Francesca's Personal Name List

From Arabic ذو الفقار (Dhū al-Faqār) interpreted as meaning "cleaver of the spine", derived from ذو (dhū) meaning "possessor, holder" and فقار (faqār) meaning "spine, vertebra". This was the name of the Prophet Muhammad's sword, also used by his son-in-law Ali.

Means "happiness" in Basque.

Means "glowing" in Greek. This was the name of a Persian nobleman who aided his king Darius in the capture of Babylon. He did this by mutilating himself and then going to the Babylonians claiming that it had been Darius who did it to him. After gaining their trust he betrayed them.

Apparently either means "watchman of God" or "rock of God" in Hebrew. It could also be a variant of Jophiel, since the angel Jophiel is also regularly called Zophiel in various sources. This was also the name of an angel in Milton's epic "Paradise Lost."

Meaning unknown, perhaps an invented name. It has been in occasional use in the English-speaking world since the 19th century. It coincides with an Italian surname, a famous bearer being the French-Italian author Émile Zola (1840-1902).

Means "splendour, light, glow" in Arabic. This was the name of a 14th-century Islamic Indian historian.

Alternate transcription of Arabic ضياء (see Ziya), as well as the usual Urdu and Bengali transcription.

Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian form of Jeanne.

Diminutive of Rozalija.

Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian form of George. This name was borne by Yuriy Dolgorukiy, a 12th-century grand prince of Kyiv. The Soviet cosmonaut Yuriy (or Yuri) Gagarin (1934-1968), the first man to travel to space, was another famous bearer of this name.

Alternate transcription of Russian Юрий, Ukrainian Юрій or Belarusian Юрый (see Yuriy).

Hebrew form of Jair, as well as a Spanish variant.

Middle English form of the Old English name Wigmund, composed of the elements wig "battle" and mund "protection".

From the English word for the small songbird. It is ultimately derived from Old English wrenna.

From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "white island" in Old English. Its popular use as a feminine name was initiated by actress Whitney Blake (1925-2002) in the 1960s, and further boosted in the 1980s by singer Whitney Houston (1963-2012).

English form of Václav, via the Latinized form Venceslaus.

From a surname that was originally derived from the name of an English town, itself meaning "settlement belonging to Wassa's people". The given name is usually given in honour of George Washington (1732-1799), commander of the Continental Army during the American Revolution and the first president of the United States.

From an occupational surname for a watchman, derived from Old English weard "guard".

From an English surname that referred to the medieval occupational of a walker, also known as a fuller. Walkers would tread on wet, unprocessed wool in order to clean and thicken it. The word ultimately derives from Old English wealcan "to walk".

Finnish and Swedish diminutive of Vilhelm and other names beginning with Vil.

Italian short form of Lodovico.

From a Norman surname, which was from a French place name, ultimately derived from the Gaulish word vern meaning "alder".

Means "truth" in Latin, a derivative of verus "true". The Roman goddess Veritas was the personification of truth.

From Old Norse Verðandi meaning "becoming, happening". Verdandi was one of the three Norns, or goddesses of destiny, in Norse mythology. She was responsible for the present.

Form of Venus, from the genitive form Veneris.

Modern Norwegian form of Vémundr.

Derived from Armenian վարդ (vard) meaning "rose", ultimately from an Iranian language.

From an English surname that was derived from Old English fenn meaning "marsh, fen".

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).

Means "little bear", derived from a diminutive form of the Latin word ursa "she-bear". Saint Ursula was a legendary virgin princess of the 4th century who was martyred by the Huns while returning from a pilgrimage. In England the saint was popular during the Middle Ages, and the name came into general use at that time.

Variant of Ursula.

From the Old Welsh name Urbgen, possibly from the Celtic root *orbo- "heir" and the suffix gen "born of". This was the name of a 6th-century king of Rheged. Passing into Arthurian tales, he became the king of Gore, the husband of Morgan le Fay, and the father of Owain.

Probably derived from Latin umbra meaning "shadow". This name was created by Alexander Pope for a "dusky, melancholy sprite" in his poem 'The Rape of the Lock' (1712). A moon of Uranus bears this name in his honour.

Hebrew form of Zephyr.

Swedish and Norwegian variant of Tove.

Modern form of Þórfríðr.

From an occupational surname for a cloth fuller, derived from Old English tucian meaning "offend, torment". A fuller was a person who cleaned and thickened raw cloth by pounding it.

Transferred use of the surname Truett.

Medieval English form of Tristan.

Variant of Tristan, sometimes used as a feminine form.

Feminine form of Tristan.

Biblical Hebrew form of Tobiah.

Hebrew form of Tobiah, also used as a feminine form.

Modern form of the Old Norse name Tófa, a short form of Þórfríðr.

Swedish variant of Tove.

Diminutive of Charlotte.

Modern form of Þóra.

Short form of Þórfríðr.

