Rosanne's Personal Name List

Means "mouth of the Don (river)" in Scottish Gaelic. This is the name of the name of a city in northern Scotland, as well as several other cities worldwide named after the Scottish city.

From the Hebrew name אֶבְיָתָר (ʾEvyaṯar) meaning "my father abounds" or "my father excels", derived from אָב (ʾav) meaning "father" and יָתַר (yaṯar) meaning "to abound, to excel". According to the Old Testament Abiathar was a high priest during the reign of King David.

Form of Agatha in several languages.

Latinized form of the Greek name Ἅγνη (Hagne), derived from Greek ἁγνός (hagnos) meaning "chaste". Saint Agnes was a virgin martyred during the persecutions of the Roman emperor Diocletian. The name became associated with Latin agnus "lamb", resulting in the saint's frequent depiction with a lamb by her side. Due to her renown, the name became common in Christian Europe.

As an English name it was highly popular from the Middle Ages until the 17th century. It was revived in the 19th century and was common into the 20th, but it fell into decline after the 1930s. It last appeared on the American top 1000 rankings in 1972.

Russian form of Joachim.

From an Aramaic form of Yaakov. Akiva (or Akiba) ben Joseph was a prominent 1st-century Jewish rabbi.

Derived from Arabic الدبران (al-Dabarān) meaning "follower" (from دبر (dábar) "to turn one's back"). This is the name of the brightest star in the constellation Taurus, presumably so named because it appears to follow the Pleiades rightward across the night sky. The apocryphal Book of Enoch describes Aldebaran as a fallen angel, who attempted to seduce an Assyrian queen in the form of a bull.

Diminutive of Aleksey.

The name of one of the Okeanides and a minor goddess of the rising tide.

French feminine and masculine form of Amyntas.

French form of Anthimos via Anthimus.

In Greek mythology he was a son of Zeus and Callisto. He was remembered for having taught people the art of weaving and baking bread. Hera became jealous of his birth, and in anger, transformed Callisto into a bear. She would have done the same or worse to her son, had Zeus not hidden Arcas in an area of Greece that would come to be called Arcadia, in his honor. There Arcas safely lived until one day, during one of the court feasts held by king Lycaon (Arcas' maternal grandfather), Lycaon tried to kill him and Zeus, in retaliation turned him in the first werewolf.

After this occurrence, Arcas became the new king of Arcadia, and the country's greatest hunter. One day when Arcas went hunting in the woods, he came across his mother. Seeing her son after so long, she went forth to embrace him. Not knowing that the bear was his mother, he went to kill her with an arrow. Zeus, taking pity upon the two, decided to avert the tragedy and put them both up in the heavens, and their constellations are now referred to as Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, the big and little bears. When Hera heard of this, she became so angry that she asked Tethys to keep them in a certain place, so that the constellations would never sink below the horizon and receive water.

Derived from the Greek elements ἀρχός (archos) meaning "master" and μήδεα (medea) meaning "plans, counsel, cunning". This was the name of a 3rd-century BC Greek mathematician, astronomer and inventor.

From Ancient Greek Ἀρκτοῦρος (Arktouros), the name of the fourth brightest star in the sky, part of the constellation Boötes. It means "guardian of the bear", derived from ἄρκτος (arktos) meaning "bear" and οὖρος (ouros) meaning "guardian", referring to the star's position close to the constellations Ursa Minor and Ursa Major.

Derived from the Greek elements ἄριστος (aristos) meaning "best" and δῆμος (demos) meaning "the people". This was the name of a descendant of Herakles in Greek legend.

Latinized form of Artavazd.

Icelandic form of Asger.

Possibly means "flowing" from a prosthetic aleph (Hebrew: א) and the Hebrew verb שבל (shobel) "to flow forth" (the source of Shobal), or possibly derived from the noun אֵשׁ ('esh) "fire" and the verb בעל (ba'al) "to be lord (over), to own, to control". In the Old Testament this name belonged to the second son of Benjamin. A known bearer was American pioneer physician Ashbel Smith (1805-1886), a leader in the development of Texas.

From עַשְׁתֹרֶת (ʿAshṯoreṯ), the Hebrew form of the name of a Phoenician goddess of love, war and fertility. Her name is cognate to that of the East Semitic goddess Ishtar.

Icelandic and Faroese form of Askr.

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.

Transferred use of the surname Athen.

From Greek Athenai (plural because the city had several distinct parts), traditionally derived from Athena, but probably assimilated from a lost name in a pre-Hellenic language.

German and Icelandic form of Balder.

Spanish form of Balthazar. This is also the form (of Belshazzar) used in the Greek Old Testament.

Greek form of an Aramaic name. In Acts in the New Testament the byname Barnabas was given to a man named Joseph, a Jew from Cyprus who was a companion of Paul on his missionary journeys. The original Aramaic form is unattested, but it may be from בּר נביא (bar navi) meaning "son of the prophet", though in Acts 4:36 it is claimed that the name means "son of encouragement".

As an English name, Barnabas came into occasional use after the 12th century. It is now rare, though the variant Barnaby is still moderately common in Britain.

