Lingua_Shem_Fakulo's Personal Name List

Abd al-Azim
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: عبد العظيم(Arabic)
Pronounced: ‘ab-dool-‘a-DHEEM
Means "servant of the mighty" from Arabic عبد ال ('abd al) meaning "servant of the" combined with عظيم ('azim) meaning "magnificent, great, powerful".
Abd al-Aziz
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: عبد العزيز(Arabic)
Pronounced: ‘ab-dool-‘a-ZEEZ
Means "servant of the powerful" from Arabic عبد ('abd) meaning "servant" combined with عزيز ('aziz) meaning "powerful". This was the name of the first king of modern Saudi Arabia.
Abd al-Hamid
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: عبد الحميد(Arabic)
Pronounced: ‘ab-dool-ha-MEED
Means "servant of the praiseworthy" from Arabic عبد ('abd) meaning "servant" combined with حَمِيد (hamid) meaning "praiseworthy". This was the name of two sultans of the Ottoman Empire.
Abd al-Kader
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: عبد القادر(Arabic)
Pronounced: ‘ab-dool-KA-deer
Alternate transcription of Arabic عبد القادر (see Abd al-Qadir).
Abd al-Karim
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: عبد الكريم(Arabic)
Pronounced: ‘ab-dool-ka-REEM
Means "servant of the generous" from Arabic عبد ('abd) meaning "servant" combined with كَرِيم (karim) meaning "generous".
Abd Allah
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: عبد الله(Arabic)
Pronounced: ‘ab-dool-LAH
Means "servant of Allah" from Arabic عبد ('abd) meaning "servant" combined with الله (Allah). This was the name of the Prophet Muhammad's father. He died before his son's birth.
Abd al-Latif
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: عبد اللطيف(Arabic)
Pronounced: ‘ab-dool-la-TEEF
Means "servant of the gentle" from Arabic عبد ('abd) meaning "servant" combined with لطيف (latif) meaning "gentle".
Abd al-Malik
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: عبد الملك(Arabic)
Pronounced: ‘ab-DOOL-ma-leek
Means "servant of the king" from Arabic عبد ('abd) meaning "servant" combined with ملك (malik) meaning "king". This was the name of the fifth Umayyad caliph, who made Arabic the official language of the empire.
Abd al-Qadir
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: عبد القادر(Arabic)
Pronounced: ‘ab-dool-KA-deer
Means "servant of the capable, servant of the powerful" from Arabic عبد ('abd) meaning "servant" combined with قادر (qadir) meaning "capable, powerful". This was the name of a 19th-century Algerian resistance leader.
Abd al-Rahman
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: عبد الرحمٰن(Arabic)
Pronounced: ‘ab-door-rah-MAN
Alternate transcription of Arabic عبد الرحمٰن (see Abd ar-Rahman).
Abd al-Rashid
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: عبد الرشيد(Arabic)
Pronounced: ‘ab-door-ra-SHEED
Alternate transcription of Arabic عبد الرشيد (see Abd ar-Rashid).
Abd al-Wali
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: عبد الولِي(Arabic)
Pronounced: ‘ab-DOOL-wa-lee
Means "servant of the guardian" from Arabic عبد ('abd) meaning "servant" combined with ولِي (wali) meaning "guardian, friend".
Abdul
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Urdu, Punjabi, Pashto, Uzbek, Bengali, Indonesian, Malay
Other Scripts: عبد ال(Arabic) عبدال(Urdu, Shahmukhi, Pashto) Абдул(Uzbek) আব্দুল(Bengali)
Pronounced: ‘AB-dool(Arabic)
First part of compound Arabic names beginning with عبد ال ('Abd al) meaning "servant of the" (such as عبد العزيز ('Abd al-'Aziz) meaning "servant of the powerful").
Abdul Aziz
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: عبد العزيز(Arabic)
Pronounced: ‘ab-dool-‘a-ZEEZ
Alternate transcription of Arabic عبد العزيز (see Abd al-Aziz).
Abdülkerim
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Turkish
Turkish form of Abd al-Karim.
Abdullah
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Turkish, Urdu, Bengali, Malay, Indonesian
Other Scripts: عبد الله(Arabic) عبداللہ(Urdu) আব্দুল্লাহ(Bengali)
Pronounced: ‘ab-dool-LAH(Arabic) ab-dool-LA(Turkish)
Alternate transcription of Arabic عبد الله (see Abd Allah), as well as the regular form in several other languages.
Abdul Majid
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Urdu, Malay
Other Scripts: عبد المجيد ‎‎(Arabic) عبد الماجد(Urdu) عبدالمجيد(Malay Jawi)
Pronounced: ‘ab-dool-ma-JEED(Arabic)
Alternate transcription of Abd al-Majid as well as the Urdu and Malay form.
Abdul Rahman
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Malay
Other Scripts: عبد الرحمٰن(Arabic)
Pronounced: ‘ab-door-rah-MAN(Arabic)
Alternate transcription of Arabic عبد الرحمٰن (see Abd ar-Rahman), as well as the regular Malay form.
Abdur Rahman
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Bengali
Other Scripts: عبد الرحمٰن(Arabic) আব্দুর রহমান(Bengali)
Pronounced: ‘ab-door-rah-MAN(Arabic)
Alternate transcription of Arabic عبد الرحمٰن (see Abd ar-Rahman), as well as the usual Bengali transcription.
Abigail
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Biblical, Biblical German, Biblical Italian, Biblical Portuguese, Biblical Latin
Other Scripts: אֲבִיגַיִל(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced: AB-i-gayl(English)
From the Hebrew name אֲבִיגָיִל ('Avigayil) meaning "my father is joy", derived from the roots אָב ('av) meaning "father" and גִּיל (gil) meaning "joy". In the Old Testament this is the name of Nabal's wife. After Nabal's death she became the third wife of King David.

As an English name, Abigail first became common after the Protestant Reformation, and it was popular among the Puritans. The biblical Abigail refers to herself as a servant, and beginning in the 17th century the name became a slang term for a servant, especially after the release of the play The Scornful Lady (1616), which featured a character named Abigail. The name went out of fashion at that point, but it was revived in the 20th century.

Abriel
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Hebrew (Rare), English (Modern, Rare), American
Other Scripts: אבריאל(Hebrew)
Pronounced: ah-bree-EL(Hebrew) AY-bree-əl(English)
Variant of Avriel.
Abu
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: أبو(Arabic)
Pronounced: A-boo
Means "father of" in Arabic. This is commonly used as an element in a kunya, which is a type of Arabic nickname. The element is combined with the name of one of the bearer's children (usually the eldest son). In some cases the kunya is figurative, not referring to an actual child, as in the case of the Muslim caliph Abu Bakr.
Abu Bakr
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: أبو بكر(Arabic)
Pronounced: a-boo-BAKR
Combination of Abu and Bakr. Abu Bakr was a companion and father-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad and the first caliph of the Muslim world. His name was in fact a kunya (a nickname) formed using Abu; his real name was Abd Allah. Shia Muslims hold a more negative view of Abu Bakr, hence this name is more widely used among Sunnis.
Achiezer
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Hebrew
Pronounced: ah-hee-eh-zehr
Means "my brother is a helper" in Hebrew.
Achiram
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Hebrew (Rare)
Other Scripts: אחירם, אחי-רם(Hebrew)
Pronounced: ah-khee-RAHM
Means "my brother is exalted" in Hebrew.
Achishalom
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Hebrew (Modern, Rare)
Other Scripts: אחישלום, אחי-שלום(Hebrew)
Pronounced: Ah-hee-shah-lohm, ah-khee-shah-LOM
Combination of the names Achi and Shalom, meaning "my brother is a peace" or "my brother will bring peace" in Hebrew.
Achitophel
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical, Hebrew
Other Scripts: אֲחִיתֹ֫פֶל(Hebrew)
Means "my brother is foolish" or "brother of foolishness" in Hebrew, derived from Hebrew ach "brother" and aph'el "to act foolishly". In the bible, this was the name of one of King David's most trusted advisors.
Adalwolf
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Germanic [1]
Old German form of Adolf.
Adam
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, German, Polish, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Czech, Slovak, Russian, Ukrainian, Croatian, Serbian, Macedonian, Romanian, Catalan, Greek, Hebrew, Arabic, Georgian, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek, Biblical Hebrew
Other Scripts: Адам(Russian, Ukrainian, Serbian, Macedonian) Αδάμ, Άνταμ(Greek) אָדָם(Hebrew) آدم(Arabic) ადამ(Georgian) Ἀδάμ(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: AD-əm(English) A-DAHN(French) A-dam(German, Polish, Czech, Arabic) A-dahm(Dutch) AH-dam(Swedish) u-DAM(Russian, Ukrainian) ə-DHAM(Catalan)
This is the Hebrew word for "man". It could be ultimately derived from Hebrew אדם ('adam) meaning "to be red", referring to the ruddy colour of human skin, or from Akkadian adamu meaning "to make".

According to Genesis in the Old Testament Adam was created from the earth by God (there is a word play on Hebrew אֲדָמָה ('adamah) meaning "earth"). He and Eve were supposedly the first humans, living happily in the Garden of Eden until they ate the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. As a result they were expelled from Eden to the lands to the east, where they gave birth the second generation, including Cain, Abel and Seth.

As an English Christian name, Adam has been common since the Middle Ages, and it received a boost after the Protestant Reformation. A famous bearer was Scottish economist Adam Smith (1723-1790).

Add
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: AD
Short form of Addison.
Adolf
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Czech, Hungarian, Polish, Germanic [1]
Pronounced: A-dawlf(German, Dutch) A-dolf(Czech) AW-dolf(Hungarian)
From the Old German name Adalwolf, which meant "noble wolf" from the elements adal "noble" and wolf. It was borne by several Swedish kings as a first or second name, most notably by Gustav II Adolf in the 17th century. Association with Adolf Hitler (1889-1945), the leader of the Nazi party in Germany during World War II, has lessened the use of this name.
Adolphus
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Germanic (Latinized)
Latinized form of Adolf.
Adonai
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Theology
Other Scripts: אֲדֹנָי(Ancient Hebrew)
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.
Aeryn
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Popular Culture, English
Pronounced: AI-rin(Popular Culture)
Variant of Erin. Aeryn is one of the female aliens on the show Farscape.
Æthelred
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Anglo-Saxon [1][2]
Variant of Æðelræd.
Africa 2
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish (Rare)
Anglicized form of Aifric.
Agamemnon
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Greek Mythology, Greek
Other Scripts: Ἀγαμέμνων(Ancient Greek) Αγαμέμνων(Greek)
Pronounced: A-GA-MEHM-NAWN(Classical Greek) ag-ə-MEHM-nahn(English)
Possibly means "very steadfast" in Greek. In Greek mythology he was the brother of Menelaus. He led the Greek expedition to Troy to recover his brother's wife Helen. After the Trojan War Agamemnon was killed by his wife Clytemnestra.
Agapito
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Spanish, Italian (Rare)
Pronounced: a-gha-PEE-to(Spanish) a-GA-pee-to(Italian)
From the Late Latin name Agapitus or Agapetus, which was derived from the Greek name Ἀγαπητός (Agapetos) meaning "beloved". The name Agapetus was borne by two popes.
Ahmad
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Bengali, Pashto, Indonesian, Malay, Avar
Other Scripts: أحمد(Arabic) احمد(Persian, Urdu, Pashto) আহমদ(Bengali) Ахӏмад(Avar)
Pronounced: AH-mad(Arabic, Indonesian, Malay) ah-MAD(Persian)
Means "most commendable, most praiseworthy" in Arabic (a superlative form of Hamid 1).
Ahmed
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Turkish, Bosnian, Dhivehi, Bengali, Arabic, Urdu, Pashto
Other Scripts: އަޙްމަދު(Dhivehi) আহমেদ(Bengali) أحمد(Arabic) احمد(Urdu, Pashto)
Pronounced: AH-mad(Arabic)
Variant of Ahmad. This was the name of three Ottoman sultans.
Aisha
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arabic, Urdu, Western African, Eastern African, Hausa, Swahili, Kazakh, African American
Other Scripts: عائشة(Arabic) عائشہ(Urdu) Айша(Kazakh)
Pronounced: ‘A-ee-shah(Arabic) ie-EE-shə(English)
Means "living, alive" in Arabic. This was the name of Muhammad's third wife, the daughter of Abu Bakr. Some time after Muhammad's death she went to war against Ali, the fourth caliph, but was defeated. Her name is used more by Sunni Muslims and less by Shias.

This name began to be used in America in the 1970s, possibly inspired by Princess Aisha of Jordan (1968-), the daughter of King Hussein and his British-born wife. It received a boost in popularity after Stevie Wonder used it for his first daughter in 1975.

Akbar
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Pashto, Indonesian, Indian (Muslim)
Other Scripts: أكبر(Arabic) اکبر(Persian, Urdu, Pashto) अकबर(Hindi)
Pronounced: AK-bar(Arabic)
Means "greater, greatest" in Arabic. This was the name of a 16th-century Mughal ruler who expanded the empire to include most of India.
Ala al-Din
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: علاء الدين(Arabic)
Pronounced: ‘a-la-ad-DEEN
Alternate transcription of Arabic علاء الدين (see Ala ad-Din).
Alaattin
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Turkish
Turkish form of Ala ad-Din.
Aladdin
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Literature
Pronounced: ə-LAD-in(English)
Anglicized form of Ala ad-Din. This is the name of a mischievous boy in one of the tales of The 1001 Nights. A magician traps him in a cave, but he escapes with the help of a genie.
Al-Amir
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic (Rare)
Other Scripts: الآمر(Arabic)
Means "the commander, the prince" in Arabic. This was the name of a 10th-century Fatimid imam.
Alannah
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish, English (Modern)
Pronounced: ə-LAN-ə(English)
Variant of Alana. It has been influenced by the affectionate Anglo-Irish word alannah, from the Irish Gaelic phrase a leanbh meaning "O child".
Alberich
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Germanic [1], Germanic Mythology
Derived from the Old German elements alb "elf" and rih "ruler, king". It was borne by two Lombard dukes of Spoleto in the 10th century. It was also the name of a 12th-century French saint who helped found the Cistercian Order.

Alberich is a sorcerer dwarf who guards the treasure of the Nibelungen in the medieval German epic the Nibelungenlied. The dwarf also appears in Ortnit as a helper to the hero.

Albert
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, German, French, Catalan, Polish, Czech, Russian, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Finnish, Romanian, Hungarian, Albanian, Germanic [1]
Other Scripts: Альберт(Russian)
Pronounced: AL-bərt(English) AL-behrt(German, Polish) AL-BEHR(French) əl-BEHRT(Catalan) ul-BYEHRT(Russian) AHL-bərt(Dutch) AL-bat(Swedish) AWL-behrt(Hungarian)
From the Germanic name Adalbert meaning "noble and bright", composed of the elements adal "noble" and beraht "bright". This name was common among medieval German royalty. The Normans introduced it to England, where it replaced the Old English cognate Æþelbeorht. Though it became rare in England by the 17th century, it was repopularized in the 19th century by the German-born Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria.

This name was borne by two 20th-century kings of Belgium. Other famous bearers include the German physicist Albert Einstein (1879-1955), creator of the theory of relativity, and Albert Camus (1913-1960), a French-Algerian writer and philosopher.

Alexander
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Hungarian, Slovak, Biblical, Ancient Greek (Latinized), Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Ἀλέξανδρος(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: al-ig-ZAN-dər(English) a-leh-KSAN-du(German) a-lehk-SAHN-dər(Dutch) a-lehk-SAN-dehr(Swedish, Latin) A-lehk-san-tehr(Icelandic) AW-lehk-sawn-dehr(Hungarian) A-lehk-san-dehr(Slovak)
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 Sir Alexander MacKenzie (1764-1820), Russian poet Alexander Pushkin (1799-1837), and Alexander Graham Bell (1847-1922), the Scottish-Canadian-American inventor of the telephone.

Alf 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Norse Mythology
Derived from Old Norse alfr meaning "elf". In Norse legend this was the name of king, the suitor of a reluctant maiden named Alfhild. She avoided marrying him by disguising herself as a warrior, but when they fought she was so impressed by his strength that she changed her mind.
Alf 2
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: ALF
Short form of Alfred.
Alf 3
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
Short form of Adolf.
Ali 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Urdu, Pashto, Indonesian, Malay, Avar, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Uzbek, Tajik, Dhivehi, Albanian, Bosnian
Other Scripts: عليّ(Arabic) علی(Persian, Urdu) علي(Pashto) ГӀали(Avar) Әли(Kazakh) Али(Kyrgyz, Uzbek, Russian) Алӣ(Tajik) ޢަލީ(Dhivehi)
Pronounced: ‘A-lee(Arabic) a-LEE(Persian)
Means "lofty, sublime" in Arabic. Ali ibn Abi Talib was a cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad and the fourth caliph to rule the Muslim world. His followers were the original Shia Muslims, who regard him as the first rightful caliph.

This name is borne by the hero in Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, the tale of a man who finds the treasure trove of a band of thieves. Another famous bearer was the boxer Muhammad Ali (1942-2016), who changed his name from Cassius Clay upon his conversion to Islam.

Allah
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Theology
Other Scripts: الله(Arabic)
Pronounced: al-LAH(Arabic) AL-ə(English) AH-lə(English)
Derived from Arabic الإله (al-ilah) meaning "the deity". It is primarily used to refer to the Islamic God, though it was originally used by pre-Islamic Arabs, and is sometimes used by Arabic-speaking Christians and Jews.
Álmos
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Hungarian
Pronounced: AL-mosh
Possibly from Hungarian álom "dream", though perhaps of Turkic origin meaning "bought". This was the name of the semi-legendary father of Árpád, the founder of the Hungarian state. Álmos's mother Emese supposedly had a dream in which a turul bird impregnated her and foretold that her son would be the father of a great nation.
Amaterasu
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Japanese Mythology
Other Scripts: 天照(Japanese Kanji) あまてらす(Japanese Hiragana) アマテラス(Japanese Katakana)
Pronounced: A-MA-TEH-RA-SOO(Japanese)
Means "shining over heaven", from Japanese (ama) meaning "heaven, sky" and (terasu) meaning "shine". This was the name of the Japanese sun goddess, the ruler of the heavens. She was born when Izanagi washed his left eye after returning from the underworld. At one time the Japanese royal family claimed descent from her.
Amos
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Hebrew, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek, Biblical Hebrew
Other Scripts: עָמוֹס(Hebrew) Ἀμώς(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: AY-məs(English)
From Hebrew עָמַס ('amas) meaning "load, burden". Amos is one of the twelve minor prophets of the Old Testament, the author of the Book of Amos, which speaks against greed, corruption and oppression of the poor. Written about the 8th century BC, it is among the oldest of the prophetic books. As an English name, Amos has been used since the Protestant Reformation, and was popular among the Puritans.
Andrew
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Biblical
Pronounced: AN-droo(English)
English form of the Greek name Ἀνδρέας (Andreas), which was derived from ἀνδρεῖος (andreios) meaning "manly, masculine", a derivative of ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man". In the New Testament the apostle Andrew, the first disciple to join Jesus, is the brother of Simon Peter. According to tradition, he later preached in the Black Sea region, with some legends saying he was crucified on an X-shaped cross. Andrew, being a Greek name, was probably only a nickname or a translation of his real Hebrew name, which is not known.

This name has been common (in various spellings) throughout the Christian world, and it became very popular in the Middle Ages. Saint Andrew is regarded as the patron of Scotland, Russia, Greece and Romania. The name has been borne by three kings of Hungary, American president Andrew Jackson (1767-1845), and, more recently, English composer Andrew Lloyd Webber (1948-).

