best's Personal Name List
Aaliyah
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arabic, English (Modern), African American (Modern)
Other Scripts: عالية(Arabic)
Pronounced: ‘A-lee-ya(Arabic) ə-LEE-ə(English) ah-LEE-ə(English)
Feminine form of
Aali. It was popularized in the English-speaking world by the singer Aaliyah Haughton (1979-2001), who was known simply as Aaliyah. This name received a boost in popularity after she released her debut album in 1994, and also in 2001 after her untimely death in an airplane crash.
Aava
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Finnish
Pronounced: AH-vah
Means "wide, open" in Finnish.
Abioye
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Yoruba
Means "born into royalty" in Yoruba.
Acquanetta
Gender: Feminine
Usage: African American (Rare)
Pronounced: ah-kwə-NEHT-ə
This name was brought to some public attention by the American actress Acquanetta (1921-2004), born Mildred Davenport. Though she claimed her stage name meant "laughing water" or "deep water" in Arapaho, it appears to be an invented name, possibly an elaboration of Italian
acqua "water" using
Netta 1.
Adagio
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Modern, Rare)
From the Italian adagio meaning "slowly, at ease", a word to indicate a musical composition should be played slowly.
Adamaris
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish (Latin American), American (Hispanic), English
Pronounced: ah-dah-MAR-is(Latin American Spanish, Hispanic American)
Either a combination of
Ada 1 and
Maris 2, or a combination of the prefix
a with
Damaris, or from Latin
adamō meaning "I love truly, earnestly, deeply or greatly; covet".
Admira
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Bosnian, Slovene
Feminine form of
Admir. A known bearer of this name was the Bosniak woman Admira Ismić (1968-1993), who was killed by snipers when she and her Serbian boyfriend Boško Brkić (1968-1993) were trying to cross a bridge in Sarajevo. An international documentary was made about them, which was titled
Romeo and Juliet in Sarajevo and released in 1994.
Adonis
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Ἄδωνις(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: A-DAW-NEES(Classical Greek) ə-DAHN-is(English) ə-DO-nis(English)
From Phoenician
𐤀𐤃𐤍 (ʾadon) meaning
"lord, master". In Greek
myth Adonis was a handsome young shepherd killed while hunting a wild boar. The anemone flower is said to have sprung from his blood. Because he was loved by
Aphrodite,
Zeus allowed him to be restored to life for part of each year. The Greeks borrowed this character from Semitic traditions, originally Sumerian (see
Dumuzi).
Adorna
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian (Rare)
Adrianne
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: ay-dree-AN, AY-dree-ən
Adrienne
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French, English
Pronounced: A-DREE-YEHN(French)
French feminine form of
Adrian.
Affinity
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
From the English word Affinity.
Agape
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ancient Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Ἀγάπη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: A-GA-PEH
Derived from Greek
ἀγάπη (agape) meaning
"love". This name was borne by at least two early
saints.
Aimee
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: AY-mee
Variant of
Amy, influenced by French
Aimée.
Akiko
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 晶子, 明子, 秋子, etc.(Japanese Kanji) あきこ(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: A-KYEE-KO
From Japanese
晶 (aki) meaning "clear, crystal",
明 (aki) meaning "bright, light, clear" or
秋 (aki) meaning "autumn" combined with
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other combinations of kanji characters are possible.
Alanis
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: ə-LAN-is
Feminine form of
Alan. Canadian musician Alanis Morissette (1974-) was named after her father Alan. Her parents apparently decided to use this particular spelling after seeing this word in a Greek newspaper.
Alcyone
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Ἀλκυόνη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: al-SIE-ə-nee(English)
Latinized form of Greek
Ἀλκυόνη (Alkyone), derived from the word
ἀλκυών (alkyon) meaning
"kingfisher". In Greek
myth this name belonged to a daughter of Aeolus and the wife of Ceyx. After her husband was killed in a shipwreck she threw herself into the water, but the gods saved her and turned them both into kingfishers. This is also the name of the brightest of the Pleiades, a group of stars in the constellation Taurus, supposedly the daughters of
Atlas and
Pleione.
Alice
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, French, Portuguese, Italian, German, Czech, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Dutch
Pronounced: AL-is(English) A-LEES(French) u-LEE-si(European Portuguese) a-LEE-see(Brazilian Portuguese) a-LEE-cheh(Italian) a-LEES(German) A-li-tseh(Czech)
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).
Allison
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: AL-i-sən
From the middle of the 20th century this has primarily been used as a variant of the feminine name
Alison 1. However, prior to that it was used as an uncommon masculine name, derived from the English and Scottish surname
Allison.
Allura
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Popular Culture
Pronounced: ə-LUR-ə, ə-LAWR-ə
Apparently based on the English word allure. This was the name of a princess in the 1980s anime television show 'Voltron'.
Altaluna
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Medieval Italian
Derived from Italian
alta, the feminine form of the adjective
alto, meaning "high; deep; big; towering; elevated" and, when used in a poetic context, "grand; sublime; noble" and
luna "moon".
A known bearer of this name was Altaluna della Scala, daughter of Mastino II della Scala, a 14th-cenutry lord of Verona, sister of Viridis and wife of Louis V, Duke of Bavaria.
Whether Altalune, the name Uma Thurman gave her daughter born in 2012, is a medieval variant of this name, is still debated.
Altalune
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Popular Culture
Possibly a variant of
Altaluna.
This is one of the middle names of the daughter of Uma Thurman and Arpad Busson.
Alyssa
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: ə-LIS-ə
Variant of
Alicia. The spelling has probably been influenced by that of the alyssum flower, the name of which is derived from Greek
ἀ (a), a negative prefix, combined with
λύσσα (lyssa) meaning "madness, rabies", since it was believed to cure madness.
Alyssum
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: AL-IS-UM
From the flowering plant native to the Mediterranean. The name alyssum actually comes from the Greek word 'lyssa', meaning “rage” or “madness” and the 'a', meaning “against” giving it its meaning today, “without madness”, since it was believed to cure madness.
Amador
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: a-ma-DHOR
Amanda
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Hungarian, Latvian, Late Roman
Pronounced: ə-MAN-də(English) a-MAN-da(Spanish, Italian) a-MAHN-da(Dutch)
In part this is a feminine form of
Amandus. However, it was not used during the Middle Ages. In the 17th century it was recreated by authors and poets who based it directly on Latin
amanda meaning
"lovable, worthy of love". Notably, the playwright Colley Cibber used it for a character in his play
Love's Last Shift (1696). It came into regular use during the 19th century.
Amaranth
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
From the name of the amaranth flower, which is derived from Greek αμαραντος (amarantos) meaning "unfading".
Amaryllis
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Literature
Pronounced: am-ə-RIL-is(English)
Derived from Greek
ἀμαρύσσω (amarysso) meaning
"to sparkle". This is the name of a character appearing in
Virgil's pastoral poems
Eclogues [1]. The amaryllis flower is named for her.
Amber
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Dutch
Pronounced: AM-bər(English) AHM-bər(Dutch)
From the English word
amber that denotes either the gemstone, which is formed from fossil resin, or the orange-yellow colour. The word ultimately derives from Arabic
عنبر (ʿanbar) meaning "ambergris". It began to be used as a given name in the late 19th century, but it only became popular after the release of Kathleen Winsor's novel
Forever Amber (1944).
Amethyst
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: AM-ə-thist
From the name of the purple semi-precious stone, which is derived from the Greek negative prefix
ἀ (a) and
μέθυστος (methystos) meaning "intoxicated, drunk", as it was believed to be a remedy against drunkenness. It is the traditional birthstone of February.
Amity
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: A-mi-tee
From the English word meaning "friendship", ultimately deriving from Latin amicitia.
Anemone
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: ə-NEHM-ə-nee
From the name of the anemone flower, which is derived from Greek
ἄνεμος (anemos) meaning "wind".
Angelis
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Romani
Pronounced: AN-jə-lees
Angustias
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: an-GOOS-tyas
Means
"anguishes", taken from a Spanish title of the Virgin
Mary,
Nuestra Señora de las Angustias, meaning "Our Lady of Anguishes". She is the patron
saint of Granada, Spain.
Aphrodite
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Ἀφροδίτη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: A-PRO-DEE-TEH(Classical Greek) af-rə-DIE-tee(English)
Meaning unknown, possibly of Phoenician origin. Aphrodite was the Greek goddess of love and beauty, identified with the Roman goddess
Venus. She was the wife of
Hephaestus and the mother of
Eros, and she was often associated with the myrtle tree and doves. The Greeks connected her name with
ἀφρός (aphros) meaning
"foam", resulting in the story that she was born from the foam of the sea. Many of her characteristics are based on the goddess known as
Ashtoreth to the Phoenicians and
Ishtar to the Mesopotamian Semitic peoples, and on the Sumerian goddess
Inanna.
Apollinaris
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Ἀπολλινάρις(Ancient Greek)
Ancient Greek name derived from the name of the god
Apollo. This was the name of several early
saints and martyrs, including a bishop of Ravenna and a bishop of Hierapolis.
Apollonia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ancient Greek [1], Italian
Other Scripts: Ἀπολλωνία(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: A-POL-LAW-NEE-A(Classical Greek)
Feminine form of
Apollonios. This was the name of a 3rd-century
saint and martyr from Alexandria.
Apple
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: AP-əl
From the English word for the fruit, derived from Middle English appel, Old English æppel. The American actress Gwenyth Paltrow and British musician Chris Martin gave this name to their daughter in 2004.
Apricity
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: ə-PRI-si-tee
A rare English name with Latin origins meaning “the warmth of the sun in winter”.
Apriday
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Pashto
Other Scripts: اپریدی(Pashto)
Means "blessed" in Pashto.
Arianwen
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Welsh
Pronounced: ar-YAN-wehn
Derived from Welsh
arian "silver" and
gwen "white, blessed". This was the name of a 5th-century Welsh
saint, one of the supposed daughters of
Brychan Brycheiniog.
Arista
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Astronomy
Pronounced: ə-RIS-tə(English)
Means "ear of grain" in Latin. This is the name of a star, also known as Spica, in the constellation Virgo.
Arizona
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (American)
Pronounced: ar-i-ZO-nə(American English)
From the name of the state in the Southwestern region of the United States. Its etymology is uncertain; it may be derived from O'odham alĭ ṣonak meaning "small spring", via the Spanish intermediary form Arizonac. Alternatively, it could derive from Basque haritz ona meaning "good oak", brought by Basque settlers.
Ash
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: ASH
Short form of
Ashley. It can also come directly from the English word denoting either the tree or the residue of fire.
Ashlyn
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: ASH-lin
Combination of
Ashley and the popular name suffix
lyn.
Aspen
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: AS-pən
From the English word for a variety of deciduous trees in the genus Populus, derived from Old English æspe. It is also the name of a ski resort in Colorado.
Astra
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: AS-trə
Means
"star", ultimately from Greek
ἀστήρ (aster). This name has only been (rarely) used since the 20th century.
Astrophel
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Literature
Probably intended to mean "star lover", from Greek
ἀστήρ (aster) meaning "star" and
φίλος (philos) meaning "lover, friend". This name was first used by the 16th-century poet Philip Sidney in his collection of sonnets
Astrophel and Stella.
Atlantis
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Ἀτλαντίς(Ancient Greek)
Derived from Greek
Ἄτλας (see
Atlas), a mythological king with the same name as the Titan. According to Greek
mythology, Atlantis was an island that sank in the
Atlantic Ocean.
Atom
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Popular Culture
In the case of film director Atom Egoyan (1960-), it is taken from atom bomb (from Greek atomos meaning "uncut, unhewn; indivisible", derived from Greek α, a negative prefix, combined with tomos "a cutting", from temnein "to cut"), given to him by his Armenian-Egyptian parents to mark the completion of Egypt's first nuclear reactor.
Aubrey
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: AWB-ree
From
Auberi, an Old French form of
Alberich brought to England by the
Normans. It was common in the Middle Ages, and was revived in the 19th century. Since the mid-1970s it has more frequently been given to girls, due to Bread's 1972 song
Aubrey along with its similarity to the established feminine name
Audrey.
Auburn
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: AW-bərn
August
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German, Polish, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Catalan, English
Pronounced: OW-guwst(German) OW-goost(Polish, Norwegian) OW-guyst(Swedish) AW-gəst(English)
German, Polish, Scandinavian and Catalan form of
Augustus. This was the name of three Polish kings.
As an English name it can also derive from the month of August, which was named for the Roman emperor Augustus.
Aura
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Italian, Spanish, Finnish
Pronounced: AWR-ə(English) OW-ra(Italian, Spanish) OW-rah(Finnish)
From the word
aura (derived from Latin, ultimately from Greek
αὔρα meaning "breeze") for a distinctive atmosphere or illumination.
Autumn
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: AW-təm
From the name of the season, ultimately from Latin autumnus. This name has been in general use since the 1960s.
Azalea
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: ə-ZAY-lee-ə
From the name of the flower (shrubs of the genus Rhododendron), ultimately derived from Greek
ἀζαλέος (azaleos) meaning "dry".
Azure
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: AZH-ər
From the English word that means "sky blue". It is ultimately (via Old French, Latin and Arabic) from Persian
لاجورد (lājvard) meaning "azure, lapis lazuli".
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.
Belladonna
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Various
Pronounced: behl-ə-DAHN-ə(English)
From the name of a toxic plant, also called deadly nightshade (species Atropa belladonna). The plant's name is of Italian origin, probably derived from Latin bladona "mullein plant" and altered through association with the Italian words bella "beautiful, fair" and donna "lady".
Benevolence
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (African)
Pronounced: bəˈnevələnce(African English)
From the English word, ultimately from Latin bene volent "well wishing".
Berry 2
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: BEHR-ee
From the English word referring to the small fruit. It is ultimately derived from Old English berie. This name has only been in use since the 20th century.
Beryl
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: BEHR-əl
From the English word for the clear or pale green precious stone, ultimately deriving from Sanskrit. As a given name, it first came into use in the 19th century.
Betty
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: BEHT-ee
Bianca
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Romanian
Pronounced: BYANG-ka
Italian
cognate of
Blanche. Shakespeare had characters named Bianca in
The Taming of the Shrew (1593) and
Othello (1603).
Bird
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: American (Archaic)
Transferred use of the surname
Bird.
Birdie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: BUR-dee
Diminutive of
Bertha,
Bernice and other names with a similar sound, or sometimes simply from the English word
bird.
Blackstone
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Transferred use of the surname.
Blair
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Scottish, English
Pronounced: BLEHR(English)
From a Scottish surname that was derived from Gaelic
blàr meaning
"plain, field, battlefield". In Scotland this name is typically masculine.
In the United States it became more common for girls in the early 1980s, shortly after the debut of the television sitcom The Facts of Life (1979-1988), which featured a character named Blair Warner. The name left the American top 1000 rankings two decades later, but was resurrected by another television character, this time Blair Waldorf from the series Gossip Girl (2007-2012).
