dragonstar12's Personal Name List
Xavier
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, Portuguese, Catalan, Spanish
Pronounced: ZAY-vyər(American English) ig-ZAY-vyər(American English) ZAY-vyə(British English) ig-ZAY-vyə(British English) GZA-VYEH(French) shu-vee-EHR(European Portuguese) sha-vee-EKH(Brazilian Portuguese) shə-bee-EH(Catalan) kha-BYEHR(Spanish) sa-BYEHR(Spanish)
Rating: 60% based on 1 vote
Derived from the Basque place name
Etxeberria meaning
"the new house". This was the surname of the Jesuit priest
Saint Francis Xavier (1506-1552) who was born in a village by this name. He was a missionary to India, Japan, China, and other areas in East Asia, and he is the patron saint of the Orient and missionaries. His surname has since been adopted as a given name in his honour, chiefly among Catholics.
Xanthe
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Ξάνθη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: KSAN-TEH(Classical Greek)
Rating: 70% based on 1 vote
Derived from Greek
ξανθός (xanthos) meaning
"yellow, blond, fair-haired". This was the name of a few minor figures in Greek
mythology.
Vienne
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Various (Rare)
Pronounced: VYEHN(French)
From the French name for
Vienna, the capital city of Austria.
Véronique
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: VEH-RAW-NEEK
Rating: 100% based on 2 votes
Travis
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: TRAV-is
From the English surname
Travis (a variant of
Travers). It was used in America in honour of William Travis (1809-1836), the commander of the Texan forces at the Battle of the Alamo.
Tierney
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish
Rating: 40% based on 2 votes
Theron
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Θήρων(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: TEH-RAWN(Classical Greek) THEHR-ən(English)
Rating: 40% based on 2 votes
Thalia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology (Latinized), Greek
Other Scripts: Θάλεια(Greek)
Pronounced: THAY-lee-ə(English) thə-LIE-ə(English)
Rating: 100% based on 2 votes
From the Greek name
Θάλεια (Thaleia), derived from
θάλλω (thallo) meaning
"to blossom". In Greek
mythology she was one of the nine Muses, presiding over comedy and pastoral poetry. This was also the name of one of the three Graces or
Χάριτες (Charites).
Taliesin
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Welsh, Welsh Mythology
Pronounced: tal-YEH-sin(Welsh) tal-ee-EHS-in(English)
Means
"shining brow", derived from Welsh
tal "brow, head" and
iesin "shining, radiant". This was the name of a semi-legendary 6th-century Welsh poet and bard, supposedly the author of the collection of poems the
Book of Taliesin. He appears briefly in the Welsh legend
Culhwch and Olwen and the Second Branch of the
Mabinogi. He is the central character in the
Tale of Taliesin, a medieval legend recorded in the 16th century, which tells how
Ceridwen's servant Gwion Bach was reborn to her as Taliesin; how he becomes the bard for Elffin; and how Taliesin defends Elffin from the machinations of the king
Maelgwn Gwynedd.
Talfryn
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Welsh
From a Welsh place name meaning
"front hill", derived from Welsh
tal "front, extremity" and
bryn "hill".
Taisiya
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Russian, Ukrainian
Other Scripts: Таисия(Russian) Таїсія(Ukrainian)
Pronounced: tu-EE-syi-yə(Russian)
Russian and Ukrainian form of
Thaïs (referring to the
saint).
Sorley
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Scottish
Pronounced: SAWR-lee(American English) SAW-lee(British English)
Sophronia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Literature, Late Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Σωφρονία(Ancient Greek)
Rating: 40% based on 2 votes
Feminine form of
Sophronius. Torquato Tasso used it in his epic poem
Jerusalem Delivered (1580), in which it is borne by the lover of
Olindo.
Síofra
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish
Pronounced: SHEE-frə
Means "elf, sprite" in Irish. This name was created in the 20th century.
Silas
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Greek, Danish, German, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Σίλας(Greek)
Pronounced: SIE-ləs(English)
Rating: 100% based on 2 votes
The name of a companion of
Saint Paul in the
New Testament. It is probably a short form of
Silvanus, a name that Paul calls him by in the epistles. It is possible that
Silvanus and
Silas were Latin and Greek forms of the Hebrew name
Saul (via Aramaic).
As an English name it was not used until after the Protestant Reformation. It was utilized by George Eliot for the title character in her novel Silas Marner (1861).
Sierra
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: see-EHR-ə
Rating: 100% based on 2 votes
Means "mountain range" in Spanish, referring specifically to a mountain range with jagged peaks.
Shannon
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: SHAN-ən
Rating: 70% based on 1 vote
From the name of the River Shannon, the longest river in Ireland, called
an tSionainn in Irish. It is associated with the legendary figure
Sionann and is sometimes said to be named for her. However it is more likely she was named after the river, which may be related to Old Irish
sen "old, ancient"
[1]. As a given name, it first became common in America after the 1940s.
Senga
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Scottish
Sometimes explained as an anagram of
Agnes, but more likely derived from Gaelic
seang "slender".
Selena
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish, English, Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Σελήνη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: seh-LEH-na(Spanish) sə-LEEN-ə(English)
Latinized form of
Selene. This name was borne by popular Mexican-American singer Selena Quintanilla (1971-1995), who was known simply as Selena. Another famous bearer is the American actress and singer Selena Gomez (1992-).
