rottedw's Personal Name List

Diminutive of names beginning with agi meaning "sword".

Diminutive of names beginning with Agi or Adal.

Finnish and Estonian form of Arne 1.

Variant of Abe 2.

Variant of Abela.

North Frisian variant of Apollonia recorded on the island of Föhr.

German variant of Abelina.

German form of Achatius.

The name resembles the German word Achat "agate (a gemstone)".

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

Old German form of Albert. This is the name of a patron saint of Bohemia, Poland and Prussia. He is known by his birth name Vojtěch in Czech and Wojciech in Polish.

Old High German short form of Adalheidis (compare Adelais).

Means "noble peace", derived from Old High German adal "noble" combined with Old High German fridu "peace".

Old German form of Edelgard.

Feminine form of Adalgiso. Adalgisa is a character in Vincenzo Bellini's opera Norma (1831).

Means "noble protection", derived from Old High German adal "noble" combined with Old High German helm "helmet, protection".

Derived from the Old German elements adal "noble" and lind "soft, flexible, tender". Adallinda (or Adalindis or Ethelind) was the name of one of the concubines of Charlemagne, with whom she had at least two children.

Means "noble path", derived from Old High German adal "noble" and Gothic sinths "way, path."

French form of Adalsind.

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

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

Medieval Italian variant of Adelaide.

Adelasia of Torres (1207-1259) was the Judge of Logudoro from 1236 and Judge of Gallura from 1238, while Adelasia del Vasto (c. 1075 – 16 April 1118) was the third wife of Roger I of Sicily and mother of Roger II of Sicily, as well as Queen consort of Jerusalem due to her later marriage to Baldwin I of Jerusalem, as his third wife.

Adelasia ed Aleramo (1806) is an opera composed by Johann Simon Mayr.

Form of Adela used in several languages. A famous bearer was the dancer and actress Adele Astaire (1896-1981). It was also borne by the British singer Adele Adkins (1988-), known simply as Adele. Shortly after she released her debut album in 2008 the name reentered the American top 1000 chart after a 40-year absence.

Variant of Adalfrid.

German form of Adallinda.

From the Old German elements adal "noble" and mari "famous". It is a cognate of the Old English name Æðelmær.

Variant of Adalrun.

Contracted form of Adela.

From a German surname meaning "eagle".

Short form of Adriana.

Form of Hadrianus (see Hadrian) used in several languages. Several saints and six popes have borne this name, including the only English pope, Adrian IV, and the only Dutch pope, Adrian VI. As an English name, it has been in use since the Middle Ages, though it was not popular until modern times.

East Prussian German, North Frisian and East Frisian variant of Agnes via the variant Agnete. As a North Frisian name, Agnet was recorded on the island of Föhr.

Diminutive of names beginning with the Old German element ekka meaning "edge, blade" or adal meaning "noble".

Meaning unknown. Perhaps a transcription variation of Alpelindis, itself a variation of the Germanic female name Alflind, from alf meaning "elf, spirit" and lind meaning "soft, tender".

Variant of Albertina.

From the Germanic name Adalbert meaning "noble and bright", composed of the elements adal "noble" and beraht "bright". This name was common among medieval German royalty. The Normans introduced it to England, where it replaced the Old English cognate Æþelbeorht. Though it became rare in England by the 17th century, it was repopularized in the 19th century by the German-born Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria.

This name was borne by two 20th-century kings of Belgium. Other famous bearers include the German physicist Albert Einstein (1879-1955), creator of the theory of relativity, and Albert Camus (1913-1960), a French-Algerian writer and philosopher.

German variant of Albert. A notable bearer was the German Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528).

Feminine form of Aldo.

Dutch short form of Germanic given names that begin with the element ald meaning "old" as well as (via metathesis) the element adal meaning "noble". Also compare Aldo and Alda 1.

Frisian form of a Germanic name, either Aldhard or Adalhard.

Originally a short form of Germanic names beginning with the element alt meaning "old" (Proto-Germanic *aldaz), and sometimes also with adal meaning "noble" (Proto-Germanic *aþalaz).

German form of Aldona.

Dutch and Spanish short form of Adelaide.

Means "elf counsel", derived from the Old English name Ælfræd, composed of the elements ælf "elf" and ræd "counsel, advice". Alfred the Great was a 9th-century king of Wessex who fought unceasingly against the Danes living in northeastern England. He was also a scholar, and he translated many Latin books into Old English. His fame helped to ensure the usage of this name even after the Norman Conquest, when most Old English names were replaced by Norman ones. It became rare by the end of the Middle Ages, but was revived in the 18th century.

Famous bearers include the British poet Alfred Tennyson (1809-1892), the Swedish inventor and Nobel Prize founder Alfred Nobel (1833-1896), and the British-American film director Alfred Hitchcock (1899-1980).

Variant of Alboin.

Old German form of Ella 1.

From the Old French name Aalis, a short form of Adelais, itself a short form of the Germanic name Adalheidis (see Adelaide). This name became popular in France and England in the 12th century. It was among the most common names in England until the 16th century, when it began to decline. It was revived in the 19th century.

This name was borne by the heroine of Lewis Carroll's novels Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and Through the Looking Glass (1871).

Diminutive of Adelaide.

Variant of Ale 2.

Variant of Almina.

Medieval English variant of Isabel via the variant Assabell.

German form of Aldfrid.

Derived from the Old German elements amal possibly meaning "unceasing, vigorous, brave" and beraht meaning "bright".

