sponinsanity's Personal Name List

From an English surname, which was originally derived from a place name meaning "rye land" in Old English.

Possibly a variant of Ryland, though it could also be an invented name inspired by other names like Ryan and Riley.

Possibly a variant of the German surname Riker, a derivative of Low German rike "rich". As a modern English name, it has become popular because it shares the same trendy sounds found in other names such as Ryan and Ryder.

From the Hebrew name רוּת (Ruṯ), probably derived from the word רְעוּת (reʿuṯ) meaning "female friend". This is the name of the central character in the Book of Ruth in the Old Testament. She was a Moabite woman who accompanied her mother-in-law Naomi back to Bethlehem after Ruth's husband died. There she met and married Boaz. She was an ancestor of King David.

As a Christian name, Ruth has been in use since the Protestant Reformation. In England it was associated with the archaic word ruth meaning "pity, compassion" (now only commonly seen in the word ruthless). The name became very popular in America following the birth of "Baby" Ruth Cleveland (1891-1904), the daughter of President Grover Cleveland.

From French rousse, meaning "red hair." May also be transferred use of the surname Rush.

Derived from Old Norse rún meaning "secret lore, rune".

Simply from the name of the precious stone (which ultimately derives from Latin ruber "red"), which is the traditional birthstone of July. It came into use as a given name in the 16th century [1].

From Latin rubeus meaning "red, reddish". Rubeus Hagrid is a half-wizard, half-giant character in J. K. Rowling's 'Harry Potter' series; considering Rowling has likened the character to the Green Man, she may have based his name on the Latin word rubeus "of the bramble-bush, made of brambles", from rubus "bramble-bush".

From a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "rye hill", from Old English ryge "rye" and dun "hill".

Variant of Roxane.

Latin form of Ῥωξάνη (Rhoxane), the Greek form of an Old Persian or Bactrian name, from Old Iranian *rauxšnā meaning "bright, shining" [1]. This was the name of Alexander the Great's first wife, a daughter of the Bactrian nobleman Oxyartes. In the modern era it came into use during the 17th century. In the English-speaking world it was popularized by Daniel Defoe, who used it in his novel Roxana (1724).

Medieval variant of Roland.

Variant of Rowena.

Meaning uncertain. According to the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth, this was the name of a daughter of the Saxon chief Hengist. It is possible (but unsupported) that Geoffrey based it on the Old English elements hroð "fame" and wynn "joy", or alternatively on the Old Welsh elements ron "spear" and gwen "white". It was popularized by Walter Scott, who used it for a character in his novel Ivanhoe (1819).

Anglicized form of the Irish name Ruadhán. As an English name, it can also be derived from the surname Rowan, itself derived from the Irish given name. It could also be given in reference to the rowan tree, a word of Old Norse origin (coincidentally sharing the same Indo-European root meaning "red" with the Irish name).

Transferred use of the surname Roux.

Transferred use of the surname Rourke.

Derived from the Old German elements hruod "fame" and swind "strong". This was the name of a 10th-century nun from Saxony who wrote several notable poems and dramas.

Diminutive of Rossa.

Old German form of Rosalind.

Derived from Latin rosa "rose", though a connection with Latin ros "dew" may also be possible (see Roscius). The best known bearer of this name was the Roman consul Rosius Regulus.

French diminutive of Rose.

Extended form of Rosius. A bearer of this name was Rosianus Geminus, who lived in the first century AD.

Feminine form of Rosius.

French diminutive of Rose.

Italian diminutive of Rosa 1.

Combination of Rosen and Cornish gwynn "fair, white, blessed". This is a modern Cornish name.

Derived from Bulgarian росен (rosen) "dittany (a type of flower)". This name is borne by Rosen Plevneliev (1964-), the fourth president of Bulgaria.

Variant of Rosalette.

Originally a Norman French form of the Germanic name Hrodohaidis meaning "famous type", composed of the elements hruod "fame" and heit "kind, sort, type". The Normans introduced it to England in the forms Roese and Rohese. From an early date it was associated with the word for the fragrant flower rose (derived from Latin rosa). When the name was revived in the 19th century, it was probably with the flower in mind.

From a Roman nomen gentile, which was derived from Latin ros "dew" via roscidus "dewy, wet". This name was borne by several ancient Romans, one of them being an ancient Roman actor named Quintus Roscius Gallus.

Medieval variant of Rosalind. This is the name of characters in Shakespeare's Love's Labour's Lost (1594) and Romeo and Juliet (1596).

Derived from the Old German elements hros meaning "horse" and lind meaning "soft, flexible, tender". The Normans introduced this name to England, though it was not common. During the Middle Ages its spelling was influenced by the Latin phrase rosa linda "beautiful rose". The name was popularized by Edmund Spencer, who used it in his poetry, and by William Shakespeare, who used it for the heroine in his comedy As You Like It (1599).

Possibly an elaborated form of Rosa 1 or Rosalie.

Anglicized form of Ruaidhrí. Typically a masculine name, it gained some popularity for girls in the United States after it was used on the television series Gilmore Girls (2000-2007), in this case as a nickname for Lorelai. Despite this, the name has grown more common for boys in America, especially after 2011, perhaps due to Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy (1989-).

Roran is a derivative of the name Rory (Irish: Ruairí; Scottish Gaelic: Ruairidh) and so shares the meaning: The Red King.

From a Dutch surname meaning "rose field". This name is often given in honour of American presidents Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919) or Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945).

Derived from Hebrew רֹן (ron) meaning "song, joy".

Variant of Rhona.

From Roma, the Latin name of the city of Rome, combined with a diminutive suffix. In Roman legend Romulus and Remus were the twin sons of Rhea Silvia and the god Mars. Romulus killed his brother when they argued about where to found Rome. According to the tale he gave the city its name, though in reality it was likely the other way around.

Feminine form of Romulus.

From an English surname that was derived from the name of various Norman towns, themselves from the given name Romilius.

Feminine form of Romilius.

Means "famous battle" from the Germanic elements hruom "fame, glory" and hilt "battle".

Italian form of the Late Latin Romaeus or Late Greek Ρωμαῖος (Romaios), which meant "from Rome" or "Roman". Romeo is best known as the lover of Juliet in William Shakespeare's tragedy Romeo and Juliet (1596). Shakespeare based his play on earlier Italian stories by Luigi Da Porto (1524) and Matteo Bandello (1554), which both featured characters named Giulietta and Romeo.

