vomiting's Personal Name List

Zohar
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Hebrew
Other Scripts: זֹהַר(Hebrew)
Rating: 40% based on 16 votes
Means "light, brilliance" in Hebrew.
Zahir
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Persian, Punjabi, Urdu, Bengali
Other Scripts: ظهير(Arabic) ظهیر(Persian) ظہیر(Shahmukhi, Urdu) জহির(Bengali)
Pronounced: dha-HEER(Arabic)
Personal remark: For the Borges story.
Rating: 43% based on 15 votes
Means "helper, supporter" in Arabic, related to ظهر (ẓahara) meaning "to be visible, to be clear". This can also be an alternate transcription of Arabic زاهر (see Zaahir 1) or ظاهر (see Zaahir 2).
York
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: YAWRK
Rating: 48% based on 12 votes
From an English surname that was derived from York, the name of a city in northern England. The city name was originally Eburacon, Latinized as Eboracum, meaning "yew" in Brythonic. In the Anglo-Saxon period it was corrupted to Eoforwic, as if from Old English eofor "boar" and wic "village". This was rendered as Jórvík by the Vikings and eventually reduced to York.
Wolfram
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German
Pronounced: VAWL-fram
Rating: 58% based on 16 votes
Derived from the Old German element wolf meaning "wolf" combined with hram meaning "raven". Saint Wolfram (or Wulfram) was a 7th-century archbishop of Sens. This name was also borne by the 13th-century German poet Wolfram von Eschenbach, the author of Parzival.
Wolfgang
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German, Germanic [1]
Pronounced: VAWLF-gang(German) WUWLF-gang(English)
Rating: 60% based on 14 votes
Derived from the Old German elements wolf meaning "wolf" and gang meaning "path, way". Saint Wolfgang was a 10th-century bishop of Regensburg. Two other famous bearers of this name were Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) and German novelist and poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832).
Winthrop
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: WIN-thrəp
Rating: 46% based on 12 votes
From a surname that was originally taken from town names meaning either "Wine's village" or "Wigmund's village" in Old English.
Willoughby
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: WIL-ə-bee
Rating: 58% based on 17 votes
From a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "willow town" in Old English.
Wilhelm
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German, Polish, Germanic [1]
Pronounced: VIL-helm(German) VEEL-khelm(Polish)
Rating: 57% based on 17 votes
German cognate of William. This was the name of two German emperors. It was also the middle name of several philosophers from Germany: Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770-1831), Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (1844-1900), and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646-1716), who was also a notable mathematician. Another famous bearer was the physicist Wilhelm Röntgen (1845-1923).
Walter
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Polish, Italian, Germanic [1]
Pronounced: WAWL-tər(English) VAL-tu(German) VAL-tehr(Swedish, Italian)
Rating: 56% based on 14 votes
From the Germanic name Waltheri meaning "power of the army", from the elements walt "power, authority" and heri "army". In medieval German tales (notably Waltharius by Ekkehard of Saint Gall) Walter of Aquitaine is a heroic king of the Visigoths. The name was also borne by an 11th-century French saint, Walter of Pontoise. The Normans brought it to England, where it replaced the Old English cognate Wealdhere.

A famous bearer of the name was the English courtier, poet and explorer Walter Raleigh (1552-1618). It was also borne by Walter Scott (1771-1832), a Scottish novelist who wrote Ivanhoe and other notable works.