From the Hebrew name בַּרְזִלָּי (Barzillai), derived from בַּרְזֶל (barzel) meaning "iron" [2]. This is the name of three different characters in the Old Testament, including Barzillai the Gileadite.

Variant of Basemath.

Means "daughter of salvation" or "daughter of prosperity" in Hebrew. The first element is Hebrew בַּת (bat 2) meaning "daughter"; the second element could be derived from the verb יָשַׁע (yasha') "to save, to deliver", which is related to the verb שוע (shawa') meaning "to cry out (for salvation)" and the nouns שוע (shua'), שוע (shoa') and שועה (shawa) all of which mean "a cry (for salvation)", or it could be derived from a noun שוע which has been interpreted as meaning "riches, wealth".

According to George R. Stewart (1979): 'In the biblical text this name is sometimes only another form for Bathsheba, though at least once it is the name of another person. It occurs rarely among names in early New England. It may represent an attempt to provide a substitute for Bathsheba, without that name's evil suggestions. Bathshua, however, failed to become established.' A bearer of the variant Bathsua was the great 17th-century scholar Bathsua Makin.

Italian form of Beatrix. Beatrice Portinari (1266-1290) was the woman who was loved by the Italian poet Dante Alighieri. She serves as Dante's guide through paradise in his epic poem the Divine Comedy (1321). This is also the name of a character in Shakespeare's comedy Much Ado About Nothing (1599), in which Beatrice and Benedick are fooled into confessing their love for one another.

Diminutive of Beatrice.

Hebrew name deriving from בְּאֵר be'er "well", "fountain" with suffix, meaning "my well".
In the Old Testament the father of the Prophet Hoshea and the father-in-law of Esau bear this Name. In modern Israel it is occasionally used as a female name as well.

From Βελλεροφόντης (Bellerophontes), possibly from Greek βέλος (belos) meaning "dart" and the suffix φόντης (phontes) meaning "slayer of". Alternatively the first element might come from a defeated foe named Belleros, who is otherwise unattested. In Greek legend Bellerophon or Bellerophontes was a hero who tamed Pegasus and killed the monstrous Chimera. He was killed by Zeus when he attempted to ride Pegasus to Mount Olympus.

Hebrew form of Benaiah.

Yiddish form of Benedict.

Icelandic form of Benja.

Means "son of Zion" in Hebrew.

Rare alternate form Barukh or Baruch

Old Norse diminutive of Björn.

From an Old Testament place name meaning "house of God" in Hebrew. This was a town north of Jerusalem, where Jacob saw his vision of the stairway. It is occasionally used as a given name.

beth is the hebrew word for house, while shalom is the hebrew for peace. meaning house of peace.

Means "in God's shadow" in Hebrew.

Hebrew and Arabic form of Benjamin.

From Icelandic birki meaning "birch", specifically the downy birch (species Betula pubescens).

Variant of Bluma.

Diminutive of Bob. Hockey greats Bobby Hull (1939-2023) and Bobby Orr (1948-) have borne this name.

Means "north wind" in Greek. Boreas was the Greek god of the north wind.

From Old Norse breki ''breaker''.

Faroese variant of Gabrial.

Short form of Brighton.

Derived from the Hebrew word חַיִּים (chayim) meaning "life". It has been used since medieval times.

Chanina has the same meaning of the name Hannah, from ancient Hebrew through out medieval Yiddish meaning “Gracious, god is gracious.

Hebrew form of Enoch.

Hebrew form of Hezekiah.

Hebrew form of Hodesh.

From the word referring to the pupa of a butterfly or moth or the cocoon where the pupa is enclosed inside, derived via Latin from Ancient Greek χρυσαλλίς (khrusallís), from χρυσός (khrusós) meaning "gold."

A My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic villain bears this name.

Transferred use of the surname Cross or simply from the word cross.

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 Hebrew name דָּוִד (Dawiḏ), which was derived from דּוֹד (doḏ) meaning "beloved" or "uncle". David was the second and greatest of the kings of Israel, ruling in the 10th century BC. Several stories about him are told in the Old Testament, including his defeat of Goliath, a giant Philistine. According to the New Testament, Jesus was descended from him.

This name has been used in Britain since the Middle Ages. It has been especially popular in Wales, where it is used in honour of the 5th-century patron saint of Wales (also called Dewi), as well as in Scotland, where it was borne by two kings. Over the last century it has been one of the English-speaking world's most consistently popular names, never leaving the top 30 names for boys in the United States, and reaching the top rank in England and Wales during the 1950s and 60s. In Spain it was the most popular name for boys during the 1970s and 80s.

Famous bearers include empiricist philosopher David Hume (1711-1776), explorer David Livingstone (1813-1873), musician David Bowie (1947-2016), and soccer player David Beckham (1975-). This is also the name of the hero of Charles Dickens' semi-autobiographical novel David Copperfield (1850).

Derived from Greek δῶρον (doron) meaning "gift".

Means "bear" in Hebrew.

Combination of Hebrew Dov and Yiddish Ber, both meaning "bear"

Combination of the Hebrew name Dov (דוב) and the Yiddish name Ber (בער).

From Old Norse dúnn meaning "(eider)-down".

