Bertie2's Personal Name List

Means "sweet" in Yiddish.

Alternate transcription of Arabic/Urdu ذو الفقار (see Zulfiqar), as well as the Indonesian form.

Means "strong, active" in Armenian.

Combination of the name Salim and the Turkic title khan meaning "ruler, leader".

Derived from Arabic زوار (zawār) meaning "pilgrim" combined with the Turkic military title beg meaning "chieftain, master".

From Sino-Korean 有 (yu) meaning "have, possess" and 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful". Other hanja character combinations can also form this name.

Means "star" in Uzbek.

Yiddish form of Israel.

Canarian Spanish name of recent origin, possibly from a Guanche word or place name meaning "big, grand".

From Sino-Korean 英 (yeong) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero" and 子 (ja) meaning "child". Other hanja character combinations can form this name as well. Feminine names ending with the character 子 (a fashionable name suffix in Japan, read as -ko in Japanese) were popular in Korea during the period of Japanese rule (1910-1945). After liberation this name and others like it declined in popularity.

Belarusian form of Eugene.

Elaborated form of Yara 1 or Yara 2 (using the same suffix as Maritza).

Belarusian form of Yaroslav.

Spanish form of Ianeira.

Variant of Yamila.

Variant of Yamila.

Form of Jamila used especially in Latin America.

Feminine form of William. A famous bearer of this name was Williamina Fleming (1857-1911), a Scottish astronomer.

Means "revelation" in Indonesian.

From Sanskrit वीणा (vīṇā) meaning "lute".

Feminine form of Velvel.

Scandinavian form of Walburga.

Derived from Sumerian 𒌓 (ud) meaning "sun". In Sumerian mythology this was the name of the god of the sun. He was the son of the moon god Nanna and Ningal.

Feminine form of Umid.

From Japanese 梅 (ume) meaning "apricot, plum" (referring to the species Prunus mume) and 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Feminine form of Umed.

Means "hope" in Tajik, ultimately from Persian امید (omīd).

From Japanese 梅 (ume) meaning "Japanese apricot, plum" (refers specifically to the species Prunus mume). In Japan the ume blossom is regarded as a symbol of spring and a ward against evil. Different kanji or kanji combinations can also form this name.

Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian form of Juliana.

Scandinavian form of Ulrich.

From Sino-Korean 宇 (u) meaning "house, universe" or 佑 (u) meaning "help, protect, bless" combined with 眞 (jin) meaning "real, genuine" or 鎭 (jin) meaning "town, market place". Other combinations of hanja characters can form this name as well.

Scottish Gaelic form of William.

Yiddish diminutive of Sarah. This is the name of Tevye's oldest daughter in the musical Fiddler on the Roof (1964), based on Sholem Aleichem's stories from the late 19th century.

From Týr, the Old Norse form of the name of the Germanic god *Tīwaz, related to Indo-European *Dyēws (see Zeus). In Norse mythology he was a god associated with war and justice, by some accounts a son of Odin. While the gods bound the great wolf Fenrir, Tyr placated the beast by placing his right hand in its mouth. After the binding was successful, Fenrir bit off Tyr's hand. At the time of the end of the world, Ragnarök, it is foretold that Tyr will slay and be slain by the giant hound Garm.

Means "ray, beam (of light)" in Mongolian.

Swedish and Norwegian variant of Tove.

Means "little wind" in Finnish, derived from tuuli "wind". This was the name of a Finnish forest goddess, the daughter of Tapio.

Variant of Teodor.

Belarusian form of Timothy.

Meaning uncertain. It is possibly related to a root meaning "the sea" (cognate with Old Irish trethan). Alternatively it could be connected to Greek τρεῖς (treis) meaning "three" (ordinal form τρίτος). In Greek mythology Triton was the son of Poseidon and Amphitrite. He was often depicted as a merman, half-human and half-fish. The largest of Neptune's moons is named after him.

From the Old Norse name Þórketill meaning "Thor's cauldron" from the name of the Norse god Þórr (see Thor) combined with ketill "cauldron".

From the Old Norse name Þórfinnr, derived from the name of the Norse god Þórr (see Thor) combined with finnr "Sámi, person from Finland".

Modern form of Þórdís.

Scottish Gaelic form of the Norse name Þórketill (see Torkel).

Norwegian form of Torbjörn.

Danish form of Torbjörn.

Means "October" in Khmer, ultimately from Sanskrit तुल (tula), referring to the constellation Libra.

French form of Tiffany.

Diminutive of Tina.

Romanian and Bulgarian form of Timothy.

Armenian form of Tigranes.

Hungarian, Czech and Slovak form of Tiburtius (see Tiburcio).

From Sino-Vietnamese 純 (thuần) meaning "pure, clean, simple".

Old Norse form of Trym.

Variant of Torsten.

Variant of Torbjörn.

Variant of Torbjørn.

From Sino-Vietnamese 詩 (thi) meaning "poetry, poem, verse".

Possibly derived from Greek θέτης (thetes) meaning "one who places", a derivative of τίθημι (tithemi) meaning "to set, to place". This was the name of one of the Nereids in Greek mythology. With Peleus she was the mother of Achilles.

Diminutive of Theresia.

Feminine form of Theodosius.

