peridot813's Personal Name List

From the name of the flower, which was itself named for the German botanist Johann Zinn.

Short form of Griselda. This is the name of a princess in the Legend of Zelda video games, debuting in 1986 and called ゼルダ (Zeruda) in Japanese. According to creator Shigeru Miyamoto she was named after the American socialite Zelda Fitzgerald (1900-1948).

Used by William Congreve for a character in his tragedy The Mourning Bride (1697), where it belongs to a captive North African queen. Congreve may have based it on the Arabic name Zahra 1. In 1736 the English writer Aaron Hill used it to translate Zaïre for his popular adaptation of Voltaire's French play Zaïre (1732).

In England the name was popularized when Princess Anne gave it to her daughter in 1981. Use of the name may also be influenced by the trendy Spanish clothing retailer Zara.

Modern Hebrew form of Jehiel.

From Chinese 艳 (yàn) meaning "beautiful, gorgeous" (which is usually only feminine) or 岩 (yán) meaning "cliff, rocks", as well as other Chinese characters pronounced in a similar fashion.

From Chinese 翔 (xiáng) meaning "soar, glide", 祥 (xiáng) meaning "good luck, good omen", 香 (xiāng) meaning "fragrant" (which is usually only feminine) or 湘 (xiāng), which refers to the Xiang River in southern China. This name can also be formed from other characters.

Means "joyful deer" in Aramaic.

Derived from Greek ξανθός (xanthos) meaning "yellow, blond, fair-haired". This was the name of a few minor figures in Greek mythology.

Variant of Wyn, sometimes used as a feminine form.

From the English word for the small songbird. It is ultimately derived from Old English wrenna.

Polish form of Viola.

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

Variant of Gwenneg.

Diminutive of Winifred. Winnie-the-Pooh, a stuffed bear in children's books by A. A. Milne, was named after a real bear named Winnipeg who lived at the London Zoo.

From the name of the tree, which is ultimately derived from Old English welig.

Dutch form of William. Willem the Silent, Prince of Orange, was the leader of the Dutch revolt against Spain that brought about the independence of the Netherlands. He is considered the founder of the Dutch royal family. In English he is commonly called William of Orange.

Scandinavian diminutive of names beginning with Vi, as well as Olivia and Sofia.

Derived from viorea, the Romanian word for the alpine squill flower (species Scilla bifolia) or the sweet violet flower (species Viola odorata). It is derived from Latin viola "violet".

Italian, Russian and Hungarian form of Violet.

Means "violet" in Latin. This is the name of the heroine of William Shakespeare's comedy Twelfth Night (1602). In the play she is the survivor of a shipwreck who disguises herself as a man named Cesario. Working as a messenger for Duke Orsino, she attempts to convince Olivia to marry him. Instead Viola falls in love with the duke.

MEANING - instruct, guide, educate, chastise, elicit, restore, avert, exel, accomplish, train, remove, induce, pay off, drive away

Latin cognate of Hesperos. This name was used by the British author Ian Fleming for a female character, a love interest of James Bond, in his novel Casino Royale (1953). She also appears in the film adaptations of 1967 and 2006.

Serbian and Croatian diminutive of Vera 1.

Derived from Latvian varēt "to be able to". This name was used by Latvian playwright Anna Brigadere in her play Maija un Paija.

From the English word vanilla referring to "the fruit or bean of the vanilla plant, or the extract made from it, or the distinctive fragrant flavour/flavor characteristic of vanilla extract". The word is derived from Spanish vainilla, literally "little pod", a diminutive form of vaina "pod, scabbard, sheath", from Latin vagina "sheath (of an ear of grain), husk, hull of a plant".

Meaning unknown.

Meaning unknown. Perhaps based on the English word twilight, or maybe from a Cajun pronunciation of French étoile "star" [1]. It came into use as an American given name in the late 19th century.

Italian form of the Roman family name Tullius, derived from the praenomen Tullus, which is of unknown meaning. A famous bearer was Marcus Tullius Cicero, a Roman orator and author.

Possibly a variant of Tulla.

Asturian form of Ladia.

Diminutive of Victoria.

From Japanese 富 (tomi) meaning "wealth, abundance" and 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other combinations of kanji can also form this name.

Medieval form of Tobias. It was sometimes used as a feminine name in the 1930s and 40s due to the influence of American actress Toby Wing (1915-2001).

Short form of Thomas.

Short form of Theodore, Theobald and other names that begin with Theo.

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).

Derived from Greek θάλλω (thallo) meaning "to blossom". Thales of Miletus was a 6th-century BC Greek philosopher and mathematician.

Walloon form of Théo.

Spanish short form of Teresa.

Contracted form of Thomasina. It was traditionally used in Cornwall.

From the name of a town in South Australia, perhaps meaning "near water" in an Australian Aboriginal language.

Means "my dew" in Hebrew.

Derived from Hebrew טַל (ṭal) meaning "dew".

From Chinese 太 (tài) meaning "very, extreme" or other characters pronounced in a similar way.

Possibly means "he who inspires awe" in Amharic. This name was borne by Lij Tafari Makonnen (1892-1975), also known as Haile Selassie, the last emperor of Ethiopia. Rastafarians (Ras Tafari meaning "king Tafari") revere him as the earthly incarnation of God.

Variant of Silvia. This has been the most common English spelling since the 19th century.

Norwegian and Swedish variant of Solveig. It is also used as a short form of Sylvia.

From the name of the season, ultimately from Old English sumor. It has been in use as a given name since the 1970s.

From the English word meaning "stormy, wild, turbulent", ultimately from Old English stormig.

From the vocabulary word, ultimately from Old English or Old Dutch storm, or in the case of the Scandinavian name, from Old Norse stormr. It is unisex as an English name, but typically masculine elsewhere.

From the English word for the celestial body, ultimately from Old English steorra.

Indonesian and southern Indian form of Shri. It is sometimes a short form of longer names containing this element.

From the name of the bird, ultimately from Old English spearwa.

From the name of the sour tasting plant, derived from Old French sur "sour", a word of Frankish origin.

Possibly derived from Romanian soare meaning "sun".

English form of Søren.

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.

Derived from Romanian soră "sister". This name was borne by the sister of Ștefan cel Mare (Stephen the Great in English).

From the name of the Isle of Skye off the west coast of Scotland. It is sometimes considered a variant of Sky.

Simply from the English word sky, which was ultimately derived from Old Norse ský "cloud".

