Ranchie's Personal Name List

Occupational name derived from Irish bróg meaning "shoe".

Variant of Lincoln.

A surname derived from someone of a lordly manner, or perhaps one who had earned the title in some contest of skill or had played the part of the ‘Lord of Misrule’ in the Yuletide festivities.

Also it is an occupational name for a servant in the household of the lord of the manor, or possibly a status name for a landlord or the lord of the manor himself.

The word itself derives from Old English hlāford, earlier hlāf-weard, literally ‘loaf-keeper’, since the lord or chief of a clan was responsible for providing food.

Occupational name meaning "merchant", ultimately from Latin mercari "to trade".

Feminine elaboration of Aaron using the popular name suffix lyn.

Variant of Aubriana or a combination of the prefix a and Briana.

Possibly a variant of Alysia or Malaysia.

Derived from Spanish alondra meaning "lark".

Variant of Amberlynn.

Variant of Amilia.

Meaning "the Almighty is my relative" or "people of the Almighty" in Hebrew. His son Ahiezer was chief of the Tribe of Dan at the time of the Exodus (Numbers 1:12; 2:25).

Possibly an American variant of Amaya.

Meaning unknown, possibly from the Spanish surname Anaya (itself from the name of a Spanish town), used because of its similarity to Amaya [1].

Variant of Nayeli.

Variant of Aniyah.

Feminine diminutive of Antoine. This name was borne by Marie Antoinette, the queen of France during the French Revolution. She was executed by guillotine.

Spanish and Galician form of Basque Arantza.

Variant of Aria 1.

Variant of Arlette in use in Latin America.

From an Italian surname meaning "son of Ermanno". It has been used as a given name due to the fashion company Armani, which was founded by the clothing designer Giorgio Armani (1934-).

Arabic alternate transcription of Asiya as well as the Indonesian, Malay and Thai form.

Altered form of Octavia, using the popular phonetic prefix a.

Combination of Aubrey and the popular name suffix elle.

Variant of Audriel.

From the word aura (derived from Latin, ultimately from Greek αὔρα meaning "breeze") for a distinctive atmosphere or illumination.

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

Feminine form of Bayr.

Late Old English belȳfan, belēfan, alteration of gelēfan, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch geloven and German glauben, also to lief.

Norwegian and Danish feminine form of Benedict.

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

From the English word blessing, of Old English origin. This name is most common in Nigeria, Zimbabwe and other parts of Africa.

A recently created name, formed using the popular name suffix lyn.

Means "the basil plant" in Sanskrit.

From the name of the city in southwestern England that means "the site of the bridge".

Variant of Britton.

From the name of two types of plants, the true calla (species Calla palustris) and the calla lily (species Calla aethiopica), both having white flowers and growing in marshy areas. Use of the name may also be inspired by Greek κάλλος (kallos) meaning "beauty".

From the name of the picturesque Italian island of Capri. It is likely from Greek κάπρος (kapros) meaning "wild boar", though it could also be of Etruscan origin or from Latin capri meaning "goats".

From the English word meaning "impulse", ultimately (via French) from Italian capriccio.

Variant of cattleya, a genus of orchids native to Central and South America, which were named for the British horticulturist William Cattley. This name was popularized by the main character from the movie Colombiana (2011).

Variant of Caitlin. This name was given to 11 girls born in the USA in 2010.

Feminine form of Celso.

Derived from the name of the type of white wine, believed to be named after the village of Chardonnay in the Mâconnais region of France, where Pouilly-Fuissé is currently produced; it is possible that the variety was first bred there. The place name is derived from the Medieval Latin Cardonnacum meaning "a place with thistles", from the Latin carduus 'thistle'.

Feminine form of Ciar. This is another name for Saint Ciar.

Variant of Dariana.

Variant of Dasha.

Feminine form of David. It originated in Scotland.

Alternate transcription of Arabic ديمة (see Dima 1).

Variant of Devonte.

