Wisenheimer's Personal Name List

From the Hebrew name אַבְשָׁלוֹם (ʾAvshalom) meaning "father is peace", derived from אָב (ʾav) meaning "father" and שָׁלוֹם (shalom) meaning "peace". In the Old Testament he is a son of King David. He avenged his sister Tamar by arranging the murder of her rapist, their half-brother Amnon. He later led a revolt against his father. While fleeing on the back of a mule he got his head caught in a tree and was killed by Joab.

Originally a short form of Germanic names beginning with the element alt meaning "old" (Proto-Germanic *aldaz), and sometimes also with adal meaning "noble" (Proto-Germanic *aþalaz).

Probably a diminutive of names beginning with the Old English element eald "old". It has been in use as an English given name since the Middle Ages, mainly in East Anglia [1]. The British author Aldous Huxley (1894-1963) was a famous bearer of this name.

From a Germanic name, derived from the elements alt "old" and rih "ruler, king". Saint Aldric was a 9th-century bishop of Le Mans.

Originally a Norman French nickname, derived from aux gernons "having a moustache", which was applied to William de Percy, a companion of William the Conqueror. It was first used a given name in the 15th century (for a descendant of William de Percy). This name was borne by a character (a mouse) in the short story Flowers for Algernon (1958) and novel of the same title (1966) by the American author Daniel Keyes.

Means "red dawn" in Turkish.

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.

From the Greek term ἀνάργυρος (anargyros) meaning "poor, incorruptible", derived from Greek ἀ (a), a negative prefix, combined with ἄργυρος (argyros) meaning "silver". This term referred to saints who did not accept payment for their services.

Derived from the Old German elements ansi "god" and helm "helmet, protection". This name was brought to England in the late 11th century by Saint Anselm, who was born in northern Italy. He was archbishop of Canterbury and a Doctor of the Church.

Derived from the Old German elements ansi "god" and ger "spear". Saint Ansgar was a 9th-century Frankish missionary who tried to convert the Danes and Norwegians.

The surname of one of the musketeers in The Three Musketeers (1844) by Alexandre Dumas. Dumas based the character on the 17th-century Henri d'Aramitz, whose surname was derived from the French village of Aramits (itself from Basque aran meaning "valley").

Means "silver" in Greek.

From the Greek name Ἀριστείδης (Aristeides), derived from ἄριστος (aristos) meaning "best" and the patronymic suffix ἴδης (ides). This name was borne by the 5th-century BC Athenian statesman Aristides the Just, who was renowned for his integrity. It was also the name of a 2nd-century saint.

Breton and French form of the Old Welsh name Arthmail, which was composed of the elements arth "bear" and mael "prince, chieftain". This was the name of a 6th-century Welsh saint who founded abbeys in Brittany.

From an Old German name derived from the elements arn "eagle" and fridu "peace".

Short form of Arthur.

Means "happy, blessed" in Hebrew, derived from אָשַׁר (ʾashar) meaning "to be happy, to be blessed". Asher in the Old Testament is a son of Jacob by Leah's handmaid Zilpah, and the ancestor of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. The meaning of his name is explained in Genesis 30:13.

From a German and French surname derived from Occitan astur meaning "hawk". The wealthy and influential Astor family, prominent in British and American society, originated in the Italian Alps.

Means "bright power" from the Old German element beraht "bright" combined with walt "power, authority".

Means "bright raven", derived from the Old German element beraht "bright" combined with hram "raven". This name has long been conflated with Bertrand. The Normans introduced it to England, and Shakespeare used it in his play All's Well That Ends Well (1603).

From an English surname that was derived from Old English blæc "black" or blac "pale". A famous bearer of the surname was the poet and artist William Blake (1757-1827). It was originally a mainly masculine name but in 2007 actress Blake Lively (1987-) began starring in the television series Gossip Girl, after which time it increased in popularity for girls.

From an English surname that was originally derived from a nickname meaning "round" in Old English.

Late Latin name that was derived from the Greek name Κάλλιστος (Kallistos) meaning "most beautiful". This was the name of three popes (also known as Callixtus), including the 3rd-century Callistus I who is regarded as a saint.

Latin variant of Jasper.

Roman family name that was possibly derived from Latin cassus meaning "empty, vain". This name was borne by several early saints. In modern times, it was the original first name of boxer Muhammad Ali (1942-2016), who was named after his father Cassius Clay, who was himself named after the American abolitionist Cassius Clay (1810-1903).

