Bertie2's Personal Name List

Latinized form of Κυθέρεια (Kythereia) meaning "woman from Cythera". This was an epithet of Aphrodite, given because she was born on the island of Cythera (according to some Greek legends).

Latin form of Greek Κῦρος (Kyros), from the Old Persian name 𐎤𐎢𐎽𐎢𐏁 (Kuruš), possibly meaning "young" or "humiliator (of the enemy)" [1]. Alternatively it could be of Elamite origin. The name has sometimes been associated with Greek κύριος (kyrios) meaning "lord".

The most notable bearer of the name was Cyrus the Great, the founder of the Achaemenid Persian Empire in the 6th century BC. He is famous in the Old Testament for freeing the captive Jews and allowing them to return to Israel after his conquest of Babylon. As an English name, it first came into use among the Puritans after the Protestant Reformation.

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.

French feminine form of Cyril.

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.

Croatian and Serbian form of Cvetka.

Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan and Romanian form of Christina.

From Middle Welsh Creidylat, of uncertain meaning, possibly from craidd "heart, center" or crau "blood" combined with dylad "flood". In the Welsh tale Culhwch and Olwen this is the name of the beautiful daughter of Lludd Llaw Ereint, loved by both Gwyn and Gwythyr. Her name is allegedly the basis for Cordelia.

Portuguese and Spanish form of Cosmas.

Dutch form of Cornelius.

Portuguese form of Cornelius.

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

Possibly derived from Latin conserere meaning "to sow, to plant". Consus was a Roman god of the harvest and grain.

Dutch form of Constantinus (see Constantine).

Medieval form of Constantia. The Normans introduced this name to England (it was the name of a daughter of William the Conqueror).

Means "rule of a wolf", from Old Irish cú "hound, dog, wolf" (genitive con) and fal "rule" [2]. This is the name of several characters in Irish legend including the hero Conall Cernach ("Conall of the victories"), a member of the Red Branch of Ulster, who avenged Cúchulainn's death by killing Lugaid.

Short form of Nicolette. Saint Colette was a 15th-century French nun who gave her money to the poor. This was also the pen name of the French author Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette (1873-1954).

Latinized form of Koios.

From Romanian codru meaning "forest", a word of uncertain origin.

Variant of Clotilde.

Latinized form of Kleio.

Feminine form of Clement.

Latinized form of Greek Κίρκη (Kirke), possibly from κίρκος (kirkos) meaning "hawk". In Greek mythology Circe was a sorceress who changed Odysseus's crew into hogs, as told in Homer's Odyssey. Odysseus forced her to change them back, then stayed with her for a year before continuing his voyage.

Derived from Irish ciar meaning "black". In Irish legend Ciar was a son of Fergus mac Róich and Medb, and the ancestor of the tribe of the Ciarraige (after whom County Kerry is named). As a feminine name, it was borne by an Irish nun (also called Ciara) who established a monastery in Tipperary in the 7th century.

Means "golden mouth", from Greek χρυσός (chrysos) meaning "gold" and στόμα (stoma) meaning "mouth". This was an epithet applied to eloquent orators, notably Saint John Chrysostom, a 4th-century archbishop of Constantinople.

Swedish variant of Christian.

Variant of Kristen 1.

Derived from Greek χλωρός (chloros) meaning "pale green". Chloris, in Greek mythology, was a minor goddess of vegetation.

From Japanese 千 (chi) meaning "thousand" and 鶴 (tsuru) meaning "crane (bird)". A Japanese legend says that a person who folds a thousand origami cranes within one year will be granted a wish.

From Japanese 千 (chi) meaning "thousand" and 代 (yo) meaning "generation" and 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other combinations of kanji characters are possible.

Means "shield hand" in Nahuatl, derived from chīmalli "shield" and māitl "hand". This was the name of an Aztec goddess who was the mother of Quetzalcoatl and Xolotl.

From Japanese 千 (chi) meaning "thousand" and 尋 (hiro) meaning "fathom, armspan", as well as other kanji combinations. This is the name of the main character in the Japanese animated movie Spirited Away (2001).

Means "kindness, goodness" in Hebrew.

Modern Hebrew form of Eve.

From a Slavic word meaning "black".

Swedish variant of Charlotte.

From Greek χάρις (charis) meaning "grace, kindness" and κλέος (kleos) meaning "glory". This is the name of the heroine of the 3rd-century novel Aethiopica, about the love between Charikleia and Theagenes, written by Heliodorus of Emesa.

Means "happiness, joy" in Greek.

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".

Means "beautiful Chang", from Chinese 嫦 (Chang), a character that refers to the goddess herself, combined with 娥 (é) meaning "beautiful, good". In Chinese mythology this is the name of a goddess of the moon, the wife of the archer Hou Yi. Her original name 姮娥 (Heng'e) was changed to avoid the taboo of sharing a homophonic character with the 2nd-century BC Emperor Wen of Han (personal name Heng).

Derived from the Hebrew word חַיִּים (chayim) meaning "life". It has been used since medieval times.

Romanian feminine form of Caesar.

Portuguese feminine form of Caesarius.

French, Spanish and Portuguese form of Caesar. A famous bearer was the American labour organizer César Chávez (1927-1993).

