hermeline's Personal Name List

Alternate spelling of Zuri

Perhaps means "enchanting" or "dawn" in Arabic. This was the name of a minor 12th-century Spanish saint, a convert from Islam. The name was used by Cervantes for a character in his novel Don Quixote (1606), in which Zoraida is a beautiful Moorish woman of Algiers who converts to Christianity and elopes with a Spanish officer.

Apparently a corruption of Zoilus, borne by a 3rd-century Saint Zoellus, who was martyred in Lystra, Lycaonia (Asia Minor) under the Roman emperor Numerian.

Variant of Zéphyrin (see Zephyrinus). Though it was a popular French name in the 19th and early 20th centuries, its usage is mainly confined to various French-speaking African nations today.

A name coined by the English poet Alexander Pope, appearing in his poem "Epistle to Miss Blount" (1715).

Name of a Cornish village derived from the local saint, St Senara. In current use.

Probably derived from Old Iranian *zari- "golden". This was the name of a legendary Saka (Scythian) warrior queen.

Transferred use of the surname Zale. In recent years it has seen a slight boost in popularity, possibly influenced by the phonetic element zay.

Italian and Spanish form of Zaïre. It was used by Vincenzo Bellini for the heroine of his opera Zaira (1829), which was based on Voltaire's 1732 play Zaïre.

Possibly an invented name from another name, but coincides with the Hanyu Pinyin reading of Mandarin 再見 "goodbye, see you later" or 再建 "to rebuild, to reconstruct". A famous bearer of this name is Filipino actor and dancer Zaijian Godsick Lara Jaranilla (2001-).

From the Hebrew name זַכָּי (Zakkai) meaning "pure". This is the name of a minor character in the Old Testament.

Medieval French form of Ivo 1. This was the name of two French saints: an 11th-century bishop of Chartres and a 13th-century parish priest and lawyer, also known as Ivo of Kermartin, the patron saint of Brittany.

Means "my comfort, my wealth" from Arabic يسر (yusr) meaning "comfort, ease, wealth, prosperity". It is a unisex name in Indonesia while it is solely masculine in Malaysia.

Origin unknown, probably unrelated to Ismay. It was used in a 13th-century continuation of Chrétien de Troyes' Perceval, the Story of the Grail, where it belongs to Perceval's cousin who marries the knight Faradien. It also appears in the medieval French Roman de Thèbes in which case it is an Old French form of Ismene.

Variant of Isaura.

Medieval Cornish variant of Jowan.

Possibly an altered form of Jörg. Shakespeare used this name for a deceased court jester in his play Hamlet (1600).

Anglicized form of Iorwerth.

Means "shining moon", derived from Turkic yuldura meaning "to shine" combined with ay "moon, month".

Variant of Esther.

In an Arthurian legend in Ulrich von Zatzikhoven's late 12th-century German poem Lanzelet, the loving fairy mistress of Prince Lancelot is named Yblis an anagram for Sibil/Sybil.

Quenya (High-Elven) for "giver of fruits." Was the Valie (female "angelic spirit") of plants.
Character in J.R.R. Tolkien's "Silmarrilion."

Hebrew form of Jordan.

From Tibetan དབྱངས་ཅན (dbyangs-can) meaning "singer" or "vowel, song". This is the Tibetan name for the Hindu goddess Saraswati.

Alternate transcription of Yasin chiefly used in Northern Africa.

Means "honeycomb" and "honeysuckle" in Hebrew.

Spanish form of Xochitl.

Means "night-flowering jasmine" in Assamese.

Galician form of Guinevere.

Means "little wolf", from a diminutive of the Gothic element wulfs. This was the name of a 4th-century Gothic bishop and missionary. He translated the New Testament into Gothic.

Derived from the Slavic elements vojĭ "warrior, soldier" and utěxa "solace, comfort, joy". Saint Wojciech (also known by the Czech form of his name Vojtěch or his adopted name Adalbert) was a Bohemian missionary to Hungary, Poland and Prussia, where he was martyred in the 10th century.

From Old English Weland, probably derived from the Germanic root *wīlą meaning "craft, cunning". In Germanic legend Weland (called Vǫlundr in Old Norse) was a master smith and craftsman. He was captured and hamstrung by King Niðhad, but took revenge by killing the king's sons.

A form of Walaram. This was the name of two rulers of the medieval county of Ligny-en-Barrois, in present-day Lorraine, France.

A Knight of the Round Table.

means "eminent, notable, distinguishable" in Arabic and Urdu, from the Arabic root و ج ه‎ (w-j-h), the same of وَجْه (wajha) meaning "face".

Variant of Vivus.

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

Means "of the evening", derived from Esperanto vespero "evening", ultimately from Latin vesper.

A high-born damsel, of Guenevere’s court was mute until the arrival of Sir Percival, when at last she spoke. Greeting him, she led him to his seat at the left of the Siege Perilous and predicted his future greatness. She also predicted her own death, which took place four days later; she was buried in the cathedral at Cardiff. From the circumstances of the miracle, one can assume she had led a holy life.

French form of Verena.

In Norse mythology, one of the three Fatal Sisters – the others were Urd and Schulda – who presided over the past, present, and future.

In Thelwall’s The Fairy of the Lake, Rowena, wife of Vortigern, seeks their foresight during her quest to seduce Arthur.

French form of Veneranda.

Gawain’s lover.

Veleda was a priestess and prophet of the Germanic tribe of the Bructeri who achieved some prominence during the Batavian rebellion of AD 69–70, headed by the Romanized Batavian chieftain Gaius Julius Civilis, when she correctly predicted the initial successes of the rebels against Roman legions.

Her name is of uncertain origin and meaning. A current theory believes that it might be Celtic in origin and in fact be a generic title for a prophetess, in which case it would likely be derived from Proto-Celtic *welet- "seer" (ultimately from *wel- "to see").

A Syrian knight present at the tournament of Sorgarda, which Gawain won.

Either from Sanskrit वारिद (vārid) meaning "incidence, occurence," a combination of Sanskrit वारि (vāri) meaning "water" and Sanskrit दा (dā) meaning "giving", or the Indian vernacular name for the plant Pavonia odorata.

Short form of Giovanna.

Means "valuable" in Esperanto.

French form of Valerius.

Variant spelling of Valamar. But with this spelling it is also possible that the second element is derived from Slavic mir "peace." Valamir was the name of a 5th-century king of the Ostrogoths.

Originally from the English word "invader", but later associated with the Dutch word vader ("father"). This is the pseudonym of Darth Vader (real name Anakin Skywalker), antagonist in the Star Wars original trilogy by George Lucas.

Meaning unknown. Possibly a variant of Veda or Valda or short form of Nevada.
It was used for the heroine of the American film My Girl (1991).

An ancient British name which means "little wolf". Most well known in the Arthurian legends of Geoffrey Monmouth, where Sir Ulfin plays a role in Merlin's plot for King Arthur to be born.

A byname meaning “Viking”.

An earl who was the father of Elena, the brother of King Odus, and the uncle of Enide, Erec’s wife.

From Japanese 俊 (toshi) meaning "talented, handsome" or 敏 (toshi) meaning "quick, clever, sharp" combined with 郎 (rō) meaning "son". This name can also be formed from other combinations of kanji characters.

From the Old Norse name Þórsteinn, which meant "Thor's stone" from the name of the Norse god Þórr (see Thor) combined with steinn "stone".

