helianth0s's Personal Name List
Yue
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Chinese
Other Scripts: 越, 月, 悦, etc.(Chinese) 越, 月, 悅, etc.(Traditional Chinese)
Pronounced: WEH
From Chinese
越 (yuè) meaning "cross, surpass", also referring to the Yue people, or
月 (yuè) meaning "moon". Other characters can form this name as well.
Yoli
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: GYO-lee
Yasmina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arabic, Spanish (Modern), French (Modern)
Other Scripts: ياسمينة(Arabic)
Pronounced: yas-MEE-na(Arabic) gyas-MEE-na(Spanish) YAS-MEE-NA(French)
Yasmeen
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arabic, Urdu
Other Scripts: ياسمين(Arabic) یاسمین(Urdu)
Pronounced: yas-MEEN(Arabic)
Xing-xing
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Chinese
Other Scripts: 星星, etc.(Chinese)
Pronounced: SHING-SHING
Means "star" in Chinese, from the element 星 xīng ("star"). Other character combinations are also possible.
Xing
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Chinese
Other Scripts: 兴, 行, 星, 惺, 杏, etc.(Chinese)
Pronounced: SHEENG
From Chinese 兴
(xīng) meaning "rise, flourish, prosper", 行
(xíng) meaning "carry out, execute, perform", 星
(xīng) meaning "star, planet", 惺
(xīng) meaning "clever, intelligent" or 杏
(xìng) meaning "apricot". Other character combinations can form this name as well.
Xiaoji
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Chinese
Other Scripts: 笑玑, 笑霁(Chinese)
From the Chinese 笑 (xiào) meaning "smile, laugh" and 玑 (jī) meaning "pearl that is not quite round" or 霁 (jì) meaning "clear up after rain, cease anger".
Wren
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: REHN
From the English word for the small songbird. It is ultimately derived from Old English wrenna.
Willow
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: WIL-o
From the name of the tree, which is ultimately derived from Old English welig.
Willa
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: WIL-ə
Wesley
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: WEHS-lee, WEHZ-lee
From an English surname that was derived from a place name, itself meaning
"west meadow" from Old English
west "west" and
leah "woodland, clearing". It has been sometimes given in honour of John Wesley (1703-1791), the founder of Methodism.
Wendell
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: WEHN-dəl
From a German and Dutch surname that was derived from the given name
Wendel. In America this name has been given in honour of the poet Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. (1809-1894) and his son the Supreme Court justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. (1841-1935). The elder's middle name came from his mother's maiden name (which had been brought to America by a Dutch ancestor in the form
Wendel, with the extra
l added later).
Viorel
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Romanian
Derived from viorea, the Romanian word for the alpine squill flower (species Scilla bifolia) or the sweet violet flower (species Viola odorata). It is derived from Latin viola "violet".
Violine
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Haitian Creole (Rare), French (Rare), Popular Culture
Violetta
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Russian, Hungarian
Other Scripts: Виолетта(Russian)
Pronounced: vyo-LEHT-ta(Italian) vyi-u-LYEHT-tə(Russian) VEE-o-leht-taw(Hungarian)
Italian, Russian and Hungarian form of
Violet.
Violeta
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Romanian, Spanish, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Serbian, Albanian, Lithuanian
Other Scripts: Виолета(Bulgarian, Macedonian, Serbian)
Pronounced: byo-LEH-ta(Spanish)
Form of
Violet in several languages.
Violet
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: VIE-lit, VIE-ə-lit
From the English word violet for the purple flower, ultimately derived from Latin viola. It was common in Scotland from the 16th century, and it came into general use as an English given name during the 19th century.
Violaine
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French, Theatre
Pronounced: VYAW-LEHN(French)
Invented by Paul Claudel for his play
L'Annonce faite à Marie (1912), the first version of which was titled
La Jeune Fille Violaine (1892). It is often regarded as a variant of
Violante, though Claudel may have taken it from a French place name.
Viola
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Italian, Swedish, Danish, Finnish, German, Hungarian, Czech, Slovak
Pronounced: vie-O-lə(English) vi-O-lə(English) VIE-ə-lə(English) VYAW-la(Italian) vi-OO-la(Swedish) VEE-o-la(German) vee-O-la(German) VEE-o-law(Hungarian) VI-o-la(Czech) VEE-aw-la(Slovak)
Means
"violet" in Latin. This is the name of the heroine of William Shakespeare's comedy
Twelfth Night (1602). In the play she is the survivor of a shipwreck who disguises herself as a man named Cesario. Working as a messenger for Duke
Orsino, she attempts to convince
Olivia to marry him. Instead Viola falls in love with the duke.
Vinny
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: VIN-ee
Vinnie
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: VIN-ee
Vincent
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Slovak
Pronounced: VIN-sənt(English, Dutch) VEHN-SAHN(French) VIN-sent(Dutch) VEEN-tsent(Slovak)
From the Roman name
Vincentius, which was derived from Latin
vincere meaning
"to conquer". This name was popular among early Christians, and it was borne by many
saints. As an English name,
Vincent has been in use since the Middle Ages, though it did not become common until the 19th century. Famous bearers include the French priest Saint Vincent de Paul (1581-1660) and the Dutch post-impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890).
Vick
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: VIK
Veronica
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Italian, Romanian, Late Roman
Pronounced: və-RAHN-i-kə(American English) və-RAWN-i-kə(British English) veh-RAW-nee-ka(Italian)
Latin alteration of
Berenice, the spelling influenced by the ecclesiastical Latin phrase
vera icon meaning
"true image". This was the name of a legendary
saint who wiped
Jesus' face with a towel and then found his image imprinted upon it. Due to popular stories about her, the name was occasionally used in the Christian world in the Middle Ages. It was borne by the Italian saint and mystic Veronica Giuliani (1660-1727). As an English name, it was not common until the 19th century, when it was imported from France and Scotland.
Verena
Gender: Feminine
Usage: German, Late Roman
Pronounced: veh-REH-na(German)
Possibly related to Latin
verus "true". This might also be a Coptic form of the Ptolemaic name
Berenice.
Saint Verena was a 3rd-century Egyptian-born nurse who went with the Theban Legion to Switzerland. After the legion was massacred she settled near Zurich.
Venus
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Roman Mythology
Pronounced: WEH-noos(Latin) VEE-nəs(English)
Means
"love, sexual desire" in Latin. This was the name of the Roman goddess of love and sex. Her character was assimilated with that of the Greek goddess
Aphrodite. As the mother of
Aeneas she was considered an ancestor of the Roman people. The second planet from the sun is named after her.
Vanessa
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, German, Dutch
Pronounced: və-NEHS-ə(English) VA-NEH-SA(French) va-NEHS-sa(Italian) vu-NEH-su(European Portuguese) va-NEH-su(Brazilian Portuguese) ba-NEH-sa(Spanish) va-NEH-sa(German) vah-NEH-sa(Dutch)
Invented by author Jonathan Swift for his 1726 poem
Cadenus and Vanessa [1]. He arrived at it by rearranging the initial syllables of the first name and surname of
Esther Vanhomrigh, his close friend. Vanessa was later used as the name of a genus of butterfly. It was a rare given name until the mid-20th century, at which point it became fairly popular.
Valerio
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian, Spanish
Pronounced: va-LEH-ryo(Italian) ba-LEH-ryo(Spanish)
Valerian
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Russian, Georgian, Romanian, History
Other Scripts: Валериан(Russian) ვალერიან(Georgian)
Pronounced: və-LIR-ee-ən(English)
From the Roman
cognomen Valerianus, which was itself derived from the Roman name
Valerius. This was the name of a 3rd-century Roman emperor (Publius Licinius Valerianus) who was captured by the Persians. Several
saints have also borne this name, including a 2nd-century martyr of Lyons.
Val
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: VAL
Ursa
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Late Roman
Feminine form of
Ursus. This is the name of two constellations in the northern sky: Ursa Major and Ursa Minor.
Uma
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hinduism, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi
Other Scripts: उमा(Sanskrit, Hindi) ఉమ(Telugu) ಉಮಾ(Kannada) ഉമ(Malayalam) உமா(Tamil)
Means
"flax" in Sanskrit. This is another name of the Hindu goddess
Parvati. In Hindu texts it is said to derive from the Sanskrit exclamation
उ मा (u mā) meaning "O do not (practice austerities)!", which was addressed to Parvati by her mother.
Twila
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: TWIE-lə
Meaning unknown. Perhaps based on the English word
twilight, or maybe from a Cajun pronunciation of French
étoile "star"
[1]. It came into use as an American given name in the late 19th century.
Thérèse
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: TEH-REHZ
French form of
Theresa. It was borne by the French nun
Saint Thérèse of Lisieux (1873-1897), who is regarded as a Doctor of the Church.
Theodosia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ancient Greek [1], Greek
Other Scripts: Θεοδοσία(Greek)
Pronounced: TEH-O-DO-SEE-A(Classical Greek) thee-ə-DO-see-ə(English) thee-ə-DO-shə(English)
Theo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, German, Dutch
Pronounced: THEE-o(English) TEH-o(German) TEH-yo(Dutch)
Theia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Θεία(Ancient Greek)
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.
Thea
Gender: Feminine
Usage: German, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, English
Pronounced: TEH-a(German) THEE-ə(English)
Teodosia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish, Galician (Rare), Italian, Romansh, Romanian
Spanish, Galician, Romansh, Romanian and Italian form of
Theodosia.
