Bertie2's Personal Name List

From a common Irish surname, the Anglicized form of Ó Riain. This patronymic derives from the given name Rian, which is of uncertain meaning. It is traditionally said to mean "little king", from Irish rí "king" combined with a diminutive suffix.

In the United States this name steadily grew in popularity through the 1950s and 60s. It shot up the charts after the release of the 1970 movie Ryan's Daughter. Within a few years it was in the top 20 names, where it would stay for over three decades. Famous bearers include the Canadian actors Ryan Reynolds (1976-) and Ryan Gosling (1980-).

Russian and Ukrainian form of Reuben.

Form of Yeruslan used by Aleksandr Pushkin in his poem Ruslan and Ludmila (1820), which was loosely based on Russian and Tatar folktales of Yeruslan Lazarevich.

Icelandic form of Runar.

Maori form of Louisa.

Roman cognomen meaning "red-haired" in Latin. Several early saints had this name, including one mentioned in one of Paul's epistles in the New Testament. As a nickname it was used by William II Rufus, a king of England, because of his red hair. It came into general use in the English-speaking world after the Protestant Reformation.

Roman cognomen that was derived from the cognomen Rufus. It was borne by several early saints.

Feminine form of Rufinus. Rufina and Secunda were sister saints who were martyred in Rome in the 3rd century.

Means "happiness" in Shona [1].

From a place name meaning "red yard" in Old English. This name was borne by Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936), the author of The Jungle Book and other works, who was named after Rudyard Lake in Staffordshire.

Variant of Rosendo.

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].

Medieval variant of Rose.

Anglicized form of Ruadh. A notable bearer was the Scottish outlaw and folk hero Rob Roy (1671-1734). It is often associated with French roi "king".

From a Turkish nickname meaning "Ruthenian". This referred to the region of Ruthenia, covering Belarus, Ukraine and western Russia. Roxelana (1504-1558), also called Hürrem, was a slave and then concubine of Süleyman the Magnificent, sultan of the Ottoman Empire. She eventually became his wife and produced his heir, Selim II.

From a surname that was derived from an Old English place name meaning "horse spring".

From a Scottish and English surname that originally indicated a person from a place called Ross (such as the region of Ross in northern Scotland), derived from Gaelic ros meaning "promontory, headland". A famous bearer of the surname was James Clark Ross (1800-1862), an Antarctic explorer.

Old German form of Rosalind.

Diminutive of Rose.

Alternate transcription of Bulgarian Росица (see Rositsa).

Spanish form of the Visigothic name *Hroþisinþs, composed of the Gothic elements hroþs "fame" and sinþs "time". This was the name of a 10th-century Galician saint, also known as Rudesind.

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.

Means "golden rose", derived from Latin rosa "rose" and aurea "golden". This name was (first?) used by Pedro Calderón de la Barca for a character in his play Life Is a Dream (1635).

Derived from the Old German elements hros "horse" and munt "protection". This name was borne by the wife of the Lombard king Alboin in the 6th century. The Normans introduced it to England. It was subsequently interpreted as coming from Latin rosa munda "pure rose" or rosa mundi "rose of the world". This was the name of the mistress of Henry II, the king of England in the 12th century. According to legends she was murdered by his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine.

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).

Italian name meaning "white rose", derived from Latin rosa "rose" and alba "white". A famous bearer was the Venetian painter Rosalba Carriera (1675-1757).

Combination of Rosa 1 and the common name suffix bel, inspired by Latin bella "beautiful". This name was created in the 18th century.

Generally this can be considered to be from Latin rosa meaning "rose", though originally it may have come from the unrelated Germanic name Roza 2. This was the name of a 13th-century saint from Viterbo in Italy. In the English-speaking world it was first used in the 19th century. Famous bearers include the Polish-German revolutionary Rosa Luxemburg (1871-1919) and the American civil rights activist Rosa Parks (1913-2005).

Breton form of Robert.

Breton and Anglicized form of Rónán.

From Roma, the Latin name of the city of Rome, combined with a diminutive suffix. In Roman legend Romulus and Remus were the twin sons of Rhea Silvia and the god Mars. Romulus killed his brother when they argued about where to found Rome. According to the tale he gave the city its name, though in reality it was likely the other way around.

From an English surname that was derived from the name of various Norman towns, themselves from the given name Romilius.

Roman family name derived from the mythological name Romulus.