Blanche
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French, English
Pronounced: BLAHNSH(French) BLANCH(English)
From a medieval French nickname meaning
"white, fair-coloured". This word and its cognates in other languages are ultimately derived from the Germanic word *
blankaz. An early bearer was the 12th-century Blanca of Navarre, the wife of Sancho III of Castile. Her granddaughter of the same name married Louis VIII of France, with the result that the name became more common in France.
Blessing
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (African)
Pronounced: BLEHS-ing
From the English word blessing, of Old English origin. This name is most common in Nigeria, Zimbabwe and other parts of Africa.
Bliss
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: BLIS
Transferred use of the surname
Bliss or simply from the English word "bliss".
Blossom
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: BLAH-səm
From the English word blossom, ultimately from Old English blóstm. It came into use as a rare given name in the 19th century.
Blue
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: BLOO
From the English word for the colour, derived via Norman French from a Frankish word (replacing the native Old English
cognate blaw). Despite the fact that this name was used by the American musicians Beyoncé and Jay-Z in 2012 for their first daughter, it has not come into general use in the United States.
Bluebell
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Popular Culture
Pronounced: BLOO-bel(English)
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.
Bluebird
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (American, Rare)
Very rare but has been used in the US since the 1700s, particularly in Mississippi and Oklahoma.
Bluetta
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: bloo-EHT-tah
Blythe
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: BLIEDH
From a surname meaning "cheerful" in Old English.
Bonita
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: bə-NEE-tə
Means "pretty" in Spanish, ultimately from Latin bonus "good". It has been used as a name in the English-speaking world since the beginning of the 20th century.
Breeze
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: BREEZ
From the English word "breeze" referring to "a light, gentle wind". From the Dutch bries 'breeze', from the Eastern Frisian brîse 'breeze', from brisen 'to blow fresh and strong'.
Bright
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English
Brighten
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (American)
Variant of
Brighton, or from the English word
brighten meaning "to become or make bright or brighter, to become more cheerful".
Brighton
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: BRIE-tun
Transferred use of the surname
Brighton.
Brion
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: BRIE-ən
Brittany
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: BRIT-ə-nee, BRIT-nee
From the name of the region of
Brittany in the northwest of France, called in French
Bretagne. It was named for the Britons who settled there after the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the invasions of the Anglo-Saxons.
As a given name, it first came into common use in America in the early 1970s, reaching the third ranked spot for girls by 1989. This was an extraordinary increase over only two decades, though it has since fallen almost as dramatically as it climbed.
Brook
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: BRUWK
From an English surname that denoted one who lived near a brook.
Brooke
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: BRUWK
Variant of
Brook. The name came into use in the 1950s, probably influenced by American socialite Brooke Astor (1902-2007). It was further popularized by actress Brooke Shields (1965-).
Bumblebee
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Popular Culture, English (Rare)
The name of several fictional characters, including a Marvel comics superhero, Transformers character, and The Simpsons character.
Bunny
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: BUN-ee
Buttercup
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Literature
Pronounced: BUT-ər-kup(English)
From the English word for the yellow flower (genus Ranunculus). Author William Goldman used it for Princess Buttercup in his book The Princess Bride (1973) and the subsequent film adaptation (1987).
Butterfly
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Used to invoke the brilliantly-colored winged insect, which is widely seen as a symbol of metamorphosis, renewal, and rebirth, as well as one of youth and beauty. This is the birth name of a noted Australian folk singer, Butterfly Boucher, among others.
Cadence
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: KAY-dəns
From an English word meaning "rhythm, flow". It has been in use only since the 20th century.
Caitlin
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish, English
Pronounced: KAYT-lin(English)
Calliope
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Καλλιόπη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: kə-LIE-ə-pee(English)
Callisto 2
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Καλλιστώ(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: kə-LIS-to(English)
Latinized form of
Kallisto. A moon of Jupiter bears this name.
Calypso
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Καλυψώ(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: kə-LIP-so(English)
From Greek
Καλυψώ (Kalypso), which probably meant
"she that conceals", derived from
καλύπτω (kalypto) meaning "to cover, to conceal". In Greek
myth this was the name of the nymph who fell in love with
Odysseus after he was shipwrecked on her island of Ogygia. When he refused to stay with her she detained him for seven years until
Zeus ordered her to release him.
Campbell
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: KAM-bəl
From a Scottish surname meaning "crooked mouth" from Gaelic cam "crooked" and beul "mouth".
Candace
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Biblical, Biblical Latin
Other Scripts: Κανδάκη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: KAN-dis(English) KAN-də-see(English)
From the hereditary title of the queens of Ethiopia, as mentioned in Acts in the
New Testament. It is apparently derived from Cushitic
kdke meaning
"queen mother". In some versions of the Bible it is spelled
Kandake, reflecting the Greek spelling
Κανδάκη. It was used as a given name by the
Puritans after the
Protestant Reformation. It was popularized in the 20th century by a character in the 1942 movie
Meet the Stewarts [1].
Candida
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Late Roman, English
Pronounced: KAN-di-də(English)
Late Latin name derived from
candidus meaning
"white". This was the name of several early
saints, including a woman supposedly healed by Saint
Peter. As an English name, it came into use after George Bernard Shaw's play
Candida (1898).
Carnation
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare), Romani (Archaic)
Pronounced: kah-NAY-shən(British English) kahr-NAY-shən(American English)
Derived from the flower of the same name; its etymology is uncertain. It has been suggested that it may ultimately come from English coronation (which in turn ultimately comes from Anglo-French coroner "to crown"). An other suggested possibility is Latin carn(e) or caro "flesh", because the original colour of the flower was said to be as red as flesh. Alternatively, it may be derived from Middle French carnation "person's color or complexion".
Carriona
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish (Archaic)
Pronounced: kah-RYOH-nah
Cascade
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: kas-KAYD
Derived from the English word for a waterfall, ultimately from Latin cadere "to fall".
Casey
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: KAY-see
From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of
Ó Cathasaigh, a patronymic derived from the given name
Cathassach. This name can be given in honour of Casey Jones (1863-1900), a train engineer who sacrificed his life to save his passengers. In his case,
Casey was a nickname acquired because he was raised in the town of Cayce, Kentucky.
Cassiopeia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Κασσιόπεια, Κασσιέπεια(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: kas-ee-ə-PEE-ə(English)
Latinized form of Greek
Κασσιόπεια (Kassiopeia) or
Κασσιέπεια (Kassiepeia), possibly meaning
"cassia juice". In Greek
myth Cassiopeia was the wife of
Cepheus and the mother of
Andromeda. She was changed into a constellation and placed in the northern sky after she died.
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].
Cedar
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: SEE-dər
From the English word for the coniferous tree, derived (via Old French and Latin) from Greek
κέδρος (kedros). Besides the true cedars from the genus Cedrus, it is also used to refer to some tree species in the cypress family.
Celandine
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: SEHL-ən-deen, SEHL-ən-dien
From the name of the flower, which is derived from Greek
χελιδών (chelidon) meaning "swallow (bird)".
Centurian
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Puritan)
From a frequent misspelling of the English noun centurion, which refers to a Roman army officer that commanded a century (i.e. a group of one hundred). This was recorded as a Puritan given name, presumably used in reference to the centurion who was present at the crucifixion according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke (who is widely considered to be the first Christian), or due to other occurrences of centurions in the New Testament.
Ceridwen
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Welsh
Pronounced: keh-RID-wehn
Possibly from
cyrrid "bent, crooked" (a derivative of Old Welsh
cwrr "corner") combined with
ben "woman" or
gwen "white, blessed". According to the medieval Welsh legend the
Tale of Taliesin (recorded by Elis Gruffyd in the 16th century) this was the name of a sorceress who created a potion that would grant wisdom to her son Morfan. The potion was instead consumed by her servant Gwion Bach, who was subsequently reborn as the renowned bard
Taliesin.
This name appears briefly in a poem in the Black Book of Carmarthen in the form Kyrridven [1] and in a poem in the Book of Taliesin in the form Kerrituen [2]. Some theories connect her to an otherwise unattested Celtic goddess of inspiration, and suppose her name is related to Welsh cerdd "poetry".
Cerulean
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (American, Modern, Rare)
Pronounced: sə-ROO-lee-un(American English)
From the colour cerulean meaning “sky blue”, derived from the Latin caeruleus, perhaps related to caelum which means “sky”. It is recently but rarely used as a name.
Chad
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: CHAD
From the Old English name
Ceadda, which is of unknown meaning, possibly based on Old Welsh
cat "battle". This was the name of a 7th-century English
saint. Borne primarily by Catholics, it was a rare name until the 1960s when it started to become more common amongst the general population. This is also the name of a country in Africa, though it originates from a different source.
Chadwick
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: CHAD-wik
From a surname that was derived from the name of towns in England, meaning
"settlement belonging to Chad" in Old English.
Charis
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Ancient Greek [1], Greek
Other Scripts: Χάρις(Ancient Greek) Χάρης, Χάρις(Greek)
Pronounced: KA-REES(Classical Greek) KHA-rees(Greek)
Ancient Greek feminine form of
Chares. This was the word (in the singular) for one of the three Graces (plural
Χάριτες).
This is also a Modern Greek transcription of the masculine form Chares.
Charon
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Χάρων(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: KEHR-ən(English)
Possibly means
"fierce brightness" in Greek. In Greek
mythology Charon was the operator of the ferry that brought the newly dead over the River Acheron into Hades.
Cherubin
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Puritan)
Possibly an anglicized form of Italian
Cherubino, or directly from Latin
cherubin meaning "cherubs, cherubim".
Chryssa
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek
Other Scripts: Χρύσα(Greek)
Cicada
Gender: Genderless
Usage: Various (Modern, Rare)
Pronounced: si-KAY-də(English) si-KAH-də(English)
From the English word for the insect, derived from Latin cicada meaning "tree-cricket". The insect lives underground, nourishing itself on tree roots, for as long as 17 years before emerging. The cicada has become a queer symbol, leading some transgender and non-binary people to adopt this as their new given name.
Cindra
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: SIN-drə
Clancy
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: KLAN-see
From an Irish surname (Anglicized from Mac Fhlannchaidh), derived from the given name Flannchadh meaning "red warrior".
Clarity
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: KLAR-i-tee
Simply means "clarity, lucidity" from the English word, ultimately from Latin clarus "clear".
Claudia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Italian, Spanish, Romanian, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Ancient Roman
Pronounced: KLAW-dee-ə(English) KLOW-dya(German, Italian, Romanian) KLOW-dee-a(Dutch, Latin) KLOW-dhya(Spanish)
Feminine form of
Claudius. It is mentioned briefly in the
New Testament. As a Christian name it was very rare until the 16th century.
Cleopatra
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Κλεοπάτρα(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: klee-o-PAT-rə(English)
From the Greek name
Κλεοπάτρα (Kleopatra) meaning
"glory of the father", derived from
κλέος (kleos) meaning "glory" combined with
πατήρ (pater) meaning "father" (genitive
πατρός). This was the name of queens of Egypt from the Ptolemaic royal family, including Cleopatra VII, the mistress of both Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. After being defeated by Augustus she committed suicide (according to popular belief, by allowing herself to be bitten by a venomous asp). Shakespeare's tragedy
Antony and Cleopatra (1606) tells the story of her life.
Cloud
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Popular Culture
Pronounced: KLOWD
Derived from the English word cloud. In Popular Culture, this is the name of the main protagonist (Cloud Strife) in "Final Fantasy VII", who also makes an appearance in "Dissidia: Final Fantasy".
Cloudsley
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Transferred use of the surname
Cloudsley.
A famous namesake is Sir Cloudsley Shovell, the 17th century admiral and English naval hero. His unusual Christian name is derived from his maternal grandmother, Lucy Cloudisley.
Clovis
Gender: Masculine
Usage: History, French
Pronounced: KLO-vis(English) KLAW-VEES(French)
Contemporary spelling, via the Latinized form
Clodovicus, of the Germanic name
Hludwig (see
Ludwig). Clovis was a Frankish king who united the Franks under his rule in the 5th century. The name was subsequently borne by two further Merovingian kings.
Coco
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Various
Pronounced: KO-ko(English)
Diminutive of names beginning with
Co, influenced by the word
cocoa. However, this was not the case for French fashion designer Coco Chanel (1883-1971; real name Gabrielle), whose nickname came from the name of a song she performed while working as a cabaret singer.
Comfort
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (African)
Pronounced: KUM-fərt
From the English word
comfort, ultimately from Latin
confortare "to strengthen greatly", a derivative of
fortis "strong". It was used as a given name after the
Protestant Reformation. It is now most common in parts of English-influenced Africa.
Concorde
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Roman Mythology (Gallicized), History (Ecclesiastical, Gallicized)
Pronounced: KAWN-KAWRD(French)
Confidence
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Puritan), South African
Meaning, "the feeling or belief that one can rely on someone or something; firm trust." From late Middle English, from Latin confidentia, from confidere ‘have full trust.' Referring to the confidence one may have in God.
Contessa
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern, Rare), Medieval Italian, Judeo-Anglo-Norman
From the aristocratic title, derived from Latin comitissa "countess". More commonly a word, it was occasionally used as a medieval given name.
Coral
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Spanish
Pronounced: KAWR-əl(English) ko-RAL(Spanish)
From the English and Spanish word
coral for the underwater skeletal deposits that can form reefs. It is ultimately derived (via Old French and Latin) from Greek
κοράλλιον (korallion).
Coriander
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: KAWR-ee-an-dər, kawr-ee-AN-dər
From the name of the spice, also called cilantro, which may ultimately be of Phoenician origin (via Latin and Greek).
Cosima
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: KAW-zee-ma
Italian feminine form of
Cosimo.
Cosmo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian, English
Pronounced: KAWZ-mo(Italian) KAHZ-mo(English)
Italian variant of
Cosimo. It was introduced to Britain in the 18th century by the second Scottish Duke of Gordon, who named his son and successor after his friend Cosimo III de' Medici. On the American sitcom
Seinfeld (1989-1998) this was the seldom-used first name of Jerry's neighbour Kramer.
Courage
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: KUR-ij, KOR-ij
Borrowing from Old French corage (French courage), from Vulgar Latin coraticum, from Latin cor (“heart”). Distantly related to cardiac (“of the heart”), which is from Greek, but from the same Proto-Indo-European root.
Coyote
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: American (Rare)
From the name of the small dog-like animal. Has been used rarely as a given name since the 1800s, though its use is steadily increasing since the 2000s.
Crescent
Gender: Masculine
Usage: History (Ecclesiastical), Biblical Romanian, Biblical French, French (Rare), English (Rare)
French and Romanian form and English variant of
Crescens. In the English-speaking world, it is now considered a nature name referring to the phase of the moon, derived from Old French
creissant, ultimately from Latin
crescere "come forth, spring up, grow, thrive".