Teodora
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, Polish, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Serbian, Swedish
Other Scripts: Теодора(Bulgarian, Macedonian, Serbian)
Pronounced: teh-o-DAW-ra(Italian) teh-o-DHO-ra(Spanish) teh-o-DO-ra(Romanian) teh-aw-DAW-ra(Polish)
Feminine form of
Theodoros (see
Theodore).
Teodor
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Romanian, Bulgarian, Slovak, Czech, Polish, Serbian, Croatian, Slovene, Macedonian, Swedish, Norwegian
Other Scripts: Теодор(Bulgarian, Serbian, Macedonian)
Pronounced: teh-O-dor(Romanian) TEH-aw-dawr(Slovak) TEH-o-dor(Czech, Croatian) teh-AW-dawr(Polish)
Form of
Theodore used in various languages.
Stevie
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: STEE-vee
Steven
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Dutch
Pronounced: STEE-vən(English) STEH-vən(Dutch)
Medieval English variant of
Stephen, and a Dutch variant of
Stefan. The filmmaker Steven Spielberg (1946-), director of
E.T. and
Indiana Jones, is a famous bearer of this name.
Sterling
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: STUR-ling
From a Scots surname that was derived from city of Stirling, which is itself of unknown meaning. The name can also be given in reference to the English word sterling meaning "excellent". In this case, the word derives from sterling silver, which was so named because of the emblem that some Norman coins bore, from Old English meaning "little star".
Spencer
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: SPEHN-sər
From an English surname that meant "dispenser of provisions", derived from Middle English spense "larder, pantry". A famous bearer was American actor Spencer Tracy (1900-1967). It was also the surname of Princess Diana (1961-1997).
Solian
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Medieval, Italian (Latinized)
Soli
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Judeo-Spanish
Possibly a diminutive of
Sol 1.
Solaris
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (Modern, Rare)
From the Latin word solaris meaning "solar, sunny".
Solaria
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian (Modern, Rare), Spanish (Modern, Rare)
Sol 2
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Jewish
Smith
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: SMITH
From an English surname meaning "metal worker, blacksmith", derived from Old English smitan "to smite, to hit". It is the most common surname in most of the English-speaking world.
Silvester
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Slovak, Slovene, Serbian, German, English, Late Roman
Other Scripts: Силвестер(Serbian)
Pronounced: zil-VEHS-tu(German) sil-VEHS-tər(English)
From a Latin name meaning
"wooded, wild", derived from
silva "wood, forest". This was the name of three popes, including
Saint Silvester I who supposedly baptized the first Christian Roman emperor,
Constantine the Great. As an English name,
Silvester (or
Sylvester) has been in use since the Middle Ages, though it became less common after the
Protestant Reformation.
Shiro
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 四郎, etc.(Japanese Kanji) しろう(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: SHEE-RO
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji
四郎 (see
Shirō).
Sev
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Various (Rare)
Nickname for various names containing the sound element
-sev-, such as
Severin. This name is usually not used as a legal name in its own right.
Selene
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Σελήνη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: SEH-LEH-NEH(Classical Greek) si-LEE-nee(English) si-LEEN(English)
Means
"moon" in Greek. This was the name of a Greek goddess of the moon, a Titan. She was sometimes identified with the goddess
Artemis.
Sea
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: SEE
English vocabulary and nature name meaning "body of salt water".
Scotty
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: SKAHT-ee
Scott
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Scottish
Pronounced: SKAHT(American English) SKAWT(British English)
From an English and Scottish surname that referred to a person from Scotland or a person who spoke Scottish Gaelic. It is derived from Latin Scoti meaning "Gael, Gaelic speaker", with the ultimate origin uncertain.
Savino
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: sa-VEE-no
Italian variant form of
Sabinus (see
Sabina).
Saveria
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: sa-VEH-rya
Italian feminine form of
Xavier.
Saul
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical, Jewish, Biblical Latin
Other Scripts: שָׁאוּל(Hebrew)
Pronounced: SAWL(English)
From the Hebrew name
שָׁאוּל (Shaʾul) meaning
"asked for, prayed for". This was the name of the first king of Israel, as told in the
Old Testament. Before the end of his reign he lost favour with God, and after a defeat by the Philistines he was succeeded by
David as king. In the
New Testament, Saul was the original Hebrew name of the apostle
Paul.
Saturnine
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French (African, Rare), French (Rare)
Saturn
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Roman Mythology (Anglicized)
Pronounced: SAT-ərn(English)
From the Latin
Saturnus, which is of unknown meaning. In Roman
mythology he was the father of
Jupiter,
Juno and others, and was also the god of agriculture. This is also the name of the ringed sixth planet in the solar system.
Sasha
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Russian, Ukrainian, English, French
Other Scripts: Саша(Russian, Ukrainian)
Pronounced: SA-shə(Russian) SASH-ə(English) SAH-shə(English) SA-SHA(French)
Sana
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: سناء(Arabic)
Pronounced: sa-NA
Alternate transcription of Arabic
سناء (see
Sanaa).
Samia 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arabic, Bengali
Other Scripts: سامية(Arabic) সামিয়া(Bengali)
Pronounced: SA-mee-ya(Arabic)
Alternate transcription of Arabic
سامية (see
Samiya), as well as the usual Bengali transcription.
Salvatore
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: sal-va-TO-reh
Salvator
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Late Roman
Sal
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: SAL
Short form of
Sally,
Salvador and other names beginning with
Sal.
Roxane
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French, English
Pronounced: RAWK-SAN(French) rahk-SAN(English)
French and English form of
Roxana. This is the name of Cyrano's love interest in the play
Cyrano de Bergerac (1897).
Rosina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: ro-ZEE-na
Italian
diminutive of
Rosa 1. This is the name of a character in Rossini's opera
The Barber of Seville (1816).
Rorie
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: RAWR-ee
Rongxuan
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Chinese
Other Scripts: 荣璇(Chinese)
From the Chinese 荣 (róng) meaning "glory, honour, prosper" and 璇 (xuán) meaning "beautiful jade, star".
Romina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: ro-MEE-na
River
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: RIV-ər
From the English word that denotes a flowing body of water. The word is ultimately derived (via Old French) from Latin ripa "riverbank".
Rina 4
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 莉奈, 里菜, 莉菜, 里奈, etc.(Japanese Kanji) りな(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: REE-NA
From Japanese
莉 (ri) meaning "white jasmine" or
里 (ri) meaning "village" combined with
奈 (na), a phonetic character, or
菜 (na) meaning "vegetables, greens". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Rin
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 凛, etc.(Japanese Kanji) りん(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: REEN
From Japanese
凛 (rin) meaning "dignified, severe, cold" or other kanji that are pronounced the same way.
Riley
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: RIE-lee
From a surname that comes from two distinct sources. As an Irish surname it is a variant of
Reilly. As an English surname it is derived from a place name meaning
"rye clearing" in Old English.
Before 1980, this was an uncommon masculine name in America. During the 1980s and 90s this name steadily increased in popularity for both boys and girls, and from 2003 onwards it has been more common for girls in the United States. Elsewhere in the English-speaking world, such as the United Kingdom and Australia, it has remained largely masculine.
Rhianon
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Welsh
Pronounced: ri-AN-awn
Rhian
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Welsh
Pronounced: REE-an
Personal remark: ree-an
Derived from Welsh rhiain meaning "maiden, young woman".
Reza
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Persian, Indonesian, Bengali
Other Scripts: رضا(Persian) রেজা(Bengali)
Pronounced: reh-ZAW(Persian)
Persian, Indonesian and Bengali form of
Rida.
Rei
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 鈴, 麗, 玲, etc.(Japanese Kanji) れい(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: REH
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.
Raven
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: RAY-vən
From the name of the bird, ultimately from Old English
hræfn. The raven is revered by several Native American groups of the west coast. It is also associated with the Norse god
Odin.
Rainy
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (Modern, Rare)
Pronounced: RAY-nee
From the English word 'rainy'.
Rain 1
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: RAYN
Simply from the English word rain, derived from Old English regn.
Quinn
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: KWIN
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.
Poppy
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: PAHP-ee
From the word for the red flower, derived from Old English popæg.
Phoenix
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: FEE-niks
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".
Perry
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: PEHR-ee
From a surname that is either English or Welsh in origin. It can be derived from Middle English
perrie meaning "pear tree", or else from Welsh
ap Herry, meaning "son of
Herry". A famous bearer of the surname was Matthew Perry (1794-1858), the American naval officer who opened Japan to the West.
Peregrine
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: PEHR-ə-grin
From the Late Latin name
Peregrinus, which meant
"traveller". This was the name of several early
saints.
Peony
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: PEE-ə-nee
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.
Orian
Gender: Masculine
Usage: French (Modern, Rare)
Ori
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Hebrew
Other Scripts: אוֹרִי(Hebrew)
Means "my light" in Hebrew.
Onofrio
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: o-NAW-fryo
Ondre
Gender: Masculine
Usage: African American
Pronounced: On-dray
Olexiy
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ukrainian
Other Scripts: Олексій(Ukrainian)
Olesia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ukrainian
Other Scripts: Олеся(Ukrainian)
Pronounced: oh-LESS-yah
Variant transcription of
Olesya.
Oleksandra
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ukrainian
Other Scripts: Олександра(Ukrainian)
Oleander
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Greek (Rare), English (Rare)
Pronounced: AW-lee-an-der(Greek)
The name Oleander originated as an Greek name. In Greek, the name Oleander means "an evergreen tree."
