Czech) EH-meel(German, Slovak, Polish, Hungarian) eh-MEEL(Romanian) eh-MYEEL(Russian) ə-MEEL(English) EHM-il(English)
From the Roman family name Aemilius, which was derived from Latin aemulus meaning "rival".
Emeranthe
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French (Acadian)
Emanne
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arabic
Feminine form of
Eman (1).
Elspeth
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Scottish
Pronounced: EHLS-peth
Elodie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Elliot
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: EHL-ee-ət
From a surname that was a variant of
Elliott.
Elkenah
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Mormon (Rare)
Pronounced: EL-ke-nah, el-kə-NAH
In the Book of Abraham, this is the name of one of the various Egyptian idols mentioned frequently and represented by figure 5 in facsimile 1 of the book. Abraham was nearly sacrificed to it, but was saved by an angel. It is possible that the name
Elkanah derived from it.
Elke 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Low German, Frisian, German, Dutch
Pronounced: EHL-kə(German, Dutch)
Elinor
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: EHL-ə-nawr
Eline
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Norwegian, Dutch, Danish
Pronounced: eh-LEE-nə(Dutch)
Norwegian and Dutch variant form of
Helen. This is the name of the title character in the novel
Eline Vere (1889) by the Dutch writer Louis Couperus.
Elina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Finnish, Estonian, Swedish
Pronounced: EH-lee-nah(Finnish) eh-LEE-nah(Swedish)
Finnish, Estonian and Swedish form of
Helen.
Eithne
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish, Irish Mythology, Old Irish [1]
Pronounced: EH-nyə(Irish)
Possibly from Old Irish
etne meaning
"kernel, grain". In Irish
mythology Eithne or Ethniu was a Fomorian and the mother of
Lugh Lámfada. It was borne by several other legendary and historical figures, including a few early
saints.
Eimantė
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Lithuanian
Eidothea
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Ειδοθεα(Ancient Greek)
The name of a nymph desired by
Poseidon. The name is derived from the suffix element
ειδο (eido-), perhaps meaning "knowing" or "shapely", and the element
θεα (thea) meaning "goddess".
Effendi
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Indonesian, Malay
From a title of nobility meaning "sir, lord, master", used as an honorific in some former Ottoman states. It is ultimately derived from Ancient Greek αὐθέντης (authéntēs) meaning "perpetrator, doer, master".
Eden
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Hebrew, English (Modern), French (Modern)
Other Scripts: עֵדֶן(Hebrew)
Pronounced: EE-dən(English)
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.
Edelweiss
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Various
Pronounced: AY-dəl-vies(English) EH-DEHL-VIES(French) EH-DEHL-VEHS(French) eh-dehl-VIES(Italian) EH-dehl-vies(Italian)
From the name of the edelweiss flower (species Leontopodium alpinum). It is derived from the German elements edel "noble" and weiß "white." The name of the flower is spelled Edelweiß in German; Edelweiss is an Anglicized spelling.
Edelène
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Norman
Eda 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Turkish
Means "well-mannered" in Turkish.
Ebony
Gender: Feminine
Usage: African American
Pronounced: EHB-ən-ee(English)
From the English word ebony for the black wood that comes from the ebony tree. It is ultimately from the Egyptian word hbnj. In America this name is most often used in the black community.
Dynah
Gender: Feminine
Usage: American (?)
Pronounced: die-nu
Dylan
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Welsh, English, Welsh Mythology
Pronounced: DUL-an(Welsh) DIL-ən(English)
From the Welsh prefix
dy meaning "to, toward" and
llanw meaning "tide, flow". According to the Fourth Branch of the
Mabinogi [1], Dylan was a son of
Arianrhod and the twin brother of
Lleu Llaw Gyffes. Immediately after he was baptized he took to the sea, where he could swim as well as a fish. He was slain accidentally by his uncle
Gofannon. According to some theories the character might be rooted in an earlier and otherwise unattested Celtic god of the sea.
Famous bearers include the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas (1914-1953) and the American musician Bob Dylan (1941-), real name Robert Zimmerman, who took his stage surname from the poet's given name. Due to those two bearers, use of the name has spread outside of Wales in the last half of the 20th century. It received a further boost in popularity in the 1990s due to a character on the television series Beverly Hills 90210.
Douwe
Gender: Masculine
Usage: West Frisian
Derived from Frisian dou "dove."
Doutzen
Gender: Feminine
Usage: West Frisian, Dutch
Pronounced: DOOT-zən(West Frisian) DOWT-zən(Dutch)
Feminine form of
Douwe, which possibly started out as a patronymic meaning "son of
Douwe". The name has been rising in popularity since 2007, because of the Frisian model Doutzen Kroes (who rose to fame that year).
