Anna the singer's Personal Name List

Originally a short form of names beginning with the Old German element adal meaning "noble" (Proto-Germanic *aþalaz). Saint Adela was a 7th-century Frankish princess who founded a monastery at Pfazel in France. This name was also borne by a daughter of William the Conqueror.

From a Germanic name that was derived from the element adal meaning "noble" (Proto-Germanic *aþalaz).

Alternate transcription of Hebrew עֲדִינָה (see Adina 3).

Feminine form of Adrian.

French and Catalan form of Agnes.

From Japanese 愛 (ai) meaning "love, affection" and 子 (ko) meaning "child", as well as other character combinations.

Finnish form of Áile.

Possibly an Estonian short form of Hendrik.

From Japanese 愛 (ai) meaning "love, affection" and 菜 (na) meaning "vegetables, greens", as well as other character combinations.

Variant of Enara.

From Japanese 茜 (akane) meaning "deep red, dye from the rubia plant". Other kanji or combinations of kanji can form this name as well.

From Japanese 秋 (aki) meaning "autumn" or 昭 (aki) meaning "bright" combined with 絵 (e) meaning "picture, painting" or 恵 (e) meaning "favour, benefit". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.

From Japanese 晶 (aki) meaning "clear, crystal", 明 (aki) meaning "bright, light, clear" or 秋 (aki) meaning "autumn" combined with 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other combinations of kanji characters are possible.

From Japanese 昭 (akira) meaning "bright", 明 (akira) meaning "bright" or 亮 (akira) meaning "clear". Other kanji with the same pronunciation can also form this name. A famous bearer was the Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998), given name written 明.

Means "joyful, happy" from Basque alai.

Feminine form of Albert. This is the name of a Canadian province, which was named in honour of a daughter of Queen Victoria.

Finnish short form of Aleksanteri or Aleksi, an Italian short form of Alessandro, and a Spanish short form of Alejandro or Alejandra.

Variant of Aaliyah.

Variant of Alicia.

Variant of Alethea.

Feminine form of Alexander. In Greek mythology this was a Mycenaean epithet of the goddess Hera, and an alternate name of Cassandra. It was borne by several early Christian saints, and also by the wife of Nicholas II, the last tsar of Russia. She was from Germany and had the birth name Alix, but was renamed Александра (Aleksandra) upon joining the Russian Church.

Feminine form of Alex, or a diminutive of Alexis.

Variant of Olivia.

Diminutive of Alison 1, Alexandra and other names beginning with the same sound. After a 34-year absence from the American top 1000 chart this name began growing in popularity after the premiere of the sitcom Kate and Allie in 1984.

Variant or feminine form of Alan.

Variant of Alicia. The spelling has probably been influenced by that of the alyssum flower, the name of which is derived from Greek ἀ (a), a negative prefix, combined with λύσσα (lyssa) meaning "madness, rabies", since it was believed to cure madness.

Variant of Alicia.

Elaboration of Amber using the popular name suffix lyn.

From Japanese 亜 (a) meaning "second, Asia" and 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful". Other kanji combinations are possible.

From the medieval Latin masculine name Angelus, which was derived from the name of the heavenly creature (itself derived from the Greek word ἄγγελος (angelos) meaning "messenger"). It has never been very common in the English-speaking world, where it is sometimes used as a feminine name in modern times.

Elaborated form of Angela.

Derived from Latin angelicus meaning "angelic", ultimately related to Greek ἄγγελος (angelos) meaning "messenger". The poets Boiardo and Ariosto used this name in their Orlando poems (1483 and 1532), where she is the love interest of both Orlando and Rinaldo. It has been used as a given name since the 18th century.

Diminutive of Angela. The 1973 Rolling Stones song Angie caused this name to jump in popularity.

This name was first brought to public attention in 1966 by the child actress Anissa Jones (1958-1976) [1]. In her case it was a transcription of the Arabic name أنيسة (see Anisa), given to honour her Lebanese heritage. Other parents who have since used this name may view it simply as an elaboration of Anna using the popular name suffix issa.

Variant of Aniyah.

Perhaps a blend of Angela and Antonette, or Ann and Janette. It had a little burst of popularity in the United States in the 1960s, when the actress Anjanette Comer (1939-) was active.

Finnish, Estonian, German and Danish diminutive of Anna.

Variant of Annis.

Diminutive of Anne 1.

Meaning unknown.

Russian variant of Irina.

Diminutive of Arline and other names beginning with Arl.

From Japanese 麻 (asa) meaning "hemp" and 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.

Feminine form of Astor. This is also the name of several American towns, after the businessman John Jacob Astor.

Means "star", ultimately from Greek ἀστήρ (aster). This name has only been (rarely) used since the 20th century.

Combination of Aubrey and Anna.

Variant of Audrey.

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

From the word aura (derived from Latin, ultimately from Greek αὔρα meaning "breeze") for a distinctive atmosphere or illumination.

Variant of Avery.

Variant of Aviana.