Azeri cognate of Tuğrul.

Said to mean "God is good" from the Hebrew elements טוֹב (tov) meaning "good" and אֵל ('el) meaning "God". John Aylmer (1521-1594), Bishop of London, used this name for his sixth son. Charles W. Bardsley wrote of Tobel Aylmer: 'Archbishop Whitgift was his godfather, and the reason for his singular appellation was his mother’s being overturned in a coach without injury when she was pregnant'.

The name of the Grail King in Wolfram von Eschenbach's 'Parzival'. Also the title of another work by Wolfram von Eschenbach (preserved only fragmentary).

Feminine form of Titius.

The name used by some Mormon groups for the wife of the Brother of Jared.

Anglicized form of Þráinn.

Tolkien used this name for two characters. Thráin I, son of Náin I, was the king of Durin's Folk and founder of the Kingdom under the Mountain. Thráin II, son of Thrór, was the king of Durin's Folk and the father of Thorin Oakenshield. Tolkien took the name from the Dvergatal "Catalogue of Dwarves" in the Völuspá, a part of the Poetic Edda.

German male name representing the Germanic god Thor.

Used by JRR Tolkien as the name of a dwarf, Thorin Oakensheild, who is the main dwarf in 'The Hobbit'. Tolkien took the name from the Dvergatal "Catalogue of Dwarves" in the Völuspá, a part of the Poetic Edda.

A scribe who served Merlin.

The servant of the lady Fenice, so named because she came from Thessaly in Greece.

Traditional southern German, Swiss German and Austrian variant of Therese.

English form of Theophanes. A known bearer of this name was saint Theophan the Recluse (1815-1894).

From the Greek elements θεός (theos) meaning "god" and πατήρ (pater) meaning "father". This name occurs in the Symposium of Methodius of Olympus, an early Christian theologian.

French form of Theogenes. In modern times, this name is found primarily in Rwanda.

Short form of Theodoor and Theodorus.

Means "sea" in Greek. In Greek mythology she was the personification of the sea. A small moon of Neptune is named for her.

Contraction of Welsh ty meaning "thy, your" and Eleri. This name is mentioned in Culhwch and Olwen as one of the maidens of King Arthur's court.

An Arthurian warrior who ruled Gwent Ys Coed.

He is probably the same character as Teyrnon Twryf Bliant, the man who found the infant Pryderi.

Derived from the Welsh elements teg "beautiful, pretty" and gwen "white, blessed". This name was created in the 19th century [1].

Hero of Der Pleier’s "Tandareis and Flordibel".

Variant of Sylvaine.

Medieval Silesian German diminutive of Siegfried.

Polish form of Sibyllina, perhaps only used in reference to the beatified Italian nun and mystic Sibyllina Biscossi (1287-1367). See also Sybilla.

Suzine Har Nicolescu (March 21, 1931 – February 22, 2013) was an American librarian who was one of the founders of the Asian Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA). She served fourteen years as the chief librarian at Medgar Evers College and fought against discrimination in the library profession.

From Thai สุ (su) meaning "good" and นิสา (nisa) meaning "night".

From the Turkish word for a type of duck, the shelduck (genus Tadorna).

Variant of Shosha. A known bearer of this name is the Dutch television presenter Sosha Duysker (b. 1991).

Dutch and German variant of Shosha.

Greenlandic form of Simon 1.

Norwegian variant of Sigmund, Sæmund and Simon 1 as well as a Judeo-Anglo-Norman adoption of this name.

Variant of Siënna.

Variant of Sigrun used by Richard Wagner as name for a valkyria.

The name's origin is in the Dutch province of Friesland.

Transferred use of the surname Sidwell.

Younger form of Siadhail.

From the Land of Shulon mentioned in the Book of Moses.

Means "lily, waterlily, lotus" in Coptic, ultimately derived from Egyptian zšn "lotus flower". Compare Susanna.

This hebrew name means "Lily", which comes from a type of flower

Etymology uncertain, name borne by a Mongolian khatun who was the consort of Temür Khan. She was later posthumously honored as a Yuan dynasty empress.

Means "my song" in Hebrew.

Short form of Bathsheba.

Means "autumnal, associated with autumn" in Sanskrit, a derivative of शरद् (sharad) meaning "autumn". This is another name for the Hindu goddess Saraswati.

Possibly a variant of Sharon modelled on Cara, Tara and Sarah.

Means "dawn" in Hebrew.

From a Norman surname that originally belonged to a person coming from the French town of Saint Maur (which means "Saint Maurus").

Diminutive for Persephone and Josephine. This is the name of the heroine in the CrossGen comic series 'Meridian'.

Yiddish form of Alexander.

Meaning unknown, possibly of Phrygian origin. In Greek mythology she was one of the many lovers of Zeus. Hera, being jealous, tricked Semele into asking Zeus to display himself in all his splendour as the god of thunder. When he did, Semele was struck by lightning and died, but not before giving birth to Dionysos.

The burgrave of the city of Bearosche under Duke Lyppaut.

He enlisted the assistance of Gawain in a battle against King Meliant of Lis, who was attacking Lyppaut because Lyppaut’s daughter Obie had rejected him.

Latinized form of the Scythian personal name Sawarmag (see Saurmag) via its hellenized form Σαυρομακης (Sauromakes). Also compare Sauromates.

The daughter of King Label of Persia.

She married Celidoine, Nascien’s son, became the Queen of North Wales, and gave birth to Narpus, an ancestor of Lancelot.

From the Old Hungarian name Saroldu, probably of Turkic origin meaning "white weasel, ermine". This was the wife of the 10th-century Hungarian grand prince Géza.

Arabic form of Sergius.

Diminutive of Sara, or sometimes a variant of Serena.

Latinized form of Shahrbaraz, derived from Greek Σαρβάρος (See Sarvaros).

Name of one of the main characters in Tamora Pierce's books Trickter's Choice and Trickster's Queen. Possibly coined from the Hebrew name Sarai combined with the Chinese suffix yu meaning "jade", "happy, pleased" or "rain".

One of the maidens of Viviane, the French Damsel of the Lake, Saraide seems to have held a high place in the Damsel’s service. her grasp of magic, while doubtless far short of Viviane’s, Nimue’s, or Morgan’s, was practical and useful.

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

Means "sweet one forever" in Hebrew.

Means "evening conversation" in Arabic, from the root سمر (samara) meaning "to talk in the evening".

In the Tristano Riccardiano and La Tavola Ritonda, a knight who, while visiting Mark’s court for healing, learned that Isolde had been abducted by Palamedes. He chased after them, but could not fight well because of his wounds, and was defeated.

Variant of Safiye. This was the name of a Turkish merchant's daughter in the novel Frankenstein.

A maiden loved by Gerhart of Riviers.

When her father, Tjofabier, refused to grant her to Gerhart, Gerhart launched a war, slaying Gilbert, the brother of Sabie. The war was ended by Arthur’s Sir Garel, who defeated Gerhart.

Apparently means "small head" in Coptic. This was the name of a Coptic saint from the 14th century AD.

Feminine form of Ruslan.

Meaning unknown. In Tolkien's Legendarium this is the name of two Elves. One was a loremaster of Tirion who invented the alphabet later expanded on by Fëanor; the other was a guard of Lothlórien, the brother of Haldir and Orophin.

Variant of Roxana. It may have been modified on Maxina/Rexina.

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).

Italian form of Roxana.

Italian diminutive of Rosa 1.

