skinnyminnie's Personal Name List

Derived from Nahuatl acolli "shoulder" and miztli "mountain lion, wildcat". This was the name of an Aztec god of the underworld, also known as Acolnahuacatl. It was also the name of two rulers of Tlatelolco.

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.

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.

Means "devoted, focused" in Arabic. It refers to one who practices اعتكاف (iʿtikāf), which is seclusion inside a mosque for a period of time to worship.

The first element of this Germanic name comes from Gothic alls "all" or from Gothic alhs (alah in Old High German) "temple." The meaning and origin of the second element is rather uncertain: we know that it comes from gis (the original form was possibly gîs), but we don't exactly know where gis itself comes from. But there are a few possibilities. It might come from Gallo-Celtic gaiso "spear" (see Gaiseric) or it might be a short form of gisel, which means "hostage" or "pledge" (see Giselle). Alagis was the name of a 7th-century king of the Lombards.

Means "light of the early dawn" or "sunset glow" in Hawaiian, literally "flaming road" from Hawaiian ala "path, road" and ula "flame".

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

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

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

From the given name Ali 1 combined with Persian شیر (shīr) meaning "lion". It was borne by the Timurid poet Ali-Shir Nava'i (1441-1501), who wrote in the Chagatai Turkic language.

Means "cheerful, lively" in Italian. It was borne by a short-lived illegitimate daughter of Lord Byron (1817-1822).

Means "the flyer" in Arabic. This is the name of a star in the constellation Aquila.

Czech form of Elizabeth.

Feminine form of Arcadius. This is the name of a region on the Greek Peloponnese, long idealized for its natural beauty.

Feminine form of Arcangelo.

Means "archangel" in Italian.

Variant of Araceli.

From an English surname meaning "bowman, archer", of Old French origin. Although already slowly growing in popularity, this name accelerated its rise after the premiere of the American television series Archer in 2009.

Diminutive of Archibald. This name is borne by Archie Andrews, an American comic-book character created in 1941. It was also used by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle for the name of their son born 2019.

Possibly means "lion of God, hero" in Hebrew. This is the name of a son of Gad in the Old Testament.

Alternate transcription of Russian Аркадий (see Arkadiy).

From the Gothic name *Aþanagild, derived from the elements aþn meaning "year" combined with gild meaning "payment, tribute, compensation". Athanagild was a 6th-century king of Visigothic Spain.

From the name of the city in the American state of Georgia, originally a short form of Atlantica, which is ultimately from the name of the Atlantic Ocean (itself the genitive of Atlas).

It may also be considered a contracted form of Atalanta.

Taken from the name of the mythological place of the Atlantis, derived from the Greek Ἀτλαντὶς νῆσος meaning “island of Atlas.”

Possibly means "enduring" from Greek τλάω (tlao) meaning "to endure". In Greek mythology he was a Titan punished by Zeus by being forced to support the heavens on his shoulders.

German, Polish, Scandinavian and Catalan form of Augustus. This was the name of three Polish kings.

As an English name it can also derive from the month of August, which was named for the Roman emperor Augustus.

The name Australia derives from Latin australis meaning southern, and dates back to 2nd century legends of an "unknown southern land" (that is terra australis incognita). The explorer Matthew Flinders named the land Terra Australis, which was later abbreviated to the current form.

From a surname that was from a place name, itself derived from Old English beonet "bent grass" and leah "woodland, clearing". Various towns in England bear this name.

From Turkish berk meaning "mighty, firm, solid" and ant meaning "oath".

Means "faithful" in Albanian.

From the English word for the colour, derived via Norman French from a Frankish word (replacing the native Old English cognate blaw). Despite the fact that this name was used by the American musicians Beyoncé and Jay-Z in 2012 for their first daughter, it has not come into general use in the United States.

From a surname that was taken from the Basque place name Bolibar, which was derived from bolu "mill" and ibar "riverside". A famous bearer of the surname was Simón Bolívar (1783-1830), a South American revolutionary leader, after whom the country of Bolivia is named.

From Brendanus, the Latinized form of the Old Irish name Bréanainn, which was derived from Old Welsh breenhin meaning "king, prince". Saint Brendan was a 6th-century Irish abbot who, according to legend, crossed the Atlantic and reached North America with 17 other monks.

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).

Transferred use of the surname Calder.

