Fionnghuala's Personal Name List

Danish form of Apollonia.

Means "my father is dew" in Hebrew, from the roots אָב (ʾav) meaning "father" and טַל (ṭal) meaning "dew". She is the fifth wife of David in the Old Testament.

From the Hebrew name אַבְשָׁלוֹם (ʾAvshalom) meaning "father is peace", derived from אָב (ʾav) meaning "father" and שָׁלוֹם (shalom) meaning "peace". In the Old Testament he is a son of King David. He avenged his sister Tamar by arranging the murder of her rapist, their half-brother Amnon. He later led a revolt against his father. While fleeing on the back of a mule he got his head caught in a tree and was killed by Joab.

Means "noble path", derived from Old High German adal "noble" and Gothic sinths "way, path."

German and Dutch form of Adelaide.

Variant of Akilina.

Medieval feminine form of Amabilis.

Variant of Amalaswinþa.

Means "shining over heaven", from Japanese 天 (ama) meaning "heaven, sky" and 照 (terasu) meaning "shine". This was the name of the Japanese sun goddess, the ruler of the heavens. She was born when Izanagi washed his left eye after returning from the underworld. At one time the Japanese royal family claimed descent from her.

From an Old Welsh name recorded in various forms such as Acgarat and Ancarat. It means "much loved", from the intensive prefix an- combined with a mutated form of caru "to love". In the medieval Welsh romance Peredur son of Efrawg, Angharad Golden-Hand is the lover of the knight Peredur.

Low German and Dutch diminutive of Anna and other names beginning with An.

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.

Probably means "silver wheel" from Welsh arian "silver" and rhod "wheel". According to the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi [1], Arianrhod was the mother of the twins Dylan and Lleu Llaw Gyffes, whom she spontaneously birthed when she stepped over a magical wand. It is speculated that in earlier myths she may have been a goddess of the moon.

From an ancient Greek name meaning "of Arcadia". Arcadia was a region in Greece, its name deriving from ἄρκτος (arktos) meaning "bear". This was the name of a 3rd-century saint and martyr.

Alternate transcription of Russian Аркадий (see Arkadiy).

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.

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

Ancient Greek personal name that was derived from the name of the Greek goddess Athena.

Hebrew form of Abital, sometimes used as a masculine name in modern times.

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.

Derived from the Old German elements boug meaning "ring, bracelet" and wolf meaning "wolf".

Old German name derived from the elements bern "bear" and ger "spear". This was the name of two medieval kings of Italy and a Holy Roman emperor.

Latinized feminine form of Berengar. This name was borne by a 13th-century queen of Castile.

Derived from the Old Norse elements borg "fortress" and hildr "battle". In the Norse Völsungasaga she is the wife of Sigmund.

Irish variant of Brighid (see Bridget).

German form of Brunhild, used when referring to the character from the Nibelungenlied.

Derived from the Old Irish elements cáel "slender" and finn "white, blessed". This was the name of several Irish saints.

A more or less latinized form of Rodelind.

From the Clodiagh, a small river in County Waterford, Ireland. It was first used as a given name by Clodagh Beresford (1879-1957), daughter of the Marquess of Waterford.

Means "consolation" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin Mary, Nuestra Señora del Consuelo, meaning "Our Lady of Consolation".

From Old Irish Cormacc or Corbmac, of uncertain meaning, possibly from corb "chariot, wagon" or corbbad "defilement, corruption" combined with macc "son". This is the name of several characters from Irish legend, including the semi-legendary high king Cormac mac Airt who supposedly ruled in the 3rd century, during the adventures of the hero Fionn mac Cumhaill. This name was also borne by a few early saints.

Means "little wolf" or "little hound" from Old Irish cú meaning "wolf, hound" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of an 8th-century saint.

Variant of Cynefrið.

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

From Old Irish Damnat meaning "calf, fawn", a combination of dam "ox, deer" and a diminutive suffix. This name was borne by a 6th-century saint from Monaghan, as well as the 7th-century saint commonly called Dymphna.

Meaning unknown, though it has been suggested that it means "without envy" in Irish. In Irish legend this was the name of a warrior who became the lover of Gráinne. It was also the name of several ancient Irish kings.

Derived from the Slavic elements dobrŭ "good" and gostĭ "guest".

Derived from the Slavic elements dobrŭ "good" and milŭ "gracious, dear".