Virgil
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Romanian
Pronounced: VUR-jil(English)
Rating: 48% based on 13 votes
From the Roman family name Vergilius, which is of unknown meaning. This name was borne by the 1st-century BC Roman poet Publius Vergilius Maro, commonly called Virgil, who was the writer of the Aeneid. Due to him, Virgil has been in use as a given name in the English-speaking world since the 19th century.
Vincent
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Slovak
Pronounced: VIN-sənt(English, Dutch) VEHN-SAHN(French) VIN-sent(Dutch) VEEN-tsent(Slovak)
Rating: 74% based on 14 votes
From the Roman name Vincentius, which was derived from Latin vincere meaning "to conquer". This name was popular among early Christians, and it was borne by many saints. As an English name, Vincent has been in use since the Middle Ages, though it did not become common until the 19th century. Famous bearers include the French priest Saint Vincent de Paul (1581-1660) and the Dutch post-impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890).
Vilhelm
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Finnish
Pronounced: VIL-helm(Swedish) VEEL-helm(Finnish)
Rating: 46% based on 16 votes
Scandinavian and Finnish form of William.
Viggo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Norwegian, Danish, Swedish
Pronounced: VEE-go(Danish) VIG-go(Swedish)
Personal remark: Viggo James Ignatius
Rating: 66% based on 13 votes
Short form of names containing the Old Norse element víg "war".
Victor
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, Portuguese, Romanian, Dutch, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Late Roman
Pronounced: VIK-tər(English) VEEK-TAWR(French) VEEK-tor(Romanian) VIK-tawr(Dutch)
Rating: 58% based on 17 votes
Roman name meaning "victor, conqueror" in Latin. It was common among early Christians, and was borne by several early saints and three popes. It was rare as an English name during the Middle Ages, but it was revived in the 19th century. A famous bearer was the French writer Victor Hugo (1802-1885), who authored The Hunchback of Notre-Dame and Les Misérables.
Vere
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Rating: 47% based on 13 votes
From a Norman surname, which was from a French place name, which was itself derived from a Gaulish word meaning "alder".
Ulysses
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Roman Mythology, English
Pronounced: yoo-LI-seez(Latin) yoo-LIS-eez(American English) YOOL-i-seez(British English)
Rating: 55% based on 15 votes
Latin form of Odysseus. It was borne by Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885), the commander of the Union forces during the American Civil War, who went on to become an American president. Irish author James Joyce used it as the title of his book Ulysses (1922), which loosely parallels Homer's epic the Odyssey.
Toussaint
Gender: Masculine
Usage: French
Pronounced: TOO-SEHN
Rating: 52% based on 10 votes
Means "all saints" in French. This is the name of a Christian festival celebrated on November 1 (All Saints' Day).
Thorvald
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Danish, Swedish, Norwegian
Rating: 41% based on 14 votes
Variant of Torvald.
Thorley
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: THAWR-lee
Rating: 50% based on 12 votes
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "thorn clearing" in Old English.
Theodoric
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Gothic (Anglicized)
Other Scripts: 𐌸𐌹𐌿𐌳𐌰𐍂𐌴𐌹𐌺𐍃(Gothic)
Pronounced: thee-AHD-ə-rik(English)
Personal remark: Theodoric Lucius Lazarus
Rating: 54% based on 15 votes
From the Gothic name *Þiudareiks meaning "ruler of the people", derived from the elements þiuda "people" and reiks "ruler, king". It was notably borne by Theodoric the Great, a 6th-century king of the Ostrogoths who eventually became the ruler of Italy. By Theodoric's time the Ostrogoths were partially Romanized and his name was regularly recorded as Theodoricus. This was also the name of two earlier (5th century) Visigothic kings.
Theodore
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: THEE-ə-dawr
Rating: 73% based on 13 votes
From the Greek name Θεόδωρος (Theodoros), which meant "gift of god" from Greek θεός (theos) meaning "god" and δῶρον (doron) meaning "gift". The name Dorothea is derived from the same roots in reverse order. This was the name of several saints, including Theodore of Amasea, a 4th-century Greek soldier; Theodore of Tarsus, a 7th-century archbishop of Canterbury; and Theodore the Studite, a 9th-century Byzantine monk. It was also borne by two popes.

This was a common name in classical Greece, and, due to both the saints who carried it and the favourable meaning, it came into general use in the Christian world, being especially popular among Eastern Christians. It was however rare in Britain before the 19th century. Famous bearers include three tsars of Russia (in the Russian form Fyodor) and American president Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919).

