Francesca's Personal Name List

Modern transcription of Agneya.

Variant or feminine form of Aaron.

Diminutive of Abigail (typically British).

Feminine form of Abir.

Means "my father is a light" in Hebrew, from אָב ('av) meaning "father" and נֵר (ner) meaning "lamp, light". In the Old Testament, Abner was a cousin of Saul and the commander of his army. After he killed Asahel he was himself slain by Asahel's brother Joab.

A famous bearer was the 14th-century Jewish philosopher Abner of Burgos, called Alfonso of Valladolid after he converted to Christianity. It has been used as an English Christian given name since the Protestant Reformation. It was popular with the Puritans, who brought it to America in the 17th century.

Means "high father" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament God changed Abram's name to Abraham (see Genesis 17:5).

Transferred use of the surname Acton.

Means "eldest daughter of the king" in Igbo.

Shortened form of Adalheidis.

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

Possibly means "very steadfast" in Greek. In Greek mythology he was the brother of Menelaus. He led the Greek expedition to Troy to recover his brother's wife Helen. After the Trojan War Agamemnon was killed by his wife Clytemnestra.

Means "child of Agni 1" in Sanskrit.

Variant of Akhenaton.

Possibly of Turkic origin meaning "white falcon". This was the name of a medieval Hungarian clan.

Feminine form of Alick.

Possibly from a Visigothic name, maybe from Gothic elements such as alls "all" or aljis "other" combined with auds "riches, wealth". Saint Alodia was a 9th-century Spanish martyr with her sister Nunilo.

Anglicized form of the Scottish Gaelic name Ailpean, possibly derived from a Pictish word meaning "white". This was the name of two kings of Dál Riata and two kings of the Picts in the 8th and 9th centuries.

From the Old Norse name Alfarr, formed of the elements alfr "elf" and herr "army, warrior".

From the name of the River Alwen in northern Wales (a tributary of the River Dee).

Means "my truth" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of the father of the prophet Jonah.

From Ἄμμων (Ammon), the Greek form of Egyptian jmn (reconstructed as Yamanu) meaning "the hidden one". In early Egyptian mythology he was a god of the air, creativity and fertility, who was particularly revered in Thebes. Later, during the Middle Kingdom, his attributes were combined with those of the god Ra and he was worshipped as the supreme solar deity Amon-Ra.

Means "protection, shelter, refuge" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin Mary, Nuestra Señora del Amparo, meaning "Our Lady of Refuge".

Meaning unknown. This is the name of a character (also known as Darth Vader) in the Star Wars movie saga, created by George Lucas. Lucas may have based it on the surname of his friend and fellow director Ken Annakin.

Means "happiness, bliss" in Sanskrit. This was the name of an attendant and disciple of the Buddha.

From Ἁνανίας (Hananias), the Greek form of Hananiah. In Acts in the New Testament this is the name of three characters: a disciple in Damascus, the husband of Sapphira, and the high priest of the Jews who tries Paul.

Means "blooming pomegranate tree" in Kazakh.

Diminutive of Andrew or Andrea 2.

French feminine form of Andrew.

Greek form of Andronicus.

Old Welsh name, possibly from the Latin name Honorius [1]. This was the name of a 6th-century Brythonic poet, also known as Neirin or Aneurin [2], who is said to be the author of the poem Y Gododdin.

From an Old Welsh name recorded in various forms such as Acgarat and Ancarat. It means "much loved", from the intensive prefix an- combined with a mutated form of caru "to love". In the medieval Welsh romance Peredur son of Efrawg, Angharad Golden-Hand is the lover of the knight Peredur.

Low German and Dutch diminutive of Anna and other names beginning with An.

Medieval English form of Agnes.

Derived from the Old German element enz meaning "giant".

Ancient Greek name derived from the name of the god Apollo. This was the name of several early saints and martyrs, including a bishop of Ravenna and a bishop of Hierapolis.

Means "spider" in Greek. In Greek myth Arachne was a mortal woman who defeated Athena in a weaving contest. After this Arachne hanged herself, but Athena brought her back to life in the form of a spider.

Variant of Arianrhod.

Means "honouring, praising" in Sanskrit. This is the name of a Hindu ritual.

Probably means "silver wheel" from Welsh arian "silver" and rhod "wheel". According to the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi [1], Arianrhod was the mother of the twins Dylan and Lleu Llaw Gyffes, whom she spontaneously birthed when she stepped over a magical wand. It is speculated that in earlier myths she may have been a goddess of the moon.

Variant of Arlie.

Means "reddish brown, dawn" in Sanskrit. The Hindu god Aruna (अरुण) is the charioteer who drives the sun god Surya across the sky. The modern feminine form अरुणा is also transcribed as Aruna, however the modern masculine form is Arun.

From the Old Norse name Ásgeirr, derived from the elements áss meaning "god" and geirr meaning "spear". It is a cognate of Ansgar.

Derived from Sanskrit आशा (asha) meaning "wish, desire, hope".

From Swahili ishi meaning "live, exist".

From the name of an African people who reside in southern Ghana. It possibly means "warlike" in the Twi language.

From עַשְׁתֹרֶת ('Ashtoret), the Hebrew form of the name of a Phoenician goddess of love, war and fertility. Her name is cognate to that of the East Semitic goddess Ishtar.

Variant of Athena.

From Egyptian jtn meaning "solar disk". Aton was an Egyptian god of the sun, depicted as a solar disk with long rays extending downwards. The worship of Aton was especially extensive during the 14th-century BC reign of the pharaoh Akhenaton, who proclaimed Aton was the only god.

Anglicized variant of Atréju, which was created by German author Michael Ende for the hero of his fantasy novel 'Die unendliche Geschichte' (1979; English: 'The Neverending Story'). The character is a boy warrior whose name is explained as meaning "son of all" in his fictional native language, given to him because he was raised by all of the members of his village after being orphaned as a newborn.

Current usage is influenced by the name of a Californian metal-core band named after the hero in 'The neverending story'.

French feminine form of Aldo.

Means "doe, female deer" in Hebrew.

Means "returning, visitor" in Arabic. In Turkey this is also associated with ay meaning "moon".

Variant of Ayelen.

French feminine form of Benjamin.

Contracted form of Berenice. It occurs briefly in Acts in the New Testament belonging to a sister of King Herod Agrippa II.

Diminutive of Albert, Herbert and other names containing bert (often derived from the Old German element beraht meaning "bright").

Welsh form of Beatrice.

From Welsh blaidd "wolf" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of an 11th-century king of Gwynedd and Powys.

Means "purple" in Korean.

