ENA Dictionary of First NamesOxford University PressOxford University Press

A Dictionary of First Names

© Oxford University Press 2000, 2003
Published by Oxford University Press, Great Clarendon Street, Oxford OX2 6DP
Oxford is a registered trade mark of Oxford University Press
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of Oxford University Press, or as expressly permitted by law, or under terms agreed with the appropriate reprographics rights organisation. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside the scope of the above should be sent to the Rights Department Oxford University Press.

Look up a name

A

Aaltje f

Low German, Dutch, and Frisian: pet form derived from Aalt, a contracted form of ADELHEID.

Back  -   New Search

Aaltruide f

Dutch form of ADELTRAUD.

Back  -   New Search

Aaron m

Biblical: name of the brother of Moses, who was appointed by God to be Moses' spokesman, and became the first high priest of the Israelites (Exodus 4: 14–16;7: 1–2). It is of uncertain origin and meaning but most probably, like MOSES, of Egyptian rather than Hebrew origin. The traditional derivation from Hebrew har-on ‘mountain of strength’ is no more than a folk etymology. The name has been used fairly infrequently by Christians, rather more commonly by Jews.
Variants: Jewish: Aharon (Hebrew); Arn (Yiddish).
Pet form: Yiddish: Arke.

Back  -   New Search

Aatami m

Finnish form of ADAM.

Back  -   New Search

Abbie f

1 English: pet form of ABIGAIL, now used as an independent given name.

2 Irish: Anglicized form of GOBNAIT.
Variant: Abbey.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Abbondio m

Italian: from Late Latin Abundius, a derivative of abundans abundant, copious (genitive abundantis). The name was borne by a 5th-century bishop of Como, who is the subject of a local cult. The name is still most common in the Como region.

Back  -   New Search

Abe m

1 Jewish (two syllables): Yiddish name, from Aramaic abba father, which was used as a personal name in Talmudic times instead of ABRAHAM.

2 Jewish and English (one syllable): short form of ABRAHAM.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Abel m

Biblical: name of the younger son of Adam and Eve, who was murdered out of jealousy by his brother Cain (Genesis 4: 1–8). The Hebrew form is Hevel, ostensibly representing the vocabulary word hevel breath, vapour, and so taken to imply vanity or worthlessness. Abel is considered by the Christian Church to have been a pre-Christian martyr (cf. Matthew 23: 35), and is invoked as a saint in the litany for the dying. Nevertheless, his name has not been much used either before or after its brief vogue among the Puritans.

Back  -   New Search

Abelone f

Danish form of APOLLONIA.

Back  -   New Search

Abigail f

Biblical: name (meaning ‘father of exaltation’ in Hebrew) borne by one of King David's wives, who had earlier been married to Nabal (I Samuel 25: 3), and by the mother of Absalom's captain Amasa (2 Samuel 1: 25). The name was popular in the 17th century under Puritan influence. It was a common name in literature for a lady's maid, for example in Beaumont and Fletcher's play The Scornful Lady (1616), partly no doubt because the biblical Abigail refers to herself as ‘thy servant’. In Ireland this name has traditionally been used as an Anglicized form of GOBNAIT, although the reasons for this are not clear.
Pet forms: English, Irish: Abbie, Abbey.

Back  -   New Search

Abilene f

English (U.S.): a comparatively rare name. In the New Testament, Abilene is a region of the Holy Land (Luke 3: 1), whose name is of uncertain origin, but may be derived from a Hebrew element meaning ‘grass’. Several places in America have been named from this reference, notably a city in Kansas, which was the boyhood home of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Its adoption as a female given name was probably encouraged partly by its resemblance to ABBIE and partly by the productive suffix of female names -lene (cf. e.g. CHARLENE).

Back  -   New Search

Abishag f

Biblical: name (possibly meaning ‘wise, educated’ in Hebrew) borne by a beautiful Shunammite virgin who was brought to the dying King David in a vain attempt to restore him to health and vigour. She was later used by David's son and successor Solomon as a reason for executing his half-brother and rival Adonijah (I Kings 1–2): Adonijah had wanted to marry Abishag.
Variant: Jewish: Avishag.

Back  -   New Search

Abner m

Biblical: name (meaning ‘father of light’ in Hebrew) of a relative of King Saul, who was in command of Saul's army (I Samuel 14: 50; 26: 5). It is not common as a given name in England, but has enjoyed a steady, modest popularity in America, where it was brought in at the time of the earliest Puritan settlements.
Variant: Jewish: Avner.

Back  -   New Search

Abraham m

Biblical: name of the first of the Jewish patriarchs, who entered into a covenant with God that his descendants should possess the land of Canaan. The Hebrew form is Avraham, of uncertain derivation. In Genesis 17: 5 it is explained as ‘father of a multitude (of nations)’ (Hebrew av hamon (goyim)). It has always been a popular given name among Jews, and was also chosen by Christians, especially among 17th-century Puritans and other fundamentalists. Various early saints of the Eastern Roman Empire also bore this name. Its currency in the United States was greatly enhanced by the fame of President Abraham Lincoln (1809–65).
Variants: Jewish: Avraham (Hebrew); Avrom (Yiddish).
Short form: English: Abe.

Back  -   New Search

Abram m

Biblical: variant of ABRAHAM. It was probably originally a distinct name (meaning ‘high father’ in Hebrew). According to Genesis 17: 5, the patriarch's name was changed by divine command from Abram to Abraham. From the Middle Ages, however, if not before, it was taken to be a contracted version.

Back  -   New Search

Absalom m

Biblical: name (probably meaning ‘father of peace’ in Hebrew) of the third son of King David, who rebelled against him and was eventually killed when he was caught by the hair in an oak tree as he fled, to the great grief of his father (2 Samuel 15–18). The name has never been particularly common in the English-speaking world, but the Scandinavian form AXEL is familiar in the United States.

Back  -   New Search

Achilles m

From Greek mythology. Achilles, son of the sea nymph Thetis and the mortal Peleus, was the leading warrior of the Greek army attacking Troy. In the Iliad, Homer relates how he withdrew from the siege as a result of a slight to his honour, until his lover Patroclus was killed wearing his armour, whereupon he rejoined the fray in order to avenge him. The Greek form of his name is Akhilleus, and is of unknown, possibly pre-Greek, origin; it may be connected with that of the River Akheloös. The name has been used only rarely in the English-speaking world, usually as a result of recent Continental influence. Although there were various minor early saints so named, it has normally been chosen by parents who wished to take advantage of the licence given by the Catholic Church to select names borne by classical heroes as well as those of saints.
Derivatives: French: Achille. Italian: Achilleo. Spanish: Aquiles.

Back  -   New Search

Achim m

A German short form of JOACHIM.

Back  -   New Search

Acke m

Swedish: pet form of AXEL.

Back  -   New Search

Ada f

English: of uncertain origin, apparently not generally bestowed before the late 18th century. In part, this is a pet form of ADELE and ADELAIDE, and so it may go back to a Germanic female personal name, a short form of various compound names with the first element adal noble. Ada was the name of a 7th-century abbess of Saint-Julien-des-Prés at Le Mans. Alternatively, it may represent a variant of ADAH.

Back  -   New Search

Adah f

Biblical: Authorized Version spelling of the name (meaning ‘adornment’ in Hebrew) borne by the wives of Lamech (Genesis 4: 19) and of Esau (Genesis 36: 2). See also ADA.

Back  -   New Search

Adalgisa f

Italian: of Germanic origin, composed of the elements adal noble + gisil pledge or hostage. It died out in the Middle Ages, but has undergone a minor revival since the 19th century as a result of the popularity of Bellini's opera Norma (1831), in which it is borne, inappropriately enough, by a Celtic priestess.

Back  -   New Search

Adam m

Biblical: name of the first man (Genesis 2–3). It probably derives from Hebrew adama earth; it is a common feature of creation legends that the god responsible fashioned the first human beings from earth or clay and breathed life into them. The name was subsequently borne by a 7th-century Irish abbot of Fermo in Italy. It has enjoyed something of a resurgence in the English-speaking world since the 1960s. In Hebrew it is a generic term for ‘man’ (Genesis 5: 2) and has never been considered a personal name, although Hava ‘Eve’ has enjoyed popularity among Jews.
Derivatives: Irish Gaelic: Ádhamh. Scottish Gaelic: Àdhamh. Italian: Adamo. Spanish: Adán. Portuguese: Adão. Finnish: Aatami.
Pet form: Scottish: ADIF.

Back  -   New Search

Adda f

German: pet form of ADELHEID.

Back  -   New Search

Addolorata f

Italian equivalent of DOLORES, from Italian Madonna Addolorata ‘Our Lady of Sorrows’.

Back  -   New Search

Adela f

English: Latinate form of ADELE, especially popular in the late 19th century

Back  -   New Search

Adelaide f

English (from French Adélaïde): of Germanic origin, composed of the elements adal noble + heid kind, sort. It was borne in the 10th century by the wife of the Holy Roman Emperor Otto the Great. She became regent after his death and was revered as a saint. The given name increased in popularity in England during the 19th century, when it was borne by the wife of King William IV; she was the daughter of the ruler of the German duchy of Saxe-Meiningen. The Australian city of Adelaide was named in her honour.
Pet form: Addie (esp. Irish).

Back  -   New Search

Adele f

English (from French Adèle): of Germanic origin, representing a short form of various compound names with the first element adal noble. It was popular among the Normans as a result of the fame of a 7th-century saint, a daughter of the Frankish king Dagobert II. It was also the name of William the Conqueror's youngest daughter (c.1062–1137), who became the wife of Stephen of Blois and was likewise revered as a saint. It was revived in England in the late 19th century, being the name of a character in Johann Strauss's opera Die Fledermaus. Its popularity was further reinforced in the 1930s as the name of a character in the novels of Dornford Yates.

Back  -   New Search

Adelheid f

German, Dutch, and Scandinavian form of ADELAIDE.
Pet forms: German: Adda, Heidi. Frisian, Dutch: ELKF

Back  -   New Search

Adeline f

French: diminutive of Adèle (see ADELE). The Latinate form Adelina is also found. Both enjoyed a brief vogue in the 19th century.

Back  -   New Search

Adeltraud f

German: cognate of ETHELDREDA and AUDREY. It enjoyed some popularity in the 19th century, but has now fallen back into disuse.
Variants: Adeltrud, Edeltr(a)ud.
Cognate: Dutch: Aaltruide.

Back  -   New Search

Adie m

Scottish: pet form of ADAM or, less commonly, of AIDAN. Adaidh is a Gaelic spelling of Adie, hence the surname Mac Adaidh, Anglicized as McCadie.

Back  -   New Search

Adina f, m

Mainly Jewish: in the Bible a male name, derived from Hebrew adin slender. It is borne by a soldier in the army of King David, ‘Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite, a captain of the Reubenites, and thirty with him’ (1 Chronicles 11: 42). In modern times it was revived as a male name among Zionists, but is now more commonly a female name, no doubt because of the characteristically feminine -a ending.

Back  -   New Search

Adlai m

Biblical: name of a very minor character, the father of one of King David's herdsmen (1 Chronicles 27: 29). It represents an Aramaic contracted form of the Hebrew name Adaliah ‘God is just’. In recent times, it is particularly associated with the American statesman and Democratic presidential candidate Adlai Stevenson (1900–65), in whose family the name was traditional: it was also borne by his grandfather (1835–1914), who was vice-president in 1893–7.

Back  -   New Search

Adolf m

German: composed of the Germanic elements adal noble + wolf wolf. This form of the name was first introduced into Britain by the Normans, displacing the Old English cognate Æthelwulf, but it did not become at all common until it was reintroduced by the Hanoverians in the 18th century. The association with Adolf Hitler (1889–1945) has meant that the name has hardly been used since the Second World War.

Back  -   New Search

Adolphus m

Latinized form of ADOLF (the ph a result of hypercorrection). This has been a recurring name in the Swedish royal family, and this form has also been used occasionally in the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Adria f

English: modern feminine form of ADRIAN.

Back  -   New Search

Adrian m

Usual English form of the Latin name Hadrinus ‘man from Hadria’. Hadria was a town in northern Italy which has given its name to the Adriatic Sea; it is of unknown derivation, and the initial H-has always been very volatile. The name was borne by the Roman emperor Publius Aelius Hadrianus, during whose reign (AD 117–38) Hadrian's Wall was built across northern England. The name was later taken by several early popes, including the only English pope, Nicholas Breakspeare (Adrian IV). It has become particularly popular in the English-speaking world during the past thirty years.
Cognates: French: Adrien. Italian: Adriano. Spanish: Adrián. Portuguese: Adrião. Hungarian: Adorjan.

Back  -   New Search

Adrianne f

English: modern feminine form of ADRIAN, less common than ADRIENNE.
Variants: Adrianna, Adriana.

Back  -   New Search

Adrienne f

French: feminine form of ADRIAN, now also used in the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Aegidius m

Original Latin form of GILES, sometimes used in Germany.

Back  -   New Search

Aegle f

From Latin: the name borne in classical mythology by various characters—a daughter of the Sun and sister of Phaeton; one of the Hesperides; and a nymph, daughter of Jupiter and Neaera. It derives from the Greek word aigl brightness, splendour.

Back  -   New Search

Aeneas m

British (rare): from the Latin name of the Trojan hero who, according to classical legend, fled after the sack of Troy and sailed eventually to Italy, where he founded the Roman state. This, in essence, is the subject of Virgil's Aeneid. The name is of unknown derivation; it appears in Homer as Aineas, and was associated by the Romans themselves with Greek ainein to praise. As a given name, it used to be quite common in Scotland as an Anglicized form of Gaelic AONGHAS, and in Ireland as an Anglicized form of Gaelic Éigneachán, a personal name representing a diminutive of éigneach violent fate or death.

Back  -   New Search

Aeron f

Welsh: name borne in early Celtic mythology by the goddess of battle and slaughter, Agrona. Her name is probably a derivative of the element represented in modern Welsh aer battle. In modern use this name may have been selected because of its homonomy with the vocabulary word aeron fruit, berries. The extended forms Aeronwy (using a name suffix of ancient origin and uncertain derivation) and Aeronwen (with Welsh (g)wen white, fair, blessed, holy) are also in common use.

Back  -   New Search

Afanasi m

Russian form of ATHANASIUS.
Pet form: Afonya.

Back  -   New Search

Afonso m

Portuguese form of ALFONSO.

Back  -   New Search

Afonya m

Russian: pet form of AFANASI.

Back  -   New Search

Africa f

English: name adopted in the 20th century among American Blacks, conscious of their ancestral heritage in the continent of Africa. It was also formerly used in Scotland as an Anglicized form of the Gaelic name OIGHRIG, but this use is now completely obsolete.

Back  -   New Search

Agafya f

Russian: from Greek Agapia, a derivative of agap love. The masculine form Agapius was borne by several early saints.

Back  -   New Search

Agatha f

English: Latinized version of the Greek name Agath, from the feminine form of the adjective agathos good, honourable. This was the name of a Christian saint popular in the Middle Ages; she was a Sicilian martyr of the 3rd century who suffered the fate of having her breasts cut off. According to the traditional iconography, she is depicted holding them on a platter. In some versions they look more like loaves, leading to the custom of blessing bread on her feast day (5 February). The name was revived in the 19th century, but has faded again since.
Cognates: French, German: Agathe. Italian, Scandinavian, Polish: Agata. Spanish: Águeda. Czech: Agáta. Hungarian: Ágota. Norwegian also: Ågot. Swedish also: Agda.
Pet form: English: Aggie.

Back  -   New Search

Åge m

Danish: variant of ÅKE.

Back  -   New Search

Aggie f

Scottish and English: pet form of AGNES and AGATHA.

Back  -   New Search

Ägid m

German form of the Latin name AEGIDIUS; see GILES.

Back  -   New Search

Aglaia f

Russian: from Greek. This was the name in classical mythology of one of the three Graces, but its acceptability for the Orthodox Church was due to the fact that it was also the name of a companion of St Boniface. It is of uncertain derivation, but is probably connected with AEGLE.

Back  -   New Search

Agna f

Scandinavian and German: pet form of AGNETHE, also used as an independent given name.

Back  -   New Search

Agnes f

English, German, Dutch, and Scandinavian: Latinized version of the Greek name Hagn, from the feminine form of the adjective hagnos pure, holy. This was the name of a young Roman virgin martyred in the persecutions instigated by the Roman emperor Diocletian. She became a very popular saint in the Middle Ages. Her name was early associated with Latin agnus lamb, leading to the consistent dropping of the initial H-and to her representation in art accompanied by a lamb. The name was strongly revived in the 19th century, and has become especially popular in Scotland. In Ireland it has traditionally been used as a ‘translation’ of ÚNA.
Cognates: Irish Gaelic: Aignéis. French: Agnès. Italian: Agnese. Spanish: Inés. Portuguese: Inês. Polish: Agnieszka. Czech: Aneka. Finnish: Aune. See also ANNIS.
Pet form: Scottish: Aggie.

Back  -   New Search

Agnethe f

German and Scandinavian form of AGNES, derived from the Latin genitive case Agntis. It has occasionally been used in the English-speaking world during the 20th century
Variant: Swedish: Agneta.
Short form: Swedish: Neta.
Pet form: Agna.

Back  -   New Search

Agostinho m

Portuguese form of AUGUSTINE.

Back  -   New Search

Agostino m

Italian form of AUGUSTINE.

Back  -   New Search

Ågot f

Norwegian form of AGATHA.

Back  -   New Search

Ágota f

Hungarian form of AGATHA.

Back  -   New Search

Agrafena f

Russian: vernacular form of Agrippina, the name of several prominent women in the Roman imperial family, most notably the mother of Nero, who was murdered by order of her son. As a Russian given name it has been adopted in honour of an early Christian saint of the same name, martyred under the Emperor Valerian. The given name is derived from the old Roman family name Agrippa, which is probably of Etruscan origin.
Pet forms: Grunya, Grusha.

Back  -   New Search

Águeda f

Spanish form of AGATHA.

Back  -   New Search

Agurtzane f

Basque equivalent of ROSARIO. The contracted form Agurne is also used.

Back  -   New Search

Agustí m

Catalan form of AUGUSTINE.

Back  -   New Search

Agustín m

Spanish form of AUGUSTINE.

Back  -   New Search

Aharon m

Jewish: modern Hebrew form of AARON.

Back  -   New Search

Ahuva f

Jewish: modern Hebrew name, coined from the vocabulary word meaning ‘beloved’. The Yiddish name LIBE no doubt provided a stimulus for the coining of the Hebrew name.

Back  -   New Search

Aidan m

Irish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Aodán, a diminutive of AODH. This was borne by various early Irish saints, among them the 7th-century apostle of Northumbria. It has been revived in the 20th century, in particular during the past couple of decades, by parents conscious of their Irish ancestry.
Variant: Edan.
Cognate: Welsh: Aeddan.

Back  -   New Search

Ailbeart m

Scottish Gaelic form of ALBERT.

Back  -   New Search

Ailbhe m, f

Irish Gaelic: traditional name of uncertain origin, perhaps from an Old Celtic element cognate with Latin albus white (cf. ALBINA). It has been Anglicized as Alby and, as a male name, ALBERT.

Back  -   New Search

Ailean m

Scottish Gaelic form of ALAN.

Back  -   New Search

Aileen f

Scottish and English: variant spelling of EILEEN.

Back  -   New Search

Ailie f

Scottish: pet form of AILEEN or an Anglicized spelling of EILIDH.

Back  -   New Search

Ailís f

Irish Gaelic form of ALICE.

Back  -   New Search

Ailsa f

Scottish: modern name derived from that of Ailsa Craig, a high rocky islet in the Clyde estuary off the Ayrshire coast, near the traditional estates of the Scottish Kennedys. Its name is derived from Old Norse Alfsigesey ‘island of Alfsigr’, a personal name composed of the elements alf elf, supernatural being + sigi victory. Adoption as a given name probably represents an Anglicized form of EALASAID. Ailsa Craig is known in Gaelic as Allasa, or popularly Creag Ealasaid.

Back  -   New Search

Aimée f

French: originally a vernacular nickname meaning ‘beloved’, from the past participle of French aimer to love (Latin amre; cf. AMY). It has been in use, although never very common, since the Middle Ages. It is now also sometimes used, with or without the accent, as a given name in the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Aindrea m

Scottish Gaelic form of ANDREW; See also ANNDRA.

Back  -   New Search

Aindréas m

Irish Gaelic form of ANDREW.
Variants: Aindrias, Aindriú.

Back  -   New Search

Áine f

Irish Gaelic: traditional name meaning originally ‘brightness’ or ‘radiance’. It is the traditional name of the queen of the fairies, who plays an important and varied role in Celtic mythology. It has also been used as an Irish form of ANNE.

Back  -   New Search

Aingeal f

Irish Gaelic form of ANGELA, from the Gaelic vocabulary word aingeal angel. The word is masculine in gender but it is used as a female given name.

Back  -   New Search

Aingeru m

Basque form of the male name ANGEL; See also GOTZON.

Back  -   New Search

Ainsley m, occasionally f

Scottish and English: transferred use of the surname, which is borne by a powerful and ancient family long established in the Scottish borders. It was probably originally a local name, taken north from either Annesley in Nottinghamshire or Ansley in Warwickshire. The former gets its name from the genitive case of the Old English name n (a short form of any of various compounds containing as a first element n one, only) + Old English lah wood or clearing. The latter is from Old English nsetl hermitage + lëah.
Variant: Ainslee.

Back  -   New Search

Aisling f

Irish Gaelic: from the vocabulary word meaning ‘dream, vision’. This was not in use as a given name during the Middle Ages, but was adopted as part of the Irish revival in the 20th century.
Variants: Aislinn; Ashling (Anglicized form).

Back  -   New Search

Aisone f

Basque equivalent of ASUNCIÓN.

Back  -   New Search

Aitor m

Basque: of unknown origin. It was the name of the legendary founder of the Basque people, and is still bestowed in his honour.

Back  -   New Search

Aizik m

Jewish: Yiddish form of Yitzhak (see ISAAC).

Back  -   New Search

Åke m

Scandinavian: related to the medieval Germanic name Anicho (a derivative of the element ano ancestor, which is not common as a name element). It has also been associated with the Latin names Achatius or Acacius (from Greek words meaning ‘agate’ and ‘blameless’ respectively).
Variant: Danish: Åge.

Back  -   New Search

Akilina f

Russian: from the Late Latin woman's personal name Aquilna, a derivative of Aquila ‘eagle’, which had been used as a family name in the classical period. St Aquilina is revered in the Orthodox Church as a young virgin martyr beheaded in Syria at the end of the third century.
Variant: Akulina (a vernacular form).
Cognate: Ukrainian: Kilina.
Pet forms: Russian: Akulya; Kilya, Kulya.

Back  -   New Search

Akim m

Scandinavian and Russian form of JOACHIM, traditional in the villages of the Russian countryside, but now rare among city-dwellers. It has become familiar in the English-speaking world through the film actor Akim Tamaroff (1899–1972).
Pet form: Kima.

Back  -   New Search

Al m

English: short form of any of the English male names beginning with this syllable.

Back  -   New Search

Ala f

Polish: pet form of ALICJA.
Variant: Alinka.

Back  -   New Search

Alain m

French form of ALAN, which originated in Brittany and is now common in all parts of France.

Back  -   New Search

Alan m

English and Scottish: of Celtic origin and uncertain derivation (possibly a diminutive of a word meaning ‘rock’). It was introduced into England by Breton followers of William the Conqueror, most notably Alan, Earl of Brittany, who was rewarded for his services with vast estates in the newly conquered kingdom.
In Britain the variants Allan and Allen are considerably less frequent, and generally represent transferred uses of surname forms, whereas in America all three forms of the name are approximately equally common. See also ALUN.
Cognates: Scottish Gaelic: Ailean. French: Alain.

Back  -   New Search

Alana f

English: feminine form of ALAN, a comparatively recent coinage.
Variants: Alanna, ALANNAH.

Back  -   New Search

Alanda f

English: a recent coinage, a feminine form of ALAN influenced by AMANDA.

Back  -   New Search

Alannah f

English (esp. U.S.): respelling of ALANA, possibly influenced by names of Hebrew origin such as HANNAH and Susannah (see SUSANNA) and by the Anglo-Irish term of endearment alannah (Gaelic a leanbh O child).

Back  -   New Search

Alaric m

English (rare): from a Germanic personal name composed of the elements ala all or ali stranger + rc power, ruler, which was introduced to Britain in this form by the Normans. The first element may also in part derive from a contracted form of the element adal noble. The Blessed Alaricus or Adalricus (d. 975) was a Swabian prince who became a monk at the monastery of Einsiedeln in Switzerland.

Back  -   New Search

Alasdair m

Scottish Gaelic form of ALEXANDER, often Anglicized as ALISTAIR.
Variants: Alastair, Alaster.

Back  -   New Search

Alastar m

Irish Gaelic form of ALEXANDER.

Back  -   New Search

Alazne f

Basque equivalent of MILAGROS.

Back  -   New Search

Alba f

Italian, occasionally used in the English-speaking world. It seems to represent the feminine form of the Latin adjective alba white, but may in fact be a derivative of Germanic alb elf, supernatural being.

Back  -   New Search

Alban m

Mainly English: name of the first British Christian martyr, the Latin form of which is Albnus. This may be an ethnic name from one of the numerous places in the Roman Empire called Alba. Alternatively, it may represent a Latinized form of a British name derived from the Celtic element alp rock, crag. The 3rd- or 4th-century Romano-British saint was executed at the place now known as St Albans, from the Benedictine abbey founded there in his memory by King Offa. The name was in use in the Middle Ages, and was revived in the 19th century. In some people's minds it may have been associated with Albion, a poetic name for Britain.

Back  -   New Search

Alberic m

English: learned form of AUBREY, derived from the Latin Albericus in the 14th century. It enjoyed a slight and brief vogue in the 19th century, but is now once again very rare.

Back  -   New Search

Albert m

French and English (Norman): of Germanic origin, composed of the elements adal noble + berht bright, famous. The Norman form displaced the Old English cognate Æpelbeorht. The name is popular in a variety of forms in Western Europe, and has been traditional in a number of European princely families. Its great popularity in England in the 19th century was due largely to Queen Victoria's consort, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. In Ireland, it has been used as an Anglicized form of the male name AILBHE.
Cognates: Scottish Gaelic: Ailbeart. Italian, Spanish: Alberto. German: Albrecht.
Short forms: English: Al, Bert.
Pet form: English: Bertie.

Back  -   New Search

Albina f

Latin feminine form of Albinus, a derivative of the Roman family name Albius, which is from albus white. It is the name of a minor saint: St Albina was a young woman martyred at Caesarea in 250. She is particularly venerated in Campania, where her relics are preserved to this day.
Short form: BINA.

Back  -   New Search

Albrecht m

German form of ALBERT.

Back  -   New Search

Alby m, f

Irish: Anglicized form of AILBHE.

Back  -   New Search

Aldo m

Italian: of Germanic origin, possibly from the element ald old. More probably it is from a metathesized form of adal noble, or rather from any of the two-element names of which this forms the first element (cf. e.g. ALBERT).

Back  -   New Search

Aldous m

English: of uncertain origin; probably a short form of any of various Norman names, such as, Aldebrand, Aldemund, and Alderan, containing the Germanic element ald old. It was relatively common in East Anglia during the Middle Ages, but is now rare, known mainly as the given name of the novelist Aldous Huxley (1894–1963).

Back  -   New Search

Alec m

English and Scottish: short form of ALEXANDER, now somewhat less popular in England than ALEX, possibly because of the colloquial pejorative term smart alec. See also ALICK.

Back  -   New Search

Aleida f

German (esp. N. Germany): form of ADELHEID, influenced by the Low German form ALEIT.

Back  -   New Search

Aleit f

Low German: contracted form of ADELHEID.

Back  -   New Search

Aleix m

Catalan form of ALEXIUS.

Back  -   New Search

Aleixandre m

Catalan form of ALEXANDER.

Back  -   New Search

Aleixo m

Portuguese form of ALEXIUS.

Back  -   New Search

Alejandra f

Spanish form of ALEXANDRA; feminine of ALEJANDRO.

Back  -   New Search

Alejandro m

Spanish form of ALEXANDER.

Back  -   New Search

Alejo m

Spanish form of ALEXIUS.

Back  -   New Search

Aleksander m

Polish form of ALEXANDER.

Back  -   New Search

Aleksandr m

Usual spelling in the Roman alphabet of the Russian form of ALEXANDER.
Feminine form: Aleksandra.

Back  -   New Search

Aleksei m

Russian form of ALEXIUS.
Pet form: Alyosha.

Back  -   New Search

Aleksy m

Polish form of ALEXIUS.

Back  -   New Search

Alena f

German and Czech: aphetic short form of Magdalena (see MAGDALENE).

Back  -   New Search

Ale m

Czech: pet form of ALEXEJ.

Back  -   New Search

Alessandra f

Italian form of ALEXANDRA; feminine of ALESSANDRO.

Back  -   New Search

Alessandro m

Italian form of ALEXANDER.

Back  -   New Search

Alessia f

Italian form of ALEXIA.

Back  -   New Search

Alessio m

Italian form of ALEXIUS.

Back  -   New Search

Alethea f

English: a learned coinage, not found before the 17th century. It represents the Greek word altheia truth, and seems to have arisen as a result of the Puritan enthusiasm for using terms for abstract virtues as female names. See also ALTHEA.

Back  -   New Search

Alette f

French: Gallicized form of the Middle Low German name ALEIT, which is a contracted form of ADELHEID.

Back  -   New Search

Alex m, f

English: short form of ALEXANDER, ALEXANDRA, or ALEXIS; also commonly used as a given name in its own right. It is now also sometimes used in France and Germany.
Variant: English: Alix f.
Short form: English: Lex.

Back  -   New Search

Alexa f

English: short form of ALEXANDRA or variant of ALEXIS as a female name.

Back  -   New Search

Alexander m

English, Dutch, German, and Hebrew: from the Latin form of the Greek name Alexandros, which is composed of the elements alexein to defend + anr man, warrior (genitive andros). The compound was probably coined originally as a title of the goddess Hera, consort of Zeus. It was also borne as a byname by the Trojan prince Paris. The name became extremely popular in the post-classical period, and was borne by several characters in the New Testament and some early Christian saints. Its use as a common given name throughout Europe, however, derives largely from the fame of Alexander the Great, King of Macedon (356–23 BC), around whom a large body of popular legend grew up in late antiquity, much of which came to be embodied in the medieval ‘Alexander romances’. It also became a popular Hebrew name under Alexander the Great's benign rule of Palestine.
Cognates: Scottish Gaelic: Alasdair (Anglicized as ALISTAIR). Irish Gaelic: Alastar. French: Alexandre. Italian: Alessandro. Spanish: Alejandro. Catalan: Aleixandre. Portuguese: Alexandre. Romanian: Alexandru. Russian: Aleksandr. Ukrainian: Oleksander. Polish: Aleksander. Czech: Alexandr. Hungarian: Sándor. Yiddish: Sender.
Short forms: English: Alex, Alec, Alick. Italian: Sandro.
Pet forms: English, Scottish: Sandy (Gaelic Sandaidh). Scottish: Sawney. Russian: Sasha, Sanya, Shura. Polish: Ole, Olech, Olek. Czech: Olexa.

Back  -   New Search

Alexandra f

Latinate feminine form of ALEXANDER. It was very little used in the English-speaking world before the 20th century, when it was brought in from Scandinavia and Eastern Europe. It owes its sudden rise in popularity in Britain at the end of the 19th century to Queen Alexandra, Danish wife of Edward VII.
Derivatives: Italian: Alessandra. Spanish: Alejandra. Russian: Aleksandra.
Short forms: English: Alex, Alexa; SANDRA.
Pet forms: English, Scottish: Sandy; Lexy. Russian: Sasha, Sanya, Shura.

Back  -   New Search

Alexandrina f

Latinate derivative of ALEXANDRA. It was most common in the 19th century, and was in fact the first name of Queen Victoria.

Back  -   New Search

Alexej m

Czech form of ALEXIUS, or pet form of ALEXANDER.
Pet form: Ale.

Back  -   New Search

Alexia f

English and German: variant of ALEXIS as a female name.
Cognate: Italian: Alessia.

Back  -   New Search

Alexina f

Scottish (Highland): elaborated feminine form of the male name ALEX, used as an unambiguously female name.

Back  -   New Search

Alexis f, m

English and German: variant (or female derivative) of ALEXIUS. It was originally a male name, but is now more commonly given to girls.

Back  -   New Search

Alexius m

Latin spelling of Greek Alexios, derived from a short form of various compound personal names with the first element alexein to defend. St Alexius was a 5th-century saint of Edessa, venerated particularly in the Orthodox Church as a ‘man of God’. In Eastern European languages here has been some confusion between derivatives of this name and pet forms of ALEXANDER.
Variant: ALEXIS.
Derivatives: Italian: Alessio. Spanish: Alejo. Catalan: Aleix. Portuguese: Aleixo. Polish: Aleksy. Czech: Alexej. Russian: Aleksei.

Back  -   New Search

Aleydis f

Dutch: from a contracted form of the medieval name Adalheidis (see ADELAIDE).

Back  -   New Search

Alf m

English: short form of ALFRED.
Pet form: Alfie.

Back  -   New Search

Alfa m, f

English: variant spelling of ALPHA.

Back  -   New Search

Alfio m

Italian: a typically Sicilian name, borne in honour of a saint martyred under the Emperor Decius in 251, together with his brothers Philadelphus and Cyrinus. The name may represent Greek Alphios, from alphos wheat, or it may be from the Roman family name Alfius; this is from an Italic dialectal form, alfus, of Latin albus white, and is in fact distantly connected with the Greek word.

Back  -   New Search

Alfonso m

Spanish: of Germanic (Visigothic) origin, probably composed of the elements adal noble + funs ready, prompt. Alternatively, the first element may be ala all, hadu struggle, or hild battle; forms are found to support each derivation, so it is possible that several names that were originally distinct in Visigothic have fallen together. St Alphonsus was a 9th-century bishop of Astorga, who spent the last years of his life at the abbey of St Stephen de Ribas de Sil in Galicia. The major influence on the spread and popularity of the name, however, was the fact that it was established as a traditional name in various royal families of the Iberian peninsula from a very early date. Alfonso I (c.693–757), King of Asturias, played an important part in establishing Christianity in Spain. By the 14th century, eleven Alfonsos had sat on the throne of Leon and Castile, four on the throne of Aragon, and four Afonsos on the throne of Portugal.
Variant: Alonso.
Cognates: French: Alphonse. Portuguese: Afonso. See also ALPHONSUS.

Back  -   New Search

Alfred m

English: from Old English, composed of the elements ælf elf, supernatural being + ræd counsel. It was a relatively common name before the Norman Conquest of Britain, being borne most notably by Alfred the Great (849–99), King of Wessex. After the Conquest it was adopted by the Normans in a variety of more or less radically altered forms, and provides a rare example (see also EDWARD) of a distinctively Old English name that has spread widely on the Continent. It was strongly revived in the 19th century, along with other names of pre-Conquest historical figures (such as Hereward), but has faded since. See also AVERY.
Derivatives: Irish Gaelic: Ailfrid. Italian, Spanish: Alfredo.
Short forms: English: Alf, Fred.

Back  -   New Search

Alger m

English: from Old English, composed of the elements ælf elf, supernatural being + gr spear; it is possible that this form may also have absorbed other names with the first elements æpel noble, ald old, and alh temple. The name was not common either before or after the Norman Conquest, but was revived in the 19th century, along with other Germanic names. It is relatively common in America, where it seems to have been taken up as a more ‘manly’ short form of ALGERNON.

Back  -   New Search

Algernon m

English: of Norman French origin. In Norman French it was a byname meaning ‘moustached’ (from grenon, gernon moustache, of Germanic origin). The Normans were as a rule clean-shaven, and this formed a suitable distinguishing nickname when it was applied to William de Percy, a companion of William the Conqueror. In the 15th century it was revived, with a sense of family tradition, as a byname or second given name for his descendant Henry Percy (1478–1527), and thereafter regularly used in that family. It was subsequently adopted into other families connected by marriage with the Percys, and eventually became common property.
Pet forms: Algy, Algie.

Back  -   New Search

Algot m

Scandinavian: from an Old Norse or Old Swedish personal name, Alfgautr, composed of the elements alfr elf, supernatural being + the tribal name Gautr Goth.

Back  -   New Search

Alice f

English and French: variant of ADELAIDE, representing an Old French spelling of a greatly contracted version of Germanic Adalheidis. It was regarded as a distinct name when it was revived in the 19th century. It was the name of the child heroine of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and Through the Looking Glass (1872), who was based on his child friend Alice Patience Liddell, daughter of the dean of Christ Church, Oxford.
Variant: Alys.
Cognate: Irish Gaelic: Ailís.

Back  -   New Search

Alicia f

Spanish and English: modern Latinate form of ALICE.
Variants: English: Alissa, Alyssa.

Back  -   New Search

Alicja f

Polish form of ALICE.
Pet forms: Ala, Alinka.

Back  -   New Search

Alick m

Scottish and English: variant of ALEC, which has gained some currency as a given name in its own right. In the Highlands the form Ellic was also formerly in use; the Gaelic form is Ailig.
Feminine form: Scottish (Highland): Alickina.

Back  -   New Search

Alida f

Hungarian form of ADELAIDE, now also used in German-speaking countries.

Back  -   New Search

Alina f

Used in both English- and German-speaking countries, and of uncertain origin. It is probably a variant of ALINE, but could also be of Arabic origin, from a word meaning ‘noble’ or ‘illustrious’. In Scotland it has been used as a feminine form of ALISTAIR.

Back  -   New Search

Alinda f

In the English-speaking world this name is of recent origin; apparently it represents an artificial combination of the names ALINA and LINDA. It is, however, also used in German-speaking countries, where it may be derived from the Germanic personal name Adelinde, composed of the elements adal noble + lind soft, tender, weak.

Back  -   New Search

Aline f

English and French: in the Middle Ages this represented a contracted form of ADELINE. In modern use it is either a revival of this or a respelling of AILEEN. In Scotland and Ireland it has sometimes been chosen as representing an Anglicized spelling of the Gaelic vocabulary word àlainn (Scottish), álainn (Irish) lovely.

Back  -   New Search

Alinka f

Polish: pet form of ALICJA

Back  -   New Search

Alirio m

Spanish: of uncertain origin. It may possibly derive from a popular form of Latin Hilarius (see HILARY) or Hilarion (see ILLARION). A saint variously known as Allyre or Illidius was a 4th-century bishop of Clermont: his name may be connected with this one.

Back  -   New Search

Alison f

Scottish, English, and French: from a very popular medieval Norman diminutive of ALICE, formed by the addition of the diminutive suffix -on. In spite of its medieval popularity, the name virtually died out in England in the 15th century. However, it survived in Scotland, with the result that until its revival in England in the 20th century the name had a strongly Scottish flavour.
Pet forms: English: Allie, Ally.

Back  -   New Search

Alissa f

English: variant of ALICIA.

Back  -   New Search

Alistair m

Scottish: altered spelling of Gaelic Alasdair, a form of ALEXANDER. Alexander has long been a popular name in Scotland, having been borne by three early medieval kings of the country.
Variants: Alisdair, Alastair, Alister, Al(l)aster.
Pet form: Aly.

Back  -   New Search

Alix f

English: variant of ALEX, used only as a feminine name. Its formation has probably been influenced by ALICE.

Back  -   New Search

Aliza f

Jewish: modern Hebrew name meaning ‘gay’. Its popularity has been influenced by the English names GAY and ALICE, and it has also been used as a translation of the Yiddish name FREYDE.

Back  -   New Search

Alke m

Low German: popular pet form used as a given name in its own right, derived from a dramatically shortened version of ADELHEID (cf. AALTJE).

Back  -   New Search

Allan m

Scottish and English: variant spelling of ALAN.

Back  -   New Search

Allaster m

Scottish: variant spelling of ALISTAIR. It is borne, for example, by a minstrel in Sir Walter Scott's Rob Roy (1818), which ensured its 19th-century popularity.

Back  -   New Search

Allegra f

Italian and English: from the feminine form of the Italian adjective allegro gay, jaunty (familiar in English as a musical tempo). It seems to have been an original coinage when it was given to Byron's illegitimate daughter (1817–22), but since then it has been taken up by parents in many English-speaking countries. It is not commonly used as a given name in Italy.

Back  -   New Search

Allen m

Scottish and English: variant spelling of ALAN, in Britain generally found only as a surname, but in the United States equally common as a given name.

Back  -   New Search

Allie f

English: pet form of ALISON, occasionally used as a given name in its own right.
Variant: Ally.

Back  -   New Search

Allina f

English and Scottish: variant of ALINA.

Back  -   New Search

Alma f

English: a relatively modern creation, of uncertain origin. It had a temporary vogue following the Battle of Alma (1854), which is named from the river in the Crimea by which it took place; similarly Trafalgar had occasionally been used as a female name earlier in the century. Nevertheless, the historical event seems only to have increased the popularity of an existing, if rare, name.Alma is also the feminine form of the Latin adjective almus nourishing, kind (cf. alma mater fostering mother, the clichéd phrase for an educational establishment). In Tennessee Williams's play Summer and Smoke (1948), a bearer of the name explains that it is ‘Spanish for soul’ (Latin anima), but this seems to be only coincidental.

Back  -   New Search

Alois m

German and Czech form of ALOYSIUS.

Back  -   New Search

Aloisia f

German and English: Latinate feminine form of ALOYSIUS.
Cognate: Czech: Aloisie.

Back  -   New Search

Alojzy m

Polish form of ALOYSIUS.

Back  -   New Search

Alonso m

Spanish: popular altered form of ALFONSO, with simplification of the consonantal cluster.

Back  -   New Search

Aloysius m

English, German, and Dutch: of unknown origin, possibly a Latinized form of a Provençal version of LOUIS. It was relatively common in Italy in the Middle Ages, and has subsequently enjoyed some popularity among Roman Catholics in honour of St Aloysius Gonzaga (1568–91), who was born in Lombardy.
Variant: German: Alois.
Cognates: Polish: Alojzy. Czech: Alois.

Back  -   New Search

Alpha m, f

English: name taken from the first letter of the Greek alphabet (ultimately of Semitic origin; cf. Hebrew leph ox). It seems to have been chosen as a given name in the 19th and 20th centuries as a symbol of primacy and excellence, and is used for both boys and girls.
Variant: Alfa.

Back  -   New Search

Alphonse m

French form of ALFONSO. The -ph- spelling is the result of classical influences (or classical pretensions). It has been occasionally used in the English-speaking world, especially among West Indians and American Blacks, but is now out of fashion.

Back  -   New Search

Alphonsine f

French: feminine diminutive of ALPHONSE, now also used in the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Alphonsus m

Irish: Latinized form of ALFONSO, used as an equivalent of the Gaelic name Anluan. This is of uncertain origin, but could be composed of an intensive prefix + an element meaning ‘hound’ or ‘warrior’.
Pet forms: Fonsie, Fonso.

Back  -   New Search

Alpin m

Scottish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Ailpein, a name widely borne in the Highlands from the time of the earliest historical records. It has no obvious Gaelic etymology, and for that reason, if no other, is often taken to be of Pictish origin.
Variant: Alpine.

Back  -   New Search

Alte f

Jewish: feminine form of Alter (see ALTMAN).

Back  -   New Search

Althea f

English: from Greek mythology. Although often considered to be a contracted form of ALETHEA, it is actually a quite distinct name (Greek Althaia), of uncertain origin. It was borne in classical legend by the mother of Meleager, who was given a brand plucked from the fire at the instant of her son's birth, with the promise that his life would last as long as the brand did; some twenty years later she destroyed it in a fit of pique. The name was revived by the 17th-century poet Richard Lovelace, as a poetic pseudonym for his beloved.

Back  -   New Search

Althena f

English: modern coinage, apparently a blend of ALTHEA and ATHENE.

Back  -   New Search

Altman m

Jewish: composed of the Yiddish elements alt old + man man. Traditionally, it was a name given to children to protect them from the angel of death, who would be confused by the conflict between the name and its infant bearer, or else as an omen name intended to ensure that the bearer would live to a ripe old age. The nominal adjective Alter is also used as a given name.

Back  -   New Search

Alton m

English: transferred use of the surname, which is of local origin, being derived from any of several places in England so called. These have various origins; the most common is from Old English wiell source (of a river) + tn settlement, enclosure. It was borne (but dropped) as a given name by the American bandleader and trombonist Alton Glenn Miller (1904–44).

Back  -   New Search

Alun m

Welsh: possibly a cognate of ALAN. It is borne in the Mabinogi by Alun of Dyfed, a character mentioned in passing several times. It is also a river name and a regional name in Wales, sometimes spelled Alyn. Alun was adopted as a bardic name by John Blackwell (1797–1840) and became popular as a result of his fame.

Back  -   New Search

Alva f

Irish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Almha. This is of uncertain origin; it is earlier found in the form Almu and was borne, according to legend, by a semi-divine heroine who gave her name to the fortress and hill of Almu in Leinster.

Back  -   New Search

Alvar m

English: from a medieval English name, representing an Old English personal name, Ælfhere, composed of the elements ælf elf, supernatural being + here army, warrior. In modern use it is either a revival of this (or a transferred use of the surname derived from it) or an Anglicized form of the Spanish ÁLVARO. A name of the same form is also in occasional use in Scandinavia, in which case it derives from an Old Norse personal name cognate with the Old English form quoted above.

Back  -   New Search

Álvaro m

Spanish: of Germanic (Visigothic) origin. It is probably composed of the elements al all + war guard. The name is now also quite common in Italy, where the accent falls on the second syllable. It seems to have been taken up as a result of the influence of Verdi's opera The Force of Destiny (1862), in which a Peruvian character of this name appears.

Back  -   New Search

Alvin m

English: from an Old English personal name composed of the elements ælf elf, supernatural being + wine friend. The medieval name was not especially common in Britain either before or after the Norman Conquest, but the modern form has recently become fairly popular in the United States. The reasons for this are not entirely clear; association with CALVIN may be a factor, but a more plausible (though less elevated) reason may be that it was the name given to the naughty chipmunk in a popular American television cartoon series of the 1960s.

Back  -   New Search

Alwyn m

English: variant of ALVIN.
Variant: Aylwin.

Back  -   New Search

Alyosha m

Russian: pet form of ALEKSEI.

Back  -   New Search

Alys f

English: variant spelling of ALICE.

Back  -   New Search

Alyssa f

English: variant spelling of ALISSA.

Back  -   New Search

Albta f

Czech form of ELIZABETH.
Short form: Bta.
Pet forms: Btka, Betuka.

Back  -   New Search

Amabel f

English: of Old French origin, from Latin ambilis lovable. This name is now very rare in the English-speaking world, but lies behind the much commoner ANNABEL and MABEL. It gained some currency from being borne by the character Amabel Rose Adams in Angela Thirkell's Barsetshire Chronicles (1933 onwards).

Back  -   New Search

Amadeus m

Original Latin form of AMEDEO, famous chiefly as the second name of the composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–91), for whom it was a Latin version of GOTTLIEB. It is still occasionally bestowed by music-loving parents in his honour.

Back  -   New Search

Amado m

Spanish form of AMATO.

Back  -   New Search

Amador m

Spanish: from the Latin name Amtor ‘lover’ (an agent derivative of amre to love). It was borne by a 9th-century Cordoban priest who was executed by the Moors for his Christian faith.

Back  -   New Search

Amalia f

Latinized form of the Germanic name Amal, representing the vocabulary element amal work. This was a first element in various names—now more or less obsolete—such as Amalberta, Amalfriede, and Amalgunde, for which Amal was used as a short form. Amalia is chiefly German and Scandinavian, but is also found occasionally in the English-speaking world. Its popularity was enhanced in Germany in the 18th century by the fame of Anna Amalia, Duchess of Saxe-Weimar (1739–1807), a great patron of the arts, whose court attracted Goethe, Schiller, Herder, and many others.
Variant: German: Amalie.

Back  -   New Search

Amancio m

Spanish: from the Latin name: Amantius ‘loving’, a derivative of the present participle of amre to love. This name was borne by some half-dozen minor early saints, but there has been much confusion in the sources with the name Amandus ‘lovable’.
Cognates: Catalan: Amans, Mans.

Back  -   New Search

Amanda f

A 17th-century literary coinage from the Latin gerundive (feminine) amanda lovable, fit to be loved, from amre to love. This is evidently modelled on MIRANDA. The masculine form Amandus, borne by various saints from the 4th to the 7th century, seems not to have been the source of the feminine form, and is itself not now used. The female name has enjoyed considerable popularity in the mid-20th century.
Short form: Manda.
Pet form: MANDY.

Back  -   New Search

Amans m

Catalan form of AMANCIO.
Variant: Mans.

Back  -   New Search

Amaryllis f

Name borne in classical pastoral poetry, including Virgil's Eclogues, by a typical shepherdess or country girl. The name is of Greek origin and uncertain derivation, possibly from amaryssein to sparkle. In modern times the name may sometimes have been given because of association with the flower, named in the 19th century from the Arcadian heroine.

Back  -   New Search

Amato m

Italian: from the Latin name Amtus ‘beloved’. There are two saints of this name who have influenced its popularity: the first abbot of Remiremont (c.597–c.630) and the tenth bishop of Sion (d. c.690).
Cognate: Spanish: Amado.

Back  -   New Search

Amber f

English: from the vocabulary word for the gemstone amber, a word derived via Old French and Latin from Arabic ambar. This was first used as a given name at the end of the 19th century, but has become particularly popular in the past couple of decades. In part it owes its popularity to Kathleen Winsor's novel Forever Amber (1944).

Back  -   New Search

Ambjörn m

Swedish: assimilated form of ARNBJÖRN.

Back  -   New Search

Ambrose m

English (and Old French) form of the Late Latin name Ambrosius, from post-classical Greek Ambrosios ‘immortal’. This was borne by various early saints, most notably a 4th-century bishop of Milan. The name has never been common in England, but has enjoyed considerably greater popularity in Roman Catholic Ireland, where the surname Mac Ambrois is Anglicized as McCambridge.
Cognates: Irish Gaelic: Ambrós. Welsh: Emrys. French: Ambroise. Italian: Ambrogio. Spanish, Portuguese: Ambrosio. Catalan: Ambròs. Polish: Ambroy. Czech: Ambro. Hungarian: Ambróz.
Short forms: Italian: Brogio. Czech: Bro. Polish: Mro.
Pet forms: Czech: Broek. Polish: Mroek.

Back  -   New Search

Amedeo m

Italian: from the medieval Latin name Amadeus, composed of the elements ama-, from amre to love, + Deus God. It was probably originally a deliberate caique of Greek Theophilos (see THEOPHILUS). The name has been traditional in the royal house of Savoy; bearers include the Blessed Amadeus IX, Duke of Savoy (1435–72). It is also quite common as an Italian Jewish name; recent bearers include the painter Amedeo Modigliani (1884–1920).
Cognate: French: Amedée.

Back  -   New Search

Amelia f

English: probably the result of a cross between the Latin-origin Emilia (see EMILY) and the Latinized Germanic AMALIA. Its first use seems to have been in the English-speaking world, by Henry Fielding for the heroine of his novel Amelia (1751)

Back  -   New Search

Amélie f

French form of AMELIA, now sometimes also used in the English-speaking world, with or without the accent.

Back  -   New Search

Amerigo m

Italian: an early byform of Enrico (see HENRY). Amerigo is found in Italian sources from c.1100, evidently already well established by that time. It was probably introduced into Italy by the Ostrogoths some six centuries earlier; they controlled Italy from 493 to 552, and the name does not seem to have been in use among the Lombards who succeeded them. Its most famous bearer was Amerigo Vespucci (1454–1512), the Italian explorer and geographer who gave his name to the continent of America; it is sometimes used among Italian Americans in his honour.

Back  -   New Search

Amhlaoibh m

Irish Gaelic form of OLAF. The Old Norse name was introduced to Ireland by Viking settlers.
Anglicized forms: Auliffe, HUMPHREY.
Cognates: Scottish: Amhla(i)dh (Gaelic), Aulay (Anglicized).

Back  -   New Search

Amias m

English: rare, and of uncertain origin, possibly from the surname Amias, which is a local name for someone from Amiens in France. However, both surname and given name are rare. The ending -ias is found in biblical names (e.g. TOBIAS), where it represents a Greek form of Hebrew -iyah ‘God’; Amias may sometimes have been chosen in the belief that it was a biblical name, reinforced by the fact that am- is the Latin root meaning ‘love’. See also AMIAZ and AMYAS.

Back  -   New Search

Amiaz m

Jewish: modern Hebrew given name, meaning ‘my people is strong’.

Back  -   New Search

Amice f

English: from a medieval given name derived from Latin ami(ci)tia friendship; see AMITY.

Back  -   New Search

Amilcare m

Italian: from the name of the Carthaginian general Hamilcar Barca (d. c.228 BC), father of Hannibal. Hamilcar led the Carthaginian army against the Romans in the First Punic War, and was chiefly responsible for establishing Carthaginian influence in Spain. His name is composed of the Phoenician elements hi friend + the divine name Melkar.

Back  -   New Search

Amita f

English: apparently a modern creation, representing an altered form of AMITY. In form it coincides with Latin amita maternal aunt.

Back  -   New Search

Amittai m

Jewish: biblical name (meaning ‘true’ or ‘honest’ in Hebrew), borne by the father of Jonah (2 Kings 14: 25).

Back  -   New Search

Amity f

English: comparatively recent coinage from the learned, Latinate vocabulary word meaning ‘friendship’. The medieval doublet AMICE has also been occasionally revived.

Back  -   New Search

Amnon m

Mainly Jewish: name (meaning ‘faithful’ in Hebrew) borne in the Bible by King David's eldest son, who raped and abandoned his half-sister Tamar and was killed by her brother Absalom.

Back  -   New Search

Amos m

Biblical: name of a Hebrew prophet of the 8th century BC, whose sayings are collected in the book of the Bible that bears his name. This is of uncertain derivation, but may be connected with the Hebrew verb amos to carry. In some traditions it is assigned the meaning ‘borne by God’. The name is used among Christians as well as Jews, and was popular among the Puritans, In Britain it survived well into the 19th century, but is little used today.

Back  -   New Search

Amparo f

Spanish: from the vocabulary word amparo protection (from the verb amparar to help or protect, Late Latin anteparre to prepare in advance). The given name was coined with reference to the role of the Virgin Mary in affording protection to Christians.

Back  -   New Search

Amshel m

Jewish (Yiddish): variant of ANTSHEL.

Back  -   New Search

Amund m

Scandinavian (esp. Norwegian): from an Old Norse personal name composed of the elements ag awe, fear or edge, point + mundr protector. The usual modern spelling is with a boll: Åmund.

Back  -   New Search

Amy f

English: Anglicized form of Old French Amee ‘beloved’. This originated in part as a vernacular nickname, in pan as a form of Latin Amta. The latter is ostensibly the feminine form of the past participle of amre to love, but in fact it may have had a different, pre-Roman, origin; it was borne in classical mythology by the wife of King Latinus, whose daughter Lavinia married Aeneas and (according to the story in the Aeneid) became the mother of the Roman people.

Back  -   New Search

Amyas m

English: of uncertain origin; possibly a variant of AMIAS. It first occurs in Spenser's Faerie Queene, in which it is the name of a ‘squire of low degree’.

Back  -   New Search

Ana f

Spanish form of ANNE.
Pet form: ANITA.

Back  -   New Search

Anacleto m

Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese: from the Late Latin personal name Anacltus, Greek Anakltos, originally a divine byname meaning ‘called on, invoked’. It also seems to have absorbed the personal name Anengkltos meaning ‘irreproachable’. This was the name of the third pope.
Short form: Cleto (also used as a full baptismal name).

Back  -   New Search

Anaïs f

Catalan and Provençal derivative of ANA.

Back  -   New Search

Anastasia f

Russian: feminine form of the Greek male name Anastasios (a derivative of anastasis resurrection). It has always been popular in Eastern Europe as a result of the fame of a 4th-century saint who was martyred at Sirmium in Dalmatia, and in the Middle Ages it was in use in England too. One of the daughters of the last tsar of Russia bore this name. She was probably murdered along with the rest of the family by the Bolsheviks in 1918, but in 1920 a woman claiming to be the Romanov princess Anastasia came to public notice in Germany, and a film was subsequently based on this story (1956).
Cognates: Polish: Anastazja. Czech: Anastázie.
Short form: Russian: Nastasia.
Pet forms: Russian: Nastya, Asya. Polish: Nastka, Nastusia. Czech: Nast'a.

Back  -   New Search

Anatole m

French: from the Late Latin personal name Anatolius, an adjectival derivative of Greek anatol sunrise, dawn. The name was popular among early Christians because of its optimistic associations. It was borne by an early bishop of Cahors and by a 9th-century Scottish bishop, who settled as a hermit at Salins.

Back  -   New Search

Anatoli m

Russian form of ANATOLE. The popularity of this name in Russia and in the Eastern Church is largely due to the influence of St Anatolius, bishop of Constantinople from 449 to 458.

Back  -   New Search

Andl m

Czech form of the male name ANGEL.
Pet form: Andlik.

Back  -   New Search

Andla f

Czech form of ANGELA.
Pet form: Andlka.

Back  -   New Search

Anders m

Scandinavian form of ANDREW.

Back  -   New Search

Andoni m

Basque form of ANTHONY.

Back  -   New Search

Andor m

Scandinavian: from an Old Norse name composed of the elements arn eagle + a derivative of Porr Thor, the god of thunder.

Back  -   New Search

Andra f, m

1 (f.) English: modern feminine form of ANDREW.

2 (m.) Scottish: traditional Lowland Scots form of ANDREW.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Andras m

Welsh form of ANDREW.

Back  -   New Search

András m

Hungarian form of ANDREW. It has been sometimes bestowed in Hungary in honour of a Benedictine monk of Zobor Abbey, who was killed, along with a companion, St Benedict, by marauders in c.1020.

Back  -   New Search

Andre m

Portuguese form of ANDREW.

Back  -   New Search

André m

French form of ANDREW, which has been borrowed into English recendy. It was the twenty-seventh most common male name among American Blacks in 1982.

Back  -   New Search

Andrea m, f

1 (m.) Italian equivalent of ANDREW.

2 (f.) English: of disputed origin. It has been in use since the 17th century, although never common. It is now generally taken as a feminine equivalent of ANDREAS, and this probably represents its actual origin. However, it was not in use in the Middle Ages, and the suggestion has also been made that it represents an independent coinage in English from the Greek vocabulary word andreia manliness, virility.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Andreas m

The original New Testament Greek form of ANDREW, also found in Latin, and still used in German, and now occasionally in English.

Back  -   New Search

Andrée f

French: feminine form of ANDREW, now also occasionally used in the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Andrei m

Russian form of ANDREW. St Andrew is the patron saint of Russia as well as of Greece and Scotland.

Back  -   New Search

Andrej m

Czech: ‘learned’ form of ANDREW. See also ONDEJ
Pet forms: Andrá, Androuek.

Back  -   New Search

Andrés m

Spanish form of ANDREW.

Back  -   New Search

Andreu m

Catalan form of ANDREW.

Back  -   New Search

Andrew m

English form of the Greek name Andreas, short form of any of various compound names with the first element andr- man or, in particular, warrior. In the New Testament, this is the name of the first disciple to be called by Jesus. After the Resurrection, St Andrew preached in Asia Minor and Greece, and was probably crucified at Patras in Achaia. He was one of the most popular saints of the Middle Ages and was adopted as the patron of Scotland, Russia, and Greece. The name has long been popular in Scotland (in the Lowlands traditionally in the form Andra); its popularity in England has been enhanced by its use as a British royal name for Prince Andrew (b. 1960), the Duke of York.
Cognates: Scottish Gaelic: Aindrea, Anndra. Irish Gaelic: Aindrias, Aindréas; Aindriú. Welsh: Andras. French: André. Italian: ANDREA. Spanish: Andrés. Catalan: Andreu. Portuguese: Andre. German: Andreas. Low German, Dutch: Andries. Scandinavian: Anders. Polish: Andrzej, Jdrzej. Czech: Andrej, Ondej. Russian: Andrei. Ukrainian: Andrei. Hungarian: András, Endre. Finnish: Antero.
Short forms: Scottish: Drew. Low German, Dutch: Dries.

Back  -   New Search

Andriana f

English: modern coinage, apparently a blend of ANDREA and Adriana (see ADRIANNE) or possibly Arianna (see ARIADNE).

Back  -   New Search

Andries m

Low German and Dutch form of ANDREW. St Andries Wouters (d. 1572) was a Catholic hanged by Calvinists at Gorkum.
Short form: Dries.

Back  -   New Search

Andrine f

English: comparatively rare feminine derivative of ANDREW with the characteristically feminine ending -ine.

Back  -   New Search

Andrzej m

Polish form of ANDREW. St Andrzej Bobola was a Polish Jesuit murdered by Cossacks at Janów in 1657.

Back  -   New Search

Andula f

Czech: pet form of ANNA.
Variant: Andulka.

Back  -   New Search

Andy m

Scottish and English: pet form of ANDREW.

Back  -   New Search

Aneirin m

Welsh: of uncertain derivation. The original form of the name was Neirin, with the initial A- developing in the 13th century; it may be derived from an element cognate with Irish Gaelic nár noble, modest. This name was borne by the first known Welsh poet, who lived c.600. The ‘Book of Aneirin’ is a 13th-century manuscript which purports to preserve his work, including the Gododdin, a long work about the defeat of the Welsh by the Saxons.
Variant: Aneurin (A modern form).
Pet form: Nye (popularized as a result of the fame of the statesman Aneurin Bevan, 1897–1960).

Back  -   New Search

Aneka f

Czech form of AGNES.
Pet forms: Anea, Ne(k)a.

Back  -   New Search

Anfisa f

Russian: from Greek Anthousa, a name of uncertain derivation. It may be a derivative of anthos flower. St Anthousa was a 9th-century abbess who lived near Constantinople.
Short form: Fisa.

Back  -   New Search

Angel f, formerly also m

English: originally a male name, as in the case of Angel Clare, the chief male character in Thomas Hardy's novel Tess of the D'Urbevilles (1891), and derived from the Church Latin name Angelus, from Greek angelos. This meant ‘messenger’ in classical Greek, but in New Testament Greek it had the specialized meaning ‘messenger of God’, i.e. an angel. It is now completely out of fashion as a male name in English, but is being increasingly bestowed as a female name, especially among American Blacks. It is no doubt influenced strongly by the use of the English vocabulary word angel as an affectionate term of address for a good (or pretty) little girl.
Cognates all m: Italian: Angelo. Spanish: A´ngel. Basque: Aingeru. Polish: Aniol. Czech: Andl. Yiddish: An(t)shel.

Back  -   New Search

Angela f

English and Italian: from Church Latin, feminine form of the male name Angelus (see ANGEL), which is from New Testament Greek angelos angel, which meant ‘messenger’ in classical Greek. It has been in use in Britain and America from the 18th century, since when it has increased steadily in popularity.
Cognates: Spanish: Ángela. Polish: Aniela. Czech: Andla. Irish Gaelic: Aingeal.
Pet forms: English: Angie. Spanish: Angelita. Czech: Andlka.

Back  -   New Search

Ángeles f

Spanish: from a title of the Virgin Mary, Maria de los Ángeles. Mary is revered in Roman Catholic tradition as the Queen of Heaven and mistress of the ranks of angels who wait on the throne of God.
Cognate: French: Marie-Ange.

Back  -   New Search

Angelica f

English: from Church Latin, from the feminine form of the Latin adjective angelicus angelic, or simply a Latinate elaboration of ANGELA.
Cognates: French: Angélique. German: Angelika, Angelike.

Back  -   New Search

Angelina f

English: Latinate elaboration of ANGELA.
Cognate: French: Angeline (now also used in the English-speaking world).

Back  -   New Search

Angélique f

French form of ANGELICA.

Back  -   New Search

Angelita f

Spanish: diminutive pet form of Ángela (see ANGELA).

Back  -   New Search

Angelo m

Italian form of the male name ANGEL.

Back  -   New Search

Angharad f

Welsh: composed of the Old Celtic intensive prefix an- + the root cr love + the noun suffix -ad. This was the name of the mother of the 12th-century chronicler Giraldus Cambrensis (‘Gerald the Welshman’). In the Mabinogi, Angharad Golden Hand at first rejects Peredur's suit, but later falls in love with him when he comes back as the unknown Mute Knight. The name has been strongly revived in Wales since the 1940s.

Back  -   New Search

Angie f, m

1 (f.) English (pronounced /'ændz/): pet form of ANGELA.

2 (m.) Scottish (pronounced /'g/): pet form of ANGUS.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Angosto f

Spanish (mainly Galician): from a title of the Virgin Mary, Nuestra Señora de Angosto ‘Our Lady of Angosto’. Angosto is a place in the province of Álava where the Virgin is supposed to have appeared in a vision. The place derives its name from Late Latin angustum narrows or mountain pass.

Back  -   New Search

Angus m

Scottish and Irish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Aonghus or Aonghas, composed of Celtic elements meaning ‘one’ and ‘choice’. This is the name of an old Celtic god, and is first recorded as a personal name in Adomnan's ‘Life of St Columba’, where it occurs in the form Oinogus(s)ius as the name of a man for whom the saint prophesied a long life and a peaceful death. This is also almost certainly the name of the 8th-century Pictish king variously recorded as Onnust and Hungus.
Short form: GUS.
Pet form: ANGIE.
Feminine form: Angusina.

Back  -   New Search

Angustias f

Spanish: variant of ANGOSTO, altered by folk etymology as if from the Castilian vocabulary word angustias, plural of angustia mental or physical anguish or distress. The reference is to a title of the Virgin Mary, Nuestra Señora de las Angustias, which enshrines the notion that the Virgin will come to the aid of those who pray to her in their distress.

Back  -   New Search

Aniceto m

Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese form of Latin Anictus, a derivative of Greek Aniktos ‘unconquered’ or ‘unconquerable’, from a- not + nikein to conquer. This was the name of a 2nd-century pope of Syrian origin; see NIKITA.

Back  -   New Search

Aniela f

Polish form of ANGELA. This name is now also occasionally used in the English-speaking world, and is sometimes respelled Anniela by association with ANNE. There has also been some confusion with Italian ANIELLA.

Back  -   New Search

Aniella f

Italian: feminine form of ANIELLO, rather more popular than the masculine form.

Back  -   New Search

Aniello m

Italian: a vernacular variant of the learned form Agnello, from Church Latin Agnellus, a diminutive of agnus lamb. The Paschal Lamb was a particularly important symbol to the early Christians, and so the medieval Latin name was quite common. St Agnellus (d. c.596), abbot of San Gaudioso, is one of the patrons of Naples, and this name has enjoyed some currency there as a result, but it is otherwise not common.

Back  -   New Search

Anio m

Polish form of the male name ANGEL.

Back  -   New Search

Anisim m

Russian: from the Greek name Onesimos ‘useful’ or ‘profitable’. This was a fairly common slave name during the classical and post-classical periods, and was borne by a runaway slave who was converted to Christianity by St Paul. Paul says of him in the Epistle to his master Philemon that ‘in time past he was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me’ (Philemon II). This early Christian use made it a very acceptable name in the Orthodox Church, quite apart from the connotations that it acquired of ‘usefulness to Christ’.
Variant: Onisim.

Back  -   New Search

Anita f

Originally Spanish: pet form of Ana, the Spanish version of ANNE. It is now widely used in English-speaking countries with little awareness of its Spanish origin.

Back  -   New Search

Anitra f

Apparently a literary coinage by Henrik Ibsen, who used it as the name of an Eastern princess in Peer Gynt (1867). No Arabic original is known, however. It is now occasionally used as a given name, not only in Norway, but also elsewhere in Scandinavia, in Germany, and in the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Anke f

Low German: pet form of ANNE. The name is now quite extensively used in northern Germany.

Back  -   New Search

Anker m

Danish: name that has been used since the Middle Ages. It is of uncertain origin, but may derive from the vocabulary word annkarl agricultural labourer (from the elements ann harvest, busy season + karl man), or else from the elements arn eagle + karl man.

Back  -   New Search

Ann f

English: variant spelling of ANNE, Ann was the more common of the two spellings in the 19th century, but is now losing ground to the form with final -e.

Back  -   New Search

Anna f

Latinate variant of ANNE, in common use as a given name in English, Gaelic, Italian, German, Dutch, Scandinavian languages, and Slavonic languages. Among people with a classical education, it has from time to time been associated with Virgil's Aeneid, where it is borne by the sister of Dido, Queen of Carthage. This Phoenician name may ultimately be of Semitic origin, and thus cognate with the biblical Anne. However, the connection, if it exists, is indirect rather than direct.
Cognate: Spanish: Ana.
Pet forms: Scottish Gaelic: Annag. Swedish: Annika. Polish: Anula, Anusia. Czech: Anin(k)a, Andul(k)a, Anuka. Russian: Asya.

Back  -   New Search

Annabel f

English: sometimes taken as an elaboration of ANNA, but more probably a dissimilated form of AMABEL. It has been common in Scotland since the 12th century (often being used as an Anglicized form of Gaelic Barabal; see BARBARA) and in the rest of the English-speaking world since the 1940s.
Variants: Annabella (Latinized); Annabelle (Gallicized, under the influence of BELLE).

Back  -   New Search

Anndra m

Scottish Gaelic form of ANDREW; see also AINDREA.

Back  -   New Search

Anne f

English, French, and German form (via Old French, Latin, and Greek) of the Hebrew female name Hanna ‘He (God) has favoured me (i.e. with a child)’. This is the name borne in the Bible by the mother of Samuel (see HANNAH), and according to non-biblical tradition also by the mother of the Virgin Mary. It is the widespread folk cult of the latter that has led to the great popularity of the name in various forms throughout Europe. The simplified form ANN was in the 19th century very much more common, but the form with final -e has grown in popularity during the 20th century, partly perhaps due to the enormous popularity of L. M. Montgomery's story Anne of Green Gables (1908), and partly due to Princess Anne (b. 1950). In Ireland Anne has been used as an Anglicized form of ÁINE. See also ANNA.
Pet forms: English: Annie. French: Annette, Ninon. Breton: Annick. Low German: Anke, Antje. Dutch: Anneke.

Back  -   New Search

Anneka f

Latinate variant of the Dutch name Anneke, a pet form of ANNE, popularized in Britain in the 1980s by the television personality Anneka Rice.

Back  -   New Search

Anneli f

Scandinavian: shortened form of the originally German given name ANNELIESE.

Back  -   New Search

Anneliese f

German and Scandinavian: compound name composed of the elements ANNE and LIESE.

Back  -   New Search

Annella f

English and Scottish: elaborated form, common particularly in the Highlands, of ANNE.

Back  -   New Search

Annetta f

English: Latinate elaboration of ANNETTE, not in very common use.

Back  -   New Search

Annette f

French: pet form of ANNE, now also widely used in the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Annfrid f

Norwegian: from the Old Norse female personal name Arnfríðr, composed of the elements arn eagle + friðr fair, beautiful.

Back  -   New Search

Annibale m

Italian: bestowed in honour of the Carthaginian general Hannibal Barca (247–182 BC), who led a Carthaginian army from Spain across the Alps and into Italy to attack the Romans. He was eventually defeated by Scipio at Zama (202 BC), but not until he had shaken the Roman republic to its core. The name is sometimes chosen by Italians with strong regional loyalties, opposed to the centralizing tendencies of the government in Rome. The name is composed of the Phoenician elements hann grace, favour (and so distantly related to HANNAH) + the name of the god Baal.

Back  -   New Search

Annice f

English: variant spelling of ANNIS, based on the numerous women's names ending in the syllable -ice.

Back  -   New Search

Annick f

Breton: pet form of ANNE.

Back  -   New Search

Annika f

Swedish: pet form of ANNA, apparently derived from the German dialect from Anniken.

Back  -   New Search

Annis f

Scottish and English: a medieval vernacular form of AGNES, which gave rise to a surname. Its modern use as a given name is probably at least in part a transferred use of the surname as well as a revival of the medieval given name.
Variants: Annys, Annice.

Back  -   New Search

Annunziata f

Italian: one of the many Roman Catholic names in Italy and Spain that are derived from titles of the Virgin Mary. This one refers to the Annunciation to her of God's favour and the impending birth of Christ (Luke 1: 20–38). The festival of the Annunciation has been celebrated since the 5th century. It was at first kept on Ember Wednesday during Lent, but was later moved to 25 March, exactly nine months before Christmas Day, replacing pagan festivals celebrating the vernal equinox.
Short form: Nunzia.

Back  -   New Search

Annwyl f

Welsh: from the vocabulary word annwyl beloved.
Variant: Anwyl.

Back  -   New Search

Annys f

Scottish and English: variant of ANNIS, in a deliberately archaic spelling.

Back  -   New Search

Anona f

English: of uncertain origin, apparently not recorded before the 1920s. It seems most likely that it arose as an artificial combination of elements from existing names, for example ANNE and FIONA. In form it resembles Latin annona corn supply, but this is unlikely to have influenced the formation of the name.

Back  -   New Search

Anraí m

Irish Gaelic form of HENRY; see also EINRÍ.

Back  -   New Search

Anselmo m

Italian: of Germanic origin, composed of the elements ans divinity + helm helmet. This name seems to have been largely confined to Italy until brought to England by St Anselm, who was archbishop of Canterbury in the late 11th and early 12th centuries, and is regarded as one of the Doctors of the Church. He was born at Aosta in Piedmont.
Cognates: English: Anselm (rare, borne mainly by Roman Catholics). Polish: Anzelm.

Back  -   New Search

Anshel m

Jewish (Yiddish): variant of ANTSHEL.

Back  -   New Search

Antal m

Hungarian form of ANTHONY.

Back  -   New Search

Antero m

Finnish form of ANDREW.
Pet form: Antti.

Back  -   New Search

Anthea f

Latinized spelling of Greek Antheia, a personal name derived from the feminine of the adjective antheios flowery. This was used in the classical period as a byname of the goddess Hera at Argos, but as a modern given name it was reinvented in the 17th century by English pastoral poets such as Robert Herrick.

Back  -   New Search

Anthony m

The usual English form of the old Roman family name Antnius, which is of uncertain (probably Etruscan) origin. The spelling with -th- (not normally reflected in the pronunciation) represents a learned but erroneous attempt to associate it with Greek anthos flower. In the post-classical period it was a common name, borne by various early saints, most notably a 3rd-century Egyptian hermit monk, who is regarded as the founder of Christian monasticism.
Variant: Antony.
Cognates: Irish Gaelic: Antain(e). French: Antoine. Italian, Spanish: Antonio. Catalan: Antoni. Basque: Andoni. German: Anton. Polish: Antoni. Czech: Antonín. Russian: Anton. Hungarian: Antal.
Short forms: English: Tony. Italian: Tonio. Spanish: Toño. Low German, Frisian: Tönjes.
Pet forms: Spanish: Tonete.

Back  -   New Search

Antigone f

Classical name in occasional modern use. In Greek mythology Antigone was a daughter of Oedipus by his accidental incestuous marriage to his own mother, Jocasta. She tended her father as he wandered through Greece, blinded, disgraced, and suffering mental anguish. After her brothers, Eteocles and Polynices, killed each other, she gave funeral rites to both of them, defying the order of her uncle Creon, King of Thebes, that the rebel Polynices should be left unburied. For this, Creon had her buried alive. Its choice as a modern given name is perhaps made with reference to her strength of character in doing what she perceived as right in terrible circumstances. Her name is composed of the Greek elements anti against, contrary + gen-, gon- born.

Back  -   New Search

Antioco m

Italian: a typically Sardinian name, bestowed in honour of a Christian saint who was martyred under the Emperor Hadrian in c.110 on the islet of Sulcis near Sardinia, which is now also known as the Isola di Sant'Antioco (‘island of St Antiochus’). The name is from Greek Antiochos, composed of the elements anti against + ekhein to have, i.e. to hold out against, denoting stubborn tenacity of character. It was borne in classical times by the father of the Macedonian general Seleucus I, who in c.300 BC named the city of Antioch in Asia Minor after him.

Back  -   New Search

Antip m

Russian: from the Greek personal name Antipas, a short form of Antipatr, which means ‘like a father’, from the elements anti- like + patr father. This name is mentioned in the Book of Revelation (2: 13), where the bearer is the first bishop of Pergamum, who was martyred there c.90. He is greatly revered in the Orthodox Church.

Back  -   New Search

Antje f

Low German and Dutch: pet form of ANNE.

Back  -   New Search

Antoine m

French form of ANTHONY, now also used in the English-speaking world. It was the thirtieth most common male name among American Blacks in 1982.

Back  -   New Search

Antoinette f

French: feminine diminutive of ANTOINE, which has become even more popular in the English-speaking world than the masculine form.
Short form: Toinette.

Back  -   New Search

Anton m

German and Russian form of ANTHONY, now also used in the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Antoni m

Catalan and Polish form of ANTHONY.

Back  -   New Search

Antonia f

English, German, Dutch, Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese: feminine form of ANTHONY and its cognates, unaltered since classical times, when it was a common Roman feminine family name.
Cognates: Czech: Antonie. Finnish: Toini.
Pet form: English: Toni.

Back  -   New Search

Antonín m

Czech form of ANTHONY, actually from the Latin derivative Antonnus.

Back  -   New Search

Antonina f

Latin derivative of ANTONIA, common in Poland and occasionally used in the English-speaking world.
Cognate: Czech: Antonína.

Back  -   New Search

Antonio m

Italian and Spanish form of ANTHONY, from Latin Antnius. It is now also used in parts of the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Antony m

English: variant spelling of ANTHONY.

Back  -   New Search

Antshel m

Jewish (Yiddish): ultimately from Latin angelus angel.
Variants: Anshel, Amshel.

Back  -   New Search

Antti m

Finnish: pet form of ANTERO.

Back  -   New Search

Anula f

Polish: pet form of ANNA.

Back  -   New Search

Anunciación f

Spanish: one of a whole set of names derived from titles of the Virgin Mary. It commemorates the Annuciation to her of God's favour and the forthcoming birth of Christ (cf. ANNUNZIATA).
Short form: Anuncia.

Back  -   New Search

Anusia f

Polish: pet form of ANNA.

Back  -   New Search

Anuka f

Czech: pet form of ANNA.

Back  -   New Search

Anwyl f

Welsh: variant of ANNWYL.

Back  -   New Search

Anzelm m

Polish form of ANSELMO.

Back  -   New Search

Aodh m

Irish and Scottish Gaelic: name, meaning ‘fire’, of the old Celtic sun god. This was a very common personal name from the earliest times. From the later Middle Ages it was commonly Anglicized as HUGH and more recently as EUGENE, but the Gaelic form has also survived in common use. It has given the surnames Magee (Gaelic Mac Aodha) in Ireland and McKay (Gaelic Mac Aoidh) in Scotland.

Back  -   New Search

Aoibheann f

Irish Gaelic: traditional name meaning ‘beautiful’. It was borne by a number of women in the early history of the royal family of Ireland.
Variant: Aoibhinn.
Anglicized form: Eavan.

Back  -   New Search

Aoife f

Irish Gaelic: of uncertain origin, probably a derivative of aoibh beauty (cf. AOIBHEANN). It was borne by a daughter of King Dermot of Leinster, who married Richard de Clare, Earl of Pembroke, the leader of the Anglo-Norman invasion of 1169. The name has sometimes been Anglicized as EVA.

Back  -   New Search

Aonghas m

The modern Gaelic form of ANGUS.
Variant: Aonghus.

Back  -   New Search

Aparición f

Spanish: religious name, referring to Christ's appearance to the apostles after the Resurrection.

Back  -   New Search

Aphra f

English: of uncertain origin, perhaps an Anglicization of an Irish name; see AFRICA, EITHRIG. It could also be a hypercorrected spelling of a Late Latin name, Afra. This was originally an ethnic name for a woman from Africa (in Roman times meaning the area around Carthage). It was used in the post-classical period as a nickname for someone with dark colouring, and eventually became a given name, being borne, for example, by saints martyred at Brescia under the Roman emperor Hadrian and at Augsburg under Diocletian. The respelling of the name may have been prompted by Micah I: 10 ‘in the house of Aphrah roll thyself in the dust’, where Aphrah is often taken as a personal name, but is in fact a placename meaning ‘dust’. The first name has never been frequently used, but is remembered as the name of the English writer Aphra Behn (1640–89).

Back  -   New Search

Apollinare m

Italian: a name characteristic of the Romagna region and in particular of Ravenna, where it is borne in honour of St Apollinaris, a Ist-century bishop of the city who was martyred under the Emperor Vespasian. The name is of classical origin, being taken from an adjectival form of the name of the god Apollo (see APOLLONIA).

Back  -   New Search

Apollinaria f

Feminine form of Latin Apollinaris (see APOLLINARE), influenced by APOLLONIA. It has been used in Russian and occasionally in English.
Pet form: Russian: Polina.

Back  -   New Search

Apollonia f

Latin feminine form of the Greek masculine name Apollonios, an adjectival derivative of the name of the sun god, Apollo. This is of uncertain origin, and may be pre-Greek. St Apollonia was an elderly deaconess martyred at Alexandria under the Emperor Decius in the mid-3rd century. The name in this form has been used in both English and German.
Derivatives: French: Apolline. Danish: Abelone.

Back  -   New Search

April f

English: from the month (Latin (mensis) aprlis, probably a derivative of aperre open, as the month when buds open and flowers appear). It forms a series with the more common names MAY and JUNE, all taken from months associated with the spring, a time of new birth and growth, and may originally have been intended as an English version of the supposedly French name AVRIL.

Back  -   New Search

Aquiles m

Portuguese form of ACHILLES.

Back  -   New Search

Arabella f

Scottish and English: of uncertain etymology. It probably represents an alteration of An(n)abella (see ANNABEL).
Variant: Arabel (now rare, but commoner in earlier centuries, when it was also sometimes found as Orbel, apparently altered by folk etymology to conform with Latin orbilis invokable (from orre to pray to), i.e. a saint who could be invoked).

Back  -   New Search

Araceli f

Spanish (mainly Latin American): apparently a modern coinage from Latin ara altar + c(o)eli of the sky.

Back  -   New Search

Arailt m

Scottish Gaelic form of HAROLD.

Back  -   New Search

Aram m

Biblical: name (meaning ‘height’ in Hebrew) borne by a son of Shem and grandson of Noah mentioned in a genealogy (Genesis 10: 22).

Back  -   New Search

Aranka f

Hungarian: originally a pet form derived from Hungarian arany gold (cf. Zlata at ZLATAN). Later, it came to be regarded as a vernacular form of AURELIA.

Back  -   New Search

Aranrhod f

Welsh: name borne in the Mabinogi by the mother of Dylan and Lleu Llaw Gyffes. It seems to be composed of Old Celtic elements meaning ‘huge, round, humped’ + ‘wheel’; the legendary heroine may originally have been a moon goddess. See also ARIANRHOD.

Back  -   New Search

Aránzazu f

Basque: from the name of a place near Oñate in the province of Guipúzcoa, whose name means ‘thornbush’ in Basque. It was adopted as a given name because in 1469 the Virgin Mary appeared in a vision to a shepherd at this place.
Pet form: Arantxa.

Back  -   New Search

Archibald m

Scottish: of Norman French origin, from Continental Germanic, composed of the elements ercan genuine + bald bold, brave. It has always been largely associated with Scotland, where it is in regular use as the English equivalent of Scottish Gaelic Gilleasbaig (see GILLESPIE).
Pet forms: Archie, Archy (Gaelic Eair(r)dsidh); Baldie.

Back  -   New Search

Ardal m

Irish: Anglicized form of the traditional Gaelic name Ard(gh)al, composed of the elements and high or possibly art bear + gal valour.

Back  -   New Search

Arduino m

Italian form of HARTWIN.

Back  -   New Search

Are m

Scandinavian: from the Old Norse personal name Ari, originally a byname meaning ‘eagle’, or else a short form of the compound names containing this first element.

Back  -   New Search

Ariadne f

From classical mythology: the name of a daughter of the Cretan king Minos. She gave the Athenian hero Theseus a ball of wool to enable him to find his way out of the Labyrinth after killing the Minotaur. He took her with him when he sailed from Crete, but abandoned her on the island of Naxos on the way back to Athens. Greek lexicographers of the Hellenistic period claimed that the name was composed of the Cretan dialect elements ari- an intensive prefix + adnos holy. The name survived in the Christian era because of St Ariadne (d. c.130), an early Phrygian martyr.
Derivatives: French: Arianne. Italian: Arianna.

Back  -   New Search

Arianrhod f

Welsh: altered form of ARANRHOD, made up of the modern Welsh elements arian silver + rhod wheel.

Back  -   New Search

Arianwen f

Welsh: composed of the elements arian silver + (g)wen, feminine of gwyn white, fair, blessed, holy. The name was borne in the 5th century by one of the daughters of Brychan, a semilegendary Welsh chieftain.

Back  -   New Search

Ariel m, f

Jewish: from the biblical placename Ariel, said to mean ‘lion of God’ in Hebrew. It is mentioned in the prophecies of Ezra (8: 16) and Isaiah (29: 1–2). It has achieved popularity as a modern Hebrew first name, perhaps as an alternative to ARYE.

Back  -   New Search

Arina f

Russian: variant of IRINA.
Pet forms: Arisha, Orya.

Back  -   New Search

Aristide m

French: from the classical Greek name Aristides, which is in origin a patronymic from a short form of any of the various compound names having as a first element the word aristos best, excellent. In the classical period this was borne by an Athenian statesman known as Aristides the Just, whose probity was such that he helped to vote for his own banishment by writing his own name down when asked to do so by an illiterate citizen. In the Christian era, St Aristides (d. c.123) was an Athenian philosopher who presented an Apologia for Christianity to the Emperor Hadrian. In recent times, the name is best known as being that of the French socialist statesman Aristide Briand (1862–1932), who advocated the idea of a United States of Europe.

Back  -   New Search

Arkadi m

Russian: from Greek Arkadios, an adjective referring to the region of Arcadia in the central Peloponnese. This placename was explained in classical mythology as being derived from Arkas, the name of a son of Zeus and the nymph Callisto, founder of the Arcadian people. The true origin is unknown. In the later classical period Arcadia became the conventional setting for pastoral idylls, a convention copied in later European literature. The Russian given name owes its existence mainly to St Arkadios, a 4th-century missionary bishop venerated in the Eastern Church.
Cognate: Hungarian: Árkos.

Back  -   New Search

Arke m

Jewish: Yiddish pet form of AARON.

Back  -   New Search

Arkhip m

Russian: from Greek Arkhippos, composed of the elements arkh beginning or rule + hippos horse. St Arkhippos was one of the earliest Christians, twice mentioned by St Paul in his epistles (Colossians 4: 17; Philemon 2). Tradition has it that he became the first bishop of Colossae in Phrygia.
Pet form: Khipa.

Back  -   New Search

Árkos m

Hungarian form of ARKADI.

Back  -   New Search

Arlene f

English: modern coinage, most common in the United States. It is of unknown origin, probably a fanciful coinage based on MARLENE or CHARLENE or on both.

Back  -   New Search

Arlette f

French and English: of ancient but uncertain origin. It seems to represent a Norman French double diminutive form derived from the Germanic name element arn eagle. It was the name of the mistress of Duke Robert of Normandy in the 11th century; their son was William the Conqueror.

Back  -   New Search

Armelle f

French (of Breton origin): feminine form of the rarer male name Armel, originally borne by a Breton saint of the 6th century who founded the abbeys of St-Armel-des-Bascheaux and Plouërmel which still bear his name. According to medieval sources, he was born in Wales and was a cousin of St Samson. His name seems to be composed of the Celtic elements art stone + mael prince, chief.

Back  -   New Search

Armin m

German: a modern revival of an ancient Germanic name, mentioned in the form Arminius by the Roman historian Tacitus. Arminius (d. AD 21) was a chief of a Germanic tribe called the Cherusci, who in AD 9 inflicted a tremendous defeat on the Roman armies at the Teutoburgerwald, so that they abandoned any serious further attempts to extend their influence east of the Rhine. The name, which is probably etymologically identical with HERMANN, enjoyed a vogue during the period of National Socialism, with its emphasis on German military achievements.

Back  -   New Search

Armstrong m

English and Scottish: transferred use of the surname, which originated in the Borders in the Middle Ages, probably as a nickname for a man with strong arms. Like most given names derived from surnames, it no doubt owes its adoption as a given name to a maternal maiden name, but its choice may also have been influenced by the still transparent etymology.

Back  -   New Search

Arn m

1 Jewish: Yiddish contracted form of AARON.

2 English: short form of ARNOLD, of recent origin.
Pet form: Arnie.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Arnaldo m

Italian form of ARNOLD.

Back  -   New Search

Arnaud m

French form of ARNOLD.

Back  -   New Search

Arnbjörn m

Swedish: from an Old Norse personal name composed of the elements arn eagle + björn bear.
Variant: Ambjörn.
Cognate: Norwegian: Arnbjørn.

Back  -   New Search

Arndt m

German (esp. N. Germany): contracted form of ARNOLD.
Variant: Arnd.
Pet form: Arne.

Back  -   New Search

Arne m

1 Scandinavian: short form of any of various names derived from Old Norse names containing the first element arn eagle, for example ARNBJÖRN, Arnfinn and Arnsten. It is now quite widely used as a given name in its own right.

2 German: pet form of ARNDT.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Arno m

German: an old Germanic personal name, a short form of the various compound names beginning with the element arn eagle, for example ARNOLD and Arnulf (‘eagle wolf’).

Back  -   New Search

Arnold m

English and German: of Continental Germanic origin, composed of the elements arn eagle + wald ruler. It was introduced to Britain by the Normans. An early saint of this name, whose cult contributed to its popularity, was a musician at the court of Charlemagne. He is said to have been a Greek by birth; it is not clear when and how he acquired his Germanic name. It had died out in England by the end of the Middle Ages and was revived in the 19th century, along with a large number of other medieval Germanic names.
Variant: Arndt (N. German).
Cognates: French: Arnaud, Italian: Arnaldo.
Short form: English: ARN.

Back  -   New Search

Arnon m

Jewish: modern name taken from that of a river mentioned in the Bible (Numbers 21: 15). The river name means ‘swift’ in Hebrew.

Back  -   New Search

Arnot m

Czech form of ERNEST.

Back  -   New Search

Aron m

Simplified variant of AARON, also the regular Polish form.

Back  -   New Search

Árpád m

Hungarian: apparently from a diminutive of the vocabulary word árpa seed, barleycorn. It was the name of the Magyar chieftain who first conquered the territory that is modern Hungary, in the late 9th century, and who led his people to settle there. He is regarded as a national hero in Hungary, and many children are named after him.

Back  -   New Search

Arrigo m

Italian: vernacular form of the more learned ENRICO, a cognate of English HENRY, German Heinrich. Arrigo is the older form of the name, and was used throughout the Middle Ages.

Back  -   New Search

Arron m

English: altered spelling of ARON.

Back  -   New Search

Arseni m

Russian: from the Greek name Arsenios ‘male, virile’. St Arsenius the Great (d. c.449) was a Roman deacon who served as tutor to Arcadius and Honorius, the sons of the Emperor Theodosius, who divided the Roman Empire between them. In later life Arsenius became a hermit.
Pet form: Senya.

Back  -   New Search

Art m

English, Irish, and Scottish: now generally taken as an informal short form of ARTHUR. There is also a traditional Gaelic name of this form (from the vocabulary word art bear) which has generally been Anglicized as Arthur although it in fact has no connection with that name. In the diminutive form Artan it has given rise to the Skye surname Mac Artain, Anglicized as McCartan.

Back  -   New Search

Artair m

Scottish Gaelic form of ARTHUR.

Back  -   New Search

Artemas m

Of New Testament Greek origin, from a name that in fact represents a short form of various compound names containing that of the goddess ARTEMIS (for example, Artemidoros ‘gift of Artemis’ and Artemisthens ‘strength of Artemis’). It is borne in the Bible by a character mentioned briefly in St Paul's letter to Titus (3: 12). The name enjoyed some popularity among the Puritans in the 17th century, but fell out of use again.
Variant: Artemus (Latinized).

Back  -   New Search

Artemi m

Russian: from Greek Artemios, a derivative of ARTEMAS. St Artemius (d. 363) was a powerful official under the Emperor Constantine the Great, and was prefect of Egypt under his successor Constantius Chlorus. However, when Julian the Apostate came to the throne, Artemius was beheaded.
Variant: Artyom.
Pet form: Tyoma.

Back  -   New Search

Artemis f

From the name of the Greek goddess of the moon and of hunting, equivalent to the Latin DIANA. It is of uncertain derivation, and may well be pre-Greek. As a given name, it is rare in any country, but is chosen occasionally by parents in search of something distinctive. It is borne by a granddaughter of Lady Diana Cooper, perhaps as an oblique tribute to the grandmother.

Back  -   New Search

Arthur m

Of Celtic origin. King Arthur was a British king of the 5th or 6th century, about whom virtually no historical facts are known. He ruled in Britain after the collapse of the Roman Empire and before the coming of the Germanic tribes, and a vast body of legends grew up around him in the literatures of medieval Western Europe. His name is first found in the Latinized form Artorius and is of obscure derivation. The spelling with -th-, now invariably reflected in the pronunciation of the English name, is not found before the 16th century, and seems to represent no more than an artificial embellishment. The name became particularly popular in Britain in the 19th century, partly as a result of the fame of Arthur Wellesley (1769–1852), Duke of Wellington, partly because of the popularity of Tennyson's Idylls of the King (1842–85), and partly because of the enormous Victorian interest in things medieval in general and in Arthurian legend in particular. This interest also accounts for its adoption as a given name in France and elsewhere in Western Europe.
Cognates: Scottish Gaelic: Artair (from which derives the surname Mac Artair, Anglicized as McArthur and Carter). Irish Gaelic: Artúr. Italian, Spanish: Arturo.
Short form: ART.

Back  -   New Search

Artyom m

Russian: variant of ARTEMI.

Back  -   New Search

Arvid m

Scandinavian: from an Old Norse personal name composed of the elements arn eagle + viðr wood, tree.

Back  -   New Search

Arye m

Jewish: meaning ‘lion’ in Hebrew. The lion is traditionally associated with the name JUDAH, Hebrew YEHUDA, because of Jacob's words in his dying blessing: ‘Judah is a lion’s whelp' (Genesis 49: 9). It became common during the Middle Ages when such animal names were popular in Europe and is often used together with the Yiddish name LEIB.

Back  -   New Search

Asa m

Biblical: name of one of the early kings of Judah, who reigned for forty years, as recorded in 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles. It was originally a byname meaning ‘doctor, healer’ in Hebrew, and is still a common Jewish name. It was first used among English-speaking Christians by the Puritans in the 17th century, and although now far from common, it has never completely dropped out of use. In the 20th century it is largely known as the given name of the historian Asa Briggs and of the footballer Asa Hertford. See also ÅSA.

Back  -   New Search

Åsa f

Scandinavian: short form of any of various Old Norse female personal names containing the first element áss god. In Norway and Denmark the form Åse is also common.

Back  -   New Search

Asaph m

Biblical: from a Hebrew vocabulary word meaning ‘collector’. This is found attached to some of the Psalms (50 and 73–83), and may have been the name of the writer or of a cantor. Asaph is also mentioned at 1 Chronicles 6: 39, 9: 15, and 25: 1; and other, apparently unrelated bearers of the name are mentioned at 2 Kings 18: 37 and Isaiah 36: 3 and 36: 22. In more recent times the name was borne by Asaph Hall (1829–1907), the American astronomer who discovered the two satellites of Mars.

Back  -   New Search

Asdrubale m

Italian: from the name of the Carthaginian general Hasdrubal Barca (d. c.207 BC), brother of Hannibal (see ANNIBALE). The name is composed of the Phoenician elements asru aid (related to EZRA) + the divine name Baal ‘lord’. As a given name in Italy, this is not as common as ANNIBALE and AMILCARE.

Back  -   New Search

Asenath f

Biblical: name borne by Joseph's Egyptian wife (Genesis 41: 45), who became the mother of Manasseh and Ephraim. The name seems to have meant ‘she belongs to her father’ in ancient Egyptian.

Back  -   New Search

Asher m

Jewish: meaning ‘fortunate’ or ‘happy’ in Hebrew. This was borne in the Bible by one of the sons of Jacob: ‘and Leah said, Happy am I, for the daughters will call me blessed; and she called his name Asher’ (Genesis 30: 13).
Variant: Osher.

Back  -   New Search

Ashley m, f

English: an increasingly popular given name for girls, this is a transferred use of the surname, which comes from any of numerous places in England named in Old English with the elements æsc ash + lah wood. Its use as a given name may have been first inspired by admiration for the humanitarian work of Anthony Ashley Cooper (1801–85), Earl of Shaftesbury.

Back  -   New Search

Ashling f

Irish: Anglicized form of AISLING.

Back  -   New Search

Aslög f

Swedish: from an Old Norse female personal name composed of the elements áss god + laug consecrated, dedicated. The form Åslög is also used.
Cognates: Norwegian: Aslaug, Åslaug. Danish: Asløg, Aslaug.

Back  -   New Search

Åsmund m

Scandinavian: from the Old Norse personal name Ásmundr, composed of the elements áss god + mundr protector.
Cognate: English: OSMOND.

Back  -   New Search

Assumpta f

Latin form of ASSUNTA, used especially in Ireland among Roman Catholics.

Back  -   New Search

Assunta f

Italian: from a title of the Virgin Mary, Maria Assunta, referring to her assumption into heaven. Cf. ASUNCIÓN.

Back  -   New Search

Asta f

Scandinavian: short form of ASTRID. There has been much confusion with ÅSTA.

Back  -   New Search

Åsta f

Scandinavian: from the Old Norse female personal name Ásta, derived from the vocabulary element ást love.

Back  -   New Search

Aston m

English: transferred use of the surname, which originated in the Middle Ages as a local name, from any of the numerous English places so called, most being named with the Old English elements ast east + tn settlement.

Back  -   New Search

Astrid f

Scandinavian: composed of the Old Norse elements áss god + fríðr fair, beautiful. It has become fairly common in the English-speaking world during the 20th century, in part as a result of the fame of the Queen of the Belgians (1905–35) who bore this name.
Short form: Asta.
Pet form: Swedish: Sassa.

Back  -   New Search

Asunción f

Spanish: another of the many female names bestowed in honour of the Virgin Mary. This one commemorates her assumption into heaven, the festival of which has been celebrated on 15 August since at least the 7th century, although this has been a matter of official dogma since only 1950.
Short form: Asun.

Back  -   New Search

Asya f

Russian: pet form of both ANASTASIA and ANNA.

Back  -   New Search

Atalanta f

From classical mythology. Atalanta was a girl who was a swift runner and who took part in the hunt for the Calydonian boar. Meleager, leader of the hunt, gave her its pelt, for he had fallen in love with her. However, he died as a result of quarrels with his brothers. Atalanta undertook to marry only a man who could defeat her in a race; losers were condemned to death. Eventually, Hippomenes defeated her by dropping three golden apples which she stopped to pick up.

Back  -   New Search

Atarah f

Biblical: from a Hebrew word meaning ‘crown’. Atarah was one of the wives of Jerahmeel (1 Chronicles 2: 26).
Variant: Atara (now a common modern Hebrew name, possibly as a translation of Yiddish KREINE).

Back  -   New Search

Athanasius m

Latin: the name of an early Christian saint (c.297–373), an Alexandrian theologian venerated particularly in the Eastern Church. His name is derived from the Greek vocabulary word athanatos immortal, and was popular among early Christians, since it expressed their confidence in eternal life.
Derivatives: French: Athanase. Russian: Afanasi. Polish: Atanazy.
Pet form: Russian: Afonya.

Back  -   New Search

Athene f

From classical mythology: the name of the Greek goddess of wisdom and patron of Athens. It is used occasionally in the English-speaking world by parents seeking a distinctive name.

Back  -   New Search

Athol m, f

Scottish: transferred use of the name of a district of Perthshire, seat of the dukes of Atholl. The placename is thought to derive from Gaelic ath Fodla new Ireland.
Variants: Atholl, Athole.

Back  -   New Search

Attila m

Hungarian: name bestowed occasionally in honour of the great pagan military leader Attila the Hun (d. 453), who struck terror into the hearts of people in the Roman Empire, acquiring the nickname ‘the Scourge of God’. The origin of his name is unknown. His exploits were recorded and embroidered in Germanic legend; he lies behind the figure of Etzel in the Nibelungenlied, for example. Although the Huns inhabited what is now Hungary, and indeed gave it its modern English name, they were probably a Mongoloid people, and almost certainly unrelated to the Magyars, the modern inhabitants of Hungary.

Back  -   New Search

Attilio m

Italian: from the Latin family name Attilius, which is generally taken to be of Etruscan origin. The name was taken up in Italy during the Renaissance in honour of the Roman general Marcus Attilius Regulus (d. c.250 BC), who fought against Hamilcar during the First Punic War.

Back  -   New Search

Attracta f

Irish: Latinized version (as if from attractus attracted, drawn) of the Gaelic name Athracht. St Athracht or Attracta was a contemporary of St Patrick who lived as a recluse in Sligo.

Back  -   New Search

Auberon m

English: of Norman French origin, from Germanic. There is much doubt about the form and meaning of the elements of which it was originally composed; it may be connected with AUBREY, or may derive from the elements adal noble + ber(n) bear.
Variant: Oberon.

Back  -   New Search

Aubrey m, f

English: from a Norman French form of the Germanic name Alberic, composed of the elements alb elf, supernatural being + ric power. This was the (appropriate) name, according to Germanic mythology, of the king of the elves. The native Old English cognate, Ælfrc, borne by a 10th-century archbishop of Canterbury, did not long survive the Conquest. Aubrey was a relatively common given name during the Middle Ages, but later fell out of favour. Its occurrence since the 19th century may in part represent a transferred use of the surname derived from the Norman given name, as well as a revival of the latter.

Back  -   New Search

Audrey f

English: drastically reduced form of the Old English female name Æðelpryð, composed of the elements æðel noble + pryð strength. This was the name of a 6th-century saint (normally known by the Latinized form of her name, Etheldreda), who was a particular favourite in the Middle Ages. According to tradition she died from a tumour of the neck, which she bore stoically as a divine punishment for her youthful delight in fine necklaces. The name went into a decline at the end of the Middle Ages, when it came to be considered vulgar, being associated with tawdry, that is, lace and other goods sold at fairs held in her name (the word deriving from a misdivision of Saint Audrey). Shakespeare bestowed it on Touchstone's comic sweetheart in As You Like It. In the last century such associations have largely been forgotten, and the name has enjoyed some revival of popularity. The form Audra is also used, especially in the southern United States in double names such as Audra Jo and Audra Rose.

Back  -   New Search

Audrina f

English: recent fanciful elaboration of AUDREY.

Back  -   New Search

August m

German and Polish form of AUGUSTUS.

Back  -   New Search

Augusta f

Latinate feminine form of AUGUSTUS, which enjoyed a vogue in Britain towards the end of the 19th century.

Back  -   New Search

Auguste m

French form of AUGUSTUS.

Back  -   New Search

Augustine m

English form of the Latin name Augustnus (a derivative of AUGUSTUS). Its most famous bearer is St Augustine of Hippo (354–430), perhaps the greatest of the Fathers of the Christian Church. He formulated the principles followed by the numerous medieval communities named after him as Austin canons, friars, and nuns. Also important in England was St Augustine of Canterbury, who brought Christianity to Kent in the 6th century. See also AUSTIN.
Cognates: Irish Gaelic: Ághaistín, Aibhistin. Italian: Agostino. Spanish: Agustín. Catalan: Agustí. Portuguese: Agostinho. Russian: Avgustin. Polish: Augustyn. Finnish: Tauno.

Back  -   New Search

Augustus m

Latin name, from the adjective augustus great, magnificent (from augre to increase). This word was adopted as a title by the Roman emperors, starting with Octavian (Caius Julius Caesar Octavianus), the adopted son of Julius Caesar, who assumed it in 27 BC and is now generally known as the Emperor Augustus. This name, together with AUGUSTA, was revived in England in the 18th century, but it has now again declined in popularity.
Derivatives: German, Polish: August. French: Auguste. Italian, Spanish, Portuguese: Augusto. Russian: Avgust.
Short form: English, Irish: Gus.

Back  -   New Search

Aulay m

Scottish: Anglicized form of Amhla(i)dh (see AMHLAOIBH).

Back  -   New Search

Auliffe m

Irish: Anglicized form of AMHLAOIBH.

Back  -   New Search

Aune f

Finnish form of AGNES.

Back  -   New Search

Aurèle m

French form of the Roman family name Aurlius, which is derived from aureus golden. Its most famous bearer was the 2nd-century emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, also noted as a philosophical writer. It was later borne by various saints, including a 5th-century archbishop of Carthage who was a friend of St Augustine. It did not, however, enjoy much popularity in the Middle Ages, nor has it done so since; the modern use of the feminine form since the 17th century seems to be the result of its relatively transparent etymology (‘golden’).
Cognates: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese: Aurelio. German: Aurel; Orell (Switzerland).

Back  -   New Search

Aurelia f

Feminine form of Latin Aurelius (see AURÈLE), used occasionally in the English-speaking world.
Derivative: French: Aurélie.

Back  -   New Search

Aurkene f

Basque equivalent of PRESENTACIÓN.

Back  -   New Search

Aurora f

From Latin aurra dawn, also used in the classical period as the name of the personified goddess of the dawn. It was not used as a given name in the postclassical or medieval period, but is a reinvention of the Renaissance, and has generally been bestowed as a learned equivalent of DAWN by parents conscious of its etymology.
Derivative: French: Aurore.

Back  -   New Search

Austin m

English: from a medieval contracted form of the Latin name Augustnus (see AUGUSTINE). The present-day use of this form as a given name is probably a reintroduction from its survival as a surname, for the full forms are rare in the English-speaking world.
Variant: Austen.
Cognate: Welsh: Awstin.

Back  -   New Search

Auxilio f

Spanish: religious name meaning ‘help’, referring to the feast of Maria Auxiliadora ‘Mary the Helper’ celebrated on 24 May.

Back  -   New Search

Ava f

English: of uncertain origin, probably Germanic, from a short form of various female compound names containing the element av (cf. AVIS). St Ava or Avia was a 9th-century abbess of Dinart in Hainault and a member of the Frankish royal family. However, evidence for its use between the early Middle Ages and the mid-20th century is lacking, and it may be a modern invention. Its recent popularity is largely due to the film actress Ava Gardner (1922–90).

Back  -   New Search

Avdotya f

Russian: vernacular form of the learned name Evdokia, from the Greek name Eudokia (a compound of eu well, good + dokein to seem). This was Latinized as Eudocia. St Eudocia (98–117) was a Samaritan martyr beheaded by Trajan at Heliopolis in Syria.
Pet forms: Avdunya, Dunya, Dunyasha.

Back  -   New Search

Aveline f

English: of Germanic origin, introduced by the Normans. It seems to represent an Old French diminutive form of the Germanic name AVILA, a derivative of AVIS. See also EILEEN.

Back  -   New Search

Averil f

English: variant of AVRIL.

Back  -   New Search

Averill m

English (esp. U.S.): transferred use of the surname, which originated during the Middle Ages from the Old English female personal name Eoforhild (see AVRIL.)
Variant: Averell.

Back  -   New Search

Averki m

Russian: from the Greek name Aberkios (Latin Abercius), which is of uncertain, presumably non-classical, origin. It was borne by a 2nd-century bishop of Hieropolis in Phrygia, who is revered as a saint in the Orthodox Church.

Back  -   New Search

Avery m

English: transferred use of the surname, which originated in the Middle Ages from a Norman French pronunciation of ALFRED.

Back  -   New Search

Avgust m

Russian form of AUGUSTUS.

Back  -   New Search

Avgustin m

Russian form of AUGUSTINE.

Back  -   New Search

Avice f

English: variant spelling of AVIS.

Back  -   New Search

Avila f

English: this occurs in the Middle Ages as a Latinized form of a medieval Germanic name related to AVIS. In modern use, however, it is borne almost exclusively by Roman Catholics, among whom it is bestowed in honour of St Theresa of Avila (1515–82).

Back  -   New Search

Avis f

English: from a Norman French form of the Germanic name Aveza, derived from a short form of various female compound names containing the first element av (of uncertain meaning). The name probably owes its modest popularity in the later Middle Ages and subsequent centuries to its correspondence in form to the Latin feminine noun avis bird.
Variant: Avice.

Back  -   New Search

Avishag f

Jewish: modern Hebrew form of ABISHAG.

Back  -   New Search

Avital f

Jewish: modern Hebrew form of the biblical name Abital, meaning ‘dewy’, borne by a wife of King David (2 Samuel 3:4).

Back  -   New Search

Aviva f

Jewish: recent coinage from a modern Hebrew vocabulary word meaning ‘spring’.

Back  -   New Search

Avner m

Jewish: modern Hebrew form of ABNER.

Back  -   New Search

Avraham m

Jewish: modern Hebrew form of ABRAHAM.

Back  -   New Search

Avril f

English: although generally taken as the French form of the name of the fourth month (see APRIL), this has also been influenced by the English surname Everill, which is from an Old English female personal name composed of the elements eofor boar + hild battle.

Back  -   New Search

Avrom m

Jewish: Yiddish form of ABRAHAM.

Back  -   New Search

Axel m

Scandinavian (Danish) form of ABSALOM, sometimes also used in the United States.
Pet form: Acke.

Back  -   New Search

Ayala f

Jewish: modern Hebrew name meaning ‘hind’ or ‘doe’; cf. HINDE.

Back  -   New Search

Aylwin m

English: variant of ALWYN.

Back  -   New Search

Azaria f

English: female name apparently created in the 20th century and modelled on the rare male name AZARIAS.

Back  -   New Search

Azarias m

Biblical: Greek form of the Hebrew name Azariah ‘helped by God’, the name of a prophet who recalled King Asa to a proper observance of religion (2 Chronicles 15: 1–8).

Back  -   New Search

Azriel m

Jewish: name (meaning ‘God helps’ in Hebrew) borne in the Bible by a character briefly mentioned as a leading member of the tribe of Manasseh (1 Chronicles 5: 24).

Back  -   New Search

Azucena f

Spanish: from the vocabulary word azucena madonna lily (from Arabic as-susana the lily; cf. SUSANNA). The word seems to have been adopted as a given name because of the association of the flower with the Virgin Mary.

Back  -   New Search

B

Babs f

English: informal pet form of BARBARA.

Back  -   New Search

Badane f

Jewish: Yiddish form of Bogdana (see BOGDAN).

Back  -   New Search

Baibín f

Irish Gaelic: pet form of BAIRBRE.

Back  -   New Search

Bailey m

English: transferred use of the surname, which has various origins. Most commonly it was an occupational name for a bailiff or administrative official; in other cases it apparently originated as a local name for someone who lived near a bailey, i.e. a city fortification, and in others it may be a local name from Bailey in Lancashire, which gets its name from Old English bg berry + lah wood, clearing.

Back  -   New Search

Bairbre f

Irish Gaelic form of BARBARA.
Pet form: Baibín.

Back  -   New Search

Bakarne f

Basque equivalent of SOLEDAD.

Back  -   New Search

Balázs m

Hungarian form of BLAISE.

Back  -   New Search

Baldassare m

Italian cognate of BALTHASAR, occasionally borne in honour of the Blessed Balthasar of Chiavari, venerated in Pavia.

Back  -   New Search

Balder m

Swedish: from the name of an Old Norse god, meaning ‘prince’ or ‘ruler’, cognate with bold brave, strong. According to Norse mythology, this was the name of a son of Odin by his wife Frigg. According to some stories, Balder was the god of light. His mother persuaded everything in the world to swear an oath not to harm him, but she overlooked the mistletoe. The evil and cunning god Loki persuaded the blind god Hoder to aim a dart made of mistletoe at Balder, and it killed him. He is sometimes taken as a personification of doomed purity and beauty.
Cognate: German: Baldur.

Back  -   New Search

Baldie m

Scottish: pet form of ARCHIBALD.

Back  -   New Search

Baldomero m

Spanish: from a Germanic (Frankish) personal name composed of the elements bald bold, brave + mari, meri famous. This name was borne by a 7th-century saint from Lyons, patron of locksmiths.
Cognate: Provençal: Baldomar.

Back  -   New Search

Baldur m

German cognate of BALDER.

Back  -   New Search

Baldwin m

English: Norman name composed of the Germanic elements bald bold, brave + wine friend. In the Middle Ages this was a comparatively common name, which gave rise to a surname. It was the given name of the Norman crusader (Baldwin of Boulogne) who in 1100 was elected first king of Jerusalem. It was also the name of four further crusader kings of Jerusalem. In modern English use, it normally represents a transferred use of the surname rather than a direct revival of the Norman given name.
Cognate: French (esp. Belgian): Baudouin.

Back  -   New Search

Bálint m

Hungarian form of VALENTINE.

Back  -   New Search

Balthasar m

English: name ascribed in medieval Christian tradition to one of the three wise men of the Orient who brought gifts to the infant Jesus (see also JASPER and MELCHIORRE). The name is a variant of that of the biblical king Belshazzar and means ‘Baal protect the king’. It has never been a common given name in the English-speaking world.
Variant: Balthazar.
Cognates: Italian: Baldassare. Spanish: Baltasar.

Back  -   New Search

Baptist m

English and German form of BAPTISTE. As an English name it is used mainly in the United States by Blacks who are members of evangelical sects.

Back  -   New Search

Baptiste m

French: meaning ‘baptist’ (Late Latin baptista, Greek baptists, from baphein to dip), the epithet of the most popular of the numerous saints called JOHN. Although it occurs independently as a given name, it is normally found in combination with Jean (see JOHN).
Cognates: German, English: BAPTIST. Italian: Battista Spanish: Bautista. Portuguese: Batista.

Back  -   New Search

Barbara f

English, German, and Polish: from Latin, meaning ‘foreign woman’ (a feminine form of barbarus foreign, from Greek, referring originally to the unintelligible chatter of foreigners, which sounded to the Greek ear like no more than bar-bar). St Barbara has always been one of the most popular saints in the calendar, although there is some doubt whether she ever existed. According to legend, she was imprisoned in a tower and later murdered by her father, who was then struck down by a bolt of lightning; accordingly, she is the patron of architects, stonemasons, and fortifications, and of firework makers, artillerymen, and gunpowder magazines. The name is now occasionally modishly spelled Barbra, notably in the case of the actress and singer Barbra Streisand (b. 1942).
Cognates: Irish Gaelic: Bairbre. Scottish Gaelic: Barabal. Swedish: Barbro. Czech: Barbora. Russian: Varvara. Hungarian: Borbála.
Short forms: English: Barb (mainly U.S. informal). French: Barbe.
Pet forms: English: Barbie, Babs. Irish Gaelic: Baibín. German: Bärbel. Polish: Basia. Czech: Bára, Bora, Bar(in)ka, Barun(k)a, Baruka.

Back  -   New Search

Barclay m

Scottish, English, and Irish: generally a transferred use of the Scottish surname, which was taken to Scotland in the 12th century by Walter de Berchelai, who became chamberlain of Scotland in 1165. His name is almost certainly derived from Berkeley in Gloucestershire, which is named with the Old English elements beorc birch tree + lah wood or clearing. His descendants became one of the most powerful families in Scotland, and the transferred use as a given name probably originated in Scotland with reference to this family. In Ireland it has been pressed into service as an Anglicized form of PARTHALÁN.

Back  -   New Search

Barnabas m

English and German: from the New Testament, where Barnabas represents a Greek form of the name of a companion of St Paul. The Aramaic original meant ‘son of consolation’.
Variant: English: Barnaby (from a medieval vernacular form).
Cognates: French: Barnabé. Spanish: Bernabé. Polish: Barnaba. Czech: Barnabá. Hungarian: Barna.
Pet forms: English: Barney, Barny.

Back  -   New Search

Barrett m

English: transferred use of the surname, which is of obscure origin. It is probably a nickname from Middle English baret dispute, argument. The transferred use as a given name is recent.

Back  -   New Search

Barry m

Irish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Barra (Old Irish Bairre), a short form of Fionnb(h)arr (see FINBAR). In the 20th century this name has also become very popular in other areas of English-speaking world, particularly Australia.
Informal pet forms: Baz, Bazza (Australian).

Back  -   New Search

Bart m

English: short form of BARTON and BARTHOLOMEW.

Back  -   New Search

Barthold m

Low German form of BERTHOLD.

Back  -   New Search

Bartholomew m

English: of New Testament origin, the name of an apostle mentioned in all the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) and in the Acts of the Apostles. It is an Aramaic formation meaning ‘son of Talmai’, and has been assumed by many scholars to be a byname of the apostle Nathaniel. Talmai is a Hebrew name, said to mean ‘abounding in furrows’ (Numbers 13:22).
Cognates: Irish Gaelic: Bairtliméad; PARTHALÁN. Scottish Gaelic: Pàrlan. French: Barthélemy. Provençal: Barthomieu. Catalan: Bartomeu. Spanish: Bartolomé. Portuguese: Bartolmeu Italian: Bartolo(m)meo. German: Bartolomäus. Dutch: Bartholomeus (learned); Bartel (vernacular). Polish: Bartlomiej (learned); Bartosz (vernacular). Czech: Bartolomj. Russian: Varfolomei. Hungarian: Bartal, Bartos, Bartó. Finnish: Perttu.
Short forms: English: Bart. Irish: Bartle, Bartley. Italian: Bàrtolo; Meo.

Back  -   New Search

Barton m

English: transferred use of the surname, originally a local name from any of the numerous places in England so called from Old English bere barley + tn enclosure, settlement.
Short form: Bart.

Back  -   New Search

Baruch m

Jewish: biblical name meaning ‘blessed’ in Hebrew (cf. BENEDICT). It is borne by a character who appears in the Book of Jeremiah.

Back  -   New Search

Baruna f

Czech: pet form of Barbora (see BARBARA).
Variants: Barunka, Baruka.

Back  -   New Search

Bashe f

Jewish: Yiddish pet form of BATYAH.

Back  -   New Search

Basia f

Polish: pet form of BARBARA.

Back  -   New Search

Basil m

English: from the Greek name Basileios ‘royal’ (a derivative of basileus king). This name was borne by St Basil the Great (c.330–379), bishop of Caesarea, a theologian regarded as one of the Fathers of the Eastern Church. It was also the name of several early saints martyred in the East.
Cognates: Polish: Bazyli. Russian: Vasili.

Back  -   New Search

Bastien m

French: aphetic short from of Sébastien (see SEBASTIAN).
Feminine form: Bastienne.

Back  -   New Search

Basye f

Jewish: Yiddish pet form of BATYAH.

Back  -   New Search

Bathsheba f

Biblical name, meaning ‘daughter of the oath’ in Hebrew. This was the name of the woman who became the wife of King David, after he had disposed of her husband Uriah, and mother of King Solomon (2 Samuel 11–12). It was popular with the Puritans in England, no doubt because of the great beauty attributed to the biblical character.
Variant: Jewish: Batsheva (the modern Hebrew form).

