hermeline's Personal Name List

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

Anglicized form of Adélie and medieval English short form of Adelicia.

From a German surname meaning "eagle".

Variant of Hadley.

Older form of Aafje.

Diminutive of names beginning with Aer, coinciding with the English word aerie, "a bird of prey's nest".

Given name of Saint Macartan

Transferred use of the surname Airlie.

Latinization of Ailbhe.

Form of Albinus in several languages.

Feminization of both Albericus and, in early medieval times, of Alfred.

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

Medieval variant of Aldous.

Variant of Alice.

Dutch form of Adalhard.

Meaning unknown, possibly a rhyming variant of Cambrie.

Transferred use of the surname Ames.

Transferred use of the surname Amory.

Feminine form of Andor 1.

Sindarin form of Angaráto. In the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, Angrod is an Elf, the son of Finarfin and brother of Finrod, Aegnor, Orodreth and Galadriel.

Anglicized form of Aonghus.

King of Scotland, first named by Geoffrey of Monmouth.

The numerous variations of his name may include Anguish of Ireland. Geoffrey tells us that he was the brother of Uriens and Lot, but the Vulgate Merlin calls him the son of King Caradoc and one of Arthur’s unnamed half-sisters (and therefore Arthur’s nephew). In a Welsh adaptation of Geoffrey, his counterpart is Arawn. His name suggests the common Scottish Angus, which belonged to an earl of Moray in the early twelfth century.

In Geoffrey’s version, Arthur restores him to his position as king of Scotland after the country was reclaimed from the Saxons. In later works, however, he is portrayed as an early enemy of Arthur. He was one of the kings who rebelled against Arthur’s ascension to the throne. Arthur defeated the confederation at the battle of Bedegraine, after which the Saxons invaded Scotland, and Angusel had to return to fortify his city of Caranges. Joined by Kings Urien and Nentres, he successfully fought off the invaders, led by King Oriel. Eventually, Angusel and the other rebelling kings reached a truce with Arthur and together crushed the Saxons at Clarence. He later joined Arthur’s wars against Rome, Galehaut, and Claudas.

From the English word for the herb, also called aniseed.

Medieval English variant of Honora.

Possibly meaning "flower" and deriving from the Greek ἄνθος (anthos).

Variant of Arabella.

In medieval German literature, Arabel is the name of a character from the epic poem Willehalm (13th century) written by the German poet Wolfram von Eschenbach (died around 1220). She is the daughter of king Terramer and the wife of king Tybalt, who is wooed and won and eventually taken to wife by the protagonist Willehalm.

In her case, the name might possibly be a reference to Arabia, as she and her family are all Saracens. This would also add more significance to the fact that she changed her name to Gyburc (see Gyburg) after converting to Christianity for Willehalm.

Variant of Archie.

Famous fictional Archy is the cockroach in Don Marquis' stories “archy and mehitabel” (1916).

From an English surname, originally taken from various place names, which were derived from a Celtic word meaning "high".

This name was used for a character in Gail Carson Levine's 1997 book "Ella Enchanted". The book won a Newbery Medal and a movie adaptation was released in 2004 starring Anne Hathaway.

Variant of Arlen.

The meaning of this name is unknown. It could be derived from the Celtic elements *artos "bear" (Old Welsh arth) combined with *wiros "man" (Old Welsh gur) or *rīxs "king" (Old Welsh ri). Alternatively it could be related to an obscure Roman family name Artorius.

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

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

Derived from the Old Welsh arth meaning “bear” and *uis meaning "knowledge".

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

From a diminutive form of Auberi, an Old French form of Alberich. It is the name of the fairy king in the 13th-century epic Huon de Bordeaux.

French variant of Albert.

Transferred use of the surname Auden, which is derived from the Germanic given name Aldwin (its Old English equivalent is Ealdwine). Also compare Alden, which is a surname-turned-given name that has the same etymological origins. The surname Auden was probably formed during the time of the Norman French occupation of England, as Germanic names containing -al- usually became -au- in Norman French. Examples of this are Auberon and Aubrey (both of which came from Alberich), but also the medieval French names Baudry (ultimately from Baldric) and Gaudry (ultimately from Walderic).

The use of Auden as a given name probably started in the 20th century, in honour of the famous English poet W. H. Auden (1907-1973). A known bearer of Auden as a given name is the American climate activist and businessman Auden Schendler (probably born sometime in the 1970s).

Variant of Audrey, used since the 19th century. It jumped in popularity in the United States after the debut of the television series The Big Valley (1965-1969), which featured the character Audra Barkley.

Medieval Breton form of Aodren which was revived in the 1970s. While this name was strictly masculine in medieval times, in modern times it is used on men and women alike.
In Breton legend, this name was borne by Saint Audren, a son of the legendary Breton king Salomon I.

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

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

Transferred use of the surname Barden.

Transferred use of the surname Barlow.

Greek form of an Aramaic name. In Acts in the New Testament the byname Barnabas was given to a man named Joseph, a Jew from Cyprus who was a companion of Paul on his missionary journeys. The original Aramaic form is unattested, but it may be from בּר נביא (bar navi) meaning "son of the prophet", though in Acts 4:36 it is claimed that the name means "son of encouragement".

