Belladonna Nadira's Personal Name List

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.

Roman cognomen that was a derivative of Aelius.

Roman family name that was possibly derived from the Greek word ἥλιος (helios) meaning "sun". This was the family name of the Roman emperor Hadrian.

Possibly derived from Amon. This is the name of a character in George R. R. Martin's 'A Song of Ice and Fire' series, as well as the TV show based on the books 'Game of Thrones'.

Possibly means "very steadfast" in Greek. In Greek mythology he was the brother of Menelaus. He led the Greek expedition to Troy to recover his brother's wife Helen. After the Trojan War Agamemnon was killed by his wife Clytemnestra.

The first element of this name is probably derived from Greek αἰδώς (aidōs), which can mean "reverence, awe, respect" as well as "shame". Also compare Greek αἰδέομαι (aideomai) meaning "to be ashamed". The second element is probably derived from Greek νοῦς (nous) meaning "mind". As such, the meaning of this name is either "respectable mind" or "shameful mind". In Greek mythology, this was one of the names that the god Hades sometimes went by. The name was also borne by a mythical king of the Molossians in Epirus, who is represented as the husband of Persephone. It is clear that the story about Aidoneus is nothing but the sacred legend of Hades' rape of Persephone, dressed up in the form of a real-world history, and is undoubtedly the work of a late interpreter, or rather destroyer, of genuine ancient myths.

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.

From Egyptian ꜣḫ-n-jtn meaning "effective for Aton". Akhenaton was a 14th-century BC Egyptian pharaoh of the New Kingdom, who is best known for promoting the monotheistic worship of the sun god Aton. He changed his name from Amenhotep in order to honour the god. After his death, polytheism resumed.

Feminine form of Alastar.

From the Germanic name Adalbert meaning "noble and bright", composed of the elements adal "noble" and beraht "bright". This name was common among medieval German royalty. The Normans introduced it to England, where it replaced the Old English cognate Æþelbeorht. Though it became rare in England by the 17th century, it was repopularized in the 19th century by the German-born Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria.

This name was borne by two 20th-century kings of Belgium. Other famous bearers include the German physicist Albert Einstein (1879-1955), creator of the theory of relativity, and Albert Camus (1913-1960), a French-Algerian writer and philosopher.

Variant of Etheldred.

Derived from Greek ἀλήθεια (aletheia) meaning "truth". (Compare English Alethea.) According to some Greek myths she was the personification of truth, a daughter of Zeus and one of the nurses to Apollo.

Means "elf counsel", derived from the Old English name Ælfræd, composed of the elements ælf "elf" and ræd "counsel, advice". Alfred the Great was a 9th-century king of Wessex who fought unceasingly against the Danes living in northeastern England. He was also a scholar, and he translated many Latin books into Old English. His fame helped to ensure the usage of this name even after the Norman Conquest, when most Old English names were replaced by Norman ones. It became rare by the end of the Middle Ages, but was revived in the 18th century.

Famous bearers include the British poet Alfred Tennyson (1809-1892), the Swedish inventor and Nobel Prize founder Alfred Nobel (1833-1896), and the British-American film director Alfred Hitchcock (1899-1980).

Means "elf spear" from Old English ælf "elf" and gar "spear". This Old English name was rarely used after the Norman Conquest, being absorbed by similar-sounding names and Norman and Scandinavian cognates. It was briefly revived in the 19th century.

From the Greek name Ἀλθαία (Althaia), perhaps related to Greek ἄλθος (althos) meaning "healing". In Greek myth she was the mother of Meleager. Soon after her son was born she was told that he would die as soon as a piece of wood that was burning on her fire was fully consumed. She immediately extinguished the piece of wood and sealed it in a chest, but in a fit of rage many years later she took it out and set it alight, thereby killing her son.

From Sanskrit अमर (amara) meaning "immortal".

Means "grace" in Igbo.

