ShadyMouse's Personal Name List

Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian and Bulgarian form of Zoe.

Modern Greek transcription of Zoe.

The name can have different meanings. The first syllable can mean "abundant" (yu), "willow" (yu), "child" (yu), "pleased, happy" (yu) and others. The second syllable can mean "hold, catch" (na), "get, reach" (na) or simply be a phonetic character. In Korean, depending on the written Hangul, the name can also be romanized as Yoon-a and Yu-na.

From Japanese 弓 (yumi) meaning "archery bow". It can also come from 由 (yu) meaning "reason, cause", 友 (yu) meaning "friend" or a nanori reading of 弓 (yu) meaning "archery bow" combined with 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful". Other kanji or kanji combinations are also possible.

From Japanese 夢 (yume) meaning "dream, vision". It can also come from 裕 (yu) meaning "abundant, rich, plentiful" and 芽 (me) meaning "bud, sprout", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations.

From Japanese 幸 (yuki) meaning "happiness" or 雪 (yuki) meaning "snow". It can also come from 由 (yu) meaning "reason, cause" combined with 貴 (ki) meaning "valuable" or 紀 (ki) meaning "chronicle". Other kanji or kanji combinations are also possible.

Means "she-wolf", a derivative of Old Norse úlfr "wolf".

Russian form of Helen.

Russian vernacular form of Euthymius.

From Japanese 安 (yasu) meaning "peace, quiet", 康 (yasu) meaning "peaceful" or 坦 (yasu) meaning "flat, smooth, level", as well as other kanji that are pronounced the same way.

Diminutive of Wojciech.

From an Old German name derived from the element warin, related to war meaning "aware, cautious", combined with heri meaning "army". This was the name of a 13th-century boy from Oberwesel, Germany who was formerly regarded as a saint. He is no longer recognized as such by the Church. Another famous bearer was the German physicist Werner Heisenberg (1901-1976).

Derived from the Old German element folk "people" combined with heri "army".

Alternate transcription of Russian Власий (see Vlasiy).

From Sanskrit विवेक (viveka) meaning "wisdom, distinction, discrimination".

Form of Victor used in various languages.

Short form of names containing the Old Norse element víg "war".

From Old Norse Víðarr, which was possibly derived from víðr "wide" and herr "army, warrior". In Norse mythology Víðarr was the son of Odin and Grid. At the time of the end of the world, Ragnarök, it is said he will avenge his father's death by slaying the wolf Fenrir.

Scandinavian form of Werner.

Means "faith" in Russian, though it is sometimes associated with the Latin word verus "true". It has been in general use in the English-speaking world since the late 19th century.

Means "victorious", from Esperanto venki "to conquer", ultimately from Latin vincere.

From a colloquial form of the Finnish word veli meaning "brother".

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

Diminutive of Varvara.

Roman family name that was derived from Latin valere "to be strong". This was the name of several early saints.

Derived from Finnish väinä meaning "wide and slow-flowing river". In Finnish mythology Väinämöinen was a wise old magician, the son of the primal goddess Ilmatar. He is the hero of the Finnish epic the Kalevala.

Short form of Gervaas and Servaas.

This name is not to be confused with the modern Dutch word vaas meaning "vase".

Feminine form of Ursus. This is the name of two constellations in the northern sky: Ursa Major and Ursa Minor.

From the Hebrew name אוּרִיאֵל (ʾUriʾel) meaning "God is my light", from אוּר (ʾur) meaning "light, flame" and אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". Uriel is an archangel in Hebrew tradition. He is mentioned only in the Apocrypha, for example in the Book of Enoch where he warns Noah of the coming flood.

Swiss diminutive of Ulrich.

From Old Norse Þórðr, a short form of Þórfreðr.

Modern form of Þóra.

Finnish diminutive of Thomas.

Finnish, Hungarian and Welsh diminutive of Thomas.

Diminutive of Tomasz.

Swedish, Norwegian and Lithuanian form of Thomas.

From the Old Norse name Þórleikr, which meant "Thor's play" from the name of the Norse god Þórr (see Thor) combined with leikr "play, game (involving weapons)".

Finnish, Estonian, German and Dutch short form of Timotheus (see Timothy).

Variant of Till.

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.

Polish form of Theocritus.

Finnish form of Daria.

Means "dew from God" in Hebrew, from טַל (ṭal) meaning "dew" and יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God.

Derived from Croatian and Serbian tajiti "to keep secret".

Estonian and Finnish form of David.

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

Means "summer" in Finnish.

Scandinavian form of the Old English name Sunngifu, which meant "sun gift" from the Old English elements sunne "sun" and giefu "gift". This was the name of a legendary English saint who was shipwrecked in Norway and killed by the inhabitants.

Means "paternal uncle" in Old Novgorodian.

Diminutive of Stella 1 and Stela.

