Bellula's Personal Name List

From the Hebrew name אַבְשָׁלוֹם ('Avshalom) meaning "my father is peace", derived from אָב ('av) meaning "father" and שָׁלוֹם (shalom) meaning "peace". In the Old Testament he is a son of King David. He avenged his sister Tamar by arranging the murder of her rapist, their half-brother Amnon. He later led a revolt against his father. While fleeing on the back of a mule he got his head caught in a tree and was killed by Joab.

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

Variant of Acelynn.

Elaborated form of Adèle. Adélie Land in Antarctica was named in 1840 by the French explorer Jules Dumont d'Urville in honour of his wife Adèle (who was sometimes called Adélie).

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

French feminine form of Adrian.

She was sister to Circe and Pasiphaë, and daughter of the sun. When the Titans attacked the gods of Olympus, Gaia placed Aegea in a cave to hide her shining loveliness.

From the Greek Αἴσωπος (Aisopos), which is of unknown meaning. This was the name of a Greek fabulist of the 6th century BC, famous for such tales as The Tortoise and the Hare. Though his existence is uncertain, he was later said to have been a slave on the island of Samos.

Danish and Norwegian variant of Agnes.

Finnish form of Áile.

Sami form of Helga.

Variant of Eileen.

Means "elf" in Irish. This name was borne by several early Irish kings. It also occurs frequently in Irish legend, borne for example by the husband of Queen Medb. It was also the name of two saints, both bishops of Armagh in the 6th century.

Means "generous amount" in Finnish.

Means "living, alive" in Arabic. This was the name of Muhammad's third wife, the daughter of Abu Bakr. Some time after Muhammad's death she went to war against Ali, the fourth caliph, but was defeated. Her name is used more by Sunni Muslims and less by Shias.

This name began to be used in America in the 1970s, possibly inspired by Princess Aisha of Jordan (1968-), the daughter of King Hussein and his British-born wife. It received a boost in popularity after Stevie Wonder used it for his first daughter in 1975.

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

French feminine form of Albert.

From the English word "alchemy" referring to "the causing of any sort of mysterious sudden transmutation" or "the ancient search for a universal panacea, and of the philosopher's stone, that eventually developed into chemistry".

Russian form of Alexius. This name was borne by a 14th-century Metropolitan of Kiev who is regarded as a saint in the Orthodox Church. It was also the name of a 17th-century tsar of Russia.

Variant of Alexane.

Blend of Alexander and Xavier.

Medieval short form of Adeline. As an English name, in modern times it has sometimes been regarded as a variant of Eileen. This was the name of a popular 1965 song by the French singer Christophe.

Variant of Alix.

From French alizé meaning "trade wind".

Derived from a Slovene surname, which is of unknown meaning.

Possibly from a Visigothic name, maybe from Gothic elements such as alls "all" or aljis "other" combined with auds "riches, wealth". Saint Alodia was a 9th-century Spanish martyr with her sister Nunilo.

Latinized form of Aloys, an old Occitan form of Louis. This was the name of an Italian saint, Aloysius Gonzaga (1568-1591). The name has been in occasional use among Catholics since his time.

Czech form of Elizabeth.

Slovak form of Elizabeth.

Medieval feminine form of Amabilis.

Means "love of God", derived from Latin amare "to love" and Deus "God". A famous bearer was the Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791), who was actually born Wolfgang Theophilus Mozart but preferred the Latin translation of his Greek middle name. This name was also assumed as a middle name by the German novelist E. T. A. Hoffmann (1776-1822), who took it in honour of Mozart.

Derived from Greek ἀμαρύσσω (amarysso) meaning "to sparkle". This is the name of a character appearing in Virgil's pastoral poems Eclogues [1]. The amaryllis flower is named for her.

Medieval name derived from Latin amicus meaning "friend". This was a popular name in the Middle Ages, though it has since become uncommon.

Perhaps based on the Italian word amoretto which is a representation of Cupid in a work of art. The word is based on amore meaning "love" combined with a diminutive suffix.

This name was used by Edmund Spenser in his poem 'The Faerie Queene' (1590), where it belongs to a sister of Belphoebe who allegorically represents married love and chastity.

Russian and Bulgarian form of Anastasius.

Derived from Greek ἄναξ (anax) meaning "master, lord" and ἀγορά (agora) meaning "assembly, marketplace". This name was borne by a 5th-century BC Greek philosopher.

Scandinavian form of Andreas (see Andrew). A famous bearer was the Swedish physicist Anders Jonas Ångström (1814-1874).

Old Welsh name, possibly from the Latin name Honorius [1]. This was the name of a 6th-century Brythonic poet, also known as Neirin or Aneurin [2], who is said to be the author of the poem Y Gododdin.

French form of Angelica.

Dutch form of Angélique.

Polish diminutive of Aniela. This name has become particularly popular in Nicaragua, though a connection to the Polish name is not clear.

Combination of Anne 1 and Liese.

Combination of Anne 1 and Marie.

From an English surname that was derived from the given name Anselm. A famous bearer was American photographer Ansel Adams (1902-1984).

Derived from the Old German elements ansi "god" and helm "helmet, protection". This name was brought to England in the late 11th century by Saint Anselm, who was born in northern Italy. He was archbishop of Canterbury and a Doctor of the Church.

Russian diminutive of Anna.