Back  -   New Search

Batista m

Portuguese form of BAPTISTE.

Back  -   New Search

Battista m

Italian form of BAPTISTE.

Back  -   New Search

Batyah f

Jewish: modern Hebrew name composed of the elements bat daughter + yah God. It is also possibly a variant of Bithiah, the name of an Egyptian princess mentioned in i Chronicles 4:18. The Hebrew spelling of Batyah and Bithiah is identical.
Pet forms: Basye, Bashe.

Back  -   New Search

Batzion f

Jewish: modern Hebrew name meaning ‘daughter of Zion’.

Back  -   New Search

Baudouin m

French form of BALDWIN, common especially in Belgium, where it is borne by Baudouin I (b. 1930), King of the Belgians since 1951.

Back  -   New Search

Bautista m

Spanish form of BAPTISTE.

Back  -   New Search

Baxter m

English: transferred use of the surname, which originated in the Middle Ages as an occupational name for a baker, Old English bæcestre. The -estre suffix was originally feminine, but by the Middle English period the gender difference had been lost; Baxter was merely a regional variant of Baker.

Back  -   New Search

Baz m

English: informal pet form of BARRY.
Variant: Bazza (Australian).

Back  -   New Search

Bazyli m

Polish form of BASIL.

Back  -   New Search

Bea f

English: informal short form of BEATRICE or BEATRIX.

Back  -   New Search

Bean m

Scottish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name BEATHAN.

Back  -   New Search

Bearnard m

Irish and Scottish Gaelic form of BERNARD.

Back  -   New Search

Bearnas f

Scottish Gaelic form of BERENICE, often considered as a feminine equivalent of BEARNARD.

Back  -   New Search

Beat m

Swiss German: name borne in honour of the apostle of Switzerland, a hermit of uncertain date who established himself at the place now called Beatenberg, above the lake of Thun. His name derives from Late Latin Betus ‘blessed’; cf. BEATA.

Back  -   New Search

Beata f

Late Latin feminine form of Betus ‘blessed’. St Beata is the name of an early Christian saint martyred at an unknown date in North Africa. The name is widely used among Roman Catholics in Germany, Poland, and elsewhere; it is less common in the English–speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Beathan m

Scottish Gaelic: traditional name, a derivative of beatha life.
Anglicized forms: Bean; BENJAMIN.
Feminine form: Beathag (often Anglicized as SOPHIA or REBECCA).

Back  -   New Search

Beatrice f

Italian and French form of BEATRIX, occasionally used in England during the Middle Ages, and strongly revived in the 19th century. It is most famous as the name of Dante's beloved.
Cognates: Scottish Gaelic: Beitiris. Welsh: Betrys (a modern Welsh spelling of the English given name).
Short form: English: Bea.
Pet forms: English: Beat(t)ie. Italian: Bice.

Back  -   New Search

Beatrix f

English and German: from a Late Latin personal name, which was borne by a saint executed in Rome, together with Faustinus and Simplicius, in the early 4th century. The original form of the name seems to have been Vitrix, a feminine version of Vitr ‘voyager (through life)’, which was common among early Christians. This was then altered by association with Latin Betus ‘blessed’ (Via- and Bea- being pronounced very similarly in Late Latin).
Cognate: Spanish: Beatriz. See also BEATRICE.

Back  -   New Search

Beau m

English: recent coinage as a given name, originally a nickname meaning ‘handsome’, as borne by Beau Brummell (1778–1840), the dandy who was for a time a friend of the Prince Regent. The word was also used in the 19th century with the meaning ‘admirer’ or ‘sweetheart’. Its adoption as a given name seems to have been due to the hero of P. C. Wren's novel Beau Gate (1924) or to the character of Beau Wilks in Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind (1936), which was made into an exceptionally popular film in 1939.

Back  -   New Search

Bechor m

Jewish: Hebrew name meaning ‘firstborn’. This given name is borne particularly by Jews of Sephardic descent.

Back  -   New Search

Becky f

English: pet form of REBECCA. It has occasionally been used as an independent given name, and was especially popular in the 18th and 19th centuries. The modern short form Becca is also occasionally used, and the form Beca is well established in Wales.

Back  -   New Search

Bedich m

Czech form of FREDERICK.
Feminine form: Bedika.
Pet forms: Béda m, f; Bediek m; Bed'ka, Beduna, ika f.

Back  -   New Search

Begoña f

Spanish (largely confined to the Basque country): name bestowed in honour of our Lady of Begoña, venerated as the patron saint of Bilbao. There is no connection with the flower begonia, which was so named in the 18th century after Michel Begon (1630–1710), a French patron of science.

Back  -   New Search

Beile f

Jewish (Yiddish): probably derived from the Slavonic element beli white (cf. the Czech female name Bla). According to others, it is from the Romance element bella beautiful (cf. BELLA and SHAYNA).
Variant: Beyle.
Pet form: Beylke.

Back  -   New Search

Beileag f

Scottish Gaelic: pet form of ISEABAIL.
Variants: Bella(g) (Anglicized forms).

Back  -   New Search

Beistean m

Scottish Gaelic: pet form of Gille Easbaig (see GILLESPIE).

Back  -   New Search

Beitidh f

Scottish Gaelic form of BETTY.

Back  -   New Search

Beitiris f

Scottish Gaelic form of BEATRICE.

Back  -   New Search

Béla m

Hungarian: of uncertain origin. There seems to be no linguistic foundation for connecting it with the German name Albrecht (see ALBERT). It may be a borrowing from Slavonic, from belo white, the first element in such names as Belo-slav. Alternatively, it may be from the Hungarian vocabulary word bél inner part, or from a Turkic byname meaning ‘distinguished’.

Back  -   New Search

Belén f

Spanish: chosen in commemoration of Jesus's birthplace at Bethlehem in Judea, the Spanish form of which is Belén. The placename means ‘house of bread’ in Hebrew.

Back  -   New Search

Belinda f

English: of uncertain origin. It was used by Sir John Vanbrugh for a character in his comedy The Provok'd Wife (1697), was taken up by Alexander Pope in The Rape of the Lock (1712), and has enjoyed a steady popularity ever since. It is not certain where Vanbrugh got the name from. The notion that it is Germanic (with a second element lind lime tree) does not seem to be well-founded. In Italian literature it is the name ascribed to the wife of Orlando, vassal of Charlemagne, but this use is not supported in Germanic sources. The name may be an Italian coinage from bella beautiful (see BELLA) + the feminine name suffix -inda (cf. e.g. LUCINDA).

Back  -   New Search

Bella f

Italian, Scottish, and English: aphetic short form of Isabella, the Italian form of ISABEL, but also associated with the Italian adjective bella, feminine of bello handsome, beautiful (Late Latin bellus).

Back  -   New Search

Bellarmino m

Catholic name given in honour of the Italian saint Roberto Bellarmino (1542–1621), a prominent Jesuit. He was canonized in 1930 and declared a Doctor of the Church in 1931; his surname has occasionally been used as a given name in the 20th century.

Back  -   New Search

Belle f

English: variant of BELLA, reflecting the French feminine adjective belle beautiful.

Back  -   New Search

Beltrán m

Spanish form, by dissimilation, of BERTRAM.

Back  -   New Search

Ben m

English: short form of BENJAMIN, or less commonly of BENEDICT or BENNETT.
Pet forms: Benny, Bennie.

Back  -   New Search

Benedict m

English: from Church Latin Benedictus ‘blessed’. This was the name of the saint (c.480–c.550) who composed the Benedictine rule of Christian monastic life that is still followed in essence by all Western orders. He was born near Spoleto in Umbria, central Italy. After studying in Rome, he went to live as a hermit at Subiaco, and later organized groups of followers and imitators into monastic cells. In c.529 he moved to Monte Cassino, where he founded the great monastery that is still the centre of the Benedictine order. His rule is simple, restrained, and practical. The name is used mainly by Roman Catholics.
Variant: English: BENNETT.
Cognates: Scottish Gaelic: Benneit. French: Benoît. Italian: Benedetto. Spanish: BENITO. Portuguese: Bento. Catalan: Benet. Provençal: Bénézet. German, Dutch: Benedikt. Danish: Bendt, Bent. Swedish: Bengt. Russian: Venedikt. Polish: Benedykt Czech: Bene. Hungarian: Benedek. Finnish: Pentti.
Feminine forms: Latin: Benedicta. French: Benoîte. Italian: Benedetta. German, Dutch: Benedikta.

Back  -   New Search

Benigno m

Italian and Spanish: from the Late Latin name Benignus ‘kind’ (a derivative of Latin bene well), which was borne by a large number of early saints. One was the 3rd-century martyr to whom Dijon cathedral is dedicated; another was a 5th-century disciple of St Patrick.

Back  -   New Search

Benito m

Spanish form of BENEDICT. In the 2Oth century it has also been used in Italy, most notably by the dictator Benito Mussolini (1883–1945), who was named after the Mexican revolutionary leader Benito Pablo Juarez (1806–72).

Back  -   New Search

Benjamin m

English (also French and German): of biblical origin. Benjamin was one of the founders of the twelve tribes of Israel, the youngest of the twelve sons of Jacob. His mother Rachel died in giving birth to him, and in her last moments she named him Benoni, meaning ‘son of my sorrow’. His father, however, did not wish him to bear such an ill-omened name, and renamed him Benyamin (Genesis 35: 16–18; 42: 4). This means either ‘son of the right hand’ or more likely ‘son of the south’ (Hebrew yamin can also mean ‘south’), since Benjamin was the only child of Jacob born in Canaan and not in Mesopotamia to the north. Another tradition is that the second element of the name is a variant of the Hebrew word yamim which means ‘days’ but is used idiomatically to mean ‘year’ or ‘years’. The name would then mean ‘son of (my) old age’ and refer to the fact that Benjamin was Jacob's youngest child. In the Middle Ages the name was often given to sons whose mothers had died in childbirth. Today it has no such unfortunate associations, but is still mainly a Jewish name. In the Scottish Highlands it has been used as an Anglicized form of the Gaelic name BEATHAN.
Variant: Jewish: Binyamin (the modern Hebrew form).
Cognate: Russian: Venyamin.
Short form: English: Ben.
Pet forms: English: Benny, Bennie, Benji(e).

Back  -   New Search

Benneit m

Scottish Gaelic form of BENEDICT.

Back  -   New Search

Bennett m

English: the normal medieval form of BENEDICT, now sometimes used as an antiquarian revival, but more often it is a transferred use of the surname, which is derived from the medieval given name.
Variants: Benett, Bennet, Benet.

Back  -   New Search

Benno m

German: from a medieval short form of various compound Germanic names containing the first element bern bear. By the later Middle Ages it came to be considered and used as a short form of BENEDICT. St Benno (1010–1106) was a bishop of Meissen, who preached to the Wends in what is now East Germany. He is the patron saint of Munich.

Back  -   New Search

Benoît m

French form of BENEDICT.
Feminine form: Benoîte.

Back  -   New Search

Benson m

English: transferred use of the surname, which originated in part as a patronymic from Ben(n), a short form of BENEDICT, and in part as a local name from Benson (formerly Bensington) in Oxfordshire.

Back  -   New Search

Bent m

Danish: simplified form of Bendt (see BENEDICT).

Back  -   New Search

Bentley m

English: transferred use of the surname, which originated as a local name from any of the dozen or so places in England so called from Old English beonet bent grass + lah wood or clearing.

Back  -   New Search

Bento m

Portuguese form of BENEDICT.

Back  -   New Search

Benvenuto m

Italian: from a medieval given name meaning ‘welcome’, composed of the elements bene well, good + venuto, past participle of venire to come, arrive. The Italian metalworker, sculptor, and writer Benvenuto Cellini (1500–71) is one of the most vital and engaging figures of the Renaissance, and the name may in some cases be bestowed in his honour, although parts of his autobiography are far from spiritually uplifting. The meaning of the name has remained transparent, however, and in the majority of cases it has no doubt been bestowed as an expression of the parents' joy in the birth of their child.

Back  -   New Search

Benzion m

Jewish: modern Hebrew name meaning ‘son of Zion’ (cf. BATZION).

Back  -   New Search

Beppe m

Italian: pet form of GIUSEPPE.
Variant: Beppo.

Back  -   New Search

Ber m

Jewish: from the Yiddish vocabulary word ber bear (cf. modern German Bär), probably influenced by the early medieval European practice of giving animal names to people. It is often paired with Dov in order to provide a Hebrew name in certain rituals.

Back  -   New Search

Berenice f

English and Italian: from the Greek personal name Berenik, which seems to have originated in the royal house of Macedon. It is almost certainly a Macedonian dialectal form of the Greek name Pherenk ‘victory bringer’. It was introduced to the Egyptian royal house by the widow of one of Alexander the Great's officers, who married Ptolemy I. It was also borne by an early Christian woman mentioned in Acts 25, for which reason it was felt to be acceptable by the Puritans in the 17th century. It has now fallen out of fashion again.
Variant: Bernice (the form used in the Authorized Version).
Cognates: Scottish Gaelic: Bearnas. French: Bérénice.

Back  -   New Search

Berit f

Scandinavian: variant of BIRGIT.

Back  -   New Search

Berkley m

English and Irish: variant of BARCLAY.

Back  -   New Search

Bernabé m

Spanish form of BARNABAS.

Back  -   New Search

Bernadette f

French: feminine diminutive of BERNARD. Its use in Britain and Ireland is almost exclusively confined to Roman Catholics;, who take it in honour of St Bernadette Soubirous (1844–79), a French peasant girl who had visions of the Virgin Mary and uncovered a spring near Lourdes where miraculous cures are still sought.
Variant: Bernardette.
Cognate: Italian: Bernardetta.

Back  -   New Search

Bernard m

English and French: from a Germanic personal name composed of the elements ber(n) bear + hard hardy, brave, strong. This was the name of three famous medieval churchmen: St Bernard of Menthon (923–1008), founder of a hospice on each of the Alpine passes named after him; the monastic reformer St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090–1153); and the scholastic philosopher Bernard of Chartres. In England before the Norman Conquest a native Old English form of the name, Beornheard, existed, but it is the Norman form, derived through French from Continental Germanic, that became established as a conventional English given name.
Cognates: Gaelic: Bearnard. Italian, Spanish: Bernardo. Catalan: Bernat. German: Bernhard(t), Bernd(t). Scandinavian: Bernt.
Pet form: English: Bernie.

Back  -   New Search

Berneen f

Irish: diminutive from a shortening of BERNADETTE.

Back  -   New Search

Bernice f

French and English: contracted form of BERENICE, now fairly popular in the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Berry f

English: from the vocabulary word (Old English berie). This is one of the less common of the names referring to flowers, fruit, and vegetation introduced to the English-speaking world in the 20th century.

Back  -   New Search

Bert m

English: short form of any of the various names containing this syllable as a first or second element, for example ALBERT and BERTRAM. See also BURT.
Pet form: Bertie.

Back  -   New Search

Bertha f

German and English: Latinized version of a Germanic name, a short form of various compound women's personal names containing the element berht famous (cognate with Modern English bright). It probably existed in England before the Conquest, and was certainly reinforced by Norman use, but fell from currency. It was reintroduced into the English-speaking world from Germany in the 19th century, but has once again fallen out of fashion.
Cognates: French: Berthe. Polish, Czech: Berta.

Back  -   New Search

Berthold m

German: from an old Germanic personal name composed of the elements berht bright, famous + wald ruler. The second element has been altered by association with German hold lovely, splendid.
Cognate: Low German: Barthold.

Back  -   New Search

Bertil m

Scandinavian: from a Germanic pet form of various compound names containing the first element berht bright, famous, with the hypocoristic suffix -il. The Blessed Bertilo (d. c.878) was an abbot of St Benignus at Dijon in Burgundy, who was murdered by Norman raiders.
Variant: Bertel.

Back  -   New Search

Bertram m

English: from a Norman French name composed of the Germanic elements berht bright, famous + hramn raven. Ravens were traditional symbols of wisdom in Germanic mythology; Odin was regularly accompanied by ravens called Hugin and Munin. See also BERTRAND.
Cognate: Spanish: Beltrán.
Short form: English: Bert.
Pet form: English: Bertie.

Back  -   New Search

Bertrand m

French and English: variant of BERTRAM, originating in the Middle Ages. In modern times it has been made famous by the English philosopher Bertrand Russell (1872–1970).

Back  -   New Search

Berwyn m

Welsh: from an ancient Welsh personal name composed of the elements barr head + (g)wyn white, fair.

Back  -   New Search

Beryl f

English: one of several women's names that are taken from gemstones and which came into fashion at the end of the 19th century. Beryl is a pale green stone (of which emerald is a variety). Other colours are also found. The word is from Greek, and is ultimately of Indian origin.

Back  -   New Search

Bess f

English: short form of ELIZABETH, in common use in the days of Queen Elizabeth I, who was known as ‘Good Queen Bess’.
Pet forms: Bessie, Bessy.

Back  -   New Search

Bet f

English: short form of ELIZABETH.
Pet form: Betty.

Back  -   New Search

Bta f

Czech: short form of ALBTA.
Pet forms: Btka, Btuka.

Back  -   New Search

Beth f

English: short form of ELIZABETH, not used before the 19th century, when it became popular in America and elsewhere after publication of Louisa M. Alcott's novel Little Women (1868), in which Beth March is one of the four sisters who are the central characters.
Pet form: Welsh: Bethan (now also popular elsewhere in the English-speaking world).

Back  -   New Search

Bethany f

English: of New Testament origin. In the New Testament it is a placename, that of the village just outside Jerusalem where Jesus stayed during Holy Week, before going on to Jerusalem and crucifixion (Matthew 21: 17; Mark 11: 1; Luke 19: 29; John 12: 1). Its Hebrew name may mean ‘house of figs’ (beth te'ena or beth te'enimf). The given name is favoured mainly by Roman Catholics, being bestowed in honour of Mary of Bethany, sister of Martha and Lazarus. She is sometimes identified with Mary Magdalene (see MADELEINE), although the grounds for this identification are very poor.

Back  -   New Search

Betrys f

Welsh form of BEATRICE.

Back  -   New Search

Betsy f

English: pet form of ELIZABETH, a cross between Betty (see BET) and Bessie (see BESS).

Back  -   New Search

Bettina f

1 English: Latinate elaboration of BETTY.

2 Italian: contracted elaboration of Benedetta (see BENEDICT).
Top

Back  -   New Search

Betty f

English: pet form of ELIZABETH, dating from the 18th century.
Cognate: Scottish Gaelic: Beitidh.

Back  -   New Search

Beulah f

Biblical: from the name applied to the land of Israel by the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 62: 4). It means ‘married’ in Hebrew, but ‘the land of Beulah’ has sometimes been taken as a reference to heaven. It was taken up as a given name in England at the time of the Reformation and was popular among the Puritans in the 17th century. It is still occasionally used in the United States, largely among Blacks.

Back  -   New Search

Beverley f also m

English: transferred use of the surname, which comes from a place in Humberside named in Old English with the elements beofor beaver + lac stream. The spelling Beverly is apparently used exclusively for girls, and is the usual form of the female name in America. It is not clear why it should have become a comparatively popular female name. In America, association with Beverly Hills in Los Angeles, the district where many film stars live, may have been an influencing factor.

Back  -   New Search

Beynish m

Jewish (Yiddish): from the Czech given name Bene, a form of BENEDICT. It was no doubt adopted by Jews on account of its auspicious meaning, ‘blessed’, and as a translation of BARUCH.

Back  -   New Search

Bhàtair m

Scottish Gaelic form of WALTER.
Variant: Bhaltair.

Back  -   New Search

Bhictoria f

Scottish Gaelic form of VICTORIA.

Back  -   New Search

Biagio m

Italian form of BLAISE.

Back  -   New Search

Bianca f

Italian: from bianca white (i.e. ‘pure’, but cf. BLANCHE). The name was used by Shakespeare for characters in two of his plays that are supposed to take place in an Italian context: the mild-mannered sister of Katharina, the ‘shrew’ in The Taming of the Shrew, and a courtesan in Othello. Recently, it has been borne most famously by Bianca Jagger, the Nicaraguan fashion model, peace worker, and diplomat who was for a time married to the rock singer Mick Jagger.
Cognates: French: Blanche. Spanish: Blanca. Polish, Czech: Blanka.

Back  -   New Search

Bice f

Italian: contracted pet form of BEATRICE.

Back  -   New Search

Biddy f

Irish and English: pet form of BRIDE or BRIDGET. It was formerly quite common, but is now seldom used outside Ireland, partly perhaps because the informal expression ‘an old biddy’ in English has come to denote a tiresome old woman.

Back  -   New Search

Bigge m

Swedish: pet form of BIRGER.

Back  -   New Search

Bill m

English: altered short form of WILLIAM, not used before the 19th century. The reason for the change in the initial consonant is not clear, but it conforms to the pattern regularly found when English words beginning with w- are borrowed into Gaelic; the nickname ‘King Billy’ for William of Orange is an early example from Ireland which may have influenced English usage.
Pet forms: English: Billy, BILLIE. Gaelic: Builidh.

Back  -   New Search

Billie f, m

English: variant of Billy (see BILL), now mainly used for girls, and sometimes bestowed at baptism as a feminine equivalent of WILLIAM.

Back  -   New Search

Bina f

1 Jewish (Yiddish): from the Yiddish vocabulary word bin(e) bee. This was used as a translation of the Hebrew name Devorah (see DEBORAH), meaning ‘bee’. However, it was often taken as being from Hebrew bina understanding.

2 Among Gentiles, it occasionally occurs as an aphetic short form of ALBINA.
Variants: Binah, Bine.
Pet form: Binke.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Binyamin m

Jewish: modern Hebrew form of BENJAMIN.

Back  -   New Search

Bionda f

Italian: originally a nickname for a woman with fair hair, from the vocabulary word meaning ‘blonde’ (of Germanic origin).

Back  -   New Search

Birger m

Swedish: of Old Norse origin, apparently an agent derivative of the verb biarga to help. Earlier forms of the name are Birghir and Byrghir. It has been in use from the Viking period to the present day, and it may in some cases have been chosen as a masculine form of BIRGIT.
Variant: BÖRJE.
Pet forms: Bigge, Birre.

Back  -   New Search

Birgit f

Swedish (also used elsewhere in Scandinavia): borrowing of the Irish Gaelic name Brighid (see BRIDGET). This name owes its enormous popularity in Scandinavia, especially in Sweden, to St Birgitta(1304–73), patron saint of Sweden. She was a noblewoman who bore her husband eight children. After his death, she founded an order of nuns, the ‘Bridgettines’ or Order of the Most Holy Saviour. She also went to Rome, where she attempted to reform religious life.
Variants: Berit, Britt, Brit(t)a; Birgitta (now rare). Danish: Birgitte, Birt(h)e, Gitte.

Back  -   New Search

Birre m

Swedish: pet form of BIRGER.

Back  -   New Search

Björn m

Swedish: from an Old Norse byname meaning ‘bear’. It is also in part a short form of compound names such as ARNBJÖRN and TORBJÖRN.
Cognates: Norwegian: Bjørn, Bjarne.

Back  -   New Search

Blahoslav m

Czech: from an old Slavonic personal name composed of the elements blago blessed + slav glory.
Feminine form: Blahoslava.
Pet forms: Blaho(ek) m; Blahue f.

Back  -   New Search

Blair m, f

Scottish: transferred use of the surname, a local name from various places named with Gaelic blàr plain, field. In North America, it is now widely used as a female given name.

Back  -   New Search

Blaise m

French: the name (Latin Blasius, probably from blaesus lisping) of a saint popular throughout Europe in the Middle Ages but almost forgotten today. He was a bishop of Sebaste in Armenia, and was martyred in the early years of the 4th century; these bare facts were elaborated in a great number of legends that reached Europe from the East at the time of the Crusades. The name is rare in the English–speaking world; its modern popularity in France is partly due to the 17th–century French philosopher and mathematician Blaise Pascal.
Cognates: Italian: Biag(g)io. Spanish: Blas. Portuguese: Bras, Braz. Catalan: Blai. Provençal: Blasi. Polish: Blaej. Czech: Blaej. Russian: Vlas(i). Hungarian: Balázs.

Back  -   New Search

Blake m

English: transferred use of the surname, which has two quite distinct etymologies. It is both from Old English blæc black and from Old English blc pale, white; it was thus originally a nickname given to someone with hair or skin that was either remarkably dark or remarkably light. It is now quite popular as a male given name.

Back  -   New Search

Blanche f

French and English: originally a nickname for a blonde, from blanche, feminine of Old French blanc white (of Germanic origin). It came to be associated with the notion of whiteness as indicating purity, and was introduced into England as a given name by the Normans. A pale complexion combined with light hair has long been an ideal of beauty in Europe (cf. modern English fair, which at first meant ‘beautiful’ and then, from the 16th century, ‘light in colouring’).
Cognates: Italian: BIANCA. Spanish: Blanca. Polish, Czech: Blanka.

Back  -   New Search

Bláthnaid f

Irish Gaelic: originally an affectionate nickname representing a diminutive form of bláth flower.
Variants: Bláithín, Bláthnait.

Back  -   New Search

Bleddyn m

Welsh: ancient byname derived from the vocabulary element blaidd wolf + the diminutive suffix -yn. Blaidd was often used in medieval Welsh as a term for a hero.

Back  -   New Search

Blodwedd f

Welsh: name borne by a character in the Mabinogi. She was conjured up out of flowers as a bride for Lleu Llaw Gyffes, and was originally called Blodeuedd, a derivative of blawd flowers. After she had treacherously had her husband killed she was transformed into an owl, and her name was changed to Blodeuwedd ‘flower face’, an allusion to the markings round the eyes of the owl.

Back  -   New Search

Blodwen f

Welsh: traditional name composed of the elements blawd flowers + (g)wen white, feminine of gwyn white, fair, blessed, holy. The name was a relatively common one in the Middle Ages and has recently been revived.

Back  -   New Search

Blossom f

English: 19th-century coinage, from the vocabulary word for flowers on a fruit–tree or ornamental tree (Old English blstm), used as an affectionate pet name for a young girl.

Back  -   New Search

Blume f

Jewish: Yiddish name, originally an affectionate nickname meaning ‘flower’ (from Middle High German bluome).
Pet form: Blumke.

Back  -   New Search

Bo m

Swedish and Danish: originally a byname for a householder, from a derivative of Old Norse búa to live, dwell, have a household.
Pet form: Swedish: Bosse.

Back  -   New Search

Boaz m

Biblical: Hebrew name of uncertain origin, perhaps meaning ‘swiftness’. In the Bible it is borne by a distant kinsman of Ruth who treats her generously and eventually marries her. The given name was in occasional use in England in the 17th and 18th centuries but is now very rare. It is sometimes used in Jewish families.
Variant: Boas.

Back  -   New Search

Bob m

English: altered short form of ROBERT, a later development than the common medieval forms Hob, Dob, and Nob, all of which, unlike Bob, have given rise to English surnames.
Pet forms: Bobby, BOBBIE.

Back  -   New Search

Boba m

Russian: pet form of BORIS.

Back  -   New Search

Bobbie f, m

English: variant of Bobby (see BOB), now mainly used as a female name, in part as a pet form of Roberta (see ROBERT).

Back  -   New Search

Bodek m

Polish: pet form of BOGDAN.

Back  -   New Search

Bodil f

Scandinavian (originally Danish): from an Old Norse female personal name composed of the elements bót bettering, remedy, compensation + hildr battle.
Variants: Botilda (Latinized). Swedish: Bothild.

Back  -   New Search

Bodo m

German: from an old Germanic personal name, originally a short form of various compound names containing the first element bod tidings, messenger.

Back  -   New Search

Bódog m

Hungarian: originally a nickname meaning ‘fortunate’, used as a loan translation of FELIX.

Back  -   New Search

Bodzio m

Polish: pet form of BOGDAN.

Back  -   New Search

Bogdan m

Polish and Ukrainian: from an old Slavonic personal name composed of the elements bog god + dan gift. It is therefore semantically equivalent to THEODORE and DOROTHY as well as to MATTHEW, NATHANIEL, and JONATHAN.
Cognate: Czech: Bohdan.
Pet forms: Polish: Bodek, Bodzio.
Feminine forms: Polish: Bogdana, Bogna, Dana. Czech: Bohdana. Ukrainian: Bohdanna. Yiddish: Badane.

Back  -   New Search

Boguchwa m

Polish: vernacular name originating in the Middle Ages, composed of the elements Bóg God + chwaa praise (cf. GOTTLOB). This is a specifically Christian formation, modelled on already existing names of pagan origin such as BOGUMIERZ.
Variant: Bogufal. See also CHWALIBÓG.

Back  -   New Search

Bogumierz m

Polish: from an old Slavonic personal name composed of the elements bog god + meri great, famous (see CASIMIR).
Cognates: Czech: Bohumír. Ukrainian: Bohomir.

Back  -   New Search

Bogumi m

Polish: from an old Slavonic personal name composed of the elements bog god + mil grace, favour. St Bogumi (d. 1182) was an archbishop of Gniezno (Gnesen) who founded the abbey of Koronowa. His cult was not officially approved by the Church until 1925, but it flourished nevertheless during seven centuries of turbulence and repression, sometimes serving as a symbol of Polish national and spiritual aspirations.
Cognate: Czech: Bohumil.
Feminine forms: Polish: Bogumila. Czech: Bohumila.

Back  -   New Search

Bogusaw m

Polish: from an old Slavonic personal name composed of the elements bog god + slav glory.
Cognate: Czech: Bohuslav.
Pet forms: Polish: Bogusz, Bohusz.
Feminine forms: Polish: Boguslawa. Czech: Bohuslava.

Back  -   New Search

Bojan m

Czech: from an old Slavonic personal name, a derivative of the element boi battle.
Feminine form: Bojana.
Pet forms: Bojánek, Bojek, Bojík m; Bojka f.

Back  -   New Search

Boje m

Frisian spelling of BOYE.

Back  -   New Search

Bolesaw m

Polish: from an old Slavonic personal name composed of the elements bole large + slav glory.
Cognate: Czech: Boleslav.
Feminine forms: Polish: Bolesawa. Czech: Boleslava.
Pet forms: Czech: Bolek m; Bolen(k)a f.

Back  -   New Search

Bona f

Italian and Polish: from the feminine form of the Late Latin name Bonus ‘good’. This was a traditional hereditary name in the royal house of Savoy, and in the 16th century it was taken to Poland by Bona Sforza, who married King Sigismund I of Poland. She was noted as a patron of the arts, and was instrumental in bringing the Renaissance to Poland. The name was also borne by a Pisan saint (d. 1207), and also by the first abbess of Rheims (d. c.680). In the latter case, however, an alteration by folk etymology from the Germanic name Bova may be in question.

Back  -   New Search

Bonaventura m

Italian: common medieval vernacular given name, composed of the elements b(u)ona good + ventura luck, fortune. It was borne by a follower of St Francis of Assisi, who was so called by the saint in exchange for his baptismal name Giovanni.

Back  -   New Search

Bonifacio m

Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese: from the Late Latin name Bonifatius, derived from the elements bonum good + fatum fate, bestowed on a child as a hopeful omen. In the early Middle Ages the name came to be alternatively written as Bonifacius (with the same pronunciation), and reanalysed as a compound of bonum + facere to do, i.e. ‘doer of good deeds’. The name was borne by several early saints, including a 7th-century pope and an Anglo-Saxon missionary who evangelized extensively in Germany in the 8th century. The latter was originally named Winfrid, but took the name Bonifacius on entering holy orders.
Cognate: German: Bonifaz.

Back  -   New Search

Bonita f

English: apparently coined in America in the 1940s, probably from the feminine form of Spanish bonito pretty, although this is not used as a given name in Spanish-speaking countries. Bonita looks like the feminine form of a medieval Latin male name, Bontus (from bonus good), which was borne by an Italian saint of the 6th century and a Provençal saint of the 7th. However, the feminine form is not found in medieval records, and this is an unlikely source of the name.

Back  -   New Search

Bonnie f

English (esp. U.S.): originally an affectionate nickname from the Scottish word bonnie fine, attractive, pretty. However, it is not—or at any rate has not been until recently—used as a given name in Scotland. Its popularity may be attributed to the character of Scarlett O' Hara's infant daughter Bonnie in the film Gone With the Wind (1939), based on Margaret Mitchell's novel of the same name. (Bonnie's name was really Eugenie Victoria, but she had ‘eyes as blue as the bonnie blue flag’.) A famous American bearer was Bonnie Parker, accomplice of the bank robber Clyde Barrow; their life together was the subject of the film Bonnie and Clyde (1967). The name has enjoyed a vogue in the second part of the 20th century, and has also been used as a pet form of BONITA.

Back  -   New Search

Bora f

Czech: short form of Barbora (see BARBARA), used as a pet name.

Back  -   New Search

Borbála f

Hungarian form of BARBARA.

Back  -   New Search

Borghild f

Scandinavian (mainly Norwegian): from an Old Norse female personal name composed of the elements borg fortification + hildr battle. The name is attested from the Viking period, but modern use appears to be the result of a 19th–century revival.

Back  -   New Search

Boris m

Russian: apparently in origin not of Slavonic etymology, but from the Tartar nickname Bogoris ‘small’. It was later, however, taken to be a shortened form of Borislav, composed of the elements bor battle + slav glory. The name was borne in the 9th century by a ruler of Bulgaria who converted his kingdom to Christianity and sheltered disciples of Sts Cyril and Methodius when they were expelled from Moravia. The name was also borne by a 10th-century Russian saint, son of Prince Vladimir of Kiev and brother of St Gleb. It is as a result of his influence that Boris is one of the very few non-classical names that the Orthodox Church allows to be taken as baptismal names (although the saint himself bore the baptismal name Romanus).
Pet forms: Borya, Boba.

Back  -   New Search

Boivoj m

Czech: from an old Slavonic personal name composed of the elements borit to fight + voi warrior.
Pet forms: Boa, Boek, Boik.

Back  -   New Search

Börje m

Swedish: variant of BIRGER, first found in the 14th century in the forms Byrghe and Byrie.
Cognates: Danish: Børge. Norwegian: Børge, Børre.

Back  -   New Search

Börries m

Low German: from the Late Latin personal name Liborius. This is of uncertain origin, perhaps an altered form of Liberius (see LIBOR), or possibly of Celtic origin. St Liborius was a 4th-century bishop of Le Mans, whose relics were taken to Paderborn in the 9th century.

Back  -   New Search

Borya m

Russian: pet form of BORIS.

Back  -   New Search

Bosse m

Swedish: pet form of BO.

Back  -   New Search

Bothild f

Swedish form of BODIL.
Variant: Botilda (Latinized).

Back  -   New Search

Boye m

Dutch: of uncertain origin, found in this form from the early Middle Ages onwards. It may derive from the Germanic personal name Bodo (a short form of various compound names containing the element bod messenger, tidings), with the loss of d between vowels typical of Dutch. Alternatively, it may have been originally a byname cognate with modern English boy lad, young man.
Cognate: Frisian: Boje.

Back  -   New Search

Boydar m

Polish: from a medieval personal name composed of the vocabulary elements boy divine + dar gift.
Cognate: Czech: Boidar.
Feminine form: Czech: Boidara.
Pet forms: Czech: Boa m, f; Boek m; Boka, Boena f

Back  -   New Search

Brad m

English (mainly U.S.): short form of BRADFORD and BRADLEY.

Back  -   New Search

Bradford m

English (mainly U.S.): transferred use of the surname, in origin a local name from any of the numerous places in England so called from Old English brd broad + ford ford. The surname was borne most famously by William Bradford (1590–1657), leader of the Pilgrim Fathers from 1621 and governor of Plymouth Colony for some 30 years. It was also the name of another William Bradford (1722–91), a printer who played an important part in the American Revolution.

Back  -   New Search

Bradley m

English (mainly U.S.): transferred use of the surname, in origin a local name from any of the numerous places in England so called from Old English brd broad + lk wood or clearing. The most famous American bearer of this surname was General Omar N. Bradley (1893–1981).

Back  -   New Search

Brady m

Irish and English (mainly U.S.): transferred use of the surname, which is of Irish origin, from Gaelic O Brádaigh ‘descendant of Brádach’. Brádach is an old Irish byname, the meaning of which is not clear. It is unlikely to be connected with Gaelic bradach thieving, dishonest, which has a short first vowel; it may represent a contracted form of Brághadach ‘large-chested’, a derivative of brágha chest, throat.

Back  -   New Search

Brandon m

English (mainly U.S.): transferred use of the surname, in origin a local name from any of various places so called, most of which get their name from Old English brm broom, gorse + dn hill. In 1982 this was the seventh commonest male given name among Blacks in the United States, and the twenty-third commonest among Whites. In part it may be regarded as an altered form of BRENDAN. There has probably also been some influence from the surname of the Italian American actor Marlon Brando (b. 1924).

Back  -   New Search

Branislav m

Czech: variant of Bronislav (see BRONISAW).
Feminine form: Branislava.
Pet forms: Branek m; Braa, Branka f.

Back  -   New Search

Branton m

English (mainly U.S.): variant of BRANDON or transferred use of the surname Branton. This is a local name from places in Northumbria and West Yorkshire so named from Old English brm broom, gorse + tn enclosure, settlement.

Back  -   New Search

Branwen f

Welsh: apparently composed of the elements brân raven + (g)wen, feminine of gwyn white, fair, blessed, holy. Alternatively, it is possible that it is a variant of BRONWEN. The story of Branwen, daughter of Llr, forms the second chapter or ‘branch’ of the Mabinogi: it tells of her beauty and of the conflict on her account between her brother Bran, King of the ‘Island of the Mighty’ (Britain), and her husband Matholwch, King of Ireland.

Back  -   New Search

Bras m

Portuguese form of Blaise.
Variant: Braz.

Back  -   New Search

Bratislav m

Czech: from an old Slavonic personal name composed of the elements brat brother + slav glory.
Feminine form: Bratislava.

Back  -   New Search

Bratumi m

Polish: from an old Slavonic personal name composed of the elements brat brother + mil grace, favour.

Back  -   New Search

Brayne f

Jewish: Yiddish name, a back-formation from Brayndel, itself an affectionate diminutive form of Yiddish broyn brown (cf. modern German braun).

Back  -   New Search

Breeda f

Irish: Anglicized form (with the typical feminine name-suffix -a) of Gaelic Bríd; see BRIDE.

Back  -   New Search

Brenda f

Scottish, Irish, and (in the 20th century) English: of uncertain derivation. It seems to be of Scandinavian rather than Celtic origin (in spite of its similarity to BRENDAN), and may be a short form of various compound names containing the element brand (flaming) sword.

Back  -   New Search

Brendan m

Irish: from the old Irish personal name Bréanainn, derived from a Celtic element meaning ‘prince’. This was the name of two 6th-century Irish saints, Brendan the Voyager and Brendan of Birr. According to legend, the former was the first European to set foot on North American soil. The modern Irish Gaelic form Breandán and the Anglicized Brendan are based on the medieval Latin form Bredanus.

Back  -   New Search

Brent m

English: transferred use of the surname, which is derived from any of several places in Devon and Somerset which are on or near prominent hills, and seem therefore to have been named with a Celtic or Old English term for a hill. The given name has enjoyed considerable popularity in Britain in the 1970s and 1980s, and may have been influenced by BRETT, which has experienced a similar vogue, starting somewhat earlier.

Back  -   New Search

Betislav m

Czech: from an old Slavonic personal name composed of the elements brech noise, din (of battle) + slav glory.
Feminine form: Betislava.
Pet forms: Betík m; Bet'ka, Bretika f.

Back  -   New Search

Brett m

English: transferred use of the surname, which originated in the Middle Ages as an ethnic name for one of the Bretons who arrived in England in the wake of the Norman Conquest; it is most common in East Anglia, where Breton settlement was particularly concentrated. As a given name, it has enjoyed something of a vogue in the latter half of the 20th century.

Back  -   New Search

Brewster m

English (mainly U.S.): transferred use of the surname, in origin an occupational name for a brewer, Middle English browestre. The -estre sufix was originally feminine, but by the Middle English period this grammatical distinction had been lost (cf. BAXTER).

Back  -   New Search

Brian m

Irish and English: perhaps from an Old Celtic word meaning ‘high’ or ‘noble’. The name has been perennially popular in Ireland, largely on account of the fame of Brian Boru (Gaelic Brian Bóroimhe), a roth-century high king of Ireland. In the Middle Ages it was relatively common in East Anglia, to which it was introduced by Breton settlers, and in north-west England, to which it was introduced by Scandinavians from Ireland. In Gaelic Scotland it was at first borne exclusively by members of certain professional families of Irish origin.
Variant: Bryan.

Back  -   New Search

Brianne f

English: recent coinage to create a female equivalent of BRIAN.

Back  -   New Search

Briartach m

Irish Gaelic: variant form of MUIRIARTACH, common particularly in Connacht.

Back  -   New Search

Brice m

French: from the name of a 5th-century saint who was a disciple and successor of St Martin of Tours. His name is found in the Latinized forms Bri(c)tius or Bricius and is probably of Gaulish origin, possibly derived from an element meaning ‘speckled’ (Welsh brych).
Cognate: Italian: BRIZIO.

Back  -   New Search

Bride f

Irish: Anglicized form of Bríd, the modern Gaelic contracted form of Brighid (see BRIDGET).
Variant: Breeda.
Pet forms: Bridie (English); Brídín (Gaelic).

Back  -   New Search

Bridget f

Irish, Scottish, and English: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Brighid. This was the name of an ancient Celtic goddess, of uncertain origin; it is unlikely to be connected with Gaelic brígh strength, force, since this word has a long vowel. St Brigid of Kildare (c.450c.525) is one of the patron saints of Ireland. Very few facts are known about her life. She founded a religious house for women at Kildare, and is said to be have been buried at Downpatrick, where St Patrick and St Columba were also buried. Many of the stories of miracles told about St Brigid seem to be Christianized versions of pagan legends concerning the goddess.
Variants: Brigit, BRIDE.
Cognates: Welsh: Ffraid. German, French: Brigitte. Italian: Brigida. Scandinavian: BIRGIT. Finnish: Pirjo, Pirkko.
Pet form: Irish, English: BIDDY.

Back  -   New Search

Brigham m

English (mainly U.S.): name adopted in honour of the early Mormon leader, Brigham Young (1801–77). It was originally a surname, a local name from places in Cumbria and North Yorkshire so called from Old English brycg bridge + hm homestead, settlement. It is not known why the Mormon leader received this given name; he was the son of John and Abigail Young of Whitingham, Vermont.

Back  -   New Search

Briony f

English: variant spelling of BRYONY.

Back  -   New Search

Britt f

Swedish: contracted form of BIRGIT, made famous in the Englishspeaking world by the actress Britt Ekland (b. 1942; her surname was originally Eklund).
Variants: Britta, Brita.

Back  -   New Search

Brizio m

Italian: 1 From Brictius, an ancient name probably of Gaulish origin (see BRICE). St Brizio (d. c.312) was bishop of Martola near Spoleto in Umbria, who suffered in the persecutions instituted by the Emperor Diocletian. His cult is still popular in the region.

2 Short form of Fabrizio (see FABRICE).
Top

Back  -   New Search

Broder m

Swedish, Danish, and Frisian: from the Old Norse vocabulary word bróðir brother. This seems to have been bestowed on younger sons.
Variant: Swedish: Bror.
Pet form: Swedish: Brolle.

Back  -   New Search

Brogio m

Italian: short form of Ambrogio (see AMBROSE).

Back  -   New Search

Bronisaw m

Polish: from an old Slavonic personal name composed of the elements bron armour, protection + slav glory.
Cognates: Czech: Bronislav, Branislav.
Pet form: Czech: Branek.

Back  -   New Search

Bronisawa f

Polish: feminine form of BRONISAW. The Blessed Bronislava (d. 1259) was a cousin of St Hyacinth of Poland (see JACEK).
Cognates: Czech: Bronislava, Branislava.
Pet forms: Czech: Broa, Braa, Bron(i)ka, Branka.

Back  -   New Search

Bronwen f

Welsh: composed of the elements bron breast + (g)wen, feminine of gwyn white, fair, blessed, holy.

Back  -   New Search

Bronya f

Polish: pet form of various old Slavonic compound names containing the element bron armour, protection (e.g. BRONISAWA).

Back  -   New Search

Bror m

Swedish: contracted variant of BRODER.
Pet form: Brolle.

Back  -   New Search

Bro m

Czech: short form of Ambroz (see AMBROSE).
Pet form: Broek.

Back  -   New Search

Bruce m

Scottish and English: transferred use of the Scottish surname, now used as a given name throughout the English-speaking world, but in recent years particularly popular in Australia. The surname was originally a Norman baronial name, but a precise identification of the place from which it was derived has not been made (there are a large number of possible candidates). The Bruces were an influential Norman family in Scottish affairs in the early Middle Ages; its most famous member was Robert ‘the Bruce’ (1274–1329), who is said to have drawn inspiration after his defeat at Methven from the perseverance of a spider in repeatedly climbing up again after being knocked down. He ruled Scotland as King Robert I from 1306 to 1329.

Back  -   New Search

Brunella f

Latinate feminine formation from BRUNO. Its formation may have been influenced by the existence of the name PRUNELLA.

Back  -   New Search

Brunhilde f

German: from an old Germanic female personal name composed of the elements brun armour, protection + hild battle. In so far as it is found at all in modern use, it is a literary name. In Germanic legend, Brunhilde is a warrior queen, wife of Gunther, who plays a central role in the Nibelungenlied. She appears as Brynhild in the Icelandic Volsungasaga, where she is the chief of the Valkyries, a group of supernatural warrior maidens who collect the slain after a battle and carry them off to Valhalla. She is also a central figure in Richard Wagner's opera cycle The Ring of the Nibelungs. Wagner's Brünnhilde is a Valkyrie, daughter of Wotan, chief of the gods, who defies her father to help the lovers Siegmund and Sieglinde. As a punishment she is immolated on a mountain top, surrounded by a wall of fire. Her rescue by Siegfried, the son of Siegmund and Sieglinde, has a tragic outcome, leading to universal destruction. The character of Brunhilde may have a historical basis in the person of Brunhilda (?534–613), a powerful Frankish queen.
Variants: Brunhild, Brünhilde, Brünnhilde.
Cognate: Icelandic: Brynhildur.

Back  -   New Search

Bruno m

German and English: from the Germanic vocabulary element brun brown. This name was in use in many of the ruling families of Germany during the Middle Ages, being borne by a roth-century saint, son of the Emperor Henry the Fowler, and also by the Saxon duke who gave his name to Brunswick (German Braunschweig, i.e. ‘Bruno’s settlement') Its use in the English-speaking world, which dates from the end of the 19th century, may have been partly influenced by Lewis Carroll's Sylvie and Bruno (1889), but more probably it was first used by settlers of German ancestry in the United States.

Back  -   New Search

Bryan m

English: variant of BRIAN, influenced by the usual spelling of the associated surname.

Back  -   New Search

Bryant m

English: transferred use of the surname, which is derived from the given name BRIAN. The final -t seems to have arisen as a result of association with names such as CONSTANT.

Back  -   New Search

Brychan m

Welsh: from an Old Welsh byname meaning ‘speckled’. A traditional Welsh figure of this name was the father of ten sons and twenty-four daughters (more in one Cornish list), many of whom came to be venerated as saints.

Back  -   New Search

Bryn m

Welsh: 20th-century coinage from the Welsh topographical term bryn hill, in part as a short form of BRYNMOR.

Back  -   New Search

Brynmor m

Welsh: 20th-century coinage from the name of a place in Gwynedd, composed of the Welsh elements bryn hill + mawr large.

Back  -   New Search

Bryony f

English: from the name of the plant (Greek bryonia). This is one of a more recently coined (20th-century) batch of names taken from vocabulary words denoting flowers.
Variant: Briony.

Back  -   New Search

Buck m

English (U.S.): from the English nickname Buck, denoting a robust and spirited young man, from the vocabulary word for a male deer (Old English bucc) or a he-goat (Old English bucca).

Back  -   New Search

Bud m

English (U.S.): originally a short form of the nickname or vocabulary word buddy friend, which may be an alteration, perhaps a nursery form, of brother or else derive from the Scottish Gaelic vocative case a bhodaich ‘old man!’. It is now occasionally used as a given name in its own right, especially in America.

Back  -   New Search

Budzisaw m

Polish: from an old Slavonic personal name composed of the elements budit to arouse, stir + slav glory.
Cognate: Czech: Budislav.
Pet forms: Polish: Budzyk, Budzisz. Czech: Budk.

Back  -   New Search

Buffy f

English: pet form of ELIZABETH, based on a child's unsuccessful attempts to pronounce the name.

Back  -   New Search

Bunem m

Jewish: Yiddish name derived ultimately from the French phrase bon homme ‘good man’ bestowed as an affectionate nickname.

Back  -   New Search

Bunty f

English: nickname and occasional baptismal name, relatively popular in the early 20th century, but of uncertain derivation. It seems most likely that it derives from what was originally a dialectal pet name for a lamb, from the verb to bunt to butt gently.

Back  -   New Search

Burgess m

English: transferred use of the surname, which is derived from the Old French word burgeis freeman of a borough (a derivative of burg town, of Germanic origin).

Back  -   New Search

Burkhard m

German: from an old Germanic personal name composed of the elements burg protection + hard hardy, brave, strong. St Burkhard (d. c.754) was a companion of St Boniface who became the first bishop of Würzburg and founded several Benedictine monasteries in the area. Like Boniface, he seems to have been an Anglo-Saxon by birth, perhaps originally bearing the cognate Old English personal name Burgheard.

Back  -   New Search

Burt m

English (U.S.): of various origins. In the case of the film actor Burt Lancaster (b. 1913) it is a short form of BURTON, but it has also been used as a variant spelling of BERT. The pianist and composer Burt Bacharach (b. 1928) was the son of a Bert Bacharach, and his given name is presumably simply a variation of his father's.

Back  -   New Search

Burton m

English: transferred use of the surname, which is a local name from any of the numerous places in England so called. In most cases the placename is derived from Old English burh fortress, fortified place + tn enclosure, settlement.

Back  -   New Search

Buster m

English (U.S.): originally a nickname from the slang term of address buster, which is apparently a derivative of the verb bust to break, smash (an altered form of burst). It was the nickname of the silent movie comedian Joseph Francis ‘Buster’ Keaton (1895–1966).

Back  -   New Search

Byron m

English: transferred use of the surname, first bestowed as a given name in honour of the poet Lord Byron (George Gordon, 6th Baron Byron, 1784–1824). The surname derives from the Old English phrase æt ðm brum ‘at the byres or cattlesheds’, and was given to someone who lived there because it was his job to look after cattle.

Back  -   New Search

C

Cäcilie f

German form of CECILY.

Back  -   New Search

Cade m

English: transferred use of the surname, which originated as a nickname from a vocabulary element denoting something round and lumpish. It is one of several given names that owe their origin to their use for a character in Margaret Mitchell's novel Gone with the Wind (1936).

Back  -   New Search

Cadell m

Welsh: from an Old Welsh personal name composed of the elements cad battle + the diminutive suffix -ell.

Back  -   New Search

Cadogan m

Welsh, Irish, and English: Anglicized form of the Old Welsh personal name Cadwgan or Cadwgawn, a compound of the elements cad battle + gwogawn glory, distinction, honour. The name was borne by several Welsh rulers in the early Middle Ages, and is mentioned as the name of two characters in the Mabinogi. It has been revived to some extent in the 19th and 20th centuries, probably under the influence of the surname derived from it, which was taken to Ireland in the 17th century.

Back  -   New Search

Cadwalader m

Welsh: Anglicized form of Cadwaladr, an ancient Celtic name composed of the elements cad battle + gwaladr leader and commonly given to the sons of kings and princes. St Cadwalader (d. c.682) was a British chieftain who died maintaining a stronghold against the pagan Saxon invaders.

Back  -   New Search

Caerwyn m

Welsh: altered form of CARWYN, influenced by the many Welsh placenames with the fist element caer fort.

Back  -   New Search

Caesar m

English (esp. U.S.): Anglicized form of Italian Cesare or French CÉSAR, or a direct adoption of the Roman imperial family name Caesar; cf. DUKE, EARL, KING, and PRINCE.

Back  -   New Search

Caetano m

Portuguese form of GAETANO.

Back  -   New Search

Cahal m

Irish: Anglicized spelling of CATHAL.

Back  -   New Search

Cahir m

Irish: Anglicized spelling of CATHAOIR.

Back  -   New Search

Cainneach m

Irish Gaelic form of COINNEACH, generally Anglicized as KENNY. See also CANICE.

Back  -   New Search

Cairistìona f

Scottish Gaelic form of CHRISTINE.
Variant: Cairistine.
Pet form: Stìneag.

Back  -   New Search

Cáit f

Irish Gaelic form of KATE or short form of CAITRÍONA.

Back  -   New Search

Caitir f

Scottish: name derived from Gaelic Caitrìona (see CATRIONA), by mis-analysis as Caitir Fhiona, the second element taken as meaning ‘of wine’. This name has sometimes been Anglicized as CLARISSA.

Back  -   New Search

Caitlín f

Irish Gaelic form of KATHERINE, derived from the Old French form Catheline.

Back  -   New Search

Caitrín f

Irish Gaelic form of KATHERINE, derived from the Old French form Catherine.

Back  -   New Search

Caitríona f

Irish Gaelic: the most usual form of KATHERINE.
Short forms: Cáit, Tríona. See also RÍONA.

Back  -   New Search

Cajetan m

English: Roman Catholic religious name; see GAETANO

Back  -   New Search

Caleb m

Biblical: name borne by an early Israelite, one of only two of those who set out with Moses from Egypt to live long enough to enter the promised land (Numbers 26: 65). The name, which is related to the the word for ‘dog’ in Hebrew, is said in some traditions to symbolize his rabid devotion to God. It was popular among the Puritans and was introduced by them to America, where it is still in use.

Back  -   New Search

Callisto m

Italian: from the Late Latin personal name Callistus, which is apparently adopted from the Greek vocabulary word kallistos, superlative of kalos fair, good. The forms Callixtus and Calixtus are also found in Late Latin, but seem to be later developments. The name was borne by several early saints, including a 3rd-century pope and 6th-century bishop of Todi in central Italy.
Cognate: Spanish: Calisto.

Back  -   New Search

Calogero m

Italian: characteristically southern Italian and especially Sicilian name. St Calogerus the Anchorite (d. c.486) lived as a hermit near Grigenti in Sicily, and is the subject of a local cult. The name is composed of the Greek elements kalos fair, good + gras old age; in the Late Greek period it was used as a title of respect for anchorites and monks.

Back  -   New Search

Calum m

Scottish Gaelic form of the Late Latin personal name Columba ‘dove’. This was popular among early Christians because the dove was a symbol of gentleness, purity, peace, and the Holy Spirit. St Columba (see also COLM) was one of the most influential of all the early Celtic saints. He was born in Donegal in 521 into a noble family, and was trained for the priesthood from early in life. He founded monastery schools at Durrow, Derry, and Kells, and then, in 563, sailed with twelve companions to Scotland, to convert the people there to Christianity. He established a monastery on the island of Iona, and from there converted the Pictish and Irish inhabitants of Scotland. He died in 597 and was buried at Down-patrick, along with St Patrick and St Brighid. See also COLIN (2).
Pet forms: Cally, Caley.
Feminine forms: Calumina, Calaminag.

Back  -   New Search

Calvin m

English (esp. U.S.): from the French surname, used as a given name among Nonconformists in honour of the French Protestant theologian Jean Calvin (1509–64). It has enjoyed a recent vogue as a given name. The surname meant originally ‘little bald one’, from a diminutive of calve, a Norman and Picard form of French chauve bald. (The theologian was born in Noyon, Picardy.
Short form: Cal.

Back  -   New Search

Cameron m

Scottish: transferred use of the surname, which is borne by one of the great Highland clans. Their name is derived from an ancestor with a ‘crooked nose’ (Gaelic cam shron). There were also Camerons in the Lowlands, apparently the result of an assimilation to this name of a Norman baronial name derived from Cambernon in Normandy.

Back  -   New Search

Camilla f

English and Italian: feminine form of the old Roman family name Camillus, of obscure and presumably non-Roman origin. According to tradition, recorded by the Roman poet Virgil, Camilla was the name of a warrior maiden, Queen of the Volcians, who fought in the army of Aeneas (Aeneid 7. 803–17). The masculine form is much less common, except in Italy, where it is bestowed in honour of St Camillo de Lellis (1550–1614), who founded the nursing order of the Ministers of the Sick.
Cognates: French: Camille (also m). Polish, Czech: Kamila.
Short form: English: Milla.
Pet form: English: Millie.
Masculine forms: Italian: Camillo. Spanish, Portuguese: Camilo. French: Camille (also f). Polish, Czech: Kamil.

Back  -   New Search

Campbell m

Scottish: transferred use of the surname, borne by one of the great Highland clans, whose head is the Duke of Argyll. The name is derived from an ancestor with a ‘crooked mouth’ (Gaelic cam beul).

Back  -   New Search

Candace f

English: from the hereditary name of a long line of queens of Ethiopia. One of them is mentioned in the Bible, when the apostle Philip baptizes ‘a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure’ (Acts 8: 27). This name is now much less common than its presumed derivative CANDICE.

Back  -   New Search

Candelaria f

Spanish: religious name referring to the feast of Candlemas (a derivative of candela candle). This festival, on 2 February, commemorates the Purification of the Virgin Mary (cf. PURIFICACIÓN) and the Presentation of Christ in the temple (cf. PRESENTACIÓN).
Pet form: Candela.

Back  -   New Search

Candice f

English: apparently a respelling of CANDACE. The spelling may have been influenced by CLARICE; or more probably by a folk etymology deriving the name from Late Latin canditia whiteness.

Back  -   New Search

Candida f

English: from Late Latin, meaning ‘white’. The colour was associated in Christian imagery with purity and salvation (cf. Revelation 3: 4 ‘thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy’). This was the name of several early saints, including a woman supposedly cured by St Peter himself.

Back  -   New Search

Candy f

English (esp. U.S.): from an affectionate nickname derived from the vocabulary word candy confectionery. The word candy is from French sucre candi ‘candied sugar’, i.e. sugar boiled to make a crystalline sweet. The French word is derived from Arabic qandi, which is in turn of Indian origin. Candy could, in theory, also be a short form of CANDICE and of CANDIDA, but there is no evidence that this is so.

Back  -   New Search

Canice m

Irish: from the Latinized form, Canisius, of the Old Irish personal name Cainnech (modern Gaelic Cainneach; cf. COINNEACH). It seems to have been originally a byname meaning ‘handsome, fair one’, and was borne by a large number of early saints. The most important of these is St Cainnech of Aghaboe, patron of Kilkenny. See also KENNY.

Back  -   New Search

Caoilte m

Irish Gaelic: name of uncertain derivation, borne by the legendary hero Caoilte Mac Rónáin, famous as a swift runner. It has been revived as a given name in the 20th century.

Back  -   New Search

Caoimhe f

Irish Gaelic: modern name representing the abstract noun derived from the vocabulary word caomh kind, gentle (earlier ‘beloved’ or ‘beautiful’; cf. KEVIN).

Back  -   New Search

Cara f

English: 20th-century coinage, from the Italian term of endearment cara ‘beloved’ or the Irish Gaelic vocabulary word cara friend. This is not normally used as a given name in Italy, where such innovations are held in check by the hostility of the Roman Catholic Church to baptismal names that have not been borne by saints.

Back  -   New Search

Caradoc m

Welsh: respelling of Caradog. This represents an ancient Celtic name apparently derived from the root cr love. A form of this name was borne by the British chieftain recorded under the Latinized version Caratacus, son of Cuno-belinos. He rebelled against Roman rule in the 1st century AD, and although the rebellion was swiftly put down he is recorded by the Roman historian Tacitus as having impressed the Emperor Claudius by his proud bearing in captivity.

Back  -   New Search

Careen f

English: of recent origin and uncertain derivation. Its first appearance seems to have been in Margaret Mitchell's novel Gone with the Wind (1936), where it is borne by one of the sisters of Scarlett O'Hara (the other being Sue Ellen). The name may represent a combination of CARA with the hypocoristic suffix -een (of Irish origin; cf. MAUREEN), or it may be an altered form of CARINA.

Back  -   New Search

Carey f, m

1 Irish: transferred use of the surname Carey, which has two origins. It is in part a local name from Carew Castle in Pembrokeshire, and was taken to Ireland in the 12th century by followers of Strongbow, Earl of Pembroke. To this has been assimilated an Irish patronymic, Ó Ciardha ‘descendant of the dark one’.

2 English: variant spelling of CARY, used mainly as a female name, under the influence of CARRIE.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Caridad f

Spanish form of CHARITY.
Cognate: Portuguese: Caridade.

Back  -   New Search

Carina f

Scandinavian, German, and English: late 19th-century coinage, apparently representing a Latinate elaboration of CARA; in part it may also have been inspired by KARIN.

Back  -   New Search

Carl m

German and English: old-fashioned German spelling variant of KARL, the German version of CHARLES. It is now increasingly used in English-speaking countries, and for some reason is particularly popular in Wales.

Back  -   New Search

Carla f

Italian, English, and German: feminine form of CARLO, CHARLES, or CARL. See also Karla at KARL.

Back  -   New Search

Carlin f

English: elaborated from of CARLA, apparently of German origin.

Back  -   New Search

Carlo m

Italian form of CHARLES.

Back  -   New Search

Carlos m

Spanish and Portuguese form of CHARLES.

Back  -   New Search

Carlotta f

Italian form of CHARLOTTE, occasionally used in the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Carlton m

English: transferred use of the surname, which is of the same origin as CHARLTON, being derived from any of various places (in Beds., Cambs., Co. Durham, Leics., Lincs., Northants, Notts., Suffolk, and Yorks.) named with the Old English elements ceorl (free) man + tn settlement, i.e. ‘settlement of the free peasants’. The initial /k/ sound is the result of Anglo-Scandinavian influence.

Back  -   New Search

Carly f

English: pet form or variant of CARLA.
Variants: Carlie, Carley.

Back  -   New Search

Carmel f

English: of early Christian origin, referring to ‘Our Lady of Carmel’, a title of the Virgin Mary. Carmel is the name (meaning ‘garden’ or ‘orchard’ in Hebrew) of a mountain in the Holy Land near modern Haifa, which was populated from very early Christian times by hermits. They were later organized into the Carmelite order of monks. The name is favoured mainly by Roman Catholics.
Cognates: Portuguese: Carmo. Spanish: CARMEN; Carmela (also S. Italian and Sicilian).
Pet forms: Spanish: Carmencita, Carmelita; Menchu.
Masculine forms: Spanish: Carmelo. Italian: Carmine.

Back  -   New Search

Carmela f

1 Spanish, S. Italian, and Sicilian form of the given name CARMEL.

2 Jewish: modern Hebrew name derived from the placename CARMEL.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Carmen f

Spanish form of CARMEL, altered by folk etymology to the form of the Latin word carmen song. It is now sometimes found as a given name in the English-speaking world, in spite of, or perhaps because of, its association with the tragic romantic heroine of Bizet's opera Carmen (1875), based on a short story by Prosper Mérimée.

Back  -   New Search

Carol f, originally m

English: Anglicized form of Carolus (see CHARLES), or of its feminine derivative Carola. It has never been common as a male name, and has become even less so since its growth in popularity as a female name. This seems to be of relatively recent origin (not being found much before the end of the 19th century) and may have originated as a short form of CAROLINE.

Back  -   New Search

Carole f

French form of CAROL, formerly quite commonly used in the English-speaking world in order to make it clear that a female name was in question. Now that Carol is used almost exclusively for girls, Carole has become slightly less common.

Back  -   New Search

Caroline f

English and French: from the French form of Latin or Italian Carolina, a feminine derivative of Carolus (see CHARLES).
Variant: Carolyn.
Cognates: German, Danish: Karoline. Scandinavian, Polish, Czech: Karolina.
Short forms: English: Caro (not normally used as an independent given name); CARRIE.

Back  -   New Search

Carrie f

English: pet form of CAROLINE or occasionally of other girls' names beginning with the syllable Car-. It was first used in the 19th century and is now popular in its own right, Caro having to some extent taken over the role of the short form.

Back  -   New Search

Carroll m

Irish: Anglicized form of CEARBHALL.

Back  -   New Search

Carson m

Scottish and Northern Irish: transferred use of the surname, which is of uncertain derivation; in spite of its -son ending, it does not seem to be a true patronymic. The first known bearer is a certain Robert de Carsan (or de Acarson), recorded in 1276; the ‘de’ in his name suggests derivation from a placename, but no suitable candidates have been identified. Among Protestants in Northern Ireland, it is sometimes bestowed in honour of Edward Carson (1854–1935), the Dublin barrister and politician who was a violent opponent of Home Rule for Ireland. In America the popularity of the name may have been affected by the legendary Missouri frontiersman Kit Carson (1809–68).

Back  -   New Search

Carsten m

Low German form of CHRISTIAN.

Back  -   New Search

Carter m

English: transferred use of the surname, which for the most part originated as an occupational name for someone who transported goods in a cart. In Scotland the surname also represents an Anglicized form of the Gaelic surname MacArtair ‘son of Artair’.

Back  -   New Search

Carwyn m

Welsh: modern coinage, composed of the elements cr love + (g)wyn white, fair, blessed, holy.

Back  -   New Search

Cary m, sometimes f

English: transferred use of the surname, which comes from one of the places in Devon or Somerset so called from an old Celtic river name. Cary became popular as a given name in the middle of the 20th century, due to the fame of the film actor Cary Grant (1904–89), who was born in Bristol and made his first theatrical appearances under his original name of Archie Leach.
Variant: CAREY.

Back  -   New Search

Caryl f, occasionally m

English: of uncertain origin, probably a variant of CAROL, possibly influenced by BERYL. As a male name it is probably an altered spelling of CARROLL.

Back  -   New Search

Carys f

Welsh: modern coinage, from the vocabulary element cr love + the ending -ys, by analogy with names such as BETRYS and GLADYS.

Back  -   New Search

Casey m, now occasionally also f

English (esp. U.S.): 1 Bestowed originally in honour of the American engine-driver and folk hero ‘Casey’ Jones (1863–1900), who saved the lives of passengers on the ‘Cannonball Express’ at the expense of his own. He was baptized Johnathan Luther Jones in Cayce, Kentucky, and acquired his nickname from his birthplace.

2 From the Irish surname, the Gaelic form of which is Ó Cathasaigh ‘descendant of Cathasach’, a byname meaning ‘vigilant, wakeful’.
Top

3 As a female name it is probably a variant of Cassie (see CASS).
Top

Back  -   New Search

Casilda f

Spanish: of uncertain origin. This was the name of an 11th-century saint who was born in Toledo. She was probably of Moorish descent. She lived as an anchorite nun in the province of Burgos, and is particularly venerated in Burgos and Toledo.

Back  -   New Search

Casimir m

Anglicized spelling of Polish Kazimierz, derived from kazi to destroy + the Old Slavonic element meri great, famous (later taken as the medieval and modern word mir peace or world). This was a traditional name of Polish kings in the Middle Ages. Casimir I succeeded in reuniting Polish lands and restoring Polish power. Casimir III, ‘the Great’ (1310–70), king from 1333 to 1370, was an effective and able ruler, and also a just and humane one, who presided over a golden age in Polish history. St Casimir (1458–83) was a son of King Casimir IV; his father wished him to seize the crown of Hungary, but instead he retired from the world, eventually dying of consumption.

Back  -   New Search

Caspar m

Dutch form of JASPER, also found as an occasional variant in English. According to legend, this was the name of one of the three Magi or ‘wise men’ who brought gifts to the infant Christ. The Magi are not named in the Bible, but early Christian tradition assigned them the names Caspar, Balthasar, and Melchior.
Variants: Casper, Kaspar, Kasper.
Cognates: German: Kaspar. Polish: Kasper. Italian: Gasparo. French: Gaspard. Hungarian: Gáspár.

Back  -   New Search

Cass f

English: medieval and modern short form of CASSANDRA, now often used as an independent given name.
Pet form: Cassie (common in Scotland).

Back  -   New Search

Cassandra f

from Greek legend. Cassandra was a Trojan princess blessed with the gift of prophecy but cursed with the fate that nobody would ever believe her. She was brought back to Greece as a captive concubine by Agamemnon, but met her death at the hands of his jealous wife Clytemnestra. This was one of the most popular girls' names in the Middle Ages, and has recently been revived by parents looking to the pages of classical mythology for distinctive girls' names.

Back  -   New Search

Cassia f

English: apparently an adoption of the name of the spice (cf. KEZIA). It may also in part have been adopted as a feminine form of CASSIAN.

Back  -   New Search

Cassian m

English: from the name (Latin Cassinus) of several early saints, most notably one martyred at Tangier in 298. The name is a derivative of the old Roman family name Cassius. It is of uncertain derivation, but may be connected with the Latin vocabulary word cassus empty, hollow.

Back  -   New Search

Cassidy m, f

English (esp. U.S.): from the Irish surname Ó Caiside. Its use as a female name may be due to the -y ending, coupled with the fact that it could be taken as an expanded form of CASS.

Back  -   New Search

Catalina f

Spanish form of KATHERINE.

Back  -   New Search

Catarina f

Portuguese form of KATHERINE.

Back  -   New Search

Catarina f

Italian form of KATHERINE.

Back  -   New Search

Cathal m

Irish Gaelic: name derived from the Old Celtic vocabulary elements cath battle + val rule. It was borne by a 7th-century saint who served as head of the monastic school at Lismore, before being appointed bishop of Taranto in south Italy. In Gaelic Scotland the name appears to have been borne only by descendants of the Mac Mhuirichs, a learned family of Irish origin.
Variants: Cathaldus; Cahal, Catheld, Kathel (Anglicized forms).

Back  -   New Search

Cathán m

Irish Gaelic: traditional name, representing a diminutive form of the element cath battle.
Anglicized form: Kane.

Back  -   New Search

Cathaoir m

Irish Gaelic: from cathaoir warrior, a derivative of the Old Celtic vocabulary elements cath fight, battle + vir man.
Variant: Cahir (Anglicized form).

Back  -   New Search

Catherine f

English: variant spelling of KATHERINE. This form of the name is also used in France.
Variant: English: Catharine.
Short form: English: Cath.
Pet form: English: Cath.

Back  -   New Search

Cathleen f

Irish: variant spelling of KATHLEEN.

Back  -   New Search

Cathy f

English: pet form of CATHERINE.

Back  -   New Search

Catraoine f

Irish Gaelic form of KATHERINE, less common than Caitríona, Caitrín, and Caitlín.

Back  -   New Search

Catrin f

Welsh form of KATHERINE.

Back  -   New Search

Catriona f

Scottish and Irish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic names Ca(i)trìona (Scottish) and Caitríona (Irish), which are themselves forms of KATHERINE. The name is now also used elsewhere in the English-speaking world, although it is still especially popular among people of Scottish ancestry. It attracted wider attention as the title of Robert Louis Stevenson's novel Catriona (1893), sequel to Kidnapped.
Variant: Catrina.

Back  -   New Search

Cayetano m

Spanish form of GAETANO.

Back  -   New Search

Cayo m

Spanish: from the classical Latin personal name Caius, Gaius, which is of extremely ancient origin and uncertain etymology. It was borne, for example, by the dictator Caius Julius Caesar, and in the early Christian period by numerous saints.

Back  -   New Search

Ceallachán m

Irish Gaelic: diminutive form of CEALLAGH.

Back  -   New Search

Ceallagh m

Irish Gaelic: of uncertain origin; it is probably a derivative of ceall monastery, church.
Anglicized form: KELLY.

Back  -   New Search

Cearbhall m

Irish Gaelic: name of uncertain derivation; it possibly arose as a nickname for a violent warrior, from cearbh hacking. In the Middle Ages it was common among the learned Ó Dálaigh family of traditional poets. In modern times, it has been borne by Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh (1911–78), president of the Irish Republic.
Variant: Cearúl(l) (a modern ‘reformed’ spelling).
Anglicized forms: Carroll, CHARLES.

Back  -   New Search

Cebrià m

Catalan form of CIPRIANO.

Back  -   New Search

Cebrián m

Spanish form of CIPRIANO.

Back  -   New Search

Cecil m

English: transferred use of the surname of a great noble family, which rose to prominence in England during the 16th century. The Cecils were of Welsh origin, and their surname represents an Anglicized form of the Welsh given name Seissylt, apparently a Brittonic or Old Welsh form of the Latin name Sextilius, from Sextus ‘sixth’. In the Middle Ages Cecil was occasionally used as an English form of Latin Caecilius (an old Roman family name derived from the byname Caecus ‘blind’), borne by a minor saint of the 3rd century, a friend of St Cyprian.

Back  -   New Search

Cecily f

English: from the Latin name Caecilia, feminine of Caecilius (see CECIL). This was a good deal more common than the masculine form, largely due to the fame of the 2nd- or 3rd-century virgin martyr whose name is still mentioned daily in the Roman Catholic Canon of the Mass. She is regarded as the patron saint of music and has inspired works such as Purcell's ‘Ode on St Cecilia’s Day', although the reasons for this association are not clear.
Variants: Cecilia, Cicely.
Cognates: Irish Gaelic: Síle. Scottish Gaelic: Sìle, Sìleas. French: Cécile (sometimes also used in the English-speaking world). German: Cäcilie. Finnish: Silja.
Pet forms: English: Sessy, Sissy. Low German, Frisian: Silke.

Back  -   New Search

Cedric m

English: coined by Sir Walter Scott for the character Cedric of Rotherwood in Ivanhoe (1819). It seems to be a metathesized form of Cerdic, the name of the traditional founder of the kingdom of Wessex. Cerdic was a Saxon (Scott's novel also has a Saxon setting), and his name is presumably of Germanic origin, but the formation is not clear. The name has acquired something of a ‘sissy’ image, probably on account of Cedric Errol Fauntleroy, the long-haired, velvet-suited boy hero of Frances Hodgson Burnett's Little Lord Fauntleroy (1886).

Back  -   New Search

Cees m

Dutch: variant spelling of KEES.

Back  -   New Search

Ceinwen f

Welsh: composed of the vocabulary elements cain fair, lovely + (g)wen white, blessed, holy. The name was borne by a 5th-century saint, daughter of the chieftain Brychan, about whom little is known.

Back  -   New Search

Ceit f

Scottish Gaelic spelling of KATE.
Pet form: Ceiteag.

Back  -   New Search

Céleste f

French, now also quite common in the English-speaking world: from Latin Caelestis ‘heavenly’, a popular name among early Christians.
Variant: English: Celeste.

Back  -   New Search

Celia f

English and Italian: from Latin Caelia, feminine of the old Roman family name Caelius (of uncertain origin, probably a derivative of caelum heaven). The name was not used in the Middle Ages, but was introduced to the English-speaking world as the name of a character in Shakespeare's As You Like It. It is now often regarded as a short form of Cecilia.
Cognate: French: Célie (not now a common given name).
Pet form: Low German, Frisian: Silke.

Back  -   New Search

Céline f

French, also found occasionally in the English-speaking world: apparently from Latin Caelna, a feminine form of Caelnus, which is a derivative of Caelius (see CELIA). It may alternatively be an aphetic short form of Marcel(l)ine, a feminine diminutive of MARCEL.

Back  -   New Search

Celso m

Italian and Spanish: from the Latin family name (later a personal name) Celsus. This was originally a nickname from the Latin vocabulary word celsus tall, high, lofty. The name was borne by various minor early Roman saints, and it has also been used as a Latinized form of several Irish saints called CEALLAGH.

Back  -   New Search

enek m

Czech: pet form of Vincenc (see VINCENT).

Back  -   New Search

Ceri f

Welsh: of uncertain origin, probably a short form of CERIDWEN.

Back  -   New Search

Ceridwen f

Welsh: name borne in Celtic mythology by the goddess of poetic inspiration. It is apparently composed of the elements cerdd poetry + (g)wen feminine of gwyn white, fair, blessed, holy. This is said to have been the name of the mother of the legendary 6th-century Welsh hero Taliesin, but it is not clear whether in fact it represents a personal name or whether Taliesin is to be regarded as the son of the goddess of poetry.

Back  -   New Search

Césaire m

French: from the Late Latin personal name Caesarius, a derivative of CAESAR. The name was borne most notably by an early bishop of Arles (470–542). During the siege of that city in 508 he sold the treasures of his church in order to relieve the distress being suffered by the poor.

Back  -   New Search

César m

French: from the old Roman family name Caesar, of uncertain meaning. It has been connected with Latin caesaries head of hair, but this is probably no more than folk etymology; the name may be of Etruscan origin. Its most notable bearer was Gaius Julius Caesar (?102–44 BC) and it also formed part of the full name of his relative Augustus (Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus Augustus). Subsequently it was used as an imperial title and eventually became a vocabulary word for an emperor (leading to German Kaiser and Russian tsar).
Cognates: Italian: Cesare. English: CAESAR.

Back  -   New Search

eslav m

Czech form of CZESAW.

Back  -   New Search

Chad m

English: modern spelling of Old English Ceadda, name of a 7th-century saint who was for a time archbishop of York. This is of uncertain derivation. The name is comparatively rare, even among Roman Catholics, by whom it is chiefly favoured.

Back  -   New Search

Chaim m

Jewish: variant spelling of HYAM.

Back  -   New Search

Chandler m

English: transferred use of the surname, which originated in the Middle Ages as an occupational name for someone who made and sold candles (a derivative of Old French chandele, Latin candla). The extended sense ‘retail dealer’ (in various goods) arose in the 16th century.

Back  -   New Search

Chantal f

French, also sometimes found in the English-speaking world: bestowed in honour of St Jane Frances (Jeanne Francoise) Frémiot (1572–1641). In 1592 she married the Baron de Chantal (a place in Saône-et-Loire, so called from a dialect form of Old Provençal cantal stone, boulder) and adopted his family name. After his death she became an associate of St Francis of Sales and founded a new order of nuns.
Variants: English: Chantale; Chantelle; (influenced by the feminine diminutive suffix -elle).

Back  -   New Search

Chapman m

English: transferred use of the surname, which originated in the Middle Ages as an occupational name for a merchant or a smaller-scale pedlar, from Old English capmanns (a compound of capan to buy, sell, trade + mann man).

Back  -   New Search

Charis f

English: from Greek kharis grace. This was a key word in early Christian thought, but was not used as a name in the early centuries after Christ or in the Middle Ages. As a given name it seems to be an innovation of the 17th century, chosen either to express the original idea of charity, or else as a reference to the three Graces (Greek kharites) of classical mythology (Aglaia, Euphrosyne, and Thalia, of which the first and third have also been occasionally used as given names).

Back  -   New Search

Charissa f

English: apparently a recent elaboration of CHARIS, perhaps as a result of crossing with CLARISSA.

Back  -   New Search

Charity f

English: from the vocabulary word, denoting originally the Christian's love for his fellow man (Latin carits, from carus dear). In spite of St Paul's words ‘and now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity’ (1 Corinthians 13: 13), Charity is now rarely used as a given name in comparison with the shorter FAITH and HOPE.
Cognates: Spanish: Caridad. Portuguese: Caridade. Finnish: Karita.

Back  -   New Search

Charlene f

English (chiefly Australian and southern U.S.): 20th-century coinage, from Charles + -ene taken as a feminine ending. It may have been influenced by the older but much rarer French name Charline, a feminine diminutive of CHARLES.

Back  -   New Search

Charles m

English and French: originally from a Germanic word meaning ‘free man’, cognate with Old English ceorl man. (The modern English words churl and churlish are derived from this, and their unpleasant overtones are a much later accretion.) The name originally owed its popularity in Europe to the Frankish leader Charlemagne (?742–814), who in 800 established himself as Holy Roman Emperor. His name (Latin Carolus Magnus) means ‘Charles the Great’. Charles or KARL (the German form) was a common name among Frankish leaders, including Charlemagne's grandfather Charles Martel (688–741). The name was also borne by a succession of Holy Roman Emperors and ten kings of France. It was hardly used at all among the Normans, and was introduced to Britain by Mary Queen of Scots (1542–87), who had been brought up in France. She chose the names Charles James for her son (1566–1625), who later became King James VI of Scotland and, from 1603, James I of England. His son and grandson both reigned as King Charles, and the name thus became established in the 17th century both as a name in the Stuart royal house and as a favoured name among English and Scottish supporters of the monarchy. In the 19th century the popularity of the name was further increased by romanticization of the story of ‘Bonnie Prince Charlie’, Stuart pretender to the throne in the preceding century and leader of the 1745 rebellion. This popularity continued in the 20th century with the baptism in 1948 of the heir to the British throne as Prince Charles.
In Ireland this name has been used as an Anglicized form of CEARBHALL. and sometimes of CORMAC; in Scotland it has been used for TEÀRLACH.
Cognates: Irish Gaelic: Séarlas. Welsh: Siarl. Italian: Carlo. Spanish, Portuguese: Carlos. German: Karl, CARL. Dutch: Karel. Scandinavian: Karl. Polish: Karol. Czech: Karel. Hungarian: Károly. Finnish: Kaarle.
Pet form: English: Charlie.

Back  -   New Search

Charlie m, f

1 (m.) English and Scottish: pet form of CHARLES.

2 (f.) English: modern pet form of CHARLOTTE.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Charlotte f

English and French: feminine diminutive of CHARLES, used in England since the 17th century, but most popular in the 18th and 19th centuries, in part due to the influence of firstly Queen Charlotte (1744–1818), wife of George III, and secondly the novelist Charlotte Brontë (1816–55). In the Scottish Highlands this name has been used as an Anglicized form of Teàrlag (see TEÀRLACH).
Cognates: Irish: Sérlait. Italian: Carlotta. German: Karlotte. Scandinavian: Chrlotta.
Pet forms: English: Lottie, Tottie, Charlie.

Back  -   New Search

Charlton m

English: transferred use of the surname, used as a given name largely as a result of the fame of the film actor Charlton Heston (b. 1924; Charlton was his mother's maiden name). The surname originally denoted someone who came from one of the numerous places in England named in Old English as the ‘settlement of the free peasants’, Old English ceorlatun. The first element of the placename is ultimately connected with the source of CHARLES.

Back  -   New Search

Charmaine f

English: possibly a variant of CHARMIAN, influenced by names such as GERMAINE, but more probably an invented name based on the vocabulary word charm + -aine as in LORRAINE. It is not found before 1920, but enjoyed some popularity in the 1960s due to The Bachelors' hit song of this name.

Back  -   New Search

Charmian f

English: from the Late Greek name Kharmion (a diminutive of kharma delight). The name was used by Shakespeare in Antonj and Cleopatra for one of the attendants of the Egyptian queen; he took it from Sir Thomas North's translation of Plutarch's Parallel Lives.

Back  -   New Search

Charna f

Jewish: Yiddish name, from a Slavonic element meaning ‘dark, black’ (cf. Polish czarny).
Pet forms: Charnke, Charnele.

Back  -   New Search

Charo f

Spanish: pet form of ROSARIO.

Back  -   New Search

Chase m

English (esp. U.S.): transferred use of the surname, which originated in the Middle Ages as a nickname for a huntsman, from Anglo-Norman chase chase, hunt.

Back  -   New Search

Chauncey m

English: American coinage from a well-known New England surname. It seems to have been originally chosen as a given name in honour of the Harvard College president Charles Chauncy (1592–1672), the New England clergyman Charles Chauncy (1705–87), or the naval officer Isaac Chauncey (1772–1840). All these men were almost certainly descended from a single family; the surname is found in England in the Middle Ages, and probably has a Norman baronial origin, but now seems to be extinct in Britain.

Back  -   New Search

Chaya f

Jewish: feminine counterpart of CHAIM, from Hebrew Hayya ‘alive’ or ‘animal’. In the first meaning it corresponds to CHAIM and names such as VIDAL, and in the second meaning it parallels animal names such as ARYE, DOV, and Zvi. See also EVE.

Back  -   New Search

Chelle f

English: informal short form of MICHELLE. See also SHELL.

Back  -   New Search

Chelo f

Spanish: pet form of CONSUELO.

Back  -   New Search

Cherelle f

English: apparently a respelling of CHERYL, influenced by the popular name ending -elle (originally a French feminine diminutive suffix).

Back  -   New Search

Cherene f

English (esp. U.S.): modern coinage, a combination of the popular element Cher- (cf. CHERIDA, CHERYL, and CHERYTH) with the productive feminine suffix -ene.

Back  -   New Search

Cherida f

English: a modern coinage, apparently the result of crossing CHERYL with PHILLIDA.

Back  -   New Search

Cherish f

English: modern coinage, apparently an alteration of CHERYTH to match the vocabulary element cherish to treasure, care for (borrowed in the Middle Ages from Old French cherir, a derivative of cher dear).

Back  -   New Search

Cherna f

Jewish: Yiddish name, from a Slavonic element meaning ‘dark, black’ (cf. Russian cherry).
Pet forms: Chernke, Chernele.

Back  -   New Search

Cherry f

English: now generally regarded as an Anglicized spelling of the French word chéries darling (cf. CARA). However, Dickens used it as a pet form of CHARITY: in Martin Chuzzlewit (1844) Mr Pecksniff's daughters Charity and Mercy are known as Cherry and Merry. Nowadays the name is sometimes also taken as referring to the fruit.

Back  -   New Search

Cheryl f

English: not found before the 1920s, and not common until the 1940s. It seems to be an artificial creation, perhaps the result of a crossing of CHERRY with BERYL.

Back  -   New Search

Cheryth f

English: apparently the result of a crossing of CHERRY with GWYNETH.

Back  -   New Search

Cheslav m

Russian form of CZESAW

Back  -   New Search

Chester m

English: transferred use of the surname, which originally denoted someone from the town of Chester, so called from an Old English form of Latin castra legionary camp. Use as a given name has become quite common in the 20th century.

Back  -   New Search

Chevonne f

Anglicized spelling of SIOBHÁN.

Back  -   New Search

Chiara f

Italian form of CLARE.

Back  -   New Search

Chirsty f

Scottish: usual spelling in the Highlands of KIRSTIE.

Back  -   New Search

Chita f

Spanish: short form of Conchita (see CONCHA).

Back  -   New Search

Chloe f

From the Late Greek name Khlo, originally used in the classical period as an epithet of the fertility goddess Demeter. It seems to be connected with CHLORIS. It occurs only fleetingly in the New Testament (1 Corinthians 1: 11), but its use as a given name in the English-speaking world almost certainly derives from this, having been adopted by 17th-century Puritans. It has survived much better than the majority of the minor biblical names taken up in the 17th century.

Back  -   New Search

Chloris f

From Greek mythology. Khlris was a minor goddess of vegetation; her name derives from Greek khlros green. It was used by the Roman poet Horace for one of his loves (cf. LALAGE), and was taken up by Augustan poets of the 17th and 18th centuries.

Back  -   New Search

Chole f

Spanish: pet form of SOLEDAD.

Back  -   New Search

Chris m, f

English: 1 (m.) Short form of CHRISTOPHER.

2 (f.) Short form of CHRISTINE and the group of related female names.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Chrissie f

English and Scottish: pet form of CHRISTINE and the group of related women's names. It is especially common in Scotland.
Variants: Scottish: Criosaidh (a Gaelic form).

Back  -   New Search

Christa f

Latinate short form of CHRISTINE and CHRISTINA. It seems to have originated in Germany, but is now also well established in Scandinavia and the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Christabel f

English: a 19th-century coinage from the first syllable of CHRISTINE, combined with the productive suffix -bel (see BELLE). The coinage was apparently made by Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772–1834) in a poem called Christabel (1816). The name was also borne by the suffragette Christabel Pankhurst (1880–1958), in whose honour it is now some-times bestowed.
Variants: Christabelle, Christabella.

Back  -   New Search

Christelle f

French: altered form of CHRISTINE, derived by replacement of the seemingly feminine diminutive suffix -ine with the suffix -elle of similar function. The name is now also used in the English-speaking world, where its popularity has been enhanced by that of the similar-sounding CRYSTAL.

Back  -   New Search

Christer m

Swedish and Danish form of the male name CHRISTIAN. It is first found in the 15th century, when it began to be borne regularly in a few noble families. It came into more general popularity in the 1940s.

Back  -   New Search

Christhard m

German: hybrid religious name based on the name Christ (see CHRISTIAN) + the Germanic personal name element -hard hardy, brave, strong.

Back  -   New Search

Christian m, occasionally f

English: from Latin Christinus ‘follower of Christ’, in use as a given name during the Middle Ages, and sporadically ever since. The name Christ itself (Greek Khristos) is a translation of the Hebrew term Messiah ‘anointed’.
Cognates m: Low German: Carsten. Danish: Kristen.

Back  -   New Search

Christiana f

English: medieval learned feminine form of CHRISTIAN. As a recent revival it represents an elaborated form of CHRISTINA. It is also sometimes spelled Christianna under the influence of the name ANNA.

Back  -   New Search

Christie m, f

1 (m.) Scottish and Irish: pet form of CHRISTOPHER.

2 (f.) English: pet form of CHRISTINE.
Variant: Christy.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Christina f

English: simplified form of Latin Christina, feminine of Christinus (see CHRISTIAN), or a Latinized form of Middle English Christin ‘Christian’ (Old English christen, from Latin).
Cognates: Scottish Gaelic: Cairistìona, Cairistìne. Irish Gaelic: Crístíona. Italian, Spanish, Portuguese: Cristina. Polish: Krystyna.

Back  -   New Search

Christine f

English and French: form of CHRISTINA, not much used in Britain until the end of the 19th century. Until fairly recently it was principally associated with Scotland, but now it is very popular in all parts of the English-speaking world.
Short form: English: Chris.
Pet forms: Scottish: Chrissie; Chirsty, KIRSTIE (Gaelic Ciorstaidh, Curstaidh; Ciorstag; Ciorsdan).

Back  -   New Search

Christmas m

English: from the festival celebrating the birth of Christ (so called from Christ (see CHRISTIAN) + mass festival). It is sometimes given to a boy born on Christmas Day. See also NOËL and NATALIE.

Back  -   New Search

Christopher m

English: from Greek Khristophoros, a name composed of the elements Khristos Christ + pherein to bear. This was popular among early Christians, conscious of the fact that they were metaphorically bearing Christ in their hearts. A later, over-literal interpretation of the name gave rise to the legend of a saint who actually bore the Christ-child over a stream; he is regarded as the patron of travellers.
Cognates: Irish Gaelic: Críostóir. Scottish: Kester; See also CRÌSDEAN. French: Christophe. Italian: Cristoforo. Spanish: Cristóbal. Catalan: Cristòfol. Portuguese: Cristovão. German: Christoph. Scandinavian: Kristoffer. Polish: Krzysztof. Czech: Krytof Finnish: Risto.
Short forms: English: Chris. Spanish: Cristo.
Pet forms: English: Kit. German: Stoffel.

Back  -   New Search

Christy m, f

Scottish, Irish, and English: variant spelling of CHRISTIE.

Back  -   New Search

Chrystal f

English: rare variant spelling of CRYSTAL, apparently influenced by the Greek-origin element khrysos gold.
Variant: Chrystalla (Latinate).

Back  -   New Search

Chucho m, f

Spanish: pet form of JESÚS or María Jesus.

Back  -   New Search

Chuck m

English (almost exclusively U.S.): nickname occasionally used as a given name in its own right. It derives from the English term of endearment, itself probably from Middle English chukken to cluck (of imitative origin). It is now often used as a pet form of CHARLES.
Pet form: Chuckie.

Back  -   New Search

Chus m, f

Spanish: pet form of JESÚS or Maria Jesús.

Back  -   New Search

Chwalibóg m

Polish: religious name of medieval origin, composed of the elements chwata praise + bóg God.
Variant: Falibog. See also BOGUCHWAL.

Back  -   New Search

Cian m

Irish: traditional Gaelic name, from the Irish vocabulary word meaning ‘ancient’. It was borne by a son-in-law of Brian Boru who played a leading role in the Battle of Clontarf (1014).
Anglicized forms: Kean(e).

Back  -   New Search

Ciannait f

Irish: Gaelic name representing a feminine diminutive form of CIAN.

Back  -   New Search

Ciara f

Irish: modern name created as a feminine form of CIARÁN.

Back  -   New Search

Ciarán m

Irish: Gaelic name often Anglicized as KIERAN. It was originally a byname, representing a diminutive form of ciar black, and was borne by two Irish saints, of the 5th and 6th centuries.

Back  -   New Search

Cibor m

Polish: simplified variant of CZCIBOR.

Back  -   New Search

Cicely f

English: variant spelling of CECILY. This was a common form of the name in the Middle Ages.
Cognate: Scandinavian: Sissel.
Pet form: English: SISSY.

Back  -   New Search

Cillian m

Irish: Gaelic name often Anglicized as KILLIAN. It was originally a byname representing a diminutive form of Gaelic ceallach strife, or possibly derived from Gaelic ceall monastery, church (cf. KELLY), and was borne by various early Irish saints, including the 7th-century author of a life of St Bridget and missionaries to Artois and Franconia.
Variant: Cillín.

Back  -   New Search

Cindy f

English: pet form of CYNTHIA or, less often, of LUCINDA, now very commonly used as an independent given name, especially in America. It has occasionally also been taken as a short form of the name of the fairy-tale Cinderella, which in fact is not related to it (French Cendrillon, a derivative of cendre cinders).

Back  -   New Search

Cinzia f

Italian form of CYNTHIA.

Back  -   New Search

Ciorstaidh f

Scottish Gaelic form of KIRSTIE.
Variant: Ciorstag.

Back  -   New Search

Cipriano m

Italian: from Latin Cyprianus, originally an ethnic name for someone from the island of Cyprus. The most famous of several early saints of this name is a 3rd-century bishop of Carthage who was a major theological thinker and writer.
Cognates: Spanish: Cebrián. Catalan: Cebrià.

Back  -   New Search

Ciriaco m

Italian and Spanish (more common in the latter country): from Latin Cyricus, Greek Kyriakos, a derivative of kyrios lord. This was a very popular name among early Christians, who chose it as a token of their devotion to their Lord, and it was borne by a very large number of minor saints of the first centuries AD.

Back  -   New Search

Ciro m

Italian form of CYRUS, commonly used in that country.

Back  -   New Search

Claire f

French form of CLARA. It was introduced to Britain by the Normans, but subsequently abandoned. This spelling was revived in the 19th century as a variant of CLARE.
Variant: Clair.

Back  -   New Search

Clancy m

Irish (esp. U.S.): from the Irish surname, Gaelic Mac Fhlannchaidh ‘son of Flannchadh’, a personal name perhaps meaning ‘red warrior’.
Variant: Clancey.

Back  -   New Search

Clara f

English, Italian, and German: post-classical Latin name, from the feminine form of the adjective clrus famous. In the modern English-speaking world it represents a re-Latinization of the regular English form CLARE. In the Scottish Highlands it has been used as a translation equivalent of the Gaelic name SORCHA.
Variant: German: Klara.
Pet form: English: Clarrie.

Back  -   New Search

Clare f

English: the normal vernacular form of CLARA during the Middle Ages and since. The name has always been particularly popular in Italy (in the forms Chiara and Clara) and has been borne by several Italian saints, notably Clare of Assisi (c.1193–1253), an associate of Francis of Assisi and founder of the order of nuns known as the Poor Clares. In Britain the given name was probably reinforced by the Anglo-Irish surname, derived from a place in Suffolk. The surname was taken to Ireland by Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke (d. 1176), known as ‘Strongbow’.

Back  -   New Search

Clarence m

English: in use from the end of the 19th century, but now rare. It was first used in honour of the popular elder son of Edward VII, who was created Duke of Clarence in 1890, but died in 1892. His title (Dux Clarentiae in Latin) originated with a son of Edward III, who in the 14th century was married to the heiress of Clare in Suffolk (which is so called from a Celtic river name and has no connection with the given name CLARE). The title has been held by various British royal princes at different periods in history.
Pet form: Clarrie.

Back  -   New Search

Clarette f

English: rare extended form of CLARE, with the French feminine diminutive suffix -ette. The formation may have been influenced by the wine claret (Medieval Latin (vnum) clrtum clarified wine).

Back  -   New Search

Clarice f

English: medieval English and French form of the Latin name Claritia. This seems to have meant ‘fame’ (an abstract derivative of clrus famous), but it may simply have been an arbitrary elaboration of CLARA. It was borne by a character who features in some versions of the medieval romances of Roland and the other paladins of Charlemagne.

Back  -   New Search

Clarinda f

English: elaboration of CLARA with the suffix -inda (cf. BELINDA and LUCINDA). Clarinda first appears in Spenser's Faerie Queene (1596). The formation seems to have been influenced by the name Clorinda, which occurs in Torquato Tasso's Gerusalemme Liberata (1580), and is probably a similarly arbitrary elaboration of CHLORIS. Robert Burns (1759–96) wrote four poems To Clarinda.

Back  -   New Search

Clarissa f

English: Latinate form of CLARICE occasionally found in medieval documents. It was revived by Samuel Richardson as the name of the central character in his novel Clarissa (1748).
Cognate: Spanish: Clarisa. See also CAITIR.

Back  -   New Search

Clark m

English: transferred use of the surname, originally an occupational name denoting a clerk or secretary, in the Middle Ages a man in minor holy orders, who earned his living by his ability to read and write. It is now quite commonly used as a given name, especially in the United States. The word clerk derives from Latin clericus, but this more common form of the surname and given name reflects a widespread medieval shift in pronunciation from -er- to -ar- (preserved in the British but not the American pronunciation of the vocabulary word).

Back  -   New Search

Clarrie m, f

English: pet form of CLARENCE, also of CLARA and the various similar womens' names. It is now fairly rare and almost never used as an independent given name.

Back  -   New Search

Claud m

English: Anglicized spelling of CLAUDE.

Back  -   New Search

Claude m

French and English: from the Latin name Claudius (itself occasionally used as a modern given name), which was an old Roman family name derived from the byname Claudus ‘lame’. It was borne by various early saints, but its popularity in France is largely due to the fame of the 7th-century St Claude of Besan-con. In France, Claude also occasionally occurs as a female name (cf. CLAUDIA).
Cognates: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese: Claudio. Russian: Klavdii. Polish: Klaudiusz. Hungarian: Kolos.

Back  -   New Search

Claudette f

French: feminine diminutive form of CLAUDE, now also occasionally used in the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Claudia f

English and German: from the Latin female name, a feminine form of Claudius (see CLAUDE). The name receives a fleeting mention in one of St Paul's letters to Timothy (2. 4: 21 ‘Eubulus greeteth thee, and Pudens, and Linus, and Claudia and all the brethren’), from which it was taken up in the 16th century (cf. CHLOE).
Cognates: Russian: Klavdia. Polish: Klaudia.

Back  -   New Search

Claudine f

French: feminine diminutive form of CLAUDE. It was made popular at the beginning of the 20th century as the name of the heroine of a series of novels by the French writer Colette (1873–1954), and is now also occasionally used in the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Claudio m

Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese form of CLAUDE.

Back  -   New Search

Claus m

German: aphetic form of Niclaus or Niklaus, representing the usual German form of NICHOLAS. In America this name tends to be associated with the figure of Santa Claus (originally Sankt Niklaus), which inhibits serious use of it.
Variant: German: Klaus.
Cognates: Dutch: Klaas. Frisian: Klaes. Finnish: Launo.

Back  -   New Search

Claver m

Catholic name given in honour of the Catalan saint Pere Claver (1581–1654), a Jesuit who worked among Black slaves in Central America. He was canonized in 1888. His surname is a Catalan occupational name for a locksmith.

Back  -   New Search

Clay m

English: either a shortened form of CLAYTON or a transferred use of the independent surname, which was originally a local name for someone who lived on a patch of land whose soil was predominantly clay (Old English clg).

Back  -   New Search

Clayton m

English (esp. U.S.): transferred use of the surname, originally a local name from any of the several places in England (for example, in Lancs., Staffs., Sussex, and W. Yorks.) originally named with the Old English elements clg clay + tn enclosure, settlement.

Back  -   New Search

Cledwyn m

Welsh: traditional name, apparently composed of the elements caled hard, rough + (g)wyn white, fair, blessed, holy.

Back  -   New Search

Clelia f

Italian and English: from Latin Cloelia, the name borne by a semi-mythological heroine of early Roman history. She was given as a hostage to the Etruscan invader Lars Porsenna, but made an escape back to Rome by swimming the Tiber.

Back  -   New Search

Clem m

English: short form of CLEMENT and of women's names such as CLEMENCE. It is occasionally used as an independent given name, especially in the United States.

Back  -   New Search

Clematis f

English: from the name of the flower (so named in the 16th century from Greek klmatis climbing plant), perhaps under the influence of names such as CLEMENCE and the ending -is found in names such as PHYLLIS.

Back  -   New Search

Clemence f

English: medieval French and English form of Latin Clmentius (masculine derivative of Clmens; see CLEMENT) or of Clmentia (feminine version of Clmentius or an abstract noun meaning ‘mercy’). It has never been particularly common, but is still occasionally used as a female name.
Short form: Clem.
Pet form: Clemmie.

Back  -   New Search

Clemency f

English: rare variant of CLEMENCE or a direct use of the abstract noun, on the model of CHARITY, FAITH, MERCY, etc.

Back  -   New Search

Clement m

English: from the Late Latin name Clmens (genitive Clmentis) meaning ‘merciful’. This was borne by several early saints, notably the fourth pope and the early Christian theologian Clement of Alexandria (Titus Flavius Clemens, ?150–?215).
Cognates: Scottish Gaelic: Cliamain French: Clément. Italian, Spanish, Portuguese: Clemente. German, Danish, Swedish, Polish: Klemens. Russian, Czech: Kliment. Hungarian: Kelemen.
Short form: English: Clem.
Pet forms: English: Clemmie. Polish: Klimek.

Back  -   New Search

Clementine f

English: feminine form of CLEMENT, created with the French feminine diminutive suffix -ine. The name was first used in the 19th century, and for a time it was very popular. It is now largely associated with the popular song with this title. The Latinate form Clementina is also found.
Cognate: Polish: klementyna.

Back  -   New Search

Clemmie f, m

English: diminutive form of CLEM, borne more often by girls than by boys.

Back  -   New Search

Cleo f

English: short form of CLEOPATRA (see also CLIO).

Back  -   New Search

Cleopatra f

From Greek Kleopatra, the name (composed of the elements kleos glory + pater father) borne by a large number of women in the Ptolemaic royal family of Egypt. The most famous (?69–30 BC) was the lover of Mark Antony, and has always figured largely in both literature and the popular imagination as a model of a passionate woman of unsurpassed beauty, who 'gave all for love' and in the process destroyed the man she loved. She had previously been the mistress of Julius Caesar. The name is occasionally chosen, especially in Black families.

Back  -   New Search

Cleto m

Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese: short form of ANACLETO.

Back  -   New Search

Cliamain m

Scottish Gaelic form of CLEMENT.

Back  -   New Search

Cliff m

English: short form of CLIFFORD.(now also sometimes of CLIFTON). It is commonly used as an independent given name, especially since the rise to fame in the 1950s of the pop singer Cliff Richard (real name Harry Webb). It has sometimes also been associated with CLIVE.

Back  -   New Search

Clifford m

English: transferred use of the surname, originally a local name from any of several places (Gloucs., Here-fords., Yorks.) named in Old English with the elements clif cliff, slope, riverbank + ford ford.

Back  -   New Search

Clifton m

English: transferred use of the surname, originally a local name from any of the numerous places named in Old English with the elements clif cliff, slope, riverbank + tn enclosure, settlement. Use of this as a given name is more recent than that of CLIFFORD, and it may in some cases have been adopted as an expanded form of CLIFF.

Back  -   New Search

Clint m

English: short form of the surname Clinton, made famous by the actor Clint Easrwood (b. 1930). It was apparently originally used as a given name in America in honour of the Clinton family, whose members included the statesman George Clinton (1739–1812), governor of New York, and his nephew De Witt Clinton (1769–1828), who was responsible for overseeing the construction of the Erie Canal. It was also borne by Sir Henry Clinton (1735–95), British commander-in-chief in America during the Revolution.

Back  -   New Search

Clio f

English: from Greek Kleio, the name borne in classical mythology both by one of the nymphs and by one of the Muses. It is probably ultimately connected with, the word kleos glory; cf. CLEOPATRA. The name is now sometimes used as a variant of CLEO.

Back  -   New Search

Clíona f

Irish: contracted spelling of the Gaelic name Clíodhna (Old Irish Clídna), borne in Fenian legends by a fairy princess. It has been revived in the 20th century and become a popular given name in Ireland.

Back  -   New Search

Clitus m

Mainly U.S.: Latinized form of Greek Kleitos, the name of one of Alexander the Great's generals. This name is probably ultimately connected with Kleio (see CLIO).

Back  -   New Search

Clive m

English: transferred use of the surname, originally a local name from any of the various places (in e.g. Cheshire, Shropshire) so called from Old English clif cliff, slope. As a given name it seems to have been originally chosen in honour of ‘Clive of India’ (Robert Clive, created Baron Clive of Plassey in 1760).

Back  -   New Search

Clodagh f

Irish: of recent origin. It is the name of a river in Tipperary, and seems to have been arbitrarily transferred to use as a given name. There may be some association in the minds of givers with the Latin name Cldia (borne by the mistress of the Roman poet Catullus), a variant of CLAUDIA.

Back  -   New Search

Clothilde f

French: from a Germanic female personal name, composed of the elements hld famous + hild battle. The most famous bearer of the name (c.474–545) was a daughter of the Burgundian king Chilperic who married the Prankish king Clovis and converted him to Christianity.

Back  -   New Search

Clover f

English: modern name taken from the flower (Old English clfre). Its popularity may have been influenced by its slight similarity in sound to CHLOE.

Back  -   New Search

Clyde m

English (esp. U.S.): apparently from the river in south-west Scotland that runs through Glasgow, perhaps by way of a surname derived from the river name. The name is comparatively popular among West Indian and American Blacks; Dunkling points out that geographical names such as Aberdeen and Glasgow were bestowed on slaves in the southern United States. A large number of plantation owners were of Scottish origin. Clyde, unlike other such names, seems to have survived, and even gained some currency among southern Whites. The bank robber Clyde Barrow became something of a cult figure, especially after the film Bonnie and Clyde (1967).

Back  -   New Search

Coinneach m

Scottish Gaelic: traditional name, probably originally a byname meaning ‘handsome, fair one’. This is one of the two names that have merged in the Anglicized form KENNETH, and it remains in common use in the Highlands. From it is derived the surname MacKenzie (Gaelic Mac Coinnich).

Back  -   New Search

Cokkie f

Dutch: pet form of CORNELIA.

Back  -   New Search

Colbert m

English: from a Germanic personal name introduced by the Normans, composed of the element col of uncertain meaning + berht bright, famous. In modern use it probably represents a transferred use of the surname derived from the given name in the Middle Ages.

Back  -   New Search

Cole m

English: transferred use of the surname, itself derived from a medieval given name of uncertain origin. It seems to represent the Old English byname Cola ‘swarthy, coal-black’ (from col charcoal). The given name is occasionally used as a short form of NICHOLAS.

Back  -   New Search

Coleman m

English and Irish: variant of COLMAN. In part it also represents a transferred use of the surname, which derives in most cases from the Gaelic personal name Colmán, but in others may be an occupational term for a charcoal burner.

Back  -   New Search

Colette f

French and English: short form of Nicolette (pet form of NICOLE) or feminine diminutive of the medieval name Col(le) (cf. COLIN). It was given particular currency from the 1920s onwards by the fame of the French novelist Colette (1873–1954).

Back  -   New Search

Colin m

1 English: diminutive form of the medieval name Col(le), a short form of NICHOLAS. It has been enduringly popular and is now normally regarded as an independent name rather than as a pet form of Nicholas.

2 Scottish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Cailean, particularly favoured among the Campbells and the MacKenzies. It relates to St Columba (see CALUM) as Crìsdean does to Christ and Moirean to Mary.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Coll m

Scottish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Colla, perhaps from an Old Celtic root meaning ‘high’.

Back  -   New Search

Colleen f

Mainly U.S. and Australian: from the Anglo-Irish vocabulary word colleen girl, wench (Gaelic cailín). The name arose during the period of enthusiasm for Irish names in the 1940s and became especially popular in America, although it is not in fact used as a given name in Ireland. It is sometimes taken as a feminine of COLIN.

Back  -   New Search

Collette f

English: variant spelling of COLETTE.

Back  -   New Search

Colm m

Irish Gaelic form of Latin Columba; see CALUM.
Variant: Colom (an older Gaelic form).
Pet form: Cóilín.

Back  -   New Search

Colman m

Irish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Colmán, from Late Latin Columbnus, a derivative of Columba (see CALUM and COLOMBE). The name was borne by a large number of early Irish saints, including Colman of Armagh, a 5th-century disciple of St Patrick. St Colman or Columban (c.540–615) founded the monastery at Bobbio in northern Italy in 614, and became something of a cult figure in central Europe. St Colman of Stockerau (d. 1012) was an Irish pilgrim who was killed at Stockerau near Vienna while on his way to the Holy Land. He is said to have worked numerous miracles after his death, and was particularly venerated in Hungary.
Cognates: Czech: Kolman. Hungarian: Kámán. Italian: Columbano. French: Colombain.

Back  -   New Search

Colombe f

French: from the Late Latin name Columba ‘dove’, borne both by men (see CALUM) and by women. In France the name is borne principally in honour of Conception St Colombe of Sens (d. 273), who fled to France from Spain to avoid persecution but was put to death near Meaux.

Back  -   New Search

Columbine f

English: from Italian Colombitia, a diminutive of Colombo ‘dove’. In the tradition of the commedia dell'arte this is the name of Harlequin's sweetheart. The modern name, however, was probably coined independently as one of the class of names taken in the igth century from flowers. The columbine gets its name from the fact that its petals are supposed to resemble five doves clustered together.

Back  -   New Search

Comgal m

Irish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Comhghall, composed of the elements comh together, joint + gall pledge. It was borne by a 6th-century saint, founder of Bangor Abbey in Northern Ireland and teacher of Columbanus.

Back  -   New Search

Comgan m

Irish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Comhghán, composed of the elements comh together, joint + gan-, gen- born. It seems originally to have been a byname referring to a twin. The name was borne by an 8th-century Irish prince who lived as a monk in Scotland.

Back  -   New Search

Comyn m

Irish: Anglicized form of CUIMÍN.

Back  -   New Search

Conall m

Irish and Scottish Gaelic: name composed of Old Celtic elements meaning ‘wolf’ + ‘strong’. This name was borne by many early chieftains and warriors of Ireland, including the Ulster hero Conall Cearnach.
Variant: Scottish: Comhnall.

Back  -   New Search

Conan m

Irish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Cónán, originally a byname representing a diminutive of cú hound. The name was borne by a 7th-century saint, who probably served as a bishop on the Isle of Man. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930), creator of the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes, was of Irish stock.

Back  -   New Search

Concepción f

Spanish: name commemorating the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary. This doctrine was officially proclaimed by the Roman Catholic Church only in 1854, but had been debated since the 12th century and reached a peak of popularity in the late Middle Ages.
Pet forms: Concha, Conchita.
Cognate: Portuguese: Conceição.

Back  -   New Search

Concepta f

Latin form of CONCETTA, used especially in Ireland among Roman Catholics.

Back  -   New Search

Concetta f

Italian: name referring to a title of the Virgin Mary, Maria Concetta, that alludes to her Immaculate Conception (cf. CONCEPCIÓN).

Back  -   New Search

Concha f

Spanish: pet form of CONCEPCIÓN.
Variant: Conchita.

Back  -   New Search

Conleth m

Irish: Anglicized form of the obsolete Gaelic personal name Connlaeth, apparently composed of the elements conn chief + flaith lord.
Variant: Conla.

Back  -   New Search

Conn m

Irish Gaelic: name derived from an Old Celtic element meaning ‘chief’. It is now also used as a short form of CONNOR and of various non-Irish names beginning with the syllable Con-.

Back  -   New Search

Connie f

English: pet form of CONSTANCE.

Back  -   New Search

Connor m

Irish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Conchobhar, possibly meaning ‘lover of hounds’. Conchobhar was a semi-legendary Irish king who lived shortly after the time of Christ.
Variant: Cnochúr (a modern Gaelic form).

Back  -   New Search

Conrad m

English and German: variant spelling of KONRAD, a Germanic personal name composed of the elements kuon bold + rad counsel. It was used occasionally in Britain in the Middle Ages in honour of a 10th-century bishop of Constance in Switzerland, but modern use in the English-speaking world is a reimportation dating mainly from the 19th century.
Variants: German: Konrad, Kurt.
Cognates: Dutch: Koenrad, Kort. Polish: Konrad. Italian: Corrado.

Back  -   New Search

Conseja f

Spanish: religious name referring to the Marian title, Nuestra Señora del Buen Consejo ‘Our Lady of Good Counsel’. There is a festival dedicated to this aspect of the Virgin on 26 April.
Cognate: Italian: Consilia.

Back  -   New Search

Consolata f

Italian: name referring to a title of the Virgin Mary, Maria Consolata (cf. CONSUELO).

Back  -   New Search

Constance f

English and French: medieval form of the Late Latin name Constantia, which is either a feminine form of Constantius, a derivative of Constans (see CONSTANT), or an abstract noun meaning ‘constancy’. This was a popular name among the Normans, and was borne by, amongst others, the formidable Constance of Sicily (1158–98), wife of the Emperor Henry VI.
Pet form: English: Connie.

Back  -   New Search

Constant m

English and French: medieval form of the Late Latin name Constans (genitive Constantis) ‘steadfast’, but not common in the Middle Ages. It was taken up by the Puritans because of its transparent meaning, as an expression of their determination to ‘resist stedfast in the faith’ (1 Peter 5: 9).
Equivalent: Hungarian: Szilárd.

Back  -   New Search

Constantine m

English and French: medieval form of the Late Latin name Constantnus (a derivative of Constans; see CONSTANT). This was the name of Constantine the Great (?288–337), the first Christian emperor of Rome. It was also born by three kings of Scotland, apparently as an Anglicized form of CONN.
Cognates: Scottish Gaelic: Còiseam. Russian, Czech, Hungarian, Scandinavian, German: Konstantin. Polish: Konstantyn.

Back  -   New Search

Consuelo m

Spanish: name referring to a title of the Virgin Mary, Nuestra Señora del Consuelo ‘Our Lady of Solace’ (Spanish consuelo, from Latin consoltus). Mary is traditionally a comforter of the bereaved and distressed and an intercessor with God.
Cognate: Italian: Consolata.
Short form: Spanish: Suelo.
Pet form: Spanish: Chelo.

Back  -   New Search

Cor m

Dutch: short form of CORNELIS.

Back  -   New Search

Cora f

English: name apparently coined by James Fenimore Cooper for one of the characters in The Last of the Mohicans (1826). It could represent a Latinized form of Greek Kor ‘maiden’. In classical mythology this was a euphemistic name of the goddess of the underworld, Persephone, and would not have been a wellomened name to take.

Back  -   New Search

Coral f

English: late 19th-century coinage. This is one of the group of girls' names taken from the vocabulary of jewellery. Coral is a beautiful pink calcareous material found in warm seas; it actually consists of the skeletons of millions of tiny sea creatures. The word is from Late Latin corallium and is probably ultimately of Semitic origin.

Back  -   New Search

Coralie f

English: apparently an elaboration of CORA or CORAL on the model of ROSALIE.

Back  -   New Search

Corazón f

Spanish: religious name referring to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, from Spanish corazón heart (an augmentative formation from Latin cor). Devotion to the Sacred Heart is known to some extent from early Christian times, but it became official and public in the 17th century; the feast was formally established in the Roman Catholic Church in 1855.

Back  -   New Search

Cordelia f

English: name used by Shakespeare for King Lear's one virtuous daughter. It is not clear where he got it from; it does not seem likely to have a genuine Celtic origin. It may be a fanciful elaboration of Latin cor (genitive cordis) heart, and certainly this association has been made by many of those who have subsequently chosen it.

Back  -   New Search

Cordula f

English and German: apparently a Late Latin diminutive form of cor (genitive cordis) heart. A saint of this name was, according to legend, one of Ursula's eleven thousand companions.

Back  -   New Search

Coretta f

English: elaborated form of CORA, with the addition of the productive feminine suffix -etta (originally an Italian diminutive form). This is the name of the widow of the American civil rights campaigner Martin Luther King.

Back  -   New Search

Corey m

English (U.S.): a fairly common male name among Blacks in the United States, but the reasons for its popularity are not clear. It is identical in form with the English surname Corey, which is derived from the Old Norse personal name Kori.
Variant: Cory.

Back  -   New Search

Corin m

French: from Latin Quirnus, the name of an ancient Roman divinity partly associated with the legendary figure of Romulus. It is of uncertain origin, probably connected with the Sabine word quiris or curis spear. In the early Christian period the name was borne by several saints martyred for the faith. The name is occasionally also used in the English-speaking world (where it is often regarded as a male equivalent of CORINNA), notably by the actor Corin Redgrave (b. 1939).

Back  -   New Search

Corinna f

English and German: from the Greek name Korinna (probably a derivative of Kor, cf. CORA), borne by a Boeotian poetess of uncertain date, whose works survive in fragmentary form. The name was also used by the Roman poet Ovid for the woman addressed in his love poetry.

Back  -   New Search

Corinne f

French form of CORINNA, also used in the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Cormac m

Irish Gaelic: traditional name, apparently composed of the elements corb defilement + mac son. This has been a very popular name in Ireland from the earliest times. Cormac Ó Cuilleannáin, a roth-century king and bishop, wrote an important dictionary of the Irish language.
Cognate: Scottish Gaelic: Cormag.

Back  -   New Search

Cornelia f

English, German, and Dutch: from the Latin feminine form of the old Roman family name CORNELIUS. It was borne most notably in the 2nd century BC by the mother of the revolutionary reformers Tiberius and Gaius Sempronius Gracchus, and is still occasionally bestowed in her honour.
Pet forms: Dutch: Cokkie, Nelleke.

Back  -   New Search

Cornelis m

Dutch form of CORNELIUS, very common in Holland and South Africa.
Short forms: Cor, Niels.
Pet forms: Kees, Cees.

Back  -   New Search

Cornelius m

From an old Roman family name, Cornlius, which is of uncertain origin, possibly a derivative of Latin cornu horn. This was the name of an early Christian who died in Civitavecchia in c.253.
Variants: Dutch: CORNELIS. French: Corneille. Polish: Kornel(i), Korneliusz. Czech: Kornel.

Back  -   New Search

Cornell m

Medieval vernacular form of CORNELIUS in various languages, including English. In modern use it normally represents a transferred use of the surname, which is of very varied origin.

Back  -   New Search

Corona f

German (S. Germany): from a Late Latin name meaning ‘crown’. St Corona was a minor saint martyred in Syria in the 2nd century, together with her husband Victor. During the Middle Ages she was venerated in Bavaria, Austria, and Bohemia.

