Etzli's Personal Name List

From the name of a type of tree, ultimately derived from Greek ἀκή (ake) meaning "thorn, point".

Latinized form of Greek Ἄκανθα (Akantha), which meant "thorn, prickle". In Greek legend she was a nymph loved by Apollo.

Medieval Italian variant of Adelaide.

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

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

Means "the crown honored us" in Yoruba.

Derived from Arabic عذارى (ʿadhārā) meaning "maidens". This is the name of the second brightest star (after Sirius) in the constellation Canis Major.

Means "boundless, entire" or "freedom, security" in Sanskrit, derived from the negative prefix अ (a) and दिति (diti) meaning "giving". This is the name of a Hindu goddess of the cosmos, motherhood and fertility. According to the Vedas she is the mother of several of the gods.

Latinized form of Adrasteia. One of Jupiter's moons bears this name.

Feminine form of Adrastos. In Greek mythology this name was borne by a nymph who fostered the infant Zeus. This was also another name of the goddess Nemesis.

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

Means "whirlwind" in Greek. In Greek myth this was the name of an Amazon warrior killed by Herakles during his quest for Hippolyta's girdle.

Old English name composed of the elements æðele "noble" and flæd, possibly meaning "beauty". This was the name of a 10th-century ruler of Mercia (a daughter of Alfred the Great).

Latinized form of Greek Αἰθήρ (Aither) meaning "ether, heaven", derived from αἴθω (aitho) meaning "to burn, to ignite". In Greek mythology this was the name of the god of light and the upper sky.

Means "relating to Lord Shiva 1" in Sanskrit.

Old Norse diminutive of names containing the element anu "ancestor".

Contracted form of Adelasia.

Occitan form of Eleanor.

Derived from Arabic alyat, meaing "fat tail of a sheep". This is the traditional name of the star Epsilon Ursae Majoris in the constellation Ursa Major.

Gamma Cephei is a binary star system in the constellation Cepheus. The system bore a traditional name variously spelled as Errai, Er Rai or Alrai, deriving from the Arabic الراعي (ar-rā‘ī), meaning "the shepherd".

Feminine variant of Alex.

Means "shining over heaven", from Japanese 天 (ama) meaning "heaven, sky" and 照 (terasu) meaning "shine". This was the name of the Japanese sun goddess, the ruler of the heavens. She was born when Izanagi washed his left eye after returning from the underworld. At one time the Japanese royal family claimed descent from her.

From Greek ἀνιαρός (aniarós) meaning "sad, despairing". The name was invented by Swedish author Harry Martinson for the space ship in his poem of science fiction 'Aniara: en revy om människan i tid och rum' published in 1956. This is the name of the star HD 102956 in the constellation Ursa Major, orbited by the planet Isagel.

Latinization of Aifric.

Feminine form of Aphrodisios.

Ancient Greek personal name that was derived from the name of the Greek goddess Aphrodite.

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.

Means "gift of Apollo" from the name of the god Apollo combined with Greek δῶρον (doron) meaning "gift".

Means "son of Apollo" in Greek, derived from the name of the god Apollo combined with the patronymic suffix ἴδης (ides).

From an ancient Greek personal name that was derived from the name of the Greek god Apollo. It was borne by a Greek poet of the 3rd century BC. Several saints have also had this name.

Means "lord Krishna".

Feminine form of Arcadius. This is the name of a region on the Greek Peloponnese, long idealized for its natural beauty.

Possibly means "lion of God, hero" in Hebrew. This is the name of a son of Gad in the Old Testament.

A son of Haman in the book of Esther. Possibly related the Persian Haridata, meaning "given by Hari".

Means "ear of grain" in Latin. This is the name of a star, also known as Spica, in the constellation Virgo.

From the Greek name Ἀρισταῖος (Aristaios), derived from ἄριστος (aristos) meaning "best". This was the name of a minor Greek god of agriculture, hunting and cattle. He was the son of Apollo and the mortal Cyrene.

Means "gift of Artemis" from the name of the goddess Artemis combined with Greek δῶρον (doron) meaning "gift". This was the name of a Greek author of the 2nd century who wrote about the interpretation of dreams.

Derived from the name of the Greek goddess Artemis. This was the name of a 4th-century general in the Roman army who is venerated as a saint in the Orthodox Church.

Derived from the name of the Greek goddess Artemis.

Derived from the name of the Greek goddess Artemis.

Short form of Old Norse feminine names beginning with the element áss "god".

Possibly means "healer" in Hebrew. This name was borne by the third king of Judah, as told in the Old Testament.

Reconstructed Egyptian form of Osiris.

Old Norse name derived from the elements áss "god" and bjǫrn "bear". It is therefore a cognate of Osborn.

unknown.
could be related to Aashiq Ashiq Arabic or Urdu "lover"
said variously on baby name websites to be a form of Ashoka "one without sorrow"
an Indian/Hindi name meaning "lovable" or "hope, desire" or "Mercury"
or a form of Asika from Sanskrit meaning "dagger, sharp"?

Combination of Ashley and the popular name suffix lyn.

Hebrew form of Asmodeus found in the Talmud.

From Greek Ἀσμοδαῖος (Asmodaios) and Hebrew אשְׁםְדּאי (ʾAshmedʾai), probably from Avestan 𐬀𐬉𐬱𐬆𐬨𐬀 (aēshəma) meaning "wrath" and 𐬛𐬀𐬉𐬎𐬎𐬀 (daēuua) meaning "demon". In the apocryphal Book of Tobit this is the name of a demon who successively kills seven of Sarah's husbands on their wedding nights. He also appears in the Talmud.

