Caprice's Personal Name List

Means "we prayed and we received" in Yoruba.

From an English surname that was derived from the given name Edgar.

From the Latin phrase ad astra "to the stars". It may have been inspired by the similar name Adrasta (see Adrasteia).

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

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

French and English form of Adelina.

Variant of Dorestine.

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

French form of Adrasteia.

Scottish Gaelic form of Alexander.

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

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

Derived from Greek ἀλήθεια (aletheia) meaning "truth". This name was coined in the 16th century.

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.

Originally a Norman French nickname, derived from aux gernons "having a moustache", which was applied to William de Percy, a companion of William the Conqueror. It was first used a given name in the 15th century (for a descendant of William de Percy). This name was borne by a character (a mouse) in the short story Flowers for Algernon (1958) and novel of the same title (1966) by the American author Daniel Keyes.

Means "cheerful, lively" in Italian. It was borne by a short-lived illegitimate daughter of Lord Byron (1817-1822).

This name became popular after the Battle of Alma (1854), which took place near the River Alma in Crimea and ended in a victory for Britain and France. However, the name was in rare use before the battle; it was probably inspired by Latin almus "nourishing". It also coincides with the Spanish word meaning "the soul".

Derived from Arabic al "the" and medina "city".

Derived from Italian alta, the feminine form of the adjective alto, meaning "high; deep; big; towering; elevated" and, when used in a poetic context, "grand; sublime; noble" and luna "moon".

A known bearer of this name was Altaluna della Scala, daughter of Mastino II della Scala, a 14th-cenutry lord of Verona, sister of Viridis and wife of Louis V, Duke of Bavaria.

Whether Altalune, the name Uma Thurman gave her daughter born in 2012, is a medieval variant of this name, is still debated.

From the Greek name Ἀλθαία (Althaia), perhaps related to Greek ἄλθος (althos) meaning "healing". In Greek myth she was the mother of Meleager. Soon after her son was born she was told that he would die as soon as a piece of wood that was burning on her fire was fully consumed. She immediately extinguished the piece of wood and sealed it in a chest, but in a fit of rage many years later she took it out and set it alight, thereby killing her son.

From the Greek Ἀμάλθεια (Amaltheia), derived from μαλθάσσω (malthasso) meaning "to soften, to soothe". In Greek myth she was a nymph (in some sources a goat) who nursed the infant Zeus.

French diminutive of Amanda.

Means "wishes" in Arabic, related to the root منا (manā) meaning "to tempt, to put to the test".

French form of Amarantha.

Derived from Greek ἀμαρύσσω (amarysso) meaning "to sparkle". This is the name of a character appearing in Virgil's pastoral poems Eclogues [1]. The amaryllis flower is named for her.

From the Late Latin name Ambrosius, which was derived from the Greek name Ἀμβρόσιος (Ambrosios) meaning "immortal". Saint Ambrose was a 4th-century theologian and bishop of Milan, who is considered a Doctor of the Church. Due to the saint, the name came into general use in Christian Europe, though it was never particularly common in England.

Form of Amyntas used by the Italian poet Torquato Tasso for his play Aminta (1573). In the play Aminta is a shepherd who falls in love with a nymph.

In Latin America this is typically used as a feminine name.

Possibly means "the surrounding sea" or "the surrounding third", from Greek ἀμφίς (amphis) meaning "surrounding, around, between" and the same root found in the name of Triton. In Greek mythology she was a goddess of the sea and salt water, the wife of Poseidon and the mother of Triton.

Derived from Greek ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man" (genitive ἀνδρός) combined with one of the related words μέδομαι (medomai) meaning "to be mindful of, to provide for, to think on" or μέδω (medo) meaning "to protect, to rule over". In Greek mythology Andromeda was an Ethiopian princess rescued from sacrifice by the hero Perseus. A constellation in the northern sky is named for her. This is also the name of a nearby galaxy, given because it resides (from our point of view) within the constellation.

From an English surname that was derived from the given name Anselm. A famous bearer was American photographer Ansel Adams (1902-1984).

From the Greek Ἄνθεια (Antheia), derived from ἄνθος (anthos) meaning "flower, blossom". This was an epithet of the Greek goddess Hera.

Meaning unknown. This name was (first?) used by William Congreve in his comedy The Old Bachelor (1693) and later by John Vanbrugh in his comedy The Confederacy (1705). This was the original given name of abolitionist Harriet Tubman (1820-1913), who was born Araminta Ross.

Spanish, Catalan, Russian and Polish form of Ariadne.

Means "most holy", composed of the Greek prefix ἀρι (ari) meaning "most" combined with Cretan Greek ἀδνός (adnos) meaning "holy". In Greek mythology, Ariadne was the daughter of King Minos. She fell in love with Theseus and helped him to escape the Labyrinth and the Minotaur, but was later abandoned by him. Eventually she married the god Dionysus.

