Ayame77's Personal Name List

Aidan
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish, English (Modern)
Pronounced: AY-dən(English)
Anglicized form of Aodhán. In the latter part of the 20th century it became popular in America due to its sound, since it shares a sound with such names as Braden and Hayden. It peaked ranked 39th for boys in 2003.
Aisling
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish
Pronounced: ASH-lyən
Means "dream" or "vision" in Irish. This name was created in the 20th century.
Ajax
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Αἴας(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: AY-jaks(English)
From the Greek name Αἴας (Aias), perhaps deriving from Greek αἰαστής (aiastes) meaning "mourner" or αἶα (aia) meaning "earth, land". In Greek mythology this was the name of two of the heroes who fought for the Greeks in the Trojan War: the son of Telamon and the son of Oileus. When the armour of the slain hero Achilles was not given to Ajax Telamonian, he became mad with jealousy and killed himself.
Akio
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 昭夫, 昭男, 昭雄, etc.(Japanese Kanji) あきお(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: A-KYEE-O
From Japanese (aki) meaning "bright, luminous" combined with (o) meaning "man, husband", (o) meaning "male, man" or (o) meaning "hero, manly". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
Akira
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 昭, 明, 亮, 晶, etc.(Japanese Kanji) あきら(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: A-KYEE-RA
From Japanese (akira) meaning "bright", (akira) meaning "bright" or (akira) meaning "clear". Other kanji with the same pronunciation can also form this name. A famous bearer was the Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998), given name written .
Alastar
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish
Pronounced: A-lə-stər
Irish form of Alexander.
Alexandra
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, German, Dutch, French, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Greek, Portuguese, Romanian, Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, Catalan, Russian, Ukrainian, Ancient Greek [1], Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Αλεξάνδρα(Greek) Александра(Russian, Ukrainian) Ἀλεξάνδρα(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: al-ig-ZAN-drə(American English) al-ig-ZAHN-drə(British English) a-leh-KSAN-dra(German, Romanian) a-lehk-SAHN-dra(Dutch) A-LEHK-ZAHN-DRA(French) a-leh-KSAN-dhra(Greek) u-li-SHUN-dru(European Portuguese) a-leh-SHUN-dru(Brazilian Portuguese) A-lehk-san-dra(Czech, Slovak) AW-lehk-sawn-draw(Hungarian) A-LEH-KSAN-DRA(Classical Greek)
Feminine form of Alexander. In Greek mythology this was a Mycenaean epithet of the goddess Hera, and an alternate name of Cassandra. It was borne by several early Christian saints, and also by the wife of Nicholas II, the last tsar of Russia. She was from Germany and had the birth name Alix, but was renamed Александра (Aleksandra) upon joining the Russian Church.
Alister
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Scottish
Pronounced: AL-i-stər(American English) AL-i-stə(British English)
Anglicized form of Alasdair.
Amalthea
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Ἀμάλθεια(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: am-əl-THEE-ə(English)
From the Greek Ἀμάλθεια (Amaltheia), derived from μαλθάσσω (malthasso) meaning "to soften, to soothe". In Greek myth she was a nymph (in some sources a goat) who nursed the infant Zeus.
Amaya
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Basque, Spanish, English (Modern)
Pronounced: a-MA-ya(Spanish) ə-MIE-ə(English)
Variant of Amaia.

In America, this name was popularized in 1999 by a contestant on the reality television series The Real World [1].

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.