Feminine form of Asterios (see Asterius). In Greek mythology Asteria was a daughter of the Titans Phoebe and Coeus.

Latinized form of the Greek Ἀστραία (Astraia), derived from Greek ἀστήρ (aster) meaning "star". Astraea was a Greek goddess of justice and innocence. After wickedness took root in the world she left the earth and became the constellation Virgo.

Means "green whip snake, dragon" in Albanian.

Icelandic form of Ástríðr.

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.

Ancient Greek personal name that was derived from the name of the Greek goddess Athena.

Means "gift of Athena" from the name of the god Athena combined with Greek δῶρον (doron) meaning "gift".

Old Norse younger form of *Aþa-gíslaR, a combination of the name elements ADAL "noble" and GISL "hostage, pledge."

A star in the constellation Triangulum Australe

From the word aura (derived from Latin, ultimately from Greek αὔρα meaning "breeze") for a distinctive atmosphere or illumination.

Means "cousin" in East Greenlandic.

Means "they are increasing" in Zulu, Xhosa and Ndebele.

From the Bashkir ай (ay) meaning "moon" and Arabic زُهْرَة‎ (zuhra) meaning “Venus".

From the name of the flower (shrubs of the genus Rhododendron), ultimately derived from Greek ἀζαλέος (azaleos) meaning "dry".

Derived from Arabic عظمة (ʿaẓama) meaning "majesty, glory".

From the Hebrew name עֲזַרְיָה (ʿAzarya) meaning "Yahweh has helped", derived from עָזַר (ʿazar) meaning "help" and יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. This is the name of many Old Testament characters including of one of the three men the Babylonian king ordered cast into a fiery furnace. His Babylonian name was Abednego.

Meaning uncertain, possibly a combination of Nahuatl azcatl "ant" and coatl "snake".

Means "the breeding place" in Arabic. This is the traditional name of the star Eta Eridani in the constellation Eridanus.

Meaning uncertain, possibly of Arabic origin.

Possibly derived from the Greek name Delia 1 which means "from Delos, the island of which Artemis and Apollo, the twins gods, were born."

Name of the Sorceress in the Sci Fi mini-series based of The Wizard of Oz called The Tin-Man played by actress Kathleen Robertson.

Variant of Azarel. This is the name of an angel in Jewish and Islamic tradition who separates the soul from the body upon death. He is sometimes referred to as the Angel of Death.

Means "goddess" in Indonesian, derived from the Sanskrit noble title भट्टारी (bhaṭṭārī) meaning "noble lady".

From Hebrew בַּעַל זְבוּב (Baʿal Zevuv) meaning "lord of flies", the name of a Philistine god according to the Old Testament. It is possibly intended as a mocking alteration of בַּעַל זְבוּל (Baʿal Zevul) meaning "Ba'al of the exalted house".

Based on the Hebrew form, this spelling is used in the Latin translation of the Old Testament, and it is commonly rendered Baal-Zebub or Baalzebub in English translations. In the New Testament, this spelling appears in both the Latin and most older English translations, despite the fact that the Greek original uses Βεελζεβούλ (Beelzeboul). Recent English translations of the New Testament tend to use Beelzebul.

Later Christian tradition holds that Beelzebub is a demon or fallen angel. He is Satan's chief lieutenant in the 1667 epic poem Paradise Lost by John Milton.

Means "worthless" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this term is used to refer to various wicked people. In the New Testament, Paul uses it as a name for Satan. In later Christian tradition Belial became an evil angel associated with lawlessness and lust.

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".

Means "female warrior" in Latin. This is the name of the star that marks the left shoulder of the constellation Orion.

Meaning "secret" in Vietnamese, rarely used as a given name.

From the Roman name Blasius, which was derived from Latin blaesus meaning "lisping". Saint Blaise was a 4th-century Armenian martyr. A famous bearer was the French mathematician and philosopher Blaise Pascal (1623-1662).

Derived from the Slavic element božĭjĭ meaning "divine". It also means "goddess" in Croatian.

Latinized form of Greek Κάδμος (Kadmos), of uncertain meaning. In Greek mythology Cadmus was the son of the Phoenician king Agenor. He was sent by his father to rescue his sister Europa, who had been abducted by Zeus, although he did not succeed in retrieving her. According to legend, Cadmus founded the city of Thebes and introduced the alphabet to Greece.

Original Latin masculine form of Cecilia. Saint Caecilius was a 1st-century missionary to Granada, Spain. It was also part of the full name of Saint Cyprian, Thascius Caecilius Cyprianus.

The name of a faint constellation in the southern sky, which is from Latin caelum meaning "heaven, sky" (compare Caelius) or (allegedly) "burin" (a tool for engraving on copper or other metals).

Means "whelp, young dog" in Scottish Gaelic. This name was borne by Cailean Mór, a 13th-century Scottish lord and ancestor of Clan Campbell.

Latinized form of Kallias.

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.

From Hebrew קַפצִיאֵל (Qaftsiʾel), of uncertain meaning. Suggested meanings include "leap of God", "drawn together by God" or "wrath of God". This is the name of an angel in medieval Jewish, Christian and Islamic mysticism.

Italian form of Cassius. This is the surname of Othello's lieutenant Michael Cassio in Shakespeare's tragedy Othello (1603).

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].

Either from the name of the Irish county, which is derived from Irish cabhán "hollow", or else from the Irish surname Cavan.

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".