As an English name, Crescent has been in use from the 17th century onwards, although increasingly rarely so; it was revived in the early 1970s. As a French name, it is now obsolescent while the Romanian name is not used outside of the biblical context.
Cressida
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Literature
Pronounced: KREHS-i-də(English)
Form of
Criseida used by Shakespeare in his play
Troilus and Cressida (1602).
Cupcake
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Obscure
Pronounced: KUP-kayk(English)
From the English word cupcake "a small cake baked in a paper container shaped like a cup, often with icing on top".
Cyan
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: SIE-an
From the English word meaning
"greenish blue, cyan", ultimately derived from Greek
κύανος (kyanos).
Cyprian
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Polish, History (Ecclesiastical)
Pronounced: TSI-pryan(Polish) SIP-ree-ən(English)
From the Roman family name
Cyprianus, which meant
"from Cyprus".
Saint Cyprian was a 3rd-century bishop of Carthage who was martyred under the Roman emperor Valerian.
Daffodil
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: DAF-ə-dil
From the name of the flower, ultimately derived from Dutch de affodil meaning "the asphodel".
Daisy
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: DAY-zee
Simply from the English word for the white flower, ultimately derived from Old English
dægeseage meaning "day eye". It was first used as a given name in the 19th century, at the same time many other plant and flower names were coined.
This name was fairly popular at the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th. The American author F. Scott Fitzgerald used it for the character of Daisy Buchanan in The Great Gatsby (1925). The Walt Disney cartoon character Daisy Duck was created in 1940 as the girlfriend of Donald Duck. It was at a low in popularity in the United States in the 1970s when it got a small boost from a character on the television series The Dukes of Hazzard in 1979.
Damaris
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Δάμαρις(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: DAM-ə-ris(English)
Probably means
"calf, heifer, girl" from Greek
δάμαλις (damalis). In the
New Testament this is the name of a woman converted to Christianity by
Saint Paul.
Dawn
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: DAWN
From the English word dawn, ultimately derived from Old English dagung.
Delta
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: DEHL-tə
From the name of the fourth letter in the Greek alphabet,
Δ. It is also the name for an island formed at the mouth of a river.
Desdemona
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Literature
Pronounced: dehz-də-MO-nə(English)
Derived from Greek
δυσδαίμων (dysdaimon) meaning
"ill-fated". This is the name of the wife of
Othello in Shakespeare's play
Othello (1603).
Diamond
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare), African American (Modern)
Pronounced: DIE-mənd(English)
From the English word diamond for the clear colourless precious stone, the traditional birthstone of April. It is derived from Late Latin diamas, from Latin adamas, which is of Greek origin meaning "unconquerable, unbreakable".
Diego
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Spanish, Italian
Pronounced: DYEH-gho(Spanish) DYEH-go(Italian)
Spanish name, possibly a shortened form of
Santiago. In medieval records
Diego was Latinized as
Didacus, and it has been suggested that it in fact derives from Greek
διδαχή (didache) meaning
"teaching".
Saint Didacus (or Diego) was a 15th-century Franciscan brother based in Alcalá, Spain.
Other famous bearers of this name include Spanish painter Diego Velázquez (1599-1660), Mexican muralist Diego Rivera (1886-1957) and Argentine soccer player Diego Maradona (1960-2020).
Dolores
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish, English
Pronounced: do-LO-rehs(Spanish) də-LAWR-is(English)
Means
"sorrows", taken from the Spanish title of the Virgin
Mary Nuestra Señora de los Dolores, meaning "Our Lady of Sorrows". It has been used in the English-speaking world since the 19th century, becoming especially popular in America during the 1920s and 30s.
Dove
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: DUV
From the English word for the variety of bird, seen as a symbol of peace.
Dragon
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Ancient Greek δράκων, Latin draco "dragon; snake".
Dream
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: DREEM
From the English word dream referring to imaginary events seen in the mind while sleeping or a hope or wish.
Duchess
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (American, Rare)
Old French from medieval Latin
ducissa, from Latin
dux,
duc- (see
Duke).
Dulcibella
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Archaic)
From Latin
dulcis "sweet" and
bella "beautiful". The usual medieval spelling of this name was
Dowsabel, and the Latinized form
Dulcibella was revived in the 18th century.
Eglantine
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: EHG-lən-tien, EHG-lən-teen
From the English word for the flower also known as sweetbrier. It is derived via Old French from Vulgar Latin *aquilentum meaning "prickly". It was early used as a given name (in the form Eglentyne) in Geoffrey Chaucer's 14th-century story The Prioress's Tale (one of The Canterbury Tales).
Electra
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Ἠλέκτρα(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: i-LEHK-trə(English)
Latinized form of Greek
Ἠλέκτρα (Elektra), derived from
ἤλεκτρον (elektron) meaning
"amber". In Greek
myth she was the daughter of
Agamemnon and
Clytemnestra and the sister of
Orestes. She helped her brother kill their mother and her lover Aegisthus in vengeance for Agamemnon's murder. Also in Greek mythology, this name was borne by one of the Pleiades, who were the daughters of
Atlas and
Pleione.
Elgani
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Romani (Archaic)
Ellen 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, German, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, Estonian
Pronounced: EHL-ən(English) EHL-lehn(Finnish)
Medieval English form of
Helen. This was the usual spelling of the name until the 19th century, when the form
Helen also became common.
Ellie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: EHL-ee
Diminutive of
Eleanor,
Ellen 1 and other names beginning with
El. This name became popular in the United Kingdom in the 1990s, being ranked second for girls in 2003.
Elliona
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Filipino, Indonesian, Papuan
Elmo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian, English, Finnish, Estonian
Pronounced: EHL-mo(Italian, English)
Originally a short form of names ending with the Old German element
helm meaning
"helmet, protection", such as
Guglielmo or
Anselmo. It is also a derivative of
Erasmus, via the old Italian short form
Ermo.
Saint Elmo, also known as Saint Erasmus, was a 4th-century martyr who is the patron of sailors. Saint Elmo's fire is said to be a sign of his protection.
In the English-speaking world this name is now associated with a red muppet character from the children's television program Sesame Street.
Elmore
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Transferred use of the surname
Elmore.
Elmyra
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare), Popular Culture
Variant of
Elmira 1. Elmyra Duff is a character from the cartoon
Tiny Toon Adventures.
Ember
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: EHM-bər
From the English word ember, ultimately from Old English æmerge.
Emerald
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: EHM-ə-rəld
From the word for the green precious stone, which is the traditional birthstone of May. The emerald supposedly imparts love to the bearer. The word is ultimately from Greek
σμάραγδος (smaragdos).
Envy
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (American, Modern, Rare), Literature
Pronounced: EHN-vee(American English)
From the English word envy, itself ultimately from Latin invidia, of the same meaning.
Epiphany
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: i-PIF-ə-nee
From the name of the Christian festival (January 6) that commemorates the visit of the Magi to the infant
Jesus. It is also an English word meaning "sudden appearance" or "sudden perception", ultimately deriving from Greek
ἐπιφάνεια (epiphaneia) meaning "manifestation".
Eric
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Swedish, German, Spanish
Pronounced: EHR-ik(English) EH-rik(Swedish, German) EH-reek(Spanish)
Means
"ever ruler", from the Old Norse name
Eiríkr, derived from the elements
ei "ever, always" and
ríkr "ruler, king". A notable bearer was Eiríkr inn Rauda (Eric the Red in English), a 10th-century navigator and explorer who discovered Greenland. This was also the name of several early kings of Sweden, Denmark and Norway.
This common Norse name was first brought to England by Danish settlers during the Anglo-Saxon period. It was not popular in England in the Middle Ages, but it was revived in the 19th century, in part due to the children's novel Eric, or Little by Little (1858) by Frederic William Farrar.
Esmeralda
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish, Portuguese, English, Albanian, Literature
Pronounced: ehz-meh-RAL-da(Spanish) izh-mi-RAL-du(European Portuguese) ehz-meh-ROW-du(Brazilian Portuguese) ehz-mə-RAHL-də(English)
Means "emerald" in Spanish and Portuguese. Victor Hugo used this name in his novel The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (1831), in which Esmeralda is the Romani girl who is loved by Quasimodo. It has occasionally been used in the English-speaking world since that time.
Essence
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: EHS-əns
From the English word essence, which means either "odour, scent" or else "fundamental quality". Ultimately it derives from Latin esse "to be".
Eurydice
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Εὐρυδίκη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: ew-RUY-dee-keh(Latin) yuw-RID-i-see(English)
From the Greek
Εὐρυδίκη (Eurydike) meaning
"wide justice", derived from
εὐρύς (eurys) meaning "wide" and
δίκη (dike) meaning "justice, custom, order". In Greek
myth she was the wife of Orpheus. Her husband tried to rescue her from Hades, but he failed when he disobeyed the condition that he not look back upon her on their way out.
Evanessa
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Portuguese (Brazilian, Rare), Spanish (Latin American)
Evelyn
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English, German
Pronounced: EHV-ə-lin(English) EEV-lin(British English) EEV-ə-lin(British English) EH-və-leen(German)
From an English surname that was derived from the given name
Aveline. In the 17th century when it was first used as a given name it was more common for boys, but it is now regarded as almost entirely feminine, probably in part because of its similarity to
Eve and
Evelina.
This name was popular throughout the English-speaking world in the early 20th century. It staged a comeback in the early 21st century, returning to the American top ten in 2017.
Evening
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (Rare), Romani (Archaic)
From the English word, evening, the last part of the day.
Evergreen
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (American), Romani (Archaic)
From the name of the group of plants that do not shed leaves annually. As a Romani name, this was generally masculine.
Everly
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: EHV-ər-lee
From an English surname that was from a place name, itself derived from Old English
eofor "boar" and
leah "woodland, clearing". Notable bearers of the surname were the musical duo the Everly Brothers, Don (1937-2021) and Phil (1939-2014).
This name began rising on the American popularity charts in 2008, slowly until 2012 and then rapidly after that. This might have been triggered by the folk band Everly (not associated with the Everly Brothers), which had music featured on the television series One Tree Hill in that period. It also might have simply been inspired by similar-sounding names like Everett, Evelyn and Beverly.
Faith
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: FAYTH
Simply from the English word
faith, ultimately from Latin
fidere "to trust". This was one of the virtue names adopted by the
Puritans in the 17th century.
Faith-my-joy
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Puritan)
Referring to the joy of faith in God. Also, derived from the Purefoy motto, 'Pure Foi ma Joi' meaning "pure faith is my joy."
Falcon
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
From the bird "Falcon" Falco
Falconer
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Transferred use of the surname
Falconer.
Fancy
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: FAN-see
From the English word
fancy, which means either
"like, love, inclination" or
"ornamental". It is derived from Middle English
fantasie, which comes (via Norman French and Latin) from Greek
φαίνω (phaino) meaning "to show, to appear".
Fauna
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Roman Mythology
Pronounced: FOW-na(Latin) FAW-nə(English)
Feminine form of
Faunus. Fauna was a Roman goddess of fertility, women and healing, a daughter and companion of Faunus.
Fawn
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: FAWN
From the English word fawn for a young deer.
Feather
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (American, Rare)
Pronounced: FEDH-ər(American English)
From the English word feather.
February
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (American, Rare)
The 2nd month of the year.
The name February comes from the Latin term "februum", meaning "purification". A purification ritual called Februa was held on February 15 in the Roman calendar.
Felicity
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: fə-LIS-i-tee
From the English word
felicity meaning
"happiness", which ultimately derives from Latin
felicitas "good luck". This was one of the virtue names adopted by the
Puritans around the 17th century. It can sometimes be used as an English form of the Latin name
Felicitas. This name jumped in popularity in the United States after the premiere of the television series
Felicity in 1998. It is more common in the United Kingdom.
Fern
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: FURN
From the English word for the plant, ultimately from Old English fearn. It has been used as a given name since the late 19th century.
Firouzeh
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Persian
Other Scripts: فیروزه(Persian)
Pronounced: fee-roo-ZEH
Means
"turquoise (gemstone)" in Persian. Alternatively, it may be a feminine form of
Firouz.
Flanagan
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: FLAN-ə-gən
From an Irish surname, the Anglicized form of
Ó Flannagáin, itself from the given name
Flannagán, which was derived from Irish
flann "blood red" and a
diminutive suffix.
Flannery
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: FLAN-ə-ree
From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Flannghaile, derived from the given name Flannghal meaning "red valour". A famous bearer was American author Flannery O'Connor (1925-1964).
Fleur
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French, Dutch, English (British)
Pronounced: FLUUR(French, Dutch) FLU(British English) FLUR(American English)
Means
"flower" in French.
Saint Fleur of Issendolus (
Flor in Gascon) was a 14th-century nun from Maurs, France. This was also the name of a character in John Galsworthy's novels
The Forsyte Saga (1922).
Flora
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Dutch, French, Greek, Albanian, Roman Mythology
Other Scripts: Φλώρα(Greek)
Pronounced: FLAWR-ə(English) FLAW-ra(Italian) FLO-ra(Spanish, German, Dutch, Latin) FLAW-ru(Portuguese) FLAW-RA(French)
Derived from Latin
flos meaning
"flower" (genitive case
floris). Flora was the Roman goddess of flowers and spring, the wife of Zephyr the west wind. It has been used as a given name since the Renaissance, starting in France. In Scotland it was sometimes used as an Anglicized form of
Fionnghuala.
Forest
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: FAWR-ist
Variant of
Forrest, or else directly from the English word
forest.
Forrest
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: FAWR-ist
From an English surname meaning "forest", originally belonging to a person who lived near a forest. In America it has sometimes been used in honour of the Confederate Civil War general Nathan Bedford Forrest (1821-1877). This name was borne by the title character in the movie Forrest Gump (1994) about a loveable simpleton. Use of the name increased when the movie was released, but has since faded away.
Fortune
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: French, English (Rare)
Pronounced: FAWR-TUYN(French) FAWR-chən(English)
Simply from the word fortune, ultimately from Latin fortuna, a derivative of fors "luck".
Fox
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: FAHKS
Either from the English word fox or the surname Fox, which originally given as a nickname. The surname was borne by George Fox (1624-1691), the founder of the Quakers.
Francis
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English, French
Pronounced: FRAN-sis(English) FRAHN-SEES(French)
English form of the Late Latin name
Franciscus meaning
"Frenchman", ultimately from the Germanic tribe of the Franks, who were named for a type of spear that they used (Proto-Germanic *
frankô). This name was borne by the 13th-century
Saint Francis of Assisi, who was originally named Giovanni but was given the nickname Francesco by his father, an admirer of the French. Francis went on to renounce his father's wealth and devote his life to the poor, founding the Franciscan order of friars. Later in his life he apparently received the stigmata.
