blackelectric's Personal Name List

Origin unknown, probably unrelated to Ismay. It was used in a 13th-century continuation of Chrétien de Troyes' Perceval, the Story of the Grail, where it belongs to Perceval's cousin who marries the knight Faradien. It also appears in the medieval French Roman de Thèbes in which case it is an Old French form of Ismene.

Old French form of Iseult, appearing in the 12th-century Norman French poem Tristan by Béroul.

Derived from the name of the Hindu god Vishnu, meaning "belonging to Vishnu". This is the name of the shakti (power) of Vishnu, identified with the goddess Lakshmi.

Latinized form of Ourania.

Variant of Tristram, used in Eilhart von Oberg's 'Tristrant und Isalde'.

Probably from the Celtic name Drustan, a diminutive of Drust, which occurs as Drystan in a few Welsh sources. As Tristan, it first appears in 12th-century French tales, probably altered by association with Old French triste "sad". According to the tales Tristan was sent to Ireland by his uncle King Mark of Cornwall in order to fetch Iseult, who was to be the king's bride. On the way back, Tristan and Iseult accidentally drink a potion that makes them fall in love. Later versions of the tale make Tristan one of King Arthur's knights. His tragic story was very popular in the Middle Ages, and the name has occasionally been used since then.

Hellenized form of a Scythian name, possibly from an Iranian root meaning "family". This was the name of a 6th-century BC queen of the Massagetae (a Scythian people) who defeated Cyrus the Great during his invasion of Central Asia.

Means "avenging murder" in Greek, derived from τίσις (tisis) meaning "vengeance" and φόνος (phonos) meaning "murder". This was the name of one of the Furies or Ἐρινύες (Erinyes) in Greek mythology. She killed Cithaeron with the bite of one of the snakes on her head.

Means "law of nature, divine law, custom" in Greek. In Greek mythology this was the name of a Titan who presided over custom and natural law. She was often depicted blindfolded and holding a pair of scales. By Zeus she was the mother of many deities, including the three Μοῖραι (Moirai) and the three Ὥραι (Horai).

From the Greek name Θάλεια (Thaleia), derived from θάλλω (thallo) meaning "to blossom". In Greek mythology she was one of the nine Muses, presiding over comedy and pastoral poetry. This was also the name of one of the three Graces or Χάριτες (Charites).

From the English word, sylph, an imaginary spirit of the air, ultimately from the Latin sylvestris "of the woods" and nymph "nymph".

Anglicized form of Sadhbh.

Derived from Sanskrit शिव (śiva) meaning "benign, kind, auspicious". Shiva is the Hindu god of destruction and restoration, the husband of the mother goddess Parvati. Though he does not appear in the Vedas, Shiva nevertheless incorporates elements of Vedic deities such as the storm god Rudra. He is often depicted with four arms and a third eye, and has both fierce and gentle aspects.

In Shaivism, a Hindu denomination, he is regarded as the supreme god. The other major sect, Vaishnavism, views Vishnu and his avatars as supreme.

From Egyptian sḫmt, derived from sḫm meaning "powerful" and a feminine t suffix. Sekhmet was an Egyptian warrior goddess, also associated with healing, violence and plague. She was commonly depicted with the head of a lioness, and was sometimes conflated with the cat-headed goddess Bastet.

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.

Means "abounding in song", derived from Greek πολύς (polys) meaning "much" and ὕμνος (hymnos) meaning "song, hymn". In Greek mythology she was the goddess of dance and sacred songs, one of the nine Muses.

Italian form of Polyxena.

From Greek Φιλομήλη (Philomele), derived from φίλος (philos) meaning "lover, friend" and μῆλον (melon) meaning "fruit". The second element has also been interpreted as Greek μέλος (melos) meaning "song". In Greek myth Philomela was the sister-in-law of Tereus, who raped her and cut out her tongue. Prokne avenged her sister by killing her son by Tereus, after which Tereus attempted to kill Philomela. However, the gods intervened and transformed her into a nightingale.

