VendettaEclipse's Personal Name List
Acacius
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Ἀκάκιος(Ancient Greek)
Akakios
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Greek, Ancient Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Ακάκιος(Greek) Ἀκάκιος(Ancient Greek)
From a Greek word meaning
"innocent, not evil", derived from
ἀ (a), a negative prefix, combined with
κάκη (kake) meaning "evil". This was the name of three early
saints, two of whom were martyred.
Akihiko
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 明彦, 昭彦, etc.(Japanese Kanji) あきひこ(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: A-KYEE-KHEE-KO
From Japanese
明 (aki) or
昭 (aki) both meaning "bright" combined with
彦 (hiko) meaning "boy, prince". Other combinations of kanji characters can also form this name.
Akimitsu
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 昭光, etc.(Japanese Kanji) あきみつ(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: A-KYEE-MEE-TSOO
From Japanese
昭 (aki) meaning "bright" and
光 (mitsu) meaning "light". Other combinations of kanji can also form this name.
Alan
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Scottish, Breton, French, Polish
Pronounced: AL-ən(English) A-lahn(Breton) A-LAHN(French)
The meaning of this name is not known for certain. It was used in Brittany at least as early as the 6th century, and it possibly means either
"little rock" or
"handsome" in Breton. Alternatively, it may derive from the tribal name of the Alans, an Iranian people who migrated into Europe in the 4th and 5th centuries.
This was the name of several dukes of Brittany, and Breton settlers introduced it to England after the Norman Conquest. Famous modern bearers include Alan Shepard (1923-1998), the first American in space and the fifth man to walk on the moon, and Alan Turing (1912-1954), a British mathematician and computer scientist.
Aleksey
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Russian
Other Scripts: Алексей(Russian)
Pronounced: u-lyi-KSYAY
Russian form of
Alexius. This name was borne by a 14th-century Metropolitan of Kiev who is regarded as a
saint in the Orthodox Church. It was also the name of a 17th-century tsar of Russia.
Allen
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: AL-ən
Variant of
Alan, or from a surname that was derived from this same name. A famous bearer of this name was Allen Ginsberg (1926-1997), an American beat poet. Another is the American film director and actor Woody Allen (1935-), who took the
stage name Allen from his real first name.
Alvarus
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Gothic (Latinized)
Latinized (Old Spanish) form of a Gothic name (see
Álvaro).
Andrea 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: an-DREH-a
Italian form of
Andreas (see
Andrew). A notable bearer of this name was Andrea Verrocchio, a Renaissance sculptor who taught Leonardo da Vinci and Perugino.
Andrew
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Biblical
Pronounced: AN-droo(English)
English form of the Greek name
Ἀνδρέας (Andreas), which was derived from
ἀνδρεῖος (andreios) meaning
"manly, masculine", a derivative of
ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man". In the
New Testament the apostle Andrew, the first disciple to join
Jesus, is the brother of
Simon Peter. According to tradition, he later preached in the Black Sea region, with some legends saying he was crucified on an X-shaped cross.
Andrew, being a Greek name, was probably only a nickname or a translation of his real Hebrew name, which is not known.
This name has been common (in various spellings) throughout the Christian world, and it became very popular in the Middle Ages. Saint Andrew is regarded as the patron of Scotland, Russia, Greece and Romania. The name has been borne by three kings of Hungary, American president Andrew Jackson (1767-1845), and, more recently, English composer Andrew Lloyd Webber (1948-).
Arcangelo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: ar-KAN-jeh-lo
Means "archangel" in Italian.
Asterion
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Ἀστερίων(Ancient Greek)
Means
"of the stars", derived from Greek
ἀστήρ (aster) "star". This is the name of several figures in Greek
mythology, including a river god.
Astor
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: AS-tər
From a German and French surname derived from Occitan astur meaning "hawk". The wealthy and influential Astor family, prominent in British and American society, originated in the Italian Alps.
Atlas
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Ἄτλας(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: A-TLAS(Classical Greek) AT-ləs(English)
Possibly means
"enduring" from Greek
τλάω (tlao) meaning "to endure". In Greek
mythology he was a Titan punished by
Zeus by being forced to support the heavens on his shoulders.
Aureliu
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Sicilian, Corsican, Sardinian, Romanian
Sicilian, Corsican, Sardinian and Romanian form of
Aurelius.
