dinopyte's Personal Name List

Adam
Usage: English, French, German, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Romanian, Jewish
Pronounced: AD-əm(English) A-DAHN(French) A-dam(German, Polish, Czech)
Personal remark: M:3 ; D:1 (Love it (4), like it (3), eh (2), or no (1) )
Rating: 40% based on 5 votes
Derived from the given name Adam.
Alice
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, French, Portuguese, Italian, German, Czech, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Dutch
Pronounced: AL-is(English) A-LEES(French) u-LEE-si(European Portuguese) a-LEE-see(Brazilian Portuguese) a-LEE-cheh(Italian) a-LEES(German) A-li-tseh(Czech)
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
From the Old French name Aalis, a short form of Adelais, itself a short form of the Germanic name Adalheidis (see Adelaide). This name became popular in France and England in the 12th century. It was among the most common names in England until the 16th century, when it began to decline. It was revived in the 19th century.

This name was borne by the heroine of Lewis Carroll's novels Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and Through the Looking Glass (1871).

Amadeus
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Late Roman
Pronounced: ahm-ə-DAY-əs(English) ahm-ə-DEE-əs(English)
Personal remark: M:3 ; D:2
Rating: 32% based on 5 votes
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.
Amias
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
Variant of Amyas.
Anderson
Usage: English
Pronounced: AN-dər-sən
Personal remark: M:2 ; D:1
Rating: 22% based on 5 votes
Means "son of Andrew".
Arcadia
Usage: Ancient Greek
Personal remark: M:3 ; D:4
Rating: 42% based on 5 votes
Archer
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: AHR-chər
Rating: 35% based on 2 votes
From an English surname meaning "bowman, archer", of Old French origin. Although already slowly growing in popularity, this name accelerated its rise after the premiere of the American television series Archer in 2009.
Aurora
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, English, Romanian, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish, Roman Mythology
Pronounced: ow-RAW-ra(Italian) ow-RO-ra(Spanish, Latin) ə-RAWR-ə(English) OW-ro-rah(Finnish)
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
Means "dawn" in Latin. Aurora was the Roman goddess of the morning. It has occasionally been used as a given name since the Renaissance.
Beau
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English, Dutch (Modern)
Pronounced: BO(English)
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
Means "beautiful, handsome" in French. It has been used as a given name since the middle of the 20th century. In Margaret Mitchell's novel Gone with the Wind (1936) this is the name of Ashley and Melanie's son.

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

Booker
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: BUWK-ər
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
From an English occupational surname meaning "maker of books". A famous bearer was Booker T. Washington (1856-1915), an African-American leader.
Cadence
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: KAY-dəns
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
From an English word meaning "rhythm, flow". It has been in use only since the 20th century.
Caia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ancient Roman, Dutch (Rare), Flemish (Rare)
Rating: 20% based on 2 votes
Feminine form of Caius.
Caius
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Roman
Pronounced: GA-ee-oos(Latin) KIE-əs(English)
Rating: 15% based on 2 votes
Roman variant of Gaius.
Callahan
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: KAL-ə-han
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
From an Irish surname, the Anglicized form of Ó Ceallacháin, itself from the given name Cellachán.
Callan
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: KAL-ən
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
From an Irish surname, the Anglicized form of Ó Cathaláin, derived from the given name Cathalán.
Callias
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Καλλίας(Ancient Greek)
Latinized form of Kallias.
Callum
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Scottish
Pronounced: KAL-əm
Rating: 30% based on 2 votes
Variant of Calum.
Calvin
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: KAL-vin
Personal remark: M:4 ; D:2
Rating: 20% based on 5 votes
Derived from the French surname Cauvin, which was derived from chauve meaning "bald". The surname was borne by Jean Cauvin (1509-1564), a theologian from France who was one of the leaders of the Protestant Reformation. His surname was Latinized as Calvinus (based on Latin calvus "bald") and he is known as John Calvin in English. It has been used as a given name in his honour since the 19th century.

In modern times, this name is borne by American fashion designer Calvin Klein (1942-), as well as one of the main characters from Bill Watterson's comic strip Calvin and Hobbes (published from 1985 to 1995).