From the name of the amaranth flower, which is derived from Greek ἀμάραντος (amarantos) meaning "unfading". Ἀμάραντος (Amarantos) was also an Ancient Greek given name.

Derived from Greek αμαραντος (amarantos) meaning "unfading" (see also Amarantha).

From Ἄμμων (Ammon), the Greek form of Egyptian jmn (reconstructed as Yamanu) meaning "the hidden one". In early Egyptian mythology he was a god of the air, creativity and fertility, who was particularly revered in Thebes. Later, during the Middle Kingdom, his attributes were combined with those of the god Ra and he was worshipped as the supreme solar deity Amon-Ra.

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.

Greek form of Anthea.

Roman cognomen, a derivative of Antonius (see Anthony). There were several early saints named Antoninus, including the patrons of Sorrento and Piacenza. This was also the name of a 2nd-century Roman emperor, Antoninus Pius (full name Titus Aelius Hadrianus Antoninus Pius).

Latin form of Anthony. This is also the official Dutch form of the name, used on birth certificates but commonly rendered Anton or Antoon in daily life.

From Greek Ἀπόλλων (Apollon), which is of unknown meaning, though perhaps related to the Indo-European root *apelo- meaning "strength". Another theory states that Apollo can be equated with Appaliunas, an Anatolian god whose name possibly means "father lion" or "father light". The Greeks later associated Apollo's name with the Greek verb ἀπόλλυμι (apollymi) meaning "to destroy". In Greek mythology Apollo was the son of Zeus and Leto and the twin of Artemis. He was the god of prophecy, medicine, music, art, law, beauty, and wisdom. Later he also became the god of the sun and light.

Greek form of Apollo.

Feminine form of Apollonios. This was the name of a 3rd-century saint and martyr from Alexandria.

Perhaps from either Greek ἀρή (are) meaning "bane, ruin" or ἄρσην (arsen) meaning "male". The name first appears as a-re in Mycenaean Greek writing. Ares was the bloodthirsty god of war in Greek mythology, a son of Zeus and Hera.

Portuguese form of Ariadne. This name steadily grew in popularity in America in the last few decades of the 20th century. A famous bearer is the American pop singer Ariana Grande (1993-).

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.

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.

Derived from Greek ἀσπάσιος (aspasios) meaning "welcome, embrace". This was the name of the lover of Pericles (5th century BC).

Feminine form of Athanasios (see Athanasius).

From the Greek name Ἀθανάσιος (Athanasios) meaning "immortal", from Greek ἀ (a), a negative prefix, combined with θάνατος (thanatos) meaning "death". Saint Athanasius was a 4th-century bishop of Alexandria who strongly opposed Arianism.

Original Latin form of Attilio.

Means "exalted, venerable", derived from Latin augere meaning "to increase". Augustus was the title given to Octavian, the first Roman emperor. He was an adopted son of Julius Caesar who rose to power through a combination of military skill and political prowess. In 26 BC the senate officially gave him the name Augustus, and after his death it was used as a title for subsequent emperors. This was also the name of three kings of Poland (called August in Polish).

Roman cognomen that was originally derived from the Roman family name Aurelius. This was the name of a 3rd-century Roman emperor (Lucius Domitius Aurelianus) who reconquered the breakaway Gallic and Palmyrene Empires.

Roman family name that was derived from Latin aureus meaning "golden, gilded". Marcus Aurelius was a 2nd-century Roman emperor and philosophical writer. This was also the name of several early saints.

Roman family name of unknown meaning. Saint Avilius was a 1st-century patriarch of Alexandria.

From the name of a toxic plant, also called deadly nightshade (species Atropa belladonna). The plant's name is of Italian origin, probably derived from Latin bladona "mullein plant" and altered through association with the Italian words bella "beautiful, fair" and donna "lady".

Feminine form of Caelestius.

Variant of Caelestis. This was the name of a noted follower of the Christian heretic Pelagius.