Possibly derived from Greek θεά (thea) meaning "goddess". In Greek myth this was the name of a Titan goddess of light, glittering and glory. She was the wife of Hyperion and the mother of the sun god Helios, the moon goddess Selene, and the dawn goddess Eos.

Possibly means "bandage" in Greek. This was the name of a companion of Alexander the Great. It was also borne by a 4th-century saint from Alexandria, a wealthy socialite who became a Christian convert, though in her case the name may have had a distinct Coptic origin. She has been a popular subject of art and literature, including an 1891 novel by Anatole France and an 1894 opera by Jules Massenet.

Derived from Greek τήθη (tethe) meaning "grandmother". In Greek mythology this was the name of a Titan associated with the sea. She was the wife of Oceanus.

Portuguese diminutive of Teresa.

Form of Theodore used in various languages.

Alternate transcription of Tibetan བསྟན་འཛིན (see Tenzin).

Means "striving, aspiring" in Mongolian. This was the name of the sister of Genghis Khan.

Kazakh form of Temür (see Timur).

Either a Portuguese form of Thelma or a feminine form of Telmo.

Meaning unknown. Tellervo was a Finnish forest goddess. She is variously described as either the wife or daughter of Tapio.

Scottish Gaelic form of Toirdhealbhach. It is sometimes Anglicized as Charles.

Avestan form of Tahmuras.

Indonesian form of Tawfiq.

Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 太郎 (see Tarō).

Bosnian form of Tariq. It is also an alternate transcription of the Arabic name.

Danish variant of Torben.

Means "thunder" in Welsh, from the old Celtic root *toranos. It appears briefly in the Second Branch of the Mabinogi [1]. The name is cognate to that of the Gaulish god Taranis. It was also borne by the 7th-century Pictish king Taran mac Ainftech.

Meaning unknown. In Polynesian mythology he was the god of the sea, the son of Rangi and Papa. He separated his parents' embrace, creating the earth and the sky.

Form of Tīmūr e Lang (see Timur) used in several languages.

Form of Tamar with the nominative suffix, used in Georgian when the name is written stand-alone.

Means "date palm" in Hebrew. According to the Old Testament Tamar was the daughter-in-law of Judah and later his wife. This was also the name of a daughter of King David. She was raped by her half-brother Amnon, leading to his murder by her brother Absalom. The name was borne by a 12th-century ruling queen of Georgia who presided over the kingdom at the peak of its power.

Variant of Tollak.

Alternate transcription of Armenian Թալին (see Talin).

From Japanese 宝 (takara) meaning "treasure, jewel", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations with the same pronunciation.

From Japanese 貴 (taka) meaning "valuable" or 孝 (taka) meaning "filial piety" combined with 大 (hiro) meaning "big, great" or 浩 (hiro) meaning "prosperous". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Possibly from Arabic طائر (ṭāʾir) meaning "bird" [1].

Means "virtuous, pure, chaste" in Arabic.

Means "lucky, happy" in Kyrgyz.

Alternate transcription of Belarusian Сяргей (see Siarhei).

Danish form of Sven.

Thai form of Surya, as well as an alternate Tamil transcription.

Yiddish form of Sarah.

From Sino-Korean 收 (su) meaning "gather, harvest" or 壽 (su) meaning "long life, lifespan" combined with 眞 (jin) meaning "real, genuine" or 珍 (jin) meaning "precious, rare". Other combinations of hanja characters can form this name as well.

Form of Spartacus in several languages.

Means "gentle, proper" in Khmer.

Means "judge, lawyer" in Khmer.

Scottish Gaelic form of Sumarliði (see Somerled).

Means "rainbow" in Mongolian.

Invented by the Danish author Peter Høeg for the heroine of his novel Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow (1992). In the book the name is explained as a short form of Smillaaraq, a blend of Danish smil "smile" and the Greenlandic name Miillaaraq.

Variant of Zisel.

Means "love rose" in Armenian.

From the Old Norse name Sigríðr, which was derived from the elements sigr "victory" and fríðr "beautiful, beloved".

Norwegian and Danish variant form of Cecilia.

Indonesian form of Siddiq.

Belarusian form of Sergius.

Belarusian form of Simon 1.

Variant of Shona.

Derived from the Sanskrit elements शम् (śam) meaning "auspicious, lucky" and कर (kara) meaning "maker". This is another name of the Hindu gods Rudra or Shiva. This was also the name of a 9th-century Indian religious philosopher also known as Shankaracharya.

Uzbek and Tajik form of Shahnaz.

German and Scandinavian form of Severinus.

From Sino-Korean 成 (seong) meaning "completed, finished, succeeded" or 星 (seong) meaning "star, planet" combined with 鎭 (jin) meaning "town, marketplace" or 震 (jin) meaning "shake, tremor, excite". Other hanja character combinations are also possible.

From Sino-Korean 成 (seong) meaning "completed, finished, succeeded" combined with 鉉 (hyeon), which refers to a device used to lift a tripod cauldron. Other hanja character combinations are possible.

From Sino-Korean 成 (seong) meaning "completed, finished, succeeded", as well as other hanja characters with the same pronunciation. Although it does appear as a single-character name, it is more often used in combination with another character.

Scottish Gaelic form of Janet.

Means "the moon" in Thai (a poetic word).

Means "rose" in Mongolian.

Means "flowing" in Sanskrit.