Back  -   New Search

Corrado m

Italian form of CONRAD. This was a common name in several of the Italian royal houses during the Middle Ages, and is still used as a result of the fame of St Conrad Confalonieri (1290–1354), a nobleman of Piacenza.

Back  -   New Search

Cosima f

English, German, and Italian: feminine form of COSMO, occasionally used in the English-speaking world. The most famous bearer is probably Cosima Wagner (1837–1930), daughter of Franz Liszt and wife of Richard Wagner.

Back  -   New Search

Cosmo m

Italian, English, and German: Italian form (also found as Cosimo) of the Greek name Kosmas (a short form of various names containing the element kosmos order, beauty). This was borne by a Christian saint martyred, together with his brother Damian, at Aegea in Cilicia in the early 4th century. It was first brought to Britain in the 18th century by the Scottish dukes of Gordon, who had connections with the ducal house of Tuscany. The name was traditional in that family, having been borne most famously by Cosimo de' Medici (1389–1464), its founder and one of the chief patrons of the Italian Renaissance.

Back  -   New Search

Courtney m, f

English (mainly U.S.): transferred use of the surname, originally a Norman baronial name from any of various places in northern France called Courtenay (‘domain of Curtius’). However, from an early period it was taken as a nickname from Old French court nez ‘short nose’. It is also used as a female name, especially in America.

Back  -   New Search

Coy m

U.S.: of uncertain origin. It is hardly likely to be from the modern English vocabulary word, which has both feminine and pejorative connotations. It probably represents a transferred use of the surname Coy, or it may be of Irish origin (from McCoy, a variant of McKay, meaning ‘son of Aodh’; Aodh was an old Gaelic name meaning ‘fire’).

Back  -   New Search

Craig m

Scottish and English: transferred use of the surname, originally a local name derived from any of the many places in Scotland named with the Gaelic element creag rock. It is now widely fashionable throughout the English-speaking world, and is chosen as a given name by people who have no connection with Scotland.

Back  -   New Search

Creighton m

Scottish and English: transferred use of the surname, which is of Scottish origin. It arose as a local name from Crichton in Midlothian, so called from Gaelic crìoch border, boundary + Middle English tune settlement (Old English tn).

Back  -   New Search

Crescentia f

German (S. Germany): original Latin form of the vernacular name KRESZENZ.

Back  -   New Search

Cressa f

English: modern name, apparently originating as a contracted short form of CRESSIDA.

Back  -   New Search

Cressida f

English: from a medieval legend, told by Chaucer and Shakespeare among others, set in ancient Troy. Cressida is a Trojan princess, daughter of Calchas, a priest who has defected to the Greeks. When she is restored to her father, she jilts her Trojan lover Troilus in favour of the Greek Diomedes. The story is not found in classical sources. Chaucer used the name in the form Criseyde, getting it from Boccaccio's Criseida. This in turn is ultimately based on Greek Khryseis (a derivative of khrysos gold), the name of a Trojan girl who is mentioned briefly as a prisoner of the Greeks at the beginning of Homer's Iliad. Chaucer's version of the name was Latinized by Shakespeare as Cressida. In spite of the unhappy associations of the story, the name has enjoyed some popularity in the 20th century.

Back  -   New Search

Críostóir m

Irish Gaelic form of CHRISTOPHER.

Back  -   New Search

Crìsdean m

Scottish Gaelic: name derived from Crìosd Christ, used as an equivalent of CHRISTOPHER.

Back  -   New Search

Crispian m

English: medieval variant of CRISPIN, now very rarely used as a given name.

Back  -   New Search

Crispin m

English: from Latin Crispnus, a derivative of the old Roman family name Crispus ‘curly(-headed)’. St Crispin was martyred with his brother Crispinian in c.285, and the pair were popular saints in the Middle Ages.

Back  -   New Search

Cristina f

Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese form of CHRISTINA.

Back  -   New Search

Crístíona f

Irish Gaelic form of CHRISTINA.

Back  -   New Search

Cristo m

Spanish: short form of CRISTÓBAL. It is occasionally also used in the English-speaking world as an informal pet form of CHRISTOPHER.

Back  -   New Search

Cristóbal m

Spanish form of CHRISTOPHER

Back  -   New Search

Cristòfol m

Catalan form of CHRISTOPHER.

Back  -   New Search

Cristoforo m

Italian form of CHRISTOPHER.

Back  -   New Search

Cristovão m

Portuguese form of CHRISTOPHER.

Back  -   New Search

Cronan m

Irish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Crónán, originally a byname representing a diminutive form of Gaelic crón swarthy.
Variant: Cronin.

Back  -   New Search

Cruz f

Spanish: religious name referring to the agony of Mary at the foot of the Cross (Spanish cruz, from Latin crux, genitive crcis).
Pet form: Crucita.

Back  -   New Search

Crystal f

English: 19th-century coinage. This is one of the group of names taken from or suggestive of gemstones. The word crystal, denoting high-quality cut glass, is derived from Greek krystallos ice. (As a male name, Crystal originated as a Scottish pet form of CHRISTOPHER, but it is hardly, if ever, used today.)
Variant: Krystle.

Back  -   New Search

Ctibor m

Czech form of CZCIBOR.
Pet form: Ctík.

Back  -   New Search

Ctislav m

Czech variant of eslav (see CZESAW).

Back  -   New Search

Cuán m

Irish Gaelic: originally a byname representing a diminutive form of Gaelic cú hound; cf. CONAN. This name has been strongly revived in the 20th century.

Back  -   New Search

Cuddy m

Lowland Scottish: pet form of CUTHBERT. It has also become established as a conventional byname for a donkey.

Back  -   New Search

Cugat m

Catalan: from Latin Cucuphas (genitive Cucuphatis), a name of Carthaginian origin and unknown derivation. It was borne by a 3rd-century saint who was martyred near Barcelona.

Back  -   New Search

Cuimín m

Irish Gaelic: originally a byname representing a diminutive form of Gaelic cam bent, twisted.
Anglicized form: Comyn.

Back  -   New Search

Cuithbeart m

Scottish Gaelic form of CUTHBERT.
Variant: Cuithbrig.

Back  -   New Search

Curro m

Spanish: pet form of Francisco (see FRANCIS).

Back  -   New Search

Curstaidh f

Scottish Gaelic spelling of KIRSTIE.
Variant: Curstag.

Back  -   New Search

Curt m

1 German: variant spelling of KURT.

2 English: originally an Anglicized spelling of German KURT, but now also used as a short form of CURTIS. Association with the vocabulary word curt ‘brusque’ does not seem to have harmed its popularity.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Curtis m

English: transferred use of the surname, which originated in the Middle Ages as a nickname for someone who was ‘courteous’ (Old French curteis). At an early date, however, it came to be associated with Middle English curt short + hose leggings; cf. COURTNEY.

Back  -   New Search

Cuthbert m

English: from an Old English personal name composed (somewhat tautologously) of the elements cð known + beorht bright, famous. It was borne by two pre-Conquest English saints: a 7th-century bishop of Lindisfarne and an 8th-century archbishop of Canterbury who corresponded with St Boniface.
Cognates: Scottish Gaelic: Cuithbeart, Cuithbrig.
Pet form: Scottish (Lowland): Cuddy.

Back  -   New Search

Cy m

English: short form of CYRUS, sometimes used in America as an independent given name.

Back  -   New Search

Cynddelw m

Welsh: traditional name of uncertain derivation, perhaps from an Old Celtic element meaning ‘high, exalted’ + Welsh delw image, statue, effigy.

Back  -   New Search

Cynthia f

English: from Greek Kynthia, an epithet applied to the goddess Artemis, who was supposed to have been born on Mount Kynthos on the island of Delos. The mountain name is of pre-Greek origin. Cynthia was later used by the Roman poet Propertius as the name of the woman to whom he addressed his love poetry. The English given name was not used in the Middle Ages, but dates from the classical revival of the 17th and 18th centuries.
Cognate: Italian: Cinzia.

Back  -   New Search

Cyril m

English: from the post-classical Greek name Kyrillos, a derivative of kyrios lord. It was borne by a large number of early saints, most notably the theologians Cyril of Alexandria and Cyril of Jerusalem. It was also the name of one of the Greek evangelists who brought Christianity to the Slavonic regions of Eastern Europe; in order to provide written translations of the gospels for their converts, they devised the alphabet still known as Cyrillic. In Ireland this has been used as an Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Coireall or Caireall (Old Irish Cairell).
Cognate: Russian: Kirill.

Back  -   New Search

Cyrille m, f

French form of CYRIL, now also occasionally used in the English-speaking world, sometimes as a elaborated spelling variant and sometimes as a feminine form.

Back  -   New Search

Cyrus m

U.S.: from the Greek form (Kyros) of the name of several kings of Persia, most notably Cyrus the Great (d. 529 BC). The origin of the name is not known, but in the early Christian period it was associated with Greek kyrios lord, and borne by various saints, including an Egyptian martyr and a bishop of Carthage.
Cognate: Italian: Ciro.
Short form: U.S.: Cy.

Back  -   New Search

Czcibor m

Polish: from an old Slavonic personal name composed of the elements chest honour + borit to fight.
Variants: cibor, Cibor.
Cognate: Czech: Ctibor.

Back  -   New Search

Czesaw m

Polish: from an old Slavonic personal name composed of the elements chest honour + slav glory.
Cognates: Czech: eslav, Ctislav. Russian: Cheslav.
Pet forms: Polish: Czech, Czesiek.

Back  -   New Search

D

Daffodil f

English: one of the rarer flower names, which perhaps originated as an expanded version of DAFFY. The flower got its name in the 14th century from a run-together form of Dutch de affodil ‘the asphodel’.

Back  -   New Search

Daffy f

English: pet form of DAPHNE, not much used as an independent given name. Its popularity has not been aided by the occurence since the 19th century of the homonymous adjective daffy frivolous, absent-minded (from daff fool, connected with daft).

Back  -   New Search

Dafydd m

Welsh form of DAVID; see also DEWI. This form of the name was in widespread use during the Middle Ages. Later it was largely replaced in Wales by the English form David, but from the late 19th century it has come into its own again.

Back  -   New Search

Dag m

Scandinavian: from the Old Norse vocabulary word dagr day.

Back  -   New Search

Dagmar f

Scandinavian (now also used in the German-speaking world): of uncertain origin. It would appear to be composed of the Old Scandinavian elements dag day + mr maid. It is possible that it represents a reworking of the Slavonic name Dragomira, composed of the elements dorog dear + meri great, famous (see CASIMIR). It is now occasionally used also in the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Dagny f

Scandinavian: from an Old Norse female personal name composed of the elements dag day + ný new. The forms Dagna and Dagne are also used.

Back  -   New Search

Dahlia f

English: from the name of the flower, which was so called in the 19th century in honour of the pioneering Swedish botanist Anders Dahl (1751–89). His surname represents a cognate of English DALE.
Variant: Dalya.

Back  -   New Search

Dai m

Welsh: now used as a Welsh pet form of DAVID, but originally of distinct origin, probably from an Old Celtic element dei to shine.

Back  -   New Search

Dàibhidh m

Scottish Gaelic form of DAVID.

Back  -   New Search

Daisy f

English: from the name of the flower, Old English dægesage, the ‘day's eye’, so called because it uncovers the yellow disc of its centre in the morning and closes its petals over it again at the end of the day. The name seems to have been used early on as a punning pet form of MARGARET, by association with French Marguerite, which is both a version of that name and the word for the flower. However, it was not widespread until taken up at the end of the 19th century as part of the general vogue for flower names.

Back  -   New Search

Dale m, f

English: transferred use of the surname, originally a local name for someone who lived in a dale or valley. It is now commonly used as a given name, especially in America, along with other monosyllabic surnames of topographical origin (cf. e.g. DELL and HALE). It is for the most part a male name, but occasionally also given to girls.

Back  -   New Search

Daley m

Irish and English: from the Irish surname, the Gaelic form of which is Ó Dálaigh ‘descendant of Dálach’, a personal name derived from dál assembly, gathering.
Variant: Daly.

Back  -   New Search

Dalibor m

Czech: from an old Slavonic personal name composed of the elements dal afar + borit to fight.
Feminine form: Dalibora.
Pet forms: Dal(ek) m; Dal(en)(k)a f.

Back  -   New Search

Dalmazio m

Italian: from the Late Latin personal name Dalmatius, originally an ethnic name for someone from Dalmatia, across the Adriatic from Italy. The name was borne by an early bishop of Pavia who was martyred in 304.
Cognate: Spanish: Dalmacio.

Back  -   New Search

Daly m

English: variant spelling of DALEY.

Back  -   New Search

Dalya f

English: variant of DAHLIA.

Back  -   New Search

Damaris f

New Testament: name of a woman mentioned as being converted to Christianity by St Paul (Acts 17: 34). Its origin is not clear, but it is probably Greek, perhaps a late form of Damalis ‘calf’. It was taken up in the 17th century, along with the names of other characters fleetingly mentioned in the New Testament, and has been occasionally used ever since.

Back  -   New Search

Damaso m

Spanish: name borne in honour of a 4th-century pope, St Damasus, who was a close friend of St Jerome. He was apparently of Spanish descent. The name is of Greek origin and is derived from the element damn to tame, subdue, kill (cf. DAMON and DAMIAN).

Back  -   New Search

Damian m

English and Polish: from Greek Damianos, the name of the brother of Cosmas (see COSMO); the two brothers were martyred together at Aegea in Cilicia in the early 4th century. The origin of the name is not certain, but it is probably akin to DAMON.
Cognates: French: Damien (sometimes also used in the English-speaking world). Italian: Damiano. Spanish: Damián. Portuguese: Damião. Russian: Demyan.

Back  -   New Search

Damon m

English: from a classical Greek name, a derivative of damn to tame, subdue (often a euphemism for ‘kill’). This was made famous in antiquity by the story of Damon and Pythias. In the early 4th century BC Pythias was condemned to death by Dionysius, ruler of Syracuse. His friend Damon offered to stand surety for him, and took his place in the condemned cell while Pythias put his affairs in order. When Pythias duly returned to be executed, rather than absconding and leaving his friend to his fate, Dionysius was so impressed by the trust and friendship of the two young men that he pardoned both of them. The name was not used in the early centuries of the Christian era or during the Middle Ages. Its modern use seems to date from the 1930s and is probably due to the fame of the American short-story writer Damon Runyon (1884–1946). It is sometimes taken as a variant of DAMIAN.

Back  -   New Search

Dan m

1 Biblical: name (meaning ‘he judged’ in Hebrew) borne by one of Jacob's twelve sons (Genesis 30: 6). Samson was a member of the tribe which descended from him.

2 English: short form of DANIEL.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Dana f, m

1 (f.) E. European: for the most part a feminine form of DAN (1) or DANIEL. In Poland it is also used as a short form of Bogdana (see BOGDAN) and a pet form of DARIA.

2 (f., m) English (esp. U.S.): from the surname, which is relatively common in the United States, but of uncertain derivation. Use as a given name began in honour of Richard Dana (1815–82), author of Two Years before the Mast. A lawyer by profession, he supported the rights of fugitive slaves, and lent his backing to the Union during the Civil War.
Pet forms (of I): Czech: Danka, Danue, Danuka, Danika, Danul(k)a.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Danaë f

Name borne in Greek mythology by the daughter of Acrisius, who was ravished by Zeus in the form of a shower of gold; as a result she gave birth to the hero Perseus. Her name is of uncertain derivation; she was a great great-granddaughter of Danaus, the eponymous founder of the Greek tribe of the Danai or Argives.

Back  -   New Search

Dane m

English: transferred use of the surname, which was originally a local name representing a dialect variant of DEAN that was common in south-east England.

Back  -   New Search

Daniel m

Jewish, English, French, German, Polish, and Czech: biblical name (meaning ‘God is my judge’ in Hebrew) borne by the prophet whose story is told in the Book of Daniel. He was an Israelite slave of the Assyrian king Nebuchadnezzar, who obtained great favour through his skill in interpreting dreams and the ‘writing on the wall’ at the feast held by Nebuchadnezzar's son Belshazzar. His enemies managed to get him cast into a lions' den, but he was saved by God. This was a favourite tale in the Middle Ages, often represented in miracle plays. The name is popular among both Jews and Gentiles; in Ireland it has often been used as an Anglicized form of Gaelic Domhnall (see DONALD).
Cognates: Welsh: Deiniol. Scottish Gaelic: Dàniel. Italian: Daniele. Russian: Daniil. Ukrainian: Danilo. Finnish: Taneli.
Short form: English: Dan.
Pet forms: English: Danny. Czech: Danek, Dane, Danouek.

Back  -   New Search

Daniela f

Polish and Czech: Latinate feminine form of DANIEL, occasionally used also in the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Danièle f

French: feminine form of DANIEL, occasionally used also in the English-speaking world.
Variant: Danielle (rather more commonly used in the English-speaking world).
Pet form: Dany.

Back  -   New Search

Danika f

Eastern European name, now also in occasional use in the English-speaking world. It is derived from a Slavonic element denoting the morning star.

Back  -   New Search

Danny m

English: pet form of DANIEL, with the hypocoristic suffix -y.

Back  -   New Search

Dante m

Italian: name bestowed in honour of the medieval poet Dante Alighieri (1265–1321). The medieval given name Dante represents a contracted form of Durante ‘steadfast, enduring’ (from Latin drans, genitive drantis, present participle of drre to endure).

Back  -   New Search

Danuta f

Polish: of uncertain origin, apparently a derivative of DANA. It is also possible that Danuta may derive from Latin Donta, feminine of Dontus (see DONATO).

Back  -   New Search

Dany f

French: pet form of DANIÈLE and its variant Danielle.

Back  -   New Search

Daphne f

Name borne in Greek mythology by a nymph who was changed into a laurel by her father, a river god, to enable her to escape the attentions of Apollo, who was pursuing her. The name means ‘laurel’ in Greek. According to the myth, then, the nymph gave her name to the shrub, but in fact of course it was the other way about: her name was taken from the vocabulary word (which seems to be of pre-Greek origin, and may therefore have been thought to need explaining). The name was not used in England until the end of the 19th century, when it seems to have been adopted as part of the vogue for flower names at that time.

Back  -   New Search

Dara m

Irish Gaelic: short form of MAC DARA. This name is common in Connemara and now also elsewhere in Ireland. It was formerly often Anglicized as DUDLEY.
Variant: Darach.

Back  -   New Search

Darby m

English: transferred use of the surname, which originated in the Middle Ages as a local name for someone from the city of Derby or the district of West Derby near Liverpool. These are so called from Old Norse diur deer + býr settlement. The Middle English change of -er-to -ar- is normally reflected in the spelling of the given name as well as most cases of the surname, whereas the placename retains a more conservative orthographic form. In Ireland this name has often been used as an Anglicized form of Gaelic Diarmait (see DERMOT).

Back  -   New Search

Darcy m

English: transferred use of the surname, originally a Norman baronial name (d'Arcy) borne by a family who came from Arcy in northern France. It has always retained a somewhat aristocratic flavour, which has enhanced its popularity as a given name. It is the surname of the hero of Jane Austen's novel Pride and Prejudice (1813).

Back  -   New Search

Daria f

English, Italian, and Polish: feminine form of the much rarer male name Darius (see DARIO). St Daria (d. 283) was a Greek woman married to an Egyptian Christian called Chrysanthus; they lived at Rome and were both martyred under the joint emperors Numerian and Carinus.
Cognates: Russian: Darya. Czech: Darie.
Pet forms: Polish: Dana. Russian: Dasha. Czech: Darka, Darin(k)a, Daruka.

Back  -   New Search

Dario m

Italian: from the Late Latin name Darius, Greek Dareios, originally a transliterated version of the name of various ancient Persian kings. The original form of the name seems to have been Darayavahush, composed of the elements daraya(miy) to hold, possess, maintain + vahu well, good. A rather obscure saint of this name was martyred at Nicaea with three companions at an uncertain date. The Latin form Darius is occasionally used as a given name in the United States.

Back  -   New Search

Darlene f

English (esp. Australia and U.S.): modern coinage, apparently representing an alteration of the affectionate nickname Darling by fusion with the suffix -lene, found as an ending in other female given names.

Back  -   New Search

Darrell m

English: transferred use of the surname, originally a Norman baronial name (d'Airelle) borne by a family who came from Airelle in Calvados. It was first used as a given name towards the end of the 19th century, and has enjoyed a considerable vogue in the latter part of the 20th century.
Variants: Darrel, Darell.

Back  -   New Search

Darren m

English: recently coined name of uncertain derivation. It may well have been an arbitrary coinage, or from a surname (of obscure origin). It seems to have been first borne by the American actor Darren McGavin (b. 1922). It came to the attention of the public as the name of a character in the popular American television comedy series Bewitched (made in the 1960s). In the spelling Darin, it is associated with the singer Bobby Darin (1936–73), who was originally called Walden Robert Cassotto and who chose the name he made famous from a telephone directory.

Back  -   New Search

Darrene f

English: feminine form of DARREN, formed by fusion with the productive feminine suffix -ene.

Back  -   New Search

Darryl m, occasionally f

English: apparently a variant of DARRELL. Together with the variant Daryl, it is occasionally borne by women, perhaps under the influence of names such as CHERYL.

Back  -   New Search

Darya f

Russian form of DARIA.
Pet form: Dasha.

Back  -   New Search

Dassah f

Jewish: aphetic short form of HADASSAH. The shortening may have been assisted by the erroneous association of the first syllable with the Hebrew definite article ha.

Back  -   New Search

David m

Biblical: name of the greatest of the Israelite kings, whose history is recounted in 1 Samuel and elsewhere. As a boy he killed the giant Philistine, Goliath, with his slingshot; as king of Judah, and later of all Israel, he expanded the power of the Israelites and established their security. He was also noted as a poet, with many of the Psalms being attributed to him. He had many sons and, according to the gospels, Jesus was descended from him. The Hebrew derivation of the name is uncertain; it is said by some to represent a nursery word meaning ‘darling’. In America this is mainly a Jewish name, but it has no such weighting in Britain, where it is particularly common in Wales and Scotland, having been borne by the patron saint of Wales (see DEWI) and by two medieval kings of Scotland.
Cognates: Scottish Gaelic: Dàibhidh. Irish Gaelic: Dáibhídh. Welsh: DAFYDD, DEWI. Polish: Dawid. Finnish: Taavi.
Short form: English: Dave.
Pet forms: English and Scottish: Davy, Davey, Davie. Welsh: DAI.

Back  -   New Search

Davina f

Scottish and English: Latinate feminine form of DAVID. The name seems to have originated in Scotland, and is occasionally elaborated to Davinia, on the model of LAVINIA. The more straightforward feminine Davida is considerably less frequent.

Back  -   New Search

Davy m

English and Scottish: pet form of DAVID. It is fairly extensively used as an independent given name, particularly in Scotland.
Variants: Davey, Davie.

Back  -   New Search

Dawn f

English: from the vocabulary word for daybreak, no doubt originally bestowed because of the connotations of freshness and purity of this time of day. It may have originated as a vernacular translation of AURORA. According to Dunkling, it was first used in 1928, after which it quickly became popular. Twin girls are sometimes given the names Dawn and EVE, although the latter name does not in fact have anything to do with the time of day.

Back  -   New Search

Dean m

English: transferred use of the surname, which has a double origin. In part it is a local name for someone who lived in a valley (Middle English dene, Old English denu), in part an occupational name for someone who served as a dean, i.e. ecclesiastical supervisor (Latin decanus). The given name also sometimes represents Italian DINO, as in the case of the American actor and singer Dean Martin (b. 1917).
Variants: Deane, Dene.

Back  -   New Search

Deanna f

English: originally a fanciful respelling of DIANA, now often taken as a feminine form of DEAN. It was made popular by the singing actress Deanna Durbin (b. 1922), whose original given name was EDNA; Deanna may have been derived as a partial anagram of this.

Back  -   New Search

Deborah f

Jewish and English: biblical name (meaning ‘bee’ in Hebrew) borne by the nurse of Rebecca (Genesis 35: 8) and by a woman judge and prophet (Judges 4–5), who led the Israelites to victory over the Canaanites. The name has always been popular among Jews. It was taken up among Christians by the Puritans in the 17th century, no doubt in part because the bee was a symbol of industriousness. It has steadily increased in popularity ever since and is currently enjoying a great vogue.
Variants: Debora, Debra. Jewish: Devora(h) (Hebrew); Dvoire (Yiddish).
Pet forms: English: Debbie, Debbi, Debi, Debs.

Back  -   New Search

Declan m

Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Deaglán, of uncertain derivation. It was borne by a 5th-century disciple of St Colman, who became a bishop in the district of Ardmore. In recent years the name has been strongly revived in Ireland.

Back  -   New Search

Dee f, m

English: pet form of any of the given names beginning with the letter D- (cf. KAY), especially DOROTHY. It is also used as an independent name, and may in some cases be associated with the River Dee (cf. CLYDE).

Back  -   New Search

Deforest m

U.S.: name apparently adopted in honour of John DeForest (1826–1906), the author of several once popular novels, mostly set during the American Civil War.
Variant: Deforrest.

Back  -   New Search

Deiniol m

Welsh: apparently a form of DANIEL. The name was borne by a 6th-century Welsh saint.

Back  -   New Search

Deirdre f

Irish and English: name borne in Celtic legend by a tragic heroine, sometimes referred to as ‘Deirdre of the Sorrows’. The story goes that she was betrothed to Conchobhar, King of Ulster, but instead eloped with her beloved Naoise. Eventually, however, the jilted king murdered Naoise and his brothers, and Deirdre herself died of a broken heart. She is sometimes taken as symbolic of the fate of Ireland under English rule, but this has not stopped her name's being used by English parents with no Celtic blood in them. It became popular in Ireland and elsewhere in the Edwardian era, following retellings of the legend by both the poet W. B. Yeats (1907) and the playwright J. M. Synge (1910). The name itself is of uncertain derivation; the earliest Celtic forms are very variable.

Back  -   New Search

Del m

English: colloquial pet form of DEREK, with alteration of the exposed -r of the short form to -l (cf. SAL and TEL).

Back  -   New Search

Delbert m

English (borne mainly by Blacks): apparently a modern coinage, composed of the name elements Del- (see DELMAR and DELROY) + -bert. In the 1980s it was adopted by the comedian Lenny Henry as the name of one of his comic creations, Delbert Wilkins.

Back  -   New Search

Delfina f

Italian and Spanish form of DELPHINE, sometimes also used in the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Delia f

English: from a classical Greek epithet of the goddess Artemis, referring to her birth on the island of Delos (cf. CYNTHIA). It was taken up by the pastoral poets of the 17th century, and has been moderately popular ever since.

Back  -   New Search

Delice f

English: variant of DELICIA, apparently modelled on medieval given names such as AMICE and CLARICE.

Back  -   New Search

Delicia f

English: feminine form of the Late Latin name Delicius, a derivative of deliciae delight. Use as a given name seems to be a modern phenomenon; it is not found in the Middle Ages.

Back  -   New Search

Delilah f

Biblical: name (of uncertain origin) of Samson's mistress, who wheedled him into revealing the secret of his strength and then betrayed him to the Philistines (Judges 16: 4–20). Although the biblical Delilah was deceitful and treacherous, the name was taken up quite enthusiastically by the Puritans in the 17th century, perhaps because she was also beautiful and clever. The name fell out of use in the 18th century, but has been occasionally revived as an exotic name.
Variant: Delila.

Back  -   New Search

Delite f

English: modern coinage, apparently based on the vocabulary word delight (from Old French delit, cf. DELICIA; the -gh- of the modern spelling is not justified by the etymology).

Back  -   New Search

Dell m

English: transferred use of the surname, originally a local name for someone who lived in a dell or hollow.

Back  -   New Search

Della f

English: name which first appeared in the 1870s and has continued to grow steadily in popularity ever since. Its derivation is not clear; if it is not simply an arbitrary creation, it may be an altered form of DELIA or DELILAH, or a short form of ADELA. In modern use it is sometimes taken as a feminine form of DELL.

Back  -   New Search

Delma f

Irish: short form of FIDELMA.

Back  -   New Search

Delmar m

English: of uncertain derivation, possibly an arbitrary alteration of ELMER (cf. DELROY and ELROY). In form it coincides with Spanish del mar ‘of the sea’, which occurs in various placenames as a distinguishing epithet and also in the Marian title, Reina del Mar ‘Queen of the Sea’. As a given name, it is popular chiefly among American Blacks.

Back  -   New Search

Delores f

English: variant of DOLORES, quite common in the United States.
Variant: Deloris.

Back  -   New Search

Delphine f

French and English: from Latin Delphna ‘woman from Delphi’. The Blessed Delphina (1283–1358) was a Provençal nun, who may herself have been named in honour of the 4th-century St Delphinus of Bordeaux. In modern times the name seems often to have been chosen for its association with the delphinium flower.
Cognate: Italian, Spanish: Delfina.

Back  -   New Search

Delroy m

Apparently an altered form of LEROY, perhaps representing the Old French phrase del roy ‘(son, servant) of the king’. It is used chiefly among West Indians in Britain.

Back  -   New Search

Delwyn f

Welsh: modern name composed of the elements del pretty, neat + (g)wyn white, fair, blessed, holy.

Back  -   New Search

Delyth f

Welsh: modern name composed of the vocabulary word del pretty, neat + the ending -yth, formed on the analogy of names such as GWENYTH.

Back  -   New Search

Demelza f

Modern Cornish name that has no history as a Celtic personal name but derives from a place in the parish of St Columb Major. The given name began to be used in the 1950s and was given a boost by the serialization on British television of the ‘Poldark’ novels by Winston Gráham, in which it is the name of the heroine.

Back  -   New Search

Demetrio m

Italian and Spanish form of Latin Dmtrius (see DMITRI).

Back  -   New Search

Demid m

Russian: from Greek Diomds, composed of a byform of the divine name Zeus + the element mdesthai to care for, consider. St Diomedes was born at Tarsus in Cilicia and martyred at Nicaea in Bithynia under the Emperor Diocletian.

Back  -   New Search

Demyan m

Russian form of DAMIAN.

Back  -   New Search

Den m

English: short form of DENNIS.
Pet form: Denny.

Back  -   New Search

Dena f

English: modern coinage, representing either a respelling of DINA, or else a form created as a feminine version of DEAN.

Back  -   New Search

Dene m

English: variant spelling of DEAN.

Back  -   New Search

Dénes m

Hungarian form of DENNIS.

Back  -   New Search

Denice f

English: altered form of DENISE, based on the alternative pronunciation of that name.

Back  -   New Search

Denis m

French and Russian form of DENNIS, and a variant spelling in the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Denise f

French: feminine form of DENIS, now also widely used in the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Dennis m

English and French: medieval vernacular form of the Greek name Dionysios, which was borne by several early Christian saints, including St Denis, a 3rd-century evangelist who converted the Gauls and became a patron saint of Paris. It was on his account that the name was popular among the Normans. In classical times, the word originally denoted a devotee of the god Dionysos. This deity was a relatively late introduction to the classical pantheon; his orgiastic cult seems to have originated in Persia or elsewhere in Asia. His name is of uncertain derivation, although the first part seems to be related to the name of the supreme god Zeus.
Cognates: French, Russian: Denis. Polish: Dionizy. Hungarian: Dénes.
Short form: English: Den.
Pet form: English: Denny.

Back  -   New Search

Denton m

English: transferred use of the surname, originally a local name from any of the numerous places so called from Old English denu valley + tn enclosure, settlement.

Back  -   New Search

Denzil m

English: from the Cornish surname, the original spelling of which was Denzell, a local name from a place in Cornwall. It came to be used as a given name in the Hollis family in the 16th century, when the Hollis family and the Denzell family became connected by marriage, and spread from there into more general use.

Back  -   New Search

Deòiridh f

Scottish Gaelic: from the vocabulary word meaning ‘pilgrim’. This name has been Anglicized as DORCAS.

Back  -   New Search

Deònaid f

Scottish Gaelic: dialectal variant of SEÒNAID.

Back  -   New Search

Deòrsa m

Scottish Gaelic form of GEORGE; See also SEÒRAS.

Back  -   New Search

Derek m

English: from a Low German form of Theodoric (see TERRY), introduced to Britain during the Middle Ages by Flemish settlers connected with the cloth trades. It is a comparatively rare name in the United States.
Cognates: German: Dietrich. Low German: Diederick. Flemish, Dutch: Dirk. E. Frisian: Tjark.
Pet form: English: Del.

Back  -   New Search

Derick m

1 English: variant of DEREK.

2 Scottish: short form of RODERICK.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Dermot m

Irish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Diarmaid. An earlier Gaelic form is Diarm(u)it. It occurs in the 7th-century Latin Life of St Columba as Diormitius. The derivation is uncertain, but it has been suggested that it is composed of the elements dí without + airmit injunction or airmait envy.
Cognates: Scottish: Diarmad (Gaelic); Diarmid, Dermid (Anglicized forms).

Back  -   New Search

Derrick m

English: variant spelling of DEREK. This is the usual American spelling of the given name, but in Britain it is more common as a surname than as a given name.

Back  -   New Search

Derry m

English: of uncertain origin, perhaps a cross between DEREK and the ultimately cognate TERRY.

Back  -   New Search

Dervla f

Irish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Deirbhile, composed of the elements der daughter + file poet.
Variant: Dervila.

Back  -   New Search

Desdemona f

English: name chosen occasionally by parents in search of an unusual name, who are no doubt attracted by the sweet nature and innocence of Shakespeare's character and not deterred by her tragic fate. She was murdered by her husband Othello in an ill-founded jealous rage, and her name is in fact particularly appropriate to her destiny, as it probably represents a Latinized form of Greek dysdaimn ill-starred.

Back  -   New Search

Desiderio m

Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese form of Desiderius (see DIDIER).

Back  -   New Search

Desirée f

French (now also used in the English-speaking world): from Latin Desiderta ‘desired’. This name was given by early Christians to a longed-for child, but the French form is now often taken as suggesting that the bearer will grow up into a desirable woman.

Back  -   New Search

Desmond m

Irish and English: apparently originally a local name for someone who came from south Munster (Gaelic Deas-Mhumhan). The form has been influenced by the Norman (Germanic) name ESMOND.
Short form: Des.
Pet form: Desy.

Back  -   New Search

Desya m

Russian: pet form of MODEST.

Back  -   New Search

Detlev m

Low German: from an old Germanic personal name composed of the elements peud people, race + leib relic, inheritance, descendant. The High German form, Dietleib, is not current as a given name.
Variant: Detlef.
Cognates: E. Frisian: Tjalf. Swedish: Detlof.

Back  -   New Search

Detta f

Italian: short form of various given names such as Benedetta (see BENEDICT) and Bernardetta (see BERNADETTE).

Back  -   New Search

Devereux m

English (esp. U.S.): transferred use of a surname, which was originally a Norman baronial name derived (with fused preposition de) from Evreux in the département of Eure. It was the family name of the 16th-century earls of Essex; Robert Devereux, the 2nd earl, was a favourite of Queen Elizabeth I, later disgraced and executed for treason.

Back  -   New Search

Devorah f

Jewish: modern Hebrew form of DEBORAH.

Back  -   New Search

Devorgilla f

Scottish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Diorbhail, earlier Diorbhorguil, apparently meaning ‘true testimony’. See also DOROTHY.

Back  -   New Search

Dewey m

U.S.: of uncertain origin, perhaps a respelling of DEWI.

Back  -   New Search

Dewi m

A Welsh form (earlier Dewydd) of DAVID, traditionally associated with the patron saint of Wales. This form of the given name was little used during the Middle Ages, but during the 20th century it has become quite common in Wales, but rare elsewhere. St Dewi was born in South Wales in the 5th century and became the first bishop of Menevia, the tiny cathedral city now known as St Davids.

Back  -   New Search

Dex m

Mainly U.S.: short form of DEXTER (cf. LEX and TEX).

Back  -   New Search

Dexter m

English (mainly U.S.): transferred use of the surname. Although this is now a male given name, the word that gave rise to the surname originally denoted a female dyer, from Old English dag dye + -estre feminine suffix of agent nouns. However, the distinction of gender was already lost in Middle English. The name coincides in form with Latin dexter right-handed, auspicious, and may sometimes have been chosen because of this.

Back  -   New Search

Dezsö m

Hungarian form of Desiderius (see DIDIER).

Back  -   New Search

Dezydery m

Polish form of Desiderius (see DIDIER).

Back  -   New Search

Diana f

English: name borne in Roman mythology by the goddess of the moon and of hunting, equivalent to the Greek Artemis. In mythology she is characterized as both beautiful and chaste. Her name is of ancient and uncertain derivation. It probably contains a first element that is also found in the name of the supreme god Jupiter and in Greek Dionysios (see DENNIS). It was adopted in Britain during the Tudor period as a learned name, a borrowing from Latin influenced by the French form DIANE. It was not particularly popular until the end of the 19th century, and its increased frequency at that time has been attributed in part to George Meredith's novel Diana of the Crossways (1885). However, Dunkling casts doubt on this suggestion. In earlier centuries, some clergymen were reluctant to baptize girls with this pagan name, remembering the riots against St Paul stirred up by worshippers of Diana of the Ephesians (Acts 19: 24-41).
Short form: Di.

Back  -   New Search

Diane f

French form of DIANA, now also used in the English-speaking world. It was especially popular among the Renaissance aristocracy, who loved hunting and were therefore proud to name their daughters after the classical goddess of the chase.
Variants: Dianne (by association with ANNE); Dyan (U.S.).
Short form: Di.

Back  -   New Search

Diarmad m

Scottish Gaelic form of DERMOT. It has sometimes been Anglicized as JEREMIAH.
Variants: Diarmid, Dermid (Anglicized).

Back  -   New Search

Dick m

English: short form of RICHARD (cf. Rick). The alteration of the initial consonant is supposed to result from the difficulty that English speakers in the Middle Ages had in pronouncing the trilled Norman R-.

Back  -   New Search

Dickie m

English: pet form of DICK, with the originally Scottish and northern English hypocoristic suffix -ie. This has more or less completely replaced the medieval diminutive Dickon, with the Old French suffix -on.

Back  -   New Search

Didier m

French: from Late Latin Dsderius, a derivative of dsderium longing. The name was popular among the early Christians, who chose it to give expression to their longing for Christ. Among the saints who bore it are an early bishop of Langres and 7th-century bishops of Auxerre, Cahors, and Vienne, all of whom are subjects of local cults.
Cognates: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese: Desiderio. Polish: Dezydery. Hungarian: Dezsö.

Back  -   New Search

Diederik m

Dutch form of DIETRICH.
Pet form: Tiede.

Back  -   New Search

Diego m

Spanish: of uncertain origin. Although it is often claimed to be an aphetic form of SANTIAGO, it is clear that its regular Latin form in the Middle Ages was Didacus. This may possibly be a derivative of Greek didakh teaching, but it is more likely that is represents a Latinized form of some native Iberian name.
Cognate: Portuguese: Diogo.

Back  -   New Search

Dieter m

German: from an old Germanic personal name composed of the elements peud people, race + hari, heri army, warrior. St Theuderius (d. c.575) was a monk of Lérins who founded three monasteries near his native city of Vienne.

Back  -   New Search

Dietfried m

German: from an old Germanic personal name composed of the elements peud people, race + fred, frid peace.

Back  -   New Search

Dietlinde f

German: from an old Germanic female personal name composed of the elements peud people, race + lind weak, tender, soft.

Back  -   New Search

Dietmar m

German: from an old Germanic personal name composed of the elements peud people, race + mri, mri famous. St Theodemar (d. 1152) was a native of Bremen who became a missionary to the Wends. Another St Theodmarus (d. 1102), also known by the short form Thieme, was a member of the Bavarian royal family wh o became archbishop of Salzburg.

Back  -   New Search

Dietrich m

German form of DEREK.

Back  -   New Search

Dieudonné m

French: medieval given name meaning ‘given by God’ in the vernacular, from Old French Dieu God (Latin Deus) + donné given (Latin dontus). It is thus an equivalent in meaning of such names as MATTHEW, NATHANIEL, THEODORE, and DOROTHY. The name is occasionally used nowadays in a spirit of self-conscious antiquarianism.

Back  -   New Search

Digby m

English: transferred use of the surname, originally a local name for someone from Digby in Lincolnshire, so called from the Old Norse elements díki ditch + býr settlement.

Back  -   New Search

Digna f

Spanish: from the Late Latin name Digna ‘worthy’, which was borne by a martyr beheaded in Spain during the 9th century.

Back  -   New Search

Dillon m

English: variant spelling of DYLAN, based on an English surname of different origin. The surname Dillon or Dyllon derives in part from a now extinct Norman French personal name of Germanic origin; in part it is a local name for someone from Dilwyn in Hereford.

Back  -   New Search

Dilly f

English: pet form of DILYS, DILWEN, and DAFFODIL, now sometimes used as an independent given name.

Back  -   New Search

Dilwen f

Welsh: modern name, composed of the elements dil from DILYS + (g)wen feminine form of gwyn white, fair, blessed, holy.

Back  -   New Search

Dilwyn m

Welsh: modern name, composed of the elements dil from DILYS + (g)wyn white, fair, blessed, holy.

Back  -   New Search

Dilys f

Welsh: of modern origin, from the vocabulary word dilys genuine, steadfast, true.

Back  -   New Search

Dimitri m

Russian: variant of DMITRI.

Back  -   New Search

Dina f

1 English: in part a variant spelling of DINAH, with which it often has the same pronunciation. In part, however, it seems to represent the adoption of a feminine form of DINO.

2 Scottish: short form of Murdina (see MURDO).
Top

Back  -   New Search

Dinah f

Biblical: name (a feminine form derived from Hebrew din judgment) borne by a daughter of Jacob. She was raped by Shechem but avenged by her brothers Simeon and Levi (Genesis 34). In modern times it has often been taken as a variant of the much more common DIANA.
Variant: Yiddish: Dine.

Back  -   New Search

Dino m

Italian: aphetic short form of any of the various names ending in these syllables, as for example Bernardino (see BERNARD) and Leonardino (see LEONARD).

Back  -   New Search

Diogo m

Portuguese form of DIEGO.

Back  -   New Search

Dion m

French: from Latin Dio (genitive Dinis), a short form of the various names of Greek origin containing as their first element the divine name Dio- Zeus, as, for example, Diodoros ‘gift of Zeus’ and Diogens ‘born of Zeus’. The name is also used in the English-speaking world, where it is particularly common among Blacks.

Back  -   New Search

Dionizy m

Polish form of DENNIS.

Back  -   New Search

Dionne f

English: feminine form of DION, or an altered form of Dianne (see DIANE).

Back  -   New Search

Dirk m

Flemish and Dutch form of DEREK. Its use in the English-speaking world since the 1960s is largely due to the fame of the actor Dirk Bogarde (b. 1921; originally Derek Niven van den Bogaerde). He is of Dutch descent, although he was actually born in Scotland. The manly image of the name has been reinforced by its coincidence in form with the Scottish vocabulary word dirk dagger (from Gaelic durc).

Back  -   New Search

Disa f

Scandinavian: Latinized version of an aphetic short form of the various women's names of Old Norse origin containing the final element dís goddess (cf. e.g. HJÖRDIS and TORDIS).

Back  -   New Search

Dmitri m

Russian: from the Greek name Dmtrios, a derivative of the name of the goddess Dmtr, which in turn seems to be composed of d, a variant of g earth + mtr mother. The most famous St Demetrius was an early 4th-century martyr executed at Sirmium in Dalmatia under the Emperor Diocletian; many legends have grown up around him in the Eastern Church.
Variant: Dimitri.
Cognates: Italian, Spanish: Demetrio. Romanian: Dumitru. Polish: Dymitr. Ukrainian: Dmitro.
Pet form: Russian: Mitya (see also MITROFAN).

Back  -   New Search

Dobre f

Jewish (E. Yiddish): from the Slavonic element dobro good, kind.
Variant: Dobe.
Pet form: Dobke.

Back  -   New Search

Dobrila f

Slavonic: derivative of the element dobro good, kind. This may in origin be an affectionate nickname, or else a short form of the various compound names with this first element.
Variant: Russian: Dobryna.

Back  -   New Search

Dobromierz m

Polish: from an old Slavonic personal name composed of the elements dobro good, kind + meri great, famous (see CASIMIR).
Cognate: Czech: Dobromír.
Feminine forms: Polish: Dobromira. Czech: Dobromíra.

Back  -   New Search

Dobromil m

Polish: from an old Slavonic personal name composed of the elements dobro good, kind + mil grace, favour.
Cognate: Czech: Dobromil.
Feminine form: Czech: Dobromila.

Back  -   New Search

Dobrosaw m

Polish: from an old Slavonic personal name composed of the elements dobro good, kind + slav glory.
Cognate: Czech: Dobroslav.
Feminine forms: Polish: Dobroslawa. Czech: Dobroslava.

Back  -   New Search

Dodie f

English: unusual pet form of DOROTHY, derived from a child's unsuccessful attempts to pronounce the name.

Back  -   New Search

Dolina f

Scottish: Latinate formation based on the Gaelic name Dolag, a feminine diminutive form of DONALD.
Variant: Dolanna.

Back  -   New Search

Dolly f, m

1 (f.) English: originally (from the 16th century onwards) a pet form of DOROTHY, but now more commonly used as a pet form of DOLORES and as an independent given name (taken as being from the vocabulary word doll, although in fact this was derived from the pet name in the 17th century).

2 (m.) Highland Scottish: pet form of DONALD.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Dolores f

Spanish (now also borne in the English-speaking world, mainly by Roman Catholics): from the Marian title, Maria de los Dolores ‘Mary of Sorrows’, a reference to the Seven Sorrows of the Virgin in Christian belief. The feast of Our Lady's Dolours was established in 1423.
Variants: English: Delores, Deloris.
Cognate: Portuguese: Dores.
Pet forms: Spanish: Lola, Lolita. English: Dolly.

Back  -   New Search

Domicela f

Polish form of DOMITILLA.

Back  -   New Search

Dominga f

Spanish: feminine form of Domingo (see DOMINIC).

Back  -   New Search

Dominic m

English and Irish: from the Late Latin name Dominicus (a derivative of dominus lord; cf. CYRIL). It is used mainly by Roman Catholics, in honour of St Dominic (1170–1221), founder of the Dominican order of monks.
Variant: Dominick (an old spelling, still in occasional use).
Cognates: French: DOMINIQUE. Italian: Domenico. Spanish: Domingo. Catalan: Domenge. Basque: Txomin. Polish, Czech: Dominik. Hungarian: Domonkos.

Back  -   New Search

Dominica f

Latinate feminine form of DOMINIC. This name was borne by a saint martyred in Campania under the Emperor Diocletian and by a wealthy Roman widow who was an associate of St Laurence.

Back  -   New Search

Dominique f, m

French form of DOMINICA and DOMINIC. It is used as both a female and a male name, but is now much more commonly used as a female name, and as such has also become widespread in the English-speaking world. In Britain it is found especially among Roman Catholics.

Back  -   New Search

Domitilla f

Italian and English: name used by Roman Catholics in honour of a 2nd-century saint, Flavia Domitilla, who was a member of the Roman imperial family. She was the great-niece of the Emperor Domitian, and her name represents a diminutive form of Domitius, the old Roman family name of which Domitinus is a derivative. It is most probably derived from the nickname Domitus ‘tamed’.
Cognate: Polish: Domicela.

Back  -   New Search

Domonkos m

Hungarian form of DOMINIC.

Back  -   New Search

Don m

English and Scottish: short form of DONALD. It is also a variant of the Irish name DONN.
Pet forms: Scottish: Donny, Donnie (Gaelic Donnaidh).

Back  -   New Search

Donagh m

Irish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Donnchadh; see DUNCAN.
Variants: Dono(u)gh.

Back  -   New Search

Donal m

Irish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Dónal, a simplified form of Domhnall (see DONALD). The form Donall is also used.

Back  -   New Search

Donald m

Scottish and English: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Domhnall, composed of the Old Celtic elements dubno world + val rule. The final -d of the Anglicized form derives partly from misinterpretation by Englishspeakers of the Gaelic devoiced sound (cf. DUGALD), and partly from association with Germanic-origin names such as RONALD. This name is very much associated with clan Macdonald, the clan of the medieval Lords of the Isles. In the Highlands and Islands it now ranks second only to Iain (see IAN). Donald is now quite commonly also used in Britain and America by families with no Scottish connections.
Short form: Don.
Pet forms: Scottish: Donny, Donnie (Gaelic Donaidh); Dolly (Gaelic Dolaidh).
Feminine forms: Scottish Highland: Donalda, Donella; Donna(g), Dol(l)ag, Doileag, Dolina, Dolanna.

Back  -   New Search

Donat m

French, Provençal, Catalan, and Polish form of DONATO.

Back  -   New Search

Donatella f

Italian: feminine diminutive form of DONATO. Half a dozen saints of this name were martyred in the early persecutions of the Christians.

Back  -   New Search

Donatien m

French: from Late Latin Dntinus, a derivative of Dntus (see DONATO). The name was borne by various early saints, including a 4th-century bishop of Rheims who became the patron of Bruges when his relics were taken there in the 9th century. This was the given name of the Marquis de Sade (1740–1814).

Back  -   New Search

Donato m

Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese: from Late Latin Dntus ‘given (by God)’ (the past participle of dnre to give, donate). The name was popular among early Christians and was borne by over twenty saints in the first centuries AD. Among the most famous is a bishop of Arezzo in Tuscany who was beheaded under Julian the Apostate.
Cognate: French, Provençal, Catalan, Polish: Donat.

Back  -   New Search

Donella f

Scottish: name coined as a feminine equivalent of DONALD.

Back  -   New Search

Donla f

Irish: modern spelling of a traditional Gaelic name composed of the elements donn brown + flaith lady, revived in this form in the 20th century.

Back  -   New Search

Donn m

Irish Gaelic: ancient byname meaning either ‘brown’ or ‘king’, in use from the earliest times until the 19th century. It is borne in Irish mythology by the king of the underworld. In modern use Donn normally represents a short form of any of the various Gaelic names containing the first element donn brown.

Back  -   New Search

Donna f

English and Scottish: of recent origin (not found before the 1920s). It seems to be taken from the Italian word donna lady (cf. MADONNA), but it has often been used as a feminine form of DONALD.

Back  -   New Search

Donnchadh m

Gaelic form of DUNCAN.

Back  -   New Search

Donny m

English: pet form of DON.

Back  -   New Search

Donough m

Irish: variant spelling of Donagh.
Variant: Donogh.

Back  -   New Search

Donovan m

Irish and English: from the Irish surname, Gaelic Ó Donndubháin ‘descendant of Donndubhán’, a personal name composed of the elements donn brown + dubh black, dark, with the addition of the diminutive suffix -án. Its use as a given name dates from the early 1900s. The folk-rock singer Donovan may have had some influence on its increase in popularity in the 1960s. It is now also used by people with no Irish connections.

Back  -   New Search

Doortje f

Dutch: pet form derived from a contracted version of DOROTHEA.

Back  -   New Search

Dora f

English and French: 19th-century coinage, representing a short form of ISIDORA, THEODORA, DOROTHY, and any other name containing the Greek element dron gift. In some cases, it seems to have been taken as actually meaning ‘gift’, presumably as a Latinate version of the Greek word. Wordsworth's daughter (b. 1804), christened Dorothy, was always known in adult life as Dora. The name's popularity was enhanced by the character of Dora Spenlow in Dickens's novel David Copperfield (1850).
Pet form: Dory.

Back  -   New Search

Doran m

Irish and English: from the Irish surname, in Gaelic Ó Deoradháin ‘descendant of Deoradhán’. Deoradhán is an old Irish personal name meaning ‘exile, wanderer’.

Back  -   New Search

Dorcas f

English: from Greek dorkas doe, gazelle. It does not actually seem to have been used as a personal name by the ancient Greeks, but is offered in the Bible as an ‘interpretation’ of the Aramaic name TABITHA (Acts 9: 36), and was taken up by the early Christians. It was much used among the Puritans in the 16th century, and has remained in occasional use ever since. In Scotland it has been used as an Anglicized form of DEÒIRIDH.

Back  -   New Search

Dorean f

Irish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Doireann, possibly from Gaelic der daughter + the name of the legendary hero FINN. This has been revived as a given name in the 20th century, and has become very popular, perhaps in part as a result of the popularity of the similar name DOREEN.

Back  -   New Search

Doreen f

English: derivative of DORA, with the addition of the productive suffix -een (in origin an Irish diminutive). The name came into use at the beginning of the 20th century, when there was a particular vogue for such names. See also DOREAN.
Variants: Dorene, Dorine.

Back  -   New Search

Dores f

Portuguese form of DOLORES.

Back  -   New Search

Dorete f

Danish form of DOROTHEA.

Back  -   New Search

Doria f

English: of uncertain origin, probably a back-formation from DORIAN or else an elaboration of DORA on the model of the numerous women's given names ending in -ia.

Back  -   New Search

Dorian m

English: early 20th-century coinage, apparently invented by Oscar Wilde, as no evidence has been found of its existence before he used it for the central character in The Portrait of Dorian Gray (1891). Dorian Gray is a dissolute rake who retains unblemished youthful good looks; in the attic of his home is a portrait which does his ageing for him, gradually acquiring all the outward marks of his depravity. This macabre background has not deterred parents from occasionally bestowing the name on their children. Wilde probably took the name from Late Latin Drinus, from Greek Drieus, member of the Greek-speaking people who settled in the Peloponnese in pre-classical times. Dorian would thus be a masculine version of DORIS. It may have been selected occasionally by admirers of ancient Sparta and its militaristic institutions, since the Spartans were of Dorian stock.

Back  -   New Search

Dorinda f

English: artificial extension of DORA, with the suffix -inda (cf. CLARINDA). The name was coined in the 18th century, and has undergone a modest revival of interest in the 20th.

Back  -   New Search

Doris f

English and German: from the classical Greek ethnic name meaning ‘Dorian woman’. The Dorians were one of the tribes of Greece; their name was traditionally derived from an ancestor, Dros (son of Hellen, who gave his name to the Hellenes), but it is more likely that Doros (whose name could be from dron gift) was invented to account for a tribal name of obscure origin. In Greek mythology, Doris was a minor goddess of the sea, the consort of Nereus and the mother of his daughters, the Nereids or seanymphs, who numbered fifty (in some versions, more). The name was especially popular from about 1880 to about 1930, and was borne by the American film star Doris Day (b. 1924).

Back  -   New Search

Dorofei m

Russian: from Greek Drotheus, composed of the elements dron gift + theos god (cf. THEODORE and DOSIFEI). The name was borne by various early saints much venerated in the Eastern Church, including a 4th-century bishop of Tyre and the abbots Dorotheus the Archimandrite (7th century) and Dorotheus the Younger (11th century).

Back  -   New Search

Doron m

1 English: apparently a variant spelling of DORIAN (perhaps influenced by the pair of names DAMIAN and DAMON), although it corresponds in form with the Greek word dron gift.

2 Jewish: modern Hebrew name based on a direct borrowing of the Greek word doron gift.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Dorothea f

English, German, and Dutch: Latinate form of a post-classical Greek name composed of the elements dron gift + theos god (the same elements as in THEODORA, but in reverse order). The masculine form Drotheus (see DOROFEI) was borne by several early Christian saints, the feminine only by two minor ones, but in Western Europe today it only survives as a female name. In modern use in the English-speaking world it represents a 19th-century Latinization of DOROTHY, or a learned reborrowing.
Cognates: Danish: Dorete, Dort(h)e. Polish, Czech: Dorota. Hungarian: Dorottya.
Pet forms: Dutch: Doortje. Polish: Dosia.

Back  -   New Search

Dorothy f

Usual English form of DOROTHEA. The name was not used in the Middle Ages, but was taken up in the 16th century and became common thereafter. In Scotland it has been used as an Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Diorbhail, also Anglicized as DEVORGILLA.
Short form: Dot.
Pet forms: Dottie, Dodie, Dolly.

Back  -   New Search

Dorte f

Danish: contracted variant of DORETE.
Variant: Dorthe.

Back  -   New Search

Dory f

English: pet form of DORA, now seldom used in that function and even less commonly bestowed as an independent given name.

Back  -   New Search

Dosia f

Polish: pet form of Dorota (see DOROTHEA).

Back  -   New Search

Dosifei m

Russian: from Greek Dsitheos, composed of the elements dsis giving and theos god (see also TEODOSIO). St Dositheus (d c.530) was a monk of Gaza who led an unspectacular life but is much venerated in the Eastern Church.

Back  -   New Search

Dot f

English: short form of DOROTHY.

Back  -   New Search

Dottie f

English: pet form of DOT, with the hypocoristic suffix -ie. The form Dotty is also used, and its popularity does not seem to have been adversely affected by the fact that it coincides in form with the slang word meaning ‘crazy’.

Back  -   New Search

Doug m

English: short form of DOUGLAS.

Back  -   New Search

Dougal m

Scottish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Dubhghall or Dùghall, composed of the elements dubh black, dark + gall stranger. This is said to have been a byname applied to Danes, in contrast to the fairer Norwegians and Icelanders (see FINGAL).
Variants: Dugald, Dugal.
Pet form: Dougie.

Back  -   New Search

Douglas m

Scottish and English: transferred use of the surname borne by what was one of the most powerful families in Scotland, the earls of Douglas and of Angus, also notorious in earlier times as Border reivers. Today this name is sometimes assumed to be connected with DOUGAL, but it seems more likely that the surname is derived from the place in the Southern Uplands of Scotland where the family had their stronghold. This is probably named with the Gaelic elements dubh black + glas stream.
Variant: Dùbhghlas (Gaelic).
Short form: Doug.
Pet form: Dougie.

Back  -   New Search

Dov m

Jewish: name meaning ‘bear’ in Hebrew. There is no biblical character of this name: it represents a translation into Hebrew of an animal name that became popular in European languages in the early Middle Ages. The bear is often associated with the name ISSACHAR, although the reason for this is not clear, for in Jacob's dying blessing (Genesis 49: 14) Issachar is referred to as a ‘strong ass couching down between two burdens’. There was a famous rabbi named Issachar Dov, but this may have been simply a fortuitous pairing of the two names. Subsequent bearers may then have been named after him.

Back  -   New Search

Doyle m

Irish and English: variant of DOUGAL and DUGALD, in part derived from an Anglicized form of the Gaelic surname Ó Dubhghaill ‘descendant of Dubhghall’.

Back  -   New Search

Drahomír m

Czech form of DROGOMIR.
Feminine: Drahomíra.
Pet forms: Draha m, f; Draho(ek) m; Drahue, Drahuka, Dráa f.

Back  -   New Search

Dreda f

English: short form of ETHELDREDA, quite commonly used as an independent given name in the 19th century, when the longer form was also in fashion. It has survived slightly better than the more cumbersome quadrisyllabic form, but is nevertheless now rare.

Back  -   New Search

Drew m

Scottish short form of ANDREW, often used as an independent name in Scotland, and in recent years increasingly popular elsewhere in the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Dries m

Low German and Dutch short form of ANDRIES.

Back  -   New Search

Drogo m

English (Norman): of uncertain etymology. Norman given names are most often of Continental Germanic derivation, and this one is possibly ultimately from the Old Saxon word drog ghost, phantom, or perhaps from Old High German tragan to carry. However, the most plausible suggestion is that it was brought into Germanic from Slavonic, representing a short form of a name containing the element dorogo dear (see DROGOMIR). This particular name was revived in the Montagu family in the 19th century, when a fashion grew up for Norman, Old English, and Celtic names.

Back  -   New Search

Drogomir m

Polish: from an old Slavonic personal name composed of the elements dorogo dear, beloved + meri great, famous (see CASIMIR).
Cognate: Czech: Drahomír.

Back  -   New Search

Drusilla f

From a Late Latin name, a feminine diminutive of the old Roman family name Dr(a)usus, which was first taken by a certain Livius, who had killed in single combat a Gaul of this name and, according to a custom of the time, took his victim's name as a cognomen. Of the several women in the Roman imperial family who were called Livia Drusilla, the most notorious was Caligula's sister and mistress. The name is borne in the Bible by a Jewish woman, wife of the Roman citizen Felix, who was converted to Christianity by St Paul (Acts 24: 24). In England it was taken up as a given name in the 17th century as a result of the biblical mention.

Back  -   New Search

Drystan m

Welsh and English: variant of TRISTRAM. Drystan son of Tallwch is fleetingly mentioned in the Mabinogi as one of the members of King Arthur's council of advisers.

Back  -   New Search

Duald m

Irish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Dubhaltach, possibly meaning ‘black-haired’, ‘black-jointed’, or ‘dark-limbed’. This name has also formerly been Anglicized as DUDLEY.

Back  -   New Search

Duane m

Irish and English: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Dubhán, originally a byname representing a diminutive form of Gaelic dubh dark, black. In modern use it may well represent the surname Ó Dubháin ‘descendant of Dubhán’, derived from the personal name. Its popularity since the mid-1950s was no doubt influenced by the fame of the guitarist and singer Duane Eddy.
Variants: Dwane, Dwayne.

Back  -   New Search

Duarte m

Portuguese form of EDWARD.

Back  -   New Search

Dubhdara m

Irish Gaelic: name composed of the elements dubh black + dara of oak. This is a common given name in Connemara; cf. DARA and MAC DARA. It was formerly often Anglicized as DUDLEY.

Back  -   New Search

Dud m

English: short form of DUDLEY, in fairly common use (although not normally as an independent name) in spite of its coincidence in form with the modern slang term dud meaning ‘useless’.

Back  -   New Search

Dudley m

English: transferred use of the surname of a noble family, who came originally from Dudley in the West Midlands, named in Old English as the ‘wood or clearing of Dudda’. Their most famous member was Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester (?1532–88), who came closer than any other man to marrying Queen Elizabeth I. In America this given name is much less common than in England. In Ireland it was formerly used as an Anglicized form of DUBHDARA and DARA and of Dubhaltach (see DUALD).

Back  -   New Search

Duff m

Scottish: short form of various Gaelic compound names containing the element dubh dark, black. In modern use it is in part a transferred use of the surname Duff, originally a nickname for a person with dark hair or a swarthy complexion.

Back  -   New Search

Dugald m

Scottish: variant of DOUGAL. The final consonant is explained by the fact that the devoicing of the final -ll of the Gaelic form suggested to English ears that a d or t followed.

Back  -   New Search

Duggie m

English: pet form of DOUG.

Back  -   New Search

Duke m

English: in modern use this normally represents a coinage parallel to EARL and KING, but it is also a short form of MARMADUKE. It is especially popular in the United States.

Back  -   New Search

Dulcie f

English: learned re-creation in the 19th century of the medieval name Dowse, Duce (forms that have given rise to surnames), from Late Latin Dulcia, a derivative of dulcis sweet. See also TOLTSE.

Back  -   New Search

Dumitru m

Romanian form of DMITRI.

Back  -   New Search

Duncan m

Scottish and English: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Donnchadh, composed of Old Celtic elements meaning ‘brown’ and ‘battle’. The name was borne by a 7th-century Scottish saint, abbot of Iona, and a 10th-century Irish saint, abbot of Clonmacnoise. The Anglicized form of the final syllable seems to be the result of confusion with the Gaelic element ceann head during Latinization into Duncanus. The oblique case Donnchaidh is possibly the origin of the English word donkey (cf. CUDDY).
Pet form: Dunky.

Back  -   New Search

Dunstan m

English: from an Old English personal name composed of the elements dun dark + stn stone, borne most notably by a 10th-century saint who was archbishop of Canterbury. The name is now used mainly by Roman Catholics.

Back  -   New Search

Dunya f

Russian: short form of Avdunya, itself a pet form of AVDOTYA.
Pet form (a further derivative): Dunyasha.

Back  -   New Search

Duan m

Czech: equivalent of the Russian name SPIRIDON, derived from the element dusha spirit, soul.
Feminine form: Duana.
Pet forms: Dua m, f; Du(an)ek m; Du(an)ka, Duika f.

Back  -   New Search

Dustin m

English: transferred use of the surname, which is of uncertain origin, probably a Norman form of the Old Norse personal name Dórsteinn, composed of elements meaning ‘Thor's stone’. It is now used fairly commonly as a given name, largely as a result of the fame of the film actor Dustin Hoffman (b. 1937), who is said to have been named in honour of the less well-known silent-film actor Dustin Farman.

Back  -   New Search

Dusty m, f

English: apparently a pet form, or in some cases a feminine form, of DUSTIN. As a female name it was made popular in the 1960s by the singer Dusty Springfield.

Back  -   New Search

Dvoire f

Jewish: Yiddish form of DEBORAH (Hebrew Devorah).
Variant: Dvoyre.
Pet form: Dvosye.

Back  -   New Search

Dwane m

Irish and English: variant of DUANE.
Variant: Dwayne.

Back  -   New Search

Dwight m

English: transferred use of the surname, which probably comes from the medieval English female name Diot, a pet form of Dionysia (see DENNIS). It is especially common in America, where its increase in popularity since the Second World War is mainly a result of the fame of the American general and president Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890–1969). He was apparently named in honour of the New England thinker Timothy Dwight (1752–1817) and his brother Theodore Dwight (1764–1846).

Back  -   New Search

Dyan f

English: modern variant spelling of DIANE, especially popular in America.

Back  -   New Search

Dylan m

Welsh: of uncertain origin, probably connected with a Celtic element meaning ‘sea’. In the Mabinogi it is the name of the miraculously born son of Arianrhod, who became a minor divinity of the sea. In the second half of the 20th century the name has become fairly popular outside Wales as a result of the fame of the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas (1914–53) and the American singer Bob Dylan (b. 1941), who changed his surname from Zimmerman as a tribute to the poet.

Back  -   New Search

Dymphna f

Irish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Damhnait, apparently a feminine diminutive form of damh fawn. Little is known of the saint of this name, who is regarded as the protector of the deranged and lunatic; her relics are preserved at Gheel, near Antwerp in Belgium.
Variant: Dympna.

Back  -   New Search

E

Éabha f

Irish Gaelic form of Eve; see EVA.

Back  -   New Search

Eachann m

Scottish Gaelic: name composed of the elements each horse + donn brown. It has often been Anglicized as HECTOR.

Back  -   New Search

Éadaoin f

Irish Gaelic: modern form of the Old Irish name Étáin, borne in Irish mythology by a sun goddess. The name seems to be a derivative of Old Irish ét jealousy.

Back  -   New Search

Eairdsidh m

Scottish Gaelic form of ARCHIE.
Variant: Eairrsidh.

Back  -   New Search

Ealasaid f

Scottish Gaelic form of ELIZABETH.

Back  -   New Search

Eamon m

Irish and English: from the Gaelic form of EDMUND. The normal Gaelic spelling is Éamon or Éamonn. Éamon de Valera (1882–1973) was president of Ireland 1959–73.
Cognate: Scottish Gaelic: Eumann.

Back  -   New Search

Eanraig m

Scottish Gaelic form of HENRY.

Back  -   New Search

Earl m

English (mainly U.S.): from the English aristocratic title, originally a nickname parallel to DUKE, KING, etc. The title was first used in England in the 12th century, as an equivalent to the French comte count; it is from Old English eorl warrior, nobleman, prince. In some cases the given name may have been taken from the surname Earl, which was given originally to someone who worked in the household of an earl.
Variants: Earle, Erle.

Back  -   New Search

Eavan f

Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic AOIBHEANN.

Back  -   New Search

Ebba f

1 German; probably from the various compound Germanic female names containing the first element eber wild boar, as for example Ebergard and Eberhild.

2 English: 19th-century revival of an Old English female name, a contracted form of Eadburga, composed of the elements ad prosperity, riches, fortune + burg fortress. St Ebba the Elder (d. c.638) was a sister of Oswald, King of Northumbria, who founded a Benedictine abbey at Coldingham in Berwickshire; St Ebba the Younger (d. c.870) was abbess there and was murdered by marauding Danes.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Ebbe m

1 Scandinavian: pet form of ESBJÖRN.

2 German: pet form of EBERHARD.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Ebenezer m

English: originally the name (meaning ‘stone of help’ in Hebrew) of a place mentioned in the Bible, where the Israelites were defeated by the Philistines (I Samuel 4:1). When they took their revenge Samuel set up a memorial stone with this same name (1 Samuel 7:12). It was taken up as a given name by the Puritans in the 17th century, possibly after being misread in the Bible as a personal name, or else because of its favourable etymological connotations. It now has unfavourable connotations because of the miserly character of Ebenezer Scrooge in Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol (1843)

Back  -   New Search

Eberhard m

German: from an old Germanic personal name, composed of the elements eber wild boar + hard hardy, brave, strong. St Eberhard of Salzburg (1085–1164) was a leading ecclesiastical figure of his day.
Cognate: Low German: Evert.
Pet form: German: Ebbe.

Back  -   New Search

Ebony f

English: from the name of the deeply black wood (Late Latin ebenius, from Greek ebenos; the word seems to be ultimately of Egyptian origin). The name has been adopted very recently (since the 1970s) by Blacks as a symbol of pride in their colour. This was the third commonest name among Black females in the United States in 1982.

Back  -   New Search

Eckehard m

German: from an old Germanic personal name composed of the elements ek, eg edge, point (of a sword) + hard hardy, brave, strong. The Blessed Ekhard (d. 1084) was canon of the cathedral of Magdeburg and first abbot of Huysberg.
Variant: Eckhard(t).
Cognates: Low German: Eggert. Frisian: Edzard.

Back  -   New Search

Ed m

English: short form of the various male names with the first syllable Ed-, especially EDWARD. See also TED.

Back  -   New Search

Edan m

Scottish and Irish: variant of AIDAN. St Edan was an Irish disciple of St David of Wales who later became bishop of Ferns.

Back  -   New Search

Edda f

Italian form of HEDDA.

Back  -   New Search

Eddie m

English: pet form of ED, with the addition of the hypocoristic suffix -ie.

Back  -   New Search

Edeltraud f

German: later form of ADELTRAUD.
Variant: Edeltrud.

Back  -   New Search

Eden m

English: transferred use of the surname, itself derived in the Middle Ages from a given name Edun or Edon. This is of Old English origin, composed of the elements ad prosperity, riches, fortune + hn bear cub. Use as a modern given name has probably been encouraged by association with the biblical Garden of Eden, so named from Hebrew 'den place of pleasure.

Back  -   New Search

Edgar m

English (also used in France): from an Old English personal name composed of the elements ad prosperity, riches, fortune + gr spear. This was the name of an English king and saint, Edgar the Peaceful (d. 975), and of Edgar Atheling (?1060–?1125), the young prince who was chosen to succeed Harold as king in 1066, but who was supplanted by the Normans.
Variant: French: Edgard (probably influenced in spelling by the more common ÉDOUARD).

Back  -   New Search

Edith f

English (also occasionally used in France, Germany, and Scandinavia): from an Old English female personal name composed of the elements ad prosperity, riches, fortune + gð strife. This was borne by a daughter (961–84) of Edgar the Peaceful, who was named in accordance with the common Old English practice of repeating name elements within a family. She spent her short life in a convent, and is regarded as a saint.
Variant: Edythe.
Cognate: Polish: Edyta.
Pet form: English: Edie.

Back  -   New Search

Edmé f

Scottish: variant of ESMÉ, used as a female name. The reason for the change of -s- to -d- is not clear, but it may have been due to the influence of the coexisting given names ESMOND. and (commoner) EDMUND. In spite of its accent, it is not found as a French name.
Variant: Edmée.

Back  -   New Search

Edmund m

English (also used in Germany): from an Old English personal name composed of the elements ad prosperity, riches, fortune + mund protector. It was borne by several early royal and saintly figures, including a 9th-century king of East Anglia killed by invading Danes, allegedly for his adherence to Christianity. This story earned him a cult that spread throughout Western and Central Europe.
Cognates: Irish: EAMON. Scottish Gaelic: Eumann. French, Dutch: Edmond. Italian: Edmondo. Spanish, Portuguese: Edmundo. Hungarian: Ödön.

Back  -   New Search

Edna f

Irish and English: in Ireland an Anglicized form of EITHNE, and probably of this origin in England too. However, the name also occurs in the Bible, in the apocryphal Book of Tobit, where it is the name of the mother of Sarah and stepmother of Tobias. This is said to be from Hebrew 'ednah rejuvenation, pleasure, or delight, and if so it is connected with the name of the Garden of EDEN. It does not occur in the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament, although the variants 'eden and 'adnah occur as male names. The earliest known uses of the given name in England are in the 18th century, when it was probably imported from Ireland, rather than taken from the Bible.

Back  -   New Search

Edoardo m

Italian form of EDWARD.

Back  -   New Search

Edom m

Biblical: byname of Esau, meaning ‘red’ in Hebrew. The name was given to him because he sold his birthright for a bowl of red lentil soup. It was frequently used in medieval Scotland, where it was taken to represent a variant of ADAM, and is occasionally bestowed in modern times by parents with Scottish connections.

Back  -   New Search

Édouard m

French form of EDWARD.

Back  -   New Search

Edsel m

In Germanic mythology this name is a variant of ETZEL. In modern times its most famous bearer was Edsel Ford, son of Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Corporation. The family was partly of Dutch or Flemish descent, but the reason for the choice of given name is not known.

Back  -   New Search

Eduard m

Czech form of EDWARD.

Back  -   New Search

Eduardo m

Spanish form of EDWARD.

Back  -   New Search

Edurne f

Basque equivalent of NIEVES.

Back  -   New Search

Edvard m

Scandinavian and Czech form of EDWARD.

Back  -   New Search

Edvige f

Italian form of HEDWIG.

Back  -   New Search

Edward m

English (also Polish in this spelling): from an Old English personal name composed of the elements ad prosperity, riches, fortune + weard guard. This has been one of the most successful of all Old English names, surviving from before the Conquest to the present day, and even being exported into other European languages. It was the name of three Anglo-Saxon kings and has been borne by eight kings of England since the Norman Conquest. It is also the name of the youngest son of Queen Elizabeth II. Undoubtedly the most influential bearer was King Edward the Confessor (?1002–66; ruled 1042–66;). In a troubled period of English history, he contrived to rule fairly and (for a time at any rate) firmly. But in the latter part of his reign he paid more attention to his religion than to his kingdom. He died childless, and his death sparked off conflicting claims to his throne, which were resolved by the victory of William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings. His memory was honoured by Normans and English alike, for his fairness and his piety. Edward's mother was Norman; he had spent part of his youth in Normandy; and William claimed to have been nominated by Edward as his successor. Edward was canonized in the 12th century, and came to be venerated throughout Europe as a model of a Christian king.
Derivatives: Scottish Gaelic: Eideard; Eudard (a dialectal variant). French: Édouard. Italian: Edoardo. Spanish: Eduardo. Portuguese: Duarte. German: Eduard (influenced by the French form). Scandinavian: Edvard. Finnish: Eetu. Czech: Eduard, Edvard. Russian: Edvard.
Short forms: English: Ed, Ned, Ted.
Pet form: English: Eddie.

Back  -   New Search

Edwige f

French form of HEDWIG.

Back  -   New Search

Edwin m

English: 19th-century revival of an Old English personal name composed of the elements ad prosperity, riches, fortune + wine friend. It was borne by a 7th-century king of Northumbria, who was converted to Christianity by St Paulinus and was killed in battle against pagan forces, a combination of circumstances which led to his being venerated as a martyr.

Back  -   New Search

Edwina f

English: 19th-century coinage, representing a Latinate feminine form of EDWIN or, in at least one case, of EDWARD. Edwina Ashley, a descendant of Lord Shaftesbury who became the wife of Earl Mountbatten, was so named in honour of Edward VII; the king had originally wished her to be called Edwardina.

Back  -   New Search

Edyta f

Polish form of EDITH.

Back  -   New Search

Edythe f

English: fanciful respelling of EDITH, popular in the United States during the early part of the 20th century.

Back  -   New Search

Edzard m

Frisian form of ECKEHARD.

Back  -   New Search

Eero m

Finnish form of ERIC; See also ERKKI.

Back  -   New Search

Eetu m

Finnish form of EDWARD.

Back  -   New Search

Effemy f

English and Scottish: Older vernacular form of EUPHEMIA.

Back  -   New Search

Effi f

German: pet form derived from an assimilated version of Elfriede, the German form of ELFREDA.

Back  -   New Search

Effie f, m

1 (f.) English: pet form of EUPHEMIA, now as rarely used as the full form, but popular in the 19th century.

2 (f.) Scottish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name OIGHRIG.
Top

3 (m.) Jewish: pet form of EPHRAIM.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Efisio m

Italian: typically Sardinian name, borne in honour of a martyr allegedly put to death at Cagliari under the Emperor Diocletian in 303. He is greatly venerated on the island and every 1 May a large festival commemorates his intervention in the plague of 1625; nevertheless, there is no mention of him in any sources before the 15th century. The name is from Latin Ephesius, originally a local name from the Greek city of Ephesus, where there was a famous temple of Diana in antiquity.

Back  -   New Search

Efraín m

Spanish form of EPHRAIM, used mainly in Latin America.

Back  -   New Search

Efric f

Scottish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name OIGHRIG; See also AFRICA.

Back  -   New Search

Egan m

Irish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Aogán, earlier Aodhagán, a double diminutive of AODH.
Cognate: Scottish: lagan.

Back  -   New Search

Egbert m

English: from an Old English personal name composed of the elements ecg edge (of a sword) + beorht bright, famous. It was borne by two English saints of the 8th century and by a 9th-century king of Wessex. It survived for a while after the Conquest, but fell out of use by the 14th century. It was briefly revived in the 19th century, but is now again completely out of fashion.

Back  -   New Search

Eggert m

Low German form of ECKEHARD.

Back  -   New Search

Egidio m

Italian form of GILES.

Back  -   New Search

Egidiusz m

Polish: learned form of IDZI, the Polish vernacular form of GILES.

Back  -   New Search

Egil m

Scandinavian: from the Old Norse personal name Egill, in origin a diminutive of the element ag, eg edge, point (cf. e.g. EILERT).

Back  -   New Search

Eglantine f

English: flower name, used as a nickname by Chaucer, and occasionally as a given name in the 19th century, but not at present in use. It is from an alternative name for the sweetbrier, derived in the 14th century from Old French aiglent, ultimately a derivative of Latin acus needle, referring to the prickly stem of the plant.

Back  -   New Search

Egon m

German: medieval name derived from the Germanic element ek, eg edge, point (of a sword), an element that is found for example in ECKEHARD. St Egon or Egino (d. 1122) was abbot of the monastery of Ulric and Afra in Augsburg.

Back  -   New Search

Eguzki f

Basque equivalent of SOL.

Back  -   New Search

Egyed m

Hungarian form of GILES.

Back  -   New Search

Ehrenfried m

German: apparently a reworking of the old Germanic personal name Arnfried, composed of the elements arn eagle + fred, frid peace. The first element has been assimilated to modern German Ehre (combining form Ehren-) honour.

Back  -   New Search

Ehud m

Jewish: name (probably meaning ‘pleasant, sympathetic’ in Hebrew) borne in the Bible by a left-handed Benjaminite, who saved the Israelites by stabbing the Moabite king Eglon (Judges 3: 15–26).

Back  -   New Search

Éaibhear m

Irish Gaelic: of unknown origin. According to legend, this was the name of the son of Mil, leader of the first Gaels to settle in Ireland.
Anglicized forms: HEBER, IVOR.

Back  -   New Search

Eiddwen f

Welsh: modern coinage, apparently derived from the element eiddun desirous, fond, with the addition of the common suffix of women's names (g)wen, feminine of gwyn white, fair, blessed, holy.

Back  -   New Search

Eideard m

Scottish Gaelic form of EDWARD.

Back  -   New Search

Eileen f

Irish and English: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Eibhlín or Aibhilin, derived from Norman-French AVELINE. The combination bh is normally pronounced as v, but sometimes dropped, as reflected in the Anglicized spelling. This name became tremendously popular in the early part of the 20th century, but the reasons for this sudden rise in favour are not known.
Variant: Aileen (esp. Scottish).

Back  -   New Search

Eilert m

Frisian and Scandinavian: from an old Germanic personal name composed of the elements eg(il) edge, point (of a sword) + hard hardy, brave, strong (cf. ECKEHARD). The name is now also quite commonly used in Scandinavia, where it was taken in the 17th century.

Back  -   New Search

Eilidh f

Scottish Gaelic form of ELLIE, now normally Anglicized as HELEN.
Variant: Ailie (an Anglicized spelling).

Back  -   New Search

Eilif m

Norwegian: from an Old Norse personal name composed of the elements ei always, ever or einn one, alone + lifr alive.
Variant: Eiliv.

Back  -   New Search

Eilís f

Irish Gaelic form of ELIZABETH.

Back  -   New Search

Einar m

Scandinavian: from an Old Norse personal name composed of the elements einn one, alone + herr army, warrior.

Back  -   New Search

Einion m

Welsh: traditional name, originally a byname meaning ‘anvil’.
Pet form: Einwys.

Back  -   New Search

Eino m

German: medieval name derived from the Germanic element eg(in) edge, point (of a sword), and so a byform of EGON.

Back  -   New Search

Einrí m

Irish Gaelic form of HENRY; See also ANRAÍ.

Back  -   New Search

Eira f

Welsh: modern name, from the vocabulary word eira snow.

Back  -   New Search

Eireen f

Irish and English: of recent origin, probably a respelling of IRENE under the influence of EILEEN.

Back  -   New Search

Eiric f

Scottish Gaelic: variant of OIGHRIG; See also EITHRIG.

Back  -   New Search

Eirik m

Norwegian form of ERIC.

Back  -   New Search

Eirwen f

Welsh: modern name, composed of the elements eira snow + (g)wen feminine form of gwyn white, fair, blessed, holy.

Back  -   New Search

Eistir f

Irish Gaelic form of ESTHER.

Back  -   New Search

Eitan m

Jewish: modern Hebrew form of ETHAN.

Back  -   New Search

Eithne f

Irish Gaelic: traditional name, apparently from the vocabulary word eithne kernel, which was used as a term of praise in old bardic poetry. The name has been Anglicized variously as EDNA, Et(h)na, and ENA. St Ethenia was a daughter of King Laoghaire and one of St Patrick's first converts, together with her sister Fidelmia (see FIDELMA).

Back  -   New Search

Eithrig f

Scottish Gaelic: variant of OIGHRIG; See also EIRIC.

Back  -   New Search

Eladio m

Spanish: from the Late Latin name Helladius, Late Greek Helladios, a derivative of Hellas (genitive Hellados) Greece. St Helladius of Toledo (d. 632) was a minister at the court of the Visigothic kings, who retired from public life to become a monk, and was eventually appointed archbishop of Toledo.

Back  -   New Search

Elaine f

English: originally a version of HELEN, but now generally regarded as an independent name. The Greek and Latin forms of the name had a long vowel in the second syllable, which produced this form (as opposed to ELLEN) in Old French. In Arthurian legend, Elaine is the name of one of the women who fell in love with Lancelot. The name occurs in this form in the 15th-century English Morte D'Arthur of Thomas Malory. In the 19th century it was popularized in one of Tennyson's Idylls of the King (1859). Most of the characters in Arthurian legend have names that are Celtic in origin, although subjected to heavy French influence, and it has therefore been suggested that Elaine may actually be derived from a Welsh element meaning ‘hind’ or ‘fawn’.

Back  -   New Search

Elda f

Italian: not in use before the 20th century. It seems to represent an altered form of HILDA.

Back  -   New Search

Eldon m

English: transferred use of the surname, which originated in the Middle Ages as a local name from a place in Co. Durham, so called from the Old English male personal name Ella + Old English dn hill.

Back  -   New Search

Eleanor f

English: from an Old French respelling of the Old Provençal name Alienor, which has been taken as a derivative of HELEN, but is probably of Germanic derivation (with a first element ali other, foreign). The name was introduced to England by Eleanor of Aquitaine (1122–1204), who came from south-west France to be the wife of King Henry II. It was also borne by Eleanor of Provence, the wife of Henry III, and Eleanor of Castile, the wife of Edward I.
Variants: Ellenor, Elinor.
Cognates: Irish Gaelic: Eileanóra. French: Eléonore. Italian: Eleonora. German: Eleonore.
Pet forms: English: NELL, Ellie.

Back  -   New Search

Eleazar m

Biblical: variant of ELIEZER. See also LAZARUS.

Back  -   New Search

Elen f

Welsh: probably a Welsh form of HELEN. It is identical with the vocabulary word elen nymph, but was used in Welsh texts from an early period as the name of the mother of Constantine, finder of the True Cross.
Variant: Elin.

Back  -   New Search

Elena f

Italian and Spanish form of HELEN.

Back  -   New Search

Eleonora f

Italian form of ELEANOR, now sometimes also used in the Englishspeaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Eleonore f

German form of ELEANOR.

Back  -   New Search

Eléonore f

French form of ELEANOR.

Back  -   New Search

Eleri f

Welsh: ancient name of uncertain origin. It was borne in the 5th century by a daughter of the semi-legendary chieftain Brychan. Eleri is also a Welsh river name; in this case it seems to derive from the element alar surfeit.

Back  -   New Search

Elettra f

Italian: name of a heroine of classical mythology, in English Electra, who, with her brother Orestes, avenged the murder of her father Agamemnon by her stepfather Aegisthus and her mother Clytemnestra. The name is derived from the Greek vocabulary word lektr brilliant.

Back  -   New Search

Elfleda f

English: Latinized form of the Old English female personal name Æðelfld, composed of the elements æðel noble + fld beauty. It was revived briefly in the 19th century.

Back  -   New Search

Elfreda f

English: 19th-century revival of a Latinized form of the Old English female personal name Ælfpryð, composed of the elements ælf elf, supernatural being + pryð strength. This form may also have absorbed the originally distinct Æðelpryð (see AUDREY).
Cognate: German: Elfriede.
Short forms: English: Freda. German: Friede.
Pet forms: German: Effi, Elfi.

Back  -   New Search

Eli m

1 Biblical: from a Hebrew word meaning ‘height’. Eli was the name of the priest and judge who brought up the future prophet Samuel (1 Samuel 3). It was especially popular among Puritans in the 17th century.

2 Jewish: short form of any of numerous names containing the first element 'el God, such as ELIEZER, ELIJAH, and Elisha (see ELISEO).
Top

Back  -   New Search

Éliane f

French: from Latin Aelina, feminine form of the Late Latin family name Aelinus. This name seems to represent a hypercorrected form of linus or Hlinus, from Greek hlios sun. St Eliana was an early martyr of Amasea in Pontus.
Cognate: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese: Eliana.

Back  -   New Search

Eliezer m

Biblical: name (meaning ‘God helps’ in Hebrew) borne by one of the sons of Aaron (Exodus 6: 23). In the Authorized Version the name is rendered as ELEAZAR.

Back  -   New Search

Eligio m

Italian form of ELOY. This form is also used in Spain as a learned byform.

Back  -   New Search

Elijah m

Biblical: name (meaning ‘Yahweh is God’) of an Israelite prophet whose exploits are recounted in the First and Second Book of Kings. Elijah's victory over the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel played an important part in maintaining the Jewish monotheistic religion. This story, and the other stories in which he figures, including his conflicts with Ahab's queen, Jezebel, and his prophecies of doom, are among the most vivid in the Bible. For some reason it has not been much used as a given name by Christians, although it was among the names used by the early Puritan settlers in New England, and recently it has also been adopted among Black Muslims. See also ELIYAHU.

Back  -   New Search

Elin f

Welsh: variant of ELEN.

Back  -   New Search

Elinor f

English: variant spelling of ELEANOR.

Back  -   New Search

Eliot m

English: variant spelling of ELLIOT.
Variant: Eliott.

Back  -   New Search

Elisabet f

The usual Scandinavian form of ELIZABETH.

Back  -   New Search

Elisabeth f

The spelling of ELIZABETH used in the Authorized Version of the New Testament, and in most modern European languages. This was the name of the mother of John the Baptist (Luke I: 60). Etymologically, the name means ‘God is my oath’, and is therefore identical with Elisheba, name of the wife of Aaron, according to the genealogy at Exodus 6: 23. The final element seems to have been altered by association with Hebrew shabbth sabbath.

Back  -   New Search

Elisabetta f

Italian form of ELIZABETH.

Back  -   New Search

Élise

French: short form of ELISABETH. The name was introduced into the English-speaking world (where it is often written without the accent) in the late 19th century.

Back  -   New Search

Eliseo m

Italian and Spanish: name of the biblical prophet normally known in English as Elisha, the successor of Elijah. The feast of St Eliseus, as he is known in Latin, is liturgically observed (on 14 June) by the Carmelite order of monks, and is also important in the Eastern Church. The Latin form of the name derives from the Greek Elisaios, used in the New Testament. The name is composed of the Hebrew elements ‘el God + sha’ to help, save.
Cognate: Russian: Yelisei.

Back  -   New Search

Eliyahu m

Jewish: Hebrew name meaning ‘Jehovah is God’, familiar in the English-speaking world in the form ELIJAH.
Pet form: Elye (Yiddish).

Back  -   New Search

Eliza f

English: short form of ELIZABETH, first used in the 16th century. It became popular, sometimes as an independent name, in the 18th and 19th centuries. The name was used by George Bernard Shaw for the main female character, Eliza Dolittle, in his play Pygmalion (1913), which was the basis for the musical and film My Fair Lady.

Back  -   New Search

Elizabeth f

The usual spelling of ELISABETH in English. It was first made popular by being borne by Queen Elizabeth I of England (1533–1603). In the 20th century it became extremely fashionable, partly because it was the name of Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (b. 1900), who in 1936 became Queen Elizabeth as the wife of King George VI, and, even more influentially, it is the name of her daughter Queen Elizabeth II (b. 1926).
Variant: Elisabeth. See also ELSPETH and ISABEL.
Cognates: Irish Gaelic: Eilís. Scottish Gaelic: Ealasaid. French, German: Elisabeth. Italian: Elisabetta. Spanish: Isabel. Scandinavian: Elisabet. Polish: Elbieta. Czech: Albta. Russian: Yelizaveta. Hungarian: Erzsébet.
short forms: English: ELIZA, ELSA; Liza, Lisa, Liz; Beth, Bet, Bess; Elspeth; Lisbet. French: Élise, Lise. German: Elsa, Else, llse; LIESE. Scandinavian: Elsa, Else; Lisa, Lise, Lis. Polish: Ela.
Pet forms: English: Elsie; Bessie, Bessy, Betty, Betsy; Tetty; Libby; Lizzie, Lizzy. French: Lisette. German: Lil(l)i; Elli.

Back  -   New Search

Elkan m

Jewish and English: shortened form of the Hebrew name Elkanah ‘possessed by God’, borne in the Bible by several people, including the father of the prophet Samuel (I Samuel I: I).

Back  -   New Search

Elke f

1 Frisian and Dutch: pet form derived from a shortened version of ADELHEID.

2 Jewish: Yiddish name, apparently adopted as a feminine form of ELKAN. The variant Elkie is well known as the name of the singer Elkie Brooks.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Ella f

English: of Germanic origin, introduced to Britain by the Normans. The name was probably originally a short form of any of various compound names containing the element ali other, foreign (cf. ELEANOR and ELVIRA). It is now often taken to be a variant or pet form of ELLEN.

Back  -   New Search

Ellar m

Scottish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Eallair, originally a byname Ceallair, referring to someone who was a butler or steward in a monastery (Latin cellrius, a derivative of cella storeroom, cellar). The initial C- was lost through the frequent use of the given name in association with the patronymic surname Mac Ceallair.

Back  -   New Search

Ellen f

English: originally a variant of HELEN, although now no longer associated with that name. Initial H- tended to be added and dropped rather capriciously, leading to many doublets (cf. e.g. ESTHER and Hester; ÉLOISE and Héloïse).
Pet form: NELL.

Back  -   New Search

Ellenor f

English: variant spelling of ELEANOR, the result of blending with ELLEN.

Back  -   New Search

Elli f

German: pet form of ELISABETH.

Back  -   New Search

Ellie f

English: pet form of any of the numerous female names beginning with the syllable El-, in particular ELEANOR.
Cognate: Scottish Gaelic: EILIDH (re-Anglicized as HELEN).

Back  -   New Search

Elliot m

English: transferred use of the surname, which is itself derived from a medieval (Norman French) masculine given name. This was a diminutive of Elie, the Old French version of Elias (see ELLIS).
Variants: Elliott, Eliot(t).

Back  -   New Search

Ellis m

English: transferred use of the surname, which is derived from Elias, the Greek version (used in the New Testament) of the name of the Old Testament prophet ELIJAH. In Wales it is now often taken as an Anglicized form of the Old Welsh name Elisud, which is really from elus kind, benevolent.

Back  -   New Search

Elmer m

English: transferred use of the surname, which is itself derived from an Old English personal name composed of the elements æðel noble + mr famous. This has been used as a given name in America since the 19th century, in honour of the brothers Ebenezer and Jonathan Elmer, leading supporters of the American Revolution.

Back  -   New Search

Elmo m

Italian (occasionally used also in the English-speaking world): in origin probably a Germanic name derived from helm helmet, protection, either as a byname or else as a short form of any of the various compound names with this first element, as for example HELMUT. Later, however, along with the variant Ermo, it came to be used as a pet form of ERASMUS.

Back  -   New Search

Elodia f

Spanish: Latinized version of a Visigothic female personal name, composed of the elements ali other, foreign + od riches, wealth, prosperity. The name was borne by a 9th-century saint, martyred at Huesca together with her sister Nuncilo, at the behest of their Islamic stepfather.
Cognate: French: Élodie.

Back  -   New Search

Elof m

Swedish: from an Old Norse personal name composed of the elements ei ever, always or einn one, alone + lfr descendant, heir.
Variant: Elov.
Cognate: Danish: Eluf.
Pet form: Swedish: Loffe.

Back  -   New Search

Eloi m

French and Portuguese form of ELOY.

Back  -   New Search

Éloise f

French: probably of Germanic origin, although the elements of which it is composed have not been identified. Éloise or Héloïse was the name of the learned and beautiful wife (d. c.1164) of the French philosopher and theologian Peter Abelard (1079–1142), whom she married secretly. A misunderstanding with her uncle and guardian, the powerful and violent Canon Fulbert of Notre Dame led to Abelard being set upon, beaten up, and castrated. He became a monk, and Héloïse spent the rest of her days as abbess of a nunnery, but they continued to write to each other. The name has been occasionally revived in modern times in allusion to her fidelity and piety.
Cognate: English: Eloise.

Back  -   New Search

Elov m

Swedish: variant of ELOF.

Back  -   New Search

Eloy m

Spanish: from the Latin name Eligius, a derivative of eligere to choose, select. St Eligius (588–660) was a bishop of Noyon who evangelized the districts around Antwerp, Ghent, and Courtrai.
Variant: Eligio.
Cognates: French, Portuguese: Eloi. Italian: Eligio.

Back  -   New Search

Elpidio m

Italian and Spanish: from the Late Latin name Elpidius, Greek Elpidios, a derivative of Greek elpis (genitive elpidos) hope. The name was borne by various early saints, particularly a 4th-century hermit who spent twenty-five years in a cave in Cappadocia. Relics believed to be his were preserved in the Middle Ages at the village of Sant'Elpidio in the marches of Ancona, and the name was most commonly used in that region.

Back  -   New Search

Elroy m

English: variant of LEROY. The initial syllable seems to be the result of simple transposition of the first two letters; it may also have been influenced by the Spanish definite article el and by the associated name DELROY. This is now a popular name among Blacks.

Back  -   New Search

Elsa f

English, German, and Swedish: shortened form of ELISABETH or ELIZABETH. The name was borne by the English-born film actress Elsa Lanchester (1902–86), whose original name was Elizabeth Sullivan. The name is now also associated with the lioness named Elsa featured in the book and film Born Free.

Back  -   New Search

Elsdon m

English (mainly U.S.): transferred use of the surname, which originated in the Middle Ages as a local name from a place in Northumbria. The place-name is recorded in the 13th century in the forms Eledene, Hellesden, Elisden, and Ellesden; it seems to derive from the genitive case of the personal name Elli + Old English denu valley.

Back  -   New Search

Else f

Danish form of ELSA, used also in Germany (particularly in the north of the country).

Back  -   New Search

Elsie f

Scottish and English: simplified form of Elspie, a pet form of ELSPETH. This came to be used as an independent name, and in the early 20th century proved more popular than Elspeth.

Back  -   New Search

Elspeth f

Scottish and English: contracted form of ELIZABETH.

Back  -   New Search

Elton m

English: transferred use of the surname, which originated in the Middle Ages as a local name from any of numerous places in England so called (mostly from the Old English masculine personal name Ella + Old English tn enclosure, settlement). In England it is largely associated with the singer-songwriter Elton John; born Reginald Dwight, he took his adopted given name in honour of the saxophonist Elton Dean.

Back  -   New Search

Eluf m

Danish form of ELOF.

Back  -   New Search

Eluned f

Welsh: apparently a reformed version of earlier Luned, Lunet. Lunete is the form of the name used by the French writer Chrétien de Troyes; cf LYNETTE.

Back  -   New Search

Elvira f

Spanish: of Germanic (Visi-gothic) origin, very common in the Middle Ages and still in use today. The original form and meaning of the elements of which it is composed are far from certain (probably ali other, foreign + wr true). The name was not used in the English-speaking world until the 19th century, when it was made familiar as the name of the long-suffering wife of Don Juan, both in Mozart's opera Don Giovanni (1789) and Byron's satirical epic poem Don Juan (1819–24).

Back  -   New Search

Elvis m

English (esp. U.S.): of obscure derivation, made famous by the American rock singer Elvis Presley (1935–77). It may be derived from the surname of an ancestor, or it may have been made up, but it was certainly not chosen for the singer in anticipation of a career in show business, for his father's name was Vernon Elvis Presley. A St Elvis, apparently an Irishman of the 6th century, is also known as Elwyn, Elwin, Elian, and Allan.

Back  -   New Search

Elbieta f

Polish form of ELIZABETH.

Back  -   New Search

Emanuel m

Scandinavian form of EMMANUEL. This form of the name is also used in Germany, alongside Emmanuel and the commoner German form IMMANUEL.

Back  -   New Search

Emanuele m

Italian form of EMMANUEL. The name is fairly common in Italy among Gentiles as well as Jews. It was introduced to the royal house of Savoy at the beginning of the 16th century, when a daughter of Manoel I of Portugal married Carlo II of Savoy; the name was given to their son.

Back  -   New Search

Emeny f

English: medieval name of uncertain origin. It appears in various forms such as Emonie and Imanie and seems to be of Germanic origin. It was Latinized as ISMENE.

Back  -   New Search

Emer f

Irish Gaelic: traditional name of uncertain derivation. This was the name of Cú Chulainn's beloved, a woman of many talents who was blessed with the gifts of beauty, voice, sweet speech, wisdom, needlework, and chastity. It has been revived as a given name in the 20th century.
Cognates: Scottish Gaelic: Eamhair, Éimhear.

Back  -   New Search

Emerald f

English: from the name of the gemstone, representing a vernacular form of ESMERALDA.

Back  -   New Search

Emerenzia f

Italian: from Latin Emerentia, a derivative of merri to earn, merit. The name was borne by a Roman martyr of uncertain date, who has become associated with the legend of St Agnes.

Back  -   New Search

Emeterio m

Spanish: from Latin Emeterius or Hemiterius, a name of uncertain (probably Greek) origin. St Hemiterius was martyred together with a certain Cheledonius at Calahorra in Spain in the 4th century.
Cognate: Catalan: Medir.

Back  -   New Search

Emidio m

Italian: of uncertain origin. The name is borne in honour of St Emidius or Emygdius (d. c.303), the patron saint of Ascoli Piceno. He is said to have come from a noble Gaulish family and to have been born at Trier.

Back  -   New Search

Emil m

German and Scandinavian: from the Latin name Aemilius (see EMILY).
Cognates: French: Émile. Italian, Spanish, Portuguese: Emilio.

Back  -   New Search

Émilie f

French form of EMILY. Without the accent this form of the name is also used in Germany.

Back  -   New Search

Émilien m

French: from Latin Aemilinus, a family name representing a derivative of Aemilius (see EMILY). This was made popular as a Christian name by various minor early saints.
Cognate: Catalan: Millà.

Back  -   New Search

Emilio m

Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese form of EMIL.

Back  -   New Search

Emily f

English: from a medieval form of the Latin name Aemilia, the feminine version of the old Roman family name Aemilius (probably from aemulus rival). It was not common in the Middle Ages, and when it was revived in the 19th century there was much confusion between the originally distinct AMELIA and the Latinate form of this name, Emilia.
Cognates: French: Émilie. German: Emilie.

Back  -   New Search

Emlyn m

Welsh: of uncertain origin, possibly from Latin Aemilinus (see ÉMILIEN). On the other hand, it may have a Celtic origin; there are Breton and Irish saints recorded as Aemilianus, which may be a Latinized form of a lost Celtic name.

Back  -   New Search

Emma f

English: of Germanic origin, introduced to Britain by the Normans. It was the name of the mother of Edward the Confessor. It originated as a short form of the medieval versions of compound names such as ERMINTRUDE and IRMGARD, containing the element erm(en), irm(en) entire (cf. IRMA). It is now sometimes used as a pet form of EMILY, but this is etymologically unjustified.

Back  -   New Search

Emmanuel m

Biblical: the name (meaning ‘God is with us’ in Hebrew) of the promised Messiah, as prophesied by Isaiah (7: 14; reported in Matthew 1: 23). The Authorized Version of the Bible uses the Hebrew form IMMANUEL in the Old Testament, Emmanuel in the New. Both forms have been used as given names in England. This has always been a comparatively rare name in the English-speaking world, whereas the Hispanic cognate Manuel is one of the commonest Spanish given names.
Derivatives: German: Immanuel. Scandinavian: Emanuel. Italian: Emanuele. Spanish: Manuel. Portuguese: Manoel. Basque: Imanol.
Pet forms: Jewish: Man, Manny.
Feminine form: Spanish: Manuela.

Back  -   New Search

Emmarald f

English: variant of EMERALD, influenced by the given name EMMA.

Back  -   New Search

Emmeline f

English: of Germanic origin, introduced to Britain by the Normans. Even in the Middle Ages it was not clear whether this name was a derivative of EMMA or of AMALIA (the spellings are very varied), and when it was revived in the 19th century there was further confusion with EMILY. A famous bearer was the suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst (1858–1928), mother of Christabel and Sylvia.

Back  -   New Search

Emmet m

English: transferred use of the surname, which itself was derived in the Middle Ages from the female given name Emmet, a diminutive form of EMMA. It may sometimes be used by parents with Irish connections, in honour of the rebel Robert Emmet (1778–1803), who led a disastrous attempt at rebellion against the English.

Back  -   New Search

Emmy f

English: pet form of EMMA, EMILY, and related names. It is occasionally used as an independent given name, especially in the United States and in combinations such as Emmy Jane and Emmy Jo.

Back  -   New Search

Emrys m

Welsh form of AMBROSE. The name has been very commonly used in families of Welsh origin in the 20th century.

Back  -   New Search

Emyr m

Welsh: originally a byname meaning ‘ruler, king, lord’. The name was borne by a 6th-century Breton saint who settled in Cornwall.

Back  -   New Search

Ena f

Irish and English: one of several Anglicized forms of the Gaelic name EITHNE. However, in the case of Queen Victoria's granddaughter Princess Ena (Victoria Eugénie Julia Ena, 1887–1969) it had a different origin: it was apparently a misreading by the minister who baptized her of a handwritten note of the originally intended name EVA. In England, the name is currently out of fashion, and is remembered principally as that of the fearsome Ena Sharples in the television soap opera Coronation Street.

Back  -   New Search

Encarnación f

Spanish: name commemorating the festival of the Incarnation (Spanish encarnación, from Late Latin incarntio, a derivative of caro flesh), celebrated on Christmas Day.
Short form: Encarna.

Back  -   New Search

Enda m

Irish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Éanna, a derivative of éan bird. This name was borne by the famous St Éanna of Aran, and it is still a popular given name in the west of Ireland.

Back  -   New Search

Endre m

Hungarian form of ANDREW.

Back  -   New Search

Enfys f

Welsh: modern name, taken from the vocabulary word meaning ‘rainbow’.

Back  -   New Search

Engelbert m

German: from an old Germanic personal name, composed of the ethnic term Angil Angle + the element berht bright, famous. St Engelbert (1186–1255) was an archbishop of Cologne, murdered by a hired assassin.

Back  -   New Search

Engracia f

Spanish: from the Latin name Encratis or Encratia. This is derived from the Greek word enkrats in control, temperate, moderate, but it has been influenced by Latin grtia grace. St Encratia (d. c.304) was martyred at Saragossa under Diocletian and is commemorated by the poet Prudentius.

Back  -   New Search

Enid f

Welsh and English: Celtic name of extemely uncertain derivation, borne by a virtuous character in the Arthurian romances, the long-suffering wife of Geraint. The name was revived in the second half of the 19th century, and enjoyed a great vogue in England in the 1920s.

Back  -   New Search

Ennio m

Italian: from Latin Ennius, a family name (of uncertain derivation) borne by the early Roman poet Quintus Ennius (239–161 BC).

Back  -   New Search

Enoch m

Biblical: name (possibly meaning ‘experienced’ in Hebrew) of the son of Cain (Genesis 4: 16–22) and father of Methuselah (Genesis 5: 18-24). The latter is said to have lived for 365 years and the apocryphal ‘Books of Enoch’ are attributed to him.

Back  -   New Search

Enola f

English: 20th-century coinage of uncertain derivation. One theory is that it originated as a reversal in spelling of the word alone, but this may be no more than coincidental.

Back  -   New Search

Enos m

Biblical: name (meaning ‘mankind’ in Hebrew) borne by a son of Seth and grandson of Adam (Genesis 4: 26) who allegedly lived for nine hundred and five years. In Ireland this name has been used as an Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Aonghus (see ANGUS).

Back  -   New Search

Enric m

Catalan form of HENRY.

Back  -   New Search

Enrico m

Italian form of HENRY (see also AMERIGO and ARRIGO).

Back  -   New Search

Enrique m

Spanish form of HENRY.
Pet form: Quique.

Back  -   New Search

Enzo m

Italian: probably of Germanic origin, but of uncertain derivation. It may have been originally a byname from ent giant. Alternatively, it could have originated as a short form of given names such as LORENZO or Vicenzo (see VINCENT), or perhaps as an Italianized form of the German name HEINZ.

Back  -   New Search

Eóghan m

Irish and Scottish Gaelic: name of great antiquity and disputed derivation. It has been suggested that it may be composed of Old Celtic elements meaning ‘yew’ and ‘born’, i.e. ‘born of the yew’. It is Anglicized in Ireland as OWEN and EUGENE, in Scotland as EWAN, Ewen, Euan, EVAN, and sometimes HUGH.
Variant: Scottish Gaelic: Eòghann.

Back  -   New Search

Eoin m

Gaelic form of JOHN, used especially to designate the saints of that name. It is also in secular use, especially in Ireland, but also in Scotland (Eòin), where it tends to be Anglicized as JONATHAN.

Back  -   New Search

Ephraim m

Biblical: name of one of the sons of Joseph and of one of the tribes of Israel. The name probably means ‘fruitful’ in Hebrew; it is so explained in the Bible (Genesis 41: 52 ‘and the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction’). Unlike many Old Testament names, this was not particularly popular with the Puritans, and was used more in the 18th and 19th centuries than the 17th. It is still a common Jewish given name.
Derivatives: Spanish: Efraín. Russian: Yefrem. Yiddish: Evron, Froim.
Pet form: Jewish: Effie.

Back  -   New Search

Eppie f

English: pet form of EUPHEMIA, fairly common in Victorian times. This is the name of the orphan child adopted by the eponymous hero of George Eliot's novel Silas Marner; in this case it represents a pet form of HEPHZIBAH.

Back  -   New Search

Erasmus m

English: Latinized form of Greek Erasmos, a derivative of ern to love. St Erasmus (d. 303) was a bishop of Formiae in Campania, martyred under Diocletian; he is numbered among the Fourteen Holy Helpers and is a patron of sailors. This is a fairly rare given name in the English-speaking world, and is borne mainly by Roman Catholics. It is sometimes bestowed in honour of the great Dutch humanist scholar and teacher Erasmus Rotterodamus (?1466–1536).

Back  -   New Search

Ercole m

Italian form of HERCULES. The name is particularly common in the region of Emilia.

Back  -   New Search

Erdmann m

German: altered form of HARTMANN. This form seems to have come into use during the 17th century, when the first element was associated with modern German Erde earth. The meaning ‘earth-man’ was seen to be an appropriate one for a Christian, since Adam was made by God from earth.

Back  -   New Search

Erdmut m

German: altered form of HARTMUT, in use since the 17th century, although never common.
Variant: Erdmuth.

Back  -   New Search

Erdmute f

German: feminine form of ERDMUT, for some reason rather more popular than the male name. In the 20th century, however, it too has fallen out of fashion.
Variant: Erdmuthe.

Back  -   New Search

Erhard m

German: from an old Germanic personal name composed of the elements ra honour, respect + hard hardy, brave, strong. It was borne by a 7th-century saint, allegedly of Irish origin, who served as a missionary bishop around the area of Regensburg in Bavaria.

Back  -   New Search

Eric m

English: of Old Norse origin, composed of the elements ei ever, always or einn one, alone + ríkr ruler. It was introduced into Britain by Scandinavian settlers before the Conquest and was occasionally used during the Middle Ages and later. The surname Herrick derives from it. As a modern given name it was revived in the mid-19th century.
Cognates: German: Erich. Swedish: Erik (the most common male name given in Sweden in 1973); Jerk(er). Norwegian: Eirik. Finnish: Erkki, Eero.

Back  -   New Search

Erica f

English and Scottish: Latinate feminine form of ERIC, coined towards the end of the 18th century. It remains common in Gaelic Scotland as an Anglicized form of OIGHRIG (see also EIRIC and EITHRIG). It has no doubt also been reinforced by the fact that erica is the Latin word for ‘heather’.
Cognate: German, Scandinavian: Erika.

Back  -   New Search

Erin f

English and Irish: from Gaelic Éirinn, dative case of Éire Ireland. Erin has been used as a poetic name for Ireland for centuries, and in recent years this has become a very popular given name. It has enjoyed particular popularity in the United States, even among people with no Irish ancestry.

Back  -   New Search

Erkki m

Finnish form of ERIC (see also EERO).

Back  -   New Search

Erland m

Scandinavian: from an Old Norse personal name, originally a byname from the vocabulary word örlendr foreigner, stranger.
Variant: Erlend.

Back  -   New Search

Erle m

English: variant spelling of EARL.

Back  -   New Search

Erline f

English: apparently a feminine derivative of ERLE.

Back  -   New Search

Ermanno m

Italian form of HERMANN. This is not one of the Germanic personal names that were in use in Italy in the Middle Ages; it seems to have been introduced from Germany relatively recently.

Back  -   New Search

Ermenegildo m

Italian form and Spanish variant of HERMENEGILDO.

Back  -   New Search

Ermentraud f

German form of ERMINTRUDE.
Variant: Ermentrud.

Back  -   New Search

Ermete m

Italian: from Latin Herms, genitive Hermtis, the name of the Greek messenger god (of extremely uncertain derivation, perhaps taken from one of the languages of Asia Minor). In spite of its pagan connotations, the name was common among the early Christians and was borne by more than twenty saints of the early centuries AD, most of them rather minor figures. In modern use the name is mainly found in Tuscany and Emilia.

Back  -   New Search

Ermine f

English: in origin perhaps a variant of HERMINE, but strongly influenced in popularity by association with the name of the fur (Old French ermine, medieval Latin armnius (ms) Armenian mouse).

Back  -   New Search

Ermintrude f

English: of Germanic origin, introduced to Britain by the Normans. It is composed of the elements erm(en), irm(en) entire + traut beloved. The name did not survive long into the Middle Ages, but was occasionally revived in the 18th and 19th centuries. It is now completely out of fashion.
Cognates: German: Erm(en)tr(a)ud. See also IRMTRAUD.

Back  -   New Search

Ern m

English: short form of ERNEST.
Pet form: Ernie.

Back  -   New Search

Erna f

German: simplified form of Ernesta (see ERNEST).

Back  -   New Search

Ernan m

Irish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Earnán, possibly a derivative of iarn iron. St Earnán is the patron saint of Tory Island.

Back  -   New Search

Ernest m

English: of Germanic origin, derived from the Old High German vocabulary word eornost seriousness, battle (to the death). The name was introduced into England in the 18th century by followers of the Hanoverian Elector who became George I of England. A variant spelling Earnest has arisen from the modern English adjective earnest, which is only distantly connected with the name.
Cognates: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese: Ernesto. German: Ernst Czech: Arnot. Hungarian: Ernö.
Short form: English: Ern.
Pet form: English: Ernie.
Feminine forms: English: Ernesta, Ernestine. German: Ernsta, Erna.

Back  -   New Search

Errol m

English (borne mainly by Blacks): from the Scottish surname, which derives from a placename. It has been made famous by the film actor Errol Flynn (1909–59), noted for his ‘swashbuckling’ roles. It is now very popular among Blacks, influenced by such figures as the jazz pianist Errol Garner (1923–77).

Back  -   New Search

Errukiñe f

Basque equivalent of PIEDAD.

Back  -   New Search

Erskine m

Scottish, Irish, and English: from the Scottish surname, which derives from the name of a place near Glasgow. The surname has also been taken to Ireland by Scottish settlers, and was first brought to public attention as a given name by the half-Irish writer and political activist Erskine Childers (1870–1922).

Back  -   New Search

Erwin m

German: from an old Germanic personal name composed of the elements ra honour, respect + win friend. During the Middle Ages it was most common in the Rhine region and was borne, for example, by the founder of Strasburg cathedral. In modern times it has been borne most notably by the Second World War field marshal Erwin Rommel (1891–1944). In the United States it is sometimes used as a variant of IRWIN and IRVING.

Back  -   New Search

Erzsébet f

Hungarian form of ELIZABETH.

Back  -   New Search

Esa m

Finnish form of ISAIAH.

Back  -   New Search

Esau m

Biblical: name of the elder twin brother of Jacob, to whom he sold his birthright for a bite to eat when he came home tired and hungry from a hunt. The name seems to have meant ‘hairy’ in Hebrew (Genesis 25: 25 ‘and the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau’). It is now rarely used as a given name in the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Esbjörn m

Swedish: from an Old Norse personal name composed of the elements áss god, divinity + björn bear.
Cognates: Norwegian: Esbjørn, Asbjørn.
Danish: Esben, Esbern.
Pet form: Ebbe.

Back  -   New Search

Esdras m

Biblical: Greek form of the Hebrew name EZRA, used in the Douay Bible as the title of the Books of Ezra (I Esdras) and Nehemiah (2 Esdras) and of two further books (3 and 4 Esdras) not included in the Protestant canon.

Back  -   New Search

Eskarne f

Basque equivalent of MERCEDES.

Back  -   New Search

Eskil m

Scandinavian: from an Old Norse personal name composed of the elements áss god, divinity + ketill sacrificial cauldron.
Variant: Eskel.

Back  -   New Search

Esmé m

French: from the past participle of the verb esmer to love (Latin aestimre to value, esteem). In French this verb was absorbed by amer (see AMY) in the modern French form aimer, but has survived in a different sense in English aim (originally ‘estimate, reckon’). The name was introduced to Scotland in the 16th century, and is still occasionally used as a male given name in the English speaking world, where it is often spelled without the accent; it is occasionally also used as a female name. See also EDMÉ.
Feminine form: French, English: Esmée.

Back  -   New Search

Esmeralda f

English: from the Spanish vocabulary word esmeralda emerald. Its occasional modern use as a given name seems to date from Victor Hugo's Notre Dame de Paris (1831), in which it is the nickname of the gypsy girl loved by the hunchback Quasimodo; she was given the name because she wore an amulet containing an artificial emerald.
Variant: Esmerelda.

Back  -   New Search

Esmond m

English: from an Old English personal name composed of the elements ast grace, beauty + mund protection. This, or a Continental Germanic cognate, was adopted into Norman French but was not used as a given name between the 14th century and the late 19th century, when it was revived.

Back  -   New Search

Esperanza f

Spanish: from the Late Latin name Sperantia ‘hope’ (a derivative of sperans, present participle of sperre to hope, replacing the classical Latin noun sps).

Back  -   New Search

Esta f

English: Latinate respelling of ESTHER.

Back  -   New Search

Estéban m

Spanish form of STEPHEN.

Back  -   New Search

Estefanía f

Spanish form of STEPHANIE.

Back  -   New Search

Estelle f

English: Old French name meaning ‘star’ (Latin STELLA), comparatively rarely used during the Middle Ages. It was revived in the 19th century, together with the Latinate form Estella, which was used by Dickens for the ward of Miss Havisham in Great Expectations (1861).

Back  -   New Search

Ester f

Scandinavian and Eastern European form of ESTHER.

Back  -   New Search

Estevão m

Portuguese form of STEPHEN.

Back  -   New Search

Esteve m

Catalan form of STEPHEN.

Back  -   New Search

Estève m

Provençal form of STEPHEN.

Back  -   New Search

Esther f

Biblical: name borne in the Bible by a Jewish captive who became the wife of the Persian king Ahasuerus. According to the book of the Bible that bears her name, she managed, by her perception and persuasion, to save large numbers of the Jews from the evil machinations of the royal counsellor Haman. Her Hebrew name was Hadassah ‘myrtle’, and the form Esther is said to be a Persian translation of this, although others derive it from Persian stara star. It may also be a Hebrew form of the name of the Persian goddess Ishtar.
Cognates: Scandinavian and E. European: Ester. Hungarian: Eszter. Irish Gaelic: Eistir.

Back  -   New Search

Estrella f

Spanish form of STELLA. The prothetic E- before the consonant cluster -st- is a regular feature of Spanish, and the intrusive -r- in this word is found also in Portuguese and some north Italian dialects.

Back  -   New Search

Estrild f

English (rare): from an Old English or Continental Germanic female personal name composed of the divine name Éastre (a goddess of spring, whose name lies behind modern English Easter) + the element hild battle. According to a legend narrated by Geoffrey of Monmouth, Estrildis was the name of a German princess who was captured and brought to England. She so enchanted King Locrine that he left his wife Gwendolen for her: in revenge, Gwendolen had both Estrildis and her daughter Sabrina thrown into the River Severn and drowned.

Back  -   New Search

Eszter f

Hungarian form of ESTHER.

Back  -   New Search

Ethan m

Biblical: name (meaning ‘firmness’ or ‘long-lived’ in Hebrew) of an obscure figure, Ethan the Ezrahite, mentioned as a wise man whom Solomon surpassed in wisdom (I Kings 4: 31). The name was sparingly used even among the Puritans, but became famous in the United States since it was borne by Ethan Allen (1738–89), leader of the ‘Green Mountain Boys’, a group of Vermont patriots who fought in the American Revolution. It has also been revived as a popular modern Hebrew given name and surname.
Variants: Jewish: E(i)tan (Hebrew).