Ayumu
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 歩夢, 歩, etc.(Japanese Kanji) あゆむ(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: A-YOO-MOO
From Japanese
歩 (ayu) meaning "walk, step" and
夢 (mu) meaning "dream, vision". It can also be written with
歩 alone, or with other combinations of kanji.
Azrael
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Judeo-Christian-Islamic Legend
Variant of
Azarel. This is the name of an angel in Jewish and Islamic tradition who separates the soul from the body upon death. He is sometimes referred to as the Angel of Death.
Basil 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: BAZ-əl
From the Greek name
Βασίλειος (Basileios), which was derived from
βασιλεύς (basileus) meaning
"king".
Saint Basil the Great was a 4th-century bishop of Caesarea and one of the fathers of the early Christian church. Due to him, the name (in various spellings) has come into general use in the Christian world, being especially popular among Eastern Christians. It was also borne by two Byzantine emperors.
Benedict
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: BEHN-ə-dikt
From the Late Latin name
Benedictus, which meant
"blessed".
Saint Benedict was an Italian monk who founded the Benedictines in the 6th century. After his time the name was common among Christians, being used by 16 popes. In England it did not come into use until the 12th century, at which point it became very popular. This name was also borne by the American general Benedict Arnold (1741-1801), who defected to Britain during the American Revolution.
Bennett
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: BEHN-it
Medieval form of
Benedict. This was the more common spelling in England until the 18th century. Modern use of the name is probably also influenced by the common surname
Bennett, itself a derivative of the medieval name.
Borislav
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Bulgarian, Serbian, Croatian, Slovene, Macedonian, Russian
Other Scripts: Борислав(Bulgarian, Serbian, Macedonian, Russian)
Pronounced: bə-ryi-SLAF(Russian)
Derived from the Slavic element
borti "battle" combined with
slava "glory".
Byeong-Ho
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Korean
Other Scripts: 병호(Korean Hangul) 炳浩, 炳昊, etc.(Korean Hanja)
Pronounced: PYUNG-HO
From Sino-Korean
炳 (byeong) meaning "bright, luminous, glorious" combined with
浩 (ho) meaning "great, numerous, vast" or
昊 (ho) meaning "summer, sky, heaven". Other hanja character combinations are possible.
Casimir
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French
Pronounced: KAZ-i-meer(English) KA-ZEE-MEER(French)
English form of the Polish name
Kazimierz, derived from the Slavic element
kaziti "to destroy" combined with
mirŭ "peace, world". Four kings of Poland have borne this name, including Casimir III the Great, who greatly strengthened the Polish state in the 14th century. It was also borne
Saint Casimir, a 15th-century Polish prince and a patron saint of Poland and Lithuania. The name was imported into Western Europe via Germany, where it was borne by some royalty.
Castiel
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Judeo-Christian-Islamic Legend, Popular Culture
Pronounced: KAS-tee-əl(English)
Possibly a variant of
Cassiel. It is the name of an angel in the grimoire the
Heptameron, a work that is sometimes (probably incorrectly) attributed to the 13th-century philosopher Pietro d'Abano. It was also the name of a character (an angel) on the American television series
Supernatural (2005-2020). The creator Eric Kripke chose it after an internet search revealed that Castiel was an angel associated with Thursdays, the day the show aired
[1].
Chrysanthos
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Greek, Ancient Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Χρύσανθος(Greek)
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.
Cyril
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, Czech, Slovak
Pronounced: SIR-əl(English) SEE-REEL(French) TSI-ril(Czech)
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.
Decebal
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Romanian
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.
Dorian
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, Romanian
Pronounced: DAWR-ee-ən(English) DAW-RYAHN(French)
The name was first used by Oscar Wilde in his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891), which tells the story of a man whose portrait ages while he stays young. Wilde may have taken it from the name of the ancient Greek tribe the Dorians.
