Amara L.'s Personal Name List
Acacia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: ə-KAY-shə
Personal remark: Acacia Beatriz, Acacia Delphine, Acacia Evadne, Acacia Fiammetta, Acacia Helena, Acacia Ianthe, Acacia Leto, Acacia Lucina, Acacia Marina, Acacia Melitta, Acacia Nyx, Acacia Pandora, Acacia Rue
From the name of a type of tree, ultimately derived from Greek
ἀκή (ake) meaning "thorn, point".
Adah
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Biblical
Other Scripts: עָדָה(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced: AY-də(English)
Personal remark: Adah Carmel, Adah Columbine, Adah Estera, Adah Evangeline, Adah Francesca, Adah Hermione, Adah Igraine, Adah Isolde, Adah Julienne, Adah Kalina, Adah Lenore, Adah Magdalene, Adah Octavia,
Adara
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hebrew
Other Scripts: אַדָרָה(Hebrew)
Personal remark: Adara Beatriz, Adara Cintia, Adara Cosima, Adara Eumelia, Adara Fortunata, Adara Isotta, Adara Lenore, Adara Lorena, Adara Nathalia, Adara Philomena, Adara Seraphine, Adara Therese, Adara Victorine
Means "noble" in Hebrew.
Adelais
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Germanic (Latinized) [1]
Personal remark: Adelais Cecilia, Adelais Clementine, Adelais Cordelia, Adelais Faustine, Adelais Frida, Adelais Imogen, Adelais July, Adelais Kendra, Adelais Lark, Adelais Rose, Adelais Violet, Adelais Vivienne
Adhara
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Astronomy
Pronounced: ə-DEHR-ə(English)
Personal remark: Adhara Claudia, Adhara Columbine, Adhara Coralie, Adhara Faiza, Adhara Faustine, Adhara Halcyon, Adhara Ione, Adhara Isis, Adhara Leto, Adhara Seraphine, Adhara Therese, Adhara Violet, Adhara Zenaide
Derived from Arabic
عذارى (ʿadhārā) meaning
"maidens". This is the name of the second brightest star (after
Sirius) in the constellation Canis Major.
Adrasteia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Ἀδράστεια(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: A-DRAS-TEH-A(Classical Greek)
Personal remark: "Ada", "Adra"; Adrasteia Coralie, Adrasteia Circe, Adrasteia Helena
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.
Adva
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hebrew
Other Scripts: אַדְוָה(Hebrew)
Pronounced: ahd-VAH
Personal remark: Prettier than Abha. Adva Tamar, Adva Zoraida, Adva Zipporah, Adva Vivienne, Adva Rosalie
Means "small wave, ripple" in Hebrew.
Aelia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ancient Roman
Pronounced: IE-lee-a
Personal remark: Aelia Calanthe, Aelia Daciana, Aelia Delphine, Aelia Evadne, Aelia Francesca, Aelia Genoveva, Aelia Helena, Aelia Isotta, Aelia Luciana, Aelia Margarita, Aelia Nephele, Aelia Pandora, Aelia Tanith
Aella
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Ἄελλα(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: A-EHL-LA(Classical Greek)
Personal remark: Aella Carmen, Aella Cateline, Aella Columbine, Aella Delphine, Aella Fortunata, Aella Inmaculada, Aella Margarita, Aella Marina, Aella Nephele, Aella Ophelia, Aella Rosalina, Aella Thomasina
Means
"whirlwind" in Greek. In Greek
myth this was the name of an Amazon warrior killed by
Herakles during his quest for Hippolyta's girdle.
Agda
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Swedish (Rare)
Personal remark: Agda Beatrice, Agda Eleanor, Agda Evangeline, Agda Genevieve, Agda Hazel, Agda Imogen, Agda Isolde, Agda Laurel, Agda Marguerite, Agda Ottilie, Agda Romaine, Agda Victorine, Agda Vivienne, Agda Yseult
Swedish variant form of
Agatha.
Ahava
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hebrew
Other Scripts: אַהֲבָה(Hebrew)
Means "love" in Hebrew.
Aikaterine
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ancient Greek (Rare)
Other Scripts: Αἰκατερίνη(Ancient Greek)
Ailsa
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Scottish
Pronounced: AYL-sə(English)
From Ailsa Craig, the name of an island off the west coast of Scotland, which is of uncertain derivation.
Áine
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish, Irish Mythology, Old Irish [1]
Pronounced: A-nyə(Irish)
Personal remark: The accent could be a pain. Áine Rowena, Áine Beatrice, Áine Clementine, Áine Gwendolyn, Áine Isolde
Means
"radiance, brilliance" in Irish. This was the name of a goddess of love and fertility in Irish legend, thought to dwell at the hill of Cnoc Áine in Limerick. It has sometimes been Anglicized as
Anne.
Akane
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 茜, etc.(Japanese Kanji) あかね(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: A-KA-NEH
Personal remark: No middle names?
From Japanese
茜 (akane) meaning "deep red, dye from the rubia plant". Other kanji or combinations of kanji can form this name as well.
Alaia 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Basque
Means "joyful, happy" from Basque alai.
Alba 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Spanish, Catalan
Pronounced: AL-ba(Italian, Spanish) AL-bə(Catalan)
Personal remark: Alba Celestine, Alba Columbine, Alba Desdemona, Alba Estera, Alba Fiammetta, Alba Fortunata, Alba Genoveva, Alba Hermione, Alba Isidora, Alba Margarita, Alba Ophelia
This name is derived from two distinct names,
Alba 2 and
Alba 3, with distinct origins, Latin and Germanic. Over time these names have become confused with one another. To further complicate the matter,
alba means "dawn" in Italian, Spanish and Catalan. This may be the main inspiration behind its use in Italy and Spain.
Albine
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: AL-BEEN
Personal remark: Albine Catia, Albine Cordelia, Albine Daiva, Albine Frida, Albine Ginevra, Albine Hazel, Albine Juliet, Albine Lenore, Albine Leonie, Albine Philomena, Albine Rosalie, Albine Sidonie, Albine Thomasina
Alcyone
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Ἀλκυόνη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: al-SIE-ə-nee(English)
Personal remark: Prn. "al-SIE-ə-nee". Not as pretty as it looks. "Cy" Alcyone Carmel, Alcyone Faustine, Alcyone Hypatia, Alcyone Laurel, Alcyone Maia, Alcyone Nahia, Alcyone Phaedra
Latinized form of Greek
Ἀλκυόνη (Alkyone), derived from the word
ἀλκυών (alkyon) meaning
"kingfisher". In Greek
myth this name belonged to a daughter of Aeolus and the wife of Ceyx. After her husband was killed in a shipwreck she threw herself into the water, but the gods saved her and turned them both into kingfishers. This is also the name of the brightest of the Pleiades, a group of stars in the constellation Taurus, supposedly the daughters of
Atlas and
Pleione.
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)
Personal remark: Quaint but popular. Alice Cecilia, Alice Delphine, Alice Francesca, Alice Genevieve, Alice Hermione, Alice Marguerite, Alice Philomena
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).
Alisa
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Russian, Ukrainian, Bosnian, Finnish, Georgian
Other Scripts: Алиса(Russian) Аліса(Ukrainian) ალისა(Georgian)
Pronounced: u-LYEE-sə(Russian) AH-lee-sah(Finnish)
Personal remark: Alisa Beatrice, Alisa Ceridwen, Alisa Clementine, Alisa Delphine, Alisa Gabrielle, Alisa Guinevere, Alisa Juliet, Alisa Juniper, Alisa Marguerite, Alisa Nimue, Alisa Penelope, Alisa Romaine
Form of
Alice used in several languages.
Aliza
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hebrew
Other Scripts: עַלִיזָה(Hebrew)
Pronounced: ah-LEE-zah
Means "joyful" in Hebrew.
Allegra
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, English (Rare)
Pronounced: al-LEH-gra(Italian) ə-LEHG-rə(English)
Personal remark: Apparently the name of a medication. Pretty, though. Allegra Octavia, Allegra Carmel, Allegra Faustine, Allegra Isidora, Allegra Luciana, Allegra Vespera
Means "cheerful, lively" in Italian. It was borne by a short-lived illegitimate daughter of Lord Byron (1817-1822).
Alma 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Latvian, Lithuanian, Albanian, Slovene, Croatian
Pronounced: AL-mə(English) AL-ma(Spanish) AHL-ma(Dutch)
This name became popular after the Battle of Alma (1854), which took place near the River Alma in Crimea and ended in a victory for Britain and France. However, the name was in rare use before the battle; it was probably inspired by Latin
almus "nourishing". It also coincides with the Spanish word meaning
"the soul".
Alodia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Gothic (Latinized)
Possibly from a Visigothic name, maybe from Gothic elements such as
alls "all" or
aljis "other" combined with
auds "riches, wealth".
Saint Alodia was a 9th-century Spanish martyr with her sister Nunilo.
Amandine
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: A-MAHN-DEEN
Amata
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Late Roman
Personal remark: Amata Celestine, Amata Coralie, Amata Cosima, Amata Daciana, Amata Graciela, Amata Hypatia, Amata Juno, Amata Leontine, Amata Ophelia, Amata Rosalina, Amata Valentina, Amata Vincenza, Amata Zenobia
Amelia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Spanish, Italian, Polish, Medieval French
Pronounced: ə-MEE-lee-ə(English) ə-MEEL-yə(English) a-MEH-lya(Spanish, Italian, Polish)
Personal remark: Too popular to use, too pretty to ignore. Amelia Beatrice, Amelia Clementine, Amelia Delphine, Amelia Eluned, Amelia Genevieve, Amelia Hazel, Amelia Lenore, Amelia Romaine, Amelia Susannah
Variant of
Amalia, though it is sometimes confused with
Emilia, which has a different origin. The name became popular in England after the German House of Hanover came to the British throne in the 18th century — it was borne by daughters of both George II and George III. The author Henry Fielding used it for the title character in his novel
Amelia (1751). Another famous bearer was Amelia Earhart (1897-1937), the first woman to make a solo flight over the Atlantic Ocean.
This name experienced a rise in popularity at the end of the 20th century. It was the most popular name for girls in England and Wales from 2011 to 2015.
Amelina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Germanic (Latinized) [1]
Personal remark: Amelina Eleanor, Amelina Frida, Amelina Hazel, Amelina Iris, Amelina Isolde, Amelina Juliet, Amelina Nimue, Amelina Rosalie, Amelina Rue, Amelina Sibeal, Amelina Sylvie, Amelina Therese
Ameretat
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Persian Mythology
Other Scripts: 𐬀𐬨𐬆𐬭𐬆𐬙𐬁𐬙(Avestan)
Means
"immortality" in Avestan. This was the name of a Zoroastrian goddess (one of the Amesha Spenta) associated with plants and long life. She was often mentioned with
Haurvatat.
Amparo
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: am-PA-ro
Means
"protection, shelter, refuge" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin
Mary,
Nuestra Señora del Amparo, meaning "Our Lady of Refuge".
Anaïs
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: A-NA-EES
Meaning uncertain, possibly a derivative of
Anne 1 or
Agnès. It was used in Jean-Henri Guy's opera
Anacréon chez Polycrate (1798), where it is borne by the daughter (otherwise unnamed in history) of the 6th-century BC tyrant
Polycrates of Samos. Guy could have adapted it from a classical name such as
Anaitis or
Athénaïs.
A famous bearer was the Cuban-French writer Anaïs Nin (1903-1977), known for her diaries.
Anastasie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French, Romanian (Rare)
Pronounced: A-NAS-TA-ZEE(French)
Personal remark: More interesting and less flouncy than Anastasia, but still far too princessy to use. A better middle name. Anastasie Lenore, Anastasie Carmel, Anastasie Camille, Anastasie Sage.
Anatolia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ancient Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Ἀνατολία(Ancient Greek)
Feminine form of
Anatolius. This was the name of a 3rd-century Italian
saint and martyr. This is also a place name (from the same Greek origin) referring to the large peninsula that makes up the majority of Turkey.
Andromeda
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Ἀνδρομέδα, Ἀνδρομέδη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: AN-DRO-MEH-DA(Classical Greek) an-DRAH-mi-də(American English) an-DRAW-mi-də(British English)
Personal remark: Andromeda Celestine, Andromeda Delphine, Andromeda Gabrielle, Andromeda Helena, Andromeda Ione, Andromeda Iris, Andromeda Laure, Andromeda Nephele, Andromeda Phaedra, Andromeda Tanith
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.
Anima 2
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: AN-i-mə
Means "soul, spirit" in Latin. In Jungian psychology the anima is an individual's true inner self, or soul.
Anjali
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Nepali
Other Scripts: अञ्जली, अंजली(Hindi) अंजली(Marathi, Nepali) அஞ்சலி(Tamil) అంజలి(Telugu) അഞ്ജലി(Malayalam)
Antica
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Croatian
Antonia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Spanish, English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Romanian, Greek, Croatian, Bulgarian, Ancient Roman
Other Scripts: Αντωνία(Greek) Антония(Bulgarian)
Pronounced: an-TO-nya(Italian, Spanish, German) an-TO-nee-ə(English) ahn-TO-nee-a(Dutch) an-TO-nee-a(Latin)
Personal remark: Mature, a little fusty on a girl but elegant on an adult. Antonia Beatrice, Antonia Camille, Antonia Coralie, Antonia Delphina, Antonia Helena, Antonia Iris, Antonia Ivy, Antonia Marguerite
Feminine form of
Antonius (see
Anthony).
Antonina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Polish, Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Ancient Roman
Other Scripts: Антонина(Russian, Bulgarian) Антоніна(Ukrainian)
Pronounced: an-to-NEE-na(Italian) an-taw-NYEE-na(Polish) un-tu-NYEE-nə(Russian) un-to-NYEE-nu(Ukrainian)
Anwen
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Welsh
Means
"very beautiful" in Welsh, from the intensive prefix
an- combined with
gwen "white, blessed".
