Francesca's Personal Name List

Biblical Latin form of Abishai.

Derived from Greek ἄχεα ῥέων (áchea rhéōn) meaning "the stream of woe". Also compare Greek αχος (achos) meaning "pain". Some consider the aforementioned meaning to be folk etymology, saying that instead the name might be derived from Greek acherousai meaning "marsh-like water". In Greek mythology, the Acheron was a branch of the underworld river of Styx, which newly dead souls needed to cross in order to get into Hades.

Means "mist, darkness" in Greek. According to a poem by Hesiod, she was one of the figures portrayed on the shield of Herakles. She is described as a wraithlike woman personifying death and sorrow.

Means "justice" in Turkish, ultimately from Arabic عدل (ʿadala) meaning "to act justly".

Means "noble land", derived from Old High German adal "noble" combined with land "land."

Feminine form of Adam.

From the Latin phrase ad astra "to the stars". It may have been inspired by the similar name Adrasta (see Adrasteia).

Shortened form of Adalheidis.

Possibly a feminine form of Adélard.

Derived from Arabic عذارى (ʿadhārā) meaning "maidens". This is the name of the second brightest star (after Sirius) in the constellation Canis Major.

Means "settler" in Arabic. According to tradition, Adnan was an ancestor of the Prophet Muhammad and the northern Arabian tribes.

Latin form of the Greek name Αἰνείας (Aineias), derived from Greek αἴνη (aine) meaning "praise". In Greek legend he was a son of Aphrodite and was one of the chief heroes who defended Troy from the Greeks. The Roman poet Virgil continued his story in the Aeneid, in which Aeneas travels to Italy and founds the Roman state.

Means "bearer of good news", derived from Greek ἀγαθός (agathos) meaning "good" and ἄγγελος (angelos) meaning "messenger, angel". Saint Agathangelus of Rome was a 4th-century deacon who was martyred during the persecutions of the emperor Diocletian.

Swedish variant form of Agatha.

Gallicized form of Ahez.

Inari Sami variant form of Áile and Aili possibly related to Láilá.

Form of Aisha used in parts of French-influenced West Africa.

From an Aramaic form of Yaakov. Akiva (or Akiba) ben Joseph was a prominent 1st-century Jewish rabbi.

The first element of this name is derived from Gothic alls "all" or from Gothic alhs (alah in Old High German) "temple." The second element is derived from Old High German mund "protection."

Latinized form of Alkandros. This name was borne by different figures in Greek mythology.

From the English noun alchemy referring to "the causing of any sort of mysterious sudden transmutation" or "the ancient search for a universal panacea, and of the philosopher's stone, that eventually developed into chemistry", which ultimately comes from Greek χυμεία (chymeia) "art of alloying metals, alchemy" via Arabic al-kimiya (the source also of Persian Kimiya).

Middle English form of Ealdgyð.

Meaning unknown. This was the name of a 14th-century Polish queen, the daughter of a Grand Duke of Lithuania.

Originally a Norman French nickname, derived from aux gernons "having a moustache", which was applied to William de Percy, a companion of William the Conqueror. It was first used a given name in the 15th century (for a descendant of William de Percy). This name was borne by a character (a mouse) in the short story Flowers for Algernon (1958) and novel of the same title (1966) by the American author Daniel Keyes.

From the Old French name Aalis, a short form of Adelais, itself a short form of the Germanic name Adalheidis (see Adelaide). This name became popular in France and England in the 12th century. It was among the most common names in England until the 16th century, when it began to decline. It was revived in the 19th century.

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

Medieval variant of Alexander occurring in Shakespeare and Malory. The herb Smyrnium olusatrum is also known commonly as "alisanders".

Anglicized form of Alasdair.

Medieval French variant of Alice, also sometimes used as a masculine name. This is the name of the hero (a young Gaulish man) of a French comic book series, which debuted in 1948.

Variant of Elmira 1. Handel used it for the title character in his opera Almira (1705).

Russian and Ukrainian form of Amadeus.