Swedish form of Sølvi.

French form of Sixtus.

Derived from Latin silva meaning "wood, forest". This was the family name of several of the legendary kings of Alba Longa. It was also the name of an early saint martyred in Alexandria.

German and Dutch diminutive of Celia or Cecilia.

The name of a companion of Saint Paul in the New Testament. It is probably a short form of Silvanus, a name that Paul calls him by in the epistles. It is possible that Silvanus and Silas were Latin and Greek forms of the Hebrew name Saul (via Aramaic).

As an English name it was not used until after the Protestant Reformation. It was utilized by George Eliot for the title character in her novel Silas Marner (1861).

Welsh form of Jane.

From Σήθ (Seth), the Greek form of Egyptian swtẖ or stẖ (reconstructed as Sutekh), which is of unknown meaning. Seth was the Egyptian god of chaos and the desert, the slayer of Osiris. Osiris's son Horus eventually defeats Seth and has him banished to the desert.

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

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

Means "freedom" in Irish Gaelic. It was first used as a given name in the 20th century.

Finnish short form of Alexander.

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

Swiss diminutive of Rudolf.

From the Germanic name Hrodulf, which was derived from the elements hruod meaning "fame" and wolf meaning "wolf". It was borne by three kings of Burgundy and a king of West Francia, as well as several Habsburg rulers of the Holy Roman Empire and Austria. Anthony Hope used this name for the hero in his popular novel The Prisoner of Zenda (1894).

Diminutive of Rudolf.

From the Old German name Hrolf (or its Old Norse cognate Hrólfr), a contracted form of Hrodulf (see Rudolf). The Normans introduced this name to England but it soon became rare. In the modern era it has occasionally been used in the English-speaking world as a German import.

Swedish diminutive of Rolf.

French and Polish form of Rocco.

Hebrew form of Rebecca.

Finnish, Estonian, Macedonian and Serbian short form of Christopher.

From Japanese 莉 (ri) meaning "white jasmine" or 里 (ri) meaning "village" combined with 奈 (na), a phonetic character, or 菜 (na) meaning "vegetables, greens". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Means "of Rhaetia". Rhaetia is a region in eastern Switzerland that got its name from the Rhaeti, a Celtic tribe who originally inhabited the area.

Originally a short form of Germanic names beginning with the element regin meaning "advice, counsel, decision" (Proto-Germanic *raginą).

From Japanese 鈴 (rei) meaning "bell", 麗 (rei) meaning "beautiful, lovely" or 玲 (rei) meaning "the tinkling of jade". This name can also be formed by other kanji with the same pronunciation.

Possibly a variant of Cora. This is the name of several characters in popular culture, including a protagonist in the films 'TRON' and 'TRON: Legacy', and a figure in 'Star Trek'.

Means "snowstorm, blizzard" in Finnish.

From an occupational English surname meaning "doorkeeper", ultimately from Old French porte "door", from Latin porta.

Estonian transcription of Russian Пётр (see Pyotr).

Polish and Belarusian form of Peter.

Italian form of Peter. Pietro was the given name of the Renaissance painter known as Perugino.

Breton diminutive of Pierre.

French form of Peter. This name has been consistently popular in France since the 13th century, but fell out of the top 100 names in 2017. It was borne by the philosopher and theologian Pierre Abélard (1079-1142), the scholar Pierre-Simon Laplace (1749-1827), the impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919), and Pierre Curie (1859-1906), a physicist who discovered radioactivity with his wife Marie.

Romanian, Macedonian and Georgian form of Peter.

Czech form of Peter.

Scandinavian and Breton form of Peter.

Swedish variant of Per.

Finnish diminutive of Pietari.

Welsh form of Peter.

Irish and Scottish Gaelic form of Peter.

Feminine form of Paulinus (see Paulino).

Polish form of Patricius (see Patrick).

Finnish form of Basil 1.

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.

Polish form of Odilia.

Means "bear" in Finnish.

Variant of Otthild.

Anglicized form of Odhrán.

Anglicized form of Odharnait.

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.

Anglicized form of Úna, as well as a Finnish form.

Means "amber" in Irish.

Low German and Dutch variant of Ulrik.

Finnish variant of Olavi, based on Swedish Olle.

French and Dutch form of Oliver. This is also a French word meaning "olive tree".

Estonian form of Olaf.

Ukrainian form of Helen.

Finnish dialectal variant form of Aleksi.

Ukrainian form of Alexander.

Short form of Aleksander.

Russian form of the Old Norse name Helgi (see Helge). The Varangians brought this name from Scandinavia to Eastern Europe: it was borne by a 9th-century Varangian ruler who conquered Kyiv and made it the capital of the state of Kievan Rus.

Diminutive of Aleksandra.

Variant of Olaf.

Latinized form of Olof.