From the Late Latin name Romanus meaning "Roman". This name was borne by several early saints including a 7th-century bishop of Rouen, as well as medieval rulers of Bulgaria, Kyiv and Moldavia.

French feminine form of Romanus (see Roman).

Diminutive of Roman.

From the Old German elements hruod meaning "fame" and lant meaning "land", though some theories hold that the second element was originally nand meaning "brave" [1].

Roland was an 8th-century military commander, serving under Charlemagne, who was killed by the Basques at the Battle of Roncevaux. His name was recorded in Latin as Hruodlandus. His tale was greatly embellished in the 11th-century French epic La Chanson de Roland, in which he is a nephew of Charlemagne killed after being ambushed by the Saracens. The Normans introduced the name to England.

Diminutive of Róis or the Irish word rós meaning "rose" (of Latin origin). It appears in the 17th-century song Róisín Dubh.

Transferred use of the surname Rogan.

Originally a short form of names beginning with the Old German element hraban meaning "raven".

From the English word that denotes a flowing body of water. The word is ultimately derived (via Old French) from Latin ripa "riverbank".

From a surname that was derived from the name of various English towns, from Old English rippel "grove, thicket" and leah "clearing". A famous fictional bearer is the character Ellen Ripley (usually only called by her surname) from the Alien series of movies, beginning 1979.

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

Means "river" in Spanish or Portuguese. A city in Brazil bears this name. Its full name is Rio de Janeiro, which means "river of January", so named because the first explorers came to the harbour in January and mistakenly thought it was a river mouth.

From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "ridge farm" in Old Norse.

From an English surname that was originally derived from various place names meaning either "reed clearing" or "channel clearing" in Old English.

From Old Irish Riacán, probably derived from rí "king" combined with a diminutive suffix.

From Old Welsh Ris, probably meaning "ardour, enthusiasm". Several Welsh rulers have borne this name, including the 12th-century Rhys ap Gruffydd who fought against the invading Normans.

Variant of Rhidian.

Means "rose" in Welsh. This is a modern Welsh name.

Welsh form of Rowena, appearing in medieval Welsh poems and stories as a personification of the English people.

Possibly derived from the name of either of the two Hebridean islands called Rona, which means "rough island" in Old Norse.

Derived from Greek ροή (rhoē) "flow, stream". In Greek mythology, this was the name of a woman loved by Apollo.

Derived from Welsh rhiain meaning "maiden, young woman".

From a surname, an Anglicized form of the Dutch de Raedt, derived from raet "advice, counsel". Margaret Mitchell used this name for the character Rhett Butler in her novel Gone with the Wind (1936).

Meaning unknown, perhaps related to ῥέω (rheo) meaning "to flow" or ἔρα (era) meaning "ground". In Greek mythology Rhea was a Titan, the wife of Cronus, and the mother of the Olympian gods Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Hera, Demeter and Hestia. Also, in Roman mythology a woman named Rhea Silvia was the mother of Romulus and Remus, the legendary founders of Rome.

From Welsh rhain meaning "stiff" or "stretched out", sometimes interpreted as "spear". This was borne by a son of the legendary 5th-century king Brychan Brycheiniog, and by a 9th-century king of Dyfed.

From Latin rex meaning "king". It has been used as a given name since the 19th century.

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

Feminine form of Renatus.

Meaning uncertain, possibly from Old Latin *yemos meaning "twin" with the initial consonant altered due to the influence of Romulus. In Roman legend the twin brothers Romulus and Remus were the founders of the city of Rome. Remus was later slain by his brother.

From the English word, perhaps intended to be an English equivalent of Remedios.

German variant form of Reynard.

German cognate of Reynard.

From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Raghailligh, derived from the given name Raghailleach, meaning unknown.

From a surname, a Scots variant of Reed.

German and Norwegian form of Regina.

Means "queen" in Latin (or Italian). It was in use as a Christian name from early times, and was borne by a 2nd-century saint. In England it was used during the Middle Ages in honour of the Virgin Mary, and it was later revived in the 19th century. A city in Canada bears this name, in honour of Queen Victoria.

From late 16th century (earlier as riff ) from Middle Low German and Middle Dutch rif, ref, from Old Norse rif, literally ‘rib’, used in the same sense.

From an English surname that was derived from Old English read meaning "red", originally a nickname given to a person with red hair or a ruddy complexion. Unconnected, this is also the English word for tall grass-like plants that grow in marshes.

Puritanical name.

From the Germanic name Raginheri, composed of the elements regin "advice, counsel, decision" and heri "army". Saint Rainerius was a 12th-century hermit from Pisa. The Normans brought this name to England where it came into general use, though it was rare by the end of the Middle Ages.

Either an elaboration of Raven, or else from the name of the city of Ravenna in Italy.

From the name of the bird, ultimately from Old English hræfn. The raven is revered by several Native American groups of the west coast. It is also associated with the Norse god Odin.

Possibly used in reference to the word ransom, meaning money paid or delivered in exchange for the release of something or someone.

Used most often in the 19th-century it has since fallen out of use. Notable bearers include L.A. city council member Ransom M. Callicott, writer Ransom Riggs, automobile businessman Ransom E. Olds (for whom Oldsmobile was named), and University of Wisconsin-Madison professor Ransom Asa Moore.

The name has also been used for numerous fictional characters, from books such as C.S. Lewis' 'Out of the Silent Planet' and films such as 'Knives Out'.

Transferred use of the surname Rance.

German form of Rayner.

Simply from the English word rain, derived from Old English regn.

Old Swedish form of Ragnfastr.

Possibly a combination of the Old Norse name elements regin "advice, counsel" and norðr "north", though it could also be a variant of Ragnar.

Old Norse combination of regin "advise, decision, might, power (of the gods)" and fastr "firmly, fast".

Modern Scandinavian form of Ragnarr.

From an Irish surname, itself derived from the given name Rabhartach meaning "flood tide".

Possibly derived from the Sabine word quiris meaning "spear". Quirinus was a Sabine and Roman god, sometimes identified with Romulus. He declined in importance after the early Republican era. The name was also borne by several early saints.

Feminine form of Quirinus.

German form of Quirinus.

