NamesAreTreasures's Personal Name List

Greenlandic younger form of Âjâjaĸ.

From the Hebrew name אַהֲרֹן (ʾAharon), which is most likely of unknown Egyptian origin. Other theories claim a Hebrew derivation, and suggest meanings such as "high mountain" or "exalted". In the Old Testament this name is borne by the older brother of Moses. He acted as a spokesman for his brother when they appealed to the pharaoh to release the Israelites from slavery. Aaron's rod produced miracles and plagues to intimidate the pharaoh. After the departure from Egypt and arrival at Mount Sinai, God installed Aaron as the first high priest of the Israelites and promised that his descendants would form the priesthood.

As an English name, Aaron has been in use since the Protestant Reformation. This name was borne by the American politician Aaron Burr (1756-1836), notable for killing Alexander Hamilton in a duel.

Means "servant of God" in Hebrew, from עֶבֶד (ʿeveḏ) meaning "servant, slave" and אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". In the Old Testament, this is the name of a member of the tribe of Gad. In John Milton's Paradise Lost (1667), this is the name of a seraph who withstands Satan when he urges the angels to revolt.

Feminine form of Abel.

Means "God is my father" in Hebrew, from אָב (ʾav) meaning "father" and אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". This was the name of the grandfather of Saul according to the Old Testament.

Elaboration of Abigail.

Variant of Abigail.

From the Hebrew name אַבְרָהָם (ʾAvraham), which may be viewed either as meaning "father of many" or else as a contraction of Abram 1 and הָמוֹן (hamon) meaning "many, multitude". The biblical patriarch Abraham was originally named Abram but God changed his name (see Genesis 17:5). With his father Terah, he led his wife Sarah, his nephew Lot and their other followers from Ur into Canaan. He is regarded by Jews as being the founder of the Hebrews through his son Isaac and by Muslims as being the founder of the Arabs through his son Ishmael.

As an English Christian name, Abraham became common after the Protestant Reformation. A famous bearer was the American president Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), who pushed to abolish slavery and led the country through the Civil War.

Combination of the prefix a and Brielle, or a variant of Aubrielle.

Originally a short form of Germanic names such as Adelaide or Adelina that begin with the element adal meaning "noble". Saint Ada was a 7th-century Frankish abbess at Le Mans. This name was also borne by Augusta Ada King (1815-1852), the Countess of Lovelace (known as Ada Lovelace), a daughter of Lord Byron. She was an assistant to Charles Babbage, the inventor of an early mechanical computer.

Feminine form of Adam.

Transferred use of the surname Adams.

From an English surname meaning "son of Adam". Its recent popularity as a feminine name stems from its similarity in sound to Madison.

Means "the crown becomes joy" in Yoruba.

Means "nobleness, nobility", from the French form of the Germanic name Adalheidis, which was composed of adal "noble" and the suffix heit "kind, sort, type". It was borne in the 10th century by Saint Adelaide, the wife of the Holy Roman emperor Otto the Great.

In Britain the parallel form Alice, derived via Old French, has historically been more common than Adelaide, though this form did gain some currency in the 19th century due to the popularity of the German-born wife of King William IV, for whom the city of Adelaide in Australia was named in 1836.

Late Middle English via Old French from Latin adorare ‘to worship’, from ad- ‘to’ + orare ‘speak, pray’.

Feminine form of Adrastos. In Greek mythology this name was borne by a nymph who fostered the infant Zeus. This was also another name of the goddess Nemesis.

Variant of Anna.

French form of Amy.

From Aleut alaxsxaq "object to which the action of the sea is directed" or "mainland". It is the name of a US state.

Feminine form of Alexander. In Greek mythology this was a Mycenaean epithet of the goddess Hera, and an alternate name of Cassandra. It was borne by several early Christian saints, and also by the wife of Nicholas II, the last tsar of Russia. She was from Germany and had the birth name Alix, but was renamed Александра (Aleksandra) upon joining the Russian Church.

Feminine form of Alexis.

Variant of Alexis.

Diminutive of Alison 1, Alexandra and other names beginning with the same sound. After a 34-year absence from the American top 1000 chart this name began growing in popularity after the premiere of the sitcom Kate and Allie in 1984.

Short form of Kealoha and other Hawaiian names containing aloha meaning "love" or otherwise derived directly from the word.

English and Hungarian Latinate form of Amaryllis, in the case of the Hungarian name, derived from Hungarian amarillisz "amaryllis". This name was also used throughout the United States in the 1800s.

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.

From the English word amber that denotes either the gemstone, which is formed from fossil resin, or the orange-yellow colour. The word ultimately derives from Arabic عنبر (ʿanbar) meaning "ambergris". It began to be used as a given name in the late 19th century, but it only became popular after the release of Kathleen Winsor's novel Forever Amber (1944).

Variant of Amberly.

Variant of Amberlynn.

Elaboration of Amber using the popular name suffix lyn.

Feminine form of Amir 1.

From the English phrase a miracle, which is a combination of the indefinite article a with Miracle. It might also be influenced by Amira.

English form of the Old French name Amée meaning "beloved" (modern French aimée), a vernacular form of the Latin Amata. As an English name, it was in use in the Middle Ages (though not common) and was revived in the 19th century.

Scandinavian form of Andreas (see Andrew). A famous bearer was the Swedish physicist Anders Jonas Ångström (1814-1874).

From a surname meaning "son of Andrew".

Diminutive of Andrea 2.

Feminine form of Andrew. As an English name, it has been used since the 17th century, though it was not common until the 20th century.

Variant of Andriana.

Variant of Andreana.

Feminine form of Andreas (Greek) or Andrey (Bulgarian).

French form of Angelica.

Dutch form of Angélique.

Form of Hannah used in the Greek and Latin Old Testament. Many later Old Testament translations, including the English, use the Hannah spelling instead of Anna. The name appears briefly in the New Testament belonging to a prophetess who recognized Jesus as the Messiah. It was a popular name in the Byzantine Empire from an early date, and in the Middle Ages it became common among Western Christians due to veneration of Saint Anna (usually known as Saint Anne in English), the name traditionally assigned to the mother of the Virgin Mary.

In England, this Latin form has been used alongside the vernacular forms Ann and Anne since the late Middle Ages. Anna is currently the most common of these spellings in all English-speaking countries (since the 1970s), however the biblical form Hannah is presently more popular than all three.

The name was borne by several Russian royals, including an 18th-century empress of Russia. It is also the name of the main character in Leo Tolstoy's novel Anna Karenina (1877), about a married aristocrat who begins an ultimately tragic relationship with Count Vronsky.

Latinate form of Annabel. It can also be interpreted as a combination of Anna and Latin/Italian bella "beautiful".

Variant of Annabel. It can also be interpreted as a combination of Anna and French belle "beautiful".

Combination of Anna and Marie.

From the English word anthem, "a rousing or uplifting song", ultimately from the Greek ἀντίφωνα (antíphōna), a call and response style of singing.

From the English word for the fruit, derived from Middle English appel, Old English æppel. The American actress Gwenyth Paltrow and British musician Chris Martin gave this name to their daughter in 2004.

Variant of Arabella.

Arabia (fl. 565) was the only recorded daughter of Byzantine Emperor Justin II (r. 565–578) and Empress Sophia. While mentioned in several primary sources, her name is only recorded in the Patria of Constantinople. The name is generally accepted as genuine. It appears to be a unique personal name, and Arabia seems to have been named by her great aunt, Empress Theodora, as a show of gratitude to Arab phylarch Arethas.

Meaning unknown, possibly related either to Greek ἀρτεμής (artemes) meaning "safe" or ἄρταμος (artamos) meaning "a butcher". Artemis was the Greek goddess of the moon and hunting, the twin of Apollo and the daughter of Zeus and Leto. She was known as Diana to the Romans.