The origin of the name was said to have come from a young man whose ardour to his Lady Love ended in a tragedy. The young man was named Leander, and his precious lady longing for his love shouting with such forlorn “O Leander!”, “O Leander!” in the banks, until finally he was found. And clasped in his hands were sweet flowers, who have become a symbol of everlasting love, known as oleanders.
Possibly taken from the plant family, Nerium oleander (flowering shrub known as oleanders), Cascabela thevetia (yellow oleander), Acacia neriifolia (oleander wattle); or a species of moth, Daphnis nerii (oleander hawk-moth).
In the complex language of love practiced during the time of Queen Victoria, the Oleander flower means caution.
A diminutive use of Oleander could be Ollie, Lee, Lee-Ann, or Anders.
Ola 3
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Yoruba
Pronounced: AW-LA
From Yoruba
ọlà meaning
"wealth" or the related
ọlá meaning
"honour, respect". It is also a short form of names containing those elements.
Odran
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish
Ocean
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: O-shən
Simply from the English word
ocean for a large body of water. It is ultimately derived from Greek
Ὠκεανός (Okeanos), the name of the body of water thought to surround the Earth.
Noreen
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish, English
Pronounced: naw-REEN(English)
Noor 1
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Urdu
Other Scripts: نور(Arabic, Urdu)
Pronounced: NOOR(Arabic)
Alternate transcription of Arabic/Urdu
نور (see
Nur).
Noll
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Medieval English
Nolene
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Afrikaans
Elaborated form of
Nola, most commonly found in South Africa.
Nola
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: NO-lə
Meaning uncertain, possibly a feminine form of
Noll inspired by
Lola. It has been most common in Australia and New Zealand, especially in the first half of the 20th century.
Nicola 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: nee-KAW-la
Italian form of
Nicholas. A notable bearer was the 13th-century sculptor Nicola Pisano.
Nico
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian, Dutch, German, Spanish, Portuguese
Pronounced: NEE-ko(Italian, Dutch, Spanish)
Neven
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Croatian, Serbian, Macedonian
Other Scripts: Невен(Serbian, Macedonian)
Neve
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish
Anglicized form of
Niamh.
Nevan
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish
Pronounced: NEHV-ən(English)
Nerine
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Afrikaans (Rare), English (Rare)
Nell
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: NEHL
Medieval
diminutive of names beginning with
El, such as
Eleanor,
Ellen 1 or
Helen. It may have arisen from the medieval affectionate phrase
mine El, which was later reinterpreted as
my Nel.
Nasrin
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Persian, Bengali
Other Scripts: نسرین(Persian) নাসরীন(Bengali)
Pronounced: nas-REEN(Persian)
Means "wild rose" in Persian.
Murray
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Scottish, English
Pronounced: MUR-ee
From a surname, which is either Scottish or Irish in origin (see
Murray 1 and
Murray 2).
Mori
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Hebrew
Other Scripts: מורי(Hebrew)
Pronounced: MO-ree
Means "my teacher" in Hebrew, also diminutive of
Mor, which means "myrrh".
Morgana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: mawr-GAN-ə
Morgan 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Welsh, English, French
Pronounced: MAWR-gən(English) MAWR-GAN(French)
From the Old Welsh masculine name
Morcant, which was possibly derived from Welsh
mor "sea" and
cant "circle". Since the 1980s in America
Morgan has been more common for girls than boys, perhaps due to stories of
Morgan le Fay or the fame of actress Morgan Fairchild (1950-).
Mora
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: MAWR-ə
Montero
Gender: Masculine
Usage: African American
Pronounced: mawn-TEHR-o(English)
From Spanish surname
Montero, used as the occupational name for a beater or other assistant at a hunt (typically in the mountains).
A famous bearer is Montero Hill (1999-), the rapper and singer known as Lil Nas X, who was named after the Mitsubishi Montero (also marketed as the Pajero or the Shogun in other areas).
Mollie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: MAHL-ee
Misha
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Russian
Other Scripts: Миша(Russian)
Pronounced: MYEE-shə
Mira 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hindi, Marathi, Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada
Other Scripts: मीरा(Hindi, Marathi) മീര(Malayalam) மீரா(Tamil) ಮೀರಾ(Kannada)
From Sanskrit
मीर (mīra) meaning
"sea, ocean". This was the name of a 16th-century Indian princess who devoted her life to the god
Krishna.
Mick
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Dutch
Pronounced: MIK
Short form of
Michael. This name has become a slang term for an Irishman.
Mica
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical Italian, Biblical Romanian
Italian and Romanian form of
Micah.
Meera
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hindi, Marathi, Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada
Other Scripts: मीरा(Hindi, Marathi) മീര(Malayalam) மீரா(Tamil) ಮೀರಾ(Kannada)
May
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: MAY
Derived from the name of the month of May, which derives from
Maia, the name of a Roman goddess. May is also another name of the hawthorn flower. It is also used as a
diminutive of
Mary,
Margaret or
Mabel.
Mavis
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: MAY-vis
From the name of the type of bird, also called the song thrush, derived from Old French mauvis, of uncertain origin. It was first used as a given name by the British author Marie Corelli, who used it for a character in her novel The Sorrows of Satan (1895).
Maven
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Irish (Anglicized)
Mave
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish (Rare)
Marzia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: MAR-tsya
Marseline
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (African), French (African)
Marlis
Gender: Feminine
Usage: German
Marisol
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: ma-ree-SOL
Short form of
María Soledad. It is sometimes considered a combination of
María and
Sol 1, or from Spanish
mar y sol "sea and sun".
Maris 2
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: MEHR-is, MAR-is
Means
"of the sea", taken from the Latin title of the Virgin
Mary,
Stella Maris, meaning "star of the sea".
Marina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, English, Greek, Finnish, Estonian, Russian, Romanian, Czech, Bulgarian, Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Macedonian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Georgian, Ancient Roman
Other Scripts: Μαρίνα(Greek) Марина(Russian, Bulgarian, Serbian, Macedonian) მარინა(Georgian)
Pronounced: ma-REE-na(Italian, Spanish, German, Dutch, Macedonian) mə-REE-nə(Catalan) mə-REEN-ə(English) mu-RYEE-nə(Russian) MA-ri-na(Czech)
Feminine form of
Marinus. This name was borne by a few early
saints. This is also the name by which Saint
Margaret of Antioch is known in the Eastern Orthodox Church.
Mariko
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 真里子, etc.(Japanese Kanji) まりこ(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: MA-REE-KO
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.
Maricel
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: ma-ree-THEHL(European Spanish) ma-ree-SEHL(Latin American Spanish)
Combination of
María and
Celia or
Cecilia. It is especially popular in the Philippines.
Mariana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Portuguese, Spanish, Romanian, Czech, Bulgarian, Ancient Roman
Other Scripts: Мариана, Марияна(Bulgarian)
Pronounced: mu-RYU-nu(European Portuguese) ma-RYU-nu(Brazilian Portuguese) ma-RYA-na(Spanish)
Personal remark: mah-ri-ah-na
Roman feminine form of
Marianus. After the classical era it was sometimes interpreted as a combination of
Maria and
Ana. In Portuguese it is further used as a form of
Mariamne.
Marian 2
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Polish, Czech, Romanian
Pronounced: MA-ryan(Polish) MA-ri-yan(Czech) ma-ree-AN(Romanian)
Polish, Czech and Romanian form of
Marianus. It is sometimes used as a masculine form of
Maria.
Mari 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Estonian, Finnish, Welsh, Breton, Hungarian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Georgian, Armenian
Other Scripts: მარი(Georgian) Մարի(Armenian)
Pronounced: MAH-ree(Finnish) MAW-ree(Hungarian) mah-REE(Swedish)
Estonian, Finnish, Welsh and Breton form of
Maria, as well as a Hungarian
diminutive of
Mária. It is also a Scandinavian, Georgian and Armenian form of the French name
Marie.
Marcine
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: mahr-SEEN
Marciel
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Portuguese (Brazilian)
Marcie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: MAHR-see
Marciana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ancient Roman, Spanish, Portuguese (Brazilian)
Pronounced: mar-THYA-na(European Spanish) mar-SYA-na(Latin American Spanish) makh-SYU-nu(Brazilian Portuguese)
Feminine form of
Marcianus. This was the name of a young woman martyred in North Africa during the persecutions of the Roman emperor Diocletian in the early 4th century.
Marci
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: MAHR-see
Marcelly
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Portuguese (Brazilian, Rare)
Marcelline
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: MAR-SU-LEEN
Marceline
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: MAR-SU-LEEN
Marcélie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Louisiana Creole, French (Acadian)
Marceli
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Polish
Pronounced: mar-TSEH-lee
Marcel
Gender: Masculine
Usage: French, Catalan, Romanian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Dutch, German
Pronounced: MAR-SEHL(French) mər-SEHL(Catalan) mar-CHEHL(Romanian) MAR-tsehl(Polish, Czech, Slovak) mahr-SEHL(Dutch) mar-SEHL(German)
Form of
Marcellus used in several languages. Notable bearers include the French author Marcel Proust (1871-1922) and the French artist Marcel Duchamp (1887-1968).