Domna
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Late Roman, Greek
Other Scripts: Δόμνα(Greek)
Feminine form of
Domnus.
Saint Domna of Nicomedia was martyred during the persecutions of the early 4th century. However, in the case of Julia Domna, the Syrian wife of the Roman emperor Septimius Severus, it seems her name was actually of Semitic origin.
Dolors
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Catalan
Pronounced: doo-LOS
Dolores
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish, English
Pronounced: do-LO-rehs(Spanish) də-LAWR-is(English)
Means
"sorrows", taken from the Spanish title of the Virgin
Mary Nuestra Señora de los Dolores, meaning "Our Lady of Sorrows". It has been used in the English-speaking world since the 19th century, becoming especially popular in America during the 1920s and 30s.
Diodóro
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Spanish (Latin American), Portuguese (Brazilian)
Spanish and Portuguese form of
Diodorus.
Dimash
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Kazakh
Other Scripts: Димаш(Kazakh) دىيماش(Kazakh Arabic)
Diminutive of
Dinmukhamed. A famous bearer is Dinmukhmamed "Dimash" Kudaibergen (1994-), a Kazakh singer.
Dilara
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Turkish
Dieter
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German
Pronounced: DEE-tu
Means
"warrior of the people", derived from the Old German elements
theod meaning "people" (Old High German
diota, Old Frankish
þeoda) and
heri meaning "army". This name is also used as a short form of
Dietrich.
Diedra
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Didier
Gender: Masculine
Usage: French
Pronounced: DEE-DYEH
Diane
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French, English
Pronounced: DYAN(French) die-AN(English)
French form of
Diana, also regularly used in the English-speaking world.
Devon
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: DEHV-ən
Variant of
Devin. It may also be partly inspired by the name of the county of Devon in England, which got its name from the Dumnonii, a Celtic tribe.
Devereux
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: DEHV-ə-roo
From an English surname, of Norman French origin, meaning "from Evreux". Evreux is a town in France.
Delphine
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: DEHL-FEEN
Delores
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: də-LAWR-is
Delia 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Italian, Spanish, Romanian, Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Δηλία(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: DEE-lee-ə(English) DEH-lya(Italian, Spanish) DEH-lee-a(Romanian)
Means
"of Delos" in Greek. This was an epithet of the Greek goddess
Artemis, given because she and her twin brother
Apollo were born on the island of Delos. The name appeared in several poems of the 16th and 17th centuries, and it has occasionally been used as a given name since that time.
Deirdre
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Irish, Irish Mythology
Pronounced: DIR-drə(English) DIR-dree(English) DYEHR-dryə(Irish)
From the Old Irish name
Derdriu, meaning unknown, possibly derived from
der meaning
"daughter". This was the name of a tragic character in Irish legend who died of a broken heart after
Conchobar, the king of Ulster, forced her to be his bride and killed her lover
Naoise.
It has only been commonly used as a given name since the 20th century, influenced by two plays featuring the character: William Butler Yeats' Deirdre (1907) and J. M. Synge's Deirdre of the Sorrows (1910).
Daphne
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology, English, Dutch
Other Scripts: Δάφνη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: DA-PNEH(Classical Greek) DAF-nee(English) DAHF-nə(Dutch)
Means
"laurel" in Greek. In Greek
mythology she was a nymph turned into a laurel tree by her father in order that she might escape the pursuit of
Apollo. It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the end of the 19th century.
Danielle
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French, English, Dutch
Pronounced: DA-NYEHL(French) dan-YEHL(English)
French feminine form of
Daniel. It has been commonly used in the English-speaking world only since the 20th century.
Danel
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Basque
Pronounced: da-NEHL
Danai 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek
Other Scripts: Δανάη(Greek)
Pronounced: dha-NA-ee
Modern Greek transcription of
Danaë.
Danaë
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Δανάη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: DA-NA-EH(Classical Greek) DAN-ay-ee(English)
From
Δαναοί (Danaoi), a word used by
Homer to designate the Greeks. In Greek
mythology Danaë was the daughter of the Argive king Acrisius. It had been prophesied to her father that he would one day be killed by Danaë's son, so he attempted to keep his daughter childless. However,
Zeus came to her in the form of a shower of gold, and she became the mother of
Perseus. Eventually the prophecy was fulfilled and Perseus killed Acrisius, albeit accidentally.
Damon
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Greek Mythology, English
Other Scripts: Δάμων(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: DAY-mən(English)
Derived from Greek
δαμάζω (damazo) meaning
"to tame". According to Greek legend, Damon and Pythias were friends who lived on Syracuse in the 4th century BC. When Pythias was sentenced to death, he was allowed to temporarily go free on the condition that Damon take his place in prison. Pythias returned just before Damon was to be executed in his place, and the king was so impressed with their loyalty to one another that he pardoned Pythias. As an English given name, it has only been regularly used since the 20th century.