Séamus
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish
Pronounced: SHEH-məs
Rating: 90% based on 2 votes
Sayen
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Mapuche
Meaning uncertain, possibly a derivative of Mapuche ayün "love".
Saraid
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish, Irish Mythology
Rating: 90% based on 2 votes
From Old Irish Sárait, derived from sár meaning "excellent". This was the name of a daughter of the legendary high king of Ireland, Conn of the Hundred Battles.
Sarai
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Hebrew [1], Spanish
Other Scripts: שָׂרָי(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced: SEHR-ie(English) sə-RIE(English)
Samara
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern), Portuguese (Brazilian)
Possibly derived from the name of the city of Samarra (in Iraq) or Samara (in Russia). The former appears in the title of the novel
Appointment in Samarra (1934) by John O'Hara, which refers to an ancient Babylonian legend about a man trying to evade death. Alternatively, this name could be derived from the word for the winged seeds that grow on trees such as maples and elms.
The name received a boost in popularity after it was borne by the antagonist in the horror movie The Ring (2002).
Salena
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Perhaps an invented name based on similar-sounding names such as
Selina.
Runa
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Norwegian, Danish, Swedish
Pronounced: ROO-nah(Norwegian) ROO-na(Danish, Swedish)
Rowena
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: ro-EEN-ə
Meaning uncertain. According to the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth, this was the name of a daughter of the Saxon chief Hengist. It is possible (but unsupported) that Geoffrey based it on the Old English elements
hroð "fame" and
wynn "joy", or alternatively on the Old Welsh elements
ron "spear" and
gwen "white". It was popularized by Walter Scott, who used it for a character in his novel
Ivanhoe (1819).
Rowan
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Irish, English (Modern)
Pronounced: RO-ən(English)
Anglicized form of the Irish name
Ruadhán. As an English name, it can also be derived from the surname Rowan, itself derived from the Irish given name. It could also be given in reference to the rowan tree, a word of Old Norse origin (coincidentally sharing the same Indo-European root meaning "red" with the Irish name).
Rhiannon
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Welsh, English, Welsh Mythology
Pronounced: ri-AN-awn(Welsh) ree-AN-ən(English)
Probably derived from an unattested Celtic name *
Rīgantonā meaning
"great queen" (Celtic *
rīganī "queen" and the divine or augmentative suffix
-on). It is speculated that Rigantona was an old Celtic goddess, perhaps associated with fertility and horses like the Gaulish
Epona. As
Rhiannon, she appears in Welsh legend in the
Mabinogi [1] as a beautiful magical woman who rides a white horse. She was betrothed against her will to
Gwawl, but cunningly broke off that engagement and married
Pwyll instead. Their son was
Pryderi.
As an English name, it became popular due to the Fleetwood Mac song Rhiannon (1976), especially in the United Kingdom and Australia.
Renata
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, German, Polish, Czech, Lithuanian, Croatian, Slovene, Romanian, Late Roman
Pronounced: reh-NA-ta(Italian, Spanish, German, Polish) REH-na-ta(Czech)
Reine
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: REHN
Means "queen" in French, ultimately from Latin regina.
Rayna 2
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Yiddish
Other Scripts: ריינאַ(Yiddish)
Rayen
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Mapuche
Means "flower" in Mapuche.
Raven
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: RAY-vən
From the name of the bird, ultimately from Old English
hræfn. The raven is revered by several Native American groups of the west coast. It is also associated with the Norse god
Odin.
Rajani
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Hinduism, Telugu, Kannada, Marathi, Hindi, Nepali
Other Scripts: रजनी(Sanskrit, Marathi, Hindi, Nepali) రజని(Telugu) ರಜನಿ(Kannada)
Means
"dark, night" in Sanskrit. This is another name of the Hindu goddess
Durga.
Raisa 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian
Other Scripts: Раиса(Russian) Раїса(Ukrainian) Раіса(Belarusian)
Pronounced: ru-EES-ə(Russian)
Probably a Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian form of
Herais.
Raine
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: RAYN
From a surname derived from the Old French nickname
reine meaning
"queen". A famous bearer was the British socialite Raine Spencer (1929-2016), the stepmother of Princess Diana. In modern times it is also considered a variant of
Rain 1.
Psyche
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Ψυχή(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: PSUY-KEH(Classical Greek) SIE-kee(English)
Means
"the soul", derived from Greek
ψύχω (psycho) meaning "to breathe". The Greeks thought that the breath was the soul. In Greek
mythology Psyche was a beautiful maiden who was beloved by Eros (or Cupid in Roman mythology). She is the subject of Keats's poem
Ode to Psyche (1819).
Polyxena
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Πολυξένη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: pə-LIK-sin-ə(English)
Latinized form of Greek
Πολυξένη (Polyxene), which was from the word
πολύξενος (polyxenos) meaning
"entertaining many guests, very hospitable", itself derived from
πολύς (polys) meaning "many" and
ξένος (xenos) meaning "foreigner, guest". In Greek legend she was a daughter of
Priam and
Hecuba, beloved by
Achilles. After the Trojan War, Achilles' son
Neoptolemus sacrificed her.
