tykki's Personal Name List

From the Hebrew name הֶבֶל (Hevel) meaning "breath". In the Old Testament he is the second son of Adam and Eve, murdered out of envy by his brother Cain. In England, this name came into use during the Middle Ages, and it was common during the Puritan era.

Spanish and Catalan form of April.

From the English word meaning "highest rank". More commonly a nickname, it is occasionally used as a given name.

Means "eldest daughter of the king" in Igbo.

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

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

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

Means "bird" in Welsh. This is a modern Welsh name.

Cornish form of Dwynwen.

Means "jewel, ornament" in Hebrew.

Means "boundless, entire" or "freedom, security" in Sanskrit. This is the name of an ancient Hindu goddess of the sky and fertility. According to the Vedas she is the mother of the gods.

French feminine form of Adrian.

Welsh name, in which the second element is gwen meaning "white, fair, blessed". It was borne by a Cornish saint, considered to be "the Cornish Saint Dwynwen" as a patron of sweethearts. The village of Advent near Camelford is named after her.

Means "whirlwind" in Greek. In Greek myth this was the name of an Amazon warrior killed by Herakles during his quest for Hippolyta's girdle.

From a near-anagram of the English word earth. This is the name of a character in 'Final Fantasy VII'.

Means "moon-like" in Kazakh, from ай (ay) meaning "moon" and the suffix дай (day) meaning "like".

From Kazakh ай (ay) meaning "moon" and керім (kerim) meaning "wonderful, amazing". It was created by the 19th-century Kazakh poet Abai Qunanbaiuly as a nickname for his wife Shukiman.

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

Possibly means "my moon" in Kazakh, from ай (ay) meaning "moon" and the Persian possessive من (man) meaning "my". Aiman and Sholpan are sisters in a 19th-century Kazakh epic poem, later adapted into the 1934 play Aiman-Sholpan by Mukhtar Auezov.

The name of the titular heroine in the Peruvian Film Ainbo Spirit of the Amazon. It descends from aĩβo, which means “woman” in Shipibo Conibo, a Panoan language.

Means "dream" or "vision" in Irish. This name was created in the 20th century.

Variant of Akeem.

Means "born in the morning" in Luo.

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.

Belarusian form of Xenia.

Feminine form of Albinus. This was the name of a few early saints, including a 3rd-century martyr from Caesarea.

Form of Alexandra in several languages.

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.

Manx name of uncertain origin, used until the 17th century. Kneen (1937) suggests Old Norse alfr "elf"; Gill (1963) points to the Manx surname Callow, which derives from MacCalo, an Anglicized form of either of the Gaelic surnames Mac Calbach "son of Calbhach" (the Gaelic name Calbhach meaning "bold") or Mac Caolaidhe "son of Caoladhe" (the Gaelic name Caoladhe being a derivative of caol "slender, comely").

This name became popular after the Battle of Alma (1854), which took place near the River Alma in Crimea and ended in a victory for Britain and France. However, the name was in rare use before the battle; it was probably inspired by Latin almus "nourishing". It also coincides with the Spanish word meaning "the soul".

Derived from French alouette meaning "lark".

Derived from French alouette "lark, skylark". Alouette is a popular Quebecois children's song, commonly thought to be about plucking the feathers from a lark. Although it is in French, it is well known among speakers of other languages as many US Marines and other Allied soldiers learned the song while serving in France during World War I and took it home with them, passing it on to their children and grandchildren.
This is a nickname used for Cosette as a young girl in Victor Hugo's novel Les Misérables (1862). As a given name, however, it is not used in France itself.

Means "golden rose" in Mongolian, from алтан (altan) meaning "golden" and сарнай (sarnai) meaning "rose".

Means "golden flower" in Mongolian, from алтан (altan) meaning "golden" and цэцэг (tsetseg) meaning "flower".

Variant of Alvah. A famous bearer of this name was the inventor Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931).

Means "the strong one" in Inuit. It is the name of a character in 'Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner'.

Means "grace" in Igbo.

Means "snake" in Quechua. It was borne by Tupaq Amaru and Tupaq Amaru II, two Inca leaders after the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire (in the 16th and 18th centuries).

Means "wolf" in Inuktitut.

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

Feminine form of Ambrosios (see Ambrose).

French form of Amelia.

Means "friendly" in Esperanto, ultimately from Latin amicus "friend".

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

Diminutive of Andrea 2.

French, Portuguese and Galician form of Andreas (see Andrew).

Diminutive of Andrew or sometimes Andrea 2. American pop artist and filmmaker Andy Warhol (1928-1987) was a famous bearer of this name.

Name from the Hawaiian word ʻānela meaning “angel”. Can also be interpreted as an equivalent of the English given name Angela.

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.

Italian form of Angelus (see Angel).

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

Means "first joy" in Mongolian, from анх (ankh) meaning "first" and баяр (bayar) meaning "joy".

French diminutive of Anne 1. It has also been widely used in the English-speaking world, and it became popular in America in the late 1950s due to the fame of actress Annette Funicello (1942-2013).

Diminutive of Anne 1.

Feminine diminutive of Antoine. This name was borne by Marie Antoinette, the queen of France during the French Revolution. She was executed by guillotine.

Means "cool, soft fragrance," from anu meaning "cool(ness)" and hea meaning "mist".

From Old Irish Aífe, derived from oíph meaning "beauty" (modern Irish aoibh). This was the name of several characters in Irish legend, including a woman at war with Scáthach (her sister in some versions). She was defeated in single combat by the hero Cúchulainn, who spared her life on the condition that she bear him a child (Connla). Another legendary figure by this name appears in the Children of Lir as the jealous third wife of Lir.

This name is sometimes Anglicized as Eve or Eva.

From the name of the month, probably originally derived from Latin aperire "to open", referring to the opening of flowers. It has only been commonly used as a given name since the 1940s.

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

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

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

Means "lion of God" in Hebrew, from אֲרִי ('ari) meaning "lion" and אֵל ('el) meaning "God". In the Old Testament it is used as another name for the city of Jerusalem. Shakespeare utilized it for a spirit in his play The Tempest (1611) and Alexander Pope utilized it for a sylph in his poem The Rape of the Lock (1712), and one of the moons of Uranus bears this name in his honour. As an English name, it became more common for females in the 1980s, especially after it was used for the title character in the Disney film The Little Mermaid (1989).