Derived from Welsh arian "silver" and gwen "white, blessed". This was the name of a 5th-century Welsh saint, one of the supposed daughters of Brychan Brycheiniog.

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

Meaning uncertain. It was perhaps inspired by the fictional place name Arlo Hill from the poem The Faerie Queene (1590) by Edmund Spenser. Spenser probably got Arlo by altering the real Irish place name Aherlow, meaning "between two highlands".

Feminine form of Armel.

Probably created by the 16th-century Italian poet Torquato Tasso for his epic poem Jerusalem Delivered (1580). In the poem Armida is a beautiful enchantress who bewitches many of the crusaders.

Meaning unknown, possibly related either to Greek ἀρτεμής (artemes) meaning "safe" or ἄρταμος (artamos) meaning "a butcher". Artemis was the Greek goddess of the moon and hunting, the twin of Apollo and the daughter of Zeus and Leto. She was known as Diana to the Romans.

Feminine form of Artemisios. This was the name of the 4th-century BC builder of the Mausoleum, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. She built it in memory of her husband, the Carian prince Mausolus.

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.

Derived from Icelandic ást meaning "affection, love, devotion" and rós "rose". This is a modern coinage, perhaps inspired by the similar name Ástríður (the Icelandic form of Ástríðr), in which the first element is a form of Old Norse áss "god", which in proper names becomes Ást- when it precedes the liquid r (this according to the Viking Answer Lady).

French form of Athenais.

French diminutive of Aude.

Means "dawn" in Latin. Aurora was the Roman goddess of the morning. It has occasionally been used as a given name since the Renaissance.

Means "madonna lily" in Spanish.

English form of Barnabas, originally a medieval vernacular form.

Short form of Sébastien.

French feminine form of Bernard. Bernadette Soubirous (1844-1879) was a young woman from Lourdes in France who claimed to have seen visions of the Virgin Mary. She was declared a saint in 1933.

Short form of Abraham. This name was borne by Bram Stoker (1847-1912), the Irish author who wrote Dracula.

Variant of Bramwell. A famous namesake is Patrick Branwell Brontë, brother of the famous Brontë sisters.

Means "white raven" from Old Welsh bran "raven" and gwen "white, blessed". According to the Second Branch of the Mabinogi [1] she was the daughter of Llŷr. After she was mistreated by her husband Matholwch, the king of Ireland, she managed to get a message to her brother Brân, the king of Britain. Brân launched a costly invasion to rescue her, but she died of grief shortly after her return.

Variant of Brianne. This is the name of a character in George R. R. Martin's 'A Song of Ice and Fire' series, as well as the TV show based on the books 'Game of Thrones'. Martin did not originate this form, though, for it was in use in the United States well before the first book in the series was published in 1996.

This name can refer either to the region in France, the wine (which derives from the name of the region), or the colour (which derives from the name of the wine).

An "ornamental passage near the close of a song or solo," 1780, from Italian cadenza "conclusion of a movement in music." See also Cadence.

From the Latin name of Scotland, itself derived from Caledones, the Latin name of a tribe that inhabited the region during the Roman era, which is of unknown origin, though it may possibly come from Proto-Celtic *kaletos meaning "hard" and *ɸēdo- meaning "foot", alluding to standfastness or endurance.

Latinized form of Kalliope.

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.

Means "charity" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin Mary, Nuestra Señora de la Caridad, meaning "Our Lady of Charity". This is the name of the patron saint of Cuba, with a shrine located in the town of El Cobre.

Italian form of Charlotte.

Medieval Spanish form of Carmel, appearing in the devotional title of the Virgin Mary Nuestra Señora del Carmen meaning "Our Lady of Mount Carmel". The spelling has been altered through association with the Latin word carmen meaning "song". This was the name of the main character in George Bizet's opera Carmen (1875).

Used by Irish writer Sheridan Le Fanu for the title character of his Gothic novella 'Carmilla' (1872), about a lesbian vampire. Le Fanu probably based the name on Carmella.

French form of Cecilia.

From the name of the flower, which is derived from Greek χελιδών (chelidon) meaning "swallow (bird)".

English form of Caelestinus. It is more commonly used as a feminine name, from the French feminine form Célestine.

French form of Christina, as well as a variant in other languages. It was used by the French author Gaston Leroux for the heroine, Christine Daaé, in his novel The Phantom of the Opera (1910).

This was a popular name in the 20th century (especially the middle decades) in French, German, and English-speaking countries. In the United States Christina has been more common since 1973, though both forms are currently floundering on the charts.

Feminine form of Christoph.

Feminine form of Chrysanthos.

From the English word cinnamon, denoting a type of spice obtained from the bark of several tree species belonging to the genus Cinnamomum. It is derived from Latin cinnamomum "cinnamon", which was also used as a term of endearment. It began to be used in the United States after the debut of the television series Mission: Impossible (1966-1973), which featured the character Cinnamon Carter.

Italian form of Cynthia.

