MuffinyPuffiny15's Personal Name List
Abel
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Georgian, Armenian, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek [1]
Other Scripts: აბელ(Georgian) Աբել(Armenian) הֶבֶל(Ancient Hebrew) Ἄβελ, Ἅβελ(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: AY-bəl(English) A-BEHL(French) a-BEHL(Spanish, European Portuguese) a-BEW(Brazilian Portuguese) A-bəl(Dutch) ah-BEHL(Eastern Armenian) ah-PEHL(Western Armenian)
From the Hebrew name
הֶבֶל (Hevel) meaning
"breath". In the
Old Testament he is the second son of
Adam and
Eve, murdered out of envy by his brother
Cain. In England, this name came into use during the Middle Ages, and it was common during the
Puritan era.
Ace 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: AYS
From the English word meaning "highest rank". More commonly a nickname, it is occasionally used as a given name.
Adler
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: AD-lər
From a German surname meaning "eagle".
Adriel
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical, Biblical Hebrew [1]
Other Scripts: עַדְרִיאֵל(Ancient Hebrew)
Alan
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Scottish, Breton, French, Polish
Pronounced: AL-ən(English) A-lahn(Breton) A-LAHN(French)
The meaning of this name is not known for certain. It was used in Brittany at least as early as the 6th century, and it possibly means either
"little rock" or
"handsome" in Breton. Alternatively, it may derive from the tribal name of the Alans, an Iranian people who migrated into Europe in the 4th and 5th centuries.
This was the name of several dukes of Brittany, and Breton settlers introduced it to England after the Norman Conquest. Famous modern bearers include Alan Shepard (1923-1998), the first American in space and the fifth man to walk on the moon, and Alan Turing (1912-1954), a British mathematician and computer scientist.
Alban
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German, French, Albanian, English (Rare)
Pronounced: AL-ban(German) AL-BAHN(French) AL-bən(English) AWL-bən(English)
From the Roman
cognomen Albanus, which meant
"from Alba". Alba (from Latin
albus "white") was the name of various places within the Roman Empire, including the city Alba Longa. This name was borne by
Saint Alban, the first British martyr (4th century). According to tradition, he sheltered a fugitive priest in his house. When his house was searched, he disguised himself as the priest, was arrested in his stead, and was beheaded. Another 4th-century martyr by this name was Saint Alban of Mainz.
As an English name, Alban was occasionally used in the Middle Ages and was revived in the 18th century, though it is now uncommon.
Albin
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Swedish, French, English, Slovene, Polish
Pronounced: AL-bin(Swedish, English) AL-BEHN(French) AL-been(Polish)
Form of
Albinus in several languages.
Alessio
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: a-LEHS-syo
Alexander
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Hungarian, Slovak, Biblical, Ancient Greek (Latinized), Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Ἀλέξανδρος(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: al-ig-ZAN-dər(English) a-leh-KSAN-du(German) a-lehk-SAHN-dər(Dutch) a-lehk-SAN-dehr(Swedish, Latin) A-lehk-san-tehr(Icelandic) AW-lehk-sawn-dehr(Hungarian) A-lehk-san-dehr(Slovak)
Latinized form of the Greek name
Ἀλέξανδρος (Alexandros), which meant
"defending men" from Greek
ἀλέξω (alexo) meaning "to defend, help" and
ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man" (genitive
ἀνδρός). In Greek
mythology this was another name of the hero
Paris, and it also belongs to several characters in the
New Testament. However, the most famous bearer was Alexander the Great, king of Macedon. In the 4th century BC he built a huge empire out of Greece, Egypt, Persia, and parts of India. Due to his fame, and later medieval tales involving him, use of his name spread throughout Europe.
The name has been used by kings of Scotland, Poland and Yugoslavia, emperors of Russia, and eight popes. Other notable bearers include English poet Alexander Pope (1688-1744), American statesman Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804), Scottish-Canadian explorer Alexander MacKenzie (1764-1820), Russian poet Alexander Pushkin (1799-1837), and Alexander Graham Bell (1847-1922), the Scottish-Canadian-American inventor of the telephone.
