Anna the singer's Personal Name List

Variant of Zoey or diminutive of Zachary.

From Chinese 志 (zhì) meaning "will, purpose, ambition" or 智 (zhì) meaning "wisdom, intellect" combined with 豪 (háo) meaning "brave, heroic, chivalrous". Many other character combinations are possible.

From Chinese 正 (zhèng) meaning "right, proper, correct" or 政 (zhèng) meaning "government", as well as other hanja characters with a similar pronunciation.

From Japanese 柚 (yuzu) meaning "grapefruit, pomelo, citrus fruit" and 希 (ki) meaning "hope". Other combinations of kanji can form this name as well.

From Japanese 弓 (yumi) meaning "archery bow" or 由 (yu) meaning "reason, cause" with 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" combined with 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.

From Japanese 優 (yū) meaning "excellence, superiority, gentleness" or 悠 (yū) meaning "permanence" combined with 希 (ki) meaning "hope", 輝 (ki) meaning "brightness" or 生 (ki) meaning "living". Other combinations of kanji can form this name as well.

Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul 영희 (see Yeong-Hui).

From Chinese 勇 (yǒng) meaning "brave" or 永 (yǒng) meaning "perpetual, eternal" [1]. This can also be a single-character Korean name, for example from the hanja 勇 meaning "brave". It can be formed by other characters besides those listed here.

From Chinese 宜 (yí) meaning "suitable, proper", 毅 (yì) meaning "resolute, decisive, firm", 义 (yì) meaning "justice, righteousness", 益 (yì) meaning "profit, benefit", 怡 (yí) meaning "joy, harmony" (which is usually only feminine) or 仪 (yí) meaning "ceremony, rites" (also usually feminine). Other characters can also form this name.

From Chinese 雅 (yǎ) meaning "elegant, graceful, refined" combined with 筑 (zhù) meaning "lute, zither, build". Other character combinations are also possible.

From Yaxk'in, the name of the seventh month in the Maya calendar, derived from Classic Maya yax "green, first" and k'in "sun, day".

From Chinese 雅 (yǎ) meaning "elegant, graceful, refined" combined with 雯 (wén) meaning "cloud patterns". This name can be formed of other character combinations as well.

From Chinese 雅 (yǎ) meaning "elegant, graceful, refined" combined with 玲 (líng) meaning "tinkling of jade". This name can be formed of other character combinations as well.

Alternate transcription of Hebrew יָפֶה (see Yafe).

From Japanese 八 (ya) and 重 (e) meaning "multilayered" and 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji characters can also form this name.

From Chinese 雅 (yǎ) meaning "elegant, graceful, refined" or other characters with a similar pronunciation.

From Chinese 秀 (xiù) meaning "luxuriant, beautiful, elegant, outstanding" combined with 英 (yīng) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero". Other character combinations are possible.

From Chinese 秀 (xiù) meaning "luxuriant, beautiful, elegant, outstanding" or other characters that are pronounced similarly.

From Chinese 欣 (xīn) meaning "happy, joyous, delighted" or 心 (xīn) meaning "heart, mind, soul" combined with 怡 (yí) meaning "joy, harmony". This name can also be formed from other character combinations.

From Chinese 夏 (xià) meaning "summer, great, grand", 霞 (xiá) meaning "rosy clouds", or other characters that are pronounced similarly.

From the name of the flowering plant, which was named for the American anatomist Caspar Wistar.

Variant of Whitney influenced by Brittany.

Means "star" in Maori.

Polish form of Vanessa.

From Japanese 和 (wa) meaning "harmony, peace" and 奏 (kana) meaning "play music, complete", as well as other combinations of kanji that are pronounced the same way.

Form of Veronica in several languages.

Means "fate, destiny" in Khmer, ultimately from Sanskrit वासना (vāsanā) meaning "imagination, impression".

Form of Vanessa in several languages.

From Japanese 梅 (ume) meaning "apricot, plum" (referring to the species Prunus mume) and 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Old Irish form of Talulla.

From Japanese 月 (tsuki) meaning "moon" and 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other combinations of kanji are possible.

Short form of Patricia.

Variant of Tricia.

Feminine variant of Tracy.

From Japanese 豊 (toyo) meaning "luxuriant, lush, bountiful" and 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji characters can also form this name.

Variant of Torhild.

Feminine form of Timon.

Variant of Tiffany.

Modern form of Þóra.

Modern Greek form of Theophania.

Latinized form of Thekla.

From Lakota Tȟašína meaning "her blanket", derived from šiná "blanket, shawl". This is the first part of the name of historic figures such as Tȟašína Lúta, called Red Blanket, or Tȟašína Máni, called Moving Robe Woman.

Short form of Tamara and other names beginning with Tam.