Back  -   New Search

Ethel f

English: 19th-century revival of an Old English or Continental Germanic short form of the various female personal names beginning with the Germanic element ethel noble, including Ethelburga ‘noble fortress’, ETHELDREDA, and Ethelgiva ‘noble gift’. All of these are now very rare (and were never common), but Ethel itself enjoyed great popularity for a period at the beginning of the 20th century, although it is now out of fashion.

Back  -   New Search

Etheldreda f

English: Latinized form of the Old English female personal name Æðelpryð (see AUDREY). It was taken up as a given name in the 19th century, but is now rare.

Back  -   New Search

Ethna f

Irish: Anglicized form of EITHNE.

Back  -   New Search

Étienne m

French form of STEPHEN.

Back  -   New Search

Étiennette f

French: feminine form of ÉTIENNE, with the diminutive suffix -ette.

Back  -   New Search

Etna f

Irish: Anglicized form of EITHNE.

Back  -   New Search

Etta f

English and Scottish: short form of the various names ending in this element (originally an Italian feminine diminutive suffix), now sometimes used as an independent given name. In Gaelic Scotland it is used as a pet form of MAIREAD (Anglicized as Mar(i)etta).

Back  -   New Search

Ettore m

Italian form of HECTOR, sometimes deliberately chosen as a nonsaint's name by anti-clerical parents.

Back  -   New Search

Etzel m

German: medieval name apparently derived from the element adal noble, or else from the nickname Atta ‘father’.
Variant: EDSEL.

Back  -   New Search

Euan m

Scottish: Anglicized form of Gaelic EÓGHAN, currently much in fashion.

Back  -   New Search

Eubh f

Scottish Gaelic form of Eve, see EVA.
Variant: Eubha.

Back  -   New Search

Eudora f

English: ostensibly a Greek name, composed of the elements eu well, good + a derivative of dron gift. However, there is no saint of this name, and it is more probably a modern combination of elements which are both common in other given names.

Back  -   New Search

Eufemia f

Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese form of EUPHEMIA.

Back  -   New Search

Eugene m

English: from the Old French form of the Greek name Eugenios (from eugens well-born, noble). This was the name of various early saints, notably a 5th-century bishop of Carthage, a 7th-century bishop of Toledo, and four popes. The popularity of the name in Russia is due to the cult of a 4th-century missionary bishop who preached in the Crimea and southern Russia. In Western Europe, the name owes its popularity at least in part to the fame of Prince Eugene of Savoy (1663–1736), a general in the service of Austria who co-operated with Marlborough in defeating the French forces of Louis XIV. He was noted not only for his brilliance as a commander, but also for his strong moral principles. In Ireland the name has been used as an Anglicized form of EÓGHAN and AODH.
Cognates: French: Eugène. Italian, Spanish: Eugenio. Portuguese: Eugnio. German: Eugen. Polish: Eugeniusz. Czech: Even. Russian: Yevgeni. Hungarian: Jenö.
Short form: English (esp. U.S.): Gene.

Back  -   New Search

Eugenia f

English, Italian, and Spanish: feminine form of Greek Eugenios or Latin Eugenius; see EUGENE.

Back  -   New Search

Eugénie f

French form of EUGENIA. The name was introduced to England as the name of the Empress Eugénie (Eugenia María de Montijo de Guzmán, 1826–1920), wife of Napoleon III, and has since been occasionally used (sometimes without the accent) in the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Eugenio m

Italian and Spanish form of EUGENE.

Back  -   New Search

Eugênio m

Portuguese form of EUGENE.

Back  -   New Search

Eugeniusz m

Polish form of EUGENE.

Back  -   New Search

Eulalia f

English, Italian, and Spanish: from a Late Greek personal name composed of the elements eu well, good + lalein to talk, chatter. It was very common in the Middle Ages, when it was to a large extent confused with HILARY, but is now rare.
Cognates: French: Eulalie. Spanish: OLALLA.

Back  -   New Search

Eumann m

Scottish Gaelic form of EDMUND (cf. EAMON).

Back  -   New Search

Euna f

Scottish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Ùna (see ÚNA).

Back  -   New Search

Eunan m

Irish and Scottish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Ádhamhnán. This is possibly a diminutive form of Ádhamh, the Gaelic version of ADAM, but is now thought more likely to represent a diminutive form of adomnae great fear, hence ‘Little Horror’. The name was borne by a 7th-century saint, abbot of Iona and biographer of St Columba.

Back  -   New Search

Eunice f

English: from a Late Greek name composed of the elements eu well, good + nik victory. It is mentioned in the New Testament as the name of the mother of Timothy, who introduced him to Christianity (2 Timothy 1: 5). This reference led to the name being taken up by the Puritans in the 17th century.

Back  -   New Search

Euphemia f

Latin form of a Late Greek name composed of the elements eu well, good + phmi I speak. This is the name of various early saints, most notably a virgin martyr supposedly burnt at the stake at Chalcedon in 307. It was particularly popular in England in the Victorian period, especially in the pet form EFFIE. See also OIGHRIG.
Derivatives: French: Euphémie. Italian, Spanish, Portuguese: Eufemia.
Pet forms: English: Effie, Eppie.
Masculine form: Russian: Yefim.

Back  -   New Search

Eusebio m

Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian: from the Late Greek name Eusebios, derived from the adjective eusebs respectful, pious (from eu well, good + sebein to worship, honour). This name was borne by a large number of early saints, including a friend of St Jerome traditionally regarded as the founder of the abbey of Guadalupe in Spain, and a 4th-century bishop of Bologna.

Back  -   New Search

Eustace m

English: from the Old French form of the Late Greek names Eustakhios and Eustathios. These were evidently of separate origin, the former composed of the elements eu well, good + stakhys grapes, the latter of eu + stnai to stand. However, the tradition is very confused. The name was introduced in this form to Britain by the Normans, among whom it was popular as a result of the fame of St Eustace, who was said to have been converted to Christianity by the vision of a crucifix between the antlers of the stag he was hunting. It is at present out of fashion.
Cognates: French: Eustache. Italian: Eustachio. Spanish: Eustaquio.

Back  -   New Search

Eutropio m

Spanish: from the Late Greek name Eutropios, composed of the elements eu well, good + tropos way, manner, i.e. ‘well-mannered’. Alternatively, it may derive from the classical Greek adjective eutropos versatile, in which the second element derives from the root of the verb trepein to turn. The name was borne by various minor early saints.
Cognate: French: Eutrope (not common).

Back  -   New Search

Eva f

Latinate form of EVE, used commonly in English, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and Scandinavian languages among others. In Ireland it has sometimes been used as an Anglicized form of AOIFE.
Variants: Polish: Ewa. Irish Gaelic: Ébha. Scottish Gaelic: Eubh, Eubha.
Pet forms: Spanish: Evita. Czech: Evka, Evuka, Evulka, Evinka, Evika.

Back  -   New Search

Evadne f

English: from a Greek personal name composed of the element eu well, good + another element that is of uncertain meaning. It was borne by a minor figure in classical legend who threw herself on to the funeral pyre of her husband, and was regarded as an example of wifely piety. The modern spelling and pronunciation is the result of transmission through Latin sources. The name has never been common, and is now completely out of fashion. It is associated with the character of Dr Evadne Hinge in the British comedy television series Hinge and Bracket.

Back  -   New Search

Evan m

1 Welsh: Anglicized form of Iefan, a later development of IEUAN.

2 Scottish: Anglicized form of EGHAN.
Variant (of 1): Ifan.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Evander m

Scottish (Highland): classical name used as an Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Ìomhair (see IVOR). This form is peculiar to the Maclver family, apparently coined to differentiate it from the surname. In classical legend, Evander is the name of the Arcadian hero who founded a city in Italy where Rome was later built. It is a Latin form of Greek Euandros, composed of the elements eu well, good + anr man (genitive andros).

Back  -   New Search

Evangeline f

English: fanciful name derived from Latin evangelium gospel (Greek euangelion, from eu well, good + angelma tidings) + the suffix (in origin a French feminine diminutive) -ine. Evangeline is the title of a narrative poem (1848) by the American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, in which the central character is called Evangeline Belle-fontaine.

Back  -   New Search

Evaristo m

Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese: from the Late Greek personal name Euarestos, derived from the elements eu well, good + areskein to please, satisfy. The second element has been respelled as if from Greek aristos best, excellent. This name was borne by an early pope, said to have been martyred under the Roman emperor Hadrian in about 107.
Cognate: French: Évariste.

Back  -   New Search

Eve f

English and French form of the name borne in the Bible by the first woman, created from one of Adam's ribs (Genesis 2: 22). It derives, via Latin va, from Hebrew Havva, which is considered to be a variant of the vocabulary word hayya living or animal (see CHAYA). Adam gave names to all the animals (Genesis 2: 19–20) and then to his wife, who was ‘the mother of all living’(Genesis 3: 20).
Variant: EVA.
Pet form: Evie.

Back  -   New Search

Evelina f

English and Irish: apparently a Latinate form of the female name EVELYN, or perhaps a combination of EVE with the suffix -lina.

Back  -   New Search

Evelyn m, f

English: modern use of this as both a female and a male given name seems to derive from an English surname, which is in turn derived from a Norman female name (see AVELINE).
Variants: Evelyne, Eveline.

Back  -   New Search

Everard m

English: from an Old English personal name composed of the elements eofor boar + heard hardy, brave, strong. This was reinforced at the time of the Conquest by a Continental Germanic cognate (see EBERHARD) introduced by the Normans. In modern use this may be a transferred use of the surname, but it was in regular use in the Digby family of Rutland from the 15th to the 17th century, probably as a survival of the Old English or Norman name. It alternated in this family with KENELM.
Cognate: French: Evrard.

Back  -   New Search

Everett m

English: transferred use of the surname, a variant of EVERARD.

Back  -   New Search

Evert m

Low German form of EBERHARD.

Back  -   New Search

Evette f

English and French: altered form of YVETTE, influenced by the given name EVE.

Back  -   New Search

Evie f

English: pet form of EVE or EVA, occasionally also of EVELYN as a female name.

Back  -   New Search

Evita f

Spanish: pet form of EVA. This was the name by which Eva Duarte de Perón (1919–52), wife of the Argentinian dictator Juan Domingo Perón, was affectionately known. Its popularity in the English-speaking world has recentely been increased by the musical based on her life.

Back  -   New Search

Evonne f

English: altered form of YVONNE, influenced by the given name EVE.

Back  -   New Search

Evrard m

French: contracted form of EVERARD.

Back  -   New Search

Evron m

Jewish: Yiddish form of EPHRAIM.

Back  -   New Search

Even m

Czech form of EUGENE.
Feminine form: Evenie.
Pet forms: Eva m, f; Evenek, Evík m; Evenka, Evika f.

Back  -   New Search

Ewa f

Polish form of EVE.
Pet forms: Ewka, Ewusia.

Back  -   New Search

Ewald m

German: from an old Germanic personal name composed of the elements o law, right + wald rule. This name was borne in the 7th century by a pair of brothers, apparently originally from Northumbria, who evangelized north Germany and Frisia. In order to distinguish them they were known as ‘Ewald the Fair’ and ‘Ewald the Dark’.
Cognate: Dutch: Ewould.

Back  -   New Search

Ewan m

The usual Anglicized form in Scotland of Gaelic EÓGHAN, also used occasionally in Ireland and elsewhere.
Variant: Ewen.

Back  -   New Search

Ewart m

Scottish and English: transferred use of the surname, probably first used as a given name in honour of the Victorian statesman William Ewart Gladstone (1809–98). The surname has several possible origins: it may represent a Norman form of EDWARD, or an occupational name for a ewe-herd, or a local name from a place in Northumbria.

Back  -   New Search

Ewould m

Dutch form of EWALD.

Back  -   New Search

Eydl f

Jewish: Yiddish name, originally an affectionate nickname meaning ‘noble’ (Yiddish eydl, cf. modern German edel).
Variant: Eyde (a back-formation based on the belief that Eydl was a pet form with the hypocoristic suffix -(e)l).

Back  -   New Search

Eyolf m

Norwegian: of Old Norse origin, composed of the Protoscandinavian elements anja luck, gift + (w)olf. It was brought to the attention of the public by Henrik Ibsen's play Little Eyolf (1894), and has been in occasional use ever since.

Back  -   New Search

Ezekiel m

Biblical: name (meaning ‘God strengthens’ in Hebrew) borne by one of the major prophets. The book of the Bible that bears his name is probably best known for its vision of a field of dry bones, which Ezekiel prophesies will live again (chapter 37). His prophecies were addressed to the Jews in Babylonian exile, after Nebuchadnezzar had seized Jerusalem in 597 BC.
Derivatives: Yiddish: Heskel; Haskel (U.S.). Short form: English: Zeke.

Back  -   New Search

Ezio m

Italian: from the Late Latin personal name Aetius. This represents a conflation of two originally distinct names: Aetius, an old Roman family name of apparently Etruscan origin and unknown meaning, and Aëstios, a Late Greek name derived from Greek a(i)etos eagle. The name has been popular in Italy since Verdi's opera Attila (1846), in which Ezio (the historical character Flavius Aëtius, general of the Emperor Valentinian in his campaign against the Huns) was seen as a prototype Italian revolutionary hero.

Back  -   New Search

Ezra m

Biblical: name (meaning ‘help’ in Hebrew) of a prophet, author of the book of the Bible that bears his name. It was taken up by the Puritans in the 17th century, and has remained in occasional use ever since, especially in America, where it was borne, for example, by the poet zra Pound (1885–1972).
Variant: ESDRAS.

Back  -   New Search

Ezzo m

Italian: of uncertain derivation. It seems to be of Germanic origin, and may be derived from the element adal noble or the rarer atta father (cf. ETZEL).

Back  -   New Search

F

Faas m

Dutch and Flemish: from the old Germanic personal name Fastred, composed of the elements fast firm, resolute + red counsel. The Blessed Fastred of Cavamiez (d. 1163) was born in Hainault; he was a disciple of Bernard of Clairvaux.

Back  -   New Search

Fabia f

Latin feminine form of the old Roman family name Fabius (see FABIO).

Back  -   New Search

Fabian m

English and Polish form of the Late Latin name Fabinus, a derivative of the family name Fabius (see FABIO). It was borne by an early pope (236–50), who was martyred under the Emperor Decius. The name was introduced into Britain by the Normans, but it has never been much used in the English-speaking world.
Cognates: French: Fabien. Italian: Fabiano.
Spanish: Fabián. Portuguese: Fabião.
Feminine form: French: Fabienne.

Back  -   New Search

Fabio m

Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese: from the old Roman family name Fabius, said to be a derivative of faba bean. Members of this family were prominent in republican Rome. The most famous of them was Quintus Fabius Maximus (d. 203 BC), the Roman general who harassed the invader Hannibal but never joined battle, giving his name to the phrase ‘Fabian tactics’, implying a policy of gradual attrition as opposed to full-scale confrontation. The name was also used among the early Christians: St Fabius (d. 300) was a Roman soldier beheaded at Caesarea in Mauretania under the Emperor Diocletian.

Back  -   New Search

Fabiola f

Late Latin feminine diminutive form of Fabius (see FABIO). St Fabiola (d. c.400) was a Roman widow who founded the first Western hospital, originally a hostel to accommodate the flood of pilgrims who flocked to Rome, but in which she tended the sick as well as accommodating the healthy.

Back  -   New Search

Fabrice m

French: from the old Roman family name Fabricius, probably a derivative of faber craftsman, smith. There are no saints of this name, but it is permitted as a given name by the Catholic Church in honour of the Roman republican general and statesman Caius Fabricius Luscinus (d. 250 BC), who was noted not only for his skill as a military commander and negotiator of peace treaties, but also for the great simplicity of his lifestyle and for his refusal to take bribes.
Cognates: Italian: Fabrizio. Spanish: Fabricio.
Short form: Italian: BRIZIO.

Back  -   New Search

Fachtna m

Irish Gaelic: traditional name of uncertain origin, possibly meaning ‘malicious, hostile’. It has sometimes been Latinized as FESTUS.

Back  -   New Search

Faddei m

Russian form of THADDEUS.

Back  -   New Search

Fae f

English: variant spelling of FAY.

Back  -   New Search

Faith f

English: from the abstract noun denoting the quality of believing and trusting in God. The name began to be used in the 16th century, and was very popular among the Puritans of the 17th.

Back  -   New Search

Faivish m

Jewish (Yiddish): probably from Greek Phoibos, an epithet of the sun god Apollo. It is said to have been adopted as a learned translation equivalent of Hebrew Shimshon (see SAMSON), but it is more likely derived directly from the Greek. The Greeks often named captured slaves after gods, and it would thus have been likely for Jews to come to have this name. It was often paired with the Aramaic name SHRAGA meaning ‘fire, lantern’ as Shraga Faivish, since it was important for Jewish men to be called by a Hebrew or Aramaic name in certain religious rites.
Pet forms: Fayvel, Feivel.

Back  -   New Search

Falibóg m

Polish: variant of CHWALIBÓG.

Back  -   New Search

Falk m

Jewish: from the Yiddish vocabulary word falk falcon (modern German Falke). It is sometimes taken as a translation of the Hebrew given name Yehoshua (see JOSHUA); there have been many famous rabbis named Joshua Falk. The association between the main Hebrew personal names and various animals is traditional in Jewish culture, and is usually to be explained on the basis of some biblical reference. In this case, however, the connection is far from clear; it has been suggested that Joshua circled the Land of Canaan like a bird of prey before swooping down on it triumphantly.

Back  -   New Search

Fanchon f

French: pet form of Françoise (see FRANÇOIS).

Back  -   New Search

Fania f

Italian: short form of STEFANIA.

Back  -   New Search

Fanny f

English: pet form of FRANCES, sometimes used as an independent name in its own right. It was very popular in the 19th century, but is now rarely found, no doubt due to the vulgar sense of the vocabulary word that has been derived from it in the 20th century.

Back  -   New Search

Fardoragh m

Irish: Anglicized form of FEARDORCHA.

Back  -   New Search

Farkas m

Jewish: name meaning ‘wolf’ in Hungarian, borne among Hungarian Jews as a translated form of Yiddish VOLF.

Back  -   New Search

Farquhar m

Scottish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Fearchar, composed of Old Celtic elements meaning ‘man’ + ‘dear’.

Back  -   New Search

Farry m

Irish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name FEARADHACH.

Back  -   New Search

Fatima f

Usually a Muslim name, given in honour of Muhammad's daughter. However, it is occasionally borne by Roman Catholics in honour of ‘Our Lady of Fatima’, who in 1917 appeared to three shepherd children from the village of Fatima, near Leiria in western Portugal.

Back  -   New Search

Fay f

English: late 19th century coinage, from the archaic word fay fairy. It was to some extent influenced by the revival of interest in Arthurian legend, in which Morgan le Fay is King Arthur's half-sister, a mysterious sorceress who both attempts to destroy Arthur and tends his wounds in Avalon after his last battle. She is sometimes identified with the ‘Lady of the Lake’.
Variants: Faye, Fae.

Back  -   New Search

Fayge f

Jewish (Yiddish): variant of FEIGE.

Back  -   New Search

Fayvel m

Jewish (Yiddish): variant of FEIVEL.

Back  -   New Search

Fearadhach m

Irish Gaelic: from a vocabulary word meaning ‘manly’ or ‘masculine’, a derivative of fear man.
Anglicized forms: Farry; FERDINAND, Ferdie.

Back  -   New Search

Feardorcha m

Irish Gaelic: name composed of the elements fear man + dorcha dark.
Anglicized forms: Fardoragh, FERDINAND, FREDERICK.

Back  -   New Search

Fearghal m

Irish Gaelic: name Anglicized as FERGAL.

Back  -   New Search

Fearghas m

Scottish and Irish Gaelic: name Anglicized as FERGUS.

Back  -   New Search

Fedele m

Italian form of FIDEL.

Back  -   New Search

Fedelma f

Irish: variant of FIDELMA.

Back  -   New Search

Federico m

Italian and Spanish form of FREDERICK. This Germanic name was introduced to Sicily by the Normans, where it was borne by, amongst others, the son of the Norman queen Constance and the German emperor Henry VI. At the age of three, in 1197, Federico became King of Sicily; he later went on to become King of the Germans and Holy Roman Emperor. He was a patron of the arts and sciences, and in 1224 founded the University of Naples.

Back  -   New Search

Fedosi m

Russian form of TEODOSIO.
Variant: Feodosi.

Back  -   New Search

Fedot m

Russian: from Greek Theodotos, composed of the elements theos God + dotos given. This name, like the related Theodoros and Theodosius, was popular among early Christians because of its auspicious sense, and was borne by several saints of the first century AD. The most famous (d. 304) was an innkeeper in Ancyra who was executed under Diocletian for having given Christian burial to the seven virgin martyrs Thecusa, Alexandra, Claudia, Phaina, Euphrasia, Matrona, and Julitta.

Back  -   New Search

Fedya m

Russian: pet form of FYODOR and of the rarer FEDOSI and FEDOT.

Back  -   New Search

Feel m

Dutch form of FELIX.

Back  -   New Search

Feichín m

Irish Gaelic: originally a byname representing a diminutive of Gaelic fiach raven. It has sometimes been Latinized as FESTUS.

Back  -   New Search

Feige f

Jewish: from Yiddish Feygl ‘bird’ (modern German Vogel; cf. ZIPPORAH). The present form of the name was arrived at by back-formation, the final -l having been interpreted as a Yiddish hypocoristic suffix rather than an integral part of the word.
Variant: Fayge.

Back  -   New Search

Feivel m

Jewish (Yiddish): pet form of FAIVISH.
Variant: Fayvel.

Back  -   New Search

Felice m

Italian form of FELIX.

Back  -   New Search

Felicia f

Latinate feminine form of FELIX, of medieval origin.
Derivatives: German: Felicie. Hungarian: Felicia, Lícia.

Back  -   New Search

Feliciano m

Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese: from the Latin personal name Felicinus, a derivative of Felicius, itself a derivative of FELIX. The main saint of this name was a 3rd-century bishop of Foligno in Umbria.

Back  -   New Search

Felicity f

English: from the abstract noun denoting luck or good fortune (via Old French from Latin felicits; cf. FELIX). The English vocabulary word was first used as a given name in the 17th century. It also represents the English form of the Late Latin personal name Felicitas, which was borne by several early saints, notably a slave who was martyred in 203 together with her mistress Perpetua and several other companions.
Cognates: Italian: Felicita. Spanish: Felicidad. Portuguese: Felicidade.
Pet form: English: Flick.

Back  -   New Search

Felip m

Catalan form of PHILIP.

Back  -   New Search

Felipe m

Spanish form of PHILIP.

Back  -   New Search

Felix m

Latin name meaning ‘lucky’, which has from time to time been popular as a given name in Britain and elsewhere because of its auspicious omen. It was in use as a byname in Latin, being applied for example to the dictator Sulla (138–78 BC). It was very popular among the early Christians, being borne by a large number of early saints.
Derivatives: French: Félix. Italian: Felice. Dutch: Feel. See also SZCZSNY.

Back  -   New Search

Fenella f

Scottish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Fionnuala.
Variants: Finelia, Finola, Fionola. See also NUALA.

Back  -   New Search

Fenton m

English: transferred use of the surname, originally a local name from any of the various places (for example, in Cumbria, Lincs., Northumbria, Notts., Staffs., and W. Yorks.) so called from Old English fenn marsh, fen + tn enclosure, settlement.

Back  -   New Search

Feodora f

Russian form of THEODORA.

Back  -   New Search

Feodosi m

Russian: variant of FEDOSI.

Back  -   New Search

Feofil m

Russian form of THEOPHILUS.

Back  -   New Search

Feoras m

Irish Gaelic form of PIERS.

Back  -   New Search

Ferapont m

Russian: from the Greek name Therapõn (genitive Therapontos) meaning ‘attendant, servant’, and hence, among the early Christians, ‘worshipper’.

Back  -   New Search

Ferdie m

1 English: pet form of FERDINAND.

2 Irish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name FEARADHACH.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Ferdinand m

English, German, and French: from a Spanish name, originally Ferdinando, which is of Germanic (Visigothic) origin, being composed of the elements farÒ journey (or possibly a metathesized form of friÒ peace) and nand ready, prepared. The name was hereditary in the royal families of Spain from an early date. It was borne, for example, by Ferdinand I (d. 1065) of Castile and Leon, sometimes called Ferdinand the Great, who conducted successful campaigns against the Moors, and by his descendant Ferdinand V (1452–1516), who finally expelled the Moors from Spain altogether. Ferdinand V was the king who gave financial backing to Columbus. Through the marriage in 1496 of his daughter Joan the Mad of Castile to the Habsburg Archduke Philip, the name Ferdinand also became hereditary in the Austrian imperial family. Their younger son was called Ferdinand; he lived from 1503–64, acquiring the succession to the kingdoms of Hungary and Bohemia by marriage in 1521, and becoming Holy Roman Emperor in 1558. Thus the name Ferdinand is intimately associated, not only with the history of Spain, but also with the origins of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
The Old French contracted form Ferrand was sometimes used in England in the Middle Ages, but has not survived. The current form appeared in Britain in the 16th century, probably introduced by Roman Catholic supporters of Queen Mary I, who married Philip II of Spain in 1554.
In Ireland it has been used as an Anglicized form of the Gaelic names FEARADHACH and FEARDORCHA.
Variant: French: Fernand.
Cognates: Spanish: Fernando, Hernando; Fernán, Hernán. Portuguese: Fernando, Fernão, Ferrão. Italian: Ferdinando. Romanian: Nandru. Hungarian: Nándor.

Back  -   New Search

Ferenc m

Hungarian form of FRANCIS.

Back  -   New Search

Fergal m

Irish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Fearghal, composed of the elements fear man + gal valour.

Back  -   New Search

Fergus m

Scottish and Irish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Fearghas, composed of the elements fear man + gus vigour. This was the name of a shadowy hero in Irish mythology, also of the grand father of St Columba. It is still used mainly by families in Scotland and Ireland, and those who remain conscious of their Gaelic ancestry.
Pet form: Scottish: Fergie.

Back  -   New Search

Fermin m

Spanish form of FIRMIN.

Back  -   New Search

Fern f

English: from the vocabulary word denoting the plant (Old English fearn). Use of this word as a given name is of comparatively recent origin: it is one of several words denoting flowers and plants that have been pressed into service during the past hundred years. Its popularity seems to be increasing.

Back  -   New Search

Fernán m

Spanish form of FERDINAND, more common in the Middle Ages than today.

Back  -   New Search

Fernand m

French form of FERDINAND.

Back  -   New Search

Fernando m

Spanish and Portuguese form of FERDINAND, rather more common in modern use than Hernando.

Back  -   New Search

Fernão m

Portuguese form of FERDINAND.
Variant: Ferrão.

Back  -   New Search

Ferrer m

Catholic name given in honour of the Valencian saint, Vicente Ferrer (c.1350–1418), who travelled throughout Europe seeking to heal the papal schism. His surname is a Catalan occupational name for a blacksmith.

Back  -   New Search

Ferruccio m

Italian: from a medieval diminutive form of the byname Ferro ‘iron’, applied either to someone with grey hair or to a person of stalwart temperament and sturdy physique.

Back  -   New Search

Fester m

Low German: variant of VESTER.

Back  -   New Search

Festus m

1 Latin name meaning ‘firm, steadfast’. This was the name of the Roman procurator of Judea who refused to bow to pressure from the Jews and condemn St Paul to death for his preaching, although he was totally unconvinced by it (Acts 25; 26: 30–2). It was also borne by some early minor saints.

2 Irish: Latinized form of FACHTNA and FEICHÍN.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Ffraid f

Welsh cognate of BRIDGET.

Back  -   New Search

Fiachna m

Irish Gaelic: apparently a derivative of fiach ravens (cf. FEICHÍN and FIACHRA). It has been revived as a given name in the 20th century.

Back  -   New Search

Fiachra m

Irish Gaelic: apparently a derivative of fiach raven (cf. FEICHÍN and FIACHRA). A 7th-century St Fiachra settled at Meaux in France, and his cult became popular in that country, where he came to be regarded as the patron of gardeners. Through the Hôtel de Saint Fiacre in Paris he gave his name to the vocabulary word fiacre, since these carriages were originally available for hire outside the building.

Back  -   New Search

Fiammetta f

Italian: from a diminutive form of the vocabulary word fiamma flame, fire, which is also used as a term of endearment.

Back  -   New Search

Fidel m

Spanish: from the Late Latin name Fidelis. ‘faithful’. St Fidelis (d. c.570) seems to have come from the East, reaching Mérida in the company of merchants; eventually he became bishop of that city. The name is now chiefly associated with that of the left-wing Cuban leader Fidel Castro (b. 1927).
Cognate: Italian: Fedele.

Back  -   New Search

Fidelma f

Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Feidhelm, an ancient personal name of uncertain derivation. It may have some connection with the male name Feidhlimidh; see PHELIM. St Fidelmia was a daughter of King Laoghaire and one of St Patrick's first converts.
Variant: Fedelma.
Short form: Delma.

Back  -   New Search

Fidelis m

Original Latin form of FIDEL, occasionally used as a given name in the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Fieke f

Low German: pet form of SOFIE.

Back  -   New Search

Fife m

Scottish and English: transferred use of the surname, which originated in the Middle Ages as a local name for someone from the kingdom (now region) of Fife. This is said to get its name from that of the legendary Pictish hero Fib, one of the seven sons of Cruithne.
Variant: Fyfe.

Back  -   New Search

Fifi f

French: nursery form of JOSÉPHINE. It may have been influenced by the term of endearment ma fille ‘my daughter’. In the English-speaking world it now has definite connotations of frivolity.

Back  -   New Search

Filat m

Russian: the usual vernacular contracted form of Feofilakt, from the Greek personal name Theophylaktos ‘guarded by God’ (from theos god + phylassein to guard, protect). This was the name of a 9th-century saint, bishop of Nicomedia, venerated in the Orthodox Church. In the Roman Martyrology he is commemorated under the much more common name Theophilus.

Back  -   New Search

Filib m

Scottish Gaelic form of PHILIP. From this comes the surname Mac Fhilib, Anglicized as MacKillop.

Back  -   New Search

Filiberto m

Italian: from a Germanic personal name composed of the elements fil much + berht bright, famous. This was a traditional name, of Frankish origin, in the royal house of Savoy. In the present century it has been moderately popular in many parts of Italy.

Back  -   New Search

Filip m

Polish and Czech form of PHILIP.
Pet forms: Polish: Filipek. Czech: Filípek, Fil(ou)ek.

Back  -   New Search

Filippo m

Italian form of PHILIP.

Back  -   New Search

Fima f

Russian: short form of Serafima (see SERAPHINA).
Pet form: Fimochka.

Back  -   New Search

Fina f

1 Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic FÍONA.

2 English: short form of SERAPHINA.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Finbar m

Irish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Fionnb(h)arr, composed of the elements fionn white, fair + barr head. This was the name of at least three early Irish saints, one of whom became the first bishop of Cork in the 6th century. He is the subject of many legends, for example that he crossed the Irish Sea on horseback and that he made a pilgrimage to Rome with St David. He gave his name to the Isle of Barra in the Hebrides.

Back  -   New Search

Finella f

Scottish: variant of FENELLA.

Back  -   New Search

Fingal m

Scottish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Fionnghall, composed of the elements fionn white, fair + gall stranger. It was originally a byname applied to Norse settlers (cf. DOUGAL), and was adopted by James Macpherson (1736–96), author of the Ossianic poems, to render the name of the Gaelic hero Fionn (see FINN).
Variant: Fingall.

Back  -   New Search

Fínín m

Irish Gaelic: modern form of the Old Irish name Fíngin, composed of elements meaning ‘wine’ and ‘born’. In the Middle Ages it was commonly Anglicized as the male name FLORENCE.

Back  -   New Search

Finlay m

Scottish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Fionnlagh (dialectally Fionnla), composed of the elements fionn white, fair + laogh warrior or calf. The Gaelic surname Mac Fhionnlaigh is Anglicized as MacKinlay.
Variant: Finley.

Back  -   New Search

Finn m

1 Irish Gaelic: traditional name meaning ‘white, fair’. The modern Gaelic form is Fionn. The mythological Irish hero Finn MacCool (Finn Mac Cumaill in Irish) was noted for his wisdom and fairness. He was leader of the Fenians or Fianna, a band of warriors about whom many stories are told. There may be a basis of fact behind the legends, in that Finn may be identified with an early Irish leader who defended Ireland against Norse raiders.

2 Scandinavian: from the Old Norse personal name Finnr, originally either an ethnic byname for someone from Finland or else a short form of the various compound names containing this element.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Finnian m

Irish Gaelic: earlier Finnén, a derivative of Old Irish finn white, fair. This name was borne by two 6th-century Irish bishops.
Variant: Finian.

Back  -   New Search

Finola f

Irish and Scottish: Anglicized form of FIONNUALA.

Back  -   New Search

Fio m

Italian: short form of FIORENZO.

Back  -   New Search

Fiona f

Scottish: Latinate derivative of the Gaelic element fionn white, fair. It was first used by James Macpherson (1736–96), author of the Ossianic poems, which were supposedly translations from ancient Gaelic. It was subsequently used as a penname by William Sharp (1855–1905), who produced many romantic works under the name of Fiona Macleod. It has since become extremely popular in England as well as Scotland, and is sometimes used as an Anglicized form of the Irish name FÍONA.

Back  -   New Search

Fíona f

Irish Gaelic: traditional name meaning ‘vine’. In origin this has no connection with the Scottish name FIONA, which, however, is often now used as an Anglicized form of it.
Variant: Fina (Anglicized).

Back  -   New Search

Fionnán m

Irish Gaelic: originally a byname representing a diminutive of Gaelic fionn white, fair.

Back  -   New Search

Fionnuala f

Irish Gaelic: modern form of Fionnguala, a traditional name composed of the elements fionn white, fair + guala shoulder.
Cognate: Scottish Gaelic: Fionn(a)gh(u)al(a) (Anglicized as FLORA).
Short form: Nuala.

Back  -   New Search

Fionola f

Scottish: variant of Finella and Finola. In the English-speaking world it is now sometimes taken as an elaboration of FIONA.

Back  -   New Search

Fiontan m

Irish Gaelic: earlier Fintan, apparently representing a derivative of Old Irish finn white, fair.

Back  -   New Search

Fiorella f

Italian: from a diminutive form of the vocabulary word fiore flower, used as a term of endearment.

Back  -   New Search

Fiorenzo m

Italian form of the male name FLORENCE.
Short form: Fio.

Back  -   New Search

Firmin m

French: from Late Latin Firminus, a derivative of firmus firm, steadfast. This was a popular name among early Christians mindful of St Paul's injunction to ‘be stedfast in the faith’. It was borne by several early saints, including the first and third bishops of Amiens (2nd and 3rd centuries); the third bishop of Gévaudon; a 5th-century bishop of Metz; and 6th-century bishops of Viviers, Uzès, and Verdun.
Cognates: Italian, Portuguese: Firmino. Spanish: Fermin.

Back  -   New Search

Firs m

Russian: from Greek Thyrsos (see TIRSO).

Back  -   New Search

Fisa f

Russian: short form of ANFISA.

Back  -   New Search

Fishl m

Jewish (Yiddish): diminutive form of the vocabulary word fish fish (modern German Fisch). It seems to have been adopted as a given name because of the biblical prophecy that the descendants of Ephraim and Manasseh would multiply as the fish in the sea (Genesis 48: 16).
Variant: Fishke.

Back  -   New Search

Flann m

Irish Gaelic: originally a byname meaning ‘red, ruddy’.

Back  -   New Search

Flannan m

Irish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Flannán, originally a byname representing a diminutive of Gaelic flann red, ruddy. St Flannan is the patron of the diocese of Killaloe in Co. Clare, and this is still a popular given name in that area.

Back  -   New Search

Flavia f

Italian: feminine form of the old Roman family name Flvius (from flvus yellow, yellow-haired, golden). This was the name of at least five saints, most notably Flavia DOMITILLA.
Cognate: French: Flavie.

Back  -   New Search

Flemming m

Danish: from a medieval byname, originally an ethnic byname for someone from Flanders. This is now one of the most common of all Danish male given names.

Back  -   New Search

Fletcher m

English: transferred use of the surname, which originated as an occupational name for a maker of arrows, from Old French flech(i)er, an agent derivative of fleche (of Germanic origin). An early bearer of this as a given name was Fletcher Christian, leader of the mutiny on the Bounty in 1789.

Back  -   New Search

Fleur f

English: from an Old French name meaning ‘flower’, occasionally used in the Middle Ages. Modern use, however, seems to derive mainly from the character of this name in John Galsworthy's The Forsyte Saga (1922). The English vocabulary word, Flower, is also occasionally found as a given name, probably as a translation equivalent of Fleur. The latter is not, however, in general use as a French given name.
Diminutive: Fleurette.

Back  -   New Search

Flick f

English: pet form based on the given name FELICITY.

Back  -   New Search

Flo f

English: short form of FLORENCE and FLORA, common in the early part of the 20th century, but now widely considered somewhat old-fashioned (in contrast to most other short forms in -o, e.g. Jo).

Back  -   New Search

Floella f

English: name of recent origin, used among British Blacks. It presumably originated as a compound of the independent short names FLO and ELLA.

Back  -   New Search

Flora f

Scottish, English, and German: name borne in Roman mythology by the goddess of flowers and the spring (a derivative of Latin fls flower, genitive flris). It is also the feminine form of the old Roman family name Flrus, likewise derived from fls. There were medieval given names for both sexes from this root, but they have mostly died out (see FLORIAN, however). Flora was little used in England before the 18th century, when it was imported from Scotland. In 1746 Flora Macdonald (1722–90), daughter of Ranald Macdonald of Milton in South Uist, helped Bonnie Prince Charlie to escape from there to the Island of Skye, disguised as a woman, after his defeat at Culloden. In fact, Flora was merely an Anglicized form of her Gaelic name, Fionnaghal, a variant of Fionnghuala (see FENELLA). However, her fame made the name Flora popular in the Highlands as well as elsewhere.
Short form: English: Flo.
Pet form: English and Scottish: Florrie (Gaelic Flòraidh).

Back  -   New Search

Florence f, formerly also m

English and French: medieval form of the Latin masculine name Florentius (a derivative of florens blossoming, flourishing) and its feminine form Florentia. In the Middle Ages the name was borne by men (for example, the historian Florence of Worcester), but it is now exclusively a female name, except in Ireland, where it has been used as an Anglicized form of Flaithrí (see FLORRY) and FÍNÍN. In the second half of the 19th century the female name was revived, being given in honour of Florence Nightingale (1820–1910), the founder of modern nursing, who organized a group of nurses to serve in the Crimean War. She herself received the name because she was born in the Italian city of Florence (Latin Florentia, Italian Firenze).
Cognates (all m.): Italian: Fiorenzo. Spanish, Portuguese: Florencio. German: Florenz. Dutch: Floris. Russian: Florenti.
Short form: English: Flo f.
Pet forms: English: Florrie, Flossie f.

Back  -   New Search

Florentina f

Latin: feminine form of Florentnus, an elaborated form of Florens (see FLORENCE). The name was borne by a 7th-century Spanish saint, sister of the other saints Fulgentius, Isidore, and Leander.
Cognate: Polish: Florentyna.

Back  -   New Search

Florian m

German and Polish: from Latin Flrinus, a derivative of Flrus (see FLORA). St Florian is the patron of Upper Austria and Poland; he was a high-ranking Roman officer who was put to death by drowning in the River Enns during the persecutions under the Emperor Diocletian. A second saint of the same name was martyred in Palestine in the 7th century together with sixty companions.

Back  -   New Search

Floris m

Dutch form of the male name FLORENCE.

Back  -   New Search

Florrie f

English and Scottish: pet form of FLORA and FLORENCE, now little used except in the Highlands.

Back  -   New Search

Florry m

Irish: 1 Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Flaithri, composed of the elements flaith prince, leader + ri king.

2 Pet form of the male name FLORENCE, itself used as an Anglicized form of the Gaelic names Flaithrí and FÍNÍN.
Variant: Flurry.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Flossie f

English: pet form from a contraction of FLORENCE, common in the 19th century, but now no longer much used. The popularity of the name was no doubt enhanced by association with the soft downy material known as floss.

Back  -   New Search

Floyd m

English: variant of LLOYD. This form of the name results from an attempt to represent the sound of the Welsh initial LI- using standard English pronunciation and orthography. In the 20th century it has been particularly common in the southern United States and among American Blacks.

Back  -   New Search

Flurry m

Irish: variant of FLORRY.

Back  -   New Search

Foka m

Russian: from the Late Greek personal name Phokas (apparently a derivative of phok seal (the animal)). This name was borne by several early saints venerated in the Orthodox Church, particularly Phocas the Gardener who was martyred under Diocletian. The name is stressed on the second syllable.

Back  -   New Search

Folant m

Welsh form of the male name VALENTINE.

Back  -   New Search

Folke m

Scandinavian: from the Old Norse personal name Folki, a short form of the various compound names containing the element folk people, tribe (as for example Folkvarðr ‘people guard’, which has given rise to the modern forms Folkvar and Falkor.
Cognate: English: FULK.

Back  -   New Search

Foma m

Russian form of THOMAS. It is stressed on the second syllable.

Back  -   New Search

Fonsie m

Irish: pet form of ALPHONSUS.
Variant: Fonso.

Back  -   New Search

Forbes m

Scottish: transferred use of the surname, which originated as a local name from the lands of Forbes in Aberdeenshire. These are so called from the Gaelic element forba field, district + the locative suffix -ais. In Scotland this name was traditionally pronounced in two syllables, but a monosyllabic pronunciation is now the norm.

Back  -   New Search

Ford m

English: transferred use of the common surname, originally a local name for someone who lived near a place where a river could be crossed by wading through it (Old English ford).

Back  -   New Search

Forrest m

English: transferred use of the surname, which originated as a local name for someone who lived in or by an enclosed wood, Old French forest.

Back  -   New Search

Fortunato m

Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese: from the Late Latin name Fortnãtus ‘fortunate’, a derivative of fortna fortune, fate. This name was popular because of its good omen and was borne by a large number of early saints.
Feminine form: Fortunata.

Back  -   New Search

Foster m

English: transferred use of the surname, originally an occupational name with at least four possible derivations—from Middle English foster foster-parent, for(e)ster forester, fors(e)ter shearer, or fu(y)ster saddle-tree maker.

Back  -   New Search

Fran f, m

English: short form of FRANCES, or less commonly (in Britain at least) of FRANCIS.

Back  -   New Search

Franca f

Italian: feminine form of FRANCO.

Back  -   New Search

France m

English: either from the name of the country or, in some cases, a short form of FRANCIS that is sometimes used in America as an independent given name.

Back  -   New Search

Frances f

English: feminine form of FRANCIS. In the 16th century the two spellings were used indiscriminately for both sexes, the distinction in spelling not being established until the 17th century.
Short form: Fran.
Pet form: Fanny.

Back  -   New Search

Francesca f

Italian: feminine form of FRANCESCO. Originally a vocabulary word meaning ‘French’, it was bestowed from the 13th century onwards in honour of St Francis of Assisi. It has also been used independently as an English name. Probably its most famous bearer was Francesca di Rimini, daughter of Giovanni da Polenta, Count of Ravenna. A legendary beauty, she was betrothed by her father to the misshapen Giovanni Malatesta, Lord of Rimini, in return for military support. However, when Malatesta's good-looking younger brother, Paolo, acted as proxy in the betrothal, Francesca and he fell in love. They were discovered, and put to death by Malatesta in 1289. Their tragedy is enshrined in the Fifth Canto of Dante's Inferno, as well as in several other works of literature and in a symphonic fantasy by Tchaikovsky.
Cognates: English: FRANCES. Irish Gaelic: Proinséas. Scottish Gaelic: Frangag. French: Françoise. Spanish, Portuguese: Francisca. German: Franziska. Polish: Franciszka. Czech: Frantika.
Pet forms: Spanish: Frascuela, Frasquita. German: Zissi.

Back  -   New Search

Francesco m

Italian: originally a vocabulary word meaning ‘French’ or ‘Frenchman’ (Late Latin Franciscus; cf. FRANK). This was a nickname given to St Francis of Assisi (1181–1226) because of his wealthy father's business connections in France. His baptismal name was GIOVANNI. He had a pleasant, ordinary life as a child and young man, but after two serious illnesses, a period of military service, and a year as a prisoner of war in Perugia, he turned from the world and devoted himself to caring for the poor and the sick. He was joined by groups of disciples, calling themselves ‘minor friars’ (friari minores). The main features of the Franciscan rule are humility, poverty, and love for all living creatures. In his honour the various vernacular forms of Francesco came to be commonly used as given names from the 13th century onwards in France, Spain, and elsewhere as well as Italy.
Variant: FRANCO.
Cognates: Irish Gaelic: Proinsias. Scottish Gaelic: Frang. Spanish, Portuguese: Francisco. Catalan: Francesc. Basque: Patxi. French: FRANÇOIS. English: FRANCIS. German: FRANZ. Polish: Franciszek. Czech: Frantiek. Hungarian: Ferenc. Finnish: Ransu.
Pet forms: Scottish Gaelic: Frangan. Spanish: Frascuelo, Frasquito, Paco, Pancho, Paquito, Curro. Basque: Patxi.
Feminine forms: see FRANCESCA, FRANCES.

Back  -   New Search

Francine f

French and English: diminutive pet form of Françoise (see FRANÇOIS).
Variants: English: Francene, Franceen.

Back  -   New Search

Francis m

English (and Old French) form of Italian FRANCESCO, introduced into England in the early 16th century, when there was a surge of admiration for, and imitation of, Italian Renaissance culture.
Short forms: FRANK, Fran, France.
Feminine form: FRANCES.

Back  -   New Search

Franco m

Italian: contracted form of FRANCESCO, occasionally taken as an Italian version of FRANK.
Feminine form: Franca.

Back  -   New Search

François m

French: from the Old French word françois ‘French’ (français in modern French; See also FRANK). The use of this word as a given name was inspired by the fame of St Francis of Assisi (see FRANCESCO). The popularity of the name has been further enhanced by its patriotic meaning, and, less recently, by the fact that it was borne by two kings of France: François I, otherwise known as François d'Angoulême, who reigned 1515–47, presiding over a rich period of prosperity and cultural activity, and François II, who died in 1560 at the age of 16, having been King of France for a year and married to Mary Queen of Scots for two years.
Feminine form: Françoise.

Back  -   New Search

Frank m

English: 1 Of Germanic origin. The name referred originally to a member of the tribe of the Franks, who are said to have got the name from a characteristic type of spear that they used (as the Saxons did from a characteristic knife). When the Franks migrated into Gaul in the 4th century, the country received its modern name of France (Late Latin Francia) and the tribal term Frank came to mean ‘Frenchman’.

2 Now quite often taken, especially in America, as a short form of FRANCIS.
Top

3 Anglicized form of the Italian name FRANCO. The popularity of Frank as a given name was greatly enhanced, especially among Italian Americans, by the fame of the singer Frank Sinatra (b. 1915).
Top

Back  -   New Search

Frankie m, f

English: 1 (m.) Pet form of FRANK.

2 (f.) Pet form of FRANCES, FRANCESCA, or FRANCINE. As a female name, it is perhaps most familiar as the name of the heroine of The Ballad of Frankie and Johnny, who ended up in the electric chair, ‘with the sweat running through her hair’.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Franklin m

English: transferred use of the surname, which derives from Middle English frankeleyn freeman, which came to denote a member of a class of freeholders who were not of noble birth. This is derived from the Norman French word frank, which means both ‘free’ and ‘Frankish’. The connection between freemen and Franks is reflected in the Late Latin term franclia, originally denoting lands held by Franks, which came to mean lands that were not subject to taxes. The given name is now quite common, especially in the United States, having been so used at first in honour of the American statesman and scientist Benjamin Franklin (1706–90), and more recently of President Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945).

Back  -   New Search

Frantiek m

Czech form of FRANCESCO.
Feminine form: Frantika.
Pet forms: Franta, Frantík, Franek, Fanouek m; Fráa m, f.

Back  -   New Search

Franz m

German form of FRANCESCO. This name was introduced to the Habsburg family in 1736, when Franz, François, or Francesco, Duke of Lorraine and Grand Duke of Tuscany (1708–65), married Maria Theresa of Austria. In 1740, he became Holy Roman Emperor jointly with her. The name was also borne by the Emperor Franz Josef (reigned 1848–1916) and his great-nephew the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, whose assassination in 1914 sparked off the First World War. The name is still popular in German-speaking countries, especially among Roman Catholics.
Feminine form: Franziska (rare).

Back  -   New Search

Frascuelo m

Spanish: pet form of Francisco (see FRANCIS).
Feminine form: Frascuela.

Back  -   New Search

Fraser m

Scottish: transferred use of the surname of a leading Highland and Lowland family. The surname is undoubtedly of Norman origin, but its exact derivation is uncertain. The earliest forms are de Frisselle and de Fresel(iere), but the name seems to have been altered by association with Old French fraise strawberry.
Variant: Frazer.

Back  -   New Search

Frasquito m

Spanish: pet form of Francisco (see FRANCIS).
Feminine form: Frasquita.

Back  -   New Search

Frauke f

Low German: originally a byname representing a diminutive formation from the vocabulary word Frau lady (Middle High German vrouwe, Old High German frouwa; Old Saxon fra). It has also been used as a pet form of Veronika (see VERONICA), because of the similarity in sound. In the 1960s it came to be commonly used as an independent given name in German-speaking countries.

Back  -   New Search

Fred m

English: short form of FREDERICK or, occasionally, of ALFRED. It has also been used as an independent given name (cf. BERT).
Pet forms: Freddie, Freddy.

Back  -   New Search

Freda f

English: short form of various names such as ELFREDA and WINIFRED, also, occasionally, of FREDERICA. The name is sometimes spelled Frieda, under the influence of German FRIEDE.
Pet form: Freddie.

Back  -   New Search

Freddie m, f

English: 1 (m.) Pet form of FRED.

2 (f.) Pet form of FREDA and FREDERICA.
Variant: Freddy m.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Frédéric m

French form of FREDERICK.

Back  -   New Search

Frederica f

Latinate feminine form of FREDERICK.
Cognates: French: Frédérique. German: Friederike. Czech: Bedika.
Short forms: English: Freda. German: Friede.
Pet forms: English: Freddie. German: Fritzi.

Back  -   New Search

Frederick m

1 English: from an old Germanic name, composed of the elements fred, frid peace + rc power, ruler. It was first introduced into Britain by the Normans at the time of the Conquest, but did not survive long. However, it continued to be popular as a royal name elsewhere in Europe (see FRIEDRICH). Modern use in Britain dates from its reintroduction in the 18th century by followers of the Elector of Hanover, who in 1714 became George I of England, and was reinforced by the vogue for Germanic names in Victorian times.

2 Irish: used as an Anglicized form of the Gaelic name FEARDORCHA.
Variants (of I): Fred(e)ric (becoming increasingly fashionable, no doubt under the influence of French Frédéric and perhaps also of English Dominic, where the spelling Dominick is perceived as distinctly archaic).
Cognates (of I): French: Frédéric. Italian, Spanish: FEDERICO. German: FRIEDRICH. Low German, Danish: FREDERIK. Swedish: FREDRIK. Dutch: Frerik, Freek. Polish: Fryderyk. Czech: Bedich. Hungarian: Frigyes. Finnish: Rieti.
Short form: English: Fred.
Pet forms: English: Freddie, Freddy. German: Fritz.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Frederik m

Danish and Low German form of FREDERICK. This has been the name of no less than nine kings of Denmark.

Back  -   New Search

Fredrik m

Swedish form of FREDERICK. The name was first used in Sweden in the 14th century, but did not become popular until the 18th century, with the reigns of the kings Fredrik I (1720–51) and Adolf Fredrik (1751–71).

Back  -   New Search

Freja f

Swedish form of FREYA, revived in the 19th century.

Back  -   New Search

Frerik m

Dutch form of FREDERICK. The omission of dental consonants between vowels is a regular feature of Dutch.

Back  -   New Search

Freya f

Scottish: of Old Norse origin. Freya or Fröja was the goddess of love in Scandinavian mythology, and her name seems to be derived from an element cognate with Old High German frouwa lady, mistress. The name was long a traditional one in Shetland, and is still used in Scotland. A notable modern bearer is the explorer and writer Freya Stark.
Cognate: Swedish: Freja.

Back  -   New Search

Freyde f

Jewish: name meaning ‘joy’ in Yiddish (modern German Freude).

Back  -   New Search

Friede f

German form of FREDA.

Back  -   New Search

Friedelinde f

German: from an old Germanic female personal name composed of the elements fred, frid peace + lind weak, tender, soft. The name was revived in the 19th century, but has not become common.

Back  -   New Search

Friedemann m

German: from an old Germanic personal name composed of the elements fred, frid peace + man man. It is to a large extent borne by Jews as a translation of SHLOMO. One notable non-Jewish bearer was Wilhelm Friedemann Bach (1710–84), the eldest son of Johann Sebastian Bach, and himself a composer.

Back  -   New Search

Friederike f

German form of FREDERICA.
Pet form: Fritzi.

Back  -   New Search

Friedhelm m

German: from an old Germanic personal name composed of the elements fred, frid peace + helm helmet, protection.

Back  -   New Search

Friedrich m

German form of FREDERICK. It owes its great popularity in Germany at least in part to having been a royal name from an early date. It was borne by both Hohenstauffens and Habsburgs. Notable bearers include Friedrich Barbarossa (King of Germany 1152–90 and Holy Roman Emperor 1155–90), and Friedrich II (King of Sicily from 1197, when he was three years old, King of Germany 1212–20, and Holy Roman Emperor 1220–50: he called himself ‘lord of the world’). The name was later borne by many German princes and princelings, as well as several kings of Prussia. The most famous of these is undoubtedly Friedrich der Grosse (Frederick the Great, reigned 1740–86), noted as a glorious patron of the arts as well as being a decisive statesman and victorious military commander.
Pet form: Fritz.

Back  -   New Search

Frigyes m

Hungarian form of FREDERICK.

Back  -   New Search

Fritjof m

Scandinavian: from an Old Norse personal name composed of the elements friðr peace + pjófr thief. The spellings Fridtjof and Fri(d)tjov are also used. The former was borne, for example, by the Norwegian explorer Fridtjof Nansen (1861–1930), who also served as the League of Nations' high commissioner for refugees and was responsible for the issuing of ‘Nansen’ passports to stateless persons after the First World War.

Back  -   New Search

Fritz m

German: pet form of FRIEDRICH. The name is also sometimes used as a given name or nickname in the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Fritzi f

German: pet form of FRIEDERIKE.

Back  -   New Search

Frode m

Danish and Norwegian: from the Old Norse personal name FróÒoi, originally a byname for a wise or prudent person, from fróÒr knowing, learned, well-informed. The name was revived c.1930 and has become increasingly popular since about 1970.

Back  -   New Search

Froim m

Jewish: Yiddish form of EPHRAIM.

Back  -   New Search

Frume f

Jewish: Yiddish name, originally a nickname meaning ‘pious, devout’ (modern German fromm).
Pet form: Frumke.

Back  -   New Search

Fryderyk m

Polish form of FREDERICK.

Back  -   New Search

Fucho f

Spanish: pet form of REFUGIO.

Back  -   New Search

Fulgencio m

Spanish: from the Latin name Fulgentius, a derivative of fulgens (genitive fulgentis) shining. The name was borne by a 7th-century Spanish saint, brother of Isidore of Seville.

Back  -   New Search

Fulgenzio m

Italian form of FULGENCIO. The name was borne by a saint (468–533) who served as bishop of Ruspe but was expelled by the Vandals and retired to Sardinia.

Back  -   New Search

Fulk m

English: of Germanic origin, introduced to Britain by the Normans. The name originally represented a short form of various compound names containing the element ‘people, tribe’ (cf. modern English folk). It has gradually died out of general use, but is still used in certain families, such as the Grevilles. Fulke Greville, 1st Baron Brooke, was a leading figure at the court of Elizabeth I.
Variant: Fulke.

Back  -   New Search

Fülöp m

Hungarian form of PHILIP.

Back  -   New Search

Fulton m

Scottish: transferred use of the surname, which seems to have been originally a local name from a lost place in Ayrshire. Robert Fulton (1765–1815) was the American engineer who designed the first commercially successful steamboat.

Back  -   New Search

Fulvia f

Italian and English: from the feminine form of the old Roman family name Fulvius, a derivative of Latin fulvus dusky, tawny (ultimately connected with flvus; cf. FLAVIA). The name does not seem to have been much used among early Christians, and there are no saints Fulvia or Fulvius. In classical times its most famous bearer was the wife of Mark Antony, who opposed Octavian by force on her husband's behalf while he was in Egypt.

Back  -   New Search

Fyfe m

Scottish: variant spelling of FIFE.

Back  -   New Search

Fyodor m

Russian form of THEODORE.
Pet form: Fedya.

Back  -   New Search

G

Gabino m

Spanish form of GAVINO.

Back  -   New Search

Gábor m

Hungarian form of GABRIEL. It is particularly popular in Hungary because of the legend that in the year 1001 the archangel Gabriel advised Pope Sylvester II to send a holy crown to King (later St) Stephen (ISTVÁN), thus recognizing Hungary as a Christian sovereign state.

Back  -   New Search

Gabriel m

Biblical: name (meaning ‘man of God’ in Hebrew) of one of the archangels. Gabriel appeared to Daniel in the Old Testament (Daniel 8: 16; 9: 21), and in the New Testament to Zacharias (Luke 1: 19; 26: 27) and, most famously, to Mary to announce the impending birth of Christ (Luke 1: 2). Gabriel has occasionally been used as a given name in the English-speaking world, mainly as a result of Continental European influence (rather more commonly than RAPHAEL, but much less so than MICHAEL, the names of two other chief archangels).
Cognates: Hungarian: GÁBOR. Italian: Gabriele. Finnish: Kaapo.
Feminine forms: French (now also used in English): Gabrielle, Gaby. Italian: Gabriella. German: Gabriele, Gabi. Polish: Gabriela. Czech: Gabriele.
Pet forms: Irish: Gay. Polish: Gabry, Gabrysz m; Gabrysia f. Czech: Gába m, f; Riel, Gabek m; Gabra, Gabin-(k)a f.

Back  -   New Search

Gae f

English: variant spelling of GAY.

Back  -   New Search

Gaenor f

Welsh: apparently a form of GAYNOR adapted to Welsh orthography. It also may have been influenced by the name of the saint commemorated at Llangeinwyr in Glamorgan, known popularly as Llangeinor. Her name seems to be composed of the Welsh elements cain beautiful + (g)wyry(f) maiden.

Back  -   New Search

Gaetano m

Italian: from Latin Caietnus, originally an ethnic name for someone from Caieta (now Gaeta) in Latium. According to Roman legend, the town was named in honour of Aeneas' faithful nurse Caieta, who accompanied him from Troy to Italy and died at that spot. St Gaetano (c.1480–1547) was a religious reformer who lived in Naples; he is not to be confused with his contemporary Cardinal Gaetano, an active opponent of Martin Luther.
Cognates: French: Gaétan. Spanish: Cayetano. Portuguese: Caetano. German: Kayetan. Polish: Kajetan. English: Cajetan (rarely, if ever, used as a given name, but sometimes adopted as a clerical name by members of Roman Catholic religious orders).

Back  -   New Search

Gaia f

From the name borne in classical mythology by the primeval goddess of the earth, who bore Ouranos ‘sky’ and by him Okeanos ‘sea’, Kronos ‘time’, and the Titans. Her name, spelled in Latin Gaea, derives from Greek g earth.

Back  -   New Search

Gail f

English: aphetic short form of ABIGAIL, now very commonly used as an independent given name, but apparently not in existence before the middle of the 20th century.
Variants: Gale, Gayle.

Back  -   New Search

Gaitzka m

Basque equivalent of SALVADOR.

Back  -   New Search

Gala f

Russian: normally a pet form of GALINA. In the case of the wife (1904–84) of the Catalan painter Salvador Dali, it was a pet name bestowed on her by her first lover Paul Eluard; she was born Yelena Diakonov in Kazan. The name has now also been adopted into English, perhaps influenced by the festive connotations of the vocabulary word.

Back  -   New Search

Gale f

English: variant spelling of GAIL.

Back  -   New Search

Galen m

English: from the name of the Graeco-Roman medical writer Claudius Galnus (AD ?130–?200). His name appears to represent a Latinized form of a Greek name derived from galn calm.

Back  -   New Search

Galia f

Jewish: modern Hebrew name, meaning ‘wave’.

Back  -   New Search

Galina f

Russian: of uncertain origin, probably from Greek galn calm (cf. GALEN). Another possibility is that it may represent a vernacular form of HELEN, beside the more learned YELENA.

Back  -   New Search

Gamaliel m

Biblical: name, apparently meaning ‘benefit of God’ in Hebrew, borne in the New Testament by a wise Pharisee (Acts 5: 34) and by a teacher of St Paul (Acts 22: 3), possibly the same person. In the Old Testament it is the name of the prince of the tribe of Manasseh at the time of the Exodus (Numbers 1: 10).

Back  -   New Search

Garbikunde f

Basque equivalent of PURIFICACIÓN.

Back  -   New Search

Garbiñe f

Basque equivalent of INMACULADA. This name shares with the previous one a derivation from the Basque element garbi clean, pure.

Back  -   New Search

Gärd f

Swedish: variant of GERD.

Back  -   New Search

Gareth m

Welsh and English: of Celtic origin, but uncertain ultimate derivation. It first occurs in Malory's Morte D'Arthur, as the name of the lover of Eluned and seems to have been heavily altered from its original form, whatever that may have been (possibly the same as GERAINT). It is now very common in Wales, partly because GARY, which is actually an independent name, is often taken to be a pet form of it.

Back  -   New Search

Garfield m

English: transferred use of the surname, originally a local name for someone who lived near a triangular field, from Old English gr triangular piece of land + feld open country.

Back  -   New Search

Garret m

Irish and English: transferred use of the surname, which is derived from the given names GERALD and GERARD. In Ireland it often represents a direct Anglicization of GEARÓID.
Variant: Garrett.

Back  -   New Search

Garrison m

English (mainly U.S.): transferred use of the surname, originally a local name from Garriston in North Yorkshire or else a patronymic for the son of someone called GARRET. William Lloyd Garrison (1805–79) was a prominent American anti-slavery campaigner: the given name may originally have been bestowed in honour of him. It is now sometimes given to the sons of fathers who are called GARY or GARRY (cf. JEFFERSON).

Back  -   New Search

Garrit m

Frisian: variant of GERRIT.

Back  -   New Search

Garry m

English: variant spelling of GARY, influenced in spelling by BARRY.

Back  -   New Search

Garsha m

Russian: pet form of GERASIM.

Back  -   New Search

Garth m

English and Welsh: from a surname, but often taken to be a contracted form of GARETH. As a surname it originated in the north of England, and originally denoted someone who lived beside an enclosure (Old Norse garðr). In modern times its popularity has been influenced by the virile superhero of this name, main character in a long-running strip cartoon in the Daily Mirror newspaper.

Back  -   New Search

Gary m

English: from a surname, which is probably derived from a Norman personal name of Germanic origin, a short form of any of the various compound names with gar spear as a first element. One bearer of this surname was the American industrialist Elbert Henry Gary (1846–1927), who gave his name to the steel town of Gary, Indiana (chartered in 1906). In this town was born the theatrical agent Nan Collins, who suggested Gary as a stage name for her client Frank Cooper, who thus became Gary Cooper (1901–61). His film career caused the name to become enormously popular from the 1930s to the present day. Its popularity has been maintained by the cricketer Gary Sobers (b. 1936; in his case it is in fact a pet form of Garfield) and the pop singer Gary Glitter (real name Paul Gadd). It is now often taken as a pet form of GARETH. Curiously, in the spelling Garaidh, the name is borne by a minor warrior in the Gaelic Finn sagas and hence has been used as a dog's name in the Highlands.
Variant: Garry.
Pet form (informal): Gaz.

Back  -   New Search

Gáspár m

Hungarian form of CASPAR.

Back  -   New Search

Gaspard m

French form of CASPAR. The -d has been added as a result of association with the many personal names of Germanic origin ending in -ard (from the name element hard hardy, brave, strong).

Back  -   New Search

Gaspare m

Italian form of CASPAR.

Back  -   New Search

Gaston m

French: of uncertain derivation. It seems to have originated in the south of France, and in the Middle Ages was a hereditary name among the counts of Foix and viscounts of Béarn. It is probably of Germanic origin, derived from the element gast guest, stranger. According to another theory, it was originally an ethnic name for a Gascon. There are no grounds for the common association made between this name and Vedastus (see VAAST).

Back  -   New Search

Gavin m

Scottish and English: of Celtic origin, but uncertain ultimate derivation; it first appears in French sources as Gauvain. The name is borne in the Arthurian romances by one of the knights of the Round Table (more familiar in English versions as Sir Gawain). It died out in the 16th century except in Scotland, whence it has been reintroduced in the past couple of decades. It is now extremely popular in England, Wales, and elsewhere in the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Gavino m

Italian: characteristically Sardinian name, unrelated to GAVIN. It is probably from Late Latin Gabnus, originally an ethnic name for someone from the city of Gabium in Latium. St Gabinus was martyred at Torres in Sardinia, together with his companion Crispulus, under the Roman emperor Hadrian (c.130).
Cognate: Spanish: Gabino.

Back  -   New Search

Gawe m

Polish: from the old Roman family name Gallus, originally a byname meaning ‘cock’ but later taken to be an ethnic name meaning ‘Gaul’. In the Christian period it was borne by an uncle (c.489–c.554) of Gregory of Tours, and by a 7th-century Irish saint and missionary to central Europe. The latter founded a monastery to the south of Lake Constance, which later became known as St Gall and gave its name to a Swiss town and canton. His name probably represents a Latinization of an Irish name derived from gall stranger. The form of the Polish given name has been altered by association with Pawel (from Latin Paulus; see PAUL).
Cognate: Czech: Havel.

Back  -   New Search

Gay f, m

1 (f., m.) English: from the vocabulary word meaning ‘blithe, cheerful’ (from Old French, of Germanic origin), chosen as a given name because of its well-omened meaning (cf. HAPPY and MERRY). It was not used before the 20th century, and has fallen out of favour again since the 1960s, since the vocabulary word gay has acquired the meaning ‘homosexual’. It was generally a female name, but has also been borne by men.

2 (m.) Irish: pet form of GABRIEL.
Variants (of 1): Gaye, Gae f.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Gayle f

English: variant spelling of GAIL. Its popularity has no doubt been increased by the fame of the American film actress Gayle Hunnicutt (b. 1942).

Back  -   New Search

Gaylord m

English: from a surname, which is a form, altered by folk etymology, of the Old French nickname Gaillard ‘dandy’. It may sometimes have been chosen as a given name because parents liked the idea of their son's living as a fine lord, but it now seems likely to suffer the same fate as GAY.

Back  -   New Search

Gaynor f

English: a medieval form of the name of Arthur's queen, GUINEVERE, recently undergoing a strong revival in popularity.

Back  -   New Search

Gaz m

English: informal pet form of GARY (cf. BAZ and LAZ).

Back  -   New Search

Gearóid m

Irish Gaelic form of GERALD, from Old French Geraud. The name originated in Ireland at the time of Strongbow's invasion (1170): the constable of Strongbow's castle at Pembroke was called Gerald, and his son founded a major Irish family, the Fitzgeralds. The Irish form of the name has been revived in modern times.
Variant: Gearalt.

Back  -   New Search

Gebhard m

German: from an old Germanic personal name composed of the elements geb, gib gift + hard hardy, brave, strong. St Gebhard was bishop of Constance in the late 10th century, and founded the abbey of Petershausen near there.
Cognate: Low German: Gebbert.

Back  -   New Search

Ged m

English: short form of GERARD or GERALD.

Back  -   New Search

Gedeon m

Russian form of GIDEON.

Back  -   New Search

Geert m

Low German and Dutch form of GERHARD.

Back  -   New Search

Geerta f

Low German and Dutch: Latinate version of a contracted form of GERTRUDE, or occasionally of Gerharde, a rare feminine version of GERHARD.
Pet forms: Geertke, Geertje.

Back  -   New Search

Gellért m

Hungarian form of GERARD. St Gerard Sagredo, born in Venice, was a missionary to Hungary during the 11th century, and became the first bishop of Czanad. He was murdered by being thrown into the Danube by unconverted heathens.

Back  -   New Search

Gemma f

English, Irish, and Italian: from a medieval Italian nickname meaning ‘gem, jewel’. It has been chosen in modern times mainly because of its transparent etymology. Among Roman Catholics it is sometimes chosen in honour of St Gemma Galgani (1878–1903), who was the subject of many extraordinary signs of grace, such as ecstasies and the appearance of the stigmata.
Variant: English: Jemma.

Back  -   New Search

Gene m

English: short form of EUGENE, now quite commonly used as an independent given name in America. It has been made familiar especially by film stars such as Gene Autry, Gene Hackman, and Gene Wilder.

Back  -   New Search

Genette f

English: variant spelling of JEANNETTE.

Back  -   New Search

Geneva f

English: of recent origin and uncertain derivation. In form it coincides with the city in Switzerland (cf. FLORENCE and VENETIA), but it may rather have been intended as a Latinate short form of GENEVIÈVE.

Back  -   New Search

Geneviève f

French: the name of the patron saint of Paris, a 5th-century Gallo-Roman nun who encouraged the people of Paris in the face of the occupation of the town by the Franks and threatened attacks by the Huns. Her name seems to have been composed of Celtic elements meaning ‘people, tribe’ and ‘woman’, but if so it has been heavily altered by its transmission through French sources. The name was introduced to Britain from France in the 19th century.
Cognates: English: Genevieve. Italian: Genoveffa, Ginevra.

Back  -   New Search

Genista f

English: modern name, a learned coinage taken from the Latin name of the broom plant, genesta, genista. It is from this word that the English royal dynasty of the Plantagenets took its name: the founder, Geoffrey Plantagenet (d. 1151) wore a sprig of broom (Latin planta genesta) to distinguish himself in battle.

Back  -   New Search

Gennadi m

Russian: from Greek Gennadios, a name of very uncertain origin. It may come from a derivative (originally patronymic in form) of a short form of the various Greek names such as Diogenes ‘born of Zeus’ and Hermogenes ‘born of Hermes’. St Gennadius has been venerated from ancient times in the Eastern Church, together with his companion Felix, but very little is known about them. Another saint of the same name (d. c.936) was a bishop of Astorga.

Back  -   New Search

Gennaro m

Italian: from Latin Janurius, a derivative of (mensis) Janurius January. The name of the month is derived from that of the god Janus, who was associated with doors (januae) and new beginnings; he was represented in sculpture as having two faces on a single head, one looking forwards and the other backwards. The name Januarius was borne by a large number of early saints, but the one most particularly associated with Italy was a bishop of Benevento beheaded at Pozzuoli under Diocletian in 304. His body was enshrined at Naples and he is the patron of that city. Phials of his blood are preserved at both Naples and Pozzuoli and are believed to liquefy regularly to this day.
Cognate: Spanish: Jenaro.

Back  -   New Search

Genoveffa f

Italian form of GENEVIÈVE.

Back  -   New Search

Gentzane f

Basque equivalent of PAZ.

Back  -   New Search

Geoff m

English: short form of GEOFFREY. See also JEFF.

Back  -   New Search

Geoffrey m

English: of Germanic (Frankish and Lombard) origin, introduced to Britain by the Normans. It was in regular use among the counts of Anjou, ancestors of the English royal house of Plantagenet, who were descended from Geoffrey Plantagenet, Count of Anjou (1113–51). Godefroy de Bouillon, leader of the First Crusade, is commemorated in Torquato Tasso's Gerusalemme Liberata (1581). It was a particularly popular name in England and France in the later Middle Ages; notable bearers in England include the poet Geoffrey Chaucer (c.1340–1400) and in Wales the chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth (Gaufridus Monemutensis; d. 1155). The original form and meaning of the elements of which the name is composed are disputed. According to one theory, the name is merely a variant of GODFREY; others derive the first part from the Germanic elements gawia territory, walah stranger, or gisil pledge. Medieval forms can be found to support all these theories, and it is possible that several names have fallen together, or that the name was subjected to reanalysis by folk etymology at an early date.
Variant: JEFFREY.
Cognates: French: Geoffroi. Italian: Goffredo. Spanish, Portuguese: Godofredo. Welsh: Sieffre. Irish Gaelic: Siothrún.

Back  -   New Search

Geordie m

Pet form of GEORGE, still used in Scotland and the north of England. It is from this name that the generic term Geordie for a Tynesider derives.

Back  -   New Search

George m

English: from Old French, from Latin Georgius, from Greek Georgios (from gergos farmer, a compound of g earth + ergein to work). This was the name of several early saints, including the shadowy figure who is now the patron of England (as well as of Germany and Portugal). Gibbon identified him with a Cappadocian leader of this name, but this cannot be right. If the saint existed at all, he was perhaps martyred in Palestine in the persecutions instigated by the Emperor Diocletian at the beginning of the 4th century. The popular legend in which the hero slays a dragon is a medieval Italian invention. He was for a long time a more important saint in the Orthodox Church than in the West, and the name was not much used in England during the Middle Ages, even after St George came to be regarded as the patron of England in the 14th century. The real impulse for its popularity was the accession of the first king of England of this name, who came from Germany in 1714 and brought many German retainers with him. It has been one of the most popular English male names ever since.
Cognates: Irish Gaelic: Seoirse. Scottish Gaelic: Seòras, Deòrsa. Welsh: Siôr, Sior(y)s. French: Georges. Provençal: Jori. Italian: Giorgio. Spanish, Portuguese: Jorge. Catalan: Jordi. Basque: Gorka. German: Georg; Jörg (dialectal); Jürgen (Low German in origin). Dutch, Frisian: Joris, Joren, Jurg. Danish: Jørgen, Jørn. Swedish: Göran, Jöran, Jörgen, Örjan. Finnish: Yrjö. Russian: Georgi, Yuri, Yegor. Polish: Jerzy. Czech: Jií. Hungarian: György. Romanian: Gheorghe, Iorghu. See also YORICK.
Pet forms: English: Georgie, Geordie. Russian: Goga, Gora, Gorya. Polish: Jurek.
Feminine forms: English: GEORGIA, GEORGINA, GEORGETTE. Scottish Gaelic: Seòrdag.

Back  -   New Search

Georgene f

English: altered form of GEORGINE, by association with the productive suffix -ene.

Back  -   New Search

Georgette f

French: feminine diminutive of Georges (see GEORGE), now also used in the English-speaking world. The crêpe material so called derives its name from that of an early 20th-century French dressmaker, Mme Georgette de la Plante.

Back  -   New Search

Georgia f

Latinate feminine form of GEORGE. It was borne by a 5th-century saint who became a recluse near Clermont in the Auvergne.

Back  -   New Search

Georgiana f

Elaborated Latinate form of GEORGIA or GEORGINA, now sometimes used in the English-speaking world. It seems to take its pattern from Latin names such as JULIANA, a derivative of JULIA. In Latin the suffix -nus was originally a derivative element used in names as a distinguishing feature; for example, on his adoption by Julius Caesar, Caius Octavius (later known as the Emperor Augustus) became Caius Julius Caesar Octavianus.

Back  -   New Search

Georgie m, f

English: occasionally used as a pet form of GEORGE, but more commonly as a female name, a pet form of GEORGIA or GEORGINA.

Back  -   New Search

Georgina f

Scottish, English, etc.: Latinate feminine derivative of GEORGE. This feminine form originated in Scotland in the 18th century, when George itself became common among anti-Jacobites. It has now been borrowed by other European languages, including Dutch, German, Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish.
Cognates: French: Georgine. Czech: Jiina.

Back  -   New Search

Georgine f

French form of GEORGINA, now also used in the English-speaking world.
Variant: English: Georgene.

Back  -   New Search

Geraint m

Welsh: of uncertain origin, derived from a British name that first appears in a Greek inscription in the form Gerontios, possibly influenced by the Greek vocabulary word gern (genitive gerontos) old man. The story of Geraint (or Gereint), son of Erbin of Cornwall, is told in the Mabinogi. Geraint is one of the knights of Arthur's Round Table. He wins the love of Enid at a tournament, and marries her. He is infatuated with her to the point of neglecting all else, but comes to suspect her, wrongly, of infidelity. By her submissiveness and loyalty, she regains his trust. The story of Geraint and Enid was used by Tennyson in the Idylls of the King. In recent years the name has become extremely popular in Wales.

Back  -   New Search

Gerald m

English and Irish: of Germanic origin, composed of the elements gr, gr spear + wald rule. The name was introduced to Britain by the Normans, but soon became confused with GERARD. It died out in England at the end of the 13th century. However, it continued in Ireland, where it had been brought in the 12th century, at the time of Strongbow's invasion, principally by Maurice Fitzgerald, ‘son of Gerald’. The name was revived in England in the 19th century, along with several other long-extinct names of Germanic and Celtic origin, and is now more common than GERARD, which survived all along as an English ‘gentry’ name.
Variant: Jerrold.
Cognates: Irish Gaelic: Gearóid, Gearalt. Welsh: Gerallt. Dutch: Gerolt. German: Gerhold. Italian: Giraldo. French: Gérald, Géraud.
Short form: English: Ged.
Pet forms: English: Gerry, Jerry.

Back  -   New Search

Geraldine f

English: feminine derivative of GERALD, invented in the 16th century by the English poet the Earl of Surrey, in a poem praising Lady Fitzgerald. However, it remained very little used until the 18th century.
Pet form: Gerry.

Back  -   New Search

Gerard m

English, Irish, and Dutch: of Germanic origin, introduced to Britain by the Normans. It is composed of the elements gr, gr spear + hard brave, hardy, strong. In the Middle Ages this was a much more common name than GERALD, with which it was sometimes confused, but nowadays is less common. It survives mainly among Roman Catholics.
Variants: Gerrard, Jerrard.
Cognates: French: Gérard. Italian: Gerardo. German: Gerhard, Gerhar(d)t. Low German: Gerrit, Ge(e)rt. Dutch, Flemish: Geeraard, Geerd, Ge(e)rt. Frisian: Gerrit, Garrit. Hungarian: Gellért.
Short form: English: Ged.
Pet forms: English: Gerry, Jerry.

Back  -   New Search

Gerasim m

Russian: from the Late Greek personal name Gerasimos, a derivative of geras old age (cf. GERAINT and GEREON), or of the homonymous geras honour. The name was borne by a 5th-century saint venerated in the Eastern Church; he lived as a hermit in the Holy Land.
Pet form: Garsha.

Back  -   New Search

Gerd f

Scandinavian: name borne in Old Norse mythology by a beautiful goddess who was the wife of Frey. The pair seem to have been originally fertility gods, and her name is probably connected with the Old Norse word garðr enclosure, stronghold.
Variant: Gärd.

Back  -   New Search

Gerda f

Scandinavian, German, and Dutch: Latinate form of GERD, revived in Scandinavia in the 19th century. In Germany and the Netherlands, it is sometimes taken as a feminine derivative of GERARD. It is now sometimes also found in the English-speaking world.
Variant: German: Gerde.
Pet form: German: Gerdi.

Back  -   New Search

Gereon m

German: confined almost exclusively to the Cologne area, this represents the name of a saint martyred there at the beginning of the 4th century. He was executed together with a band of companions traditionally said to have numbered 318. The name is apparently a derivative of Greek gern old man.

Back  -   New Search

Gergely m

Hungarian form of GREGORY.

Back  -   New Search

Gerhard m

German form of GERARD.
Variants: Gerhart, Gerhardt.

Back  -   New Search

Gerlach m

German and Dutch: from an old Germanic personal name composed of the elements geri, gari spear + laic play, sport. St Gerlach was a hermit who lived near Valkenberg in the 12th century.

Back  -   New Search

Gerlinde f

German: from an old Germanic female personal name composed of the elements geri, gari spear + lind weak, tender, soft. St Gerlinde lived in the 8th century; she was a member of the royal family of Alsace, sister of St Ottilie.

Back  -   New Search

Germaine f

French and English: feminine form of the rarer French male name Germain (Late Latin Germnus ‘brother’; the original reference may have been to the concept of Christian brotherhood). Germaine Cousin (c.1579–1601) was a Provençal saint, the daughter of a poor farmer. Her canonization in 1867 gave an additional impulse to the use of the name in Europe and the English-speaking world. It is now particularly known as the name of the Australian feminist writer Germaine Greer (b. 1939). See also JERMAINE.

Back  -   New Search

Gernot m

German: from an old Germanic personal name composed of the elements gr, gr spear + nt need, want or perhaps hnod- crush). The same elements are found in reverse order in the name NOTGER.

Back  -   New Search

Geronimo m

Italian: learned form of JEROME, much less common than the vernacular GIROLAMO. In the United States it is known as the name of a famous Apache chief (1829–1909), presumably a phonetic approximation to his native name.

Back  -   New Search

Gerrard m

English: variant spelling of GERARD, in part from the modern surname.

Back  -   New Search

Gerrit m

Low German and Frisian form of GERHARD, current predominantly in the North Rhine area.
Variants: Low German: Ge(e)rt. Frisian: Garrit; Gerritt (E. Frisian).

Back  -   New Search

Gerry f, m

English: 1 (f.) Pet form of GERALDINE; it is also sometimes used as an independent female name.

2 (m.) Pet form of GERALD or GERARD; cf. JERRY.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Gershom m

Biblical: name borne by a son of Moses (Exodus 2: 22). The name possibly means ‘exile’ (i.e. a person in exile) in Hebrew, but it is usually interpreted as ‘sojourner’, from Hebrew ger sham meaning ‘a stranger there’.

Back  -   New Search

Gershon m

Biblical: byform of GERSHOM, borne by a son of Levi (Genesis 46: 11).

Back  -   New Search

Gert m, f

1 (m.) Dutch and Low German: contracted form of GERARD.

2 (f.) English: short form of GERTRUDE.
Variant (of 1): Geert.
Pet form (of 2): Gertie.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Gertrude f

English, Dutch, and German: from a Germanic personal name composed of the elements gr, gr spear + þrþ strength. The name does not appear in England immediately after the Conquest, but only in the later Middle English period: it is probable that it was introduced by migrants from the Low Countries, who came to England in connection with the cloth trade. It was popular in the 19th century, at the time of the revival of many Germanic names, but has now fallen from favour again. In Germany, usually in the form Gertrud, it was much more popular than it ever was in England. It was the name of two famous 13th-century nuns of the Cistercian abbey of Helfta near Eisleben, whose spiritual writings had a great influence.
Variants: German: Gertrud; Gertraud; Gertraut (by association with the element traut dear, beloved). Dutch: Ge(e)rtruida.
Cognates: Spanish: Gertrudis. Portuguese: Gertrudes. Low German, Dutch: Geerta.
Finnish: Kerttu.
Short form: English: Gert.
Pet forms: English: Gertie. German: Gerda, Gerdi, Trude, Trudi. Dutch: Geertke, Geertje. Low German, Frisian: Gesa.

Back  -   New Search

Gervaise m

English: introduced to Britain by the Normans. It is of unknown derivation: it has been suggested that it might be a dithematic Germanic name, with the first element gr, gr spear, but it is difficult to suggest a plausible second element. The use of the name seems to be due entirely to a certain St Gervasius, whose remains, together with those of Protasius, were discovered in Milan in the year 386. Nothing is known about their lives, but St Ambrose, who had ordered the search for their remains, declared that they were martyrs, and a cult soon grew up. Given these circumstances, we might expect their names to be Greek or Latin, but if they are, the elements remain unidentified. The name is in use mainly among Roman Catholics. Protasius has not survived as a given name. See also JARVIS.
Variant: Gervase.
Cognates: French Gervais. Italian, Spanish, Portuguese: Gervasio. German: Gervas. Dutch: Gervaas. Polish: Gerwazy. Russian: Gervasi.

Back  -   New Search

Gesa f

Frisian pet form of GERTRUDE.

Back  -   New Search

Gesualdo m

Italian: from a medieval given name of Germanic origin, probably originally composed of the elements gisil pledge (see GISELLE) + wald ruler. It has been influenced in form by association with Gesú Jesus.

Back  -   New Search

Gethin m

Welsh: derived from a lenited adjectival form of the byname Cethin ‘dusky, swarthy’.
Variant: Gethen.

Back  -   New Search

Géza m

Hungarian: of uncertain derivation, said to be from a medieval honorific title of Turkic origin.

Back  -   New Search

Gheorghe m

Romanian form of GEORGE.

Back  -   New Search

Ghislain f

English: of recent origin, or at any rate a recent introduction to the English-speaking world. It is apparently a revival of the Old French oblique case of GISELLE. The spelling indicates some Low German influence.
Variant: Ghislaine.

Back  -   New Search

Giacobbe m

Italian form of JACOB, rather less common than GIACOMO.

Back  -   New Search

Giacomo m

Italian form of JAMES.

Back  -   New Search

Giambattista m

Italian: contracted form of GIANNI and BATTISTA.

Back  -   New Search

Giammaria m

Italian: contracted form of GIANNI and MARIA.

Back  -   New Search

Giampaolo m

Italian: contracted form of GIANNI and PAOLO.

Back  -   New Search

Gianni m

Italian: contracted form of GIOVANNI, in very common use.
Feminine form: Gianna.
Pet forms: Giannino, Nino m; Giannetta, Giannina f.

Back  -   New Search

Gib m

English: medieval and modern short form of GILBERT.

Back  -   New Search

Gideon m

Biblical name (meaning ‘one who cuts down’ in Hebrew) borne by an Israelite leader appointed to deliver his people from the Midianites (Judges 6: 14). He did this by getting his army to creep up on them with their torches hidden in pitchers. The name was popular among the 17th-century Puritans, and is still used in America and in modern Hebrew.
Derivatives: Russian: Gedeon. Jewish: Gidon (Hebrew).

Back  -   New Search

Gigi f

French: pet name, originally a nursery reduplication, based on GEORGINE or Virginie (see VIRGINIA).

Back  -   New Search

Gil m

Spanish and Portuguese form of GILES.

Back  -   New Search

Gilbert m

English, French, Flemish, and Dutch: of Germanic origin, introduced to Britain by the Normans. It is composed of the elements gisil pledge + berht bright, famous. This was the name of the founder of the only native British religious order (abolished at the Dissolution of the Monasteries), St Gilbert of Sempringham (?1083–1189), in whose honour it is still sometimes bestowed, especially among Roman Catholics. It gained a wider currency in the 19th century. In Gaelic Scotland the name was used from an early period to render the name Gille Brighde ‘servant of St BRIDGET’, gradually assuming the form Gilleabart.
Short form: English: Gib.
Pet forms: Scottish: Gibby (Gaelic Gibidh).

Back  -   New Search

Gilda f

Italian: apparently of Germanic origin, representing a feminine short form of names containing the element gild sacrifice (cf. e.g. HERMENEGILDO). Its popularity as a current given name derives in part from its use in Verdi's Rigoletto, in which Gilda, the innocent young daughter of the hunchback jester Rigoletto, becomes the object of the Duke of Mantua's affections and is murdered on her father's orders as the result of a series of misunderstandings.

Back  -   New Search

Giles m

English: much altered version of the Late Latin name Aegidius, from Greek Aegidios (a derivative of aigidion kid, young goat). The name was very popular in the Middle Ages, as the result of the fame of the 8th-century St Giles. According to tradition, he was an Athenian citizen who fled to Provence because he could not cope with the fame and adulation caused by his power to work miracles, in particular by healing the lame and crippled. He is the patron saint of cripples.
Variant: Gyles.
Cognates: French: Gilles. Provençal, Spanish, Portuguese: Gil. Danish, Dutch: Gillis. Italian: Egidio. German: Ägid(ius). Polish: Egidiusz, Idzi. Hungarian: Egyed.

Back  -   New Search

Gill f

English: short form of GILLIAN, rather less commonly used as an independent given name than JILL.

Back  -   New Search

Gillanders m

Scottish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Gille Ainndreis or Gille Ainndrais ‘servant of St ANDREW’.

Back  -   New Search

Gilleonan m

Scottish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Gille Adhamhnain ‘servant of St Adomnan’ (see EUNAN).

Back  -   New Search

Gilles m

French form of GILES.

Back  -   New Search

Gillespie m

Scottish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Gille Easbaig ‘bishop's servant’. See also ARCHIBALD.
Pet form: Beistean.

Back  -   New Search

Gillian f

English: variant of JULIAN, from which it was differentiated in spelling in the 17th century.
Variant: Jillian.
Short forms: Gill, Jill
Pet form: Gilly.

Back  -   New Search

Gillies m

Scottish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Gille Iosa ‘servant of Jesus’.

Back  -   New Search

Gillis m

Danish and Dutch form of GILES.

Back  -   New Search

Gilly f

English: pet form of GILL. There may have been some influence from the name of the gillyflower (earlier gilofre, girofle, from Late Greek karyophyllon).

Back  -   New Search

Gilroy m

Irish and Scottish: transferred use of the surname, probably influenced to some extent by ELROY, DELROY, and LEROY. The surname is of Gaelic origin (Irish Mac Giolla Ruaidh, Scottish Mac Gille Ruaidh), meaning ‘son of the red-haired lad’.

Back  -   New Search

Gina f

Italian and English: short form of GEORGINA and Giorgina, now sometimes used as an independent given name. It has been made famous by the Italian actress Gina Lollobrigida (b. 1927). As an Italian name it also represents in part a short form of Luigina, a feminine diminutive form of LUIGI.

Back  -   New Search

Ginevra f

Italian form of GENEVIÈVE, now also occasionally used in the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Ginger m, f

English: 1 (m., f.) Originally a nickname for someone with red hair (or, occasionally, with a violent temper), sometimes used as a given name in the 20th century, perhaps for a child with ginger hair.

2 (f.) As a female name it may also represent a pet form of VIRGINIA (as in the case of the film actress Ginger Rogers, born in 1911 as Virginia McMath).
Top

Back  -   New Search

Ginny f

English: pet form of VIRGINIA, rarely used as an independent given name.

Back  -   New Search

Gino m

Italian: short form of any of the many given names ending in -gino, for example Ambrogino (a diminutive of Ambrogio; see AMBROSE), Biagino (a diminutive of BIAGIO), Giorgino (a diminutive of GIORGIO), and Luigino (a diminutive of LUIGI).

Back  -   New Search

Gioacchino m

Italian form of JOACHIM, now only fairly rarely used as a given name.
Variant: Gioachino.

Back  -   New Search

Gioconda f

Italian: name meaning ‘happy, jovial’ (from Latin jucunda). St Jucunda (d. 466) was a virgin of Reggio in Aemilia, associated with St Prosper.

Back  -   New Search

Giorgio m

Italian form of GEORGE.

Back  -   New Search

Giosuè m

Italian form of JOSHUA.

Back  -   New Search

Giovanni m

Most common Italian form of JOHN. There are several others, e.g. Gianni and Vanni.
Feminine form: Giovanna.

Back  -   New Search

Girolamo m

Italian: vernacular form of JEROME, much more common than the learned form GERONIMO.

Back  -   New Search

Giselle f

French and English: of Germanic origin, derived from the vocabulary element gisil pledge. It was a common practice in medieval Europe to leave children as pledges for an alliance, to be brought up at a foreign court, and the name may be derived as a byname from this practice. This was the name by which the wife of Duke Rollo of Normandy (c.860–c.930) was known. She was a daughter of Charles the Simple of France, and may indeed have been offered to Rollo as a pledge for their truce in 911. On her account the name enjoyed considerable popularity in France from an early period. Gisela was also the name of the wife (c.995–c.1085) of King Stephen I of Hungary. She was a Bavarian princess, noted for her Christian faith and her good works. Use of the name in English-speaking countries is much more recent, and is due mainly to the ballet Giselle (first performed in 1841).
Variant: French: Gisèle.
Cognate: German, Dutch: Gisela.
Short form: German: Gisa.

Back  -   New Search

Gislög f

Swedish: from an Old Norse female personal name composed of the elements gisil hostage + laug consecrated.
Cognate: Norwegian: Gislaug.

Back  -   New Search

Gitte f

1 German and Danish: short form of Brigitte (see BRIDGET) and Birgitte (see BIRGIT).

2 Jewish: of Yiddish origin, originally a nickname meaning ‘good’ (modern German gut).
Pet form (of 2): Jewish: Gittel.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Giulia f

Italian form of JULIA.

Back  -   New Search

Giulietta f

Italian: diminutive of GIULIA.

Back  -   New Search

Giulio m

Italian form of JULIUS.

Back  -   New Search

Giuseppe m

Italian form of JOSEPH.
Pet forms: Beppe, Beppo.

Back  -   New Search

Giuseppina f

Italian form of JOSEPHINE.

Back  -   New Search

Gixane f

Basque equivalent of ENCARNACIÓN.

Back  -   New Search

Gjord m

Swedish: contracted form of an (unattested) Old Norse personal name composed of the elements guð god + friðr peace, or of the German cognate GOTTFRIED.
Cognate: Norwegian: Gjurd.

Back  -   New Search

Gladstone m

Scottish and English: transferred use of the surname, originally a local name from Gledstanes in Biggar, so called from Old English glæd kite + stn rock (the final -s is a later addition). As a given name it has been adopted in honour of the Victorian Liberal statesman William Ewart Gladstone (1809–98). It is now favoured by West Indians: the Warwickshire and England fast bowler Gladstone Small is of West Indian parentage.

Back  -   New Search

Gladwin m

English: transferred use of the surname, itself from a medieval given name composed of the Old English elements glæd bright + wine friend.

Back  -   New Search

Gladys f

Welsh and English: from the Welsh name Gwladus, which is of uncertain derivation. It has been quite widely used outside Wales in the 20th century.

Back  -   New Search

Gleb m

Russian: of Scandinavian origin, from an Old Norse personal name composed of the elements guð god + leifr life. St Gleb was a son of Prince Vladimir, first Christian ruler of Kiev, and was assassinated in 1015 together with his brother Boris; his name in the Church was David.

Back  -   New Search

Glen m

Scottish and English: probably a transferred use of the surname, which was originally a topographic name from the Gaelic element gleann valley. It is also possible, however, that the given name is derived directly from the topographic term (compare DEAN). In recent years it has been adopted in England as well as Scotland as a given name. There also appears to have been some confusion with the Welsh name GLYN.
Variant: Glenn (borne as a female name by the American actress Glenn Close (b. 1947)).
Feminine form: Glenna.

Back  -   New Search

Glenda f

Welsh: modern coinage, composed of the vocabulary words glân clean, pure, holy + da good.

Back  -   New Search

Glenys f

Welsh: modern coinage, probably from glân clean, pure, holy + the ending -ys by analogy with names such as DILYS and GLADYS.

Back  -   New Search

Gloria f

English: from the Latin word meaning ‘glory’, not used as a given name before the 20th century, but now very popular. It first occurs as the name of a character in George Bernard Shaw's play You Never Can Tell (1898).

Back  -   New Search

Glory f

English: Anglicized form of GLORIA, now occasionally used as a given name, especially among Blacks.

Back  -   New Search

Glyn m

Welsh: from the Welsh placename element glyn valley. This seems to have been transferred directly from a placename to a given name in the 20th century, as the result of a desire to bestow on Welsh children specifically Welsh names.
Variant: Glynn.

Back  -   New Search

Glyndwr m

Welsh: adopted in the 20th century in honour of the medieval Welsh patriot Owain Glyndr (c.1359–1416; known in English as Owen Glendower). In his case it was a byname referring to the fact that he came from a place named with the Welsh elements glyn valley + dr water.

Back  -   New Search

Glynis f

English: apparently an altered form of GLENYS.

Back  -   New Search

Gobnait f

Irish Gaelic: traditional name, of uncertain derivation. It seems to represent a feminine diminutive form of goba smith, apparently a reference to the Celtic god of craftsmanship, Gobniu. This was the name of an important Munster saint, and the name is still in use in west Munster. It was formerly often Anglicized as ABBIE and ABIGAIL.
Variant: Gobnet (Anglicized).

Back  -   New Search

Goddard m

English: from the Old English personal name Godeheard, composed of the elements god god + heard hardy, brave, strong. Modern use as a given name is probably a transferred use of the surname derived from this given name in the Middle Ages, rather than a revival of the Old English name.
Cognate: German: GOTTHARD.

Back  -   New Search

Godelieve f

French (Walloon): from a Germanic personal name composed of the elements god god or gd good + liob dear. It is thus a feminine equivalent of German GOTTLIEB. St Godleva or Godliva (Latinized forms of the name) was murdered in the 11th century by her husband, Bertulf of Ghistelles; she has a cult in Flanders as a suffering innocent, and the name is still in use there.

Back  -   New Search

Godfrey m

English: of Germanic origin, introduced to Britain by the Normans. It is composed of the elements god god (or gd good) + fred, frid peace. The name was very popular in the Middle Ages. It was borne by, among others, a Norman saint (c.1066–1115) who became bishop of Amiens. There has been considerable confusion with GEOFFREY.
Cognates: Scottish Gaelic: Goiridh, Goraidh. German: Gottfried. Dutch: Godfried.
Pet form: German: Götz.

Back  -   New Search

Godiva f

English: Latinized form of an Old English female personal name composed of the elements god god + gyfu gift. It is thus the equivalent of THEODORA and Bogdana (see BOGDAN). The name was borne by an 11th-century Mercian noblewoman who, according to a famous legend, rode naked on horseback through the streets of Coventry to dissuade her husband Earl Leofric from imposing a heavy tax on the townspeople. It is rarely, if ever, used as a modern given name.

Back  -   New Search

Godwin m

English: from the Old English personal name Godwine, composed of the elements god god + wine friend. This name was borne in the 11th century by the Earl of Wessex, the most important man in the England after the king. He was an influential adviser to successive kings of England, and father of the King Harold who was defeated at Hastings in 1066. The personal name continued in use after the Norman Conquest long enough to give rise to a surname. Modern use as a given name is probably a transferred use of the surname, rather than a revival of the Old English name.

Back  -   New Search

Goga m

Russian: pet form of Georgi and Yegor (see GEORGE).

Back  -   New Search

Goito m

Spanish: variant of GOYO.

Back  -   New Search

Goldie f

Jewish: Anglicized form of Yiddish Golde or Golda (borne, for example, by the former Israeli prime minister, Golda Meir, 1898–1978, who Hebraicized her name from Golda Meyerson). It was originally a nickname meaning ‘gold’. Occasionally it is a non-Jewish name, derived from an English nickname for a fair-haired person.

Back  -   New Search

Gomer m

Biblical: name (meaning ‘complete’ in Hebrew) borne by a son of Japheth and grandson of Noah. It was taken up by the Puritans, and is still in occasional use in America, where it has been reinforced by the homophonous English surname Gomer. This is derived from an Old English personal name composed of the elements gd good + mr famous.

Back  -   New Search

Gonçalvo m

Portuguese form of GONZALO.

Back  -   New Search

Gonzague m

French: name chosen in honour of St Aloysius Gonzaga (1568–91). He was a Jesuit of noble birth, who died at the age of twenty-three while tending victims of the plague: he is regarded as a special patron of young people.

Back  -   New Search

Gonzalo m

Spanish: of Germanic (Visigothic) origin. The name is found in the Middle Ages in the Latin form Gundisalvus, composed of the elements gund strife + salv, of uncertain meaning (it may be a borrowing of Latin salvus whole, safe).
Cognate: Portuguese: Gonçalvo.

Back  -   New Search

Goodwin m

English: tranferred use of the surname, which is derived from the Old English personal name Gdwine. This is composed of the elements gd good + wine friend. There has been considerable confusion with GODWIN.

Back  -   New Search

Gora m

Russian: pet form of Georgi and Yegor (see GEORGE).

Back  -   New Search

Göran m

Swedish form of GEORGE. The -n suggests derivation from a Latinate elaboration Georgianus (based on pairs such as Julius and Julianus), rather than directly from Georgius.
Variants: Jöran, Örjan.

Back  -   New Search

Gordon m

Scottish and English: from the Scottish surname, which is derived from a placename. It is a matter of dispute whether it referred originally to the Gordon in Berwickshire or to a similarly named place in Normandy. As a given name it seems to have been taken up in honour of Charles George Gordon (1833–85), the British general who died at Khartoum.

Back  -   New Search

Goretti f

English and Irish (borne by Roman Catholics): name bestowed in honour of the 20th-century Italian saint, Maria Goretti. In 1902, at the age of eleven, she was savagely assaulted by a neighbour in an attempted rape. She forgave her attacker before expiring in hospital, and was canonized in 1950 as an example to children of a saintly life at an early age.

Back  -   New Search

Gorka m

Basque form of GEORGE.

Back  -   New Search

Gormlaith f

Irish and Scottish Gaelic: traditional name composed of the elements gorm illustrious, splendid + flaith lady, princess. This name was borne by the wife of Brian Boru and mother of Sitric, King of Dublin (d. 1030).
Variants: Gormla (modern Gaelic spelling); Gormelia (an Anglicized form used in Scotland).

Back  -   New Search

Goronwy m

Welsh: of uncertain derivation, borne in the Mabinogi by Goronwy the Staunch, Lord of Penllyn. He became the lover of the flower-maiden Blodeuedd and murdered her husband Lleu Llaw Gyffes, but Lleu was later restored to life and definitively dispatched Goronwy.

Back  -   New Search

Gorya m

Russian: pet form of Georgi and Yegor (see GEORGE).

Back  -   New Search

Gosia f

Polish: short form of Malgosia, a pet form of MAGORZATA.

Back  -   New Search

Gösta m

Swedish: vernacular form of GUSTAV, used in its own right as a baptismal name, but also as a pet form of the learned version.

Back  -   New Search

Gottfried m

German form of GODFREY. This was a common name in medieval Germany, and has been ever since. A famous early bearer was the 13th-century poet Gottfried von Strassburg.
Pet form: Götz.

Back  -   New Search

Gotthard m

German form of GODDARD. St Gotthard was an 11th-century bishop of Hildesheim in Bavaria.

Back  -   New Search

Gotthelf m

German: religious name, dating from the 17th century, composed of the elements Gott God + the verbal stem helf, hilf help.
Variants: Gotthilf, Helfgott.

Back  -   New Search

Gotthold m

German: religious name, dating from the 17th century, composed of the elements Gott God + hold lovely, splendid. -(h)old is a common second element in Germanic personal names, but in most cases it derives from -wald rule. This given name was borne, for example, by the dramatist and critic Gotthold Lessing (1729–81).

Back  -   New Search

Gottlieb m

German: religious name, dating from the 17th century, composed of the elements Gott God + the verbal stem lieb love (and so an equivalent of THEOPHILUS).
Cognate: Dutch: Godlef.

Back  -   New Search

Gottlob m

German: religious name, dating from the 17th century, composed of the elements Gott God + the verbal stem lob praise.

Back  -   New Search

Gottschalk m

German: religious name, dating from the early Middle Ages, composed of the elements god, got God + scalc servant. St Gotteschalk (d. 1066) was a Wendish prince who was married to a grand-niece of King Canute of England. An earlier Gotteschalk (d. c.868) preached total predestination. In the later Middle Ages the name was for a time characteristically Jewish, used as a translation of the Hebrew names Abdiel or OBADIAH. It is now little used by any group.

Back  -   New Search

Götz m

German: pet form of GOTTFRIED.

Back  -   New Search

Gotzon m

Basque: vernacular equivalent of ANGEL; see also AINGERU.
Feminine form: Gotzone.

Back  -   New Search

Goyo m

Spanish: pet form of Gregorio (see GREGORY).
Variant: Goito.

Back  -   New Search

Grace f

English, Irish, and Scottish: from the abstract noun (from Latin grtia), first used as a given name by the Puritans in the 17th century, and still moderately popular (and to a large extent dissociated from the vocabulary word). Its popularity has increased in the 20th century owing to the fame of the late wife of Prince Rainier of Monaco, the actress Grace Kelly (1928–82). It has always been a popular name in Scotland and northern England (borne, for example, by Grace Darling, the lighthouse keeper's daughter whose heroism in 1838, saving sailors in a storm, caught popular imagination). In Ireland it has often been used as an Anglicized form of GRÁINNE, for example in the case of the famous 16th-century female sea captain Gráinne Ní Mháille, known in English as Grace O'Malley.
Cognates: Italian: Grazia. Spanish: Gracia. German, Dutch: Gratia.
Pet form: English, Scottish: Gracie.

Back  -   New Search

Graciano m

Spanish and Portuguese form of GRATIEN.

Back  -   New Search

Gracie f

English and Scottish: pet form of GRACE. It was made famous by the Lancashire singer and comedienne Gracie Fields (1898–1979), whose original name was Grace Stansfield.

Back  -   New Search

Graham m

Scottish and English: from a Scottish surname, which derives from a place that is in neither Scotland nor Normandy, but Lincolnshire. Grantham, near the border with Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire, is recorded in Domesday Book not only in its current form but also as Grandham, Granham, and Graham; it seems to have been originally named as the ‘gravelly place’, from Old English grand gravel (unattested) + hm homestead. The surname was taken to Scotland in the 12th century by Sir William de Graham, founder of a famous clan. The earls of Montrose were among his descendants.
Variants: Grahame, Graeme.

Back  -   New Search

Gráinne f

Irish Gaelic: of uncertain origin, possibly a derivative of grán grain or gráin disgust. In Irish legend Gráinne was the daughter of King Cormac; she was beloved by the hero Finn, but eloped with Finn's nephew Diarmait. Finn pursued them over great distances, and eventually brought about the death of Diarmait, after which Gráinne killed herself. The name has sometimes been Anglicized as GRACE.

Back  -   New Search

Grania f

English and Irish: Latinized form of GRÁINNE.
Variant: Granya.

Back  -   New Search

Grant m

Scottish and English: from the Scottish surname, the name of a famous clan, which is nevertheless probably derived from a Norman nickname meaning ‘large’ (Anglo-Norman grand). In America the name is sometimes bestowed in honour of the Civil War general and 18th president, Ulysses S. Grant (1822–85).

Back  -   New Search

Granville m

English: from one of the Norman baronial names that subsequently became aristocratic English surnames and are now used intermittently as male given names. This one derives from any of several places in Normandy named with the Old French elements grand large + ville settlement.

Back  -   New Search

Granya f

English and Irish: variant spelling of GRANIA.

Back  -   New Search

Gratia f

Latinate form of GRACE, used in Germany and Holland.

Back  -   New Search

Gratien m

French: from Latin Gratinus, a derivative of Gratius, itself a derivative of gratus pleasing, lovely. St Gratian (d. ?c.337) was a disciple of St Denis of Paris; he became the first bishop of Tours.
Cognates: Italian: Graziano. Spanish, Portuguese: Graciano.

Back  -   New Search

Grazia f

Italian form of GRACE.

Back  -   New Search

Graziano m

Italian form of GRATIEN.

Back  -   New Search

Graziella f

Italian: diminutive form of GRAZIA.

Back  -   New Search

Greer f

Scottish and English: from the Scottish surname, which originated in the Middle Ages from a contracted form of GREGOR. It has become known as a female name in the English-speaking world through the fame of the actress Greer Garson (b. 1908), whose mother's maiden name it was.
Variant: Grier.

Back  -   New Search

Greg m

English and Scottish: short form of GREGORY or GREGOR.
Variants: Gregg, Greig (chiefly Scottish, and generally a transferred use of the surname so spelled, which is itself a derivative of the given name).

Back  -   New Search

Greger m

Swedish form of GREGORY.

Back  -   New Search

Gregers m

Danish and Norwegian form of GREGORY (from Latin Gregorius).

Back  -   New Search

Grégoire m

Traditional French form of GREGORY.

Back  -   New Search

Gregor m

Scottish form of GREGORY, currently undergoing a revival in popularity. In part it represents an Anglicized form of Gaelic Griogair, which gave rise to the Highland surname MacGregor. This is derived in turn from the Norman French form of Gregory (see GRÉGOIRE).

Back  -   New Search

Gregory m

English and Scottish: via Latin Gregorius from the post-classical Greek name Gregrios ‘watchful’ (a derivative of gregrein to watch, be vigilant). The name was an extremely popular one with the early Christians, who were mindful of the instruction ‘be sober, be vigilant’ (1 Peter 5: 8): it was borne by a number of early saints. The most important, in honour of whom the name was often bestowed from medieval times onwards, were Gregory of Nazianzen (c.329–90), Gregory of Nyssa (d. c.395), Gregory of Tours (538–94), and Pope Gregory the Great (c.540–604). The name has traditionally been particularly popular in Scotland, where it often took the form GREGOR.
Cognates: Irish Gaelic: Gréagóir. Scottish Gaelic: Griogair. Welsh: Grigor. French: Grégoire; Grégory (Provençal in origin, now more fashionable than the traditional form). Italian, Spanish, Portuguese: Gregorio. Dutch, Frisian: Joris. Swedish: Greger. Danish, Norwegian: Gregers. Polish: Grzegorz. Czech: eho. Russian: Grigori. Hungarian: Gergely. Finnish: Reijo.
Short forms: English: Greg. Scottish: Greg(g), Greig.
Pet forms: Spanish: Goyo, Goito. Russian: Grisha.

Back  -   New Search

Greville m

English: transferred use of the surname, which is a Norman baronial name from Gréville in La Manche. The Greville family were earls of Warwick, and held Warwick Castle from the time of Queen Elizabeth I, who granted it to her favourite Fulke Greville (1554–1628).

Back  -   New Search

Greta f

Short form of Margareta (see MARGARET), used particularly in Sweden, Germany, and Ireland. It became fairly popular in the English-speaking world as a result of the fame of the Swedish-born film actress Greta Garbo (1905–92; b. Greta Louisa Gustafsson).

Back  -   New Search

Grete f

German and Danish: short form of Margarete (see MARGARET), now also occasionally used as an independent given name in the English-speaking world.
Pet form: German: Gretel (made famous by the story of Hansel and Gretel, the ‘babes in the wood’ in Grimm's Fairy Tales).

Back  -   New Search

Gretta f

English: variant spelling of GRETA.

Back  -   New Search

Griet f

Low German, Dutch, and Frisian: short form of Margriet (see MARGARET), now used as an independent given name.
Variants: Greet, Gret.
Pet forms: Grietje, Greetje, Gretje.

Back  -   New Search

Griff m

Welsh: informal short form of GRIFFITH.

Back  -   New Search

Griffin m

Welsh: from a medieval Latinized form, Griffinus, of GRIFFITH.

Back  -   New Search

Griffith m

Welsh: Anglicized form of Gruffudd or Griffudd, Old Welsh Grip-(p)iud. The second element of this means ‘lord, prince’, but the first is extremely uncertain. Gruffydd ap Llewellyn (d. 1063) was one of the most able rulers of Wales in the Middle Ages, scoring some notable victories over the English until he was eventually defeated by King Harold in 1063.
Short form: Griff.
Pet forms: Guto; Gutun, Gutyn.

Back  -   New Search

Grigori m

Russian form of GREGORY.
Pet form: Grisha.

Back  -   New Search

Griogair m

Scottish Gaelic form of GREGOR.
Variant: Griogal (a dialectal form).

Back  -   New Search

Griselda f

Scottish and English: of uncertain origin, possibly from a Germanic name composed of the elements gris grey + hild battle. It became popular in the Middle Ages with reference to the tale of ‘patient Griselda’ (told by Boccaccio and Chaucer), who was taken as a model of the patient, long-suffering wife.
Variant: Scottish: Grizel.

Back  -   New Search

Grisha m

Russian: pet form of GRIGORI.

Back  -   New Search

Grit f

German: short form of Margrit (see MARGARET).
Variants: Gritt, Gritta.

Back  -   New Search

Grizel f

Scottish: vernacular form of GRISELDA. The name has now almost or completely died out, no doubt in part because of its similarity to the vocabulary word grizzle meaning ‘to grumble or whine’.

Back  -   New Search

Gro f

Scandinavian (esp. Norwegian): from an Old Norse female personal name of uncertain derivation. It may derive from the Norse verb gróa to grow, increase, or possibly be related to the Celtic element gruach woman.

Back  -   New Search

Grover m

English: transferred use of the surname, which originated as a local name for someone who lived near a grove of trees (Old English grf). Use as a given name may be partly due to the American president Stephen Grover Cleveland (1837–1908), who was generally known as ‘Grover Cleveland’.

Back  -   New Search

Grunya f

Russian: pet form of AGRAFENA.

Back  -   New Search

Grusha f

Russian: pet form of AGRAFENA.

Back  -   New Search

Grzegorz m

Polish form of GREGORY.

Back  -   New Search

Guadalupe f

Spanish: name reflecting a title of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Guadalupe. Guadalupe is a place in the province of Cáceres, so called from Arabic wd al-lubb river of the wolf; it was the site of a famous Hieronymite convent, founded in the 14th century, which possesses a celebrated image of the Virgin. In 1531 a Mexican peasant saw a vision of the Virgin Mary, in which she allegedly declared herself to be the ‘Lady of Guadalupe’; it has been suggested that this choice of title was inspired by the name of a native Mexican goddess, derived from Nahuatl coatl serpent.
Pet form: Lupita,

Back  -   New Search

Gudrun f

Scandinavian: from an Old Norse female personal name composed of the elements guð god + rn secret lore. In Norse legend this was the name borne by the heroine of the Volsungasaga, sister of Gunnar and wife of Sigurd, whose destruction she brought about. The name was revived in the second part of the 19th century, and is now also used in Germany and to some extent in the English-speaking world, probably under the influence of Wagner, although the character of Gutrune in Wagner's Götterdämmerung does not correspond to the Gudrun of the Volsungasaga.
Pet form: Norwegian: Guro (informal).

Back  -   New Search

Guglielmo m

Italian form of WILLIAM.

Back  -   New Search

Guido m

Italian form of GUY. Two important saints of this name lived in the 11th century: an abbot of Pomposa, near Ferrara, and a bishop of Acqui in Monferrato, Piedmont.

Back  -   New Search

Guilherme m

Portuguese form of WILLIAM.

Back  -   New Search

Guillaume m

French form of WILLIAM.

Back  -   New Search

Guillem m

Catalan form of WILLIAM.

Back  -   New Search

Guillermo m

Spanish form of WILLIAM.

Back  -   New Search

Guinevere f

English: from the Old French form of the Welsh name Gwenhwyfar, composed of the elements gwen white, fair, blessed, holy + hwyfar smooth, soft. It is famous as the name of King Arthur's beautiful wife, who in most versions of the Arthurian legends is unfaithful to him, having fallen in love with Sir Lancelot. See also GAYNOR and JENNIFER.

Back  -   New Search

Gull f

Scandinavian: pet form of the various women's names of Old Norse origin containing the first element guð god. It has also been associated with gull gold, and is now much used in Swedish compound names such as Gull-Britt, Gull-Lis, and Gull-Maj.

Back  -   New Search

Gumersinda f

Spanish: from a Germanic (Visigothic) personal name composed of the elements guma man + sind path.
Short form: Sinda.

Back  -   New Search

Gunder m

Danish: variant of GUNNAR.

Back  -   New Search

Guni m

Jewish: name (meaning ‘painted, coloured’ in Hebrew) borne in the Bible by a son of Naphtali and grandson of Jacob (Genesis 46: 24).

Back  -   New Search

Gunilla f

Swedish: Latinized form of GUNNHILD, in use from the 16th century to the present day. It enjoyed a vogue of particular popularity in Sweden during the 1940s.

Back  -   New Search

Gunn f

Scandinavian: short form of the various women's names of Old Norse origin containing the first element gunnr strife, such as GUNNBORG, GUNNHILD, and GUNNVOR.
Variant: Gun.

Back  -   New Search

Gunnar m

Scandinavian form of GÜNTHER. The name is of West Germanic, not Old Norse, origin but has been used in Scandinavia since the time of the sagas at least.
Variant: Danish: Gunder.

Back  -   New Search

Gunnborg f

Scandinavian: from an Old Norse female personal name composed of the elements gunnr strife + borg fortification.
Variant: Gunborg.

Back  -   New Search

Gunne m

Scandinavian: from Old Norse Gunni, a short form of GUNNAR and of the various rarer male names of Old Norse origin containing the first element gunnr strife, such as Gunnbjörn (‘strife + bear’) and Gunnleif (‘strife + descendant’). In Norway it is occasionally used as a female name, from Old Norse Gunna, a short form of the various female names containing this same element.

Back  -   New Search

Gunnhild f

Scandinavian: from an Old Norse female personal name composed of the nearly synonymous elements gunnr strife + hildr battle. The name has been in common use since the Viking period. It lies behind the English surnames Gunnell and Cunnell.
Variant: Gunhild.

Back  -   New Search

Gunnvor f

Scandinavian: from an Old Norse female personal name composed of the elements gunnr strife + vor cautious, wary.
Variants: Gunvor; Gunver (chiefly Danish).

Back  -   New Search

Günther m

German: from an old Germanic personal name composed of the elements gund strife + heri, hari army, warrior. According to Germanic legend, as recounted in the Nibelungenlied, Günther was the name of a king of Burgundy, brother-in-law of the warrior hero Siegfried. Siegfried obtains the beautiful Brunhild as wife for Günther, but the outcome is tragedy and destruction: Brunhild contrives Siegfried's death; Siegfried's widow Kriemhild, Günther's sister, takes her revenge by destroying Günther, Brunhild, and all their house. This grisly story was taken up by Richard Wagner and adapted for his opera Götterdämmerung (1876), and the revival of popularity of the name probably owes something to Wagner. The name has long been popular in German-speaking countries, in spite of the tragic story with which it is associated. On a more historical level, its currency in the Middle Ages probably owed something to the Blessed Günther (955–1045), a Bavarian monk, who was a cousin of St Stephen of Hungary.
Variants: Gunt(h)er, Günter.
Cognates: Scandinavian: Gunnar; Gunder (Danish).

Back  -   New Search

Guro f

Norwegian: informal pet form of GUDRUN.

Back  -   New Search

Gurutz m

Basque: name expressing devotion to the Cross. The vocabulary word gurutz is a borrowing from Latin (cf. CRUZ), but in Basque the name is a male one, not female.

Back  -   New Search

Gus m

English, Scottish, and Irish: short form of AUGUSTUS, ANGUS, or Gustave (see GUSTAV). In the case of Gus the Theatre Cat, a character in T. S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats (1939), it is a short form of Asparagus!

Back  -   New Search

Gustav m

Scandinavian: from an Old Norse personal name composed of the tribal name Gautr + the element stafr staff. According to some scholars this name is of Slavonic origin (cf. DAGMAR), and originally had the form Gostislav or Goslav. It has been borne by various kings of Sweden, beginning with Gustav Vasa (?1496–1560), who was elected king in 1523 after freeing Sweden from Danish rule.
Variants: Gustavus (Latinized). Swedish: Gustaf, Gösta.
Cognates: French: Gustave (used also occasionally in the English-speaking world). Finnish: Kustaa, Kyösti. Dutch: Gustaaf, Staaf.

Back  -   New Search

Guto m

Welsh: pet form of Gruffudd (see GRIFFITH).
Variants: Gutun, Gutyn.