A variant of Bo 1, probably influenced by the word "bow" which is used to shoot with arrows or by the word "bowtie", or a diminutive of Rainbow.

Perhaps a variant of Brandy or a feminine form of Brand.

Latinized form of a Celtic name (or title) that possibly meant either "king, prince" or "raven". Brennus was a Gallic leader of the 4th century BC who attacked and sacked Rome.

From a surname that was derived from an English place name meaning "Bryni's town". Bryni was an Old English name meaning "fire".

The name of an English city, meaning "bright town" in Old English.

Means "hill, mound" in Welsh. In Wales it is almost always a masculine name, though elsewhere in the English-speaking world it can be unisex (see Brynn).

Means "armour" in Old Norse.

From the Welsh place name Brynmawr meaning "great hill".

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.

From Old Welsh Catigirn meaning "battle king", derived from cat "battle" and tigirn "king, monarch". This was the name of a 5th-century king of Powys in Wales, the son of Vortigern.

From Old Irish cáel meaning "slender". In Irish legend Cáel was a warrior of the Fianna and the lover of Créd.

Feminine form of Caelinus.

Derived from the Welsh elements caer "fortress" and gwyn "white, blessed".

From an Irish surname, the Anglicized form of Ó Ceallacháin, itself from the given name Cellachán.

Means "Candlemas" in Spanish, ultimately derived from Spanish candela "candle". This name is given in honour of the church festival of Candlemas, which commemorates the presentation of Christ in the temple and the purification of the Virgin Mary.

Combination of Carol 1 and the popular phonetic suffix lee. A known bearer was the American performance artist Carolee Schneemann (1939-2019).

Means "black hoof" in Shawnee. This was the name of an 18th-century Shawnee warrior and chief.

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

Roman family name meaning "tall" in Latin. This was the name of a 2nd-century philosopher who wrote against Christianity. It was also borne by an early saint martyred with Nazarius in Milan.

Means "moon" in Sanskrit, derived from चन्द (chand) meaning "to shine". This is a transcription of the masculine form चण्ड (a name of the moon in Hindu texts, which is often personified as a deity) as well as the feminine form चण्डा.

Meaning unknown, perhaps a combination of Charmian or the English word charm with the aine suffix from Lorraine. It was (first?) used for a character in the play What Price Glory (1924), which was made into a popular movie in 1926.

Combination of Cheryl and the popular name suffix lyn.

This is a common English spelling of the Hebrew place name כְּרִית (Kərīṯ), which comes from the Hebrew root כרת (kh*r*t) meaning "to cut off; cut down". Cherith was a brook or wadi mentioned in the Old Testament. The prophet Elijah hid himself on the banks of the Cherith and was fed by ravens during the early part of the three years' drought which he announced to King Ahab.

Valencian diminutive of Joaquim.

Patronymic derived from Chryses. In Greek legend she was the daughter of Chryses, a priest of Apollo. After she was taken prisoner by the Greeks besieging Troy, Apollo sent a plague into their camp, forcing the Greeks to release her.

Possibly from Old Irish cin "respect, esteem, affection" or cinid "be born, come into being" combined with áed "fire", though it might actually be of Pictish origin. This was the name of the first king of the Scots and Picts (9th century). It is often Anglicized as Kenneth. The originally unrelated name Coinneach is sometimes used as the modern Scottish Gaelic form.

English form of Claudianus. This name was borne by a Roman court poet from the 4th century AD.

Medieval variant of Clemence. It can also simply mean "clemency, mercy" from the English word, ultimately from Latin clemens "merciful".

Latinized form of Kleio.

Short form of Jacoba.

Anglicized form of Scottish Cailean.

Means "harmony" in Latin. This was the name of the Roman goddess of harmony and peace.

From the Greek name Κοσμᾶς (Kosmas), which was derived from κόσμος (kosmos) meaning "order, decency". Saint Cosmas was martyred with his twin brother Damian in the 4th century. They are the patron saints of physicians.

Feminine form of Cyriacus.

Latinized form of the Greek name Κυριακός (Kyriakos), which meant "of the lord" (derived from Greek κύριος (kyrios) meaning "lord"). This was the name of a few early saints.

the history of this name is unknown, but the meaning is "grace, or to be graceful"

Diminutive of David.

Either a variant of Diana or a feminine form of Dean. This name was popularized by the Canadian actress and singer Deanna Durbin (1921-2013), whose birth name was Edna. Her stage name was a rearrangement of the letters of her real name.

Feminine form of Dederico (Italian and Spanish), English variant of Dedericka and Dutch variant of Diederika.

Older form of Derek.

Altered form of Dolores.

Feminine form of Demetrius.

English form of Désirée. It was popularized in the English-speaking world by the movie Désirée (1954).

Means "joy" in Amharic.

Derived from Sanskrit देव (deva) meaning "god".

Variant of Devin. It may also be partly inspired by the name of the county of Devon in England, which got its name from the Dumnonii, a Celtic tribe.

Means "love" in Lembaama.

Means "generation" in Hebrew.

Slovene, Croatian, Serbian and Macedonian form of Dorothea.

Norman name, possibly derived from Gothic dragan meaning "to carry, to pull" or Old Saxon drog meaning "ghost, illusion". Alternatively, it could be related to the Slavic element dorgŭ meaning "precious, dear". The Normans introduced this name to England.

Old English form of Esmond.

Old Irish form of Éibhear.

From the biblical place name, itself possibly from Hebrew עֵדֶן ('eden) meaning "pleasure, delight", or perhaps derived from Sumerian 𒂔 (edin) meaning "plain". According to the Old Testament the Garden of Eden was the place where the first people, Adam and Eve, lived before they were expelled.

Diminutive of Edith.

Diminutive of Eilionoir, also taken to be a Gaelic form of Helen.

Means "snowdrop (flower)" in Welsh, a compound of eira "snow" and llys "plant".

Means "goddess" in Persian.

Variant of Alicia.

Scandinavian and Welsh form of Helen.

Elaborated variant of Élina.

Derived from Welsh elus meaning "kind, benevolent". This was the name of two kings of Powys in Wales.

From an English surname meaning "son of Emery". The surname was borne by Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), an American writer and philosopher who wrote about transcendentalism.

Means "man, person, mortal" in Hebrew. He was a son of Seth and a grandson of Adam in the genealogies in Genesis in the Old Testament.

Turkish, Bosnian and Albanian form of Anwar.

Derived from the Old English elements eofor "boar" and hild "battle". This name was rarely used after the Norman Conquest.