Created by L. M. Montgomery as the setting for her novel Anne of Green Gables (1908). She may have based the name on the Arthurian island of Avalon, though it also resembles the river name Avon and leah "woodland, clearing".

Variant of Axel, used famously by musician Axl Rose (1962-).

From Japanese 彩 (aya) meaning "colour", 綾 (aya) meaning "design", or other kanji characters with the same pronunciation.

From Japanese 彩 (aya) meaning "colour" combined with 花 (ka) or 華 (ka) both meaning "flower". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Created for the novel Clan of the Cave Bear (1980) by author Jean M. Auel. In the novel Ayla is an orphaned Cro-Magnon girl adopted by Neanderthals. Ayla is the Neanderthal pronunciation of her real name, which is not given.

This name entered the American popularity charts after the release of the movie adaptation of the novel in 1986. Its continuing popularity is likely due to the fact that it contains the trendy phonetic elements ay and la.

From Sino-Vietnamese 寶 (bảo) meaning "treasure, jewel".

Short form of Beatrix or Beáta.

Short form of Rebecca.

Diminutive of Rebecca.

The meaning of this name is not known for certain. The first element could be related to Italian bella meaning "beautiful". The second element could be Old German lind meaning "soft, flexible, tender" (and by extension "snake, serpent"). This name first arose in the 17th century, and was subsequently used by Alexander Pope in his poem The Rape of the Lock (1712).

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

Variant of Barry.

Diminutive of Elizabeth.

Variant of Bethany.

Diminutive of Elizabeth.

From the English word blossom, ultimately from Old English blóstm. It came into use as a rare given name in the 19th century.

From a surname meaning "cheerful" in Old English.

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

Means "purple" in Korean.

Short form of Brianna, Gabriella and other names containing bri.

From the Latin name of the island of Britain, in occasional use as an English given name since the 18th century. This is also the name of the Roman female personification of Britain pictured on some British coins.

Diminutive of Camila and Carla.

Variant of Kaylee.

Diminutive of Caroline, or sometimes of names beginning with Cal.

Elaborated form of Caprice.

Variant of Carlisle.

Short form of Caroline. It was formerly a masculine name, derived from Carolus. The name can also be given in reference to the English vocabulary word, which means "song" or "hymn".

Diminutive of Caroline. This name declined in use shortly after the 1976 release of the horror movie Carrie, which was based on a 1974 novel by Stephen King.

From an Irish surname (Anglicized from Irish Gaelic Ó Caiside), which is derived from the byname Caiside. Very rare as a given name before the 1970s, it established itself in the 80s and then surged in popularity during the 90s.

Variant of Katherine.

Variant of Cecilia and a feminization of Cecil.

Latinate feminine form of the Roman family name Caecilius, which was derived from Latin caecus meaning "blind". Saint Cecilia was a semi-legendary 2nd or 3rd-century martyr who was sentenced to die because she refused to worship the Roman gods. After attempts to suffocate her failed, she was beheaded. She was later regarded as the patron saint of music and musicians.

Due to the popularity of the saint, the name became common in the Christian world during the Middle Ages. The Normans brought it to England, where it was commonly spelled Cecily — the Latinate form Cecilia came into use in the 18th century.

From the name of the flower, which is derived from Greek χελιδών (chelidon) meaning "swallow (bird)".

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

From Sino-Korean 采 (chae) meaning "collect, gather, pluck" or 彩 (chae) meaning "colour" combined with 原 (won) meaning "source, origin, beginning". Other hanja combinations can also form this name.

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

From Chinese 晨 (chén) or 辰 (chén), both meaning "morning". The character 辰 also refers to the fifth Earthly Branch (7 AM to 9 AM), which is itself associated with the dragon of the Chinese zodiac. This name can be formed from other characters as well.

From Chinese 成 (chéng) meaning "completed, finished, succeeded" or 诚 (chéng) meaning "sincere, honest, true", as well as other characters that are pronounced similarly.

Variant of Cherie.

Combination of Cheryl and the popular name suffix lyn.

Simply means "cherry" from the name of the fruit. It can also be a diminutive of Charity. It has been in use since the late 19th century.

Variant of Cheyenne probably influenced by the name Anne 1.

From Japanese 千 (chi) meaning "thousand", 香 (ka) meaning "fragrance" and 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations can be possible.

From Japanese 千 (chi) meaning "thousand" combined with 代 (yo) meaning "generation" or 世 (yo) meaning "world". Other kanji combinations are possible.

From Japanese 蝶 (chō) meaning "butterfly".

Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 蝶子 (see Chōko).

Latin feminine form of Christian.

French form of Christina, as well as a variant in other languages. It was used by the French author Gaston Leroux for the heroine, Christine Daaé, in his novel The Phantom of the Opera (1910).

This was a popular name in the 20th century (especially the middle decades) in French, German, and English-speaking countries. In the United States Christina has been more common since 1973, though both forms are currently floundering on the charts.

Variant of Sierra.

