Jamie Fraser's Personal Name List

From Sanskrit आभा (ābhā) meaning "splendour, light".

From Sanskrit अभिषेक (abhiṣeka) meaning "anointing".

Feminine form of Ochieng.

Means "eldest daughter of her father" in Igbo.

Means "not inclined to run away" in Greek, from the negative prefix ἀ (a) and διδράσκω (didrasko) meaning "to run away". This was the name of a king of Argos in Greek legend.

Old Irish form of Aodh.

Old Irish form of Aodhán.

Variant of Eileen.

Means "radiance, brilliance" in Irish. This was the name of a goddess of love and fertility in Irish legend, thought to dwell at the hill of Cnoc Áine in Limerick. It has sometimes been Anglicized as Anne.

Means "quick-moving, nimble" in Greek. This was the name of the Greek god of the winds.

From a Greek word meaning "innocent, not evil", derived from ἀ (a), a negative prefix, combined with κάκη (kake) meaning "evil". This was the name of three early saints, two of whom were martyred.

Feminine form of Akhil.

This name is derived from two distinct names, Alba 2 and Alba 3, with distinct origins, Latin and Germanic. Over time these names have become confused with one another. To further complicate the matter, alba means "dawn" in Italian, Spanish and Catalan. This may be the main inspiration behind its use in Italy and Spain.

Greek form of Alice. It also corresponds with the Greek word άλικη meaning "scarlet".

Greek form of Alcippe.

Spanish and Italian form of Amarantha.

Derived from Greek ἀμαρύσσω (amarysso) meaning "to sparkle". This is the name of a character appearing in Virgil's pastoral poems Eclogues [1]. The amaryllis flower is named for her.

Derived from Greek ἀμύντωρ (amyntor) meaning "defender". This was the name of several kings of Macedon.

From the Greek term ἀνάργυρος (anargyros) meaning "poor, incorruptible", derived from Greek ἀ (a), a negative prefix, combined with ἄργυρος (argyros) meaning "silver". This term referred to saints who did not accept payment for their services.

Greek form of Anastasius.

Derived from Greek ἄναξ (anax) meaning "master, lord" and ἀγορά (agora) meaning "assembly, marketplace". This name was borne by a 5th-century BC Greek philosopher.

Greek form of Andronicus.

Greek form of Anicetus.

Means "nightless, sleepless" in Sanskrit.

From Sanskrit अङ्कुर (aṅkura) meaning "sapling, sprout, shoot".

From Old Irish Áed, which meant "fire". This was a very popular name in early Ireland, being borne by numerous figures in Irish mythology and several high kings. It has been traditionally Anglicized as Hugh.

From Old Irish Oébfinn or Aíbinn, derived from oíb meaning "beauty, appearance, form" and finn meaning "white, blessed". This was the name of the mother of Saint Énna of Aran. It was also borne by the daughter of the 10th-century Irish high king Donnchad Donn.

Means "song" in Greek. In Greek mythology she was one of the original three muses, the muse of song.

From Old Irish Aífe, derived from oíph meaning "beauty" (modern Irish aoibh). This was the name of several characters in Irish legend, including a woman at war with Scáthach (her sister in some versions). She was defeated in single combat by the hero Cúchulainn, who spared her life on the condition that she bear him a child (Connla). Another legendary figure by this name appears in the Children of Lir as the jealous third wife of Lir.

This name is sometimes Anglicized as Eve or Eva.

From Sanskrit अपराजित (aparājita) meaning "unconquered".

From Sanskrit अपूर्व (apūrva) meaning "unpreceded, new". This is a transcription of both the masculine form अपूर्व and the feminine form अपूर्वा.

Meaning unexplained, though the first element is presumably Sindarin ara "noble, kingly". This is the name of a character in The Lord of the Rings (1954) by J. R. R. Tolkien. In the book Aragorn is the heir of the Dúnedain kings of the north.

Means "master of horses" from the Greek elements ἀρχός (archos) meaning "master" and ἵππος (hippos) meaning "horse". In the New Testament it is borne by a man mentioned in the epistles (spelled as Archippus, the Latinized form, in the English version).

Possibly means "lion of God, hero" in Hebrew. This is the name of a son of Gad in the Old Testament.

Means "virtue" in Greek. In Greek mythology Arete was the personification of virtue and excellence.

Means "silver" in Greek.

Means "most holy", composed of the Greek prefix ἀρι (ari) meaning "most" combined with Cretan Greek ἀδνός (adnos) meaning "holy". In Greek mythology, Ariadne was the daughter of King Minos. She fell in love with Theseus and helped him to escape the Labyrinth and the Minotaur, but was later abandoned by him. Eventually she married the god Dionysus.

Means "learned, knowing, expert" in Arabic.

Old Norse name derived from the elements ǫrn meaning "eagle" and bjǫrg meaning "help, save, rescue".

Means "reddish brown, dawn" in Sanskrit. The Hindu god Aruna (अरुण) is the charioteer who drives the sun god Surya across the sky. The modern feminine form अरुणा (spelled with a final long vowel) is also transcribed as Aruna, however the modern masculine form is Arun.

The name of a star (also called Alcor), which was named after a type of climbing plant, meaning "not restrained" in Sanskrit. In Hindu belief it is the name of the sage Vasishtha's wife, who is identified with the star.

Means "noble maiden" in the fictional language Sindarin. In The Lord of the Rings (1954) by J. R. R. Tolkien, Arwen was the daughter of Elrond and the lover of Aragorn.

From Sanskrit असीमन् (asīman) meaning "boundless, limitless".

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

From the word aura (derived from Latin, ultimately from Greek αὔρα meaning "breeze") for a distinctive atmosphere or illumination.

Means "dawn" in Latin. Aurora was the Roman goddess of the morning. It has occasionally been used as a given name since the Renaissance.

Derived from Greek αὐξάνω (auxano) meaning "to increase, to grow". This name was borne by a few early saints.

Means "doe, female deer" in Hebrew.

Hebrew form of Azariah.

Means "azure, sky blue" in Italian.

Hebrew variant of Bathsheba.

Probably from Viatrix, a feminine form of the Late Latin name Viator meaning "voyager, traveller". It was a common name amongst early Christians, and the spelling was altered by association with Latin beatus "blessed, happy". Viatrix or Beatrix was a 4th-century saint who was strangled to death during the persecutions of Diocletian.

In England the name became rare after the Middle Ages, but it was revived in the 19th century, more commonly in the spelling Beatrice. Famous bearers include the British author and illustrator Beatrix Potter (1866-1943), the creator of Peter Rabbit, and Beatrix of the Netherlands (1938-), the former queen.

Scottish Gaelic form of Beatrice.

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.

Welsh diminutive of Elizabeth.