This name combines 恵 (e, kei, megu.mi, megu.mu) meaning "blessing, favour, grace, kindness", 絵 (e, kai) meaning "drawing, picture, painting, sketch", 江 (kou, e) meaning "bay, inlet" or 栄 (ei, you, e, saka.eru, ha.e, ha.eru, -ba.e) meaning "flourish, glory, honour, prosper" & 理 (ri, kotowari) meaning "justice, logic, reason, truth", 里 (ri, sato) meaning "parent's home, ri (unit of distance - equal to 3.927 km), village" or 利 (ri, ki.ku) meaning "advantage, benefit, profit, gain" with 子 (shi, su, tsu, ko, -ko, ne) meaning "child."

This name can also be used as えり子 with two phonetic characters making up Eri connecting with 子.

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.

Greek form of Europa.

Latinized form of Eoforhild. This was the name of a 7th-century English saint.

Meaning unknown, possibly derived from Phaenna.

A transferred use of the surname Fairlight used as far back as the 1800's in England and the States.

Means "fiery" in Esperanto, from fajro meaning "fire".

French form of Faro. As an English name, it is probably from a French surname that was derived from the given name.

Feminine form of Faunus. Fauna was a Roman goddess of fertility, women and healing, a daughter and companion of Faunus.

Anglicized form of Forbflaith.

Means "foxglove" in Welsh (species Digitalis purpurea). This is a recently created Welsh name.

From a Scottish place name that was formerly the name of a kingdom in Scotland. It is said to be named for a Pictish kingdom called Fib.

Name of one of the dwarves in The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien. Brother of Kili.

Tolkien took the name from the Dvergatal "Catalogue of Dwarves" in the Völuspá, a part of the Poetic Edda.

French feminine form of Florinus.

Variant of Lloyd.

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.

From an Old Testament place name meaning "heap of witness" in Hebrew. This is a mountainous region east of the Jordan River. Besides being a place name, it is also borne by people in the Bible.

From the English word ginger for the spice or the reddish-brown colour. It can also be a diminutive of Virginia, as in the case of actress and dancer Ginger Rogers (1911-1995), by whom the name was popularized.

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.

Means "spring flower", from Persian گل (gol) meaning "flower, rose" and بهار (bahar) meaning "spring".

Derived from Persian گل (gol) meaning "flower, rose" and the suffix زار (zar) meaning "place abounding in, field, garden".

Variant of Gray.

Diminutive of Grigoriy.

Latinized form of Wido. Notable bearers include the music theorist Guido d'Arezzo (c. 991-1033), poet Guido Cavalcanti (c. 1250-1300), and Baroque painter Guido Reni (1575-1642).

Probably means "born of trees" from Old Welsh guid "trees" and the suffix gen "born of". In the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi [1], Gwydion is the nephew of King Math of Gwynedd, and like him a powerful magician. In an elaborate plot to give his brother a chance to rape his uncle's footbearer, he arranged a war between Gwynedd and the neighbouring kingdom of Dyfed. Gwydion himself killed King Pryderi of Dyfed at the end of the war. In punishment for the rape, Math transformed Gwydion and his brother into different animals over the course of three years. Gwydion was the uncle of Lleu Llaw Gyffes, whom he fostered. Math and Gwydion fashioned Lleu a wife, Blodeuwedd, out of flowers and they later aided him after her betrayal. Gwydion also appears in older Welsh poetry such as the Book of Taliesin.

Old German form of Hedwig.

Feminine form of Hadrianus.

Variant of Hayden.

Means "wind" in Basque.

Means "beginning" in Japanese, written with kanji having the same or similar meanings, such as 肇, 一 or 元, as well others.

Latinized form of Greek Ἀλκυόνη (see Alcyone), via the misspelled variant Ἁλκυόνη (Halkyone). The spelling variation was due to a false association with ἅλς (hals) meaning "salt, sea".

Alternate transcription of Arabic هنيّة (see Haniyya).

Either a short form of Hardy, Hartmann, or other name beginning with the element hart or hard, "hardy, strong"; or from the Old English heorot or Middle Low German harte, a male deer. A famous bearer is Hart Crane, the 20th century poet.

From an English surname that was derived from a place name, itself from Old English heorot "hart, male deer" and leah "woodland, clearing".

Greek form of Egyptian ḥwt-ḥrw (reconstructed as Hut-Heru) meaning "the house of Horus", derived from Egyptian ḥwt "house" combined with the god Horus. In Egyptian mythology she was the goddess of love, often depicted with the head of a cow.

Uncertain meaning, possibly from Greek ἥρως (heros) meaning "hero, warrior"; ὥρα (hora) meaning "period of time"; or αἱρέω (haireo) meaning "to be chosen". In Greek mythology Hera was the queen of the gods, the sister and wife of Zeus. She presided over marriage and childbirth.

From the Hebrew name חִזְקִיָהוּ (Chizqiyahu), which means "Yahweh strengthens", from the roots חָזַק (chazaq) meaning "to strength" and יָה (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. This name was borne by a powerful king of Judah who reigned in the 8th and 7th centuries BC. Also in the Old Testament, this is the name of an ancestor of the prophet Zephaniah.

From the Roman family name Egnatius, meaning unknown, of Etruscan origin. The spelling was later altered to resemble Latin ignis "fire". This was the name of several saints, including the third bishop of Antioch who was thrown to wild beasts by Emperor Trajan, and by Saint Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556), founder of the Jesuits, whose real birth name was in fact Íñigo.

Means "tree" in Hebrew.

Possibly a Romanian variant of Elena. In Romanian folklore this is the name of a princess kidnapped by monsters and rescued by a heroic knight.

Arabic form of Elijah.

Means "beautiful" in Indonesian.

Directly taken from the English word, ultimately from Latin infinitas "endlessness; boundlessness".

Finnish and Frisian feminine form of Inge.

This name can be used as 庵 (an, iori, io) meaning "hermitage, retreat" (masculine) or it can combine 一 (ichi, hito.tsu, i) meaning "one," 伊 (i, kare) meaning "that one," 衣 (i, e, kinu, koromo) meaning "clothes, garment," 依 (i, e, yo.ru) meaning "depend, rely," 唯 (i, yui, tada) meaning "merely, only, simply, solely" or 惟 (i, yui, omo.uni, kore) meaning "consider, think" with 織 (o.ri) meaning "fabric, weave."
Rarer examples of Iori include 衣緒里 and 衣央里 with 緒 (sho, cho, itoguchi, o) meaning "beginning, cord, strap," 央 (ou, o, e, ya) meaning "centre, middle" and 里 (ri, sato) meaning "parent's home, ri (unit of distance - equal to 3.927 km), village."