Phoenix
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: FEE-niks
From the name of a beautiful immortal bird that appears in Egyptian and Greek
mythology. After living for several centuries in the Arabian Desert, it would be consumed by fire and rise from its own ashes, with this cycle repeating every 500 years. The name of the bird was derived from Greek
φοῖνιξ (phoinix) meaning "dark red".
Phaedra
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Φαίδρα(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: FEED-rə(English) FEHD-rə(English)
From the Greek
Φαίδρα (Phaidra), derived from
φαιδρός (phaidros) meaning
"bright". Phaedra was the daughter of Minos and the wife of
Theseus in Greek
mythology.
Aphrodite caused her to fall in love with her stepson
Hippolytos, and after she was rejected by him she killed herself.
Parvati
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hinduism, Hindi
Other Scripts: पार्वती(Sanskrit, Hindi)
Pronounced: PAHR-və-tee(American English) PAH-və-tee(British English)
Means
"of the mountains", derived from Sanskrit
पर्वत (parvata) meaning "mountain". Parvati is a Hindu goddess of love and power, the benign form of the wife of
Shiva. A daughter of the mountain god Himavat, she was a reincarnation of Shiva's first wife
Sati. She is the mother of
Ganesha and
Skanda.
Pandora
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Πανδώρα(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: PAN-DAW-RA(Classical Greek) pan-DAWR-ə(English)
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.
Orion
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Ὠρίων(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: AW-REE-AWN(Classical Greek) o-RIE-ən(English)
Meaning uncertain, but possibly related to Greek
ὅριον (horion) meaning
"boundary, limit". Alternatively it may be derived from Akkadian
Uru-anna meaning
"light of the heavens". This is the name of a constellation, which gets its name from a legendary Greek hunter who was killed by a scorpion sent by the earth goddess
Gaia.
Olivia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Italian, Spanish, French, German, Finnish, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch
Pronounced: o-LIV-ee-ə(English) ə-LIV-ee-ə(English) o-LEE-vya(Italian, German) o-LEE-bya(Spanish) AW-LEE-VYA(French) O-lee-vee-ah(Finnish) o-LEE-vee-a(Dutch)
Rating: 60% based on 1 vote
This name was used in this spelling by William Shakespeare for a character in his comedy
Twelfth Night (1602). This was a rare name in Shakespeare's time
[1] that may have been based on
Oliva or
Oliver, or directly on the Latin word
oliva meaning
"olive". In the play Olivia is a noblewoman wooed by Duke
Orsino. Instead she falls in love with his messenger Cesario, who is actually
Viola in disguise.
Olivia has been used in the English-speaking world since the 18th century, though it did not become overly popular until the last half of the 20th century. Its rise in popularity in the 1970s may have been inspired by a character on the television series The Waltons (1972-1982) [2] or the singer Olivia Newton-John (1948-2022). In 1989 it was borne by a young character on The Cosby Show, which likely accelerated its growth. It reached the top rank in England and Wales by 2008 and in the United States by 2019.
A famous bearer was the British-American actress Olivia de Havilland (1916-2020).
Nyarai
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Shona
From Shona
nyara meaning
"be shy, be quiet, be humble" [1].
Nike
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Νίκη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: NEE-KEH(Classical Greek) NIE-kee(English)
Means "victory" in Greek. Nike was the Greek goddess of victory.
Nevena
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Bulgarian, Macedonian, Croatian, Serbian
Other Scripts: Невена(Bulgarian, Macedonian, Serbian)
Rating: 40% based on 1 vote
Derived from South Slavic neven meaning "marigold".
Nereida
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: neh-RAY-dha
Derived from Greek
Νηρηΐδες (Nereides) meaning
"nymphs, sea sprites", ultimately derived from the name of the Greek sea god
Nereus, who supposedly fathered them.
Naiara
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Basque
Pronounced: nie-A-ra
From the Basque name of the Spanish city of Nájera, which is Arabic in origin. In the 12th century there was a reported apparition of the Virgin
Mary in a nearby cave.
Mireya
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: mee-REH-ya
Mireille
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French, Dutch
Pronounced: MEE-RAY(French)
From the Occitan name Mirèio, which was first used by the poet Frédéric Mistral for the main character in his poem Mirèio (1859). He probably derived it from the Occitan word mirar meaning "to admire". It is spelled Mirèlha in classical Occitan orthography. A notable bearer is the French singer Mireille Mathieu (1946-).
Mirabelle
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French (Rare), English (Rare)
Derived from Latin mirabilis meaning "wonderful". This name was coined during the Middle Ages, though it eventually died out. It was briefly revived in the 19th century.
Mihaela
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Romanian, Slovene, Croatian, Bulgarian, Macedonian
Other Scripts: Михаела(Bulgarian, Macedonian)
Pronounced: mee-ha-EH-la(Romanian) MEE-kha-eh-la(Slovene) mee-HA-ehl-a(Croatian)
Michael
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, German, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Dutch, Czech, Hebrew, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
Other Scripts: מִיכָאֵל(Hebrew) Μιχαήλ(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: MIE-kəl(English) MI-kha-ehl(German, Czech) MEE-kal(Danish) MEE-ka-ehl(Swedish) MEE-kah-ehl(Norwegian) mee-KA-ehl(Latin)
From the Hebrew name
מִיכָאֵל (Miḵaʾel) meaning
"who is like God?", derived from the interrogative pronoun
מִי (mi) combined with
ךְּ (ke) meaning "like" and
אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". This is a rhetorical question, implying no person is like God. Michael is one of the archangels in Hebrew tradition and the only one identified as an archangel in the Bible. In the Book of Daniel in the
Old Testament he is named as a protector of Israel (see
Daniel 12:1). In the Book of Revelation in the
New Testament he is portrayed as the leader of heaven's armies in the war against Satan, and is thus considered the patron
saint of soldiers in Christianity.
