Hopeful's Personal Name List

German and Dutch form of Adelaide.

From Old Irish Ailbe, possibly derived from the old Celtic root *albiyo- "world, light, white" or Old Irish ail "rock". In Irish legend this was the name of a female warrior of the Fianna. It was also the name of a 6th-century masculine saint, the founder of a monastery at Emly.

Scottish Gaelic form of Alice.

Variant of Akilah or a combination of Akil with the phonetic element ee.

Probably a combination of the elements al- (like in Alaíde) and -ir (like in Ademir, Edir and Lucelir).

Feminine form of Alcindo.

Variant of Aletta.

Possibly from a Visigothic name, maybe from Gothic elements such as alls "all" or aljis "other" combined with auds "riches, wealth". Saint Alodia was a 9th-century Spanish martyr with her sister Nunilo.

Means "high grace", taken from the Spanish title of the Virgin Mary Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia, meaning "Our Lady of High Grace". She is considered the patron saint of the Dominican Republic, and it is there that this name is most often used.

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 name derived from Latin amicus meaning "friend". This was a popular name in the Middle Ages, though it has since become uncommon.

Slovene, Croatian and Serbian diminutive of Anna.

Means "lightning" in Hindi.

From Japanese 温 (atsu) meaning "warm", 篤 (atsu) meaning "deep, true, sincere" or 敦 (atsu) meaning "honest" combined with 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Norwegian form of Auðr.

This name was assumed by Ayn Rand (1905-1982), originally named Alice Rosenbaum, a Russian-American writer and philosopher. She apparently based it on a Finnish name she had heard, but never seen written.

In English-speaking countries, this name is usually a variant spelling of Azaliah and Azalea, but there are also cases where it is a variant spelling of Azelia.

As for Spanish-speaking countries: the origin behind the use of the name there is less certain, but it is probably more often a variant form of Azalea there than of Azaliah, as on Facebook I have come across bearers who were actually called Flor de Azalia.

Lastly, a known bearer of this name is Azalia Snail, an American avant-garde singer-songwriter and musician. In her case, her name is a variant form of Azalea, as her parents had named her after the azaleas that grew near their home.

Means "fire" in Persian.

From the English word for the clear or pale green precious stone, ultimately deriving from Sanskrit. As a given name, it first came into use in the 19th century.

Means "jewel" in French. It is mostly used in French-speaking Africa.

Means "white raven" from Old Welsh bran "raven" and gwen "white, blessed". According to the Second Branch of the Mabinogi [1] she was the daughter of Llŷr. After she was mistreated by her husband Matholwch, the king of Ireland, she managed to get a message to her brother Brân, the king of Britain. Brân launched a costly invasion to rescue her, but she died of grief shortly after her return.

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

An invented name, probably based on the sounds found in names such as Amber, Cameron and Kimber.

French form of Candidus or Candida. The French philosopher and author Voltaire used this name for the main character (a male) in his satire Candide (1759). In French candide also means "naive", which is descriptive of the book's protagonist.

French form of Carina 1. It can also function as a short form of Catherine, via Swedish Karin.

Welsh form of Katherine, as well as a German short form of Katharina.

Possibly from cyrrid "bent, crooked" (a derivative of Old Welsh cwrr "corner") combined with ben "woman" or gwen "white, blessed". According to the medieval Welsh legend the Tale of Taliesin (recorded by Elis Gruffyd in the 16th century) this was the name of a sorceress who created a potion that would grant wisdom to her son Morfan. The potion was instead consumed by her servant Gwion Bach, who was subsequently reborn as the renowned bard Taliesin.

This name appears briefly in a poem in the Black Book of Carmarthen in the form Kyrridven [1] and in a poem in the Book of Taliesin in the form Kerrituen [2]. Some theories connect her to an otherwise unattested Celtic goddess of inspiration, and suppose her name is related to Welsh cerdd "poetry".

Means "comradeship" in Hebrew.

Means "bluebird" in Hopi.

Transferred use of the surname Courtland.

Possibly derived from Cortland, an archaic form of the Dutch surname Kortland, which in turn is possibly derived from a Dutch town of the same name (which might have served as the inspiration for the city Cortland in the American state of New York). The surname means "short land", derived from Dutch kort "short" and land "land". Since Dutch naming law has always strictly prohibited the use of surnames as first names, neither Cortland, Kortland or even Courtland have ever been used as a first name in The Netherlands. Therefore, Courtland's usage should be listed as (American-)English, since the United States of America does allow the use of surnames as first names.

Variant of Courtland and Courtlyn.

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

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

Probably means "calf, heifer, girl" from Greek δάμαλις (damalis). In the New Testament this is the name of a woman converted to Christianity by Saint Paul.

Italian feminine form of Damian.

Variant of Deirdre.

From Welsh del "pretty" combined with gwyn "white, blessed". It has been used as a given name since the start of the 20th century.

From an elaboration of Welsh del "pretty". This is a recently created name.