Possibly derived from Greek πέρθω (pertho) meaning "to destroy". In Greek mythology Perseus was a hero who was said to have founded the ancient city of Mycenae. He was the son of Zeus and Danaë. Mother and child were exiled by Danaë's father Acrisius, and Perseus was raised on the island of Seriphos. The king of the island compelled Perseus to kill the Gorgon Medusa, who was so ugly that anyone who gazed upon her was turned to stone. After obtaining winged sandals and other tools from the gods, he succeeded in his task by looking at Medusa in the reflection of his shield and slaying her in her sleep. On his return he defeated a sea monster in order to save Andromeda, who became his wife.

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

Italian and Spanish form of Perseus.

Created by the 12th-century French poet Chrétien de Troyes for his poem Perceval, the Story of the Grail. Chrétien may have derived the name from Old French perce val "pierce the valley", or he may have based it loosely on the Welsh name Peredur [1]. In the poem Perceval is a boy from Wales who hopes to become a knight under King Arthur. Setting out to prove himself, he eventually comes to the castle of the Fisher King and is given a glimpse of the Grail.

Old French form of Percival used by Chrétien de Troyes.

Means "maiden's voice", derived from Greek παρθένος (parthenos) meaning "maiden, virgin" and ὄψ (ops) meaning "voice". In Greek legend this is the name of one of the Sirens who enticed Odysseus.

Greek form of the Egyptian wsjr (reconstructed as Asar, Usir and other forms), which is of unknown meaning, possibly related to wsr "mighty" or jrt "eye". In Egyptian mythology Osiris was the god of fertility, agriculture, and the dead and served as the judge of the underworld. In one tale he was slain by his brother Seth, but restored to life by his wife Isis in order to conceive their son Horus, who would go on to avenge his father.

Possibly means "lawfulness", derived from Greek νόμος (nomos) meaning "law, custom". This was the name of a nymph in Greek mythology, after whom the Nomian Mountains are believed to be named.

Meaning unknown. In Greek mythology Niobe was the daughter of Tantalos, a king of Asia Minor. Because she boasted that she was superior to Leto, Leto's children Apollo and Artemis killed her 14 children with poison arrows. In grief, Niobe was turned to stone by Zeus.

Meaning unknown. In Arthurian legends this is the name of a sorceress, also known as the Lady of the Lake, Vivien, or Niniane. Various versions of the tales have Merlin falling in love with her and becoming imprisoned by her magic. She first appears in the medieval French Lancelot-Grail Cycle.

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

Polish form of Morana.

Derived from Greek λύσις (lysis) meaning "a release, loosening" and θεά (thea) meaning "goddess". This was the name of a lover of Zeus in Greek mythology. A small moon of Jupiter is named after her.

Meaning unknown. In the 10th-century Persian epic the Shahnameh Kaveh is a blacksmith who leads a rebellion against the evil ruler Zahhak.

Means "of the Kosala people" in Sanskrit. Kosala was an ancient Indian kingdom that was at its most powerful in the 6th century BC. Kausalya is the mother of the hero Rama in the Hindu epic the Ramayana.

Portuguese and French form of Josiah, as well as some English translations of the New Testament.

Probably means "female who invites" in Japanese, from 誘 (izana) meaning "invite, lure, attract". In Japanese mythology she was a creator goddess, the wife of Izanagi. She died giving birth to Kagutsuchi, the god of fire.

Latinate form of Iseult.

Italian form of Isis.

From the Semitic root ʿṯtr, which possibly relates to the Evening Star. Ishtar was an Akkadian, Assyrian and Babylonian goddess who presided over love, war and fertility. She was cognate with the Canaanite and Phoenician Ashtoreth, and she was also identified with the Sumerian goddess Inanna. Her name in Akkadian cuneiform 𒀭𒈹 was the same as the Sumerian cuneiform for Inanna.

Means "carrying rice" in Japanese, from 稲 (ina) meaning "rice" and 荷 (ri) meaning "carry". This is the name of a Japanese divinity associated with prosperity, rice and foxes, represented as both female and male.