Back  -   New Search

Guy m

English and French (of Norman origin): from a short form of a compound Germanic name having as its first element witu wood or wt wide. In Norman French initial w- regularly became gu-, and the usual Norman forms of the name were Gy or Guido. In medieval Latin the same name occurs as Wido. It was a popular name among the Normans, enhanced no doubt by the romance of Guy of Warwick, recounting the exploits of a folk hero of the Crusades.
Cognates: Italian: Guido. Dutch: Veit.

Back  -   New Search

Gwalchmai m

Welsh: traditional name composed of the elements gwalch hawk + mai plain. In the Mabinogi, Gwalchmai (or Gwalchmei) is the name of one of King Arthur's nine captains, ‘the most distinguished for his fighting ability and his noble bearing’.

Back  -   New Search

Gwallter m

Welsh form of WALTER.

Back  -   New Search

Gwatcyn m

Welsh form of WATKIN.

Back  -   New Search

Gwen f

Welsh and English: short form of GWENDOLEN or GWENLLIAN, or an independent name from Welsh gwen, the feminine form of gwyn white, fair, blessed, holy (see GWYN). It was borne by a 5th-century saint, aunt of St David and mother of the minor saints Cybi and Cadfan, and by a reputed daughter of Brychan.

Back  -   New Search

Gwenda f

Welsh and English: of modern origin, composed of the vocabulary words gwen white, fair, blessed, holy (see GWEN) + da good.

Back  -   New Search

Gwendolen f

Welsh and English: apparently composed of the elements gwen white, fair, blessed, holy + dolen ring, bow. According to Geoffrey of Monmouth, this was the name of the wife of the mythical Welsh king Locrine, who, however, left her for a German princess called Estrildis. Gwendolen in revenge had Estrildis and her daughter Sabrina drowned in the River Seven. The name is borne by one of the principal characters in Oscar Wilde's play The Importance of Being Earnest (first performed in 1895).
Variants: Gwendolin, Gwendolyn; Gwendoline (formed under the influence of the many female given names ending in -line).

Back  -   New Search

Gwenfrewi f

Welsh: from gwen white, fair, blessed, holy + frewi reconciliation. This was borne by a 7th-century Welsh saint around whom a large body of legends grew up. It has been Anglicized as WINIFRED.

Back  -   New Search

Gwenhwyfar f

Welsh form of GUINEVERE.

Back  -   New Search

Gwenllian f

Welsh: traditional name composed of the elements gwen, feminine form of gwyn white, fair, blessed, holy + lliant flood, flow (probably in the transferred sense ‘foamy, white’, referring to a pale complexion).

Back  -   New Search

Gwenyth f

Welsh and English: variant of GWYNETH. It may alternatively be based on Welsh gwenith wheat, a word used in poetry to mean ‘the favourite’ or ‘the pick of the bunch’.

Back  -   New Search

Gwerful f

Welsh: traditional name composed of gwair bend, ring, circle + the mutated form of mul shy, modest.
Variants: Gweirful, Gwerfyl.

Back  -   New Search

Gwilym m

Welsh form of WILLIAM, in use since the Middle Ages, and currently undergoing a revival in popularity.

Back  -   New Search

Gwladus f

The original Welsh spelling of GLADYS, occasionally revived in recent years.
Variant: Gwladys.

Back  -   New Search

Gwyn m.

Welsh: originally a byname from Welsh gwyn white, fair, blessed, holy. See also WYN.

Back  -   New Search

Gwynedd m

Welsh: name taken from a region of medieval North Wales (now resurrected as the name of a new composite county in Wales).

Back  -   New Search

Gwyneth f

Welsh: altered form of GWYNEDD, used as a female name. Its popularity from the late 19th century, at first in Wales and then more widely in the English-speaking world, seems to have been due originally to the influence of Annie Harriet Hughes (1852–1910), who adopted the pen-name Gwyneth Vaughan.

Back  -   New Search

Gwynfor m

Welsh: coined in the 20th century, apparently from the elements gwyn white, fair, blessed, holy + the mutated unaccented form of mawr great, large, found in this form in a number of placenames.

Back  -   New Search

Gwythyr m

Welsh: traditional name derived in sub-Roman times from the Latin name VICTOR. A character with this name appears in the Mabinogi.
Variant: Gwydyr.

Back  -   New Search

Gyles m

English: variant spelling of GILES.

Back  -   New Search

György m

Hungarian form of GEORGE.

Back  -   New Search

Gyz m

Hungarian: name meaning ‘conqueror’, used as a loan translation of VICTOR.

Back  -   New Search

Gytha f

English: from an Old English female personal name, a short form of various compound names containing the element gyð strife. This name was born in the 11th century by the wife of Godwin, Earl of Wessex. It was revived in Victorian times and has been occasionally used since then.

Back  -   New Search

Gyula m

Hungarian form of JULIUS.

Back  -   New Search

H

Habacuc m

Biblical name, meaning ‘embrace’ in Hebrew, borne by one of the twelve minor prophets, author of the book of the Bible that bears his name. The name is hardly, if ever, used in modern times, but was occasionally used by Puritans and Dissenters from the 17th century to the 19th.
Variant: Habakkuk (spelling used in the Authorized Version of the Bible).

Back  -   New Search

Hadassah f

Jewish: Hebrew name (Esther 2: 7) of the biblical queen more commonly known by her Persian name ESTHER. It is sometimes used as a modern given name by Jews.
Short form: Dassah.

Back  -   New Search

Hagen m

Danish form of HÅKAN.

Back  -   New Search

Hagar f

Biblical name (meaning ‘flight’ in Hebrew, although the biblical character so called was Egyptian) borne by a handmaid of Abraham's wife Sarah. Sarah let Hagar conceive a child by Abraham since she herself was barren, but she later resented her and treated her so harshly that she fled. Hagar was sent back by an angel, and her son Ishmael became Abraham's first child.

Back  -   New Search

Haidee f

English: as the name of a character in Byron's poem Don Juan (1819–24), this may have been intended to be connected with the classical Greek adjective aidoios modest. In modern use it is taken as a variant of HEIDI.

Back  -   New Search

Håkan m

Swedish: from the Old Norse personal name Hákon, composed of the elements h horse or high + konr son, descendant.
Variant: Hakon (an older form).
Cognates: Danish: Hagen. Norwegian: Håkon.

Back  -   New Search

Hal m

English: short form of HARRY, of medieval origin. It was used by Shakespeare in King Henry IV as the name of the king's son, the future Henry V. Substitution of -l for -r has also occurred in derivatives of Terry (Tel), Derek (Del), and in girls' names such as Sally (from Sarah).

Back  -   New Search

Haldor m

Scandinavian: from an Old Norse personal name composed of the element hallr rock + a derivative of the divine name Pórr Thor, the god of thunder.
Variant: Halldor (chiefly Norwegian).

Back  -   New Search

Hale m

English: transferred use of the surname, originally a local name for someone living in a nook or recess (Old English halh).

Back  -   New Search

Haley f

English: variant spelling of HAYLEY.

Back  -   New Search

Halina f

Polish: of uncertain derivation. It seems to be a form of either GALINA or HELEN.

Back  -   New Search

Hall m

English: transferred use of the surname, originally a local name for someone, usually a servant or retainer, who lived at a manor house (Old English heall).

Back  -   New Search

Halle m

Scandinavian: short form of the names HALSTEN and HALVARD, or a pet form of HARALD.

Back  -   New Search

Halsten m

Swedish: from an Old Norse personal name composed of the nearly synonymous elements hallr rock + steinn stone.
Variant: Hallsten.
Cognate: Norwegian: Hallstein.

Back  -   New Search

Halvard m

Scandinavian: from an Old Norse personal name composed of the elements hallr rock + varðr guardian, watcher, defender.
Variants: Halvor; Hallvard, Hallvor (chiefly Norwegian); Halvar (Swedish).

Back  -   New Search

Halvdan m

Scandinavian: from an Old Norse personal name, originally a byname for someone who was of partly Danish stock (from Old Norse hálfr half + the ethnic name Danr). The personal name was a relatively common one in the Viking period and lies behind the English surname Haldane.

Back  -   New Search

Hamilton m

English (mainly U.S.) and Scottish: transferred use of the Scottish and American surname. Use as a given name seems to have begun in America in honour of Alexander Hamilton (?1757–1804), who was Secretary of the Treasury under George Washington and did much to establish the political and financial system on which the industrial growth and prosperity of the United States came to be founded. He was killed in a duel with the irascible Aaron Burr. The surname was brought to Scotland in or before the 13th century from a village (now deserted) called Hamilton or Hameldune, near Barkby in Leicestershire (named with the Old English elements hamel blunt, flat-topped, or crooked + dun hill). It became the surname of an enormously widespread and influential family, who acquired many titles, including the dukedom of Hamilton. The town near Glasgow so called is named after the family, not vice versa.

Back  -   New Search

Hamish m

Scottish: Anglicized spelling of the vocative case, Sheumais, of the Gaelic version of JAMES; see SEUMAS.

Back  -   New Search

Hana f

Czech: short form of JOHANA.

Back  -   New Search

Handel m

From the surname of the composer, adopted as a given name particularly by the music-loving Welsh (cf. HAYDN). Georg Friedrich Handel (1685–1759), who came to England with George I when he succeeded to the English throne in 1714, is regarded as one of the greatest exponents of the baroque. His surname is derived from a diminutive form of the given name HANS.

Back  -   New Search

Hank m

English: originally a medieval back-formation from Hankin, which is composed of Han (a short form of Jehan JOHN) + the Middle English diminutive suffix -kin. However, the suffix was mistaken for the Anglo-Norman diminutive -in, hence the form Hank, Hank is now sometimes used as an independent given name in America, where it is usually taken as a pet form of HENRY. It has more or less died out in Britain.

Back  -   New Search

Hanke m

Low German: pet form from a short form of JOHAN.

Back  -   New Search

Hannah f

Biblical: name of the mother of the prophet Samuel (1 Samuel 1: 2), Hebrew Hanna, from a Hebrew word meaning ‘He (God) has favoured me (i.e. with a child)’ (see ANNE). This form of the name was taken up as a given name by the Puritans in the 16th and 17th centuries, and has always been a common Jewish name.
Derivative: Polish: Hania.

Back  -   New Search

Hanne f

German: short form of JOHANNA. The name is often used in combinations such as Hannelore.

Back  -   New Search

Hannes m

Short form of Johannes, the Latin form of JOHN. It is found in Dutch, and is a common name in South Africa, where the Latin forms of names (such as Jacobus, Petrus, and Stephanus) are still very much in current use among Afrikaners.

Back  -   New Search

Hanni f

Swiss: pet form of HANNE.

Back  -   New Search

Hannibal m

English form of ANNIBALE, extremely rarely used as a given name.

Back  -   New Search

Hannu m

A Finnish form of JOHN.

Back  -   New Search

Hans m

German form of JOHN, derived from a shortened and contracted form of Latin Johannes.

Back  -   New Search

Hansi m f

German: 1 (m.) Pet form of HANS.

2 (f.) Less commonly, a pet form of JOHANNA, occasionally used as an independent given name, in line with other pet forms such as MAXI and MITZI.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Hansine f

German and Danish: feminine form of HANS, formed with the suffix seen in names such as Wilhelmine see WILHELMINA).

Back  -   New Search

Hanu m

Czech: pet form of JOHAN.
Variants: Hanuek, Hanek, Nuek.

Back  -   New Search

Happy f

English: from the English vocabulary word, occasionally used in the 20th century for the sake of the good omen of its meaning; cf. MERRY and GAY.

Back  -   New Search

Harald m

Scandinavian form of HAROLD. It has been popular in Norway, Sweden, and Denmark uninterruptedly from the time of the very earliest records, and was borne by several medieval kings of Norway and Denmark. Harald Fairhair (?850–933) was the first proper king of Norway, and presided over a remarkable period of Viking civilization. During his reign the first substantial wave of Scandinavian settlers migrated to Iceland.
Pet form: Halle.

Back  -   New Search

Harbert m

Dutch form of HERBERT.
Variant: Harbrecht.

Back  -   New Search

Harding m

English: transferred use of the surname, which is derived from a medieval English given name. The Old English form was Hearding, a derivative (originally patronymic in form) of Heard ‘hardy, brave, strong’, a byname or short form of the various compound personal names containing this element.

Back  -   New Search

Harlan m

English (esp. U.S.): transferred use of the surname, originally a local name from any of various places in England, mostly named with the Old English elements hara hare + land. Use as a given name honours the American judge John Marshall Harlan (1833–1911), a conservative Republican who was nevertheless a pioneering supporter of civil rights in the Supreme Court.
Variant: Harland.

Back  -   New Search

Harold m

English: from an Old English personal name composed of the elements here army + weald ruler, reinforced before the Norman Conquest by the Scandinavian cognate Haraldr, introduced by Norse settlers. The name was not common in the later Middle Ages, perhaps because it was associated with King Harold, the loser at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. It was revived in the 19th century, along with a number of other Old English names.
Cognates: Scandinavian: Harald. Scottish Gaelic: Arailt, Haral.

Back  -   New Search

Harper m f

English (mainly U.S.): transferred use of the surname, originally an occupational name for someone who played the harp. As a female name it has been borne in particular by the southern American writer Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird (1960).

Back  -   New Search

Harriet f

English: Anglicized form of French Henriette, a feminine diminutive of HENRY (French Henri) coined in the 17th century. It was quite common in England in the 18th and early 19th centuries. In Scotland it has been used as an Anglicized form of OIGHRIG.
Pet form: Hattie.

Back  -   New Search

Harriette f

English: variant of HARRIET, probably coined to look more ‘feminine’, but it could be a reconstructed form, blending HARRIET with its source Henriette.

Back  -   New Search

Harrison m

English: transferred use of the surname, which originated as a patronymic, meaning ‘son of HARRY’

Back  -   New Search

Harry m

English: pet form of HENRY, sometimes used as an independent name. This was the usual English form of HENRY in the Middle Ages and later, and was the form used by Shakespeare as the familiar name of the mature King Henry V (compare HAL). The intermediate form Herry probably arose from the French pronunciation with a nasalized vowel, or it may be the result of straightforward assimilation; the change of -er- to -ar- was a regular feature of late Middle English.
Pet form: Hal.

Back  -   New Search

Hartley m

English: transferred use of the surname, originally a local name from any of the numerous places so called. Most (for example, those in Berkshire, Dorset, Hampshire, and Kent) are so called from Old English heorot hart, male deer + léah wood or clearing. One in Northumbria is from heorot + hlw hill, and one in Cumbria is probably from harað wood + cl claw, i.e. river-fork.

Back  -   New Search

Hartmann m

German: from an old Germanic personal name composed of the elements hard hardy, brave, strong + man man. The Blessed Hartmann (d. 1164) enjoyed a cult in Austria. Hartmann von Aue (c.1170–c.1220) was an influential writer of chivalric romances. See also ERDMANN.

Back  -   New Search

Hartmut m

German: from an old Germanic personal name composed of the elements hard hardy, brave, strong + muot spirit, courage. See also ERDMUT.

Back  -   New Search

Hartwig m

German: from an old Germanic personal name composed of the elements hard hardy, brave, strong + wg battle. The Blessed Hartwig was archbishop of Salzburg 991–1023.

Back  -   New Search

Hartwin m

German: from an old Germanic personal name composed of the elements hard hardy, brave, strong + wine friend.
Cognate: Italian: Arduino.

Back  -   New Search

Harvey m

English: transferred use of the surname, which is of Breton origin, from a personal name composed of the elements haer battle + vy worthy. It was introduced to Britain by the Bretons who settled in East Anglia and elsewhere in the wake of the Norman Conquest.
Cognate: French: Hervé (a direct borrowing of the Breton personal name).
Short form: English: Harv(e).

Back  -   New Search

Haskel m

Jewish (U.S.): altered form of HESKEL, made to correspond with the non-Jewish surname Haskel, which is a medieval English derivative of the Old Norse personal name Áskell, composed of the elements ás god, divinity + ketill sacrificial cauldron.

Back  -   New Search

Hattie f

English: pet form of HARRIET, now rarely used.

Back  -   New Search

Hava f

Jewish: modern Hebrew form of EVE.

Back  -   New Search

Havel m

Czech form of GAWE.
Pet forms: Háva, Havelek, Havlík.

Back  -   New Search

Haya f

Jewish: name meaning ‘life’ in Hebrew. It represents a feminine form of HYAM.

Back  -   New Search

Haydn m

From the surname of the composer, adopted in his honour particularly by the music-loving Welsh (cf. HANDEL). Josef Haydn (1732–1809) was court composer and kapellmeister to the powerful Count Nicholas Esterhazy, and spent most of his working life at the Esterhazy palace near Vienna. His surname is a respelling of the nickname Heiden ‘heathen’ (Middle High German heiden, Old High German heidano).

Back  -   New Search

Hayley f

English: transferred use of the surname, which derives from a placename, probably Hailey in Oxfordshire, which was originally named from Old English hg hay + lah clearing. Its use as a given name began only in the 1960s, inspired by the actress Hayley Mills, daughter of Sir John Mills and Mary Hayley Bell, but it has enjoyed great popularity since then.
Variant: Haley.

Back  -   New Search

Hazel f

English: from the vocabulary word denoting the tree (Old English hæsel), or its light reddish-brown nuts. This is one of the most successful of the names coined in the 19th century from words denoting plants, and it has enjoyed continuous popularity. The fact that it also denotes an eye colour may have influenced its continuing choice.

Back  -   New Search

Heather f

English: from the word denoting the hardy, brightly coloured plant (Middle English hather; the spelling was altered in the 18th century as a result of folk etymological association with heath). The name was first used in the late 19th century; it has been particularly popular since about 1950.

Back  -   New Search

Hebe f

English (pronounced as two syllables): from a Greek name, a feminine form of + adjective hbos young. This was borne in Greek mythology by a minor goddess who was a personification of youth. She was a daughter of Zeus and the wife of Hephaistos; it was her duty to act as cup-bearer to the gods. The name was taken up in England in the late 19th century, but it has fallen out of fashion again.

Back  -   New Search

Heber m

1 Biblical: name, meaning ‘enclave’ in Hebrew, borne by various minor characters. This name has only occasionally been used outside Ireland (see below).

2 Irish: from the Gaelic name Éibhear, assimilated in form to the biblical name. Éibhir was the name of the son of Míl, leader of the Gaelic race that, according to legend, first conquered Ireland. This is still a common given name among the McMahon families.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Hector m

1 English and Scottish (also French and Spanish): name borne in classical legend by the Trojan champion, who was killed by the Greek Achilles. His name (Greek Hektr) seems to be an agent derivative of Greek ekhein to check, restrain.

2 Scottish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name EACHANN.
Cognates: Italian: Ettore. Portuguese: Heitor.
Pet form: Scottish: Heckie.
Feminine form: Scottish: Hectorina.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Hedda f

Scandinavian: pet form of HEDVIG. It is widely known in the English-speaking world as the name of the eponymous heroine of Henrik Ibsen's play Hedda Gabler (1890).
Cognate: Italian: Edda.

Back  -   New Search

Heddwyn m

Welsh: modern coinage, composed of the elements hedd peace + (g)wyn white, fair, blessed, holy. Use as a given name was popularized by the fame of the young poet Ellis Humphrey Evans who posthumously won the bardic chair at the National Eisteddfod in 1917, having been killed in the First World War; his bardic name was Hedd Wyn.

Back  -   New Search

Hedley m

English: transferred use of the surname, originally a local name from any of various places in Durham and Northumbria so called from Old English hp heather + lah wood or clearing.

Back  -   New Search

Hedvig f

Scandinavian form of HEDWIG, popular in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It is borne by the young girl who is the central character in Henrik Ibsen's play The Wild Duck (1886).

Back  -   New Search

Hedwig f

German: from an old Germanic female personal name composed of the elements hadu contention + wg war. The Blessed Hedwig or Hadwigis (d. c.887) was the Benedictine abbess of Herford in Westphalia.
Cognates: French: Edwige. Italian: Edvige. Scandinavian: Hedvig. Polish: JADWIGA.
Czech: Hedvika.
Pet form: Scandinavian: Hedda.

Back  -   New Search

Heidi f

Swiss: pet form of ADELHEID, now also popular in the English-speaking world, as a result of the cult of Johanna Spyri's popular children's classic Heidi (1881).

Back  -   New Search

Heike f

Low German: contracted pet form of HENRIKE. It has now attained a wider popularity in the German-speaking world as an independent given name.

Back  -   New Search

Heikki m

Finnish form of HENRY.

Back  -   New Search

Heiko m

Low German and Frisian: pet form of HENRIK.

Back  -   New Search

Heilyn m

Welsh: traditional name, originally an occupational byname for a steward or wine-pourer, composed of the stem of the verb heilio to prepare, wait on + the diminutive suffix -yn. The name is borne in the Mabinogi by two characters: Heilyn the son of Gwynn the Old, and Heilyn the Red, son of Cadwgawn.

Back  -   New Search

Heino m

German: from an old Germanic personal name, a short form of various names containing the element heim home, as for example Heimbert (‘home famous’) and Heinrad (‘home counsel’). It has been revived in modern times as a pet form of HEINRICH.

Back  -   New Search

Heinrich m

German form of HENRY.
Feminine form: Heinrike.

Back  -   New Search

Heinz m

German: pet form of HEINRICH, used as such since the Middle Ages, and now extremely popular as a given name in its own right.

Back  -   New Search

Heitor m

Portuguese form of HECTOR, which enjoys considerable popularity. It was borne, for example, by the Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887–1959).

Back  -   New Search

Heledd f

Welsh: traditional name of uncertain derivation. It was borne by a semi-legendary princess of the 7th century, in whose name a lament for her brother's death was composed in the 9th century.
Variant: Hyledd.

Back  -   New Search

Helen f

English form of the name (Greek Hln) borne in classical legend by the famous beauty, wife of Menelaus, whose seizure by the Trojan prince Paris sparked off the Trojan War. Her name is of uncertain origin; it may be connected with an element meaning ‘ray, beam of the sun’ cf. Greek hlios sun. It has sometimes been taken as connected with the Greek word for ‘Greek’, Helln, but this is doubtful speculation. In the early Christian period the name was borne by the mother of the Emperor Constantine, who is usually known by the Latin version of her name, Helena. She is credited with having found the True Cross in Jerusalem. She was born in about 248, probably in Bithynia. However, in medieval England it was thought that she had been born in Britain, which greatly increased the popularity of the name there.
Variant: Helena (Latinate form, used also in Germany, the Netherlands, Scandinavia, and E. Europe).
Cognates: Irish Gaelic: Léan. Scottish Gaelic: Eilidh. French: Hélène. Italian, Spanish, Portuguese: Elena. German: Helene. Romanian: Ileana. Russian: Yelena. Ukrainian: Olena. Hungarian: Ilona. See also ELLEN and ELEN.
Short forms: German, Dutch, Scandinavian: Lena. German, Dutch: Lene.

Back  -   New Search

Helfgott m

German: reversed variant of GOTTHELF. Among Jews this given name has been popular as a translation of the Hebrew names AZRIEL or ELIEZER.

Back  -   New Search

Helga f

German and Scandinavian: feminine form of HELGE. It was introduced to England before the Conquest, but did not survive long. It has been reintroduced to the English-speaking world in the 20th century from Scandinavia and Germany.
Variant: Hella.

Back  -   New Search

Helge m

Scandinavian: from an early medieval personal name, a derivative of the adjective heilagr prosperous, successful (from Old Norse heill hale, hearty, happy). The word later developed the meaning ‘blessed, holy’, with the result that the name seemed a particularly suitable choice to give expression to pious hopes.
Variant: Helje (Danish).

Back  -   New Search

Hella f

German and Scandinavian: assimilated variant of HELGA.

Back  -   New Search

Helma f

German: short form of HELMINE, or an independently formed Latinate feminine derivative of WILHELM.

Back  -   New Search

Helmfried m

German: from an old Germanic personal name composed of the elements helm helmet, protection + fred, frid peace.
Variants: Helmfrid, Helfried.

Back  -   New Search

Helmine f

German: short form of WILHELMINA.

Back  -   New Search

Helmut m

German: from an old Germanic personal name composed of the elements helm helmet, protection + muot spirit, courage. Although both these elements are well attested in other names from the earliest times, this particular combination does not seem to occur before the late Middle Ages. It continues to be an extremely popular and widespread German given name.
Variant: Helmuth.

Back  -   New Search

Héloïse f

French: variant of ÉLOISE, which enjoyed a revival of popularity in the 18th century after publication of Rousseau's philosophical novel La Nouvelle Héloïse (1761).

Back  -   New Search

Hemming m

Scandinavian: of disputed origin, probably a derivative of Old Norse hamr shape, in which case it could have been a byname for a ‘shape changer’ or werewolf.

Back  -   New Search

Hendrik m

Dutch and Scandinavian form of HENRY.

Back  -   New Search

Henning m

Low German and Danish: derivative (originally patronymic in form) of a short form of HENRIK and also of Johannes (see JOHN).

Back  -   New Search

Henri m

French form of HENRY.

Back  -   New Search

Henrietta f

English: Latinate form of French Henriette, a feminine diminutive of HENRI. This form of the name enjoyed a vogue from the late 19th century until well into the 20th century. In Scotland it has been used as an Anglicized form of OIGHRIG. See also HARRIET.
Pet forms: Hettie, Hattie.

Back  -   New Search

Henrik m

Low German, Scandinavian, and Hungarian form of HENRY. It has enjoyed great popularity in recent years, especially in Denmark.
Pet forms: Low German: Heiko, Henning. Danish: Henning.

Back  -   New Search

Henrike f

German: feminine form of HEINRICH.
Pet form: Low German: Heike.

Back  -   New Search

Henry m

English: a perennially enduring given name, of Continental Germanic origin, composed of the elements haim home + rc power, ruler. It was introduced to Britain by the Normans, and has been borne by eight kings of England. In its various European cognate forms and in the Latin form Henricus, it has been borne by kings and princes in many countries of Europe. Henry the Fowler (c.876–936), Duke of Saxony, was elected King of the Germans and became the first of a long succession of bearers of the name to rule in central Europe. It was also borne by six kings of France and four kings of Castile and Leon. In England it was not until the 17th century that the form Henry (rather than HARRY) became the standard vernacular form, mainly as a result of the influence of Latin Henricus and French Henri.
Cognates: Irish Gaelic: Anraí, Éinrí. Scottish Gaelic: Eanraig. French: Henri. Italian: Enrico. Spanish: Enrique. Catalan: Enric. Portuguese: Henrique. Romanian: Henric. German: Heinrich. Low German: Henrik, Hinrich. Dutch: Hendrik. Scandinavian: Hen(d)rik. Polish: Henryk. Czech: Jindich. Finnish: Heikki. Hungarian: Henrik; See also IMRE.
Pet forms: English: HAL, HANK, HARRY. Spanish: Quique. German: Heino, Heinz. Low German: Heiko, Henning. Danish: Henning.

Back  -   New Search

Hephzibah f

Biblical name meaning ‘my delight is in her (i.e. a new-born daughter)’. This was borne by the wife of Hezekiah, King of Judah; she was the mother of Manasseh (2 Kings 21). It is also used in the prophecies of Isaiah as an allusive name for the land of Israel (cf. BEULAH).
Variant: Hepzibah.

Back  -   New Search

Herb m

English: short form of HERBERT, used especially in the United States.
Pet form: Herbie.

Back  -   New Search

Herbert m

English, German, and French: of Continental Germanic origin, introduced to Britain by the Normans. It is composed of the elements heri, hari army + berht bright, famous. A form of this name (Herebeorht) existed in England before the Conquest, at which time it was replaced by the Continental form introduced by the Normans. This gave rise to an important surname. The family were earls of Pembroke in the 16th and 17th centuries, and the poet George Herbert was a member of the family. By the end of the Middle Ages Herbert was little used as a given name, and its greater frequency in Britain from the 19th century onwards owes something to the trend for the revival of medieval names of Germanic origin and something to the trend for the transferred use of surnames.
Variant: German: Heribert.
Cognate: Dutch: Harbert.
Short form: English: Herb.
Pet form: English: Herbie.

Back  -   New Search

Hercules m

Latin form of the name of the Greek mythological hero Herakles, whose name means ‘glory of Hera’. He was the son of Zeus, king of the gods, by Alcmene, a mortal woman. In many versions of the legend, despite the meaning of the name, Hera, chief goddess in the Greek pantheon and wife of Zeus, is portrayed as the implacable enemy of Hercules, the child of her unfaithful husband. Hercules was noted for his exceptional physical strength; according to the myth, he was set a daunting series of twelve labours, and after successfully completing them he was made a god. The name has occasionally been used in the English-speaking world, under European influence. In the Highlands of Scotland it has been used as an Anglicized form of the rare Gaelic name Athairne.
Derivatives: French: Hercule. Italian: Ercole.

Back  -   New Search

Heribert m

German: historical form of HERBERT, currently undergoing a modest revival.

Back  -   New Search

Herleif m

Scandinavian: from an Old Norse personal name composed of the elements herr army + leifr heir, descendant.
Variants: Härlief, Herlof; Herluf (Danish form).

Back  -   New Search

Herlindis f

Dutch: of Germanic origin, composed of the elements heri, hari army + lind weak, tender, soft. St Herlindis (d. c.745) was the first abbess of Aldeneyck on the Meuse; she was succeeded by her sister Relindis.
Cognates: German: Herlinde (not a common given name). Spanish: Herlinda.

Back  -   New Search

Herman m

English form of HERMANN. The name was in use among the Normans, and enjoyed a limited revival in Britain in the 19th century, when it also became common in America, most probably as a result of the influence of German settlers.

Back  -   New Search

Hermann m

German: from an old Germanic personal name composed of the elements heri, hari army + man man. The given name was popular in the 19th century, when it was widely believed to have been borne by the early Teutonic national leader Arminius the Cheruscan, mentioned by Tacitus (see ARMIN).
Cognate: Italian: Ermanno.

Back  -   New Search

Hermenegildo m

Spanish and Portuguese: of Germanic (Visigothic) origin, composed of the elements ermen, irmen whole, entire + gild sacrifice. St Hermenigild (d. 585) was a son of the Visigothic king Leovigild; he is considered a martyr, though the reasons behind the revolt against his father which led to his death were at least as much political as religious.
Variant: Ermenegildo.
Cognates: Italian: Ermenegildo. French: Ermenegilde.

Back  -   New Search

Hermia f

Latinate derivative of the name of the Greek god Hermes (cf. HERMIONE). This was used by Shakespeare for the name of a character in A Midsummer Night's Dream (1595). The name is occasionally also used in Germany, where it is taken as a Latinate version of HERMINE.

Back  -   New Search

Hermine f

German: feminine form of HERMANN, formed on the lines of Wilhelmine (see WILHELMINA). The name is now also used in France.

Back  -   New Search

Hermione f

Name borne in classical mythology by a daughter of Helen and Menelaus, who grew up to marry her cousin Orestes. It is evidently a derivative of Hermes, name of the messenger god, but the formation is not clear. The name was used by Shakespeare for one of the main characters in A Winter's Tale, and is still occasionally used in the 20th century.

Back  -   New Search

Hernán m

Spanish form of FERDINAND, a variant of FERNÁN.

Back  -   New Search

Hernando m

Spanish form of FERDINAND, regular in the Middle Ages, but now much less common than FERNANDO.

Back  -   New Search

Hershel m

Jewish (Yiddish): pet form of HIRSH, derived from a dialect variant.
Variants: Herschel, Heshel, Heshi.

Back  -   New Search

Hertha f

German: apparently the result of a misreading of the name of the Germanic goddess Nertha (cf. NJORD), mentioned by the Roman historian Tacitus. For a similar ‘accidental’ coining, cf. IMOGEN.
Variant: Herta.

Back  -   New Search

Hervé m

French (originally Breton) form of HARVEY.

Back  -   New Search

Heshel m

Jewish (Yiddish): variant of HERSHEL. The form Heshi is also found.

Back  -   New Search

Heskel m

Jewish: Yiddish form of EZEKIEL. See also HASKEL.

Back  -   New Search

Hesketh m

English: transferred use of the surname, originally a local name from any of the various places in northern England named with the Old Norse elements hestr horse + skeiör racecourse. Horse racing and horse fighting were favourite sports among the Scandinavian settlers in England.

Back  -   New Search

Hester f

English: variant of ESTHER, of medieval origin. For a long while the two forms were interchangeable, the addition or dropping of h- being commonplace in a whole range of words, but now they are generally regarded as two distinct names.

Back  -   New Search

Hettie f

English: pet form of HENRIETTA and occasionally also of HESTER, now rarely used either as such or as an independent name.

Back  -   New Search

Hewie m

Scottish and N. English: variant spelling of HUGHIE.

Back  -   New Search

Hieronymus m

Latinate form of JEROME, still used in Germany, especially in Catholic Bavaria and in the north German Rhineland.

Back  -   New Search

Hilary m, f

English: from the medieval form of the (post-classical) Latin masculine name Hilarius (a derivative of hilaris cheerful) and its feminine form Hilaria. From the Middle Ages onwards, the name was borne principally by men (in honour of the 4th-century theologian St Hilarius of Poitiers). Now, however, it is more commonly given to girls.
Variant: Hillary.
Cognates (all masculine): Welsh: Ilar. French: Hilaire. Italian: Ilario. Spanish, Portuguese: Hilario. Russian: Ilari. See also VIDOR.

Back  -   New Search

Hilda f

English, German, Dutch, and Scandinavian: of Germanic origin, a Latinized short form of any of several female names containing the element hild battle (e.g. HILDEGARD). Many of these are found in both Continental Germanic and Old English forms. St Hilda (614–80) was a Northumbrian princess who founded the abbey at Whitby and became its abbess. Hilda was a popular name in England both before and after the Norman Conquest. Its popularity waned in Tudor times, but it never quite died out, and was strongly revived in the 19th century.
Variants: English: Hylda. German: Hilde.
Cognate: Hungarian: Ildikó.
Masculine forms: Dutch: Hild, Hildo.

Back  -   New Search

Hildebrand m

German: from an old Germanic personal name composed of the elements hild battle + brand (flaming) sword. The name was borne by a saint (c.1020–85) who became pope under the name of Gregory VII.

Back  -   New Search

Hildegard f

German, Scandinavian, and English: from an old Germanic female personal name composed of the elements hild battle + gard enclosure. It was borne by the second wife of Charlemagne and by the mystical writer Hildegard of Bingen (1098–1179).

Back  -   New Search

Hillel m

Jewish: Hebrew name (apparently derived from the Hebrew word meaning ‘praise’) borne in the Bible by the father of one of the Judges of Israel (Judges 12: 13). It was also the name of an outstanding 1st-century rabbi and has been a popular Jewish name as a result of his fame.

Back  -   New Search

Hillevi f

Danish: reworking of the rare German name Heilwig, which is composed of the Germanic elements heil whole, safe + wg war. The name is now also more widely used in Scandinavia.

Back  -   New Search

Hilppa f

Finnish form of PHILIPPA.

Back  -   New Search

Hiltraud f

German: from an old Germanic female personal name composed of the elements hild battle + trd strength. St Hiltrude (d. c.790) was a Benedictine nun who lived as a recluse near Liesses.
Variant: Hiltrud.

Back  -   New Search

Hinde f

Jewish: from Yiddish hinde hind, female deer (modern German Hinde), originally an affectionate pet name or female equivalent of HIRSH.

Back  -   New Search

Hinrich m

Low German form of HEINRICH.

Back  -   New Search

Hippolyte m

French: from Greek Hippolytos, composed of the elements hippos horse + lyein to loose, free. The name was borne by several early saints, including an important 3rd-century ecclesiastical writer. In classical legend it had been borne by an unfortunate youth who was the object of his stepmother's love and met his death in a chariot accident. The popularity of the name in France was increased by the use of the legend as the subject of a tragedy by Racine (1677).
Cognates: Italian: Ippolito. Spanish, Portuguese: Hipolito. Catalan: Hipòlit, Pòlit.

Back  -   New Search

Hiram m

Biblical name, borne by a king of Tyre who is repeatedly mentioned in the Bible (2 Samuel 2: 11; 1 Kings 5; 9: 11; 10: 11; 1 Chronicles 14: 1; 2 Chronicles 2: 11) as supplying wood, craftsmen, and money to enable David and Solomon to construct various buildings. It was also the name of a craftsman of Tyre who worked in brass for Solomon (1 Kings 7: 13). The name is presumably of Semitic origin, but is probably a Phoenician name; if it is Hebrew, it may be an aphetic form of Ahiram ‘brother of the exalted’. In England, the name was taken up by the Puritans in the 17th century, but soon dropped out of use again. It is still used in America.

Back  -   New Search

Hirsh m

Jewish: from a Yiddish vocabulary word meaning ‘hart, deer’ (modern German Hirsch). See also ZVI.
Variant: Hirsch.

Back  -   New Search

Hjalmar m

Scandinavian: from an Old Norse personal name composed of the elements hjálmr helmet, protection + herr army, warrior. The name was revived towards the end of the 18th century, and for this reason it did not undergo the usual Swedish development, which would yield Hjälmar (a form which, however, now also occurs).

Back  -   New Search

Hjördis f

Scandinavian: from an Old Norse female personal name composed of the elements hjorr sword + dís goddess.

Back  -   New Search

Holger m

Scandinavian: from an Old Norse personal name composed of the elements hólmr island + geirr spear. The name was borne by a character of medieval romance, one of Charlemagne's generals, known in English as Ogier the Dane. One tale about him is that he quarrelled with the emperor after Charlemagne's son Charlot had killed his own son. He was flung into prison, but agreed to lead an army against the attacking Saracens on condition that Charlot was handed over to him. When this request was granted he spared his life, won a great victory, and was reconciled with Charlemagne and richly rewarded by him. This form of the name results from mediation through Old French sources, where it fell together with a different Germanic name having the first element odal riches, prosperity, fortune.
Pet form: Hogge.

Back  -   New Search

Hollie f

English: variant spelling of HOLLY, altered in accordance with the vague convention that spellings in -ie are more appropriate for girls.

Back  -   New Search

Holly f

English: from the vocabulary word denoting the evergreen shrub or tree (Middle English holi(n), Old English holegn). The name was first used at the beginning of the 20th century, and has been particularly popular since about 1960. It is bestowed especially on girls born around Christmas, when sprigs of holly are traditionally taken indoors to decorate rooms.
Variant: HOLLIE.

Back  -   New Search

Homer m

English (esp. U.S.): the usual English form of the name of the Greek epic poet Homros, now regularly used as a given name in America (cf. VIRGIL). Many theories have been put forward to explain the ancient Greek name of the poet, but none is conclusive. It is identical in form with the Greek vocabulary word homros hostage.

Back  -   New Search

Honey f

English: from the vocabulary word, Old English huneg. Honey was used throughout the Middle Ages in place of sugar (which was only introduced from the New World in the 16th century), and the word has long been used as an expression of endearment. Its modern life as a given name was prompted by use as such in Margaret Mitchell's novel Gone with the Wind, which was made into a film in 1939, the enormous popularity of which yielded several other modern given names, such as SCARLETT and RHETT.

Back  -   New Search

Honore f

French form of HONORIA, also used occasionally in the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Honoré m

French: from the Late Latin name Honortus meaning ‘honoured’, borne by various early saints, including Honoratus of Toulouse (3rd century), Honoratus of Arles (d. 429), and Honoratus of Amiens (d. c.600).

Back  -   New Search

Honoria f

Feminine form of the Late Latin male name Honorius (a derivative of honor honour), which was borne by various early saints, including a 7th-century archbishop of Canterbury. It is occasionally used in the English-speaking world as an elaborated form of HONOUR.

Back  -   New Search

Honorine f

French: from the Late Latin name Honorina, a derivative of HONORIA. St Honorina was one of the early martyrs of Gaul, but nothing is known of her life.

Back  -   New Search

Honour f

English: from the vocabulary word honour (via Old French from Latin honor). The name was popular with the Puritans in the 17th century and has survived to the present day.
Variants: Honor esp. U.S.); Honora esp. Ireland; cf. NORA).

Back  -   New Search

Hope f

English: from the vocabulary word hope (Old English hopa), denoting the quality, in particular the Christian quality of expectation in the resurrection and in eternal life. The name was created by the Puritans and has been one of their most successful coinages. The given name is still fairly common, and has its existence independently of the vocabulary word. It has probably been reinforced by transferred use of the surname Hope, which is derived from the dialect term hope meaning ‘enclosed valley’ (Old English hop).

Back  -   New Search

Hopkin m

English and Welsh: transferred use of the surname, now found mainly in Wales. It is derived from a medieval given name, a pet form (with the hypocoristic suffix -kin) of Hob, which is a short form of ROBERT that probably had its origin through English mishearing of the Norman pronunciation of R-.
Variant: Hopcyn (a Welsh spelling).

Back  -   New Search

Horace m

English and French: from the old Roman family name HORATIUS. The name was once widely used among admirers of the Roman poet Horace (Quintus Horatius Flaccus), but it is at present out of fashion. See also HORATIO.
Cognate: Italian: Orazio.

Back  -   New Search

Horatia f

Feminine form of Latin HORATIUS. It has never been common in the English-speaking world, but was borne, for example, by the daughter of Horatio, Lord Nelson.

Back  -   New Search

Horatio m

English: variant of HORACE, influenced by the Latin form HORATIUS and the Italian form Orazio. Horatio has occasionally been used in the English-speaking world; for example, it was borne by the admiral Horatio Nelson (1758–1805)

Back  -   New Search

Horatius m

Latin: an old Roman family name, which is of obscure, possibly Etruscan, origin. Its most famous bearer by far was the Roman poet Quintus Horatius Flaccus (65–8 BC), gene ly nown in English as HORACE. From the mid-19th century, the name has occasionally been used by English speakers in its original Latin form. This probably owes more to the Lays of Ancient Rome (1842) by Thomas Babbington Macaulay than to the poet Horace. Macaulay relates, in verse that was once popular, the exploit of an early Roman hero, recounting ‘How Horatius kept the bridge’.

Back  -   New Search

Hoek m

Czech: pet form of eho, the Czech form of GREGORY.
Variant: Hoík.

Back  -   New Search

Horst m

Low German: apparently from the vocabulary word horst wood, wooded hill (cf. Old English hyrst, which lies behind the many English placenames in -hurst). It is not clear why this should have given rise to a given name; an alternative suggestion is that it may derive from the Old Saxon personal name Horsa ‘horse’, altered by association with the related Hengist ‘stallion’. (Hengist and Horsa were 5th-century leaders of the first Germanic settlers in England.) The name Horst is first recorded in the 15th century; it is now quite common throughout the German-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Hortense f

French form of Latin Hortensia, the feminine version of the old Roman family name Hortensius. This is of uncertain origin, but may be derived from Latin hortus garden. The given name began to be used in the English-speaking world in the 19th century, but is not common today.

Back  -   New Search

Howard m

English: transferred use of the surname of an English noble family. The surname has a large number of possible origins, but in the case of the noble family early forms often have the spelling Haward, and so it is probably from a Scandinavian personal name composed of the elements h high + ward guardian. (The traditional derivation from the Old English name Hereweard ‘army guardian’ is untenable.)

Back  -   New Search

Howell m

English and Welsh: Anglicized form of the Welsh name HYWEL, or a transferred use of the surname derived from that name.

Back  -   New Search

Hrothgar m

Old English cognate form of ROGER. The name is borne in the Old English narrative poem Beowulf by the Danish king who suffered the depradations of the monster Grendel for twelve years. In modern times it has been borne by Hrothgar J. Habakkuk (b. 1915), a former vice-chancellor of Oxford University.

Back  -   New Search

Hubert m

English, French, German, and Dutch: of Germanic origin, composed of the elements hug heart, mind, spirit + berht bright, famous. It was popular among the Normans, who introduced it to Britain, where it was later reinforced by settlers from the Low Countries. An 8th-century St Hubert succeeded St Lambert as bishop of Maastricht and is regarded as the patron of hunters, since, like St Eustace, he is supposed to have seen a vision of Christ crucified between the antlers of a stag; he is sometimes called ‘the apostle of the Ardennes’. The name is at present some hat out of fashion.
Variants: German: Huppert, Hupprecht. Dutch: Hubrecht, Hubertus.
Short forms: Dutch: Huub, Huib.

Back  -   New Search

Hugh m

English: of Germanic origin, brought to Britain by the Normans. It is derived from the element hug heart, mind, spirit. Originally, the name was a short form of various compound names containing this element. Little Hugh of Lincoln was a child supposed in the Middle Ages to have been murdered by Jews in about 1255, a legend responsible for several outbursts of anti-Semitism at various times. The story is referred to by Chaucer in The Prioress's Tale. He is not to be confused with St Hugh of Lincoln (1140–1200), bishop of Lincoln (1186–1200), who was noted for his charity and good works, his piety, and his defence of the Church against the State.
In Scotland and Ireland this has been used as an Anglicized form of the Gaelic names AODH, ÙISDEAN, and sometimes EÓGHAN.
Variant: Hugo (Latinized; also used in Dutch and German).
Cognates: French: HUGUES. Italian: Ugo. Welsh: Huw.
Feminine form: Scottish: Hughina.

Back  -   New Search

Hughie m

1 English: pet form of HUGH.

2 Scottish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Eódhnag, a derivative of Àdhamhnan (see EUNAN).
Variant: Hewie.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Hugues m

French form of HUGH. This name was borne by Hugues Capet (?938–96), ruler of France (987–96) and founder of the Capetian dynasty.

Back  -   New Search

Huguette f

French: feminine diminutive form of HUGUES.
Variant: Huette.

Back  -   New Search

Hùisdean m

Scottish Gaelic: variant of ÙISDEAN.

Back  -   New Search

Hulda f

1 Biblical name (meaning ‘weasel’ in Hebrew) borne by a prophetess who foretold to Josiah the destruction of Jerusalem (2 Kings 22).

2 Swedish: 18th-century derivation from the adjective huld sweet, lovable. The name has also been adopted in Denmark, Norway, and Germany.
Variant (of 1): Huldah.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Humbert m

English, French, and German: of Germanic origin, introduced to Britain by the Normans. It is composed of the elements hun bear-cub, warrior + berht bright, famous. It was not common in Britain in the Middle Ages, and has always had a Continental flavour. It was used by Vladimir Nabokov for the name of the demented pederast, Humbert Humbert, who is the narrator in his novel Lolita (1955). This has no doubt contributed to its demise as a given name in the English-speaking world.
Cognate: Italian: UMBERTO.

Back  -   New Search

Humphrey m

English: of Germanic origin, introduced to Britain by the Normans. It is composed of the elements hun bear-cub, warrior + fred, frid peace. A form of this name (Hunfrith) existed in England before the Conquest, but it was replaced by the Norman Continental version Hunfrid. The spelling with -ph-reflects classicizing influence. It has always enjoyed a modest popularity in England. Perhaps its best known bearer was the Duke of Gloucester (1391–1447), youngest son of King Henry IV, known as ‘Duke Humphrey’. He was noted as a patron of literature, and founded what is now part of the Bodleian Library at Oxford. In Ireland this has been used as an Anglicized form of Gaelic AMHLAOIBH.
Variant: Humphry.
Cognate: Welsh: Wmffre.
Pet form: English: Huffie.

Back  -   New Search

Huub m

Dutch: short form of HUBERT.

Back  -   New Search

Huw m

Welsh form of HUGH, now sometimes also used in other parts of the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Hyacinth f

English form of the name borne in classical mythology by a beautiful youth (Hyakinthos in Greek, Hyacinthus in Latin) who was accidentally killed by Apollo and from whose blood sprang a flower bearing his name (not the modern hyacinth, but a type of dark lily). The name was later borne by various early saints, principally one martyred in the 3rd century with his brother Protus. This gave encouragement to its use as a male name in Christian Europe, including, occasionally, Britain. However, in Britain at the end of the 19th century there was a vogue for coining new female names from vocabulary words denoting plants and flowers (e.g. DAISY, IVY). Hyacinth accordingly came to be regarded as an exclusively female name. It has never been common. However, the Spanish, Portuguese, and Polish cognates given below are still used as male names.
Cognates (masculine): Spanish, Portuguese: Jacinto. Polish: JACENTY.
Pet form: Polish: JACEK.

Back  -   New Search

Hyam m

Jewish: from the Hebrew word hayyim life. Several different transliterations are in use; another common one is CHAIM. This name is sometimes added to the existing name of a seriously ill person during prayers for his recovery.

Back  -   New Search

Hylda f

English: variant spelling of HILDA.

Back  -   New Search

Hyledd f

Welsh: variant of HELEDD.

Back  -   New Search

Hyman m

Jewish: altered form of HYAM, influenced by the common Yiddish name element man man.
Variant: Hymen (altered form, perhaps under the influence of Hymen in Latin and Greek, which was the name of the god of marriage).

Back  -   New Search

Hymie m

Jewish: pet form of HYMAN or HYAM.

Back  -   New Search

Hywel m

Welsh: traditional name, originally a byname from a vocabulary word meaning ‘eminent, conspicuous’. This name was common in the Middle Ages and lies behind the Anglicized surname Howell. In the 20th century it has been revived and now enjoys great popularity.
Variants: Hywell; Howell (Anglicized).

Back  -   New Search

I

Iagan m

Scottish Gaelic: modern spelling of Aodhagán, a diminutive form of AODH (cf. EGAN). From this given name is derived the surname Mac Iagain, Anglicized as MacKeegan.

Back  -   New Search

Iaione f

Basque equivalent of NATIVIDAD.

Back  -   New Search

Ian m

Scottish version of JOHN, now very widely used as an independent given name in the broader English-speaking world, where it has largely lost its connection both with Scotland and with John. The Gaelic form Iain is popular in Scotland.

Back  -   New Search

Iarlaith m

Irish Gaelic: name composed of the elements ior, of uncertain meaning, + flaith prince, leader.
Anglicized form: JARLATH.

Back  -   New Search

Ib m

Danish: relatively common name, attested since the Middle Ages, probably a vernacular development of JACOB (via Jep).

Back  -   New Search

Ida f

English: originally a Norman name, of Germanic origin, derived from the element íd work. This died out during the later Middle Ages. It was revived in the 19th century, mainly as a result of its use in Tennyson's The Princess (1847) as the name of the central character, who devotes herself to the cause of women's rights and women's education in a thoroughly Victorian way. The name is also associated with Mount Ida in Crete, which was connected in classical times with the worship of Zeus, king of the gods, who was supposed to have been brought up in a cave on the mountainside.

Back  -   New Search

Idony f

English: medieval name derived from the Old Norse female personal name Iðunnr, which is also the name of a goddess in Old Norse mythology. It is probably a derivative of the element ið again: Iðunnr was in charge of the gods' apples of eternal youth. The name has sometimes been Latinized as Idonea, as if from the feminine form of the Latin adjective idoneus suitable.

Back  -   New Search

Idoya f

Spanish: name assumed in honour of the Virgin of Idoia, a place in the Basque country so called from an element meaning ‘pool’ or ‘pond’.

Back  -   New Search

Idris m

Welsh: traditional name composed of the elements iud lord + rs ardent, impulsive. It was common in the Middle Ages and earlier, and has been strongly revived since the late 19th century.

Back  -   New Search

Idwal m

Welsh: traditional name composed of the elements iud lord, master + (g)wal wall, rampart.

Back  -   New Search

Idzi m

Polish form of GILES.

Back  -   New Search

Iestyn m

Welsh form of JUSTIN, occasionally used in modern times.

Back  -   New Search

Ieuan m

The original Welsh form of JOHN, from Latin Johannes. Later forms are Iefan (Anglicized as EVAN) and Ifan.

Back  -   New Search

Ifor m

Welsh: traditional name of uncertain derivation. It has sometimes been Anglicized as IVOR, but there is in origin no connection between the two names.

Back  -   New Search

Ignatius m

Late Latin name, derived from the old Roman family name Egnatius (of uncertain origin, possibly Etruscan). This was altered in the early Christian period by association with Latin ignis fire. It was borne by various early saints, and more recently by St Ignatius Loyola (1491–1556), who founded the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits). In the modern English-speaking world it seems to be used exclusively by Roman Catholics. In Ireland it has been used as an Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Eighneachán (see AENEAS).
Derivatives: French: Ignace. Italian: Ignazio. Spanish: Ignacio. German: Ignatz. Dutch: Ignaas. Polish: Ignacy. Czech: Ignác. Basque: Iñaki. See also INIGO.
Short form: Spanish: Nacio.
Pet forms: Spanish: Nacho. Polish: Ignacek, Nacek. Czech: Ignácek, Nác(i)ek.

Back  -   New Search

Igor m

Russian: variant form of IVOR, one of the names taken to Russia at the time of the first Scandinavian settlement of Kiev in the 9th century (cf. OLEG, OLGA, and RURIK).

Back  -   New Search

Ike m

English: pet form of ISAAC. However, it was made famous in the 20th century as the nickname of the American general and president Dwight D. Eisenhower, (1890–1969), in whose case it was based on the surname.

Back  -   New Search

Ikerne f

Basque equivalent of VISITACIÓN.

Back  -   New Search

Ilana f

Modern Jewish name, meaning ‘tree’ in Hebrew.
Masculine form: Ilan.

Back  -   New Search

Ilar m

Welsh form of the male name HILARY.

Back  -   New Search

Ilari m

Russian form of the male name HILARY.

Back  -   New Search

Ilario m

Italian form of the male name HILARY.

Back  -   New Search

Ilayne f

English: apparently a fanciful respelling of ELAINE.

Back  -   New Search

IldikÓ f

Hungarian: a derivative of German Hilde (see HILDA).

Back  -   New Search

Ileana f

Romanian form of HELEN.

Back  -   New Search

Ilene f

English: apparently a fanciful respelling of EILEEN.

Back  -   New Search

Ilie m

Romanian form of Elias (see ELLIS).
Feminine form: Ilinca.

Back  -   New Search

Ilka f

Hungarian: pet form of ILONA.

Back  -   New Search

Illarion m

Russian: from Greek Hilarion, a derivative of Hilarios (see HILARY). St Hilarion (c.291–c.371) was a famous hermit born at Gaza in Palestine; he desired to live a solitary, contemplative life, but was continually forced to move on by the crowds that flocked to follow him.

Back  -   New Search

Illtud m

Welsh: traditional name composed of the elements il, el multitude + tud land, people. The name was borne by a famous Welsh saint (d. c.505) who founded the abbey of Llantwit (originally Llan-Illtut ‘church of Illtud’).
Variant: Illtyd (a modern spelling).

Back  -   New Search

Ilona f

Hungarian form of HELEN, now also sometimes used in the English-speaking world.
Pet form: Ilka.

Back  -   New Search

Ilse f

German: short form of ELIZABETH.

Back  -   New Search

Ilya m

Russian form of Elias (see ELLIS).

Back  -   New Search

Imanol m

Basque form of EMMANUEL.

Back  -   New Search

Imelda f

Italian and Spanish: of Germanic origin. It seems to be composed of the elements irm(en), erm(en) whole, entire + hild battle.

Back  -   New Search

Imke f

Low German: pet form of Imma, an assimilated byform of IRMA. Imke is now quite widely used as an independent given name in northern Germany.

Back  -   New Search

Immacolata f

Italian: name reflecting a title of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Maria Immacolata, referring to the doctrine of her Immaculate Conception; cf. CONCEPCIÓN. The name is also sometimes used by Roman Catholics in the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Immaculata f

Latin form of IMMACOLATA, used in Ireland by Roman Catholics.

Back  -   New Search

Immanuel m

Variant of EMMANUEL, used in the Old Testament. This is the usual German form of the name, and was borne, for example, by the philosopher Immanuel Kant (1724–1804). In the English-speaking world this spelling in particular is generally a Jewish name.

Back  -   New Search

Imogen f

English: the name owes its existence to a character in Shakespeare's Cymbeline (1609), but in earlier accounts of the events on which the play is based this character is named as Innogen. The modern form of the name is thus due to a misreading of these sources by Shakespeare, or of the play's text by his printer. The name Innogen is of Celtic origin, probably connected with Gaelic inghean girl, maiden.

Back  -   New Search

Imre m

Hungarian form of the Germanic name Emeric or Emmerich. This seems to be a byform of HENRY, but it has possibly also absorbed a rarer name composed of the elements amal work + rc rule. St Emeric (1007–31) was the son and heir of St Stephen of Hungary. In spite of his comparatively short life, he was canonized together with his father in 1063.

Back  -   New Search

Ina f

English and Scottish: short form of any of the various female names ending in this syllable (often a Latinate feminine suffix), for example CHRISTINA, GEORGINA, KATRINA. Scottish examples include DOLINA and Murdina (see MURDO); the pronunciation is usually /-an/ rather than /-i:n/ as in England.

Back  -   New Search

Iñaki m

Basque form of IGNATIUS.

Back  -   New Search

Indalecio m

Spanish: from Latin Indaletius, a name of obscure derivation. St Indaletius was a 1st-century evangelist of Spain who worked principally at Urci in Almería and is believed to have died a martyr.

Back  -   New Search

India f

English: presumably from the name of the subcontinent, and apparently taken into regular use as a result of its occurence in Margaret Mitchell's novel Gone with the Wind (1936), which contributed a remarkable number of given names to the English language. In the case of India Hicks, Lord Mountbatten's granddaughter, the name was chosen because of her family's association with, and affection for, India.

Back  -   New Search

Inés f

Spanish form of AGNES. The name is now also used, without the accent, in the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Inês f

Portuguese form of AGNES; cf. INÉS.

Back  -   New Search

Inga f

Swedish: short form of the various female names of Old Norse origin containing as their first element the name of the fertility god Ing, as, for example, INGEBORG, INGEGERD, and INGRID. It is now widely used as an independent given name.

Back  -   New Search

Inge f, m

1 (f.) German and Danish: short form of INGEBORG or, in the case of Danish, of any of the other female Scandinavian names with Ing(e)- as a first element.

2 (m.) Swedish: short form of various male names, such as INGEMAR and INGVAR, with Ing(e)- as a first element.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Ingeborg f

Scandinavian and German: from an Old Norse female personal name composed of the name of the fertility god Ing + borg fortification.

Back  -   New Search

Ingegerd f

Scandinavian: from an Old Norse female personal name composed of the name of the fertility god Ing + garðr enclosure, stronghold.
Variant: Swedish: Ingegärd.

Back  -   New Search

Ingemar m

Scandinavian: from an Old Norse personal name composed of the name of the fertility god Ing + the element mærr famous. The contracted form Ingmar is also used, notably as the name of the Swedish film director, Ingmar Bergman (b. 1918).

Back  -   New Search

Inger f

Swedish: variant form of both INGEGERD and INGRID, attested from the 16th century.

Back  -   New Search

Ingram m

English: transferred use of the surname, which is derived from a medieval given name. This was probably a contracted form of the Norman name Engelram, composed of the Germanic ethnic name Engel Angle + hramn raven. It is also possible that in some cases the first element was the name of the Old Norse fertility god, Ing.

Back  -   New Search

Ingrid f

Scandinavian and German: from an Old Norse female personal name composed of the name of the fertility god Ing + fríðr fair, beautiful. It was introduced into the English-speaking world in the 20th century and became extremely popular, largely because of the fame of the Swedish film actress Ingrid Bergman (1915–82).

Back  -   New Search

Ingvar m

Scandinavian: from an Old Norse personal name composed of the name of the fertility god Ing(w)- + arr warrior.
Variant: Yngvar.

Back  -   New Search

Inigo m

English: from the medieval Spanish given name Íñigo, a vernacular derivative of IGNATIUS, apparently the result of crossing with a name recorded in the Middle Ages as Ennecus. This is of uncertain, possibly Basque, origin. Íñigo is now rarely used as a given name in Spain. In the English-speaking world it is mainly associated with the architect and stage designer Inigo Jones (1573–1652). The name had previously been borne by his father, a London clothmaker, who may well have received it at around the time of Queen Mary's marriage to Philip of Spain, when Spanish ways and Spanish names were fashionable, especially among devout Roman Catholics. The architect passed it on to his son, but later occurrences are rare.

Back  -   New Search

Inmaculada f

Spanish: name corresponding to Italian IMMACOLATA.

Back  -   New Search

Innes m, f

Scottish: Anglicized form based on the pronunciation of the Gaelic name Aonghas (see ANGUS). It is also a surname, and use as a female name is in part the result of a regular trend (cf. e.g. LESLEY), but may have been influenced by adoption in the English-speaking world of the Spanish name INÉS.

Back  -   New Search

Innokenti m

Russian: from Late Latin Innocentius, a derivative of innocens innocent, harmless. The name was borne by various early saints venerated in the Eastern Church, including the leader of a group of thirty-two martyrs who were killed at Sirmium, now Mitrovica, in the Balkans.
Cognates: Italian: Innocenzo. Spanish: Inocencio.
Pet form: Russian: Kenya.

Back  -   New Search

Iolanthe f

English: modern coinage based on the Greek elements iol violet + anthos flower, possibly also influenced by the name YOLANDE. The name is chiefly known as the title of a Gilbert and Sullivan opera.

Back  -   New Search

Iole f

English: from the name borne in classical mythology by a daughter of Eurytus of Oechalia. Herakles' infatuation with her led to his murder by his wife Deianeira. It represents the classical Greek vocabulary word meaning ‘violet’, and may in part have been chosen as a learned response to the 19th-century vogue for given names derived from vocabulary words denoting flowers and plants.

Back  -   New Search

Iolo m

Welsh: pet form of IORWERTH.
Variant: Iolyn.

Back  -   New Search

Ion m

Romanian and Basque form of JOHN.

Back  -   New Search

Iona f

Scottish and English: from the name of the tiny island in the Hebrides, off the west coast of Mull, where in 563 St Columba founded a monastery that became an important early centre of Christianity. It is said to result from a misreading of the Latin form of the island's name, Ioua, as Iona. Its Gaelic name is Ì, from Old Norse ey island. The given name is most common in Scotland, but is also used elsewhere in the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Ione f

English: 19th-century coinage, apparently with reference to the glories of Ionian Greece in the 5th century BC. No such name exists in classical Greek.

Back  -   New Search

Iorgu m

Romanian form of GEORGE.

Back  -   New Search

Iorwerth m

Welsh: traditional name composed of the elements ir lord + a mutated form of berth handsome. It is borne in the Mabinogi by the jealous brother of Madawg, son of Maredudd. Iorwerth came to be regarded as a Welsh form of EDWARD, but in origin it had no connection with that name.
Variant: Yorath.
Pet forms: IOLO, Iolyn.

Back  -   New Search

Iosif m

Russian form of JOSEPH (see also OSIP).

Back  -   New Search

Ipati m

Russian: from the Late Greek personal name Hypatios, a derivative of hypatos highest, best, adopted by early Christians because of its symbolic significance. The name was borne by several early saints venerated in the Eastern Church, notably a bishop of Ganyra in Paphlagonia who played a prominent part at the Council of Nicaea.
Pet form: Patya.

Back  -   New Search

Ippolito m

Italian form of HIPPOLYTE.

Back  -   New Search

Ira m

Biblical: name (meaning ‘watchful’ in Hebrew) borne by a character mentioned very briefly in the Bible, one of the chief officers of King David (2 Samuel 20: 26). In England it was taken up by the Puritans in the 17th century, and is still occasionally used, mainly in America.

Back  -   New Search

Iragarte f

Basque equivalent of ANUNCIACIÓN.

Back  -   New Search

Irena f

Latinate form of IRENE, used as a female given name in several languages, including Dutch, Polish, and Czech.

Back  -   New Search

Irene f

English: name (from Greek eirn peace) borne in Greek mythology by a minor goddess who personified peace, and by a Byzantine empress (752–803). The name was taken up in the English-speaking world at the end of the 19th century, and became popular in the 20th, partly as a result of being used as the name of a character in John Galsworthy's The Forsyte Saga (1922). It was formerly pronounced in three syllables, as in Greek, but is now thoroughly naturalized as an English name and usually pronounced as two syllables.
Cognates: IRENA. French: Irène. Russian: IRINA.

Back  -   New Search

Iréné m

French: from Iren(a)eus, Latin form of Greek Eirnaios ‘peaceable’ (see IRENE). This was favoured as a given name by the early Christians. St Irenaeus (c.125–c.202) was bishop of Lyons and a major early father of the Church.
Cognates: Dutch: Ireneus. Polish: Ireneusz. Russian: IRINEI.

Back  -   New Search

Irial m

Irish Gaelic: name of obscure derivation. It was borne by a son of the Ulster hero Conall Cearnach, and has been revived as a given name in the 20th century.

Back  -   New Search

Irina f

Russian form of IRENE, one of the commonest of all female names in the Soviet Union.
Variant: Arina (much less common).
Pet form: Orya.

Back  -   New Search

Irinei m

Russian: from Greek Eirnaios, a derivative of eirn peace (cf. IRENE). The name was borne by several early saints venerated in the Eastern Church. The form Irenei is also used; cf. IRÉNÉ.

Back  -   New Search

Iris f

English, German, and Dutch: name (from Greek iris rainbow) borne in Greek mythology by a minor goddess, one of the messengers of the gods, who was so named because the rainbow was thought to be a sign from the gods to men. In English her name was used in the 16th century to denote both the flower and the coloured part of the eye, on account of their varied colours. In modern English use the name is often taken as being from the word for the flower, but it is also in use in Germany, where there is no such pattern of flower names.

Back  -   New Search

Irma f

German: pet form of various female names beginning with the element irm(en), erm(en) whole, entire, such as IRMGARD and IRMTRAUD. Its origins are thus the same as those of EMMA. It was introduced to the English-speaking world at the end of the 19th century.

Back  -   New Search

Irmgard f

German: from an old Germanic female personal name composed of the elements irm(en), erm(en) whole, entire + gard enclosure. The Blessed Irmgard (d. 866), a great-granddaughter of Charlemagne, was abbess of Buchau and later of Chiemsee.

Back  -   New Search

Irmtraud f

German: variant of Ermtraud (see ERMINTRUDE).
Variant: Irmtrud.

Back  -   New Search

Irune f

Basque equivalent of TRINIDAD.

Back  -   New Search

Irving m

Scottish and English (chiefly U.S.): transferred use of the Scottish surname, which originated as a local name from a place in the former county of Dumfriesshire. The surname variant Irvine (which in most cases comes from a place in Ayrshire) is also used as a given name. One of the most famous of modern bearers was the lyricist Irving Berlin (b. 1888), but in his case the name was adopted: he was of Jewish origin, and was originally called Israel Baline.

Back  -   New Search

Irwin m

English: transferred use of the surname, which is derived from the medieval given name Erwin, composed of the Old English elements eofor boar + wine friend. There has also been some confusion with IRVING. See also ERWIN.

Back  -   New Search

Isaac m

Biblical name, borne by the son of Abraham, who was about to be sacrificed by his father according to a command of God which was changed at the last moment. A ram, caught in a nearby thicket, was sacrificed instead (Genesis 22: 1–13). Isaac lived on to marry Rebecca and become the father of Esau and Jacob. The derivation of the name is not certain; it has traditionally been connected with the Hebrew verb meaning ‘to laugh’. In the Middle Ages it seems to have been borne only by Jews, but it was taken up by the Puritans in the 17th century and has continued in use since then among Christians in the English-speaking world, although it is still more common among Jews.
Cognates: Hebrew: Yitzhak. Yiddish: Aizik. German: Izaak. Swedish: Isak.
Pet form: English (esp. U.S.): Ike.

Back  -   New Search

Isabel f

Spanish, French, and English: originally a Spanish version of ELIZABETH, which was coined by deletion of the first syllable and alteration of the final consonant sound to one that can normally end a word in Spanish. The name was imported into France in the early Middle Ages, and thence into England. It was a royal name, and its popularity may have been enhanced by the fact that it was borne by a queen of England—Isabella (1296–1358), daughter of Philip IV of France—even though she led a turbulent life and eventually had her husband, Edward II, murdered.
Variants: English: Isobel, Isbel; Isabella (Latinate form, which became popular in England in the 18th century).
Cognates: Scottish: Iseabail (Gaelic), Ishbel (Anglicized). Irish Gaelic: Isibéal, Sibéal.
Short form: English: Sabella.
Pet forms: English: Izzy, Izzie. Scottish Gaelic: Beileag.

Back  -   New Search

Isaiah m

English form of a biblical name (meaning ‘God is salvation’ in Hebrew) borne by the most important of the major prophets. Rather surprisingly perhaps, the name has never been common in the English-speaking world, apart from a brief flicker among the Puritans in the 17th century. In modern use it is either a Jewish name or an Anglicized version of one of the forms in other languages listed below.
Cognates: Italian: Isaia. French: Isaïe. Finnish: Esa.

Back  -   New Search

Isaura f

Spanish: from the Late Latin personal name Isaura, originally an ethnic byname denoting a woman from Isauria in Asia Minor.

Back  -   New Search

Isbel f

English and Scottish: contracted form of ISABEL and ISOBEL.

Back  -   New Search

Iseabail f

Scottish Gaelic form of ISABEL. The Anglicized spelling Ishbel, which is occasionally used, is based on the Gaelic pronunciation.
Pet form: Beileag.

Back  -   New Search

Iser m

Jewish: back-formation from Yiddish Iserl (a metathesized form of ISRAEL), the final -/ having been taken as a hypocoristic element.
Variant: Issur.

Back  -   New Search

Iseult f

English: variant of ISOLDE, from the medieval French form of the name.

Back  -   New Search

Ishbel f

Scottish: Anglicized form of Gaelic ISEABAIL.

Back  -   New Search

Ishmael m

Biblical name borne by Abraham's first son, the offspring of his barren wife's maidservant Hagar. It is composed of Hebrew elements meaning ‘to hearken’ and ‘God’; an angel told Hagar ‘Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the Lord hath heard thy affliction’ (Genesis 16: 11). The name is hardly ever used in the English-speaking world. In Islamic tradition, Ishmael or Ismail is believed to have been the ancestor of the Arabs.

Back  -   New Search

Isidora f

Feminine form of ISIDORE. This name was little used in the Middle Ages, but has recently become more popular as a result of the fame of the American dancer Isadora Duncan (1878–1927).
Variant: Isadora.

Back  -   New Search

Isidore m

English form (via Old French and Latin) of the Greek name Isidros, composed of the name of the goddess Isis (who was Egyptian in origin) + the Greek element dron gift. In spite of its pagan connotations the name was a common one among early Christians, and was borne, for example, by the great encyclopaedist St Isidore of Seville (c.560–636). By the late Middle Ages, however, it had come to be considered a typically Jewish name (although originally adopted as a Christianized version of ISAIAH).
Cognates: German: Isidor. Polish: Izydor.

Back  -   New Search

Isla f

Scottish: of recent origin, apparently taken from the usual pronunciation, /'al/, of the island-name Islay.
Masculine form: Islay (less common).

Back  -   New Search

Islwyn m

Welsh: taken from the name of a mountain in the county of Gwent, the name of which is composed of the elements is below + llwyn grove.

Back  -   New Search

Ismene f

Name borne in classical mythology by a daughter of Oedipus. Like the names of her mother Jocasta and her sister Antigone, it has been used occasionally in modern times by parents looking for an unusual name, in spite of the grim fate of the house of Oedipus. After Oedipus has blinded himself on discovering that he has killed his father and that Jocasta is not only his wife but also his mother, Ismene deserts her father, while Antigone stays with him and supports him.

Back  -   New Search

Isobel f

Variant of ISABEL, found mainly in Scotland. The contracted form Isbel also occurs.

Back  -   New Search

Isolde f

English: the name of the tragic mistress of Tristram in the Arthurian romances. There are several different versions of the story. The main features are that the beautiful Isolde, an Irish princess, is betrothed to the aged King Mark of Cornwall. However, through accidentally drinking a magic potion, she and the young Cornish knight Tristram fall in love, with tragic consequences. The story has exercised a powerful hold on the European imagination. The name was relatively common in Britain in the Middle Ages, but is much rarer today. The Welsh form Esyllt probably originally meant ‘of fair aspect’.
Variant: Iseult.

Back  -   New Search

Israel m

Biblical: the byname (meaning ‘he who strives with God’ in Hebrew) given to Jacob after he had wrestled with an angel: ‘Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed’ (Genesis 32: 28). The name was later applied to his descendants, the Children of Israel, and was chosen as the name of the modern Jewish state. The given name was used by the Puritans in the 17th century, but is now once again almost exclusively a Jewish name.
Derivatives: Yiddish: Sroel, Iser, Issur.

Back  -   New Search

Issachar m

Biblical: name, probably meaning ‘hireling’ in Hebrew, borne by one of the sons of Jacob: ‘And Leah said, God hath given me my hire, because I have given my maiden to my husband: and she called his name Issachar’ (Genesis 30: 18). The name is still borne by Jews, but is rare or unused among Gentiles.

Back  -   New Search

Issur m

Jewish: variant of ISER.

Back  -   New Search

István m

Hungarian form of STEPHEN. St Stephen of Hungary (975–1038), Duke of Hungary (997–1001) and first King of the Magyars (1001–1038), is the patron saint of Hungary. He continued the Christianization of the country begun by his father Géza, and is remembered as an effective ruler who created a strong and united nation.

Back  -   New Search

Ita f

English and Irish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Íde, of uncertain origin (possibly connected with Old Irish ítu thirst). This name was borne by a 6th-century saint who founded a convent in Limerick.

Back  -   New Search

Italo m

Italian: from Latin Italus, the name borne, according to Roman legend, by the father of the twins Romulus and Remus, founders of Rome. Italy (Latin Italia) is said to have got its name from him, but in fact the character was invented to explain the name of the country, which is of very uncertain derivation.
Feminine form: Itala.

Back  -   New Search

Itamar m

Jewish: Hebrew name (meaning ‘palm island’) borne in the Bible by a son of Aaron and brother of Eleazar (Exodus 6: 23; Leviticus 10: 1–7).

Back  -   New Search

Itzal f

Basque equivalent of AMPARO.

Back  -   New Search

Ivan m

Russian, Belorussian, Ukrainian and Czech form of JOHN, sometimes used in the English-speaking world in the 20th century.
Pet form: Russian: Vanya.
Feminine forms: Ukrainian: Ivanna. Czech: Ivana.

Back  -   New Search

Ivo m

Form of YVES used in Germany and occasionally in other countries. It represents the nominative case of the Latinized form of the name.
Variant: Ivon (derived from the oblique case of the name).

Back  -   New Search

Ivor m

1 English: of Scandinavian origin, from an Old Norse personal name composed of the elements ýr yew, bow + herr army, warrior.

2 Scottish: Anglicized form of the ancient Gaelic name Éibhear.
Cognates (of 1): Scandinavian: Ivar; Iver (Danish). Scottish Gaelic: Ìomhar, Ìmhear.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Ivy f

English: from the vocabulary word denoting the plant (Old English fig). This given name was coined at the end of the 19th century together with a large number of other female given names derived from words denoting flowers and plants. It is currently somewhat out of fashion.

Back  -   New Search

Iwo m

Polish form of YVES (cf. IVO).

Back  -   New Search

Izydor m

Polish form of ISIDORE.

Back  -   New Search

Izzy f

English: pet form of ISABEL.
Variant: Izzie.

Back  -   New Search

J

Jaakko m

Finnish form of JACOB.

Back  -   New Search

Jaap m

Dutch: pet form of JACOB.

Back  -   New Search

Jabez m

Biblical name, possibly meaning ‘sorrowful’ in Hebrew, borne by a descendant of Judah: ‘and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow’ (1 Chronicles 4: 9). The name is thus metathesized from Hebrew ya'zeb, but there are other cases of metathesis in biblical names. His name occurs in a long list of genealogies, and is memorable because of the characterizations given: he was ‘more honourable than his brethren’, and he called on God for material success and protection: ‘Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me.’ The Puritans found great support for their beliefs in this, especially since the Bible says explicitly that God granted his request. Consequently the name was particularly popular among Puritans and Dissenters from the 17th century onwards. It is out of fashion now.

Back  -   New Search

Jacek m

Polish: pet form of JACENTY, now more common than the original from which it is derived.
Short form: JACH.

Back  -   New Search

Jacenty m

Polish form of the male name HYACINTH. This was popular in Poland in earlier centuries, and is the source of the modern Polish given name JACEK. It owes less to the early Christian saints called Hyacinthus than to the Polish missionary St Jacenty (1185–1257). He was a canon of Cracow and was initiated into the Dominican order by St Dominic himself. He is said to have undertaken missionary journeys to Pomerania, Russia, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and even China and Tibet.

Back  -   New Search

Jach m

Polish and Czech: short form of any of several names beginning with Ja-, principally JAN, JAKUB, JOACHIM or JÁCHYM, and JACEK.

Back  -   New Search

Jáchym m

Czech form of JOACHIM.

Back  -   New Search

Jacinta f

Spanish: feminine form of JACINTO.
Cognate: French: Jacinthe.

Back  -   New Search

Jacinto m

Spanish form of the male name HYACINTH.

Back  -   New Search

Jack m

English: originally a pet form of JOHN, but now well established as a given name in its own right. It is derived from Middle English Jankin, later altered to Jackin, from Jan (a contracted form of Jehan John) + the hypocoristic suffix -kin. This led to the back-formation Jack, as if the name had contained the Old French diminutive suffix -in. It is sometimes also taken to be an informal pet form of JAMES, influenced no doubt by French JACQUES. See also JOCK and JAKE.

Back  -   New Search

Jackie m, f

English: originally a male name, a pet form of JACK, but now also found as a female name, a pet form of JACQUELINE.
Variant: Jacky.

Back  -   New Search

Jackson m

English: transferred use of the surname, meaning originally ‘son of JACK’ and in modern times sometimes bestowed with precisely this meaning. In the United States it has also been used in honour of President Andrew Jackson (1767–1845) and of the Confederate general Thomas ‘Stonewall’ Jackson (1824–63).

Back  -   New Search

Jacob m

English (and Dutch) form of the biblical Hebrew name Yaakov. This was borne by perhaps the most important of all the patriarchs in the Book of Genesis. Jacob was the father of twelve sons, who gave their names to the twelve tribes of Israel. He was the son of Isaac and Rebecca. According to the story in Genesis, he was the cunning younger twin, who persuaded his fractionally older brother Esau to part with his right to his inheritance in exchange for a bowl of soup (‘a mess of pottage’). Later, he tricked his blind and dying father into blessing him in place of Esau. The derivation of the name has been much discussed. It is traditionally explained as being derived from Hebrew akev heel and to have meant ‘heel grabber’, because when Jacob was born ‘his hand took hold of Esau’s heel' (Genesis 25: 26). This is interpreted later in the Bible as ‘supplanter’; Esau himself remarks, ‘Is he not rightly named Jacob? for he has supplanted me these two times’ (Genesis 27: 36).
As a given name, Jacob is especially common among Jews, although it has also been used by Christians. The usual Christian form James and its cognates in other languages arose from a Late Latin byform, Iacomus, of the Latin form Iacobus.
Cognates: Italian: Giacobbe. German, Scandinavian: Jakob. French: JACQUES. Polish, Czech: Jakub. Russian: Yakov. Finnish: Jaako. Hebrew: Yakov. See also at JAMES.
Pet forms: Dutch: Jaap, Cobus, Coos. Polish: Kuba. Yiddish: Koppel.

Back  -   New Search

Jacqueline f

English and French: feminine diminutive of the French male name JACQUES. In the 1960s it became very popular in America and elsewhere, no doubt strongly influenced by the fame and stylish image of Jacqueline Kennedy, wife of President John F. Kennedy. She is herself of French extraction.
Variants: English: Jacquelyn (influenced by the productive suffix -lyn; see LYNN); Jacklyn (influenced by the male name JACK).
Pet forms: English: Jackie, Jacky, Jacqui (all now very common).

Back  -   New Search

Jacques m

French form of JAMES and JACOB. In French there is no distinction between a form corresponding to Jacob and a form corresponding to James. This is a perennially popular French given name, and Jacques or Jacques Bonhomme has been used (like John Bull in English) as a typification of the ordinary citizen.

Back  -   New Search

Jacquetta f

English: respelling (influenced by JACQUELINE) of the Italian name Giachetta, a feminine diminutive of Giac(om)o, the Italian version of JAMES.

Back  -   New Search

Jacqui f

English: variant spelling of JACKIE, reflecting the influence of the full form JACQUELINE and the increasing tendency to use -i as a distinctively feminine suffix (cf. e.g. TONI).

Back  -   New Search

Jade f

English: from the name of the precious stone, a word that reached English from Spanish (piedra de) ijada, which literally means ‘(stone of the) bowels’. It was so called because it was believed to have the magical power of providing protection against disorders of the intestines. The vogue for this word as a given name developed later than that for other gemstone names, possibly because of the unfortunate etymological associations, or more probably because it sounds the same as the vocabulary word denoting a broken-down old horse or a nagging woman. Its popular appeal received a considerable boost in the early 1970s when the daughter of the English rock singer Mick Jagger was so named.

Back  -   New Search

Jadwiga f

Polish form of HEDWIG. St Jadwiga (c.1174–1243) was born in Bavaria of Moravian descent, the daughter of the Duke of Croatia and Dalmatia. St Elizabeth of Hungary was her niece. When she was twelve she was married to the Duke of Silesia, head of the Polish royal family. She did much to foster Christianity in Poland. The Blessed Jadwiga (1371–99) was a later queen of Poland who converted many Lithuanians to Christianity, starting with her husband, Wadysaw Jagieo, Grand Duke of Lithuania.
Short form: Wiga.
Pet form: Wisia.

Back  -   New Search

Jael f

Jewish: variant of YAEL.

Back  -   New Search

Jaffe f

Jewish: Polish and German spelling of a modern Hebrew name from the Hebrew vocabulary word yafe lovely, beautiful.
Variant: Yaffa.

Back  -   New Search

Jago m

Cornish form of JAMES. It has increased in popularity recently, perhaps as a transferred use of the surname Jago, which itself derives from the Cornish given name.

Back  -   New Search

Jaime m, f

1 (m.) Spanish form of JAMES.

2 (f.) English (esp. Canadian): apparently a respelling of the female name JAMIE.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Jake m

Variant of JACK, of Middle English origin, which has now come back into fashion as an independent name. It is also sometimes used as a short form of JACOB.

Back  -   New Search

Jakob m

German, Dutch, and Scandinavian form of JACOB.

Back  -   New Search

Jakub m

Polish and Czech form of JACOB.
Pet forms: Polish: Kuba. Czech: Jakoubek; Kuba, Kubiek, Kube.

Back  -   New Search

James m

English and Scottish form of the name borne in the New Testament by two of Christ's disciples, James son of Zebedee and James son of Alphaeus. This form comes from Late Latin Iacomus, a variant of Iacobus, Latin form of the New Testament Greek name Iakobos. This is the same name as Old Testament JACOB (Hebrew Yaakov). For many centuries now it has been thought of in the English-speaking world and elsewhere as a distinct name, but in some other cultures, e.g. French, no distinction is made.
In Britain, James is a royal name that from the beginning of the 15th century onwards has been associated particularly with the Scottish house of Stewart: James I of Scotland (1394–1437; ruled 1424–37) was a patron of the arts and a noted poet, as well as an energetic monarch. King James VI of Scotland (1566–1625; reigned 1567–1625) succeeded to the throne of England in 1603. His grandson, James II of England (1633–1701; reigned 1685–8) was a Roman Catholic, deposed in 1688 in favour of his Protestant daughter Mary and her husband William of Orange. From then on he, his son (also called James), and his grandson Charles (‘Bonnie Prince Charlie’) made various unsuccessful attempts to recover the English throne. Their supporters were known as Jacobites (from Jacobus, Latin form of James), and the name James became for a while particularly associated with Roman Catholicism on the one hand, and Highland opposition to the English government on the other. It is now widely used by people of many different creeds and nationalities.
Cognates: French: JACQUES. Italian: Giacomo. Spanish: Jaime. Catalan: Jaume. Galician: Xaime. Irish: Séamas, Séamus, Seumas, Seumus (Gaelic); Shamus (Anglicized). Scottish: Seumas (Gaelic); HAMISH (Anglicized). Cornish: Jago. See also JEM.
Short form: English: Jim.
Pet form: English, Scottish: Jimmy, Jimmie.
Feminine form: Scottish: Jamesina. See also JAMIE.

Back  -   New Search

Jamie m, occasionally f

1 (m.) Scottish: pet form of JAMES, used especially among Lowland Scots, in contrast to the Highland form HAMISH, which is derived from a Gaelic form.

2 (f.) English (esp. U.S.): recent adoption as a feminine equivalent of James, influenced by the fact that -ie has come to be regarded as a characteristically feminine ending, except in Scotland.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Jan m, f

1 (m.); pronounced /jan/ Dutch, Low German, Scandinavian, Polish, and Czech form of JOHN.

2 (m.); pronounced /dzæn/) English: a revival of Middle English Jan, a byform of JOHN. The forms Johan and Jehan are found in Old French and Early Middle English, but in Middle English the name was generally shortened to a monosyllable, spelled variously Jon, John, and Jan. It has sometimes been suggested that the latter is an importation from Low German or Dutch, but this seems unnecessary.
Top

3 (f.); pronounced /dzæn/) English: an increasingly popular female given name, formed either as an independent feminine form of JOHN (alongside JOAN, JEAN, JANE, etc.) or as a shortened form of names beginning with Jan-, principally JANET and JANICE.
Pet forms (of 1): Polish: Janek, Janik, Janko, Janusz. Czech: Janek, Janik, Janeek.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Jana f

Polish and Czech: feminine form of JAN (1).

Back  -   New Search

Jancis f

English: modern blend of JAN (3) and FRANCES, apparently first used in the novel Precious Bane (1924) by Mary Webb, for the character of Jancis Beguildy, daughter of Felix and Hephzibah.

Back  -   New Search

Jane f

English: originally a feminine form of JOHN, from the Old French form Je(h)anne. Since the 17th century it has proved the most common of the feminine forms of John, ahead of JOAN and JEAN. It now also commonly occurs as the second element in combinations such as Sarah-Jane.
It is not a royal name: the nearest it ever came was as the name of the tragic Lady Jane Grey (1537–54), who was unwillingly proclaimed queen in 1553, deposed nine days later, and executed the following year. Seventy years earlier, the name had come into prominence as that of Jane Shore, mistress of King Edward IV and subsequently of Thomas Grey, 1st Marquess of Dorset, Lady Jane's grandfather. Jane Shore's tribulations in 1483 at the hands of Richard III, Edward's brother and successor, became the subject of popular ballads and plays, which may well have increased the currency of the name in the 16th century. A 19th-century influence was its use as the name of the central character in Charlotte Brontë's novel Jane Eyre (1847). In the 20th century it has been used intermittently since the 1940s as the name of a cheerful and scantily clad beauty whose adventures are chronicled in a strip cartoon in the Daily Mirror.
Variant: Jayne. See also JEAN, JOAN, and JOANNA.
Pet forms: English: Janey, Janie, Jaynie.
Cognates: Irish Gaelic: Síne, Siobhán. Scottish Gaelic: Sìne, Siubhan. Welsh: Siân. French: Jeanne. Spanish: Juana. Italian: Giovanna, Gianna. German: Johanna, Hanne, Hansine. Dutch: Johanna. Scandinavian: Johanna; Jensine (Danish, Norwegian); Jonna (Danish). Polish: Jana. Czech: Johana, Hana, Jana.

Back  -   New Search

Janelle f

English: modern elaborated form of JANE, with the feminine ending-elle abstracted from names such as Danielle.
Variant: Janella (a Latinate form; for the ending, cf. PRUNELLA).

Back  -   New Search

Janet f

English: diminutive of JANE, already in common use in the Middle English period. Towards the end of the Middle Ages the name largely died out except in Scotland. It was revived at the end of the 19th century to much more widespread use, but still retains its popularity in Scotland. See also SEÒNAID, SINÉAD, and SIONED.
Short form: JAN.

Back  -   New Search

Janette f

English: either an elaborated version of JANET, emphasizing the feminine form of the suffix, or a simplified form of JEANNETTE.

Back  -   New Search

Janey f

English: pet form of JANE.
Variants: Janie, Jaynie.

Back  -   New Search

Janice f

English: derivative of JANE, with the addition of the suffix -ice, abstracted from female names such as CANDICE and BERNICE. It seems to have been first used as the name of the heroine of the novel Janice Meredith by Paul Leicester Ford, published in 1899.
Variant: Janis.
Short form: Jan.

Back  -   New Search

Janine f

English: simplified form of French JEANNINE.
Variant: Janina (Latinate form).

Back  -   New Search

Janis f

English: variant spelling of JANICE, made popular in the 1960s and 1970s by the American rock singer Janis Joplin (1943–70).

Back  -   New Search

Janna f

English: Latinate elaboration of the female name JAN.

Back  -   New Search

Janne m, f

1 (m.) Swedish: pet form of the male name JAN (1).

2 (f.) Danish, Norwegian: contracted form of JOHANNA.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Jannike f

Scandinavian: apparently derived from French JEANNE, via the diminutive Jeannique.

Back  -   New Search

János m

Hungarian form of JOHN.

Back  -   New Search

Janusz m

Polish: pet form of JAN (1), now also used as an independent given name.

Back  -   New Search

Jared m

Biblical name, probably meaning ‘descent’ in Hebrew, borne by a descendant of Adam (Genesis 5: 15). According to the Book of Genesis, he became the father of Enoch at the age of 162, and lived for a further eight hundred years. This name was occasionally used by the Puritans; Dunkling records that it was briefly revived in the 1960s, for reasons that are not clear.
Variant: Yered (Hebrew).

Back  -   New Search

Jarek m

Polish and Czech: pet form of various names of Slavonic origin containing the element jaro spring (cf. JAROGNIEW, JAROMIERZ, JAROMI, JAROPEK, and JAROSAW).
Feminine form: Czech: Jarka.
Pet forms: Czech: Jarouek m; Jarue, Jaruka f.

Back  -   New Search

Jarlath m

Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic IARLAITH. St Jarlath is the patron of the diocese of Tuam in Co. Galway, and Jarlath is still a popular given name in that area.

Back  -   New Search

Jarogniew m

Polish: from an old Slavonic personal name composed of the elements jaro spring + gniew anger.

Back  -   New Search

Jaromierz m

Polish: from an old Slavonic personal name composed of the elements jaro spring + meri great, famous (see CASIMIR).
Cognate: Czech: Jaromír.

Back  -   New Search

Jaromi m

Polish: from an old Slavonic personal name composed of the elements jaro spring + milo grace, favour.
Cognates: Czech: Jar(o)mil.
Feminine form: Czech: Jarmila.

Back  -   New Search

Jaropek m

Polish: from an old Slavonic personal name composed of the elements jaro spring + polk people, tribe.
Cognates: Czech: Jaropluk. Russian: Yaropolk.

Back  -   New Search

Jarosaw m

Polish: from an old Slavonic personal name composed of the elements jaro spring + slav glory.
Cognates: Czech: Jaroslav. Russian: Yaroslav.
Feminine forms: Polish: Jarosawa. Czech: Jaroslava.

Back  -   New Search

Jarvis m

English: transferred use of the surname, which is from a Middle English form of the Norman given name GERVAISE. Modern use may in part represent an antiquarian revival of the medieval given name.

Back  -   New Search

Jasmine f

English: from the vocabulary word denoting the climbing plant with its delicate, fragrant flowers (from Old French, ultimately from Persian yasmin).
Variants: Jasmin, YASMIN.

Back  -   New Search

Jason m

English form of the name (Greek Iasn) borne in classical mythology by a hero, leader of the Argonauts, who sailed to Colchis in search of the Golden Fleece, enduring many hardships and adventures. The sorceress Medea fell in love with him and helped him to obtain the Fleece; they escaped together and should have lived happily ever after. However, Jason fell in love with another woman (either Creusa or Glauce, daughter of King Creon), and deserted Medea. Medea took her revenge by killing her rival, but Jason himself survived to be killed in old age by one of the rotting timbers of his ship, the Argo, falling on his head.
The classical Greek name Iasn probably derives from the Greek vocabulary word iasthai to heal. Ias (f.) was the name of a minor goddess of healing. In New Testament Greek, the name probably represents a classicized form of JOSHUA. It was borne by an early Christian in Thessalonica, at whose house St Paul stayed (Acts 17: 5–9; Romans 16: 21). Probably for this reason, it enjoyed some popularity among the Puritans in the 17th century. In the mid–20th century it has enjoyed a considerable increase in its popularity, although, as Dunkling comments, it has also been the subject of some rather surprising hostility. A 20th-century influence has been the film actor Jason Robards (b. 1920); his father, also a film actor, was likewise called Jason Robards. The name has been used for numerous characters in films and television series.

Back  -   New Search

Jasper m

English: the usual English form of the name assigned in Christian folklore to one of the three Magi or ‘wise men’, who brought gifts to the infant Christ at his birth (Matthew 2: 1). The name does not appear in the Bible, and is first found in medieval tradition. It seems to be ultimately of Persian origin, from a word meaning ‘treasurer’. There is probably no connection with the English vocabulary word jasper denoting a gemstone, which is of Semitic origin. The names assigned by the same folklore tradition to the other Magi, BALTHAZAR and Melchior (see MELCHIORRE), have also been used as given names in Europe, but only very rarely in the English-speaking world.
Cognates: Danish: Jesper. Dutch: CASPAR. German: Kaspar. Polish: Kasper. Hungarian: Gáspár. French: GASPARD. Italian: Gaspare.

Back  -   New Search

Jaume m

Catalan form of JAMES.

Back  -   New Search

Javier m

Portuguese form (and Spanish variant) of XAVIER.

Back  -   New Search

Jay m, f

English: pet form of any of the given names beginning with the letter J- (cf. DEE and KAY). It is now also used as an independent name in its own right.

Back  -   New Search

Jayne f

English: variant spelling of JANE.

Back  -   New Search

Jean m, f

1 (f.) English and Scottish: like JANE and JOAN, a medieval variant of Old French Je(h)anne. Towards the end of the Middle Ages this form became largely confined to Scotland. In the 20th century it has been more widely used in the English-speaking world, but still retains a Scottish flavour.

2 (m.) French form of JOHN.
Cognate (of 1): Scottish Gaelic: SÌNE.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Jeane f

English: variant spelling of the female name JEAN, common especially in the United States.
Variant: Jeana.

Back  -   New Search

Jeanie f

Scottish and English: pet form of the female name JEAN, which is more strongly associated with Scotland than Jean itself. It is occasionally used as an independent given name.
Variants: Jeannie; Sìneag, Sìonag (Gaelic).

Back  -   New Search

Jeanne f

French: feminine form of the male name JEAN.

Back  -   New Search

Jeannette f

French: diminutive form of JEANNE, now also commonly used in the English-speaking world.
Variants: English: Jeanette; Genette (rare).

Back  -   New Search

Jeannine f

French: diminutive form of JEANNE, now also sometimes used in the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Jed m

English (mainly U.S.): now frequently used as an independent name, although originally a short form of the biblical name Jedidiah, which was an alternative name of King Solomon (2 Samuel 12: 25), meaning ‘beloved of God’. This was a favourite with the Puritans, who considered themselves, too, to be loved by God, but the full form fell out of favour along with other rare or unwieldy Old Testament names.

Back  -   New Search

Jdrej m

Polish form of ANDREW.

Back  -   New Search

Jeff m

English: short form of JEFFREY, now commonly used as an independent given name, especially in America.

Back  -   New Search

Jefferson m

English: transferred use of the surname, originally meaning ‘son of JEFFREY’, and now occasionally selected by fathers themselves named JEFFREY or GEOFFREY. It has sometimes been used in honour of the American president Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826; president 1801–9), who was principally responsible for the text of the Declaration of Independence, and who is admired as a scientist, architect, and thinker as well as a statesman.

Back  -   New Search

Jeffrey m

English: variant spelling of GEOFFREY, common in the Middle Ages (as reflected in surnames such as Jefferson). This is the usual spelling of the name in the United States.
Variant: Jeffery.
Short form: Jeff.

Back  -   New Search

Jem m

English: from a medieval vernacular form of JAMES. In modern use, however, it is often taken as a pet form of JEREMY.

Back  -   New Search

Jemima f

Biblical name (meaning ‘dove’ or ‘bright as day’ in Hebrew) of the eldest of the daughters of Job, born to him towards the end of his life when his prosperity had been restored (Job 42: 14). The name was common in the first part of the 19th century, and has continued in modest use since then. Recently the name of Job's second daughter, KEZIA, has been taken up by parents looking for an unusual name, but that of the youngest, Keren-happuch, meaning ‘horn of eyepaint’, has remained intractable (see KERENA).

Back  -   New Search

Jemma f

English: variant spelling of GEMMA.

Back  -   New Search

Jenaro m

Spanish form of GENNARO.

Back  -   New Search

Jenkin m

English and Welsh: transferred use of the surname, which is derived from the medieval given name Jankin. This was a pet form of JAN (2), with the hypocoristic suffix -kin (cf. JACK). The modern given name is comparatively popular in Wales, where the surname Jenkins also predominates.
Variant: Siencyn (a Welsh spelling).

Back  -   New Search

Jenna f

English: fanciful alteration of JENNY, with the Latinate feminine ending -a.

Back  -   New Search

Jennet f

English: variant spelling of JEANNETTE, or a revival of a medieval diminutive form of the female name JEAN.

Back  -   New Search

Jenni f

English: variant spelling of JENNY, now commonly used for the sake of variety or stylishness (-i as an ending of female names being in vogue; cf. JACQUI, TONI).

Back  -   New Search

Jennifer f

English: of Celtic (Arthurian) origin. This represents a Cornish form of the name of King Arthur's unfaithful wife (see GUINEVERE). At the beginning of the 20th century, the name was merely a Cornish curiosity, but since then it has become enormously popular all over the English-speaking world. One factor in its rise was probably Bernard Shaw's use of it for the character of Jennifer Dubedat in The Doctor's Dilemma (1905). See also GAYNOR.

Back  -   New Search

Jenny f

English: now universally taken as a short form of JENNIFER, but in fact this name existed during the Middle Ages as a pet form of JEAN.
Variants: Jenni, Jenna.

Back  -   New Search

Jenö m

Hungarian form of EUGENE.

Back  -   New Search

Jens m

Scandinavian (mainly Danish) form of JOHN.
Feminine form: Jensine.

Back  -   New Search

Jeremiah m

Biblical name (meaning ‘appointed by God’ in Hebrew) borne by the great Hebrew prophet of the 7th–6th centuries BC, whose story, prophecies of judgement, and lamentations are recorded in the book of the Bible that bears his name. The Book of Lamentations is also attributed to him; in this he bewails the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple by the Babylonians in 587 BC. Despite the gloomy subject-matter of these texts, the name enjoyed some popularity among Puritans and Christian fundamentalists, partly perhaps because Jeremiah also preached reconciliation with God after his wrath was assuaged. In Ireland and Scotland it has been used as an Anglicized form of Diarmaid and Diarmad (see DERMOT).

Back  -   New Search

Jeremy m

English: Anglicized form, used in the Authorized Version of the New Testament (Matthew 2: 17; 27: 9), of the biblical name JEREMIAH. It is a vernacular derivative of the Latin (Vulgate) form of the name, Jeremias, which in turn is from Greek Iremaias.
Cognate: Finnish: Jorma.
Pet forms: English: Jerry, Jem.

Back  -   New Search

Jerker m

Swedish: dialectal form of Erik (see ERIC), formerly found mainly in the Uppland region.
Variant: Jerk.

Back  -   New Search

Jermaine m

English: variant spelling of GERMAINE, popular in particular as a male name among Blacks in the United States.

Back  -   New Search

Jerome m

English: Anglicized form of the Greek name Hieronymos, composed of the elements hieros holy + onoma name. St Jerome (c.342–420) was a citizen of the Eastern Roman Empire, who bore the Greek names Eusebios Hieronymos Sophronios; he was chiefly responsible for the translation into Latin of the Bible, the Vulgate. He also wrote many works of commentary and exposition on the Bible, and is regarded as one of the Doctors of the Church.
Cognates: French: Jérôme. Italian: Geronimo, Girolamo. Spanish: Jerónimo. Dutch: Jeroen (the most popular male name of all in Holland in 1981).
Pet form: English: Jerry.

Back  -   New Search

Jerrard m

English: rare variant of GERARD, probably influenced by the form of the modern surname, if not a transferred use.

Back  -   New Search

Jerrold m

English: rare variant of GERALD, probably a transferred use of the modern surname.

Back  -   New Search

Jerry m, f

English: 1 (m.) Pet form of JEREMY or GERALD, or occasionally of GERARD and JEROME.

2 (f.) A comparatively rare variant of GERRY.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Jerzy m

Polish form of GEORGE.
Pet form: Jurek.

Back  -   New Search

Jesper m

Danish form of JASPER, still a very popular name in Denmark.

Back  -   New Search

Jess f, m

English: usually a female name, a short form of JESSIE or JESSICA. As a male name, it is a simplified form of JESSE.

Back  -   New Search

Jesse m

English: name (apparently meaning ‘gift’ in Hebrew) borne in the Bible by the father of King David (1 Samuel 16), from whose line (according to the New Testament) Jesus was ultimately descended. It was popular among the Puritans, and is still used fairly frequently in the United States, more rarely in Britain.
Variant: JESS.

Back  -   New Search

Jessica f

English: apparently of Shakespearian origin. This was the name of the daughter of Shylock in The Merchant of Venice (1596). Shakespeare's source has not been discovered, but he presumably intended it to seem like a typically Jewish name. It may be from a biblical name that appeared, in the translations available in Shakespeare's day, as Jesca (Genesis 11: 29; Iscah in the Authorized Version). This appears in a somewhat obscure genealogical passage; Iscah appears to have been Abraham's niece.
Short form: Jess.

Back  -   New Search

Jessie f

Scottish and English: apparently originally a Scottish pet form of JEAN, although the derivation is not clear; the Gaelic form is Teasag. It is now sometimes used as a given name in its own right, or as a short form of JESSICA.
Short form: Jess.

Back  -   New Search

Jesús m

Spanish and Portuguese: name taken in honour of Christ. The name Jesus is an Aramaic byform (meaning ‘saviour’) of the earlier Hebrew name JOSHUA. It was suggested to Mary's husband Joseph by the angel of the Lord at the Annunciation: ‘she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins’ (Matthew 1: 21). In many European countries it has been felt impious to give this name to mere mortal children, but there are no such inhibitions in the Hispanic world, where it is regularly bestowed as a token of Christian faith.
Feminine form: Jesusa.
Pet forms: Chus, Chucho m, f.

Back  -   New Search

Jethro m

English: name borne in the Bible by the father of Moses's wife Zipporah (Exodus 3: 1; 4: 18). It seems to be a variant of the Hebrew name Ithra, said to mean ‘excellence’, which is found at 2 Samuel 17: 25. It was popular among the Puritans, but then fell out of general use. It was borne by the agricultural reformer Jethro Tull (1674–1741). In 1968 a ‘progressive rock’ group in Britain adopted the name ‘Jethro Tull’, and shortly afterwards the given name Jethro enjoyed a revival of popularity.

Back  -   New Search

Jetta f

English: a comparatively recent coinage, a Latinate derivative of the vocabulary word denoting the mineral jet. This is in turn derived from Old French jaiet, from Latin (lapis) gagts ‘stone from Gagai’, a town in Lycia, Asia Minor.

Back  -   New Search

Jewel f

English: modern coinage from the vocabulary word meaning ‘gemstone’ (from Old French jouel, apparently a diminutive form of jou plaything, delight, Latin iocus). Use as a given name may derive from its use as a term of affection, or may have been suggested by the vogue in the 19th century for using words denoting particular gemstones as given names, e.g. BERYL, RUBY.

Back  -   New Search

Jill f

English: short form (respelled) of GILLIAN, now often used as an independent name in its own right. It was already used as a prototypical female name in the phrase ‘Jack and Jill’ by the 15th century.

Back  -   New Search

Jim m

English and Irish: short form of JAMES, already common in the Middle Ages.

Back  -   New Search

Jimmy m

English, Scottish, and Irish: pet form of JIM.
Variant: Jimmie.

Back  -   New Search

Jindich m

Czech form of HENRY.
Feminine form: Jindika.
Pet forms: Jindra m, f; Jindík, Jindíek, Jindrouek m; Jindruka, Jindina f.

Back  -   New Search

Jií m

Czech form of GEORGE.
Pet forms: Jíra, Jirka, Jiík, Jiíek, Jirouek, Jiran, Jiránek.
Feminine form: Jiina.

Back  -   New Search

Jitka f

Czech: pet form of Judita (see JUDITH).

Back  -   New Search

Jo f, m

English: usually a female name, a short form of JOANNA, JOANNE, JODY, or JOSEPHINE, sometimes used in combination with other names, for example Nancy Jo and Jo Anne (see JOANNE). Its popularity as a female name was influenced by the character of Jo March in Louisa M. Alcott's Little Women (1868). Occasionally it is a male name, a variant of JOE.
Elaborated female form: Scottish (Highland): Joina (three syllables).

Back  -   New Search

Joachim m

English, French, German, Polish, etc.: from the biblical Hebrew name Johoiachin, meaning ‘established by God’, borne by a king of Judah who was defeated by Nebuchadnezzar and carried off into Babylonian exile (2 Kings 24). Alternatively, it may be a derivative of the name of the father of this king, Jehoiakim. The reason for the great popularity of the name in Christian Europe is that in medieval Christian tradition it was the name commonly ascribed to the father of the Virgin Mary. (Other names assigned to him include Cleopas, Eliachim, Heli, Jonahir, and Sadoc.) He is not named at all in the Bible, but with the growth of the cult of Mary many legends grew up about her early life, and her parents came to be venerated as saints under the names Joachim and ANNE.
Cognates: Italian: Gioac(c)hino. Spanish: Joaquin. Portuguese: Joaquim. German: Jochim, Jochem, Jochen; Achim. Scandinavian: Joakim; Jokum (Danish, Norwegian); Jockum (Danish). Czech: Jáchym. Russian: Yackim, Akim.
Pet form: Russian: Kima.

Back  -   New Search

Joan f, m

1 (f.) English: contracted form of Old French Jo(h)anne, from Latin Jo(h)anna (see JOANNA). In England this was the usual feminine form of JOHN from the Middle English period onwards, but in the 16th and 17th centuries it was largely superseded by JANE. It was strongly revived in the first part of the 20th century, partly under the influence of George Bernard Shaw's play St Joan (1923), based on the life of Joan of Arc (1412–31). In French, her name is Jeanne D'Arc; Schiller knew her as Johanna. She is also sometimes called ‘the maid of Orléans’. Claiming to be guided by the voices of the saints, she persuaded the French dauphin to defy the occupying English forces and have himself crowned, and she led the French army that raised the siege of Orléans in 1429. The following year she was captured by the Burgundians and sold to the English, and a year later she was burned at the stake for witchcraft at the age of 18 or 19. Her story has captured the imagination of many writers, and she is variously portrayed as a national and political hero, a model of apolitical straightforwardness and honesty, and a religious heroine. She was canonized in 1920.

2 (m.) Catalan form of JOHN.
Cognate (of 1): Scottish Gaelic: SEONAG.
Pet forms (of 1): English: Joanie, Joni.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Joanna f

Latin form of Greek Ianna, the feminine equivalent of Ianns (see JOHN). In the New Testament, this name is borne by a woman who was one of Jesus's followers (Luke 8: 3; 24: 10). She was the wife of the steward of the household of King Herod Antipas. The name was regularly used throughout the Middle Ages in most parts of Europe as a feminine equivalent of JOHN, but in England it has only been in common use as a vernacular given name since the 19th century.
Short form: Jo.

Back  -   New Search

Joanne f

English: from an Old French feminine form of JOHN, Jo(h)anne, and so a doublet of JOAN. This too was revived as a given name in its own right in the first half of the 20th century. It has to some extent been influenced by the independently formed combination Jo Anne.
Short form: Jo.

Back  -   New Search

João m

Portuguese form of JOHN.

Back  -   New Search

Joaquim m

Portuguese form of JOACHIM.

Back  -   New Search

Joaquin m

Spanish form of JOACHIM.

Back  -   New Search

Job m

Biblical name, borne by the eponymous hero of the Book of Job, a man of exemplary patience, whose faith was severely tested by God's apparently motiveless maltreatment of him. His name, appropriately enough, means ‘persecuted’ in Hebrew. His story was a favourite one in the Middle Ages and formed the subject of miracle plays. The name was used among Puritans and Christian fundamentalists, but is currently out of favour.

Back  -   New Search

Jobst m

Low German form of Jodocus, Latinized form of the Breton name Iodoc, meaning ‘lord’ (cf. JOYCE, JOOST). The Low German form was altered under the influence of the biblical name JOB.

Back  -   New Search

Jocasta f

English: name borne in classical legend by the mother of Oedipus, King of Thebes. As the result of a series of misunderstandings, she also became his wife and the mother of his children. The derivation of her name is not known. In spite of its tragic associations, the name has enjoyed a certain vogue in recent years. The names of her daughters, Antigone and Ismene, have been occasionally used since the Middle Ages, but there has been no move to take up those of her sons, Eteodes and Polynices.

Back  -   New Search

Jocelyn f, m

English: now normally a female name, but in earlier times more often given to boys. It represents a transferred use of the English surname, which in turn is derived from a masculine personal name introduced to Britain by the Normans in the form Joscelin. This was originally a derivative, Gautzelin, of the name of a Germanic tribe, the Gauts (cf. WENDELIN). The spelling of the first syllable was altered because the name was taken as a double diminutive (with the Old French suffixes -el and -in) of Josce (see JOYCE).
Variant: Josceline f only.
Short form: Joss.

Back  -   New Search

Jochen m

German: variant of JOACHIM.
Variants: Jochim, Jochem.

Back  -   New Search

Jock m

Scottish: variant of JACK, sometimes used as an archetypal nickname for a Scotsman.
Variant: Seoc (Gaelic).
Pet forms: Jockie, Jockey, Jockan; Seocan (Gaelic).

Back  -   New Search

Jockum m

Danish: variant of JOKUM.

Back  -   New Search

Jodene f

English: a recent fanciful coinage, formed from JODY plus the productive suffix -ene.

Back  -   New Search

Jody f, m

English: of uncertain origin. It may be a pet form of JUDITH and JUDE, but if so the reason for the change in the vowel is not clear. Alternatively, it may be a playful elaboration of JO and JOE, with -d- introduced for euphony before the hypocoristic suffix -y.
Variants: Jodie, Jodi.

Back  -   New Search

Joe m

English: short form of JOSEPH.
Variant: Jo.
Pet form: Joey.

Back  -   New Search

Joel m

Biblical name, composed of two different Hebrew elements, Yah(weh) and El, both of which mean ‘God’; the implication of the name is that the Hebrew God, Yahweh, is the only true god. This is a common name in the Bible, being borne by, among others, one of King David's ‘mighty men’ (1 Chronicles 11: 38), and by a minor prophet who lived in the 8th century BC. The book of the Bible of which the latter was author interprets a plague of locusts as a punishment from God and uses it as an occasion for a call to repentance. The name has been perennially popular among Jews, and was also very popular among the Puritans and other Christian fundamentalists. It is still used in America, where it seems to be enjoying a modest revival of popularity. In Britain, however, it is not common.
Cognate: French: Joël (currently a fashionable given name).

Back  -   New Search

Joelle f

English borrowing of the fashionable French name Joëlle, a feminine form of JOEL. Its selection as a given name may also have been influenced by the fact that it can be taken as a combination of Jo and the productive suffix -elle (originally a French feminine diminutive ending).

Back  -   New Search

Joey m

English: pet form of JOE.

Back  -   New Search

Johan m, f

1 (m.) Scandinavian and Low German form of JOHN. It is also used as a more learned Czech form of the name, a doublet of JAN.

2 (f.) Older Scottish spelling of JOAN, which was traditionally pronounced as two syllables.
Pet forms (of 1): Low German: Hanke. Czech: Hanu.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Johana f

Czech form of JOANNA.

Back  -   New Search

Johann m

Common German form of JOHN, representing a more learned form than HANS.

Back  -   New Search

Johanna f

Latinate feminine form of Johannes (see JOHN), used in Germany, Holland, and Scandinavia.

Back  -   New Search

John m

English form of Latin Johannes, New Testament Greek Ianns, a contracted form of the Hebrew name Johanan ‘God is gracious’ (the name of several different characters in the Old Testament, including one of King David's ‘mighty men’). John is the spelling used in the Authorized Version of the New Testament. The name is of great importance in early Christianity: it was borne by John the Baptist (the precursor of Christ himself, who baptized sinners in the River Jordan), by one of Christ's disciples (John the Apostle, a fisherman, brother of James), and by the author of the fourth gospel (John the Evangelist, identified in Christian tradition with the apostle, but more probably a Greek-speaking Jewish Christian living over half a century later). The name was also borne by many subsequent Christian saints and by twenty-three popes, including John XXIII (Giuseppe Roncalli, 1881–1963), whose popularity was yet another factor influencing people to choose this given name. It was also a royal name, being born by eight Byzantine emperors and by kings of Hungary, Poland, Portugal, France, and elsewhere. In its various forms in different languages, it has been the most perennially popular of all Christian names.
Cognates: Irish: EOIN, SEÁN. Scottish: IAN, Iain, Eòin, Seathan. Welsh: IEUAN, SIÔN. French: Jean. Breton: Yann. Italian: Giovanni, Gianni. Spanish: Juan. Catalan: Joan. Galician: Xoán. Portuguese: João. Basque: Ion, Yon. Romanian: Ion. German: Johann, Johannes, Hans. Low German: Johan. Dutch: Jan. Danish, Norwegian: Jens, Johan, Jan. Swedish: Johan, Jöns, Jon, Jan. Polish: Jan; Iwan (an E. Polish, Belorussian, or Ukrainian form. Czech: Johan, Jan. Russian: Ivan. Hungarian: János. Finnish: Juhani, Jussi, Hannu.
Pet forms: English: Johnny, Johnnie; JACK; HANK. Scottish Gaelic: Seonaidh. Spanish: Juanito. Breton: Yannic(k). German: Hansi. Low German: Hanke, Henning. Dutch: Joop. Danish: Henning. Swedish: Jösse. Polish: Janusz. Czech: Hanu.

Back  -   New Search

Johnathon m

English: respelled form of JONATHAN, influenced by JOHN.

Back  -   New Search

Johnny m, f

English and Scottish: pet form of JOHN. In America it is occasionally also used as a female name.
Variant: Johnnie.

Back  -   New Search

Jokum m

Danish and Norwegian form of JOACHIM.

Back  -   New Search

Jolanda f

Italian form of YOLANDE. The name was a traditional one in the royal house of Savoy, and was revived in Italy in 1901, when it was given by King Victor Emmanuel III to his first child. This spelling is also commonly used in Holland.
Cognates: Polish: Jolanta. Czech: Jolan(t)a. Hungarian: Jolán.
Pet form: Polish: Jola.

Back  -   New Search

Jolene f

English: a recent coinage, combining the short form Jo with the productive suffix -lene, extracted from names such as MARLENE. It seems to have originated in America in the 1940s. It was made famous by a hit song with this title, recorded by Dolly Parton in 1979.

Back  -   New Search

Jolyon m

English: medieval variant spelling of JULIAN. Its occasional use in modern Britain derives from the name of a character in John Galsworthy's sequence of novels The Forsyte Saga (1922), which was serialized on British television in the late 1960s.

Back  -   New Search

Jon m

Swedish form of JOHN. This form of the name is also used in the English-speaking world as a variant spelling of JOHN or short form of JONATHAN.

Back  -   New Search

Jonah m

Biblical name (meaning ‘dove’ in Hebrew) borne by a prophet whose adventures are the subject of one of the shorter books of the Bible. God appeared to Jonah and ordered him to go and preach in Nineveh. When Jonah disobeyed, God caused a storm to threaten the ship in which Jonah was travelling. His shipmates, realizing that Jonah was the cause of their peril, threw him overboard, whereupon the storm subsided. A ‘great fish’ swallowed Jonah and delivered him, willy-nilly, to the coasts of Nineveh. This story was immensely popular in the Middle Ages, and a favourite subject of miracle plays.
Variant: Jonas (from the New Testament Greek form, Inas).

Back  -   New Search

Jonathan m

Biblical name, meaning ‘God has given’, composed of the same elements as those of MATTHEW, but in reverse order. This is the name of several characters in the Bible, most notably a son of King Saul, who was a devoted friend and supporter of the young David, even when David and Saul were themselves at loggerheads (1 Samuel 31; 2 Samuel 1: 19–26). The name is often taken as symbolic of steadfast friendship and loyalty. See also EOIN.
Variants: English: Jonathon, Johnathan.
Cognate: Irish Gaelic: Seonac.
Short form: English: Jon.

Back  -   New Search

Joni f

English: modern respelling of Joanie, pet form of JOAN. It is particularly associated with the Canadian folk singer Joni Mitchell (b. 1943).

Back  -   New Search

Jonna f

Danish: contracted form of JOHANNA.

Back  -   New Search

Jonquil f

English: from the name of the flower, which was taken into English from French jonquille (a diminutive of Spanish junco, Latin juncus reed). This is one of the latest and rarest of the flower names, which enjoyed a brief vogue during the 1940s and 1950s.

Back  -   New Search

Jöns m

Swedish: variant of JOHAN, from a contracted form of Latin Johannes.
Pet form: Jösse.

Back  -   New Search

Joop m

Dutch: pet form of Josef (see JOSEPH) and of Johannes (see JOHN).

Back  -   New Search

Joord m

Dutch: pet form of Jordaan (see JORDAN).

Back  -   New Search

Joost m

Dutch form of the Latin name JUSTUS or of Jodocus, a Latinized form of the Breton name Iodoc (see JOYCE).

Back  -   New Search

Jöran m

Swedish: variant of GÖRAN.

Back  -   New Search

Jordan m

English and German: originally a name given to a child (of either sex) baptized in holy water that was, purportedly at least, brought from the River Jordan, whose Hebrew name, ha-yarden, means ‘flowing down’. It was in this river that Christ was baptized by John the Baptist, and medieval pilgrims to the Holy Land usually tried to bring back a flask of its water with them. The modern given name is either a revival of this, or else a transferred use of the surname that was derived from the medieval given name.
Cognates: French: Jourdain. Italian: Giordano. Dutch: Jordaan.
Pet forms: English: Judd (rare). Dutch: Joord.

Back  -   New Search

Jordi m

Catalan form of GEORGE, the patron saint of Catalonia.

Back  -   New Search

Jörg m

German: dialectal form of GEORGE, characteristic of the Alemannic and Swabian dialects.

Back  -   New Search

Jorge m

Spanish and Portuguese form of GEORGE.

Back  -   New Search

Jørgen m

Danish form of GEORGE (cf. GÖRAN).
Variant: Jørn.
Cognate: Swedish: Jörgen.

Back  -   New Search

Jori m

Provençal form of GEORGE.

Back  -   New Search

Joris m

Dutch and Frisian form of both Georgius (see GEORGE) and Gregorius (see GREGORY).

Back  -   New Search

Jorma m

Finnish form of JEREMY.