Means "cherry" in French.

Derived from the Indo-European root *ker- meaning "grow, increase". In Roman mythology Ceres was the goddess of agriculture, equivalent to the Greek goddess Demeter.

Means "gazelle" in Turkish (probably of Mongolian origin, originally referring to the Mongolian gazelle, the zeren).

Latinized form of the Greek Κηφεύς (Kepheus), which is of unknown meaning. In Greek legend he was a king of Ethiopia, the husband of Cassiopeia. After he died he was made into a constellation and placed in the sky.

Latinized form of the Greek Κέφαλος (Kephalos), which was derived from κεφαλή (kephale) meaning "head". In Greek legend he remained faithful to his wife Procris even though he was pursued by the goddess Eos.

Means "paradise, garden" in Turkish, derived from Arabic جنّة (janna).

French feminine form of Caelinus. This name can also function as a short form of Marceline.

Feminine form of Caelinus. This name can also function as a short form of Marcelina.

French feminine form of Caelestinus.

French feminine and masculine form of Caelestis.

Derived from Slavic čędo "child" and mirŭ "peace, world".

Norwegian and Danish form of Cecilia, as well as a Czech variant of Cecílie.

Older German form of Cecilia.

Scandinavian contracted form of Katherine.

French form of Katherine, and also a common English variant.

Romanian form of Katherine.

Romanian masculine form of Katherine.

Possibly a variant of Cassiel. It is the name of an angel in the grimoire the Heptameron, a work that is sometimes (probably incorrectly) attributed to the 13th-century philosopher Pietro d'Abano. It was also the name of a character (an angel) on the American television series Supernatural (2005-2020). The creator Eric Kripke chose it after an internet search revealed that Castiel was an angel associated with Thursdays, the day the show aired [1].

Latinized form of Greek Κασσιόπεια (Kassiopeia) or Κασσιέπεια (Kassiepeia), possibly meaning "cassia juice". In Greek myth Cassiopeia was the wife of Cepheus and the mother of Andromeda. She was changed into a constellation and placed in the northern sky after she died.

From Hebrew קַפצִיאֵל (Qaftsiʾel), of uncertain meaning. Suggested meanings include "leap of God", "drawn together by God" or "wrath of God". This is the name of an angel in medieval Jewish, Christian and Islamic mysticism.

Dutch and Scandinavian form of Jasper. This is the name of a friendly ghost in an American series of cartoons and comic books (beginning 1945).

Latin variant of Jasper.

Spanish, Portuguese and Italian form of Casimir.

Dutch feminine form of Carel.

Feminine form of Carlo, Carlos or Carl.

Derived from Latin caritas meaning "dearness, esteem, love".

French form of Carina 1. It can also function as a short form of Catherine, via Swedish Karin.

Derived from Latin cardo meaning "hinge, axis". This was the name of the Roman goddess of thresholds, door pivots, and change.

From the name of the flowering shrub, which was named for the botanist and missionary Georg Josef Kamel.

From camelie, the Romanian spelling of camellia (see Camellia).

Latinized form of Kalliope.

Means "god of wealth", from Chinese 财 (cái) meaning "wealth, riches" and 神 (shén) meaning "god". This is the name of a Chinese god of wealth.

Javanese variant form of Cahaya.

Means "light" in Malay and Indonesian, ultimately from Sanskrit छाया (chāyā).

Latinized form of Greek Κάδμος (Kadmos), of uncertain meaning. In Greek mythology Cadmus was the son of the Phoenician king Agenor. He was sent by his father to rescue his sister Europa, who had been abducted by Zeus, although he did not succeed in retrieving her. According to legend, Cadmus founded the city of Thebes and introduced the alphabet to Greece.

Alternate transcription of Arabic برهان الدين (see Burhan ad-Din), as well as the Indonesian, Malay and Dari Persian form.

From Persian بلند (boland) meaning "high, mighty".

Means "moon" (or "month") in Indonesian.

German form of Brunhild, used when referring to the character from the Nibelungenlied.

Feminine form of Bruno.

Scandinavian short form of Birgitta.

Portuguese and Spanish form of Bridget.

From Old Irish bríg meaning "might, power". This was the name of a daughter of the Irish god Dagda.

Means "brunette" in Yiddish.

Means "white raven" from Old Welsh bran "raven" and gwen "white, blessed". According to the Second Branch of the Mabinogi [1] she was the daughter of Llŷr. After she was mistreated by her husband Matholwch, the king of Ireland, she managed to get a message to her brother Brân, the king of Britain. Brân launched a costly invasion to rescue her, but she died of grief shortly after her return.

Form of Bronisław in several languages.

Means "crocus" in Romanian.

Means "raven" in Welsh. According to the Second Branch of the Mabinogi [1], Brân the Blessed (called Bendigeidfran) was a giant king of Britain. He was the son of the divine figure Llŷr. After his sister Branwen was mistreated by her husband the Irish king Matholwch, Brân led an attack on Ireland (the text says that he was so big he was able to wade there). Although victorious, the British lost all except seven men with Brân being mortally wounded by a poisoned spear. He asked the survivors to cut of his head and return with it to Britain. The head continued to speak for many years until it was buried in London.