From the Greek Ἴκαρος (Ikaros), of unknown meaning. In Greek myth Icarus was the son of Daedalus, locked with his father inside the Labyrinth by Minos. They escaped from the maze using wings devised from wax, but Icarus flew too close to the sun and the wax melted, plunging him to his death.

Possibly from Greek Ἰάν (Ian), a variant of Ἴων (Ion) meaning "Ionian", the Ionians being a Greek tribe. The name Ianeira was borne by a few characters in Greek mythology, including one of the Nereids and one of the Oceanids.

Form of Guinevere used in Thomas Chestre's romance Sir Launfal and in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

From the Norman French form of the Welsh name Gwenhwyfar meaning "white phantom", ultimately from the old Celtic roots *windos meaning "white" (modern Welsh gwen) and *sēbros meaning "phantom, magical being" [1]. In Arthurian legend she was the beautiful wife of King Arthur. According to the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth, she was seduced by Mordred before the battle of Camlann, which led to the deaths of both Mordred and Arthur. According to the 12th-century French poet Chrétien de Troyes, she engaged in an adulterous affair with Sir Lancelot.

The Cornish form of this name, Jennifer, has become popular in the English-speaking world.

Means "lord" in Old Norse, derived from the Germanic root *fraujô. This is the name of a Norse god. He may have originally been called Yngvi, with the name Freyr being his title. Freyr is associated with fertility, sunlight and rain, and is the husband of the giantess Gerd. With his twin sister Freya and father Njord he is one of the group of deities called the Vanir.

Variant of Freyr.

Short form of the Old Norse Fenrisúlfr (literally "Fenrir-wolf"). The form Fenris Ulf was used for a talking wolf (originally named Maugrim) in the now defunct American edition of C. S. Lewis' 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe'.

Possibly means "to befriend" from Latin. Faunus was a Roman god of fertility, forests, and agriculture.

Feminine form of Faunus. Fauna was a Roman goddess of fertility, women and healing, a daughter and companion of Faunus.

Latinized form of Euanthe.

In Arthurian tales, Evaine is the sister of Lancelot's mother Elaine, wife of King Bors of Gaul and mother of Sir Lionel and Sir Bors the Younger. Her character first appears in the Old French prose Lancelot of the Lake (c.1215–20), which was incorporated into the Vulgate Lancelot.

The name suffix -vain appears in this and other Arthurian names such as Yvain and Agravain.

Means "mirth, merriment, cheerfulness" in Greek, a derivative of εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and φρήν (phren) meaning "mind, heart". She was one of the three Graces or Χάριτες (Charites) in Greek mythology.

Modern Greek and Italian form of Hestia.

Perhaps derived from Old French esmer meaning "to like, love, respect". This was the name of an enchanted queen of Wales in Le Bel Inconnu (ca. 1185-90), an Old French Arthurian poem by Renaut de Bâgé. In the poem, Blonde Esmeree is transformed from a serpent back into a maiden by the hero Guinglain, also known as the Fair Unknown.

This is the Haitian Voodoo love goddess and goddess of elemental forces. She is personified as a water snake. She is also called Ezili.

Derived from Old Welsh edyrn "immense; heavy; prodigious, wonderful, marvellous", in the past this name has been (falsely) considered a derivation from Latin aeternus "eternal".
This was the name of the father of the legendary 5th-century war leader Cunedda. It was also the name of a Breton saint, frequently depicted riding a stag.

From Greek δηιόω (deioo) meaning "to slay" and ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man". In Greek mythology this was the name of the wife of Herakles. She unwittingly poisoned her husband by giving him the Shirt of Nessus.

From Greek δάφνη, meaning "laurel tree". In Greek mythology, Daphnis was the son of Hermes and an unnamed nymph. His mother left him under a laurel tree, where he was found by a shepherd and named after the tree. This is also the name of one of the main characters in the ancient Greek romance "Daphnis and Chloe".

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.

In Celtic mythology, Damara was a fertility goddess worshipped in Britain. She was associated with the month of May (Beltaine).