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.
Aquila
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Biblical, Ancient Roman
Pronounced: AK-wil-ə(English) ə-KWIL-ə(English)
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.
Ariadne
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Ἀριάδνη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: A-REE-AD-NEH(Classical Greek) ar-ee-AD-nee(English)
Personal remark: Ariadne or Evadne? Ariadne Calanthe, Ariadne Cynthia, Ariadne Francesca, Ariadne Helena, Ariadne Isidora, Ariadne Juno, Ariadne Maia, Ariadne Niobe
Means
"most holy", composed of the Greek prefix
ἀρι (ari) meaning "most" combined with Cretan Greek
ἀδνός (adnos) meaning "holy". In Greek
mythology, Ariadne was the daughter of King
Minos. She fell in love with
Theseus and helped him to escape the Labyrinth and the Minotaur, but was later abandoned by him. Eventually she married the god
Dionysus.
Arina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Russian
Other Scripts: Арина(Russian)
Russian variant of
Irina.
Arista
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Astronomy
Pronounced: ə-RIS-tə(English)
Personal remark: Arista Ivy, Arista Therese, Arista Coralie, Arista Delphine, Arista Elodie
Means "ear of grain" in Latin. This is the name of a star, also known as Spica, in the constellation Virgo.
Artemisia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ancient Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Ἀρτεμισία(Ancient Greek)
Personal remark: Artemisia Lenore, Artemisia Ivy, Artemisia Violet, Artemisia Rue
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.
Asenath
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Biblical
Other Scripts: אָסְנַת(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced: AS-i-nath(English)
Personal remark: Asenath Lily, Asenath Camille, Asenath Violet, Asenath Rosalie, Asenath Rosario, Asenath Francesca
Asherah
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Semitic Mythology
Pronounced: ə-SHEER-ə(English)
Personal remark: Asherah Carmel, Asherah Celestine, Asherah Rose, Asherah Helena, Asherah Soraya, Asherah Hero, Asherah Juno
Perhaps derived from Semitic roots meaning "she who walks in the sea". This was the name of a Semitic mother goddess. She was worshipped by the Israelites before the advent of monotheism.
Ásta
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Old Norse [1], Icelandic
Pronounced: OWS-ta(Icelandic)
Short form of
Ástríðr. It nearly coincides with Icelandic
ást meaning
"love".
Astrid
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, French, English
Pronounced: AS-strid(Swedish) AHS-tri(Norwegian) AS-trit(German) AS-TREED(French) AS-trid(English)
Modern Scandinavian form of
Ástríðr. This name was borne by the Swedish writer Astrid Lindgren (1907-2002), the author of
Pippi Longstocking. It was also borne by a Swedish princess (1905-1935) who became the queen of Belgium as the wife of Leopold III.
Auda
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Germanic [1]
Feminine form of
Audo (see
Otto).
Augustina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ancient Roman
Personal remark: Augustina Lily, Augustina Rue, Augustina Ivy, Augustina Ottilie, Augustina Romaine, Augustina Sorcha
Aušra
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Lithuanian
Means "dawn" in Lithuanian.
Ava 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: AY-və
Personal remark: Increasingly popular. Ava Clementine, Ava Celestine, Ava Calanthe, Ava Faustine, Ava Gabrielle, Ava Hermione, Ava Leontine, Ava Luciana, Ava Magdalene, Ava Melusine, Ava Philomena, Ava Seraphine,
Variant of
Eve. A famous bearer was the American actress Ava Gardner (1922-1990). This name became very popular throughout the English-speaking world in the early 21st century, entering the top ten for girls in the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. It began to rise sharply after 1997, possibly inspired by the actress Heather Locklear and musician Richie Sambora when they used it for their baby daughter that year.
Ava 2
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Persian
Other Scripts: آوا(Persian)
Pronounced: aw-VAW
Means "voice, sound" in Persian.
Avani
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Marathi, Gujarati, Hindi
Other Scripts: अवनी(Marathi, Hindi) અવની(Gujarati)
Avelina 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Germanic [1]
Aveline
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: AV-ə-lien, AV-ə-leen
Personal remark: Very modern looking. More of a middle name. Aveline Rosalie, Aveline Verity, Aveline Cassia
From the Norman French form of the Germanic name
Avelina, a
diminutive of
Avila. The
Normans introduced this name to Britain. After the Middle Ages it became rare as an English name, though it persisted in America until the 19th century
[1].
Aveza
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Germanic [1]
Avila
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Germanic [1]
Derived from the Old German element
awi, of unknown meaning. Rarely, this name may be given in honour of the 16th-century mystic
Saint Teresa of Ávila,
Ávila being the name of the town in Spain where she was born.
Aviva
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hebrew
Other Scripts: אֲבִיבָה(Hebrew)
Pronounced: ah-VEE-vah
Feminine variant of
Aviv.
Aya 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 彩, 綾, etc.(Japanese Kanji) あや(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: A-YA
From Japanese
彩 (aya) meaning "colour",
綾 (aya) meaning "design", or other kanji characters with the same pronunciation.
Ayame
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 菖蒲, etc.(Japanese Kanji) あやめ(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: A-YA-MEH
From Japanese
菖蒲 (ayame) meaning "iris (flower)". Other kanji or combinations of kanji can also form this name.
Ayelet
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hebrew
Other Scripts: אַיֶלֶת(Hebrew)
Means
"doe, female deer, gazelle". It is taken from the Hebrew phrase
אַיֶלֶת הַשַׁחַר (ʾayeleṯ hashaḥar), literally "gazelle of dawn", which is a name of the morning star.
Ayla 2
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Turkish, Azerbaijani
Means "moonlight, halo" in Turkish.
Azalea
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: ə-ZAY-lee-ə
Personal remark: One of the more unusual flower names. Azalea Desdemona, Azalea Genevieve, Azalea Imogen, Azalea Juliet, Azalea Marwa, Azalea Pandora
From the name of the flower (shrubs of the genus Rhododendron), ultimately derived from Greek
ἀζαλέος (azaleos) meaning "dry".
Azar
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Persian
Other Scripts: آذر(Persian)
Pronounced: aw-ZAR
Means "fire" in Persian.
Azucena
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: a-thoo-THEH-na(European Spanish) a-soo-SEH-na(Latin American Spanish)
Means "madonna lily" in Spanish.
Beatrice
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, English, Swedish, Romanian
Pronounced: beh-a-TREE-cheh(Italian) BEE-ə-tris(English) BEET-ris(English) BEH-ah-trees(Swedish) beh-ah-TREES(Swedish)
Personal remark: Beatrice Allegra, Beatrice Amelia, Beatrice Ava, Beatrice Cecilia, Beatrice Clementine, Beatrice Delphine, Beatrice Lenore, Beatrice Ivy, Beatrice Helena, Beatrice Isolde, Beatrice Leonie
Italian form of
Beatrix. Beatrice Portinari (1266-1290) was the woman who was loved by the Italian poet Dante Alighieri. She serves as Dante's guide through paradise in his epic poem the
Divine Comedy (1321). This is also the name of a character in Shakespeare's comedy
Much Ado About Nothing (1599), in which Beatrice and
Benedick are fooled into confessing their love for one another.
Beatriz
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish, Portuguese
Pronounced: beh-a-TREETH(European Spanish) beh-a-TREES(Latin American Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese) byu-TREESH(European Portuguese)
Spanish and Portuguese form of
Beatrix.
Bethania
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish (Latin American)
Pronounced: beh-TA-nya
Bithiah
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Biblical
Other Scripts: בִּתְיָה(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced: bi-THIE-ə(English)
Personal remark: Interesting, but probably not that pretty.
Means
"daughter of Yahweh" in Hebrew, from the roots
בַּת (baṯ) meaning "daughter" and
יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. In the
Old Testament this is the name of a daughter of Pharaoh. She is traditionally equated with the pharaoh's daughter who drew
Moses from the Nile.
Branwen
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Welsh, Welsh Mythology
Pronounced: BRAN-wehn(Welsh)
Means
"white raven" from Old Welsh
bran "raven" and
gwen "white, blessed". According to the Second Branch of the
Mabinogi [1] she was the daughter of
Llŷr. After she was mistreated by her husband Matholwch, the king of Ireland, she managed to get a message to her brother
Brân, the king of Britain. Brân launched a costly invasion to rescue her, but she died of grief shortly after her return.
Calanthe
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: kə-LAN-thee
Personal remark: Prn "kə-LAN-thee", nn "Cala". Calanthe Andromeda, Calanthe Arista, Calanthe Azalea, Calanthe Desdemona, Calanthe Francesca, Calanthe Graciela, Calanthe Helena, Calanthe Pandora, Calanthe Sahar
From the name of a type of orchid, ultimately meaning "beautiful flower", derived from Greek
καλός (kalos) meaning "beautiful" and
ἄνθος (anthos) meaning "flower".
Camille
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: French, English
Pronounced: KA-MEE(French) kə-MEEL(English)
French feminine and masculine form of
Camilla. It is also used in the English-speaking world, where it is generally only feminine.
Canan
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Turkish
Means "sweetheart, beloved" in Turkish.
Carmel
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Jewish
Other Scripts: כַּרְמֶל(Hebrew)
Pronounced: KAHR-məl(American English) KAR-məl(American English) KAH-məl(British English)
Personal remark: A tad too Biblical. Nn "Mel", "Cara". Carmel Ariadne, Carmel Asenath, Carmel Margarita, Carmel Niobe, Carmel Ophelia, Carmel Rosalia, Carmel Susannah, Carmel Thomasina, Carmel Vivienne
From the title of the Virgin
Mary Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
כַּרְמֶל (Karmel) (meaning "garden" in Hebrew) is a mountain in Israel mentioned in the
Old Testament. It was the site of several early Christian monasteries. As an English given name, it has mainly been used by Catholics. As a Jewish name it is unisex.
Carmelita
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: kar-meh-LEE-ta
Carmen
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish, English, Italian, Portuguese, French, Romanian, German
Pronounced: KAR-mehn(Spanish, Italian) KAHR-mən(American English) KAH-mən(British English)
Medieval Spanish form of
Carmel, appearing in the devotional title of the Virgin
Mary Nuestra Señora del Carmen meaning "Our Lady of Mount Carmel". The spelling has been altered through association with the Latin word
carmen meaning
"song". This was the name of the main character in George Bizet's opera
Carmen (1875).
Carol 1
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: KAR-əl
Short form of
Caroline. It was formerly a masculine name, derived from
Carolus. The name can also be given in reference to the English vocabulary word, which means "song" or "hymn".
Cassia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ancient Roman
Pronounced: KAS-see-a(Latin) KA-shə(English) KAS-ee-ə(English)
Personal remark: Prn "KA-shə", don't care much for the prn or the meaning. Might get axed.
Cateline
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Medieval French
Cátia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Portuguese
Cecilia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Italian, Spanish, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Dutch, Romanian, Finnish
Pronounced: seh-SEE-lee-ə(English) seh-SEEL-yə(English) cheh-CHEE-lya(Italian) theh-THEE-lya(European Spanish) seh-SEE-lya(Latin American Spanish) seh-SEEL-yah(Danish, Norwegian) sə-SEE-lee-a(Dutch)
Personal remark: Nicknames are problematic. Cecilia Delphine, Cecilia Gabrielle, Cecilia Faustine, Cecilia Imogen, Cecilia Laurel, Cecilia Romaine, Cecilia Therese, Cecilia Victoire, Cecilia Violet, Cecilia Willow
Latinate feminine form of the Roman family name
Caecilius, which was derived from Latin
caecus meaning
"blind".
Saint Cecilia was a semi-legendary 2nd or 3rd-century martyr who was sentenced to die because she refused to worship the Roman gods. After attempts to suffocate her failed, she was beheaded. She was later regarded as the patron saint of music and musicians.
Due to the popularity of the saint, the name became common in the Christian world during the Middle Ages. The Normans brought it to England, where it was commonly spelled Cecily — the Latinate form Cecilia came into use in the 18th century.
Ceinwen
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Welsh
Derived from Welsh
cain "good, lovely" and
gwen "white, blessed". This was the name of a 5th-century Welsh
saint also known as
Cain or
Keyne.
Célestine
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: SEH-LEHS-TEEN
Personal remark: Nicknames are also difficult. Célestine Genevieve, Célestine Graciela, Célestine Ivy, Célestine Juliet, Célestine Laure, Célestine Ophelia, Célestine Philomena, Célestine Vesna, Célestine Xan
Ceren
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Turkish
Pronounced: jeh-REHN
Means "gazelle" in Turkish (probably of Mongolian origin, originally referring to the Mongolian gazelle, the zeren).
Ceres
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Roman Mythology
Pronounced: KEH-rehs(Latin) SIR-eez(English)
Derived from the Indo-European root *
ker- meaning
"grow, increase". In Roman
mythology Ceres was the goddess of agriculture, equivalent to the Greek goddess
Demeter.
Ceridwen
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Welsh
Pronounced: keh-RID-wehn
Possibly from
cyrrid "bent, crooked" (a derivative of Old Welsh
cwrr "corner") combined with
ben "woman" or
gwen "white, blessed". According to the medieval Welsh legend the
Tale of Taliesin (recorded by Elis Gruffyd in the 16th century) this was the name of a sorceress who created a potion that would grant wisdom to her son Morfan. The potion was instead consumed by her servant Gwion Bach, who was subsequently reborn as the renowned bard
Taliesin.
This name appears briefly in a poem in the Black Book of Carmarthen in the form Kyrridven [1] and in a poem in the Book of Taliesin in the form Kerrituen [2]. Some theories connect her to an otherwise unattested Celtic goddess of inspiration, and suppose her name is related to Welsh cerdd "poetry".