Alfred
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Polish, Dutch, Albanian
Pronounced: AL-frəd(English) AL-FREHD(French) AL-freht(German, Polish) AHL-frət(Dutch)
Means
"elf counsel", derived from the Old English name
Ælfræd, composed of the elements
ælf "elf" and
ræd "counsel, advice". Alfred the Great was a 9th-century king of Wessex who fought unceasingly against the Danes living in northeastern England. He was also a scholar, and he translated many Latin books into Old English. His fame helped to ensure the usage of this name even after the
Norman Conquest, when most Old English names were replaced by Norman ones. It became rare by the end of the Middle Ages, but was revived in the 18th century.
Famous bearers include the British poet Alfred Tennyson (1809-1892), the Swedish inventor and Nobel Prize founder Alfred Nobel (1833-1896), and the British-American film director Alfred Hitchcock (1899-1980).
Anders
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
Pronounced: AN-desh(Swedish) AHN-nəsh(Norwegian) AHN-us(Danish)
Scandinavian form of
Andreas (see
Andrew). A famous bearer was the Swedish physicist Anders Jonas Ångström (1814-1874).
Andrew
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Biblical
Pronounced: AN-droo(English)
English form of the Greek name
Ἀνδρέας (Andreas), which was derived from
ἀνδρεῖος (andreios) meaning
"manly, masculine", a derivative of
ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man". In the
New Testament the apostle Andrew, the first disciple to join
Jesus, is the brother of
Simon Peter. According to tradition, he later preached in the Black Sea region, with some legends saying he was crucified on an X-shaped cross.
Andrew, being a Greek name, was probably only a nickname or a translation of his real Hebrew name, which is not known.
This name has been common (in various spellings) throughout the Christian world, and it became very popular in the Middle Ages. Saint Andrew is regarded as the patron of Scotland, Russia, Greece and Romania. The name has been borne by three kings of Hungary, American president Andrew Jackson (1767-1845), and, more recently, English composer Andrew Lloyd Webber (1948-).
Ansel
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: AN-səl
From an English surname that was derived from the given name
Anselm. A famous bearer was American photographer Ansel Adams (1902-1984).
Antonin
Gender: Masculine
Usage: French
Pronounced: AHN-TAW-NEHN
French form of
Antoninus. This name was borne by the French playwright Antonin Artaud (1896-1948).
Archibald
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Scottish, English
Pronounced: AHR-chi-bawld
Derived from the Germanic name
Ercanbald, composed of the elements
erkan meaning "pure, holy, genuine" and
bald meaning "bold, brave". The first element was altered due to the influence of Greek names beginning with the element
ἀρχός (archos) meaning "master". The
Normans brought this name to England. It first became common in Scotland in the Middle Ages (sometimes used to Anglicize the Gaelic name
Gilleasbuig, for unknown reasons).
Arne 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
Pronounced: AHR-neh(Swedish) AH-nə(Danish)
Originally an Old Norse short form of names beginning with the element
ǫrn meaning
"eagle".
Arsène
Gender: Masculine
Usage: French
Pronounced: AR-SEHN
Arsenio
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Spanish, Italian
Pronounced: ar-SEH-nyo
Arturo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian, Spanish
Pronounced: ar-TOO-ro
Italian and Spanish form of
Arthur.
Aslan
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Turkish, Kazakh, Azerbaijani, Chechen, Ossetian, Circassian, Literature
Other Scripts: Аслан(Kazakh, Chechen, Ossetian) Аслъан(Western Circassian) Аслъэн(Eastern Circassian)
Pronounced: as-LAN(Turkish)
From Turkic arslan meaning "lion". This was a byname or title borne by several medieval Turkic rulers, including the Seljuk sultan Alp Arslan (a byname meaning "brave lion") who drove the Byzantines from Anatolia in the 11th century. The author C. S. Lewis later used the name Aslan for the main protagonist (a lion) in his Chronicles of Narnia series of books, first appearing in 1950.
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.
Baxter
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: BAK-stər
From an occupational surname that meant
"(female) baker", from Old English
bæcere and a feminine agent suffix.
Beau
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Dutch (Modern)
Pronounced: BO
Means
"beautiful, handsome" in French. It has been used as a given name since the middle of the 20th century. In Margaret Mitchell's novel
Gone with the Wind (1936) this is the name of Ashley and Melanie's son.
Although this is a grammatically masculine adjective in French, it is given to girls as well as boys in Britain and the Netherlands. In America it is more exclusively masculine. It is not commonly used as a name in France itself.
Bentley
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: BENT-lee
From a surname that was from a place name, itself derived from Old English
beonet "bent grass" and
leah "woodland, clearing". Various towns in England bear this name.