Epithet of Hecate meaning "(goddess) of the lower world wearing golden sandals and drinking blood", from Greek χρυσός (chrysos) "gold", σάνδαλον (sandalon) "sandal", αἷμα (haima) "blood", ποτόν (poton) "that which one drinks" and χθόνιος (chthonios) "in the earth".

Alternate transcription of Greek Χρύσα (see Chrysa).

Derived from Irish ciar meaning "black". In Irish legend Ciar was a son of Fergus mac Róich and Medb, and the ancestor of the tribe of the Ciarraige (after whom County Kerry is named). As a feminine name, it was borne by an Irish nun (also called Ciara) who established a monastery in Tipperary in the 7th century.

Latinized form of Greek Κίρκη (Kirke), possibly from κίρκος (kirkos) meaning "hawk". In Greek mythology Circe was a sorceress who changed Odysseus's crew into hogs, as told in Homer's Odyssey. Odysseus forced her to change them back, then stayed with her for a year before continuing his voyage.

Derived from Proto-Germanic *Tīwaz, the same etymological root as Tyr, which evolved into Cyo and Ziu in Old High German.

Cisa is mentioned in several medieval manuscripts dating back to the 12th to 14th centuries, among others the Codex Monac (circa 1135), the Codex Emmeran (circa 1135) and Melchior Goldast's Suevicarum rerum scriptores. All of these texts go back to the Excerptum ex Gallica historia, a first-century BCE record of a Swabian military victory over Roman forces.
In said Excerptum ex Gallica historia, Cisa is identified as a goddess of the Suevi who was venerated in modern-day Augsburg, Germany. Her feast day, the so-called "dies Cize", was celebrated on the 59th day after the first day of August, meaning September 28 and involved games and merrymaking.

19th-century scholar Jacob Grimm suggested that Cisa may be the same figure as Tyr's unnamed wife, mentioned by Loki in the 13th century Poetic Edda poem Lokasenna.
Furthermore, Grimm proposed a connection between Cisa and the "Isis" of the Suebi attested by Tacitus in his 1st century CE work Germania based on the similarity of their names, if not their functions. He also referenced a record of a pagan Duke of Swabia named Esenerius who established a chapel in his castle in Kempten with a venerated image of Cisa. Grimm theorized that Cisara, Augsburg's former name, might be interpreted as *Cisae ara, "Cisa's altar".
18th-century librarian Christian August Vulpius, however, believed Cisa (or Ciza, as he called her) to be a Sorbian fertility goddess and "a kind of Ceres for the Vindelici", who offered her grain, crops and cereals at her altar in Augsburg on her feast day.

Variant of Citlalli.

Means "serpent flower" in Nahuatl, from Nahuatl coatl, "serpent, snake" and xochitl, "flower".

Means "Venus (the planet)" in Turkish.

From a French surname that was derived from corbeau "raven", originally denoting a person who had dark hair. The name was probably popularized in America by actor Corbin Bernsen (1954-) [1].

Fairly obscure Roman nomen gentile that originated with a plebeian family that was native to the city of Tusculum, which was an important center of worship for the Dioscuri. Only one member of this family is known to history, namely Manius Cordius Rufus (1st century BC). He was a moneyer (triumvir monetalis) under Julius Caesar.

The etymology of this Roman family name is uncertain. It may have been derived from Latin cordus, which is a variant form of Latin chordus meaning "late-born" as well as "late in the season". An other etymological source for the name might be Latin corda, which is a variant form of Latin chorda meaning "cord, string". And last but not least, a derivation from cordis, the genitive singular of Latin cor "heart", is also a possibility. With regard to this last etymology, it is perhaps interesting to note that Manius Cordius Rufus minted coins that featured Venus Verticordia ("Venus the turner/changer of hearts").

Latinized form of Greek Κυνόσουρα (Kynosoura) which meant "dog's tail", a derivative of κύων (kyôn) "dog" (genitive κυνός (kynos)) and οὐρά (oura) "tail". This was the ancient Greek name of the constellation Ursa Minor, used because it appeared to be the tail of the adjacent star-group Canis Major. In Greek myth this name belonged to a nymph of Mount Ida on the island of Crete; she was one of the nurses of the infant Zeus, who placed her among the stars.

From the Ancient Greek elements κυνός (kunós) “dog's” and οὐρά (ourá) meaning “tail”. This is an alternate name for Ursa Minor.

French form of Daphne.

Means "terror" in Greek. This was one of the sons of the Greek god Ares. Also, a moon of Mars bears this name.

Variant of Dion. A notable bearer is retired American football player Deion Sanders (1967-).

Ancient Greek form of Demetrius, as well as an alternate transcription of the Modern Greek form Dimitrios.

Bulgarian form of Danica.

Variant of Dion.

Derived from Sanskrit देवी (devī) meaning "goddess". This name can be used to refer to Mahadevi.

Albanian form of Demetrius.

From dianthus, the name of a type of flower (ultimately from Greek meaning "heavenly flower").

Derived from the Greek element Διός (Dios) meaning "of Zeus". This was the name of a 4th-century BC tyrant of Syracuse. It has been used as an American given name since the middle of the 20th century.

Derived from Greek Διός (Dios) meaning "of Zeus" and ἄνασσα (anassa) "queen, lady" (feminine form of ἄναξ (anax) "master, lord").

From Greek Διός (Dios) meaning "of Zeus". By extension, it means "goddess". This was the name of an obscure Greek goddess who, according to some legends, was the mother of Aphrodite.

Italian and Spanish feminine form of Dionysius.

Feminine form of Dionysius.