Andromache
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Ἀνδρομάχη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: AN-DRO-MA-KEH(Classical Greek)
Derived from the Greek elements ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man" (genitive ἀνδρός) and μάχη (mache) meaning "battle". In Greek legend she was the wife of the Trojan hero Hector. After the fall of Troy Neoptolemus killed her son Astyanax and took her as a concubine.
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)
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.
Angelique
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Dutch
Pronounced: ahn-zhə-LEEK
Dutch form of Angélique.
Anika 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: German, Dutch, Danish, Polish, Slovene
Pronounced: A-nee-ka(German, Dutch)
Diminutive of Anna or Ana.
Aniketos
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Ἀνίκητος(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: A-NEE-KEH-TOS
Greek form of Anicetus.
Anita 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish, Portuguese, Croatian, Slovene, English, Dutch, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Polish, Latvian, Hungarian
Pronounced: a-NEE-ta(Spanish, Dutch, German) ə-NEET-ə(English) AH-nee-tah(Finnish) a-NYEE-ta(Polish) AW-nee-taw(Hungarian)
Spanish, Portuguese, Croatian and Slovene diminutive of Ana.
Annika
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Swedish, Dutch, Finnish, Estonian, German, English (Modern)
Pronounced: AN-ni-ka(Swedish) AH-nee-ka(Dutch) AHN-nee-kah(Finnish) A-nee-ka(German) AN-i-kə(English) AHN-i-kə(English)
Swedish diminutive of Anna.
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.
Asuka
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 明日香, 飛鳥, etc.(Japanese Kanji) あすか(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: A-SOO-KA, A-SKA
From Japanese 明日 (asu) meaning "tomorrow" and (ka) meaning "fragrance", or from (asu) meaning "to fly" and (ka) meaning "bird". Other kanji combinations can be possible as well.
Athanasia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek, Ancient Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Αθανασία(Greek) Ἀθανασία(Ancient Greek)
Feminine form of Athanasios (see Athanasius).
Athanasios
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Greek, Ancient Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Αθανάσιος(Greek) Ἀθανάσιος(Ancient Greek)
Greek form of Athanasius.
Atsuko
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 温子, 篤子, 敦子, etc.(Japanese Kanji) あつこ(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: A-TSOO-KO
From Japanese (atsu) meaning "warm", (atsu) meaning "deep, true, sincere" or (atsu) meaning "honest" combined with (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Augustine 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: AW-gə-steen, aw-GUS-tin
From the Roman name Augustinus, itself derived from the Roman name Augustus. Saint Augustine of Hippo was a 5th-century Christian theologian and author from North Africa. For his contributions to Christian philosophy he is known as a Doctor of the Church. Due to his renown, the name came into general use in the Christian world. It became popular in England in the Middle Ages partly because of a second saint by this name, Augustine of Canterbury, a 6th-century Italian monk sent to England to convert the Anglo-Saxons.
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.
Avrum
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Yiddish
Other Scripts: אַבֿרהם(Yiddish)
Yiddish form of Abraham.
Aya 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 彩, 綾, etc.(Japanese Kanji) あや(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: A-YA
From Japanese (aya) meaning "colour", (aya) meaning "design", or other kanji characters with the same pronunciation.
Ayaka
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 彩花, 彩華, 彩香, etc.(Japanese Kanji) あやか(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: A-YA-KA
From Japanese (aya) meaning "colour" combined with (ka) or (ka) both meaning "flower". Other kanji combinations are possible.
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.
Benjamin
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, German, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, Slovene, Croatian, Biblical
Other Scripts: בִּנְיָמִין(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced: BEHN-jə-min(English) BEHN-ZHA-MEHN(French) BEHN-ya-meen(German) BEHN-ya-min(Dutch)
From the Hebrew name בִּנְיָמִין (Binyamin) meaning "son of the south" or "son of the right hand", from the roots בֵּן (ben) meaning "son" and יָמִין (yamin) meaning "right hand, south". Benjamin in the Old Testament was the twelfth and youngest son of Jacob and the founder of one of the southern tribes of the Hebrews. He was originally named בֶּן־אוֹנִי (Ben-ʾoni) meaning "son of my sorrow" by his mother Rachel, who died shortly after childbirth, but it was later changed by his father (see Genesis 35:18).

As an English name, Benjamin came into general use after the Protestant Reformation. A famous bearer was Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790), an American statesman, inventor, scientist and philosopher.