Thaddeus
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Biblical, Biblical Latin
Other Scripts: Θαδδαῖος(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: THAD-ee-əs(English) tha-DEE-əs(English)
Rating: 66% based on 17 votes
From Θαδδαῖος (Thaddaios), the Greek form of the Aramaic name תַדַּי (Ṯaddai). It is possibly derived from Aramaic תַּד (taḏ) meaning "heart, breast", but it may in fact be an Aramaic form of a Greek name such as Θεόδωρος (see Theodore). In the Gospel of Matthew, Thaddaeus is listed as one of the twelve apostles, though elsewhere in the New Testament his name is omitted and Jude's appears instead. It is likely that the two names refer to the same person.
Sylvester
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, German, Danish
Pronounced: sil-VEHS-tər(English) zil-VEHS-tu(German)
Rating: 47% based on 15 votes
Medieval variant of Silvester. This is currently the usual English spelling of the name. A famous bearer is the American actor Sylvester Stallone (1946-).
Somerled
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Old Norse (Anglicized)
Rating: 60% based on 13 votes
Anglicized form of the Old Norse name Sumarliði meaning "summer traveller". This was the name of a 12th-century Norse-Gaelic king of Mann and the Scottish Isles.
Solomon
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical, English, Jewish, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek [1]
Other Scripts: שְׁלֹמֹה(Hebrew) Σολομών(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: SAHL-ə-mən(American English) SAWL-ə-mən(British English)
Rating: 52% based on 12 votes
From the Hebrew name שְׁלֹמֹה (Shelomo), which was derived from שָׁלוֹם (shalom) meaning "peace". As told in the Old Testament, Solomon was a king of Israel, the son of David and Bathsheba. He was renowned for his wisdom and wealth. Towards the end of his reign he angered God by turning to idolatry. Supposedly, he was the author of the Book of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon.

This name has never been overly common in the Christian world, and it is considered typically Jewish. It was however borne by an 11th-century Hungarian king.

Sinclair
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: sin-KLEHR
Rating: 56% based on 12 votes
From a Scottish surname that was derived from a Norman French town called "Saint Clair". A notable bearer was the American author Sinclair Lewis (1885-1951).
Sigmund
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German, Norwegian, English, Norse Mythology
Pronounced: ZEEK-muwnt(German) SIG-mənd(English)
Personal remark: For Sigmund Freud.
Rating: 41% based on 16 votes
Derived from the Old German elements sigu "victory" and munt "protection" (or in the case of the Scandinavian cognate, from Old Norse sigr and mundr). An early variant of this name was Sigismund, borne by a 6th-century saint and king of the Burgundians. In the Norse Völsungasaga Sigmund is the hero Sigurd's father, the bearer of the powerful sword Gram. A notable bearer was the Austrian psychologist Sigmund Freud (1856-1939), the creator of the revolutionary theory of psychoanalysis.
Seymour
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: SEE-mawr
Personal remark: For the Salinger character.
Rating: 46% based on 15 votes
From a Norman surname that originally belonged to a person coming from the French town of Saint Maur (which means "Saint Maurus").
Septimus
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Roman
Pronounced: SEHP-tee-moos
Rating: 48% based on 13 votes
Roman praenomen, or given name, which meant "seventh" in Latin.
Salvatore
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: sal-va-TO-reh
Rating: 61% based on 13 votes
Italian cognate of Salvador.
Rupert
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German, English
Pronounced: ROO-pehrt(German) ROO-pərt(English)
Rating: 65% based on 18 votes
German variant form of Robert, from the Old German variant Hrodperht. It was borne by the 7th century Saint Rupert of Salzburg and the 8th-century Saint Rupert of Bingen. The military commander Prince Rupert of the Rhine, a nephew of Charles I, introduced this name to England in the 17th century. A notable bearer is the Australian-American businessman Rupert Murdoch (1931-).
Rufus
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Roman, English, Biblical
Pronounced: ROO-foos(Latin) ROO-fəs(English)
Rating: 57% based on 18 votes
Roman cognomen meaning "red-haired" in Latin. Several early saints had this name, including one mentioned in one of Paul's epistles in the New Testament. As a nickname it was used by William II Rufus, a king of England, because of his red hair. It came into general use in the English-speaking world after the Protestant Reformation.
Rosaire
Gender: Masculine
Usage: French
Pronounced: RO-ZEHR
Rating: 48% based on 13 votes
Means "rosary" in French.
Romulus
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Roman Mythology, Romanian
Pronounced: RO-moo-loos(Latin) RAHM-yuw-ləs(English)
Rating: 54% based on 18 votes
From Roma, the Latin name of the city of Rome, combined with a diminutive suffix. In Roman legend Romulus and Remus were the twin sons of Rhea Silvia and the god Mars. Romulus killed his brother when they argued about where to found Rome. According to the tale he gave the city its name, though in reality it was likely the other way around.
Romeo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian, Romanian
Pronounced: ro-MEH-o(Italian) RO-mee-o(English)
Rating: 53% based on 17 votes
Italian form of the Late Latin Romaeus or Late Greek Ρωμαῖος (Romaios), which meant "from Rome" or "Roman". Romeo is best known as the lover of Juliet in William Shakespeare's tragedy Romeo and Juliet (1596). Shakespeare based his play on earlier Italian stories by Luigi Da Porto (1524) and Matteo Bandello (1554), which both featured characters named Giulietta and Romeo.
Red
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: REHD
Rating: 48% based on 17 votes
From the English word for the colour, ultimately derived from Old English read. It was originally a nickname given to a person with red hair or a ruddy complexion.
Raphael
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German, English, Biblical
Other Scripts: רָפָאֵל, רְפָאֵל(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced: RA-fa-ehl(German) RAF-ee-əl(English) RAF-ay-ehl(English) rah-fie-EHL(English)
Rating: 73% based on 17 votes
From the Hebrew name רָפָאֵל (Rafaʾel) meaning "God heals", from the roots רָפָא (rafa) meaning "to heal" and אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". In Hebrew tradition Raphael is the name of an archangel. He appears in the Book of Tobit, in which he disguises himself as a man named Azarias and accompanies Tobias on his journey to Media, aiding him along the way. In the end he cures Tobias's father Tobit of his blindness. He is not mentioned in the New Testament, though tradition identifies him with the angel troubling the water in John 5:4.