Hindi, means THANKSFUL, HONOR, GRACE,

From the English word diamond for the clear colourless precious stone, the traditional birthstone of April. It is derived from Late Latin diamas, from Latin adamas, which is of Greek origin meaning "unconquerable, unbreakable".

English form of Élodie.

Derived from Latin emeritus "earned, completed one's service" (past participle form of emereo; see Emerentius). This was the name of a Roman-era saint, martyred with Saint Digna in 259.

From Japanese 恵 (e) meaning "favour, benefit" or 絵 (e) meaning "picture, painting" combined with 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Feminine form of Ernest.

Portuguese and Catalan cognate of Esperanza.

From the English word eternity meaning "existence without end; infinite time", ultimately from Latin aeternitas. Use of the name has been influenced by the brand of perfume called Eternity, which was introduced by Calvin Klein in 1988.

Latinized form of the Greek name Εὐνίκη (Eunike) meaning "good victory", derived from εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and νίκη (nike) meaning "victory". The New Testament mentions her as the mother of Timothy. As an English name, it was first used after the Protestant Reformation.

French form of Flora.

Diminutive of Geneviève.

Variant of Hazley.

Variant of Harley.

Variant of Hilary.

Feminine form of the Roman family name Hortensius, possibly derived from Latin hortus meaning "garden".

Variant of Ivy.

Variant of Iselle.

Variant of Isabella.

Variant of Jocelyn or combination of Jace and Lyn.

Variant of Jazlyn.

Variant of Jaylee.

Derived from Sanskrit जोषण (jośana) meaning "approval, satisfaction, liking".

Variant of Journey.

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

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

Variant of Kaylyn.

Variant of Kaliyah.

This name had a spike in popularity in America after child actress Kaleena Kiff appeared on the television sitcom Love, Sidney (1981-1983).

Possibly a combination of the popular phonetic elements ka, nee and sha (also found in Shanika). Also compare Kenisha.

Possibly a combination of Kelly and Alexis. This name was born american singer Kelis (1979-).

Variant of Kenisha.

French variant of Kezia.

Variant of Cyria.

Variant transcription of Lamia 1.

Combination of the phonetic elements la and nees. It can be spelled Laniece or with a capitalized third letter as LaNiece.

Combination of the popular prefix la with the name Tanya. It can be spelled LaTanya or Latanya.

An invented name, most likely blending Latisha and Patricia. See also Latrice.

French diminutive of Laura.

Means "heavenly flowers" or "royal child" from Hawaiian lei "flowers, lei, child" and lani "heaven, sky, royal, majesty".

Variant of Leona.

From the English word, which was originally borrowed from Old French loiauté, a derivative of loial "loyal", itself derived from Latin legalis "legal".

Means "light" in French. The name can be recalled from the character in the Disney animated movie "Beauty and the Beast" in which he is transformed into a candelabrum.

Transferred use of the surname Lynley.

Variant of Maya

Sardinian form of Emanuela.

Means "bitter" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is a name that Naomi calls herself after the death of her husband and sons (see Ruth 1:20).

Variant of Markisha.

Feminine variant of Marquis.

Variant of Majnor.

Possibly a variant of Mazzy via the variant Mazy.

French cognate of Marvel.

From the English word miracle for an extraordinary event, ultimately deriving from Latin miraculum "wonder, marvel".

Variant of Mira.

Judeo-Spanish and Judeo-Anglo-Norman variant of Miriam.

From a French surname that was derived from either Hamon or Edmond. This was the surname of the French impressionist painter Claude Monet (1840-1926).

Variant of Naema.

Combination of the name prefix na and the name Kisha.

Variant of Nyana.

Spanish feminine form of Noël.

Probably a feminine form of Niles. It gained popularity in the early 2000s, influenced by similar-sounding names such as Kyla.

Variant of Olivia.

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

Means "dove, pigeon" in Spanish.

