ericita's Personal Name List

Adela
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Spanish, Romanian, Polish, Slovak, Germanic [1]
Pronounced: ə-DEHL-ə(English) a-DHEH-la(Spanish) a-DEH-la(Polish) A-deh-la(Slovak)
Originally a short form of names beginning with the Old German element adal meaning "noble" (Proto-Germanic *aþalaz). Saint Adela was a 7th-century Frankish princess who founded a monastery at Pfazel in France. This name was also borne by a daughter of William the Conqueror.
Adelina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Romanian, Bulgarian, Germanic (Latinized) [1]
Other Scripts: Аделина(Bulgarian)
Pronounced: a-deh-LEE-na(Italian) a-dheh-LEE-na(Spanish)
From a Germanic name that was derived from the element adal meaning "noble" (Proto-Germanic *aþalaz).
Aderyn
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Welsh (Rare)
Means "bird" in Welsh. This is a modern Welsh name.
Adlai
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical, Biblical Hebrew [1]
Other Scripts: עַדְלָי(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced: AD-lay(English)
Contracted form of Adalia. This is the name of the father of one of King David's herdsmen in the Old Testament.
Adrasteia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Ἀδράστεια(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: A-DRAS-TEH-A(Classical Greek)
Feminine form of Adrastos. In Greek mythology this name was borne by a nymph who fostered the infant Zeus. This was also another name of the goddess Nemesis.
Adrian
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Romanian, Polish, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Russian
Other Scripts: Адриан(Russian)
Pronounced: AY-dree-ən(English) a-dree-AN(Romanian) A-dryan(Polish) A-dree-an(German) u-dryi-AN(Russian)
Form of Hadrianus (see Hadrian) used in several languages. Several saints and six popes have borne this name, including the only English pope, Adrian IV, and the only Dutch pope, Adrian VI. As an English name, it has been in use since the Middle Ages, though it was not popular until modern times.
Aeneas
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Roman Mythology
Pronounced: ie-NEH-as(Latin) i-NEE-əs(English)
Latin form of the Greek name Αἰνείας (Aineias), derived from Greek αἴνη (aine) meaning "praise". In Greek legend he was a son of Aphrodite and was one of the chief heroes who defended Troy from the Greeks. The Roman poet Virgil continued his story in the Aeneid, in which Aeneas travels to Italy and founds the Roman state.
Aiday
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Kazakh
Other Scripts: Айдай(Kazakh)
Pronounced: ie-DIE
Means "moon-like" in Kazakh, from ай (ay) meaning "moon" and the suffix дай (day) meaning "like".
Al
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: AL
Short form of Albert and other names beginning with Al. A notable bearer is American actor Al Pacino (1940-).
Alan
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Scottish, Breton, French, Polish
Pronounced: AL-ən(English) A-lahn(Breton) A-LAHN(French)
The meaning of this name is not known for certain. It was used in Brittany at least as early as the 6th century, and it possibly means either "little rock" or "handsome" in Breton. Alternatively, it may derive from the tribal name of the Alans, an Iranian people who migrated into Europe in the 4th and 5th centuries.

This was the name of several dukes of Brittany, and Breton settlers introduced it to England after the Norman Conquest. Famous modern bearers include Alan Shepard (1923-1998), the first American in space and the fifth man to walk on the moon, and Alan Turing (1912-1954), a British mathematician and computer scientist.

Alana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Breton
Pronounced: ə-LAN-ə(English) a-LAHN-a(Breton)
Feminine form of Alan.
Alaric
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Gothic (Anglicized)
Other Scripts: 𐌰𐌻𐌰𐍂𐌴𐌹𐌺𐍃(Gothic)
Pronounced: AL-ə-rik(English)
From the Gothic name *Alareiks meaning "ruler of all", derived from the element alls "all" combined with reiks "ruler, king". This was the name of a king of the Visigoths who sacked Rome in the 5th century.
Alastríona
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish
Pronounced: ə-ləs-TRYEE-nə, A-ləs-tryee-nə
Feminine form of Alastar.
Alazne
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Basque
Pronounced: a-LAS-neh
From Basque alatz meaning "miracle". It is an equivalent of Milagros, proposed by Sabino Arana in his 1910 list of Basque saints names.
Albena
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Bulgarian
Other Scripts: Албена(Bulgarian)
Created by Bulgarian writer Yordan Yovkov for the heroine in his drama Albena (1930). He may have based it on ablen, the name of a type of peony (a flowering plant).
Alec
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: AL-ik
Short form of Alexander.
Aleida
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Dutch, Spanish (Latin American)
Pronounced: a-LAY-da(Dutch) a-LAY-dha(Spanish)
Dutch and Spanish short form of Adelaide.
Aleixo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Portuguese (Rare), Galician (Rare)
Pronounced: u-LIE-shoo(European Portuguese) a-LAY-shoo(Brazilian Portuguese) a-LAY-shuw(Galician)
Portuguese and Galician form of Alexius.
Alethea
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: al-ə-THEE-ə, ə-LEE-thee-ə
Derived from Greek ἀλήθεια (aletheia) meaning "truth". This name was coined in the 16th century.
Alexey
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Russian
Other Scripts: Алексей(Russian)
Pronounced: u-lyi-KSYAY
Alternate transcription of Russian Алексей (see Aleksey).
Alfeo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: al-FEH-o
Italian form of Alphaeus.
Alita
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Possibly a variant of Alethea.
Aloisia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: German (Rare)
Pronounced: a-LOI-zya
German feminine form of Aloysius.
Alona
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hebrew
Other Scripts: אַלוֹנָה(Hebrew)
Feminine form of Alon 1.
Alondra
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish (Latin American)
Pronounced: a-LON-dra
Derived from Spanish alondra meaning "lark".
Alonso
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: a-LON-so
Spanish variant of Alfonso.
Althea
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Ἀλθαία(Ancient Greek)
From the Greek name Ἀλθαία (Althaia), perhaps related to Greek ἄλθος (althos) meaning "healing". In Greek myth she was the mother of Meleager. Soon after her son was born she was told that he would die as soon as a piece of wood that was burning on her fire was fully consumed. She immediately extinguished the piece of wood and sealed it in a chest, but in a fit of rage many years later she took it out and set it alight, thereby killing her son.
Álvaro
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Spanish, Portuguese
Pronounced: AL-ba-ro(Spanish)
Spanish form of Alvarus, the Latinized form of a Visigothic name, possibly derived from the elements alls "all" and wars "aware, cautious" or wards "guard". Álvar Fáñez was an 11th-century military commander and duke of Toledo, who appears as a general of El Cid in the epic poem El Cantar de mio Cid. Verdi also used the name in his opera The Force of Destiny (1862).
Alyona
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Russian, Ukrainian
Other Scripts: Алёна(Russian) Альона(Ukrainian)
Pronounced: u-LYUY-nə(Russian)
Originally a Russian diminutive of Yelena. It is now used independently.
Amalric
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Gothic (Anglicized) [1]
Other Scripts: 𐌰𐌼𐌰𐌻𐌰𐍂𐌴𐌹𐌺𐍃(Gothic)
Pronounced: AM-əl-rik(English) ə-MAL-rik(English)
From the Visigothic name *Amalareiks, derived from the Gothic element amals meaning "unceasing, vigorous, brave", also referring to the royal dynasty of the Amali, combined with reiks meaning "ruler, king". This was the name of a 6th-century king of the Visigoths, as well as two 12th-century rulers of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem.
Amancio
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: a-MAN-thyo(European Spanish) a-MAN-syo(Latin American Spanish)
Spanish form of Amantius.
Amandine
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: A-MAHN-DEEN
French diminutive of Amanda.
Ambrosia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ancient Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Ἀμβροσία(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: AM-BRO-SEE-A
Feminine form of Ambrosios (see Ambrose).
Amílcar
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Portuguese, Spanish
Pronounced: a-MEEL-kar(Spanish)
Portuguese and Spanish form of Hamilcar.
Amir 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Kazakh, Tatar, Bashkir, Malay, Indonesian, Bosnian
Other Scripts: أمير(Arabic) امیر(Persian, Urdu) Әмір(Kazakh) Әмир(Tatar, Bashkir) Амир(Russian)
Pronounced: a-MEER(Arabic, Persian) ə-MEER(Urdu)
Means "commander, prince" in Arabic. This was originally a title, which has come into English as the Arabic loanword emir.
Amy
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: AY-mee
English form of the Old French name Amée meaning "beloved" (modern French aimée), a vernacular form of the Latin Amata. As an English name, it was in use in the Middle Ages (though not common) and was revived in the 19th century.
Anna
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Italian, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Latvian, Greek, Hungarian, Polish, Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Czech, Slovak, Bulgarian, Armenian, Icelandic, Faroese, Catalan, Occitan, Breton, Scottish Gaelic, Biblical, Biblical Greek [1], Biblical Latin, Old Church Slavic
Other Scripts: Άννα(Greek) Анна(Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Bulgarian, Church Slavic) Աննա(Armenian) Ἄννα(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: AN-ə(English) AN-na(Italian, Polish, Icelandic) A-na(German, Swedish, Danish, Greek, Czech) AH-na(Dutch) AHN-nah(Norwegian, Finnish, Armenian) AWN-naw(Hungarian) AN-nə(Russian, Catalan) ahn-NAH(Armenian)
Form of Hannah used in the Greek and Latin Old Testament. Many later Old Testament translations, including the English, use the Hannah spelling instead of Anna. The name appears briefly in the New Testament belonging to a prophetess who recognized Jesus as the Messiah. It was a popular name in the Byzantine Empire from an early date, and in the Middle Ages it became common among Western Christians due to veneration of Saint Anna (usually known as Saint Anne in English), the name traditionally assigned to the mother of the Virgin Mary.

