KathosAnnora's Personal Name List

Means "wave" in Finnish. More commonly used as a surname.

Means "wave, ocean" in Sanskrit.
Aarna is also name of Goddess Lakshmi, the daughter of the king of the milky ocean.

Latinized form of Greek Ἄκανθα (Akantha), which meant "thorn, prickle". In Greek legend she was a nymph loved by Apollo.

Short form of Adriana.

Form of Hadrianus (see Hadrian) used in several languages. Several saints and six popes have borne this name, including the only English pope, Adrian IV, and the only Dutch pope, Adrian VI. As an English name, it has been in use since the Middle Ages, though it was not popular until modern times.

Means "small wave, ripple" in Hebrew.

Means "stormy one", "goatish", or "Aegean" in Greek. Aegaeon is the god of the storms of the Aegean Sea in Greek mythology.

Means "sea, ocean" in Old Norse. According to Norse mythology Ægir was a god or giant (jǫtunn) who lived under the ocean. His wife was Rán.

Alternate form of Ægir, and one of Saturn’s moons.

Means "otter" in Nahuatl, derived from atl "water" and huitzotl "porcupine".

Borne by a ruler of the Aztecs from 1468 to 1502.

From the Japanese kanji 愛 (a) meaning "love, affection" and 海 (kai) meaning "sea; ocean". It can also derive from 朱 (aka) meaning "crimson red" and 衣 (i) meaning "clothing".

Other kanji combinations are possible.

Means "wave" in Icelandic.

Means "wave" in Tagalog.

The name of one of the Nereids in Greek mythology.

A form of Amatheia. In Greek myth this was the name of one of the Nereids, the 50 daughters of the sea god Nereus.

Possibly means "the surrounding sea" or "the surrounding third", from Greek ἀμφίς (amphis) meaning "surrounding, around, between" and the same root found in the name of Triton. In Greek mythology she was a goddess of the sea and salt water, the wife of Poseidon and the mother of Triton.

Antaura is a Greek Demon of migraine headaches. She rises up out of the sea, moves like the wind, and enters into people’s heads to cause intense pain. Antaura is thwarted by the goddess Artemis, who diverts Antaura into the head of a bull in the mountains.
Modern-day academics speculate that Antaura has developped from Abyzou, a female Sumerian demon who kills children.

Combination of Latin aqua meaning "water" and French reine meaning "queen". This is the name of a mermaid queen in L. Frank Baum's novel ''The Sea Fairies'' (1911).

In Greek mythology, Arion is the name of a divine immortal talking horse, who is the son of the gods Poseidon and Demeter. In real life, this name was borne by a Greek singer and poet of Methymna on Lesbos, skilled at the cithara and inventor of the dithyramb. He is said to have lived at Periander's court in Corinth in the late 7th century B.C. A legend repeated by Herodotus tells how, having been thrown overboard by pirates, Arion was saved from the sea by a dolphin that had been charmed by his music. And, finally, Arion is also the name of several characters in popular culture, such the mystical hero of a DC comic book.

Means "wave" in Marshellese.

Perhaps derived from Semitic roots meaning "she who walks in the sea". This was the name of a Semitic mother goddess. She was worshipped by the Israelites before the advent of monotheism.

From Chinese 波 (bō) meaning "wave", as well as other characters with a similar pronunciation.

Latinized form of Greek Κάλαϊς (Kalais), which meant "turquoise" or "chrysolite" (being the name of "a precious stone of a greenish blue"). In Greek myth Calais and his twin brother Zetes, together known as the Boreads (being sons of Boreas, god of the north wind), were Argonauts.

From Greek Καλυψώ (Kalypso), which probably meant "she that conceals", derived from καλύπτω (kalypto) meaning "to cover, to conceal". In Greek myth this was the name of the nymph who fell in love with Odysseus after he was shipwrecked on her island of Ogygia. When he refused to stay with her she detained him for seven years until Zeus ordered her to release him.

Used by author C. S. Lewis for a character in his Chronicles of Narnia series, first appearing in 1950. Prince Caspian first appears in the fourth book, where he is the rightful king of Narnia driven into exile by his evil uncle Miraz. Lewis probably based the name on the Caspian Sea, which was named for the city of Qazvin, which was itself named for the ancient Cas tribe.