Perhaps based on Latin Titanius meaning "of the Titans". This name was (first?) used by William Shakespeare in his comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream (1595) where it belongs to the queen of the fairies, the wife of Oberon. This is also a moon of Uranus, named after the Shakespearean character.

Croatian short form of Martin, Valentin and other names ending in tin.

Variant of Timur.

From Tielo, a medieval Low German diminutive of Dietrich and other names beginning with Old High German diota or Old Frankish þeoda meaning "people". Till Eulenspiegel is a trickster in German folklore.

Medieval feminine form of Thomas.

Short form of Thomas.

Variant of Till. Saint Thillo was a 7th-century man of Saxony who was kidnapped and brought to Flanders by raiders. After his release he became a priest and did missionary work in France.

From the ancient Greek name Θεόκλεια (Theokleia), which meant "glory of God" from the Greek elements θεός (theos) meaning "god" and κλέος (kleos) meaning "glory". This was the name of a 1st-century saint, appearing (as Θέκλα) in the apocryphal Acts of Paul and Thecla. The story tells how Thecla listens to Paul speak about the virtues of chastity and decides to remain a virgin, angering both her mother and her suitor.

From the Scottish and English noble title, which was originally from Old English thegn.

Yiddish form of Tobiah. This is the name of the central character in stories written by the Yiddish author Sholem Aleichem in the late 19th century, as well as the later musical adaptation Fiddler on the Roof (1964).

From an English surname that originally belonged to a person who was associated with the Knights Templar, a medieval religious military order.

Means "thank you" in Shona, from tenda meaning "thank".

From a Welsh place name meaning "front hill", derived from Welsh tal "front, extremity" and bryn "hill".

Russian and Ukrainian form of Thaïs (referring to the saint).

Finnish short form of Tatiana.

Either a latinate variant of Symphora that was created by adding the Latin feminine augmentative suffix -osa to it, or a corruption of Sympherusa, which is the proper Latin form of the Greek name Sympherousa.

This name is best known for being the name of the 2nd-century saint Symphorosa of Tibur (now Tivoli in central Italy), who was martyred during the reign of the Roman Emperor Hadrian, together with her seven sons.

Variant of Sibyl. This spelling variation has existed since the Middle Ages.

Punjabi form of Swarna.

From a personification of the country of Sweden, in use since the 17th century. It is a derivative of Svear, the Swedish name for the North Germanic tribe the Swedes. The Swedish name of the country of Sweden is Sverige, a newer form of Svear rike meaning "the realm of the Svear".

Means "lovely eyes" in Hindi.

Means "wise, good mind", derived from Sanskrit सु (su) meaning "good" and मति (mati) meaning "mind, thought". According to Hindu tradition this was the name of King Sagara's second wife, who bore him 60,000 children.

Diminutive of Sullivan and other names with a similar sound.

Scottish Gaelic form of Sumarliði (see Somerled).

Anglicized form of the Old Norse name Sumarliði meaning "summer traveller". This was the name of a 12th-century Norse-Gaelic king of Mann and the Scottish Isles.

Possibly a combination of the Spanish words sol (meaning "sun") and luna (meaning "moon").

Alternate transcription of Arabic سفيان (see Sufyan) chiefly used in North Africa, as well as an Indonesian and Malay variant of the name.

From the English word, derived from Old English snāw.

From an English surname that was derived from Old English slæd meaning "valley".

Means "star" in Urdu, ultimately from Persian.

In Irish legend this was the name of a granddaughter of the sea god Lir who went to Connla's Well, which was forbidden. The well burst and drowned her, leaving her body in the river thereafter known as the Sionainn (see Shannon).

Elaborated form of Sini, also meaning "bluebird".

Feminine form of Silvester.

Variant of Sigal.

Italian form of Sibylla.

From Sanskrit श्रेयस् (śreyas) meaning "superior, better".

Probably an Anglicized form of Gaelic sìoltaich meaning "sower, propagator". It has occasionally been used in the Douglas family since the 17th century, after David Hume of Godscroft claimed it was the name of the 7th-century founder of the clan [1].

Means "song" in Hebrew.

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

Feminine form of Septimus.

Anglicized form of Senán.

Means "wild" in Italian.

Feminine form of Saturninus. This was the name of a legendary saint who was supposedly martyred in northern France.

Possibly from Greek σάπφειρος (sappheiros) meaning "sapphire" or "lapis lazuli". This was the name of a 7th-century BC Greek poetess from Lesbos.

From the Hebrew name שִׁמְשׁוֹן (Shimshon), derived from שֶׁמֶשׁ (shemesh) meaning "sun". Samson was an Old Testament hero granted exceptional strength by God. His mistress Delilah betrayed him and cut his hair, stripping him of his power. Thus he was captured by the Philistines, blinded, and brought to their temple. However, in a final act of strength, he pulled down the pillars of the temple upon himself and his captors.

