Behind the Name: hesione's Personal Name List

Adsila

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Cherokee

From Cherokee ᎠᏥᎳ (atsila) "fire" or ᎠᏥᎸᏍᎩ (atsilunsgi) "flower, blossom".

Adva

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Hebrew

Other Scripts: אַדְוָה(Hebrew)

Pronounced: ahd-VAH

Means "small wave, ripple" in Hebrew.

Aili

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Finnish, Estonian

Pronounced: IE-lee(Finnish)

Finnish and Estonian form of Áile.

Ainārs

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Latvian

From Latvian aina meaning "scene, sight".

Aleka

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Greek

Other Scripts: Αλέκα(Greek)

Diminutive of Alexandra.

Alexandrie

Gender: Feminine

Usage: French (Rare)

Pronounced: A-LEHK-SAHN-DREE

French variant of Alexandra.

Alheri

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Hausa

Means "the charitable, the good" in Hausa, from Arabic خير (khayr).

Alon 2

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Tagalog

Pronounced: A-lon

Means "wave" in Tagalog.

Amadou

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Western African

Form of Ahmad used in parts of French-influenced West Africa.

Amahle

Gender: Masculine & Feminine

Usage: Zulu

Means "the beautiful ones" in Zulu.

Amaru

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Quechua

Means "snake" in Quechua. It was borne by Tupaq Amaru and Tupaq Amaru II, two Inca leaders after the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire (in the 16th and 18th centuries).

Anara

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Kazakh, Kyrgyz

Other Scripts: Анара(Kazakh, Kyrgyz)

Pronounced: ah-nah-RAH(Kazakh)

From Kazakh and Kyrgyz анар (anar) meaning "pomegranate", a word ultimately derived from Persian.

Annick

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Breton, French

French form of Breton Annaig, a diminutive of Anna.

Antoniu

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Romanian

Romanian form of Antonius (see Anthony).

Anuki

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Georgian

Other Scripts: ანუკი(Georgian)

Diminutive of Ana.

Aronne

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Italian, Biblical Italian

Pronounced: a-RAWN-neh(Italian)

Italian form of Aaron.

Asya 1

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Russian, Bulgarian

Other Scripts: Ася(Russian, Bulgarian)

Pronounced: A-syə(Russian)

Diminutive of Anastasiya or Aleksandra.

Auli

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Finnish

Pronounced: OW-lee

Short form of Aulikki.

Aýna

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Turkmen

Means "mirror" in Turkmen, ultimately from Persian آینه (āyneh).

Berhane

Gender: Masculine & Feminine

Usage: Amharic

Other Scripts: ብርሃኔ(Amharic)

Means "my light" in Amharic.

Cochise

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Apache (Anglicized)

Meaning uncertain, possibly from Apache go-chizh "his firewood" or go-chįh "his nose". This was the name of a 19th-century chief of the Chiricahua Apache.

Danai 1

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Greek

Other Scripts: Δανάη(Greek)

Pronounced: dha-NA-ee

Modern Greek transcription of Danaë.

Drury

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: DREW-ree

Transferred use of the surname Drury. Drury Lane is a famous street in London, home to the Theatre Royal, and well known as the nursery rhyme locale of The Muffin Man.

Emiel

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Dutch

Pronounced: eh-MEEL

Dutch form of Aemilius (see Emil).

Endrit

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Albanian

From Albanian dritë meaning "light".

Enitan

Gender: Masculine & Feminine

Usage: Yoruba

Means "person with a story, storied person" in Yoruba.

Ennis

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

From an Irish surname that was derived from inis meaning "island".

Enyonam

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Ewe

Means "it is good for me" in Ewe.

Foteini

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Greek

Other Scripts: Φωτεινή(Greek)

Alternate transcription of Greek Φωτεινή (see Fotini).

Heitiare

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Tahitian

From Tahitian hei "crown, garland" and tiare "flower".

Heli 2

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Finnish, Estonian

Pronounced: HEH-lee(Finnish)

Diminutive of Helena. In Estonian this coincides with the word heli meaning "sound".

Ignat

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Russian, Bulgarian

Other Scripts: Игнат(Russian, Bulgarian)

Russian and Bulgarian form of Ignatius.