Means "diamond" in Tibetan.

Feminine form of the Greek name Δωρόθεος (Dorotheos), which meant "gift of god" from Greek δῶρον (doron) meaning "gift" and θεός (theos) meaning "god". The name Theodore is composed of the same elements in reverse order. Dorothea was the name of two early saints, notably the 4th-century martyr Dorothea of Caesarea. It was also borne by the 14th-century Saint Dorothea of Montau, who was the patron saint of Prussia.

Derived from the Slavic element dorgŭ (South Slavic drag) meaning "precious" combined with mirŭ meaning "peace, world".

Scottish Gaelic form of Elizabeth.

From the Old English name Eadgyð, derived from the elements ead "wealth, fortune" and guð "battle". It was popular among Anglo-Saxon royalty, being borne for example by Saint Eadgyeth;, the daughter of King Edgar the Peaceful. It was also borne by the Anglo-Saxon wife of the Holy Roman Emperor Otto I. The name remained common after the Norman Conquest. It became rare after the 15th century, but was revived in the 19th century.

Modern Greek form of Helen.

Middle English form of the Old English name Ælfþryð meaning "elf strength", derived from the element ælf "elf" combined with þryþ "strength". Ælfþryð was common amongst Anglo-Saxon nobility, being borne for example by the mother of King Æðelræd the Unready. This name was rare after the Norman Conquest, but it was revived in the 19th century.

Scottish form of Elizabeth.

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.

Means "little wolf", derived from Old Irish fáel "wolf" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of an Irish saint who did missionary work in Scotland.

Means "dark man" from Old Irish fer "man" and dorchae "dark".

Anglicized form of Forbflaith.

Means "angel" in Persian.

Derived from Irish fiach meaning "raven". This is the name of several characters from Irish legend. It was also borne by Fiachna mac Báetáin, a 7th-century king of Dál Araide.

From Old Irish Fiachrae, possibly from fiach "raven" or fích "battle" combined with rí "king". This was the name of several legendary figures, including one of the four children of Lir transformed into swans for a period of 900 years. This is also the name of the patron saint of gardeners: a 7th-century Irish abbot who settled in France, usually called Saint Fiacre.

Means "flame" in Italian.

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.

Means "silver" in Arabic.

Original form of Fidel.

Variant of Fionnuala.

Meaning unknown, possibly related to the Basque word hartz meaning "bear". This was the name of several medieval kings of Navarre and Leon.

Means "flower bud" in Persian.

Means "spring flower", from Persian گل (gol) meaning "flower, rose" and بهار (bahār) meaning "spring".

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.

From Tibetan རྒྱ་མཚོ (rgya-mtsho) meaning "ocean". This is one of the given names of the current Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso (1935-).

Greek form of Hecate.

Derived from the Old German elements hilt "battle" and gart "enclosure, yard". This was the name of the second wife of Charlemagne (8th century). Also, Saint Hildegard was a 12th-century mystic from Bingen in Germany who was famous for her writings and poetry and also for her prophetic visions.

Transferred use of the surname Holiday.

Medieval diminutive of Isabel.

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

Latin form of Inmaculada.

From the Old Norse name Ingríðr meaning "Ing is beautiful", derived from the name of the Germanic god Ing combined with fríðr "beautiful, beloved". A famous bearer was the Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman (1915-1982).

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).

Anglicized form of Iseabail.

Means "gentle song" in Tibetan, from འཇམ ('jam) meaning "gentle, soft" and དབྱངས (dbyangs) meaning "song, voice".

Alternate transcription of Hebrew כִּנֶּרֶת (see Kineret).

From Koh-i-noor, the name of a famous gemstone, meaning "mountain of light" in Persian.

Diminutive of Kreine.

From Yiddish קרוין (kroin) meaning "crown".

Means "sign, mark" in Sanskrit. This is the name of the Hindu goddess of prosperity, good luck, and beauty. She is the wife of Vishnu and her symbol is the lotus flower, with which she is often depicted.

Means "tulip" in Persian.

Means "goddess" in Tibetan.

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.

Means "my light" in Hebrew, from לִי (li) "for me" and אוֹר (ʾor) "light".

Unaccented variant of Llŷr.