Dorin
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Romanian
Pronounced: DO-reen
Elijah
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Hebrew, Biblical
Other Scripts: אֱלִיָּהוּ(Hebrew)
Pronounced: i-LIE-jə(English) i-LIE-zhə(English)
From the Hebrew name
אֱלִיָּהוּ (ʾEliyyahu) meaning
"my God is Yahweh", derived from the roots
אֵל (ʾel) and
יָהּ (yah), both referring to the Hebrew God. Elijah was a Hebrew prophet and miracle worker, as told in the two Books of Kings in the
Old Testament. He was active in the 9th century BC during the reign of King
Ahab of Israel and his Phoenician-born queen
Jezebel. Elijah confronted the king and queen over their idolatry of the Canaanite god
Ba'al and other wicked deeds. At the end of his life he was carried to heaven in a chariot of fire, and was succeeded by
Elisha. In the
New Testament, Elijah and
Moses appear next to
Jesus when he is transfigured.
Because Elijah was a popular figure in medieval tales, and because his name was borne by a few early saints (who are usually known by the Latin form Elias), the name came into general use during the Middle Ages. In medieval England it was usually spelled Elis. It died out there by the 16th century, but it was revived by the Puritans in the form Elijah after the Protestant Reformation. The name became popular during the 1990s and 2000s, especially in America where it broke into the top ten in 2016.
Emil
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Romanian, Bulgarian, Czech, Slovak, Polish, Russian, Slovene, Serbian, Croatian, Macedonian, Hungarian, Icelandic, English
Other Scripts: Емил(Bulgarian, Serbian, Macedonian) Эмиль(Russian)
Pronounced: EH-mil(Swedish, Czech) EH-meel(German, Slovak, Polish, Hungarian) eh-MEEL(Romanian) eh-MYEEL(Russian) ə-MEEL(English) EHM-il(English)
From the Roman family name Aemilius, which was derived from Latin aemulus meaning "rival".
Ezekiel
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical, English
Other Scripts: יְחֶזְקֵאל(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced: i-ZEE-kee-əl(English)
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.
Finn 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish Mythology, Old Irish [1], Irish, English, Dutch, German
Pronounced: FIN(English, Dutch, German)
Old Irish form of
Fionn, as well as the usual Anglicized spelling (with the Irish hero's name Anglicized as Finn McCool). As a surname it is borne by Huckleberry Finn, a character in Mark Twain's novels.
Fynn
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German (Modern)
Fyodor
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Russian
Other Scripts: Фёдор(Russian)
Pronounced: FYUY-dər
Russian form of
Theodore. It was borne by three tsars of Russia. Another notable bearer was Fyodor Dostoyevsky (or Dostoevsky; 1821-1881), the Russian author of such works as
Crime and Punishment and
The Brothers Karamazov.
Gale 2
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: GAYL
From a surname that was derived from Middle English gaile "jovial". It also coincides with the English word gale meaning "storm".
Hidemi
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 秀美, etc.(Japanese Kanji) ひでみ(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: KHEE-DEH-MEE
From Japanese
秀 (hide) meaning "excellent, outstanding" and
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful", as well as other combinations of kanji characters.
Jasper
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Dutch, Judeo-Christian-Islamic Legend
Pronounced: JAS-pər(English) YAHS-pər(Dutch)
From Latin
Gaspar, perhaps from the Biblical Hebrew word
גִּזְבָּר (gizbar) meaning
"treasurer" [1], derived from Old Persian
ganzabarah. This name was traditionally assigned to one of the wise men (also known as the Magi, or three kings) who were said to have visited the newborn
Jesus. It has occasionally been used in the English-speaking world since the Middle Ages. The name can also be given in reference to the English word for the gemstone.
Joshua
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Biblical
Other Scripts: יְהוֹשֻׁעַ(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced: JAHSH-oo-ə(English)
From the Hebrew name
יְהוֹשֻׁעַ (Yehoshuaʿ) meaning
"Yahweh is salvation", from the roots
יְהוֹ (yeho) referring to the Hebrew God and
יָשַׁע (yashaʿ) meaning "to save". As told in the
Old Testament, Joshua was a companion of
Moses. He went up Mount Sinai with Moses when he received the Ten Commandments from God, and later he was one of the twelve spies sent into Canaan. After Moses died Joshua succeeded him as leader of the Israelites and he led the conquest of Canaan. His original name was
Hoshea.
The name Jesus comes from a Greek transcription of the Aramaic short form יֵשׁוּעַ (Yeshuaʿ), which was the real name of Jesus. As an English name, Joshua has been in use since the Protestant Reformation.