French form of Clara. This was a common name in France throughout the 20th century, though it has since been eclipsed there by Clara. It was also very popular in the United Kingdom, especially in the 1970s.

From the English word for the wild flower, ultimately deriving from Old English clafre.

Variant of Christa.

Latinized form of Greek Κυνθία (Kynthia), which means "woman from Cynthus". This was an epithet of the Greek moon goddess Artemis, given because Cynthus was the mountain on Delos on which she and her twin brother Apollo were born. It was not used as a given name until the Renaissance, and it did not become common in the English-speaking world until the 19th century. It reached a peak of popularity in the United States in 1957 and has declined steadily since then.

Diminutive of Danielle.

Feminine form of Daniel.

Feminine form of Darius. Saint Daria was a 3rd-century woman who was martyred with her husband Chrysanthus under the Roman emperor Numerian. It has never been a particularly common English given name. As a Russian name, it is more commonly transcribed Darya.

Variant of Deanna.

Diminutive of Deborah.

Means "of Delos" in Greek. This was an epithet of the Greek goddess Artemis, given because she and her twin brother Apollo were born on the island of Delos. The name appeared in several poems of the 16th and 17th centuries, and it has occasionally been used as a given name since that time.

Means simply "delight, happiness" from the English word.

Means "delicate, weak, languishing" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament she is the lover of Samson, whom she betrays to the Philistines by cutting his hair, which is the source of his power. Despite her character flaws, the name began to be used by the Puritans in the 17th century. It has been used occasionally in the English-speaking world since that time.

Variant of Dolores.

Alternate transcription of Greek Δήμη or Ντίμι or Ντίμη (see Dimi), as well as a short form of Demetria. A famous bearer is American actress Demi Moore (1962-), and it is because of her that the name rose in popularity in the United States in the late 1980s. Though some sources claim Moore's birth name is Demetria, the actress herself has said she was born as Demi and named after a makeup product. The name received a further boost after 2008 with the release of the debut album by the singer Demi Lovato (1992-), who pronounces the name differently than the older actress. Lovato's birth name is Demetria.

Means simply "destiny, fate" from the English word, ultimately from Latin destinare "to determine", a derivative of stare "to stand". It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world only since the last half of the 20th century.

Variant of Devin.

Diminutive of Desmond and other names beginning with a similar sound.

Means "divine, goddesslike", a derivative of Latin dia or diva meaning "goddess". It is ultimately related to the same Indo-European root *dyew- found in Zeus. Diana was a Roman goddess of the moon, hunting, forests and childbirth, often identified with the Greek goddess Artemis.

As a given name, Diana has been regularly used since the Renaissance. It became more common in the English-speaking world following Walter Scott's novel Rob Roy (1817), which featured a character named Diana Vernon. It also appeared in George Meredith's novel Diana of the Crossways (1885). A notable bearer was the British royal Diana Spencer (1961-1997), the Princess of Wales.

From dianthus, the name of a type of flower (ultimately from Greek meaning "heavenly flower").

Diminutive of Dorothy. Doll and Dolly were used from the 16th century, and the common English word doll (for the plaything) is derived from them. In modern times this name is also sometimes used as a diminutive of Dolores.

From Sino-Korean 東 (dong) meaning "east" and 根 (geun) meaning "root, foundation", as well as other hanja character combinations.

From Italian donna meaning "lady". It is also used as a feminine form of Donald.

Variant of Doreen.

Variant of Dorothy.

Short form of Andrea 2.

From the English word dream referring to imaginary events seen in the mind while sleeping or a hope or wish.

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.

Form of Helen used in various languages, as well as an alternate transcription of Russian Елена (see Yelena).

Variant of Alicia.

German and Dutch form of Elizabeth. It is also a variant English form, reflecting the spelling used in the Authorized Version of the New Testament.

Short form of Elizabeth.

Diminutive of Eleanor and other names beginning with El. This name can also be given in reference to the French pronoun elle meaning "she".

Already growing in popularity due to Australian model Elle Macpherson (1964-), this name received a boost in the United States after the release of the 2001 movie Legally Blonde featuring the main character Elle Woods. In the United Kingdom the name was already fairly common at the time the movie came out, and it actually started declining there shortly afterwards. A famous bearer is American actress Elle Fanning (1998-).

From an English surname that was originally derived from the medieval masculine name Hilary.

Probably an invented name. This is the name of an infant girl in the fantasy movie Willow (1988). Since the release of the movie the name has been steadily used, finally breaking into the top 1000 in the United States in 2015.

Anglicized form of Ailbhe.

Variant of Alvina.

Swedish short form of Elvira.

Variant of Elizabeth.

From Japanese 恵 (e) meaning "favour, benefit" or 江 (e) meaning "bay, inlet" combined with 麻 (ma) meaning "flax". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.

From the English word ember, ultimately from Old English æmerge.

Elaboration of Ember, influenced by the spelling of Kimberly.

Variant of Amelia.