Modern Scandinavian form of Ástríðr. This name was borne by the Swedish writer Astrid Lindgren (1907-2002), the author of Pippi Longstocking. It was also borne by a Swedish princess (1905-1935) who became the queen of Belgium as the wife of Leopold III.

Combination of Aubrey and the popular name suffix elle.

From the Latin audiō 'hear, listen'.

Possibly an elaboration of Ava 1 influenced by Nevaeh. This name was used by American vlogger Ronnie Banks for his daughter born 2019.

Feminine varation of the unisex name Avery.

Means "returning, visitor" in Arabic. In Turkey this is also associated with ay meaning "moon".

From Spanish azul meaning "blue". This name was borne by the ninth and last wife of the Apache leader Geronimo. A known bearer is Azul Guaita (2001-), a Mexican television actress.

Elaboration of Azure.

From the English word that means "sky blue". It is ultimately (via Old French, Latin and Arabic) from Persian لاجورد (lājvard) meaning "azure, lapis lazuli".

From a nickname meaning "baby", also a slang term meaning "attractive person". As a feminine name, in some cases it is a diminutive of Barbara.

From an English occupational surname derived from Old English bakere meaning "baker".

Means "daughter of the oath" in Hebrew, derived from בַּת (baṯ) meaning "daughter" and שָׁבַע (shavaʿ) meaning "oath". According to the Old Testament, this was the name of a woman married to Uriah the Hittite. She became pregnant by King David, so he arranged to have her husband killed in battle and then married her. She was the mother of Solomon.

Variant of Bailynn.

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.

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 Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands (1938-).

Simply from the English word beautiful.

From the English word "beauty", ultimately derived from Latin bellus, "beautiful". See also Belle and Bella.

Spanish form of Bethlehem, the name of the town in Judah where King David and Jesus were born. The town's name is from Hebrew בֵּית־לֶחֶם (Beṯ-leḥem) meaning "house of bread".

Variant of Belenky.

From an English surname derived from Old French bel ami meaning "beautiful friend".

From the Hebrew name בְּנָיָה (Benaya) meaning "Yahweh has built", derived from בָּנָה (bana) meaning "to build" and יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. This is the name of numerous Old Testament characters.

Combination of Billie and Jean 2. This is also popularized by the title of the song by Michael Jackson named "Billie Jean" released on January 22nd 1983.

From an Old Norse byname derived from bjǫrn meaning "bear".

Variant of Björn or Bjørn used outside of Scandinavia and Germany.

From a Scottish surname that was derived from Gaelic blàr meaning "plain, field, battlefield". In Scotland this name is typically masculine.

In the United States it became more common for girls in the early 1980s, shortly after the debut of the television sitcom The Facts of Life (1979-1988), which featured a character named Blair Warner. The name left the American top 1000 rankings two decades later, but was resurrected by another television character, this time Blair Waldorf from the series Gossip Girl (2007-2012).

Variant of Blair.

From the English word for the colour, derived via Norman French from a Frankish word (replacing the native Old English cognate blaw). Despite the fact that this name was used by the American musicians Beyoncé and Jay-Z in 2012 for their first daughter, it has not come into general use in the United States.

Means "pretty" in Spanish, ultimately from Latin bonus "good". It has been used as a name in the English-speaking world since the beginning of the 20th century.

Means "pretty" from the Scottish word bonnie, which was itself derived from Middle French bon "good". It has been in use as an American given name since the 19th century, and it became especially popular after the movie Gone with the Wind (1939), in which it was the nickname of Scarlett's daughter.

Transferred use of the surname Branch or from Middle English from Old French branche, from late Latin branca ‘paw’.

From a Middle English surname meaning "a Breton", referring to an inhabitant of Brittany. A famous bearer is the American football quarterback Brett Favre (1969-).

Anglicized form of the Irish name Brighid, Old Irish Brigit, from old Celtic *Brigantī meaning "the exalted one". In Irish mythology this was the name of the goddess of fire, poetry and wisdom, the daughter of the god Dagda. In the 5th century it was borne by Saint Brigid, the founder of a monastery at Kildare and a patron saint of Ireland. Because of the saint, the name was considered sacred in Ireland, and it did not come into general use there until the 17th century. In the form Birgitta this name has been common in Scandinavia, made popular by the 14th-century Saint Birgitta of Sweden, patron saint of Europe.

Variant of Bridget.

Short form of Gabriella.

Variant of Brittany.

Used to invoke the brilliantly-colored winged insect, which is widely seen as a symbol of metamorphosis, renewal, and rebirth, as well as one of youth and beauty. This is the birth name of a noted Australian folk singer, Butterfly Boucher, among others.

The name of Button Gwinnett, one of the signatories (first signature on the left) on the United States Declaration of Independence.

Derived from the French surname Cauvin, which was derived from chauve meaning "bald". The surname was borne by Jean Cauvin (1509-1564), a theologian from France who was one of the leaders of the Protestant Reformation. His surname was Latinized as Calvinus (based on Latin calvus "bald") and he is known as John Calvin in English. It has been used as a given name in his honour since the 19th century.

In modern times, this name is borne by American fashion designer Calvin Klein (1942-), as well as one of the main characters from Bill Watterson's comic strip Calvin and Hobbes (published from 1985 to 1995).

Variant of Camry.

From the name of a car model, made by Toyota, which derives from Japanese kanmuri meaning "crown" and may be an anagram of the English phrase my car. It could also be used as a diminutive of Camryn.

From the hereditary title of the queens of Ethiopia, as mentioned in Acts in the New Testament. It is apparently derived from Cushitic kdke meaning "queen mother". In some versions of the Bible it is spelled Kandake, reflecting the Greek spelling Κανδάκη. It was used as a given name by the Puritans after the Protestant Reformation. It was popularized in the 20th century by a character in the 1942 movie Meet the Stewarts [1].

Variant of Candace.

Feminine name derived from the word "caramel". Possibly also from the Italian surname Caramella.

German and Scandinavian variant of Karl (see Charles). Noteworthy bearers of the name include the Swedish biologist Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778), who founded modern taxonomy, the German mathematician Carl Gauss (1777-1855), who made contributions to number theory and algebra as well as physics and astronomy, and the Swiss psychologist Carl Jung (1875-1961), who founded analytical psychology. It was imported to America in the 19th century by German immigrants.

Variant of Charlton.

Italian, Spanish and Galician form of Carmel.

Latinized form of Carmel.

Medieval Spanish form of Carmel, appearing in the devotional title of the Virgin Mary Nuestra Señora del Carmen meaning "Our Lady of Mount Carmel". The spelling has been altered through association with the Latin word carmen meaning "song". This was the name of the main character in George Bizet's opera Carmen (1875).

From an English surname that meant "wood carver".

Dutch and Scandinavian form of Jasper. This is the name of a friendly ghost in an American series of cartoons and comic books (beginning 1945).

Variant of cattleya, a genus of orchids native to Central and South America, which were named for the British horticulturist William Cattley. This name was popularized by the main character from the movie Colombiana (2011).

Spanish and Corsican form of Katherine.

Feminine form of the Roman family name Caelius. Shakespeare used it in his play As You Like It (1599), which introduced the name to the English-speaking public at large. It is sometimes used as a short form of Cecilia.

Means "sung" in French.

French feminine diminutive of Charles. It was introduced to Britain in the 17th century. It was the name of a German-born 18th-century queen consort of Great Britain and Ireland. Another notable bearer was Charlotte Brontë (1816-1855), the eldest of the three Brontë sisters and the author of Jane Eyre and Villette. A famous fictional bearer is the spider in the children's novel Charlotte's Web (1952) by E. B. White.