This name was known among the Normans due to the Welsh bishop Saint Samson, who founded monasteries in Brittany and Normandy in the 6th century. In his case, the name may have been a translation of his true Celtic name. As an English name, Samson was common during the Middle Ages, having been introduced by the Normans. It is currently most common in Africa, especially in countries that have an British colonial past.

Feminine form of Salvator.

From Salvatrix, the feminine form of Salvator (see Salvador).

Means "solid rock" in Arabic. This name appears in the poems of the 7th-century poetess Al-Khansa.

Means "dawn" in Arabic.

From a place name meaning "red yard" in Old English. This name was borne by Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936), the author of The Jungle Book and other works, who was named after Rudyard Lake in Staffordshire.

Variant of Roxane.

French and English form of Roxana. This is the name of Cyrano's love interest in the play Cyrano de Bergerac (1897).

Latin form of Ῥωξάνη (Rhoxane), the Greek form of an Old Persian or Bactrian name, from Old Iranian *rauxšnā meaning "bright, shining" [1]. This was the name of Alexander the Great's first wife, a daughter of the Bactrian nobleman Oxyartes. In the modern era it came into use during the 17th century. In the English-speaking world it was popularized by Daniel Defoe, who used it in his novel Roxana (1724).

Derived from the Old German elements hruod "fame" and swind "strong". This was the name of a 10th-century nun from Saxony who wrote several notable poems and dramas.

French, German and Dutch form of Rosalia. In the English-speaking this name received a boost after the release of the movie Rosalie (1938), which was based on an earlier musical.

Invented by Swedish children's author Astrid Lindgren, who based it on the middle portion of Juronjaure, the name of a lake in Sweden. Lindgren used it in her 1981 book Ronia the Robber's Daughter (Ronia is the English translation).

Derived from Hebrew רֹן (ron) meaning "song, joy".

Norman French form of Hrodohaidis.

French and Polish form of Rocco.

Originally a short form of names beginning with the Old German element hraban meaning "raven".

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

From Japanese 蓮 (ren) meaning "lotus", 恋 (ren) meaning "romantic love", or other kanji that are pronounced the same way.

Anglicized form of Réamann.

French feminine form of Raymond.

Either an elaboration of Raven, or else from the name of the city of Ravenna in Italy.

Spanish form of Radulf (see Ralph).

Portuguese, Italian, Romanian and Estonian form of Radulf (see Ralph).

French form of Radulf (see Ralph).

German form of Rayner.

Variant of Ralph. This form became common during the 17th century, reflecting the usual pronunciation.

Derived from the Slavic elements radŭ "happy, willing" and milŭ "gracious, dear".

From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Caoindealbháin, itself from the given name Caoindealbhán (Old Irish Caíndelbán).

From an English surname that was derived from the Norman French expression pur die "by God". It was perhaps originally a nickname for a person who used the oath frequently.

Derived from the English word denoting "a manifestation of divine care or direction; an instance of divine intervention".

Feminine form of Priscus, a Roman family name meaning "ancient" in Latin. This name appears in the epistles in the New Testament, referring to Priscilla the wife of Aquila.

Diminutive of Josephine. It can also be inspired by the English word posy for a bunch of flowers.

Italian form of Pompeius (see Pompey).

Latinized form of Polymnia.

Limburgish short form of Pitter.

Maori form of Philip.

Diminutive of Philip or Philippa. This is the name of the main character in Great Expectations (1860) by Charles Dickens.

Short form of names ending in pina.

Diminutive of Willem.

Means "pillar" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin Mary, María del Pilar, meaning "Mary of the Pillar". According to legend, when Saint James the Greater was in Saragossa in Spain, the Virgin Mary appeared on a pillar.

French form of Philomena.

From Greek Φιλουμένη (Philoumene) meaning "to be loved", an inflection of φιλέω (phileo) meaning "to love". This was the name of an obscure early saint and martyr. The name came to public attention in 1802 after a tomb seemingly marked with the name Filumena was found in Rome, supposedly belonging to another martyr named Philomena. This may have in fact been a representation of the Greek word φιλουμένη, not a name.

Manx form of Patrick.

Derived from Greek φαεινός (phaeinos) meaning "shining". According to some Greek myths this was the name of one of the three Graces or Χάριτες (Charites).

Feminine form of Petronius.

Older, archaic form of Persephone, which suggests pre-Hellenic origins.

Means "pearl, coral, precious stone" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of one of the wives of Elkanah, the other being Hannah.

Russian, Czech, Bulgarian, Slovene, Macedonian and Belarusian form of Paul.

Uyghur elaboration of Patime using the suffix گۈل (gül) meaning "flower, rose" (of Persian origin).

Feminine form of Pastor.

Diminutive of Pavel.

Spanish feminine form of the Late Latin name Pacificus meaning "peacemaker".

Diminutive of Francisca.

Means "sky" in Basque.

Hungarian form of Ursula.

Italian form of Ursula.

Alternate transcription of Ukrainian Олексій (see Oleksiy).