Means "song" in Greek. In Greek mythology she was one of the original three muses, the muse of song.

French form of Apollonia.

Meaning unknown. This name was (first?) used by William Congreve in his comedy The Old Bachelor (1693) and later by John Vanbrugh in his comedy The Confederacy (1705). This was the original given name of abolitionist Harriet Tubman (1820-1913), who was born Araminta Ross.

Means "archangel" in Italian.

Derived from the Greek elements ἀρχός (archos) meaning "master" and μήδεα (medea) meaning "plans, counsel, cunning". This was the name of a 3rd-century BC Greek mathematician, astronomer and inventor.

Derived from Welsh arian "silver" and gwen "white, blessed". This was the name of a 5th-century Welsh saint, one of the supposed daughters of Brychan Brycheiniog.

Modern Icelandic form of Arinbiǫrn.

Ukrainian form of Artemios. It is also an alternate transcription of Russian Артём (see Artyom).

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

Derived from a diminutive of the Old German element asc meaning "ash tree" (Proto-Germanic *askaz).

Derived from Old Norse áss "god" and ketill "cauldron, helmet".

The name of a Gaulish hero (Astérix in the original French) in a comic book series of the same name, debuting 1959. His name is a pun based on French astérisque meaning "asterisk, little star" but appearing to end with the Gaulish element rix meaning "king" (seen for example in the historical figure Vercingetorix). All male Gauls in the series have humorous names ending with -ix.

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

Probably intended to mean "star lover", from Greek ἀστήρ (aster) meaning "star" and φίλος (philos) meaning "lover, friend". This name was first used by the 16th-century poet Philip Sidney in his collection of sonnets Astrophel and Stella.

From the Greek Ἀταλάντη (Atalante) meaning "equal in weight", derived from ἀτάλαντος (atalantos), a word related to τάλαντον (talanton) meaning "a scale, a balance". In Greek legend she was a fast-footed maiden who refused to marry anyone who could not beat her in a race. She was eventually defeated by Hippomenes, who dropped three golden apples during the race causing her to stop to pick them up.

From the Greek name Ἀθανάσιος (Athanasios) meaning "immortal", from Greek ἀ (a), a negative prefix, combined with θάνατος (thanatos) meaning "death". Saint Athanasius was a 4th-century bishop of Alexandria who strongly opposed Arianism.

Variant of Athena.

Derived from Greek Ἄτλας (see Atlas), a mythological king with the same name as the Titan. According to Greek mythology, Atlantis was an island that sank in the Atlantic Ocean.

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

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

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

Means "scapegoat" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament, this is the name of the recipient of a sacrificial goat. The identity of Azazel is not clear; it may in fact be the name of the place where the goat is to be sacrificed, or it may be the name of some sort of evil desert demon.

Perhaps a form of Azalaïs. It was borne by Saint Marie-Azélie Guérin (1831-1877), also called Zélie, the mother of Thérèse of Lisieux.

Variant of Beyle.

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

From a Scottish and English surname that was derived from the English place name Berkeley, itself from Old English beorc "birch" and leah "woodland, clearing".

From the Middle English personal name Baye, from Old English Beaga (masculine) or Beage (feminine).

A diminutive of Baylee, or any name containing the element or sound -bay-.

May also be given in reference to the English word "bay," from the Middle English baye, from the Old English beġ 'berry', as in beġbēam 'berry-tree'.

Kabyle name of unknown meaning.

From a French surname meaning "beautiful outlook".

Means "white woman", from Old Irish bé "woman" and finn "white, blessed". This name was borne by several characters in Irish mythology, including the mother of the hero Fráech.

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

Combination of Old French bele "beautiful" and the name Phoebe. This name was first used by Edmund Spenser in his poem The Faerie Queene (1590).

Hungarian form of Vincent. It is also used as a short form of Benedek.

Means "good will" in Italian. This name appears in William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet (1596) belonging to a friend of Romeo. The character had been created earlier by the Italian writer Matteo Bandello, whose story Giulietta e Romeo (1554) was one of Shakespeare's sources.

Possibly means "bee wolf" (in effect equal to "bear") from Old English beo "bee" and wulf "wolf". Alternatively, the first element may be beadu "battle". This is the name of the main character in the anonymous 8th-century epic poem Beowulf. Set in Denmark, the poem tells how he slays the monster Grendel and its mother at the request of King Hroðgar. After this Beowulf becomes the king of the Geats. The conclusion of the poem tells how Beowulf, in his old age, slays a dragon but is himself mortally wounded in the act.

Scandinavian form of Bertilo or Berthold.

French form of Berthild.

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

Means "star" in Tagalog.

From the Old Norse name Bóthildr, derived from bót "remedy" and hildr "battle".

Derived from Old Slavic bojĭ meaning "battle". This was the name of a 9th-century Bulgarian saint and martyr, also called Enravota, a son of the Bulgarian khan Omurtag.

Transferred use of the surname Bracken.

Used by Matteo Maria Boiardo for a female knight in his epic poem Orlando Innamorato (1483). He possibly intended it to derive from Italian brado "wild, untamed, natural" and amante "loving" or perhaps Latin amantis "lover, sweetheart, mistress", referring to her love for the Saracen Ruggiero. Bradamante also appears in Ludovico Ariosto's poem Orlando Furioso (1532) and Handel's opera Alcina (1735).