Roman family name that was itself derived from the Roman family name Caelius.

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

Irish form of Katherine.

Roman variant of Gaius.

From the name of a type of orchid, ultimately meaning "beautiful flower", derived from Greek καλός (kalos) meaning "beautiful" and ἄνθος (anthos) meaning "flower".

Elaborated form of Calanthe.

Feminine form of Calimero.

Calimero is originally derived from the Greek Kallimeros, from Kalos meaning "Beautiful; Noble," and Meros meaning "Thigh; Leg". Turning out to be, "With Beautiful, Strong Legs".

Feminine form of Callistus. As an English name it might also be a variant of Kallisto.

Late Latin name that was derived from the Greek name Κάλλιστος (Kallistos) meaning "most beautiful". This was the name of three popes (also known as Callixtus), including the 3rd-century Callistus I who is regarded as a saint.

Feminine form of Calogero.

From the Greek name Κασσάνδρα (Kassandra), possibly derived from κέκασμαι (kekasmai) meaning "to excel, to shine" and ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man" (genitive ἀνδρός). In Greek myth Cassandra was a Trojan princess, the daughter of Priam and Hecuba. She was given the gift of prophecy by Apollo, but when she spurned his advances he cursed her so nobody would believe her prophecies.

In the Middle Ages this name was common in England due to the popularity of medieval tales about the Trojan War. It subsequently became rare, but was revived in the 20th century.

Feminine form of Cassius.

Latinized form of Greek Κασσιόπεια (Kassiopeia) or Κασσιέπεια (Kassiepeia), possibly meaning "cassia juice". In Greek myth Cassiopeia was the wife of Cepheus and the mother of Andromeda. She was changed into a constellation and placed in the northern sky after she died.

Roman family name that was possibly derived from Latin cassus meaning "empty, vain". This name was borne by several early saints. In modern times, it was the original first name of boxer Muhammad Ali (1942-2016), who was named after his father Cassius Clay, who was himself named after the American abolitionist Cassius Clay (1810-1903).

Roman cognomen meaning "wise" in Latin. This name was bestowed upon Cato the Elder (Marcus Porcius Cato), a 2nd-century BC Roman statesman, author and censor, and was subsequently inherited by his descendants, including his great-grandson Cato the Younger (Marcus Porcius Cato Uticencis), a politician and philosopher who opposed Julius Caesar.

Feminine form of Caelestius.

From the Greek name Κλεοπάτρα (Kleopatra) meaning "glory of the father", derived from κλέος (kleos) meaning "glory" combined with πατήρ (pater) meaning "father" (genitive πατρός). This was the name of queens of Egypt from the Ptolemaic royal family, including Cleopatra VII, the mistress of both Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. After being defeated by Augustus she committed suicide (according to popular belief, by allowing herself to be bitten by a venomous asp). Shakespeare's tragedy Antony and Cleopatra (1606) tells the story of her life.

Latinized form of Greek Κλυταιμνήστρα (Klytaimnestra) and Κλυταιμήστρα (Klytaimestra), in which the first element is κλυτός (klytos) meaning "famous, noble". The spelling Klytaimnestra would suggest the second element is μνηστήρ (mnester) meaning "courter, wooer", while Klytaimestra would suggest a connection to μήδομαι (medomai) meaning "to plan, to intend". There is debate over which spelling is earlier or more authentic [1], since the ancient texts seem to make puns based on both etymologies. Klytaimestra appears in the works of the Greek tragedians such as Aeschylus, while Klytaimnestra appears in Homer's poems (the earliest extant copy dating from the post-classical period).

In Greek legend Clytemnestra was the wife of Agamemnon and the mother of Orestes and Electra. While her husband was away during the Trojan War she took a lover, and upon his return she had Agamemnon murdered. She was subsequently killed by her son Orestes.