Unaccented variant of Brân. This is also the Middle Welsh form.

Serbian form of Bořivoj.

Old Norse form of Borghild.

Means "thunderstorm" in Turkish.

Derived from the Slavic elements bogŭ "god" and mirŭ "peace, world".

Czech, Slovak and Ukrainian form of Bogdan, as well as a Polish variant.

From the Old Norse name Bóthildr, derived from bót "remedy" and hildr "battle".

From Yiddish בלום (blum) meaning "flower".

Means "flowers" in Welsh. This was the original name of Blodeuwedd.

Derived from Czech and Slovak blažený meaning "blissful, happy, blessed", ultimately from Old Slavic *bolgŭ "good, pleasant".

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.

From the Roman name Blasius, which was derived from Latin blaesus meaning "lisping". Saint Blaise was a 4th-century Armenian martyr. A famous bearer was the French mathematician and philosopher Blaise Pascal (1623-1662).

Manx form of Bláthnat.

From the Old Norse elements bjǫrn "bear" and herr "army, warrior". This name was coined in the 19th century [1].

Danish and Norwegian form of Björn.

Latvian form of Birutė.

Most likely a Scandinavian form of Bridget via the Latinized form Brigitta. Alternatively it could be a feminine derivative of Birger. This is the name of the patron saint of Europe, Birgitta of Sweden, the 14th-century founder of the Bridgettine nuns. Her father's name was Birger.

Alternate transcription of Bengali বিজয় (see Bijay).

Nepali and Bengali form of Vivek.

Means "terrible, formidable" in Sanskrit. In the Hindu epic the Mahabharata this is the name of the second son of Pandu, and thus one of the five Pandavas. His true father was the wind god Vayu. He was known for his terrific strength and skill as a warrior.

Diminutive of Beyle. This is the name of a daughter of Tevye in late 19th-century Yiddish stories by Sholem Aleichem, on which the musical Fiddler on the Roof was based.

French form of Berthild.

Hungarian form of Bartholomew.

Means "clear" in Turkish.

German, Dutch and Scandinavian form of Bernard.

Derived from the Old German element bern "bear" combined with hart "hard, firm, brave, hardy". The Normans brought it to England, where it replaced the Old English cognate Beornheard. This was the name of several saints, including Saint Bernard of Menthon who built hospices in the Swiss Alps in the 10th century, and Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, a 12th-century theologian and Doctor of the Church. Other famous bearers include the Irish playwright and essayist George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) and the British World War II field marshal Bernard Montgomery (1887-1976).

Variant of Berit.

Variant of Birgit.

Means "strong, smart" in Turkish.

From the Hebrew name בִּןְיָמִין (Binyamin) meaning "son of the south" or "son of the right hand", from the roots בֵּן (ben) meaning "son" and יָמִין (yamin) meaning "right hand, south". Benjamin in the Old Testament was the twelfth and youngest son of Jacob and the founder of one of the southern tribes of the Hebrews. He was originally named בֶּן־אוֹנִי (Ben-ʾoni) meaning "son of my sorrow" by his mother Rachel, who died shortly after childbirth, but it was later changed by his father (see Genesis 35:18).

As an English name, Benjamin came into general use after the Protestant Reformation. A famous bearer was Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790), an American statesman, inventor, scientist and philosopher.

Romanian and Polish form of Benjamin, as well as the form used in the Greek and Latin Bibles.

Swedish feminine form of Benedict.

Yiddish form of Benedict.

Portuguese feminine form of Benedict.

Hungarian form of Benedictus (see Benedict).

Latvian form of Benedictus (see Benedict).

Portuguese diminutive of Isabel.

Means "reflection of the moon on a lake" in Turkish [1].

Means "worthless" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this term is used to refer to various wicked people. In the New Testament, Paul uses it as a name for Satan. In later Christian tradition Belial became an evil angel associated with lawlessness and lust.

Latinized form of Gaulish Belenos or Belinos, possibly from Celtic roots meaning either "bright, brilliant" (from Indo-European *bhel-) or "strong" (from Indo-European *bel-) [1]. This was the name of a Gaulish god who was often equated with Apollo. He is mostly known from Gallo-Roman inscriptions and was especially venerated in Aquileia in northern Italy.

Turkish form of Bahram.

Means "reputable" in Persian, from به (beh) meaning "good, excellent" and نام (nām) meaning "name".

Latvian form of Beatrix.

Means "festival" in Turkish.

Means "hero" in Tagalog.

Means "goddess" in Indonesian, derived from the Sanskrit noble title भट्टारी (bhaṭṭārī) meaning "noble lady".

Belarusian form of Boris.

From the Hebrew name בָּרוּך (Baruḵ) meaning "blessed". In the Old Testament this is the name of a companion of the prophet Jeremiah, acting as his scribe and assistant. The deuterocanonical Book of Baruch was supposedly written by him. A famous bearer was Baruch Spinoza (1632-1677), a Dutch-Jewish rationalist philosopher.

Slovak and Croatian form of Bartholomew.

