ANB's Personal Name List

Means "beautiful" in Swahili.

From an English surname of unknown meaning. It was introduced as a given name by American author Zane Grey (1872-1939). Zane was in fact his middle name — it had been his mother's maiden name.

Means "woman" in Persian.

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

From the English word for the season, derived from Old English winter.

From the name of the tree, which is ultimately derived from Old English welig.

From an English surname that was derived from a place name, itself from Old English west "west" and tun "enclosure, yard, town".

In the case of the character from J. M. Barrie's play Peter Pan (1904), it was created from the nickname fwendy "friend", given to the author by a young friend. However, the name was used prior to the play (rarely), in which case it could be related to the Welsh name Gwendolen and other names beginning with the element gwen meaning "white, blessed". The name only became common after Barrie's play ran.

Old short form of Germanic names beginning with the element wentil meaning "a Vandal". The Vandals were a Germanic tribe who invaded Spain and North Africa in the 5th century. Their tribal name, which may mean "wanderer", has often been confused with that of the Wends, a Slavic people living between the Elbe and the Oder.

This is another name for Saint Wendelin.

From the rare English surname Waverley, derived from the name of a place in Surrey, itself possibly from Old English wæfre "flickering, wavering" and leah "woodland, clearing".

The surname was borne by the title character in the novel Waverley (1814) by Walter Scott. Streets in New York and San Francisco have been named Waverly after the novel, and a female character in Amy Tan's novel The Joy Luck Club (1989) is named after the San Francisco street. The name received a small boost in popularity for girls after the 1993 release of the novel's movie adaptation, and it rose further after the debut of the television series Wizards of Waverly Place (2007-2012).

Variant of Waylynn. According to the Social Security Administration, Waelyn was given to 5 girls and 10 boys in 2018.

Feminine form of the Roman family name Verginius or Virginius, which is of unknown meaning, but long associated with Latin virgo "maid, virgin". According to a legend, it was the name of a Roman woman killed by her father so as to save her from the clutches of a crooked official.

This was the name of the first English baby born in the New World: Virginia Dare in 1587 on Roanoke Island. Perhaps because of this, the name has generally been more popular in America than elsewhere in the English-speaking world, though in both Britain and America it was not often used until the 19th century. The baby was named after the Colony of Virginia, which was itself named for Elizabeth I, the Virgin Queen. A more recent bearer was the English novelist Virginia Woolf (1882-1941).

From the English word violet for the purple flower, ultimately derived from Latin viola. It was common in Scotland from the 16th century, and it came into general use as an English given name during the 19th century.

Variant spelling of Veselin, but in some cases it is also a variant transcription of the name. Known bearers of this name include the Bulgarian pianist Vesselin Stanev (b. 1964) and the German-Bulgarian opera singer Vesselin Stoykov (b. 1973).

Variant transcription of Весела (see Vesela).

Means "faith" in Russian, though it is sometimes associated with the Latin word verus "true". It has been in general use in the English-speaking world since the late 19th century.

Both a transferred use of the surname Valley and a diminutive of Valerie.

Short form of names containing the Old Norse name element valr- "the slain (in Valhalla)" as well as a direct adoption of Swedish vala (or völva) "fortune teller; prophet" (ultimately from Old Norse vǫlva).

From the Old Norse name Þýri, a variant of the Norse names Þórví or Þórveig. Use of the name in the English-speaking world (especially among African Americans) may be in part from the Swedish name, though it is probably also viewed as a feminine form of Tyrone or Tyree. A famous bearer is the American model and actress Tyra Banks (1973-).

From Old English trēowlīce meaning ‘faithfully’.

From French tremble meaning "aspen". It is especially widespread in Quebec, being the most common surname there.

Short form of Theodore, Theobald and other names that begin with Theo.

Short form of Dorothea, Theodora, Theresa and other names with a similar sound.

Contracted form of Theresa.

Czech form of Silvia.

Transferred use of the surname Syler.

From the English word for the celestial body, ultimately from Old English steorra.

From the name of the season, ultimately from Old English springan "to leap, to burst forth".

English form of Søren.

Simply from the English word sky, which was ultimately derived from Old Norse ský "cloud".

From the English word for the precious metal or the colour, ultimately derived from Old English seolfor.

Welsh form of Jane.

English form of Siân.

From the English word scout meaning "one who gathers information covertly", which is derived from Old French escouter "to listen". Harper Lee used this name in her novel To Kill a Mockingbird (1960).

Either a variant of Scarlett or else from the English word for the red colour (both of the same origin, a type of cloth).

Variant of Savannah.