In England, this Latin form has been used alongside the vernacular forms Ann and Anne since the late Middle Ages. Anna is currently the most common of these spellings in all English-speaking countries (since the 1970s), however the biblical form Hannah is presently more popular than all three.

The name was borne by several Russian royals, including an 18th-century empress of Russia. It is also the name of the main character in Leo Tolstoy's novel Anna Karenina (1877), about a married aristocrat who begins an ultimately tragic relationship with Count Vronsky.

Anthea
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Ἄνθεια(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: AN-thee-ə(English)
From the Greek Ἄνθεια (Antheia), derived from ἄνθος (anthos) meaning "flower, blossom". This was an epithet of the Greek goddess Hera.
Anthony
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: AN-thə-nee(American English) AN-tə-nee(British English)
English form of the Roman family name Antonius, which is of unknown Etruscan origin. The most notable member of the Roman family was the general Marcus Antonius (called Mark Antony in English), who for a period in the 1st century BC ruled the Roman Empire jointly with Augustus. When their relationship turned sour, he and his mistress Cleopatra were attacked and forced to commit suicide, as related in Shakespeare's tragedy Antony and Cleopatra (1606).

The name became regularly used in the Christian world due to the fame of Saint Anthony the Great, a 4th-century Egyptian hermit who founded Christian monasticism. Its popularity was reinforced in the Middle Ages by the 13th-century Saint Anthony of Padua, the patron saint of Portugal. It has been commonly (but incorrectly) associated with Greek ἄνθος (anthos) meaning "flower", which resulted in the addition of the h to this spelling in the 17th century.

Antía
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Galician
Pronounced: an-TEE-u
Galician feminine form of Antonius (see Anthony).
Antonius
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Roman, Dutch
Pronounced: an-TO-nee-oos(Latin) an-TO-nee-əs(English) ahn-TO-nee-yuys(Dutch)
Latin form of Anthony. This is also the official Dutch form of the name, used on birth certificates but commonly rendered Anton or Antoon in daily life.
Antony
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: AN-tə-nee
Variant of Anthony. This was formerly the usual English spelling of the name, but during the 17th century the h began to be added.
Ararat
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Armenian
Other Scripts: Արարատ(Armenian)
Pronounced: ah-rah-RAHT(Eastern Armenian) ah-rah-RAHD(Western Armenian)
From the name of a mountain in eastern Turkey (formerly part of Armenia), the place where Noah's Ark came to rest according to the Old Testament.
Argiñe
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Basque
Pronounced: ar-GEE-nyeh
Feminine form of Argi. This is a Basque equivalent of Luz.
Ariadna
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish, Catalan, Russian, Polish
Other Scripts: Ариадна(Russian)
Pronounced: a-RYADH-na(Spanish) ə-RYADH-nə(Catalan) a-RYAD-na(Polish)
Spanish, Catalan, Russian and Polish form of Ariadne.
Ariadne
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Ἀριάδνη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: A-REE-AD-NEH(Classical Greek) ar-ee-AD-nee(English)
Means "most holy", composed of the Greek prefix ἀρι (ari) meaning "most" combined with Cretan Greek ἀδνός (adnos) meaning "holy". In Greek mythology, Ariadne was the daughter of King Minos. She fell in love with Theseus and helped him to escape the Labyrinth and the Minotaur, but was later abandoned by him. Eventually she married the god Dionysus.
Armida
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Spanish (Latin American)
Pronounced: ar-MEE-da(Italian) ar-MEE-dha(Spanish)
Probably created by the 16th-century Italian poet Torquato Tasso for his epic poem Jerusalem Delivered (1580). In the poem Armida is a beautiful enchantress who bewitches many of the crusaders.
Astraea
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Ἀστραία(Ancient Greek)
Latinized form of the Greek Ἀστραία (Astraia), derived from Greek ἀστήρ (aster) meaning "star". Astraea was a Greek goddess of justice and innocence. After wickedness took root in the world she left the earth and became the constellation Virgo.
Asunción
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: a-soon-THYON(European Spanish) a-soon-SYON(Latin American Spanish)
Means "assumption" in Spanish. This name is given in reference to the assumption of the Virgin Mary into heaven.
Athanaric
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Gothic (Anglicized) [1]
Other Scripts: 𐌰𐌸𐌰𐌽𐌰𐍂𐌴𐌹𐌺𐍃(Gothic)
From the Gothic name *Aþanareiks, derived from the element aþn meaning "year" combined with reiks meaning "ruler, king". Athanaric was a 4th-century ruler of the Visigoths.
Athena
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology, English
Other Scripts: Ἀθηνᾶ(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: A-TEH-NA(Classical Greek) ə-THEE-nə(English)
Meaning unknown. Athena was the Greek goddess of wisdom and warfare and the patron goddess of the city of Athens in Greece. It is likely that her name is derived from that of the city, not vice versa. The earliest mention of her seems to be a 15th-century BC Mycenaean Greek inscription from Knossos on Crete.

The daughter of Zeus, she was said to have sprung from his head fully grown after he impregnated and swallowed her mother Metis. Athena is associated with the olive tree and the owl.