Mara 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Biblical, Biblical Hebrew [1], Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
Other Scripts: מָרָא(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced: MAHR-ə(English) MAR-ə(English) MEHR-ə(English) MA-ra(Spanish)
Means
"bitter" in Hebrew. In the
Old Testament this is a name that
Naomi calls herself after the death of her husband and sons (see
Ruth 1:20).
Magdalene
Gender: Feminine
Usage: German, English, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Μαγδαληνή(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: mak-da-LEH-nə(German) MAG-də-lin(English)
From a title meaning
"of Magdala".
Mary Magdalene, a character in the
New Testament, was named thus because she was from Magdala — a village on the Sea of Galilee whose name meant "tower" in Hebrew. She was cleaned of evil spirits by
Jesus and then remained with him during his ministry, witnessing the crucifixion and the resurrection. She was a popular
saint in the Middle Ages, and the name became common then. In England it is traditionally rendered
Madeline, while
Magdalene or
Magdalen is the learned form.
Magdalena
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Polish, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Lithuanian, Spanish, Catalan, Occitan, Slovene, Czech, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Croatian, Serbian, Romanian, English
Other Scripts: Магдалена(Bulgarian, Macedonian, Serbian)
Pronounced: mag-da-LEH-na(Polish) mak-da-LEH-na(German) mahgh-da-LEH-na(Dutch) magh-dha-LEH-na(Spanish) məg-də-LEH-nə(Catalan) MAG-da-leh-na(Czech) mag-də-LAY-nə(English)
Magdalen
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: MAG-də-lən
Magda
Gender: Feminine
Usage: German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Czech, Slovak, Polish, Hungarian, Croatian, Slovene, Romanian, Portuguese, Greek
Other Scripts: Μάγδα(Greek)
Pronounced: MAK-da(German) MAHKH-da(Dutch) MAG-da(Czech, Slovak, Polish) MAWG-daw(Hungarian)
Mae
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: MAY
Variant of
May. A famous bearer was the American actress Mae West (1893-1980), whose birth name was Mary.
Maciel
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Portuguese (Brazilian), Spanish (Mexican), Spanish (Latin American)
Pronounced: mu-see-EW(Brazilian Portuguese) ma-SYEHL(Mexican Spanish, Latin American Spanish)
Transferred use of the surname
Maciel.
Lyra
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Astronomy
Pronounced: LIE-rə(English)
The name of the constellation in the northern sky containing the star Vega. It is said to be shaped after the lyre of Orpheus. This is the name of the main character in the His Dark Materials series of books by Philip Pullman (beginning 1995).
Lupe
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: LOO-peh
Lucien
Gender: Masculine
Usage: French
Pronounced: LUY-SYEHN
Lucian
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Romanian, English
Pronounced: LOO-chyan(Romanian) LOO-shən(English)
Romanian and English form of
Lucianus. Lucian is the usual name of Lucianus of Samosata in English.
Love 2
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: LUV
Simply from the English word love, derived from Old English lufu.
Lisette
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French, English
Pronounced: LEE-ZEHT(French)
Lisandro
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Spanish (Latin American), Portuguese
Pronounced: lee-SAN-dro(Spanish)
Spanish and Portuguese form of
Lysander.
Lirie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Albanian, Kosovar
Liren
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Chinese
Other Scripts: 丽蓮, 丽恋, etc.(Chinese)
Pronounced: LEE-REN
Combination of the names
Li 1 and
Ren
Lira
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Croatian (Rare)
From the name of the musical instrument lira (from Latin lira, from Ancient Greek λύρα (lúra)), called "lyre" in English.
Liesel
Gender: Feminine
Usage: German
Pronounced: LEE-zəl
Liese
Gender: Feminine
Usage: German, Dutch
Pronounced: LEE-zə(German) LEE-sə(Dutch)
Lian 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German
Li 1
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Chinese
Other Scripts: 理, 立, 黎, 力, 丽, etc.(Chinese) 理, 立, 黎, 力, 麗, etc.(Traditional Chinese)
Pronounced: LEE
From Chinese
理 (lǐ) meaning "reason, logic",
立 (lì) meaning "stand, establish",
黎 (lí) meaning "black, dawn",
力 (lì) meaning "power, capability, influence" (which is usually only masculine) or
丽 (lì) meaning "beautiful" (usually only feminine). Other Chinese characters are also possible.
Lewis
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: LOO-is
Medieval English form of
Louis. A famous bearer was Lewis Carroll (1832-1898), the author of
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. This was also the surname of C. S. Lewis (1898-1963), the author of the
Chronicles of Narnia series.
Levan
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Georgian
Other Scripts: ლევან(Georgian)
Lesly
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: LEHZ-lee, LEHS-lee
Les
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: LEHS, LEHZ
Leonor
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish, Portuguese
Pronounced: leh-o-NOR(Spanish) leh-oo-NOR(European Portuguese) leh-o-NOKH(Brazilian Portuguese)
Spanish and Portuguese form of
Eleanor. It was brought to Spain in the 12th-century by Eleanor of England, who married King Alfonso VIII of Castile.
Lei 2
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Chinese
Other Scripts: 磊, 蕾, etc.(Chinese)
Pronounced: LAY
From Chinese
磊 (lěi) meaning "pile of stones" (which is typically masculine) or
蕾 (lěi) meaning "bud" (typically feminine). Other characters can also form this name.
Lee
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: LEE
From a surname that was derived from Old English
leah meaning
"clearing". The surname belonged to Robert E. Lee (1807-1870), commander of the Confederate forces during the American Civil War. In his honour, it has been used as a given name in the American South. It is common as a middle name.
Leandra
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Portuguese, Spanish, Italian
Pronounced: leh-AN-dra(Spanish)
Leander
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Λέανδρος(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: lee-AN-dər(English)
Latinized form of the Greek name
Λέανδρος (Leandros), derived from
λέων (leon) meaning "lion" and
ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man" (genitive
ἀνδρός). In Greek legend Leander was the lover of Hero. Every night he swam across the Hellespont to meet her, but on one occasion he was drowned when a storm arose. When Hero saw his dead body she threw herself into the waters and perished.
Lavrenty
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Russian
Other Scripts: Лаврентий(Russian)
Pronounced: lu-VRYEHN-tyee
Lavender
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: LAV-ən-dər
From the English word for the aromatic flower or the pale purple colour.
Laurenty
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Polish
Larisa
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Russian, Ukrainian, Romanian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Slovene, Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Лариса(Russian, Ukrainian) Λάρισα(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: lu-RYEE-sə(Russian) lu-ryi-SU(Lithuanian)
Possibly derived from the name of the ancient city of Larisa in Thessaly, which meant
"citadel". In Greek legends, the nymph Larisa was either a daughter or mother of Pelasgus, the ancestor of the mythical Pelasgians. This name was later borne by a 4th-century Greek martyr who is venerated as a
saint in the Eastern Church. The name (of the city, nymph and saint) is commonly Latinized as
Larissa, with a double
s. As a Ukrainian name, it is more commonly transcribed
Larysa.
Lake
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: LAYK
From the English word lake, for the inland body of water. It is ultimately derived from Latin lacus.
Laine
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Portuguese (Brazilian)
Khoi
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (American)
Pronounced: COY(American English)
Kendrick
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: KEHN-drik
From a surname that has several different origins. It could be from the Old English given names
Cyneric "royal power" or
Cenric "bold power", or from the Welsh name
Cynwrig "chief hero". It can also be an Anglicized form of the Gaelic surname
Mac Eanraig meaning "son of
Henry".
As an American given name, it got a boost in popularity in 2012 after the rapper Kendrick Lamar (1987-) released his debut album.
Kendra
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: KEHN-drə
Keandra
Gender: Feminine
Usage: African American
Pronounced: key-on-dra
Kay 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: KAY
Short form of
Katherine and other names beginning with
K.
Juniper
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: JOON-i-pər
From the English word for the type of tree, derived ultimately from Latin iuniperus.
Junie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: JOO-nee
Pet form of
June and other names beginning in
Jun-.
Juni
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Indonesian
Pronounced: JOO-nee
From Indonesian Juni meaning "June", typically given to children born in that month.
June
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: JOON
From the name of the month, which was originally derived from the name of the Roman goddess
Juno. It has been used as a given name since the 19th century.
Julien
Gender: Masculine
Usage: French
Pronounced: ZHUY-LYEHN
French form of
Iulianus (see
Julian).
Julie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French, Danish, Norwegian, Czech, English, German, Dutch
Pronounced: ZHUY-LEE(French) YOO-lyə(Danish, German) YOO-li-yeh(Czech) JOO-lee(English)
French, Danish, Norwegian and Czech form of
Julia. It has spread to many other regions as well. It has been common in the English-speaking world since the early 20th century.
Jules 2
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: JOOLZ
Juanita
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: khwa-NEE-ta
Josette
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: ZHAW-ZEHT
Josetta
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare), Dutch (Rare), Finnish (Rare), Italian (Modern, Rare)
Joan 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: JON
Medieval English form of
Johanne, an Old French form of
Iohanna (see
Joanna). This was the usual English feminine form of
John in the Middle Ages, but it was surpassed in popularity by
Jane in the 17th century. It again became quite popular in the first half of the 20th century, entering the top ten names for both the United States and the United Kingdom, though it has since faded.
This name (in various spellings) has been common among European royalty, being borne by ruling queens of Naples, Navarre and Castile. Another famous bearer was Joan of Arc, a patron saint of France (where she is known as Jeanne d'Arc). She was a 15th-century peasant girl who, after claiming she heard messages from God, was given leadership of the French army. She defeated the English in the battle of Orléans but was eventually captured and burned at the stake.