Patronymic derived from Βρισεύς (Briseus), a Greek name of unknown meaning. In Greek mythology Briseis (real name Hippodameia) was the daughter of Briseus. She was captured during the Trojan War by Achilles. After Agamemnon took her away from him, Achilles refused to fight in the war.

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

From the name of the region of Brittany in the northwest of France, called in French Bretagne. It was named for the Britons who settled there after the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the invasions of the Anglo-Saxons.

As a given name, it first came into common use in America in the early 1970s, reaching the third ranked spot for girls by 1989. This was an extraordinary increase over only two decades, though it has since fallen almost as dramatically as it climbed.

From a Scottish surname that was originally derived from a place in Moray, Scotland. It probably means "ditch, mire" in Gaelic.

From a surname, an Anglicized form of Irish Ó Proinntigh, itself derived from the given name Proinnteach, probably from Irish bronntach meaning "generous". The Brontë sisters — Charlotte, Emily, and Anne — were 19th-century English novelists. Their father changed the spelling of the family surname from Brunty to Brontë, possibly to make it coincide with Greek βροντή meaning "thunder".

Originally a nickname denoting a person who broke things, from the word bust, a dialectal variant of burst. A famous bearer was the silent movie star Buster Keaton (1895-1966).

From a surname that was originally from a place name meaning "place of the cow sheds" in Old English. This was the surname of the romantic poet Lord Byron (1788-1824), the writer of Don Juan and many other works.

From an English word meaning "rhythm, flow". It has been in use only since the 20th century.

From the name of the city in Egypt, called القاهرة (al-Qahirah) in Arabic, meaning "the victorious".

Most likely related to Hebrew כֶּלֶב (kelev) meaning "dog". An alternate theory connects it to Hebrew כָּל (kal) meaning "whole, all of" and לֵב (lev) meaning "heart". In the Old Testament this is the name of one of the twelve spies sent by Moses into Canaan. Of the Israelites who left Egypt with Moses, Caleb and Joshua were the only ones who lived to see the Promised Land.

As an English name, Caleb came into use after the Protestant Reformation. It was common among the Puritans, who introduced it to America in the 17th century.

Spanish and Portuguese form of Camilla.

French feminine and masculine form of Camilla. It is also used in the English-speaking world, where it is generally only feminine.

From a Scottish surname meaning "crooked mouth" from Gaelic cam "crooked" and beul "mouth".

From the English word canyon, ultimately from Greek kanna "small reed", after the plants that grow in the bottom of canyons.

From the Italian phrase cara mia meaning "my beloved".

English form of the Polish name Kazimierz, derived from the Slavic element kaziti "to destroy" combined with mirŭ "peace, world". Four kings of Poland have borne this name, including Casimir III the Great, who greatly strengthened the Polish state in the 14th century. It was also borne Saint Casimir, a 15th-century Polish prince and a patron saint of Poland and Lithuania. The name was imported into Western Europe via Germany, where it was borne by some royalty.

Medieval French form of Katherine.

From the English word for the coniferous tree, derived (via Old French and Latin) from Greek κέδρος (kedros).

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

Means "cherry" in French.

Means "moon" in Sanskrit, derived from चन्द (chand) meaning "to shine". This is a transcription of the masculine form चण्ड (a name of the moon in Hindu texts, which is often personified as a deity) as well as the feminine form चण्डा.

From a French surname that meant either "channel", indicating a person who lived near a channel of water, or "jug, jar, bottle", indicating a manufacturer of jugs. It has been used as an American given name since 1970s, influenced by the Chanel brand name (a line of women's clothing and perfume), which was named for French fashion designer Coco Chanel (1883-1971).

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

Ancient Greek feminine form of Chares. This was the word (in the singular) for one of the three Graces (plural Χάριτες).

This is also a Modern Greek transcription of the masculine form Chares.

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

Diminutive of Charles. 'Appeared in 1975 when the British yachtsman Chay Blyth was receiving a great deal of publicity. Further used since then. In the case of Mr Blyth, the name is a pet form of Charles.'

From the name of a district in London, originally derived from Old English and meaning "landing place for chalk or limestone". It has been in general use as an English given name since the 1970s.

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

Derived from the Lakota word šahiyena meaning "red speakers". This is the name of a Native American people of the Great Plains. The name was supposedly given to the Cheyenne by the Lakota because their language was unrelated to their own. As a given name, it has been in use since the 1950s.

Italian form of Clara. Saint Chiara (commonly called Clare in English) was a follower of Saint Francis of Assisi.

Means "grace" in Chewa.

Combination of Christina and the name suffix bel (inspired by Latin bella "beautiful"). This name occurs in medieval literature, and was later used by Samuel Taylor Coleridge in his 1816 poem Christabel [1].

Variant of Christiana.

French feminine form of Christian.

Feminine form of Ciar. This is another name for Saint Ciar.

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

Proto-Slavic reconstruction of Ctibor.

Combination of Clara and the common name suffix bel, from Latin bella "beautiful". This name was used by Edmund Spenser in his poem The Faerie Queene (1590; in the form Claribell) and by Shakespeare in his play The Tempest (1611). Alfred Tennyson also wrote a poem entitled Claribel (1830).

Medieval vernacular form of the Late Latin name Claritia, which was a derivative of Clara.

French form of Clarice.

