SaveroftheFranks's Personal Name List

Feminine form of Aali. It was popularized in the English-speaking world by the singer Aaliyah Haughton (1979-2001), who was known simply as Aaliyah. This name received a boost in popularity after she released her debut album in 1994, and also in 2001 after her untimely death in an airplane crash.

Form of Abduh common in West and North Africa.

Form of Abdul used in parts of French-influenced West Africa.

Form of Abu Bakr used in parts of French-influenced West Africa.

Feminine form of Adamantios.

French form of Adela.

Elaborated form of Adèle. Adélie Land in Antarctica was named in 1840 by the French explorer Jules Dumont d'Urville in honour of his wife Adèle (who was sometimes called Adélie).

German form of Adallinda.

Modern Greek form of Aphrodite.

Means "splendour, beauty" in Greek. In Greek mythology she was one of the three Graces or Χάριτες (Charites). This name was also borne by a 4th-century saint from Rome.

Russian form of Aglaia.

Form of Aisha used in North Africa and other French-influenced regions of the continent.

Variant of Eileen.

Means "living, alive" in Arabic. This was the name of Muhammad's third wife, the daughter of Abu Bakr. Some time after Muhammad's death she went to war against Ali, the fourth caliph, but was defeated. Her name is used more by Sunni Muslims and less by Shias.

This name began to be used in America in the 1970s, possibly inspired by Princess Aisha of Jordan (1968-), the daughter of King Hussein and his British-born wife. It received a boost in popularity after Stevie Wonder used it for his first daughter in 1975.

Alternate transcription of Arabic عائشة (see Aisha), as well as the usual Malay form.

Dhivehi form of Aisha.

Form of Aisha used in parts of French-influenced West Africa.

Indonesian form of Aisha.

Form of Al-Hasan used in parts of French-influenced West Africa.

Possibly a Romanian masculine form of Alina. Alternatively it may derive from Romanian alina "to soothe".

Anglicized form of Alasdair.

From the middle of the 20th century this has primarily been used as a variant of the feminine name Alison 1. However, prior to that it was used as an uncommon masculine name, derived from the English and Scottish surname Allison.

Form of Ahmad used in parts of French-influenced West Africa.

Alternate transcription of Arabic عمّار (see Ammar), as well as the usual Bosnian form.

Means "shining over heaven", from Japanese 天 (ama) meaning "heaven, sky" and 照 (terasu) meaning "shine". This was the name of the Japanese sun goddess, the ruler of the heavens. She was born when Izanagi washed his left eye after returning from the underworld. At one time the Japanese royal family claimed descent from her.

Derived from Arabic أمن (ʾamina) meaning "safe, secure". This was the name of the Prophet Muhammad's mother, who died when he was young.

Form of Amina 1 used in parts of French-influenced West Africa.

Means "one who lives a long life, one who builds" in Arabic, from the root عمر (ʿamara) meaning "to live long, to thrive". Ammar ibn Yasir was an early companion of the Prophet Muhammad. After Muhammad's death he supported Ali.

French form of Anacletus, most common in Francophone Africa.

Diminutive of the two names: Ana and Leigh

From Akan ananse meaning "spider". In West African and Caribbean folklore, this is the name of a trickster who frequently takes the form of a spider.

From Kazakh and Kyrgyz анар (anar) meaning "pomegranate", a word ultimately derived from Persian.

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

English form of André.

Romanian form of Andrew, as well as an alternate transcription of Russian/Bulgarian Андрей or Belarusian Андрэй (see Andrey).

Derived from Greek ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man" (genitive ἀνδρός) combined with one of the related words μέδομαι (medomai) meaning "to be mindful of, to provide for, to think on" or μέδω (medo) meaning "to protect, to rule over". In Greek mythology Andromeda was an Ethiopian princess rescued from sacrifice by the hero Perseus. A constellation in the northern sky is named for her. This is also the name of a nearby galaxy, given because it resides (from our point of view) within the constellation.

English and Manx form of Anne 1. In the English-speaking world, both this spelling and Anne have been used since the late Middle Ages. Currently Ann is less popular than Anne (and both are less popular than their relatives Anna and Hannah).

French form of Anna. It was imported to England in the 13th century, but it did not become popular until three centuries later. The spelling variant Ann was also commonly found from this period, and is still used to this day.

The name was borne by a 17th-century English queen and also by the second wife of Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn (the mother of Queen Elizabeth I), who was eventually beheaded in the Tower of London. Another notable bearer was the German-Jewish diarist Anne (Annelies) Frank, a young victim of the Holocaust in 1945. This is also the name of the heroine in the 1908 novel Anne of Green Gables by Canadian author L. M. Montgomery.

Derived from the Greek adjective ἄντανδρος (antandros) meaning "instead of a man, as a substitute", which consists of Greek ἀντί (anti) meaning "against, opposed, compared to, like" and ἀνδρός (andros) meaning "of a man".

Also compare the Greek name Antenor, which is closely related and essentially means the same.

French form of Antonius (see Anthony). A famous bearer was the French writer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (1900-1944), the author of The Little Prince.

Meaning unknown, possibly of Phoenician origin. Aphrodite was the Greek goddess of love and beauty, identified with the Roman goddess Venus. She was the wife of Hephaestus and the mother of Eros, and she was often associated with the myrtle tree and doves. The Greeks connected her name with ἀφρός (aphros) meaning "foam", resulting in the story that she was born from the foam of the sea. Many of her characteristics are based on the goddess known as Ashtoreth to the Phoenicians and Ishtar to the Mesopotamian Semitic peoples, and on the Sumerian goddess Inanna.

Variant of Apostolos.

Old Welsh name of unknown meaning.

From the Welsh intensifying prefix ar- and gwyn meaning "white, blessed".

Means "lion" in Arabic.

From Swahili ishi meaning "live, exist", derived from Arabic عاش (ʿāsha).

Means "star", ultimately from Greek ἀστήρ (aster). This name has only been (rarely) used since the 20th century.