Latinized form of Greek Κορινθία (Korinthia) meaning "woman from Corinth", an ancient Greek city-state. This is the real name of Corrie in William Faulkner's novel The Reivers (1962).

Roman cognomen which was derived from Corioli, the name of an ancient but now lost Volscian city. Although derived from the Volscian language, it is not known what the meaning of the city's name was in Volscian. A known bearer of this name was Gaius Marcius Coriolanus, a Roman general from the 5th century BC. He is also featured in one of William Shakespeare's plays.

Form of Criseida used by Shakespeare in his play Troilus and Cressida (1602).

Latinized form of the Greek Δαίδαλος (Daidalos), which was derived from δαιδάλλω (daidallo) meaning "to work cunningly". In Greek myth Daedalus was an Athenian inventor who was banished to Crete. There he designed the Labyrinth for King Minos, but he and his son Icarus were eventually imprisoned inside it because he had aided Theseus in his quest against the Minotaur. Daedalus and Icarus escaped using wings fashioned from wax, but Icarus fell from the sky to his death.

From the name of the flower, which was named for the Swedish botanist Anders Dahl.

In Celtic mythology, Damara was a fertility goddess worshipped in Britain. She was associated with the month of May (Beltaine).

From Greek δηιόω (deioo) meaning "to slay" and ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man". In Greek mythology this was the name of the wife of Herakles. She unwittingly poisoned her husband by giving him the Shirt of Nessus.

Latinized form of Deianeira.

Means "terror" in Greek. This was one of the sons of the Greek god Ares. Also, a moon of Mars bears this name.

Means "adorning the heart", from Persian دل (del) meaning "heart" and آرا (ārā) meaning "decorate, adorn".

Means "rich guard", derived from the Old English elements ead "wealth, fortune" and weard "guard". This was the name of several Anglo-Saxon kings, the last being Saint Edward the Confessor shortly before the Norman Conquest in the 11th century. He was known as a just ruler, and because of his popularity his name remained in use after the conquest when most other Old English names were replaced by Norman ones. The 13th-century Plantagenet king Henry III named his son and successor after the saint, and seven subsequent kings of England were also named Edward.

This is one of the few Old English names to be used throughout Europe (in various spellings). A famous bearer was the British composer Edward Elgar (1857-1934). It was also used by author Charlotte Brontë for the character Edward Rochester, the main love interest of the title character in her novel Jane Eyre (1847).

Possibly derived from Greek ἄλαρα (alara) meaning "hazelnut, spear-shaft". In Greek mythology Elara was one of Zeus's mortal lovers and by him the mother of the giant Tityos. A moon of Jupiter bears this name in her honour.

Latinized form of Greek Ἠλέκτρα (Elektra), derived from ἤλεκτρον (elektron) meaning "amber". In Greek myth she was the daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra and the sister of Orestes. She helped her brother kill their mother and her lover Aegisthus in vengeance for Agamemnon's murder. Also in Greek mythology, this name was borne by one of the Pleiades, who were the daughters of Atlas and Pleione.

Middle English form of both the Old English names Æðelflæd and Ælfflæd. These names became rare after the Norman Conquest, but Elfleda was briefly revived in the 19th century.

Modern German form of Adelmar or Egilmar.

Latinate form of Estelle. This is the name of the heroine, Estella Havisham, in Charles Dickens' novel Great Expectations (1860).

Icelandic and Old Norse form of Freya.

German, Scottish, Slovak and Slovene form of Gregorius (see Gregory). A famous bearer was Gregor Mendel (1822-1884), a Czech monk and scientist who did experiments in genetics.

Uncertain meaning, possibly from Greek ἥρως (heros) meaning "hero, warrior"; ὥρα (hora) meaning "period of time"; or αἱρέω (haireo) meaning "to be chosen". In Greek mythology Hera was the queen of the gods, the sister and wife of Zeus. She presided over marriage and childbirth.