From the Old Norse name Áleifr meaning "ancestor's descendant", derived from the elements anu "ancestor" and leif "inheritance, legacy". This was the name of five kings of Norway, including Saint Olaf (Olaf II).

Spanish and Italian form of Ophelia.

Means "horizon" in Hebrew.

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.

Means "night" in Greek. This was the name of the Greek goddess of the night, the daughter of Khaos and the wife of Erebos.

Feminine form of Noël.

From Old Norse Njǫrðr, derived from Proto-Germanic *Nerþuz. It might derive from the Indo-European root *hnerto- meaning "strong, vigorous". Njord was the Norse god associated with the sea, sailing, fishing and fertility. With his children Freyr and Freya he was a member of the Vanir gods.

Irish form of Nicholas.

Scandinavian form of Nicholas.

German form of Nicholas.

Danish and Slovene form of Nicholas.

Polish form of Nicodemus.

Swiss German form of Nicholas.

Swedish form of Nicholas.

Russian and Ukrainian form of Nikandros.

Short form of Nicolaas.

Means "bright" in Irish. She was the daughter of the sea god Manannán mac Lir in Irish legends. She fell in love with the poet Oisín, the son of Fionn mac Cumhaill. It has been used as a given name for people only since the early 20th century.

Irish form of Neil.

Russian, Ukrainian, Finnish and Hungarian form of Nellie.

Variant of Nell.

Short form of Linnea.

Diminutive of Edward or Edmund. It has been used since the 14th century, and may have had root in the medieval affectionate phrase mine Ed, which was later reinterpreted as my Ned.

From the name of a 10th-century Armenian saint, Grigor of Narek, who came from the town of Narek (formerly in Armenia, now in eastern Turkey).

Possibly a short form of Nathanaël or Gwenaël.

From Old Slavic morŭ meaning "death, plague" [1]. In Slavic mythology this was the name of a goddess associated with winter and death.

Derived from the Old Slavic root mok meaning "wet, moist". Mokosh was a Slavic goddess associated with weaving, women, water and fertility.

German diminutive of Maria.

Diminutive of Dmitriy or Mitrofan.

Diminutive of Dimitar.

Diminutive of Mikael.

Russian diminutive of Mikhail.

Romanian, Russian and Polish form of Myron.

From the Slavic element mirŭ meaning "peace, world", originally a diminutive of names containing that element.

Originally a diminutive of names beginning with the Slavic element milŭ meaning "gracious, dear". This was the name of a 14th-century Serbian hero who apparently killed the Ottoman sultan Murad I at the Battle of Kosovo.

Old German form of Miles, as well as the Latinized form. This form was revived as an English name in the 19th century [2].

Polish form of Nicholas.

Variant of Mikko.

Finnish form of Michael.

Probably an old diminutive form of Mieczysław. This was the name of three rulers of Poland including Mieszko I, the first Christian ruler (10th century).

Short form of names that contain the sound meel, which in practice are usually Camillus and Emilius and their derivatives (such as Camiel, Emiel and Kamiel).

There are also (fairly rare) cases where this name is a contraction of Machiel and Michiel.

Lastly, Miel is more common as an informal name in daily life than as an official name on birth certificates.

German diminutive of Michael or Michaela.

Polish form of Michael.

Ancient Attic Greek variant of Melissa.

Spanish short form of Maximiliano (masculine) or German short form of Maximiliane (feminine) or Maximilian (masculine).

Finnish and Portuguese form of Matthias.

Written in hiragana, Maru is a female name meaning 'round'. Admittedly, finding the name 'Maru' on itself is highly rare, but variations with -yo 'world', -ko 'child', or -mi 'beauty' exist. In addition, more uncommon suffixs are sometimes added to 'Maru', especially in modern times - Maruka, meaning 'round fruit or flower', Marui meaning 'round boxes' or even Maruya 'to be round' are possible names.
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Means "circle" "full(month)" or my personal favorite meaning "perfection; beloved"

Polish, Czech and Slovak form of Mark.

Form of Marcellus used in several languages. Notable bearers include the French author Marcel Proust (1871-1922) and the French artist Marcel Duchamp (1887-1968).

Short form of Manuel or Emmanuel (and also of Manuela in Germany).

Danish short form of the Old German name Helmold. This name was used by the Austrian author Rainer Maria Rilke for the title character in his novel The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge (1910).

Feminine form of Malcolm.

Means "raspberry" in several Slavic languages.

Anglicized form of the Irish name Medb meaning "intoxicating". In Irish legend this was the name of a warrior queen of Connacht. She and her husband Ailill fought against the Ulster king Conchobar and the hero Cúchulainn, as told in the Irish epic The Cattle Raid of Cooley.

Polish form of Matthias.

Dutch short form of Lucas.

Means "snow" in Finnish.