Means "famous battle" from the Germanic elements hruom "fame, glory" and hilt "battle".

Feminine form of Romanus (see Roman).

From the Late Latin name Romanus meaning "Roman". This name was borne by several early saints including a 7th-century bishop of Rouen, as well as medieval rulers of Bulgaria, Kyiv and Moldavia.

Latin form of Romeo.

Spanish form of Roland.

Latinized form of the medieval name Rohese (see Rose).

Norman French form of Hrodohaidis.

Derived from Sanskrit रोहण (rohaṇa) meaning "ascension".

Spanish form of the Late Latin name Rogellus or Rogelius. This was probably related to the Germanic name Hrodger (see Roger), perhaps a remnant of a Visigothic cognate. It has also been suggested that it could be derived from a diminutive of the Latin name Rogatus [1]. Saint Rogellus was a 9th-century martyr from Córdoba.

Latinized form of Rocco, used in occasionally German and Dutch.

From the Germanic name Hrodebert meaning "bright fame", derived from the elements hruod "fame" and beraht "bright". The Normans introduced this name to Britain, where it replaced the rare Old English cognate Hreodbeorht. It has been consistently among the most common English names from the 13th to 20th century. In the United States it was the most popular name for boys between 1924 and 1939 (and again in 1953).

This name has been borne by two kings of the Franks, two dukes of Normandy, and three kings of Scotland, including Robert the Bruce who restored the independence of Scotland from England in the 14th century. Several saints have also had the name, the earliest known as Saint Rupert, from an Old German variant. The author Robert Browning (1812-1889) and poets Robert Burns (1759-1796) and Robert Frost (1874-1963) are famous literary namesakes. Other bearers include Robert E. Lee (1807-1870), the commander of the Confederate army during the American Civil War, and American actors Robert Redford (1936-), Robert De Niro (1943-) and Robert Downey Jr. (1965-).

Means "singer" in Sanskrit.

Either a variant of Ríoghnach or a short form of Caitríona.

Short form of Caterina or Catharina as well as other names ending in rina.

From Sanskrit रीण (rīṇa) meaning "melted".

Derived from Arabic الرجل (al-Rijl) meaning "foot". This is the name of the star that forms the left foot of the constellation Orion.

Old Welsh form of Rhydderch.

Old German form of Richard.

Germanic name, possibly a feminine form of Ricohard, though it is likely the second element is gart "enclosure" (being more common as a second element in feminine names). This was the name of the 9th-century wife of the Frankish emperor Charles the Fat. She is regarded as a saint.

Means "meadows, gardens" in Arabic, the plural form of Rawda.

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.

From the Old Welsh name Riderch, probably derived from ri "king" combined with derch "exalted". Rhydderch Hael was a 6th-century king of Strathclyde. It has sometimes been Anglicized as Roderick.

From the Old Welsh name Rotri, derived from rod "wheel" and ri "king". This name was borne by several medieval Welsh rulers, including Rhodri the Great, a 9th-century king of Gwynedd.

From a surname, an Anglicized form of the Dutch de Raedt, derived from raet "advice, counsel". Margaret Mitchell used this name for the character Rhett Butler in her novel Gone with the Wind (1936).

Meaning unknown, perhaps related to ῥέω (rheo) meaning "to flow" or ἔρα (era) meaning "ground". In Greek mythology Rhea was a Titan, the wife of Cronus, and the mother of the Olympian gods Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Hera, Demeter and Hestia. Also, in Roman mythology a woman named Rhea Silvia was the mother of Romulus and Remus, the legendary founders of Rome.

From the Germanic name Raginhard, composed of the elements regin "advice, counsel, decision" and hart "hard, firm, brave, hardy". The Normans brought it to England in the form Reinard, though it never became very common there. In medieval fables the name was borne by the sly hero Reynard the Fox (with the result that renard has become a French word meaning "fox").

From Latin rex meaning "king". It has been used as a given name since the 19th century.

Means "one that moves" in Sanskrit. This is another name of the Hindu goddess Rati.

Means "behold, a son" in Hebrew, derived from רָאָה (raʾa) meaning "to see" and בֵּן (ben) meaning "son". In the Old Testament he is the eldest son of Jacob and Leah and the ancestor of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. Reuben was cursed by his father because he slept with Jacob's concubine Bilhah. It has been used as a Christian name in Britain since the Protestant Reformation.