From the Hebrew name שָׂרָה (Sara) meaning "lady, princess, noblewoman". In the Old Testament this is the name of Abraham's wife, considered the matriarch of the Jewish people. She was barren until she unexpectedly became pregnant with Isaac at the age of 90. Her name was originally Sarai, but God changed it at the same time Abraham's name was changed (see Genesis 17:15).

In England, Sarah came into use after the Protestant Reformation. It was consistently popular in the 20th century throughout the English-speaking world, reaching the top of the charts for England and Wales in the 1970s and 80s.

Notable bearers include Sarah Churchill (1660-1744), an influential British duchess and a close friend of Queen Anne, and the French actress Sarah Bernhardt (1844-1923).

From the English word sage, which denotes either a type of spice or else a wise person.

From the name of the bitter medicinal herb, ultimately deriving from Greek ῥυτή (rhyte). This is also sometimes used as a short form of Ruth 1.

From the English word royal, derived (via Old French) from Latin regalis, a derivative of rex "king". It was first used as a given name in the 19th century.

Anglicized form of Ruadh. A notable bearer was the Scottish outlaw and folk hero Rob Roy (1671-1734). It is often associated with French roi "king".

Variant of Rowan.

Italian masculine form of Rose.

Name of Rosebud Denovo, street activist, and Rosebud the Basselope, a character in the comic strip Bloom County.

Originally a Norman French form of the Germanic name Hrodohaidis meaning "famous type", composed of the elements hruod "fame" and heit "kind, sort, type". The Normans introduced it to England in the forms Roese and Rohese. From an early date it was associated with the word for the fragrant flower rose (derived from Latin rosa). When the name was revived in the 19th century, it was probably with the flower in mind.

Breton and Anglicized form of Rónán.

Transferred use of the surnaem Rockwell. A notable bearer of this name was Rockwell Kent, an American painter, printmaker, illustrator, and writer.

From the Germanic name Hrodebert meaning "bright fame", derived from the elements hruod "fame" and beraht "bright". The Normans introduced this name to Britain, where it replaced the rare Old English cognate Hreodbeorht. It has been consistently among the most common English names from the 13th to 20th century. In the United States it was the most popular name for boys between 1924 and 1939 (and again in 1953).

This name has been borne by two kings of the Franks, two dukes of Normandy, and three kings of Scotland, including Robert the Bruce who restored the independence of Scotland from England in the 14th century. Several saints have also had the name, the earliest known as Saint Rupert, from an Old German variant. The author Robert Browning (1812-1889) and poets Robert Burns (1759-1796) and Robert Frost (1874-1963) are famous literary namesakes. Other bearers include Robert E. Lee (1807-1870), the commander of the Confederate army during the American Civil War, and American actors Robert Redford (1936-), Robert De Niro (1943-) and Robert Downey Jr. (1965-).

From the English word that denotes a flowing body of water. The word is ultimately derived (via Old French) from Latin ripa "riverbank".

From Japanese 莉 (ri) meaning "white jasmine" or 里 (ri) meaning "village" combined with 央 (o) meaning "center", 緒 (o) meaning "thread" or 桜 (o) meaning "cherry blossom". Other kanji combinations are also possible.

Short form of names ending in -rielle.

From a surname, an Anglicized form of the Dutch de Raedt, derived from raet "advice, counsel". Margaret Mitchell used this name for the character Rhett Butler in her novel Gone with the Wind (1936).

Arabic variant of Rayan. English variant of Rayanne.

Diminutive of Rayna 1 or Raisa 1.

Short form of Raymond, often used as an independent name. It coincides with an English word meaning "beam of light". Science-fiction author Ray Bradbury (1920-2012) and musician Ray Charles (1930-2004) are two notable bearers of the name.

Variant of Quintella inspired by the word quintessence, meaning "the fifth element", "aether". According to Medieval science, the quintessence was the material that filled the region of the universe beyond the terrestrial sphere. Later the word came to mean "a thing that is the most perfect example of its type".

From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Irish Gaelic Ó Cuinn, itself derived from the given name Conn. In the United States it was more common as a name for boys until 2010, the year after the female character Quinn Fabray began appearing on the television series Glee.

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

Transferred use of the surname Prose.

From the English word promise, from Latin promissum. It is currently most common in parts of English-influenced Africa.

German form of Prisca, as well as the form used in the Greek New Testament.

Feminine form of Pravin.

From the English word praise, which is ultimately derived (via Old French) from Late Latin preciare, a derivative of Latin pretium "price, worth". This name is most common in English-speaking Africa.