Camilla
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Italian, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, German, Ancient Roman, Roman Mythology
Pronounced: kə-MIL-ə(English) ka-MEEL-la(Italian) kah-MEEL-lah(Danish) KAH-meel-lah(Finnish) ka-MI-la(German)
Personal remark: M:2.5 ; D:3
Rating: 44% based on 5 votes
Feminine form of Camillus. This was the name of a legendary warrior maiden of the Volsci, as told by Virgil in the Aeneid. It was popularized in the English-speaking world by Fanny Burney's novel Camilla (1796).
Carter
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: KAHR-tər
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
From an English surname that meant "one who uses a cart". A famous bearer of the surname is former American president Jimmy Carter (1924-).
Cecil
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: SEE-səl, SEHS-əl
Rating: 65% based on 2 votes
From the Roman name Caecilius (see Cecilia). This was the name of a 3rd-century saint, a companion of Saint Cyprian. Though it was in use during the Middle Ages in England, it did not become common until the 19th century when it was given in honour of the noble Cecil family, who had been prominent since the 16th century. Their surname was derived from the Welsh given name Seisyll, which was derived from the Roman name Sextilius, a derivative of Sextus.
Cedar
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: SEE-dər
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
From the English word for the coniferous tree, derived (via Old French and Latin) from Greek κέδρος (kedros).
Cedric
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: SEHD-rik
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
Invented by Walter Scott for a character in his novel Ivanhoe (1819). Apparently he based it on the actual name Cerdic, the name of the semi-legendary founder of the kingdom of Wessex in the 6th century. The meaning of Cerdic is uncertain, but it does not appear to be Old English in origin. It could be connected to the Brythonic name Caratācos. The name was also used by Frances Hodgson Burnett for the main character in her novel Little Lord Fauntleroy (1886).
Chandler
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: CHAND-lər
Personal remark: M:5; D:.5
Rating: 24% based on 5 votes
From an occupational surname that meant "candle seller" or "candle maker" in Middle English, ultimately from Latin candela via Old French. It surged in popularity after the 1994 debut of the American sitcom Friends, featuring a character by this name.
Charles
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French
Pronounced: CHAHRLZ(English) SHARL(French)
Personal remark: M:2.5 ; D: Would honor my great uncle, nn Charlie
Rating: 60% based on 5 votes
French and English form of Carolus, the Latin form of the Germanic name Karl, which was derived from a word meaning "man" (Proto-Germanic *karlaz). However, an alternative theory states that it is derived from the common Germanic name element *harjaz meaning "army".

The popularity of the name in continental Europe was due to the fame of Charles the Great (742-814), commonly known as Charlemagne, a king of the Franks who came to rule over most of Europe. His grandfather Charles Martel had also been a noted leader of the Franks. It was subsequently the name of several Holy Roman emperors, as well as rulers of France, Spain, Portugal, Sweden and Hungary (in various spellings). After Charlemagne, his name was adopted as a word meaning "king" in many Eastern European languages, for example Czech král, Hungarian király, Russian король (korol), and Turkish kral.

The name did not become common in Britain until the 17th century when it was borne by the Stuart king Charles I. It had been introduced into the Stuart royal family by Mary Queen of Scots, who had been raised in France. Two other kings of the United Kingdom have borne this name, including the current monarch.

Other famous bearers include naturalist Charles Darwin (1809-1882) who revolutionized biology with his theory of evolution, novelist Charles Dickens (1812-1870) who wrote such works as Great Expectations and A Tale of Two Cities, French statesman Charles de Gaulle (1890-1970), and American cartoonist Charles Schulz (1922-2000), the creator of the Peanuts comic strip.

Clark
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: KLAHRK
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
From an English surname meaning "cleric" or "scribe", from Old English clerec originally meaning "priest". A famous bearer of the surname was William Clark (1770-1838), an explorer of the west of North America. As a first name it was borne by the American actor Clark Gable (1901-1960), as well as the comic book character Clark Kent, the mild-mannered alter ego of Superman, first created 1938.
Colby
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: KOL-bee
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
From an English surname, originally from various place names, derived from the Old Norse nickname Koli (meaning "coal, dark") and býr "town". As a given name, its popularity spiked in the United States and Canada in 2001 when Colby Donaldson (1974-) appeared on the reality television show Survivor.
Colum
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish, Old Irish [1]
Rating: 15% based on 2 votes
Irish form of Columba. The Old Irish word columb or colum also means "dove", derived from Latin columba.
Cora
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, German, Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Κόρη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: KAWR-ə(English) KO-ra(German)
Personal remark: M:2.5 ; D:2
Rating: 58% based on 5 votes
Latinized form of Kore. It was not used as a given name in the English-speaking world until after it was employed by James Fenimore Cooper for a character in his novel The Last of the Mohicans (1826). In some cases it may be a short form of Cordula, Corinna and other names beginning with a similar sound.
Coralie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: KAW-RA-LEE
Rating: 25% based on 4 votes
Either a French form of Koralia, or a derivative of Latin corallium "coral" (see Coral).
Cordelia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Literature, English
Pronounced: kawr-DEE-lee-ə(English) kawr-DEEL-yə(English)
Personal remark: M:2 ; D:1
Rating: 64% based on 5 votes
From Cordeilla, a name appearing in the 12th-century chronicles [1] of Geoffrey of Monmouth, borne by the youngest of the three daughters of King Leir and the only one to remain loyal to her father. Geoffrey possibly based her name on that of Creiddylad, a character from Welsh legend.