Bienvenida
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: byehm-beh-NEE-dha
Derived from Spanish bienvenido meaning "welcome".
Bonnie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: BAHN-ee
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.
Buenaventura
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: bweh-na-behn-TOO-ra
Spanish form of Bonaventura.
Cadeyrn
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Welsh (Rare)
From Old Welsh Catigirn meaning "battle king", derived from cat "battle" and tigirn "king, monarch". This was the name of a 5th-century king of Powys in Wales, the son of Vortigern.
Caesar
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Roman
Pronounced: KIE-sar(Latin) SEE-zər(English)
From a Roman cognomen that possibly meant "hairy", from Latin caesaries "hair". Julius Caesar and his adopted son Julius Caesar Octavianus (commonly known as Augustus) were both rulers of the Roman Empire in the 1st century BC. Caesar was used as a title by the emperors that came after them.
Caetano
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Portuguese
Portuguese form of Caietanus (see Gaetano).
Cain
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical, Biblical Latin
Other Scripts: קָיִן(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced: KAYN(English)
From the Hebrew name קָיִן (Qayin) possibly meaning "acquired", from the root קָנָה (qana) meaning "to acquire, to purchase". In Genesis in the Old Testament Cain is the first son of Adam and Eve. He killed his brother Abel after God accepted Abel's offering of meat instead of his offering of plant-based foods. After this Cain was banished to be a wanderer.
Cardea
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Roman Mythology
Pronounced: KAR-deh-a(Latin)
Derived from Latin cardo meaning "hinge, axis". This was the name of the Roman goddess of thresholds, door pivots, and change.
Catalina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish, Corsican
Pronounced: ka-ta-LEE-na(Spanish)
Spanish and Corsican form of Katherine.
Catarina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Portuguese, Occitan, Galician
Pronounced: ku-tu-REE-nu(European Portuguese) ka-ta-REE-nu(Brazilian Portuguese, Galician)
Portuguese, Occitan and Galician form of Katherine.
Caterina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Catalan
Pronounced: ka-teh-REE-na(Italian) kə-tə-REE-nə(Catalan)
Italian and Catalan form of Katherine.
Catharina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Dutch, Swedish
Pronounced: ka-ta-REE-na(Dutch)
Dutch and Swedish form of Katherine.
Catherina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: kath-ə-REE-nə, ka-THREE-nə
Variant of Katherine.
Cathrin
Gender: Feminine
Usage: German
Pronounced: ka-TREEN
German short form of Katharina.
Catrin
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Welsh, German
Pronounced: KAT-rin(Welsh) ka-TREEN(German)
Welsh form of Katherine, as well as a German short form of Katharina.
Cayetano
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: ka-yeh-TA-no
Spanish form of Caietanus (see Gaetano).
César
Gender: Masculine
Usage: French, Spanish, Portuguese
Pronounced: SEH-ZAR(French) THEH-sar(European Spanish) SEH-sar(Latin American Spanish) SEH-zur(European Portuguese) SEH-zukh(Brazilian Portuguese)
French, Spanish and Portuguese form of Caesar. A famous bearer was the American labour organizer César Chávez (1927-1993).
Cesare
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: CHEH-za-reh
Italian form of Caesar.
Channary
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Khmer
Means "moon-faced girl" from Khmer ចន្ទ (chan) meaning "moon" and នារី (neari) meaning "woman, girl".
Channing
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: CHAN-ing
From an English surname of uncertain origin.
Chaz
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: CHAZ
Diminutive of Charles.
Che
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: CHEH
From an Argentine expression meaning "hey!". This nickname was acquired by the Argentine revolutionary Ernesto Guevara while he was in Cuba.
Christian
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
Pronounced: KRIS-chən(English) KRISH-chən(English) KREES-TYAHN(French) KRIS-tee-an(German) KRIS-ti-an(Swedish) KRIS-ti-ahn(Norwegian) KREHS-dyan(Danish)
From the medieval Latin name Christianus meaning "a Christian" (see Christos 1 for further etymology). In England it has been in use since the Middle Ages, during which time it was used by both males and females, but it did not become common until the 17th century. In Denmark the name has been borne by ten kings since the 15th century.

This was a top-ten name in France for most of the 1940s and 50s, while in Germany it was the most popular name for several years in the 1970s and 80s. In the United States it peaked in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Famous bearers include Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875), the Danish author of such fairy tales as The Ugly Duckling and The Emperor's New Clothes, and the French fashion designer Christian Dior (1905-1957).

Columbine
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: KAHL-əm-bien
From the name of a variety of flower. It is also an English form of Colombina, the pantomime character.
Daphne
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology, English, Dutch
Other Scripts: Δάφνη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: DA-PNEH(Classical Greek) DAF-nee(English) DAHF-nə(Dutch)
Means "laurel" in Greek. In Greek mythology she was a nymph turned into a laurel tree by her father in order that she might escape the pursuit of Apollo. It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the end of the 19th century.
Daveth
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Cornish
Cornish form of David.
Decimus
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Roman
Pronounced: DEH-kee-moos
Roman praenomen, or given name, meaning "tenth" in Latin.
Deemer
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: DEEM-ər
From an English and Scottish surname meaning "judge", from Old English demere.
Deloris
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: də-LAWR-is
Variant of Dolores.
Diego
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Spanish, Italian
Pronounced: DYEH-gho(Spanish) DYEH-go(Italian)
Spanish name, possibly a shortened form of Santiago. In medieval records Diego was Latinized as Didacus, and it has been suggested that it in fact derives from Greek διδαχή (didache) meaning "teaching". Saint Didacus (or Diego) was a 15th-century Franciscan brother based in Alcalá, Spain.

Other famous bearers of this name include Spanish painter Diego Velázquez (1599-1660), Mexican muralist Diego Rivera (1886-1957) and Argentine soccer player Diego Maradona (1960-2020).

Domenico
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: do-MEH-nee-ko
Italian form of Dominicus (see Dominic). Domenico Veneziano was a Renaissance painter who lived in Florence.
Dominga
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: do-MEENG-ga
Spanish feminine form of Dominicus (see Dominic).
Domingo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: do-MEENG-go
Spanish form of Dominicus (see Dominic).
Donata
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Polish, Lithuanian, Late Roman
Pronounced: do-NA-ta(Italian)
Feminine form of Donatus (see Donato).
Ekain
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Basque
Pronounced: eh-KIEN
Means "June (month)" in Basque.
Elaine
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Arthurian Cycle
Pronounced: i-LAYN(English) ee-LAYN(English)
From an Old French form of Helen. It appears in Arthurian legend; in Thomas Malory's 15th-century compilation Le Morte d'Arthur Elaine was the daughter of Pelles, the lover of Lancelot, and the mother of Galahad. It was not commonly used as an English given name until after the publication of Alfred Tennyson's Arthurian epic Idylls of the King (1859).
Elena
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Spanish, Romanian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Slovak, Czech, Lithuanian, Estonian, Finnish, Russian, Greek, German, English
Other Scripts: Елена(Bulgarian, Macedonian, Russian) Έλενα(Greek)
Pronounced: EH-leh-na(Italian, Czech, German) eh-LEH-na(Spanish, German) eh-lyeh-NU(Lithuanian) yi-LYEH-nə(Russian) i-LYEH-nə(Russian) EHL-ə-nə(English) ə-LAY-nə(English)
Form of Helen used in various languages, as well as an alternate transcription of Russian Елена (see Yelena).
Elisa
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Finnish, English
Pronounced: eh-LEE-za(Italian, German) eh-LEE-sa(Spanish) EH-lee-sah(Finnish) ə-LEE-sə(English)
Short form of Elisabeth.
Eliseo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian, Spanish
Pronounced: eh-lee-ZEH-o(Italian) eh-lee-SEH-o(Spanish)
Italian and Spanish form of Elisha.
Elissa 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Roman Mythology
Meaning unknown, possibly Phoenician in origin. This is another name of Dido, the legendary queen of Carthage.
Elizabeth
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Biblical
Pronounced: i-LIZ-ə-bəth(English)
From Ἐλισάβετ (Elisabet), the Greek form of the Hebrew name אֱלִישֶׁבַע (ʾElishevaʿ) meaning "my God is an oath", derived from the roots אֵל (ʾel) referring to the Hebrew God and שָׁבַע (shavaʿ) meaning "oath". The Hebrew form appears in the Old Testament where Elisheba is the wife of Aaron, while the Greek form appears in the New Testament where Elizabeth is the mother of John the Baptist.