Kazuhiko
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 和彦, 一彦, etc.(Japanese Kanji) かずひこ(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: KA-ZOO-KHEE-KO
From Japanese
和 (kazu) meaning "harmony, peace" or
一 (kazu) meaning "one" combined with
彦 (hiko) meaning "boy, prince". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.
Keiji
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 佳史, 佳慈, 佳治, 佳二, 佳, 佳久, 馨, 馨時, 馨二, 馨迩, 京, etc.(Japanese Kanji)
Pronounced: KEH-EE-ZHEE
From Japanese 佳 (kei) meaning "beautiful, good" combined with 史 (ji) meaning "history". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Famous bearer are Keiji Inafune, a video game producer and illustrator, Keiji Yoshimura, Japanese footballer who plays for Nagoya Grampus, Keiji Gotoh, a Japanese anime director, character designer, manga artist, and member of three man production team gímik whose works include Kiddy Grade and Uta Kata and Keiji Mutoh, a Japanese professional wrestler who first gained international fame in the National Wrestling Alliance.
Keith
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Scottish
Pronounced: KEETH(English)
From a Scottish surname that was originally derived from the name of a place in East Lothian, itself possibly derived from the Celtic root *kayto- meaning "wood". This was the surname of a long line of Scottish nobles. It has been used as a given name since the 19th century, becoming fairly common throughout the English-speaking world in the 20th century.
Kenji
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 健二, 研二, 賢二, 謙二, 健司, etc.(Japanese Kanji) けんじ(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: KEHN-JEE
From Japanese
健 (ken) meaning "healthy, strong" or
研 (ken) meaning "study, sharpen" combined with
二 (ji) meaning "two". This name can also be formed from other combinations of kanji characters.
Kieran
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish, English
Pronounced: KEER-ən(English) KEER-awn(English)
Kiyoharu
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 清春, 清陽, 精治, 精晴, etc.(Japanese Kanji)
Pronounced: KEE-YO-HAH-ROO
It can be written as 清 (kiyo) meaning "pure, clean" or 精 (kiyo) meaning "energy, vigour" and 春 (haru) meaning "spring season", 治 (haru, ji) meaning "govern, rule, treatment", 陽 (haru, hare, teru) meaning "sun, male, light", or 晴 (haru) meaning "clear or fine weather, sunniness". Other kanji combinations can be used.
Kiyohiro
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 清洋, 清裕, 喜代裕, etc.(Japanese Kanji)
Pronounced: KEE-YO-KHEE-RO
From Japanese 清 (kiyo) meaning "clear, pure, clean" combined with 裕 (hiro) meaning "abundant". Different combinations of kanji can also form this name.
Kōta
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 康太, etc.(Japanese Kanji) こうた(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: KO-TA
From Japanese
康 (kō) meaning "peace" and
太 (ta) meaning "thick, big, great". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Kotaro
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 幸太郎, 孝太郎, 耕太郎, 光太郎, etc.(Japanese Kanji)
Pronounced: KO-TA-RO
From Japanese 幸 (
kō) meaning "good luck", 孝 (
kō, "obedience"), 耕 (
kō, "to plow") or 光 (
kō, "shine") combined with 太 (
ta) meaning "big" and 郎 幸 (
rō) meaning "son". Other character combinations are possible.
Krishna
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Gujarati, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Nepali
Other Scripts: कृष्ण(Sanskrit, Hindi, Marathi, Nepali) কৃষ্ণ(Bengali) કૃષ્ણ(Gujarati) కృష్ణ(Telugu) கிருஷ்ணா(Tamil) ಕೃಷ್ಣ(Kannada) കൃഷ്ണ(Malayalam)
Pronounced: KURSH-nu(Sanskrit) KRISH-nə(English)
Derived from Sanskrit
कृष्ण (kṛṣṇa) meaning
"black, dark". This is the name of a Hindu deity believed to be an incarnation of the god
Vishnu. According to the
Mahabharata and the
Puranas he was the youngest of King
Vasudeva's eight sons by
Devaki, six of whom were killed by King Kamsa because of a prophecy that a child of Vasudeva would kill Kamsa. However, Krishna and his brother
Balarama were saved and he eventually fulfilled the prophecy by slaying the evil king. He then helped the Pandavas defeat the Kauravas in the Mahabharata War. His philosophical conversation with the Pandava leader
Arjuna forms the text of the important Hindu scripture the
Bhagavad Gita.
