NERDKILLER99's Personal Name List

From a place name mentioned briefly in the New Testament. It is probably from Hebrew אָבֵל (ʾavel) meaning "meadow, grassy area". It has occasionally been used as a given name in modern times.

Feminine form of Aelius.

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.

From Greek Ἀλκμήνη (Alkmene), derived from ἀλκή (alke) meaning "strength, prowess" combined with μήνη (mene) meaning "moon" or μῆνις (menis) meaning "wrath". In Greek mythology Alcmene was the wife of Amphitryon. She was the mother of Herakles by Zeus, who bedded her by disguising himself as her absent husband.

From the Greek name Ἀλθαία (Althaia), perhaps related to Greek ἄλθος (althos) meaning "healing". In Greek myth she was the mother of Meleager. Soon after her son was born she was told that he would die as soon as a piece of wood that was burning on her fire was fully consumed. She immediately extinguished the piece of wood and sealed it in a chest, but in a fit of rage many years later she took it out and set it alight, thereby killing her son.

Feminine form of Amant. This was the name of a French novelist, Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin, who wrote under the pseudonym George Sand.

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.

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.

From the Late Latin name Ambrosius, which was derived from the Greek name Ἀμβρόσιος (Ambrosios) meaning "immortal". Saint Ambrose was a 4th-century theologian and bishop of Milan, who is considered a Doctor of the Church. Due to the saint, the name came into general use in Christian Europe, though it was never particularly common in England.

Variant of Amora (perhaps based on French amour).

Hungarian form of Amymone.

Meaning unknown. It was possibly inspired by an American song by this name written by Vivian Grey in 1903 and recorded by musician Vess Ossman. The lyrics tell of a Native American woman named Anona from Arizona.

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

This name is sometimes Anglicized as Eve or Eva.

Meaning unknown. This name was (first?) used by William Congreve in his comedy The Old Bachelor (1693) and later by John Vanbrugh in his comedy The Confederacy (1705). This was the original given name of abolitionist Harriet Tubman (1820-1913), who was born Araminta Ross.

Feminine form of Astor. This is also the name of several American towns, after the businessman John Jacob Astor.

Probably means "little father" from Gothic atta "father" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of a 5th-century leader of the Huns, a nomadic people from Central Asia who had expanded into Eastern Europe by the 4th century. Attila was likely the name given to him by his Gothic-speaking subjects in Eastern Europe; his real name may have been Avitohol.

Medieval French form of Albina. In other words: you could say that this name is the feminine form of Aubin.

This given name is no longer in use in France, but it still survives there as a matronymic surname (albeit barely, as the surname is extremely rare there nowadays).

Feminine form of Aurelianus.

Meaning uncertain, possibly from a place name Awilizapan, or possibly from a Q'eqchi' Maya word meaning "swallow (bird)" [1]. This was the name of the K'iche' Maya goddess of the moon, night and death.

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

Latinized feminine form of Berengar. This name was borne by a 13th-century queen of Castile.

Diminutive of Elizabeth. A famous bearer was American actress Bette Davis (1908-1989).

Means "little flower" from Irish bláth "flower" combined with a diminutive suffix. In Irish legend she was a maiden abducted and married by Cú Roí. She was rescued by Cúchulainn, who killed her husband, but was in turn murdered by one of Cú Roí's loyal servants.

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

Means "white raven" from Old Welsh bran "raven" and gwen "white, blessed". According to the Second Branch of the Mabinogi [1] she was the daughter of Llŷr. After she was mistreated by her husband Matholwch, the king of Ireland, she managed to get a message to her brother Brân, the king of Britain. Brân launched a costly invasion to rescue her, but she died of grief shortly after her return.

Derived from the Old German elements brunna "armour, protection" and hilt "battle". It is cognate with the Old Norse name Brynhildr (from the elements brynja and hildr). In Norse legend Brynhildr was the queen of the valkyries who was rescued by the hero Sigurd. In the medieval German saga the Nibelungenlied she was a queen of Iceland and the wife of Gunther. Both of these characters were probably inspired by the eventful life of the 6th-century Frankish queen Brunhilda (of Visigothic birth).

In German, this name is spelled Brünhild in the Nibelungenlied, but normally Brunhild or Brunhilde when used as a given name.

Roman family name that was derived from Latin caelum meaning "heaven".

1. The sound and exuberance of flowing waters. -(adverb)
2. Contemporary, modern. -(noun)

Elaborated form of Calanthe.