From the English word eagle, ultimately from Latin aquila. Also from the surname Eagle, originally a nickname for a lordly or sharp-eyed man.

Feminine form of Ebbe.

From the Greek word ἠχώ (echo) meaning "echo, reflected sound", related to ἠχή (eche) meaning "sound". In Greek mythology Echo was a nymph given a speech impediment by Hera, so that she could only repeat what others said. She fell in love with Narcissus, but her love was not returned, and she pined away until nothing remained of her except her voice.

Possibly from Old Norse meaning "great-grandmother". This was the name of two 13th-century Icelandic literary works: the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda. This is also the name of a character in the Poetic Edda, though it is unclear if her name is connected to the name of the collection.

From the name of the edelweiss flower (species Leontopodium alpinum). It is derived from the German elements edel "noble" and weiß "white." The name of the flower is spelled Edelweiß in German; Edelweiss is an Anglicized spelling.

Hebrew form of Ephraim.

Means "delicate" in Yiddish.

Hebrew form of Elizabeth.

Alternate transcription of Russian Елизавета (see Yelizaveta).

From an English surname that was derived from the given name Elis, a medieval vernacular form of Elias. This name has also functioned as an Anglicized form of Welsh Elisedd.

Icelandic form of Elizabeth. It originated as a "Nordicized" form of Yelizaveta, the original Russian name of the 11th-century Rus' princess (daughter of the Kievan ruler Yaroslav) who married King Haraldr III of Norway.

Derived from French émeraude "emerald".

French feminine form of Emerentius.

From the Hebrew name עִמָּנוּאֵל (ʿImmanuʾel) meaning "God is with us", from the roots עִם (ʿim) meaning "with" and אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". This was the foretold name of the Messiah in the Old Testament. It has been used in England since the 16th century in the spellings Emmanuel and Immanuel, though it has not been widespread [1]. The name has been more common in continental Europe, especially in Spain and Portugal (in the spellings Manuel and Manoel).

Derived from Greek ἐνδύω (endyo) meaning "to dive into, to enter". In Greek mythology he was an Aeolian mortal loved by the moon goddess Selene, who asked Zeus to grant him eternal life. Zeus complied by putting him into an eternal sleep in a cave on Mount Latmos.

Meaning unknown. This name first appeared in the late 19th century. It is the name of the main character in the novel Enola; or, her Fatal Mistake (1886) by Mary Young Ridenbaugh. The aircraft that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima was named Enola Gay after the mother of the pilot, who was herself named for the book character.

Means "dawn" in Greek. This was the name of the Greek goddess of the dawn.

Probably a medieval Provençal form of Claremonde. According to a folk etymology it means "light of the world" from Old French esclair "light" and monde "world". In medieval legend Esclarmonde was a Muslim princess, lover of the Christian knight Huon de Bordeaux. It was borne by Esclarmonde de Foix (1151-1215), a princess and Cathar Perfecta from Occitania.

Means "grape cluster" in Hebrew.

Latinized form of Greek Εὐρώπη (Europe), which meant "wide face" from εὐρύς (eurys) meaning "wide" and ὄψ (ops) meaning "face, eye". In Greek mythology Europa was a Phoenician princess who was abducted and taken to Crete by Zeus in the guise of a bull. She became the first queen of Crete, and later fathered Minos by Zeus. The continent of Europe said to be named for her, though it is more likely her name is from that of the continent. This is also the name of a moon of Jupiter.

Eurus was the god of the east wind, one of the four directional Anemoi (Wind-Gods). He was associated with the season of autumn and dwelt near the palace of the sun-god Helios in the far east.

From the Greek Εὐρυδίκη (Eurydike) meaning "wide justice", derived from εὐρύς (eurys) meaning "wide" and δίκη (dike) meaning "justice, custom, order". In Greek myth she was the wife of Orpheus. Her husband tried to rescue her from Hades, but he failed when he disobeyed the condition that he not look back upon her on their way out.

Latinized form of the Greek name Εὐθύμιος (Euthymios) meaning "in good spirits, generous", derived from the word εὔθυμος (euthymos), which was composed of the elements εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and θυμός (thymos) meaning "soul, spirit". This was the name of several early saints.

Icelandic combination of ey "good fortune" or "island" and glóa "to shine, glitter".

Means "my helper" in Hebrew. In the Bible Ezri was an overseer during King David's reign.

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

From a Roman cognomen meaning "lucky, successful" in Latin. It was acquired as an agnomen, or nickname, by the 1st-century BC Roman general Sulla. It also appears in the New Testament belonging to the governor of Judea who imprisoned Saint Paul.

Due to its favourable meaning, this name was popular among early Christians, being borne by many early saints and four popes. It has been used in England since the Middle Ages, though it has been more popular in continental Europe. A notable bearer was the German composer Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847).

From a Scottish place name that was formerly the name of a kingdom in Scotland. It is said to be named for a Pictish kingdom called Fib.

Transferred use of the surname Fifer.

Fig is the name of Hannah's cousin in Curtis Sittenfield's 'The Man of My Dreams'.
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Nature name referring to the tree which is cultivated for its fruit. In Christian symbolism, the fig symbolises chastity and humility, since fig leaves were said to be used by Adam and Eve to cover their genitals in The Book of Genesis.