Means "essence" in Indonesian.

Means "moonlight" in Mongolian, from саран (saran) meaning "moon" and гэрэл (gerel) meaning "light".

Scottish Gaelic form of Zacharias.

From Japanese 竜 or 龍 (ryū) meaning "dragon" or 隆 (ryū) meaning "noble, prosperous" combined with 二 (ji) meaning "two" or 司 (ji) meaning "officer, boss". This name can also be formed using other kanji combinations.

Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 涼太 or 亮太 or 良太 (see Ryōta).

Diminutive of Ruža.

Derived from Slovak ruže meaning "rose".

Romanian form of Roxana.

From the Hebrew name רוּת (Ruṯ), probably derived from the word רְעוּת (reʿuṯ) meaning "female friend". This is the name of the central character in the Book of Ruth in the Old Testament. She was a Moabite woman who accompanied her mother-in-law Naomi back to Bethlehem after Ruth's husband died. There she met and married Boaz. She was an ancestor of King David.

As a Christian name, Ruth has been in use since the Protestant Reformation. In England it was associated with the archaic word ruth meaning "pity, compassion" (now only commonly seen in the word ruthless). The name became very popular in America following the birth of "Baby" Ruth Cleveland (1891-1904), the daughter of President Grover Cleveland.

Possibly derived from Persian روز (rūz) meaning "day". This name was borne by a 13th-century ruling queen of Georgia.

Form of Reuben in several languages. This was the name of an 11th-century Armenian ruler of Cilicia.

Old German short form of feminine names beginning with Old Frankish hroþi or Old High German hruod meaning "fame" (Proto-Germanic *hrōþiz).

Meaning unknown, possibly from Iranian roots *rautas "river" and *taxma "strong". Rostam was a warrior hero in Persian legend. The 10th-century Persian poet Ferdowsi recorded his tale in the Shahnameh.

Portuguese diminutive of Rosa 1.

French diminutive of Rose.

Diminutive of Rose. This is the name of a type of flowering shrub (species Hibiscus sabdariffa) native to Africa but now grown in many places, used to make hibiscus tea.

Combination of Rose and Anne 1.

Means "rosary" in French.

Anglicized form of Ruaidhrí. Typically a masculine name, it gained some popularity for girls in the United States after it was used on the television series Gilmore Girls (2000-2007), in this case as a nickname for Lorelai. Despite this, the name has grown more common for boys in America, especially after 2011, perhaps due to Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy (1989-).

Derived from Hebrew רֹן (ron) meaning "song, joy".

Spanish and European Portuguese form of Romulus.

From the Germanic elements hruom meaning "fame, glory" and walt meaning "power, authority". This was the name of an 11th-century Italian saint who founded the Camaldolese order.

Dutch form of Roger (via Old French).

Dutch form of Rudolf.

Scottish feminine form of Roderick.

Means "famous ruler" from the Old German elements hruod "fame" and rih "ruler, king". This name was in use among the Visigoths; it was borne by their last king (Gothic form *Hroþireiks, also known by the Spanish form Rodrigo), who died fighting the Muslim invaders of Spain in the 8th century. It also had cognates in Old Norse and West Germanic, and Scandinavian settlers and Normans introduced it to England, though it died out after the Middle Ages. It was revived in the English-speaking world by Walter Scott's 1811 poem The Vision of Don Roderick [1].

This name has also functioned as an Anglicized form of Scottish Ruaridh or Welsh Rhydderch.

Meaning uncertain, possibly a variant of Rinaldo, possibly influenced by Portuguese rio, Latin rivus meaning "river". A famous bearer is the Brazilian former soccer player Rivaldo Vítor Borba Ferreira (1972-), who is usually known by only his first name.

From Japanese 莉 (ri) meaning "white jasmine" or 里 (ri) meaning "village" combined with 央 (o) meaning "center", 緒 (o) meaning "thread" or 桜 (o) meaning "cherry blossom". Other kanji combinations are also possible.

Means "joy, singing" in Hebrew.

Swedish and Norwegian variant of Richard.

German, Spanish and Portuguese feminine form of Richard.

Possibly derived from the name of either of the two Hebridean islands called Rona, which means "rough island" in Old Norse.

Limburgish form of Rayner.

Hungarian, Czech and Slovak feminine form of Renatus.

From Japanese 蓮 (ren) meaning "lotus", 恋 (ren) meaning "romantic love", or other kanji that are pronounced the same way.

Means "queen" in French, ultimately from Latin regina.

Derived from Yiddish ריין (rein) meaning "clean, pure".

From Japanese 怜 (rei) meaning "wise" and 奈 (na), a phonetic character. This name can also be formed by other combinations of kanji.

From Japanese 鈴 (rei) meaning "bell", 麗 (rei) meaning "beautiful, lovely" or 玲 (rei) meaning "the tinkling of jade". This name can also be formed by other kanji with the same pronunciation.

Meaning unknown, possibly related to the name Radovan. Alternatively it may have been brought to Romania by the Romani people (note that Romanian and Romani are unrelated), perhaps ultimately from Rizwan.

Alternate transcription of Yiddish ריינאַ (see Reina 2).

Meaning unknown, possibly of Arabic origin.

From the name of a variety of jasmine flower, the night jasmine, ultimately from a poetic word meaning "night".