Medieval form of the Old English name Leofdæg, literally "beloved day". According to medieval English custom, a love day or dies amoris was a day for disputants to come together to try to resolve their differences amicably. Mainly a feminine name, with some male usage. Known textual examples date from the 11th century. It seems to have been most common in Cornwall and Devon, according to the British births, deaths and marriages index. Currently very rare.

The novel Coming Home (1995) by Rosamunde Pilcher, set in 1930s Cornwall, has a character called Loveday. Loveday Minette is a fictional character in the children's fantasy novel The Little White Horse (1946) by Elizabeth Goudge (in the novel's film adaptation, she is known as Loveday de Noir). Also, a character in Poldark.

From a surname that was a variant of Lowell.

Means "light" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin Mary, Nuestra Señora de la Luz, meaning "Our Lady of Light".

Either a short form of Magdalena or from the biblical village that Mary Magdalene was from, which means "tower" in Hebrew.

It is the name of a central character in the Agatha Christie mystery novel Peril at End House (1932), which features detective Hercule Poirot.

Variant of Mahala.

Means "moonlight" in Persian.

Scottish Gaelic form of Margaret.

Means "queen" in Hebrew.

Form of Maria used in the Greek Old Testament. In the Greek New Testament both this spelling and Μαρία (Maria) are used. It is also the Georgian, Armenian and Malay form, as well as an alternate transcription of Arabic مريم (see Maryam).

Short form of María Soledad. It is sometimes considered a combination of María and Sol 1, or from Spanish mar y sol "sea and sun".

Scottish Gaelic form of Marcella, now also associated with Marjorie.

From the Hebrew name םְהֵיטַבְאֵל (Meheṭavʾel) meaning "God makes happy", derived from the roots יָטַב (yaṭav) meaning "to be happy" and אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". This name is mentioned briefly in the Old Testament.

Means "dew drop" in Hebrew.

From the Welsh name Maredudd or Meredydd, from Old Welsh forms such as Margetud, possibly from mawredd "greatness, magnificence" combined with iudd "lord". The Welsh forms of this name were well used through the Middle Ages. Since the mid-1920s it has been used more often for girls than for boys in English-speaking countries, though it is still a masculine name in Wales. A famous bearer of this name as surname was the English novelist and poet George Meredith (1828-1909).

From the Old English name Mildþryð meaning "gentle strength", derived from the elements milde "gentle" and þryþ "strength". Saint Mildred was a 7th-century abbess, the daughter of the Kentish princess Saint Ermenburga. After the Norman Conquest this name became rare, but it was revived in the 19th century.

From the Gothic name *Amalaswinþa, composed of the elements amals "unceasing, vigorous, brave" and swinþs "strong". Amalaswintha was a 6th-century queen of the Ostrogoths. The Normans introduced this name to England in the form Melisent or Melisende. Melisende was a 12th-century queen of Jerusalem, the daughter of Baldwin II.

Derived from the Slavic elements milŭ "gracious, dear" and slava "glory".

Diminutive of Mòr.

Old Welsh form of Morgan 1.

Means either "demon queen" or "great queen", derived from Old Irish mor "demon, evil spirit" or mór "great, big" combined with rígain "queen". In Irish mythology Morrígan (called also The Morrígan) was a goddess of war and death who often took the form of a crow.

The word "myrrh" derives from the Aramaic ܡܪܝܪܐ (murr), and Arabic مر (mur)، meaning "bitter". Its name entered the English language from the Hebrew Bible, where it is called "mor", מור, and later as a Semitic loanword was used in the Greek myth of Myrrha, and later in the Septuagint; in the Greek language, the related word μύρον (mýron) became a general term for perfume.

Alternate transcription of Arabic/Urdu نور (see Nur).

Means "jewel" in Tibetan.

Means "night" in Greek. This was the name of the Greek goddess of the night, the daughter of Khaos and the wife of Erebos.

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

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

Means "butterfly" in Persian.

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

Derived from Latin perpetuus meaning "continuous". This was the name of a 3rd-century saint martyred with another woman named Felicity.

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.

From an English word meaning "nightingale" (ultimately from Philomela). It has been used frequently in poetry to denote the bird.

Means "pillar" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin Mary, María del Pilar, meaning "Mary of the Pillar". According to legend, when Saint James the Greater was in Saragossa in Spain, the Virgin Mary appeared on a pillar.

Derived from Sanskrit प्रकाश (prakāśa) meaning "light, bright, shining".