Bulgarian and Macedonian form of Athanasius.

Romanian form of Athanasius.

Hebrew form of Atarah.

Means "crown" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament Atarah is a minor character, the wife of Jerahmeel.

Short form of Athanasios.

Short form of Athanasios (see Athanasius).

From Æthelm, a reduced form of Æthelhelm. This name was borne by Athelm (died 926), an archbishop of Canterbury and uncle of Saint Dunstan.

Medieval variant of Æthelstan, which is still in use today. In literature, this is the name of the eponymous character of the Middle English verse romance Athelston (14th century), the author of which is unknown.

A known real-life bearer of this name was the American politician Athelston Gaston (1838-1907).

Meaning unknown. Athena was the Greek goddess of wisdom and warfare and the patron goddess of the city of Athens in Greece. It is likely that her name is derived from that of the city, not vice versa. The earliest mention of her seems to be a 15th-century BC Mycenaean Greek inscription from Knossos on Crete.

The daughter of Zeus, she was said to have sprung from his head fully grown after he impregnated and swallowed her mother Metis. Athena is associated with the olive tree and the owl.

French diminutive of Aude.

Romanian and German form of Aurelius.

French form of Aurelius.

Romanian form of Aurelianus, as well as the usual English form when referring to the Roman emperor.

French feminine form of Aurelius.

French form of Aurelianus.

French form of April. A famous bearer is the Canadian musician Avril Lavigne (1984-).

From Japanese 菖蒲 (ayame) meaning "iris (flower)". Other kanji or combinations of kanji can also form this name.

Alternate transcription of Arabic عائشة or Urdu عائشہ (see Aisha), as well as the usual Bengali transcription.

Old French form of Aimeric. This is the name of a hero in medieval French romance, Aymeri de Narbonne.

Means "moon flood" in Turkish and Azerbaijani, derived from ay "moon" and sel "flood, stream" (of Arabic origin).

Alternate transcription of Arabic عائشة, Urdu عائشہ or Kazakh Айша (see Aisha).

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".

Means "bold friend", derived from the Old German elements bald "bold, brave" and wini "friend". In the Middle Ages this was a popular name in Flanders and among the Normans, who brought it to Britain. It was borne by one of the leaders of the First Crusade, an 11th-century nobleman from Flanders. After the crusaders conquered Jerusalem, he was crowned as the king of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

Diminutive of Bartholomew.

French form of Baldwin.

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-).

French form of Benedict.

Welsh diminutive of Elizabeth.

Means "wise" in Turkish.

Means "given by God" from the Slavic elements bogŭ "god" and danŭ "given". This pre-Christian name was later used as a translation of Theodotus.

Czech, Slovak and Ukrainian form of Bogdan, as well as a Polish variant.

Variant of Aboubacar.

Meaning uncertain, perhaps from Welsh brith, braith meaning "speckled".

Derived from Welsh brych meaning "speckled, freckled" combined with a diminutive suffix. Brychan Brycheiniog was a legendary Welsh king, said to be Irish by birth, the founder of the kingdom of Brycheiniog in central Wales. He reputedly fathered dozens of children, many of whom are regarded as saints.

Means "hill, mound" in Welsh. In Wales it is almost always a masculine name, though elsewhere in the English-speaking world it can be unisex (see Brynn).

Feminine variant of Bryn. It was brought to limited public attention in 1978 when the actress Brynn Thayer (1949-) began appearing on the American soap opera One Life to Live [1].

Short form of Abubakar.

From the name of the city in Egypt, called القاهرة (al-Qāhira) in Arabic, meaning "the victorious" [1].

From the name of two types of plants, the true calla (species Calla palustris) and the calla lily (species Calla aethiopica), both having white flowers and growing in marshy areas. Use of the name may also be inspired by Greek κάλλος (kallos) meaning "beauty".

Latinized form of Kalliope.

From an Italian word meaning "beloved" or an Irish word meaning "friend". It has been used as a given name since the 19th century, though it did not become popular until after the 1950s.

French form of Carina 1. It can also function as a short form of Catherine, via Swedish Karin.

Romanian form of Carolus. This was the name of two Romanian kings.

Latinized form of Greek Κάσσανδρος (Kassandros), the masculine form of Cassandra. This was the name of a 3rd-century BC king of Macedon.

French variant of Cassandra.

Medieval French form of Katherine.

French form of Katherine, and also a common English variant.

Spanish form of Cyprianus (see Cyprian).

English form of Caelestinus. It is more commonly used as a feminine name, from the French feminine form Célestine.

Possibly from cyrrid "bent, crooked" (a derivative of Old Welsh cwrr "corner") combined with ben "woman" or gwen "white, blessed". According to the medieval Welsh legend the Tale of Taliesin (recorded by Elis Gruffyd in the 16th century) this was the name of a sorceress who created a potion that would grant wisdom to her son Morfan. The potion was instead consumed by her servant Gwion Bach, who was subsequently reborn as the renowned bard Taliesin.

This name appears briefly in a poem in the Black Book of Carmarthen in the form Kyrridven [1] and in a poem in the Book of Taliesin in the form Kerrituen [2]. Some theories connect her to an otherwise unattested Celtic goddess of inspiration, and suppose her name is related to Welsh cerdd "poetry".

Means "cherry" in French.

Romanian form of Caesar, as well as a Brazilian Portuguese variant of César.

Polish form of Caesar.

From the English word charity, ultimately derived from Late Latin caritas "generous love", from Latin carus "dear, beloved". Caritas was in use as a Roman Christian name. The English name Charity came into use among the Puritans after the Protestant Reformation. It is currently most common in parts of English-influenced Africa.

French and English form of Carolus, the Latin form of the Germanic name Karl, which was derived from a word meaning "man" (Proto-Germanic *karlaz). However, an alternative theory states that it is derived from the common Germanic name element *harjaz meaning "army".