Norwegian form of Flavius.

French form of Floria.

Possibly a Icelandic and Faroese form of Flavius.

Old Norse form of Folke.

French form of Fortunatus.

Variant of Fos.

French form of Gabinus (see Gavino).

Transferred use of the surname Gable.

From the Hebrew name גַבְרִיאֵל (Ḡavriʾel) meaning "God is my strong man", derived from גֶּבֶר (gever) meaning "strong man, hero" and אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". Gabriel is an archangel in Hebrew tradition, often appearing as a messenger of God. In the Old Testament he is sent to interpret the visions of the prophet Daniel, while in the New Testament he serves as the announcer of the births of John to Zechariah and Jesus to Mary. According to Islamic tradition he was the angel who dictated the Quran to Muhammad.

This name has been used occasionally in England since the 12th century. It was not common in the English-speaking world until the end of the 20th century.

From Greek Γανυμήδης (Ganymedes), which was possibly derived from γάνυμαι (ganymai) meaning "to be glad" and μήδεα (medea) meaning "plans, counsel, cunning". In Greek mythology this was the name of a beautiful boy who was abducted by Zeus to become the cupbearer to the gods, the successor of Hebe. A moon of Jupiter is named after him.

French form of Gaudentius (for males) and Gaudentia (for females).

Short form of Gavriel or Gavrielle.

Means "grape vine" in Hebrew.

Derived from the Old Norse element geirr meaning "spear".

The Hebrew word גֶּשֶׁם (géshem) means "rain".

Geshem the Arab is a biblical figure occurring in the book of Nehemiah.

>>GESHEM THE ARABIAN:

>>Ally of Sanballat and Tobiah and adversary of Nehemiah (Neh. ii. 19, vi. 1). In Neh. vi. 6 he is called "Gashmu," which is probably more correct, as an Arab tribe named "Gushamu" is known (Cook, "Aramaic Glossary," s.v. ). When Nehemiah proceeded to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, the Samaritans and the Arabs made efforts to hinder him. Geshem or Gashmu, who probably was the chief of the Arabs, joined the Samaritans and accused Nehemiah of conspiracy against the Persian king.

(Quoted from the 1906 edition of The Jewish Encyclopedia)

From the English word meaning "to shine". This name was used in Suzanne Collins' popular book, 'The Hunger Games'.

Derived from the Old Norse verb glóa meaning "to glow, to glisten, to shine". Also compare Glóa and the masculine Glói (the name of a dwarf in Vǫluspá).

Simply from the English word glory, ultimately from Latin gloria.

Variant of Golda.

Icelandic and Faroese form of Grímr.

A short form of German names containing the name element han. The name element is explained as "cock" (modern German Hahn) or as "Singer".

Means "altar, mountain of God" in Hebrew. In the Hebrew Bible this word is applied to the altar in the temple in Jerusalem (Ezekiel 43:15).

Yiddish variant of Ezekiel.

Probably means "to dance, to circle, to twist" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is both a place name and a masculine personal name.

Yiddish diminutive of Hirsh. As a non-Jewish American name (somewhat common around the end of the 19th century), it was likely inspired by the German surname Herschel, borne for instance by the British-German astronomer William Herschel (1738-1822).

Hebrew form of Abel.

Alternate form of the Hebrew name Ḥizqiyahu (see Hezekiah).

Means "deer" in Icelandic.

Means "maple" in Icelandic.

Means "raven" in Old Norse.

Originally a diminutive of names beginning with the Old Norse element húnn meaning "child, (bear) cub", such as Húnbogi or Húnulfr. (Alternatively this element may be derived from Primitive Scandinavian *hun "high".)

Irial Fáid was a legendary High King of Ireland.

Means "he guards me" in Hebrew, derived from שָׁמַר (shamar) meaning "to guard". This name is mentioned briefly in the Old Testament.

Combination of the Old Norse name elements íss "ice" (compare Icelandic ís) and rún "secret; secret lore".

Form of Jacob (or James) used in several languages.

Feminine form of Jakob.

Form of Johannes used in various languages. This name was borne by the Czech church reformer Jan Hus (1370-1415), the Flemish painter Jan van Eyck (1390-1441), and the Dutch painters Jan Steen (1626-1679) and Jan Vermeer (1632-1675).

From the place name Jerusalem.

From the Hebrew name אִיּוֹב (ʾIyyov), which means "persecuted, hated". In the Book of Job in the Old Testament he is a righteous man who is tested by God, enduring many tragedies and hardships while struggling to remain faithful.

From the Greek name Ἰοκάστη (Iokaste), which is of unknown meaning. In Greek mythology she was the mother Oedipus by the Theban king Laius. In a case of tragic mistaken identity, she married her own son.

Medieval variant of Joyce, influenced by the Latin word iocosus or jocosus "merry, playful".

Latin form of Greek Ioannes (see John). Notable bearers include the inventor of the printing press Johannes Gutenberg (1398-1468), astronomer Johannes Kepler (1571-1630), painter Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675), and composer Johannes Brahms (1833-1897).