Perhaps derived from Greek ὀδύσσομαι (odyssomai) meaning "to hate". In Greek legend Odysseus was one of the Greek heroes who fought in the Trojan War. In the Odyssey Homer relates Odysseus's misadventures on his way back to his kingdom and his wife Penelope.

Medieval diminutive of Oliver.

Brazilian Portuguese form of Naomi 1.

Means "pleasantness" in Hebrew. A famous bearer is Noam Chomsky (1928-), an American linguist and philosopher.

Swedish form of Noah 1.

Meaning unknown. In Arthurian legends this is the name of a sorceress, also known as the Lady of the Lake, Vivien, or Niniane. Various versions of the tales have Merlin falling in love with her and becoming imprisoned by her magic. She first appears in the medieval French Lancelot-Grail Cycle.

Indian form of Niloufar.

Russian, Bulgarian and Macedonian form of Nikephoros.

From the Greek name Νικάνωρ (Nikanor), which was derived from νίκη (nike) meaning "victory" and ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man". This name was borne by several notable officers from ancient Macedon. It is also mentioned in the New Testament as belonging to one of the original seven deacons of the church, considered a saint.

Meaning unknown. It was borne by the wife of Umbarra, who was a 19th-century leader of the Yuin, an Australian Aboriginal people.

From the Basque name of the Spanish city of Nájera, which is Arabic in origin. In the 12th century there was a reported apparition of the Virgin Mary in a nearby cave.

From the name of a Basque village where there is a sanctuary dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

Means "lord of snakes" from Sanskrit नाग (nāga) meaning "snake" (also "elephant") combined with the name of the Hindu god Indra, used here to mean "lord". This is another name for Vasuki, the king of snakes, in Hindu mythology.

Derived from Greek μύρρα (myrrha) meaning "myrrh". This is the name of a character in the comedy Lysistrata by the Greek playwright Aristophanes.

Anglicized form of Muirne. The popularity of this name spiked in the United States in the 1930s due to the fame of the actress Myrna Loy (1905-1993).

Anglicized form of Muireadhach.

Means "sea battle", derived from Old Irish muir "sea" and cath "battle". This name was borne by several medieval Irish chieftains and kings. It is Anglicized as Murdo in Scotland.

Usual medieval form of Maurice.

Old Welsh form of Morgan 1.

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".

Anglicized form of Máire. It also coincides with Greek Μοῖρα (Moira) meaning "fate, destiny", the singular of Μοῖραι, the Greek name for the Fates. They were the three female personifications of destiny in Greek mythology.

Spanish, Italian and Portuguese form of Modestus.

Russian diminutive of Mikhail.

Variant of Myrthe.

Diminutive of Wilhelmina. This name was used by Walt Disney for the cartoon character Minnie Mouse, introduced 1928.

From the English word mercy, ultimately from Latin merces "wages, reward", a derivative of merx "goods, wares". This was one of the virtue names adopted by the Puritans in the 17th century.

Means "abundant" in Hebrew. This is the name of a daughter of Saul in the Old Testament.

Italian, Spanish, Polish and Romanian form of Melanie.

Means "dew drop" in Hebrew.

Means "giving light" in Hebrew.

Greek form of Megaera.

Latinized form of Greek Μέγαιρα (Megaira), which was derived from μεγαίρω (megairo) meaning "to grudge". This was the name of one of the Furies or Ἐρινύες (Erinyes) in Greek mythology. The name is used as a word in several European languages to denote a shrewish, ill-tempered woman (for example, French mégère and Italian megera).

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

Variant of Maxine.

Diminutive of Maud.

Basque form of Martinus (see Martin).

Medieval variant of Margery, influenced by the name of the herb marjoram. After the Middle Ages this name was rare, but it was revived at the end of the 19th century.

Means "of the sea", taken from the Latin title of the Virgin Mary, Stella Maris, meaning "star of the sea".

Catalan diminutive of Maria.

Medieval French diminutive of Marie.

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

Means "moonbeam" in Swedish.

Transferred use of the surname Makepeace. A famous bearer is William Makepeace Thakeray, English novelist and author of Vanity Fair.

Basque form of Magdalene.

Originally a medieval Portuguese form of Matilda. This name was borne by the wife of Afonso, the first king of Portugal. In modern times it was the name of the titular character in a popular Argentine comic strip (published from 1964 to 1973) by Quino.

Latinized form of Lysistrate.

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).

Latin diminutive of Lucia. This was the name of a 3rd-century saint martyred in Rome.

Short form of Alonzo and other names containing the same sound.

Possibly from the patronymic Manannán mac Lir, in which case Lir is the genitive case of the name Ler. The medieval Irish legend the Children of Lir tells how Lir of the Tuatha Dé Danann had his children transformed into swans by his third wife Aoife. The legendary characters Lir and Ler seem to be distinct.

Possibly from Lycian lada meaning "wife". Other theories connect it to Greek λήθω (letho) meaning "hidden, forgotten". In Greek mythology she was the mother of Apollo and Artemis by Zeus.