Variant of Philip, inspired by the usual spelling of the surname.

From the English word pearl for the concretions formed in the shells of some mollusks, ultimately from Late Latin perla. Like other gemstone names, it has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the 19th century. The pearl is the traditional birthstone for June, and it supposedly imparts health and wealth.

Probably a modern form of the Old Danish name Aghi, originally a short form of names that contain the Old Norse element egg "edge of a sword" or agi "awe, fear".

Means "pine tree" in Hebrew.

Feminine variant of the name Orel

Perhaps based on Latin oro "to pray". It was first used in America in the 19th century.

English form of Noëlle.

Hungarian borrowing of Noëlla.

Scandinavian form of Nicholas.

Short form of Miroslav and other names beginning with Mir (often the Slavic element mirŭ meaning "peace, world").

Means "blackbird" in Dutch.

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 Maisie.

Variant of Maia 1. This name can also be given in reference to the Maya, an indigenous people of southern Mexico and parts of Central America whose civilization flourished between the 3rd and 8th centuries. A famous bearer was the American poet and author Maya Angelou (1928-2014).

Derived from the name of the month of May, which derives from Maia, the name of a Roman goddess. May is also another name of the hawthorn flower. It is also used as a diminutive of Mary, Margaret or Mabel.

Transferred use of the surname Marlow.

French diminutive of Marie.

French feminine form of Marcellus.

Form of Marcellus used in several languages. Notable bearers include the French author Marcel Proust (1871-1922) and the French artist Marcel Duchamp (1887-1968).

Late Latin name meaning "great". It was borne by a 7th-century saint who was a missionary in Germany. It became popular in Scandinavia after the time of the 11th-century Norwegian king Magnus I, who was said to have been named after Charlemagne, or Carolus Magnus in Latin (however there was also a Norse name Magni). The name was borne by six subsequent kings of Norway as well as three kings of Sweden. It was imported to Scotland and Ireland during the Middle Ages.

Variant of Lynn.

Variant of Lloyd.

From a surname that was originally derived from the name of English towns meaning "town with a leek garden" in Old English. Like similar-sounding names such as Peyton and Dayton, this name began rising in popularity in the 1990s.

Variant of Lavinia.

From the English word for the aromatic flower or the pale purple colour.

Possibly a combination of the popular prefix La with the name Rue. It also coincides with the French phrase la rue meaning "the street". In America, Larue was used to some extent from the end of the 19th century until the end of World War II.

Elaboration of Lake. It became popular after a character named Laken Lockridge was introduced in the American soap opera Santa Barbara in 1984.

Elaboration of Lake using the popular name suffix lyn.

Anglicized form of both Coinneach and Cináed. This name was borne by the Scottish king Kenneth (Cináed) mac Alpin, who united the Scots and Picts in the 9th century. It was popularized outside of Scotland by Walter Scott, who used it for the hero in his 1825 novel The Talisman [1]. A famous bearer was the British novelist Kenneth Grahame (1859-1932), who wrote The Wind in the Willows.

Short form of Kenneth.

Variant of Kara 1.

Variant of Cara.

From an occupational surname meaning "judge, officer of justice" in Old French. This name can also be given in direct reference to the English word justice.

Feminine form of Junus.

Simply from the English word joy, ultimately derived from Norman French joie, Latin gaudium. It has been regularly used as a given name since the late 19th century.

From the English word, derived via Old French from Latin diurnus "of the day".

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.

Medieval English form of Jehanne, an Old French feminine form of Iohannes (see John). This became the most common feminine form of John in the 17th century, surpassing Joan. In the first half of the 20th century Joan once again overtook Jane for a few decades in both the United States and the United Kingdom.

Famous bearers include the uncrowned English queen Lady Jane Grey (1536-1554), who ruled for only nine days, British novelist Jane Austen (1775-1817), who wrote Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice, British primatologist Jane Goodall (1934-), and American actress Jane Fonda (1937-). This is also the name of the central character in Charlotte Brontë's novel Jane Eyre (1847), which tells of Jane's sad childhood and her relationship with Edward Rochester.

From the name of the precious stone that is often used in carvings. It is derived from Spanish (piedra de la) ijada meaning "(stone of the) flank", relating to the belief that jade could cure renal colic. As a given name, it came into general use during the 1970s. It was initially unisex, though it is now mostly feminine.

Combination of Ivy and Anne 1.

Variant of Islay, typically used as a feminine name. It also coincides with the Spanish word isla meaning "island".

From the English word hope, ultimately from Old English hopian. This name was first used by the Puritans in the 17th century.