Greek personal name derived from the name of the Greek god Dionysos. Famous bearers include two early tyrants of Syracuse and a 1st-century BC Greek rhetorician.

From Greek Διός (Dios) meaning "of Zeus" combined with Nysa, the name of the region where young Dionysos was said to have been raised. In Greek mythology Dionysos was the god of wine, revelry, fertility and dance. He was the son of Zeus and Semele.

Slovak form of Dionysius.

Means "goddess" in Tagalog.

Means "praise" in Zulu and Ndebele.

From Sanskrit द्यु (dyu) meaning "sky", ultimately connected to the name of the Indo-European god *Dyēws. In the Rigveda he is the sky god, the consort of the earth goddess Prithvi. He is also called Dyaus Pita meaning "father sky". His name is cognate with other Indo-European theonyms such as Greek Zeus and Latin Jupiter.

Means "dusk" in Estonian.

From a Semitic root meaning "god". This was a title applied to several Semitic gods. The Canaanites used it as the name of their chief deity, the father of the gods and mankind. The Hebrews used it to refer to Yahweh.

Means "goddess" in Persian.

From the Hebrew name אֱלִיָּהוּ (ʾEliyyahu) meaning "my God is Yahweh", derived from the roots אֵל (ʾel) and יָהּ (yah), both referring to the Hebrew God. Elijah was a Hebrew prophet and miracle worker, as told in the two Books of Kings in the Old Testament. He was active in the 9th century BC during the reign of King Ahab of Israel and his Phoenician-born queen Jezebel. Elijah confronted the king and queen over their idolatry of the Canaanite god Ba'al and other wicked deeds. At the end of his life he was carried to heaven in a chariot of fire, and was succeeded by Elisha. In the New Testament, Elijah and Moses appear next to Jesus when he is transfigured.

Because Elijah was a popular figure in medieval tales, and because his name was borne by a few early saints (who are usually known by the Latin form Elias), the name came into general use during the Middle Ages. In medieval England it was usually spelled Elis. It died out there by the 16th century, but it was revived by the Puritans in the form Elijah after the Protestant Reformation. The name became popular during the 1990s and 2000s, especially in America where it broke into the top ten in 2016.

From a surname that was a variant of Elliott.

Norman French form of Emmerich. The Normans introduced it to England, and though it was never popular, it survived until the end of the Middle Ages. As a modern given name, now typically feminine, it is likely inspired by the surname Emery, which was itself derived from the medieval given name. It can also be given in reference to the hard black substance called emery.

Turkish form and Bosnian variant of Amir 1.

Germanic name, in which the second element is rih "ruler, king". The first element may be irmin "whole, great" (making it a relative of Ermenrich), amal "unceasing, vigorous, brave" (making it a relative of Amalric) or heim "home" (making it a relative of Henry). It is likely that several forms merged into a single name.

Means "sword" in Latin. This is the name of a star in Orion, also known as Saiph and Algjebbah.

Latinized form of the Greek Ἔρεβος (Erebos), which means "nether darkness". Erebus was the personification of the primordial darkness in Greek mythology.

Epsilon Eridani is the fifth-brightest star in Eridanus, a constellation in the southern sky.

Gamma Cephei is a binary star system in the constellation Cepheus. The system bore a traditional name variously spelled as Errai, Er Rai or Alrai, deriving from the Arabic الراعي (ar-rā‘ī), meaning "the shepherd".

Alternate transcription of Arabic آسيا or آسية chiefly used in Northern Africa. According to the Quran, Moses was discovered by Pharaoh's wife Asiya, who raises him as her adopted son.
Generally, scholars retain the possibility that Moses or a Moses-like figure existed in the 13th century BCE.
The identity of Pharaoh in the Moses's story has been much debated, many believe he is Rameses II (reigning from 1279 to 1213 BCE), while others believe he is Seti I (reigning from 1290 to 1279 BCE)-both flourished 13th century bce-.
If the Pharaoh in the Moses story was Rameses II, the name Asiya could possibly be related to Isetnofret (Ancient Egyptian:"the beautiful Isis"), who was one of the Great Royal Wives of Pharaoh Rameses II.

From Old Norse fen meaning "marsh, fen". In Norse mythology Fenrir was a ferocious wolf, one of the offspring of Loki and the giantess Angrboða. Because it was foretold he would bring about disaster, the gods bound him with a magical fetter, though in the process Tyr's hand was bitten off. At the time of Ragnarök, the end of the world, it is told that he will break free and kill Odin.

Old Irish form of Fionn, as well as the usual Anglicized spelling (with the Irish hero's name Anglicized as Finn McCool). As a surname it is borne by Huckleberry Finn, a character in Mark Twain's novels.

Probably from the ethno-linguistic term Gael, which refers to speakers of Gaelic languages.

From the Roman cognomen Hadrianus, which meant "from Hadria" in Latin. Hadria was the name of two Roman settlements. The first (modern Adria) is in northern Italy and was an important Etruscan port town. The second (modern Atri) is in central Italy and was named after the northern town. The Adriatic Sea is also named after the northern town.

A famous bearer of the name was Publius Aelius Hadrianus, better known as Hadrian, a 2nd-century Roman emperor who built a wall across northern Britain. His family came from the town of Atri in central Italy.

This 16-hangul-character given name translates to "lovelier than the Sky, Stars, Clouds, and Sun~". Since 1993, regulations in South Korea have prohibited the registration of given names longer than five hangul characters, in response to some parents giving their children extremely long names such as this.