This name has never been common in the English-speaking world, though it has been well-used elsewhere in Europe. A famous bearer was the Italian Renaissance master Raffaello Sanzio (1483-1520), usually known simply as Raphael in English.

Ralph
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, German, Swedish
Pronounced: RALF(English, German) RAYF(British English)
Personal remark: Pronounced 'Rafe.'
Rating: 48% based on 17 votes
Contracted form of the Old Norse name Ráðúlfr (or its Norman form Radulf). Scandinavian settlers introduced it to England before the Norman Conquest, though afterwards it was bolstered by Norman influence. In the Middle Ages it was variously spelled Rauf, Rafe or Ralf reflecting the usual pronunciation. The Ralph spelling became more common in the 18th century. A famous bearer of the name was Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), an American poet and author who wrote on transcendentalism.
Ptolemy
Gender: Masculine
Usage: History
Other Scripts: Πτολεμαῖος(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: TAHL-ə-mee(English)
Rating: 58% based on 13 votes
From the Greek name Πτολεμαῖος (Ptolemaios), derived from Greek πολεμήϊος (polemeios) meaning "aggressive, warlike". Ptolemy was the name of several Greco-Egyptian rulers of Egypt, all descendants of Ptolemy I Soter, one of the generals of Alexander the Great. This was also the name of a 2nd-century Greek astronomer.
Prudentius
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Late Roman
Rating: 43% based on 12 votes
Late Latin name derived from prudens "prudent, wise, skilled". This was the name of a 9th-century bishop of Troyes. He is considered a local saint there.
Prosper
Gender: Masculine
Usage: French, English
Pronounced: PRAWS-PEHR(French) PRAHS-pər(English)
Rating: 51% based on 13 votes
From the Latin name Prosperus, which meant "fortunate, successful". This was the name of a 5th-century saint, a supporter of Saint Augustine. It has never been common as an English name, though the Puritans used it, partly because it is identical to the English word prosper.
Porfirio
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Spanish, Italian (Rare)
Pronounced: por-FEE-ryo
Rating: 43% based on 15 votes
Derived from the Greek name Πορφύριος (Porphyrios), which was derived from the word πορφύρα (porphyra) meaning "purple dye". This was the name of several early saints.
Pompilius
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Roman
Rating: 39% based on 14 votes
Latin form of Pompiliu.
Phineas
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical
Other Scripts: פִּיןְחָס(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced: FIN-ee-əs(English)
Rating: 68% based on 13 votes
Variant of Phinehas used in some English versions of the Old Testament.
Peregrine
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: PEHR-ə-grin
Personal remark: Peregrine Floris Brooks
Rating: 70% based on 17 votes
From the Late Latin name Peregrinus, which meant "traveller". This was the name of several early saints.
Pegasus
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Πήγασος(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: PEHG-ə-səs(English)
Rating: 48% based on 13 votes
From the Greek Πήγασος (Pegasos), possibly either from πηγός (pegos) meaning "strong" or πηγαῖος (pegaios) meaning "from a water spring". In Greek mythology Pegasus was the winged horse that sprang from the blood of Medusa after she was killed by Perseus. There is a constellation in the northern sky named after the horse.
Orlando
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Carolingian Cycle
Pronounced: or-LAN-do(Italian, Spanish)
Rating: 53% based on 15 votes
Italian form of Roland, as used in the epic poems Orlando Innamorato (1483) by Matteo Maria Boiardo and the continuation Orlando Furioso (1532) by Ludovico Ariosto. In the poems, Orlando is a knight in Charlemagne's army who battles against the invading Saracens. A character in Shakespeare's play As You Like It (1599) also bears this name, as does a city in Florida.
Onesimus
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical, Biblical Latin
Other Scripts: Ὀνήσιμος(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: o-NEHS-i-məs(English) o-NEE-si-məs(English)
Rating: 40% based on 12 votes
Latinized form of the Greek name Ὀνήσιμος (Onesimos), which meant "beneficial, profitable". Saint Onesimus was an escaped slave of Philemon who met Saint Paul while in prison and was converted by him. Paul sent him back to Philemon carrying the epistle that appears in the New Testament.
Odovacar
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Gothic (Latinized) [1]
Other Scripts: 𐌰𐌿𐌳𐌰𐍅𐌰𐌺𐍂𐍃(Gothic)
Pronounced: o-do-VAY-kər(English) o-do-VAHK-ər(English)
Rating: 41% based on 13 votes
Variant of Odoacer.
Octavius
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Roman
Pronounced: ok-TA-wee-oos(Latin) ahk-TAY-vee-əs(English)
Personal remark: Octavius Romeo Laurence
Rating: 64% based on 17 votes
Roman family name derived from Latin octavus meaning "eighth". This was the original family name of the emperor Augustus (born Gaius Octavius). It was also rarely used as a Roman praenomen, or given name.
Nicodemus
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical, Biblical Latin, Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Νικόδημος(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: nik-ə-DEE-məs(English) nee-ko-DEH-moos(Latin)
Rating: 56% based on 16 votes
From the Greek name Νικόδημος (Nikodemos) meaning "victory of the people", derived from Greek νίκη (nike) meaning "victory" and δῆμος (demos) meaning "the people". This is the name of a character in the New Testament who helps Joseph of Arimathea entomb Jesus.
Narcissus
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Greek Mythology (Latinized), Late Roman, Biblical
Other Scripts: Νάρκισσος(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: nahr-SIS-əs(English)
Rating: 39% based on 18 votes
Latinized form of Greek Νάρκισσος (Narkissos), possibly derived from νάρκη (narke) meaning "sleep, numbness". Narkissos was a beautiful youth in Greek mythology who stared at his own reflection for so long that he eventually died and was turned into the narcissus flower.

This name appears briefly in the epistles in the New Testament and was also borne by a few early saints, including a 2nd-century patriarch of Jerusalem. It has been used to the present, especially in Catholic regions, usually in honour of the saint as opposed to the mythological character.

