adelheid1111's Personal Name List

From the Hebrew name אַהֲרֹן (ʾAharon), which is most likely of unknown Egyptian origin. Other theories claim a Hebrew derivation, and suggest meanings such as "high mountain" or "exalted". In the Old Testament this name is borne by the older brother of Moses. He acted as a spokesman for his brother when they appealed to the pharaoh to release the Israelites from slavery. Aaron's rod produced miracles and plagues to intimidate the pharaoh. After the departure from Egypt and arrival at Mount Sinai, God installed Aaron as the first high priest of the Israelites and promised that his descendants would become the priesthood.

As an English name, Aaron has been in use since the Protestant Reformation. This name was borne by the American politician Aaron Burr (1756-1836), notable for killing Alexander Hamilton in a duel.

Dutch short form of Arnold.

Means "nobleness, nobility", from the French form of the Germanic name Adalheidis, which was composed of adal "noble" and the suffix heit "kind, sort, type". It was borne in the 10th century by Saint Adelaide, the wife of the Holy Roman emperor Otto the Great.

In Britain the parallel form Alice, derived via Old French, has historically been more common than Adelaide, though this form did gain some currency in the 19th century due to the popularity of the German-born wife of King William IV, for whom the city of Adelaide in Australia was named in 1836.

Polish form of Adelaide.

German and Dutch form of Adelaide.

Variant of Aidan.

Means "my lord" in Hebrew. This was the title used to refer to the God of the Israelites, Yahweh, whose name was forbidden to be spoken.

Anglicized form of Aodhán. In the latter part of the 20th century it became popular in America due to its sound, since it shares a sound with such names as Braden and Hayden. It peaked ranked 39th for boys in 2003.

Anglicized form of Alasdair.

Short form of Magdalena or Helena. This was the name of a saint, possibly legendary, who was martyred near Brussels in the 7th century.

Latinized form of the Greek name Ἀλέξανδρος (Alexandros), which meant "defending men" from Greek ἀλέξω (alexo) meaning "to defend, help" and ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man" (genitive ἀνδρός). In Greek mythology this was another name of the hero Paris, and it also belongs to several characters in the New Testament. However, the most famous bearer was Alexander the Great, king of Macedon. In the 4th century BC he built a huge empire out of Greece, Egypt, Persia, and parts of India. Due to his fame, and later medieval tales involving him, use of his name spread throughout Europe.

The name has been used by kings of Scotland, Poland and Yugoslavia, emperors of Russia, and eight popes. Other notable bearers include English poet Alexander Pope (1688-1744), American statesman Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804), Scottish-Canadian explorer Alexander MacKenzie (1764-1820), Russian poet Alexander Pushkin (1799-1837), and Alexander Graham Bell (1847-1922), the Scottish-Canadian-American inventor of the telephone.

Old Norse form of Alvar.

Old German name composed of the elements alb "elf" and heri "army" (making it a cognate of Alvar).

Norman French diminutive of Aalis (see Alice) [1]. It was common in England, Scotland and France in the Middle Ages, and was later revived in England in the 20th century via Scotland. Unlike most other English names ending in son, it is not derived from a surname.

Derived from Arabic المدينة (al-mudayna) meaning "the citadel", a diminutive form of the word مدينة (madīna) meaning "city". According to legend, it was in a building by this name that a concealed statue of the Virgin Mary was discovered during the Reconquista in Madrid. The Virgin of Almudena, that is Mary, is the patron saint of Madrid.

Latinized form of Aloys, an old Occitan form of Louis. This was the name of an Italian saint, Aloysius Gonzaga (1568-1591). The name has been in occasional use among Catholics since his time.

Finnish form of Albert.

From the Old Norse name Alfarr, formed of the elements alfr "elf" and herr "army, warrior".

Venetian form of Louis.

Medieval feminine form of Amabilis.

Late Latin name meaning "lovable". Saint Amabilis was a 5th-century priest in Riom, central France.

From the Late Latin name Ambrosius, which was derived from the Greek name Ἀμβρόσιος (Ambrosios) meaning "immortal". Saint Ambrose was a 4th-century theologian and bishop of Milan, who is considered a Doctor of the Church. Due to the saint, the name came into general use in Christian Europe, though it was never particularly common in England.

Portuguese and Spanish form of Amerigo.

Feminine form of Anastasius. This was the name of a 4th-century Dalmatian saint who was martyred during the persecutions of the Roman emperor Diocletian. Due to her, the name has been common in Eastern Orthodox Christianity (in various spellings). As an English name it has been in use since the Middle Ages. A famous bearer was the youngest daughter of the last Russian tsar Nicholas II, who was rumoured to have escaped the execution of her family in 1918.

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

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

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

Variant of Amabel, with the spelling altered as if it were a combination of Anna and French belle "beautiful". This name appears to have arisen in Scotland in the Middle Ages.

English form of the Roman family name Antonius, which is of unknown Etruscan origin. The most notable member of the Roman family was the general Marcus Antonius (called Mark Antony in English), who for a period in the 1st century BC ruled the Roman Empire jointly with Augustus. When their relationship turned sour, he and his mistress Cleopatra were attacked and forced to commit suicide, as related in Shakespeare's tragedy Antony and Cleopatra (1606).

The name became regularly used in the Christian world due to the fame of Saint Anthony the Great, a 4th-century Egyptian hermit who founded Christian monasticism. Its popularity was reinforced in the Middle Ages by the 13th-century Saint Anthony of Padua, the patron saint of Portugal. It has been commonly (but incorrectly) associated with Greek ἄνθος (anthos) meaning "flower", which resulted in the addition of the h to this spelling in the 17th century.

From Old Irish Áed, which meant "fire". This was a very popular name in early Ireland, being borne by numerous figures in Irish mythology and several high kings. It has been traditionally Anglicized as Hugh.

From the Old Irish name Áedán meaning "little fire", a diminutive of Áed (see Aodh). This name was borne by a 6th-century king of Dál Riata. It was also the name of a few early Irish saints, including a 6th-century bishop of Ferns and a 7th-century bishop of Lindisfarne.

Medieval Scottish name, probably a variant of Annabel. It has long been associated with Latin orabilis meaning "invokable, yielding to prayer", and the name was often recorded in forms resembling this.

Unrelated, this was an older name of the city of Irbid in Jordan, from Greek Ἄρβηλα (Arbela).

Dutch and German variant of Arnold. This is also the Dutch word for "eagle".

Italian and Portuguese form of Arnold.

Old Norse form of Asger.

From the Old Norse name Ásgeirr, derived from the elements áss meaning "god" and geirr meaning "spear". It is a cognate of Ansgar.

From the Roman name Augustinus, itself derived from the Roman name Augustus. Saint Augustine of Hippo was a 5th-century Christian theologian and author from North Africa. For his contributions to Christian philosophy he is known as a Doctor of the Church. Due to his renown, the name came into general use in the Christian world. It became popular in England in the Middle Ages partly because of a second saint by this name, Augustine of Canterbury, a 6th-century Italian monk sent to England to convert the Anglo-Saxons.

Hebrew form of Semitic root bʿl meaning "lord, master, possessor". This was the title of various deities, often associated with storms and fertility, who were worshipped by the Canaanites, Phoenicians, and other peoples of the ancient Near East. It was particularly applied to the god Hadad.