Variant of Quentin, also coinciding with an English surname meaning "queen's town" in Old English.

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."

Variant of Quintella inspired by the word quintessence, meaning "the fifth element", "aether". According to Medieval science, the quintessence was the material that filled the region of the universe beyond the terrestrial sphere. Later the word came to mean "a thing that is the most perfect example of its type".

From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Irish Gaelic Ó Cuinn, itself derived from the given name Conn. In the United States it was more common as a name for boys until 2010, the year after the female character Quinn Fabray began appearing on the television series Glee.

Transferred use of the surname Quinley.

From an English surname that was derived (via the place name Cuinchy) from the personal name Quintus. A famous bearer was John Quincy Adams (1767-1848), sixth president of the United States, who was born in the town of Quincy, Massachusetts. Both the town and the president were named after his maternal great-grandfather John Quincy (1689-1767). Another notable bearer is the American musician Quincy Jones (1933-).

Transferred use of the surname Quillen.

Hispanicized form of Killa. In Inca mythology Mama Quilla or Mama Killa was the goddess of the moon, worshipped in particular by women and often represented by a disc made of either gold or silver. Her name, which means "mother moon" in Quechua, is also seen as Mama Kilya.

Diminutive of Aquilla.

From the English word "quill" referring to a "pen made from a feather". From the Middle English quil 'fragment of reed' or 'shaft of feather'.

Means "feathered snake" in Nahuatl, derived from quetzalli "quetzal feather, precious thing" and cōātl "snake" [1]. In Aztec and other Mesoamerican mythology he was the god of the sky, wind, and knowledge, also associated with the morning star. According to one legend he created the humans of this age using the bones of humans from the previous age and adding his own blood.

Latinized form of Cwengifu.

Transferred use of the surname Quaid.

Transferred use of the surname Quade.

Pyxis is a small and faint constellation in the southern sky. Abbreviated from Pyxis Nautica, its name is Latin for a mariner's compass (contrasting with Circinus, which represents a draftsman's compasses). Pyxis was introduced by Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille in the 18th century, and is counted among the 88 modern constellations.

From the Greek name Πύρρος (Pyrrhos) meaning "flame-coloured, red", related to πῦρ (pyr) meaning "fire". This was another name of Neoptolemus the son of Achilles. This was also the name of a 3rd-century BC king of Epirus who was famed for his victorious yet costly battles against Rome.

From the Greek name Πτολεμαῖος (Ptolemaios), derived from Greek πολεμήϊος (polemeios) meaning "aggressive, warlike". Ptolemy was the name of several Greco-Egyptian rulers of Egypt, all descendants of Ptolemy I Soter, one of the generals of Alexander the Great. This was also the name of a 2nd-century Greek astronomer.

Roman feminine given name derived from the Greek πολεμηιος (polemeios) meaning "aggressive" or "warlike" and κρατος (kratos) meaning "power". This was the name of a character in the play Rudens of Plautus.

Feminine form of Ptolemaios (see Ptolemy).

Means "the soul", derived from Greek ψύχω (psycho) meaning "to breathe". The Greeks thought that the breath was the soul. In Greek mythology Psyche was a beautiful maiden who was beloved by Eros (or Cupid in Roman mythology). She is the subject of Keats's poem Ode to Psyche (1819).

Contracted form of ap Rhys "son of Rhys".

Transferred use of the surname Pryor.

Variant of Price.

Transferred use of the surname Pruitt.

Medieval English form of Prudentia, the feminine form of Prudentius. In France it is both the feminine form and a rare masculine form. In England it was used during the Middle Ages and was revived in the 17th century by the Puritans, in part from the English word prudence, ultimately of the same source.

Derived from either Old French prude, the feminine form of the adjective pruz "brave; valiant" or from Old French preu "brave; valiant, chivalrous" (ultimately from Late Latin prōde "profitable, useful").

Latin form of Prosper.

Feminine form of Prosper.

From the Latin name Prosperus, which meant "fortunate, successful". This was the name of a 5th-century saint, a supporter of Saint Augustine. It has never been common as an English name, though the Puritans used it, partly because it is identical to the English word prosper.

Derived from Greek προμήθεια (prometheia) meaning "foresight, forethought". In Greek myth he was the Titan who gave the knowledge of fire to mankind. For doing this he was punished by Zeus, who had him chained to a rock and caused an eagle to feast daily on his liver, which regenerated itself each night. Herakles eventually freed him.

French form of Priscilla.

Roman name, a diminutive of Prisca. In Acts in the New Testament Paul lived with Priscilla (also known as Prisca) and her husband Aquila in Corinth for a while. It has been used as an English given name since the Protestant Reformation, being popular with the Puritans. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow used it in his 1858 poem The Courtship of Miles Standish [1].

Feminine form of Priscus, a Roman family name meaning "ancient" in Latin. This name appears in the epistles in the New Testament, referring to Priscilla the wife of Aquila.

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

Pretoria is a city in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa.

From Sanskrit प्रेम (prema) meaning "love, affection".

Means "action, sex" in Greek. This was another name for the Greek goddess Aphrodite.

Possibly a derivative of Praxis. Praxilla of Sicyon was a Greek lyric poet of the 5th century BC.

Derived from Greek πρᾶξις (praxis) meaning "action, exercise" and δίκη (dike) meaning "justice, custom, order". In Greek mythology she was the goddess of lawful punishment. This is also the name of a small moon of Jupiter.

Latin form of Pompey.

Feminine form of Pompeius.

Means "abounding in song", derived from Greek πολύς (polys) meaning "much" and ὕμνος (hymnos) meaning "song, hymn". In Greek mythology she was the goddess of dance and sacred songs, one of the nine Muses.

Roman form of Greek Πολυδεύκης (Polydeukes) meaning "very sweet", from Greek πολύς (polys) meaning "much" and δευκής (deukes) meaning "sweet". In mythology he was the twin brother of Castor and a son of Zeus. The constellation Gemini, which represents the two brothers, contains a star by this name.

Derived from Latin stella polaris, meaning "pole star". This is the proper Latin name of the brightest star in the constellation Ursa Minor, commonly called the North Star or Pole Star. It is borne by a character (real name Lorna Dane) in Marvel's X-Men line of comics, created in 1968.