Bill
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: BIL
Short form of
William. This spelling was not commonly used before the 19th century. The change in the initial consonant may have been influenced by an earlier Irish pronunciation of the name. Famous bearers include basketball player Bill Russell (1934-2022), comedian Bill Cosby (1937-), American president Bill Clinton (1946-), and Microsoft founder Bill Gates (1955-), all of whom were born with the name
William.
Briar
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: BRIE-ər
From the English word for the thorny plant.
Briscoe
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: BRIS-ko
From an English surname that was derived from a place name meaning "birch wood" in Old Norse.
Burton
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: BUR-tən(American English) BU-tən(British English)
From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "fortified town" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was Richard Burton (1821-1890), an explorer of Africa and Asia.
Byron
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: BIE-rən
From a surname that was originally from a place name meaning "place of the cow sheds" in Old English. This was the surname of the romantic poet Lord Byron (1788-1824), the writer of Don Juan and many other works.
Caleb
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Biblical
Other Scripts: כָּלֵב(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced: KAY-ləb(English)
Most likely related to Hebrew
כֶּלֶב (kelev) meaning
"dog" [1]. An alternate theory connects it to Hebrew
כֹּל (kol) meaning "whole, all of"
[2] and
לֵב (lev) meaning "heart"
[3]. In the
Old Testament this is the name of one of the twelve spies sent by
Moses into Canaan. Of the Israelites who left Egypt with Moses, Caleb and
Joshua were the only ones who lived to see the Promised Land.
As an English name, Caleb came into use after the Protestant Reformation. It was common among the Puritans, who introduced it to America in the 17th century.
Carl
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, English
Pronounced: KARL(German) KAHL(Swedish, Danish) KAHRL(English)
German and Scandinavian variant of
Karl (see
Charles). Noteworthy bearers of the name include the Swedish biologist Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778), who founded modern taxonomy, the German mathematician Carl Gauss (1777-1855), who made contributions to number theory and algebra as well as physics and astronomy, and the Swiss psychologist Carl Jung (1875-1961), who founded analytical psychology. It was imported to America in the 19th century by German immigrants.
Carlisle
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: kahr-LIEL
From a surname that was derived from the name of a city in northern England. The city was originally called by the Romans
Luguvalium meaning "stronghold of
Lugus". Later the Brythonic element
ker "fort" was appended to the name of the city.
Carter
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: KAHR-tər
From an English surname that meant "one who uses a cart". A famous bearer of the surname is former American president Jimmy Carter (1924-).
Célestin
Gender: Masculine
Usage: French
Pronounced: SEH-LEHS-TEHN
Chet
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: CHEHT
Clark
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: KLAHRK
From an English surname meaning "cleric" or "scribe", from Old English clerec originally meaning "priest". A famous bearer of the surname was William Clark (1770-1838), an explorer of the west of North America. As a first name it was borne by the American actor Clark Gable (1901-1960), as well as the comic book character Clark Kent, the mild-mannered alter ego of Superman, first created 1938.
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.
Colm
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish
Corbin
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: KAWR-bin
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].
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.
Craig
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Scottish, English
Pronounced: KRAYG(English)
From a Scottish surname that was derived from Gaelic creag meaning "crag, rocks, outcrop", originally indicating a person who lived near a crag.
Dario
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian, Croatian
Pronounced: DA-ryo(Italian) DA-ree-o(Croatian)
Dietrich
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German
Pronounced: DEET-rikh
German form of
Theodoric. The character Dietrich von Bern, loosely based on Theodoric the Great, appears in medieval German literature such as the
Hildebrandslied, the
Nibelungenlied and the
Eckenlied.
Dillon
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: DIL-ən
Variant of
Dylan based on the spelling of the surname
Dillon, which has an unrelated origin.
Easton
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: EES-tən
From an English surname that was derived from place names meaning "east town" in Old English.
Elisha
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical, Biblical Hebrew [1]
Other Scripts: אֱלִישַׁע(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced: i-LIE-shə(English)
From the Hebrew name
אֱלִישַׁע (ʾElishaʿ), a contracted form of
אֱלִישׁוּעַ (ʾElishuaʿ) meaning
"my God is salvation", derived from
אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God" and
יָשַׁע (yashaʿ) meaning "to save, to deliver". According to the
Old Testament, Elisha was a prophet and miracle worker. He was the attendant of
Elijah and succeeded him after his ascension to heaven.