From Hindi रेशम (resham) meaning "silk", ultimately of Persian origin.

Polish diminutive of Renata.

French form of Reynold. This name was used in medieval French literature for the hero Renaud de Montauban, a young man who flees with his three brothers from the court of Charlemagne after killing the king's nephew. Charlemagne pardons the brothers on the condition that they enter the Crusades. A loose version of the character also appears in medieval Italian extensions of the tales, in the Italian form Rinaldo.

Feminine form of Renatus.

French form of Reynard. Because of the medieval character Reynard the Fox, renard became a French word meaning "fox".

Meaning uncertain, possibly from Old Latin *yemos meaning "twin" with the initial consonant altered due to the influence of Romulus. In Roman legend the twin brothers Romulus and Remus were the founders of the city of Rome. Remus was later slain by his brother.

Variant of Jeremiel appearing in some versions of the Old Testament.

Means "queen" in Spanish.

From the Old Norse name Hreiðarr, which was derived from the elements hreiðr "nest, home" and herr "army, warrior".

Means "mercy, compassion" in Swahili, from Arabic رحْمة (raḥma).

Roman cognomen meaning "prince, little king", a diminutive of Latin rex "king". This was the cognomen of several 3rd-century BC consuls from the gens Atilia. It was also the name of several early saints. A star in the constellation Leo bears this name as well.

Means "rule" in Latin. This was the name of a 3rd-century Swiss martyr, the patron saint of Zurich.

Means "we were given" in Tswana, derived from filwe "given".

From the Hebrew name רִבְקָה (Rivqa), probably from a Semitic root meaning "join, tie, snare". This is the name of the wife of Isaac and the mother of Esau and Jacob in the Old Testament. It came into use as an English Christian name after the Protestant Reformation, and it was popular with the Puritans in the 17th century. It has been consistently used since then, becoming especially common in the second half of the 20th century.

This name is borne by a Jewish woman in Walter Scott's novel Ivanhoe (1819), as well as the title character (who is deceased and unseen) in Daphne du Maurier's novel Rebecca (1938).

From the Germanic name Raginheri, composed of the elements regin "advice, counsel, decision" and heri "army". Saint Rainerius was a 12th-century hermit from Pisa. The Normans brought this name to England where it came into general use, though it was rare by the end of the Middle Ages.

From the Germanic name Raginmund, composed of the elements regin "advice, counsel, decision" and munt "protection". The Normans introduced this name to England in the form Reimund. It was borne by several medieval (mostly Spanish) saints, including Saint Raymond Nonnatus, the patron of midwives and expectant mothers, and Saint Raymond of Peñafort, the patron of canonists.

Means "flower" in Mapuche.

From the name of an edible plant. It is borne by a long-haired young woman locked in a tower in an 1812 German fairy tale recorded by the Brothers Grimm. An evil sorceress gave her the name after she was taken as a baby from her parents, who had stolen the rapunzel plant from the sorceress's garden. The Grimms adapted the story from earlier tales (which used various names for the heroine).

Feminine form of Ramón. It was popularized in the English-speaking world by Helen Hunt Jackson's novel Ramona (1884), as well as several subsequent movies based on the book.

Latinized (Old Spanish) form of *Ranamers or possibly *Raginamers (see Ramiro).

Modern transcription of Ramesha.

Possibly a Georgian form of Ramadan. It appears in the 12th-century Georgian epic The Knight in the Panther's Skin.

From the name of the Hindu goddess Rama 2 (referring to Lakshmi) combined with Sanskrit देवी (devī) meaning "goddess".

Means "lord of the full moon" from Sanskrit राका (rākā) meaning "full moon" and ईश (īśa) meaning "lord, ruler".

Means "princess" in Sanskrit.

From Sanskrit राजीव (rājīva) meaning "striped". This is used to refer to the blue lotus in Hindu texts.

Bengali form of Rajiv.

Alternate transcription of Hindi/Marathi/Nepali राजीव, Malayalam രാജീവ് or Tamil ராஜிவ் (see Rajiv).

Means "king Rama", from Sanskrit राज (rāja) meaning "king" combined with the name Rama 1. This name was borne by a 17th-century ruler of the Maratha Empire.

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

Means "king, ruler", from Sanskrit राजन् (rājan).

Means "empire, royalty", from Sanskrit राज्य (rājya).