Contracted form of Jehoshaphat used in some English versions of the New Testament.

Spanish and Portuguese feminine form of Joseph.

Contracted form of Jehozabad. Jozabad is a very common name in the Bible.

Czech and Slovak feminine form of Carolus.

Transferred use of the surname Kepler.

Rose in prominence as a first name following the rise of German mathematician, astronomer, and astrologer Johannes Kepler.

Means "vineyard" in Hebrew.

Means "rainbow" in Hebrew.

Means "magic" in Hebrew.

From the name of a large lake in northern Israel, usually called the Sea of Galilee in English. Its name is derived from Hebrew כִּנּוֹר (kinnor) meaning "harp" [1] because of its shape.

Diminutive of Katherine.

Younger form of Mýrkjartan as well as a Scandinavian form of Certán.

Polish form of Constantine.

Means "gatherer of the people" in Greek. This is the name of the father of Odysseus in Greek mythology. It was later utilized by Shakespeare for a character in his tragedy Hamlet (1600), in which he is the son of Polonius. His ultimate duel with Hamlet leads to both of their deaths.

Variant of Lachlan.

Russian and Ukrainian form of Leonidas.

Unaccented variant of Llŷr.

From the name of a town in Italy, originally called Lauretum in Latin, meaning "laurel grove". Supposedly in the 13th century the house of the Virgin Mary was miraculously carried by angels from Nazareth to the town. In Spain it is a feminine name, from the Marian title Nuestra Señora de Loreto, while in Italy it is mostly masculine.

Short form of Charlotta.

French diminutive of both Louise and Louis.

Means "puffin" in Icelandic.

From an English surname that was derived from Norman French l'isle meaning "island".

The name of an ancient Jewish warrior, Judah Maccabee, meaning "the hammer".

His deeds are described in the deuterocanonical books 1 Maccabees to 4 Maccabees (which are considered canonical to more or less extent in some Christian denominitions).

Latinate form of Magdalene.

Icelandic form of Magnus.

Latin form of Greek Μαρία, from Hebrew מִרְיָם (see Mary). Maria is the usual form of the name in many European languages, as well as a secondary form in other languages such as English (where the common spelling is Mary). In some countries, for example Germany, Poland and Italy, Maria is occasionally used as a masculine middle name.

This was the name of two ruling queens of Portugal. It was also borne by the Habsburg queen Maria Theresa (1717-1780), whose inheritance of the domains of her father, the Holy Roman emperor Charles VI, began the War of the Austrian Succession.

Dutch cognate of Marjolaine.

Transferred use of the surname Maxfield.

From the Greek Μέδουσα (Medousa), which was derived from μέδω (medo) meaning "to protect, to rule over". In Greek myth this was the name of one of the three Gorgons, ugly women who had snakes for hair. She was so hideous that anyone who gazed upon her was turned to stone, so the hero Perseus had to look using the reflection in his shield in order to slay her.

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.

Possibly from the Hebrew roots מֶלֶךְ (meleḵ) meaning "king" and אוֹר (ʾor) meaning "light". This was a name traditionally assigned to one of the wise men (also known as the Magi, or three kings) who were said to have visited the newborn Jesus. According to medieval tradition he was a king of Persia.

Means "friend of the moon", from Greek μήνη (mene) meaning "moon" and φίλος (philos) meaning "friend". This was the name of an Ancient Greek sculptor from Ephesus.

Means "sweet" in Hebrew.

Dutch diminutive of Maria or Bartholomeus.

Polish form of Nicholas.

Means "mint" in Greek. In Greek mythology Minthe was a nymph was was transformed into an herb by Persephone after attempting to seduce Hades.

From Old Norse mistr meaning "cloud, mist".

In Norse mythology, Mist is a Valkyrie, appearing in the Valkyrie list in the Poetic Edda poem Grímnismál, and in both of the Nafnaþulur valkyrie lists.

Russian form of Modestus.

Derived from Old Norse móðr meaning "wrath" combined with ey meaning "island" or ey meaning "good fortune". Also compare Móeiður.

From the English word for the day of the week, which was derived from Old English mona "moon" and dæg "day". This can be given to children born on Monday, especially in Nigeria.

From a Scottish surname, derived from Scots muir meaning "moor, fen". This name could also be inspired by Scottish Gaelic muir meaning "sea".

Ancient Scandinavian and Icelandic form of Muirchertach (which is also found spelled as Muircheartach).

Simply from the English word myrtle for the evergreen shrub, ultimately from Greek μύρτος (myrtos). It was first used as a given name in the 19th century, at the same time many other plant and flower names were coined.

From Greek μύρτος (myrtos) meaning "myrtle". This was the name of a few characters from Greek mythology, including one of the Maenads.

Russian, Bulgarian and Macedonian form of Nahum.

Means "lamp" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament Ner is the father of Abner and uncle of Saul.

Derived from Greek νίκη (nike) meaning "victory". This was the name of an Athenian general who fought in the Peloponnesian war.

Russian form of Niketas. This form is also used in Ukrainian and Belarusian alongside the more traditional forms Mykyta and Mikita. A notable bearer was the Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev (1894-1971).