Meaning unknown, possibly related either to Greek ἀρτεμής (artemes) meaning "safe" or ἄρταμος (artamos) meaning "a butcher". Artemis was the Greek goddess of the moon and hunting, the twin of Apollo and the daughter of Zeus and Leto. She was known as Diana to the Romans.

Diminutive and feminine form of Arthur.

Short form of Ashley. It can also come directly from the English word denoting either the tree or the residue of fire.

From the name of the flower, which is derived via Latin from Greek ἀστήρ (aster) meaning "star".

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

Modern Scandinavian form of Ástríðr. This name was borne by the Swedish writer Astrid Lindgren (1907-2002), the author of Pippi Longstocking. It was also borne by a Swedish princess (1905-1935) who became the queen of Belgium as the wife of Leopold III.

Masculine form of Astra.

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.

From Japanese 温 (atsu) meaning "warm", 篤 (atsu) meaning "deep, true, sincere" or 敦 (atsu) meaning "honest" combined with 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Medieval diminutive of Æðelþryð. This was the name of a 7th-century saint, a princess of East Anglia who founded a monastery at Ely. It was also used by William Shakespeare for a character in his comedy As You Like It (1599). At the end of the Middle Ages the name became rare due to association with the word tawdry (which was derived from St. Audrey, the name of a fair where cheap lace was sold), but it was revived in the 19th century. A famous bearer was British actress Audrey Hepburn (1929-1993).

Possibly from a corruption of French ingénue meaning "an innocent, wholesome girl", perhaps influenced by names such as Anjanette. This is borne by American actress Aunjanue Ellis (1969-).

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

Late Latin name that was derived from aureus "golden". This was the name of a 3rd-century saint from Ostia (near Rome), as well as an 11th-century Spanish saint.

Means "dawn" in Latin. Aurora was the Roman goddess of the morning. It has occasionally been used as a given name since the Renaissance.

Feminine form of Auther. Autherine Lucy was the first African-American student admitted to a white school in Alabama when she entered the University of Alabama in 1956.

From an English surname that was itself derived from the Norman French form of the given names Alberich or Alfred.

As a given name, it was used on the American sitcom Murphy Brown (1988-1998) for both the mother and son of the main character. By 1998 it was more popular as a name for girls in the United States, perhaps further inspired by a character from the movie Jerry Maguire (1996).

French form of April. A famous bearer is the Canadian musician Avril Lavigne (1984-).

Derived from Welsh and Breton awen "muse; (poetic) inspiration; poetic gift", ulitmately from the Indo-European root *-uel "to blow (wind)". As a given name it has been in use since the 19th century.

Medieval Danish form of Absalom.

Feminine form of Axel.

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

From Japanese 彩 (aya) meaning "colour", 綾 (aya) meaning "design" or 絢 (aya) meaning "brilliant fabric design, kimono design" combined with 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other combinations of kanji characters are also possible.

From Japanese 菖蒲 (ayame) meaning "iris (flower)". Other kanji or combinations of kanji can also form this name.

From Japanese 彩 (aya) meaning "colour", 綾 (aya) meaning "design" or 絢 (aya) meaning "brilliant fabric design, kimono design" combined with 音 (ne) meaning "sound". Other kanji combinations are possible.

From Japanese 彩 (aya) meaning "colour" or 綾 (aya) meaning "design" combined with 乃 (no), a possessive particle. Other combinations of kanji characters can also form this name.

Means "beautiful moon", derived from Kazakh ай (ay) meaning "moon" and ару (aru) meaning "beauty".

Means "doe, female deer, gazelle". It is taken from the Hebrew phrase אַיֶלֶת הַשַׁחַר ('ayelet hashachar), literally "gazelle of dawn", which is a name of the morning star.

Derived from the Turkic element ay meaning "moon" combined with Persian گل (gol) meaning "flower, rose". In some languages this is also a name for a variety of flowering plant that grows in central Asia (species Fritillaria eduardii).

From Yoruba ayọ̀ meaning "joy", or a short form of other names containing this element.

Possibly a feminization of Azel.

Means "madonna lily" in Spanish.

From the English word that means "sky blue". It is ultimately (via Old French, Latin and Arabic) from Persian لاجورد (lajvard) meaning "azure, lapis lazuli".

Derived from Italian bambina meaning "young girl". The American novelist Marjorie Benton Cooke used it in her novel Bambi (1914). This was also the name of a male deer in a cartoon by Walt Disney, which was based on a 1923 novel by Swiss author Felix Salten.

Likely influenced by the name Barbara. This is the name of the main character in the 'Barbarella' comic book.

Diminutive of Barbara. This is the name of a doll produced by the Mattel toy company since 1959. It was named after the original designer's daughter.

From the Greek name Βασίλειος (Basileios), which was derived from βασιλεύς (basileus) meaning "king". Saint Basil the Great was a 4th-century bishop of Caesarea and one of the fathers of the early Christian church. Due to him, the name (in various spellings) has come into general use in the Christian world, being especially popular among Eastern Christians. It was also borne by two Byzantine emperors.

Means "strong joy" in Mongolian, from бат (batu) meaning "strong, firm" and баяр (bayar) meaning "joy".

Means "strong jewel" in Mongolian, from бат (batu) meaning "strong, firm" and эрдэнэ (erdene) meaning "jewel, treasure".

Short form of Beatrix or Beáta.

Probably from Viatrix, a feminine form of the Late Latin name Viator meaning "voyager, traveller". It was a common name amongst early Christians, and the spelling was altered by association with Latin beatus "blessed, happy". Viatrix or Beatrix was a 4th-century saint who was strangled to death during the persecutions of Diocletian.

In England the name became rare after the Middle Ages, but it was revived in the 19th century, more commonly in the spelling Beatrice. Famous bearers include the British author and illustrator Beatrix Potter (1866-1943), the creator of Peter Rabbit, and Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands (1938-).