Variant of Tammy.

This is the name of waterfalls in Georgia. Popularly claimed to mean "leaping waters" in the Choctaw language, it may actually mean "town" in the Creek language. It was borne by American actress Tallulah Bankhead (1902-1968), who was named after her grandmother, who may have been named after the waterfalls.

Combination of the popular name prefix ta and Lisha.

Finnish short form of Tatiana.

From Chinese 太 (tài) meaning "very, extreme" or other characters pronounced in a similar way.

Derived from Latin tace meaning "be silent". It was in use from the 16th century, though it died out two centuries later.

Diminutive of Susan.

Diminutive of Susan.

Diminutive of Susan.

Dutch diminutive of Suzanne.

Variant of Susan.

Diminutive of Susan.

Alternate transcription of Hindi सुशीला (see Sushila).

German and Scandinavian form of Susanna.

English variant of Susanna. This has been most common spelling since the 18th century. It was especially popular both in the United States and the United Kingdom from the 1940s to the 1960s. A notable bearer was the American feminist Susan B. Anthony (1820-1906).

Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul 성민 (see Seong-Min).

Diminutive of Susanna or Susan.

Diminutive of Susanna or Susan.

From Sino-Korean 收 (su) meaning "gather, harvest" or 壽 (su) meaning "long life, lifespan" combined with 眞 (jin) meaning "real, genuine" or 珍 (jin) meaning "precious, rare". Other combinations of hanja characters can form this name as well.

From Sino-Korean 秀 (su) meaning "luxuriant, beautiful, elegant, outstanding" and 賢 (hyeon) meaning "virtuous, worthy, able". Other combinations of hanja characters can also form this name.

Means "patience" in Swahili, from Arabic صبر (ṣabara).

From Chinese 素 (sù) meaning "plain, simple" or 肃 (sù) meaning "respectful", besides other characters pronounced in a similar way.

Short form of Stephanie or Stephen.

Diminutive of Susanna or Susan.

Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul 수현 (see Su-Hyeon).

Russian and Bulgarian form of Snježana, as well as an alternate transcription of Macedonian Снежана (see Snežana).

Short form of Sigrid.

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).

From Chinese 水 (shuǐ) meaning "water", as well as other characters pronounced in a similar way.

From Chinese 淑 (shū) meaning "good, pure, virtuous, charming" combined with 芬 (fēn) meaning "fragrance, aroma, perfume". Other character combinations are possible as well.

From Chinese 淑 (shū) meaning "good, pure, virtuous, charming", besides other characters that are pronounced similarly.

Invented name, probably based on the sounds found in Shawna and Rhonda.

From Japanese 静 (shizu) meaning "quiet" and 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.

From Japanese 繁 (shige) meaning "flourishing, luxuriant" or 成 (shige) meaning "become" combined with 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.

Variant of Cheryl.

Variant of Cheryl.

Variant of Sherry or Cherie.

From an Irish surname (Anglicized from Irish Gaelic Ó Sirideáin), which was derived from the given name Sirideán possibly meaning "searcher".

From the Hebrew word שׁכִינה (sheḵina) meaning "God's manifested glory" or "God's presence". This word does not appear in the Bible, but later Jewish scholars used it to refer to the dwelling place of God, especially the Temple in Jerusalem.

Alternate transcription of Hebrew שַׁי (see Shai).

Elaborated form of Sharon.

Variant of Charmaine.

Elaboration of Shae using the popular name suffix lyn.

From Sino-Korean 成 (seong) meaning "completed, finished, succeeded" or 性 (seong) meaning "nature, character, sex" combined with 敏 (min) meaning "quick, clever, sharp" or 旻 (min) meaning "quick, clever, sharp". Many other hanja character combinations are possible.

From Sino-Korean 成 (seong) meaning "completed, finished, succeeded" combined with 鉉 (hyeon), which refers to a device used to lift a tripod cauldron. Other hanja character combinations are possible.

Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul 서현 (see Seo-Hyeon).

Means "shadow, shade" in Serbian and Croatian. It can also be a diminutive of Ksenija.

Turkish form of Samra.

From Japanese 聖 (sei) meaning "holy, sacred" combined with 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.

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

From Japanese 里 (sato) meaning "village" or 聡 (sato) meaning "intelligent, clever, bright" combined with 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful". Other kanji combinations are possible.

From Latvian sarma meaning "frost".

From Sino-Korean 常 (sang) meaning "common, frequent, regular" or other characters that are pronounced similarly. It usually occurs in combination with another character.

Alternate transcription of Telugu సమీరా or Marathi/Hindi समीरा (see Samira 2).

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

From Japanese 幸 (sachi) meaning "happiness, good luck" and 枝 (e) meaning "branch" or 恵 (e) meaning "favour, benefit". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.