Variant of Reynard.

Alternate transcription of Bulgarian Райна (see Rayna 1).

From Japanese 雷 (rai) meaning "thunder" and 電 (den) meaning "lightning". This is a regional epithet of the Japanese god Raijin.

Feminine form of Rahim.

Romanian, Croatian and Serbian form of Rachel.

Old Norse name composed of the elements regin "advice, counsel" and valdr "ruler" (making it a cognate of Reynold).

Icelandic form of Ragnhild.

Old Norse name derived from the elements regin "advice, counsel" and bjǫrg "help, save, rescue".

Modern Scandinavian form of Ragnarr.

Old German form of Reynard.

Derived from the Old German elements regin "advice, counsel, decision" and beraht "bright". This was the name of an 8th-century Lombard king.

Means "swift" in Sanskrit. This is the name of a heroic king in Hindu epics, the great-grandfather of Rama.

Derived from Slavic radovati meaning "to make happy, to gladden".

Derived from the Slavic element radŭ "happy, willing" and mirŭ "peace, world".

Originally a diminutive of names beginning with the Slavic element radŭ meaning "happy, willing". In Poland it is usually a diminutive of Radosław.

Variant of Hraban.

Means "fresh, invigorating" in Hebrew.

From Sino-Vietnamese 瓊 (quỳnh) meaning "deep red". This is also the Vietnamese name for a variety of flowering plant (genus Epiphyllum).

From Sino-Vietnamese 貴 (quý) meaning "precious, valuable".

Possibly derived from Arabic قصي (qaṣī) meaning "distant" [1]. This was the name of an ancestor of the Prophet Muhammad who was in charge of a temple in Mecca.

Means "servant" in Azerbaijani. It is sometimes used as the second part of compound names.

Meaning uncertain, possibly a form of Kythereia. Saint Quiteria was a semi-legendary 2nd-century Iberian martyr.

Possibly derived from the Sabine word quiris meaning "spear". Quirinus was a Sabine and Roman god, sometimes identified with Romulus. He declined in importance after the early Republican era. The name was also borne by several early saints.

Italian, Portuguese and Spanish form of Quirinus.

Dutch feminine form of Quirinus.

Feminine form of Quirinus.

German form of Quirinus.

Dutch form of Quirinus.

Roman cognomen that was originally derived from Quintus.

Italian and Portuguese form of Quintinus (see Quentin).

Feminine form of Quintinus.

Roman cognomen derived from the given name Quintus.

Variant of Quinctilius.

From the Roman cognomen Quintilianus, earlier Quinctilianus, which was itself derived from the family name Quinctilius. A notable bearer was the 1st-century rhetorician Marcus Fabius Quintilianus, simply known as Quintilian in English.

Variant of Quintella inspired by the word quintessence, meaning "the fifth element", "aether". According to Medieval science, the quintessence was the material that filled the region of the universe beyond the terrestrial sphere. Later the word came to mean "a thing that is the most perfect example of its type".

Feminine diminutive of Quintus.

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, an Anglicized form of Ó Caoindealbháin, itself from the given name Caoindealbhán (Old Irish Caíndelbán).

From an English surname that was derived (via the place name Cuinchy) from the personal name Quintus. A famous bearer was John Quincy Adams (1767-1848), sixth president of the United States, who was born in the town of Quincy, Massachusetts. Both the town and the president were named after his maternal great-grandfather John Quincy (1689-1767). Another notable bearer is the American musician Quincy Jones (1933-).

Roman family derived from the given name Quintus (which was itself originally spelled Quinctus).

Possibly from Mapuche küde meaning "burning torch".

From the name of a Spanish sanctuary (in Catalonia) that is devoted to the Virgin Mary.

French form of the Roman name Quintinus. It was borne by a 3rd-century saint, a missionary who was martyred in Gaul. The Normans introduced this name to England. In America it was brought to public attention by president Theodore Roosevelt's son Quentin Roosevelt (1897-1918), who was killed in World War I. A famous bearer is the American movie director Quentin Tarantino (1963-).

Diminutive of Queen.

Means "fate" in Arabic, related to the root قسم (qasama) meaning "to divide, to distribute".

Means "rough-legged hawk" in Inuktitut (species Buteo lagopus).

Means "seal hide" in Greenlandic.

From Chinese 强 (qiáng) meaning "strong, powerful, energetic", as well as other characters pronounced in a similar way.