The name was originally named by Park, a man from Busan, who rushed to Seoul after having heard the news of the birth of his daughter. He wrote that the stars are beautiful and the sky and clouds are lovely, and the daughter would be even lovelier. The mother added "the Moon and Sun" and put it on the family register.

This name is composed entirely of native Korean vocabularies, rather than of any Sino-Korean vocabularies.

From Egyptian ḥr-zꜣ-ꜣst meaning "Horus, son of Isis". This was used as an epithet of the god Horus as well as a given name.

Means "Ba'al helps", derived from Phoenician 𐤏𐤆𐤓 (ʿazru) meaning "to help" combined with the name of the god Ba'al. This name was borne by several figures from Carthaginian history, including the 3rd-century BC general Hasdrubal Barca (brother of Hannibal) who fought in the Second Punic War.

Means "something that winds; crack willow (species Salix fragilis)" in Greek. Compare the masculine form Helix.
In antiquity, Helike was a common name for the northern constellation Ursa Major (because it revolves around the pole). According to Greek myth she was a nymph whom Zeus changed into the constellation because she had nursed him as an infant on Crete. In 2005 this name was given to a moon of Jupiter.

Ancient Greek personal name that was probably derived from the name of the Greek goddess Hera. It was borne by a saint and martyr from Alexandria who was killed during the early 4th-century persecutions of the Roman emperor Diocletian.

Derived from the Greek adjective ἑρμαῖος (hermaios) or Ἑρμαῖος (Hermaios) meaning "of Hermes".

German feminine form of Herman.

Roman name that was possibly of unknown Etruscan origin, but could also be derived from the name of the god Hermes. In Roman legend this was the name of a companion of Aeneas.

Derived from the name of the Greek messenger god Hermes. In Greek myth Hermione was the daughter of Menelaus and Helen. This is also the name of the wife of Leontes in Shakespeare's play The Winter's Tale (1610). It is now closely associated with the character Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter series of books, first released in 1997.

Derived from Greek ὑπέρ (hyper) meaning "over". In Greek myth this was the name of a Titan who presided over the sun and light. By Theia he was the father of the sun god Helios, the moon goddess Selene, and the dawn goddess Eos.

Means "carrying rice" in Japanese, from 稲 (ina) meaning "rice" and 荷 (ri) meaning "carry". This is the name of a Japanese divinity associated with prosperity, rice and foxes, represented as both female and male.

Means "violet" in Greek. In Greek mythology she was a woman beloved by Herakles.

From Ancient Greek ἴον (ion) meaning "violet flower". This was the name of a sea nymph in Greek mythology. It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the 19th century, though perhaps based on the Greek place name Ionia, a region on the west coast of Asia Minor.

From the Semitic root ʿṯtr, which possibly relates to the Evening Star. Ishtar was an Akkadian, Assyrian and Babylonian goddess who presided over love, war and fertility. She was cognate with the Canaanite and Phoenician Ashtoreth, and she was also identified with the Sumerian goddess Inanna. Her name in Akkadian cuneiform 𒀭𒈹 was the same as the Sumerian cuneiform for Inanna.

Variant of Isemay, an Anglo-Norman name of uncertain origin and meaning. It was also recorded in medieval Ireland on women born into Anglo-Norman families.

Means "nocturnal journey" in Arabic, derived from سرى (sarā) meaning "to travel by night". According to Islamic tradition, the Isra was a miraculous journey undertaken by the Prophet Muhammad.

Means "shadow, protection" in Basque.

Newer form of the Old Church Slavic name Іѡаннъ (Ioannŭ), which was derived from Greek Ioannes (see John). This was the name of six Russian rulers, including the 15th-century Ivan III the Great and 16th-century Ivan IV the Terrible, the first tsar of Russia. It was also borne by nine emperors of Bulgaria. Other notable bearers include the Russian author Ivan Turgenev (1818-1883), who wrote Fathers and Sons, and the Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936), who is best known for his discovery of the conditioned reflex.

Diminutive of Ivan.

From the English word for the climbing plant that has small yellow flowers. It is ultimately derived from Old English ifig.

Probably means "female who invites" in Japanese, from 誘 (izana) meaning "invite, lure, attract". In Japanese mythology she was a creator goddess, the wife of Izanagi. She died giving birth to Kagutsuchi, the god of fire.

From Old Norse járn "iron" and sax "dagger, short sword".

In Norse mythology, Járnsaxa is a jötunn who is mentioned in both the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda. While the Poetic Edda depicts her as one of the Nine Mothers of Heimdallr, the Prose Edda refers to her as Thor's lover.

Means "beautiful voice" from Greek κάλλος (kallos) meaning "beauty" and ὄψ (ops) meaning "voice". In Greek mythology she was a goddess of epic poetry and eloquence, one of the nine Muses.

Means "man" in Hawaiian, a cognate of Tāne. In Hawaiian mythology Kāne was the creator god.

Means "black, dark" in Turkish. This was sometimes used as a byname by Ottoman officials, figuratively meaning "courageous".

From the Greek name Αἰκατερίνη (Aikaterine). The etymology is debated: it could derive from an earlier Greek name Ἑκατερινη (Hekaterine), itself from ἑκάτερος (hekateros) meaning "each of the two"; it could derive from the name of the goddess Hecate; it could be related to Greek αἰκία (aikia) meaning "torture"; or it could be from a Coptic name meaning "my consecration of your name". In the early Christian era it became associated with Greek καθαρός (katharos) meaning "pure", and the Latin spelling was changed from Katerina to Katharina to reflect this.

