sweetkit's Personal Name List

Derived from Arabic ضُحَى (ḍaḥḥā) meaning "sacrifice, immolate" or "morning, forenoon".

Means "happiness" in Basque.

(Feminine) variant transcription of Zayn. A known bearer is Princess Zein of Jordan (1968-), a daughter of the late King Hussein who was named for his mother, Zein al-Sharaf Talal (1916-1994).

Possibly derived from Greek ζαγρεύς (zagreus), which was a term used to refer to a hunter that catches live animals. The term would technically mean "great hunter", as it was derived from the Greek prefix ζα (za) meaning "very" combined with Greek αγρεύς (agreus) meaning "hunter". Another possibility for the name Zagreus could be that it was derived from Greek ζάγρη (zagre) meaning "barefoot". In Greek mythology, Zagreus was an obscure deity who was apparently identified with the god Dionysus.

Hebrew form of Jochebed.

Russian form of Eupsychios. In Russian literature, Yevpsikhiy Afrikanovich is a character from the novel Olesya (1898) written by Aleksandr Kuprin (1870-1938).

Ukrainian form of Hermione.

Russian form of George.

Transferred use of the surname Yarrow, and/or from the word for the flowering plant (Achillea millefolium).

Meaning uncertain, said to mean "the flower that arrived" in Zapotec.

Derived from the Basque place name Etxeberria meaning "the new house". This was the surname of the Jesuit priest Saint Francis Xavier (1506-1552) who was born in a village by this name. He was a missionary to India, Japan, China, and other areas in East Asia, and he is the patron saint of the Orient and missionaries. His surname has since been adopted as a given name in his honour, chiefly among Catholics.

From Latin Winifreda, possibly from a Welsh name Gwenfrewi (maybe influenced by the Old English masculine name Winfred). Saint Winifred was a 7th-century Welsh martyr, probably legendary. According to the story, she was decapitated by a prince after she spurned his advances. Where her head fell there arose a healing spring, which has been a pilgrimage site since medieval times. Her story was recorded in the 12th century by Robert of Shrewsbury, and she has been historically more widely venerated in England than in Wales. The name has been used in England since at least the 16th century.

Derived from the Old German elements willo "will, desire" and drud "strength". This name was borne by a 10th-century German saint from Bergen.

From a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "willow town" in Old English.

Means "desiring peace" from Old English willa "will, desire" and friþ "peace". Saint Wilfrid was a 7th-century Anglo-Saxon bishop. The name was rarely used after the Norman Conquest, but it was revived in the 19th century.

From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "white field" in Old English.

Means "power of the fortress" from Old German walt meaning "power, authority" and burg meaning "fortress" (or perhaps from Old English cognates, though as an Old English name it is unattested). This was the name of an 8th-century Anglo-Saxon saint who did missionary work in Germany.

Means "gift" in Arabic. It is not to be confused with الوهاب (al-Wahhab) meaning "giver, bestower", which is one of the 99 names of Allah.

From Arabic وَضَح (waḍaḥ) meaning "light, brightness, clarity".

Means "volcano" in Turkish.

From the Latin name Vivianus, which was derived from Latin vivus "alive". Saint Vivian was a French bishop who provided protection during the Visigoth invasion of the 5th century. It has been occasionally used as an English (masculine) name since the Middle Ages. In modern times it is also used as a feminine name, in which case it is either an Anglicized form of Bébinn or a variant of Vivien 2.

Italian masculine form of Violet.

Possibly from the Finnish word vilja meaning "cereal, grain" or the Swedish word vilja meaning "will, intent".

Roman praenomen and family name of unknown meaning, probably of Etruscan origin.

Czech form of Venus.

From a colloquial form of the Finnish word veli meaning "brother".

A French form of Waldrada. It was borne by a 7th-century saint, the first abbess of Saint-Pierre-aux-Nonnais in Metz, France.

Probably of Persian origin, possibly a superlative form of 𐎺𐎢 (vahu) meaning "good". According to the Old Testament this was the name of the first wife of King Ahasuerus of Persia before he married Esther.

Finnish form of Walburga.

Alternate transcription of Arabic عمير (see Umayr), as well as the Urdu form.

Means "meteor, shooting star".

Icelandic form of Ulf.

Derived from Finnish tyyni meaning "calm, serene".

Spanish and Portuguese form of Tranquillus.

From the name of a type of crystal.
This crystal's English name is derived from Sinhalese tòramalli, via French tourmaline. The meaning of this word seems to be not entirely certain, although one theory suggests that it simply means "cornelian".
As a name, Tourmaline has been in use since the late 20th century.

Spanish form of the Latin name Turibius, of unknown meaning. This name has been borne by three Spanish saints, from the 5th, 6th and 16th centuries (the latter being an archbishop of Lima).

From the English word for the yellow precious stone, the traditional birthstone of November, ultimately derived from Greek τόπαζος (topazos).

Kazakh and Tajik form of Tomyris.

French form of Thyrsus.

Means "inspire frenzy" in Greek. This was Semele's name after her apotheosis. As the goddess Thyone, she presided over the frenzy inspired by her son Dionysos. A moon of Jupiter is named after her.

Means "bunch, cluster" in Finnish.

Maltese form of Tarsicius.

Means "crown of Allah", derived from Arabic تاج (taj) meaning "crown" combined with Allah.

Means "revived" in Amharic.

Means "gazelle" in Aramaic. Tabitha in the New Testament was a woman restored to life by Saint Peter. Her name is translated into Greek as Dorcas (see Acts 9:36). As an English name, Tabitha became common after the Protestant Reformation. It was popularized in the 1960s by the television show Bewitched, in which Tabitha (sometimes spelled Tabatha) is the daughter of the main character.

Means "smiling" in Arabic, from the root بسم (basama) meaning "to smile".

From the English word sycamore for various types of trees, ultimately from Greek συκόμορος (sūkomoros) meaning "fig-mulberry".

Means "fine silk, brocade" in Arabic.

Spanish, Portuguese and Russian form of Shulammite.

Meaning uncertain. It could be derived from Arabic صوف (suf) meaning "wool", صفا (safa) meaning "pure, clean" or صعف (sa'f) meaning "slim, thin". Sufyan al-Thawri was an 8th-century Islamic scholar.

Means "hated, abhorred" in Greek. In Greek mythology she was one of Danaus' fifty daughters, the Danaids. When ordered to kill her husband on their wedding night, Stygne and almost all of her sisters complied, with the exception of Hypermnestra.

Means "forceful" from Greek σθένος (sthenos) "strength, vigour". In Greek mythology this was the name of one of the Gorgons, the elder sister of Medusa and Euryale.

Modern Persian form of Avestan 𐬯𐬭𐬀𐬊𐬱𐬀 (Sraosha) meaning "obedience". In Zoroastrianism this was the name of a Yazata (a holy being), later equated with the angel Gabriel.

Apparently a feminine form of Solomon. According to Eastern Orthodox tradition, Solomonia was the unnamed woman with seven sons described in 2 Maccabees 7 of the Old Testament. It was borne by Solomonia Saburova (c.1490-1542), a Russian royal consort and Orthodox saint.

Derived from Middle Gaelic sidhach "wolf", this name is now extinct but was "common in the 17th century".

Means "sparkle" in Old Norse. In Norse mythology this was the name of a dwarf, also named Eitri. With his brother Brokkr he made several magical items for the gods, including Odin's ring Draupnir and Thor's hammer Mjölnir.