Inyene

Gender: Masculine & Feminine

Usage: Ibibio

Means "wealth" in Ibibio.

Iracema

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Tupi

Means "honey lips" in Tupi, from yra "honey" and tembe "lips". This is the name of an 1865 novel by José de Alencar, about the relationship between a Tupi woman and a Portuguese man during the early colonial period. Alencar may have constructed the name so that it would be an anagram of America.

Ismini

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Greek

Other Scripts: Ισμήνη(Greek)

Modern Greek form of Ismene.

Itoro

Gender: Masculine & Feminine

Usage: Ibibio

Means "praise, glory" in Ibibio.

Kaiti

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Greek

Other Scripts: Καίτη(Greek)

Pronounced: KEH-tee

Alternate transcription of Greek Καίτη (see Keti 2).

Katayun

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Persian

Other Scripts: کتایون(Persian)

Pronounced: ka-taw-YOON

Alternate transcription of Persian کتایون (see Katayoun).

Katrė

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Lithuanian

Lithuanian short form of Kotryna.

Kirsi

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Finnish

Pronounced: KEER-see

Finnish form of Christina, or a short form of Kirsikka. It also means "frost" in Finnish.

Kylli

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Finnish

Pronounced: KUYL-lee

Short form of Kyllikki.

Lishan

Gender: Feminine & Masculine

Usage: Amharic

Other Scripts: ሊሻን(Amharic)

Means "award" in Amharic.

Lyssa 2

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Greek Mythology

Other Scripts: Λύσσα(Ancient Greek)

Means "rage, fury, anger" in Greek. In Greek mythology Lyssa is a goddess associated with uncontrolled rage.

Madina

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Tajik, Uzbek, Kazakh, Avar, Chechen

Other Scripts: Мадина(Tajik, Uzbek, Avar, Chechen) Мәдина(Kazakh)

From the name of the city of Medina, Arabic المدينة (al-Madīna), which means "the city". The Saudi city is considered an Islamic holy site because the Prophet Muhammad was based there for a period.

Magdalini

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Greek

Other Scripts: Μαγδαληνή(Greek)

Modern Greek transcription of Magdalene.

Maina

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Kikuyu

Means "sing, dance" in Kikuyu. Kikuyu males were traditionally organized into age sets or generations, each lasting about 30 years. The Maina generation occupied the last part of the 19th century.

Malinalli

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Nahuatl

Means "tall grass" in Nahuatl [1].

Marikit

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Tagalog

Pronounced: ma-ree-KEET

Means "beautiful, pretty" in Tagalog.

Marilag

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Tagalog

Pronounced: ma-ree-LAG

Means "beautiful, gorgeous" in Tagalog.

Mariyan

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Bulgarian

Other Scripts: Мариян(Bulgarian)

Bulgarian form of Marianus.

Maruxa

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Galician

Pronounced: ma-ROO-shu

Galician diminutive of Maria.

Mervi

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Finnish

Pronounced: MEHR-vee

From the name of a Finnish village (now a part of the municipality of Hattula).

Mozhdeh

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Persian

Other Scripts: مژده(Persian)

Pronounced: mozh-DEH

Means "good news" in Persian.

Naiche

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Apache

Means "mischief maker" in Apache. This name was borne by a 19th-century Chiricahua Apache chief, the son of Cochise.

Nanabah

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Navajo

Means "returning warrior" in Navajo, derived from nááná "again" and baa' "warrior, heroine, raid, battle".

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".

Nazaret

Gender: Feminine & Masculine

Usage: Spanish, Armenian

Other Scripts: Նազարեթ(Armenian)

Pronounced: na-tha-REHT(European Spanish) na-sa-REHT(Latin American Spanish) nah-zah-REHT(Armenian)

From Nazareth, the town in Galilee where Jesus lived. This name is primarily feminine in Spanish and primarily masculine in Armenian.

Nicte

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Mayan (Hispanicized)

From Yucatec Maya nikte' meaning "flower" or specifically "plumeria flower". It is derived from Classic Maya nich "flower" and te' "tree" [1].

Njeri

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Kikuyu

Means "travelling one" in Kikuyu. Njeri (or Wanjeri) is the name of one of the nine daughters of Mumbi in the Kikuyu origin legend.