Means "beautiful, handsome" in French. It has been used as a given name since the middle of the 20th century. In Margaret Mitchell's novel Gone with the Wind (1936) this is the name of Ashley and Melanie's son.

Although this is a grammatically masculine adjective in French, it is given to girls as well as boys in Britain and the Netherlands. In America it is more exclusively masculine. It is not commonly used as a name in France itself.

Diminutive of Barbara, Elizabeth and any other name starting with 'B'.

Short form of Isabella and other names ending in bella. It is also associated with the Italian word bella meaning "beautiful". It was used by the American author Stephenie Meyer for the main character in her popular Twilight series of novels, first released 2005, later adapted into a series of movies beginning 2008.

From Italian bella "beautiful, fair" and donna "lady". This is the name of a toxic plant, also called deadly nightshade (species Atropa belladonna).

From an English surname derived from Old French bel ami meaning "beautiful friend".

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.

Derived from Cornish Borlowen "morning star, Venus".

From an English surname that was originally derived from the name of a Yorkshire city, itself from Old English beofor "beaver" and (possibly) licc "stream". It came into use as a masculine given name in the 19th century, then became common as an American feminine name after the publication of George Barr McCutcheon's 1904 novel Beverly of Graustark [1]. It was most popular in the 1930s, and has since greatly declined in use.

Diminutive of Bill. It is also used as a feminine form of William.

Diminutive of Bertha, Bernice and other names with a similar sound, or sometimes simply from the English word bird.

From a Scottish surname that was derived from Gaelic blàr meaning "plain, field, battlefield". In Scotland this name is typically masculine.

In the United States it became more common for girls in the early 1980s, shortly after the debut of the television sitcom The Facts of Life (1979-1988), which featured a character named Blair Warner. The name left the American top 1000 rankings two decades later, but was resurrected by another television character, this time Blair Waldorf from the series Gossip Girl (2007-2012).

Variant of Blair.

From the Roman name Blasius, which was derived from Latin blaesus meaning "lisping". Saint Blaise was a 4th-century Armenian martyr. A famous bearer was the French mathematician and philosopher Blaise Pascal (1623-1662).

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

From an English surname that was derived from Old English blæc "black" and leah "woodland clearing".

Spanish and Catalan cognate of Blanche.

From Welsh blaidd "wolf" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of an 11th-century king of Gwynedd and Powys.

Means "face of flowers" in Welsh. According to the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi [1], she was created out of flowers by Gwydion to be the wife of his nephew Lleu Llaw Gyffes. Originally she was named Blodeuedd meaning simply "flowers". She was eventually transformed into an owl by Gwydion after she and her lover Gronw attempted to murder Lleu, at which point he renamed her Blodeuwedd.

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

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 the name of the flower, used to some extent as a first name when flower names were in vogue at the end of the 19th century.

From a surname meaning "cheerful" in Old English.

Means "crystal woman" in Mongolian, from болор (bolor) meaning "crystal" and the feminine suffix маа (maa).

Means "pretty" from the Scottish word bonnie, which was itself derived from Middle French bon "good". It has been in use as an American given name since the 19th century, and it became especially popular after the movie Gone with the Wind (1939), in which it was the nickname of Scarlett's daughter.

Medieval Cornish name which is said to be derived from Cornish bregh "brave; fine".

From the English word for the thorny plant.

Derived from either Old Breton brit "mind, spirit" or Old Breton Britto "Briton" and hael "generous; noble".

Variant of Brittany. This name is borne by the American pop singer Britney Spears (1981-).

From the name of a type of Eurasian vine, formerly used as medicine. It ultimately derives from Greek βρύω (bryo) meaning "to swell".

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

Variant of Bunny.

Diminutive of Berenice.

Latinized form of Kallisto. A moon of Jupiter bears this name.

Derived from Manx caillagh, a cognate of Old Irish caillech "veiled one; (and by extension) nun; female servant" (ultimately from Old Irish caille "veil") and Irish Cróine with the intended meaning of "servant of Saint Cróine", an obscure female saint (since the names of saints were considered too holy for everyday use, they were usually prefixed until the 17th century).

Derived from Manx caillagh, a cognate of Old Irish caillech "veiled one; (and by extension) nun; female servant" (ultimately from Old Irish caille "veil") and the given name Moirrey with the intended meaning of "servant of the Virgin Mary" (since the names of saints were considered too holy for everyday use, they were usually prefixed until the 17th century).

Derived from Manx caillagh, a cognate of Old Irish caillech "veiled one; (and by extension) nun; female servant" (ultimately from Old Irish caille "veil") and the given name Bridey with the intended meaning of "servant of Saint Bridget" (since the names of saints were considered too holy for everyday use, they were usually prefixed until the 17th century).

From Greek Καλυψώ (Kalypso), which probably meant "she that conceals", derived from καλύπτω (kalypto) meaning "to cover, to conceal". In Greek myth this was the name of the nymph who fell in love with Odysseus after he was shipwrecked on her island of Ogygia. When he refused to stay with her she detained him for seven years until Zeus ordered her to release him.

Variant of Callyvorry.

Diminutive of Candace. It is also influenced by the English word candy.

Derived from Irish caomh meaning "dear, beloved, gentle".

From Irish caol meaning "slender" combined with the diminutive suffix -án.

From the Greek name Κασσάνδρα (Kassandra), possibly derived from κέκασμαι (kekasmai) meaning "to excel, to shine" and ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man" (genitive ἀνδρός). In Greek myth Cassandra was a Trojan princess, the daughter of Priam and Hecuba. She was given the gift of prophecy by Apollo, but when she spurned his advances he cursed her so nobody would believe her prophecies.

In the Middle Ages this name was common in England due to the popularity of medieval tales about the Trojan War. It subsequently became rare, but was revived in the 20th century.

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.

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

Derived from the Indo-European root *ker- meaning "grow, increase". In Roman mythology Ceres was the goddess of agriculture, equivalent to the Greek goddess Demeter.

Means "cherry" in French.

Means "moon-faced girl" from Khmer ចន្ទ (chan) meaning "moon" and នារី (neari) meaning "woman, girl".