Blanche
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French, English
Pronounced: BLAHNSH(French) BLANCH(English)
From a medieval French nickname meaning "white, fair-coloured". This word and its cognates in other languages are ultimately derived from the Germanic word *blankaz. An early bearer was the 12th-century Blanca of Navarre, the wife of Sancho III of Castile. Her granddaughter of the same name married Louis VIII of France, with the result that the name became more common in France.
Brice
Gender: Masculine
Usage: French, English
Pronounced: BREES(French) BRIES(English)
From the name Bricius, which was probably a Latinized form of a Gaulish name meaning "speckled". This was the name of a 5th-century saint, a disciple of Saint Martin of Tours.
Briseis
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Βρισηΐς(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: brie-SEE-is(English)
Patronymic derived from Βρισεύς (Briseus), a Greek name of unknown meaning. In Greek mythology Briseis (real name Hippodameia) was the daughter of Briseus. She was captured during the Trojan War by Achilles. After Agamemnon took her away from him, Achilles refused to fight in the war.
Carme 2
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Κάρμη(Ancient Greek)
Latinized form of Greek Κάρμη (Karme), which was derived from κείρω (keiro) meaning "to shear". This was the name of a Cretan goddess of the harvest.
Caspian
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Literature
Pronounced: KAS-pee-ən(English)
Used by author C. S. Lewis for a character in his Chronicles of Narnia series, first appearing in 1950. Prince Caspian first appears in the fourth book, where he is the rightful king of Narnia driven into exile by his evil uncle Miraz. Lewis probably based the name on the Caspian Sea, which was named for the city of Qazvin, which was itself named for the ancient Cas tribe.
Chika 2
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 千佳, 智佳, 千花, 智花, 散花, etc.(Japanese Kanji) ちか(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: CHEE-KA
From Japanese (chi) meaning "thousand", (chi) meaning "wisdom, intellect" or (chi) meaning "scatter" combined with (ka) meaning "good, beautiful" or (ka) meaning "flower". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
Clover
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: KLO-vər(American English) KLO-və(British English)
From the English word for the wild flower, ultimately deriving from Old English clafre.
Crispin
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: KRIS-pin
From the Roman cognomen Crispinus, which was derived from the name Crispus. Saint Crispin was a 3rd-century Roman who was martyred with his twin brother Crispinian in Gaul. They are the patrons of shoemakers. They were popular saints in England during the Middle Ages, and the name has occasionally been used since that time.
Daisuke
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 大輔, etc.(Japanese Kanji) だいすけ(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: DA-EE-SOO-KEH, DA-EE-SKEH
From Japanese (dai) meaning "big, great" and (suke) meaning "help". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Derek
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: DEHR-ik
From the older English name Dederick, which was in origin a Low German form of Theodoric. It was imported to England from the Low Countries in the 15th century.
Diederik
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Dutch
Pronounced: DEE-də-rik
Dutch form of Theodoric.
Eirene
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Εἰρήνη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: EH-REH-NEH(Classical Greek) ie-REE-nee(English)
Ancient Greek form of Irene.
Elizabeth
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Biblical
Pronounced: i-LIZ-ə-bəth(English)
From Ἐλισάβετ (Elisabet), the Greek form of the Hebrew name אֱלִישֶׁבַע (ʾElishevaʿ) meaning "my God is an oath", derived from the roots אֵל (ʾel) referring to the Hebrew God and שָׁבַע (shavaʿ) meaning "oath". The Hebrew form appears in the Old Testament where Elisheba is the wife of Aaron, while the Greek form appears in the New Testament where Elizabeth is the mother of John the Baptist.

Among Christians, this name was originally more common in Eastern Europe. It was borne in the 12th century by Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, a daughter of King Andrew II who used her wealth to help the poor. In medieval England it was occasionally used in honour of the saint, though the form Isabel (from Occitan and Spanish) was more common. It has been very popular in England since the reign of Queen Elizabeth I in the 16th century. In American name statistics (as recorded since 1880) it has never ranked lower than 30, making it the most consistently popular name for girls in the United States.

Besides Elizabeth I, this name has been borne (in various spellings) by many other European royals, including a ruling empress of Russia in the 18th century. Famous modern bearers include the British queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022) and actress Elizabeth Taylor (1932-2011).