An epithet or title of the Greek goddess Artemis meaning "of Amarynthus", Amarynthus being a town in Euboea (according to Stephanus of Byzantium, Euboea itself). The place name may be related to the Greek personal name Amarantos (see Amarantha). Under the surname Amarysia or Amarynthia, Artemis was worshipped in Amarynthus and also in Attica.

Old German form of Emmeline.

Means "my people are alive" in Hebrew.

Means "one that speaks of dark things" or "he whose words are dark" in Hebrew, derived from Hebrew amár "to say" and aphél "dark, obscure". In the bible, this was the name of a king of Shinar.

Means "Yahweh has answered" in Hebrew, from עָנָה (ʿana) meaning "to answer" and יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. This is the name of a minor character in the Old Testament.

Italian and Spanish form of Anastasius.

French form of Anaxarchus.

Feminine form of Anaxibios. This name is carried by several characters in Greek mythology.

Derived from French ancolie "columbine (of genus Aquilegia)".

Latinized form of Greek Ἁνδραίμων (Andraimon), which is probably derived from Greek ανηρ (aner) meaning "man" (genetive ανδρος (andros)) and αἷμα (aima) meaning "blood". This name was borne by roughly five characters in Greek mythology, one of them being one of the suitors of Odysseus' wife Penelope.

French form of Andromache.

From the English word for the herb, also called aniseed.

English and Manx form of Anne 1. In the English-speaking world, both this spelling and Anne have been used since the late Middle Ages. Currently Ann is less popular than Anne (and both are less popular than their relatives Anna and Hannah).

Means "eagle of the sun" in Mapuche, from antü "sun" and ñamko "eagle, hawk, buzzard".

Feminine form of Apollodoros.

Means "calm" in Kurdish.

Persian form of Aristotle.

Anglicized form of Ardghal.

Greek form of an Aramaic name, of unknown meaning. This was the name of four Nabataean kings of Petra in Jordan, including the first king (2nd century BC). King Aretas IV is mentioned briefly in the New Testament.

Old Norse byname meaning "eagle".

Meaning uncertain, possibly of Persian origin. In the Old Testament this is the name of one of the ten sons of Haman killed by the Jews.

Derived from Greek ἄριστος (aristos) meaning "the best".

Armenian, Ossetian and Ukrainian form of Arsenios.

French form of Artemidoros.

Medieval Welsh form of Armel.

Derived from the Gaulish word artos "bear".

Artio was a Gaulish goddess worshipped by the Helvetii and Treveri.

Means "collector" in Hebrew. This name belongs to several minor characters in the Old Testament.

Spanish form of Hasdrubal.

Means "the beginning", from Basque hasi.

Derived from Old Norse askr "ash tree". In Norse mythology Ask and his wife Embla were the first humans created by the gods.

Derived from Old Norse áss "god" and ketill "cauldron, helmet".

Derived from Turkish aslan meaning "lion" combined with the Turkic military title beg meaning "chieftain, master".

From the Old Norse name Ásmundr, derived from the elements áss "god" and mundr "protection" (a cognate of Osmond).

Derived from Greek ἀσπάσιος (aspasios) meaning "welcome, embrace". This was the name of the lover of Pericles (5th century BC).

From the Gothic name *Aþanareiks, derived from the element aþn meaning "year" combined with reiks meaning "ruler, king". Athanaric was a 4th-century ruler of the Visigoths.

From the Roman name Augustinus, itself derived from the Roman name Augustus. Saint Augustine of Hippo was a 5th-century Christian theologian and author from North Africa. For his contributions to Christian philosophy he is known as a Doctor of the Church. Due to his renown, the name came into general use in the Christian world. It became popular in England in the Middle Ages partly because of a second saint by this name, Augustine of Canterbury, a 6th-century Italian monk sent to England to convert the Anglo-Saxons.

French feminine form of Augustinus (see Augustine 1).

Slovene and Russian feminine form of Augustus.