Regarding 伊織, it belongs as an 'azuma hyakkan' (東百官) name, in which they are like hyakkanna (百官名), a court rank-style name that samurai used to announce oneself and give himself authority, but come from the names of government offices in the Kantō region.

The combinations, apart from the first one and the ones with 3 kanji, are unisex. The first combination is mainly used on males (albeit rarely) and the combinations w/ 3 kanji are used on females (albeit rarely).

Iori (庵 & 伊織) is also used as a surname.

"Blessing, favour"

Arabic form of Jesus. This form is found in the Quran and is used as a given name by Muslims. Arabic-speaking Christians instead use يسوع (Yasu') to refer to Jesus Christ.

Short form of Isabella.

Means "dew" in Korean.

Transferred use of the surname Isley. This name is pronounced identically to Eisele, which was used by American country singer Hillary Scott of Lady Antebellum for her daughter born 2013.

From the Hebrew name יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisra'el) meaning "God contends", from the roots שָׂרָה (sarah) meaning "to contend, to fight" and אֵל ('el) meaning "God". In the Old Testament, Israel (who was formerly named Jacob; see Genesis 32:28) wrestles with an angel. The ancient and modern states of Israel took their names from him.

From the Hebrew name אִיתָמָר ('Itamar) meaning "date palm island". This is the name of a son of Aaron in the Old Testament.

Means "of Iton, Itonian" in Greek. This was an epithet of the Greek goddess Athena originating in the ancient town of Iton (also known as Itonos), south of Phthiotis, in Thessaly. Some ancient sources say that Athena Itonia was given her epithet from a king or priest named Itonus.

Modern form of Jacenty.

Polish form of Hyacinthus. Saint Jacenty was a 13th-century Dominican monk from Krakow who was said to have taken missionary journeys throughout Northern Europe and Asia.

Czech form of Joachim.

Transferred use of the surname Jacoby.

Estonian, Polish and Czech diminutive of Jaan or Jan 1.

Derived from the Slavic elements jarŭ "fierce, energetic" and mirŭ "peace, world". This name was borne by an 11th-century duke of Bohemia.

From the Nyungar word djarraly referred to a kind of Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus marginata). Nyungar language is spoken in the southwest of Western Australia, near Perth.

An invented name, using the phonetic elements jay and la, and sharing a sound with other popular names such as Kayla.

Old French feminine form of Iohannes (see John).

Polish form of George.

Diminutive of James. This was the usual name of American actor James Stewart (1908-1997). It is also used by the former American president Jimmy Carter (1924-).

Feminine variant of Jody.

Diminutive of Josephine, Joseph, Joanna and other names beginning with Jo. It was popularized by the young hero (a boy) in Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings' novel The Yearling (1938) and the subsequent film adaptation (1946). As a feminine name, it probably received an assist from the similar-sounding name Judy, which was at the height of its American popularity when Jody was rising.

Short form of Jolanta.

Diminutive of Joan 1.

Portuguese form of Jordan.

Inspired by the English word jovial meaning "merry; cheerful and good-humored", which is itself derived from the name of the god Jove. Zooey Deschanel played a character by this name in the popular 2003 Christmas movie Elf.

In some cases, it could be a diminutive of Jovan or Jovana or a variant of Jovi.

Variant of Judas. It is used in many English versions of the New Testament to denote the second apostle named Judas, in order to distinguish him from Judas Iscariot. He was supposedly the author of the Epistle of Jude. In the English-speaking world, Jude has occasionally been used as a given name since the time of the Protestant Reformation.

Finnish diminutive of Johannes, now used independently.

From a Roman family name that was possibly derived from Greek ἴουλος (ioulos) meaning "downy-bearded". Alternatively, it could be related to the name of the Roman god Jupiter. This was a prominent patrician family of Rome, who claimed descent from the mythological Julus, son of Aeneas. Its most notable member was Gaius Julius Caesar, who gained renown as a military leader for his clever conquest of Gaul. After a civil war he became the dictator of the Roman Republic, but was eventually stabbed to death in the senate.

Although this name was borne by several early saints, including a pope, it was rare during the Middle Ages. It was revived in Italy and France during the Renaissance, and was subsequently imported to England.

Diminutive of Jerzy.

From Japanese 海 (kai) meaning "sea, ocean" combined with 斗 (to), which refers to a Chinese constellation, or 翔 (to) meaning "soar, fly". Other kanji combinations are also possible.

Scandinavian diminutive of Katarina.

Means "sound, voice" from Hawaiian ka "the" and leo "sound, voice".

Means "the black one" in Sanskrit. The Hindu goddess Kali is the fierce destructive form of the wife of Shiva. She is usually depicted with black skin and four arms, holding a severed head and brandishing a sword. As a personal name, it is generally masculine in India.

Possibly a variant of Katrienna.

From a title for a poet, meaning "wise man, sage, poet" in Sanskrit.

Variant of Ciara 1.

Possibly derived from Old Norse kildr meaning "a spring".

Meaning unknown, perhaps an invented name.

From an English surname that is derived from town names in Lincolnshire. It may mean "Cenel's island", from the Old English name Cenel "fierce" in combination with eg "island".

Possibly means "possession" in Hebrew. He is a son of Enosh and a great-grandson of Adam in the Old Testament.

Feminine form of Kenneth.

Feminine form of Kenneth.

From a Scots surname that was derived from a word meaning "thicket, marsh", ultimately from Old Norse kjarr.

Means "lily of the valley" in Finnish (species Convallaria majalis).

Name of one of the dwarves in The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien. Fili's brother.

Tolkien took the name from the Dvergatal "Catalogue of Dwarves" in the Völuspá, a part of the Poetic Edda.

Middle English form of Cyneburg.

Russian feminine form of Cyrus.

Possibly an elaboration of Kiri or Kira 2. It seems to have been brought to attention in Australia in the 1970s by the actress Kirrily Nolan.

At least in part inspired by the name of a character from the animated movie Brother Bear (2003). The moviemakers apparently took it from Lakota or Dakota koda meaning "friend, companion".

Polish form of Constantine.

From 寿 (kotobuki) meaning "congratulations; longevity," derived, via a sound shift, from a combination of 言 (koto) meaning "word" and continuative/stem form of obsolete verb 祝く (hoku) meaning "to pray for a good outcome" (compare Kotohogi). It originally referred to saying something in prayer for a good outcome, then to saying something favourable in hope for a felicitous or auspicious occasion, shifting to its present meaning.

One bearer of this name is manga artist and actor, Kotobuki Shiriagari (しりあがり 寿) (1958-), born Toshiki Mochidzuki (望月 寿城).

This name is very rarely used and is more commonly used as a surname.