From the English word meaning "someone who writes poems". From the Old French poete, from Latin poēta 'poet, author', from Ancient Greek poiētēs (ποιητής) 'creator, maker, author, poet', from poieō (poieō) 'I make, compose'.

From the Greek name Πλούταρχος (Ploutarchos), which was derived from πλοῦτος (ploutos) meaning "riches, wealth" and ἀρχός (archos) meaning "master". Plutarch was a 1st-century Greek historian.

Derived from Greek πλεῖστος (pleistos) meaning "most, greatest, largest" and ἄναξ (anax) meaning "master, lord, king".

This name was borne by a king of Sparta from the 5th century BC.

Greek form of Plato.

Late Latin name meaning "pious, dutiful". This was the name of twelve popes.

Derived from Greek πίτυς (pitys) meaning "pine". In Greek mythology, this was the name of an Oread nymph who was changed into a pine tree by the gods.

From an English surname that was originally given to a person who played on a pipe (a flute). It was popularized as a given name by a character from the television series Charmed, which debuted in 1998 [1].

East Prussian German short form of Philippine.

From the English word meaning "piety, devoutness". This was a rare virtue name used by the Puritans in the 17th century.

Italian feminine form of Peter.

Italian and Dutch variant form of Peter. In Italian, this form is often used in combination with another name.

Means "foliage" in Greek. In Greek mythology this was the name of a woman who killed herself out of love for Demophon and was subsequently transformed into an almond tree. It began to be used as a given name in England in the 16th century, though it was often confused with Felicia.

Ancient Greek nickname meaning "toad", literally "the brown animal". Phryne was a 4th-century BC hetaira or courtesan, famed for her beauty, whose stage name - like those of many hetairai - was based on a physical feature; she was called that either because of a dark complexion (*phrynos being cognate with brown) or because of a "snub nose" (phrynē "a kind of toad"). This stage name was borne by other hetairai also.

It is also the name of the detective in Australian author Kerry Greenwood's Phryne Fisher mystery series, beginning in 1989.

From the Greek Φρίξος (Phrixos) meaning "thrilling, causing shivers", derived from φρίξ (phrix) meaning "ripple, shiver". In Greek myth Phrixus was the son of Athamus and Nephele. He was to be sacrificed to Zeus, but he escaped with his sister Helle on the back of the ram with the Golden Fleece.

Derived from Greek φῶς (phos) meaning "light" (genitive φωτός (photos)). This is the name traditionally given to the Samaritan woman Jesus met at the well (see John 4:7). She is venerated as a saint by the Eastern Church.

From the name of a beautiful immortal bird that appears in Egyptian and Greek mythology. After living for several centuries in the Arabian Desert, it would be consumed by fire and rise from its own ashes, with this cycle repeating every 500 years. The name of the bird was derived from Greek φοῖνιξ (phoinix) meaning "dark red".

Taken from the name of the flower, whose name is derived from Greek phlox "flame". As a given name, it has been in occasional use in the English-speaking world from the late 19th century onwards.

Variant of Phinehas used in some English versions of the Old Testament.

From the Greek name Φίλανδρος (Philandros) meaning "friend of man" from Greek φίλος (philos) meaning "friend" and ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man" (genitive ἀνδρός). It was the name of a son of Apollo with the nymph Acalle. In the 18th century this was coined as a word meaning "to womanize", and the name subsequently dropped out of use.

Form of Felix used in the Greek New Testament.

Anglicized form of Faolán.

Probably related to Phaenna, or perhaps from Greek φανης (phanes) meaning "appearing". A notable bearer was Saint Phaine of Ancyra, a 3rd-century Christian martyr. She was one of seven holy virgins, including Saint Tecusa, who were drowned in a lake under the emperor Diocletian.

Derived from Greek φαεινός (phaeinos) meaning "shining". According to some Greek myths this was the name of one of the three Graces or Χάριτες (Charites).

From the Greek Φαίδρα (Phaidra), derived from φαιδρός (phaidros) meaning "bright". Phaedra was the daughter of Minos and the wife of Theseus in Greek mythology. Aphrodite caused her to fall in love with her stepson Hippolytos, and after she was rejected by him she killed herself.

Variant of Peverall.

Medieval English form of Petronilla.

Feminine form of Peter. This was also the name of an ancient city in the region that is now Jordan.

Derived from Latin pertinax "persistent, stubborn." This name was borne by a Roman Emperor from the 2nd century AD.
This is the name of character Pertinax Surly in the novel, "The Alchemist."

Greek name meaning "Persian woman". This is the name of a woman mentioned in Paul's epistle to the Romans in the New Testament.

Meaning unknown, probably of Pre-Greek origin, but perhaps related to Greek πέρθω (pertho) meaning "to destroy" and φόνος (phonos) meaning "murder". In Greek myth she was the daughter of Demeter and Zeus. She was abducted to the underworld by Hades, but was eventually allowed to return to the surface for part of the year. The result of her comings and goings is the changing of the seasons. With her mother she was worshipped in the Eleusinian Mysteries, which were secret rites practiced at the city of Eleusis near Athens.

Diminutive of Perrin.

French feminine form of Perrin, a diminutive of Pierre.

Diminutive form of Pierre, Perre and Pier.

Variant of Piran.

Derived from Latin perpetuus meaning "continuous". This was the name of a 3rd-century saint martyred with another woman named Felicity.

Contracted form of Petronel.

From the Greek name Περικλῆς (Perikles), which was derived from Greek περί (peri) meaning "around, exceedingly" and κλέος (kleos) meaning "glory". This was the name of a 5th-century BC Athenian statesman and general. It is also the name of the central character in the play Pericles, Prince of Tyre (1608) written (or co-written) by William Shakespeare.

From the Late Latin name Peregrinus, which meant "traveller". This was the name of several early saints.

Meaning uncertain. It possibly means "hard spears" from Welsh peri "spears" and dur "hard, steel" [1]. In early Welsh poetry and histories, the brothers Peredur and Gwrgi were chieftains in Cumbria who defeated Gwenddoleu at the Battle of Arfderydd. This name was later used by the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth in the Latin form Peredurus for an early (fictitious) king of Britain. Entering into Arthurian romance, Peredur is an aspiring knight in the 14th-century Welsh tale Peredur son of Efrawg (an adaptation or parallel of Chrétien de Troyes' hero Percival).