Among Christians, this name was originally more common in Eastern Europe. It was borne in the 12th century by Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, a daughter of King Andrew II who used her wealth to help the poor. In medieval England it was occasionally used in honour of the saint, though the form Isabel (from Occitan and Spanish) was more common. It has been very popular in England since the reign of Queen Elizabeth I in the 16th century. In American name statistics (as recorded since 1880) it has never ranked lower than 30, making it the most consistently popular name for girls in the United States.

Besides Elizabeth I, this name has been borne (in various spellings) by many other European royals, including a ruling empress of Russia in the 18th century. Famous modern bearers include the British queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022) and actress Elizabeth Taylor (1932-2011).

Emperatriz
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: ehm-peh-ra-TREETH(European Spanish) ehm-peh-ra-TREES(Latin American Spanish)
Means "empress" in Spanish.
Enric
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Catalan
Pronounced: ən-REEK
Catalan form of Heinrich (see Henry).
Érico
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Portuguese
Portuguese form of Eric.
Erlea
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Basque (Rare)
Means "bee" in Basque.
Ernesto
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
Pronounced: ehr-NEH-sto(Italian) ehr-NEHS-to(Spanish) ir-NESH-too(European Portuguese) ekh-NEHS-too(Brazilian Portuguese)
Italian, Spanish and Portuguese form of Ernest.
Erramun
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Basque
Basque form of Raymond.
Esteban
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: ehs-TEH-ban
Spanish form of Stephen.
Estebe
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Basque
Pronounced: EHS-teh-beh
Basque form of Stephen.
Estevo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Galician
Galician form of Stephen.
Estiñe
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Basque (Rare)
Variant of Esti 1.
Evadne
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Εὐάδνη(Ancient Greek)
From Greek Εὐάδνη (Euadne), from εὖ (eu) meaning "good" possibly combined with Cretan Greek ἀδνός (adnos) meaning "holy". This name was borne by several characters in Greek legend, including the wife of Capaneus. After Capaneus was killed by a lightning bolt sent from Zeus she committed suicide by throwing herself onto his burning body.
Evander 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Greek Mythology (Latinized), Roman Mythology
Other Scripts: Εὔανδρος(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: ee-VAN-dər(English) ə-VAN-dər(English)
Variant of Evandrus, the Latin form of the Greek name Εὔανδρος (Euandros) meaning "good of man", derived from εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man" (genitive ἀνδρός). In Roman mythology Evander was an Arcadian hero of the Trojan War who founded the city of Pallantium near the spot where Rome was later built.
Evelia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: eh-BEH-lya
Elaborated form of Eva.
Eztebe
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Basque (Rare)
Pronounced: EHS-teh-beh
Basque form of Stephen.
Faina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Russian
Other Scripts: Фаина(Russian)
Pronounced: fu-EE-nə
Meaning unknown, possibly derived from Phaenna.
Fantine
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Literature
This name was used by Victor Hugo for the mother of Cosette in his novel Les Misérables (1862). The name was given to her by a passerby who found the young orphan on the street. Hugo may have intended it to be a derivative of the French word enfant "child".
Felix
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, English, Romanian, Ancient Roman, Biblical, Biblical Latin
Pronounced: FEH-liks(German, Dutch, Swedish) FEE-liks(English) FEH-leeks(Latin)
From a Roman cognomen meaning "lucky, successful" in Latin. It was acquired as an agnomen, or nickname, by the 1st-century BC Roman general Sulla. It also appears in the New Testament belonging to the governor of Judea who imprisoned Saint Paul.

Due to its favourable meaning, this name was popular among early Christians, being borne by many early saints and four popes. It has been used in England since the Middle Ages, though it has been more popular in continental Europe. A notable bearer was the German composer Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847).

Ferran
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Catalan
Pronounced: fə-RAN
Catalan form of Ferdinand.
Florian
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German, French, Romanian, Polish, History
Pronounced: FLO-ree-an(German) FLAW-RYAHN(French) FLAW-ryan(Polish)
From the Roman cognomen Florianus, a derivative of Florus. This was the name of a short-lived Roman emperor of the 3rd century, Marcus Annius Florianus. It was also borne by Saint Florian, a martyr of the 3rd century, the patron saint of Poland and Upper Austria.
Florin
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Romanian
Pronounced: flo-REEN
Romanian form of Florinus.
Fortunata
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese (Rare), Late Roman
Pronounced: for-too-NA-ta(Italian, Spanish)
Feminine form of Fortunato.
Franca
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: FRANG-ka
Contracted form of Francesca.
Gaël
Gender: Masculine
Usage: French, Breton
Pronounced: GA-EHL(French)
Form of Gael using French orthography.
Gerardo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian, Spanish
Pronounced: jeh-RAR-do(Italian) kheh-RAR-dho(Spanish)
Italian and Spanish form of Gerard.
Grace
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: GRAYS
From the English word grace, which ultimately derives from Latin gratia. This was one of the virtue names created in the 17th century by the Puritans. The actress Grace Kelly (1929-1982) was a famous bearer.

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

Higini
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Catalan (Rare)
Pronounced: ee-ZHEE-nee
Catalan form of Hyginus.
Idonea
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Archaic)
Medieval English name, probably a Latinized form of Iðunn. The spelling may have been influenced by Latin idonea "suitable". It was common in England from the 12th century [1].
Ilmatar
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Finnish Mythology
Pronounced: EEL-mah-tahr(Finnish)
Derived from Finnish ilma "air" combined with a feminine suffix. In Finnish mythology Ilmatar was a semi-androgynous goddess of the heavens. She was the mother of Ilmarinen, Väinämöinen and Lemminkäinen.
Iñaki
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Basque
Pronounced: ee-NYA-kee
Basque form of Ignatius.
Íñigo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: EE-nyee-gho
Medieval Spanish form of Eneko. This was the birth name of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, who changed it in honour of Saint Ignatius of Antioch. As such, this name is sometimes regarded as a form of Ignatius.
Iphigenia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Ἰφιγένεια(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: if-i-ji-NIE-ə(English)
Latinized form of Iphigeneia.
Iria
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Portuguese, Galician
Pronounced: EE-ryu(Galician)
Possibly a Portuguese and Galician form of Irene. This was the name of a 7th-century saint (also known as Irene) from Tomar in Portugal. This is also the name of an ancient town in Galicia (now a district of Padrón).
István
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Hungarian
Pronounced: EESHT-van
Hungarian form of Stephen. This was the name of the first king of Hungary. Ruling in the 11th century, he encouraged the spread of Christianity among his subjects and is considered the patron saint of Hungary.
Jack
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: JAK
Derived from Jackin (earlier Jankin), a medieval diminutive of John [1]. There could be some early influence from the unrelated French name Jacques [2]. It is often regarded as an independent name. During the Middle Ages it was very common, and it became a slang word meaning "man", as seen in the terms jack-o'-lantern, jack-in-the-box, lumberjack and so on. It was frequently used in fairy tales and nursery rhymes, such as Jack and the Beanstalk, Jack and Jill, Little Jack Horner, and Jack Sprat.