Latinized form of the Greek Κητώ (Kētō), which meant "sea-monster" (supposedly the source of the word κῆτος (kētos) "any sea-monster or huge fish; sometimes the whale, but often the tunny-fish"). In Greek mythology Ceto was the personification of the dangers of the sea, a daughter of Pontos (Sea) and Gaia (Earth) and mother of the Gorgons and other ugly monsters, including Scylla and Echidna.

From Chinese 超 (chāo) meaning "surpass, leap over" (which is usually only masculine), 潮 (cháo) meaning "tide, flow, damp", or other characters that are pronounced similarly.

Latinized form of Kleodora. In Greek mythology, Cleodora was a nymph of Mount Parnassos in Phokis. She was one of the prophetic Thriai, nymphs who divined the future by throwing stones or pebbles. She was loved by the sea god Poseidon and had a son called Parnassos by him. This name was also borne by one of the Danaids (i.e., the 50 daughters of Danaus).

Meaning unknown. In Irish legend this was the name of a beautiful goddess. She fell in love with a mortal named Ciabhán and left the Land of Promise with him, but when she arrived on the other shore she was swept to sea by a great wave.

From the English word meaning either a slice of garlic or the dried flower bud of a tropical tree, used as a spice. This name was recently used in Suzanne Collins' popular book, The Hunger Games.

From the English word coast

From the English and Spanish word coral for the underwater skeletal deposits that can form reefs. It is ultimately derived (via Old French and Latin) from Greek κοράλλιον (korallion).

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

From Cordeilla, a name appearing in the 12th-century chronicles [1] of Geoffrey of Monmouth, borne by the youngest of the three daughters of King Leir and the only one to remain loyal to her father. Geoffrey possibly based her name on that of Creiddylad, a character from Welsh legend.

The spelling was later altered to Cordelia when Geoffrey's story was adapted by others, including Edmund Spenser in his poem The Faerie Queene (1590) and Shakespeare in his tragedy King Lear (1606).

Either from the English surname Cove or else directly from the vocabulary word cove, which refers to a small coastal inlet.

From Middle Welsh Creidylat, of uncertain meaning, possibly from craidd "heart, center" or crau "blood" combined with dylad "flood". In the Welsh tale Culhwch and Olwen this is the name of the beautiful daughter of Lludd Llaw Ereint, loved by both Gwyn and Gwythyr. Her name is allegedly the basis for Cordelia.

Either from the surname Dock, or taken directly from the English vocabulary word referring to a structure attached to shore at which a ship can be secured, or the act of harbouring at one.

From the Greek name Δωρίς (Doris), which meant "Dorian woman". The Dorians were a Greek tribe who occupied the Peloponnese starting in the 12th century BC. In Greek mythology Doris was a sea nymph, one of the many children of Oceanus and Tethys. It began to be used as an English name in the 19th century. A famous bearer is the American actress Doris Day (1924-2019).

Early 17th century from Dutch duin, from Middle Dutch dūne, probably ultimately from the same Celtic base as down3.

From the Welsh prefix dy meaning "to, toward" and llanw meaning "tide, flow". According to the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi [1], Dylan was a son of Arianrhod and the twin brother of Lleu Llaw Gyffes. Immediately after he was baptized he took to the sea, where he could swim as well as a fish. He was slain accidentally by his uncle Gofannon. According to some theories the character might be rooted in an earlier and otherwise unattested Celtic god of the sea.

Famous bearers include the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas (1914-1953) and the American musician Bob Dylan (1941-), real name Robert Zimmerman, who took his stage surname from the poet's given name. Due to those two bearers, use of the name has spread outside of Wales in the last half of the 20th century. It received a further boost in popularity in the 1990s due to a character on the television series Beverly Hills 90210.

Means "daughter of the sea" in Quenya, from eär "sea" and ien "daughter". This name is borne by the daughter of Elendil in the Amazon series 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power'. Eärien is a character created for the show - Elendil has no daughters in Tolkien's books.

Means "sea maiden" in Quenya, from eär meaning "sea" and wen meaning "maiden". This was the name of a Telerin Elf in the Silmarillion. She was the mother of Galadriel.