Welsh form of Beatrice.

Means "face of flowers" in Welsh. According to the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi [1], she was created out of flowers by Gwydion to be the wife of his nephew Lleu Llaw Gyffes. Originally she was named Blodeuedd meaning simply "flowers". She was eventually transformed into an owl by Gwydion after she and her lover Gronw attempted to murder Lleu, at which point he renamed her Blodeuwedd.

Derived from Brythonic boud meaning "victory" [1]. This was the name of a 1st-century queen of the Iceni who led the Britons in revolt against the Romans. Eventually her forces were defeated and she committed suicide. Her name is first recorded in Roman histories, as Boudicca by Tacitus [2] and Βουδουῖκα (Boudouika) by Cassius Dio [3].

Means "thunderer" in Greek. In Greek mythology (according to Hesiod), this was the name of one of the three Cyclopes, who were the sons of Uranus and Gaia.

From Old Welsh Catigirn meaning "battle king", derived from cat "battle" and tigirn "king, monarch". This was the name of a 5th-century king of Powys in Wales, the son of Vortigern.

Most likely related to Hebrew כֶּלֶב (kelev) meaning "dog" [1]. An alternate theory connects it to Hebrew כֹּל (kol) meaning "whole, all of" [2] and לֵב (lev) meaning "heart" [3]. In the Old Testament this is the name of one of the twelve spies sent by Moses into Canaan. Of the Israelites who left Egypt with Moses, Caleb and Joshua were the only ones who lived to see the Promised Land.

As an English name, Caleb came into use after the Protestant Reformation. It was common among the Puritans, who introduced it to America in the 17th century.

Derived from Greek χαίρω (chairo) meaning "to be glad, to rejoice" combined with Greek κρατος (kratos) meaning "power".

Derived from Greek χαίρω (chairo) meaning "to be glad, to rejoice" combined with Greek φανης (phanes) "appearing".

Derived from Greek χαίρω (chairo) meaning "to be glad, to rejoice" combined with Greek φωνη (phone) meaning "voice".

Hebrew form of Hananiah.

Means "fierce, hot, passionate" in Sanskrit. This is a transcription of both the feminine form चण्डा (an epithet of the Hindu goddess Durga) and the masculine form चण्ड (the name of a demon).

Means "moon" in Sanskrit, derived from चन्द (cand) meaning "to shine". This is a transcription of both the masculine form चण्ड (the god of the moon personified) as well as the feminine form चण्डा (spelled with a long final vowel).

Feminine form of Chandrakant.

Biblical Hebrew form of Hannah.

Means "happiness, joy" in Greek.

Derived from Greek χάρις (charis) meaning "grace, kindness". This was the name of a 1st-century Greek novelist.

Greek name derived from χάρμα (charma) meaning "delight". This was the name of one of Cleopatra's servants, as recorded by Plutarch.

Possibly means "fierce brightness" in Greek. In Greek mythology Charon was the operator of the ferry that brought the newly dead over the River Acheron into Hades.

Modern Hebrew form of Eve.

Biblical Hebrew form of Hephzibah.

Italian form of Clara. Saint Chiara (commonly called Clare in English) was a follower of Saint Francis of Assisi.

From Sanskrit चिरंजीव (ciraṃjīva) meaning "long-lived, infinite".

Hebrew form of Hezekiah.

Means "green shoot" in Greek, referring to new plant growth in the spring. This was an epithet of the Greek goddess Demeter. The name is also mentioned by Paul in one of his epistles in the New Testament.

As an English name, Chloe has been in use since the Protestant Reformation. It started getting more popular in the 1980s in the United Kingdom and then the United States. It was the most popular name for girls in England and Wales from 1997 to 2002. This is one of the few English-language names that is often written with a diaeresis, as Chloë.

Means "golden flower" from Greek χρύσεος (chryseos) meaning "golden" combined with ἄνθος (anthos) meaning "flower". This name was borne by a semi-legendary 3rd-century Egyptian saint.

Possibly from Old Irish cin "respect, esteem, affection" or cinid "be born, come into being" combined with áed "fire", though it might actually be of Pictish origin. This was the name of the first king of the Scots and Picts (9th century). It is often Anglicized as Kenneth. The originally unrelated name Coinneach is sometimes used as the modern Scottish Gaelic form.

French form of Clara. This was a common name in France throughout the 20th century, though it has since been eclipsed there by Clara. It was also very popular in the United Kingdom, especially in the 1970s.

Means "king of hounds" in Irish.

Possibly means "little spear" from Irish corra "spear" and a diminutive suffix.

Means "royal peace" from Old English cyne "royal" and friþ "peace".

From the Old Norse name Dagmær, derived from the elements dagr "day" and mær "maid". This was the name adopted by the popular Bohemian wife of the Danish king Valdemar II when they married in 1205. Her birth name was Markéta.

Greek form of Damian.

Means "laurel" in Greek. In Greek mythology she was a nymph turned into a laurel tree by her father in order that she might escape the pursuit of Apollo. It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the end of the 19th century.

Possibly from Greek δαρδάπτω (dardapto) meaning "to devour". In Greek mythology Dardanos was a son of Zeus and Electra. He was the founder of the city of Dardania in Asia Minor.

From Sanskrit दर्शन (darśana) meaning "seeing, observing, understanding".

Feminine form of Darshan.

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).

From the English word dawn, ultimately derived from Old English dagung.

Means "compassion of Rama", from Sanskrit दया (dayā) meaning "compassion" combined with the name of the god Rama 1.

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.

Alternate transcription of Hebrew דְּבוֹרָה (see Devora).

Variant of Diamanto.

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.

Feminine form of Dieudonné.

Irish and Scottish Gaelic form of Duncan.

Greek form of Draco.

Derived from Old Irish dub "dark, black" and either slán "challenge, defiance" or Sláine, the Irish name of the River Slaney [1].

Irish form of Edmund.

Meaning unknown, possibly related to Hebrew אָחַד (ʾaḥaḏ) meaning "to unite" or הוֹד (hoḏ) meaning "glory". In the Old Testament this is the name of one of the biblical judges. He killed Eglon, the king of Moab, and freed the city of Jericho from Moabite rule.

Old Norse form of Elof.

Scottish Gaelic form of Eleanor.

From the Old Norse name Einarr, derived from the elements einn "one, alone" and herr "army, warrior". This name shares the same roots as einherjar, the word for the slain warriors in Valhalla.

Derived from the Old Norse name Eindriði, possibly from the elements einn "one, alone" and ríða "to ride".

Old Norse form of Eindride.

From the Old Welsh name Enniaun, probably from the Latin name Ennianus, a derivative of Ennius (see Ennio). It is also a modern Welsh word meaning "anvil". This was the name of a few early Welsh rulers including Einion Frenin (5th century), who is considered a saint in some Christian traditions.