From the Latin name of Scotland, itself derived from Caledones, the Latin name of a tribe that inhabited the region during the Roman era, which is of unknown origin, though it may possibly come from Proto-Celtic *kaletos meaning "hard" and *ɸēdo- meaning "foot", alluding to standfastness or endurance.

From an English surname that meant "one who uses a cart". A famous bearer of the surname is former American president Jimmy Carter (1924-).

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

From Latin cathedra meaning "chair", referring to the Cathedra Petri or Chair of Saint Peter, also known as the Throne of Saint Peter. Its feast day is February 22 (note, until 1962, the Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter was also celebrated on January 18).

Italian feminine and masculine form of Caelestis. It is also the Portuguese, Spanish and English feminine form.

Possibly from cyrrid "bent, crooked" (a derivative of Old Welsh cwrr "corner") combined with ben "woman" or gwen "white, blessed". According to the medieval Welsh legend the Tale of Taliesin (recorded by Elis Gruffyd in the 16th century) this was the name of a sorceress who created a potion that would grant wisdom to her son Morfan. The potion was instead consumed by her servant Gwion Bach, who was subsequently reborn as the renowned bard Taliesin.

This name appears briefly in a poem in the Black Book of Carmarthen in the form Kyrridven [1] and in a poem in the Book of Taliesin in the form Kerrituen [2]. Some theories connect her to an otherwise unattested Celtic goddess of inspiration, and suppose her name is related to Welsh cerdd "poetry".

From the colour cerulean meaning “sky blue”, derived from the Latin caeruleus, perhaps related to caelum which means “sky”. It is recently but rarely used as a name.

Transferred use of the surname Chapel and a "subordinate place of worship added to or forming part of a large church or cathedral, separately dedicated and devoted to special services," from Old French chapele (12c., Modern French chapelle), from Medieval Latin capella, cappella "chapel, sanctuary for relics," literally "little cape," diminutive of Late Latin cappa "cape."

Means "born at night" in Swahili.

Variant of Sierra.

Means "little ashes", in part from the French name Cendrillon. This is the main character in the folktale Cinderella about a maltreated young woman who eventually marries a prince. This old story is best known in the English-speaking world from the French author Charles Perrault's 1697 version. She has other names in other languages, usually with the meaning "ashes", such as German Aschenputtel and Italian Cenerentola.

Means "crocodile, alligator, caiman, monster" in Nahuatl [1]. This is the name of the first day in the tonalpohualli, the Aztec 260-day calendar.

From a surname that was originally from a place name meaning "ford by a cliff" in Old English.

Derived from the English word cloud. In Popular Culture, this is the name of the main protagonist (Cloud Strife) in "Final Fantasy VII", who also makes an appearance in "Dissidia: Final Fantasy".

Means "harmony" in Latin. This was the name of the Roman goddess of harmony and peace.

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

From Old English cyne meaning "royal" and gisl meaning "pledge, hostage".

An alternative Celtic origin has been suggested, with the given meaning of "grey dog".

From the English word "danger" meaning "liability to exposure to harm or risk; an instance or cause of liable harm; or ability to harm; someone's dominion or power to harm". From the Middle English daunger 'power, dominion, peril', ultimately derived from the Latin dominus 'lord, master'.

Its usage may be due to the popular saying 'danger is my middle name'.

From the Hebrew name דָּנִיֵּאל (Daniyyel) meaning "God is my judge", from the roots דִּין (din) meaning "to judge" and אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". Daniel was a Hebrew prophet whose story is told in the Book of Daniel in the Old Testament. He lived during the Jewish captivity in Babylon, where he served in the court of the king, rising to prominence by interpreting the king's dreams. The book also presents Daniel's four visions of the end of the world.

Due to the popularity of the biblical character, the name came into use in England during the Middle Ages. Though it became rare by the 15th century, it was revived after the Protestant Reformation. Famous bearers of this name include English author Daniel Defoe (1660-1731), Swiss mathematician Daniel Bernoulli (1700-1782), and American frontiersman Daniel Boone (1734-1820).

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.

From a surname that was derived from the Old English given name Deorwine. The surname was borne by the British naturalist Charles Darwin (1809-1882), the man who first proposed the theory of natural selection and subsequently revolutionized biology.

