Mae17's Personal Name List

Originally a Frisian short form of Adalbert (and other names starting with the Old German element adal "noble" and a second element beginning with b [1]).

Means "adoration" in Spanish. This name refers to the event that is known in Christian tradition as the Adoration of the Magi, which is when the three Magi presented gifts to the infant Jesus and worshipped him.

Means "adorable" in Esperanto.

Feminine form of Adrastos. In Greek mythology this name was borne by a nymph who fostered the infant Zeus. This was also another name of the goddess Nemesis.

Possibly means "very steadfast" in Greek. In Greek mythology he was the brother of Menelaus. He led the Greek expedition to Troy to recover his brother's wife Helen. After the Trojan War Agamemnon was killed by his wife Clytemnestra.

Ancient Greek form of Agapito.

From the Germanic name Adalbert meaning "noble and bright", composed of the elements adal "noble" and beraht "bright". This name was common among medieval German royalty. The Normans introduced it to England, where it replaced the Old English cognate Æþelbeorht. Though it became rare in England by the 17th century, it was repopularized in the 19th century by the German-born Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria.

This name was borne by two 20th-century kings of Belgium. Other famous bearers include the German physicist Albert Einstein (1879-1955), creator of the theory of relativity, and Albert Camus (1913-1960), a French-Algerian writer and philosopher.

Greek form of Alexander.

Derived from Old Norse alfr meaning "elf". In Norse legend this was the name of king, the suitor of a reluctant maiden named Alfhild. She avoided marrying him by disguising herself as a warrior, but when they fought she was so impressed by his strength that she changed her mind.

Derived from Arabic المدينة (al-mudayna) meaning "the citadel", a diminutive form of the word مدينة (madīna) meaning "city". According to legend, it was in a building by this name that a concealed statue of the Virgin Mary was discovered during the Reconquista in Madrid. The Virgin of Almudena, that is Mary, is the patron saint of Madrid.

Derived from Greek ἀμαρύσσω (amarysso) meaning "to sparkle". This is the name of a character appearing in Virgil's pastoral poems Eclogues [1]. The amaryllis flower is named for her.

Medieval Italian form of Emmerich. Amerigo Vespucci (1451-1512) was the Italian explorer who gave the continent of America its name (from Americus, the Latin form of his name).

Greek form of Ampelio.

Greek form of Androcles.

Derived from Greek ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man" (genitive ἀνδρός) combined with one of the related words μέδομαι (medomai) meaning "to be mindful of, to provide for, to think on" or μέδω (medo) meaning "to protect, to rule over". In Greek mythology Andromeda was an Ethiopian princess rescued from sacrifice by the hero Perseus. A constellation in the northern sky is named for her. This is also the name of a nearby galaxy, given because it resides (from our point of view) within the constellation.

Means "announced" in Italian, referring to the event in the New Testament in which the angel Gabriel tells the Virgin Mary of the imminent birth of Jesus.

Ancient Greek form of Anfisa.

Means "annunciation" in Spanish, referring to the event in the New Testament in which the angel Gabriel announces to the Virgin Mary that she will give birth to Jesus.

Galician form of Angelus (see Angel).

Feminine form of Apollonios. This was the name of a 3rd-century saint and martyr from Alexandria.

Feminine form of Aqil.

From a Roman cognomen meaning "eagle" in Latin. In Acts in the New Testament Paul lives with Aquila and his wife Priscilla (or Prisca) for a time.

Diminutive of Arantzazu.

Derived from the Greek elements ἀρχός (archos) meaning "master" and μήδεα (medea) meaning "plans, counsel, cunning". This was the name of a 3rd-century BC Greek mathematician, astronomer and inventor.

From the Greek name Ἀρίσταρχος (Aristarchos), derived from ἄριστος (aristos) meaning "best" and ἀρχός (archos) meaning "master". This name was borne by Aristarchus of Samos, a 3rd-century BC Greek astronomer and mathematician.

Latinized form of the Greek name Ἀριστοκλῆς (Aristokles) meaning "the best glory", derived from ἄριστος (aristos) meaning "best" and κλέος (kleos) meaning "glory". This was the real name of the philosopher Plato.

Greek form of Aristocles.

From the Greek name Ἀριστοτέλης (Aristoteles) meaning "the best purpose", derived from ἄριστος (aristos) meaning "best" and τέλος (telos) meaning "purpose, result, completion". This was the name of a Greek philosopher of the 4th century BC who made lasting contributions to Western thought, including the fields of logic, metaphysics, ethics and biology.

Feminine form of Artemisios. This was the name of the 4th-century BC builder of the Mausoleum, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. She built it in memory of her husband, the Carian prince Mausolus.

The meaning of this name is unknown. It could be derived from the Celtic elements *artos "bear" (Old Welsh arth) combined with *wiros "man" (Old Welsh gur) or *rīxs "king" (Old Welsh ri). Alternatively it could be related to an obscure Roman family name Artorius.