The popularity of the saint led to the name being used by nine Byzantine emperors, including Michael VIII Palaeologus who restored the empire in the 13th century. It has been common in Western Europe since the Middle Ages, and in England since the 12th century. It has been borne (in various spellings) by rulers of Russia (spelled Михаил), Romania (Mihai), Poland (Michał), and Portugal (Miguel).
In the United States, this name rapidly gained popularity beginning in the 1930s, eventually becoming the most popular male name from 1954 to 1998. However, it was not as overwhelmingly common in the United Kingdom, where it never reached the top spot.
Famous bearers of this name include the British chemist/physicist Michael Faraday (1791-1867), musician Michael Jackson (1958-2009), and basketball player Michael Jordan (1963-).
Meiriona
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Welsh
Mayra
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish (Latin American), American (Hispanic)
Pronounced: MIE-ra(Spanish)
Hispanic variant of
Myra.
Marsaili
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Scottish Gaelic [1]
Pronounced: MAR-si-li
Marie
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: French, Czech, German, English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Albanian
Pronounced: MA-REE(French) MA-ri-yeh(Czech) ma-REE(German, Dutch) mə-REE(English)
French and Czech form of
Maria. It has been very common in France since the 13th century. At the opening of the 20th century it was given to approximately 20 percent of French girls. This percentage has declined steadily over the course of the century, and it dropped from the top rank in 1958.
A notable bearer of this name was Marie Antoinette, a queen of France who was executed by guillotine during the French Revolution. Another was Marie Curie (1867-1934), a physicist and chemist who studied radioactivity with her husband Pierre.
In France it is occasionally used as a masculine name in pairings such as Jean-Marie.
Margherita
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: mar-geh-REE-ta
Italian form of
Margaret. This is also the Italian word for the daisy flower (species Bellis perennis, Leucanthemum vulgare and others).
Maralyn
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: MAR-ə-lin
Malaika
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Swahili
Rating: 40% based on 1 vote
Means
"angel" in Swahili, derived from Arabic
ملك (malak).
Máire
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish
Pronounced: MA-ryə
Irish form of
Maria (see
Mary). The form
Muire is used to refer to the Virgin Mary.
Maiara
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Tupi
From Tupi maya arya meaning "great-grandmother".
Líadain
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish
Pronounced: LYEEY-dən
Layla
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arabic, English
Other Scripts: ليلى(Arabic)
Pronounced: LIE-la(Arabic) LAY-lə(English)
Means
"night" in Arabic. Layla was the love interest of the poet
Qays (called Majnun) in an old Arab tale, notably retold by the 12th-century Persian poet Nizami Ganjavi in his poem
Layla and Majnun. This story was a popular romance in medieval Arabia and Persia. The name became used in the English-speaking world after the 1970 release of the song
Layla by Derek and the Dominos, the title of which was inspired by the medieval story.
Laelia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ancient Roman
Pronounced: LIE-lee-a
Feminine form of Laelius, a Roman family name of unknown meaning. This is also the name of a type of flower, an orchid found in Mexico and Central America.
Klytië
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Κλυτίη, Κλυτία(Ancient Greek)
Derived from Greek
κλυτός (klytos) meaning
"famous, noble". In Greek
myth Klytië was an ocean nymph who loved the sun god Helios. Her love was not returned, and she pined away staring at him until she was transformed into a heliotrope flower, whose head moves to follow the sun.
Ketilríðr
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Old Norse [1]
Keelin
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish
Pronounced: KEE-lin(English)
Kazimiera
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Polish, Lithuanian
Pronounced: ka-zhee-MYEH-ra(Polish)
Kali 1
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Hinduism, Bengali, Tamil
Other Scripts: काली(Sanskrit) কালী(Bengali) காளி(Tamil)
Pronounced: KAH-lee(Sanskrit, English) KA-li(Tamil)
Means
"the black one", derived from Sanskrit
काल (kāla) meaning "black". The Hindu goddess Kali is the fierce destructive form of the wife of
Shiva. According to stories in the
Puranas, she springs from the forehead of
Durga in order to defeat various demons. She is typically depicted with black skin and four arms, holding a severed head and brandishing a sword. As a personal name, it is generally masculine in India.
Kalea
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hawaiian
Pronounced: ka-LEH-a
Means "joy, happiness" in Hawaiian.
Kalani
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Hawaiian
Pronounced: ka-LA-nee
Rating: 60% based on 1 vote
Means "the heavens" from Hawaiian ka "the" and lani "heaven, sky, royal, majesty".
Kajetan
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Polish
Pronounced: ka-YEH-tan
Polish form of
Caietanus (see
Gaetano).