Ella 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: EHL-ə
Norman name, originally a short form of Germanic names containing the element alles meaning "other" (Proto-Germanic *aljaz). It was introduced to England by the Normans and used until the 14th century, and it was later revived in the 19th century. A famous bearer was the American singer Ella Fitzgerald (1917-1996).
Emery
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: EHM-ə-ree
Norman French form of Emmerich. The Normans introduced it to England, and though it was never popular, it survived until the end of the Middle Ages. As a modern given name, now typically feminine, it is likely inspired by the surname Emery, which was itself derived from the medieval given name. It can also be given in reference to the hard black substance called emery.
Emese
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hungarian
Pronounced: EH-meh-sheh
Possibly derived from Finno-Ugric eme meaning "mother". In Hungarian legend this was the name of the grandmother of Árpád, founder of the Hungarian state.
Enya
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish
Pronounced: EHN-yə(English)
Anglicized form of Eithne.
Erebus
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Ἔρεβος(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: EHR-ə-bəs(English)
Latinized form of the Greek Ἔρεβος (Erebos), which means "nether darkness". Erebus was the personification of the primordial darkness in Greek mythology.
Eris
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Ἔρις(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: EHR-is(English)
Means "strife, discord" in Greek. In Greek mythology Eris was the goddess of discord. She was the sister and companion of Ares.
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.
Finn 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish Mythology, Old Irish [1], Irish, English, Dutch, German
Pronounced: FIN(English, Dutch, German)
Old Irish form of Fionn, as well as the usual Anglicized spelling (with the Irish hero's name Anglicized as Finn McCool). As a surname it is borne by Huckleberry Finn, a character in Mark Twain's novels.
Fitz
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: FITS
Short form of various given names that are derived from surnames beginning with Norman French fitz meaning "son of" (for example Fitzroy).
Fu
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Chinese
Other Scripts: 富, 芙, 甫, etc.(Chinese)
Pronounced: FOO
From Chinese () meaning "abundant, rich, wealthy", () meaning "hibiscus, lotus" or () meaning "begin, man, father", in addition to other characters with a similar pronunciation. A famous bearer was the 8th-century Tang dynasty poet Du Fu, whose given name was .
Haruko
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 春子, 陽子, etc.(Japanese Kanji) はるこ(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: HA-ROO-KO
From Japanese (haru) meaning "spring" or (haru) meaning "light, sun, male" combined with (ko) meaning "child", as well as other kanji combinations.
Havel
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Czech (Rare), Slovak (Rare)
Pronounced: HA-vehl(Czech)
Czech and Slovak form of Gallus.
Hikari
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: , etc.(Japanese Kanji) ひかり(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: KHEE-KA-REE
From Japanese (hikari) meaning "light". Other kanji can also form this name. It is often written with the hiragana writing system.
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.
Iason
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek [1], Biblical Greek [2], Biblical Latin, Greek, Georgian
Other Scripts: Ἰάσων(Ancient Greek) Ιάσων(Greek) იასონ(Georgian)
Pronounced: EE-A-SAWN(Classical Greek)
Greek and Georgian form of Jason.
Ichiro
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 一郎, etc.(Japanese Kanji) いちろう(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: EE-CHEE-RO
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 一郎 (see Ichirō).
Idril
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Literature
Means "sparkle brilliance" in the fictional language Sindarin. In the Silmarillion (1977) by J. R. R. Tolkien, Idril was the daughter of Turgon, the king of Gondolin. She escaped the destruction of that place with her husband Tuor and sailed with him into the west.
Ilithyia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Εἰλείθυια(Ancient Greek)
From the Greek Εἰλείθυια (Eileithyia), which was derived from εἰλήθυια (eilethyia) meaning "the readycomer". This was the name of the Greek goddess of childbirth and midwifery.
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.
Jack
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: JAK
Derived from Jackin (earlier Jankin), a medieval diminutive of John [1]. There could be some early influence from the unrelated French name Jacques [2]. It is often regarded as an independent name. During the Middle Ages it was very common, and it became a slang word meaning "man", as seen in the terms jack-o'-lantern, jack-in-the-box, lumberjack and so on. It was frequently used in fairy tales and nursery rhymes, such as Jack and the Beanstalk, Jack and Jill, Little Jack Horner, and Jack Sprat.

American writers Jack London (1876-1916) and Jack Kerouac (1922-1969) were two famous bearers of this name. It is also borne by the actor Jack Nicholson (1937-) and the golfer Jack Nicklaus (1940-). Apart from Nicklaus, none of these famous bearers were given the name Jack at birth.

In the United Kingdom this form has been bestowed more frequently than John since the 1990s, being the most popular name for boys from 1996 to 2008.