Means "order, sequence" in Hebrew. It refers to a weekly reading portion of the Torah, so the whole Torah is completed every year. This name is typical of North African Jewry.

Biblical Hebrew form of Shulammite.

From Albanian shpëtim meaning "rescue, relief, salvation".

Means "lily, waterlily, lotus" in Coptic, ultimately derived from Egyptian zšn "lotus flower". Compare Susanna.

Manx form of George.

Means "flame, blaze" in Persian.

Means "blossom" in Persian.

From Japanese 翔 (shō) meaning "soar, glide" or 奨 (shō) meaning "prize, reward" or 祥 (shō) meaning "good luck, good omen". Other kanji with identical pronunciations can also form this name.

From Japanese 真珠 (shinju) meaning "pearl".

From Japanese 真 (shin) meaning "real, genuine" combined with 司 (ji) meaning "officer, boss" or 二 (ji) meaning "two". Other kanji combinations are possible as well.

Hebrew form of Shiphrah.

Alternate transcription of Arabic شمس الدين (see Shams ad-Din), as well as the usual Bengali and Malay form.

Assyrian and Armenian form of Semiramis.

Possibly means "noble lineage" from Persian چهر (chehr) meaning "lineage, origin" and آزاد (āzād) meaning "free, noble" [1]. Alternatively, it might mean "child of the city" from شهر (shahr) meaning "city, land" combined with the suffix زاد (zād) meaning "child of". This is the name of the fictional storyteller in The 1001 Nights. She tells a story to her husband the king every night for 1001 nights in order to delay her execution.

Means "falcon" in Persian, referring more specifically to the Barbary falcon (species Falco pelegrinoides). The bird's name is a derivative of Persian شاه (shāh) meaning "king".

Means "love, infatuation" in Turkish and Azerbaijani, ultimately from Arabic سوداء (sawdāʾ) meaning "black bile, melancholy, sadness" [1].

Polish form of Seraphinus (see Seraphina).

Means "wild" in Italian.

Means "sword, sabre" in Mongolian.

Amharic form of Shulammite.

Means "sword of Allah" from Arabic سيف (sayf) meaning "sword" combined with الله (Allah).

Means "shadow" in Persian.

From the Old German element sahso meaning "a Saxon". The Saxons were a Germanic tribe, their name ultimately deriving from the Germanic word *sahsą meaning "knife". Saskia van Uylenburgh (1612-1642) was the wife of the Dutch painter Rembrandt.

Feminine form of Sallustius. A well-known bearer of this name was Sallustia Orbiana, who had briefly been the wife of Roman Emperor Alexander Severus.

Means "solid rock" in Arabic. This name appears in the poems of the 7th-century poetess Al-Khansa.

Means "sanctuary, tabernacle" in Spanish, derived from Latin sacrarium. It is taken from an epithet of the Virgin Mary, Nuestra Señora del Sagrario, and is associated with Toledo Cathedral.

From Old Norse Sága, possibly meaning "seeing one", derived from sjá "to see". This is the name of a Norse goddess, possibly connected to Frigg. As a Swedish and Icelandic name, it is also derived from the unrelated word saga "story, fairy tale, saga".

From the Greek name Σάββας (Sabbas), which was derived from Aramaic סַבָא (sava) meaning "old man, grandfather". Saints bearing this name include a 4th-century Gothic martyr, a 5th-century Cappadocian hermit, and a 12th-century archbishop of Serbia who is the patron saint of that country.

Means "vision, sight" in Arabic, a derivative of رأى (raʾā) meaning "to see, to perceive".

Means "following the right path" in Arabic, from the root رشد (rashada) meaning "to be on the right path".

Means "greatest beauty" from Sanskrit रूप (rūpa) meaning "beauty, form" combined with the name of the Hindu god Indra, used here to mean "greatest".

German variant form of Robert, from the Old German variant Hrodperht. It was borne by the 7th century Saint Rupert of Salzburg and the 8th-century Saint Rupert of Bingen. The military commander Prince Rupert of the Rhine, a nephew of Charles I, introduced this name to England in the 17th century. A notable bearer is the Australian-American businessman Rupert Murdoch (1931-).

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

Derived from the Old German elements hruod "fame" and swind "strong". This was the name of a 10th-century nun from Saxony who wrote several notable poems and dramas.

Derived from the Latin adjective roseus "pink, rosy, rose-coloured". A bearer of this name is RJ Rosales (a Filipino artist of Spanish descent). The name seems to originally come from Italy, though, since roseo is an existing adjective there for "pink, rosy" (as opposed to Spanish and Portuguese-speaking countries) and because sources list it as a legitimate Italian name.

Derived from Central Kurdish ڕووناک‎ (rûnak) or Northern Kurdish ronak meaning "light, bright, luminous".

Norman French form of Hrodohaidis.

From Sanskrit ऋषि (ṛṣi) meaning "sage, poet", perhaps ultimately deriving from a root meaning "to see".

Feminine form of Rigoberto. A famous bearer is the Guatemalan human rights activist Rigoberta Menchú (1959-).

Persian, Indonesian and Bengali form of Rida.

Manx feminine form of Reynold.

From the English word meaning "daydream, fanciful musing", derived from Old French resverie, itself from resver meaning "to dream, to rave".

From Arabic قربان (qurbān) meaning "sacrifice, sacrificial animal". It is associated with the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha, which features the ritual sacrifice of an animal.

From Arabic قرة العين, variously transcribed as Qurat-ul-Ain or Qurratu'l-`Ayn, meaning "solace, consolation of the eyes" (sometimes "coolness of the eyes"). This was a title of Fátimih Baraghání, a 19th-century poet and theologian of the Bábí religion in Iran who has been described as "the first women's suffrage martyr".

history: Prophet Muhammad used to call her daughter with love

Most likely derived from Latin quiritis, the genitive form of quiris, a Sabine word meaning "spear". Quiritis was a Sabine goddess of motherhood, later equated with the goddess Juno.

German form of Quirinus.

From Spanish querubín meaning "cherub", thus a cognate of Cherubino.

Means "complaint, lamentation" in Latin. In Roman mythology Querella was the personification of mockery, blame, ridicule, scorn, complaint and stinging criticism, equivalent to the Greek daemon Momos (who was expelled from heaven for ridiculing the gods).

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

Means "holy, sacred" in Arabic. In Islamic tradition, القدوس (al-Quddus) is one of the 99 names of Allah.

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

Derived from Latin pupillus "orphan, minor, little boy", which is a diminutive of Latin pupus "boy." Lucius Orbilius Pupillus was a grammarian from the 1st century BC.

Derived from Greek ψάμαθος (psamathos) meaning "sand of the seashore". This was the name of several characters in Greek mythology, including one of the Nereids. One of the small moons of Neptune is named after her.

Means "mighty, powerful, master" in Sanskrit. In the Rigveda this is an epithet of both the Hindu gods Surya and Agni.

French form of Pomellina.

From Middle English ploume, from Old English plume "plum, plum tree," from an early Germanic borrowing (Middle Dutch prume, Dutch pruim, Old High German pfluma, pfruma, German Pflaume) from Vulgar Latin *pruna, from Latin prunum "plum," from Greek prounon, a later form of proumnon, a word of unknown origin, which is probably, like the tree itself, of Anatolian origin.

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

Means "partridge" in Greek. In Greek myth Perdix or Talos was a nephew of the inventor Daedalus, to whom he was apprenticed. His teacher became jealous of his skill and pushed him headlong off the temple of Athena on the Acropolis, but before Perdix hit the ground, the goddess turned him into a partridge.