This name was fairly common in France, England and the United States in the early 20th century. It became quite popular in France and England at the end of the 20th century, just when it was at a low point in the United States. It quickly climbed the American charts and entered the top ten in 2014.

Variant of Shaunte.

From the name of a district in London, originally derived from Old English and meaning "landing place for chalk or limestone". It has been in general use as an English given name since the 1970s.

Variant of Chelsea.

Transferred use of the surname Chevrolet. This is the name of Ramona Quimby's doll in the 'Ramona Quimby' book series.

A literary place name. There is a famous old poem called "The Ballad of Chevy Chase". A chase is a parcel of hunting land, and Chevy refers to the Cheviot Hills on the Scottish border.

Comedian Chevy Chase took his name from this poem, which is mentioned in Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights.

Diminutive of Christine or Christina.

Diminutive of Christine, Christina, Christopher and other names beginning with Christ.

From the Late Greek name Χριστόφορος (Christophoros) meaning "bearing Christ", derived from Χριστός (Christos) combined with φέρω (phero) meaning "to bear, to carry". Early Christians used it as a metaphorical name, expressing that they carried Christ in their hearts. In the Middle Ages, literal interpretations of the name's etymology led to legends about a Saint Christopher who carried the young Jesus across a river. He has come to be regarded as the patron saint of travellers.

As an English given name, Christopher has been in general use since the 15th century. It became very popular in the second half of the 20th century, reaching the top of the charts for England and Wales in the 1980s, and nearing it in the United States.

In Denmark this name was borne by three kings (their names are usually spelled Christoffer), including the 15th-century Christopher of Bavaria who also ruled Norway and Sweden. Other famous bearers include Italian explorer Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), English playwright Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593), English architect Christopher Wren (1632-1723) and the fictional character Christopher Robin from A. A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh books.

Medieval variant of Cecily.

Variant of Citlalli.

Simply means "clarity, lucidity" from the English word, ultimately from Latin clarus "clear".

French feminine form of Claudius.

Feminine form of Claudius. It is mentioned briefly in the New Testament. As a Christian name it was very rare until the 16th century.

From an English surname that originally referred to a person who lived near or worked with clay. This name can also be a short form of Clayton.

From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "Cola's town". It started being used as a given name in the 1980s. Likely in some cases it was viewed as an elaborated or full form of Cole or Colt.

From the English adjective meaning "exercising self-restraint".

From an English surname that was derived from the Old Norse given name Kóri, of unknown meaning. This name became popular in the 1960s due to the character Corey Baker on the television series Julia [1].

From an aristocratic English surname that was derived either from the French place name Courtenay (originally a derivative of the personal name Curtenus, itself derived from Latin curtus "short") or else from a Norman nickname meaning "short nose".

Originally more common as a name for boys in America, it became more popular for girls in the 1960s. It began rapidly increasing after 1973, possibly due to a character (played by Natalie Wood) in the television movie The Affair. It reached an apex in the United States ranked 17th in 1990, though it has quickly fallen away since then.

Either from a surname that was derived from the English town of Crewe (from Old Welsh criu meaning "weir"), or from the English vocabulary word for a group of people.

Simply from the English word for the white flower, ultimately derived from Old English dægeseage meaning "day eye". It was first used as a given name in the 19th century, at the same time many other plant and flower names were coined.

This name was fairly popular at the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th. The American author F. Scott Fitzgerald used it for the character of Daisy Buchanan in The Great Gatsby (1925). The Walt Disney cartoon character Daisy Duck was created in 1940 as the girlfriend of Donald Duck. It was at a low in popularity in the United States in the 1970s when it got a small boost from a character on the television series The Dukes of Hazzard in 1979.

From the name of the Native American people of the northern Mississippi Valley, or from the two American states that were named for them: North and South Dakota (until 1889 unified as the Dakota Territory). The tribal name means "allies, friends" in the Dakota language.

It was rare as an American given name before 1975. In the mid-1980s it began growing in popularity for boys after a character by this name began appearing on the soap opera Ryan's Hope. It is now more common as a feminine name, probably due to the fame of the actress Dakota Fanning (1994-).

From a surname that could either be of Old English origin meaning "valley house" or of Scottish Gaelic origin meaning "meadow dwelling". A city in Texas bears this name, probably in honour of American Vice President George M. Dallas (1792-1864).

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

From a Slavic word meaning "morning star, Venus". This name occurs in Slavic folklore as a personification of the morning star. It has sometimes been used in the English-speaking world since the 1970s.

Feminine form of Daniel.

Feminine form of Daniel.

Variant of Danica.

Transferred use of the surname Darling, or else derived directly from the word.

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

From the name of the fourth letter in the Greek alphabet, Δ. It is also the name for an island formed at the mouth of a river.

From an English surname that was from a place name meaning "Dane ford" in Old English. This is the name of the capital city of Colorado, which was named for the politician James W. Denver (1817-1892).

Variant of Deshawn.

Variant of Deshawna.

French form of Desiderata. In part it is directly from the French word meaning "desired, wished".

Means "joy" in Amharic.

Variant of Destiny.

Masculine form of Destiny.

Middle English (in the senses ‘learned person’ and ‘Doctor of the Church’) via Old French from Latin doctor ‘teacher’ (from docere ‘teach’).

Diminutive of Dorothy.

The name was first used by Oscar Wilde in his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891), which tells the story of a man whose portrait ages while he stays young. Wilde may have taken it from the name of the ancient Greek tribe the Dorians.

Short form of Andrew.

From the Welsh prefix dy meaning "to, toward" and llanw meaning "tide, flow". According to the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi [1], Dylan was a son of Arianrhod and the twin brother of Lleu Llaw Gyffes. Immediately after he was baptized he took to the sea, where he could swim as well as a fish. He was slain accidentally by his uncle Gofannon. According to some theories the character might be rooted in an earlier and otherwise unattested Celtic god of the sea.

Famous bearers include the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas (1914-1953) and the American musician Bob Dylan (1941-), real name Robert Zimmerman, who took his stage surname from the poet's given name. Due to those two bearers, use of the name has spread outside of Wales in the last half of the 20th century. It received a further boost in popularity in the 1990s due to a character on the television series Beverly Hills 90210.

Feminine form of Dylan.

Feminine form of Dylan.

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

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.

Spanish and Portuguese form of Edward.

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).

From an English surname that was originally from a place name meaning "Ella's town". A famous bearer of this name is British musician Elton John (1947-), born Reginald Dwight, who adopted his stage name in honour of his former bandmate Elton Dean (1945-2006).

Form of Emma used in various languages.

Variant of Emberly.

Elaboration of Ember, influenced by the spelling of Kimberly.

Variant of Emberlynn.

Elaboration of Ember using the popular name suffix lyn, possibly influenced by names such as Emberly and Amberlynn.

Croatian, Serbian and Slovenian diminutive form of Ema 1 and Emilija, used in its own right.

Feminine form of Aemilius (see Emily). In Shakespeare's tragedy Othello (1603) this is the name of the wife of Iago.

Feminine form of Emiliano.

Spanish, Italian and Portuguese form of the Roman cognomen Aemilianus, which was itself derived from the family name Aemilius (see Emil). This was the name of a 6th-century Spanish saint.

Variant of Emmeline, or else a combination of Emma and the fashionable name suffix lyn.

Variant of Emmalyn.

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).

Diminutive of Emma or Emily.

Diminutive of Emma or Emily.

From the Hebrew name חֲנוֹך (Ḥanoḵ) meaning "dedicated". In Genesis in the Old Testament this is the name of the son of Cain. It is also the name of a son of Jared and the father of Methuselah, who was the supposed author of the apocryphal Books of Enoch.

From the Ancient Greek word εὕρηκα (heúrēka), meaning "I have found (it)". In modern English, eureka is an interjection used to celebrate a discovery or invention, and it is originally atributed to Ancient Greek mathematician Archimedes.