From Old Norse Sif, which meant "bride, kinswoman". In Norse mythology she was the wife of Thor. After the trickster Loki cut off her golden hair, an angry Thor forced him to create a replacement.

From Συμεών (Symeon), the Old Testament Greek form of the Hebrew name Shimʿon (see Simon 1). In the Old Testament this is the name of the second son of Jacob and Leah and the founder of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. In the New Testament the Greek rendering Σίμων (Simon) is more common, though Συμεών occurs belonging to a man who blessed the newborn Jesus. He is recognized as a saint in most Christian traditions.

This name was also borne by a powerful 10th-century ruler of Bulgaria who expanded the empire to its greatest extent.

Spanish and Portuguese form of Silvester.

The name of a companion of Saint Paul in the New Testament. It is probably a short form of Silvanus, a name that Paul calls him by in the epistles. It is possible that Silvanus and Silas were Latin and Greek forms of the Hebrew name Saul (via Aramaic).

As an English name it was not used until after the Protestant Reformation. It was utilized by George Eliot for the title character in her novel Silas Marner (1861).

Old Norse, Danish and Icelandic form of Siv.

Means "flame" in Arabic.

Means "diffusing light, radiance, beauty" in Sanskrit, a word used as a title of respect in India. This is another name of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi.

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.

Northern Indian form of Shiva 1.

Hebrew form of Shiphrah.

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

From Chinese 圣 (shèng) meaning "holy, sacred", 胜 (shèng) meaning "victory", or 盛 (shèng) meaning "abundant, flourishing". Other characters are also possible.

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

Variant of Shea.

Variant of Sarra.

Feminine form of the Late Latin name Seraphinus, derived from the biblical word seraphim, which was Hebrew in origin and meant "fiery ones". The seraphim were an order of angels, described by Isaiah in the Bible as having six wings each.

This was the name of a 13th-century Italian saint who made clothes for the poor. As an English name, it has never been common.

Means "moon" in Greek. This was the name of a Greek goddess of the moon, a Titan. She was sometimes identified with the goddess Artemis.

Truncated form of Josefína and Josefina.

Latin form of Zipporah.

Latinized form of Sceafa.

MEANING - "son of sun", a name of Saturn, Indian- Laurel, clammyweeds plant

From Japanese 郷 (sato) meaning "hometown", 慧 (sato) meaning "bright; intelligent", 賢 (sato) meaning "intelligence", 悟 (sato) meaning "enlightenment", 識 (sato) meaning "acquaintanceship", 聡 (sato) meaning "intelligent, clever, bright", 智 (sato) meaning "knowledge, wisdom", 都 (sato) meaning "capital (city)", 里 (sato) meaning "village" or 惺 (sato) meaning "intelligent, clever, astute". Other kanji or kanji combinations can form this name as well.

Possibly from Greek σάπφειρος (sappheiros) meaning "sapphire" or "lapis lazuli". This was the name of a 7th-century BC Greek poetess from Lesbos.

From the name of the gemstone, typically blue, which is the traditional birthstone of September. It is derived from Greek σάπφειρος (sappheiros), ultimately from the Hebrew word סַפִּיר (sappir).

From the Greek name Σαπφείρη (Sappheire), which was from Greek σάπφειρος (sappheiros) meaning "sapphire" or "lapis lazuli" (ultimately derived from the Hebrew word סַפִּיר (sappir)). Sapphira is a character in Acts in the New Testament who is killed by God for lying.

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

From Japanese 桜 (sakura) meaning "cherry blossom", though it is often written using the hiragana writing system. It can also come from 咲 (saku) meaning "blossom" and 良 (ra) meaning "good, virtuous, respectable" as well as other kanji combinations.

From the English word sage, which denotes either a type of spice or else a wise person.

Portuguese form of Sapphira. It coincides with the Portuguese word for "sapphire".

Means "pure" in Arabic, derived from صفا (ṣafā) meaning "to be clear, to be pure".

Diminutive of Sarah.

Means "white plumeria flower", from Yucatec Maya sak "white" and nikte' "plumeria flower".

French form of Sabrina.

French, German, Dutch and Danish form of Sabina.

Possibly a variant of Ryland, though it could also be an invented name inspired by other names like Ryan and Riley.

Simply from the name of the precious stone (which ultimately derives from Latin ruber "red"), which is the traditional birthstone of July. It came into use as a given name in the 16th century [1].

Anglicized form of the Irish name Ruadhán. As an English name, it can also be derived from the surname Rowan, itself derived from the Irish given name. It could also be given in reference to the rowan tree, a word of Old Norse origin (coincidentally sharing the same Indo-European root meaning "red" with the Irish name).

Combination of Rose and Mary. This name can also be given in reference to the herb, which gets its name from Latin ros marinus meaning "dew of the sea". It came into use as a given name in the 19th century.

Originally a Norman French form of the Germanic name Hrodohaidis meaning "famous type", composed of the elements hruod "fame" and heit "kind, sort, type". The Normans introduced it to England in the forms Roese and Rohese. From an early date it was associated with the word for the fragrant flower rose (derived from Latin rosa). When the name was revived in the 19th century, it was probably with the flower in mind.

Derived from the Old German elements hros meaning "horse" and lind meaning "soft, flexible, tender". The Normans introduced this name to England, though it was not common. During the Middle Ages its spelling was influenced by the Latin phrase rosa linda "beautiful rose". The name was popularized by Edmund Spencer, who used it in his poetry, and by William Shakespeare, who used it for the heroine in his comedy As You Like It (1599).

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

Possibly a transferred use of the surname Romero or a direct derivation from Spanish romero, meaning "rosemary".

From the name of the Italian city, commonly called Rome in English.

Medieval English diminutive of Robert, now usually regarded as an independent name. Robin Hood was a legendary hero and archer of medieval England who stole from the rich to give to the poor. In modern times it has also been used as a feminine name, and it may sometimes be given in reference to the red-breasted bird.

From Old Welsh Ris, probably meaning "ardour, enthusiasm". Several Welsh rulers have borne this name, including the 12th-century Rhys ap Gruffydd who fought against the invading Normans.

English form of Rémy, occasionally used as a feminine name.

Norwegian spelling of Rémi and short form of Jeremias.

Variant of Ravindra used by Sikhs.

From the name of the bird, ultimately from Old English hræfn. The raven is revered by several Native American groups of the west coast. It is also associated with the Norse god Odin.

From a surname derived from the Old French nickname reine meaning "queen". A famous bearer was the British socialite Raine Spencer (1929-2016), the stepmother of Princess Diana. In modern times it is also considered a variant of Rain 1.