Andromache
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Ἀνδρομάχη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: AN-DRO-MA-KEH(Classical Greek)
Derived from the Greek elements ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man" (genitive ἀνδρός) and μάχη (mache) meaning "battle". In Greek legend she was the wife of the Trojan hero Hector. After the fall of Troy Neoptolemus killed her son Astyanax and took her as a concubine.
Anis
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: أنيس(Arabic)
Pronounced: a-NEES
Means "friendly, friend" in Arabic.
Anthony
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: AN-thə-nee(American English) AN-tə-nee(British English)
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.

Aoi
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 葵, 碧, etc.(Japanese Kanji) あおい(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: A-O-EE
From Japanese (aoi) meaning "hollyhock, althea" or an adjectival form of (ao) meaning "green, blue". Other kanji with the same reading can form this name as well.
Aonghus
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish, Scottish Gaelic, Irish Mythology
From Old Irish Óengus, possibly meaning "one strength" from óen "one" and guss "force, strength". Aonghus (sometimes surnamed Mac Og meaning "young son") was an Irish god of love and youth, one of the Tuatha Dé Danann. He was the son of Dagda and Boann. The name was also borne by an 8th-century Pictish king, several Irish kings, and a few saints, including a 9th-century bishop of Tallaght.
Arash
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Persian, Persian Mythology
Other Scripts: آرش(Persian)
Pronounced: aw-RASH(Persian)
From Avestan 𐬆𐬭𐬆𐬑𐬱𐬀 (Ərəxsha), of uncertain meaning, possibly from a root meaning "bear" [1]. In Iranian legend Arash was an archer who was ordered by the Turans to shoot an arrow, the landing place of which would determine the new location of the Iran-Turan border. Arash climbed a mountain and fired his arrow with such strength that it flew for several hours and landed on the banks of the far-away Oxus River.
Ariadne
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Ἀριάδνη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: A-REE-AD-NEH(Classical Greek) ar-ee-AD-nee(English)
Means "most holy", composed of the Greek prefix ἀρι (ari) meaning "most" combined with Cretan Greek ἀδνός (adnos) meaning "holy". In Greek mythology, Ariadne was the daughter of King Minos. She fell in love with Theseus and helped him to escape the Labyrinth and the Minotaur, but was later abandoned by him. Eventually she married the god Dionysus.
Arminius
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Old Germanic (Latinized)
Latinized form of a Germanic name, possibly derived from the element *ermunaz meaning "whole, universal". Other theories claim that it is related to Herman, or that it is not Germanic at all. Arminius was a 1st-century chief of the Germanic tribe of the Cherusci. Raised in Rome as a hostage, he eventually became a citizen and joined the army. However, he turned against the Empire, leading the Germans in a surprise attack in the Teutoburg Forest and driving the Romans from Germania.
Arthur
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, German, Dutch, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Welsh Mythology, Arthurian Romance
Pronounced: AHR-thər(English) AR-TUYR(French) AR-tuwr(German) AHR-tuyr(Dutch)
The meaning of this name is unknown. It could be derived from the Celtic elements *artos "bear" (Old Welsh arth) combined with *wiros "man" (Old Welsh gur) or *rīxs "king" (Old Welsh ri). Alternatively it could be related to an obscure Roman family name Artorius.

Arthur is the name of the central character in Arthurian legend, a 6th-century king of the Britons who resisted Saxon invaders. He may or may not have been based on a real person. He first appears in Welsh poems and chronicles (perhaps briefly in the 7th-century poem Y Gododdin and more definitively and extensively in the 9th-century History of the Britons [1]). However, his character was not developed until the chronicles of the 12th-century Geoffrey of Monmouth [2]. His tales were later taken up and expanded by French and English writers.

The name came into general use in England in the Middle Ages due to the prevalence of Arthurian romances, and it enjoyed a surge of popularity in the 19th century. Famous bearers include German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860), mystery author and Sherlock Holmes creator Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930), and science-fiction author Arthur C. Clarke (1917-2008).

Asia 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern), Italian (Modern)
Pronounced: AY-zhə(English) A-zya(Italian)
From the name of the continent, which is perhaps derived from Akkadian asu, meaning "east".
Asim 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: عاسم(Arabic)
Pronounced: ‘A-seem
Means "protector" in Arabic.
Asmodaeus
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Judeo-Christian-Islamic Legend
Proper latinized form of Asmodai via its hellenized form Asmodaios.
Asmodai
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Judeo-Christian-Islamic Legend
Variant of Asmodeus.
Asmodaios
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical Greek
Other Scripts: Ἀσμοδαῖος(Ancient Greek)
Greek form of Asmodeus found in the Book of Tobit.
Asmodeus
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical, Judeo-Christian-Islamic Legend
Pronounced: az-mə-DEE-əs(English)
From Greek Ἀσμοδαῖος (Asmodaios) and Hebrew אשְׁמְדּאי ('Ashmed'ai), probably from Avestan 𐬀𐬉𐬱𐬆𐬨𐬀 (aēshəma) meaning "wrath" and 𐬛𐬀𐬉𐬎𐬎𐬀 (daēuua) meaning "demon". In the apocryphal Book of Tobit this is the name of a demon who successively kills seven of Sarah's husbands on their wedding nights. He also appears in the Talmud.
Atallah
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: عطا الله(Arabic)
Alternate transcription of Arabic عطا الله (see Ataullah).
Ataullah
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: عطا الله(Arabic)
Means "gift of Allah" from Arabic عطاء ('ata) meaning "gift" combined with الله (Allah).
Athanas
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Greek
Other Scripts: Ἀθανᾶς(Ancient Greek)
Short form of Athanasios (see Athanasius).
Augusta
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Portuguese, English, German, Ancient Roman
Pronounced: ow-GOOS-ta(Italian) ə-GUS-tə(English) ow-GUWS-ta(German)
Feminine form of Augustus. It was introduced to Britain when King George III, a member of the German House of Hanover, gave this name to his second daughter in the 18th century.
Aveline
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: AV-ə-lien, AV-ə-leen
From the Norman French form of the Germanic name Avelina, a diminutive of Avila. The Normans introduced this name to Britain. After the Middle Ages it became rare as an English name, though it persisted in America until the 19th century [1].
Avila
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Germanic [1]
Derived from the Old German element awi, of unknown meaning. Rarely, this name may be given in honour of the 16th-century mystic Saint Teresa of Ávila, Ávila being the name of the town in Spain where she was born.
Azalea
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: ə-ZAY-lee-ə
From the name of the flower (shrubs of the genus Rhododendron), ultimately derived from Greek ἀζαλέος (azaleos) meaning "dry".
Azazel
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical
Other Scripts: עֲזָאזֵל(Ancient Hebrew)
Means "scapegoat" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament, this is the name of the recipient of a sacrificial goat. The identity of Azazel is not clear; it may in fact be the name of the place where the goat is to be sacrificed, or it may be the name of some sort of evil desert demon.
Azaziah
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical
Other Scripts: עֲזַזְיָהוּ(Ancient Hebrew)
Means "Yahweh is strong" in Hebrew. This is the name of three minor characters in the Old Testament.
Azhar
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Urdu, Malay
Other Scripts: أزهر(Arabic) اظہر(Urdu)
Pronounced: AZ-har(Arabic)
Means "shining, brilliant, bright" in Arabic, derived from the root زهر (zahara) meaning "to shine".
Azim
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Uzbek, Tajik, Bengali, Persian, Malay, Azerbaijani
Other Scripts: عظيم(Arabic) Азим(Uzbek, Tajik) আজিম(Bengali) عظیم(Persian)
Pronounced: ‘a-DHEEM(Arabic)
Means "magnificent, great, powerful" in Arabic. This can also be used an alternate transcription of Azerbaijani Əzim. In Islamic tradition العظيم (al-Azim) is one of the 99 names of Allah.
'Aziz
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: عزيز(Arabic)
Pronounced: ‘a-ZEEZ
Alternate transcription of Arabic عزيز (see Aziz).
Aziz
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Urdu, Uzbek, Kyrgyz, Tajik
Other Scripts: عزيز(Arabic) عزیز(Persian, Urdu) Азиз(Uzbek, Kyrgyz, Tajik)
Pronounced: ‘a-ZEEZ(Arabic)
Means "powerful, respected, beloved", derived from Arabic عزّ ('azza) meaning "to be powerful" or "to be cherished". In Islamic tradition العزيز (al-'Aziz) is one of the 99 names of Allah. A notable bearer of the name was Al-'Aziz, a 10th-century Fatimid caliph.
Badr
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: بدر(Arabic)
Pronounced: BADR
Means "full moon" in Arabic.
Badroulbadour
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Literature, Folklore
Other Scripts: بدر البدور(Arabic)
From Arabic بدر البدور‎ (Badr ul-Budūr) meaning "full moon of full moons" (see also Budur). This is the name of the princess in the Middle Eastern fairy tale 'Aladdin', one of the tales in the 'Arabian Nights'.
Bahij
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: بهيج(Arabic)
Pronounced: ba-HEEJ
Masculine form of Bahija.
Bahija
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: بهيجة(Arabic)
Pronounced: ba-HEE-jah
Means "happy" in Arabic.
Bakr
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: بكر(Arabic)
Pronounced: BAKR
Means "young camel" in Arabic. Abu Bakr was a father-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad and the first caliph of the Muslim world.
Barack
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: باراك(Arabic)
Pronounced: ba-RAK(Arabic) bə-RAHK(English)
Alternate transcription of Arabic باراك (see Barak 2). A famous bearer is former American president Barack Obama (1961-), who was named after his Kenyan father.
Barak 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Hebrew, Biblical, Biblical Greek, Biblical Hebrew
Other Scripts: בָּרָק(Hebrew) Βαράκ(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: BAR-ək(English)
Means "lightning" in Hebrew. According to the Old Testament, Barak was a military commander under the guidance of the prophetess Deborah. They defeated the Canaanite army led by Sisera.
Barak 2
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: باراك(Arabic)
Pronounced: ba-RAK
Means "blessing" in Arabic.
Barbara
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Italian, French, German, Polish, Hungarian, Slovene, Croatian, Dutch, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Late Roman
Pronounced: BAHR-bə-rə(English) BAHR-brə(English) BAR-BA-RA(French) BAR-ba-ra(German) bar-BA-ra(Polish) BAWR-baw-raw(Hungarian) BAHR-ba-ra(Dutch)
Derived from Greek βάρβαρος (barbaros) meaning "foreign". 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.
Baruch
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical, Biblical Latin, Hebrew
Other Scripts: בָּרוּך(Hebrew)
Pronounced: bə-ROOK(English) BEHR-uwk(English) BAHR-uwk(English)
Means "blessed" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of a companion of the prophet Jeremiah, acting as his scribe and assistant. The deuterocanonical Book of Baruch was supposedly written by him. A famous bearer was Baruch Spinoza (1632-1677), a Dutch-Jewish rationalist philosopher.
Basim
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: باسم(Arabic)
Pronounced: BA-seem
Means "smiling" in Arabic, from the root بَسَمَ (basama) meaning "to smile".
Bassem
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: باسم(Arabic)
Pronounced: BA-seem
Alternate transcription of Arabic باسم (see Basim).
Bat-Erdene
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Mongolian
Other Scripts: Бат-Эрдэнэ(Mongolian Cyrillic)
Means "strong jewel" in Mongolian, from бат (batu) meaning "strong, firm" and эрдэнэ (erdene) meaning "jewel, treasure".
Beelzebub
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical, Biblical Latin
Other Scripts: בַּעַל זְבוּב(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced: bee-EHL-zi-bub(English) BEEL-zi-bub(English)
From Hebrew בַּעַל זְבוּב (Ba'al Zevuv) meaning "lord of flies", the name of a Philistine god according to the Old Testament. It is possibly intended as a mocking alteration of בַּעַל זְבוּל (Ba'al Zevul) meaning "Ba'al of the exalted house".

Based on the Hebrew form, this spelling is used in the Latin translation of the Old Testament, and it is commonly rendered Baal-Zebub or Baalzebub in English translations. In the New Testament, this spelling appears in both the Latin and most older English translations, despite the fact that the Greek original uses Βεελζεβούλ (Beelzeboul). Recent English translations of the New Testament tend to use Beelzebul.

Later Christian tradition holds that Beelzebub is a demon or fallen angel. He is Satan's chief lieutenant in the 1667 epic poem Paradise Lost by John Milton.

Belial
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical, Biblical Latin, Judeo-Christian-Islamic Legend
Other Scripts: בְּלִיַעַל(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced: BEE-lee-əl(English)
Means "worthless" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this term is used to refer to various wicked people. In the New Testament, Paul uses it as a name for Satan. In later Christian tradition Belial became an evil angel associated with lawlessness and lust.
Benjamin
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, German, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, Slovene, Croatian, Biblical
Other Scripts: בִּנְיָמִין(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced: BEHN-jə-min(English) BEHN-ZHA-MEHN(French) BEHN-ya-meen(German)
From the Hebrew name בִּנְיָמִין (Binyamin) meaning "son of the south" or "son of the right hand", from the roots בֵּן (ben) meaning "son" and יָמִין (yamin) meaning "right hand, south". Benjamin in the Old Testament was the twelfth and youngest son of Jacob and the founder of one of the southern tribes of the Hebrews. He was originally named בֶּן־אוֹנִי (Ben-'oni) meaning "son of my sorrow" by his mother Rachel, who died shortly after childbirth, but it was later changed by his father (see Genesis 35:18).

As an English name, Benjamin came into general use after the Protestant Reformation. A famous bearer was Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790), an American statesman, inventor, scientist and philosopher.

Beowulf
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Anglo-Saxon Mythology
Pronounced: BAY-ə-wuwlf(English)
Possibly means "bee wolf" (in effect equal to "bear") from Old English beo "bee" and wulf "wolf". Alternatively, the first element may be beadu "battle". This is the name of the main character in the anonymous 8th-century epic poem Beowulf. Set in Denmark, the poem tells how he slays the monster Grendel and its mother at the request of King Hroðgar. After this Beowulf becomes the king of the Geats. The conclusion of the poem tells how Beawulf, in his old age, slays a dragon but is himself mortally wounded in the act.
Bilal
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Turkish, Urdu
Other Scripts: بلال(Arabic, Urdu)
Pronounced: bee-LAL(Arabic)
Means "wetting, moistening" in Arabic. This was the name of a companion of the Prophet Muhammad.
Björk
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Icelandic
Pronounced: PYUURK
Means "birch tree" in Icelandic.
Blandine
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: BLAHN-DEEN
French form of the Roman name Blandina, which was the feminine form of Blandinus, which was itself a derivative of the cognomen Blandus. Saint Blandina was a 2nd-century slave from Lyons who was martyred by being thrown to wild beasts.
Bláthnat
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish Mythology
Means "little flower" from Irish bláth "flower" combined with a diminutive suffix. In Irish legend she was a maiden abducted and married by Cú Roí. She was rescued by Cúchulainn, who killed her husband, but was in turn murdered by one of Cú Roí's loyal servants.
Boaz
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical, Hebrew, Dutch, Biblical Hebrew
Other Scripts: בֹּעַז(Hebrew)
Pronounced: BO-az(English)
Means "swiftness" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of the man who marries Ruth. This was also the name of one of the two pillars that stood outside Solomon's Temple (with Jachin).
Boudicca
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Brythonic (Latinized)
Pronounced: BOO-di-kə(English)
Derived from Brythonic boud meaning "victory" [1]. This was the name of a 1st-century queen of the Iceni who led the Britons in revolt against the Romans. Eventually her forces were defeated and she committed suicide. Her name is first recorded in Roman histories, as Boudicca by Tacitus [2] and Βουδουῖκα (Boudouika) by Cassius Dio [3].
Božena
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Czech, Slovak, Slovene, Croatian, Serbian
Other Scripts: Божена(Serbian)
Pronounced: BO-zheh-na(Czech) BAW-zheh-na(Slovak)
Derived from the Slavic element bozy meaning "divine".
Brava
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Esperanto
Pronounced: BRA-va
Means "valiant, brave" in Esperanto.
Brian
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Irish, Old Irish [1]
Pronounced: BRIE-ən(English) BRYEEN(Irish)
Meaning uncertain, possibly related to the old Celtic root *brixs "hill, high" (Old Irish brií) or the related *brigā "might, power" (Old Irish briíg). It was borne by the Irish king Brian Boru, who thwarted Viking attempts to conquer Ireland in the 11th century. He was slain in the Battle of Clontarf, though his forces were decisively victorious. This name was common in Ireland after his time, and it was introduced to northern England by Norse-Gael settlers. It was also used in Brittany, and was brought to England by Bretons in the wake of the Norman Conquest. Though it eventually became rare in the English-speaking world, it was strongly revived in the 20th century, becoming a top-ten name for boys in most regions.
Bronislav
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Czech, Slovak, Russian, Medieval Slavic [1]
Other Scripts: Бронислав(Russian, Church Slavic)
Pronounced: BRO-nyi-slaf(Czech) brə-nyi-SLAF(Russian)
Czech and Russian form of Bronisław.
Brünhild
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Germanic Mythology
Pronounced: BRUYN-hilt(German)
German form of Brunhild, used when referring to the character from the Nibelungenlied.
Burgundy
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: BUR-gən-dee
This name can refer either to the region in France, the wine (which derives from the name of the region), or the colour (which derives from the name of the wine).
Butrus
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Coptic
Other Scripts: بطرس(Arabic)
Pronounced: BOOT-roos(Arabic)
Arabic form of Peter.
Cadeyrn
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Welsh (Rare)
From Old Welsh Catigirn meaning "battle king", derived from cat "battle" and tigirn "king, monarch". This was the name of a 5th-century king of Powys in Wales, the son of Vortigern.
Candace
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Biblical, Biblical Latin
Pronounced: KAN-dis(English) KAN-də-see(English)
From the hereditary title of the queens of Ethiopia, as mentioned in Acts in the New Testament. It is apparently derived from Cushitic kdke meaning "queen mother". In some versions of the Bible it is spelled Kandake, reflecting the Greek spelling Κανδάκη. It was used as a given name by the Puritans after the Protestant Reformation. It was popularized in the 20th century by a character in the 1942 movie Meet the Stewarts [1].
Carl
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, English
Pronounced: KARL(German) KAHL(Swedish, Danish) KAHRL(English)
German and Scandinavian variant of Karl (see Charles). Two noteworthy bearers of the name were the German mathematician Carl Gauss (1777-1855), who made contributions to number theory and algebra as well as physics and astronomy, and the Swiss psychologist Carl Jung (1875-1961), who founded analytical psychology. It was imported to America in the 19th century by German immigrants.
Carmel
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Jewish
Other Scripts: כַּרְמֶל(Hebrew)
Pronounced: KAHR-məl(English) KAR-məl(English)
From the title of the Virgin Mary Our Lady of Mount Carmel. כַּרְמֶל (Karmel) (meaning "garden" in Hebrew) is a mountain in Israel mentioned in the Old Testament. It was the site of several early Christian monasteries. As an English given name, it has mainly been used by Catholics.
Cengiz
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Turkish
Pronounced: jehn-GYEEZ
Turkish form of Genghis.
Chandra
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Hinduism, Bengali, Indian, Assamese, Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Nepali
Other Scripts: चन्द्र, चन्द्रा(Sanskrit, Hindi, Nepali) চন্দ্র(Bengali) চন্দ্ৰ(Assamese) चंद्रा(Marathi) చంద్ర(Telugu) சந்திரா(Tamil) ಚಂದ್ರ(Kannada)
Pronounced: CHAWND-ro(Bengali)
Means "moon" in Sanskrit, derived from चन्द (chand) meaning "to shine". This is a transcription of the masculine form चण्ड (a name of the moon in Hindu texts, which is often personified as a deity) as well as the feminine form चण्डा.
Channing
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: CHAN-ing
From an English surname of uncertain origin.
Charles
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French
Pronounced: CHAHRLZ(English) SHARL(French)
French and English form of Carolus, the Latin form of the Germanic name Karl, which was derived from a word meaning "man" (Proto-Germanic *karlaz). However, an alternative theory states that it is derived from the common Germanic name element *harjaz meaning "army".

