Lady_Skywalker's Personal Name List

Old French form of Alice.

Either a variant of Adalia, or a combination of the prefix a with Dahlia.

From the Hebrew name עֲדָיָה (ʿAḏaya) meaning "Yahweh has adorned", derived from עָדָה (ʿaḏa) meaning "to adorn" and יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. This is the name of numerous Old Testament characters, including the father of Jedidah.

Diminutive of Adelaide.

Variant of Adelena.

Medieval French form of Adalindis.

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

Combination of Ada 1 and common suffix -lore.

Combination of Ada 1 and Maria.

Combination of Ada 1 and the popular suffix -mira.

Variant of Adelaida.

Possibly an American variant of Adelaide.

Variant of Adelina.

Variant of Adelfa.

Anglicized form of Adélie and medieval English short form of Adelicia.

From a Germanic name that was derived from the element adal meaning "noble" (Proto-Germanic *aþalaz).

French and English form of Adelina.

Variant of Adelisa.

Spanish diminutive of Adela. It is used especially in Mexico, where it is the name of a folk song about a female soldier.

Variant of Adelma.

Feminine form of Adelmiro.

Feminine form of Adelphus.

Diminutive of Adela, Adelajda, Adelina, Adelinda, or other names beginning with Adel-.

One of the Latinized forms of Adrasteia

Feminine form of Ael and cognate of Angela.

Feminine form of Aelianus.

Created by Russian author Aleksey Tolstoy for his science fiction novel Aelita (1923), where it belongs to a Martian princess. In the book, the name is said to mean "starlight seen for the last time" in the Martian language.

Means "whirlwind" in Greek. In Greek myth this was the name of an Amazon warrior killed by Herakles during his quest for Hippolyta's girdle.

Feminine form of Aemilianus (see Emiliano).

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.

Anglicized form of Aodhán. In the latter part of the 20th century it became popular in America due to its sound, since it shares a sound with such names as Braden and Hayden. It peaked ranked 39th for boys in 2003.

Finnish form of Áile.

Of uncertain origin and meaning. This name is, however, considered both an Anglicization of Eilidh and a diminutive of Aileen and Ailison.

Probably a variant of Heimirich. Aimeric (or Aimery) was the name of several viscounts of Narbonne between the 11th and 13th centuries. It was also borne by the first king of Cyprus (12th century), originally from Poitou, France.

Variant of Enara.

From an English surname that was from a place name: either Annesley in Nottinghamshire or Ansley in Warwickshire. The place names themselves derive from Old English anne "alone, solitary" or ansetl "hermitage" and leah "woodland, clearing".

In America, this name received a boost of popularity in 2000 when a character bearing it began appearing on the television series The West Wing.

Variant of Ainsley.

Means "dream" or "vision" in Irish. This name was created in the 20th century.

From the Gothic name *Alareiks meaning "ruler of all", derived from the element alls "all" combined with reiks "ruler, king". This was the name of a king of the Visigoths who sacked Rome in the 5th century.

From a surname that was derived from the Old English given name Ealdwine.

Variant of Aldric.

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

From a Germanic name, derived from the elements alt "old" and rih "ruler, king". Saint Aldric was a 9th-century bishop of Le Mans.

Dutch and Spanish short form of Adelaide.

Greek form of Alexius.

Derived from Greek ἀλέξω (alexo) meaning "to defend, to help" and στρατός (stratos) meaning "army".

Latinized form of the Greek name Ἀλέξιος (Alexios), a derivative of Ἄλεξις (see Alexis). This was the name of five Byzantine emperors. It was also borne by a 5th-century Syrian saint who is especially venerated in the Eastern Church.

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.

Variant of Eleonora.

Means "stranger" in Latin. This was the false identity of Celia in Shakespeare's play 'As You Like It' (1599) when she goes into hiding in the forest of Arden, presumably a pun on the word alias. It was also used by author Ken Follett for a character in his historical novel 'The Pillars of the Earth' (1989).

Most likely a variant of Alise 1.

Means "joyful" in Hebrew.

Means "golden rose" in Mongolian, from алтан (altan) meaning "golden" and сарнай (sarnai) meaning "rose".

From an English surname that was derived from a place name meaning "town at the source of the river" in Old English.

Diminutive of Alicja, Alina, Aldona, Aleksandra or other names beginning with Al-.

Variant of Alice.

Variant of Amalaswinþa.

Modern Hebrew transcription of Amittai.

Derived from Old Norse anu "ancestor" and herr "army".

Portuguese feminine form of Andrew.

Feminine form of Andrea 1.

Dialectal variant of Andreva.

Feminine form of Andreas (Greek) or Andrey (Bulgarian).

Alternate transcription of Bulgarian Анелия (see Aneliya).

Dutch form of Angélique.

Italian form of Angelus (see Angel).

The etymology of this name is uncertain. It could be derived from Old Norse angi "sweet odour" and ey, a name element which might mean "island" (compare Eyja). Alternatively, it might be connected to Old Norse geyja "bark", or possibly means "those of the narrow island" or "the harasser". In Norse mythology this was the name of a giantess, one of the nine mothers of Heimdallr.

Contracted form of Annemarie influenced by Marei.

Diminutive of Annemarie.