Feminine form of Priscus, a Roman family name meaning "ancient" in Latin. This name appears in the epistles in the New Testament, referring to Priscilla the wife of Aquila.

Irish form of Ragnhild.

Modern Scandinavian form of Ragnvaldr.

From the name of a variety of jasmine flower, the night jasmine, ultimately from a poetic word meaning "night".

From the Germanic name Raginhild, which was composed of the elements regin "advice, counsel, decision" and hilt "battle". This was the name of a 7th-century Frankish saint who was martyred by the Huns. It is a cognate of the Norse name Ragnhild.

Means "remedies" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin Mary, Nuestra Señora de los Remedios, meaning "Our Lady of the Remedies".

Derived from Old Irish rígain meaning "queen". According to some sources, this was the name of a wife of the semi-legendary Irish king Niall of the Nine Hostages.

Derived from the Germanic element hrôthi "fame" combined with Old High German lind or lindi "soft, tender."

Means "rosary" in French.

Derived from the Old German elements hros "horse" and munt "protection". This name was borne by the wife of the Lombard king Alboin in the 6th century. The Normans introduced it to England. It was subsequently interpreted as coming from Latin rosa munda "pure rose" or rosa mundi "rose of the world". This was the name of the mistress of Henry II, the king of England in the 12th century. According to legends she was murdered by his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine.

From Persian روشن (rōshan) meaning "light" and آرا (ārā) meaning "decorate, adorn". This was the name of the second daughter of the 17th-century Mughal emperor Shah Jahan.

From the Germanic name Hrodulf, which was derived from the elements hruod meaning "fame" and wolf meaning "wolf". It was borne by three kings of Burgundy and a king of West Francia, as well as several Habsburg rulers of the Holy Roman Empire and Austria. Anthony Hope used this name for the hero in his popular novel The Prisoner of Zenda (1894).

Feminine form of Rune.

Derived from Old Norse rún meaning "secret lore, rune".

Medieval German form of Salome, used in what is today Germany and Austria from the 13th century onwards.

Feminine form of Salvator.

Scottish Gaelic form of Joan 1.

Means "star" in Persian.

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

Alternate transcription of Hebrew שׁוּלַמִּית (see Shulamit).

Means "love rose" in Armenian.

Means "solitude" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin Mary, María de la Soledad, meaning "Mary of Solitude".

From an Old Norse name, which was derived from the elements sól "sun" and veig "strength". This is the name of the heroine in Henrik Ibsen's play Peer Gynt (1876).

Means "virtuous, good karma, fortunate" in Tibetan.

Derived from Greek σωφροσύνη (sôphrosynê) meaning "moderation, prudence, self-control, temperance". Also compare Sophron. She was the spirit or personification of moderation, self-control, temperance, restraint, and discretion in Greek mythology. In some tales Sophrosyne was one of the good spirits released from Pandora's box, but fled to Olympus and away from humankind.

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).

Derived from Arabic سهل (sahl) meaning "level, even, smooth" [1]. This is the Arabic name of the second brightest star in the sky, known in the western world as Canopus. It is also the official (IAU) name of the third brightest star in the constellation Vela.

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.

From the Old English name Swiðhun or Swiþhun, derived from swiþ "strong" and perhaps hun "bear cub". Saint Swithin was a 9th-century bishop of Winchester.

French form of Silvanus.

Norwegian variant of Sunniva.

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

Means "my dew" in Hebrew.

Means "shining brow", derived from Welsh tal "brow, head" and iesin "shining, radiant". This was the name of a semi-legendary 6th-century Welsh poet and bard, supposedly the author of the collection of poems the Book of Taliesin. He appears briefly in the Welsh legend Culhwch and Olwen and the Second Branch of the Mabinogi. He is the central character in the Tale of Taliesin, a medieval legend recorded in the 16th century, which tells how Ceridwen's servant Gwion Bach was reborn to her as Taliesin; how he becomes the bard for Elffin; and how Taliesin defends Elffin from the machinations of the king Maelgwn Gwynedd.

Means "little girl" in Aramaic. The name is taken from the phrase talitha cumi meaning "little girl arise" spoken by Jesus in order to restore a young girl to life (see Mark 5:41).

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.

Latinized form of the Etruscan name Thanchvil which meant "gift of Thana 1", composed of the name of the goddess Thana and cvil meaning "gift". This was the name of the wife of Lucius Tarquinius Priscus, the fifth king of Rome in the 7th century BC. In modern times it was borne by prima ballerina Tanaquil Le Clercq (1929-2000).