From the Hebrew name דָּוִד (Dawiḏ), which was derived from דּוֹד (doḏ) meaning "beloved" or "uncle". David was the second and greatest of the kings of Israel, ruling in the 10th century BC. Several stories about him are told in the Old Testament, including his defeat of Goliath, a giant Philistine. According to the New Testament, Jesus was descended from him.

This name has been used in Britain since the Middle Ages. It has been especially popular in Wales, where it is used in honour of the 5th-century patron saint of Wales (also called Dewi), as well as in Scotland, where it was borne by two kings. Over the last century it has been one of the English-speaking world's most consistently popular names, never leaving the top 30 names for boys in the United States, and reaching the top rank in England and Wales during the 1950s and 60s. In Spain it was the most popular name for boys during the 1970s and 80s.

Famous bearers include empiricist philosopher David Hume (1711-1776), explorer David Livingstone (1813-1873), musician David Bowie (1947-2016), and soccer player David Beckham (1975-). This is also the name of the hero of Charles Dickens' semi-autobiographical novel David Copperfield (1850).

French form of Delphina.

From the name of the fourth letter in the Greek alphabet, Δ. It is also the name for an island formed at the mouth of a river.

Possibly means "earth mother", derived from Greek δᾶ (da) meaning "earth" and μήτηρ (meter) meaning "mother". In Greek mythology Demeter was the goddess of agriculture, the daughter of Cronus, the sister of Zeus, and the mother of Persephone. She was an important figure in the Eleusinian Mysteries, which were secret rites performed at Eleusis near Athens.

Feminine form of Demetrius.

Greek form of both Asriel and Azriel, as it first appeared in the Septuagint.

Spanish form of Stanislav.

Means "help" in Hebrew. Ezra is a prophet of the Old Testament and the author of the Book of Ezra. It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the Protestant Reformation. The American poet Ezra Pound (1885-1972) was a famous bearer.

Possibly derived from English fare north, the word fare meaning "to go, to travel" (as well as "a journey, a voyage"), and perhaps modelled on the English surname Farnworth. This was adopted as a middle name by Yule Farenorth Kilcher (1913-1998), original name Julius Jakob Kilcher, a Swiss-born Alaskan who helped write the Alaska State Constitution and served as a member of the Alaska State Senate during the mid-1960s. He was the patriarch of a family documented on the reality television series Alaska: The Last Frontier (2011-); cast members Eivin and Eve Kilcher used the name for their son, Findlay Farenorth Kilcher, born 2013.

Means "horseman, knight" in Arabic.

From the Late Latin name Fidelis meaning "faithful", a derivative of fides "faith". A famous bearer was the revolutionary leader and Cuban president Fidel Castro (1926-2016).

From the English word fidelity, ultimately from the Latin word fidelis, a derivative of fidere "to trust". This is one of the virtue names coined by the Puritans in the 17th century.

Anglicized form of Fionnuala.

Means "white shoulder" from Old Irish finn "white, blessed" and gúala "shoulder". In Irish legend Fionnuala was one of the four children of Lir who were transformed into swans for a period of 900 years.

From the Latin name Florentius or the feminine form Florentia, which were derived from florens "prosperous, flourishing". Florentius was borne by many early Christian saints, and it was occasionally used in their honour through the Middle Ages. In modern times it is mostly feminine.

This name can also be given in reference to the city in Italy, as in the case of Florence Nightingale (1820-1910), who was born there to British parents. She was a nurse in military hospitals during the Crimean War and is usually considered the founder of modern nursing.

Means "valley, ravine" in Hebrew.

From the Greek word γαῖα (gaia), a parallel form of γῆ (ge) meaning "earth". In Greek mythology Gaia was the mother goddess who presided over the earth. She was the mate of Uranus and the mother of the Titans and the Cyclopes.

Medieval Italian name derived from Latin galilaeus meaning "Galilean, from Galilee". Galilee is a region in northern Israel, mentioned in the New Testament as the site of several of Jesus's miracles. It is derived from the Hebrew root גָּלִיל (galil) meaning "district, roll".

Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) was an important Italian astronomer, physicist and engineer. Both his name and surname were from an earlier 15th-century ancestor (a doctor).

French form of Gislenus, a Latinized form of the Germanic name Gislin, derived from the element gisal meaning "hostage" or "pledge". This was the name of a 7th-century saint and hermit who built a chapel near Mons, Belgium.