Meaning unknown. It was possibly inspired by an American song by this name written by Vivian Grey in 1903 and recorded by musician Vess Ossman. The lyrics tell of a Native American woman named Anona from Arizona.

The surname of one of the musketeers in The Three Musketeers (1844) by Alexandre Dumas. Dumas based the character on the 17th-century Henri d'Aramitz, whose surname was derived from the French village of Aramits (itself from Basque aran meaning "valley").

Meaning unknown. This was the name of the god of the underworld, called Annwfn, in Welsh mythology.

Latinized form of the Greek Άρικία (Arikia), probably derived from Latin aro "to plough". Aricia was a niece of King Aegeus of Athens and became the wife of Virbius - the name by which Hippolytos went after he came back to life as a demigod. According to Roman tradition, she gave her name to a place holy to Diana (to whom Virbius was particularly devoted) which in time became a Roman town.

In the literary world, Aricia was one of the main characters in Jean Racine's tragedy Phèdre (1677).

Modern Greek form of Ares. It is also used as a short form of Aristotelis.

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

Latinized form of Areios. Arius (AD 250 or 256–336) was an ascetic Christian presbyter of Libyan birth, possibly of Berber extraction, and priest in Alexandria, Egypt, of the church of the Baucalis.

Derived from Old Norse ari or arn "eagle" combined with Old Norse brandr "sword."

Icelandic form of Arnmundr.

Feminine form of Arnþórr.

From the name of an island off the west coast of Scotland in the Firth of Clyde.

Latinized form of Artemios.

Variant of Artemas.

Old Welsh name of unknown meaning.

Possibly a variant of Arwyn, the name of the wacky engineer on Disney Channel's 'The Suite Life of Zack and Cody'

From the Welsh intensifying prefix ar- and gwyn meaning "white, blessed".

Perhaps derived from Semitic roots meaning "she who walks in the sea". This was the name of a Semitic mother goddess. She was worshipped by the Israelites before the advent of monotheism.

Faroese form of Áshildr.

Old Norse younger variant of Áshildr.

Old Norse form of Åshild.

Transferred use of the surname Ashland.

Feminine form of Ásketill.

Possibly a Polish Medieval form of Astrid.

Ancient Scandinavian form of Adalbrand.

Derived from the Germanic name elements *adal "noble" and *mar "famous".

Transferred use of the surname Atley.

Created by German author Michael Ende for the hero of his fantasy novel 'Die unendliche Geschichte' (1979; English: 'The Neverending Story'). The character is a boy warrior whose name is explained as meaning "son of all" in his fictional native language, given to him because he was raised by all of the members of his village after being orphaned as a newborn.

Means "fearless", derived from the Greek negative prefix ἀ (a) and τρέω (treo) meaning "to fear, to flee". In Greek mythology, Atreus was a king of Mycenae and the father of Agamemnon and Menelaus.

Anglicized variant of Atréju, which was created by German author Michael Ende for the hero of his fantasy novel 'Die unendliche Geschichte' (1979; English: 'The Neverending Story'). The character is a boy warrior whose name is explained as meaning "son of all" in his fictional native language, given to him because he was raised by all of the members of his village after being orphaned as a newborn.

Current usage is influenced by the name of a Californian metal-core band named after the hero in 'The neverending story'.

Means "storm" in Lithuanian.

Recorded in Lithuania in the 16th-century

Derived from Old Norse auðr "prosperity, fortune, riches" and vinr "friend".

Combination of Old Norse auðr meaning "prosperity, fortune" or "fate, destiny" and nýr "new".

Transferred use of the surname Autry.

Variant of Birgit.

Derived from Old Norse brattr "steep". This is the name of a jotunn in Norse mythology.

Variant of Welsh Branwen.

Variant of Brecken.

Variant of Branson.

Means "juniper" in Slovene.

Patronymic derived from Βρισεύς (Briseus), a Greek name of unknown meaning. In Greek mythology Briseis (real name Hippodameia) was the daughter of Briseus. She was captured during the Trojan War by Achilles. After Agamemnon took her away from him, Achilles refused to fight in the war.

Form of Brünhild, used by Richard Wagner in 'Der Ring des Nibelungen'.

Variant of Briar.

Transferred use of the surname Bryer.

Yiddish ברײַנא from German Bräune "brown(ness)".

Medieval Norwegian and Swedish variant of Brynhildr.

Old Norse cognate of Brunhild. In the Norse epic the Völsungasaga Brynhildr was rescued by the hero Sigurd in the guise of Gunnar. Brynhildr and Gunnar were married, but when Sigurd's wife Gudrun let slip that it was in fact Sigurd who had rescued her, Brynhildr plotted against him. She accused Sigurd of taking her virginity, spurring Gunnar to arrange Sigurd's murder.

Derived from the Old Norse elements brynja "armour" and herr "army, warrior".

Old Norse form of Brynjar.

Variant of Bryniulfr.

Elaborated form of Brynn (probably influenced by Brenna) as well as a variant of Bryna.

From Old Welsh Catigirn meaning "battle king", derived from cat "battle" and tigirn "king, monarch". This was the name of a 5th-century king of Powys in Wales, the son of Vortigern.

Meaning unknown, though the first element is likely connected to Brythonic kad meaning "battle". Saint Caedmon was a 7th-century Anglo-Saxon poet who supposedly received his poetic inspiration from a dream. Our only knowledge of him is through the 8th-century writings of the historian Bede.