Arthur is the name of the central character in Arthurian legend, a 6th-century king of the Britons who resisted Saxon invaders. He may or may not have been based on a real person. He first appears in Welsh poems and chronicles (perhaps briefly in the 7th-century poem Y Gododdin and more definitively and extensively in the 9th-century History of the Britons [1]). However, his character was not developed until the chronicles of the 12th-century Geoffrey of Monmouth [2]. His tales were later taken up and expanded by French and English writers.

The name came into general use in England in the Middle Ages due to the prevalence of Arthurian romances, and it enjoyed a surge of popularity in the 19th century. Famous bearers include German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860), mystery author and Sherlock Holmes creator Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930), and science-fiction author Arthur C. Clarke (1917-2008).

Means "ascension" in Spanish. This name is given in reference to the Ascension of Jesus into heaven.

Latinate form of Assunta, used especially in Ireland [1].

Means "assumption" in Spanish. This name is given in reference to the assumption of the Virgin Mary into heaven.

Feminine form of Athanasios (see Athanasius).

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.

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.

Created by L. M. Montgomery as the setting for her novel Anne of Green Gables (1908). She may have based the name on the Arthurian island of Avalon, though it also resembles the river name Avon and leah "woodland, clearing".

Elaboration of Azure.

Variant of Balthazar.

Greek form of an Aramaic name. In Acts in the New Testament the byname Barnabas was given to a man named Joseph, a Jew from Cyprus who was a companion of Paul on his missionary journeys. The original Aramaic form is unattested, but it may be from בּר נביא (bar navi) meaning "son of the prophet", though in Acts 4:36 it is claimed that the name means "son of encouragement".

As an English name, Barnabas came into occasional use after the 12th century. It is now rare, though the variant Barnaby is still moderately common in Britain.

English form of Βαρθολομαῖος (Bartholomaios), which was the Greek form of an Aramaic name meaning "son of Talmai". In the New Testament Bartholomew is the byname of an apostle, possibly the same person as the apostle Nathanael. According to tradition he was a missionary to India before returning westward to Armenia, where he was martyred by flaying. Due to the popularity of this saint the name became common in England during the Middle Ages.

Spanish form of Bartholomew.

From the Greek name Βασίλειος (Basileios), which was derived from βασιλεύς (basileus) meaning "king". Saint Basil the Great was a 4th-century bishop of Caesarea and one of the fathers of the early Christian church. Due to him, the name (in various spellings) has come into general use in the Christian world, being especially popular among Eastern Christians. It was also borne by two Byzantine emperors.

Means "daughter of the oath" in Hebrew, derived from בַּת (baṯ) meaning "daughter" and שָׁבַע (shavaʿ) meaning "oath". According to the Old Testament, this was the name of a woman married to Uriah the Hittite. She became pregnant by King David, so he arranged to have her husband killed in battle and then married her. She was the mother of Solomon.

Hebrew variant of Bathsheba.

From a French surname meaning "beautiful outlook".

Short form of Albert and other names containing the element bert, often derived from the Old German element beraht meaning "bright".

Derived from Spanish bienvenido meaning "welcome".

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

Transferred use of the surname Bloom.

From the English word blossom, ultimately from Old English blóstm. It came into use as a rare given name in the 19th century.

From the Latin name of the island of Britain, in occasional use as an English given name since the 18th century. This is also the name of the Roman female personification of Britain pictured on some British coins.

Variant of Caratacus.

Latinized form of Greek Κάσσανδρος (Kassandros), the masculine form of Cassandra. This was the name of a 3rd-century BC king of Macedon.

Spanish, Italian and Portuguese form of Caelestinus.

Feminine diminutive of Cesare.

Brazilian Portuguese variant of Cesário.

Italian, Spanish and Portuguese form of Cyprianus (see Cyprian).

Short form of Clement.

From the Greek name Κλεοπάτρα (Kleopatra) meaning "glory of the father", derived from κλέος (kleos) meaning "glory" combined with πατήρ (pater) meaning "father" (genitive πατρός). This was the name of queens of Egypt from the Ptolemaic royal family, including Cleopatra VII, the mistress of both Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. After being defeated by Augustus she committed suicide (according to popular belief, by allowing herself to be bitten by a venomous asp). Shakespeare's tragedy Antony and Cleopatra (1606) tells the story of her life.

Means "conception" in Spanish. This name is given in reference to the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary. A city in Chile bears this name.

Latinate form of Concetta, used especially in Ireland.

Means "harmony" in Latin. This was the name of the Roman goddess of harmony and peace.

Means "consoled" in Italian. It is taken from the title of the Virgin Mary, Maria Consolata.

Feminine form of the Late Latin name Constantius, which was itself derived from Constans.

Latinized form of Greek Κορινθία (Korinthia) meaning "woman from Corinth", an ancient Greek city-state. This is the real name of Corrie in William Faulkner's novel The Reivers (1962).