Feminine form of Evangelos.

Latinate form of Evangeline.

From the Hebrew name חַוָּה (Ḥawwa), which was derived from the Hebrew word חָוָה (ḥawa) meaning "to breathe" or the related word חָיָה (ḥaya) meaning "to live". According to the Old Testament Book of Genesis, Eve and Adam were the first humans. God created her from one of Adam's ribs to be his companion. At the urging of a serpent she ate the forbidden fruit and shared some with Adam, causing their expulsion from the Garden of Eden.

Despite this potentially negative association, the name was occasionally used by Christians during the Middle Ages. In the English-speaking world both Eve and the Latin form Eva were revived in the 19th century, with the latter being more common.

Means "help" in Hebrew. Ezra is a prophet of the Old Testament and the author of the Book of Ezra. It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the Protestant Reformation. The American poet Ezra Pound (1885-1972) was a famous bearer.

From the English word fancy, which means either "like, love, inclination" or "ornamental". It is derived from Middle English fantasie, which comes (via Norman French and Latin) from Greek φαίνω (phaino) meaning "to show, to appear".

Transferred use of the surname Field.

Feminine form of Fionn. This name was (first?) used by the Scottish poet James Macpherson in his poem Fingal (1761), in which it is spelled as Fióna.

From an English surname meaning "fisherman".

Spanish feminine form of Florentius (see Florence).

Variant of Forrest, or else directly from the English word forest.

From Old English frēodōm, used in reference to the Biblical verse 2 Corinthians 3:17, "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." The name found a resurgence in usage during the American centennial of 1876 and bicentennial of 1976. At present this name is most commonly used in English-speaking Africa.

From the English word for the day of the week, which was derived from Old English frigedæg meaning "Frig's day". Daniel Defoe used it for a character in his novel Robinson Crusoe (1719). As a given name, it is most often found in parts of Africa, such as Nigeria and Zambia.

Blend of Gabrielle and Ellen 1.

From the name of the region in Palestine (see Galilee).

Medieval form of Gawain. Though it died out in England, it was reintroduced from Scotland in the 20th century.

Medieval Italian nickname meaning "gem, precious stone". It was borne by the wife of the 13th-century Italian poet Dante Alighieri.

Feminine form of George. This form of the name has been in use in the English-speaking world since the 18th century.

Combination of Gianni and Carlo.

Italian form of Iohannes (see John). This name has been very common in Italy since the late Middle Ages, as with other equivalents of John in Europe. The Renaissance writer Giovanni Boccaccio (1313-1375), the painter Giovanni Bellini (1430-1516) and the painter and sculptor Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680) were famous bearers of the name.

Feminine form of Giuliano.

Contraction of Giuliana or Giulia and Anna.

From the English word happiness.

From the English word happy, derived from Middle English hap "chance, luck", of Old Norse origin.

From an English surname that was derived from a place name, itself from Old English hara "hare" or hær "rock, heap of stones" and leah "woodland, clearing". An American name for boys since the 19th century, it began to be used for girls after a character with the name began appearing on the soap opera Guiding Light in 1987.

From the name of the US state, of uncertain origin.
Theories from Proto-Polynesian hawaiki which possibly means place of the gods" or from Proto-Polynesian sawaiki "homeland", or possibly named for Hawaiʻiloa, legendary discoverer of the Hawaiian islands.

English form of the Greek Ἑλένη (Helene), probably from Greek ἑλένη (helene) meaning "torch" or "corposant", or possibly related to σελήνη (selene) meaning "moon". In Greek mythology Helen was the daughter of Zeus and Leda, whose kidnapping by Paris was the cause of the Trojan War. The name was also borne by the 4th-century Saint Helena, mother of the Roman emperor Constantine, who supposedly found the True Cross during a trip to Jerusalem.

The name was originally used among early Christians in honour of the saint, as opposed to the classical character. In England it was commonly spelled Ellen during the Middle Ages, and the spelling Helen was not regularly used until after the Renaissance. A famous bearer was Helen Keller (1880-1968), an American author and lecturer who was both blind and deaf.

Hermosa is a spanish name meaning 'beautiful'

Simply from the English word honey, ultimately from Old English hunig. This was originally a nickname for a sweet person.

From the name of the variety of shrubs (genus Vaccinium) or the berries that grow on them. It was used by author Mark Twain for the character of Huckleberry (Huck) Finn in his novels The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884).

Derived from the Georgian noun ია (ia) meaning "violet", as in the spring flower (also see Violet). In turn, it is thought to be derived from the Georgian noun იასამანი (iasamani) meaning "lilac", which might possibly be of Persian origin. However, ია (ia) could also be derived from ancient Greek ἴα (ia), which is the plural form of ἴον (ion) meaning "violet".

Known bearers of this name include the Georgian actresses Ia Parulava (b. 1967) and Iamze "Ia" Sukhitashvili (b. 1980).

Diminutive of Isaac. This was the nickname of the American president Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969), based on the initial sound of his surname.

Medieval Occitan form of Elizabeth. It spread throughout Spain, Portugal and France, becoming common among the royalty by the 12th century. It grew popular in England in the 13th century after Isabella of Angoulême married the English king John, and it was subsequently bolstered when Isabella of France married Edward II the following century.

This is the usual form of the name Elizabeth in Spain and Portugal, though elsewhere it is considered a parallel name, such as in France where it is used alongside Élisabeth. The name was borne by two Spanish ruling queens, including Isabel of Castile, who sponsored the explorations of Christopher Columbus.

Late Latin form of Isaiah used in some versions of the Bible.

Means "nocturnal journey" in Arabic, derived from سرى (sarā) meaning "to travel by night". According to Islamic tradition, the Isra was a miraculous journey undertaken by the Prophet Muhammad.

Possibly means "man of hire" or "there is reward", from Hebrew שָׁכַר (shaḵar) meaning "hire, wage, reward" [2]. In the Old Testament this is the name of one of the twelve sons of Jacob (by Leah) and the founder of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. A justification for the name's meaning is given in Genesis 30:18.

From the Latin Iacob, which was from the Greek Ἰακώβ (Iakob), which was from the Hebrew name יַעֲקֹב (Yaʿaqov). In the Old Testament Jacob (later called Israel) is the son of Isaac and Rebecca and the father of the twelve founders of the twelve tribes of Israel. He was born holding his twin brother Esau's heel, and his name is explained as meaning "holder of the heel" or "supplanter", because he twice deprived his brother of his rights as the firstborn son (see Genesis 27:36). Other theories claim that it is in fact derived from a hypothetical name like יַעֲקֹבְאֵל (Yaʿaqovʾel) meaning "may God protect".

The English names Jacob and James derive from the same source, with James coming from Latin Iacomus, a later variant of the Latin New Testament form Iacobus. Unlike English, many languages do not have separate spellings for the two names.

In England, Jacob was mainly regarded as a Jewish name during the Middle Ages [1], though the variant James was used among Christians. Jacob came into general use as a Christian name after the Protestant Reformation. In America, although already moderately common, it steadily grew in popularity from the early 1970s to the end of the 1990s, becoming the top ranked name from 1999 to 2012.

A famous bearer was Jacob Grimm (1785-1863), the German linguist and writer who was, with his brother Wilhelm, the author of Grimm's Fairy Tales.

Feminine form of Jacob.

Medieval variant of Jack. It is also sometimes used as a short form of Jacob.

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

Feminine form of Jan 1.

Elaborated form of Jane, influenced by Vanessa.

From the Hebrew name יֶפֶת (Yefeṯ) meaning "enlarged". In the Old Testament he is one of the three sons of Noah, along with Shem and Ham. He was the ancestor of the peoples of Europe and northern Asia.