In some Hindu traditions, Krishna is regarded as the supreme deity. He is usually depicted with blue skin. He is also known by many epithets, such as Govinda, Gopala, and the patronymic Vasūdeva.
Kumo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Japanese
Pronounced: Koo-mo
Japanese
"Cloud" This name was originally borne by the White Cloud, or Makenshi, in Final Fantasy Unlimited.
Leo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, English, Croatian, Armenian, Late Roman
Other Scripts: Լեո(Armenian)
Pronounced: LEH-o(German, Danish, Finnish) LEH-yo(Dutch) LEE-o(English)
Derived from Latin
leo meaning
"lion", a
cognate of
Leon. It was popular among early Christians and was the name of 13 popes, including
Saint Leo the Great who asserted the dominance of the Roman bishops (the popes) over all others in the 5th century. It was also borne by six Byzantine emperors and five Armenian kings. Another famous bearer was the Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910), name spelled
Лев in Russian, whose works include
War and Peace and
Anna Karenina. Leo is also a constellation and the fifth sign of the zodiac.
Liam
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish, English, French (Modern), Dutch (Modern), German (Modern), Swedish (Modern), Norwegian (Modern)
Pronounced: LYEEM(Irish) LEE-əm(English) LYAM(French) LEE-yahm(Dutch)
Irish short form of
William. It became popular in the United Kingdom in the 1980s, and elsewhere in Europe and the Americas after that. It was the top ranked name for boys in the United States beginning in 2017. Famous bearers include British actor Liam Neeson (1952-), British musician Liam Gallagher (1972-), and Australian actor Liam Hemsworth (1990-).
Lihua
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Chinese
Other Scripts: 丽华, 梨华, 立桦, 礼华, etc.(Chinese)
Pronounced: LEE-KHWA
From Chinese 丽
(lì) meaning "beautiful, lovely", 梨
(lí) meaning "pear", 立
(lì) meaning "stand, establish" or 礼
(lǐ) meaning "rite, ceremony, gift, present" combined with 华
(huá) meaning "splendid, illustrious, flowery, Chinese" or 桦
(huà) meaning "birch". Other character combinations can form this name as well.
Lorenzo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian, Spanish
Pronounced: lo-REHN-tso(Italian) lo-REHN-tho(European Spanish) lo-REHN-so(Latin American Spanish)
Italian and Spanish form of
Laurentius (see
Laurence 1). Lorenzo de' Medici (1449-1492), known as the Magnificent, was a ruler of Florence during the Renaissance. He was also a great patron of the arts who employed Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Botticelli and other famous artists.
Lucian
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Romanian, English
Pronounced: LOO-chyan(Romanian) LOO-shən(English)
Romanian and English form of
Lucianus. Lucian is the usual name of Lucianus of Samosata in English.
Luciano
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
Pronounced: loo-CHA-no(Italian) loo-THYA-no(European Spanish) loo-SYA-no(Latin American Spanish) loo-SYU-noo(European Portuguese, Brazilian Portuguese)
Italian, Spanish and Portuguese form of
Lucianus.
Lucien
Gender: Masculine
Usage: French
Pronounced: LUY-SYEHN
Lucius
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Roman, Biblical, English
Pronounced: LOO-kee-oos(Latin) LOO-shəs(English) LOO-si-əs(English)
Roman
praenomen, or given name, which was derived from Latin
lux "light". This was the most popular of the praenomina. Two Etruscan kings of early Rome had this name as well as several prominent later Romans, including Lucius Annaeus Seneca (known simply as Seneca), a statesman, philosopher, orator and tragedian. The name is mentioned briefly in the
New Testament belonging to a Christian in Antioch. It was also borne by three popes, including the 3rd-century
Saint Lucius. Despite this, the name was not regularly used in the Christian world until after the Renaissance.
Lukyan
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Russian (Archaic), Ukrainian (Archaic)
Other Scripts: Лукьян(Russian) Лук'ян(Ukrainian)
Pronounced: luw-KYAN(Russian)
Marion 2
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: MEHR-ee-ən, MAR-ee-ən
From a French surname that was derived from
Marion 1. This was the real name of American actor John Wayne (1907-1979), who was born Marion Robert Morrison.