Means "partridge" in Greek. In Greek myth Perdix or Talos was a nephew of the inventor Daedalus, to whom he was apprenticed. His teacher became jealous of his skill and pushed him headlong off the temple of Athena on the Acropolis, but before Perdix hit the ground, the goddess turned him into a partridge.

From an English surname that was derived from the name of a Norman town Perci, which was itself perhaps derived from a Gaulish given name that was Latinized as Persius. The surname was borne by a noble English family, and it first used as a given name in their honour. A famous bearer was Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822), an English romantic poet whose works include Adonais and Ozymandias. This name can also be used as a short form of Percival.

Created by the 12th-century French poet Chrétien de Troyes for his poem Perceval, the Story of the Grail. Chrétien may have derived the name from Old French perce val "pierce the valley", or he may have based it loosely on the Welsh name Peredur [1]. In the poem Perceval is a boy from Wales who hopes to become a knight under King Arthur. Setting out to prove himself, he eventually comes to the castle of the Fisher King and is given a glimpse of the Grail.

From the name of the Christian festival which commemorates the descent of the Holy Ghost upon the apostles, celebrated on the fiftieth day after Easter, ultimately deriving from Greek pentekoste (hemera) "fiftieth (day)". This name was traditionally given to children born at Whitsuntide. It can also be from a nickname given to a person with some connection to that time of year, such as owing a feudal obligation then.

Transferred use of the surname Penrose.

Transferred use of the surname Pennington.

Place name from Cwm Pennant and transferred use of the surname Pennant.

The Latin word for "feather, wing". American actor Ian Ziering has a daughter named Penna, born 2013.

Means "head, top" in Welsh. This was the name of two characters in Welsh legend. It can also come from the English surname which was from a place name meaning "hill" in Old English.

Transferred use of the surname Pendragon.

The surname of Kings Arthur and Uther, meaning “head dragon” or “dragon’s head.” As first told by Geoffrey of Monmouth, Uther adopted the symbol of the dragon because of the comet with the dragon’s head that Merlin had seen in Wales, heralding the death of King Ambrosius Aurelius, Uther’s brother. In Welsh legend, it is also the surname of one “Gwen Pendragon,” who once kept Arthur prisoner.
In the Prose and Vulgate Merlins, the name Pendragon is given to the character elsewhere called Ambrosius Aurelianus: the son of Constantine and Ivoire, the uncle of Arthur, and the king of Britain between Vortigern and Uther, Pendragon’s brother. Pendragon allied with Merlin, defeated Vortigern and Hengist, died fighting the Saxons, and was buried at Stonehenge. Uther is said to have adopted his brother’s name as a surname in memory of the slain king.

Source: Christopher Bruce's Arthurian Name Dictionary

Means "pink" in Turkish.

Possibly from Welsh Beli Mawr meaning "Beli the Great". In Arthurian romance this was the name of a king of Listenois, a son of Pellehan who pursued the elusive Questing Beast and later joined Arthur's court. He first appears in the 13th-century Lancelot-Grail Cycle.

Form of Pellehan used by Thomas Malory in his 15th-century compilation Le Morte d'Arthur.

Perhaps derived from Greek πέλεια (peleia) meaning "rock pigeon". In Greek mythology, Pelias was the king of Iolcus who sent Jason on the quest for the Golden Fleece.

Bosnian and Croatian form of Pegasus.

Meaning "God's gold" in Hebrew.

From an English surname that was derived from a place name meaning "Pœcc's town". Pœcc is an Old English given name of unknown meaning.

Means "peace" in Latin. In Roman mythology this was the name of the goddess of peace.

Russian, Czech, Bulgarian, Slovene, Macedonian and Belarusian form of Paul.

From an English surname that was derived from a diminutive of Patrick. A notable bearer of the surname was the American World War II general George S. Patton (1885-1945), who played an important part in the allied offensive in France.

Derived from the Middle English word Pask meaning "Easter".

In modern Breton, Pask also means "Easter", but as a given name it is usually a short form of Paskal.

An old baptismal name given for children born on Easter in reference to the latin pascal. See also Paschal.

Feminine form of Pascal.

From the Late Latin name Paschalis, which meant "relating to Easter" from Latin Pascha "Easter", which was in turn from Hebrew פֶּסַח (pesaḥ) meaning "Passover" [1]. 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.

"Parrish" is a novel by Mildred Savage that was published in 1958.

Park - a pet name or nickname for Patrick of Irish origin.

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

Derived from the Greek elements πᾶν (pan) meaning "all" (genitive παντός) and λέων (leon) meaning "lion". This was the name of a 2nd-century BC king of Bactria. It was also borne by Saint Pantaleon (also called Panteleimon), a doctor from Asia Minor who was martyred during the persecutions of the Roman emperor Diocletian in the early 4th century. He is a patron saint of doctors and midwives.

From the Greek title of the Virgin Mary Παναγία (Panagia) meaning "all holy", derived from πᾶν (pan) meaning "all" combined with ἅγιος (hagios) meaning "devoted to the gods, sacred".

Probably derived from a Greek word meaning "maiden, young woman". This was an epithet of the Greek goddess Athena. According to some legends it was originally the name of a friend of the goddess. Athena accidentally killed her while sparring, so she took the name in honour of her friend.

Transferred use of the surname Painter.

Variant of Pagan.

From a surname that was a variant of Paige.

From Latin paganus meaning "rustic, rural" and later "heathen", which was often given to children whose baptism had been postponed or adults whose religious zeal was lacking. An Anglo-Norman bearer was Sir Pain or Pagan fitzJohn (died 1137), one of the English king Henry I's "new men". In Thomas Hardy's novel 'Tess of the d'Urbervilles' (1891) Sir Pagan d'Urberville is the founder of the d'Urberville and Durbeyfield families, of which the eponymous Tess Durbeyfield is a member.

Diminutive form of Page, which is of Old French origin, and an occupational name for a young servant, a personal attendant in a noble's house, from the Old French, Middle English "page", ultimately deriving from the Greek "paidion", a boy, child. Padgett itself contains the intrusive "-d-", due to dialectal influences, and the diminutive suffix "-ett"; hence, "little page".

From a surname, itself probably a derivative of the given name Pate, a short form of Patrick. It was an obscure given name in America until 1985, when it appeared in the western movie Silverado. Its modest usage after that can probably be attributed to the fact that it ends in the popular den sound found in more-popular names such as Braden, Hayden and Aidan.