Due to the renown of the saint, this name became widespread in Western Europe during the Middle Ages. However, it was not regularly used in Britain until the 16th century. Famous bearers include Saint Francis Xavier (1506-1552), a missionary to East Asia, the philosopher and scientist Francis Bacon (1561-1626), the explorer and admiral Francis Drake (1540-1595), and Pope Francis (1936-).
In the English-speaking world this name is occasionally used for girls, as a variant of the homophone Frances.
Françoise
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: FRAHN-SWAZ
Freedom
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Puritan), English (African)
Pronounced: FREE-dəm(English)
From Old English frēodōm, used in reference to the Biblical verse 2 Corinthians 3:17, "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." The name found a resurgence in usage during the American centennial of 1876 and bicentennial of 1976. At present this name is most commonly used in English-speaking Africa.
Friday
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (African)
Pronounced: FRIE-day
From the English word for the day of the week, which was derived from Old English
frigedæg meaning "
Frig's day". Daniel Defoe used it for a character in his novel
Robinson Crusoe (1719). As a given name, it is most often found in parts of Africa, such as Nigeria and Zambia.
Frog
Usage: English
Pronounced: FRAHG
From the English word frog which is a type of amphibian.
Frost
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English
Transferred use of the surname
Frost or from the English word.
Gardenia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: gahr-DEEN-ee-ə
From the name of the tropical flower, which was named for the Scottish naturalist Alexander Garden (1730-1791).
Garnet 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: GAHR-nət
From the English word garnet for the precious stone, the birthstone of January. The word is derived from Middle English gernet meaning "dark red".
Genesis
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: JEHN-ə-sis
Means
"birth, origin" in Greek. This is the name of the first book of the
Old Testament in the Bible. It tells of the creation of the world, the expulsion of
Adam and
Eve,
Noah and the great flood, and the three patriarchs.
Gentian
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Albanian
From the name of the flowering plant called the gentian, the roots of which are used to create a tonic. It is derived from the name of the Illyrian king
Gentius, who supposedly discovered its medicinal properties.
Ginger
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: JIN-jər
From the English word
ginger for the spice or the reddish-brown colour. It can also be a
diminutive of
Virginia, as in the case of actress and dancer Ginger Rogers (1911-1995), by whom the name was popularized.
Goddess
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern, Rare)
Pronounced: GOD-diss
From the English word goddess meaning "female god".
Godwine
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Anglo-Saxon [1]
Means
"friend of god", derived from Old English
god combined with
wine "friend". This was the name of the powerful 11th-century Earl of Wessex, the father of King Harold II of England.
Grey
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: GRAY
Griffin
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: GRIF-in
Latinized form of
Gruffudd. This name can also be inspired by the English word
griffin, a creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle, ultimately from Greek
γρύψ (gryps).
Griselda
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Spanish, Literature
Pronounced: gri-ZEHL-də(English) gree-SEHL-da(Spanish)
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).
Gwen
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Welsh, English
Pronounced: GWEHN
From Welsh
gwen, the feminine form of
gwyn meaning "white, blessed". It can also be a short form of
Gwendolen,
Gwenllian and other names beginning with
Gwen.
Gwendolyn
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: GWEHN-də-lin
Variant of
Gwendolen. This is the usual spelling in the United States.
Hadley
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: HAD-lee
From an English surname that was derived from a place name meaning "heather field" in Old English.
Halo
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: HAY-lo
From the English word
halo meaning
"luminous disc or ring", derived from Greek
ἅλως (halos). Haloes often appear in religious art above the heads of holy people.
Hannah
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Hebrew, German, Dutch, Arabic, Biblical
Other Scripts: חַנָּה(Hebrew) حنّة(Arabic)
Pronounced: HAN-ə(English) HA-na(German) HAH-na(Dutch) HAN-na(Arabic)
From the Hebrew name
חַנָּה (Ḥanna) meaning
"favour, grace", derived from the root
חָנַן (ḥanan) meaning "to be gracious". In the
Old Testament this is the name of the wife of
Elkanah. Her rival was Elkanah's other wife
Peninnah, who had children while Hannah remained barren. After a blessing from
Eli she finally became pregnant with
Samuel.
As an English name, Hannah was not regularly used until after the Protestant Reformation, unlike the vernacular forms Anne and Ann and the Latin form Anna, which were used from the late Middle Ages. In the last half of the 20th century Hannah surged in popularity and neared the top of the name rankings for both the United States and the United Kingdom.
Harlow
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: HAHR-lo
From an English surname derived from a place name, itself derived from Old English
hær "rock, heap of stones" or
here "army", combined with
hlaw "hill". As a name for girls, it received some attention in 2008 when the American celebrity Nicole Richie used it for her daughter.
Hawk
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Popular Culture
From the English word for 'hawk', a predatory bird.
Hayato
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 隼人, etc.(Japanese Kanji) はやと(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: HA-YA-TO
From Japanese
隼 (haya) meaning "falcon" (using a
nanori reading) and
人 (to) meaning "person". Other kanji combinations can also make up this name.
Hayden
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: HAY-dən
From an English surname that was derived from place names meaning either
"hay valley" or
"hay hill", derived from Old English
heg "hay" and
denu "valley" or
dun "hill". Its popularity at the end of the 20th century was due to the sound it shared with other trendy names of the time, such as
Braden and
Aidan.
Heavenly-mind
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Puritan), Literature
Refers to keeping one's mind toward heavenly things rather than worldly things. This is the name of a character in John Bunyan's novel The Holy War (1682).
Hero 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Ἡρώ(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: HIR-o(English)
Derived from Greek
ἥρως (heros) meaning
"hero". In Greek legend she was the lover of
Leander, who would swim across the Hellespont each night to meet her. He was killed on one such occasion when he got caught in a storm while in the water, and when Hero saw his dead body she drowned herself. This is also the name of a character in Shakespeare's play
Much Ado About Nothing (1599).
Hero 2
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Ἥρων(Ancient Greek)
Hester
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Dutch, Biblical Latin
Pronounced: HEHS-tər(English, Dutch)
Latin form of
Esther. Like
Esther, it has been used in England since the
Protestant Reformation. Nathaniel Hawthorne used it for the heroine of his novel
The Scarlet Letter (1850), Hester Prynne, a
Puritan woman forced to wear a red letter
A on her chest after giving birth to a child out of wedlock.
Hilaria
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ancient Roman, Spanish
Pronounced: ee-LA-rya(Spanish)
Hilary
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: HIL-ə-ree
Medieval English form of
Hilarius or
Hilaria. During the Middle Ages it was primarily a masculine name. It was revived in Britain at the beginning of the 20th century as a predominantly feminine name. In America, this name and the variant
Hillary seemed to drop in popularity after Hillary Clinton (1947-) became the first lady in 1993. Famous bearers include American actresses Hilary Swank (1974-) and Hilary Duff (1987-).
Holiday
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (Modern, Rare)
Pronounced: HAHL-i-day
Transferred use of the surname
Holiday.
Holland
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English, Romani (Archaic)
Pronounced: HAH-lənd(English)
From the name of geographic places called
Holland 1, or transferred usage of the surname
Holland 1.
Honeysuckle
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: HUN-ee-sə-kəl
Named after the plant and flower, the honeysuckle, as borne by British actress Honeysuckle Weeks.
Hunter
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: HUN-tər
From an English occupational surname for a hunter, derived from Old English hunta. A famous bearer was the eccentric American journalist Hunter S. Thompson (1937-2005).
Hyacinth 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Greek Mythology (Anglicized)
Other Scripts: Ὑάκινθος(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: HIE-ə-sinth(English)
Hydra
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Astronomy, Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Ὕδρα(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: HIE-drə(English)
Means
"water serpent" in Greek, related to
ὕδωρ (hydor) meaning "water". In Greek
myth this was the name of a many-headed Lernaean serpent slain by
Herakles. It is also the name of a northern constellation, as well as a moon of Pluto.
Indigo
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: IN-di-go
From the English word
indigo for the purplish-blue dye or the colour. It is ultimately derived from Greek
Ἰνδικόν (Indikon) meaning "Indic, from India".
Iolanthe
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Various (Rare)
Pronounced: ie-o-LAN-thee(English)
Probably a variant of
Yolanda influenced by the Greek words
ἰόλη (iole) meaning "violet" and
ἄνθος (anthos) meaning "flower". This name was (first?) used by Gilbert and Sullivan in their comic opera
Iolanthe (1882).
Ion 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Basque, Romanian
Pronounced: YON(Basque) ee-ON(Romanian)
Basque and Romanian form of
Iohannes (see
John).
Iona 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Scottish
Pronounced: ie-O-nə(English)
From the name of the island off Scotland where
Saint Columba founded a monastery. The name of the island is Old Norse in origin, and apparently derives simply from
ey meaning "island".
Ione
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology, English
Other Scripts: Ἰόνη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: ie-O-nee(English)
From Ancient Greek
ἴον (ion) meaning
"violet flower". This was the name of a sea nymph in Greek
mythology. It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the 19th century, though perhaps based on the Greek place name
Ionia, a region on the west coast of Asia Minor.
Iridessa
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Popular Culture
Pronounced: eer-ə-DES-ə
This was the name of a character in the Disney
Tinker Bell film series. Perhaps based on the English word
iridescent, which is derived from the Latin elements
iris meaning "rainbow" (see
Iris) and the suffix
-escent "resembling".
Iridián
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish (Mexican, Modern)
Pronounced: ee-ree-DHYAN
Means
"related to Iris or rainbows", ultimately from Greek
ἶρις (genitive
ἴριδος). It briefly entered the American top 1000 list in 1995, likely due to a Mexican singer named Iridián.
Iris
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology, English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, French, Spanish, Catalan, Italian, Slovene, Croatian, Greek
Other Scripts: Ἶρις(Ancient Greek) Ίρις(Greek)
Pronounced: IE-ris(English) EE-ris(German, Dutch) EE-rees(Finnish, Spanish, Catalan, Italian) EE-REES(French)
Means "rainbow" in Greek. Iris was the name of the Greek goddess of the rainbow, also serving as a messenger to the gods. This name can also be given in reference to the word (which derives from the same Greek source) for the iris flower or the coloured part of the eye.
Isis
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Egyptian Mythology (Hellenized)
Other Scripts: Ἶσις(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: IE-sis(English)
Greek form of Egyptian
ꜣst (reconstructed as
Iset,
Aset or
Ueset), possibly from
st meaning
"throne". In Egyptian
mythology Isis was the goddess of the sky and nature, the wife of
Osiris and the mother of
Horus. She was originally depicted wearing a throne-shaped headdress, but in later times she was conflated with the goddess
Hathor and depicted having the horns of a cow on her head. She was also worshipped by people outside of Egypt, such as the Greeks and Romans.
Ivory
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: African American
Pronounced: IE-və-ree(English) IEV-ree(English)
From the English word for the hard, creamy-white substance that comes from elephant tusks and was formerly used to produce piano keys.
Ivy
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: IE-vee
From the English word for the climbing plant that has small yellow flowers. It is ultimately derived from Old English ifig.
Ixchel
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Mayan Mythology, Mayan
Pronounced: eesh-CHEHL(Mayan)
Possibly means "rainbow lady", from Classic Maya ix "lady" and chel "rainbow". Ixchel was a Maya goddess associated with the earth, jaguars, medicine and childbirth. She was often depicted with a snake in her hair and crossbones embroidered on her skirt.
Jade
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English, French
Pronounced: JAYD(English) ZHAD(French)
From the name of the precious stone that is often used in carvings. It is derived from Spanish (piedra de la) ijada meaning "(stone of the) flank", relating to the belief that jade could cure renal colic. As a given name, it came into general use during the 1970s. It was initially unisex, though it is now mostly feminine.
January
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: JAN-yoo-ehr-ee
From the name of the month, which was named for the Roman god
Janus. This name briefly charted on the American top 1000 list for girls after it was borne by the protagonist of Jacqueline Susann's novel
Once Is Not Enough (1973).
Jasmine
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, French
Pronounced: JAZ-min(English) ZHAS-MEEN(French)
From the English word for the climbing plant with fragrant flowers that is used for making perfumes. It is derived via Arabic from Persian
یاسمین (yāsamīn), which is also a Persian name. In the United States this name steadily grew in popularity from the 1970s, especially among African Americans
[1]. It reached a peak in the early 1990s shortly after the release of the animated Disney movie
Aladdin (1992), which featured a princess by this name.
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.
Jennifer
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Spanish
Pronounced: JEHN-i-fər(English) JEH-ni-fu(German) GYEH-nee-fehr(Spanish)
From a Cornish form of the Welsh name
Gwenhwyfar (see
Guinevere). This name has only been common outside of Cornwall since the beginning of the 20th century, after it was featured in George Bernard Shaw's play
The Doctor's Dilemma (1906). It barely ranked in the United until the late 1930s, when it began steadily growing in popularity, accelerating into the early 1970s. It was the most popular name for girls in America between 1970 and 1984, though it was not as common in the United Kingdom.
Famous bearers include the American actresses Jennifer Aniston (1969-), Jennifer Garner (1972-) and Jennifer Lawrence (1990-), as well as the singer/actress Jennifer Lopez (1969-).
Jesse
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Dutch, Finnish, Biblical
Other Scripts: יִשַׁי(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced: JEHS-ee(English) YEH-sə(Dutch) YEHS-seh(Finnish)
From
Ἰεσσαί (Iessai), the Greek form of the Hebrew name
יִשַׁי (Yishai). This could be a derivative of the word
שַׁי (shai) meaning
"gift" or
יֵשׁ (yesh) meaning
"existence". In the
Old Testament Jesse is the father of King
David. It began to be used as an English given name after the
Protestant Reformation.
A famous bearer was Jesse James (1847-1882), an American outlaw who held up banks and stagecoaches. He was eventually shot by a fellow gang member for a reward. Another famous bearer was the American athlete Jesse Owens (1913-1980), whose real name was James Cleveland (or J. C.) Owens.
Jessica
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, French, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Italian, Spanish
Pronounced: JEHS-i-kə(English) ZHEH-SEE-KA(French) YEH-see-ka(German, Dutch) JEH-see-ka(German) YEHS-si-ka(Swedish, Norwegian, Danish) GYEH-see-ka(Spanish)
This name was first used in this form by William Shakespeare in his play
The Merchant of Venice (1596), where it belongs to the daughter of
Shylock. Shakespeare probably based it on the biblical name
Iscah, which would have been spelled
Jescha in his time. It was not commonly used as a given name until the middle of the 20th century. It reached its peak of popularity in the United States in 1987, and was the top ranked name for girls between 1985 and 1995, excepting 1991 and 1992 (when it was unseated by
Ashley). Notable bearers include actresses Jessica Tandy (1909-1994) and Jessica Lange (1949-).
Jewel
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: JOO-əl, JOOL
In part from the English word
jewel, a precious stone, derived from Old French
jouel, which was possibly related to
jeu "game". It is also in part from the surname
Jewel or
Jewell (a derivative of the Breton name
Judicaël), which was sometimes used in honour of the 16th-century bishop of Salisbury John Jewel. It has been in use as a given name since the 19th century.