The spelling was later altered to Cordelia when Geoffrey's story was adapted by others, including Edmund Spenser in his poem The Faerie Queene (1590) and Shakespeare in his tragedy King Lear (1606).

Cove
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: KOV
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
Either from the English surname Cove or else directly from the vocabulary word cove, which refers to a small coastal inlet.
Cressida
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Literature
Pronounced: KREHS-i-də(English)
Personal remark: M:3.5 ; D:1
Rating: 32% based on 5 votes
Form of Criseida used by Shakespeare in his play Troilus and Cressida (1602).
Damianos
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Δαμιανός(Ancient Greek)
Greek form of Damian.
Dean
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: DEEN
Rating: 15% based on 2 votes
From a surname, see Dean 1 and Dean 2. The actor James Dean (1931-1955) was a famous bearer of the surname.
Delaney
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: di-LAYN-ee
Personal remark: M:3 ; D:2
Rating: 24% based on 5 votes
From a surname: either the English surname Delaney 1 or the Irish surname Delaney 2.
Delia 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Italian, Spanish, Romanian, Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Δηλία(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: DEE-lee-ə(English) DEH-lya(Italian, Spanish) DEH-lee-a(Romanian)
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
Means "of Delos" in Greek. This was an epithet of the Greek goddess Artemis, given because she and her twin brother Apollo were born on the island of Delos. The name appeared in several poems of the 16th and 17th centuries, and it has occasionally been used as a given name since that time.
Drake
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: DRAYK
Personal remark: M:2.5 ; D:4
Rating: 12% based on 5 votes
From an English surname derived from the Old Norse byname Draki or the Old English byname Draca both meaning "dragon", both via Latin from Greek δράκων (drakon) meaning "dragon, serpent". This name coincides with the unrelated English word drake meaning "male duck". A famous bearer is the Canadian actor and rapper Drake (1986-), who was born as Aubrey Drake Graham.
Edmond
Gender: Masculine
Usage: French, Albanian
Pronounced: EHD-MAWN(French)
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
French and Albanian form of Edmund. A notable bearer was the English astronomer Edmond Halley (1656-1742), for whom Halley's comet is named.
Eivin
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Norwegian
Rating: 15% based on 2 votes
Variant form of Eivind. Known bearers of this name include the Norwegian jazz musician Eivin One Pedersen (1956-2012) and Eivin Kilcher from the reality TV series "Alaska: The Last Frontier".
Ember
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: EHM-bər
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
From the English word ember, ultimately from Old English æmerge.
Emmeline
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: EHM-ə-leen, EHM-ə-lien
Rating: 45% based on 4 votes
From Old French Emeline, a diminutive of Germanic names beginning with the element amal meaning "unceasing, vigorous, brave". The Normans introduced this name to England.
Emmett
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: EHM-it
Personal remark: M:2.5 ; D:3
Rating: 42% based on 5 votes
From an English surname that was derived from a diminutive of the feminine given name Emma.
Esme
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: EHZ-may, EHZ-mee
Personal remark: M:3 ; D:1
Rating: 62% based on 5 votes
Variant of Esmé.
Esmé
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: EHZ-may, EHZ-mee
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
Means "esteemed" or "loved" in Old French. It was first recorded in Scotland, being borne by the first Duke of Lennox in the 16th century. It is now more common as a feminine name.
Evander 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Greek Mythology (Latinized), Roman Mythology
Other Scripts: Εὔανδρος(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: ee-VAN-dər(English) ə-VAN-dər(English)
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
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.
Evander 2
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Scottish
Pronounced: ee-VAN-dər(English) ə-VAN-dər(English)
Rating: 60% based on 2 votes
Anglicized form of Iomhar.
Everett
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: EHV-ə-rit, EHV-rit
Rating: 30% based on 2 votes
From an English surname that was derived from the given name Everard.
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)
Personal remark: M:2 ; D:1
Rating: 56% based on 5 votes
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).