Either from the name of the Irish county, which is derived from Irish cabhán "hollow", or else from the Irish surname Cavan.

Derived from Old English cene "bold" and ric "ruler, king".

From an Argentine expression meaning "hey!". This nickname was acquired by the Argentine revolutionary Ernesto Guevara while he was in Cuba.

Means "golden flower" from Greek χρύσεος (chryseos) meaning "golden" combined with ἄνθος (anthos) meaning "flower". This name was borne by a semi-legendary 3rd-century Egyptian saint.

Derived from Irish ciar meaning "black". In Irish legend Ciar was a son of Fergus mac Róich and Medb, and the ancestor of the tribe of the Ciarraige (after whom County Kerry is named). As a feminine name, it was borne by an Irish nun (also called Ciara) who established a monastery in Tipperary in the 7th century.

Roman cognomen derived from Latin cicer meaning "chickpea". Marcus Tullius Cicero (now known simply as Cicero) was a statesman, orator and author of the 1st century BC. He was a political enemy of Mark Antony, who eventually had him executed.

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

Means "rule of a wolf", from Old Irish cú "hound, dog, wolf" (genitive con) and fal "rule" [2]. This is the name of several characters in Irish legend including the hero Conall Cernach ("Conall of the victories"), a member of the Red Branch of Ulster, who avenged Cúchulainn's death by killing Lugaid.

French form of the Breton name Kaourintin, possibly from korventenn meaning "hurricane, storm". Alternatively, it could be connected to the Brythonic root *karid meaning "love" (modern Breton karout). This was the name of a 5th-century bishop of Quimper in Brittany.

From Old Irish Cormacc or Corbmac, of uncertain meaning, possibly from corb "chariot, wagon" or corbbad "defilement, corruption" combined with macc "son". This is the name of several characters from Irish legend, including the semi-legendary high king Cormac mac Airt who supposedly ruled in the 3rd century, during the adventures of the hero Fionn mac Cumhaill. This name was also borne by a few early saints.

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 Old Norse dagr meaning "day".

Italian form of Damian.

From an English surname, which was derived either from the town of Dax in France or from the Old English given name Dæcca (of unknown meaning). The name was brought to public attention by the main character in the 1966 novel The Adventurers and its 1970 movie adaptation. It became popular in the 2010s due to its similarity to other names like Max and Jax.

From an English surname that was derived from Norman French de la mare meaning "from the pond".

From an occupational surname meaning "one who dyes" in Old English. It also coincides with the Latin word dexter meaning "right-handed, skilled".

Probably an Anglicized form of Degaré. Sir Degaré was the subject of a medieval poem set in Brittany. The name may mean "lost one" from French égaré.

Derived from the Slavic element dorgŭ (South Slavic drag) meaning "precious".

From a surname (of unknown meaning) that was used in the movie The Crow (1994).

Norman name, possibly derived from Gothic dragan meaning "to carry, to pull" or Old Saxon drog meaning "ghost, illusion". Alternatively, it could be related to the Slavic element dorgŭ meaning "precious, dear". The Normans introduced this name to England.

Derived from the Old English elements ead "wealth, fortune" and gar "spear". This was the name of a 10th-century English king, Edgar the Peaceful. The name did not survive long after the Norman Conquest, but it was revived in the 18th century, in part due to a character by this name in Walter Scott's novel The Bride of Lammermoor (1819), which tells of the tragic love between Edgar Ravenswood and Lucy Ashton [1]. Famous bearers include author and poet Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849), French impressionist painter Edgar Degas (1834-1917), and author Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875-1950).

From the Old German name Egino, derived from the element agin meaning "edge, blade" (from Proto-Germanic *agjō). Saint Egino was a 12th-century abbot from Augsburg.

Altered form of Leroy, using the Spanish definite article el as opposed to the French le.

Germanic name, in which the second element is rih "ruler, king". The first element may be irmin "whole, great" (making it a relative of Ermenrich), amal "unceasing, vigorous, brave" (making it a relative of Amalric) or heim "home" (making it a relative of Henry). It is likely that several forms merged into a single name.

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).

French form of the Roman family name Fabricius, which was derived from Latin faber meaning "craftsman". Gaius Fabricius Luscinus was a 3rd-century BC Roman general and statesman.

Means "falcon" in German.

Roman cognomen meaning "auspicious, lucky" in Latin. It was also occasionally used as a praenomen, or given name. This was the name of several early Christian saints.