Means "fruitfulness, fertility" in Latvian.

From Japanese 蘭 (ran) meaning "orchid" or other kanji pronounced in the same way.

From an English and Scottish surname that was derived from a place name meaning "garlic island" in Old English.

Spanish and Portuguese form of Ramirus, earlier Ranimirus, a Latinized form of a Visigothic name derived from the Gothic element rana "wedge" or perhaps ragin "law, decree, assessment, responsibility" combined with mers "famous". Saint Ramirus was a 6th-century prior of the Saint Claudius Monastery in León. He and several others were executed by the Arian Visigoths, who opposed orthodox Christianity. This name was subsequently borne by kings of León, Asturias and Aragon.

Derived from Arabic رمْل (raml) meaning "sand, geomancy, divination, magic".

Possibly from Hebrew רָעמִיאֵל (Raʿmiʾel) meaning "thunder of God". The Book of Enoch names him as an archangel. He is often identified with Jeremiel.

Means "peace" in Avestan. In Zoroastrianism, this is the name of a Yazata (a holy being) who presides over joy.

Romanian diminutive of the Greek name Rallou, of uncertain meaning. It was popularized by the actress Rallou Karatza (1778-1870), a daughter of the prince of Wallachia Ioannis Karatzas, who was of Greek background.

Scandinavian form of Rachel.

Means "lord of kings", derived from Sanskrit राज (rāja) meaning "king" combined with the name of the Hindu god Indra, used here to mean "lord". This was the name of two 11th-century rulers of the Chola Empire in southern India.

French form of Rayner.

From Japanese 雷 (rai) meaning "thunder" and 神 (jin) meaning "god, spirit". This is the name of the god (or gods) of thunder and storms in the mythology of Japan.

Means "mercy, compassion" in Arabic.

Means "merciful, kind, compassionate" in Arabic. In Islamic tradition الرحيم (al-Raḥīm) is one of the 99 names of Allah.

From Javanese raharja meaning "prosperous, plentiful, abundant".

From the Old Norse name Ragnhildr, composed of the elements regin "advice, counsel" and hildr "battle" (a cognate of Reinhild).

From the Old Norse elements regin "advice, counsel" and herr "army, warrior". It is a cognate of Rayner. This name was borne by the legendary Viking hero Ragnar Lodbrok.

Means "success, prosperity" in Sanskrit. This was the name of the favourite consort of the Hindu deity Krishna. She is associated with beauty and compassion, and is considered an avatar of Lakshmi.

Derived from the Old German elements rat meaning "counsel, advice" and bot meaning "command, order". This was the name of a 7th-century king of the Frisians.

Variant of Rachel. In the English-speaking world it has likely been influenced by the spelling of Rochelle.

From Sanskrit रचन (racana) meaning "creation, preparation".

From Egyptian rꜥ meaning "sun" or "day". Ra was an important Egyptian sun god originally worshipped in Heliopolis in Lower Egypt. He was usually depicted as a man with the head of a falcon crowned with a solar disc. In later times his attributes were often merged with those of other deities, such as Amon, Atum and Horus.

From Sino-Vietnamese 娟 (quyên) meaning "beautiful, graceful".

From Sino-Vietnamese 權 (quyền) meaning "power, right, authority".

From Sino-Vietnamese 光 (quang) meaning "bright, clear".

From Sino-Vietnamese 軍 (quân) meaning "army".

From the Greek name Πύρρος (Pyrrhos) meaning "flame-coloured, red", related to πῦρ (pyr) meaning "fire". This was another name of Neoptolemus the son of Achilles. This was also the name of a 3rd-century BC king of Epirus who was famed for his victorious yet costly battles against Rome.

Means "full moon" in Indonesian, ultimately from Sanskrit पूर्णिमा (pūrṇimā).

Meaning unknown, from Old English puca. It could ultimately be of either Germanic or Celtic origin. In English legend this was the name of a mischievous spirit, also known as Robin Goodfellow. He appears in Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream (1595). It is used in the Netherlands as mainly a feminine name.

Derived from Greek προμήθεια (prometheia) meaning "foresight, forethought". In Greek myth he was the Titan who gave the knowledge of fire to mankind. For doing this he was punished by Zeus, who had him chained to a rock and caused an eagle to feast daily on his liver, which regenerated itself each night. Herakles eventually freed him.

French form of Priscilla.

Possibly derived from Greek πόσις (posis) meaning "husband, lord" and δᾶ (da) meaning "earth". The name first appears in Mycenaean Greek inscriptions as po-se-da-o. In Greek mythology Poseidon was the unruly god of the sea and earthquakes, the brother of Zeus. He was often depicted carrying a trident and riding in a chariot drawn by white horses.

From Latin pomus "fruit tree". This was the name of the Roman goddess of fruit trees.

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

Possibly from Greek πλείων (pleion) meaning "more, greater". According to Greek mythology Pleione was an Oceanid nymph who was the husband of Atlas. Together with her seven daughters and Atlas she forms the group of stars called the Pleiades, part of the constellation Taurus.

Hungarian form of Prisca, influenced by the Hungarian word piros meaning "red".

Polish and Belarusian form of Peter.

it is the name of the main caracter in the TV series PINGU the Penguin

Feminine diminutive of Pierre.