Emiliano
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Spanish, Italian, Portuguese
Pronounced: eh-mee-LYA-no(Spanish, Italian)
Spanish, Italian and Portuguese form of the Roman
cognomen Aemilianus, which was itself derived from the family name
Aemilius (see
Emil). This was the name of a 6th-century Spanish
saint.
Emmerich
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German, Germanic [1]
Pronounced: EH-mə-rikh(German)
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.
Ennis
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
From an Irish surname that was derived from inis meaning "island".
Eren
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Turkish
Pronounced: eh-REHN
Means
"saint, holy person" in Turkish.
Ernest
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, Catalan, Polish, Slovak, Slovene
Pronounced: UR-nist(English) EHR-NEST(French) ər-NEST(Catalan) EHR-nest(Polish)
Derived from Old High German
ernust meaning
"serious, earnest". It was introduced to England by the German House of Hanover when they inherited the British throne in the 18th century, though it did not become common until the following century. The American author and adventurer Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961) was a famous bearer of the name. It was also used by Oscar Wilde for a character in his comedy
The Importance of Being Earnest (1895).
Ernie
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: UR-nee
Eugene
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: YOO-jeen, yoo-JEEN
English form of
Eugenius, the Latin form of the Greek name
Εὐγένιος (Eugenios), which was derived from the Greek word
εὐγενής (eugenes) meaning
"well born". It is composed of the elements
εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and
γενής (genes) meaning "born". This was the name of several
saints and four popes.
This name was not particularly common in Western Europe during the Middle Ages. It became more popular in part due to the fame of Prince Eugene of Savoy (1663-1736), a French-born general who served the Austrian Empire. A notable bearer was the American playwright Eugene O'Neill (1888-1953).
Ezio
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: EHT-tsyo
Ezra
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Hebrew, Biblical
Other Scripts: עֶזְרָא(Hebrew)
Pronounced: EHZ-rə(English)
Means
"help" in Hebrew. Ezra is a prophet of the
Old Testament and the author of the Book of Ezra. It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the
Protestant Reformation. The American poet Ezra Pound (1885-1972) was a famous bearer.
Fabio
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian, Spanish
Pronounced: FA-byo
Italian and Spanish form of
Fabius.
Filip
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Czech, Slovak, Bulgarian, Polish, Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Macedonian, Romanian, Finnish
Other Scripts: Филип(Bulgarian, Serbian, Macedonian)
Pronounced: FEE-lip(Dutch) FI-lip(Czech) FEE-leep(Slovak, Polish, Croatian, Serbian, Romanian, Finnish)
Form of
Philip in various languages.
Finley
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: FIN-lee
Variant of
Finlay. This is by far the preferred spelling in the United States, where it has lately been more common as a feminine name.
Fisher
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: FISH-ər
From an English surname meaning "fisherman".
Foster 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: FAWS-tər
Francesco
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: fran-CHEHS-ko
Italian form of
Franciscus (see
Francis). Francesco Petrarca (1304-1374) was an Italian Renaissance poet, usually known in English as Petrarch.
Frederick
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: FREHD-ə-rik, FREHD-rik
English form of an Old German name meaning
"peaceful ruler", derived from
fridu "peace" and
rih "ruler, king". This name has long been common in continental Germanic-speaking regions, being borne by rulers of the Holy Roman Empire, Germany, Austria, Scandinavia, and Prussia. Notables among these rulers include the 12th-century Holy Roman emperor and crusader Frederick I Barbarossa, the 13th-century emperor and patron of the arts Frederick II, and the 18th-century Frederick II of Prussia, known as Frederick the Great.
The Normans brought the name to England in the 11th century but it quickly died out. It was reintroduced by the German House of Hanover when they inherited the British throne in the 18th century. A famous bearer was Frederick Douglass (1818-1895), an American ex-slave who became a leading advocate of abolition.
Garfield
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: GAHR-feeld
From a surname meaning "triangle field" in Old English. A famous bearer was American president James A. Garfield (1831-1881). It is now associated with the cat in Jim Davis's cartoon strip Garfield.
Garland
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: GAHR-lənd
From a surname meaning "triangle land" from Old English gara and land. The surname originally belonged to a person who owned a triangle-shaped piece of land.