Greek form of Irenaeus.

Means "bright, beautiful" in Welsh [1].

Possibly from Old Irish etne meaning "kernel, grain". In Irish mythology Eithne or Ethniu was a Fomorian and the mother of Lugh Lámfada. It was borne by several other legendary and historical figures, including a few early saints.

From the Old French form of the Occitan name Alienòr. Among the name's earliest bearers was the influential Eleanor of Aquitaine (12th century), who was the queen of Louis VII, the king of France, and later Henry II, the king of England. She was named Aenor after her mother, and was called by the Occitan phrase alia Aenor "the other Aenor" in order to distinguish her from her mother. However, there appear to be examples of bearers prior to Eleanor of Aquitaine. It is not clear whether they were in fact Aenors who were retroactively recorded as having the name Eleanor, or whether there is an alternative explanation for the name's origin.

The popularity of the name Eleanor in England during the Middle Ages was due to the fame of Eleanor of Aquitaine, as well as two queens of the following century: Eleanor of Provence, the wife of Henry III, and Eleanor of Castile, the wife of Edward I. More recently, it was borne by first lady Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962), the wife of American president Franklin Roosevelt.

Finnish form of Eleanor.

Form of Eleanor in several languages.

Derived from Welsh elus meaning "kind, benevolent". This was the name of two kings of Powys in Wales.

From the Hebrew name אֱלִישַׁע (ʾElishaʿ), a contracted form of אֱלִישׁוּעַ (ʾElishuaʿ) meaning "my God is salvation", derived from אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God" and יָשַׁע (yashaʿ) meaning "to save, to deliver". According to the Old Testament, Elisha was a prophet and miracle worker. He was the attendant of Elijah and succeeded him after his ascension to heaven.

Hebrew form of Elizabeth.

From Hebrew אֱלִישׁוּעַ (ʾElishuaʿ), an extended form of אֱלִישַׁע (see Elisha). In the Old Testament this is the name of a son of King David.

Modern Hebrew form of Elijah.

From Ἐλισάβετ (Elisabet), the Greek form of the Hebrew name אֱלִישֶׁבַע (ʾElishevaʿ) meaning "my God is an oath", derived from the roots אֵל (ʾel) referring to the Hebrew God and שָׁבַע (shavaʿ) meaning "oath". The Hebrew form appears in the Old Testament where Elisheba is the wife of Aaron, while the Greek form appears in the New Testament where Elizabeth is the mother of John the Baptist.

Among Christians, this name was originally more common in Eastern Europe. It was borne in the 12th century by Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, a daughter of King Andrew II who used her wealth to help the poor. In medieval England it was occasionally used in honour of the saint, though the form Isabel (from Occitan and Spanish) was more common. It has been very popular in England since the reign of Queen Elizabeth I in the 16th century. In American name statistics (as recorded since 1880) it has never ranked lower than 30, making it the most consistently popular name for girls in the United States.

Besides Elizabeth I, this name has been borne (in various spellings) by many other European royals, including a ruling empress of Russia in the 18th century. Famous modern bearers include the British queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022) and actress Elizabeth Taylor (1932-2011).

Diminutive of Eleanor, Ellen 1 and other names beginning with El. This name became popular in the United Kingdom in the 1990s, being ranked second for girls in 2003.

From the Old Norse name Eileifr, which was derived from the elements ei "ever, always" and leif "inheritance, legacy".

Possibly from a Breton word meaning "light". This name was borne by an obscure 6th-century saint who is now venerated mainly in Brittany and Cornwall.

Means "elm tree" in Cornish. This is a recently coined Cornish name.

Modern Greek form of Elpis.

Means "king, lord" in Welsh.

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.

Means "rainbow" in Welsh. This name was first used in the 19th century.

Anglicized form of Eithne.

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

Means "horse joy" in Old English. This name was invented by J. R. R. Tolkien who used Old English to represent the Rohirric language. In his novel The Lord of the Rings (1954) Eowyn is the niece of King Theoden of Rohan. She slays the Lord of the Nazgul in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields.

Ancient Greek name meaning "newly acquired". This was the name of a 1st-century Greek stoic philosopher.

Derived from Gaulish epos meaning "horse" with the divine or augmentative suffix -on. This was the name of a Gaulish goddess of horses and fertility. She was worshipped not only in Gaul, but elsewhere in the Roman Empire.

Derived from Greek εὔλαλος (eulalos) meaning "sweetly-speaking", itself from εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and λαλέω (laleo) meaning "to talk". This was the name of an early 4th-century saint and martyr from Mérida in Spain. Another martyr by this name, living at the same time, is a patron saint of Barcelona. These two saints might be the same person.

Means "to use words of good omen" from Greek εὐφημέω (euphemeo), a derivative of εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and φημί (phemi) meaning "to speak, to declare". Saint Euphemia was an early martyr from Chalcedon.

Derived from Greek εὐφραίνω (euphraino) meaning "to delight, to cheer". This was the name of a 4th-century BC Athenian artist.

Means "good cheer" in Greek, a derivative of εὐφραίνω (euphraino) meaning "to delight, to cheer". This name was borne by a 5th-century saint from Constantinople.

From a Greek word meaning "good conduct", derived from εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and πρᾶξις (praxis) meaning "action, exercise".

Means "flower, bloom" from the Greek word εὐθάλεια (euthaleia), itself derived from εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and θάλλω (thallo) meaning "to blossom". This name was borne by a 3rd-century saint and martyr from Sicily.

Feminine form of Euthymius.

Greek form of Eutropius.

Derived from the Old Norse elements ey "good fortune" or "island" and dís "goddess".

From the Hebrew name יְחֶזְקֵאל (Yeḥezqel) meaning "God will strengthen", from the roots חָזַק (ḥazaq) meaning "to strengthen" and אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". Ezekiel is a major prophet of the Old Testament, the author of the Book of Ezekiel. He lived in Jerusalem until the Babylonian conquest and captivity of Israel, at which time he was taken to Babylon. The Book of Ezekiel describes his vivid symbolic visions that predict the restoration of the kingdom of Israel. As an English given name, Ezekiel has been used since the Protestant Reformation.

Greek, Scandinavian and Italian feminine form of Philip.

Combination of Italian fiore "flower" (Latin flos) and alba "dawn".

From the Old Norse name Friðþjófr meaning "thief of peace", derived from the elements friðr "peace" and þjófr "thief".

Latinized form of the Greek name Γαϊανή (Gaiane), a derivative of Gaia. This was the name of a (perhaps fictional) martyr who was killed in Armenia during the persecutions of Emperor Diocletian in the late 3rd century.

Greek form of Gennadius.