Feminine form of Caelius.

Feminine form of Caelinus.

Roman family name that was derived from Latin caelum meaning "heaven".

The name of a faint constellation in the southern sky, which is from Latin caelum meaning "heaven, sky" (compare Caelius) or (allegedly) "burin" (a tool for engraving on copper or other metals).

Means "sky" or "the heavens" in Latin (related to the word caelum). Caelus is the Roman god of the sky, the equivalent of the Greek god Uranus.

The name of Aeneas's wet-nurse in the Aeneid.

It is also another spelling of Gaeta, a town in Italy.

(Compare Caietanus).

Scottish Gaelic form of Christina.

Irish byname meaning "curly haired", from Irish cas "twisted, curly".

Possibly a form of Caitríona.

Latinized form of Kalliope.

Goddess who enables the child to sing.

Variant of Candace, reflecting an older English pronunciation. It is mainly found in Guyana and the West Indies.

Derived from Irish caomh meaning "dear, beloved, gentle".

Combination of Cara and Caroline.

Late Latin name derived from cara meaning "dear, beloved". This was the name of a 4th-century saint and martyr. It is also the name of a constellation in the southern sky, though in this case it means "keel" in Latin, referring to a part of Jason's ship the Argo.

Transferred use of the surname Carrington.

Derived from Welsh caru "to love" and gwyn "white, blessed". This name was created in the 20th century [1].

Short form of Casper.

English form of the Polish name Kazimierz, derived from the Slavic element kaziti "to destroy" combined with mirŭ "peace, world". Four kings of Poland have borne this name, including Casimir III the Great, who greatly strengthened the Polish state in the 14th century. It was also borne Saint Casimir, a 15th-century Polish prince and a patron saint of Poland and Lithuania. The name was imported into Western Europe via Germany, where it was borne by some royalty.

Feminine form of Casimir.

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

Recently created name intended to mean "what will be, will be". It is from the title of the 1956 song Que Sera, Sera, which was taken from the Italian phrase che sarà sarà. The phrase que sera, sera is not grammatically correct in any Romance language.

Feminine form of Cassius.

From the Roman family name Cassianus, which was derived from Cassius. This was the name of several saints, including a 3rd-century martyr from Tangier who is the patron saint of stenographers and a 5th-century mystic who founded a monastery in Marseille.

The name of a family of daisy flowers.

Italian form of Cassius. This is the surname of Othello's lieutenant Michael Cassio in Shakespeare's tragedy Othello (1603).

Roman family name that was possibly derived from Latin cassus meaning "empty, vain". This name was borne by several early saints. In modern times, it was the original first name of boxer Muhammad Ali (1942-2016), who was named after his father Cassius Clay, who was himself named after the American abolitionist Cassius Clay (1810-1903).

Derived From the Italian word castello meaning "castle". It could also be a diminutive of Castellana.

Derived from Old Irish cath "battle" combined with a diminutive suffix. Saint Cathán was a 6th-century Irish monk, a missionary to the Isle of Bute.

English form of Cecilia. This was the usual English form during the Middle Ages.

Italian feminine and masculine form of Caelestis. It is also the Portuguese, Spanish and English feminine form.

Early Anglicization of Ciara 1. Saint Cera of Ireland was an abbess in the 7th century who died in 679.

Means "cherry" in French.

German and French feminine form of Christian.

Latinized form of Greek Κίρκη (Kirke), possibly from κίρκος (kirkos) meaning "hawk". In Greek mythology Circe was a sorceress who changed Odysseus's crew into hogs, as told in Homer's Odyssey. Odysseus forced her to change them back, then stayed with her for a year before continuing his voyage.

Variant of Citlalli.

French feminine form of Claudius.

Elaboration of Claudetta.

Italian and Spanish form of Claudius.

Transferred use of the surname Colvin. It may also be used as a variant of Calvin.

Anglicized form of the Old Irish name Conláed, possibly meaning "constant fire" from cunnail "prudent, constant" and áed "fire". Saint Conláed was a 5th-century bishop of Kildare.

Possibly a combination of Carolina and Coraline.

Variant of Corbin.

From Cordeilla, a name appearing in the 12th-century chronicles [1] of Geoffrey of Monmouth, borne by the youngest of the three daughters of King Leir and the only one to remain loyal to her father. Geoffrey possibly based her name on that of Creiddylad, a character from Welsh legend.

The spelling was later altered to Cordelia when Geoffrey's story was adapted by others, including Edmund Spenser in his poem The Faerie Queene (1590) and Shakespeare in his tragedy King Lear (1606).

French form of Quirinus.

Dutch form of Cornelius.

English form of Crispinianus. This name was borne by a Roman saint from the 3rd century AD.

Meaning unknown, possibly from Phrygian roots meaning either "stone" or "hair". This was the name of the Phrygian mother goddess associated with fertility and nature. She was later worshipped by the Greeks and Romans.

Latin form of Greek Κῦρος (Kyros), from the Old Persian name 𐎤𐎢𐎽𐎢𐏁 (Kuruš), possibly meaning "young" or "humiliator (of the enemy)" [1]. Alternatively it could be of Elamite origin. The name has sometimes been associated with Greek κύριος (kyrios) meaning "lord".