Gerard
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Dutch, Catalan, Polish
Pronounced: ji-RAHRD(American English) JEHR-əd(British English) GHEH-rahrt(Dutch) zhə-RART(Catalan) GEH-rart(Polish)
Derived from the Old German element
ger meaning "spear" combined with
hart meaning "hard, firm, brave, hardy". This name was borne by
saints from Belgium, Germany, Hungary and Italy. The
Normans introduced it to Britain. It was initially much more common there than the similar name
Gerald [1], with which it was often confused, but it is now less common.
Gibson
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: GIB-sən
From an English surname meaning
"son of Gib".
Gonzalo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: gon-THA-lo(European Spanish) gon-SA-lo(Latin American Spanish)
From the medieval name
Gundisalvus, which was the Latin form of a Germanic (possibly Visigothic or Suebi) name composed of
gunda "war" and maybe
salba "salve, ointment",
salo "dark, dusky" or
sal "house, hall" (with the spelling perhaps influenced by Latin
salvus "safe").
Saint Gonzalo was an 11th-century bishop of Mondoñedo in Galicia, Spain.
Grover
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: GRO-vər
From an English surname derived from Old English graf meaning "grove of trees". A famous bearer was the American president Grover Cleveland (1837-1908), who popularized the name in the United States at the end of the 19th century. The name is now associated with a muppet character from the children's television program Sesame Street.
Hänsel
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German (Archaic)
German
diminutive of
Hans, best known from the fairytale
Hänsel und Gretel.
Harlan
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: HAHR-lən
From a surname that was from a place name meaning "hare land" in Old English. In America it has sometimes been given in honour of Supreme Court justice John Marshall Harlan (1833-1911).
Heath
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: HEETH
From an English surname that denoted one who lived on a heath. It was popularized as a given name by the character Heath Barkley from the 1960s television series
The Big Valley [1].
Hedley
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: HEHD-lee
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "heather clearing" in Old English.
Holden
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: HOL-dən
From a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "deep valley" in Old English. This is the name of the main character in J. D. Salinger's novel The Catcher in the Rye (1951), Holden Caulfield.
Horatio
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: hə-RAY-shee-o, hə-RAY-sho
Variant of
Horatius. Shakespeare used it for a character in his tragedy
Hamlet (1600). It was borne by the British admiral Horatio Nelson (1758-1805), famous for his defeat of Napoleon's forces in the Battle of Trafalgar, in which he was himself killed. Since his time the name has been occasionally used in his honour.
Howard
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: HOW-ərd
From an English surname that can derive from several different sources: the Anglo-Norman given name
Huard, which was from the Germanic name
Hughard; the Anglo-Scandinavian given name
Haward, from the Old Norse name
Hávarðr; or the Middle English term
ewehirde meaning "ewe herder". This is the surname of a British noble family, members of which have held the title Duke of Norfolk from the 15th century to the present. A famous bearer of the given name was the American industrialist Howard Hughes (1905-1976).
Huey
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: HYOO-ee
Hugh
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: HYOO
From the Germanic name
Hugo, derived from Old Frankish
hugi or Old High German
hugu meaning
"mind, thought, spirit" (Proto-Germanic *
hugiz). It was common among Frankish and French nobility, being borne by Hugh Capet, a 10th-century king of France who founded the Capetian dynasty. The
Normans brought the name to England and it became common there, even more so after the time of the 12th-century bishop
Saint Hugh of Lincoln, who was known for his charity. This was also the name of kings of Cyprus and the crusader kingdom of Jerusalem. The name is used in Ireland and Scotland as the Anglicized form of
Aodh and
Ùisdean.
Humphrey
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: HUM-free
From the Old German elements
hun "bear cub" and
fridu "peace". The
Normans introduced this name to England, where it replaced the Old English
cognate Hunfrith, and it was regularly used through the Middle Ages. A famous bearer was the American actor Humphrey Bogart (1899-1957), who starred in
The Maltese Falcon and
Casablanca.
Idris 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Malay, Indonesian
Other Scripts: إدريس(Arabic)
Pronounced: eed-REES(Arabic) EE-drees(Malay, Indonesian)
Possibly means
"interpreter, teacher" in Arabic, related to the root
درس (darasa) meaning "to study, to learn". According to the
Quran this was the name of an ancient prophet. He is traditionally equated with the Hebrew prophet
Enoch.