Norman French form of Emmerich. The Normans introduced it to England, and though it was never popular, it survived until the end of the Middle Ages. As a modern given name, now typically feminine, it is likely inspired by the surname Emery, which was itself derived from the medieval given name. It can also be given in reference to the hard black substance called emery.

English form of Émile.

English feminine form of Aemilius (see Emil). In the English-speaking world it was not common until after the German House of Hanover came to the British throne in the 18th century; the princess Amelia Sophia (1711-1786) was commonly known as Emily in English, even though Amelia is an unrelated name.

This name was moderately popular through most of the 20th century, and became very popular around the turn of the 21st century. It was the highest ranked name for girls in the United States from 1996 to 2007, attaining similar levels in other English-speaking countries around the same time.

Famous bearers include the British author Emily Brontë (1818-1848), known for the novel Wuthering Heights, and the American poet Emily Dickinson (1830-1886).

Variant of Emily

Diminutive of Emma or Emily.

Diminutive of Esther.

From an Old French name meaning "star", ultimately derived from Latin stella. It was rare in the English-speaking world in the Middle Ages, but it was revived in the 19th century, perhaps due to the character Estella Havisham in Charles Dickens' novel Great Expectations (1860).

From the Hebrew name אֶסְתֵר (ʾEsṯer), which possibly means "star" in Persian. Alternatively it could be a derivative of the name of the Near Eastern goddess Ishtar. The Book of Esther in the Old Testament tells the story of Queen Esther, the Jewish wife of the king of Persia. The king's advisor Haman persuaded the king to exterminate all the Jews in the realm. Warned of this plot by her cousin Mordecai, Esther revealed her Jewish ancestry and convinced the king to execute Haman instead. Her original Hebrew name was Hadassah.

This name has been used in the English-speaking world since the Protestant Reformation. In America it received a boost in popularity after the birth of Esther Cleveland (1893-1980), the daughter of President Grover Cleveland [1].

Short form of Henrietta and other names that end with etta. A famous bearer was the American singer Etta James (1938-2012), who took her stage name from her real given name Jamesetta.

Feminine form of Eugenius (see Eugene). It was borne by a semi-legendary 3rd-century saint who escaped persecution by disguising herself as a man. The name was occasionally found in England during the Middle Ages, but it was not regularly used until the 19th century.

Derived from Greek εὔλαλος (eulalos) meaning "sweetly-speaking", itself from εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and λαλέω (laleo) meaning "to talk". This was the name of an early 4th-century saint and martyr from Mérida in Spain. Another martyr by this name, living at the same time, is a patron saint of Barcelona. These two saints might be the same person.

From Sino-Korean 恩 (eun) meaning "kindness, mercy, charity" or 慇 (eun) meaning "careful, anxious, attentive" combined with 廷 (jeong) meaning "courtyard" or 婷 (jeong) meaning "pretty, graceful". This name can be formed by other hanja character combinations as well.

From Sino-Korean 恩 (eun) meaning "kindness, mercy, charity" combined with 智 (ji) meaning "wisdom, intellect" or 地 (ji) meaning "earth, soil, ground". Other hanja character combinations are possible.

Variant of Evelyn.

Means "good news" from Greek εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and ἄγγελμα (angelma) meaning "news, message". It was (first?) used by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in his 1847 epic poem Evangeline [1][2]. It also appears in Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852) as the full name of the character Eva.

Variant of Everly.

Diminutive of Eve or Evelyn.

Simply from the English word faith, ultimately from Latin fidere "to trust". This was one of the virtue names adopted by the Puritans in the 17th century.

Variant of Fay.

Feminine form of the Latin name Felicius, a derivative of Felix. As an English name, it has occasionally been used since the Middle Ages.

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.

Diminutive of Florence or Flora.

Variant of Frida 1.

Variant of Gail. It also coincides with the English word gale meaning "storm".

Feminine form of Galileo.

Variant of Gina.

Possibly a shortened form of Genevieve. It could also be inspired by the name of the city in Switzerland. It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the 19th century.

Latinate feminine form of George. This is the name of an American state, which was named after the British king George II. The country of Georgia has an unrelated etymology. A famous bearer was the American painter Georgia O'Keeffe (1887-1986).

Feminine form of George.

Short form of Georgina, Regina, Luigina and other names ending in gina. It can also be used as a diminutive of Virginia or Eugenia. It was popularized in the 1950s by Italian actress Gina Lollobrigida (1927-2023), whose birth name was Luigina.

Probably a feminine form of Glenn using the suffix da (from names such as Linda and Wanda). This name was not regularly used until the 20th century.

Means "glory", from the Portuguese and Spanish titles of the Virgin Mary Maria da Glória and María de Gloria. Maria da Glória (1819-1853) was the daughter of the Brazilian emperor Pedro I, eventually becoming queen of Portugal as Maria II.