From the Greek word ἠχώ (echo) meaning "echo, reflected sound", related to ἠχή (eche) meaning "sound". In Greek mythology Echo was a nymph given a speech impediment by Hera, so that she could only repeat what others said. She fell in love with Narcissus, but her love was not returned, and she pined away until nothing remained of her except her voice.

Derived from Greek ἠϊών (eion) meaning "shore, beach, sea-bank". This was the name of one of the Nereids in Greek mythology.

Australian locational name. Derived from an Australian Aboriginal word meaning "home by the sea" or "home by the water".

Means "our wind" or "wind from the Ionian Sea" in Albanian, from the elements erë, era meaning "wind" and jonë meaning "our" or Jon (Ionian Sea).

Means "good gift" in Greek, from the elements εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and δῶρον (doron) meaning "gift". This was the name of a nymph, one of the Hyades, in Greek mythology.

Latinized form of Greek Γαλάτεια (Galateia), probably derived from γάλα (gala) meaning "milk". This was the name of several characters in Greek mythology including a sea nymph who was the daughter of Doris and Nereus and the lover of Acis. According to some sources, this was also the name of the ivory statue carved by Pygmalion that came to life.

From the Norman French form of the Welsh name Gwenhwyfar meaning "white phantom", ultimately from the old Celtic roots *windos meaning "white" (modern Welsh gwen) and *sēbros meaning "phantom, magical being" [1]. In Arthurian legend she was the beautiful wife of King Arthur. According to the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth, she was seduced by Mordred before the battle of Camlann, which led to the deaths of both Mordred and Arthur. According to the 12th-century French poet Chrétien de Troyes, she engaged in an adulterous affair with Sir Lancelot.

The Cornish form of this name, Jennifer, has become popular in the English-speaking world.

Welsh form of Guinevere.

A Cornish form of Guinevere.

Form of Guinevere used in Thomas Chestre's romance Sir Launfal and in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

From the Roman cognomen Hadrianus, which meant "from Hadria" in Latin. Hadria was the name of two Roman settlements. The first (modern Adria) is in northern Italy and was an important Etruscan port town. The second (modern Atri) is in central Italy and was named after the northern town. The Adriatic Sea is also named after the northern town.

A famous bearer of the name was Publius Aelius Hadrianus, better known as Hadrian, a 2nd-century Roman emperor who built a wall across northern Britain. His family came from the town of Atri in central Italy.

Old Norse form of Reidun.

Means "violet flower", derived from Greek ἴον (ion) meaning "violet" and ἄνθος (anthos) meaning "flower". This was the name of an ocean nymph in Greek mythology.

Means "lady of the water" in Tupi, from y "water" and îara "lady, mistress". In Brazilian folklore this is the name of a beautiful river nymph who would lure men into the water. She may have been based upon earlier Tupi legends.

From a Scottish surname that was derived from the town of Irvine in North Ayrshire, itself named for the River Irvine, which is derived from Brythonic elements meaning "green water". Historically this name has been relatively common among Jews, who have used it as an American-sounding form of Hebrew names beginning with I such as Isaac, Israel and Isaiah [1]. A famous bearer was the Russian-American songwriter and lyricist Irving Berlin (1888-1989), whose birth name was Israel Beilin.

Patronymic form of Ismenus. In Greek mythology, Ismenis was a Naiad nymph, one of the daughters of the Boeotian river god Ismenus.

French form of Julius. A notable bearer of this name was the French novelist Jules Verne (1828-1905), author of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and other works of science fiction.

Variant of Juno modeled after the Alaskan city of Juneau.

Means "sea" in Hawaiian.

Diminutive of Katarina or Katariina.

Means "rising sea," from kai meaning "sea, sea water" and ea meaning "to rise, go up, raise."

Derived from Greek κάλλιστος (kallistos) meaning "most beautiful", a derivative of καλός (kalos) meaning "beautiful". In Greek mythology Kallisto was a nymph who was loved by Zeus. She was changed into a she-bear by Hera, and subsequently became the Great Bear constellation. This was also an ancient Greek personal name.

Alternate transcription of Hebrew כִּנֶּרֶת (see Kineret).

Derived from Greek κλυτός (klytos) meaning "famous, noble". In Greek myth Klytië was an ocean nymph who loved the sun god Helios. Her love was not returned, and she pined away staring at him until she was transformed into a heliotrope flower, whose head moves to follow the sun.