The name was borne by a semi-legendary 4th-century saint and martyr from Alexandria who was tortured on a spiked wheel. The saint was initially venerated in Syria, and returning crusaders introduced the name to Western Europe. It has been common in England since the 12th century in many different spellings, with Katherine and Catherine becoming standard in the later Middle Ages. To this day both spellings are regularly used in the English-speaking world. In the United States the spelling Katherine has been more popular since 1973.

Famous bearers of the name include Catherine of Siena, a 14th-century mystic, and Catherine de' Medici, a 16th-century French queen. It was also borne by three of Henry VIII's wives, including Katherine of Aragon, and by two empresses of Russia, including Catherine the Great.

From the name of a city "in Benjamin" which is mentioned several times in the Old Testament, derived from Hebrew כְּפִיר (kephir), which meant both "village" (as covered in by walls) and "(young) lion" (perhaps as covered with a mane; compare Kfir).

This is the name of an ancient Greek river god, who takes his name from the two Greek rivers that he is associated with, namely the Kephisos in Attica and the Kephisos in Boeotia. The meaning and origin of the rivers' name is unknown, but a few theories have been put forward by scholars.

One source says that the name might possibly be etymologically related to the Greek given name Kepheus (see Cepheus). Another source theorizes that the rivers might possibly derive their name from Egyptian kbh(w) meaning "fresh", which is etymologically related to Egyptian kbb meaning "cool" and Egyptian kbh meaning "to purify". And lastly, there is a 19th-century source that states that the rivers' name is a hellenization of an Egyptian compound name that means "rock of Isis".

From the Hebrew name קְצִיעָה (Qetsiʿa) meaning "cassia, cinnamon", from the name of the spice tree. In the Old Testament she is a daughter of Job.

Variant of Ciara 1 or Chiara. This name was brought to public attention in 1988 after the singing duo Kiara released their song This Time. It was further popularized by a character in the animated movie The Lion King II (1998).

Derived from Sanskrit कृष्ण (kṛṣṇa) meaning "black, dark". This is the name of a Hindu deity believed to be an incarnation of the god Vishnu. According to the Mahabharata and the Puranas he was the youngest of King Vasudeva's eight sons by Devaki, six of whom were killed by King Kamsa because of a prophecy that a child of Vasudeva would kill Kamsa. However, Krishna and his brother Balarama were saved and he eventually fulfilled the prophecy by slaying the evil king. He then helped the Pandavas defeat the Kauravas in the Mahabharata War. His philosophical conversation with the Pandava leader Arjuna forms the text of the important Hindu scripture the Bhagavad Gita.

In some Hindu traditions, Krishna is regarded as the supreme deity. He is usually depicted with blue skin. He is also known by many epithets, such as Govinda, Gopala, and the patronymic Vasūdeva.

Either a short form of Květoslava or directly from Czech květ "flower, blossom".

Russian form of Laurentius (see Laurence 1).

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

Means "waited for, awaited" in Zulu, Xhosa, Ndebele and Swazi, from linda "to wait".

German contracted form of Eleonore.

Means "flower" in Basque.

Derived from Greek λύσις (lysis) meaning "a release, loosening" and θεά (thea) meaning "goddess". This was the name of a lover of Zeus in Greek mythology. A small moon of Jupiter is named after her.

Feminine form of Macario.

Modern form of Mahavira.

Means "great hero" in Sanskrit, from महा (mahā) meaning "great" and वीर (vīra) meaning "hero, man". Mahavira (or Mahāvīra) was the 6th-century BC founder of Jainism.

From Sanskrit महा (mahā) meaning "great" combined with the name of the Hindu god Indra. This was the name of a son of the 3rd-century BC Indian emperor Ashoka, also called Mahinda. He is credited with introducing Buddhism to Sri Lanka.

Either a feminine form of Mahendra or means "of Indra" in Sanskrit.

MEANING - "wife of great lord Shiva", A name of goddess Durga

Means "like the moon" in Persian.

Means "tall grass" in Nahuatl [1].

Roman family name that was derived either from Mars, the name of the Roman god of War, or else from the Latin root mas, maris meaning "male". Gaius Marius was a famous Roman consul of the 2nd century BC. Since the start of the Christian era, it has occasionally been used as a masculine form of Maria.

Baltic and Slavic goddess associated with seasonal agrarian rites based on the idea of death and rebirth of nature, Marzana is often referred to as a goddess of death.

In medieval (Christian) written sources, she is mentioned as early as the 9th century, although her exact function seems to be somewhat disputed. The medieval encyclopedical dictionary Mater Verborum (also called Glosa Salomonis), written around 1240, compares her to the Greek goddess Hecate, associating her with sorcery, while 15th-century Polish chronicler Jan Długosz likened her to Ceres, the Roman goddess of agriculture.
Either way, to this day in some regions of Poland, there is a festival held where an effigy of Marzanna is made in the month of March, and is burned to symbolize the triumph of springtime over winter. This is known as The Burning and Drowning Ritual of Marzanna.

The origin and meaning of her name is also a source of dispute.
Some scholars derive her name from the same Indo-European root word that gave us Latin mors "death" and Russian mor "pestilence", emphasizing the death aspect of the goddess.
Others argue that her name might be related to a Slavic root word meaning "to freeze" or "frozen", in accordance with her function as a goddess of winter, while some scholars point out that mara is a Russian dialect word meaning "phantom; vision; hallucination", linking her to mare, an evil spirit in Germanic and Slavic folklore, associated with nightmares and sleep paralysis.
Vyacheslav Vsevolodovich Ivanov and Vladimir Toporov, however, supposed that her name was derived from the same root as the name of the Roman god of war Mars, who was originally an agricultural deity (a theory that some academics like to back up by the fact that the Polish word for "(the month of) March" is marzec).