Chandra
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Hinduism, Bengali, Assamese, Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Nepali
Other Scripts: चन्द्र, चन्द्रा(Sanskrit, Hindi, Nepali) চন্দ্র(Bengali) চন্দ্ৰ(Assamese) चंद्रा(Marathi) చంద్ర(Telugu) சந்திரா(Tamil) ಚಂದ್ರ(Kannada)
Pronounced: CHUN-dru(Sanskrit, Kannada) CHAWN-dro(Bengali) CHUN-drə(Hindi, Marathi) TSUN-dru(Nepali)
Means
"moon" in Sanskrit, derived from
चन्द (cand) meaning "to shine". This is a transcription of both the masculine form
चण्ड (the god of the moon personified) as well as the feminine form
चण्डा (spelled with a long final vowel).
Cinta
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Indonesian
Pronounced: CHEEN-ta
Means
"love" in Indonesian, ultimately from Sanskrit
चिनता (cintā).
Cíntia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Portuguese
Circe
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Κίρκη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: SUR-see(American English) SU-see(British English)
Latinized form of Greek
Κίρκη (Kirke), possibly from
κίρκος (kirkos) meaning
"hawk". In Greek
mythology Circe was a sorceress who changed
Odysseus's crew into hogs, as told in Homer's
Odyssey. Odysseus forced her to change them back, then stayed with her for a year before continuing his voyage.
Claudia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Italian, Spanish, Romanian, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Ancient Roman
Pronounced: KLAW-dee-ə(English) KLOW-dya(German, Italian, Romanian) KLOW-dee-a(Dutch, Latin) KLOW-dhya(Spanish)
Feminine form of
Claudius. It is mentioned briefly in the
New Testament. As a Christian name it was very rare until the 16th century.
Clementia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Late Roman, Roman Mythology
Pronounced: kleh-MEHN-tee-a(Latin)
Feminine form of
Clemens or
Clementius (see
Clement). In Roman
mythology this was the name of the personification of mercy and clemency.
Clémentine
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: KLEH-MAHN-TEEN
Personal remark: Nns are nearly impossible. Clementine Allegra, Clementine Amelia, Clementine Helena, Clementine Iris, Clementine Isolde, Clementine Lenore, Clementine Maia, Clementine Ottilie, Clementine Therese
French feminine form of
Clement. This is also the name of a variety of orange (fruit).
Colombina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian (Rare), Theatre
Pronounced: ko-lom-BEE-na(Italian)
Italian feminine
diminutive of
Columba. In traditional Italian theatre (commedia dell'arte) this is the name of a stock character, a female servant who was often the lover of Arlecchino (
Harlequin). This is also the Italian word for the columbine flower.
Columbine
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare), Theatre
Pronounced: KAHL-əm-bien(American English) KAWL-əm-bien(British English)
From the name of a variety of flower. It is also an English form of
Colombina, the theatre character.
Coralie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: KAW-RA-LEE
Personal remark: Nn "Cora". Coralie Francesca, Coralie Gabrielle, Coralie Isidora, Coralie Milena, Coralie Nephele, Coralie Thomasina, Coralie Victorine, Coralie Vincenza, Coralie Violet, Coralie Sage
Either a French form of
Koralia, or a derivative of Latin
corallium "coral" (see
Coral).
Cordelia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Literature, English
Pronounced: kawr-DEEL-ee-ə(American English) kaw-DEE-lee-ə(British English)
Personal remark: Nn "Cora", "Lia". Cordelia Allegra, Cordelia Eluned, Cordelia Gwendolyn, Cordelia Imogen, Cordelia Isis, Cordelia Marguerite, Cordelia Nausicaa, Cordelia Niobe, Cordelia Rue, Cordelia Saskia
From
Cordeilla, a name appearing in the 12th-century chronicles
[1] of Geoffrey of Monmouth, borne by the youngest of the three daughters of King
Leir and the only one to remain loyal to her father. Geoffrey possibly based her name on that of
Creiddylad, a character from Welsh legend.
The spelling was later altered to Cordelia when Geoffrey's story was adapted by others, including Edmund Spenser in his poem The Faerie Queene (1590) and Shakespeare in his tragedy King Lear (1606).
Cosima
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: KAW-zee-ma
Italian feminine form of
Cosimo.
Cynthia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, French, Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Κυνθία(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: SIN-thee-ə(English) SEEN-TYA(French)
Personal remark: Very dated, honouring name. Nn "Cyn". Cynthia Ariadne, Cynthia Beatrice, Cynthia Faustine, Cynthia Indira, Cynthia Isis, Cynthia Melusine, Cynthia Niobe, Cynthia Tamar, Cynthia Tiamat, Cynthia Vespera
Latinized form of Greek
Κυνθία (Kynthia), which means
"woman from Cynthus". This was an epithet of the Greek moon goddess
Artemis, given because Cynthus was the mountain on Delos on which she and her twin brother
Apollo were born. It was not used as a given name until the Renaissance, and it did not become common in the English-speaking world until the 19th century. It reached a peak of popularity in the United States in 1957 and has declined steadily since then.
Cyrilla
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Daciana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Romanian
Pronounced: da-chee-AN-a
Dahlia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: DAL-yə, DAHL-yə, DAYL-yə
From the name of the flower, which was named for the Swedish botanist Anders Dahl.
Daiva
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Lithuanian
Created by the Lithuanian writer Vydūnas, who possibly derived it from a Sanskrit word meaning "destiny".
Dalia 2
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Lithuanian, Baltic Mythology
Pronounced: du-LYEH(Lithuanian)
From Lithuanian
dalis meaning
"portion, share". This was the name of the Lithuanian goddess of weaving, fate and childbirth, often associated with
Laima.
Damla
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Turkish, Azerbaijani
Pronounced: dam-LA(Turkish) dahm-LAH(Azerbaijani)
Means "water drop" in Turkish and Azerbaijani.
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.
Danaë
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Δανάη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: DA-NA-EH(Classical Greek) DAN-ay-ee(English)
From
Δαναοί (Danaoi), a word used by
Homer to designate the Greeks. In Greek
mythology Danaë was the daughter of the Argive king Acrisius. It had been prophesied to her father that he would one day be killed by Danaë's son, so he attempted to keep his daughter childless. However,
Zeus came to her in the form of a shower of gold, and she became the mother of
Perseus. Eventually the prophecy was fulfilled and Perseus killed Acrisius, albeit accidentally.
Danica
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Serbian, Croatian, Slovene, Slovak, Macedonian, English
Other Scripts: Даница(Serbian, Macedonian)
Pronounced: DA-nee-tsa(Serbian, Croatian) DA-nyee-tsa(Slovak) DAN-i-kə(English)
From a Slavic word meaning "morning star, Venus". This name occurs in Slavic folklore as a personification of the morning star. It has sometimes been used in the English-speaking world since the 1970s.
Delphina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Late Roman
Personal remark: Nn "Dee", possibly. Delphina Aveline, Delphina Calanthe, Delphina Celestine, Delphina Hermione, Delphina Ione, Delphina Nimue, Delphina Ottilie, Delphina Xanthe, Delphina Seraphine
Feminine form of the Latin name
Delphinus, which meant
"of Delphi". Delphi was a city in ancient Greece, the name of which is possibly related to Greek
δελφύς (delphys) meaning "womb". The Blessed Delphina was a 14th-century Provençal nun.
Delphine
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: DEHL-FEEN
Personal remark: Really more of a middle name, and a bit of a place-holder.
Desdemona
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Literature
Pronounced: dehz-də-MO-nə(English)
Personal remark: Very long, quite dark feeling. Nn "Mona"? Desdemona Carmel, Desdemona Cordelia, Desdemona Genevieve, Desdemona Iris, Desdemona Ivy, Desdemona Leonie, Desdemona Lyra, Desdemona Rue, Desdemona Sibéal
Derived from Greek
δυσδαίμων (dysdaimon) meaning
"ill-fated". This is the name of the wife of
Othello in Shakespeare's play
Othello (1603).
Devi
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hinduism, Hindi, Tamil
Other Scripts: देवी(Sanskrit, Hindi) தேவி(Tamil)
Pronounced: DEH-vee(Sanskrit, Hindi) DEH-vi(Tamil)
Derived from Sanskrit
देवी (devī) meaning
"goddess". This name can be used to refer to
Mahadevi.
Drahomíra
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Czech, Slovak
Pronounced: DRA-ho-mee-ra(Czech) DRA-haw-mee-ra(Slovak)
Czech and Slovak feminine form of
Dragomir.
Ealasaid
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Scottish Gaelic [1]
Pronounced: EHL-ə-sət
Ealisaid
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Manx
Eilidh
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Scottish Gaelic [1]
Pronounced: EH-li
Eilís
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish
Pronounced: EH-lyeesh
Eirwen
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Welsh
Means
"white snow" from the Welsh elements
eira "snow" and
gwen "white, blessed". This name was created in the early 20th century.
Eleanor
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: EHL-ə-nawr(American English) EHL-ə-naw(British English)
From the Old French form of the Occitan name
Alienòr. Among the name's earliest bearers was the influential Eleanor of Aquitaine (12th century), who was the queen of Louis VII, the king of France, and later Henry II, the king of England. She was named
Aenor after her mother, and was called by the Occitan phrase
alia Aenor "the other Aenor" in order to distinguish her from her mother. However, there appear to be examples of bearers prior to Eleanor of Aquitaine. It is not clear whether they were in fact Aenors who were retroactively recorded as having the name Eleanor, or whether there is an alternative explanation for the name's origin.
The popularity of the name Eleanor in England during the Middle Ages was due to the fame of Eleanor of Aquitaine, as well as two queens of the following century: Eleanor of Provence, the wife of Henry III, and Eleanor of Castile, the wife of Edward I. More recently, it was borne by first lady Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962), the wife of American president Franklin Roosevelt.
Eleri
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Welsh
Pronounced: eh-LEH-ri
From the name of a Welsh river, also called the Leri, of unknown meaning. This was also the name of a 7th-century Welsh
saint (masculine).
Elif
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Turkish
Pronounced: eh-LEEF
Turkish form of
Alif, the name of the first letter of the Arabic alphabet,
ا. It also means
"slender", from the Turkish phrase
elif gibi, literally "shaped like elif".
Élodie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: EH-LAW-DEE
Personal remark: Élodie Antonia, Élodie Celestine, Élodie Genevieve, Élodie Hazel, Élodie Juliet, Élodie Magdalene, Élodie Melusine, Élodie Rowena, Élodie Thalia, Élodie Victorine, Élodie Viola, Élodie Viv
Eluned
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Welsh
Pronounced: ehl-IN-ehd, ehl-EEN-ehd
Personal remark: Nn "Luna". Eluned Amelia, Eluned Cecilia, Eluned Desdemona, Eluned Gwendolyn, Eluned Ivy, Eluned Oona, Eluned Philomena, Eluned Rowena, Eluned Siofra, Eluned Sibéal
Derived from Welsh
eilun meaning
"image, likeness, idol". This was the name of a legendary 5th-century Welsh
saint, also known as Eiliwedd, one of the supposed daughters of
Brychan Brycheiniog.
Embla
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Norse Mythology, Icelandic, Swedish, Norwegian
Pronounced: EHM-blah(Icelandic, Swedish, Norwegian)
Meaning uncertain, perhaps related to Old Norse
almr "elm". In Norse
mythology Embla and her husband
Ask were the first humans. They were created by three of the gods from two trees.
Esha
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hindi
Other Scripts: एषा(Hindi)
Means "desire, wish" in Sanskrit.
Estera
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Polish, Slovak, Romanian, Lithuanian
Pronounced: eh-STEH-ra(Polish)
Polish, Slovak, Romanian and Lithuanian form of
Esther.
Eumelia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ancient Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Εὐμελία(Ancient Greek)
Derived from Greek
εὐμέλεια (eumeleia) meaning
"melody".
Evadne
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Εὐάδνη(Ancient Greek)
From Greek
Εὐάδνη (Euadne), from
εὖ (eu) meaning "good" possibly combined with Cretan Greek
ἀδνός (adnos) meaning "holy". This name was borne by several characters in Greek legend, including the wife of Capaneus. After Capaneus was killed by a lightning bolt sent from
Zeus she committed suicide by throwing herself onto his burning body.
Evangeline
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: i-VAN-jə-leen, i-VAN-jə-lien
Means
"good news" from Greek
εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and
ἄγγελμα (angelma) meaning "news, message". It was (first?) used by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in his 1847 epic poem
Evangeline [1][2]. It also appears in Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel
Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852) as the full name of the character Eva.
Faiza
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arabic, Urdu
Other Scripts: فائزة(Arabic) فائزہ(Urdu)
Pronounced: FA-ee-za(Arabic)
Faustine
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Personal remark: More of a middle name. Faustine Andromeda, Faustine Asherah, Faustine Hypatia, Faustine Isidora, Faustine Luciana, Faustine Octavia, Faustine Tamar, Faustine Vespera, Faustine Vincenza, Faustine Viola
French feminine form of
Faustinus (see
Faustino).
Ffion
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Welsh
Pronounced: FEE-awn, FI-awn
Means "foxglove" in Welsh (species Digitalis purpurea). This is a recently created Welsh name.
Fiammetta
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: fyam-MEHT-ta
Diminutive of
Fiamma. This is the name of a character appearing in several works by the 14th-century Italian author Boccaccio. She was probably based on the Neapolitan noblewoman Maria d'Aquino.