From the Greek name Κλεοπάτρα (Kleopatra) meaning "glory of the father", derived from κλέος (kleos) meaning "glory" combined with πατήρ (pater) meaning "father" (genitive πατρός). This was the name of queens of Egypt from the Ptolemaic royal family, including Cleopatra VII, the mistress of both Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. After being defeated by Augustus she committed suicide (according to popular belief, by allowing herself to be bitten by a venomous asp). Shakespeare's tragedy Antony and Cleopatra (1606) tells the story of her life.

Late Latin name meaning "dove". The dove is a symbol of the Holy Spirit in Christianity. This was the name of several early saints both masculine and feminine, most notably the 6th-century Irish monk Saint Columba (or Colum) who established a monastery on the island of Iona off the coast of Scotland. He is credited with the conversion of Scotland to Christianity.

From the name of a variety of flower. It is also an English form of Colombina, the pantomime character.

Medieval form of Constantia. The Normans introduced this name to England (it was the name of a daughter of William the Conqueror).

From the Latin name Constantinus, a derivative of Constans. Constantine the Great (272-337), full name Flavius Valerius Constantinus, was the first Roman emperor to adopt Christianity. He moved the capital of the empire from Rome to Byzantium, which he renamed Constantinople (modern Istanbul).

From an English surname that was derived from the Old Norse given name Kóri, of unknown meaning. This name became popular in the 1960s due to the character Corey Baker on the television series Julia [1].

Named after the Greek city of Corinth mentioned prominently in the bible.

From an aristocratic English surname that was derived either from the French place name Courtenay (originally a derivative of the personal name Curtenus, itself derived from Latin curtus "short") or else from a Norman nickname meaning "short nose".

Originally more common as a name for boys in America, it became more popular for girls in the 1960s. It began rapidly increasing after 1973, possibly due to a character (played by Natalie Wood) in the television movie The Affair. It reached an apex in the United States ranked 17th in 1990, though it has quickly fallen away since then.

Derived from the Old English elements cuþ "known, familiar" and beorht "bright". Saint Cuthbert was a 6th-century hermit who became the bishop of Lindisfarne, an island off the coast of England. He was known as performer of healing miracles. Because of the saint, this name remained in use in England even after the Norman Conquest. It became rare after the Protestant Reformation, but it was (briefly) revived in the 19th century.

Latin form of Greek Κῦρος (Kyros), from the Old Persian name 𐎤𐎢𐎽𐎢𐏁 (Kuruš), possibly meaning "young" or "humiliator (of the enemy)" [1]. Alternatively it could be of Elamite origin. The name has sometimes been associated with Greek κύριος (kyrios) meaning "lord".

The most notable bearer of the name was Cyrus the Great, the founder of the Achaemenid Persian Empire in the 6th century BC. He is famous in the Old Testament for freeing the captive Jews and allowing them to return to Israel after his conquest of Babylon. As an English name, it first came into use among the Puritans after the Protestant Reformation.

From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name in Cumbria, of Brythonic origin meaning "trickling stream".

From the name of the Native American people of the northern Mississippi Valley, or from the two American states that were named for them: North and South Dakota (until 1889 unified as the Dakota Territory). The tribal name means "allies, friends" in the Dakota language.

It was rare as an American given name before 1975. In the mid-1980s it began growing in popularity for boys after a character by this name began appearing on the soap opera Ryan's Hope. It is now more common as a feminine name, probably due to the fame of the actress Dakota Fanning (1994-).

From Δαναοί (Danaoi), a word used by Homer to designate the Greeks. In Greek mythology Danaë was the daughter of the Argive king Acrisius. It had been prophesied to her father that he would one day be killed by Danaë's son, so he attempted to keep his daughter childless. However, Zeus came to her in the form of a shower of gold, and she became the mother of Perseus. Eventually the prophecy was fulfilled and Perseus killed Acrisius, albeit accidentally.

Combination of Dani 1 and Lynn.

Means "from Artagnan" in French, Artagnan being a town in southwestern France. This was the name of a character in the novel The Three Musketeers (1884) by Alexandre Dumas. In the novel D'Artagnan is an aspiring musketeer who first duels with the three title characters and then becomes their friend.

Either from the occupational surname Deacon or directly from the vocabulary word deacon, which refers to a cleric in the Christian church (ultimately from Greek διάκονος (diakonos) meaning "servant").

From Lithuanian deimantas meaning "diamond".

From one of the related Slavic roots dějati "to do" or dějanĭje "deed, action".

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

Anglicized form of Deirbhile or Dearbháil.

From an English surname, of Norman French origin, meaning "from Evreux". Evreux is a town in France.

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

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

Meaning unknown, probably of Phoenician origin. Dido, also called Elissa, was the queen of Carthage in Virgil's Aeneid. She threw herself upon a funeral pyre after Aeneas left her. Virgil based the story on earlier Greco-Roman accounts.

Russian form of Demetrius. This name was borne by several medieval princes of Moscow and Vladimir. Another famous bearer was Dmitriy Mendeleyev (or Mendeleev; 1834-1907), the Russian chemist who devised the periodic table.

Derived from the Slavic elements dobrŭ "good" and gostĭ "guest".

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

Diminutive of Donald.

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

Name used by the poets Boiardo and Ariosto in their Orlando poems (1495 and 1532), where it belongs to a Saracen princess. Boiardo perhaps intended it to mean "gift of the dawn" from Greek δῶρον (doron) "gift" and λύκη (lyke) "dawn", or he may have formed it from a contraction of Dora and Alice.