Short form of Nimrod, Nimue or other names containing Nim-.

Used as a female name in the book and movie Nim's Island by Wendy Orr.

Alternate transcription of Hebrew נסים (see Nisim).

Derived from Latin nocturnus meaning "of or belonging to the night, nocturnal", from the Latin noctū "by night". This name appeared in the 1979 camp comedy-horror film Nocturna, also as the DC comics character Nocturna, a daughter of Dracula, created by writer Doug Moench and artist Gene Colan in 1983.

From the Greek Νότος (Notos) meaning "south wind". This was the name of the god of the south wind in Greek mythology.

Means "night" in Latin. Nox is the Roman goddess of the night, the equivalent of the Greek goddess Nyx.

Transferred use of the surname Nymphias.

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

Derived from obsidian, the English name for a specific type of volcanic glass. The name is ultimately derived from Latin obsidianus meaning "of Obsidius", after the Roman (also called Obsius in some instances) who supposedly was the first to discover this type of volcanic glass. The name Obsidius is possibly a corruption of Opsidius, which is apparently a very obscure Roman nomen gentile.** Etymologically, Opsidius may be a more elaborate form of Opsius. It could also be Oscan in origin, in which case it may have been derived from Oscan úpsed meaning "worked, laboured" (which would thus make the name related to Oppius). Last but not least, if the discoverer's name was Obsius rather than Obsidius, then his name was probably a corruption of Opsius. In either case the etymology is very similar. Finally, in popular culture, Obsidian is the name of a character in the "Transformers" franchise as well as a character in a comic published by DC Comics.

** Please see page 638 of the book "The Italic Dialects" written by Robert Seymour Conway.

French form of Okeanos via its latinized form Oceanus. Also compare the French noun océan meaning "ocean".

Unisex name of unknown origin used primarily in the southeastern US.

Means "to restore" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of a prophet from Samaria.

Perhaps derived from Greek ὀδύσσομαι (odyssomai) meaning "to hate". In Greek legend Odysseus was one of the Greek heroes who fought in the Trojan War. In the Odyssey Homer relates Odysseus's misadventures on his way back to his kingdom and his wife Penelope.

Means "horizon" in Hebrew.

Means "fawn" in Hebrew. This makes it a modern variant of the Classical Hebrew name Ophrah.

Means "sheaf of wheat" in Hebrew.

Transferred use of the surname Orchard.

Form of Uzziel used in the Greek Old Testament.

This particular spelling of the name was popularised through the poem 'Ozymandias' by Percy Bysshe Shelley.

It is a variant of the Ancient Greek name for Pharaoh Ramesses II, Osymandyas (Greek: Ὀσυμανδύας).

The recent revival of the name is probably triggered by a villain named Ozymandias in 'Watchmen' (TV series).

Diminutive of Pavel.

Latinized form of the Greek Πάτροκλος (Patroklos) meaning "glory of the father", derived from πατήρ (pater) meaning "father" (genitive πατρός) and κλέος (kleos) meaning "glory". In Greek legend he was one of the heroes who fought against the Trojans. His death at the hands of Hector drew his friend Achilles back into the war.

From the English word peace, ultimately derived from Latin pax. This name is most common in Nigeria and other parts of Africa.

Icelandic form of Peter.

Means "affectionate" in Greek, a derivative of φίλημα (philema) meaning "kiss". Philemon was the recipient of one of Paul's epistles in the New Testament.

From Greek Φιλομήλη (Philomele), derived from φίλος (philos) meaning "lover, friend" and μῆλον (melon) meaning "fruit". The second element has also been interpreted as Greek μέλος (melos) meaning "song". In Greek myth Philomela was the sister-in-law of Tereus, who raped her and cut out her tongue. Prokne avenged her sister by killing her son by Tereus, after which Tereus attempted to kill Philomela. However, the gods intervened and transformed her into a nightingale.

Polish and Belarusian form of Peter.

Diminutive of Philip or Philippa. This is the name of the main character in Great Expectations (1860) by Charles Dickens.

Roman form of Greek Πολυδεύκης (Polydeukes) meaning "very sweet", from Greek πολύς (polys) meaning "much" and δευκής (deukes) meaning "sweet". In mythology he was the twin brother of Castor and a son of Zeus. The constellation Gemini, which represents the two brothers, contains a star by this name.

Etymology unknown, likely related to πολῠ- (polu-) meaning “many”.

Means "fruit" in Hebrew.

Short form of Primrose and Primula.

Means "primrose"in French. and It was commonly used in the Middle Ages although now it is practically obsolete.

From the English word for the flower, ultimately deriving from Latin prima rosa "first rose".

From the English word promise, from Latin promissum. It is currently most common in parts of English-influenced Africa.

From the Latin name Prosperus, which meant "fortunate, successful". This was the name of a 5th-century saint, a supporter of Saint Augustine. It has never been common as an English name, though the Puritans used it, partly because it is identical to the English word prosper.

Derived from the English word denoting "a manifestation of divine care or direction; an instance of divine intervention".