Means "warrior, koa tree" in Hawaiian.

Means "wave" in Estonian.

From the English word lake, for the inland body of water. It is ultimately derived from Latin lacus.

From a Cornish place name of uncertain meaning, perhaps from lann "area around a church" combined with a contracted form of morlanow "high tide". It appears in the title of the folk song 'Way Down to Lamorna', as well as W. H. Davies' poem 'Lamorna Cove' (1929).

The name of an early king of the Britons, according to the 12th-century chronicles [1] of Geoffrey of Monmouth. Leir's name may be connected to the city where he reigned, Leicester (named Kaerleir by Geoffrey). Alternatively it might be derived from the name of the legendary Welsh figure Llŷr. The story of Leir and his daughters was later adapted by Shakespeare for his play King Lear (1606).

In the case of American television actress Lilimar Hernandez (2000-) it is a combination of Lili (a short form of Liliana, her grandmother's name) and Mar (from the Spanish vocabulary word mar meaning "sea", a reference to her birthplace - an island in the Caribbean Sea).

Means "the sea" in Welsh. According to the Mabinogi he was the father of Brân, Branwen and Manawydan. His name is cognate with Irish Ler, and it is typically assumed that Llŷr may have originally been regarded as a god of the sea. He might also be the basis for the legendary King Leir of the Britons.

Possibly a variant of Mekhi or Makaio

Makai is an adverb in the Hawaiian language combining the directional particle ma with Hawaiian kai meaning "ocean". It literally means "toward or by the sea, seaward". It is sometimes used as a given name, particularly within the Hawaiian Islands but is also found within the continental United States.

Means "wave, sea" in Greenlandic [1].

Means "sea" in Spanish and Catalan. It is from a devotional title of the Virgin Mary, Nuestra Señora del Mar "Our Lady of the Sea", the patron saint of the Spanish province of Almería.

Means "made of the sea" in Esperanto, a derivative of maro "sea", ultimately from Latin mare.

Danish diminutive of Marina or Maria.

Latin form of Greek Μαρία, from Hebrew מִרְיָם (see Mary). Maria is the usual form of the name in many European languages, as well as a secondary form in other languages such as English (where the common spelling is Mary). In some countries, for example Germany, Poland and Italy, Maria is occasionally used as a masculine middle name.

This was the name of two ruling queens of Portugal. It was also borne by the Habsburg queen Maria Theresa (1717-1780), whose inheritance of the domains of her father, the Holy Roman emperor Charles VI, began the War of the Austrian Succession.

Form of Maria used in the Greek Old Testament. In the Greek New Testament both this spelling and Μαρία (Maria) are used. It is also the Georgian, Armenian and Malay form, as well as an alternate transcription of Arabic مريم (see Maryam).

Romanian, Croatian, Serbian, Bulgarian and French form of Marinus.

Feminine form of Marinus. This name was borne by a few early saints. This is also the name by which Saint Margaret of Antioch is known in the Eastern Orthodox Church.

Italian and Spanish form of Marinus.

From the Roman family name Marinus, which derives either from the name Marius or from the Latin word marinus "of the sea". Saint Marinus was a 4th-century stonemason who built a chapel on Monte Titano, in the country that is today known as San Marino.

Means "of the sea", taken from the Latin title of the Virgin Mary, Stella Maris, meaning "star of the sea".

Italian, Spanish and Portuguese combination of Maria and Luisa.

Short form of María Soledad. It is sometimes considered a combination of María and Sol 1, or from Spanish mar y sol "sea and sun".

From the title of the Virgin Mary, Stella Maris, meaning "star of the sea" in Latin. It can also be a combination of Maria and Estela.

Roman family name that was derived either from Mars, the name of the Roman god of War, or else from the Latin root mas, maris meaning "male". Gaius Marius was a famous Roman consul of the 2nd century BC. Since the start of the Christian era, it has occasionally been used as a masculine form of Maria.

Possibly a diminutive of Marina. This name was brought to public attention by Alfred Hitchcock's movie Marnie (1964), itself based on a 1961 novel by Winston Graham.