Alternate transcription of Bulgarian Райна (see Rayna 1).

From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Irish Gaelic Ó Cuinn, itself derived from the given name Conn. In the United States it was more common as a name for boys until 2010, the year after the female character Quinn Fabray began appearing on the television series Glee.

From an Irish surname which was a variant of Quinlan.

From an English surname that was originally given to a person who played on a pipe (a flute). It was popularized as a given name by a character from the television series Charmed, which debuted in 1998 [1].

Diminutive of Philip or Philippa. This is the name of the main character in Great Expectations (1860) by Charles Dickens.

From the name of a beautiful immortal bird that appears in Egyptian and Greek mythology. After living for several centuries in the Arabian Desert, it would be consumed by fire and rise from its own ashes, with this cycle repeating every 500 years. The name of the bird was derived from Greek φοῖνιξ (phoinix) meaning "dark red".

The name of one of the Hyades, derived from φαιός (phaiós) meaning "dull, ashy, grey".

Feminine form of Peter. This was also the name of an ancient city in the region that is now Jordan.

From the English word for the color "periwinkle", from Middle English parwynke, referring to a "light blue and purple shade". It's also the name of a flower.

Taken from the name of the gemstone, whose name is of uncertain origin and meaning. A current theory, however, derives it from Anglo-Norman pedoretés, ultimately from Greek paiderôs (via Latin paederos): pais "child" and erôs "love".

As a given name, it has found occasional usage in the English-speaking world from the late 19th century onwards.

Turkish form of Pari.

Variant of Perle.

Diminutive of Penelope. It can also be given in reference to the copper coin (a British pound or an American dollar are worth 100 of them), derived from Old English penning.

Meaning unknown. This was the name of the Hawaiian goddess of volcanoes and fire who is said to live in Kilauea. She is considered the creator of the Hawaiian Islands.

Meaning uncertain, but possibly related to Greek ὅριον (horion) meaning "boundary, limit". Alternatively it may be derived from Akkadian Uru-anna meaning "light of the heavens". This is the name of a constellation, which gets its name from a legendary Greek hunter who was killed by a scorpion sent by the earth goddess Gaia.

Possible variant of Orban.

From the English word for the gemstone (a variety of chalcedony), which can be black, red or other colours. It is derived from Greek ὄνυξ (onyx) meaning "claw, nail".

Diminutive of Oliver, Olivia or Olive.

From Old French Olivier, which was possibly derived from Latin oliva "olive tree" [1]. Alternatively there could be an underlying Germanic name, such as Old Norse Áleifr (see Olaf) or Frankish Alawar (see Álvaro), with the spelling altered by association with the Latin word. In the Middle Ages the name became well-known in Western Europe because of the French epic La Chanson de Roland, in which Olivier is a friend and advisor to the hero Roland.

In England Oliver was a common medieval name, however it became rare after the 17th century because of the military commander Oliver Cromwell, who ruled the country following the civil war. The name was revived in the 19th century, perhaps due in part to the title character in Charles Dickens' novel Oliver Twist (1838), about a poor orphan living on the streets of London. It became very popular at the beginning of the 21st century, reaching the top rank for boys in England and Wales in 2009 and entering the top ten in the United States in 2017.

From the English and French word for the type of tree, ultimately derived from Latin oliva.

From the name of the tenth month. It is derived from Latin octo meaning "eight", because it was originally the eighth month of the Roman year.

Means "night" in Greek. This was the name of the Greek goddess of the night, the daughter of Khaos and the wife of Erebos.

From the name of an ancient town of Asia Minor where Saint Gregory was bishop in the 4th century. Nyssa is also the genus name of a type of tree, also called the Tupelo.

Derived from Latin novus meaning "new". It was first used as a name in the 19th century.

Feminine variant form of Noël.

From the Garo word নো (no) meaning "younger sister" and চি (chi) meaning "water".

Means "pleasantness" in Hebrew. A famous bearer is Noam Chomsky (1928-), an American linguist and philosopher.

Modern Hebrew form of Noah 2, the daughter of Zelophehad in the Bible. It is also the form used in several other languages, as well as the spelling used in some English versions of the Old Testament.

Variant of Nakia, or else a combination of the phonetic prefix na with the name Kaya 2.

Strictly feminine variant of Nitzan.

Variant of Nisa.

Variant of Liang.

Named after the ancient city in Assyria, which is said to derive from Latin Ninive and Septuagint Greek Nineyḗ (Νινευή) under influence of Biblical Hebrew Nīnewēh (נִינְוֶה). Nīnewēh is, itself, derived from Akkadian Ninua/Ninâ or Old Babylonian Ninuwā. Though it is unclear what the original meaning of Nineveh was, it may have been referred to a goddess associated with fish, probably since the cuneiform of Ninâ is a fish within a house (compare Aramaic nuna meaning "fish.")

There is a character so named in an episode of Perry Mason (The Case of the Nebulous Nephew). She was played by Meg Wyllie.

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.

Alternate transcription of Russian/Bulgarian Николай (see Nikolay).

Diminutive of Nicole.

Latinized form of Nikomachos.

Short form of Nicholas (or sometimes Nicodemus).

Variant of Nika, which is a short form of names containing the Greek element νίκη (nike) meaning "victory", such as Nikola 2 and Veronika, as well as names ending in -nika (e.g. Monika, Annika).

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

From a prefix meaning "new", ultimately from Greek νέος (neos).

In the film series beginning with The Matrix (1999), this is the main character's screen alias and the name he later goes by in the real world. The character is also called The One, one being an anagram of Neo.

Means "nobody" in Latin. This was the name used by author Jules Verne for the captain of the Nautilus in his novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (1870). It was later used for the title character (a fish) in the 2003 animated movie Finding Nemo.

Italian and Spanish form of Nazarius.

Variant of Nathanael. It has been regularly used in the English-speaking world since the Protestant Reformation. This has been the most popular spelling, even though the spelling Nathanael is found in most versions of the New Testament. The American writer Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864), author of The Scarlet Letter, was a famous bearer of this name.

From the Hebrew name נָתָן (Naṯan) meaning "he gave". In the Old Testament this is the name of a prophet during the reign of King David. He chastised David for his adultery with Bathsheba and for the death of Uriah the Hittite. Later he championed Solomon as David's successor. This was also the name of a son of David and Bathsheba.

It has been used as a Christian given name in the English-speaking world since the Protestant Reformation. A famous bearer was Nathan Hale (1755-1776), an American spy executed by the British during the American Revolution.