As an English name, Barnabas came into occasional use after the 12th century. It is now rare, though the variant Barnaby is still moderately common in Britain.

Transferred use of the surname Barron.

Known bearers of Barron as a given name include the American business magnate Barron Hilton (b. 1927), his grandson Barron Hilton II (b. 1989) and Barron Trump (b. 2006), the youngest son of the American businessman and president Donald Trump (b. 1946).

Means "troubled lady", from Old Irish bé "woman" and a second element, perhaps chuma, meaning "grief, sorrow, wound". In Irish legend she was a woman who 'dwelt in the Land of Promise and had an affair with Gaiar, a son of Manannán mac Lir, the sea-god. Because of this she was banished to the human world where she persuaded Conn of the Hundred Battles, the High King, to take her as his wife or concubine. She grew jealous of his son Art and tried to get him banished' (Peter Berresford Ellis, 1987).

Diminutive of Margaret (compare English Peggy).

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

It can also be inspired by the Latin word bellis "daisy".

French form of Benno, this name refers to Saint Benno of Metz (927–940).

Variant of Bencelin, a diminutive of Bando.

French form of Berno.

Transferred use of the surname Berrick which was originally taken from various locational names in Kent, Shropshire, Oxfordshire, Yorkshire and Norfolk.
The name itself is derived from Old English bere "barley" and wic "outlying farm".

Elaboration of Bethel.

Variant of Billfrith.

on of the Earl of Llychlyn and one of the Three Just Knights of Arthur’s Court. He was dedicated to preserving justice through “earthly Law”, in contrast to his fellow knights, who followed the Law of the Church and the Law of Arms.

He’s also said to have been among the Twenty-Four Knights of Arthur’s Court.

There may be a relation between this knight and Merlin’s foster-father Blaise.

From Old English blæc meaning "black, dark" or blac meaning "pale" combined with Old English eg meaning "island" or hæg meaning "enclosure".

Likely a variant of Beauden.

From a Welsh surname, derived from ap Owain meaning "son of Owain".

Transferred use of the surname Bower. It was the middle name of John Bower "Bouse" Hutton (1877-1962), a Canadian ice hockey goaltender and member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Son of Iaen; brother of Sulyen, Teregud, Moren, Siawn, and Caradawg; and one of Arthur’s warriors from Caer Dathal.

He was related to Arthur through Uther.

A character in "La damnation de Faust", a légende dramatique by the French composer Hector Berlioz.

Transferred use of the surname Brawley. A known bearer of this name is American actor Brawley Nolte (b. 1986), the son of American actor Nick Nolte (b. 1941).

Anglicized form of Bríd.

Possibly a variant of Brenda or a feminine form of Brennan.

Transferred use of the surname Breslin.

From an English surname that originally indicated a person who lived near or worked on a bridge.

Feminine form of Brieg.

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

Dutch form of Bruno. It coincides with the Dutch word for "brown". This was also the name of the bear in medieval fables of Reynard the Fox.

Likely derived from the Germanic element brunna "armour, protection" or brun "brown". This is the name of several characters in Arthurian tales, including the father of Sir Galehaut and the Knight of the Ill-Fitting Coat.

Derived from Welsh brych meaning "speckled, freckled" combined with a diminutive suffix. Brychan Brycheiniog was a legendary Welsh king, said to be Irish by birth, the founder of the kingdom of Brycheiniog in central Wales. He reputedly fathered dozens of children, many of whom are regarded as saints.

Variant of Cadell. A famous namesake is Australian champion cyclist Cadel Evans.

Gaelic byname meaning "barnacle goose". In Irish legend Cadhan was a hero who slayed a monster with the help of his hound.

Meaning ‘Fair Speech,’ or ‘Fine Speech’.

Transferred use of the surname Caffrey.

Supposed to mean "little castle" from Irish caiseal meaning "castle" combined with the Irish diminutive of ín. It also coincides with the rare Irish word caislín meaning "chat" (a type of bird). This is a modern name, most likely invented by English speakers, with no (or hardly any) usage in Ireland or Northern Ireland.

From an Irish surname, the Anglicized form of Ó Cathaláin, derived from the given name Cathalán.

Camber, or Kamber, was the legendary first king of Cambria, according to Geoffrey of Monmouth in the first part of his influential 12th-century pseudohistory Historia Regum Britanniae. According to Geoffrey, Cambria, the classical name for Wales, was named for him.

From the name of a car model, made by Toyota, which derives from Japanese kanmuri meaning "crown" and may be an anagram of the English phrase my car. It could also be used as a diminutive of Camryn.

Transferred use of the surname Carden.

Transferred use of the surname Carrick.

Variant of Casimir, possibly orthographically influenced by Cashmere.

Dutch and Scandinavian form of Jasper. This is the name of a friendly ghost in an American series of cartoons and comic books (beginning 1945).

Transferred use of the surname Caswell.

Scottish form of Cathán. The name coincides with Scottish Gaelic cathan "barnacle goose".
Saint Cathan was a 6th-century Irish monk revered as a saint in parts of the Scottish Hebrides of whom very little is known. He appears in the Aberdeen Breviary, Walter Bower's Scotichronicon, and the Acta Sanctorum, and a number of placenames in western Scotland are associated with him.