Presumably an altered form of Rhodanthe, using the Latin element rosa (compare Rose) as opposed to the Greek rhodon (compare Rhoda). The name was (first?) used by Welsh writer Ann Julia Hatton for a character in her popular Gothic novel 'Deeds of Olden Times' (1826). It was also used by Eliza Rennie in her poetic sketch 'The Myrtle Branch' (1828).

Combination of Rosa 1 and the common name suffix bel, inspired by Latin bella "beautiful". This name was created in the 18th century.

Variant of Roni 1.

Elaboration of Romela.

Variant of Robin.

From Lithuanian rimti "to calm down" combined with mantus "intelligent" or manta "property, wealth".

Possibly a variant of Rita, the spelling perhaps influenced by that of Rhea or Greek ῥήτωρ (rhetor) "public speaker, orator". This name was borne by American journalist and suffragist Rheta Dorr (1868-1948). It was brought to public attention by the 1933 murder of a 23-year-old Chicago woman named Rheta Wynekoop.

Feminine form of Renatus.

Used for a character in Flannery O'Connor's The Violent Bear It Away (1960).

Latinized (Old Spanish) form of *Ranamers or possibly *Raginamers (see Ramiro).

Origin uncertain. This was used for the title character in John Fletcher's play 'The Island Princess' (written ca. 1619-1621): a princess of Tidore (an Islamic state in Indonesia) who vows to marry the man who frees her brother, the king, who has recently been captured by a local rival.

A king appearing in "Erec" by Chrétien de Troyes.

A name appearing in Le Livre d’Artus, a work of Arthurian romance. He wass a Saxon king who, under King Hargadabran, fought Arthur’s forces at the battle of Clarence and was killed by Adragain.

Means "otter" in Middle Mongolian.

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

Anglicized form of Porphyrios (see Porfirio). This name was borne by a Neoplatonic philosopher from the 3rd century AD.

Variant of Poppaea. This name was used for the title character of Claudio Monteverdi's opera 'L'incoronazione di Poppea' (1642).

Italian form of Pygmalion.

Possibly taken from Philae, the Latinized form of Φιλαί (Philai), the Greek name of an ancient island of the Nile which was the center of the worship of Isis and the site of temples dedicated to her. The island was flooded in 1970 and disappeared into the river, but its temple complex was moved to the island of Agilkia.
Alternatively this may be a French variant of Philaeus or Phile.
This name was used by French travel writers Alexandre and Sonia Poussin for their daughter born in 2004.

Short form of Sophia and other names ending in -phia.

A character in "The Faerie Queene" by Edmund Spenser.

Derived from the Adûnaic word pharaz, meaning "gold". In The Silmarillion, Ar-Pharazôn (King Pharazôn) was the name of the last king of Númenor and the husband and usurper of Miriel. Ar-Pharazôn brought Sauron to Númenor. Later he assailed Valinor and caused the Downfall of Númenor.

"Persinette" is a 1698 French fairy-tale by novelist Charlotte-Rose de Caumont de La Force adapted from earlier 'Petrosinella' by Giambattista Basil and later adapted by the Grimms brothers to become 'Rapunzel'. The name was revived in the title of a child opera by the Austrian composer Albin Fries in 2019.

The name of a naiad of the fresh-water spring of the city of Korinthos and a daughter of Asopos. She was carried off by Poseidon and bore him two sons. Her name may be derived from the element πειραίνω (peiraino), and either mean "tied, fastened" or "the fastening one". In either case, it may refer to the important portage road linking these two ports.

Means "the Pleiades" in Persian. The Pleiades are a group of stars in the constellation Taurus. This name is typically feminine in Iran, but unisex in India.

One of the many ladies at Arthur’s court to fail a chastity test involving a goblet.

One of the contenders for the role of the Maimed King.

His story says that he found Solomon’s Ship and attempted to draw the sword that he found on board, but, being unworthy, he was wounded through the thighs with a lance. This, however, was not the act or the wounding that turned his realm into the Waste Land of the Grail legends.

Form of Uthman used in parts of French-influenced western Africa.

Variant of Ottilie.

Osmin is a figure in the Mozart opera Die Entführung aus dem Serail.

Osmin is used as a given name in Latin America today and wasn't uncommon in the French Gascogne region up until the late 1800s.

Norman cognate of Ásbjǫrn and Osbeorn.

The twin sister of King Meriadoc of Wales.

Orwen’s father, King Caradoc, was murdered by her uncle, Griffin, who then targeted the children for assassination. They were saved by Ivor and Morwen, their foster parents, and taken to hiding in the forest of Fleventan.

In time, Meriadoc was taken to Arthur’s court and Orwen was kidnapped by King Urien of Scotland, whom she later married.

Feminine form of Orphée.

Latinized form of Ὀρώδης (Orṓdēs), a Hellenized form of Parthian 𐭅𐭓𐭅𐭃 (wrwd), of uncertain meaning. Likely from a compound whose second part is cognate with from Avestan 𐬭𐬀𐬊𐬜𐬀 (raoδa) “growth, appearance” and Persian روی (roy) “face”. This was the name of several rulers of the Parthian Empire.

Derived from the Latin adjective orabilis meaning "exorable" as well as "entreatable". In turn, the word is derived from the Latin verb oro meaning "to speak" as well as "to plead, to beg, to pray, to entreat" combined with a Latin adjectival suffix (either -abilis or -bilis).

Also compare the related Latin adjective exorabilis meaning "exorable, persuadable" as well as "easily entreated, influenced by prayer".

In the medieval period, the name Orabilis was frequently used as a latinization of Arabel and Arabella (particularly in the British Isles).

Alternate transcription of Arabic عمر (see Umar). This is the usual English spelling of the name of the 12th-century poet Umar Khayyam. In his honour it has sometimes been used in the English-speaking world, notably for the American general Omar Bradley (1893-1981).

A fairy king, the father-in-law of Lanval. He lived on an enchanted island.

Late Latin name meaning "olive". This was the name of a 2nd-century saint from Brescia.

Variant of Otis.

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.

Means "heart" in Igbo.

Used by Sir Walter Scott for a character in his novel 'The Pirate' (1821). Apparently he based it on Old Norse norn, the name for one of the fate goddesses of Norse mythology, which is related to the Swedish dialect verb norna "to warn, to communicate secretly" (and may ultimately be echoic in origin, i.e., imitative of low murmuring). Swedish botanist Göran Wahlenberg gave the name to a type of orchid in 1826. Its earliest documented usage in Sweden is 1863.

Diminutive of Ione or Nora 1.

The Assyrian god of agriculture, in whose temple king Sennacherib was worshiping when he was assassinated by his own sons in revenge for the destruction of Babylon (2 Kings 19:37; Isa. 37:38). Josephus calls him Dagon.

Form of Nimue. Nimueh appeared as an evil sorceress in the series Merlin.

Means "eglantine, sweetbrier" in Kurdish.

Derived from Greek Νηρηΐδες (Nereides) meaning "nymphs, sea sprites", ultimately derived from the name of the Greek sea god Nereus, who supposedly fathered them.

French form of Nazarius.

Means "beautiful" in Hebrew.

French form of Natalie, as well as a Dutch, German and Scandinavian variant.

Alternate transcription of Nattaya.

King of Syria who served Emperor Filimenis of Constantinople. He joined Filimenis in a brief war against Arthur.