Means "foliage" in Greek. In Greek mythology this was the name of a woman who killed herself out of love for Demophon and was subsequently transformed into an almond tree. It began to be used as a given name in England in the 16th century, though it was often confused with Felicia.

Greek form of Philomela.

Form of Penuel used in the New Testament, where it is borne by the father of Anna the prophetess. It also appears in the apocryphal Book of Enoch belonging to an angel.

Dutch, Swedish and Hungarian form of Petronilla.

Romanian and Slovak form of Petronilla.

From Old Slavic perunŭ meaning "thunder". In Slavic mythology Perun was the god of lightning and the sky, sometimes considered to be the supreme god. Oak trees were sacred to him.

French feminine form of Perrin, a diminutive of Pierre.

Derived from Latin perpetuus meaning "continuous". This was the name of a 3rd-century saint martyred with another woman named Felicity.

Variant of Perle.

Tibetan form of Padma.

Perhaps derived from Greek πέλεια (peleia) meaning "rock pigeon". In Greek mythology, Pelias was the king of Iolcus who sent Jason on the quest for the Golden Fleece.

Probably derived from Greek πηλός (pelos) meaning "clay". In Greek mythology Peleus was a king of Phthia. With his wife the sea nymph Thetis he was the father of the hero Achilles.

Feminine form of Pelagius. This was the name of a few early saints, including a young 4th-century martyr who threw herself from a rooftop in Antioch rather than lose her virginity.

Meaning unknown. This is the name of the Finnish god of fields and crops.

From the Greek Πήγασος (Pegasos), possibly either from πηγός (pegos) meaning "strong" or πηγαῖος (pegaios) meaning "from a water spring". In Greek mythology Pegasus was the winged horse that sprang from the blood of Medusa after she was killed by Perseus. There is a constellation in the northern sky named after the horse.

Spanish and Portuguese form of Peter. This was the name of the only two emperors of Brazil, reigning between 1822 and 1889.

Portuguese diminutive of Pedro.

From the Latin name Patricius, which meant "nobleman". This name was adopted in the 5th-century by Saint Patrick, whose birth name was Sucat. He was a Romanized Briton who was captured and enslaved in his youth by Irish raiders. After six years of servitude he escaped home, but he eventually became a bishop and went back to Ireland as a missionary. He is traditionally credited with Christianizing the island, and is regarded as Ireland's patron saint. He is called Pádraig in Irish.

In England and elsewhere in Europe during the Middle Ages this name was used in honour of the saint. However, it was not generally given in Ireland before the 17th century because it was considered too sacred for everyday use. It has since become very common there.

Uyghur elaboration of Patime using the suffix گۈل (gül) meaning "flower, rose" (of Persian origin).

Cornish form of Pascal.

Tajik and Uzbek form of Parvin.

Means "earth" in Maori. In Maori and other Polynesian mythology Papa or Papatuanuku was the goddess of the earth and the mother of many of the other gods. She and her husband Rangi, the god of the sky, were locked in a tight embrace. Their children decided to separate them, a feat of strength accomplished by the god Tāne.

From Chinese 盘 (pán) meaning "tray, pan" and 古 (gǔ) meaning "old, ancient". In Chinese mythology this is the name of the first living being.

Means "kite (flying craft)" in Thai.

Means "resembling lotuses", derived from the Sanskrit word पद्म (padma) meaning "lotus" combined with वती (vatī) meaning "resemblance". This is the name of a Hindu goddess, the wife of Venkateswara. She is considered an aspect of Lakshmi. This was also the name of a semi-legendary 14th-century queen of Mewar.

Norwegian form of Eydís.

Probably a modern form of the Old Danish name Aghi, originally a short form of names that contain the Old Norse element egg "edge of a sword" or agi "awe, fear".

Portuguese form of Odilia.

Romanian and Spanish form of Odilia.

Brazilian Portuguese form of Octavia.

Swedish form of Eysteinn.

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

French form of Osanna.

Means "arrow" in Old Norse. Orvar Odd is a legendary Norse hero who is the subject of a 13th-century Icelandic saga.

Means "orchid" in Spanish and Portuguese, from Latin orchis, Greek ὄρχις (orchis).

Feminine form of Oren.

Medieval Norwegian form of Jurian.

From Yoruba òrìṣà "deity, spirit" and ńlá "great". This is another name for the god Ọbatala.

Alternate transcription of Hebrew אוֹרָה (see Ora 2).

Strictly feminine form of Or.

Alternate transcription of Hebrew אוֹפִירָה (see Ofira).

Alternate transcription of Arabic عمر (see Umar). This is the usual English spelling of the name of the 12th-century poet Umar Khayyam. In his honour it has sometimes been used in the English-speaking world, notably for the American general Omar Bradley (1893-1981).

French and Dutch form of Oliver. This is also a French word meaning "olive tree".

Feminine form of Oliver.

Feminine form of Ole.

From the Old Norse name Áleifr meaning "ancestor's descendant", derived from the elements anu "ancestor" and leif "inheritance, legacy". This was the name of five kings of Norway, including Saint Olaf (Olaf II).

Means "master of the great country", from Japanese 大 (ō) meaning "big, great", 国 (kuni) meaning "country, land" and 主 (nushi) meaning "master". In Japanese myth he was the divine ruler of the lands, until the gods of the heavens seized control and he retreated to the unseen world.