Feminine form of Crescentius. Saint Crescentia was a 4th-century companion of Saint Vitus. This is also the name of the eponymous heroine of a 12th-century German romance.

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

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.

Latinized form of the Greek name Δημήτριος (Demetrios), which was derived from the name of the Greek goddess Demeter 1. Kings of Macedon and the Seleucid kingdom have had this name. This was also the name of several early saints including Demetrius of Thessalonica, a martyr of the 4th century who is regarded as a warrior.

Latinized form of Δημόκριτος (Demokritos), a Greek name meaning "judge of the people" from the elements δῆμος (demos) meaning "the people" and κριτής (krites) meaning "judge, critic". This was the name of a Greek philosopher, the creator of the atomic theory.

Means "desirable" in Esperanto.

Feminine form of Dieudonné.

From the term that refers to the southern United States, used by Daniel D. Emmett in his song Dixie in 1859. The term may be derived from French dix "ten", which was printed on ten-dollar bills issued from a New Orleans bank. Alternatively it may come from the term Mason-Dixon Line, the boundary between Pennsylvania and Maryland.

From a Scottish surname that was from the name of a town in Lanarkshire, itself named after a tributary of the River Clyde called the Douglas Water. It means "dark river", derived from Gaelic dubh "dark" and glais "water, river" (an archaic word related to glas "grey, green"). This was a Scottish Lowland clan, the leaders of which were powerful earls in the medieval period. The Gaelic form is Dùghlas or Dùbhghlas. It has been used as a given name since the 16th century.

From the name of a monument erected by Samuel in the Old Testament, from Hebrew אֶבֶן הָעָזֶר (ʾEven Haʿazer) meaning "stone of help". Charles Dickens used it for the miserly character Ebenezer Scrooge in his novel A Christmas Carol (1843). Currently the name is most common in parts of English-influenced Africa, such as Ghana.

Italian form of Aelius or Helios.

Basque form of Elizabeth.

Alternate transcription of Russian Елизавета (see Yelizaveta).

From a surname that was derived from the Old English name Æðelmær. In the United States it is sometimes given in honour of brothers Jonathan (1745-1817) and Ebenezer Elmer (1752-1843), who were active in early American politics.

Originally a short form of names ending with the Old German element helm meaning "helmet, protection", such as Guglielmo or Anselmo. It is also a derivative of Erasmus, via the old Italian short form Ermo. Saint Elmo, also known as Saint Erasmus, was a 4th-century martyr who is the patron of sailors. Saint Elmo's fire is said to be a sign of his protection.

In the English-speaking world this name is now associated with a red muppet character from the children's television program Sesame Street.

Altered form of Leroy, using the Spanish definite article el as opposed to the French le.

Means "empress" in Spanish.

Means "incarnation" in Spanish. This is given in reference to the Incarnation of Jesus in the womb of the Virgin Mary.

Shortened form of Epaphroditos. In the New Testament this is the name of one of Paul's co-workers.

Means "hoping" in Esperanto.

Spanish form of Spyridon.

English form of the Germanic name Adallinda. The name was very rare in medieval times, but it was revived in the early 19th century.

French feminine form of Stephen.

From Greek εὐδοξία (eudoxia) meaning "good repute, good judgement", itself from εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and δόξα (doxa) meaning "notion, reputation, honour".

Means "good cheer" in Greek, a derivative of εὐφραίνω (euphraino) meaning "to delight, to cheer". This name was borne by a 5th-century saint from Constantinople.

Latinized form of Greek Εὐρώπη (Europe), which meant "wide face" from εὐρύς (eurys) meaning "wide" and ὄψ (ops) meaning "face, eye". In Greek mythology Europa was a Phoenician princess who was abducted and taken to Crete by Zeus in the guise of a bull. She became the first queen of Crete, and later fathered Minos by Zeus. The continent of Europe said to be named for her, though it is more likely her name is from that of the continent. This is also the name of a moon of Jupiter.

Means "flower, bloom" from the Greek word εὐθάλεια (euthaleia), itself derived from εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and θάλλω (thallo) meaning "to blossom". This name was borne by a 3rd-century saint and martyr from Sicily.

Feminine form of Eutropios (see Eutropius).

Spanish form of Eutropius.

Spanish, Italian and Portuguese form of Evaristus.

Variant of Øyvind.

Feminine form of Fahim.

From the name of forsythia, any of a genus of shrubs that produce yellow flowers in spring. They were named in honour of the British botanist William Forsyth (1737-1804), whose surname was derived from Gaelic Fearsithe, a personal name meaning literally "man of peace" (cf. Fearsithe, Forsythe).

Feminine form of Fortunato.

Variant of Jerónimo.

From a biblical place name, the garden where Jesus was arrested, located on the Mount of Olives near Jerusalem. It is derived from Γεθσημανί (Gethsemani), the Greek form of an Aramaic name meaning "oil vat". It is very rarely used as a given name.