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

Derived from the Greek verb πείθω (peitho) meaning "to persuade, to convince" as well as "to obey, to yield to" and "to believe, to trust (in)".

In Greek mythology, this was the name of the daimon (spirit) of persuasion, seduction and charming speech. In a more forceful incarnation, she could also symbolize forced inducement, rape and bridal abduction. She was a companion of Aphrodite and her symbols were a white dove and a ball of binding twine.

From Anglo-Norman pesible, peisible, Middle French paisible, from pais (“peace”) + -ible; Meaning, "free from argument or conflict; peaceful."

Means "butterfly" in Persian.

Modern form of Partha.

Persian form of Abraham.

Means "swallow (bird)" in Persian.

Later German form of Audo, originally a short form of various names beginning with Old Frankish aud or Old High German ot meaning "wealth, fortune". This was the name of a 9th-century king of the West Franks (name usually spelled as Odo). This was also the name of four kings of Germany, starting in the 10th century with Otto I, the first Holy Roman Emperor, known as Otto the Great. Saint Otto of Bamberg was a 12th-century missionary to Pomerania. The name was also borne by a 19th-century king of Greece, originally from Bavaria. Another notable bearer was the German chancellor Otto von Bismarck (1815-1898).

German form of Odilia.

Means "bear" in Finnish.

Medieval form of the Old English name Ósgýð, derived from the elements ós "god" and gyð "war" (perhaps meaning "divine war"). Saint Osyth was a martyr of the 7th century, an Anglian princess who founded a monastery at the village Chich in Essex, which was renamed St Osyth. It is occasionally used as a given name in modern times, especially in the early 20th century.

A god who built strong bones, from ossa, "bones," + pango, pangere, "insert, fix, set."

Variant of Hosea.

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

Perhaps related to Greek ὄρφνη (orphne) meaning "the darkness of night". In Greek mythology Orpheus was a poet and musician who went to the underworld to retrieve his dead wife Eurydice. He succeeded in charming Hades with his lyre, and he was allowed to lead his wife out of the underworld on the condition that he not look back at her until they reached the surface. Unfortunately, just before they arrived his love for her overcame his will and he glanced back at her, causing her to be drawn back to Hades.

Created by the Italian author Gabriele d'Annunzio for his novel La Figlia di Jorio (1904). It is derived from Tuscan Italian ornello meaning "flowering ash tree".

Medieval Swedish form of Jurian.

Feminine equivalent of Orguelleus. This was used by the 13th-century German poet Wolfram von Eschenbach in Parzival, his expansion and completion of Chrétien de Troyes' unfinished romance Perceval, the Story of the Grail, for a hitherto unnamed character. In Chrétien, the character (known as the Haughty Maiden of Logres) escorts Sir Gawain through his adventures in Galloway, attempting to lead him into danger at every turn. In Wolfram, Orguelleuse (or Orgeluse) marries Gawain.

Feminine form of Orbianus. This name was borne by the wife of Roman emperor Alexander Severus.

Archaic Roman praenomen which had already fallen out of use by the 1st century BC. It was typically given to a son that had been born after the death of his father, while the son's paternal grandfather was still alive. The praenomen was derived from the Latin noun ops which can mean "power, might, influence" as well as "aid, help, support" and "wealth, abundance, riches, resources." However, it should be noted that the praenomen could also refer to the Roman fertility goddess Ops, in which case this praenomen would be theophoric. The goddess derives her name from the aforementioned word ops as well, so either way the etymology is ultimately the same. A bearer of the praenomen was Opiter Verginius Tricostus, a Roman consul from the 6th century BC.

From the English word opal for the iridescent gemstone, the birthstone of October. The word ultimately derives from Sanskrit उपल (upala) meaning "jewel".

Modern Greek form of Homer.

Feminine form of Humbelin, a medieval diminutive of Humbert. The Blessed Humbeline (known as Hombeline or Ombeline in French) was a 12th-century nun, the sister of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux.

From Olegarius, the Latinized form of a Germanic name, possibly Aldegar or a metathesized form of Odalgar. This was the name of a 12th-century saint, a bishop of Barcelona.

French form of Audagar. In La Chanson de Roland and other medieval French romances, this is the name of one of Charlemagne's knights. He is said to be from Denmark, and is sometimes called Holger.

Old French form of Audigerna. This form survived as a variant of the usual Medieval French form Hodierna. It was via the latter usage that it also came into use in Medieval England, where it was also taken up, albeit more infrequently than on the Continent.

From an English surname that was from various place names meaning "oak clearing" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was the American sharpshooter Annie Oakley (1860-1926).

Recorded in 1350 in Silesia and in the Rhineland region of what is today Germany, this name is basically a Latinization of the German word niemand "nobody".

During the Middle Ages it was common practice to give orphans, especially orphaned infants, the name Nemo as either their given name or a byname, signifying that they "belonged to nobody".
Nymandus could thus be considered a cognate of Nemo.

From Arabic نور (nur) meaning "light" and جنة (jannah) meaning "paradise, garden".

Derived from Latin numerus "number" or Latin numerare "to count, to number, to pay."

Derived from Russian ноябрь (noyabr) meaning "November". It was coined by communist parents in order to commemorate the October Revolution of 1917, which according to the Gregorian calendar (not in use in Russia at the time) actually took place in November 1917.

Oscan praenomen as well as a Roman nomen gentile. The latter is derived from the Oscan praenomen, but is often mistakenly thought to come from the Latin adjective novus meaning "new, fresh, young".

Bearers of this name include the Roman dramatist Quintus Novius (1st century BC) and the Roman senator Decimus Junius Novius Priscus (1st century BC).

Means "sweet, pleasant" in Persian.

English form of Noël or Noëlle (rarely). It was fairly popular in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand in the middle of the 20th century. It is occasionally written with a diaeresis, like in French. A famous bearer is British musician Noel Gallagher (1967-).

Russian and Romanian form of Nymphodora. This name was borne by Russian actress and opera singer Nimfodora Semenova (1788-1876).

Italian and Spanish form of Nereus.

Means "sweetheart, darling" in Persian.

Modern Greek form of Nausicaa.

Means "unblemished, flawless" in Arabic.

Means "distinguished, outstanding" in Arabic, derived from امتاز (imtāza) meaning "to be distinguished". The Taj Mahal was built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as tomb for his wife Mumtaz Mahal (1593-1631).

Derived from Arabic مُحَرَّم (muḥarram) meaning "forbidden". This is the name of the first month in the Islamic calendar, so named because it is unlawful to fight during this month.

Refers to a type of iron sword from India, derived from Arabic الْهِنْد (al-Hind) meaning "India".

Means "esteemed, honored, respected" in Turkish.

Means "given long life" in Arabic, from the root عمر (ʿamara) meaning "to live long, to thrive". A famous bearer was the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi (1942-2011).

Used by Edgar Allan Poe for the title character of his Gothic short story Morella (1835), in which case he may have invented it by adding a diminutive suffix to Latin mors "death". Alternatively, it may be derived from the name of the ancient Spanish city, the Italian name for the poisonous weed black nightshade (species Solanum nigrum), or from the Italian surname Morello, all of them ultimately deriving from Greek μαῦρος (mauros) meaning "black". This name was also used as a rare medieval Scottish variant of Muriel.

Means "hook-nosed, having an aquiline nose" in Mongolian.