Alternate transcription of Bulgarian Румяна (see Rumyana).

Feminine form of Rufinus. Rufina and Secunda were sister saints who were martyred in Rome in the 3rd century.

Diminutive of Roxana.

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

Variant of Rowena.

Means "red" in Italian.

Means "rosary", and is taken from the Spanish title of the Virgin Mary Nuestra Señora del Rosario meaning "Our Lady of the Rosary". This name is feminine in Spanish and masculine in Italian.

Variant of Rosamund, in use since the Middle Ages.

From Chinese 荣 (róng) meaning "glory, honour, flourish, prosper", 融 (róng) meaning "fuse, harmonize" or 容 (róng) meaning "appearance, form" (which is usually only feminine). Other Chinese characters can form this name as well.

Variant of Rhonda.

Possibly a variant of Romana.

Alternate transcription of Arabic ريحانة (see Rayhana). This name is borne by the Barbadian singer Robyn Rihanna Fenty (1988-), known simply as Rihanna. In the United States it jumped in popularity between the years 2005 and 2008, when Rihanna was releasing her first albums. It quickly declined over the next few years.

From Japanese 理 (ri) meaning "reason, logic" or 里 (ri) meaning "village" combined with 恵 (e) meaning "favour, benefit". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.

Feminine form of Richard.

English variant of Renée.

From Japanese 怜 (rei) meaning "wise" and 奈 (na), a phonetic character. This name can also be formed by other combinations of kanji.

German and Norwegian form of Regina.

Southern Indian variant of Ratna.

Means "young gazelle" in Arabic.

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.

Feminine form of Quintus.

From Chinese 青 (qīng) meaning "blue, green, young", as well as other characters pronounced in a similar way.

From the word for the silk-like material, introduced by DuPont in 1968 and popular in the fashions of the 1970s [1].

From the word for the red flower, derived from Old English popæg.

Diminutive of Apollonius, now commonly used as a feminine name.

Diminutive of Philippa.

Greek form of Philomela.

Feminine form of Philon (see Philo).

Meaning unknown, probably of Pre-Greek origin, but perhaps related to Greek πέρθω (pertho) meaning "to destroy" and φόνος (phonos) meaning "murder". In Greek myth she was the daughter of Demeter and Zeus. She was abducted to the underworld by Hades, but was eventually allowed to return to the surface for part of the year. The result of her comings and goings is the changing of the seasons. With her mother she was worshipped in the Eleusinian Mysteries, which were secret rites practiced at the city of Eleusis near Athens.

Diminutive of Penelope. It can also be given in reference to the copper coin (a British pound or an American dollar are worth 100 of them), derived from Old English penning.

Feminine form of Paulinus (see Paulino).

Means "maiden's voice", derived from Greek παρθένος (parthenos) meaning "maiden, virgin" and ὄψ (ops) meaning "voice". In Greek legend this is the name of one of the Sirens who enticed Odysseus.

Diminutive of Paraskevi.

Derived from Greek ὠφέλεια (opheleia) meaning "help, advantage". This was a rare ancient Greek name, which was either rediscovered or recreated by the poet Jacopo Sannazaro for a character in his poem Arcadia (1480). It was borrowed by Shakespeare for his play Hamlet (1600), in which it belongs to the daughter of Polonius and the potential love interest of Hamlet. She eventually goes insane and drowns herself after Hamlet kills her father. In spite of this negative association, the name has been in use since the 19th century.

Elaborated form of Opal. This is also an English and French word meaning "resembling an opal".

From the name of a Native American tribe, perhaps meaning "standing rock".

Variant of Olwen.

Latinate form of Odette.

Anglicized form of Ngaire. It was borne by New Zealand actress Nyree Dawn Porter (1936-2001).

From Chinese 暖 (nuǎn) meaning "warm, genial" or other characters with a similar pronunciation.

Elaboration of Nova using the popular name suffix lee. It was used for the central character in the novel Where the Heart Is (1995), as well as the 2000 film adaptation.

Means "sweet, pleasant" in Persian.

Italian diminutive of Nora 1.

From Japanese 信 (nobu) meaning "trust" and 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji characters can also form this name.

Means "father's mother" in Igbo. This name is given in honour of the child's paternal grandmother.

Means "bear" in Choctaw.

Spanish and Italian form of Nympha.

Bulgarian, Croatian, Serbian and Macedonian feminine form of Nicholas.

Variant of Nakeisha.

Diminutive of Nicole.

Variant of Nicole.

Means "miracle" in Hebrew.

Short form of Giuanna.

Diminutive of Cornelia.

Alternate transcription of Tamil நீலா or Hindi नीला (see Nila).

Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul 명 (see Myeong).

Variant of Myla.

Variant of Muirenn.

From Japanese 森 (mori) meaning "forest" and 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are also possible.

From Japanese 百 (momo) meaning "hundred" or 桃 (momo) meaning "peach" combined with 花 (ka) meaning "flower" or 香 (ka) meaning "fragrance". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Diminutive of Miroslava and other names containing the Slavic element mirŭ meaning "peace" or "world".

Romanian, Croatian and Albanian form of Mireille.

From Japanese 実 (minoru) meaning "to bear fruit", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations with the same pronunciation.

From Japanese 港 (minato) meaning "harbour", as well as other combinations of kanji having the same pronunciation.

From Japanese 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful", 奈 (na), a phonetic character, and 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.

From 敏 (mǐn) meaning "quick, clever, sharp", 民 (mín) meaning "people, citizens", or other Chinese/Sino-Korean characters that are pronounced similarly.

Feminine form of Milan.

Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul 미경 (see Mi-Gyeong).

Feminine form of Mikel.

Derived from Finnish mieli meaning "mind, mood". This was the name of a Finnish goddess of forests and hunting. By some accounts she is the wife of the god Tapio.

Possibly means "brook" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of a daughter of Saul. She was married to David, but after David fled from Saul he remarried her to someone else. Later, when David became king, he ordered her returned to him.

Diminutive of Merle.

From Arabic منّة (minna) meaning "favour, grace".

Meaning unknown. In European folklore Melusine was a water fairy who turned into a serpent from the waist down every Saturday. She made her husband, Raymond of Poitou, promise that he would never see her on that day, and when he broke his word she left him forever.

Means "jasmine flower" in Malay and Indonesian, ultimately from Sanskrit मालती (mālatī).

Italian, Spanish, Polish and Romanian form of Melanie.

Alternate transcription of Hindi/Marathi मीरा, Malayalam മീര, Tamil மீரா or Kannada ಮೀರಾ (see Mira 1).

From Greek Μήδεια (Medeia), derived from μήδεα (medea) meaning "plans, counsel, cunning". In Greek mythology Medea was a sorceress from Colchis (modern Georgia) who helped Jason gain the Golden Fleece. They were married, but eventually Jason left her for another woman. For revenge Medea slew Jason's new lover and also had her own children by Jason killed.

Variant of Mackenzie.

From Japanese 真 (ma) meaning "real, genuine" combined with 弓 (yumi) meaning "archery bow" or 由 (yu) meaning "reason, cause" and 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful". This name can also be constructed from other kanji combinations.

Means "tender, soft, modest" in Tagalog.

Azerbaijani form of Masuma.

From Japanese 成 (masa) meaning "become" or 正 (masa) meaning "right, proper" combined with 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful". This name can also be formed from other combinations of kanji.

Combination of Mary and Beth.

Combination of Mary and Ann.

Blend of Maria and Magdalene. It refers, therefore, to Mary Magdalene, a character in the New Testament. The name was popularized by the German actress and singer Marlene Dietrich (1901-1992), whose real name was Maria Magdalene Dietrich.

French diminutive of Marie.

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

Variant of Marilyn.

Combination of Marie and Louise.

Combination of Maria and Angela.

French short form of Margaret.

Estonian form of Margaret.

Frisian and German diminutive of Maria.

Variant of Marilyn.

Diminutive of Manuela.

From Japanese 真 (ma) meaning "real, genuine" or 麻 (ma) meaning "flax" combined with 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful". Other combinations of kanji can form this name as well.

Variant of Mackenzie.

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).

Variant of Madeline.

Variant of Mabel. It also coincides with the French phrase ma belle meaning "my beautiful".

Variant of Lina 2.

Means "good fortune, happiness" in Danish.

Diminutive of Louise and names that begin with Lu.

From a nickname given to a lucky person. It is also sometimes used as a diminutive of Luke. A famous bearer was the Italian-American gangster "Lucky" Luciano (1897-1962).

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

Variant of Lori.

Variant of Liz.

Combination of the names Lin and Na.

Dutch variant of Linda.

Hokkien Chinese form of Lin.

German, Danish and Finnish variant of Lili.

French form of Lillian.

From Latin levare meaning "to raise, to lift". This was the name of a Roman goddess associated with newborn babies and the rituals of childbirth.

Variant of Leslie.

Spanish and Portuguese form of Eleanor. It was brought to Spain in the 12th-century by Eleanor of England, who married King Alfonso VIII of Castile.

From an Irish surname, derived from the Irish byname Leannán meaning "lover". The surname was borne by musician and Beatle member John Lennon (1940-1980), and it may be used as a given name in his honour. In America it is now more common as a feminine name, possibly inspired in part by the singer Lennon Stella (1999-), who began appearing on the television series Nashville in 2012 [1].