French feminine form of Maurice.

Feminine form of Maurizio.

Modern Persian form of Mithra. As a Persian vocabulary word it means "friendship, love, kindness". It is also the name of the seventh month of the Persian calendar. All of these derive from the same source: the Indo-Iranian root *mitra meaning "oath, covenant, agreement".

Possibly from Greek μήλινος (melinos) meaning "quince-coloured, yellow", a derivative of μῆλον (melon) meaning "fruit, apple". According to Greek mythology she was a chthonic nymph or goddess, often described as a daughter of Persephone and Zeus.

Means "wisdom, skill, cunning" in Greek. In Greek mythology she was a Titan. Because it was prophesied that her children would be wiser than Zeus, he swallowed her after he had impregnated her. However, their daughter Athena eventually burst from his head fully grown.

Variant of Metztli.

From Avestan 𐬨𐬌𐬚𐬭𐬀 (mithra) meaning "oath, covenant, agreement", derived from an Indo-Iranian root *mitra meaning "that which binds". According Zoroastrian mythology Mithra was a god of light and friendship, the son of the supreme god Ahura Mazda. Worship of him eventually spread outside of Persia to the Roman Empire, where it was known as Mithraism.

From Japanese 喪 (Mo) meaning "mourning" and 凰 (Kou) meaning "female phoenix bird" or 妹 (Mo), meaning "(younger) sister" and 紅 (kou), meaning "scarlet." A bearer of this name is Fujiwara no Mokou, a character from the Touhou Project.

Means "servant of Marduk" in Persian. In the Old Testament Mordecai is the cousin and foster father of Esther. He thwarted a plot to kill the Persian king, though he made an enemy of the king's chief advisor Haman.

Derived from Greek μορφή (morphe) meaning "shape", referring to the shapes seen in dreams. In Greek mythology Morpheus was the god of dreams.

From an Assyrian epithet of the goddess Ishtar meaning "the mediatrix, midwife" (from mu'allidtu). It was recorded by the Greek historian Herodotus, who wrote in the 5th century BC: "The Assyrians call Aphrodite Mylitta, the Arabians Alilat, and the Persians Mitra."

Meaning uncertain. Possibly means “high position”

From Sanskrit नाग (nāgá) meaning "snake, serpent".

Feminine form of Nail. This was the name of the wife of Uthman, the third caliph of the Muslims. She tried in vain to prevent a mob from murdering her husband, and had several fingers cut off in the process.

Nashira, also known as Gamma Capricorni, is a bright star in the constellation of Capricornus.
The name is derived from the Arabic سعد ناشرة (sa'd nashirah) which is said to mean "the lucky one" or "bearer of good news".

From Old Irish Ness, meaning uncertain. In Irish legend she was the mother of Conchobar. She installed her son as king of Ulster by convincing Fergus mac Róich (her husband and Conchobar's stepfather) to give up his throne to the boy for a year and then helping him rule so astutely that the Ulstermen demanded that he remain as king. According to some versions of the legend she was originally named Assa "gentle", but was renamed Ní-assa "not gentle" after she sought to avenge the murders of her foster fathers.

Greek name of the Nile River, possibly of Semitic origin meaning "river". In Greek mythology he was the god of the Nile, the son of Okeanos and Tethys.

This name was borne by a 5th-century saint who lived in the Sinai Peninsula. It was also borne by a 10th-century Byzantine saint, usually called Nilus in English, who established the monastery at Grottaferrata near Rome.

From Sanskrit निशा (niśā) meaning "night".

Means "energetic, lively" in Arabic.

From the Xhosa and Ndebele feminine prefix no- combined with uxolo "peace".

Possibly from an archaic Greek word meaning "tree". In Greek mythology Nysa was the mountainous region where young Dionysos was raised.

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.

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

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

From Old French Olivier, which was possibly derived from Latin oliva "olive tree" [1]. Alternatively there could be an underlying Germanic name, such as Old Norse Áleifr (see Olaf) or Frankish Alawar (see Álvaro), with the spelling altered by association with the Latin word. In the Middle Ages the name became well-known in Western Europe because of the French epic La Chanson de Roland, in which Olivier is a friend and advisor to the hero Roland.

In England Oliver was a common medieval name, however it became rare after the 17th century because of the military commander Oliver Cromwell, who ruled the country following the civil war. The name was revived in the 19th century, perhaps due in part to the title character in Charles Dickens' novel Oliver Twist (1838), about a poor orphan living on the streets of London. It became very popular at the beginning of the 21st century, reaching the top rank for boys in England and Wales in 2009 and entering the top ten in the United States in 2017.

Derived from Greek ὄφις (ophis) meaning "serpent, snake".

Means "pine tree" in Hebrew.

Finnish form of Oscar.

Short form of Oskari.

Means "goddess of all", derived from Greek πᾶς (pas) meaning "all, for all, of all" combined with Greek θεα (thea) meaning "goddess". In Greek mythology she was one of the Charites, married to Hypnos, the god of sleep and dreams; she may have been regarded as a goddess of rest and relaxation or of hallucinations and hallucinogenic drugs.

From Sino-Vietnamese 鳳 (phượng) meaning "phoenix". This refers to the mythological creature known as the Chinese phoenix or the Fenghuang.

Means "success, prosperity" in Sanskrit. This was the name of the favourite consort of the Hindu deity Krishna. She is associated with beauty and compassion, and is considered an avatar of Lakshmi.