Means "all gifts", derived from a combination of Greek πᾶν (pan) meaning "all" and δῶρον (doron) meaning "gift". In Greek mythology Pandora was the first mortal woman. Zeus gave her a jar containing all of the troubles and ills that mankind now knows, and told her not to open it. Unfortunately her curiosity got the best of her and she opened it, unleashing the evil spirits into the world.

Modern Greek transcription of Persephone.

Variant of Persephone.

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

Alternate transcription of Punam.

Means "eye-catching object" from Arabic رنا (rana) meaning "to gaze".

Arabic variant transcription of Rashida as well as the Urdu and Dhivehi form.

Bearer includes Rhyan Grant, Australian footballer.

Variant of Rachel or Rochelle, probably influenced by Michelle.

Means "rosary", and is taken from the Spanish title of the Virgin Mary Nuestra Señora del Rosario meaning "Our Lady of the Rosary". This name is feminine in Spanish and masculine in Italian.

Short form of Folasade.

It became famous because of the Nigerian-born British singer Sade Adu (born Helen Folasade Adu) and her eponymous smooth jazz band Sade.

From Japanese 桜 (sakura) meaning "cherry blossom", though it is often written using the hiragana writing system. It can also come from 咲 (saku) meaning "blossom" and 良 (ra) meaning "good, virtuous, respectable" as well as other kanji combinations.

Feminine form of Samuel and Sámuel.

Alternate transcription of Arabic سناء (see Sanaa).

Variant of Chiquita. Also taken form the elements Sha and Quita.

Means "accomplishment, success, attainment" in Sanskrit, referring to spiritual or psychic powers attained through meditation or yoga.

From the English word meaning genuine or heartfelt.

Variant of Sophie.

Middle English frequentative (verb) or diminutive (noun) of spark.

Simply from the English word, ultimately deriving from Greek σύμφωνος (symphonos) meaning "concordant in sound".

An invented name, using the initial sound found in names such as Tamika. It was popularized by the Canadian singer Tamia Hill (1975-), who is known simply as Tamia.

Means "hope" in Swahili. It is a verb, not a noun, and means "to hope, to wish for". It is not used as a name in Africa but was part of the Afrocentric African American naming culture of the 70s that borrowed from various African words.

From the English word meaning "moderation" or "restraint". This was one of the virtue names adopted by the Puritans in the 17th century. It experienced a modest revival in the United States during the run of the television series Bones (2005-2017), in which the main character bears this name.

Variant of Tanisha.

Means "nature" in Hebrew.

From the Spanish and Portuguese name Teresa. It was first recorded as Therasia, being borne by the Spanish wife of Saint Paulinus of Nola in the 4th century. The meaning is uncertain, but it could be derived from Greek θέρος (theros) meaning "summer", from Greek θερίζω (therizo) meaning "to harvest", or from the name of the Greek island of Therasia (the western island of Santorini).

The name was mainly confined to Spain and Portugal during the Middle Ages. After the 16th century it was spread to other parts of the Christian world, due to the fame of the Spanish nun and reformer Saint Teresa of Ávila. Another famous bearer was the Austrian Habsburg queen Maria Theresa (1717-1780), who inherited the domains of her father, the Holy Roman emperor Charles VI, beginning the War of the Austrian Succession.

Means "earth" in Spanish.

Place name of an area in western Los Angeles County, California. The area was originally named by the Tongva people and may mean "a place above."

In the American television show 'Boy Meets World' (1993-2000), one of the protagonists is named Topanga.

Variant of Veralynn. Combination of Vera and Lyn.

Probably a Roman cognate of Hestia. Vesta was the Roman goddess of the hearth. A continuous fire, tended by the Vestal Virgins, was burned in the Temple of Vesta in Rome.

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

A new, invented name.

Means "hospitality" in Greek, a derivative of ξένος (xenos) meaning "foreigner, guest". This was the name of a 5th-century saint who is venerated in the Eastern Church.

Elaboration of Yara 2.

Alternate transcription of Russian Юлия or Ukrainian/Belarusian Юлія (see Yuliya).

Variant of Sadie. A known bearer of this name is British author Zadie Smith (1975-), who was born Sadie Smith.