German, Scandinavian, Dutch and Lithuanian form of Lucas (see Luke). This was the most popular name for boys in Germany, Austria and Lithuania in some years of the 1990s and 2000s.

Form of Lucas (see Luke) in several languages.

Probably an Irish form of Lugus. In Irish mythology Lugh Lámfada was a divine hero who led the Tuatha Dé Danann against his grandfather Balor and the Fomorians. Lugh killed Balor by shooting a stone into his giant eye.

Possibly originally a form of Ljudevit, though it is now considered to be the Slovak form of Ludwig.

From the Old German name Hludolf, which was composed of the elements hlut meaning "famous, loud" and wolf meaning "wolf". Saint Ludolf (or Ludolph) was a 13th-century bishop of Ratzeburg.

Short form of Ludovicus or Ludolf.

Polish form of Lucia.

From the Germanic name Hlothar meaning "famous army", derived from the elements hlut "famous, loud" and heri "army". This was the name of medieval Frankish rulers of the Holy Roman Empire, Italy and France. It was also borne by four earlier Merovingian kings of the Franks, though their names are usually spelled as Chlothar.

Means "little fierce one", derived from Old Irish lorcc "fierce" combined with a diminutive suffix. Saint Lorcán was a 12th-century archbishop of Dublin.

Meaning unknown, possibly derived from the Germanic root *luką meaning "lock". In Norse mythology Loki was a trickster god associated with magic and shape shifting. Loki's children include the wolf Fenrir, the sea serpent Jörmungandr, and the queen of the dead Hel. After he orchestrated the death of Balder, the other gods tied him to a rock below a snake that dripped venom onto his face. It is told that he will break free during Ragnarök, the final battle, and slay and be slain by Heimdall.

Means "my secret" in Hebrew, from לִי (li) "for me" and רָז (raz) "secret".

From Chinese 林 (lín) meaning "forest" or 琳 (lín) meaning "fine jade, gem". Other characters can also form this name.

Spanish and Italian form of Lily, as well as an alternate transcription of Russian Лилия or Ukrainian Лілія (see Liliya).

Swedish short form of Elias.

Short form of Julian or Kilian.

Polish cognate of Lev 1.

Means "lion" in Russian, functioning as a vernacular form of Leo. This was the real Russian name of both author Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910) and revolutionary Leon Trotsky (1879-1940).

Russian and Ukrainian form of Leonidas.

Derived from Greek λέων (leon) meaning "lion". During the Christian era this Greek name was merged with the Latin cognate Leo, with the result that the two forms are used somewhat interchangeably across European languages. In England during the Middle Ages this was a common name among Jews. A famous bearer was the communist revolutionary Leon Trotsky (1879-1940), whose name is Лев in Russian.

Short form of Lorenz. This is also a German poetic word referring to the springtime.

German diminutive of Helene or Magdalena.

Short form of names ending in lena, such as Helena, Magdalena or Yelena. It is often used independently.

From the Old Norse name Leifr meaning "descendant, heir". Leif Eriksson was a Norse explorer who reached North America in the early 11th century. He was the son of Erik the Red.

Form of Leah used in the Greek Old Testament, as well as a Portuguese form. This is the name of a princess in the Star Wars movies by George Lucas, who probably based it on Leah.

Spanish, Portuguese and Italian form of Leander.

Meaning unknown, probably of Etruscan origin. In Roman legend Lavinia was the daughter of King Latinus, the wife of Aeneas, and the ancestor of the Roman people. According to the legend Aeneas named the town of Lavinium in honour of his wife.

Scandinavian form of Laurence 1.

Possibly derived from the name of the ancient city of Larisa in Thessaly, which meant "citadel". In Greek legends, the nymph Larisa was either a daughter or mother of Pelasgus, the ancestor of the mythical Pelasgians. This name was later borne by a 4th-century Greek martyr who is venerated as a saint in the Eastern Church. The name (of the city, nymph and saint) is commonly Latinized as Larissa, with a double s. As a Ukrainian name, it is more commonly transcribed Larysa.

Finnish form of Gustav.

Short form of Kyllikki.

Short form of names beginning with the Old German element kunni meaning "clan, family". It can also be a short form of Konrad.

Scandinavian form of Christopher.

Swedish variant form of Christopher.

Swedish variant of Christer.

An older Finnish name meaning 'vengeance'.

Diminutive of Korbinian.

From Croatian koralj meaning "coral", ultimately from Latin corallium.

Means "dawn" in Estonian.

From Japanese 琥珀 (kohaku) meaning "amber".

Means "born on Friday" in Akan.

Means "warrior, koa tree" in Hawaiian.

Russian, Bulgarian and Macedonian form of Clemens (see Clement).

Short form of Kliment.

German short form of Nicholas, now used independently.

Variant of Ketil.

Diminutive of Christopher or Katherine. A notable bearer was Kit Carson (1809-1868), an American frontiersman and explorer.