Meaning unknown. In Christian legends Barlaam (recorded as Greek Βαρλαάμ) was a 3rd-century hermit who converted Josaphat, the son of an Indian king, to Christianity. The story is based on that of the Buddha. This name was also borne by two saints.

Variant of Bernhard.

Means "opener, discoverer" in Arabic, from the root بقر (baqara) meaning "to split open" [1]. Muhammad al-Baqir was the fifth imam of the Shia Muslims.

From Sino-Vietnamese 寶 (bảo) meaning "treasure, jewel".

Variant of Belshazzar. Balthazar is the name traditionally assigned to one of the wise men (also known as the Magi, or three kings) who visited the newborn Jesus. He was said to have come from Arabia. This name was utilized by Shakespeare for minor characters in The Comedy of Errors (1594) and The Merchant of Venice (1596).

Meaning uncertain. In Irish mythology Balor was a giant king of the Fomorians. He had an evil eye that could destroy opposing armies, though it took four men to pull open the eyelid. In battle with the Tuatha Dé Danann he slew their king Nuada, but was himself killed when the hero Lugh shot a stone into his eye.

From Sanskrit बल (bala) meaning "strength, might" and देव (deva) meaning "god". Baladeva is another name of Balarama, the older brother of Krishna.

Turkish form of Baqir. It coincides with the Turkish word bakır meaning "copper".

Modern Persian form of Avestan 𐬬𐬆𐬭𐬆𐬚𐬭𐬀𐬖𐬥𐬀 (Vərəthraghna) meaning "victory over resistance". This was the name of a Zoroastrian god (one of the Amesha Spenta) associated with victory and war. It was also borne by several Sasanian emperors. It is also the Persian name for the planet Mars.

Belarusian form of Bogdan.

Means "spring" in Persian, Turkish and Azerbaijani.

Means "hero, warrior" in Persian (of Turkic origin).

Turkish form of Persian بهادر (bahādor), itself from Turkic bagatur meaning "hero, warrior".

Armenian form of Balthazar.

Variant of Azarel. This is the name of an angel in Jewish and Islamic tradition who separates the soul from the body upon death. He is sometimes referred to as the Angel of Death.

Means "virgin, maiden" in Arabic.

Perhaps a form of Azalaïs. It was borne by Saint Marie-Azélie Guérin (1831-1877), also called Zélie, the mother of Thérèse of Lisieux.

Alternate transcription of Kazakh Айзере (see Aizere).

Derived from Turkish ay meaning "moon" and sima meaning "face" (of Persian origin).

Alternate transcription of Kyrgyz Айнура (see Ainura).

Means "moonlight" in Turkish, Azerbaijani and Uyghur, ultimately from Turkic ay meaning "moon" and Arabic نور (nūr) meaning "light".

French form of Aimeric.

Old French form of Aimeric. This is the name of a hero in medieval French romance, Aymeri de Narbonne.

Derived from the Turkic element ay meaning "moon" combined with Persian گل (gol) meaning "flower, rose". In some languages this is also a name for a variety of flowering plant that grows in central Asia (species Fritillaria eduardii).

Derived from Turkish ay meaning "moon" and berk meaning "mighty, firm, solid".

Alternate transcription of Kyrgyz/Kazakh Айбек (see Aibek).

Means "beautiful moon", derived from Kazakh ай (ay) meaning "moon" and ару (aru) meaning "beauty".

From Japanese 彩 (aya) meaning "colour", 綾 (aya) meaning "design" or 絢 (aya) meaning "brilliant fabric design, kimono design" combined with 音 (ne) meaning "sound". Other kanji combinations are possible.

From Japanese 彩 (aya) meaning "colour", 綾 (aya) meaning "design" or 絢 (aya) meaning "brilliant fabric design, kimono design" combined with 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other combinations of kanji characters are also possible.

From Japanese 彩 (aya) meaning "colour" combined with 花 (ka) or 華 (ka) both meaning "flower". Other kanji combinations are possible.

From Japanese 彩 (aya) meaning "colour", 綾 (aya) meaning "design", or other kanji characters with the same pronunciation.

Means "dawn" in Akkadian. In Akkadian mythology this was the name of the goddess of the dawn, associated with sexual appeal and beauty. She was the consort of the sun god Shamash. The Babylonians sometimes called her kallatum meaning "the bride".

Meaning uncertain, possibly from a place name Awilizapan, or possibly from a Q'eqchi' Maya word meaning "swallow (bird)" [1]. This was the name of the K'iche' Maya goddess of the moon, night and death.

Greek form of Aura.

Modern Hebrew form of Abigail.

Hebrew form of Abidan.

Modern Hebrew form of Abijah.

Means "good news" in Armenian.

Western Armenian transcription of Avetis.

Means "voice, sound" in Persian.

Latvian cognate of Aušra.

Means "to weave" in Lithuanian. This was the name of the Lithuanian goddess of bees.

Means "dawn" in Lithuanian.

Means "dawn" in Latvian.

Romanian diminutive of Aurelia.

Romanian form of Aurelianus, as well as the usual English form when referring to the Roman emperor.

Slovak, Hungarian and Portuguese feminine form of Aurelius, as well as a French variant of Aurélie.

Form of Augustinus (see Augustine 1) in several languages.