Contracted form of Annemarie.

Feminine form of Ame.

Upper German and Luxembourgish contracted form of Annemarie.

Upper German diminutive of Andreas. Anderl Hinterstoißer (3 October 1914 – 21 July 1936) was a German mountain climber active in the 1930s. He died during an attempt to climb the Eiger north face.

Variant of Andriana.

Feminine form of Andries.

Combination of Anna and Lena.

Combination of Anna and Marie.

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.

Short form of names beginning with the Old German element arn meaning "eagle".

Combination of Anne 1 and Grete.

German diminutive of Anna or short form of Anneliese.

Variant of Anneliese.

Combination of Anne 1 and Liese.

Contraction of Anne 1 and Eleonore via the short form Lore 1.

Contraction of Anne 1 and Lotte.

Variant of Annmaj.

Variant of Annmaj.

Combination of Anna and Marieke. (Cf. Annemarie, Annemieke.)

Diminutive of Annemarie.

Combination of Anne 1 and Mieke.

Double form of Anne 1 and Mone designed to sound like Anemone.

East Prussian German contraction of Anna-Dorothea.

Diminutive of Andreas, Anders and Anton.

Form of Antonius (see Anthony) used in various languages. A notable bearer was the Russian playwright Anton Chekhov (1860-1904).

Feminine form of Ari 1.

From an Old German name derived from the elements arn "eagle" and fridu "peace".

Variant of Arnulf.

The meaning of this name is unknown. It could be derived from the Celtic elements *artos "bear" (Old Welsh arth) combined with *wiros "man" (Old Welsh gur) or *rīxs "king" (Old Welsh ri). Alternatively it could be related to an obscure Roman family name Artorius.

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).

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

Derived from the Old German element awi, of unknown meaning. Rarely, this name may be given in honour of the 16th-century mystic Saint Teresa of Ávila, Ávila being the name of the town in Spain where she was born.

Variant of Azalea.

The latinised name of the German state of Bayern.

Officially admitted as a name in Germany.

Dutch and German form of Berlind.

Short form of Bernadett and Bernadetta as well as a Dutch and Afrikaans short form of names beginning with the element Bern-.

Derived from the Old German element bern "bear" combined with hart "hard, firm, brave, hardy". The Normans brought it to England, where it replaced the Old English cognate Beornheard. This was the name of several saints, including Saint Bernard of Menthon who built hospices in the Swiss Alps in the 10th century, and Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, a 12th-century theologian and Doctor of the Church. Other famous bearers include the Irish playwright and essayist George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) and the British World War II field marshal Bernard Montgomery (1887-1976).

German, Dutch and Scandinavian form of Bernard.

Variant of Bernhild.

The allegoric personification of the German city Berlin. Extremely rarely used as a given name.

Short form of Albert and other names containing the element bert, often derived from the Old German element beraht meaning "bright".

Form of Bertha in several languages.

Variant of Berthild. Berthilde lived in the 7th century AD and was one of the five wives of Dagobert I, king of the Franks.

Diminutive of Albert, Herbert and other names containing bert (often derived from the Old German element beraht meaning "bright").

Low German diminutive of Names starting in Bil- (from the Germanic name element BILI "gentleness").

Swedish form of Blíða.

Transferred use of the surname Bliss or simply from the English word "bliss".

Variant of Blythe.

Short form of names containing the name element BLID "blithe, joyous, happy".

Derived from the Dutch word bloem meaning "flower".

In the Netherlands, the best known example of a bearer of this name is Bloem Van Landuyt (b. 2004), who is one of the daughters of Dutch actress Angela Schijf (b. 1979) and her husband Tom Van Landuyt (b. 1967), a Belgian actor.

Directly taken from Swedish blomma "flower".

Frisian form of Bloemhard.

From the English word bloom, ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European *bʰleh₃- ("to thrive, flower, bloom").

From the English word blossom, ultimately from Old English blóstm. It came into use as a rare given name in the 19th century.

From the name of the flower, used to some extent as a first name when flower names were in vogue at the end of the 19th century.

Variant of Bluebell.

From the Old Norse byname Búi, which was derived from Old Norse bua meaning "to live".

From place name Bohemia.

Feminine form of Bruno.

German form of Brunhild, used when referring to the character from the Nibelungenlied.

Variant of Brunhild.

Form of Brünhild, used by Richard Wagner in 'Der Ring des Nibelungen'.

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.

Diminutive of Christine or Christina.

A name coined from the name elements Christ "Christus" and *Frid* "peace" by German pietists in the 18th century.

Derived from the archaic German noun Christ meaning "Christ" combined with the German adjective lieb meaning "dear, sweet" (ultimately from ancient Germanic leub meaning "dear, beloved"). In other words, you could say that this name is a German calque of Christophilus.

Feminine form of the Late Latin name Clarus, which meant "clear, bright, famous". The name Clarus was borne by a few early saints. The feminine form was popularized by the 13th-century Saint Clare of Assisi (called Chiara in Italian), a friend and follower of Saint Francis, who left her wealthy family to found the order of nuns known as the Poor Clares.

As an English name it has been in use since the Middle Ages, originally in the form Clare, though the Latinate spelling Clara overtook it in the 19th century and became very popular. It declined through most of the 20th century (being eclipsed by the French form Claire in English-speaking countries), though it has since recovered somewhat.

Short form of Clifford or Clifton.

From a surname that was originally from a place name meaning "ford by a cliff" in Old English.

Variant of Clifford.