Means "bright pledge", derived from the Old German elements gisal "pledge, hostage" and beraht "bright". The Normans introduced this name to England, where it was common during the Middle Ages. It was borne by a 12th-century English saint, the founder of the religious order known as the Gilbertines.

From an English surname derived from Old English graf meaning "grove of trees". A famous bearer was the American president Grover Cleveland (1837-1908), who popularized the name in the United States at the end of the 19th century. The name is now associated with a muppet character from the children's television program Sesame Street.

From a Spanish title of the Virgin Mary, Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, meaning "Our Lady of Guadalupe". Guadalupe is a Spanish place name, the site of a famous convent, derived from Arabic وادي (wādī) meaning "valley, river" possibly combined with Latin lupus meaning "wolf". In the 16th century Our Lady of Guadalupe supposedly appeared in a vision to a native Mexican man, and she is now regarded as a patron saint of the Americas.

Variant of Hephzibah.

Means "glory of Hera" from the name of the goddess Hera combined with Greek κλέος (kleos) meaning "glory". This was the name of a hero in Greek and Roman mythology, the son of Zeus and the mortal woman Alcmene. After being driven insane by Hera and killing his own children, Herakles completed twelve labours in order to atone for his crime and become immortal.

Short form of Herbert.

Probably from Greek ἕρμα (herma) meaning "cairn, pile of stones, boundary marker". Hermes was a Greek god associated with speed and good luck, who served as a messenger to Zeus and the other gods. He was also the patron of travellers, writers, athletes, merchants, thieves and orators.

This was also used as a personal name, being borne for example by a 1st-century saint and martyr.

Portuguese feminine form of Herminius.

Latinized form of Heron.

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

Derived from Greek hesperos "evening" (see Hesperos). In Greek myth this was the name of one of the three Hesperides, goddesses of the evening and sunsets. Hesperia was also a Greek name of Italy, meaning "the land where the sun sets" (as in the case of asteroid 69 Hesperia).

Means "evening" in Greek. This was the name of the personification of the Evening Star (the planet Venus) in Greek mythology.

Latin form of Jerome, formerly common in Germany and the Netherlands. Hieronymus Bosch (1450-1516) was a Dutch painter known for his depictions of the torments of hell.

Spanish and Portuguese form of Hippolytos.

From the Greek name Ὅμηρος (Homeros), derived from ὅμηρος (homeros) meaning "hostage, pledge". Homer was the Greek epic poet who wrote the Iliad, about the Trojan War, and the Odyssey, about Odysseus's journey home after the war. There is some debate about when he lived, or if he was even a real person, though most scholars place him in the 8th century BC. In the modern era, Homer has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world (chiefly in America) since the 18th century. This name is borne by the oafish cartoon father on the television series The Simpsons.

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 "illuminated, brightened, filled with light" in Latin. This name was borne by a 4th-century saint from Todi, Italy.

Portuguese cognate of Inmaculada.

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.

Catalan cognate of Inmaculada.

Latin form of Inmaculada.

From Greek mythology. The name of a nymph who invented the magical love-charm known as the iynx--a spinning wheel with a wryneck bird attached, according to mythology she either used the charm to make Zeus fall in love with her or with another nymph, Io. Hera was furious and and transformed her into a wryneck bird. The name Iynx comes from the name of this charm, and is linked to the modern English word "jinx".

Means "Yahweh has judged" in Hebrew, from the roots יְהוֹ (yeho) referring to the Hebrew God and שָׁפַט (shafaṭ) meaning "to judge". According to the Old Testament he was the fourth king of Judah, noted for having a generally peaceful and prosperous reign.

From the English word jubilee meaning "season of rejoicing", which is derived from Hebrew יוֹבֵל (yovel) "ram, ram's horn; a jubilee year: a year of rest, prescribed by the Jewish Bible to occur each fiftieth year, after seven cycles of seven years; a period of celebration or rejoicing" (via Late Latin iubilaeus and Greek ἰώβηλος (iobelos)). In Latin, the form of the word was altered by association with the unrelated Latin verb iubilare "to shout with joy".

It may also refer to African-American folk songs known as Jubilees.

In popular culture, Jubilee is the 'mutant' name (a contraction of Jubilation Lee) of one of the protagonists of Marvel's X-Men line of comics.

From Latin Iuppiter, which was ultimately derived from the vocative form of Indo-European *Dyēws-pətēr, composed of the elements Dyēws (see Zeus) and pətēr "father". Jupiter was the supreme god in Roman mythology. He presided over the heavens and light, and was responsible for the protection and laws of the Roman state. This is also the name of the fifth and largest planet in the solar system.

Latinized form of Iynx, or directly from the English word meaning “wryneck” (a bird used in witchcraft and divination).

Derived from Arabic الكاهنة (al-Kāhina) meaning "the diviner, the fortuneteller". This was a title applied to the 7th-century Berber queen Dihya, who resisted the Arab expansion into North Africa.