Flick
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: FLIK
Fortunata
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese (Rare), Late Roman
Pronounced: for-too-NA-ta(Italian, Spanish)
Francesca
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Catalan
Pronounced: fran-CHEHS-ka(Italian) frən-SEHS-kə(Catalan)
Personal remark: Nn "Franca", "Ziska". Francesca Ariadne, Francesca Marie, Francesca Beatrice, Francesca Coralie, Francesca Graciela, Francesca Lydia, Francesca Nahia, Francesca Penelope, Francesca Viviana
Italian and Catalan feminine form of
Franciscus (see
Francis).
Frida 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: German, Germanic [1]
Originally a short form of names containing the Old German element
fridu meaning
"peace" (Proto-Germanic *
friþuz). A famous bearer was the Mexican painter Frida Kahlo (1907-1954).
Gabrielle
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French, English
Pronounced: GA-BREE-YEHL(French) gab-ree-EHL(English)
Personal remark: Middle name choice.
French feminine form of
Gabriel. This was the real name of French fashion designer Coco Chanel (1883-1971).
Genevieve
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: JEHN-ə-veev
Personal remark: Nn "Eve". Genevieve Anastasie, Genevieve Azalea, Genevieve Beatrice, Genevieve Ione, Genevieve Laurel, Genevieve Lyra, Genevieve Nimue, Genevieve Oona, Genevieve Sabia, Genevieve Victorine
Genoveva
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan
Pronounced: kheh-no-BEH-ba(Spanish) zhi-noo-VEH-vu(European Portuguese) zheh-no-VEH-vu(Brazilian Portuguese) zhə-noo-BEH-bə(Catalan)
Spanish, Portuguese and Catalan form of
Geneviève.
Ghada
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: غادة(Arabic)
Pronounced: GHA-da
Means "graceful woman" in Arabic.
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".
Gracia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: GRA-thya(European Spanish) GRA-sya(Latin American Spanish)
Graciela
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: gra-THYEH-la(European Spanish) gra-SYEH-la(Latin American Spanish)
Personal remark: Nn "Ella", "Ciel". Graciela Asenath, Graciela Carmel, Graciela Hazel, Graciela Leontine, Graciela Magdalene, Graciela Philomena, Graciela Seraphine, Graciela Sylvie, Graciela Wren
Gráinne
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish, Irish Mythology, Old Irish [1]
Pronounced: GRA-nyə(Irish)
Possibly derived from Old Irish
grán meaning
"grain" or
gráin meaning
"hatred, fear". In the Irish legend
The Pursuit of Diarmaid and Gráinne she escaped from her arranged marriage to
Fionn mac Cumhaill by fleeing with her lover
Diarmaid. Another famous bearer was the powerful 16th-century Irish landowner and seafarer Gráinne Ní Mháille (known in English as Grace O'Malley), who was sometimes portrayed as a pirate queen in later tales.
Guadalupe
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: ghwa-dha-LOO-peh
From a Spanish title of the Virgin
Mary,
Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, meaning "Our Lady of Guadalupe". Guadalupe is a Spanish place name, the site of a famous convent, derived from Arabic
وادي (wādī) meaning "valley, river" possibly combined with Latin
lupus meaning "wolf". In the 16th century Our Lady of Guadalupe supposedly appeared in a vision to a native Mexican man, and she is now regarded as a patron
saint of the Americas.
Guinevere
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arthurian Cycle
Pronounced: GWIN-ə-vir(American English) GWIN-ə-veey(British 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.
Gwendolyn
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: GWEHN-də-lin
Variant of
Gwendolen. This is the usual spelling in the United States.
Hadassah
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Biblical, Hebrew
Other Scripts: הֲדַסָּה(Hebrew)
Pronounced: hə-DAS-ə(English)
Halcyon
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Various (Rare)
Pronounced: HAL-see-ən(English)
From the name of a genus of kingfisher birds, derived from Greek
ἀλκυών (from the same source as
Alcyone).
Hania 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Polish
Pronounced: KHA-nya
Hava
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hebrew
Other Scripts: חַוָּה(Hebrew)
Hazan
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Turkish
Means "autumn" in Turkish.
Hazel
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: HAY-zəl
From the English word hazel for the tree or the light brown colour, derived ultimately from Old English hæsel. It was coined as a given name in the 19th century and quickly became popular, reaching the 18th place for girls in the United States by 1897. It fell out of fashion in the second half of the 20th century, but has since recovered.
Hebe
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Ἥβη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: HEH-BEH(Classical Greek) HEE-bee(English)
Derived from Greek
ἥβη (hebe) meaning
"youth". In Greek
mythology Hebe was the daughter of
Zeus and
Hera. She was a goddess of youth who acted as the cupbearer to the gods.
Hecate
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Ἑκάτη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: HEHK-ə-tee(English)
From the Greek
Ἑκάτη (Hekate), possibly derived from
ἑκάς (hekas) meaning
"far off". In Greek
mythology Hecate was a goddess associated with witchcraft, crossroads, tombs, demons and the underworld.
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).
Henna
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Finnish
Pronounced: HEHN-nah
Finnish feminine form of
Heinrich (see
Henry).
Hermione
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Ἑρμιόνη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: HEHR-MEE-O-NEH(Classical Greek) hər-MIE-ə-nee(American English) hə-MIE-ə-nee(British English)
Derived from the name of the Greek messenger god
Hermes. In Greek
myth Hermione was the daughter of
Menelaus and
Helen. This is also the name of the wife of
Leontes in Shakespeare's play
The Winter's Tale (1610). It is now closely associated with the character Hermione Granger from the
Harry Potter series of books, first released in 1997.
Hero 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Ἡρώ(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: HIR-o(English)
Derived from Greek
ἥρως (heros) meaning
"hero". In Greek legend she was the lover of
Leander, who would swim across the Hellespont each night to meet her. He was killed on one such occasion when he got caught in a storm while in the water, and when Hero saw his dead body she drowned herself. This is also the name of a character in Shakespeare's play
Much Ado About Nothing (1599).
Hila
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hebrew
Other Scripts: הִילָה(Hebrew)
Means
"halo, aura" in Hebrew, from the root
הָלַל (halal) meaning "to praise, to shine".
Hourig
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Armenian
Other Scripts: Հուրիկ(Armenian)
Alternate transcription of Armenian
Հուրիկ (see
Hurik).
Hypatia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ancient Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Ὑπατία(Ancient Greek)
Derived from Greek
ὕπατος (hypatos) meaning
"highest, supreme". Hypatia of Alexandria was a 5th-century philosopher and mathematician, daughter of the mathematician Theon.
Ianthe
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Ἰάνθη(Ancient Greek)
Means
"violet flower", derived from Greek
ἴον (ion) meaning "violet" and
ἄνθος (anthos) meaning "flower". This was the name of an ocean nymph in Greek
mythology.
Igraine
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arthurian Cycle
Meaning unknown, from
Igerna, the Latinized form of Welsh
Eigyr. In Arthurian legend she is the mother of King
Arthur by Uther Pendragon and the mother of
Morgan le Fay by Gorlois. The Welsh form
Eigyr or
Eigr was rendered into Latin as
Igerna by the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth.
Ila
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hindi
Other Scripts: इला(Hindi)
Means "earth" or "speech" in Sanskrit.
Ilta
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Finnish
Pronounced: EEL-tah
Means "evening" in Finnish.
Imogen
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (British)
Pronounced: IM-ə-jehn
The name of the daughter of King
Cymbeline in the play
Cymbeline (1609) by William Shakespeare. He based her on a legendary character named
Innogen, but it was printed incorrectly and never emended.
Innogen is probably derived from Gaelic
inghean meaning
"maiden". As a given name it is chiefly British and Australian.
Inbar
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hebrew
Other Scripts: עִנְבָּר, עִינְבָּר(Hebrew)
Means "amber" in Hebrew.
Indira
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Tamil
Other Scripts: इन्दिरा(Sanskrit) इन्दिरा, इंदिरा(Hindi) इंदिरा(Marathi) ಇಂದಿರಾ(Kannada) இந்திரா(Tamil)
Pronounced: IN-di-ra(Hindi)
Means
"beauty" in Sanskrit. This is another name of
Lakshmi, the wife of the Hindu god
Vishnu. A notable bearer was India's first female prime minister, Indira Gandhi (1917-1984).
Indu
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hindi
Other Scripts: इन्दु(Hindi)
Means "bright drop" in Sanskrit. This is a name for the moon.
Inmaculada
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: eem-ma-koo-LA-dha
Means
"immaculate" in Spanish. This name is given to commemorate the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin
Mary.
Ioana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Romanian, Bulgarian
Other Scripts: Йоана(Bulgarian)
Pronounced: ee-WA-na(Romanian)
Romanian feminine form of
John. This is also an alternate transcription of Bulgarian
Йоана (see
Yoana).
Ione
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology, English
Other Scripts: Ἰόνη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: ie-O-nee(English)
From Ancient Greek
ἴον (ion) meaning
"violet flower". This was the name of a sea nymph in Greek
mythology. It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the 19th century, though perhaps based on the Greek place name
Ionia, a region on the west coast of Asia Minor.
Iris
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology, English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, French, Spanish, Catalan, Italian, Slovene, Croatian, Greek
Other Scripts: Ἶρις(Ancient Greek) Ίρις(Greek)
Pronounced: IE-ris(English) EE-ris(German, Dutch) EE-rees(Finnish, Spanish, Catalan, Italian) EE-REES(French)
Means "rainbow" in Greek. Iris was the name of the Greek goddess of the rainbow, also serving as a messenger to the gods. This name can also be given in reference to the word (which derives from the same Greek source) for the iris flower or the coloured part of the eye.
Iseult
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arthurian Cycle
Pronounced: i-SOOLT(English) i-ZOOLT(English) EE-ZUU(French)
The origins of this name are uncertain, though some Celtic roots have been suggested. It is possible that the name is ultimately Germanic, from a hypothetical name like *
Ishild, composed of the elements
is "ice" and
hilt "battle".
According to tales first recorded in Old French in the 12th century, Yseut or Ysolt was an Irish princess betrothed to King Mark of Cornwall. After accidentally drinking a love potion, she became the lover of his nephew Tristan. Their tragic story, which was set in the Arthurian world, was popular during the Middle Ages and the name became relatively common in England at that time. It was rare by the 19th century, though some interest was generated by Richard Wagner's opera Tristan und Isolde (1865).
Ishtar
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Semitic Mythology
Other Scripts: 𒀭𒈹, 𒌋𒁯(Akkadian Cuneiform)
Pronounced: ISH-tahr(American English) ISH-tah(British English)
From the Semitic root
ʿṯtr, which possibly relates to the Evening Star. Ishtar was an Akkadian, Assyrian and Babylonian goddess who presided over love, war and fertility. She was
cognate with the Canaanite and Phoenician
Ashtoreth, and she was also identified with the Sumerian goddess
Inanna. Her name in Akkadian cuneiform
𒀭𒈹 was the same as the Sumerian cuneiform for Inanna.
Isi
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Choctaw
Personal remark: Isi Albine, Isi Allegra, Isi Andromeda, Isi Antonina, Isi Artemisia, Isi Azucena, Isi Clementia, Isi Evangeline, Isi Hadassah, Isi Loredana, Isi Magdalene, Isi Millaray, Isi Nizhoni, Isi Shoshannah
Means "deer" in Choctaw.
Isibéal
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish
Isidora
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish, Serbian, Portuguese (Rare), Italian (Rare), English (Rare), Ancient Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Исидора(Serbian, Russian) Ἰσιδώρα(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: ee-see-DHO-ra(Spanish) ee-zee-DAW-ra(Italian) iz-ə-DAWR-ə(English)
Feminine form of
Isidore. This was the name of a 4th-century Egyptian
saint and hermitess.
Isis
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Egyptian Mythology (Hellenized)
Other Scripts: Ἶσις(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: IE-sis(English)
Greek form of Egyptian
ꜣst (reconstructed as
Iset,
Aset or
Ueset), possibly from
st meaning
"throne". In Egyptian
mythology Isis was the goddess of the sky and nature, the wife of
Osiris and the mother of
Horus. She was originally depicted wearing a throne-shaped headdress, but in later times she was conflated with the goddess
Hathor and depicted having the horns of a cow on her head. She was also worshipped by people outside of Egypt, such as the Greeks and Romans.
Iskra
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Bulgarian, Macedonian, Croatian
Other Scripts: Искра(Bulgarian, Macedonian)
Pronounced: EES-kru(Bulgarian) EES-kra(Macedonian, Croatian)
Means "spark" in South Slavic.
Isla
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Scottish, English
Pronounced: IE-lə
Variant of
Islay, typically used as a feminine name. It also coincides with the Spanish word
isla meaning "island".
'Ismat
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: عصمت(Arabic)
Pronounced: ‘EES-mat
Personal remark: 'Ismat Adara, 'Ismat Ahava, 'Ismat Ayla, 'Ismat Faiza, 'Ismat Frida, 'Ismat Hava, 'Ismat Kavita, 'Ismat Mayra, 'Ismat Mina, 'Ismat Nava, 'Ismat Neha, 'Ismat Reyhan, 'Ismat Sahar, 'Ismat Soraya
Alternate transcription of Arabic
عصمت (see
Ismat).
Isolde
Gender: Feminine
Usage: German, Arthurian Cycle
Pronounced: ee-ZAWL-də(German) i-SOL-də(English) i-ZOL-də(English) i-SOLD(English) i-ZOLD(English) EE-ZAWLD(French)
German form of
Iseult, appearing in the 13th-century German poem
Tristan by Gottfried von Strassburg. In 1865 the German composer Richard Wagner debuted his popular opera
Tristan und Isolde and also used the name for his first daughter.
Isotta
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: ee-ZAWT-ta
Isra
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: إسراء(Arabic)
Pronounced: ees-RA
Means
"nocturnal journey" in Arabic, derived from
سرى (sarā) meaning "to travel by night". According to Islamic tradition, the
Isra was a miraculous journey undertaken by the Prophet
Muhammad.