The popularity of the name in continental Europe was due to the fame of Charles the Great (742-814), commonly known as Charlemagne, a king of the Franks who came to rule over most of Europe. His grandfather Charles Martel had also been a noted leader of the Franks. It was subsequently the name of several Holy Roman emperors, as well as rulers of France, Spain, Portugal, Sweden and Hungary (in various spellings). After Charlemagne, his name was adopted as a word meaning "king" in many Eastern European languages, for example Czech král, Hungarian király, Russian король (korol), and Turkish kral.

The name did not become common in Britain until the 17th century when it was borne by the Stuart king Charles I. It had been introduced into the Stuart royal family by Mary Queen of Scots, who had been raised in France. Two other kings of the United Kingdom have borne this name, including the current monarch.

Other famous bearers include naturalist Charles Darwin (1809-1882) who revolutionized biology with his theory of evolution, novelist Charles Dickens (1812-1870) who wrote such works as Great Expectations and A Tale of Two Cities, French statesman Charles de Gaulle (1890-1970), and American cartoonist Charles Schulz (1922-2000), the creator of the Peanuts comic strip.

Chatzkel
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Yiddish (Rare)
Other Scripts: חאַצקל(Yiddish)
Yiddish variant of Ezekiel.
Chisomo
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Southern African, Chewa
Pronounced: chee-SO-mo
Means "grace" in Chewa.
Christopher
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: KRIS-tə-fər
From the Late Greek name Χριστόφορος (Christophoros) meaning "bearing Christ", derived from Χριστός (Christos) combined with φέρω (phero) meaning "to bear, to carry". Early Christians used it as a metaphorical name, expressing that they carried Christ in their hearts. In the Middle Ages, literal interpretations of the name's etymology led to legends about a Saint Christopher who carried the young Jesus across a river. He has come to be regarded as the patron saint of travellers.

As an English given name, Christopher has been in general use since the 15th century. It became very popular in the second half of the 20th century, reaching the top of the charts for England and Wales in the 1980s, and nearing it in the United States.

In Denmark this name was borne by three kings (their names are usually spelled Christoffer), including the 15th-century Christopher of Bavaria who also ruled Norway and Sweden. Other famous bearers include Italian explorer Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), English playwright Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593), English architect Christopher Wren (1632-1723) and the fictional character Christopher Robin from A. A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh books.

Clare
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: KLEHR, KLAR
Medieval English form of Clara. The preferred spelling in the English-speaking world is now the French form Claire, though Clare has been fairly popular in the United Kingdom and Australia.

This is also the name of an Irish county, which was itself probably derived from Irish clár meaning "plank, level surface".

Cloelia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ancient Roman
Feminine form of Cloelius. In Roman legend Cloelia was a maiden who was given to an Etruscan invader as a hostage. She managed to escape by swimming across the Tiber, at the same time helping some of the other captives to safety.
Cnaeus
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Roman
Roman variant of Gnaeus.
Constantine
Gender: Masculine
Usage: History
Pronounced: KAHN-stən-teen(English)
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).
Cordelia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Literature, English
Pronounced: kawr-DEE-lee-ə(English) kawr-DEEL-yə(English)
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).

Cornelius
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Roman, English, Dutch, German, Biblical
Pronounced: kor-NEH-lee-oos(Latin) kawr-NEE-lee-əs(English) kawr-NEH-lee-uys(Dutch) kawr-NEH-lee-uws(German)
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.
Cuauhtémoc
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Indigenous American, Nahuatl (Hispanicized)
Spanish form of Cuauhtemoc.
Cúchulainn
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish Mythology
Means "hound of Culann" in Irish. This was the usual name of the warrior hero who was named Sétanta at birth, given to him because he took the place of one of Culann's hounds after he accidentally killed it. The Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology tells of Cúchulainn's many adventures, including his single-handed defence of Ulster against the army of Queen Medb.
Cyneburg
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Anglo-Saxon [1]
Means "royal fortress" from Old English cyne "royal" and burg "fortress". Saint Cyneburga, a daughter of a king of Mercia, was the founder of an abbey at Gloucester in the 7th century.
Cyprian
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Polish, History (Ecclesiastical)
Pronounced: TSI-pryan(Polish) SIP-ree-ən(English)
From the Roman family name Cyprianus, which meant "from Cyprus". Saint Cyprian was a 3rd-century bishop of Carthage and a martyr under the emperor Valerian.
Cyprianus
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Roman
Original Latin form of Cyprian.
Dáibhí
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish
Irish form of David.
Danyal
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Turkish (Rare)
Turkish form of Daniel.
Darius
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Lithuanian, Romanian, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Old Persian (Latinized)
Other Scripts: 𐎭𐎠𐎼𐎹𐎢𐏁(Old Persian)
Pronounced: də-RIE-əs(English) DAR-ee-əs(English)
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.

Deston
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: DES-ton
Donato
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
Pronounced: do-NA-to(Italian, Spanish)
From the Late Latin name Donatus meaning "given". Several early saints had this name. The name was also borne by two Renaissance masters: the sculptor Donato di Niccolo di Bette Bardi (also known as Donatello), and the architect Donato Bramante.
Dracula
Gender: Masculine
Usage: History, Literature
Means "son of Dracul" in Romanian, with Dracul being derived from Romanian drac "dragon". It was a nickname of the 15th-century Wallachian prince Vlad III, called the Impaler, whose father was Vlad II Dracul. However, the name Dracula is now most known from the 1897 novel of the same name by Bram Stoker, which features the Transylvanian vampire Count Dracula, who was probably inspired in part by the historical Wallachian prince.
Dre
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Short form of Andre. A famous bearer is the American rapper and music producer Dr. Dre (1965-), born Andre Young.
Duha
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: ضحى(Arabic)
Pronounced: DOO-ha
Means "morning" in Arabic.
Duncan
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Scottish, English
Pronounced: DUNG-kən(English)
Anglicized form of the Scottish Gaelic name Donnchadh, derived from Old Irish donn "brown" and cath "battle". This was the name of two kings of Scotland, including the one who was featured in Shakespeare's play Macbeth (1606).
Easton
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: EES-tən
From an English surname that was derived from place names meaning "east town" in Old English.
Edgar
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, Portuguese, German
Pronounced: EHD-gər(English) EHD-GAR(French)
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).
Eibhlín
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish
Pronounced: EHV-ə-lyeen, ie-LYEEN
Irish form of Aveline.
Eleanor
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: EHL-ə-nawr
From the Old French form of the Occitan name Alienòr. Among the name's earliest bearers was the influential Eleanor of Aquitaine (12th century), who was the queen of Louis VII, the king of France, and later Henry II, the king of England. She was named Aenor after her mother, and was called by the Occitan phrase alia Aenor "the other Aenor" in order to distinguish her from her mother. However, there appear to be examples of bearers prior to Eleanor of Aquitaine. It is not clear whether they were in fact Aenors who were retroactively recorded as having the name Eleanor, or whether there is an alternative explanation for the name's origin.

The popularity of the name Eleanor in England during the Middle Ages was due to the fame of Eleanor of Aquitaine, as well as two queens of the following century: Eleanor of Provence, the wife of Henry III, and Eleanor of Castile, the wife of Edward I. More recently, it was borne by first lady Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962), the wife of American president Franklin Roosevelt.

Elisav
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Ancient Hebrew
Very old and rare Hebrew form of ELIZABETH. ELISHEVA is a more modern form of the same name and usually used for females.
Emmanuel
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical, French, English
Other Scripts: עִמָּנוּאֵל(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced: EH-MA-NWEHL(French) i-MAN-yoo-ehl(English)
From the Hebrew name עִמָּנוּאֵל ('Immanu'el) meaning "God is with us", from the roots עִם ('im) meaning "with" and אֵל ('el) meaning "God". This was the foretold name of the Messiah in the Old Testament. It has been used in England since the 16th century in the spellings Emmanuel and Immanuel, though it has not been widespread [1]. The name has been more common in continental Europe, especially in Spain and Portugal (in the spellings Manuel and Manoel).
Emory
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: EHM-ə-ree
Variant of Emery.
Enikő
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hungarian
Pronounced: EH-nee-kuu
Created by the Hungarian poet Mihály Vörösmarty in the 19th century. He based it on the name of the legendary mother of the Hungarian people, Enéh, of Turkic origin meaning "young hind" (modern Hungarian ünő).
Ern
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: URN
Short form of Ernest.
Esau
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
Other Scripts: עֵשָׂו(Ancient Hebrew) Ἠσαῦ(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: EE-saw(English)
From the Hebrew name עֵשָׂו ('Esaw), which possibly meant "hairy". In the Old Testament Esau is the elder of the twin sons of Isaac and Rebecca. Once when he was very hungry he sold his birthright to his twin Jacob for a bowl of stew. Later Jacob disguised himself as Esau and received the elder son's blessing from the blind Isaac. Esau, also called Edom, was the ancestor of the Edomites.
Essa
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: عيسى(Arabic)
Pronounced: ‘EE-sa
Alternate transcription of Arabic عيسى (see Isa 1).
Ethel
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: ETH-əl
Short form of names beginning with the Old English element æðele meaning "noble". It was coined in the 19th century, when many Old English names were revived. It was popularized by the novels The Newcomes (1855) by William Makepeace Thackeray and The Daisy Chain (1856) by C. M. Yonge. A famous bearer was American actress and singer Ethel Merman (1908-1984).
Everard
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
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.
Faiz
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: فائز(Arabic)
Pronounced: FA-eez
Means "victorious" in Arabic.
Farag
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: فرج(Arabic)
Alternate transcription of Arabic فرج (see Faraj). This corresponds more closely with the Egyptian Arabic pronunciation of the name.
Faraj
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: فرج(Arabic)
Pronounced: FA-raj
Means "comfort, relief" in Arabic.
Fareed
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Urdu
Other Scripts: فريد(Arabic) فرید(Urdu)
Pronounced: fa-REED(Arabic)
Alternate transcription of Arabic فريد or Urdu فرید (see Farid).
Farid
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Bengali
Other Scripts: فريد(Arabic) فرید(Persian, Urdu) ফরিদ(Bengali)
Pronounced: fa-REED(Arabic)
Means "unique, precious", derived from Arabic فرد (farada) meaning "to be unique". This was the name of a 13th-century Persian poet.
Faruq
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: فاروق(Arabic)
Pronounced: fa-ROOK
Means "person who can tell right from wrong" in Arabic. This was the name of the last king of Egypt (1920-1965).
Fatima
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arabic, Urdu, Bosnian
Other Scripts: فاطمة(Arabic) فاطمہ(Urdu)
Pronounced: FA-tee-mah(Arabic)
Alternate transcription of Arabic فاطمة (see Fatimah), as well as the usual Urdu and Bosnian form.
Fatimah
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arabic, Malay, Indonesian
Other Scripts: فاطمة(Arabic)
Pronounced: FA-tee-mah(Arabic)
Means "to abstain" in Arabic. Fatimah was a daughter of the Prophet Muhammad and the wife of Ali, the fourth caliph. She is regarded as the exemplary Muslim woman, especially among Shias.
Faysal
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: فيصل(Arabic)
Pronounced: FIE-sal
Means "a judge, arbiter" in Arabic.
Fear-the-lord
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Puritan)
Referring to the reverence of God.
Felicia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Italian, Spanish, Romanian, Dutch, Swedish, Late Roman
Pronounced: fə-LEE-shə(English) feh-LEE-cha(Italian) feh-LEE-thya(European Spanish) feh-LEE-sya(Latin American Spanish) feh-LEE-chee-a(Romanian) feh-LEE-see-a(Dutch) feh-LEE-see-ah(Swedish)
Feminine form of the Latin name Felicius, a derivative of Felix. As an English name, it has occasionally been used since the Middle Ages.
Fight-the-good-fight-of-faith
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Puritan)
Referring to the trials and tribulations one might endure while living out faith in God.
Fionnbharr
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish (Rare)
Pronounced: FYIN-ə-wər
Modern Irish Gaelic form of Finbar.
Firdaus
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Arabic, Indonesian, Malay, Urdu
Other Scripts: فردوس(Arabic, Urdu)
Pronounced: feer-DOWS(Arabic)
Derived from the Arabic word فردوس (firdaws) meaning "paradise", ultimately from an Iranian language, akin to Avestan 𐬞𐬀𐬌𐬭𐬌⸱𐬛𐬀𐬉𐬰𐬀 (pairi daēza) meaning "garden, enclosure".
Flora
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Dutch, French, Greek, Albanian, Roman Mythology
Other Scripts: Φλώρα(Greek)
Pronounced: FLAWR-ə(English) FLO-ra(Spanish, German, Latin) FLAW-ru(Portuguese)
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.
Foma
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Russian
Other Scripts: Фома(Russian)
Pronounced: fu-MA
Russian form of Thomas.
Fouad
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: فؤاد(Arabic)
Pronounced: foo-AD
Alternate transcription of Arabic فؤاد (see Fuad).
Francis
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English, French
Pronounced: FRAN-sis(English) FRAHN-SEES(French)
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), and the explorer and admiral Sir Francis Drake (1540-1595).

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

François
Gender: Masculine
Usage: French
Pronounced: FRAHN-SWA
French form of Franciscus (see Francis). François Villon was a French lyric poet of the 15th century. This was also the name of two kings of France.
Frederick
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: FREHD-ə-rik, FREHD-rik
English form of an Old German name meaning "peaceful ruler", derived from fridu "peace" and rih "ruler, king". This name has long been common in continental Germanic-speaking regions, being borne by rulers of the Holy Roman Empire, Germany, Austria, Scandinavia, and Prussia. Notables among these rulers include the 12th-century Holy Roman emperor and crusader Frederick I Barbarossa, the 13th-century emperor and patron of the arts Frederick II, and the 18th-century Frederick II of Prussia, known as Frederick the Great.

The Normans brought the name to England in the 11th century but it quickly died out. It was reintroduced by the German House of Hanover when they inherited the British throne in the 18th century. A famous bearer was Frederick Douglass (1818-1895), an American ex-slave who became a leading advocate of abolition.

Freya
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Norse Mythology, English (Modern), German
Pronounced: FRAY-ə(English) FRAY-a(German)
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.

Fuad
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: فؤاد(Arabic)
Pronounced: foo-AD
Derived from Arabic فؤاد (fu'ad) meaning "heart".
Gabriel
Gender: Masculine
Usage: French, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Catalan, English, Romanian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Georgian, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
Other Scripts: გაბრიელ(Georgian) גַּבְרִיאֵל(Ancient Hebrew) Γαβριήλ(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: GA-BREE-YEHL(French) ga-BRYEHL(Spanish) ga-bree-EHL(European Portuguese, Romanian) ga-bree-EW(Brazilian Portuguese) GA-bree-ehl(German, Slovak, Latin) GAH-bri-ehl(Swedish) GAHB-ree-ehl(Finnish) gə-bree-EHL(Catalan) GAY-bree-əl(English) GAB-ryehl(Polish) GA-bri-yehl(Czech)
From the Hebrew name גַבְרִיאֵל (Gavri'el) meaning "God is my strong man", derived from גֶּבֶר (gever) meaning "strong man, hero" and אֵל ('el) meaning "God". Gabriel is an archangel in Hebrew tradition, often appearing as a messenger of God. In the Old Testament he is sent to interpret the visions of the prophet Daniel, while in the New Testament he serves as the announcer of the births of John to Zechariah and Jesus to Mary. According to Islamic tradition he was the angel who dictated the Quran to Muhammad.

This name has been used occasionally in England since the 12th century. It was not common in the English-speaking world until the end of the 20th century.

Gamal
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic (Egyptian)
Other Scripts: جمال(Arabic)
Pronounced: ga-MAL
Egyptian transcription of Jamal. This name was borne by Egyptian president Gamal Nasser (1918-1970).
Genghis
Gender: Masculine
Usage: History
Pronounced: GENG-gis(English) JENG-gis(English)
From the title Genghis (or Chinggis) Khan, meaning "universal ruler", which was adopted by the Mongol Empire founder Temujin in the late 12th century. Remembered both for his military brilliance and his brutality towards civilians, he went on to conquer huge areas of Asia and Eastern Europe.
George
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Romanian, Indian (Christian)
Other Scripts: ജോർജ്ജ്(Malayalam)
Pronounced: JAWRJ(English) JYOR-jeh(Romanian)
From the Greek name Γεώργιος (Georgios), which was derived from the Greek word γεωργός (georgos) meaning "farmer, earthworker", itself derived from the elements γῆ (ge) meaning "earth" and ἔργον (ergon) meaning "work". Saint George was a 3rd-century Roman soldier from Cappadocia who was martyred during the persecutions of Emperor Diocletian. Later legends describe his defeat of a dragon, with which he was often depicted in medieval art.

Initially Saint George was primarily revered by Eastern Christians, but returning crusaders brought stories of him to Western Europe and he became the patron of England, Portugal, Catalonia and Aragon. The name was rarely used in England until the German-born George I came to the British throne in the 18th century. Five subsequent British kings have borne the name.

Other famous bearers include two kings of Greece, the composer George Frideric Handel (1685-1759), the first president of the United States, George Washington (1732-1797), and the Pacific explorer George Vancouver (1757-1798). This was also the pen name of authors George Eliot (1819-1880) and George Orwell (1903-1950), real names Mary Anne Evans and Eric Arthur Blair respectively.

This name is also used by Christians in India, notably Saint Thomas Christians in the state of Kerala in the spelling ജോർജ്ജ് (Jorjj).

Godofredo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Spanish, Portuguese (Rare)
Pronounced: go-dho-FREH-dho(Spanish)
Spanish and Portuguese form of Godfrey.
Gorou
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 五郎, etc.(Japanese Kanji) ごろう(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: GO-RO
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 五郎 (see Gorō).
Gregory
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: GREHG-ə-ree
English form of Latin Gregorius, which was from the Late Greek name Γρηγόριος (Gregorios), derived from γρήγορος (gregoros) meaning "watchful, alert". This name was popular among early Christians, being borne by a number of important saints including Saint Gregory Thaumaturgus (3rd century), Saint Gregory the Illuminator (4th century), Saint Gregory of Nyssa (4th century), Saint Gregory of Nazianzus (4th century), and Saint Gregory of Tours (6th century). It was also borne by the 6th-century pope Saint Gregory I the Great, a reformer and Doctor of the Church, as well as 15 subsequent popes.

Due to the renown of the saints by this name, Gregory (in various spellings) has remained common in the Christian world through the Middle Ages and to the present day. It has been used in England since the 12th century. A famous bearer from the modern era was American actor Gregory Peck (1916-2003).