The name was introduced to the English-speaking world by E. D. E. N. Southworth's novel Gloria (1891) and George Bernard Shaw's play You Never Can Tell (1898), which both feature characters with a Portuguese background [1]. It was popularized in the early 20th century by American actress Gloria Swanson (1899-1983). Another famous bearer is feminist Gloria Steinem (1934-).

From the English word grace, which ultimately derives from Latin gratia. This was one of the virtue names created in the 17th century by the Puritans. The actress Grace Kelly (1929-1982) was a famous bearer.

This name was very popular in the English-speaking world at the end of the 19th century. Though it declined in use over the next 100 years, it staged a successful comeback at the end of the 20th century. The American sitcom Will and Grace (1998-2006) may have helped, though the name was already strongly rising when it premiered. It was the top name for girls in England and Wales in 2006.

Short form of Margareta. A famous bearer of this name was the Swedish actress Greta Garbo (1905-1990).

From Chinese 冠 (guān) meaning "cap, crown, headgear" combined with 宇 (yǔ) meaning "house, eaves, universe". Other character combinations are possible.

In the case of American actress Halle Berry (1966-), it is from the name of a department store in Cleveland where she was born (the store was founded by brothers bearing the German surname Halle, a cognate of Hall).

From Japanese 花 (hana) or 華 (hana) both meaning "flower". Other kanji or kanji combinations can form this name as well.

From Japanese 半 (han) meaning "half" and 蔵 (zō) meaning "to hide". This name was borne by the noted samurai Hattori Hanzou (1542-1596). The name can also be formed from other kanji combinations.

Variant of Harmony.

From an English surname that originally belonged to a person who played or made harps (Old English hearpe). A notable bearer was the American author Harper Lee (1926-2016), who wrote To Kill a Mockingbird. It rapidly gained popularity in the 2000s and 2010s, entering the American top ten for girls in 2015.

From Japanese 遥 (haruka) meaning "distant, remote". It can also come from 春 (haru) meaning "spring" or 晴 (haru) meaning "clear weather" combined with 花 (ka) meaning "flower, blossom" or 香 (ka) meaning "fragrance". Additionally, other kanji combinations can form this name.

From Japanese 春 (haru) meaning "spring" or 陽 (haru) meaning "light, sun, male" combined with 子 (ko) meaning "child", as well as other kanji combinations.

From Sino-Korean 昰 (ha) meaning "summer, name" combined with 昀 (yun) meaning "sunlight". Other hanja character combinations are possible.

Latinate form of Helen. This is the name of the heroine of William Shakespeare's play All's Well That Ends Well (1603).

From Japanese 秀 (hide) meaning "excellent, outstanding" combined with 良 (yoshi) meaning "good, virtuous, respectable" or 吉 (yoshi) meaning "good luck". Other kanji combinations are possible. Toyotomi Hideyoshi (Hideyoshi 秀吉 being his given name) was a 16th-century daimyo who unified Japan and attempted to conquer Korea. He also banned the ownership of weapons by the peasantry, and banished Christian missionaries.

From Japanese 陽 (hi) meaning "light, sun" or 日 (hi) meaning "sun, day" combined with 菜 (na) meaning "vegetables, greens". Other kanji combinations are possible.

From Japanese 大 (hiro) meaning "big, great" and 輝 (ki) meaning "brightness" or 樹 (ki) meaning "tree". Other kanji combinations are also possible.

From Japanese 大 (hiro) meaning "big, great" or 博 (hiro) meaning "command, esteem" combined with 人 (to) meaning "person", 翔 (to) meaning "soar, glide" or 斗 (to), which refers to a Chinese constellation. Other kanji combinations can also form this name.

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.

From the English word for the holly tree, ultimately derived from Old English holen. Holly Golightly is the main character in the novella Breakfast at Tiffany's (1958) by Truman Capote.

Simply from the English word honey, ultimately from Old English hunig. This was originally a nickname for a sweet person.

From the English word hope, ultimately from Old English hopian. This name was first used by the Puritans in the 17th century.

From Chinese 煌 (huáng) meaning "bright, shining, luminous" (which is usually only masculine) or 凰 (huáng) meaning "phoenix" (usually only feminine). Other Chinese characters are also possible.

From Sino-Korean 賢 (hyeon) meaning "virtuous, worthy, able" or other characters that are pronounced similarly. It usually occurs in combination with another character, though it is sometimes used as a stand-alone name.

Diminutive of Isabel.

Variant of Indie.

Means "watchful" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of King David's priest. As an English Christian given name, Ira began to be used after the Protestant Reformation. In the 17th century the Puritans brought it to America, where remained moderately common into the 20th century.

From Greek Εἰρήνη (Eirene), derived from a word meaning "peace". This was the name of the Greek goddess who personified peace, one of the Ὥραι (Horai). It was also borne by several early Christian saints. The name was common in the Byzantine Empire, notably being borne by an 8th-century empress, who was the first woman to lead the empire. She originally served as regent for her son, but later had him killed and ruled alone.

This name has traditionally been more popular among Eastern Christians. In the English-speaking world it was not regularly used until the 19th century.