Polish form of Xenia, as well as an alternate transcription of Russian Ксения or Ukrainian/Belarusian Ксенія (see Kseniya).

This is the name of a goddess of nature, rain, air and the heavens in the 'Elder Scrolls' game series. She is a variant of another in-game goddess, Kyne. Her name appears to be a variant of Kinnereth, an Old Testament name of the Sea of Galilee (see Kineret).

Variant of Kyrion.

Greek form of Old Persian Kuruš (see Cyrus).

Means "gatherer of the people" in Greek. This is the name of the father of Odysseus in Greek mythology. It was later utilized by Shakespeare for a character in his tragedy Hamlet (1600), in which he is the son of Polonius. His ultimate duel with Hamlet leads to both of their deaths.

Of uncertain origin and meaning. Theories include a "by-product" of Elizabeth, a borrowing of Lélie (via English Lelia) and, less likely, a form of Eulalia.

From a surname that was a variant of the surname Landon.

From a nickname for a person who took big steps, from Finnish laukka meaning "canter, gallop".

Diminutive of Laura or Laurence 1.

Means "night" in Arabic. Layla was the love interest of the poet Qays (called Majnun) in an old Arab tale, notably retold by the 12th-century Persian poet Nizami Ganjavi in his poem Layla and Majnun. This story was a popular romance in medieval Arabia and Persia. The name became used in the English-speaking world after the 1970 release of the song Layla by Derek and the Dominos, the title of which was inspired by the medieval story.

Feminine form of Leander.

English: from a Norman personal name, Leodegar, Old French Legier, of Germanic origin, composed of the elements liut ‘people’, ‘tribe’ + gar, ger ‘spear’. The name was borne by a 7th-century bishop of Autun, whose fame contributed to the popularity of the name in France. (In Germany the name was connected with a different saint, an 8th-century bishop of Münster.
Also a variant of Letcher, in part a deliberate alteration to avoid the association with Middle English lecheor ‘lecher’.
French: Variation of Léger. A nickname from léger ‘light’, ‘superficial’.
Dutch (also de Leger): occupational name from Middle Dutch legger, ligger ‘bailiff’, ‘tax collector’.

Means "flowers, lei, child" in Hawaiian.

Derived from Latin leo meaning "lion", a cognate of Leon. It was popular among early Christians and was the name of 13 popes, including Saint Leo the Great who asserted the dominance of the Roman bishops (the popes) over all others in the 5th century. It was also borne by six Byzantine emperors and five Armenian kings. Another famous bearer was the Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910), name spelled Лев in Russian, whose works include War and Peace and Anna Karenina. Leo is also a constellation and the fifth sign of the zodiac.

Czech form of Leo.

Possibly a variant of Leota. It is popularly claimed to mean "prairie flower" in the Hopi language.

Short form of Alexander.

Icelandic, Faroese and Finnish cognate of Lily.

Old German form of Linda.

Means "my light" in Hebrew, from לִי (li) "for me" and אוֹר ('or) "light".

Unaccented variant of Llŷr.

Short form of Alonzo and other names containing the same sound.

Medieval form of the Old English name Leofdæg, literally "beloved day". According to medieval English custom, a love day or dies amoris was a day for disputants to come together to try to resolve their differences amicably. Mainly a feminine name, with some male usage. Known textual examples date from the 11th century. It seems to have been most common in Cornwall and Devon, according to the British births, deaths and marriages index. Currently very rare.

The novel Coming Home (1995) by Rosamunde Pilcher, set in 1930s Cornwall, has a character called Loveday. Loveday Minette is a fictional character in the children's fantasy novel The Little White Horse (1946) by Elizabeth Goudge (in the novel's film adaptation, she is known as Loveday de Noir). Also, a character in Poldark.

Short form of Ludovicus or Ludolf.

Dutch short form of Lucas.

From a Scottish surname that was derived from the Old Norse given name Liulfr (which was derived in part from úlfr "wolf").

Latinized form of the Greek name Λύκος (Lykos) meaning "wolf". This name was borne by several characters in Greek mythology including a legendary ruler of Thebes.

French and Czech form of Lydia.

Bulgarian, Croatian, Alsatian, and German variant of Madeleine as well as a Hungarian borrowing of this name as well as a medieval German contracted and the Welsh regular form of Magdalena.

Basque form of Magdalene.

Polish form of Maximilianus (see Maximilian).

From the name of the month, which was derived from the name of the Roman god Mars.

Variant of Marie.

Italian and Spanish form of Marinus.

From the Roman family name Marinus, which derives either from the name Marius or from the Latin word marinus "of the sea". Saint Marinus was a 4th-century stonemason who built a chapel on Monte Titano, in the country that is today known as San Marino.

Norwegian and Swedish form of Margaret.

Variant of Marjolein.

Variant of Marilyn (feminine) or Marlin (masculine).

Possibly related to Latin mas meaning "male" (genitive maris). In Roman mythology Mars was the god of war, often equated with the Greek god Ares. This is also the name of the fourth planet in the solar system.

From an English surname that originally denoted a person who was a marshal. The word marshal originally derives from Latin mariscalcus, itself from Germanic roots akin to Old High German marah "horse" and scalc "servant". A famous bearer is the American rapper Marshall Mathers (1972-), who performs under the name Eminem.

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

Variant of Mathieu.

Diminutive of Matilda or Matthew.

Name of one of the contestants of District 12 in the world of Suzanne Collins' novel "The Hunger Games". It can be seen as a combination of Maisie and Lee.

Created by Lord Byron for a character in his poem The Corsair (1814). It is not known what inspired Byron to use this name. The year the poem was published, it was used as the middle name of Elizabeth Medora Leigh (1814-1849), a niece and rumoured daughter of Byron.

Latinized form of Greek Μέγαιρα (Megaira), which was derived from μεγαίρω (megairo) meaning "to grudge". This was the name of one of the Furies or Ἐρινύες (Erinyes) in Greek mythology. The name is used as a word in several European languages to denote a shrewish, ill-tempered woman (for example, French mégère and Italian megera).

Older form of Millicent.

From the Latin Mercurius, probably derived from Latin mercari "to trade" or merces "wages". This was the name of the Roman god of trade, merchants, and travellers, later equated with the Greek god Hermes. This is also the name of the first planet in the solar system and a metallic chemical element, both named for the god.

Maori and Fijian form of Mary.

Low German variant of Merete as well as a Swiss German short form of Emerentia and a Sami variant of Märet.

A well-known bearer of this name was artist Meret Oppenheim.

Either a variant of Merritt or else simply from the English word merit, ultimately from Latin meritus "deserving".