Ike
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: IEK
Diminutive of
Isaac. This was the nickname of the American president Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969), based on the initial sound of his surname.
Ingram
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Germanic [1][2][3], English (Rare)
Pronounced: ING-grəm(English)
Germanic name composed of either the element
angil, from the name of the Germanic tribe of the Angles, or
engil meaning "angel" combined with
hram meaning "raven". This name was brought to England by the
Normans, though it died out after the medieval era. These days it is usually inspired by the surname that was derived from the medieval name.
Jaden
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: JAY-dən
An invented name, using the popular
den suffix sound found in such names as
Braden,
Hayden and
Aidan. This name first became common in America in the 1990s when similar-sounding names were increasing in popularity. The spelling
Jayden has been more popular since 2003. It is sometimes considered a variant of the biblical name
Jadon.
Jason
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, Greek Mythology (Anglicized), Biblical
Other Scripts: Ἰάσων(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: JAY-sən(English) ZHA-ZAWN(French)
From the Greek name
Ἰάσων (Iason) meaning
"healer", derived from Greek
ἰάομαι (iaomai) meaning "to heal". In Greek
mythology Jason was the leader of the Argonauts. After his uncle
Pelias overthrew his father
Aeson as king of Iolcos, Jason went in search of the Golden Fleece in order to win back the throne. During his journeys he married the sorceress
Medea, who helped him gain the fleece and kill his uncle, but who later turned against him when he fell in love with another woman.
This name also appears in the New Testament, belonging to man who sheltered Paul and Silas. In his case, it may represent a Hellenized form of a Hebrew name. It was not used in England until after the Protestant Reformation.
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.
Jett
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: JEHT
From the English word jet, which denotes either a jet aircraft or an intense black colour (the words derive from different sources).
Joakim
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Serbian, Macedonian
Other Scripts: Јоаким(Serbian, Macedonian)
Pronounced: YOO-a-kim(Swedish, Norwegian, Danish) YO-ah-keem(Finnish) YAW-a-keem(Macedonian)
Scandinavian, Macedonian and Serbian form of
Joachim.
Jules 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: French
Pronounced: ZHUYL
French form of
Julius. A notable bearer of this name was the French novelist Jules Verne (1828-1905), author of
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and other works of science fiction.
Kaiser
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Various
German form of the Roman title
Caesar (see
Caesar). It is not used as a given name in Germany itself.
Keir
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Scottish
From a surname that was a variant of
Kerr.
Kenneth
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Scottish, English, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian
Pronounced: KEHN-əth(English)
Anglicized form of both
Coinneach and
Cináed. This name was borne by the Scottish king Kenneth (Cináed) mac Alpin, who united the Scots and Picts in the 9th century. It was popularized outside of Scotland by Walter Scott, who used it for the hero in his 1825 novel
The Talisman [1]. A famous bearer was the British novelist Kenneth Grahame (1859-1932), who wrote
The Wind in the Willows.
Kimmo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Finnish
Meaning unknown. It was popularized by Eino Leino's poem Kimmo's Revenge (1902).
Kingston
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: KINGZ-tən
From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "king's town" in Old English. This name rose significantly on the popularity charts after musicians Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale used it for their son born 2006.
Larkin
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Medieval English
Pronounced: LAHR-kin(English)
Lenny
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: LEHN-ee
Leonardo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
Pronounced: leh-o-NAR-do(Italian) lee-ə-NAHR-do(English) leh-o-NAR-dho(Spanish)
Italian, Spanish and Portuguese form of
Leonard. A notable bearer was Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), an Italian artist and scientist of the Renaissance. He is known as the inventor of several contraptions, including flying machines, as well as the painter of the
Mona Lisa. Another famous bearer was Leonardo Fibonacci, a 13th-century Italian mathematician. A more recent bearer is American actor Leonardo DiCaprio (1974-).
Lino 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Galician
Pronounced: LEE-no(Italian, Spanish) LEE-nuw(Galician)
Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and Galician form of
Linus.
Louka
Gender: Masculine
Usage: French (Modern)
Luca 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian, Romanian
Pronounced: LOO-ka
Italian and Romanian form of
Lucas (see
Luke). This name was borne by Luca della Robbia, a Renaissance sculptor from Florence.