Russian short form of Larisa. It was introduced to the English-speaking world by a character from Boris Pasternak's novel Doctor Zhivago (1957) and the subsequent movie adaptation (1965). Between 1965 and 1969 it increased by almost 2,000 percent in the United States, however it is currently much more popular in the United Kingdom, Australia, Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Germany. Another famous fictional bearer is Lara Croft, first appearing in video games in 1996 and movies in 2001.

Diminutive of Eduardo.

From the English word lake, for the inland body of water. It is ultimately derived from Latin lacus.

Variant of Kira 2, sometimes considered a feminine form of Cyrus.

Derived from Sanskrit कृष्ण (kṛṣṇa) meaning "black, dark". This is the name of a Hindu deity believed to be an incarnation of the god Vishnu. According to the Mahabharata and the Puranas he was the youngest of King Vasudeva's eight sons by Devaki, six of whom were killed by King Kamsa because of a prophecy that a child of Vasudeva would kill Kamsa. However, Krishna and his brother Balarama were saved and he eventually fulfilled the prophecy by slaying the evil king. He then helped the Pandavas defeat the Kauravas in the Mahabharata War. His philosophical conversation with the Pandava leader Arjuna forms the text of the important Hindu scripture the Bhagavad Gita.

In some Hindu traditions, Krishna is regarded as the supreme deity. He is usually depicted with blue skin. He is also known by many epithets, such as Govinda, Gopala, and the patronymic Vasūdeva.

Means "ember moon" in Turkish.

Yiddish diminutive of Jacob.

Means "bright" in Hawaiian.

Possibly derived from Greek κοῖος (koios), also spelled ποῖος (poios), a questioning word meaning approximately "of what kind?". This was the name of a Titan god of intelligence in Greek mythology.

Short form of Koenraad.

Derived from Old Norse knútr meaning "knot". Knut was a Danish prince who defeated Æðelræd II, king of England, in the early 11th century and became the ruler of Denmark, Norway and England.

From an English surname that was from a place name meaning "Cyppel's people". The surname was borne by Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936), a British novelist born in India who wrote The Jungle Book and other works.

Middle English form of Cyneburg.

Western Armenian transcription of Gevorg.

Means "rainbow" in Hebrew.

Feminine form of Kenneth.

Variant of Kellen.

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

Transferred use of the surname Kearney.

Diminutive of Katarzyna.

Means "beautiful voice" from Greek κάλλος (kallos) meaning "beauty" and ὄψ (ops) meaning "voice". In Greek mythology she was a goddess of epic poetry and eloquence, one of the nine Muses.

Low German form of George.

Roman family name that was possibly derived from the name of the Roman goddess Juno. It was borne by Lucius Junius Brutus, the founder of the Roman Republic in the 6th century BC. It was also borne by the 1st-century BC Roman politician Marcus Junius Brutus, commonly known as Brutus, who was one of the assassins of Julius Caesar.

Croatian feminine form of Joseph.

Diminutive of Joséphine.

Feminine form of Joseph.

Norman form of Jocelyn.

Catalan form of George.

Means "pretty" in French. This name was popularized by American actress Angelina Jolie (1975-), whose surname was originally her middle name. It is not used as a given name in France.

Medieval variant of Joyce, influenced by the Latin word iocosus or jocosus "merry, playful".

Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 二郎 (see Jirō).

Derived from Albanian jehonë meaning "echo".

Variant of Jane.

Derived from Sanskrit जय (jaya) meaning "victory". In Sanskrit this is a transcription of both the feminine form जया (long final vowel) and the masculine form जय (short final vowel), both of which are used as names or epithets for several characters in Hindu texts. As a modern personal name, this transcription is both feminine and masculine in southern India, but typically only feminine in the north.

Diminutive of Jaume.

From Latin Gaspar, perhaps from the Biblical Hebrew word גִּזְבָּר (gizbar) meaning "treasurer" [1], derived from Old Persian ganzabarah. This name was traditionally assigned to one of the wise men (also known as the Magi, or three kings) who were said to have visited the newborn Jesus. It has occasionally been used in the English-speaking world since the Middle Ages. The name can also be given in reference to the English word for the gemstone.

Elaborated form of Jane.

Feminine form of James.

Means "he shines" in Hebrew, a derivative of אוֹר (ʾor) meaning "to shine". In the Old Testament this is the name of both a son of Manasseh and one of the ruling judges of the Israelites.

Dutch feminine form of Iacomus (see James).

Norwegian and Dutch feminine form of Jacob.

Feminine form of Jacob.

Feminine form of Jacob.

Possibly means "God is with me" in Hebrew. This is the name of a minor character in the Old Testament.

Possibly means "man of hire" or "there is reward", from Hebrew שָׁכַר (shaḵar) meaning "hire, wage, reward" [2]. In the Old Testament this is the name of one of the twelve sons of Jacob (by Leah) and the founder of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. A justification for the name's meaning is given in Genesis 30:18.