Means "doe, female deer, gazelle". It is taken from the Hebrew phrase אַיֶלֶת הַשַׁחַר (ʾayeleṯ hashaḥar), literally "gazelle of dawn", which is a name of the morning star.

Means "my help is God" in Hebrew, derived from עֶזְרָה (ʿezra) meaning "help" and אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". This is the name of three minor characters in the Old Testament.

From a surname probably meaning "quarrelsome, deceptive" in Middle English, originally given to a quarrelsome person.

From an English surname that could be derived from various sources, including from Middle English bec meaning "beak" or bekke meaning "stream, brook".

Medieval form of Benedict. This was the more common spelling in England until the 18th century. Modern use of the name is probably also influenced by the common surname Bennett, itself a derivative of the medieval name.

Derived from the Old German elements beraht meaning "bright" and rant meaning "rim (of a shield)". From an early date it has been confused with Bertram and the two names have merged to some degree. Saint Bertrand was an 11th-century bishop of Comminges in France. Another famous bearer was the English philosopher Bertrand Russell (1872-1970).

Diminutive of Elizabeth.

Short form of Sabine and other names ending in bine.

Variant of Blanche.

Afrikaans short form of Abraham.

Means "growth, expansion, creation" in Sanskrit. The Hindu god Brahma is the creator and director of the universe, the balance between the opposing forces of Vishnu and Shiva. After the classical period Brahma was no longer as highly revered as Vishnu and Shiva. He is often depicted with four heads and four arms.

Short form of Abraham. This name was borne by Bram Stoker (1847-1912), the Irish author who wrote Dracula.

Portuguese and Galician form of Blanche.

Germanic name derived from the element brant meaning "fire, torch, sword".

Means "valiant, brave" in Esperanto.

Feminine form of Bruno.

Derived from the Old German element brunna meaning "armour, protection" (Proto-Germanic *brunjǭ) or brun meaning "brown" (Proto-Germanic *brūnaz). Saint Bruno of Cologne was a German monk of the 11th century who founded the Carthusian Order. The surname has belonged to Giordano Bruno, a philosopher burned at the stake by the Inquisition. A modern bearer is the American singer Bruno Mars (1985-), born Peter Gene Hernandez.

This name can refer either to the region in France, the wine (which derives from the name of the region), or the colour (which derives from the name of the wine).

Short form of Burton.

From an English surname, a variant of the surname Bush, which originally indicated a person who lived near a bush. This was the middle name of the romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822).

From the Hebrew name קָיִן (Qayin) possibly meaning "acquired", from the root קָנָה (qana) meaning "to acquire, to purchase". In Genesis in the Old Testament Cain is the first son of Adam and Eve. He killed his brother Abel after God accepted Abel's offering of meat instead of his offering of plant-based foods. After this Cain was banished to be a wanderer.

Means "little boot" in Latin. This was a nickname for the 1st-century Roman emperor Gaius Caesar Germanicus given to him in his youth by his father's soldiers.

Latinized form of Kalliope.

Feminine form of Calpurnius. This was the name of Julius Caesar's last wife.

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.

Italian masculine form of Carmen.

Derived from Old English cene "bold" and ric "ruler, king".

Derived from Greek χάρις (charis) meaning "grace, kindness". This was the name of a 1st-century Greek novelist.

From an English surname that originally belonged to a person who came from Chester, an old Roman settlement in Britain. The name of the settlement came from Latin castrum "camp, fortress".

Short form of Chester.

Italian form of Clara. Saint Chiara (commonly called Clare in English) was a follower of Saint Francis of Assisi.

Roman cognomen derived from Latin cicer meaning "chickpea". Marcus Tullius Cicero (now known simply as Cicero) was a statesman, orator and author of the 1st century BC. He was a political enemy of Mark Antony, who eventually had him executed.

From an English surname meaning "cleric" or "scribe", from Old English clerec originally meaning "priest". A famous bearer of the surname was William Clark (1770-1838), an explorer of the west of North America. As a first name it was borne by the American actor Clark Gable (1901-1960), as well as the comic book character Clark Kent, the mild-mannered alter ego of Superman, first created 1938.