Variant of Calissa.

Means "Candlemas" in Spanish, ultimately derived from Spanish candela "candle". This name is given in honour of the church festival of Candlemas, which commemorates the presentation of Christ in the temple and the purification of the Virgin Mary.

Diminutive of Candace. It is also influenced by the English word candy.

From the name of the flower, which is derived from Greek χελιδών (chelidon) meaning "swallow (bird)".

French feminine form of Caelestinus.

Variant of Céline.

Taken from the name of the flower, whose name is derived from Greek κηλος (kelos) "burned".

Variant of Chalice.

Diminutive of Cherie.

Derived from French chérie meaning "darling". In America, Cherie came into use shortly after the variant Sherry, and has not been as common.

From Japanese 千 (chi) meaning "thousand" combined with 枝 (e) meaning "branch", 恵 (e) meaning "favour, benefit" or 絵 (e) meaning "picture, painting". Other kanji combinations are also possible.

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

Feminine form of Cloelius. In Roman legend Cloelia was a maiden who was given to an Etruscan invader as a hostage. She managed to escape by swimming across the Tiber, at the same time helping some of the other captives to safety.

Occitan and Spanish form and Bessarabian German variant of Constantia as well as an English Latinization of Constance.

Derived from Hungarian csillag meaning "star". This name was created by the Hungarian author András Dugonics for an 1803 novel and later used and popularized by the poet Mihály Vörösmarty.

Means "hound of Culann" in Irish. This was the usual name of the warrior hero who was named Sétanta at birth, given to him because he took the place of one of Culann's hounds after he accidentally killed it. The Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology tells of Cúchulainn's many adventures, including his single-handed defence of Ulster against the army of Queen Medb.

French form of Kunigunde. Voltaire used this name in his novel Candide (1759).

Feminine form of Cyprien.

From the Greek name Κύριλλος (Kyrillos), which was derived from Greek κύριος (kyrios) meaning "lord", a word used frequently in the Greek Bible to refer to God or Jesus.

This name was borne by a number of important saints, including Cyril of Jerusalem, a 4th-century bishop and Doctor of the Church, and Cyril of Alexandria, a 5th-century theologian. Another Saint Cyril was a 9th-century Greek missionary to the Slavs, who is credited with creating the Glagolitic alphabet with his brother Methodius in order to translate the Bible into Slavic. The Cyrillic alphabet, named after him, is descended from Glagolitic.

This name has been especially well-used in Eastern Europe and other places where Orthodox Christianity is prevalent. It came into general use in England in the 19th century.

Feminine form of Desiderio. This was the Latin name of a 19th-century queen of Sweden, the wife of Karl XIV. She was born in France with the name Désirée.

Feminine diminutive of the Roman family name Domitius. This was the name of the wife of the Roman emperor Vespasian and the mother of emperors Titus and Domitian.

From Latin dulcis "sweet" and bella "beautiful". The usual medieval spelling of this name was Dowsabel, and the Latinized form Dulcibella was revived in the 18th century.

Derived from Spanish dulce meaning "sweet". This name was (first?) used by Miguel de Cervantes in his novel Don Quixote (1605), where it belongs to the love interest of the main character, though she never actually appears in the story.

Vernacular form of Egidius.

Probably an invented name. This is the name of an infant girl in the fantasy movie Willow (1988). Since the release of the movie the name has been steadily used, finally breaking into the top 1000 in the United States in 2015.

Spanish form of the Late Latin name Sperantia, which was derived from sperare "to hope".

Medieval French form of Stephen.

Short form of names beginning with the Old English element æðele meaning "noble". It was coined in the 19th century, when many Old English names were revived. It was popularized by the novels The Newcomes (1855) by William Makepeace Thackeray and The Daisy Chain (1856) by C. M. Yonge. A famous bearer was American actress and singer Ethel Merman (1908-1984).

From Greek εὔνους (eunous) meaning "well-minded, friendly", which is composed of ευ (eu) "good, well" and νοῦς (nous) "mind" (see also Eunous, Eunoia). In Greek mythology this was the name of one of the rivers in Hades. It occurs in Dante's epic poem the 'Divine Comedy' (1321); after purging their sins, the penitent souls of Purgatory drink from the river Lethe to forget their misdeeds, after which they drink from the river Eunoe so that they remember their good deeds in life, and are thus able to enter Paradise.

Eunoë was also the name of a nymph in Greek mythology, the daughter of Persephone, wife of the Phrygian king Dymas, and mother of Hecuba.