Variant of Citlalli.

Means "arrow stars (meteorites)" in Nahuatl, derived from citlalin "stars" and mina "to shoot, to stab".

Either a French form of Koralia, or a derivative of Latin corallium "coral" (see Coral).

Means "heart" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin Mary Inmaculado Corazón de María meaning "Immaculate Heart of Mary".

From Cordeilla, a name appearing in the 12th-century chronicles [1] of Geoffrey of Monmouth, borne by the youngest of the three daughters of King Leir and the only one to remain loyal to her father. Geoffrey possibly based her name on that of Creiddylad, a character from Welsh legend.

The spelling was later altered to Cordelia when Geoffrey's story was adapted by others, including Edmund Spenser in his poem The Faerie Queene (1590) and Shakespeare in his tragedy King Lear (1606).

French form of Corinna. The French-Swiss author Madame de Staël used it for her novel Corinne (1807).

Meaning uncertain, from the name of a character in medieval legend, possibly first recorded by Spanish writer Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo. Perhaps it was derived from an older form of Spanish corazón "heart" (e.g., Old Spanish coraçon; ultimately from Latin cor "heart", with the hypothetic Vulgar Latin root *coratione, *coraceone) or the Greek name Chrysanthe. As a nickname it was used by a mistress of King Henry IV of France: Diane d'Andoins (1554-1620), la Belle Corisande. Some usage may be generated by Jean-Baptiste Lully's opera Amadis (1684; based on Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo), in which it belongs to the lover of the prince Florestan. The name was also used by Benjamin Disraeli for a character in his play Lothair (1870).

Italian feminine form of Cosimo.

Feminine form of Cosmin.

Derived from the Latin word decem, meaning "ten". December is the twelfth month on the Gregorian calendar. This name is used regularly in America, mostly on females.

The name was first used by Oscar Wilde in his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891), which tells the story of a man whose portrait ages while he stays young. Wilde may have taken it from the name of the ancient Greek tribe the Dorians.

Old French variant of Adelina. It was borne by Edeline Thwenge, a 14th-century heiress of Ripley Castle in North Yorkshire, England. The Edeline Islands of Western Australia are named for Lady Edeline Sackville-West (1870-1918), the wife of Gerald Strickland, 1st Baron Strickland.

Means "snow" in Basque, from edur, a variant of elur "snow". It is an equivalent of Nieves, proposed by the writer Sabino Arana in his 1910 list of Basque saints names.

Means "rich guard", derived from the Old English elements ead "wealth, fortune" and weard "guard". This was the name of several Anglo-Saxon kings, the last being Saint Edward the Confessor shortly before the Norman Conquest in the 11th century. He was known as a just ruler, and because of his popularity his name remained in use after the conquest when most other Old English names were replaced by Norman ones. The 13th-century Plantagenet king Henry III named his son and successor after the saint, and seven subsequent kings of England were also named Edward.

This is one of the few Old English names to be used throughout Europe (in various spellings). A famous bearer was the British composer Edward Elgar (1857-1934). It was also used by author Charlotte Brontë for the character Edward Rochester, the main love interest of the title character in her novel Jane Eyre (1847).

Means "white snow" from the Welsh elements eira "snow" and gwen "white, blessed". This name was created in the early 20th century.

From the name of a Welsh river, also called the Leri, of unknown meaning. This was also the name of a 7th-century Welsh saint (masculine).

Variant of Ellentina.

French form of Alodia.

Means "elm tree" in Cornish. This is a recently coined Cornish name.

From the name of Hamlet's castle, which is an anglicized form of Helsingør, a Danish place name meaning "neck, narrow strait" (see Elsinore). Use of this place name as a feminine personal name is likely due to its similarity to Eleanor and Elsa.

Derived from Welsh eilun meaning "image, likeness, idol". This was the name of a legendary 5th-century Welsh saint, also known as Eiliwedd, one of the supposed daughters of Brychan Brycheiniog.

Derived from Mapuche elun meaning "give".

From the word for the green precious stone, which is the traditional birthstone of May. The emerald supposedly imparts love to the bearer. The word is ultimately from Greek σμάραγδος (smaragdos).

French form of Aemilius (see Emil). This name was borne by the author Émile Zola (1840-1902) and the sociologist Émile Durkheim (1858-1917).

English feminine form of Aemilius (see Emil). In the English-speaking world it was not common until after the German House of Hanover came to the British throne in the 18th century; the princess Amelia Sophia (1711-1786) was commonly known as Emily in English, even though Amelia is an unrelated name.

This name was moderately popular through most of the 20th century, and became very popular around the turn of the 21st century. It was the highest ranked name for girls in the United States from 1996 to 2007, attaining similar levels in other English-speaking countries around the same time.

Famous bearers include the British author Emily Brontë (1818-1848), known for the novel Wuthering Heights, and the American poet Emily Dickinson (1830-1886).