Kailyn
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: KAY-lin
Rating: 60% based on 1 vote
Kaia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Norwegian, Estonian
Rating: 70% based on 1 vote
Kadri 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Estonian
Pronounced: KAH-dree
Juliette
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: ZHUY-LYEHT
Rating: 100% based on 2 votes
Julie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French, Danish, Norwegian, Czech, English, German, Dutch
Pronounced: ZHUY-LEE(French) YOO-lyə(Danish, German) YOO-li-yeh(Czech) JOO-lee(English)
French, Danish, Norwegian and Czech form of
Julia. It has spread to many other regions as well. It has been common in the English-speaking world since the early 20th century.
Jaya
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Hinduism, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Marathi
Other Scripts: जया, जय(Sanskrit) ஜெயா, ஜெய(Tamil) జయ(Telugu) जया(Hindi, Marathi)
Pronounced: JU-yah(Sanskrit) JU-yu(Sanskrit)
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.
Ilithyia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Εἰλείθυια(Ancient Greek)
From the Greek
Εἰλείθυια (Eileithyia), which was derived from
εἰλήθυια (eilethyia) meaning
"the readycomer". This was the name of the Greek goddess of childbirth and midwifery.
Hyacinth 2
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: HIE-ə-sinth
From the name of the flower (or the precious stone that also bears this name), ultimately from Greek
hyakinthos (see
Hyacinthus).
Heidi
Gender: Feminine
Usage: German, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Finnish, English
Pronounced: HIE-dee(German, English) HAY-dee(Finnish)
German
diminutive of
Adelheid. This is the name of the title character in the children's novel
Heidi (1880) by the Swiss author Johanna Spyri. The name began to be used in the English-speaking world shortly after the 1937 release of the movie adaptation, which starred Shirley Temple.
Hayley
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: HAY-lee
From an English surname that was originally derived from the name of an English town (meaning "hay clearing" from Old English
heg "hay" and
leah "clearing"). It was brought to public attention as a given name, especially in the United Kingdom, by the British child actress Hayley Mills (1946-)
[1].
This is the most common spelling of this name in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand; in the United States the spellings Haley and Hailey are more popular.
Hayden
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: HAY-dən
Rating: 95% based on 2 votes
From an English surname that was derived from place names meaning either
"hay valley" or
"hay hill", derived from Old English
heg "hay" and
denu "valley" or
dun "hill". Its popularity at the end of the 20th century was due to the sound it shared with other trendy names of the time, such as
Braden and
Aidan.
Harper
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: HAHR-pər(American English) HAH-pə(British English)
Rating: 55% based on 2 votes
From an English surname that originally belonged to a person who played or made harps (Old English hearpe). A notable bearer was the American author Harper Lee (1926-2016), who wrote To Kill a Mockingbird. It rapidly gained popularity in the 2000s and 2010s, entering the American top ten for girls in 2015.
Harmonia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Ἁρμονία(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: HAR-MO-NEE-A(Classical Greek) hahr-MO-nee-ə(American English) hah-MO-nee-ə(British English)
Rating: 40% based on 1 vote
Means
"harmony, agreement" in Greek. She was the daughter of
Ares and
Aphrodite, given by
Zeus to
Cadmus to be his wife.
Hana 3
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 花, 華, etc.(Japanese Kanji) はな(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: HA-NA
From Japanese
花 (hana) or
華 (hana) both meaning "flower". Other kanji or kanji combinations can form this name as well.
Halcyone
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Ἀλκυόνη(Ancient Greek)
Latinized form of Greek
Ἀλκυόνη (see
Alcyone), via the misspelled variant
Ἁλκυόνη (Halkyone). The spelling variation was due to a false association with
ἅλς (hals) meaning "salt, sea".
Haidee
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Literature
Pronounced: HAY-dee(English)
Perhaps intended to derive from Greek
αἰδοῖος (aidoios) meaning
"modest, reverent". This name was created by Lord Byron for a character (written as
Haidée) in his 1819 poem
Don Juan [1].
Gwyneira
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Welsh
Pronounced: gwi-NAY-ra
Means
"white snow" from the Welsh element
gwyn meaning "white, blessed" combined with
eira meaning "snow". This is a recently created Welsh name.
Griffin
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: GRIF-in
Latinized form of
Gruffudd. This name can also be inspired by the English word
griffin, a creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle, ultimately from Greek
γρύψ (gryps).
Ginevra
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: jee-NEH-vra
Italian form of
Guinevere. This is also the Italian name for the city of Geneva, Switzerland. It is also sometimes associated with the Italian word
ginepro meaning "juniper".
Gabriel
Gender: Masculine
Usage: French, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Catalan, English, Romanian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Georgian, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek [1]
Other Scripts: გაბრიელ(Georgian) גַּבְרִיאֵל(Ancient Hebrew) Γαβριήλ(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: GA-BREE-YEHL(French) ga-BRYEHL(Spanish) ga-bree-EHL(European Portuguese, Romanian) ga-bree-EW(Brazilian Portuguese) GA-bree-ehl(German, Slovak, Latin) GAH-bri-ehl(Swedish) GAH-bree-ehl(Finnish) gə-bree-EHL(Catalan) GAY-bree-əl(English) GAB-ryehl(Polish) GA-bri-yehl(Czech)
From the Hebrew name
גַבְרִיאֵל (Ḡavriʾel) meaning
"God is my strong man", derived from
גֶּבֶר (gever) meaning "strong man, hero" and
אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". Gabriel is an archangel in Hebrew tradition, often appearing as a messenger of God. In the
Old Testament he is sent to interpret the visions of the prophet
Daniel, while in the
New Testament he serves as the announcer of the births of
John to
Zechariah and
Jesus to
Mary. According to Islamic tradition he was the angel who dictated the
Quran to
Muhammad.