Means "divine song" from Greek μολπή (molpê) "song" and διά (dia) "divine, heavenly" (related to Διος (Dios) "of Zeus"). In Greek mythology, this was the name of an Amazon.

From Sanskrit मोहित (mohita) meaning "infatuated, fascinated, bewildered".

Means "perplexing, enchanting" in Sanskrit. This was the name of a beautiful female avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu, a form he took in order to trick the asuras (demons) into relinquishing the amrita (elixir of immortality).

Possibly means "noble ruler", derived from Persian میر‎ (mir) meaning "leader, ruler, headman" possibly combined with Arabic أُوَيْس (ʾawais) meaning "little wolf". This was the name of an 18th-century Pashtun tribal chief who founded the Hotak dynasty of Afghanistan.

Russian and Romanian form of Myrope.

From Arabic أَمِير (ʾamīr) meaning "prince, commander" combined with عَلِيم (ʿalīm) meaning "knowing, learned".

Medieval English variant of Millicent.

From the Germanic name Milo, introduced by the Normans to England in the form Miles. The meaning is not known for certain. It is possibly connected to the Slavic name element milŭ meaning "gracious, dear". From an early date it was associated with Latin miles meaning "soldier".

A notable bearer was the American musician Miles Davis (1926-1991). In Scotland this name was historically used to Anglicize Maoilios.

Means "sun and moon" in Farsi from the word مهر (mehr) meaning "sun" and ماه (mah) meaning "moon".

A famous bearer is the daughter of the Ottoman Empire's Sultan Suleiman I The Magnificent.

Both names Mehr and Mah are also tied with Ancient Persian deities.

Form of the Welsh name Myrddin used by Geoffrey of Monmouth in his 12th-century chronicle. Writing in Latin, he likely chose the form Merlinus over Merdinus in order to prevent associations with French merde "excrement".

Geoffrey based parts of Merlin's character on Myrddin Wyllt, a legendary madman and prophet who lived in the Caledonian Forest. Other parts of his life were based on that of the historical 5th-century Romano-British military leader Ambrosius Aurelianus (also known as Emrys Wledig). In Geoffrey's version of the tales and later embellishments Merlin is a magician and counselor for King Arthur.

Derived from Albanian meriton "to deserve; to merit".

From Egyptian mrs-ꜥnḫ meaning "she loves life". This name was borne by several Egyptian royals during the 4th-dynasty period.

Italian form of Mercury.

Meaning unknown. In European folklore Melusine was a water fairy who turned into a serpent from the waist down every Saturday. She made her husband, Raymond of Poitou, promise that he would never see her on that day, and when he broke his word she left him forever.

Derived from Latin mel meaning "honey". In Roman mythology Mellona was a goddess associated with the supply of honey.

From Persian مهر (mehr) meaning "kindness, friendship" or "sun" and نوش (nuš) meaning "ambrosia, nectar".

Mefitis was a Samnite and minor Roman goddess of noxious gases, like those from volcanoes or swamps. Mefitis also gives her name to the archaic word "mephitic" meaning foul smelling.

Spanish form of Methuselah.

From the Germanic name Mahthilt meaning "strength in battle", from the elements maht "might, strength" and hilt "battle". Saint Matilda was the wife of the 10th-century German king Henry I the Fowler. The name was common in many branches of European royalty in the Middle Ages. It was brought to England by the Normans, being borne by the wife of William the Conqueror himself. Another notable royal by this name was a 12th-century daughter of Henry I of England, known as the Empress Matilda because of her first marriage to the Holy Roman emperor Henry V. She later invaded England, laying the foundations for the reign of her son Henry II.

The name was very popular until the 15th century in England, usually in the vernacular form Maud. Both forms were revived by the 19th century. This name appears in the popular Australian folk song Waltzing Matilda, written in 1895.

Either derived from Arabic مرو (marw) meaning "flint, pebble" or from the name of a type of fragrant plant (see Marwa). This was the name of two Umayyad caliphs.

Derived from Greek μάρπτω (márptô) "to take hold of, to seize, to catch" (cf. Marpesia), with the alleged meaning "the robbed one". In Homer's 'Iliad' this name belonged to the wife of the hero Idas. Marpessa was an Aetolian princess who was wooed by both Idas and the god Apollo. Fearing that Apollo would abandon her in her old age, she chose the mortal Idas, by whom she was the mother of Cleopatra (wife of Meleager).

Contraction of María Ángeles or María de los Ángeles.

From the Hebrew name מַלְאָכִי (Malʾaḵi) meaning "my messenger" or "my angel", derived from a possessive form of מַלְאָךְ (malʾaḵ) meaning "messenger, angel". This is one of the twelve minor prophets of the Old Testament, the author of the Book of Malachi, which some claim foretells the coming of Christ. In England the name came into use after the Protestant Reformation.

Means "glory, exaltation" in Arabic, with various secondary meanings including "beauty, splendour", "magnificence" and "nobility, honour".

Contraction of Maddaleno.

In literature, this is the name of the eponymous character from the poem Julian and Maddalo (1819) written by the English poet Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822). In the poem, the philosophical Julian is based on himself, whilst the cynical Maddalo is based on the English poet Lord Byron (1788-1824).

Greek form of Lycus.

Derived from Latin luscinia "nightingale". This was an epithet of the Roman goddess Minerva. As an English name, it has been used sparingly since the 19th century.

Derived from the Latin adjective luminosus meaning "full of light, luminous". This was the name of a 5th-century saint from Pavia in Lombardy, Italy. This was also borne by a 6th-century Byzantine woman, the wife of the tribune Zemarchus. A modern bearer is Italian hurdler Luminosa Bogliolo (1995-).

Italian form of Ludwig.

Feminized form of Lucifer used by Edmund Spenser in his epic poem 'The Faerie Queene' (1590), where it belonged to the Queen of the House of Pride, whose counselors were the Seven Deadly Sins. It was also the name of a character in a series of Italian comics published from 1971 to 1980.

Means "little wild ox" (figuratively "protector" or "shield") in Arabic, a diminutive of لأى (laʾan) meaning "wild ox". This was the name of an ancestor of the Prophet Muhammad.

Meaning unknown, possibly derived from Lleu. This name appears in the 14th-century poem Marwnad Lleucu Llwyd, written by Llywelyn Goch ap Meurig Hen for his deceased lover Lleucu Llwyd.

Younger form of Leofgyð.

Latinized form of Leiriope, which literally means "the face of leirion". Leirion was another name that the ancient Greeks had for the daffodil flower. In Greek mythology, Liriope was the name of a nymph.

Probably originally a diminutive of Elizabeth. It may also be considered an elaborated form of Lily, from the Latin word for "lily" lilium. This name has been used in England since the 16th century.

Medieval diminutive of Laurence 1.

Alternate transcription of Arabic ليث (see Layth).

Modern Greek form of Cybele.

Ukrainian form of Kirykos.

Tamil form of Quiteria.

From Japanese 九 (ku) meaning "nine" and 郎 (rō) meaning "son". This name was traditionally given to the ninth son. Other combinations of kanji characters are also possible.

Means "full-cheeked, beautiful" in Arabic. It appears frequnetly in the compound Umm Kulthum.

From Japanese 光 (kō) meaning "light" or 幸 (kō) meaning "happiness, good luck" combined with 希 (ki) meaning "hope" or 輝 (ki) meaning "brightness". This name can be formed from other combinations of kanji characters as well.