The popularity of the name in continental Europe was due to the fame of Charles the Great (742-814), commonly known as Charlemagne, a king of the Franks who came to rule over most of Europe. His grandfather Charles Martel had also been a noted leader of the Franks. It was subsequently the name of several Holy Roman emperors, as well as rulers of France, Spain, Portugal, Sweden and Hungary (in various spellings). After Charlemagne, his name was adopted as a word meaning "king" in many Eastern European languages, for example Czech král, Hungarian király, Russian король (korol), and Turkish kral.

The name did not become common in Britain until the 17th century when it was borne by the Stuart king Charles I. It had been introduced into the Stuart royal family by Mary Queen of Scots, who had been raised in France. Two other kings of the United Kingdom have borne this name, including the current monarch.

Other famous bearers include naturalist Charles Darwin (1809-1882) who revolutionized biology with his theory of evolution, novelist Charles Dickens (1812-1870) who wrote such works as Great Expectations and A Tale of Two Cities, French statesman Charles de Gaulle (1890-1970), and American cartoonist Charles Schulz (1922-2000), the creator of the Peanuts comic strip.

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.

Combination of Christine and Anne 1 used in South Africa.

Feminine form of Chrysanthos.

Hungarian and Aragonese form of Cyprianus.

Romanian form of Cyprianus (see Cyprian).

Italian, Spanish and Portuguese form of Cyprianus (see Cyprian).

Latinized form of Greek Κίρκη (Kirke), possibly from κίρκος (kirkos) meaning "hawk". In Greek mythology Circe was a sorceress who changed Odysseus's crew into hogs, as told in Homer's Odyssey. Odysseus forced her to change them back, then stayed with her for a year before continuing his voyage.

French diminutive of Claude.

From Romanian codru meaning "forest", a word of uncertain origin.

Short form of Nicolette. Saint Colette was a 15th-century French nun who gave her money to the poor. This was also the pen name of the French author Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette (1873-1954).

From the English word for a young male horse or from the surname of the same origin. It may be given in honour of the American industrialist Samuel Colt (1814-1862) or the firearms company that bears his name. It was brought to public attention in 1981 by the main character on the television series The Fall Guy [1].

From an English surname that was originally given to a keeper of horses, derived from Middle English colt.

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.

Perhaps from Old Irish conn meaning "sense, reason" or cenn meaning "head, chief". This was the name of a legendary high king of Ireland, Conn of the Hundred Battles.

Medieval form of Constantia. The Normans introduced this name to England (it was the name of a daughter of William the Conqueror).

Romanian and French form of Constantinus (see Constantine).

Either a French form of Koralia, or a derivative of Latin corallium "coral" (see Coral).

Created by the French composer Adolphe Adam for one of the main characters in his opera Le Toréador (1849). He probably based it on the name Coralie. It was also used by the author Neil Gaiman for the young heroine in his novel Coraline (2002). Gaiman has stated that in this case the name began as a typo of Caroline.

Romanian form of Cornelius.

Romanian form of Kostakis.

Romanian diminutive of Constantin.

From the English word meaning "greenish blue, cyan", ultimately derived from Greek κύανος (kyanos).

Meaning unknown, possibly from Phrygian roots meaning either "stone" or "hair". This was the name of the Phrygian mother goddess associated with fertility and nature. She was later worshipped by the Greeks and Romans.

From the Roman family name Cyprianus, which meant "from Cyprus". Saint Cyprian was a 3rd-century bishop of Carthage who was martyred under the Roman emperor Valerian.

French form of Cyrus or Cyriacus.

Cyr had always been in rare but steady use in France up until the 1960s, when it virtually disappeared.

Derived from Dacia, the old Roman name for the region that is now Romania and Moldova.

Feminine form of Dacian.

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

From Japanese 大 (dai) meaning "big, great" combined with 輝 (ki) meaning "brightness", 樹 (ki) meaning "tree" or 貴 (ki) meaning "valuable". Other combinations of kanji can also form this name.

From an English surname that was derived from Old French darnel, a type of grass. In some cases the surname may be from a place name, itself derived from Old English derne "hidden" and halh "nook".

Means "powerful, brave" in Dacian. This was the name adopted by Diurpaneus, a 1st-century king of Dacia. For many years he successfully resisted Roman expansion into his territory but was finally defeated by the forces of Emperor Trajan in 106.

From an English surname that was derived from the given name Diederik.

Feminine form of Demetrius.

Italian and Spanish form of Demetrius.

Latinized form of the Greek name Δημήτριος (Demetrios), which was derived from the name of the Greek goddess Demeter 1. Kings of Macedon and the Seleucid kingdom have had this name. This was also the name of several early saints including Demetrius of Thessalonica, a martyr of the 4th century who is regarded as a warrior.

French feminine form of Denis.

Usual English, German and Dutch form of Denis.

Romanian form of Desiderius.

French form of Desiderio.

Bulgarian and Macedonian form of Demetrius.

Russian variant of Dmitriy, as well as the Georgian form.

Modern Greek transcription of Demetrios.

Modern Greek variant of Demetrios.

Short form of Dimitrios or Dimosthenis.

Derived from Greek Διός (Dios) meaning "of Zeus" and μήδεα (medea) meaning "plans, counsel, cunning". In Greek legend Diomedes was one of the greatest heroes who fought against the Trojans. With Odysseus he entered Troy and stole the Palladium. After the Trojan War he founded the cities of Brindisi and Arpi in Italy.

Russian form of Diomedes.

Modern Greek transcription of Diomedes.

Derived from the Greek element Διός (Dios) meaning "of Zeus". This was the name of a 4th-century BC tyrant of Syracuse. It has been used as an American given name since the middle of the 20th century.

From the Late Latin name Dominicus meaning "of the Lord". This name was traditionally given to a child born on Sunday. Several saints have borne this name, including the 13th-century founder of the Dominican order of friars. It was in this saint's honour that the name was first used in England, starting around the 13th century. It has historically seen more use among Catholics.

Form of Dominic used in various languages.

Romanian, possibly a form of Dorian or a diminutive of Teodor.

Feminine form of Dorin.

Derived from Romanian dor meaning "longing".