From Japanese 直 (nao) meaning "straight, direct" and 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" (usually feminine) or 己 (mi) meaning "self" (usually masculine). Other kanji combinations can also form this name.

Variant of Nadya 1 used in Western Europe, as well as an alternate transcription of the Slavic name. It began to be used in France in the 19th century [1]. The name received a boost in popularity from the Romanian gymnast Nadia Comăneci (1961-) [2].

Means "mint" in Danish.

Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul 문 (see Mun).

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

Form of Mary used in the Old Testament, where it belongs to the elder sister of Moses and Aaron. She watched over the infant Moses as the pharaoh's daughter drew him from the Nile. The name has long been popular among Jews, and it has been used as an English Christian name (alongside Mary) since the Protestant Reformation.

Hebrew diminutive of Miriam.

Means "love" in Old German, specifically medieval courtly love. It is also used as a short form of Wilhelmina. This is the name of the title character in the play Minna von Barnhelm (1767) by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing.

From Sanskrit मीन (mīna) meaning "fish", which in Hindu astrology is the name of a sign of the zodiac.

Contracted form of Micaiah. Micah is one of the twelve minor prophets of the Old Testament. He authored the Book of Micah, which alternates between prophesies of doom and prophesies of restoration. This is also the name of a separate person in the Book of Judges, the keeper of an idol. It was occasionally used as an English given name by the Puritans after the Protestant Reformation, but it did not become common until the end of the 20th century.

Short form of Michaela.

From a Welsh surname that was originally derived from the given name Meurig.

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

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

From the English word, which is directly from Latin meridianus meaning "of midday, of noon, southerly, to the south". It was used by Alice Walker for the heroine of her novel 'Meridian' (1976).

From the Welsh name Maredudd or Meredydd, from Old Welsh forms such as Margetud, possibly from mawredd "greatness, magnificence" combined with iudd "lord". The Welsh forms of this name were well used through the Middle Ages. Since the mid-1920s it has been used more often for girls than for boys in English-speaking countries, though it is still a masculine name in Wales. A famous bearer of this name as surname was the English novelist and poet George Meredith (1828-1909).

From the English word melody, which is derived (via Old French and Late Latin) from Greek μέλος (melos) meaning "song" combined with ἀείδω (aeido) meaning "to sing".

From Chinese 美 (měi) meaning "beautiful" or 梅 (méi) meaning "Chinese plum" (species Prunus mume), as well as other characters that are pronounced similarly.

Possibly from the old Celtic root *matus meaning "bear". According to the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi [1], Math ap Mathonwy was a king of Gwynedd and a magician. Whenever he was not at war, it was required that he rest his feet in the lap of a virgin. He was the uncle of the hero Gwydion, with whom he shared most of his adventures.

Spanish form of Matthew. This form is also sometimes used in Croatia, from the Italian form Matteo.

From the name of the flower, which comes from a combination of Mary and the English word gold.

Variant of Margot.

Italian form of Marcus (see Mark). During the Middle Ages this name was common in Venice, where Saint Mark was supposedly buried. A famous bearer was the Venetian explorer Marco Polo, who travelled across Asia to China in the 13th century.

Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Máel Coluim, which means "disciple of Saint Columba". This was the name of four kings of Scotland starting in the 10th century, including Malcolm III, who became king after killing Macbeth, the usurper who had defeated his father Duncan. The character Malcolm in Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth (1606) is loosely based on him. Another famous bearer was Malcolm X (1925-1965), an American civil rights leader.

Hawaiian form of Margo.

Danish and Norwegian diminutive of Maria.

From Greek μαῖα (maia) meaning "good mother, dame, foster mother", perhaps in origin a nursery form of μήτηρ (meter). In Greek and Roman mythology she was the eldest of the Pleiades, a group of stars in the constellation Taurus, who were the daughters of Atlas and Pleione. Her son by Zeus was Hermes.

From Japanese 舞 (mai) meaning "dance" or 麻衣 (mai) meaning "linen robe". It can also come from 真 (ma) meaning "real, genuine" combined with 愛 (ai) meaning "love, affection". Other kanji or kanji combinations can also form this name.

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

Spanish form of the Latin name Macarius, derived from the Greek name Μακάριος (Makarios), which was in turn derived from Greek μάκαρ (makar) meaning "blessed, happy". This was the name of several early saints.

French form of Lysander and Lysandra.

Means simply "lyric, songlike" from the English word, ultimately derived from Greek λυρικός (lyrikos).

The name of the constellation in the northern sky containing the star Vega. It is said to be shaped after the lyre of Orpheus. This is the name of the main character in the His Dark Materials series of books by Philip Pullman (beginning 1995).

Lynx is a constellation in the northern sky, introduced in the 17th century by Johannes Hevelius. It is named after the lynx, a genus of cats.

Meaning unknown. This was the name of the semi-legendary king who gave his name to the region of Lydia in Asia Minor.

Portuguese and German form of Lucia.

Means "light" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin Mary, Nuestra Señora de la Luz, meaning "Our Lady of Light".

Means "earth, ground" in Basque.

Short form of Guadalupe.

Means "the moon" in Latin (as well as Italian, Spanish and other Romance languages). Luna was the Roman goddess of the moon, frequently depicted driving a white chariot through the sky.

Possibly derived from the illative singular form of lumi "snow".

Derived from Latin lumina "lights", ultimately from Latin lumen "light". In the English-speaking world, this name was first recorded in the 1800s.

Means "light" in French. The name can be recalled from the character in the Disney animated movie "Beauty and the Beast" in which he is transformed into a candelabrum.

“sunshine, lemon tree”

Means "snow" in Finnish.

Form of Lucas (see Luke) in several languages.

An elaboration of Lucia created by Cervantes for his novel Don Quixote (1605). It was subsequently used by Molière in his play The Doctor in Spite of Himself (1666).

Feminine form of Lucius. Saint Lucia was a 4th-century martyr from Syracuse. She was said to have had her eyes gouged out, and thus she is the patron saint of the blind. She was widely revered in the Middle Ages, and her name has been used throughout Christian Europe (in various spellings). It has been used in the England since the 12th century, usually in the spellings Lucy or Luce.

Italian and Romanian form of Lucas (see Luke). This name was borne by Luca della Robbia, a Renaissance sculptor from Florence.

Possibly coined as a feminine form of Lonny.

Unaccented variant of Llŷr.

Short form of Elizabeth (English), Yelizaveta (Russian), Elisavet (Greek) or Elisabed (Georgian).