Means "genuine" in Welsh. It has been used since the late 19th century.

Means "white snow" from the Welsh elements eira "snow" and gwen "white, blessed". This name was created in the early 20th century.

Possibly from Old Irish etne meaning "kernel, grain". In Irish mythology Eithne or Ethniu was a Fomorian and the mother of Lugh Lámfada. It was borne by several other legendary and historical figures, including a few early saints.

Scandinavian and Finnish form of Elizabeth. It is also used in Spain alongside the traditional form Isabel.

Scottish form of Elizabeth.

Means "noble hero" in Kazakh, from ер (er) meaning "man, hero" and асыл (asyl) meaning "precious, noble".

Diminutive of Esther. A famous bearer was the American businesswoman Estée Lauder (1908-2004), founder of the cosmetics company that bears her name. Her birth name was Josephine Esther Mentzer. Apparently she added the accent to her name Estee in order to make it appear French.

Means "circle" or "ring" in Irish. This name was coined during the Gaelic revival, at which time it referred to a ring-shaped pin badge (introduced in 1911) worn to designate fluent Irish speakers and thus gained popularity as a political-cultural statement.

Spanish form of Felicitas. It also means "happiness" in Spanish.

Form of Fionnuala used by Walter Scott for a character in his novel Peveril of the Peak (1823).

Feminine diminutive of François.

From the English word garnet for the precious stone, the birthstone of January. The word is derived from Middle English gernet meaning "dark red".

Latinate feminine form of George. This is the name of an American state, which was named after the British king George II. The country of Georgia has an unrelated etymology. A famous bearer was the American painter Georgia O'Keeffe (1887-1986).

Italian feminine form of Hyacinthus.

Means "joy" in Italian.

From Yiddish גוט (gut) meaning "good".

From Yiddish גאָלד (gold) meaning "gold". This is the name of Tevye's wife in the musical Fiddler on the Roof (1964). It was also borne by the Israeli prime minister Golda Meir (1898-1978).

Alternate transcription of Arabic هيفاء (see Hayfa).

From an English surname derived from a place name, itself derived from Old English hær "rock, heap of stones" or here "army", combined with hlaw "hill". As a name for girls, it received some attention in 2008 when the American celebrity Nicole Richie used it for her daughter.

Means "freedom" in Hebrew.

Variant of Hesperia.

Latin form of Esther. Like Esther, it has been used in England since the Protestant Reformation. Nathaniel Hawthorne used it for the heroine of his novel The Scarlet Letter (1850), Hester Prynne, a Puritan woman forced to wear a red letter A on her chest after giving birth to a child out of wedlock.

From Japanese 光 (hikari) meaning "light". Other kanji can also form this name. It is often written with the hiragana writing system.

Spanish feminine form of Ignatius.

Short form of Immacolata or Immaculada.

A species of tree from south america and grown throughout the world, known for its vibrant purple foliage, it is the national tree of Mexico and its blooming is hailed as a sign of spring.

From Chinese 建 (jiàn) meaning "build, establish", 健 (jiàn) meaning "strong, healthy", or other characters that are pronounced in a similar fashion.

From the English word for the type of flower, derived ultimately from Latin iuncus "reed".

French form of Julitta.

Meaning unknown, possibly related to an Indo-European root meaning "young", or possibly of Etruscan origin. In Roman mythology Juno was the wife of Jupiter and the queen of the heavens. She was the protectress of marriage and women, and was also the goddess of finance.

Derived from Sanskrit ज्योतिस् (jyotis) meaning "light". This is a transcription of both the feminine form ज्योती and the masculine form ज्योति.

Modern form of Kalidasa.

From Japanese 加 (ka) meaning "add, addition, increase, Canada", 年 (ne) meaning "year" combined with 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.

German diminutive of Katharina, a Hungarian diminutive of Katalin and a Dutch diminutive of Catharina.

Diminutive of Katharina and variant of Katja.

Diminutive of Kateřina or Katarína.

Variant of Kauʻi.

Feminine form of Keith.

A name of Norse origin meaning "lives at a farm near a well or spring".

Means "rainbow" in Hebrew.

From Japanese 姫 (ki) meaning "princess", 杞 (ki) meaning "river willow", 希 (ki) meaning "hope" or 季 (ki) meaning "seasons" combined with 桜 (sa) meaning "cherry blossom" or 紗 (sa) meaning "gauze". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Of unknown origin and meaning.

A known name bearer is the Canadian photographer Kitra Cahana.

From Japanese 清 (kiyo) meaning "clear, pure, clean" or 聖 (kiyo) meaning "holy" and 子 (ko) meaning "child". This name can also be formed from other combinations of kanji characters.

From Japanese 心 (kokoro) meaning "heart, mind, soul" or other kanji and kanji combinations having the same pronunciation. It is often written using the hiragana writing system.

From the word meaning "honest, decent, appropriate, satisfactory, rightful, reliable, just, fair."