Means "rainbow" in Greek. Iris was the name of the Greek goddess of the rainbow, also serving as a messenger to the gods. This name can also be given in reference to the word (which derives from the same Greek source) for the iris flower or the coloured part of the eye.

Feminine form of Isidore. This was the name of a 4th-century Egyptian saint and hermitess.

From the English word for the climbing plant that has small yellow flowers. It is ultimately derived from Old English ifig.

Short form of Izabela.

Diminutive of Isidore, Isabel, Israel and other names beginning with a similar sound.

From Sino-Korean 才 (jae) meaning "talent, ability" or 財 (jae) meaning "wealth, riches", as well as other hanja characters with the same pronunciation. It usually occurs in combination with another character, though it is sometimes used as a stand-alone name.

Elaborated form of Jane, influenced by Vanessa.

Variant of Janine.

Form of Jasmine in several languages.

An invented name, using the phonetic elements jay and la, and sharing a sound with other popular names such as Kayla.

From Sino-Korean 靜 (jeong) meaning "quiet, still, gentle" or 貞 (jeong) meaning "virtuous, chaste, loyal", as well as other characters that are pronounced similarly. It usually occurs in combination with another character, though it is sometimes used as a stand-alone name.

Short form of Jesse or Jessica.

Dutch short form of Henriëtte.

In part from the English word jewel, a precious stone, derived from Old French jouel, which was possibly related to jeu "game". It is also in part from the surname Jewel or Jewell (a derivative of the Breton name Judicaël), which was sometimes used in honour of the 16th-century bishop of Salisbury John Jewel. It has been in use as a given name since the 19th century.

Chiefly British diminutive of Jeremy.

From Chinese 佳 (jiā) meaning "good, auspicious, beautiful", 家 (jiā) meaning "home, family", or other characters that are pronounced similarly.

From Chinese 静 (jìng) meaning "quiet, still, gentle", 精 (jīng) meaning "essence, spirit", 晶 (jīng) meaning "clear, crystal" or 京 (jīng) meaning "capital city". Other characters can also form this name.

Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul 지수 (see Ji-Su).

From Sino-Korean 志 (ji) meaning "will, purpose, ambition" or 智 (ji) meaning "wisdom, intellect" combined with 秀 (su) meaning "luxuriant, beautiful". Other hanja character combinations are possible.

Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul 지우 (see Ji-U).

From Sino-Korean 智 (ji) meaning "wisdom, intellect" or 知 (ji) meaning "know, perceive, comprehend" combined with 英 (yeong) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero" or 榮 (yeong) meaning "glory, honour, flourish, prosper". Many other hanja character combinations are possible.

Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul 지영 (see Ji-Yeong).

Feminine form of John.

Variant of Jolene.

Variant of Jocelyn.

Diminutive of Josephine.

Simply from the English word joy, ultimately derived from Norman French joie, Latin gaudium. It has been regularly used as a given name since the late 19th century.

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-).

French, Danish, Norwegian and Czech form of Julia. It has spread to many other regions as well. It has been common in the English-speaking world since the early 20th century.

Medieval variant of Julian.

From Japanese 淳 (jun) meaning "pure", 潤 (jun) meaning "moisture", 純 (jun) meaning "pure, clean, simple", or other kanji that are pronounced the same way.

Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul 정희 (see Jeong-Hui).

From Japanese 順 (jun) meaning "obedience" or 純 (jun) meaning "pure" combined with 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other combinations of kanji characters are also possible.

From Sino-Korean 俊 (jun) meaning "talented, handsome" combined with 舒 (seo) meaning "open up, unfold, comfortable, easy" or 瑞 (seo) meaning "felicitous omen, auspicious". This name can be formed by other hanja character combinations as well.

From an occupational surname meaning "judge, officer of justice" in Old French. This name can also be given in direct reference to the English word justice.

French form of Iustina (see Justina). This is the name of the heroine in the novel Justine (1791) by the Marquis de Sade.

Variant of Casey.

From Chinese 凯 (kǎi) meaning "triumph, victory, music of triumph", as well as other characters pronounced in a similar way.

Variant of Callie or Kaylee.

Variant of Calla.

Variant of Calista.

From Japanese 栞 (kan) meaning "bookmark" and 菜 (na) meaning "vegetables, greens". Other kanji combinations can form this name as well.

Variant of Cara.

Variant of Cassia.

Diminutive of Kassandra.

Diminutive of Kassandra.

Diminutive of Katherine.

Diminutive of Kate.

Possibly from the Scandinavian name Kaia, or simply an invented name based on the sounds found in other names such as Maya.

Variant of Kaylee.

From Japanese 一 (kazu) meaning "one" or 和 (kazu) meaning "harmony, peace" combined with 男 (o) meaning "male, man" or 夫 (o) meaning "husband, man". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.

From Japanese 一 (kazu) meaning "one" or 和 (kazu) meaning "harmony, peace" combined with 也 (ya) meaning "to be, also". Other combinations of kanji can form this name as well.