Means "award" in Amharic.

Transferred use of the surname Lillis.

Lillis was Bing Crosby's middle name. (He was born Harold Lillis Crosby.)

Variant of Lily, or a diminutive of Lillian or Elizabeth.

German, French and Hungarian diminutive of Elisabeth and other names containing li. It is also sometimes connected to the German word lilie meaning "lily".

From the English word for the shrub with purple or white flowers (genus Syringa). It is derived via Arabic from Persian.

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

Short form of names ending in lena, such as Helena, Magdalena or Yelena. It is often used independently.

Transferred use of the surname Lemon.

From an ellipsis of lapis lazuli, the name of a deep blue semiprecious stone. It is derived from medieval Latin lazulum meaning "heaven, sky", ultimately from Persian لاجورد (lajvard) meaning "lapis lazuli, azure (color)".

Latinized form of Λάζαρος (Lazaros), a Greek form of Eleazar used in the New Testament. Lazarus was a man from Bethany, the brother of Mary and Martha, who was restored to life by Jesus.

At present this name is most commonly used in English-speaking Africa.

Spanish and Portuguese form of Lazarus.

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

Short form of Alana (English) or Svetlana (Russian). In the English-speaking world it was popularized by actress Lana Turner (1921-1995), who was born Julia Jean Turner.

Invented name, based on the sounds found in names such as Tyree and Kyle. It was popularized as a masculine name by American basketball player Kyrie Irving (1992-).

Variant of Kylan.

Variant of Kaya 2.

Meaning unknown. This name is traditionally given to the third-born child in Balinese families.

Diminutive of Nikolai.

Egyptian form of Cyril via the Coptic form Kyrillos.

Variant of Ciara 1.

Variant of Kenzie or Kinsey.

Short form of Zulkifli.

Anglicized form of Ciara 1.

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

Diminutive of Christopher.

Variant transcription of Geon.

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.

From an English surname that comes from the name of the city of Kendale in northwestern England meaning "valley on the river Kent". Originally mostly masculine, the name received a boost in popularity for girls in 1993 when the devious character Kendall Hart began appearing on the American soap opera All My Children.

From an English surname that is derived from town names in Lincolnshire. It may mean "Cenel's island", from the Old English name Cenel "fierce" in combination with eg "island".

From a Scottish surname that was originally derived from the name of a place in East Lothian, itself possibly derived from the Celtic root *kayto- meaning "wood". This was the surname of a long line of Scottish nobles. It has been used as a given name since the 19th century, becoming fairly common throughout the English-speaking world in the 20th century.

Variant of Caelan.

Short form of Katariina.

Italian and French form of Katya, as well as an alternate transcription of the Slavic name.

Norwegian short form of Katarina.

Means "melancholy song" in Malagasy.

Diminutive of Katarina or Katariina.

From Chinese 凯 (kǎi) meaning "triumph, victory, music of triumph", as well as other characters pronounced in a similar way.

From the English word for the type of tree, derived ultimately from Latin iuniperus.

From Japanese 丈 (jou) meaning "only, limit", 穣 (jou) meaning "stalks of grain", 常 (jou) meaning "always, constantly, consistently", 錠 (jou) meaning "a lock" or 仗 (jou) meaning "military strength, reliable, dependable" combined with 助 (suke) meaning "assistance". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Short form of Jocelyn.

English, German and Dutch form of Joséphine.

From Ἰεσσαί (Iessai), the Greek form of the Hebrew name יִשַׁי (Yishai). This could be a derivative of the word שַׁי (shai) meaning "gift" or יֵשׁ (yesh) meaning "existence". In the Old Testament Jesse is the father of King David. It began to be used as an English given name after the Protestant Reformation.

A famous bearer was Jesse James (1847-1882), an American outlaw who held up banks and stagecoaches. He was eventually shot by a fellow gang member for a reward. Another famous bearer was the American athlete Jesse Owens (1913-1980), whose real name was James Cleveland (or J. C.) Owens.

From the name of a city in Israel that is mentioned several times in the Old Testament. The meaning of the city's name is uncertain, but it may be related to the Hebrew word יָרֵחַ (yareaḥ) meaning "moon" [1], or otherwise to the Hebrew word רֵיחַ (reyaḥ) meaning "fragrance" [2].

Short form of names beginning with the sound J, such as James or Jason. It was originally used in America in honour of founding father John Jay (1749-1825), whose surname was derived from the jaybird.

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.

Form of Johannes used in various languages. This name was borne by the Czech church reformer Jan Hus (1370-1415), the Flemish painter Jan van Eyck (1390-1441), and the Dutch painters Jan Steen (1626-1679) and Jan Vermeer (1632-1675).

French cognate of Hyacinth 2.

Spanish and Portuguese feminine form of Hyacinthus.

Means "he establishes" in Hebrew, derived from כּוּן (kun) meaning "to establish". This was the name of a son of Simeon in the Old Testament. It was also the name of one of the two pillars that stood outside Solomon's Temple, Boaz being the other.

Slovene form of Isidore.

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

From the English word for the climbing plant that has small yellow flowers. It is ultimately derived from Old English ifig.

Means "shadow, protection" in Basque.

Means "nocturnal journey" in Arabic, derived from سرى (sarā) meaning "to travel by night". According to Islamic tradition, the Isra was a miraculous journey undertaken by the Prophet Muhammad.

German form of Iseult, appearing in the 13th-century German poem Tristan by Gottfried von Strassburg. In 1865 the German composer Richard Wagner debuted his popular opera Tristan und Isolde and also used the name for his first daughter.

Greek form of Egyptian ꜣst (reconstructed as Iset, Aset or Ueset), possibly from st meaning "throne". In Egyptian mythology Isis was the goddess of the sky and nature, the wife of Osiris and the mother of Horus. She was originally depicted wearing a throne-shaped headdress, but in later times she was conflated with the goddess Hathor and depicted having the horns of a cow on her head. She was also worshipped by people outside of Egypt, such as the Greeks and Romans.

Spanish variant of Isidore.

From the Greek name Ἰσίδωρος (Isidoros) meaning "gift of Isis", derived from the name of the Egyptian goddess Isis combined with Greek δῶρον (doron) meaning "gift". Saint Isidore of Seville was a 6th-century archbishop, historian and theologian.

Though it has never been popular in the English-speaking world among Christians, it has historically been a common name for Jews, who have used it as an Americanized form of names such as Isaac, Israel and Isaiah.

Variant of Isidora. A famous bearer was the American dancer Isadora Duncan (1877-1927).