Jaden
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: JAY-dən
An invented name, using the popular den suffix sound found in such names as Braden, Hayden and Aidan. This name first became common in America in the 1990s when similar-sounding names were increasing in popularity. The spelling Jayden has been more popular since 2003. It is sometimes considered a variant of the biblical name Jadon.
James
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Biblical
Pronounced: JAYMZ(English)
English form of the Late Latin name Iacomus, a variant of the Biblical Latin form Iacobus, from the Hebrew name Yaʿaqov (see Jacob). This was the name of two apostles in the New Testament. The first was Saint James the Greater, the apostle John's brother, who was beheaded under Herod Agrippa in the Book of Acts. The second was James the Lesser, son of Alphaeus. Another James (known as James the Just) is also mentioned in the Bible as being the brother of Jesus.

This name has been used in England since the 13th century, though it became more common in Scotland where it was borne by several kings. In the 17th century the Scottish king James VI inherited the English throne, becoming the first ruler of all Britain, and the name grew much more popular. In American name statistics (recorded since 1880) this name has never been out of the top 20, making it arguably the era's most consistently popular name. It was the top ranked name for boys in the United States from 1940 to 1952.

Famous bearers include the English explorer James Cook (1728-1779), the Scottish inventor James Watt (1736-1819), and the Irish novelist and poet James Joyce (1882-1941). This name has also been borne by six American presidents. A notable fictional bearer is the British spy James Bond, created by author Ian Fleming in 1953.