Finn 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish Mythology, Old Irish [1], Irish, English, Dutch, German
Pronounced: FIN(English)
Rating: 20% based on 2 votes
Old Irish form of Fionn, as well as the usual Anglicized spelling (with the Irish hero's name Anglicized as Finn McCool). As a surname it is borne by Huckleberry Finn, a character in Mark Twain's novels.
Gareth
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Welsh, English (British), Arthurian Cycle
Pronounced: GAR-əth(British English)
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
Meaning uncertain. It appears in this form in Thomas Malory's 15th-century compilation of Arthurian legends Le Morte d'Arthur, in which the knight Gareth (also named Beaumains) is a brother of Gawain. He goes with Lynet to rescue her sister Lyonesse from the Red Knight. Malory based the name on Gaheriet or Guerrehet, which was the name of a similar character in French sources. It may ultimately have a Welsh origin, possibly from the name Gwrhyd meaning "valour" (found in the tale Culhwch and Olwen) or Gwairydd meaning "hay lord" (found in the chronicle Brut y Brenhinedd).
Graham
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Scottish, English
Pronounced: GRAY-əm(English) GRAM(English)
Personal remark: M:2 ; D:1
Rating: 44% based on 5 votes
From a Scottish surname, originally derived from the English place name Grantham, which probably meant "gravelly homestead" in Old English. The surname was first taken to Scotland in the 12th century by the Norman baron William de Graham [1]. A famous bearer of the surname was Alexander Graham Bell (1847-1922), the Scottish-Canadian-American inventor who devised the telephone. A famous bearer of the given name was the British author Graham Greene (1904-1991).

During the 20th century, Graham was more common in the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada than it was in the United States. However, it has been rising on the American charts since around 2006.

Grant
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Scottish
Pronounced: GRANT(English)
Personal remark: M:2 ; D:2
Rating: 24% based on 5 votes
From an English and Scottish surname that was derived from Norman French grand meaning "great, large". A famous bearer of the surname was Ulysses Grant (1822-1885), the commander of the Union forces during the American Civil War who later served as president. In America the name has often been given in his honour.
Harris
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: HAR-is, HEHR-is
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
From an English surname that was derived from the given name Harry.
Harrison
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: HAR-i-sən, HEHR-i-sən
Rating: 25% based on 2 votes
From an English surname that meant "son of Harry". This was the surname of two American presidents, William Henry Harrison (1773-1841) and his grandson Benjamin Harrison (1833-1901). As a given name it reached a low point in America in 1977 before it was revived by the career of actor Harrison Ford (1942-), who starred in such movies as Star Wars in 1977 and Indiana Jones in 1984.
Haven
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: HAY-vən
Personal remark: M:2 ; D:4
Rating: 42% based on 5 votes
From the English word for a safe place, derived ultimately from Old English hæfen.
Hazel
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: HAY-zəl
Rating: 50% based on 5 votes
From the English word hazel for the tree or the light brown colour, derived ultimately from Old English hæsel. It was coined as a given name in the 19th century and quickly became popular, reaching the 18th place for girls in the United States by 1897. It fell out of fashion in the second half of the 20th century, but has since recovered.
Holmes
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: holmz
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
Transferred use of the surname Holmes in infrequent use as a first name in America in the late 1800s and the first decade of the 1900s.
Hope
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: HOP
Personal remark: D:4; this would honor his angel baby
Rating: 34% based on 5 votes
From the English word hope, ultimately from Old English hopian. This name was first used by the Puritans in the 17th century.
Isabella
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, German, English, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Finnish, Dutch, Romanian
Pronounced: ee-za-BEHL-la(Italian) ee-za-BEH-la(German, Dutch) iz-ə-BEHL-ə(English) is-a-BEHL-la(Swedish) EE-sah-behl-lah(Finnish)
Personal remark: M:2 ; D:3
Rating: 50% based on 5 votes
Latinate form of Isabel. This name was borne by many medieval royals, including queens consort of England, France, Portugal, the Holy Roman Empire and Hungary, as well as the powerful ruling queen Isabella of Castile (properly called Isabel).

In the United States this form was much less common than Isabel until the early 1990s, when it began rapidly rising in popularity. It reached a peak in 2009 and 2010, when it was the most popular name for girls in America, an astounding rise over only 20 years.

A famous bearer is the Italian actress Isabella Rossellini (1952-).