Russian form of Cyril.

Means "skin of a tree or fruit" in Maori. This name has been brought to public attention by New Zealand opera singer Kiri Te Kanawa (1944-).

Hawaiian form of James.

German and Spanish form of Cillian, as well as an Irish and French variant.

Anglicized form of Caoimhe.

Anglicized form of Ciarán.

This name combines 佳 (ka, kei) meaning "beautiful, excellent, good," 京 (kyou, kin, kei, miyako) meaning "capital," 啓 (kei, sato.su, hira.ku) meaning "open, reveal, say," 圭 (ke, kei) meaning "angle, corner, edge," 恵 (e, kei, megu.mi, megu.mu) meaning "blessing, favour, grace, kindness," 慧 (e, kei, satoi) meaning "wise, sagacious, keen," 慶 (kei, yoroko.bi) meaning "congratulation, jubilation, felicitation" or 桂 (kei, katsura) meaning "cinnamon tree" with 樹 (ju, ki) meaning "timber, wood, tree" or 寿 (shuu, ju, su, kotobuki, kotobu.ku, kotoho.gu) meaning "congratulations, longevity."

One bearer of this name was actor Keiju Kobayashi (小林 桂樹) (1923-2010).

Derived from Finnish keiju meaning "elf, fairy".

Anglicized form of Caolán.

Means "the cool breeze" from Hawaiian ke, a definite article, and anu "coolness". This name is now associated with Canadian actor Keanu Reeves (1964-).

From an Irish surname, a variant of Kane.

Diminutive of Kazimierz.

German form of Casimir.

Diminutive of Katarzyna.

Elaborated form of Karin.

Means "viburnum tree" in Bulgarian, Macedonian and Polish.

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

Variant of Gaja 1.

Finnish form of Jörg.

Swedish and Norwegian cognate of June.

From Chinese 君 (jūn) meaning "king, ruler", 俊 (jùn) meaning "talented, handsome" (which is usually only masculine) or 军 (jūn) meaning "army" (also usually only masculine) [1]. This is also a single-character Korean name, often from the hanja 俊 meaning "talented, handsome". This name can be formed by other characters besides those shown here.

German form of Jóska.

Dutch and Frisian form of George.

German short form of Georg.

Catalan form of George.

Finnish form of Jonah.

Short form of Johanna.

Finnish form of John.

Means "glacier, ice" in Icelandic.

Variant of Joy.

Diminutive of Jakob, Jörg or Joachim.

From Sino-Korean 志 (ji) meaning "will, purpose, ambition" or 智 (ji) meaning "wisdom, intellect" combined with 旼 (min) meaning "gentle, affable", 敏 (min) meaning "quick, clever, sharp" or 珉 (min) meaning "jade, stone resembling jade". Other hanja character combinations are possible.

Danish form of Jasper.

Polish form of George.

Danish form of John.

Short form of Jalmari.

Danish diminutive of Jan 1.

Swedish diminutive of Jan 1, also used as a full name in Finland.

Form of Johannes used in various languages. This name was borne by the Czech church reformer Jan Hus (1370-1415), the Flemish painter Jan van Eyck (1390-1441), and the Dutch painters Jan Steen (1626-1679) and Jan Vermeer (1632-1675).

From Sino-Korean 才 (jae) meaning "talent, ability" or 財 (jae) meaning "wealth, riches", as well as other hanja characters with the same pronunciation. It usually occurs in combination with another character, though it is sometimes used as a stand-alone name.

Derived from Jackin (earlier Jankin), a medieval diminutive of John [1]. There could be some early influence from the unrelated French name Jacques [2]. It is often regarded as an independent name. During the Middle Ages it was very common, and it became a slang word meaning "man", as seen in the terms jack-o'-lantern, jack-in-the-box, lumberjack and so on. It was frequently used in fairy tales and nursery rhymes, such as Jack and the Beanstalk, Jack and Jill, Little Jack Horner, and Jack Sprat.

American writers Jack London (1876-1916) and Jack Kerouac (1922-1969) were two famous bearers of this name. It is also borne by the actor Jack Nicholson (1937-) and the golfer Jack Nicklaus (1940-). Apart from Nicklaus, none of these famous bearers were given the name Jack at birth.

In the United Kingdom this form has been bestowed more frequently than John since the 1990s, being the most popular name for boys from 1996 to 2008.

Modern form of Jacenty.

From the Old Norse name Ívarr, which was probably derived from the elements ýr "yew tree, bow" and herr "army, warrior". During the Middle Ages it was brought to Britain by Scandinavian settlers and invaders, and it was adopted in Ireland (Irish Íomhar), Scotland (Scottish Gaelic Iomhar) and Wales (Welsh Ifor).