From an English surname that was derived from the Middle English word pace meaning "peace".

Form of Uzziah used in the Greek, Latin and French Bibles. This spelling is also found in some English translations of the New Testament, in the genealogy of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew.

Latinized form of the Greek name Ὀξύθεος (Oxytheos), which was derived from the Greek adjective ὀξύς (oxys) meaning "sharp, keen, pointed" as well as "quick, swift" combined with the Greek noun θεός (theos) meaning "god".

This is a very rare name (at least to us in modern times), in that it has been found on only one inscription (dating from the 3rd century AD), which was dedicated to a Roman soldier named Titus Flavius Oxytheus.

Transferred use of the surname Oxford.

From an Old Welsh name (Ougein, Eugein and other spellings), which was possibly from the Latin name Eugenius. Other theories connect it to the Celtic roots *owi- "sheep", *wesu- "good" or *awi- "desire" combined with the Old Welsh suffix gen "born of". This is the name of several figures from British history, including Owain mab Urien, a 6th-century prince of Rheged who fought against the Angles. The 12th-century French poet Chrétien de Troyes adapted him into Yvain for his Arthurian romance Yvain, the Knight of the Lion. Regarded as one of the Knights of the Round Table, Yvain or Owain has since appeared in many other Arthurian tales, typically being the son of King Urien of Gore, and the errant husband of Laudine, the Lady of the Fountain.

Other notable bearers include Owain the Great, a 12th-century king of Gwynedd, and Owain Glyndwr, a 14th-century leader of the Welsh resistance to English rule.

Latin form of Ovid.

Transferred use of the surname Overton.

Probably a modern form of the Old Danish name Aghi, originally a short form of names that contain the Old Norse element egg "edge of a sword" or agi "awe, fear".

Greek form of Uranus.

Derived from Greek οὐράνιος (ouranios) meaning "heavenly". In Greek mythology she was the goddess of astronomy and astrology, one of the nine Muses.

Used by the English author Ouida (1839-1908), born Marie Louise Ramé to a French father. Ouida was a pseudonym that arose from her own childhood pronunciation of her middle name Louise.

German form of Odilia.

From Greek ὢτος (otos) meaning "horned owl".

From the Old English elements os "god" and wine "friend". Saint Oswin was a 7th-century king of Northumbria. After the Norman Conquest this name was used less, and it died out after the 14th century. It was briefly revived in the 19th century.

Variant of Oisín used by James Macpherson in his 18th-century poems, which he claimed to have based on early Irish legends. In the poems Ossian is the son of Fingal, and serves as the narrator.

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.

Composed of the two name elements os "god" and guð "battle".

French form of Osanna.

Italian form of Hosanna. This was the name of a 15th-century Italian saint and mystic, as well as a 16th-century Montenegrin saint.

The name of a character in Canadian author Margaret Atwood's 'Oryx and Crake' (2003).

The word "oryx" comes from the Ancient Greek óryx (Ὂρυξ) for "a type of antelope".

Derived from the Old German elements ort "point" and wini "friend". This is the name of Gudrun's brother in the medieval German epic Kudrun.

Derived from the Old German elements ort "point" and runa "secret lore, rune". In the medieval German epic Kudrun this is the name of Hartmut's sister.

From a Norman nickname derived from a diminutive of Norman French ors "bear", ultimately from Latin ursus. American actor and director Orson Welles (1915-1985) was a famous bearer of this name.

Italian form of Ursula.

Anglicized form of Odhrán.

From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "ore hill" in Old English.

Perhaps related to Greek ὄρφνη (orphne) meaning "the darkness of night". In Greek mythology Orpheus was a poet and musician who went to the underworld to retrieve his dead wife Eurydice. He succeeded in charming Hades with his lyre, and he was allowed to lead his wife out of the underworld on the condition that he not look back at her until they reached the surface. Unfortunately, just before they arrived his love for her overcame his will and he glanced back at her, causing her to be drawn back to Hades.

In Greek mythology, this is the name of a king of Troezen, who is the (human) maternal grandfather of the demi-god Althepus.

In real-life, a known bearer of this name was the Byzantine lexicographer and grammarian Oros of Alexandria (5th century AD), although it should be noted that in his case, his name is a variant transcription of Horos.

Created by the Italian author Gabriele d'Annunzio for his novel La Figlia di Jorio (1904). It is derived from Tuscan Italian ornello meaning "flowering ash tree".

Means "golden ruler", from Old Irish ór "gold" combined with flaith "ruler, sovereign, princess". This name was borne by several medieval Irish royals, including a sister of the king Brian Boru.

Anglicized form of Órlaith.

Meaning uncertain, but possibly related to Greek ὅριον (horion) meaning "boundary, limit". Alternatively it may be derived from Akkadian Uru-anna meaning "light of the heavens". This is the name of a constellation, which gets its name from a legendary Greek hunter who was killed by a scorpion sent by the earth goddess Gaia.

From the English word "oriole" referring to "any of various colorful passerine birds, the New World orioles from the family Icteridae and the Old World orioles from the family Oriolidae (typically yellow in color)". From the French oriole, from the Late Latin oriolus, from the Latin aureolus "made of gold, golden; adorned, covered, or decorated with gold, gilded; of the color gold, golden; golden, beautiful, splendid, magnificent, excellent".

From a Catalan surname meaning "golden". It has been used in honour of Saint Joseph Oriol (1650-1702).

Possibly related to Greek ὀρίνω (orino) meaning "to excite, to agitate". George Bernard Shaw used this name in his play The Apple Cart (1929).

Used by Eugene O'Neill in Mourning Becomes Electra as a deliberate link, it has been suggested, with Greek Orestes.

More often spelt Orrin when used in modern times. Oren also occurs, and there may be confusion with Oran. George Bernard Shaw invented the feminine name Orinthia in The Apple Cart, two years before O'Neill's play. In the 17th century the poet Cowley made use of another feminine name which appears to belong to the same group, Orinda (though this may have been a shortening of Dorinda). (Source: Dunkling & Gosling, 1983)

From the Greek name Ὠριγένης (Origenes), which was possibly derived from the name of the Egyptian god Horus combined with γενής (genes) meaning "born". Origen was a 3rd-century theologian from Alexandria. Long after his death some of his writings were declared heretical, hence he is not regarded as a saint.