From the Roman name Caecilius. Though it was in use during the Middle Ages in England, it did not become common until the 19th century when it was given in honour of the noble Cecil family, who had been prominent since the 16th century. Their surname was derived from the Welsh given name Seisyll, which was derived from the Roman name Sextilius, a derivative of Sextus.

Invented by Walter Scott for a character in his novel Ivanhoe (1819). Apparently he based it on the actual name Cerdic, the name of the semi-legendary founder of the kingdom of Wessex in the 6th century. The meaning of Cerdic is uncertain, but it does not appear to be Old English in origin. It could be connected to the Brythonic name Caratācos. The name was also used by Frances Hodgson Burnett for the main character in her novel Little Lord Fauntleroy (1886).

Directly taken from Scottish Gaelic cèilidh, a traditional folk music and storytelling party.

Its modern usage as a name was certainly influenced by the popularity of the homophonous Kaylee and its variants. This spelling is hardly ever used in Scotland itself, where Kayleigh is the most common spelling.

Variant of Cassarah.

From an English surname that originally belonged to a person who came from Chester, an old Roman settlement in Britain. The name of the settlement came from Latin castrum "camp, fortress".

Presumably a variant of Griselda, influenced by names beginning with "Chris-", such as Christine.

The name "Ciaron" is a variant of the Irish name "Ciarán," which is derived from the Gaelic word "ciar," meaning "black" or "dark," and the diminutive suffix "-án," which implies smallness or endearment. Therefore, "Ciarán" translates to "little dark one" or "little dark-haired one"

This name has been popular for over 1500 years and is associated with at least 26 saints, including notable figures such as Ciarán the Elder and Ciarán the Younger, who were among the Twelve Apostles of Ireland

The name is traditionally masculine and has various anglicized forms, including Kieran, Keiran, Keiron, and others.

It is also connected to Irish mythology and history, with links to the son of Fergus mac Róich, who gave his name to the Ciarraige tribe and County Kerry.

The name Ciaron, while less common, shares the same origins and meaning as Ciarán.

Contracted form of Cynthia.

Contemporary spelling, via the Latinized form Clodovicus, of the Germanic name Hludwig (see Ludwig). Clovis was a Frankish king who united the Franks under his rule in the 5th century. The name was subsequently borne by two further Merovingian kings.

Name of a legendary giant in Cornish folklore; he appears in the fairy tale 'Jack the Giant Killer'. The name was also used for the main character, Cormoran Strike, in 'The Cuckoo's Calling' (2013) by Robert Galbraith (J. K. Rowling).

Cornish form of Cybi. Saint Cuby was a 6th-century Cornish bishop, saint and, briefly, king, who worked largely in North Wales.

Probably from Old Irish camm meaning "bent, crooked" [1]. This was the name of a 6th-century Irish saint.

From a surname, either Cullen 1 or Cullen 2. It jumped a little in popularity as a given name after Stephenie Meyer's novel Twilight (2005), featuring a vampire named Edward Cullen, was adapted into a movie in 2008.

The name of two women in the 'Parzifal' by Wolfram von Eschenbach.

Feminine form of Cyril.

Possibly derived from Dáire. This was the name of the daughter of the legendary Irish king Túathal Techtmar.

Variant of Delvin.

From an English surname that was either a variant of the surname Dean or else an ethnic name referring to a person from Denmark.

Of unknown origin and meaning. Possibly a variant of Daniel or Dane, or perhaps a diminutive of either with 'dan' plus the suffix 'non' to give it a Celtic or French sound.

It is also the name of a popular brand of yogurt established in the US in 1942. Dannon is a subsidiary of the French company Danone founded in 1919. The founder of the company, Isaac Carasso, named the company after his son Daniel Carasso, with Danon being his nickname.

First known from Olympic gold medallist swimmer Danyon Loader of New Zealand. Now becoming more popular in New Zealand.

Anglicized form of Dáirine.

Unknown meaning.

Diminutive of David.

From an English surname meaning "son of David". As a given name, it was popularized in the late 1990s by the central character on the television drama Dawson's Creek (1998-2003). In the United States the number of boys receiving the name increased tenfold between 1997 and 1999. It got another boost in 2014 after it was used for a main character in the movie The Best of Me.

Irish form of Declan.

Combination of the given names Dell and Allan

Possibly a short form of Adelma.

Variant of Delmas.

From an elaboration of Welsh del "pretty". This is a recently created name.

Gallicized form of Derc'hen.

Variant of Darwin.

Variant of Devera.

Probably a variant of Dewi 1.

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

Meaning and origin uncertain with various opinions relating to English "dull" plus the suffix ard, Old English dol meaning "conceited or proud" and ard meaning "hard", the French "d'Illard", or a variation of similar English names like Tilliard or Tilyard. Whatever the origin, it is likely that the use as a first name is taken from either one of several places in the U.S. called Dillard, or the surname for which most were named. Dillard, Georgia is named after early settler John Dillard (1760-1842); Dillard University is named after educator James H. Dillard (1856-1940), and Dillard's department store is named after founder William T. Dillard (1914-2002). American rapper Flo Rida (1979-) was born Tramar Dillard.