Diminutive or feminine form of Charles. A famous bearer was the British comic actor Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977). It is also borne by Charlie Brown, the main character in the comic strip Peanuts by Charles Schulz.

Variant of Charlize.

Feminine form of Charles using the popular Afrikaans name suffix ize. This name was popularized by South African actress Charlize Theron (1975-), who was named after her father Charles.

Possibly means "fierce brightness" in Greek. In Greek mythology Charon was the operator of the ferry that brought the newly dead over the River Acheron into Hades.

Variant of Cherie.

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

Diminutive of Chi 2.

Diminutive of Christine or Christina.

Means "heavenly, from the sky" in Esperanto, from ĉielo "sky", ultimately derived from Latin caelum.

Latinized form of Greek Κίρκη (Kirke), possibly from κίρκος (kirkos) meaning "hawk". In Greek mythology Circe was a sorceress who changed Odysseus's crew into hogs, as told in Homer's Odyssey. Odysseus forced her to change them back, then stayed with her for a year before continuing his voyage.

Feminine form of Clement.

English form of Clémentine.

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

Diminutive of names beginning with Co, influenced by the word cocoa. However, this was not the case for French fashion designer Coco Chanel (1883-1971; real name Gabrielle), whose nickname came from the name of a song she performed while working as a cabaret singer.

Created by the French composer Adolphe Adam for one of the main characters in his opera Le Toréador (1849). He probably based it on the name Coralie. It was also used by the author Neil Gaiman for the young heroine in his novel Coraline (2002). Gaiman has stated that in this case the name began as a typo of Caroline.

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).

From French chosette meaning "little thing". This is the nickname of the illegitimate daughter of Fantine in Victor Hugo's novel Les Misérables (1862). Her real name is Euphrasie, though it is seldom used. In the novel young Cosette is the ward of the cruel Thénardiers until she is retrieved by Jean Valjean.

Italian variant of Cosimo. It was introduced to Britain in the 18th century by the second Scottish Duke of Gordon, who named his son and successor after his friend Cosimo III de' Medici. On the American sitcom Seinfeld (1989-1998) this was the seldom-used first name of Jerry's neighbour Kramer.

Means "wind" in Hmong.

From the Latin Cupido meaning "desire". This was the name of the Roman god of love, the son of Venus and Mars. He was portrayed as a winged, blindfolded boy, armed with a bow and arrows, which caused the victim to fall in love. His Greek equivalent was Eros.

From an English surname that originally meant "courteous" in Old French.

Form of Cunobelinus used by Shakespeare in his play Cymbeline (1609).

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.

From the name of the flower, which was named for the Swedish botanist Anders Dahl.

Simply from the English word for the white flower, ultimately derived from Old English dægeseage meaning "day eye". It was first used as a given name in the 19th century, at the same time many other plant and flower names were coined.

This name was fairly popular at the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th. The American author F. Scott Fitzgerald used it for the character of Daisy Buchanan in The Great Gatsby (1925). The Walt Disney cartoon character Daisy Duck was created in 1940 as the girlfriend of Donald Duck. It was at a low in popularity in the United States in the 1970s when it got a small boost from a character on the television series The Dukes of Hazzard in 1979.

French form of Damian.

Derived from Greek δαμάζω (damazo) meaning "to tame". According to Greek legend, Damon and Pythias were friends who lived on Syracuse in the 4th century BC. When Pythias was sentenced to death, he was allowed to temporarily go free on the condition that Damon take his place in prison. Pythias returned just before Damon was to be executed in his place, and the king was so impressed with their loyalty to one another that he pardoned Pythias. As an English given name, it has only been regularly used since the 20th century.

From the English word dawn, ultimately derived from Old English dagung.

Derived from the English word denoting a disposition to resist.

From a Cornish place name meaning "fort of Maeldaf". It has been used as a given name since the middle of the 20th century. It was popularized in the 1970s by a character from the British television series Poldark, which was set in Cornwall.

Latinized form of the Greek name Δημήτριος (Demetrios), which was derived from the name of the Greek goddess Demeter 1. Kings of Macedon and the Seleucid kingdom have had this name. This was also the name of several early saints including Demetrius of Thessalonica, a martyr of the 4th century who is regarded as a warrior.

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.

Diminutive of Dorothy and Dorcas.

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 an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Donndubháin, itself derived from the given name Donndubán. This name is borne by the Scottish folk musician Donovan Leitch (1946-), known simply as Donovan.

From the English word for the variety of bird, seen as a symbol of peace.

Means "sweet" or "candy" in Spanish.

From Latin dulcis meaning "sweet". It was used in the Middle Ages in the spellings Dowse and Duce, and was recoined in the 19th century.

Possibly from the name of the Celtic god of love, Dwyn combined with the Welsh element gwyn "blessed, white, fair"; or derived from Welsh dwyn "to lead (a life)", in which case it means "to a lead a blessed life".

This name was borne by Saint Dwynwen, the Welsh patron saint of lovers. According to legend she was a beautiful princess who was visited by an angel.

Combination of the English word earth with the feminine name suffix a. It has been used in honour of African-American philanthropist Eartha M. M. White (1876-1974). Another famous bearer was American singer and actress Eartha Kitt (1927-2008).

From the Greek word ἠχώ (echo) meaning "echo, reflected sound", related to ἠχή (eche) meaning "sound". In Greek mythology Echo was a nymph given a speech impediment by Hera, so that she could only repeat what others said. She fell in love with Narcissus, but her love was not returned, and she pined away until nothing remained of her except her voice.

From the biblical place name, itself possibly from Hebrew עֵדֶן ('eden) meaning "pleasure, delight", or perhaps derived from Sumerian 𒂔 (edin) meaning "plain". According to the Old Testament the Garden of Eden was the place where the first people, Adam and Eve, lived before they were expelled.

From Japanese 栄 (ei) meaning "glory, honour, flourish, prosper" or 英 (ei) meaning "excellent, fine" combined with 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.

Means "snowdrop (flower)" in Welsh, a compound of eira "snow" and llys "plant".