This name has been used occasionally in England since the 12th century. It was not common in the English-speaking world until the end of the 20th century.
Freya
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Norse Mythology, English (Modern), German
Pronounced: FRAY-ə(English) FRAY-a(German)
From Old Norse
Freyja meaning
"lady". This is the name of a goddess associated with love, beauty, war and death in Norse
mythology. She claims half of the heroes who are slain in battle and brings them to her realm of Fólkvangr. Along with her brother
Freyr and father
Njord, she is one of the Vanir (as opposed to the Æsir). Some scholars connect her with the goddess
Frigg.
This is not the usual spelling in any of the Scandinavian languages (in Sweden and Denmark it is Freja and in Norway it is Frøja) but it is the common spelling of the goddess's name in English. In the 2000s it became popular in Britain.
Fiammetta
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: fyam-MEHT-ta
Diminutive of
Fiamma. This is the name of a character appearing in several works by the 14th-century Italian author Boccaccio. She was probably based on the Neapolitan noblewoman Maria d'Aquino.
Faolán
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish (Rare)
Pronounced: FEH-lan, FEE-lan
Means
"little wolf", derived from Old Irish
fáel "wolf" combined with a
diminutive suffix. This was the name of an Irish
saint who did missionary work in Scotland.
Euphrosyne
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Εὐφροσύνη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: yoo-FRAH-si-nee(American English) yoo-FRAW-si-nee(British English)
Means
"mirth, merriment, cheerfulness" in Greek, a derivative of
εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and
φρήν (phren) meaning "mind, heart". She was one of the three Graces or
Χάριτες (Charites) in Greek
mythology.
Esti 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Basque (Rare)
Means "sweet, honey", from Basque ezti.
Emyr
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Welsh
Pronounced: EH-mir
Means "king, lord" in Welsh.
Emrys
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Welsh
Pronounced: EHM-ris
Welsh form of
Ambrose. Emrys Wledig (or Ambrosius Aurelianus) was a Romano-British military leader who fought against the invading Anglo-Saxons in the 5th century. Tales of his life were used by the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth to help shape the early character of
Merlin, whom he called Merlinus Ambrosius in Latin.
Eleri
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Welsh
Pronounced: eh-LEH-ri
From the name of a Welsh river, also called the Leri, of unknown meaning. This was also the name of a 7th-century Welsh
saint (masculine).
Eirian
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Welsh
Means
"bright, beautiful" in Welsh
[1].
Echo
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Ἠχώ(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: EH-ko(English)
From the Greek word
ἠχώ (echo) meaning
"echo, reflected sound", related to
ἠχή (eche) meaning "sound". In Greek
mythology Echo was a nymph given a speech impediment by
Hera, so that she could only repeat what others said. She fell in love with
Narcissus, but her love was not returned, and she pined away until nothing remained of her except her voice.
Dustin
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: DUS-tin
From an English surname that was derived from the Old Norse given name
Þórsteinn (see
Torsten). The name was popularized by the actor Dustin Hoffman (1937-), who was apparently named after the earlier silent movie star Dustin Farnum (1874-1929)
[1].
Demetria
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ancient Greek [1], English
Other Scripts: Δημητρία(Ancient Greek)
Danaë
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Δανάη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: DA-NA-EH(Classical Greek) DAN-ay-ee(English)
From
Δαναοί (Danaoi), a word used by
Homer to designate the Greeks. In Greek
mythology Danaë was the daughter of the Argive king Acrisius. It had been prophesied to her father that he would one day be killed by Danaë's son, so he attempted to keep his daughter childless. However,
Zeus came to her in the form of a shower of gold, and she became the mother of
Perseus. Eventually the prophecy was fulfilled and Perseus killed Acrisius, albeit accidentally.
Culhwch
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arthurian Cycle, Welsh Mythology
Pronounced: KIL-huwkh(Welsh)
Means
"hiding place of the pig" in Welsh. In the Welsh tale
Culhwch and Olwen he was the lover of
Olwen, the daughter of the giant Yspaddaden. Before the giant would allow Culhwch to marry his daughter, he insisted that Culhwch complete a series of extremely difficult tasks. Culhwch managed to complete the tasks with the help of his cousin King
Arthur, and he returned to marry Olwen and kill the giant.
Cressida
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Literature
Pronounced: KREHS-i-də(English)
Form of
Criseida used by Shakespeare in his play
Troilus and Cressida (1602).
Crescentia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: German (Rare), Late Roman
Feminine form of
Crescentius.
Saint Crescentia was a 4th-century companion of Saint
Vitus. This is also the name of the eponymous heroine of a 12th-century German romance.
Coralie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: KAW-RA-LEE
Either a French form of
Koralia, or a derivative of Latin
corallium "coral" (see
Coral).