Jonathan
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Biblical
Other Scripts: יוֹנָתָן(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced: JAHN-ə-thən(American English) JAWN-ə-thən(British English) ZHAW-NA-TAHN(French) YO-na-tan(German) YO-na-tahn(Dutch)
From the Hebrew name
יְהוֹנָתָן (Yehonaṯan), contracted to
יוֹנָתָן (Yonaṯan), meaning
"Yahweh has given", derived from the roots
יְהוֹ (yeho) referring to the Hebrew God and
נָתַן (naṯan) meaning "to give". According to the
Old Testament, Jonathan was the eldest son of
Saul. His relationship with his father was strained due to his close friendship with his father's rival
David. Along with Saul he was killed in battle with the Philistines.
As an English name, Jonathan did not become common until after the Protestant Reformation. A famous bearer was the Anglo-Irish satirist Jonathan Swift (1667-1745), who wrote Gulliver's Travels and other works.
Jonquil
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: JAHNG-kwəl
From the English word for the type of flower, derived ultimately from Latin iuncus "reed".
Journey
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: JUR-nee
From the English word, derived via Old French from Latin diurnus "of the day".
Jubilee
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern), Popular Culture
Pronounced: joo-bə-LEE(English) JOO-bə-lee(English)
From the English word
jubilee meaning "season of rejoicing", which is derived from Hebrew יוֹבֵל
(yovel) "ram, ram's horn; a jubilee year: a year of rest, prescribed by the Jewish Bible to occur each fiftieth year, after seven cycles of seven years; a period of celebration or rejoicing" (via Late Latin
iubilaeus and Greek ἰώβηλος
(iobelos)). In Latin, the form of the word was altered by association with the unrelated Latin verb
iubilare "to shout with joy".
It may also refer to African-American folk songs known as Jubilees.
In popular culture, Jubilee is the 'mutant' name (a contraction of Jubilation Lee) of one of the protagonists of Marvel's X-Men line of comics.
Julia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Spanish, Polish, Finnish, Estonian, Russian, Ukrainian, Ancient Roman, Biblical
Other Scripts: Юлия(Russian) Юлія(Ukrainian)
Pronounced: JOO-lee-ə(English) YOO-lya(German, Danish, Polish) YOO-lee-ah(Swedish, Finnish) YUY-lee-a(Dutch) KHOO-lya(Spanish) YOO-lyi-yə(Russian) YOO-lee-a(Latin)
Feminine form of the Roman family name
Julius. Among the notable women from this family were Julia Augusta (also known as Livia Drusilla), the wife of Emperor
Augustus, and Julia the Elder, the daughter of Augustus and the wife of
Tiberius. A person by this name has a brief mention in the
New Testament. It was also borne by a few early
saints and martyrs, including the patron saint of Corsica. Additionally, Shakespeare used it in his comedy
The Two Gentlemen of Verona (1594).
It has been common as a given name in the English-speaking world only since the 18th century. A famous modern bearer is American actress Julia Roberts (1967-).
Julie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French, Danish, Norwegian, Czech, English, German, Dutch
Pronounced: ZHUY-LEE(French) YOO-lyə(Danish, German) YOO-li-yeh(Czech) JOO-lee(English)
French, Danish, Norwegian and Czech form of
Julia. It has spread to many other regions as well. It has been common in the English-speaking world since the early 20th century.
July
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: juw-LIE
From the name of the month, which was originally named for Julius Caesar.
Juniper
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: JOON-i-pər
From the English word for the type of tree, derived ultimately from Latin iuniperus.
Jupiter
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Roman Mythology (Anglicized)
Pronounced: JOO-pi-tər(English)
From Latin
Iuppiter, which was ultimately derived from the vocative form of Indo-European *
Dyēws-pətēr, composed of the elements
Dyēws (see
Zeus) and
pətēr "father". Jupiter was the supreme god in Roman
mythology. He presided over the heavens and light, and was responsible for the protection and laws of the Roman state. This is also the name of the fifth and largest planet in the solar system.
Kayley
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: KAY-lee
Kestrel
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: KEHS-trəl
From the name of the bird of prey, ultimately derived from Old French crecelle "rattle", which refers to the sound of its cry.
Keyonna
Gender: Feminine
Usage: African American
Pronounced: kee-AHN-ə
Kimber
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: KIM-bər
Kimberley
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: KIM-bər-lee
Kitten
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish (Rare), English (Rare)
Pronounced: KIT-TEN(Irish)
Derived from the name Katherine, or Katrina, meaning a small Cat, like the small meaning of it's longer names
Kitty
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: KIT-ee
Knowledge
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (Puritan), Literature, English (African)
From Middle English (originally as a verb in the sense ‘acknowledge, recognize’, later as a noun) from an Old English compound based on
cnāwan meaning "know."
Knowledge Musona is a Zimbabwean football player.
Knut
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Swedish, Norwegian, German
Pronounced: KNOOT(Swedish, German)
Derived from Old Norse
knútr meaning
"knot". Knut was a Danish prince who defeated
Æðelræd II, king of England, in the early 11th century and became the ruler of Denmark, Norway and England.
Kwame
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Akan
Means "born on Saturday" in Akan.
Lacey
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: LAY-see
Variant of
Lacy. This is currently the most popular spelling of this name.
Ladybug
Gender: Feminine
Usage: American (Archaic)
Derived from the species of beetle of the same name.
Lark
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: LAHRK
From the English word for the type of songbird.
Laureen
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: LAWR-een, lə-REEN
Laurel
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: LAWR-əl
From the name of the laurel tree, ultimately from Latin laurus.
Lauressa
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: lə-REHS-ə
Leilani
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Hawaiian
Pronounced: lay-LA-nee
Means "heavenly flowers" or "royal child" from Hawaiian lei "flowers, lei, child" and lani "heaven, sky, royal, majesty".
Lemon
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: American (Rare, Archaic), Popular Culture
Pronounced: LEM-un(American)
Transferred use of the surname
Lemon.
Lemony
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Popular Culture
Pronounced: LEM-ə-nee
Used by American author Daniel Handler (1970-) as a pen name. He claimed that, not wanting to give his real name, he spontaneously blurted out "Lemony Snicket" over the phone one day. It may be a play on the name
Lemoine or the word
lemon.
Leonie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: German, Dutch
Pronounced: LEH-o-nee(German) leh-o-NEE(Dutch)
German and Dutch feminine form of
Leonius.
Leviathan
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical
Other Scripts: לִוְיָתָן(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced: lə-VIE-ə-thən(English)
From Hebrew
לִוְיָתָן (Liwyaṯan), derived from
לִוְיָה (liwya) meaning
"garland, wreath" [1]. This is the name of an enormous sea monster mentioned in the
Old Testament.
Lightness
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (African)
Pronounced: LIET-nəs(African English)
From the English word lightness meaning "the amount of lights". This name is mainly found in Tanzania.
Lightning
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Popular Culture
Pronounced: LIET-ning
From lightning (n.) visible discharge of energy between cloud and cloud or cloud and ground, late Old English, "lightning, flash of lightning," verbal noun from lightnen "make bright," or else an extended form of Old English lihting, from leht.
Lilac
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: LIE-lək
From the English word for the shrub with purple or white flowers (genus Syringa). It is derived via Arabic from Persian.
Lilymay
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Lionesse
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arthurian Cycle
Lotus
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: LO-təs
From the name of the lotus flower (species Nelumbo nucifera) or the mythological lotus tree. They are ultimately derived from Greek
λωτός (lotos). In Greek and Roman
mythology the lotus tree was said to produce a fruit causing sleepiness and forgetfulness.
Love 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Swedish
Pronounced: LOO-veh
Love 2
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: LUV
Simply from the English word love, derived from Old English lufu.
Loveday
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (African), English (British, Rare), Cornish (Rare), Medieval English, Literature
Pronounced: LUV-day(English)
Medieval form of the Old English name
Leofdæg, literally "beloved day". According to medieval English custom, a love day or
dies amoris was a day for disputants to come together to try to resolve their differences amicably. Mainly a feminine name, with some male usage. Known textual examples date from the 11th century. It seems to have been most common in Cornwall and Devon, according to the British births, deaths and marriages index. Currently very rare.
The novel Coming Home (1995) by Rosamunde Pilcher, set in 1930s Cornwall, has a character called Loveday. Loveday Minette is a fictional character in the children's fantasy novel The Little White Horse (1946) by Elizabeth Goudge (in the novel's film adaptation, she is known as Loveday de Noir). Also, a character in Poldark.
Lovedelia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: South African (Rare)
Lovejoy
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (Puritan)
A combination of
Love 2 and
Joy, which possibly originated as a given name with the Puritans.
This name also exists as a surname (see Lovejoy), in which case it is said to be derived from a Middle English nickname for a joyous person.
Lovelyn
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern, Rare), German (Modern, Rare)
Pronounced: LUV-lin(English)
Combination of
Love and the popular name suffix
lyn.
It became more popular in Germany in 2013 when Lovelyn Chinwe Enebechi won the eight season of Germany's Next Top Model.
Luna
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Roman Mythology, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, English
Pronounced: LOO-na(Latin, Spanish, Italian) LOO-nə(English)
Means "the moon" in Latin (as well as Italian, Spanish and other Romance languages). Luna was the Roman goddess of the moon, frequently depicted driving a white chariot through the sky.
Lupita
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: loo-PEE-ta
Lyric
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: LIR-ik
Means simply
"lyric, songlike" from the English word, ultimately derived from Greek
λυρικός (lyrikos).
Magdalene
Gender: Feminine
Usage: German, English, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Μαγδαληνή(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: mak-da-LEH-nə(German) MAG-də-lin(English)
From a title meaning
"of Magdala".
Mary Magdalene, a character in the
New Testament, was named thus because she was from Magdala — a village on the Sea of Galilee whose name meant "tower" in Hebrew. She was cleaned of evil spirits by
Jesus and then remained with him during his ministry, witnessing the crucifixion and the resurrection. She was a popular
saint in the Middle Ages, and the name became common then. In England it is traditionally rendered
Madeline, while
Magdalene or
Magdalen is the learned form.
Magenta
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Theatre
Pronounced: mə-JEN-tə
Named for the mauvish-crimson colour. The dye to make the colour was discovered and named shortly after the Battle of Magenta in 1859 (the town is situated in northern Italy). The colour may have been inspired by the colour of the uniforms worn by the French troops, or by the colour of the land soaked in blood after the battle.
Magenta was a character in “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” musical play and movie. She was a domestic maid played by Patricia Quinn.
Magnolia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: mag-NO-lee-ə
From the English word magnolia for the flower, which was named for the French botanist Pierre Magnol.
Magnus
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Late Roman
Pronounced: MANG-nuys(Swedish) MAHNG-noos(Norwegian) MOW-noos(Danish) MAG-nəs(English)
Late Latin name meaning
"great". It was borne by a 7th-century
saint who was a missionary in Germany. It became popular in Scandinavia after the time of the 11th-century Norwegian king Magnus I, who was said to have been named after
Charlemagne, or Carolus Magnus in Latin (however there was also a Norse name
Magni). The name was borne by six subsequent kings of Norway as well as three kings of Sweden. It was imported to Scotland and Ireland during the Middle Ages.
Maple
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: MAY-pəl
From the English word for the tree (comprising the genus Acer), derived from Old English mapul. This is the name of a girl in Robert Frost's poem Maple (1923) who wonders about the origin of her unusual name.
Marigold
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: MAR-i-gold, MEHR-i-gold
From the name of the flower, which comes from a combination of
Mary and the English word
gold.
Marina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, English, Greek, Finnish, Estonian, Russian, Romanian, Czech, Bulgarian, Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Macedonian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Georgian, Ancient Roman
Other Scripts: Μαρίνα(Greek) Марина(Russian, Bulgarian, Serbian, Macedonian) მარინა(Georgian)
Pronounced: ma-REE-na(Italian, Spanish, German, Dutch, Macedonian) mə-REE-nə(Catalan) mə-REEN-ə(English) mu-RYEE-nə(Russian) MA-ri-na(Czech)
Feminine form of
Marinus. This name was borne by a few early
saints. This is also the name by which Saint
Margaret of Antioch is known in the Eastern Orthodox Church.
Mark
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Russian, Belarusian, Dutch, Danish, Armenian, Biblical
Other Scripts: Марк(Russian, Belarusian) Մարկ(Armenian)
Pronounced: MAHRK(English, Dutch, Eastern Armenian) MARK(Russian) MAHRG(Western Armenian)
Form of Latin
Marcus used in several languages.
Saint Mark was the author of the second gospel in the
New Testament. Though the author's identity is not certain, some traditions hold him to be the same person as the John Mark who appears in the Book of Acts. He is the patron saint of Venice, where he is supposedly buried. Though in use during the Middle Ages,
Mark was not common in the English-speaking world until the 19th century, when it began to be used alongside the classical form
Marcus.
In the medieval legend of Tristan and Iseult this was the name of a king of Cornwall. It was also borne by the American author Mark Twain (1835-1910), real name Samuel Clemens, the author of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. He took his pen name from a call used by riverboat workers on the Mississippi River to indicate a depth of two fathoms. This is also the usual English spelling of the name of the 1st-century BC Roman triumvir Marcus Antonius (Mark Antony).
Mars
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Roman Mythology
Pronounced: MARS(Latin) MAHRZ(English)
Possibly related to Latin
mas meaning
"male" (genitive
maris). In Roman
mythology Mars was the god of war, often equated with the Greek god
Ares. This is also the name of the fourth planet in the solar system.
Marvel
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: MAHR-vəl
From the English word meaning "a miracle, a wonder", derived from Old French merveille, from Latin mirabilis meaning "wonderful".
Maryjoy
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Filipino
Matilda
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Swedish, Finnish, Slovak, Slovene
Pronounced: mə-TIL-də(English) MAH-teel-dah(Finnish) MA-teel-da(Slovak)
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.
Melisandre
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Literature, Popular Culture
Pronounced: mel-i-SAHN-drə(Literature)
The name of a witch, known as the Red Priestess, in George R. R. Martin's book series "A Song of Ice and Fire." He likely based her name off the French name
Mélisande.
Melissa
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Dutch, Ancient Greek [1], Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Μέλισσα(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: mə-LIS-ə(English) MEH-LEES-SA(Classical Greek)
Means
"bee" in Greek. In Greek
mythology this was the name of a daughter of Procles, as well as an epithet of various Greek nymphs and priestesses. According to the early Christian writer Lactantius
[2] this was the name of the sister of the nymph
Amalthea, with whom she cared for the young
Zeus. Later it appears in Ludovico Ariosto's 1532 poem
Orlando Furioso [3] belonging to the fairy who helps
Ruggiero escape from the witch
Alcina. As an English given name,
Melissa has been used since the 18th century.