Newer form of the Old Church Slavic name Іѡаннъ (Ioannŭ), which was derived from Greek Ioannes (see John). This was the name of six Russian rulers, including the 15th-century Ivan III the Great and 16th-century Ivan IV the Terrible, the first tsar of Russia. It was also borne by nine emperors of Bulgaria. Other notable bearers include the Russian author Ivan Turgenev (1818-1883), who wrote Fathers and Sons, and the Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936), who is best known for his discovery of the conditioned reflex.

Arabic, Indonesian and Malay form of Alexander.

Variant of Ilma 1.

Italian form of Hilda.

Means "tree" in Hebrew.

Old German form of Hugh. As a surname it has belonged to the French author Victor Hugo (1802-1885), the writer of The Hunchback of Notre-Dame and Les Misérables.

From the English word for the holly tree, ultimately derived from Old English holen. Holly Golightly is the main character in the novella Breakfast at Tiffany's (1958) by Truman Capote.

Icelandic form of Heinrich (see Henry).

Short form of names beginning with Hil. It also means "cloudberry" in Finnish.

French form of Heinrich (see Henry). A notable bearer was the French artist Henri Matisse (1869-1954).

Low German and Frisian diminutive of Henrik.

Means "white snow" from Hawaiian hau "snow" and kea "white".

Finnish, Estonian and Welsh form of Harry.

German short form of Johannes, now used independently. This name has been very common in German-speaking areas of Europe since the late Middle Ages. From an early period it was transmitted to the Low Countries and Scandinavia. Two famous bearers were Hans Holbein (1497-1543), a German portrait painter, and Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875), a Danish writer of fairy tales.

From the Old Norse name Gunnarr, which was derived from the elements gunnr "war" and herr "army, warrior" (making it a cognate of Gunther). In Norse legend Gunnar was the husband of Brynhildr. He had his brother-in-law Sigurd murdered based on his wife's false accusations that Sigurd had taken her virginity.

Russian form of the Old Norse name Guðleifr, which was derived from the elements guð "god" and leif "inheritance, legacy". This was the name of an 11th-century saint, a member of the ruling family of Kievan Rus. Along with his brother Boris he was killed in the power struggles that followed the death of his father Vladimir the Great, and he is regarded as a martyr.

Originally a short form of Germanic names beginning with Old Frankish gair or Old High German ger meaning "spear" (Proto-Germanic *gaizaz).

German diminutive of Friedrich.

From the Old Norse name Friðþjófr meaning "thief of peace", derived from the elements friðr "peace" and þjófr "thief".

Short form of Alfons.

Derived from Old Norse flóki "tuft of hair" or "outspoken man".

Modern Irish Gaelic form of Finbar.

From the Old Irish name Finn, derived from finn meaning "white, blessed". It occurs frequently in Irish history and legends, the most noteworthy bearer being Fionn mac Cumhaill, the central character of one of the four main cycles of Irish mythology, the Fenian Cycle. Fionn was born as Deimne, and acquired his nickname because of his fair hair. He grew all-wise by eating an enchanted salmon, and later became the leader of the Fianna after defeating the fire-breathing demon Áillen. He was the father of Oisín and grandfather of Oscar.

From a Roman cognomen meaning "lucky, successful" in Latin. It was acquired as an agnomen, or nickname, by the 1st-century BC Roman general Sulla. It also appears in the New Testament belonging to the governor of Judea who imprisoned Saint Paul.

Due to its favourable meaning, this name was popular among early Christians, being borne by many early saints and four popes. It has been used in England since the Middle Ages, though it has been more popular in continental Europe. A notable bearer was the German composer Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847).

Anglicized form of Feidhlim.

Variant of Fay.

Variant of Fawn in the style of Fauna.

Possibly derived from Old Norse fǫnn meaning "snow drift".

Means "falcon" in German.

Means "rain" in Basque.

From an Old French name meaning "star", ultimately derived from Latin stella. It was rare in the English-speaking world in the Middle Ages, but it was revived in the 19th century, perhaps due to the character Estella Havisham in Charles Dickens' novel Great Expectations (1860).

Variant of Asbjørn.

Possibly from Arabic أصيل (ʾaṣīl) meaning "late afternoon, evening" [1].

Irish form of Iohannes (see John) used in the Bible.

Anglicized form of Eithne.

Possibly from Old Irish én meaning "bird". This was the name of several Irish kings and heroes. It was also borne by a 6th-century saint who built the monastery of Killeany on Aran.

Created by the Hungarian poet Mihály Vörösmarty in the 19th century. He based it on the name of the legendary mother of the Hungarian people, Enéh, of Turkic origin meaning "young hind" (modern Hungarian ünő).

Means "rainbow" in Welsh. This name was first used in the 19th century.

From the Roman family name Aemilius, which was derived from Latin aemulus meaning "rival".