Connor
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish, English (Modern)
Pronounced: KAHN-ər(American English) KAWN-ə(British English)
Rating: 100% based on 2 votes
Variant of
Conor, based on the usual spelling of the surname that is derived from the name. This is currently the most common way of spelling it in the English-speaking world, apart from Ireland.
Cinzia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Ciannait
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish
Cianán
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish, Old Irish [1]
Chryssa
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek
Other Scripts: Χρύσα(Greek)
Ceridwen
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Welsh
Pronounced: keh-RID-wehn
Possibly from
cyrrid "bent, crooked" (a derivative of Old Welsh
cwrr "corner") combined with
ben "woman" or
gwen "white, blessed". According to the medieval Welsh legend the
Tale of Taliesin (recorded by Elis Gruffyd in the 16th century) this was the name of a sorceress who created a potion that would grant wisdom to her son Morfan. The potion was instead consumed by her servant Gwion Bach, who was subsequently reborn as the renowned bard
Taliesin.
This name appears briefly in a poem in the Black Book of Carmarthen in the form Kyrridven [1] and in a poem in the Book of Taliesin in the form Kerrituen [2]. Some theories connect her to an otherwise unattested Celtic goddess of inspiration, and suppose her name is related to Welsh cerdd "poetry".
Celestyna
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Polish
Pronounced: tseh-leh-STI-na
Cassidy
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: KAS-i-dee
From an Irish surname (Anglicized from Irish Gaelic
Ó Caiside), which is derived from the byname
Caiside. Very rare as a given name before the 1970s, it established itself in the 80s and then surged in popularity during the 90s.
Cassian
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Roman (Anglicized)
Pronounced: KASH-ən(English) KAS-ee-ən(English)
From the Roman family name
Cassianus, which was derived from
Cassius. This was the name of several
saints, including a 3rd-century martyr from Tangier who is the patron saint of stenographers and a 5th-century mystic who founded a monastery in Marseille.
Cassia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ancient Roman
Pronounced: KAS-see-a(Latin) KA-shə(English) KAS-ee-ə(English)
Caramia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Various (Rare)
Rating: 90% based on 2 votes
From the Italian phrase cara mia meaning "my beloved".
Caoimhe
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish
Pronounced: KEE-vyə
Rating: 100% based on 1 vote
Derived from Irish caomh meaning "dear, beloved, gentle".
Calypso
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Καλυψώ(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: kə-LIP-so(English)
Rating: 100% based on 2 votes
From Greek
Καλυψώ (Kalypso), which probably meant
"she that conceals", derived from
καλύπτω (kalypto) meaning "to cover, to conceal". In Greek
myth this was the name of the nymph who fell in love with
Odysseus after he was shipwrecked on her island of Ogygia. When he refused to stay with her she detained him for seven years until
Zeus ordered her to release him.
Cailean
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Scottish Gaelic [1]
Pronounced: KA-lan
Means "whelp, young dog" in Scottish Gaelic. This name was borne by Cailean Mór, a 13th-century Scottish lord and ancestor of Clan Campbell.
Caerwyn
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Welsh
Rating: 10% based on 1 vote
Derived from the Welsh elements
caer "fortress" and
gwyn "white, blessed".
Caedmon
Gender: Masculine
Usage: History (Ecclesiastical)
Pronounced: KAD-mən(English)
Rating: 20% based on 1 vote
Meaning unknown, though the first element is likely connected to Brythonic
kad meaning "battle".
Saint Caedmon was a 7th-century Anglo-Saxon poet who supposedly received his poetic inspiration from a dream. Our only knowledge of him is through the 8th-century writings of the historian Bede.
Cadence
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: KAY-dəns
Rating: 50% based on 1 vote
From an English word meaning "rhythm, flow". It has been in use only since the 20th century.
Bryony
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: BRIE-ə-nee
Rating: 30% based on 1 vote
From the name of a type of Eurasian vine, formerly used as medicine. It ultimately derives from Greek
βρύω (bryo) meaning "to swell".
Briar
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: BRIE-ər(American English) BRIE-ə(British English)
Rating: 30% based on 1 vote
From the English word for the thorny plant.
Aysel
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Turkish, Azerbaijani
Rating: 30% based on 1 vote
Means
"moon flood" in Turkish and Azerbaijani, derived from
ay "moon" and
sel "flood, stream" (of Arabic origin).
Aylen
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Mapuche
Rating: 20% based on 1 vote
Ayako
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 彩子, 綾子, 絢子, etc.(Japanese Kanji) あやこ(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: A-YA-KO
Rating: 40% based on 1 vote
From Japanese
彩 (aya) meaning "colour",
綾 (aya) meaning "design" or
絢 (aya) meaning "brilliant fabric design, kimono design" combined with
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other combinations of kanji characters are also possible.
Audra 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Lithuanian
Pronounced: OW-dru
Rating: 65% based on 2 votes
Means "storm" in Lithuanian.
Auberon
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Carolingian Cycle
Pronounced: AW-bə-rahn(American English) O-bə-rahn(American English) AW-bə-rawn(British English) O-bə-rawn(British English)
Rating: 30% based on 1 vote
From a
diminutive form of
Auberi, an Old French form of
Alberich. It is the name of the fairy king in the 13th-century epic
Huon de Bordeaux.