From Japanese 雷 (rai) meaning "thunder" and 神 (jin) meaning "god, spirit". This is the name of the god (or gods) of thunder and storms in the mythology of Japan.

Raion was influenced by Lion and/or the name Ryan. This is also a common name for a Japanese pet cat.

Means "lion" in Maori.

Means "lord of the sun" from Sanskrit रवि (ravi) meaning "sun" combined with the name of the Hindu god Indra, used here to mean "lord". This is another name for the Hindu god Surya.

Means "my secret is God" in Hebrew. This is the name of an archangel in Jewish tradition.

Finnish form of Satan.

Sânziana, also known as Iana Sânziana, is a fairy in Romanian mythology. Her name is a contraction of Romanian sfânt "holy" and zână "fairy" - but, according to Mircea Eliade, ultimately also influenced by the Latin phrase Sancta Diana "Holy Diana". Its use as a personal given name was at least partly due to a comedy written by Vasile Alecsandri, 'Sânziana și Pepelea' (1881), which George Stephănescu then made into an opera. The legendary creature was often associated with an annual folk festival celebrated on June 24, as well as the Galium verum or Cruciata laevipes flowers.

Modern Irish form of Séaghdha.

From Old Irish Ségdae, probably derived from ségda meaning "fine, good, favourable, learned". According to an Irish legend this was the name of a boy who was set to be sacrificed but was saved by his mother [1].

Means "light-bearing" in Greek (compare Nikephoros). This was a title of the Greek moon goddess Artemis (also worshipped as "Artemis Phosphoros").

Latinized form of the Greek name Σέλευκος (Seleukos), of unknown meaning. It is possibly related to λευκός (leukos) meaning "bright, white". This was the name of one of Alexander the Great's generals, who established the Seleucid Empire in western Asia after Alexander's death.

From a surname that was originally derived from an Old English given name, which was formed of the elements sele "manor" and wine "friend".

Meaning unknown, possibly of Phrygian origin. In Greek mythology she was one of the many lovers of Zeus. Hera, being jealous, tricked Semele into asking Zeus to display himself in all his splendour as the god of thunder. When he did, Semele was struck by lightning and died, but not before giving birth to Dionysos.

Means "shadow, shade" in Serbian and Croatian. It can also be a diminutive of Ksenija.

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.

French form of Severinus.

Possibly means "beloved of Shiva 1".

Means "buttercup (flower)" in Icelandic (genus Ranunculus), derived from sól "sun" and ey "island".

The "Dance of Shiva" in the Hindu religion.

Created by the Georgian poet Shota Rustaveli for his 12th-century epic The Knight in the Panther's Skin. He may have based it on Persian تاجور (tājvar) meaning "king" or تار (tār) meaning "dark, obscure" combined with یل (yal) meaning "hero". In the poem Tariel, the titular knight who wears a panther skin, is an Indian prince who becomes a companion of Avtandil.

The name of a Gaulish god depicted as a bull with three cranes on his back.

Possibly derived from Greek θεά (thea) meaning "goddess". In Greek myth this was the name of a Titan goddess of light, glittering and glory. She was the wife of Hyperion and the mother of the sun god Helios, the moon goddess Selene, and the dawn goddess Eos.

Means "daughter of twilight, nightingale" in the fictional language Sindarin. In the Silmarillion (1977) by J. R. R. Tolkien, Tinuviel was another name of Lúthien, the daughter of Thingol the elf king. She was the beloved of Beren, who with her help retrieved one of the Silmarils from the iron crown of Morgoth.

Possibly from Classic Maya tojol meaning "tribute". This was the name of a K'iche' Maya fire god.

From the Egyptian Demotic tꜥ-ꜣs.t meaning "She of Isis".

Means "wind" in Avestan. This was the name of a Yazata (a holy being) associated with the wind in Zoroastrianism. He is also called 𐬬𐬀𐬌𐬌𐬎 (Vaiiu).

The name of a star in the constellation Lyra. Its name is from Arabic الواقع (al-Wāqiʿ) meaning "the swooping (eagle)".

Means "a female victor" in Latin (corresponding to masculine victor "conqueror"; see Victor). This was an epithet the Roman goddess Venus ("Venus the Victorious").

Derived from Romanian vioară "violet".

From the English word for the small songbird. It is ultimately derived from Old English wrenna.

From Chinese 夏 (xià) meaning "summer, great, grand", 霞 (xiá) meaning "rosy clouds", or other characters that are pronounced similarly.

Spanish variant form of Xochitl.

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).

Variant of Zaria or Sariah.

Apparently a Greek derivative of Ζηναΐς (Zenais), which was derived from the name of the Greek god Zeus. This was the name of a 1st-century saint who was a doctor with her sister Philonella.

Ancient Greek variant of Zenaida.

From the Greek name Ζήνων (Zenon), which was derived from the name of the Greek god Zeus (the poetic form of his name being Ζήν). Zeno was the name of two famous Greek philosophers: Zeno of Elea and Zeno of Citium, the founder of the Stoic school in Athens.

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

Diminutive of Kreszenz.

From the Greek Ζέφυρος (Zephyros) meaning "west wind". Zephyros was the Greek god of the west wind.

From the name of the flower, which was itself named for the German botanist Johann Zinn.

From Arabic زُهْرَة‎ (zuhra, “Venus (the planet)”). Cognate with Uzbek Zuhra, Uyghur زوھرە‎ (zohre).

Urdu form of Zohreh.