From the Hebrew name גִּדְעוֹן (Giḏʿon) meaning "feller, hewer", derived from גָּדַע (gaḏaʿ) meaning "to cut, to hew" [1]. Gideon is a hero and judge of the Old Testament. He led the vastly outnumbered Israelites against the Midianites, defeated them, and killed their two kings. In the English-speaking world, Gideon has been used as a given name since the Protestant Reformation, and it was popular among the Puritans.

From Greek γλαφυρός (glaphyros) meaning "polished, subtle".

From Greek γλυκερός (glykeros) meaning "sweet". This was the name of a 2nd-century saint from Heraclea.

Variant of Gofannon.

Derived from Old Norse gróa meaning "to grow". This is the name of a seeress in Norse mythology.

Means "to dawn" in Norwegian, Danish and Swedish.

From the Norman French form of the Welsh name Gwenhwyfar meaning "white phantom", ultimately from the old Celtic roots *windos meaning "white" (modern Welsh gwen) and *sēbros meaning "phantom, magical being" [1]. In Arthurian legend she was the beautiful wife of King Arthur. According to the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth, she was seduced by Mordred before the battle of Camlann, which led to the deaths of both Mordred and Arthur. According to the 12th-century French poet Chrétien de Troyes, she engaged in an adulterous affair with Sir Lancelot.

The Cornish form of this name, Jennifer, has become popular in the English-speaking world.

From Old Welsh Guorthigirn meaning "supreme king", from guor meaning "over" and tigirn meaning "king, monarch". It is possible that this is not a name, but a title. According to medieval chroniclers, Gwrtheyrn (also known as Vortigern) was a 5th-century king of the Britons. It was he who invited the brothers Hengist and Horsa to Britain, which eventually led to the Anglo-Saxon conquest of England.

Probably means "born of trees" from Old Welsh guid "trees" and the suffix gen "born of". In the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi [1], Gwydion is the nephew of King Math of Gwynedd, and like him a powerful magician. In an elaborate plot to give his brother a chance to rape his uncle's footbearer, he arranged a war between Gwynedd and the neighbouring kingdom of Dyfed. Gwydion himself killed King Pryderi of Dyfed at the end of the war. In punishment for the rape, Math transformed Gwydion and his brother into different animals over the course of three years. Gwydion was the uncle of Lleu Llaw Gyffes, whom he fostered. Math and Gwydion fashioned Lleu a wife, Blodeuwedd, out of flowers and they later aided him after her betrayal. Gwydion also appears in older Welsh poetry such as the Book of Taliesin.

From Hebrew הֲדַס (haḏas) meaning "myrtle tree". In the Old Testament this is the Hebrew name of Queen Esther.

Derived from the Old Norse elements hallr "rock" and bjǫrn "bear".

From the Hebrew name חַנָּה (Ḥanna) meaning "favour, grace", derived from the root חָנַן (ḥanan) meaning "to be gracious". In the Old Testament this is the name of the wife of Elkanah. Her rival was Elkanah's other wife Peninnah, who had children while Hannah remained barren. After a blessing from Eli she finally became pregnant with Samuel.

As an English name, Hannah was not regularly used until after the Protestant Reformation, unlike the vernacular forms Anne and Ann and the Latin form Anna, which were used from the late Middle Ages. In the last half of the 20th century Hannah surged in popularity and neared the top of the name rankings for both the United States and the United Kingdom.

From the Old Norse element hár "high" or hǫð "battle, combat" combined with vǫrðr "guard, guardian".

Derived from Old Norse heiðr meaning "bright, clear" and rún meaning "secret lore, rune". In Norse mythology this was the name of a goat that would eat the leaves from the tree of life and produce mead in her udder.

Latinate form of Helen. This is the name of the heroine of William Shakespeare's play All's Well That Ends Well (1603).

French form of Helen.

From the Hebrew name חֶפְצִי־בָּה (Ḥeftsi-ba) meaning "my delight is in her". In the Old Testament she is the wife of King Hezekiah of Judah and the mother of Manasseh. The meaning of her name is explained in Isaiah 62:4.

Means "evening" in Greek. This was the name of the personification of the Evening Star (the planet Venus) in Greek mythology.

From the Hebrew name חִזְקִיָהוּ (Ḥizqiyahu), which means "Yahweh strengthens", from the roots חָזַק (ḥazaq) meaning "to strength" and יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. This name was borne by a powerful king of Judah who reigned in the 8th and 7th centuries BC. Also in the Old Testament, this is the name of an ancestor of the prophet Zephaniah.

Ancient Greek form of Jerome.

Greek form of Hippocrates.

Latinized form of Hippolyte 1. In Shakespeare's comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream (1595) she is the queen of the Amazons, due to marry Theseus the Duke of Athens.

Means "freer of horses" from Greek ἵππος (hippos) meaning "horse" and λύω (luo) meaning "to loosen". In Greek legend he was the son of Theseus who was tragically loved by his stepmother Phaedra. This was also the name of a 3rd-century theologian, saint and martyr.

Swedish form of the Old Norse name Hjǫrdís meaning "sword goddess", derived from the elements hjǫrr "sword" and dís "goddess".

Hebrew form of Hodiah.

Old Norse name, derived from the element hróðr "praise, fame" combined with either geirr "spear" (making it a relation of Hróðgeirr), herr "army, warrior" or varr "aware, cautious". This is the name of a legendary Danish king, the same one who is featured in the Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf with the name Hroðgar.

From Old English hroð "fame, glory" and gar "spear", making it a cognate of Hrodger (see Roger). The name became unused after the Normans introduced the continental form. In the Old English poem Beowulf this is the name of the Danish king.

Derived from Greek ὕπατος (hypatos) meaning "highest, supreme". Hypatia of Alexandria was a 5th-century philosopher and mathematician, daughter of the mathematician Theon.

Means "evening" in Finnish.

Form of Emmanuel used in most translations of the Old Testament. Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) was a German philosopher of the Enlightenment who is sometimes called the father of modern philosophy.

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).

From the Hebrew name יְשַׁעְיָהוּ (Yeshaʿyahu) meaning "Yahweh is salvation", from the roots יָשַׁע (yashaʿ) meaning "to save" and יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. Isaiah is one of the four major prophets of the Old Testament, supposedly the author of the Book of Isaiah. He was from Jerusalem and probably lived in the 8th century BC, at a time when Assyria threatened the Kingdom of Judah. As an English Christian name, Isaiah was first used after the Protestant Reformation.

Variant of Ittai.

Probably derived from the Old Norse prefix ið- "again, repeated" and unna "to love". In Norse mythology Iðunn was the goddess of spring and immortality whose responsibility it was to guard the gods' apples of youth.