Ivaly
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (American), American (Hispanic)
Personal remark: M:3.5 ; D:2
Rating: 12% based on 5 votes
Of uncertain origin and meaning.
It might be a feminized form of Ival, however, given how rare the masculine name Ival is, this is unlikely. It might also be a transferred use of the extremely rare surname Ivaly, which is also a rather unlikely source. It might simply be an elaborated form of Iva. It might even be a rare variant of Ivelis, itself a rare variant of Yvelisse (via the variants Ivelisse and Ivalisse). The variant Ivalia suggests that it might have been influenced, if not been based on, Evalia and thus Evelia.
Ivan
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Russian, Bulgarian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Serbian, Macedonian, Croatian, Czech, Slovak, Slovene, English, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Estonian
Other Scripts: Иван(Russian, Bulgarian, Serbian, Macedonian) Іван(Ukrainian, Belarusian)
Pronounced: i-VAN(Russian) ee-VAN(Bulgarian, Romanian) ee-VAHN(Ukrainian) yee-VAN(Belarusian) EE-van(Serbian, Macedonian, Croatian, Slovak, Slovene, Italian) I-van(Czech) IE-vən(English) ee-VUN(Portuguese)
Rating: 20% based on 2 votes
Newer form of the Old Church Slavic name Іѡаннъ (Ioannŭ), which was derived from Greek Ioannes (see John). This was the name of six Russian rulers, including the 15th-century Ivan III the Great and 16th-century Ivan IV the Terrible, the first tsar of Russia. It was also borne by nine emperors of Bulgaria. Other notable bearers include the Russian author Ivan Turgenev (1818-1883), who wrote Fathers and Sons, and the Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936), who is best known for his discovery of the conditioned reflex.
Ivy
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: IE-vee
Personal remark: M:3 ; D:3
Rating: 84% based on 5 votes
From the English word for the climbing plant that has small yellow flowers. It is ultimately derived from Old English ifig.
James
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Biblical
Pronounced: JAYMZ(English)
Personal remark: M:4 ; D:2 (Would honor several men on both sides of our family)
Rating: 60% based on 6 votes
English form of the Late Latin name Iacomus, a variant of the Biblical Latin form Iacobus, from the Hebrew name Ya'aqov (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
Personal remark: M:2 ; D:1
Rating: 40% based on 5 votes
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.

Jarvis
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: JAHR-vis
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
From an English surname that was derived from the given name Gervais.
Jocelyn
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, French
Pronounced: JAHS-lin(English) JAHS-ə-lin(English) ZHO-SEH-LEHN(French)
Personal remark: M:1 ; D:5
Rating: 32% based on 5 votes
From a Frankish masculine name, variously written as Gaudelenus, Gautselin, Gauzlin, along with many other spellings. It was derived from the Germanic element *gautaz, which was from the name of the Germanic tribe the Geats, combined with a Latin diminutive suffix. The Normans brought this name to England in the form Goscelin or Joscelin, and it was common until the 14th century. It was revived in the 20th century primarily as a feminine name, perhaps an adaptation of the surname Jocelyn (a medieval derivative of the given name). In France this is a masculine name only.
Johanna
Gender: Feminine
Usage: German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Hungarian, Finnish, Estonian, English, Late Roman
Pronounced: yo-HA-na(German) yuw-HAN-na(Swedish) yo-HAHN-nah(Danish) yo-HAH-na(Dutch) YO-hawn-naw(Hungarian) YO-hahn-nah(Finnish) jo-HAN-ə(English) jo-AN-ə(English)
Rating: 35% based on 4 votes
Latinate form of Greek Ioanna (see Joanna).
Josephine
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, German, Dutch
Pronounced: JO-sə-feen(English) yo-zeh-FEE-nə(German)
Personal remark: M:3 ; D:2 (nn Josie?)
Rating: 64% based on 5 votes
English, German and Dutch form of Joséphine.
Jude 2
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: JOOD
Rating: 37% based on 3 votes
Short form of Judith.
Jules 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: French
Pronounced: ZHUYL
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
French form of Julius. A notable bearer of this name was the French novelist Jules Verne (1828-1905), author of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and other works of science fiction.
Juliana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Dutch, German, English, Spanish, Portuguese, Slovak, Ancient Roman
Pronounced: yuy-lee-A-na(Dutch) yoo-lee-A-na(German) joo-lee-AN-ə(English) joo-lee-AHN-ə(English) khoo-LYA-na(Spanish) YOO-lee-a-na(Slovak)
Rating: 40% based on 2 votes
Feminine form of Iulianus (see Julian). This was the name of a 4th-century saint and martyr from Nicomedia, and also of the Blessed Juliana of Norwich, also called Julian, a 14th-century mystic and author. The name was also borne by a 20th-century queen of the Netherlands. In England, this form has been in use since the 18th century, alongside the older form Gillian.
Leo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, English, Croatian, Armenian, Late Roman
Other Scripts: Լեո(Armenian)
Pronounced: LEH-o(German, Danish, Finnish) LEH-yo(Dutch) LEE-o(English)
Personal remark: M:2.5 ; D:2
Rating: 84% based on 5 votes
Derived from Latin leo meaning "lion", a cognate of Leon. It was popular among early Christians and was the name of 13 popes, including Saint Leo the Great who asserted the dominance of the Roman bishops (the popes) over all others in the 5th century. It was also borne by six Byzantine emperors and five Armenian kings. Another famous bearer was the Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910), name spelled Лев in Russian, whose works include War and Peace and Anna Karenina. Leo is also a constellation and the fifth sign of the zodiac.
Lincoln
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: LING-kən
Personal remark: M:2 ; D:1
Rating: 52% based on 5 votes
From an English surname that was originally from the name of an English city, called Lindum Colonia by the Romans, derived from Brythonic lindo "lake, pool" and Latin colonia "colony". This name is usually given in honour of Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), president of the United States during the American Civil War.
Lucilia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ancient Roman
Personal remark: M:3.5 ; D:3
Rating: 22% based on 5 votes
Feminine form of Lucilius.
Lydia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, German, Dutch, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
Other Scripts: Λυδία(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: LID-ee-ə(English) LUY-dya(German)
Personal remark: M:2 ; D:1
Rating: 74% based on 5 votes
Means "from Lydia" in Greek. Lydia was a region on the west coast of Asia Minor, said to be named for the legendary king Lydos. In the New Testament this is the name of a woman converted to Christianity by Saint Paul. In the modern era the name has been in use since the Protestant Reformation.
Lynx
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Astronomy
Personal remark: M:2 ; D:2
Rating: 28% based on 5 votes
Lynx is a constellation in the northern sky, introduced in the 17th century by Johannes Hevelius. It is named after the lynx, a genus of cats.
Lyra
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Astronomy
Pronounced: LIE-rə(English)
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
The name of the constellation in the northern sky containing the star Vega. It is said to be shaped after the lyre of Orpheus. This is the name of the main character in the His Dark Materials series of books by Philip Pullman (beginning 1995).
Madge
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: MAJ
Rating: 10% based on 2 votes
Diminutive of Margaret.
Madison
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: MAD-i-sən
Personal remark: My daughter's middle name
Rating: 22% based on 5 votes
From an English surname meaning "son of Maud". It was not commonly used as a feminine name until after the movie Splash (1984), in which the main character adopted it as her name after seeing a street sign for Madison Avenue in New York City. It was ranked second for girls in the United States by 2001. This rise from obscurity to prominence in only 18 years represents an unprecedented 550,000 percent increase in usage.