Variant of Doralice as well as an 18th- and 19th-century elaboration of Dora using the then-popular name suffix lise.

From German Dorn "thorn" and Rose "rose" combined with the diminutive suffix -chen. This is the name of Sleeping Beauty in the Brothers Grimm telling of the fairy tale.

Usual English form of Dorothea. It has been in use since the 16th century. The author L. Frank Baum used it for the central character, Dorothy Gale, in his fantasy novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) and several of its sequels.

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

Derived from the Slavic element dorgŭ (South Slavic drag) meaning "precious".

Derived from the Slavic element dorgŭ (South Slavic drag) meaning "precious" combined with mirŭ meaning "peace, world".

From Latin dulcis "sweet" and bella "beautiful". The usual medieval spelling of this name was Dowsabel, and the Latinized form Dulcibella was revived in the 18th century.

From the English word ebony for the black wood that comes from the ebony tree. It is ultimately from the Egyptian word hbnj. In America this name is most often used in the black community.

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

The common flower name for Leontopodium alpinum, it's derived from the German elements edel "noble" and weiß "white." The name of the flower is spelled Edelweiß in German; Edelweiss is an Anglicized spelling.

Scandinavian and Welsh form of Helen.

Norman name, originally a short form of Germanic names containing the element alles meaning "other" (Proto-Germanic *aljaz). It was introduced to England by the Normans and used until the 14th century, and it was later revived in the 19th century. A famous bearer was the American singer Ella Fitzgerald (1917-1996).

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

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

From a surname that was derived from the Old English name Æðelmær. In the United States it is sometimes given in honour of brothers Jonathan (1745-1817) and Ebenezer Elmer (1752-1843), who were active in early American politics.

Originally a short form of names ending with the Old German element helm meaning "helmet, protection", such as Guglielmo or Anselmo. It is also a derivative of Erasmus, via the old Italian short form Ermo. Saint Elmo, also known as Saint Erasmus, was a 4th-century martyr who is the patron of sailors. Saint Elmo's fire is said to be a sign of his protection.

In the English-speaking world this name is now associated with a red muppet character from the children's television program Sesame Street.

From Hebrew אֶלְנָתָן ('Elnatan) meaning "God has given". In the Old Testament this is the name of both a grandfather of King Jehoiachin and a son of Akbor.

Meaning unknown. It could possibly be a derivative of Alvis or Elwin. More likely, it is from the rare surname Elvis, a variant of Elwes, which is ultimately derived from the given name Eloise. The name was brought to public attention by the singer Elvis Presley (1935-1977), whose name came from his father's middle name.

This name is also used as an Anglicized form of Irish Ailbhe.

From an English surname that was derived from a place name meaning "elder tree forest" in Old English.

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

From the Roman family name Aemilius, which was derived from Latin aemulus meaning "rival".

From an Irish surname that was derived from inis meaning "island".

Meaning unknown. This name first appeared in the late 19th century. It is the name of the main character in the novel Enola; or, her Fatal Mistake (1886) by Mary Young Ridenbaugh. The aircraft that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima was named Enola Gay after the mother of the pilot, who was herself named for the book character.

Meaning unknown. She was a bloodthirsty Greek war goddess and a companion of Ares.

Means "horse joy" in Old English. This name was invented by J. R. R. Tolkien who used Old English to represent the Rohirric language. In his novel The Lord of the Rings (1954) Eowyn is the niece of King Theoden of Rohan. She slays the Lord of the Nazgul in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields.

From the name of the Christian festival (January 6) that commemorates the visit of the Magi to the infant Jesus. It is also an English word meaning "sudden appearance" or "sudden perception", ultimately deriving from Greek ἐπιφάνεια (epiphaneia) meaning "manifestation".

The name of the main character in American author Christopher Paolini's Inheritance Cycle novels. In the novels Eragon is a dragon-rider, and in interviews Paolini has stated he came up with Eragon's name by changing the first letter of the word dragon. Some posit that Paolini got Eragon from the character Erragon from author Anne McCaffery's Pern series, also featuring dragons and from which Paolini has admitted being influenced. McCaffery herself may have gotten the name from the character Erragon from The Battle of Lore, of the Poems of Ossian (c.1760), Ossian being the fictional narrator Gaelic myths and legends created by Scottish poet James Macpherson.

Variant of Irja.

From the Old Norse byname Erlendr, which was derived from ørlendr meaning "foreigner".

Variant of Asbjørn.

Finnish form of Ásketill.

Diminutive of Esther. A famous bearer was the American businesswoman Estée Lauder (1908-2004), founder of the cosmetics company that bears her name. Her birth name was Josephine Esther Mentzer. Apparently she added the accent to her name Estee in order to make it appear French.

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

French form of Stephen.

Latinized form of Euanthe.

Derived from the Old Norse elements ey "good fortune" or "island" and dís "goddess".

Derived from the word for a succinct story, in prose or verse, that features animals, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature which are given human qualities, and that illustrates a moral lesson.
The word "fable" comes from the Latin fabula (a "story"), itself derived from fari ("to speak") with the -ula suffix that signifies "little".

Used by Disney and Austrian author Felix Salten for a female roe deer in his novel 'Bambi' (1923).