Derived from Pythios, a name of Apollo, combined with Greek ἀγορά (agora) meaning "assembly, marketplace". This was the name of a 6th-century BC Greek philosopher and mathematician from Samos. He was the founder of a school of philosophy whose members believed that numbers described the universe.

Rachamim, Hebrew word for "mercy", which derives from the Hebrew word for womb, (rechem). Also means "compassionate".
It is the name of a song performed by Ofra Haza. A known bearer of this name is Rachamim Talbi (b. 1943), a Bulgarian-Israeli football forward.

Modern Scandinavian form of Ragnarr.

Means "singing" or "(he) sang" in Hebrew (being the past tense masculine singular form of the verb לָרֹן laron "to sing, utter joyful sounds").

A name given in reference to a reef 'ridge of jagged rock, coral, or sand just above or below the surface of the sea.'

From a Germanic name that was composed of the elements regin "advice, counsel, decision" and brant "fire, torch, sword". This name belonged to the Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669).

Means "pomegranate" in Hebrew. It occurs in the Old Testament belonging to "a man of the tribe of Benjamin at the time of King Saul" as well as two places and a Syrian deity (allegedly known as Ramanu "the Thunderer" in Assyrian).

Directly taken from Faroese ró "calm, tranquility; peace; quiet; rest".

From the Germanic name Hrodebert meaning "bright fame", derived from the elements hruod "fame" and beraht "bright". The Normans introduced this name to Britain, where it replaced the rare Old English cognate Hreodbeorht. It has been consistently among the most common English names from the 13th to 20th century. In the United States it was the most popular name for boys between 1924 and 1939 (and again in 1953).

This name has been borne by two kings of the Franks, two dukes of Normandy, and three kings of Scotland, including Robert the Bruce who restored the independence of Scotland from England in the 14th century. Several saints have also had the name, the earliest known as Saint Rupert, from an Old German variant. The author Robert Browning (1812-1889) and poets Robert Burns (1759-1796) and Robert Frost (1874-1963) are famous literary namesakes. Other bearers include Robert E. Lee (1807-1870), the commander of the Confederate army during the American Civil War, and American actors Robert Redford (1936-), Robert De Niro (1943-) and Robert Downey Jr. (1965-).

Means "my shepherd" in Hebrew.

Means "height, superiority" in Hebrew.

Combination of Rós and the Old Norse element herr meaning "army".

French form of Rosamund.

In the case of Icelandic avant-garde artist Róska (1940-1996), it was apparently a contraction of her real name, Ragnhildur Óskarsdóttir (i.e. presumably formed from R, the first letter of her given name, and Óska, the first four letters of her surname - itself a derivative of the given name Óskar).

Icelandic form of Ruby.

From the English word that refers either to a spice, the crocus flower from which it is harvested, or the yellow-orange colour of the spice. It is derived via Old French from Arabic زعفران (zaʿfarān), itself probably from Persian meaning "gold leaves".

Possibly a diminutive of Sara [1].

Latin form of Saturn.

Modern Hebrew form of Saul.

From a surname. As an English surname it is derived from Old English sceaga meaning "thicket". As a Scottish surname it is derived from the Gaelic byname Sitheach meaning "wolf".

Means "sun" in Hebrew.

Used by Scottish author Arthur Conan Doyle for his character Sherlock Holmes, who was a detective in Doyle's mystery stories beginning in 1887. The character's name was from an English surname meaning "shear lock", originally referring to a person with closely cut hair.

Means "song" in Hebrew.

Means "keeper, watchman" or "guarded", from the Hebrew verb שמר (shamar) "to keep, to guard". In the Old Testament this is the name of the mother of Jehozabad, 2 Kings 12:21 (in 2 Chronicles 24:26 she is called Shimrith), and the name of a man of Asher, 1 Chronicles 7:32.

Alternate transcription of Hebrew שְׁרַגָא (see Sheraga).

Russian diminutive of Aleksandra or Aleksandr.

Icelandic form of Sigurd.

Means "sparkle" in Old Norse. In Norse mythology this was the name of a dwarf, also named Eitri. With his brother Brokkr he made several magical items for the gods, including Odin's ring Draupnir and Thor's hammer Mjölnir.

Means "snow" in Old Norse.

Derived from σόος (soos), which is the Epic and Ionic Greek form of the adjective σῶς (sos) meaning "safe, whole, unwounded".

This was the name of a semi-mythological king of Sparta, who is thought to have lived in the 9th century BC.

Means "self-controlled, sensible" in Greek. This name was borne by the 5th-century BC writer Sophron of Syracuse.

Meaning uncertain. Actors Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick used it for their daughter Sosie Bacon (1992-). It was perhaps inspired by French sosie "lookalike", derived from Latin Sosia, the name of a character in Plautus' play 'Amphitryon', itself from Greek Σωσίας (Sosias) meaning "savior" from σως (sos) "safe, whole, unwounded" (compare Sostrate, Sose). Alternatively it may be a variant of Susie.

From the vocabulary word, ultimately from Old English or Old Dutch storm, or in the case of the Scandinavian name, from Old Norse stormr. It is unisex as an English name, but typically masculine elsewhere.