Päivi

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Finnish

Pronounced: PAY-vee

Derived from Finnish päivä meaning "day".

Parvaneh

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Persian

Other Scripts: پروانه(Persian)

Pronounced: par-vaw-NEH

Means "butterfly" in Persian.

Rahela

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Romanian, Croatian, Serbian

Other Scripts: Рахела(Serbian)

Romanian, Croatian and Serbian form of Rachel.

Remei

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Catalan

Pronounced: rə-MAY

Means "remedy" in Catalan, a Catalan equivalent of Remedios.

Renza

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Italian

Pronounced: REHN-tsa

Short form of Lorenza.

Skenandoa

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Oneida (Anglicized)

Possibly from Oneida oskanutú meaning "deer". This was the name of an 18th-century Oneida chief. According to some sources the Shenandoah River in Virginia was named after him, though the river seems to have borne this name from before his birth. It is possible that he was named after the river, or that the similarity in spellings is a coincidence.

Sohvi

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Finnish

Pronounced: SOKH-vee

Finnish form of Sophia.

Suvi

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Finnish

Pronounced: SOO-vee

Means "summer" in Finnish.

Tesfaye

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Amharic

Other Scripts: ተስፋዬ(Amharic)

From Amharic ተስፋ (tasfa) meaning "hope".

Thandiwe

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Xhosa, Zulu, Ndebele

Pronounced: tan-DEE-weh

Means "loving one" in Xhosa, Zulu and Ndebele, from thanda "to love".

Tiare

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Tahitian

Means "flower" in Tahitian, also specifically referring to the species Gardenia taitensis.

Tionge

Gender: Feminine & Masculine

Usage: Chewa, Tumbuka

Means "we thank" in Chewa and Tumbuka.

Tonalli

Gender: Masculine & Feminine

Usage: Nahuatl

Means "day, warmth of the sun" in Nahuatl [1].

Tyche

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Greek Mythology

Other Scripts: Τύχη(Ancient Greek)

Pronounced: TUY-KEH(Classical Greek) TIE-kee(English)

Means "chance, luck, fortune" in Greek. This was the name of the Greek goddess of fortune, luck and fate.

Vaihere

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Tahitian

From Tahitian vai "water" and here "loved, dear".

Vaitiare

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Tahitian

From Tahitian vai "water" and tiare "flower".

Vasia

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Greek

Other Scripts: Βάσια(Greek)

Diminutive of Vasiliki.

Vasiliki

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Greek

Other Scripts: Βασιλική(Greek)

Pronounced: va-see-lee-KYEE

Modern Greek feminine form of Basil 1.

Vasso

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Greek

Other Scripts: Βάσω(Greek)

Alternate transcription of Greek Βάσω (see Vaso 2).

Verdandi

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Norse Mythology

From Old Norse Verðandi meaning "becoming, happening". Verdandi was one of the three Norns, or goddesses of destiny, in Norse mythology. She was responsible for the present.

Veriko

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Georgian

Other Scripts: ვერიკო(Georgian)

Georgian diminutive of Vera 1.

Viorel

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Romanian

Derived from viorea, the Romanian word for the alpine squill flower (species Scilla bifolia) or the sweet violet flower (species Viola odorata). It is derived from Latin viola "violet".

Viorica

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Romanian

Pronounced: vee-o-REE-ka

Derived from Romanian viorea (see Viorel).

Voski

Gender: Feminine & Masculine

Usage: Armenian

Other Scripts: Ոսկի(Armenian)

Pronounced: vaws-KEE(Eastern Armenian) vaws-GEE(Western Armenian)

Means "gold" in Armenian.

Vytautė

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Lithuanian

Feminine form of Vytautas.

Xaime

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Galician

Galician form of Iacomus (see James).

Xiana

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Galician

Pronounced: shee-A-nu

From Xuliana, the Galician form of Juliana.

Ziaeddin

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Persian

Other Scripts: ضیاءالدین(Persian)

Persian form of Ziya ad-Din.

Zitkala

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Sioux

From Lakota zitkála meaning "bird".

Žydrė

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Lithuanian

From Lithuanian žydra meaning "light blue".