Means "fearless", derived from the Greek negative prefix ἀ (a) and τρέω (treo) meaning "to fear, to flee". In Greek mythology, Atreus was a king of Mycenae and the father of Agamemnon and Menelaus.

Old Norse form of Attila, used in the Norse Völsungasaga to refer to a fictional version of Attila the Hun.

Feminine form of Atif.

Variant of Athena.

Short form of Athanasios.

Variant of Atum.

Means "crown" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament Atarah is a minor character, the wife of Jerahmeel.

Hebrew form of Atarah.

Romanian form of Athanasius.

From Turkmen ata meaning "father, ancestor" combined with the suffix jan meaning "dear, darling" (of Persian origin).

From the Turkic noble title atabeg, derived from ata meaning "father, ancestor" and beg meaning "chieftain, master".

Greek form of Astraea.

Feminine form of Asterios (see Asterius). In Greek mythology Asteria was a daughter of the Titans Phoebe and Coeus.

Short form of Astrid.

Variant of Asmodeus.

Danish form of Aslaug.

Derived from Turkish aslan meaning "lion" combined with the Turkic military title beg meaning "chieftain, master".

Old Norse form of Ask.

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.

Norwegian form of Asger.

Possibly of Scythian origin meaning "blue". In Turkic mythology Asena was a grey wolf who gave birth to the ancestor of the Ashina tribe of Turks.

From Arabic عسل (ʿasal) meaning "honey".

Swedish form of Ásbjǫrn.

Norwegian and Danish form of Ásbjǫrn.

Reconstructed Egyptian form of Osiris.

Turkish, Azerbaijani and Uyghur form of Arezou.

Means "beautiful soul" in Kazakh.

Norwegian form of Arnfinnr, which was derived from the elements ǫrn "eagle" and finnr "Sámi, person from Finland".

Breton and French form of the Old Welsh name Arthmail, which was composed of the elements arth "bear" and mael "prince, chieftain". This was the name of a 6th-century Welsh saint who founded abbeys in Brittany.

Means "white, clear" in Sanskrit. In the Hindu epic the Mahabharata this is the name of one of the five Pandavas, the sons of Pandu. He was actually fathered by the god Indra and Pandu's wife Kunti. Arjuna was known as a skilled archer.

The Bhagavad Gita (a part of the Mahabharata) takes the form of a philosophical dialogue between Arjuna and Krishna.

From Sanskrit अरित्र (aritra) meaning "propelling, an oar".

French and Italian form of Aristides.

Possibly a variant of Harald or Arnold.

Means "lion of God" in Hebrew, from אֲרִי (ʾari) meaning "lion" and אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". In the Old Testament it is used as another name for the city of Jerusalem. Shakespeare utilized it for a spirit in his play The Tempest (1611) and Alexander Pope utilized it for a sylph in his poem The Rape of the Lock (1712), and one of the moons of Uranus bears this name in his honour. As an English name, it became more common for females in the 1980s, especially after it was used for the title character in the Disney film The Little Mermaid (1989).

Probably means "silver wheel" from Welsh arian "silver" and rhod "wheel". According to the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi [1], Arianrhod was the mother of the twins Dylan and Lleu Llaw Gyffes, whom she spontaneously birthed when she stepped over a magical wand. It is speculated that in earlier myths she may have been a goddess of the moon.

Means "most holy", composed of the Greek prefix ἀρι (ari) meaning "most" combined with Cretan Greek ἀδνός (adnos) meaning "holy". In Greek mythology, Ariadne was the daughter of King Minos. She fell in love with Theseus and helped him to escape the Labyrinth and the Minotaur, but was later abandoned by him. Eventually she married the god Dionysus.

Alternate transcription of Persian آرزو (see Arezou).

Means "like the sun" in Armenian.

Western Armenian transcription of Arevik.

Unknown

Means "sun, bright" in Armenian (a poetic word).

Persian form of Arif.

Meaning unknown. This was the Avestan name for Anahita.

Middle Persian form of Old Persian Artaxšaça (see Artaxerxes). This was the name of a 3rd-century king of Persia who defeated the Parthians and founded the Sasanian Empire. He also reestablished Zoroastrianism as the state religion.

Probably derived from Greek ἀρδάλιον (ardalion) meaning "water pot". This was the name of a 4th-century saint and martyr from Asia Minor.

From the name of an Armenian river, also called the Aras.

Variant of Arianrhod.

Meaning uncertain. According to the 5th-century Armenian historian Movses Khorenatsi this was the name of an ancient ancestor of the Armenian people. A famous bearer was the composer Aram Khachaturian (1903-1978).

Meaning unknown, possibly of Sumerian origin. In Armenian legend this was the name of an Armenian king who was so handsome that the Assyrian queen Semiramis went to war to capture him. During the war Ara was slain.

From Sanskrit अपराजित (aparājita) meaning "unconquered".

From Old Irish Aífe, derived from oíph meaning "beauty" (modern Irish aoibh). This was the name of several characters in Irish legend, including a woman at war with Scáthach (her sister in some versions). She was defeated in single combat by the hero Cúchulainn, who spared her life on the condition that she bear him a child (Connla). Another legendary figure by this name appears in the Children of Lir as the jealous third wife of Lir.

