honeyberry04's Personal Name List
Aldwin
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Germanic [1]
Personal remark: Nn Winn
Algernon
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: AL-jər-nən
Personal remark: GP
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.
Alonzo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (American)
Personal remark: Nn Lonny,Lon
Variant of
Alonso in use in America.
Anatole
Gender: Masculine
Usage: French
Pronounced: A-NA-TAWL
Personal remark: Nn Tolly
Artemio
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian, Spanish
Pronounced: ar-TEH-myo
Personal remark: Nn Art,Emi
Atticus
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Literature, Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Ἀττικός(Ancient Greek)
Personal remark: Nn Atti
Latinized form of Greek
Ἀττικός (Attikos) meaning
"from Attica", referring to the region surrounding Athens in Greece. This name was borne by a few notable Greeks from the Roman period (or Romans of Greek background). The author Harper Lee used the name in her novel
To Kill a Mockingbird (1960) for an Alabama lawyer who defends a black man accused of raping a white woman.
Aurelius
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Roman
Pronounced: ow-REH-lee-oos(Latin) aw-REEL-ee-əs(English)
Roman family name that was derived from Latin
aureus meaning
"golden, gilded". Marcus Aurelius was a 2nd-century Roman emperor and philosophical writer. This was also the name of several early
saints.
Benedict
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: BEHN-ə-dikt
Personal remark: Nn Ned
From the Late Latin name
Benedictus, which meant
"blessed".
Saint Benedict was an Italian monk who founded the Benedictines in the 6th century. After his time the name was common among Christians, being used by 16 popes. In England it did not come into use until the 12th century, at which point it became very popular. This name was also borne by the American general Benedict Arnold (1741-1801), who defected to Britain during the American Revolution.
Bertram
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, German, Germanic [1]
Pronounced: BUR-trəm(English) BEHR-tram(German)
Personal remark: Middle
Means
"bright raven", derived from the Old German element
beraht "bright" combined with
hram "raven". This name has long been conflated with
Bertrand. The
Normans introduced it to England, and Shakespeare used it in his play
All's Well That Ends Well (1603).
Bonaventure
Gender: Masculine
Usage: French, History (Ecclesiastical)
Pronounced: BAW-NA-VAHN-TUYR(French) bahn-ə-VEHN-chər(English)
French and English form of
Bonaventura. As a French name it is most common in Francophone Africa, while as an English name it is mostly used in reference to the
saint.
Bramwell
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Personal remark: Middle
Transferred use of the surname
Bramwell.
Byron
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: BIE-rən
From a surname that was originally from a place name meaning "place of the cow sheds" in Old English. This was the surname of the romantic poet Lord Byron (1788-1824), the writer of Don Juan and many other works.
Cedric
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: SEHD-rik
Invented by Walter Scott for a character in his novel
Ivanhoe (1819). Apparently he based it on the actual name
Cerdic, the name of the semi-legendary founder of the kingdom of Wessex in the 6th century. The meaning of
Cerdic is uncertain, but it does not appear to be Old English in origin. It could be connected to the Brythonic name
Caratācos. The name was also used by Frances Hodgson Burnett for the main character in her novel
Little Lord Fauntleroy (1886).
Chester
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: CHEHS-tər
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".
Clarence
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: KLAR-əns, KLEHR-əns
From the Latin title Clarensis, which belonged to members of the British royal family. The title ultimately derives from the name of the town of Clare in Suffolk. As a given name it has been in use since the 19th century.
Clifford
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: KLIF-ərd
Personal remark: Nn Cliffie
From a surname that was originally from a place name meaning "ford by a cliff" in Old English.
Clive
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: KLIEV
From an English surname derived from Old English clif meaning "cliff", originally belonging to a person who lived near a cliff.
Cornelius
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Roman, English, Dutch, German, Biblical
Pronounced: kor-NEH-lee-oos(Latin) kawr-NEE-lee-əs(English) kawr-NEH-lee-uys(Dutch) kawr-NEH-lee-uws(German)
Personal remark: Nn Neely,Neil
Roman family name that possibly derives from the Latin element
cornu meaning
"horn". In Acts in the
New Testament Cornelius is a centurion who is directed by an angel to seek
Peter. After speaking with Peter he converts to Christianity, and he is traditionally deemed the first gentile convert. The name was also borne by a few early
saints, including a 3rd-century pope. In England it came into use in the 16th century, partly due to Dutch influence.