Variant of Leila.

From Chinese 磊 (lěi) meaning "pile of stones" (which is typically masculine) or 蕾 (lěi) meaning "bud" (typically feminine). Other characters can also form this name.

Short form of Eleanora.

Possibly a derivative of Lot 2 (or derived from the same place name). It was used by the 12th-century French poet Chrétien de Troyes for a character in his romance Yvain, the Knight of the Lion. Also called the Lady of the Fountain, Laudine married Yvain after he killed her husband.

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.

Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul 경숙 (see Gyeong-Suk).

From the name of a Christian prayer, also called the Kyrie eleison meaning "Lord, have mercy". It is ultimately from Greek κύριος (kyrios) meaning "lord".

Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 京子 or 恭子 (see Kyōko).

Derived from Finnish kyllä "abundance" or kyllin "enough". This is the name of a character in the Finnish epic the Kalevala.

Variant of Kylie.

Means "third child" in Akan.

Polish form of Kunigunde. The 13th-century Saint Kunegunda was the daughter of Bela IV, king of Hungary. She married Boleslaus V of Poland, but after his death refused to assume power and instead became a nun.

From Chinese 坤 (kūn) meaning "earth, female", as well as other characters with a similar pronunciation.

From Japanese 久 (ku) meaning "long time", 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" and 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Variant of Kristin.

German and Polish form of Cornelia.

Variant of Keisha.

Variant of Kiara.

Variant of Kenny.

Feminine form of Kenneth.

Variant of Kelly.

Feminine form of Keith.

Feminine form of Kazimierz (Polish) or Kazimieras (Lithuanian).

Variant of Catriona.

Danish and Norwegian contracted form of Katherine.

Meaning unknown. This is the name of the wife of King Goshtasb in the 10th-century Persian epic the Shahnameh.

Variant of Catalina.

German and Scandinavian form of Charles. This was the name of seven rulers of the Franks and the Holy Roman Empire. It was also borne by a beatified emperor of Austria (1887-1922), as well as ten kings of Sweden. Other famous bearers include the German philosophers Karl Marx (1818-1883), one of the developers of communism, and Karl Jaspers (1883-1969), an existentialist and psychiatrist.

From Japanese 香 (kaori) meaning "fragrance". It can also come from an alternate reading of 香 (ka) combined with 織 (ori) meaning "weaving". Other kanji combinations are possible. It is often written using the hiragana writing system.

From Japanese 花 (ka) meaning "flower, blossom" and 音 (non) meaning "sound". Other kanji combinations are possible as well.

From Japanese 奏 (kana) meaning "play music, complete" and 多 (ta) meaning "many", as well as other combinations of kanji that have the same pronunciation.

From Japanese 加 (ka) meaning "increase" or 香 (ka) meaning "fragrance" combined with 奈 (na), a phonetic character, or 菜 (na) meaning "vegetables, greens" and finished with 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations can form this name as well.

Variant of Kaylee.

Variant of Kayleigh or Callie.

From Hawaiian kai "ocean, sea" and mana "power". It is also Hawaiian meaning "diamond", derived from the English word diamond.

Variant of Kaylyn.

Variant of Kaylee.

Variant of Kaylyn.

French form of Iuno (see Juno).

From a Roman family name that was possibly derived from Greek ἴουλος (ioulos) meaning "downy-bearded". Alternatively, it could be related to the name of the Roman god Jupiter. This was a prominent patrician family of Rome, who claimed descent from the mythological Julus, son of Aeneas. Its most notable member was Gaius Julius Caesar, who gained renown as a military leader for his clever conquest of Gaul. After a civil war he became the dictator of the Roman Republic, but was eventually stabbed to death in the senate.

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

From the Hebrew name יְהוּדִית (Yehuḏiṯ) meaning "Jewish woman", feminine of יְהוּדִי (yehuḏi), ultimately referring to a person from the tribe of Judah. In the Old Testament Judith is one of the Hittite wives of Esau. This is also the name of the main character of the apocryphal Book of Judith. She killed Holofernes, an invading Assyrian commander, by beheading him in his sleep.

As an English name it did not become common until after the Protestant Reformation, despite a handful of early examples during the Middle Ages. It was however used earlier on the European continent, being borne by several European royals, such as the 9th-century Judith of Bavaria.

Slovak form of Joséphine.

Hungarian and Slovene feminine form of Joseph.

Variant of Joy.

Variant of Jocelyn.

Latinate variant of Joséphine.

French feminine form of Joseph.

Feminine form of Joseph.

Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul 주원 (see Ju-Won).

Diminutive of John, sometimes used as a feminine form.