Polish form of Symphorianus. A known bearer of this name is Symforian Ducki (1888-1942), a Polish Capuchin friar who was beatified by the Roman Catholic Church in 1999.

Polish form of Thaddeus. This name is borne by Tadeusz Soplica, the title character in Adam Mickiewicz's epic poem Pan Tadeusz (1834), which is considered to be the national epic of Poland.

Means "fig" in Hebrew.

Transferred use of the surname Thorne. Derived from the Old English word for "thorn." This was the name of a letter in the Old English alphabet, as well as the name of a character from the soap opera "The Bold and the Beautiful."

From the name of the day of the week, which ultimately derives from Old English þunresdæg meaning literally "Thor's day". A known bearer of this name was Thursday October Christian (1790-1831), the first son of the HMS Bounty mutineer Fletcher Christian and his Tahitian wife Mauatua, who was born on a Thursday in October.

Means "glory, magnificence" in Hebrew. The term "Tiferet Yisrael" comes from the Israeli Declaration of Independence, sighed on the 14th of May 1948.

From Tielo, a medieval Low German diminutive of Dietrich and other names beginning with Old High German diota or Old Frankish þeoda meaning "people". Till Eulenspiegel is a trickster in German folklore.

From a Biblical place name. In the Bible, this name is borne by a concubine of Eliphaz son of Esau, and mother of Amalek ( Genesis 36:12 ) (it may be presumed that she was the same as Timna sister of Lotan. Ibid. ver. 22, and ( 1 Chronicles 1:39 )) as well as by a duke or phylarch of Edom in the last list in ( Genesis 36:40-43 ; 1 Chronicles 1:51-54 ).

The popularity of this name in Austria was boosted by the jazz singer Timna Brauer (* 1961).

Feminine form of Tomas.

Hellenized form of a Scythian name, possibly from an Iranian root meaning "family". This was the name of a 6th-century BC queen of the Massagetae (a Scythian people) who defeated Cyrus the Great during his invasion of Central Asia.

From Old Norse traustr meaning "trusty, firm, strong".

"plant"

Hebrew form of Zion.

Icelandic form of Ulf.

Feminine form of Vakur.

Icelandic younger form of Vakr.

From the English word for the soft fabric. It became used as a given name after the main character in Enid Bagnold's book National Velvet (1935) and the movie (1944) and television (1960) adaptations.

Perhaps originally a Christianized variant of Venus, now either an English vernacular form of Venetia, or else directly from the English name of the city in Italy. The name was revived in the 19th century significantly when the name Florence was beginning to become fashionable.

Means "little girl" from Norwegian vesle "little" and møy "girl". This name was created by Norwegian writer Arne Garborg for the main character in his poem Haugtussa (1895).

From the name of the capital city of Austria, Vienna.

Icelandic form of Viking.

From the Roman name Vincentius, which was derived from Latin vincere meaning "to conquer". This name was popular among early Christians, and it was borne by many saints. As an English name, Vincent has been in use since the Middle Ages, though it did not become common until the 19th century. Famous bearers include the French priest Saint Vincent de Paul (1581-1660) and the Dutch post-impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890).

Means "(female) grape harvester" in Latin. This is the name of the third brightest star in the constellation Virgo, and is so named because it rises in early autumn, the beginning of the wine harvesting season.

Transferred use of the surname Vox.

From an English surname meaning "son of Wat". A famous fictional bearer of the surname was Dr. Watson, the assistant to Sherlock Holmes in Arthur Conan Doyle's mystery stories beginning in 1887.

Hebrew form of Jair, as well as a Spanish variant.

Hebrew form of Ezekiel.

Hebrew form of Jehosheba.

Hebrew form of Joshua.

Hebrew form of John (and Johanan). This is a contracted form of the longer name יְהוֹחָנָן (Yehoḥanan).

Hebrew form of Jochebed.

Diminutive of Yosef.

Means "righteous" in Hebrew. This is the name of several characters in the Old Testament, most notably the high priest of Israel during the reigns of David and Solomon. Solomon was anointed by Zadok.

From Greek ζαφείρι (zafeíri), derived via Italian from Ancient Greek σάπφειρος (sáppheiros) (see Sapphire) through Latin (compare Zafeiro).

Meaning unknown; appears to be pre-Mycenaean or Pelasgian in origin. In Greek mythology he was the legendary founder of a colony on Zacynthus, an island in the Ionian Sea, which derived its name from him.

Yiddish variant of Solomon.

Derived from Hebrew זָבַד (zavaḏ) meaning "to give". In the Old Testament she is a wife of King Josiah of Judah and the mother of Jehoiakim. Her name is spelled as Zebudah in some translations.

Variant of Zebulun.

From the Greek Ζέφυρος (Zephyros) meaning "west wind". Zephyros was the Greek god of the west wind.

Means "remembrance, mindful" in Hebrew. This is the name of several characters in the Old Testament.

Means "light, brilliance" in Hebrew.

Meaning uncertain, possibly of Arabic origin. According to medieval tradition, notably related by the 15th-century Persian poet Jami, this was the name of the biblical Potiphar's wife. She has been a frequent subject of poems and tales.

Means "sweet" in Yiddish.