Damian
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Polish, Romanian, Dutch (Modern)
Pronounced: DAY-mee-ən(English) DA-myan(Polish)
From the Greek name
Δαμιανός (Damianos), which was derived from Greek
δαμάζω (damazo) meaning
"to tame".
Saint Damian was martyred with his twin brother
Cosmas in Syria early in the 4th century. They are the patron saints of physicians. Due to his renown, the name came into general use in Christian Europe. Another saint by this name was Peter Damian, an 11th-century cardinal and theologian from Italy.
Dalelkhan
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Kazakh
Other Scripts: Дәлелхан(Kazakh)
Crystal
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: KRIS-təl
From the English word
crystal for the clear, colourless glass, sometimes cut into the shape of a gemstone. The English word derives ultimately from Greek
κρύσταλλος (krystallos) meaning "ice". It has been in use as a given name since the 19th century.
Crescentia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: German (Rare), Late Roman
Feminine form of
Crescentius.
Saint Crescentia was a 4th-century companion of Saint
Vitus. This is also the name of the eponymous heroine of a 12th-century German romance.
Cosmas
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Κοσμᾶς(Ancient Greek)
From the Greek name
Κοσμᾶς (Kosmas), which was derived from
κόσμος (kosmos) meaning
"order, decency".
Saint Cosmas was martyred with his twin brother
Damian in the 4th century. They are the patron saints of physicians.
Cosma
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: KAWZ-ma
Corinne
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French, English
Pronounced: KAW-REEN(French) kə-REEN(English) kə-RIN(English)
French form of
Corinna. The French-Swiss author Madame de Staël used it for her novel
Corinne (1807).
Corinna
Gender: Feminine
Usage: German, Italian, English, Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Κόριννα(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: ko-RI-na(German) kə-REEN-ə(English) kə-RIN-ə(English)
Latinized form of the Greek name
Κόριννα (Korinna), which was derived from
κόρη (kore) meaning
"maiden". This was the name of a Greek lyric poet of the 5th century BC. The Roman poet
Ovid used it for the main female character in his book
Amores [1]. In the modern era it has been in use since the 17th century, when Robert Herrick used it in his poem
Corinna's going a-Maying [2].
Constance
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, French
Pronounced: KAHN-stəns(English) KAWNS-TAHNS(French)
Medieval form of
Constantia. The
Normans introduced this name to England (it was the name of a daughter of William the Conqueror).
Connie
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: KAHN-ee
Rating: 20% based on 1 vote
Coco
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Various
Pronounced: KO-ko(English)
Diminutive of names beginning with
Co, influenced by the word
cocoa. However, this was not the case for French fashion designer Coco Chanel (1883-1971; real name Gabrielle), whose nickname came from the name of a song she performed while working as a cabaret singer.
Clyde
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: KLIED
From the name of the River Clyde in Scotland, from Cumbric
Clud, which is of uncertain origin. It became a common given name in America in the middle of the 19th century, perhaps in honour of Colin Campbell (1792-1863) who was given the title Baron Clyde in 1858
[1].
Clotilde
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish
Pronounced: KLAW-TEELD(French) kloo-TEEL-di(European Portuguese) klo-CHEEW-jee(Brazilian Portuguese) klo-TEEL-deh(Spanish)
French form of
Chrodechildis, the Latin form of a Frankish name composed of the elements
hruod "fame, glory" and
hilt "battle".
Saint Clotilde (whose name was originally recorded in forms such as
Chrodechildis or
Chrotchildis in Latin sources
[1]) was the wife of the Frankish king Clovis, whom she converted to Christianity. It was also borne by others in the Merovingian royal family. In the Middle Ages this name was confused with
Chlodechilda, in which the first element is
hlut "famous, loud".
Cleo
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: KLEE-o
Rating: 40% based on 1 vote
Claudiu
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Romanian
Pronounced: KLOW-dyoo
Claudio
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian, Spanish
Pronounced: KLOW-dyo(Italian) KLOW-dhyo(Spanish)
Claudian
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
English form of
Claudianus. This name was borne by a Roman court poet from the 4th century AD.
Claudenia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Portuguese (Brazilian, Rare)
Portuguese elaborated from
Claudia.
Claudel
Gender: Masculine
Usage: French (Rare)
Clarice
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: klə-REES, KLAR-is, KLEHR-is
Rating: 40% based on 1 vote
Medieval vernacular form of the Late Latin name
Claritia, which was a derivative of
Clara.
Cinna
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Roman
Pronounced: SIN-ə(English)
Roman cognomen of uncertain meaning. This was the name of a Roman politician who was the father-in-law of Julius Caesar.