American writers Jack London (1876-1916) and Jack Kerouac (1922-1969) were two famous bearers of this name. It is also borne by the actor Jack Nicholson (1937-) and the golfer Jack Nicklaus (1940-). Apart from Nicklaus, none of these famous bearers were given the name Jack at birth.

In the United Kingdom this form has been bestowed more frequently than John since the 1990s, being the most popular name for boys from 1996 to 2008.

James
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Biblical
Pronounced: JAYMZ(English)
English form of the Late Latin name Iacomus, a variant of the Biblical Latin form Iacobus, from the Hebrew name Yaʿaqov (see Jacob). This was the name of two apostles in the New Testament. The first was Saint James the Greater, the apostle John's brother, who was beheaded under Herod Agrippa in the Book of Acts. The second was James the Lesser, son of Alphaeus. Another James (known as James the Just) is also mentioned in the Bible as being the brother of Jesus.

This name has been used in England since the 13th century, though it became more common in Scotland where it was borne by several kings. In the 17th century the Scottish king James VI inherited the English throne, becoming the first ruler of all Britain, and the name grew much more popular. In American name statistics (recorded since 1880) this name has never been out of the top 20, making it arguably the era's most consistently popular name. It was the top ranked name for boys in the United States from 1940 to 1952.

Famous bearers include the English explorer James Cook (1728-1779), the Scottish inventor James Watt (1736-1819), and the Irish novelist and poet James Joyce (1882-1941). This name has also been borne by six American presidents. A notable fictional bearer is the British spy James Bond, created by author Ian Fleming in 1953.

Jane
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: JAYN
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.

Janina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Polish, Finnish, Lithuanian, German, Swedish
Pronounced: ya-NYEE-na(Polish) YAH-nee-nah(Finnish) yu-nyi-NU(Lithuanian) ya-NEE-na(German)
Latinate form of Jeannine.
Jenaro
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: kheh-NA-ro
Spanish form of Januarius.
Josué
Gender: Masculine
Usage: French, Spanish, Portuguese
Pronounced: ZHAW-ZWEH(French) kho-SWEH(Spanish) zhoo-zoo-EH(European Portuguese) zho-zoo-EH(Brazilian Portuguese)
French, Spanish and Portuguese form of Joshua.
Jude 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Biblical
Pronounced: JOOD(English)
Variant of Judas. It is used in many English versions of the New Testament to denote the second apostle named Judas, in order to distinguish him from Judas Iscariot. He was supposedly the author of the Epistle of Jude. In the English-speaking world, Jude has occasionally been used as a given name since the time of the Protestant Reformation.
Judicaël
Gender: Masculine
Usage: French, Breton
Pronounced: ZHUY-DEE-KA-EHL(French)
French form of the Old Breton name Iudicael, derived from the elements iudd "lord" and hael "generous". This was the name of a 7th-century Breton king, also regarded as a saint.
Julia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Spanish, Polish, Finnish, Estonian, Russian, Ukrainian, Ancient Roman, Biblical
Other Scripts: Юлия(Russian) Юлія(Ukrainian)
Pronounced: JOO-lee-ə(English) YOO-lya(German, Danish, Polish) YOO-lee-ah(Swedish, Finnish) YUY-lee-a(Dutch) KHOO-lya(Spanish) YOO-lyi-yə(Russian) YOO-lee-a(Latin)
Feminine form of the Roman family name Julius. Among the notable women from this family were Julia Augusta (also known as Livia Drusilla), the wife of Emperor Augustus, and Julia the Elder, the daughter of Augustus and the wife of Tiberius. A person by this name has a brief mention in the New Testament. It was also borne by a few early saints and martyrs, including the patron saint of Corsica. Additionally, Shakespeare used it in his comedy The Two Gentlemen of Verona (1594).

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

Julio
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: KHOO-lyo
Spanish form of Julius.
Julius
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Roman, English, German, Finnish, Lithuanian, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Dutch, Czech
Pronounced: YOO-lee-oos(Latin, Swedish) JOO-lee-əs(English) YOO-lee-uws(German) YOO-leews(Finnish) YUW-lyuws(Lithuanian) YOO-lyoos(Danish) YUY-lee-uys(Dutch) YOO-li-yuws(Czech)
From a Roman family name that was possibly derived from Greek ἴουλος (ioulos) meaning "downy-bearded". Alternatively, it could be related to the name of the Roman god Jupiter. This was a prominent patrician family of Rome, who claimed descent from the mythological Julus, son of Aeneas. Its most notable member was Gaius Julius Caesar, who gained renown as a military leader for his clever conquest of Gaul. After a civil war he became the dictator of the Roman Republic, but was eventually stabbed to death in the senate.

Although this name was borne by several early saints, including a pope, it was rare during the Middle Ages. It was revived in Italy and France during the Renaissance, and was subsequently imported to England.

Kalyna
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ukrainian (Rare)
Other Scripts: Калина(Ukrainian)
Pronounced: ku-LI-nu
From the Ukrainian word for a type of shrub, also called the guelder rose (species Viburnum opulus).
Katalin
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hungarian, Basque
Pronounced: KAW-taw-leen(Hungarian) ka-TA-leen(Basque)
Hungarian and Basque form of Katherine.
Katarin
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Breton
Breton form of Katherine.
Katarina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Sorbian
Other Scripts: Катарина(Serbian)
Pronounced: ka-ta-REE-na(Swedish, German)
Form of Katherine in several languages.
Katell
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Breton
Breton form of Katherine.
Katerina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Macedonian, Albanian, Russian, Bulgarian, Greek, Late Roman
Other Scripts: Катерина(Macedonian, Russian, Bulgarian) Κατερίνα(Greek)
Pronounced: kə-tyi-RYEE-nə(Russian)
Macedonian and Albanian form of Katherine, a Russian short form of Yekaterina, a Bulgarian short form of Ekaterina, and a Greek variant of Aikaterine.
Kateryna
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ukrainian
Other Scripts: Катерина(Ukrainian)
Pronounced: ku-teh-RI-nu
Ukrainian form of Katherine.
Katharina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
Pronounced: ka-ta-REE-na(German, Swedish)
German form of Katherine.
Katherina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare), German
Pronounced: kath-ə-REE-nə(English) kə-THREE-nə(English) ka-teh-REE-na(German)
Latinate form of Katherine. This is the name of the woman whom Petruchio marries and tries to tame in Shakespeare's comedy The Taming of the Shrew (1593).
Kathrin
Gender: Feminine
Usage: German
Pronounced: ka-TREEN
German short form of Katharina.
Katinka
Gender: Feminine
Usage: German, Hungarian, Dutch
Pronounced: ka-TING-ka(German, Dutch) KAW-teeng-kaw(Hungarian)
German diminutive of Katharina, a Hungarian diminutive of Katalin and a Dutch diminutive of Catharina.
Katja
Gender: Feminine
Usage: German, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, Dutch, Slovene, Croatian
Pronounced: KAT-ya(German) KAHT-ya(Dutch)
Form of Katya in various languages.
Katrin
Gender: Feminine
Usage: German, Swedish, Estonian
Pronounced: ka-TREEN(German) kah-TREEN(Swedish)
German, Swedish and Estonian short form of Katherine.
Keturah
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Biblical
Other Scripts: קְטוּרָה(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced: kə-TOO-rə(English)
From the Hebrew name קְטוּרָה (Qeṭura) meaning "incense". In the Old Testament she is Abraham's wife after Sarah dies.
Laelia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ancient Roman
Pronounced: LIE-lee-a
Feminine form of Laelius, a Roman family name of unknown meaning. This is also the name of a type of flower, an orchid found in Mexico and Central America.
Láilá
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Sami
Sami variant form of Helga.
Layla
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arabic, English
Other Scripts: ليلى(Arabic)
Pronounced: LIE-la(Arabic) LAY-lə(English)
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.
Leila
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Persian, Arabic, Kurdish, English, French, Georgian
Other Scripts: لیلا(Persian) ليلى(Arabic) لەیلا(Kurdish Sorani) ლეილა(Georgian)
Pronounced: lay-LAW(Persian) LIE-la(Arabic) LAY-lə(English) LEE-lə(English) LIE-lə(English) LAY-LA(French)
Variant of Layla, and the usual Persian transcription.

