Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Derkje m & f Dutch, West FrisianWhen borne by a female person, this name is a good example of how one can turn a very masculine name (
Derk) into a feminine name by simply adding the diminutive suffix
je to the original name... [
more]
Derkylidas m Ancient GreekMeans "son of Derkylos" in Greek, derived from the name
Derkylos combined with ίδας
(idas), which is the Aeolic and Doric Greek form of the patronymic suffix ἴδης
(ides).... [
more]
Derkylos m Ancient GreekPossibly derived from Greek δερκύλλειν
(derkyllein) meaning "to scratch the skin" or "to tear off the skin".
Dermide m LiteratureFrench variant of
Dermid. This was borne by a short-lived nephew of the French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, who was named for a character in Scottish poet James Macpherson's Ossian poems.
Derozha f YiddishA Yiddish name taken from the Slavic, meaning 'my dear little one'.
Derque m Spanish (Canarian, Rare)From Guanche *
derk meaning "strength". This was recorded as the name of a nephew of a Guanche
mencey (leader) of Adeje, a
menceyato or kingdom on the island of Tenerife (present-day Canary Islands, Spain).
Derui f ChineseFrom the Chinese
德 (dé) meaning "heart, mind, morals, ethics, virtue" and
蕊 (ruǐ) meaning "unopened flowers, flower buds".
Derwa f Cornish, History (Ecclesiastical)Likely derived from Cornish
derow "oak trees" (ultimately from Proto-Celtic
*daru "tree"). Saint Derwa is the patron saint of
Menadarva (
Merther Derwa in Cornish, translating to
grave of St Derwa in English) in the parish of Camborne, Cornwall... [
more]
Derwan m History, Medieval SlavicDerwan was an early duke of the Sorbs (fl. 615–636). He is mentioned by
Fredegar in his Latin chronicle as
dux gente Surbiorum que ex genere Sclavinorum: "ruler of the people of the Surbi"... [
more]
Derwen m WelshFrom Welsh
derw meaning "oak" and
wyn meaning "fair, white, blessed."
Derwyn m WelshOf debated origin and meaning. Theories include a derivation from Welsh
derw "oak" or the obsolete Welsh element
der(w) "true" and
gwyn "white; fair; blessed".
Desak f BalineseFrom a title used by female members of the Ksatria caste.
Desamparada f Popular CultureMeans "forsaken, helpless" in Spanish, in effect an altered form of
Desamparados. The compound name María Desamparada was used for a character on the Mexican telenovela
Triunfo del amor (2010-2011).
Desange m & f French (African, Rare)Means "of the angels", taken from the French title of the Virgin Mary
Notre Dame des Anges, meaning "Our Lady of the Angels". It is most often found in French-speaking African countries.
Desanka f Serbian, CroatianDerived from the South Slavic
desiti meaning "to happen". A bearer of this name was Desanka Maksimović (1898-1993), a Serbian poet and professor of literature.
Deseret f Mormon, Various (Rare)This is a word from the Book of Mormon meaning "honeybee" in the language of the Jaredites. It was used as a name for the
Utah territory before it became an American state (now officially nicknamed the Beehive State as a symbol of cooperation and industry)... [
more]
Deshen m ChineseFrom the Chinese
德 (dé) meaning "heart, mind, morals, ethics, virtues" and
深 (shēn) meaning "close, deep, dark, extreme, very".
Desheng m ChineseFrom the Chinese
德 (dé) meaning "heart, mind, morals, ethics, virtues" and
胜 (shèng) meaning "victory".
Deshou m ChineseFrom the Chinese
德 (dé) meaning "heart, mind, morals, ethics, virtues" and
收 (shōu) meaning "gather together, collect".
Deshu f ChineseFrom the Chinese
德 (dé) meaning "heart, mind, morals, ethics, virtue" and
姝 (shū) meaning "beautiful girl".
Desi f IndonesianFrom Indonesian
Desember meaning "December", typically given to girls born in that month.
Desiata f Judeo-Italian (Archaic)Derived from Italian
desiata, the feminine form of the adjective
desiato, itself an obsolete and now poetic form of
desiderato/-a "desired, wished (for)".
Desire f & m English (Puritan)Derived from Latin
desidero "to long for; to wish for; to desire" (via Old French
desir). This name was first used in the 16th century by the Puritans, probably with the intended meaning of "desire the Lord"... [
more]
Desmos m Greek (Rare)Derived from Ancient Greek δεσμός
(desmos) meaning "bond, fetter, chain; bondage, imprisonment", or metaphorically "charm, spell". In modern Greek, δεσμός means "bond, relationship, social tie"... [
more]
Desna f English (Rare)Appeared in the 1940s and then disappeared again. The equally mysterious
Desne is found in the late 1930s and survived until the early 1950s.