This name is sometimes Anglicized as Eve or Eva.

Uzbek, Tajik, Kyrgyz and Tatar form of Anwar.

Belarusian and Lithuanian feminine form of Antoninus.

Hungarian form of Antonius (see Anthony).

Feminine form of Anselm.

Variant of Annika.

Combination of Anne 1 and Sophie.

Combination of Anna and Marie.

German diminutive of Anna or short form of Anneliese.

Combination of Anne 1 and Laure.

Dutch diminutive of Anna.

Variant of Arnbjørg.

Variant of Annabel. It can also be interpreted as a combination of Anna and French belle "beautiful".

Spanish, Portuguese, Croatian and Slovene diminutive of Ana.

Romanian diminutive of Ana.

Feminine form of Anis.

Derived from Sanskrit अनिल (anila) meaning "air, wind".

Often from Sino-Vietnamese 英 (anh) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero". This name is frequently combined with a middle name to create a compound name; the meaning of Anh can change depending on the Sino-Vietnamese characters underlying the compound.

Hungarian form of Angelica.

French form of Angelica.

Dutch form of Angélique.

Croatian form of Andrew, as well as a Georgian short form of Andria.

Latvian form and Hungarian diminutive of Andrew.

Norwegian feminine form of Andreas.

Romanian feminine form of Andrew.

Possibly a feminine form of Andrei.

Scandinavian form of Andreas (see Andrew). A famous bearer was the Swedish physicist Anders Jonas Ångström (1814-1874).

Variant of Anat 1.

Greek form of Anat 1.

Means "blooming pomegranate tree" in Kazakh.

From Kazakh and Kyrgyz анар (anar) meaning "pomegranate", a word ultimately derived from Persian.

Variant of Anara.

Reconstructed Egyptian form of Anubis.

Means "infinite, endless" in Sanskrit. This is an epithet of the Hindu god Vishnu.

Means "cloud" in Hebrew. This name is mentioned very briefly in the Old Testament.

Greek form of Anahita.

Meaning uncertain, possibly a derivative of Anne 1 or Agnès. It was used in Jean-Henri Guy's opera Anacréon chez Polycrate (1798), where it is borne by the daughter (otherwise unnamed in history) of the 6th-century BC tyrant Polycrates of Samos. Guy could have adapted it from a classical name such as Anaitis or Athénaïs.

A famous bearer was the Cuban-French writer Anaïs Nin (1903-1977), known for her diaries.

Means "immaculate, undefiled" in Old Persian, from the Old Iranian prefix *an- "not" combined with *āhita "unclean, dirty". This was the name of an Iranian goddess of fertility and water. In the Zoroastrian religious texts the Avesta she is called 𐬀𐬭𐬆𐬛𐬎𐬎𐬍 (Arəduuī) in Avestan, with 𐬀𐬥𐬁𐬵𐬌𐬙𐬀 (anāhita) appearing only as a descriptive epithet [1]. In origin she is possibly identical to the Indian goddess Saraswati. She has historically been identified with the Semitic goddess Ishtar and the Greek goddess Artemis.

Created in the 20th century, probably modelled on Breton names such as Gaëlle and Maëlle.

Latinized form of the Greek name Ἀνάκλητος (Anakletos), derived from ἀνάκλητος (anakletos) meaning "invoked". This was the name of the third pope.

Portuguese form of Annabel.

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.

Means "my truth" in Hebrew, a possessive form of אֱמֶת (ʾemeṯ) meaning "truth". In the Old Testament this is the name of the father of the prophet Jonah.

Means "treetop" in Hebrew.

Dhivehi form of Amina 1.

Means "north wind, winter storm" in Tagalog.

Means "my people are alive" in Hebrew.

Means "immortality" in Avestan. This was the name of a Zoroastrian goddess (one of the Amesha Spenta) associated with plants and long life. She was often mentioned with Haurvatat.

French form of Amadeus.

Georgian form of Ambrosios (see Ambrose).

Meaning uncertain, perhaps related to Latin amarus "bitter", or maybe from the Visigothic name Amalric. This was the name of a legendary saint who was said to have sailed across the Atlantic to a paradise. He is especially popular in Galicia and Asturias in Spain.

Alternate transcription of Arabic عمّار (see Ammar), as well as the usual Bosnian form.

From the Greek Ἀμάλθεια (Amaltheia), derived from μαλθάσσω (malthasso) meaning "to soften, to soothe". In Greek myth she was a nymph (in some sources a goat) who nursed the infant Zeus.

French form of Amabilis.

Means "sky, heaven, loftiness" in Arabic.

Norwegian form of Alfhild.

Danish form of Alfhild.

Feminine form of Alf 1.

Variant of Alf 1.

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.

Feminine form of Alon 1.

Bosnian feminine form of Al-Amir.

Bosnian form of Al-Amir.

Means "young woman" in Hebrew.

Dutch form of Adalhard.

Ancient Greek form of Alcyone.

Greek form of Alcestis.

Means "joyful" in Hebrew.

Latvian form of Alice.