Derived from the Slavic element dorgŭ (South Slavic drag) meaning "precious" combined with mirŭ meaning "peace, world".

Variant of Dragoș.

Romanian feminine form of Demetrius.

Romanian form of Demetrius.

Turkish form of Abu Bakr.

Form of Edward in various languages.

Anglicized form of Eibhlín. It is also sometimes considered an Irish form of Helen. It first became popular in the English-speaking world outside of Ireland near the end of the 19th century.

Low German and Scandinavian form of Egilhard.

Means "white snow" from the Welsh elements eira "snow" and gwen "white, blessed". This name was created in the early 20th century.

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.

From the name of a Welsh river, also called the Leri, of unknown meaning. This was also the name of a 7th-century Welsh saint (masculine).

Means "ascension" in Hebrew, a derivative of עָלָה (ʿala) meaning "to ascend". In the Books of Samuel in the Old Testament he is a high priest of the Israelites. He took the young Samuel into his service and gave him guidance when God spoke to him. Because of the misdeeds of his sons, Eli and his descendants were cursed to die before reaching old age.

Eli has been used as an English Christian given name since the Protestant Reformation. A notable bearer was the American inventor of the cotton gin Eli Whitney (1765-1825).

Variant of Eleanor.

Means "my God is my light" in Hebrew.

Feminine form of Elior.

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

Variant of Elkanah.

Means "God has purchased" in Hebrew, from אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God" and קָנָה (qana) meaning "to acquire, to purchase". In the Old Testament this is the name of the father of Samuel.

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

Altered form of Leroy, using the Spanish definite article el as opposed to the French le.

Welsh form of Æðelstan.

Romanian variant form of Emmanuel.

Swedish feminine form of Aemilius (see Emily).

From an English surname meaning "son of Emery". The surname was borne by Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), an American writer and philosopher who wrote about transcendentalism.

From the Roman family name Aemilius, which was derived from Latin aemulus meaning "rival".

Romanian and Polish form of Aemilianus (see Emiliano).

French form of Aemilianus (see Emiliano).

French feminine form of Emmanuel.

Germanic name, in which the second element is rih "ruler, king". The first element may be irmin "whole, great" (making it a relative of Ermenrich), amal "unceasing, vigorous, brave" (making it a relative of Amalric) or heim "home" (making it a relative of Henry). It is likely that several forms merged into a single name.

Old French form of Engilram (see Ingram). This was the name of several medieval French nobles from Picardy.

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

Means "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.

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

From an Old French name meaning "star", ultimately derived from Latin stella. It was rare in the English-speaking world in the Middle Ages, but it was revived in the 19th century, perhaps due to the character Estella Havisham in Charles Dickens' novel Great Expectations (1860).

Medieval French form of Stephen.

Middle English form of Æþelbeorht. The name was very rare after the Norman Conquest, but it was revived briefly in the 19th century.

English form of the Germanic name Adallinda. The name was very rare in medieval times, but it was revived in the early 19th century.

Middle English form of Æðelræd. The name was very rare after the Norman Conquest, but it was revived briefly in the 19th century.

French form of Euphrasia.

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.

From the Roman cognomen Fabianus, which was derived from Fabius. Saint Fabian was a 3rd-century pope.

French form of Fabianus (see Fabian).

Variant of Fay.

Simply from the English word faith, ultimately from Latin fidere "to trust". This was one of the virtue names adopted by the Puritans in the 17th century.

This name was used by Victor Hugo for the mother of Cosette in his novel Les Misérables (1862). The name was given to her by a passerby who found the young orphan on the street. Hugo may have intended it to be a derivative of the French word enfant "child".

A knight who convinced Perceval’s cousin, Ysmaine, to sleep with him by promising to marry her.

Perceval defeated Faradïen in combat and forced him to keep his promise.

Form of Fatima used in parts of French-influenced West Africa.

Variant of Fay.

Romanian form of Felicianus (see Feliciano), as well as the usual English spelling of the saints' names.

French form of Felicitas.

Russian, Slovene and Polish form of Felix.

Catalan form of Felix.

German variant of Felicitas.

Form of Fionnuala used by Walter Scott for a character in his novel Peveril of the Peak (1823).

Spanish form of Firminus (see Firmin).

Romanian form of Philemon.

Variant of Fenella.

Anglicized form of Fionnuala.

Anglicized form of Fionnuala.

Portuguese form of Firminus (see Firmin).

Romanian, French and German form of Florentinus.

Romanian form of Florinus.

Short form of various Old Norse names that contain the element folk meaning "people", and thus a cognate of Fulk.

Romanian form of Franciscus (see Francis).

Variant of Freya.

Old German form of Fulk.

Variant of Fulk.

Yiddish variant of Gabriel.

Bulgarian, Macedonian and Romanian form of Gabriel.

Serbian form of Gabriel.

Possibly a shortened form of Genevieve. It could also be inspired by the name of the city in Switzerland. It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the 19th century.

Medieval French form of Geoffrey.

Possible transferred use of the surname Grieve.

Romanian form of Gregory.

Alternate transcription of Russian Григорий (see Grigoriy).

Norman French form of Warin.

Italian form of Warin.

Catalan form of Vilifredus, a Latinized form of Willifrid (or perhaps a Visigothic cognate). This was the name of a 9th-century count of Barcelona.

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.

Norman French form of the Norman name Wischard, from Old Norse vizkr "wise" and the Old French pejorative suffix -ard (from Old Frankish hard "hard, firm, brave, hardy"). This was the byname of Robert Guiscard, an 11th-century Norman conqueror of Sicily.

From Welsh gwen, the feminine form of gwyn meaning "white, blessed". It can also be a short form of Gwendolen, Gwenllian and other names beginning with Gwen.

Derived from the Welsh elements gwen meaning "white, blessed" and possibly lliain meaning "flaxen, made of linen" or lliant meaning "flow, flood". This name was used by medieval Welsh royalty, notably by a 12th-century princess of Deheubarth who died in battle with the Normans. It was also borne by the 13th-century daughter of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, the last prince of Gwynedd.