The most notable bearer of the name was Cyrus the Great, the founder of the Achaemenid Persian Empire in the 6th century BC. He is famous in the Old Testament for freeing the captive Jews and allowing them to return to Israel after his conquest of Babylon. As an English name, it first came into use among the Puritans after the Protestant Reformation.

Icelandic combination of dagr "day" and geirr "spear".

Old Norse and Icelandic form of Dagny.

French feminine form of Daniel. It has been commonly used in the English-speaking world only since the 20th century.

Anglicized form of Dáire.

Means "person from Darley", Derbyshire ("glade frequented by deer").

Invented name based on Darling.

Variant of Darwin.

Means "story, legend" in Persian. This is another name for Zal, a character in the Shahnameh epic.

Altered form of Dolores.

From an English surname that was from a place name meaning "Dane ford" in Old English. This is the name of the capital city of Colorado, which was named for the politician James W. Denver (1817-1892).

Short form of names that end in detta.

From a surname (of unknown meaning) that was used in the movie The Crow (1994).

Norman name, possibly derived from Gothic dragan meaning "to carry, to pull" or Old Saxon drog meaning "ghost, illusion". Alternatively, it could be related to the Slavic element dorgŭ meaning "precious, dear". The Normans introduced this name to England.

From Latin dulcis meaning "sweet". It was used in the Middle Ages in the spellings Dowse and Duce, and was recoined in the 19th century.

Derived from Spanish dulce meaning "sweet". This name was (first?) used by Miguel de Cervantes in his novel Don Quixote (1605), where it belongs to the love interest of the main character, though she never actually appears in the story.

From an English surname that meant "son of Dye". As a given name it is likely inspired by similar-sounding names such as Bryson and Tyson.

Short form of Ebenezer.

From the Greek word ἠχώ (echo) meaning "echo, reflected sound", related to ἠχή (eche) meaning "sound". In Greek mythology Echo was a nymph given a speech impediment by Hera, so that she could only repeat what others said. She fell in love with Narcissus, but her love was not returned, and she pined away until nothing remained of her except her voice.

From the Old English elements ead "wealth, fortune" and ric "ruler, king". After the Norman Conquest this Old English name was not commonly used. It has occasionally been revived in modern times.

From the English word for the flower also known as sweetbrier. It is derived via Old French from Vulgar Latin *aquilentum meaning "prickly". It was early used as a given name (in the form Eglentyne) in Geoffrey Chaucer's 14th-century story The Prioress's Tale (one of The Canterbury Tales).

Possibly from the Finnish happy exclamation eijaa.

Diminutive of Eilionoir, also taken to be a Gaelic form of Helen.

Old Norse form of Einar.

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

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

Form of Helen used in various languages, as well as an alternate transcription of Russian Елена (see Yelena).

Created by JRR Tolkien for his The Lord Of The Rings trilogy. This is the name, meaning Elfstone, given to Aragorn in Lórien by Galadriel and later adopted by him as King of Gondor.

Contracted form of Elisabetta. It was used for one of the main characters in Cimarosa's opera Il matrimonio segreto (The Secret Marriage) which debuted in 1792.

Diminutive of Elise.

Modern Hebrew variant form of Elijah.

Also may be after the flower, Ellisia or a feminization of Ellis.

Combination of Elsa and the common suffix -bel.

Variant of Amelia.

Italian and Upper German variant of Emerentia.

Shorter form of Emerentia.

According to "'Ancient Magnificence': St Andrews in the Middle Ages", this name belonged to one of the three consecrated virgins, along with Saint Triduana, who accompanied Saint Regulus to Scotland with the bones of Saint Andrew.

Dutch form of Aemilius (see Emil).

Feminine form of Aemilius (see Emily). In Shakespeare's tragedy Othello (1603) this is the name of the wife of Iago.

Feminine form of Emiliano.

From the name of an ancient region of southwestern Wales, its name meaning "around the valley" from Welsh am "around" and glyn "valley". It has also been suggested that this name is a Welsh form of Latin Aemilianus (see Emiliano), though this appears to be unfounded.

Originally a short form of Germanic names that began with the element irmin meaning "whole" or "great" (Proto-Germanic *ermunaz). It was introduced to England by Emma of Normandy, who was the wife both of King Ethelred II (and by him the mother of Edward the Confessor) and later of King Canute. It was also borne by an 11th-century Austrian saint, who is sometimes called Hemma.

After the Norman Conquest this name became common in England. It was revived in the 18th century, perhaps in part due to Matthew Prior's 1709 poem Henry and Emma [2]. It was also used by Jane Austen for the central character, the matchmaker Emma Woodhouse, in her novel Emma (1816).

In the United States, it was third in rank in 1880 (behind only the ubiquitous Mary and Anna). It declined steadily over the next century, beginning another rise in the 1980s and eventually becoming the most popular name for girls in 2008. At this time it also experienced similar levels of popularity elsewhere, including the United Kingdom (where it began rising a decade earlier), Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Scandinavia and the Netherlands. Famous bearers include the actresses Emma Thompson (1959-), Emma Stone (1988-) and Emma Watson (1990-).