Cian
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish, Irish Mythology, Old Irish [1]
Pronounced: KYEEN(Irish)
Rating: 40% based on 1 vote
Means
"ancient, enduring" in Irish. In Irish
mythology this was the name of the father of
Lugh Lámfada. It was also borne by the mythical ancestor of the Ciannachta and by a son-in-law of
Brian Boru.
Chyna
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Rating: 20% based on 1 vote
Christina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Greek
Other Scripts: Χριστίνα(Greek)
Pronounced: kris-TEE-nə(English) kris-TEE-na(German, Swedish, Dutch)
Rating: 30% based on 1 vote
From
Christiana, the Latin feminine form of
Christian. This was the name of an early, possibly legendary,
saint who was tormented by her pagan father. It was also borne by a 17th-century Swedish queen and patron the arts who gave up her crown in order to become a Roman Catholic.
In the English-speaking world the form Christine was more popular for most of the 20th century, though Christina eventually overtook it. Famous bearers include actress Christina Ricci (1980-) and singer Christina Aguilera (1980-).
Chloe
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek [1], Ancient Greek [2], Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Χλόη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: KLO-ee(English)
Rating: 60% based on 1 vote
Means
"green shoot" in Greek, referring to new plant growth in the spring. This was an epithet of the Greek goddess
Demeter. The name is also mentioned by
Paul in one of his epistles in the
New Testament.
As an English name, Chloe has been in use since the Protestant Reformation. It started getting more popular in the 1980s in the United Kingdom and then the United States. It was the most popular name for girls in England and Wales from 1997 to 2002. This is one of the few English-language names that is often written with a diaeresis, as Chloë.
Chiara
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: KYA-ra
Italian form of
Clara.
Saint Chiara (commonly called
Clare in English) was a follower of Saint Francis of Assisi.
Cher
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: SHEHR
Short form of
Cheryl. In the case of the American musician Cher (1946-), it is short for her real name
Cherilyn.
Chelsea
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: CHEHL-see
From the name of a district in London, originally derived from Old English and meaning "landing place for chalk or limestone". It has been in general use as an English given name since the 1970s.
Chastity
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: CHAS-ti-tee
From the English word chastity, which is ultimately from Latin castus "pure". It was borne by the child of Sonny Bono and Cher, which probably led to the name's increase in popularity during the 1970s.
Chantal
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French, English, Dutch
Pronounced: SHAHN-TAL(French) shahn-TAHL(English, Dutch) shahn-TAL(English)
From a French surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"stony". It was originally given in honour of
Saint Jeanne-Françoise de Chantal, the founder of the Visitation Order in the 17th century. It has become associated with French
chant "song".
Chanel
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: shə-NEHL
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).
Chachak
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Tatar
Means "blossom" in Tatar.
Céline
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: SEH-LEEN
French feminine form of
Caelinus. This name can also function as a short form of
Marceline.
Celeste
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, English
Pronounced: cheh-LEH-steh(Italian) theh-LEHS-teh(European Spanish) seh-LEHS-teh(Latin American Spanish) sə-LEST(English)
Italian feminine and masculine form of
Caelestis. It is also the Portuguese, Spanish and English feminine form.
Catrinel
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Romanian
Cătălina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Romanian
Pronounced: kə-tə-LEE-na
Castille
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: French (Rare), Louisiana Creole, English
Transferred use of the surname
Castille.
Cassandra
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, French, Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Κασσάνδρα(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: kə-SAN-drə(English) kə-SAHN-drə(English)
From the Greek name
Κασσάνδρα (Kassandra), possibly derived from
κέκασμαι (kekasmai) meaning "to excel, to shine" and
ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man" (genitive
ἀνδρός). In Greek
myth Cassandra was a Trojan princess, the daughter of
Priam and
Hecuba. She was given the gift of prophecy by
Apollo, but when she spurned his advances he cursed her so nobody would believe her prophecies.
In the Middle Ages this name was common in England due to the popularity of medieval tales about the Trojan War. It subsequently became rare, but was revived in the 20th century.
Carmen
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish, English, Italian, Portuguese, French, Romanian, German
Pronounced: KAR-mehn(Spanish, Italian) KAHR-mən(English)
Medieval Spanish form of
Carmel, appearing in the devotional title of the Virgin
Mary Nuestra Señora del Carmen meaning "Our Lady of Mount Carmel". The spelling has been altered through association with the Latin word
carmen meaning
"song". This was the name of the main character in George Bizet's opera
Carmen (1875).
Carmel
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English, Jewish
Other Scripts: כַּרְמֶל(Hebrew)
Pronounced: KAHR-məl(English) KAR-məl(English)
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.
Camille
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: French, English
Pronounced: KA-MEE(French) kə-MEEL(English)
French feminine and masculine form of
Camilla. It is also used in the English-speaking world, where it is generally only feminine.