French form of Chrodechildis, the Latin form of a Frankish name composed of the elements hruod "fame, glory" and hilt "battle". Saint Clotilde (whose name was originally recorded in forms such as Chrodechildis or Chrotchildis in Latin sources [1]) was the wife of the Frankish king Clovis, whom she converted to Christianity. It was also borne by others in the Merovingian royal family. In the Middle Ages this name was confused with Chlodechilda, in which the first element is hlut "famous, loud".

Apparently a fairly recent creation, most likely a blend of the names Cornelia or Cora with Lieke. There is also a chance that this name is a contraction of Coralie with the diminutive suffix ke added to it (thus making the name a pet form).

Roman family name that possibly derives from the Latin element cornu meaning "horn". In Acts in the New Testament Cornelius is a centurion who is directed by an angel to seek Peter. After speaking with Peter he converts to Christianity, and he is traditionally deemed the first gentile convert. The name was also borne by a few early saints, including a 3rd-century pope. In England it came into use in the 16th century, partly due to Dutch influence.

English,German and Romanian form of Corvinus.

Feminine form of Corvinus.

Romansh short form of Margaretha, traditionally found in the Engadine valley.

Short form of names beginning with the Old High German element diota (Old Frankish þeoda) meaning "people".

German variant of Dietrich.

Dutch and German form of Theudebald.

Dutch and German form of Theudebert.

German form of Theudeburg.

Means "warrior of the people", derived from the Old German elements theod meaning "people" (Old High German diota, Old Frankish þeoda) and heri meaning "army". This name is also used as a short form of Dietrich.

Means "peace of the people" from the Old German elements theod meaning "people" (Old High German diota, Old Frankish þeoda) and fridu meaning "peace".

Derived from the Old German elements theod meaning "people" (Old High German diota, Old Frankish þeoda) and helm meaning "helmet, protection".

Variant of Dietlinde.

German form of Theudemer.

German form of Theodoric. The character Dietrich von Bern, loosely based on Theodoric the Great, appears in medieval German literature such as the Hildebrandslied, the Nibelungenlied and the Eckenlied.

Short form of names ending in dina, such as Bernardina or Ondina. As an English name, this can also be a variant of Deanna.

Short form of names containing dit, such as Judita, and German names beginning with Diet, such as Dietlinde.

Variant form of Diede. This name can also be a Dutch pet form of Edith via Ditje and Dittje. Also compare Didi, Ditty and Dietje.

Danish diminutive of Edith, Dorothea or names containing dit. It was popularized by Martin Andersen Nexø's novel Ditte, Child of Man (1921) and the film adaptation (1946).

Low German and East Frisian short form of Dorothea.

Short form of Etheldreda.

Derived from the Old English elements ead "wealth, fortune" and burg "fortress".

Possibly from Old Norse meaning "great-grandmother". This was the name of two 13th-century Icelandic literary works: the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda. This is also the name of a character in the Poetic Edda, though it is unclear if her name is connected to the name of the collection.

Spanish feminine form of Adelmar.

From the name of the edelweiss flower (species Leontopodium alpinum). It is derived from the German elements edel "noble" and weiß "white." The name of the flower is spelled Edelweiß in German; Edelweiss is an Anglicized spelling.

Possibly a diminutive of names beginning with the Old German element adal meaning "noble".

Form of Edith in several languages.

Portuguese form of Edith.

From the Old English name Eadgyð, derived from the elements ead "wealth, fortune" and guð "battle". It was popular among Anglo-Saxon royalty, being borne for example by Saint Eadgyeth;, the daughter of King Edgar the Peaceful. It was also borne by the Anglo-Saxon wife of the Holy Roman Emperor Otto I. The name remained common after the Norman Conquest. It became rare after the 15th century, but was revived in the 19th century.

Means "rich friend", from the Old English elements ead "wealth, fortune" and wine "friend". This was the name of a 7th-century Northumbrian king, regarded as a saint. After the Norman Conquest the name was not popular, but it was eventually revived in the 19th century. A notable bearer was the astronaut Edwin Aldrin (1930-), also known as Buzz, the second man to walk on the moon.

Originally a short form of Ekkehard and other names beginning with the Old High German element ekka, Old Saxon eggia meaning "edge, blade". This name was borne by Eike of Repgow, who compiled the law book the Sachsenspiegel in the 13th century.

German form of Eleanor.

German form of Elfreda.

Short form of Elisabeth.

Short form of Elizabeth.

Low German and Frisian diminutive of Adelheid.

Diminutive of Eleanor, Ellen 1 and other names beginning with El. It can also be a short form of names ending in ella.

English form of Élodie.

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

Short form of Elisabeth, typically used independently. In medieval German tales Elsa von Brabant was the lover of the hero Lohengrin. Her story was expanded by Richard Wagner for his opera Lohengrin (1850). The name had a little spike in popularity after the 2013 release of the animated Disney movie Frozen, which featured a magical princess by this name.

Variant of Elizabeth.

Feminine form of Emerentius. This name belonged to an early Christian martyr, and is also assigned to the mother of Saint Anna and grandmother of the Virgin Mary in some late 15th-century European traditions.

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

Originally a short form of Germanic names that began with the element irmin meaning "whole" or "great" (Proto-Germanic *ermunaz). It was introduced to England by Emma of Normandy, who was the wife both of King Ethelred II (and by him the mother of Edward the Confessor) and later of King Canute. It was also borne by an 11th-century Austrian saint, who is sometimes called Hemma.