Mercury
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Roman Mythology (Anglicized)
Pronounced: MURK-yə-ree(English)
From the Latin
Mercurius, probably derived from Latin
mercari "to trade" or
merces "wages". This was the name of the Roman god of trade, merchants, and travellers, later equated with the Greek god
Hermes. This is also the name of the first planet in the solar system and a metallic chemical element, both named for the god.
Mercy
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: MUR-see
From the English word
mercy, ultimately from Latin
merces "wages, reward", a derivative of
merx "goods, wares". This was one of the virtue names adopted by the
Puritans in the 17th century.
Merit 1
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: MEHR-it
Either a variant of
Merritt or else simply from the English word
merit, ultimately from Latin
meritus "deserving".
Merry 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: MEHR-ee
From the English word
merry, ultimately from Old English
myrige. This name appears in Charles Dickens' novel
Martin Chuzzlewit (1844), where it is a
diminutive of
Mercy.
Midnight
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Obscure (Modern)
From Middle English midnight (also as middelniȝte), from Old English midniht, middeniht, middeneaht, (also as midderneaht and middelniht), from Proto-Germanic *midjanahts, equivalent to mid- + night.
Mimosa
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Finnish, French, Spanish, Danish, Filipino, Italian
Pronounced: MI-maw-sah(Finnish) Mim-osa(French) mee-MO-sah(Spanish)
From Mimosa, a genus of plants that are sensitive to touch. The best known plant from that genus is the Mimosa pudica, better known in English as the touch-me-not. The plant genus derives its name from Spanish mimosa, which is the feminine form of the Spanish adjective mimoso meaning "cuddly".
Mina 3
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Persian
Other Scripts: مینا(Persian)
Pronounced: mee-NAW
Means "azure, enamel" in Persian.
Minty
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: MIN-tee
Miranda
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Dutch
Pronounced: mi-RAN-də(English) mee-RAHN-da(Dutch)
Derived from Latin
mirandus meaning
"admirable, worthy of being admired". The name was created by Shakespeare for the heroine in his play
The Tempest (1611), in which Miranda and her father
Prospero are stranded on an island. It did not become a common English given name until the 20th century. This is also the name of one of the moons of Uranus, named after the Shakespearean character.
Miyako
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 美夜子, etc.(Japanese Kanji) みやこ(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: MEE-YA-KO
From Japanese
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful",
夜 (ya) meaning "night" and
子 (ko) meaning "child". This name can be formed from other combinations of kanji as well.
Moana
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Maori, Hawaiian, Tahitian, Samoan, Tongan
Pronounced: mo-A-na(Hawaiian)
Means "ocean, wide expanse of water, deep sea" in Maori, Hawaiian and other Polynesian languages.
Monday
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (African)
Pronounced: MUN-day
From the English word for the day of the week, which was derived from Old English mona "moon" and dæg "day". This can be given to children born on Monday, especially in Nigeria.
Monica
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Italian, Romanian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Late Roman
Pronounced: MAHN-i-kə(English) MAW-nee-ka(Italian) mo-NEE-ka(Romanian) MO-nee-ka(Dutch)
Meaning unknown, most likely of Berber or Phoenician origin. In the 4th century this name was borne by a North African
saint, the mother of Saint
Augustine of Hippo, whom she converted to Christianity. Since the Middle Ages it has been associated with Latin
moneo "advisor" and Greek
μονός (monos) "one, single".
As an English name, Monica has been in general use since the 18th century. In America it reached the height of its popularity in the 1970s, declining since then. A famous bearer was the Yugoslavian tennis player Monica Seles (1973-).
Moon 1
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Korean
Other Scripts: 문(Korean Hangul) 文, etc.(Korean Hanja)
Pronounced: MOON
Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul
문 (see
Mun).
Morning
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: MOR-ning
From the English word "morning", ultimately from proto-Germanic murginaz "to flicker, twinkle, darken".
Moss
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Archaic), Jewish
Pronounced: MAWS(English)
Mulberry
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Literature
'Nicholas Nickleby'
Myfanwy
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Welsh
Pronounced: mə-VA-nuwy
From the Welsh prefix my- meaning "my, belonging to me" (an older form of fy) combined with either manwy meaning "fine, delicate" or banwy meaning "woman" (a variant of banw). This was the name of an 1875 Welsh song composed by Joseph Parry.
Myrna
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish (Rare), English
Pronounced: MUR-nə(English)
Anglicized form of
Muirne. The popularity of this name spiked in the United States in the 1930s due to the fame of the actress Myrna Loy (1905-1993).
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.
Natividad
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: na-tee-bee-DHADH
Means
"nativity" in Spanish, commemorating the birth of either
Jesus or the Virgin
Mary.
Nativity
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Various (Rare), Filipino (Rare)
Pronounced: nə-TIV-i-tee(English) nay-TIV-i-tee(English)
From the English word
nativity meaning "birth of Jesus Christ, Christmas", which ultimately derives from Late Latin
nativitas "birth". It may be used as an English form of
Natividad.
Neptune
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Roman Mythology (Anglicized)
Pronounced: NEHP-toon(English) NEHP-tyoon(English)
From the Latin
Neptunus, which is of unknown meaning, possibly related to the Indo-European root *
nebh- "wet, damp, clouds". Neptune was the god of the sea in Roman
mythology, approximately equivalent to the Greek god
Poseidon. This is also the name of the eighth planet in the solar system.
Niamh
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish, Irish Mythology
Pronounced: NYEEW(Irish) NYEEV(Irish)
Means
"bright" in Irish. She was the daughter of the sea god
Manannán mac Lir in Irish legends. She fell in love with the poet
Oisín, the son of
Fionn mac Cumhaill. It has been used as a given name for people only since the early 20th century.
Nilam
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Hindi, Marathi
Other Scripts: नीलम(Hindi, Marathi)
From Sanskrit
नील (nīla) meaning
"dark blue".
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).
Noble
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: NO-bəl
From an English surname meaning "noble, high-born". The name can also be given in direct reference to the English word noble.
Noel
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: NOL, NO-əl
English form of
Noël or
Noëlle (rarely). It was fairly popular in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand in the middle of the 20th century. It is occasionally written with a diaeresis, like in French. A famous bearer is British musician Noel Gallagher (1967-).
Noelle
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: no-EHL
Noor 1
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Urdu
Other Scripts: نور(Arabic, Urdu)
Pronounced: NOOR(Arabic)
Alternate transcription of Arabic/Urdu
نور (see
Nur).
Nova
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Swedish (Modern), Dutch (Modern)
Pronounced: NO-və(English) NO-va(Swedish, Dutch)
Derived from Latin novus meaning "new". It was first used as a name in the 19th century.
November
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: no-VEHM-bər, nə-VEHM-bə, no-VEHM-bə
From the Latin word
novem, meaning "nine". November was the ninth month of the Roman calendar before January and February were added around 713 BC. It is now the eleventh month of the year.
This is the name of one of the main adult female characters in Catherynne M. Valente's adult fantasy novel "Palimpsest" (2009). In the novel November remembers having read a book called "The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making" when she was a child, and the heroine of that book was called September. Valente later wrote that book as a crowd-funded work. It became the first volume in her bestselling "Fairyland" series.
Nyx
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Νύξ(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: NUYKS(Classical Greek) NIKS(English)
Means "night" in Greek. This was the name of the Greek goddess of the night, the daughter of Khaos and the wife of Erebos.
Ocean
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: O-shən
Simply from the English word
ocean for a large body of water. It is ultimately derived from Greek
Ὠκεανός (Okeanos), the name of the body of water thought to surround the Earth.
Octavia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Spanish, Romanian, Ancient Roman
Pronounced: ahk-TAY-vee-ə(English) ok-TA-bya(Spanish) ok-TA-wee-a(Latin)
Feminine form of
Octavius. Octavia was the wife of Mark Antony and the sister of the Roman emperor Augustus. In 19th-century England it was sometimes given to the eighth-born child.
Octavian
Gender: Masculine
Usage: History, Romanian
Pronounced: ahk-TAY-vee-ən(English)
From the Roman name
Octavianus, which was derived from the name
Octavius. After Gaius Octavius (later the Roman emperor
Augustus) was adopted by Julius Caesar he took the name Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus.
October
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: ahk-TO-bər
From the name of the tenth month. It is derived from Latin octo meaning "eight", because it was originally the eighth month of the Roman year.
Odessa
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Various
From the name of a Ukrainian city that sits on the north coast of the Black Sea, which was named after the ancient Greek city of
Ὀδησσός (Odessos), of uncertain meaning. This name can also be used as a feminine form of
Odysseus.
Odette
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: AW-DEHT
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.
Olive
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, French
Pronounced: AHL-iv(English) AW-LEEV(French)
From the English and French word for the type of tree, ultimately derived from Latin oliva.
Olivette
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Literature
Pronounced: ahl-i-VEHT(English)
Feminine form of
Oliver. This was the name of the title character in the French opera
Les noces d'Olivette (1879) by Edmond Audran.
Onyx
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: AHN-iks
From the English word for the gemstone (a variety of chalcedony), which can be black, red or other colours. It is derived from Greek
ὄνυξ (onyx) meaning "claw, nail".
Opal
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: O-pəl
From the English word
opal for the iridescent gemstone, the birthstone of October. The word ultimately derives from Sanskrit
उपल (upala) meaning "jewel".
Orange
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: AWR-inj
First found as a feminine given name in medieval times, in the forms
Orenge and
Orengia. The etymology is uncertain, and may be after the place in France named
Orange. This is a corruption of
Arausio, the name of a Celtic water god which possibly meant "temple (of the forehead)". Later it was conflated with the name of the fruit, which comes from the Sanskrit for "orange tree",
naranga. The word was used to describe the fruit's colour in the 16th century.
Orange is also a surname, which may be derived from the medieval feminine name, or directly from the French place name. First used with the modern spelling in the 17th century, apparently due to William, Prince of Orange, who later became William III. His title is from the French place name.
Orchid
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: AW-kid(British English) AWR-kid(American English)
From the eponymous flowering plant. The plant's name derives from Latin orchis, borrowed from Ancient Greek ὄρχις (orkhis), meaning "testicle" (the name was given to the plant because of the testicle-shaped subterranean parts of some European orchids).
Otieno
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Luo
Means "born at night" in Luo.
Padmavati
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hinduism
Other Scripts: पद्मावती(Sanskrit)
Means
"resembling lotuses", derived from the Sanskrit word
पद्म (padma) meaning "lotus" combined with
वती (vatī) meaning "resemblance". This is the name of a Hindu goddess, the wife of Venkateswara. She is considered an aspect of
Lakshmi. This was also the name of a semi-legendary 14th-century queen of Mewar.
Pandora
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Πανδώρα(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: PAN-DAW-RA(Classical Greek) pan-DAWR-ə(English)
Means
"all gifts", derived from a combination of Greek
πᾶν (pan) meaning "all" and
δῶρον (doron) meaning "gift". In Greek
mythology Pandora was the first mortal woman.
Zeus gave her a jar containing all of the troubles and ills that mankind now knows, and told her not to open it. Unfortunately her curiosity got the best of her and she opened it, unleashing the evil spirits into the world.
Peace
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (African)
Pronounced: PEES
From the English word peace, ultimately derived from Latin pax. This name is most common in Nigeria and other parts of Africa.
Peaceable
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Puritan)
From Anglo-Norman pesible, peisible, Middle French paisible, from pais (“peace”) + -ible; Meaning, "free from argument or conflict; peaceful."
Pearl
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: PURL
From the English word pearl for the concretions formed in the shells of some mollusks, ultimately from Late Latin perla. Like other gemstone names, it has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the 19th century. The pearl is the traditional birthstone for June, and it supposedly imparts health and wealth.
Pegasus
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Πήγασος(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: PEHG-ə-səs(English)
From the Greek
Πήγασος (Pegasos), possibly either from
πηγός (pegos) meaning
"strong" or
πηγαῖος (pegaios) meaning
"from a water spring". In Greek
mythology Pegasus was the winged horse that sprang from the blood of Medusa after she was killed by
Perseus. There is a constellation in the northern sky named after the horse.
Penelope
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology, English
Other Scripts: Πηνελόπη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: PEH-NEH-LO-PEH(Classical Greek) pə-NEHL-ə-pee(English)
Probably derived from Greek
πηνέλοψ (penelops), a type of duck. Alternatively it could be from
πήνη (pene) meaning "threads, weft" and
ὄψ (ops) meaning "face, eye". In
Homer's epic the
Odyssey this is the name of the wife of
Odysseus, forced to fend off suitors while her husband is away fighting at Troy.
It has occasionally been used as an English given name since the 16th century. It was moderately popular in the 1940s, but had a more notable upswing in the early 2000s. This may have been inspired by the Spanish actress Penélope Cruz (1974-), who gained prominence in English-language movies at that time. It was already rapidly rising when celebrities Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick gave it to their baby daughter in 2012.
Penny
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: PEHN-ee
Diminutive of
Penelope. It can also be given in reference to the copper coin (a British pound or an American dollar are worth 100 of them), derived from Old English
penning.
Periwinkle
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
From the English word for the color "periwinkle", from Middle English parwynke, referring to a "light blue and purple shade". It's also the name of a flower.
Perseverance
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Puritan)
From the English word meaning "steadfastness in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success", referring to persevering through the trials and tribulations that may come as a believer of Christ.
Petal
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: PEHT-əl
From the English word for the flower part, derived from Greek
πέταλον (petalon) meaning "leaf".
Petra
Gender: Feminine
Usage: German, Dutch, Spanish, Czech, Slovak, Slovene, Croatian, Bulgarian, Hungarian, Swedish, Finnish, English
Other Scripts: Петра(Bulgarian) Πέτρα(Greek)
Pronounced: PEH-tra(German, Dutch, Spanish, Czech, Slovak) PEH-traw(Hungarian) PEHT-rah(Finnish) PEHT-rə(English)
Feminine form of
Peter. This was also the name of an ancient city in the region that is now Jordan.
Phoebe
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Greek Mythology (Latinized), Biblical, Biblical Latin
Other Scripts: Φοίβη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: FEE-bee(English)
Latinized form of the Greek name
Φοίβη (Phoibe), which meant
"bright, pure" from Greek
φοῖβος (phoibos). In Greek
mythology Phoibe was a Titan associated with the moon. This was also an epithet of her granddaughter, the moon goddess
Artemis. The name appears in
Paul's epistle to the Romans in the
New Testament, where it belongs to a female minister in the church at Cenchreae.
In England, it began to be used as a given name after the Protestant Reformation. It was moderately common in the 19th century. It began to rise in popularity again in the late 1980s, probably helped along by characters on the American television shows Friends (1994-2004) and Charmed (1998-2006). It is currently much more common in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand than the United States.
A moon of Saturn bears this name, in honour of the Titan.