Meaning unknown. In Islamic tradition this is the name of the angel who will blow the trumpet that signals the coming of Judgement Day. He is sometimes equated with the angels Raphael or Uriel from Judeo-Christian tradition.

Means "nocturnal journey" in Arabic, derived from سرى (sarā) meaning "to travel by night". According to Islamic tradition, the Isra was a miraculous journey undertaken by the Prophet Muhammad.

Italian form of Iseult.

Turkish form of Alexander.

From the Greek name Ἰσίδωρος (Isidoros) meaning "gift of Isis", derived from the name of the Egyptian goddess Isis combined with Greek δῶρον (doron) meaning "gift". Saint Isidore of Seville was a 6th-century archbishop, historian and theologian.

Though it has never been popular in the English-speaking world among Christians, it has historically been a common name for Jews, who have used it as an Americanized form of names such as Isaac, Israel and Isaiah.

From a Scottish surname that was derived from the town of Irvine in North Ayrshire, itself named for the River Irvine, which is derived from Brythonic elements meaning "green water". Historically this name has been relatively common among Jews, who have used it as an American-sounding form of Hebrew names beginning with I such as Isaac, Israel and Isaiah [1]. A famous bearer was the Russian-American songwriter and lyricist Irving Berlin (1888-1989), whose birth name was Israel Beilin.

Possibly a Portuguese and Galician form of Irene. This was the name of a 7th-century saint (also known as Irene) from Tomar in Portugal. This is also the name of an ancient town in Galicia (now a district of Padrón).

Polish and Czech diminutive of Irena.

Means "fern field" in Basque.

From the Old Norse name Ingibjǫrg, which was derived from the name of the Germanic god Ing combined with bjǫrg meaning "help, save, rescue". This name was borne by a Danish princess who married Philip II of France in the 12th century.

Directly taken from the English word, ultimately from Latin infinitas "endlessness; boundlessness".

From the English word indigo for the purplish-blue dye or the colour. It is ultimately derived from Greek Ἰνδικόν (Indikon) meaning "Indic, from India".

From Egyptian jj-m-ḥtp meaning "he comes in peace" [1]. This was the name of a 27th-century BC architect, priest, physician and chief minister to the pharaoh Djoser. Imhotep apparently designed the step pyramid at Saqqara, near Memphis.

Means "honour" in Arabic, from the root كرم (karuma) meaning "to be generous".

Means "no glory" in Hebrew, from the roots אִי (ʾi) meaning "not" and כָּבַד (kavaḏ) meaning "to be glorious". In the Old Testament this is the grandson of Eli and the son of Phinehas. He was named this because his mother despaired that "the glory has departed from Israel" (1 Samuel 4:21).

This name was used by Washington Irving for Ichabod Crane, the main character in his short story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1820).

From the Greek Ἴκαρος (Ikaros), of unknown meaning. In Greek myth Icarus was the son of Daedalus, locked with his father inside the Labyrinth by Minos. They escaped from the maze using wings devised from wax, but Icarus flew too close to the sun and the wax melted, plunging him to his death.

Means "bright heart", derived from the Old German elements hugu "mind, thought, spirit" and beraht "bright". Saint Hubert was an 8th-century bishop of Maastricht who is considered the patron saint of hunters. The Normans brought the name to England, where it replaced an Old English cognate Hygebeorht. It died out during the Middle Ages but was revived in the 19th century [2].

Variant of Horatius. Shakespeare used it for a character in his tragedy Hamlet (1600). It was borne by the British admiral Horatio Nelson (1758-1805), famous for his defeat of Napoleon's forces in the Battle of Trafalgar, in which he was himself killed. Since his time the name has been occasionally used in his honour.

Swedish and Finnish form of Heilwig.

Catalan form of Hyginus.

Derived from Greek ἥρως (heros) meaning "hero". This was the name of a 1st-century Greek inventor (also known as Hero) from Alexandria.

Feminine form of Herminius.

Derived from the Old English elements here "army" and weard "guard". This was the name of an 11th-century Anglo-Saxon leader who rebelled against Norman rule.

Derived from the Old German elements heri "army" and beraht "bright". It was borne by two Merovingian Frankish kings, usually called Charibert. The Normans introduced this name to England, where it replaced an Old English cognate Herebeorht. In the course of the Middle Ages it became rare, but it was revived in the 19th century.

This name was borne by a few medieval saints, including a 7th-century Anglo-Saxon priest and an 11th-century archbishop of Cologne.

Short form of Wilhelmina.

Derived from the Old German elements heil "healthy, whole" and wig "war".

Low German and Frisian diminutive of Henrik.

Means "brave friend" from the Old German elements hart "hard, firm, brave, hardy" and wini "friend".

Short form of Johannes.

Means "heaven, sky" in Korean.

Icelandic feminine form of Haldor.

Short form of Augusta.

Diminutive of Augusta.