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

From a rare (Americanized) Manx surname, a variant of the Irish surname Mac Diarmada, itself derived from the given name Diarmaid. This was the name of a son of Theodore Roosevelt born in 1889. He was named after a relative of his mother, Robert Kermit. The name is now associated with Kermit the Frog, a Muppet created by puppeteer Jim Henson in 1955.

From a nickname, probably from the English word kipper meaning "male salmon".

Means "sign, mark" in Sanskrit. This is the name of the Hindu goddess of prosperity, good luck, and beauty. She is the wife of Vishnu and her symbol is the lotus flower, with which she is often depicted.

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

Latinized form of Λάζαρος (Lazaros), a Greek form of Eleazar used in the New Testament. Lazarus was a man from Bethany, the brother of Mary and Martha, who was restored to life by Jesus.

At present this name is most commonly used in English-speaking Africa.

Form of Leah used in the Greek Old Testament, as well as a Portuguese form. This is the name of a princess in the Star Wars movies by George Lucas, who probably based it on Leah.

Derived from Greek λέων (leon) meaning "lion" combined with the patronymic suffix ἴδης (ides). Leonidas was a Spartan king of the 5th century BC who sacrificed his life and his army defending the pass of Thermopylae from the Persians. This was also the name of a 3rd-century saint and martyr, the father of Origen, from Alexandria.

Means "amusing, charming, graceful" in Sanskrit. The 12th-century mathematician Bhaskara gave this name to one of his books on mathematics, possibly after his daughter. This was also the name of a 13th-century queen of Sri Lanka.

From the Greek name Λίνος (Linos) meaning "flax". In Greek legend he was the son of the god Apollo, who accidentally killed him in a contest. Another son of Apollo by this name was the music teacher of Herakles. The name was also borne by the second pope, serving after Saint Peter in the 1st century. In modern times this was the name of a character in Charles Schulz's comic strip Peanuts.

Combination of Lise and Charlotte.

From the name of the lotus flower (species Nelumbo nucifera) or the mythological lotus tree. They are ultimately derived from Greek λωτός (lotos). In Greek and Roman mythology the lotus tree was said to produce a fruit causing sleepiness and forgetfulness.

Means "bringing light", derived from Latin lux "light" and ferre "to bring". In Latin this name originally referred to the morning star, Venus, but later became associated with the chief angel who rebelled against God's rule in heaven (see Isaiah 14:12). In later literature, such as the Divine Comedy (1321) by Dante and Paradise Lost (1667) by John Milton, Lucifer became associated with Satan himself.

Derived from Latin lux meaning "light".

Lynx is a constellation in the northern sky, introduced in the 17th century by Johannes Hevelius. It is named after the lynx, a genus of cats.

Latinized form of Lysistrate.

Means "pearl" in Hebrew, ultimately from Greek μαργαρίτης (margarites).

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

Dutch cognate of Marjolaine.

Possibly related to Latin mas meaning "male" (genitive maris). In Roman mythology Mars was the god of war, often equated with the Greek god Ares. This is also the name of the fourth planet in the solar system.

Galician diminutive of Maria.

From the Hebrew name מְהֵיטַבְאֵל (Meheṭavʾel) meaning "God makes happy", derived from the roots יָטַב (yaṭav) meaning "to be happy" and אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". This name is mentioned briefly in the Old Testament.

French form of Millicent used by Maurice Maeterlinck in his play Pelléas et Mélisande (1893). The play was later adapted by Claude Debussy into an opera (1902).

Derived from Greek μέλπω (melpo) meaning "to sing, to celebrate with song". This was the name of one of the nine Muses in Greek mythology, the muse of tragedy.

From a Scots surname that was originally from a Norman French place name Malleville meaning "bad town". A famous bearer of the surname was the American author Herman Melville (1819-1891), who wrote several novels including Moby-Dick.

Form of the Welsh name Myrddin used by Geoffrey of Monmouth in his 12th-century chronicle. Writing in Latin, he likely chose the form Merlinus over Merdinus in order to prevent associations with French merde "excrement".

Geoffrey based parts of Merlin's character on Myrddin Wyllt, a legendary madman and prophet who lived in the Caledonian Forest. Other parts of his life were based on that of the historical 5th-century Romano-British military leader Ambrosius Aurelianus (also known as Emrys Wledig). In Geoffrey's version of the tales and later embellishments Merlin is a magician and counselor for King Arthur.

Latinized form of the Greek name Μεθόδιος (Methodios), derived from Greek μέθοδος (methodos) meaning "pursuit" or "method", ultimately from μετά (meta) meaning "with" and ὁδός (hodos) meaning "road, way, journey". Saint Methodius was a Greek missionary to the Slavs who developed the Cyrillic alphabet (with his brother Cyril) in order to translate the Bible into Slavic.

Derived from Greek μήτηρ (meter) meaning "mother" (genitive μητρός) and δῶρον (doron) meaning "gift". This was the name of a 4th-century saint and martyr who was killed with her sisters Menodora and Nymphodora.