Medieval short form of Adeline. As an English name, in modern times it has sometimes been regarded as a variant of Eileen. This was the name of a popular 1965 song by the French singer Christophe.

Uyghur elaboration of Alim using the suffix جان (jan) meaning "dear, darling" (of Persian origin).

Means "learned, expert, scholar" in Arabic.

French form of Eleanor.

Diminutive of Adelaide.

Belarusian form of Alexius.

Possibly derived from Arabic ألْف (ʾalf) meaning "thousand". Alternatively, it may be of Turkic origin.

From the Old Norse name Alfhildr, which was composed of the elements alfr "elf" and hildr "battle". In Scandinavian legend Alfhild was a maiden who disguised herself as a warrior in order to avoid marriage to King Alf. Her life was perhaps based on that of a 9th-century Viking pirate.

Elaborated form of Alexandra. This was the first name of Queen Victoria; her middle name was Victoria.

Feminine form of Alexander. In Greek mythology this was a Mycenaean epithet of the goddess Hera, and an alternate name of Cassandra. It was borne by several early Christian saints, and also by the wife of Nicholas II, the last tsar of Russia. She was from Germany and had the birth name Alix, but was renamed Александра (Aleksandra) upon joining the Russian Church.

Latinized form of the Greek name Ἀλέξανδρος (Alexandros), which meant "defending men" from Greek ἀλέξω (alexo) meaning "to defend, help" and ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man" (genitive ἀνδρός). In Greek mythology this was another name of the hero Paris, and it also belongs to several characters in the New Testament. However, the most famous bearer was Alexander the Great, king of Macedon. In the 4th century BC he built a huge empire out of Greece, Egypt, Persia, and parts of India. Due to his fame, and later medieval tales involving him, use of his name spread throughout Europe.

The name has been used by kings of Scotland, Poland and Yugoslavia, emperors of Russia, and eight popes. Other notable bearers include English poet Alexander Pope (1688-1744), American statesman Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804), Scottish-Canadian explorer Alexander MacKenzie (1764-1820), Russian poet Alexander Pushkin (1799-1837), and Alexander Graham Bell (1847-1922), the Scottish-Canadian-American inventor of the telephone.

Diminutive of Aliaksandra or Aleksandra.

Belarusian form of Helen.

Russian form of Alexius. This name was borne by a 14th-century Metropolitan of Kiev who is regarded as a saint in the Orthodox Church. It was also the name of a 17th-century tsar of Russia.

Diminutive of Alexandra.

Dutch and Spanish short form of Adelaide.

Latinized form of Greek Ἀληκτώ (Alekto), which was derived from ἄληκτος (alektos) meaning "unceasing". This was the name of one of the Furies or Ἐρινύες (Erinyes) in Greek mythology.

Latinized form of Greek Ἀλκυόνη (Alkyone), derived from the word ἀλκυών (alkyon) meaning "kingfisher". In Greek myth this name belonged to a daughter of Aeolus and the wife of Ceyx. After her husband was killed in a shipwreck she threw herself into the water, but the gods saved her and turned them both into kingfishers. This is also the name of the brightest of the Pleiades, a group of stars in the constellation Taurus, supposedly the daughters of Atlas and Pleione.

From the name of a mountain range (of unknown etymology) in northern Iran.

From the Roman cognomen Albanus, which meant "from Alba". Alba (from Latin albus "white") was the name of various places within the Roman Empire, including the city Alba Longa. This name was borne by Saint Alban, the first British martyr (4th century). According to tradition, he sheltered a fugitive priest in his house. When his house was searched, he disguised himself as the priest, was arrested in his stead, and was beheaded. Another 4th-century martyr by this name was Saint Alban of Mainz.

As an English name, Alban was occasionally used in the Middle Ages and was revived in the 18th century, though it is now uncommon.

Limburgish form of Albert. Its spelling has been influenced by the French pronunciation of Albert.

Belarusian form of Xenia.

Derived from Kazakh ақ (aq) meaning "white" and марал (maral) meaning "deer".

From Japanese 昭 (akira) meaning "bright", 明 (akira) meaning "bright" or 亮 (akira) meaning "clear". Other kanji with the same pronunciation can also form this name. A famous bearer was the Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998), given name written 明.

From Japanese 昭 (aki) meaning "bright, luminous" combined with 夫 (o) meaning "man, husband", 男 (o) meaning "male, man" or 雄 (o) meaning "hero, manly". Other kanji combinations are also possible.

From Japanese 明 (aki) or 昭 (aki) both meaning "bright" combined with 仁 (hito) meaning "compassionate". Other kanji combinations are possible. Akihito (1933-), name written 明仁, was the emperor of Japan from 1989 to 2019.

From Japanese 明 (aka) meaning "bright" or 朱 (aka) meaning "vermilion red" combined with 里 (ri) meaning "village" or 莉 (ri) meaning "white jasmine". Other combinations of kanji characters can also form this name.

Bosnian form of Aina 5.

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.

Means "golden moon" from Kazakh ай (ay) meaning "moon" and Persian زر (zar) meaning "gold".

Latvian form of Ivar. The Latvian author Vilis Lācis used it for a character in his novel Uz Jauno Krastu (1952).

Kyrgyz form of Aynur.