Elaborated form of Jo.

Feminine variant of Jody.

Feminine variant of Jody.

Short form of Joan 1, Joanna, Josephine and other names that begin with Jo. It is primarily masculine in German, Dutch and Norwegian, short for Johannes or Josef.

From Sino-Korean 智 (ji) meaning "wisdom, intellect" or 志 (ji) meaning "will, purpose, ambition" combined with 妍 (yeon) meaning "beautiful". Other combinations of hanja characters can also form this name.

From Chinese 静 (jìng) meaning "quiet, still, gentle" combined with 怡 (yí) meaning "joy, harmony". Other character combinations are possible as well.

From Chinese 金 (jīn) meaning "gold, metal, money", 锦 (jǐn) meaning "tapestry, brocade, embroidered" or 津 (jīn) meaning "ferry". Other Chinese characters can form this name as well.

From Sino-Korean 志 (ji) meaning "will, purpose, ambition" or 智 (ji) meaning "wisdom, intellect" combined with 旼 (min) meaning "gentle, affable", 敏 (min) meaning "quick, clever, sharp" or 珉 (min) meaning "jade, stone resembling jade". Other hanja character combinations are possible.

From Sino-Korean 貞 (jeong) meaning "virtuous, chaste, loyal" or 正 (jeong) meaning "right, proper, correct" combined with 淑 (suk) meaning "good, pure, virtuous, charming". Other hanja combinations are possible.

From Sino-Korean 正 (jeong) meaning "right, proper, correct" or 靜 (jeong) meaning "quiet, still, gentle" combined with 姬 (hui) meaning "beauty" or 熙 (hui) meaning "bright, splendid, glorious". Other combinations of hanja characters can form this name as well.

Variant of Jenny.

Derived from South Slavic jasno meaning "clearly, obviously".

Danish, Norwegian and Estonian diminutive of Johanne or Johanna.

Elaborated form of Jane, created by Paul Leicester Ford for his novel Janice Meredith (1899).

Diminutive of Jacqueline.

An invented name, using the popular phonetic element jay and the same sound found in names such as Casey and Macy.

Variant of Isabel.

Polish, Czech, Slovak and Slovene form of Isabella.

Variant of Isabella.

Variant of Imogen.

Estonian form of Ilma 1.

From Sino-Korean 煥 (hwan) meaning "shining, brilliant, lustrous" or other characters that are pronounced similarly. It usually occurs in combination with another character.

From Sino-Vietnamese 花 (hoa) meaning "flower".

From Japanese 久 (hisa) meaning "long time, long time ago" or 寿 (hisa) meaning "long life, lifespan" combined with 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.

Medieval English form of Hilarius or Hilaria. During the Middle Ages it was primarily a masculine name. It was revived in Britain at the beginning of the 20th century as a predominantly feminine name. In America, this name and the variant Hillary seemed to drop in popularity after Hillary Clinton (1947-) became the first lady in 1993. Famous bearers include American actresses Hilary Swank (1974-) and Hilary Duff (1987-).

From Japanese 一 (hi) meaning "one", 二 (fu) meaning "two" and 三 (mi) meaning "three".

From Japanese 秀 (hide) meaning "excellent, outstanding" or 英 (hide) meaning "excellent, fine" combined with 子 (ko) meaning "child". This name can also be formed from other combinations of kanji characters.

From Tahitian here "loved, dear" and nui "big".

From Chinese 河 (hé) meaning "river, stream", 和 (hé) meaning "harmony, peace", or 荷 (hé) meaning "lotus, water lily" (which is usually only feminine). Other characters can form this name as well. A famous bearer was the Ming dynasty explorer Zheng He (1371-1433).

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.

Variant of Harley.

Feminine form of Hadrianus.

From Hungarian gyöngy meaning "pearl", of Turkic origin.

From Chinese 国 (guó) meaning "country" or other Chinese characters pronounced in a similar way.

From the Old Norse name Gunnvǫr meaning "cautious in war", derived from gunnr "war" and vǫr "vigilant, cautious".

Feminine form of Goran.

Feminine form of Goran.

Variant of Gloriane.

Possibly a variant of the name Gloriana, an elaboration of Gloria or a combination of Gloria and Anna.

French form of Gloriana.

German short form of Brigitta and a Hungarian short form of Margit.

Swedish and Dutch form of Gilles.

Variant of Georgiana.

Means "birth, origin" in Greek. This is the name of the first book of the Old Testament in the Bible. It tells of the creation of the world, the expulsion of Adam and Eve, Noah and the great flood, and the three patriarchs.

From Japanese 文 (fumi) meaning "writing", 史 (fumi) meaning "history", or other kanji or combinations of kanji that are read the same way. It is often written in hiragana or katakana.