Latinized form of Κλέων (Kleon), a Greek name derived from κλέος (kleos) meaning "glory".

From a surname that was originally from a place name meaning "ford by a cliff" in Old English.

Latinized form of Greek Κλυταιμνήστρα (Klytaimnestra) and Κλυταιμήστρα (Klytaimestra), in which the first element is κλυτός (klytos) meaning "famous, noble". The spelling Klytaimnestra would suggest the second element is μνηστήρ (mnester) meaning "courter, wooer", while Klytaimestra would suggest a connection to μήδομαι (medomai) meaning "to plan, to intend". There is debate over which spelling is earlier or more authentic [1], since the ancient texts seem to make puns based on both etymologies. Klytaimestra appears in the works of the Greek tragedians such as Aeschylus, while Klytaimnestra appears in Homer's poems (the earliest extant copy dating from the post-classical period).

In Greek legend Clytemnestra was the wife of Agamemnon and the mother of Orestes and Electra. While her husband was away during the Trojan War she took a lover, and upon his return she had Agamemnon murdered. She was subsequently killed by her son Orestes.

Short form of Jacoba.

Masculine or feminine diminutive of Jacob.

From Saint Colm-Cille (Saint Columba in English). Middle name of American-Australian actor and film director Mel Gibson.

Medieval form of Constantia. The Normans introduced this name to England (it was the name of a daughter of William the Conqueror).

Late Latin name meaning "heart" from Latin cor (genitive cordis). Saint Cordula was one of the 4th-century companions of Saint Ursula.

French form of Quirinus.

Form of Criseida used by Shakespeare in his play Troilus and Cressida (1602).

Derived from Romanian crin meaning "lily".

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

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

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

Variant of Cyneburg.

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

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

Welsh diminutive of Dafydd.

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

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

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

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

Russian diminutive of Darya 1.

Variant of Deirdre.

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

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

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

Means "candle" in Indonesian.

Meaning unknown, probably of Phoenician origin. Dido, also called Elissa, was the queen of Carthage in Virgil's Aeneid. She threw herself upon a funeral pyre after Aeneas left her. Virgil based the story on earlier Greco-Roman accounts.

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

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

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

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

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

Short form of Dominic.

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

Variant of Drust.

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

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

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

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

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

From the English word ebony for the black wood that comes from the ebony tree. It is ultimately from the Egyptian word hbnj. In America this name is most often used in the black community.

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

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

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

Scottish Gaelic form of Edward.

Feminine form of Eder 2.

Variant of Éimhear.

Ancient Greek form of Irene.

Variant of Eleanor.

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

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

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

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

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

Means "empress" in Spanish.

Short form of Irena.

Brazilian Portuguese form of Aeneas.

Feminine form of Eino.

Scandinavian form of Enoch.

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

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

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

Derived from Albanian erë meaning "wind".

Slovene form of Erasmus.

Variant of Esmé.

Means "esteemed" or "loved" in Old French. It was first recorded in Scotland, being borne by the first Duke of Lennox in the 16th century. It is now more common as a feminine name.

Feminine form of Esmé.

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

Means "rain" in Basque.

Elaborated form of Eva.

Variant of Evelina.

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

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

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

French form of both Exuperantius and Exuperantia.

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

Means "might, strength" in Hebrew.

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

Meaning unknown, possibly derived from Phaenna.

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

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

From the English word fawn for a young deer.

Variant of Fidelma.

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.

Feminine form of Fidel.

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

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

Macedonian form of Philomena.

Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and Lithuanian form of Philomena.

Diminutive of Jozefina.

Means "flag" in Albanian.

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

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

Diminutive of Filip.

Means "butterfly" in Albanian.

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

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

Variant of Freyr.

Means "lord" in Old Norse, derived from the Germanic root *fraujô. This is the name of a Norse god. He may have originally been called Yngvi, with the name Freyr being his title. Freyr is associated with fertility, sunlight and rain, and is the husband of the giantess Gerd. With his twin sister Freya and father Njord he is one of the group of deities called the Vanir.