Usual English form of Maria, the Latin form of the New Testament Greek names Μαριάμ (Mariam) and Μαρία (Maria) — the spellings are interchangeable — which were from Hebrew מִרְיָם (Miryam), a name borne by the sister of Moses in the Old Testament. The meaning is not known for certain, but there are several theories including "sea of bitterness", "rebelliousness", and "wished for child". However it was most likely originally an Egyptian name, perhaps derived in part from mry "beloved" or mr "love".

This is the name of several New Testament characters, most importantly Mary the mother of Jesus. According to the gospels, Jesus was conceived in her by the Holy Spirit while she remained a virgin. This name was also borne by Mary Magdalene, a woman cured of demons by Jesus. She became one of his followers and later witnessed his crucifixion and resurrection.

Due to the Virgin Mary this name has been very popular in the Christian world, though at certain times in some cultures it has been considered too holy for everyday use. In England it has been used since the 12th century, and it has been among the most common feminine names since the 16th century. In the United States in 1880 it was given more than twice as often as the next most popular name for girls (Anna). It remained in the top rank in America until 1946 when it was bumped to second (by Linda). Although it regained the top spot for a few more years in the 1950s it was already falling in usage, and has since dropped out of the top 100 names.

This name has been borne by two queens of England, as well as a queen of Scotland, Mary Queen of Scots. Another notable bearer was Mary Shelley (1797-1851), the author of Frankenstein. A famous fictional character by this name is Mary Poppins from the children's books by P. L. Travers, first published in 1934.

The Latinized form of this name, Maria, is also used in English as well as in several other languages.

Derived from Greek μέλαινα (melaina) meaning "black, dark". This was the name of a nymph in Greek mythology.

Meaning unknown, perhaps based on Cornish mor "sea".

From an Old Welsh name (recorded variously as Mermin, Merhin or Merwin [1]), of uncertain meaning. It is possibly from mer "bone marrow" or mor "sea" with the second element possibly mynawg "eminent, noble" [2], mynnu "wish, desire" [3] or myn "young goat, kid" [4]. This was the name of a 9th-century king of Gwynedd, Merfyn Frych.

Meaning unknown. This was the name of an early Cornish (male) saint.

From Sanskrit मीर (mīra) meaning "sea, ocean". This was the name of a 16th-century Indian princess who devoted her life to the god Krishna.

From the Old Welsh masculine name Morcant, which was possibly derived from Welsh mor "sea" and cant "circle". Since the 1980s in America Morgan has been more common for girls than boys, perhaps due to stories of Morgan le Fay or the fame of actress Morgan Fairchild (1950-).

Modern form of Morgen, which was used by Geoffrey of Monmouth [1] in the 12th century for the Arthurian sorceress Morgan le Fay, who was unnamed in earlier stories. Geoffrey probably did not derive it from the Welsh masculine name Morgan, which would have been spelled Morcant in his time. It is likely from Old Welsh mor "sea" and the suffix gen "born of" [2].

Meaning unknown. In Arthurian Romance, Morien was the son of Sir Aglovale and a Moorish princess.

Derived from Cornish morvoren "mermaid" (ultimately from Cornish mor "sea" and moren "maiden"). This was the bardic name or pseudonym of a member of the Gorsedh Kernow (Katherine Lee Jenner, 1904). It is also associated with the mermaid of Zennor, which is the subject of Cornish folklore (perhaps due to its use by Cornishman Philip Cannon, 1929-, in his two-act opera 'Morvoren', 1964). In Britain, this has been used as a given name at least 11 times.

From the Hebrew name מֹשֶׁה (Moshe), which is most likely derived from Egyptian mes meaning "son". The meaning suggested in the Old Testament of "drew out" from Hebrew מָשָׁה (masha) is probably an invented etymology (see Exodus 2:10).

The biblical Moses was drawn out of the Nile by the pharaoh's daughter and adopted into the royal family, at a time when the Israelites were slaves in Egypt. With his brother Aaron he demanded the pharaoh release the Israelites, which was only done after God sent ten plagues upon Egypt. Moses led the people across the Red Sea and to Mount Sinai, where he received the Ten Commandments from God. After 40 years of wandering in the desert the people reached Canaan, the Promised Land, but Moses died just before entering it.

In England, this name has been commonly used by Christians since the Protestant Reformation, though it had long been popular among Jews.