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

Derived from Greek ὑπέρ (hyper) meaning "over". In Greek myth this was the name of a Titan who presided over the sun and light. By Theia he was the father of the sun god Helios, the moon goddess Selene, and the dawn goddess Eos.

From the Greek Ἴκαρος (Ikaros), of unknown meaning. In Greek myth Icarus was the son of Daedalus, locked with his father inside the Labyrinth by Minos. They escaped from the maze using wings devised from wax, but Icarus flew too close to the sun and the wax melted, plunging him to his death.

Derived from Latin imperium meaning "command; authority; rule, power; empire". This was the name of an obscure saint, who was venerated in Mauprévoir, France (also known as Impère and Impérie). It was also borne by the famous Italian courtesan Imperia Cognati (1486-1512), in whose case it was probably a pseudonym. Honoré de Balzac later used it in his short story La belle Impéria (1832), where it belongs to a fictional courtesan who is active at the Council of Constance (1414/1418); a statue of Imperia was erected at the entrance of the harbour of Konstanz in 1993. A similar name, Bel-imperia, was employed by Elizabethan dramatist Thomas Kyd for a character in his play The Spanish Tragedy (written between 1582 and 1592).

Variant of Inaara. This name was popularized in the United States by character Inara Serra on the space Western TV show Firefly (2002).

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).

Derived from Greek ἴφιος (iphios) meaning "strong, stout" and γενής (genes) meaning "born". In Greek myth Iphigenia was the daughter of King Agamemnon. When her father offended Artemis it was divined that the only way to appease the goddess was to sacrifice Iphigenia. Just as Agamemnon was about to sacrifice his daughter she was magically transported to the city of Taurus.

In Christian tradition this was also the name of a legendary early saint, the daughter of an Ethiopian king Egippus.

Alternate transcription of Arabic خديجة (see Khadija), as well as the usual Malay form.

Original Latin form of Letitia, as well as a French variant. This name began rising in popularity in France around the same time that Serge Gainsbourg released his 1963 song Elaeudanla Téïtéïa (this title is a phonetic rendering of the letters in the name Lætitia). It peaked in 1982 as the fourth most common name for girls.

Feminine form of Lucius. Saint Lucia was a 4th-century martyr from Syracuse. She was said to have had her eyes gouged out, and thus she is the patron saint of the blind. She was widely revered in the Middle Ages, and her name has been used throughout Christian Europe (in various spellings). It has been used in the England since the 12th century, usually in the spellings Lucy or Luce.

Italian form of Lucretia.

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).

Late Latin name meaning "great". It was borne by a 7th-century saint who was a missionary in Germany. It became popular in Scandinavia after the time of the 11th-century Norwegian king Magnus I, who was said to have been named after Charlemagne, or Carolus Magnus in Latin (however there was also a Norse name Magni). The name was borne by six subsequent kings of Norway as well as three kings of Sweden. It was imported to Scotland and Ireland during the Middle Ages.

From Tupi maya arya meaning "great-grandmother".

Feminine form of Maurus.

Roman form of Maximilian.

Roman family name that was derived from Latin maximus "greatest". Saint Maximus was a monk and theologian from Constantinople in the 7th century.

Latinized form of Greek Μέγαιρα (Megaira), which was derived from μεγαίρω (megairo) meaning "to grudge". This was the name of one of the Furies or Ἐρινύες (Erinyes) in Greek mythology. The name is used as a word in several European languages to denote a shrewish, ill-tempered woman (for example, French mégère and Italian megera).

Either a variant of Megaera or derived from either the Ancient Greek city Megara in West Attica, Greece, or the Ancient Greek colony in Sicily Megara Hyblaea, both derived from megaron, from megas 'large, great, marvelous', referring to a large hall.

In Greek mythology, Megara was the oldest daughter of Creon, king of Thebes. In reward for Heracles' defending Thebes from the Minyans at Orchomenus in single-handed battle, Creon offered his daughter Megara to Heracles. She bore him a son and a daughter, whom Heracles killed when Hera struck him with temporary madness. In some sources Heracles slew Megara too, in others, she was given to Iolaus when Heracles left Thebes forever.