After the Norman Conquest this name became common in England. It was revived in the 18th century, perhaps in part due to Matthew Prior's 1709 poem Henry and Emma [2]. It was also used by Jane Austen for the central character, the matchmaker Emma Woodhouse, in her novel Emma (1816).

In the United States, it was third in rank in 1880 (behind only the ubiquitous Mary and Anna). It declined steadily over the next century, beginning another rise in the 1980s and eventually becoming the most popular name for girls in 2008. At this time it also experienced similar levels of popularity elsewhere, including the United Kingdom (where it began rising a decade earlier), Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Scandinavia and the Netherlands. Famous bearers include the actresses Emma Thompson (1959-), Emma Stone (1988-) and Emma Watson (1990-).

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 German name composed of either the element angil, from the name of the Germanic tribe of the Angles, or engil meaning "angel" combined with beraht meaning "bright". Saint Engelbert was a 13th-century archbishop of Cologne murdered by assassins.

German form of Eric. The German novelist Erich Maria Remarque (1898-1970) was the author of All Quiet on the Western Front.

Scandinavian form of Eric. This was the name of kings of Sweden, Denmark and Norway. King Erik IX of Sweden (12th century) is the patron saint of that country.

Feminine form of Erik. It also coincides with the word for "heather" in some languages.

German, Dutch and Scandinavian form of Ernest.

Form of Eve used in various languages. This form is used in the Latin translation of the New Testament, while Hava is used in the Latin Old Testament. A notable bearer was the Argentine first lady Eva Perón (1919-1952), the subject of the musical Evita. The name also appears in Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852) belonging to the character Little Eva, whose real name is in fact Evangeline.

This is also an alternate transcription of Russian Ева (see Yeva).

Combination of Eva and Lotte. The variant Eva-Lotta was used by Swedish author Astrid Lindgren in her Kalle Blomkvist series of books (1946, 1951, 1953), where it belongs to a friend of the central character.

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

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

Probably a variant of Febronia. It may also be a feminine form of Fabronius.

Originally a Frisian short form of Fridumar or Friduman (and other names starting with the Old German element fridu "peace" and a second element beginning with m [1]).

Greek form of Febronia.

Means "much brightness" from the Old German elements filu "much" and beraht "bright". This was the name of a 7th-century Frankish saint, commonly called Philibert.

Dutch form of Florentius (see Florence) or Flora.

Possibly from Latin florens meaning "prosperous, flourishing" combined with the Old German element munt meaning "protection". This is the name of the prince in some versions of the fairy tale Sleeping Beauty.

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

Basque feminine form of Franciscus (see Francis).

German form of Franciscus (see Francis). This name was borne by the Austrian composer Franz Schubert (1797-1828), the Hungarian composer Franz Liszt (1811-1886) and the Austrian-Czech author Franz Kafka (1883-1924), whose works include The Trial and The Castle. It was also the name of rulers of Austria and the Holy Roman Empire.

Means "little lady", derived from German frau combined with a diminutive suffix.

Diminutive of Frederick or Freda. A noteworthy bearer was the musician Freddie Mercury (1946-1991), born Farrokh Bulsara, the lead vocalist of the British rock band Queen.

English form of an Old German name meaning "peaceful ruler", derived from fridu "peace" and rih "ruler, king". This name has long been common in continental Germanic-speaking regions, being borne by rulers of the Holy Roman Empire, Germany, Austria, Scandinavia, and Prussia. Notables among these rulers include the 12th-century Holy Roman emperor and crusader Frederick I Barbarossa, the 13th-century emperor and patron of the arts Frederick II, and the 18th-century Frederick II of Prussia, known as Frederick the Great.

The Normans brought the name to England in the 11th century but it quickly died out. It was reintroduced by the German House of Hanover when they inherited the British throne in the 18th century. A famous bearer was Frederick Douglass (1818-1895), an American ex-slave who became a leading advocate of abolition.

Originally a short form of names containing the Old German element fridu meaning "peace" (Proto-Germanic *friþuz). A famous bearer was the Mexican painter Frida Kahlo (1907-1954).

Variant of Frida 1.

Variant of Frida 1.

Means "man of peace" from the Old German elements fridu "peace" and man "person, man".

Derived from the Old German elements fridu "peace" and helm "helmet, protection".

German form of Frederick. This was the name of several rulers of the Holy Roman Empire, Austria and Prussia. The philosophers Friedrich Engels (1820-1895) and Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) are two other famous bearers of this name.

German diminutive of Friedrich.

Cognate of Geraldine.

German, Dutch and Scandinavian form of Gerard.

Combination of a feminine given name that starts with Ger- (such as Gerlinde and Gertrud) with Liese.

Old German form of Gerlinde.

Derived from the Old German element ger meaning "spear" combined with lind meaning "soft, flexible, tender".

Variant spelling of Gerliese.

Derived from the Old German elements ger "spear" and not "need". It is used in the medieval German saga the Nibelungenlied for one of the brothers of Gunther.

German form of Gerulf.

German, Dutch, Danish and Swedish short form of Gerhard.

Short form of Gertrud.

German form of Gertrude.

Means "spear of strength", derived from the Old German elements ger "spear" and drud "strength". Saint Gertrude the Great was a 13th-century nun and mystic writer from Thuringia. It was probably introduced to England by settlers from the Low Countries in the 15th century. Shakespeare used the name in his play Hamlet (1600) for the mother of Hamlet. Another famous bearer was the American writer Gertrude Stein (1874-1946).