Feminine form of Fulvius (see Fulvio).

Feminine form of Florius.

Known bearers of this name include the Italian-born Canadian filmmaker Floria Sigismondi (b. 1965), the Venezuelan singer and actress Floria Márquez (b. 1950) and the Argentine actress Floria Bloise (1929-2012).

Floria Tosca is also the name of the main character in Puccini's opera 'Tosca' (1900).

Alternate transcription of Persian فیروزه (see Firouzeh).

Feminine form of Fikri.

Short form of Josefien and other names ending with a similar sound.

Russian form of Theodora. This was the name of an 1898 opera by the Italian composer Umberto Giordano (who based it on an 1882 French play).

From the English word favour, ultimately from Latin faveo "to favour". This name is most common in Nigeria and other parts of Africa.

From Chinese 芳 (fāng) meaning "fragrant, virtuous, beautiful" or other characters with a similar pronunciation.

Variant of Fayruz.

Modern Greek form of Eugenia. It is also an alternate transcription of Russian Евгения (see Yevgeniya) or Bulgarian Евгения (see Evgeniya).

From Sino-Korean 恩 (eun) meaning "kindness, mercy, charity" and 英 (yeong) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero". This name can be formed by other hanja character combinations as well.

Means "good gift" in Greek, from the elements εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and δῶρον (doron) meaning "gift". This was the name of a nymph, one of the Hyades, in Greek mythology.

Derived from Greek εὐανθής (euanthes) meaning "blooming, flowery", a derivative of εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and ἄνθος (anthos) meaning "flower". According to some sources, this was the name of the mother of the three Graces or Χάριτες (Charites) in Greek mythology.

Greek form of Evadne.

Diminutive of Ethel.

Latinate form of Estelle. This is the name of the heroine, Estella Havisham, in Charles Dickens' novel Great Expectations (1860).

Feminine form of Esmé.

Variant of Esmeralda.

Diminutive of Elizabeth. It was popularized in the early 1980s by a character from the television comedy Family Ties.

Variant of Eloise.

Variant of Eliana 1.

Variant form of Elizabeth.

Form of Elizabeth used in many versions of the Old Testament, where it belongs to the wife of Aaron.

Short form of Eliezer or Elijah. A famous bearer is Elie Wiesel, Jewish rights activist.

Diminutive of names beginning with El such as Elizabeta or Elżbieta.

From Welsh eilon meaning "deer, stag" or "song, melody". This name was used by Lloyd Alexander in his book series The Chronicles of Prydain (1964-1968) as well as the Disney film adaptation The Black Cauldron (1985).

Finnish form of Erica.

Feminine variant of Eder 2.

Medieval diminutive of Edith.

Means "two" in Korean (Gyeongsang dialect).

Feminine form of Duane.

Derived from the Slavic element dorgŭ (South Slavic drag) meaning "precious" combined with a diminutive suffix.

German variant of Dorothea.

From the Greek name Δωρίς (Doris), which meant "Dorian woman". The Dorians were a Greek tribe who occupied the Peloponnese starting in the 12th century BC. In Greek mythology Doris was a sea nymph, one of the many children of Oceanus and Tethys. It began to be used as an English name in the 19th century. A famous bearer is the American actress Doris Day (1924-2019).

Form of Dinah in several languages, as well as the form in the Hebrew, Greek and Latin Old Testament.

Means "love" in Turkish.

Short form of Diana.

Means "mistress, lady" in Greek. In Greek mythology this was the name of the daughter of Demeter and Poseidon. She was worshipped in the Eleusinian Mysteries, which were secret rites practiced at Eleusis near Athens.

Variant of Dionne.

From a Cornish place name meaning "fort of Maeldaf". It has been used as a given name since the middle of the 20th century. It was popularized in the 1970s by a character from the British television series Poldark, which was set in Cornwall.

Form of Dinah used in some versions of the Greek Old Testament.

Feminine form of Decimus.

Variant of Darlene.

Derived from the Slavic word darŭ meaning "gift". It is sometimes used as a diminutive of names beginning with Dar.

French variant form of Daphne.

Feminine form of Daniel.

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.

From an English surname that originally belonged to a person who lived near a dale or valley.

Spanish form of Crescentia.

Latinized form of the Greek name Κόριννα (Korinna), which was derived from κόρη (kore) meaning "maiden". This was the name of a Greek lyric poet of the 5th century BC. The Roman poet Ovid used it for the main female character in his book Amores [1]. In the modern era it has been in use since the 17th century, when Robert Herrick used it in his poem Corinna's going a-Maying [2].

Variant of Corrie.