Ita
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish
Iðunn
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Norse Mythology, Old Norse [1], Icelandic
Pronounced: I-dhuyn(Icelandic)
Probably derived from the Old Norse prefix
ið- "again, repeated" and
unna "to love". In Norse
mythology Iðunn was the goddess of spring and immortality whose responsibility it was to guard the gods' apples of youth.
Ivančica
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Croatian
Means "daisy" in Croatian.
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.
Ixchel
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Mayan Mythology, Mayan
Pronounced: eesh-CHEHL(Mayan)
Possibly means "rainbow lady", from Classic Maya ix "lady" and chel "rainbow". Ixchel was a Maya goddess associated with the earth, jaguars, medicine and childbirth. She was often depicted with a snake in her hair and crossbones embroidered on her skirt.
Izanami
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Japanese Mythology
Other Scripts: 伊邪那美(Japanese Kanji) いざなみ(Japanese Hiragana) イザナミ(Japanese Katakana)
Pronounced: EE-ZA-NA-MEE(Japanese)
Probably means
"female who invites" in Japanese, from
誘 (izana) meaning "invite, lure, attract". In Japanese
mythology she was a creator goddess, the wife of
Izanagi. She died giving birth to Kagutsuchi, the god of fire.
Izumi
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 泉, etc.(Japanese Kanji) いずみ(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: EE-ZOO-MEE
From Japanese
泉 (izumi) meaning "fountain, spring". This name can also be constructed from other combinations of kanji.
Jadwiga
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Polish
Pronounced: yad-VEE-ga
Polish form of
Hedwig. This was the name of a 14th-century ruling queen of Poland who has recently been canonized as a
saint.
Jasna
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Macedonian
Other Scripts: Јасна(Serbian, Macedonian)
Derived from South Slavic jasno meaning "clearly, obviously".
Julienne
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: ZHUY-LYEHN
French feminine form of
Iulianus (see
Julian).
Juliet
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: joo-lee-EHT, JOOL-yət
Anglicized form of
Giulietta or
Juliette. This spelling was used for the ill-fated lover of
Romeo in the play
Romeo and Juliet (1596) by William Shakespeare. Shakespeare based his story on earlier Italian tales such as
Giulietta e Romeo (1524) by Luigi Da Porto.
July
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: juw-LIE
From the name of the month, which was originally named for Julius Caesar.
Juniper
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: JOON-i-pər(American English) JOON-i-pə(British English)
From the English word for the type of tree, derived ultimately from Latin iuniperus.
Juno
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Roman Mythology
Pronounced: YOO-no(Latin) JOO-no(English)
Meaning unknown, possibly related to an Indo-European root meaning
"young", or possibly of Etruscan origin. In Roman
mythology Juno was the wife of
Jupiter and the queen of the heavens. She was the protectress of marriage and women, and was also the goddess of finance.
Juventas
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Roman Mythology
Pronounced: yoo-WEHN-tas(Latin)
Means
"youth" in Latin. Juventas was the Roman goddess of youth, equivalent to the Greek goddess
Hebe.
Kadri 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Estonian
Pronounced: KAH-dree
Kadriye
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Turkish
Kaede
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 楓, etc.(Japanese Kanji) かえで(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: KA-EH-DEH
From Japanese
楓 (kaede) meaning "maple" or other kanji that are pronounced the same way.
Kala 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Tamil
Other Scripts: கலா(Tamil)
Means "art form, virtue" in Sanskrit.
Kalina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Bulgarian, Macedonian, Polish
Other Scripts: Калина(Bulgarian, Macedonian)
Pronounced: ka-LEE-na(Polish)
Means "viburnum tree" in Bulgarian, Macedonian and Polish.
Kalyani
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hinduism, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Bengali, Marathi, Hindi
Other Scripts: कल्याणी(Sanskrit, Marathi, Hindi) కల్యాణి(Telugu) கல்யாணி(Tamil) കല്യാണി(Malayalam) ಕಲ್ಯಾಣಿ(Kannada) কল্যাণী(Bengali)
Means
"beautiful, lovely, auspicious" in Sanskrit. This is another name of the Hindu goddess
Parvati.
Kamini
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hindi
Other Scripts: कामिनी(Hindi)
Means "desirable" in Sanskrit.
Kanda
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Thai
Other Scripts: กานดา(Thai)
Pronounced: kan-DA
Means "beloved" in Thai.
Kaori
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 香, 香織, etc.(Japanese Kanji) かおり(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: KA-O-REE
From Japanese
香 (kaori) meaning "fragrance". It can also come from an alternate reading of
香 (ka) combined with
織 (ori) meaning "weaving". Other kanji combinations are possible. It is often written using the hiragana writing system.
Kasi
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Telugu, Tamil
Other Scripts: కాశీ(Telugu) காசி(Tamil)
Southern Indian form of
Kashi.
Kasih
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Indonesian, Malay
Pronounced: KA-sih(Indonesian)
Means "love" in Malay and Indonesian.
Katar
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Armenian
Other Scripts: Կատար(Armenian)
Pronounced: kah-TAHR(Eastern Armenian) gah-DAHR(Western Armenian)
Means "summit, crest" in Armenian.
Kavita
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hindi, Marathi
Other Scripts: कविता(Hindi, Marathi)
Kendra
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: KEHN-drə
Keren
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hebrew
Other Scripts: קֶרֶן(Hebrew)
Means "horn" or "ray of light" in Hebrew.
Kohar
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Armenian
Other Scripts: Գոհար(Armenian)
Pronounced: kaw-HAHR(Western Armenian)
Western Armenian transcription of
Gohar.
Lahja
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Finnish
Pronounced: LAHH-yah
Means "gift" in Finnish.
Laila 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arabic, Urdu, English
Other Scripts: ليلى(Arabic) لیلیٰ(Urdu)
Pronounced: LIE-la(Arabic) LAY-lə(English)
Laine
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Estonian
Pronounced: LIE-neh
Means "wave" in Estonian.
Lalita
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi, Thai
Other Scripts: ललिता(Sanskrit, Hindi, Marathi) ลลิตา(Thai)
Pronounced: la-lee-TA(Thai)
Means
"playful, charming, desirable" in Sanskrit. According to the
Puranas this was the name of one of the gopis, who were milkmaids devoted to the young
Krishna. Additionally, in Shaktism, this is the name of a goddess who is also called Tripura Sundari.
Lara 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Russian, English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Hungarian, Slovene, Croatian
Other Scripts: Лара(Russian)
Pronounced: LAHR-ə(English) LA-ra(German, Italian, Spanish, Dutch) LA-RA(French) LA-ru(Portuguese) LAW-raw(Hungarian)
Russian short form of
Larisa. It was introduced to the English-speaking world by a character from Boris Pasternak's novel
Doctor Zhivago (1957) and the subsequent movie adaptation (1965). Between 1965 and 1969 it increased by almost 2,000 percent in the United States, however it is currently much more popular in the United Kingdom, Australia, Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Germany. Another famous fictional bearer is Lara Croft, first appearing in video games in 1996 and movies in 2001.
Lark
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: LAHRK(American English) LAHK(British English)
From the English word for the type of songbird.
Laure
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: LAWR
Laurel
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: LAWR-əl
From the name of the laurel tree, ultimately from Latin laurus.
Lenore
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: lə-NAWR(American English) lə-NAW(British English)
Short form of
Eleanor. This is the name of the departed love of the narrator in Edgar Allan Poe's poem
The Raven (1845).
Leonie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: German, Dutch
Pronounced: LEH-o-nee(German) leh-o-NEE(Dutch)
German and Dutch feminine form of
Leonius.
Léontine
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: LEH-AWN-TEEN
Leto
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Λητώ(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: LEH-TAW(Classical Greek) LEE-to(English)
Possibly from Lycian
lada meaning
"wife". Other theories connect it to Greek
λήθω (letho) meaning
"hidden, forgotten". In Greek
mythology she was the mother of
Apollo and
Artemis by
Zeus.
Líadan
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish (Rare)
Pronounced: LYEEY-dən
Possibly from Old Irish
líath meaning
"grey". According to an Irish tale this was the name of a poet who became a nun, but then missed her lover Cuirithir so much that she died of grief. The name was also borne by a 5th-century
saint, the mother of Saint Ciarán the Elder.
Liat
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hebrew
Other Scripts: לִיאַת(Hebrew)
Means "you are mine" in Hebrew.
Lihi
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hebrew
Other Scripts: לִיהִי, לִיהִיא(Hebrew)
Means "she is mine" in Hebrew.
Lilith
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Semitic Mythology, Judeo-Christian-Islamic Legend
Other Scripts: לילית(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced: LIL-ith(English)
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
Derived from Akkadian
lilitu meaning
"of the night". This was the name of a demon in ancient Assyrian myths. In Jewish tradition she was
Adam's first wife, sent out of Eden and replaced by
Eve because she would not submit to him. The offspring of Adam (or
Samael) and Lilith were the evil spirits of the world.
Lily
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: LIL-ee
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
From the name of the flower, a symbol of purity. The word is ultimately derived from Latin lilium. This is the name of the main character, Lily Bart, in the novel The House of Mirth (1905) by Edith Wharton. A famous bearer is the American actress Lily Tomlin (1939-).
Linnéa
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Swedish
Pronounced: lin-NEH-a
From the name of a flower, also known as the twinflower. The Swedish botanist Carolus Linnaeus named it after himself, it being his favourite flower.
Liv 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Norwegian, Swedish, Danish
Pronounced: LEEV
Derived from the Old Norse name Hlíf meaning "protection". Its use has been influenced by the modern Scandinavian word liv meaning "life".
Liviana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Ancient Roman
Pronounced: lee-VYA-na(Italian)
Feminine form of the Roman family name
Livianus, which was itself derived from the family name
Livius.
Loredana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Romanian
Used by the French author George Sand for a character in her novel Mattea (1833) and later by the Italian author Luciano Zuccoli in his novel L'amore de Loredana (1908). It was possibly based on the Venetian surname Loredan, which was derived from the place name Loreo.
Lorelei
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Literature, English
Pronounced: LAWR-ə-lie(English)
From German
Loreley, the name of a rock headland on the Rhine River. It is of uncertain meaning, though the second element is probably old German
ley meaning "rock" (of Celtic origin). German romantic poets and songwriters, beginning with Clemens Brentano in 1801, tell that a maiden named the Lorelei lives on the rock and lures boaters to their death with her song.
In the English-speaking world this name has been occasionally given since the early 20th century. It started rising in America after the variant Lorelai was used for the main character (and her daughter, nicknamed Rory) on the television series Gilmore Girls (2000-2007).
Lorena 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian
Pronounced: lo-REH-na(Spanish, Italian)
Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and Romanian form of
Lorraine.
Luciana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, Ancient Roman
Pronounced: loo-CHA-na(Italian) loo-THYA-na(European Spanish) loo-SYA-na(Latin American Spanish) loo-SYU-nu(European Portuguese, Brazilian Portuguese)
Lucienne
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: LUY-SYEHN
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
Lucilla
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Ancient Roman
Lucina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Roman Mythology
Pronounced: loo-KEE-na(Latin) loo-SIE-nə(English) loo-SEE-nə(English)
Derived from Latin lucus meaning "grove", but later associated with lux meaning "light". This was the name of a Roman goddess of childbirth.
Lucy
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: LOO-see
English form of
Lucia, in use since the Middle Ages.
Ludovica
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: loo-do-VEE-ka
Italian feminine form of
Ludwig.
Luminița
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Romanian
Pronounced: loo-mee-NEE-tsa
Means
"little light", derived from Romanian
lumina "light" combined with a
diminutive suffix.
Lydia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, German, Dutch, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Λυδία(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: LID-ee-ə(English) LUY-dya(German) LEE-dee-a(Dutch)
Means
"from Lydia" in Greek. Lydia was a region on the west coast of Asia Minor, said to be named for the legendary king
Lydos. In the
New Testament this is the name of a woman converted to Christianity by
Saint Paul. In the modern era the name has been in use since the
Protestant Reformation.
Lýdie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Czech
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).
Lysistrata
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Λυσιστράτη(Ancient Greek)
Maayan
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Hebrew
Other Scripts: מַעֲיָן(Hebrew)
Means "spring of water" in Hebrew.
Mădălina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Romanian
Pronounced: mə-də-LEE-na
Madara
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Latvian
From the Latvian name for a type of flowering plant, known as cleavers or bedstraw in English.
Magali
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French, Occitan
Pronounced: MA-GA-LEE(French)
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.
Maha
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: مها(Arabic)
Pronounced: MA-ha
Means "oryx" in Arabic. The oryx is a variety of antelope that is said to represent beauty.
Maia 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology, Roman Mythology, Portuguese, Georgian
Other Scripts: Μαῖα(Ancient Greek) მაია(Georgian)
Pronounced: MIE-A(Classical Greek) MAY-ə(English) MIE-ə(English) MIE-ya(Latin) MAH-EE-AH(Georgian)
From Greek
μαῖα (maia) meaning
"good mother, dame, foster mother", perhaps in origin a nursery form of
μήτηρ (meter). In Greek and Roman
mythology she was the eldest of the Pleiades, a group of stars in the constellation Taurus, who were the daughters of
Atlas and
Pleione. Her son by
Zeus was
Hermes.
Maiara
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Tupi
From Tupi maya arya meaning "great-grandmother".
Mairwen
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Welsh
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
Combination of
Mair and Welsh
gwen meaning "white, blessed".
Malai
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Thai
Other Scripts: มาลัย(Thai)
Pronounced: ma-LIE
Means "garland of flowers" in Thai.