Jem
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: JEHM
Diminutive of Jeremy (and formerly of James).
Jemma
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (British)
Pronounced: JEHM-ə
Variant of Gemma.
Jin 1
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Chinese
Other Scripts: 金, 锦, 津, etc.(Chinese) 金, 錦, 津, etc.(Traditional Chinese)
Pronounced: CHEEN
From Chinese (jīn) meaning "gold, metal, money", (jǐn) meaning "tapestry, brocade, embroidered" or (jīn) meaning "ferry". Other Chinese characters can form this name as well.
Junior
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: JOON-yər(American English) JOON-yə(British English)
From a nickname that was originally used for a boy who had the same name as his father.
Kaede
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: , etc.(Japanese Kanji) かえで(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: KA-EH-DEH
From Japanese (kaede) meaning "maple" or other kanji that are pronounced the same way.
Kai 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Frisian, German, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, Dutch, English
Pronounced: KIE(German, Swedish, Finnish, Dutch, English)
Meaning uncertain, possibly a Frisian diminutive of Gerhard, Nicolaas, Cornelis or Gaius [1]. It is borne by a boy captured by the Snow Queen in an 1844 fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen. Spreading from Germany and Scandinavia, this name became popular in the English-speaking world and other places in Western Europe around the end of the 20th century.
Kale
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Hawaiian
Pronounced: KA-leh
Hawaiian form of Charles.
Kari 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Norwegian
Norwegian short form of Katarina.
Keavy
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish (Rare)
Pronounced: KEE-vee(English)
Anglicized form of Caoimhe.
Keiko
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 慶子, 敬子, 啓子, 恵子, etc.(Japanese Kanji) けいこ(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: KEH-KO
From Japanese (kei) meaning "celebration", (kei) meaning "respect", (kei) meaning "open, begin" or (kei) meaning "favour, benefit" combined with (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Ken'ichi
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 健一, 研一, 賢一, 謙一, etc.(Japanese Kanji) けんいち(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: KEWN-EE-CHEE
From Japanese (ken) meaning "healthy, strong" or (ken) meaning "study, sharpen" combined with (ichi) meaning "one". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Kenji
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 健二, 研二, 賢二, 謙二, 健司, etc.(Japanese Kanji) けんじ(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: KEHN-JEE
From Japanese (ken) meaning "healthy, strong" or (ken) meaning "study, sharpen" combined with (ji) meaning "two". This name can also be formed from other combinations of kanji characters.
Kenshin
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 謙信, etc.(Japanese Kanji) けんしん(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: KEWN-SHEEN
From Japanese (ken) meaning "humble, modest" and (shin) meaning "trust, believe". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.
Kiera
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish, English
Pronounced: KIR-ə(English)
Anglicized form of Ciara 1.
Kiri
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Maori
Means "skin of a tree or fruit" in Maori. This name has been brought to public attention by New Zealand opera singer Kiri Te Kanawa (1944-).
Kit
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: KIT
Diminutive of Christopher or Katherine. A notable bearer was Kit Carson (1809-1868), an American frontiersman and explorer.
Kiyoko
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 清子, 聖子, etc.(Japanese Kanji) きよこ(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: KYEE-YO-KO
From Japanese (kiyo) meaning "clear, pure, clean" or (kiyo) meaning "holy" and (ko) meaning "child". This name can also be formed from other combinations of kanji characters.
Kohaku
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 琥珀(Japanese Kanji) こはく(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: KO-HA-KOO
From Japanese 琥珀 (kohaku) meaning "amber".
Kumiko
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 久美子, etc.(Japanese Kanji) くみこ(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: KOO-MEE-KO
From Japanese (ku) meaning "long time", (mi) meaning "beautiful" and (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Kyo
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 協, 京, 郷, 杏, etc.(Japanese Kanji) きょう(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: KYO
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji or or or (see Kyō).
Kyriake
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek
Other Scripts: Κυριακή(Greek)
Alternate transcription of Greek Κυριακή (see Kyriaki).
Kyriakos
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Greek, Ancient Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Κυριάκος(Greek) Κυριακός(Ancient Greek)
Greek form of Cyriacus.
Lino 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Galician
Pronounced: LEE-no(Italian, Spanish) LEE-nuw(Galician)
Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and Galician form of Linus.
Linus
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Greek Mythology (Latinized), Ancient Greek (Latinized), Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German
Other Scripts: Λίνος(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: LIE-nəs(English) LEE-nuys(Swedish) LEE-nuws(German)
From the Greek name Λίνος (Linos) meaning "flax". In Greek legend he was the son of the god Apollo, who accidentally killed him in a contest. Another son of Apollo by this name was the music teacher of Herakles. The name was also borne by the second pope, serving after Saint Peter in the 1st century. In modern times this was the name of a character in Charles Schulz's comic strip Peanuts.
Lita
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Short form of names ending in lita. This name was brought to the public eye in the 1920s due to Lita Grey (1908-1995), who was the second wife of Charlie Chaplin. Her birth name was Lillita Louise MacMurray.
Maike
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Frisian, German
Pronounced: MIE-kə(German)
Frisian diminutive of Maria.