Means "power, force, strength" in Ge'ez and Amharic. This was the Ge'ez (baptismal) name of Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie (1892-1975), who was born as Tafari Makonnen.

Means "wise" in Arabic, from the root حكم (ḥakama) meaning "to pass judgement, to decide". In Islamic tradition الحكيم (al-Ḥakīm) is one of the 99 names of Allah.

From an English surname that was derived from either the Norman given name Hamo or the Old Norse given name Hámundr.

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.

Diminutive form of Hanne 1.

Form of Hawa used in parts of French-influenced West Africa.

From an English surname that meant "son of Harry". This was the surname of two American presidents, William Henry Harrison (1773-1841) and his grandson Benjamin Harrison (1833-1901). As a given name it reached a low point in America in 1977 before it was revived by the career of actor Harrison Ford (1942-), who starred in such movies as Star Wars in 1977 and Indiana Jones in 1984.

From Japanese 裕 (hiro) meaning "abundant" and 人 (hito) meaning "person" or 仁 (hito) meaning "compassionate". Hirohito (1901-1989), name written 裕仁, was the emperor of Japan from 1926 to 1989. Different combinations of kanji can also form this name.

From Japanese 大 (hiro) meaning "big, great" and 輝 (ki) meaning "brightness" or 樹 (ki) meaning "tree". Other kanji combinations are also possible.

From Japanese 広 (hiro) meaning "vast, wide" combined with 幸 (yuki) meaning "happiness". Other combinations of kanji characters can also form this name.

A famous bearer is Hiroyuki, a Japanese manga artist notable for the creation of the four-panel comic strip manga Dōjin Work which is the first of his works to be adapted into an anime. He also created the four-panel manga series The Comic Artist and Assistants, which was serialized from 2008 to 2012, with a sequel serialized from August 2013, and adapted into an anime television series which aired in 2014. Another famous bearer is Hiroyuki Takaya, a Japanese mixed martial artist currently competing in the Featherweight division.

From the English word for the holly tree, ultimately derived from Old English holen. Holly Golightly is the main character in the novella Breakfast at Tiffany's (1958) by Truman Capote.

From the English word hope, ultimately from Old English hopian. This name was first used by the Puritans in the 17th century.

From Romanian horă, a type of circle dance. This was the nickname of Vasile Ursu Nicola (1731-1785), a leader of a peasant rebellion in Romania. He was eventually captured, tortured and executed.

Variant of Horea.

From an English surname meaning "son of Hudde". A famous bearer of the surname was the English explorer Henry Hudson (1570-1611).

Transferred use of the surname Hux.

Spanish form of the Visigothic name *Hildifuns, which meant "battle ready", derived from the Gothic elements hilds "battle" and funs "ready". This was the name of a 7th-century saint, an archbishop of Toledo.

Romanian form of Elias.

Means "carrying rice" in Japanese, from 稲 (ina) meaning "rice" and 荷 (ri) meaning "carry". This is the name of a Japanese divinity associated with prosperity, rice and foxes, represented as both female and male.

Means "beauty" in Sanskrit. This is another name of Lakshmi, the wife of the Hindu god Vishnu. A notable bearer was India's first female prime minister, Indira Gandhi (1917-1984).

Derived from Cherokee ᎢᏃᎵ (inoli) meaning "black fox".

Romanian and Welsh form of John. This is also an alternate transcription of Bulgarian Йоан (see Yoan 2).

From Ancient Greek ἴον (ion) meaning "violet flower". This was the name of a sea nymph in Greek mythology. It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the 19th century, though perhaps based on the Greek place name Ionia, a region on the west coast of Asia Minor.

Romanian diminutive of John.

Romanian form of Isaac, as well as a Swedish variant form.

From Japanese 勇 (isamu) meaning "brave" or other kanji having the same pronunciation.

Derived from isan, which comes from îsarn "iron", and Old Norse brand "sword."

Perhaps from a hypothetic Germanic name like *Ismegi or *Ismagi, *Ismagin, which would mean "iron strength" from isan, itself from îsarn "iron" (see Isanbrand; however, the first element could also be îs "ice") combined with magan "strength, might". Isemay was first recorded in England around the 13th century.

From the Semitic root ʿṯtr, which possibly relates to the Evening Star. Ishtar was an Akkadian, Assyrian and Babylonian goddess who presided over love, war and fertility. She was cognate with the Canaanite and Phoenician Ashtoreth, and she was also identified with the Sumerian goddess Inanna. Her name in Akkadian cuneiform 𒀭𒈹 was the same as the Sumerian cuneiform for Inanna.

Variant of Isemay, an Anglo-Norman name of uncertain origin and meaning. It was also recorded in medieval Ireland on women born into Anglo-Norman families.

Possibly from Greek ἰσμή (isme) meaning "knowledge". This was the name of the daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta in Greek legend.

Modern Greek form of Ismene.

Form of Yusuf used in parts of French-influenced West Africa.

From the English word for the hard, creamy-white substance that comes from elephant tusks and was formerly used to produce piano keys.

From the English word for the climbing plant that has small yellow flowers. It is ultimately derived from Old English ifig.

Probably means "male who invites" in Japanese, from 誘 (izana) meaning "invite, lure, attract". In Japanese mythology the god Izanagi was the husband of Izanami. When she died he unsuccessfully journeyed to the underworld to retrieve her. In the purifying rites that followed his return, the gods of the sun, moon and wind were created.

Probably means "female who invites" in Japanese, from 誘 (izana) meaning "invite, lure, attract". In Japanese mythology she was a creator goddess, the wife of Izanagi. She died giving birth to Kagutsuchi, the god of fire.

Means "beauty" in Arabic, from the root جمل (jamala) meaning "to be beautiful".

Originally a Lowland Scots diminutive of James. Since the late 19th century it has also been used as a feminine form.

Means "beautiful" in Arabic, from the root جمل (jamala) meaning "to be beautiful".