Matthew
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Biblical
Pronounced: MATH-yoo(English)
English form of
Ματθαῖος (Matthaios), which is the
New Testament Greek form of
Mattithiah. Matthew, probably also called
Levi, was one of the twelve apostles. He was a tax collector, and supposedly the author of the first gospel in the New Testament. He is considered a
saint in many Christian traditions. The variant
Matthias also occurs in the New Testament belonging to a separate apostle.
As an English given name, Matthew has been in use since the Middle Ages. It became popular throughout the English-speaking world around the middle of the 20th century, ranked near the top of the popularity lists for boys in the 1980s and 90s. A notable bearer was the American naval officer Matthew C. Perry (1794-1858), who led an expedition to Japan. Famous modern bearers include the actors Matthew Broderick (1962-), Matthew McConaughey (1969-) and Matthew Perry (1969-2023).
Matvei
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Russian
Other Scripts: Матвей(Russian)
Pronounced: mut-VYAY
Memphis
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: MEHM-fis
From the name of an important city of ancient Egypt, or the city in Tennessee that was named after it. It is derived from a Greek form of Egyptian mn-nfr meaning "enduring beauty".
Mikhail
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Russian, Belarusian, Bulgarian
Other Scripts: Михаил(Russian, Bulgarian) Міхаіл(Belarusian)
Pronounced: myi-khu-EEL(Russian)
Russian and Belarusian form of
Michael, and an alternate transcription of Bulgarian
Михаил (see
Mihail). This was the name of two Russian tsars. Other notable bearers include the Russian poet Mikhail Lermontov (1814-1841), the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev (1931-2022), and the Latvian-Russian-American dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov (1948-).
Miko
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Finnish
Pronounced: MEE-ko
Mirko
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Serbian, Croatian, Slovene, Macedonian, Italian
Other Scripts: Мирко(Serbian, Macedonian)
Pronounced: MEER-ko(Italian)
From the Slavic element
mirŭ meaning
"peace, world", originally a
diminutive of names containing that element.
Miska
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Finnish
Pronounced: MEES-kah
Nagendra
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Hinduism, Kannada, Telugu
Other Scripts: नागेन्द्र, नागेंद्र(Sanskrit) ನಾಗೇಂದ್ರ(Kannada) నాగేంద్ర(Telugu)
Means
"lord of snakes" from Sanskrit
नाग (nāga) meaning "snake" (also "elephant") combined with the name of the Hindu god
Indra, used here to mean "lord". This is another name for Vasuki, the king of snakes, in Hindu
mythology.
Nathan
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, Hebrew, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek [1]
Other Scripts: נָתָן(Hebrew) Ναθάν(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: NAY-thən(English) NA-TAHN(French)
From the Hebrew name
נָתָן (Naṯan) meaning
"he gave". In the
Old Testament this is the name of a prophet during the reign of King
David. He chastised David for his adultery with
Bathsheba and for the death of
Uriah the Hittite. Later he championed
Solomon as David's successor. This was also the name of a son of David and Bathsheba.
It has been used as a Christian given name in the English-speaking world since the Protestant Reformation. A famous bearer was Nathan Hale (1755-1776), an American spy executed by the British during the American Revolution.
Noah 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, German, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Dutch (Modern), French (Modern), Biblical
Other Scripts: נֹחַ, נוֹחַ(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced: NO-ə(English) NO-a(German)
From the Hebrew name
נֹחַ (Noaḥ) meaning
"rest, repose", derived from the root
נוּחַ (nuaḥ). According to the
Old Testament, Noah was the builder of the Ark that allowed him, his family, and animals of each species to survive the Great Flood. After the flood he received the sign of the rainbow as a covenant from God. He was the father of
Shem,
Ham and
Japheth.
As an English Christian name, Noah has been used since the Protestant Reformation, being common among the Puritans. In the United States it was not overly popular in the 19th and 20th centuries, but it began slowly growing in the 1970s. Starting 1994 it increased rapidly — this was when actor Noah Wyle (1971-) began starring on the television series ER. A further boost in 2004 from the main character in the movie The Notebook helped it eventually become the most popular name for boys in America between 2013 and 2016. At the same time it has also been heavily used in other English-speaking countries, as well as Germany, the Netherlands, Scandinavia and France.