Latinized form of Greek Ἠλέκτρα (Elektra), derived from ἤλεκτρον (elektron) meaning "amber". In Greek myth she was the daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra and the sister of Orestes. She helped her brother kill their mother and her lover Aegisthus in vengeance for Agamemnon's murder. Also in Greek mythology, this name was borne by one of the Pleiades, who were the daughters of Atlas and Pleione.

Greek form of Electra.

Derived from Cornish elester meaning "iris flower". This is a recently coined Cornish name.

Italian form of Aelius or Helios.

Means "my God is my light" in Hebrew.

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 derived from a diminutive of the medieval name Elias.

Short form of Wilhelmine or names ending in elma, such as Anselma. It has also been recorded as a combination of Elizabeth and Mary, as in the case of the 19th-century daughter of the Earl of Elgin, who was named using her mother's first and middle names [1].

Possibly from a Breton word meaning "light". This name was borne by an obscure 6th-century saint who is now venerated mainly in Brittany and Cornwall.

Means "elm tree" in Cornish. This is a recently coined Cornish name.

Late medieval English variant of Emmeline. Common in the 16th and 17th centuries, this name eventually died out in England in the 19th century, though it survived in Cornwall.

Anglicized form of Endelienta, the Latin form of a Welsh or Cornish name. It was borne by a 5th or 6th-century Cornish saint whose birth name is lost. According to some traditions she was a daughter of Brychan Brycheiniog (identifying her with Cynheiddon).

Means "rainbow" in Welsh. This name was first used in the 19th century.

Derived from Albanian erë meaning "wind".

Feminine form of Erik. It also coincides with the word for "heather" in some languages.

Means "esteemed" or "loved" in Old French. It was first recorded in Scotland, being borne by the first Duke of Lennox in the 16th century. It is now more common as a feminine name.

Form of Esther used in several languages.

Derived from French étoile "star" (ultimately via Old French estoile, esteile, from Latin stēlla).

Means "good gift" in Greek, from the elements εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and δῶρον (doron) meaning "gift". This was the name of a nymph, one of the Hyades, in Greek mythology.

Modern English variant and traditional Manx form of Eunice. It coincides with the Manx word eunys "pleasure; joy; bliss; delight".

French form of Euphrasia.

Latinized form of Greek Εὐρώπη (Europe), which meant "wide face" from εὐρύς (eurys) meaning "wide" and ὄψ (ops) meaning "face, eye". In Greek mythology Europa was a Phoenician princess who was abducted and taken to Crete by Zeus in the guise of a bull. She became the first queen of Crete, and later fathered Minos by Zeus. The continent of Europe said to be named for her, though it is more likely her name is from that of the continent. This is also the name of a moon of Jupiter.

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

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

Diminutive of Eve or Evelyn.

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.

Variant of Fay.

Either a direct derivation of the English word fate or a diminutive of Lafayette. The latter is what led the name to being used as a majority masculine name in the 19th and 20th centuries in the United States.

Alternate transcription of Arabic فاطمة (see Fatimah), as well as the usual Urdu and Bosnian form.

Feminine form of Faunus. Fauna was a Roman goddess of fertility, women and healing, a daughter and companion of Faunus.

From the English word fawn for a young deer.

Variant of Fay.

Means "turquoise (gemstone)" in Arabic, ultimately of Persian origin.

From the English word felicity meaning "happiness", which ultimately derives from Latin felicitas "good luck". This was one of the virtue names adopted by the Puritans around the 17th century. It can sometimes be used as an English form of the Latin name Felicitas. This name jumped in popularity in the United States after the premiere of the television series Felicity in 1998. It is more common in the United Kingdom.

From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Flannghaile, derived from the given name Flannghal meaning "red valour". A famous bearer was American author Flannery O'Connor (1925-1964).

Means "flower" in French. Saint Fleur of Issendolus (Flor in Gascon) was a 14th-century nun from Maurs, France. This was also the name of a character in John Galsworthy's novels The Forsyte Saga (1922).

Diminutive of Fleur.

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.

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.

Diminutive of Florence.

Simply from the English word flower for the blossoming plant. It is derived (via Old French) from Latin flos.

Simply from the word fortune, ultimately from Latin fortuna, a derivative of fors "luck".

From an English surname that has several different origins: see Foster 1, Foster 2, Foster 3 and Foster 4.

Diminutive of Frank or Frances.

German feminine form of Franciscus (see Francis).

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.

Means "twins" in Latin. This is the name of the third sign of the zodiac. The two brightest stars in the constellation, Castor and Pollux, are named for the mythological twin sons of Leda.

Means "birth, origin" in Greek. This is the name of the first book of the Old Testament in the Bible. It tells of the creation of the world, the expulsion of Adam and Eve, Noah and the great flood, and the three patriarchs.

From a nickname for a person with blond hair, from the English word gold.

Means "rose moon" in Turkish and Azerbaijani, derived from gül, ultimately Persian گل (gol), meaning "rose" combined with ay meaning "moon".

Feminine form of Hadi.

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 晴 (haru) meaning "clear weather", 遥 (haru) meaning "distant, remote" or 春 (haru) meaning "spring" combined with 菜 (na) meaning "vegetables, greens". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Means "beautiful snow" from Hawaiian hau "snow" and nani "beauty, glory".

From a surname, either Hayes 1 or Hayes 2. It was borne by American president Rutherford B. Hayes (1822-1893).

From the English word hazel for the tree or the light brown colour, derived ultimately from Old English hæsel. It was coined as a given name in the 19th century and quickly became popular, reaching the 18th place for girls in the United States by 1897. It fell out of fashion in the second half of the 20th century, but has since recovered.

Derived from Greek ἥρως (heros) meaning "hero". In Greek legend she was the lover of Leander, who would swim across the Hellespont each night to meet her. He was killed on one such occasion when he got caught in a storm while in the water, and when Hero saw his dead body she drowned herself. This is also the name of a character in Shakespeare's play Much Ado About Nothing (1599).