Spanish form of Xavier.

Variant of Jacob.

Variant of Jaden. This spelling continued to rapidly rise in popularity in the United States past 2003, unlike Jaden, which stalled. It peaked at the fourth rank for boys in 2010, showing tremendous growth over only two decades. It has since declined.

Variant of Jane.

Variant of Jeannette.

Originally a medieval English diminutive of Jane. Since the middle of the 20th century it has been primarily considered a diminutive of Jennifer.

English form of Jeremiah, originally a medieval vernacular form. This is the spelling used in some English versions of the New Testament.

Combination of Jessie 1 and the popular name suffix lyn.

From the English word jet, which denotes either a jet aircraft or an intense black colour (the words derive from different sources).

In part from the English word jewel, a precious stone, derived from Old French jouel, which was possibly related to jeu "game". It is also in part from the surname Jewel or Jewell (a derivative of the Breton name Judicaël), which was sometimes used in honour of the 16th-century bishop of Salisbury John Jewel. It has been in use as a given name since the 19th century.

Medieval English form of Johanne, an Old French form of Iohanna (see Joanna). This was the usual English feminine form of John in the Middle Ages, but it was surpassed in popularity by Jane in the 17th century. It again became quite popular in the first half of the 20th century, entering the top ten names for both the United States and the United Kingdom, though it has since faded.

This name (in various spellings) has been common among European royalty, being borne by ruling queens of Naples, Navarre and Castile. Another famous bearer was Joan of Arc, a patron saint of France (where she is known as Jeanne d'Arc). She was a 15th-century peasant girl who, after claiming she heard messages from God, was given leadership of the French army. She defeated the English in the battle of Orléans but was eventually captured and burned at the stake.

Other notable bearers include the actress Joan Crawford (1904-1977) and the comedian Joan Rivers (1933-2014), both Americans.

From Ioseph, the Latin form of Greek Ἰωσήφ (Ioseph), which was from the Hebrew name יוֹסֵף (Yosef) meaning "he will add", from the root יָסַף (yasaf) meaning "to add, to increase". In the Old Testament Joseph is the eleventh son of Jacob and the first with his wife Rachel. Because he was the favourite of his father, his older brothers sent him to Egypt and told their father that he had died. In Egypt, Joseph became an advisor to the pharaoh, and was eventually reconciled with his brothers when they came to Egypt during a famine. This name also occurs in the New Testament, belonging to Saint Joseph the husband of Mary, and to Joseph of Arimathea.

In the Middle Ages, Joseph was a common Jewish name, being less frequent among Christians. In the late Middle Ages Saint Joseph became more highly revered, and the name became popular in Spain and Italy. In England it became common after the Protestant Reformation. In the United States it has stayed within the top 25 names for boys since 1880, making it one of the most enduringly popular names of this era.

This name was borne by rulers of the Holy Roman Empire and Portugal. Other notable bearers include Austrian composer Joseph Haydn (1732-1809), the founder of Mormonism Joseph Smith (1805-1844), Polish-British author Joseph Conrad (1857-1924) and Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin (1878-1953).

Variant of Giovanni.

Elaboration of Julia.

German and Scandinavian form of Charles. This was the name of seven rulers of the Franks and the Holy Roman Empire. It was also borne by a beatified emperor of Austria (1887-1922), as well as ten kings of Sweden. Other famous bearers include the German philosophers Karl Marx (1818-1883), one of the developers of communism, and Karl Jaspers (1883-1969), an existentialist and psychiatrist.

Short form of Katherine and other names beginning with K.

Variant of Kay 1.

Variant of Kayla.

Variant of Kaylee.

Variant of Keely.

From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Caolaidhe, itself derived from the given name Caoladhe, from Irish caol "slender".

Variant of Kimberly.

Variant of Kimberly.

Elaboration of Kimberly using the popular name suffix lyn.

Variant of Kimberlyn.

From Middle English (originally as a verb in the sense ‘acknowledge, recognize’, later as a noun) from an Old English compound based on cnāwan meaning "know."

Knowledge Musona is a Zimbabwean football player.

Means "warrior, koa tree" in Hawaiian.

Meaning and origin uncertain. It might possibly be derived from Hebrew כוח (koah) meaning "strength, power" or from Hebrew כֹּחַ (koach) meaning "ability".

Variant of Courtlyn.

Variant of Kimberly.

Combination of Kymberly and Renée.

Variant of Kinsley.

From the Germanic name Lanzo, originally a short form of names that began with the Old Frankish or Old Saxon element land, Old High German lant meaning "land" (Proto-Germanic *landą). During the Middle Ages it became associated with Old French lance meaning "spear, lance". A famous bearer is American cyclist Lance Armstrong (1971-).

Variant or feminine form of Laurence 1. Originally a masculine name, it was first popularized as a feminine name by actress Betty Jean Perske (1924-2014), who used Lauren Bacall as her stage name.

Latinized form of Λάζαρος (Lazaros), a Greek form of Eleazar used in the New Testament. Lazarus was a man from Bethany, the brother of Mary and Martha, who was restored to life by Jesus.

At present this name is most commonly used in English-speaking Africa.

Form of Leah used in the Greek Old Testament, as well as a Portuguese form. This is the name of a princess in the Star Wars movies by George Lucas, who probably based it on Leah.

Variant of Layton. It jumped in popularity as a feminine name after 2007, when actress Leighton Meester (1986-) began appearing on the television series Gossip Girl.

Means "for God" in Hebrew, from the proposition לְמוֹ (lemo) combined with אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". This was the name of a king briefly mentioned in Proverbs in the Old Testament. In the Book of Mormon it is the name of a rebellious son of Lehi and Sariah. It is also borne by the hero of Jonathan Swift's novel Gulliver's Travels (1726).

Short form of Alexus. Its use has been influenced by the Lexus brand name (a line of luxury automobiles made by Toyota).

Combination of Lily and Rose.

Elaboraton of Lisabelle in the style of Isabella

Variant of Lisabel.

Meaning, "Full of life, energy." Referring to spiritual manifestations.

Elaboration of Lizabel in the style of Isabella.

Diminutive of Elizabeth.

Either a short form of Laurence 1 (masculine) or a variant of Lauren (feminine).

Simply from the English word love, derived from Old English lufu.

French form of Lucilla. A famous bearer was American comedienne Lucille Ball (1911-1989).

From a nickname given to a lucky person. It is also sometimes used as a diminutive of Luke. A famous bearer was the Italian-American gangster "Lucky" Luciano (1897-1962).

English form of Lucia, in use since the Middle Ages.

Means "from Lydia" in Greek. Lydia was a region on the west coast of Asia Minor, said to be named for the legendary king Lydos. In the New Testament this is the name of a woman converted to Christianity by Saint Paul. In the modern era the name has been in use since the Protestant Reformation.

Form of Lynet used by Alfred Tennyson in his 1872 poem Gareth and Lynette [1]. According to Tennyson, Gareth and Lynette were eventually married. In modern times it is also regarded as a diminutive of Lynn.

Variant of Lynette.

Feminine form of Lysandros (see Lysander).

From a title meaning "of Magdala". Mary Magdalene, a character in the New Testament, was named thus because she was from Magdala — a village on the Sea of Galilee whose name meant "tower" in Hebrew. She was cleaned of evil spirits by Jesus and then remained with him during his ministry, witnessing the crucifixion and the resurrection. She was a popular saint in the Middle Ages, and the name became common then. In England it is traditionally rendered Madeline, while Magdalene or Magdalen is the learned form.

Diminutive of Amanda.

Variant of Mara with diminutive -lina.

French feminine form of Marcellinus.

Latinate form of Margaret. This is also the Spanish word for the daisy flower (species Bellis perennis, Leucanthemum vulgare and others).