Malia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hawaiian, English (Modern)
Pronounced: ma-LEE-a(Hawaiian) mə-LEE-ə(English)
Hawaiian form of
Maria. This name experienced a spike in popularity in 2009, due to the eldest daughter (born 1998) of the new American president Barack Obama.
Manju
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hindi, Malayalam, Telugu
Other Scripts: मंजु, मञ्जु(Hindi) മഞ്ജു(Malayalam) మంజు(Telugu)
From Sanskrit
मञ्जु (mañju) meaning
"lovely, beautiful".
Manjula
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam
Other Scripts: मंजुला, मञ्जुला(Hindi) మంజుల(Telugu) മഞ്ജുള(Malayalam)
Margarita
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish, Russian, Bulgarian, Lithuanian, Latvian, Greek, Albanian, Late Roman
Other Scripts: Маргарита(Russian, Bulgarian) Μαργαρίτα(Greek)
Pronounced: mar-gha-REE-ta(Spanish) mər-gu-RYEE-tə(Russian) mahr-gə-REE-tə(American English) mah-gə-REE-tə(British English)
Latinate form of
Margaret. This is also the Spanish word for the daisy flower (species Bellis perennis, Leucanthemum vulgare and others).
Marguerite
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: MAR-GU-REET
French form of
Margaret. This is also the French word for the daisy flower (species Leucanthemum vulgare).
Mariazinha
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Portuguese
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.
Marsaili
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Scottish Gaelic [1]
Pronounced: MAR-si-li
Marwa
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: مروة(Arabic)
Pronounced: MAR-wa
From the Arabic name of a fragrant plant. Al-Marwa is the name of one of the two sacred hills near Mecca.
Mayra
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish (Latin American), American (Hispanic)
Pronounced: MIE-ra(Spanish)
Hispanic variant of
Myra.
Melati
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Indonesian, Malay
Pronounced: mə-LA-tee(Indonesian)
Means
"jasmine flower" in Malay and Indonesian, ultimately from Sanskrit
मालती (mālatī).
Mélisande
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French (Rare)
French form of
Millicent used by Maurice Maeterlinck in his play
Pelléas et Mélisande (1893). The play was later adapted by Claude Debussy into an opera (1902).
Melissa
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Dutch, Ancient Greek [1], Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Μέλισσα(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: mə-LIS-ə(English) MEH-LEES-SA(Classical Greek)
Means
"bee" in Greek. In Greek
mythology this was the name of a daughter of Procles, as well as an epithet of various Greek nymphs and priestesses. According to the early Christian writer Lactantius
[2] this was the name of the sister of the nymph
Amalthea, with whom she cared for the young
Zeus. Later it appears in Ludovico Ariosto's 1532 poem
Orlando Furioso [3] belonging to the fairy who helps
Ruggiero escape from the witch
Alcina. As an English given name,
Melissa has been used since the 18th century.
Melitta
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ancient Greek [1], German
Other Scripts: Μέλιττα(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: meh-LI-ta(German)
Ancient Attic Greek variant of
Melissa.
Melusine
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Mythology
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.
Menuha
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hebrew
Other Scripts: מְנוּחָה(Hebrew)
Means "tranquility" in Hebrew.
Milena
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Serbian, Macedonian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Slovene, Czech, Slovak, Polish, Russian, Italian
Other Scripts: Милена(Serbian, Macedonian, Bulgarian, Russian)
Pronounced: MI-leh-na(Czech) MEE-leh-na(Slovak) mee-LEH-na(Polish, Italian) myi-LYEH-nə(Russian)
Feminine form of
Milan. It began to be used in Italy in honour of Milena Vukotić (1847-1923), mother of Helen of Montenegro, the wife of the Italian king Victor Emmanuel III. In Italy it can also be considered a combination of
Maria and
Elena.
Millaray
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Mapuche
Means "golden flower" in Mapuche, from milla "gold" and rayen "flower".
Mina 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Dutch
Pronounced: MEE-nə(English) MEE-na(Dutch)
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
Short form of
Wilhelmina and other names ending in
mina. This was the name of a character in the novel
Dracula (1897) by Bram Stoker.
Minali
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hindi
Other Scripts: मीनाली(Hindi)
Rating: 90% based on 1 vote
Means "fish catcher" in Sanskrit.
Mio 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 美桜, 美緒, etc.(Japanese Kanji) みお(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: MEE-O
From Japanese
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" combined with
桜 (o) meaning "cherry blossom" or
緒 (o) meaning "thread". Other kanji or kanji combinations can also form this name.
Mirèio
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Occitan
Miu
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 美羽, etc.(Japanese Kanji) みう(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: MEE-OO
From Japanese
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" and
羽 (u) meaning "feather". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Mohini
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi
Other Scripts: मोहिनी(Sanskrit, Hindi, Marathi)
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).
Morwenna
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Cornish, Welsh
From Old Cornish
moroin meaning
"maiden, girl" (related to the Welsh word
morwyn [1]). This was the name of a 6th-century Cornish
saint, said to be one of the daughters of
Brychan Brycheiniog.
Muirne
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish Mythology
From Irish
muirn meaning either
"affection, endearment" or
"festivity, exuberance". In Irish legend this was the name of the mother of
Fionn mac Cumhaill. She is also called
Muirenn.
Naenia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Roman Mythology
Means "incantation, dirge" in Latin. This was the name of the Roman goddess of funerals.
Nahal
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hebrew
Other Scripts: נַחַל(Hebrew)
Pronounced: NAH-khahl
Means "stream" in Hebrew.
Nahia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Basque
Pronounced: NA-ya
From Basque nahi meaning "desire, wish".
Nahid
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Persian Mythology, Persian, Bengali
Other Scripts: ناهید(Persian) নাহিদ(Bengali)
Pronounced: naw-HEED(Persian)
Modern Persian form of
Anahita. This is also the Persian name for the planet Venus.
Naira
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Aymara
From Aymara nayra meaning "eye" or "early".
Najwa
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: نجوى(Arabic)
Pronounced: NAJ-wa
Means
"secret, whisper, confidential talk" in Arabic, from the root
نجا (najā) meaning "to save, to entrust, to confide in".
Nālani
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Hawaiian
Pronounced: na-LA-nee
Means "the heavens" or "the chiefs" from Hawaiian nā, a definite article, and lani "heaven, sky, chief".
Nathália
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Portuguese (Brazilian)
Portuguese form of
Natalia (see
Natalie).
Nausicaa
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Ναυσικάα(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: naw-SIK-ee-ə(English)
Latinized form of Greek
Ναυσικάα (Nausikaa) meaning
"burner of ships". In
Homer's epic the
Odyssey this is the name of a daughter of Alcinous who helps
Odysseus on his journey home.
Nava
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hebrew
Other Scripts: נָאוָה(Hebrew)
Means "beautiful" in Hebrew.
Nayara
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish, Portuguese
Pronounced: na-YA-ra(Spanish)
Spanish and Portuguese form of
Naiara.
Nayeli
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Zapotec (Hispanicized), Spanish (Mexican)
Pronounced: na-YEH-lee(Spanish)
Possibly from Zapotec nadxiie lii meaning "I love you" or nayele' meaning "open".
Neha
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hindi, Marathi, Malayalam, Kannada, Punjabi, Gujarati, Bengali, Telugu
Other Scripts: नेहा(Hindi, Marathi) നേഹ(Malayalam) ನೇಹಾ(Kannada) ਨੇਹਾ(Gurmukhi) નેહા(Gujarati) নেহা(Bengali) నేహా(Telugu)
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
Possibly from Sanskrit
स्नेह (sneha) meaning
"love, tenderness".
Nelinha
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Portuguese
Nephele
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Νεφέλη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: NEH-PEH-LEH(Classical Greek) NEHF-ə-lee(English)
From Greek
νέφος (nephos) meaning
"cloud". In Greek legend Nephele was created from a cloud by
Zeus, who shaped the cloud to look like
Hera in order to trick Ixion, a mortal who desired her. Nephele was the mother of the centaurs by Ixion, and was also the mother of Phrixus and Helle by Athamus.
Nephthys
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Egyptian Mythology (Hellenized)
Other Scripts: Νέφθυς(Ancient Greek)
Greek form of Egyptian
nbt-ḥwt (reconstructed as
Nebet-Hut) meaning
"lady of the house", derived from
nbt "lady" and
ḥwt "house". This was the name of an Egyptian goddess associated with the air, death and mourning. She was wife of the desert god
Seth.
Ngaire
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Maori
Pronounced: NGIE-reh, NGIE-ree
Possibly from the name of the town of Ngaere in New Zealand, of Maori origin meaning "wetland".
Nilam
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Hindi, Marathi
Other Scripts: नीलम(Hindi, Marathi)
Personal remark: Nilam Adara, Nilam Ameretat, Nilam Ava, Nilam Daiva, Nilam Esha, Nilam Faiza, Nilam Hava, Nilam Indu, Nilam Isis, Nilam Isra, Nilam Kalyani, Nilam Kamini, Nilam Marwa, Nilam Mohini, Nilam Soraya
From Sanskrit
नील (nīla) meaning
"dark blue".
Nilima
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Marathi, Hindi, Telugu
Other Scripts: नीलिमा(Marathi, Hindi) నీలిమ(Telugu)
From Sanskrit
नील (nīla) meaning
"dark blue".
Nimue
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arthurian Cycle
Pronounced: NIM-ə-way(English)
Meaning unknown. In Arthurian legends this is the name of a sorceress, also known as the Lady of the Lake, Vivien, or Niniane. Various versions of the tales have
Merlin falling in love with her and becoming imprisoned by her magic. She first appears in the medieval French
Lancelot-Grail Cycle.
Nina 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Russian, Italian, English, German, French, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Lithuanian, Dutch, Polish, Slovene, Czech, Slovak, Croatian, Serbian, Bulgarian, Ukrainian, Belarusian
Other Scripts: Нина(Russian, Serbian, Bulgarian) Ніна(Ukrainian, Belarusian)
Pronounced: NYEE-nə(Russian) NEE-na(Italian, German, Dutch, Slovak) NEE-nə(English) NEE-NA(French) NEE-nah(Finnish) nyi-NU(Lithuanian) NYEE-na(Polish) NI-na(Czech)
Short form of names that end in
nina, such as
Antonina or
Giannina. It was imported to Western Europe from Russia and Italy in the 19th century. This name also nearly coincides with the Spanish word
niña meaning
"little girl" (the word is pronounced differently than the name).
A famous bearer was the American jazz musician Nina Simone (1933-2003).
Niobe
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Νιόβη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: NEE-O-BEH(Classical Greek) NIE-o-bee(English)
Meaning unknown. In Greek
mythology Niobe was the daughter of Tantalos, a king of Asia Minor. Because she boasted that she was superior to
Leto, Leto's children
Apollo and
Artemis killed her 14 children with poison arrows. In grief, Niobe was turned to stone by
Zeus.
Nizhóní
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Navajo
From Navajo
nizhóní meaning
"beautiful" [1].
Noa 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hebrew, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Dutch, Biblical
Other Scripts: נוֹעָה(Hebrew)
Pronounced: NO-a(Spanish)
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
Modern Hebrew form of
Noah 2, the daughter of
Zelophehad in the Bible. It is also the form used in several other languages, as well as the spelling used in some English versions of the
Old Testament.
Noémie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: NAW-EH-MEE
Nur
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Turkish, Azerbaijani, Urdu, Bengali, Uyghur, Indonesian, Malay
Other Scripts: نور(Arabic, Urdu) নূর(Bengali) نۇر(Uyghur Arabic)
Pronounced: NOOR(Arabic, Turkish, Uyghur) NUWR(Indonesian, Malay)
Means
"light" in Arabic. In Islamic tradition
النور (al-Nūr) is one of the 99 names of Allah.
Nydia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare), Spanish, Literature
Pronounced: NID-ee-ə(English) NEE-dhya(Spanish)
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
Used by British author Edward Bulwer-Lytton for a blind flower-seller in his novel The Last Days of Pompeii (1834). He perhaps based it on Latin nidus "nest".
Nyx
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Νύξ(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: NUYKS(Classical Greek) NIKS(English)
Means "night" in Greek. This was the name of the Greek goddess of the night, the daughter of Khaos and the wife of Erebos.
Octavia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Spanish, Romanian, Ancient Roman
Pronounced: ahk-TAY-vee-ə(American English) awk-TAY-vee-ə(British English) ok-TA-bya(Spanish) ok-TA-wee-a(Latin)
Feminine form of
Octavius. Octavia was the wife of Mark Antony and the sister of the Roman emperor Augustus. In 19th-century England it was sometimes given to the eighth-born child.
Odetta
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
Ofelia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish, Italian
Pronounced: o-FEH-lya
Spanish and Italian form of
Ophelia.
Olivie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Czech
Oona
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish, Finnish
Pronounced: OO-nə(English) O-nah(Finnish)
Anglicized form of
Úna, as well as a Finnish form.
Ophelia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Literature, Ancient Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Ὠφελία(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: o-FEEL-ee-ə(English) o-FEEL-yə(English)
Derived from Greek
ὠφέλεια (opheleia) meaning
"help, advantage". This was a rare ancient Greek name, which was either rediscovered or recreated by the poet Jacopo Sannazaro for a character in his poem
Arcadia (1480). It was borrowed by Shakespeare for his play
Hamlet (1600), in which it belongs to the daughter of
Polonius and the potential love interest of
Hamlet. She eventually goes insane and drowns herself after Hamlet kills her father. In spite of this negative association, the name has been in use since the 19th century.
Orinthia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Literature
Possibly related to Greek
ὀρίνω (orino) meaning
"to excite, to agitate". George Bernard Shaw used this name in his play
The Apple Cart (1929).