From 彼岸花 higanbana (red spider lily) and 彼岸 higan (nirvana; literally means the other shore). The red spider lily is portrayed as the "flower of heavens" in Buddhist scriptures. However, it is also known as 死人花 shibitobana (flower of the dead) in Japan and symbolizes "sorrowful memories" in the language of flowers.

From 姫 (hime) meaning "princess" (also used for this name as 妃), derived from a combination of 日 (hi) meaning "sun" (used as a prefix or appellation in reference to the imperial family) and 女 (me) meaning "woman."
It can also be written with two kanji, a (partial) hi kanji like 陽 (same as 日) or 広 meaning "spacious, vast, wide" combined with a me kanji such as 女, 芽/萌 meaning "bud, sprout" or 愛 meaning "love, admiration."

From the Maori hine meaning "girl, daughter" and moa, the Maori name of an extinct species of bird.

Latinized form of Hippolyte 1. In Shakespeare's comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream (1595) she is the queen of the Amazons, due to marry Theseus the Duke of Athens.

From Japanese 寛 (hiro) meaning "tolerant, generous", 裕 (hiro) meaning "abundant" or 浩 (hiro) meaning "prosperous" combined with 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Means "pretty, favourable" in Burmese.

Breton form of Hywel. This was the name of two dukes of Brittany. According to the chronicles of Geoffrey of Monmouth, it was borne by a ruler of Brittany who was an ally of King Arthur.

Means "heavenly star" from Hawaiian hōkū "star" and lani "heaven, sky, royal, majesty".

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

From Sino-Vietnamese 紅 (hồng) meaning "pink, rosy".

Variant of Honour, using the American spelling.

From Japanese 蛍 (hotaru) meaning "firefly".

In the case of the wizard Howl in the fantasy novel 'Howl's Moving Castle' (1986) by British author Diana Wynne Jones, it was a variant of Howell (the character's birth name).

From Chinese 华 (huá) meaning "splendid, illustrious, Chinese" or 花 (huā) meaning "flower, blossom" (which is usually only feminine). Other Chinese characters can form this name as well.

Cornish diminutive of Richard.

Means "faith" in Swahili, ultimately of Arabic origin.

Means "carrying rice" in Japanese, from 稲 (ina) meaning "rice" and 荷 (ri) meaning "carry". This is the name of a Japanese divinity associated with prosperity, rice and foxes, represented as both female and male.

Means "to soar" in Hawaiian.

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.

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

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

This name means "heavenly frigate bird" or "heavenly man-of-war bird" from 'iwa meaning "frigate bird, man-of-war bird" and lani meaning "sky, heaven, heavenly, spiritual."

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

Means "honey moon" in Tupi, from îasy "moon" and yra "honey".

Medieval English form of Jehanne, an Old French feminine form of Iohannes (see John). This became the most common feminine form of John in the 17th century, surpassing Joan. In the first half of the 20th century Joan once again overtook Jane for a few decades in both the United States and the United Kingdom.

Famous bearers include the uncrowned English queen Lady Jane Grey (1536-1554), who ruled for only nine days, British novelist Jane Austen (1775-1817), who wrote Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice, British primatologist Jane Goodall (1934-), and American actress Jane Fonda (1937-). This is also the name of the central character in Charlotte Brontë's novel Jane Eyre (1847), which tells of Jane's sad childhood and her relationship with Edward Rochester.

From the English word for the climbing plant with fragrant flowers that is used for making perfumes. It is derived via Arabic from Persian یاسمین (yasamin), which is also a Persian name. In the United States this name steadily grew in popularity from the 1970s, especially among African Americans [1]. It reached a peak in the early 1990s shortly after the release of the animated Disney movie Aladdin (1992), which featured a princess by this name.

Short form of Jackson. It appeared in the video game Mortal Kombat II in 1993. It first registered as a given name in the United States in 1995 (when it was used only five times) but steadily grew in popularity for two decades, probably inspired by similar names like Max and Dax and helped by a character of this name on the American television series Sons of Anarchy (2008-2014).

Variant of Jace.

From Ἰεσσαί (Iessai), the Greek form of the Hebrew name יִשַׁי (Yishai), which possibly means "gift". In the Old Testament Jesse is the father of King David. It began to be used as an English given name after the Protestant Reformation. A famous bearer was Jesse James (1847-1882), an American outlaw who held up banks and stagecoaches. He was eventually shot by a fellow gang member for a reward. Another famous bearer was the American athlete Jesse Owens (1913-1980), whose real name was James Cleveland (or J. C.) Owens.

From the Greek name Ἰοκάστη (Iokaste), which is of unknown meaning. In Greek mythology she was the mother Oedipus by the Theban king Laius. In a case of tragic mistaken identity, she married her own son.

Cornish form of John.

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.

From the name of the month, which was originally named for Julius Caesar.

From the name of the month, which was originally derived from the name of the Roman goddess Juno. It has been used as a given name since the 19th century.

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

Meaning unknown, possibly related to an Indo-European root meaning "young", or possibly of Etruscan origin. In Roman mythology Juno was the wife of Jupiter and the queen of the heavens. She was the protectress of marriage and women, and was also the goddess of finance.

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.

Means "sea" in Hawaiian.

Means "the sweetheart" from Hawaiian ka, a definite article, and ipo "sweetheart".

Derived from Cornish kaja "daisy".

Means "the heavens" from Hawaiian ka "the" and lani "heaven, sky, royal, majesty".

Means "the flowers" or "the child" from Hawaiian ka "the" and lei "flowers, lei, child".

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

Means "heavenly child" or "royal child" from Hawaiian kama "child" and lani "heaven, sky, royal, majesty".

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

Means "the flower" or "the child" from Hawaiian ka, a definite article, and pua "flower, offspring".

Form of Katherine in several languages.

From Esperanto katido meaning "kitten", ultimately from Latin cattus.

Russian diminutive of Yekaterina.

Means "the youthful one" from Hawaiian ka, a definite article, and uʻi "youth, beauty".

Means "famous" in Hawaiian.

From Japanese 佳 (ka) "beautiful, good" and 野 (ya) "area, field" combined with 子 (ko) "child". This is merely one popular combination; many other kanji combinations are possible.