Truncated form of Adolphus.

Possibly a variant spelling of Thorald in Denmark, but elsewhere (especially in the anglophone world), this name is most likely a combination of a name that contains the Greek element δῶρον (doron) meaning "gift" (such as Dorus and Theodore) with a name that ends in -ald (such as Archibald, Gerald and Ronald).

Also compare the names Darold and Derald, which look similar and can be partially related in some cases.

A notable bearer of this name is the Dutch news presenter Dorald Megens.

From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Deoradháin, from the byname Deoradhán, derived from Irish deoradh meaning "exile, wanderer" combined with a diminutive suffix.

Means "dark", from Irish and Scottish Gaelic (dorcha) meaning “dark, dusky, enigmatic”, from Old Irish (dorchae) "dark, gloomy, obscure". Compare to Feardorcha.

Romanian, possibly a form of Dorian or a diminutive of Teodor.

Diminutive of Douglas.

Possibly an anglicized variant of Dovi. See also Dov.

Variant of Tristan.

Cognate of Duran.

Transferred use of the surname Eagan.

alternative spelling of Evie

Romanian form of Emmerich.

From Old French Emeline, a diminutive of Germanic names beginning with the element amal meaning "unceasing, vigorous, brave". The Normans introduced this name to England.

Means "king, lord" in Welsh.

Originally this may have been a short form of Germanic names beginning with the element angil, referring to the Germanic tribe known in English as the Angles. However, from early times it has been strongly associated with the Old German word engil meaning "angel" (of Latin and Greek origin).

Eostre, or Ostara; Anglo-Saxon goddess of fertility. Foundation of the name Easter.

In Irish mythology Eremon (also known as Heremon) participated in the Milesian conquest of Ireland.

Variant of Esmee.

Short form of names beginning with the Old English element æðele meaning "noble". It was coined in the 19th century, when many Old English names were revived. It was popularized by the novels The Newcomes (1855) by William Makepeace Thackeray and The Daisy Chain (1856) by C. M. Yonge. A famous bearer was American actress and singer Ethel Merman (1908-1984).

Variant of Eudes (compare Odon). Saint Eudon of Le Puy was a monk and then abbot in the area of Le Puy, Aquitaine (in modern France).

In Arthurian tales, Evaine is the sister of Lancelot's mother Elaine, wife of King Bors of Gaul and mother of Sir Lionel and Sir Bors the Younger. Her character first appears in the Old French prose Lancelot of the Lake (c.1215–20), which was incorporated into the Vulgate Lancelot.

The name suffix -vain appears in this and other Arthurian names such as Yvain and Agravain.

From Everardus, the Latinized form of Eberhard. The Normans introduced it to England, where it joined the Old English cognate Eoforheard. It has only been rarely used since the Middle Ages. Modern use of the name may be inspired by the surname Everard, itself derived from the medieval name.

A sorcerer who, with his brother Mabon, entered Wales and laid waste to the city of Snowdon, ruled by Queen Esmeree the Blonde, whom they turned into a snake. He was defeated in combat and was put to flight by Gawaine’s son Guinglain.

Old Irish form of Faolán.

From a surname that was originally from a place name meaning "fern clearing" in Old English. A notable bearer of this name was Canadian author Farley Mowat (1921-2014).

French form of Faro. As an English name, it is probably from a French surname that was derived from the given name.

Means "man of vigour", derived from the Old Irish elements fer "man" and guss "vigour, strength, force". This was the name of several early rulers of Ireland and Dál Riata, as well as many characters from Irish legend. Notably it was borne by the hero Fergus mac Róich, who was tricked into giving up the kingship of Ulster to Conchobar. However, he remained loyal to the new king until Conchobar betrayed Deirdre and Naoise, at which point he defected to Connacht in anger. The name was also borne by an 8th-century saint, a missionary to Scotland.

This is the Old Irish form of the name, as well as the usual Anglicized form of Modern Irish Fearghas or Fearghus.

Diminutive of Ferdinand.

From Irish fiann meaning "band of warriors".

Filimer was an early Gothic king, according to Jordanes. He was the son of Gadareiks and the fifth generation since Berig settled with his people in Gothiscandza. When the Gothic nation had multiplied Filimer decided to move his people to Scythia where they defeated the Sarmatians. They then named their new territory Oium, meaning "in the waterlands". This migration would have allegedly taken place about 2030 years before Jordanes wrote his "Origin of the Goths".

Means "white stranger", derived from the Old Irish elements finn "white, blessed" and gall "foreigner, stranger". This was the name of the hero in the Scottish author James Macpherson's 1761 poem Fingal [1], which he claimed to have based on early Gaelic legends about Fionn mac Cumhaill.

Invented during the Gaelic revival, taken from Irish fírinne meaning "truth".

Means “red haired” in Irish.

Medieval English feminine form of Late Latin Floritia, derived from Flora. Compare Clarice and Lettice.

French form of Floria.

Diminutive of Florence or Flora.

Variant of Florrie.