Means "rainbow" in Greek. Iris was the name of the Greek goddess of the rainbow, also serving as a messenger to the gods. This name can also be given in reference to the word (which derives from the same Greek source) for the iris flower or the coloured part of the eye.

Finnish and Frisian feminine form of Inge.

Strictly feminine form of Inge.

English form of Inés.

Means "beauty" in Sanskrit. This is another name of Lakshmi, the wife of the Hindu god Vishnu. A notable bearer was India's first female prime minister, Indira Gandhi (1917-1984).

Possibly a diminutive of India or Indiana, but also likely inspired by the term indie, short for independent, which is typically used to refer to media produced outside of the mainstream.

From the name of the country, which is itself derived from the name of the Indus River. The river's name is ultimately from Sanskrit सिन्धु (Sindhu) meaning "body of trembling water, river". India Wilkes is a character in the novel Gone with the Wind (1936) by Margaret Mitchell.

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.

Problably a feminine form to Ilan.

From Chinese 华 (huá) meaning "splendid, illustrious, Chinese" or 花 (huā) meaning "flower, blossom" (which is usually only feminine). Other Chinese characters can form this name as well.

From the English word for the holly tree, ultimately derived from Old English holen. Holly Golightly is the main character in the novella Breakfast at Tiffany's (1958) by Truman Capote.

Variant of Holly.

Latin form of Esther. Like Esther, it has been used in England since the Protestant Reformation. Nathaniel Hawthorne used it for the heroine of his novel The Scarlet Letter (1850), Hester Prynne, a Puritan woman forced to wear a red letter A on her chest after giving birth to a child out of wedlock.

From the English word hazel for the tree or the light brown colour, derived ultimately from Old English hæsel. It was coined as a given name in the 19th century and quickly became popular, reaching the 18th place for girls in the United States by 1897. It fell out of fashion in the second half of the 20th century, but has since recovered.

Greek form of Egyptian ḥwt-ḥrw (reconstructed as Hut-Heru) meaning "the house of Horus", derived from Egyptian ḥwt "house" combined with the god Horus. In Egyptian mythology she was the goddess of love, often depicted with the head of a cow.

English form of Henriette, and thus a feminine form of Harry. It was first used in the 17th century, becoming very common in the English-speaking world by the 18th century. Famous bearers include the Americans Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896), the author of Uncle Tom's Cabin, and the abolitionist Harriet Tubman (1820-1913).

In the case of American actress Halle Berry (1966-), it is from the name of a department store in Cleveland where she was born (the store was founded by brothers bearing the German surname Halle, a cognate of Hall).

Variant of Hala.

Means "wind" in Basque.

Means "white, blessed" in Welsh. In Welsh legend Gwyn was a king of the Otherworld and the leader of the Wild Hunt. He appears in the Welsh tale Culhwch and Olwen, where he is one of the many who help Culhwch hunt the monstrous boar Trwyth. The story also tells of his rivalry with Gwythyr for the beautiful Creiddylad.

Probably means "born of trees" from Old Welsh guid "trees" and the suffix gen "born of". In the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi [1], Gwydion is the nephew of King Math of Gwynedd, and like him a powerful magician. In an elaborate plot to give his brother a chance to rape his uncle's footbearer, he arranged a war between Gwynedd and the neighbouring kingdom of Dyfed. Gwydion himself killed King Pryderi of Dyfed at the end of the war. In punishment for the rape, Math transformed Gwydion and his brother into different animals over the course of three years. Gwydion was the uncle of Lleu Llaw Gyffes, whom he fostered. Math and Gwydion fashioned Lleu a wife, Blodeuwedd, out of flowers and they later aided him after her betrayal. Gwydion also appears in older Welsh poetry such as the Book of Taliesin.

Variant of Gwendolen. This is the usual spelling in the United States.

From Welsh gwen, the feminine form of gwyn meaning "white, blessed". It can also be a short form of Gwendolen, Gwenllian and other names beginning with Gwen.

Latinized form of Gruffudd. This name can also be inspired by the English word griffin, a creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle, ultimately from Greek γρύψ (gryps).

Possibly derived from Old Irish grán meaning "grain" or gráin meaning "hatred, fear". In the Irish legend The Pursuit of Diarmaid and Gráinne she escaped from her arranged marriage to Fionn mac Cumhaill by fleeing with her lover Diarmaid. Another famous bearer was the powerful 16th-century Irish landowner and seafarer Gráinne Ní Mháille (known in English as Grace O'Malley), who was sometimes portrayed as a pirate queen in later tales.

From a Scottish surname, originally derived from the English place name Grantham, which probably meant "gravelly homestead" in Old English. The surname was first taken to Scotland in the 12th century by the Norman baron William de Graham [1]. A famous bearer of the surname was Alexander Graham Bell (1847-1922), the Scottish-Canadian-American inventor who devised the telephone. A famous bearer of the given name was the British author Graham Greene (1904-1991).

During the 20th century, Graham was more common in the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada than it was in the United States. However, it has been rising on the American charts since around 2006.

Italian form of Iohannes (see John). This name has been very common in Italy since the late Middle Ages, as with other equivalents of John in Europe. The Renaissance writer Giovanni Boccaccio (1313-1375), the painter Giovanni Bellini (1430-1516) and the painter and sculptor Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680) were famous bearers of the name.

Diminutive of Gergina.

From the English word ginger for the spice or the reddish-brown colour. It can also be a diminutive of Virginia, as in the case of actress and dancer Ginger Rogers (1911-1995), by whom the name was popularized.

Short form of Aghilas.

Short form or abbreviation for George used as an independent name.

Medieval Italian nickname meaning "gem, precious stone". It was borne by the wife of the 13th-century Italian poet Dante Alighieri.

From a surname meaning "triangle land" from Old English gara and land. The surname originally belonged to a person who owned a triangle-shaped piece of land.

From Old Norse Freyja meaning "lady". This is the name of a goddess associated with love, beauty, war and death in Norse mythology. She claims half of the heroes who are slain in battle and brings them to her realm of Fólkvangr. Along with her brother Freyr and father Njord, she is one of the Vanir (as opposed to the Æsir). Some scholars connect her with the goddess Frigg.

This is not the usual spelling in any of the Scandinavian languages (in Sweden and Denmark it is Freja and in Norway it is Frøja) but it is the common spelling of the goddess's name in English. In the 2000s it became popular in Britain.

French form of Floria.