Armenian form of Iohannes (see John).

From the Old Norse name Oddbjǫrn, derived from the elements oddr "point of a sword" and bjǫrn "bear".

French form of Octavius.

Meaning unknown. This was the name of a Finnish god of the hunt, the son of Tapio.

First part of compound Arabic names beginning with نور ال (Nūr al) meaning "light of the" (such as نور الدين (Nūr al-Dīn) meaning "light of religion").

From a Catalan title of the Virgin Mary, Nostra Senyora de Núria, meaning "Our Lady of Nuria". Nuria is a sanctuary in Spain in which there is a shrine containing a famous statue of Mary.

From Kazakh нұр (nur) meaning "light" and асыл (asyl) meaning "precious, noble" (both words ultimately of Arabic origin).

Means "light" in Arabic. In Islamic tradition النور (al-Nūr) is one of the 99 names of Allah.

From Japanese 典 (nori) meaning "rule, ceremony" or 紀 (nori) meaning "chronicle" combined with 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Alternate transcription of Arabic/Urdu نور (see Nur).

French form of Naomi 1.

Hungarian form and French variant of Naomi 1.

Feminine form of Noël.

From Japanese 登 (noboru) meaning "rise, ascend" or other kanji pronounced in the same way.

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

Swedish form of Noah 1.

Hebrew, German and Dutch form of Noah 1.

From Japanese 乃 (no), a possessive particle, and 愛 (a) meaning "love, affection". This name can also be constructed from other kanji or kanji combinations.

From Old Norse Njǫrðr, derived from Proto-Germanic *Nerþuz. It might derive from the Indo-European root *hnerto- meaning "strong, vigorous". Njord was the Norse god associated with the sea, sailing, fishing and fertility. With his children Freyr and Freya he was a member of the Vanir gods.

From Sanskrit निर्मल (nirmala) meaning "clean, pure".

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

From Sumerian nin-sumun-a(k) meaning "lady of the wild cow", derived from 𒎏 (nin) meaning "lady" and the genitive form of 𒄢 (sumun) meaning "wild cow". In Sumerian mythology Ninsun was the divine mother of Gilgamesh.

Means "lady of Isin", from Sumerian 𒎏 (nin) meaning "lady" combined with the name of the city-state of Isin. This was the name of a Sumerian goddess of healing, later conflated with Gula.

Means "water lily" in Persian.

Diminutive of Nicole.

From Sino-Vietnamese 元 (nguyên) meaning "original, first".

Means "miracle" in Hebrew.

From the Latin Neptunus, which is of unknown meaning, possibly related to the Indo-European root *nebh- "wet, damp, clouds". Neptune was the god of the sea in Roman mythology, approximately equivalent to the Greek god Poseidon. This is also the name of the eighth planet in the solar system.

From Greek νέφος (nephos) meaning "cloud". In Greek legend Nephele was created from a cloud by Zeus, who shaped the cloud to look like Hera in order to trick Ixion, a mortal who desired her. Nephele was the mother of the centaurs by Ixion, and was also the mother of Phrixus and Helle by Athamus.

Turkish and Bosnian form of Nadim.

Romanian variant form of Nicholas.

Feminine form of Nazir 2.

Spanish and Portuguese form of Naiara.

Means "beautiful" in Hebrew.

Means "fate, luck" in Uzbek and Tajik, from Arabic نصيب (naṣīb).

Probably from Persian نار (nār) meaning "pomegranate", considered a sacred fruit in Armenian culture. Alternately, it could be derived from Arabic نار (nār) meaning "fire".

French masculine and feminine form of Narcissus. This is also the French word for the narcissus flower.

Means "sun light" in Mongolian, from наран (naran) meaning "sun" and гэрэл (gerel) meaning "light".

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.

Means "joy" in Sanskrit. This is a transcription of both the masculine form नन्द and the feminine form नन्दा (spelled with a long final vowel).

In Hindu texts this is the name of the foster father of Krishna, as well as various other characters. In Buddhist texts this is the name of both a half-brother and half-sister of Buddha. Nanda was also a 4th-century BC king who founded a dynasty in Magadha in India.

In southern India this name is more common among males, while in the north it is typically feminine, with the form Nand being masculine.

From Sanskrit नम्रता (namratā) meaning "bowing, humility".

Modern Persian form of Anahita. This is also the Persian name for the planet Venus.

Means "drinking companion" in Arabic, derived from ندم (nadima) meaning "to drink together" [1].

From Sino-Korean 明 (myeong) meaning "bright, light, clear" or other hanja characters with the same pronunciation. Although it does appear rarely as a single-character name, it is more often used in combination with another character.

French variant of Muriel.

Anglicized form of Irish Muirgel and Scottish Muireall. A form of this name was also used in Brittany, and it was first introduced to medieval England by Breton settlers in the wake of the Norman Conquest. In the modern era it was popularized by a character from Dinah Craik's novel John Halifax, Gentleman (1856).

Anglicized form of Muireadhach.

From Chinese 木兰 (mùlán) meaning "magnolia". This is the name of a legendary female warrior who disguises herself as a man to take her ailing father's place when he is conscripted into the army.

From Old Cornish moroin meaning "maiden, girl" (related to the Welsh word morwyn [1]). This was the name of a 6th-century Cornish saint, said to be one of the daughters of Brychan Brycheiniog.