Variant of Geertruida.

Means "bright pledge", derived from the Old German elements gisal "pledge, hostage" and beraht "bright". The Normans introduced this name to England, where it was common during the Middle Ages. It was borne by a 12th-century English saint, the founder of the religious order known as the Gilbertines.

German, Dutch, Spanish and Portuguese form of Giselle.

Old German form of Gilbert.

Dutch, German, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese form of Giselhild. Bearers of this name include Italian actresses Giselda Castrini (b. 1945) and Giselda Volodi (b. 1959).

Derived from the Germanic name elements gisel "shaft (of an arrow)" and heit "kind, sort, appearance".

Italian form of Giselle.

From the Old German elements gisal meaning "hostage, pledge" and munt meaning "protection".

Old German form of Gilbert.

Latinized form of the Old English name Godgifu meaning "gift of god", from the elements god and giefu "gift". Lady Godiva was an 11th-century English noblewoman who, according to legend, rode naked through the streets of Coventry to protest the high taxes imposed by her husband upon the townspeople.

From a nickname for a person with blond hair, from the English word gold.

Means "pigeon" in Russian.

Feminine form of Göte.

Swedish form of the Old Norse name Gauti, derived from gautr meaning "Geat" (a North Germanic tribe).

Old German name derived from the elements got "god" and liob "dear, beloved". This is a German translation of Theophilus.

German form of Godfrey. This name was borne by the 13th-century German poet Gottfried von Strassburg and the German philosopher and mathematician Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646-1716), one of the inventors of calculus.

German form of Goteleib.

Feminine form of Gottlieb.

German diminutive of Margareta.

German, Danish and Norwegian short form of Margaret.

Diminutive of Grete. It is well-known as a character from an 1812 Brothers Grimm fairy tale who is captured, with her brother Hansel, by a witch. The Grimm's story was based on earlier European folktales.

Combination of Grete and Liese.

Variant of Gretel. It is not typically used as a given name.

It was used in 'The Sound of Music' for the youngest child of the von Trapp family.

Old German form of Kriemhild.

Spanish form of Kriemhild.

Possibly derived from the Old German elements gris "grey" and hilt "battle". It is not attested as a Germanic name. This was the name of a patient wife in medieval folklore, adapted into tales by Boccaccio (in The Decameron) and Chaucer (in The Canterbury Tales).

Variant of Griselda.

German short form of Margrit.

Means "green forest" from German grün "green" and Wald "forest".

Variant of Gunhild.

Dutch diminutive of Johanna.

Short form of Johanna.

Swedish combination of Hanna and Lena.

Hannchen is a German diminutive of Johanna, Hanna, Hannelore, or another name containing *hann*.

The German actress Katja Riemann has Hannchen as an additional given name.

Danish and Norwegian short form of Johanne, or a German and Dutch short form of Johanna. This can also be a Dutch short form of Johannes (masculine).

Variant of Hanna 1.

Contraction of Hanne 1 and Lies.

Combination of Hanne 1 and Liese.

Combination of Hanne 1 and Eleonore.

Diminutive of Johanna.

German short form of Johannes, now used independently. This name has been very common in German-speaking areas of Europe since the late Middle Ages. From an early period it was transmitted to the Low Countries and Scandinavia. Two famous bearers were Hans Holbein (1497-1543), a German portrait painter, and Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875), a Danish writer of fairy tales.

Romani form of Hänschen.

The name is borne by the German gypsi guitarrist Häns'che Weiss.

Means "harmony, agreement" in Greek. She was the daughter of Ares and Aphrodite, given by Zeus to Cadmus to be his wife.

Means "brave man", derived from the Old German element hart "hard, firm, brave, hardy" combined with man.

Germanic name, possibly referring to a member of the Germanic tribe of the Hessians, called the Chatti in antiquity.

Diminutive of Hedwig.

German diminutive of Adelheid.

German diminutive of Adelheid. It also coincides with the German word meaning "heath".

German diminutive of Adelheid. This is the name of the title character in the children's novel Heidi (1880) by the Swiss author Johanna Spyri. The name began to be used in the English-speaking world shortly after the 1937 release of the movie adaptation, which starred Shirley Temple.

Variant of Heidi.

From the Old German given name Heidrich.

Low German and Frisian diminutive of Henrik.

Derived from the Old German elements heil "healthy, whole" and wig "war".

It comes from the Germanic elements heim meaning "Home", and hild meaning "Battle".

Old German form of Henry.

Diminutive of Heinrich.

German form of Haimo (see Hamo).

German form of Henry. This was the name of several German kings.

Feminine form of Heinrich.

Diminutive of Heinrich.

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

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

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

Old German form of Eloise.

Medieval English form of Eloise.

Feminine form of Helge.

From the Old Norse name Helgi, derived from heilagr meaning "holy, blessed".

Low German short form of Germanic names starting in HEL- (dervied from the name element helm "helmet, protection").

Although the name is not uniquely feminine it is borne mostly by women.

Short form of Wilhelmina.

Old German form of Helmfried.

Derived from the Old German elements helm "helmet" and fridu "peace".

Variant of Emma or Helma.

Hemma von Gurk was a saint who lived from 990 to 1045 in Austria.

Dutch and Estonian cognate of Heinrich (see Henry).

Feminization of Henn, a medieval diminutive of Henry.

Finnish feminine form of Heinrich (see Henry).

A short form of Heinrich or Johannes. The name is occasionally also used on females.