Callista
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: kə-LIS-tə
Rating: 60% based on 1 vote
Cadence
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: KAY-dəns
From an English word meaning "rhythm, flow". It has been in use only since the 20th century.
Bonnie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: BAHN-ee
Means "pretty" from the Scottish word bonnie, which was itself derived from Middle French bon "good". It has been in use as an American given name since the 19th century, and it became especially popular after the movie Gone with the Wind (1939), in which it was the nickname of Scarlett's daughter.
Bonnet
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Medieval French
Bonnefoy
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Medieval Jewish, Jewish (Archaic)
Derived from French bonne, the feminine form of the adjective bon, "good" and foi "faith".
Bonna
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Bariba
Name traditionally given to the second born daughter.
Bonham
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Transferred use of the surname
Bonham.
Blythe
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: BLIEDH
From a surname meaning "cheerful" in Old English.
Bluma
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Yiddish
Other Scripts: בלומאַ(Yiddish)
Pronounced: BLOO-mah
From Yiddish
בלום (blum) meaning
"flower".
Blanche
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French, English
Pronounced: BLAHNSH(French) BLANCH(English)
From a medieval French nickname meaning
"white, fair-coloured". This word and its cognates in other languages are ultimately derived from the Germanic word *
blankaz. An early bearer was the 12th-century Blanca of Navarre, the wife of Sancho III of Castile. Her granddaughter of the same name married Louis VIII of France, with the result that the name became more common in France.
Blanca
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish, Catalan
Pronounced: BLANG-ka(Spanish) BLANG-kə(Catalan)
Blake
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: BLAYK
From an English surname that was derived from Old English blæc "black" or blac "pale". A famous bearer of the surname was the poet and artist William Blake (1757-1827). It was originally a mainly masculine name but in 2007 actress Blake Lively (1987-) began starring in the television series Gossip Girl, after which time it increased in popularity for girls.
Bjarte
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Norwegian
Pronounced: BYAHR-tə
Rating: 40% based on 1 vote
From the Old Norse byname Bjartr, which meant "bright".
Bijou
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: French (African)
Means "jewel" in French. It is mostly used in French-speaking Africa.
Bianca
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Romanian
Pronounced: BYANG-ka
Rating: 40% based on 1 vote
Italian
cognate of
Blanche. Shakespeare had characters named Bianca in
The Taming of the Shrew (1593) and
Othello (1603).
Bentley
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: BENT-lee
From a surname that was from a place name, itself derived from Old English
beonet "bent grass" and
leah "woodland, clearing". Various towns in England bear this name.
Bene
Gender: Masculine
Usage: East Frisian
Pronounced: BEH-nə
Short form of names that contain the element bern- "bear".
Bellatrix
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Astronomy
Pronounced: bə-LAY-triks(English) BEHL-ə-triks(English)
Means "female warrior" in Latin. This is the name of the star that marks the left shoulder of the constellation Orion.
Bellamy
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (Modern)
From an English surname derived from Old French bel ami meaning "beautiful friend".
Behati
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Afrikaans
Pronounced: bay-AH-tee
Possibly an Afrikaans variant of
Beata. It is the name of Namibian fashion model Behati Prinsloo (b. 1989).
Bebe
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: BEE-bee, bay-bay
Bazhena
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Russian
Other Scripts: Бажена(Russian)
Russian feminine name possibly meaning "welcome child", or else, more likely, a variant form of
Bozhena.
Bay
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Medieval English, English
Pronounced: BAY(Middle English)
From the Middle English personal name
Baye, from Old English
Beaga (masculine) or
Beage (feminine).
A diminutive of Baylee, or any name containing the element or sound -bay-.
May also be given in reference to the English word "bay," from the Middle English baye, from the Old English beġ 'berry', as in beġbēam 'berry-tree'.
Battista
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: bat-TEE-sta
Balendin
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Basque
Pronounced: ba-LEHN-deen
Bahira
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arabic (Rare)
Rating: 10% based on 1 vote
Bachtiar
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Indonesian
Rating: 20% based on 1 vote
Azula
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Popular Culture, Spanish (Modern, Rare)
Pronounced: ah-ZOO-luh
Fictional name meant to be derived from Portuguese, Galician, and Spanish azul meaning "blue" (of Persian origin). This is the name of a main antagonist in the television series 'Avatar: The Last Airbender'.
Aziza
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arabic, Uzbek, Kyrgyz
Other Scripts: عزيزة(Arabic) Азиза(Uzbek, Kyrgyz)
Pronounced: ‘a-ZEE-za(Arabic)
Rating: 20% based on 1 vote
Axinte
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Romanian (Archaic)
Rating: 10% based on 1 vote
Axinja
Gender: Feminine
Usage: German (Modern, Rare), Dutch (Modern, Rare)
Other Scripts: Аксинья(Russian)
Pronounced: A-ksin-ya
Rating: 20% based on 1 vote
German and Dutch transcription of
Aksinya.