A famous bearer was the American lexicographer Noah Webster (1758-1843).
Odoacer
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Gothic (Latinized) [1]
Other Scripts: 𐌰𐌿𐌳𐌰𐍅𐌰𐌺𐍂𐍃(Gothic)
Pronounced: o-do-AY-sər(English)
From the Gothic name *
Audawakrs meaning
"wealthy and vigilant", derived from the elements
auds "wealth" and
wakrs "vigilant". Odoacer, sometimes called Odovacar, was a 5th-century Gothic leader who overthrew the last Western Roman emperor and became the first barbarian king of Italy.
Oliver
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Catalan, Serbian, Croatian, Macedonian, Czech, Slovak, Carolingian Cycle
Other Scripts: Оливер(Serbian, Macedonian)
Pronounced: AHL-i-vər(English) O-lee-vu(German) O-lee-vehr(Finnish) oo-lee-BEH(Catalan) O-li-vehr(Czech) AW-lee-vehr(Slovak)
From Old French
Olivier, which was possibly derived from Latin
oliva "olive tree" [1]. Alternatively there could be an underlying Germanic name, such as Old Norse
Áleifr (see
Olaf) or Frankish
Alawar (see
Álvaro), with the spelling altered by association with the Latin word. In the Middle Ages the name became well-known in Western Europe because of the French epic
La Chanson de Roland, in which Olivier is a friend and advisor to the hero
Roland.
In England Oliver was a common medieval name, however it became rare after the 17th century because of the military commander Oliver Cromwell, who ruled the country following the civil war. The name was revived in the 19th century, perhaps due in part to the title character in Charles Dickens' novel Oliver Twist (1838), about a poor orphan living on the streets of London. It became very popular at the beginning of the 21st century, reaching the top rank for boys in England and Wales in 2009 and entering the top ten in the United States in 2017.
Orion
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Ὠρίων(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: AW-REE-AWN(Classical Greek) o-RIE-ən(English)
Meaning uncertain, but possibly related to Greek
ὅριον (horion) meaning
"boundary, limit". Alternatively it may be derived from Akkadian
Uru-anna meaning
"light of the heavens". This is the name of a constellation, which gets its name from a legendary Greek hunter who was killed by a scorpion sent by the earth goddess
Gaia.
Owen 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Welsh, English
Pronounced: O-in(English)
Anglicized form of
Owain.
Quetzalcoatl
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Aztec and Toltec Mythology
Pronounced: keh-tsash-KO-ach(Nahuatl) keht-səl-ko-AHT-əl(English)
Means
"feathered snake" in Nahuatl, derived from
quetzalli "quetzal feather, precious thing" and
cōātl "snake"
[1]. In Aztec and other Mesoamerican
mythology he was the god of the sky, wind, and knowledge, also associated with the morning star. According to one legend he created the humans of this age using the bones of humans from the previous age and adding his own blood.
Ryo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 亮, 涼, 遼, 諒, etc.(Japanese Kanji) りょう(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: RYO
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji
亮 or
涼 or
遼 or
諒 (see
Ryō).
Ryō
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 亮, 涼, 遼, 諒, etc.(Japanese Kanji) りょう(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: RYO
From Japanese
亮 (ryō) meaning "clear",
涼 (ryō) meaning "cool, refreshing",
遼 (ryō) meaning "distant" or
諒 (ryō) meaning "reality", as well as other kanji that have the same pronunciation.
Ryōsuke
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 亮介, 亮輔, 涼介, 良介, etc.(Japanese Kanji) りょうすけ(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: RYO-SOO-KEH, RYO-SKEH
From Japanese
亮 (ryō) meaning "clear" combined with
介 (suke) meaning "help, assist". Other combinations of kanji having the same reading can also form this name.
Ryota
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 涼太, 亮太, 良太, etc.(Japanese Kanji) りょうた(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: RYO-TA
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji
涼太 or
亮太 or
良太 (see
Ryōta).
Ryou
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 亮, 涼, 遼, 諒, etc.(Japanese Kanji) りょう(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: RYO
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji
亮 or
涼 or
遼 or
諒 (see
Ryō).