Dutch diminutive and feminine form of Hendrik.

German feminine form of Heinrich (see Henry).

Derived from the Old German elements heri "army" and beraht "bright". It was borne by two Merovingian Frankish kings, usually called Charibert. The Normans introduced this name to England, where it replaced an Old English cognate Herebeorht. In the course of the Middle Ages it became rare, but it was revived in the 19th century.

This name was borne by a few medieval saints, including a 7th-century Anglo-Saxon priest and an 11th-century archbishop of Cologne.

Possibly from the Old German elements heri "army" and leiba "remainder, remnant, legacy" (or the Old Norse cognates herr and leif, see Herleif). This was the name of the mother of William the Conqueror, who, according to tradition, was a commoner.

Means "army man", derived from the Old German elements heri "army" and man "person, man". It was introduced to England by the Normans, died out, and was revived in the English-speaking world in the 19th century. It was borne by an 18th-century Russian missionary to Alaska who is venerated as a saint in the Orthodox Church, though in his case the name is an alternate transcription of German. Another famous bearer was the American writer Herman Melville (1819-1891), the author of Moby-Dick.

German form of Herman. A famous bearer was the German author Hermann Hesse (1877-1962).

Variant of Hertha.

New coinage from the German word Herz "heart" and the name element linta "linden tree, lime; shield (made of lime wood); gentle, soft".

Composed from the name elements HESS (from Hesso) and walt "to rule".

Low German form of Hildburg.

Originally a short form of names beginning with the Old German element hilt meaning "battle".

Frisian name, an abbreviations from names with the element Hild. Related to Hidde and Hibbe.

Variant of Hildebert.

Originally a short form of names containing the Old Frankish element hildi, Old High German hilt, Old English hild meaning "battle" (Proto-Germanic *hildiz). The short form was used for both Old English and continental Germanic names. Saint Hilda (or Hild) of Whitby was a 7th-century English saint and abbess. The name became rare in England during the later Middle Ages, but was revived in the 19th century.

Variant of Hildegard.

German, Dutch and Norwegian variant of Hilda.

Means "bright battle" from the Old German elements hilt "battle" and beraht "bright". This name was borne by four early Frankish kings, usually called Childebert.

Derived from the Old German elements hilt "battle" and gart "enclosure, yard". This was the name of the second wife of Charlemagne (8th century). Also, Saint Hildegard was a 12th-century mystic from Bingen in Germany who was famous for her writings and poetry and also for her prophetic visions.

French form of Hildegard.

Short form of German names starting in Hil- like Hiltrud.

A known namesake is the German photographer Hilla Becher.

Short form of names beginning with Hil. It also means "cloudberry" in Finnish.

Of debated origin and meaning. Current theories include a variant of Hilda and a Swedish form of Danish Helle 1.

Means "strength in battle", derived from the Old German elements hilt "battle" and drud "strength".

Variant of Hiltrud.

Derived from the Old German elements hun "bear cub" and beraht "bright". The Normans introduced this name to England, though it has always been uncommon there. It was the name of a 7th-century Frankish saint who founded Maroilles Abbey. It was also borne by two kings of Italy (called Umberto in Italian), who ruled in the 19th and 20th centuries. A notable fictional bearer is Humbert Humbert from Vladimir Nabokov's novel Lolita (1955).

Derived from the Germanic element id possibly meaning "work, labour" (Proto-Germanic *idiz). The Normans brought this name to England, though it eventually died out there in the Middle Ages. It was strongly revived in the 19th century, in part due to the heroine in Alfred Tennyson's poem The Princess (1847), which was later adapted into the play Princess Ida (1884) by Gilbert and Sullivan.

Though the etymology is unrelated, this is the name of a mountain on the island of Crete where, according to Greek myth, the god Zeus was born.

Means "born feet first" in Yoruba.

Short form of names containing is, such as Isabella or Aliisa.

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

Norwegian dialectal variant of Hilde, recorded in the Sunnmøre area, as well as an Italian variant of Ilda.

Contraction of Ilsegard.

Hungarian diminutive of Ilona.

Means "air" in Finnish.

Variant of Ilse.

Old German variant of Elisabeth (see also Elzebe).

German and Dutch diminutive of Elisabeth, used independently.

German variant of Elisabet.

A blend of Ilse with Hildegard or another name ending in -gard.

Combination of Ilse and Lore 1.

Variant of Emma.

Originally a short form of names beginning with the Old German element irmin meaning "whole, great".

Diminutive of Ime 2.

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

Short form of names ending with or otherwise containing ina, such as Martina, Christina and Carolina.

Strictly feminine form of Inge.

Short form of Scandinavian and German names beginning with the element ing, which refers to the Germanic god Ing. In Sweden and Norway this is primarily a masculine name, elsewhere it is usually feminine.

From the Old Norse name Ingibjǫrg, which was derived from the name of the Germanic god Ing combined with bjǫrg meaning "help, save, rescue". This name was borne by a Danish princess who married Philip II of France in the 12th century.

Old variant of Ingegerd. It can also be considered a diminutive of other names beginning with Ing.

Combination of Inge and Lore 1.

From the Old Norse name Ingimárr, derived from the name of the Germanic god Ing combined with mærr "famous".

Combination of Ing and Marie or feminine form of Ingemar.

From the Old Norse name Ingólfr, which was derived from the name of the Germanic god Ing combined with ulfr meaning "wolf".