Means "the only one" in Finnish. In the Finnish epic the Kalevala this is the name of a girl who drowns herself when she finds out she must marry the old man Väinämöinen.

Variant of Aino. It also means "always" in Finnish.

From Japanese 愛 (ai) meaning "love, affection" and 菜 (na) meaning "vegetables, greens", as well as other character combinations.

Means "mirror" in Kazakh, ultimately from Persian آینه (āyneh).

From Japanese 愛 (ai) meaning "love, affection" and 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful". Other combinations of kanji characters are possible.

From Japanese 愛 (ai) meaning "love, affection" and 子 (ko) meaning "child", as well as other character combinations.

Old Irish form of Aoife.

Derived from Kazakh and Kyrgyz ай (ay) meaning "moon" combined with the Turkic military title beg meaning "chieftain, master".

Meaning unknown. This is the name of the Finnish god of the ocean, rivers and fishing.

Modern Persian form of Angra Mainyu.

Means "most commendable, most praiseworthy" in Arabic (a superlative form of Hamid 1).

Means "love" in Hebrew.

Serbian, Macedonian and Latvian form of Agnes.

Danish and Norwegian variant of Agnes.

Swedish variant of Agnes.

Danish and Norwegian variant of Agnes.

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.

Means "dove" in Armenian.

Swedish variant form of Agatha.

Means "legend, myth, fable" in Persian.

Russian and Ukrainian form of Athena.

Latinized form of Greek Αἰθήρ (Aither) meaning "ether, heaven", derived from αἴθω (aitho) meaning "to burn, to ignite". In Greek mythology this was the name of the god of light and the upper sky.

From the Greek Αἰσών (Aison), which is of unknown meaning. Aeson was the father of Jason in Greek mythology.

Latinized form of Aiolos.

Means "whirlwind" in Greek. In Greek myth this was the name of an Amazon warrior killed by Herakles during his quest for Hippolyta's girdle.

Means "small wave, ripple" in Hebrew.

Form of Hadrianus (see Hadrian) used in several languages. Several saints and six popes have borne this name, including the only English pope, Adrian IV, and the only Dutch pope, Adrian VI. As an English name, it has been in use since the Middle Ages, though it was not popular until modern times.

Feminine form of Adrastos. In Greek mythology this name was borne by a nymph who fostered the infant Zeus. This was also another name of the goddess Nemesis.

Hungarian form of Adrian.

From Phoenician 𐤀𐤃𐤍 (ʾadon) meaning "lord, master". In Greek myth Adonis was a handsome young shepherd killed while hunting a wild boar. The anemone flower is said to have sprung from his blood. Because he was loved by Aphrodite, Zeus allowed him to be restored to life for part of each year. The Greeks borrowed this character from Semitic traditions, originally Sumerian (see Dumuzi).

Means "settler" in Arabic. According to tradition, Adnan was an ancestor of the Prophet Muhammad and the northern Arabian tribes.

Feminine form of Adnan.

Meaning uncertain. It might be a variant of Amir 1 or it could be derived from Latin admiror meaning "admire".

Means "boundless, entire" or "freedom, security" in Sanskrit, derived from the negative prefix अ (a) and दिति (diti) meaning "giving". This is the name of a Hindu goddess of the cosmos, motherhood and fertility. According to the Vedas she is the mother of several of the gods.

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

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

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

Means "justice" in Kyrgyz and Kazakh, ultimately from Arabic عدل (ʿadala) meaning "to act justly".

Means "noble" in Hebrew.

Means "justice" in Turkish, ultimately from Arabic عدل (ʿadala) meaning "to act justly".

From Greek Ἀχελώιος (Acheloios), which is of unknown meaning, possibly of Semitic origin. This was the name of a Greek god of water and rivers, in particular the Achelous River in western Greece. He fought with (and was defeated by) Herakles for the hand of Deianeira.

From the Hebrew name אַבְשָׁלוֹם (ʾAvshalom) meaning "father is peace", derived from אָב (ʾav) meaning "father" and שָׁלוֹם (shalom) meaning "peace". In the Old Testament he is a son of King David. He avenged his sister Tamar by arranging the murder of her rapist, their half-brother Amnon. He later led a revolt against his father. While fleeing on the back of a mule he got his head caught in a tree and was killed by Joab.

Biblical Latin form of Abishai.

Greek form of Abigail.

Variant of Abigaïl.

Means "God is my father" in Hebrew, from אָב (ʾav) meaning "father" and אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". This was the name of the grandfather of Saul according to the Old Testament.

Means "my father has judged" in Hebrew, derived from אָב (ʾav) meaning "father" and דִּין (din) meaning "to judge". In the Old Testament he is a Benjamite prince.

First part of compound Arabic names beginning with عبد ال (ʿAbd al) meaning "servant of the" (such as عبد العزيز (ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz) meaning "servant of the powerful").

Means "servant of God" in Hebrew, from עֶבֶד (ʿeveḏ) meaning "servant, slave" and אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". In the Old Testament, this is the name of a member of the tribe of Gad. In John Milton's Paradise Lost (1667), this is the name of a seraph who withstands Satan when he urges the angels to revolt.

Old French form of Alice.