From the Old Norse name Guðrún meaning "god's secret lore", derived from the elements guð "god" and rún "secret lore, rune". In Norse legend Gudrun was the wife of Sigurd. After his death she married Atli, but when he murdered her brothers, she killed her sons by him, fed him their hearts, and then slew him. Her story appears in Norse literature such as the Eddas and the Völsungasaga. She is called Kriemhild in German versions of the tale. This is also an unrelated character in the medieval German epic Kudrun.

Means "to dawn" in Norwegian, Danish and Swedish.

Transferred use of the surname Grimm.

From the Roman name Gratianus, which was derived from Latin gratus meaning "grateful". Saint Gratian was the first bishop of Tours (4th century). This was also the name of a Roman emperor.

Means "cow finder", derived from Sanskrit गो (go) meaning "cow" combined with विन्द (vinda) meaning "finding". This is an epithet of the Hindu god Vishnu or his avatar Krishna.

Means "cow protector" from Sanskrit गो (go) meaning "cow" and पाल (pāla) meaning "guard, protector". This is another name of the Hindu god Krishna. It was also borne by the 8th-century founder of the Pala Empire in Bengal.

From Gonorilla, of unknown meaning. According to Geoffrey of Monmouth, Gonorilla was the villainous eldest daughter of King Leir. When adapting the character for his play King Lear (1606), Shakespeare used the spelling Goneril.

Means "dark-skinned, swarthy" in Welsh.

Old German form of Jocelyn.

Means "victor" in Basque.

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

Form of Gael using French orthography.

Variant of Fife.

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.

Variant of Freyr.

Dutch, Scandinavian and Finnish form of Franciscus (see Francis).

From an English surname meaning "forest", originally belonging to a person who lived near a forest. In America it has sometimes been used in honour of the Confederate Civil War general Nathan Bedford Forrest (1821-1877). This name was borne by the title character in the movie Forrest Gump (1994) about a loveable simpleton. Use of the name increased when the movie was released, but has since faded away.

Means "butterfly" in Albanian.

Diminutive of Filip.

Diminutive of Felicity. In some cases it can be a nickname from the English word flick.

From a surname meaning "maker of arrows" in Middle English, ultimately from Old French flechier.

Means "flag" in Albanian.

Diminutive of Jozefina.

Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and Lithuanian form of Philomena.

Macedonian form of Philomena.

From a Scottish place name that was formerly the name of a kingdom in Scotland. It is said to be named for a Pictish kingdom called Fib.

Feminine form of Fidel. It appears in the epic poem The Faerie Queene (1590) belonging to the sister of Speranza.

Feminine form of Fidel.

From the English word for the plant, ultimately from Old English fearn. It has been used as a given name since the late 19th century.

Variant of Fidelma.

From the English word fawn for a young deer.

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

Originally Fardhe, a short form of Farþegn meaning "traveller".

Meaning unknown, possibly derived from Phaenna.

Romansh form of Frederick, traditionally found in the Engadine valley.

Means "might, strength" in Hebrew.

Variant of Exsuperantia, which is derived from the Latin noun exsuperantia "preeminence, superiority, superfluity". The noun itself is ultimately derived from exsuperans "surpassing (greatly), exceeding (greatly), surmounting (greatly)", which belongs to the verb exsupero (see Exuperius for more). This was the name of a virgin saint from the 4th century AD.

French form of both Exuperantius and Exuperantia.

From the English word, evening, the last part of the day.

From an English surname that was derived from the given name Aveline. In the 17th century when it was first used as a given name it was more common for boys, but it is now regarded as almost entirely feminine, probably in part because of its similarity to Eve and Evelina.

This name was popular throughout the English-speaking world in the early 20th century. It staged a comeback in the early 21st century, returning to the American top ten in 2017.

Variant of Evelina.

Elaborated form of Eva.

Means "rain" in Basque.

Perhaps derived from Old French esmer meaning "to like, love, respect". This was the name of an enchanted queen of Wales in Le Bel Inconnu (ca. 1185-90), an Old French Arthurian poem by Renaut de Bâgé. In the poem, Blonde Esmeree is transformed from a serpent back into a maiden by the hero Guinglain, also known as the Fair Unknown.

Feminine form of Esmé.

Variant of Esmé.

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.

Slovene form of Erasmus.

Derived from Albanian erë meaning "wind".

Derived from Gaulish epos meaning "horse" with the divine or augmentative suffix -on. This was the name of a Gaulish goddess of horses and fertility. She was worshipped not only in Gaul, but elsewhere in the Roman Empire.

From the Latin name Epiphanius, which was from the Greek name Ἐπιφάνιος (Epiphanios), itself derived from the Greek word ἐπιφάνεια (epiphaneia) meaning "appearance, manifestation". This name was borne by a few early saints. It is associated with the event known in English as the Epiphany (Spanish Epifanía, Italian Epifania, Latin Epiphania), the coming of the three Magi to visit the infant Jesus.

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

Scandinavian form of Enoch.