Sandrin
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Romanian
Shinya
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Japanese
Terrance
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: TEHR-əns
Theodore
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: THEE-ə-dawr
From the Greek name
Θεόδωρος (Theodoros), which meant
"gift of god" from Greek
θεός (theos) meaning "god" and
δῶρον (doron) meaning "gift". The name
Dorothea is derived from the same roots in reverse order. This was the name of several
saints, including Theodore of Amasea, a 4th-century Greek soldier; Theodore of Tarsus, a 7th-century archbishop of Canterbury; and Theodore the Studite, a 9th-century Byzantine monk. It was also borne by two popes.
This was a common name in classical Greece, and, due to both the saints who carried it and the favourable meaning, it came into general use in the Christian world, being especially popular among Eastern Christians. It was however rare in Britain before the 19th century. Famous bearers include three tsars of Russia (in the Russian form Fyodor) and American president Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919).
Thorne
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: THORN
Transferred use of the surname
Thorne. Derived from the Old English word for "thorn." This was the name of a letter in the Old English alphabet, as well as the name of a character from the soap opera "The Bold and the Beautiful."
Valerian
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Russian, Georgian, Romanian, History
Other Scripts: Валериан(Russian) ვალერიან(Georgian)
Pronounced: və-LIR-ee-ən(English)
From the Roman
cognomen Valerianus, which was itself derived from the Roman name
Valerius. This was the name of a 3rd-century Roman emperor (Publius Licinius Valerianus) who was captured by the Persians. Several
saints have also borne this name, including a 2nd-century martyr of Lyons.
Valerius
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Roman
Pronounced: wa-LEH-ree-oos(Latin) və-LIR-ee-əs(English)
Roman family name that was derived from Latin
valere "to be strong". This was the name of several early
saints.
Victor
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, Portuguese, Romanian, Dutch, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Late Roman
Pronounced: VIK-tər(English) VEEK-TAWR(French) VEEK-tor(Romanian) VIK-tawr(Dutch)
Roman name meaning
"victor, conqueror" in Latin. It was common among early Christians, and was borne by several early
saints and three popes. It was rare as an English name during the Middle Ages, but it was revived in the 19th century. A famous bearer was the French writer Victor Hugo (1802-1885), who authored
The Hunchback of Notre-Dame and
Les Misérables.
Viễn
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Vietnamese
Pronounced: VEEN, VEENG, YEENG
From Sino-Vietnamese 遠 (viễn) meaning "distant, remote, far".
Vincent
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Slovak
Pronounced: VIN-sənt(English, Dutch) VEHN-SAHN(French) VIN-sent(Dutch) VEEN-tsent(Slovak)
From the Roman name
Vincentius, which was derived from Latin
vincere meaning
"to conquer". This name was popular among early Christians, and it was borne by many
saints. As an English name,
Vincent has been in use since the Middle Ages, though it did not become common until the 19th century. Famous bearers include the French priest Saint Vincent de Paul (1581-1660) and the Dutch post-impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890).
Virgil
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Romanian
Pronounced: VUR-jil(English)
From the Roman family name Vergilius, which is of unknown meaning. This name was borne by the 1st-century BC Roman poet Publius Vergilius Maro, commonly called Virgil, who was the writer of the Aeneid. Due to him, Virgil has been in use as a given name in the English-speaking world since the 19th century.
Vladislav
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Russian, Czech, Slovak, Slovene, Bulgarian, Serbian, Croatian
Other Scripts: Владислав(Russian, Bulgarian, Serbian)
Pronounced: vlə-dyi-SLAF(Russian) VLA-gyi-slaf(Czech) VLA-gyee-slow(Slovak)
From the Old Slavic name *
Voldislavŭ, derived from the elements
volděti "to rule" and
slava "glory". This name has been borne by kings, princes and dukes of Croatia, Serbia, Bohemia, Poland and Wallachia.
Xander
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Dutch, English (Modern)
Pronounced: SAHN-dər(Dutch) KSAHN-dər(Dutch) ZAN-dər(English)
Short form of
Alexander. It was popularized in the English-speaking world by a character on the television series
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003).
Zhongli
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Chinese
Other Scripts: 鍾離, 钟离(Chinese)
Pronounced: CHUWNG-LEE
From Chinese 鍾, 钟 (
zhōng) meaning "vessel" and 離, 离 (
lí) meaning "to leave". Other character combinations can form this name as well.
A character from Genshin Impact, a video game by miHoYo, bears this name.
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