Aurelia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ancient Roman, Romanian, Italian, Spanish, Polish
Pronounced: ow-REH-lee-a(Latin) ow-REH-lya(Italian, Spanish, Polish)
Rating: 60% based on 1 vote
Astasia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Rating: 40% based on 1 vote
Asta
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Swedish, Danish, Norwegian
Pronounced: AHS-tah(Swedish, Norwegian)
Rating: 40% based on 1 vote
Aspen
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: AS-pən
Rating: 60% based on 1 vote
From the English word for a variety of deciduous trees in the genus Populus, derived from Old English æspe. It is also the name of a ski resort in Colorado.
Asier
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Basque
Pronounced: a-SEE-ehr
Rating: 40% based on 1 vote
Means "the beginning", from Basque hasi.
Artemiy
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Russian
Other Scripts: Артемий(Russian)
Rating: 40% based on 1 vote
Arrigo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: ar-REE-go
Rating: 40% based on 1 vote
Italian variant form of
Heinrich (see
Henry).
Arnau
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Catalan
Pronounced: ər-NOW
Rating: 40% based on 1 vote
Arianna
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, English (Modern)
Pronounced: a-RYAN-na(Italian) ar-ee-AN-ə(English) ar-ee-AHN-ə(English)
Rating: 60% based on 1 vote
Ardent
Usage: English
Rating: 20% based on 1 vote
Archer
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: AHR-chər
Rating: 40% based on 1 vote
From an English surname meaning "bowman, archer", of Old French origin. Although already slowly growing in popularity, this name accelerated its rise after the premiere of the American television series Archer in 2009.
Apostol
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Bulgarian, Macedonian, Romanian (Rare)
Other Scripts: Апостол(Bulgarian, Macedonian)
Pronounced: A-paws-tawl(Macedonian)
Rating: 30% based on 1 vote
Bulgarian, Macedonian and Romanian form of
Apostolos.
Ansar
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Urdu
Other Scripts: أنصار(Arabic) انصار(Urdu)
Pronounced: an-SAR(Arabic)
Rating: 30% based on 1 vote
Means
"helpers" in Arabic, referring to those who helped the Prophet
Muhammad when he came to Medina.
Anouk
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Dutch, French
Pronounced: a-NOOK(Dutch)
Rating: 30% based on 1 vote
Anișoara
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Romanian
Rating: 40% based on 1 vote
Anhel
Gender: Masculine
Usage: American (Hispanic, Rare)
Rating: 30% based on 1 vote
Angelina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, English, Russian, Bulgarian, Serbian, German, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese, Greek, Armenian
Other Scripts: Ангелина(Russian, Bulgarian, Serbian) Αγγελίνα(Greek) Անգելինա(Armenian)
Pronounced: ang-jeh-LEE-na(Italian) an-jə-LEE-nə(English) un-gyi-LYEE-nə(Russian) ang-kheh-LEE-na(Spanish)
Rating: 60% based on 1 vote
Latinate
diminutive of
Angela. A famous bearer is American actress Angelina Jolie (1975-).
Ángel
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: ANG-khehl
Rating: 40% based on 1 vote
Spanish form of
Angelus (see
Angel).
Anel
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish (Latin American), Spanish (Mexican)
Pronounced: a-NEHL(Spanish)
Rating: 40% based on 1 vote
Short form of
Ana Elena. A known bearer of this name is Ana Elena "Anel" Noreña Grass (1944-), a Mexican actress, vedette and former model.
Anel
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Kazakh
Other Scripts: Әнел(Kazakh) انەل(Kazakh Arabic)
Pronounced: an-yehl
Rating: 40% based on 1 vote
Derived from Kazakh ән (än) meaning "song" combined with Turkic el meaning "people, nation, country".
Anat 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Semitic Mythology
Rating: 30% based on 1 vote
Possibly derived from a Semitic root meaning
"water spring". Anat was a goddess of fertility, hunting and war worshipped by the Semitic peoples of the Levant. She was the sister and consort of the god
Hadad.
Anastas
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Russian, Bulgarian
Other Scripts: Анастас(Russian, Bulgarian)
Pronounced: a-na-STAS(Bulgarian)
Rating: 20% based on 1 vote
Anastacia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish (Latin American)
Pronounced: a-na-STA-sya
Rating: 40% based on 1 vote
Aminatou
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Western African
Rating: 40% based on 1 vote
Form of
Amina 1 used in parts of French-influenced West Africa.