Ludwig
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German
Pronounced: LOOT-vikh
From the Germanic name
Hludwig meaning
"famous in battle", composed of the elements
hlut "famous, loud" and
wig "war, battle". This was the name of three Merovingian kings of the Franks (though their names are usually spelled as
Clovis) as well as several Carolingian kings and Holy Roman emperors (names often spelled in the French form
Louis). Other famous bearers include the German composer Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) and the Austrian philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951), who contributed to logic and the philosophy of language.
Lupin
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Modern, Rare)
Pronounced: LOO-pin
Transferred use of the surname
Lupin. Fictional bearers of the surname are Arsène Lupin, a gentleman thief turned detective extraordinaire in novels by French writer Maurice Leblanc (introduced in 1905), and Remus Lupin, a werewolf in the
Harry Potter book series written by J. K. Rowling (introduced in 1999).
Marinko
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Croatian, Serbian
Other Scripts: Маринко(Serbian)
Marlin
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: MAHR-lin
Martin
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Estonian, Russian, Romanian, Czech, Slovak, Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, Hungarian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Finnish
Other Scripts: Мартин, Мартын(Russian) Мартин(Serbian, Bulgarian, Macedonian)
Pronounced: MAHR-tin(English) MAR-TEHN(French) MAR-teen(German, Slovak) MAT-in(Swedish) MAHT-tin(Norwegian) MAH-tseen(Danish) MAR-kyin(Czech) MAWR-teen(Hungarian) mar-TIN(Bulgarian) MAHR-teen(Finnish)
From the Roman name
Martinus, which was derived from
Martis, the genitive case of the name of the Roman god
Mars.
Saint Martin of Tours was a 4th-century bishop who is the patron saint of France. According to legend, he came across a cold beggar in the middle of winter so he ripped his cloak in two and gave half of it to the beggar. He was a favourite saint during the Middle Ages, and his name has become common throughout the Christian world.
An influential bearer of the name was Martin Luther (1483-1546), the theologian who began the Protestant Reformation. The name was also borne by five popes (two of them more commonly known as Marinus). Other more recent bearers include the German philosopher Martin Heidegger (1889-1976), the American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968), and the American filmmaker Martin Scorsese (1942-).
Mathis
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German, French
Pronounced: MA-tis(German) MA-TEES(French)
Matteo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: mat-TEH-o
Maurice
Gender: Masculine
Usage: French, English
Pronounced: MAW-REES(French) maw-REES(English) MAWR-is(English)
From the Roman name
Mauritius, a derivative of
Maurus.
Saint Maurice was a 3rd-century Roman soldier from Egypt. He and the other Christians in his legion were supposedly massacred on the orders of Emperor Maximian for refusing to worship Roman gods. Thus, he is the patron saint of infantry soldiers.
This name was borne by a 6th-century Byzantine emperor. Another notable bearer was Maurice of Nassau (called Maurits in Dutch), a 17th-century prince of Orange who helped establish the Dutch Republic. The name has been used in England since the Norman Conquest, usually in the spelling Morris or Moris.
Mervyn
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Welsh, English
Pronounced: MUR-vin(English)
Welsh variant of
Merfyn, as well as the usual Anglicized form.
Millard
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: MIL-ərd
From an occupational English surname meaning "guardian of the mill" in Old English.
Milton
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Spanish (Latin American)
Pronounced: MIL-tən(English) MEEL-ton(Spanish)
From an English surname that was derived from a place name meaning "mill town" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was John Milton (1608-1674), the poet who wrote Paradise Lost.
Mordecai
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical, Hebrew
Other Scripts: מָרְדֳּכַי, מָרְדְּכַי(Hebrew)
Pronounced: MAWR-də-kie(English)
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.
Murphy
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: MUR-fee
From a common Irish surname, the Anglicized form of Irish Gaelic
Ó Murchadha, itself derived from the given name
Murchadh. As a given name, it has been borne by female characters on the American television series
Murphy Brown (1988-1998) and the movie
Interstellar (2014).
Nelson
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Spanish
Pronounced: NEHL-sən(English) NEHL-son(Spanish)
From an English surname meaning
"son of Neil". It was originally given in honour of the British admiral Horatio Nelson (1758-1805). His most famous battle was the Battle of Trafalgar, in which he destroyed a combined French and Spanish fleet, but was himself killed. Another notable bearer was the South African statesman Nelson Mandela (1918-2013). Mandela's birth name was
Rolihlahla; as a child he was given the English name
Nelson by a teacher.