From the English word for the climbing plant with fragrant flowers that is used for making perfumes. It is derived via Arabic from Persian یاسمین (yāsamīn), which is also a Persian name. In the United States this name steadily grew in popularity from the 1970s, especially among African Americans [1]. It reached a peak in the early 1990s shortly after the release of the animated Disney movie Aladdin (1992), which featured a princess by this name.

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

From the Arabic surname الجيلاني (al-Jīlānī), borne by the 12th-century Persian Sufi scholar Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani (or Abdul Qadir Gilani), indicating he came from the town of Gilan near Baghdad.

French feminine form of Joseph. A notable bearer of this name was the first wife of Napoleon Bonaparte, Joséphine de Beauharnais (1763-1814).

Simply from the English word joy, ultimately derived from Norman French joie, Latin gaudium. It has been regularly used as a given name since the late 19th century.

From the name of the month, which was originally derived from the name of the Roman goddess Juno. It has been used as a given name since the 19th century.

From the English word for the type of tree, derived ultimately from Latin iuniperus.

Form of Khadija used in parts of French-influenced West Africa.

Turkish form of Qadir.

Kyrgyz, Turkmen and Kazakh form of Qadir.

Modern Greek transcription of Kalliope.

From Arabic qamar meaning "moon", also the root of the name of the island country of the Comoros.

Means "perfect, complete" in Arabic.

Czech, Slovak and Polish form of Camillus.

Variant of Carita.

English variant and Polish form of Cassandra.

Feminine form of Ken 1 or Kendrick.

Feminine form of Kenneth.

Means "splendid, famous" in Greek. This was the name of one of the generals of Alexander the Great. He was killed by Alexander in a dispute.

Turkish form of Kublai.

From the Mongolian name Khubilai, of unknown meaning. Kublai Khan was a 13th-century grandson of Genghis Khan (being the son of his son Tolui), and the fifth ruler of the Mongol Empire. He is also considered the first ruler of the Chinese Yuan dynasty.

From a Scottish surname that was derived from various place names, themselves from Gaelic caol meaning "narrows, channel, strait". As a given name it was rare in the first half of the 20th century. It rose steadily in popularity throughout the English-speaking world, entering the top 50 in most places by the 1990s. It has since declined in all regions.

Romanian and Portuguese form of Vladislav.

French form of Laetitia.

From a Scottish surname that was derived from the medieval Gaelic given name Lagmann, itself from Old Norse lǫgmaðr meaning "law man". This name reached a peak in its American popularity in 1972, the same year that the sitcom Sanford and Son debuted, featuring the character Lamont Sanford (the titular son).

From a surname that was derived from Old English leah meaning "clearing". The surname belonged to Robert E. Lee (1807-1870), commander of the Confederate forces during the American Civil War. In his honour, it has been used as a given name in the American South. It is common as a middle name.

Variant of Leland.

From a surname that was a variant of Lee.

Archaic French form of Laetitia (compare English Lettice).

From an English surname that was derived from the given name Leofwine.

Medieval English form of Louis. A famous bearer was Lewis Carroll (1832-1898), the author of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. This was also the surname of C. S. Lewis (1898-1963), the author of the Chronicles of Narnia series.

Diminutive of Elizabeth.

From a Welsh surname that was derived from llwyd meaning "grey". The composer Andrew Lloyd Webber (1948-) is a famous bearer of this name.

Romanian and English form of Lucianus. Lucian is the usual name of Lucianus of Samosata in English.

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 Muhammad used in parts of French-influenced West Africa.

Medieval French form of Mathilde.

From Sino-Vietnamese 梅 (mai) meaning "plum, apricot" (refers specifically to the species Prunus mume).

Form of Muhammad used in parts of French-influenced West Africa.

Derived from Latin Margarita, which was from Greek μαργαρίτης (margarites) meaning "pearl", a word that was probably ultimately a borrowing from an Indo-Iranian language. Saint Margaret, the patron of expectant mothers, was martyred at Antioch in the 4th century. Later legends told of her escape from a dragon, with which she was often depicted in medieval art. The saint was popular during the Middle Ages, and her name has been widely used in the Christian world.

As an English name it has been very popular since the Middle Ages. It was the top name for girls in England and Wales in the 1920s, 30s and 40s, but it declined in the latter half of the 20th century.

Other saints by this name include a queen of Scotland and a princess of Hungary. It was also borne by Queen Margaret I of Denmark, who united Denmark, Sweden, and Norway in the 14th century. Famous literary bearers include American writer Margaret Mitchell (1900-1949), the author of Gone with the Wind, and Canadian writer Margaret Atwood (1939-). Others include American anthropologist Margaret Mead (1901-1978) and British prime minister Margaret Thatcher (1925-2013).

Armenian form of Margaret, also meaning "pearl" in Armenian.

Variant of Margot influenced by the name of the wine-producing French town. It was borne by Margaux Hemingway (1954-1996), granddaughter of author Ernest Hemingway, who had it changed from Margot.

Medieval English form of Margaret.

Contracted form of Margarete or Margaret.

French form of Margaret. This is also the French word for the daisy flower (species Leucanthemum vulgare).

Polish, Czech and Romanian form of Marianus. It is sometimes used as a masculine form of Maria.

From the name of the flower, which comes from a combination of Mary and the English word gold.

Romanian, Croatian, Serbian, Bulgarian and French form of Marinus.

Medieval variant of Margery, influenced by the name of the herb marjoram. After the Middle Ages this name was rare, but it was revived at the end of the 19th century.

From a noble title that derives from the Old French word marche meaning "march, borderland". The title originally referred to someone who ruled on the borderlands of a realm.

From the Roman name Martinus, which was derived from Martis, the genitive case of the name of the Roman god Mars. Saint Martin of Tours was a 4th-century bishop who is the patron saint of France. According to legend, he came across a cold beggar in the middle of winter so he ripped his cloak in two and gave half of it to the beggar. He was a favourite saint during the Middle Ages, and his name has become common throughout the Christian world.