Aminah
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arabic, Malay, Indonesian
Other Scripts: آمنة, أمينة(Arabic)
Pronounced: A-mee-na(Arabic) a-MEE-na(Arabic)
Rating: 40% based on 1 vote
Alternate transcription of Arabic
Amina 1 or
Amina 2, as well as the usual form in Malay and Indonesian.
Amien
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Indonesian
Pronounced: A-min
Rating: 30% based on 1 vote
Indonesian variant of
Amin.
Amarante
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French (Rare)
Rating: 30% based on 1 vote
Amante
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Filipino, Italian
Pronounced: a-MAN-te
Rating: 30% based on 1 vote
Amani
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: أماني(Arabic)
Pronounced: a-MA-nee
Rating: 30% based on 1 vote
Means
"wishes" in Arabic, related to the root
منا (manā) meaning "to tempt, to put to the test".
Amâncio
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Portuguese
Rating: 30% based on 1 vote
Amalia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish, Italian, Romanian, Greek, Finnish, Swedish, Dutch, German, Germanic (Latinized) [1]
Other Scripts: Αμαλία(Greek)
Pronounced: a-MA-lya(Spanish, Italian, German) a-MA-lee-a(Dutch)
Rating: 40% based on 1 vote
Short form of Germanic names beginning with the element
amal. This element means
"unceasing, vigorous, brave", or it can refer to the Gothic dynasty of the Amali (derived from the same root).
This was another name for the 7th-century saint Amalberga of Maubeuge.
Amal 1
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: أمل(Arabic)
Pronounced: A-mal
Rating: 30% based on 1 vote
Means
"hope, aspiration" in Arabic, from the root
أمل (ʾamala) meaning "to hope for".
Amadeus
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Late Roman
Pronounced: ahm-ə-DAY-əs(English) ahm-ə-DEE-əs(English)
Rating: 40% based on 1 vote
Means
"love of God", derived from Latin
amare "to love" and
Deus "God". A famous bearer was the Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791), who was actually born Wolfgang
Theophilus Mozart but preferred the Latin translation of his Greek middle name. This name was also assumed as a middle name by the German novelist E. T. A. Hoffmann (1776-1822), who took it in honour of Mozart.
Alyona
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Russian, Ukrainian
Other Scripts: Алёна(Russian) Альона(Ukrainian)
Pronounced: u-LYUY-nə(Russian)
Rating: 40% based on 1 vote
Althea
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Ἀλθαία(Ancient Greek)
Rating: 70% based on 1 vote
From the Greek name
Ἀλθαία (Althaia), perhaps related to Greek
ἄλθος (althos) meaning
"healing". In Greek
myth she was the mother of Meleager. Soon after her son was born she was told that he would die as soon as a piece of wood that was burning on her fire was fully consumed. She immediately extinguished the piece of wood and sealed it in a chest, but in a fit of rage many years later she took it out and set it alight, thereby killing her son.
Alsu
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Tatar
Other Scripts: Алсу(Tatar)
Rating: 40% based on 1 vote
Means "pink" in Tatar.
Allure
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern, Rare)
Pronounced: ə-LOOR
Rating: 40% based on 1 vote
From the name of a 1996 Chanel perfume, derived from the English word allure (which also has French roots) meaning "fascination, charm, appeal".
Alisher
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Uzbek, Kazakh, Tajik
Other Scripts: Алишер(Uzbek, Tajik, Russian) Әлішер(Kazakh)
Rating: 40% based on 1 vote
From the given name
Ali 1 combined with Persian
شیر (shīr) meaning "lion". It was borne by the Timurid poet Ali-Shir Nava'i (1441-1501), who wrote in the Chagatai Turkic language.
Alisha
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: ə-LISH-ə, ə-LEE-shə
Rating: 40% based on 1 vote
Alice
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, French, Portuguese, Italian, German, Czech, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Dutch
Pronounced: AL-is(English) A-LEES(French) u-LEE-si(European Portuguese) a-LEE-see(Brazilian Portuguese) a-LEE-cheh(Italian) a-LEES(German) A-li-tseh(Czech)
Rating: 80% based on 1 vote
From the Old French name
Aalis, a short form of
Adelais, itself a short form of the Germanic name
Adalheidis (see
Adelaide). This name became popular in France and England in the 12th century. It was among the most common names in England until the 16th century, when it began to decline. It was revived in the 19th century.
This name was borne by the heroine of Lewis Carroll's novels Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and Through the Looking Glass (1871).
Alexis
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: French, English, Greek, Spanish, Ancient Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Αλέξης(Greek) Ἄλεξις(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: A-LEHK-SEE(French) ə-LEHK-sis(English) a-LEHK-sees(Spanish)
Rating: 50% based on 1 vote
From the Greek name
Ἄλεξις (Alexis) meaning
"helper" or
"defender", derived from Greek
ἀλέξω (alexo) meaning "to defend, to help". This was the name of a 3rd-century BC Greek comic poet, and also of several
saints. It is used somewhat interchangeably with the related name
Ἀλέξιος or
Alexius, borne by five Byzantine emperors.