Phoenix
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: FEE-niks
From the name of a beautiful immortal bird that appears in Egyptian and Greek
mythology. After living for several centuries in the Arabian Desert, it would be consumed by fire and rise from its own ashes, with this cycle repeating every 500 years. The name of the bird was derived from Greek
φοῖνιξ (phoinix) meaning "dark red".
Pink
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: PEENGK, PINGK
A nickname from the color pink, or a diminutive of names such as
Patrick or
Patricia.
Pinkamena
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Popular Culture
The full name of the 'My little pony' character
Pinkie Pie.
Pleasance
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Archaic)
Pronounced: PLEHZ-əns
From the medieval name Plaisance, which meant "pleasant" in Old French.
Plum
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: PLUM
From Middle English ploume, from Old English plume "plum, plum tree," from an early Germanic borrowing (Middle Dutch prume, Dutch pruim, Old High German pfluma, pfruma, German Pflaume) from Vulgar Latin *pruna, from Latin prunum "plum," from Greek prounon, a later form of proumnon, a word of unknown origin, which is probably, like the tree itself, of Anatolian origin.
Polaris
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Astronomy, Popular Culture, English (Modern, Rare)
Pronounced: pə-LEHR-is(English)
Derived from Latin stella polaris, meaning "pole star". This is the proper Latin name of the brightest star in the constellation Ursa Minor, commonly called the North Star or Pole Star. It is borne by a character (real name Lorna Dane) in Marvel's X-Men line of comics, created in 1968.
Polly
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: PAHL-ee
Medieval variant of
Molly. The reason for the change in the initial consonant is unknown.
Prosper
Gender: Masculine
Usage: French, English
Pronounced: PRAWS-PEHR(French) PRAHS-pər(English)
From the Latin name
Prosperus, which meant
"fortunate, successful". This was the name of a 5th-century
saint, a supporter of Saint
Augustine. It has never been common as an English name, though the
Puritans used it, partly because it is identical to the English word
prosper.
Prunella
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: proo-NEHL-ə
From the English word for the type of flower, also called self-heal, ultimately a derivative of the Latin word pruna "plum".
Psyche
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Ψυχή(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: PSUY-KEH(Classical Greek) SIE-kee(English)
Means
"the soul", derived from Greek
ψύχω (psycho) meaning "to breathe". The Greeks thought that the breath was the soul. In Greek
mythology Psyche was a beautiful maiden who was beloved by Eros (or Cupid in Roman mythology). She is the subject of Keats's poem
Ode to Psyche (1819).
Quetzalli
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Nahuatl
Means
"feather (from the quetzal bird)" or
"precious thing" in Nahuatl
[1].
Quinn
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: KWIN
From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Irish Gaelic
Ó Cuinn, itself derived from the given name
Conn. In the United States it was more common as a name for boys until 2010, the year after the female character Quinn Fabray began appearing on the television series
Glee.
Quintessa
Gender: Feminine
Usage: African American (Rare)
Pronounced: kwin-TES-ə
Variant of
Quintella inspired by the word
quintessence, meaning "the fifth element", "aether". According to Medieval science, the quintessence was the material that filled the region of the universe beyond the terrestrial sphere. Later the word came to mean "a thing that is the most perfect example of its type".
Quintessence
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: kwin-TES-əns
This name comes from the word that can mean "a thing that is the most perfect example of its type" or, in its literal sense, "fifth essence." The word is derived from Middle French quinte essence, which is, ultimately originated from Medieval Latin quinta essentia, a combination of Latin quinta, the feminine equivalent of quintus meaning "five," and essentia meaning "essence."
Rajiv
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Hindi, Marathi, Malayalam, Tamil, Nepali
Other Scripts: राजीव(Hindi, Marathi, Nepali) രാജീവ്(Malayalam) ராஜிவ்(Tamil)
From Sanskrit
राजीव (rājīva) meaning
"striped". This is used to refer to the blue lotus in Hindu texts.
Raven
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: RAY-vən
From the name of the bird, ultimately from Old English
hræfn. The raven is revered by several Native American groups of the west coast. It is also associated with the Norse god
Odin.
Rebecca
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Italian, Swedish, German, Dutch, Biblical, Biblical Latin
Other Scripts: רִבְקָה(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced: rə-BEHK-ə(English) reh-BEHK-ka(Italian) rə-BEH-ka(Dutch)
From the Hebrew name
רִבְקָה (Rivqa), probably from a Semitic root meaning
"join, tie, snare". This is the name of the wife of
Isaac and the mother of
Esau and
Jacob in the
Old Testament. It came into use as an English Christian name after the
Protestant Reformation, and it was popular with the
Puritans in the 17th century. It has been consistently used since then, becoming especially common in the second half of the 20th century.
This name is borne by a Jewish woman in Walter Scott's novel Ivanhoe (1819), as well as the title character (who is deceased and unseen) in Daphne du Maurier's novel Rebecca (1938).
Red
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: REHD
From the English word for the colour, ultimately derived from Old English read. It was originally a nickname given to a person with red hair or a ruddy complexion.
Rediviva
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Puritan)
Derived from Latin
rediviva meaning "restored to life; renewed, renovated". Compare
Renovata and
Renata.
Regina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Lithuanian, Estonian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Late Roman
Pronounced: ri-JEE-nə(English) ri-JIE-nə(English) reh-GEE-na(German, Polish) reh-JEE-na(Italian) reh-KHEE-na(Spanish) ryeh-gyi-NU(Lithuanian) REH-gi-na(Czech) REH-gee-naw(Hungarian)
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.
River
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: RIV-ər
From the English word that denotes a flowing body of water. The word is ultimately derived (via Old French) from Latin ripa "riverbank".
Robin
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English, French, Dutch, Swedish, Czech
Pronounced: RAHB-in(American English) RAWB-in(British English) RAW-BEHN(French) RAW-bin(Dutch) RO-bin(Czech)
Medieval English
diminutive of
Robert, now usually regarded as an independent name. Robin Hood was a legendary hero and archer of medieval England who stole from the rich to give to the poor. In modern times it has also been used as a feminine name, and it may sometimes be given in reference to the red-breasted bird.
Rosario
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Spanish, Italian
Pronounced: ro-SA-ryo(Spanish) ro-ZA-ryo(Italian)
Means
"rosary", and is taken from the Spanish title of the Virgin
Mary Nuestra Señora del Rosario meaning "Our Lady of the Rosary". This name is feminine in Spanish and masculine in Italian.
Rose
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, French
Pronounced: ROZ
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.
Roslyn
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: RAHZ-lin
Roxanne
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, French
Pronounced: rahk-SAN(English) RAWK-SAN(French)
Roxy
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: RAHK-see
Rufus
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Roman, English, Biblical
Pronounced: ROO-foos(Latin) ROO-fəs(English)
Roman
cognomen meaning
"red-haired" in Latin. Several early
saints had this name, including one mentioned in one of
Paul's epistles in the
New Testament. As a nickname it was used by William II Rufus, a king of England, because of his red hair. It came into general use in the English-speaking world after the
Protestant Reformation.
Sabrina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Italian, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese
Pronounced: sə-BREEN-ə(English) sa-BREE-na(Italian, Spanish) za-BREE-na(German) SA-BREE-NA(French) su-BREE-nu(European Portuguese) sa-BREE-nu(Brazilian Portuguese)
Latinized form of
Habren, the original Welsh name of the River Severn. According to Geoffrey of Monmouth, Sabrina was the name of a princess who was drowned in the Severn. Supposedly the river was named for her, but it is more likely that her name was actually derived from that of the river, which is of unknown meaning. She appears as a water nymph in John Milton's masque
Comus (1634).
The name was brought to public attention by Samuel A. Taylor's play Sabrina Fair (1953) and the movie adaptation Sabrina that followed it the next year. This is also the name of a comic book character, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, first introduced 1962 and with television adaptations in 1970-1974 and 1996-2003, both causing minor jumps in popularity. Another jump occurred in 1976, when it was used for a main character on the television series Charlie's Angels.
Saffira
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Biblical Latin
Saffron
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: SAF-rən
From the English word that refers either to a spice, the crocus flower from which it is harvested, or the yellow-orange colour of the spice. It is derived via Old French from Arabic
زعفران (zaʿfarān), itself probably from Persian meaning "gold leaves".
Sage
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: SAYJ
From the English word sage, which denotes either a type of spice or else a wise person.
Sapphira
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Biblical
Other Scripts: Σαπφείρη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: sə-FIE-rə(English)
From the Greek name
Σαπφείρη (Sappheire), which was from Greek
σάπφειρος (sappheiros) meaning
"sapphire" or
"lapis lazuli" (ultimately derived from the Hebrew word
סַפִּיר (sappir)). Sapphira is a character in Acts in the
New Testament who is killed by God for lying.
Sapphire
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: SAF-ie-ər
From the name of the gemstone, typically blue, which is the traditional birthstone of September. It is derived from Greek
σάπφειρος (sappheiros), ultimately from the Hebrew word
סַפִּיר (sappir).
Saturday
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (African), Afro-American (Slavery-era)
Pronounced: SAT-ər-day(English) SA-tə-day(English)
From the English word for the day of the week, which derives from Old English
sæterdæġ, meaning "
Saturn's day".
Saturn
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Roman Mythology (Anglicized)
Pronounced: SAT-ərn(English)
From the Latin
Saturnus, which is of unknown meaning. In Roman
mythology he was the father of
Jupiter,
Juno and others, and was also the god of agriculture. This is also the name of the ringed sixth planet in the solar system.
Saturnina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ancient Roman, Spanish
Pronounced: sa-toor-NEE-na(Spanish)
Feminine form of
Saturninus. This was the name of a legendary
saint who was supposedly martyred in northern France.
Savannah
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: sə-VAN-ə
From the English word for the large grassy plain, ultimately deriving from the Taino (Native American) word zabana. It came into use as a given name in America in the 19th century. It was revived in the 1980s by the movie Savannah Smiles (1982).
Seaborn
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Puritan)
Transferred use of the surname
Seaborn, though in the case of many Puritans, it was given to children born at sea.
September
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: sehp-TEHM-bər
From the name of the ninth month (though it means "seventh month" in Latin, since it was originally the seventh month of the Roman year), which is sometimes used as a given name for someone born in September.
Seraphina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare), German (Rare), Late Roman
Pronounced: sehr-ə-FEEN-ə(English) zeh-ra-FEE-na(German)
Feminine form of the Late Latin name
Seraphinus, derived from the biblical word
seraphim, which was Hebrew in origin and meant
"fiery ones". The seraphim were an order of angels, described by Isaiah in the Bible as having six wings each.
This was the name of a 13th-century Italian saint who made clothes for the poor. As an English name, it has never been common.
Shannon
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: SHAN-ən
From the name of the River Shannon, the longest river in Ireland, called
an tSionainn in Irish. It is associated with the legendary figure
Sionann and is sometimes said to be named for her. However it is more likely she was named after the river, which may be related to Old Irish
sen "old, ancient"
[1]. As a given name, it first became common in America after the 1940s.
Shawn
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: SHAWN
Anglicized form of
Seán, occasionally used as a feminine form. This is the most common spelling of this name in the United States and Canada, with
Shaun being more typical in the United Kingdom and Australia.
Shepherd
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: SHEHP-ərd
From an English occupational surname meaning "sheep herder, shepherd".
Sherman
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: SHUR-mən
From an English surname meaning "shear man", originally denoting a person who cut cloth. Famous bearers of the surname include American politician Roger Sherman (1721-1793) and American Civil War general William Tecumseh Sherman (1820-1891).
Silver
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: SIL-vər
From the English word for the precious metal or the colour, ultimately derived from Old English seolfor.
Sincere
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: sin-SEER
From the English word meaning genuine or heartfelt.
Siren
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Norwegian, Swedish (Rare)
Of debated origin.
Some scholars argue that it might be a contracted form of Severine, others theorize a derivation from the Scandinavian name Sirin, while another theory assumes a derivation from Greek Seirenes (Σειρῆνας), the sirens or nymphs from Greek mythology.
Whatever theory might be true, in Norway this name was first recorded in the late 1700s.
Sky
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: SKIE
Simply from the English word sky, which was ultimately derived from Old Norse ský "cloud".
Skye
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: SKIE
From the name of the Isle of Skye off the west coast of Scotland. It is sometimes considered a variant of
Sky.
Snow
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: SNO
From the English word, derived from Old English snāw.
Snowbird
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (American), Popular Culture
Snowdrop
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: SNO-drahp
The name of the flower used as a first name, mainly between the 1890s and 1920s, but never one of the more popular names of this kind.
Solana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish (Latin American, Rare), Catalan (Rare), Portuguese (Brazilian, Rare)
Feminine form of
Solano, a Spanish surname which is used as a given name in honour of Saint Francisco Solano (1549-1610).
Soledad
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: so-leh-DHADH
Means
"solitude" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin
Mary,
María de la Soledad, meaning "Mary of Solitude".
Soleil
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Various
Pronounced: SAW-LAY(French)
Means "sun" in French. It is not commonly used as a name in France itself.
Somerset
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (British)
Pronounced: SUM-ə-seht(British English)
The name of an English county used as a personal name. It is derived from Old English and may mean “the people of the summer settlement” or “settlers by the sea-lakes”. It is often translated as "the land of the summer people".
Sonic
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Popular Culture
Pronounced: SAHN-ik(English)
From the English word
sonic meaning
"related to sound", derived from Latin
sonus meaning "sound". It also connotates speediness, or the speed of sound, due to words like
supersonic or
hypersonic. A notable fictional bearer is the speedy video game character Sonic the Hedgehog, introduced in 1991 by Sega. He is called
ソニック (Sonikku) in Japan.
Sophia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Greek, German, Ancient Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Σοφία(Greek)
Pronounced: so-FEE-ə(English) sə-FIE-ə(British English) so-FEE-a(Greek) zo-FEE-a(German)
Means
"wisdom" in Greek. This was the name of an early, probably mythical,
saint who died of grief after her three daughters were martyred during the reign of the emperor Hadrian. Legends about her probably arose as a result of a medieval misunderstanding of the phrase
Hagia Sophia "Holy Wisdom", which is the name of a large basilica in Constantinople.
This name was common among continental European royalty during the Middle Ages, and it was popularized in Britain by the German House of Hanover when they inherited the British throne in the 18th century. It was the name of characters in the novels Tom Jones (1749) by Henry Fielding and The Vicar of Wakefield (1766) by Oliver Goldsmith.
In the United States this name was only moderately common until the 1990s when it began rising in popularity, eventually becoming the most popular for girls from 2011 to 2013. A famous bearer is the Italian actress Sophia Loren (1934-).
Sorrel
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: SAWR-əl
From the name of the sour tasting plant, derived from Old French sur "sour", a word of Frankish origin.
Sparrow
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: SPAR-o, SPEHR-o
From the name of the bird, ultimately from Old English spearwa.
