Arthur is the name of the central character in Arthurian legend, a 6th-century king of the Britons who resisted Saxon invaders. He may or may not have been based on a real person. He first appears in Welsh poems and chronicles (perhaps briefly in the 7th-century poem Y Gododdin and more definitively and extensively in the 9th-century History of the Britons [1]). However, his character was not developed until the chronicles of the 12th-century Geoffrey of Monmouth [2]. His tales were later taken up and expanded by French and English writers.
The name came into general use in England in the Middle Ages due to the prevalence of Arthurian romances, and it enjoyed a surge of popularity in the 19th century. Famous bearers include German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860), mystery author and Sherlock Holmes creator Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930), and science-fiction author Arthur C. Clarke (1917-2008).
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.
As a given name, Diana has been regularly used since the Renaissance. It became more common in the English-speaking world following Walter Scott's novel Rob Roy (1817), which featured a character named Diana Vernon. It also appeared in George Meredith's novel Diana of the Crossways (1885). A notable bearer was the British royal Diana Spencer (1961-1997), the Princess of Wales.
As an Armenian name, it might possibly be a diminutive of Yevgenya.
Lastly, in addition to all of the aforementioned, the name Fenya could possibly also be the Armenian and Russian form of the Greek given name Fenia.
A known bearer of this name was Fenia Chertkoff (1869-1927), a Russian-Argentine educator, feminist and political activist. Please note that Fenia is a variant transcription here: her original name would have been either Феня (Fenya) or Фения (Feniya).
Notable Georgian bearers of this name include the politicians Kakha Bendukidze (1956-2014), Aleksandre "Kakha" Lomaia (b. 1963) and Kakhaber "Kakha" Kaladze (b. 1978), the latter of which was previously a successful professional soccer player.
This spelling was used by Lord Byron for characters in The Giaour (1813) and Don Juan (1819), and it is through him that the name was introduced to the English-speaking world.
As a Georgian name, Lile is unisex, but predominantly feminine. Male bearers are quite rare these days. For men, it might perhaps be a diminutive of names like Ilarion and Ilia, whilst for women, it is most likely a variant of Lili and/or a short form of Liliana.
A known bearer of this name was the Georgian (male) conductor Lile Kiladze (1928-1978).
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-).
The name was common in France during the Middle Ages, and was introduced from there to England, though it eventually became rare. Interest in it was revived by the character Melanie Wilkes from the novel Gone with the Wind (1936) and the subsequent movie adaptation (1939).
Geoffrey based parts of Merlin's character on Myrddin Wyllt, a legendary madman and prophet who lived in the Caledonian Forest. Other parts of his life were based on that of the historical 5th-century Romano-British military leader Ambrosius Aurelianus (also known as Emrys Wledig). In Geoffrey's version of the tales and later embellishments Merlin is a magician and counselor for King Arthur.
In Hindu texts this is the name of the foster father of Krishna, as well as various other characters. In Buddhist texts this is the name of both a half-brother and half-sister of Buddha. Nanda was also a 4th-century BC king who founded a dynasty in Magadha in India.
In southern India this name is more common among males, while in the north it is typically feminine, with the form Nand being masculine.
A famous bearer was the American jazz musician Nina Simone (1933-2003).
In Georgian literature, this is the name of the eponymous character of the 1895 love poem Suliko written by the Georgian poet Akaki Tsereteli (1840-1915).