Otávia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Portuguese (Brazilian, Rare)
Brazilian Portuguese form of
Octavia.
Ottilie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: German
Pronounced: aw-TEE-lyə
Padma
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Hinduism, Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu
Other Scripts: पद्म, पद्मा(Sanskrit, Hindi) பத்மா(Tamil) ಪದ್ಮಾ(Kannada) పద్మా(Telugu)
Pronounced: pəd-MA(Hindi)
Personal remark: Padma Alisa, Padma Avani, Padma Esha, Padma Faiza, Padma Hazan, Padma Ila, Padma Isis, Padma Kamini, Padma Laila, Padma Minali, Padma Nilam, Padma Nur, Padma Vina, Padma Zahara, Padma Ziba
Means
"lotus" in Sanskrit. This is a transcription of both the feminine form
पद्मा and the masculine form
पद्म.
According to some Hindu traditions a lotus holding the god Brahma arose from the navel of the god Vishnu. The name Padma is used in Hindu texts to refer to several characters, including the goddess Lakshmi and the hero Rama.
Paloma
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: pa-LO-ma
Means "dove, pigeon" in Spanish.
Pandora
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Πανδώρα(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: PAN-DAW-RA(Classical Greek) pan-DAWR-ə(English)
Means
"all gifts", derived from a combination of Greek
πᾶν (pan) meaning "all" and
δῶρον (doron) meaning "gift". In Greek
mythology Pandora was the first mortal woman.
Zeus gave her a jar containing all of the troubles and ills that mankind now knows, and told her not to open it. Unfortunately her curiosity got the best of her and she opened it, unleashing the evil spirits into the world.
Paola
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: PA-o-la
Italian feminine form of
Paul.
Parthenope
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Παρθενόπη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: pahr-THEHN-ə-pee(American English) pah-THEHN-ə-pee(British English)
Means
"maiden's voice", derived from Greek
παρθένος (parthenos) meaning "maiden, virgin" and
ὄψ (ops) meaning "voice". In Greek legend this is the name of one of the Sirens who enticed
Odysseus.
Penelope
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology, English
Other Scripts: Πηνελόπη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: PEH-NEH-LO-PEH(Classical Greek) pə-NEHL-ə-pee(English)
Probably derived from Greek
πηνέλοψ (penelops), a type of duck. Alternatively it could be from
πήνη (pene) meaning "threads, weft" and
ὄψ (ops) meaning "face, eye". In
Homer's epic the
Odyssey this is the name of the wife of
Odysseus, forced to fend off suitors while her husband is away fighting at Troy.
It has occasionally been used as an English given name since the 16th century. It was moderately popular in the 1940s, but had a more notable upswing in the early 2000s. This may have been inspired by the Spanish actress Penélope Cruz (1974-), who gained prominence in English-language movies at that time. It was already rapidly rising when celebrities Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick gave it to their baby daughter in 2012.
Petra
Gender: Feminine
Usage: German, Dutch, Spanish, Czech, Slovak, Slovene, Croatian, Bulgarian, Hungarian, Swedish, Finnish, English
Other Scripts: Петра(Bulgarian) Πέτρα(Greek)
Pronounced: PEH-tra(German, Dutch, Spanish, Czech, Slovak) PEH-traw(Hungarian) PEHT-rah(Finnish) PEHT-rə(English)
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
Feminine form of
Peter. This was also the name of an ancient city in the region that is now Jordan.
Phaedra
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Φαίδρα(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: FEED-rə(English) FEHD-rə(English)
From the Greek
Φαίδρα (Phaidra), derived from
φαιδρός (phaidros) meaning
"bright". Phaedra was the daughter of Minos and the wife of
Theseus in Greek
mythology.
Aphrodite caused her to fall in love with her stepson
Hippolytos, and after she was rejected by him she killed herself.
Philomena
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, German, Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Φιλουμένη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: fil-ə-MEE-nə(English)
From Greek
Φιλουμένη (Philoumene) meaning
"to be loved", an inflection of
φιλέω (phileo) meaning "to love". This was the name of an obscure early
saint and martyr. The name came to public attention in 1802 after a tomb seemingly marked with the name
Filumena was found in Rome, supposedly belonging to another martyr named Philomena. This may have in fact been a representation of the Greek word
φιλουμένη, not a name.
Psyche
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Ψυχή(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: PSUY-KEH(Classical Greek) SIE-kee(English)
Means
"the soul", derived from Greek
ψύχω (psycho) meaning "to breathe". The Greeks thought that the breath was the soul. In Greek
mythology Psyche was a beautiful maiden who was beloved by Eros (or Cupid in Roman mythology). She is the subject of Keats's poem
Ode to Psyche (1819).
Radha
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hinduism, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi, Marathi
Other Scripts: राधा(Sanskrit, Hindi, Marathi) రాధా(Telugu) ராதா(Tamil) ರಾಧಾ(Kannada) രാധാ(Malayalam)
Means
"success, prosperity" in Sanskrit. This was the name of the favourite consort of the Hindu deity
Krishna. She is associated with beauty and compassion, and is considered an avatar of
Lakshmi.
Raluca
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Romanian
Pronounced: ra-LOO-ka
Romanian
diminutive of the Greek name
Rallou, of uncertain meaning. It was popularized by the actress Rallou Karatza (1778-1870), a daughter of the prince of Wallachia Ioannis Karatzas, who was of Greek background.
Rayen
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Mapuche
Means "flower" in Mapuche.
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.
Reyhan
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Turkish, Uyghur
Other Scripts: رەيھان(Uyghur Arabic)
Turkish and Uyghur form of
Rayhana.
Rocío
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: ro-THEE-o(European Spanish) ro-SEE-o(Latin American Spanish)
Means
"dew" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin
Mary María del Rocío meaning "Mary of the Dew".
Romaine
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French, English
Pronounced: RAW-MEHN(French) ro-MAYN(English)
French feminine form of
Romanus (see
Roman).
Rosalia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Late Roman
Pronounced: ro-za-LEE-a(Italian)
Late Latin name derived from
rosa "rose". This was the name of a 12th-century Sicilian
saint.
Rosalie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French, German, Dutch, English
Pronounced: RAW-ZA-LEE(French) ro-za-LEE(German, Dutch) RO-sa-lee(Dutch) ro-sa-LEE(Dutch) RO-za-lee(Dutch) RO-zə-lee(English)
French, German and Dutch form of
Rosalia. In the English-speaking this name received a boost after the release of the movie
Rosalie (1938), which was based on an earlier musical.
Rosalina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Portuguese, Spanish
Pronounced: raw-zu-LEE-nu(European Portuguese) ho-za-LEE-nu(Brazilian Portuguese) ro-sa-LEE-na(Spanish)
Rosario
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Spanish, Italian
Pronounced: ro-SA-ryo(Spanish) ro-ZA-ryo(Italian)
Means
"rosary", and is taken from the Spanish title of the Virgin
Mary Nuestra Señora del Rosario meaning "Our Lady of the Rosary". This name is feminine in Spanish and masculine in Italian.
Roshni
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Marathi, Hindi
Other Scripts: रोशनी, रोश्नी(Marathi, Hindi)
From Hindi and Marathi
रौशनी (raushanī) meaning
"light, brightness", ultimately of Persian origin.
Rowena
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: ro-EEN-ə
Meaning uncertain. According to the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth, this was the name of a daughter of the Saxon chief Hengist. It is possible (but unsupported) that Geoffrey based it on the Old English elements
hroð "fame" and
wynn "joy", or alternatively on the Old Welsh elements
ron "spear" and
gwen "white". It was popularized by Walter Scott, who used it for a character in his novel
Ivanhoe (1819).
Rue
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: ROO
From the name of the bitter medicinal herb, ultimately deriving from Greek
ῥυτή (rhyte). This is also sometimes used as a short form of
Ruth 1.
Sabella
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: sə-BEHL-ə
Sabia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish Mythology
Sabina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, Polish, Czech, Slovene, Russian, Croatian, Swedish, Ancient Roman
Other Scripts: Сабина(Russian)
Pronounced: sa-BEE-na(Italian, Spanish, Polish) SA-bi-na(Czech)
Feminine form of
Sabinus, a Roman
cognomen meaning
"a Sabine" in Latin. The Sabines were an ancient people who lived in central Italy, their lands eventually taken over by the Romans after several wars. According to legend, the Romans abducted several Sabine women during a raid, and when the men came to rescue them, the women were able to make peace between the two groups. This name was borne by several early
saints.
Sable
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: SAY-bəl
From the English word meaning "black", derived from the name of the black-furred mammal native to northern Asia, ultimately of Slavic origin.
Saga
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Norse Mythology, Swedish, Icelandic
Pronounced: SAH-gah(Swedish) SA-gha(Icelandic)
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".
Sage
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: SAYJ
From the English word sage, which denotes either a type of spice or else a wise person.
Sahar
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arabic, Persian
Other Scripts: سحر(Arabic, Persian)
Pronounced: SA-har(Arabic) sa-HAR(Persian)
Means "dawn" in Arabic.
Saira
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Urdu
Other Scripts: سائرہ(Urdu)
Possibly means "traveller" in Arabic.
Salvatrix
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Late Roman
Sanela
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Croatian, Slovene
Apparently derived from Latin sana meaning "healthy".
Sanja
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Croatian, Serbian, Slovene
Other Scripts: Сања(Serbian)
Pronounced: SA-nya(Croatian, Serbian)
Derived from South Slavic
sanjati meaning
"to dream". Alternatively, it could be from the Russian name
Sanya 2.
Sarita 2
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hindi, Marathi, Nepali
Other Scripts: सरिता(Hindi, Marathi, Nepali)
Means "flowing" in Sanskrit.
Sasithorn
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Thai
Other Scripts: ศศิธร(Thai)
Pronounced: sa-see-TAWN
Means "the moon" in Thai (a poetic word).
Saskia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Dutch, German
Pronounced: SAHS-kee-a(Dutch) ZAS-kya(German)
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.
Saxa
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Germanic (Latinized) [1]
Seda
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Turkish
Means "voice, echo" in Turkish.
Sedna
Gender: Feminine
Usage: New World Mythology
Meaning unknown. This is the name of the Inuit goddess of the sea, sea animals and the underworld. According to some legends Sedna was originally a beautiful woman thrown into the ocean by her father. A dwarf planet in the outer solar system was named for her in 2004.
Senga
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Scottish
Sometimes explained as an anagram of
Agnes, but more likely derived from Gaelic
seang "slender".
Senka
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Serbian, Croatian
Other Scripts: Сенка(Serbian)
Means
"shadow, shade" in Serbian and Croatian. It can also be a
diminutive of
Ksenija.
Serafina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese (Rare)
Pronounced: seh-ra-FEE-na(Italian, Spanish)
Italian, Spanish and Portuguese form of
Seraphina.
Séraphine
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: SEH-RA-FEEN
Setsuko
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 節子, etc.(Japanese Kanji) せつこ(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: SEH-TSOO-KO
From Japanese
節 (setsu) meaning "section, period, verse, melody" and
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations can also be possible.
Shama
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hindi, Urdu, Marathi
Other Scripts: शमा(Hindi, Marathi) شمع(Urdu)
Means
"lamp, candle" in Hindi and other Indian languages, ultimately from Arabic
شمْع (shamʿ).
Shiori
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 詩織, 栞, 撓, etc.(Japanese Kanji) しおり(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: SHEE-O-REE
Rating: 80% based on 1 vote
As a feminine name it can be from Japanese
詩 (shi) meaning "poem" combined with
織 (ori) meaning "weave". It can also be from
栞 (shiori) meaning "bookmark" (usually feminine) or
撓 (shiori) meaning "lithe, bending" (usually masculine), as well as other kanji or kanji combinations.
Shobha
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Kannada, Hindi, Marathi
Other Scripts: ಶೋಭಾ(Kannada) शोभा(Hindi, Marathi)
Derived from Sanskrit
शोभा (śobhā) meaning
"brilliance".
Shoshanna
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Biblical Hebrew
Other Scripts: שׁוֹשַׁנָּה(Ancient Hebrew)
Sibéal
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish
Sidonie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: SEE-DAW-NEE
Sigalit
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hebrew
Other Scripts: סִיגָלִית(Hebrew)
Sini
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Finnish
Pronounced: SEE-nee
Means "blue" in Finnish. More specifically, sini is a poetic term for the colour blue.
Síofra
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish
Pronounced: SHEE-frə
Means "elf, sprite" in Irish. This name was created in the 20th century.
Siranush
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Armenian
Other Scripts: Սիրանուշ(Armenian)
Means "lovely" in Armenian.
Sita
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hinduism, Hindi, Nepali
Other Scripts: सीता(Sanskrit, Hindi, Nepali)
Pronounced: SEE-tah(Sanskrit)
Means
"furrow" in Sanskrit. Sita is the name of the Hindu goddess of the harvest in the
Rigveda. This is also the name of the wife of
Rama (and an avatar of
Lakshmi) in the Hindu epic the
Ramayana. In this story Sita is abducted by the demon king
Ravana, with her husband and his allies attempting to rescue her.
Sitara
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Urdu
Other Scripts: ستارہ(Urdu)
Means "star" in Urdu, ultimately from Persian.
Sollemnia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Late Roman
Sophie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French, English, German, Dutch
Pronounced: SAW-FEE(French) SO-fee(English) zo-FEE(German) so-FEE(Dutch)
Soraya
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Persian, Spanish, French, Portuguese (Brazilian)
Other Scripts: ثریا(Persian)
Pronounced: so-ra-YAW(Persian) so-RA-ya(Spanish)
Persian form of
Thurayya. It became popular in some parts of Europe because of the fame of Princess Soraya (1932-2001), wife of the last Shah of Iran, who became a European socialite.