Elaboration of Holly using the popular name suffix lyn.

From the English word for a safe place, derived ultimately from Old English hæfen.

From the English word harmony, ultimately deriving from Greek ἁρμονία (harmonia).

Variant of Harlan.

From a surname that was a variant of Harlan.

From the English word grace, which ultimately derives from Latin gratia. This was one of the virtue names created in the 17th century by the Puritans. The actress Grace Kelly (1929-1982) was a famous bearer.

This name was very popular in the English-speaking world at the end of the 19th century. Though it declined in use over the next 100 years, it staged a successful comeback at the end of the 20th century. The American sitcom Will and Grace (1998-2006) may have helped, though the name was already strongly rising when it premiered. It was the top name for girls in England and Wales in 2006.

Variant of Frida 1.

Frei is a usual German word meaning "free".

It is the given name of the German architect Frei Otto (1925–2015).

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

From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Floinn, which was derived from the given name or byname Flann. A famous bearer of the surname was American actor Errol Flynn (1909-1959). As a given name, it grew in popularity after it was featured as a character in the Disney movie Tangled in 2010.

Dutch form of Florentius (see Florence).

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

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.

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

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

From the English word fawn for a young deer.

Derived from French fauve. As a noun, fauve means "tawny-coloured animal" and, by extension, " big cat (such as a lion or lynx); beast, wild animal (especially fierce, aggressive, or predatory)". As an adjective, fauve means "tawny" and, by extension, "savage, fierce (having the ferocity of a wild animal); dangerous, wild". The name first appeared in the 1980s and was brought to public attention by Fauve Hautot (born 3 March 1986), a French dancer and choreographer.

Alternate transcription of Arabic فرح (see Farah).

From the Hebrew name חַוָּה (Ḥawwa), which was derived from the Hebrew word חָוָה (ḥawa) meaning "to breathe" or the related word חָיָה (ḥaya) meaning "to live". According to the Old Testament Book of Genesis, Eve and Adam were the first humans. God created her from one of Adam's ribs to be his companion. At the urging of a serpent she ate the forbidden fruit and shared some with Adam, causing their expulsion from the Garden of Eden.

Despite this potentially negative association, the name was occasionally used by Christians during the Middle Ages. In the English-speaking world both Eve and the Latin form Eva were revived in the 19th century, with the latter being more common.

Short form of names beginning with the Old English element æðele meaning "noble". It was coined in the 19th century, when many Old English names were revived. It was popularized by the novels The Newcomes (1855) by William Makepeace Thackeray and The Daisy Chain (1856) by C. M. Yonge. A famous bearer was American actress and singer Ethel Merman (1908-1984).

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

Variant of Emerley.

Variant of Diane.

Transferred use of the surname Dempsey.

From the English word dawn, ultimately derived from Old English dagung.

Spanish and Arabic form of Dahlia. The Dahlia is the national flower of Mexico.

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

Simply from the English word for the white flower, ultimately derived from Old English dægeseage meaning "day eye". It was first used as a given name in the 19th century, at the same time many other plant and flower names were coined.

This name was fairly popular at the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th. The American author F. Scott Fitzgerald used it for the character of Daisy Buchanan in The Great Gatsby (1925). The Walt Disney cartoon character Daisy Duck was created in 1940 as the girlfriend of Donald Duck. It was at a low in popularity in the United States in the 1970s when it got a small boost from a character on the television series The Dukes of Hazzard in 1979.

French form of Cyril, sometimes used as a feminine form.

French form of Clara. This was a common name in France throughout the 20th century, though it has since been eclipsed there by Clara. It was also very popular in the United Kingdom, especially in the 1970s.

Means "sky" in French. It is not used as a given name in France itself.

Galician, Italian, Spanish and Venetian form of Carus.

Variant of Candace.

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

From an English surname that was derived from a place name, perhaps meaning "enclosed valley" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was the English historian William Camden (1551-1623).

Camaris sa-Vinitta is an original character created by fantasy Author, Tad Williams. Camaris comes from the Greek καμαρης meaning 'pride'. Camaris also means 'chamber' in Latin.

Variant of Calum.

Short form of Calvin and other names beginning with Cal.

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

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

From the English word for the yellow flower (genus Ranunculus). Author William Goldman used it for Princess Buttercup in his book The Princess Bride (1973) and the subsequent film adaptation (1987).

Feminine variant of Bryn. It was brought to limited public attention in 1978 when the actress Brynn Thayer (1949-) began appearing on the American soap opera One Life to Live [1].

Variant of Brice.