Albanian form of Kamal 1.

Means "measurement" in Arabic. This was the real name of Majnun, the lover of Layla, in Nizami Ganjavi's 12th-century poem Layla and Majnun.

Means "one who divides goods among people" in Arabic, derived from قسم (qasama) meaning "to divide, to distribute". This was the name of a son of the Prophet Muhammad who died while young.

Means "moon" in Arabic.

Means "capable, powerful, mighty" in Arabic, from the root قدر (qadara) meaning "to have power, to be able". This transcription represents two related yet distinct Arabic names: قادر, in which the first vowel is long, and قدير, in which the second vowel is long. In Islamic tradition القادر (al-Qādir) is one of the 99 names of Allah.

Ukrainian form of Philip.

From Sanskrit पूर्णिमा (pūrṇimā) meaning "full moon".

From Sanskrit पुनीत (punīta) meaning "cleaned, purified".

Alternate transcription of Hindi/Marathi पुनीत (see Punit).

Phoenician form of Pygmalion.

From the Greek name Πτολεμαῖος (Ptolemaios), derived from Greek πολεμήϊος (polemeios) meaning "aggressive, warlike". Ptolemy was the name of several Greco-Egyptian rulers of Egypt, all descendants of Ptolemy I Soter, one of the generals of Alexander the Great. This was also the name of a 2nd-century Greek astronomer.

From Welsh pryder meaning "care, worry" (or perhaps from a derivative word *pryderi meaning "loss" [1]). Appearing in Welsh legend in all four branches of the Mabinogi, Pryderi was the son of Pwyll and Rhiannon, eventually succeeding his father as the king of Dyfed. He was one of only seven warriors to return from Brân's tragic invasion of Ireland, and later had several adventures with Manawydan. He was ultimately killed in single combat with Gwydion during the war between Dyfed and Gwynedd.

From the English word for the type of flower, also called self-heal, ultimately a derivative of the Latin word pruna "plum".

Means "beloved" in Sanskrit. It appears briefly in the Puranas belonging to a daughter of King Daksha.

Means "the palm of the hand" in Sanskrit. This is another name of the legendary Hindu figure Kunti.

Roman name, a diminutive of Prisca. In Acts in the New Testament Paul lived with Priscilla (also known as Prisca) and her husband Aquila in Corinth for a while. It has been used as an English given name since the Protestant Reformation, being popular with the Puritans. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow used it in his 1858 poem The Courtship of Miles Standish [1].

From the name of a genus of several species of flowers, including the primrose. It is derived from the Latin word primulus meaning "very first".

From the English word for the flower, ultimately deriving from Latin prima rosa "first rose".

Georgian form of Fereydoun. It appears in the 12th-century Georgian epic poem The Knight in the Panther's Skin, in which Pridon (fully Nuradin-Pridon) is a friend of Avtandil and Tariel.

From the Greek Πρίαμος (Priamos), possibly meaning "redeemed". In Greek legend Priam was the king of Troy during the Trojan War and the father of many children including Hector and Paris.

Feminine form of Prem.

From Sanskrit प्रेम (prema) meaning "love, affection".

Earlier Slavic form of Preben.

Modern Danish form of the name Pridbjørn, which was an old Scandinavian form of the Slavic (Wendish) name Predbor or Pridbor, which was possibly derived from Slavic perdŭ "first, in front of" and borti "to fight". It was imported into Danish via the medieval Putbus family, who were Slavic nobles from Rügen in Pomerania.

Feminine form of Pravin.

From Sanskrit प्रवीण (pravīṇa) meaning "skilled".

Alternate transcription of Hindi/Marathi प्रवीण, Gujarati પ્રવીણ, Kannada ಪ್ರವೀಣ್, Telugu ప్రవీణ్, Tamil பிரவீண் or Malayalam പ്രവീൺ (see Pravin).

Means "clear, bright, tranquil" in Sanskrit.

From Sanskrit प्रणय (praṇaya) meaning "leader, guidance, love".

This is the Sanskrit word referring to ओम् (om), the Hindu sacred syllable.

Derived from Sanskrit प्रकाश (prakāśa) meaning "light, bright, shining".

Derived from Sanskrit प्रदीप (pradīpa) meaning "light, lantern".