Possibly a variant of Nora 1. It might, however, also be a simplified spelling of Naarah.

Meaning uncertain, possibly derived from Greek Ναϊάς (Naias), a type of water nymph in Greek mythology (plural Ναϊάδες). Alternatively it might be related to Persian Nahid.

In the case of the submitter it is a contraction of Myrna and Isabel.

Original Welsh form of Merlin. It is probably ultimately from the name of the Romano-British settlement Moridunum, derived from Celtic *mori "sea" and *dūnom "rampart, hill fort". Prefixed with Welsh caer "fort", this town has been called Caerfyrddin (Carmarthen in English) from medieval times. It is thought that Caerfyrddin may have mistakenly been interpreted as meaning "fort of Myrddin", as if Myrddin were a personal name instead of a later development of Moridunum [1].

Myrddin appears in early Welsh poems, as a prophet who lives in the Caledonian Forest after being driven insane witnessing the slaughter of his king Gwenddoleu and his forces at the Battle of Arfderydd. His character seems to be based on the North Brythonic figure Lailoken, and perhaps also the Irish figure Suibhne. Geoffrey of Monmouth adapted him into Merlin in the 12th century.

A knight in the service of Lord Golagros, Arthur’s opponent in the Middle Scots tale of Golagros and Gawain.

Variant of Mrikë. Mrika (1958) is an opera in three acts composed by Prenkë Jakova with a libretto in Albanian by Llazar Siliqi.

Variant form of Morfudd.

According to Geoffrey of Monmouth, a king of Britain in the third century BC. He was the son of King Danius and Tangustela, a concubine.

In the Arthurian legend, this name belongs to the brother or uncle of Isolde.

The name of a witch in Arthurian romance. Morgause, Queen of the Orkneys, is Arthur's half-sister with whom, in Thomas Malory's 15th-century compilation 'Le Morte d'Arthur', he engages in a brief affair, producing Mordred. She is also the mother of Gawain and Gareth. The earliest forms of her name are Orcades - the earliest known name of the Orkney Islands, probably derived from Celtic *forko- meaning "piglet" (cf. Orcadia) - and Morcades. Orcades probably mutated into the forms Morcades and Morgause through confusion with Morgan 2.

Tristan’s granddaughter.

She was the daughter of King Kalegras of England and Queen Lilja.

Molanna is the nymph who helps Faunus spy on Diana in the Cantos of Mutability.

Means "infatuating" in Sanskrit. This was the name adopted by the Hindu god Vishnu when he took the form of a woman.

Dutch and German form of Misha. It is occasionally used as a feminine name in Dutch.

Variant of Mirta. This is borne by the Argentine actress and television presenter Mirtha Legrand (1927-), real name Rosa María Juana Martínez Suárez.

Means "wonderful" in Esperanto.

Dutch form of Mirielle.

Variant of Milène.

Guernésiais form of Michael.

Form of Micah used in the Greek and Latin Old Testament (when referring to the man from the Book of Judges). It is also the German and Dutch form.

Probably originally a diminutive of Matthew via Matthias, this name has since become the regular Manx form of Matthew.

Although the exact origin and meaning of this name are unknown, many modern-day academics believe this name to be the (possibly Anglicized) Cornish form of Morien.

Its variant Merryn was the name of a Cornish saint.

In the English-speaking world, all forms have been occasionally used from the 19th century onwards.

Means "celestial damsel" in Hindi.

Diminutive of names beginning with Mel.

Son of Caw, one of twenty brothers, and one of Arthur’s warriors.

Alternate transcription of Russian Максим or Belarusian Максім (see Maksim) or Ukrainian Максим (see Maksym). This is also the Czech form.

Romansh form of Maurus, cognate of Mauritz and Moritz.

The lord of a tower near the Fairies’ Fountain. Mathamas hated Arthur.

While adventuring in the forest with Guinevere, Dodinel and Sagremor (Sagramore) embarked on a quest to procure some rations from Mathamas. Dodinel was diverted along the way, but Sagremor entered Mathamas’ hall and boldly demanded food. Mathamas responded by ordering his knights to attack Sagremor, and after an exhausting battle, Sagremor was imprisoned.

Mathamas’ daughter kept Sagremor from starving until Gawain showed up, defeated Mathamas, and forced him to release Sagremor.

He is probably identical with Mathamas du Recet.

A beautiful fairy, over whom Gawain fought Mabon the Enchanter. Marsique obtained the magic Scabbard of Excalibur for Gawain, ensuring Gawain’s victory.

Of uncertain origin and meaning. One - debatable - theory connects this name with the Vulgar Latin term margella.
Either way, from the early 1600s onwards, when every given name "had to" be associated with a Catholic saint, up to its disappearance in the late 1700s, Margilia and its variant Margilie were used as quasi-equivalents of Marguerite (due to phonetic similarities to Margarit, one of the Breton variants of this name).

Diminutive of Marcia.

Brother of the Knight of the Dragon, who was slain by Perceval.

A resident of Corbenic (Carbonek), the Grail Castle, who did not believe in the Grail.

During the Grail Quest, Galahad removed two serpents which had been placed around Manibel’s neck as punishment for his blasphemy. Manibel died soon afterwards.

Possibly a Latinate form of Mallory (compare Malorie).

The Duke of Albany, one of the husbands of Regan, who was one of the older daughters of King Leir in Geoffrey of Monmouth's pseudohistorical 12th-century "History of the Kings of Britain".

Magal is a name of Hebrew origin, and the meaning of Magal is "scythe".

Maelgwyn means Prince of Hounds. It was also the name of a 6th century king of Gwynedd, Maelgwyn Gwynedd.

This name belongs to a character appearing in the Lancelot-Grail Cycle, also known as the Vulgate Cycle or the Pseudo-Map Cycle, an early 13th-century French Arthurian literary cycle.

Old High German, Old Saxon mahal "council, meeting" + Proto-Germanic linþaz "gentle, sweet, mild".

Transferred from the surname "Mackey". A short version for any name starting with Mac-.

Anglo-Norman form of Mabon. This is a character in 'Lanzelet', an Arthurian romance written by Ulrich von Zatzikhoven after 1194; Mabuz the Enchanter is the cowardly lord of the Schatel le Mort, or "Castle of the Dead".

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

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.

19th-century East Frisian elaboration of Lome.

Elaborated form of Lola.

Entymology unknown. This was the name of an ancient Syrian goddess of mountains.

Derived from Kurdish lale meaning "tulip".

Transferred use of the surname Lillis.

Lillis was Bing Crosby's middle name. (He was born Harold Lillis Crosby.)

Combination of the names Li 2 and Chen 2 means "my beauty" or "my grace" in Hebrew.

Russian and Ukrainian form of Leonidas.

Transferred use of the surname as well as a contraction of Leo and Theodore.

Hebrew form of Laban.

One of the knights who vows to go in quest for Merlin for a year and a day.

Feminine form of Lalin.

Short form of Eulalia.

Means "shining, bright" in Hebrew. It is also used as a surname Koren.

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

Probably derived from the name of the island St. Kilda.

Note that there wasn't any saint named Kilda. The name of the island is derived from corrupted information used by cartographers.

Coptic form of Katherine.

Medieval Breton form of Ithel.

A duke of Forckheim who Erec saved after he had been kidnapped by seven robbers. His brothers, Joachim, Perant, and Malcheus, were also abducted and liberated. Erec sent them to Arthur’s court to relate the adventure.