From the Old Norse name Ingríðr meaning "Ing is beautiful", derived from the name of the Germanic god Ing combined with fríðr "beautiful, beloved". A famous bearer was the Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman (1915-1982).

Finnish and Frisian feminine form of Inge.

Probably a blend of Annegret and Ingrid.

Innegrit Volkhard (born 1965) is the director of the Grand Hotel "Bayerischer Hof" in Munich.

German short form of names beginning with the Old German element irmin meaning "whole, great" (Proto-Germanic *ermunaz). It is thus related to Emma. It began to be regularly used in the English-speaking world in the 19th century.

German form of Ermendrud.

German contracted form of Ermengard.

Derived from the Old German elements irmin "whole, great" and hilt "battle". It is a cognate of the Old English name Eormenhild.

Diminutive of Irma.

German contracted form of Ermendrud.

Variant of Irmtraud.

German and Russian form of Isidore.

German, Czech and Scandinavian form of Joseph.

Form of Judith used in several languages.

Probably a medieval Low German form of Judith. It might also derive from an Old German name such as Judda.

Feminine form of Karl, Karel or Karlo.

German form of Carloman.

German, Swedish and Estonian short form of Katherine.

Danish form of Kirsi and coincidentally also a Middle High German word for "cherry".

Derived from the Old German elements grimo "mask" and hilt "battle". Kriemhild was a beautiful heroine in the medieval German saga the Nibelungenlied, where she is the sister of Gunther and the wife of Siegfried. After her husband is killed by Hagen with the consent of Gunther, Kriemhild tragically exacts her revenge. She is called Gudrun in Norse versions of the tale.

Variant of Kriemhild.

Variant of Kriemhild.

Derived from the Old German elements lant "land" and beraht "bright". Saint Lambert of Maastricht was a 7th-century bishop who was martyred after denouncing Pepin II for adultery. The name was also borne by a 9th-century king of Italy who was crowned Holy Roman Emperor.

Feminine form of the Late Latin name Laurus, which meant "laurel". This meaning was favourable, since in ancient Rome the leaves of laurel trees were used to create victors' garlands. The name was borne by the 9th-century Spanish martyr Saint Laura, who was a nun thrown into a vat of molten lead by the Moors. It was also the name of the subject of poems by the 14th-century Italian poet Petrarch.

As an English name, Laura has been used since the 13th century. Famous bearers include Laura Secord (1775-1868), a Canadian heroine during the War of 1812, and Laura Ingalls Wilder (1867-1957), an American author who wrote the Little House on the Prairie series of novels.

Means "live rightly" from German lebe "live" and recht "right". This name was created in the 17th century.

In the case of the East Prussian German name, Lelija is not a derivative of Ancient Roman Laelia.
The name is derived from either Old Prussian lelija, lėlijates "lily" or else from Prussian-Lithuanian lelius "buttercup".

East Prussian German contraction of Lene-Dorothea.

Means "brave lion", derived from the Old German elements lewo "lion" (of Latin origin) and hart "hard, firm, brave, hardy". This was the name of a 6th-century Frankish saint from Noblac who is the patron of prisoners and horses. The Normans brought this name to England, where it was used steadily through the Middle Ages, becoming even more common in the 20th century.

German form of Leonard. A famous bearer was the Swiss mathematician Leonhard Euler (1707-1783), who made many important contributions to calculus, number theory, geometry and theoretical physics.

Derived from the Old German elements liut "people" and bald "bold, brave". The spelling was altered due to association with Latin leo "lion". This name was common among German royalty, first with the Babenbergs and then the Habsburgs. Saint Leopold was a 12th-century Babenberg margrave of Austria, who is now considered the patron of that country. It was also borne by two Habsburg Holy Roman emperors, as well as three kings of Belgium. Since the 19th century this name has been occasionally used in England, originally in honour of Queen Victoria's uncle, a king of Belgium, after whom she named one of her sons. It was later used by James Joyce for the main character, Leopold Bloom, in his novel Ulysses (1922).

Old German form of Luitgard.

Dutch diminutive of Angelique or names ending in lia.

Low German diminutive form of Elisabeth; compare also Dutch Lieke.

Dutch variant of Elisabeth.

German and Dutch diminutive of Elisabeth.

German diminutive of Elisabeth.

Variant of Liselotte.

Diminutive of Elisabeth (see Liesje).

Variant of Liesel.

Originally a medieval short form of Germanic names containing the element lind meaning "soft, flexible, tender" (Proto-Germanic *linþaz). It also coincides with the Spanish and Portuguese word linda meaning "beautiful". In the English-speaking world this name experienced a spike in popularity beginning in the 1930s, peaking in the late 1940s, and declining shortly after that. It was the most popular name for girls in the United States from 1947 to 1952.

Combination of Lin and Da.

German and Scandinavian short form of Elisabeth. A notable fictional bearer is Lisbeth Salander from Swedish author Stieg Larsson's novel The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2005) as well as its sequels and movie adaptations.

East Prussian German form of Liudvika.

Old High German liut "people" + Old High German berg "mountain, hill" or Old High German burg "castle, city, stronghold".

The name of an 8th C Lombard princess and a 9th C Saxon saint.

Variant of Liselle.

Short form of Eleonora.

German contracted form of Eleonore.

Variant of Laurelia.

Short form of Charlotta.

Short form of Charlotte or Liselotte.

Diminutive of Charlotte or Liselotte.

Diminutive of Charlotte or Liselotte.