Originally an Italian short form of Ermenegilda and other names containing the Old German element gelt meaning "payment, tribute, compensation". This is the name of a character in Verdi's opera Rigoletto (1851). It is also the name of a 1946 American movie, starring Rita Hayworth in the title role.

Gallicized form of Breton Gweltaz via its medieval Latinization Gildasius. Gweltaz is certainly of Celtic origin, its meaning, however, has been lost to time.

From a Germanic name in which the second element is beraht "bright". The first element is probably a shortened form of gisal "pledge, hostage" (making it a variant of Gilbert), though it could be related to Gaulish *gaisos "spear" (itself probably of Germanic origin [2]).

Dutch, German, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese form of Giselhild. Bearers of this name include Italian actresses Giselda Castrini (b. 1945) and Giselda Volodi (b. 1959).

Derived from the Germanic element gisel "hostage" (or "pledge") combined with Old Norse hildr "battle".

Derived from the Old German element gisal meaning "hostage, pledge" (Proto-Germanic *gīslaz). This name may have originally been a descriptive nickname for a child given as a pledge to a foreign court. This was the name of both a sister and daughter of Charlemagne. It was also borne by a daughter of the French king Charles III who married the Norman leader Rollo in the 10th century. Another notable bearer was the 11th-century Gisela of Swabia, wife of the Holy Roman emperor Conrad II.

The name was popular in France during the Middle Ages (the more common French form is Gisèle). Though it became known in the English-speaking world due to Adolphe Adam's ballet Giselle (1841), it was not regularly used until the 20th century.

Old German form of Ghislain.

Means "evening" in Greek. This was the name of the personification of the Evening Star (the planet Venus) in Greek mythology.

From Japanese 瞳 (hitomi) meaning "pupil of the eye". It can also come from 史 (hito) meaning "history" and 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful", as well as other kanji combinations. This name is often written with the hiragana writing system.

Apparently derived from the given name Hubert. Also a transferred use of the surname Hobart.

From an English surname meaning "son of Hudde". A famous bearer of the surname was the English explorer Henry Hudson (1570-1611).

Possibly means "interpreter, teacher" in Arabic, related to the root درس (darasa) meaning "to study, to learn". According to the Quran this was the name of an ancient prophet. He is traditionally equated with the Hebrew prophet Enoch.

Form of Idris 1 common in West Africa.

Means "spiritual leader" in Swahili, ultimately from Arabic إمام (ʾimām).

Russian form of Innocentius (see Innocent).

Means "related to Iris or rainbows", ultimately from Greek ἶρις (genitive ἴριδος). It briefly entered the American top 1000 list in 1995, likely due to a Mexican singer named Iridián.

Variant of Islay, typically used as a feminine name. It also coincides with the Spanish word isla meaning "island".

Means "nocturnal journey" in Arabic, derived from سرى (sarā) meaning "to travel by night". According to Islamic tradition, the Isra was a miraculous journey undertaken by the Prophet Muhammad.

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.

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

Derived from the Slavic elements jarŭ "fierce, energetic" and mirŭ "peace, world". This name was borne by an 11th-century duke of Bohemia.

From Sino-Korean 貞 (jeong) meaning "virtuous, chaste, loyal" or 正 (jeong) meaning "right, proper, correct" combined with 淑 (suk) meaning "good, pure, virtuous, charming". Other hanja combinations are possible.

Means "glacier, ice" in Icelandic.

From the English word for the type of tree, derived ultimately from Latin iuniperus.

Feminine form of Ketil.

Anglicized form of Caitrìona.

Diminutive of Innokentiy.

Spanish and Portuguese form of Kayla reflecting the English pronunciation, as well as an English variant.

From the English word "kindred" meaning "family".

From the Old Norse name Ketillaug, derived from the elements ketill meaning "kettle" and laug possibly meaning "vowed, promised, bound in oath".

Transferred use of the surname Knight.

Transferred use of the surname Knightley.

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.

Derived from the Old German elements lant "land" and beraht "bright". Saint Lambert of Maastricht was a 7th-century bishop who was martyred after denouncing Pepin II for adultery. The name was also borne by a 9th-century king of Italy who was crowned Holy Roman Emperor.