Gresham
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: GRESH-əm
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "grazing homestead" in Old English.
Guadalupe
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: ghwa-dha-LOO-peh
From a Spanish title of the Virgin Mary, Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, meaning "Our Lady of Guadalupe". Guadalupe is a Spanish place name, the site of a famous convent, derived from Arabic وادي (wadi) meaning "valley, river" possibly combined with Latin lupus meaning "wolf". In the 16th century Our Lady of Guadalupe supposedly appeared in a vision to a native Mexican man, and she is now regarded as a patron saint of the Americas.
Guy 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French
Pronounced: GIE(English) GEE(French)
Old French form of Wido. The Normans introduced it to England, where it was common until the time of Guy Fawkes (1570-1606), a revolutionary who attempted to blow up the British parliament. The name was revived in the 19th century, due in part to characters in the novels Guy Mannering (1815) by Walter Scott and The Heir of Redclyffe (1854) by C. M. Yonge.
Habib
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Persian, Urdu
Other Scripts: حبيب(Arabic) حبیب(Persian, Urdu)
Pronounced: ha-BEEB(Arabic)
Means "beloved, darling" in Arabic.
Habibullah
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: حبيب الله(Arabic)
Pronounced: ha-bee-bool-LAH
Means "friend of Allah", from Arabic حبيب (habib) meaning "friend" combined with الله (Allah).
Hachirou
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 八郎, etc.(Japanese Kanji) はちろう(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: HA-CHEE-RO
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 八郎 (see Hachirō).
Hanke
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Dutch (Rare)
Pronounced: HAHNG-kə
Dutch diminutive of Johanna.
Hannah
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Hebrew, German, Dutch, Arabic, Biblical
Other Scripts: חַנָּה(Hebrew) حنّة(Arabic)
Pronounced: HAN-ə(English) HA-na(German) HAH-na(Dutch) HAN-nah(Arabic)
From the Hebrew name חַנָּה (Channah) meaning "favour, grace", derived from the root חָנַן (chanan). In the Old Testament this is the name of the wife of Elkanah. Her rival was Elkanah's other wife Peninnah, who had children while Hannah remained barren. After a blessing from Eli she finally became pregnant with Samuel.

As an English name, Hannah was not regularly used until after the Protestant Reformation, unlike the vernacular forms Anne and Ann and the Latin form Anna, which were used from the late Middle Ages. In the last half of the 20th century Hannah surged in popularity and neared the top of the name rankings for both the United States and the United Kingdom.

Hans
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
Pronounced: HANS(German) HAHNS(Dutch)
German short form of Johannes, now used independently. This name has been very common in German-speaking areas of Europe since the late Middle Ages. From an early period it was transmitted to the Low Countries and Scandinavia. Two famous bearers were Hans Holbein (1497-1543), a German portrait painter, and Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875), a Danish writer of fairy tales.
Happy
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: HAP-ee
From the English word happy, derived from Middle English hap "chance, luck", of Old Norse origin.
Harambe
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Popular Culture, Pet
Pronounced: hə-RAHM-bay
The name of a western lowland gorilla that was shot and killed at the Cincinnati Zoo in May 2016. He was named for Rita Marley's song "Harambe" (1988), which was taken from Swahili harambee meaning "communal labour" or "pull together".
Haru
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 陽, 春, 晴, etc.(Japanese Kanji) はる(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: HA-ROO
From Japanese (haru) meaning "light, sun, male", (haru) meaning "spring" or (haru) meaning "clear weather". Other kanji or kanji combinations can form this name as well.
Harun
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Turkish, Bosnian, Indonesian, Malay
Other Scripts: هارون(Arabic)
Pronounced: ha-ROON(Arabic)
Arabic form of Aaron. Harun ar-Rashid was a 9th-century Abbasid caliph featured in the stories of The 1001 Nights.
Hatshepsut
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ancient Egyptian
Pronounced: hat-SHEHP-soot(English)
From Egyptian ḥꜣt-špswt meaning "foremost of noble women" [1]. This was the name of a pharaoh of the 18th dynasty (15th century BC), among the first women to take this title.
Hector
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, Greek Mythology (Latinized), Arthurian Romance
Other Scripts: Ἕκτωρ(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: HEHK-tər(English) EHK-TAWR(French)
Latinized form of Greek Ἕκτωρ (Hektor), which was derived from ἕκτωρ (hektor) meaning "holding fast", ultimately from ἔχω (echo) meaning "to hold, to possess". In Greek legend Hector was one of the Trojan champions who fought against the Greeks. After he killed Achilles' friend Patroclus in battle, he was himself brutally slain by Achilles, who proceeded to tie his dead body to a chariot and drag it about. This name also appears in Arthurian legends where it belongs to King Arthur's foster father.

Hector has occasionally been used as a given name since the Middle Ages, probably because of the noble character of the classical hero. It has been historically common in Scotland, where it was used as an Anglicized form of Eachann.

Helen
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Estonian, Greek Mythology (Anglicized)
Other Scripts: Ἑλένη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: HEHL-ən(English)
English form of the Greek Ἑλένη (Helene), probably from Greek ἑλένη (helene) meaning "torch" or "corposant", or possibly related to σελήνη (selene) meaning "moon". In Greek mythology Helen was the daughter of Zeus and Leda, whose kidnapping by Paris was the cause of the Trojan War. The name was also borne by the 4th-century Saint Helena, mother of the Roman emperor Constantine, who supposedly found the True Cross during a trip to Jerusalem.

The name was originally used among early Christians in honour of the saint, as opposed to the classical character. In England it was commonly spelled Ellen during the Middle Ages, and the spelling Helen was not regularly used until after the Renaissance. A famous bearer was Helen Keller (1880-1968), an American author and lecturer who was both blind and deaf.

Herakles
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Ἡρακλῆς(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: HEH-RA-KLEHS(Classical Greek) HEHR-ə-kleez(English)
Means "glory of Hera" from the name of the goddess Hera combined with Greek κλέος (kleos) meaning "glory". This was the name of a hero in Greek and Roman mythology, the son of Zeus and the mortal woman Alcmene. After being driven insane by Hera and killing his own children, Herakles completed twelve labours in order to atone for his crime and become immortal.
Herod
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical
Other Scripts: Ἡρῴδης, Ἡρώδης(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: HEHR-əd(English)
From the Greek name Ἡρῴδης (Herodes), which probably means "song of the hero" from ἥρως (heros) meaning "hero, warrior" combined with ᾠδή (ode) meaning "song, ode". This was the name of several rulers of Judea during the period when it was part of the Roman Empire. This includes two who appear in the New Testament: Herod the Great, the king who ordered the slaughter of the children, and his son Herod Antipas, who had John the Baptist beheaded.
Hersh
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Yiddish
Other Scripts: הירש(Yiddish) הירשׁ(Hebrew)
Alternate transcription of Yiddish הירש (see Hirsh).
Hiawatha
Gender: Masculine
Usage: History, Indigenous American, Iroquois (Anglicized)
Pronounced: hie-ə-WAHTH-ə(English)
Meaning uncertain, of Iroquois origin, possibly meaning "he who combs". This was the name of a Mohawk or Onondaga leader who founded the Iroquois Confederacy around the 15th century. He was later the subject of a fictionalized 1855 poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
Hidayat
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Indonesian
Other Scripts: هداية(Arabic)
Means "guidance" in Arabic.
Hideki
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 秀樹, 英樹, etc.(Japanese Kanji) ひでき(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: KHEE-DEH-KYEE
From Japanese (hide) meaning "excellent, outstanding" or (hide) meaning "excellent, fine" combined with (ki) meaning "tree". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.
Hilarius
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Roman
Pronounced: hee-LA-ree-oos
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.
Hirohito
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 裕人, 裕仁, etc.(Japanese Kanji) ひろひと(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: KHEE-RO-KHEE-TO
From Japanese (hiro) meaning "abundant" and (hito) meaning "person" or (hito) meaning "compassionate". Hirohito (1901-1989), name written , was the emperor of Japan from 1926 to 1989. Different combinations of kanji can also form this name.
Hrodohaidis
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Germanic [1]
Old German form of Rose.
Hroðgar
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Anglo-Saxon [1]
From Old English hroð "fame, glory" and gar "spear", making it a cognate of Hrodger (see Roger). The name became unused after the Normans introduced the continental form. In the Old English poem Beowulf this is the name of the Danish king.
Husam
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: حسام(Arabic)
Pronounced: hoo-SAM
Means "sword" in Arabic, a derivative of the verb حسم (hasama) meaning "to sever, to finish, to decide".
Hyder
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: حيدر(Arabic)
Pronounced: HIE-dar
Alternate transcription of Arabic حيدر (see Haidar).
İbrahim
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Turkish, Azerbaijani
Pronounced: ee-bra-HEEM(Turkish)
Turkish and Azerbaijani form of Abraham.
Ichirou
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 一郎, etc.(Japanese Kanji) いちろう(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: EE-CHEE-RO
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 一郎 (see Ichirō).
Ilene
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: ie-LEEN, IE-leen
Variant of Eileen, probably inspired by the spelling of Irene.
Il-Seong
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Korean
Other Scripts: 일성(Korean Hangul) 日成, etc.(Korean Hanja)
Pronounced: EEL-SUNG
From Sino-Korean (il) meaning "sun, day" and (seong) meaning "completed, finished, succeeded". Other hanja character combinations are possible. A notable bearer was Kim Il-sung (1912-1994), the first leader of North Korea.
Imagination
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Puritan), Medieval English
Referring to the puritan fear of the imagination and its ability to have free reign beyond scripture.
Iman
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Persian, Indonesian
Other Scripts: إيمان(Arabic) ایمان(Persian)
Pronounced: ee-MAN(Arabic)
Means "faith", derived from Arabic أمُنَ (amuna) meaning "to be faithful". It is typically feminine in Arabic and typically masculine in Persian.
Inanna
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Sumerian Mythology
Other Scripts: 𒀭𒈹(Sumerian Cuneiform)
Pronounced: i-NAH-nə(English)
Possibly derived from Sumerian nin-an-a(k) meaning "lady of the heavens", from 𒎏 (nin) meaning "lady" and the genitive form of 𒀭 (an) meaning "heaven, sky". Inanna was the Sumerian goddess of love, fertility and war. She descended into the underworld where the ruler of that place, her sister Ereshkigal, had her killed. The god Enki interceded, and Inanna was allowed to leave the underworld as long as her husband Dumuzi took her place.

Inanna was later conflated with the Semitic (Akkadian, Assyrian and Babylonian) deity Ishtar.

Increase
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Puritan)
Pronounced: IN-krees
Derives from Middle English 'encrease' with the meaning "to turn greater in number". A famous bearer was Increase Mather, the president of Harvard University in 1685, who was a Puritan minister involved with the Salem witch trials. This virtue name fell in usage in the 21st century.
Increased
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (Puritan)
Referring to the Biblical command to increase in number.
Indira
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hinduism, Indian, Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Tamil
Other Scripts: इन्दिरा(Sanskrit) इन्दिरा, इंदिरा(Hindi) इंदिरा(Marathi) ಇಂದಿರಾ(Kannada) இந்திரா(Tamil)
Pronounced: IN-di-ra(Hindi)
Means "beauty" in Sanskrit. This is another name of Lakshmi, the wife of the Hindu god Vishnu. A notable bearer was India's first female prime minister, Indira Gandhi (1917-1984).
Indrajit
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Hinduism, Bengali, Indian, Hindi
Other Scripts: इन्द्रजित्(Sanskrit) ইন্দ্রজিৎ(Bengali) इन्द्रजित, इंद्रजित, इन्द्रजीत, इंद्रजीत(Hindi)
Means "conqueror of Indra" from the name of the god Indra combined with Sanskrit जिति (jiti) meaning "victory, conquering". In Hindu legend this is another name of Meghanada, the son of Ravana, the king of Sri Lanka. He was given this name by Brahma after he defeated Indra.
Ing
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Germanic Mythology
From the Germanic *Ingwaz, possibly meaning "ancestor". This was the name of an obscure Germanic fertility god who was considered the ancestor of the tribe the Ingaevones. It is possible he was an earlier incarnation of the god Freyr.
Iona 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Scottish
Pronounced: ie-O-nə(English)
From the name of the island off Scotland where Saint Columba founded a monastery. The name of the island is Old Norse in origin, and apparently derives simply from ey meaning "island".
Isa 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Persian, Albanian, Bosnian
Other Scripts: عيسى(Arabic) عیسی(Persian)
Pronounced: ‘EE-sa(Arabic)
Arabic form of Jesus. This form is found in the Quran and is used as a given name by Muslims. Arabic-speaking Christians instead use يسوع (Yasu') to refer to Jesus Christ.
Isaiah
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Biblical
Other Scripts: יְשַׁעְיָהוּ(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced: ie-ZAY-ə(American English) ie-ZIE-ə(British English)
From the Hebrew name יְשַׁעְיָהוּ (Yesha'yahu) meaning "Yahweh is salvation", from the roots יָשַׁע (yasha') meaning "to save" and יָה (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. Isaiah is one of the four major prophets of the Old Testament, supposedly the author of the Book of Isaiah. He was from Jerusalem and probably lived in the 8th century BC, at a time when Assyria threatened the Kingdom of Judah. As an English Christian name, Isaiah was first used after the Protestant Reformation.
Iseut
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arthurian Romance
Variant of Yseut.
Ishmael
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical
Other Scripts: יִשְׁמָעֵאל(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced: ISH-may-əl(English)
From the Hebrew name יִשְׁמָעֵאל (Yishma'el) meaning "God will hear", from the roots שָׁמַע (shama') meaning "to hear" and אֵל ('el) meaning "God". In the Old Testament this is the name of a son of Abraham. He is the traditional ancestor of the Arab people. Also in the Old Testament, it is borne by a man who assassinates Gedaliah the governor of Judah. The author Herman Melville later used this name for the narrator in his novel Moby-Dick (1851).
Iskandar
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Indonesian, Malay
Other Scripts: إسكندر(Arabic)
Pronounced: ees-KAN-dar(Arabic)
Arabic, Indonesian and Malay form of Alexander.
'Ismat
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: عصمة(Arabic)
Pronounced: ‘EES-mah
Derived from Arabic عصم ('Isma) meaning "safeguarding".
Isolde
Gender: Feminine
Usage: German, Arthurian Romance
Pronounced: ee-ZAWL-də(German) i-SOL-də(English) i-ZOL-də(English) i-SOLD(English) i-ZOLD(English) EE-ZAWLD(French)
German form of Iseult, appearing in the 13th-century German poem Tristan by Gottfried von Strassburg. In 1865 the German composer Richard Wagner debuted his popular opera Tristan und Isolde and also used the name for his first daughter.
Ivan
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Russian, Bulgarian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Serbian, Croatian, Czech, Slovak, Macedonian, Slovene, English, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Estonian
Other Scripts: Иван(Russian, Bulgarian, Serbian, Macedonian) Іван(Ukrainian, Belarusian)
Pronounced: i-VAN(Russian) ee-VAN(Bulgarian, Romanian) ee-VAHN(Ukrainian) yee-VAN(Belarusian) EE-van(Serbian, Croatian, Slovak, Macedonian, Slovene, Italian) I-van(Czech) IE-vən(English) ee-VUN(Portuguese)
Newer form of the old Slavic name Іѡаннъ (Ioannu), 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.
Ixchel
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Mayan Mythology, Indigenous American, Mayan
Pronounced: eesh-CHEHL(Mayan)
Possibly means "rainbow lady", from Classic Maya ix "lady" and chel "rainbow". Ixchel was a Maya goddess associated with the earth, jaguars, medicine and childbirth. She was often depicted with a snake in her hair and crossbones embroidered on her skirt.
Izz al-Din
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: عزّ الدين(Arabic)
Pronounced: ‘eez-zood-DEEN
Alternate transcription of Arabic عزّ الدين (see Izz ad-Din).
Izz ud-Din
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: عزّ الدين(Arabic)
Pronounced: ‘eez-zood-DEEN
Alternate transcription of Arabic عزّ الدين (see Izz ad-Din).
Jabbar
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: جبّار(Arabic)
Pronounced: jab-BAR
Means "powerful" in Arabic. In Islamic tradition الجبّار (al-Jabbar) is one of the 99 names of Allah.
Jacob
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Jewish, Biblical
Other Scripts: יַעֲקֹב(Hebrew)
Pronounced: JAY-kəb(English) YA-kawp(Dutch) YAH-kawp(Swedish, Norwegian) YAH-kob(Danish)
From the Latin Iacob, which was from the Greek Ἰακώβ (Iakob), which was from the Hebrew name יַעֲקֹב (Ya'aqov). In the Old Testament Jacob (later called Israel) is the son of Isaac and Rebecca and the father of the twelve founders of the twelve tribes of Israel. He was born holding his twin brother Esau's heel, and his name is explained as meaning "holder of the heel" or "supplanter", because he twice deprived his brother of his rights as the firstborn son (see Genesis 27:36). Other theories claim that it is in fact derived from a hypothetical name like יַעֲקֹבְאֵל (Ya'aqov'el) meaning "may God protect".

The English names Jacob and James derive from the same source, with James coming from Latin Iacomus, a later variant of the Latin New Testament form Iacobus. Unlike English, many languages do not have separate spellings for the two names.

In England, Jacob was mainly regarded as a Jewish name during the Middle Ages [1], though the variant James was used among Christians. Jacob came into general use as a Christian name after the Protestant Reformation. In America, although already moderately common, it steadily grew in popularity from the early 1970s to the end of the 1990s, becoming the top ranked name from 1999 to 2012.

A famous bearer was Jacob Grimm (1785-1863), the German linguist and writer who was, with his brother Wilhelm, the author of Grimm's Fairy Tales.

Jair
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical, Biblical Portuguese, Spanish (Latin American), Portuguese (Brazilian)
Other Scripts: יָאִיר(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced: JAY-ər(English) KHIER(Spanish) zha-EEKH(Portuguese)
Means "he shines" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of both a son of Manasseh and one of the ruling judges of the Israelites.
Jamal
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, African American
Other Scripts: جمال(Arabic)
Pronounced: ja-MAL(Arabic) jə-MAHL(English)
Means "beauty" in Arabic.
James
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Biblical
Pronounced: JAYMZ(English)
English form of the Late Latin name Iacomus, a variant of the Biblical Latin form Iacobus, from the Hebrew name Ya'aqov (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 Captain 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.

Jenny
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, German, Dutch, Spanish
Pronounced: JEHN-ee(English) YEH-nuy(Swedish) YEH-nee(German)
Originally a medieval English diminutive of Jane. Since the middle of the 20th century it has been primarily considered a diminutive of Jennifer.
Jiahao
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Chinese
Other Scripts: 家豪, etc.(Chinese)
Pronounced: CHYAH-KHOW
From Chinese (jiā) meaning "home, family" combined with (háo) meaning "brave, heroic, chivalrous". This name can be formed from other character combinations as well.
Jirou
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 二郎(Japanese Kanji) じろう(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: JEE-RO
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 二郎 (see Jirō).
Johannes
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Late Roman
Pronounced: yo-HA-nəs(German) yo-HAH-nəs(Dutch) yo-HAN-əs(Danish) YO-hahn-nehs(Finnish)
Latin form of Greek Ioannes (see John). Notable bearers include the inventor of the printing press Johannes Gutenberg (1398-1468), astronomer Johannes Kepler (1571-1630) and composer Johannes Brahms (1833-1897).
Joseph
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, German, Biblical
Other Scripts: יוֹסֵף(Ancient Hebrew) ജോസഫ്(Malayalam)
Pronounced: JO-səf(English) ZHO-ZEHF(French) YO-zehf(German)
From Ioseph, the Latin form of Greek Ἰωσήφ (Ioseph), which was from the Hebrew name יוֹסֵף (Yosef) meaning "he will add", from the root יָסַף (yasaf). In the Old Testament Joseph is the eleventh son of Jacob and the first with his wife Rachel. Because he was the favourite of his father, his older brothers sent him to Egypt and told their father that he had died. In Egypt, Joseph became an advisor to the pharaoh, and was eventually reconciled with his brothers when they came to Egypt during a famine. This name also occurs in the New Testament, belonging to Saint Joseph the husband of Mary, and to Joseph of Arimathea.