Alternate transcription of Hindi/Marathi प्रदीप, Bengali প্রদিপ, Malayalam പ്രദീപ്, Kannada ಪ್ರದೀಪ್, Telugu ప్రదీప్, Tamil பிரதீப் or Nepali प्रदिप (see Pradip).

Diminutive of Josephine. It can also be inspired by the English word posy for a bunch of flowers.

Ukrainian form of Porphyrios (see Porfirio).

Latin form of Pompey.

Feminine form of Pompeius.

From Latin Polonia meaning "Poland". In Shakespeare's tragedy Hamlet (1600) this is the name of the counsellor to Claudius and the father of Laertes and Ophelia. He is accidentally murdered by Hamlet.

Italian form of Polyxena.

Either a Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian and Greek form of Paulina or a short form of Apollinariya.

From the Greek name Πλούταρχος (Ploutarchos), which was derived from πλοῦτος (ploutos) meaning "riches, wealth" and ἀρχός (archos) meaning "master". Plutarch was a 1st-century Greek historian.

Greek form of Plato.

Late Latin name meaning "pious, dutiful". This was the name of twelve popes.

Modern form of Pitambara.

Maori form of Philip.

Possibly derived from Ciarán. This was the name of a 5th-century Irish monk who founded a monastery in Cornwall. He is the patron saint of Cornwall.

From Esperanto pipro meaning "pepper".

Means "sweet little thing who belongs to me" in Greenlandic [1].

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

Italian and Portuguese form of Pius.

Means "little leaf" in Greenlandic, from piloqut "leaf" and the diminutive suffix -nnguaq.

Means "persevere, endure" in Chewa.

Italian form of Peter. Pietro was the given name of the Renaissance painter known as Perugino.

Feminine diminutive of Pietro.

Italian feminine form of Peter.

Finnish form of Peter used in the Bible.

Breton diminutive of Pierre.

French form of Peter. This name has been consistently popular in France since the 13th century, but fell out of the top 100 names in 2017. It was borne by the philosopher and theologian Pierre Abélard (1079-1142), the scholar Pierre-Simon Laplace (1749-1827), the impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919), and Pierre Curie (1859-1906), a physicist who discovered radioactivity with his wife Marie.

Italian form of Peter. Piero della Francesca was an Italian Renaissance painter.

Diminutive of Piero.

Feminine diminutive of Piero.

Italian feminine form of Peter.

Irish form of Piers.

Feminine form of Pius.

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".

Latinized form of the Greek name Φοίβη (Phoibe), which meant "bright, pure" from Greek φοῖβος (phoibos). In Greek mythology Phoibe was a Titan associated with the moon. This was also an epithet of her granddaughter, the moon goddess Artemis. The name appears in Paul's epistle to the Romans in the New Testament, where it belongs to a female minister in the church at Cenchreae.

In England, it began to be used as a given name after the Protestant Reformation. It was moderately common in the 19th century. It began to rise in popularity again in the late 1980s, probably helped along by characters on the American television shows Friends (1994-2004) and Charmed (1998-2006). It is currently much more common in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand than the United States.

A moon of Saturn bears this name, in honour of the Titan.

Khmer form of Varuna.

Variant of Phinehas used in some English versions of the Old Testament.

From an English word meaning "nightingale" (ultimately from Philomela). It has been used frequently in poetry to denote the bird.

Elaborated feminine form of Philippe.

French form of Philip.

Latinate feminine form of Philip. As an English name, it is chiefly British.

Manx form of Patrick.

Attic Greek form of Berenice.

Derived from the Old German elements fara "journey" and hilt "battle". This was the name of an 8th-century saint from Ghent, Belgium.

Derived from Greek φαεινός (phaeinos) meaning "shining". According to some Greek myths this was the name of one of the three Graces or Χάριτες (Charites).

From the Greek Φαίδρα (Phaidra), derived from φαιδρός (phaidros) meaning "bright". Phaedra was the daughter of Minos and the wife of Theseus in Greek mythology. Aphrodite caused her to fall in love with her stepson Hippolytos, and after she was rejected by him she killed herself.

Meaning unknown, created in the 20th century. The name is borne by the British singer Petula Clark (1932-), whose name was invented by her father.

From a Latin name, a diminutive of Petronia, the feminine form of Petronius. This was the name of an obscure 1st-century Roman saint, later believed to be a daughter of Saint Peter.

Ukrainian and Esperanto form of Peter.

Diminutive of Petra.