Welsh form of Ambrose. Emrys Wledig (or Ambrosius Aurelianus) was a Romano-British military leader who fought against the invading Anglo-Saxons in the 5th century. Tales of his life were used by the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth to help shape the early character of Merlin, whom he called Merlinus Ambrosius in Latin.

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.

Sami form of Erik.

Means "our wind" or "wind from the Ionian Sea" in Albanian, from the elements erë, era meaning "wind" and jonë meaning "our" or Jon (Ionian Sea).

Feminine form of Erion.

Variant of Ismene.

Variant of Isméria.

Bosnian elaboration of Esma.

Derived from Arabic أَسْمَر (ʾasmar) meaning "dark-skinned, brown, brunette".

Diminutive of Estelle or Esther.

Variant of Evelith.

Combination of Eva and Lora.

Variant of Everilda.

Latinized form of Eoforhild. This was the name of a 7th-century English saint.

Latinate form of Old English Eoforhild (compare Everild).

From an English surname that was from a place name, itself derived from Old English eofor "boar" and leah "woodland, clearing". Notable bearers of the surname were the musical duo the Everly Brothers, Don (1937-2021) and Phil (1939-2014).

This name began rising on the American popularity charts in 2008, slowly until 2012 and then rapidly after that. This might have been triggered by the folk band Everly (not associated with the Everly Brothers), which had music featured on the television series One Tree Hill in that period. It also might have simply been inspired by similar-sounding names like Everett, Evelyn and Beverly.

Means "cosmos, the universe" in Turkish. In Turkic mythology the Evren is a gigantic snake-like dragon.

Derived from the Old Norse elements ey "good fortune" or "island" and dís "goddess".

Meaning unknown, possibly derived from Phaenna.

Ancient Scandinavian form of Farulf.

From the Old Norse elements fastr "firm, solid" and ulfr "wolf".

Feminine form of Feie.

From the English word felicity meaning "happiness", which ultimately derives from Latin felicitas "good luck". This was one of the virtue names adopted by the Puritans around the 17th century. It can sometimes be used as an English form of the Latin name Felicitas. This name jumped in popularity in the United States after the premiere of the television series Felicity in 1998. It is more common in the United Kingdom.

Diminutive of Femme.

From a surname that was originally taken from a place name meaning "marsh town" in Old English.

Variant of the Scottish name Fia.

It is given a different pronunciation in order to differentiate it from the sound of the word "fear" as said in an Australian accent, and also because Fia is sometimes interpreted as "dark fairy" - hence "fey".

It can therefore also be seen as a a variant of Fay.

Originally a short form of names containing the Old German element fridu meaning "peace" (Proto-Germanic *friþuz). A famous bearer was the Mexican painter Frida Kahlo (1907-1954).

Old Norse form of Frida 2.

Latinized form of Greek Γαλάτεια (Galateia), probably derived from γάλα (gala) meaning "milk". This was the name of several characters in Greek mythology including a sea nymph who was the daughter of Doris and Nereus and the lover of Acis. According to some sources, this was also the name of the ivory statue carved by Pygmalion that came to life.

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.

Diminutive of Gertrude.

From the Hebrew name גִּדְעוֹן (Giḏʿon) meaning "feller, hewer", derived from גָּדַע (gaḏaʿ) meaning "to cut, to hew" [1]. Gideon is a hero and judge of the Old Testament. He led the vastly outnumbered Israelites against the Midianites, defeated them, and killed their two kings. In the English-speaking world, Gideon has been used as a given name since the Protestant Reformation, and it was popular among the Puritans.

Variant of Gytha.

Variant of Gofannon.

From an English and Scottish surname that was derived from Norman French grand meaning "great, large". A famous bearer of the surname was Ulysses Grant (1822-1885), the commander of the Union forces during the American Civil War who later served as president. In America the name has often been given in his honour.

Ancient Scandinavian form of Grimulf.

Derived from Old Norse gunnr "battle, fight" and ulfr "wolf."

Variant of Gwenna. According to the Social Security Administration, Gwena was given to 11 girls in 1964.

Younger Cornish form of Wenna and Breton variant of Gwenn.

A Cornish form of Guinevere.

Danish and Norwegian form of Gyða (see Gytha).

Old Norse and Icelandic form of Gytha.

From Old Norse hefnir meaning "avenger, heir, son".

Anglicized form of a Sheumais, the vocative case of Seumas.

Transferred use of the surname Hawthorn.

Transferred use of the surname Hawthorne.

From a Greek title of the goddess Artemis meaning "of marshes" (which may reflect her role as a goddess of streams and marshes). It is derived from Greek ἕλειος (heleios), from ἕλος (helos) "marsh-meadow". This is also the genus name of a type of bird.

Old Swedish variant of Hester.

Icelandic form of Hjördis.

Variant of Ilona.

Old Hungarian form of Helen, possibly via a Slavic form. In Finland it is associated with the word ilona, a derivative of ilo "joy".

From the name of the island off Scotland where Saint Columba founded a monastery. The name of the island is Old Norse in origin, and apparently derives simply from ey meaning "island".

Combination of Isa and Mae.

Arabic, Indonesian and Malay form of Alexander.

Derived from Old Norse íss "ice" and leifr "heir, descendant".

Of obscure origin and meaning.

Scandinavian form of Ivor.

Norwegian variant of Ivar.