In the Middle Ages, Joseph was a common Jewish name, being less frequent among Christians. In the late Middle Ages Saint Joseph became more highly revered, and the name became popular in Spain and Italy. In England it became common after the Protestant Reformation. In the United States it has stayed within the top 25 names for boys since 1880, making it one of the most enduringly popular names of this era.

This name was borne by rulers of the Holy Roman Empire and Portugal. Other notable bearers include the founder of Mormonism Joseph Smith (1805-1844), Polish-British author Joseph Conrad (1857-1924) and the Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin (1878-1953).

Josephus
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Dutch, History
Pronounced: YO-sə-fuys(Dutch) jo-SEE-fəs(English)
Latin form of Joseph. As a Dutch name, it is used on birth certificates though a vernacular form such as Jozef is typically used in daily life. In English, it is used primarily to refer to the 1st-century Jewish historian Titus Flavius Josephus.
Judah
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical
Other Scripts: יְהוּדָה(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced: JOO-də(English)
From the Hebrew name יְהוּדָה (Yehudah), probably derived from יָדָה (yadah) meaning "praise". In the Old Testament Judah is the fourth of the twelve sons of Jacob by Leah, and the ancestor of the tribe of Judah. An explanation for his name is given in Genesis 29:35. His tribe eventually formed the Kingdom of Judah in the south of Israel. King David and Jesus were among the descendants of him and his wife Tamar. This name was also borne by Judah Maccabee, the Jewish priest who revolted against Seleucid rule in the 2nd century BC, as told in the Books of Maccabees.

The name appears in the New Testament using the spellings Judas and Jude.

Julia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Spanish, Polish, Finnish, Estonian, Russian, Ukrainian, Ancient Roman, Biblical
Other Scripts: Юлия(Russian) Юлія(Ukrainian)
Pronounced: JOO-lee-ə(English) YOO-lya(German, Danish, Polish) YOO-lee-ah(Swedish, Finnish) KHOO-lya(Spanish) YOO-lyi-yə(Russian) YOO-lee-a(Latin)
Feminine form of the Roman family name Julius. Among the notable women from this family were Julia Augusta (also known as Livia Drusilla), the wife of Emperor Augustus, and Julia the Elder, the daughter of Augustus and the wife of Tiberius. A person by this name has a brief mention in the New Testament. It was also borne by a few early saints and martyrs, including the patron saint of Corsica. Additionally, Shakespeare used it in his comedy The Two Gentlemen of Verona (1594).

It has been common as a given name in the English-speaking world only since the 18th century. A famous modern bearer is American actress Julia Roberts (1967-).

Jupiter
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Roman Mythology (Anglicized)
Pronounced: JOO-pi-tər(English)
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.
Jurou
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 十郎, etc.(Japanese Kanji) じゅうろう(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: JOO-RO
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 十郎 (see Jūrō).
Kabir
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Indian
Means "great, powerful, leader" in Arabic.
Karl
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, English, Finnish, Estonian, Germanic, Old Norse [1]
Pronounced: KARL(German) KAHL(Swedish, Danish) KAHRL(English, Finnish)
German and Scandinavian form of Charles. This was the name of seven rulers of the Franks and the Holy Roman Empire. It was also borne by a beatified emperor of Austria (1887-1922), as well as ten kings of Sweden. Other famous bearers include the German philosophers Karl Marx (1818-1883), one of the developers of communism, and Karl Jaspers (1883-1969), an existentialist and psychiatrist.
Kashi
Usage: Indian, Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Sanskrit
Other Scripts: काशी(Hindi, Sanskrit) కాశీ(Telugu) காசி(Tamil)
From Sanskrit काशि (kashi) meaning "shining". This is the name of a holy city in India, also called Varanasi.
Kenaniah
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical
Other Scripts: כְּנַנְיָהוּ(Ancient Hebrew)
Means "Yahweh establishes" in Hebrew. This was the name of two minor Old Testament characters.
Kephas
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical Greek
Other Scripts: Κηφᾶς(Ancient Greek)
Greek form of Cephas.
Khadija
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: خديجة(Arabic)
Pronounced: kha-DEE-jah
Means "premature child" in Arabic. This was the name of the Prophet Muhammad's first wife and the mother of all of his children, with the exception of one. She was a wealthy merchant and a widow when they married in the year 595. Muhammad received his first revelation 15 years after their marriage, and she was the first person to convert to Islam.
Khalifa
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: خليفة(Arabic)
Pronounced: kha-LEE-fah
Means "successor, caliph" in Arabic. The title caliph was given to the successors of the Prophet Muhammad, originally elected by the Islamic populace.
Khaliq
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: خليق(Arabic)
Pronounced: kha-LEEK
Means "creator" in Arabic. In Islamic tradition الخليق (al-Khaliq) is one of the 99 names of Allah.
Khariton
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Russian
Other Scripts: Харитон(Russian)
Russian form of Chariton.
Kimiko
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 貴美子, 君子, etc.(Japanese Kanji) きみこ(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: KYEE-MEE-KO
From Japanese (ki) meaning "valuable" with (mi) meaning "beautiful" or (kimi) meaning "lord, noble" combined with (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.
King
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: KING
From the English vocabulary word king, ultimately derived from Old English cyning. This was also a surname, derived from the same source, a famous bearer being the American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968).
Knox
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: NAHKS
From a Scots surname that was derived from various places named Knock, from Gaelic cnoc "round hill". It jumped in popularity after the actors Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt had a baby by this name in 2008.
Knut
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Swedish, Norwegian, German
Pronounced: KNOOT(German)
Derived from Old Norse knútr meaning "knot". Knut was a Danish prince who defeated Æðelræd II, king of England, in the early 11th century and became the ruler of Denmark, Norway and England.
Krishna
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Hinduism, Indian, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Gujarati, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Nepali
Other Scripts: कृष्ण(Sanskrit, Hindi, Marathi, Nepali) কৃষ্ণ(Bengali) કૃષ્ણ(Gujarati) కృష్ణ(Telugu) கிருஷ்ணா(Tamil) ಕೃಷ್ಣ(Kannada) കൃഷ്ണ(Malayalam)
Pronounced: KURSH-nu(Sanskrit) KRISH-nə(English)
Means "black, dark" in Sanskrit. This is the name of a Hindu god believed to be an incarnation of the god Vishnu. He was the youngest of King Vasudeva's eight children, six of whom were killed by King Kamsa because of a prophecy that a child of Vasudeva would kill Kamsa. Krishna however was saved and he eventually killed the king as well as performing many other great feats. In some Hindu traditions, Krishna is regarded as the supreme deity. He is usually depicted with blue skin.
Kurou
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 九郎, etc.(Japanese Kanji) くろう(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: KOO-RO
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 九郎 (see Kurō).
Lady
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Archaic)
Pronounced: lay-dee, LAY-dee
Diminutive of Adelaide.
Lafayette
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (American, Rare)
Pronounced: lə-fəy-ET(American English)
Transferred use of the surname Lafayette. In the US, it was first used in the late 1700s as a masculine given name in honor of the Marquis de Lafayette, a hero of the American War of Independence (who also left his name in a city of west-central Indiana on the Wabash River northwest of Indianapolis).
Laima
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Lithuanian, Latvian, Baltic Mythology
Pronounced: LIE-ma(Latvian)
From Latvian laime and Lithuanian laima, which mean "luck, fate". This was the name of the Latvian and Lithuanian goddess of fate, luck, pregnancy and childbirth. She was the sister of the goddesses Dēkla and Kārta, who were also associated with fate.
Larisa
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Russian, Ukrainian, Romanian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Slovene, Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Лариса(Russian, Ukrainian) Λάρισα(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: lu-RYEE-sə(Russian) lu-ryi-SU(Lithuanian)
Possibly derived from the name of the ancient city of Larisa in Thessaly, which meant "citadel". In Greek legends, the nymph Larisa was either a daughter or mother of Pelasgus, the ancestor of the mythical Pelasgians. This name was later borne by a 4th-century Greek martyr who is venerated as a saint in the Eastern Church. The name (of the city, nymph and saint) is commonly Latinized as Larissa, with a double s. As a Ukrainian name, it is more commonly transcribed Larysa.
Latif
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Urdu
Other Scripts: لطيف(Arabic) لطیف(Urdu)
Pronounced: la-TEEF(Arabic)
Means "gentle, kind" in Arabic. In Islamic tradition اللطيف (al-Latif) is one of the 99 names of Allah.
Leo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, English, Croatian, Armenian, Late Roman
Other Scripts: Լեո(Armenian)
Pronounced: LEH-o(German, Danish, Finnish) LEH-yo(Dutch) LEE-o(English)
Derived from Latin leo meaning "lion", a cognate of Leon. It was popular among early Christians and was the name of 13 popes, including Saint Leo the Great who asserted the dominance of the Roman bishops (the popes) over all others in the 5th century. It was also borne by six Byzantine emperors and five Armenian kings. Another famous bearer was the Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910), name spelled Лев in Russian, whose works include War and Peace and Anna Karenina. Leo is also a constellation and the fifth sign of the zodiac.
Leonard
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Dutch, German, Polish, Romanian, Germanic [1]
Pronounced: LEHN-ərd(English) LEH-o-nahrt(Dutch) LEH-o-nart(German) leh-AW-nart(Polish)
Means "brave lion", derived from the Old German elements lewo "lion" (of Latin origin) and hart "hard, firm, brave, hardy". This was the name of a 6th-century Frankish saint from Noblac who is the patron of prisoners and horses. The Normans brought this name to England, where it was used steadily through the Middle Ages, becoming even more common in the 20th century.
Leonidas
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Greek, Ancient Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Λεωνίδας(Greek)
Derived from Greek λέων (leon) meaning "lion" combined with the patronymic suffix ἴδης (ides). Leonidas was a Spartan king of the 5th century BC who sacrificed his life and his army defending the pass of Thermopylae from the Persians. This was also the name of a 3rd-century saint and martyr, the father of Origen, from Alexandria.
Lilith
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Semitic Mythology, Judeo-Christian-Islamic Legend
Pronounced: LIL-ith(English)
Derived from Akkadian lilitu meaning "of the night". This was the name of a demon in ancient Assyrian myths. In Jewish tradition she was Adam's first wife, sent out of Eden and replaced by Eve because she would not submit to him. The offspring of Adam (or Samael) and Lilith were the evil spirits of the world.
Lodewijk
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Dutch
Pronounced: LO-də-vayk
Dutch form of Ludwig.
Loki
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Norse Mythology
Pronounced: LO-kee(English)
Meaning unknown, possibly derived from the Germanic root *luką meaning "lock". In Norse mythology Loki was a trickster god associated with magic and shape shifting. Loki's children include the wolf Fenrir, the sea serpent Jörmungandr, and the queen of the dead Hel. After he orchestrated the death of Balder, the other gods tied him to a rock below a snake that dripped venom onto his face. It is told that he will break free during Ragnarök, the final battle, and slay and be slain by Heimdall.
Lonny
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: LAHN-ee
Short form of Alonzo and other names containing the same sound.
Luna
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Roman Mythology, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, English
Pronounced: LOO-na(Latin, Spanish, Italian) LOO-nə(English)
Means "the moon" in Latin (as well as Italian, Spanish and other Romance languages). Luna was the Roman goddess of the moon, frequently depicted driving a white chariot through the sky.
Lynn
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: LIN
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.
Mahmood
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: محمود(Arabic)
Pronounced: mah-MOOD
Alternate transcription of Arabic محمود (see Mahmud).
Mahmud
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Persian, Pashto, Uzbek, Bengali, Indonesian, Malay
Other Scripts: محمود(Arabic, Persian, Pashto) Маҳмуд(Uzbek) মাহমুদ(Bengali)
Pronounced: mah-MOOD(Arabic, Persian)
Means "praised" in Arabic, from the same root as Muhammad. This was the name of the first Muslim ruler of India (11th century). It was also borne by two Ottoman sultans.
Mahzun
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Turkish (Rare)
Means "sad" in Turkish.
Majd
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: مَجْد(Arabic) مجد(Persian)
Means "glory, exaltation" in Arabic, with various secondary meanings including "beauty, splendour", "magnificence" and "nobility, honour".
Majid
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Persian
Other Scripts: مجيد(Arabic) مجید(Persian)
Pronounced: ma-JEED(Arabic)
Means "glorious" in Arabic, from the root مَجَدَ (majada) meaning "to be glorious".
Major
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: MAY-jər
From an English surname that was originally derived from the given name Mauger, a Norman French form of the Germanic name Malger meaning "council spear". The name can also be given in reference to the English word major.
Makariy
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Russian (Archaic)
Other Scripts: Макарий(Russian)
Russian form of Makarios (see Macario).
Mako
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 真子, 眞子, etc.(Japanese Kanji) まこ(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: MA-KO
From Japanese 真 or 眞 (ma) meaning "real, genuine" combined with 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations can form this name as well.
Malachi
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Hebrew, English, Biblical, Biblical Latin
Other Scripts: מַלְאָכִי(Hebrew)
Pronounced: MAL-ə-kie(English)
From the Hebrew name מַלְאָכִי (Mal'akhi) meaning "my messenger" or "my angel". This is one of the twelve minor prophets of the Old Testament, the author of the Book of Malachi, which some claim foretells the coming of Christ. In England the name came into use after the Protestant Reformation.
Mamun
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Bengali
Other Scripts: مأمون(Arabic) মামুন(Bengali)
Pronounced: ma-MOON(Arabic)
Means "trustworthy" in Arabic.
Marcela
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, Romanian, Czech, Slovak
Pronounced: mar-THEH-la(European Spanish) mar-SEH-la(Latin American Spanish) mur-SEH-lu(European Portuguese, Brazilian Portuguese) mar-TSEH-la(Polish) mar-CHEH-la(Romanian) MAR-tseh-la(Czech, Slovak)
Feminine form of Marcellus.
Maria
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Italian, Portuguese, Catalan, Occitan, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Faroese, Dutch, Frisian, Greek, Polish, Romanian, English, Finnish, Estonian, Corsican, Sardinian, Basque, Armenian, Russian, Bulgarian, Ukrainian, Biblical Greek, Biblical Latin, Old Church Slavic
Other Scripts: Μαρία(Greek) Մարիա(Armenian) Мария(Russian, Bulgarian) Марія(Ukrainian) Маріа(Church Slavic)
Pronounced: ma-REE-a(Italian, German, Swedish, Dutch, Greek, Romanian, Basque) mu-REE-u(European Portuguese) ma-REE-u(Brazilian Portuguese) mə-REE-ə(Catalan, English) mah-REE-ah(Norwegian, Danish) MAR-ya(Polish) MAH-ree-ah(Finnish) mu-RYEE-yə(Russian) mu-RYEE-yu(Ukrainian)
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.

Mariamne
Gender: Feminine
Usage: History
From Μαριάμη (Mariame), the form of Maria used by the historian Josephus when referring to the wife of King Herod.
Marianus
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Roman
Roman family name, which was itself derived from the Roman name Marius. This was the name of an early saint.
Marjolaine
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: MAR-ZHAW-LEHN
Means "marjoram" in French, from Latin maiorana. Marjoram is a minty herb.
Mark
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Russian, Belarusian, Dutch, Danish, Armenian, Biblical
Other Scripts: Марк(Russian, Belarusian) Մարկ(Armenian)
Pronounced: MAHRK(English, Dutch, Eastern Armenian) MARK(Russian)
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).

Martha
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, German, Greek, Biblical, Old Church Slavic, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
Other Scripts: Μάρθα(Greek) Марѳа(Church Slavic)
Pronounced: MAHR-thə(English) MAR-ta(German)
From Aramaic מַרְתָּא (marta') meaning "the lady, the mistress", feminine form of מַר (mar) meaning "master". In the New Testament this is the name of the sister of Lazarus and Mary of Bethany (who is sometimes identified with Mary Magdalene). She was a witness to Jesus restoring her dead brother to life.

The name was not used in England until after the Protestant Reformation. A notable bearer was Martha Washington (1731-1802), the wife of the first American president George Washington. It is also borne by the media personality Martha Stewart (1941-).

Martin
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Estonian, Russian, Romanian, Czech, Slovak, Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, Hungarian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Finnish
Other Scripts: Мартин, Мартын(Russian) Мартин(Serbian, Bulgarian, Macedonian)
Pronounced: MAHR-tin(English) MAR-TEHN(French) MAR-teen(German, Slovak) MAT-tin(Swedish) MAHT-tin(Norwegian) MAH-tseen(Danish) MAR-kyin(Czech) MAWR-teen(Hungarian) mar-TIN(Bulgarian) MAHR-teen(Finnish)
From the Roman name Martinus, which was derived from Martis, the genitive case of the name of the Roman god Mars. Saint Martin of Tours was a 4th-century bishop who is the patron saint of France. According to legend, he came across a cold beggar in the middle of winter so he ripped his cloak in two and gave half of it to the beggar. He was a favourite saint during the Middle Ages, and his name has become common throughout the Christian world.

An influential bearer of the name was Martin Luther (1483-1546), the theologian who began the Protestant Reformation. The name was also borne by five popes (two of them more commonly known as Marinus). Other more recent bearers include the German philosopher Martin Heidegger (1889-1976), the American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968), and the American filmmaker Martin Scorsese (1942-).

Mary
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Biblical
Pronounced: MEHR-ee(English) MAR-ee(English)
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.

Masood
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Persian
Other Scripts: مسعود(Arabic, Persian)
Pronounced: mas-‘OOD(Arabic)
Alternate transcription of Arabic/Persian مسعود (see Mas'ud).
Matthias
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German, French, Dutch, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
Other Scripts: Ματθίας(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: ma-TEE-as(German) MA-TYAS(French) mə-THIE-əs(English) MAT-tee-as(Latin)
From Greek Ματθίας (Matthias), a variant of Ματθαῖος (see Matthew). This form appears in the New Testament as the name of the apostle chosen to replace the traitor Judas Iscariot. This was also the name of kings of Hungary (spelled Mátyás in Hungarian), including Matthias I who made important reforms to the kingdom in the 15th century.
Medusa
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Μέδουσα(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: meh-DOO-sə(English)
From the Greek Μέδουσα (Medousa), which was derived from μέδω (medo) meaning "to protect, to rule over". In Greek myth this was the name of one of the three Gorgons, ugly women who had snakes for hair. She was so hideous that anyone who gazed upon her was turned to stone, so the hero Perseus had to look using the reflection in his shield in order to slay her.
Melanie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, German, Dutch
Pronounced: MEHL-ə-nee(English) MEH-la-nee(German) meh-la-NEE(German)
From Mélanie, the French form of the Latin name Melania, derived from Greek μέλαινα (melaina) meaning "black, dark". This was the name of a Roman saint who gave all her wealth to charity in the 5th century. Her grandmother was also a saint with the same name.

The name was common in France during the Middle Ages, and was introduced from there to England, though it eventually became rare. Interest in it was revived by the character Melanie Wilkes from the novel Gone with the Wind (1936) and the subsequent movie adaptation (1939).