From the Old Norse name Ketilríðr, derived from the elements ketill meaning "kettle" and fríðr meaning "beautiful, beloved".

Georgian and Russian form of Kyrion. A notable bearer of this name was the Georgian saint Kirion II (1855-1918), who was the first Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia.

From Lakota kimímela meaning "butterfly".

Derived from Persian خرّم (khorram) meaning "happy, pleasant".

Russian form of Chionia. This name was borne by a failed assassin of Rasputin; Khioniya Guseva stabbed Rasputin in the street in 1914, but he recovered and she was institutionalized.

Russian form of Chariton.

Alternate transcription of Arabic خير النساء (see Khayr al-Nisa), as well as the usual Indonesian and Malay form.

Finnish form of Gertrude.

Derived from Greek κερόεις (keroeis) meaning "horned" (feminine κερόεσσα (keroessa)). In Greek mythology Keroessa was the daughter of Io by Zeus and mother of Byzas, founder of Byzantium. This was also used as an epithet of the goddess Persephone in the Orphic Hymn to Persephone.

From the Old English name Cenhelm, which was composed of the elements cene "bold, keen" and helm "helmet". Saint Kenelm was a 9th-century martyr from Mercia, where he was a member of the royal family. The name was occasionally used during the Middle Ages, but has since become rare.

Possibly derived from Old Norse kildr meaning "a spring".

Derived from Finnish keiju meaning "elf, fairy".

Means "abundance" in Arabic. This is the name of the 108th chapter (surah al-Kawthar) of the Quran.

From Finnish kaunis meaning "beautiful".

Means "imagining, fantasy" in Sanskrit.

Polish and Russian form of Kalogeros.

Polish and Russian form of Callinicus.

Feminine form of Kallimachos.

Ukrainian and Russian form of the Greek name Καλλισθένη (Kallisthene), a feminine form of Kallisthenes.

From Japanese 純 (jun) or 淳 (jun) both meaning "pure" combined with 平 (pei) meaning "level, even, peaceful". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.

Feminine form of Junayd, thus meaning "warrioress".

Polish form of Julitta.

Means "goodness, excellence" in Arabic, derived from جاد (jāda) meaning "to be excellent, to be generous".

Means "stream" in Hebrew. This name is mentioned in Genesis in the Old Testament as belonging to the first person to be a musician.

From the Greek name Ἰοκάστη (Iokaste), which is of unknown meaning. In Greek mythology she was the mother Oedipus by the Theban king Laius. In a case of tragic mistaken identity, she married her own son.

From the Hebrew name אִיּוֹב (ʾIyyov), which means "persecuted, hated". In the Book of Job in the Old Testament he is a righteous man who is tested by God, enduring many tragedies and hardships while struggling to remain faithful.

Means "curtains, drapes" in Hebrew. This name occurs in the Old Testament belonging to a wife of Caleb the son of Hezron.

Spanish form of Januarius.

Means "jewels" in Arabic, ultimately from Persian گوهر (gōhar) meaning "jewel, essence".

Means "diligent, striving" in Arabic, from the root جهد (jahada) meaning "to struggle, to strive".

Polish form of Hedwig. This was the name of a 14th-century ruling queen of Poland who has recently been canonized as a saint.

Means "serious" in Arabic. This name is most common in Lebanon.

Means "blossoming, prospering" in Arabic, a derivative of زهر (zahara) meaning "to shine, to bloom".

From Slavic istok meaning "east".

Means "spark" in South Slavic.

Russian form of Hesychios.

From the Hebrew name יִסְכָּה (Yiska) meaning "to behold". In the Old Testament this is the name of Abraham's niece, mentioned only briefly. This is the basis of the English name Jessica.

From the Hebrew name יִצְחָק (Yitsḥaq) meaning "he will laugh, he will rejoice", derived from צָחַק (tsaḥaq) meaning "to laugh". The Old Testament explains this meaning, by recounting that Abraham laughed when God told him that his aged wife Sarah would become pregnant with Isaac (see Genesis 17:17), and later Sarah laughed when overhearing the same prophecy (see Genesis 18:12). When Isaac was a boy, God tested Abraham's faith by ordering him to sacrifice his son, though an angel prevented the act at the last moment. Isaac went on to become the father of Esau and Jacob with his wife Rebecca.

As an English Christian name, Isaac was occasionally used during the Middle Ages, though it was more common among Jews. It became more widespread after the Protestant Reformation. Famous bearers include the physicist and mathematician Isaac Newton (1643-1727) and the science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov (1920-1992).

Russian form of Herodias.

Russian form of the Greek name Ὕπατος (Hypatos), the masculine form of Hypatia.

Russian form of Jochebed.

Derived from the Arabic noun انتظار (intizar) meaning "wait" as well as "anticipation" and "expectation".

A notable bearer of this name was the Pakistani writer Intizar Hussain (1925-2016).

Arabic form of Amram, referring to the father of Moses. According to the Quran, this was also the name of the father of the Virgin Mary (analogous to the Christian Joachim).

Means "illuminated, brightened, filled with light" in Latin. This name was borne by a 4th-century saint from Todi, Italy.

Manx form of William.

Spanish feminine form of Ignatius.

Means "a smile" in Arabic, from the root بسم (basama) meaning "to smile".

Derived from Greek ὕλη (hyle) meaning "wood, timber" or "trees, forest". This was the name of a companion of Heracles in Greek mythology, a member of the Argonauts.

French form of Hortensia.

Means "cloud" in Basque.

Means "protection" in Old Norse, the root of which is Old Icelandic hleina "to save, protect, defend" (ultimately relating to Old English hlæna and modern English lean; also the related noun hlein is used of the upright warp-weighted loom, which is leaned against a wall in use). It was also used to mean "woman" in a large number of poetic compounds, such as hrínga-hlín, bauga-hlín "ring-lady". This Old Norse name is usually found as a goddess-name, a wife of Odin, possibly a byname of Frigg.

From the Old German name Hildimar, derived from the elements hilt "battle" and mari "famous".

Means "softly-shining" in Greek (probably from ἱλαρός (hilaros) "cheerful, bright"; compare Hilarius). In Greek myth the sisters Hilaeira and Phoebe, commonly referred to as the Leucippides (being daughters of Leucippus of Mycenae), were carried off by Castor and Pollux, who were charmed by their beauty. This was also an epithet of the moon goddess Selene.

Derived from Greek ἑστία (hestia) meaning "hearth, fireside". In Greek mythology Hestia was the goddess of the hearth and domestic activity.

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

French form of Harvey.

Finnish form of Hertha. This is also the Finnish word for the card suit hearts.

Possibly from the Old German elements heri "army" and leiba "remainder, remnant, legacy" (or the Old Norse cognates herr and leif, see Herleif). This was the name of the mother of William the Conqueror, who, according to tradition, was a commoner.

Form of Heinrich (see Henry) in several languages. A famous bearer was the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906).

Refers to a flowering plant (Heliotropium) whose tiny flowers range from white to blue or purple, and by extension the color, a pink-purple tint, inspired by the flower. It is derived from the Ancient Greek Ἥλιος (helios) "sun" and τροπεῖν (tropein) "to turn", because of the belief that heliotrope flowers turned to face the direction of the sun.

Meaning uncertain. This is the name of the patron saint of the island of Jersey in the English Channel. He was a 6th-century hermit whose name was recorded in Latin as Helerius.

From the Old Norse name Helgi, derived from heilagr meaning "holy, blessed".