Derived from the Slavic elements jarŭ "fierce, energetic" and mirŭ "peace, world". This name was borne by an 11th-century duke of Bohemia.

From the Hebrew name יִרְמְיָהוּ (Yirmeyahu) meaning "Yahweh will exalt", from the roots רוּם (rum) meaning "to exalt" and יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. This is the name of one of the major prophets of the Old Testament, the author of the Book of Jeremiah and the Book of Lamentations (supposedly). He lived to see the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem in the 6th century BC.

In England, though the vernacular form Jeremy had been occasionally used since the 13th century, the form Jeremiah was not common until after the Protestant Reformation.

From the Greek name Ἱερώνυμος (Hieronymos) meaning "sacred name", derived from ἱερός (hieros) meaning "sacred" and ὄνυμα (onyma) meaning "name". Saint Jerome was responsible for the creation of the Vulgate, the Latin translation of the Bible, in the 5th century. He is regarded as a Doctor of the Church. The name was used in his honour in the Middle Ages, especially in Italy and France, and has been used in England since the 12th century [1].

From Ἰεσσαί (Iessai), the Greek form of the Hebrew name יִשַׁי (Yishai). This could be a derivative of the word שַׁי (shai) meaning "gift" or יֵשׁ (yesh) meaning "existence". In the Old Testament Jesse is the father of King David. It began to be used as an English given name after the Protestant Reformation.

A famous bearer was Jesse James (1847-1882), an American outlaw who held up banks and stagecoaches. He was eventually shot by a fellow gang member for a reward. Another famous bearer was the American athlete Jesse Owens (1913-1980), whose real name was James Cleveland (or J. C.) Owens.

From the Old Norse name Jórunnr, derived from the elements jǫfurr "boar" and unna "to love".

Old Norse form of Jorunn.

From the Hebrew name יֹאשִׁיָהוּ (Yoshiyahu) meaning "Yahweh supports", from אָשְׁיָה (ʾashya) meaning "support" and יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. In the Old Testament this is the name of a king of Judah famous for his religious reforms. He was killed fighting the Egyptians at Megiddo in the 7th century BC. In England this name came into use after the Protestant Reformation.

From the Hebrew name יְהוּדִית (Yehuḏiṯ) meaning "Jewish woman", feminine of יְהוּדִי (yehuḏi), ultimately referring to a person from the tribe of Judah. In the Old Testament Judith is one of the Hittite wives of Esau. This is also the name of the main character of the apocryphal Book of Judith. She killed Holofernes, an invading Assyrian commander, by beheading him in his sleep.

As an English name it did not become common until after the Protestant Reformation, despite a handful of early examples during the Middle Ages. It was however used earlier on the European continent, being borne by several European royals, such as the 9th-century Judith of Bavaria.

Feminine form of the Roman family name Julius. Among the notable women from this family were Julia Augusta (also known as Livia Drusilla), the wife of Emperor Augustus, and Julia the Elder, the daughter of Augustus and the wife of Tiberius. A person by this name has a brief mention in the New Testament. It was also borne by a few early saints and martyrs, including the patron saint of Corsica. Additionally, Shakespeare used it in his comedy The Two Gentlemen of Verona (1594).

It has been common as a given name in the English-speaking world only since the 18th century. A famous modern bearer is American actress Julia Roberts (1967-).

French, Danish, Norwegian and Czech form of Julia. It has spread to many other regions as well. It has been common in the English-speaking world since the early 20th century.

French diminutive of Julie.

Variant of Jyotsna.

Hebrew form of Caleb.

Means "beautiful power", derived from the Greek elements κάλλος (kallos) meaning "beauty" and κράτος (kratos) meaning "power".

Means "beautiful voice" from Greek κάλλος (kallos) meaning "beauty" and ὄψ (ops) meaning "voice". In Greek mythology she was a goddess of epic poetry and eloquence, one of the nine Muses.

Greek form of Callirrhoe.

Derived from Greek κάλλιστος (kallistos) meaning "most beautiful", a derivative of καλός (kalos) meaning "beautiful". In Greek mythology Kallisto was a nymph who was loved by Zeus. She was changed into a she-bear by Hera, and subsequently became the Great Bear constellation. This was also an ancient Greek personal name.

Means "beautiful army" from the Greek elements κάλλος (kallos) meaning "beauty" and στρατός (stratos) meaning "army".

Means "beautiful, lovely, auspicious" in Sanskrit. This is another name of the Hindu goddess Parvati.

Means "desirable" in Sanskrit.

From Sanskrit कञ्चन (kañcana) meaning "golden".

Probably from Old Norse kárr meaning "curly, curved". In Norse legend this was the name of a valkyrie.

Greek form of Cassandra, as well as a modern English variant.

Anglicized form of both Coinneach and Cináed. This name was borne by the Scottish king Kenneth (Cináed) mac Alpin, who united the Scots and Picts in the 9th century. It was popularized outside of Scotland by Walter Scott, who used it for the hero in his 1825 novel The Talisman [1]. A famous bearer was the British novelist Kenneth Grahame (1859-1932), who wrote The Wind in the Willows.

Means "lily of the valley" in Finnish (species Convallaria majalis).

Means "cherry" in Finnish.

Ancient Greek form of Cleisthenes.

Derived from Finnish kyllä "abundance" or kyllin "enough". This is the name of a character in the Finnish epic the Kalevala.

Latinized form of the Greek name Λέανδρος (Leandros), derived from λέων (leon) meaning "lion" and ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man" (genitive ἀνδρός). In Greek legend Leander was the lover of Hero. Every night he swam across the Hellespont to meet her, but on one occasion he was drowned when a storm arose. When Hero saw his dead body she threw herself into the waters and perished.

Greek form of Leander.

Derived from Greek λέων (leon) meaning "lion" combined with the patronymic suffix ἴδης (ides). Leonidas was a Spartan king of the 5th century BC who sacrificed his life and his army defending the pass of Thermopylae from the Persians. This was also the name of a 3rd-century saint and martyr, the father of Origen, from Alexandria.

French masculine and feminine form of Leonidas.

Irish short form of William. It became popular in the United Kingdom in the 1980s, and elsewhere in Europe and the Americas after that. It was the top ranked name for boys in the United States beginning in 2017. Famous bearers include British actor Liam Neeson (1952-), British musician Liam Gallagher (1972-), and Australian actor Liam Hemsworth (1990-).

Derived from Greek λιγύς (ligys) meaning "clear-voiced, shrill, whistling". This was the name of one of the Sirens in Greek legend. It was also used by Edgar Allan Poe in his story Ligeia (1838).

Variant of Llywelyn influenced by the Welsh word llew "lion".