This spelling was used by Lord Byron for characters in The Giaour (1813) and Don Juan (1819), and it is through him that the name was introduced to the English-speaking world.

Leith
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: LEETH
From a surname, originally from the name of a Scottish town (now a district of Edinburgh), which is derived from Gaelic lìte "wet, damp". It is also the name of the river that flows though Edinburgh.
Lelia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: LEH-lya
Italian form of Laelia.
Lenora
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Short form of Elenora.
Leyla
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Turkish, Azerbaijani, Kurdish, Persian, Arabic, English (Modern)
Other Scripts: لەیلا(Kurdish Sorani) لیلا(Persian) ليلى(Arabic)
Pronounced: lay-LA(Turkish) LIE-la(Arabic) LAY-lə(English) LEE-lə(English) LIE-lə(English)
Variant of Leila, and the usual Turkish, Azerbaijani and Kurdish form.
Liam
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish, English, French (Modern), Dutch (Modern), German (Modern), Swedish (Modern), Norwegian (Modern)
Pronounced: LYEEM(Irish) LEE-əm(English) LYAM(French) LEE-yahm(Dutch)
Irish short form of William. It became popular in the United Kingdom in the 1980s, and elsewhere in Europe and the Americas after that. It was the top ranked name for boys in the United States beginning in 2017. Famous bearers include British actor Liam Neeson (1952-), British musician Liam Gallagher (1972-), and Australian actor Liam Hemsworth (1990-).
Libitina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Roman Mythology
Pronounced: lee-bee-TEE-na(Latin)
Meaning uncertain, possibly from Etruscan lupu "dead". Libitina was the Roman goddess of funerals, corpses and death.
Lígia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Portuguese
Portuguese form of Ligeia.
Lino 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Galician
Pronounced: LEE-no(Italian, Spanish) LEE-nuw(Galician)
Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and Galician form of Linus.
Lorena 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian
Pronounced: lo-REH-na(Spanish, Italian)
Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and Romanian form of Lorraine.
Maël
Gender: Masculine
Usage: French, Breton
Pronounced: MA-EHL(French)
French form of Breton Mael meaning "prince, chieftain, lord". Saint Mael was a 5th-century Breton hermit who lived in Wales.
Maite 2
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Basque
Pronounced: MIE-teh
Means "beloved" in Basque.
Marc
Gender: Masculine
Usage: French, Catalan, Welsh
Pronounced: MARK(French, Catalan)
French, Catalan and Welsh form of Marcus (see Mark). This name was borne by the Russian-French artist Marc Chagall (1887-1985).
Marcus
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Roman, Biblical Latin, English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
Pronounced: MAR-koos(Latin) MAHR-kəs(English) MAR-kuys(Swedish)
Roman praenomen, or given name, that was probably derived from the name of the Roman god Mars. This was among the most popular of the Roman praenomina. Famous bearers include Marcus Tullius Cicero (known simply as Cicero), a 1st-century BC statesman and orator, Marcus Antonius (known as Mark Antony), a 1st-century BC politician, and Marcus Aurelius, a notable 2nd-century emperor. This was also the name of a pope of the 4th century. This spelling has occasionally been used in the English-speaking world, though the traditional English form Mark has been more common.
Maribel
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: ma-ree-BEHL
Short form of María Isabel.
Maricruz
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: ma-ree-KROOTH(European Spanish) ma-ree-KROOS(Latin American Spanish)
Short form of María Cruz or María de la Cruz.
Marilena
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Romanian, Greek
Other Scripts: Μαριλένα(Greek)
Pronounced: ma-ree-LEH-na(Italian)
Combination of Maria and Elena.
Marisol
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: ma-ree-SOL
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".
Mark
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Russian, Belarusian, Dutch, Danish, Armenian, Biblical
Other Scripts: Марк(Russian, Belarusian) Մարկ(Armenian)
Pronounced: MAHRK(English, Dutch, Eastern Armenian) MARK(Russian) MAHRG(Western Armenian)
Form of Latin Marcus used in several languages. Saint Mark was the author of the second gospel in the New Testament. Though the author's identity is not certain, some traditions hold him to be the same person as the John Mark who appears in the Book of Acts. He is the patron saint of Venice, where he is supposedly buried. Though in use during the Middle Ages, Mark was not common in the English-speaking world until the 19th century, when it began to be used alongside the classical form Marcus.

In the medieval legend of Tristan and Iseult this was the name of a king of Cornwall. It was also borne by the American author Mark Twain (1835-1910), real name Samuel Clemens, the author of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. He took his pen name from a call used by riverboat workers on the Mississippi River to indicate a depth of two fathoms. This is also the usual English spelling of the name of the 1st-century BC Roman triumvir Marcus Antonius (Mark Antony).

Mary
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Biblical
Pronounced: MEHR-ee(English) MAR-ee(English)
Usual English form of Maria, the Latin form of the New Testament Greek names Μαριάμ (Mariam) and Μαρία (Maria) — the spellings are interchangeable — which were from Hebrew מִרְיָם (Miryam), a name borne by the sister of Moses in the Old Testament. The meaning is not known for certain, but there are several theories including "sea of bitterness", "rebelliousness", and "wished for child". However it was most likely originally an Egyptian name, perhaps derived in part from mry "beloved" or mr "love".

This is the name of several New Testament characters, most importantly Mary the mother of Jesus. According to the gospels, Jesus was conceived in her by the Holy Spirit while she remained a virgin. This name was also borne by Mary Magdalene, a woman cured of demons by Jesus. She became one of his followers and later witnessed his crucifixion and resurrection.

Due to the Virgin Mary this name has been very popular in the Christian world, though at certain times in some cultures it has been considered too holy for everyday use. In England it has been used since the 12th century, and it has been among the most common feminine names since the 16th century. In the United States in 1880 it was given more than twice as often as the next most popular name for girls (Anna). It remained in the top rank in America until 1946 when it was bumped to second (by Linda). Although it regained the top spot for a few more years in the 1950s it was already falling in usage, and has since dropped out of the top 100 names.