The name Laniakea means "immeasurable heaven" in Hawaiian, from "lani" for 'heaven' and "akea" for 'spacious' or 'immeasurable'. Laniakea is the galaxy supercluster that is home to the Milky Way, the Solar System and Earth. It was defined in September 2014 by Nawa'a Napoleon, an associate professor of Hawaiian Language at Kapiolani Community College. The name honors Polynesian navigators who used heavenly knowledge to navigate the Pacific Ocean.

Means "night" in Arabic. Layla was the love interest of the poet Qays (called Majnun) in an old Arab tale, notably retold by the 12th-century Persian poet Nizami Ganjavi in his poem Layla and Majnun. This story was a popular romance in medieval Arabia and Persia. The name became used in the English-speaking world after the 1970 release of the song Layla by Derek and the Dominos, the title of which was inspired by the medieval story.

From the English word, referring to a story about the past (or by extension, a heroic character in such a story), ultimately from Latin legere "to read".

Probably from Laila 2, but also associated with Estonian leil meaning "vapour, steam". It became popular due to Andres Saal's novel Leili (1892).

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.

German, Portuguese and English variant and Galician, Romanian, Hungarian and Slovene form of Leopoldine. Leopoldina of Austria (1797 – 1826) was the first Brazilian empress.

Means "eternal, abiding" in Indonesian.

Means "lion" in Russian and Ukrainian, functioning as a vernacular form of Leo. This was the real Russian name of both author Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910) and revolutionary Leon Trotsky (1879-1940). This is also the name of the main character, Lev Nikolayevich Myshkin, in the novel The Idiot (1868) by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

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.

From the name of the capital city of the United Kingdom, the meaning of which is uncertain. As a surname it was borne by the American author Jack London (1876-1916).

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

Latinate form of Magdalene.

Form of Maia 1 in various languages.

From the English word for the tree (comprising the genus Acer), derived from Old English mapul. This is the name of a girl in Robert Frost's poem Maple (1923) who wonders about the origin of her unusual name.

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

Means "coral" in Swahili, originally a borrowing from Arabic مرْجان (marjān).

Derived from Latin marinus meaning "of the sea" (see Marinus). This name was used by Edmund Spenser in his poem The Faerie Queene (1590), where it belongs to "the knight of the sea" Sir Marinell, who is the son of a sea nymph and the beloved of Florimell.

Arabic form of Miryam (see Mary) appearing in the Quran. It is also the form used in several other languages. In Iran it is also the name of a flower, the tuberose, which is named after the Virgin Mary.

Variant of Mabel.

Dutch, German, Occitan, Polish, Slovak and Slovene form of Medardus.

Means "mercies" (that is, the plural of mercy), from the Spanish title of the Virgin Mary, Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes, meaning "Our Lady of Mercies". It is ultimately from the Latin word merces meaning "wages, reward", which in Vulgar Latin acquired the meaning "favour, pity" [1].

From a surname meaning "happy weather" in Middle English, originally belonging to a cheery person. A notable bearer of the name was Meriwether Lewis (1774-1809), who, with William Clark, explored the west of North America.

From the Hebrew name מִיכָאֵל (Miḵaʾel) meaning "who is like God?", derived from the interrogative pronoun מִי (mi) combined with ךְּ (ke) meaning "like" and אֵל (ʾel) meaning "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-).

Feminine form of Michael.

Czech and Slovak form of Michael.

Possibly derived from the Slavic elements mečĭ "sword" and slava "glory".

Form of Mary used in the Old Testament, where it belongs to the elder sister of Moses and Aaron. She watched over the infant Moses as the pharaoh's daughter drew him from the Nile. The name has long been popular among Jews, and it has been used as an English Christian name (alongside Mary) since the Protestant Reformation.

From Avestan 𐬨𐬌𐬚𐬭𐬀 (mithra) meaning "oath, covenant, agreement", derived from an Indo-Iranian root *mitra meaning "that which binds". According Zoroastrian mythology Mithra was a god of light and friendship, the son of the supreme god Ahura Mazda. Worship of him eventually spread outside of Persia to the Roman Empire, where it was known as Mithraism.

From Japanese 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful", 夜 (ya) meaning "night" and 子 (ko) meaning "child". This name can be formed from other combinations of kanji as well.

Means "ocean, wide expanse of water, deep sea" in Maori, Hawaiian and other Polynesian languages.

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

Means "daffodil, narcissus" in Persian, ultimately derived from Greek (see Narcissus).

Modern Greek transcription of Nephele.