From German Loreley, the name of a rock headland on the Rhine River. It is of uncertain meaning, though the second element is probably old German ley meaning "rock" (of Celtic origin). German romantic poets and songwriters, beginning with Clemens Brentano in 1801, tell that a maiden named the Lorelei lives on the rock and lures boaters to their death with her song.

In the English-speaking world this name has been occasionally given since the early 20th century. It started rising in America after the variant Lorelai was used for the main character (and her daughter, nicknamed Rory) on the television series Gilmore Girls (2000-2007).

From the name of a region in eastern France, originally meaning "kingdom of Lothar". Lothar was a Frankish king, the great-grandson of Charlemagne, whose realm was in the part of France that is now called Lorraine, or in German Lothringen (from Latin Lothari regnum). As a given name, it has been used in the English-speaking world since the late 19th century, perhaps due to its similar sound with Laura. It became popular after World War I when the region was in the news, as it was contested between Germany and France.

Italian form of Lucretia.

Greek form of Lycurgus.

Greek form of Lysander.

Means "jasmine" in Sanskrit.

Italian form of Maristela.

From the Germanic name Mahthilt meaning "strength in battle", from the elements maht "might, strength" and hilt "battle". Saint Matilda was the wife of the 10th-century German king Henry I the Fowler. The name was common in many branches of European royalty in the Middle Ages. It was brought to England by the Normans, being borne by the wife of William the Conqueror himself. Another notable royal by this name was a 12th-century daughter of Henry I of England, known as the Empress Matilda because of her first marriage to the Holy Roman emperor Henry V. She later invaded England, laying the foundations for the reign of her son Henry II.

The name was very popular until the 15th century in England, usually in the vernacular form Maud. Both forms were revived by the 19th century. This name appears in the popular Australian folk song Waltzing Matilda, written in 1895.

Derived from Greek μέλαινα (melaina) meaning "black, dark". This was the name of a nymph in Greek mythology.

Derived from Greek μέλας (melas) meaning "black, dark" and ἄνθος (anthos) meaning "flower". In Homer's epic the Odyssey this is the name of an insolent goatherd killed by Odysseus.

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.

Italian form of Melchior.

Derived from Greek μέλι (meli) meaning "honey" (genitive μέλιτος). This was the name of a 2nd-century bishop of Sardis who is regarded as a saint in the Orthodox Church.

Ancient Attic Greek variant of Melissa.

Derived from Greek μέλπω (melpo) meaning "to sing, to celebrate with song". This was the name of one of the nine Muses in Greek mythology, the muse of tragedy.

Hebrew form of Menahem.

Means "gift of the moon", derived from Greek μήνη (mene) meaning "moon" and δῶρον (doron) meaning "gift". This was the name of a 4th-century saint who was martyred with her sisters Metrodora and Nymphodora.

Derived from Greek μήτηρ (meter) meaning "mother" (genitive μητρός) and δῶρον (doron) meaning "gift". This was the name of a 4th-century saint and martyr who was killed with her sisters Menodora and Nymphodora.

Derived from Greek μίλτος (miltos) meaning "red earth" and the patronymic suffix ἴδης (ides). This was the name of the general who led the Greek forces to victory against the Persians in the Battle of Marathon.

Form of Mary used in the Old Testament, where it belongs to the elder sister of Moses and Aaron. She watched over the infant Moses as the pharaoh's daughter drew him from the Nile. The name has long been popular among Jews, and it has been used as an English Christian name (alongside Mary) since the Protestant Reformation.

Anglicized form of Máire. It also coincides with Greek Μοῖρα (Moira) meaning "fate, destiny", the singular of Μοῖραι, the Greek name for the Fates. They were the three female personifications of destiny in Greek mythology.

Variant of Morrígan.

Scottish Gaelic form of Muirgel.

Means "bright sea", derived from Old Irish muir "sea" and gel "bright".

Derived from Greek μύρρα (myrrha) meaning "myrrh". This is the name of a character in the comedy Lysistrata by the Greek playwright Aristophanes.

Means "drinking companion" in Arabic, derived from ندم (nadima) meaning "to drink together" [1].

Means "wild rose" in Persian.

Hebrew form of Nehemiah.

Means "Yahweh comforts" in Hebrew, derived from נָחַם (naḥam) meaning "to comfort" and יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. According to the Book of Nehemiah in the Old Testament he was a leader of the Jews who was responsible for the rebuilding of Jerusalem after the return from the Babylonian captivity.

Feminine form of Nektarios.

Derived from Greek νέκταρ (nektar) meaning "nectar, drink of the gods".

Greek name meaning "new plant, new child", from a word that was derived from νέος (neos) meaning "new" and φυτόν (phyton) meaning "plant".

Means "victory of a man" from the Greek elements νίκη (nike) meaning "victory" and ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man" (genitive ἀνδρός). This was the name of a 2nd-century BC Greek poet and grammarian from Colophon.

From Sanskrit नील (nīla) meaning "dark blue".

From Sanskrit नील (nīla) meaning "dark blue".

Means "water lily" in Persian.

French diminutive of Anne 1.

From Sanskrit नीरव (nīrava) meaning "quiet, silent".

From Sanskrit निशा (niśā) meaning "night".

From Sanskrit निशान्त (niśānta) meaning "night's end, dawn".

From Sanskrit नीति (nīti) meaning "guidance, moral conduct".

Feminine form of Nymphodoros. This was the name of a 4th-century saint who was martyred with her sisters Menodora and Metrodora.

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 Breton oan "lamb" (ultimately from Latin agnus) and used as a Breton form of Agnes.

Means "born when the sun shines", derived from Luo chieng meaning "sun".

From the Old Norse name Oddbjǫrn, derived from the elements oddr "point of a sword" and bjǫrn "bear".

Means "splendid" in Finnish.

Means "arrow" in Old Norse. Orvar Odd is a legendary Norse hero who is the subject of a 13th-century Icelandic saga.

Biblical Hebrew form of Obadiah.

Means "dove, pigeon" in Spanish.

Means "friend of all" from Greek πᾶν (pan) meaning "all" and φίλος (philos) meaning "friend". This was the name of a 4th-century saint from Caesarea in the Roman province of Syria Palaestina.

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.

Greek form of Patroclus.

Greek form of Pelagius.

Meaning uncertain. It possibly means "hard spears" from Welsh peri "spears" and dur "hard, steel" [1]. In early Welsh poetry and histories, the brothers Peredur and Gwrgi were chieftains in Cumbria who defeated Gwenddoleu at the Battle of Arfderydd. This name was later used by the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth in the Latin form Peredurus for an early (fictitious) king of Britain. Entering into Arthurian romance, Peredur is an aspiring knight in the 14th-century Welsh tale Peredur son of Efrawg (an adaptation or parallel of Chrétien de Troyes' hero Percival).

