PurpleRose's Personal Name List

Latinized form of Artemios.

Originally a short form of Germanic names that began with the element irmin meaning "whole" or "great" (Proto-Germanic *ermunaz). It was introduced to England by Emma of Normandy, who was the wife both of King Ethelred II (and by him the mother of Edward the Confessor) and later of King Canute. It was also borne by an 11th-century Austrian saint, who is sometimes called Hemma.

After the Norman Conquest this name became common in England. It was revived in the 18th century, perhaps in part due to Matthew Prior's 1709 poem Henry and Emma [2]. It was also used by Jane Austen for the central character, the matchmaker Emma Woodhouse, in her novel Emma (1816).

In the United States, it was third in rank in 1880 (behind only the ubiquitous Mary and Anna). It declined steadily over the next century, beginning another rise in the 1980s and eventually becoming the most popular name for girls in 2008. At this time it also experienced similar levels of popularity elsewhere, including the United Kingdom (where it began rising a decade earlier), Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Scandinavia and the Netherlands. Famous bearers include the actresses Emma Thompson (1959-), Emma Stone (1988-) and Emma Watson (1990-).

Latinized and Cypriot form of Emmeleia.

English form of Latin Gregorius, which was from the Late Greek name Γρηγόριος (Gregorios), derived from γρήγορος (gregoros) meaning "watchful, alert". This name was popular among early Christians, being borne by a number of important saints including Saint Gregory Thaumaturgus (3rd century), Saint Gregory the Illuminator (4th century), Saint Gregory of Nyssa (4th century), Saint Gregory of Nazianzus (4th century), and Saint Gregory of Tours (6th century). It was also borne by the 6th-century pope Saint Gregory I the Great, a reformer and Doctor of the Church, as well as 15 subsequent popes.

Due to the renown of the saints by this name, Gregory (in various spellings) has remained common in the Christian world through the Middle Ages and to the present day. It has been used in England since the 12th century. A famous bearer from the modern era was American actor Gregory Peck (1916-2003).

Latvian form of Yevgeniya.

Latinate form of Greek Ioanna (see Joanna).

An Orthodox saint in the 4th century. Son of Ss. Emmelia and Basil the Elder, and brother to St. Basil the Great, Ss. Theosebia and Gregory of Nyssa, and St. Macrina the younger.

Derived from Greek Πέτρος (Petros) meaning "stone". This is a translation used in most versions of the New Testament of the name Cephas, meaning "stone" in Aramaic, which was given to the apostle Simon by Jesus (compare Matthew 16:18 and John 1:42). Simon Peter was the most prominent of the apostles during Jesus' ministry and is often considered the first pope.

Due to the renown of the apostle, this name became common throughout the Christian world (in various spellings). In England the Normans introduced it in the Old French form Piers, which was gradually replaced by the spelling Peter starting in the 15th century [1].

Besides the apostle, other saints by this name include the 11th-century reformer Saint Peter Damian and the 13th-century preacher Saint Peter Martyr. It was also borne by rulers of Aragon, Portugal, and Russia, including the Russian tsar Peter the Great (1672-1725), who defeated Sweden in the Great Northern War. Famous fictional bearers include Peter Rabbit from Beatrix Potter's children's books, Peter Pan, the boy who refused to grow up in J. M. Barrie's 1904 play, and Peter Parker, the real name of the comic book superhero Spider-Man.

Feminine form of Peter. This was also the name of an ancient city in the region that is now Jordan.

This name is best known for being the name of saint Phanourios (also known as Phanurius), a pre-congegration saint who is primarily venerated in the Greek Orthodox Church. Since nearly all relevant details about the saint's life have been lost - such as where (and when!) he lived and died - we cannot be certain if he was an ethnic Greek or a foreigner who had become at least partially hellenized. As such, his name (which is most likely a compound name) is either an authentic Greek name, or a hellenized foreign name.

In the case of the former, the first element is almost certainly derived from Greek φανός (phanos) meaning "light" (adjective) as well as "torch, lantern" (noun). The second element is possibly derived from Greek οὖρος (ouros) meaning "watcher, guardian", which might give the name the meaning of "guardian with a torch". Also compare Ourania and Orion, which might possibly be etymologically related to varying degrees.

In the case of the latter possibility, the name Phanourios might be a hellenization of the Arabic name Fannur (also written as Fanur), which is also strongly connected to the theme of light.

Derived from the Greek noun θεοσέβεια (theosebeia) meaning "service" as well as "fear of God", which consists of Greek θεός (theos) meaning "god" combined with Greek σέβας (sebas) meaning "respect, reverential awe". Also compare the Greek adjective θεοσεβής (theosebes) meaning "god-fearing" and the related name Eusebios.

This name was borne by the 4th-century saint Theosebia the Deaconess, who is venerated in the Eastern Orthodox Church.