From Old French Emeline, a diminutive of Germanic names beginning with the element amal meaning "unceasing, vigorous, brave". The Normans introduced this name to England.

Diminutive of Emma or Emily.

Anglicized form of Endelienta, the Latin form of a Welsh or Cornish name. It was borne by a 5th or 6th-century Cornish saint whose birth name is lost. According to some traditions she was a daughter of Brychan Brycheiniog (identifying her with Cynheiddon).

Means "dawn" in Greek. This was the name of the Greek goddess of the dawn.

English form of Éponine.

Popularly claimed to mean "lover of flowers" (apparently due to association with Greek eran "to love, to be in love with"), it may actually mean "woolly-haired flower" from the botanical name eriantha, ultimately from Greek ἔριον (erion) "wool" and ανθος (anthos) "flower".

Hungarian form of Elizabeth. This is the native name of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary. It was also borne by the infamous Erzsébet Báthory (1560-1614), a countess and alleged murderer.

Means "emerald" in Spanish and Portuguese. Victor Hugo used this name in his novel The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (1831), in which Esmeralda is the Romani girl who is loved by Quasimodo. It has occasionally been used in the English-speaking world since that time.

Spanish form of the Late Latin name Sperantia, which was derived from sperare "to hope".

Latinized form of Greek Εὐρώπη (Europe), which meant "wide face" from εὐρύς (eurys) meaning "wide" and ὄψ (ops) meaning "face, eye". In Greek mythology Europa was a Phoenician princess who was abducted and taken to Crete by Zeus in the guise of a bull. She became the first queen of Crete, and later fathered Minos by Zeus. The continent of Europe said to be named for her, though it is more likely her name is from that of the continent. This is also the name of a moon of Jupiter.

Means "good news" from Greek εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and ἄγγελμα (angelma) meaning "news, message". It was (first?) used by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in his 1847 epic poem Evangeline [1][2]. It also appears in Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852) as the full name of the character Eva.

This name was used by Victor Hugo for the mother of Cosette in his novel Les Misérables (1862). The name was given to her by a passerby who found the young orphan on the street. Hugo may have intended it to be a derivative of the French word enfant "child".

Means "faith" in Spanish, derived from Latin fides.

Traditionally said to mean "ever good", it might be related to Old Irish feidil "enduring, constant". This was the name of three early kings of Munster. It was also borne by a 6th-century saint, typically called Saint Felim. In Irish legend, it was the name of the father of Deirdre.

Short form of Olufemi.

Anglicized form of Forbflaith.

From the English word for the plant, ultimately from Old English fearn. It has been used as a given name since the late 19th century.

Spanish, Portuguese and Italian feminine form of Ferdinand.

Feminine form of Fidel. It appears in the epic poem The Faerie Queene (1590) belonging to the sister of Speranza.

Feminine form of Flavius.

From the name of the common heraldic charge in the shape of a lily, particularly associated with the French monarchy. It is derived from French fleur de lis meaning "lily flower".

Original feminine form of Florence.

Feminine form of Florentinus.

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

From the Hebrew name גַבְרִיאֵל (Ḡavriʾel) meaning "God is my strong man", derived from גֶּבֶר (gever) meaning "strong man, hero" and אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". Gabriel is an archangel in Hebrew tradition, often appearing as a messenger of God. In the Old Testament he is sent to interpret the visions of the prophet Daniel, while in the New Testament he serves as the announcer of the births of John to Zechariah and Jesus to Mary. According to Islamic tradition he was the angel who dictated the Quran to Muhammad.

This name has been used occasionally in England since the 12th century. It was not common in the English-speaking world until the end of the 20th century.

From the Greek word γαῖα (gaia), a parallel form of γῆ (ge) meaning "earth". In Greek mythology Gaia was the mother goddess who presided over the earth. She was the mate of Uranus and the mother of the Titans and the Cyclopes.

Latinized form of Greek Γαλάτεια (Galateia), probably derived from γάλα (gala) meaning "milk". This was the name of several characters in Greek mythology including a sea nymph who was the daughter of Doris and Nereus and the lover of Acis. According to some sources, this was also the name of the ivory statue carved by Pygmalion that came to life.

From the English word garnet for the precious stone, the birthstone of January. The word is derived from Middle English gernet meaning "dark red".

Italian form of Jasmine.

Means "twins" in Latin. This is the name of the third sign of the zodiac. The two brightest stars in the constellation, Castor and Pollux, are named for the mythological twin sons of Leda.

Medieval Italian nickname meaning "gem, precious stone". It was borne by the wife of the 13th-century Italian poet Dante Alighieri.

Derived from the Old German element gisal meaning "hostage, pledge" (Proto-Germanic *gīslaz). This name may have originally been a descriptive nickname for a child given as a pledge to a foreign court. This was the name of both a sister and daughter of Charlemagne. It was also borne by a daughter of the French king Charles III who married the Norman leader Rollo in the 10th century. Another notable bearer was the 11th-century Gisela of Swabia, wife of the Holy Roman emperor Conrad II.