Mungo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Scottish
Rating: 38% based on 12 votes
Meaning uncertain, possibly from a Brythonic phrase meaning "my dear". This was a nickname of the 6th-century Saint Kentigern.
Mordecai
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical, Hebrew
Other Scripts: מָרְדֳּכַי, מָרְדְּכַי(Hebrew)
Pronounced: MAWR-də-kie(English)
Rating: 47% based on 15 votes
Means "servant of Marduk" in Persian. In the Old Testament Mordecai is the cousin and foster father of Esther. He thwarted a plot to kill the Persian king, though he made an enemy of the king's chief advisor Haman.
Montgomery
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: mənt-GUM-ə-ree, mənt-GUM-ree
Rating: 49% based on 16 votes
From an English surname meaning "Gumarich's mountain" in Norman French. A notable bearer of this surname was Bernard Montgomery (1887-1976), a British army commander during World War II.
Montague
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: MAHN-tə-gyoo
Rating: 41% based on 18 votes
From an aristocratic English surname meaning "sharp mountain", from Old French mont agu. In Shakespeare's tragedy Romeo and Juliet (1596) this is the surname of Romeo and his family.
Milo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Germanic [1]
Pronounced: MIE-lo(English)
Rating: 66% based on 18 votes
Old German form of Miles, as well as the Latinized form. This form was revived as an English name in the 19th century [2].
Milan
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Czech, Slovak, Serbian, Croatian, Slovene, Macedonian, Dutch (Modern), German (Modern), French (Modern)
Other Scripts: Милан(Serbian, Macedonian)
Pronounced: MI-lan(Czech) MEE-lan(Slovak, Serbian, Croatian) MEE-lahn(Dutch)
Personal remark: For Milan Kundera.
Rating: 51% based on 17 votes
From the Slavic element milŭ meaning "gracious, dear", originally a short form of names that began with that element. It was originally used in Czech, Slovak, and the South Slavic languages, though it has recently become popular elsewhere in Europe.

A city in Italy bears this name, though in this case it originates from Latin Mediolanum, perhaps ultimately of Celtic origin meaning "middle of the plain". In some cases the city name may be an influence on the use of the given name.