From the Roman cognomen Florianus, a derivative of Florus. This was the name of a short-lived Roman emperor of the 3rd century, Marcus Annius Florianus. It was also borne by Saint Florian, a martyr of the 3rd century, the patron saint of Poland and Upper Austria.

French form of Florentina.

From the Latin name Florentius or the feminine form Florentia, which were derived from florens "prosperous, flourishing". Florentius was borne by many early Christian saints, and it was occasionally used in their honour through the Middle Ages. In modern times it is mostly feminine.

This name can also be given in reference to the city in Italy, as in the case of Florence Nightingale (1820-1910), who was born there to British parents. She was a nurse in military hospitals during the Crimean War and is usually considered the founder of modern nursing.

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).

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

Derived from Italian and Corsican fiore "flower".

From the Old Irish name Finn, derived from finn meaning "white, blessed". It occurs frequently in Irish history and legends, the most noteworthy bearer being Fionn mac Cumhaill, the central character of one of the four main cycles of Irish mythology, the Fenian Cycle. Fionn was born as Deimne, and acquired his nickname because of his fair hair. He grew all-wise by eating an enchanted salmon, and later became the leader of the Fianna after defeating the fire-breathing demon Áillen. He was the father of Oisín and grandfather of Oscar.

This is a diminutive / nickname for names beginning with Fio like Fiona or Fiorella.

Possibly means either "white fire" or "white ancient" in Irish. According to legend this was the name of the only Irish person to survive the great flood. This name was also borne by many Irish saints.

Derived from Old Irish finn "white, blessed". This was the name of several Irish saints, including the founders of monasteries at Clonard and Movilla (both 6th century).

Variant of Finnr.

Old Irish form of Fionn, as well as the usual Anglicized spelling (with the Irish hero's name Anglicized as Finn McCool). As a surname it is borne by Huckleberry Finn, a character in Mark Twain's novels.

Anglicized form of Irish Fionnbharr, Old Irish Finnbarr, derived from finn "white, blessed" and barr "top, head". Saint Finbar of Cork was a 6th-century bishop who supposedly performed miraculous cures. The Isle of Barra off Scotland was (probably) named for him.

Short form of Serafina. Saint Fina, also known as Saint Serafina, was a 13th-century girl from the town of San Gimignano in Italy.

Means "joy, happiness" in Arabic, from the root فرح (fariḥa) meaning "to be happy".

From the Roman cognomen Fabianus, which was derived from Fabius. Saint Fabian was a 3rd-century pope.

Diminutive of Eve or Evelyn.

Means "sweet, honey", from Basque ezti.

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).

Latinate form of Estelle. This is the name of the heroine, Estella Havisham, in Charles Dickens' novel Great Expectations (1860).

Spanish form of the Late Latin name Sperantia, which was derived from sperare "to hope".

Short for popular name Esperanza

Variant of Asbjørn.

Means "emerald" in Spanish and Portuguese. Victor Hugo used this name in his novel The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (1831), in which Esmeralda is the Romani girl who is loved by Quasimodo. It has occasionally been used in the English-speaking world since that time.

Variant of Esmé.

Alternate transcription of Persian اسماعیل (see Esmail).

From Japanese 絵 (e) meaning "picture, painting, drawing, sketch", 理 (ri) meaning "reason, logic" combined with 座 (ra) meaning "names of constellations". Other kanji combinations are possible as well.

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

Means "strife, discord" in Greek. In Greek mythology Eris was the goddess of discord. She was the sister and companion of Ares.

Anglicized form of Éireann. It was initially used by people of Irish heritage in America, Canada and Australia. It was rare until the mid-1950s.

The meaning of this name is uncertain. In some cases it seems to be an old Italian form of Heinz, though in other cases it could be a variant of the Germanic name Anzo. In modern times it is also used as a short form of names ending in enzo, such as Vincenzo or Lorenzo.

A famous bearer was the Italian racecar driver and industrialist Enzo Ferrari (1898-1988).

Italian form of the Roman family name Ennius, which is of unknown meaning. Quintus Ennius was an early Roman poet.

Possibly derived from Basque ene "my" and ko, a diminutive suffix. This was the name of the first king of Pamplona or Navarre (9th century), whose name is usually rendered as Íñigo.

Welsh form of Ambrose. Emrys Wledig (or Ambrosius Aurelianus) was a Romano-British military leader who fought against the invading Anglo-Saxons in the 5th century. Tales of his life were used by the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth to help shape the early character of Merlin, whom he called Merlinus Ambrosius in Latin.

From Old French Emeline, a diminutive of Germanic names beginning with the element amal meaning "unceasing, vigorous, brave". The Normans introduced this name to England.

Italian and Spanish form of Aemilius (see Emil).

Feminine form of Aemilius (see Emily). In Shakespeare's tragedy Othello (1603) this is the name of the wife of Iago.

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

Possibly derived from Finno-Ugric eme meaning "mother". In Hungarian legend this was the name of the grandmother of Árpád, founder of the Hungarian state.

Norman French form of Emmerich. The Normans introduced it to England, and though it was never popular, it survived until the end of the Middle Ages. As a modern given name, now typically feminine, it is likely inspired by the surname Emery, which was itself derived from the medieval given name. It can also be given in reference to the hard black substance called emery.

Meaning uncertain, perhaps related to Old Norse almr "elm". In Norse mythology Embla and her husband Ask were the first humans. They were created by three of the gods from two trees.

From Elysium, the name of the realm of the dead in Greek and Roman mythology.

Anglicized form of Ailbhe.

English form of Élodie.

Possibly a shortened form of Edelmira. It appears in the play Tartuffe (1664) by the French playwright Molière (often spelled in the French style Elmire).

Variant of Elowen.

From an English surname that was derived from the given name Elis, a medieval vernacular form of Elias. This name has also functioned as an Anglicized form of Welsh Elisedd.

From an English surname that was derived from a diminutive of the medieval name Elias.

Short form of Elizabeth. It was borne by the character Eliza Doolittle in George Bernard Shaw's play Pygmalion (1913) and the subsequent musical adaptation My Fair Lady (1956).

From the Hebrew name אֱלִישַׁע (ʾElishaʿ), a contracted form of אֱלִישׁוּעַ (ʾElishuaʿ) meaning "my God is salvation", derived from אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God" and יָשַׁע (yashaʿ) meaning "to save, to deliver". According to the Old Testament, Elisha was a prophet and miracle worker. He was the attendant of Elijah and succeeded him after his ascension to heaven.

Short form of Eliezer or Elijah. A famous bearer is Elie Wiesel, Jewish rights activist.