French diminutive of Élisabeth or Barbara.

Means "bold friend", derived from the Old German elements bald "bold, brave" and wini "friend". In the Middle Ages this was a popular name in Flanders and among the Normans, who brought it to Britain. It was borne by one of the leaders of the First Crusade, an 11th-century nobleman from Flanders. After the crusaders conquered Jerusalem, he was crowned as the king of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

Derived from Greek βάρβαρος (barbaros) meaning "foreign, non-Greek". According to legend, Saint Barbara was a young woman killed by her father Dioscorus, who was then killed by a bolt of lightning. She is the patron of architects, geologists, stonemasons and artillerymen. Because of her renown, the name came into general use in the Christian world in the Middle Ages. In England it became rare after the Protestant Reformation, but it was revived in the 19th century.

Meaning unknown. In Christian legends Barlaam (recorded as Greek Βαρλαάμ) was a 3rd-century hermit who converted Josaphat, the son of an Indian king, to Christianity. The story is based on that of the Buddha. This name was also borne by two saints.

Greek form of an Aramaic name. In Acts in the New Testament the byname Barnabas was given to a man named Joseph, a Jew from Cyprus who was a companion of Paul on his missionary journeys. The original Aramaic form is unattested, but it may be from בּר נביא (bar navi) meaning "son of the prophet", though in Acts 4:36 it is claimed that the name means "son of encouragement".

As an English name, Barnabas came into occasional use after the 12th century. It is now rare, though the variant Barnaby is still moderately common in Britain.

Diminutive of Barnabas, Bernard or Barnaby.

French form of Baldwin.

Means "white woman", from Old Irish bé "woman" and finn "white, blessed". This name was borne by several characters in Irish mythology, including the mother of the hero Fráech.

Diminutive of Iseabail.

Portuguese diminutive of Isabel.

Short form of Isabella or names ending in belle. It is also associated with the French word belle meaning "beautiful". A famous bearer was Belle Starr (1848-1889), an outlaw of the American west, whose real given name was Maybelle.

From בֵּלְשַׁאצַּר (Belshatstsar), the Hebrew form of the Akkadian name Bel-sharra-usur meaning "Bel protect the king". This was the name of the son of Nabonidus, the last king of the Babylonian Empire before the Persians conquered it in the 6th century BC. In the Old Testament Book of Daniel Belshazzar is the last king of Babylon who sees the mystical handwriting on the wall, which is interpreted by Daniel to portend the end of the empire.

Diminutive of Giuseppe.

From the name of the city in Germany, which is of uncertain meaning.

French feminine form of Bernard. Bernadette Soubirous (1844-1879) was a young woman from Lourdes in France who claimed to have seen visions of the Virgin Mary. She was declared a saint in 1933.

Derived from the Old German element bern "bear" combined with hart "hard, firm, brave, hardy". The Normans brought it to England, where it replaced the Old English cognate Beornheard. This was the name of several saints, including Saint Bernard of Menthon who built hospices in the Swiss Alps in the 10th century, and Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, a 12th-century theologian and Doctor of the Church. Other famous bearers include the Irish playwright and essayist George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) and the British World War II field marshal Bernard Montgomery (1887-1976).

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

Diminutive of Bernard, Bernadette, Bernice and other names beginning with Bern.

Short form of Albert and other names containing the element bert, often derived from the Old German element beraht meaning "bright".

Diminutive of Albert, Herbert and other names containing bert (often derived from the Old German element beraht meaning "bright").

From an English occupational surname meaning "maker of books". A famous bearer was Booker T. Washington (1856-1915), an African-American leader.

Means "raven" in Irish. In Irish legend Bran mac Febail was a mariner who was involved in several adventures on his quest to find the Otherworld.

Latinized form of a Celtic name (or title) that possibly meant either "king, prince" or "raven". Brennus was a Gallic leader of the 4th century BC who attacked and sacked Rome.

From the English word for the thorny plant.

Means "ruler of Brij" in Sanskrit. This is another name of the Hindu god Krishna, Brij being a region associated with him.

From a Scottish surname that was originally derived from a place in Moray, Scotland. It probably means "ditch, mire" in Gaelic.

From an English surname that denoted one who lived near a brook.

Variant of Brook. The name came into use in the 1950s, probably influenced by American socialite Brooke Astor (1902-2007). It was further popularized by actress Brooke Shields (1965-).

From a Scottish surname, of Norman origin, which probably originally referred to the town of Brix in France. The surname was borne by Robert the Bruce, a Scottish hero of the 14th century who achieved independence from England and became the king of Scotland. It has been in use as a given name in the English-speaking world since the 19th century, becoming especially popular in the 1940s and 50s. Notable bearers include Chinese-American actor Bruce Lee (1940-1973), American musician Bruce Springsteen (1949-), and American actor Bruce Willis (1955-). It is also the real name of the comic book superheroes Batman (Bruce Wayne), created 1939, and the Hulk (Bruce Banner), created 1962.

Diminutive of Elizabeth, from a child's pronunciation of the final syllable. It is now associated with the main character from the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003).

From Old Irish cáel meaning "slender". In Irish legend Cáel was a warrior of the Fianna and the lover of Créd.

Variant of Kaylee.

Roman family name that was itself derived from the Roman family name Caelius.

Roman family name that was derived from Latin caelum meaning "heaven".

Most likely related to Hebrew כֶּלֶב (kelev) meaning "dog" [1]. An alternate theory connects it to Hebrew כֹּל (kol) meaning "whole, all of" [2] and לֵב (lev) meaning "heart" [3]. In the Old Testament this is the name of one of the twelve spies sent by Moses into Canaan. Of the Israelites who left Egypt with Moses, Caleb and Joshua were the only ones who lived to see the Promised Land.

As an English name, Caleb came into use after the Protestant Reformation. It was common among the Puritans, who introduced it to America in the 17th century.

Latin form of Καμβύσης (Kambyses), the Greek form of the Old Persian name 𐎣𐎲𐎢𐎪𐎡𐎹 (Kabujiya), which is of uncertain meaning, possibly related to the geographical name Kamboja, a historical region in Central Asia [1]. Two Persian kings bore this name, including Cambyses II, the second ruler of the Achaemenid Empire, who conquered Egypt.

From an Italian word meaning "beloved" or an Irish word meaning "friend". It has been used as a given name since the 19th century, though it did not become popular until after the 1950s.

Late Latin name derived from cara meaning "dear, beloved". This was the name of a 4th-century saint and martyr. It is also the name of a constellation in the southern sky, though in this case it means "keel" in Latin, referring to a part of Jason's ship the Argo.

Variant of Karina.

Variant of Karen 1.

Latin variant of Jasper.

Derived from Old Irish cath "battle" and fal "rule". This was the name of a 7th-century Irish saint. It was also borne by several Irish kings. It has sometimes been Anglicized as Charles.

Diminutive of Catharina.

From Old Irish Cellach, of uncertain origin, traditionally said to mean "bright-headed". Alternatively it could be derived from Old Irish cellach "war, strife" or cell "church". This name was borne by several early Irish kings and by a 12th-century saint, an archbishop of Armagh.

From Old Irish Cerball, probably from cerb meaning "pointed, sharp, cutting". This was the name of a few medieval Irish kings.