Lithuanian form of Peter.

Latvian form of Peter.

From the English word for the flower part, derived from Greek πέταλον (petalon) meaning "leaf".

Greek name meaning "Persian woman". This is the name of a woman mentioned in Paul's epistle to the Romans in the New Testament.

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

Contracted form of Petronel.

Swedish short form of Petronilla.

Variant of Parnel.

Italian and Spanish cognate of Pearl.

From the Late Latin name Peregrinus, which meant "traveller". This was the name of several early saints.

Meaning uncertain. It possibly means "hard spears" from Welsh peri "spears" and dur "hard, steel" [1]. In early Welsh poetry and histories, the brothers Peredur and Gwrgi were chieftains in Cumbria who defeated Gwenddoleu at the Battle of Arfderydd. This name was later used by the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth in the Latin form Peredurus for an early (fictitious) king of Britain. Entering into Arthurian romance, Peredur is an aspiring knight in the 14th-century Welsh tale Peredur son of Efrawg (an adaptation or parallel of Chrétien de Troyes' hero Percival).

Derived from Latin perditus meaning "lost". Shakespeare created this name for the daughter of Hermione and Leontes in his play The Winter's Tale (1610). Abandoned as an infant by her father the king, she grows up to be a shepherdess and falls in love with with Florizel.

From an English surname that was derived from the name of a Norman town Perci, which was itself perhaps derived from a Gaulish given name that was Latinized as Persius. The surname was borne by a noble English family, and it first used as a given name in their honour. A famous bearer was Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822), an English romantic poet whose works include Adonais and Ozymandias. This name can also be used as a short form of Percival.

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

French form of Pepin.

Frankish name of unknown meaning. It possibly means "awe-inspiring" from the Germanic word *bibēną "to tremble". This was the name of three majordomos of Austrasia including Pepin III the Short, who became the first Carolingian king of the Franks. He was the father of Charlemagne.

From the English word for the type of flower. It was originally believed to have healing qualities, so it was named after the Greek medical god Pæon.

Means "facing God" in Hebrew, from פָּנָה (pana) meaning "to turn to" and אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". This is the name of two minor characters in the Old Testament.

Means "seek for, look for" in Tumbuka.

Possibly from Welsh Beli Hen meaning "Beli the Old". This was the name of a keeper of the Holy Grail in Arthurian legend, the father of Pelles and Pellinore.

Occitan form of Peter.

Welsh form of Peter.

From the English word pearl for the concretions formed in the shells of some mollusks, ultimately from Late Latin perla. Like other gemstone names, it has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the 19th century. The pearl is the traditional birthstone for June, and it supposedly imparts health and wealth.

Means "(sky) blue" in Mapuche.

Ukrainian form of Paul.

Bulgarian, Macedonian and Greek form of Paulina.

Alternate transcription of Belarusian Павел (see Pavel).

Latin form of Paul.

Lithuanian form of Paul.

Original Latin form of Paulino.

Diminutive of Paul.

French feminine diminutive of Paul.

From the Roman family name Paulus, which meant "small" or "humble" in Latin. Paul was an important leader of the early Christian church. According to Acts in the New Testament, he was a Jewish Roman citizen who converted to Christianity after the resurrected Jesus appeared to him. After this he travelled the eastern Mediterranean as a missionary. His original Hebrew name was Saul. Many of the epistles in the New Testament were authored by him.

Due to the renown of Saint Paul the name became common among early Christians. It was borne by a number of other early saints and six popes. In England it was relatively rare during the Middle Ages, but became more frequent beginning in the 17th century. In the United States it was in the top 20 names for boys from 1900 to 1968, while in the United Kingdom it was very popular from the 1950s to the 80s. It has also been heavily used in Germany and France and continues to be popular there, though it is currently on the decline in the English-speaking world.

A notable bearer was the American Revolutionary War figure Paul Revere (1735-1818), who warned of the advance of the British army. Famous bearers in the art world include the French impressionists Paul Cézanne (1839-1906) and Paul Gauguin (1848-1903), and the Swiss expressionist Paul Klee (1879-1940). It is borne by actor Paul Newman (1925-2008) and the musicians Paul Simon (1941-) and Paul McCartney (1942-). This is also the name of the legendary American lumberjack Paul Bunyan and the fictional Paul Atreides from Frank Herbert's novel Dune (1965).