Used by the author C. S. Lewis as the proper name of the White Witch, the antagonist in his novel The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950). He may have based it on French jadis meaning "long ago, of old" or Persian جادو (jādū) meaning "magic, witch".

From Ἰάϊρος (Iairos), the Greek form of Jair used in the New Testament, where it belongs to the father of a young girl brought back to life by Jesus.

Short form of (now extinct) names whose first element was derived from Proto-Germanic *gailan meaning "jovial".

Also compare its masculine counterparts Gale (West Frisian) and Gale 2 (English).

19th-century elaboration of Jale.

Feminine form of James.

Variant of Jensen.

Invented name, probably inspired by names such as Jared and Gareth. This is the name of the Goblin King, played by David Bowie, in the movie Labyrinth (1986).

Means "Greece" in Hebrew, probably related to Greek Ἴωνες (Iones), the name for the tribe of the Ionians. In the Old Testament this is the name of a grandson of Noah and the ancestor of the Greek peoples.

Variant of Jane.

Variant of Gemma.

Feminine form of the Frisian masculine name Jesse.

Transferred use of the surname Jetson.

Probably intended as a variant of Jane, this name is borne by Jeyne Westerling, a character in George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire.

From Jordânia, the Portuguese form of the Middle East country Jordan, used as a feminine name.

From the Hebrew name יוֹסִפְיָה (Yosiphyah) meaning "may Yahweh add", which makes this name closely related to Yosef (see Joseph).

Short form of Jocelyn.

Variant of Journey.

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

Elaboration of Justina.

Estonian form of Katherine.

Diminutive of Katariina.

Means "viburnum tree" in Bulgarian, Macedonian and Polish.

Feminine form of Kallixenos.

Means "basilica flower" in Pashto.

Finnish form of Kasper.

Variant of Cateline.

From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Caolaidhe, itself derived from the given name Caoladhe, from Irish caol "slender".

Anglicized form of Caoimhe.

Feminine form of Kenneth.

Variant of Kessler.

From the name of the bird of prey, ultimately derived from Old French crecelle "rattle", which refers to the sound of its cry.

Means "from the marsh". In Norse mythology this is the name of a king of Valland.

Anglicized form of Cillian, also used in France.

From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "king's wood" in Old English. This name may have received a minor boost in popularity after the release of the 2007 movie Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, featuring the character Kingsley Shacklebolt.

Means "skin of a tree or fruit" in Maori. This name has been brought to public attention by New Zealand opera singer Kiri Te Kanawa (1944-).

From a Scots surname that was derived from various places named Knock, from Gaelic cnoc "round hill". It jumped in popularity after the actors Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt had a baby by this name in 2008.

Croatian, Polish and Serbian form of Coriolanus.

Probably a blend of the sounds of Kyle and Tyler. It also coincides with the surname Kyler, an Anglicized form of Dutch Cuyler.

Modern Greek form of Cybele.

Scandinavian and Finnish form of Láilá.

From the English word for the type of songbird.

Medieval diminutive of Laurence 1.

From Sanskrit लावण्य (lāvaṇya) meaning "beauty, loveliness, charm".

Latinized form of the Greek name Λέανδρος (Leandros), derived from λέων (leon) meaning "lion" and ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man" (genitive ἀνδρός). In Greek legend Leander was the lover of Hero. Every night he swam across the Hellespont to meet her, but on one occasion he was drowned when a storm arose. When Hero saw his dead body she threw herself into the waters and perished.

Finnish and Estonian short form of Helena or Matleena.

Variant of Layton. It jumped in popularity as a feminine name after 2007, when actress Leighton Meester (1986-) began appearing on the television series Gossip Girl.

French form of Laelia.

From an Irish surname, derived from the Irish byname Leannán meaning "lover". The surname was borne by musician and Beatle member John Lennon (1940-1980), and it may be used as a given name in his honour. In America it is now more common as a feminine name, possibly inspired in part by the singer Lennon Stella (1999-), who began appearing on the television series Nashville in 2012 [1].

From a Scottish surname that was derived from the name of a district in Scotland. The district, called Leamhnachd in Gaelic, possibly means "place of elms". This name steadily rose in popularity in the 2000s, at the same time as the similar-sounding (but unrelated) names Lennon and Knox.

Derived from the Old German elements liut "people" and bald "bold, brave". The spelling was altered due to association with Latin leo "lion". This name was common among German royalty, first with the Babenbergs and then the Habsburgs. Saint Leopold was a 12th-century Babenberg margrave of Austria, who is now considered the patron of that country. It was also borne by two Habsburg Holy Roman emperors, as well as three kings of Belgium. Since the 19th century this name has been occasionally used in England, originally in honour of Queen Victoria's uncle, a king of Belgium, after whom she named one of her sons. It was later used by James Joyce for the main character, Leopold Bloom, in his novel Ulysses (1922).

Derived from Akkadian lilitu meaning "of the night". This was the name of a demon in ancient Assyrian myths. In Jewish tradition she was Adam's first wife, sent out of Eden and replaced by Eve because she would not submit to him. The offspring of Adam (or Samael) and Lilith were the evil spirits of the world.

Icelandic, Faroese and Finnish cognate of Lily.

Transferred use of the surname Locke.