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

Feminine form of Eustace.

Diminutive of Fleur.

From Latin floris, the genitive case of flos meaning "flower". This name was used by Shakespeare for the prince of Bohemia and the lover of Perdita in his play The Winter's Tale (1610).

Feminine diminutive of François.

From Japanese 文 (fumi) meaning "writing" and 子 (ko) meaning "child", as well as other combinations of kanji that are pronounced the same way.

Italian form of the Latin name Caietanus, which meant "from Caieta". Caieta (now called Gaeta) was a town in ancient Italy, its name deriving either from Kaiadas, the name a Greek location where prisoners were executed, or else from Caieta, the name of the nurse of Aeneas. Saint Gaetano was a 16th-century Italian priest who founded the Theatines.

Possibly derived from Old Irish grán meaning "grain" or gráin meaning "hatred, fear". In the Irish legend The Pursuit of Diarmaid and Gráinne she escaped from her arranged marriage to Fionn mac Cumhaill by fleeing with her lover Diarmaid. Another famous bearer was the powerful 16th-century Irish landowner and seafarer Gráinne Ní Mháille (known in English as Grace O'Malley), who was sometimes portrayed as a pirate queen in later tales.

Variant of Horea.

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

From the Germanic *Ingwaz, possibly meaning "ancestor". This was the name of an obscure Germanic fertility god who was considered the ancestor of the tribe the Ingaevones. It is possible he was an earlier incarnation of the god Freyr.

From the name of the island off Scotland where Saint Columba founded a monastery. The name of the island is Old Norse in origin, and apparently derives simply from ey meaning "island".

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.

From Greek Εἰρήνη (Eirene), derived from a word meaning "peace". This was the name of the Greek goddess who personified peace, one of the Ὥραι (Horai). It was also borne by several early Christian saints. The name was common in the Byzantine Empire, notably being borne by an 8th-century empress, who was the first woman to lead the empire. She originally served as regent for her son, but later had him killed and ruled alone.

This name has traditionally been more popular among Eastern Christians. In the English-speaking world it was not regularly used until the 19th century.

From the Greek name Ἰσίδωρος (Isidoros) meaning "gift of Isis", derived from the name of the Egyptian goddess Isis combined with Greek δῶρον (doron) meaning "gift". Saint Isidore of Seville was a 6th-century archbishop, historian and theologian.

Though it has never been popular in the English-speaking world among Christians, it has historically been a common name for Jews, who have used it as an Americanized form of names such as Isaac, Israel and Isaiah.

Possibly means "rainbow lady", from Classic Maya ix "lady" and chel "rainbow". Ixchel was a Maya goddess associated with the earth, jaguars, medicine and childbirth. She was often depicted with a snake in her hair and crossbones embroidered on her skirt.

This name was borne by American actress Jobyna Howland (1880-1936), who was named after her father Joby. Another famous bearer was actress Jobyna Ralston (1899-1967), who was named for Howland.

In some cases, it may be a variant of Jobina.

Swedish corruption of Jochebed as well as a combination of Josefine and Elisabeth.

French form of the Old Breton name Iudicael, derived from the elements iudd "lord" and hael "generous". This was the name of a 7th-century Breton king, also regarded as a saint.

From Latvian laime and Lithuanian laima, which mean "luck, fate". This was the name of the Latvian and Lithuanian goddess of fate, luck, pregnancy and childbirth. She was the sister of the goddesses Dēkla and Kārta, who were also associated with fate.

Possibly derived from the name of the ancient city of Larisa in Thessaly, which meant "citadel". In Greek legends, the nymph Larisa was either a daughter or mother of Pelasgus, the ancestor of the mythical Pelasgians. This name was later borne by a 4th-century Greek martyr who is venerated as a saint in the Eastern Church. The name (of the city, nymph and saint) is commonly Latinized as Larissa, with a double s. As a Ukrainian name, it is more commonly transcribed Larysa.

Originally a diminutive of Laetitia. This was borne by the second wife of Geoffrey de Mandeville I, one of the great magnates of early Norman England.

From a Scottish surname that was derived from a place in Aberdeenshire, probably from Gaelic leas celyn meaning "garden of holly". It has been used as a given name since the 19th century. In America it was more common as a feminine name after the 1940s.