An influential bearer of the name was Martin Luther (1483-1546), the theologian who began the Protestant Reformation. The name was also borne by five popes (two of them more commonly known as Marinus). Other more recent bearers include the German philosopher Martin Heidegger (1889-1976), the American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968), and the American filmmaker Martin Scorsese (1942-).

Welsh, Manx and Ukrainian form of Martin.

Derived from the name of the month of May, which derives from Maia, the name of a Roman goddess. May is also another name of the hawthorn flower. It is also used as a diminutive of Mary, Margaret or Mabel.

French form of Megan. This name rapidly climbed in popularity beginning in the late 1980s, though it fell out of favour after the French car company Renault used it for one of their vehicles in 1995.

From Chinese 美 (měi) meaning "beautiful" or 梅 (méi) meaning "Chinese plum" (species Prunus mume), as well as other characters that are pronounced similarly.

Medieval Low German variant of Martin.

Romanian form of Michael. Mihai the Brave was a prince of Wallachia who united Romania in the early 17th century.

Diminutive of Miodrag, Milan, and other names containing the Slavic element milŭ meaning "gracious, dear". It is often used independently.

Old German form of Miles, as well as the Latinized form. This form was revived as an English name in the 19th century [2].

Derived from the Slavic elements milŭ "gracious, dear" and radŭ "happy, willing".

Derived from the element mio, a Serbo-Croatian form of the Slavic element milŭ meaning "dear", combined with dorgŭ meaning "precious".

Romanian form of Mirče. This name was borne by a 14th-century ruler of Wallachia, called Mircea the Great.

From the Slavic element mirŭ meaning "peace, world", originally a diminutive of names containing that element.

From an English surname that was derived from the name of a town in Normandy, itself meaning "dead water, still water" in Old French.

Variant of Morwenna.

From Old Cornish moroin meaning "maiden, girl" (related to the Welsh word morwyn [1]). This was the name of a 6th-century Cornish saint, said to be one of the daughters of Brychan Brycheiniog.

Form of Mustafa used in parts of French-influenced West Africa.

Bosnian form of Muammar.

Combination of Marie and Hélène. It can also be used as a French form of Milena.

Variant of Miles.

Created by the 17th-century poet Fulke Greville. He possibly based it on Latin myrra meaning "myrrh" (a fragrant resin obtained from a tree). Otherwise, he may have simply rearranged the letters from the name Mary. Although unrelated etymologically, this is also the name of an ancient city of Anatolia.

Alternate transcription of Arabic ناديّة (see Nadiyya), as well as the usual form in several other languages.

French diminutive of Nadia 1.

Turkish form of Nadiyya.

From Sanskrit नलिनी (nalinī) meaning "lotus".

From Japanese 直 (nao) meaning "straight, direct" and 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" (usually feminine) or 己 (mi) meaning "self" (usually masculine). Other kanji combinations can also form this name.

Means "lily" in Korean.

Form of Nimrod used in the Greek Old Testament.

Romanian variant form of Nicholas.

Means "purpose, aim" in Swahili, borrowed from Arabic نيّة (nīya) [1].

Romanian form of Nicholas. A notable bearer was the Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu (1918-1989).

Meaning unknown, possibly of Akkadian origin or possibly meaning "rebel" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament Nimrod is a renowned hunter, the great-grandson of Noah. He was the founder of Babylon.

Due to the biblical character, this name was adopted as an English-language vocabulary word meaning "hunter". In American English it acquired a further meaning of "fool", after the oafish character Elmer Fudd (a hunter) was called such by Daffy Duck in a 1948 short cartoon.

Elaborated form of Nola, most commonly found in South Africa.

Numa Pompilius (753–673 BC; reigned 715–673 BC) was the legendary second king of Rome, succeeding Romulus. He was of Sabine origin, and many of Rome's most important religious and political institutions are attributed to him.

His name is allegedly a Latinization of Greek νόμος (nómos) "law; custom".

Anglicized form of Ngaire. It was borne by New Zealand actress Nyree Dawn Porter (1936-2001).

Means "serving, worshipping" in Hebrew. This is the name of several Old Testament characters including the grandfather of David.

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

From the English and French word for the type of tree, ultimately derived from Latin oliva.

Norman French form of Humphrey.

From the English word opal for the iridescent gemstone, the birthstone of October. The word ultimately derives from Sanskrit उपल (upala) meaning "jewel".

Form of Umar used in parts of French-influenced West Africa.

Form of Umar used in parts of French-influenced West Africa.

Form of Umm used in parts of French-influenced West Africa.

Derived from Greek οὐράνιος (ouranios) meaning "heavenly". In Greek mythology she was the goddess of astronomy and astrology, one of the nine Muses.

Form of Uthman used in parts of French-influenced West Africa.

French form of Ovid.

Romanian form of Ovidius (see Ovid). In the 1st century the Roman poet Ovid was exiled to the city of Tomis, now Constanța in Romania.

From Yuki prefixed with the honorific 御/お- (o), used with regards to female names from around the Kamakura and Muromachi periods to around the 20th century.

This was the name of the main character in the Mexican comic 'El pecado de Oyuki' (Oyuki's Sin) by Yolanda Vargas Dulché, published first in the comic book 'Pepín' in 1949 and then in 'Lágrimas, Risas y Amor' in 1975, subsequently adapted into a telenovela, portrayed by Ana Martín, in 1987-8.

Means "all gifts", derived from a combination of Greek πᾶν (pan) meaning "all" and δῶρον (doron) meaning "gift". In Greek mythology Pandora was the first mortal woman. Zeus gave her a jar containing all of the troubles and ills that mankind now knows, and told her not to open it. Unfortunately her curiosity got the best of her and she opened it, unleashing the evil spirits into the world.

Meaning unknown, possibly of Luwian or Hittite origin. In Greek mythology he was the Trojan prince who kidnapped Helen and began the Trojan War. Though presented as a somewhat of a coward in the Iliad, he did manage to slay the great hero Achilles. He was himself eventually slain in battle by Philoctetes.