A famous bearer of the surname was James Madison (1751-1836), one of the authors of the American constitution who later served as president (and after whom Madison Avenue was named).

Maeve
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish, English, Irish Mythology
Pronounced: MAYV(English)
Personal remark: M:3 ; D:1
Rating: 65% based on 6 votes
Anglicized form of the Irish name Medb meaning "intoxicating". In Irish legend this was the name of a warrior queen of Connacht. She and her husband Ailill fought against the Ulster king Conchobar and the hero Cúchulainn, as told in the Irish epic The Cattle Raid of Cooley.
Maisri
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Literature
Pronounced: MAY-zree, MAZ-ree, MAH-shri
Rating: 17% based on 3 votes
Probably an invented name, formed using elements from similar-sounding Scottish names such as Maisie, Mairead, Marsaili and Màiri. It may have first been used by author Diana Gabaldon in her 'Outlander' book series, where it belongs to a young girl, an 18th-century "Highland seer".
Mallory
Usage: English
Pronounced: MAL-ə-ree
Personal remark: M:2 ; D:2
Rating: 20% based on 5 votes
From Old French maloret meaning "unfortunate, unlucky", a term introduced to England by the Normans.
Matthias
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German, French, Dutch, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
Other Scripts: Ματθίας(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: ma-TEE-as(German) MA-TYAS(French) mə-THIE-əs(English) MAT-tee-as(Latin)
Personal remark: M:3 ; D:4
Rating: 22% based on 5 votes
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.
Melanie
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, German, Dutch
Pronounced: MEHL-ə-nee(English) MEH-la-nee(German) meh-la-NEE(German)
Personal remark: M:3 ; D:2
Rating: 34% based on 5 votes
From Mélanie, the French form of the Latin name Melania, derived from Greek μέλαινα (melaina) meaning "black, dark". This was the name of a Roman saint who gave all her wealth to charity in the 5th century. Her grandmother was also a saint with the same name.

The name was common in France during the Middle Ages, and was introduced from there to England, though it eventually became rare. Interest in it was revived by the character Melanie Wilkes from the novel Gone with the Wind (1936) and the subsequent movie adaptation (1939).