From an English surname that was from a place name meaning "mill stream" in Old English.

From an occupational English surname meaning "guardian of the mill" in Old English.

Occitan (Mistralian) form of Mireille.

Feminine form of Miroslav.

From a French surname that was derived from either Hamon or Edmond. This was the surname of the French impressionist painter Claude Monet (1840-1926).

From an English surname that was derived from the name of a town in Normandy, itself meaning "dead water, still water" in Old French.

From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "moor town" in Old English.

From the Hebrew name מֹשֶׁה (Moshe), which is most likely derived from Egyptian mes meaning "son". The meaning suggested in the Old Testament of "drew out" from Hebrew מָשָׁה (masha) is probably an invented etymology (see Exodus 2:10).

The biblical Moses was drawn out of the Nile by the pharaoh's daughter and adopted into the royal family, at a time when the Israelites were slaves in Egypt. With his brother Aaron he demanded the pharaoh release the Israelites, which was only done after God sent ten plagues upon Egypt. Moses led the people across the Red Sea and to Mount Sinai, where he received the Ten Commandments from God. After 40 years of wandering in the desert the people reached Canaan, the Promised Land, but Moses died just before entering it.

In England, this name has been commonly used by Christians since the Protestant Reformation, though it had long been popular among Jews.

Meaning "nerve, courage, pep, daring, spirit". A relatively modern American slang term that came around c. 1925-30 after 'Moxie', a brand of soft drink. The term fell into common usage following an aggressive marketing campaign associating the brand name Moxie with the traits that now define the term. It began gaining popularity as a given name after magician Penn Jillette used it for his daughter in 2005.

Diminutive of Edward or Edmund. It has been used since the 14th century, and may have had root in the medieval affectionate phrase mine Ed, which was later reinterpreted as my Ned.

From an English surname meaning "son of Neil". It was originally given in honour of the British admiral Horatio Nelson (1758-1805). His most famous battle was the Battle of Trafalgar, in which he destroyed a combined French and Spanish fleet, but was himself killed. Another notable bearer was the South African statesman Nelson Mandela (1918-2013). Mandela's birth name was Rolihlahla; as a child he was given the English name Nelson by a teacher.

Means "nobody" in Latin. This was the name used by author Jules Verne for the captain of the Nautilus in his novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (1870). It was later used for the title character (a fish) in the 2003 animated movie Finding Nemo.

Greek name meaning "new plant, new child", from a word that was derived from νέος (neos) meaning "new" and φυτόν (phyton) meaning "plant".

From the Latin Neptunus, which is of unknown meaning, possibly related to the Indo-European root *nebh- "wet, damp, clouds". Neptune was the god of the sea in Roman mythology, approximately equivalent to the Greek god Poseidon. This is also the name of the eighth planet in the solar system.

From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "new town" in Norman French. As a given name it is chiefly British and Australian.

Short form of Newton.

From the Greek name Νικόδημος (Nikodemos) meaning "victory of the people", derived from Greek νίκη (nike) meaning "victory" and δῆμος (demos) meaning "the people". This is the name of a character in the New Testament who helps Joseph of Arimathea entomb Jesus.

Means "snows" in Spanish, derived from the title of the Virgin Mary Nuestra Señora de las Nieves meaning "Our Lady of the Snows".

From Nigellus, a medieval Latinized form of Neil. It was commonly associated with Latin niger "black". It was revived in the 19th century, perhaps in part due to Walter Scott's novel The Fortunes of Nigel (1822).

Short form of Norman.

From an old Germanic byname meaning "northman", referring to a Scandinavians. The Normans were Vikings who settled on the coast of France, in the region that became known as Normandy. In England the name Norman or Normant was used before the Norman Conquest, first as a nickname for Scandinavian settlers and later as a given name. After the Conquest it became more common, but died out around the 14th century. It was revived in the 19th century, perhaps in part due to a character by this name in C. M. Yonge's 1856 novel The Daisy Chain [2]. Famous bearers include the American painter Norman Rockwell (1894-1978) and the American author Norman Mailer (1923-2007).

Feminine form of Nymphodoros. This was the name of a 4th-century saint who was martyred with her sisters Menodora and Metrodora.

Means "night" in Greek. This was the name of the Greek goddess of the night, the daughter of Khaos and the wife of Erebos.

From a Greek personal name that was derived from the place name Olympos, the name of the mountain home of the Greek gods.

From the English word for the gemstone (a variety of chalcedony), which can be black, red or other colours. It is derived from Greek ὄνυξ (onyx) meaning "claw, nail".

This name was invented by the 18th-century writer Fanny Burney, who perhaps intended it to mean "golden city" in French. Orville Wright (1871-1948), together with his brother Wilbur, invented the first successful airplane.

From an English surname that was derived from the medieval given name Ode, a cognate of Otto. In America it has been used in honour of the revolutionary James Otis (1725-1783).

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

Feminine form of Palmiro.

Means "dove, pigeon" in Spanish.