Meriwether
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: MEHR-i-wedh-ər
Rating: 43% based on 17 votes
From a surname meaning "happy weather" in Middle English, originally belonging to a cheery person. A notable bearer of the name was Meriwether Lewis (1774-1809), who, with William Clark, explored the west of North America.
Merit 1
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: MEHR-it
Rating: 42% based on 14 votes
Either a variant of Merritt or else simply from the English word merit, ultimately from Latin meritus "deserving".
Maximilian
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German, English, Swedish, Norwegian (Rare), Danish (Rare)
Pronounced: mak-see-MEE-lee-an(German) mak-sə-MIL-yən(English)
Rating: 46% based on 18 votes
From the Roman name Maximilianus, which was derived from Maximus. It was borne by a 3rd-century saint and martyr. In the 15th century the Holy Roman emperor Frederick III gave this name to his son and eventual heir. In this case it was a blend of the names of the Roman generals Fabius Maximus and Cornelius Scipio Aemilianus (see Emiliano), whom Frederick admired. It was subsequently borne by a second Holy Roman emperor, two kings of Bavaria, and a short-lived Habsburg emperor of Mexico.
Marmaduke
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (British, Rare)
Pronounced: MAH-mə-dook
Rating: 43% based on 18 votes
Possibly derived from the Old Irish name Máel Máedóc. This name has been traditionally used in the Yorkshire area of Britain.
Manfred
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German, Dutch, Polish, Germanic [1]
Pronounced: MAN-freht(German, Polish) MAHN-frət(Dutch)
Rating: 35% based on 15 votes
Derived from the Old German elements man "man" and fridu "peace". It was borne by a 13th-century king of Sicily. Another notable bearer was Manfred von Richthofen (1892-1918), the World War I pilot known as the Red Baron. This is also the name of the main character in Lord Byron's drama Manfred (1817).
Madoc
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Welsh (Rare)
Rating: 48% based on 18 votes
From the Old Welsh name Matauc, derived from mad meaning "good, fortunate" combined with a diminutive suffix. This is the name of a warrior mentioned in the 7th-century Welsh poem Y Gododdin. It was also borne by several medieval rulers, including the 12th-century Madoc ap Maredudd, the last prince of Powys. Another bearer, according to later folklore, was a son of the 12th-century Owain the Great who sailed to the Americas.
Ludwig
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German
Pronounced: LOOT-vikh
Rating: 46% based on 19 votes
From the Germanic name Hludwig meaning "famous in battle", composed of the elements hlut "famous, loud" and wig "war, battle". This was the name of three Merovingian kings of the Franks (though their names are usually spelled as Clovis) as well as several Carolingian kings and Holy Roman emperors (names often spelled in the French form Louis). Other famous bearers include the German composer Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) and the Austrian philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951), who contributed to logic and the philosophy of language.
Ludovic
Gender: Masculine
Usage: French
Pronounced: LUY-DAW-VEEK
Rating: 52% based on 21 votes
French form of Ludovicus, the Latinized form of Ludwig. This was the name of an 1833 opera by the French composer Fromental Halévy.
Lucius
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Roman, Biblical, English
Pronounced: LOO-kee-oos(Latin) LOO-shəs(English) LOO-si-əs(English)
Rating: 60% based on 20 votes