Back  -   New Search

Jørn m

Danish: contracted form of JØRGEN.

Back  -   New Search

Josceline f

English: variant of JOCELYN as a female name.

Back  -   New Search

José m

Spanish form of JOSEPH, also borne by women as the second part of the compound name María José. As a male name, it is now also occasionally used in the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Josée f

French: feminine form of JOSEPH, at one time commonly used in the combination Marie-Josée.

Back  -   New Search

Joseba m

Basque form of JOSEPH.

Back  -   New Search

Josef m

German, Dutch, Scandinavian, and Czech form of JOSEPH.
Pet forms: Czech: Józa, Joska, Jo(k)a, Joánek.

Back  -   New Search

Josefa f

Feminine form of JOSEPH, used in Spanish, Portuguese, the Scandinavian languages, and Czech.
Pet forms: Spanish: Pepa, Pepita.

Back  -   New Search

Joseph m

English and French form of the biblical Hebrew name Yosef, meaning ‘(God) shall add (another son)’. This was borne by the favourite son of Jacob, whose brothers became jealous of him and sold him into slavery (Genesis 37). He was taken to Egypt, where he rose to become chief steward to Pharaoh, and was eventually reconciled to his brothers when they came to buy corn during a seven-year famine (Genesis 43–7).
In the New Testament Joseph is the name of the husband of the Virgin Mary. It is also borne by a rich Jew, Joseph of Arimathea (Matthew 27: 57; Mark 15: 43; Luke 23: 50; John 19: 38), who took Jesus down from the Cross, wrapped him in a shroud, and buried him in a rock tomb. According to medieval legend, Joseph of Arimathea brought the Holy Grail to Britain.
Cognates: Irish Gaelic: Seosamh. Scottish Gaelic: Iòseph. Italian: Giuseppe. Spanish: José. Catalan: Josep. Galician: Xosé. Basque: Joseba. German, Dutch, Scandinavian, Czech: Josef. Polish: Józef. Hungarian: József. Russian: Iosif, Osip. Hebrew: Yosef.
Short forms: English, Irish: Jo(e). German: Sepp.
Pet forms: Scottish: Josie; Seòsaidh (Gaelic). Spanish: Pepe, Pepito. Dutch: Joop.

Back  -   New Search

Josèphe f

French: feminine form of JOSEPH, now much less common than JOSÉPHINE.

Back  -   New Search

Josephine f

English form of JOSÉPHINE, now widely adopted in the English-speaking world.
Cognates: Irish Gaelic: Seosaimhín. Italian: Giuseppina.
Short form: English: Jo.
Pet forms: English: Josie, Josette, FIFI, POSY.

Back  -   New Search

Joséphine f

French: feminine form of JOSEPH, formed with the addition of the productive hypocoristic suffix -ine. The name owes much of its popularity in France to the Empress Joséphine (1763–1814), first wife of Napoleon Bonaparte, a charming if somewhat frivolous woman. She presided over a brilliant court until 1809, when Napoleon had the marriage annulled on the grounds that she had not borne him a child. Her original name was Marie Josèphe Rose Tascher de la Pagerie; she had been born in Martinique and, before meeting Napoleon, had been married to Alexandre de Beauharnais, an aristocrat who was guillotined in 1794.
Pet forms: Josette, FIFI.

Back  -   New Search

Josette f

French: modern pet form of JOSÉPHINE, sometimes also used in the English-speaking world in the 20th century.

Back  -   New Search

Josh m

English: short form of JOSHUA, occasionally used as an independent given name.

Back  -   New Search

Joshua m

Biblical name (meaning ‘God is salvation’ in Hebrew) borne by the Israelite leader who took command of the children of Israel after the death of Moses and led them, after many battles, to take possession of the promised land. Other forms of his name include Hebrew Yehoshua(h), Yeshua, Hosea, Oshea, and Greek Isos (Jesus). The name is very popular among Jews, and was also favoured by the Puritans and Nonconformists.
Cognates: Dutch: Jozua. Italian: Giosuè.

Back  -   New Search

Josiah m

Biblical name (meaning ‘God heals’ in Hebrew) borne by a king of Judah, whose story is recounted in 2 Kings 22–3. This was fairly frequently used as a given name in the English-speaking world, especially among Dissenters, from the 18th to the early 20th century. The most famous English bearer is the potter Josiah Wedgwood (1730–95). In North America this was a recurrent name in the Quincy family of Massachusetts; the best-known Josiah Quincy (1744–75) was a pre-Revolutionary patriot, who died at the age of thirty-one while returning from arguing the cause of the American colonists in London.

Back  -   New Search

Josiane f

French: elaborated form of JOSÉE, now occasionally also used in the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Josie f, m

1 (f.) English: pet form of JOSEPHINE, occasionally used as an independent given name in the 20th century.

2 (m.) Scottish: pet form of JOSEPH, in Gaelic Seòsaidh.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Joss m, f

English: short form of JOCELYN, occasionally used as an independent given name. In part it may also represent a revival of a medieval spelling of the male name JOYCE.

Back  -   New Search

Jösse m

Swedish: pet form of JÖNS.

Back  -   New Search

Josune f

Basque form of Jesusa (see JESÚS).

Back  -   New Search

Joy f

English: from the vocabulary word (from Old French joie, Late Latin gaudia). Being ‘joyful in the Lord’ was a duty that the Puritans took seriously, so the name became popular in the 17th century under their influence. In modern times, it is generally used as an omen name, with the intention of wishing the child a happy life (cf. HAPPY and MERRY).

Back  -   New Search

Joyce f, formerly m

English: apparently from the Norman male name Josce (Middle English Josse), which in turn is from Jodocus, a Latinized form of a Breton name, Iodoc, meaning ‘lord’, borne by a 7th-century Breton saint. The name was in use among Breton followers of William the Conqueror. However, although this was fairly common as a male given name in the Middle Ages, it had virtually died out by the 14th century. There is some evidence of its use as a female name in the 17th and 18th centuries, perhaps as a variant of JOY. It was strongly revived in the 19th century under the influence of popular fiction. It is borne by characters in Mrs Henry Wood's East Lynne (1861) and Edna Lyall's In the Golden Days (1885). Modern use may well have been influenced also by the common Irish surname derived from the medieval Norman male name. See also Joss.
Cognates: Low German: JOBST. Dutch: JOOST, Joos.

Back  -   New Search

Jozafat m

Polish: from Josaphat, a Greek form (used in the New Testament) of Hebrew Jehoshaphat ‘God has judged’. This was the name in the Bible of a virtuous king of Judah. It owes its popularity as a Polish name to having been borne as a name in religion by a Polish saint (1584–1623), archbishop of Polotsk in Lithuania; his baptismal name was John.

Back  -   New Search

Józef m

Polish form of JOSEPH.
Feminine form: Józefa.

Back  -   New Search

József m

Hungarian form of JOSEPH.

Back  -   New Search

Juan m

Spanish form of JOHN, now occasionally used as a given name in English-speaking countries, in spite of the unfavourable associations with Don Juan, the heartless seducer of Mozart's opera (1788) and libertine hero of Byron's satirical epic (1819–24).

Back  -   New Search

Juana f

Spanish: feminine form of JUAN.

Back  -   New Search

Juanita f

Spanish: feminine pet form of JUAN. It is now also occasionally used in the English-speaking world, to which it was introduced mainly by Hispanic settlers in the United States.

Back  -   New Search

Juanito m

Spanish: pet form of JUAN.

Back  -   New Search

Judah m

Biblical name, possibly meaning ‘praised’ in Hebrew, borne by the fourth son of Jacob (Genesis 29: 35), who gave his name to one of the twelve tribes of Israel and to one of its two kingdoms.
Cognate: Hebrew: Yehuda.

Back  -   New Search

Judas m

New Testament: Greek form of JUDAH. This is borne in the New Testament by several characters, but most notably by Judas Iscariot, the apostle who betrayed Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane. There was another apostle called Judas (see JUDE), and the name was also borne by Judas Maccabbaeus, who liberated Judea briefly from the Syrians in 165 BC, but was killed in battle (161). His story was very popular in the Middle Ages. However, the association with Iscariot has ensured that this name has hardly ever been used as a Christian name, and that Jude has always been much rarer than other apostles' names.

Back  -   New Search

Judd m

English: medieval pet form of JORDAN, now restored to use as a given name from the derived surname.

Back  -   New Search

Jude m

English: short form of JUDAS, occasionally adopted in the New Testament and elsewhere in an attempt to distinguish the apostle Jude (Judas Thaddaeus), to whom one of the epistles in the New Testament is attributed, from the traitor Judas Iscariot. The name is also borne by the central character in Thomas Hardy's gloomy novel Jude the Obscure (1895). More recently it received some support from the Lennon and McCartney song ‘Hey Jude’ (1968).

Back  -   New Search

Judith f

Biblical name, meaning ‘Jewess’ or ‘woman from Judea’, borne by a Jewish heroine whose story is recorded in the Book of Judith in the Apocrypha. Judith is portrayed as a beautiful widow who delivers her people from the invading Assyrians by gaining the confidence of their commander, Holofernes, and cutting off his head while he is asleep; without their commander, the Assyrians are duly routed. The name is also borne by one of the Hittite wives of Esau (Genesis 26: 34). This has been a perennially popular Jewish name. In the English-speaking world it was taken up among Nonconformists in the 18th century, and has enjoyed great popularity in the 20th century. It was in occasional use among Gentiles before this: for example, it was borne by a niece of William the Conqueror. Elsewhere in Europe, it has usually been regarded as a characteristically Jewish name. In Ireland and Scotland it has been used as an Anglicized form of the Gaelic names SIOBHÁN and SIUBHAN.
Cognates: Hebrew: Yehudit. Latinized: Juditha. Polish: Judyta. Czech: Judita.
Pet forms: English: Judy, Judi, Judie. German: Jutta, Jutte. Dutch: Jutka, Jutte, Juut. Danish: Jytte. Czech: Jitka.

Back  -   New Search

Judy f

English: pet form of JUDITH, now sometimes taken as an independent name in its own right.
Variants: Judi, Judie.

Back  -   New Search

Juhani m

Finnish form of JOHN.

Back  -   New Search

Juià m

Catalan form of JULIAN.

Back  -   New Search

Jules m, now sometimes also f

1 (m.) French form of JULIUS. It is a very common given name in France and is occasionally also found in the English-speaking world.

2 (m.) English: pet form of JULIAN.
Top

3 (f.) English: informal pet form of JULIE.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Julia f

Feminine form of the Roman family name JULIUS. A woman called Julia is mentioned in Paul's Epistle to the Romans (Romans 16: 15), and the name was borne by numerous early saints. Its frequency increased with the vogue for classical names in the 18th century, and it continues to enjoy considerable popularity, although the recent introduction of JULIE to the English-speaking world has reduced its popularity somewhat.
Cognates: Italian: Giulia. French: JULIE.

Back  -   New Search

Julian m; occasionally f

English: from the common Late Latin given name Julinus, a derivative of JULIUS. In classical times Julinus was a name borne not only by various minor early saints, but also by the Roman emperor Julian ‘the Apostate’, who attempted to return the Roman Empire from institutionalized Christianity to paganism. For many centuries the English name Julian was borne by women as well as men, for example by the Blessed Julian of Norwich (c.1342–after 1413). The differentiation in form of Julian and GILLIAN did not occur until the 16th century. Julian is still occasionally used as a female name.
Variant: JOLYON m.
Cognates: French: Julien. Spanish: Julián. Catalan: Juià.

Back  -   New Search

Juliana f

Latin feminine form of Julinus (see JULIAN), which was revived in England in the 18th century and has been used occasionally ever since. The name in this form is also used in Germany, the Netherlands, Scandinavia, Spain, and Portugal.
Variant: German: Juliane.

Back  -   New Search

Julianne f

English: modern combination of the given names JULIE and ANNE, perhaps sometimes intended as a form of JULIANA.

Back  -   New Search

Julie f

French form of JULIA. This was imported to the English-speaking world in the 1920s, and for some reason has become enormously popular. Its popularity was increased in the 1960s by the fame of the actresses Julie Harris (b. 1925) and Julie Andrews (b. 1935 as Julia Wells).

Back  -   New Search

Julien m

French form of the male name JULIAN.
Feminine form: Julienne.

Back  -   New Search

Juliet f

English: Anglicized form of French JULIETTE or Italian GIULIETTA. The name is most famous as that of the ‘star-crossed’ heroine of Shakespeare's tragedy Romeo and Juliet.

Back  -   New Search

Juliette f

French: diminutive of JULIE, used also in the English-speaking world.
Cognate: Italian: Giulietta.

Back  -   New Search

Julio m

Spanish form of JULIUS.

Back  -   New Search

Julitta f

Italian and English: of uncertain origin, probably a Late Latin form of JUDITH, influenced by JULIA. This was the name borne by the mother of the infant saint, Quiricus (see QUIRCE); she was martyred with him at Tarsus in 304.

Back  -   New Search

Julius m

Roman family name, of obscure derivation, borne most notably by Gaius Julius Caesar (?102–44 BC). It was in use among the early Christians, and was the name of an early and influential pope (337–52), as well as of a later pope (1443–1513) who attempted to combat the corruption of the Renaissance papacy. Julius is now sometimes found as a Jewish name, having on occasions been chosen as a substitute for any of the numerous Hebrew names normally transliterated with an initial J-.
Cognates: Italian: Giulio. Spanish: Julio. Polish: Juliusz. Hungarian: Gyula. See also IOLO.

Back  -   New Search

June f

English: the most successful and enduring of the names coined in the early 20th century from the names of months of the year (cf. APRIL and MAY).

Back  -   New Search

Juniper f

English: from the name of the plant (derived in the Middle Ages from Late Latin juniprus, of uncertain origin). The term is also used in the Authorized Version of the Old Testament as a translation of Hebrew rothem, a substantial desert shrub whose wood was used in the building of the temple of Solomon. This is not a particularly common given name; there may have been some influence from JENNIFER (the surname Juniper is in part derived from Jennifer).

Back  -   New Search

Junita f

English: variant of JUANITA, perhaps influenced by the name of the Roman goddess Juno or by the given name JUNE, or by both.

Back  -   New Search

Juno f

Irish: Anglicized form of ÚNA, assimilated to the name of the Roman goddess Juno, consort of Jupiter.

Back  -   New Search

Jurek m

Polish: pet form of JERZY.

Back  -   New Search

Jürgen m

Low German form of GEORGE.

Back  -   New Search

Jussi m

A Finnish form of JOHN.

Back  -   New Search

Justin m

English: Anglicized form of the Latin given name Justnus, a derivative of JUSTUS. Justnus was the name borne by various early saints, notably a 2nd-century Christian apologist and a (possibly spurious) boy martyr of the 3rd century. As an English name, Justin has enjoyed considerable popularity in the second part of the 20th century.
Cognate: Welsh: Iestyn.

Back  -   New Search

Justine f

English: feminine form of JUSTIN. Its popularity in Britain since the 1960s is no doubt partly due to the influence of Lawrence Durrell's novel of this name.
Variant: Justina (Latin form).

Back  -   New Search

Justus m

Latin name meaning ‘just’ or ‘fair’. Because of its transparently well-omened meaning, it has been used occasionally as a given name in several countries, including Germany and the Netherlands.
Cognates: French: Just(e). Dutch: JOOST.

Back  -   New Search

Jutte f

German: vernacular form of JUDITH, now well established as an independent given name in its own right.
Variant: Jutta.

Back  -   New Search

Jytte f

Danish form of JUTTE.

Back  -   New Search

K

Kaapo m

Finnish form of GABRIEL.

Back  -   New Search

Kaarle m

Finnish form of CHARLES.

Back  -   New Search

Kai m

Scandinavian (mainly Danish), N. German, and Frisian: a popular name of uncertain origin. It may be connected with the Old Norse vocabulary word kaða hen, chicken. Alternatively, it may come from the Roman name Gaius (see CAYO). See also KAY (2).
Variant: Kaj.
Cognate: Czech: Kája, Kájin.
Pet forms: Czech: Kajík, Kajíek, Kajínek.

Back  -   New Search

Kajetan m

German and Polish form of GAETANO.

Back  -   New Search

Kajsa f

Swedish: pet form of KATARINA.

Back  -   New Search

Kaley f

English: variant spelling of KAYLEY.
Variant: Kaleigh.

Back  -   New Search

Kalle m

Swedish: pet form of KARL. The name is now also used to some extent in Germany.

Back  -   New Search

Kálmán m

Hungarian form of COLMAN. It is a common name as a result of the fame of St Colman of Stockerau (d. 1012), an Irish pilgrim who was killed at Stockerau near Vienna while on his way to the Holy Land, and who worked numerous miracles after his death. It was also the name of an early king of Hungary (ruled 1095–1116), remembered as a lawgiver.

Back  -   New Search

Kamil m

Polish and Czech form of the Latin name Camillus (see CAMILLA).
Feminine form: Kamila.

Back  -   New Search

Kane m

Irish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name CATHÁN.

Back  -   New Search

Kapiton m

Russian: from the Late Latin name Capito (genitive Capitnis), originally a nickname meaning ‘bigheaded’, from caput (genitive capitis) head. St Capiton was a 4th-century missionary bishop who preached in the Crimea and south Russia.

Back  -   New Search

Kåre m

Scandinavian: from the Old Norse personal name Kári, originally a byname meaning ‘curly-haired’.

Back  -   New Search

Karel m

Dutch and Czech form of CHARLES.
Pet forms: Czech: Karlí(e)k, Karlouek.

Back  -   New Search

Karen f

Danish form of KATHERINE, first introduced to the English-speaking world by Scandinavian settlers in America. It has been used in Britain only since the 1950s, but has become very popular.

Back  -   New Search

Kari f

Norwegian (or dialectal Swedish) form of KATHERINE; cf. KARIN and KAREN.

Back  -   New Search

Karin f

Swedish form of KATHERINE, found as a less common variant of KAREN in America and Britain.

Back  -   New Search

Karita f

Scandinavian form of CHARITY, from the Late Latin name Caritas.

Back  -   New Search

Karl m

German and Scandinavian form of CHARLES, now also used to some extent in the English-speaking world. The perennial popularity of this name in the German-speaking world was reinforced by the fact that it was an aristocratic and royal name from an early date, being borne, for example, by no less than seven Austrian emperors. Its status as an imperial name is reflected in the fact that the Polish, Czech, and Hungarian vocabulary words for ‘emperor’ are derived from the personal name: król, král, and király respectively. See also CARL.
Pet form: Kalle.
Cognates: Dutch, Czech: Karel. Polish: Karol.
Hungarian: Károly. See also CHARLES.
Feminine forms: German, Scandinavian: Karla See also CARLA.

Back  -   New Search

Karlmann m

German: from an old Germanic personal name, an elaboration of KARL with the Old High German element man man. The Blessed Carloman (707–55) was a member of the Frankish royal family, being the eldest son of Charles Martel, brother of Pepin the Short, and uncle of Charlemagne.

Back  -   New Search

Karlotte f

German form of CHARLOTTE.

Back  -   New Search

Karol m

Polish form of CHARLES.

Back  -   New Search

Karolina f

Scandinavian, Polish, and Czech form of CAROLINE.

Back  -   New Search

Karoline f

German and Danish form of CAROLINE.

Back  -   New Search

Károly m

Hungarian form of CHARLES.

Back  -   New Search

Karp m

Russian: from the Late Greek personal name Karpos, from karpos fruit, produce, result. This seems to have been a short form of the name Karpophoros ‘fruit-bearing’, i.e. fruitful, productive. The name is found in the New Testament, when St Paul refers in passing to ‘the cloak that I left at Troas with Carpus’ (2 Timothy 4: 13); in the Eastern Church this person is believed to have been an early bishop.

Back  -   New Search

Karsten m

Low German: variant spelling of CARSTEN.

Back  -   New Search

Kasia f

Polish: pet form of Katarzyna (see KATHERINE).

Back  -   New Search

Kaspar m

The principal German and Scandinavian form of CASPAR.

Back  -   New Search

Kasper m

Polish form of CASPAR, also used in Scandinavia.

Back  -   New Search

Katarina f

Swedish form of KATHERINE.
Pet forms: Kata, Kajsa.

Back  -   New Search

Katarzyna f

Polish form of KATHERINE.

Back  -   New Search

Kate f

English: short form of KATHERINE (or any of its variant spellings), reflecting the French pronunciation with -t-for -th-, which was also usual in medieval England. This short form has been continuously popular since the Middle Ages. It was used by Shakespeare for two important characters: the daughter of the King of France who is wooed and won by King Henry V, and the ‘shrew’ in The Taming of the Shrew.
Cognates: Irish Gaelic: Cáit. Scottish Gaelic: Ceit.

Back  -   New Search

Katerina f

Russian: popular form of KATHERINE.

Back  -   New Search

Kateina f

Czech form of KATHERINE.

Back  -   New Search

Kath f

English: modern short form of KATHERINE and its variants.

Back  -   New Search

Katha f

English: altered form of Kathy or name formed directly from KATHERINE.

Back  -   New Search

Katharine f

Variant of KATHERINE, the preferred form in America. The spelling has been affected by folk-etymological association with Greek katharos pure.

Back  -   New Search

Käthe f

German: pet form of KATHARINE.

Back  -   New Search

Katherine f

English form of the name of a saint martyred at Alexandria in 307. The story has it that she was a brilliant and learned young woman who was condemned to be broken on the wheel for her Christian belief and opposition to paganism. However, the wheel miraculously fell apart, so she was beheaded instead. There were innumerable elaborations on this story, which was one of the most popular in early Christian mythology, and she has been the object of a vast popular cult. The earliest sources that mention her are in Greek and give the name in the form Aikaterin (still the modern Greek form, reflected also in the Russian form, Yekaterina). The name is of unknown etymology; the suggestion that it may be derived from Hecate, the pagan goddess of magic and enchantment, is not convincing. From an early date, it was associated with the Greek adjective katharos pure. This led to spellings with -th- and to a change in the middle vowel (see KATHARINE). Several later saints also bore the name, including the mystic St Katherine of Siena (1347–80), who both led a contemplative life and played a role in the affairs of state of her day.
Katherine is also a royal name: in England it was borne by the formidable and popular Katherine of Aragon (1485–1536), first wife of Henry VIII, as well as by the wives of Henry V and Charles II. In France, it was borne by Catherine de' Medici (1519–89), wife of King Henry II and regent (1560–74). Probably the most famous royal bearer of all was the Russian empress Catherine the Great (1729–96; reigned 1762–96).
Variants: Katharine, Catherine, Catharine, Kathryn, Cathryn.
Cognates: Irish Gaelic: Caitríona, Caitrín, Catraoine, Caitlín. Scottish: CATRIONA, Ca(i)trìona. Welsh: Catrin. French: Catherine. Italian: Caterina. Spanish: Catalina. Portuguese: Catarina. German: Kat(h)arine, Katrine. Dutch: KatrienM, Katrijn. Polish: Katarzyna. Czech: Kateina. Russian: Yekaterina; Katerina (popular form). See also KAREN, KARIN, KARI.
Short forms: English: KATE; Kath, Cath.
Pet forms: English: Kathy, Cathy; Katie, Katy, Kit(ty). German: Käthe. Polish: Kasia. Russian: Katya, Katinka.

Back  -   New Search

Kathleen f

Irish and English: Anglicized form of Gaelic CAITLÍN.
Variant: Cathleen.

Back  -   New Search

Kathryn f

American form of KATHERINE, now the most common spelling in the United States. It seems to have originated as a deliberate alteration for the sake of distinction, perhaps influenced by the suffix -lyn (see LYNN).

Back  -   New Search

Katie

English: pet form of KATE, with the hypocoristic suffix -ie.
Variant: Katy.
Cognate: Scottish Gaelic: Ceiteag.

Back  -   New Search

Katinka f

Russian: pet form derived from an extended version of KATYA.

Back  -   New Search

Katrien f

Dutch form of KATHERINE.
Variant: Katrijn.

Back  -   New Search

Katriona f

English: variant spelling of CATRIONA.

Back  -   New Search

Katrine f

German and Danish: contracted form of KATHARINE, now used occasionally in the English-speaking world, in part as an Anglicized form of Irish Gaelic Caitrín.

Back  -   New Search

Katy f

English: variant spelling of KATIE.

Back  -   New Search

Katya f

Russian: pet form of YEKATARINA, now sometimes used as an independent given name in the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Kay f, m

English: 1 (f.) Pet form of any of the various female names beginning with the letter K- (cf. DEE and JAY), most notably KATHERINE and its variants.

2 (m.) Comparatively rare male name, which presumably originated in honour of the Arthurian knight so called, although Sir Kay is not a particularly attractive character. His name seems to be a Celticized form of Latin Gaius, an old Roman given name of uncertain derivation (cf. CAYO).
Top

Back  -   New Search

Kayla f

English: recently coined altered form of KAYLEY.

Back  -   New Search

Kayley f

Irish and English: of recent origin and uncertain derivation. Kayley is an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Caollaidhe ‘descendant of Caolladhe’, an old male personal name derived from the element caol slender. Its adoption as a modern given name has probably also been influenced by the popularity of the names KELLY and KYLIE.
Variants: Kayly, Kaley, Ka(y)leigh.

Back  -   New Search

Kazimierz m

Polish form of CASIMIR.

Back  -   New Search

Kean m

Irish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name CIAN.
Variant: Keane.

Back  -   New Search

Keeley f

English and Irish: of recent origin and uncertain etymology, possibly an alteration of KEELIN to fit in with the pattern of female names ending in -(e)y or -ie. The Irish surname Keeley is a variant of KAYLEY.
Variants: Keely, Keeleigh, KEIGHLEY.

Back  -   New Search

Keelin f

Irish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Caoilfhionn, composed of the elements caol slender + fionn white.

Back  -   New Search

Kees m

Dutch: pet form of CORNELIS, now also used as an independent given name.
Variant: Cees.

Back  -   New Search

Keighley f

English: fanciful respelling of KEELEY, inspired by the Yorkshire town of Keighley, which is, however, pronounced /ki:l/.

Back  -   New Search

Keir m

Scottish: transferred use of the surname, in origin a variant of KERR. In some cases, the name may be chosen in honour of the trade unionist and first Labour MP, James Keir Hardie (1856–1915), whose mother's maiden name was Keir.

Back  -   New Search

Keith m

English and Scottish: from a Scottish surname, originally a local name derived from lands so called in East Lothian, probably from a Celtic (Brythonic) word meaning ‘wood’. The principal family bearing this surname were hereditary Earls Marischal of Scotland from 1455 to 1715. This is one of a number of Scottish aristocratic surnames that have become well established since the 19th century as male names throughout the English-speaking world, not just in Scotland. Others include BRUCE, GRAHAM, DOUGLAS, and LESLIE.
Feminine form: Keitha.

Back  -   New Search

Kelan m

Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Caolán, originally a byname representing a diminutive form of cool slender.

Back  -   New Search

Keld m

Danish form of KETTIL.

Back  -   New Search

Kelemen m

Hungarian form of CLEMENT.

Back  -   New Search

Kelly m, f

English: As a male name, an Anglicized form of Irish Gaelic CEALLAGH. In Australia and elsewhere in the English-speaking world it is now more commonly used as a female given name. This use probably derives from the Irish surname (Gaelic Ó Ceallaigh ‘descendant of Ceallagh’); cf. the similar recent use of CASEY and CASSIDY as female given names.
Variants: Kelley, Kellie f.

Back  -   New Search

Kelsey m, f

English: transferred use of the surname, which is derived from the Old English masculine personal name Céolsige, composed of the elements céol ship + sige victory.
Variant: Kelsie.

Back  -   New Search

Kelvin m

English: modern given name, first used in the 1920s. It is taken from a Scottish river which runs through Glasgow into the Clyde (cf. CLYDE). Its choice as a given name may also have been influenced by the form of such names as MELVIN and CALVIN and the fame of the scientist Lord Kelvin.

Back  -   New Search

Kemp m

English: transferred use of the surname, which originated in the Middle Ages as an occupational name or nickname from Middle English kempe athlete, wrestler (from Old English kempa warrior, champion).

Back  -   New Search

Ken m

English: short form of KENNETH, or occasionally of various other male names with this first syllable.

Back  -   New Search

Kendall m, f

English, Cornish, and Welsh: transferred use of the surname, which is at least in part a local name, either from Kendal in Cumbria (formerly the county town of Westmorland, so named because it stands in the valley of the river Kent), or from Kendale in Driffield, Humberside, where the first element is Old Norse keld spring. The distribution of the surname makes it seem likely that it is also partly derived from the Welsh given name CYNDDELW, or from a Cornish cognate.
Variant: Kendal.

Back  -   New Search

Kendra f

English: recently coined feminine form of KENDRICK.

Back  -   New Search

Kendrick m

English: in modern use a transferred use of the surname, the origins of which are confused. Given its distribution, the most likely source in the majority of cases is the Old Welsh personal name Cynwrig. This is of uncertain derivation, but may be composed of Old Celtic elements meaning ‘high, exalted’ + ‘hill, summit’.
The Scottish surname Ken(d)rick is a shortened form of MacKen(d)rick (Gaelic Mac Eanraig ‘son of Henry’); Scottish bearers are descended from a certain Henry MacNaughton, and therefore the (Mac)Ken(d)ricks are a sept of Clan MacNaughton.
It is also possible that, as an English surname, Ken(d)rick is derived in part from the Old English personal names Cnerc and Cyneríc. The first of these is composed of the elements cne keen or bold + rc power; the second is from cyne royal + rc power. Withycombe says that ‘the Christian name Cynric survived into the 17th century,’ but unfortunately does not give any evidence. Without information about the location it is impossible to decide whether it is a survival (and, if so, of what), a revival, or a transferred use.
Variant: Kenrick.

Back  -   New Search

Kenelm m

English: from an Old English personal name composed of the elements cne keen, bold + helm helmet, protection. The name was popular in England during the Middle Ages, when a shadowy 9th-century Mercian prince of this name was widely revered as a saint and martyr, although his death seems to have been rather the result of personal and political motives. It has remained in occasional use ever since, especially in the Digby family, where it tended to alternate with EVERARD. The most famous Sir Kenelm Digby (1603–65) was notable as a writer, scientist, adventurer, diplomat, and lover.

Back  -   New Search

Kennard m

English: ultimately from an Old English personal name in which several earlier names have fallen together. The first element is either cne keen, bold, or cyne royal; the second is either weard guard or heard brave, hardy. This name seems to have died out during the Middle Ages, and in modern times Kennard probably represents a transferred use of the surname derived from it.

Back  -   New Search

Kennedy m

Irish, Scottish, and English: Anglicized form of Irish Gaelic Cinnéidigh, a traditional name composed of the elements ceann head + éidigh ugly. In the Scottish Highlands this form has also been used as an Anglicized equivalent of the Scottish Gaelic name UARRAIG, apparently because that given name was common in kindreds surnamed Kennedy (Irish Ó Cinnéidigh). In recent years it has sometimes been chosen in the English-speaking world in honour of the assassinated American president John F. Kennedy (1917–63) and his brother Robert (1925–68).

Back  -   New Search

Kenneth m

Scottish and English: Anglicized form of two different Gaelic names, Cinaed and Cainnech. The former seems to have been originally a personal name meaning ‘born of fire’, the latter a byname meaning ‘handsome, fair one’. Cinaed was the Gaelic name of Kenneth Mac Alpin, first king of the Picts and Scots; Cainnech survives today in Scotland as the common Gaelic name Coinneach. In the 20th century Kenneth has enjoyed great popularity well beyond the boundaries of Scotland.
Derivatives: Scandinavian: Kennet, Kent.
Short form: English: Ken.
Pet form: Scottish, English: KENNY.
Feminine forms: Scottish: Kenna, Kenina.

Back  -   New Search

Kenny m

1 Characteristically Scottish pet form of KENNETH; one of the best-known bearers in modern times is the footballer Kenny Dalglish.

2 Anglicized form of Irish Gaelic CAINNEACH.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Kent m

1 English: transferred use of the surname, which originally denoted someone from the county of Kent. This is probably named with a Celtic element meaning ‘border’. Its use as a given name is of recent origin, but is now quite popular.

2 Scandinavian: contracted form of Kennet, the Scandinavian form of KENNETH.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Kenton m

English: transferred use of the surname, originally a local name from any of various places so called. The one in Devon gets its name from the British river name Kenn + Old English tn enclosure, settlement; the one in north-west London is from the Old English personal name Cna ‘keen’ + tn; the one in Northumberland is from Old English cyne- royal + tn; and that in Staffordshire probably from the personal name Cna ‘keen’ or Cyna ‘royal’ + tn.

Back  -   New Search

Kenya m

Russian: pet form of INNOKENTI.

Back  -   New Search

Kepa m

Basque equivalent of PETER, taken directly from the Aramaic form Kephas.

Back  -   New Search

Kerena f

English: Latinate elaboration of Keren, itself a version shortened to manageable proportions of the biblical name Keren-happuch (meaning ‘horn of eye-paint’ in Hebrew) borne by the third of Job's daughters (Job 42: 14).

Back  -   New Search

Kermit m

English: of Irish and Manx origin, from the Gaelic surname form Mac Dhiarmaid ‘son of Diarmad’ (see DERMOT). The name was borne by a son of the American president Theodore Roosevelt, and more recently by a frog puppet on Jim Henson's Muppet Show.

Back  -   New Search

Kerr m

English: transferred use of the surname, which is a northern English local name for someone who lived by a patch of wet ground overgrown with brushwood (Old Norse kjarr).

Back  -   New Search

Kerry f, m

English: of recent, Australian, origin, probably from the name of the Irish county. It is now becoming relatively common in Britain as well as Australia, especially as a female name.

Back  -   New Search

Kerstin f

Swedish: variant of KRISTINA.

Back  -   New Search

Kerttu f

Finnish form of GERTRUDE.

Back  -   New Search

Kester m

Medieval Scottish form of CHRISTOPHER, occasionally revived as a modern given name.

Back  -   New Search

Kestrel f

English: one of the rarer female names derived from vocabulary words denoting birds that have come into use in the 20th century. The word itself derives from Old French cresserelle, apparently a derivative of cressele rattle.

Back  -   New Search

Kettil m

Swedish: from the Old Norse name Ketill, a short form of various compound names containing the second element ketill sacrificial cauldron, for example Thorketill (see TORKEL) and Arnketill.
Variant: Kjell.
Cognates: Norwegian: Kjetil. Danish: Kjeld, Keld.

Back  -   New Search

Keturah f

Biblical: name (meaning ‘incense’ in Hebrew) borne by the wife Abraham married after Sarah's death (Genesis 25: 1). The name is occasionally chosen in the English-speaking world by parents in search of an unusual name.

Back  -   New Search

Kevin m

Irish and English: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Caoimhín, originally a byname representing a diminutive of Gaelic caomh comely, beloved. This was the name of a 7th-century saint who is one of the patrons of Dublin.
Variant: Kevan (from Gaelic Caoimheán, with a different diminutive suffix).

Back  -   New Search

Kezia f

Biblical: name of one of Job's daughters, born to him towards the end of his life, after his prosperity had been restored (Job 42: 14). It represents the Hebrew word for the cassia tree (named in English, via Latin and Greek, from a similar Semitic source). The name is used in the English-speaking world rather less frequently than JEMIMA, but considerably more so than Keren-happuch, the name of Job's third daughter (see KERENA).
Pet forms: Kizzie, Kizzy.

Back  -   New Search

Khipa m

Russian: pet form of ARKHIP.

Back  -   New Search

Kicki f

Swedish: pet form of KRISTINA. Derived apparently from a childish pronunciation of the name, this form is found from the late 19th century onwards.

Back  -   New Search

Kiera f

Irish and English: recently coined feminine form of KIERAN; cf. CIARA.

Back  -   New Search

Kieran m

Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic CIARÁN.
Variant: Kyran.

Back  -   New Search

Kilina f

Ukrainian form of AKILINA.

Back  -   New Search

Killian m

Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic CILLIAN. This name was borne by various early Irish saints, including the 7th-century author of a ‘Life of St Bridget’, and missionaries to Artois and Franconia.
Variant: Kilian.

Back  -   New Search

Kilya f

Russian: pet form of AKILINA.

Back  -   New Search

Kim f, m

1 (f., m) English: originally a male name, a short form of KIMBERLEY, but now much more common than the latter and nearly always a female name. It has become established as an independent name in its own right. The hero of Rudyard Kipling's novel Kim (1901) bore the name as a short form of Kimball (a surname used as a given name).

2 (m.) Scandinavian: aphetic short form of joakim (see JOACHIM).
Top

Back  -   New Search

Kima m

Russian: pet form of AKIM or YAKIM.

Back  -   New Search

Kimberley f, m

English: becoming increasingly common as a female name, being regarded, probably rightly, as the full form of KIM. Its history is complicated, in that it is from a placename, from a surname, from a placename. The immediate source is the town in South Africa, the scene of fighting during the Boer War, which brought it to public notice at the end of the 19th century. The town was named after a certain Lord Kimberley, whose ancestors derived their surname from one of the places in England called Kimberley. The first part of the placename derives from various Old English personal names; the second (from Old English lah) means ‘wood’ or ‘clearing’.
Variants: Kimberly (the more common U.S. spelling); Kimberleigh.

Back  -   New Search

Kina f

Scottish (Highland): short form of Alickina (see ALICK).

Back  -   New Search

King m

English: from the vocabulary word for a monarch, bestowed, especially in America, with a hint of the notion that the bearer would have kingly qualities; cf. DUKE and EARL. In some cases it may be a transferred use of the surname (originally a nickname or an occupational name given to someone who was employed in a royal household). Its frequency has increased recently among American Blacks, no doubt partly as a result of its being bestowed in honour of the civil rights leader Martin Luther King (1929–68).

Back  -   New Search

Kinge f

German: pet form of KUNIGUNDE.
Variant: Kinga.

Back  -   New Search

Kingsley m, f

English: transferred use of the surname, originally a local name derived from various places (in Cheshire, Hampshire, Staffordshire) named in Old English as Cyningeslah ‘king’s wood'. It is not clear what was the initial impulse towards use as a given name; the usual pattern in such cases is for a mother's maiden name to be chosen as a given name, but in this case the choice may have been made in honour of the author Charles Kingsley (1819–75).

Back  -   New Search

Kirill m

Russian form of CYRIL.

Back  -   New Search

Kirk m

Scottish and English: transferred use of the surname, originally a northern English and Scottish local name for someone who lived near a church (from Old Norse kirkja). Recent use has probably been influenced to some extent by the film actor Kirk Douglas, who was born in 1916 as Issur Danielovich Demsky.

Back  -   New Search

Kirsten f

Danish and Norwegian form of CHRISTINE, now well established in English-speaking countries.

Back  -   New Search

Kirstie f

Scottish: pet form of KIRSTIN, now quite commonly used as an independent given name in the rest of the English-speaking world as well as in Scotland.
Variants: Kirsty; Chirsty (the usual spelling in the Highlands); Curstaidh, Ciorstiadh, Curstag, Ciorstag (Gaelic).

Back  -   New Search

Kirstin f

Scottish: vernacular form of CHRISTINE, now quite widely used in the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Kit m, f

English: 1 (m.) Pet form of CHRISTOPHER.

2 (f.) Pet form of KATHERINE, an altered form of Kat.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Kitty f

English: pet form of KATHERINE, derived from the pet form KIT + the hypocoristic suffix -y.

Back  -   New Search

Kizzie f

English: pet form of KEZIA, now sometimes used as an independent name.
Variant: Kizzy.

Back  -   New Search

Kjell m

Swedish: contracted form of KETTIL.
Cognates: Norwegian: Kjetil. Danish: Kjeld, Keld.

Back  -   New Search

Klaartje f

Dutch: pet form of KLARA.

Back  -   New Search

Klaas m

Dutch form of CLAUS.

Back  -   New Search

Klaes m

Frisian form of CLAUS.

Back  -   New Search

Klara f

German, Dutch, Russian, Polish, and Scandinavian form of CLARA.
Pet form: Dutch: Klaartje.

Back  -   New Search

Klaudia f

Polish form of CLAUDIA.

Back  -   New Search

Klaudiusz m

Polish form of CLAUDE.

Back  -   New Search

Klaus m

German: variant spelling of CLAUS.

Back  -   New Search

Klavdia f

Russian form of CLAUDIA.

Back  -   New Search

Klavdii m

Russian form of CLAUDE.

Back  -   New Search

Klemens m

German, Danish, Swedish, and Polish form of CLEMENT.
Pet form: Polish: Klimek.

Back  -   New Search

Klementyna f

Polish form of Clementina (see CLEMENTINE).

Back  -   New Search

Klimek m

Polish: diminutive pet form of KLEMENS, now used as an independent given name.

Back  -   New Search

Kliment m

Russian and Czech form of CLEMENT.

Back  -   New Search

Knut m

Scandinavian: from Old Norse Knútr ‘knot’, originally a byname given to a short, squat man. King Knut (d. 1035) ruled over Denmark, Norway, and England in the 11th century. His great-nephew Knut (d. 1086) was another king of Denmark, who founded churches throughout his realm. He was canonized as a martyr, the main reason apparently being that he was murdered by opponents of the laws enforcing payment of tithes to the Church. The latter's nephew, also Knut (d. 1131), was Duke of Schleswig and is also venerated as a martyr, although the justification for this is not clear. It is still a popular Danish and Norwegian given name.
Variant: Danish: Knud.
Anglicized form: Canute.

Back  -   New Search

Koenraad m

Dutch form of CONRAD.

Back  -   New Search

Koldo m

Basque: shortened form of Koldobika, a derivative of an Ostrogothic form of the Germanic name Chlodovik, and so an equivalent of Spanish Luis (see LOUIS).

Back  -   New Search

Kolos m

Hungarian form of CLAUDE.

Back  -   New Search

Kolya m

Russian: aphetic pet form of NIKOLAI.

Back  -   New Search

Kondrat m

Polish form of CONRAD, but there has been considerable confusion between this and the Russian name Kondrati, which is officially derived from the Late Greek name Kodratos, from the Latin byname Quadrtus, meaning ‘square’, i.e. squat, portly. This was borne by various early saints venerated in the Eastern Church, most notably by the writer of the first apologia for Christianity, addressed to the Emperor Hadrian, and by the leader of a group of forty-three martyrs executed in Anatolia under the Emperor Decius.

Back  -   New Search

Konrad m

The usual German and Polish spelling of CONRAD.
Variant: KURT.

Back  -   New Search

Konstantin m

German, Scandinavian, Hungarian, Czech, and Russian form of CONSTANTINE.
Pet form: Russian: Kostya.

Back  -   New Search

Konstantyn m

Polish form of CONSTANTINE.

Back  -   New Search

Koppel m

Jewish: Yiddish aphetic pet form of JAKOB.

Back  -   New Search

Korbinian m

German (S. Germany): given name bestowed in honour of a Frankish saint (?670–770), who evangelized Bavaria from a base at Freising, near Munich. His name was presumably originally Frankish, but in the form in which it has been handed down it appears to be an adjectival derivative of Latin corvus raven, which has a Late Latin variant corbus. This may represent a translation of the Germanic personal name Hraban.
Pet form: Körbl.

Back  -   New Search

Kornel m

Polish and Czech form of CORNELIUS.
Variants: Polish: Korneli, Korneliusz.

Back  -   New Search

Kort m

Dutch form of KURT.

Back  -   New Search

Kostya m

Russian: pet form of KONSTANTIN, which is often pronounced as Kostatin in the vernacular.

Back  -   New Search

Kreine f

Jewish: from a dialect form of Yiddish kroine crown (equivalent to modern German Krone, from Latin corna). See also ATARAH.

Back  -   New Search

Kreszenz f

German (S. Germany): from the Late Latin pesonal name Crescentia, a feminine form of the male name Crescens, genitive Crescentis. This represents a participial form of Latin crescere to grow. It seems originally to have been used as a name of good omen, in the hope that the child bearing it would grow up strong and healthy.
Variant: Crescentia.
Pet form: Zenzi.

Back  -   New Search

Kriemhild f

German: from an old Germanic female personal name composed of the elements grim mask + hild battle. In the Nibelungenlied this is the name of the sister of Gunther; she marries Siegfried, and later takes vengeance on her brother for her husband's murder.
Variants: Kriemhilde, Krimhilde.

Back  -   New Search

Kristeen f

English: fanciful respelling of CHRISTINE, influenced by the Danish forms KRISTEN and KIRSTEN.
Variants: Kristene, Kristine.

Back  -   New Search

Kristen m

Danish form of CHRISTIAN.

Back  -   New Search

Kristie f

English: fanciful respelling of the female name CHRISTIE, under the influence of the Scottish form KIRSTIE.
Variant: Kristy.

Back  -   New Search

Kristina f

Swedish and Czech form of CHRISTINA. The name is very popular in Sweden. Queen Kristina of Sweden (1626–89) succeeded her father Gustavus Adolphus in 1632. Growing to adulthood, she presided over a glittering court, but in 1654 she abdicated, left Sweden dressed as a man, converted to Roman Catholicism, and lived for most of the rest of her life in Rome. Her character was the subject of a famous but largely fictitious film (1933), in which the part of the queen was played by Greta Garbo.
Variant: Swedish: Kerstin.
Pet form: Swedish: Kicki.

Back  -   New Search

Kristoffer m

Scandinavian form of CHRISTOPHER.

Back  -   New Search

Krystle f

English: fanciful respelling of CRYSTAL.

Back  -   New Search

Krytof m

Czech form of CHRISTOPHER.
Pet forms: Krya, Kryek.

Back  -   New Search

Krystyna f

Polish form of CHRISTINA.

Back  -   New Search

Krzysztof m

Polish form of CHRISTOPHER.

Back  -   New Search

Ksawery m

Polish form of XAVIER.

Back  -   New Search

Kuba m

Polish and Czech: pet form of JAKUB.
Variants: Polish: Kubú. Czech: Kube, Kubiek.

Back  -   New Search

Kukka f

Finnish: originally an affectionate nickname meaning ‘flower’.

Back  -   New Search

Kulya f

Russian: pet form of AKILINA.

Back  -   New Search

Kunigunde f

German: from an old Germanic female personal name composed of the elements kuoni brave + gund strife. St Cunegund (d. 1039) was the wife of the Holy Roman Emperor Henry II, with whom she is said to have lived in ‘conjugal virginity’.
Cognates: Dutch: Kunigonde, Cunegonde.
Pet forms: German: Kinge, Kinga.

Back  -   New Search

Kurt m

German: in origin a contracted form of KONRAD, but now well established as a given name in its own right.
Variant: Curt.
Cognate: Dutch: Kort.

Back  -   New Search

Kustaa m

Finnish form of GUSTAV; See also KYÖSTI.

Back  -   New Search

Kvta f

Czech. originally an affectionate nickname derived from the vocabulary word kvt flower, which came to be adopted as a given name.
Pet forms: Kvtka, Kvtue, Kvtuka.

Back  -   New Search

Kwiatosaw m

Polish: from an old Slavonic personal name composed of the elements kviat flower + slav glory.
Cognate: Czech: Kvtoslav.

Back  -   New Search

Kyla f

English: recently coined name, created as a feminine form of KYLE or else a variant of KYLIE.

Back  -   New Search

Kyle m, f

English: transferred use of a Scottish surname, which originated as a local name from the region so called in the former county of Ayrshire. Kyle is a topographic term referring to a narrow strait or channel, from Gaelic caol narrow.

Back  -   New Search

Kylie f

English: of Australian origin, said to represent an Aboriginal term for the boomerang. However, in view of the inappropriateness of this meaning, it seems more likely that the name is an artificial invention influenced by KYLE and KELLY. It is extremely popular in Australia and, in part due to the fame of the Australian actress and singer Kylie Minogue (b. 1968), it is gradually coming into use in the rest of the English-speaking world.
Variant: Kyleigh.

Back  -   New Search

Kynaston m

English: transferred use of the surname, which originated in the Middle Ages as a local name from places in Hereford and Shropshire so called from Old English Cynefripestn ‘settlement of Cynefrip’, a male personal name composed of the elements cyne royal + frip peace.

Back  -   New Search

Kyösti m

Finnish form of GUSTAV; See also KUSTAA.

Back  -   New Search

Kyra f

English: apparently a variant spelling of Cyra, feminine form of CYRUS, or else a feminine name formed directly from KYRAN.

Back  -   New Search

Kyran m

English and Irish: variant spelling of KIERAN.

Back  -   New Search

L

Labhrás m

Irish Gaelic form of LAURENCE.

Back  -   New Search

Labhrainn m

Scottish Gaelic form of LAURENCE.

Back  -   New Search

Lacey m, f

English: transferred use of the surname, originally a Norman baronial name signifying origin in Lassy, Calvados. The Lacey family was important in Ireland during the early Middle Ages. As a female name this seems to have been influenced by association with the vocabulary word lace, denoting an ornamental trimming (Old French laz braid, from Latin laqueus noose).
Variant: Lacy mainly m.

Back  -   New Search

Lachlan m

Scottish (Gaelic Lachlann, dialectally Lachann; earlier Lochlann): said to refer originally to a migrant from Norway, the ‘land of the lochs’. It is normally used only in families that have some connection with Scotland.
Pet forms: Scottish: Lachie. Canadian: Lockie.
Feminine form: Scottish (Highland): Lachina.

Back  -   New Search

Lachtna m

Irish Gaelic: originally a byname meaning ‘milk-coloured’. It was borne, according to tradition, by the great-great-grandfather of the legendary king, Brian Boru. It is sometimes found in a Latinized form as LUCIUS.

Back  -   New Search

Ladislao m

Italian equivalent of LÁSZLÓ, used mainly in the town of Fiume, which for a long time was under Hungarian control (though since 1947 it has formed part of Yugoslavia, under the name Rijeka).

Back  -   New Search

Ladislas m

Latinate form of Polish WADISAW, Czech VLADISLAV, or Hungarian LÁSZLÓ, occasionally used in Britain, the Netherlands, and elsewhere, but mainly as a translation name.
Variant: Ladislaus.

Back  -   New Search

Ladislav m

Czech: variant of VLADISLAV.
Feminine form: Ladislava.

Back  -   New Search

Laetitia f

Original Latin form of LETTICE. This is currently a moderately fashionable name in France.

Back  -   New Search

Laila f

1 English: variant spelling of LEILA.

2 Scandinavian: ancient name of Saami origin, not uncommon in modern Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Lajos m

Hungarian form of LOUIS.

Back  -   New Search

Lalage f

Classical name, pronounced /'lældzi/ or /'lælg/. It was used by Horace in one of his Odes as the name of his beloved of the moment; without doubt it was not her real name, but a literary pseudonym derived from Greek lalagein to chatter or babble. It has enjoyed a modest popularity among classically educated parents since the 19th century. It was the name of the central character in E. Arnot Robertson's Ordinary Families (1933) and it also occurs in John Fowles's The French Lieutenant's Woman (1969).

Back  -   New Search

Lally f

English: pet form of LALAGE.
Variants: Lallie, Lalla, Lala.

Back  -   New Search

Lambert m

English, French, German, and Dutch: of Germanic origin, composed of the elements land land, territory + beorht famous. It was introduced to Britain by the Normans. Its frequency in Britain in the later Middle Ages, however, was mainly due to its popularity among immigrants from the Low Countries (who came to England in connection with the cloth trade). St Lambert of Maastricht was a 7th-century saint who aided St Willibrord in his evangelical work.
Variants: Dutch and Low German: Lammert. German: Lamprecht.

Back  -   New Search

Lana f

1 English (esp. U.S.): of uncertain origin. If not simply an invention, it may have been devised as a feminine equivalent of ALAN (of which it is an anagram), or an aphetic form of ALANA. It seems to have been first used by the film actress Lana Turner (b. 1920), whose original name was Julia.

2 Russian: aphetic short form of SVETLANA.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Lance m

English: from Old French Lance, from the Germanic name Lanzo, a pet form of various compound names with the first element land land, territory (cf. e.g. LAMBERT), but associated from an early date with Old French lance, the weapon (from Latin lancea). In modern use the given name seems to have originated as a transferred use of the surname derived from the medieval given name, although it is also commonly taken to be a short form of LANCELOT.

Back  -   New Search

Lancelot m

English: the name borne by one of King Arthur's best and most valued knights, who eventually betrayed his trust by becoming the lover of Queen Guinevere. The name is of uncertain origin. It is probably, like other Arthurian names, of Celtic derivation, but has been heavily distorted by mediation through French sources.

Back  -   New Search

Laocadia f

Portuguese form of LEOCADIA.

Back  -   New Search

Laoiseach m

Irish Gaelic: originally an ethnic name for someone from the region of Laois in Leinster (the modern county of Leix).
Anglicized forms: LOUIS, LEWIS.

Back  -   New Search

Lara f

Russian: short form of LARISSA, introduced in the early 20th century to the English-speaking world. Here it became popular in particular as the name of one of the principal characters in Boris Pasternak's novel Dr Zhivago (1957), which was made into a popular Hollywood film in 1965. The name is associated with ‘Lara's theme’, from the film score by Maurice Jarre. Occasionally the name also represents a short form of KLARA.

Back  -   New Search

Laraine f

English (mainly U.S.): of uncertain origin, perhaps a variant spelling of LORRAINE or derived from the French vocabulary word la reine meaning ‘the queen’ (cf. RAINE). The prefix La- has become a popular one in female names in America since the 1970s, particularly among Blacks; the forms Lakisha, Latoya, LATASHA, and LATISHA were among the top one hundred Black female names in 1982.
Variant: Lareine.

Back  -   New Search

Larissa f

Russian: of uncertain origin. It is the name of a Greek martyr venerated in the Eastern Church, and may perhaps be derived from the ancient Thessalian town of Larissa.
Variant: Larisa.

Back  -   New Search

Lark f

English: one of a small set of female names derived from vocabulary words denoting birds, which have achieved some currency during the 20th century. The associations of the lark (Old English lwerce) with early rising, cheerfulness, and sweet song have no doubt contributed to its occasional choice as a given name.

Back  -   New Search

Larry m

English: pet form of LAURENCE or LAWRENCE.
Informal modern variant: Laz.

Back  -   New Search

Lars m

Scandinavian form of LAURENCE. This was the second commonest male name in Denmark in 1965 and the third commonest in Sweden in 1973.

Back  -   New Search

Lassarina m

Irish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Lasairíona, composed of the elements lasair flame + fion wine.

Back  -   New Search

Lasse m

Finnish form of LAURENCE, derived from a Scandinavian pet form of the name. It has been borne, for example, by the Finnish runner Lasse Viren (b. 1949).
Variant: Lassi.

Back  -   New Search

László m

Hungarian form of WADYSAW. The name is still very popular in Hungary: its popularity was originally due to St László (1040–95), King of Hungary (1077–95), who is honoured by the Hungarians as a model of chivalry, courage, and Christian virtue, as well as a patriot and lawgiver.

Back  -   New Search

Latasha f

English (esp. U.S.): a recent coinage, possibly representing a cross between LATISHA and NATASHA. It was the twenty-second most common female name among American Blacks in 1982.

Back  -   New Search

Latisha f

English (esp. U.S.): a recent coinage, probably a respelling of LAETITIA. It enjoys considerable popularity among American Blacks.
Pet form: Tisha.

Back  -   New Search

Laughlin m

Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic LOCHLAINN.

Back  -   New Search

Launo m

Finnish form of CLAUS.

Back  -   New Search

Laura f

Italian, Spanish, and English: feminine form of the Late Latin male name Laurus ‘Laurel’. St Laura was a 9th-century Spanish nun who met her death in a cauldron of molten lead. Laura is also the name of the woman addressed in the love poetry of the Italian poet Petrarch (Francesco Petrarca, 1304–74), and it owes much of its subsequent popularity to this. There have been various speculations about her identity, but it has not been established with any certainty. He first met her in 1327 while living in Avignon, and she died of the plague in 1348. The current popularity of the given name in the English-speaking world dates from the 19th century, when it was probably imported from Italy.
Cognates: French: Laure. Catalan: Llora. German: Lora, Lore.
Pet form: English: Laurie.

Back  -   New Search

Laurel f

English: 19th-century adoption of the English vocabulary word denoting the tree (Middle English lorel, a dissimilated form of Old French lorer), probably influenced by LAURA. It may have been taken as a pet form of LAURA.
Variant (elaborated form): Laurelle.
Pet form: Laurie.

Back  -   New Search

Lauren f

English: apparently modelled on LAURENCE, this was first used, or at any rate first brought to public attention, by the film actress Lauren Bacall (born Betty Jean Perske in 1924). She was famous for her partnership with Humphrey Bogart, especially in To Have and Have Not (1943) and The Big Sleep (1946).
Variant: Loren (occasionally used as a male name).

Back  -   New Search

Laurence m, f m

1 English: from a French form of Latin Laurentius ‘man from Laurentum’. Laurentum was a town in Latium, which may have got its name from Latin laurus laurel, or may alternatively be of pre-Roman origin. The given name was popular in the Middle Ages as a result of the fame of a 3rd-century saint who was one of the seven deacons of Rome. He was martyred in 258. The legend is that, having been required to hand over the Church's treasures to the civil authorities, he assembled the poor and sick and presented them. For this, he was supposedly roasted to death on a gridiron. In England the name is also associated with St Laurence of Canterbury (d. 619), the second bishop of Canterbury, who fought against pagan backsliding among his flock. See also LAWRENCE.

2 (f.) French: feminine form of Laurent.
Cognates: Irish Gaelic: Labhrás. Scottish Gaelic: Labhrainn. French: Laurent. Italian: Lorenzo. Spanish: Lorencio. Catalan: Llorenç. Portuguese: Laurenço. German: Lorenz. Dutch: Laurens. Scandinavian: Lara. Finnish: Lauri, Lasse, Lassi. Russian: Lavrenti. Polish: Laurencjusz (vernacular spelling of Latin Laurentius); Lawrenty; Wawrzyniec (vernacular form). Czech: Vavinec.
Pet forms: English: Larry, Laurie. German: Lenz.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Laurent m

French form of LAURENCE.

Back  -   New Search

Lauretta f

Italian: diminutive form of LAURA; cf. LORETTA.
Cognate: French: Laurette.

Back  -   New Search

Lauri m

Finnish: learned form of LAURENCE; See also LASSE.

Back  -   New Search

Laurie f, m

English: pet form of LAURA, LAUREL, and LAURENCE.

Back  -   New Search

Lavender f

English (rare): from the vocabulary word denoting the herb with sweet-smelling flowers (Old French lavendre, from Late Latin lavendula).

Back  -   New Search

Lavinia f

Name, according to Roman mythology, of the wife of Aeneas, and thus the mother of the Roman people. Legend had it that she gave her name to the Latin town of Lavinium, but in fact she was almost certainly invented to explain the placename, which is of pre-Roman origin. She was said to be the daughter of King Latinus, who was similarly invented, to account for the name of Latium.

Back  -   New Search

Lavrenti m

Russian form of LAURENCE.

Back  -   New Search

Lawrence m

English: Anglicized spelling of LAURENCE. This is the usual spelling of the surname, and is now becoming increasingly common as a given name, especially in America.
Pet forms: Larry, Lawrie.

Back  -   New Search

Laz m

English: modern informal pet form of LARRY (cf. Baz from Barry and Gaz from Gary).

Back  -   New Search

Lazarus m

Name borne in the New Testament by two different characters: the brother of Martha and Mary, who was raised from the dead by Jesus (John 11: 1–44), and the beggar who appears in the parable of Dives and Lazarus narrated by Jesus (Luke 16: 19–31). The form Lazarus, used in the Authorized Version, is a Latinate version of Greek Lazaros, itself a transliteration of Aramaic Lazar, an aphetic short form of Hebrew Eleazar ‘God is my help’. Because the beggar Lazarus was ‘full of sores’ the name was often used in the Middle Ages as a generic term for a leper, and so came to be avoided as a given name. It is still not common.
Cognates: French: Lazare. Catalan: Llàtzer. Italian: Lazzaro. Polish: azarz.

Back  -   New Search

Leagsaidh f

Scottish Gaelic form of LEXY.

Back  -   New Search

Leah f

Biblical name (meaning ‘languid’ in Hebrew) borne by the elder sister of Rachel (Genesis 29: 23). Jacob served her father Laban for seven years in return for the hand of Rachel, but was deceived into marrying Leah first. He was then given Rachel as well, but had to labour seven more years afterwards. The name is common mainly among Jews, although it also enjoyed some popularity among the Puritans in the 17th century.
Variant: Lea. See also LIA.
Cognate: French: Léa.

Back  -   New Search

Léan f

Irish Gaelic form of HELEN.

Back  -   New Search

Leander m

Latin form of the Greek name Leandros, which is composed of the elements leön lion + anr (genitive andros) man. In Greek legend, Leander is the name of a hero who swam across the Hellespont every night to visit his beloved, Hero, and back again in the morning, but was eventually drowned during a violent storm. In Christian times, the name was borne by a 6th-century saint, the brother of Sts Fulgentius, Isidore, and Florentina. He was a leading ecclesiastical figure of his day, a friend of Gregory the Great, and became archbishop of Seville. In modern times, the name has occasionally been used as an elaboration of LEE (as a male name). In addition, Dunkling has recorded at least one instance of its use as a female name.
Cognates: French: Léandre. Italian, Spanish, Portuguese: Leandro.

Back  -   New Search

Leanne f

English: modern combination of LEE and ANNE, or else a respelling of LIANE.

Back  -   New Search

Leão m

Portuguese form of LEO.

Back  -   New Search

Leberecht m

German: religious name, meaning ‘live rightly’, coined in the 17th century. It was borne, for example, by the Prussian field marshal, Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher (1742–1819).

Back  -   New Search

Lech m

Polish: name of the legendary founder of the Polish race, brother of the Czech and Rus who gave their names to the Czechs and Russians respectively. All three of these names are of very ancient origin and uncertain derivation.
Pet form: Leszek.

Back  -   New Search

Lechosaw m

Polish: from an old Slavonic personal name composed of the ethnic term lech Pole (see LECH) + slav glory.
Variant: Leslaw.

Back  -   New Search

Leda f

Name borne in classical mythology by a queen of Sparta, who was ravished by Zeus in the shape of a swan. She gave birth to two eggs which, when hatched, revealed the two sets of twins: Castor and Pollux, and Helen and Hermione.

Back  -   New Search

Lee m, f

English: transferred use of the surname, originally a local name from any of numerous places so called from Old English lah wood or clearing. It is especially popular now in America, where it has sometimes been bestowed in honour of the Confederate general, Robert E. Lee (1807–70). As a female name, it may also be a variant of Lea (see LEAH).

Back  -   New Search

Leesa f

English: fanciful modern variant spelling of LISA, influenced by the female name LEE.

Back  -   New Search

Léger m

French form of LUITGER. This name was borne by a 7th-century bishop of Autun.

Back  -   New Search

Leib m

Jewish: Yiddish name, meaning ‘lion’ (cf. modern German Löwe). See also ARYE.

Back  -   New Search

Leif m

Scandinavian: from Old Norse Leifr, a short form of various compound names containing the second element leifr heir, descendant. Leif Ericsson was a Norse navigator who, in around 1000, discovered the New World.
Variant: Norwegian: Leiv.

Back  -   New Search

Leighton m

English: transferred use of the surname, which originated as a local name from any of several places named with the Old English elements lac leek + tm enclosure, settlement; of these the best known is Leighton Buzzard in Bedfordshire.
Variant: Layton (a variant spelling of the surname, reflecting the pronunciation).

Back  -   New Search

Leila f

Of Arabic origin, now fairly common in the English-speaking world, having been used as a name for an oriental beauty by both Byron, in The Giaour (1813) and Don Juan (1819–24), and by Lord Lytton for the heroine of his novel Leila (1838). In Arabic it means ‘night’, apparently alluding to a dark complexion.
Variants: Laila, Lila.

Back  -   New Search

Leland m

English (esp. U.S.): transferred use of the surname, which originated as a local name for someone who lived by a patch of fallow land, from Middle English lay, ley fallow (Old English lge) + land land (Old English land). The surname is not a particularly common or famous one, and it is not clear why it should have been adopted as a given name. In America it is the name of a town in Mississippi, and it was also the surname borne by the humorous writer Charles Leland (1824–1903), author of The Breitmann Ballads.

Back  -   New Search

Lelle m

Scandinavian: pet form of LENNART.

Back  -   New Search

Lempi f

Finnish: meaning ‘love’, this is a loan translation of the Latin name Charitas or the Greek Agap.

Back  -   New Search

Lemuel m

Biblical name (possibly meaning ‘devoted to God’ in Hebrew) borne by an obscure king who was lectured by his mother on the perils of strong drink and the virtues of a dutiful wife (Proverbs 31). He is mentioned by Chaucer in The Canterbury Tales, where his name is carefully distinguished from the more familiar SAMUEL. Lemuel Gulliver was the unusual name of the hero of Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels (1726).

Back  -   New Search

Len m

English: short form of LEONARD, and possibly also of the rarer given name LENNOX. In the case of the British trade-union leader Len Murray (b. 1922) it represents a short form of LIONEL.
Pet form: LENNY.

Back  -   New Search

Lena f

English, Scottish, Dutch, German, and Scandinavian: abstracted from various names ending in -lena or -lina, such as Helena (from HELEN) and Magdalena (from MAGDALENE), or, in the Scottish Highlands, Dolina (from DONALD). In America it is famous as the name of the singer Lena Horne.
Variant: German and Danish: Lene.

Back  -   New Search

Lenda f

English: apparently an arbitrary alteration of LINDA, originating in the 20th century.

Back  -   New Search

Lene f

German and Danish: aphetic short form of both Helene (see HELEN) and MAGDALENE. It is very frequently used as an independent given name, not directly connected with either of these full forms, and was the third commonest female name in use in Denmark in 1965.

Back  -   New Search

Leni f

German: pet form of LENA and LENE.

Back  -   New Search

Lennard m

English: assimilated spelling of LEONARD, perhaps in part representing a transferred use of the surname derived from this given name in the Middle Ages.

Back  -   New Search

Lennart m

Scandinavian form of LEONARD.
Pet forms: Lenne, Lelle.

Back  -   New Search

Lennox m

Scottish and English: from the Scottish surname and earldom, originally a local name from a district north of Glasgow formerly known as The Levenach. This was the first name borne by the composer Sir Lennox Berkeley (1903–89).

Back  -   New Search

Lenny m

English: normally a pet form of LEN, to some extent used as an independent given name.

Back  -   New Search

Lenora f

English: originally a contracted form of LEONORA, although sometimes chosen as an expanded version of LENA.
Variants: Lennora, Len(n)orah.

Back  -   New Search

Lenz m

German: contracted short form of LORENZ. This form of the name was formerly common in south and southwest Germany, but is now rare.

Back  -   New Search

Leo m

English: from a Late Latin personal name, meaning ‘lion’, which was borne by a large number of early Christian saints, most notably Pope Leo the Great (?390–461). It is also found as a Jewish name (see LEON). In modern use it seems also to have been given as an omen name by parents who wished for a ‘lion-hearted’ son.
Cognates: French: LÉON. Italian: Leone. Spanish: León. Portuguese: Leão. Catalan: Lleó. Czech: Leo.

Back  -   New Search

Leocadia f

Spanish: probably a Latinate derivative of Greek leukas (genitive leukados), a poetic feminine form of leukos light, bright, clear. The first part of the name has subsequently been altered by association with Latin leo lion. St Leocadia (d. c.303) was a virgin martyr of Toledo, of whose life little is known, but who nevertheless enjoys a considerable cult.
Cognates: Catalan: Llogaia. Portuguese: Laocadia.
Masculine form: Spanish: Leocadio.

Back  -   New Search

Leodegar m

French and German: learned form (influenced by the Latin word leo lion) of the names found in the vernaculars as LÉGER and LUITGER.

Back  -   New Search

Leon m

English, German, and Irish Gaelic form of LEO. This form is common as a Jewish name. The lion is an important symbol among Jews because of Jacob's dying pronouncement that ‘Judah is a lion's whelp’ (Genesis 49: 9). See also LEIB, ARYE.

Back  -   New Search

Léon m

French form of LEO.

Back  -   New Search

Leona f

English and German: Latinate feminine form of LEON.

Back  -   New Search

Leonard m

English: from an Old French personal name of Germanic origin, composed of the elements leon lion (a late borrowing from Romance) + hard hardy, brave, strong. This was the name of a 5th-century Frankish saint, who became the patron of peasants and horses. Although it was introduced into Britain by the Normans, Leonard was not a particularly common name there during the Middle Ages. It was revived during the 19th century and became very popular. It is now also common as a Jewish name (cf. LEON.
Variant: Lennard.
Cognates: French: Léonard. Italian, Spanish, Portuguese: LEONARDO. Catalan: Lleonard. German: Leonhard(t). Scandinavian: Lennart.
Short form: English: Len.
Pet forms: English: Lenny. Scandinavian: Lenne, Lelle, Nenne.

Back  -   New Search

Leonardo m

Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese form of LEONARD. Its most famous bearer was the Renaissance genius Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519), remembered principally as a painter and sculptor, but also as an architect, engineer, and scientist.

Back  -   New Search

Léonce m

French form of LEONZIO.

Back  -   New Search

Leoncio m

Spanish form of LEONZIO.

Back  -   New Search

Leone m

Italian form of LEO.

Back  -   New Search

Leonid m

Russian: from the Greek name Leonidas, a Spartan dialectal form of Leonids, borne by a king of Sparta who, with seven hundred followers, was killed by the invading Persians at the heroic defence of the pass at Thermopylae (480 BC). This action gave the rest of Greece time to arm and prepare to meet the invaders. He was named from his grandfather Len, the name being a patronymic derivative of Len ‘lion’. Later the name was borne by two early saints venerated especially in the Eastern Church: an Alexandrian, the father of Origen, martyred in 202, and an Egyptian martyred with several companions in 304.

Back  -   New Search

Léonie m

French: from Latin Leonia, feminine form of Leonius, derived from leo lion. It is most common among Jews as a feminine equivalent of LEON, but is now also widely used (normally without the accent, Leoni(e)) in the English-speaking world among non-Jews.

Back  -   New Search

Léonne f

French: feminine form of LÉON, occasionally also used (normally without the accent) in the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Leonora f

English: aphetic form of ELEONORA.
Cognate: German: Leonore.

Back  -   New Search

Leonti m

Russian form of the Byzantine Greek name Leont(e)ios, Greek equivalent of Latin Leontius (see LEONZIO). This was borne by several minor figures venerated in the Eastern Church, including Leontios of Neopolis (d. c.630).

Back  -   New Search

Leontina f

Italian, from Latin: a feminine derivative of Leontius (see LEONZIO).

Back  -   New Search

Léontine f

French form of LEONTINA, occasionally also used (normally without the accent) in the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Leonzio m

Italian: from the Late Latin personal name Leontius, a derivative of LEO. The name was borne by several early saints, including Leontius the Elder (d. c.541) and Leontius the Younger (c.510–c.565), successive bishops of Bordeaux.
Cognates: French: Léonce. Spanish: Leoncio. Russian: LEONTI.

Back  -   New Search

Leopold m

English: of Germanic origin, composed of the elements liut people + bold bold, brave. The first element was altered by association with Latin leo lion. A name of this origin may have been introduced into Britain by the Normans, but if so it did not survive long. It was reintroduced from the Continent towards the end of the 19th century, partly in honour of King Leopold of the Belgians (1790–1865), the uncle of Queen Victoria, who was an influential adviser to her in her youth, and after whom she named one of her sons. In the 17th and 18th centuries it was also the name of two Austro-Hungarian emperors, who were also kings of Bohemia.
Cognates: French: Léopold. Italian, Spanish, Portuguese: Leopoldo. German: Luitpold.

Back  -   New Search

Leo m

Czech form of LEO. This was the given name borne by the Czech composer Leo Janaek (1854–1928).

Back  -   New Search

Leroy m

English: now considered a typical Black American given name, but formerly also extensively borne by White Americans. It is from a French nickname meaning ‘the king’, but it is not entirely clear why this particular form should have become such a popular given name in English. See also DELROY.

Back  -   New Search

Les m

English: short form of LESLIE.

Back  -   New Search

Lesaw m

Polish: contracted form of LECHOSAW.

Back  -   New Search

Lesley f, m

Scottish and English: originally simply a variant of LESLIE, but now specialized in Britain as the female form. Its first recorded use as a female name is in a poem by Robert Burns.

Back  -   New Search

Leslie m, occasionally f, esp. in the U.S.

Scottish and English: transferred use of the Scottish surname derived from the lands of Lesslyn in Aberdeenshire (a placename perhaps from Gaelic leas cuilinn meaning ‘garden of hollies’). Surnames and clan names have been used as given names more readily and from an earlier date in Scotland than elsewhere, and this is the name of an ancient clan, who in the 14th and 15th centuries were close associates of the Scottish royal house of Stewart. However, in the 17th century their most famous member, the general David Leslie (d. 1682), was a Covenanter who in the Civil War played a major role in defeating the royalists (including James Graham, Earl of Montrose, in 1645). But by 1650 he had switched sides and was the commander of the Scottish royalists who defeated Cromwell at Dunbar. The Leslies have held the earldom of Rothes since 1457.
The British film actor Leslie Howard (1890–1943), who was of Hungarian origin, had a considerable influence on the popularity of the name, especially in the United States, where he appeared in Gone with the Wind (1939), the film that has probably had more influence on naming than any other.
Short form: Les m.

Back  -   New Search

Lester m

English: transferred use of the surname, which is a local name from the city of Leicester. The placename is recorded in the 10th century as Ligora cæster, representing a British name of obscure origin + the Old English term cæster ‘Roman fort’.

Back  -   New Search

Leszek m

Polish: pet form of LECH.

Back  -   New Search

Letizia f

Italian form of LETTICE. This was the given name of Napoleon's mother.

Back  -   New Search

Lettice f

English: from the medieval English form of the Latin name Laetitia ‘happiness’. It was popular among the Victorians, but is now regarded as faintly risible (perhaps because of its similarity to the vocabulary word lettuce).
Pet forms: Letty, Lettie.

Back  -   New Search

Lev m

Russian: from the Russian vocabulary word lev lion, representing an early vernacular calque of LEO.
Variant (informal): Lyov.
Cognate: Polish: Lew.

Back  -   New Search

Levi m

Biblical name (meaning ‘associated’ in Hebrew) given by Jacob's wife Leah to her third son as an expression of her hope, ‘Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have born him three sons: therefore was his name called Levi’ (Genesis 29: 34). The priestly caste of the Levites are descended from Levi. In the New Testament, Levi is a byname of the apostle and evangelist Matthew. In modern times the name is borne mostly by Jews, but occasionally also by Black revivalist Christians.

Back  -   New Search

Lew m

1 Polish spelling of LEV. The name is common among Jews; cf. LEIB.

2 English: short form of LEWIS.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Lewie m

1 English: respelling of LOUIS or pet form of LEWIS.

2 Irish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name LUGHAIDH.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Lewis m

1 Common English form, since the Middle Ages, of the Norman and French name LOUIS. In modern use it is also in part a transferred use of the surname derived from this given name.

2 In Wales, an Anglicized form of LLEWELLYN.
Top

3 In Scotland, a variant of LUDOVIC, or, among families connected with the Isle of Lewis, a transferred use of the placename.
Top

4 In Ireland, an Anglicized form of Gaelic LAOISEACH and LUGHAIDH.
Short form: Lew.
Pet forms: Lewie, Louie.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Lex m

English: short form of ALEX. The minor vogue for this name, and the rhyming DEX and TEX, may have been inspired by the now distinctly old-fashioned REX.

Back  -   New Search

Lexine f

English and Scottish: apparently an elaboration of LEXY with the addition of the originally French feminine diminutive suffix -ine, which has long been productive in forming English female names.

Back  -   New Search

Lexy f

English and Scottish: pet form of ALEXANDRA.

Back  -   New Search

Lia f

Italian: of uncertain derivation. It is probably either a form of LEAH or, especially in Sicily, a shortened form of Rosalia (see ROSALIE).

Back  -   New Search

Liam m

Irish: short form of Uilliam, Gaelic form of WILLIAM.

Back  -   New Search

Liane f

French and English: short form of ÉLIANE.
Variant: Lianne.

Back  -   New Search

Libby f

English: pet form of ELIZABETH, based originally on a child's unsuccessful attempts to pronounce the name. It is now also occasionally used as an independent name.

Back  -   New Search

Libe f

Jewish: Yiddish name, meaning ‘love’ (cf. modern German Liebe).

Back  -   New Search

Libna f

Czech: equivalent of the Russian name LYUBOV, derived from the element lib love.
Pet forms: Liba, Libnka, Libue, Libuka.

Back  -   New Search

Libor m

Czech: from the Latin name Liberius, a derivative of liber free. St Liberius was a 2nd-century bishop of Ravenna.
Pet forms: Liborek, Libek.

Back  -   New Search

Licerio m

Spanish: from the Late Latin personal name Lycerius, a derivative of either Greek lyk light or lykos wolf. St Licerius was born in Lérida, and became bishop of Conserans in France (506–c.548). The French form of his name is Lizier, but this is not regularly used as a given name.

Back  -   New Search

Lícia f

Hungarian: shortened form of Felícia (see FELICIA).

Back  -   New Search

Licio m

Italian: from the Late Latin personal name Lycius, originally an ethnic derivative of the region of Lycia in Asia Minor. The name was borne principally by slaves, some of whom may have come from this region.

Back  -   New Search

Lida f

Czech form of LYDIA.

Back  -   New Search

Lidia f

Polish form of LYDIA.

Back  -   New Search

Lidmila f

The usual Czech form of LUDMILA.
Pet forms: Lída; Lidka, Lidun(k)a, Lidue, Liduka.

Back  -   New Search

Liduina f

Italian form of LIDWINA, used in particular in the Emilian region.

Back  -   New Search

Lidwina f

Dutch: name borne in honour of the Blessed Lidwina or Lydwina of Schiedam (1380–1433), a lifelong invalid and mystic. The name is a feminine form of the Germanic name Lidwin, composed of the elements liut people, race + win friend.

Back  -   New Search

Liese f

German: a popular pet form of ELISABETH. It is now also quite widely used as an independent given name in both the German-speaking and the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Lieselotte f

German: 19th-century coinage composed of the elements LIESE + -lotte, abstracted from KARLOTTE and treated as a feminine diminutive suffix.
Pet form: Lilo.

Back  -   New Search

Life f

Irish Gaelic: traditional name, borne, according to legend, by a figure who gave her name to the River Liffey.

Back  -   New Search

Ligia f

Spanish and Portuguese: of uncertain origin, apparently a shortened form of Eligia, the feminine version of ELIGIO (see also ELOY and ELOI).

Back  -   New Search

Lila f

English: apparently a variant spelling of LEILA or LAILA.

Back  -   New Search

Lilac f

English: a modern adoption of the vocabulary word denoting the shrub with large sprays of heavily scented purple or white flowers. The word is from French, which derived it via Spanish from Arabic llak, from Persian nlak bluish, a derivative of nil blue.

Back  -   New Search

Lili f

German: pet form, originally a reduplicated nursery form, of ELISABETH. This form is associated in particular with the Second World War popular song Lili Marlene.
Variant: Lilli.

Back  -   New Search

Lilian f

English: of uncertain origin, first recorded in the late 16th century, and probably derived from a nursery form of ELIZABETH. It is now sometimes regarded as a derivative of the flower name LILY, but this was not used as a given name in England until the 19th century.
Variant: Lillian.

Back  -   New Search

Lilith f

The name borne, according to medieval tradition, by a wife of Adam prior to Eve. She is said to have been turned into an ugly demon for refusing to obey him. Lilith occurs in the Bible as a vocabulary word meaning ‘night monster’ or ‘screech owl’ (Isaiah 34: 14), and in Jewish folklore is the name of an ugly demon. In spite of its unpleasant connotations, it has occasionally been used as a given name in the 20th century, perhaps in part being taken as an elaborated form of LILY.

Back  -   New Search

Lillian f

English: variant spelling of LILIAN, common especially in America.

Back  -   New Search

Lilo f

German: pet form of LIESELOTTE.

Back  -   New Search

Lily f

English: from the vocabulary word denoting the flower (Latin lilium), regarded in Christian imagery as a symbol of purity.

Back  -   New Search

Lincoln m

English: transferred use of the surname, a local name derived from the name of the city of Lincoln. This is found in the 7th century as Lindum colonia, representing a British name probably meaning ‘lake’ (cf. Welsh llyn) + the Latin defining term colonia colony, settlement. As a given name it has sometimes been bestowed in honour of Abraham Lincoln (1809–65), 16th president of the United States, who led the Union to victory in the Civil War and enforced the emancipation of slaves.

Back  -   New Search

Linda f

English: of recent and somewhat uncertain origin. It is first recorded in the 19th century, perhaps either as a shortening of BELINDA or as an adoption of the Spanish vocabulary word linda pretty (masculine lindo). Alternatively, it may be derived from the Latinate form of any of various other Germanic female names ending in the element -lind meaning ‘weak, tender, soft’. It has become very popular in the 20th century.
Pet form: Lindie, Lindy.

Back  -   New Search

Linden f

English: ostensibly from the vocabulary word denoting the lime tree (originally the adjectival form, derived from Old English linde). However, the given name is of recent, probably 20th-century, origin and it is more likely that this is simply an elaboration of LINDA, along the lines of LAUREN from LAURA.

Back  -   New Search

Lindon m

English: variant spelling of LYNDON.

Back  -   New Search

Lindsay f, m

Scottish and English: from the Scottish surname, originally borne by Sir Walter de Lindesay, one of the retainers of King David I of Scotland (1084–1153), who took the name to Scotland from Lindsey in Lincolnshire. This place was named in Old English as the ‘wetland (Old English ey) belonging to Lincoln’. It was at first used as a male name, and this is still the case in Scotland, but elsewhere it is now nearly always used for girls.
Variants: Lindsey, Lynsey, Linzi.

Back  -   New Search

Lindy f

English: apparently an altered form or pet form of LINDA, by a reversal of the process that derived e.g. JENNA from JENNY.

Back  -   New Search

Linford m

English: transferred use of the surname, which originated as a local name from any of various places named with the Old English elements lin flax or lind lime tree + ford ford. In the case of Great and Little Linford in Berkshire, however, the first element seems to have been originally Old English hlyn maple. The given name is associated in particular with the athlete Linford Christie.

Back  -   New Search

Linnéa f

Swedish: a popular given name first bestowed in honour of the Swedish botanist Carl von Linné (1707–70; Latinized as Linnaeus). He gave his name to the now internationally recognized Linnaean system of taxonomic classification, and to a type of flower known as Linnaea. The female given name was first used in the mid-19th century in the form Linnaea, and is now sometimes spelled Linnea (without the accent).
Short form: Nea.

Back  -   New Search

Linnet f

English: simplified spelling of LINNETTE, strongly influenced in popularity by the vocabulary word denoting a small bird (Old French linotte, a derivative of lin flax, on the seeds of which it feeds).

Back  -   New Search

Linnette f

English: variant spelling of LYNETTE.

Back  -   New Search

Linton m

English: from a local surname, now also quite commonly used as a given name, especially among British Blacks. The surname derives from any of numerous places in England so called; most get the name from Old English lin flax, cotton or lind lime tree + tn enclosure, settlement.

Back  -   New Search

Linus m

Latin form of the Greek name Linos, which is of uncertain origin. In Greek mythology, Linus is both a famous musician who taught music to Hercules and an infant son of Apollo who had been exposed to die on a mountainside in Argos. The name may have been invented to explain the obscure refrain, ‘ailinon’, of the so-called ‘Linus song’, a lament sung at harvest time in Argos. In the Christian era, Linus is the name of the second pope, St Peter's successor, who was martyred in c.76. He has been tentatively identified with the Linus to whom Paul sends greetings in 2 Timothy 4: 21. The given name has occasionally been used in America. It is now associated with a character in the extremely popular Peanuts strip cartoon series, a little boy inseparable from his security blanket.

Back  -   New Search

Linzi f

English: fanciful respelling of LINDSAY.

Back  -   New Search

Liona f

English: apparently an altered form of LEONA, influenced by LIONEL.

Back  -   New Search

Lionel m

English: from a medieval diminutive of the Old French name LÉON or the Middle English nickname Lion.

Back  -   New Search

Lipa f

Romanian: short form of Filipa (see PHILIPPA).

Back  -   New Search

Lis f

1 Scandinavian: dramatically shortened form of ELISABET, first used in the early years of the 20th century. It occurs as the second element of numerous compound names, such as Anne-Lis, Ing-Lis, and Maj-Lis.

2 English: variant spelling of LIZ.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Lisa f

English: variant of LIZA, influenced by French Lise and German Liese..

Back  -   New Search

Lisbet f

English and Scandinavian: shortened form of ELIZABETH or Elisabet, now in fairly wide use as an independent given name.

Back  -   New Search

Lisette f

French: diminutive form of Lise, which is itself a shortened form of ELISABETH.
Variant: Lysette.

Back  -   New Search

Lisha f

English: modern coinage, apparently a respelled shortened form of names such as DELICIA and FELICIA, on the model of TRISHA from PATRICIA.

Back  -   New Search

Lissa f

English: short form of MELISSA. See also LYSSA.

Back  -   New Search

Liùsaidh f

Scottish Gaelic form of LOUISA or LUCY.

Back  -   New Search

Liv f

Scandinavian: from an Old Norse female personal name identical in form with the vocabulary word hlíf defence, protection. In modern use it is often associated with the Norwegian vocabulary word liv life. The name is borne by a character in Nordic legend, and was revived in the late 19th century. It is now sometimes taken as a short form of ELISABET.

Back  -   New Search

Livia f

English: in modern use often taken as a short form of OLIVIA, but originally a distinct name, a feminine form of the Roman family name Livius. This is of uncertain derivation, perhaps connected with lividus bluish.

Back  -   New Search

Liz f

English: the most common of all the various short forms of ELIZABETH.

Back  -   New Search

Liza f

English: short form of ELIZA.
Variant: Lisa.

Back  -   New Search

Lizzie f

English: pet form of LIZ, with the hypocoristic suffix -ie.
Variant: Lizzy.

Back  -   New Search

Llàtzer m

Catalan form of LAZARUS.

Back  -   New Search

Lleó m

Catalan form of LEO.

Back  -   New Search

Lleonard m

Catalan form of LEONARD.

Back  -   New Search

Lleu m

Welsh: traditional name, meaning ‘bright, shining’, cognate with the name of the Celtic god known in Old Irish as Lugh, in Gaulish as Lugus. This name was borne in the Mabinogi by Lleu Llaw Gyffes ‘Lleu Skilful Hand’, the son of Aranrhod. It has been revived in modern times.

Back  -   New Search

Llew m

Welsh: traditional name meaning ‘lion’. It is also used as a short form of LLEWELYN.

Back  -   New Search

Llewelyn m

Welsh: altered form (influenced by the vocabulary word llew lion) of Llywelyn, an ancient name of uncertain derivation. It goes back to an Old Celtic form Lugobelinos; the first element seems to be the divine name Lugu- (see LLEU), the second is found also in names such as Cunobelinus or Cymbeline. In historical times the name was borne in particular by Llywelyn ap Iorwerth (1173–1240) and his grandson Llywelyn ap Gruffydd (d. 1282), Welsh princes who for a time united their countrymen in North Wales and led opposition to the power of the Norman barons in South Wales and the borders. It has sometimes been Anglicized as LEWIS.
Short forms: LLEW, LYN.
Pet form: Llelo.

Back  -   New Search

Llogaia f

Catalan form of LEOCADIA.

Back  -   New Search

Llora f

Catalan form of LAURA.

Back  -   New Search

Llorenç m

Catalan form of LAURENCE.

Back  -   New Search

Lloyd m

English: from the Welsh surname, originally a nickname meaning ‘grey(-haired)’ (Welsh llwyd); cf. FLOYD.

Back  -   New Search

Lluch m

Catalan form of LUKE.
Variant: Lluc.

Back  -   New Search

Lluis m

Catalan form of LOUIS.

Back  -   New Search

Llywarch m

Welsh: traditional name, now only occasionally used, composed of the god's name Lugu- (see LLEU) + Old Celtic marcos horse.

Back  -   New Search

Lochlainn m

Irish Gaelic: a cognate of Scottish Lachlann; see LACHLAN.
Anglicized forms: Loughlin, Laughlin.

Back  -   New Search

Lockie m

Canadian: pet form of LACHLAN.

Back  -   New Search

Lodewijk m

Dutch form of LOUIS.

Back  -   New Search

Lodovico m

Italian: learned form of LOUIS, much rarer than the vernacular LUIGI.

Back  -   New Search

Loffe m

Scandinavian: pet form of ELOF.

Back  -   New Search

Logan m

Scottish: transferred use of the Scottish surname, a local name derived from a place so called in Ayrshire.

Back  -   New Search

Lois f

New Testament: name, of unknown origin, borne by the grandmother of the Timothy to whom St Paul wrote two epistles (see 2 Timothy 1: 5). Both Timothy and his mother Eunice bore common Greek names, but Lois is hard to explain. It certainly has no connection with either LOUISE or ELOISE (which are both of Germanic origin), although it has often been taken to be associated with them in modern times.

Back  -   New Search

Lola f

Spanish and English: originally a nursery form of DOLORES, now established as a popular name in its own right. It owes some of its popularity to the fame of Lola Montez (1818–61), stage name adopted by Marie Gilbert, an Irish dancer and courtesan who had affairs with Liszt, Dumas, and others. From 1846–8 she so captivated the elderly Ludwig I of Bavaria that she became the virtual ruler of the country, precipitating riots, a constitutional crisis, and the abdication of the king. She arrived in New York in 1851, and spent the last years of her life working to help prostitutes.

Back  -   New Search

Lolicia f

English (esp. U.S.): elaborated form of LOLA, with the addition of a suffix derived from names such as DELICIA.

Back  -   New Search

Lolita f

Spanish: pet form of LOLA. This was once relatively common as a given name in its own right in America, with its large Hispanic population, but has since been completely overshadowed by its association with Vladimir Nabokov's novel Lolita (1955). The Lolita of the title is the pubescent object of the narrator's desires, and the name is now used as a generic term for any under-age sex kitten.

Back  -   New Search

Loman m

Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Lomán, originally a diminutive of the vocabulary word lomm bare, used as a byname. The name was borne by various early Irish saints, including one who was a nephew of St Patrick, and who became first bishop of Trim in Meath in the early 5th century.

Back  -   New Search

Lonan m

Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Lonán, originally a diminutive of the vocabulary word lon blackbird, used as a byname. This name was borne by several minor early Irish saints.

Back  -   New Search

Lone f

Danish: shortened form of ABELONE and Magdelone (see MAGDALENE). It is now very commonly used as an independent name.

Back  -   New Search

Lonnie m

English: of uncertain origin, possibly an Anglicized or pet form of the Spanish name ALONSO, but just as likely a variant of LENNY. It is chiefly associated in Britain with the skiffle singer Lonnie Donegan, famous in the 1950s and 1960s.

Back  -   New Search

Lope m

Spanish: name derived in the Middle Ages from the Late Latin personal name Lupus, probably adopted as a calque of the Germanic name WOLF. Lupus was the name borne by various early but obscure saints, including bishops of Bayeux, Châlons-sur-Saône, Lyons, Sens, Soissons, Troyes, and Verona, between the 4th and 7th centuries.

Back  -   New Search

Lora f

German form of LAURA, occasionally also used in the English-speaking world.
Variant: Lore.

Back  -   New Search

Lorane f

English: variant spelling of LORRAINE.

Back  -   New Search

Lóránt m

Hungarian form of ROLAND.

Back  -   New Search

Lorcan m

Irish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Lorcán, originally a byname representing a diminutive of Gaelic lorc fierce (or possibly ‘dumb’). This name was borne by St Lorcán Ó Tuathail (1128–80), archbishop of Dublin, known in English as Laurence O'Toole.

Back  -   New Search

Lore f

German: of two possible origins. In most cases it represents a dramatically contracted form of Leonore (see LEONORA), but it is also sometimes also a variant of LORA.

Back  -   New Search

Loredana f

Italian: name apparently invented by Luciano Zuccoli for the heroine of his novel L'amore de Loredana (1908). It seems to represent a feminine form of the famous Venetian surname Loredan, in origin a dialectal derivative of the placename Loreo in Rovigo (earlier Loredo, from Latin laurtum laurel grove).

Back  -   New Search

Loreen f

English: elaboration of LORA, with the addition of the suffix -een (originally an Irish diminutive, Gaelic -ín).
Variant: Lorene.

Back  -   New Search

Lorelle f

English: elaboration of LORA, with the addition of the suffix -elle (originally a French feminine diminutive).

Back  -   New Search

Loren f, occasionally m

English: variant spelling of LAUREN.

Back  -   New Search

Lorena f

Latinate elaboration of LOREN.

Back  -   New Search

Lorene f

English: variant spelling of LOREEN.

Back  -   New Search

Lorenz m

German form of LAURENCE.
Short form: Lenz.

Back  -   New Search

Lorenzo m

Italian form of LAURENCE.

Back  -   New Search

Loreto f

English and Irish (borne by Roman Catholics): religious name referring to the town in central Italy to which in the 13th century the Holy House of the Virgin is supposed to have been miraculously transported from Nazareth by angels.

Back  -   New Search

Loretta f

English: variant of LAURETTA, normally borne by Catholics, among whom it is associated with LORETO.

Back  -   New Search

Lori f

English: pet form of LORRAINE or variant of LAURIE.

Back  -   New Search

Lorin m

English (esp. U.S.): variant spelling of the male name LOREN.

Back  -   New Search

Lorinda f

English: elaboration of LORA, with the addition of the productive feminine suffix -inda (cf. e.g. BELINDA, CLARINDA, LUCINDA).

Back  -   New Search

Lorna f

English and Scottish: invented by R. D. Blackmore for the heroine of his novel Lorna Doone (1869), child captive of the outlawed Doones on Exmoor, who is eventually discovered to be in reality Lady Lorna Dugal, daughter of the Earl of Dugal. Blackmore seems to have derived the name from the Scottish placename Lorn(e) (Gaelic Latharna), a territory in Argyll. The given name is now popular in Scotland.

Back  -   New Search

Lorne m

English (esp. Canadian): of uncertain derivation, presumably from the territory of Lorne in Argyll (cf. LORNA). One of the earliest bearers was the Canadian actor Lorne Greene (b. 1915), and the given name is now also fairly common in Scotland.

Back  -   New Search

Lorraine f

English and Scottish: transferred use of the surname, denoting a migrant from the province of Lorraine in eastern France. This derives its name from Latin Lotharingia ‘territory of the people of Lothar’ (see LOTHAR). Lorraine began to be used as a female given name in the 19th century, and has recently become enormously popular, for reasons which are not clear.
Variant: Lorane.
Pet forms: Lor(r)i.

Back  -   New Search

Lorri f

English: variant spelling of LORI.

Back  -   New Search

Lorrin m

English (esp. U.S.): variant spelling of the male name LOREN.

Back  -   New Search

Lothar m

German: from an old Germanic personal name composed of the elements hlud fame + heri, hari army, warrior. St Lotharius was an 8th-century bishop of Séez in Orne, founder of the monastery of Saint-Loyer-des-Champs. Lothar was also a Frankish royal name in the Middle Ages, and was borne by two Holy Roman Emperors. Lothar I (795–855) gave his name to the province of LORRAINE, which was all he was able to bequeath to his son (also called Lothar), after his quarrels with his brothers Charles the Bald and Louis the German. Lorraine (Latin Lotharingia, German Lothringen) was originally a much larger region than the present province.
Anglicized form: Lothair.

Back  -   New Search

Lottelore f

German: double name composed of the elements Lotte (a shortened form of KARLOTTE) and LORE.

Back  -   New Search

Lottie f

English: pet form of CHARLOTTE. It was common in the 19th century, but is much less used at the present time.
Variant: Lotty.

Back  -   New Search

Lou m, f

English: short form of LOUIS or, less commonly, LOUISE.

Back  -   New Search

Louella f

English: modern coinage from the first syllable of LOUISE + the productive suffix -ella (an Italian or Latinate feminine diminutive; cf. ELLA). It is particularly associated with the Hollywood gossip columnist Louella Parsons (1880–1972).
Variant: Luella.

Back  -   New Search

Loughlin m

Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic LOCHLAINN.

Back  -   New Search

Louie m

English: Variant spelling of LEWIE.

Back  -   New Search

Louis m

French: an extremely common French name, of Germanic origin. It is composed of the elements hlud fame + wg warrior, and is thus etymologically the same name as German LUDWIG. From the early Middle Ages onwards, it was very frequently used in French royal and noble families. An archaic Latinized form of the name is Clovis, and this is the form generally used for the Frankish leader (?466–511) who ended the Roman domination over Gaul: Clovis defeated rival Germanic tribes, married the Burgundian princess Clothilde, and founded the Frankish monarchy in what is now France. In 496 he and his followers were converted to Christianity. Louis I (778–840) was the son of Charlemagne, who ruled both as King of France and Holy Roman Emperor. Altogether, the name was borne by sixteen kings of France up to the French Revolution, in which Louis XVI perished. Louis XIV, ‘the Sun King’ (1638–1715), reigned for seventy-two years (1643–1715), presiding in the middle part of his reign over a period of unparalleled French power and prosperity. See also LUDWIG.
In modern times, Louis is occasionally used in the English-speaking world (usually pronounced /'lu:i:/). In Britain the Anglicized form LEWIS is rather more common, whereas in America the reverse is true. Both forms have been used as Anglicized versions of Gaelic LAOISEACH and LUGHAIDH.
Cognates: Scottish Gaelic: Luthais. Italian: Luigi, Lodovico. Spanish, Portuguese: Luis. Catalan: Lluis. Basque: Koldo. German: LUDWIG.
Short form: English: Lou.

Back  -   New Search

Louisa f

Latinate feminine form of LOUIS, commonly used as an English given name since the 18th century.
Cognates: French: LOUISE (also used in English). German: Luise. Swedish: Lovisa. Danish, Norwegian: Lovise.
Pet form: German: Lulu.

Back  -   New Search

Louise f

French and English: feminine form of LOUIS, introduced to England in the 17th century.
Short form: English: Lou.

Back  -   New Search

Lourdes f

English and Spanish (borne almost exclusively by Roman Catholics): from the name of the place in southern France where a shrine was established after a young peasant girl, Bernadette Soubirous, had visions of the Virgin Mary and uncovered a healing spring in 1858. In recent times, Lourdes has become a major centre for pilgrimage, especially by people suffering from various illnesses or physical handicaps.
Variant: Spanish: Lurdes.

Back  -   New Search

Lova f

Swedish: pet form of LOVISA.

Back  -   New Search

Lovell m

English: transferred use of the surname, which originated in the Middle Ages from the Old (Norman) French nickname Louvel ‘wolf-cub’, a diminutive of lou wolf.

Back  -   New Search

Lovisa f

Latinate form of LOUISE, much used in Sweden.
Pet form: Lova.

Back  -   New Search

Lowell m

English (mainly U.S.): transferred use of the surname of a well-known New England family, whose members included the poet Robert Lowell (1917–77). The surname is a variant of LOVELL.

Back  -   New Search

Loyal m

English (mainly U.S.): a comparatively recent adoption of the vocabulary word (which is from Old French leial, from Latin legalis legal).

Back  -   New Search

Luana f

English and Italian: first used in King Vidor's 1932 film The Bird of Paradise as the name of a Polynesian maiden, and taken up since. It is apparently an arbitrary combination of the syllables Lu- and -ana. The Vidor film achieved considerable popularity in Italy under the title Luana, la vergine sacra, and the name is now also relatively common there.
Variants: English: Luanna, Luanne.

Back  -   New Search

Lubomierz m

Polish: from an old Slavonic personal name composed of the elements lub love + meri great, famous (see CASIMIR).
Cognates: Czech: Lubomír, Lubor, Lumír.
Feminine form: Czech: Lubomíra.
Pet forms: Czech: Luba m, f; Lubomírek, Lub(or)ek, Lubo(ek) m; Lubka, Lubna, Lubin(k)a, Luboka f.

Back  -   New Search

Lubomi m

Polish: from an old Slavonic personal name composed of the elements lub love + mil grace, favour.

Back  -   New Search

Luc m

French form of LUKE.

Back  -   New Search

Luca m

Italian form of LUKE.

Back  -   New Search

Lucas m

1 English: in part a learned form of LUKE, in part a transferred use of the surname derived from it. The Latin form Lucas was often used in the Middle Ages in written documents in place of the spoken vernacular form Luke, hence the common surname. It is also the spelling preferred in the Authorized Version of the New Testament, which has had some influence on its selection as a given name. Lucas is now also used as an Anglicized form of various Eastern European equivalents (see the cognates listed at LUKE).

2 Usual Dutch form of Luke.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Lucetta f

English: fanciful elaboration of LUCIA or LUCY, formed with the productive suffix -etta, originally an Italian feminine diminutive suffix. The name is found in Shakespeare, where it is borne by Julia's waiting woman in Two Gentlemen of Verona, but it is not much used in Italy and was unusual in England before the 19th century.

Back  -   New Search

Lucia f

Feminine form of the old Roman given name LUCIUS, which is probably a derivative of Latin lux light. The female name is common in Italy and elsewhere. It is found as a learned, Latinate doublet of Lucy in England, where it is much more frequent than its masculine counterpart. St Lucia of Syracuse, who was martyred in 304, was a very popular saint in the Middle Ages; she is often represented in medieval art as blinded and with her eyes on a platter, but the tradition that she had her eyes put out is probably based on nothing more than the association between light and eyes. She still enjoys a considerable cult in southern Italy and Sicily.
Derivatives: Spanish: Lucía. English: LUCY.
Pet forms: Italian: Luciella. English: Lucilla.

Back  -   New Search

Luciano m

Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese form of LUCIEN. The feminine form, Luciana, is the name of one of the principal characters in Shakespeare's Comedy of Errors.
Feminine form: Luciana.

Back  -   New Search

Luciella f

Italian: diminutive form of LUCIA.

Back  -   New Search

Lucien m

French: from Latin Lucinus, a derivative of LUCIUS. Saints Lucian, Maximian, and Julian were three missionaries to Gaul martyred at Beauvais at the end of the 3rd century.
Cognate: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese: Luciano.
Feminine form: French: Lucienne.

Back  -   New Search

Lucilla f

Latin pet form of LUCIA, with the diminutive feminine suffix -illa. This name was borne by various minor early saints, including one martyred at Rome in c.258.

Back  -   New Search

Lucille f

French form of LUCILLA, used also in the English-speaking world, especially in the southern United States.

Back  -   New Search

Lucinda f

Derivative of LUCIA, with the addition of the productive suffix -inda. The formation is first found in Cervantes's Don Quixote (1605), but does not seem to have been much in use in the 17th century except as a literary name. Lucinde was used by both Molière (in Le Médecin malgré lui, 1665) and Friedrich von Schlegel (in his novel Lucinde, 1799). It enjoyed considerable popularity in England in the 18th century, and has been in use ever since.
Cognate: French: Lucinde.
Pet forms: Sinda, Sindy, Cindy; LUCY.

Back  -   New Search

Lucio m

Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese form of LUCIUS.

Back  -   New Search

Lucius m

Old Roman given name, probably ultimately a derivative of Latin lux light. This is occasionally used as a given name in the English-speaking world, especially in America, but it is not as common as its feminine counterpart, LUCIA. Lucius was the name of two early Christians mentioned in the New Testament (Acts 13: 1; Romans 16: 21), and it was also borne by three popes.

Back  -   New Search

Lucrece f

English: vernacular form of LUCRETIA, used, for example, in Shakespeare's narrative poem The Rape of Lucrece.

Back  -   New Search

Lucretia f

Feminine form of the Roman family name Lucretius, which is of unknown derivation. In Roman legend, this is the name of a Roman maiden of the 5th century BC who killed herself after being raped by the King of Rome; the resulting scandal led to the end of the monarchy. It was also borne by a Spanish martyr who perished under Diocletian, but is now chiefly remembered as the name of Lucretia Borgia (1480–1519), regarded in legend as a demon poisoner who had incestuous relations with her father, Pope Alexander VI, and her brother Cesare. Although these allegations cannot now be disproved, history records her, after her marriage in 1501 to Alfonso d'Este, Duke of Ferrara, as being in reality a beautiful, intelligent, and fairminded woman, and a generous patron of the arts. In spite of its unfortunate associations, the name is still occasionally used, especially in the United States.
Derivatives: Italian: Lucrezia. English: LUCRECE.

Back  -   New Search

Lucy f

1 English: from Old French Lucie, the vernacular form of LUCIA. It is sometimes assumed that Lucy is a pet form of LUCINDA, but there is no etymological justification for this assumption. It was in fairly widespread use in the Middle Ages, and increased greatly in popularity in the 18th century.

2 Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic LUÍSEACH.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Ludger m

Low German and Dutch form of LUITGER. St Ludger (c.744–809) was a Frisian who studied at Utrecht and in England, before becoming a missionary in Westphalia and later first bishop of Münster, where he founded a monastery that gave the place its name.

Back  -   New Search

Ludmila f

Russian and Czech: from an old Slavonic personal name composed of the elements lud people, tribe (apparently a borrowing from Germanic liut) + mil grace, favour. St Ludmila (d. 921) was a duchess of Bohemia and grandmother of St Wenceslas; she was murdered on the orders of her mother-in-law and came to be regarded as a martyr. The name is now also occasionally used in the English-speaking world, where it is usually spelled Ludmilla.
Variant: Czech: Lidmila.
Cognate: Polish: Ludmita.

Back  -   New Search

Ludo m

English and Scottish: short form of LUDOVIC.

Back  -   New Search

Ludomierz m

Polish: from an old Slavonic personal name composed of the elements lud people, tribe (cf. LUDMILA) + meri great, famous (see CASIMIR).
Cognate: Czech: Ludomír.
Pet form: Czech: Ludk (see also next entry).

Back  -   New Search

Ludosaw m

Polish: from an old Slavonic personal name composed of the elements lud people, tribe (cf. LUDMILA) + slav glory.
Cognate: Czech: Ludoslav.
Pet form: Czech: Ludk (see also previous entry).

Back  -   New Search

Ludovic m

English and Scottish: from Latin Ludovicus, the form used in medieval documents to represent the Germanic name Hludwig (see LUDWIG, LOUIS). In the Highlands it came to be used as an Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Maol Dòmhnaich ‘devotee of the Lord’, probably because both contained the same succession of sounds: l-d-o-v-c(h). It has survived as a traditional given name in the Grant family, sometimes taking the form LEWIS or Louis.
Short form: Ludo.

Back  -   New Search

Ludovica f

German, Dutch, and occasionally English: Latinate feminine form of LUDOVIC.

Back  -   New Search

Ludvík m

Czech form of LUDWIG.

Back  -   New Search

Ludwig m

German: from an old Germanic personal name composed of the elements hlud fame + wg warrior. It is thus etymologically the same as French LOUIS. Ludwig was a royal and imperial name, especially in Bavaria, which Louis the German (Ludwig der Deutsche) had received as his portion of his father's empire when the latter divided it in 817. See also LOUIS, LUDOVIC.
Cognates: Scandinavian: Ludvig. Dutch: Lodewijk. Polish: +udwik. Czech: Ludvík. Hungarian: Lajos. French: LOUIS.
Pet form: German: Lutz.

Back  -   New Search

Ludwik m

Polish form of LUDWIG.

Back  -   New Search

Luella f

English: variant spelling of LOUELLA.

Back  -   New Search

Lughaidh m

Irish Gaelic: a derivative of the divine name Lugh (see LLEU).
Anglicized forms: LEWIE, LEWIS, LOUIS.

Back  -   New Search

Luigi m

Italian: vernacular form of LOUIS; cf. LODOVICO.

Back  -   New Search

Luis m

Spanish form of LOUIS.
Feminine form: Luisa.

Back  -   New Search

Luise f

German form of LOUISE, now also sometimes used in the English-speaking world as a spelling variant.
Pet form: Lulu.

Back  -   New Search

Luíseach f

Irish Gaelic: a feminine derivative of the divine name Lugh.
Anglicized form: LUCY.

Back  -   New Search

Luitgard m

German: from an old Germanic personal name composed of the elements liut people + gard protection. It was fairly common in the Middle Ages, and is occasionally revived today.

Back  -   New Search

Luitger m

German: from an old Germanic personal name composed of the elements liut people + gari, geri spear. See also LÉGER, LEODEGAR, and LUDGER.

Back  -   New Search

Luitpold m

German form of LEOPOLD, rather closer to the original form of the name. This version was common in the Middle Ages, but is now little used except in a few particular families in which its use is traditional. It was associated particularly with the royal house of Bavaria.
Pet form: Poldi (chiefly Bavarian).

Back  -   New Search

Luke m

English: Middle English form of Lucas, Latin form of the post-classical Greek name Loukas ‘man from Lucania’. This owes its perennial popularity throughout Christian Europe to the fact that, from the 2nd century onwards, the third gospel in the New Testament has been ascribed to the Lucas or Luke mentioned at various places in Acts and in the Epistles. He was a doctor, a Gentile, and a friend and convert of St Paul.
Cognates: Scottish Gaelic: Lùcas. Irish Gaelic: Lúcás. French: Luc. Italian: Luca. Catalan: Lluc(h). German: Lukas. Dutch: Lucas. Polish: ukasz. Czech: Luká. Hungarian: Lukács. Russian: Luka.

Back  -   New Search

Lulu f

German: pet form of LUISE, originally a reduplicated nursery form. It is now also used in the English-speaking world, both as a pet form of LOUISE and as an independent given name.

Back  -   New Search

Lupita f

Spanish: pet form of GUADALUPE.

Back  -   New Search

Lurdes f

Spanish: variant of LOURDES.

Back  -   New Search

Luthais m

Scottish Gaelic form of LOUIS.

Back  -   New Search

Luther m

English (esp. U.S.): from the German surname, which is derived from a Germanic personal name composed of the elements liut people + heri army, warrior. It is most commonly bestowed among evangelical Protestants, in honour of the ecclesiastical reformer and theologian Martin Luther (1483–1546). In recent times it has also become especially popular among American Blacks, partly in honour of the assassinated civil rights leader Martin Luther King (1929–68).

Back  -   New Search

Lutz m

German: pet form of LUDWIG.

Back  -   New Search

Luvenia f

English: apparently an arbitrary coinage originating in the southern United States

Back  -   New Search

Luz f

Spanish: name reflecting a title of the Virgin Mary, ‘Our Lady of Light’ (Spanish luz, from Latin lux).

Back  -   New Search

Luzdivina f

Spanish: apparently derived from LIDWINA, but altered by popular etymology to mean ‘divine light’ (cf. LUZ).

Back  -   New Search

Lyall m

Scottish: transferred use of the surname, which is probably derived from the Old Norse personal name Liulfr, of which the first element is obscure. The second is clearly Old Norse úlfr wolf. See also LYLE.

Back  -   New Search

Lydia f

English: of Greek origin, meaning ‘woman from Lydia’, an area of Asia Minor. It is borne in the Bible by a woman of Thyatira who was converted by St Paul and who entertained him in her house (Acts 16: 14–15, 40). It has enjoyed steady popularity in the English-speaking world since the 17th century.
Cognates: French: Lydie. Polish: Lidia. Czech: Lida.

Back  -   New Search

Lyle m

English and Scottish: transferred use of the surname, which originated as a local name for someone who came ‘from the island’ (Anglo-Norman de l'isle). The island in question would in many cases have been an area of higher, dry ground in a marsh or fen, rather than in a sea or river. There may have been some confusion with LYALL.

Back  -   New Search

Lyn m, f

1 (m.) Welsh: short form of LLEWELLYN.

2 (f.) English: variant of LYNN.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Lyndon m

English: transferred use of the surname, derived from the place known as Lyndon in the former county of Rutland (now part of Leicestershire), so called from Old English lind linden, lime tree + dn hill. Its modern use as a male given name owes something to the American president Lyndon Baines Johnson (1908–73).
Variant: Lindon.

Back  -   New Search

Lynette f

English: in modern use a derivative of LYNN, formed with the French feminine diminutive suffix -ette. However, this is not the origin for the name as used in Tennyson's Idylls of the King (1859–85), through which it first came to public attention. There, it represents an altered form of some Celtic original; cf. Welsh ELUNED.
Variants: Lynnette, Lin(n)ette.

Back  -   New Search

Lynn f

English: apparently a modern short form of LINDA with the spelling arbitrarily altered. There may also be some connection with the French name Line, which originated as a short form of various female names ending in this syllable, notably CAROLINE. The element -lyn(n) has also been used as a productive suffix in female names since around the middle of the 20th century.

Back  -   New Search

Lynsey f

English: variant spelling of LINDSAY.

Back  -   New Search

Lyov m

Russian: colloquial variant of LEV.

Back  -   New Search

Lys f

English: variant spelling of LIS or LIZ, apparently inspired by medieval French (fleur de) lys lily.

Back  -   New Search

Lysette f

English: variant spelling of LISETTE.

Back  -   New Search

Lyssa f

English: short form of ALYSSA. In form it coincides with the name, in Greek mythology, of the personification of madness or frenzy. See also LISSA.

Back  -   New Search

Lyubov f

Russian: from the vocabulary word meaning ‘love’. It was originally adopted as a vernacular loan translation of Greek Agap (see AGAFYA). See also LIBNA.
Pet form: Lyuba.

Back  -   New Search

M

Maarten m

Dutch form of MARTIN, now rather less common than Martijn.

Back  -   New Search

Maartje f

Dutch: feminine form of MAARTEN.

Back  -   New Search

Maas m

Dutch: short form of THOMAS.

Back  -   New Search

Mabel f

1 English: originally a nickname from the Old French vocabulary word amabel, amable lovely (related to modern English amiable friendly, good-humoured). The initial vowel began to be lost as early as the 12th century (the same woman is referred to as both Mabilia and Amabilia in a document of 1185), but a short vowel in the resulting first syllable was standard, giving a rhyme with babble, until the 19th century, when people began to pronounce the name to rhyme with table.

2 Spanish: contracted short form of Maria Isabel (cf. MARIBEL).
Variant: English: Mable.
Cognate (of I): Irish Gaelic: Máible.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Mabelle f

English: altered spelling of MABEL, based on French ma belle ‘my beautiful one’.

Back  -   New Search

Mabon m

Welsh: 20th-century revival of an Old Welsh personal name derived from the Old Celtic element mab son. This seems to have been originally the name of a divinity; it is also borne by a character in the tale of ‘Culhwch and Olwen’.

Back  -   New Search

Mac Dara m

Irish Gaelic: name meaning ‘son of oak’. This is the name of the patron saint of a parish in Connemara in which is situated Mac Dara's island, goal of an annual pilgrimage on 16 July. The given name is still common in the surrounding region.

Back  -   New Search

Maciej m

Polish form of MATTHEW.
Pet form: Maciek.

Back  -   New Search

Madeleine f

French and English: the French form of the byname of a character in the New Testament, Mary Magdalene ‘Mary of Magdala’. Magdala was a village on Lake Galilee, a few miles north of Tiberias. The woman ‘which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities’ (Luke 8: 2) was given this name in the Bible to distinguish her from other bearers of the very common name MARY. It was widely accepted in Christian folk belief that she was the same person as the repentant sinner who washed Christ's feet with her tears in the previous chapter (Luke 7), but there is no support in the text for this identification.
Variants: English: Madeline (common esp. in Ireland), Madoline; Madelaine, Madlyn; MAGDALENE.
Cognate: Irish Gaelic: Madailéin.
Pet forms: English: Maddie, Maddy. French: Madelon.

Back  -   New Search

Madge f

English: pet form of MARGARET, representing a palatalized version of Mag(g) (see MAGGIE).

Back  -   New Search

Madonna f

English (esp. U.S.): from an Italian title of the Virgin Mary (literally ‘my lady’), applied to countless Renaissance paintings of beautiful young women (with and without infants), representing the mother of Christ. Its use as a given name seems to be a fairly recent phenomenon, arising among Americans of Italian descent. In the 1980s, the name became particularly well known as a result of the fame of the American pop star Madonna Ciccone (b. 1958).

Back  -   New Search

Madrona f

Jewish: from the Romance name MATRONA. The name was apparently chosen in the hope that the baby would live to become a mother herself.
Masculine form: Madron.

Back  -   New Search

Mads m

Danish form of MATTHEW.

Back  -   New Search

Madzia f

Polish: pet form of Magdalena (see MAGDALENE).

Back  -   New Search

Mae f

English: variant spelling of MAY, possibly influenced by MAEVE. It has been most notably borne by the American film actress Mae West (1892–1980), whose prominent bust led to her name being given, by members of the RAF, to a type of inflatable life-jacket used in the Second World War. This spelling is now no longer much used.

Back  -   New Search

Maeve f

Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Meadhbh, an ancient Celtic name meaning ‘intoxicating, she who makes drunk’. It is borne by the Queen of Connacht in the Irish epic Táin Bó Cuailgne, ‘the Cattle Raid of Cooley’. In this, Meadhbh leads a raid on Ulster in order to seize the Brown Bull of Cooley, but she is repulsed single-handed by the hero Cuchulain. The historical events underlying the epic probably took place in about the Ist century AD. Shakespeare's Queen Mab, ‘the fairy’s midwife' (Romeo and Juliet I. iv. 53), may owe her name, if nothing else, to the legendary Queen of Connacht.
Variants: Mave (also an informal short form of MAVIS), Meave.

Back  -   New Search

Mafalda f

Portuguese and Italian: variant of MATILDA, used especially in Portugal. The name was taken there by a princess from the royal house of Savoy, who in 1146 went to marry the Portuguese king. St Mafalda (1203–52) was a daughter of King Sancho II of Portugal. King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy, a member of the house of Savoy, gave it to a daughter of his in 1902.

Back  -   New Search

Magali f

French (of Provençal origin): name of uncertain derivation, possibly a form of MARGARET. It has become widely known as a result of its occurrence in a popular Provençal folk song.
Variant: Magalie.

Back  -   New Search

Magdalene f

Learned form of MADELEINE, used especially in Germany.
Variants: English: Magdalen. Latinate: Magdalena (used in Spain, Portugal, Germany, Holland, Norway, Sweden, Poland, and Czechoslovakia).
Cognates: Italian: Maddalena. Russian: Magdalina. Hungarian: Magdolna. Danish: Magdalone, Malene.
Short forms: German, Scandinavian, and E. European: Magda. German and Czech: Alena.
Pet form: Polish: Madzia.

Back  -   New Search

Maggie f

English: pet form of MARGARET. In the Middle Ages the short form Mag(g) was common, as a result of the early loss in pronunciation of the English preconsonantal r. This is not now used as a given name, but has given rise to the surname Maggs; Maggie is also a derivative of Mag(g) formed with the characteristically Scottish hypocoristic suffix -ie. Until recently it was most common in Scotland. It is now fashionable elsewhere as well.
Cognate: Scottish Gaelic: Magaidh.