Form of Elijah used in several languages. This is also the form used in the Greek New Testament, as well as some English translations.

Dutch variant of names beginning with Eli, such as Elijah or Elisabeth.

From the name of a Welsh river, also called the Leri, of unknown meaning. This was also the name of a 7th-century Welsh saint (masculine).

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

Old Hungarian name of unknown meaning.

From the Greek word ἠχώ (echo) meaning "echo, reflected sound", related to ἠχή (eche) meaning "sound". In Greek mythology Echo was a nymph given a speech impediment by Hera, so that she could only repeat what others said. She fell in love with Narcissus, but her love was not returned, and she pined away until nothing remained of her except her voice.

Alternate transcription of Hebrew דְּבוֹרָה (see Devora).

From the English word for the variety of bird, seen as a symbol of peace.

Alternate transcription of Russian Дмитрий (see Dmitriy).

From a French surname, possibly from doré meaning "golden". As a given name it has been inspired by the French luxury fashion house Dior, founded by the designer Christian Dior (1905-1957).

Means "iron" in Turkish.

Alternate transcription of Greek Δήμη or Ντίμι or Ντίμη (see Dimi), as well as a short form of Demetria. A famous bearer is American actress Demi Moore (1962-), and it is because of her that the name rose in popularity in the United States in the late 1980s. Though some sources claim Moore's birth name is Demetria, the actress herself has said she was born as Demi and named after a makeup product. The name received a further boost after 2008 with the release of the debut album by the singer Demi Lovato (1992-), who pronounces the name differently than the older actress. Lovato's birth name is Demetria.

From the name of the fourth letter in the Greek alphabet, Δ. It is also the name for an island formed at the mouth of a river.

From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "valley town" in Old English. A notable bearer of the surname was John Dalton (1766-1844), the English chemist and physicist who theorized about the existence of atoms.

Originally a short form of names containing the element dag "day".

From the name of the flower, which was named for the Swedish botanist Anders Dahl.

From the Old Norse name Dagný, which was derived from the elements dagr "day" and nýr "new".

From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name in Cumbria, of Brythonic origin meaning "trickling stream".

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

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

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

From the English word meaning "greenish blue, cyan", ultimately derived from Greek κύανος (kyanos).

Transferred use of the surname Corliss.

Either a French form of Koralia, or a derivative of Latin corallium "coral" (see Coral).

Feminine form of Colby. A known bearer is the American singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat (1985-).

Contemporary spelling, via the Latinized form Clodovicus, of the Germanic name Hludwig (see Ludwig). Clovis was a Frankish king who united the Franks under his rule in the 5th century. The name was subsequently borne by two further Merovingian kings.

From the English word for the wild flower, ultimately deriving from Old English clafre.

Short form of Cleopatra, Cleon or Cleopas.

From an English surname that originally referred to a person who lived near or worked with clay. This name can also be a short form of Clayton.

French masculine and feminine form of Claudius. In France the masculine name has been common since the Middle Ages due to the 7th-century Saint Claude of Besançon. It was imported to Britain in the 16th century by the aristocratic Hamilton family, who had French connections. A famous bearer of this name was the French impressionist painter Claude Monet (1840-1926).

Spanish and Hungarian form of Cynthia.

Roman cognomen of uncertain meaning. This was the name of a Roman politician who was the father-in-law of Julius Caesar.

Means "sky" in French. It is not used as a given name in France itself.

From the stem of Okinawan adjective 美/清らさん (churasan) meaning "beautiful, lovely," cognate to Japanese 清ら (kiyora), an archaic term referring to elegant and dazzling beauty, otherwise the stem of 清らか (kiyoraka) meaning "clean, pure, chaste."
For the final element, any kanji that can be read as ra is used, like 楽 meaning "comfort, ease" or 良 meaning "good." When written after 美, any kanji that evokes an image can also be used, e.g. 心, normally read as kokoro meaning "heart, mind." As for the initial element, aside from 美, any single or multiple kanji whose readings can be shifted to chu can be used, such as 宙 meaning "space, air" or 千由, from 千 meaning "thousand" and 由 meaning "reason, cause."

This name is rarely used.

Ancient Greek name derived from Greek χρηστός (chrestos) meaning "useful, good".

Diminutive of Chòcemira.

From Chlodovechus, a Latinized form of the Germanic name Hludwig (see Ludwig).

Means "lantern" in Kurdish.

From the name of the Asian country, ultimately derived from Qin, the name of a dynasty that ruled there in the 3rd century BC.

From Sino-Vietnamese 珠 (châu) meaning "pearl, gem".

French feminine diminutive of Charles. It was introduced to Britain in the 17th century. It was the name of a German-born 18th-century queen consort of Great Britain and Ireland. Another notable bearer was Charlotte Brontë (1816-1855), the eldest of the three Brontë sisters and the author of Jane Eyre and Villette. A famous fictional bearer is the spider in the children's novel Charlotte's Web (1952) by E. B. White.

This name was fairly common in France, England and the United States in the early 20th century. It became quite popular in France and England at the end of the 20th century, just when it was at a low point in the United States. It quickly climbed the American charts and entered the top ten in 2014.

Feminine form of Charles using the popular Afrikaans name suffix ize. This name was popularized by South African actress Charlize Theron (1975-), who was named after her father Charles.

Diminutive or feminine form of Charles. A famous bearer was the British comic actor Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977). It is also borne by Charlie Brown, the main character in the comic strip Peanuts by Charles Schulz.

Ancient Greek feminine form of Chares. This was the word (in the singular) for one of the three Graces (plural Χάριτες).

This is also a Modern Greek transcription of the masculine form Chares.

After the herb used for tea. Ultimately from Greek khamaimēlon "earth apple", because the flowers smell reminiscent of apples.

Means "cherry" in French.

Means "holly" in Welsh. It appears briefly in the Welsh tale Culhwch and Olwen [1], belonging to a son of Caw, but was not typically used as a given name until the 20th century.

Italian feminine and masculine form of Caelestis. It is also the Portuguese, Spanish and English feminine form.

Variant of Selene.

Invented by Walter Scott for a character in his novel Ivanhoe (1819). Apparently he based it on the actual name Cerdic, the name of the semi-legendary founder of the kingdom of Wessex in the 6th century. The meaning of Cerdic is uncertain, but it does not appear to be Old English in origin. It could be connected to the Brythonic name Caratācos. The name was also used by Frances Hodgson Burnett for the main character in her novel Little Lord Fauntleroy (1886).

Feminine form of Cecil.