Arabic alternate transcription of Zakiyya as well as the Indonesian and Malay form.

Variant of Zariah.

Feminine form of Zimri.

Transferred use of the surname Zeppelin; from the surname of Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin (1838-1917), a German aeronautical pioneer, designer and manufacturer of airships. The feminine variant Zeppelina was 'given to one or two English girls during the First World War when Zeppelins arrived over England. The airships took their name from Count von Zeppelin, whose family name according to German scholars was of Slavic origin, but of unknown meaning' (Dunkling & Gosling, 1986).

Modern usage of the name may also be inspired by the English rock band Led Zeppelin (formed 1968).

Meaning unknown, perhaps an invented name. It has been in occasional use in the English-speaking world since the 19th century. It coincides with an Italian surname, a famous bearer being the French-Italian author Émile Zola (1840-1902).

Means "dawn, aurora" in the South Slavic languages, as well as Czech and Slovak.

Short form of Kealoha and other Hawaiian names containing aloha meaning "love" or otherwise derived directly from the word.

Transferred use of an English place name.

Variant of Layton. It jumped in popularity as a feminine name after 2007, when actress Leighton Meester (1986-) began appearing on the television series Gossip Girl.

From the English word promise, from Latin promissum. It is currently most common in parts of English-influenced Africa.

Means "servant of God" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament, this is the name of a member of the tribe of Gad. In John Milton's Paradise Lost (1667), this is the name of a seraph who withstands Satan when he urges the angels to revolt.

From the English word meaning "highest rank". More commonly a nickname, it is occasionally used as a given name.

An anagram of Dirac, the surname of Nobel Prize-winning physicist Paul Dirac. This is the name of a character in the series 'Doctor Who', a companion of the fourth and fifth doctors.

Means "most commendable, most praiseworthy" in Arabic (a superlative form of Hamid 1).

Means "open space, sky" in Sanskrit.

From the Gothic name *Alareiks meaning "ruler of all", derived from the element alls "all" combined with reiks "ruler, king". This was the name of a king of the Visigoths who sacked Rome in the 5th century.

Greek form of Alexander.

Combination of the popular phonetic prefix a and Marion 2. It can also be seen as an elaboration of Amari.

Bulgarian, Russian and Ukrainian form of Aniketos (see Anicetus).

French cognate of Arcangelo.

Modern form of Arjuna.

Means "of the palace, palatial" from Hebrew אַרְמוֹן (armon) "palace". In the Old Testament, Armoni was the son of King Saul by his concubine Rizpah.

Variant of Austin.

Modern Hebrew form of Abiel.

Variant of Azriel. This was the name of an angel in Jewish and Islamic tradition who separated the soul from the body upon death. He is sometimes referred to as the Angel of Death.

Spanish contracted form of Benedicto. This name was borne by Mexican president Benito Juárez (1806-1872). Benito Mussolini (1883-1945), the fascist dictator of Italy during World War II, was named after Juárez.

Variant of Bentley.

Borne by Braison Cyrus, the son of country singer Billy Ray Cyrus, as a portmanteau of B. Ray's Son with B for Billy, rai for Ray, and -son to indicate "son of" to mean, "The son of Billy Ray."

From a surname that was derived from Middle English brigge, Old English brycg meaning "bridge".

Derived from a Middle English surname meaning "a Briton" (a Celt of England) or "a Breton" (an inhabitant of Brittany). Both ethnonyms are related to the place name Britain.

Anglicized form of Caolán.

Variant of Kamarion. This name can also be a modern elaboration of Cameron in some instances.

Italian form of Charles.

Diminutive of María Isabel. A famous bearer is Chábeli Iglesias, a Spanish socialite.

From an occupational surname that meant "candle seller" or "candle maker" in Middle English, ultimately from Latin candela via Old French. It surged in popularity after the 1994 debut of the American sitcom Friends, featuring a character by this name.

Diminutive of Salvador.

German form of Christopher.