Malik 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Urdu, Indonesian, Malay
Other Scripts: ملك(Arabic) ملک(Urdu)
Pronounced: MA-leek(Arabic)
Means "king" in Arabic. In Islamic tradition الملك (al-Malik) is one of the 99 names of Allah. This can also be another way of transcribing the name مالك (see Maalik).
Marek
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Polish, Czech, Slovak, Estonian
Pronounced: MA-rehk(Polish, Czech, Slovak)
Polish, Czech and Slovak form of Mark.
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.
Marjorie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: MAHR-jə-ree(American English) MAH-jə-ree(British English)
Medieval variant of Margery, influenced by the name of the herb marjoram. After the Middle Ages this name was rare, but it was revived at the end of the 19th century.
Mireille
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French, Dutch
Pronounced: MEE-RAY(French)
From the Occitan name Mirèio, which was first used by the poet Frédéric Mistral for the main character in his poem Mirèio (1859). He probably derived it from the Occitan word mirar meaning "to admire". It is spelled Mirèlha in classical Occitan orthography. A notable bearer is the French singer Mireille Mathieu (1946-).
Miyako
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 美夜子, etc.(Japanese Kanji) みやこ(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: MEE-YA-KO
From Japanese (mi) meaning "beautiful", (ya) meaning "night" and (ko) meaning "child". This name can be formed from other combinations of kanji as well.
Mizuki
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 瑞希, etc.(Japanese Kanji) みずき(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: MEE-ZOO-KYEE
From Japanese (mizu) meaning "felicitous omen, auspicious" and (ki) meaning "hope", besides other kanji combinations.
Naira
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Aymara
From Aymara nayra meaning "eye" or "early".
Natsuko
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 夏子, etc.(Japanese Kanji) なつこ(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: NA-TSOO-KO, NATS-KO
From Japanese (natsu) meaning "summer" and (ko) meaning "child", as well as other kanji combinations.
Nels
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Danish (Rare)
Danish variant of Nils.
Noelle
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: no-EHL
English form of Noëlle.
Noriko
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 典子, 紀子, 法子, etc.(Japanese Kanji) のりこ(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: NO-REE-KO
From Japanese (nori) meaning "rule, ceremony" or (nori) meaning "chronicle" combined with (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.
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.
Odette
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: AW-DEHT
French diminutive of Oda or Odilia. This is the name of a princess who has been transformed into a swan in the ballet Swan Lake (1877) by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
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).
Orlando
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Carolingian Cycle
Pronounced: or-LAN-do(Italian, Spanish)
Italian form of Roland, as used in the epic poems Orlando Innamorato (1483) by Matteo Maria Boiardo and the continuation Orlando Furioso (1532) by Ludovico Ariosto. In the poems, Orlando is a knight in Charlemagne's army who battles against the invading Saracens. A character in Shakespeare's play As You Like It (1599) also bears this name, as does a city in Florida.
Pegasus
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Πήγασος(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: PEHG-ə-səs(English)
From the Greek Πήγασος (Pegasos), possibly either from πηγός (pegos) meaning "strong" or πηγαῖος (pegaios) meaning "from a water spring". In Greek mythology Pegasus was the winged horse that sprang from the blood of Medusa after she was killed by Perseus. There is a constellation in the northern sky named after the horse.
Praxis
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Πρᾶξις(Ancient Greek)
Means "action, sex" in Greek. This was another name for the Greek goddess Aphrodite.
Ran
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: , etc.(Japanese Kanji) らん(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: RAN
From Japanese (ran) meaning "orchid" or other kanji pronounced in the same way.
Rei
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 鈴, 麗, 玲, etc.(Japanese Kanji) れい(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: REH
From Japanese (rei) meaning "bell", (rei) meaning "beautiful, lovely" or (rei) meaning "the tinkling of jade". This name can also be formed by other kanji with the same pronunciation.
Rin
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: , etc.(Japanese Kanji) りん(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: REEN
From Japanese (rin) meaning "dignified, severe, cold" or other kanji that are pronounced the same way.
Ryo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 亮, 涼, 遼, 諒, etc.(Japanese Kanji) りょう(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: RYO
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji or or or (see Ryō).
Sakke
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Finnish
Pronounced: SAHK-keh
Diminutive of Sakari.
Sakura
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 桜, 咲良, etc.(Japanese Kanji) さくら(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: SA-KOO-RA
From Japanese (sakura) meaning "cherry blossom", though it is often written using the hiragana writing system. It can also come from (saku) meaning "blossom" and (ra) meaning "good, virtuous, respectable" as well as other kanji combinations.
Sango
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Popular Culture
Means "coral" in Japanese. This name is used in the Japanese comic book and television show InuYasha.
Sári
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hungarian
Pronounced: SHA-ree
Hungarian diminutive of Sarah.
Serenity
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: sə-REHN-ə-tee
From the English word meaning "serenity, tranquility", ultimately from Latin serenus meaning "clear, calm".
Serik
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Kazakh
Other Scripts: Серік(Kazakh)
Means "support" in Kazakh.
Shiro