Short form of names ending in freda or fred, such as Winifred or Alfreda.

A duke and an ally or vassal of Gawaine’s wife, Orgeluse (Orguelleuse).

This is the name of a character in Arthurian tales, a brother of Gawain (as well as Gareth, Mordred and Agravain), and the son of King Lot and either Belisent or Morgause. 'The earliest form of his name is so similar to the earliest form of Gareth (Gahariet) that the two brothers may have originally been the same character.' First mentioned by the 12th-century French poet Chrétien de Troyes, although scholars have suggested a derivation from the Welsh name Gweir, which belongs to a number of warriors in Welsh legends and can mean "hay", "collar", "circle", "loop" or "bend".

Variant of Galderic.

Modern form of the Greek name Γαληνός (Galenos), which meant "calm" from Greek γαλήνη (galene). It was borne by a 2nd-century BC Greco-Roman physician who contributed to anatomy and medicine. In modern times the name is occasionally given in his honour.

Means "fair leg" from Welsh gar "leg" and gwen "white, fair, blessed". According to the Welsh Triads (Triad 57), this name belonged to one of Arthur's three mistresses. She was the daughter of Henin the Old.

Modern Gaelic form of Gelgéis.

From the Late Latin name Aegidius, which is derived from Greek αἰγίδιον (aigidion) meaning "young goat". Saint Giles was an 8th-century miracle worker who came to southern France from Greece. He is regarded as the patron saint of the crippled. In Old French the name Aegidius became Gidie and then Gilles, at which point it was imported to England. Another famous bearer was the 13th-century philosopher and theologian Giles of Rome (Egidio in Italian).

Sardinian form of Cecilia, originally derived from a contraction of this name.

Derived from Manx guilley "servant; boy, lad" and the given name More 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).

Gilton Ribiero is a Brazilian football defender.

Possibly a masculine form of Gladys.

Presumably a feminine form of Glendower.

Possibly derived from an Old English name meaning "wise friend", from Old English glēaw "prudent, wise" and wine "friend".

Variant of Godefroy.

The daughter of a pagan chieftain in 4th century Ireland. She converted to Christianity when she was aged about 12 and dedicated her life to Christ. When she reached the age to marry, her father wanted her to wed one of the noblest and wealthiest chiefs in Ireland. She ran away, but was brought back and imprisoned. She escaped through a miracle, took a ship to France, and landed on the coast of Gaul-Belgium where the Roman Emperor Valentinian I protected the Christians. She settled deep in the forest of Thiérache in Dorunum (now La Capelle), where she spent her days in prayer, meditation, and penance.
Her father sent soldiers to find her and bring her back, alive or dead. They followed her traces and eventually found her in the forest. They tried to persuade her to return to her country where a lavish wedding awaited her. Unable to convince her, they cut off her head, hid her mutilated body under a heap of dirt, and then returned to Ireland. After several years a chapel was erected over her grave, which became the nucleus of the town of La Capelle. The relics were thought to have miraculous properties and were moved several times in the years that followed, with different portions held in different places.

Variant of Gwendolen, used by Walter Scott in his poem The Bridal of Triermain (1813) for a queen who became the mother of Gyneth by King Arthur.

Gallicized form of Breton Gwenole, which was derived from Breton uuin, uuen, Middle Welsh guin, gwynn, guen meaning "sacred, pure, blessed; white" and Old Breton uual meaning "valor". This was the name of a legendary Breton saint who was inspired to found an abbey by a dream he had of Saint Patrick.

French and Guernésiais form of Warin (compare Guarin).

Guilla (or Willa) of Provence or Burgundy (873-924) was an early medieval Frankish queen consort in the Rhone valley.

The good and kind King of Wales in Renaut’s Le Bel Inconnu.

His daughter, Esmeree the Blonde, inherited his kingdom and married Gawain’s son, Guinglain.

Diminutive of Gui. See also Guiot.

Variant of Gawain. Gwaine is a character on the BBC television series 'Merlin', meant to represent the Gawain of Arthurian legend.

Variant of Gwendolen.

A Cornish form of Guinevere.

Welsh variant of Gwilym.

Means "white snow" from the Welsh element gwyn meaning "white, blessed" combined with eira meaning "snow". This is a recently created Welsh name.

Variant of Hanora influenced by Hannah.

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

Medieval English form of Eloise.

Scots form of Henry.

Transferred use of the surname Hildreth. It was borne by American muralist, mosaicist and Art Deco artist Hildreth Meière (1892-1961). See also Hildred.

Transferred use of the surname Hindley.

Diminutive of Hubert.

Variant of Honoria. It was brought to England and Ireland by the Normans.

Modern Anglicized form of Hrêðe or Hrêða (See Rheda).

Masculine form of "Idena".

Indrid Cold is the name of a being originating in North American folklore, whose appearance usually coincides with sightings of UFOs or other cryptids.

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

Anglicized form of Iseabail.

Of uncertain origin and meaning. Theories include a feminine form of Gismund (compare Jesmonda) and a variant of Jessamine via now obsolete variants like Jessema and Jessima.

Either a variant of Jolene, or a combination Jo and Elaine. It could also be derived from the French name Marjolaine.