Hungarian form of Maurice.

From the name of the area of Moray in Scotland or the surname derived from it (see Moray).

Diminutive of Mòr.

French form of Monica.

Means "lies" in Tupí. This name appears in the poem Caramuru (1781) by the Brazilian poet Santa Rita Durão.

From Japanese 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful", 夜 (ya) meaning "night" and 子 (ko) meaning "child". This name can be formed from other combinations of kanji as well.

Feminine form of Mirsad.

Diminutive of Miroslava and other names containing the Slavic element mirŭ meaning "peace" or "world".

Meaning unknown, possibly a derivative of Miriam.

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.

Yiddish diminutive of Miriam.

Romanian, Croatian and Albanian form of Mireille.

Diminutive of Miroslav and other names beginning with the Slavic element mirŭ meaning "peace, world". It is sometimes used independently.

From the Occitan name Mirèio, which was first used by the poet Frédéric Mistral for the main character in his poem Mirèio (1859). He probably derived it from the Occitan word mirar meaning "to admire". It is spelled Mirèlha in classical Occitan orthography. A notable bearer is the French singer Mireille Mathieu (1946-).

Derived from the element mio, a Serbian form of the Slavic element milŭ meaning "dear", combined with mirŭ meaning "peace" or "world".

From Japanese 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" combined with 桜 (o) meaning "cherry blossom" or 緒 (o) meaning "thread". Other kanji or kanji combinations can also form this name.

From Japanese 実 (minoru) meaning "to bear fruit", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations with the same pronunciation.

Romanian form of Menodora.

Possibly derived from Latin mens meaning "intellect", but more likely of Etruscan origin. Minerva was the Roman goddess of wisdom and war, approximately equivalent to the Greek goddess Athena. It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since after the Renaissance.

From Japanese 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful", 奈 (na), a phonetic character, and 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Derived from Slavic milovati meaning "to caress".

Derived from the Slavic elements milŭ "gracious, dear" and mirŭ "peace" or "world".

From the Slavic element milŭ meaning "gracious, dear".

Originally a diminutive of names containing the Slavic element milŭ meaning "gracious, dear". It can also be derived from Czech and Slovak mladá meaning "young", ultimately from Old Slavic *moldŭ.

Danish feminine form of Mikkel.

Danish form of Michael. It can also derive from the Scandinavian root mikill meaning "enormous".

Derived from Finnish mieli meaning "mind, mood". This was the name of a Finnish goddess of forests and hunting. By some accounts she is the wife of the god Tapio.

From Japanese 緑 (midori) meaning "green", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations that have the same pronunciation.

French feminine form of Michel. It has been common in the English-speaking world since the middle of the 20th century. A famous bearer is the former American first lady Michelle Obama (1964-).

Slovene and Slovak form of Methodius.

Turkish and Uyghur form of Miriam (see Mary).

From Greek μέρος (meros) meaning "share, part" and ὄψ (ops) meaning "face, eye". This was the name of several characters in Greek mythology, including the seventh of the Pleiades and the foster mother of Oedipus.

Bosnian variant form of Miriam (see Mary).

Georgian, Armenian and Greek form of the English name Mary.

Medieval Danish variant of Margrethe.

From the Latin Mercurius, probably derived from Latin mercari "to trade" or merces "wages". This was the name of the Roman god of trade, merchants, and travellers, later equated with the Greek god Hermes. This is also the name of the first planet in the solar system and a metallic chemical element, both named for the god.

Latin form of Mercury.

Derived from Greek μέλι (meli) meaning "honey" (genitive μέλιτος). This was the name of a 2nd-century bishop of Sardis who is regarded as a saint in the Orthodox Church.

French form of Millicent used by Maurice Maeterlinck in his play Pelléas et Mélisande (1893). The play was later adapted by Claude Debussy into an opera (1902).

Spanish, Bosnian, Albanian, Turkish and Azerbaijani form of Melissa.

French form of Melina.

Means "practice, exercise" in Greek. In Greek mythology she was one of the original three muses, the muse of meditation.

Means "king" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of a son of Micah (not the prophet).

Possibly from the Hebrew roots מֶלֶךְ (meleḵ) meaning "king" and אוֹר (ʾor) meaning "light". This was a name traditionally assigned to one of the wise men (also known as the Magi, or three kings) who were said to have visited the newborn Jesus. According to medieval tradition he was a king of Persia.

Means "jasmine flower" in Malay and Indonesian, ultimately from Sanskrit मालती (mālatī).

Feminine form of Meir.

Feminine form of Meir.

From Japanese 芽 (me) meaning "bud, sprout" combined with 依 (i) meaning "rely on", 生 (i) meaning "life" or 衣 (i) meaning "clothing, garment". Other kanji combinations are possible.

From Persian مهر (mehr) meaning "sun" or "friendship" and ناز (nāz) meaning "delight, comfort". This is the name of a character in the 10th-century Persian epic the Shahnameh.

From Persian مهر (mehr) meaning "sun" or "friendship" and آب (āb) meaning "water". This is the name of the king of Kabul in the 10th-century Persian epic the Shahnameh.