Melos
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Albanian
Merle
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English, Estonian
Pronounced: MURL(English)
Variant of Merrill or Muriel. The spelling has been influenced by the word merle meaning "blackbird" (via French, from Latin merula). This name is also common in Estonia, though a connection to the English-language name is uncertain.
Methuselah
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical
Other Scripts: מְתוּשֶׁלַח(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced: mə-THOOZ-ə-lə(English)
Means "man of the dart" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament he is the father of Lamech and the grandfather of Noah. He lived to age 969, making him the longest-lived person in the Bible.
Michael
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, German, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Dutch, Czech, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
Other Scripts: מִיכָאֵל(Ancient Hebrew) Μιχαήλ(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: MIE-kəl(English) MI-kha-ehl(German, Czech) MEE-kal(Danish) MEE-ka-ehl(Swedish) MEE-kah-ehl(Norwegian) mee-KA-ehl(Latin)
From the Hebrew name מִיכָאֵל (Mikha'el) meaning "who is like God?". This is a rhetorical question, implying no person is like God. Michael is one of the archangels in Hebrew tradition and the only one identified as an archangel in the Bible. In the Book of Daniel in the Old Testament he is named as a protector of Israel (see Daniel 12:1). In the Book of Revelation in the New Testament he is portrayed as the leader of heaven's armies in the war against Satan, and is thus considered the patron saint of soldiers in Christianity.

The popularity of the saint led to the name being used by nine Byzantine emperors, including Michael VIII Palaeologus who restored the empire in the 13th century. It has been common in Western Europe since the Middle Ages, and in England since the 12th century. It has been borne (in various spellings) by rulers of Russia (spelled Михаил), Romania (Mihai), Poland (Michał), and Portugal (Miguel).

In the United States, this name rapidly gained popularity beginning in the 1930s, eventually becoming the most popular male name from 1954 to 1998. However, it was not as overwhelmingly common in the United Kingdom, where it never reached the top spot.

Famous bearers of this name include the British chemist/physicist Michael Faraday (1791-1867), musician Michael Jackson (1958-2009), and basketball player Michael Jordan (1963-).

Milan
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Czech, Slovak, Russian, Serbian, Croatian, Slovene, Bulgarian, Macedonian
Other Scripts: Милан(Russian, Serbian, Bulgarian, Macedonian)
Pronounced: MI-lan(Czech) MEE-lan(Slovak, Serbian, Croatian) myi-LAN(Russian)
From the Slavic element milu meaning "gracious, dear", originally a short form of names that began with that element. A city in Italy bears this name, though it originates from a different source.
Milka 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Serbian, Croatian, Slovene, Macedonian, Bulgarian
Other Scripts: Милка(Serbian, Macedonian, Bulgarian)
Diminutive of Slavic names containing the element milu "gracious, dear".
Miloslav
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Czech, Slovak, Medieval Slavic [1]
Other Scripts: Милослав(Church Slavic)
Pronounced: MI-lo-slaf(Czech) MEE-law-slow(Slovak)
Derived from the Slavic elements milu "gracious, dear" and slava "glory".
Minos
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Μίνως(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: MEE-NAWS(Classical Greek) MIE-nahs(English)
Possibly from a Cretan word or title meaning "king". This was the name of a king of Crete in Greek mythology. He was the son of Zeus and Europa. Because Minos had refused to sacrifice a certain bull to Poseidon, the god had caused his wife Pasiphaë to mate with the bull, which produced the half-bull creature called the Minotaur. Minos had Daedalus construct the Labyrinth to house the beast, but it was eventually slain by Theseus.
Miroslav
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Czech, Slovak, Russian, Serbian, Croatian, Slovene, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Medieval Slavic [1]
Other Scripts: Мирослав(Russian, Serbian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Church Slavic)
Pronounced: MI-ro-slaf(Czech) MEE-raw-slow(Slovak) myi-ru-SLAF(Russian)
Derived from the Slavic elements miru "peace, world" and slava "glory". This was the name of a 10th-century king of Croatia who was deposed by one of his nobles after ruling for four years.
Mor
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Hebrew
Other Scripts: מוֹר(Hebrew)
Means "myrrh" in Hebrew.
Mudiwa
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Southern African, Shona
Means "beloved, darling" in Shona [1].
Muhammad
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Urdu, Punjabi, Pashto, Bengali, Tajik, Uzbek, Indonesian, Malay, Avar
Other Scripts: محمّد(Arabic, Urdu, Shahmukhi, Pashto) মুহাম্মদ(Bengali) Муҳаммад(Tajik, Uzbek) МухӀаммад(Avar) Мухаммад(Russian)
Pronounced: moo-HAM-mad(Arabic) muw-HAM-əd(English) muw-HUM-məd(Urdu)
Means "praised, commendable" in Arabic, derived from the root حَمِدَ (hamida) 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). It was also borne by Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi, a 9th-century Persian mathematician and scientist who devised algebra. Other famous bearers include the founder of Pakistan Muhammad Ali Jinnah (1876-1948) and the American boxer Muhammad Ali (1942-2016).

Mumin
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: مؤمن(Arabic)
Pronounced: MOO-meen
Means "believer" in Arabic.
Murad
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Urdu, Azerbaijani, Avar
Other Scripts: مراد(Arabic, Urdu) Мурад(Avar)
Pronounced: moo-RAD(Arabic)
Means "wish, desire" in Arabic. This name was borne by several Ottoman sultans.
Mustafa
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Turkish, Bosnian, Urdu
Other Scripts: مصطفى(Arabic) مصطفی(Urdu)
Pronounced: MOOS-ta-fa(Arabic) moo-sta-FA(Turkish)
Means "the chosen one" in Arabic, an epithet of Muhammad. This was the name of four Ottoman sultans. Another famous bearer was Mustafa Kemal (1881-1938), also known as Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey.
Nagendra
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Hinduism, Indian, Kannada, Telugu
Other Scripts: नागेन्द्र, नागेंद्र(Sanskrit) ನಾಗೇಂದ್ರ(Kannada) నాగేంద్ర(Telugu)
Means "lord of snakes" from Sanskrit नाग (naga) meaning "snake" (also "elephant") combined with the name of the Hindu god Indra, used here to mean "lord". This is another name for Vasuki, the king of snakes, in Hindu mythology.
Naji
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: نجيّ(Arabic)
Pronounced: NA-jee
Means "intimate friend" in Arabic. This can also be another way of transcribing the name ناجي (see Naaji).
Naomi 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Hebrew, Biblical
Other Scripts: נָעֳמִי(Hebrew)
Pronounced: nay-O-mee(English) nie-O-mee(English)
From the Hebrew name נָעֳמִי (Na'omi) meaning "pleasantness". In the Old Testament this is the name of the mother-in-law of Ruth. After the death of her husband and sons, she returned to Bethlehem with Ruth. There she declared that her name should be Mara because of her misfortune (see Ruth 1:20).

Though long common as a Jewish name, Naomi was not typically used as an English Christian name until after the Protestant Reformation. A notable bearer is the British model Naomi Campbell (1970-).

Nash
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: NASH
From an English surname that was derived from the Middle English phrase atten ash "at the ash tree". A famous bearer of the surname was the mathematician John Nash (1928-2015).

As a given name for boys, it gained some popularity in the mid-1990s after the debut of the American television series Nash Bridges. It got more exposure beginning 2005 when a character by this name started appearing on the soap opera One Life to Live.

Navid
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Persian, Arabic
Other Scripts: نوید(Persian) نويد(Arabic)
Pronounced: na-WEED(Arabic)
Means "good news" in Persian.
Nazaire
Gender: Masculine
Usage: French (Rare)
Pronounced: NA-ZEHR
French form of Nazarius.
Nazih
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: نزيه(Arabic)
Pronounced: na-ZEEH
Means "honest, virtuous" in Arabic.
Nefertiti
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ancient Egyptian
Pronounced: nehf-ər-TEE-tee(English)
From Egyptian nfrt-jjtj meaning "the beautiful one has come" [1]. Nefertiti was a powerful Egyptian queen of the New Kingdom (14th century BC), the principal wife of Akhenaton, the pharaoh that briefly imposed a monotheistic religion centered around the sun god Aton.
Nezih
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Turkish
Turkish form of Nazih.
Nika 1
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Russian
Other Scripts: Ника(Russian)
Russian short form of Veronika and other names ending in nika. It can also be a short form of Nikita 1 (masculine).
Nimat
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: نعمات(Arabic)
Pronounced: nee‘-MAT
Means "blessings" in Arabic, a plural form of Nima 1.
Nir
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Hebrew
Other Scripts: נִיר(Hebrew)
Means "plowed field" in Hebrew.
Noble
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: NO-bəl
From an English surname meaning "noble, notable". The name can also be given in direct reference to the English word noble.
Noor 1
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Urdu
Other Scripts: نور(Arabic, Urdu)
Pronounced: NOOR(Arabic)
Alternate transcription of Arabic/Urdu نور (see Nur).
Normandy
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: NOHR-mən-dee
English name for the French region of Normandie.
Norton
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: NAWR-tən
From a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "north town" in Old English.
Nour
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: نور(Arabic)
Pronounced: NOOR
Alternate transcription of Arabic نور (see Nur).
Noureddine
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic (Maghrebi)
Other Scripts: نور الدين(Arabic)
Alternate transcription of Arabic نور الدين (see Nur ad-Din) chiefly used in Northern Africa.
Nuh
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Turkish
Other Scripts: نوح(Arabic)
Pronounced: NOOH(Arabic)
Arabic and Turkish form of Noah 1.
Nur
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Turkish, Azerbaijani, Urdu, Bengali, Uyghur, Indonesian, Malay
Other Scripts: نور(Arabic, Urdu) নূর(Bengali) نۇر(Uyghur Arabic)
Pronounced: NOOR(Arabic, Turkish, Uyghur) NUWR(Indonesian, Malay)
Means "light" in Arabic. In Islamic tradition النور (al-Nur) is one of the 99 names of Allah.
Nur ad-Din
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: نور الدين(Arabic)
Pronounced: noo-rood-DEEN
Means "light of religion", from Arabic نور (nur) meaning "light" combined with دين (din) meaning "religion, faith".
Odovacar
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Gothic (Latinized) [1]
Other Scripts: 𐌰𐌿𐌳𐌰𐍅𐌰𐌺𐍂𐍃(Gothic)
Pronounced: o-do-VAY-kər(English) o-do-VAHK-ər(English)
Variant of Odoacer.
Odysseus
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Ὀδυσσεύς(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: O-DUYS-SEWS(Classical Greek) o-DIS-ee-əs(English)
Perhaps derived from Greek ὀδύσσομαι (odyssomai) meaning "to hate". In Greek legend Odysseus was one of the Greek heroes who fought in the Trojan War. In the Odyssey Homer relates Odysseus's misadventures on his way back to his kingdom and his wife Penelope.
Ogden
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: AWG-dən
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "oak valley" in Old English. A famous bearer was the humorous American poet Ogden Nash (1902-1971).
Olaf
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Norwegian, Danish, German, Dutch, Polish
Pronounced: O-laf(German) O-lahf(Dutch) AW-laf(Polish)
From the Old Norse name Áleifr meaning "ancestor's descendant", derived from the elements anu "ancestor" and leif "inheritance, legacy". This was the name of five kings of Norway, including Saint Olaf (Olaf II).
Olga
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Russian, Ukrainian, Polish, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Finnish, Estonian, Latvian, Hungarian, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, Czech, Slovene, Serbian, Bulgarian, Greek
Other Scripts: Ольга(Russian, Ukrainian) Олга(Serbian, Bulgarian) Όλγα(Greek)
Pronounced: OL-gə(Russian) AWL-ga(Polish, German) AWL-ka(Icelandic) OL-gaw(Hungarian) OL-gha(Spanish) OL-ga(Czech)
Russian form of the Old Norse name Helga. The 10th-century Saint Olga was the wife of Igor I, the ruler of Kievan Rus (a state based around the city of Kyiv). Like her husband she was probably a Varangian, who were Norse people who settled in eastern Europe beginning in the 9th century. Following Igor's death she ruled as regent for her son Svyatoslav for 18 years. After she was baptized in Constantinople she attempted to convert her subjects to Christianity, though this goal was only achieved by her grandson Vladimir.
Omar 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Kazakh, Malay, English, Spanish, Italian
Other Scripts: عمر(Arabic) Омар(Kazakh)
Pronounced: ‘OO-mar(Arabic) ‘O-mar(Egyptian Arabic) O-mahr(English) o-MAR(Spanish)
Alternate transcription of Arabic عمر (see Umar). This is the usual English spelling of the 12th-century poet Umar Khayyam's name. In his honour it has sometimes been used in the English-speaking world, notably for the American general Omar Bradley (1893-1981).
Onesiphorus
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical, Biblical Latin
Other Scripts: Ὀνησίφορος(Ancient Greek)
Latinized form of the Greek name Ὀνησίφορος (Onesiphoros), which meant "bringing advantage, beneficial". This name is mentioned briefly in Paul's second epistle to Timothy in the New Testament. According to tradition he was martyred by being tied to horses and then torn apart.
Ophrah
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical
Other Scripts: עָפְרָה(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced: AWF-rə(English)
Means "fawn" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of both a man mentioned in genealogies and a city in Manasseh.
Oral
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: AWR-əl
Meaning uncertain. This name was borne by the influential American evangelist Oral Roberts (1918-2009), who was apparently named by his cousin.
Padmavati
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hinduism
Other Scripts: पद्मावती(Sanskrit)
Means "resembling lotuses", derived from the Sanskrit word पद्म (padma) meaning "lotus" combined with वती (vati) meaning "resemblance". This is the name of the foster-mother of the god Hindu Skanda. This was also the name of a semi-legendary 14th-century queen of Mewar.
Papa
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Polynesian Mythology
Means "earth" in Maori. In Maori and other Polynesian mythology Papa or Papatuanuku was the goddess of the earth and the mother of many of the other gods. She and her husband Rangi, the god of the sky, were locked in a tight embrace. Their children decided to separate them, a feat of strength accomplished by the god Tāne.
Paris 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Πάρις(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: PA-REES(Classical Greek) PAR-is(English) PEHR-is(English)
Meaning unknown, possibly of Luwian or Hittite origin. In Greek mythology he was the Trojan prince who kidnapped Helen and began the Trojan War. Though presented as a somewhat of a coward in the Iliad, he did manage to slay the great hero Achilles. He was himself eventually slain in battle by Philoctetes.
Patrick
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish, English, French, German, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish
Pronounced: PAT-rik(English) PA-TREEK(French) PA-trik(German)
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.

Peter
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, German, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Slovene, Slovak, Biblical
Pronounced: PEE-tər(English) PEH-tu(German) PEH-tər(Dutch, Danish, Slovene) PEH-tehr(Slovak)
Derived from Greek Πέτρος (Petros) meaning "stone". This is a translation used in most versions of the New Testament of the name Cephas, meaning "stone" in Aramaic, which was given to the apostle Simon by Jesus (compare Matthew 16:18 and John 1:42). Simon Peter was the most prominent of the apostles during Jesus' ministry and is often considered the first pope.

Due to the renown of the apostle, this name became common throughout the Christian world (in various spellings). In England the Normans introduced it in the Old French form Piers, which was gradually replaced by the spelling Peter starting in the 15th century [1].

Besides the apostle, other saints by this name include the 11th-century reformer Saint Peter Damian and the 13th-century preacher Saint Peter Martyr. It was also borne by rulers of Aragon, Portugal, and Russia, including the Russian tsar Peter the Great (1672-1725), who defeated Sweden in the Great Northern War. Famous fictional bearers include Peter Rabbit from Beatrix Potter's children's books, Peter Pan, the boy who refused to grow up in J. M. Barrie's 1904 play, and Peter Parker, the real name of the comic book superhero Spider-Man.

Phoebe
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Greek Mythology (Latinized), Biblical, Biblical Latin
Other Scripts: Φοίβη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: FEE-bee(English)
Latinized form of the Greek name Φοίβη (Phoibe), which meant "bright, pure" from Greek φοῖβος (phoibos). In Greek mythology Phoibe was a Titan associated with the moon. This was also an epithet of her granddaughter, the moon goddess Artemis. The name appears in Paul's epistle to the Romans in the New Testament, where it belongs to a female minister in the church at Cenchreae.

In England, it began to be used as a given name after the Protestant Reformation. It was moderately common in the 19th century. It began to rise in popularity again in the late 1980s, probably helped along by characters on the American television shows Friends (1994-2004) and Charmed (1998-2006). It is currently much more common in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand than the United States.

A moon of Saturn bears this name, in honour of the Titan.

Piaras
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish
Pronounced: PYEE-rəs
Irish form of Piers.
Pocahontas
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Indigenous American, Powhatan (Anglicized)
Means "little playful one" in Powhatan, an Algonquian language. This was the nickname of a 17th-century Powhatan woman, a daughter of the powerful chief Wahunsenacawh. She married the white colonist John Rolfe and travelled with him to England, but died of illness before returning.
Prince
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: PRINS
From the English word prince, a royal title, which comes ultimately from Latin princeps. This name was borne by the American musician Prince Rogers Nelson (1958-2016), who is known simply as Prince.
Princess
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: PRIN-sehs, prin-SEHS
Feminine equivalent of Prince.
Qadir
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: قادر, قدير(Arabic)
Pronounced: KA-deer, ka-DEER
Means "capable, powerful, mighty" in Arabic. This transcription represents two different ways of spelling the name in Arabic. In Islamic tradition القادر (al-Qadir) is one of the 99 names of Allah.
Qasim
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Urdu
Other Scripts: قاسم(Arabic, Urdu)
Pronounced: KA-seem(Arabic)
Means "one who divides goods among his people", derived from Arabic قسم (qasama) meaning "to share" or "to divide". This was the name of a son of the Prophet Muhammad who died while young.
Quanah
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Indigenous American, Comanche (Anglicized)
Pronounced: KWAHN-ə(English)
From Comanche kwana meaning "fragrant, smelly". Quanah Parker (1845-1911) was a 19th-century chief of the Kwahadi Comanche.
Quddus
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: قدوس(Arabic)
Means "holy, sacred" in Arabic. In Islamic tradition, القدوس (al-Quddus) is one of the 99 names of Allah.
Queen
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: KWEEN
From an old nickname that was derived from the English word queen, ultimately from Old English cwen meaning "woman, wife".
Quetzalcoatl
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Aztec and Toltec Mythology
Pronounced: keh-tsash-KO-ach(Nahuatl) keht-səl-ko-AHT-əl(English)
Means "feathered snake" in Nahuatl, derived from quetzalli "quetzal feather, precious thing" and cōātl "snake" [1]. In Aztec and other Mesoamerican mythology he was the god of the sky, wind, and knowledge, also associated with the morning star. According to one legend he created the humans of this age using the bones of humans from the previous age and adding his own blood.
Quinton
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: KWIN-tən
Variant of Quentin, also coinciding with an English surname meaning "queen's town" in Old English.
Quirino
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian, Portuguese, Spanish
Pronounced: kee-REE-no(Spanish)
Italian, Portuguese and Spanish form of Quirinus.
Rafiq
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Azerbaijani, Urdu
Other Scripts: رفيق(Arabic) رفیق(Urdu)
Pronounced: ra-FEEK(Arabic)
Means either "friend" or "gentle" in Arabic.
Ramadan
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: رَمَضان(Arabic)
Pronounced: ra-ma-DAN
From the name of the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It is derived from Arabic رمض (ramad) meaning "parchedness, scorchedness". Muslims traditionally fast during this month.
Ramiro
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Spanish, Portuguese
Pronounced: ra-MEE-ro(Spanish) ra-MEE-roo(European Portuguese) ha-MEE-roo(Brazilian Portuguese)
Spanish and Portuguese form of Ramirus, earlier Ranimirus, a Latinized form of a Visigothic name derived from the Gothic element rana "wedge" or perhaps ragin "law, decree, assessment, responsibility" combined with mers "famous". Saint Ramirus was a 6th-century prior of the Saint Claudius Monastery in León. He and several others were executed by the Arian Visigoths, who opposed orthodox Christianity. This name was subsequently borne by kings of León, Asturias and Aragon.
Rashid
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: رشيد, راشد(Arabic)
Pronounced: ra-SHEED, RA-sheed
Means "rightly guided" in Arabic. In Islamic tradition الرشيد (al-Rashid) is one of the 99 names of Allah.