Cosmo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian, English
Pronounced: KAWZ-mo(Italian) KAHZ-mo(English)
Italian variant of
Cosimo. It was introduced to Britain in the 18th century by the second Scottish Duke of Gordon, who named his son and successor after his friend Cosimo III de' Medici. On the American sitcom
Seinfeld (1989-1998) this was the seldom-used first name of Jerry's neighbour Kramer.
Demetrius
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Δημήτριος(Ancient Greek)
Personal remark: Or Dimitri
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.
Dietrich
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German
Pronounced: DEET-rikh
German form of
Theodoric. The character Dietrich von Bern, loosely based on Theodoric the Great, appears in medieval German literature such as the
Hildebrandslied, the
Nibelungenlied and the
Eckenlied.
Eugene
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: YOO-jeen, yoo-JEEN
Personal remark: Nn Gene
English form of
Eugenius, the Latin form of the Greek name
Εὐγένιος (Eugenios), which was derived from the Greek word
εὐγενής (eugenes) meaning
"well born". It is composed of the elements
εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and
γενής (genes) meaning "born". This was the name of several
saints and four popes.
This name was not particularly common in Western Europe during the Middle Ages. It became more popular in part due to the fame of Prince Eugene of Savoy (1663-1736), a French-born general who served the Austrian Empire. A notable bearer was the American playwright Eugene O'Neill (1888-1953).
Evander 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Greek Mythology (Latinized), Roman Mythology
Other Scripts: Εὔανδρος(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: ee-VAN-dər(English) ə-VAN-dər(English)
Personal remark: Nn Eve,Van
Variant of
Evandrus, the Latin form of the Greek name
Εὔανδρος (Euandros) meaning
"good of man", derived from
εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and
ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man" (genitive
ἀνδρός). In Roman
mythology Evander was an Arcadian hero of the Trojan War who founded the city of Pallantium near the spot where Rome was later built.
Ezekiel
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical, English
Other Scripts: יְחֶזְקֵאל(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced: i-ZEE-kee-əl(English)
Personal remark: Nn Ziggy
From the Hebrew name
יְחֶזְקֵאל (Yechezqel) meaning
"God will strengthen", from the roots
חָזַק (chazaq) meaning "to strengthen" and
אֵל ('el) meaning "God". Ezekiel is a major prophet of the
Old Testament, the author of the Book of Ezekiel. He lived in Jerusalem until the Babylonian conquest and captivity of Israel, at which time he was taken to Babylon. The Book of Ezekiel describes his vivid symbolic visions that predict the restoration of the kingdom of Israel. As an English given name,
Ezekiel has been used since the
Protestant Reformation.
Fergus
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish, Scottish, Irish Mythology, Old Irish [1]
Pronounced: FUR-gəs(English)
Personal remark: Nn Fergy,Gus
Means
"man of vigour", derived from the Old Irish elements
fer "man" and
guss "vigour, strength, force". This was the name of several early rulers of Ireland and Dál Riata, as well as many characters from Irish legend. Notably it was borne by the hero Fergus mac Róich, who was tricked into giving up the kingship of Ulster to
Conchobar. However, he remained loyal to the new king until Conchobar betrayed
Deirdre and
Naoise, at which point he defected to Connacht in anger. The name was also borne by an 8th-century
saint, a missionary to Scotland.
This is the Old Irish form of the name, as well as the usual Anglicized form of Modern Irish Fearghas or Fearghus.
Forrest
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: FAWR-ist
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.
Freyr
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Norse Mythology, Icelandic
Pronounced: FRAYR(English, Icelandic)
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.
Gilbert
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, Dutch, Germanic [1]
Pronounced: GIL-bərt(English) ZHEEL-BEHR(French) GHIL-bərt(Dutch)
Personal remark: Nn Gil,Gilly
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.
Hubert
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, German, Dutch, French, Polish, Czech, Germanic [1]
Pronounced: HYOO-bərt(English) HOO-behrt(German) HUY-bərt(Dutch) UY-BEHR(French) KHOO-behrt(Polish)
Personal remark: Middle
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].
Hugo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Spanish, Portuguese, English, Dutch, German, French, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Germanic [1]
Pronounced: OO-gho(Spanish) OO-goo(Portuguese) HYOO-go(English) HUY-gho(Dutch) HOO-go(German) UY-GO(French)
Old German form of
Hugh. As a surname it has belonged to the French author Victor Hugo (1802-1885), the writer of
The Hunchback of Notre-Dame and
Les Misérables.