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 四郎, etc.(Japanese Kanji) しろう(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: SHEE-RO
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 四郎 (see Shirō).
Spiridon
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Greek, Serbian (Rare), Croatian (Rare)
Other Scripts: Σπυρίδων(Greek) Спиридон(Serbian)
Serbian and Croatian form of Spyridon, as well as an alternate transcription of the Greek name.
Spirit
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: SPIR-it
From the English word spirit, ultimately from Latin spiritus "breath, energy", a derivative of spirare "to blow".
Spyro
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Greek (Anglicized)
Other Scripts: Σπύρο(Greek)
Anglicized form of Spyros.
Taro
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 太郎, etc.(Japanese Kanji) たろう(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: TA-RO
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 太郎 (see Tarō).
Tea
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Croatian, Slovene, Finnish, Georgian
Other Scripts: თეა(Georgian)
Pronounced: TEH-ah(Finnish)
Short form of Dorothea, Theodora and other names containing a similar sound.
Theia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Θεία(Ancient Greek)
Possibly derived from Greek θεά (thea) meaning "goddess". In Greek myth this was the name of a Titan goddess of light, glittering and glory. She was the wife of Hyperion and the mother of the sun god Helios, the moon goddess Selene, and the dawn goddess Eos.
Theophylaktos
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Θεοφύλακτος(Ancient Greek)
Means "watched by god" from Greek θεός (theos) meaning "god" and φυλακτέος (phylakteos) meaning "to be watched". Saint Theophylaktos was a 9th-century bishop of Nicomedia who was banished to Caria.
Tinúviel
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Literature
Means "daughter of twilight, nightingale" in the fictional language Sindarin. In the Silmarillion (1977) by J. R. R. Tolkien, Tinuviel was another name of Lúthien, the daughter of Thingol the elf king. She was the beloved of Beren, who with her help retrieved one of the Silmarils from the iron crown of Morgoth.
Trev
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Welsh, English
Pronounced: TREHV(English)
Short form of Trevor.
Trey
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: TRAY
From an English nickname meaning "three".
Turin
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Literature
Means "victory mood" in the fictional language Sindarin. In the Silmarillion (1977) by J. R. R. Tolkien, Turin was a cursed hero, the slayer of the dragon Glaurung. He was also called Turambar, Mormegil, and other names. This is also the Anglicized name of the city of Torino in Italy.
Ume
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: , etc.(Japanese Kanji) うめ(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: OO-MEH
From Japanese (ume) meaning "Japanese apricot, plum" (refers specifically to the species Prunus mume). In Japan the ume blossom is regarded as a symbol of spring and a ward against evil. Different kanji or kanji combinations can also form this name.
Václav
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Czech, Slovak
Pronounced: VATS-laf(Czech) VATS-low(Slovak)
Contracted form of an older Czech name Veceslav, derived from the Slavic elements vęťĭjĭ "more, greater" and slava "glory". Saint Václav (known as Wenceslas or Wenceslaus in English) was a 10th-century Duke of Bohemia murdered by his brother. He is the patron saint of the Czech Republic. This was also the name of several Bohemian kings.
Willem
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Dutch
Pronounced: VI-ləm
Dutch form of William. Willem the Silent, Prince of Orange, was the leader of the Dutch revolt against Spain that brought about the independence of the Netherlands. He is considered the founder of the Dutch royal family. In English he is commonly called William of Orange.
Xandra
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Dutch
Pronounced: SAHN-dra, KSAHN-dra
Short form of Alexandra.
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.
Xavier
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, Portuguese, Catalan, Spanish
Pronounced: ZAY-vyər(American English) ig-ZAY-vyər(American English) ZAY-vyə(British English) ig-ZAY-vyə(British English) GZA-VYEH(French) shu-vee-EHR(European Portuguese) sha-vee-EKH(Brazilian Portuguese) shə-bee-EH(Catalan) kha-BYEHR(Spanish) sa-BYEHR(Spanish)
Derived from the Basque place name Etxeberria meaning "the new house". This was the surname of the Jesuit priest Saint Francis Xavier (1506-1552) who was born in a village by this name. He was a missionary to India, Japan, China, and other areas in East Asia, and he is the patron saint of the Orient and missionaries. His surname has since been adopted as a given name in his honour, chiefly among Catholics.
Yasu 1
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 安, 康, 坦, etc.(Japanese Kanji) やす(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: YA-SOO
From Japanese (yasu) meaning "peace, quiet", (yasu) meaning "peaceful" or (yasu) meaning "flat, smooth, level", as well as other kanji that are pronounced the same way.
Yuki
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 幸, 雪, 由貴, 由紀, etc.(Japanese Kanji) ゆき(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: YOO-KYEE
From Japanese (yuki) meaning "happiness" or (yuki) meaning "snow". It can also come from (yu) meaning "reason, cause" combined with (ki) meaning "valuable" or (ki) meaning "chronicle". Other kanji or kanji combinations are also possible.
Yumi
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 弓, 由美, 友美, 弓美, etc.(Japanese Kanji) ゆみ(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: YOO-MEE
From Japanese (yumi) meaning "archery bow". It can also come from (yu) meaning "reason, cause", (yu) meaning "friend" or a nanori reading of (yu) meaning "archery bow" combined with (mi) meaning "beautiful". Other kanji or kanji combinations are also possible.
Yuri 2
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 百合, etc.(Japanese Kanji) ゆり(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: YOO-REE
From Japanese 百合 (yuri) meaning "lily". Other kanji or combinations of kanji can also form this name.
Zoie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: ZO-ee
Variant of Zoe.
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