Other notable bearers include the actress Joan Crawford (1904-1977) and the comedian Joan Rivers (1933-2014), both Americans.
Jessa
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: JEHS-ə
Jenna
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Finnish, French
Pronounced: JEHN-ə(English) YEHN-nah(Finnish)
Variant of
Jenny. Use of the name was popularized in the 1980s by the character Jenna Wade on the television series
Dallas [1].
Jem
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: JEHM
Jazz
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (Modern)
Diminutive of
Jazmine/
Jasmine or
Jazper/
Jasper, or possibly given in reference to "jazz", the genre of music, or the English word
jazz meaning "energy, excitement, excitability; very lively; of excellent quality, the genuine article".
Jazper
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Filipino, Spanish (Latin American, Rare), English
Jay 1
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: JAY
Short form of names beginning with the sound
J, such as
James or
Jason. It was originally used in America in honour of founding father John Jay (1749-1825), whose surname was derived from the jaybird.
Jasper
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Dutch, Judeo-Christian-Islamic Legend
Pronounced: JAS-pər(English) YAHS-pər(Dutch)
From Latin
Gaspar, perhaps from the Biblical Hebrew word
גִּזְבָּר (gizbar) meaning
"treasurer" [1], derived from Old Persian
ganzabarah. This name was 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. It has occasionally been used in the English-speaking world since the Middle Ages. The name can also be given in reference to the English word for the gemstone.
Jason
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, Greek Mythology (Anglicized), Biblical
Other Scripts: Ἰάσων(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: JAY-sən(English) ZHA-ZAWN(French)
From the Greek name
Ἰάσων (Iason) meaning
"healer", derived from Greek
ἰάομαι (iaomai) meaning "to heal". In Greek
mythology Jason was the leader of the Argonauts. After his uncle
Pelias overthrew his father
Aeson as king of Iolcos, Jason went in search of the Golden Fleece in order to win back the throne. During his journeys he married the sorceress
Medea, who helped him gain the fleece and kill his uncle, but who later turned against him when he fell in love with another woman.
This name also appears in the New Testament, belonging to man who sheltered Paul and Silas. In his case, it may represent a Hellenized form of a Hebrew name. It was not used in England until after the Protestant Reformation.
Jasmeen
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (American, Modern, Rare), Italian (Modern, Rare)
Variant of
Jasmine also occasionally used in Italy.
Janie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: JAY-nee
Jaimie
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: JAY-mee
Jack
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: JAK
Derived from
Jackin (earlier
Jankin), a medieval
diminutive of
John [1]. There could be some early influence from the unrelated French name
Jacques [2]. It is often regarded as an independent name. During the Middle Ages it was very common, and it became a slang word meaning "man", as seen in the terms
jack-o'-lantern,
jack-in-the-box,
lumberjack and so on. It was frequently used in fairy tales and nursery rhymes, such as
Jack and the Beanstalk,
Jack and Jill,
Little Jack Horner, and
Jack Sprat.
American writers Jack London (1876-1916) and Jack Kerouac (1922-1969) were two famous bearers of this name. It is also borne by the actor Jack Nicholson (1937-) and the golfer Jack Nicklaus (1940-). Apart from Nicklaus, none of these famous bearers were given the name Jack at birth.
In the United Kingdom this form has been bestowed more frequently than John since the 1990s, being the most popular name for boys from 1996 to 2008.
Jacinthe
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French (Rare)
Pronounced: ZHA-SEHNT
Personal remark: jah-sahnte
Jacenty
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Polish (Rare)
Pronounced: ya-TSEHN-ti
Polish form of
Hyacinthus.
Saint Jacenty was a 13th-century Dominican monk from Krakow who was said to have taken missionary journeys throughout Northern Europe and Asia.
Ivy
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: IE-vee
From the English word for the climbing plant that has small yellow flowers. It is ultimately derived from Old English ifig.
Isaura
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Portuguese, Spanish, Late Roman
Pronounced: ee-SOW-ra(Spanish)
Late Latin name meaning "from Isauria". Isauria was the name of a region in Asia Minor.
Isador
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: IZ-ə-dawr
Irina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Russian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Romanian, Georgian, Finnish, Estonian
Other Scripts: Ирина(Russian, Bulgarian, Macedonian) ირინა(Georgian)
Pronounced: i-RYEE-nə(Russian) EE-ree-nah(Finnish)
Form of
Irene in several languages.
Irena
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Polish, Czech, Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, Albanian, Bulgarian, Slovak, Lithuanian
Other Scripts: Ирена(Serbian, Bulgarian)
Pronounced: ee-REH-na(Polish) I-reh-na(Czech) EE-reh-na(Slovak) i-ryeh-NU(Lithuanian)
Form of
Irene in several languages.
Iona 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Scottish
Pronounced: ie-O-nə(English)
From the name of the island off Scotland where
Saint Columba founded a monastery. The name of the island is Old Norse in origin, and apparently derives simply from
ey meaning "island".
Hugo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Spanish, Portuguese, English, Dutch, German, French, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Germanic [1]
Pronounced: OO-gho(Spanish) OO-goo(Portuguese) HYOO-go(English) HUY-gho(Dutch) HOO-go(German) UY-GO(French)
Old German form of
Hugh. As a surname it has belonged to the French author Victor Hugo (1802-1885), the writer of
The Hunchback of Notre-Dame and
Les Misérables.
Hoshi
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 星, etc.(Japanese Kanji) ほし(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: HO-SHEE
From Japanese
星 (hoshi) meaning "star" or other kanji with the same pronunciation.
Hollis
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: HAHL-is
From an English surname that was derived from Middle English holis "holly trees". It was originally given to a person who lived near a group of those trees.
Heliodor
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Polish (Rare), Catalan
Pronounced: kheh-LYAW-dawr(Polish)
Helene
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Ancient Greek [1], Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Ἑλένη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: heh-LEHN(Swedish, Norwegian, Danish) heh-LEH-nə(German) HEH-LEH-NEH(Classical Greek)
Ancient Greek form of
Helen, as well as the modern Scandinavian and German form.
Helena
Gender: Feminine
Usage: German, Dutch, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Icelandic, Portuguese, Catalan, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Finnish, Estonian, Slovene, Croatian, Sorbian, English, Ancient Greek (Latinized), Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Ἑλένη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: HEH-leh-na(German, Czech) heh-LEH-na(German, Dutch) heh-LEH-nah(Swedish, Danish, Norwegian) i-LEH-nu(European Portuguese) eh-LEH-nu(Brazilian Portuguese) ə-LEH-nə(Catalan) kheh-LEH-na(Polish) HEH-leh-nah(Finnish) HEHL-ə-nə(English) hə-LAYN-ə(English) hə-LEEN-ə(English)
Latinate form of
Helen. This is the name of the heroine of William Shakespeare's play
All's Well That Ends Well (1603).
Guinevere
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arthurian Cycle
Pronounced: GWIN-ə-vir(English)
From the Norman French form of the Welsh name
Gwenhwyfar meaning
"white phantom", ultimately from the old Celtic roots *
windos meaning "white" (modern Welsh
gwen) and *
sēbros meaning "phantom, magical being"
[1]. In Arthurian legend she was the beautiful wife of King
Arthur. According to the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth, she was seduced by
Mordred before the battle of Camlann, which led to the deaths of both Mordred and Arthur. According to the 12th-century French poet Chrétien de Troyes, she engaged in an adulterous affair with Sir
Lancelot.
The Cornish form of this name, Jennifer, has become popular in the English-speaking world.
Grey
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: GRAY
Gratian
Gender: Masculine
Usage: History
Pronounced: GRAY-shən(English)
From the Roman name
Gratianus, which meant
"grace" from Latin
gratus.
Saint Gratian was the first bishop of Tours (4th century). This was also the name of a Roman emperor.
Gracian
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Lengadocian, Gascon
Gordian
Gender: Masculine
Usage: History
From the Roman
cognomen Gordianus meaning
"from Gordium", Gordium being the capital of Phrygia in Asia Minor. This is the name by which three Roman emperors are known.
Girome
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Provençal
Ginnie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: JIN-ee
Ginevra
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: jee-NEH-vra
Italian form of
Guinevere. This is also the Italian name for the city of Geneva, Switzerland. It is also sometimes associated with the Italian word
ginepro meaning "juniper".
Ginevera
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Medieval Italian
Georgie
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: JAWR-jee
Genovefa
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Old Germanic (Latinized, ?) [1][2]
Gale 2
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: GAYL
From a surname that was derived from Middle English gaile "jovial". It also coincides with the English word gale meaning "storm".
Fox
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: FAHKS
Either from the English word fox or the surname Fox, which originally given as a nickname. The surname was borne by George Fox (1624-1691), the founder of the Quakers.
Forest
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: FAWR-ist
Variant of
Forrest, or else directly from the English word
forest.
Florie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Medieval French, French (Rare), French (Belgian, Rare), Judeo-French
Florence
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, French
Pronounced: FLAWR-əns(English) FLAW-RAHNS(French)
From the Latin name
Florentius or the feminine form
Florentia, which were derived from
florens "prosperous, flourishing".
Florentius was borne by many early Christian
saints, and it was occasionally used in their honour through the Middle Ages. In modern times it is mostly feminine.