Derived from the Latin noun oriēns "daybreak, dawn, sunrise" or, by extension, "east" (as the dawn broke from the east in Rome). In its participle usage, the word also meant "rising" (also "appearing" or "originating"). Both senses are derivatives of the Latin verb orior "I rise, get up" (also "I appear, become visible" or "I am born, come to exist, originate").

This name was borne by a Christian Latin poet from the 5th century AD.

French form of Oriana.

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.

Italian form of Aurea.

Derived from Celtic orgeto "killer" (which comes from orge "to kill") combined with Celtic rix "king." This name was borne by a leader of the Helvetii (a Celtic tribe), who lived in the 1st century BC.

Means "of the mountains", derived from Greek ὄρος (oros) meaning "mountain" and ἵστημι (histemi) meaning "to stand". In Greek myth he was the son of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra. He killed his mother and her lover Aegisthus after they killed his father.

Means "pine tree" in Hebrew.

Means "light of God" in Hebrew.

A medieval name for the Orkney Islands, the famous archipelago of the northwest coast of Scotland. It comes from the Roman name Orcades which was probably derived from Celtic *forko- "young pig". Writes K.M. Sheard: "Whether this arose as a personal name, which became a tribal name, and then was attached to the islands, or whether the islands were associated with pigs in some way is less easy to say. Certainly, pigs played an important role in Celtic lore - such as Pryderi's - and did not have the lowly status they have today."

Also of note: "The Gaelic name for the Islands is Insi Orc, from Common Celtic *forko- "piglet". In Old Norse, however, orkn means "seal", and the Viking invaders in the early Middle Ages assumed this was the island's name. They duly slapped on ey "island" - and the name Orkney was born" (Sheard, 2011).

Anglicized form of Odhrán.

Perhaps based on Latin oro "to pray". It was first used in America in the 19th century.

Roman nomen gentile which was most likely derived from the Latin noun ops which can mean "power, might, influence" as well as "aid, help, support" and "wealth, abundance, riches, resources." However, the nomen could also have come into existence for a different reason than for referring to the particular meaning that I just described. Instead, it could have been intended to refer to the Roman fertility goddess Ops, in which case this nomen would be a theophoric one. The goddess derives her name from the aforementioned word ops as well, so ultimately it doesn't really matter for which reason this nomen had come into being: in either scenario, the etymology is ultimately the same. Finally, a third but less likely etymology for this name ought to be mentioned: Opsius could also be the latinized form of the Greek name Ὄψιος (Opsios), which is derived from Greek ὀψέ (opse) meaning "late, long-after". This name was borne by Marcus Opsius, a Roman praetor from the 1st century AD.

Archaic Roman praenomen which had already fallen out of use by the 1st century BC. It was typically given to a son that had been born after the death of his father, while the son's paternal grandfather was still alive. The praenomen was derived from the Latin noun ops which can mean "power, might, influence" as well as "aid, help, support" and "wealth, abundance, riches, resources." However, it should be noted that the praenomen could also refer to the Roman fertility goddess Ops, in which case this praenomen would be theophoric. The goddess derives her name from the aforementioned word ops as well, so either way the etymology is ultimately the same. A bearer of the praenomen was Opiter Verginius Tricostus, a Roman consul from the 6th century BC.

Latinized form of Greek Ὀφιοῦχος (Ophiouchos) meaning "serpent bearer". This is the name of an equatorial constellation that depicts the god Asklepios holding a snake.

Alternate transcription of Hebrew אוֹפִירָה (see Ofira).

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.

Roman nomen gentile which is of uncertain meaning. It might be derived from Latin opella, which is a diminutive of Latin opus "work, labour, accomplishment", and thus the word means something along the lines of "a bit of labour, a small job, a small accomplishment". Another possibility is, that since Opellius is also sometimes found spelled as Opelius, the name could be a corruption of Opilius. Opilius is derived from Latin opilio meaning "shepherd, herdsman, pastor". Yet another possibility is that Opellius is derived from opillus, the latinized form of Oscan upils meaning "fragment". Finally, there is also the possibility that Opellius is a corruption of Ofellus, the latinized form of the rare Oscan praenomen Upfals, of which the meaning is unknown. Known bearers of the name Opellius were Roman Emperor Macrinus (3rd century AD) and his son Diadumenian (3rd century AD).

Feminine form of Opellius.

Elaborated form of Opal. This is also an English and French word meaning "resembling an opal".

From the English word opal for the iridescent gemstone, the birthstone of October. The word ultimately derives from Sanskrit उपल (upala) meaning "jewel".

From the English word for the gemstone (a variety of chalcedony), which can be black, red or other colours. It is derived from Greek ὄνυξ (onyx) meaning "claw, nail".

Latinized form of Greek Ὀνούφριος (Onouphrios), derived from Egyptian wnn-nfr meaning "he who is good, he who is happy". This was an epithet of the god Osiris. It was later used by an Egyptian saint and hermit from the 4th or 5th century.

Latinized form of the Greek name Ὀνησίφορος (Onesiphoros), which meant "bringing advantage, beneficial". This name is mentioned briefly in Paul's second epistle to Timothy in the New Testament. According to tradition he was martyred by being tied to horses and then torn apart.

Ancient Greek form of Onesiphorus.

Latinized form of the Greek name Ὀνήσιμος (Onesimos), which meant "beneficial, profitable". Saint Onesimus was an escaped slave of Philemon who met Saint Paul while in prison and was converted by him. Paul sent him back to Philemon carrying the epistle that appears in the New Testament.

French form of Undine.

In Turkish means "decent", "proper", "beneficial", "correct".

Feminine form of Olympos.

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.

Transferred use of the surname Olson.

Surname of Garrick Ollivander, a wizard and the owner of Ollivander's Wand Shop in the Harry Potter book series and movie franchise by J. K. Rowling. In the Harry Potter universe the name is said to be of Mediterranean origin and mean "he who owns the olive wand".

This name was used in this spelling by William Shakespeare for a character in his comedy Twelfth Night (1602). This was a rare name in Shakespeare's time [1] that may have been based on Oliva or Oliver, or directly on the Latin word oliva meaning "olive". In the play Olivia is a noblewoman wooed by Duke Orsino. Instead she falls in love with his messenger Cesario, who is actually Viola in disguise.