This name has been borne by two queens of England, as well as a queen of Scotland, Mary Queen of Scots. Another notable bearer was Mary Shelley (1797-1851), the author of Frankenstein. A famous fictional character by this name is Mary Poppins from the children's books by P. L. Travers, first published in 1934.

The Latinized form of this name, Maria, is also used in English as well as in several other languages.

Matthias
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German, French, Dutch, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Ματθίας, Μαθθίας(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: ma-TEE-as(German) MA-TYAS(French) mah-TEE-yahs(Dutch) mə-THIE-əs(English) MAT-tee-as(Latin)
From Greek Ματθίας (Matthias), a variant of Ματθαῖος (see Matthew). This form appears in the New Testament as the name of the apostle chosen to replace the traitor Judas Iscariot. This was also the name of kings of Hungary (spelled Mátyás in Hungarian), including Matthias I who made important reforms to the kingdom in the 15th century.
Máxima
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: MAK-see-ma
Spanish feminine form of Maximus.
Maximus
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Roman
Pronounced: MAK-see-moos
Roman family name that was derived from Latin maximus "greatest". Saint Maximus was a monk and theologian from Constantinople in the 7th century.
Merryn
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Cornish
Meaning unknown. This was the name of an early Cornish (male) saint.
Miguel
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Spanish, Portuguese, Galician
Pronounced: mee-GHEHL(Spanish) mee-GEHL(European Portuguese) mee-GEW(Brazilian Portuguese)
Spanish, Portuguese and Galician form of Michael. A notable bearer of this name was Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (1547-1616), the Spanish novelist and poet who wrote Don Quixote.
Mireia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Catalan, Spanish
Pronounced: mee-REH-yə(Catalan) mee-REH-ya(Spanish)
Catalan form of Mirèio (see Mireille).
Mirèio
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Occitan
Occitan (Mistralian) form of Mireille.
Miren
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Basque
Pronounced: MEE-rehn
Basque form of Maria.
Mitxel
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Basque
Basque form of Michael.
Montserrat
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Catalan
Pronounced: moon-sə-RAT
From the name of a mountain near Barcelona, the site of a monastery founded in the 10th century. The mountain gets its name from Latin mons serratus meaning "jagged mountain".
Nadejda
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Russian, Bulgarian
Other Scripts: Надежда(Russian, Bulgarian)
Pronounced: nu-DYEZH-də(Russian)
Alternate transcription of Russian/Bulgarian Надежда (see Nadezhda).
Naděžda
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Czech
Pronounced: NA-gyezh-da
Czech form of Nadezhda.
Nadezhda
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Russian, Bulgarian
Other Scripts: Надежда(Russian, Bulgarian)
Pronounced: nu-DYEZH-də(Russian)
Means "hope" in Russian and Bulgarian.
Naenia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Roman Mythology
Means "incantation, dirge" in Latin. This was the name of the Roman goddess of funerals.
Nagore
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Basque
Pronounced: na-GHO-reh
From the name of a Basque village where there is a sanctuary dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
Nahia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Basque
Pronounced: NA-ya
From Basque nahi meaning "desire, wish".
Naiara
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Basque
Pronounced: nie-A-ra
From the Basque name of the Spanish city of Nájera, which is Arabic in origin. In the 12th century there was a reported apparition of the Virgin Mary in a nearby cave.
Nephele
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Νεφέλη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: NEH-PEH-LEH(Classical Greek) NEHF-ə-lee(English)
From Greek νέφος (nephos) meaning "cloud". In Greek legend Nephele was created from a cloud by Zeus, who shaped the cloud to look like Hera in order to trick Ixion, a mortal who desired her. Nephele was the mother of the centaurs by Ixion, and was also the mother of Phrixus and Helle by Athamus.
Nerea
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Basque, Spanish
Pronounced: neh-REH-a
Possibly from Basque nere, a dialectal variant of nire meaning "mine". Alternatively, it could be a feminine form of Nereus. This name arose in Basque-speaking regions of Spain in the first half of the 20th century, though it is now popular throughout the country.
Nevena
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Bulgarian, Macedonian, Croatian, Serbian
Other Scripts: Невена(Bulgarian, Macedonian, Serbian)
Derived from South Slavic neven meaning "marigold".
Nieve
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish (Rare)
Pronounced: NYEH-beh
Variant of Nieves.
Nieves
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: NYEH-behs
Means "snows" in Spanish, derived from the title of the Virgin Mary Nuestra Señora de las Nieves meaning "Our Lady of the Snows".
Nora 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Irish, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Latvian, German, Dutch, Italian, Spanish
Pronounced: NAWR-ə(English) NO-ra(German, Dutch, Spanish)
Short form of Honora or Eleanor. Henrik Ibsen used it for a character in his play A Doll's House (1879).
Octavia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Spanish, Romanian, Ancient Roman
Pronounced: ahk-TAY-vee-ə(English) ok-TA-bya(Spanish) ok-TA-wee-a(Latin)
Feminine form of Octavius. Octavia was the wife of Mark Antony and the sister of the Roman emperor Augustus. In 19th-century England it was sometimes given to the eighth-born child.
Osane
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Basque
Means "cure, remedy" in Basque. It is an equivalent of Remedios, proposed by Sabino Arana in his 1910 list of Basque saints names.
Ovidio
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian, Spanish
Pronounced: o-VEE-dyo(Italian) o-BEE-dhyo(Spanish)
Italian and Spanish form of Ovidius (see Ovid).
Peter
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, German, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Slovene, Slovak, Biblical
Pronounced: PEE-tər(English) PEH-tu(German) PEH-tər(Dutch, Danish, Slovene) PEH-tehr(Slovak)
Derived from Greek Πέτρος (Petros) meaning "stone". This is a translation used in most versions of the New Testament of the name Cephas, meaning "stone" in Aramaic, which was given to the apostle Simon by Jesus (compare Matthew 16:18 and John 1:42). Simon Peter was the most prominent of the apostles during Jesus' ministry and is often considered the first pope.

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

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

Pherick
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Manx
Manx form of Patrick.
Ramón
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: ra-MON
Spanish form of Raymond.
Remei
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Catalan
Pronounced: rə-MAY
Means "remedy" in Catalan, a Catalan equivalent of Remedios.
River
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: RIV-ər
From the English word that denotes a flowing body of water. The word is ultimately derived (via Old French) from Latin ripa "riverbank".
Rocío
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: ro-THEE-o(European Spanish) ro-SEE-o(Latin American Spanish)
Means "dew" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin Mary María del Rocío meaning "Mary of the Dew".
Roman
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Russian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Ukrainian, Slovene, Croatian, Estonian, German, English
Other Scripts: Роман(Russian, Ukrainian)
Pronounced: ru-MAN(Russian) RAW-man(Polish, Slovak) RO-man(Czech, German) RO-mən(English)
From the Late Latin name Romanus meaning "Roman". This name was borne by several early saints including a 7th-century bishop of Rouen, as well as medieval rulers of Bulgaria, Kyiv and Moldavia.
Romeo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian, Romanian
Pronounced: ro-MEH-o(Italian) RO-mee-o(English)
Italian form of the Late Latin Romaeus or Late Greek Ρωμαῖος (Romaios), which meant "from Rome" or "Roman". Romeo is best known as the lover of Juliet in William Shakespeare's tragedy Romeo and Juliet (1596). Shakespeare based his play on earlier Italian stories by Luigi Da Porto (1524) and Matteo Bandello (1554), which both featured characters named Giulietta and Romeo.
Roxana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Spanish, Romanian, Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Ῥωξάνη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: rahk-SAN-ə(English) rok-SA-na(Spanish)
Latin form of Ῥωξάνη (Rhoxane), the Greek form of an Old Persian or Bactrian name, from Old Iranian *rauxšnā meaning "bright, shining" [1]. This was the name of Alexander the Great's first wife, a daughter of the Bactrian nobleman Oxyartes. In the modern era it came into use during the 17th century. In the English-speaking world it was popularized by Daniel Defoe, who used it in his novel Roxana (1724).
Salome
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare), German (Rare), Georgian, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek [1]
Other Scripts: სალომე(Georgian) Σαλώμη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: sə-LO-mee(English)
From an Aramaic name that was related to the Hebrew word שָׁלוֹם (shalom) meaning "peace". According to the historian Josephus this was the name of the daughter of Herodias (the consort of Herod Antipas, the tetrarch of Galilee). In the New Testament, though a specific name is not given, it was a daughter of Herodias who danced for Herod and was rewarded with the head of John the Baptist, and thus Salome and the dancer have traditionally been equated.