Means "born of the sea" in Irish. In Irish legend this was the name of a woman (originally named Lí Ban) who was transformed into a mermaid. After 300 years she was brought to shore, baptized, and transformed back into a woman.

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.

Means "wave, sea foam" in Basque.

Directly taken from Latvian nāra "mermaid".

Means Navarre in Italian and Spanish; which was also the female equivalent to Navarro.

The name means "By the sea". Originally a country of its own, located between Spain and France, Navarre became a part of France in 1284 when the Queen of Navarre married King Philip IV of France. After much war, becoming independent once again, and falling into Spanish rule, the Kingdom of Navarre is now split between Spain and France.

From the English word meaning "sea force, fleet, armed forces of the sea". It is derived from Old French navie, from Latin navigia, the plural of navigium "boat, vessel". It also refers to a shade of dark blue, a colour traditionally associated with naval uniforms.

Means "nobody" in Latin. This was the name used by author Jules Verne for the captain of the Nautilus in his novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (1870). It was later used for the title character (a fish) in the 2003 animated movie Finding Nemo.

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

Derived from Greek νηρός (neros) meaning "water". In Greek myth this was the name of a god of the sea, the father of the Nereids. It is mentioned briefly in the New Testament, belonging to a Christian in Rome. This was also the name of a Roman saint of the 1st century, a member of the army, who was martyred with his companion Achilleus because they refused to execute Christians.

One of the daughter of Nereus. Means "sea nymph", "nereid", or "mermaid".

Created by Shakespeare for a character in his play The Merchant of Venice (1596). He possibly took it from Greek Νηρηΐς (Nereis) meaning "nymph, sea sprite", ultimately derived from the name of the Greek sea god Nereus, who supposedly fathered them.

Roman cognomen, which was probably of Sabine origin meaning "strong, vigorous". It was used by a prominent branch of the gens Claudia starting from the 3rd century BC. It was borne most famously by a Roman emperor of the 1st century, remembered as a tyrant. His birth name was Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, but after he was adopted as the heir of Claudius his name became Nero Claudius Caesar Drusus Germanicus.

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

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

From Japanese 儀 (nori) meaning "ceremony, rites" or other kanji that are pronounced the same way.

French form of Okeanos via its latinized form Oceanus. Also compare the French noun océan meaning "ocean".

Simply from the English word ocean for a large body of water. It is ultimately derived from Greek Ὠκεανός (Okeanos), the name of the body of water thought to surround the Earth.

Feminine form of Oceanus. As an English name, this was coined in the early 19th century.

Derived from French océan meaning "ocean".

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

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

Short form of Mariona. It also coincides with a Catalan word meaning "wave".

French form of Undine.

Means "wave" in Malagasy.

From the English word otter, a semi-aquatic mammal. The word otter is derived from Old English otor or oter, ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European *wódr̥ "water".

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

A name given in reference to a reef 'ridge of jagged rock, coral, or sand just above or below the surface of the sea.'

From the Old Norse name Hreiðunn, which was derived from the elements hreiðr "nest, home" and unnr "wave".

Dutch short form of Marinus.

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

Short form of Rippert.

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

Combination of Rose and Mary. This name can also be given in reference to the herb, which gets its name from Latin ros marinus meaning "dew of the sea". It came into use as a given name in the 19th century.

Originally a diminutive of Alexander. As a feminine name it is a diminutive of Alexandra or Sandra. It can also be given in reference to the colour.

English vocabulary and nature name meaning "body of salt water".

A creature from Norse or Celtic mythology that is able to shapeshift between human and seal form. Origin as a name is unknown.

From the name of the patron saint of Zennor, a village in Cornwall, which is of obscure origin. Conceivably it may be derived from the Breton name Azenor or the old Celtic Senovara. According to local legend Saint Senara was originally Princess Azenor of Brest in Lower Brittany, the mother of Saint Budoc. She is also said to have been a mermaid before her conversion (though even after becoming a Christian, "she continued to pine for the sea"). This name was given to 52 girls born in England and Wales in the years 1916-2005.

The Portuguese word for mermaid. Found in use in Brazil as a given name but also well represented as a nickname.