Short form of Cleopatra, Cleon or Cleopas.

From an English surname meaning "maker of cord" or "seller of cord" in Middle English.

Variant of Dakarai.

Combination of the popular phonetic prefix da and Marion 2.

Italian form of Darius.

Possibly a variant of Devin influenced by David.

Combination of the phonetic elements da and von.

Variant of Demarion.

Possibly a variant of Denzil. This spelling of the name was popularized by American actor Denzel Washington (1954-), who was named after his father.

Variant of Deonte.

Combination of Deon and the common phonetic suffix tay.

Variant of Darian.

Combination of the popular name prefix de and Sean, making it a variant of Deshawn. It can be spelled DeSean or Desean.

Likely from the French destin "destiny, fate, fortune".

A combination of Dex and the popular suffix -ton.

From a nickname given to Americans of German descent. It is related to deutsch, the German word meaning "German".

Variant of Elijah.

Spanish, Italian and Portuguese form of the Roman cognomen Aemilianus, which was itself derived from the family name Aemilius (see Emil). This was the name of a 6th-century Spanish saint.

Italian and Spanish form of Aemilius (see Emil).

Probably an elaboration of Xavier.

This name is borne by the Contemporary Folk Artist Exzavier Whitley.

Spanish and Portuguese form of Ezekiel.

Spanish and Portuguese form of Ferdinand.

This name is from the English word derived from Old French futur meaning "future, to come," which is then derived from Latin futurus meaning "going to be, yet to be, the future (as a noun)." The Latin word is an irregular suppletive future participle of esse meaning "to be," which comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *bheue- meaning "to be, exist, grow, come into being."

This name is also used in most countries of Western and Southern Africa where English is one of the official languages.

Probably from the ethno-linguistic term Gael, which refers to speakers of Gaelic languages.

Italian form of Iohannes (see John). This name has been very common in Italy since the late Middle Ages, as with other equivalents of John in Europe. The Renaissance writer Giovanni Boccaccio (1313-1375), the painter Giovanni Bellini (1430-1516) and the painter and sculptor Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680) were famous bearers of the name.

From the English word grace, which ultimately derives from Latin gratia. This was one of the virtue names created in the 17th century by the Puritans. The actress Grace Kelly (1929-1982) was a famous bearer.

This name was very popular in the English-speaking world at the end of the 19th century. Though it declined in use over the next 100 years, it staged a successful comeback at the end of the 20th century. The American sitcom Will and Grace (1998-2006) may have helped, though the name was already strongly rising when it premiered. It was the top name for girls in England and Wales in 2006.

From a Scottish surname, originally derived from the English place name Grantham, which probably meant "gravelly homestead" in Old English. The surname was first taken to Scotland in the 12th century by the Norman baron William de Graham [1]. A famous bearer of the surname was Alexander Graham Bell (1847-1922), the Scottish-Canadian-American inventor who devised the telephone. A famous bearer of the given name was the British author Graham Greene (1904-1991).

During the 20th century, Graham was more common in the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada than it was in the United States. However, it has been rising on the American charts since around 2006.

Southern Indian form of Hemant.

Spanish and Portuguese form of Herbert.

Transferred use of the surname Hogan.

Spanish and Portuguese form of Humbert.

Spanish and Portuguese form of Iacomus (see James).

Polish, Czech and Slovak form of Jacob (or James). In Polish and Slovak this refers to both the Old Testament patriarch and the New Testament apostles, while in Czech this is used only for the apostles (with Jákob for the patriarch).

Combination of the popular phonetic prefix ja and Shawn.

Invented name, using the sounds found in names such as Javon and Davion.

Combination of the phonetic elements ja or jay and von.

Variant of Jackson.

Variant of Jackson.

Elaboration of Jax influenced by similar-sounding names such as Paxton and Braxton.

Variant of Jason.

Combination of Jean 1 and Marie.

Variant of Jared or Jarrett.

From the English word jet, which denotes either a jet aircraft or an intense black colour (the words derive from different sources).