In the Disney animated film Hercules, Megara, also called Meg, is a young woman who was a pawn for the Lord of the Underworld, Hades. Sometime during the events of Hercules, Meg went to Hades and sold her soul to revive a lover of hers who had died. Hades agreed on the condition that she serve him forever, which she accepted. However, shortly after her lover was revived, he fell in love with someone else and ungratefully left Meg locked in servitude to Hades. This background story of the character alludes to the myth of Alcestis, who dies by proxy for her husband Admetus.

Derived from Latin melior meaning "better".

Combination of Melisa and Sandra, possibly influenced by names such as Mélisande and Lisandra.

Latinized form of Melicent (compare Melisende).

Feminine form of Nadir.

Latin form of Nevio.

Latinized form of Greek Νάρκισσος (Narkissos), possibly derived from νάρκη (narke) meaning "sleep, numbness". Narkissos was a beautiful youth in Greek mythology who stared at his own reflection for so long that he eventually died and was turned into the narcissus flower.

This name appears briefly in the epistles in the New Testament and was also borne by a few early saints, including a 2nd-century patriarch of Jerusalem. It has been used to the present, especially in Catholic regions, usually in honour of the saint as opposed to the mythological character.

From the Roman name Octavianus, which was derived from the name Octavius. After Gaius Octavius (later the Roman emperor Augustus) was adopted by Julius Caesar he took the name Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus.

Means "excellent" in Ancient Latin. Its etymology is uncertain. It can derive from the Greek root opti- meaning 'light, sight'. Another possible etimology is from Ancient Latin optàre "to choose, to desire" with the meaning of "the chosen one, the superior one". A further Latin root is from ops that means "wealth, power" so Optimus would mean "the wealthiest".

In popular culture, this was used by the heroic Autobot leader Optimus Prime in 'Transformers'.

Derived from Greek παρθένος (parthenos) meaning "maiden, virgin". This was the name of one of the mares of Marmax in Greek mythology.

Feminine form of Patricius (see Patrick). In medieval England this spelling appears in Latin documents, but this form was probably not used as the actual name until the 18th century, in Scotland [1].

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

Homeric variant of Persephone.

Possibly derived from Greek πέρθω (pertho) meaning "to destroy". In Greek mythology Perseus was a hero who was said to have founded the ancient city of Mycenae. He was the son of Zeus and Danaë. Mother and child were exiled by Danaë's father Acrisius, and Perseus was raised on the island of Seriphos. The king of the island compelled Perseus to kill the Gorgon Medusa, who was so ugly that anyone who gazed upon her was turned to stone. After obtaining winged sandals and other tools from the gods, he succeeded in his task by looking at Medusa in the reflection of his shield and slaying her in her sleep. On his return he defeated a sea monster in order to save Andromeda, who became his wife.

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.

Romanian, Croatian and Serbian form of Rachel.

Medieval English variant of Regina (influenced by Old French reine, meaning "queen"), Judeo-Anglo-Norman variant of Reine and Judeo-Spanish variant of Reina 2. As a Jewish name, Reyna was used as a translation of Malka.

Means "brave ruler", derived from the Old German elements rih "ruler, king" and hart "hard, firm, brave, hardy". This was the name of three early dukes of Normandy. The Normans introduced it to England when they invaded in the 11th century, and it has been very common there since that time. It was borne by three kings of England including the 12th-century Richard I the Lionheart, one of the leaders of the Third Crusade.

During the late Middle Ages this name was typically among the five most common for English males (with John, William, Robert and Thomas). It remained fairly popular through to the modern era, peaking in the United States in the 1940s and in the United Kingom a bit later, and steadily declining since that time.