From a Roman cognomen meaning "lucky, successful" in Latin. It was acquired as an agnomen, or nickname, by the 1st-century BC Roman general Sulla. It also appears in the New Testament belonging to the governor of Judea who imprisoned Saint Paul.

Due to its favourable meaning, this name was popular among early Christians, being borne by many early saints and four popes. It has been used in England since the Middle Ages, though it has been more popular in continental Europe. A notable bearer was the German composer Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847).

From an Irish surname, the Anglicized form of Ó Flannagáin, itself from the given name Flannagán, which was derived from Irish flann "blood red" and a diminutive suffix.

Medieval form of Gawain. Though it died out in England, it was reintroduced from Scotland in the 20th century.

Meaning uncertain, from the Latin form Gualguainus used in the 12th-century chronicles of Geoffrey of Monmouth (appearing also as Walganus, Gwalguanus and other spellings in different copies of the text), where he is one of the knights who serve his uncle King Arthur. He can be identified with the earlier Welsh hero Gwalchmai, and it is possible that the name derives from Gwalchmai or a misreading of it.

Gawain was a popular hero in medieval tales such as those by Chrétien de Troyes, where his name appears in the French form Gauvain or Gauvains. He is the main character of the 14th-century anonymous poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, in which he accepts a potentially fatal challenge from the mysterious Green Knight.

Possibly derived from Greek γέρων (geron) meaning "old man, elder". This was the name of a saint martyred in Cologne in the 4th century.

From an English surname that meant "great hunter" in Norman French.

Roman name derived from Latin hilaris meaning "cheerful". Alternatively, it could be derived from the Greek name Ἱλαρός (Hilaros) also meaning "cheerful" (the Greek word ἱλαρός was the source of the Latin word hilaris). Saint Hilarius was a 4th-century theologian and bishop of Poitiers. This was also the name of a 5th-century pope.

From Phoenician 𐤇𐤓𐤌 (Ḥirom) meaning "exalted brother". This was the name of a king of Tyre according to the Old Testament. He may have reigned in the 10th century BC. As an English given name, Hiram came into use after the Protestant Reformation. In the 17th century the Puritans brought it to America, where it gained some currency.

Latinized form of Ὧρος (Horos), the Greek form of Egyptian ḥrw (reconstructed as Heru and other forms) possibly from ḥr "above, over" or ḥrj "distant". In Egyptian mythology Horus was a god of the sky and light, often depicted as a man with the head of a falcon. In some versions of the mythology he was the son of Osiris and Isis, and avenged his father's murder by killing his uncle Seth.

From the Old Norse name Ingólfr, which was derived from the name of the Germanic god Ing combined with ulfr meaning "wolf".

From the Hebrew name יִתְרוֹ (Yiṯro), which was derived from the Hebrew word יֶתֶר (yeṯer) meaning "abundance" [1]. According to the Old Testament, Jethro was a Midianite priest who sheltered Moses when he fled Egypt. He was the father of Zipporah, who became Moses's wife. A famous bearer of the name was Jethro Tull (1674-1741), an English inventor and agriculturist.

Latinized form of the Greek name Λέανδρος (Leandros), derived from λέων (leon) meaning "lion" and ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man" (genitive ἀνδρός). In Greek legend Leander was the lover of Hero. Every night he swam across the Hellespont to meet her, but on one occasion he was drowned when a storm arose. When Hero saw his dead body she threw herself into the waters and perished.

Swedish and Low German form of Leonard.

French diminutive of Léon. It appears in Arthurian legend in the 13th-century Lancelot-Grail Cycle, belonging to a knight who was the brother of Sir Bors. A notable modern bearer is the Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi (1987-).

French form of the Roman name Lupus meaning "wolf". Lupus was the name of several early saints, including a 5th-century bishop of Troyes who apparently convinced Attila to spare the city.

From the Old German name Hludolf, which was composed of the elements hlut meaning "famous, loud" and wolf meaning "wolf". Saint Ludolf (or Ludolph) was a 13th-century bishop of Ratzeburg.

Latinized form of the Greek name Λύσανδρος (Lysandros), derived from Greek λύσις (lysis) meaning "a release, loosening" and ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man" (genitive ἀνδρός). This was the name of a notable 5th-century BC Spartan general and naval commander.

Welsh form of Mordred.

Means "helper" in Arabic, from the root نصر (naṣara) meaning "to help, to aid". This transcription represents two related yet distinct Arabic names: ناصر, in which the first vowel is long, and نصير, in which the second vowel is long.