Meaning unknown. In Irish legend she was the wife of Cúchulainn. She was said to possess the six gifts of womanhood: beauty, voice, speech, needlework, wisdom and chastity.

Spanish form of a Visigothic name, recorded from the 10th century in forms such as Geloyra or Giluira. It is of uncertain meaning, possibly composed of the Gothic element gails "happy" or gails "spear" combined with wers "friendly, agreeable, true". The name was borne by members of the royal families of León and Castille. This is also the name of a character in Mozart's opera Don Giovanni (1787).

Anglicized form of Ailbhe.

Feminine form of Alf 1.

Short form of Elisabeth, typically used independently. In medieval German tales Elsa von Brabant was the lover of the hero Lohengrin. Her story was expanded by Richard Wagner for his opera Lohengrin (1850). The name had a little spike in popularity after the 2013 release of the animated Disney movie Frozen, which featured a magical princess by this name.

From the Old Norse name Eileifr, which was derived from the elements ei "ever, always" and leif "inheritance, legacy".

Hungarian form of Alexius.

Short form of Eleanor. This was also the name of an ancient Italian town (modern Velia) that is well known for being the home of the philosopher Parmenides and his student Zeno of Elea, who was famous for his paradoxes.

Anglicized form of Elon and Ilan.

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

Modern form of Eir.

Means "dusk" in Estonian.

From the Old German name Egino, derived from the element agin meaning "edge, blade" (from Proto-Germanic *agjō). Saint Egino was a 12th-century abbot from Augsburg.

Means "rich protection", from the Old English elements ead "wealth, fortune" and mund "protection". This was the name of two Anglo-Saxon kings of England. It was also borne by two saints, including a 9th-century king of East Anglia who, according to tradition, was shot to death with arrows after refusing to divide his Christian kingdom with an invading pagan Danish leader. This Old English name remained in use after the Norman Conquest (even being used by King Henry III for one of his sons), though it became less common after the 15th century.

Famous bearers of the name include the English poet Edmund Spenser (1552-1599), the German-Czech philosopher Edmund Husserl (1859-1938) and New Zealand mountaineer Edmund Hillary (1919-2008), the first person to climb Mount Everest.

Polish form of Demetrius.

Means "two" in Korean (Gyeongsang dialect).

Means "freedom" or "sparrow" in Hebrew.

Irish form of Donald.

Diminutive of Dmitriy.

From the Old Irish name Derdriu, meaning unknown, possibly derived from der meaning "daughter". This was the name of a tragic character in Irish legend who died of a broken heart after Conchobar, the king of Ulster, forced her to be his bride and killed her lover Naoise.

It has only been commonly used as a given name since the 20th century, influenced by two plays featuring the character: William Butler Yeats' Deirdre (1907) and J. M. Synge's Deirdre of the Sorrows (1910).

Anglicized form of Dáirine.

Derived from Old Norse dagr meaning "day".

From the Greek name Κύριλλος (Kyrillos), which was derived from Greek κύριος (kyrios) meaning "lord", a word used frequently in the Greek Bible to refer to God or Jesus.

This name was borne by a number of important saints, including Cyril of Jerusalem, a 4th-century bishop and Doctor of the Church, and Cyril of Alexandria, a 5th-century theologian. Another Saint Cyril was a 9th-century Greek missionary to the Slavs, who is credited with creating the Glagolitic alphabet with his brother Methodius in order to translate the Bible into Slavic. The Cyrillic alphabet, named after him, is descended from Glagolitic.

This name has been especially well-used in Eastern Europe and other places where Orthodox Christianity is prevalent. It came into general use in England in the 19th century.

Derived from Hungarian csillag meaning "star". This name was created by the Hungarian author András Dugonics for an 1803 novel and later used and popularized by the poet Mihály Vörösmarty.

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

Means "rule of a wolf", from Old Irish cú "hound, dog, wolf" (genitive con) and fal "rule" [2]. This is the name of several characters in Irish legend including the hero Conall Cernach ("Conall of the victories"), a member of the Red Branch of Ulster, who avenged Cúchulainn's death by killing Lugaid.

Feminine form of Cloelius. In Roman legend Cloelia was a maiden who was given to an Etruscan invader as a hostage. She managed to escape by swimming across the Tiber, at the same time helping some of the other captives to safety.

Means "ancient, enduring" in Irish. In Irish mythology this was the name of the father of Lugh Lámfada. It was also borne by the mythical ancestor of the Ciannachta and by a son-in-law of Brian Boru.

Diminutive of Charles.

From Sino-Korean 彩 (chae) meaning "colour" combined with 榮 (yeong) meaning "glory, honour" or 瑛 (yeong) meaning "jade". This name can be formed using other hanja combinations as well.

Means "cherry" in French.

From the Old Norse elements bjǫrn "bear" and herr "army, warrior". This name was coined in the 19th century [1].