Back  -   New Search

Magnus m

Scandinavian, Scottish, and English: originally a Latin byname meaning ‘great’, this was first extracted from the name of Charlemagne (recorded in Latin chronicles as Carolus Magnus ‘Charles the Great’) and used as a given name by the Scandinavians. It was borne by seven medieval kings of Norway, including Magnus I (1024–47), known as Magnus the Good, and Magnus VI (1238–80), known as Magnus the Law Mender. There are several early Scandinavian saints called Magnus, including an earl of Orkney (d. 1116), to whom Kirkwall cathedral is dedicated. The name was imported to Scotland and Ireland during the Middle Ages.
Vernacular forms: Danish: Mogens. Swedish: Måns. Scottish Gaelic: Mànas. Irish Gaelic: Maghnus (Anglicized as MANUS). Finnish: Mauno.

Back  -   New Search

Mahalia f

English: apparently a cross between the two biblical masculine personal names Mahali (Exodus 6: 19) and Mahalah (1 Chronicles 7: 18), both fleetingly mentioned in genealogies.

Back  -   New Search

Mahon m

Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic MATHÚIN.

Back  -   New Search

Mai f

Swedish: pet form of MARIA and Margit (see MARGARET). It is now used as an independent given name and is common as both the first and the second element of compound names such as Mai-Britt, Mai-Lis, Anne-Mai, and Britt-Mai.

Back  -   New Search

Maica f

Spanish: contracted pet form of María Carmen; cf. MAITE.

Back  -   New Search

Maidie f

Scottish and Irish: apparently a pet form of modern English maid young woman (Old English mæg(den)), originally given as an affectionate nickname. However, it may also be an altered form of MAISIE.

Back  -   New Search

Maike f

Frisian: pet form of MARIA. The name now also has a wider currency as an independent given name in the Dutch- and German-speaking world.
Variant: Maiken (esp. common in Scandinavia).

Back  -   New Search

Màili f

Scottish Gaelic: variant of MÀIRI.

Back  -   New Search

Mainchín m

Irish Gaelic: originally a byname representing a diminutive of manach monk.
Anglicized form: Mannix.

Back  -   New Search

Mair f

Welsh form of MARY, derived from Latin Maria via Old Welsh Meir.

Back  -   New Search

Máire f

Irish Gaelic form of MARY, derived from Old French Marie.

Back  -   New Search

Mairéad f

Irish Gaelic form of MARGARET. The name is also used in Scotland, where it is spelled Mairead or Maighread.

Back  -   New Search

Màiri f

Scottish Gaelic form of MARY.

Back  -   New Search

Máirín f

Irish Gaelic: name Anglicized as MAUREEN.

Back  -   New Search

Mairtin m

Irish Gaelic form of MARTIN.

Back  -   New Search

Maisie f

Scottish: pet form derived from Mairead, the Gaelic form of MARGARET, with the Scottish and northern English hypocoristic suffix -ie. Gaelic palatalized -r- sounds to English ears like /z/. The name occurs in Scottish border ballads in the form Masery.

Back  -   New Search

Maite f

Spanish: contracted pet form of Maria Teresa; cf. MAICA. Coincidentally, the vocabulary word maite means ‘beloved, dear’ in the Basque language.

Back  -   New Search

Maj f

Swedish: variant spelling of MAI.

Back  -   New Search

Maja f

German and Scandianvian: pet form of MARIA, or else from Latin Maia (see MAYA).

Back  -   New Search

Majella f

English and Irish (borne by Roman Catholics): name given in honour of St Gerard Majella (1725–55), an Italian Redemptorist monk who was the focus of a number of miraculous phenomena and who was canonized in 1904.

Back  -   New Search

Makari m

Russian: from the Late Greek name Makarios, a derivative of makaros blessed. This was a very popular name among early Christians, and was borne by a large number of saints, among them Macarius the Elder (c.300–90) and Macarius the Younger (d. c.408), both of whom lived in Egypt, and a 4th-century bishop of Jerusalem who identified the True Cross found by St Helena. Another St Macarius (d. c.350) was originally name Arius, but has been renamed in order to distinguish him from the founder of the Arian heresy, which he strongly opposed.
Variant: Makar.
Cognates: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese: Macario. French: Macaire. Polish: Makary.

Back  -   New Search

Malachy m

Irish: name of an Irish king who defeated the Norse invaders in an important battle. His baptismal name was Maoileachlainn ‘devotee of St Seachnall’ or Secundinus, but in medieval sources telling of his life this has already been altered to coincide with that of the biblical prophet generally known in English as Malachi. Malachi was the last of the twelve minor prophets of the Old Testament; he foretold the coming of Christ and his name means, appropriately, ‘my messenger’ in Hebrew.

Back  -   New Search

Malcolm m

Scottish and English: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Mael Coluim ‘devotee of St Columba’. Columba, whose name means ‘dove’ in Latin, was a 6th-century monk of Irish origin who played a leading part in the conversion to Christianity of Scotland and northern England; See also CALUM and COLM. He has always been one of the most popular saints in Scotland, but in the Middle Ages it was felt to be presumptuous to give the names of saints directly to children; instead their blessing was invoked by prefixing the name with mael ‘devotee of’ (cf. MARMADUKE) or gille ‘servant of’. In the Highlands Malcolm is still used as an Anglicized form of Calum.
Feminine forms: Malcolmina, Malina.

Back  -   New Search

Malene f

Danish: contracted form of MAGDALENE.

Back  -   New Search

Magorzata f

Polish form of MARGARET.
Pet form: Malgosia.

Back  -   New Search

Malkah f

Jewish: from Hebrew malkah queen. This name does not appear in the Hebrew Scriptures, but represents an affectionate nickname used from the Middle Ages onwards.

Back  -   New Search

Mallory m occasionally f

English (esp. U.S.): transferred use of the surname, which originated as a Norman French nickname for an unfortunate person, from Old French malheure unhappy or unlucky.

Back  -   New Search

Mallt f

Welsh form of MAUD, a common name in the Middle Ages.

Back  -   New Search

Malvina f

Scottish, English, and Scandinavian (esp. Danish): apparently a factitious name, based on Gaelic mala mhin smoothbrow, invented by James Macpherson (1736–96), the Scottish antiquarian poet who published works allegedly translated from the ancient Gaelic bard Ossian. The name became popular in Scandinavia because of the admiration of the Emperor Napoleon for the Ossianic poems: he was godfather to several of the children of his marshal Jean Baptiste Bernadotte (who ruled Norway and Sweden (1818–44) as Karl XIV Johan) and imposed his own taste in naming practices on them, hence the frequency of ‘Ossianic’ given names in Scandinavia. Las Malvinas is the Argentinian name for the Falkland Islands; the origin of this is disputed, but it appears to have no connection with the Ossianic name.
Cognate: German: Malwine (now rare).

Back  -   New Search

Mamie f

English: short form of MARGARET or MARY, which has been used occasionally as an independent given name, especially in America, where it was the name by which the wife of President Eisenhower was usually known. It seems to have originated as a nursery form.

Back  -   New Search

Mànas m

Scottish Gaelic form of MAGNUS.

Back  -   New Search

Manda f

English: short form of AMANDA.

Back  -   New Search

Mandel m

Jewish: back-formation from MENDEL, assumed by folk etymology to be from German Männl, a diminutive of Mann man. It probably has no connection with the Yiddish vocabulary word mandel almond.

Back  -   New Search

Mandy f m

English: 1 (f.) Pet form of AMANDA, now sometimes used as a given name in its own right.

2 (m.) Occasionally it is also found as a Jewish male name, an Anglicized form of MANDEL.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Manfred m

German, Dutch, and English: from an old Germanic personal name, usually said to be composed of the elements man man + fred, frid peace. However, it is more likely that the first element was magin strength (the Norman form being normally Mainfred; cf. modern English ‘might and main’) or manag much (cf. modern English many). This was in use among the Normans, who introduced it to Britain, but it did not become part of the common stock of English given names, and was reintroduced from Germany in the 19th century. It was a traditional name among the Hohenstaufens, and was borne by the last Hohenstaufen king of Sicily (1258–66), who died in battle against papal forces at Benevento. The name was also used by Byron for the central character in his poetic drama Manfred (1817), a brooding outcast, tormented by incestuous love for his halfsister.
Variants: German: Manfried, Manfrid.
Cognate: Italian: Manfredo.

Back  -   New Search

Mania f

Polish: pet form of MARIA.
Variant: Maniuta.

Back  -   New Search

Manley m

English: transferred use of the surname, which in most cases originated as a local name from places in Devon and Cheshire, so called from Old English (ge)mne common, shared + lah wood or clearing. Its choice as a first name may well have been influenced by association with the vocabulary word manly and the hope that the qualities denoted by the adjective would be attributes of the bearer. The vocabulary word may also lie behind some cases of the surname, as a nickname for a ‘manly’ person.

Back  -   New Search

Manlio m

Italian: from the Latin name, Manlius, of a famous Roman family of staunch republican virtues and heroism. An earlier form of the name was Manilius. It appears to be a derivative of the old Roman given name Manius, which is probably derived either from mne morning or from the archaic root mn- good. Marcus Manlius Capitolinus (d. ?384 BC), who saved Rome from the besieging Gauls in 389 BC, is said to have defended plebeian debtors from their patrician creditors, and the following year to have been impeached and executed by being thrown from the Tarpeian Rock. The Italian form of the name was bestowed by Garibaldi on one of his sons.

Back  -   New Search

Mannix m

Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic MAINCHÍN.

Back  -   New Search

Manny m

English: aphetic pet form of EMMANUEL, in use mainly among British Jews.

Back  -   New Search

Manoel m

Portuguese form of EMMANUEL. The Portuguese king Manoel I (1469–1521; reigned 1495–1521) presided over a glittering period in Portuguese history, at a time when wealth was flowing in from Portugal's new conquests in both the East Indies and South America.

Back  -   New Search

Manon f

French: pet form of MARIE, common in the 18th and 19th centuries. For the formation, cf. MANIA and Madelon (from MADELEINE). The name is familiar in the English-speaking world through the Abbé Prévost's story Manon Lescaut (1731), which was given operatic treatment by both Puccini and Massenet. In it the young Chevalier des Grieux elopes with the heroine, who supports them by becoming a courtesan, and is eventually deported to Louisiana, where she dies.

Back  -   New Search

Mans m

Catalan: variant of AMANS.

Back  -   New Search

Måns m

Swedish: vernacular form of MAGNUS.

Back  -   New Search

Manuel m

Spanish form of EMMANUEL.
Feminine form: Manuela.
Pet forms: Manolo, Manolito, Manolete m; Manola, Manolita f.

Back  -   New Search

Manus m

Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Maghnus and Mánus, forms of MAGNUS.

Back  -   New Search

Manya f

Russian: pet form of MARIA.

Back  -   New Search

Maoilíosa (originally m now also f)

Irish Gaelic: name meaning ‘devotee of Jesus’.
Anglicized form: MELISSA (a modern development).
Cognate (m only): Scottish Gaelic: Maoilios (Anglicized as MYLES).

Back  -   New Search

Maolra m

Irish Gaelic: modern spelling, common particularly in the west of Ireland, of earlier Maoil-Mhuire ‘devotee of Mary’.
Anglicized form: MYLES.

Back  -   New Search

Mara f

English: of biblical origin, from Hebrew Mara ‘bitter’, a name referred to by Naomi when she went back to Bethlehem because of the famine in the land of Moab and the deaths of her husband and two sons: ‘call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me’ (Ruth 1: 20).

Back  -   New Search

Marc m

French form of MARK, now also quite popular in the English-speaking world. It was given some currency in England in the 1960s by the pop singer Marc Bolan.

Back  -   New Search

Marcel m

French: from the Latin name Marcellus, originally a diminutive of MARCUS. The name has always been popular in France as it was borne by a 3rd-century missionary to Gaul, martyred at Bourges with his companion Anastasius.
Cognates: Italian: Marcello. Spanish, Portuguese: Marcelo.
Feminine forms: Irish Gaelic: Mairsile. Scottish Gaelic: Marsaili. Latin: Marcella (used to some extent in the English-speaking world, esp. Ireland, and also in Italy). French: Marcelle. Spanish, Polish, Czech: Marcela.

Back  -   New Search

Marcellin m

French: from the Latin name Marcellnus, a double derivative of MARCUS borne by a dozen early saints, including a pope who died in the persecutions instigated by the Roman emperor Diocletian.
Cognates: Italian: Marcellino. Spanish, Portuguese: Marcelino.

Back  -   New Search

Marcia f

English: often used as a feminine equivalent of MARK, but in fact a feminine form of Marcius, itself a derivative of MARCUS. One St Marcia is commemorated in a group with Felix, Luciolus, Fortunatus, and others; another with Zenais, Cyria, and Valeria; and a third with Ariston, Crescentian, Eutychian, Urban, Vitalis, Justus, Felicissimus, Felix, and Symphorosa. None is individually very famous.
Variant: Marsha.
Pet forms: Marcie, Marcy (chiefly U.S.).

Back  -   New Search

Marcin m

Polish form of MARTIN.

Back  -   New Search

Marco m

Italian and usual Spanish form of MARK.

Back  -   New Search

Marcos m

Portuguese form of MARK. It is also used in Spain as a variant form of the more common MARCO.

Back  -   New Search

Marcus m

The original Latin form of MARK, of unknown derivation; it may possibly be connected with MARIUS. This is also the form of the name in Scottish Gaelic, whence the surname Mac Mharrius, Anglicized as Marquis. Marcus was rarely used as a given name in the English-speaking world until recent years, when it has been seized on by parents seeking to give a distinctive form to a common and popular name. Among American Blacks it is sometimes bestowed in honour of the Black Consciousness leader Marcus Garvey (1887–1940).

Back  -   New Search

Marea f

English: apparently an altered spelling of MARIA.

Back  -   New Search

Mared f

Welsh form of MARGARET, a simplified version of Marged.

Back  -   New Search

Marek m

Polish and Czech form of MARK.
Pet forms: Polish: Mareczek, Maru. Czech: Mareek, Marouek, Mare, Maik.

Back  -   New Search

Maretta f

Scottish: Anglicized form of MAIREAD; See also MARIETTA.

Back  -   New Search

Marga f

English: short form of MARGARET or any of the large number of related names beginning with these two syllables.

Back  -   New Search

Margaret f

English and Scottish: an extremely common medieval given name, derived via Old French Marguerite and Latin Margarta from Greek Margarts, from margaron pearl, a word ultimately of Hebrew origin. The name was always understood to mean ‘pearl’ throughout the Middle Ages. The first St Margaret was martyred at Antioch in Pisidia during the persecution instigated by the Emperor Diocletian in the early 4th century. However, there seems to be some doubt about her name, as the same saint is venerated in the Orthodox Church as MARINA. There were several other saintly bearers of the name, including St Margaret of Scotland (d. 1093), wife of King Malcolm Canmore and daughter of Edmund Ironside of England. It was also the name of the wife of Henry VI of England, Margaret of Anjou (1430–82), and of Margaret Tudor (1489–1541), sister of Henry VIII, who married James IV of Scotland and ruled as regent there after his death. In Scandinavia, the name was borne by one of the most powerful rulers in Scandinavian history, Queen Margareta (1353–1412), daughter of the Danish king Waldemar IV, wife of Haakon VI of Norway, and mother of Olaf V of both kingdoms. She effectively ruled Denmark and Norway as regent for her son Olaf and, after his death in 1387, for her greatnephew, Eric of Pomerania, adding Sweden to her empire in 1389. Margaret was also well established as a royal name in the Holy Roman Empire, France, Navarre, and Italy. In Britain in 1930 it was selected by the future King George VI and his wife for their second daughter, Princess Margaret Rose. See also MARGERY, MARJORIE.
Cognates: Latinate: Margaret(t)a. Irish Gaelic: Mairéad. Scottish Gaelic: Mair(gh)ead. Welsh: Mar(g)ed, Mererid. French: MARGUERITE. Italian: Margherita. Spanish: Margarita. Porruguese: Margarida. German and Scandinavian: Margaret(h)a. German, Danish: Margaret(h)e, Margrethe. German (vernacular): Margrit, Margret; Meta. Dutch, Low German: Margriet. Scandinavian (vernacular): Margit; Marit (Norwegian, Swedish); Marete (Danish). Polish: Malgorzata. Czech: Markéta. Hungarian: Margit. Finnish: Marketta. Jewish (modern Hebrew): Margalit, Marganit, Marganita.
Short forms: English: Meg, Peg; Madge; Gretta. Spanish: Rita. German: Greta, Grete, Gritt(a), Grit. Low German, Dutch, Frisian: Griet, Gre(e)t. Swedish: Maj, Greta. Danish: Grete.
Pet forms: English: MAGGIE, Meggie, PEGGY; Marge, Margie (informal); MAY; See also DAISY. Scottish Gaelic: Magaidh, Peigi. Welsh: MEGAN. French: Margot. German, Danish, Swedish: Meta. Low German, Dutch, Frisian: Grietje, Gre(e)tje. Polish: Malgosia, Gosia, Goka.

Back  -   New Search

Margery f

English: the usual medieval vernacular form of MARGARET (now also commonly spelled MARJORIE). This form of the name is preserved in the nursery rhyme ‘See-saw, Margery Daw’.

Back  -   New Search

Margot f

French, English, German, and E. European: pet form of MARGUERITE, now used as an independent name. In England it is still usually pronounced in the French way, but in Eastern Europe the final consonant is sounded, and this has had some influence in America. The name of the American actress Margaux Hemingway (b. 1955) represents a fanciful respelling of this name inspired by a village near Bordeaux noted for its red wine.

Back  -   New Search

Marguerite f

French form of MARGARET, also used in the English-speaking world, where its use has been reinforced by the fact that the name was adopted in the 19th century for a garden flower, a large cultivated variety of daisy. Margaret was earlier used in English as a dialect word denoting the ox-eye daisy, and the French equivalent was borrowed into English just in time to catch the vogue for deriving female given names from vocabulary words denoting flowers. See also DAISY.

Back  -   New Search

Mari f

Welsh form of MARY.

Back  -   New Search

Maria f

Latin form of MARY, still used in most European languages, either as the main local form of the name, as in Italian, Spanish (María), Portuguese, German, Dutch, Scandinavian, Polish, and Czech, or as a learned doublet of a vernacular form. In English it is a learned revival dating from the 18th century, pronounced both /m'ri:/ and, more traditionally, /m'rai/. The original Latin name Maria arose as a back-formation from the early Christian female name Mariam. This was taken as an accusative case, with the usual Latin feminine accusative ending -am. In fact, however, it is an indeclinable Aramaic alternative form of the Hebrew name MIRIAM. This form of the name is in common use in most European languages; for example, it was the most common of all female names in Sweden in 1973. In Spain not only is the name María itself enormously common, but a large number of Marian epithets and words associated with the cult of the Virgin are also used as female given names. Maria is also used as a male name in combinations such as Giammaria (Italian) and José María (Spanish).
Short form: Ria.
Cognates and pet forms: see MARY.
Masculine forms: MARIUS. Italian, Spanish, Portuguese: MARIO.

Back  -   New Search

Mariamne f

The form of MIRIAM used by the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus, writing in Latin in the 1st century BC, as the name of the wife of King Herod. On the basis of this evidence, it has been thought by some to be closer to the original form of the name actually borne by the Virgin MARY, and has therefore been bestowed in her honour.

Back  -   New Search

Marian f, m

1 (f.) English: originally a medieval variant spelling of MARION. However, in the 18th century, when combined names began to come into fashion, it was sometimes understood as a combination of MARY and ANN.

2 (m.) Polish: from the Latin name Marinus (see MARIANO), often bestowed among Roman Catholics in honour of the Virgin Mary.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Marianne f

1 English: extended spelling of MARIAN, reinforcing the association of the second element with ANN(E).

2 French: assimilated form of MARIAMNE. Marianne is the name used for the symbolic figure of the French Republic.
Variant: English: Marianna (a Latinate form).
Top

Back  -   New Search

Mariano m

Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese: from the Latin name Marinus, a derivative of MARIUS. In the early Christian era it came to be taken as an adjective derived from MARIA, and was associated with the cult of the Virgin Mary. It was borne by various early saints, including a 3rd-century martyr of Lambesa in Numidia and a 5th-century hermit of Berry, France.
Cognate: Polish, Czech: Marian.
Feminine form: Mariana.

Back  -   New Search

Maribel f

Spanish: contracted short form of Maria Isabel (see also MABEL). The name is also occasionally used in the English-speaking world, where it may represent a simplified form of MARIBELLA.

Back  -   New Search

Maribella f

English: Latinate combination of MARIA with the name BELLA or the productive suffix -bella (cf. ANNABEL and CHRISTABEL). The name is also occasionally used in Italy.

Back  -   New Search

Marica f

Hungarian pet form of MARIA.

Back  -   New Search

Marice f

English: respelling of MARIS, or else a combination of the first syllable of MARY or MARGARET with the name suffix -ice (cf. e.g. JANICE).

Back  -   New Search

Marie f

French form of MARIA. When first introduced to England in the Middle Ages, it was Anglicized in pronunciation and respelled MARY. This French form was reintroduced into the English-speaking world as a separate name in the 19th century, and is still pronounced more or less in the French manner, although sometimes with the stress on the first syllable. The French name is also commonly used as a male name in the combination Jean-Marie.
Pet form: MANON.

Back  -   New Search

Marie-Ange f

French equivalent of ÁNGELES. The name Ange is not used on its own in French.

Back  -   New Search

Marie-France f

French: combination of MARIE with the national name France, invoking the protection of the Virgin Mary as the special guardian of France.

Back  -   New Search

Mariel f

English: 1 Shortened form of MARIELLA.

2 Altered form of MURIEL or MERIEL.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Mariella f

Italian: diminutive form of MARIA.

Back  -   New Search

Marielle f

French: diminutive form of MARIE, now fairly commonly used as an independent given name in the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Marietta f

Italian: diminutive form of MARIA, now sometimes used as an independent name in the English-speaking world. In Gaelic Scotland Mar(i)etta is quite commonly used as an Anglicized form of MAIREAD, and abbreviated to ETTA.
Cognate: Spanish: Marieta.

Back  -   New Search

Marigold f

English: one of the older of the group of names that were adopted from words for flowers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Old English name of the flower was golde, presumably from gold (the precious metal), in reference to its colour. At some time before the 14th century the flower became associated with the Virgin Mary, and its name was extended accordingly to marigold. Not until the 19th century was this used as a female given name.

Back  -   New Search

Marika f

Slavonic: pet form of MARIA, sometimes used as an independent given name in the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Marilee f

English: modern coinage, a combination of MARY and LEE.

Back  -   New Search

Marilene f

English: modern coinage, a combination of the name MARY with the productive suffix -lene, or else a variant of MARILYN.

Back  -   New Search

Marilyn f

English: 20th-century elaboration of MARY, with the addition of the productive suffix -lyn (see LYNN).
Variant: Marylyn, MARILENE.

Back  -   New Search

Marina f

Italian, Spanish, English, Scottish, and German: from a Late Latin name, a feminine form of the family name Marnus. This was in fact a derivative of MARIUS, but even during the early centuries AD it was widely assumed to be identical with the Latin adjective marnus ‘of the sea’. The early saints of this name are all of extremely shaky historical identification. In Scotland the name has been used as an Anglicized form of MÀIRI, in place of plain MARY, following the pattern of feminine derivatives in -ina (cf. e.g. Angusina and Calumina).

Back  -   New Search

Mario m

Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese form of Marius, a very common male name in these languages.

Back  -   New Search

Marion f, m

English: 1 (f.) Originally a medieval French diminutive form of MARIE, introduced to Britain in the Middle Ages, and now completely Anglicized in pronunciation.

2 (m.) Altered form of the Continental male name MARIAN.
Elaborated form (of 1): Marionne.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Maripepa f

Spanish: pet form of the compound name María Josefa.

Back  -   New Search

Mariquita f

Spanish: pet form of MARIA.

Back  -   New Search

Marirrosa f

Spanish: compound name made up of the elements MARIA and ROSA.

Back  -   New Search

Maris f

English: modern name of uncertain origin. It may derive from the second word of the Marian epithet stella maris ‘star of the sea’.

Back  -   New Search

Marisa f

Italian, Spanish, and English: 20th-century elaboration of MARIA, the suffix -isa apparently being abstracted from such names as LISA and Luisa (see LUIS).
Cognate: Dutch: Marijse.

Back  -   New Search

Marisol f

Spanish: compound name made up of the elements MARIA and SOL.

Back  -   New Search

Marit f

Norwegian and Swedish: vernacular form of MARGARET.

Back  -   New Search

Marita f

Spanish: pet form of MARIA.

Back  -   New Search

Marius m

Latin name, used in English, German, French, and other European languages: from a Roman family name of uncertain derivation. It is probably from Mars, the name of the Roman god of war, or from the adjective mas (genitive maris) male, virile. A derivation from mare sea has been proposed by some writers, but seems unlikely (cf. MARINA). This name and in particular its southern European form Mario owe their popularity to having been pressed into service as masculine equivalents of MARY in countries where the cult of the Virgin Mary is strong.
Cognate: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese: Mario. See also MARIAN (2).

Back  -   New Search

Marji f

English: modern respelling of Margie (see MARGARET).
Variant: Marjie.

Back  -   New Search

Marjolaine f

French: from the French name of the herb marjoram; cf. MARJORIE.

Back  -   New Search

Marjorie f

English: usual modern spelling of MARGERY. It seems to have arisen as the result of popular etymological association of the name with that of the herb marjoram (cf. ROSEMARY). This word is of uncertain origin; its Middle English and Old French form was majorane, without the first -r-.
Variant: Marjory (the usual spelling in Scotland; See also MARSAILI).

Back  -   New Search

Mark m

English: from the Latin name Marcus, borne by the evangelist, author of the second gospel in the New Testament, and by several other early and medieval saints. St Mark became the patron saint of Venice, and the Italian name Marco has long been especially popular in that city. This was one of the extremely limited number of Roman given names in use in the classical period. There were only about a dozen of these in general use, with perhaps another dozen confined to particular families. In Arthurian legend, King Mark is the aged ruler of Cornwall to whom Isolde is brought as a bride by Tristan. Mark was not notably borne by royalty and was not a particularly common name in the Middle Ages outside a few centres such as Venice.
Variant: MARCUS.
Cognates: Irish and Scottish Gaelic: Marcas. French: Marc. Italian, Spanish: Marco. Portuguese (also Spanish): Marcos. Romanian: Marku. German: Markus. Polish, Czech: Marek. Ukrainian: Marko. Finnish: Markku.

Back  -   New Search

Markéta f

Czech form of MARGARET.

Back  -   New Search

Marketta f

Finnish form of MARGARET.

Back  -   New Search

Marla f

English: modern creation, representing an altered form of MARLENE, or else a name invented as a feminine equivalent of MARLON.

Back  -   New Search

Marlene f

German, now also widely used in the English-speaking world: contracted form of Maria Magdalene (see MADELEINE). Probably the first, and certainly the most famous, bearer of the name is Marlene Dietrich, born in 1902 as Maria Magdalene von Losch. The name was further popularized in the 1940s by the wartime German song ‘Lili Marlene’, which was immensely popular among both German and British troops in North Africa.

Back  -   New Search

Marlon m

English: name apparently first brought to public attention by the American actor Marlon Brando (b. 1924) and now sometimes used more widely as a result of his fame. The name was borne also by his father, and is of uncertain origin, possibly derived from MARC with the addition of the French diminutive suffix -lon (originally a combination of two separate suffixes, -el and -on); the family is said to have been of French origin. In America the name is used fairly regularly among Blacks, but in Britain the most notable bearer is the young go-karting enthusiast in the Perishers cartoon strip.

Back  -   New Search

Marmaduke m

English: of uncertain derivation. It is generally held to be an Anglicized form of the Old Irish name Mael-Maedóc ‘devotee of Maedóc’. The name Maedóc was borne by various early Irish saints, most notably a 6th-century abbot of Clonmore and a 7th-century bishop of Ferns. Mael-Maedóc Ó Morgair (1095–1148) was a reformer of the Church in Ireland and a friend of Bernard of Clairvaux. However, the modern Gaelic form (from c.1200) is Maol-Maodhóg (pronounced /ml'mg/), so that the name would have had to have been borrowed into English before this loss of the d. Marmaduke has never been common except in a small area of North Yorkshire, and is at present almost completely out of fashion.
Short form: DUKE.

Back  -   New Search

Marna f

Swedish: vernacular form of MARINA.

Back  -   New Search

Marnie f

English (mainly U.S.): Anglicized form of MARNA.

Back  -   New Search

Marsaili f

Scottish Gaelic form of MARGERY and of Marcella (see MARCEL).

Back  -   New Search

Marsh m

English: 1 Transferred use of the surname, which originated as a local name for someone who lived on a patch of marshy ground, from Middle English mersche (Old English mersc).

2 Informal short form of MARSHALL.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Marsha f

Phonetic spelling of MARCIA, popular especially among American Blacks.

Back  -   New Search

Marshall m

English: transferred use of the surname, derived from a Norman French occupational term that originally denoted someone who looked after horses, ultimately from the Germanic elements marah horse + scale servant. By the time it became fixed as a surname it had the meaning ‘shoeing smith’; later it came to denote an official whose duties were to a large extent ceremonial. The surname is phonetically identical with the English pronunciation of the name of the Roman poet Martial (from Latin Mars, genitive Martis; cf. MARTIN), and this may possibly have contributed something to its use as a given name.

Back  -   New Search

Märta f

Danish: contracted form of Märeta, an obsolete variant of MERETE. The name is now also very popular in Sweden, where it was the thirty-sixth most common female name in 1973.

Back  -   New Search

Martha f

New Testament name, of Aramaic rather than Hebrew origin, meaning ‘lady’. It was borne by the sister of Lazarus and Mary of Bethany (John 11: 1). According to Luke 10: 38, when Jesus visited the house of Mary and Martha, Mary sat at his feet, listening to him, while Martha ‘was cumbered about much serving’, so that she complained to Jesus, ‘Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone?’ For this reason, the name Martha has always been associated with hard domestic work, as opposed to the contemplative life.
Other forms: French, German: Marthe. Scandinavian: Mart(h)a, Mart(h)e. Spanish, Italian, Polish, and Czech: Marta. Hungarian: Márta. Pet form: Spanish: Martita.

Back  -   New Search

Marti f

English: short form of MARTINA (or its French equivalent Martine). Its best-known bearer in Britain is the English comedienne Marti Caine (b. 1945).
Variants: Martie, Marty.

Back  -   New Search

Martin m

English, French, and German form of the Latin name Martnus. This was probably originally derived from Mars (genitive Martis), the name of the Roman god of war (and earlier of fertility). Martin became very popular in the Middle Ages, especially on the Continent, as a result of the fame of St Martin of Tours. He was born the son of a Roman officer in Upper Pannonia (an outpost of the Roman Empire, now part of Hungary), and although he became a leading figur, in the 4th-century Church, he is chiefly remembered now for having divided his cloak in two and given half to a beggar. The name was also borne by five popes, including one who defended Roman Catholic dogma against Eastern Orthodox theology. He died after suffering imprisonment and privations in Naxos and public humiliation in Constantinople, and was promptly acclaimed a martyr by supporters of the Roman Church. Among Protestants, the name is sometimes bestowed in honour of the German theologian Martin Luther (1483–1546); Martin was used as a symbolic name for the Protestant Church in satires by both Dryden and Swift. A further influence, especially among American Blacks, may be its use as the given name of the civil-rights leader Martin Luther King (1929–68).
Variant: English: Martyn.
Cognates: Irish Gaelic: Máirtín, Mártan. Scottish Gaelic: Màrtainn. Italian: Martino. Spanish: Martín. Portuguese: Martinho. Catalan: Martí. Low German: Merten. Dutch: Maarten, Martijn. Danish, Norwegian: Morten. Swedish: Mårten. Polish: Marcin. Hungarian: Márton. Finnish: Martti.
Pet form: English: Marty.
Feminine forms: MARTINA, Martine.

Back  -   New Search

Martina f

Feminine form of the Latin name Martnus (see MARTIN). This form is in use in almost all the major languages of Europe, although it is not common in France. It was in use from an early period, being borne by a notorious poisoner mentioned by the historian Tacitus. The 3rd-century saint of the same name is of doubtful authenticity. Modern use of the name in the English-speaking world seems to be the result of German or Eastern European influence, as in the case of the tennis player Martina Navratilova (b. 1956), who was born in Czechoslovakia.
Cognates: French, German, and English: Martine. Polish: Martyna.

Back  -   New Search

Martirio f

Spanish: religious name alluding to the spiritual quality of martyrdom (Spanish martirio, from Late Latin martyrium, a derivative of Greek martyr witness) or suffering for the sake of one's faith.

Back  -   New Search

Martita f

Spanish: pet form of Marta (see MARTHA), now also sometimes used in the English-speaking world.
Short form: Tita.

Back  -   New Search

Marty m

English: short form of MARTIN that has come into favour in the latter part of the 20th century, being associated particularly with the comedian Marty Feldman (1933–83), the 1960s pop singer Marty Wilde (b. 1938 as Reginald Smith), and the country-and-western singer Marty Robbins (b. 1926). It occurs occasionally as a female name, a variant of MARTI.

Back  -   New Search

Marva f

English: modern creation, apparently invented as a feminine form of MARVIN. The fanciful name Marvalee represents an elaboration of this.

Back  -   New Search

Marvin m

English: from a medieval variant of MERVYN, resulting from the regular Middle English change of -er- to -ar-. Modern use may represent a transferred use of the surname derived from this in the Middle Ages. It is very popular in the United States, where it is often borne by Blacks and is associated in particular with the American singer Marvin Gaye (1939–84).

Back  -   New Search

Mary f

English: originally a Middle English Anglicized form of French MARIE, from Latin MARIA. This is a New Testament form of MIRIAM, which St Jerome derives from elements meaning ‘drop of the sea’ (Latin stilla maris, later altered to stella maris ‘star of the sea’). Mary is the most popular and enduring of all female Christian names, being the name of the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus Christ, who has been the subject of a cult from earliest times. Consequently, the name was extremely common among early Christians, several saints among them, and by the Middle Ages was well established in every country in Europe at every level of society. It has been enduringly popular ever since, its popularity having been almost completely undisturbed by the vagaries of fashion that affect other names. In Spain and Portugal, the cult of the Virgin is so widespread and important that vocabulary words and placenames associated with aspects of her cult have been pressed into service as female given names, even when the gender of the vocabulary word is actually masculine: see, e.g., DOLORES, MERCEDES, PILAR, and ROSARIO. The Gaels, reluctant as always to put their saints' names to profane use, keep Muire (Irish) and Moire (Scottish) for the Virgin herself, and use late derivations of Maria (cited below) for secular naming purposes.
In the New Testament, Mary is also the name of several other women: Mary Magdalene (see MADELEINE); Mary the sister of Martha, who sat at Jesus's feet while Martha served (Luke 10: 38–42; John 11: 1–46; 12: 1–9) and who came to be taken in Christian tradition as symbolizing the value of a contemplative life; the mother of St Mark (Colossians 4: 10); and a Roman matron mentioned by St Paul (Romans 16: 6).
Cognates: In most European languages, including English: MARIA. Irish Gaelic: Máire (see also MOIRA, MAURA); Máiria (a learned form). Scottish Gaelic: Màiri, Màili. Welsh: Mair, Mari. French: MARIE. Basque: Miren. Russian: Marya.
Pet forms: English: MAY, MOLLY. Irish Gaelic: Máirín. Scottish Gaelic: Màireag. Italian: Marietta, Mariella. Spanish: Mari(qui)ta, Maruja, S. German and Swiss: Mitzi. Dutch: Marieke, Micke, Miep. Frisian: Maike. Danish: Mia. Swedish: MAJ, Maja, Mia. Russian: Masha, Manya. Polish: Marika (also found in other Slavonic languages); Marusia; Marzena; Mania.

Back  -   New Search

Marylyn f

English: variant spelling of MARILYN.

Back  -   New Search

Maryvonne f

French: combination of the names MARIE and YVONNE. This has recently become a fashionable given name.

Back  -   New Search

Masha f

Russian: pet form of Marya (see MARY).

Back  -   New Search

Masaw m

Polish: vernacular contracted form of MIECZYSAW.

Back  -   New Search

Maso m

Italian: short form of TOMMASO.

Back  -   New Search

Mason m

English (esp. U.S.): transferred use of the surname, which originated in the early Middle Ages as an occupational name for a worker in stone, Old French maçon (of Germanic origin, connected with Old English macian to make).

Back  -   New Search

Massimo m

Italian form of MAXIM.

Back  -   New Search

Masterman m

Scottish and English: transferred use of the surname, which originated in Scotland as a term denoting a retainer or servant: the ‘man’ of the ‘master’. This was used in particular for the eldest sons of barons and the uncles of lords. As a given name it is principally known from the central character of Captain Frederick Marryat's novel Masterman Ready (1841).

Back  -   New Search

Matj m

Czech form of MATTHEW.
Pet forms: Máta, Matejek, Matjí(e)k, Matouek, Matys, Matýsek.

Back  -   New Search

Mateusz m

Polish form of MATTHEW.
Pet forms: Matus(ek), Matuszek, Matys(ek).

Back  -   New Search

Mathúin m

Irish Gaelic: modern name meaning ‘bear’. It represents a simplified form of the earlier Mathghamhain, borne by a brother of Brian Boru, High King of Ireland in the early 11th century.
Anglicized form: Mahon.

Back  -   New Search

Matilda f

Latinized form of a Germanic personal name composed of the elements maht, meht might + hild battle. This was the name of an early German queen (895–968), wife of Henry the Fowler, who was noted for her piety and generosity. It was also the name of the wife of William the Conqueror and of the daughter of Henry I of England (see MAUD). The name was introduced into England by the Normans, and this Latinized form is the one that normally occurs in medieval records, although the vernacular form MAUD seems to have been the one in everyday use. Matilda was revived in England as a learned form in the 18th century.
Variant: Mathilda.
Cognates: French: Mathilde. Spanish, Portuguese: Matilde. Portuguese, Italian: Mafalda. German: Mechtilde. Low German: Mette. Polish, Czech: Matylda.
Short forms: English: Tilda. Swedish: Tilda. Danish: Tilde.
Pet forms: English: Mattie; Tilly, Tillie.

Back  -   New Search

Matrona f

Russian: from the Late Latin name Mtrna ‘lady’ (earlier ‘married, respectable, noble woman’, a derivative of mter mother). This name was borne by various early saints martyred for their faith.
Variant: Matryona (popular form).
Cognate: Jewish: Madrona.
Pet forms: Russian: Matryosh(k)a, Matyush(k)a, MOTYA.

Back  -   New Search

Matthew m

English form of the name of the Christian evangelist, author of the first gospel in the New Testament. His name is a form of the Hebrew name Matt thia, meaning ‘gift of God’, which is fairly common in the Old Testament, being rendered in the Authorized Version in a number of different forms: Mattan(i)ah, Mattatha(h), Mattithiah, Mattathias, and so on. In the Authorized Version, the evangelist is regularly referred to as Matthew, while the apostle chosen to replace Judas Iscariot is distinguished as MATTHIAS. A related name from the same Hebrew roots, but reversed, is JONATHAN.
Cognates (also of MATTHIAS): Irish Gaelic: Maitiú, Maitias. Scottish Gaelic: Mata; Matha (a dialectal variant). French: Mathieu. Italian: Matteo, Mattia. Spanish: Mateo. Portuguese: Mateus. Catalan: Mateu. German: Mattäus. Dutch: Matthijs. Swedish, Norwegian: Mats. Danish: Mads, Mathies. Polish: Mateusz, Maciej. Czech: Matj, Matyá. Russian: Matvei. Ukrainian: Matvi. Hungarian: Mátyás, Máté. Finnish: Matti.
Short forms: English: Matt. Dutch: Thijs.
Pet forms: English: Mattie. Polish: Maciek.
Russian: MOTYA.

Back  -   New Search

Matthias m

New Testament Greek form of the Hebrew name Mattathia (see MATTHEW), or rather of an Aramaic derivative. The Latin form of the name is Matthaeus. In English the form Matthias is used in the Authorized Version of the New Testament to distinguish the disciple who was chosen after the treachery of Judas to make up the twelve (Acts 1: 23–26) from the evangelist Matthew. However, this distinction is not observed in other languages, where Matthias (or a version of it) is often a learned doublet existing alongside a vernacular derivative.
Variant: Mathias.
Cognates: see MATTHEW.

Back  -   New Search

Mattie m, occasionally f

English: 1 (m.) Pet form of MATTHEW.

2 (f.) Pet form of MATILDA.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Matyá m

Czech form of MATTHEW.

Back  -   New Search

Matyusha f

Russian: pet form of Matryona (see MATRONA).
Variant: Matyushka.

Back  -   New Search

Maud f

English: a medieval vernacular form of MATILDA. This form was characteristically Low German (i.e. including medieval Dutch and Flemish). The wife of William the Conqueror, who bore this name, was the daughter of Baldwin, Count of Flanders. In Flemish and Dutch the letter -t- was generally lost when it occurred between vowels, giving forms such as Ma(h)auld, Maud or Matilda was also the name of the daughter (1102–67) of Henry I of England; she was married early in life to the Holy Roman emperor Henry V, and later disputed the throne of England with her cousin Stephen. In 1128 she married Geoffrey, Count of Anjou. A medieval chronicler commented, ‘she was a good woman, but she had little bliss with him.’ The name Maud became quite common in England in the 19th century, when its popularity was influenced in part by Tennyson's poem Maud, published in 1855.

Back  -   New Search

Mauno m

Finnish form of MAGNUS.

Back  -   New Search

Maura f

1 English, Scottish, and Irish: of Celtic origin. St Maura was a 5th-century martyr, of whom very little is known; her companion is variously named as Britta (of Celtic origin) and Baya (of Latin origin). In Ireland Maura is now commonly regarded as a form of MARY (cf. MOIRA and MAUREEN).

2 Italian and Spanish: feminine form of MAURO.
Cognate (of 2): Russian: Mavra.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Maureen f

English and Irish: Anglicized form of Irish Gaelic Máirín, a pet form of Máire. See also MOREEN.
Variants: Maurene, Maurine.
Short form: Mo.

Back  -   New Search

Maurice m

1 English and French: from the Late Latin name Mauricius, a derivative of Maurus (see MAURO), borne by, among others, an early Byzantine emperor (c.539–602). It was introduced to Britain by the Normans, and was popular in the Middle English period, but was not widely adopted by the nobility, and became rare in the 17th century. In Germany it became established as a traditional name among the dukes of Saxony in the 16th century. It is now sometimes believed in Britain and America to be a mainly French name, perhaps because of the enormous popular influence of the French singer and film actor Maurice Chevalier (1888–1972), who, in his public image at least, was the very epitome of Gallic charm. See also MORRIS.

2 Irish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Muirgheos, which is composed of the elements muir sea + gus choice.
Cognates (of 1): Irish Gaelic: Muiris. Welsh: Meurig. Italian: Maurizio. Spanish, Portuguese: Mauricio. German and Jewish: Moritz. Scandinavian: Maurits. Russian: Mavriki.
Short form: English: Mo.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Mauro m

Italian: from Latin Maurus, a byname meaning ‘Moor’, i.e. ‘dark, swarthy’, borne by a dozen early saints. In the 6th century it was the name of one of the earliest followers of St Benedict, placed in the care of the monk at an early age by his father Eutychius.

Back  -   New Search

Mave f

1 Irish: variant of MAEVE.

2 English: informal short form of MAVIS.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Mavis f

English: not found before the last decade of the 19th century, and apparently one of the small class of female given names taken from vocabulary words denoting bir s. Mavis is another word for the song-thrush, first attested in Chaucer. It is from Old French, and probably ultimately of Breton origin.
Short form (informal): Mave.

Back  -   New Search

Mavra f

Russian form of MAURA (2).

Back  -   New Search

Max m

English and German: short form of MAXIMILIAN and, perhaps now more commonly in the English-speaking world, of MAXWELL. It is also used as an independent given name.

Back  -   New Search

Maxi m, f

German: short form of MAXIMILIAN or its feminine equivalent Maximiliane. It is now sometimes also used as an independent female given name in the English-speaking world.
Variant: English: Maxie f.

Back  -   New Search

Maxim m

Russian: from the Latin cognomen Maximus ‘greatest’, later used as a given name. This was the name of a very large number of early saints, including a Byzantine theologian and mystic (c.580–662) who was persecuted under the Emperor Constans. Maxim Gorki was the pseudonym adopted by the Russian writer Alexei Maximovich Peshkov (1868–1936).
Cognates: Italian: Massimo. Spanish, Portuguese: Máximo. French: Maxime.

Back  -   New Search

Maximilian m

German and English: from the Latin name Maximilnus (a diminutive of Maximus; see MAXIM). This was borne by a 3rd-century saint numbered among the ‘Fourteen Holy Helpers’. Although already existing, the name was renalysed in the 15th century by the Emperor Friedrich III, who bestowed it upon his first-born son (1459–1519), as a blend of the names Maximus and Aemilinus, intending thereby to pay homage to the two classical Roman generals Q. Fabius Maximus ‘Cunctator’ and P. Cornelius Scipio Aemilianus. The name became traditional in the Habsburg family in Austria-Hungary and also in the royal house of Bavaria. It was borne by an ill-fated Austrian archduke (1832–67) who was set up as emperor of Mexico but later overthrown and shot.

Back  -   New Search

Maxine f

English: modern coinage, first recorded around 1930; a derivative of MAX by addition of the feminine ending -ine.

Back  -   New Search

Maxwell m

Scottish and English: from the Scottish surname, which is derived from a placename, Maxwell, originally ‘the stream (Old English well(a)) of Mack (a form of MAGNUS)’, a minor place on the River Tweed. It was the middle name of the newspaper tycoon William Maxwell Aitken, Lord Beaverbrook (1879–1964), who was born in Canada, and has been used as a given name among his descendants. It is now also frequently taken as an expansion of MAX.

Back  -   New Search

May f

English: pet form of both MARGARET and MARY. The popularity of this name, which was at its height in the early 20th century, has been reinforced by the fact that it fits into the series of month names with APRIL and JUNE, and also belongs to the group of flower names, being another word for the hawthorn, whose white flowers blossom in May. It has been out of fashion for a time.

Back  -   New Search

Maya f

English: Latinate version of MAY or a respelled form of the name of the Roman goddess Mia, influenced by the common English name MAY. The goddess Maia was one of the Pleiades, the daughters of Atlas and Pleione; she was the mother by Jupiter of mercury. Her name seems to be derived from the root mi- great, seen also in Latin mior larger. In the case of the Black American writer Maya Angelou (b. 1928), Maya is a nickname acquired in early childhood as a result of her younger brother's reference to her as ‘mya sista’.

Back  -   New Search

Maybelle f

English: alteration of MABEL, influenced by the independent names MAY and BELLE.

Back  -   New Search

Maynard m

English: transferred use of the surname, which is derived from a Norman given na e of Germanic origin, composed of the elements magin strength + hard hardy, brave, strong.
Cognate: German: Mein(h)ard.

Back  -   New Search

Meave f

Irish: variant of MAEVE.

Back  -   New Search

Mecheslav m

Russian form of MIECZYSAW.

Back  -   New Search

Mechtilde f

German form of MATILDA.

Back  -   New Search

Medardo m

Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese: from an old Germanic personal name composed of a first element of uncertain origin + hard hardy, brave, strong. It is borne in honour of St Medard (c.470–c.558), bishop of Noyon and Tournai. His brother, St Gildard, served as archbishop of Rouen.

Back  -   New Search

Medea f

Name borne in classical mythology by a Colchian princess who helped Jason to steal the Golden Fleece from her father. Later, however, she was abandoned by Jason in favour of Creusa (or, in some versions, Glauce). She took her revenge by killing the two children previously born to Jason and herself. The name may derive from the Greek verb mdesthai to reflect, meditate, or ponder.

Back  -   New Search

Medir m

Catalan form of EMETERIO.

Back  -   New Search

Mefodi m

Russian: from the Late Greek personal name Methodios ‘fellow traveller’ (from meta with + hodos road, path). St Methodius (d. 885) and his brother Cyril (d. 869) together evangelized the Slavonic region of Moravia in present-day Czechoslovakia. It was Methodius who first translated the Bible into Slavonic, although the cyrillic alphabet devised for this purpose bears his brother's name.
Cognates: Polish: Metody. Czech: Metodj.
Pet forms: Russian: Mefodya, Modya.

Back  -   New Search

Meg f

English: short form of MARGARET, an alteration of the obsolete short form Mag(g) (as in MAGGIE). Until recently Meg was a characteristically Scottish pet form, but it is now used more widely. Its popularity no doubt owes something to Meg March, one of the four sisters who are the main characters in Louisa M. Alcott's novel Little Women (1855).

Back  -   New Search

Megan f

Welsh: pet form of MEG, nowadays generally used as an independent first name both within and beyond Wales, but nevertheless retaining a strong Welsh flavour.
Variants: Meghan, Meaghan (pseudo-Irish spellings much used in Australia and Canada).

Back  -   New Search

Meggie f

1 English: obsolete pet form of MEG.

2 Australian: pet form of MEGAN, as in the case of the central character of Colleen McCullough's novel The Thorn Birds (1977).
Top

Back  -   New Search

Mehalia f

English: apparently an altered form of MAHALIA.

Back  -   New Search

Mehitabel f

Biblical: from the Hebrew name Mehetabel ‘God makes happy’. Mehetabel ‘the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezahab’ is mentioned in passing in a biblical genealogy (Genesis 36: 39), and the name achieved some currency among the Puritans in the 17th century. Nowadays, however, the name is chiefly associated with the companion (a cat) of Archy, the cockroach in the poems of Don Marquis (1927).

Back  -   New Search

Meical m

Welsh form of MICHAEL.
Short form: Meic.

Back  -   New Search

Meilyr m

Welsh; traditional name derived from an Old Celtic form Maglorx, composed of the elements maglos chief + rx ruler.

Back  -   New Search

Meinard m

German form of MAYNARD.
Variant: Meinhard.

Back  -   New Search

Meinwen f

Welsh: modern coinage composed of the elements main slender + (g)wen, feminine form of gwyn white, fair, blessed, holy.

Back  -   New Search

Meinrad m

German: from an old Germanic personal name composed of the elements magin strength + rd counsel. St Meinrad (d. 861) was a member of the Hohenzollern royal family who became a hermit in Switzerland, at the place where the monastery of Einsiedeln was later built.

Back  -   New Search

Meir m

Jewish: traditional name, meaning ‘giving light’ in Hebrew.
Variants: Meier, Meyer, Myer, Maier, Mayr (generally assimilations to German surname forms).

Back  -   New Search

Meirion m

Welsh: traditional name, derived in the sub-Roman period from Latin Marinus (see MARIANO and MARIAN (2)).
Feminine forms: Meiriona, Meirionwen (modern creations).

Back  -   New Search

Mel m, f

English: short form of MELVIN or MELVILLE, or, in the case of the female name, of MELANIE or the several other female names beginning with this syllable.

Back  -   New Search

Melanie f

English and Dutch: from an Old French form of Latin Melania, a derivative of the feminine form, melaina, of the Greek adjective melas black, dark. This was the name of two Roman saints of the 5th century, a grandmother and granddaughter. St Melania the Younger was a member of an extremely rich patrician family. She led an austere and devout Christian life and, on inheriting her father's wealth, she emancipated her slaves, sold her property, and gave the proceeds to the poor. She also established several contemplative houses, including one on the Mount of Olives to which she eventually retired. The name Melanie was introduced to England from France in the Middle Ages, but died out again. It has been reintroduced and has become popular in the late 20th century.
Variants: Melany, MELONY.
Cognate: French: Mélanie.

Back  -   New Search

Melchiorre m

Italian: from the name assigned by medieval tradition to one of the three Magi. It is said to be of Persian origin, composed of the elements melk king (cf. MELEK) + quart city.

Back  -   New Search

Melek m

Jewish: from a vocabulary element meaning ‘king’ in Hebrew. It originated in part as a nickname, in part as a short form of various compound names containing this element, for example Elimelek ‘God is king’.

Back  -   New Search

Melinda f

English: derived from the first syllable of names such as MELANIE and MELISSA, with the addition of the productive suffix -inda (cf. e.g. LUCINDA).

Back  -   New Search

Melissa f

1 English: from the Greek word melissa bee. It is the name of the good witch who releases Rogero from the power of the bad witch Alcina in Ariosto's narrative poem Orlando Furioso (1532). The name has recently increased considerably in popularity, together with other female names sharing the same first syllable.

2 Irish: recently adopted as an Anglicized form of the Gaelic female name MAOILÍOSA.
Variant (of 1): Melitta (from an ancient Greek dialectal variant of the same word).
Top

Back  -   New Search

Melody f

English: modern transferred use of the vocabulary word (Greek meldia singing of songs, from melos song + aeidein to sing), chosen partly because of its pleasant associations and partly under the influence of other female names with the same first syllable.

Back  -   New Search

Melony f

Variant of MELANIE, perhaps influenced by MELODY.
Variants: Mellony, Mel(l)oney.

Back  -   New Search

Melor m

Russian: modern name composed of the initial letters of the words Marx, Engels, Lenin, October, Revolution. The name has been created by Communist parents spurning the traditional stock of Russian na nes derived from the names of saints (see also NINEL and VLADILEN).

Back  -   New Search

Melville m

English (esp. U.S.): transferred use of the Scottish surname, which originated as a Norman baronial name borne by the lords of a place in northern France called Malleville ‘bad settlement’, i.e. settlement on infertile land. The name was taken to Scotland as early as the 12th century and became an important surname there; use as a given name seems also to have originated in Scotland.

Back  -   New Search

Melvin m

English: a very popular modern name of uncertain origin, probably a variant of the less common MELVILLE.
Variant: Melvyn.

Back  -   New Search

Menahem m

Jewish: name meaning ‘comforter’ in Hebrew. It was borne in the Scriptures by an evil king of Israel who massacred pregnant women (2 Kings 15: 14–18), but the name has nevertheless always been a popular one among Jews; in earlier times it was given particularly to a child born after the death of a sibling and seen as a comfort to his parents. See also MENDEL.
Variant: Menachem.

Back  -   New Search

Menchu f

Spanish: pet form of CARMEN.

Back  -   New Search

Mendel m

Jewish: Yiddish form of Hebrew MENAHEM. It seems to have originated as a result of substitution of the Yiddish diminutive suffix -l (plus an intrusive -d-) for -hem, which was taken erroneously as the German diminutive suffix -chen.

Back  -   New Search

Menuha f

Jewish: name meaning ‘peace, stillness, tranquillity’ in Hebrew.
Variant: Menuhah.

Back  -   New Search

Meo m

Italian: short form of Bartolomeo (see BARTHOLOMEW).

Back  -   New Search

Mercedes f

Spanish: Marian name, from the liturgical title Maria de las Mercedes (literally, ‘Mary of Mercies’; in English, ‘Our Lady of Ransom’). Latin mercdes originally meant ‘wages’ or ‘ransom’; in Christian theology, Christ's sacrifice is regarded as a ‘ransom for the sins of mankind’, and hence an ‘act of ransom’ was seen as identical with an ‘act of mercy’. There are special feasts in the Catholic calendar on 10 August and 24 September to commemorate the Virgin under this name. The name is now occasionally used in England, and more commonly in America, but normally only by Roman Catholics.
Pet form: Merche.

Back  -   New Search

Mercia f

English: Latinate elaboration of MERCY, coinciding in form with the name of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia, which dominated England during the 8th century under its king, Offa.

Back  -   New Search

Mercy f

English: 1 From the vocabulary word denoting the quality of magnanimity, and in particular God's forgiveness of sinners, a quality much prized in Christian tradition. The word is derived from Latin mercs, which originally meant ‘wages’ or ‘reward’ (see MERCEDES). The name was much favoured by the Puritans; Mercy is the companion of Christiana in the second part of John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress (1684). Subsequently, it fell out of use as a given name.

2 In modern use, this is often an Anglicized form of Mercedes.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Meredith m, f

English: from the Old Welsh personal name Maredudd, later Meredudd. This is of uncertain origin; the second element is Welsh iudd lord. In recent years the name has sometimes been given to girls, presumably being thought of as the formal form of MERRY.

Back  -   New Search

Mererid f

Welsh form of MARGARET (see also MARED).

Back  -   New Search

Merete f

Danish: vernacular form of MARGARET.
Variants: Mereta; Märta; Mette.

Back  -   New Search

Merfyn m

Welsh: traditional name composed of the Old Welsh elements mer, probably meaning ‘marrow’ + myn eminent. This name was borne by a shadowy 9th-century Welsh king.

Back  -   New Search

Meriel f

English: variant of MURIEL; both forms are 19th-century revivals of an older Celtic name. Of the two forms, Meriel was never as popular as Muriel, but for that reason seems to have escaped the current somewhat old-fashioned image of the latter name.

Back  -   New Search

Merle f, m

English: probably a contracted form of MERIEL, but also associated with the small class of female names derived from birds, since it is identical in form with Old French merle blackbird (Latin merula). The name came to public notice in the 1930s with the actress Merle Oberon (1911–79); she was born Estelle Merle O'Brien Thompson. In Britain this is still normally a female name; in the United States it is more commonly borne by males.

Back  -   New Search

Merlin m

Usual English form of the Welsh name Myrddin. The name is most famous as that of the legendary magician who guides the destiny of King Arthur. It seems to have originally been composed of Old Celtic elements meaning ‘sea’ and ‘hill, fort’, but it has been distorted by mediation through Old French sources, which associated the second element with the diminutive suffix -lin.
Variant: Merlyn (occasionally given to girls, as if containing the productive suffix of female names -lyn).

Back  -   New Search

Merrill m

English: transferred use of the surname, which is derived from the female name MERIEL or MURIEL.

Back  -   New Search

Merrily f

English (U.S.): apparently a respelling of MARILEE, reshaped to coincide with the adverb derived from the adjective merry.

Back  -   New Search

Merry f

English: originally apparently an assimilated form of MERCY. In Dickens's novel Martin Chuzzlewit (1844), Mr Pecksniff's daughters CHARITY and Mercy are known as Cherry and Merry. Nowadays the name is usually bestowed because of its association with the adjective denoting a cheerful and jolly temperament (cf. HAPPY). In the accent of the central and northern United States there is no difference in pronunciation between MERRY and MARY.

Back  -   New Search

Merten m

Low German form of MARTIN.

Back  -   New Search

Mertice f

English: recent coinage, popular in the southern United States. It seems to be an entirely arbitrary invention.

Back  -   New Search

Mervyn m

Anglicized form of Welsh MERFYN, now widely popular both in and beyond Wales.
Variant: Mervin.

Back  -   New Search

Meryl f

English: a recent coinage, owing its current popularity to the fame of the American actress Meryl Streep (b. Mary Louise Streep in 1949). It has also been influenced in part by the ending -yl in names such as CHERYL.

Back  -   New Search

Meshulam m

Jewish: Hebrew name, apparently meaning either ‘paid for’ or ‘friend’. It is borne by a minor character in the Old Testament (2 Kings 22: 3); the spelling Meshullam is used in the Authorized Version.

Back  -   New Search

Meta f

German, Danish, and Swedish: contracted pet form of Margareta (see MARGARET). It was very popular in the 19th and early 20th centuries, but is now perceived as old-fashioned.

Back  -   New Search

Metodj m

Czech form of MEFODI.
Pet forms: Metodek, Metouek.

Back  -   New Search

Metody m

Polish form of MEFODI.

Back  -   New Search

Mette f

1 Danish: contracted form of MERETE.

2 Low German: contracted form of Mechtilde (see MATILDA).
Top

Back  -   New Search

Meurig m

Welsh form of MAURICE, derived from Latin Mauricius via Old Welsh Mouric.

Back  -   New Search

Mia f

Danish and Swedish: pet form of MARIA. It is now also used in the English-speaking world, largely as a result of the fame of the actress Mia Farrow (b. 1945).

Back  -   New Search

Micah m

Biblical: Hebrew name meaning ‘who is like (Yahweh)?’, and thus a doublet of MICHAEL. This was the name of a prophet, author of the book of the Bible that bears his name, and which dates from the late 8th century BC.

Back  -   New Search

Michael m

English and German form of a common biblical name (meaning ‘who is like God?’) borne by one of the archangels, who is also regarded as a saint of the Catholic Church (cf. GABRIEL and RAPHAEL). In the Middle Ages, Michael was regarded as captain of the heavenly host (see Revelation 12: 7–9), symbol of the Church Militant, and patron of soldiers. He was often depicted bearing a flaming sword. Because of its sanctified warlike connotations, Michael was a popular name among early Christian military leaders, and was borne by eight Byzantine emperors, as well as by the founder (1596–1645) of the Romanov dynasty in Russia. The name is also borne by a Persian prince and ally of Belshazzar mentioned in the Book of Daniel. See also MICHAL.
Cognates: Irish Gaelic: Mícheál. Scottish Gaelic: Micheal. Welsh: Meical, MIHANGEL. French: Michel. Italian: Michele. Spanish, Portuguese: Miguel. Catalan: Miquel. Basque: Mikel. Romanian: Mihai. Swedish: Mikael. Danish, Norwegian: Mikkel, Mikael. Polish: Michal. Czech: Mich(a)el. Russian: Mikhail. Ukrainian: Mikhailo. Finnish: Mikko. Hungarian: Mihály.
Short forms: English: Mike, MICK.
Pet forms: English: Micky. Russian: Misha.
Feminine forms: Latinate: Michaela (used in England and Germany); Micaela (used in Italy and Spain). French: Michèle, Michelle. Polish: Michalina.

Back  -   New Search

Michal f

Biblical name (meaning ‘brook’ in Hebrew) borne by a daughter of Saul who married King David. It is probably through confusion with this name that MICHAEL has occasionally been used as a female given name in the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Michelangelo m

Italian: compound made up of Michele MICHAEL + angelo angel. Its best-known bearer was the Florentine painter, sculptor, architect, and poet Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475–1564).

Back  -   New Search

Michèle f

French: feminine form of Michel (see MICHAEL).

Back  -   New Search

Micheline f

French: diminutive form of MICHÈLE, now used as an independent given name, to some extent also in the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Michelle f

French: variant of MICHÈLE. This name is now also used extensively in the English-speaking world (partly influenced by a Beatles song with this name as its title).
Short forms: English: Chelle, SHELL.

Back  -   New Search

Mick m

English: short form of MICHAEL; now common as a generic, and often derogatory, term for a Catholic Irishman.
Pet form: Micky. See also MIKKI.

Back  -   New Search

Micolau m

Catalan: variant of Nicolau (see NICHOLAS).

Back  -   New Search

Mieczysaw m

Polish: from an old Slavonic personal name, in which a first element of uncertain form, probably derived from Old Polish miecz man or mieszka bear, is combined with the regular name-forming element slav glory. It was borne by two early rulers of Poland, the first of whom, Mieczysaw I (c.922–92), played an important role in opposing Teutonic incursions and securing papal support for the Poles.
Variant: Maslaw.
Cognates: Czech: Meislav. Russian: Mecheslav.
Feminine form: Czech: Meislava.
Pet forms: Polish: Mietek, Mieszko m.
Czech: Meislavek, Meek, Meik m; Meka, Meina f

Back  -   New Search

Mieke f

Dutch: pet form of MARIA.
Variant: Miep.

Back  -   New Search

Mignonette f

English: probably a direct use of the French nickname mignonette ‘little darling’, a feminine diminutive of mignon sweet, cute, dainty. Alternatively, it may belong to the class of names derived from vocabulary words denoting flowers (the word in English denotes a species of Reseda).

Back  -   New Search

Miguel m

Spanish and Portuguese form of MICHAEL.

Back  -   New Search

Mihai m

Romanian form of MICHAEL.

Back  -   New Search

Mihály m

Hungarian form of MICHAEL.

Back  -   New Search

Mihangel m

Older Welsh form of MICHAEL, representing a contraction of the phrase ‘Michael the Archangel’.

Back  -   New Search

Mikael m

Scandinavian form of MICHAEL.

Back  -   New Search

Mike m

English: usual short form of MICHAEL in the English-speaking world. It is also used as an independent given name, particularly in America.
Pet form: Mikey.

Back  -   New Search

Mikkel m

Danish and Norwegian form of MICHAEL.

Back  -   New Search

Mikki f

English: feminine variant of Micky (see MICK) or pet form of Michaela (see MICHAEL), now sometimes used as an independent given name.
Variants: Micki, Mickie, Mickey.

Back  -   New Search

Mikko m

Finnish form of MICHAEL.

Back  -   New Search

Miklós m

Hungarian form of NICHOLAS.

Back  -   New Search

Mikoaj m

Polish form of NICHOLAS.
Pet forms: Mikuláek, Miku.

Back  -   New Search

Mikolá m

Czech form of NICHOLAS.
Variant: Mikulá.

Back  -   New Search

Milagros f

Spanish: from a title of the Virgin Mary, Nuestra Señora de los Milagros ‘Our Lady of Miracles’. Mary is regarded as the dispenser of miracles above all other saints.

Back  -   New Search

Milan m

Czech: masculine equivalent of MILENA.

Back  -   New Search

Mildred f

English: 19th-century revival of the Old English female name Mildpryð, composed of the elements mild gentle + prð strength. This was the name of a 7th-century abbess, who had a less famous but equally saintly elder sister called Mildburh and a younger sister called Mildgyð; all were daughters of a certain Queen Ermenburh. Their names illustrate clearly the Old English pattern of combining and recombining the same small group of name elements within a single family.

Back  -   New Search

Milena f

Czech: from a short form of various compound names containing the element mil grace, favour (cf. MILES). The name is now fairly common in Italy, where it is often assumed to be a contraction of Maria + Elena. In fact it was little known before 1900, when King Victor Emmanuel III married Elena of Montenegro, whose mother was called Milena.
Variants: Milana, Milada, Mlad(en)a.
Pet forms: Milenka, Milanka, Miládka, Milka, Milue, Miluka, Mlad(u)ka.

Back  -   New Search

Miles m

English: of Norman origin but uncertain derivation. Unlike most Norman names, it is, as far as can be ascertained, not derived from any known Germanic name element. It may be a greatly altered pet form of MICHAEL, which came to be associated with the Latin word miles soldier because of the military attributes of the archangel Michael. However, the usual Latin form of the name in the Middle Ages was Milo. There is a common Slavonic name element mil grace, favour, with which it may possibly have some ultimate connection. The name has been modestly popular in England ever since the Conquest. See also MYLES.

Back  -   New Search

Milla f

English: short form of CAMILLA.

Back  -   New Search

Millà m

Catalan form of ÉMILIEN.

Back  -   New Search

Millicent f

English: Norman name of Germanic origin, composed of the elements amal labour + swinth strength. This was the name of a daughter of Charlemagne. It was first introduced to Britain by the Normans in the form Melisende.
Pet form: Millie (see also CAMILLA).

Back  -   New Search

Milo m

1 English: Latinized form of MILES, regularly used in documents of the Middle Ages, and revived as a given name in the 19th century.

2 Irish: used as a pet form of MYLES.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Milosaw m

Polish: from an old Slavonic personal name composed of the elements mil grace, favour + slav glory.
Cognate: Czech: Miloslav.
Feminine forms: Polish: Miloslawa. Czech: Miloslava.

Back  -   New Search

Miosz m

Polish: pet name derived from a short form of various compound names containing the old Slavonic element mil grace, favour, e.g. MILOSAW.
Variant: Miu.
Cognates: Czech: Milu, Milo.

Back  -   New Search

Milton m

English: transferred use of the surname, itself derived from any of the numerous places so called, a large number of which get their name from Old English mylentn ‘settlement with a mill’. Others were originally named as ‘the middle (of three) settlements’, from Old English middel middle + tn settlement. The surname is most famous as that of the poet John Milton (1608–74), and the given name is sometimes bestowed in his honour.

Back  -   New Search

Milue f

Czech: pet form of MILENA.
Variant: Miluka.

Back  -   New Search

Mimi f

Italian: pet form of MARIA, originally a nursery name. The heroine of Puccini's opera La Bohème (1896) announces ‘They call me Mimi’, and the name has occasionally been used in the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Mina f

Scottish (Highland): short form of Calumina (see CALUM) and Normina (see NORMAN).

Back  -   New Search

Mine f

1 German and Danish: short form of WILHELMINA and Vilhelmina respectively.

2 Jewish: Yiddish spelling of MINNE.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Minette f

English: of uncertain origin. Although ostensibly a French name, it is not in fact used in France. It is possibly a contracted form of MIGNONETTE.

Back  -   New Search

Minne f

German: originally an affectionate nickname from Middle High German minne love (as celebrated by the medieval German lyric poets and musicians known as the minnesingers). It is now also used as a pet form of WILHELMINA.
Variant: Minna.

Back  -   New Search

Minnie f

English: pet form of WILHELMINA, at its peak of popularity in the latter half of the 19th century, when several names were introduced into Britain from Germany in the wake of Queen Victoria's consort, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, whom she married in 1840. It has now largely fallen out of use, partly because German names in general became unacceptable in Britain during the First World War, partly perhaps also because of association with cartoon characters such as Minnie Mouse (in Walt Disney's animations) and Minnie the Minx (in the Beano children's comic).

Back  -   New Search

Miquel m

Catalan form of MICHAEL.

Back  -   New Search

Mira f

Slavonic: short form of the various Slavonic female names (e.g. Miroslava; see MIROSAW) containing the element meri great, famous (see CASIMIR). It is now also occasionally used in the English-speaking world, probably as a result of association with the feminine form of the Latin adjective mrus wonderful, astonishing (cf. MIRANDA).
Pet form: Mirka.

Back  -   New Search

Mirabelle f

French and English: apparently coined from the Latin word mrbilis wondrous, lovely (a derivative of mrri to wonder at, admire; cf. MIRANDA). It was quite common in the late Middle Ages, and occasionally the form Mirabel was used for boys as well as girls, but by the 17th century both forms were rare.
Variant: Latinate, Italian: Mirabella.

Back  -   New Search

Miranda f

English: invented by Shakespeare for the heroine of The Tempest (1611). It represents the feminine form of the Latin gerundive mrandus admirable, lovely, from mrri to wonder at, admire; cf. AMANDA.
Short form: Randa.
Pet forms: Randy, Randie.

Back  -   New Search

Mireille f

French: apparently first used, in the Provençal form Mireio, as the title of a verse romance by the poet Frédéric Mistral (1830–1914). The name is probably a derivative of Provençal mirar to admire (cf. MIRANDA), but the poet himself declared it to be a form of MIRIAM; this was in order to overcome the objections of a priest to so baptizing his god daughter with a non-liturgical name.

Back  -   New Search

Mirek m

Polish and Czech: pet form of the various old Slavonic personal names (e.g. MIROSAW, Miroslav) containing the element meri great, famous (see CASIMIR).

Back  -   New Search

Mirella f

Italian form of MIREILLE or a contracted form of Mirabella (see MIRABELLE).

Back  -   New Search

Miren f

Basque form of MARY.
Pet form: Mirentxu.

Back  -   New Search

Miriam f

Biblical: the Old Testament form of the Hebrew name Maryam (see MARY). Of uncertain ultimate origin, this is first recorded as being borne by the elder sister of Moses (Exodus 15: 20). Since the names of both Moses and his brother Aaron are probably of Egyptian origin, it is possible that this feminine name is too. It was enthusiastically taken up as a given name by the Israelites, and is still borne mainly, but by no means exclusively, by Jews.
Variant: MARIAMNE.

Back  -   New Search

Mirka f

Slavonic: pet form of MIRA.

Back  -   New Search

Mirosaw m

Polish: from an old Slavonic personal name composed of the elements meri great, famous (see CASIMIR) + slav glory.
Cognate: Czech, Russian: Miroslav.
Feminine forms: Polish: Miroslawa. Czech: Miroslava.

Back  -   New Search

Misha m

Russian: pet form of Mikhail (see MICHAEL).

Back  -   New Search

Misia f

Polish: pet form of Michalina (see MICHAEL).

Back  -   New Search

Misty f

English: modern name, apparently from the vocabulary word, a derivative of mist thin fog (Old English mist).

Back  -   New Search

Mitchell m

English: transferred use of the surname, itself derived from a common medieval form of MICHAEL, representing an Anglicized pronunciation of Norman French Michel.
Short form: Mitch (informal).

Back  -   New Search

Mitrofan m

Russian: from Greek Mtrophans, a derivative of mtr (genitive mtros) mother (sc. of God) + phainein to show, appear. The name was borne by the first bishop of Byzantium.
Pet forms: Mitroshka; Mitya (see also DMITRI).

Back  -   New Search

Mitzi f

S. German and Swiss: pet form of MARIA.

Back  -   New Search

Mladka f

Czech: pet form derived from a contracted version of Milada (see MILENA).
Variant: Mladuka.

Back  -   New Search

Mo f, m

English: short form of MAUREEN and, less commonly, of MAURICE.

Back  -   New Search

Modest f

Russian: from the Late Latin personal name Modestus, originally a byname from a vocabulary word meaning ‘moderate, restrained, obedient, modest’ (a derivative of modus (due) measure, moderation). The name was borne by half a dozen early saints, including a child martyred at Alexandria in Egypt together with his brother Ammonius, and an 8th-century evangelist of Carinthia.
Cognates: Spanish, Portuguese, Italian: Modesto. See also SZERÉNY.
Pet form: Russian: Desya.

Back  -   New Search

Modya m

Russian: pet form of MEFODI.

Back  -   New Search

Mogens m

Danish form of MAGNUS.

Back  -   New Search

Moira f

Irish, Scottish and English: Anglicized form of Irish Gaelic Máire (a form of MARY). This is now an extremely popular name in its own right throughout the English-speaking world.
Variant: Moyra.

Back  -   New Search

Moirean m

Scottish Gaelic: derivative of Moire, the name of the Virgin Mary, just as Cailean is based on the name of St Columba and Crìsdean on that of Christ.

Back  -   New Search

Molly f

English and Irish: long-established pet form of MARY, representing an altered version of the earlier pet form Mally. The name is chiefly associated with Ireland, although it is not Gaelic. It is at present somewhat out of fashion.

Back  -   New Search

Mona f

1 Irish and English: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Muadhnait, a feminine diminutive of muadh noble. It is no longer restricted to people with Irish connections, and has sometimes been taken as connected with Greek monos single, only. In Gaelic Scotland it may represent a feminine form of TORMOD, since the latter was used as a Gaelic form of NORMAN.

2 Scandinavian: short form of Monika (see MONICA).
Mona is also found as a female name in Arabic.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Moncho m

Spanish: pet form of RAMÓN.

Back  -   New Search

Monica f

English: of uncertain ultimate origin. This was the name of the mother of St Augustine, as transmitted to us by her famous son. She was a citizen of Carthage, so her name may well be of Phoenician origin, but in the early Middle Ages it was taken to be a derivative of Latin monre to warn, counsel, or advise, since it was as a result of her guidance that her son was converted to Christianity.
Cognates: French: Monique. German, Scandinavian, Slavonic: Monika.

Back  -   New Search

Monroe m

Scottish and English: transferred use of the Scottish surname, usually spelled Munro. The ancestors of the Scottish Munros are said to have originally come from Ireland, apparently from a settlement by the River Roe in County Derry; their name is therefore supposed to be derived from Gaelic bun Rotha ‘mouth of the Roe’. In America the popularity of the given name may have been influenced by the fame of James Monroe (1758–1831), fifth president of the United States and propounder (in 1823) of the Monroe Doctrine, asserting that European powers should not seek to colonize in North or South America and that the United States would not intervene in European affairs. A more recent influence could have been the film star Marilyn Monroe (1926–62), whose original name was Norma-Jean Baker; however, the name is not bestowed on female children, so the influence of her adopted surname does not appear to have been significant.
Variants: Monro, Munro(e).

Back  -   New Search

Montague m

English: 19th-century transferred use of the English surname. This was originally a Norman baronial name borne by the lords of Montaigu in La Manche. (The placename is composed of the Old French elements mont hill (Latin mons, genitive montis) + aigu pointed (Latin actus).) A certain Drogo of Montaigu is known to have accompanied William the Conqueror in his invasion of England in 1066, and Montague thus became established as an aristocratic British family name.

Back  -   New Search

Montgomery m

English: transferred use of the surname, originally a Norman baronial name from various places in Calvados. The placename is derived from Old French mont hill + the Germanic personal name Gomeric ‘man power’. It has never been common as a given name, although it was given additional currency by the actor Montgomery Clift (1920–66), and during and after the Second World War by the British field marshal, Bernard Montgomery (1887–1976).

Back  -   New Search

Montmorency m

English: transferred use of the surname, originally a Norman baronial name derived from a place in Seine-et-Oise (so called from Old French mont hill + the Gallo-Roman personal name Maurentius). The given name enjoyed a brief vogue in the 19th century, but is now regarded as affected and so hardly ever used.

Back  -   New Search

Montserrat f

Catalan: Marian name, referring to the famous Benedictine monastery of the Virgin Mary founded in 976 on the mountain of Montserrat near Barcelona. The mountain gets its name from Latin mons serrtus jagged hill.
Short forms: Montse, Monse.

Back  -   New Search

Monty m

English: short form of MONTAGUE or of the much rarer MONTGOMERY and MONTMORENCY, all of which have gone through the cycle of transformation from French placename to Norman baronial name to noble British surname to modern given name. The full forms of all these names are now rare. Monty is now often used as an independent name, especially among Jews.

Back  -   New Search

Mór f

Scottish and Irish Gaelic: originally a byname meaning ‘large, great’. This was the commonest of all female given names in late medieval Ireland, and has continued in frequent use in both Scotland and Ireland to the present day. In Scotland it has sometimes been Anglicized as SARAH.
Pet forms: MORAG, MOREEN.

Back  -   New Search

Morag f

Scottish: Anglicized spelling of Gaelic Mórag, a pet form of MÓR. In the 20th century this name has become hugely popular in its own right in Scotland, and is also used elsewhere in the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Moray m

Scottish: variant of MURRAY, and the more usual spelling of the place-name from which the surname is derived.

Back  -   New Search

Mordecai m

Biblical: the name of Esther's cousin and foster-father, who secured her introduction to King Ahasuerus (Esther 2–9). The name is of Persian origin and seems to have meant ‘devotee of the god Marduk’. It had some currency among English Puritans in the 17th century and Nonconformists in the 18th and 19th centuries, but has always been, and still is, mainly Jewish.
Pet forms: Yiddish: Motke, Motl.

Back  -   New Search

Moreen f

Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Móirín, a pet form of MÓR. It has now been to a large extent confused with MAUREEN.

Back  -   New Search

Morgan m, f

Welsh: traditional name derived from Old Welsh Morcant. The first element is of uncertain derivation, the second represents the Old Celtic element cant circle, completion. In recent years it has occasionally been used outside Wales as a female name, perhaps with conscious reference to King Arthur's jealous stepsister Morgan le Fay.

Back  -   New Search

Moritz m

German and Jewish form of MAURICE.

Back  -   New Search

Morley m

English: transferred use of the surname, which originated as a local name from any of the numerous places in Britain named with the Old English elements mr moor, marsh + lah wood or clearing.

Back  -   New Search

Morna f

Irish and Scottish: variant of MYRNA. This is the name borne by Fingal's mother in the Ossianic poems of James Macpherson (cf. MALVINA).

Back  -   New Search

Morris m

1 English: variant of MAURICE. The spelling Morris was quite common as a given name in the Middle Ages, but it fell out of use and was readopted in modern times, in part from the surname earlier derived from the given name.

2 Jewish: adopted as an Anglicized form of MOSES, like several other English surnames beginning with M-, such as MORTIMER and MORTON.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Morten m

Danish form of MARTIN.

Back  -   New Search

Mortimer m

1 English: transferred use of the surname, which is derived from a Norman baronial name, originally borne by the lords of Mortemer in Normandy. The placename meant ‘dead sea’ in Old French, and probably referred to a stagnant marsh. It was not used as a given name until the 19th century.

2 Irish: Anglicized form of MUIRIARTACH.
Top

3 Jewish: Anglicized form of MOSES.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Morton m

1 English: transferred use of the surname, originally a local name derived from any of the numerous places so called from Old English mrtn ‘settlement by or on a moor’.

2 Jewish: adopted as an Anglicized form of MOSES (cf. MORRIS).
Short form (mainly U.S.): Mort.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Morven f

English: this was the name of Fingal's kingdom in the Ossianic poems of James Macpherson. In reality it is a district in north Argyll, Scotland, properly Morvern, known in Gaelic as a' Mhorbhairne ‘the big gap’. Morven could alternatively be held to represent Gaelic mór bheinn big peak. It has occasionally been used in modern times as a female given name (cf. SELMA).

Back  -   New Search

Morwenna f

Cornish and Welsh: from an Old Celtic personal name derived from an element cognate with Welsh morwyn maiden. It was borne by a somewhat obscure Cornish saint of the 5th century; churches in her honour have named several places in Cornwall. The name was revived in Wales in the mid-20th century as a result of nationalistic sentiment.

Back  -   New Search

Moses m

Biblical: English form of the name of the patriarch (Moshe in Hebrew) who led the Israelites out of Egypt (Exodus 4). His name is thought to be of Egyptian origin, most probably from the same root as that found in the second element of names such as Tutmosis and Rameses, where it means ‘born of (a certain god)’. Various Hebrew etymologies have been proposed, beginning with the biblical ‘saved (from the water)’ (Exodus 2: 10), but none is convincing. It is now mainly Jewish, and has always been tremendously popular among Jews. Up until the 20th century, however, it also enjoyed some popularity among Christians in England, especially among Puritans and Nonconformists.
Cognates: Irish Gaelic: Maois. French: Moïse. Jewish (Yiddish): Moishe.

Back  -   New Search

Moss m

1 English (also Jewish): from the usual medieval form of MOSES or, among Gentiles, transferred use of the English surname derived from Moses.

2 Welsh: in recent years it has also been used as a short form of MOSTYN.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Mostyn m

Welsh: from the name of a place in Clwyd, on the Dee estuary. The place in fact derives its name from Old English rather than Welsh elements: it appears in the Domesday Book as Mostone, from Old English mos moss + tn enclosure, settlement.

Back  -   New Search

Motke m

Jewish: Yiddish pet form of MORDECAI.
Variant: Motl.

Back  -   New Search

Motya m, f

Russian: pet form of both Matvei (see MATTHEW) and MATRONA.

Back  -   New Search

Mro m

Polish: short form of Ambroy (see AMBROSE).
Pet form: Mrok.

Back  -   New Search

Mcisaw m

Polish: from an old Slavonic personal name composed of the elements mshcha vengeance + slav glory.
Cognate: Czech and Russian: Mstislav.
Pet form: Czech: Mstik.

Back  -   New Search

Muir m

Scottish: transferred use of the surname, in origin a local name representing a Scottish dialect variant of moor rough grazing.

Back  -   New Search

Muireall f

Scottish Gaelic: traditional name, apparently composed of Old Celtic elements meaning ‘sea’ + ‘bright’. It is often Anglicized as MURIEL.
Cognates: Irish Gaelic: Muirgheal, Muiríol.

Back  -   New Search

Muireann f

Irish Gaelic: traditional name, apparently composed of the elements muir sea + fionn white, fair. The spelling Muirinn is also used, and there has been considerable confusion with both MAUREEN and MOREEN.
Cognate: Scottish Gaelic: Mora(i)nn.

Back  -   New Search

Muiriartach m

Irish Gaelic: a modern form of earlier Muicheachtach, originally a byname meaning ‘seaman, mariner’.
Variant: Briartach.
Anglicized form: MORTIMER.
Pet form: Murty.

Back  -   New Search

Muiris m

Irish form of MAURICE. In part it also represents a contracted form of Gaelic Muirgheas, composed of the elements muir sea + gus choice.

Back  -   New Search

Muirne f

Irish Gaelic: traditional name, originally a byname meaning ‘beloved’.
Anglicized forms: Myrna, Morna,

Back  -   New Search

Mungo m

Scottish: of uncertain derivation. It is recorded as the byname of St Kentigern, the 6th-century apostle of south-west Scotland and north-west England, and glossed in Latin by his biographer as carissimus amicus ‘dearest friend’, although it does not correspond to any Gaelic elements with this meaning.
Variant: Munga (Gaelic).

Back  -   New Search

Murdo m

Scottish (Highland): Anglicized spelling of the Gaelic name Muireadhach (now Murchadh), apparently a derivative of muir sea.
Variant: Murdoch.
Pet forms: Murdy, Murdie, Murdanie.
Feminine forms: Murdag, Murdann, Murdina, Dina.

Back  -   New Search

Murgatroyd m

English: from the Yorkshire surname, in origin a local name from an unidentified place named as ‘the clearing (Yorkshire dialect royd) belonging to (a certain) Margaret’.

Back  -   New Search

Muriel f

English: of Celtic origin; see MUIREALL. Forms of the name are found in Breton as well as in Scottish and Irish Gaelic, and in the Middle Ages it was in use even in the heart of England, having been introduced from various sources; the surname Merrill is derived from it. See also MERIEL.

Back  -   New Search

Murray m

Scottish (now also used in England, America, and elsewhere): 1 Transferred use of the Scottish surname, originally a local name derived from the region now called Moray.

2 Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Muireach, a contracted form of Muireadhach (see MURDO).
Variant (of 2): Moray.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Murty m

Irish: pet form of MUIRIARTACH.

Back  -   New Search

Myfanwy f

Welsh: name composed of the Welsh affectionate prefix my- + banwy, a variant form of banw, related to benyw or menyw woman. Its popularity dates only from relatively recent times, when specifically Welsh names have been sought as tokens of Welsh national identity.
Short forms: Myf(f) (in English use); Myf.

Back  -   New Search

Myles m

1 English: variant spelling of MILES.

2 Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic MAOLRA.
Top

3 Scottish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Maoilios (see MAOILÍOSA).
Top

Back  -   New Search

Myra f

English: invented in the 17th century by the poet Fulke Greville (1554–1628). It is impossible to guess what models he had consciously or unconsciously in mind, but it has been variously conjectured that the name is an anagram of MARY; that it is a simplified spelling of Latin myrrha myrrh, unguent; and that it is connected with Latin mrri to admire or wonder at (cf. MIRANDA). In the Highlands of Scotland this name is now sometimes used as an Anglicized form of Mairead (see MAIRÉAD), being almost identical in pronunciation with it.

Back  -   New Search

Myriam f

French and English: variant of MIRIAM. This is the usual spelling of the name in France.

Back  -   New Search

Myrna f

Irish and English: Anglicized form of Gaelic MUIRNE, now also used elsewhere in the English-speaking world.
Variant: Morna.

Back  -   New Search

Myron m

English: from a classical Greek name, derived from Greek myron myrrh. The name was borne by a famous sculptor of the 5th century BC. It was taken up with particular enthusiasm by the early Christians because they associated it with the gift of myrrh made by the three kings to the infant Christ, and because of the association of myrrh (as an embalming spice) with death and eternal life. The name was borne by various early saints, notably a 3rd-century martyr of Cyzicus and a 4th-century bishop of Crete. Their cult is greater in the Eastern Church than the Western.

Back  -   New Search

Myrtle f

English: from the word denoting the plant (Old French myrtille, Late Latin myrtilla, a diminutive of classical Latin myrta). This is one of the group of plant names that became popular as female names in the late 19th century.

Back  -   New Search

Myslík m

Czech: pet form of Pemysl (see PRZEMYS).

Back  -   New Search

N

Nacek m

Polish: pet form of Ignacy (see IGNATIUS).

Back  -   New Search

Nácek m

Czech: pet form of Ignác (see IGNATIUS).

Back  -   New Search

Nacho m

Spanish: pet form of Ignacio (see IGNATIUS).

Back  -   New Search

Nacio m

Spanish: short form of Ignacio (see IGNATIUS).

Back  -   New Search

Nadezhda f

Russian: from the vocabulary word meaning ‘hope’, an important theological virtue.
Cognates: Polish: Nadzieja. Czech: Nadda. See also REMÉNYKE
Pet forms: Russian: Nadya. Czech: Nadja.

Back  -   New Search

Nadia f

French and English spelling of Russian Nadya (see NADEZHDA). This name has enjoyed a considerable vogue in the English-speaking world in the 20th century.
Variant: Nadja (German).

Back  -   New Search

Nadine f

French: elaboration of NADIA. Many names of Russian origin became established in France and elsewhere in the early 20th century as a result of the popularity of the Ballet Russe, established in Paris by Diaghilev in 1909.

Back  -   New Search

Nahman m

Jewish: an Aramaic-influenced form of NAHUM ‘comforter’, from the same root as MENAHEM. This name has been in use from the Middle Ages to the present day.

Back  -   New Search

Nahum m

Biblical name, meaning ‘comforter’ in Hebrew, borne by a prophet of the 7th century BC. He was the author of the book of the Bible that bears his name, in which he prophesies the downfall of Nineveh, which fell in 612 BC. This is a well-established Jewish name, which was also popular among 17th-century Puritans in England. It was borne by the minor Restoration dramatist Nahum
Tate (1652–1715), who rewrote Shakespeare's King Lear with a happy ending. See also NAHMAN and MENAHEM.
Derivative: Russian: Naum.

Back  -   New Search

Naldo m

Italian: short form of various given names ending in these syllables, as, for example, RINALDO.

Back  -   New Search

Nan f

English: originally a pet form of ANN (for the initial N-, cf. NED). It is now generally used as a short form of NANCY.
Pet forms: Scottish: Nanny (Gaelic Nandag).

Back  -   New Search

Nancy f

English: of uncertain origin. From the 18th century it was used as a pet form of ANN (cf. NAN), but it may originally have been a similar formation deriving from the common medieval given name ANNIS. Nowadays it is an independent name, and was especially popular in America between about 1920 and 1960. In the 1980s it came to prominence as the name of President Reagan's wife.

Back  -   New Search

Nando m

Italian: short form of various given names ending in these syllables, as, for example, Ferdinando (see FERDINAND).

Back  -   New Search

Nándor m

Hungarian form of FERDINAND.

Back  -   New Search

Nandru m

Romanian form of FERDINAND.

Back  -   New Search

Nanette f

English: elaboration of NAN, with the addition of the French feminine diminutive suffix -ette.

Back  -   New Search

Nanna f

Scandinavian: from the Old Norse mythological woman's name Nanna, a derivative of the element nanp daring.

Back  -   New Search

Nanne m

Swedish: originally a short form of the Old Norse personal name Nannulf, composed of the elements nanp daring + ulfr wolf. Nowadays it is used as a pet form of ANDERS.

Back  -   New Search

Naoise m

Irish Gaelic: name of uncertain derivation, borne, according to legend, by the lover of Deirdre, who was pursued and murdered by Conchobhar, King of Ulster. The story goes that after Naoise's death, Deirdre died of a broken heart.

Back  -   New Search

Naomi f

Biblical name (meaning ‘pleasantness’ in Hebrew) of the wise mother-in-law of Ruth. The name has long been regarded as typically Jewish, but recently has begun to come into more general use.
Derivatives: French: Noémie. Italian: NOEMI.

Back  -   New Search

Naphtali m

Biblical: name, probably meaning ‘wrestling’ in Hebrew, borne by one of the sons of Jacob. The traditional explanation is given in the following quotation: ‘and Rachel said, with great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed: and she called his name Naphtali’ (Genesis 30: 8). See also ZVI.

Back  -   New Search

Nápla f

Irish Gaelic: name derived in the early Middle Ages from Anglo-Norman Anable, Anaple (see ANNABEL).

Back  -   New Search

Napoleon m

Occasionally bestowed in modern times in honour of the French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte (1769–1821), who was born in Corsica into a family that was ultimately of Italian origin. Napoleone is a rare Italian given name, used in the Abruzzo, Latium, Umbria, and Tuscany. It is probably of Germanic origin, perhaps connected with the name of the elvish Nibelungen ‘sons of the mist’ (cf. modern German Nebel). It was later altered by association with Italian Napoli Naples (Greek nea polis new city) and leone lion.

Back  -   New Search

Narcissus m

Latin form of the Greek name Narkissos. In classical mythology, Narcissus was a beautiful youth who fell in love with his own reflection in a pool of water and remained there transfixed until he faded away and turned into a flower. The legend purports to account for the name of the flower, a kind of lily, known in Greek as narkissos. The name is almost certainly of pre-Greek origin, but attempts have been made to link it with Greek nark numbness. The vocabulary word in English and horticultural Latin denotes the genus of flowers that includes the daffodil. The name was common among slaves and freedmen in the early Christian era, and a Roman citizen bearing this name is mentioned in St Paul's Epistle to the Romans (16: 11). One St Narcissus was bishop of Jerusalem in 195; another was a Spanish bishop put to death at Gerona under Diocletian in c.307.
Derivatives: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese: Narciso. Catalan: Narcis. French: Narcisse. Polish: Narcyz.
Feminine form (rare): Narcissa.

Back  -   New Search

Nastasia f

Eastern European: short form of ANASTASIA.

Back  -   New Search

Nastya f

Russian: pet form of ANASTASIA.
Cognates: Polish: Nastka, Nastusia. Czech: Nast'a.

Back  -   New Search

Nat m

English: short form of NATHAN and NATHANIEL.

Back  -   New Search

Natalie f

French form of NATALYA, adopted from Russian in the early 20th century, probably, like NADINE, under the influence of Diaghilev's Ballet Russe, which was established in Paris in 1909. The name is now very common in France and in the English-speaking world, where it was borne by the actress Natalie Wood (1938–82). She was born Natasha Gurdin, in San Francisco. Her father was of Russian descent, her mother of French extraction.
Variant: Nathalie.

Back  -   New Search

Natalya f

Russian: from the Late Latin name Natlia, a derivative of Latin natlis (dis) birthday, especially Christ's birthday, i.e. Christmas; cf. NOËL. St Natalia was a Christian inhabitant of Nicomedia who is said to have given succour to the martyrs, including her husband Adrian, who suffered there in persecutions under Diocletian in 303. She is regarded as a Christian saint, although she was not herself martyred.
Pet forms: Talya, NATASHA.

Back  -   New Search

Natasha f

Russian: pet form of NATALYA, now widely adopted as an independent name in the English-speaking world and elsewhere. Like Noëlle (see NOËL), it is sometimes given to girls born on or about Christmas Day.
Short form (in the English-speaking world): Tasha.

Back  -   New Search

Nathan m

Biblical name, meaning ‘he (God) has given’ in Hebrew (cf. NATHANIEL). This was the name of a prophet who had the courage to reproach King David for arranging the death in battle of Uriah the Hittite in order to get possession of the latter's wife Bathsheba (2 Samuel 12: 1–15). It was also the name of one of David's own sons. In modern times this name has often been taken as a short form of Nathaniel or of JONATHAN.

Back  -   New Search

Nathaniel m

English form of a New Testament name, which is derived from the Greek form of a Hebrew name meaning ‘God has given’ (cf. NATHAN, which is sometimes taken as a short form of this name). It was borne by one of the less prominent of Christ's apostles (John 1: 45; 21: 2), who in fact is probably identical with BARTHOLOMEW. The spelling used in the Authorized Version of the New Testament is Nathanael, but this has never been common as a given name in the English-speaking world. The biblical form of the Old Testament name is Nethaneel; it was the name of the prince of the tribe of Issachar at the time of the Exodus (Numbers 1: 8). The name is little used in other European languages.
Cognate: Italian: Natanaele.

Back  -   New Search

Natividad f

Spanish: religious name name referring to the festival of the Nativity (Spanish natividad, from Late Latin nativits, a derivative of nasci to be born) of the Virgin Mary. This has been celebrated (on 5 September) since the 5th century in the Eastern Church, since the 7th century in the Western.
Short form: Nati.

Back  -   New Search

Naughton m

Scottish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Neachdann, a derivative of necht pure. From this personal name comes the surname Mac Neachdainn, Anglicized as MacNaughton.

Back  -   New Search

Naum m

Russian form of NAHUM. Its popularity has been influenced by popular etymological analysis as a compound of the Russian prefix na + the adjective umny clever, intelligent.

Back  -   New Search

Nazaret f

Spanish: religious name, referring to Christ's native village, Nazareth. The placename seems to have been derived from a word meaning ‘branch’ in Hebrew.

Back  -   New Search

Nazario m

Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese: from the Late Latin name Nazarius, a derivative of Nazareth (cf. NAZARET). The name was a relatively common one among early Christians and was borne by several saints, most notably one martyred with Celsus at Milan in the 1st century.
Cognate: French: Nazaire.

Back  -   New Search

Nea f

Swedish: short form of LINNÉA.

Back  -   New Search

Neacal m

Scottish Gaelic form of NICHOLAS.

Back  -   New Search

Neal m

English: variant of NEIL, influenced by the surname in this spelling.

Back  -   New Search

Neassa f

Irish Gaelic: traditional name of uncertain derivation. In ancient Irish legend, it was borne by the mother of Conchobhar Mac Neassa, King of Ulster.

Back  -   New Search

Ned m

English: short form of EDWARD, originating in the misdivision of phrases such as mine Ed (cf. NAN). It was common in the Middle Ages and up to the 18th century, but in the 19th was almost entirely superseded in the role of short form by TED. It is now, however, enjoying a modest revival.

Back  -   New Search

Neil m

Irish, Scottish, and English: Anglicized form of the enduringly popular Gaelic name Niall. Its derivation is disputed, and it may mean ‘cloud’, ‘passionate’, or perhaps ‘champion’. It was adopted by the Scandinavians in the form Njal and soon became very popular among them. From the Middle Ages onwards, this name was found mainly in Ireland and the English-Scottish Border region. However, in the 20th century it has spread to enjoy great popularity in all parts of the English-speaking world.
Variant: Neal. See also NIGEL.
Pet form: Scottish (Highland): Neillie.
Feminine form: Scottish (Highland): Neilina.

Back  -   New Search

Nekane f

Basque equivalent of DOLORES.

Back  -   New Search

Nell f

English: short form of ELEANOR, ELLEN, and HELEN; of medieval origin, but now also established as a given name in its own right. For an explanation of the initial N-, cf. NED. It was the name by which Charles II's mistress Eleanor Gwyn (1650–87) was universally known to her contemporaries, and at about that time it also became established as an independent name.
Cognate: Irish Gaelic: Neile.
Pet forms: English: Nellie, Nelly.

Back  -   New Search

Nelleke f

Dutch: pet form derived from a short form of CORNELIA.

Back  -   New Search

Nels m

S. Swedish: dialectal form of NILS.

Back  -   New Search

Nelson m

English: transferred use of the surname, which originated as a patronymic from either NEIL or NELL. Use as a given name probably began as a tribute to the British admiral Lord Nelson (1758–1805), the victor of the Battle of Trafalgar; cf. HORATIO. It is, however, now much more common in America than in Britain.

Back  -   New Search

Nelya f

Russian: pet form of both YELENA and NINEL.

Back  -   New Search

Nena f

English: variant spelling of NINA.

Back  -   New Search

Nepomuk m

Czech: name bestowed in honour of St John of Nepomuk (c.1345–93). Born at Nepomuk in Bohemia, he became chaplain at the court of King Wenceslas IV, and was killed by the king, allegedly for refusing to disclose what the queen had revealed in confession. The given name is also used to some extent among Catholics in Germany and Austria.
Short form: Pomuk.
Pet form: Nepomuek.

Back  -   New Search

Nereida f

Latinate name derived from Greek nris (genitive nridos) nymph, sea sprite (in origin a patronymic from Nrus god of the ocean).

Back  -   New Search

Nerina f

Italian: of uncertain origin. It seems to have arisen as a feminine form of the obsolete Nerino, a diminutive of NERO or possibly of NERIO. Alternatively, it may represent a Latinized form of Greek Nrin, derived from the name of the sea god Nreus (cf. NEREIDA and NERISSA).

Back  -   New Search

Nerio m

Italian: from Greek Nreus, the name (of uncertain derivation) of a divinity of the sea. This was the name in the 1st century of a Roman soldier who was baptized by St Paul and exiled with Sts Achilleus and Flavia.

Back  -   New Search

Nerissa f

English: of Shakespearian origin. It is the name of a minor character in The Merchant of Venice, Portia's waiting woman, who marries Gratiano. The name seems to represent a Latinate elaboration of Greek nris nymph, sea sprite (see NEREIDA).

Back  -   New Search

Nero m

Tuscan: short form of RANIERO, not connected with the name of the Roman emperor Nero.

Back  -   New Search

Nerys f

Welsh: of uncertain derivation, perhaps intended to be from Welsh nêr lord, with the suffix -ys by analogy with other female names such as DILYS and GLADYS. This was not used as a given name in the Middle Ages, and dates only from the recent Welsh cultural revival; this has been accompanied by a spate of modern coinages of Welsh names, enabling Welsh parents to give their children names reflecting their national identity.

Back  -   New Search

Nea f

Czech: pet form of ANEKA.
Variant: Neka.

Back  -   New Search

Nessa f

1 English: originally a short form of Agnessa, a Latinate form of AGNES. In modern use in the English-speaking world it is more often a short form of VANESSA, and is also used as an independent given name.

2 Irish Gaelic: older form of NEASSA.
Top

3 Jewish: apparently from Hebrew nes banner, miracle.
Pet form: Nessie.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Nesta f

Welsh: Latinized version of Nest, a Welsh pet form of AGNES. Nesta was the name of the grandmother of the 12th-century chronicler Giraldus Cambrensis (‘Gerald the Welshman’).

Back  -   New Search

Nestore m

Italian: from the Greek personal name Nestr, possibly a derivative of nostos homecoming. In Homer's Iliad, Nestor is one of the leaders of the Greeks at Troy, the aged but still vigorous king of Pylos. The name had some currency among early Christians and was borne by several early martyrs.

Back  -   New Search

Neta f

Swedish: short form of Agneta (see AGNETHE).

Back  -   New Search

Netta f

English: apparently a Latinate variant of NETTIE, though in Gaelic Scotland it is more likely to represent a feminine form of NEIL.

Back  -   New Search

Nettie f

English: pet form derived from various female names ending in the syllable -nette, for example ANNETTE and JEANNETTE, with the hypocoristic suffix -ie. It had a brief vogue in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Back  -   New Search

Neves f

Portuguese form of NIEVES.

Back  -   New Search

Neville m

English: transferred use of the surname, which is derived from a Norman baronial name from any of several places in Normandy called Néville or Neuville ‘new settlement’. First used as a given name in the early 17th century, and with increasing regularity from the second half of the 19th, it is now so firmly established as a given name that it has lost touch with its origin as a surname.

Back  -   New Search

Ngaio f

New Zealand: from the name of a type of tree cultivated for its wood, originally named in Maori.

Back  -   New Search

Niall m

Irish and Scottish Gaelic: original spelling of NEIL. It has been strongly revived among non-Gaelic speakers in the 20th century.

Back  -   New Search

Niallghus m

Scottish Gaelic: a compound of NIALL + gus strength. From this derives the surname Mac Niallghuis, Anglicized as MacNeillage.

Back  -   New Search

Niamh f

Irish Gaelic: name meaning ‘brightness, beauty’. It was borne in Irish mythology by the daughter of the sea god, who fell in love with the youthful Oisín, son of Finn MacCool, and carried him off over the sea to the land of perpetual youth, Tír na nÓg. It is now a very popular given name in Ireland.

Back  -   New Search

Nicanor m

Spanish: from the Late Greek name Nikanr. This is probably a byform of the earlier name Nikandr, which is composed of the elements nik victory + anr man (genitive andros). It was the name of one of the Hellenized Jews chosen as deacons by the apostles (Acts 6: 5). One of the gates of the temple in Jesusalem was known as ‘Nicanor’s Gate', apparently after an official who was governor of Jerusalem in the 2nd century AD.

Back  -   New Search

Nicasio m

Spanish: from the Late Greek personal name Nikasios. This seems to be a derivative of Nikasia, the name of a tiny island near Naxos. St Nicasius was a bishop of Rheims who was martyred either by the Vandals in 407 or by the Huns in 451.
Cognate: Catalan: Nicasi.

Back  -   New Search

Nicholas m

English and French: from the post-classical Greek personal name Nikolaos, composed of the elements nik victory + laos people. The spelling with -ch- first occurred as early as the 12th century, and became firmly established at the time of the Reformation, although Nicolas is still occasionally found. St Nicholas was a 4th-century bishop of Myra in Lycia, about whom virtually nothing factual is known, although a vast body of legend grew up around him, and he became the patron saint of Greece and Russia, as well as of children, sailors, merchants, and pawnbrokers. His feast-day is 6 December, and among the many roles which legend has assigned to him is that of bringer of Christmas presents, in the guise of ‘Santa Claus’ (an alteration of the Dutch form of his name, Sinterklaas).
Variant: Nicolas.
Cognates: Scottish: NICOL; Neacal (Gaelic). Irish Gaelic: Nioclas. Italian: Nicola, Nic(c)olò. Spanish: Nicolás, Nicolao. Catalan: Nicolau, Micolau. Portuguese: Nicolau. German: Nikolaus, Niklaus. Scandinavian: Niklas; Nils (Swedish, Norwegian); Niels (Danish). Finnish: Launo. Russian: Nikolai. Polish: Mikolaj. Czech: Mikolá. Romanian: Nicolae. Hungarian: Miklós. Finnish: Niilo.
Short forms: English: Nick. German: Klaus, Claus. Dutch: Claus.
Pet forms: English: Nicky. Swedish: Nisse. Russian: Kolya.
Feminine forms: English (Latinate): NICOLA. French, English: NICOLE. Spanish: Nicolasa.

Back  -   New Search

Nicky m, f

English: 1 (m.) Pet form of Nick (see NICHOLAS).

2 (f.) Variant of NIKKI.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Nico m, f

1 (m.) Italian: short form of Nicolò (see NICHOLAS) or of the rarer Nicodemo (see NICODÈME), NICOMEDO, or NICOSTRATO.

2 (m, f)English: short form of both NICHOLAS and NICOLA (cf. e.g. Ludo and Caro).
Top

Back  -   New Search

Nicodème m

French: from Greek Nikodmos, composed of the elements nik victory + dmos people, population. This is the name borne in the New Testament by one of the leading Greek Jews who spoke up for Jesus at his trial (John 7: 50) and was present at his burial (John 19: 39).
Cognate: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese: Nicodemo.

Back  -   New Search

Nicol m

Scottish and English: common medieval form of NICHOLAS, current until a relatively late period in Scotland, and now being revived in more general use. Modern use as a given name may owe something to the character Bailie Nicol Jarvie in Sir Walter Scott's novel Rob Roy.
Variants: Nichol, Nic(h)oll.

Back  -   New Search

Nicola f, m

1 (f.) English: Latinate feminine form of NICHOLAS.

2 (m.) Italian form of NICHOLAS; See also NICOLÒ.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Nicole f

French: feminine form of NICHOLAS, now increasingly common in the English-speaking world.
Pet form: Nicolette (also used as a given name in its own right in both France and the English-speaking world).

Back  -   New Search

Nicolò m

Italian: variant form of the male name Nicola (see NICHOLAS).
Variant: Niccolò.

Back  -   New Search

Nicomedo m

Italian: from Greek Nikomds, composed of the elements nik victory + mdesthai to ponder, scheme. St Nicomedes was a Roman priest martyred during the 1st century.

Back  -   New Search

Nicostrato m

Italian: from Greek Nikostratos, composed of the elements nik victory + stratos army. St Nicostratos was the leader of a group of Roman soldiers martyred in Palestine under the Emperor Diocletian (c.303).

Back  -   New Search

Niels m

1 Danish form of NICHOLAS (cf. NILS).

2 Dutch: short form of CORNELIS.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Nieves f

Spanish: from a title of the Virgin Mary, Nuestra Señora de las Nieves ‘Our Lady of the Snows’. The name refers to a miracle alleged to have taken place in the 4th century, when Mary caused it to snow in Rome during August.
Cognate: Portuguese: Neves.

Back  -   New Search

Nigel m

English: Anglicized form of the medieval name Nigellus, a Latinized version (ostensibly representing a diminutive of Latin niger black) of the vernacular Ni(h)el, i.e. NEIL. Although it is frequently found in medieval records, this form was probably not used in everyday life before its revival by antiquarians such as Sir Walter Scott in the 19th century.
Feminine: Nigella.

Back  -   New Search

Niilo m

Finnish form of NICHOLAS.

Back  -   New Search

Nikita m

Russian: from the Greek name Aniktos ‘unconquered, unconquerable’ (from the negative prefix a- + nikn to conquer). This was the name of an early pope (c.152–60); he was a Syrian by descent and is particularly honoured in the Eastern Church.

Back  -   New Search

Nikki f

English: pet form of NICOLA, now sometimes used as an independent given name.
Variants: Nicki, Nickie, Nicky.

Back  -   New Search

Nikolai m

Russian form of NICHOLAS.
Pet form: Kolya.

Back  -   New Search

Nikolaus m

German form of NICHOLAS.
Variant: Niklaus.

Back  -   New Search

Nille f

Scandinavian (esp. Danish): short form of Pernille (see PERNILLA).

Back  -   New Search

Nils m

Swedish form of NICHOLAS.
Variant: S. Swedish: Nels.
Feminine form: Nilsine.

Back  -   New Search

Nina f

Russian: short form of ANTONINA, now commonly used as an independent name in the French- and English-speaking worlds, as well as in Russia.
Variant: English: Nena.

Back  -   New Search

Ninel f

Russian: modern coinage adopted by patriotic Soviet citizens, representing Lenin spelled backwards (cf. VLADILEN).
Pet form: Nelya.

Back  -   New Search

Ninette f

French: diminutive form of NINA. Like NADINE, this was one of the names brought to the English-speaking world from Russian via French in the early 20th century.

Back  -   New Search

Ninian m

Scottish and Irish: of uncertain origin. This was the name of a 5th-century British saint who was responsible for evangelizing the northern Britons and the Picts. His name first appears in the Latinized form Ninianus in the 8th century; this appears to be the same as the Nynnyarv recorded in the Mabinogi. The given name was used in his honour until at least the 16th century in Scotland and has recently been revived.

Back  -   New Search

Nino m

Italian: short form of Giannino, a pet form of GIANNI.

Back  -   New Search

Ninon f

French: 1 Pet form of ANNE. The most famous bearer of this name was the celebrated Parisian beauty Ninon de Lenclos (1620–1705).

2 Pet form of NINA.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Nioclás m

Irish Gaelic form of NICHOLAS.

Back  -   New Search

Nisse m

Swedish: pet form of NILS.

Back  -   New Search

Nita f

English: short form of various names that end in these syllables, as for example ANITA and Marganita (see MARGARET).

Back  -   New Search

Niven m

Scottish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Naoimhean or Gille Naomh, a borrowing of Irish Gille na Naomh ‘servant of the saint’.

Back  -   New Search

Njord m

Scandinavian: from the name of a minor Norse divinity, recorded in the form Nerthus by the Roman historian Tacitus in the 1st century AD. It is of uncertain derivation, but was revived as a given name in the early 19th century.

Back  -   New Search

Noah m

English form of the name of the biblical character whose family was the only one saved from the great Flood ordained by God to destroy mankind because of its wickedness. The origin of the name is far from certain; in the Bible it is implied that it means ‘rest’ (Genesis 5: 29, ‘and he called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us concerning our work and the toil of our hands, because of the ground which the Lord hath cursed’). One tradition indeed explains it as derived from the Hebrew root meaning ‘to comfort’ (see NAHUM) with the final consonant dropped.
Cognate: French: Noë.

Back  -   New Search

Noam m

Jewish: modern name, from a Hebrew vocabulary word meaning ‘delight, joy, pleasantness’ (cf. NAOMI, from the same Hebrew root). Its most famous bearer is the American linguist Noam Chomsky (b. 1928).

Back  -   New Search

Noble m

English (esp. U.S.): name derived from the modern English adjective (via Old French from Latin nobilis). The idea behind it may have been to hint at high-born origin (cf. DUKE, EARL, KING, and PRINCE) or to suggest qualities of character. In part there may be some influence from the surname, which arose in the Middle Ages as a descriptive nickname in the first sense.

Back  -   New Search

Noël m

French: from Old French noel, nael Christmas, from Latin natlis dis (Domini) birthday (of the Lord). The meaning is still relatively transparent, partly because the term occurs as a synonym for ‘Christmas’ in the refrain of well-known carols. The name is often given to children born at Christmas time. It is also used in the English-speaking world, normally without the diaeresis, Noel.
Feminine forms: Noëlle, Noelle.

Back  -   New Search

Noemi f

Italian form of NAOMI, derived from the representation of the Hebrew name used in the Latin translation of the Vulgate.
Cognate: French: Noémie.

Back  -   New Search

Noga f

Jewish: modern Israeli female name. In the Authorized Version the form Nogah occurs as the name of a man, one of David's sons born in Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 3: 7). The name derives from a Hebrew word meaning ‘brightness’.

Back  -   New Search

Nola f

Irish and Australian: probably a name created as a feminine form of NOLAN. It may also represent a short form of Gaelic Fionn(gh)uala; see FENELLA and FINOLA.

Back  -   New Search

Nolan m

Australian, Irish, and English: from the Irish surname, Gaelic Ó Nualláin ‘descendant of Nuallán’. Nuallán is an old Gaelic personal name, apparently originally a byname representing a diminutive of nuall chariot-fighter, champion.

Back  -   New Search

Nolasco m

Italian: name adopted in honour of St Peter Nolasco (c.1189–1258), who founded the order of Our Lady of Ransom with the purpose of obtaining the release of Christians captured by the Moors during the Crusades.

Back  -   New Search

Nolene f

Mainly Australian: name created as a feminine form of NOLAN.
Variant: Noleen.

Back  -   New Search

Noll m

English: pet form of OLIVER, frequent in the Middle Ages and occasionally revived in modern times. The initial consonant seems to derive from a misdivision of a vocative phrase; cf. NED.

Back  -   New Search

Nona f

English: from the feminine form of the Latin ordinal nonus ninth, sometimes used as a given name in Victorian times for the ninth-born child in a family if it was a girl, or even for the ninth-born girl. At the present day, when few people have nine children, let alone nine girls, it has passed into more general, if only occasional, use.

Back  -   New Search

Nonie f

English: pet form of IONE or of NORA, also used to a limited extent as an independent given name.
Variant: Noni.

Back  -   New Search

Nora f

English, Irish, Scottish and Scandinavian: short form of names such as Eleonara (see ELEANOR), Honora (see HONOUR), and LEONORA. Although these are not Gaelic in origin, Nora (Gaelic Nóra) was particularly associated with Ireland at one time. In the Scottish Highlands it is used as a feminine form of NORMAN. In Scandinavia the name is known particularly as that borne by the heroine of Henrik Ibsen's play A Doll's House.
Variant: Norah.

Back  -   New Search

Norbert m

English: of Norman origin, and so ultimately Germanic, composed of the elements nord north + berht bright, famous. Its best-known bearer was an 11th-century saint who founded an order of monks known as Norbertians (also called Premonstratensians from their first home at Premontré near Laon). Norbert was one of several names of Germanic origin that were revived in Britain in the late 19th century, but it is now rather more common in America than Britain.

Back  -   New Search

Noreen f

Irish and English: originally an Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Nóirín, a diminutive of Nóra (see NORA). It is now used as an independent given name in the English-speaking world.
Variants: Norene, Norine.

Back  -   New Search

Norma f

Italian and English: apparently invented by Felice Romani in his libretto for Bellini's opera of this name (first performed in 1832). It is identical in form with Latin norma rule, standard, but there is no evidence that this word was the actual source of the name. In recent times, it has come to be taken in England and the Scottish Highlands as a feminine equivalent of NORMAN.

Back  -   New Search

Norman m

English: of Germanic origin, composed of the elements nord north + man man, i.e. ‘Norseman’. This name was found in England before the Conquest, and was reinforced by its use among the Norman invaders themselves. In the Scottish Highlands it is used as the Anglicized equivalent of TORMOD.
Pet form: Scottish: Norrie.
Feminine forms: Scottish (Highland): Normanna, Normina, Norma, Nora, Mona.

Back  -   New Search

Norris m

English: transferred use of the surname, which is derived from Old Norman French norreis (in which the stem represents the Germanic element nord), originally a local designation for someone who had migrated from the north.

Back  -   New Search

Notger m

German: from an old Germanic personal name composed of the elements nt need, want + gr, gr spear. The form Notker is a variant of this. The Blessed Notker Balbulus (‘the Stammerer’) was a Benedictine monk at the abbey of St Gall in Switzerland in the 10th century; he composed a biography of Charlemagne.

Back  -   New Search

Nuala f

Irish: short form of the Gaelic name FIONNUALA. It is now in general use as an independent given name.

Back  -   New Search

Nunzia f

Italian: short form of ANNUNZIATA.
Pet forms: Nunziatella, Nunziatina.
Masculine form: Italian (characteristic of S. Italy): Nunzio.

Back  -   New Search

Nuria f

Catalan: from a title of the Virgin Mary, Nuestra Señora de Nuria ‘Our Lady of Nuria’. Nuria is a place in the province of Gerona, where there is a famous image of the Virgin. This was long venerated as a ‘black madonna’, but cleaning in the 1940s removed the grime that had come from centuries of smoking candles, and restored the original bright colours.

Back  -   New Search

Nuek m

Czech: pet form of HANUŠ, preserving only a single letter of the base form Jan.

Back  -   New Search

Nye m

Pet form of the Welsh name ANEIRIN, representing the middle syllable of that name as commonly pronounced. The name is particularly associated with the Welsh Labour statesman Aneurin Bevan (1897–1960).

Back  -   New Search

Nyree f

English spelling of a Maori name usually transcribed as Ngaire, the origin of which is obscure. It is relatively common in New Zealand and has been taken up to some extent in Britain due to the fame of the New Zealand-born actress Nyree Dawn Porter (b. 1940).

Back  -   New Search

O

Obadiah m

English: from a biblical name meaning ‘servant of God’ in Hebrew (cf. Arabic Abdullah, which has the same meaning). This was the name of a prophet who gave his name to one of the shorter books of the Bible, and of two other minor biblical characters: a porter in the temple (Nehemiah 12: 25), and the man who introduced King Ahab to the prophet Elijah (1 Kings 18).
Variant: Modern Hebrew: Ovadia.

Back  -   New Search

Oberon m

English: variant spelling of AUBERON.

Back  -   New Search

Octavia f

English: of Latin origin, representing a feminine form of OCTAVIUS. It was borne by various female members of the Roman imperial family.
Cognate: Italian: Ottavia.

Back  -   New Search

Octavian m

Usual English form of the Latin name Octvinus, a derivative of OCTAVIUS. The first Roman emperor, now generally known by the imperial title Augustus, was born Caius Octavius; when he was adopted by Julius Caesar he became Caius Julius Caesar Octavianus. Another Octavianus was a 5th-century Carthaginian saint who was put to death with several thousand companions by the Asiatic Vandal king Hunneric.

Back  -   New Search

Octavius m

English: from the Roman family name, derived from Latin octvus eighth. The name was fairly frequently given to a male eighth child (or eighth son) in large Victorian families. It is much less common these days, when families rarely extend to eight children, but is occasionally selected for reasons of family tradition or for some other reason without regard to its original meaning.
Cognate: Italian: Ottavio.