This name can also be given in reference to the city in Italy, as in the case of Florence Nightingale (1820-1910), who was born there to British parents. She was a nurse in military hospitals during the Crimean War and is usually considered the founder of modern nursing.
Fiorenza
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: fyo-REHN-tsa
Italian feminine form of
Florentius (see
Florence).
Fiora
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian (Rare), Corsican, Albanian (Rare)
Derived from Italian and Corsican fiore "flower".
Fiona
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Scottish, English
Pronounced: fee-O-nə(English)
Feminine form of
Fionn. This name was (first?) used by the Scottish poet James Macpherson in his poem
Fingal (1761), in which it is spelled as
Fióna.
Fineas
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Romanian, Italian
Romanian and Italian form of
Phineas.
Felix
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, English, Romanian, Ancient Roman, Biblical, Biblical Latin
Pronounced: FEH-liks(German, Dutch, Swedish) FEE-liks(English) FEH-leeks(Latin)
From a Roman
cognomen meaning
"lucky, successful" in Latin. It was acquired as an
agnomen, or nickname, by the 1st-century BC Roman general Sulla. It also appears in the
New Testament belonging to the governor of Judea who imprisoned
Saint Paul.
Due to its favourable meaning, this name was popular among early Christians, being borne by many early saints and four popes. It has been used in England since the Middle Ages, though it has been more popular in continental Europe. A notable bearer was the German composer Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847).
Felicity
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: fə-LIS-i-tee
From the English word
felicity meaning
"happiness", which ultimately derives from Latin
felicitas "good luck". This was one of the virtue names adopted by the
Puritans around the 17th century. It can sometimes be used as an English form of the Latin name
Felicitas. This name jumped in popularity in the United States after the premiere of the television series
Felicity in 1998. It is more common in the United Kingdom.
Fay
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: FAY
In part from the English word
fay meaning
"fairy", derived from Middle English
faie meaning "magical, enchanted", ultimately (via Old French) from Latin
fata meaning "the Fates". It appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's chronicles in the name of
Morgan le Fay. In some cases it may be used as a short form of
Faith. It has been used as a feminine given name since the 19th century.
As a rarer (but older) masculine name it is probably derived from a surname: see Fay 1 or Fay 2.
Faolán
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish (Rare)
Pronounced: FEH-lan, FEE-lan
Means
"little wolf", derived from Old Irish
fáel "wolf" combined with a
diminutive suffix. This was the name of an Irish
saint who did missionary work in Scotland.
Eve
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Estonian, Biblical
Other Scripts: חַוָּה(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced: EEV(English)
From the Hebrew name
חַוָּה (Ḥawwa), which was derived from the Hebrew word
חָוָה (ḥawa) meaning
"to breathe" or the related word
חָיָה (ḥaya) meaning
"to live". According to the
Old Testament Book of Genesis, Eve and
Adam were the first humans. God created her from one of Adam's ribs to be his companion. At the urging of a serpent she ate the forbidden fruit and shared some with Adam, causing their expulsion from the Garden of
Eden.
Despite this potentially negative association, the name was occasionally used by Christians during the Middle Ages. In the English-speaking world both Eve and the Latin form Eva were revived in the 19th century, with the latter being more common.
Estela
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Portuguese, Spanish
Pronounced: ehs-TEH-la(Spanish)
Portuguese and Spanish form of
Estelle.
Eris
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Ἔρις(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: EHR-is(English)
Means
"strife, discord" in Greek. In Greek
mythology Eris was the goddess of discord. She was the sister and companion of
Ares.
Enara
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Basque
Pronounced: eh-NA-ra
Means "swallow (bird)" in Basque.
Elora
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Popular Culture, English (Modern)
Probably an invented name. This is the name of an infant girl in the fantasy movie Willow (1988). Since the release of the movie the name has been steadily used, finally breaking into the top 1000 in the United States in 2015.
Eloise
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: EHL-o-eez, ehl-o-EEZ
From the Old French name
Héloïse, which was probably from the Germanic name
Helewidis, composed of the elements
heil meaning "healthy, whole" and
wit meaning "wide". It is sometimes associated with the Greek word
ἥλιος (helios) meaning "sun" or the name
Louise, though there is no etymological connection. This name was borne by the 12th-century French scholar and philosopher Héloïse. Secretly marrying the theologian Peter Abelard at a young age, she became a nun (and eventually an abbess) after Abelard was violently castrated by order of her uncle Fulbert.
There was a medieval English form of this name, Helewis, though it died out after the 13th century. In the 19th century it was revived in the English-speaking world in the form Eloise.
Eloisa
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: eh-lo-EE-za
Elio
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: EH-lyo
Eireen
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: ie-REEN, ie-REE-nee
Dorothia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare), Swedish (Archaic), Old Swedish
Dorothea
Gender: Feminine
Usage: German, Dutch, English, Ancient Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Δωροθέα(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: do-ro-TEH-a(German) dawr-ə-THEE-ə(English)
Feminine form of the Greek name
Δωρόθεος (Dorotheos), which meant
"gift of god" from Greek
δῶρον (doron) meaning "gift" and
θεός (theos) meaning "god". The name
Theodore is composed of the same elements in reverse order. Dorothea was the name of two early
saints, notably the 4th-century martyr Dorothea of Caesarea. It was also borne by the 14th-century Saint Dorothea of Montau, who was the patron saint of Prussia.
Dionisio
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Spanish, Italian
Pronounced: dyo-NEE-syo(Spanish) dyo-NEE-zyo(Italian)
Dione 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Διώνη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: DEE-AW-NEH(Classical Greek) die-O-nee(English)
From Greek
Διός (Dios) meaning
"of Zeus". By extension, it means
"goddess". This was the name of an obscure Greek goddess who, according to some legends, was the mother of
Aphrodite.
Dion
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Greek [1], English
Other Scripts: Δίων(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: DEE-ahn(English)
Derived from the Greek element
Διός (Dios) meaning "of
Zeus". This was the name of a 4th-century BC tyrant of Syracuse. It has been used as an American given name since the middle of the 20th century.
Dimitri
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Russian, Georgian, French
Other Scripts: Димитрий(Russian) დიმიტრი(Georgian)
Pronounced: dyi-MYEE-tryee(Russian) DEE-MEE-TREE(Georgian, French)
Russian variant of
Dmitriy, as well as the Georgian form.
Diana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Catalan, German, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Estonian, Lithuanian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Armenian, Georgian, Roman Mythology
Other Scripts: Диана(Russian, Bulgarian) Діана(Ukrainian) Դիանա(Armenian) დიანა(Georgian)
Pronounced: die-AN-ə(English) DYA-na(Spanish, Italian, Polish) dee-U-nu(European Portuguese) jee-U-nu(Brazilian Portuguese) dee-A-nə(Catalan) dee-A-na(German, Dutch, Latin) dyee-A-nu(Ukrainian) DI-ya-na(Czech) DEE-a-na(Slovak)
Means
"divine, goddesslike", a derivative of Latin
dia or
diva meaning
"goddess". It is ultimately related to the same Indo-European root *
dyew- found in
Zeus. Diana was a Roman goddess of the moon, hunting, forests and childbirth, often identified with the Greek goddess
Artemis.
As a given name, Diana has been regularly used since the Renaissance. It became more common in the English-speaking world following Walter Scott's novel Rob Roy (1817), which featured a character named Diana Vernon. It also appeared in George Meredith's novel Diana of the Crossways (1885). A notable bearer was the British royal Diana Spencer (1961-1997), the Princess of Wales.
Devon
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: DEHV-ən
Variant of
Devin. It may also be partly inspired by the name of the county of Devon in England, which got its name from the Dumnonii, a Celtic tribe.
Demitry
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Russian
Pronounced: Dee-me-tree
Demetry
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: Dee-me-tree
Demetri
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Catalan, American
DeAngelo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: African American
Combination of the popular name prefix
de and
Angelo.
Deandria
Gender: Feminine
Usage: African American (Rare)
Pronounced: di-AN-dree-ə
Deana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: dee-AN-ə, DEEN-ə
Dean
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: DEEN
From a surname, see
Dean 1 and
Dean 2. The actor James Dean (1931-1955) was a famous bearer of the surname.
Daria
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Polish, Romanian, English, Croatian, Russian, Late Roman
Other Scripts: Дарья(Russian) Δαρεία(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: DA-rya(Italian, Polish, Romanian) DAHR-ee-ə(English) DAR-ee-ə(English)
Feminine form of
Darius.
Saint Daria was a 3rd-century woman who was martyred with her husband Chrysanthus under the Roman emperor Numerian. It has never been a particularly common English given name. As a Russian name, it is more commonly transcribed
Darya.
Daniela
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, German, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Romanian, Portuguese, Spanish, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Hebrew, English
Other Scripts: Даниела(Bulgarian, Macedonian) דניאלה(Hebrew)
Pronounced: da-NYEH-la(Italian, Spanish) da-nee-EH-la(German, Romanian) da-NYEH-la(Polish) DA-ni-yeh-la(Czech) DA-nee-eh-la(Slovak) dan-YEHL-ə(English)
Dana 2
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: DAY-nə
From a surname that is of unknown origin. It was originally given in honour of American lawyer Richard Henry Dana Jr. (1815-1882), the author of the memoir Two Years Before the Mast.
Dale
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: DAYL
From an English surname that originally belonged to a person who lived near a dale or valley.