From a Late Latin name that was derived from Latin serenus meaning "clear, tranquil, serene". This name was borne by an obscure early saint. Edmund Spenser also used it in his poem The Faerie Queene (1590). A famous bearer from the modern era is tennis player Serena Williams (1981-).

Derived from the Japanese kanji 塩 (shio) meaning "salt (a symbol of purification)" or 汐 (shio) meaning "eventide, salt water, opportunity" combined with 見 (mi) meaning "to see, the look or appearance of something".

Other kanji combinations are also possible.

Shiomi was used as a feminine given name in the Edo Period (1600-1868) but nowadays is more common as a surname or a fictional name.

Short form of Shorena.

Derived from Spanish sirena "mermaid". The Spanish dramatist Jacinto Benavente used this name in his play 'Los intereses creados' (1907), where it belongs to a poor widow and matchmaker called Doña Sirena.

From the vocabulary word, ultimately from Old English or Old Dutch storm, or in the case of the Scandinavian name, from Old Norse stormr. It is unisex as an English name, but typically masculine elsewhere.

Means "lilac" in Swedish and Danish.

It could be also a variant of the English word siren meaning "mermaid".

This name can be used as 大 (tai, dai, oo-, -oo.ini, oo.kii) meaning "big, large", 泰 (tai) meaning "calm, easy, peace, peaceful, Thailand," 太 (ta, tai, futo.i, futo.ru) meaning "big around, plump, thick", 耐 (tai, ta.eru) meaning "enduring" or 諦 (tai, tei, akira.meru, tsumabiraka, makoto) meaning "abandon, give up."
Rare examples of Tai with 2 kanji for females include 泰衣, 泰維, 泰依, 多衣 and 多以 with 衣 (i, e, kinu, -gi, koromo) meaning "clothes, dressing, garment", 維 (i) meaning "fibre, rope, tie", 依 (i, e, yo.ru) meaning "consequently, depend on, due to, reliant, therefore" and 以 (i, mo'.te) meaning "because, by means of, compared with, in view of."

Tai, when used as either 大 or 泰, can be used for both genders.

In the Edo Period (1603-1868), it was used as an uncommon to very uncommon feminine name.

One bearer of this name was film director and screenwriter Tai Katō (加藤 泰) (1916-1985).

Name of the title character in Henry Williamson's novel 'Tarka the Otter' (1927) and the subsequent movie adaptation (1979). In the book the (male) character's name is said to mean "wandering as water"; perhaps the author based it on Welsh dwrgi "otter", literally "water dog", or on its Cornish cognate dowrgi.

This is occasionally used as a masculine and feminine given name, and was most notably borne by Tarka Cordell (1966-2008), a British musician, writer, record producer, and sometime model. This also coincides with a Sanskrit word meaning "reasoning, logic".

Derived from Greek τήθη (tethe) meaning "grandmother". In Greek mythology this was the name of a Titan associated with the sea. She was the wife of Oceanus.

Old Norse and Icelandic form of Torunn.

Variant of Tiede.

Faroese form of Þórunnr.

Norwegian form of the Old Norse name Þórunn, from the name of the Norse god Þórr (see Thor) combined with unnr "wave" or unna "to love".

Meaning uncertain. It is possibly related to a root meaning "the sea" (cognate with Old Irish trethan). Alternatively it could be connected to Greek τρεῖς (treis) meaning "three" (ordinal form τρίτος). In Greek mythology Triton was the son of Poseidon and Amphitrite. He was often depicted as a merman, half-human and half-fish. The largest of Neptune's moons is named after him.

Derived from Latin unda meaning "wave". The word undine was created by the 16th-century Swiss author Paracelsus, who used it for female water spirits.

Derived from Old Norse unna "to love" or unnr "wave".

Derived from Albanian valë "wave".

Derived from the Lithuanian noun vandenė meaning "mermaid", which is derived from the Lithuanian adjective vandens meaning "aqueous, aquatic", itself ultimately derived from the Lithuanian noun vanduo meaning "water". Also compare Undinė, which is etymologically related.

The Slavic name for "otter", an animal traditionally associated with great agility and swiftness of movement.

Transferred use of the surname Wake.

Possibly from a Polish surname, the meaning of which is uncertain (it may have been a variant of the surname Zalas which originally indicated one who lived "on the other side of the wood", from za "beyond" and las "forest").

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).