From the name of the American state, which means "snow-capped" in Spanish.

Possibly a transferred usage of the English surname Nightingale, in honor of Florence Nightingale (1820-1910), an English social reformer.

It is ultimately derived from Middle English nyghtyngale "night singer" (Old English nihtegal, composed of niht "night" and galan "sing"). It could also be used referring to the songbird.

From Sanskrit नील (nīla) meaning "dark blue".

From Sanskrit निशान्त (niśānta) meaning "night's end, dawn".

Derived from Latin noctis "of the night". This is the name of a character in Final Fantasy XIII Versus.

From the Latin word novem, meaning "nine". November was the ninth month of the Roman calendar before January and February were added around 713 BC. It is now the eleventh month of the year.

This is the name of one of the main adult female characters in Catherynne M. Valente's adult fantasy novel "Palimpsest" (2009). In the novel November remembers having read a book called "The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making" when she was a child, and the heroine of that book was called September. Valente later wrote that book as a crowd-funded work. It became the first volume in her bestselling "Fairyland" series.

Means "night" in Greek. This was the name of the Greek goddess of the night, the daughter of Khaos and the wife of Erebos.

From the name of the tenth month. It is derived from Latin octo meaning "eight", because it was originally the eighth month of the Roman year.

Possibly derived from Latin aurum "gold" or from its derivatives, Spanish oro or French or. In medieval legend Oriana was the daughter of a king of England who married the knight Amadis.

Means "born at night" in Luo.

Feminine form of Peter. This was also the name of an ancient city in the region that is now Jordan.

Latinized form of the Greek name Φωκᾶς (Phokas), which meant "seal (animal)" from Greek φώκη (phoke). This was the name of an early saint and martyr from Asia Minor. Sentenced to death for being a Christian, he is said to have given his killers lodging and then dug his own grave before he was executed.

From the name of a beautiful immortal bird that appears in Egyptian and Greek mythology. After living for several centuries in the Arabian Desert, it would be consumed by fire and rise from its own ashes, with this cycle repeating every 500 years. The name of the bird was derived from Greek φοῖνιξ (phoinix) meaning "dark red".

From the Greek name Πλάτων (Platon), which was derived from Greek πλατύς (platys) meaning "broad-shouldered". Plato was one of the most important of the Greek philosophers. He was a pupil of Socrates and a teacher of Aristotle. He constructed the theory of Forms and wrote several works, including the Republic.

Means "moon" in Arabic.

Serbian, Croatian and Czech feminine form of Radomil.

Czech and Slovak form of Radomir.

From a Germanic name that was composed of the elements regin "advice, counsel, decision" and brant "fire, torch, sword". This name belonged to the Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669).

The first element of this name is derived from the Germanic element rîcja "powerful, strong, mighty." This element is also closely related to Celtic rîg or rix and Gothic reiks, which all mean "king, ruler." The meaning and origin of the second element is rather uncertain: we know that it comes from gis (the original form was possibly gîs), but we don't exactly know where gis itself comes from. But there are a few possibilities. It might come from Gallo-Celtic gaiso "spear" (see Gaiseric) or it might be a short form of gisel, which means "hostage" or "pledge" (see Giselle).

From the English vocabulary word denoting a continuous elevated mountain crest, or from the English surname derived from the word.

Derived from Arabic الرجل (al-Rijl) meaning "foot". This is the name of the star that forms the left foot of the constellation Orion.

Breton and Anglicized form of Rónán.

Derived from the Slavic elements orsti "to grow" and slava "glory".

From the Germanic name Hrodulf, which was derived from the elements hruod meaning "fame" and wolf meaning "wolf". It was borne by three kings of Burgundy and a king of West Francia, as well as several Habsburg rulers of the Holy Roman Empire and Austria. Anthony Hope used this name for the hero in his popular novel The Prisoner of Zenda (1894).

From the name of the bitter medicinal herb, ultimately deriving from Greek ῥυτή (rhyte). This is also sometimes used as a short form of Ruth 1.

From Sanskrit समीर (samīra) meaning "wind, air".

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

From a Dutch surname meaning "scholar". Dutch settlers brought the surname to America, where it was subsequently adopted as a given name in honour of the American general and senator Philip Schuyler (1733-1804) [1].

From the name of the ninth month (though it means "seventh month" in Latin, since it was originally the seventh month of the Roman year), which is sometimes used as a given name for someone born in September.