Form of the Welsh name Myrddin used by Geoffrey of Monmouth in his 12th-century chronicle. Writing in Latin, he likely chose the form Merlinus over Merdinus in order to prevent associations with French merde "excrement".

Geoffrey based parts of Merlin's character on Myrddin Wyllt, a legendary madman and prophet who lived in the Caledonian Forest. Other parts of his life were based on that of the historical 5th-century Romano-British military leader Ambrosius Aurelianus (also known as Emrys Wledig). In Geoffrey's version of the tales and later embellishments Merlin is a magician and counselor for King Arthur.

From a Welsh surname that was originally derived from the given name Meurig.

Variant of Muriel. A famous bearer is American actress Meryl Streep (1949-), whose real name is Mary Louise Streep.

Diminutive or feminine form of Michael. This was the name that Walt Disney gave to Ub Iwerks' cartoon character Mickey Mouse (debuting 1928), who was called Mortimer Mouse while being developed. Another famous bearer was the American baseball player Mickey Mantle (1931-1995).

Means "praise, eulogy" in Arabic.

From an English occupational surname for a miller, derived from Middle English mille "mill".

From the English word "minuet" referring to a type of "dance" or "a movement which is part of a longer musical composition such as a suite, sonata, or symphony, inspired by or conforming to the dance of the same name". From the French menuet, from menu 'small' and et, a diminutive, from the Latin minutus 'very small'.

From Japanese 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" combined with 桜 (o) meaning "cherry blossom" or 緒 (o) meaning "thread". Other kanji or kanji combinations can also form this name.

Romanian form of Mirče. This name was borne by a 14th-century ruler of Wallachia, called Mircea the Great.

Scottish diminutive of Marion 1.

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

Variant of Morrígan.

Usual medieval form of Maurice.

Means "born of the sea" in Irish. In Irish legend this was the name of a woman (originally named Lí Ban) who was transformed into a mermaid. After 300 years she was brought to shore, baptized, and transformed back into a woman.

From Irish muirn meaning either "affection, endearment" or "festivity, exuberance". In Irish legend this was the name of the mother of Fionn mac Cumhaill. She is also called Muirenn.

Anglicized form of Muireadhach.

French variant of Muriel.

Derived from Greek μύρον (myron) meaning "sweet oil, perfume". Myron was the name of a 5th-century BC Greek sculptor. Saints bearing this name include a 3rd-century bishop of Crete and a 4th-century martyr from Cyzicus who was killed by a mob. These saints are more widely revered in the Eastern Church, and the name has generally been more common among Eastern Christians. As an English name, it has been used since the 19th century.

Derived from Greek μύρρα (myrrha) meaning "myrrh". This is the name of a character in the comedy Lysistrata by the Greek playwright Aristophanes.

Means "a drink of water" in Arabic or a variant of Nala.

Means "comforter" in Hebrew, from the root נָחַם (nacham). Nahum is one of the twelve minor prophets of the Old Testament. He authored the Book of Nahum in which the downfall of Nineveh is foretold.

Variant of Nanuq. This was the (fictional) name of the subject of Robert Flaherty's documentary film Nanook of the North (1922).

Masculine form of Natalia.

Short form of Linnéa.

Means "Sunday" in Bulgarian.

Finnish form of Nicholas.

Swedish form of Nicholas.

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.

Means "pleasantness" in Hebrew. A famous bearer is Noam Chomsky (1928-), an American linguist and philosopher.

Means "heavenly mist" from Hawaiian noe "mist" and lani "heaven, sky, royal, majesty".

French form of Naomi 1.

Meaning uncertain, possibly a feminine form of Noll inspired by Lola. It has been most common in Australia and New Zealand, especially in the first half of the 20th century.

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

Variant transliteration of نورية (see Nouria).

Derived from Latin novus meaning "new". It was first used as a name in the 19th century.

Derived from obsidian, the English name for a specific type of volcanic glass. The name is ultimately derived from Latin obsidianus meaning "of Obsidius", after the Roman (also called Obsius in some instances) who supposedly was the first to discover this type of volcanic glass. The name Obsidius is possibly a corruption of Opsidius, which is apparently a very obscure Roman nomen gentile.** Etymologically, Opsidius may be a more elaborate form of Opsius. It could also be Oscan in origin, in which case it may have been derived from Oscan úpsed meaning "worked, laboured" (which would thus make the name related to Oppius). Last but not least, if the discoverer's name was Obsius rather than Obsidius, then his name was probably a corruption of Opsius. In either case the etymology is very similar. Finally, in popular culture, Obsidian is the name of a character in the "Transformers" franchise as well as a character in a comic published by DC Comics.

** Please see page 638 of the book "The Italic Dialects" written by Robert Seymour Conway.

Form of Odilia.

From an English surname that was originally from a place name, itself derived from Old English wad "woad" (a plant that produces a blue dye) and hyll "hill".

Icelandic form of Olaf.

Polish form of Oliver.

Means "happiness, luck" in Finnish.

Diminutive of Opal.

Greek form of the Egyptian wsjr (reconstructed as Asar, Usir and other forms), which is of unknown meaning, possibly related to wsr "mighty" or jrt "eye". In Egyptian mythology Osiris was the god of fertility, agriculture, and the dead and served as the judge of the underworld. In one tale he was slain by his brother Seth, but restored to life by his wife Isis in order to conceive their son Horus, who would go on to avenge his father.

Perhaps a diminutive of Otho. William Shakespeare used this name in his tragedy Othello (1603), where it belongs to a Moor who is manipulated by Iago into killing his wife Desdemona.

From the Roman family name Ovidius, which was possibly derived from Latin ovis "a sheep". Alternatively, it could have a Sabellic origin. Publius Ovidius Naso, better known as Ovid, was a 1st-century BC Roman poet who is best known as the author of the Metamorphoses. He was sent into exile on the coast of the Black Sea by Emperor Augustus for no apparent reason.

Romanian form of Ovidius (see Ovid). In the 1st century the Roman poet Ovid was exiled to the city of Tomis, now Constanța in Romania.

Means "like a fairy" in Persian, derived from پری (pari) meaning "fairy, sprite, supernatural being".

From the Late Latin name Paschalis, which meant "relating to Easter" from Latin Pascha "Easter", which was in turn from Hebrew פֶּסַח (pesach) meaning "Passover". Passover is the ancient Hebrew holiday celebrating the liberation from Egypt. Because it coincided closely with the later Christian holiday of Easter, the same Latin word was used for both. The name Pascal can also function as a surname, as in the case of Blaise Pascal (1623-1662), the French philosopher, mathematician and inventor.