Nero 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Roman
Pronounced: NEH-ro(Latin) NIR-o(English)
Roman
cognomen, which was probably of Sabine origin meaning
"strong, vigorous". It was used by a prominent branch of the gens Claudia starting from the 3rd century BC. It was borne most famously by a Roman emperor of the 1st century, remembered as a tyrant. His birth name was Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, but after he was adopted as the heir of
Claudius his name became Nero Claudius Caesar Drusus Germanicus.
Niall
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish, Old Irish [1]
Pronounced: NYEEL(Irish)
Norton
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: NAWR-tən
From a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "north town" in Old English.
Oakley
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: OK-lee
From an English surname that was from various place names meaning "oak clearing" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was the American sharpshooter Annie Oakley (1860-1926).
Pierre
Gender: Masculine
Usage: French, Swedish
Pronounced: PYEHR(French)
French form of
Peter. This name has been consistently popular in France since the 13th century, but fell out of the top 100 names in 2017. It was borne by the philosopher and theologian Pierre Abélard (1079-1142), the scholar Pierre-Simon Laplace (1749-1827), the impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919), and Pierre Curie (1859-1906), a physicist who discovered radioactivity with his wife Marie.
Pio
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian, Portuguese (Rare)
Pronounced: PEE-o(Italian)
Italian and Portuguese form of
Pius.
Ralph
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, German, Swedish
Pronounced: RALF(English, German) RAYF(British English)
Contracted form of the Old Norse name
Ráðúlfr (or its Norman form
Radulf). Scandinavian settlers introduced it to England before the
Norman Conquest, though afterwards it was bolstered by Norman influence. In the Middle Ages it was variously spelled
Rauf,
Rafe or
Ralf reflecting the usual pronunciation. The
Ralph spelling became more common in the 18th century. A famous bearer of the name was Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), an American poet and author who wrote on transcendentalism.
Ramses
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Egyptian (Anglicized, Latinized)
Pronounced: RAM-seez(English) RAM-zeez(English)
Ritchie
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: RICH-ee
Robbie
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: RAHB-ee
Ron 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: RAHN
Ronald
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Scottish, English, Dutch, German
Pronounced: RAHN-əld(English) RO-nahlt(Dutch)
Scottish form of
Ragnvaldr, a name introduced to Britain by Scandinavian settlers and invaders. It became popular outside Scotland during the 20th century. A famous bearer was the American actor and president Ronald Reagan (1911-2004). It is also associated with Ronald McDonald, the clown mascot for the McDonald's chain of restaurants, first appearing in 1963.
Rowan
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish, English (Modern)
Pronounced: RO-ən(English)
Anglicized form of the Irish name
Ruadhán. As an English name, it can also be derived from the surname Rowan, itself derived from the Irish given name. It could also be given in reference to the rowan tree, a word of Old Norse origin (coincidentally sharing the same Indo-European root meaning "red" with the Irish name).
Sage
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: SAYJ
From the English word sage, which denotes either a type of spice or else a wise person.
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).
Slade
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: SLAYD
From an English surname that was derived from Old English slæd meaning "valley".
Spike
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: SPIEK
From a nickname that may have originally been given to a person with spiky hair.
Stephan
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German, Dutch
Pronounced: SHTEH-fan(German) STEH-fahn(Dutch)
Steve
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: STEEV
Short form of
Steven. A notable bearer was American technology entrepreneur Steve Jobs (1955-2011).
Tanner
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: TAN-ər
From an English surname meaning "one who tans hides".
Ted
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: TEHD
Short form of
Edward or
Theodore. A famous bearer was the American baseball player Ted Williams (1918-2002), who was born as Theodore.
Thad
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: THAD
Tommy
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: TAHM-ee(American English) TAWM-ee(British English)
Turner
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: TUR-nər
From an English surname for one who worked with a lathe, derived from Old English turnian "to turn", of Latin origin.
Vance
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: VANS
From an English surname that was derived from Old English fenn meaning "marsh, fen".
Wade
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: WAYD
Walker
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: WAWK-ər
From an English surname that referred to the medieval occupational of a walker, also known as a fuller. Walkers would tread on wet, unprocessed wool in order to clean and thicken it. The word ultimately derives from Old English wealcan "to walk".
Wilder
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
From an English surname meaning "wild, untamed, uncontrolled", from Old English wilde.
Zack
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: ZAK
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