Derived from Akkadian lilitu meaning "of the night". This was the name of a demon in ancient Assyrian myths. In Jewish tradition she was Adam's first wife, sent out of Eden and replaced by Eve because she would not submit to him. The offspring of Adam (or Samael) and Lilith were the evil spirits of the world.

Perhaps a variant of Lauretta or Loreto. A famous bearer was the American actress Loretta Young (1913-2000), whose birth name was Gretchen.

Feminine form of Lucien.

Polish form of Lucia.

Means "favour of the people" from the Slavic elements ľudŭ "people" and milŭ "gracious, dear". Saint Ludmila was a 10th-century duchess of Bohemia, the grandmother of Saint Václav. She was murdered on the orders of her daughter-in-law Drahomíra.

As a Russian name, this is an alternate transcription of Людмила (usually rendered Lyudmila).

Latinized form of Lykidas. This was the name of a centaur from Greek mythology.

In English literature, Lycidas is the title of a poem by John Milton (1608-1674), which was written in 1637 as a pastoral elegy.

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.

Feminine form of Maël.

Anglicized form of the Irish name Medb meaning "intoxicating". In Irish legend this was the name of a warrior queen of Connacht. She and her husband Ailill fought against the Ulster king Conchobar and the hero Cúchulainn, as told in the Irish epic The Cattle Raid of Cooley.

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 Marcia.

Variant of Margot.

Blend of Maria and Magdalene. It refers, therefore, to Mary Magdalene, a character in the New Testament. The name was popularized by the German actress and singer Marlene Dietrich (1901-1992), whose real name was Maria Magdalene Dietrich.

From Aramaic מַרְתָּא (marta) meaning "the lady, the mistress", feminine form of מַר (mar) meaning "master". In the New Testament this is the name of the sister of Lazarus and Mary of Bethany (who is sometimes identified with Mary Magdalene). She was a witness to Jesus restoring her dead brother to life.

The name was not used in England until after the Protestant Reformation. A notable bearer was Martha Washington (1731-1802), the wife of the first American president George Washington. It is also borne by the media personality Martha Stewart (1941-).

Latinized form of Melicent (compare Melisende).

From the name of a village in Andorra where there is a sanctuary dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The name of the village may derive from Latin meridies meaning "midday".

Feminine form of Moreno.

Elaborated form of Opal. This is also an English and French word meaning "resembling an opal".

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.

French form of Ophelia.

Possibly related to Greek ὀρίνω (orino) meaning "to excite, to agitate". George Bernard Shaw used this name in his play The Apple Cart (1929).

Derived from Latin pascha "(feast of) Passover". The Jewish Passover holiday often coincided with the Christian Easter holiday; this name was given to children born or christened on or near that holiday. In England, the name was most common in Cornwall and Devon.

The name of a naiad of the fresh-water spring of the city of Korinthos and a daughter of Asopos. She was carried off by Poseidon and bore him two sons. Her name may be derived from the element πειραίνω (peiraino), and either mean "tied, fastened" or "the fastening one". In either case, it may refer to the important portage road linking these two ports.

Probably derived from Greek πηνέλοψ (penelops), a type of duck. Alternatively it could be from πήνη (pene) meaning "threads, weft" and ὄψ (ops) meaning "face, eye". In Homer's epic the Odyssey this is the name of the wife of Odysseus, forced to fend off suitors while her husband is away fighting at Troy.

It has occasionally been used as an English given name since the 16th century. It was moderately popular in the 1940s, but had a more notable upswing in the early 2000s. This may have been inspired by the Spanish actress Penélope Cruz (1974-), who gained prominence in English-language movies at that time. It was already rapidly rising when celebrities Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick gave it to their baby daughter in 2012.

Diminutive of Perla.

French form of Petronilla.

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

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

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

Means "pleasing, beautiful" in Sanskrit. In Hindu belief this is the name of an incarnation of the god Vishnu. He is the hero of the Ramayana, a Hindu epic, which tells of the abduction of his wife Sita by the demon king Ravana, and his efforts to recapture her.

This name can also form a part of compound names, such as Ramachandra and Rajaram.

From Japanese 麗 (rei) meaning "beautiful, lovely" combined with 咲 (sa) meaning "blossom". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Variant of Raisa 2.

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.

Combination of Rosa 1 and the common name suffix bel, inspired by Latin bella "beautiful". This name was created in the 18th century.

Means "rosary" in French.

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

Combination of Rose and Mary. This name can also be given in reference to the herb, which gets its name from Latin ros marinus meaning "dew of the sea". It came into use as a given name in the 19th century.