Portuguese and French form of Celia.

Feminine form of the Roman family name Caelius. Shakespeare used it in his play As You Like It (1599), which introduced the name to the English-speaking public at large. It is sometimes used as a short form of Cecilia.

French feminine form of Caelinus. This name can also function as a short form of Marceline.

Diminutive of Cellach. This name was borne by a 10th-century king of Munster.

Derived from French chérie meaning "darling". In America, Cherie came into use shortly after the variant Sherry, and has not been as common.

Elaboration of Cherie, perhaps influenced by Beryl. This name was very rare before the 20th century. It seems to have been popularized in America by the actress Cheryl Walker (1918-1971), who had a prominent role in the 1943 movie Stage Door Canteen. After peaking in the 1950s the name has subsequently faded from the popularity charts.

From an English surname that originally belonged to a person who came from Chester, an old Roman settlement in Britain. The name of the settlement came from Latin castrum "camp, fortress".

Means "green shoot" in Greek, referring to new plant growth in the spring. This was an epithet of the Greek goddess Demeter. The name is also mentioned by Paul in one of his epistles in the New Testament.

As an English name, Chloe has been in use since the Protestant Reformation. It started getting more popular in the 1980s in the United Kingdom and then the United States. It was the most popular name for girls in England and Wales from 1997 to 2002. This is one of the few English-language names that is often written with a diaeresis, as Chloë.

From Greek Χριστός (Christos) meaning "anointed", derived from χρίω (chrio) meaning "to anoint". This was a name applied to Jesus by early Greek-speaking Christians. It is a translation of the Hebrew word מָשִׁיחַ (mashiyaḥ), commonly spelled in English messiah, which also means "anointed".

This is a Modern Greek name as well. It has been conflated with the name Χρήστος (see Christos 2), which is spelled differently but pronounced identically in Modern Greek.

From an English surname meaning "cleric" or "scribe", from Old English clerec originally meaning "priest". A famous bearer of the surname was William Clark (1770-1838), an explorer of the west of North America. As a first name it was borne by the American actor Clark Gable (1901-1960), as well as the comic book character Clark Kent, the mild-mannered alter ego of Superman, first created 1938.

German short form of Nicholas.

Short form of Clement.

From an English surname derived from Old English clif meaning "cliff", originally belonging to a person who lived near a cliff.

Latinized form of the Germanic name Hludwig (see Ludwig).

Masculine or feminine diminutive of Jacob.

Old English byname meaning "charcoal", originally given to a person with dark features.

Medieval diminutive of Col, a short form of Nicholas. It is now regarded as an independent name.

Means "conception" in Spanish. This name is given in reference to the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary. A city in Chile bears this name.

Romanian and French form of Constantinus (see Constantine).

From the Latin name Constantinus, a derivative of Constans. Constantine the Great (272-337), full name Flavius Valerius Constantinus, was the first Roman emperor to adopt Christianity. He moved the capital of the empire from Rome to Byzantium, which he renamed Constantinople (modern Istanbul).

Roman family name that possibly derives from the Latin element cornu meaning "horn". In Acts in the New Testament Cornelius is a centurion who is directed by an angel to seek Peter. After speaking with Peter he converts to Christianity, and he is traditionally deemed the first gentile convert. The name was also borne by a few early saints, including a 3rd-century pope. In England it came into use in the 16th century, partly due to Dutch influence.

From an aristocratic English surname that was derived either from the French place name Courtenay (originally a derivative of the personal name Curtenus, itself derived from Latin curtus "short") or else from a Norman nickname meaning "short nose".

Originally more common as a name for boys in America, it became more popular for girls in the 1960s. It began rapidly increasing after 1973, possibly due to a character (played by Natalie Wood) in the television movie The Affair. It reached an apex in the United States ranked 17th in 1990, though it has quickly fallen away since then.

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

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

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

Derived from the Slavic elements čĭstĭ "honour" and slava "glory".

Derived from Old Norse dagr meaning "day".

From the name of the Dardani, an Illyrian tribe who lived on the Balkan Peninsula. Their name may derive from an Illyrian word meaning "pear". They were unrelated to the ancient people who were also called the Dardans who lived near Troy.

Probably an elaborated form of Darren.

Variant of Darian.

Latin form of Greek Δαρεῖος (Dareios), from the Old Persian name 𐎭𐎠𐎼𐎹𐎢𐏁 (Darayauš), shortened from 𐎭𐎠𐎼𐎹𐎺𐎢𐏁 (Darayavauš). It means "possessing goodness", composed of 𐎭𐎠𐎼𐎹 (daraya) meaning "to possess, to hold" and 𐎺𐎢 (vau) meaning "good" [1]. Three ancient kings of Persia bore this name, including Darius the Great who expanded the Achaemenid Empire to its greatest extent. His forces invaded Greece but were defeated in the Battle of Marathon.

It has never been very common as a given name in the English-speaking world, though it rose in popularity after the middle of the 20th century. In the United States it is frequently an African-American name. In Lithuania it may be given in honour of the Lithuanian-American aviator Steponas Darius (1896-1933), who died attempting to fly nonstop from New York to Lithuania. His surname was an Americanized form of the original Darašius.

Means "good deed" or "duty" in Indonesian, ultimately from Sanskrit धर्म (dharma).

Dutch form of Theodoric.

Spanish name, possibly a shortened form of Santiago. In medieval records Diego was Latinized as Didacus, and it has been suggested that it in fact derives from Greek διδαχή (didache) meaning "teaching". Saint Didacus (or Diego) was a 15th-century Franciscan brother based in Alcalá, Spain.

Other famous bearers of this name include Spanish painter Diego Velázquez (1599-1660), Mexican muralist Diego Rivera (1886-1957) and Argentine soccer player Diego Maradona (1960-2020).

Means "justice, custom, order" in Greek. In Greek mythology Dike was the goddess of justice, one of the Ὥραι (Horai).

Greek personal name derived from the name of the Greek god Dionysos. Famous bearers include two early tyrants of Syracuse and a 1st-century BC Greek rhetorician.

Latin form of Dionysios. Dionysius the Areopagite, who is mentioned in the New Testament, was a judge converted to Christianity by Saint Paul. This was also the name of many other early saints, including a 3rd-century pope.

From Greek Διός (Dios) meaning "of Zeus" combined with Nysa, the name of the region where young Dionysos was said to have been raised. In Greek mythology Dionysos was the god of wine, revelry, fertility and dance. He was the son of Zeus and Semele.

Means "unattainable, unassailable" in Sanskrit. Durga is a Hindu warrior goddess, usually depicted with multiple arms and riding on the back of a lion or tiger. The Puranas relate that she came into being to combat the buffalo demon Mahishasura. She is sometimes considered a fierce aspect of Parvati the wife of Shiva. In Shaktism she is viewed as a principal aspect of the supreme goddess Mahadevi.

Old English form of Edgar.

Scottish Gaelic form of Elizabeth.

Spanish form of Adelmar.

From the English word for the flower also known as sweetbrier. It is derived via Old French from Vulgar Latin *aquilentum meaning "prickly". It was early used as a given name (in the form Eglentyne) in Geoffrey Chaucer's 14th-century story The Prioress's Tale (one of The Canterbury Tales).

Variant of Eluned.