From Japanese 慧 (kei) meaning "intelligent", 圭 (kei) meaning "gemstone" or 慶 (kei) meaning "celebration". This name can also be formed from other kanji or kanji combinations.

From Japanese 慶 (kei) meaning "celebration", 敬 (kei) meaning "respect", 啓 (kei) meaning "open, begin" or 恵 (kei) meaning "favour, benefit" combined with 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Variant of Kayla. It could also be inspired by the name of the town of Keilah from the Old Testament.

Short form of Mackenzie.

From the name of the Irish county, called Ciarraí in Irish Gaelic, which means "Ciar's people".

Diminutive of Innokentiy.

Diminutive of Kristina.

Variant of Ciara 1 or Chiara. This name was brought to public attention in 1988 after the singing duo Kiara released their song This Time. It was further popularized by a character in the animated movie The Lion King II (1998).

Variant of Kiara influenced by the spelling of Sierra.

Diminutive of names beginning with or containing the sound K.

Diminutive of Kimberly.

Diminutive of Keziah. This particular spelling was repopularized in the late 1970s by a character in the book and miniseries Roots (1977).

From Japanese 琴 (koto), which refers to a type of musical instrument similar to a harp, combined with 音 (ne) meaning "sound". Other kanji combinations are also possible.

Means "gold" in Hmong.

Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 康介 or 孝介 or 浩介 or 公介 (see Kōsuke).

Variant of Crystal.

Feminine form of Kyle, or a combination of the popular phonetic elements ky and la.

From Japanese 京 (kyō) meaning "capital city" or 恭 (kyō) meaning "respectful, polite" combined with 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other combinations of kanji characters can also form this name.

Short form of Alana (English) or Svetlana (Russian). In the English-speaking world it was popularized by actress Lana Turner (1921-1995), who was born Julia Jean Turner.

Russian short form of Larisa. It was introduced to the English-speaking world by a character from Boris Pasternak's novel Doctor Zhivago (1957) and the subsequent movie adaptation (1965). Between 1965 and 1969 it increased by almost 2,000 percent in the United States, however it is currently much more popular in the United Kingdom, Australia, Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Germany. Another famous fictional bearer is Lara Croft, first appearing in video games in 1996 and movies in 2001.

Feminine form of the Late Latin name Laurus, which meant "laurel". This meaning was favourable, since in ancient Rome the leaves of laurel trees were used to create victors' garlands. The name was borne by the 9th-century Spanish martyr Saint Laura, who was a nun thrown into a vat of molten lead by the Moors. It was also the name of the subject of poems by the 14th-century Italian poet Petrarch.

As an English name, Laura has been used since the 13th century. Famous bearers include Laura Secord (1775-1868), a Canadian heroine during the War of 1812, and Laura Ingalls Wilder (1867-1957), an American author who wrote the Little House on the Prairie series of novels.

From the name of the laurel tree, ultimately from Latin laurus.

Elaboration of Lauren.

Diminutive of Laura.

Diminutive of Laura or Laurence 1.

Variant of Lavinia.

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.

Probably this was originally a variant of Liana. It is now often considered a combination of Lee and Anna [1].

Short form of Alicia, Felicia or Letitia.

Diminutive of Leonard, sometimes a feminine form.

Feminine form of Leon.

Short form of Alexandra or Alexa.

Diminutive of Alexandra or Alexis.

Diminutive of Alexandra.

Variant of Leila, and the usual Turkish, Azerbaijani and Kurdish form.

From Chinese 莲 (lián) meaning "lotus, water lily", 濂 (lián) meaning "waterfall", or other Chinese characters that are pronounced similarly.

From the English word for the shrub with purple or white flowers (genus Syringa). It is derived via Arabic from Persian.

Variant of Lily, or a diminutive of Lillian or Elizabeth.

From Chinese 灵 (líng) meaning "spirit, soul", 铃 (líng) meaning "bell, chime", or other Chinese characters that are pronounced similarly.

Variant of Lindsay.

Diminutive of Élisabeth.

Short form of Alicia, Felicia and other names ending with the same sound.

Diminutive of Olivia.

Short form of Elizabeth (English), Yelizaveta (Russian), Elisavet (Greek) or Elisabed (Georgian).

Diminutive of Elizabeth.

Variant of Laura.

Variant of Lorraine.

Latinized form of Lauren. This name was first brought to public attention in America by the song Lorena (1856), written by Joseph Webster, who was said to have created the name as an anagram of Lenore (from the character in Poe's poem The Raven) [1].

Perhaps a variant of Lauretta or Loreto. A famous bearer was the American actress Loretta Young (1913-2000), whose birth name was Gretchen.

Diminutive of Laura, Lorraine and other names beginning with Lor. This name rapidly rose in popularity in the United States in the 1950s and 60s, peaking in the 8th spot for girls in 1963.

Short form of Louise or Louis. Famous bearers include the baseball player Lou Gehrig (1903-1941) and the musician Lou Reed (1942-2013).