From a Greek title of the goddess Artemis meaning "of marshes" (which may reflect her role as a goddess of streams and marshes). It is derived from Greek ἕλειος (heleios), from ἕλος (helos) "marsh-meadow". This is also the genus name of a type of bird.

Derived from Cornish Hedra "October". This is a recent coinage.

From an English surname that denoted one who lived on a heath. It was popularized as a given name by the character Heath Barkley from the 1960s television series The Big Valley [1].

English form of a medieval French name appearing in various spellings such as Haueis or Haouys, which were derived from Hadewidis. The name was borne by a number of Norman and Anglo-Norman noblewomen from the 11th to 13th centuries.

Means "plowman, cultivator" in Arabic.

From the name Hari (an epithet of Vishnu) combined with Sanskrit ईश (īśa) meaning "lord".

Means "wind" in Basque.

Derived from Arabic حَدِيث (ḥadīṯ) meaning "story, tale" or "hadith", referring to records of the sayings and actions of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad.

Welsh form of William.

Derived from the Welsh elements gwen meaning "white, blessed" and possibly lliain meaning "flaxen, made of linen" or lliant meaning "flow, flood". This name was used by medieval Welsh royalty, notably by a 12th-century princess of Deheubarth who died in battle with the Normans. It was also borne by the 13th-century daughter of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, the last prince of Gwynedd.

Catalan form of Vilifredus, a Latinized form of Willifrid (or perhaps a Visigothic cognate). This was the name of a 9th-century count of Barcelona.

Derived from Manx graihagh "lovable; loving; affectionate", this name is a modern coinage.

Means "beautiful" in Turkmen.

Probably derived from Old French gloriant meaning "boasting, glorying", or otherwise related to the Latin noun gloria meaning "glory".

In literature, Gloriant is the name of the titular character of the Middle Dutch play Gloriant (c. 1350), the author of which remains unknown.

Italian form and Romansh variant of Julitta.

Italian form of Jordan. A notable bearer was the cosmologist Giordano Bruno (1548-1600), who was burned at the stake by the Inquisition.

Medieval English feminine form of Julian. This spelling has been in use since the 13th century, though it was not declared a distinct name from Julian until the 17th century [1].

From the Late Latin name Aegidius, which is derived from Greek αἰγίδιον (aigidion) meaning "young goat". Saint Giles was an 8th-century miracle worker who came to southern France from Greece. He is regarded as the patron saint of the crippled. In Old French the name Aegidius became Gidie and then Gilles, at which point it was imported to England. Another famous bearer was the 13th-century philosopher and theologian Giles of Rome (Egidio in Italian).

Means "doe, gazelle" in Persian.

Catalan and French form of Gerlach.

Possibly derived from Greek γέρων (geron) meaning "old man, elder". This was the name of a saint martyred in Cologne in the 4th century.

Meaning unknown, possibly a Welsh form of Gerontius. This was the name of a figure in various Welsh legends. He was also incorporated into Arthurian tales (the romance Geraint and Enid) as one of the Knights of the Round Table and the husband of Enid.

Russian form of Hera.

From the name of the flowering plant called the gentian, the roots of which are used to create a tonic. It is derived from the name of the Illyrian king Gentius, who supposedly discovered its medicinal properties.

Means "bright swan" in Old Irish, from geal "bright" and geiss "swan".

Russian variant of Hecate.

Means "my reward is God" in Hebrew, from the roots גָּמַל (gamal) meaning "to reward" and אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". This name appears in the Old Testament belonging to a son of Pedahzur. It was also borne by a 1st-century Jewish priest and scholar, mentioned in Acts in the New Testament as a teacher of Saint Paul.

Feminine form of Galileo.

Italian form of Galahad.

Latinized form of Greek Γαλάτεια (Galateia), probably derived from γάλα (gala) meaning "milk". This was the name of several characters in Greek mythology including a sea nymph who was the daughter of Doris and Nereus and the lover of Acis. According to some sources, this was also the name of the ivory statue carved by Pygmalion that came to life.

Probably a derivative of Greek γάλα (gala) meaning "milk" (genitive γάλακτος). This was the name of a 3rd-century saint (also called Galation) who was martyred in Emesa, Syria. It was also borne by the Georgian poet Galaktion Tabidze (1892-1959).

From Latin fulgur meaning "lightning", derived from fulgeo "to flash, to shine". In Roman mythology this was the name of a goddess who presided over lightning, equivalent to the Greek goddess Astrape.

Combination of Frey (see Freyr) and Old Norse valdr "ruler".

From Yiddish פֿרייד (freid) meaning "joy".

Italian form of the Roman name Frigidianus, which was derived from Latin frigidus "cold". This was the name of a 6th-century Irish bishop who made a pilgrimage to Rome and settled as a hermit on Mount Pisano.

Slovene feminine form of Franciscus (see Francis).

Variant of Forrest, or else directly from the English word forest.

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.

Directly taken from Manx flaunys "heaven, paradise, Kingdom come", ultimately from older Manx Flathanas "Paradise" (in the Christian sense of the word). This is a newly coined name intended as a Manx form of Urania and Celeste.

Roman cognomen meaning "potter" in Latin.

Fig is the name of Hannah's cousin in Curtis Sittenfield's 'The Man of My Dreams'.
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Nature name referring to the tree which is cultivated for its fruit. In Christian symbolism, the fig symbolises chastity and humility, since fig leaves were said to be used by Adam and Eve to cover their genitals in The Book of Genesis.

Means "foxglove" in Welsh (species Digitalis purpurea). This is a recently created Welsh name.

Italian form of Ferreolus.

Spanish form of Firmina.

Modern Persian form of Old Iranian *Thraitauna meaning "the third". In the 10th-century Persian epic the Shahnameh this is the name of a virtuous king who ruled for 500 years. The Avestan form of the name 𐬚𐬭𐬀𐬉𐬙𐬀𐬊𐬥𐬀 (Thraētaona) appears in the earlier texts of the Avesta.

Feminine form of Faunus. Fauna was a Roman goddess of fertility, women and healing, a daughter and companion of Faunus.

Catalan form of Pharaildis.

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.

Means "dawn, beginning" in Arabic. This is the name of a daily prayer that is recited in the morning by observant Muslims.

From the Late Latin name Facundus, which meant "eloquent". This was the name of a few early saints, including a 3rd-century Spanish martyr.

Means "melody" in Turkish.

Apparently a masculine form of Eva. A notable bearer is Bolivian president Evo Morales.

Means "love" in Kurdish.

Combination of Eva and María.

Derived from Welsh aur meaning "gold" combined with a diminutive suffix.

Means "to use words of good omen" from Greek εὐφημέω (euphemeo), a derivative of εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and φημί (phemi) meaning "to speak, to declare". Saint Euphemia was an early martyr from Chalcedon.

Usual Persian form of Ishmael, as well as an alternate Arabic transcription. This was the name of the founder of the Safavid Empire in Iran in the early 16th century.

Means "desire, wish" in Sanskrit.

Modern Persian form of Sepandiar, which was the early New Persian form of the Middle Persian name Spandadat. The latter name ultimately comes from the Avestan name Spentodata, which means "given by (the) holy". It is derived from Avestan spenta meaning "holy" combined with Avestan data meaning "given".

Esfandiar was the name of a prince from Persian legend, who was killed by the warrior hero Rostam. The 11th-century Persian poet Ferdowsi recorded his tale in the epic poem "Shahnameh".

A known real-life bearer of the name is the Iranian politician Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei (b. 1960).