Cyrus
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Old Persian (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Κῦρος(Ancient Greek) 𐎤𐎢𐎽𐎢𐏁(Old Persian)
Pronounced: SIE-rəs(English)
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.
Corvin
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, German (Swiss, Rare), Romanian
Pronounced: COR-vin(English)
English,German and Romanian form of
Corvinus.
Conor
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish, English, Irish Mythology
Pronounced: KAHN-ər(English)
Connor
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish, English (Modern)
Pronounced: KAHN-ər(English)
Variant of
Conor, based on the usual spelling of the surname that is derived from the name. This is currently the most common way of spelling it in the English-speaking world, apart from Ireland.
Conall
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish, Old Irish [1], Irish Mythology
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.
Cody
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: KO-dee
From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of both Irish Gaelic
Ó Cuidighthigh meaning
"descendant of the helpful one" and
Mac Óda meaning
"son of Odo". A famous bearer of the surname was the American frontiersman and showman Buffalo Bill Cody (1846-1917).
Ciar
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Irish, Irish Mythology, Old Irish [1]
Pronounced: KEER(Irish)
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.
Cedar
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: SEE-dər
From the English word for the coniferous tree, derived (via Old French and Latin) from Greek
κέδρος (kedros). Besides the true cedars from the genus Cedrus, it is also used to refer to some tree species in the cypress family.
Casimir
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French
Pronounced: KAZ-i-meer(English) KA-ZEE-MEER(French)
English form of the Polish name
Kazimierz, derived from the Slavic element
kaziti "to destroy" combined with
mirŭ "peace, world". Four kings of Poland have borne this name, including Casimir III the Great, who greatly strengthened the Polish state in the 14th century. It was also borne
Saint Casimir, a 15th-century Polish prince and a patron saint of Poland and Lithuania. The name was imported into Western Europe via Germany, where it was borne by some royalty.
Bunny
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: BUN-ee
Bruno
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Croatian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Latvian, Germanic [1]
Pronounced: BROO-no(German, Italian, Spanish, Czech) BROO-noo(European Portuguese, Brazilian Portuguese) BRUY-NO(French) BROO-naw(Polish, Slovak)
Derived from the Old German element
brunna meaning
"armour, protection" (Proto-Germanic *
brunjǭ) or
brun meaning
"brown" (Proto-Germanic *
brūnaz).
Saint Bruno of Cologne was a German monk of the 11th century who founded the Carthusian Order. The surname has belonged to Giordano Bruno, a philosopher burned at the stake by the Inquisition. A modern bearer is the American singer Bruno Mars (1985-), born Peter Gene Hernandez.
Briar
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: BRIE-ər
From the English word for the thorny plant.
Bonnie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: BAHN-ee
Means "pretty" from the Scottish word bonnie, which was itself derived from Middle French bon "good". It has been in use as an American given name since the 19th century, and it became especially popular after the movie Gone with the Wind (1939), in which it was the nickname of Scarlett's daughter.
Bluejay
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (Canadian, Rare)
Pronounced: BLOO JAY(Canadian English)
Native American Chinook legends tell tales about of a hero named Bluejay who gets into rather sticky situations at times and other times helps out humanity.In one of the tales Bluejay is a female and another set of stories it is a different person named Bluejay and they are male.
Blue
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: BLOO
From the English word for the colour, derived via Norman French from a Frankish word (replacing the native Old English
cognate blaw). Despite the fact that this name was used by the American musicians Beyoncé and Jay-Z in 2012 for their first daughter, it has not come into general use in the United States.
Beck
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: BEHK
From a surname of English, German or Scandinavian origins, all derived from related words meaning
"stream". As a feminine name, in some cases it is a short form of
Rebecca. A noted bearer is the American rock musician Beck Hansen (1970-), born Bek David Campbell, who goes by the
stage name Beck.
Basil 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: BAZ-əl
From the Greek name
Βασίλειος (Basileios), which was derived from
βασιλεύς (basileus) meaning
"king".
Saint Basil the Great was a 4th-century bishop of Caesarea and one of the fathers of the early Christian church. Due to him, the name (in various spellings) has come into general use in the Christian world, being especially popular among Eastern Christians. It was also borne by two Byzantine emperors.
Avril
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French (Rare), English (Rare)
Pronounced: A-VREEL(French) AV-ril(English)
French form of
April. A famous bearer is the Canadian musician Avril Lavigne (1984-).
Avreliy
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Bulgarian, Russian, Ukrainian
Other Scripts: Аврелий(Bulgarian, Russian) Аврелій(Ukrainian)
Bulgarian, Russian and Ukrainian form of
Aurelius.
Athanasii
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Medieval Slavic [1]
Other Scripts: Аѳанасіи, etc.(Church Slavic)
Atanasio
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Spanish, Italian (Rare)
Pronounced: a-ta-NA-syo(Spanish)
Asha 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Malayalam
Other Scripts: आशा(Hindi, Marathi) ಆಶಾ(Kannada) ആശാ(Malayalam)
Personal remark: AH-sha
Derived from Sanskrit
आशा (āśā) meaning
"wish, desire, hope".
Asante
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: African American
Possibly derived from Swahili asante "thank you".
Asa
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical, Hebrew, Biblical Hebrew [1]
Other Scripts: אָסָא(Hebrew)
Pronounced: AY-sə(English)
Possibly means
"healer" in Hebrew. This name was borne by the third king of Judah, as told in the
Old Testament.
Arwin
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: AHR-wyn
Possibly a variant of
Arwyn, the name of the wacky engineer on Disney Channel's 'The Suite Life of Zack and Cody'
Arturo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian, Spanish
Pronounced: ar-TOO-ro
Italian and Spanish form of
Arthur.
Arthur
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, German, Dutch, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Welsh Mythology, Arthurian Cycle
Pronounced: AHR-thər(English) AR-TUYR(French) AR-tuwr(German) AHR-tuyr(Dutch)
The meaning of this name is unknown. It could be derived from the Celtic elements *
artos "bear" (Old Welsh
arth) combined with *
wiros "man" (Old Welsh
gur) or *
rīxs "king" (Old Welsh
ri). Alternatively it could be related to an obscure Roman family name
Artorius.
Arthur is the name of the central character in Arthurian legend, a 6th-century king of the Britons who resisted Saxon invaders. He may or may not have been based on a real person. He first appears in Welsh poems and chronicles (perhaps briefly in the 7th-century poem Y Gododdin and more definitively and extensively in the 9th-century History of the Britons [1]). However, his character was not developed until the chronicles of the 12th-century Geoffrey of Monmouth [2]. His tales were later taken up and expanded by French and English writers.
The name came into general use in England in the Middle Ages due to the prevalence of Arthurian romances, and it enjoyed a surge of popularity in the 19th century. Famous bearers include German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860), mystery author and Sherlock Holmes creator Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930), and science-fiction author Arthur C. Clarke (1917-2008).
Artemy
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Russian
Other Scripts: Артемий(Russian)
Artemisia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ancient Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Ἀρτεμισία(Ancient Greek)
Feminine form of
Artemisios. This was the name of the 4th-century BC builder of the Mausoleum, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. She built it in memory of her husband, the Carian prince Mausolus.
Artemis
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology, Greek
Other Scripts: Ἄρτεμις(Ancient Greek) Άρτεμις(Greek)
Pronounced: AR-TEH-MEES(Classical Greek) AHR-tə-mis(English)
Meaning unknown, possibly related either to Greek
ἀρτεμής (artemes) meaning
"safe" or
ἄρταμος (artamos) meaning
"a butcher". Artemis was the Greek goddess of the moon and hunting, the twin of
Apollo and the daughter of
Zeus and
Leto. She was known as
Diana to the Romans.
Artemio
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian, Spanish
Pronounced: ar-TEH-myo
Arro
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Estonian
Arlene
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Filipino
Pronounced: ahr-LEEN(English)
Variant of
Arline. Since the onset of the 20th century, this is the most common spelling of this name.
Arleen
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: ahr-LEEN
Arietta
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Popular Culture (Rare)
Pronounced: ahr-ee-ET-ə, ar-ee-ET-ə
Either a diminutive of
Aria 1, or from the major antagonist and God-General in Tales of the Abyss. Given after the musical term for a small song, from the Italian word "arietta."
Aria 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: AHR-ee-ə
Means "song, melody" in Italian (literally means "air"). An aria is an elaborate vocal solo, the type usually performed in operas. As an English name, it has only been in use since the 20th century, its rise in popularity accelerating after the 2010 premier of the television drama Pretty Little Liars, featuring a character by this name. It is not traditionally used in Italy.
Ari
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English, Spanish, Italian
Pronounced: AHR-ee(English, Italian)
Aracely
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish (Latin American)
Pronounced: a-ra-SEH-lee(Latin American Spanish) a-ra-THEH-lee(European Spanish)
Araceli
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: a-ra-THEH-lee(European Spanish) a-ra-SEH-lee(Latin American Spanish)
Means
"altar of the sky" from Latin
ara "altar" and
coeli "sky". This is an epithet of the Virgin
Mary in her role as the patron
saint of Lucena, Spain.
April
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: AY-prəl
From the name of the month, probably originally derived from Latin aperire "to open", referring to the opening of flowers. It has only been commonly used as a given name since the 1940s.
Apolline
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: A-PAW-LEEN
Apollinary
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Russian
Other Scripts: Аполлинарий(Russian)
Apollinaria
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Russian, History (Ecclesiastical)
Other Scripts: Аполлинария(Russian)
Russian feminine form of
Apollinaris. According to Orthodox Christian ecclesiastical traditions, Apollinaria is venerated as a Virgin-Martyr alongside Saint
Drosis.