Means "mountain range" in Spanish, referring specifically to a mountain range with jagged peaks.

Short form of Silviya or Silvija.

Derived from the Slavic element stati "stand, become" (inflected forms in stan-) combined with slava "glory". This name was borne by a few medieval saints (typically called by the Polish form Stanisław or Latinized form Stanislaus), including a bishop of Krakow who was martyred in the 11th century.

Elaborated form of Star.

From a surname that was a variant of the surname Sidney. This is the name of the largest city in Australia, which was named for Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney in 1788. Formerly used by both genders, since the 1980s this spelling of the name has been mostly feminine.

Czech and Slovak form of Thaddeus.

From a Welsh place name meaning "front hill", derived from Welsh tal "front, extremity" and bryn "hill".

From the name of a town in South Australia, perhaps meaning "near water" in an Australian Aboriginal language.

Derived from the old Celtic root *toranos meaning "thunder", cognate with Þórr (see Thor). This was the name of the Gaulish thunder god, who was often identified with the Roman god Jupiter.

Means "legend, myth" in Finnish. It is also used as a diminutive of Tarja.

Probably a feminine form of Tyrone. Actors Tyrone Power and Linda Christian created it for their daughter Taryn Power (1953-).

From the English word, ultimately deriving from Old French tané, which means "light brown".

Anglicized form of both Teunisje and the Dutch patronymic Teunis(s)e(n), which means "son of Teunis". In some cases, this name can also be a modern variant spelling of the name Denise, via its variant spelling Dennise.

According to the website of The Corpus of First Names in The Netherlands, this name has never been in use in the Netherlands, which was to be expected, since this name is an anglicization and therefore originated in English-speaking countries.

An example of a bearer of this name is the American author Tennise Broeck Morse (born ca. 1946), who is of Dutch descent.

Form of Theresa in various languages.

Means "earth" in Spanish.

Czech form of Tobias.

Modern Scandinavian form of Þórr (see Thor). It was not used as a personal name until the 18th century. It is sometimes used as a short form of names of Old Norse origin that begin with the element Tor, which is also a derivative of Þórr.

Short form of Tracy.

Meaning unknown. Perhaps based on the English word twilight, or maybe from a Cajun pronunciation of French étoile "star" [1]. It came into use as an American given name in the late 19th century.

From the name of cities in Spain and Venezuela, both derived from Latin valentia meaning "strength, vigour".

English and German form of Valeria, as well as a Czech variant of Valérie.

Means "knowledge" in Sanskrit.

Latin cognate of Hesperos. This name was used by the British author Ian Fleming for a female character, a love interest of James Bond, in his novel Casino Royale (1953). She also appears in the film adaptations of 1967 and 2006.

Hungarian form of Vitus.

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

Czech form of William.

Czech and Slovak form of Vitus.

Feminine form of Vitus.

Feminine form of Vitale.

Russian and Ukrainian form of Vitalis (see Vitale).

Diminutive of Vít.

Italian and Spanish form of Vitus. A notable fictional bearer is Vito Corleone from The Godfather novel (1969) and movie (1972).

Feminine form of Vivianus (see Vivian). Saint Viviana (also known as Bibiana) was a Roman saint and martyr of the 4th century.

French form of Viviana.

Means "good luck" in Maori.

From the name of the day of the week, which was derived from Old English wodnesdæg meaning "Woden's day". On the Addams Family television series (1964-1966) this was the name of the daughter, based on an earlier unnamed character in Charles Addams' cartoons. Her name was inspired by the popular nursery rhyme line Wednesday's child is full of woe.

From the Chinese 歆 (xīn) meaning "like, admire" and 然 (rán) meaning "yes, certainly, pledge, promise" and 燃 (rán) meaning "light fire, ignite".

Means "sharp edge of a blade" in Turkish. Also means "fire, flame, blaze".

Derived from Arabic يمين (yamīn) meaning "right hand, oath".

Means "sandalwood" in Fijian.

Derived from English Zealand, the exonym of Zeeland and Sjælland.

From the Greek Ζέφυρος (Zephyros) meaning "west wind". Zephyros was the Greek god of the west wind.

From the Old Slavic word živŭ meaning "alive, living". According to the 12th-century Saxon priest Helmold, this was the name of a Slavic goddess possibly associated with life or fertility.