Medieval Breton form of Ithel.

Breton form of Corentin.

From a surname that was derived from the Old English given names Cyneweard or Cyneheard.

Derived from Cornish kensa "first". This is a modern Cornish name.

From the name of the bird of prey, ultimately derived from Old French crecelle "rattle", which refers to the sound of its cry.

Probably derived from the name of the island St. Kilda.

Note that there wasn't any saint named Kilda. The name of the island is derived from corrupted information used by cartographers.

Short form of Eulalia.

Transferred use of the surname Lillis.

Lillis was Bing Crosby's middle name. (He was born Harold Lillis Crosby.)

Variant of Livith.

Diminutive of Lachlan.

Created by the author R. D. Blackmore for the title character in his novel Lorna Doone (1869), set in southern England, which describes the dangerous love between John Ridd and Lorna Doone. Blackmore may have based the name on the Scottish place name Lorne or on the title Marquis of Lorne (see Lorne).

Medieval Scottish form of Lughlagh. Lulach mac Gille Coemgáin ( before 1033 – 17 March 1058) was King of Scots between 15 August 1057 and 17 March 1058.

Transferred from the surname "Mackey". A short version for any name starting with Mac-.

Transferred use of the surname Macklin.

Created by author George R. R. Martin for a character in his series "A Song of Ice and Fire". In the series, Maegor Targaryen is the third Targaryen monarch and one of the most tyrannical rulers of Westeros.

Maelgwyn means Prince of Hounds. It was also the name of a 6th century king of Gwynedd, Maelgwyn Gwynedd.

Means "welcome" in Tahitian. It gained popularity in France during the 1980s.

Irish diminutive of Mary.

From an English surname that originally referred to a person who came from the French city of Le Mans.

Possibly from the name of a resort town in southern Spain, which likely derives from Arabic مربلة (Marbal·la) and resembles Spanish mar bella "beautiful sea" (also compare Mar). As an English name, this might be a contracted form of Mariabella.

Diminutive of Marcia.

Of uncertain origin and meaning. One - debatable - theory connects this name with the Vulgar Latin term margella.
Either way, from the early 1600s onwards, when every given name "had to" be associated with a Catholic saint, up to its disappearance in the late 1700s, Margilia and its variant Margilie were used as quasi-equivalents of Marguerite (due to phonetic similarities to Margarit, one of the Breton variants of this name).

Son of Caw, one of twenty brothers, and one of Arthur’s warriors.

Diminutive of names beginning with Mel.

Although the exact origin and meaning of this name are unknown, many modern-day academics believe this name to be the (possibly Anglicized) Cornish form of Morien.

Its variant Merryn was the name of a Cornish saint.

In the English-speaking world, all forms have been occasionally used from the 19th century onwards.

Probably originally a diminutive of Matthew via Matthias, this name has since become the regular Manx form of Matthew.

Short form of Araminta.

Molanna is the nymph who helps Faunus spy on Diana in the Cantos of Mutability.

Tristan’s granddaughter.

She was the daughter of King Kalegras of England and Queen Lilja.

Derived from Cornish morgelyn "sea holly".

In the Arthurian legend, this name belongs to the brother or uncle of Isolde.

Anglicized form of Muirne used by James Macpherson in his poem Fingal (1761), in which it is borne by the mother of the hero Fingal.

Variant form of Morfudd.

Variant of Morwenna.

Means "born of the sea" in Irish. In Irish legend this was the name of a woman (originally named Lí Ban) who was transformed into a mermaid. After 300 years she was brought to shore, baptized, and transformed back into a woman.

George Murrell Smith Jr. is an American politician and the 61st Speaker of the South Carolina House of Representatives.

A knight in the service of Lord Golagros, Arthur’s opponent in the Middle Scots tale of Golagros and Gawain.

Original Welsh form of Merlin. It is probably ultimately from the name of the Romano-British settlement Moridunum, derived from Celtic *mori "sea" and *dūnom "rampart, hill fort". Prefixed with Welsh caer "fort", this town has been called Caerfyrddin (Carmarthen in English) from medieval times. It is thought that Caerfyrddin may have mistakenly been interpreted as meaning "fort of Myrddin", as if Myrddin were a personal name instead of a later development of Moridunum [1].

Myrddin appears in early Welsh poems, as a prophet who lives in the Caledonian Forest after being driven insane witnessing the slaughter of his king Gwenddoleu and his forces at the Battle of Arfderydd. His character seems to be based on the North Brythonic figure Lailoken, and perhaps also the Irish figure Suibhne. Geoffrey of Monmouth adapted him into Merlin in the 12th century.

Form of Nimue. Nimueh appeared as an evil sorceress in the series Merlin.

Diminutive of Ione or Nora 1.

Elaborated form of Nora 1.

From an English surname, either Norris 1 or Norris 2.

Transferred use of the surname Norville. The character Shaggy, of Scooby-Doo fame, bears this name.

Variant of Otis.

Means "little deer", derived from Old Irish oss "deer, stag" combined with a diminutive suffix. In Irish legend Oisín was a warrior hero and a poet, the son of Fionn mac Cumhaill and the narrator in many of his tales.