Starlene
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: stahr-LEEN
Possibly a blend of
Starla and
Darlene, or a combination of the English word
starling (see
Starling) with the popular name suffix
lene.
Starlight
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Combination of
Star, from Middle English
sterre, from Old English
steorra and light, from Middle English
light, liht, leoht, from Old English
lēoht (“light, daylight; power of vision; luminary; world”).
Starlina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: American (Rare)
Starling
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: STAHR-ling
From the
English word for the type of bird. It is commonly associated with the name
Star.
It is the original name of children's illustrator Tasha Tudor.
Stella 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Italian, Dutch, German
Pronounced: STEHL-ə(English) STEHL-la(Italian) STEH-la(Dutch)
Means "star" in Latin. This name was created by the 16th-century poet Philip Sidney for the subject of his collection of sonnets Astrophel and Stella. It was a nickname of a lover of Jonathan Swift, real name Esther Johnson (1681-1728), though it was not commonly used as a given name until the 19th century. It appears in Tennessee Williams' play A Streetcar Named Desire (1947), belonging to the sister of Blanche DuBois and the wife of Stanley Kowalski.
Stephanie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, German
Pronounced: STEHF-ə-nee(English) SHTEH-fa-nee(German)
Sterling
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: STUR-ling
From a Scots surname that was derived from city of Stirling, which is itself of unknown meaning. The name can also be given in reference to the English word sterling meaning "excellent". In this case, the word derives from sterling silver, which was so named because of the emblem that some Norman coins bore, from Old English meaning "little star".
Stone
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: STON
From the English vocabulary word, ultimately from Old English stan.
Storm
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Modern), Dutch (Modern), Danish (Modern), Norwegian (Modern)
Pronounced: STAWRM(English, Dutch)
From the vocabulary word, ultimately from Old English or Old Dutch storm, or in the case of the Scandinavian name, from Old Norse stormr. It is unisex as an English name, but typically masculine elsewhere.
Stormy
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: STAWR-mee
From the English word meaning "stormy, wild, turbulent", ultimately from Old English stormig.
Strawberry
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: straa-behr-ee
From the widely grown hybrid species of the genus Fragaria. A bright red fruit known for its sweetness and texture. The most well-known namesake is Strawberry Shortcake.
Summer
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: SUM-ər
From the name of the season, ultimately from Old English sumor. It has been in use as a given name since the 1970s.
Sun
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Korean
Other Scripts: 선(Korean Hangul) 善, 宣, etc.(Korean Hanja)
Pronounced: SUN
Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul
선 (see
Seon).
Sunday
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: SUN-day
From the name of the day of the week, which ultimately derives from Old English sunnandæg, which was composed of the elements sunne "sun" and dæg "day". This name is most common in Nigeria and other parts of Africa.
Sunflower
Gender: Feminine
Usage: American (Rare)
Pronounced: SUN-flow-er
From the English word, sunflower.
Sunny
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: SUN-ee
From the English word meaning "sunny, cheerful".
Swanhild
Gender: Feminine
Usage: German (Rare)
Derived from the Old German elements
swan "swan" and
hilt "battle". Swanhild (or Swanachild) was the second wife of the Frankish ruler Charles Martel in the 8th century.
Tabitha
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Biblical, Biblical Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Ταβιθά(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: TAB-i-thə(English)
Means
"gazelle" in Aramaic. Tabitha in the
New Testament was a woman restored to life by
Saint Peter. Her name is translated into Greek as
Dorcas (see
Acts 9:36). As an English name,
Tabitha became common after the
Protestant Reformation. It was popularized in the 1960s by the television show
Bewitched, in which Tabitha (sometimes spelled Tabatha) is the daughter of the main character.
Talon
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: TAL-ən
From the English word meaning "talon, claw", ultimately derived (via Norman French) from Latin talus "anklebone".
Tamsin
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (British)
Pronounced: TAM-zin
Contracted form of
Thomasina. It was traditionally used in Cornwall.
Tawny
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: TAW-nee
From the English word, ultimately deriving from Old French tané, which means "light brown".
Teal
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: TEEL
From the English word for the type of duck or the greenish-blue colour.
Tempest
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: TEHM-pist
From the English word meaning "storm". It appears in the title of William Shakespeare's play The Tempest (1611).
Thora
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Norwegian, Danish
Thulia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish (Latin American, Rare), Portuguese (Rare), Portuguese (Brazilian, Rare), American (Rare, Archaic)
Thunder
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English, English (American, Modern, Rare), Popular Culture
Pronounced: THUN-der(English)
From the English word thunder meaning "a loud rumbling or crashing noise heard after a lightning flash due to the expansion of rapidly heated air’ from Old English thunor.
Thursday
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (African), Afro-American (Slavery-era)
Pronounced: THURZ-day(English)
From the name of the day of the week, which ultimately derives from Old English
þunresdæg meaning literally "
Thor's day". A known bearer of this name was Thursday October Christian (1790-1831), the first son of the HMS
Bounty mutineer Fletcher Christian and his Tahitian wife Mauatua, who was born on a Thursday in October.
Tiger
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: TIE-gər
From the name of the large striped cat, derived (via Old French and Latin) from Greek
τίγρις (tigris), ultimately of Iranian origin. A famous bearer is American golfer Tiger Woods (1975-).
Todd
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: TAHD(American English) TAWD(British English)
From an English surname meaning "fox", derived from Middle English todde. As a given name it was rare before 1930. It peaked in popularity in most parts of the English-speaking world in the 1960s or 70s, but it has since declined.
Topaz
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: TO-paz
From the English word for the yellow precious stone, the traditional birthstone of November, ultimately derived from Greek
τόπαζος (topazos).
Tree
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (American, Rare)
Pronounced: CHREE(American English)
Trees
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Dutch
Pronounced: TREHS
True-heart
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Puritan)
Referring to Hebrews 10:22, "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water."
Truly
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern), Popular Culture, Theatre
Pronounced: TROO-lee
From Old English trēowlīce meaning ‘faithfully’.
Tsunami
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Various
Other Scripts: つなみ(Japanese Hiragana) 維美, 紀三, 純美, 津波, 純魅, 津奈美, 津那実, 津名魅, etc.(Japanese Kanji)
Pronounced: tsoo-NAH-mee(English) soo-NAH-mee(English)
From Japanese 津波 (tsunami) meaning "a tsunami, a tidal wave", which is a compound 津 (tsu) meaning "harbor" and 波 (nami) meaning "wave". Other kanji or kanji combinations can form this name as well.
Tuesday
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: TYOOZ-day, TOOZ-day, CHOOZ-day
From the English word for the day of the week, which derives from Old English
tiwesdæg meaning "
Tiw's day".
Umbra
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Feminine form of
Umbro. In some cases, however, it can also be a variant of
Ombra.
Understanding
Gender: Masculine
Usage: African American
Unity
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: YOO-ni-tee
From the English word unity, which is ultimately derived from Latin unitas.
Urban
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Swedish, German, Slovene, Slovak, Czech, Polish, Biblical
Pronounced: UYR-ban(Swedish) OOR-ban(Slovak, Czech, Polish) UR-bən(English)
From the Latin name
Urbanus meaning
"city dweller". This name is mentioned briefly in one of
Paul's epistles in the
New Testament. It was subsequently borne by eight popes.
Uriel
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical, Hebrew
Other Scripts: אוּרִיאֵל(Hebrew)
Pronounced: YUWR-ee-əl(English)
From the Hebrew name
אוּרִיאֵל (ʾUriʾel) meaning
"God is my light", from
אוּר (ʾur) meaning "light, flame" and
אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". Uriel is an archangel in Hebrew tradition. He is mentioned only in the Apocrypha, for example in the Book of Enoch where he warns
Noah of the coming flood.
Ursula
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Swedish, Danish, German, Dutch, Finnish, Late Roman
Pronounced: UR-sə-lə(English) UR-syoo-lə(English) UWR-zoo-la(German) OOR-soo-lah(Finnish)
Means
"little bear", derived from a
diminutive form of the Latin word
ursa "she-bear".
Saint Ursula was a legendary virgin princess of the 4th century who was martyred by the Huns while returning from a pilgrimage. In England the saint was popular during the Middle Ages, and the name came into general use at that time.
Valentine 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: VAL-in-tien
From the Roman
cognomen Valentinus, which was itself a derivative of the cognomen
Valens meaning
"strong, vigorous, healthy" in Latin.
Saint Valentine was a 3rd-century martyr. His feast day was the same as the Roman fertility festival of Lupercalia, which resulted in the association between Valentine's Day and love.
As an English name, it has been used occasionally since the 12th century. It is the name of a central character in Shakespeare's play The Two Gentlemen of Verona (1594).
Valentine 2
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: VA-LAHN-TEEN
Venus
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Roman Mythology
Pronounced: WEH-noos(Latin) VEE-nəs(English)
Means
"love, sexual desire" in Latin. This was the name of the Roman goddess of love and sex. Her character was assimilated with that of the Greek goddess
Aphrodite. As the mother of
Aeneas she was considered an ancestor of the Roman people. The second planet from the sun is named after her.
Veronica
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Italian, Romanian, Late Roman
Pronounced: və-RAHN-i-kə(American English) və-RAWN-i-kə(British English) veh-RAW-nee-ka(Italian)
Latin alteration of
Berenice, the spelling influenced by the ecclesiastical Latin phrase
vera icon meaning
"true image". This was the name of a legendary
saint who wiped
Jesus' face with a towel and then found his image imprinted upon it. Due to popular stories about her, the name was occasionally used in the Christian world in the Middle Ages. It was borne by the Italian saint and mystic Veronica Giuliani (1660-1727). As an English name, it was not common until the 19th century, when it was imported from France and Scotland.
Victory
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (African), English (Puritan)
Pronounced: VIK-tər-ee(English)
Simply from the English word, which is ultimately from Latin
victoria (itself from the past participle stem of
vincere "to conquer", making it a (distant) relative of
Vincent). For Puritans, the name was given in reference to 1 Corinthians 15:55, "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?"
A male bearer was Victory Birdseye (1782-1853), a U.S. Representative from New York.
Violet
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: VIE-lit, VIE-ə-lit
From the English word violet for the purple flower, ultimately derived from Latin viola. It was common in Scotland from the 16th century, and it came into general use as an English given name during the 19th century.
Vishnu
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Hinduism, Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Marathi
Other Scripts: विष्णु(Sanskrit, Hindi, Marathi) വിഷ്ണു(Malayalam) ವಿಷ್ಣು(Kannada) విష్ణు(Telugu) விஷ்ணு(Tamil)
Pronounced: VISH-noo(Sanskrit, English)
Probably means
"all-pervasive" in Sanskrit, from
विष् (viṣ) meaning "to prevade, to spread through". The Hindu god Vishnu is the protector and preserver of the universe, usually depicted as four-armed and blue-skinned. His wife is
Lakshmi. Though he appears in the
Rigveda, he features more prominently in post-Vedic texts. The great heroes
Krishna,
Rama,
Narasimha and others are regarded as avatars of Vishnu.
Vaishnavism, the largest denomination within Hinduism, views Vishnu and his avatars as the supreme god.
Wednesday
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Popular Culture
Pronounced: WENZ-day(English)
From the name of the day of the week, which was derived from Old English
wodnesdæg meaning "
Woden's day". On the
Addams Family television series (1964-1966) this was the name of the daughter, based on an earlier unnamed character in Charles Addams' cartoons. Her name was inspired by the popular nursery rhyme line
Wednesday's child is full of woe.
Whitney
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: WIT-nee
From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "white island" in Old English. Its popular use as a feminine name was initiated by actress Whitney Blake (1925-2002) in the 1960s, and further boosted in the 1980s by singer Whitney Houston (1963-2012).
Wildflower
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Willona
Gender: Feminine
Usage: American (South, Rare), Popular Culture
Pronounced: wil-LO-nah(American (South))
Variant of
Wilona. Willona Woods is a character from the 1970s TV show 'Good Times'.
Willow
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: WIL-o
From the name of the tree, which is ultimately derived from Old English welig.
Windy
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Winter
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: WIN-tər
From the English word for the season, derived from Old English winter.
Wintra
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Archaic), Anglo-Saxon, African American, English
Old English byname meaning "winter", originally given to a person with a frosty or gloomy temperament.
May also be used as an elaboration if
Winter.
Wisdom
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: WIZ-dəm
Simply from the English word, a derivative of Old English wis "wise".
Wisteria
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: wis-TEHR-ee-ə, wis-TEER-ee-ə
From the name of the flowering plant, which was named for the American anatomist Caspar Wistar.
Wolf
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German, Jewish, English (Rare), Germanic [1]
Other Scripts: װאָלףֿ(Yiddish)
Pronounced: VAWLF(German) WUWLF(English)
Short form of
Wolfgang,
Wolfram and other names containing the Old German element
wolf meaning
"wolf" (Proto-Germanic *
wulfaz). It can also be simply from the German or English word. As a Jewish name it can be considered a vernacular form of
Zeev.
Woodrow
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: WUWD-ro
From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "row of houses by a wood" in Old English. It was borne by the American president Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924), who was given his mother's maiden name as his middle name (his first name was Thomas). During his candidacy and presidency (1912-1921) the name became popular, reaching the 44th rank in 1913, though it quickly declined after that.
Woya
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Cherokee
Pronounced: waw-yuh
Means "dove" in Cherokee.
Yolanda
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish, English
Pronounced: gyo-LAN-da(Spanish) yo-LAHN-də(English)
From the medieval French name
Yolande, which was probably a form of the name
Violante, which was itself a derivative of Latin
viola "violet". Alternatively it could be of Germanic origin.
This name was borne by a 12th-century empress of the Latin Empire in Constantinople, who was originally from Flanders. It was also used by her descendants in the royal families of Hungary (spelled Jolánta) and Spain (sometimes spelled Violante). The Blessed Yolanda of Poland was a daughter of Béla IV of Hungary who married a Polish duke. It was also borne by Yolanda of Vianden, a 13th-century countess from Luxembourg who joined a convent against her parents' wishes, later becoming the subject of medieval legend. Another notable bearer was a 15th-century duchess of Lorraine, the subject of the opera Iolanta (1892) by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
Zachariah
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Biblical
Pronounced: zak-ə-RIE-ə(English)
Variant of
Zechariah. This spelling is used in the King James Version of the
Old Testament to refer to one of the kings of Israel (called Zechariah in other versions).
Zephaniel
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Judeo-Christian-Islamic Legend
From Hebrew
צָפַן (tsafan) meaning "to hide" and
אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". This is the name of an angel in medieval Jewish mysticism.
Zionira
Gender: Feminine
Usage: African American
Feminine form of
Zion combining
Zion and the popular suffix
-ira.
Zipporah
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Biblical, Hebrew
Other Scripts: צִפּוֹרָה(Hebrew)
Pronounced: zi-PAWR-ə(English) ZIP-ə-rə(English)
Zoey
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: ZO-ee
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