Latin and Greek form of Pascal.

From the Late Latin name Paschalis, which meant "relating to Easter" from Latin Pascha "Easter", which was in turn from Hebrew פֶּסַח (pesaḥ) meaning "Passover" [1]. Passover is the ancient Hebrew holiday celebrating the liberation from Egypt. Because it coincided closely with the later Christian holiday of Easter, the same Latin word was used for both. The name Pascal can also function as a surname, as in the case of Blaise Pascal (1623-1662), the French philosopher, mathematician and inventor.

Greek form of the Old Persian name *𐎱𐎽𐎢𐏁𐎹𐎠𐎫𐎡𐏁 (Parušyatiš) meaning "much prosperity". This was the name of the wife of the Persian king Darius II (5th century BC). It was also borne by Parysatis II, a daughter of Artaxerxes III and a wife of Alexander the Great (4th century BC).

Means "the Pleiades" in Persian. The Pleiades are a group of stars in the constellation Taurus. This name is typically feminine in Iran, but unisex in India.

Alternate transcription of Urdu پروین or Hindi परवीन (see Parvin).

Means "of the mountains", derived from Sanskrit पर्वत (parvata) meaning "mountain". Parvati is a Hindu goddess of love and power, the benign form of the wife of Shiva. A daughter of the mountain god Himavat, she was a reincarnation of Shiva's first wife Sati. She is the mother of Ganesha and Skanda.

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

Derived from Greek παρθένος (parthenos) meaning "maiden, virgin". This was the name of one of the mares of Marmax in Greek mythology.

Modern Irish form of Partholón.

Means "son of Pritha" in Sanskrit. This is another name for the three elder Pandavas, who were sons of Pritha (another name of Kunti) and Pandu.

Contracted form of Petronel. In the later Middle Ages it became a slang term for a promiscuous woman, and the name subsequently fell out of use.

Maori form of Paul.

Means "all gifts", derived from a combination of Greek πᾶν (pan) meaning "all" and δῶρον (doron) meaning "gift". In Greek mythology Pandora was the first mortal woman. Zeus gave her a jar containing all of the troubles and ills that mankind now knows, and told her not to open it. Unfortunately her curiosity got the best of her and she opened it, unleashing the evil spirits into the world.

Elaborated form of Pamela.

Means "dove, pigeon" in Spanish.

Means "pilgrim" in Italian. In medieval times it denoted one who had been a pilgrim to Palestine. It is ultimately from the word palma meaning "palm tree", because of the custom of pilgrims to bring palm fronds home with them. The name is sometimes given to a child born on Palm Sunday.

Feminine form of Palmiro.

Feminine form of Pallav.

Probably derived from a Greek word meaning "maiden, young woman". This was an epithet of the Greek goddess Athena. According to some legends it was originally the name of a friend of the goddess. Athena accidentally killed her while sparring, so she took the name in honour of her friend.

Bengali feminine form of Pallav.

Bengali form of Pallav.

Icelandic and Faroese form of Paul.

Belarusian form of Polina.

Means "flower" in Sotho.

Icelandic feminine form of Paul.

Hungarian form of Paul.

Means "day" in Finnish.

Means "attached feathers woman", from Cheyenne pȧhoe- "attach to" and voto "feather, plume" combined with the feminine suffix -e'é [1].

Old English name of unknown meaning.

Means "lotus" in Sanskrit. This is a transcription of both the feminine form पद्मा and the masculine form पद्म.

According to some Hindu traditions a lotus holding the god Brahma arose from the navel of the god Vishnu. The name Padma is used in Hindu texts to refer to several characters, including the goddess Lakshmi and the hero Rama.

From a surname, itself probably a derivative of the given name Pate, a short form of Patrick. It was an obscure given name in America until 1985, when it appeared in the western movie Silverado. Its modest usage after that can probably be attributed to the fact that it ends in the popular den sound found in more-popular names such as Braden, Hayden and Aidan.

Spanish feminine form of the Late Latin name Pacificus meaning "peacemaker".

Means "changer of the world" in Quechua, derived from pacha "world, time" and kutiy "to return, to change" combined with the agentive suffix -q "doer". This name was borne by a 15th-century (precontact) ruler of the Inca Empire.

Spanish form of Paulus (see Paul). Spanish painter and sculptor Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) and Chilean poet Pablo Neruda (1904-1973) were famous bearers of this name.