As a Christian given name, Salome has been in occasional use since the Protestant Reformation. This was due to a second person of this name in the New Testament: one of the women who witnessed the crucifixion and later discovered that Jesus' tomb was empty. It is used in Georgia due to the 4th-century Salome of Ujarma, who is considered a saint in the Georgian Church.

Santino
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: san-TEE-no
Diminutive of Santo.
Santo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: SAN-to
Means "saint" in Italian, ultimately from Latin sanctus.
Santos
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: SAN-tos
Means "saints" in Spanish. It is used in reference to the Christian festival Día de Todos los Santos (All Saints' Day) celebrated on November 1.
Scholastica
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Late Roman
From a Late Latin name that was derived from scholasticus meaning "rhetorician, orator". Saint Scholastica was a 6th-century Benedictine abbess, the sister of Saint Benedict of Nursia.
Solène
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: SAW-LEHN
Variant of Solange.
Solveig
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Norwegian, Swedish, Danish
Pronounced: SOOL-vie(Norwegian) SOOL-vay(Swedish)
From an Old Norse name, which was derived from the elements sól "sun" and veig "strength". This is the name of the heroine in Henrik Ibsen's play Peer Gynt (1876).
Sorne
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Basque (Rare)
Means "conception" in Basque. It was coined by Sabino Arana in 1910 as an equivalent of the Spanish name Concepción.
Stamatia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek
Other Scripts: Σταματία(Greek)
Pronounced: sta-ma-TEE-a
Feminine form of Stamatios.
Steven
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Dutch
Pronounced: STEE-vən(English) STEH-vən(Dutch)
Medieval English variant of Stephen, and a Dutch variant of Stefan. The filmmaker Steven Spielberg (1946-), director of E.T. and Indiana Jones, is a famous bearer of this name.
Taline
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Armenian
Other Scripts: Թալին(Armenian)
Pronounced: tah-LEEN
Alternate transcription of Armenian Թալին (see Talin).
Tanith
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Semitic Mythology
Other Scripts: 𐤕𐤍𐤕(Phoenician)
Meaning unknown. This was the name of the Phoenician goddess of love, fertility, the moon and the stars. She was particularly associated with the city of Carthage, being the consort of Ba'al Hammon.
Tasoula
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek
Other Scripts: Τασούλα(Greek)
Greek diminutive of Anastasia.
Tatjana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Serbian, Croatian, Slovene, Macedonian, German, Latvian, Lithuanian, Finnish, Estonian
Other Scripts: Татјана(Serbian, Macedonian)
Pronounced: tu-tyu-NU(Lithuanian) TAH-tyah-nah(Finnish)
Form of Tatiana in several languages, in some cases via Russian Татьяна (Tatyana).
Teman
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical, Biblical Hebrew [1]
Other Scripts: תֵּימָן(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced: TEE-mən(English)
Means "right hand" or "south" in Hebrew. According to the Old Testament this was the name of a grandson of Esau for whom the town of Teman in Edom was named.
Tercero
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Spanish (Rare)
Pronounced: tehr-THEH-ro(European Spanish) tehr-SEH-ro(Latin American Spanish)
Means "third" in Spanish. This name was traditionally given to the third child born.
Theodoric
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Gothic (Anglicized)
Other Scripts: 𐌸𐌹𐌿𐌳𐌰𐍂𐌴𐌹𐌺𐍃(Gothic)
Pronounced: thee-AHD-ə-rik(English)
From the Gothic name *Þiudareiks meaning "ruler of the people", derived from the elements þiuda "people" and reiks "ruler, king". It was notably borne by Theodoric the Great, a 6th-century king of the Ostrogoths who eventually became the ruler of Italy. By Theodoric's time the Ostrogoths were partially Romanized and his name was regularly recorded as Theodoricus. This was also the name of two earlier (5th century) Visigothic kings.
Tony
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: TO-nee
Short form of Anthony. Famous bearers include singer Tony Bennett (1926-2023) and skateboarder Tony Hawk (1968-). It is also the real name of the comic book superhero Iron Man (Tony Stark), created 1963, and two antihero criminal characters: Tony Montana from the movie Scarface (1983) and Tony Soprano from the television series The Sopranos (1999-2007).
Torny
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Norwegian (Rare)
From the Old Norse name Þórný, which was derived from the name of the Norse god Þórr (see Thor) combined with nýr "new".
Txomin
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Basque
Pronounced: CHO-meen
Basque form of Dominic.
Unai
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Basque
Pronounced: oo-NIE
Means "cowherd" in Basque.
Valeriana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish, Ancient Roman
Pronounced: ba-leh-RYA-na(Spanish)
Feminine form of Valerianus (see Valerian).
Valerius
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Roman
Pronounced: wa-LEH-ree-oos(Latin) və-LIR-ee-əs(English)
Roman family name that was derived from Latin valere "to be strong". This was the name of several early saints.
Valkyrie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Various (Rare)
Pronounced: VAL-ki-ree(English)
Means "chooser of the slain", derived from Old Norse valr "the slain" and kyrja "chooser". In Norse myth the Valkyries were maidens who led heroes killed in battle to Valhalla.
Varinia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ancient Roman, Spanish (Rare)
Pronounced: ba-REE-nya(Spanish)
Feminine form of Varinius.
Varinius
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Roman
Roman family name possibly derived from Varius.
Varius
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Roman
Roman family name meaning "versatile" in Latin. Varius Rufus was a Roman epic poet of the 1st century BC.
Xabier
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Basque, Galician
Pronounced: sha-BYEHR
Basque and Galician form of Xavier.
Zachary
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Biblical
Pronounced: ZAK-ə-ree(English)
Usual English form of Zacharias, used in some English versions of the New Testament. This form has been in use since the Middle Ages, though it did not become common until after the Protestant Reformation. It was borne by American military commander and president Zachary Taylor (1784-1850).
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Portuguese
Pronounced: ZEH
Portuguese diminutive of José.
Zenobia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ancient Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Ζηνοβία(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: ZDEH-NO-BEE-A(Classical Greek) zə-NO-bee-ə(English)
Means "life of Zeus", derived from Greek Ζηνός (Zenos) meaning "of Zeus" and βίος (bios) meaning "life". This was the name of the queen of the Palmyrene Empire, which broke away from Rome in the 3rd-century and began expanding into Roman territory. She was eventually defeated by the emperor Aurelian. Her Greek name was used as an approximation of her native Aramaic name.
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