From an Old Norse byname derived from bjǫrn meaning "bear".

Croatian and Serbian form of Bisera.

Short form of German names containing the element bern "bear".

Diminutive of Benjamin.

Polish form of Basil 1.

From the Greek name Βασίλειος (Basileios), which was derived from βασιλεύς (basileus) meaning "king". Saint Basil the Great was a 4th-century bishop of Caesarea and one of the fathers of the early Christian church. Due to him, the name (in various spellings) has come into general use in the Christian world, being especially popular among Eastern Christians. It was also borne by two Byzantine emperors.

Diminutive of Anastasiya or Aleksandra.

Modern Scandinavian form of Ástríðr. This name was borne by the Swedish writer Astrid Lindgren (1907-2002), the author of Pippi Longstocking. It was also borne by a Swedish princess (1905-1935) who became the queen of Belgium as the wife of Leopold III.

Short form of Astrid.

From the Old Norse name Arnviðr, derived from the elements ǫrn "eagle" and viðr "tree".

Russian and Ukrainian form of Arsenios.

Modern form of Arminius.

From Greek Ἀπόλλων (Apollon), which is of unknown meaning, though perhaps related to the Indo-European root *apelo- meaning "strength". Another theory states that Apollo can be equated with Appaliunas, an Anatolian god whose name possibly means "father lion" or "father light". The Greeks later associated Apollo's name with the Greek verb ἀπόλλυμι (apollymi) meaning "to destroy". In Greek mythology Apollo was the son of Zeus and Leto and the twin of Artemis. He was the god of prophecy, medicine, music, art, law, beauty, and wisdom. Later he also became the god of the sun and light.

From Old Irish Aífe, derived from oíph meaning "beauty" (modern Irish aoibh). This was the name of several characters in Irish legend, including a woman at war with Scáthach (her sister in some versions). She was defeated in single combat by the hero Cúchulainn, who spared her life on the condition that she bear him a child (Connla). Another legendary figure by this name appears in the Children of Lir as the jealous third wife of Lir.

This name is sometimes Anglicized as Eve or Eva.

Russian diminutive of Anna.

Finnish, Estonian and Swedish form of Annelie, as well as a German variant.

Form of Hannah used in the Greek and Latin Old Testament. Many later Old Testament translations, including the English, use the Hannah spelling instead of Anna. The name appears briefly in the New Testament belonging to a prophetess who recognized Jesus as the Messiah. It was a popular name in the Byzantine Empire from an early date, and in the Middle Ages it became common among Western Christians due to veneration of Saint Anna (usually known as Saint Anne in English), the name traditionally assigned to the mother of the Virgin Mary.

In England, this Latin form has been used alongside the vernacular forms Ann and Anne since the late Middle Ages. Anna is currently the most common of these spellings in all English-speaking countries (since the 1970s), however the biblical form Hannah is presently more popular than all three.

The name was borne by several Russian royals, including an 18th-century empress of Russia. It is also the name of the main character in Leo Tolstoy's novel Anna Karenina (1877), about a married aristocrat who begins an ultimately tragic relationship with Count Vronsky.

Form of Anya in several languages.

Polish form of Angela.

Polish diminutive of Anna, and an alternate transcription of Russian Аня (see Anya).

Norwegian feminine form of Andreas.

From the Old Norse name Arnþórr, derived from the element ǫrn "eagle" combined with the name of the Norse god Þórr (see Thor).

Scandinavian form of Andreas (see Andrew). A famous bearer was the Swedish physicist Anders Jonas Ångström (1814-1874).

Polish and Belarusian form of Anatolius.

Polish form of Anastasius.

German variant of Amelia.

Form of Alice used in several languages.

Short form of Adelina, Albina and names that end in alina.

Derived from Old Norse alfr meaning "elf". In Norse legend this was the name of king, the suitor of a reluctant maiden named Alfhild. She avoided marrying him by disguising herself as a warrior, but when they fought she was so impressed by his strength that she changed her mind.

Finnish, Bulgarian and Georgian form of Alexius.

Alternate transcription of Russian Алексей (see Aleksey).

Form of Alexander in several languages.

Short form of Aleksey, Aleksandr or Aleksandra.

Old Norse form of Olaf.

Medieval Dutch and German (also Low German) variant of Adolf as well as the North & West Frisian form of the name. Also compare Aalf (its medieval form is Aelf) and Alof.

This name has also seen some use in Denmark and Sweden, where it can sometimes instead be derived from the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet (see the other entry for Alef).

Means "wave" in Icelandic.

Means "dream" or "vision" in Irish. This name was created in the 20th century.

Finnish form of Áile.

Created by Russian author Aleksey Tolstoy for his science fiction novel Aelita (1923), where it belongs to a Martian princess. In the book, the name is said to mean "starlight seen for the last time" in the Martian language.