From the English word patience, ultimately from Latin patientia, a derivative of pati "to suffer". This was one of the virtue names coined by the Puritans in the 17th century. It is now most commonly used in African countries where English is widely understood, such as Nigeria and Ghana.

Maori form of Peter.

Ukrainian and Esperanto form of Peter.

Romanian and Corsican form of Peter.

Latin form of Peter. As a Dutch name, it is used on birth certificates though a vernacular form such as Pieter is typically used in daily life.

Meaning unknown, created in the 20th century. The name is borne by the British singer Petula Clark (1932-), whose name was invented by her father.

Means "affectionate" in Greek, a derivative of φίλημα (philema) meaning "kiss". Philemon was the recipient of one of Paul's epistles in the New Testament.

From an English surname that was derived from the given name Piers. In America this name slowly started to grow in popularity in 1982 when actor Pierce Brosnan (1953-) began starring on the television series Remington Steele.

Breton diminutive of Pierre.

Dutch form of Petronella.

From the medieval name Plaisance, which meant "pleasant" in Old French.

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).

Means "love, affection" in Sanskrit.

From the Greek Πρίαμος (Priamos), possibly meaning "redeemed". In Greek legend Priam was the king of Troy during the Trojan War and the father of many children including Hector and Paris.

From a Welsh surname that was derived from ap Rhys meaning "son of Rhys".

A noun-name. The prinias are a genus of small birds belonging to the passerine bird family Cisticolidae. They are often also alternatively classed in the Old World warbler family, Sylviidae. The name of the genus is derived from the Javanese prinya, the local name for the bar-winged prinia. This word has only recently come into use as a name.

From Egyptian rꜥ meaning "sun" or "day". Ra was an important Egyptian sun god originally worshipped in Heliopolis in Lower Egypt. He was usually depicted as a man with the head of a falcon crowned with a solar disc. In later times his attributes were often merged with those of other deities, such as Amon, Atum and Horus.

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

Spanish form of Raymond.

Scandinavian, Finnish and Estonian form of Erasmus.

Means "sun" in Sanskrit. Ravi is a Hindu god of the sun, sometimes equated with Surya. A famous bearer was the musician Ravi Shankar (1920-2012).

Means "flower" in Mapuche.

Puritanical name.

Old German form of Rein.

Finnish form of Gregory.

Latin form of Rémy.

Means "friend of God" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is another name for Jethro. The fantasy author John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (1892-1973) was a famous bearer.

Feminine form of Raviv.

Variant of Rhidian.

From an Irish surname (Anglicized from Irish Gaelic Ó Ríoghbhárdáin), which was derived from the given name Rígbarddán.

Feminine variant of Robin.

Means "dew" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin Mary María del Rocío meaning "Mary of the Dew".

Derived from Sanskrit रोहण (rohana) meaning "ascending".

Means "my shepherd" in Hebrew.

Diminutive of Roman.

Late Latin name derived from rosa "rose". This was the name of a 12th-century Sicilian saint.

Scottish Gaelic form of Ruaidhrí.

Diminutive of Rudolf.

Feminine form of Rune.

Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 竜之介 or 龍之介 or 隆之介 (see Ryūnosuke).

French, German, Dutch and Danish form of Sabina.

From the English word meaning "black", derived from the name of the black-furred mammal native to northern Asia, ultimately of Slavic origin.

African, Islamic name for boys meaning patient, sharp and enduring.

From Japanese kanji 幸 (sachi) meaning "happiness; good luck".

Portuguese form of Sapphira. It coincides with the Portuguese word for "sapphire".

From Old Norse Sága, possibly meaning "seeing one", derived from sjá "to see". This is the name of a Norse goddess, possibly connected to Frigg. As a Swedish and Icelandic name, it is also derived from the unrelated word saga "story, fairy tale, saga".

From the English word sage, which denotes either a type of spice or else a wise person.

Possibly derived from the name of the city of Samarra (in Iraq) or Samara (in Russia). The former appears in the title of the novel Appointment in Samarra (1934) by John O'Hara, which refers to an ancient Babylonian legend about a man trying to evade death. Alternatively, this name could be derived from the word for the winged seeds that grow on trees such as maples and elms.

The name received a boost in popularity after it was borne by the antagonist in the horror movie The Ring (2002).

From the name of the gemstone, typically blue, which is the traditional birthstone of September. It is derived from Greek σάπφειρος (sappheiros), ultimately from the Hebrew word סַפִּיר (sappir).

Alternate transcription of Russian Савелий (see Saveliy).

Meaning uncertain, possibly a derivative of Mapuche ayün "love".

French form of Scholastica. It is more common in French-speaking Africa than France.

From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "town in the rushes" in Old English.

Form of Shem used in the Greek and Latin Old Testament.

Anglicized form of Senán.

Yiddish form of Alexander.

From a Roman cognomen derived from Latin senectus meaning "old". This was the name of both a Roman orator (born in Spain) and also of his son, a philosopher and statesman.

This name also coincides with that of the Seneca, a Native American tribe that lived near the Great Lakes, whose name meant "place of stones".

Finnish form of Xenia.

Polish form of Seraphinus (see Seraphina).

Means "love, infatuation" in Turkish and Azerbaijani, ultimately from Arabic سوداء (sawda) meaning "black bile, melancholy, sadness".

Anglicized form of Sìne. This name was popularized outside of Scotland in the 1980s by the singer Sheena Easton (1959-).

Probably inspired by the French word chérie meaning "darling" or the English word sherry, a type of fortified wine named from the Spanish town of Jerez. This name came into popular use during the 1920s, inspired by other similar-sounding names and by Collette's novels Chéri (1920, English translation 1929) and The Last of Chéri (1926, English translation 1932), in which it is a masculine name.

This also coincides with an Irish surname (an Anglicized form of Irish Gaelic Mac Searraigh), derived from the byname Searrach meaning "foal".

Means "sweet" in Persian. This was the name of a character in Persian and Turkish legend.

From the Old Norse name Sigurðr, which was derived from the elements sigr "victory" and vǫrðr "guard, guardian". Sigurd was the hero of the Norse epic the Völsungasaga, which tells how his foster-father Regin sent him to recover a hoard of gold guarded by the dragon Fafnir. After slaying the dragon Sigurd tasted some of its blood, enabling him to understand the language of birds, who told him that Regin was planning to betray him. In a later adventure, Sigurd disguised himself as Gunnar (his wife Gudrun's brother) and rescued the maiden Brynhildr from a ring of fire, with the result that Gunnar and Brynhildr were married. When the truth eventually came out, Brynhildr took revenge upon Sigurd. The stories of the German hero Siegfried were in part based on him.