This transcription represents two different ways of spelling the name in Arabic: رشيد, in which the second vowel is long, and راشد, in which the first vowel is long.

Raymond
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French
Pronounced: RAY-mənd(English) REH-MAWN(French)
From the Germanic name Raginmund, composed of the elements regin "advice, counsel, decision" and munt "protection". The Normans introduced this name to England in the form Reimund. It was borne by several medieval (mostly Spanish) saints, including Saint Raymond Nonnatus, the patron of midwives and expectant mothers, and Saint Raymond of Peñafort, the patron of canonists.
Rayyan
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: ريّان(Arabic)
Pronounced: rie-YAN
Means "watered, luxuriant" in Arabic. According to Islamic tradition this is the name of one of the gates of paradise.
Regulus
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Roman, Astronomy
Pronounced: REH-goo-loos(Latin)
Roman cognomen meaning "prince, little king", a diminutive of Latin rex "king". This was the cognomen of several 3rd-century BC consuls from the gens Atilia. It was also the name of several early saints. A star in the constellation Leo bears this name as well.
Reyes
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: REH-yehs
Means "kings" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin Mary, La Virgen de los Reyes, meaning "The Virgin of the Kings". According to legend, the Virgin Mary appeared to King Ferdinand III of Castile and told him his armies would defeat those of the Moors in Seville.
Riáin
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish (Rare)
Richard
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, German, Czech, Slovak, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Germanic [1]
Pronounced: RICH-ərd(English) REE-SHAR(French) RI-khart(German, Czech) REE-khart(Slovak)
Means "brave ruler", derived from the Old German elements rih "ruler, king" and hart "hard, firm, brave, hardy". This was the name of three early dukes of Normandy. The Normans introduced it to England when they invaded in the 11th century, and it has been very common there since that time. It was borne by three kings of England including the 12th-century Richard I the Lionheart, one of the leaders of the Third Crusade.

During the late Middle Ages this name was typically among the five most common for English males (with John, William, Robert and Thomas). It remained fairly popular through to the modern era, peaking in the United States in the 1940s and in the United Kingom a bit later, and steadily declining since that time.

Famous bearers include two German opera composers, Richard Wagner (1813-1883) and Richard Strauss (1864-1949), as well as British explorer Sir Richard Burton (1821-1890), American president Richard Nixon (1913-1994), American physicist Richard Feynman (1918-1988), British actor Richard Burton (1925-1984) and American musician Little Richard (1932-2020).

Robert
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Dutch, Finnish, Estonian, Czech, Polish, Russian, Slovene, Croatian, Albanian, Romanian, Catalan, Germanic [1]
Other Scripts: Роберт(Russian)
Pronounced: RAHB-ərt(American English) RAWB-ət(British English) RAW-BEHR(French) RO-beht(Swedish) RO-behrt(German, Finnish, Czech) RO-bərt(Dutch) RAW-behrt(Polish) RO-byirt(Russian) roo-BEHRT(Catalan)
From the Germanic name Hrodebert meaning "bright fame", derived from the elements hruod "fame" and beraht "bright". The Normans introduced this name to Britain, where it replaced the rare Old English cognate Hreodbeorht. It has been consistently among the most common English names from the 13th to 20th century. In the United States it was the most popular name for boys between 1924 and 1939 (and again in 1953).

This name has been borne by two kings of the Franks, two dukes of Normandy, and three kings of Scotland, including Robert the Bruce who restored the independence of Scotland from England in the 14th century. Several saints have also had the name, the earliest known as Saint Rupert, from an Old German variant. The author Robert Browning (1812-1889) and poets Robert Burns (1759-1796) and Robert Frost (1874-1963) are famous literary namesakes. Other bearers include Robert E. Lee (1807-1870), the commander of the Confederate army during the American Civil War, and American actors Robert Redford (1936-), Robert De Niro (1943-) and Robert Downey Jr. (1965-).

Rodolf
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German (Rare), Dutch (Rare)
Pronounced: RO-dawlf(German)
German form of Rudolf.
Rokurou
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 六郎, etc.(Japanese Kanji) ろくろう(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: RO-KOO-RO
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 六郎 (see Rokurō).
Roy
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Scottish, English, Dutch
Pronounced: ROI(English, Dutch)
Anglicized form of Ruadh. A notable bearer was the Scottish outlaw and folk hero Rob Roy (1671-1734). It is often associated with French roi "king".
Royal
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: ROI-əl
From the English word royal, derived (via Old French) from Latin regalis, a derivative of rex "king". It was first used as a given name in the 19th century.
Ruh
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: روح(Arabic)
Pronounced: ROOH
Means "spirit" in Arabic.
Ruth 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Estonian, Spanish, Biblical, Biblical Latin
Other Scripts: רוּת(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced: ROOTH(English) ROOT(German, Spanish)
From a Hebrew name that was derived from the Hebrew word רְעוּת (re'ut) meaning "friend". This is the name of the central character in the Book of Ruth in the Old Testament. She was a Moabite woman who accompanied her mother-in-law Naomi back to Bethlehem after Ruth's husband died. There she met and married Boaz. She was an ancestor of King David.

As a Christian name, Ruth has been in use since the Protestant Reformation. In England it was associated with the archaic word ruth meaning "pity, compassion" (now only commonly seen in the word ruthless). The name became very popular in America following the birth of "Baby" Ruth Cleveland (1891-1904), the daughter of President Grover Cleveland.

Ryan
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: RIE-ən
From a common Irish surname, the Anglicized form of Ó Riain. This patronymic derives from the given name Rian, which is of uncertain meaning. It is traditionally said to mean "little king", from Irish "king" combined with a diminutive suffix.

In the United States this name steadily grew in popularity through the 1950s and 60s. It shot up the charts after the release of the 1970 movie Ryan's Daughter. Within a few years it was in the top 20 names, where it would stay for over three decades. Famous bearers include the Canadian actors Ryan Reynolds (1976-) and Ryan Gosling (1980-).

Sabina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, Polish, Czech, Slovene, Russian, Croatian, Swedish, Ancient Roman
Other Scripts: Сабина(Russian)
Pronounced: sa-BEE-na(Italian, Spanish) sa-BYEE-na(Polish) SA-bi-na(Czech)
Feminine form of Sabinus, a Roman cognomen meaning "a Sabine" in Latin. The Sabines were an ancient people who lived in central Italy, their lands eventually taken over by the Romans after several wars. According to legend, the Romans abducted several Sabine women during a raid, and when the men came to rescue them, the women were able to make peace between the two groups. This name was borne by several early saints.
Sabri
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Turkish, Albanian, Malay
Other Scripts: صبريّ(Arabic)
Pronounced: SAB-ree(Arabic)
Means "patient" in Arabic.
Sabrina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Italian, German, French, Spanish
Pronounced: sə-BREEN-ə(English) sa-BREE-na(Italian, Spanish) za-BREE-na(German) SA-BREE-NA(French)
Latinized form of Habren, the original Welsh name of the River Severn. According to Geoffrey of Monmouth, Sabrina was the name of a princess who was drowned in the Severn. Supposedly the river was named for her, but it is more likely that her name was actually derived from that of the river, which is of unknown meaning. She appears as a water nymph in John Milton's masque Comus (1634).

The name was brought to public attention by Samuel A. Taylor's play Sabrina Fair (1953) and the movie adaptation Sabrina that followed it the next year. This is also the name of a comic book character, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, first introduced 1962 and with television adaptations in 1970-1974 and 1996-2003, both causing minor jumps in popularity. Another jump occurred in 1976, when it was used for a main character on the television series Charlie's Angels.

Saburou
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 三郎, etc.(Japanese Kanji) さぶろう(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: SA-BOO-RO
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 三郎 (see Saburō).
Sa'd
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: سعد(Arabic)
Pronounced: SA‘D
Means "fortune, good luck" in Arabic. Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas was a military commander during the early years of Islam, serving under the Prophet Muhammad and his successor Umar.
Sagi
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Hebrew
Other Scripts: שָׂגִיא(Hebrew)
Means "elevated, sublime" in Hebrew.
Saif al-Din
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: سيف الدين(Arabic)
Pronounced: sie-food-DEEN
Alternate transcription of Arabic سيف الدين (see Sayf ad-Din).
Saifullah
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Urdu
Other Scripts: سيف الله(Arabic) سیف اللہ(Urdu)
Pronounced: sie-fool-LAH(Arabic)
Alternate transcription of Arabic سيف الله or Urdu سیف اللہ (see Sayfullah).
Salam
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Arabic, Indonesian
Other Scripts: سلام(Arabic)
Pronounced: sa-LAM(Arabic)
Means "peace" in Arabic. It is a unisex name in most Arabic-speaking countries while it is solely masculine in Indonesia.
Sally
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: SAL-ee
Diminutive of Sarah, often used independently.
Samad
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: صمد(Arabic)
Pronounced: SA-mad
Means "eternal" in Arabic.
Samael
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Judeo-Christian-Islamic Legend
Other Scripts: סַמָּאֵל(Ancient Hebrew)
Means "venom of God" in Hebrew. This is the name of an archangel in Jewish tradition, described as a destructive angel of death.
Samuel
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, German, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Jewish, Eastern African, Amharic, Biblical
Other Scripts: שְׁמוּאֵל(Hebrew) ሳሙኤል(Amharic)
Pronounced: SAM-yoo-əl(English) SAM-yəl(English) SA-MWEHL(French) ZA-mwehl(German) sa-MWEHL(Spanish) su-moo-EHL(European Portuguese) sa-moo-EW(Brazilian Portuguese) san-MOO-ehl(Polish) SA-moo-ehl(Czech, Slovak, Swedish) SAH-moo-ehl(Finnish)
From the Hebrew name שְׁמוּאֵל (Shemu'el) meaning "name of God", from the roots שֵׁם (shem) meaning "name" and אֵל ('el) meaning "God". Other interpretations have the first root being שָׁמַע (shama') meaning "to hear" leading to a meaning of "God has heard". As told in the Books of Samuel in the Old Testament, Samuel was the last of the ruling judges. He led the Israelites during a period of domination by the Philistines, who were ultimately defeated in battle at Mizpah. Later he anointed Saul to be the first king of Israel, and even later anointed his successor David.

As a Christian name, Samuel came into common use after the Protestant Reformation. It has been consistently popular in the English-speaking world, ranking yearly in the top 100 names in the United States (as recorded since 1880) and performing similarly well in the United Kingdom.

Famous bearers include English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834), American inventor Samuel Morse (1791-1872), Irish writer Samuel Beckett (1906-1989), and American actor Samuel L. Jackson (1948-). This was also the real name, Samuel Clemens, of the American author Mark Twain (1835-1910).

Sarah
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, French, German, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Dutch, Hebrew, Arabic, Biblical, Biblical Hebrew
Other Scripts: שָׂרָה(Hebrew) سارة(Arabic)
Pronounced: SEHR-ə(English) SAR-ə(English) SA-RA(French) ZA-ra(German) SA-ra(Danish, Dutch) SA-rah(Arabic)
Means "lady, princess, noblewoman" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of Abraham's wife, considered the matriarch of the Jewish people. She was barren until she unexpectedly became pregnant with Isaac at the age of 90. Her name was originally Sarai, but God changed it at the same time Abraham's name was changed (see Genesis 17:15).

In England, Sarah came into use after the Protestant Reformation. It was consistently popular in the 20th century throughout the English-speaking world, reaching the top of the charts for England and Wales in the 1970s and 80s.

Notable bearers include Sarah Churchill (1660-1744), an influential British duchess and a close friend of Queen Anne, and the French actress Sarah Bernhardt (1844-1923).

Sargon
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Akkadian (Anglicized), Biblical, Biblical Hebrew
Other Scripts: סַרְגּוֹן(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced: SAHR-gahn(English)
From the Hebrew form סַרְגּוֹן (Sargon) of the Akkadian name Sharru-ukin, from šarru meaning "king" and kīnu meaning "legitimate, true". This was the name of the first king of the Akkadian Empire, beginning in the 24th century BC. It was also borne by the 8th-century BC Assyrian king Sargon II, who appears briefly in the Old Testament. The usual English spelling of the name is based on this biblical mention, applied retroactively to the earlier king.
Saud
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: سعود(Arabic)
Pronounced: soo-‘OOD
Alternate transcription of Arabic سعود (see Su'ud).
Sayyid
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: سيّد(Arabic)
Pronounced: SIE-yeed
Means "lord, master" in Arabic. A famous bearer was the Egyptian musician Sayyid Darwish (1892-1923).
Sayyida
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: سيّدة(Arabic)
Pronounced: SIE-yee-dah
Means "lady, mistress" in Arabic.
Scholastica
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Late Roman
From a Late Latin name that was derived from scholasticus meaning "rhetorician, orator". Saint Scholastica was a 6th-century Benedictine abbess, the sister of Saint Benedict of Nursia.
Sebastian
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German, English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Polish, Finnish, Romanian, Czech
Pronounced: zeh-BAS-tee-an(German) sə-BAS-chən(American English) sə-BAS-tee-ən(British English) seh-BAS-dyan(Danish) seh-BAS-tyan(Polish) SEH-bahs-tee-ahn(Finnish) seh-bas-tee-AN(Romanian) SEH-bas-ti-yan(Czech)
From the Latin name Sebastianus, which meant "from Sebaste". Sebaste was the name a town in Asia Minor, its name deriving from Greek σεβαστός (sebastos) meaning "venerable" (a translation of Latin Augustus, the title of the Roman emperors). According to Christian tradition, Saint Sebastian was a 3rd-century Roman soldier martyred during the persecutions of the emperor Diocletian. After he was discovered to be a Christian, he was tied to a stake and shot with arrows. This however did not kill him. Saint Irene of Rome healed him and he returned to personally admonish Diocletian, whereupon the emperor had him beaten to death.

Due to the saint's popularity, the name came into general use in medieval Europe, especially in Spain and France. It was also borne by a 16th-century king of Portugal who died in a crusade against Morocco.

Séraphin
Gender: Masculine
Usage: French
Pronounced: SEH-RA-FEHN
French form of Seraphinus (see Seraphina).
Shad 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: شاد(Arabic)
Pronounced: SHAD
Means "happy" in Arabic.
Shad 2
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: SHAD
Perhaps a variant of Chad.
Shahnaz
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Persian, Arabic, Urdu
Other Scripts: شهناز(Persian, Arabic) شہناز(Urdu)
Pronounced: shah-NAZ(Arabic)
Means "delight of the king" from Persian شاه (shah) meaning "king" and ناز (naz) meaning "delight, comfort, coquetry".
Shahrazad
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Persian (Rare), Arabic
Other Scripts: شهرزاد(Persian, Arabic)
Pronounced: shah-ra-ZAD(Arabic)
Possibly means "noble lineage" from Persian چهر (chehr) meaning "lineage, origin" and آزاد (azad) meaning "free, noble" [1]. Alternatively, it might mean "child of the city" from شهر (shahr) meaning "city, land" combined with the suffix زاد (zad) meaning "child of". This is the name of the fictional storyteller in The 1001 Nights. She tells a story to her husband the king every night for 1001 nights in order to delay her execution.
Shahzad
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Persian, Arabic, Urdu
Other Scripts: شهزاد(Persian, Arabic) شہزاد(Urdu)
Pronounced: shah-ZAD(Arabic)
Means "prince, son of the king" in Persian.
Shams al-Din
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: شَمس الدين(Arabic)
Pronounced: sham-sad-DEEN
Alternate transcription of Arabic شَمس الدين (see Shams ad-Din).
Shamsuddin
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Bengali, Malay
Other Scripts: شَمس الدين(Arabic) শামসুদ্দিন(Bengali)
Pronounced: sham-sad-DEEN(Arabic)
Alternate transcription of Arabic شَمس الدين (see Shams ad-Din), as well as the usual Bengali and Malay form.
Sharif
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Urdu, Pashto, Persian, Malay
Other Scripts: شريف(Arabic) شریف(Urdu) شریف(Pashto, Persian)
Pronounced: sha-REEF(Arabic) shə-REEF(Urdu)
Means "eminent, virtuous" in Arabic. This was a title used by the descendants of Muhammad.
Shichirou
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 七郎, etc.(Japanese Kanji) しちろう(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: SHEE-CHEE-RO
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 七郎 (see Shichirō).
Shirou
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 四郎, etc.(Japanese Kanji) しろう(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: SHEE-RO
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 四郎 (see Shirō).
Shoshannah
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Biblical Hebrew
Other Scripts: שׁוֹשַׁנָּה(Ancient Hebrew)
Biblical Hebrew form of Susanna.
Shou
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 翔, 奨, etc.(Japanese Kanji) しょう(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: SHO
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji or (see Shō).
Siegfried
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German, Germanic Mythology
Pronounced: ZEEK-freet(German)
Derived from the Old German elements sigu "victory" and fridu "peace". Siegfried was a hero from German legend, the chief character in the Nibelungenlied. He secretly helped the Burgundian king Gunther overcome the challenges set out by the Icelandic queen Brunhild so that Gunther might win her hand. In exchange, Gunther consented to the marriage of Siegfried and his sister Kriemhild. Years later, after a dispute between Brunhild and Kriemhild, Siegfried was murdered by Hagen with Gunther's consent. He was stabbed in his one vulnerable spot on the small of his back, which had been covered by a leaf while he bathed in dragon's blood. He is a parallel to the Norse hero Sigurd. The story was later adapted by Richard Wagner to form part of his opera The Ring of the Nibelung (1876).
Silvanus
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Roman Mythology, Ancient Roman, Biblical, Biblical Latin
Pronounced: SEEL-wa-noos(Latin) sil-VAYN-əs(English)
Roman cognomen meaning "of the woods", derived from Latin silva meaning "wood, forest". Silvanus was the Roman god of forests. This name appears in the New Testament belonging to one of Saint Paul's companions, also called Silas.
Silvius
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Late Roman, Roman Mythology
Pronounced: SEEL-wee-oos(Latin) SIL-vee-əs(English)
Derived from Latin silva meaning "wood, forest". This was the family name of several of the legendary kings of Alba Longa. It was also the name of an early saint martyred in Alexandria.
Sissy
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: SIS-ee
Diminutive of Cecilia, Frances or Priscilla. It can also be taken from the nickname, which originated as a nursery form of the word sister.
So-loved
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Puritan)
From John 3:16 of the New Testament of the Holy Bible, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life."
Spartacus
Gender: Masculine
Usage: History
Pronounced: SPAHR-tə-kəs(English)
Means "from the city of Sparta" in Latin. Spartacus was the name of a Thracian-born Roman slave who led a slave revolt in Italy in the 1st century BC. He was eventually killed in battle and many of his followers were crucified.
Stephen
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Biblical
Pronounced: STEE-vən(English) STEHF-ən(English)
From the Greek name Στέφανος (Stephanos) meaning "crown, wreath", more precisely "that which surrounds". Saint Stephen was a deacon who was stoned to death, as told in Acts in the New Testament. He is regarded as the first Christian martyr. Due to him, the name became common in the Christian world. It was popularized in England by the Normans.