Italian feminine form of Pascal.

Feminine form of Pastor.

Portuguese diminutive of Pedro.

Spanish and Portuguese form of Peter. This was the name of the only two emperors of Brazil, reigning between 1822 and 1889.

Ancient Greek form of Pericles.

Derived from Latin perpetuus meaning "continuous". This was the name of a 3rd-century saint martyred with another woman named Felicity.

Meaning unknown, created in the 20th century. The name is borne by the British singer Petula Clark (1932-), whose name was invented by her father.

From the name of the flower, derived ultimately from a Tupi (South American) word.

From the English word pixie referring to a playful sprite or elf-/fairy-like creature, originating from Devon and Cornwall in southwest England.

From the medieval name Plaisance, which meant "pleasant" in Old French.

From the Greek name Πλούταρχος (Ploutarchos), which was derived from πλοῦτος (ploutos) meaning "riches, wealth" and ἀρχός (archos) meaning "master". Plutarch was a 1st-century Greek historian.

From the English word for the flower, ultimately deriving from Latin prima rosa "first rose".

From the name of a genus of several species of flowers, including the primrose. It is derived from the Latin word primulus meaning "very first".

Means "to emerge" in Latin. She was the Roman equivalent of the Greek goddess Persephone.

Derived from Pythios, a name of Apollo, combined with Greek ἀγορά (agora) meaning "assembly, marketplace". This was the name of a 6th-century BC Greek philosopher and mathematician from Samos. He was the founder of a school of philosophy whose members believed that numbers described the universe.

Means "fate" in Arabic, related to the root قسم (qasama) meaning "to divide, to distribute".

Transferred use oft he surname Quimby.

Feminine form of Quirinus.

From the English word meaning "daydream, fanciful musing", derived from Old French resverie, itself from resver meaning "to dream, to rave".

English form of Rudolf, imported from Germany in the 19th century. Robert L. May used it in 1939 for his Christmas character Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

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

Roman cognomen that was derived from the cognomen Rufus. It was borne by several early saints.

Roman cognomen meaning "red-haired" in Latin. Several early saints had this name, including one mentioned in one of Paul's epistles in the New Testament. As a nickname it was used by William II Rufus, a king of England, because of his red hair. It came into general use in the English-speaking world after the Protestant Reformation.

German variant form of Robert, from the Old German variant Hrodperht. It was borne by the 7th century Saint Rupert of Salzburg and the 8th-century Saint Rupert of Bingen. The military commander Prince Rupert of the Rhine, a nephew of Charles I, introduced this name to England in the 17th century. A notable bearer is the Australian-American businessman Rupert Murdoch (1931-).

Feminine form of Salvador.

Latin form of Salvador.

Feminine form of Salvator.

Means "Saint James", derived from Spanish santo "saint" combined with Yago, an old Spanish form of James, the patron saint of Spain. It is the name of the main character in the novella The Old Man and the Sea (1951) by Ernest Hemingway. This also is the name of the capital city of Chile, as well as several other cities in the Spanish-speaking world.

From the Latin Saturnus, which is of unknown meaning. In Roman mythology he was the father of Jupiter, Juno and others, and was also the god of agriculture. This is also the name of the ringed sixth planet in the solar system.

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

Spanish, Italian and Portuguese form of Saturninus.

Italian form of the Roman cognomen Scaevola, which was derived from Latin scaevus "left-handed". The first bearer of this name was Gaius Mucius Scaevola, who acquired it, according to legend, after he thrust his right hand into a blazing fire in order to intimidate the Etruscan king Porsenna, who was blockading the city of Rome.

From a Late Latin name that was derived from scholasticus meaning "rhetorician, orator". Saint Scholastica was a 6th-century Benedictine abbess, the sister of Saint Benedict of Nursia.

French form of Scholastica. It is more common in French-speaking Africa than France.

Feminine form of Severinus.

Italian, Spanish and Portuguese form of Severinus.

Means "famous" in Persian.

From Albanian shqip meaning "Albanian". Additionally, the word shqipe means "eagle" in modern Albanian, a variant of older shkabë. These interrelated words are often the subject of competing claims that the one is derived from the other. The ultimate origin of shqip "Albanian" is uncertain, but it may be from shqipoj meaning "to say clearly".

Short form of Sidney.

Derived from Spanish sirena "mermaid". The Spanish dramatist Jacinto Benavente used this name in his play 'Los intereses creados' (1907), where it belongs to a poor widow and matchmaker called Doña Sirena.

From the Greek name Σωκράτης (Sokrates), which was derived from σῶς (sos) meaning "whole, unwounded, safe" and κράτος (kratos) meaning "power". This was the name of an important Greek philosopher. He left no writings of his own; virtually everything that we know of his beliefs comes from his pupil Plato. He was sentenced to death for impiety.

Short form of Solomon.

Latin form of Solange.

From Esperanto stelaro meaning "constellation", ultimately from Latin stella "star".

Feminine form of Theodosius.