Contracted form of Josephine.

Means "galloping" in Swahili.

Variant of Jonael.

From Mongolian зочин (zochin) meaning "guest", indicating uncertainty about a child’s paternity. This was the name of a son of Mongol khagan Genghis Khan.

Of uncertain origin and meaning. Theories include a feminine form of Gismund (compare Jesmonda) and a variant of Jessamine via now obsolete variants like Jessema and Jessima.

Means "rose flower" from Sino-Korean 薔花. Jang-hwa is the name of one of the heroines in the Korean folktale "The Story of Jang-hwa and Hong-ryeon".

Variant transcription of Issei.

Variant of Islay, typically used as a feminine name. It also coincides with the Spanish word isla meaning "island".

Alternate transcription of Thai อิสระ (see Itsara).

Latinized form of Isandros. This was the name of a man killed by the god Ares in Homer's "Iliad".

One of the kings of Numenor in Tolkein's Lord of the Rings. Also known as Tar-Meneldur.

Originally a diminutive of Indriķis, now used as a given name in its own right. Latvian poet and playwright Rainis used this name on the titular character of his play Indulis un Ārija (1911).

Indrid Cold is the name of a being originating in North American folklore, whose appearance usually coincides with sightings of UFOs or other cryptids.

In Greek mythology, Imbrus was an Egyptian prince as one of the sons of King Aegyptus.

In Sir Ian Stuart-Knill’s curious pedigree of Arthur, she is the wife of Joseph of Arimathea and an ancestor of Arthur.

Variant of Zuguiro.

Modern Anglicized form of Hrêðe or Hrêða (See Rheda).

Means “fiery” in Armenian.

Transferred use of the surname Hindley.

Younger form of Hildirun.

Form of Edern used in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Brittaniae.

Variant of Hesterina. A known bearer of this name is the Dutch soccer coach Hesterine de Reus (b. 1961).

Variant transcription of Hezro.

This transcription is used in the Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible.

From the German word for "heart sorrow, heartache". Herzeloyde was its original form, created by Wolfram von Eschenbach for the Queen of Wales and mother of Perceval in his Middle High German romance Parzival (1200–1210), probably to express the queen’s sorrow for losing her husband and later her son (when Perceval leaves her lands for King Arthur's court, she dies from a broken heart).
Herzeleide was the form used by Richard Wagner for his opera 'Parsifal', loosely based on Wolfram's epic poem.

This was the name of a granddaughter of Kaiser Wilhelm II by his son, Oskar: Princess Herzeleide Ina Marie Sophie Charlotte Else (1918-1989), named "heart's sorrow" because she was born shortly after the fall of the German Empire and collapse of the monarchy.

A king who, allied with King Ekunaver of Kanadic, went to war with Arthur. Ekunaver was defeated by Garel, and Helpherich was given a seat at the Round Table.

Hellicha of Wittelsbach was Duchess consort of Bohemia from 1189 to 1198, married to Duke Conrad II.

Ancient Greek form of Helen, as well as the modern Scandinavian and German form.

French form of Hanae.

Polish and Belarusian form of Galina.

Derived from Greek ἅλς (hals) meaning "sea, brine, salt" combined with one of the related words μέδομαι (medomai) meaning "to be mindful of, to provide for, to think on" or μέδω (medo) meaning "to protect, to rule over". According to Greek mythology this was one of the Nereids. A minor moon of Neptune is named after her.

Belarusian form of Gaia.

Means "the great" in Sumerian. This may have originally been a title rather then a name. Gula was a Sumerian and Akkadian goddess of healing, medicine and midwifery. She was often depicted alongside dogs. In later periods she was equated with other healing goddesses such as Ninisina.

Diminutive of Gui. See also Guiot.

The good and kind King of Wales in Renaut’s Le Bel Inconnu.

His daughter, Esmeree the Blonde, inherited his kingdom and married Gawain’s son, Guinglain.

French and Guernésiais form of Warin (compare Guarin).

Gallicized form of Breton Gwenole, which was derived from Breton uuin, uuen, Middle Welsh guin, gwynn, guen meaning "sacred, pure, blessed; white" and Old Breton uual meaning "valor". This was the name of a legendary Breton saint who was inspired to found an abbey by a dream he had of Saint Patrick.

Variant of Gwendolen, used by Walter Scott in his poem The Bridal of Triermain (1813) for a queen who became the mother of Gyneth by King Arthur.

Means "grace" in Latin.

Variant of Götilda.

French form of Glykeria via its latinized form Glyceria.

Means "worthy of glory" in Esperanto, ultimately from Latin gloria.

French form of Gloriana.

Presumably a feminine form of Glendower.

Latin form of Gláucio.

Derived from Manx guilley "servant; boy, lad" and the given name More with the intended meaning of "servant of the Virgin Mary" (since the names of saints were considered too holy for everyday use, they were usually prefixed until the 17th century).

A dithematic name formed from the Germanic name elements gelt "worth; to be valid; money" and rat "council; advice".

It is the name of a 5th century bishop of Rouen, France, but his name is also given as Gildard or Godard.

Gideoni was a member of the house of Benjamin according to Numbers 1:11. He was the father of Abidan.

see also Gianni

From a Late Latin name that was derived from Greek γέρων (geron) meaning "old man".

Modern Gaelic form of Gelgéis.

A knight who married a fairy ruler, but lost her (and his own handsome features) when he revealed her existence to others. To reclaim her, he had to journey to Arthur’s court, defeat three knights, and take them to her land of Fluratrone. He managed to capture Walban, Gawain, and Yvain, and he was thereby reconciled with his wife. The romance featuring him was German, written by Konrad von Stoffeln.

Means "white" in Sanskrit. This is a Hindu goddess, another name of Parvati the wife of Shiva, so named because of her fair complexion.

Means "fair leg" from Welsh gar "leg" and gwen "white, fair, blessed". According to the Welsh Triads (Triad 57), this name belonged to one of Arthur's three mistresses. She was the daughter of Henin the Old.

A King of Libya in "Wigalois" by Wirnt von Grafenberg.

Derived from the Germanic element gal, which comes from galan "to sing." combined with Old High German lind or lindi "soft, tender." This name ultimately means "soft singing voice."

A Roman cognomen of uncertain etymology. It could be from the Latin galba, which the Romans used to describe the Gauls, or galbae, a kind of little worm or larva. This was the name of a Roman Emperor during the Year of the Four Emperors.

Kay’s sweetheart in Heinrich von dem Türlin’s "Diu Crône". She failed two chastity tests, which humbled Kay, who had been making great sport of the other ladies who failed.

A duke and an ally or vassal of Gawaine’s wife, Orgeluse (Orguelleuse).

Variant of Freyr.

German form of Franciscus (see Francis). This name was borne by the Austrian composer Franz Schubert (1797-1828), the Hungarian composer Franz Liszt (1811-1886) and the Austrian-Czech author Franz Kafka (1883-1924), whose works include The Trial and The Castle. It was also the name of rulers of Austria and the Holy Roman Empire.

Variant of Francie.

From Latin Francia meaning "France" (see Francia). Also compare France 1.

Feminine form of Floris.

French form of Floria.

Means “red haired” in Irish.

Invented during the Gaelic revival, taken from Irish fírinne meaning "truth".