From Ἐλισάβετ (Elisabet), the Greek form of the Hebrew name אֱלִישֶׁבַע (ʾElishevaʿ) meaning "my God is an oath", derived from the roots אֵל (ʾel) referring to the Hebrew God and שָׁבַע (shavaʿ) meaning "oath". The Hebrew form appears in the Old Testament where Elisheba is the wife of Aaron, while the Greek form appears in the New Testament where Elizabeth is the mother of John the Baptist.

Among Christians, this name was originally more common in Eastern Europe. It was borne in the 12th century by Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, a daughter of King Andrew II who used her wealth to help the poor. In medieval England it was occasionally used in honour of the saint, though the form Isabel (from Occitan and Spanish) was more common. It has been very popular in England since the reign of Queen Elizabeth I in the 16th century. In American name statistics (as recorded since 1880) it has never ranked lower than 30, making it the most consistently popular name for girls in the United States.

Besides Elizabeth I, this name has been borne (in various spellings) by many other European royals, including a ruling empress of Russia in the 18th century. Famous modern bearers include the British queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022) and actress Elizabeth Taylor (1932-2011).

Derived from Welsh eilun meaning "image, likeness, idol". This was the name of a legendary 5th-century Welsh saint, also known as Eiliwedd, one of the supposed daughters of Brychan Brycheiniog.

Derived from the Old German element era "honour, respect" combined with hart "hard, firm, brave, hardy" [1][2]. Saint Erhard was a 7th-century bishop of Regensburg in Bavaria.

Derived from Old High German ernust meaning "serious, earnest". It was introduced to England by the German House of Hanover when they inherited the British throne in the 18th century, though it did not become common until the following century. The American author and adventurer Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961) was a famous bearer of the name. It was also used by Oscar Wilde for a character in his comedy The Importance of Being Earnest (1895).

Italian, Spanish and Portuguese feminine form of Ernest.

Means "mercy" in Basque. It was coined by Sabino Arana in 1910 as an equivalent of the Spanish name Mercedes.

English form of Eugenius, the Latin form of the Greek name Εὐγένιος (Eugenios), which was derived from the Greek word εὐγενής (eugenes) meaning "well born". It is composed of the elements εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and γενής (genes) meaning "born". This was the name of several saints and four popes.

This name was not particularly common in Western Europe during the Middle Ages. It became more popular in part due to the fame of Prince Eugene of Savoy (1663-1736), a French-born general who served the Austrian Empire. A notable bearer was the American playwright Eugene O'Neill (1888-1953).

Italian and Spanish form of Eugenius (see Eugene).

Means "mirth, merriment, cheerfulness" in Greek, a derivative of εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and φρήν (phren) meaning "mind, heart". She was one of the three Graces or Χάριτες (Charites) in Greek mythology.

From the Hebrew name חַוָּה (Ḥawwa), which was derived from the Hebrew word חָוָה (ḥawa) meaning "to breathe" or the related word חָיָה (ḥaya) meaning "to live". According to the Old Testament Book of Genesis, Eve and Adam were the first humans. God created her from one of Adam's ribs to be his companion. At the urging of a serpent she ate the forbidden fruit and shared some with Adam, causing their expulsion from the Garden of Eden.

Despite this potentially negative association, the name was occasionally used by Christians during the Middle Ages. In the English-speaking world both Eve and the Latin form Eva were revived in the 19th century, with the latter being more common.

From Everardus, the Latinized form of Eberhard. The Normans introduced it to England, where it joined the Old English cognate Eoforheard. It has only been rarely used since the Middle Ages. Modern use of the name may be inspired by the surname Everard, itself derived from the medieval name.

From an English surname that was derived from the given name Everard.

Anglicized form of Eòghann.

From Shona fara meaning "rejoice, be happy" [1].

Means "radiance of the moon" in Turkish.

Derived from Latin flos meaning "flower" (genitive case floris). Flora was the Roman goddess of flowers and spring, the wife of Zephyr the west wind. It has been used as a given name since the Renaissance, starting in France. In Scotland it was sometimes used as an Anglicized form of Fionnghuala.

Roman cognomen that was derived from Latin flos meaning "flower" (genitive case floris). It was borne by a 2nd-century saint who was martyred with Laurus in Illyricum.

Welsh form of Valentine 1.

Short form of various Old Norse names that contain the element folk meaning "people", and thus a cognate of Fulk.

English form of the Late Latin name Franciscus meaning "Frenchman", ultimately from the Germanic tribe of the Franks, who were named for a type of spear that they used (Proto-Germanic *frankô). This name was borne by the 13th-century Saint Francis of Assisi, who was originally named Giovanni but was given the nickname Francesco by his father, an admirer of the French. Francis went on to renounce his father's wealth and devote his life to the poor, founding the Franciscan order of friars. Later in his life he apparently received the stigmata.

Due to the renown of the saint, this name became widespread in Western Europe during the Middle Ages. However, it was not regularly used in Britain until the 16th century. Famous bearers include Saint Francis Xavier (1506-1552), a missionary to East Asia, the philosopher and scientist Francis Bacon (1561-1626), the explorer and admiral Francis Drake (1540-1595), and Pope Francis (1936-).

In the English-speaking world this name is occasionally used for girls, as a variant of the homophone Frances.

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

From Old Norse Freyja meaning "lady". This is the name of a goddess associated with love, beauty, war and death in Norse mythology. She claims half of the heroes who are slain in battle and brings them to her realm of Fólkvangr. Along with her brother Freyr and father Njord, she is one of the Vanir (as opposed to the Æsir). Some scholars connect her with the goddess Frigg.

This is not the usual spelling in any of the Scandinavian languages (in Sweden and Denmark it is Freja and in Norway it is Frøja) but it is the common spelling of the goddess's name in English. In the 2000s it became popular in Britain.

Old German form of Volker.

Roman praenomen, or given name, of uncertain meaning. It is possibly derived from Latin gaudere "to rejoice", though it may be of unknown Etruscan origin. This was a very common Roman praenomen, the most famous bearers being Gaius Julius Caesar, the great leader of the Roman Republic, and his adopted son Gaius Octavius (later known as Augustus), the first Roman emperor. This name also appears in the New Testament belonging to a bishop of Ephesus who is regarded as a saint.

Medieval Italian nickname meaning "gem, precious stone". It was borne by the wife of the 13th-century Italian poet Dante Alighieri.

From a Norman French form of a Frankish name. The second element is Old German fridu "peace", while the first element could be *gautaz "Geat" (a North Germanic tribe), gawi "territory" or walah "foreigner". It is possible that two or more names merged into a single form. In the later Middle Ages Geoffrey was further confused with the distinct name Godfrey.

The Normans introduced this name to England where it became common among the nobility. Famous medieval literary bearers include the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth and the 14th-century poet Geoffrey Chaucer, writer of The Canterbury Tales. By the end of the Middle Ages it had become uncommon, but it was revived in the 20th century, often in the spelling Jeffrey.

Diminutive of Giovanni.

French diminutive of Georgine or Virginie.

Short form of Gilbert and other names beginning with Gil.

Means "joy, happiness" in Hebrew.

Means "bright pledge", derived from the Old German elements gisal "pledge, hostage" and beraht "bright". The Normans introduced this name to England, where it was common during the Middle Ages. It was borne by a 12th-century English saint, the founder of the religious order known as the Gilbertines.