French masculine and feminine form of Claudius. In France the masculine name has been common since the Middle Ages due to the 7th-century Saint Claude of Besançon. It was imported to Britain in the 16th century by the aristocratic Hamilton family, who had French connections. A famous bearer of this name was the French impressionist painter Claude Monet (1840-1926).

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

Means "sky, heaven" in Spanish. In Mexico this name was popularized by a character named María del Cielo, called Cielo, on the telenovela Por tu amor (1999).

Alternate transcription of Greek Χρύσα (see Chrysa).

Variant transliteration of Χρύσα (see Chryssa).

Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 蝶 (see Chō).

Variant of Chinyere.

Means "God is giving" in Igbo.

From Japanese 千 (chi) meaning "thousand" and 夏 (natsu) meaning "summer", as well as other kanji combinations.

Means "memory" in Chewa.

From Japanese 千 (chi) meaning "thousand" combined with 枝 (e) meaning "branch", 恵 (e) meaning "favour, benefit" or 絵 (e) meaning "picture, painting". Other kanji combinations are also possible.

Feminine form of Chetan.

Variant of Cheryl.

Derived from French chérie meaning "darling". In America, Cherie came into use shortly after the variant Sherry, and has not been as common.

Diminutive of Cherie.

Short form of Cheryl. In the case of the American musician Cher (1946-), it is short for her real name Cherilyn.

Meaning unknown, perhaps a combination of Charmian or the English word charm with the aine suffix from Lorraine. It was (first?) used for a character in the play What Price Glory (1924), which was made into a popular movie in 1926.

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

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

From Greek χάρις (charis) meaning "grace, kindness" and κλέος (kleos) meaning "glory". This is the name of the heroine of the 3rd-century novel Aethiopica, about the love between Charikleia and Theagenes, written by Heliodorus of Emesa.

Means simply "chalice, goblet" from the English word, derived from Latin calix.

From the brand of perfume called Cerissa, which was introduced by Charles Revson in 1974. The name itself might possibly be a variant of Cerise. It was also used by Barbara Cartland for the heroine of her historical romance novel The Heart Triumphant (1976).

Variant of Katherine.

Variant of cattleya, a genus of orchids native to Central and South America, which were named for the British horticulturist William Cattley. This name was popularized by the main character from the movie Colombiana (2011).

From the English word, a type of fabric, ultimately borrowed from the Hindi कश्मीर (kaśmīr) (See Kashmir).

From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Cathasaigh, a patronymic derived from the given name Cathassach. This name can be given in honour of Casey Jones (1863-1900), a train engineer who sacrificed his life to save his passengers. In his case, Casey was a nickname acquired because he was raised in the town of Cayce, Kentucky.

Medieval Spanish form of Carmel, appearing in the devotional title of the Virgin Mary Nuestra Señora del Carmen meaning "Our Lady of Mount Carmel". The spelling has been altered through association with the Latin word carmen meaning "song". This was the name of the main character in George Bizet's opera Carmen (1875).

Italian, Spanish and Galician form of Carmel.

From a surname that was derived from the name of a city in northern England. The city was originally called by the Romans Luguvalium meaning "stronghold of Lugus". Later the Brythonic element ker "fort" was appended to the name of the city.

Combination of Carla and Lisa.

Variant of Charissa.

Variant of Candace.

From Sino-Vietnamese 柑 (cam) meaning "orange (fruit)".

Elaborated form of Calanthe.

Probably invented by the 16th-century Spanish writer Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo, who likely based it on califa, the Spanish form of Arabic خليفة (khalīfa), an Islamic title meaning "successor" (see Khalifa). In Montalvo's novel The Adventures of Esplandián it is borne by the queen of the island of California (the inspiration for the name of the American and Mexican states).

From the name of the city in Egypt, called القاهرة (al-Qāhira) in Arabic, meaning "the victorious" [1].

From an English surname, a variant of Brook.

Variant of Brooklyn.

From the name of a borough of New York City, originally named after the Dutch town of Breukelen, itself meaning either "broken land" (from Dutch breuk) or "marsh land" (from Dutch broek). It can also be viewed as a combination of Brook and the popular name suffix lyn. It is considered a feminine name in the United States, but is more common as a masculine name in the United Kingdom.

Variant of Brook. The name came into use in the 1950s, probably influenced by American socialite Brooke Astor (1902-2007). It was further popularized by actress Brooke Shields (1965-).

From an English surname that denoted one who lived near a brook.

Feminine form of Brian.

From the English word for the colour, derived via Norman French from a Frankish word (replacing the native Old English cognate blaw). Despite the fact that this name was used by the American musicians Beyoncé and Jay-Z in 2012 for their first daughter, it has not come into general use in the United States.

Feminine form of Blerim.

Variant of Betty.

From the name of the minty medicinal herb.