From the English and Welsh surname, itself derived from the given name John.

Simply from the English word joy, ultimately derived from Norman French joie, Latin gaudium. It has been regularly used as a given name since the late 19th century.

Variant of Cale.

As a Tamil word a variant of Kannan derived from an originally Sanskrit name for Krishna, the supreme god of the Hindi religion. In Tamil the name means "playful or merry." As an American name Kannen is a spelling variant of Cannon.

Variant of Cason.

Sometimes a nickname for Ezekiel. Also is a German word meaning "keel (of a boat)", a surname, and the name of a city which is sometimes used as a given name.

The name Kiel came into more popular use to to the actor Kiel Martin.

From the English vocabulary word king, ultimately derived from Old English cyning. This was also a surname, derived from the same source, a famous bearer being the American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968).

Dutch (Flemish) diminutive of Jakob.

German, Scandinavian, Polish and Slovene form of Conrad.

Greek form of Constantinus (see Constantine).

Variant of Kylan.

Likely an invented name, possibly a blend of the popular phonetic element ky with Kimani.

From a Scottish surname that was derived from the medieval Gaelic given name Lagmann, itself from Old Norse lǫgmaðr meaning "law man". This name reached a peak in its American popularity in 1972, the same year that the sitcom Sanford and Son debuted, featuring the character Lamont Sanford (the titular son).

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.

From a Scottish surname that was derived from the name of a district in Scotland. The district, called Leamhnachd in Gaelic, possibly means "place of elms". This name steadily rose in popularity in the 2000s, at the same time as the similar-sounding (but unrelated) names Lennon and Knox.

Variant of London.

From an English surname that was originally derived from the given name Mauger, a Norman French form of the Germanic name Malger meaning "council spear". The name can also be given in reference to the English word major.

Variant of Malachi.

Means "causing to forget" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of the oldest son of Joseph and Asenath and the ancestor of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. It was also borne by a 7th-century BC king of Judah, condemned in the Bible for allowing the worship of other gods.

Spanish diminutive of Manuel.

From a French surname that was derived from Marion 1. This was the real name of American actor John Wayne (1907-1979), who was born Marion Robert Morrison.

From an English surname that was derived from the Welsh given name Merfyn or the Old English name Mærwine. As an American given name, it steadily rose in popularity through the beginnings of the 20th century and peaked in the early 1930s (closely mirroring the similar-sounding but unrelated name Melvin). A famous bearer was the American musician Marvin Gaye (1939-1984).

Elaboration of Max using the popular name suffix ton.

Transferred use of the surname Maylon. Alternatively this could be a variant of Mahlon or an invented name modelled on names such as Waylon, Braylon, Jaylon and Daylon.

From the name of an important city of ancient Egypt, or the city in Tennessee that was named after it. It is derived from a Greek form of Egyptian mn-nfr meaning "enduring beauty".

Means "chief" in Creek.

Short form of Geneva.

Anglicized form of Naomhán.

Alternate transcription of Russian/Bulgarian Николай (see Nikolay).

Form of Noah 1 used in the Greek and Latin Bible. This is also the Georgian form.

French, Spanish, Portuguese and Hungarian form of Noah 1.

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

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.

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

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

This name was invented by the 18th-century writer Fanny Burney, who perhaps intended it to mean "golden city" in French. Orville Wright (1871-1948), together with his brother Wilbur, invented the first successful airplane.

Alternate transcription of Arabic أسامة (see Usama).

Greek form of Otto, used by the first modern king of Greece, who was born Prince Otto of Bavaria.

Meaning unknown, possibly of Luwian or Hittite origin. In Greek mythology he was the Trojan prince who kidnapped Helen and began the Trojan War. Though presented as a somewhat of a coward in the Iliad, he did manage to slay the great hero Achilles. He was himself eventually slain in battle by Philoctetes.

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

Transferred use of the surname Pierson.

From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "priest town" (Old English preost and tun).