From the Late Latin name Aegidius, which is derived from Greek αἰγίδιον (aigidion) meaning "young goat". Saint Giles was an 8th-century miracle worker who came to southern France from Greece. He is regarded as the patron saint of the crippled. In Old French the name Aegidius became Gidie and then Gilles, at which point it was imported to England. Another famous bearer was the 13th-century philosopher and theologian Giles of Rome (Egidio in Italian).

Italian short form of names ending in gino.

Italian feminine form of George, as well as a Greek variant form.

German short form of Giselle.

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

From the Germanic name Godefrid, which meant "peace of god" from the Old German elements got "god" and fridu "peace". The Normans brought this name to England, where it became common during the Middle Ages. A notable bearer was Godfrey of Bouillon, an 11th-century leader of the First Crusade and the first ruler of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem.

German form of Godfrey. This name was borne by the 13th-century German poet Gottfried von Strassburg and the German philosopher and mathematician Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646-1716), one of the inventors of calculus.

Spanish diminutive of Gregorio.

From an English surname that was derived from a Norman place name Grainville.

Diminutive of Grete. It is well-known as a character from an 1812 Brothers Grimm fairy tale who is captured, with her brother Hansel, by a witch. The Grimm's story was based on earlier European folktales.

Anglicized form of Gruffudd.

Armenian, Bulgarian and Macedonian form of Gregory. This is the name of the patron saint of Armenia (known as Saint Gregory the Illuminator in English).

Norman French form of Warin.

Derived from the Old German elements gomo meaning "man" and rih meaning "ruler, king".

From the Old Norse name Hallsteinn, derived from the elements hallr "rock" and steinn "stone".

Old Swedish form of Hallsteinn (see Hallstein).

Anglicized form of a Sheumais, the vocative case of Seumas.

Means "Yahweh is gracious" in Hebrew, from חָנַן (ḥanan) meaning "to be gracious" and יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. This name appears frequently in the Old Testament. It is the Hebrew name of Shadrach.

From the Punic name 𐤇𐤍𐤁𐤏𐤋 meaning "my grace is Ba'al", derived from Phoenician 𐤇𐤍𐤍 (ḥann) meaning "grace, favour" combined with the name of the god Ba'al. This name occurs often in Carthaginian history. It was most notably borne by the famed general and tactician Hannibal Barca, who threatened Rome during the Second Punic War in the 3rd century BC. It is also associated with the fictional villain Hannibal Lecter from the books by Thomas Harris (debuting 1981) and subsequent movie adaptations.

Means "brown, yellow, tawny" in Sanskrit, and by extension "monkey, horse, lion". This is another name of the Hindu god Vishnu, and sometimes of his avatar Krishna. In this context it is sometimes considered a derivative of Sanskrit हृ (hṛ) meaning "to take away", referring to the removal of sins.

Medieval English form of Henry. In modern times it is used as a diminutive of both Henry and names beginning with Har. Famous bearers include the American president Harry S. Truman (1884-1972), who was named after his uncle Harrison, and the British royal Prince Harry (1984-), who is actually named Henry. It is also the name of the boy wizard in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series of books, first released in 1997.

Swedish diminutive of Hans.

From an English surname that denoted one who lived on a heath. It was popularized as a given name by the character Heath Barkley from the 1960s television series The Big Valley [1].

From the Greek Ἑκάτη (Hekate), possibly derived from ἑκάς (hekas) meaning "far off". In Greek mythology Hecate was a goddess associated with witchcraft, crossroads, tombs, demons and the underworld.

Diminutive of Heinrich.

Means "day" in Greek. This was the name of the Greek goddess who personified the daytime. According to Hesiod she was the daughter of Nyx, the personification of the night.

French feminine diminutive of Henri.

Probably from Greek ἕρμα (herma) meaning "cairn, pile of stones, boundary marker". Hermes was a Greek god associated with speed and good luck, who served as a messenger to Zeus and the other gods. He was also the patron of travellers, writers, athletes, merchants, thieves and orators.

This was also used as a personal name, being borne for example by a 1st-century saint and martyr.

Feminine form of Hermes. Shakespeare used this name in his comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream (1595).

Medieval short form of Robert.

From the Old Norse name Hólmgeirr, derived from the elements holmr "small island" and geirr "spear". In Scandinavia and Germany this is the usual name for the hero Ogier the Dane from medieval French romance.

From the Greek name Ὅμηρος (Homeros), derived from ὅμηρος (homeros) meaning "hostage, pledge". Homer was the Greek epic poet who wrote the Iliad, about the Trojan War, and the Odyssey, about Odysseus's journey home after the war. There is some debate about when he lived, or if he was even a real person, though most scholars place him in the 8th century BC. In the modern era, Homer has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world (chiefly in America) since the 18th century. This name is borne by the oafish cartoon father on the television series The Simpsons.

Late Latin name meaning "esteemed, distinguished". This was the name of at least seven saints, including a 5th-century archbishop of Arles and a 6th-century bishop of Amiens who is the patron saint of bakers.

French form of Honoratus or Honorius. A notable bearer was the French author Honoré de Balzac (1799-1850).

Late Latin name meaning "honour, esteem, dignity". This was the name of an emperor of the Western Roman Empire. It was also borne by a few early saints and four popes.

From the English word honour, which is of Latin origin. This was one of the virtue names adopted by the Puritans in the 17th century. It can also be viewed as a form of Honoria or Honorata, which are ultimately derived from the same source.

Medieval diminutive of Hob.

From Romanian horă, a type of circle dance. This was the nickname of Vasile Ursu Nicola (1731-1785), a leader of a peasant rebellion in Romania. He was eventually captured, tortured and executed.

Old Norse name derived from hugr "mind, thought, mood" and leikr "play".

Danish diminutive of Jakob.

Scottish Gaelic form of Isabel.

Means "be happy" in Tswana, from itumela meaning "to be happy".

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

Short form of Jason, sometimes used independently. It was brought to limited attention in America by the lead character in the western television series Tales of the Texas Rangers (1955-1958). Towards the end of the 20th century it began steadily increasing in popularity, reaching the 66th spot for boys in the United States in 2013.

Serbian, Croatian and Macedonian form of Jacob (or James).

Diminutive of Jakov.

English form of the Late Latin name Iacomus, a variant of the Biblical Latin form Iacobus, from the Hebrew name Yaʿaqov (see Jacob). This was the name of two apostles in the New Testament. The first was Saint James the Greater, the apostle John's brother, who was beheaded under Herod Agrippa in the Book of Acts. The second was James the Lesser, son of Alphaeus. Another James (known as James the Just) is also mentioned in the Bible as being the brother of Jesus.

This name has been used in England since the 13th century, though it became more common in Scotland where it was borne by several kings. In the 17th century the Scottish king James VI inherited the English throne, becoming the first ruler of all Britain, and the name grew much more popular. In American name statistics (recorded since 1880) this name has never been out of the top 20, making it arguably the era's most consistently popular name. It was the top ranked name for boys in the United States from 1940 to 1952.