Melody
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: MEHL-ə-dee
Personal remark: M:2 ; D:2
Rating: 42% based on 5 votes
From the English word melody, which is derived (via Old French and Late Latin) from Greek μέλος (melos) meaning "song" combined with ἀείδω (aeido) meaning "to sing".
Meredith
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Welsh, English
Pronounced: MEHR-ə-dith(English)
Personal remark: M:2.5 ; D:2
Rating: 54% based on 5 votes
From the Welsh name Maredudd or Meredydd, from Old Welsh forms such as Margetud, possibly from mawredd "greatness, magnificence" combined with iudd "lord". The Welsh forms of this name were well used through the Middle Ages. Since the mid-1920s it has been used more often for girls than for boys in English-speaking countries, though it is still a masculine name in Wales. A famous bearer of this name as surname was the English novelist and poet George Meredith (1828-1909).
Molly
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: MAHL-ee
Personal remark: M:2 ; D:1
Rating: 26% based on 5 votes
Medieval diminutive of Mary, now often used independently. It developed from Malle and Molle, other medieval diminutives. James Joyce used this name in his novel Ulysses (1922), where it belongs to Molly Bloom, the wife of the main character.
Morris
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Medieval English
Pronounced: MAWR-is(English)
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
Usual medieval form of Maurice.
Nora 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Irish, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Latvian, German, Dutch, Italian, Spanish
Pronounced: NAWR-ə(English) NO-ra(German)
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
Short form of Honora or Eleanor. Henrik Ibsen used it for a character in his play A Doll's House (1879).
Nova
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Swedish (Modern), Dutch (Modern)
Pronounced: NO-və(English) NO-va(Swedish)
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
Derived from Latin novus meaning "new". It was first used as a name in the 19th century.
Oak
Usage: English
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
Topographic surname for someone who lived near an oak tree or in an oak wood, from Middle English oke "oak".
Octavia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Spanish, Romanian, Ancient Roman
Pronounced: ahk-TAY-vee-ə(English) ok-TA-bya(Spanish) ok-TA-wee-a(Latin)
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
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.
Ollivander
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (American, Modern, Rare), Popular Culture
Pronounced: AHL-i-van-dər(American English, Popular Culture)
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
Surname of Garrick Ollivander, a wizard and the owner of Ollivander's Wand Shop in the Harry Potter book series and movie franchise by J. K. Rowling. In the Harry Potter universe the name is said to be of Mediterranean origin and mean "he who owns the olive wand".
Osiris
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Egyptian Mythology (Hellenized)
Other Scripts: Ὄσιρις(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: o-SIE-ris(English)
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
Greek form of the Egyptian wsjr (reconstructed as Asar, Usir and other forms), which is of unknown meaning, possibly related to wsr "mighty" or jrt "eye". In Egyptian mythology Osiris was the god of fertility, agriculture, and the dead and served as the judge of the underworld. In one tale he was slain by his brother Seth, but restored to life by his wife Isis in order to conceive their son Horus, who would go on to avenge his father.
Osmund
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Anglo-Saxon [1][2]
Rating: 20% based on 2 votes
Old English form of Osmond.
Oswald
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, German
Pronounced: AHZ-wawld(English) AWS-valt(German)
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
Derived from the Old English elements os "god" and weald "powerful, mighty". Saint Oswald was a king of Northumbria who introduced Christianity to northeastern England in the 7th century before being killed in battle. There was also an Old Norse cognate Ásvaldr in use in England, being borne by the 10th-century Saint Oswald of Worcester, who was of Danish ancestry. Though the name had died out by the end of the Middle Ages, it was revived in the 19th century.
Oswin
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: AHZ-win
Rating: 20% based on 2 votes
From the Old English elements os "god" and wine "friend". Saint Oswin was a 7th-century king of Northumbria. After the Norman Conquest this name was used less, and it died out after the 14th century. It was briefly revived in the 19th century.
Pandora
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Πανδώρα(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: PAN-DAW-RA(Classical Greek) pan-DAWR-ə(English)
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
Means "all gifts", derived from a combination of Greek πᾶν (pan) meaning "all" and δῶρον (doron) meaning "gift". In Greek mythology Pandora was the first mortal woman. Zeus gave her a jar containing all of the troubles and ills that mankind now knows, and told her not to open it. Unfortunately her curiosity got the best of her and she opened it, unleashing the evil spirits into the world.
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)
Personal remark: M:2 ; D:1
Rating: 54% based on 5 votes
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.