Greek form of Phaedrus.

Attic Greek form of Berenice.

Ancient Greek form of Philander.

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.

Latinized form of the Greek name Φοίβη (Phoibe), which meant "bright, pure" from Greek φοῖβος (phoibos). In Greek mythology Phoibe was a Titan associated with the moon. This was also an epithet of her granddaughter, the moon goddess Artemis. The name appears in Paul's epistle to the Romans in the New Testament, where it belongs to a female minister in the church at Cenchreae.

In England, it began to be used as a given name after the Protestant Reformation. It was moderately common in the 19th century. It began to rise in popularity again in the late 1980s, probably helped along by characters on the American television shows Friends (1994-2004) and Charmed (1998-2006). It is currently much more common in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand than the United States.

A moon of Saturn bears this name, in honour of the Titan.

From the Greek Φρίξος (Phrixos) meaning "thrilling, causing shivers", derived from φρίξ (phrix) meaning "ripple, shiver". In Greek myth Phrixus was the son of Athamus and Nephele. He was to be sacrificed to Zeus, but he escaped with his sister Helle on the back of the ram with the Golden Fleece.

French form of Peter. This name has been consistently popular in France since the 13th century, but fell out of the top 100 names in 2017. It was borne by the philosopher and theologian Pierre Abélard (1079-1142), the scholar Pierre-Simon Laplace (1749-1827), the impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919), and Pierre Curie (1859-1906), a physicist who discovered radioactivity with his wife Marie.

Means "abounding in song", derived from Greek πολύς (polys) meaning "much" and ὕμνος (hymnos) meaning "song, hymn". In Greek mythology she was the goddess of dance and sacred songs, one of the nine Muses.

Ancient Greek form of Porfirio.

Derived from the Greek elements πρᾶξις (praxis) meaning "action, exercise" and τέλος (telos) meaning "purpose, result, completion". This was the name of a 4th-century BC sculptor from Athens.

From Sanskrit प्रियंकर (priyaṃkara) meaning "agreeable, amiable".

From Welsh pryder meaning "care, worry" (or perhaps from a derivative word *pryderi meaning "loss" [1]). Appearing in Welsh legend in all four branches of the Mabinogi, Pryderi was the son of Pwyll and Rhiannon, eventually succeeding his father as the king of Dyfed. He was one of only seven warriors to return from Brân's tragic invasion of Ireland, and later had several adventures with Manawydan. He was ultimately killed in single combat with Gwydion during the war between Dyfed and Gwynedd.

From the Hebrew name רָחֵל (Raḥel) meaning "ewe". In the Old Testament this is the name of the favourite wife of Jacob. Her father Laban tricked Jacob into marrying her older sister Leah first, though in exchange for seven years of work Laban allowed Jacob to marry Rachel too. Initially barren and facing her husband's anger, she offered her handmaid Bilhah to Jacob to bear him children. Eventually she was herself able to conceive, becoming the mother of Joseph and Benjamin.

The name was common among Jews in the Middle Ages, but it was not generally used as a Christian name in the English-speaking world until after the Protestant Reformation. It was moderately popular in the first half of the 20th century, but starting in the 1960s it steadily rose, reaching highs in the 1980s and 90s. The character Rachel Green on the American sitcom Friends (1994-2004) may have only helped delay its downswing.

Notable bearers include American conservationist Rachel Carson (1907-1964), British actress Rachel Weisz (1970-), and Canadian actress Rachel McAdams (1978-).

Modern Scandinavian form of Ragnarr.

Old Norse name composed of the elements regin "advice, counsel" and valdr "ruler" (making it a cognate of Reynold).

Irish form of Rachel.

Derived from the Norse elements ráð meaning "counsel, advice" and ulfr meaning "wolf".

Means "sun" in Sanskrit. Ravi is a Hindu god of the sun, sometimes equated with Surya. A famous bearer was the musician Ravi Shankar (1920-2012).

Form of Rebecca used in some versions of the Bible.

From the Old Norse name Hreiðunn, which was derived from the elements hreiðr "nest, home" and unnr "wave".

French form of Reynard. Because of the medieval character Reynard the Fox, renard became a French word meaning "fox".

From the Germanic name Raginhard, composed of the elements regin "advice, counsel, decision" and hart "hard, firm, brave, hardy". The Normans brought it to England in the form Reinard, though it never became very common there. In medieval fables the name was borne by the sly hero Reynard the Fox (with the result that renard has become a French word meaning "fox").

Probably derived from an unattested Celtic name *Rīgantonā meaning "great queen" (Celtic *rīganī "queen" and the divine or augmentative suffix -on). It is speculated that Rigantona was an old Celtic goddess, perhaps associated with fertility and horses like the Gaulish Epona. As Rhiannon, she appears in Welsh legend in the Mabinogi [1] as a beautiful magical woman who rides a white horse. She was betrothed against her will to Gwawl, but cunningly broke off that engagement and married Pwyll instead. Their son was Pryderi.

As an English name, it became popular due to the Fleetwood Mac song Rhiannon (1976), especially in the United Kingdom and Australia.

Derived from Greek ῥόδον (rhodon) meaning "rose" and ὄψ (ops) meaning "face, eye". According to Herodotus this was the name of a prostitute who was a slave with Aesop on Samos. The same figure appears in the 1st-century BC writings of Strabo, which recount the tale of a slave named Rhodopis who marries the Egyptian pharaoh after he finds her sandal and has his men locate the owner. Some sources spell her name as Rhodope.

Possibly derived from the name of either of the two Hebridean islands called Rona, which means "rough island" in Old Norse.

Hebrew form of Rebecca.

Biblical Hebrew form of Rebecca.

Means "famous ruler" from the Old German elements hruod "fame" and rih "ruler, king". This name was in use among the Visigoths; it was borne by their last king (Gothic form *Hroþireiks, also known by the Spanish form Rodrigo), who died fighting the Muslim invaders of Spain in the 8th century. It also had cognates in Old Norse and West Germanic, and Scandinavian settlers and Normans introduced it to England, though it died out after the Middle Ages. It was revived in the English-speaking world by Walter Scott's 1811 poem The Vision of Don Roderick [1].

This name has also functioned as an Anglicized form of Scottish Ruaridh or Welsh Rhydderch.

Italian name meaning "white rose", derived from Latin rosa "rose" and alba "white". A famous bearer was the Venetian painter Rosalba Carriera (1675-1757).

Derived from the Old German elements hros meaning "horse" and lind meaning "soft, flexible, tender". The Normans introduced this name to England, though it was not common. During the Middle Ages its spelling was influenced by the Latin phrase rosa linda "beautiful rose". The name was popularized by Edmund Spencer, who used it in his poetry, and by William Shakespeare, who used it for the heroine in his comedy As You Like It (1599).