Famous bearers include the English explorer James Cook (1728-1779), the Scottish inventor James Watt (1736-1819), and the Irish novelist and poet James Joyce (1882-1941). This name has also been borne by six American presidents. A notable fictional bearer is the British spy James Bond, created by author Ian Fleming in 1953.

From an English surname meaning "son of James".

Medieval diminutive of Jan 3.

Polish form of Yaroslav.

From the Greek name Ἰάσων (Iason) meaning "healer", derived from Greek ἰάομαι (iaomai) meaning "to heal". In Greek mythology Jason was the leader of the Argonauts. After his uncle Pelias overthrew his father Aeson as king of Iolcos, Jason went in search of the Golden Fleece in order to win back the throne. During his journeys he married the sorceress Medea, who helped him gain the fleece and kill his uncle, but who later turned against him when he fell in love with another woman.

This name also appears in the New Testament, belonging to man who sheltered Paul and Silas. In his case, it may represent a Hellenized form of a Hebrew name. It was not used in England until after the Protestant Reformation.

From Latin Gaspar, perhaps from the Biblical Hebrew word גִּזְבָּר (gizbar) meaning "treasurer" [1], derived from Old Persian ganzabarah. This name was traditionally assigned to one of the wise men (also known as the Magi, or three kings) who were said to have visited the newborn Jesus. It has occasionally been used in the English-speaking world since the Middle Ages. The name can also be given in reference to the English word for the gemstone.

Short form of names beginning with the sound J, such as James or Jason. It was originally used in America in honour of founding father John Jay (1749-1825), whose surname was derived from the jaybird.

Form of Yahweh used in older translations of the Bible, produced by blending the letters of the Tetragrammaton with the vowels from Adonai.

From Ἰεσσαί (Iessai), the Greek form of the Hebrew name יִשַׁי (Yishai). This could be a derivative of the word שַׁי (shai) meaning "gift" or יֵשׁ (yesh) meaning "existence". In the Old Testament Jesse is the father of King David. It began to be used as an English given name after the Protestant Reformation.

A famous bearer was Jesse James (1847-1882), an American outlaw who held up banks and stagecoaches. He was eventually shot by a fellow gang member for a reward. Another famous bearer was the American athlete Jesse Owens (1913-1980), whose real name was James Cleveland (or J. C.) Owens.

Originally a Scots diminutive of Jean 2. In modern times it is also used as a diminutive of Jessica.

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

Variant of Ximeno.

From a Frankish masculine name, variously written as Gautselin, Gauzlin, along with many other spellings. It was derived from the Germanic element *gautaz, which was from the name of the Germanic tribe the Geats, combined with a Latin diminutive suffix. The Normans brought this name to England in the form Goscelin or Joscelin, and it was common until the 14th century. It was revived in the 20th century primarily as a feminine name, perhaps an adaptation of the surname Jocelyn (a medieval derivative of the given name). In France this is a masculine name only.

Dutch form of Iudocus (see Joyce), sometimes used as a diminutive of Justus or Jozef.

From the name of the river that flows between the countries of Jordan and Israel. The river's name in Hebrew is יַרְדֵן (Yarḏen), and it is derived from יָרַד (yaraḏ) meaning "descend, flow down". In the New Testament John the Baptist baptizes Jesus Christ in its waters, and it was adopted as a personal name in Europe after crusaders brought water back from the river to baptize their children. There may have been some influence from the Latin name Jordanes, notably borne by a 6th-century Gothic historian.

This name died out after the Middle Ages, but was revived in the 19th century. In America and other countries it became fairly popular in the second half of the 20th century. A famous bearer of the surname is former basketball star Michael Jordan (1963-).

The name of a 6th-century Roman author of Gothic background, who wrote a history of the Goths. His name is probably derived from that of the Jordan River. However, some theories [1][2] suggest that it could contain a trace of the Germanic root *erþō meaning "earth" (Gothic airþa, Old Norse jǫrð).

From Latin Iuppiter, which was ultimately derived from the vocative form of Indo-European *Dyēws-pətēr, composed of the elements Dyēws (see Zeus) and pətēr "father". Jupiter was the supreme god in Roman mythology. He presided over the heavens and light, and was responsible for the protection and laws of the Roman state. This is also the name of the fifth and largest planet in the solar system.

Meaning uncertain, possibly a Frisian diminutive of Gerhard, Nicolaas, Cornelis or Gaius [1]. It is borne by a boy captured by the Snow Queen in an 1844 fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen. Spreading from Germany and Scandinavia, this name became popular in the English-speaking world and other places in Western Europe around the end of the 20th century.

Finnish and Estonian diminutive of Katherine.

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

Means "the black one", derived from Sanskrit काल (kāla) meaning "black". The Hindu goddess Kali is the fierce destructive form of the wife of Shiva. According to stories in the Puranas, she springs from the forehead of Durga in order to defeat various demons. She is typically depicted with black skin and four arms, holding a severed head and brandishing a sword. As a personal name, it is generally masculine in India.

Means "lotus" or "pale red" in Sanskrit. In Sanskrit this is a transcription of both the feminine form कमला and the masculine form कमल, though in modern languages it is only a feminine form. In Tantric Hinduism and Shaktism this is the name of a goddess, also identified with the goddess Lakshmi.

Means "made of candy" in Esperanto, a derivative of kando meaning "candy, rock sugar".

Yiddish diminutive of Yaakov.

Means "captain" in Hawaiian (of English origin).

Variant of Cara.

Means "generous, noble" in Arabic, from the root كرم (karuma) meaning "to be generous". In Islamic tradition الكريم (al-Karīm) is one of the 99 names of Allah.

Derived from Sanskrit कर्ण (karṇa) meaning "ear". According to the Hindu epic the Mahabharata this was the name of the son of the sun god Surya and Kunti, who gave birth to him through her ear. He was a great warrior who became the king of Anga, eventually joining the Kauravas to fight against his half-brothers the Pandavas.

Means "princess", ultimately from Sanskrit कुमारी (kumārī) meaning "girl". This surname was assigned to all female Sikhs in 1699 by Guru Gobind Singh. It is now used as a surname or a middle name by most female Sikhs. The male equivalent is Singh.

Short form of Katherine and other names beginning with K.

Hungarian form of Clement.

From the name of the bird of prey, ultimately derived from Old French crecelle "rattle", which refers to the sound of its cry.

Hawaiian form of James.

Diminutive of Katherine.

Variant of Kwabena.

Diminutive of Nikolai.

Derived from Latin corvus meaning "raven". This was the name of an 8th-century Frankish saint who was sent by Pope Gregory II to evangelize in Bavaria. His real name may have been Hraban.

Western Armenian transcription of Grigor.

Alternate transcription of Avestan 𐬑𐬱𐬀𐬚𐬭𐬀⸱𐬬𐬀𐬌𐬭𐬌𐬌𐬀 (see Xshathra Vairya).

Means "spear" in Sanskrit. In the Hindu epic the Mahabharata this is the name of a wife of Pandu and the mother of three of the five Pandavas. By the sun god Surya she was also the mother of the hero Karna.

Means "born on Tuesday" in Akan.

Means "sign, mark" in Sanskrit. This is the name of the Hindu goddess of prosperity, good luck, and beauty. She is the wife of Vishnu and her symbol is the lotus flower, with which she is often depicted.