Famous bearers include two German opera composers, Richard Wagner (1813-1883) and Richard Strauss (1864-1949), as well as British explorer Richard Burton (1821-1890), American president Richard Nixon (1913-1994), American physicist Richard Feynman (1918-1988), British actor Richard Burton (1925-1984) and American musician Little Richard (1932-2020).

Feminine form of Sabir.

Derived from Albanian sa "so; how (much)", the particle e and mirë "good".

From the Greek name Σαπφείρη (Sappheire), which was from Greek σάπφειρος (sappheiros) meaning "sapphire" or "lapis lazuli" (ultimately derived from the Hebrew word סַפִּיר (sappir)). Sapphira is a character in Acts in the New Testament who is killed by God for lying.

Italian feminine form of Xavier.

Means "thinking" in Yakut.

Latin form of Zipporah.

Derived from Latin semper meaning "forever, always". It also coincides with a surname which derives from multiple distinct sources, including the French place name Saint-Pierre and the medieval Germanic personal name Sindperht (see Sindbert).

It has been occasionally used as a given name from the 18th century onwards.

From the name of the patron saint of Zennor, a village in Cornwall, which is of obscure origin. Conceivably it may be derived from the Breton name Azenor or the old Celtic Senovara. According to local legend Saint Senara was originally Princess Azenor of Brest in Lower Brittany, the mother of Saint Budoc. She is also said to have been a mermaid before her conversion (though even after becoming a Christian, "she continued to pine for the sea"). This name was given to 52 girls born in England and Wales in the years 1916-2005.

From Spanish señora meaning "lady, Mrs".

Feminine form of Septimus.

Roman praenomen, or given name, which meant "seventh" in Latin.

Feminine form of the Late Latin name Seraphinus, derived from the biblical word seraphim, which was Hebrew in origin and meant "fiery ones". The seraphim were an order of angels, described by Isaiah in the Bible as having six wings each.

This was the name of a 13th-century Italian saint who made clothes for the poor. As an English name, it has never been common.

Means "wisdom" in Greek. This was the name of an early, probably mythical, saint who died of grief after her three daughters were martyred during the reign of the emperor Hadrian. Legends about her probably arose as a result of a medieval misunderstanding of the phrase Hagia Sophia "Holy Wisdom", which is the name of a large basilica in Constantinople.

This name was common among continental European royalty during the Middle Ages, and it was popularized in Britain by the German House of Hanover when they inherited the British throne in the 18th century. It was the name of characters in the novels Tom Jones (1749) by Henry Fielding and The Vicar of Wakefield (1766) by Oliver Goldsmith.

In the United States this name was only moderately common until the 1990s when it began rising in popularity, eventually becoming the most popular for girls from 2011 to 2013. A famous bearer is the Italian actress Sophia Loren (1934-).

Feminine form of Sophronius. Torquato Tasso used it in his epic poem Jerusalem Delivered (1580), in which it is borne by the lover of Olindo.

Latin form of Virgil.

Latin cognate of Hesperos. This name was used by the British author Ian Fleming for a female character, a love interest of James Bond, in his novel Casino Royale (1953). She also appears in the film adaptations of 1967 and 2006.

Means "of the evening", derived from Esperanto vespero "evening", ultimately from Latin vesper.

Means "victory" in Latin, being borne by the Roman goddess of victory. It is also a feminine form of Victorius. This name was borne by a 4th-century saint and martyr from North Africa.

Though in use elsewhere in Europe, the name was very rare in the English-speaking world until the 19th century, when Queen Victoria began her long rule of Britain. She was named after her mother, who was of German royalty. Many geographic areas are named after the queen, including an Australian state and a Canadian city.

From the Latin Vulcanus, possibly related to fulgere meaning "to flash", but more likely of pre-Latin origin. In Roman mythology Vulcan was the god of fire. He was later equated with the Greek god Hephaestus.

Modern elaborated form of Xanthe.

Variant of Iara.