Romanian, Macedonian and Georgian form of Peter.

Romanian and Corsican form of Peter.

From the Greek Φαίδρα (Phaidra), derived from φαιδρός (phaidros) meaning "bright". Phaedra was the daughter of Minos and the wife of Theseus in Greek mythology. Aphrodite caused her to fall in love with her stepson Hippolytos, and after she was rejected by him she killed herself.

From the name of a beautiful immortal bird that appears in Egyptian and Greek mythology. After living for several centuries in the Arabian Desert, it would be consumed by fire and rise from its own ashes, with this cycle repeating every 500 years. The name of the bird was derived from Greek φοῖνιξ (phoinix) meaning "dark red".

Catalan form of Plutarch.

Italian, Spanish and Portuguese form of Plutarch.

French form of Plutarch.

Italian form of Pompilius.

From the word for the red flower, derived from Old English popæg.

From the Greek Πρίαμος (Priamos), possibly meaning "redeemed". In Greek legend Priam was the king of Troy during the Trojan War and the father of many children including Hector and Paris.

Medieval English form of Prudentia, the feminine form of Prudentius. In France it is both the feminine form and a rare masculine form. In England it was used during the Middle Ages and was revived in the 17th century by the Puritans, in part from the English word prudence, ultimately of the same source.

From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Caoindealbháin, itself from the given name Caoindealbhán (Old Irish Caíndelbán).

Short form of Milorad and other names containing the Slavic element radŭ meaning "happy, willing". It is often used independently.

Originally a diminutive of names beginning with the Slavic element radŭ meaning "happy, willing". In Poland it is usually a diminutive of Radosław.

Originally a diminutive of names beginning with the Slavic element radŭ meaning "happy, willing".

Originally a diminutive of names beginning with the Slavic element radŭ meaning "happy, willing".

Derived from Slavic radovati meaning "to make happy, to gladden".

Old Romanian diminutive of Slavic names beginning with the element radŭ meaning "happy, willing". Radu Negru was the semi-legendary founder of Wallachia in the 13th century.

Polish form of Radim. Saint Radzim Gaudenty was an 11th-century Polish archbishop.

From Japanese 雷 (rai) meaning "thunder" and 電 (den) meaning "lightning". This is a regional epithet of the Japanese god Raijin.

Anglicized form of Raghnall.

Originally a diminutive of names beginning with the Slavic element radŭ meaning "happy, willing".

Bulgarian variant of Radko.

Bulgarian variant of Radko.

Meaning unknown, possibly related to the name Radovan. Alternatively it may have been brought to Romania by the Romani people (note that Romanian and Romani are unrelated), perhaps ultimately from Rizwan.

Finnish form of Reynold.

Means "behold, a son" in Hebrew, derived from רָאָה (raʾa) meaning "to see" and בֵּן (ben) meaning "son". In the Old Testament he is the eldest son of Jacob and Leah and the ancestor of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. Reuben was cursed by his father because he slept with Jacob's concubine Bilhah. It has been used as a Christian name in Britain since the Protestant Reformation.

Means "consent, approval" in Arabic, a derivative of the root رضي (raḍiya) meaning "to be satisfied, to be content".

Azerbaijani form of Ridwan.

Urdu form of Ridwan, as well as an alternate Arabic transcription.

Scottish form of Ragnvaldr, a name introduced to Britain by Scandinavian settlers and invaders. It became popular outside Scotland during the 20th century. A famous bearer was the American actor and president Ronald Reagan (1911-2004). It is also associated with Ronald McDonald, the clown mascot for the McDonald's chain of restaurants, first appearing in 1963.

Feminine form of Ronald.

Georgian form of Rostam.

Norman French form of Rolf.

Form of Rostam in various languages.

French, German, Dutch and Danish form of Sabina.

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

From Japanese 桜 (sakura) meaning "cherry blossom", though it is often written using the hiragana writing system. It can also come from 咲 (saku) meaning "blossom" and 良 (ra) meaning "good, virtuous, respectable" as well as other kanji combinations.

Means "righteousness" in Arabic.

Means "light-bearing" in Greek (compare Nikephoros). This was a title of the Greek moon goddess Artemis (also worshipped as "Artemis Phosphoros").

Form of Said used in parts of French-influenced West Africa.

Means "handsome" in Arabic.

Means “deep thinker”, “deep thought”, or “spirit” in Chinese. According to Chinese beliefs, it is the spiritual part of the human psyche.

From Japanese 真 (shin) meaning "real, genuine" or other kanji with the same pronunciation.

From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "bright clearing" in Old English. This is the name of a main character in Charlotte Brontë's semi-autobiographical novel Shirley (1849). Though the name was already popular in the United States, the child actress Shirley Temple (1928-2014) gave it a further boost. By 1935 it was the second most common name for girls.

Means "star" in Urdu, ultimately from Persian.

Short form of names containing the Slavic element slava meaning "glory". It is typically masculine in Russia and Belarus, unisex in Ukraine, and feminine the South Slavic countries.

From Persian سهر (sohr) meaning "red" and آب (āb) meaning "water". In the 10th-century Persian epic the Shahnameh this is the name of the son of the hero Rostam. He was tragically slain in battle by his father, who was unaware he was fighting his own son.

Possibly derived from Romanian soare meaning "sun".

Form of Sulayman used in parts of French-influenced West Africa.

Romanian form of Stylianos.

Variant of Stylianos.

Possibly means "he who inspires awe" in Amharic. This name was borne by Lij Tafari Makonnen (1892-1975), also known as Haile Selassie, the last emperor of Ethiopia. Rastafarians (Ras Tafari meaning "king Tafari") revere him as the earthly incarnation of God.

From the name of a town in South Australia, perhaps meaning "near water" in an Australian Aboriginal language.

From Japanese 多 (ta) meaning "many", 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" and 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are also possible.

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

Bosnian form of Tariq. It is also an alternate transcription of the Arabic name.

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 Shona tenda meaning "be thankful, thank" [1].