Anthony
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: AN-thə-nee(American English) AN-tə-nee(British English)
English form of the Roman family name
Antonius, which is of unknown Etruscan origin. The most notable member of the Roman family was the general Marcus Antonius (called Mark Antony in English), who for a period in the 1st century BC ruled the Roman Empire jointly with Augustus. When their relationship turned sour, he and his mistress Cleopatra were attacked and forced to commit suicide, as related in Shakespeare's tragedy
Antony and Cleopatra (1606).
The name became regularly used in the Christian world due to the fame of Saint Anthony the Great, a 4th-century Egyptian hermit who founded Christian monasticism. Its popularity was reinforced in the Middle Ages by the 13th-century Saint Anthony of Padua, the patron saint of Portugal. It has been commonly (but incorrectly) associated with Greek ἄνθος (anthos) meaning "flower", which resulted in the addition of the h to this spelling in the 17th century.
Anthonina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Swedish
Anthonia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Dutch, Nigerian, Medieval Occitan, Medieval Italian (Tuscan)
Angelo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: AN-jeh-lo
Italian form of
Angelus (see
Angel).
Andromeda
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Ἀνδρομέδα, Ἀνδρομέδη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: AN-DRO-MEH-DA(Classical Greek) an-DRAH-mi-də(English)
Derived from Greek
ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man" (genitive
ἀνδρός) combined with one of the related words
μέδομαι (medomai) meaning "to be mindful of, to provide for, to think on" or
μέδω (medo) meaning "to protect, to rule over". In Greek
mythology Andromeda was an Ethiopian princess rescued from sacrifice by the hero
Perseus. A constellation in the northern sky is named for her. This is also the name of a nearby galaxy, given because it resides (from our point of view) within the constellation.
Andrine
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Norwegian
Norwegian feminine form of
Andreas.
Andrina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: an-DREEN-ə
Andria
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: AN-dree-ah
Andri
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Georgian
Other Scripts: ანდრი(Georgian)
Short form of
Andria. This name is pretty rare in Georgia nowadays;
Andro is the more common short form.
Andreina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Andrei
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Romanian, Russian, Bulgarian, Belarusian, Old Church Slavic
Other Scripts: Андрей(Russian, Bulgarian) Андрэй(Belarusian) Андреи(Church Slavic)
Pronounced: un-DRYAY(Russian)
Romanian form of
Andrew, as well as an alternate transcription of Russian/Bulgarian
Андрей or Belarusian
Андрэй (see
Andrey).
Andreas
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German, Greek, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Welsh, Ancient Greek [1], Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek [2]
Other Scripts: Ανδρέας(Greek) Ἀνδρέας(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: an-DREH-as(German, Swedish) ahn-DREH-ahs(Dutch) AN-DREH-AS(Classical Greek)
Ancient Greek and Latin form of
Andrew. It is also the form used in Modern Greek, German and Welsh.
Andra 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Latvian, Estonian
Ander
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Basque
Pronounced: AN-dehr
Basque form of
Andreas (see
Andrew).
Anastacia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish (Latin American)
Pronounced: a-na-STA-sya
Ana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish, Portuguese, Slovene, Bulgarian, Romanian, Croatian, Serbian, Albanian, Macedonian, Georgian, Fijian, Tongan
Other Scripts: Ана(Bulgarian, Serbian, Macedonian) ანა(Georgian)
Pronounced: A-na(Spanish, Romanian) U-nu(European Portuguese, Brazilian Portuguese) AH-NAH(Georgian)
Form of
Anna used in various languages.
Amira 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arabic, Bosnian, Malay
Other Scripts: أميرة(Arabic)
Pronounced: a-MEE-ra(Arabic)
Amaro
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Galician, Portuguese, Spanish
Pronounced: a-MA-ro(Spanish)
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.
Amara
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Galician, Spanish
Alicia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish, English, Swedish, French
Pronounced: a-LEE-thya(European Spanish) a-LEE-sya(Latin American Spanish) ə-LEE-shə(English) ə-LEE-see-ə(English)
Alice
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, French, Portuguese, Italian, German, Czech, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Dutch
Pronounced: AL-is(English) A-LEES(French) u-LEE-si(European Portuguese) a-LEE-see(Brazilian Portuguese) a-LEE-cheh(Italian) a-LEES(German) A-li-tseh(Czech)
From the Old French name
Aalis, a short form of
Adelais, itself a short form of the Germanic name
Adalheidis (see
Adelaide). This name became popular in France and England in the 12th century. It was among the most common names in England until the 16th century, when it began to decline. It was revived in the 19th century.
This name was borne by the heroine of Lewis Carroll's novels Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and Through the Looking Glass (1871).
Alessander
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Portuguese (Brazilian, Modern, Rare)
Aleksei
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Russian
Other Scripts: Алексей(Russian)
Pronounced: u-lyi-KSYAY
Alecia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: ə-LEE-shə, ə-LEE-see-ə
Alcestis
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Ἄλκηστις(Ancient Greek)
Latinized form of Greek
Ἄλκηστις (Alkestis), derived from
ἀλκηστής (alkestes) meaning
"brave, valiant", a derivative of
ἀλκή (alke) meaning "strength, prowess". In Greek
mythology she was the wife of King
Admetus. She offered to die in place of her husband, though she was eventually rescued from the underworld by
Herakles. This story was told by the Greek playwright Euripides in his 5th-century BC tragedy
Alcestis.
Alastair
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Scottish
Pronounced: AL-i-stər(English)
Ainara
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Basque, Spanish
Pronounced: ie-NA-ra
Ailene
Gender: Feminine
Usage: American (Rare)
Aileen
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Scottish, Irish, English
Pronounced: ie-LEEN(English) IE-leen(English)
Adriana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, Polish, Slovak, Czech, Bulgarian, English, Dutch
Other Scripts: Адриана(Bulgarian)
Pronounced: a-dree-A-na(Italian, Dutch) a-DHRYA-na(Spanish) a-DRYA-na(Polish) ay-dree-AN-ə(English) ay-dree-AHN-ə(English)
Feminine form of
Adrian. A famous bearer is the Brazilian model Adriana Lima (1981-).
Adrian
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Romanian, Polish, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Russian
Other Scripts: Адриан(Russian)
Pronounced: AY-dree-ən(English) a-dree-AN(Romanian) A-dryan(Polish) A-dree-an(German) u-dryi-AN(Russian)
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.
Adria
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: AY-dree-ə
Adrasteia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Ἀδράστεια(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: A-DRAS-TEH-A(Classical Greek)
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.
Adra
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arabic, Muslim
Other Scripts: أدرع(Arabic)
Meaning, "virgin."
Adhara
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Astronomy
Pronounced: ə-DEHR-ə(English)
Derived from Arabic
عذارى (ʿadhārā) meaning
"maidens". This is the name of the second brightest star (after
Sirius) in the constellation Canis Major.
Adara
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hebrew
Other Scripts: אַדָרָה(Hebrew)
Means "noble" in Hebrew.
Adante
Gender: Masculine
Usage: African American (Modern)
Combination of the name prefix
a and the name
Dante. It might also be influenced by
Adonis.
Adam
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, German, Polish, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Czech, Slovak, Russian, Ukrainian, Croatian, Serbian, Macedonian, Romanian, Catalan, Greek, Hebrew, Arabic, Georgian, Malay, Indonesian, Dhivehi, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek [1], Biblical Hebrew [2]
Other Scripts: Адам(Russian, Ukrainian, Serbian, Macedonian) Αδάμ, Άνταμ(Greek) אָדָם(Hebrew) آدم(Arabic) ადამ(Georgian) އާދަމް(Dhivehi) Ἀδάμ(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: AD-əm(English) A-DAHN(French) A-dam(German, Polish, Czech, Arabic, Indonesian) A-dahm(Dutch) AH-dam(Swedish) u-DAM(Russian, Ukrainian) ə-DHAM(Catalan)
This is the Hebrew word for
"man". It could be ultimately derived from Hebrew
אדם (ʾaḏam) meaning
"to be red", referring to the ruddy colour of human skin, or from Akkadian
adamu meaning
"to make".
According to Genesis in the Old Testament Adam was created from the earth by God (there is a word play on Hebrew אֲדָמָה (ʾaḏama) meaning "earth"). He and Eve were supposedly the first humans, living happily in the Garden of Eden until they ate the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. As a result they were expelled from Eden to the lands to the east, where they gave birth to the second generation, including Cain, Abel and Seth.
As an English Christian name, Adam has been common since the Middle Ages, and it received a boost after the Protestant Reformation. A famous bearer was Scottish economist Adam Smith (1723-1790).
Ada 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Italian, Spanish, German, Dutch, Norwegian, Polish, Finnish, Germanic [1]
Pronounced: AY-də(English) A-dha(Spanish) A-da(Polish) AH-dah(Finnish)
Originally a short form of Germanic names such as
Adelaide or
Adelina that begin with the element
adal meaning "noble".
Saint Ada was a 7th-century Frankish abbess at Le Mans. This name was also borne by Augusta Ada King (1815-1852), the Countess of Lovelace (known as Ada Lovelace), a daughter of Lord Byron. She was an assistant to Charles Babbage, the inventor of an early mechanical computer.
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