From the Old German name Hludolf, which was composed of the elements hlut meaning "famous, loud" and wolf meaning "wolf". Saint Ludolf (or Ludolph) was a 13th-century bishop of Ratzeburg.

From the Germanic name Hludwig meaning "famous in battle", composed of the elements hlut "famous, loud" and wig "war, battle". This was the name of three Merovingian kings of the Franks (though their names are usually spelled as Clovis) as well as several Carolingian kings and Holy Roman emperors (names often spelled in the French form Louis). Other famous bearers include the German composer Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) and the Austrian philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951), who contributed to logic and the philosophy of language.

Variant of Majgret.

Originally a short form of Germanic names beginning with the element man meaning "person, man" (Proto-Germanic *mannô).

Short form of Manuel or Emmanuel (and also of Manuela in Germany).

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-).

Form of Matilda in several languages.

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

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

From the English word meadow, ultimately from Old English mædwe. Previously very rare, it rose in popularity after it was used as the name of Tony Soprano's daughter on the television series The Sopranos (1999-2007).

Derived from the Old German elements megin "power, strength" and hart "hard, firm, brave, hardy". This was the name of a 12th-century saint, a bishop of Livonia.

German and Dutch diminutive of Maria.

Dutch variant form of Meginhard.

Originally a Frisian short form of names beginning with the Old German element megin meaning "power, strength" (Proto-Germanic *mageną).

Derived from the Old German elements megin "power, strength" and rat "counsel, advice". Saint Meinrad was a 9th-century hermit who founded the Benedictine abbey at Einsiedeln in Switzerland.

Dutch short form of Wilhelmina.

Diminutive and feminine form of Meine.

Means "love" in Old German, specifically medieval courtly love. It is also used as a short form of Wilhelmina. This is the name of the title character in the play Minna von Barnhelm (1767) by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing.

Short form of Monika.

Form of Monica used in various languages.

Derived from the Old German elements nord meaning "north" and beraht meaning "bright". This was the name of an 11th-century German saint who made many reforms within the Church.

Variant of Norbert.

Combination of the Old Norse name element norðr "north" and Dina 1. This name was first recorded in the mid-19th century.

Form of Odilia.

French diminutive of Oda or Odilia. This is the name of a princess who has been transformed into a swan in the ballet Swan Lake (1877) by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

Derived from the Old German element uodil meaning "heritage" or ot meaning "wealth, fortune". Saint Odilia (or Odila) was an 8th-century nun who is considered the patron saint of Alsace. She was apparently born blind but gained sight when she was baptized.

Variant of Odilia.

Derived from the Old English elements os "god" and beorht "bright". After the Norman Conquest, this Old English name was merged with its Norman cognate. It was rare in the Middle Ages, and eventually died out. It was briefly revived in the 19th century.

Form of Oscar in several languages. A famous bearer was Oskar Schindler (1908-1974), who is credited for saved over 1,000 Polish Jews during World War II.

Romanian and Spanish form of Odilia.

Later German form of Audo, originally a short form of various names beginning with Old Frankish aud or Old High German ot meaning "wealth, fortune". This was the name of a 9th-century king of the West Franks (name usually spelled as Odo). This was also the name of four kings of Germany, starting in the 10th century with Otto I, the first Holy Roman Emperor, known as Otto the Great. Saint Otto of Bamberg was a 12th-century missionary to Pomerania. The name was also borne by a 19th-century king of Greece, originally from Bavaria. Another notable bearer was the German chancellor Otto von Bismarck (1815-1898).

German form of Odoacer.

Variant of Otmar.

Dutch form of Peter. This name was borne by the Flemish painter Pieter Brueghel the Elder (c. 1525-1569).

From the Old German elements rant meaning "rim (of a shield)" and wolf meaning "wolf". The Normans brought this name to England, where there existed already an Old Norse cognate Randúlfr, which had been introduced by Scandinavian settlers. Randolf became rare after the Middle Ages, though it was revived in the 18th century (usually in the spelling Randolph).

Means "queen" in Latin (or Italian). It was in use as a Christian name from early times, and was borne by a 2nd-century saint. In England it was used during the Middle Ages in honour of the Virgin Mary, and it was later revived in the 19th century. A city in Canada bears this name, in honour of Queen Victoria.

From the Germanic name Raginhild, which was composed of the elements regin "advice, counsel, decision" and hilt "battle". This was the name of a 7th-century Frankish saint who was martyred by the Huns. It is a cognate of the Norse name Ragnhild.

Variant of Reinhild.

Dutch form of Rayner.

Feminine form of Rodelio.

German form of Rudolf.

Variant of Romy.

Diminutive of Rosemarie, Rosemary, and names beginning with Rom.

Originally a Norman French form of the Germanic name Hrodohaidis meaning "famous type", composed of the elements hruod "fame" and heit "kind, sort, type". The Normans introduced it to England in the forms Roese and Rohese. From an early date it was associated with the word for the fragrant flower rose (derived from Latin rosa). When the name was revived in the 19th century, it was probably with the flower in mind.

Southern German diminutive of Rose and names containing Rose like Rosemarie or Annerose.

Variant of Rosemary.

Probably a reinterpretation of Roswitha analysed as hros "horse" and hwit "white". Roßweiße is the name of one of the valkyries in Richard Wagner's opera 'Die Walküre'.

Variant spelling of Roswitha.

Old German short form of feminine names beginning with Old Frankish hroþi or Old High German hruod meaning "fame" (Proto-Germanic *hrōþiz).