The name was popular in France during the Middle Ages (the more common French form is Gisèle). Though it became known in the English-speaking world due to Adolphe Adam's ballet Giselle (1841), it was not regularly used until the 20th century.

Italian form of Judith.

Means "white snow" from the Welsh element gwyn meaning "white, blessed" combined with eira meaning "snow". This is a recently created Welsh name.

Short form of Johannes.

Variant of Hesperia.

Possibly a form of Hilda. This name was borne by the last wife of Attila the Hun.

From the English word indigo for the purplish-blue dye or the colour. It is ultimately derived from Greek Ἰνδικόν (Indikon) meaning "Indic, from India".

Variant of Inés.

English form of Íñigo. It became well-known in Britain due to the English architect Inigo Jones (1573-1652). He was named after his father, a Catholic who was named for Saint Ignatius of Loyola.

Truncated form of Elisabetta.

German form of Iseult, appearing in the 13th-century German poem Tristan by Gottfried von Strassburg. In 1865 the German composer Richard Wagner debuted his popular opera Tristan und Isolde and also used the name for his first daughter.

Italian form of Iseult.

Dutch diminutive of Jacomina.

Feminine form of James.

Polish form of Januarius.

japonica is a Neo-Latin word meaning "japanese". As such, it is part of the name of several cultivated plants (e.g., Pieris japonica, Camellia japonica, or Skimmia japonica).

From Latin Gaspar, perhaps from the Biblical Hebrew word גִּזְבָּר (gizbar) meaning "treasurer" [1], derived from Old Persian ganzabarah. This name was traditionally assigned to one of the wise men (also known as the Magi, or three kings) who were said to have visited the newborn Jesus. It has occasionally been used in the English-speaking world since the Middle Ages. The name can also be given in reference to the English word for the gemstone.

Variant form of Jasperina.

Traditionally said to mean "dove", it may actually be related to Hebrew יוֹמָם (yomam) meaning "daytime" [1]. This was the oldest of the three daughters of Job in the Old Testament. As an English name, Jemima first became common during the Puritan era.

Diminutive of Joan 1.

From the English word for the type of flower, derived ultimately from Latin iuncus "reed".

Pet form of June and other names beginning in Jun-.

From the English word for the type of tree, derived ultimately from Latin iuniperus.

Derived from Finnish kastehelmi "dewdrop", ultimately from kaste "dew" and helmi "pearl".

Means "horn" or "ray of light" in Hebrew.

Alternate transcription of Hebrew כִּנֶּרֶת (see Kineret).

Blend of Kristján and the Old Norse element vinr "friend".

Original Latin form of Letitia, as well as a French variant. This name began rising in popularity in France around the same time that Serge Gainsbourg released his 1963 song Elaeudanla Téïtéïa (this title is a phonetic rendering of the letters in the name Lætitia). It peaked in 1982 as the fourth most common name for girls.

From the English word for the type of songbird.

From the English word for the aromatic flower or the pale purple colour.

Latinized form of Leon. Leonis is also the brightest star in the constellation Leo and one of the brightest stars in the night sky.

Feminine form of Leontius.

Means "lion" in Russian and Ukrainian, functioning as a vernacular form of Leo. This was the real Russian name of both author Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910) and revolutionary Leon Trotsky (1879-1940). This is also the name of the main character, Lev Nikolayevich Myshkin, in the novel The Idiot (1868) by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

Dutch variant of Linda.

Either a variant of Lynette or else from the name of the small bird, a type of finch.

Spanish form of Lysandra.

Derived from the Old Norse name Hlíf meaning "protection". Its use has been influenced by the modern Scandinavian word liv meaning "life".

French form of Lucianus.

Feminine form of Lucien.

An elaboration of Lucia created by Cervantes for his novel Don Quixote (1605). It was subsequently used by Molière in his play The Doctor in Spite of Himself (1666).

Means "snow" in Finnish.

Means "the moon" in Latin (as well as Italian, Spanish and other Romance languages). Luna was the Roman goddess of the moon, frequently depicted driving a white chariot through the sky.

Form of Lunete used in the Welsh tale Owain, or the Lady of the Fountain (which was based on Chrétien's poem).

Diminutive of Élisabeth. It is also the French word for "lily".

Short form of Alyssa.

Late Latin name meaning "great". It was borne by a 7th-century saint who was a missionary in Germany. It became popular in Scandinavia after the time of the 11th-century Norwegian king Magnus I, who was said to have been named after Charlemagne, or Carolus Magnus in Latin (however there was also a Norse name Magni). The name was borne by six subsequent kings of Norway as well as three kings of Sweden. It was imported to Scotland and Ireland during the Middle Ages.

French form of Margaret. This is also the French word for the daisy flower (species Leucanthemum vulgare).