Italian form of Herod.

Feminine form of Ernest.

The word used for planet Jupiter in the terminology of ancient Turkish astronomy.

Means "fruitful place" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this name is borne by one of the wives of Caleb. Also in the Bible, it is the name of the place where Rachel was buried.

Turkish, Bosnian and Albanian form of Anwar.

Means "friend, brother" in Turkish. This name was borne by the 13th-century Turkish poet Yunus Emre.

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

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

Means "diamond" in Turkish, ultimately from Persian.

From the Hebrew name אֱלִיעֶזֶר (ʾEliʿezer) meaning "my God is help", derived from אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God" and עֵזֶר (ʿezer) meaning "help". This is the name of several characters in the Old Testament, including a servant of Abraham and one of the sons of Moses (see Exodus 18:4 for an explanation of the significance of the name). It also appears in the New Testament belonging to an ancestor of Jesus in the genealogy in the Gospel of Luke.

Derived from Greek εἶδος (eidos) meaning "to see" or "to know". In Greek mythology she was the mother of the sorceress Medea, and may have personified 'the magical power of the eye, which in Greek superstition was the source of the witch's supernatural power - strengthened by the beams of the ancestral sun.'

From the English word for the flower also known as sweetbrier. It is derived via Old French from Vulgar Latin *aquilentum meaning "prickly". It was early used as a given name (in the form Eglentyne) in Geoffrey Chaucer's 14th-century story The Prioress's Tale (one of The Canterbury Tales).

Possibly connected to Greek αἴγειρος (aigeiros) meaning "black poplar", a type of tree (species Populus nigra). In Roman mythology this was the name of a nymph best known for her liaisons with Numa Pompilius, the legendary second king of Rome (after Romulus). According to the 2nd-century writer Sextus Pompeius Festus, pregnant women offered sacrifices to Egeria in order to bring out the baby (note, Latin egerere means "to bring out").

Italian form of Hephaestus.

Means "sunset" in Greek. She was the eleventh of the twelve Horae, goddesses of the hours, who presided over the hour of sunset.

Romanian feminine form of Demetrius.

Roman family name, also sometimes used as a praenomen, or given name, by the Claudia family. Apparently the name was first assumed by a Roman warrior who killed a Gallic chieftain named Drausus in single combat. Drausus possibly derives from a Celtic element meaning "strong".

Derived from Greek δρόσος (drosos) meaning "dew, dewdrops". This was the name of a naiad in Greek myth.

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

Means "bear" in Hebrew.

Derived from Manx doo "black; black-haired, black headed".

Feminine form of Dekabrin. A known bearer of this name was the Russian chess player Dekabrina Kazatsker (1913-1983).

Italian form of Darius.

Feminine form of Damase.

French form of Damasus.

Probably means "calf, heifer, girl" from Greek δάμαλις (damalis). In the New Testament this is the name of a woman converted to Christianity by Saint Paul.

From Sino-Korean 大 (dae) meaning "big, great, vast, large, high" combined with 中 (jung) meaning "middle". Other combinations of hanja characters can form this name as well. A notable bearer was South Korean president Kim Dae-jung (1924-2009).

Latinized form of Greek Κρέουσα (Kreousa) meaning "princess", from κρέων (kreon) "king, royal" (compare Kreon). This was the name of the first wife of Aeneas, who was killed in the sack of Troy and then appeared to her husband as a ghost, encouraging him to move on without her and seek a new city.

Means "token of the egg", and in effect "mundane egg", from Welsh creir "a token, jewel, sacred object" and wy "egg". In the Mabinogion, a collection of tales from Welsh myth, she was a daughter of Ceridwen and one of the three most beautiful maids of the Isle of Britain. This was also the name of a 6th-century Breton saint from Wales.

From a surname that meant "quiet, shy, coy" from Middle English coi.

Feminine form of Corvinus.

Named for the deep red gemstone which is also known as a carnelian. The word comes from the Latin cornum, meaning "cornel cherry" - a flowering dogwood tree with small, dark red fruit.
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English form of the Latin name Cornelianus.

Feminine form of Corentin.

French form of the Breton name Kaourintin, possibly from korventenn meaning "hurricane, storm". Alternatively, it could be connected to the Brythonic root *karid meaning "love" (modern Breton karout). This was the name of a 5th-century bishop of Quimper in Brittany.

The name of a life-sized mechanical doll created by the mysterious Doctor Coppélius in Léo Delibes' comic ballet Coppélia (1870), based on two macabre stories by E. T. A. Hoffmann. The inventor's name is possibly a Latinized form of Yiddish Koppel. Alternatively this name may be inspired by Greek κοπελιά (kopelia) meaning "young woman", a dialectal variant of κοπέλα (kopela).

Romanian and French form of Constantinus (see Constantine).

Feminine form of the Late Latin name Constantius, which was itself derived from Constans.

Derived from Old Irish cú (con) "hound, wolf" and cenn "head".

Means "the one who writes blossoms" from Hopi cíhu "blossom, flower" combined with bána "to figure, write, draw" and ka "the one that".

Italian masculine form of Cynthia.

Means "of the earth, underground" in Greek, a derivative of χθών (chthon) meaning "earth, ground, soil". This was an epithet of the Greek goddess Demeter.

Polish form of Chryseis.

Medieval French form of Christian. A famous bearer of this name was the 12th-century French poet Chrétien de Troyes, known for his Arthurian romances.

Means "jackdaw” in Chechen, referring to a type of crow.

From Sanskrit चेतन (cetana) meaning "visible, conscious, soul".

From a Slavic word meaning "black".

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

Means "to be like a red parrot" or "in the manner of red parrot feathers", from Nahuatl chamolli "red parrot feather" and -mani "for things to be a certain way".

Possibly means "the only one, unique", derived from Nahuatl centetl "one, a single one".

Spanish and Italian form of Caecilius.

Meaning uncertain. This is the name of the 11th-century patron saint of Toledo, Spain. It might have an Arabic origin (Saint Casilda was a Moorish princess), perhaps from قصيدة (qaṣīda) meaning "poem" [1]. Alternatively it could be derived from a Visigothic name in which the second element is hilds meaning "battle".

After the brownish red mineral of the same name, of which the name is a corruption of cornelian, which in turn is derived from Latin cornelianus (see Cornelianus).

Catalan feminine form of Charalampos.

Means "candle bearer", derived from Latin candela "a taper, a wax-light, a tallow-candle" (the source of the English word candle) and ferre "to bear". In Roman mythology Candelifera was a goddess supposed to assist at childbirth, for whom a symbolical candle or torch was lighted.

The cyclical place of the goddess is uncertain. It is sometimes thought that Candelifera provides an artificial light for labor that occurs at night. A long labor was considered likely for first-time mothers, so at least a part of the birthing process would occur at night. According to Plutarch, light symbolizes birth, but the candle may have been thought of as less a symbol than an actual kindling of life, or a magic equivalent to the life of the infant. Candelifera may also be a personification of the nursery light kept burning against spirits of darkness that would threaten the infant in the coming week. Even in the Christian era, lamps were lit in nurseries to illuminate sacred images and drive away child-snatching demons such as the Gello.

This rare given name can be derived from the surname of Campion as well as from the name of the plant, both of which likely derive their name from Old French campion meaning "champion". A known bearer of this given name is the American writer and film director Campion Murphy (b. 1962).

In literature, Campion is the name of one of the Efafran rabbits in Richard Adams' 1972 novel Watership Down.