Filimer was an early Gothic king, according to Jordanes. He was the son of Gadareiks and the fifth generation since Berig settled with his people in Gothiscandza. When the Gothic nation had multiplied Filimer decided to move his people to Scythia where they defeated the Sarmatians. They then named their new territory Oium, meaning "in the waterlands". This migration would have allegedly taken place about 2030 years before Jordanes wrote his "Origin of the Goths".

Variant of Fiënne.

Diminutive of Ferdinand.

Short form of the Old Norse Fenrisúlfr (literally "Fenrir-wolf"). The form Fenris Ulf was used for a talking wolf (originally named Maugrim) in the now defunct American edition of C. S. Lewis' 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe'.

Provençal form of Félix.

Father of Tessina, a lady saved by Tristan.

A knight who convinced Perceval’s cousin, Ysmaine, to sleep with him by promising to marry her.

Perceval defeated Faradïen in combat and forced him to keep his promise.

"Bearing fruits" ;"fruitful"
ORIGIN - Sanskrit

Old Irish form of Faolán.

From a biblical place name, also called עַבְדּוֹן ('Avdon) meaning "servile", for which it may be a clerical error.

A sorcerer who, with his brother Mabon, entered Wales and laid waste to the city of Snowdon, ruled by Queen Esmeree the Blonde, whom they turned into a snake. He was defeated in combat and was put to flight by Gawaine’s son Guinglain.

Latinized form of Euenor. This name was borne by a Greek painter from the 5th century BC.

In Greek mythology, this is the name of several characters, one of which is the ancestor of the kings that ruled the legendary island of Atlantis.

In Arthurian tales, Evaine is the sister of Lancelot's mother Elaine, wife of King Bors of Gaul and mother of Sir Lionel and Sir Bors the Younger. Her character first appears in the Old French prose Lancelot of the Lake (c.1215–20), which was incorporated into the Vulgate Lancelot.

The name suffix -vain appears in this and other Arthurian names such as Yvain and Agravain.

Variant of Eudes (compare Odon). Saint Eudon of Le Puy was a monk and then abbot in the area of Le Puy, Aquitaine (in modern France).

Perhaps derived from Old French esmer meaning "to like, love, respect". This was the name of an enchanted queen of Wales in Le Bel Inconnu (ca. 1185-90), an Old French Arthurian poem by Renaut de Bâgé. In the poem, Blonde Esmeree is transformed from a serpent back into a maiden by the hero Guinglain, also known as the Fair Unknown.

In Irish mythology Eremon (also known as Heremon) participated in the Milesian conquest of Ireland.

Originally this may have been a short form of Germanic names beginning with the element angil, referring to the Germanic tribe known in English as the Angles. However, from early times it has been strongly associated with the Old German word engil meaning "angel" (of Latin and Greek origin).

In Welsh, "-yn" is the masculine suffix to create singular nouns and is used in creating the diminutive for masculine names.  Therefore,

1.  Emryn is the diminutive for Emrys, the Welsh of Ambrose, meaning "immortal".  Since "-yn" is singular, Emryn means "immortal one". 

2.  By applying the Welsh pattern for masculine diminutives, Emry, a variant of Emery becomes Emryn.  Emryn is the more common Welsh spelling of Emeryn, a variant of Emeran. 

Therefore, note also that “-ryn” does not mean “ruler”.  Generally, Rynn is an English diminutive of another name.  Only the Germanic forms, Emerick, Emerich with the second element, ric, rich or Old Norse rikr mean “ruler”. 

Origin & Use:  Emryn and Emeryn are Welsh variants first appearing in Wales in the 1500's.  Neither are used in Ireland or France.  Therefore, Emeryn is not a form of French, Emerine or Irish, Emer.  Emryn is pronounced differently than Emer.  Emer is the anglicized form of Eimhear, pronounced "Ee-ver" or sometimes, "Ee-mer".  (Gaelic "mh" is said "v".)  The masculine form of Irish Emer is Eimhin or Evin.

Popularity:  As seen from U.S. Social Security Card Applications (SSA), Emryn/Emeryn are rare masculine names.  Feminine use is exceedingly rare and limited to the United States, only gaining momentum after 2017.

Related Names:  Emer, Emericus, Emeranus, Emeri, Emery, Emerie, Emry, Emory, Emerick, Emmerich, Emeric, Émeric, Emeran, Emeryn, Emryn, Emrynn, Emmeran, Emerin, Emrin, Emmeram, Emerson, Emmerson, Emersyn

Feminine Forms: Emerine, Emerantianne, Emerantina

A combination of Em, short for Emma or Emily and Jade.

Possibly derived from Finno-Ugric eme meaning "mother". In Hungarian legend this was the name of the grandmother of Árpád, founder of the Hungarian state.

A variant spelling of Emeran and Emeryn.

Variant of Emmeran.

Probably an invented name. This is the name of an infant girl in the fantasy movie Willow (1988). Since the release of the movie the name has been steadily used, finally breaking into the top 1000 in the United States in 2015.

Latin form of Elisha.

Finnish, Estonian and Swedish form of Helen.

A ruler of Fairyland.

Georgian, Sardinian and Basque form of Helen.

From Turkic el meaning "nation, people, country" combined with the Turkish military title beg meaning "chieftain, master".

In Wirnt von Grafenberg’s Wigalois, a Queen of Tyre who entered a kind of sparrowhawk tournament and won, for she was the most beautiful.

Possibly means either "hidden" or "eternity" in Hebrew. This is the name of several characters in the Old Testament, including a son of Shem who was the ancestor of the Elamite peoples.

Derived from Basque elai meaning "swallow (bird)".

Ancient Greek form of Irene.

Eacus is a weather god worshipped in Iberian Spain. He is known from the area of Castile and was syncretised with the local Roman deity Jupiter Solutorius.

A princess from Turtus, kidnapped and held for ransom by giants named Fidegart and Purdan. She was rescued by Arthur’s Sir Garel. Her parents were King Amurat and Queen Klarine.

She later married Duke Klaris of Argentin.

Of uncertain etymology, this was the personal name of one of the wives of Hooge.

Variant of Tristan.

Variant of Dragoș.

Doramin is a character in "Lord Jim" by Joseph Conrad.

Possibly a variant spelling of Thorald in Denmark, but elsewhere (especially in the anglophone world), this name is most likely a combination of a name that contains the Greek element δῶρον (doron) meaning "gift" (such as Dorus and Theodore) with a name that ends in -ald (such as Archibald, Gerald and Ronald).

Also compare the names Darold and Derald, which look similar and can be partially related in some cases.

A notable bearer of this name is the Dutch news presenter Dorald Megens.

From Spanish dorar "to gild, to cover in gold". Dorado is one of the constellations created by Dutch explorers in the 16th century. It represents the dolphinfish.

Means "full moon" in Turkish.

Latinized form of Greek Δίρκη (Dirkê), which is of uncertain meaning, possibly derived from Greek δι- (di-) "two, twofold, in two" and ῥήγνυμι (rhêgnumi) "to break asunder, rend, shatter". In Greek mythology Dirce was the wife of the Theban king Lycus and aunt to Antiope, whom she treated cruelly. Antiope's twin sons by Zeus, Amphion and Zethus, later punished Dirce by tying her to a wild bull which tore her limb from limb.

French form of Desiderata. In part it is directly from the French word meaning "desired, wished".

Gallicized form of Derc'hen.

Denethor II is a fictional character in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Return of the King. In the novel, he is the 26th and last ruling steward of Gondor.

Diminutive of Deianira.