Alternate transcription of Greek Μαριάνθη (see Marianthi).

This name is a blend of the names Maria and Lotte.

From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "remnants of a lake" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was the English playwright Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593).

Feminine form of Martinus (see Martin). Saint Martina was a 3rd-century martyr who is one of the patron saints of Rome.

From the English words meadow and lark ("small singing bird"). Meadowlark is the common name for several species songbirds of the genera Sturnella and Leistes, native to the Americas. This was the name of American basketball player Meadowlark Lemon (1932-2015), who changed his legal name from Meadow to Meadowlark in 1969.

Medieval diminutive of Margaret. It is now also used as a short form of the related name Megan.

French form of Millicent used by Maurice Maeterlinck in his play Pelléas et Mélisande (1893). The play was later adapted by Claude Debussy into an opera (1902).

From Japanese 緑 (midori) meaning "green", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations that have the same pronunciation.

Means "golden flower" in Mapuche, from milla "gold" and rayen "flower".

Possibly derived from Latin mens meaning "intellect", but more likely of Etruscan origin. Minerva was the Roman goddess of wisdom and war, approximately equivalent to the Greek goddess Athena. It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since after the Renaissance.

Occitan (Mistralian) form of Mireille.

Feminine form of Mirsad.

From Japanese 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" combined with 幸 (yuki) meaning "happiness" or 雪 (yuki) meaning "snow". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.

From Japanese 百 (momo) meaning "hundred" or 桃 (momo) meaning "peach" combined with 子 (ko) meaning "child". This name can be constructed from other kanji combinations as well.

From Sanskrit नलिनी (nalinī) meaning "lotus".

From the Spanish word náyade meaning "Naiad", which is a river nymph in Greek and Roman mythology; it derives from Greek Ναιάς (Naias) (plural Ναϊάδες (Naiades)), itself a derivative of the verb νάω (nao) "to flow".

Possibly from Zapotec nadxiie lii meaning "I love you" or nayele' meaning "open".

Medieval diminutive of names beginning with El, such as Eleanor, Ellen 1 or Helen. It may have arisen from the medieval affectionate phrase mine El, which was later reinterpreted as my Nel.

Means "snows" in Spanish, derived from the title of the Virgin Mary Nuestra Señora de las Nieves meaning "Our Lady of the Snows".

Meaning unknown. In Arthurian legends this is the name of a sorceress, also known as the Lady of the Lake, Vivien, or Niniane. Various versions of the tales have Merlin falling in love with her and becoming imprisoned by her magic. She first appears in the medieval French Lancelot-Grail Cycle.

Variant of French Noélie.

From the Breton phrase Noyal Gwenn meaning "holy one from Noyal". This was the epithet of a 6th-century saint and martyr from Brittany.

Latin for "water lily"

Simply from the English word ocean for a large body of water. It is ultimately derived from Greek Ὠκεανός (Okeanos), the name of the body of water thought to surround the Earth.

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.

Means "white footprint" from Welsh ol "footprint, track" and gwen "white, blessed". In the Welsh tale Culhwch and Olwen she was a beautiful maiden, the lover of Culhwch and the daughter of the giant Yspaddaden. Her father insisted that Culhwch complete several seemingly impossible tasks before he would allow them to marry.

Derived from Greek ὠφέλεια (opheleia) meaning "help, advantage". This was a rare ancient Greek name, which was either rediscovered or recreated by the poet Jacopo Sannazaro for a character in his poem Arcadia (1480). It was borrowed by Shakespeare for his play Hamlet (1600), in which it belongs to the daughter of Polonius and the potential love interest of Hamlet. She eventually goes insane and drowns herself after Hamlet kills her father. In spite of this negative association, the name has been in use since the 19th century.

Possibly derived from Latin aurum "gold" or from its derivatives, Spanish oro or French or. In medieval legend Oriana was the daughter of a king of England who married the knight Amadis.

Probably derived from the Greek noun ὄρος (oros) meaning "mountain, hill" (compare Orestes) combined with the Greek noun ἄνθος (anthos) meaning "flower". Also compare the similar-looking name Orinthia, which can even be an anagram of Orianthi, if you move the letters around a bit.

This name is best known for being the name of the Australian singer-songwriter Orianthi Panagaris (b. 1985), who is of Greek descent.

Possibly means "deer friend", derived from Old Irish oss "deer" and carae "friend". Alternatively, it may derive from the Old English name Osgar or its Old Norse cognate Ásgeirr, which may have been brought to Ireland by Viking invaders and settlers. In Irish legend Oscar was the son of the poet Oisín and the grandson of the hero Fionn mac Cumhaill.

This name was popularized in continental Europe by the works of the 18th-century Scottish poet James Macpherson [1]. Napoleon was an admirer of Macpherson, and he suggested Oscar as the second middle name of his godson, who eventually became king of Sweden as Oscar I. Other notable bearers include the Irish writer and humorist Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) and the Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer (1907-2012).