Humphrey
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: HUM-free
Personal remark: Gp
From the Old German elements
hun "bear cub" and
fridu "peace". The
Normans introduced this name to England, where it replaced the Old English
cognate Hunfrith, and it was regularly used through the Middle Ages. A famous bearer was the American actor Humphrey Bogart (1899-1957), who starred in
The Maltese Falcon and
Casablanca.
Isadore
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: IZ-ə-dawr
Personal remark: Nn Izzy
Ivo 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German, Dutch, Czech, Italian, Portuguese, Estonian, Latvian, Germanic [1]
Pronounced: EE-vo(German, Dutch, Italian) EE-fo(German) I-vo(Czech) EE-voo(Portuguese)
Personal remark: Nn Ivy
Germanic name, originally a short form of names beginning with the element
iwa meaning
"yew". Alternative theories suggest that it may in fact be derived from a
cognate Celtic element
[2]. This was the name of
saints (who are also commonly known as Saint
Yves or
Ives), hailing from Cornwall, France, and Brittany.
Linus
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Greek Mythology (Latinized), Ancient Greek (Latinized), Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German
Other Scripts: Λίνος(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: LIE-nəs(English) LEE-nuys(Swedish) LEE-nuws(German)
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.
Lionel
Gender: Masculine
Usage: French, English, Arthurian Cycle
Pronounced: LYAW-NEHL(French) LIE-ə-nəl(English) LIE-nəl(English)
Personal remark: Nn Lio
French
diminutive of
Léon. It appears in Arthurian legend in the 13th-century
Lancelot-Grail Cycle, belonging to a knight who was the brother of Sir
Bors. A notable modern bearer is the Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi (1987-).
Lysander
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Λύσανδρος(Ancient Greek)
Personal remark: Nn Sandy
Latinized form of the Greek name
Λύσανδρος (Lysandros), derived from Greek
λύσις (lysis) meaning "a release, loosening" and
ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man" (genitive
ἀνδρός). This was the name of a notable 5th-century BC Spartan general and naval commander.
Malcolm
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Scottish, English
Pronounced: MAL-kəm(English)
Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic
Máel Coluim, which means
"disciple of Saint Columba". This was the name of four kings of Scotland starting in the 10th century, including Malcolm III, who became king after killing
Macbeth, the usurper who had defeated his father
Duncan. The character Malcolm in Shakespeare's tragedy
Macbeth (1606) is loosely based on him. Another famous bearer was Malcolm X (1925-1965), an American civil rights leader.
Marlowe
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: MAHR-lo
Personal remark: Or Marlow
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "remnants of a lake" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was the English playwright Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593).
Meredith
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Welsh, English
Pronounced: MEHR-ə-dith(English)
Personal remark: Nn Merry,Red
From the Welsh name
Maredudd or
Meredydd, from Old Welsh forms such as
Margetud, possibly from
mawredd "greatness, magnificence" combined with
iudd "lord". The Welsh forms of this name were well used through the Middle Ages. Since the mid-1920s it has been used more often for girls than for boys in English-speaking countries, though it is still a masculine name in Wales. A famous bearer of this name as surname was the English novelist and poet George Meredith (1828-1909).
Montgomery
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: mənt-GUM-ə-ree, mənt-GUM-ree
Personal remark: Nn Monty
From an English surname meaning
"Gumarich's mountain" in Norman French. A notable bearer of this surname was Bernard Montgomery (1887-1976), a British army commander during World War II.
Morgan 1
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Welsh, English, French
Pronounced: MAWR-gən(English) MAWR-GAN(French)
From the Old Welsh masculine name
Morcant, which was possibly derived from Welsh
mor "sea" and
cant "circle". Since the 1980s in America
Morgan has been more common for girls than boys, perhaps due to stories of
Morgan le Fay or the fame of actress Morgan Fairchild (1950-).
Mortimer
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: MAWR-tə-mər
Personal remark: Gp
From an English surname that was derived from the name of a town in Normandy, itself meaning "dead water, still water" in Old French.
Oberon
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Literature
Pronounced: O-bər-ahn(English)
Personal remark: Or Auberon
Variant of
Auberon. Oberon and
Titania are the king and queen of the fairies in Shakespeare's comedy
A Midsummer Night's Dream (1595). A moon of Uranus bears this name in his honour.