Feminine form of Lucius. Saint Lucia was a 4th-century martyr from Syracuse. She was said to have had her eyes gouged out, and thus she is the patron saint of the blind. She was widely revered in the Middle Ages, and her name has been used throughout Christian Europe (in various spellings). It has been used in the England since the 12th century, usually in the spellings Lucy or Luce.

Feminine form of Lucinio.

Derived from Latin luscinia "nightingale". This was an epithet of the Roman goddess Minerva. As an English name, it has been used sparingly since the 19th century.

Old Upper German variant of Lucia.

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.

Derived from Dutch madeliefje meaning "daisy".

A famous bearer was Madragana Ben Aloandro a mistress of king Afonso III of Portugal.

Variant of Magdalene.

Diminutive of Margaret.

Malon is a recurring character in the Legend of Zelda video game series.

Estonian form of Margaret.

In the case of English-born American actress Margalo Gillmore (1897-1986), it appears to be a combination of Margaret and Lorraine, her given names (compare Marga, Lo). The author E. B. White used this name in his children's novel 'Stuart Little' (1945).

French diminutive of Marie.

Norwegian and Swedish form of Margaret.

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).

Short form of Maximilian or Maxim. In English it can also be short for Maxwell, and it coincides with the informal word max, short for maximum.

Famous bearers include the German intellectual Max Weber (1864-1920) and the German physicist Max Planck (1858-1947). This name is also borne by the title character in the Mad Max series of movies, starting 1979.

Roman family name that was derived from Latin maximus "greatest". Saint Maximus was a monk and theologian from Constantinople in the 7th century.

From a Scottish surname meaning "Mack's stream", from the name Mack, a short form of the Scandinavian name Magnus, combined with Old English wille "well, stream". A famous bearer of the surname was James Maxwell (1831-1879), a Scottish physicist who studied gases and electromagnetism.

As a given name it has increased in popularity starting from the 1980s, likely because it is viewed as a full form of Max [1].

Feminine form of Meirion.

French form of Melina.

Older form of Meliora, thought to come from Latin melior "better". Melior occurs as both family name and given name in Christian inscriptions of the Roman Empire. A Saint Meliorius gave his name to a church in Cornwall, which may account for the tradition that Meliora is an exclusively Cornish name. In fact it was generally used by the Puritans in the 16th and 17th centuries, often as Melyor, Mellear, etc. By the 19th century it had acquired its final -a and was regarded, according to Mrs Craik's remark in her bestselling novel 'Olive', as "eccentric". But wherever Meliora went, Mrs Craik tells us, 'she always brought "better things" - at least in anticipation.' The name is now rare.

Derived from Latin melior meaning "better".

Modern form of Merewyn.

Contracted form of Micaiah. Micah is one of the twelve minor prophets of the Old Testament. He authored the Book of Micah, which alternates between prophesies of doom and prophesies of restoration. This is also the name of a separate person in the Book of Judges, the keeper of an idol. It was occasionally used as an English given name by the Puritans after the Protestant Reformation, but it did not become common until the end of the 20th century.

Means "who is like Yahweh?" in Hebrew, derived from the interrogative pronoun מִי (mi) combined with ךְּ (ke) meaning "like" and יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. This name occurs in the Old Testament in a variety of Hebrew spellings, belonging to both males and females. It is the full name of Micah, both the prophet and the man from the Book of Judges. As a feminine name it belongs to the mother of King Abijah (at 2 Chronicles 13:2), though her name is listed as Maacah in other passages.

Means "glowing like a moon" in Armenian.

Feminine form of Naevius.

From Aymara nayra meaning "eye" or "early".

Naria was a Gallo-Roman goddess worshiped in western Switzerland. While her functions have been lost to time, it can be deduced from the sole image of her that she may have been a goddess of good luck and blessings, as her image was done in the generic style of Fortuna, the Roman goddess of luck. The origin and meaning of her name are unknown.

Derived from Georgian ნათელი (nateli) meaning "light, bright".

Hindi colloquial form of the Sanskrit word nayanam "eyes".

Derived from South Slavic neven meaning "marigold".

Italian feminine form of Nevio, also occasionally used in English and, Croatian and Slovene.

Variant spelling of Nyx.

This is the name of masculine shapeshifting water spirits in Germanic mythology, who apparently derive their name from Proto-Germanic nikwus or nikwis(i) "wash". See also Nixe for the female counterpart(s).

From Latin noctilūca meaning "something that shines by night" - thus also "moon" and "lantern" - from nox "night" and luceo "to shine". It may be an epithet of the Roman goddess Juno. It also occurs in John of Salisbury's 12th-century treatise the Policraticus as an alternative name for the goddess Herodias.

From an Irish surname, the Anglicized form of Ó Nualláin, itself derived from the given name Nuallán. The baseball player Nolan Ryan (1947-) is a famous bearer. This name has climbed steadily in popularity since the 1970s.

Feminine form of Novenio.

Anglicized form of Ngaire. It was borne by New Zealand actress Nyree Dawn Porter (1936-2001).

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

Strictly feminine variant of Oakley.

From an English surname that was from various place names meaning "oak clearing" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was the American sharpshooter Annie Oakley (1860-1926).

Feminine form of Octavius. Octavia was the wife of Mark Antony and the sister of the Roman emperor Augustus. In 19th-century England it was sometimes given to the eighth-born child.