Means "little wolf", derived from Old Irish fáel "wolf" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of an Irish saint who did missionary work in Scotland.

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).

From the English word fawn for a young deer.

In part from the English word fay meaning "fairy", derived from Middle English faie meaning "magical, enchanted", ultimately (via Old French) from Latin fata meaning "the Fates". It appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's chronicles in the name of Morgan le Fay. In some cases it may be used as a short form of Faith. It has been used as a feminine given name since the 19th century.

As a rarer (but older) masculine name it is probably derived from a surname: see Fay 1 or Fay 2.

Diminutive of Faivish.

From Fredenandus, the Latinized form of a Gothic name composed of the elements friþus "peace" (or perhaps farþa "journey" [1]) and nanþa "boldness, daring". The Visigoths brought the name to the Iberian Peninsula, where it entered into the royal families of Spain and Portugal. From there it became common among the Habsburg royal family of the Holy Roman Empire and Austria, starting with the Spanish-born Ferdinand I in the 16th century. A notable bearer was Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan (1480-1521), called Fernão de Magalhães in Portuguese, who was the leader of the first expedition to sail around the earth.

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

Variant of Forrest, or else directly from the English word forest.

Either from the English word fox or the surname Fox, which originally given as a nickname. The surname was borne by George Fox (1624-1691), the founder of the Quakers.

Italian and Catalan feminine form of Franciscus (see Francis).

Variant of Freyr.

Means "lord" in Old Norse, derived from the Germanic root *fraujô. This is the name of a Norse god. He may have originally been called Yngvi, with the name Freyr being his title. Freyr is associated with fertility, sunlight and rain, and is the husband of the giantess Gerd. With his twin sister Freya and father Njord he is one of the group of deities called the Vanir.

Russian form of Theodore. It was borne by three tsars of Russia. Another notable bearer was Fyodor Dostoyevsky (or Dostoevsky; 1821-1881), the Russian author of such works as Crime and Punishment and The Brothers Karamazov.

French feminine form of Gabriel. This was the real name of French fashion designer Coco Chanel (1883-1971).

From a biblical place name, the garden where Jesus was arrested, located on the Mount of Olives near Jerusalem. It is derived from Γεθσημανί (Gethsemani), the Greek form of an Aramaic name meaning "oil vat". It is very rarely used as a given name.

Anglicized form of the medieval Gaelic name Gille Críst, or from the surname that was derived from it.

German diminutive of Margareta.

From a Spanish title of the Virgin Mary, Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, meaning "Our Lady of Guadalupe". Guadalupe is a Spanish place name, the site of a famous convent, derived from Arabic وادي (wadi) meaning "valley, river" possibly combined with Latin lupus meaning "wolf". In the 16th century Our Lady of Guadalupe supposedly appeared in a vision to a native Mexican man, and she is now regarded as a patron saint of the Americas.

French form of William.

From the Punic name 𐤇𐤍𐤁𐤏𐤋 meaning "grace of Ba'al", derived from Phoenician 𐤇𐤍 (ḥan) meaning "grace, favour" combined with the name of the god Ba'al. This name occurs often in Carthaginian history. It was most notably borne by the famed general and tactician Hannibal Barca, who threatened Rome during the Second Punic War in the 3rd century BC. It is also associated with the fictional villain Hannibal Lecter from the books by Thomas Harris (debuting 1981) and subsequent movie adaptations.

Combination of Heath and Cliff, meaning "heath near a cliff". It was created by Emily Brontë (1818-1848) for her novel Wuthering Heights, in which the main character and antihero is named Thrushcross Grange Heathcliff, called Heathcliff. It is also the full name of Cliff Huxtable in the popular 80s and 90s television series "The Cosby Show".

Borne by a character in Edmund Spenser's 1590 masterpiece, The Faerie Queene.
Hellenore is the young and beautiful wife of an old miser, Malbecco. Hellenore's name is very likely meant to be an elaboration of the name Helen, as the text implies a connection between Hellenore and Helen of Troy.

From the name of geographic places called Holland 1, or transferred usage of the surname Holland 1.

Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 一郎 (see Ichirō).

Means "unknown" in Latin. This was the pen name of the Hungarian writer Hugó Veigelsberg (1869-1949), and was also borne by his son, writer Pál Ignotus (1901-1978​). It was later employed by author J. K. Rowling for a character in her Harry Potter series of books.
Ignoto was the baptismal name of a son of one Anne Manners, Lady Roos, a 17th-century English noblewoman, presumably given because his paternity was unknown.

English form of a medieval French name appearing in various spellings such as Ysambart or Isembart, which were derived from Isanbert. The name is mainly synonymous with the leading British civil engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel (1806-1859).

Norwegian adoption of an originally German short form of Old High German names containing the element isarn meaning "iron" (e.g., Isengard, Iselinde, Isburg), as well as an adoption of an obsolete German diminutive of Isa 2 and a Norwegian adoption and adaption of the Irish name Aisling (compare Isleen).

Used by the author C. S. Lewis as the proper name of the White Witch, the antagonist in his novel The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950). He may have based it on French jadis meaning "long ago, of old" or Persian جادو (jadu) meaning "magic, witch".

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.

Means "youth" in Latin. Juventas was the Roman goddess of youth, equivalent to the Greek goddess Hebe.

Swedish diminutive of Katarina.

Means "beautiful, lovely, auspicious" in Sanskrit.