MEANING : a handsome man conversant with every branch of learning, a wooden antelope
Usage : Sanskrit, Indian, Tamil, Telugu, Nepali, Sinhala, Hindi, Sikh, Buddhist

Davalon The Proud is one of Arthur’s knights in Heinrich von dem Türlin’s "Diu Crône". The name is corrupted and split from Guigomar d’Avalon, found in Chrétien’s Erec.

Possibly means "fountain" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of one of the conspirators against Moses.

In Hebrew it’s a combination of the name Dar, means "(mother of) pearl, nacre" and El, reference to God. In English it’s used as variant of Darell.

From Chinese 刀刃 (daoren), meaning Blade. Shortened form is Ren (刃), meaning the same.

Combination of the name Dan 1 means "(he) judges" and the name Or means "light", used as first name and as last name.

The meaning of the first element of this name is uncertain. It could be derived from the Greek verb δαίω (daio) meaning "to divide" or from the related Greek verb δαίζω (daizo) meaning "to cleave (asunder)". A derivation from Greek δάιος (daios) meaning "battle" is also a possibility. Lastly, this element could also be derived from either of the Greek verbs δαῆναι (daenai) and δαείω (daeio), both of which are (dialectal) variants of the Greek verb δάω (dao) meaning "to learn" as well as "to know".

The second element of this name is derived from either the Greek noun φρόνις (phronis) meaning "prudence, wisdom" or the Greek verb φρονέω (phroneo) meaning "to think" as well as "to be minded". Both words are ultimately derived from the Greek noun φρήν (phren) meaning "midriff" as well as "mind, intellect, wits".

In Greek mythology, the name Daiphron is carried by two men who are each married to a Danaid. One of them is married to Adiante and the other is married to Scaea.

Means "good king", derived from Celtic dago "good, kind" combined with Celtic rix "king."

Feminine form of Dacius and Dacio.

a Polonized spelling of Charna

The name of two women in the 'Parzifal' by Wolfram von Eschenbach.

Probably from Old Irish camm meaning "bent, crooked" [1]. This was the name of a 6th-century Irish saint.

Contemporary spelling, via the Latinized form Clodovicus, of the Germanic name Hludwig (see Ludwig). Clovis was a Frankish king who united the Franks under his rule in the 5th century. The name was subsequently borne by two further Merovingian kings.

In Ulrich’s Lanzalet, a beautiful woman from the enchanted island of Thyle.

She committed some breach of courtly etiquette and was sentenced to take the form of a dragon until kissed by the best knight in the world. She hunkered in a British forest until Arthur’s knight Roidurant came along. Clidra begged him to kiss her, but he instead fled. Later, he related the story to Lancelot, who came to the forest, kissed the dragon, and restored her to her original form.

An analog to this story is found in the Fearsome Kiss adventure of Le Bel Inconnu.

Italian form of Cleophon.

Masculine form of Cilda.

From the brand of perfume called Chimère, which was introduced by Prince Matchabelli in 1979. The French word chimère means "chimera". This is the middle name of American R&B singer Ne-Yo (1979-), real name Shaffer Chimere Smith.

Diminutive of Narcessa.

Maybe from Céline, or maybe from "cerise" who mean "cherry". More often pronounced like Sélène but can be pronounced like SEH-Lise

One of the maidens of Viviane, the French Damsel of the Lake, Celise seems to have held a high place in the Damsel’s service. her grasp of magic, while doubtless far short of Viviane’s, Nimue’s, or Morgan’s, was practical and useful.

Variant of Cédulie.

Latinate feminine form of the Roman family name Caecilius, which was derived from Latin caecus meaning "blind". Saint Cecilia was a semi-legendary 2nd or 3rd-century martyr who was sentenced to die because she refused to worship the Roman gods. After attempts to suffocate her failed, she was beheaded. She was later regarded as the patron saint of music and musicians.

Due to the popularity of the saint, the name became common in the Christian world during the Middle Ages. The Normans brought it to England, where it was commonly spelled Cecily — the Latinate form Cecilia came into use in the 18th century.

Variant of Casimir, possibly orthographically influenced by Cashmere.

Sindarin form of Carnistir.

Camber, or Kamber, was the legendary first king of Cambria, according to Geoffrey of Monmouth in the first part of his influential 12th-century pseudohistory Historia Regum Britanniae. According to Geoffrey, Cambria, the classical name for Wales, was named for him.

Original Latin form of Cecilia.

Meaning ‘Fair Speech,’ or ‘Fine Speech’.

Gaelic byname meaning "barnacle goose". In Irish legend Cadhan was a hero who slayed a monster with the help of his hound.

Derived from Welsh brych meaning "speckled, freckled" combined with a diminutive suffix. Brychan Brycheiniog was a legendary Welsh king, said to be Irish by birth, the founder of the kingdom of Brycheiniog in central Wales. He reputedly fathered dozens of children, many of whom are regarded as saints.

Allegedly means "pure" in Aramaic. This was the name of a 2nd-century female scholar; she was the wife of Rabbi Meir, one of Rabbi Akiva's disciples. It was also borne by Israeli theoretical physicist Bruria Kaufman (1918-2010).

Means "thunderer" in Greek. In Greek mythology (according to Hesiod), this was the name of one of the three Cyclopes, who were the sons of Uranus and Gaia.

Derived from either Old Breton brit "mind, spirit" or Old Breton Britto "Briton" and hael "generous; noble".

A character in "La damnation de Faust", a légende dramatique by the French composer Hector Berlioz.

Son of Iaen; brother of Sulyen, Teregud, Moren, Siawn, and Caradawg; and one of Arthur’s warriors from Caer Dathal.

He was related to Arthur through Uther.

From Old English blæc meaning "black, dark" or blac meaning "pale" combined with Old English eg meaning "island" or hæg meaning "enclosure".

on of the Earl of Llychlyn and one of the Three Just Knights of Arthur’s Court. He was dedicated to preserving justice through “earthly Law”, in contrast to his fellow knights, who followed the Law of the Church and the Law of Arms.

He’s also said to have been among the Twenty-Four Knights of Arthur’s Court.

There may be a relation between this knight and Merlin’s foster-father Blaise.

Possibly means "she who is pleasing". Bizilla was a love goddess considered to be the "sukkal" (vizier deity) for the goddess Ninlil. She is occasionally counted among the courtiers of Inanna, and is also closely associated with Nanaya.

Elaboration of Bethel.

From the Turkish military title beg meaning "chieftain, master" combined with Turkic arslan meaning "lion".

Variant of Beryl.

Transferred use of the surname Berrick which was originally taken from various locational names in Kent, Shropshire, Oxfordshire, Yorkshire and Norfolk.
The name itself is derived from Old English bere "barley" and wic "outlying farm".

Feminine form of Bernabé.

Short form of Bernardina or Bernarda.

Old German name derived from the elements bern "bear" and ger "spear". This was the name of two medieval kings of Italy and a Holy Roman emperor.

Variant of Bernhard.

Variant of Bencelin, a diminutive of Bando.

French form of Benedict.

Apparently from the Latin word meaning "beast-like" (also written beluina), derived from bēlua "beast, monster" (Italian belva) with the adjectival suffix‎ -īnus "of, like". The author J. K. Rowling used this name in her 'Harry Potter' books for a member of the Black family.

From an Old French form of the Germanic name Belissendis, possibly composed of the elements bili "suitable, proper, fitting, decent, amiable" (cf. Biligard) and swind "strong, brave, powerful".