Feminine form of Theophanes.

Feminine form of Theophilus.

From the name of an ancient Greek town in Boeotia, itself supposedly named after a nymph. In a Greek legend (the oldest surviving version appearing in Latin in Ovid's Metamorphoses) this is the name of a young woman from Babylon. Believing her to be dead, her lover Pyramus kills himself, after which she does the same to herself. The splashes of blood from their suicides is the reason mulberry fruit are red.

Derived from Greek τρυφή (tryphe) meaning "softness, delicacy". In the New Testament this name is mentioned briefly as belonging to a companion of Tryphena.

Latin form of Odysseus. It was borne by Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885), the commander of the Union forces during the American Civil War, who went on to become an American president. Irish author James Joyce used it as the title of his book Ulysses (1922), which loosely parallels Homer's epic the Odyssey.

Means "chooser of the slain", derived from Old Norse valr "the slain" and kyrja "chooser". In Norse myth the Valkyries were maidens who led heroes killed in battle to Valhalla.

Portuguese form of Valkyrie.

French form of Václav, via the Latinized form Venceslaus.

From the Latin name of the Italian region of Veneto and the city of Venice (see the place name Venetia). This name was borne by the celebrated English beauty Venetia Stanley (1600-1633), though in her case the name may have been a Latinized form of the Welsh name Gwynedd [1]. Benjamin Disraeli used it for the heroine of his novel Venetia (1837).

From the Latin name Verissimus meaning "very true". Saint Verissimus was a Portuguese martyr executed during the persecutions of the Roman emperor Diocletian in the early 4th century.

Short form of Vernon.

Means "of the evening", derived from Esperanto vespero "evening", ultimately from Latin vesper.

Earlier form of Beatrix.

French feminine form of Victorinus.

From the Latin name Viriathus or Viriatus, which was derived from viriae "bracelets" (of Celtic origin). Viriathus was a leader of the Lusitani (a tribe of Portugal) who rebelled against Roman rule in the 2nd century BC.

Means "visitation" in Spanish. This name is given in reference to the visit of the Virgin Mary to her cousin Elizabeth.

Italian form of Victoria.

Czech and Slovak form of Vladimira.

Short form of Walter. A famous bearer was the American animator and filmmaker Walt Disney (1901-1966).

From the Germanic name Waltheri meaning "power of the army", from the elements walt "power, authority" and heri "army". In medieval German tales (notably Waltharius by Ekkehard of Saint Gall) Walter of Aquitaine is a heroic king of the Visigoths. The name was also borne by an 11th-century French saint, Walter of Pontoise. The Normans brought it to England, where it replaced the Old English cognate Wealdhere.

A famous bearer of the name was the English courtier, poet and explorer Walter Raleigh (1552-1618). It was also borne by Walter Scott (1771-1832), a Scottish novelist who wrote Ivanhoe and other notable works.

From an English surname meaning "son of Wat". A famous fictional bearer of the surname was Dr. Watson, the assistant to Sherlock Holmes in Arthur Conan Doyle's mystery stories beginning in 1887.

Means "bright will", derived from the Old German elements willo "will, desire" and beraht "bright".

From an English surname that was originally derived from the nickname Wildbor meaning "wild boar" in Middle English. This name was borne by Wilbur Wright (1867-1912), one half of the Wright brothers, who together invented the first successful airplane. Wright was named after the Methodist minister Wilbur Fisk (1792-1839). A famous fictional bearer is the main character (a pig) in the children's novel Charlotte's Web (1952) by E. B. White.

From an English surname meaning "son of William". The surname was borne by Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924), the American president during World War I.

From an English surname that was derived from the Old English given name Wynnstan. A famous bearer was Winston Churchill (1874-1965), the British prime minister during World War II. This name was also borne by the fictional Winston Smith, the protagonist in George Orwell's 1949 novel 1984.

Derived from the Old German element wolf meaning "wolf" combined with hram meaning "raven". Saint Wolfram (or Wulfram) was a 7th-century archbishop of Sens. This name was also borne by the 13th-century German poet Wolfram von Eschenbach, the author of Parzival.

Modern elaborated form of Xanthe.

Derived from Greek ξένος (xenos) meaning "foreigner, guest".

Possibly a Spanish form of Guiomar.

Means "flower" in Nahuatl [1].

From Persian زرین (zarīn) meaning "golden". According to the 5th-century BC Greek historian Ctesias, this was the name of a Scythian queen.

Ancient Greek form of Zeno, as well as the modern Polish form.

The name of a Greek god, related to the old Indo-European god *Dyēws, from the root *dyew- meaning "sky" or "shine". In Greek mythology he was the highest of the gods. After he and his siblings defeated the Titans, Zeus ruled over the earth and humankind from atop Mount Olympus. He had control over the weather and his weapon was a thunderbolt.

This theonym has cognates in other Indo-European languages including Latin Jupiter, Sanskrit Dyaus, and Old Norse Tyr.