This name is notably borne by the fictional antagonist of the Japanese horror franchise "Ju-On" (also known and adapted as "The Grudge" in Western countries). The character's name is spelled with the kanji 伽 (ka) "attendant, nurse" and 椰 (ya) "palm tree; coconut; coconut palm" combined with 子 (ko) "child".
(See also Sadako, the name borne by the fictional antagonist of the Japanese horror franchise "Ringu", also known and adapted as "The Ring" in the West. Indeed, these two characters - Kayako and Sadako - eventually became so popular that they starred in a crossover film together: 2016's "Sadako vs. Kayako".)

The name, regardless of kanji, is written as かやこ (Kayako) in hiragana and as カヤコ (Kayako) in katakana.

Means "the fire" from Hawaiian ke, a definite article, and ahi "fire".

Means "the warrior" from Hawaiian ke, a definite article, and koa "warrior, koa tree".

From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Irish Gaelic Ó Cinnéidigh, itself derived from the given name Cennétig. The name has sometimes been given in honour of assassinated American president John F. Kennedy (1917-1963). It was popularized as a name for girls by Lisa Kennedy Montgomery (1972-), known simply as Kennedy, the host of the television program Alternative Nation on MTV from 1992 to 1997.

Means "the soft fragrance," "the soft perfume" or "the aroma," from definite article ke and onaona meaning "soft fragrance/perfume, aroma."

Diminutive of names beginning with or containing the sound K.

Old English for "male salmon".

Cornish diminutive of Christopher.

Diminutive of Katherine.

From Japanese 琥珀 (kohaku) meaning "amber".

From Japanese 心 (kokoro) meaning "heart, mind, soul" or other kanji and kanji combinations having the same pronunciation. It is often written using the hiragana writing system.

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.

Short form of Kristian, Kristoffer and other names beginning with Kris.

Means "barker" in Russian. This was the name of a Soviet dog who became one of the first animals to go to space.

From Bulgarian лале (lale) meaning "tulip" (of Persian origin).

Means "good, favourable, gentle" in Vietnamese.

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.

From the English word for the aromatic flower or the pale purple colour.

Meaning unknown, probably of Etruscan origin. In Roman legend Lavinia was the daughter of King Latinus, the wife of Aeneas, and the ancestor of the Roman people. According to the legend Aeneas named the town of Lavinium in honour of his wife.

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.

Means "heavenly flowers" or "royal child" from Hawaiian lei "flowers, lei, child" and lani "heaven, sky, royal, majesty".

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.

Derived from Greek λέων (leon) meaning "lion". During the Christian era this Greek name was merged with the Latin cognate Leo, with the result that the two forms are used somewhat interchangeably across European languages. In England during the Middle Ages this was a common name among Jews. A famous bearer was the communist revolutionary Leon Trotsky (1879-1940), whose name is Лев in Russian.

German, French and Hungarian diminutive of Elisabeth and other names containing li. It is also sometimes connected to the German word lilie meaning "lily".

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 flower, a symbol of purity. The word is ultimately derived from Latin lilium. This is the name of the main character, Lily Bart, in the novel The House of Mirth (1905) by Edith Wharton. A famous bearer is the American actress Lily Tomlin (1939-).

From Sino-Vietnamese 靈 (linh) meaning "spirit, soul".

Short form of Lincoln. This is the name of the hero in the Legend of Zelda video game series (first appearing in 1986), derived from the English word link meaning "link, connection". He is called リンク (Rinku) in Japanese.

From Chinese 琳 (lín) meaning "fine jade, gem" combined with itself. Other character combinations can form this name as well.

Short form of Elizabeth (though often used independently) and its cognates in other languages. This is the name of the subject of one of the world's most famous paintings, the Mona Lisa, the portrait of Lisa del Giocondo by Leonardo da Vinci.

In the United States this form was more popular than the full form Elizabeth from 1958 to 1978, and was in fact the top ranked American name between 1962 and 1969.

Short form of Elisabeth or Elizabeth.

Newly coined diminutive of Ealisaid mimicking Liz.

Short form of names ending in lita. This name was brought to the public eye in the 1920s due to Lita Grey (1908-1995), who was the second wife of Charlie Chaplin. Her birth name was Lillita Louise MacMurray.

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

Spanish diminutive of Dolores. A famous bearer was Lola Montez (1821-1861; birth name Eliza Gilbert), an Irish-born dancer, actress and courtesan.

Diminutive of Lola. This is the name of a 1955 novel by Vladimir Nabokov.

Diminutive of Charlotte and Laura. This was borne by Laura Isabelle 'Lollie Belle' Wylie (1858-1923), an American writer.

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

Medieval form of the Old English name Leofdæg, literally "beloved day". According to medieval English custom, a love day or dies amoris was a day for disputants to come together to try to resolve their differences amicably. Mainly a feminine name, with some male usage. Known textual examples date from the 11th century. It seems to have been most common in Cornwall and Devon, according to the British births, deaths and marriages index. Currently very rare.

The novel Coming Home (1995) by Rosamunde Pilcher, set in 1930s Cornwall, has a character called Loveday. Loveday Minette is a fictional character in the children's fantasy novel The Little White Horse (1946) by Elizabeth Goudge (in the novel's film adaptation, she is known as Loveday de Noir). Also, a character in Poldark.

Cornish vernacular form of Loveday.

Diminutive of Luce. Shakespeare used this name for a character in his play The Two Gentlemen of Verona (1594).

French form of Lucilla. A famous bearer was American comedienne Lucille Ball (1911-1989).

From a nickname given to a lucky person. It is also sometimes used as a diminutive of Luke. A famous bearer was the Italian-American gangster "Lucky" Luciano (1897-1962).

Form of Lucas (see Luke) in several languages.

Diminutive of Louise and names that begin with Lu.

Diminutive of names beginning with Lou or Lu, such as Louise or Lucinda.

Derived from Latin lumina "lights", ultimately from Latin lumen "light". In the English-speaking world, this name was first recorded in the 1800s.

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.

Variant of Lide.