From the English word prince, a royal title, which comes ultimately from Latin princeps. This name was borne by the American musician Prince Rogers Nelson (1958-2016), who is known simply as Prince.

Alternate transcription of Arabic رحيم (see Rahim).

From the Hebrew name רָפָאֵל (Rafa'el) meaning "God heals", from the roots רָפָא (rafa') meaning "to heal" and אֵל ('el) 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 Renaissance master Raphael Sanzio (1483-1520), usually known simply as Raphael.

Means "good sense, good guidance" in Arabic, from the root رشد (rashada) meaning "to be on the right path".

Perhaps inspired by Rowland or a modern name derived from combining the elements Ray- and -land. Ray- is also found in names Raymond and Raynard. As a suffix -land is found in names such as Harland, Leeland, and Wayland. American country music artist Rayland Baxter bears the name.

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

Diminutive of Rocco and other names beginning with a similar sound, or else a nickname referring to a tough person. This is the name of the boxer Rocky Balboa (played by Sylvester Stallone) in the movie Rocky (1976) and its sequels.

Means "famous ruler" from the Old German elements hruod "fame" and rih "ruler, king". This name was in use among the Visigoths; it was borne by their last king (Gothic form *Hroþireiks, also known by the Spanish form Rodrigo), who died fighting the Muslim invaders of Spain in the 8th century. It also had cognates in Old Norse and West Germanic, and Scandinavian settlers and Normans introduced it to England, though it died out after the Middle Ages. It was revived in the English-speaking world by Walter Scott's 1811 poem The Vision of Don Roderick [1].

This name has also functioned as an Anglicized form of Scottish Ruaridh or Welsh Rhydderch.

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

Diminutive of Rudolf.

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

Variant of River.

Archaic North Swedish form of Sigurd. Means "victory" in modern Swedish.

Alternate transcription of Arabic شريف (see Sharif).

English form of Søren.

French form of Stanislav.

From an English surname meaning "stone clearing" (Old English stan "stone" and leah "woodland, clearing"). A notable bearer of the surname was the British-American explorer and journalist Henry Morton Stanley (1841-1904), the man who found David Livingstone in Africa. As a given name, it was borne by American director Stanley Kubrick (1928-1999), as well as the character Stanley Kowalski in Tennessee Williams' play A Streetcar Named Desire (1947).

Variant of Tayden.

Variant of Tiago.

Historically a Cornish surname meaning "stone settlement", derived from the Cornish 'tre', meaning a homestead or settlement, and 'men', meaning stone.

Famous bearers include retired American basketball player Tremaine Fowlkes and popular American musician Trey Songz, born Tremaine 'Trey' Aldon Neverson.

Variant of Truett.

Italian form of Valentinus (see Valentine 1).

Form of Walter used in several languages.

From an English surname that was derived from Old English fenn meaning "marsh, fen".

Variant of Wayland. This name was popularized by country music singer Waylon Jennings (1937-2002), who was originally named Wayland [1].

Variant of Zane 1.

Means "pious, devout" in Arabic.

Possibly related to the Turkish title sultan meaning "king, sultan". This was the name of a 10th-century ruler of Hungary, also known as Zsolt.

A noted bearer was a Damel of Cayor, Amari Ngoné Ndella, who ruled from 1790 AD to 1809 AD. The Kingdom of Cayor was one of the largest of most powerful kingdoms in what is now Senegal, existing from 1549 AD to 1879 AD.

Hebrew form of Azariah (masculine), as well as a feminine variant in the English-speaking world.

Transferred use of the surname Barley.

This name began to be used rarely in the United States in 1973 after it was featured in a nation-wide newspaper article about African baby names [1]. It probably represents the Arabic name Jilani, given in honour of the Sufi scholar Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani (the meaning quoted by the newspaper article ("mighty") coincides with the meaning of Qadir).

The name reached its peak of popularity in 1998, likely because it had sounds in common with other fashionable African-American names of the time.

Meaning unknown.

Variant of Collins. This name was given to 34 girls in 2017.

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

Combination of Ray and Shawn.