Variant of Laurence 1. This spelling of the name is now more common than Laurence in the English-speaking world, probably because Lawrence is the usual spelling of the surname. The surname was borne by the author and poet D. H. Lawrence (1885-1930), as well as the revolutionary T. E. Lawrence (1888-1935), who was known as Lawrence of Arabia.

Alternate transcription of Telugu లక్ష్మి or Marathi/Hindi लक्ष्मी (see Lakshmi), as well as the most common Nepali transcription.

Diminutive of Leonard, sometimes a feminine form.

Old German name composed of the elements liut "people" and heri "army".

Variant of Lynette.

Diminutive of Linda and other names beginning with Lin.

Dutch form of Ludwig.

Means "little blackbird", derived from Old Irish lon "blackbird" combined with a diminutive suffix. This name was borne by several early saints.

English form of Lothar.

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

Swedish diminutive of Ludvig.

From a German surname, itself derived from the Old German given name Leuthar. The surname was borne by Martin Luther (1483-1546), a monk and theologian who started the Protestant Reformation by nailing his famous 95 theses to a church door. It has since been used as a given name in his honour, especially among Protestants. A notable bearer from the modern era was the American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968).

From an English surname that was derived from Welsh llyn meaning "lake". Before the start of the 20th century it was primarily used for boys, but it has since come to be more common for girls. In some cases it may be thought of as a short form of Linda or names that end in lyn or line.

Polish form of Matthias.

From a title meaning "of Magdala". Mary Magdalene, a character in the New Testament, was named thus because she was from Magdala — a village on the Sea of Galilee whose name meant "tower" in Hebrew. She was cleaned of evil spirits by Jesus and then remained with him during his ministry, witnessing the crucifixion and the resurrection. She was a popular saint in the Middle Ages, and the name became common then. In England it is traditionally rendered Madeline, while Magdalene or Magdalen is the learned form.

Derived from Old Norse magn "power, strength" and hildr "battle". This was the name of an 1877 novel by the Norwegian author Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson.

From Greek μαῖα (maia) meaning "good mother, dame, foster mother", perhaps in origin a nursery form of μήτηρ (meter). In Greek and Roman mythology she was the eldest of the Pleiades, a group of stars in the constellation Taurus, who were the daughters of Atlas and Pleione. Her son by Zeus was Hermes.

Probably from Latin maior meaning "greater". This was the name of a Roman goddess of spring, a companion (sometimes wife) of Vulcan. She was later conflated with the Greek goddess Maia. The month of May is named for her.

Basque form of Magdalene.

Scottish Gaelic form of Margaret.

From Maldwyn, another name for the old Welsh county of Montgomeryshire. It is so called from Trefaldwyn, the Welsh name for the county town of Montgomery, misinterpreting it as if meaning "town of Maldwyn". In fact it means "town of Baldwin" (in Welsh both m and b mutate to f).

Swedish and Norwegian short form of Magdalene.

Diminutive of Magdalena.

Roman feminine form of Marianus. After the classical era it was sometimes interpreted as a combination of Maria and Ana. In Portuguese it is further used as a form of Mariamne.

Roman family name, which was itself derived from the Roman name Marius. This was the name of a few early saints.

Croatian, Serbian, Slovene and Macedonian form of Mariana.

Form of Latin Marcus used in several languages. Saint Mark was the author of the second gospel in the New Testament. Though the author's identity is not certain, some traditions hold him to be the same person as the John Mark who appears in the Book of Acts. He is the patron saint of Venice, where he is supposedly buried. Though in use during the Middle Ages, Mark was not common in the English-speaking world until the 19th century, when it began to be used alongside the classical form Marcus.

In the medieval legend of Tristan and Iseult this was the name of a king of Cornwall. It was also borne by the American author Mark Twain (1835-1910), real name Samuel Clemens, the author of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. He took his pen name from a call used by riverboat workers on the Mississippi River to indicate a depth of two fathoms. This is also the usual English spelling of the name of the 1st-century BC Roman triumvir Marcus Antonius (Mark Antony).

Possibly related to Latin mas meaning "male" (genitive maris). In Roman mythology Mars was the god of war, often equated with the Greek god Ares. This is also the name of the fourth planet in the solar system.

From an English surname that originally denoted a person who was a marshal. The word marshal originally derives from Latin mariscalcus, itself from Germanic roots akin to Old High German marah "horse" and scalc "servant". A famous bearer is the American rapper Marshall Mathers (1972-), who performs under the name Eminem.

Russian form of Matthew.

Medieval English and French form of Matilda. Though it became rare after the 14th century, it was revived and once more grew popular in the 19th century, perhaps due to Alfred Tennyson's 1855 poem Maud [1].

Variant of Maud.

French form of the Roman name Maxentius, a derivative of Latin maximus "greatest". This was the agnomen of an early 4th-century Roman emperor, Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maxentius, a rival of Constantine. It was also borne by a 6th-century saint from Agde in France.

Latin form of Maxence.

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.

Hispanic variant of Myra.

Danish diminutive of Margaret.

Diminutive of Maria. It coincides with the Italian word mia meaning "mine".

This name was common in Sweden and Denmark in the 1970s [1]. It rose in popularity in the English-speaking world in the 1990s, entering the top ten for girls in the United States in 2009. It was also popular in many other countries at that time. Famous bearers include American actress Mia Farrow (1945-) and American soccer player Mia Hamm (1972-), birth names Maria and Mariel respectively.

French form of Michael. Michel de Nostredame (1503-1566), also known as Nostradamus, was a French astrologer who made predictions about future world events. Another famous bearer is the retired French soccer player Michel Platini (1955-). This is also the German diminutive form of Michael.

Meaning unknown. In Greek myth Midas was a king of Phrygia in Asia Minor. He was granted a wish by the god Dionysos — that everything he touch be turned to gold.

Diminutive of Miguel.

Short form of Mihael.

Diminutive of Milan or Mihovil.

Russian and Belarusian form of Michael, and an alternate transcription of Bulgarian Михаил (see Mihail). This was the name of two Russian tsars. Other notable bearers include the Russian poet Mikhail Lermontov (1814-1841), the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev (1931-2022), and the Latvian-Russian-American dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov (1948-).

Hungarian form of Nicholas.

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.

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

Diminutive of Maria and other names beginning with M.

Russian diminutive of Mikhail.

Diminutive of Mikael.

German diminutive of Maria.

Persian form of Muhammad, as well as an alternate transcription for Arabic and several other languages.

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.

From the name of a mountain near Barcelona, the site of a monastery founded in the 10th century. The mountain gets its name from Latin mons serratus meaning "jagged mountain".

Means "viburnum shrub" in Hebrew.

Diminutive of Matvey or Matrona 1.

Means "praised, commendable" in Arabic, derived from the root حمد (ḥamida) meaning "to praise". This was the name of the prophet who founded the Islamic religion in the 7th century. According to Islamic belief, at age 40 Muhammad was visited by the angel Gabriel, who provided him with the first verses of the Quran. Approximately 20 years later he conquered Mecca, the city of his birth, and his followers controlled most of the Arabian Peninsula at the time of his death in 632.