Randall
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: RAN-dəl
Personal remark: Would honor my paternal grandfather
Rating: 14% based on 5 votes
From an English surname that was derived from the medieval given name Randel.
Reed
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: REED
Rating: 15% based on 2 votes
From an English surname that was derived from Old English read meaning "red", originally a nickname given to a person with red hair or a ruddy complexion. Unconnected, this is also the English word for tall grass-like plants that grow in marshes.
Reid
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: REED
Rating: 15% based on 2 votes
From a surname, a Scots variant of Reed.
Romilly
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (British, Rare)
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
From an English surname that was derived from the name of various Norman towns, themselves from the given name Romilius.
Rorian
Gender: Masculine
Usage: American (Rare)
Personal remark: M:3.5 ; D:3. Nn Rory?
Rating: 36% based on 5 votes
Rory
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Irish, Scottish, English
Pronounced: RAWR-ee(English)
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
Anglicized form of Ruaidhrí. Typically a masculine name, it gained some popularity for girls in the United States after it was used on the television series Gilmore Girls (2000-2007), in this case as a nickname for Lorelai. Despite this, the name has grown more common for boys in America, especially after 2011, perhaps due to Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy (1989-).
Sadie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: SAY-dee
Personal remark: M:3 ; D:2
Rating: 30% based on 5 votes
Diminutive of Sarah.
Sapphira
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Biblical
Other Scripts: Σαπφείρη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: sə-FIE-rə(English)
Rating: 45% based on 4 votes
From the Greek name Σαπφείρη (Sappheire), which was from Greek σάπφειρος (sappheiros) meaning "sapphire" or "lapis lazuli" (ultimately derived from the Hebrew word סַפִּיר (sappir)). Sapphira is a character in Acts in the New Testament who is killed by God for lying.
Sigmund
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German, Norwegian, English, Norse Mythology
Pronounced: ZEEK-muwnt(German) SIG-mənd(English)
Rating: 5% based on 2 votes
Derived from the Old German elements sigu "victory" and munt "protection" (or in the case of the Scandinavian cognate, from Old Norse sigr and mundr). An early variant of this name was Sigismund, borne by a 6th-century saint and king of the Burgundians. In the Norse Völsungasaga Sigmund is the hero Sigurd's father, the bearer of the powerful sword Gram. A notable bearer was the Austrian psychologist Sigmund Freud (1856-1939), the creator of the revolutionary theory of psychoanalysis.
Silvia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, German, Dutch, English, Late Roman, Roman Mythology
Pronounced: SEEL-vya(Italian) SEEL-bya(Spanish) ZIL-vya(German) SIL-vee-ə(English)
Rating: 20% based on 5 votes
Feminine form of Silvius. Rhea Silvia was the mother of Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome. This was also the name of a 6th-century saint, the mother of the pope Gregory the Great. It has been a common name in Italy since the Middle Ages. It was introduced to England by Shakespeare, who used it for a character in his play The Two Gentlemen of Verona (1594). It is now more commonly spelled Sylvia in the English-speaking world.
Soleil
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Various
Pronounced: SAW-LAY(French)
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
Means "sun" in French. It is not commonly used as a name in France itself.
Solveig
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Norwegian, Swedish, Danish
Pronounced: SOOL-vie(Norwegian) SOOL-vay(Swedish)
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
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).
Solvej
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Danish
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
Danish form of Solveig.
Sullivan
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French
Pronounced: SUL-i-vən(English)
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
From an Irish surname, the Anglicized form of Ó Súileabháin, itself from the given name Súileabhán, which was derived from Irish súil "eye" and dubh "dark, black" combined with a diminutive suffix. This name has achieved a moderate level of popularity in France since the 1970s. In the United States it was rare before the 1990s, after which it began climbing steadily. A famous fictional bearer of the surname was James P. Sullivan from the animated movie Monsters, Inc. (2001).
Sylvia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish
Pronounced: SIL-vee-ə(English) SUYL-vee-ah(Finnish)
Personal remark: M:3.5 : D:3
Rating: 24% based on 5 votes
Variant of Silvia. This has been the most common English spelling since the 19th century.
Tessa
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Dutch
Pronounced: TEHS-ə(English)
Personal remark: M:2 ; D:3.75 nn Tess? Tessie?
Rating: 30% based on 5 votes
Contracted form of Theresa.
Thaddeus
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Biblical, Biblical Latin
Other Scripts: Θαδδαῖος(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: THAD-ee-əs(English) tha-DEE-əs(English)
Personal remark: M:2 ; D:4
Rating: 38% based on 5 votes
From Θαδδαῖος (Thaddaios), the Greek form of the Aramaic name Thaddai. It is possibly derived from a word meaning "heart", but it may in fact be an Aramaic form of a Greek name such as Θεόδωρος (see Theodore). In the Gospel of Matthew, Thaddaeus is listed as one of the twelve apostles, though elsewhere in the New Testament his name is omitted and Jude's appears instead. It is likely that the two names refer to the same person.
Thatcher
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: THACH-ər
Rating: 0% based on 1 vote
From an English surname that referred to a person who thatched roofs by attaching straw to them, derived from Old English þæc "thatch". The surname was borne by British prime minister Margaret Thatcher (1925-2013).
Trinity
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: TRIN-i-tee
Personal remark: M:1 ; D:4
Rating: 36% based on 5 votes
From the English word Trinity, given in honour of the Christian belief that God has one essence, but three distinct expressions of being: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It has only been in use as a given name since the 20th century.
Vada
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Popular Culture
Pronounced: VAY-də(English) VAH-də(English) VA-də(English)
Rating: 15% based on 2 votes
Meaning unknown. Possibly a variant of Veda or Valda or short form of Nevada.
It was used for the heroine of the American film My Girl (1991).
Vivienne
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: VEE-VYEHN
Rating: 58% based on 5 votes
French form of Viviana.
behindthename.com   ·   Copyright © 1996-2024