Paris 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Πάρις(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: PA-REES(Classical Greek) PAR-is(English) PEHR-is(English)
Meaning unknown, possibly of Luwian or Hittite origin. In Greek
mythology he was the Trojan prince who kidnapped
Helen and began the Trojan War. Though presented as a somewhat of a coward in the
Iliad, he did manage to slay the great hero
Achilles. He was himself eventually slain in battle by Philoctetes.
Peregrine
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: PEHR-ə-grin
Personal remark: Nn Pippin
From the Late Latin name
Peregrinus, which meant
"traveller". This was the name of several early
saints.
Phineas
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical
Other Scripts: פִּינְחָס(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced: FIN-ee-əs(English)
Personal remark: Nn Finn
Ptolemy
Gender: Masculine
Usage: History
Other Scripts: Πτολεμαῖος(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: TAHL-ə-mee(English)
Personal remark: Nn Tolly
From the Greek name
Πτολεμαῖος (Ptolemaios), derived from Greek
πολεμήϊος (polemeios) meaning
"aggressive, warlike". Ptolemy was the name of several Greco-Egyptian rulers of Egypt, all descendants of Ptolemy I Soter, one of the generals of Alexander the Great. This was also the name of a 2nd-century Greek astronomer.
Quincy
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: KWIN-see
From an English surname that was derived (via the place name
Cuinchy) from the personal name
Quintus. A famous bearer was John Quincy Adams (1767-1848), sixth president of the United States, who was born in the town of Quincy, Massachusetts. Both the town and the president were named after his maternal great-grandfather John Quincy (1689-1767). Another notable bearer is the American musician Quincy Jones (1933-).
Ralphie
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: RAL-fee
Personal remark: Fn Randolph
Reginald
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: REHJ-ə-nəld
Personal remark: Nn Rex,Reggie
From
Reginaldus, a Latinized form of
Reynold.
Roscoe
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: RAHS-ko
Personal remark: Nn Rocco
From an English surname, originally derived from a place name, itself derived from Old Norse rá "roebuck" and skógr "wood, forest".
Sinclair
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: sin-KLEHR
From a Scottish surname that was derived from a Norman French town called "
Saint Clair". A notable bearer was the American author Sinclair Lewis (1885-1951).
Stellan
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Swedish
Pronounced: STEHL-lan
Personal remark: Middle
Meaning unknown, perhaps related to Old Norse stilling "calm", or perhaps of German origin.
Sterling
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: STUR-ling
From a Scots surname that was derived from city of Stirling, which is itself of unknown meaning. The name can also be given in reference to the English word sterling meaning "excellent". In this case, the word derives from sterling silver, which was so named because of the emblem that some Norman coins bore, from Old English meaning "little star".
Vincent
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Slovak
Pronounced: VIN-sənt(English, Dutch) VEHN-SAHN(French) VEEN-tsent(Slovak)
Personal remark: Nn Vinny
From the Roman name
Vincentius, which was derived from Latin
vincere meaning
"to conquer". This name was popular among early Christians, and it was borne by many
saints. As an English name,
Vincent has been in use since the Middle Ages, though it did not become common until the 19th century. Famous bearers include the French priest Saint Vincent de Paul (1581-1660) and the Dutch post-impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890).
Walter
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Polish, Italian, Germanic [1]
Pronounced: WAWL-tər(English) VAL-tu(German) VAL-tehr(Swedish, Italian)
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.
Wilfred
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: WIL-frəd
Personal remark: Nn Wilfie,Wilf
Means
"desiring peace" from Old English
willa "will, desire" and
friþ "peace".
Saint Wilfrid was a 7th-century Anglo-Saxon bishop. The name was rarely used after the
Norman Conquest, but it was revived in the 19th century.
Willoughby
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: WIL-ə-bee
Personal remark: Nn Will,Wilby
From a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "willow town" in Old English.
Winslow
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: WINZ-lo
Personal remark: Nn Winsy
From a surname that was derived from an Old English place name meaning
"hill belonging to Wine". A famous bearer of this name was American painter Winslow Homer (1836-1910).
Zebulon
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical
Other Scripts: זְבוּלֻן(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced: ZEHB-yə-lən(English)
Personal remark: Nn Zeb,Lonny
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