Urdu and Pashto form of Alexander.

Norwegian and Danish diminutive of Cecilia.

German transliteration of Belarusian Зінаіда and Ukrainian Зінаїда (see Zinaida).

Norwegian form of Sindri.

Possibly from Estonian sinisirje meaning "blue-feathered", a word associated with a magical bird in the Estonian national epic Kalevipoeg (1857) by Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald. Apparently this name was suggested by the linguist Julius Mägiste in the 1920s. It was subsequently used in the 1945 opera Tasuleegid by Eugen Kapp.

From Old Norse Sif, which meant "bride, kinswoman". In Norse mythology she was the wife of Thor. After the trickster Loki cut off her golden hair, an angry Thor forced him to create a replacement.

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

From an English surname that was derived from Old English slæd meaning "valley".

From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Sluaghadháin, itself derived from the given name Sluaghadhán.

Latin form of Solange.

From an Old Norse name, which was derived from the elements sól "sun" and veig "strength". This is the name of the heroine in Henrik Ibsen's play Peer Gynt (1876).

Anglicized form of the Old Norse name Sumarliði meaning "summer traveller". This was the name of a 12th-century Norse-Gaelic king of Mann and the Scottish Isles.

Variant of Summer, coinciding with the German word for summer.

Diminutive of Italian sonetto - song, sound; little song. Also the term for a short lyric poem, usually with eight line stanzas, followed by six line
stanzas.

The sonnets of William Shakespeare, on the other hand, are typically three Sicilian quatrains, followed by an heroic couplet.

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 Middle English storie, storye, from Anglo-Norman estorie, from Late Latin storia meaning "history."

Alternate transcription of Arabic ثريّا or ثريّة (see Thurayya).

From a personification of the country of Sweden, in use since the 17th century. It is a derivative of Svear, the Swedish name for the North Germanic tribe the Swedes. The Swedish name of the country of Sweden is Sverige, a newer form of Svear rike meaning "the realm of the Svear".

From the Old Norse name Sverrir meaning "wild, swinging, spinning".

From the Old English name Swiðhun or Swiþhun, derived from swiþ "strong" and perhaps hun "bear cub". Saint Swithin was a 9th-century bishop of Winchester.

Norwegian variant of Sunniva.

Estonian and Finnish form of David.

From Finnish taimi meaning "sapling, young tree" or Estonian taim meaning "plant" (words from a common origin).

Means "crown" in Arabic.

Means "my dew" in Hebrew.

Means "shining brow", derived from Welsh tal "brow, head" and iesin "shining, radiant". This was the name of a semi-legendary 6th-century Welsh poet and bard, supposedly the author of the collection of poems the Book of Taliesin. He appears briefly in the Welsh legend Culhwch and Olwen and the Second Branch of the Mabinogi. He is the central character in the Tale of Taliesin, a medieval legend recorded in the 16th century, which tells how Ceridwen's servant Gwion Bach was reborn to her as Taliesin; how he becomes the bard for Elffin; and how Taliesin defends Elffin from the machinations of the king Maelgwn Gwynedd.

Alternate transcription of Armenian Թալին (see Talin).

Derived from Estonian talv meaning "winter".

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.

From the name of the flower, which is derived via Old French from Late Latin tanacita.

Anglicized form of the Irish place name Teamhair, which possibly means "elevated place". This was the name of the sacred hill near Dublin where the Irish high kings resided. It was popularized as a given name by the novel Gone with the Wind (1936) and the subsequent movie adaptation (1939), in which it is the name of the O'Hara plantation.

From Tarquinius, a Roman name of unknown meaning, possibly Etruscan in origin. This was the name of two early kings of Rome.

Finnish short form of Dorothea.

Diminutive of Terezija.

From Tibetan བསྟན་འཛིན (bstan-'dzin) meaning "upholder of teachings". This is one of the given names of the current Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso (1935-).

From an English surname that was derived from the medieval name Thierry, a Norman French form of Theodoric.

From the Scottish and English noble title, which was originally from Old English thegn.

From the English word thankful. This was one of the many virtue names used by the Puritans in the 17th century.

Limburgish short form of Theodoor.

Old German form of Theodoric.

Variant of Tiago.

From Akkadian tâmtu meaning "sea". In Babylonian myth Tiamat was the personification of the sea, appearing in the form of a huge dragon. By Apsu she gave birth to the first of the gods. Later, the god Marduk (her great-grandson) defeated her, cut her in half, and used the pieces of her body to make the earth and the sky.

From tiger lily, a name that has been applied to several orange varieties of lily (such as the species Lilium lancifolium). Tiger Lily is also the name of the Native American princess in J. M. Barrie's play Peter Pan (1904).

Anglicized form of Tadhg.

Estonian variant of Tiia, possibly in part from an archaic dialectal form of the word tihane "titmouse".

From Tielo, a medieval Low German diminutive of Dietrich and other names beginning with Old High German diota or Old Frankish þeoda meaning "people". Till Eulenspiegel is a trickster in German folklore.

Latinized form of the Greek name Τίμαιος (Timaios), derived from τιμάω (timao) meaning "to honour". This is the name of one of Plato's dialogues, featuring Timaeus and Socrates. Timaeus is also the name of a person mentioned briefly in the New Testament (Mark 10:46).

From an English surname meaning "fox", derived from Middle English todde. As a given name it was rare before 1930. It peaked in popularity in most parts of the English-speaking world in the 1960s or 70s, but it has since declined.

Means "hope" in Finnish.

Variant of Toni 1 and Toni 2, which are short forms of Anton and Antonia respectively. (As a Scandinavian feminine name, Toni could also be a variant of Tone 2.) Notable bearers of this name include Angolan-Dutch soccer player Tonny Vilhena (1995-) and Danish entrepreneur Tonny Sorenson (1964-). A fictional bearer is the title character of the 1962 Norwegian film Tonny.

Estonian form of Thomas.

From the Japanese kanji 寅 (tora) meaning "Tiger (zodiac sign)" or 虎 (tora) meaning "tiger" combined with 之 (no), a possessive, and 助 (suke) meaning "assistente" or 介 (suke) meaning "concern oneself with; mediate".

Other kanji combinations are possible.

Norwegian form of Torbjörn.

Meaning unknown. It has been suggested that it is of Irish origin, though no suitable derivation can be found.

From the Old Norse name Þórleifr, derived from the name of the Norse god Þórr (see Thor) combined with leif "inheritance, legacy".

Variant and feminine form of Torin.

From a surname that was derived from a Cornish place name meaning "homestead on the hill".