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 Old Irish Ruaidrí meaning "red king", from rúad "red" combined with rí "king". This was the name of the last high king of Ireland, reigning in the 12th century.

Roman cognomen meaning "red-haired" in Latin. Several early saints had this name, including one mentioned in one of Paul's epistles in the New Testament. As a nickname it was used by William II Rufus, a king of England, because of his red hair. It came into general use in the English-speaking world after the Protestant Reformation.

French and Polish form of Solomon. This form also occurs in the Greek and Latin Old Testament (with the forms Σολομών and Solomon in the New Testament).

From the Hebrew name שְׁמוּאֵל (Shemuʾel) meaning "name of God", from the roots שֵׁם (shem) meaning "name" and אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". Other interpretations have the first root being שָׁמַע (shamaʿ) meaning "to hear" leading to a meaning of "God has heard". As told in the Books of Samuel in the Old Testament, Samuel was the last of the ruling judges. He led the Israelites during a period of domination by the Philistines, who were ultimately defeated in battle at Mizpah. Later he anointed Saul to be the first king of Israel, and even later anointed his successor David.

As a Christian name, Samuel came into common use after the Protestant Reformation. It has been consistently popular in the English-speaking world, ranking yearly in the top 100 names in the United States (as recorded since 1880) and performing similarly well in the United Kingdom.

Famous bearers include English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834), American inventor Samuel Morse (1791-1872), Irish writer Samuel Beckett (1906-1989), and American actor Samuel L. Jackson (1948-). This was also the real name, Samuel Clemens, of the American author Mark Twain (1835-1910).

Means "sapphire" in Hebrew.

Means "of the sun" in Sanskrit. This is the name of a hymn in the Rigveda dedicated to Savitr, a sun god. This is also the name of Savitr's daughter, a wife of Brahma, considered an aspect of Saraswati. In the Hindu epic the Mahabharata it is borne by King Satyavan's wife, who successfully pleas with Yama, the god of death, to restore her husband to life.

Greek form of Zipporah.

Biblical Hebrew form of Solomon.

Modern Hebrew form of Samuel.

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.

Form of Sophia used in various languages.

Anglicized form of the Old Norse name Sumarliði meaning "summer traveller". This was the name of a 12th-century Norse-Gaelic king of Mann and the Scottish Isles.

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-).

French form of Sophia.

Means "born safely" from Greek σῶς (sos) meaning "safe, whole, unwounded" and γενής (genes) meaning "born". This was the name of an astronomer from Alexandria employed by Julius Caesar to correct the Roman calendar.

Feminine form of Sotirios.

Variant of Sotirios.

Late Greek name derived from Greek σπυρίδιον (spyridion) meaning "basket" or Latin spiritus meaning "spirit". Saint Spyridon was a 4th-century sheep farmer who became the bishop of Tremithus and suffered during the persecutions of Diocletian.

From the Old Norse name Steinarr, derived from the elements steinn "stone" and herr "army, warrior".

From the Old Norse name Steingrímr, derived from the elements steinn "stone" and gríma "mask".

Means "wanderer" in Old Norse.

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.

Variant of Silvia. This has been the most common English spelling since the 19th century.

Swedish form of Sunniva.

Means "star" in Finnish and Estonian.

From Finnish taimi meaning "sapling, young tree" or Estonian taim meaning "plant" (words from a common origin).

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.

Anglicized form of the Old Irish name Taileflaith, Tuileflaith or Tuilelaith, probably from tuile "abundance" and flaith "ruler, sovereign, princess". This was the name of an early saint, an abbess of Kildare.

Feminine form of Theodoros (see Theodore).

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.

From the ancient Greek name Θεόκλεια (Theokleia), which meant "glory of God" from the Greek elements θεός (theos) meaning "god" and κλέος (kleos) meaning "glory". This was the name of a 1st-century saint, appearing (as Θέκλα) in the apocryphal Acts of Paul and Thecla. The story tells how Thecla listens to Paul speak about the virtues of chastity and decides to remain a virgin, angering both her mother and her suitor.

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).

Latinized form of Themistokleia. This was the name of a Greek priestess, philosopher and mathematician from the 6th century BC, who was the teacher of Pythagoras. After Pythagoras coined the term "philosophy", Themistoclea became the first woman in history to whom the word "philosopher" was applied.

Ancient Greek form of Themistocles.

Means "watched by god" from Greek θεός (theos) meaning "god" and φυλακτέος (phylakteos) meaning "to be watched". Saint Theophylaktos was a 9th-century bishop of Nicomedia who was banished to Caria.

Derived from Greek τιμάω (timao) meaning "to honour, to esteem". According to ancient writers, this was the name of a wealthy man of Athens who grew to hate humanity after he lost his riches and his friends deserted him. His story is related in Shakespeare's tragedy Timon of Athens (1607). This name is also mentioned in the New Testament as belonging to one of the original seven deacons of the church, considered a saint.

Means "to twinkle, to sparkle" in Swedish.

Means "hope" in Finnish.

Hebrew form of Tobiah, also used as a feminine form.

Biblical Hebrew form of Tobiah.

Greek form of Tryphena.

From Sanskrit तुषार (tuṣāra) meaning "cold, frost, snow".

Modern Hebrew form of Tobiah.

Hebrew form of Zephaniah.

Probably derived from Old Irish úan meaning "lamb". This was a common name in medieval Ireland.

Biblical Hebrew form of Uriah.

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

Means "wolf" in Old Norse.

Old Norse form of Vegard.

From Finnish velloa "to surge, to swell". This was the name of a Finnish goddess of the sea, the wife of Ahti.

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

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

Means "sprout, young tree" in Finnish.

From Old Norse Víðarr, which was possibly derived from víðr "wide" and herr "army, warrior". In Norse mythology Víðarr was the son of Odin and Grid. At the time of the end of the world, Ragnarök, it is said he will avenge his father's death by slaying the wolf Fenrir.

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

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

Hebrew form of Ezekiel.

Alternate transcription of Hebrew יְדִידְיָה (see Yedidya).

Hebrew form of Jehoshaphat.

Hebrew form of Jehosheba.

Hebrew form of Joshua.

Hebrew form of Jehu.

Alternate transcription of Hebrew יְהוּדָה (see Yehuda).

Hebrew form of Judith.

Hebrew form of Jerahmeel.

Hebrew form of Jared.

Hebrew form of Jeriah.

Modern Hebrew form of Isaiah.

Contracted form of Yehoshuaʿ (see Joshua) used in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah in the Hebrew Bible. The form was also used in Aramaic, and was most likely the name represented by Greek Iesous (see Jesus) in the New Testament. This means it was probably the real name of Jesus.