Previously a short form of Briseida, though it is now regarded as an independent name directly from the Spanish word brisa "breeze". In Mexico this name was popularized by a character named Brisa (played by actress Margarita Magaña) on the telenovela "Por tu amor" (1999).

From the English word bloom, ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European *bʰleh₃- ("to thrive, flower, bloom").

Transferred use of the surname Bliss or simply from the English word "bliss".

From the name of a biblical town, Βηθανία (Bethania) in Greek, which is probably of Aramaic or Hebrew origin, possibly meaning "house of affliction" or "house of figs". In the New Testament the town of Bethany is the home of Lazarus and his sisters Mary and Martha. It has been in use as a rare given name in the English-speaking world since the 19th century, in honour of Mary of Bethany. In America it became moderately common after the 1950s.

Short form of Isabella or names ending in belle. It is also associated with the French word belle meaning "beautiful". A famous bearer was Belle Starr (1848-1889), an outlaw of the American west, whose real given name was Maybelle.

Alternate transcription of Hebrew אֵלָה (see Ela 3).

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

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

Variant of Aven.

From Sanskrit अवनी (avanī) meaning "earth".

From the name of the island paradise to which King Arthur was brought after his death. The name of this island is perhaps related to Welsh afal meaning "apple", a fruit that was often linked with paradise.

German, Polish, Scandinavian and Catalan form of Augustus. This was the name of three Polish kings.

As an English name it can also derive from the month of August, which was named for the Roman emperor Augustus.

Derived from Arabic عطر ('atir) meaning "fragrant, sweet-smelling, perfume".

Hebrew form of Atarah.

Possibly a variant of Arlen or Arline.

From Thai อารย (araya) meaning "good, noble, righteous", ultimately from Sanskrit आर्य (arya).

Variant of Aaralyn, or else a combination of the initial sound found in names such as Arabella, Ariel and Ariadne with the popular name suffix lyn (perhaps inspired by similar-sounding names Carolyn, Marilyn and Cherilyn).

Combination of Anna and Rose.

Variant of Anneliese.

Combination of Anna and Lee.

Form of Hannah used in the Greek and Latin Old Testament. Many later Old Testament translations, including the English, use the Hannah spelling instead of Anna. The name appears briefly in the New Testament belonging to a prophetess who recognized Jesus as the Messiah. It was a popular name in the Byzantine Empire from an early date, and in the Middle Ages it became common among Western Christians due to veneration of Saint Anna (usually known as Saint Anne in English), the name traditionally assigned to the mother of the Virgin Mary.

In England, this Latin form has been used alongside the vernacular forms Ann and Anne since the late Middle Ages. Anna is currently the most common of these spellings in all English-speaking countries (since the 1970s), however the biblical form Hannah is presently more popular than all three.

The name was borne by several Russian royals, including an 18th-century empress of Russia. It is also the name of the main character in Leo Tolstoy's novel Anna Karenina (1877), about a married aristocrat who begins an ultimately tragic relationship with Count Vronsky.

Feminine form of Anis.

Variant of Angelise.

Variant of Aniya.

From Japanese 亜 (a) meaning "second, Asia", 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" combined with 莉 (ri) meaning "white jasmine" or 理 (ri) meaning "reason, logic". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Alternate transcription of Arabic أميرة (see Amira 1), as well as the usual Malay form.

Italian cognate of Amber.

Variant of Alisa.

Variant of Alira

Possibly a variant of Alana, or possibly from Hawaiian ʻalani meaning "orange (tree or fruit)".

Aki means multiple things with different kanji :
"clear,obvious", "bright", "clear,crystal", "autumn", or a mix of "a" meaning "second,Asia" and "ki"meaning "hope" in this name. Ya could be for "night" or "also".
So the name could mean: "Autumn Night","Autumn Also","Bright Night","Bright Also","Clear/Crystal Night", and so on.

Balearic form of Anna.

Variant of Adela.

From the Hebrew name אַבְרָהָם (ʾAvraham), which may be viewed either as meaning "father of many" or else as a contraction of Abram 1 and הָמוֹן (hamon) meaning "many, multitude". The biblical patriarch Abraham was originally named Abram but God changed his name (see Genesis 17:5). With his father Terah, he led his wife Sarah, his nephew Lot and their other followers from Ur into Canaan. He is regarded by Jews as being the founder of the Hebrews through his son Isaac and by Muslims as being the founder of the Arabs through his son Ishmael.

As an English Christian name, Abraham became common after the Protestant Reformation. A famous bearer was the American president Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), who pushed to abolish slavery and led the country through the Civil War.

Means "Tuesday-born girl" in Ewe.