Ashling
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish
Pronounced: ASH-ling(English)
Rating: 70% based on 2 votes
Arianrhod
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Welsh Mythology
Pronounced: ar-YAN-rawd(Welsh)
Rating: 20% based on 1 vote
Probably means
"silver wheel" from Welsh
arian "silver" and
rhod "wheel". According to the Fourth Branch of the
Mabinogi [1], Arianrhod was the mother of the twins
Dylan and
Lleu Llaw Gyffes, whom she spontaneously birthed when she stepped over a magical wand. It is speculated that in earlier myths she may have been a goddess of the moon.
Arabella
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: ar-ə-BEHL-ə
Rating: 20% based on 1 vote
Medieval Scottish name, probably a variant of
Annabel. It has long been associated with Latin
orabilis meaning "invokable, yielding to prayer", and the name was often recorded in forms resembling this.
Unrelated, this was an older name of the city of Irbid in Jordan, from Greek Ἄρβηλα (Arbela).
Apollon
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Greek Mythology, Greek
Other Scripts: Ἀπόλλων(Ancient Greek) Απόλλων(Greek)
Pronounced: A-POL-LAWN(Classical Greek)
Rating: 30% based on 1 vote
Anwen
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Welsh
Rating: 20% based on 1 vote
Means
"very beautiful" in Welsh, from the intensive prefix
an- combined with
gwen "white, blessed".
Angerona
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Roman Mythology
Pronounced: an-geh-RO-na(Latin) an-jə-RO-nə(English)
Rating: 20% based on 1 vote
Possibly from Latin angor "strangulation, torment" or angustus "narrow, constricted". Angerona was the Roman goddess of the winter solstice, death, and silence.
Andromeda
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Ἀνδρομέδα, Ἀνδρομέδη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: AN-DRO-MEH-DA(Classical Greek) an-DRAH-mi-də(American English) an-DRAW-mi-də(British English)
Rating: 60% based on 2 votes
Derived from Greek
ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man" (genitive
ἀνδρός) combined with one of the related words
μέδομαι (medomai) meaning "to be mindful of, to provide for, to think on" or
μέδω (medo) meaning "to protect, to rule over". In Greek
mythology Andromeda was an Ethiopian princess rescued from sacrifice by the hero
Perseus. A constellation in the northern sky is named for her. This is also the name of a nearby galaxy, given because it resides (from our point of view) within the constellation.
Amaya
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Basque, Spanish, English (Modern)
Pronounced: a-MA-ya(Spanish) ə-MIE-ə(English)
Rating: 20% based on 2 votes
Variant of
Amaia.
In America, this name was popularized in 1999 by a contestant on the reality television series The Real World [1].
Amarantha
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Various (Rare)
Rating: 65% based on 2 votes
From the name of the amaranth flower, which is derived from Greek
ἀμάραντος (amarantos) meaning "unfading".
Ἀμάραντος (Amarantos) was also an Ancient Greek given name.
Alaia 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Basque
Rating: 70% based on 2 votes
Means "joyful, happy" from Basque alai.
Aisling
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish
Pronounced: ASH-lyən
Rating: 60% based on 4 votes
Means "dream" or "vision" in Irish. This name was created in the 20th century.
Ainsley
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Scottish, English (Modern)
Pronounced: AYNZ-lee(English)
Rating: 85% based on 4 votes
From an English surname that was from a place name: either Annesley in Nottinghamshire or Ansley in Warwickshire. The place names themselves derive from Old English
anne "alone, solitary" or
ansetl "hermitage" and
leah "woodland, clearing".
In America, this name received a boost of popularity in 2000 when a character bearing it began appearing on the television series The West Wing.
Ailsa
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Scottish
Pronounced: AYL-sə(English)
Rating: 80% based on 3 votes
From Ailsa Craig, the name of an island off the west coast of Scotland, which is of uncertain derivation.
Aidan
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish, English (Modern)
Pronounced: AY-dən(English)
Rating: 47% based on 3 votes
Anglicized form of
Aodhán. In the latter part of the 20th century it became popular in America due to its sound, since it shares a sound with such names as
Braden and
Hayden. It peaked ranked 39th for boys in 2003.
Afërdita
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Albanian
Pronounced: ah-fər-DEET-ah
Rating: 40% based on 2 votes
Means
"daybreak, morning" in Albanian, from
afër "nearby, close" and
ditë "day". It is also used as an Albanian form of
Aphrodite.
Aeolus
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Αἴολος(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: EE-ə-ləs(English) ee-O-ləs(English)
Rating: 55% based on 2 votes
Aella
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Ἄελλα(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: A-EHL-LA(Classical Greek)
Rating: 83% based on 3 votes
Means
"whirlwind" in Greek. In Greek
myth this was the name of an Amazon warrior killed by
Herakles during his quest for Hippolyta's girdle.
Aelia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ancient Roman
Pronounced: IE-lee-a
Rating: 60% based on 2 votes
Adrasteia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Ἀδράστεια(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: A-DRAS-TEH-A(Classical Greek)
Rating: 48% based on 4 votes
Feminine form of
Adrastos. In Greek
mythology this name was borne by a nymph who fostered the infant
Zeus. This was also another name of the goddess
Nemesis.
behindthename.com · Copyright © 1996-2024