Since the prophet's time his name has been very popular in the Muslim world. It was borne by several Abbasid caliphs and six sultans of the Ottoman Empire (though their names are usually given in the Turkish spelling Mehmet). Other famous bearers include Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi (9th century), a Persian mathematician and scientist who devised algebra, Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Rushd (1126-1198), an Andalusian scholar also called Averroes, and Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi (1207-1273), a Persian poet. In the modern era there is Muhammad Ali Jinnah (1876-1948), the founder of Pakistan, and the American boxer Muhammad Ali (1942-2016).

From a surname, which is either Scottish or Irish in origin (see Murray 1 and Murray 2).

Variant of Miles.

Created by the 17th-century poet Fulke Greville. He possibly based it on Latin myrra meaning "myrrh" (a fragrant resin obtained from a tree). Otherwise, he may have simply rearranged the letters from the name Mary. Although unrelated etymologically, this is also the name of an ancient city of Anatolia.

From Basque nahi meaning "desire, wish".

Diminutive of Ioanna.

Means "flower, blossom" in Arabic, a derivative of نوّر (nawwara) meaning "to blossom, to illuminate, to light".

Danish variant of Nils.

From Nigellus, a medieval Latinized form of Neil. It was commonly associated with Latin niger "black". It was revived in the 19th century, perhaps in part due to Walter Scott's novel The Fortunes of Nigel (1822).

Form of Nicholas in several languages. Note, in Czech this is also a feminine name (see Nikola 2). A famous bearer was the Serbian-American inventor Nikola Tesla (1856-1943).

From the name of a 5th-century British saint, known as the Apostle to the Picts, who was apparently responsible for many miracles and cures. He first appears briefly in the 8th-century Latin writings of the historian Bede, though his name is only written in the ablative case Nynia [1]. This may represent a Brythonic name *Ninniau [2][3].

From Sanskrit निशा (niśā) meaning "night".

From the Hebrew name נֹחַ (Noaḥ) meaning "rest, repose", derived from the root נוּחַ (nuaḥ). According to the Old Testament, Noah was the builder of the Ark that allowed him, his family, and animals of each species to survive the Great Flood. After the flood he received the sign of the rainbow as a covenant from God. He was the father of Shem, Ham and Japheth.

As an English Christian name, Noah has been used since the Protestant Reformation, being common among the Puritans. In the United States it was not overly popular in the 19th and 20th centuries, but it began slowly growing in the 1970s. Starting 1994 it increased rapidly — this was when actor Noah Wyle (1971-) began starring on the television series ER. A further boost in 2004 from the main character in the movie The Notebook helped it eventually become the most popular name for boys in America between 2013 and 2016. At the same time it has also been heavily used in other English-speaking countries, as well as Germany, the Netherlands, Scandinavia and France.

A famous bearer was the American lexicographer Noah Webster (1758-1843).

Medieval diminutive of Oliver.

Means "beauty" in Hebrew.

Probably a Welsh form of *Ninniau (see Ninian). This form is used for Nennius in Brut y Brenhinedd [1], the Middle Welsh translation of the 12th-century Latin chronicles of Geoffrey of Monmouth. The name also appears in the Welsh tale Culhwch and Olwen belonging to a man who is transformed into an ox [2].

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

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

Means "God's time" in Igbo.

Means "God's time is greater" in Igbo.

From Old French Olivier, which was possibly derived from Latin oliva "olive tree" [1]. Alternatively there could be an underlying Germanic name, such as Old Norse Áleifr (see Olaf) or Frankish Alawar (see Álvaro), with the spelling altered by association with the Latin word. In the Middle Ages the name became well-known in Western Europe because of the French epic La Chanson de Roland, in which Olivier is a friend and advisor to the hero Roland.

In England Oliver was a common medieval name, however it became rare after the 17th century because of the military commander Oliver Cromwell, who ruled the country following the civil war. The name was revived in the 19th century, perhaps due in part to the title character in Charles Dickens' novel Oliver Twist (1838), about a poor orphan living on the streets of London. It became very popular at the beginning of the 21st century, reaching the top rank for boys in England and Wales in 2009 and entering the top ten in the United States in 2017.

Derived from Greek ὠφέλεια (opheleia) meaning "help, advantage". This was a rare ancient Greek name, which was either rediscovered or recreated by the poet Jacopo Sannazaro for a character in his poem Arcadia (1480). It was borrowed by Shakespeare for his play Hamlet (1600), in which it belongs to the daughter of Polonius and the potential love interest of Hamlet. She eventually goes insane and drowns herself after Hamlet kills her father. In spite of this negative association, the name has been in use since the 19th century.

Derived from the Old English elements os "god" and gar "spear". It is a cognate of Ansgar.

Hungarian and Icelandic form of Otto.

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.

From an Old Welsh name (Ougein, Eugein and other spellings), which was possibly from the Latin name Eugenius. Other theories connect it to the Celtic roots *owi- "sheep", *wesu- "good" or *awi- "desire" combined with the Old Welsh suffix gen "born of". This is the name of several figures from British history, including Owain mab Urien, a 6th-century prince of Rheged who fought against the Angles. The 12th-century French poet Chrétien de Troyes adapted him into Yvain for his Arthurian romance Yvain, the Knight of the Lion. Regarded as one of the Knights of the Round Table, Yvain or Owain has since appeared in many other Arthurian tales, typically being the son of King Urien of Gore, and the errant husband of Laudine, the Lady of the Fountain.

Other notable bearers include Owain the Great, a 12th-century king of Gwynedd, and Owain Glyndwr, a 14th-century leader of the Welsh resistance to English rule.

Anglicized form of Owain.

Diminutive of Francisco.

From an English occupational surname that meant "keeper of the park".

From the Latin name Patricius, which meant "nobleman". This name was adopted in the 5th-century by Saint Patrick, whose birth name was Sucat. He was a Romanized Briton who was captured and enslaved in his youth by Irish raiders. After six years of servitude he escaped home, but he eventually became a bishop and went back to Ireland as a missionary. He is traditionally credited with Christianizing the island, and is regarded as Ireland's patron saint. He is called Pádraig in Irish.

In England and elsewhere in Europe during the Middle Ages this name was used in honour of the saint. However, it was not generally given in Ireland before the 17th century because it was considered too sacred for everyday use. It has since become very common there.

Russian form of Pelagia.

Feminine form of Pelagius. This was the name of a few early saints, including a young 4th-century martyr who threw herself from a rooftop in Antioch rather than lose her virginity.

Latinized form of the Greek name Πελάγιος (Pelagios), which was derived from πέλαγος (pelagos) meaning "the sea". This was the name of several saints and two popes. It was also borne by a 4th-century British theologian whose teachings were eventually declared heretical.

Probably derived from Greek πηνέλοψ (penelops), a type of duck. Alternatively it could be from πήνη (pene) meaning "threads, weft" and ὄψ (ops) meaning "face, eye". In Homer's epic the Odyssey this is the name of the wife of Odysseus, forced to fend off suitors while her husband is away fighting at Troy.

It has occasionally been used as an English given name since the 16th century. It was moderately popular in the 1940s, but had a more notable upswing in the early 2000s. This may have been inspired by the Spanish actress Penélope Cruz (1974-), who gained prominence in English-language movies at that time. It was already rapidly rising when celebrities Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick gave it to their baby daughter in 2012.

Spanish diminutive of José.

Diminutive of Giuseppe.

Short form of Roopertti or Alpertti.

Means "spring" in Turkish.