Directly taken from the archaic word meaning "prayer", which is derived from Anglo-Norman oreison and ultimately from Latin oro (via Latin oratio) "to beg; to beseech".

As a given name, it has found occasional usage from the 19th century onwards. One known bearer is Orison Swett Marden (1850-1924), who wrote books on positive thinking.

Anglicized form of Órlaith.

The twin sister of King Meriadoc of Wales.

Orwen’s father, King Caradoc, was murdered by her uncle, Griffin, who then targeted the children for assassination. They were saved by Ivor and Morwen, their foster parents, and taken to hiding in the forest of Fleventan.

In time, Meriadoc was taken to Arthur’s court and Orwen was kidnapped by King Urien of Scotland, whom she later married.

Norman cognate of Ásbjǫrn and Osbeorn.

From the Old English elements os "god" and wine "friend". Saint Oswin was a 7th-century king of Northumbria. After the Norman Conquest this name was used less, and it died out after the 14th century. It was briefly revived in the 19th century.

Meaning unknown, created in the 20th century. The name is borne by the British singer Petula Clark (1932-), whose name was invented by her father.

From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "priest clearing" (Old English preost and leah). This surname was borne by musician Elvis Presley (1935-1977).

Anglicization of Kwasi.

Diminutive of Queen.

Transferred use of the surname Quigley.

Variant of Quincy.

Variant of Guinevere.

German form of Rayner.

From an English surname that was derived from a place name meaning either "red clearing" or "roe deer clearing" in Old English. A city in North Carolina bears this name, after the English courtier, poet and explorer Walter Raleigh (1552-1618).

From the name of the bird, ultimately from Old English hræfn. The raven is revered by several Native American groups of the west coast. It is also associated with the Norse god Odin.

Diminutive of Raymond and similar names.

Elaboration of Regan, influenced by Regina.

Possibly a variant of Rita, the spelling perhaps influenced by that of Rhea or Greek ῥήτωρ (rhetor) "public speaker, orator". This name was borne by American journalist and suffragist Rheta Dorr (1868-1948). It was brought to public attention by the 1933 murder of a 23-year-old Chicago woman named Rheta Wynekoop.

Possibly a modern Australian form of Adriana and short for Adrienna.

From the Old German elements hruod meaning "fame" and lant meaning "land", though some theories hold that the second element was originally nand meaning "brave" [1].

Roland was an 8th-century military commander, serving under Charlemagne, who was killed by the Basques at the Battle of Roncevaux. His name was recorded in Latin as Hruodlandus. His tale was greatly embellished in the 11th-century French epic La Chanson de Roland, in which he is a nephew of Charlemagne killed after being ambushed by the Saracens. The Normans introduced the name to England.

Breton and Anglicized form of Rónán.

Combination of Rosa 1 and the common name suffix bel, inspired by Latin bella "beautiful". This name was created in the 18th century.

Italian diminutive of Rosa 1.

From a surname that was derived from an Old English place name meaning "horse spring".

Possibly a variant of the German surname Riker, a derivative of Low German rike "rich". As a modern English name, it has become popular because it shares the same trendy sounds found in other names such as Ryan and Ryder.

Short form of Isabella.

English, Romanian, Basque, French and Polish form of Sabinus. Sabin of Bulgaria was the ruler of Bulgaria from 765 to 766.

Derived from the Old English elements sæ "sea" and mund "protection". Cognate to Old Norse Sæmundr and Icelandic Sæmundur.

From the English word sage, which denotes either a type of spice or else a wise person.

Dutch, Estonian, Danish and Norwegian short form of Alexander.

Diminutive of Alexander.

From an English surname that was from a place name meaning "willow farm" in Old Norse.

Yiddish form of Alexander.

Meaning uncertain. In some cases it is given in honour of the Brazilian racecar driver Ayrton Senna (1960-1994). It could also be inspired by the senna plant.

Means "star" in Welsh. This is a recently created Welsh name.

From a Norman surname that originally belonged to a person coming from the French town of Saint Maur (which means "Saint Maurus").

Scottish Gaelic form of Scáthach.

Younger form of Siadhail.

Means "people of the precious stone" or "cave dweller" in Arawak, spoken in Cuba.

It is an ethnic name as the Ciboney, or Siboney, were a Taíno people of Cuba, Jamaica and Hispaniola (Haiti and Dominican Republic).

As given name is probably after Siboney a 1929 song written by Ernesto Lecuona, inspired by the village Siboney near Santiago de Cuba.

Transferred use of the surname Sidwell.

Welsh form of George.

From a surname that was from a place name meaning "landing-place ford" in Old English.

Anglicized form of Suibhne. In fiction, this name is borne by the murderous barber Sweeney Todd, first appearing in the British serial The String of Pearls: A Romance (1846-1847).

Variant of Tamsin.

Danish variant of Torben.

Derived from the Welsh elements teg "beautiful, pretty" and gwen "white, blessed". This name was created in the 19th century [1].