Roman feminine form of Marianus. After the classical era it was sometimes interpreted as a combination of Maria and Ana. In Portuguese it is further used as a form of Mariamne.

Short form of María Isabel.

Italian and Spanish form of Marius. Famous bearers include American racecar driver Mario Andretti (1940-) and Canadian hockey player Mario Lemieux (1965-). It is also borne by a Nintendo video game character, a moustached Italian plumber, who debuted as the playable hero of Donkey Kong in 1981. Spelled マリオ (Mario) in Japanese Katakana, he was reportedly named after Mario Segale (1934-2018), an American businessman who rented a warehouse to Nintendo.

From the English word meaning "a miracle, a wonder", derived from Old French merveille, from Latin mirabilis meaning "wonderful".

Means "mercies" (that is, the plural of mercy), from the Spanish title of the Virgin Mary, Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes, meaning "Our Lady of Mercies". It is ultimately from the Latin word merces meaning "wages, reward", which in Vulgar Latin acquired the meaning "favour, pity" [1].

Latinate form of Mercy. This was also the name of an old Anglo-Saxon kingdom, though it has a different origin.

From the Hebrew name מִיכָאֵל (Miḵaʾel) meaning "who is like God?", derived from the interrogative pronoun מִי (mi) combined with ךְּ (ke) meaning "like" and אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". This is a rhetorical question, implying no person is like God. Michael is one of the archangels in Hebrew tradition and the only one identified as an archangel in the Bible. In the Book of Daniel in the Old Testament he is named as a protector of Israel (see Daniel 12:1). In the Book of Revelation in the New Testament he is portrayed as the leader of heaven's armies in the war against Satan, and is thus considered the patron saint of soldiers in Christianity.

The popularity of the saint led to the name being used by nine Byzantine emperors, including Michael VIII Palaeologus who restored the empire in the 13th century. It has been common in Western Europe since the Middle Ages, and in England since the 12th century. It has been borne (in various spellings) by rulers of Russia (spelled Михаил), Romania (Mihai), Poland (Michał), and Portugal (Miguel).

In the United States, this name rapidly gained popularity beginning in the 1930s, eventually becoming the most popular male name from 1954 to 1998. However, it was not as overwhelmingly common in the United Kingdom, where it never reached the top spot.

Famous bearers of this name include the British chemist/physicist Michael Faraday (1791-1867), musician Michael Jackson (1958-2009), and basketball player Michael Jordan (1963-).

From the Germanic name Milo, introduced by the Normans to England in the form Miles. The meaning is not known for certain. It is possibly connected to the Slavic name element milŭ meaning "gracious, dear". From an early date it was associated with Latin miles meaning "soldier".

A notable bearer was the American musician Miles Davis (1926-1991). In Scotland this name was historically used to Anglicize Maoilios.

From the English word.

Variant of Misty.

From the English word misty, ultimately derived from Old English. The jazz song Misty (1954) by Erroll Garner may have helped popularize the name.

Medieval diminutive of Mary, now often used independently. It developed from Malle and Molle, other medieval diminutives. James Joyce used this name in his novel Ulysses (1922), where it belongs to Molly Bloom, the wife of the main character.

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 the Hebrew name מֹשֶׁה (Moshe), which is most likely derived from Egyptian mes meaning "son". The meaning suggested in the Old Testament of "drew out" from Hebrew מָשָׁה (masha) is probably an invented etymology (see Exodus 2:10).

The biblical Moses was drawn out of the Nile by the pharaoh's daughter and adopted into the royal family, at a time when the Israelites were slaves in Egypt. With his brother Aaron he demanded the pharaoh release the Israelites, which was only done after God sent ten plagues upon Egypt. Moses led the people across the Red Sea and to Mount Sinai, where he received the Ten Commandments from God. After 40 years of wandering in the desert the people reached Canaan, the Promised Land, but Moses died just before entering it.

In England, this name has been commonly used by Christians since the Protestant Reformation, though it had long been popular among Jews.

Means "praised, commendable" in Arabic, derived from the root حمد (ḥamida) meaning "to praise". This was the name of the prophet who founded the Islamic religion in the 7th century. According to Islamic belief, at age 40 Muhammad was visited by the angel Gabriel, who provided him with the first verses of the Quran. Approximately 20 years later he conquered Mecca, the city of his birth, and his followers controlled most of the Arabian Peninsula at the time of his death in 632.

Since the prophet's time his name has been very popular in the Muslim world. It was borne by several Abbasid caliphs and six sultans of the Ottoman Empire (though their names are usually given in the Turkish spelling Mehmet). Other famous bearers include Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi (9th century), a Persian mathematician and scientist who devised algebra, Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Rushd (1126-1198), an Andalusian scholar also called Averroes, and Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi (1207-1273), a Persian poet. In the modern era there is Muhammad Ali Jinnah (1876-1948), the founder of Pakistan, and the American boxer Muhammad Ali (1942-2016).

Variant of Michael, as well as a medieval Latvian form.

Alternate transcription of Arabic نديم or Urdu ندیم (see Nadim).

Previously a medieval diminutive of Annis, though since the 18th century it has been a diminutive of Ann. It is now usually regarded as an independent name. During the 20th century it became very popular in the United States. A city in the Lorraine region of France bears this name, though it derives from a different source.

From the Late Latin name Natalia, which meant "Christmas Day" from Latin natale domini. This was the name of the wife of the 4th-century martyr Saint Adrian of Nicomedia. She is venerated as a saint in the Orthodox Church, and the name has traditionally been more common among Eastern Christians than those in the West. It was popularized in America by actress Natalie Wood (1938-1981), who was born to Russian immigrants.

Walloon and Picard form of Anatole.

Variant of Neil.

Diminutive of Nell and other names containing nel.

Nesrin means "wild rose".

Originally a diminutive of Agnes, used independently from at least the 18th century. It is now also used as a diminutive of Vanessa. Since the 1950s it has been used as a nickname for the legendary Loch Ness Monster.

Feminine form of Nicholas. In the English-speaking world this name is more common outside of America, where Nicole is more usual.

Variant of Knight.

Short form of names that end in nina, such as Antonina or Giannina. It was imported to Western Europe from Russia and Italy in the 19th century. This name also nearly coincides with the Spanish word niña meaning "little girl" (the word is pronounced differently than the name).

A famous bearer was the American jazz musician Nina Simone (1933-2003).

Means "heavenly mist" from Hawaiian noe "mist" and lani "heaven, sky, royal, majesty".

Probably a feminine form of Niles. It gained popularity in the early 2000s, influenced by similar-sounding names such as Kyla.

Variant of Nyla.

Derived from Greek ὠφέλεια (opheleia) meaning "help, advantage". This was a rare ancient Greek name, which was either rediscovered or recreated by the poet Jacopo Sannazaro for a character in his poem Arcadia (1480). It was borrowed by Shakespeare for his play Hamlet (1600), in which it belongs to the daughter of Polonius and the potential love interest of Hamlet. She eventually goes insane and drowns herself after Hamlet kills her father. In spite of this negative association, the name has been in use since the 19th century.

Feminine form of Orlando.

Italian form of Roland, as used in the epic poems Orlando Innamorato (1483) by Matteo Maria Boiardo and the continuation Orlando Furioso (1532) by Ludovico Ariosto. In the poems, Orlando is a knight in Charlemagne's army who battles against the invading Saracens. A character in Shakespeare's play As You Like It (1599) also bears this name, as does a city in Florida.

From mid 17th century: via French from Italian pastello, diminutive of pasta ‘paste’.

From the Roman family name Paulus, which meant "small" or "humble" in Latin. Paul was an important leader of the early Christian church. According to Acts in the New Testament, he was a Jewish Roman citizen who converted to Christianity after the resurrected Jesus appeared to him. After this he travelled the eastern Mediterranean as a missionary. His original Hebrew name was Saul. Many of the epistles in the New Testament were authored by him.