Olivia has been used in the English-speaking world since the 18th century, though it did not become overly popular until the last half of the 20th century. Its rise in popularity in the 1970s may have been inspired by a character on the television series The Waltons (1972-1982) [2] or the singer Olivia Newton-John (1948-2022). In 1989 it was borne by a young character on The Cosby Show, which likely accelerated its growth. It reached the top rank in England and Wales by 2008 and in the United States by 2019.

A famous bearer was the British-American actress Olivia de Havilland (1916-2020).

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

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

Variant of Olivine.

Probably an Ukrainian short form of Alexander

The name occurs in the folklike song Schöne Minka by Christoph August Tiedge where it is bourne by a cossack.

Ukrainian form of Helen.

The name Oleander originated as an Greek name. In Greek, the name Oleander means "an evergreen tree."
The origin of the name was said to have come from a young man whose ardour to his Lady Love ended in a tragedy. The young man was named Leander, and his precious lady longing for his love shouting with such forlorn “O Leander!”, “O Leander!” in the banks, until finally he was found. And clasped in his hands were sweet flowers, who have become a symbol of everlasting love, known as oleanders.

Possibly taken from the plant family, Nerium oleander (flowering shrub known as oleanders), Cascabela thevetia (yellow oleander), Acacia neriifolia (oleander wattle); or a species of moth, Daphnis nerii (oleander hawk-moth).

In the complex language of love practiced during the time of Queen Victoria, the Oleander flower means caution.

A diminutive use of Oleander could be Ollie, Lee, Lee-Ann, or Anders.

Feminine form of Olav.

Means "misery, woe, or distress." Oizys was the spirit of misery and woe, distress and suffering. She was one of the malevolent children of Nyx.

Means "little deer", derived from Old Irish oss "deer, stag" combined with a diminutive suffix. In Irish legend Oisín was a warrior hero and a poet, the son of Fionn mac Cumhaill and the narrator in many of his tales.

From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "oak valley" in Old English. A famous bearer was the humorous American poet Ogden Nash (1902-1971).

Latinized form of the Greek Οἰνώνη (Oinone), derived from οἶνος (oinos) meaning "wine". In Greek mythology Oenone was a mountain nymph who was married to Paris before he went after Helen.

In terms of etymology it is though to be derived from the Shelta words for “Seer”, as a phonetical interpretation of the Gaelic/ Irish word Ogham.

Pronounced “o-eye-n” its unusual spelling, although rare is though to be an example of the philology of comparative linguistics.

Sometimes it is in error interpreted as Eoin (Gaelic for John) or Eoghan (which possibly means “born from the yew tree” in Old Celtic).

Both of which are sometimes used as a Gaelic form of Eugene.

Latinized form of Greek Οἰδίπους (Oidipous), meaning "swollen foot" from οἰδέω (oideo) meaning "to swell" and πούς (pous) meaning "foot". In Greek mythology Oedipus was the son of the Theban king Laius and his wife Jocasta. Laius received a prophesy that he would be killed by his son, so he left the newborn to die of exposure. Oedipus was however rescued and raised in the home of the Corinthian king Polybus. After he had grown and learned of the same prophesy, Oedipus left Corinth so that he would not be a danger to Polybus, whom he assumed was his father. On the road to Delphi he chanced upon his real father Laius and slew him in a petty disagreement, thus fulfilling the prophecy. He then correctly answered the Sphinx's riddle, winning the now vacant throne of Thebes and marrying the widowed Queen Jocasta, his own mother. Years later they learned the truth of their relationship, prompting Jocasta to commit suicide and Oedipus to blind himself.

Perhaps derived from Greek ὀδύσσομαι (odyssomai) meaning "to hate". In Greek legend Odysseus was one of the Greek heroes who fought in the Trojan War. In the Odyssey Homer relates Odysseus's misadventures on his way back to his kingdom and his wife Penelope.

Anglicized form of Old Norse Óðinn, which was derived from óðr meaning "inspiration, rage, frenzy". It ultimately developed from Proto-Germanic *Wōdanaz. The name appears as Woden in Anglo-Saxon sources (for example, as the founder of several royal lineages in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle) and in forms such as Wuotan, Wotan or Wodan in continental Europe, though he is best known from Norse sources.

In Norse mythology Odin is the highest of the gods, presiding over war, wisdom and death. He is the husband of Frigg and resides in Valhalla, where warriors go after they are slain. He is usually depicted as a one-eyed older man, carrying two ravens on his shoulders who inform him of all the events of the world. At the time of Ragnarök, the final battle, it is told that he will be killed fighting the great wolf Fenrir.

French form of Odilo.

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

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.

From the name of a Ukrainian city that sits on the north coast of the Black Sea, which was named after the ancient Greek city of Ὀδησσός (Odessos), of uncertain meaning. This name can also be used as a feminine form of Odysseus.

Meaning uncertain. This was the name of a Benedictine abbot of Monte Cassino who is venerated as a saint; Abbot Oderisius I (not to be confused with his relative Abbot Oderisius II), born at Marsi, Italy, acted as mediator between the Crusaders and the Greek emperor Alexicus.

Swedish form of Odin.

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".

Form of Odilia.

Variant of Odalis.

Old German form of Ulrich.

Possibly an elaboration of Odilia used in Latin America. In most countries it is a feminine name, but in the Dominican Republic it is commonly masculine.

From the name of the tenth month. It is derived from Latin octo meaning "eight", because it was originally the eighth month of the Roman year.

French form of Octavia.

Anciant Roman feminine form of Octavianus and Romanian and Provençal feminine form of Octavian.

Feminine form of Octavius. Octavia was the wife of Mark Antony and the sister of the Roman emperor Augustus. In 19th-century England it was sometimes given to the eighth-born child.

Derived from French océan meaning "ocean".

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.

Variant of Auberon. Oberon and Titania are the king and queen of the fairies in Shakespeare's comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream (1595). A moon of Uranus bears this name in his honour.

Means "servant of Yahweh" in Hebrew, derived from עָבַד (ʿavaḏ) meaning "to serve, to worship" and יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. In the Old Testament this is the name of one of the twelve minor prophets, the author of the Book of Obadiah, which predicts the downfall of the nation of Edom. This is also the name of several other biblical characters.