Means "little deer", derived from Old Irish oss "deer, stag" combined with a diminutive suffix. In Irish legend Oisín was a warrior hero and a poet, the son of Fionn mac Cumhaill and the narrator in many of his tales.

Derived from Greek ὠφέλεια (opheleia) meaning "help, advantage". This was a rare ancient Greek name, which was either rediscovered or recreated by the poet Jacopo Sannazaro for a character in his poem Arcadia (1480). It was borrowed by Shakespeare for his play Hamlet (1600), in which it belongs to the daughter of Polonius and the potential love interest of Hamlet. She eventually goes insane and drowns herself after Hamlet kills her father. In spite of this negative association, the name has been in use since the 19th century.

Diminutive of Oria.

"My light is God."

Anglicized form of Oisín.

Means "flower" in Sotho.

From the Greek name Φίλιππος (Philippos) meaning "friend of horses", composed of the elements φίλος (philos) meaning "friend, lover" and ἵππος (hippos) meaning "horse". This was the name of five kings of Macedon, including Philip II the father of Alexander the Great. The name appears in the New Testament belonging to two people who are regarded as saints. First, one of the twelve apostles, and second, an early figure in the Christian church known as Philip the Deacon.

This name was initially more common among Eastern Christians, though it came to the West by the Middle Ages. It was borne by six kings of France and five kings of Spain. It was regularly used in England during the Middle Ages, although the Spanish king Philip II, who attempted an invasion of England, helped make it less common by the 17th century. It was revived in the English-speaking world in the 19th century. Famous bearers include the Elizabethan courtier and poet Philip Sidney (1554-1586) and the American science fiction novelist Philip K. Dick (1928-1982).

Latinate feminine form of Philip. As an English name, it is chiefly British.

French form of Philip.

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

French form of the Roman name Quintinus. It was borne by a 3rd-century saint, a missionary who was martyred in Gaul. The Normans introduced this name to England. In America it was brought to public attention by president Theodore Roosevelt's son Quentin Roosevelt (1897-1918), who was killed in World War I. A famous bearer is the American movie director Quentin Tarantino (1963-).

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-).

From an Irish surname which was a variant of Quinlan.

Variant and Dutch form of Quentin.

Variant of Quentin, also coinciding with an English surname meaning "queen's town" in Old English.

Variant of Reagan or Regan.

Diminutive of Rayna 1 or Raisa 1.

From Old Irish Riacán, probably derived from rí "king" combined with a diminutive suffix.

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

Means "dew" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin Mary María del Rocío meaning "Mary of the Dew".

Possibly a variant of Romana.

Variant of Rosabel.

Variant of Rosabel.

Italian name meaning "white rose", derived from Latin rosa "rose" and alba "white". A famous bearer was the Venetian painter Rosalba Carriera (1675-1757).

Variant of Rosalia, or simply a combination of Rosa 1 and Leah.

Probably an elaboration of Rose. This is the name of a princess in the fairy tale 'Ricdin-Ricdon' by Marie-Jeanne L'Héritier. It was also used by the Comte de Caylus for the titular princess in his fairy tale 'Rosanie' (usually known in English as 'Rosanella').

Southern German diminutive of Rose and names containing Rose like Rosemarie or Annerose.

Variant of Roseline.

Contraction of Rose and Eleonore via the short form Lore 1.

Derived from the place name Roslin belonging to a village in Scotland.

Old German form of Rosalind.

Variant of Rosalyn.

Derived from the Old German elements hruod "fame" and swind "strong". This was the name of a 10th-century nun from Saxony who wrote several notable poems and dramas.

Variant of Rowena.

Variant of Roxana. It may have been modified on Maxina/Rexina.

Old Norse, Icelandic and Faroese feminine form of Rune.

Old Norse and Faroese form of Rune.

Possibly a variant of the German surname Riker, a derivative of Low German rike "rich". As a modern English name, it has become popular because it shares the same trendy sounds found in other names such as Ryan and Ryder.

French, German, Dutch and Danish form of Sabina.

Possibly derived from the name of the city of Samarra (in Iraq) or Samara (in Russia). The former appears in the title of the novel Appointment in Samarra (1934) by John O'Hara, which refers to an ancient Babylonian legend about a man trying to evade death. Alternatively, this name could be derived from the word for the winged seeds that grow on trees such as maples and elms.

The name received a boost in popularity after it was borne by the antagonist in the horror movie The Ring (2002).

Feminine form of Samir 1.

From the Hebrew name שִׁםְשׁוֹן (Shimshon), derived from שֶׁמֶשׁ (shemesh) meaning "sun". Samson was an Old Testament hero granted exceptional strength by God. His mistress Delilah betrayed him and cut his hair, stripping him of his power. Thus he was captured by the Philistines, blinded, and brought to their temple. However, in a final act of strength, he pulled down the pillars of the temple upon himself and his captors.

This name was known among the Normans due to the Welsh bishop Saint Samson, who founded monasteries in Brittany and Normandy in the 6th century. In his case, the name may have been a translation of his true Celtic name. As an English name, Samson was common during the Middle Ages, having been introduced by the Normans. It is currently most common in Africa, especially in countries that have an British colonial past.

Derived from Finnish seijas meaning "tranquil, serene".