Due to the renown of Saint Paul the name became common among early Christians. It was borne by a number of other early saints and six popes. In England it was relatively rare during the Middle Ages, but became more frequent beginning in the 17th century. In the United States it was in the top 20 names for boys from 1900 to 1968, while in the United Kingdom it was very popular from the 1950s to the 80s. It has also been heavily used in Germany and France and continues to be popular there, though it is currently on the decline in the English-speaking world.

A notable bearer was the American Revolutionary War figure Paul Revere (1735-1818), who warned of the advance of the British army. Famous bearers in the art world include the French impressionists Paul Cézanne (1839-1906) and Paul Gauguin (1848-1903), and the Swiss expressionist Paul Klee (1879-1940). It is borne by actor Paul Newman (1925-2008) and the musicians Paul Simon (1941-) and Paul McCartney (1942-). This is also the name of the legendary American lumberjack Paul Bunyan and the fictional Paul Atreides from Frank Herbert's novel Dune (1965).

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

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

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

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

From the English word prophet, ultimately from Greek προφήτης (prophetes) meaning "one who speaks for a god" (itself from πρό (pro) "before" and φημί (phemi) "to speak, to declare").

Middle English from Old French purete, later assimilated to late Latin puritas, from Latin purus ‘pure’. From the English word purity, which means "freedom from immorality."

Variant of Rachel. In the English-speaking world it has likely been influenced by the spelling of Rochelle.

From Latin radiare + -ance. From the English word, defined as "the light or heat as emitted or reflected by something" or "great happiness", occasionally used as a given name.

Variant of Rachelle.

From the Hebrew name רִבְקָה (Rivqa), probably from a Semitic root meaning "join, tie, snare". This is the name of the wife of Isaac and the mother of Esau and Jacob in the Old Testament. It came into use as an English Christian name after the Protestant Reformation, and it was popular with the Puritans in the 17th century. It has been consistently used since then, becoming especially common in the second half of the 20th century.

This name is borne by a Jewish woman in Walter Scott's novel Ivanhoe (1819), as well as the title character (who is deceased and unseen) in Daphne du Maurier's novel Rebecca (1938).

English variant of Renée.

Variant of Renée.

French feminine form of René.

From a surname that was a variant of Ryder. This name was borne by the British novelist Sir Henry Rider Haggard (1856-1925), generally known as H. Rider Haggard or Rider Haggard.

Feminine form of Robert.

Latvian form of Robin.

Feminine variant of Robin.

From the name of the French city La Rochelle, meaning "little rock". It first became commonly used as a given name in America in the 1930s, probably due to the fame of actress Rochelle Hudson (1914-1972) and because of the similarity to the name Rachel.

Transferred use of the surnaem Rockwell. A notable bearer of this name was Rockwell Kent, an American painter, printmaker, illustrator, and writer.

Diminutive of Rocco and other names beginning with a similar sound, or else a nickname referring to a tough person. This is the name of the boxer Rocky Balboa (played by Sylvester Stallone) in the movie Rocky (1976) and its sequels.

From an English surname, originally derived from a place name, which meant "Hroda's island" in Old English (where Hroda is an Old English given name meaning "fame"). It was first used as a given name in honour of the British admiral Lord Rodney (1719-1792).

From the Germanic name Hrodger meaning "famous spear", derived from the elements hruod "fame" and ger "spear". The Normans brought this name to England, where it replaced the Old English cognate Hroðgar (the name of the Danish king in the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf). It was a common name in England during the Middle Ages. By the 18th century it was rare, but it was revived in following years. The name was borne by the Norman lords Roger I, who conquered Sicily in the 11th century, and his son Roger II, who ruled Sicily as a king.

This name was very popular in France in the first half of the 20th century. In the English-speaking world it was popular especially from the 1930s to the 50s. Famous bearers include British actor Roger Moore (1927-2017) and Swiss tennis player Roger Federer (1981-).

May be used on its own or as a contractive nickname for Ramone.

Italian form of the Late Latin Romaeus or Late Greek Ρωμαῖος (Romaios), which meant "from Rome" or "Roman". Romeo is best known as the lover of Juliet in William Shakespeare's tragedy Romeo and Juliet (1596). Shakespeare based his play on earlier Italian stories by Luigi Da Porto (1524) and Matteo Bandello (1554), which both featured characters named Giulietta and Romeo.

Diminutive of Rose.

Diminutive of Rose.

From the Hebrew name רוּת (Ruṯ), probably derived from the word רְעוּת (reʿuṯ) meaning "female friend". This is the name of the central character in the Book of Ruth in the Old Testament. She was a Moabite woman who accompanied her mother-in-law Naomi back to Bethlehem after Ruth's husband died. There she met and married Boaz. She was an ancestor of King David.

As a Christian name, Ruth has been in use since the Protestant Reformation. In England it was associated with the archaic word ruth meaning "pity, compassion" (now only commonly seen in the word ruthless). The name became very popular in America following the birth of "Baby" Ruth Cleveland (1891-1904), the daughter of President Grover Cleveland.

From an English occupational surname derived from Old English ridere meaning "mounted warrior" or "messenger". It has grown in popularity in the 2000s because it starts with the same sound found in other popular names like Ryan and Riley.

Probably from Hidatsa tsakáka wía meaning "bird woman". Alternatively it could originate from the Shoshone language and mean "boat puller". This name was borne by a Native American woman who guided the explorers Lewis and Clark. She was of Shoshone ancestry but had been abducted in her youth and raised by a Hidatsa tribe.

From the Hebrew name שִׁםְשׁוֹן (Shimshon), derived from שֶׁמֶשׁ (shemesh) meaning "sun". Samson was an Old Testament hero granted exceptional strength by God. His mistress Delilah betrayed him and cut his hair, stripping him of his power. Thus he was captured by the Philistines, blinded, and brought to their temple. However, in a final act of strength, he pulled down the pillars of the temple upon himself and his captors.

This name was known among the Normans due to the Welsh bishop Saint Samson, who founded monasteries in Brittany and Normandy in the 6th century. In his case, the name may have been a translation of his true Celtic name. As an English name, Samson was common during the Middle Ages, having been introduced by the Normans. It is currently most common in Africa, especially in countries that have an British colonial past.

Means "freedom" in Irish Gaelic. It was first used as a given name in the 20th century.

Possibly from an alternate reading of Hebrew שׂריה (see Seraiah). In the Book of Mormon this is the name of Lehi's wife.

From the English word for the day of the week, which derives from Old English sæterdæġ, meaning "Saturn's day".

Transferred use of the surname Sayer.

Either a variant of Scarlett or else from the English word for the red colour (both of the same origin, a type of cloth).

From the name of the River Shannon, the longest river in Ireland, called an tSionainn in Irish. It is associated with the legendary figure Sionann and is sometimes said to be named for her. However it is more likely she was named after the river, which may be related to Old Irish sen "old, ancient" [1]. As a given name, it first became common in America after the 1940s.

Variant of Chanté.

Variant of Chanté.

From an English occupational surname meaning "sheep herder, shepherd".

Variant of Sheila, or a combination of the popular phonetic elements shy and la.

From the English surname Sidney. It was first used as a given name in honour of executed politician Algernon Sidney (1622-1683). Another notable bearer of the surname was the poet and statesman Philip Sidney (1554-1586).

As a given name, it has traditionally been more masculine than feminine. In America however, after the variant Sydney became popular for girls, Sidney was used more for girls than boys between 1993 and 2019.

Italian form of Silvester.

From the English word meaning genuine or heartfelt.

Derived from Latin sinceritas "purity; integrity".