Norman form of the Germanic name Thancrat meaning "thought and counsel", derived from the elements thank meaning "thought, consideration, thanks" (Old High German danc, Old Frankish þank) and rat meaning "counsel, advice". This name was common among the medieval Norman nobility of southern Italy, being the name of the founder of the Hauteville family. It was borne by a leader of the First Crusade, described by Torquato Tasso in his epic poem Jerusalem Delivered (1580).

From Tibetan བསྟན་འཛིན (bstan-'dzin) meaning "upholder of teachings". This is one of the given names of the current Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso (1935-).

Means "enjoying the dance" from Greek τέρψις (terpsis) meaning "delight" and χορός (choros) meaning "dance". In Greek mythology she was the goddess of dance and dramatic chorus, one of the nine Muses.

Possibly means "bandage" in Greek. This was the name of a companion of Alexander the Great. It was also borne by a 4th-century saint from Alexandria, a wealthy socialite who became a Christian convert, though in her case the name may have had a distinct Coptic origin. She has been a popular subject of art and literature, including an 1891 novel by Anatole France and an 1894 opera by Jules Massenet.

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).

Derived from the Slavic elements tixŭ "quiet" and mirŭ "peace, world".

Diminutive of Matilda.

Derived from Latin trivium meaning "a place where three roads meet, a crossroads". In Roman mythology this was the name of a goddess of the night and crossroads, usually associated with witchcraft and sorcery as well as ghosts and childbirth. She was the Roman equivalent of the Greek goddess Hecate (who was called in Greek Ἑκάτη Τριοδῖτις (Hekate Trioditis) "Hecate of the crossroads", from τρίοδος (triodos) "a meeting of three roads").

Means "long life" in Tibetan, from ཚེ (tshe) meaning "life" and རིང (ring) meaning "long".

Yiddish diminutive of Sarah. This is the name of Tevye's oldest daughter in the musical Fiddler on the Roof (1964), based on Sholem Aleichem's stories from the late 19th century.

Means "little bear", derived from a diminutive form of the Latin word ursa "she-bear". Saint Ursula was a legendary virgin princess of the 4th century who was martyred by the Huns while returning from a pilgrimage. In England the saint was popular during the Middle Ages, and the name came into general use at that time.

Derived from Old Norse valr meaning "the dead, the slain" and dís meaning "goddess".

Means "wolf" in Old Norse.

Russian, Greek, Bulgarian and Macedonian form of Barbara.

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

Modern Greek feminine form of Basil 1.

Derived from the Slavic elements velĭ "great" and mirŭ "peace, world".

Means "little wolf" in Yiddish, a diminutive of װאָלףֿ (volf) meaning "wolf". This is a vernacular form of Zeev.

Earlier form of Beatrix.

Derived from the Old Norse elements víg "war" and dís "goddess".

Short form of Walter. A famous bearer was the American animator and filmmaker Walt Disney (1901-1966).

Means "mighty" in Tibetan, from དབང (dbang) meaning "power" and ཕྱུག (phyug) meaning "wealthy, possessing". This is the Tibetan name for the god Shiva.

Derived from the Old German elements wolf meaning "wolf" and gang meaning "path, way". Saint Wolfgang was a 10th-century bishop of Regensburg. Two other famous bearers of this name were Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) and German novelist and poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832).

Derived from the Old German element wolf meaning "wolf" combined with hram meaning "raven". Saint Wolfram (or Wulfram) was a 7th-century archbishop of Sens. This name was also borne by the 13th-century German poet Wolfram von Eschenbach, the author of Parzival.

Old German form of Wolfram.

Derived from the Old English elements wulf "wolf" and noð "boldness, daring" [3]. This name became rare after the Norman Conquest.

Derived from the Old English elements wulf "wolf" and sige "victory".

Hebrew feminine form of Jordan.

Means "jasmine" in Arabic and Hebrew, derived from Persian یاسمین (yāsamīn). In modern times it has been used in the western world, as an Arabic-influenced variant of Jasmine.

Means "she-wolf", a derivative of Old Norse úlfr "wolf".

Alternate transcription of Arabic زينب (see Zaynab), as well as the usual form in several languages.

Ancient Greek variant of Zenaida.