Combination of Kari 1 and Anne 1.

Variant of Charis, or sometimes Carys. Also compare Karissa.

Means "celebrate" in Yoruba.

Means "lily of the valley" in Finnish (species Convallaria majalis).

Elaboration of Kiria by way of adding the name suffix -ana.

Ukrainian form of Cyril.

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

French form of Leontina.

This name is derived from Libertinus meaning "member of a class of freedmen", which is itself originated from libertus meaning "one's freedmen" (from liber meaning "free").

One bearer of this name was Saint Libertine (c. 1st century AD-c. 2nd or 3rd century AD), who is venerated as a Christian martyr and as the 1st bishop of Agrigento in Sicily.

Latinate form of Lillian.

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

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

Means "bringing light", derived from Latin lux "light" and ferre "to bring". In Latin this name originally referred to the morning star, Venus, but later became associated with the chief angel who rebelled against God's rule in heaven (see Isaiah 14:12). In later literature, such as the Divine Comedy (1321) by Dante and Paradise Lost (1667) by John Milton, Lucifer became associated with Satan himself.

Used for a character in the Japanese anime metaseries 'Mobile Suit Gundam SEED', first released in 2002. It was probably inspired by the similar-sounding phrase lunar maria "broad, dark areas of the moon" (Latin: Maria Lunae), ultimately from Latin luna "moon" (compare Luna "goddess of the moon") and mare "sea" (plural maria; applied to lunar features by Galileo and used thus in 17th-century Latin works. They originally were thought to be actual seas).

Variant of Máel Sechlainn.

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

Combination of Mary and Belle (see also Maribel, Mariabella).

Combination of Mary and Anne 1.

Combination of Mary and Beth.

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

Combination of Michael and Angelo, referring to the archangel Michael. The Renaissance painter and sculptor Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564), from Florence, was the man who created such great works of art as the statue of David and the mural on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. This name was also borne by the Baroque artist Michelangelo Merisi (1571-1610), better known as Caravaggio.

Means "remembrance" in Greek. In Greek mythology Mnemosyne was a Titan goddess of memory. She was the mother by Zeus of the nine Muses.

From a French surname that was derived from either Hamon or Edmond. This was the surname of the French impressionist painter Claude Monet (1840-1926).

From an English surname meaning "Gumarich's mountain" in Norman French. A notable bearer of this surname was Bernard Montgomery (1887-1976), a British army commander during World War II.

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

Means "servant of Marduk" in Persian. In the Old Testament Mordecai is the cousin and foster father of Esther. He thwarted a plot to kill the Persian king, though he made an enemy of the king's chief advisor Haman.

From the name of a region in western Scotland, also called Morvern or in Gaelic A' Mhorbhairne, meaning "the big gap". This is the location of Fingal's kingdom in James Macpherson's 18th-century poems.

Transferred use of the German surname Mozart, most likely in honour of the Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Transferred use of the surname Mycroft. Famous bearer is the fictional character Mycroft Holmes, the older brother of Sherlock Holmes.

Ukrainian form of Michael.

Latinized form of Greek Ναυσικάα (Nausikaa) meaning "burner of ships". In Homer's epic the Odyssey this is the name of a daughter of Alcinous who helps Odysseus on his journey home.

From Latin niveus meaning "snow-white" (itself from nix, "snow", genitive nivis). It was used by author Isabel Allende for a character in her Spanish-language novel La casa de los espíritus (1982).

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

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

Simply from the English word ocean for a large body of water. It is ultimately derived from Greek Ὠκεανός (Okeanos), the name of the body of water thought to surround the Earth.

Derived from French océan meaning "ocean".

Means "child finds wealth at home" in Yoruba.

Transferred use of the surname Paddington.

Variant of Peverall.

From Japanese ピカチュウ (Pikachuu), derived from the onomatopoeic words ピカピカ (pikapika), a sparkly sound, and チュウチュウ (chuuchuu), a mouse sound. This is the name of a Pokémon, a yellow rodent-like creature who can summon electricity, from a series of video games starting 1996. This is technically the name of the species, though it is used as a given name for the creature in some contexts.

Either from the surname Pilot, which is derived from Pilate, or directly from the vocabulary word pilot, which is derived from either Greek πηδον (pedon) "steering oar" or πλωτης (plotes) "sailor". This name is borne by Pilot Inspektor Lee (2003-), son of American actor Jason Lee.

From the English word meaning "someone who writes poems". From the Old French poete, from Latin poēta 'poet, author', from Ancient Greek poiētēs (ποιητής) 'creator, maker, author, poet', from poieō (poieō) 'I make, compose'.

Derived from the Latin stella polaris, "pole star".

This is the proper Latin name of the brightest star in the constellation Ursa Minor, commonly called the North Star or Pole-Star. The Old English name for it was Scip-steorra "ship-star", reflecting its importance in navigation. It is the brightest star in the constellation Ursa Minor. It is very close to the north celestial pole, making it the current northern pole star.

Polaris is the 'mutant' name of a protagonist in Marvel's X-Men line of comics. Her real name is Lorna Dane, though she's more commonly called Polaris. As the daughter of Magneto, she inherited the mutant ability of magnetic manipulation.