Sorcha
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish, Scottish Gaelic [1]
Pronounced: SAWR-ə-khə(Irish) SAWR-kə(American English) SAWR-shə(American English) SAW-kə(British English) SAW-shə(British English) SAWR-aw-khə(Scottish Gaelic)
Means
"radiant, bright" in Irish. It has been in use since late medieval times
[2]. It is sometimes Anglicized as
Sarah (in Ireland) and
Clara (in Scotland).
Sumiko
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 澄子, etc.(Japanese Kanji) すみこ(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: SOO-MEE-KO
From Japanese
澄 (sumi) meaning "clear" and
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Sunniva
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Norwegian
Scandinavian form of the Old English name
Sunngifu, which meant
"sun gift" from the Old English elements
sunne "sun" and
giefu "gift". This was the name of a legendary English
saint who was shipwrecked in Norway and killed by the inhabitants.
Susannah
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Biblical
Other Scripts: שׁוֹשַׁנָּה(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced: soo-ZAN-ə(English)
Suzume
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Japanese (Rare)
Other Scripts: 雀, etc.(Japanese Kanji) すずめ(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: SOO-ZOO-MEH
From Japanese
雀 (suzume) meaning "sparrow", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations that are pronounced the same way.
Sylvia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish
Pronounced: SIL-vee-ə(English) SIL-vee-a(Dutch) SUYL-vee-ah(Finnish)
Variant of
Silvia. This has been the most common English spelling since the 19th century.
Sylvie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French, Czech
Pronounced: SEEL-VEE(French) SIL-vi-yeh(Czech)
French and Czech form of
Silvia.
Táhirih
Gender: Feminine
Usage: History
Variant of
Tahira. This was the title of Fatemeh Baraghani (1814-1852), a Persian poet, theologian and reformer.
Tamar
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hebrew, Georgian, Biblical, Biblical Hebrew [1]
Other Scripts: תָּמָר(Hebrew) თამარ(Georgian)
Pronounced: TA-MAR(Georgian) TAHM-ahr(American English) TAY-mahr(American English) TAHM-ah(British English) TAY-mah(British English)
Means
"date palm" in Hebrew. According to the
Old Testament Tamar was the daughter-in-law of
Judah and later his wife. This was also the name of a daughter of King
David. She was raped by her half-brother
Amnon, leading to his murder by her brother
Absalom. The name was borne by a 12th-century ruling queen of Georgia who presided over the kingdom at the peak of its power.
Tanith
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Semitic Mythology
Other Scripts: 𐤕𐤍𐤕(Phoenician)
Meaning unknown. This was the name of the Phoenician goddess of love, fertility, the moon and the stars. She was particularly associated with the city of Carthage, being the consort of
Ba'al Hammon.
Tasnim
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: تسنيم(Arabic)
Pronounced: tas-NEEM
From the name of a water spring in paradise, according to Islamic tradition.
Teal
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: TEEL
From the English word for the type of duck or the greenish-blue colour.
Tehila
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hebrew
Other Scripts: תְּהִלָּה(Hebrew)
Means
"praise" in Hebrew, from the root
הָלַל (halal) meaning "to praise, to shine".
Terezie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Czech
Pronounced: TEH-reh-zi-yeh
Thais
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ancient Greek [1], Spanish
Other Scripts: Θαΐς(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: TIES(Spanish)
Alternate transcription of Ancient Greek
Θαΐς (see
Thaïs), as well as the usual Spanish form.
Thalia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology (Latinized), Greek
Other Scripts: Θάλεια(Greek)
Pronounced: THAY-lee-ə(English) thə-LIE-ə(English)
From the Greek name
Θάλεια (Thaleia), derived from
θάλλω (thallo) meaning
"to blossom". In Greek
mythology she was one of the nine Muses, presiding over comedy and pastoral poetry. This was also the name of one of the three Graces or
Χάριτες (Charites).
Themis
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Θέμις(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: TEH-MEES(Classical Greek) THEE-mis(English)
Means
"law of nature, divine law, custom" in Greek. In Greek
mythology this was the name of a Titan who presided over custom and natural law. She was often depicted blindfolded and holding a pair of scales. By
Zeus she was the mother of many deities, including the three
Μοῖραι (Moirai) and the three
Ὥραι (Horai).
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.
Thirza
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Dutch
Pronounced: TIR-za
Thomasina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: tahm-ə-SEE-nə(American English) tawm-ə-SEE-nə(British English)
Medieval feminine form of
Thomas.
Tiamat
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Semitic Mythology
Other Scripts: 𒀭𒋾𒊩𒆳, 𒀭𒌓𒌈(Akkadian Cuneiform)
Pronounced: TEE-ə-maht(English)
From Akkadian
tâmtu meaning
"sea". In Babylonian
myth Tiamat was the personification of the sea, appearing in the form of a huge dragon. By Apsu she gave birth to the first of the gods. Later, the god
Marduk (her great-grandson) defeated her, cut her in half, and used the pieces of her body to make the earth and the sky.
Tola 1
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Khmer
Other Scripts: តុលា(Khmer)
Pronounced: to-LA
Means
"October" in Khmer, ultimately from Sanskrit
तुल (tula), referring to the constellation Libra.
Torø
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Norwegian (Rare)
Norwegian variant of
Tora.
Tullia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Ancient Roman
Pronounced: TOOL-lya(Italian)
Feminine form of
Tullius (see
Tullio).
Tzippora
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Biblical Hebrew [1], Hebrew
Other Scripts: צִפּוֹרָה(Hebrew)
Tzofiya
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hebrew (Rare)
Other Scripts: צוֹפִיָה(Hebrew)
Means "watching" in Hebrew.
Tzufit
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hebrew
Other Scripts: צוּפִית(Hebrew)
Means "sunbird" in Hebrew (referring to birds in the family Nectariniidae).
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.
Usha
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hinduism, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi, Marathi, Nepali
Other Scripts: उषा(Sanskrit, Hindi, Marathi, Nepali) ಉಷಾ(Kannada) உஷா(Tamil) ఉష, ఉషా(Telugu) ഉഷ, ഉഷാ(Malayalam)
Variant of
Ushas. According to the Hindu text the
Bhagavata Purana this was the name of a daughter of the demon king Bana who married
Aniruddha, the grandson of the Hindu deity
Krishna.
Valencia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Various
Pronounced: ba-LEHN-sya(Latin American Spanish) ba-LEHN-thya(European Spanish) və-LEHN-see-ə(English)
From the name of cities in Spain and Venezuela, both derived from Latin valentia meaning "strength, vigour".
Valentina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Russian, Lithuanian, German, Croatian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Slovene, Albanian, Romanian, Spanish, Greek, Ancient Roman
Other Scripts: Валентина(Russian, Bulgarian, Macedonian) Βαλεντίνα(Greek)
Pronounced: va-lehn-TEE-na(Italian) və-lyin-TYEE-nə(Russian) vu-lyehn-tyi-NU(Lithuanian) ba-lehn-TEE-na(Spanish)
Feminine form of
Valentinus (see
Valentine 1). A famous bearer is the Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova (1937-), who in 1963 became the first woman to visit space.
Valeria
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Spanish, Romanian, German, Russian, Ukrainian, Ancient Roman
Other Scripts: Валерия(Russian) Валерія(Ukrainian)
Pronounced: va-LEH-rya(Italian) ba-LEH-rya(Spanish) vu-LYEH-ryi-yə(Russian) wa-LEH-ree-a(Latin) və-LEHR-ee-ə(English) və-LIR-ee-ə(English)
Feminine form of
Valerius. This was the name of a 2nd-century Roman
saint and martyr.
Vega 2
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Astronomy
The name of a star in the constellation Lyra. Its name is from Arabic
الواقع (al-Wāqiʿ) meaning "the swooping (eagle)".
Verity
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: VEHR-i-tee
From the English word meaning
"verity, truth", from Latin
verus "true, real". This was one of the virtue names adopted by the
Puritans in the 17th century.
Vesna
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Macedonian, Slavic Mythology
Other Scripts: Весна(Serbian, Macedonian)
Pronounced: VEHS-na(Croatian, Serbian)
Means "spring" in many Slavic languages. This was the name of a Slavic spirit associated with the springtime. It has been used as a given name only since the 20th century.
Vespera
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Esperanto
Pronounced: vehs-PEH-ra
Means "of the evening", derived from Esperanto vespero "evening", ultimately from Latin vesper.
Vibiana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ancient Roman
Victoire
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: VEEK-TWAR
Victorine
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: VEEK-TAW-REEN
Vina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Indonesian
Pronounced: VEE-na
From Sanskrit
वीणा (vīṇā) meaning
"lute".
Vincenza
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: veen-CHEHN-tsa
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.
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.
Viviana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Late Roman
Pronounced: vee-VYA-na(Italian) bee-BYA-na(Spanish)
Feminine form of
Vivianus (see
Vivian).
Saint Viviana (also known as Bibiana) was a Roman saint and martyr of the 4th century.
Vivienne
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: VEE-VYEHN
Willow
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: WIL-o
From the name of the tree, which is ultimately derived from Old English welig.
Wren
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: REHN
From the English word for the small songbird. It is ultimately derived from Old English wrenna.
Xanthe
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Ξάνθη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: KSAN-TEH(Classical Greek)
Derived from Greek
ξανθός (xanthos) meaning
"yellow, blond, fair-haired". This was the name of a few minor figures in Greek
mythology.
Xiomara
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: syo-MA-ra
Possibly a Spanish form of
Guiomar.
Yekaterina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Russian
Other Scripts: Екатерина(Russian)
Pronounced: yi-kə-tyi-RYEE-nə, i-kə-tyi-RYEE-nə
Russian form of
Katherine. This name was adopted by the German princess Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst in 1744 shortly before she married the future Russian emperor Peter III. She later overthrew her husband and ruled as empress, known as Catherine the Great in English.
Yelena
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Russian
Other Scripts: Елена(Russian)
Pronounced: yi-LYEH-nə, i-LYEH-nə
Ylva
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Swedish, Norwegian
Means "she-wolf", a derivative of Old Norse úlfr "wolf".
Yseult
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French (Rare)
Pronounced: EE-ZUU
Yuliana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Russian, Bulgarian, Indonesian
Other Scripts: Юлиана(Russian, Bulgarian)
Pronounced: yoo-lyi-A-nə(Russian)
Russian, Bulgarian and Indonesian form of
Juliana.
Zabel
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Armenian
Other Scripts: Զաբել(Armenian)
Pronounced: zah-BEHL(Eastern Armenian) zah-PEHL(Western Armenian)
Armenian form of
Isabel. A 13th-century ruling queen of Cilician Armenia bore this name.
Zahara
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hebrew
Other Scripts: זָהֳרָה(Hebrew)
Zaïre
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Literature
Used by Voltaire for the heroine of his tragic play
Zaïre (1732), about an enslaved Christian woman who is due to marry the Sultan. She is named
Zara in many English adaptations. The name was earlier used by Jean Racine for a minor character (also a slave girl) in his play
Bajazet (1672). It is likely based on the Arabic name
Zahra 1.
Zenaida
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Late Greek
Other Scripts: Ζηναΐδα(Ancient Greek)
Apparently a Greek derivative of
Ζηναΐς (Zenais), which was derived from the name of the Greek god
Zeus. This was the name of a 1st-century
saint who was a doctor with her sister Philonella.
Zénaïde
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French (Rare)
Pronounced: ZEH-NA-EED
Zenobia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ancient Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Ζηνοβία(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: ZDEH-NO-BEE-A(Classical Greek) zə-NO-bee-ə(English)
Means
"life of Zeus", derived from Greek
Ζηνός (Zenos) meaning "of
Zeus" and
βίος (bios) meaning "life". This was the name of the queen of the Palmyrene Empire, which broke away from Rome in the 3rd-century and began expanding into Roman territory. She was eventually defeated by the emperor
Aurelian. Her Greek name was used as an approximation of her native Aramaic name.
Zhivka
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Bulgarian, Macedonian
Other Scripts: Живка(Bulgarian, Macedonian)
Ziba 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Persian
Other Scripts: زیبا(Persian)
Pronounced: zee-BAW
Means "beautiful" in Persian.
Zibiah
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Biblical
Other Scripts: צִבְיָה(Ancient Hebrew)
Means
"female gazelle" in Hebrew, the feminine form of the word
צְבִי (tsevi). In the
Old Testament this is the name of the mother of King
Joash of Judah.
Zipporah
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Biblical, Hebrew
Other Scripts: צִפּוֹרָה(Hebrew)
Pronounced: zi-PAWR-ə(English) ZIP-ə-rə(English)
Živa
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Slavic Mythology, Slovene, Serbian
Other Scripts: Жива(Serbian)
From the Old Slavic word
živŭ meaning
"alive, living". According to the 12th-century Saxon priest Helmold, this was the name of a Slavic goddess possibly associated with life or fertility.
Zivit
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hebrew
Other Scripts: זִיוִית(Hebrew)
Ziynet
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Turkish
Zola 2
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Xhosa
From the Xhosa root -zola meaning "calm".
Zoraida
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: tho-RIE-dha(European Spanish) so-RIE-dha(Latin American Spanish)
Perhaps means
"enchanting" or
"dawn" in Arabic. This was the name of a minor 12th-century Spanish
saint, a convert from Islam. The name was used by Cervantes for a character in his novel
Don Quixote (1606), in which Zoraida is a beautiful Moorish woman of Algiers who converts to Christianity and elopes with a Spanish officer.
Zosia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Polish
Pronounced: ZAW-sha
Zosime
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ancient Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Ζωσίμη(Ancient Greek)
Feminine form of
Zosimos (see
Zosimus).
Zrinka
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Croatian
Possibly from Zrin, the name of a village in Croatia, or from the noble Zrinski family that originated there.
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