Diminutive of Louis.

Latinate feminine form of Louis. A famous bearer was the American novelist Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888), the author of Little Women.

From the movie Bird of Paradise (1932), in which it was borne by the main character, a Polynesian girl [1]. The movie was based on a 1912 play of the same name set in Hawaii.

Variant of Lucille.

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.

Possibly a form of Laura.

English poetic variant of Lorelei. William Vincent Wallace used it for the title character, a nymph of the Rhine River, in his opera Lurline (first performed 1860).

Possibly a form of Lavinia. It has been used in America since the 19th century.

Perhaps a variant of Lydia.

Variant of Lynn.

Elaborated form of Lynn.

Elaborated form of Mabel.

Variant of Macy.

Variant of Macy.

Diminutive of Madeline or Madison.

English form of Madeleine. This is the name of the heroine in a series of children's books by the Austrian-American author Ludwig Bemelmans, first published 1939.

Variant of May. A famous bearer was the American actress Mae West (1893-1980), whose birth name was Mary.

Diminutive of Margaret.

From the English word magnolia for the flower, which was named for the French botanist Pierre Magnol.

From Japanese 誠 (makoto) meaning "sincerity", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations.

From the name of the country in southeastern Asia, the home of the Malay people. Their ethnic name is of uncertain origin, though it is possibly from the name of a river, itself derived from Malay melaju or Javanese mlayu meaning "to run, to go fast".

From an English surname that meant "unfortunate" in Norman French. It first became common in the 1980s due to the American sitcom Family Ties (1982-1989), which featured a character by this name.

From Japanese 愛 (mana) meaning "love, affection" combined with 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" or 海 (mi) meaning "sea, ocean". Other kanji combinations are possible.

From Japanese 真 (ma) meaning "real, genuine" or 舞 (mai) meaning "dance" combined with 央 (o) meaning "center", 緒 (o) meaning "thread" or 桜 (o) meaning "cherry blossom". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Diminutive of Marcia.

Derived from Latin Margarita, which was from Greek μαργαρίτης (margarites) meaning "pearl", a word that was probably ultimately a borrowing from an Indo-Iranian language. Saint Margaret, the patron of expectant mothers, was martyred at Antioch in the 4th century. Later legends told of her escape from a dragon, with which she was often depicted in medieval art. The saint was popular during the Middle Ages, and her name has been widely used in the Christian world.

As an English name it has been very popular since the Middle Ages. It was the top name for girls in England and Wales in the 1920s, 30s and 40s, but it declined in the latter half of the 20th century.

Other saints by this name include a queen of Scotland and a princess of Hungary. It was also borne by Queen Margaret I of Denmark, who united Denmark, Sweden, and Norway in the 14th century. Famous literary bearers include American writer Margaret Mitchell (1900-1949), the author of Gone with the Wind, and Canadian writer Margaret Atwood (1939-). Others include American anthropologist Margaret Mead (1901-1978) and British prime minister Margaret Thatcher (1925-2013).

Diminutive of Margaret.

From Japanese 真 (ma) meaning "real, genuine" combined with 理 (ri) meaning "reason, logic" or 里 (ri) meaning "village". Many other combinations of kanji characters can form this name.

From Japanese 真 (ma) meaning "real, genuine", 里 (ri) meaning "village" and 子 (ko) meaning "child". Many different combinations of kanji characters can form this name.

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).

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-).

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.

Anglicized form of Máire. It has also been associated with Irish mór meaning "great". This was the name of an obscure 5th-century Irish martyr.

Variant of Maureen.

Diminutive of Maurice or Maureen.

Feminine form of Max. It has been commonly used only since the beginning of the 20th century.

Variant of Maia 1. This name can also be given in reference to the Maya, an indigenous people of southern Mexico and parts of Central America whose civilization flourished between the 3rd and 8th centuries. A famous bearer was the American poet and author Maya Angelou (1928-2014).

From Japanese 真 (ma) meaning "real, genuine" or 満 (ma) meaning "full" combined with 優 (yu) meaning "excellence, superiority, gentleness" or 夕 (yu) meaning "evening". This name can also be constructed from other kanji combinations.

From Japanese 恵 (megumi) meaning "favour, benefit" or 愛 (megumi) meaning "love, affection", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations that have the same reading. It is often written using the hiragana writing system.

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).

Variant of Melanie.

From the English word melody, which is derived (via Old French and Late Latin) from Greek μέλος (melos) meaning "song" combined with ἀείδω (aeido) meaning "to sing".

Perhaps a feminine form of Melvin.

From a Scots surname that was originally from a Norman French place name Malleville meaning "bad town". A famous bearer of the surname was the American author Herman Melville (1819-1891), who wrote several novels including Moby-Dick.

Variant of Merle.

From the English word merry, ultimately from Old English myrige. This name appears in Charles Dickens' novel Martin Chuzzlewit (1844), where it is a diminutive of Mercy.

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

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