In the English-speaking world this name is more commonly given to girls. This is due to the American actress Alexis Smith (1921-1993), who began appearing in movies in the early 1940s. It got a boost in popularity in the 1980s from a character on the soap opera Dynasty.
Alexei
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Russian
Other Scripts: Алексей(Russian)
Pronounced: u-lyi-KSYAY
Rating: 40% based on 1 vote
Alba 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Spanish, Catalan
Pronounced: AL-ba(Italian, Spanish) AL-bə(Catalan)
Rating: 30% based on 1 vote
This name is derived from two distinct names,
Alba 2 and
Alba 3, with distinct origins, Latin and Germanic. Over time these names have become confused with one another. To further complicate the matter,
alba means "dawn" in Italian, Spanish and Catalan. This may be the main inspiration behind its use in Italy and Spain.
Alba 3
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Germanic [1]
Rating: 40% based on 1 vote
Originally a short form of Germanic names beginning with the element
alb meaning
"elf" (Proto-Germanic *
albaz).
Aksinya
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Russian
Other Scripts: Аксинья(Russian)
Pronounced: u-KSYEE-nyə
Ajax
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Αἴας(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: AY-jaks(English)
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
From the Greek name
Αἴας (Aias), perhaps deriving from Greek
αἰαστής (aiastes) meaning
"mourner" or
αἶα (aia) meaning
"earth, land". In Greek
mythology this was the name of two of the heroes who fought for the Greeks in the Trojan War: the son of
Telamon and the son of Oileus. When the armour of the slain hero
Achilles was not given to Ajax Telamonian, he became mad with jealousy and killed himself.
Aideen
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish
Pronounced: AY-deen(English)
Rating: 40% based on 1 vote
Aïchatou
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Western African
Rating: 20% based on 1 vote
Form of
Aisha used in parts of French-influenced West Africa.
Aïcha
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arabic (Maghrebi)
Other Scripts: عائشة(Arabic)
Pronounced: ‘A-ee-sha(Arabic) IE-SHA(French) A-EE-SHA(French)
Form of
Aisha used in North Africa and other French-influenced regions of the continent.
Agnieszka
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Polish
Pronounced: ag-NYEH-shka
Aglaia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology, Greek
Other Scripts: Ἀγλαΐα(Ancient Greek) Αγλαΐα(Greek)
Pronounced: ə-GLIE-ə(English)
Means
"splendour, beauty" in Greek. In Greek
mythology she was one of the three Graces or
Χάριτες (Charites). This name was also borne by a 4th-century
saint from Rome.
Agatha
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, German, Dutch, Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Ἀγαθή(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: AG-ə-thə(English) a-GHA-ta(Dutch)
Rating: 40% based on 1 vote
Latinized form of the Greek name
Ἀγαθή (Agathe), derived from Greek
ἀγαθός (agathos) meaning
"good".
Saint Agatha was a 3rd-century martyr from Sicily who was tortured and killed after spurning the advances of a Roman official. The saint was widely revered in the Middle Ages, and her name has been used throughout Christian Europe (in various spellings). The mystery writer Agatha Christie (1890-1976) was a famous modern bearer of this name.
Adelina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Romanian, Bulgarian, Germanic (Latinized) [1]
Other Scripts: Аделина(Bulgarian)
Pronounced: a-deh-LEE-na(Italian) a-dheh-LEE-na(Spanish)
Rating: 40% based on 1 vote
From a Germanic name that was derived from the element
adal meaning
"noble" (Proto-Germanic *
aþalaz).
Abel
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Georgian, Armenian, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek [1]
Other Scripts: აბელ(Georgian) Աբել(Armenian) הֶבֶל(Ancient Hebrew) Ἄβελ, Ἅβελ(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: AY-bəl(English) A-BEHL(French) a-BEHL(Spanish, European Portuguese) a-BEW(Brazilian Portuguese) A-bəl(Dutch) ah-BEHL(Eastern Armenian) ah-PEHL(Western Armenian)
Rating: 30% based on 1 vote
From the Hebrew name
הֶבֶל (Hevel) meaning
"breath". In the
Old Testament he is the second son of
Adam and
Eve, murdered out of envy by his brother
Cain. In England, this name came into use during the Middle Ages, and it was common during the
Puritan era.
Abdi
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Indonesian, Turkish, Persian
Other Scripts: عبدي(Arabic) عبدی(Persian)
Pronounced: ‘AB-dee(Arabic) AB-dee(Indonesian) ab-DEE(Persian)
Rating: 30% based on 1 vote
Derived from Arabic عبد
('abd) meaning "servant".
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