Means "lotus" in Sanskrit. This is a transcription of both the feminine form पद्मा and the masculine form पद्म.

According to some Hindu traditions a lotus holding the god Brahma arose from the navel of the god Vishnu. The name Padma is used in Hindu texts to refer to several characters, including the goddess Lakshmi and the hero Rama.

Means "multitude of lotuses", a derivative of Sanskrit पद्म (padma) meaning "lotus".

Means "peace" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin Mary, Nuestra Señora de la Paz, meaning "Our Lady of Peace".

French form of Pelagia.

Contracted form of Petronel.

French form of Philomena.

Variant form of Pomelline. This name is best known for being one of the middle names of Charlotte Casiraghi (b. 1986), who is the daughter of Princess Caroline of Hanover (formerly of Monaco). She was given this middle name in honour of her ancestor Pomellina Fregoso (c. 1387-1468), a Genovese noblewoman who was the wife of Jean I of Monaco (c. 1382-1454). Her name had been gallicized to Pomelline in Monaco, as it was (and still is) predominantly a French-speaking country.

From the English word for a flat treeless grassland, taken from French prairie "meadow". This was used by Thomas Pynchon for a character in his novel 'Vineland' (1990).

From the English word for the flower, ultimately deriving from Latin prima rosa "first rose".

Italian form of Prosper. This is the name of the main character, a shipwrecked magician, in The Tempest (1611) by William Shakespeare.

This name comes from the word that can mean "a thing that is the most perfect example of its type" or, in its literal sense, "fifth essence." The word is derived from Middle French quinte essence, which is, ultimately originated from Medieval Latin quinta essentia, a combination of Latin quinta, the feminine equivalent of quintus meaning "five," and essentia meaning "essence."

Derived from Hungarian remény meaning "hope". (Cf. Remény.)

From the English word meaning "daydream, fanciful musing", derived from Old French resverie, itself from resver meaning "to dream, to rave".

Italian feminine form of Romulus.

Combination of Rosa 1 and Beth.

Italian diminutive of Rosa 1. This is the name of a character in Rossini's opera The Barber of Seville (1816).

From a now extinct English surname that was derived from a Norman place name. It was occasionally given in honour of the English preacher Henry Sacheverell (1674-1724), especially by the Sitwell noble family.

From the English word that refers either to a spice, the crocus flower from which it is harvested, or the yellow-orange colour of the spice. It is derived via Old French from Arabic زعفران (zaʿfarān), itself probably from Persian meaning "gold leaves".

Dutch, Estonian, Danish and Norwegian short form of Alexander.

French diminutive of Sandra.

Means "saints" in Spanish. It is used in reference to the Christian festival Día de Todos los Santos (All Saints' Day) celebrated on November 1.

From the Hebrew name שָׂרָה (Sara) meaning "lady, princess, noblewoman". In the Old Testament this is the name of Abraham's wife, considered the matriarch of the Jewish people. She was barren until she unexpectedly became pregnant with Isaac at the age of 90. Her name was originally Sarai, but God changed it at the same time Abraham's name was changed (see Genesis 17:15).

In England, Sarah came into use after the Protestant Reformation. It was consistently popular in the 20th century throughout the English-speaking world, reaching the top of the charts for England and Wales in the 1970s and 80s.

Notable bearers include Sarah Churchill (1660-1744), an influential British duchess and a close friend of Queen Anne, and the French actress Sarah Bernhardt (1844-1923).

Variant of Seraphina.

From the Old German element sahso meaning "a Saxon". The Saxons were a Germanic tribe, their name ultimately deriving from the Germanic word *sahsą meaning "knife". Saskia van Uylenburgh (1612-1642) was the wife of the Dutch painter Rembrandt.

Irish form of John, derived via the Old French form Jehan.

From the Latin name Sebastianus, which meant "from Sebaste". Sebaste was the name a town in Asia Minor, its name deriving from Greek σεβαστός (sebastos) meaning "venerable" (a translation of Latin Augustus, the title of the Roman emperors). According to Christian tradition, Saint Sebastian was a 3rd-century Roman soldier martyred during the persecutions of the emperor Diocletian. After he was discovered to be a Christian, he was tied to a stake and shot with arrows. This however did not kill him. Saint Irene of Rome healed him and he returned to personally admonish Diocletian, whereupon the emperor had him beaten to death.

Due to the saint's popularity, the name came into general use in medieval Europe, especially in Spain and France. It was also borne by a 16th-century king of Portugal who died in a crusade against Morocco.

Used in GRR. Martin's "A song of ice and fire". Selyse Baratheon, born Selyse Florent, is Stannis Baratheon's wife and she is the mother of Shireen.
Her name may come from Elise and Selene.

Italian form of Semiramis.

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 Seraphina.

Means "star" in Welsh. This is a recently created Welsh name.

From the English word serendipity.

Feminine form of Simon 1.

Variant of Zisel.