From the Greek name Νικόδημος (Nikodemos) meaning "victory of the people", derived from Greek νίκη (nike) meaning "victory" and δῆμος (demos) meaning "the people". This is the name of a character in the New Testament who helps Joseph of Arimathea entomb Jesus.

Means "pleasantness" in Hebrew. A famous bearer is Noam Chomsky (1928-), an American linguist and philosopher.

From the Roman name Octavianus, which was derived from the name Octavius. After Gaius Octavius (later the Roman emperor Augustus) was adopted by Julius Caesar he took the name Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus.

Latinized form of the Greek name Ὀνήσιμος (Onesimos), which meant "beneficial, profitable". Saint Onesimus was an escaped slave of Philemon who met Saint Paul while in prison and was converted by him. Paul sent him back to Philemon carrying the epistle that appears in the New Testament.

From the Greek name Περικλῆς (Perikles), which was derived from Greek περί (peri) meaning "around, exceedingly" and κλέος (kleos) meaning "glory". This was the name of a 5th-century BC Athenian statesman and general. It is also the name of the central character in the play Pericles, Prince of Tyre (1608) written (or co-written) by William Shakespeare.

Means "affectionate" in Greek, a derivative of φίλημα (philema) meaning "kiss". Philemon was the recipient of one of Paul's epistles in the New Testament.

From the Greek name Πύρρος (Pyrrhos) meaning "flame-coloured, red", related to πῦρ (pyr) meaning "fire". This was another name of Neoptolemus the son of Achilles. This was also the name of a 3rd-century BC king of Epirus who was famed for his victorious yet costly battles against Rome.

From Old Welsh Ris, probably meaning "ardour, enthusiasm". Several Welsh rulers have borne this name, including the 12th-century Rhys ap Gruffydd who fought against the invading Normans.

From a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "rye hill", from Old English ryge "rye" and dun "hill".

Variant of Zelig.

Late Greek name derived from Greek σπυρίδιον (spyridion) meaning "basket" or Latin spiritus meaning "spirit". Saint Spyridon was a 4th-century sheep farmer who became the bishop of Tremithus and suffered during the persecutions of Diocletian.

Derived from Bulgarian and Macedonian стамен (stamen) meaning "firm".

Means "cross" in Greek, referring to the cross of the crucifixion.

Form of Stephen used in several languages. Famous bearers include the Serbian rulers Stefan Nemanja, Stefan Nemanjić, and Stefan Lazarević, who are all considered saints in the Orthodox Church.

From a Scots surname that was derived from city of Stirling, which is itself of unknown meaning. The name can also be given in reference to the English word sterling meaning "excellent". In this case, the word derives from sterling silver, which was so named because of the emblem that some Norman coins bore, from Old English meaning "little star".

Roman cognomen meaning "silent, mute" in Latin. This was the name of a 1st-century Roman historian, known for writing the Histories and the Annals.

From an English surname, of Norman origin, possibly derived from an unattested Germanic given name composed of the elements dala "to destroy" and bod "message".

From the English word meaning "talon, claw", ultimately derived (via Norman French) from Latin talus "anklebone".

Latinized form of Tyge. This name was used by the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe (1546-1601), who was born as Tyge.

Middle English form of the Old English name Wulfric. When it is used in modern times, it is usually as a variant of Ulrich.

Derived from Bulgarian вълк (valk) meaning "wolf".

Derived from viorea, the Romanian word for the alpine squill flower (species Scilla bifolia) or the sweet violet flower (species Viola odorata). It is derived from Latin viola "violet".

Latin variant of Gualguainus.

From an occupational surname meaning "wagon maker", derived from Old English wægn "wagon". Use of it as a given name can be partly attributed to the popularity of the actor John Wayne (1907-1979). Another famous bearer is Canadian hockey player Wayne Gretzky (1961-), generally considered the greatest player in the history of the sport.

Greek form of the Old Persian name 𐎧𐏁𐎹𐎠𐎼𐏁𐎠 (Xšayarša), which meant "ruler over heroes". This was the name of a 5th-century BC king of Persia, the son of Darius the Great. He attempted an invasion of Greece, which ended unsuccessfully at the battle of Salamis.

From an English surname of unknown meaning. It was introduced as a given name by American author Zane Grey (1872-1939). Zane was in fact his middle name — it had been his mother's maiden name.