Means "from Lydia" in Greek. Lydia was a region on the west coast of Asia Minor, said to be named for the legendary king Lydos. In the New Testament this is the name of a woman converted to Christianity by Saint Paul. In the modern era the name has been in use since the Protestant Reformation.

Variant of Leila.

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.

The name of the constellation in the northern sky containing the star Vega. It is said to be shaped after the lyre of Orpheus. This is the name of the main character in the His Dark Materials series of books by Philip Pullman (beginning 1995).

Means simply "lyric, songlike" from the English word, ultimately derived from Greek λυρικός (lyrikos).

Possibly from Old Cornish mab meaning "son". This was the name of a 6th-century Cornish saint, said to be one of the children of Brychan Brycheiniog. She is now regarded as a woman, but some early sources describe her as a man.

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

From Japanese 万 (ma) meaning "ten thousand", 愛 (ma) meaning "love, affection", 眞 (ma) meaning "truth, reality", 真 (ma) meaning "true, reality", 舞 (ma) meaning "dance", 茉 (ma) meaning "jasmine" or 麻 (ma) meaning "hemp, flax, linen", 布 (fu) meaning "linen, cloth, spread, distribute", 扶 (fu) meaning "aid, help, assist", 芙 (fu) meaning "lotus, Mt Fuji", 楓 (fu) meaning "maple" or 風 (fu) meaning "wind, air, style, manner" combined with 冬 (fuyu, yu) meaning "winter", 柚 (yu) meaning "citron", 由 (yu) meaning "reason, cause", 有 (yu) meaning "exist", 侑 (yu) meaning "help, assist, repay kindness", 佑 (yu) meaning "help, assist", 優 (yu) meaning "tenderness, excel, surpass, actor, superiority, gentleness", 友 (yu) meaning "friend", 結 (yu) meaning "tie, bind, contract, join, organize, do up hair, fasten" or 悠 (yu) meaning "permanence, distant, long time, leisure". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Latinate form of Magdalene.

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

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

From Japanese 愛 (ma) meaning "love, affection" combined with 渉 (ho) meaning "to cross a body of water". Other kanji combinations are possible.

From Sino-Vietnamese 梅 (mai) meaning "plum, apricot" (refers specifically to the species Prunus mume).

From Japanese 舞 (mai) meaning "dance" or 麻衣 (mai) meaning "linen robe". It can also come from 真 (ma) meaning "real, genuine" combined with 愛 (ai) meaning "love, affection". Other kanji or kanji combinations can also form this name.

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

This name became popular after the Battle of Maida (1806), which took place near the Italian town of Maida and ended in a victory for Britain. In 18th- and 19th-century America it was used as a diminutive of both Madeline and Magdalena. It is also associated with the English word maid meaning "maiden, virgin, girl".

This was the name of Sir Walter Scott's favorite dog, a male deerhound named after the Battle of Maida. It was also borne by the heroine of Inez Haynes Irwin's 19th-century Maida Westabrook series of children's books (now obscure).

Feminine form of Maid.

Combination of Mai 3 and Gwenn.

Fijian and Tongan form of Malachi, as well as a modern English variant.

Hawaiian form of Mark.

Means "raspberry" in several Slavic languages.

From Japanese 真 (ma) meaning "real, genuine" or 麻 (ma) meaning "flax" combined with 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful". Other combinations of kanji can form this name as well.

Short form of María Isabel.

French and Czech form of Maria. It has been very common in France since the 13th century. At the opening of the 20th century it was given to approximately 20 percent of French girls. This percentage has declined steadily over the course of the century, and it dropped from the top rank in 1958.

A notable bearer of this name was Marie Antoinette, a queen of France who was executed by guillotine during the French Revolution. Another was Marie Curie (1867-1934), a physicist and chemist who studied radioactivity with her husband Pierre.

In France it is occasionally used as a masculine name in pairings such as Jean-Marie.

From the name of the flower, which comes from a combination of Mary and the English word gold.

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.

Combination of Mary and the common name suffix lyn. It was very rare before the start of the 20th century. It was popularized in part by the American stage star Marilyn Miller (1898-1936), who was born Mary Ellen Reynolds and took her stage name from a combination of her birth name and her mother's middle name Lynn. It became popular in the United States during the 1920s, reaching a high point ranked 13th in 1936. Famous bearers include American actress Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962; real name Norma Jeane Mortenson) and American opera singer Marilyn Horne (1934-).

Romanian, Croatian, Serbian, Bulgarian and French form of Marinus.

Feminine form of Marinus. This name was borne by a few early saints. This is also the name by which Saint Margaret of Antioch is known in the Eastern Orthodox Church.

French, Armenian and Georgian form of Marina.

Diminutive of Maria.

Short form of María Soledad. It is sometimes considered a combination of María and Sol 1, or from Spanish mar y sol "sea and sun".

Possibly a diminutive of Marina. This name was brought to public attention by Alfred Hitchcock's movie Marnie (1964), itself based on a 1961 novel by Winston Graham.

Italian form of Marcia.

Of unknown meaning. This was one of Pocahontas's 'secret' names. At the time Pocahontas was born, it was common for Powhatan Native Americans to be given several personal names, to have more than one name at the same time, to have secret names that only a select few knew, and to change their names on important occasions. Bestowed at different times, the names carried different meanings and might be used in different contexts.

Means "illusion, magic" in Sanskrit. In Buddhist tradition this is the name of the mother of Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha). This is also another name of the Hindu goddess Durga.

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 the English word meadow, ultimately from Old English mædwe. Previously very rare, it rose in popularity after it was used as the name of Tony Soprano's daughter on the television series The Sopranos (1999-2007).

Variant of Maeve.

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.

Means "jasmine flower" in Malay and Indonesian, ultimately from Sanskrit मालती (malati).

Means "song" in Hawaiian. This is also the Hawaiian, Tongan and Samoan form of Mary.

Means "ash tree" in Greek, a derivative of μέλι (meli) meaning "honey". This was the name of a nymph in Greek myth, the daughter of the Greek god Okeanos.

Variant of Melwynn.

Derived from Cornish mel "honey" and gwynn "fair; white; blessed".

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 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.

Meaning unknown. This was the name of an early Cornish (male) saint.