The form Belisent belongs to a legendary daughter of Charlemagne in the poems 'Ami et Amile' (c.1200) and 'Otinel' or 'Otuel a Knight' (c.1330). In the late 13th-century Arthurian tale 'Arthour and Merlin', Belisent is Arthur's half-sister, the wife of Lot and mother of Gareth; Alfred Lord Tennyson also used the form Belicent in his Arthurian epic 'Gareth and Lynette'.

Perhaps derived from Latin bellare meaning "to fight". This name was used by Robert Greene for a character in his prose romance 'Pandosto: The Triumph of Time' (1588). It was also used by Henry Fielding in his play 'The Temple Beau' (1730), and by Aaron Hill (1685-1750) in his poem 'Bellaria, at her Spinnet'.

She fell in love with Tristan while he was living and serving in Faramon’s court. When Tristan did not reciprocate, she became enraged and staged a “rape” scene for which Tristan was convicted and sentenced to execution.

Belgarath is used in David Edding's book series, the Belgariad. He is the old sorcerer that helps Garion.

A character appearing in "Meraugis de Portlesguez" by Raoul de Houdenc, early 13th century.

Form of Bede in various languages. Beda is a feminine name in Sweden and Finland.

Means "troubled lady", from Old Irish bé "woman" and a second element, perhaps chuma, meaning "grief, sorrow, wound". In Irish legend she was a woman who 'dwelt in the Land of Promise and had an affair with Gaiar, a son of Manannán mac Lir, the sea-god. Because of this she was banished to the human world where she persuaded Conn of the Hundred Battles, the High King, to take her as his wife or concubine. She grew jealous of his son Art and tried to get him banished' (Peter Berresford Ellis, 1987).

Means "father of Yazid".

An Irish knight who ruled the castle of Antiufais in Les Merveilles de Rigomer. He hosted Lancelot during the latter’s journey to Rigomer and provided him information on the road ahead.

French form of Balduin.

French form of Bartholomew.

Babatha is the name of a Jewish woman who owned land near Petra (modern Jordan) and En-Gedi (modern Israel) in the 2nd century AD. Because her personal documents were preserved, much of her personal life is known today.

Means "moon flood" in Turkish and Azerbaijani, derived from ay "moon" and sel "flood, stream" (of Arabic origin).

Allegedly an Irish fairy queen from Ulster. Her name might be a corruption of Irish Áine with whom she might be identical.

Means "of the moon" in Turkish and Azerbaijani, from Turkic ay "moon".

Variant of Alzira.

Ausir is a child present at the Cottage of Lost Play when Ælfwine visits there, in one of J.R.R. Tolkien's tales given in The Book of Lost Tales Part One.

According to the 1st-century Roman historian Tacitus in his book "Germania", Aurinia was the name of an ancient Germanic prophetess, who was venerated by her people (i.e. the ancient Germans). Aurinia is most likely a latinized form of the prophetess' actual name; some sources have said that her actual name may have been Albruna, Alioruna, Aliruna or Alrynia.

Derived from Latin aurum "gold" and aureus "golden, gilded". Auria was an early consort of Pamplona.

Norwegian form of Auðrún.

Elaboration of Audrey with the popular name suffix -ina.

This name first appeared in the top 1000 in 2007, after the MTV show The Hills premiered starring Audrina Patridge.

Medieval Breton form of Aodren which was revived in the 1970s. While this name was strictly masculine in medieval times, in modern times it is used on men and women alike.
In Breton legend, this name was borne by Saint Audren, a son of the legendary Breton king Salomon I.

Maybe a variant of Attilia or a phonetic American English rendering of the German given name Ottilie.

Contemporary spelling of the Gothic name *Aþawulfs, derived from the elements aþals "nobility" and wulfs "wolf" (making it a cognate of Adolf). Alternatively, the first element could be atta "father". This was the name of a 5th-century king of the Visigoths.

French form of Astraea and Astraeus.

From the name of the flower, which is derived via Latin from Greek ἀστήρ (aster) meaning "star".

Variant of Asparukh. Asparuh was а ruler of the Bulgars in the second half of the 7th century and is credited with the establishment of the First Bulgarian Empire in 680/681.

The meaning of this name is unknown. It could be derived from the Celtic elements *artos "bear" (Old Welsh arth) combined with *wiros "man" (Old Welsh gur) or *rīxs "king" (Old Welsh ri). Alternatively it could be related to an obscure Roman family name Artorius.

Arthur is the name of the central character in Arthurian legend, a 6th-century king of the Britons who resisted Saxon invaders. He may or may not have been based on a real person. He first appears in Welsh poems and chronicles (perhaps briefly in the 7th-century poem Y Gododdin and more definitively and extensively in the 9th-century History of the Britons [1]). However, his character was not developed until the chronicles of the 12th-century Geoffrey of Monmouth [2]. His tales were later taken up and expanded by French and English writers.

The name came into general use in England in the Middle Ages due to the prevalence of Arthurian romances, and it enjoyed a surge of popularity in the 19th century. Famous bearers include German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860), mystery author and Sherlock Holmes creator Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930), and science-fiction author Arthur C. Clarke (1917-2008).

Derived from Albanian artë meaning "golden".

This name was used by Molière in his play, 'The Imaginary Invalid' (1673) ('Le Malade imaginaire' in French), for the main character.

Most likely, it comes from the Norman surname, Argentine. Its specific etymological origin is unknown, but it probably is derived from the root of Indo-European arg, which means "clear, white, bright". Alternatively, the name may have originated from the Argan tree and would therefore be rooted in Shilha, a Berber language.

Alternate transcription of Hebrew אראלה (see Erela).

This name was used for a character in Gail Carson Levine's 1997 book "Ella Enchanted". The book won a Newbery Medal and a movie adaptation was released in 2004 starring Anne Hathaway.

French form of Anysia.

Derived from Finnish ansio "virtue" or ansa "trap".

King of Scotland, first named by Geoffrey of Monmouth.

The numerous variations of his name may include Anguish of Ireland. Geoffrey tells us that he was the brother of Uriens and Lot, but the Vulgate Merlin calls him the son of King Caradoc and one of Arthur’s unnamed half-sisters (and therefore Arthur’s nephew). In a Welsh adaptation of Geoffrey, his counterpart is Arawn. His name suggests the common Scottish Angus, which belonged to an earl of Moray in the early twelfth century.

In Geoffrey’s version, Arthur restores him to his position as king of Scotland after the country was reclaimed from the Saxons. In later works, however, he is portrayed as an early enemy of Arthur. He was one of the kings who rebelled against Arthur’s ascension to the throne. Arthur defeated the confederation at the battle of Bedegraine, after which the Saxons invaded Scotland, and Angusel had to return to fortify his city of Caranges. Joined by Kings Urien and Nentres, he successfully fought off the invaders, led by King Oriel. Eventually, Angusel and the other rebelling kings reached a truce with Arthur and together crushed the Saxons at Clarence. He later joined Arthur’s wars against Rome, Galehaut, and Claudas.

Sindarin form of Angaráto. In the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, Angrod is an Elf, the son of Finarfin and brother of Finrod, Aegnor, Orodreth and Galadriel.

Feminine form of Andor 1.

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

Sindarin form of Ambarussa. In Tolkien's 'Legendarium', this is the most commonly used name of the seventh son of Fëanor and Nerdanel, also called Telufinwë.