Feminine form of Eino.

Brazilian Portuguese form of Aeneas.

Short form of Irena.

Means "empress" in Spanish.

From an English surname that was derived from a diminutive of the feminine given name Emma.

Variant of Emmett. It is used in Ireland in honour of the nationalist and rebel Robert Emmet (1778-1803).

Possibly a shortened form of Edelmira. It appears in the play Tartuffe (1664) by the French playwright Molière (often spelled in the French style Elmire).

Means "my God is deliverance" in Hebrew, from the roots אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God" and פָּלַט (palaṭ) meaning "to deliver, to rescue". This is the name of several people in the Old Testament including a son of David.

Means "my eyes look to Yahweh" in Hebrew, derived from אֶל (ʾel) meaning "towards", יוֹ (yo) referring to the Hebrew God, and עַיִן (ʿayin) meaning "eye". This is the name of several minor characters in the Old Testament.

Variant of Eleanor.

Ancient Greek form of Irene.

Variant of Éimhear.

Feminine form of Eder 2.

Scottish Gaelic form of Edward.

Means "rich guard", derived from the Old English elements ead "wealth, fortune" and weard "guard". This was the name of several Anglo-Saxon kings, the last being Saint Edward the Confessor shortly before the Norman Conquest in the 11th century. He was known as a just ruler, and because of his popularity his name remained in use after the conquest when most other Old English names were replaced by Norman ones. The 13th-century Plantagenet king Henry III named his son and successor after the saint, and seven subsequent kings of England were also named Edward.

This is one of the few Old English names to be used throughout Europe (in various spellings). A famous bearer was the British composer Edward Elgar (1857-1934). It was also used by author Charlotte Brontë for the character Edward Rochester, the main love interest of the title character in her novel Jane Eyre (1847).

Limburgish form of Edmund. Its spelling has been influenced by the French pronunciation of Edmond.

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.

Derived from the Old German elements ebur "boar" and wini "friend".

From the English name of the Christian festival celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. It was ultimately named for the Germanic spring goddess Eostre. It was traditionally given to children born on Easter, though it is rare in modern times.

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

From an occupational surname meaning "door guard" in Middle English.

Pictish name probably derived from the old Celtic root *trusto- meaning "noise, tumult". This name was borne by several kings of the Picts, including their last king Drust X, who ruled in the 9th century.

Variant of Drust.

Feminine form of the Greek name Δωρόθεος (Dorotheos), which meant "gift of god" from Greek δῶρον (doron) meaning "gift" and θεός (theos) meaning "god". The name Theodore is composed of the same elements in reverse order. Dorothea was the name of two early saints, notably the 4th-century martyr Dorothea of Caesarea. It was also borne by the 14th-century Saint Dorothea of Montau, who was the patron saint of Prussia.

Short form of Dominic.

Russian variant of Dmitriy, as well as the Georgian form.

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

Spanish name, possibly a shortened form of Santiago. In medieval records Diego was Latinized as Didacus, and it has been suggested that it in fact derives from Greek διδαχή (didache) meaning "teaching". Saint Didacus (or Diego) was a 15th-century Franciscan brother based in Alcalá, Spain.

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

Short form of names beginning with the Old High German element diota (Old Frankish þeoda) meaning "people".

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.

Means "candle" in Indonesian.

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

Possibly from the Welsh word deryn, a variant of aderyn meaning "bird".

Diminutive of Adela or Adelaide. A famous bearer was American actress and singer Della Reese (1931-2017).

Variant of Deirdre.

Russian diminutive of Darya 1.

From a surname that was derived from the Old English given name Deorwine. The surname was borne by the British naturalist Charles Darwin (1809-1882), the man who first proposed the theory of natural selection and subsequently revolutionized biology.

Means "mother-of-pearl, nacre" in Hebrew.

Medieval short form of Durante. The most notable bearer of this name was Dante Alighieri (1265-1321), the Italian poet who wrote the Divine Comedy.

From Hebrew דָּלִיָּה (daliyya) meaning "hanging branch".

Welsh diminutive of Dafydd.

Latinized form of Greek Κυρήνη (Kyrene), the name of a Hellenic city in ancient Libya, itself probably named for a nearby spring Κύρη (Kyre). It has been associated with κῦρος (kyros) meaning "power, authority". In Greek mythology this is the name of a Thessalian princess loved by Apollo. He took her to Libya, where he founded the city in her honour and installed her as queen.

Meaning unknown. Saint Cyra was a 5th-century Syrian hermit who was martyred with her companion Marana.

Variant of Cyneburg.

Variant of Sibyl. This name was borne by actress Cybill Shepherd (1950-), who was named after her grandfather Cy and her father Bill.

Means "guardian" in Spanish, from Latin custodia "protection, safekeeping".

Means "crucifix" in Italian, derived from Latin crucifixus "fixed to a cross", from crux "cross" and fixus "fixed, fastened".

Derived from Romanian crin meaning "lily".