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

From laka meaning "tame". This is the name of a goddess of the hula and a god of canoe makers, and a legendary hero.

Transferred use of the surname Latham.

French form of Laura.

Variant of Laverne.

Diminutive form of Lőrinc.

Possibly from Old Irish líath meaning "grey". According to an Irish tale this was the name of a poet who became a nun, but then missed her lover Cuirithir so much that she died of grief. The name was also borne by a 5th-century saint, the mother of Saint Ciarán the Elder.

Means "you are mine" in Hebrew.

Originally a medieval diminutive of Ibb, itself a diminutive of Isabel. It is also used as a diminutive of Elizabeth.

Either a variant of Lynette or else from the name of the small bird, a type of finch.

Means "intelligent" in Tibetan.

French form of Lucinda.

Short form of Guadalupe.

Variant of Maeve.

Means "wish, desire" in Arabic.

From the Hebrew word מַיִם (máyim) meaning "water". In the case of Jewish-American actress Mayim Bialik (1975-), the name originated from a mispronunciation of the name Miriam (the name of her great-grandmother).

Means "mercies" (that is, the plural of mercy), from the Spanish title of the Virgin Mary, Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes, meaning "Our Lady of Mercies". It is ultimately from the Latin word merces meaning "wages, reward", which in Vulgar Latin acquired the meaning "favour, pity" [1].

Variant of Maret (Estonian) or Marit (Swedish).

From Japanese 瑞 (mizu) meaning "felicitous omen, auspicious" and 希 (ki) meaning "hope", besides other kanji combinations.

Derived from the Japanese kanji 瑞 (mizu) meaning "congratulations" and 子 (ko) meaning "child". The name is not generally written with the kanji 水子 (mizuko), meaning "water child", due to the combination also meaning a stillborn baby.

Other characters combinations are also possible.

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

Meaning uncertain, possibly derived from Greek Ναϊάς (Naias), a type of water nymph in Greek mythology (plural Ναϊάδες). Alternatively it might be related to Persian Nahid.

Derived from Sanskrit नलिनी (nalini) meaning "lotus". It is a masculine name in Sri Lanka and India while it is unisex in Thailand.

Means "wild rose" in Persian.

Means "beautiful" in Hebrew.

Portuguese form of Nieves.

Means "victory" in Greek. Nike was the Greek goddess of victory.

French form of Undine.

Feminine form of Owen 1.

Means "daughter" in Greenlandic.

French feminine form of Perrin, a diminutive of Pierre.

Transferred use of the surname Quenby.

“Quince, citrus, fruit”

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

Variant of Rexanne.

From Chinese 儒 (rú) meaning "scholar", 如 (rú) meaning "like, as, if", or other characters with similar pronunciations.

From Japanese 幸 (sachi) meaning "happiness, good luck" and 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.

From Japanese 咲 (sa) meaning "blossom" and 希 (ki) meaning "hope", besides other combinations of kanji characters.

Persian form of Sawsan

Sometimes explained as an anagram of Agnes, but more likely derived from Gaelic seang "slender".

Means "star" in Welsh. This is a recently created Welsh name.

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

Irish form of Isabel.

Norwegian form of Sigrún.

Means "happiness, joy" in Hebrew.

Welsh form of Janet.

From the English word meaning "one who stays temporarily (sojourns)", which is ultimately derived from the Latin elements sub "under, until" and diurnus "of a day" (from diurnum "day"), via the vulgar Latin subdiurnare "to spend the day". It was borne by the American abolitionist Sojourner Truth (born Isabella Baumfree, 1797-1883), who took the name in 1843, believing this to be the instructions of the Holy Spirit, and became a traveling preacher (the combined meaning of her new name).

Means "radiant, bright" in Irish. It has been in use since late medieval times [2]. It is sometimes Anglicized as Sarah (in Ireland) and Clara (in Scotland).

From Japanese 宝 (takara) meaning "treasure, jewel", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations with the same pronunciation.

From the name of the flower, which is derived via Old French from Late Latin tanacita.

Derived from the Welsh elements teg "beautiful, pretty" and gwen "white, blessed". This name was created in the 19th century [1].

Variant of Tyrian. The last king of Narnia and one of the main characters in 'The Last Battle' by C.S. Lewis.

Means "gentle; happy" in Welsh.

While this name appears as a male name in Welsh mythology, it is mostly used for girls now (with the occasional masculine use).

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

French form of Victoria.

From a surname that was a variant of Wallace. Wallis Simpson (1895-1986) was the divorced woman whom Edward VIII married, which forced him to abdicate the British throne.

From Jessenia, the genus name of a variety of palm trees found in South America. As a given name, it was popularized by the writer Yolanda Vargas Dulché in the 1970 Mexican telenovela Yesenia and the 1971 film adaptation [1].

Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 陽子 or 洋子 (see Yōko).

Diminutive of Kreszenz.

From the Xhosa root -zola meaning "calm".

Means "sweet" in Yiddish.