This was the name of kings of England, Serbia, and Poland, as well as ten popes. It was also borne by the first Christian king of Hungary (11th century), who is regarded as the patron saint of that country. More recent bearers include British physicist Stephen Hawking (1942-2018) and the American author Stephen King (1947-).

Süleyman
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Turkish, Azerbaijani
Pronounced: suy-lay-MAN(Turkish)
Turkish form of Solomon. Süleyman the Magnificent was a sultan of the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century. He expanded Ottoman territory into Europe and Persia, reformed the government, and completed several great building projects.
Sultan
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Arabic, Turkish, Azerbaijani, Urdu, Bengali, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Avar
Other Scripts: سلطان(Arabic, Urdu) সুলতান(Bengali) Сұлтан(Kazakh) Султан(Kyrgyz, Avar)
Pronounced: sool-TAN(Arabic)
Means "ruler, king, sultan" in Arabic. In the Arab world this name is typically masculine, but Turkey it is given to both boys and girls.
Tahmid
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: تحميد(Arabic)
Pronounced: tah-MEED
Means "praising" in Arabic.
Takara
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: , etc.(Japanese Kanji) たから(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: TA-KA-RA
From Japanese (takara) meaning "treasure, jewel", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations with the same pronunciation.
Taras
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ukrainian, Russian, Belarusian
Other Scripts: Тарас(Ukrainian, Russian, Belarusian)
Pronounced: tu-RAS(Russian)
Ukrainian, Russian and Belarusian form of the Greek name Ταράσιος (Tarasios), which possibly means "from Taras". Taras was an Italian city, now called Taranto, which was founded by Greek colonists in the 8th century BC and was named for the Greek mythological figure Taras, a son of Poseidon. Saint Tarasios was an 8th-century bishop of Constantinople. It was also borne by the Ukrainian writer and artist Taras Shevchenko (1814-1861).
Tariq
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: طارق(Arabic)
Pronounced: TA-reek
Means "he who knocks at the door" in Arabic. This is the Arabic name of the morning star. Tariq ibn Ziyad was the Islamic general who conquered Spain for the Umayyad Caliphate in the 8th century.
Tasia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek
Other Scripts: Τασία(Greek)
Short form of Anastasia.
Tawfiq
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: توفيق(Arabic)
Pronounced: tow-FEEK
Means "good fortune", derived from Arabic وفق (wafiqa) meaning "to be successful".
Taylor
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: TAY-lər
From an English surname that originally denoted someone who was a tailor, from Norman French tailleur, ultimately from Latin taliare "to cut".

Its modern use as a feminine name may have been influenced by the British-American author Taylor Caldwell (1900-1985). Since 1990 it has been more popular for girls in the United States. Other England-speaking regions have followed suit, with the exception of England and Wales where it is still slightly more popular for boys. Its popularity peaked in America the mid-1990s for both genders, ranked sixth for girls and 51st for boys. A famous bearer is the American musician Taylor Swift (1989-).

Temitope
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Western African, Yoruba
Means "mine is worthy of gratitude" in Yoruba.
Temüjin
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Medieval Mongolian
Other Scripts: Тэмүжин(Mongolian Cyrillic)
Mongolian form of Temujin.
Temujin
Gender: Masculine
Usage: History
Other Scripts: Тэмүжин(Mongolian Cyrillic)
Means "of iron" in Mongolian, derived ultimately from the Turkic word temür "iron". This was the original name of the Mongolian leader better known by the title Genghis Khan. Born in the 12th century, he managed to unite the tribes of Mongolia and then conquer huge areas of Asia and Eastern Europe.
Thankful
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Archaic)
Pronounced: THANGK-fəl
From the English word thankful. This was one of the many virtue names used by the Puritans in the 17th century.
Theophanes
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Θεοφάνης(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: TEH-O-PA-NEHS
Means "manifestation of God" from Greek θεός (theos) meaning "god" and φανής (phanes) meaning "appearing". This name was borne by a few saints, including an 8th-century chronicler from Constantinople and a 19th-century Russian Orthodox saint, Theophanes the Recluse, who is Феофан (Feofan) in Russian. Another famous bearer was a 14th-century Byzantine icon painter active in Moscow.
Theresa
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, German
Pronounced: tə-REE-sə(English) tə-REE-zə(English) teh-REH-za(German)
From the Spanish and Portuguese name Teresa. It was first recorded as Therasia, being borne by the Spanish wife of Saint Paulinus of Nola in the 4th century. The meaning is uncertain, but it could be derived from Greek θέρος (theros) meaning "summer", from Greek θερίζω (therizo) meaning "to harvest", or from the name of the Greek island of Therasia (the western island of Santorini).

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

Theseus
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Θησεύς(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: TEH-SEWS(Classical Greek) THEE-see-əs(English)
Possibly derived from Greek τίθημι (tithemi) meaning "to set, to place". Theseus was a heroic king of Athens in Greek mythology. He was the son of Aethra, either by Aegeus or by the god Poseidon. According to legend, every seven years the Cretan king Minos demanded that Athens supply Crete with seven boys and seven girls to be devoured by the Minotaur, a half-bull creature that was the son of Minos's wife Pasiphaë. Theseus volunteered to go in place of one of these youths in order to slay the Minotaur in the Labyrinth where it lived. He succeeded with the help of Minos's daughter Ariadne, who provided him with a sword and a roll of string so he could find his way out of the maze.

William Shakespeare made Theseus a central character in his play A Midsummer Night's Dream (1595), about his upcoming marriage to the Amazon queen Hippolyta. Shakespeare revisited the character in his later play The Two Noble Kinsmen (1613).

Thutmose
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Egyptian (Anglicized)
Pronounced: thoot-MO-sə(English) thoot-MOS(English)
From Τούθμωσις (Touthmosis), the Greek form of Egyptian ḏḥwtj-ms meaning "born of Thoth" [1], itself composed of the name of the Egyptian god Thoth combined with msj "be born". Thutmose was the name of four Egyptian pharaohs of the New Kingdom, including Thutmose III who conquered Syria and Nubia in the 15th century BC.
Tiamat
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Semitic Mythology
Other Scripts: 𒀭𒋾𒊩𒆳, 𒀭𒌓𒌈(Akkadian Cuneiform)
Pronounced: TEE-ə-maht(English)
From Akkadian tâmtu meaning "sea". In Babylonian myth Tiamat was the personification of the sea, appearing in the form of a huge dragon. By Apsu she gave birth to the first of the gods. Later, the god Marduk (her great-grandson) defeated her, cut her in half, and used the pieces of her body to make the earth and the sky.
Toufik
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic (Maghrebi)
Other Scripts: توفيق(Arabic)
Alternate transcription of Arabic توفيق (see Tawfiq) chiefly used in Northern Africa.
Tristan
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, Arthurian Romance
Pronounced: TRIS-tən(English) TREES-TAHN(French)
Probably from the Celtic name Drustan, a diminutive of Drust, which occurs as Drystan in a few Welsh sources. As Tristan, it first appears in 12th-century French tales, probably altered by association with Old French triste "sad". According to the tales Tristan was sent to Ireland by his uncle King Mark of Cornwall in order to fetch Iseult, who was to be the king's bride. On the way back, Tristan and Iseult accidentally drink a potion that makes them fall in love. Later versions of the tale make Tristan one of King Arthur's knights. His tragic story was very popular in the Middle Ages, and the name has occasionally been used since then.
Tryphaina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Biblical Greek, Ancient Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Τρύφαινα(Ancient Greek)
Greek form of Tryphena.
Tryphosa
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Biblical, Biblical Greek, Ancient Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Τρυφῶσα(Ancient Greek)
Derived from Greek τρυφή (tryphe) meaning "softness, delicacy". In the New Testament this name is mentioned briefly as belonging to a companion of Tryphena.
Tsubaki
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 椿, etc.(Japanese Kanji) つばき(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: TSOO-BA-KYEE
From Japanese 椿 (tsubaki) meaning "camellia (flower)", as well as other combinations of kanji that are pronounced the same way.
Tsubasa
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: , etc.(Japanese Kanji) つばさ(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: TSOO-BA-SA
From Japanese (tsubasa) meaning "wing", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations with the same pronunciation.
Tuba
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arabic, Turkish
Other Scripts: طوبى(Arabic)
Pronounced: TOO-ba(Arabic)
From the name of a type of tree that is believed to grow in heaven in Islamic tradition. It means "blessedness" in Arabic.
Tyrone
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, African American
Pronounced: tie-RON(English)
From the name of a county in Northern Ireland, which is derived from Irish Gaelic Tir Eoghain meaning "land of Eoghan". This name was popularized by American actor Tyrone Power (1914-1958), who was named after his great-grandfather, an Irish actor.
Ulf
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German
From the Old Norse byname Úlfr meaning "wolf".
Umar
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Urdu, Uzbek, Tajik, Kyrgyz, Indonesian, Western African, Hausa
Other Scripts: عمر(Arabic, Urdu) Умар(Uzbek, Tajik, Kyrgyz)
Pronounced: ‘OO-mar(Arabic) ‘O-mar(Egyptian Arabic)
Means "populous, flourishing", derived from Arabic عمر ('umr) meaning "life". Umar was a companion and strong supporter of the Prophet Muhammad who became the second caliph of the Muslims. He is considered to be one of the great founders of the Muslim state. The name was also borne by a 12th-century poet from Persia, Umar Khayyam.
Unless-christ-had-died-for-thee-thou-hadst-been-damned
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Puritan)
A variant of If-Jesus-Christ-had-not-died-for-thee-thou-hadst-been-damned.
Urs
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German (Swiss)
Pronounced: UWRS
German form of the Latin name Ursus, which meant "bear". Saint Ursus was a 3rd-century soldier in the Theban Legion who was martyred with Saint Victor. He is the patron saint of Solothurn in Switzerland.
Usama
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: أسامة(Arabic)
Pronounced: oo-SA-mah
Means "lion" in Arabic.
Väinämöinen
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Finnish Mythology
Pronounced: VIE-na-mui-nehn(Finnish)
Derived from Finnish väinä meaning "wide and slow-flowing river". In Finnish mythology Väinämöinen was a wise old magician, the son of the primal goddess Ilmatar. He is the hero of the Finnish epic the Kalevala.
Valentine 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: VAL-in-tien
From the Roman cognomen Valentinus, which was itself a derivative of the cognomen Valens meaning "strong, vigorous, healthy" in Latin. Saint Valentine was a 3rd-century martyr. His feast day was the same as the Roman fertility festival of Lupercalia, which resulted in the association between Valentine's day and love.

As an English name, it has been used occasionally since the 12th century. It is the name of a central character in Shakespeare's play The Two Gentlemen of Verona (1594).

Valeriy
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian
Other Scripts: Валерий(Russian) Валерій(Ukrainian) Валерый(Belarusian)
Pronounced: vu-LYEH-ryee(Russian)
Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian form of Valerius.
Vercingetorix
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Gaulish
Pronounced: wehr-king-GEH-taw-riks(Latin) vər-sin-JEHT-ə-riks(English)
Means "king over warriors" from Gaulish wer "on, over" combined with kingeto "marching men, warriors" and rix "king". This name was borne by a 1st-century BC chieftain of the Gaulish tribe the Arverni. He led the resistance against Julius Caesar's attempts to conquer Gaul, but he was eventually defeated, brought to Rome, and executed.
Vladislav
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Russian, Czech, Slovak, Slovene, Bulgarian, Serbian, Croatian, Medieval Slavic [1]
Other Scripts: Владислав(Russian, Bulgarian, Serbian)
Pronounced: vlə-dyi-SLAF(Russian) VLA-gyi-slaf(Czech) VLA-gyee-slow(Slovak)
Derived from the Slavic elements vladeti "rule" and slava "glory".
Wacław
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Polish
Pronounced: VA-tswaf
Polish form of Václav.
Wahyu
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Indonesian
Means "revelation" in Indonesian.
Wallis
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: WAWL-is
From a surname that was a variant of Wallace. Wallis Simpson (1895-1986) was the divorced woman whom Edward VIII married, which forced him to abdicate the British throne.
Wendelin
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German, Germanic [1]
Pronounced: VEHN-deh-leen(German)
Old diminutive of Germanic names beginning with the element wentil (see Wendel). Saint Wendelin was a 6th-century hermit of Trier in Germany.
Wu
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Chinese
Other Scripts: 武, 务, etc.(Chinese) 武, 務, etc.(Traditional Chinese)
Pronounced: OO
From Chinese () meaning "military, martial" (which is generally only masculine) or () meaning "affairs, business", as well as other characters that are pronounced similarly. This was the name of several Chinese rulers, including the 2nd-century BC emperor Wu of Han (a posthumous name, spelled ) who expanded the empire and made Confucianism the state philosophy.
Wulfnoð
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Anglo-Saxon [1][2]
Derived from the Old English elements wulf "wolf" and noð "boldness, daring" [3]. This name became rare after the Norman Conquest.
Yahya
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Turkish, Persian
Other Scripts: يحيى(Arabic) یحیی(Persian)
Pronounced: YAH-ya(Arabic)
Arabic, Turkish and Persian form of Yochanan (see John). This name honours John the Baptist, a prophet in Islam.
Yakub
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: يعقوب(Arabic)
Pronounced: ya‘-KOOB
Alternate transcription of Arabic يعقوب (see Yaqub).
Yaqub
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: يعقوب(Arabic)
Pronounced: ya‘-KOOB
Arabic form of Ya'aqov (see Jacob).
Yarden
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Hebrew
Other Scripts: יַרְדֵן(Hebrew)
Hebrew form of Jordan.
Yaser
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Persian, Turkish, Arabic
Other Scripts: یاسر(Persian) ياسر(Arabic)
Pronounced: YA-seer(Arabic)
Persian and Turkish form of Yasir, as well as an alternate transcription of the Arabic name.
Yasmeen
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arabic, Urdu
Other Scripts: ياسمين(Arabic) یاسمین(Urdu)
Pronounced: yas-MEEN(Arabic)
Alternate transcription of Arabic ياسمين or Urdu یاسمین (see Yasmin).
Yasmin
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arabic, Hebrew, Urdu, English (Modern), Spanish (Modern), Portuguese (Modern)
Other Scripts: ياسمين(Arabic) יַסְמִין(Hebrew) یاسمین(Urdu)
Pronounced: yas-MEEN(Arabic) YAZ-min(English)
Means "jasmine" in Arabic and Hebrew, derived from Persian یاسمین (yasamin). In modern times it has been used in the western world, as an Arabic-influenced variant of Jasmine.
Yoshihito
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 義人, 良仁, 与人(Japanese Kanji)
Pronounced: YO-SHEE-HEE-TO
From the Japanese 義 (yoshi) "morality," "importance" and 人 (hito) "person." Can also be written as 良仁 ("good" and "nucleolus"), 与人 ("together with" and "person") to name but a few.
Yoshirou
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 義郎, etc.(Japanese Kanji) よしろう(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: YO-SHEE-RO
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 義郎 (see Yoshirō).
Yousef
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Persian, Arabic
Other Scripts: یوسف(Persian) يوسف(Arabic)
Pronounced: YOO-soof(Arabic)
Persian form of Yusuf, as well as an alternate Arabic transcription.
Yseut
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arthurian Romance
Old French form of Iseult, appearing in the 12th-century Norman French poem Tristan by Béroul.
Yusuf
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Turkish, Indonesian
Other Scripts: يوسف(Arabic)
Pronounced: YOO-soof(Arabic, Turkish)
Arabic, Turkish and Indonesian form of Yosef (see Joseph).
Zahra
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arabic, Persian
Other Scripts: زهراء, زهرة(Arabic) زهرا(Persian)
Pronounced: zah-RA(Arabic) ZAH-rah(Arabic)
From Arabic زهراء (zahra), the feminine form of أزهر (azhar) meaning "shining, brilliant, bright". This is an epithet of the Prophet Muhammad's daughter Fatimah.

It can also be an alternate transcription of Arabic زهرة (see Zahrah), a name derived from a related root.

Zahrah
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: زهرة(Arabic)
Pronounced: ZAH-rah
Derived from Arabic زهرة (zahrah) meaning "blooming flower", from the root زهر (zahara) meaning "to shine".
Zaki
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: زكيّ(Arabic)
Pronounced: ZA-kee
Means "pure" in Arabic.
Zaman
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Urdu
Other Scripts: زمان(Arabic, Urdu)
Pronounced: za-MAN(Arabic)
Means "time, age, era" in Arabic.
Zedekiah
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical
Other Scripts: צִדְקִיָּהוּ(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced: zehd-ə-KIE-ə(English)
From the Hebrew name צִדְקִיָּהוּ (Tzidqiyyahu) meaning "justice of Yahweh", from צֶדֶק (tzedeq) meaning "justice" and יָה (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. In the Old Testament this is the name of the last king of Judah.
Zephyr
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Greek Mythology (Anglicized)
Other Scripts: Ζέφυρος(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: ZEHF-ər(English)
From the Greek Ζέφυρος (Zephyros) meaning "west wind". Zephyros was the Greek god of the west wind.
Zeus
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Ζεύς(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: ZDEWS(Classical Greek) ZOOS(English)
The name of a Greek god, related to the old Indo-European god *Dyēws, from the root *dyew- meaning "sky" or "shine". In Greek mythology he was the highest of the gods. After he and his siblings defeated the Titans, Zeus ruled over the earth and humankind from atop Mount Olympus. He had control over the weather and his weapon was a thunderbolt.

This theonym has cognates in other Indo-European languages including Latin Jupiter, Sanskrit Dyaus, and Old Norse Tyr.

Ziv
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Hebrew
Other Scripts: זִיו(Hebrew)
Means "bright, radiant" in Hebrew. This was the ancient name of the second month of the Jewish calendar.
Ziya al-Din
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: ضياء الدين(Arabic)
Pronounced: dee-ya-ood-DEEN
Alternate transcription of Arabic ضياء الدين (see Ziya ad-Din).
Zoe
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Italian, Spanish, German, Czech, Ancient Greek
Other Scripts: Ζωή(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: ZO-ee(English) DZAW-eh(Italian)
Means "life" in Greek. From early times it was adopted by Hellenized Jews as a translation of Eve. It was borne by two early Christian saints, one martyred under Emperor Hadrian, the other martyred under Diocletian. The name was common in the Byzantine Empire, being borne by a ruling empress of the 11th century.

As an English name, Zoe (sometimes with a diaeresis as Zoë) has only been in use since the 19th century. It has generally been more common among Eastern Christians (in various spellings).

Zulfikar
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Urdu, Indonesian
Other Scripts: ذو الفقار(Arabic, Urdu)
Pronounced: dhool-fee-KAR(Arabic)
Alternate transcription of Arabic/Urdu ذو الفقار (see Zulfiqar), as well as the Indonesian form.
Zulfiqar
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Urdu
Other Scripts: ذو الفقار(Arabic, Urdu)
Pronounced: dhool-fee-KAR(Arabic)
From Arabic ذو الفقار (Dhu al-Faqar) interpreted as meaning "cleaver of the spine", derived from ذو (dhu) meaning "possessor, holder" and فقار (faqar) meaning "spine, vertebra". This was the name of the Prophet Muhammad's sword, also used by his son-in-law Ali.
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