From the Roman family name Terentius, which is of unknown meaning. Famous bearers include Publius Terentius Afer, a Roman playwright, and Marcus Terentius Varro, a Roman scholar. It was also borne by several early saints. The name was used in Ireland as an Anglicized form of Toirdhealbhach, but it was not found as an English name until the late 19th century. It attained only a moderate level of popularity in the 20th century, though it has been common as an African-American name especially since the 1970s.

Transferred use of the surname Thayer.

English form of Theophanes. A known bearer of this name was saint Theophan the Recluse (1815-1894).

Diminutive of Theresia.

Old Swedish form of Þórvaldr (see Torvald).

From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "thorn clearing" in Old English.

Short form of Christopher.

Variant of Torcall.

From the Old Norse name Þórsteinn, which meant "Thor's stone" from the name of the Norse god Þórr (see Thor) combined with steinn "stone".

A byname meaning “Viking”.

An ancient British name which means "little wolf". Most well known in the Arthurian legends of Geoffrey Monmouth, where Sir Ulfin plays a role in Merlin's plot for King Arthur to be born.

Transferred use of the surname Valera in honour of Irish statesman Éamon De Valera, who was born in New York to a Spanish father and an Irish mother.

Means "valuable" in Esperanto.

Meaning unknown, possibly a derivative of the Old German element walt meaning "power, authority".

Short form of Genevieva.

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

A Knight of the Round Table.

A form of Walaram. This was the name of two rulers of the medieval county of Ligny-en-Barrois, in present-day Lorraine, France.

From a Scottish and English surname that was derived from Norman French waleis meaning "foreigner, Celt, Welshman" (of Germanic origin). It was first used as a given name in honour of William Wallace, a Scottish hero who led the fight against the English in the 13th century.

From Old English Weland, probably derived from the Germanic root *wīlą meaning "craft, cunning". In Germanic legend Weland (called Vǫlundr in Old Norse) was a master smith and craftsman. He was captured and hamstrung by King Niðhad, but took revenge by killing the king's sons.

From an English surname that was derived from a place name, itself meaning "west meadow" from Old English west "west" and leah "woodland, clearing". It has been sometimes given in honour of John Wesley (1703-1791), the founder of Methodism.

Derived from the Old English elements wig "war, battle" and helm "helmet, protection".

Means "bright will", derived from the Old German elements willo "will, desire" and beraht "bright".

"Sister goddess" of Embeth and Borbeth and one of "The Three Bethen" or "Three Virgins", a group of allegedly pre-Christian goddesses who later became "unofficial" saints.

Their cult is somewhat of a mystery: having been known since the Middle Ages, it is only regionally distributed, mainly in Bavaria, Baden, South Tyrol, Alsace (above all Strasbourg) and the Rhineland. If there had ever been antique records of this Triple Goddess cult, those have been lost. The oldest authentic records of Wilbeth date back to the 14th century, when she was quickly linked to Embeth whose veneration had been attested since the 12th century.
Either way, their cult became fairly popular when the "girls" got appointed companions of Saint Ursula in the 15th century.

The origins and meanings of their names have been lost to time. Since the Romantic period, there have been speculations that their names might be corruptions of some not yet identified Ancient Germanic names - a theory which in recent times is being taken more and more seriously. Research on it is being done.

From an English surname that was originally derived from the nickname Wildbor meaning "wild boar" in Middle English. This name was borne by Wilbur Wright (1867-1912), one half of the Wright brothers, who together invented the first successful airplane. Wright was named after the Methodist minister Wilbur Fisk (1792-1839). A famous fictional bearer is the main character (a pig) in the children's novel Charlotte's Web (1952) by E. B. White.

Means "desiring peace" from Old English willa "will, desire" and friþ "peace". Saint Wilfrid was a 7th-century Anglo-Saxon bishop. The name was rarely used after the Norman Conquest, but it was revived in the 19th century.

Medieval diminutive of William.

From an English surname that was derived from the Old German given name Willihard (or the Old English cognate Wilheard).

From an English surname that was derived from Will, a diminutive of William.

Possibly a feminine diminutive form and masculine diminutive of Wilson.

Old English form of Winwaloe, Gunwalloe or Guenole. A Breton name which means “he who is fair”.

Saint Winnold was a 6th century Cornish saint. He was the son of a prince and a holy woman called Gwen who is supposed to have had three breasts as a sign of God’s favour (almost certainly a confusion with some local pagan deity).

His family fled to Brittany to avoid the Saxons, and this is where he grew up. He founded an abbey, and his Rule was the standard one for monks until Saint Benedict.

His feast day is the 3rd of March. According to English weather folklore, this day of the year is supposed to be especially windy, as seen in this piece of verse:

“First comes David
Next comes Chad
Then comes Winnold, roaring like mad”.

(St David’s Day is the first day of March and St Chad’s Day is the second day).

Middle English form of the Old English name Wigburg.

Xandrie is the name of a fiction character, played by Adelaide Clemens, in a 2010 Australian film called "Wasted on the Young."

Variant of Esther.

Anglicized form of Iorwerth.

Possibly an altered form of Jörg. Shakespeare used this name for a deceased court jester in his play Hamlet (1600).

Medieval Cornish variant of Jowan.

Name of a Cornish village derived from the local saint, St Senara. In current use.

Variant of Zoran.