Feminine form of Calogero.

Latinized form of Kalamos.

Latinized form of Greek Κάλαϊς (Kalais), which meant "turquoise" or "chrysolite" (being the name of "a precious stone of a greenish blue"). In Greek myth Calais and his twin brother Zetes, together known as the Boreads (being sons of Boreas, god of the north wind), were Argonauts.

Invented by the Italian writer Marco Girolamo Vida as a goddess of chess in 1527. It was reused in the poem Caïssa (1763) by William Jones. Since then, the name was sporadically given to girls. It is also a popular name for chess clubs.

Roman family name that was derived from Latin caelum meaning "heaven".

From a poetic Latin epithet of the Greek god Atlas which meant "supporting the heavens", from caelum "heaven" and ferre "to bear, to carry, to bring". In Greek mythology Atlas was a Titan punished by Zeus by being forced to support the heavens on his shoulders.

Feminine form of Caelius.

From Old Irish cáel meaning "slender". In Irish legend Cáel was a warrior of the Fianna and the lover of Créd.

From an English word meaning "rhythm, flow". It has been in use only since the 20th century.

Derived from Thracian búzas "he-goat, buck" (similar to Indo-European bhugo "buck" and Greek bous "ox, cow"); since Thracian was not a Hellenic language, one could probably call Byzas a hellenization of sorts. According to legend, this was the name of the founder of the city Byzantion (better known under its latinized form Byzantium); the city's name is derived from his name (from byzantos, the genitive case of his name). Also, in Greek mythology, this was the name of the son of Poseidon and Keroessa.

Norwegian form of Brynhildr.

From the English word for the thorny plant.

Derived from Welsh briallu meaning "primrose". This is a modern Welsh name.

From a surname meaning "cheerful" in Old English.

Means "lightning" in Kurdish.

From the English word for the birch tree. Famous bearers include Birch Evans Bayh III, senator from Indiana, who assumed office in 1999. Birch Evans Bayh II was a senator from Indiana 1963-1981.

Hausa form of Bilqis.

Hungarian form of Bartholomew.

Means "clear" in Turkish.

French feminine form of Bernard. Bernadette Soubirous (1844-1879) was a young woman from Lourdes in France who claimed to have seen visions of the Virgin Mary. She was declared a saint in 1933.

Derived from Cornish Borlowen "morning star, Venus".

From the Late Latin name Benedictus, which meant "blessed". Saint Benedict was an Italian monk who founded the Benedictines in the 6th century. After his time the name was common among Christians, being used by 16 popes. In England it did not come into use until the 12th century, at which point it became very popular. This name was also borne by the American general Benedict Arnold (1741-1801), who defected to Britain during the American Revolution.

From an Old French form of the Germanic name Belissendis, possibly composed of the elements bili "suitable, proper, fitting, decent, amiable" (cf. Biligard) and swind "strong, brave, powerful".

The form Belisent belongs to a legendary daughter of Charlemagne in the poems 'Ami et Amile' (c.1200) and 'Otinel' or 'Otuel a Knight' (c.1330). In the late 13th-century Arthurian tale 'Arthour and Merlin', Belisent is Arthur's half-sister, the wife of Lot and mother of Gareth; Alfred Lord Tennyson also used the form Belicent in his Arthurian epic 'Gareth and Lynette'.

Derived from a diminutive of Scottish Gaelic beatha meaning "life".

Derived from Latin beatus meaning "blessed". This was the name of a few minor saints.

Russian form of Baucis.

Spanish form of Balthazar. This is also the form (of Belshazzar) used in the Greek Old Testament.

Variant of Bilqis.

Derived from Persian بخت (baxt) meaning "fortune, prosperity, luck".

Means "beautiful" in Arabic.

Derived from Persian آزاد (âzâd) meaning "free, independent".

Feminine variant of Aviv.

Means "south" in Latin (descended from the Indo-European root *hews- meaning "dawn", making it related to the English word east). Auster was the Roman god of the south wind.

French feminine form of Aldo.

From Japanese 淳 (atsushi) meaning "pure" or 敦 (atsushi) meaning "kindness, honesty". This name can also be formed from other kanji or kanji combinations.

Modern Persian form of Atossa.

Means "gift of Allah" from Arabic عطاء (ʿaṭāʾ) meaning "gift" combined with الله (Allah).

From the Greek Ἀταλάντη (Atalante) meaning "equal in weight", derived from ἀτάλαντος (atalantos), a word related to τάλαντον (talanton) meaning "a scale, a balance". In Greek legend she was a fast-footed maiden who refused to marry anyone who could not beat her in a race. She was eventually defeated by Hippomenes, who dropped three golden apples during the race causing her to stop to pick them up.

Probably intended to mean "star lover", from Greek ἀστήρ (aster) meaning "star" and φίλος (philos) meaning "lover, friend". This name was first used by the 16th-century poet Philip Sidney in his collection of sonnets Astrophel and Stella.

Russian form of Asenath.

Polish form of Aristotle.

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.

Possibly derived from the name of the city of Arta in southwestern Greece. A city with connections to Albania and Albanians. The name of the city is popularly held to be derived from Albanian artë "golden" (compare ar "gold")

Spanish form of Archimedes.

Means "desire" in Persian.

Possibly means "marker, stake" in Turkish.

Means "archangel" in Italian.

Feminine form of Arcangelo.

Persian form of Aristotle.

Medieval Scottish name, probably a variant of Annabel. It has long been associated with Latin orabilis meaning "invokable, yielding to prayer", and the name was often recorded in forms resembling this.

Unrelated, this was an older name of the city of Irbid in Jordan, from Greek Ἄρβηλα (Arbela).

This was a Roman praenomen, or given name, used predominantly by the Claudia family. Its etymology is unknown. A famous bearer of this name was Appius Claudius Caecus, a Roman statesman of the 3rd century BC. He was responsible for the Aqua Appia (the first Roman aqueduct) and the Appian Way (a road between Rome and Capua), both of which were named for him.

Spanish and Polish form of Apollonia.

Spanish form of Apollinaris.

Meaning uncertain; possibly a variant of Afra 1, or possibly a variant of Aphrah, a biblical place name meaning "dust". This name was borne by the English writer Aphra Behn (1640-1689).

Spanish and Portuguese form of Hannibal.

Means "anguishes", taken from a Spanish title of the Virgin Mary, Nuestra Señora de las Angustias, meaning "Our Lady of Anguishes". She is the patron saint of Granada, Spain.

Slovene form of Aeneas.

Armenian form of Anahita, introduced during the period of Iranian domination in the 1st millenium BC. Anahit was an important Armenian mother goddess associated with fertility and protection. She was a daughter of Aramazd.

Italian form of Ampelius, the Latin form of the Greek name Ἀμπέλιος (Ampelios), which was derived from ἄμπελος (ampelos) meaning "vine". Saint Ampelius was a 7th-century bishop of Milan.

Modern Persian form of Amytis.

Means "maidservant of the merciful" from Arabic أمة ال (amat al) meaning "maidservant of the" combined with رحمن (rahman) meaning "merciful".

Spanish and Italian form of Amarantus. In other words, this is the masculine form of Amaranta. The 3rd-century Christian saint Amaranthus, who was martyred at Vieux near Albi in the south of France, is known by this name in Spanish.

Variant of Alruna, also coinciding with the German word for "mandrake". This is the name of the title character in the novel 'Alraune' (1911) by Hanns Heinz Ewers.