From Greek Μήδεια (Medeia), derived from μήδεα (medea) meaning "plans, counsel, cunning". In Greek mythology Medea was a sorceress from Colchis (modern Georgia) who helped Jason gain the Golden Fleece. They were married, but eventually Jason left her for another woman. For revenge Medea slew Jason's new lover and also had her own children by Jason killed.

From Japanese 真 (ma) meaning "real, genuine" combined with 弓 (yumi) meaning "archery bow" or 由 (yu) meaning "reason, cause" and 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful". This name can also be constructed from other kanji combinations.

Means "tender, soft, modest" in Tagalog.

Derived from Nakh майра (mayra) meaning "husband, brave man" combined with the Turkic military title beg meaning "chieftain, master".

Alternate transcription of Arabic ميمونة (see Maymuna).

From the name of a town in southern France, said to derive from Occitan mair "mother" and French lys "lily". It is also sometimes considered a combination of Marie and lys.

Means "rose" in Malay and Indonesian.

Derived from Arabic موْزون (mawzūn) meaning "balanced, poised", a derivative of وزن (wazana) meaning "to weigh, to balance".

Italian, Spanish and Portuguese form of Maurus.

French feminine form of Maurice.

Form of Matilda in several languages.

Dutch form of Matthias.

Slovak form of Matthias, used to refer to the apostle chosen to replace Judas Iscariot. Also the Slovene, Croatian and Macedonian form of Matthew, used to refer to the evangelist and apostle also known as Levi.

Means "innocent, sinless" in Arabic, derived from the root عصم (ʿaṣama) meaning "to protect". After her death, this name was applied to Fatima, a daughter of the 9th-century Shia imam Musa al-Kazim.

From Japanese 勝 (masaru) meaning "victory" or 優 (masaru) meaning "excellence". Other kanji or kanji combinations can also form this name.

From Japanese 正 (masa) meaning "right, proper" or 雅 (masa) meaning "elegant, graceful" combined with 治 (haru) meaning "govern, administer" or 春 (haru) meaning "spring (the season)". This name can also be formed from other combinations of kanji characters.

Scottish Gaelic form of Marcella, now also associated with Marjorie.

Danish short form of Marina.

Variant of Marjolein.

Means "marjoram" in French, from Latin maiorana. Marjoram is a minty herb.

Scandinavian variant form of Margaret.

From the title of the Virgin Mary, Stella Maris, meaning "star of the sea" in Latin. It can also be a combination of Maria and Estela.

Diminutive of Maria.

French diminutive of Marie.

Italian, Spanish and Portuguese combination of Maria and Luisa.

French diminutive of Marine.

French, Armenian and Georgian form of Marina.

Combination of Marie and Hélène.

Combination of Maria and Elena.

From Japanese 真 (ma) meaning "real, genuine", 里 (ri) meaning "village" and 子 (ko) meaning "child". Many different combinations of kanji characters can form this name.

Diminutive of Maria and other names beginning with Mari.

Dutch diminutive of Maria.

Combination of Marie and Madeleine, referring to Mary Magdalene from the New Testament.

French diminutive of Marie.

Combination of Marie and José, the names of the parents of Jesus.

Combination of Marie and France 1.

Combination of Marie and Claire.

Portuguese diminutive of Maria.

From Japanese 真 (ma) meaning "real, genuine" combined with 理 (ri) meaning "reason, logic" or 里 (ri) meaning "village". Many other combinations of kanji characters can form this name.

Dutch form of Margaret. This is also the Dutch word for the daisy flower (species Leucanthemum vulgare).

Danish and Norwegian form of Margaret. This is the name of the current queen of Denmark (1940-).

Slovak form and Czech variant of Margaret.

Variant of Margot influenced by the name of the wine-producing French town. It was borne by Margaux Hemingway (1954-1996), granddaughter of author Ernest Hemingway, who had it changed from Margot.

Latinate form of Margaret. This is also the Spanish word for the daisy flower (species Bellis perennis, Leucanthemum vulgare and others).

Danish diminutive of Marina or Maria.

Latvian form of Marek.

French feminine form of Marcellinus.

Old French variant of Marcel. A famous bearer of the surname was the French general François Séverin Marceau (1769-1796).

French, Catalan and Welsh form of Marcus (see Mark). This name was borne by the Russian-French artist Marc Chagall (1887-1985).

Means "deer" in Mongolian, Azerbaijani, Armenian and Turkmen, referring to the Caspian Red Deer.

This was the name of a Latvian mother goddess. Her name is possibly derived from Maria, identifying her with the Virgin Mary. In modern times this name is used as a variant of Marija.

Hungarian variant of Mária, and a Croatian and Serbian variant of Marija.

Armenian form of Emmanuel.

Welsh cognate of Manannán. According to the Mabinogi [1] he was a son of Llŷr, and the brother of Brân and Branwen. He participated in his brother's invasion of Ireland, and was one of only seven warriors to return. Afterwards he became a companion of Pryderi and married his widowed mother Rhiannon [2].

From Japanese 愛 (mana) meaning "love, affection" combined with 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" or 海 (mi) meaning "sea, ocean". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Created by the Scottish poet James MacPherson in the 18th century for a character in his Ossian poems. He probably intended it to mean "smooth brow", from Scottish Gaelic mala "brow" and mìn "smooth, fine" (lenited to mhìn and pronounced with a v sound).