Irish form of Jehanne, a Norman French variant of Jeanne.

Short form of Skipper.

Derived from Middle Dutch schipper "boatman, bargeman", which referred to the master of a small ship or boat (like a fishing boat).

Variant of Skyler.

Transferred use of the surname Slater.

Form of Sonya in various languages.

Middle English frequentative (verb) or diminutive (noun) of spark.

From an English surname that meant "dispenser of provisions", derived from Middle English spense "larder, pantry". A famous bearer was American actor Spencer Tracy (1900-1967). It was also the surname of Princess Diana (1961-1997).

As a feminine name it is commonly considered a diminutive of Anastasia, though it was originally used independently of that name, which was rare in America in the 1950s when Stacy began becoming popular. It had earlier been in use as an uncommon masculine name, borrowed from the surname Stacy or Stacey (derived from Stace, a medieval form of Eustace).

Form of Stephen used in several languages. Famous bearers include the Serbian rulers Stefan Nemanja, Stefan Nemanjić, and Stefan Lazarević, who are all considered saints in the Orthodox Church.

Variant of Stephanie.

Feminine form of Stephen.

Medieval English variant of Stephen, and a Dutch variant of Stefan. The filmmaker Steven Spielberg (1946-), director of E.T. and Indiana Jones, is a famous bearer of this name.

Diminutive of Stephen or Stephanie. A famous bearer is the American musician Stevie Wonder (1950-).

From the English word sunrise, referring to a time in the morning when the sun appears.

From the English word "sunset" referring to the setting of the sun at the end of the day.

Variant of Sibyl. This spelling variation has existed since the Middle Ages.

From a surname that was a variant of the surname Sidney. This is the name of the largest city in Australia, which was named for Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney in 1788. Formerly used by both genders, since the 1980s this spelling of the name has been mostly feminine.

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

Russian diminutive of Tatiana. It began to be used in the English-speaking world during the 1930s.

Most likely a combination of words taş (from Old Turkic taş and Proto-Turkic *tāş) meaning "stone, rock, gem" and Demir, which is also used as a name, (from Old Turkic témir and Proto-Turkic *tämür) meaning "iron."

This name is rarely given to boys, if given at all.

Diminutive of Edward or Theodore.

From the English word meaning "moderation" or "restraint". This was one of the virtue names adopted by the Puritans in the 17th century. It experienced a modest revival in the United States during the run of the television series Bones (2005-2017), in which the main character bears this name.

From the English word Testimony: "A solemn declaration or affirmation made for the purpose of establishing or proving some fact".

From Latin testimōnium (“testimony”), from testis (“a witness”).

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.

Variant of Tiffany.

Variant of Dimme.

From the Hebrew name תִּרְצָה (Tirtsa) meaning "favourable". Tirzah is the name of one of the daughters of Zelophehad in the Old Testament. It also occurs in the Old Testament as a place name, the early residence of the kings of the northern kingdom.

English diminutive of Antonia or a Russian diminutive of Antonina. In the English-speaking world its use has likely been positively influenced by the name Tanya.

Short form of Tracy.

From an English surname that was taken from a Norman French place name meaning "domain belonging to Thracius". Charles Dickens used it for a male character in his novel The Pickwick Papers (1837). It was later popularized as a feminine name by the main character Tracy Lord in the movie The Philadelphia Story (1940). This name is also sometimes used as a diminutive of Theresa.

Diminutive of Theresa.

From the English word for the day of the week, which derives from Old English tiwesdæg meaning "Tiw's day".

Variant of Tyrese.

Invented name, an elaboration of the initial sound in names such as Tyrone, Tyrell and Tyree. It jumped in popularity after the American singer and actor Tyrese Gibson (1978-) released his debut album in 1998.

From the English word unique, ultimately derived from Latin unicus.

Meaning unknown. Possibly a variant of Veda or Valda or short form of Nevada.
It was used for the heroine of the American film My Girl (1991).

Short form of names containing van, such as Vance or Ivan.

From the English word vanilla referring to "the fruit or bean of the vanilla plant, or the extract made from it, or the distinctive fragrant flavour/flavor characteristic of vanilla extract". The word is derived from Spanish vainilla, literally "little pod", a diminutive form of vaina "pod, scabbard, sheath", from Latin vagina "sheath (of an ear of grain), husk, hull of a plant".

Dutch cognate of Véronique.

Diminutive of Victoria.

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

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

From the English word violet for the purple flower, ultimately derived from Latin viola. It was common in Scotland from the 16th century, and it came into general use as an English given name during the 19th century.

From an occupational surname meaning "wagon maker", derived from Old English wægn "wagon". Use of it as a given name can be partly attributed to the popularity of the actor John Wayne (1907-1979). Another famous bearer is Canadian hockey player Wayne Gretzky (1961-), generally considered the greatest player in the history of the sport.

From the name of the day of the week, which was derived from Old English wodnesdæg meaning "Woden's day". On the Addams Family television series (1964-1966) this was the name of the daughter, based on an earlier unnamed character in Charles Addams' cartoons. Her name was inspired by the popular nursery rhyme line Wednesday's child is full of woe.

Feminine form of William.

From the Germanic name Willehelm meaning "will helmet", composed of the elements willo "will, desire" and helm "helmet, protection". An early saint by this name was the 8th-century William of Gellone, a cousin of Charlemagne who became a monk. The name was common among the Normans, and it became extremely popular in England after William the Conqueror was recognized as the first Norman king of England in the 11th century. From then until the modern era it has been among the most common of English names (with John, Thomas and Robert).

This name was later borne by three other English kings, as well as rulers of Scotland, Sicily (of Norman origin), the Netherlands and Prussia. Other famous bearers include William Wallace, a 13th-century Scottish hero, and William Tell, a legendary 14th-century Swiss hero (called Wilhelm in German, Guillaume in French and Guglielmo in Italian). In the literary world it was borne by dramatist William Shakespeare (1564-1616), poet William Blake (1757-1827), poet William Wordsworth (1770-1850), dramatist William Butler Yeats (1865-1939), author William Faulkner (1897-1962), and author William S. Burroughs (1914-1997).

In the American rankings (since 1880) this name has never been out of the top 20, making it one of the most consistently popular names (although it has never reached the top rank). In modern times its short form, Liam, has periodically been more popular than William itself, in the United Kingdom in the 1990s and the United States in the 2010s.

From an English surname meaning "son of William". The surname was borne by Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924), the American president during World War I.

From the English word "winner".

From the English word, witness, "one who has personal knowledge of something".

From xana, the name of fairy or nymph in Asturian mythology. It may derive from the Roman mythological name Diana.

Short form of Alexandria.

Variant of Zaniah.

Derived from Greek ξανθός (xanthos) meaning "yellow, blond, fair-haired". This was the name of a few minor figures in Greek mythology.

Modern feminine form of Xavier.

Derived from the Basque place name Etxeberria meaning "the new house". This was the surname of the Jesuit priest Saint Francis Xavier (1506-1552) who was born in a village by this name. He was a missionary to India, Japan, China, and other areas in East Asia, and he is the patron saint of the Orient and missionaries. His surname has since been adopted as a given name in his honour, chiefly among Catholics.

Feminine form of Xavier.

Variant of Zayla.

Short form of Ánxela.

Probably a variant of Xenia. This was the name of the main character in the 1990s television series Xena: Warrior Princess.

Albanian form of Julia.

From Chinese 夏 (xià) meaning "summer, great, grand", 霞 (xiá) meaning "rosy clouds", or other characters that are pronounced similarly.

Means "joyful deer" in Aramaic.

From Xuliana, the Galician form of Juliana.

Variant of Xiana.

Feminine form of Ximeno. This was the name of the wife of El Cid.

Possibly a Spanish form of Guiomar.