From the Old Norse name Sigsteinn, which was derived from the elements sigr "victory" and steinn "stone".

Derived from Romanian smarand meaning "emerald". Smaranda Brăescu (1897 – 1948) was a Romanian parachuting and aviation pioneer, former multiple world record holder. Her achievements earned her the nickname "Queen of the Heights".

Feminine form of Sophronius. Torquato Tasso used it in his epic poem Jerusalem Delivered (1580), in which it is borne by the lover of Olindo.

From the name of the season, ultimately from Old English springan "to leap, to burst forth".

From Esperanto stelaro meaning "constellation", ultimately from Latin stella "star".

Means "dream, wish" in Lithuanian.

Latinized form of the Etruscan name Thanchvil which meant "gift of Thana 1", composed of the name of the goddess Thana and cvil meaning "gift". This was the name of the wife of Lucius Tarquinius Priscus, the fifth king of Rome in the 7th century BC. In modern times it was borne by prima ballerina Tanaquil Le Clercq (1929-2000).

Meaning unknown. This was the name of the Phoenician goddess of love, fertility, the moon and the stars. She was particularly associated with the city of Carthage, being the consort of Ba'al Hammon.

Means "darling" in Welsh, derived from a diminutive of Welsh teg "beautiful, pretty". It was somewhat common in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Canada in the 1980s and 90s. It was borne by an Australian character on the television series Doctor Who from 1981 to 1984.

Means "warmth" in Welsh.

Alternate transcription of Ancient Greek Θαΐς (see Thaïs), as well as the usual Spanish form.

Latinized form of Tielo (see Till). A famous bearer was jazz musician Thelonious Monk (1917-1982).

Apparently coined as a feminine form of Theodatus.

Saint Tigris of Britain is traditionally recorded as a sister of Saint Patrick.
The origin and meaning of her name are unknown; however, Saint Patrick (and thus his family, too) is thought to be of either Breton or Welsh heritage and so it has been suggested that Saint Tigris's name might be of Celtic origin. One theory tries to connect her name to Celtic *tigir which may or may not be related to Gaelic tigern "lord".
Things are further complicated by the existence of 10th-century Spanish saint Tigrida or Tigridia with whom she is sometimes confused. Concerning her name, early 20th-century Irish historian and language scholar Helena Concannon theorized that it suggests a Gallic origin.

Tigris is a cousin of president Snow in 'The Hunger Games' by Suzanne Collins.

Short form of Timothy or (in Germany) Dietmar. It is borne by the fictional character Tiny Tim, the ill son of Bob Cratchit in Charles Dickens' novel A Christmas Carol (1843).

Feminine form of Timothy.

Yiddish form of Dolça.

This name was popularized by Puccini's opera Tosca (1900) and its main character Floria Tosca.
It is said to be derived from the Late Roman byname Tusca, the feminine form of Tuscus, meaning "from Tuscia" or "Etruscan". Nowadays, however, it is often interpreted to mean "from Tuscany", although historical Tuscia comprised a much larger area, including a great part of Umbria and the northern parts of Lazio.

There is also an obscure Saint Tosca who is claimed to have been a virign hermit from Verona. Her feast day is May 5.

Medieval English form of Tristan.

Origin uncertain, possibly a variant of Tova 2, a feminine form of Tue or a short form of Perpetua. Alternatively it may be derived from Latin tua "yours" or Danish tue "small hill" (from Old Norse þúfa "mound, knoll", which coincides with the name Þúfa). In Sweden its earliest document use is 1835.

Means "cedar" in Finnish.

From Japanese 梅 (ume) meaning "apricot, plum" (referring to the species Prunus mume) and 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Feminine form of Valentinus (see Valentine 1). A famous bearer is the Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova (1937-), who in 1963 became the first woman to visit space.

Probably of Persian origin, possibly a superlative form of 𐎺𐎢 (vahu) meaning "good". According to the Old Testament this was the name of the first wife of King Ahasuerus of Persia before he married Esther.

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

When borne by a female, this name is the French form of Victorica, which is the original feminine form of Victoricus. When borne by a male, this name is a variant spelling of Victoric.

From the French name for Vienna, the capital city of Austria.

Feminine form of Vildan.

Feminine form of William. A famous bearer of this name was Williamina Fleming (1857-1911), a Scottish astronomer.

From the English word for the season, derived from Old English winter.

Derived from the Old German elements wolf meaning "wolf" and gang meaning "path, way". Saint Wolfgang was a 10th-century bishop of Regensburg. Two other famous bearers of this name were Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) and German novelist and poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832).

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

Variant of Isabet, recorded in 15th-century Valencia.

It is most probable that it is the feminine form of the name Yvain. Though, it is commonly thought of as a combination of Yvonne and Elaine.

The name is most popularly recognized as the name of the fallen star in Neil Gaiman's novella 'Stardust'.

French feminine form of Zephyrinus (see Zeferino).