Roman praenomen, or given name, which was derived from Latin lux "light". This was the most popular of the praenomina. Two Etruscan kings of early Rome had this name as well as several prominent later Romans, including Lucius Annaeus Seneca (known simply as Seneca), a statesman, philosopher, orator and tragedian. The name is mentioned briefly in the New Testament belonging to a Christian in Antioch. It was also borne by three popes, including the 3rd-century Saint Lucius. Despite this, the name was not regularly used in the Christian world until after the Renaissance.
Lucian
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Romanian, English
Pronounced: LOO-chyan(Romanian) LOO-shən(English)
Rating: 57% based on 20 votes
Romanian and English form of Lucianus. Lucian is the usual name of Lucianus of Samosata in English.
Leonidas
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Greek, Ancient Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Λεωνίδας(Greek)
Rating: 56% based on 19 votes
Derived from Greek λέων (leon) meaning "lion" combined with the patronymic suffix ἴδης (ides). Leonidas was a Spartan king of the 5th century BC who sacrificed his life and his army defending the pass of Thermopylae from the Persians. This was also the name of a 3rd-century saint and martyr, the father of Origen, from Alexandria.
Leofric
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Anglo-Saxon [1][2]
Rating: 38% based on 16 votes
Derived from the Old English element leof "dear, beloved" combined with ric "ruler, king".
Leif
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
Pronounced: LAYF
Rating: 49% based on 16 votes
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.
Leberecht
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German (Rare)
Pronounced: LEH-bə-rekht
Rating: 36% based on 15 votes
Means "live rightly" from German lebe "live" and recht "right". This name was created in the 17th century.
Leander
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Λέανδρος(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: lee-AN-dər(English)
Rating: 56% based on 20 votes
Latinized form of the Greek name Λέανδρος (Leandros), derived from λέων (leon) meaning "lion" and ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man" (genitive ἀνδρός). In Greek legend Leander was the lover of Hero. Every night he swam across the Hellespont to meet her, but on one occasion he was drowned when a storm arose. When Hero saw his dead body she threw herself into the waters and perished.
Lazarus
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical, Biblical Latin, English (African)
Other Scripts: Λάζαρος(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: LAZ-ə-rəs(English)
Rating: 39% based on 16 votes
Latinized form of Λάζαρος (Lazaros), a Greek form of Eleazar used in the New Testament. Lazarus was a man from Bethany, the brother of Mary and Martha, who was restored to life by Jesus.

At present this name is most commonly used in English-speaking Africa.

Laurence 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: LAWR-əns
Rating: 54% based on 19 votes
From the Roman cognomen Laurentius, which meant "from Laurentum". Laurentum was a city in ancient Italy, its name probably deriving from Latin laurus "laurel". Saint Laurence was a 3rd-century deacon and martyr from Rome. According to tradition he was roasted alive on a gridiron because, when ordered to hand over the church's treasures, he presented the sick and poor. Due to the saint's popularity, the name came into general use in the Christian world (in various spellings).

In the Middle Ages this name was common in England, partly because of a second saint by this name, a 7th-century archbishop of Canterbury. Likewise it has been common in Ireland due to the 12th-century Saint Laurence O'Toole (whose real name was Lorcán). Since the 19th century the spelling Lawrence has been more common, especially in America. A famous bearer was the British actor Laurence Olivier (1907-1989).

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