Variant transcription of Ryōko.

From an Aramaic name that was related to the Hebrew word שָׁלוֹם (shalom) meaning "peace". According to the historian Josephus this was the name of the daughter of Herodias (the consort of Herod Antipas, the tetrarch of Galilee). In the New Testament, though a specific name is not given, it was a daughter of Herodias who danced for Herod and was rewarded with the head of John the Baptist, and thus Salome and the dancer have traditionally been equated.

As a Christian given name, Salome has been in occasional use since the Protestant Reformation. This was due to a second person of this name in the New Testament: one of the women who witnessed the crucifixion and later discovered that Jesus' tomb was empty. It is used in Georgia due to the 4th-century Salome of Ujarma, who is considered a saint in the Georgian Church.

From a Late Latin name that was derived from Latin serenus meaning "clear, tranquil, serene". This name was borne by an obscure early saint. Edmund Spenser also used it in his poem The Faerie Queene (1590). A famous bearer from the modern era is tennis player Serena Williams (1981-).

my wife

Probably inspired by the French word chérie meaning "darling" or the English word sherry, a type of fortified wine named from the Spanish town of Jerez. This name came into popular use during the 1920s, inspired by other similar-sounding names and by Collette's novels Chéri (1920, English translation 1929) and The Last of Chéri (1926, English translation 1932), in which it is a masculine name.

This also coincides with an Irish surname (an Anglicized form of Irish Gaelic Mac Searraigh), derived from the byname Searrach meaning "foal".

Means "succour, help, relief" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin Mary María del Socorro meaning "Mary of Perpetual Succour".

French form of the Late Latin name Sollemnia, which was derived from Latin sollemnis "religious". This was the name of a French shepherdess who became a saint after she was killed by her master.

Variant of Solange.

Means "sweet" in Swahili.

Anglicized form of the Irish place name Teamhair, which possibly means "elevated place". This was the name of the sacred hill near Dublin where the Irish high kings resided. It was popularized as a given name by the novel Gone with the Wind (1936) and the subsequent movie adaptation (1939), in which it is the name of the O'Hara plantation.

Derived from Greek τρυφή (tryphe) meaning "softness, delicacy". In the New Testament this name is mentioned briefly as belonging to a companion of Tryphena.

From the Latin name of the Italian region of Veneto and the city of Venice (see the place name Venetia). This name was borne by the celebrated English beauty Venetia Stanley (1600-1633), though in her case the name may have been a Latinized form of the Welsh name Gwynedd [1]. Benjamin Disraeli used it for the heroine of his novel Venetia (1837).

Means "king over warriors" from Gaulish wer "on, over" combined with kingeto "marching men, warriors" and rix "king". This name was borne by a 1st-century BC chieftain of the Gaulish tribe the Arverni. He led the resistance against Julius Caesar's attempts to conquer Gaul, but he was eventually defeated, brought to Rome, and executed.

Possibly related to Latin verus "true". This might also be a Coptic form of the Ptolemaic name Berenice. Saint Verena was a 3rd-century Egyptian-born nurse who went with the Theban Legion to Switzerland. After the legion was massacred she settled near Zurich.

Possibly a madeup name inspired by Veronica and Jessika or other names ending in -ika.

Either a variant of Vietta or a transferred use of the surname Viette.

Possibly a variant of Fiona influenced by Viola.

Feminine form of the Roman family name Verginius or Virginius, which is of unknown meaning, but long associated with Latin virgo "maid, virgin". According to a legend, it was the name of a Roman woman killed by her father so as to save her from the clutches of a crooked official.

This was the name of the first English baby born in the New World: Virginia Dare in 1587 on Roanoke Island. Perhaps because of this, the name has generally been more popular in America than elsewhere in the English-speaking world, though in both Britain and America it was not often used until the 19th century. The baby was named after the Colony of Virginia, which was itself named for Elizabeth I, the Virgin Queen. A more recent bearer was the English novelist Virginia Woolf (1882-1941).

Russian form of Yesenia. The 1971 Mexican movie was extremely popular in the Soviet Union.

French form of Zenaida.

Means "life of Zeus", derived from Greek Ζηνός (Zenos) meaning "of Zeus" and βίος (bios) meaning "life". This was the name of the queen of the Palmyrene Empire, which broke away from Rome in the 3rd-century and began expanding into Roman territory. She was eventually defeated by the emperor Aurelian. Her Greek name was used as an approximation of her native Aramaic name.