Variant of Fife.

Form of Gael using French orthography.

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

Means "victor" in Basque.

Old German form of Jocelyn.

Means "dark-skinned, swarthy" in Welsh.

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

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

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

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

Transferred use of the surname Grimm.

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

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

Diminutive of Augusta.

Short form of Augusta.

Icelandic feminine form of Haldor.

Means "heaven, sky" in Korean.

Short form of Johannes.

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

Low German and Frisian diminutive of Henrik.

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

Short form of Wilhelmina.

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

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

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

Feminine form of Herminius.

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

Catalan form of Hyginus.

Swedish and Finnish form of Heilwig.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Means "fern field" in Basque.

Polish and Czech diminutive of Irena.

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

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

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

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

Turkish form of Alexander.

Italian form of Iseult.

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

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

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

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

Feminine form of Jacob.

Feminine form of Jacob.

Norwegian and Dutch feminine form of Jacob.

Dutch feminine form of Iacomus (see James).

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

Feminine form of James.

Elaborated form of Jane.

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

Diminutive of Jaume.

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.

Variant of Jane.

Derived from Albanian jehonë meaning "echo".

Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 二郎 (see Jirō).

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

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

Catalan form of George.

Norman form of Jocelyn.

Feminine form of Joseph.

Diminutive of Joséphine.

Croatian feminine form of Joseph.

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

Low German form of George.

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

Diminutive of Katarzyna.

Transferred use of the surname Kearney.

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

Variant of Kellen.

Feminine form of Kenneth.

Means "rainbow" in Hebrew.

Western Armenian transcription of Gevorg.

Middle English form of Cyneburg.

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

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

Short form of Koenraad.

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

Means "bright" in Hawaiian.

Yiddish diminutive of Jacob.

Means "ember moon" in Turkish.

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

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

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

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

Diminutive of Eduardo.

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

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

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

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

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

The name of the constellation in the northern sky containing the star Vega. It is said to be shaped after the lyre of Orpheus. This is the name of the main character in the His Dark Materials series of books by Philip Pullman (beginning 1995).

Latinized form of Lysistrate.

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

Basque form of Magdalene.

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

Means "moonbeam" in Swedish.

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

Medieval French diminutive of Marie.

Catalan diminutive of Maria.

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

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

Basque form of Martinus (see Martin).

Diminutive of Maud.

Variant of Maxine.

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).

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

Greek form of Megaera.

Means "giving light" in Hebrew.

Means "dew drop" in Hebrew.

Italian, Spanish, Polish and Romanian form of Melanie.

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

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

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

Variant of Myrthe.

Russian diminutive of Mikhail.

Spanish, Italian and Portuguese form of Modestus.

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

From the name of a mountain near Barcelona, the site of a monastery founded in the 10th century. The mountain gets its name from Latin mons serratus meaning "jagged mountain".

Old Welsh form of Morgan 1.

Usual medieval form of Maurice.

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

Anglicized form of Muireadhach.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

Russian, Bulgarian and Macedonian form of Nikephoros.

Indian form of Niloufar.

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

Swedish form of Noah 1.

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

Brazilian Portuguese form of Naomi 1.

Medieval diminutive of Oliver.

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

Alternate transcription of Ukrainian Олексій (see Oleksiy).

Italian form of Ursula.

Hungarian form of Ursula.

Means "sky" in Basque.

Diminutive of Francisca.

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

Diminutive of Pavel.

Feminine form of Pastor.

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

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

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

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

Feminine form of Petronius.

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

Manx form of Patrick.

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

French form of Philomena.

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

Diminutive of Willem.

Short form of names ending in pina.

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

Maori form of Philip.

Limburgish short form of Pitter.

Latinized form of Polymnia.

Italian form of Pompeius (see Pompey).

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

German form of Rayner.

French form of Radulf (see Ralph).

Spanish form of Radulf (see Ralph).

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

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