From the Greek name Πτολεμαῖος (Ptolemaios), derived from Greek πολεμήϊος (polemeios) meaning "aggressive, warlike". Ptolemy was the name of several Greco-Egyptian rulers of Egypt, all descendants of Ptolemy I Soter, one of the generals of Alexander the Great. This was also the name of a 2nd-century Greek astronomer.

Best known for being the name of Colombian soccer striker Radamel Falcao (b. 1986). The meaning of the name is unknown. It may come from the surname Radamel or even be a hispanicized form of Radomil (via Slavic immigrants).

Transferred use of the surname Radcliffe.

Derived from Slavic radovati meaning "to make happy, to gladden".

From the English word for the arc of multicoloured light that can appear in a misty sky.

From the English word, rarity, "a thing that is rare, especially one having particular value as a result". A My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic character bears this name.

Variant of Rosabel.

Transferred use of the surname Rutherford. Rutherford B. Hayes was the 19th President of the United States.

From a now extinct English surname that was derived from a Norman place name. It was occasionally given in honour of the English preacher Henry Sacheverell (1674-1724), especially by the Sitwell noble family.

Transferred use of the surname Sailor or directly from the English vocabulary word sailor, denoting one who works on a ship.

Alternate transcription of Arabic سليم or سالم (see Salim).

Variant of Shaylee.

Used by Scottish author Arthur Conan Doyle for his character Sherlock Holmes, who was a detective in Doyle's mystery stories beginning in 1887. The character's name was from an English surname meaning "shear lock", originally referring to a person with closely cut hair.

Estonian and Finnish diminutive of Sigrid.

Means "lion" in Swahili. This is the name of the main character in the Disney movie The Lion King (1994), about a lion cub who exiles himself after his father is murdered.

The name of a bright star in the constellation Canis Major, derived via Latin from Greek σείριος (seirios) meaning "burning".

Diminutive of Italian sonetto - song, sound; little song. Also the term for a short lyric poem, usually with eight line stanzas, followed by six line
stanzas.

The sonnets of William Shakespeare, on the other hand, are typically three Sicilian quatrains, followed by an heroic couplet.

Swedish and German form of Søren.

From the name of the bird, ultimately from Old English spearwa.

From the English word spirit, ultimately from Latin spiritus "breath, energy", a derivative of spirare "to blow".

Either from the English occupational surname (see Squire), or else directly from the English word. It is derived from Old French esquier, escuier "squire", literally "shield-bearer" (from Latin scutarius, a derivative of scutum "shield").

From the English word for the type of bird. It is commonly associated with the name Star.

It is the original name of children's illustrator Tasha Tudor.

Simply from the English word, ultimately deriving from Greek σύμφωνος (symphonos) meaning "concordant in sound".

Ancient Greek name derived from συντυχία (syntychia) meaning "occurrence, event". This is the name of a woman mentioned in Paul's epistle to the Philippians in the New Testament.

Some sources claim this name means "lonely north wind" in Comanche, though no evidence supporting this meaning can be found. The name appears most common in Spanish, Portuguese, and Dutch speaking nations, which further suggests the name is not of Comanche origin.

It's likely a modern name, either invented or a combination of names containing the elements -tani- and -mara-.

Transferred use of the surname Tesla. This was the surname of Serbian-American inventor, physicist, and engineer Nikola Tesla (1856-1943). He was the first to harness, control, direct, and manipulate electricity. His inventions and research laid the groundwork for the modern alternating current electricity supply system. His work was all but forgotten after his death, but he started to gain recognition in the 1990's.

From tiger lily, a name that has been applied to several orange varieties of lily (such as the species Lilium lancifolium). Tiger Lily is also the name of the Native American princess in J. M. Barrie's play Peter Pan (1904).

Means "all saints" in French. This is the name of a Christian festival celebrated on November 1 (All Saints' Day).

From a surname that was derived from a Cornish place name meaning "homestead on the hill".

Derived from Old Norse tryggr meaning "trustworthy".

Derived from Finnish väinä meaning "wide and slow-flowing river". In Finnish mythology Väinämöinen was a wise old magician, the son of the primal goddess Ilmatar. He is the hero of the Finnish epic the Kalevala.

Short form of Väinämöinen.

Means "king over warriors" from Gaulish wer "on, over" combined with kingeto "marching men, warriors" and rix "king". This name was borne by a 1st-century BC chieftain of the Gaulish tribe the Arverni. He led the resistance against Julius Caesar's attempts to conquer Gaul, but he was eventually defeated, brought to Rome, and executed.

Means "little girl" from Norwegian vesle "little" and møy "girl". This name was created by Norwegian writer Arne Garborg for the main character in his poem Haugtussa (1895).

From the Roman cognomen Vespasianus, derived either from Latin vesper meaning "west" or "evening" or vespa meaning "wasp". This was the name of a 1st-century Roman emperor, Titus Flavius Vespasianus, the founder of the Flavian dynasty.

English form of Gwrtheyrn.

Alternate transcription of Russian Василий (see Vasiliy).

Transferred use of the surname Wilberforce. British author P. G. Wodehouse used it for the middle name of his famous fictional character Bertie Wooster.

Derived from the Old English elements wulf "wolf" and stan "stone".

From the Hebrew name צְפַנְיָה (Tzefanyah) meaning "Yahweh has hidden", derived from צָפַן (tzafan) meaning "to hide" and יָה (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. This is the name of one of the twelve minor prophets of the Old Testament, the author of the Book of Zephaniah.