Latinized form of Greek Κυρήνη (Kyrene), the name of a Hellenic city in ancient Libya, itself probably named for a nearby spring Κύρη (Kyre). It has been associated with κῦρος (kyros) meaning "power, authority". In Greek mythology this is the name of a Thessalian princess loved by Apollo. He took her to Libya, where he founded the city in her honour and installed her as queen.

Meaning unknown, possibly from Phrygian roots meaning either "stone" or "hair". This was the name of the Phrygian mother goddess associated with fertility and nature. She was later worshipped by the Greeks and Romans.

From a Brythonic name, possibly *Cunomāros, derived from Common Celtic *kwon- "hound" or *kuno- "high" and *māros ‎"great". This was the name of Conomor the Cursed, a 6th-century king of Domnonée (modern-day northern Brittany) notorious for his cruelty, who was ultimately excommunicated at the behest of Saint Samson of Dol. He survives as a villain in Breton folklore, and is often considered the basis for the legends of Bluebeard and of King Mark of Cornwall in the tale of Tristan & Isolde.

In Arthurian legends Clarissant was a daughter of King Lot and Morgause who married Sir Guiromelant. She was the mother of Guigenor. According to a single Arthurian romance she was the sister of Gawain, who lived in a magic castle. In the same text, Sir Percevelle, Percival overcomes her lover Guiromelant. Nowhere else is Gawain said to have a sister.

Latinized form of the Greek Κέρβερος (Kerberos), which possibly meant "spotted". In Greek myth this was the name of the three-headed dog that guarded the entrance to Hades.

From the Greek name Κάστωρ (Kastor), possibly related to κέκασμαι (kekasmai) meaning "to excel, to shine" (pluperfect κέκαστο). Alternatively it could be derived from the Greek word κάστωρ (kastor) meaning "beaver", though the legends about Castor do not mention beavers, which were foreign animals to the Greeks. In Greek myth Castor was a son of Zeus and the twin brother of Pollux. The constellation Gemini, which represents the two brothers, contains a star by this name.

Latinized form of Greek Κάλαϊς (Kalais), which meant "turquoise" or "chrysolite" (being the name of "a precious stone of a greenish blue"). In Greek myth Calais and his twin brother Zetes, together known as the Boreads (being sons of Boreas, god of the north wind), were Argonauts.

Possibly means "sweet maiden", from Cretan βριτύ (britu) "sweet" or "blessing" (Attic glyku) and martis "maiden" (Attic parthenos). This was an epithet of a Cretan goddess of mountains and hunting who was sometimes identified with Artemis.

Patronymic derived from Βρισεύς (Briseus), a Greek name of unknown meaning. In Greek mythology Briseis (real name Hippodameia) was the daughter of Briseus. She was captured during the Trojan War by Achilles. After Agamemnon took her away from him, Achilles refused to fight in the war.

Means "venomous snake", possibly deriving from the Sumerian elements muš ("snake, reptile") and uš ("venom, poison"). Name borne by a figure from Mesopotamian mythology, a horned snake with two forelegs and wings.

Perhaps derived from Semitic roots meaning "she who walks in the sea". This was the name of a Semitic mother goddess. She was worshipped by the Israelites before the advent of monotheism.

Means "reddish brown, dawn" in Sanskrit. The Hindu god Aruna (अरुण) is the charioteer who drives the sun god Surya across the sky. The modern feminine form अरुणा (spelled with a final long vowel) is also transcribed as Aruna, however the modern masculine form is Arun.

From Avestan 𐬆𐬭𐬆𐬑𐬱𐬀 (Ərəxsha), of uncertain meaning, possibly from a root meaning "bear" [1]. In Iranian legend Arash was an archer who was ordered by the Turans to shoot an arrow, the landing place of which would determine the new location of the Iran-Turan border. Arash climbed a mountain and fired his arrow with such strength that it flew for several hours and landed on the banks of the far-away Oxus River.

From Egyptian jmnt (reconstructed as Yamanut), the feminine form of Amon. In Egyptian mythology she was a primordial goddess, a consort of Amon. She was later overshadowed by Mut.