Desney also occurred in the 1940s and '50s... [
more]
Desolina f ItalianOf uncertain origin and meaning. Current theories include an adoption of title of the Virgin Mary
La Madonna Desolata and a derivation from the Latin name
Desolinus.
Despetto m Arthurian CycleDespetto or spite is an enemy of Timias in Book 6, Canto 5 of "The Faerie Queene". He is in league with the Blatant Beast.
Despoine f Greek MythologyMeans “lady, queen, mistress (of a household)” in Greek, derived from Proto-Indo-European *
dems-pota- (“house-powerful”). This was an epithet or title of the Greek goddesses
Persephone,
Artemis and
Hekate, and the common name of a Greek fertility goddess who was worshipped alongside her mother
Demeter in an Arcadian mystery-cult; her true name was revealed only to the initiates... [
more]
Desramé m LiteratureIn medieval French literature, Desramé is the name of a Saracen king from several epic poems that revolve around the Frankish nobleman William of Gellone/Orange (c. 755-c. 812), such as
Aliscans and
Prise d'Orange (both written in the 12th century).... [
more]
Destry m & f Popular Culture, EnglishEnglish form of
Destrier, a French surname derived from the Anglo-Norman word
destrer meaning "warhorse". This name was popularized by the western novel 'Destry Rides Again' (1930, by Max Brand) and two subsequent identically-named film adaptations (1932 and 1939).
Detai m ChineseFrom the Chinese
德 (dé) meaning "heart, mind, morals, ethics, virtues" and
泰 (tài) meaning "great, exalted, superior".
Detre m HungarianHungarian form of
Dietrich. One notable bearer of the name is Bebek Detre, Palatine of Hungary between 1397 – 1402.
Dette f English (Rare)Diminutive of names ending in dette. In the book So B. It by Sarah Weeks, Heidi's mother calls Heidi's next door neighbour, Bernadette, "Dette".
Deuel m Biblical HebrewMeans "known by God" in Hebrew. In the Bible, he was the father of
Eliasaph and the leader of the Tribe of Gad, as noted in five verses in the Book of Numbers, beginning with Numbers 1:14.
Deulegard m Judeo-Anglo-NormanDerived from Old French
deu "god" and Old French and Norman
garder "to protect; to guard", this name ultimately means "May God protect him" or "God protects him".
Deulesaut m Judeo-Anglo-NormanDerived from Old French
deu "god" and Old French and Norman
sauver "to save someone", this name ultimately means "May God save him" or "God saves him". It was used as a secular form of
Joshua.
Deunoro m BasqueCoined by Sabino Arana Goiri and Koldo Elizalde who based the name on Basque
deun "holy, sacred; Saint" and
oro "all". This name was intended as a Basque equivalent of
Toussaint and
Santos (which is used in reference to the
Día de Todos los Santos).
Deuona f Gaulish MythologyDerived from Gaulish
deuos "god", this was the name of a Gallo-Roman goddess of springs and rivers.
Deusana f Portuguese (Brazilian)Derived from Latin
deus meaning "god, deity". Latin
deus and
dīvus "divine" are descended from Proto-Indo-European
deiwos, from the same root as
Dyēus, the reconstructed chief god of the Proto-Indo-European pantheon... [
more]
Deuteria f FrankishQueen Deuteria of the Franks was a consort of King Theudebert I. She came from an aristocratic Gallo-Roman family from Auvergne. She was related to Sidonius Apollinaris, Saint Avitus, and Emperor Avitus... [
more]
Dev m & f EnglishDiminutive or short form of
Devin and other variations of the same name
Deva m & f Sanskrit, HinduismMeaning "deity" in Sanskrit, referring to any benevolent spirit or supernatural being. The devas (also known as suras) in Hinduism maintaine the realms as ordained by the Trimurti and are often warring with their equally powerful counterparts, the Asuras... [
more]
Deva f Asturian, Galician, Spanish (Modern), Celtic MythologyFrom the name of a river that flows through Asturias. It was named after Deva, the Celtic goddess of waters. Her name is derived from Celtic
deva "goddess" or "divine", itself derived from Proto-Celtic
*dēwā “goddess”.
Devan m & f HindiThe name comes from the Hindi
dehvan (देवन) meaning “divine, god”. It is also influenced by the English Name
Devin.