Back  -   New Search

Odd m

Scandinavian: from an Old Norse personal name, originally perhaps a byname, derived from the vocabulary word oddr point (of a weapon).

Back  -   New Search

Oded m

Jewish: Hebrew name, meaning ‘upholder, encourager’, borne in the Bible by a prophet who persuaded the Israelites to release the captives that they had taken from the kingdom of Judah (2 Chronicles 28: 9–15). It is a popular modern Hebrew name.

Back  -   New Search

Odette f

French: feminine diminutive form of the Old French masculine name Oda, which is of Germanic origin (cf. OTTO). Although the original male name has dropped out of use, this feminine derivative has survived and is now used as a given name in its own right.

Back  -   New Search

Odile f

French: from the medieval Germanic name Odila (a derivative of the vocabulary element od riches, prosperity, fortune; cf. OTTO). This was the name of an 8th-century saint who founded a Benedictine convent at what is now Odilienburg in Alsace. She is the patron saint of Alsace. See also OTTILIE.

Back  -   New Search

Ödön m

Hungarian form of EDMUND. The infant Anglo-Saxon princes Edward and Edmund, sons of Edmund Ironside, were sent away from England by the usurping Canute. They eventually settled in Hungary, where they were granted large estates by King Andrew I.

Back  -   New Search

Ofra f

Jewish: variant spelling of OPHRAH.

Back  -   New Search

Oighrig f

Scottish Gaelic: name of uncertain derivation, apparently from an earlier form Aithbhreac meaning ‘new speckled one’. It has commonly been Anglicized as ERICA, EFRIC, EFFIE and EUPHEMIA, formerly also as AFRICA. See also EITHRIG and EIRIC.

Back  -   New Search

Okko m

Finnish: pet form of Oskari (see OSCAR).

Back  -   New Search

Oktyabrina f

Russian: name adopted in the Soviet period, in commemoration of the October Revolution of 1917 which brought the Bolsheviks to power.

Back  -   New Search

Olaf m

Scandinavian: from an Old Norse personal name composed of the elements anu ancestor + leifr heir, descendant. St Olaf, King of Norway (995–1030), aided the spread of Christianity in his kingdom. The name was introduced to Britain before the Norman Conquest, but modern use as a given name in the English-speaking world originated in America, where it was taken by recent Scandinavian immigrants.
Variants: Swedish: OLOF, Olov, Oluf. Norwegian and SW Swedish: Ola. Norwegian and Danish: Olav, Ole. Finnish: Olavi. See also AMHLAOIBH.

Back  -   New Search

Olalla f

Spanish form of EULALIA. The name was borne by two famous Spanish martyrs, Eulalia of Barcelona (d. 304) and Eulalia of Mérida (d. 364); it is possible that they were identical.

Back  -   New Search

Oldich m

Czech form of ULRICH.
Feminine form: Oldrika.
Pet forms: Oldra, Olda m, f; OldiAek, Oleek, Olik, Olouek, Olin m; Oldina, Olina, Olue, Rika f.

Back  -   New Search

Oleg m

Russian form of HELGE. This name was introduced to Russia by the earliest Scandinavian settlers, and was borne by Prince Oleg of Kiev (d. 912), the Varangian leader who established Kiev as his capital in place of Novgorod and set up trading links with Byzantium. Since he was not a Christian, the name has never been sanctioned by the Russian Orthodox Church, unlike its feminine equivalent, OLGA.

Back  -   New Search

Oleksander m

Ukrainian form of ALEXANDER.

Back  -   New Search

Olena f

Ukrainian form of HELEN.

Back  -   New Search

Ole m

Polish: pet form of ALEXANDER.
Variants: Olech, Olek.
Cognate: Czech: Olexa.

Back  -   New Search

Olga f

Russian: feminine form of OLEG, and equivalent of HELGA, taken to Russia by the Scandinavian settlers who founded the first Russian state in the 9th century. St Olga of Kiev (d. 969) was a Varangian noblewoman who was baptized at Byzantium in about 957 and set about converting her people. The name was introduced to the English-speaking world in the late 19th century, but retains a distinctively Russian flavour. It is also much in use in Scandinavia.
Pet form: Olya.

Back  -   New Search

Olive f

English: one of the earliest and most successful of the names coined during the 19th century from vocabulary words denoting plants, no doubt partly because an olive branch has been a symbol of peace since biblical times. The Latinate form Oliva was used as a given name in medieval times, but dropped out of use in the English-speaking world after its pronunciation became indistinguishable from that of the male name OLIVER. See also OLIVIA.

Back  -   New Search

Oliver m

English: of Norman, and hence ultimately Germanic, origin. It was first used as the name (French Olivier) of one of Charlemagne's paladins or retainers, the close companion in arms of Roland in the Chanson de Roland. Where Roland is headstrong and rash, Oliver is thoughtful and cautious. Ostensibly this name derives from Late Latin olivrius olive tree (cf. OLIVE), but Charlemagne's other paladins all bear solidly Germanic names, so it is more probably an altered form of a Germanic name, perhaps a version of OLAF.
Cognates: French: Olivier. Scottish Gaelic: Olghar, Oilbhreis.
Pet forms: English: Ollie, NOLL.

Back  -   New Search

Olivia f

English: Latinate name, first used by Shakespeare as the name of the rich heiress wooed by the duke in Twelfth Night (1599). Shakespeare may have taken it as a feminine form of OLIVER or he may have derived it from Latin oliva olive; it may also have been influenced by the medieval female given name Oliva, although this had dropped out of use by the 16th century.

Back  -   New Search

Ollie m

English: pet form of OLIVER, associated particularly with the comic film actor Oliver Hardy (1892–1957), the rotund partner of Stan Laurel.

Back  -   New Search

Olof m

Swedish form of OLAF. St Olof, King of Sweden (d. c.950) was murdered by his rebellious heathen subjects for refusing to sacrifice to idols.
Variants: Olov, Oluf.

Back  -   New Search

Olwen f

Welsh; composed of the elements ôl footprint, track + (g)iven white, fair, blessed, holy. A character of this name in Welsh legend had the magical property of causing flowers to spring up behind her wherever she went.

Back  -   New Search

Olya f

Russian: pet form of OLGA.

Back  -   New Search

Olympe f

French: from the Latin name Olympia, a feminine form of Olympius, from Greek Olympos, the home, according to classical mythology, of the gods.

Back  -   New Search

Omar m

English: biblical name borne by a character mentioned in a genealogy (Genesis 36: 11). It has been occasionally used from Puritan times down to the present day in America. More often, however, it is of Arabic origin, as in the case of the film actor and international bridge player Omar Sharif (b. 1932 in Egypt).

Back  -   New Search

Omri m

Jewish: Hebrew name, possibly derived from an element meaning ‘sheaf of grain’. It is borne in the Bible by a king of Israel who built the city of Samaria, but who also ‘wrought evil in the eyes of the Lord’ (1 Kings 16: 23–8). This has not prevented Omri from being used as a modern given name.

Back  -   New Search

Ona f

English: apparently an aphetic short form of any of the given names ending in these letters, for example FIONA and ANONA.

Back  -   New Search

Ondej m

Czech form of ANDREW.
Pet forms: Ondra, Ondrjek, Ondr´ek, Ondrouek.

Back  -   New Search

Onisim m

Russian: less common form of ANISIM.

Back  -   New Search

Onóra f

Irish Gaelic: name derived in the early Middle Ages from Anglo-Norman HONORE.

Back  -   New Search

Oona f

Irish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name ÚNA.
Variant: Oonagh.

Back  -   New Search

Opal f

English: one of the rarer female names taken in the late 19th century from vocabulary words for gemstones. This is ultimately derived (via Latin and Greek) from an Indian language (cf. Sanskrit upala precious stone).

Back  -   New Search

Opaline f

English: a comparatively recent coinage; an elaboration of OPAL with the addition of -ine, a productive suffix of feminine names.

Back  -   New Search

Ophelia f

English: name of a character in Shakespeare's Hamlet, the beautiful daughter of Polonius; she loves Hamlet, and eventually goes mad and drowns herself. In spite of the ill omen of this literary association, the name has enjoyed moderate popularity since the 19th century. Apparently it was first used by the Italian pastoralist Jacopo Sannazzaro (1458–1530), who presumably intended it as a feminine form of the Greek name phelos ‘help’. Shakespeare seems to have borrowed the name from Sannazzaro, without considering whether it was an appropriate name for a play set in medieval Denmark.

Back  -   New Search

Ophrah f, m

Jewish: Hebrew name meaning ‘fawn’. It is borne in the Old Testament by a man (I Chronicles 4: 14), but it is now more commonly given to girls. The spellings Ophra and Ofra are also used.

Back  -   New Search

Oralie f

English: of uncertain origin, possibly an altered form of Aurélie (see AURELIA).
Variant: Oralee.

Back  -   New Search

Oran m

Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Odhrán, originally a byname representing a diminutive of odhar dun, sallow. The name was borne by various early saints, most notably a 6th-century abbot of Meath who accompanied Columba to Scotland.

Back  -   New Search

Orazio m

Italian form of HORACE.

Back  -   New Search

Orbán m

Hungarian form of URBAN.

Back  -   New Search

Orell m

Swiss form of Aurelius (see AURÈLE).

Back  -   New Search

Orfeo m

Italian: from Greek Orpheus, the name in classical mythology of a Thracian musician whose playing on the lyre was so beautiful that he charmed Nature itself. After his wife Eurydice died, he descended in search of her to the underworld, and charmed Hades, the king of the underworld, into allowing him to take her back to the world of the living, on condition that he should not look at her until they had regained the sunlight. He lost her again, because he looked back to check that she was behind him. The name is of very uncertain derivation, and it seems likely that the legend originally concerned a pre-Greek divinity of the natural world.

Back  -   New Search

Oriana f

Latinate name first found in the medieval tale of Amadis of Gaul as the name of the daughter of Lisuarte, King of England, courted and eventually won by the model knight Amadis. It may be a derivative of Old French or, Spanish oro gold (Latin aurum).
Variant: French: Oriane.

Back  -   New Search

Örjan m

Swedish: older form of GÖRAN, still in use as a given name.

Back  -   New Search

Orla f

Irish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Órla, earlier Ór (fh)laith, composed of the elements ór gold + flaith lady, princess.

Back  -   New Search

Orlando m

Italian form of ROLAND, occasionally used as a given name in the English-speaking world. It is the name of the hero in Shakespeare's comedy As You Like It.

Back  -   New Search

Orna f

Irish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Odharnait, a feminine diminutive form of Odhar ‘dun, sallow’ (cf. ORAN). The loss of the final consonant is due to the influence of ORLA.

Back  -   New Search

Ornella f

Italian: apparently originated by Gabriele d'Annunzio, who gave the name to one of the characters in his novel Figlia de Iorio (1904). It seems to represent a feminine form of the Tuscan dialect word ornello flowering ash tree.

Back  -   New Search

Ornetta f

Italian: apparently an altered form of ORNELLA, with the substitution of the Italian feminine diminutive suffix -etta for the similarly functioning -ella. The name is also used in the English-speaking world.
Cognate: French: Ornette.

Back  -   New Search

Orson m

English: from an Old Norman French nickname meaning ‘bear-cub’ (a diminutive of ors bear, Latin ursus), used occasionally in medieval times, but in modern times probably always a transferred use of the associated surname. In the 20th century it has come to public notice as a result of the fame of the American actor Orson Welles (1915–85), who dropped his more prosaic given name, George, in favour of his middle name before embarking on his acting career.

Back  -   New Search

Orville m

English: though in appearance a surname of Norman baronial origin, this name seems to have been invented (with the intention of evoking such associations) by the novelist Fanny Burney for the hero, Lord Orville, of her novel Evelina (1778).

Back  -   New Search

Orya f

Russian: pet form of IRINA and its variant ARINA.

Back  -   New Search

Osane f

Basque equivalent of REMEDIOS.

Back  -   New Search

Osbert m

English: from an Old English personal name composed of the elements s god + beorht bright, famous. It is not now common in the English-speaking world, but has been borne, for example, by the British cartoonist Osbert Lancaster and the writer Osbert Sitwell.

Back  -   New Search

Osborn m

English: from a Late Old English personal name composed of the elements s god + beorn bear, warrior (both of Scandinavian origin). As a modern given name it generally represents a transferred use of the surname that was derived from this name during the Middle Ages.
Variants: Osborne, Osbourne.

Back  -   New Search

Oscar m

English and Irish: name, apparently composed of the Irish Gaelic elements os deer + cara friend, borne in the Fenian sagas by a grandson of Finn McCool. It was resuscitated by the antiquarian and poet James Macpherson (1736–96). This is now also a characteristically Scandinavian name; it was introduced there because Napoleon, being an admirer of the works of Macpherson, imposed the name on his godson Oscar Bernadotte, who became King Oscar I of Sweden in 1844. In more recent times it has been associated particularly with the Irish writer and wit Oscar Wilde (1854–1900).
Cognates: Scottish Gaelic: Osgar. German, Scandinavian, E. European: Oskar. Finnish: Oskari.

Back  -   New Search

Osheen m

Irish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Oisín, in origin a byname representing a diminutive form of os deer. This is the name altered by James Macpherson, author of the ‘Ossianic’ poems, to Ossian.
Cognate: Scottish Gaelic: Oisein.

Back  -   New Search

Osher m

Jewish: variant of ASHER, representing an alternative Hebrew pronunciation of the name.

Back  -   New Search

Osip m

Russian: vernacular form of JOSEPH.

Back  -   New Search

Osmond m

English: 19th-century revival of an Old English personal name composed of the elements s god + mund protector. The name was also in use among the Normans and was borne by an 11th-century saint who was appointed to the see of Salisbury by William the Conqueror. As a modern given name it may be in part a transferred use of the surname derived from this name.
Variant: Osmund.
Cognate: Scandinavian: Åsmund.

Back  -   New Search

Oswald m

English: 19th-century revival of an Old English personal name composed of the elements s god + weald rule. This was the name of two English saints. The first was a 7th-century king of Northumbria, who was killed in battle in 641. He was a Christian, a convert of St Aidan's, and his opponent, Penda, was a heathen, so his death was counted as a martyrdom by the Christian Church. The second St Oswald was a 10th-century bishop of Worcester and archbishop of York, of Danish parentage, who effected reforms in the English Church. The name more or less died out after the Middle Ages, but underwent a modest revival in the 19th century as part of the vogue for pre-Conquest English names.

Back  -   New Search

Oswin m

English: 19th-century revival of an Old English personal name composed of the elements s god + wine friend. St Oswin was a 7th-century king of Northumbria, a cousin of King Oswald, who is likewise venerated as a martyr. However, the reasons for his death at the hand of his brother Oswy seem to have been political and personal rather than religious.

Back  -   New Search

Otilie f

Czech form of OTTILIE.

Back  -   New Search

Otis m

English (esp. U.S.): transferred use of the surname, derived from the genitive case of the medieval given name Ote or Ode (of Norman, and ultimately Germanic, origin; cf. OTTO). This originally denoted a man who was the ‘son of Ote’. It came to be used as a given name in America in honour of the Revolutionary hero James Otis (1725–83); in modern times it has been bestowed in honour of the American soul singer Otis Redding (1941–67).

Back  -   New Search

Otmar m

German: from an old Germanic personal name composed of the elements od, ot prosperity, fortune, riches + meri, mari famous. This name was borne by an 8th-century saint who refounded the monastery of St Gall in Switzerland.
Pet form: Otli (Swiss).

Back  -   New Search

Otokar m

Czech form of OTTOKAR.

Back  -   New Search

Ottavia m

Italian form of OCTAVIA.

Back  -   New Search

Ottavio m

Italian form of OCTAVIUS.

Back  -   New Search

Ottilie f

French and German: from the medieval female given name Odila (see ODILE), a feminine version of OTTO.
Cognates: Polish: Otylia. Czech: Otilie.

Back  -   New Search

Otto m

German: originally a short form of the various Germanic compound personal names containing the element od, ot prosperity, fortune, riches (cf. the corresponding Old English ad in names such as EDWARD and EDWIN). St Otto of Bamberg (d. 1139) was a missionary to the Pomeranians. Otto the Great (912–73) is generally regarded as the founder of the Holy Roman Empire, and the name has been borne by several members of German and Austrian royal houses.

Back  -   New Search

Ottokar m

German: from an old Germanic personal name composed of the elements od, ot prosperity, fortune, riches + wacar watchful, vigilant. A version of this name was borne by the Gothic king Odo(v)acar (?434–93), who ruled most of Italy from 476–493, in which year he was assassinated by his rival Theodoric. The name was also borne by two 13th-century kings of Bohemia.
Cognate: Czech: Otokar.

Back  -   New Search

Ottoline f

French and English: originally a diminutive of OTTILIE. It now has independent status in the English-speaking world, partly due to the influence of the literary hostess Lady Ottoline Morrell (1873–1938).

Back  -   New Search

Otylia f

Polish form of OTTILIE.

Back  -   New Search

Ovadia m

Jewish: modern Hebrew form of OBADIAH.

Back  -   New Search

Ove m

Scandinavian: originally a Danish vernacular form of Aghi, short form of the various names of Old Norse origin containing the element ag edge (of a weapon) or awe, terror. It has long been used as an independent name.

Back  -   New Search

Owen m

1 Welsh: of uncertain origin. It may have derived in the sub-Roman period from the Latin name Eugenius (see EUGENE). Alternatively, it may represent an Old Celtic name meaning ‘born of Esos’. Esos or Aesos was a god with a cult in Gaul.

2 Irish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name EÓGHAN.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Oz m

English: short form of OSWALD or any of the various other names beginning with Os-.
Pet forms: Ozzy, Ozzie.

Back  -   New Search

P

Paavo m

Finnish form of PAUL.

Back  -   New Search

Pablo m

Spanish form of PAUL.

Back  -   New Search

Paco m

Spanish: pet form of Francisco (see FRANCIS).
Variant: Paquito.

Back  -   New Search

Paddy m

English and Irish: pet form of PATRICK. The formation in -y is in origin characteristic of Lowland Scots, and this pet form seems to have arisen in Ulster in the 17th century. Since the 19th century it has come to function in English as a generic nickname for an Irishman.

Back  -   New Search

Pádraig m

Irish Gaelic form of PATRICK.
Variant: Páraic (found in Connacht).
Cognates: Scottish Gaelic: Pàdraig (used as a secular form of PETER); Pàra, Pàdair (dialectal forms).
Pet forms: Irish Gaelic: Páidín (Anglicized as Paudeen). Scottish Gaelic: Pàidean (from which comes the surname Mac Phàidein, Anglicized as MacFadyen).

Back  -   New Search

Paige f

A modern female given name used regularly in America, but seldom elsewhere. It is evidently a transferred use of the surname Paige, a less common variant of Page, originally an occupational name given to someone who served as a page to a great lord. It is not clear why this should have been taken up in the 20th century as a female given name. The American film actress Janis Paige (born in 1920 under the name Donna Mae Jaden) may have something to do with it. There are a number of actresses and singers who spell their surname Page, but they are unlikely to have directly influenced the choice of the given name in this spelling.

Back  -   New Search

Pál m

Hungarian form of PAUL.

Back  -   New Search

Pàl m

Scottish Gaelic form of PAUL.

Back  -   New Search

Pål m

Swedish form of PAUL.

Back  -   New Search

Palasha f

Russian: pet form of Pelageya, derived from the older form Palageya (see PELAGIA).

Back  -   New Search

Palmiro m

Italian: name derived in the Middle Ages from the vocabulary word palmiere palmer, pilgrim who had visited the Holy Land (from Latin palmrius, a derivative of palma palm). The name has been altered by association with the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria. In modern times it is sometimes given to boys born on Palm Sunday.

Back  -   New Search

Paloma f

Spanish: from the vocabulary word meaning ‘dove’ (Latin palumba, earlier palumbes). The given name has originated because of the attractive gentle qualities of the bird; it may in part have a religious significance, as the dove is the symbol of the Holy Spirit.

Back  -   New Search

Pamela f

English: invented by the Elizabethan pastoral poet Sir Philip Sidney (1554–86), in whose verse it is stressed on the second syllable. There is no clue to the sources that influenced Sidney in this coinage. It was later taken up by Samuel Richardson for the name of the heroine of his novel Pamela (1740). In Henry Fielding's Joseph Andrews (1742), which started out as a parody of Pamela, Fielding comments that the name is ‘very strange’.
Variant: Pamella (a modern spelling).

Back  -   New Search

Pancho m

Spanish: pet form of Francisco (see FRANCIS).

Back  -   New Search

Pancras m

English: Middle English form of Greek Pankratios (see PANCRAZIO), popular in England during the early Middle Ages because in the 7th century the Pope had sent to an Anglo-Saxon king relics of a saint so called (an obscure 3rd-century martyr, not the more famous Sicilian saint mentioned at Pancrazio). It is now very rare, and modern instances are probably adaptations of the Italian name.

Back  -   New Search

Pancrazio m

Italian: from the Greek epithet pankratios ‘all-powerful’ (from pan all, every + kratein to rule). This was a major title of Christ in Byzantine Greek, and was used as a personal name among early Christians. It was borne by a saint of the 1st century, who was stoned to death at Tauromenium (now Taormina) in Sicily, and who is still venerated on the island.
Cognates: Russian: Pankrati. German: Pankraz (S. Germany). English: PANCRAS.

Back  -   New Search

Pandora f

English: name borne in classical mythology by the first woman on earth, created by the fire god Hephaistos as a scourge for men in general, in revenge for Prometheus' act of stealing fire on behalf of mankind. Pandora was given as a wife to Prometheus' foolish brother Epimetheus, along with a box which she was forbidden to open. Being endowed with great curiosity, she nevertheless did open it, and unleashed every type of hardship and suffering on the world, hope alone being left inside the box. The name itself is ironically composed of the Greek elements pan all, every + dron gift.

Back  -   New Search

Pansy f

English: 19th-century flower name, from the garden flower that got its name from Old French pensee thought. This was never especially popular, and is seldom chosen at all now that the word pansy has acquired a derogatory slang sense denoting an effeminate man.

Back  -   New Search

Paolino m

Italian: a form of PAULINO or a diminutive of PAOLO. It is not a common given name.

Back  -   New Search

Paolo m

Italian form of PAUL.
Feminine form: Paola.

Back  -   New Search

Paquito m

Spanish: diminutive form of PACO.

Back  -   New Search

Páraic m

Irish Gaelic: variant of PÁDRAIG, current in Connacht.

Back  -   New Search

Paris m

English: apparently an adoption of the name of the character from Greek mythology, the son of Priam who carried off Helen from Sparta to Troy and so caused the Trojan War. The name was borne in the 4th century by a Greek-born bishop of Teano, near Naples, who is venerated as a saint.

Back  -   New Search

Pàrlan m

Scottish Gaelic form of PARTHALÁN. From this name derive the surname Mac Phàrlain, Anglicized as MacFarlane, and the placename Dùn Phàrlain, Anglicized as Dunfermline.

Back  -   New Search

Parthalán m

Irish Gaelic: name of uncertain derivation, possibly from Latin Bartholomaeus (see BARTHOLOMEW). It was borne, according to Celtic legend, by an early invader of Ireland, the first to come to those shores after the biblical Flood. It has often been Anglicized as Bartholomew, and also as BARCLAY and BERKLEY, but is now being revived in its own right.
Variants: Párth(h)lán, Partnán.
Cognate: Scottish Gaelic: PÀRLAN.

Back  -   New Search

Parthenope f

Name borne in classical mythology by one of the Sirens, who drowned herself in frustration when Odysseus managed to avoid her lures by having himself tied to the mast and ordering his companions to block their ears with wax. Her name seems to be a derivative of Greek parthenos maiden (an epithet of Athena) + ps face, form. This name was borne by a sister of Florence Nightingale who was born at Naples, where the body of the Siren is said to have been washed ashore.

Back  -   New Search

Pascal m

French: from Late Latin Paschlis ‘relating to Easter’ (Latin Pascha, from Hebrew pesach Passover). This was taken up by the early Christians as a personal name, partly in honour of the great Christian festival, but mainly as a name for sons born at this time of the year. It was borne by two medieval popes, neither of whom achieved anything particularly notable. Its popularity may have been influenced by the fame of the French philosopher Blaise Pascal (1623–62), whose Pensées (‘Thoughts’) were published posthumously in 1670. The name is now occasionally used in the English-speaking world, mainly by Roman Catholics.
Variant: Paschal.
Cognates: Italian: Pasquale. Spanish: Pascual. Portuguese: Pascoal.
Feminine forms: French, also occasionally English: Pascale. Spanish: Pascuala.

Back  -   New Search

Pasha m, f

Russian: pet form of both Pavel (see PAUL) and PRASKOVYA.

Back  -   New Search

Pastor m

Spanish: from the Late Latin name Pastr ‘shepherd’, adopted by early Christians because of the parable of the Good Shepherd caring for his flock. St Pastor was a nine-year-old boy martyred at Alcalá at the beginning of the 4th century, together with his thirteen-year-old brother Justus.
Feminine form: Pastora.

Back  -   New Search

Pat f, m

English: short form of both PATRICIA and PATRICK.
Pet forms: Patty, Pattie, Patti f.

Back  -   New Search

Patience f

English: from the vocabulary word denoting one of the Seven Christian Virtues. This name was a favourite with the Puritans, and survived better than many similar names, but now seems somewhat old-fashioned. The word is derived from Latin pati to suffer, and was associated by the early Christians with those who endured persecution and misfortune without complaint or loss of faith.

Back  -   New Search

Patricia f

English: feminine form of PATRICK, also found in Spanish and Portuguese as a feminine of Patricio.
Cognate: Italian: Patrizia.
Short forms: English: PAT, Tricia, Trisha.

Back  -   New Search

Patrick m

English and Irish, also very popular in France: name of the apostle and patron saint of Ireland (c.389–461). He was a Christian Briton and a Roman citizen, who as a young man was captured and enslaved by raiders from Ireland. He escaped and went to Gaul before returning home to Britain. However, in about 419 he felt a call to do missionary work in Ireland. He studied for twelve years at Auxerre, and in 432 returned to Ireland, where he went to the court of the high kings at Tara, and made some converts. He then travelled about Ireland making further converts until about 445, when he established his archiepiscopal see at Armagh. By the time of his death almost the whole of Ireland was Christian. He codified the laws of Ireland, preserving the social structure of pagan Ireland and grafting Christianity on to it. In his Latin autobiography, as well as in later tradition, his name appears as Patricius ‘patrician’ (i.e. belonging to the Roman senatorial or noble class), but this may actually represent a Latinized form of some lost Celtic (British) name.
Variant: French: Patrice.
Cognates: Irish Gaelic: Pádraig, Páraic. Scottish Gaelic: Pàdraig (usually Anglicized as PETER). Italian: Patrizio. Spanish, Portuguese: Patricio.
Short form: PAT.
Pet form: PADDY.

Back  -   New Search

Patsy f, m

Irish and English: pet form of PATRICIA or PATRICK. It is generally a female name; as a male name it is almost completely restricted to Irish communities. Its popularity does not seem to have been seriously affected by its use in derogatory senses in the general vocabulary, in America meaning ‘a dupe’ and in Australia ‘a homosexual’.

Back  -   New Search

Patxi m

Basque form of FRANCIS, representing a shortened version of the full form Pantzeska.

Back  -   New Search

Patya m

Russian: pet form of IPATI.

Back  -   New Search

Paudeen f

Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Páidín, pet form of PÁDRAIG.

Back  -   New Search

Paul m

English, French, and German form of Paulus, a Latin family name, originally a nickname meaning ‘small’, used in the post-classical period as a given name. Pre-eminently this is the name of the saint who is generally regarded, with St Peter, as co-founder of the Christian Church. Born in Tarsus, and originally named SAUL, he was both a Roman citizen and a Jew, and at first found employment as a minor official persecuting Christians. He was converted to Christianity by a vision of Christ while on the road to Damascus, and thereafter undertook extensive missionary journeys, converting people, especially Gentiles, to Christianity all over the eastern Mediterranean. His preaching aroused considerable official hostility, and eventually he was beheaded at Rome in about AD 65. He is the author of the fourteen epistles to churches and individuals which form part of the New Testament.
Cognates: Irish Gaelic: Pól. Scottish Gaelic: Pàl (in secular use, the form Pòl being reserved for the name of the saint). Italian: Paolo. Spanish: Pablo. Catalan: Pau. Portuguese: Paulo. Danish: Poul. Swedish: Pål, Påvel. Russian, Czech: Pavel. Polish: Pawel. Ukrainian: Pavlo. Hungarian: Pál. Finnish: Paavo.
Pet forms: Russian: Pava, Pasha, Pusha. Czech: Pavlík, Pavliek, Pavlouek.
Feminine forms: English: Paula, PAULINE, PAULETTE. German: Paula. French: Paule. Czech: Pavla.

Back  -   New Search

Paula f

English and German: Latinate feminine form of PAUL, borne by various minor early saints and martyrs.

Back  -   New Search

Paulette f

French: diminutive feminine form of PAUL. It is widely used in the English-speaking world, where, however, it is a more recent importation than PAULINE.

Back  -   New Search

Paulina f

Latin feminine form of Paulinus (see PAULINO), borne by several minor early martyrs.

Back  -   New Search

Pauline f

French form of PAULINA that has long been common also in the English-speaking world, where it is now established as the most common feminine equivalent of PAUL.
Variants: English: Paulyne, Paulene, Pauleen.

Back  -   New Search

Paulino m

Spanish and Portuguese: from the Late Latin name Paulnus, a derivative of Paulus (see PAUL). St Paulinus of Nola (Pontius Meropius Anicius Paulinus) was a 5th-century bishop and early Christian poet.

Back  -   New Search

Paz f

Spanish: name derived from a title of the Virgin Mary, Nuestra Señora de la Paz ‘Our Lady of Peace’.

Back  -   New Search

Peadar m

Irish Gaelic form of PETER. In Scotland this form is reserved to refer to the saint; in secular use Pàdraig (see PÁDRAIG) is used instead.

Back  -   New Search

Pearce m

English and Irish: variant of PIERCE. It normally represents a transferred use of the English surname derived from the given name in the Middle Ages. It has been a popular name among Irish nationalists since the rising of 1916, led by the writer and educationist Patrick Henry Pearce; he was executed by the British and is regarded as a martyr to the nationalist cause.

Back  -   New Search

Pearl f

English: one of the group of names coined in the 19th century from words for precious and semi-precious stones. It has a longer history as a Jewish name, representing an Anglicized form of Yiddish Perle, an affectionate nickname or vernacular equivalent of MARGARET.
Cognates: Italian, Spanish: Perla.
Pet form: Spanish: Perlita.

Back  -   New Search

Pedr m

Welsh form of PETER.

Back  -   New Search

Pedro m

Spanish form of PETER.

Back  -   New Search

Peggy f

English: variant of MAGGIE, or of the obsolete Meggie, both pet forms of MARGARET. The reason for the alternation of M- and P-, which occurs also in Molly/Polly, is not known; it has been ascribed to Celtic influence, but this particular alternation does not correspond to any of the usual mutational patterns in Celtic languages.
Short form: Peg.

Back  -   New Search

Peig f

Irish Gaelic form of Peg (see PEGGY).
Pet form: Peigín (Anglicized as Pegeen).

Back  -   New Search

Peigi f

Scottish Gaelic form of PEGGY.

Back  -   New Search

Pekka m

Finnish: vernacular form of PETER (cf. PIETARI).

Back  -   New Search

Pelagia f

Polish: from the feminine form of the Greek name Pelagios (Latin Pelagius), a derivative of Greek pelagos open sea. The name was borne by various early saints, including a fifteen-year-old virgin martyr of the 4th century who died by throwing herself from the top of a building to preserve her chastity.
Derivatives: Russian: Pelageya. French: Pélagie.

Back  -   New Search

Pelayo m

Spanish form of Pelagius; see PELAGIA. The name was borne by a 10th-century saint who was martyred at the hands of the Moors in Cordoba, and who is still venerated in Spain.

Back  -   New Search

Peleg m

Biblical name, meaning ‘division’ in Hebrew, borne by a minor figure mentioned in a genealogy (Genesis 10: 25). The name was in use among the Puritans, but has become very rare in the modern English-speaking world. In Israel, however, it has been taken up, and is now both a given name and a surname.

Back  -   New Search

Pelham m

English: transferred use of the surname, which originated as a local name from a place in Hertfordshire, so called from the Old English personal name Po(t)la + hm homestead. From 1715 this was the surname of the dukes of Newcastle.

Back  -   New Search

Pella f

Swedish: pet form of PERNILLA, representing a dramatically contracted form of the name.

Back  -   New Search

Pelle m

Swedish: pet form of Per, the Scandinavian form of PETER.

Back  -   New Search

Pellegrino m

Italian form of PEREGRINE.

Back  -   New Search

Penelope f

English: name borne in Greek mythology by the wife of Odysseus who sat patiently awaiting his return for twenty years, meanwhile, as a supposed widow, fending off by persuasion and guile a pressing horde of suitors for her hand in marriage. Her name would seem to derive from Greek pnelops duck, and play is made with this word in the Odyssey, but this may obscure a more complex origin, now no longer known.
Short form: Pen.
Pet form: Penny (commonly used as a given name in its own right).

Back  -   New Search

Peninnah f

Jewish: traditional name meaning ‘coral’ in Hebrew. It was borne in the Scriptures by the co-wife (with Hannah) of Elkanah, the father of Samuel. In modern Hebrew it means ‘pearl’ and has become a popular name, substituting for the foreign forms Perle and PEARL.
Variants: Peninna, Penina.

Back  -   New Search

Pentti m

Finnish form of BENEDICT.

Back  -   New Search

Pepa f

Spanish: pet form of JOSEFA.
Variant: Pepita.

Back  -   New Search

Pepe m

Spanish: pet form of JOSÉ.
Variant: Pepito.

Back  -   New Search

Per m

Scandinavian: vernacular form of PETER.

Back  -   New Search

Perce m

1 English: informal short form of PERCY.

2 Irish: variant of PIERCE.
Variant (of 2): Perse.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Percival m

English: from Arthurian legend in its Old French versions, where the name is spelled Perceval. According to Chrétien de Troyes (12th century) and Wolfram von Eschenbach (c.1170–1220), Perceval (German Parzifal) was the perfectly pure and innocent knight who alone could succeed in the quest for the Holy Grail (a cup or bowl with supernatural powers, which in medieval legend was identified with the chalice that had received Christ's blood at the Crucifixion). Later versions of the Grail legend assign this role to Sir Galahad. The name Perceval probably represents a drastic remodelling of the Celtic name Peredur, as if from Old French perce(r) to pierce + va' valley. This may well have been influenced by PERCY, which was similarly analysed as a compound of perce(r) + haie hedge.

Back  -   New Search

Percy m

English: originally a transferred use of a famous surname, but long established as a given name, and now often erroneously taken as a pet or informal form of PERCIVAL. The surname originated as a Norman territorial name, borne by a baronial family who had held a fief in Normandy called Perci (from Late Latin Persicum, composed of the Gallo-Roman personal name Persius and the local suffix -cum). As a given name it was taken up in the early 18th century in the Seymour family, which had intermarried with the Percy family. The poet Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792–1822) was also distantly connected with this family, and it was partly due to his influence that the given name became more widespread. It is at present out of fashion.

Back  -   New Search

Perdita f

English: Shakespearian coinage, borne by a character in The Winter's Tale (1610). The feminine form of Latin perditus lost, it has a clear reference to the events of the play, and this is explicitly commented on in the text. The name is now more closely associated in some people's minds with a (canine) character in Dodie Smith's One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1956), made into a film by Walt Disney.

Back  -   New Search

Pere m

Catalan form of PETER.

Back  -   New Search

Peregrine m

English: from Latin Peregrnus ‘foreigner, stranger’, a name borne by various early Christian saints, perhaps referring to the belief that men and women are merely sojourners upon the earth, their true home being in heaven. In modern times the name is rare, borne mostly by Roman Catholics, who choose it in honour of those saints.
Cognate: Italian: Pellegrino.

Back  -   New Search

Perico m

Spanish: pet form of PEDRO, derived from the archaic variant Pero.

Back  -   New Search

Perla f

Italian and Spanish form of PEARL.
Pet form: Spanish: Perlita.

Back  -   New Search

Pernilla f

Swedish form of Latin Petronilla (see PETRONEL).
Cognate: Pernille (Danish).

Back  -   New Search

Peronel f

English: common medieval simplified form of PETRONEL, occasionally revived in modern times as a given name.

Back  -   New Search

Perrine f

French: feminine form of Perrin, an obsolete diminutive of PIERRE.

Back  -   New Search

Perry m

English: pet form of PEREGRINE, or transferred use of the surname Perry, which was originally a local name for someone who lived by a pear tree (Old English pirige). In modern times, it has been borne by the American singer Perry Como (b. 1912), whose name was originally Nick Perido.

Back  -   New Search

Persis f

English: of New Testament origin, from Greek Persis, originally an ethnic name meaning ‘Persian woman’. This name is borne by a woman mentioned fleetingly by St Paul—‘the beloved Persis, which laboured much in the Lord’ (Romans 16: 12)—and was taken up from there at the time of the Reformation.

Back  -   New Search

Perttu m

Finnish form of BARTHOLOMEW.

Back  -   New Search

Pesah m

Jewish: Hebrew name meaning ‘Passover’ (cf. PASCAL). It has traditionally been given to boys born during this period.
Variant: Pesach.

Back  -   New Search

Pet f

English: short form of PETULA, in part influenced by the common affectionate term of address ‘pet’, derived from the vocabulary word for a tame animal kept for companionship.

Back  -   New Search

Peta f

English: modern feminine form of PETER, not used before the 1930s.

Back  -   New Search

Peter m

English, German, and Scandinavian (learned form): name of the best-known of all Christ's apostles, traditionally regarded as the founder of the Christian Church. The name derives, via Latin, from Greek petros stone or rock. This is used as a translation of the Aramaic byname Cephas, given to the apostle Simon son of Jona, to distinguish him from another of the same name (Simon Zelotes). ‘When Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone’ (John 1: 42). According to Matthew 16: 17–18, Christ says more explicitly, ‘Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona … thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church’. In Scotland this is used as an Anglicized form of the Scottish Gaelic names listed at PÁDRAIG.
Cognates: Gaelic: Peadar. Welsh: Pedr. French: Pierre. Italian: Pietro, Piero. Spanish: Pedro. Catalan: Pere. Dutch, Flemish, and Low German: Piet. Danish, Norwegian: Per. Swedish: Petter, Per, Pär (vernacular forms). Russian: Pyotr. Ukrainian: Petro. Polish: Piotr. Czech: Petr. Hungarian: Péter. See also KEPA.
Short form (informal): English: Pete.
Pet forms: Scottish Gaelic: Peidearan. Russian: Petya. Czech: Pét'a, Pet'ka, Petulka, Petunka, Petrí(e)k, Petrouek.
Feminine forms: Latinate: Petra. English (modern): Peta. French: Pierrette. Italian: Piera. Norwegian, Danish: Petrine.

Back  -   New Search

Petra f

English: modern feminine form of PETER, representing a hypothetical Latin name Petra; petra is in fact the regular Late Latin word for ‘stone’ (Greek petra), of which petrus (see PETER) is a byform.

Back  -   New Search

Petronel f

English: from Latin Petronilla, originally a feminine diminutive of the Roman family name Petrnius (of uncertain derivation). The name Petronilla was borne by a 1st-century martyr, and early in the Christian era came to be connected with PETER, so that in many legends surrounding her she is described as a companion or even the daughter of St Peter.
Variant (Latinate): Petronella.

Back  -   New Search

Petula f

English: of uncertain origin, not used before the 20th century It is possibly a coinage intended to mean ‘supplicant, postulant’, from Late Latin petulre to ask, or there may be some connection with the flower name petunia. Alternatively, it may be an elaboration of the vocabulary word pet used as a term of endearment, with the suffix -ula abstracted from names such as Ursula.
Short form: Pet.

Back  -   New Search

Phelim m

Irish: Anglicized form of the old Gaelic name Feidhlim, of obscure derivation. St Phelim or Fidelminus was a 6th-century disciple of St Columba.

Back  -   New Search

Phil m, f

English: short form of PHILIP, PHYLLIS, or of any of the various other male and female names beginning with the syllable Phil-.

Back  -   New Search

Philbert m

English and French (rare): from a Germanic personal name composed of the elements fila much + berht bright, famous. The first element has later been associated with the Greek name element phil- love. St Philibert (c.608–84) was a Frankish monk who founded several abbeys.

Back  -   New Search

Philip m

English: from the Greek name Philippos, composed of the elements philein to love + hippos horse, which was popular in the classical period and after. It was the name of the father of Alexander the Great. It was also the name of one of Christ's apostles, of a deacon ordained by the apostles after the death of Christ, and of several other early saints. The spelling Phillip is sometimes used, although not etymologically justified; it is in part a result of the influence of the English surname Phillips, which is generally spelt with -ll-.
Cognates: Irish Gaelic: Pilib. Scottish Gaelic: Filib. French: Philippe. Italian: Filippo. Spanish: Felipe. Catalan: Felip. German: Philipp. Polish, Czech, Scandinavian: Filip. Hungarian: Fülöp. Finnish: Vilppu.
Short forms: English: Phil, Pip.
Feminine form: PHILIPPA.

Back  -   New Search

Philippa f

English and German: Latinate feminine form of PHILIP. In England during the Middle Ages the vernacular name Philip was borne by women as well as men, but female bearers were distinguished in Latin records by this form. It was not, however, used as a regular given name until the 19th century.
Variants: Philipa, Phillip(p)a.
Cognates: Russian: Filipa. Finnish: Hilppa.
Pet forms: English: Pippa. Romanian: Lipa.

Back  -   New Search

Philippina f

English and German: Latinate elaboration of PHILIPPA. In the Middle Ages it was sometimes interpreted as a compound of Greek philein to love + poin pain, punishment, since Christians were supposed to rejoice in purging themselves of their sins by pain and punishment, such as flagellation and the wearing of hairshirts.
Variants: Philipina, Phillip(p)ina.
Cognate: French: Philippine (common as a feminine form of Philippe in the Middle Ages, and still occasionally used).

Back  -   New Search

Phillida f

English: variant of PHYLLIS, derived from the genitive case (Greek Phyllidos, Latin Phyllidis) with the addition of the Latin feminine ending -a.
Variant: Phyllida.

Back  -   New Search

Philo m

English and German: from the Late Greek personal name Philn, a derivative of the element phil- love, in part as a short form of the various compound names containing this element. The name was borne by a 2nd-century saint, a deacon of St Ignatius.

Back  -   New Search

Philomena f

English and German: from the name of an obscure saint (probably of the 3rd century) with a local cult in Italy. In 1527 the bones of a young woman were discovered under the church altar at San Severino near Ancona, together with a Latin inscription declaring them to be the body of St Filomena. Her name seems to be a feminine form of Latin Philomenus, from Greek Philomens, composed of the elements philein to love + menos strength. The name became popular in the 19th century, as a result of the supposed discovery in 1802 of the relics of another St Philomena in the catacombs at Rome. All the excitement, however, resulted from the misinterpretation of the Latin inscription Filumena pax tecum ‘peace be with you, beloved’ (from Greek philoumena beloved).

Back  -   New Search

Phineas m

Biblical: name borne by two minor characters. One was a grandson of Aaron, who preserved the purity of the race of Israel and deflected God's wrath by killing an Israelite who had taken a Midianite woman to wife (Numbers 25: 6–15); the other, a son of the priest Eli, was killed in combat with the Philistines over the Ark of the Covenant (1 Samuel 1: 3; 4: 6–11). The name is spelled Phinehas in the Authorized Version, and has been taken to mean ‘serpent's mouth’ (i.e. ‘oracle’) in Hebrew, but this is an incorrect popular etymology. It is in fact derived from the Egyptian name Panhsj, originally a byname meaning ‘the Nubian’ and used as a personal name in ancient Egypt. Phineas was popular among the Puritans in the 17th century, and has been occasionally used since, especially in America. Its variants have long been popular Jewish names.
Variants: Yiddish: Pinhas, Pinchas.

Back  -   New Search

Phoebe f

English: Latinized form of the name of a Greek deity, Phoib (from phoibos bright), partially identified with Artemis, goddess of the moon and of hunting, sister of the sun god Apollo, who was also known as Phoibos (Latin Phoebus).

Back  -   New Search

Phyllis f

English and German: name of a minor character in Greek mythology who killed herself for love and was transformed into an almond tree; the Greek word phyllis means ‘foliage’, so clearly her name doomed her from the start.

Back  -   New Search

Pia f

English, Italian, Scandinavian and Polish: from the feminine form of Latin pius pious, respectful, honourable. The name is common in Italy, and is also regularly used in Eastern Europe and Scandinavia, but is a recent introduction to the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Piaras m

Irish Gaelic: name derived in the early Middle Ages from Anglo-Norman PIERS. Piaras Feiritéar (1600–53) was a Kerry chieftain and poet. In the 20th century Piaras has been used as a Gaelic form of the popular nationalist name PEARCE.

Back  -   New Search

Piedad f

Spanish: religious name celebrating the quality of piety (Latin piets, a derivative of pius; see PIA). The Virgin Mary is honoured under the title Nuestra Señora de la Piedad on 5 November.

Back  -   New Search

Pierce f

English and Irish: variant of PIERS, in use in Ireland from the time of the Norman Conquest up to the present day. In many cases it may represent a transferred use of the English surname derived from the given name in the Middle Ages.

Back  -   New Search

Pierluigi m

Italian: compound name made up of the elements Piero (see PIETRO) + LUIGI.

Back  -   New Search

Pierre m

French form of PETER.

Back  -   New Search

Pierrette f

French: feminine diminutive form of PIERRE, used as a female equivalent of that name.

Back  -   New Search

Piers m

English: regular Middle English form of PETER (from the Old French nominative case, as against the oblique Pier). In the form PIERCE it survived into the 18th century, although in part this may be a transferred use of the surname derived from the medieval given name. Piers was revived in the mid-20th century, perhaps partly under the influence of William Langland's great rambling medieval poem Piers Plowman (1367–86), in which the character of Piers symbolizes the virtues of hard work, honesty, and fairness.

Back  -   New Search

Piet m

Low German, Dutch, and Flemish form of PETER.
Variant: Dutch: Pieter.

Back  -   New Search

Pietari m

Finnish: learned form of PETER (cf. PEKKA).

Back  -   New Search

Pietro m

Italian form of PETER. The simplified form Piero was formerly more common, but has declined in frequency during the present century. The feminine form is Piera.

Back  -   New Search

Pilar f

Spanish: name referring to a title of the Virgin Mary, Nuestra Señora del Pilar ‘Our Lady of the Pillar’. The story is that in AD 40 the Virgin appeared, standing on a pillar, to St James the Greater at Saragossa. The vocabulary word pilar is masculine, but this has not inhibited its use as a feminine given name.
Pet forms: Pili (most commonly found in the combination Maripili); Pilita, Piluca.

Back  -   New Search

Pimen m

Russian: from the Greek name Poimn ‘shepherd’. The name was a popular one among early Christians because of the New Testament parable of the Good Shepherd and his flock (cf. PASTOR). It was borne in the 5th century by a hermit who lived in the Egyptian desert; he is a saint still greatly venerated in the Eastern Church.
Pet form: Pima.

Back  -   New Search

Pinchas m

Yiddish form of PHINEAS, still in regular use as a Jewish name.
Variant: Pinhas.

Back  -   New Search

Pino m

Italian: short form of any of various diminutive given names such as Filippino, Giacoppino, and Giuseppino, derived from Filippo (PHILIP), Giacobbe (JACOB/JAMES), and Giuseppe (JOSEPH) respectively.

Back  -   New Search

Pio m

Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese: from Latin Pius (see PIA).

Back  -   New Search

Piotr m

Polish form of PETER.

Back  -   New Search

Pip m

English: contracted short form of PHILIP, best known as the name of the main character in Charles Dickens's Great Expectations (1861), whose full name was Philip Pirrip.

Back  -   New Search

Pippa f

English: contracted pet form of PHILIPPA, now quite commonly used as an independent given name. It was popularized in the 19th century by Browning's narrative poem Pippa Passes (1841), in which the heroine is a child worker in an Italian silk-mill, whose innocent admiration of ‘great’ people is ironically juxtaposed with their sordid lives. The name is presumably supposed to be Italian, but is not in fact used in Italy.

Back  -   New Search

Pirjo f

Finnish form of BRIDGET.
Variant: Pirkko.

Back  -   New Search

Pirmin m

S. German, Austrian, and Swiss (Romansch): name borne by an 8th-century saint who founded numerous Benedictine monasteries, for example at Amorbach, Murbach, and Reichenau. It seems to be an altered form of FIRMIN.

Back  -   New Search

Placido m

Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese: from the Late Latin name Placidus ‘untroubled’. This name was commonly borne by early Christians, to express their serenity in the faith, and there are several minor saints so called.

Back  -   New Search

Poldi m

German (esp. Bavarian): pet form of LUITPOLD.

Back  -   New Search

Polina f

Russian: pet form of APOLLINARIA.

Back  -   New Search

Pòlit m

Catalan: variant form of Hipòlit (see HIPPOLYTE).

Back  -   New Search

Polly f

English: variant of MOLLY, now established as a given name in its own right. The reason for the interchange of M- and P- is not clear; cf. PEGGY.
Short form: Poll.

Back  -   New Search

Pompeo m

Italian: from the old Roman family name Pompeius, of uncertain origin. It is probably derived from an Italic dialectal word for ‘five’, and so is ultimately a doublet of QUINTUS and PONS. The name was borne by a few early saints, but owes its modern use to revival during the Renaissance, in tribute to the Roman general and statesman Pompey the Great (Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, 106–48 BC).

Back  -   New Search

Pomuk m

Czech: short form of NEPOMUK.

Back  -   New Search

Pons m

French: from Latin Pontius, originally a family name of uncertain origin. It is probably derived from an Italic dialectal word for ‘five’, and so is ultimately a doublet of QUINTUS and POMPEO. In spite of its unfortunate association with Pontius Pilate, the Roman procurator of Judea who ordered the crucifixion of Jesus, it came to be used occasionally as a given name in honour of the cult of St Pons of Cimiez (d. 258).
Cognates: Italian: Ponzio. Spanish: Poncio. Catalan: Ponç.

Back  -   New Search

Poppy f

English: from the name of the flower, Old English popæg (ultimately from Latin papver). It has been used as a given name since the latter years of the 19th century, and reached a peak of popularity in the 1920s.

Back  -   New Search

Porfirio m

Italian and Spanish: from Late Latin Porphyrius, Greek Porphyrios, a derivative of porphyra purple dye (apparently of oriental origin). This name was borne by some half dozen saints of the first centuries AD.

Back  -   New Search

Porick m

Irish: Anglicized spelling of Gaelic PÁDRAIG, representing a common pronunciation of that name.

Back  -   New Search

Portia f

English: name that occurs twice in the works of Shakespeare, once as the name of the wife of Brutus in Julius Caesar. The historical Brutus' wife was called Porcia, feminine form of the Roman family name Porcius, which is apparently a derivative of Latin porcus pig. The main influence on the choice of this given name, however, is undoubtedly the other Shakespearian character of this name, an heiress in The Merchant of Venice who, disguised as a man, shows herself to be a brilliant advocate.

Back  -   New Search

Posy f

English: pet form (originally a nursery version) of JOSEPHINE. It has also been associated with the vocabulary word posy bunch of flowers (originally a collection of verses, from poesy poetry), and is occasionally used as an independent given name, fitting into the series of names associated with flowers.

Back  -   New Search

Poul m

Danish form of PAUL.

Back  -   New Search

Praskovya f

Russian: vernacular form of learned Paraskeva, from Late Greek (megal) paraskeu (Good) Friday (from classical Greek paraskeu preparation). A saint of this name is venerated in the Eastern Church as having been martyred in the 1st century, together with Photina, Joseph, Victor, Sebastian, Anatolius, Photius, Photis, and Cyriaca.
Pet form: Pasha.

Back  -   New Search

Preben m

Danish: from medieval Pridbjørn, a reworking (with assimilation to the Scandinavian element bjørn bear) of the Slavonic personal name Pritbor, composed of the elements prid foremost, leading + bor battle.

Back  -   New Search

Presentación f

Spanish: religious name referring to the feast of the Presentation (Spanish presentación, from Late Latin praesenttio, a derivative of praesens present), commemorating the presentation of the Virgin Mary in the temple at Jerusalem after the birth of Christ. This has been celebrated (on 21 November) since the 5th century in the Eastern Church and since the 7th century in the Western. However, since it is largely based on incidents in the apocryphal ‘Book of James’, its significance has been played down in modern times.
Short form: Presen.

Back  -   New Search

Preston m

English: transferred use of the surname, which originated as a local name from any of the numerous places in England named with the Old English elements prost priest + tn enclosure, settlement.

Back  -   New Search

Pribislav m

Russian form of PRZYBYSAW.

Back  -   New Search

Primitivo m

Spanish: from the Late Latin name Prmitvus ‘earliest’ (a derivative of prmus first; see PRIMO). The name was borne by various early martyrs, most notably one born at León in Spain and beheaded c.300 together with his companion St Facundus.

Back  -   New Search

Primo m

Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese: from the Late Latin name Prmus ‘first’, borne by four minor early saints.
Cognate: Polish: Prym.

Back  -   New Search

Primrose f

English: one of the several female names taken from words for flowers in the late 19th century. The word is from Latin prima rosa first rose, although it does not in fact have any connection with the rose family and does not bloom particularly early.

Back  -   New Search

Prince m

English: originally a nickname from the royal title. The Old French title prince (Latin princeps, from prmus first + capere to take, i.e. one who took the first place) was introduced to Britain by the Normans; before the Conquest young members of the royal house had been known as æðelingas (from Old English æðel noble). As a given name, Prince is common among Blacks in America; it was often bestowed on slaves with cruel irony, but has been perpetuated by their descendants with pride.

Back  -   New Search

Prisca f

Of New Testament origin: feminine form of the Roman family name Priscus (originally a nickname meaning ‘ancient’). Prisca (2 Timothy 4: 19) and Priscilla (Acts 18: 3) are apparently the same person, but it is the diminutive form which became established as a common given name.

Back  -   New Search

Priscilla f

Of New Testament origin: from a post-classical Latin personal name, a feminine diminutive of the Roman family name Priscus (see PRISCA). Priscilla was the name of a woman with whom St Paul stayed at Corinth (Acts 18: 3), referred to elsewhere as Prisca. The name was popular among the Puritans in the 17th century and again enjoyed a vogue in the 19th century.

Back  -   New Search

Proinséas f

Irish Gaelic form of FRANCES.

Back  -   New Search

Proinsias m

Irish Gaelic form of FRANCIS.

Back  -   New Search

Prokhor m

Russian: from Greek Prokhoros, originally a name given to the leader of a troupe of singers and dancers (from pro before, ahead + khorein to sing, dance). St Prochorus was one of the seven deacons ordained by the apostles (Acts 6: 5); according to tradition, he later went on to become bishop of Nicomedia and was martyred at Antioch.
Pet forms: Pronya, Prosha.

Back  -   New Search

Prokopi m

Russian: from Greek Prokopios, a derivative of prokop success, progress, prosperity (from pro before, ahead + koptein to cut, hit). The name was borne by the first victim of the Diocletianic persecution in Palestine (beheaded at Caesarea Maritima in 303), and later by the founder (c.980–1053) of the Sabaza abbey in Prague.
Variant: Prokofi (vernacular form).
Cognate: Polish, Czech: Prokop.
Pet forms: Russian: Pronya, Prosha.

Back  -   New Search

Prosper m

French and English: from the Latin name Prosperus, derived from the adjective prosper fortunate, prosperous (originally ‘according to one's wishes’, Latin pro spe). This was the name of various early saints, including a 5th-century theologian and contemporaneous bishops of Orléans and Reggio. It was a favourite among the English Puritans, partly because of its association with the English vocabulary word prosper, but is now rare. In France it is best known as the given name of the writer Prosper Mérimée (1803–70).
Cognate: Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese: PROSPERO.

Back  -   New Search

Prospero m

Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese form of PROSPER. This form of the name was used by Shakespeare for the central figure of the magician and Duke of Milan in The Tempest, and for this reason it has very occasionally been adopted in the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Prudence f

English: originally a medieval form of the Latin name Prdentia, a feminine form of Prdentius, from prdens provident. The Blessed Prudentia was a 15th-century abbess who founded a new convent at Como in Italy. Later, among the Puritans in 17th-century England, Prudence was used as a quality name, taken from the vocabulary word.
Short forms: Prue, Pru.

Back  -   New Search

Prudencio m

Spanish and Portuguese: from Late Latin Prdentius, a derivative of prdens provident, prudent. Prudentius was the name of two Spanish saints. One, who lived in the 8th century, was born at Armentia in the province of Álava and became bishop of Tarazona in Aragon. The second (d. 861) was originally called Galindo, but changed his name to Prudentius when he moved to France to escape the Moors; he eventually became bishop of Troyes.
Cognate: Italian: Prudenzio.

Back  -   New Search

Prunella f

English: Latinate name, probably one of the names coined in the 19th century from vocabulary words for plants and flowers, in this case from a diminutive derived from Late Latin pruna plum. The name has enjoyed a minor vogue in the latter part of the 20th century, and is borne by two well-known English actresses, Prunella Scales and Prunella Gee.
Short forms: Prue, Pru.

Back  -   New Search

Pryderi m

Welsh: traditional name meaning ‘caring for’ (later ‘anxiety’). It is borne in the Mabinogi by Pryderi, son of Pwyll, who makes several appearances in the narrative.

Back  -   New Search

Prym m

Polish form of PRIMO.

Back  -   New Search

Przemys m

Polish: originally a byname from an Old Polish noun meaning ‘trick, stratagem’, given to a cunning person. This name was borne by two Polish kings of the Middle Ages, Przemysl I (?1220–57) and Przemysl II (1257–96).
Cognate: Czech: Pemysl.
Pet forms: Polish: Przemko. Czech: Pem(ou)ek, Myslík.

Back  -   New Search

Przybysaw m

Polish: from an old Slavonic personal name composed of the elements pribit to be present, help + slav glory.
Cognates: Czech: Pibislav. Russian: Pribislav.
Feminine form: Czech: Pibislava.
Pet forms: Czech: Piba, Pibík, Pibiek m; Pibka, Pibna, Pibuka f.

Back  -   New Search

Purificación f

Spanish: Marian name, taken in honour of the feast of the Purification (Spanish purificación, from Late Latin purifictio, a derivative of purus pure + facere to make). This feast is celebrated on 2 February, and commemorates the day when, in accordance with Jewish law, the Virgin Mary took her son Jesus to the temple for the first time to present him to God and be herself purged of the uncleanliness associated with childbirth.
Short form: Pura.
Pet form: Purita.

Back  -   New Search

Pusha m

Russian: pet form of Pavel (see PAUL).

Back  -   New Search

Pyotr m

Russian form of PETER.

Back  -   New Search

Q

Queenie f

English: from the affectionate nickname Queen (going back to Old English cwn, related to cwene woman, respelled as if derived from Latin), with the addition of the hypocoristic suffix -ie (originally characteristic of northern England and Scotland). In the Victorian era it was sometimes used as an allusive pet form for VICTORIA. As a Jewish name it represents an Anglicized form of MALKAH.

Back  -   New Search

Quentin m

English and French: from the Old French form of the Latin name Quintnus, a derivative of the given name QUINTUS. The name was borne by a 3rd-century saint who worked as a missionary in Gaul.
Variants: English: Quintin, QUINTON.
Cognates: Scottish Gaelic: Caointean, Caoidhean.

Back  -   New Search

Quincy m

English (chiefly U.S.): transferred use of the surname, originally a Norman baronial name borne by the family that held lands at Cuinchy in Pasde-Calais, Normandy, so called from the Gallo-Roman personal name QUINTUS and the local suffix -cum. This was the surname of a prominent New England family in the colonial era. Josiah Quincy (1744–75) was a lawyer and Revolutionary patriot, a close friend of John Adams (1735–1826), who became second president of the United States (1797–1801). The latter's son, John Quincy Adams (1767–1848), also served as president (1825–9). He may have received his middle name in honour of his father's Josiah Quincy, or it may have been taken from the township of Quincy, Massachusetts, where he was born and where the Adams family had their seat.
Variant: Quincey.

Back  -   New Search

Quinton m

English: variant of QUENTIN, influenced by the surname of this form, which originated in the Middle Ages as a local name from any of several places named with the Old English vocabulary elements cwn queen + tn enclosure, settlement.

Back  -   New Search

Quintus m

English: an old Roman given name meaning ‘fifth’. It has been used in the English-speaking world, mainly in the 19th century, for the fifth-born son or male fifth-born child in a family (cf. SEXTUS, SEPTIMUS, OCTAVIUS, and NONA).

Back  -   New Search

Quique m

Spanish: pet form of ENRIQUE.

Back  -   New Search

Quirce m

Spanish: from Latin Quiricus, which apparently represents a variant of Cyricus (see CIRIACO), crossed with Quirnus (see CORIN). The name was borne by a three-year-old boy martyred at Tarsus in 304 together with his mother Julitta.
Cognate: Catalan: Quire.

Back  -   New Search

Quirino m

Italian: from Latin Quirnus (see CORIN).

Back  -   New Search

R

Rabbie m

Scottish: pet form of ROBERT, from the short form Rab, Rob. It is now often associated with the poet Robert Burns (1759–96).

Back  -   New Search

Rachel f

English, French, and German: biblical name meaning ‘ewe’ in Hebrew. This was borne by the beloved wife of Jacob and mother (after long barrenness) of Joseph (Genesis 28–35) and of Benjamin, at whose birth she died. In the Middle Ages and later this was a characteristically Jewish name. It is still extremely popular among Jews, but is now widely used among Gentiles as well. In Scotland it has long been used as an Anglicized form of Raghnaid (see RAGHNAILT).
Variants: English: RACHELLE; Rachael (apparently by association with MICHAEL).
Cognates: Spanish: RAQUEL. Italian: Rachele. Scandinavian: Rakel.

Back  -   New Search

Rachelle f

English: elaborated form of RACHEL, as if from French, but actually a recent coinage in English. The French form of the name is also Rachel, but this is not very common.

Back  -   New Search

Racaw m

Polish: contracted form of RADOSAW.

Back  -   New Search

Rada f

Slavonic: short form of various female compound names containing the vocabulary element rad glad, as for example Radostawa (see RADOSAW).

Back  -   New Search

Radek m

Czech: pet form (with the diminutive suffix -ek) derived from a short form of any of the various Slavonic compound names containing the element rad glad, as for example Radimír (see RADZIMIERZ) and Radoslav (see RADOSAW).
Variants: Radík, Radko, Rado, Radan, Radeek, Radouek.

Back  -   New Search

Radosaw m

Polish: from an old Slavonic personal name composed of the vocabulary elements rad glad + slav glory.
Cognate: Czech, Russian: Radoslav.
Feminine forms: Polish: Radosawa. Czech: Radoslava.

Back  -   New Search

Radu m

Romanian: short form of the various male names of Slavonic origin containing the element rad glad (cf. e.g. RADZIMIERZ and RADOSAW).

Back  -   New Search

Radzimierz m

Polish: from an old Slavonic personal name composed of the elements rad glad + meri great, famous (see CASIMIR).
Variant: Radzim.
Cognates: Czech: Radimír, Radomír, Radim. Russian: Radimir.
Feminine form: Czech: Radomíra.

Back  -   New Search

Rae f

Australian and English: probably originally a short form of RACHEL, but now generally taken as a feminine form of RAY or RAYMOND. It is also possible that in some cases it represents a transferred use of the Scottish surname Rae, originally either a short form of MacRae (from a Gaelic personal name meaning ‘son of grace’) or a nickname from the roebuck. It is often used in combinations such as Rae Ellen and Mary Rae.

Back  -   New Search

Raelene f

Australian: fanciful coinage of recent origin, from RAE + the productive feminine suffix -lene.

Back  -   New Search

Rafael m

Spanish and Portuguese form (also a German variant) of RAPHAEL.
Pet form: Spanish: Rafa.

Back  -   New Search

Rafal m

Polish form of RAPHAEL.

Back  -   New Search

Rafe m

English: spelling representation of the traditional pronunciation of the name RALPH, a pronunciation now largely restricted to the upper classes in England.

Back  -   New Search

Rafel m

Catalan form of RAPHAEL.

Back  -   New Search

Raffaele m

Italian form of RAPHAEL.
Variant: Raffaello.

Back  -   New Search

Raghnailt f

Irish Gaelic: from Norse RAGNHILD. This was a very common woman's given name in medieval Ireland, often rendered in Latin documents as REGINA.
Cognate: Scottish Gaelic: Raghnaid.

Back  -   New Search

Raghnall m

Irish and Scottish Gaelic: name borrowed from Old Norse Rögnvaldr (see RAGNVALD). It is usually Anglicized as Ronald, Ranald, or Randal.
Variant: Raonull.

Back  -   New Search

Ragna f

Scandinavian: from the Old Norse female personal name Ragna, a short form of the various compound names containing the element regin advice, decision (also, the gods), as, for example, RAGNBORG and RAGNHILD. The name was used in the Viking period and revived in the late 19th century. In modern use it is to a large extent taken as a feminine form of RAGNAR.

Back  -   New Search

Ragnar m

Scandinavian: from an Old Norse personal name cognate with RAYNER.

Back  -   New Search

Ragnborg f

Scandinavian: from an Old Norse female personal name composed of the elements regin advice, decision (also, the gods) + borg fortification. The name was used in the Viking period and revived in the 19th century.
Variant: Ramborg (Swedish).

Back  -   New Search

Ragnhild f

Scandinavian: from an Old Norse female personal name composed of the elements regin advice, decision (also, the gods) + hildr battle.
Variant: Ragnild.
Cognates: Irish Gaelic: Raghnailt. Scottish Gaelic: Raghnaid.

Back  -   New Search

Ragnvald m

Scandinavian: from the Old Norse personal name Rögnvaldr, composed of the elements regin advice, decision (also, the gods) + valdr ruler. This name is cognate with the West Germanic form REYNOLD. See also RONALD.

Back  -   New Search

Raibeart m

Scottish Gaelic form of ROBERT.

Back  -   New Search

Raimondo m

Italian form of RAYMOND.

Back  -   New Search

Raimundo m

Spanish and Portuguese form of RAYMOND.

Back  -   New Search

Raina f

Polish and Czech form of REGINA, also sometimes used in the English-speaking world, to which it was introduced by George Bernard Shaw, as the name of a character in Arms and the Man (1894).

Back  -   New Search

Raine f

English: of modern origin and uncertain derivation. It is possibly a respelling of the French vocabulary word reine queen (cf. REGINA and RAINA), or a transferred use of the surname Raine or Rayne. The surname is derived from various medieval given names beginning with the Germanic element ra(g)in advice, decision. In modern times, this given name is borne by the Countess Spencer, daughter of the romantic novelist Barbara Cartland and step-mother of the Princess of Wales.

Back  -   New Search

Rainer m

German form of RAYNER.

Back  -   New Search

Rainerio m

Spanish form of RAYNER.

Back  -   New Search

Rainier m

French form of RAYNER.

Back  -   New Search

Raisa f

Russian: from the Late Greek name Raisa, of uncertain derivation. It may be a derivative of rhain, comparative of rhadios easy-going, adaptable. The name was borne by a Christian martyr executed in 308. It has recently come to prominence as the name of the wife of the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.
Pet form: Raya.

Back  -   New Search

Rakel f

Scandinavian form of RACHEL.

Back  -   New Search

Ralph m

English: of Norman origin, representing a contracted form of the Germanic name Radulf, composed of the elements rd counsel + wulf wolf. The spelling with -ph is the result of classically influenced ‘improvement’ in the 18th century.
Variants: Ralf, RAFF.
Cognates: French: Raoul. Italian: Raul. Spanish: Raúl.

Back  -   New Search

Ramborg f

Swedish: assimilated variant of RAGNBORG.

Back  -   New Search

Ramiro m

Spanish: of Germanic (Visigothic) origin. It is probably composed of the elements ragin advice, decision + mri, mri famous. St Ramirus was a 5th-or 6th-century prior who was martyred at León by the Visigoths, who subscribed to the Arian heresy, which he opposed.

Back  -   New Search

Ramón m

Spanish form of RAYMOND. This name is in frequent use in America among people of Hispanic descent, but has not been taken up outside such communities to anything like the same extent as the feminine form RAMONA.
Pet from: Moncho.

Back  -   New Search

Ramona f

Spanish: feminine form of RAMÓN. This has achieved some popularity in recent decades with non-Hispanic parents in America and, to a lesser extent, in Britain, partly due to the influence of a popular song about a girl called Ramona.

Back  -   New Search

Ramsay m

Scottish: transferred use of the Scottish surname, which was originally a local name imported to Scotland from Ramsey in Huntingdonshire (so called from Old English hramsa wild garlic + g island). In the 12th century David, brother of King Alexander I of Scotland, was brought up at the English court, and acquired the earldoms of Huntingdon and Northampton. When he succeeded his brother as king, he took many of his retainers and associates with him to Scotland, and some of them took their surnames with them from places in eastern England. This explains why some famous Scottish surnames, such as Ramsay, Lindsay, Graham, etc., are derived from placenames in that part of England. Some of these surnames have in turn gone on to be used as given names.
Variant: Ramsey.

Back  -   New Search

Ran m

English and Scottish: short form of the various names beginning with this syllable, as, for example, RANDOLF, RANALD, and RANULF.

Back  -   New Search

Ranald m

Scottish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Raghnall, which itself is borrowed from Old Norse Rögnvaldr (see RAGNVALD).

Back  -   New Search

Randa f

English: short form of MIRANDA. See also RANDY.

Back  -   New Search

Randall m

English: a regular medieval form of RANDOLF. This fell out of use, but before it did so gave rise to a surname. Modern use of the given name represents a transferred use of this surname.
Variants: Randal, Randel(l), Randle.

Back  -   New Search

Randolf m

English: of Norman origin, derived from a Germanic personal name composed of the elements rand rim, edge (of a shield) + wulf wolf.
Variant: Randolph.

Back  -   New Search

Randy m, f

English (esp. U.S. and Australian): as a male name this originated as a pet form of RANDALL, RANDOLF, or, in some cases, ANDREW. As a female name it may have originated either as a transferred use of the male name or else as a pet form of MIRANDA (cf. RANDA). It is now fairly commonly used as an independent name, mainly by men, in spite of the unfortunate connotations of the slang term randy meaning ‘lustful’.
Variants: Randi, Randie f.

Back  -   New Search

Raniero m

Italian form of RAYNER, a relatively late coinage under French influence.
Short form: NERO.

Back  -   New Search

Ransu m

Finnish form of FRANCIS.

Back  -   New Search

Ranulf m

Scottish: from an Old Norse personal name, Reginulfr, composed of the elements regin advice, decision (also, the gods) + úlfr wolf. The name was introduced into Scotland by Scandinavian settlers in the early Middle Ages.

Back  -   New Search

Raoul m

French form of RALPH, occasionally used in the English-speaking world. The form Raul (sometimes pronounced as a single syllable) is either a simplified spelling, or a use of the Italian or Spanish form.

Back  -   New Search

Raphael m

English, French, and German: from early Christian tradition, in which it is the name of one of the archangels (see also GABRIEL and MICHAEL). It is composed of Hebrew vocabulary elements meaning ‘to heal’ and ‘God’. Raphael is not named in the canonical text of the Bible, but plays a part in the apocryphal tale of Tobias. The shorter form Rapha ‘he (God) heals’ (cf. NATHANIEL and NATHAN) is borne by several characters in the Old Testament. The name has always been much more common in southern Europe than in Britain, and use in the English-speaking world today generally reflects southern European influence. It has also become a popular modern Hebrew name.
Variant: German: Rafael.
Cognates: Italian: Raffaele, Raffaello. Spanish, Portuguese: Rafael. Catalan: Rafel. Polish: Rafal.
Pet form: Spanish: Rafa.

Back  -   New Search

Raquel f

Spanish form of RACHEL, brought to public attention by the fame and good looks of the film actress Raquel Welch (b. 1940 as Raquel Tejada, in Chicago). Her father was Bolivian, her mother of English parentage.

Back  -   New Search

Rastus m

English: of New Testament origin, where it is a short form of the Latin name Erastus (Greek Erastos, from ern to love). This was the name of the treasurer of Corinth converted to Christianity by St Paul (Romans 16: 23). In the early 20th century Rastus came to be regarded as a typically Black name, for reasons which are unclear.

Back  -   New Search

Rathnait f

Irish Gaelic: name representing a feminine diminutive form of rath grace, prosperity.
Anglicized form: RONIT.

Back  -   New Search

Raúl m

Spanish form of RALPH.

Back  -   New Search

Ray m

English: short form of RAYMOND, now often used as an independent name. In a few instances it may represent a transferred use of the surname Ray, which was normally first acquired as a nickname, from Old French rei, roi king (cf. ROY and LEROY).

Back  -   New Search

Raya f

Russian: pet form of RAISA.

Back  -   New Search

Raymond m

English and French: of Norman origin, derived from a Germanic personal name composed of the elements ragin advice, decision + mund protector. It dropped out of use, but was revived in the middle of the 19th century, together with several other given names of Anglo-Saxon and Norman Germanic origin.
Cognates: Irish: Réamann (Gaelic); Redmond (Anglicized). German: Rei(n)mund, Raimund. Italian: Raimondo. Spanish: RAMÓN, Raimundo. Portuguese: Raimundo.
Short form: English: RAY.
Feminine forms: French, English: Raymonde (rare). German: Raimunde. Italian: Raimonda. Spanish: RAMONA, Raimunda.

Back  -   New Search

Rayner m

English: of Norman origin, derived from a Germanic personal name composed of the elements ragin advice, decision + heri, hari army, warrior. As a modern given name it in part represents a transferred use of the surname derived from this given name in the Middle Ages.
Cognates: German: Rainer. Scandinavian: Ragnar. Danish: Regner. French: Rainier. Italian: Raniero. Spanish: Rainerio.

Back  -   New Search

Read m

American, Scottish, and English: transferred use of the English surname. In most cases, this originated as a nickname for someone with red hair or a ruddy complexion (from Old English rad red; cf. REID). In other cases, it may have arisen as a local name, from Old English hrod reeds or rod cleared land.

Back  -   New Search

Reanna f

English: modern name, apparently an altered form of DEANNA, influenced by the Welsh name RHIANNON. The form Reanne is also used.

Back  -   New Search

Rearden m

Irish: variant of RIORDAN.

Back  -   New Search

Rebecca f

Biblical: from the Latin form of the Hebrew name Rebekah, borne by the wife of Isaac, who was the mother of Esau and Jacob (Genesis 24–7). The Hebrew root occurs in the Bible only in the vocabulary word marbek cattle stall, and its connection with the name is doubtful. In any case, Rebecca was Aramean, and the name probably has a source in Aramaic. It has always been common among Jews; in England and elsewhere it began to be used also by Christians at the time of the Reformation, when Old Testament names became popular. It was very common among the Puritans in the 17th century, and has enjoyed a further vogue in England in the latter part of the 20th century, among people of many different creeds. In the Scottish Highlands it has been used as an Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Beathag (see BEATHAN).
Variants: French: Rébecca. Spanish, Portuguese: Rebeca. German, Danish, Norwegian: Rebekka. Swedish: Rebecka. Hebrew: Rivka.
Short form: English: Becca.
Pet form: English: Becky.

Back  -   New Search

Redmond m

Irish: apparently an Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Réamann, itself a form of RAYMOND. An alternative explanation, which better accounts for the form of the name, derives it from an Old English personal name composed of the elements rd counsel + mund protectoi.

Back  -   New Search

Reenie f

English: respelling of Renée (see RENÉ), representing the Anglicized pronunciation of the name. It may also occasionally represent a pet form of various names ending in the syllable -reen, such as DOREEN and MAUREEN.

Back  -   New Search

Rees m

Welsh and English: Anglicized spelling of the Welsh name RHYS, in some cases representing a transferred use of the surname so spelled, which is derived from the Welsh given name.

Back  -   New Search

Refugio f

Spanish: religious name referring to the Marian title, Nuestra Señora de Refugio ‘Our Lady of Refuge’.
Pet form: Fucho.

Back  -   New Search

Reg m

English: short form of REGINALD, often preferred by bearers of that name for use in almost all situations, but rarely actually bestowed as a baptismal name.

Back  -   New Search

Regan f

English: apparently of Shakespearian origin. This is the name of one of the three daughters in King Lear (1605), a most unattractive character, who flatters her father into giving her half his kingdom and then turns him out into a raging storm at night. It is not known where Shakespeare got the name; he presumably believed it to be of Celtic origin. Modern use has been reinforced by the Irish surname Re(a)gan (Gaelic Ó Riagáin).

Back  -   New Search

Reggie m

English: pet form of REG, common in the 19th and early 20th century, but now less so.

Back  -   New Search

Regina f

English: from the Latin nickname meaning ‘queen’. It seems to have been occasionally used among early Christians; a St Regina, probably of the 3rd century, was venerated as a virgin martyr at Autun from an early date. In modern use it is normally borne by Roman Catholics in allusion to the Marian epithet Regina Coeli ‘Queen of Heaven’, a cult title since the 8th century. In Ireland it has sometimes also been used as a Latinized form of RAGHNAILT and RIONA.

Back  -   New Search

Reginald m

English: of Norman origin, derived from Reginaldus, a Latinized form of REYNOLD influenced by Latin regina queen. It is now regarded as very formal, and bearers generally shorten it to REG in ordinary usage.

Back  -   New Search

Régine f

French form of REGINA.

Back  -   New Search

Régis m

French: name given in honour of St Jean-François Régis (d. 1640) of Narbonne, who strove to reform prostitutes. His surname derives from an Old Provençal word meaning ‘ruler’.

Back  -   New Search

Regner m

Danish: variant of RAGNAR.

Back  -   New Search

Regula f

Mainly Swiss: from Latin rgula rule (of conduct), adopted as a name by early Christians in their zeal for following the precepts laid down by Christ. It was borne by a 3rd-century saint who was martyred near Zurich, together with her brother Felix. She is the patron saint of Zurich.

Back  -   New Search

eho m

Czech form of GREGORY.
Pet forms: ehoek, ehrek, ehák; Hoek, Hoik.

Back  -   New Search

Reid m

Scottish and N. English: transferred use of the surname, which originated as a nickname for someone with red hair or a ruddy complexion (from Old English rad red; cf. READ).

Back  -   New Search

Reijo m

Finnish form of GREGORY.

Back  -   New Search

Reine f, m

1 (f.) French: vernacular descendant of Latin rgina queen (cf. RÉGINE), probably arising for the most part from a medieval affectionate nickname.

2 (m.) Swedish: short form of the (originally German) given names REINHARD and REINHOLD.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Reinhard m

German form of REYNARD.

Back  -   New Search

Reinhold m

German form of REYNOLD.

Back  -   New Search

Reinmund m

German form of RAYMOND.
Variants: Reimund, Raimund.

Back  -   New Search

Reisel f

Jewish: Yiddish pet form of Reise, itself a Yiddish form of ROSE.
Variant: Reisl.

Back  -   New Search

Rella f

Jewish: from Yiddish Rele, originally a pet form of either RACHEL, REBECCA, or REISEL, but now used as an independent given name.

Back  -   New Search

Rema m

Russian: pet form of YEFREM.

Back  -   New Search

Remedios f

Spanish: religious name from a title of the Virgin Mary, Nuestra Señora de los Remedios, referring to her promised intervention to relieve the suffering of those who pray to her (from Spanish remedio remedy, relief, help, from Latin remedium cure, remedy, a derivative of (re)medre to cure, restore to health).

Back  -   New Search

Reményke f

Hungarian: loan translation of the Russian name NADEZHDA, from Hungarian remény hope.

Back  -   New Search

Remus m

English: the name, according to ancient Roman tradition, of the brother of Romulus, co-founder with him of the city of Rome. In America this rare given name is associated particularly with the ‘Uncle Remus’ stories of Joel Chandler Harris (1848–1908), Uncle Remus being a Black who is the narrator of the stories.
Italian form: Remo (much less common than ROMOLO).

Back  -   New Search

Rémy m

French: from Latin Rmigius, a derivative of rmex (genitive rmigis) oarsman (from rmus oar + agere to ply, work). The name was borne by a 6th-century bishop of Rheims who was responsible for the conversion and baptism of. Clovis, king of the Franks, and also by an 8th-century bishop of Rouen, the latter being an illegitimate son of King Charles Martel (grandfather of Charlemagne). There has been some confusion with the name Remedius (from Latin (re)medre to heal; cf. REMEDIOS), borne by an early bishop of Gap in the French Alps.
Cognates: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese: Remigio.

Back  -   New Search

Rena f

English: of recent origin, either an altered form of Renée (see RENÉ) or else a variant spelling of RINA.

Back  -   New Search

Renata f

The original Latin form of Renée (see RENÉ). This form of the name is now common in Italy (although it was seldom used there until the mid-19th century), and it is also used in Germany (beside Renate), Poland, and Czechoslovakia.

Back  -   New Search

René m

French: from the Late Latin name Rentus ‘reborn’, used by early Christians as a baptismal name celebrating spiritual rebirth in Christ. The feminine form is generally commoner than the masculine, especially in Britain.
Cognates: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese: Renato. Catalan: Renat.
Feminine forms: French and English: Renée. Italian, English, German, Polish, and Czech: RENATA. German: Renate.

Back  -   New Search

Resi f

German: pet form of Theresia; see THERESA.
Variants: Reser (S. Germany); Resli (Switzerland).

Back  -   New Search

Reto m

Swiss: originally an ethnic name for someone from the region of R(h)aetia in east Switzerland, so called from its original occupaton by a Celtic tribe called the R(h)aeti.

Back  -   New Search

Reuben m

Biblical: Hebrew name borne by one of the twelve sons of Jacob, and so the name of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. It is said to mean ‘behold, a son’ in Hebrew. Genesis 29: 32 explains it as follows: ‘and Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the Lord hath looked upon my affliction: now therefore my husband will love me’. In Genesis 30: 14–15, Reuben is depicted as a devoted son to his mother, but he incurred his father's wrath for seducing his concubine Bilhah and on his deathbed Jacob, rather than blessing him, cursed Reuben because of this incident (Genesis 49: 4). Despite this, the name has enjoyed popularity among Jews. Among Christians the name experienced something of a vogue at the Reformation, and again in the 19th century, but it is out of fashion at present.
Variant (esp. Jewish): Reuven.
Cognates: Spanish: Rubén. Scandinavian: Ruben. Finnish: Ruupeni, Ruuppo.
Short form (informal): U.S.: Rube.

Back  -   New Search

Reuel m

Biblical: name (meaning ‘friend of God’ in Hebrew) borne by a character mentioned in a genealogy (2 Chronicles 9: 8).

Back  -   New Search

Rex m

English: from Latin rex king. This was not used as a personal name in Latin of the classical or Christian periods, and its adoption as a given name seems to have been a 19th-century innovation.

Back  -   New Search

Rexanne f

English: apparently an altered form of ROXANE, based on the male given name REX.

Back  -   New Search

Reynard m

English: of Norman origin, derived from a Germanic personal name composed of the elements ragin advice, decision + hard hardy, brave, strong. In French, renard (derived from this name) has become the generic name for a fox, as a result of the popularity of medieval beast tales featuring Re(y)nard le goupil ‘Reynard the fox’.
Cognate: German: Reinhard.

Back  -   New Search

Reynold m

English: of Norman origin, derived from a Germanic personal name composed of the elements ragin advice, decision + wald ruler.
Variant: REGINALD. See also RONALD.
Cognates: Welsh: Rheinallt. French: Reynaud. Italian: Rinaldo. German: Reinhold. See also RAGNVALD.

Back  -   New Search

Rezsö m

Hungarian form of RUDOLF.

Back  -   New Search

Rhea f

The name borne, according to ancient Roman tradition, by the mother (Rhea Silvia) of Romulus and Remus, who grew up to be the founders of the city of Rome. It was also a title of the goddess Cybele, introduced to Rome from Phrygia, and its meaning is quite obscure. It is comparatively rarely used as a given name in the modern world.

Back  -   New Search

Rheanna f

English: apparently an elaboration of RHEA, perhaps influenced by the names DEANNA and RHIANNON.

Back  -   New Search

Rheinallt m

Welsh form of REYNOLD.

Back  -   New Search

Rhett m

American English: transferred use of an American surname derived from Dutch de Raedt, from Middle Dutch raet advice. It was invented for the character of Rhett Butler in Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind (1936). Like some of the other names in that novel (cf. ASHLEY, CAREEN, and SCARLETT), it has attained a modest currency in the real world.
Feminine: Rhetta (a recent coinage).

Back  -   New Search

Rhiannon f

Welsh: name borne in Celtic mythology by a minor deity associated with the moon, and in the Mabinogi by a daughter of Hyfeidd the Old. It is probably derived from the Old Celtic title Rigantona ‘great queen’; it was not used as a given name before the 20th century.

Back  -   New Search

Rhisiart m

Welsh form of RICHARD.

Back  -   New Search

Rhoda f

English: from the post-classical Greek name Rhoda, derived either directly from rhodon rose, or else indirectly as an ethnic name meaning ‘woman from Rhodes’, an island which possibly originally got its name from the same word rhodon. In the New Testament Rhoda was a servant in the house of Mary the mother of John, where Peter went after his release from prison by an angel (Acts 12: 13). In the Scottish Highlands Rhoda appears to be used as a feminine form of RODERICK.

Back  -   New Search

Rhodri m

Welsh: from an Old Welsh personal name composed of the elements rhod wheel + rhi ruler, borne by a 9th-century Welsh king.

Back  -   New Search

Rhona f

Scottish and English: of uncertain derivation, apparently originating in Scotland sometime around 1870. The spelling Rona is also found, and it is probable that the name was devised as a feminine form of RONALD or an Anglicized form of Raghnaid (see RAGNHILD). It has also been suggested that it may be associated with the Hebridean island name Rona (cf. AILSA, IONA, ISLA); the spelling would then have been altered by association with RHODA.

Back  -   New Search

Rhonda f

English: of recent origin, apparently a blend of RHODA and RHONA. It is now generally taken to be a Welsh name composed of the elements rhon pike, lance, as in RHONWEN, + -da good, as in GLENDA. The Rhondda valley in South Wales was probably also a factor in making this connection, although it derives from a river name of completely different etymology.

Back  -   New Search

Rhonwen f

Welsh: traditional name composed either of the elements rhon lance + (g)wen white, fair, blessed, holy or of rhawn hair + (g)wen. It was used by medieval Welsh poets as a form of ROWENA, regarded as the progenitrix of the English nation, and is now fairly common in Wales.

Back  -   New Search

Rhydderch m

Welsh: traditional name, originally a byname meaning ‘reddishbrown’. This was a relatively common name in the Middle Ages and in Tudor times, when it gave rise to the surname Prothero(e) (Welsh ap Rhydderch ‘son of Rhydderch’). It has recently been revived by parents proudly conscious of their Welsh roots and culture.
Anglicized form: RODERICK.

Back  -   New Search

Rhys m

Welsh: traditional name meaning ‘ardour’. The name was borne in the early Middle Ages by various rulers in south-west Wales, such as Rhys ap Tewdur (d. 1093) and Rhys ap Gruffudd (1132–97).
Anglicized form: REES.

Back  -   New Search

Ria f

Short form of MARIA, of German origin but now also used occasionally in the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Rich m

English: short form of RICHARD. There was a medieval name Rich(e), but it is connected only indirectly with the modern form: it represents a short form of several medieval names, including not only Richard but also other, rarer names of Norman (Germanic) origin with the same first element, as, for example, Rich(i)er ‘power army’ and Richaud ‘power rule’. It also came to be used as an independent baptismal name in the 15th century.

Back  -   New Search

Richard m

English, French, German, and Czech: one of the most enduringly successful of the Germanic personal names introduced into Britain by the Normans. It is composed of the elements rc power + hard hardy, brave, strong. It has enjoyed continuous popularity in England from the Conquest to the present day, strongly influenced by the fact that it was borne by three kings of England, in particular Richard I (1157–99). He was king for only ten years (1189–99), most of which he spent in warfare abroad, costing the people of England considerable sums in taxes. Nevertheless, he achieved the status of a folk hero, and was never in England long enough to disappoint popular faith in his goodness and justice. He was also Duke of Aquitaine and Normandy and Count of Anjou, fiefs which he held at a time of maximum English expansion in France. His exploits as a leader of the Third Crusade earned him the nickname ‘Cœur de Lion’ or ‘Lion-heart’ and a permanent place in popular imagination, in which he was even more firmly enshrined by Sir Walter Scott's novel Ivanhoe (1820).
Cognates: Irish Gaelic: Ristéard. Scottish Gaelic: Ruiseart. Welsh: Rhisiart. Italian: Riccardo. Spanish: Ricardo. Low German: Ri(c)kert. Scandinavian: Rikard. Polish: Ryszard.
Short forms: English: Rick, DICK, RICH.
Pet forms: English: Ricky, Rickie; Dicky, Dickie; RICHIE.
Feminine form: Ricarda (Latinate, used mainly in Germany).

Back  -   New Search

Richie m

Scottish, English, and Australian: pet form of RICHARD. The suffix -ie was originally characteristic of Scotland and northern England, but the name is now found elsewhere. In some cases it represents a transferred use of the surname derived from the Scottish pet name.
Variant: Ritchie (probably also a transferred use of the surname spelled thus).

Back  -   New Search

Ridley m

English: transferred use of the surname, originally a local name from any of various places, in Essex, Kent, Cheshire, Northumbria, and elsewhere. The first two are so called from Old English hrod reeds + lah wood or clearing, the latter two from rydde cleared land + lah. The given name may have been chosen in some cases by ardent Protestants to express admiration for Bishop Nicholas Ridley (?1500–55), burnt at the stake for his Protestantism under Mary Tudor.

Back  -   New Search

Riel m

Czech: short form of GABRIEL.

Back  -   New Search

Rieti m

Finnish form of FREDERICK.

Back  -   New Search

Rigborg f

Danish: from an Old High German female personal name composed of the elements rc power + burg fortification.

Back  -   New Search

Rigmor f

Scandinavian (Danish): from an Old High German female personal name composed of the elements rc power + muot spirit, courage. The second element has been replaced by the Scandinavian form mr maid.

Back  -   New Search

Rikard m

Scandinavian form of RICHARD.

Back  -   New Search

Rike f

German: short form of any of the various female names ending thus, for example FRIEDERIKE, Heinrike (see HEINRICH), and ULRIKE.

Back  -   New Search

Rikki f

English: feminine form of Ricky or Rickie (pet forms of Rick, a short form of RICHARD), modelled on NIKKI and Vikki (see VICKY).

Back  -   New Search

Riley m

English: in some cases a transferred use of the English surname, originally a local name from a place named with the Old English elements ryge rye + lah clearing, meadow. There is one such place in Devon and another in Lancashire. In other cases it probably represents a respelling of the Irish surname Reilly, which is from an old Irish personal name, Raghallach, of unknown origin.

Back  -   New Search

Rina f

English: short form of any of the various female names ending in these syllables or Anglicized form of Irish RÍONA.

Back  -   New Search

Rinaldo m

Italian form of REYNOLD.

Back  -   New Search

Ríona f

Irish Gaelic: a simplified form of Ríonach, earlier Ríoghnach, which is probably a derivative of rioghan queen (cf. RHIANNON). It is now also commonly used as a short form of CAITRÍONA.

Back  -   New Search

Riordan m

Irish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Rórdán, earlier Ríoghbhardán, composed of the elements ríogh king + a diminutive form of bard poet.
Variant: Rearden.

Back  -   New Search

Rika f

Czech: short form of Bedika (see BEDICH) and Oldika (see OLDICH), used as a pet name.

Back  -   New Search

Ristéard m

Irish Gaelic form of RICHARD.

Back  -   New Search

Risto m

Finnish form of CHRISTOPHER.

Back  -   New Search

Rita f

English and Scandinavian: originally a short form of Margarita, the Spanish form of MARGARET, or of Margherita, the Italian form. This short form is much more common in England and America than either of the full versions.

Back  -   New Search

Rivka f

Jewish: Hebrew form of REBECCA.

Back  -   New Search

Roald m

Norwegian: from an Old Norse personal name composed of the elements hrðdr fame + valdr ruler.

Back  -   New Search

Roar m

Scandinavian form of ROGER.

Back  -   New Search

Robert m

English, Scottish, and French (also Scandinavian): one of the many French names of Germanic origin that were introduced into Britain by the Normans. This one is composed of the nearly synonymous elements hrod fame + berht bright, famous. It had a native Old English predecessor of similar form (Hreodbeorht), which was supplanted by the Norman name. It was the name of two dukes of Normandy in the 11th century: the father of William the Conqueror (sometimes identified with the legendary Robert the Devil), and his eldest son. It was borne by three kings of Scotland, notably Robert the Bruce (1274–1329), who freed Scotland from English domination. The altered short form Bob is very common, but Hob and Dob, which were common in the Middle Ages and gave rise to surnames, are extinct. See also RUPERT.
Cognates: Scottish Gaelic: Raibeart. Irish Gaelic Roibéard. Italian, Spanish, Portuguese: Roberto. German: Rupprecht. Low German (also English): RUPERT.
Short forms: English: Bob, Rob. Scottish: Rob, Rab.
Pet forms: English: Bobby, Robbie, ROBIN.
Scottish: Robbie, Rabbie; Roban (Gaelic).
Feminine form: English: Roberta.

Back  -   New Search

Robin m, f

English: originally a pet form of ROBERT, from the short form Rob and the diminutive suffix -in (of Old French origin), but now nearly always used as an independent name. In recent years it has been increasingly used as a female name, no doubt partly influenced by the vocabulary word for the bird.
Variant: Robyn f.

Back  -   New Search

Rocco m

Italian: of Germanic origin, derived from the element hrok rest. The name was borne by a 14th-century saint, a Frenchman from Montpelier who was on a pilgrimage to Rome when he encountered plague victims in north Italy. He stopped to nurse them, and went from place to place ministering to these unfortunates in many cities. Eventually, at Piacenza, he too was stricken. In his extremity he was comforted by the companionship of a dog (hence his representation in paintings as accompanied by a dog). He is said to have recovered and returned home, but was not recognized by his family and died in prison. He is a patron saint of the sick and his aid is invoked by Roman Catholics against illness.
Cognates: French: Roch. Spanish and Portuguese: Roque. Catalan: Roc.

Back  -   New Search

Rochelle f

U.S., French, and English: either a feminine diminutive form of Roch (see ROCCO), or else derived from the French fishing port of La Rochelle on the Atlantic coast, which was a stronghold of Protestantism in the 16th and 17th centuries. The given name is little used in France but common in the United States, especially among Blacks. The American name may in part represent a respelling of RACHELLE.

Back  -   New Search

Rocío f

Spanish: from a title of the Virgin Mary, Maria de la Rocío ‘Mary of the Dew’ (Spanish rocío, from Late Latin roscidum, an adjectival derivative of ros dew). Dew is closely associated with Mary, and is sometimes symbolically connected in Roman Catholic hagiography with the tears which she sheds for the wickedness of the world.

Back  -   New Search

Rocky m

English: of recent American origin, originally a nickname for a tough individual. The name came to public notice through the American heavyweight boxing champion Rocky Marciano (1923–69). He was of Italian extraction, and Anglicized his original name, ROCCO, into a form that seems particularly appropriate for a fighter. It was later taken up in a film as the name of a boxer played by the muscular actor Sylvester Stallone, and it has also been adopted as a nickname among devotees of body-building.

Back  -   New Search

Rod m

English: short form of RODERICK and RODNEY.
Pet form: Roddy.

Back  -   New Search

Roderick m

English: of Germanic origin, composed of the elements hrd fame + rc power. This name was introduced into England, in slightly different forms, first by Scandinavian settlers in the Danelaw and later by the Normans. However, it did not survive beyond the Middle English period. It owes its modern use to a poem by Sir Walter Scott, The Vision of Don Roderick (1811), where it is an Anglicized form of the cognate Spanish name RODRIGO, borne by the last Visigothic king of Spain, whose vision is the subject of the poem. It is now also very commonly used as an Anglicized form of two unrelated Celtic names: Scottish Gaelic Ruairidh (see RUAIDHRÍ) and Welsh RHYDDERCH. See also RURIK.
Pet form: Scottish: Roddy.
Feminine forms: Scottish (Highland): Rodina, Rhoda.

Back  -   New Search

Rodion m

Russian: from a short form of the Greek name Hrdion, a diminutive form of Hrds, itself a derivative (originally patronymic in form) of Hra, the name of a Greek goddess, wife of Zeus. The name Herodion was borne by a kinsman of St Paul mentioned in the New Testament (Romans 16: 11). According to post-biblical tradition he became bishop of Patras and met a martyr's death.
Pet form: Rodya.

Back  -   New Search

Rodney m

English: originally a transferred use of the surname, but in independent use as a given name since the 18th century, when it was bestowed in honour of Admiral Lord Rodney (1719–92), who soundly defeated the French navy in 1759–60. The surname probably derives ultimately from a placename, but the location and etymology of this are uncertain. Stoke Rodney in Somerset is probably named from the surname: the manor was held by one Richard de Rodene in the early 14th century.

Back  -   New Search

Rodolf m

German and Dutch: variant of RUDOLF.

Back  -   New Search

Rodolfo m

Italian and Spanish form of RUDOLF.

Back  -   New Search

Rodolphe m

French form of RUDOLF.

Back  -   New Search

Rodrigo m

Spanish: of Germanic (Visigothic) origin, composed of the elements hrd fame and rc power, and so a cognate of RODERICK, which represents an Anglicized form of it. It was the name of the last king of the Visigoths, who was defeated by the Moors in 711, and of a saint martyred under the Moors at Cordoba in 857. It is now sometimes used in the English-speaking world, but mainly in families of Hispanic descent.
Pet form: Ruy.

Back  -   New Search

Rodya m

Russian: pet form of RODION.

Back  -   New Search

Roelof m

Dutch: vernacular form of RODOLF.

Back  -   New Search

Rogelio m

Spanish: from Late Latin Rogelius (or Rogellus), a name of uncertain derivation. It may be a diminutive form of Rogtus ‘requested, prayed for’. Sts Rogellus and Servus-Dei were martyred at Cordoba under the Moors in 852.

Back  -   New Search

Roger m

English and French: of Germanic origin, composed of the elements hrd fame + gr, gr spear. This, the Continental Germanic form, was introduced to Britain by the Normans, replacing the native Old English cognate Hrðgr (see HROTHGAR). Roger, Count of Sicily (c.1031–1101), son of Tancred, recovered Sicily from the Arabs. His son, also called Roger, ruled Sicily as king, presiding over a court noted for its splendour and patronage of the arts.
In modern English usage, the informal short form Rodge is occasionally encountered, but the medieval short forms Hodge and Dodge are extinct.
Variant: English: Rodger.
Cognates: Italian: Rugg(i)ero. Spanish: Rogerio. German: Rüdiger. Low German: Rötger. Dutch: Rutger. Scandinavian: Roar.

Back  -   New Search

Roibéard m

Irish Gaelic form of ROBERT.

Back  -   New Search

Róisín f

Irish Gaelic: pet form of Róis, itself the Gaelic form of ROSE.
Variant: Rosheen (Anglicized).

Back  -   New Search

Roland m

English and French, also German and Scandinavian: derived from a Germanic personal name composed of the elements hrd fame + land land, territory. The name was introduced to Britain by the Normans. It was borne by a legendary Frankish hero, a vassal of Charlemagne, whose exploits are related in the Chanson de Roland. The subject of the poem is Roland's death at the Battle of Roncesvalles in the Pyrenees in 778, while protecting the rearguard of the Frankish army on its retreat from Spain. Roland is depicted in literature and legend as headstrong and impulsive. His devoted friendship with the prudent Oliver is also legendary. In Italian literature he appears as ORLANDO.
Variant: English: Rowland.
Cognates: Welsh: Rolant. Italian: ORLANDO. Spanish: Roldán. Portuguese: Roldo. Hungarian: Loránd.
Feminine form: French and English: Rolande (rare).

Back  -   New Search

Rolf m

English, German, and Scandinavian: a contracted version of an old Germanic personal name composed of the elements hrd fame + wulf wolf. This is found in Old Norse as Hrólfr. As an English name, it represents in part a Norman importation of a Continental Germanic form, in part a much more recent (19th-century) importation of the modern German name. See also RUDOLF.

Back  -   New Search

Rollo m

Latinized form of Roul, the Old French version of ROLF (cf. Raoul for Ralph). This form appears regularly in Latin documents of the Middle Ages, but does not seem to have been used in everyday vernacular contexts. It is the form by which the first Duke of Normandy (c.860–932) is generally known. He was a Viking who, with his followers, settled at the mouth of the Seine and raided Paris, Chartres, and elsewhere. By the treaty of St Clair he received the duchy of Normandy from Charles III, on condition that he should receive Christian baptism. Use of this name in English families in modern times seems to be a consciously archaistic revival.

Back  -   New Search

Roly m

English: pet form of ROLAND. See also ROWLEY.

Back  -   New Search

Roman m

Russian, Polish, and Czech: from the Late Latin personal name Rmnus, originally an ethnic name meaning ‘Roman’ (a derivative of Rma; cf. ROMOLO). This name was borne by a large number of early saints, and in the 10th century was given as a baptismal name to Boris, son of Vladimir, the ruler who Christianized Kievan Russia. Boris and his brother Gleb were murdered by their brother Svyatopolk and canonized as martyrs.
Cognates: French: Romain. Italian: Romano. Spanish: Román. Portuguese: Romão.
Feminine forms: Latinate: Romana. French: Romaine (also used in the English-speaking world).

Back  -   New Search

Romeo m

Italian: from the medieval religious name Romeo ‘pilgrim to Rome’ (Late Latin Rmaeus, a derivative of Rma cf. ROMOLO). For his romantic tragedy, Shakespeare derived the name of the hero, the lover of Juliet, from a poem by Arthur Brooke, The Tragicall Historye of Romeus and Juliet. This is ultimately derived from a story by the Italian writer Matteo Bandello (1485–1561), whose works are the source of the plots of several Elizabethan and Jacobean plays.

Back  -   New Search

Romilda f

N. Italian: from an old Germanic female personal name composed of the elements hrm fame + hild battle.

Back  -   New Search

Romolo m

Italian (characteristic of the region around Rome): from the Latin name Rmulus, borne by one of the legendary founders of the Roman state. According to the legend, Romulus won a competition with his twin brother Remus to name and rule over the city which they had founded. In fact the derivation is the other way about, and Rmulus comes from Rma Rome, itself of uncertain origin. The Romans themselves often connected it with Greek rhm strength, but this is no more than a folk etymology.
Feminine form: Romola (the name of the heroine of a novel by George Eliot, set in 15th-century Florence).

Back  -   New Search

Romy f

German and English: pet form of Rosemarie (see ROSEMARY), made famous by the Austrian film actress Romy Schneider (1938–82).
Variant: English: Romey.

Back  -   New Search

Rona f

English: variant of RHONA.

Back  -   New Search

Ronald m

English and Scottish: from the Old Norse personal name Rögnvaldr; see RAGNVALD. This name was regularly used in the Middle Ages in northern England and Scotland, where Scandinavian influence was strong. It is now widespread throughout the English-speaking world. See also RANALD and RAGHNALL.
Short form: Ron.
Pet form: Ronnie.
Feminine form: Ronalda (Scottish).

Back  -   New Search

Ronan m

Irish: from Gaelic Rónán, originally a byname representing a diminutive form of rón seal (the animal). The name is recorded as borne by various early Celtic saints, but there has been much confusion in the transmission of their names and most of them are also reliably named as Ruadhán (see ROWAN). The most famous is a 5th-century Irish saint who was consecrated as a bishop by St Patrick and subsequently worked as a missionary in Cornwall and Brittany.

Back  -   New Search

Ronit f

1 Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic RATHNAIT.

2 Jewish: modern Hebrew name meaning ‘song’.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Ronnie m, f

English: 1 (m.) Pet form of RONALD.

2 (f.) Pet form of VERONICA.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Roque m

Spanish and Portuguese form of ROCCO.

Back  -   New Search

Rory m

Irish and Scottish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name RUAIDHRÍ (Irish) or Ruairidh, Ruaraidh (Scottish). In Scotland this is further Anglicized to RODERICK.

Back  -   New Search

Ros f

English: short form of ROSALIND and ROSAMUND.

Back  -   New Search

Rosa f

Spanish, Italian, and Latinate form of ROSE, also in use in Scandinavia.
Pet forms: Spanish: Rosita. Italian: Rosetta. English: Rosie.

Back  -   New Search

Rosalba f

Italian: from the Latinate elements rosa rose + alba (feminine) white. This was apparently originally coined as an ornamental name.

Back  -   New Search

Rosaleen f

English: variant of ROSALYN, influenced by the suffix -een (in origin the Irish Gaelic diminutive -in). ‘Dark Rosaleen’ was the title of a poem by James Clarence Mangan (1803–49), based on the Gaelic poem Róisín Dubh; in it the name is used as a figurative allusion to the Irish nation.

Back  -   New Search

Rosalie f

French form of the Latin name Rosalia (from rosa rose), introduced to the English-speaking world in the latter part of the 19th century. St Rosalia was a 12th-century Sicilian virgin, and is the patron of Palermo.
Cognate: Italian: Rosalia.

Back  -   New Search

Rosalind f

English: originally an old Germanic female name composed of the elements hros horse + lind weak, tender, soft, which was introduced to Britain by the Normans. In the Middle Ages it was reanalysed by folk etymology as if from Latin rosa linda ‘lovely rose’. Its popularity as a given name owes much to its use by Edmund Spenser for the character of a shepherdess in his pastoral poetry, and by Shakespeare as the name of the heroine in As You Like It (1599).

Back  -   New Search

Rosaline f

English: originally a variant of ROSALIND; cf. ROSALYN and ROSALEEN. It is the name of a minor character in Shakespeare's Love's Labour's Lost and is used for another, who does not appear but is merely mentioned, in Romeo and Juliet.

Back  -   New Search

Rosalyn f

English: altered form of ROSALIND. Rosalin was a common medieval form, since the letter -d tended to occur variably with final -n. The name has been further influenced by the productive suffix -lyn (see LYNN).
Variants: Rosalynn(e).

Back  -   New Search

Rosamund f

English: from an old Germanic female personal name composed of the elements hros horse + mund protection. In the Middle Ages it was reanalysed as Latin rosa munda ‘pure rose’ or rosa mundi ‘rose of the world’, titles given to the Virgin Mary. The spelling Rosamond has been common since the Middle Ages, when scribes sometimes used o for u, to distinguish it from n and m, all of which consisted of very similar downstrokes of the pen. ‘Fair Rosamond’ (Rosamond Clifford) was a legendary beauty who lived at Woodstock in Oxfordshire in the 12th century. She is said to have been the mistress of King Henry II, and to have been murdered by the queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine, in 1176.

Back  -   New Search

Rosangela f

Italian: combination of the names ROSA and ANGELA.

Back  -   New Search

Rosanne f

English: modern coinage from a combination of the names ROSE and ANNE, probably influenced by the popularity of the given name ROXANE.
Variants: Roseanne, Rosanna; Rosannagh (a fanciful respelling).

Back  -   New Search

Rosario f

Spanish: from a title of the Virgin Mary, Nuestra Señora del Rosario ‘Our Lady of the Rosary’. The rosary (from Latin rosrium, originally ‘rose bower’) became an important symbol in Catholic life during the 15th century; the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary was established in 1573 and extended to the whole Church in 1716. In southern Italy and in Sicily this is occasionally used as a male name, influenced no doubt by the fact that the ending -o is characteristically masculine.
Pet form: Charo.

Back  -   New Search

Rocisaw m

Polish: from an old Slavonic personal name composed of the elements rosts usurp, arrogate + slav glory (cf. SOBIESAW).
Cognate: Russian, Czech: Rostislav.
Feminine forms: Polish: Rocisawa. Czech: Rostislava.
Pet forms: Russian: Rostya m. Czech: Rost'a m, f; Rostek, Rostí(e)k m; Rostin(k)a, Rostuka f.

Back  -   New Search

Roscoe m

English: transferred use of the surname, which originated as a local name from a place in northern England named with the Old Norse elements rá roe-deer + skógr wood, copse.

Back  -   New Search

Rose f

English: ostensibly from the name of the flower (Latin rosa). However, the name was in use throughout the Middle Ages, long before any of the other female names derived from flowers, which are generally of 19th-century origin. In part it may refer to the flower as a symbol of the Virgin Mary, but it seems likely that it also has a Germanic origin, probably as a short form of various female names with the first element hros horse or hrod fame. The Latinate form Rohesia is commonly found in documents of the Middle Ages. As well as being a name in its own right, it is currently used as a short form of ROSEMARY and, less often (because of their different pronunciation), of other names beginning Ros-, such as ROSALIND and ROSAMUND.
Cognates: Spanish, Italian, and Latinate: Rosa. Irish Gaelic: Róis. Yiddish: Reise. Polish: Róa. Czech: Rüena. Hungarian: Rózsa.
Pet form: English: Rosie.

Back  -   New Search

Roselle f

English: combination of the given name ROSE with the productive suffix -elle (originally a French feminine diminutive suffix).

Back  -   New Search

Rosemary f

English: a 19th-century coinage, from the name of the herb (which is from Latin ros marnus sea dew). It is often also assumed to be a combination of the names ROSE and MARY.
Cognate: German, Scandinavian: Rosemarie.
Pet forms: English: Rosie. German: Röschen, Romy.

Back  -   New Search

Rosendo m

Spanish: of Germanic (Visigothic) origin, composed of the elements hrd fame + sins path. St Rudesind or Rosendo (907–77) was born in Galicia of a noble family, and served as bishop of Mondoñedo.

Back  -   New Search

Rosetta f

Italian: pet form of ROSA, sometimes also used in the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Rosie f

English: pet form of ROSE, ROSA, or ROSEMARY. It was first used in the 1860s and is now well established as an independent given name, particularly in America.

Back  -   New Search

Rosita f

Spanish: pet form of ROSA, sometimes also used in the English-speaking world and in Scandinavia.

Back  -   New Search

Ross m

Scottish and English: transferred use of the Scottish surname, which is the name of a large kindred that has played a major role in Scottish history. The kindred name appears to be derived ultimately from the Gaelic word ros headland.

Back  -   New Search

Rostislav m

Russian and Czech form of ROCISAW.
Feminine form: Rostislava.
Pet form: Russian: Rostya.

Back  -   New Search

Roswitha f

German: Latinate form of an old Germanic female personal name composed of the elements hrd fame + swin strength. The name was borne by a 10th-century nun, Roswitha of Gandersheim, who wrote Latin verse and plays in the manner of Terence.
Variant: Roswithe.

Back  -   New Search

Rötger m

Low German form of ROGER.

Back  -   New Search

Rowan m, f

English: 1 (m.) Transferred use of the surname, which is of Irish origin, being an Anglicized form of the Gaelic byname Ruadhán ‘little red one’ (a diminutive of ruadh red; cf. ROY). It was borne by a 6th-century saint who founded the monastery of Lothra, and it is an alternative name of the 5th-century saint also known as RONAN.

2 (f.) From the English vocabulary word (of Scandinavian origin) for the tree, an attractive sight with its clusters of bright red berries.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Rowena f

English: apparently a Latinized form of a Saxon name (of uncertain original form and derivation, perhaps composed of the Germanic elements hrd fame + wynn joy). It first occurs in the Latin chronicles of Geoffrey of Mon-mouth (12th century) as the name of a daughter of the Saxon invader Hengist, and was taken up by Sir Walter Scott as the name of a Saxon woman, Lady Rowena of Hargottstanstede, who marries the eponymous hero of his novel Ivanhoe (1819).

Back  -   New Search

Rowland m

English: variant of ROLAND, or a transferred use of the surname derived from that name in the Middle Ages.

Back  -   New Search

Rowley m

English: variant of ROLY, or a transferred use of the local surname, which originated in the Middle Ages from any of the various places named with the Old English elements rh rough, overgrown + lah wood or clearing.

Back  -   New Search

Roxane f

English and French: from Latin Roxana, Greek Roxan, recorded as the name of the wife of Alexander the Great. She was the daughter of Oxyartes the Bactrian, and her name is presumably of Persian origin; it is said to mean ‘dawn’. In English literature it is the name of the heroine of a novel by Defoe (1724), a beautiful adventuress who, deserted by her husband, enjoys a glittering career as a courtesan, but eventually dies in a state of penitence, having been thrown into prison for debt.
Variant: Roxanne.
Cognate: Russian: Roksana.

Back  -   New Search

Roy m

Originally a Scottish name, representing an Anglicized spelling of the Gaelic nickname Ruadh ‘red’ (cf. ROWAN). It has since spread to other parts of the English-speaking world, where it is often reanalysed as Old French roy king (cf. LEROY).

Back  -   New Search

Royle m

English: transferred use of the surname, which originated as a local name from a place in Lancashire, so called from Old English ryge rye + hyll hill. It may have become popular as a given name because of association with the vocabulary word royal (cf. KING) or because of similarity in sound to the name DOYLE.

Back  -   New Search

Royston m

English: transferred use of the surname, derived from the name of a place in Hertfordshire, known in the Middle Ages as the ‘settlement of Royce’ (which name is an obsolete variant of ROSE, from its Germanic form). It is now used as a given name especially among British West Indians, although the reasons for its popularity among them are not clear. It may, in some cases, be taken as a version of ‘Roy’s son'.

Back  -   New Search

Roz f

English: variant spelling of Ros, with the final consonant altered to represent the voiced sound of the names from which it derives.

Back  -   New Search

Róa f

Polish form of ROSE.

Back  -   New Search

Rozanne f

English: variant spelling of ROSANNE or ROXANE.

Back  -   New Search

Rózsa f

Hungarian form of ROSE.

Back  -   New Search

Ruaidhrí m

Irish Gaelic: traditional name composed of Old Celtic elements meaning ‘red’ and ‘king’. This was the name of the last high king of Ireland, Rory O'Conor, who reigned 1166–70.
Variant: Ruairí.
Cognates: Scottish Gaelic: Ruairi(dh), Ruaraidh.

Back  -   New Search

Rube m, f

English: informal short form of REUBEN and of RUBY.

Back  -   New Search

Ruby f

English: from the vocabulary word for the gemstone (Latin rubnus, from rubeus red). The name was chiefly common in the late 19th century and up to the middle of the 20th. It is now out of fashion.

Back  -   New Search

Rudi m

German: short form of RUDOLF and, occasionally, of RÜDIGER.

Back  -   New Search

Rüdiger m

German cognate of ROGER. It was borne by a hero of the medieval Nibelungenlied, but is not now a common name.

Back  -   New Search

Rudolf m

German, Dutch, Scandinavian, Polish, Czech, and English: from a Latinized version, Rudolphus, of the Germanic name Hrdwulf (see ROLF). It was introduced to the English-speaking world from Germany in the 19th century. Rudolf was a hereditary name among the Habsburgs, the Holy Roman Emperors and rulers of Austria, from the Emperor Rudolf I (1218–91) to the Archduke Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria-Hungary, who died in mysterious circumstances at his country house at Meyerling in 1889.
Rudolf Rassendyll was the central character of Anthony Hope's immensely popular adventure stories The Prisoner of Zenda (1894) and Rupert of Hentzau (1898), in which he is an English gentleman who turns out to be the half-brother of the King of Ruritania, to whom he bears a great physical resemblance and whom he successfully impersonates for reasons of state. In the 20th century the popularity of this name was further enhanced by the American silent-film actor Rudolph Valentino (1895–1926), born in Italy as Rodolpho di Valentina d'Antonguolla. However, it is at present out of fashion.
Variants: German, Dutch: Rodolf. Dutch: Roelof (vernacular). English: Rudolph.
Cognates: French: Rodolphe. Italian, Spanish: Rodolfo.
Short forms: German: Rudi. Dutch: Ruud. English: Rudy.

Back  -   New Search

Rufino m

Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese: from Latin Rufinus, a derivative of RUFUS used originally as a Roman family name. The numerous early saints so called include a 5th-century bishop of Capua.
Variant: Ruffino.
Cognate: Catalan: Rufi.

Back  -   New Search

Rufus m

English: from a Latin nickname meaning ‘red(-haired)’, sometimes used in medieval documents as a translation of various surnames with the same sense. It began to be used as a given name in the 19th century.

Back  -   New Search

Ruggiero m

Italian form of ROGER.
Variant: Ruggero.

Back  -   New Search

Ruiseart m

Scottish Gaelic form of RICHARD.

Back  -   New Search

Runa f

Scandinavian: from the Old Norse female personal name Rúna, a short form of various female compound names containing the element rún secret lore.

Back  -   New Search

Rune m

Scandinavian: from the rare Old Norse male personal name Rúni, a short form of various male compound names containing the element rún secret lore, as, for example, Rúnólfr. Its revival in the late 19th century is probably due to the influence of the more frequent female name RUNA. It has become very popular in the 20th century.

Back  -   New Search

Rupert m

English, Low German, and Dutch: Low German form of ROBERT, first brought to England by Prince Rupert of the Rhine (1618–92), a dashing military leader who came to help his uncle, Charles I, in the Civil War.
Cognate: German: Rupprecht.

Back  -   New Search

Rurik m

Russian: from a Scandinavian cognate of RODERICK. This form of the name was borne by a 9th-century Varangian leader who founded the principality of Novgorod and established the Russian monarchy. His descendants held the throne until the 16th century, and the name Rurik is still sometimes used in the Soviet Union. This form is also used to some extent in Finland and Sweden.

Back  -   New Search

Russ m

English: short form of RUSSELL, now also used as an independent given name. In some cases it may represent a transferred use of the surname Russ, from Old French rous red.

Back  -   New Search

Russell m

English: transferred use of the common surname, itself originally from the Old French nickname Rousel ‘little red one’ (a diminutive of rous red, from Latin russus). It is now widely used as a given name in its own right and may in some cases have been bestowed in honour of the philosopher Bertrand Russell (1872–1970), who was noted for his liberal agnostic views and his passionate championship of causes such as pacifism (in the First World War), free love, and nuclear disarmament. He was the grandson of the Victorian statesman Lord John Russell (1792–1878).

Back  -   New Search

Rusty m, f

English: nickname for someone with reddish-brown hair, from modern English rust (Old English rust).

Back  -   New Search

Rut f

Form of RUTH used in Italy, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, Scandinavia, and Poland. Only in Sweden is it really common; there it was the twenty-fourth most frequent female name in 1973.

Back  -   New Search

Rutger m

Dutch form of ROGER.

Back  -   New Search

Ruth f

Biblical: name (of uncertain derivation) of a Moabite woman who left her own people to remain with her mother-in-law Naomi, and afterwards became the wife of Boaz and an ancestress of David. Her story is told in the book of the Bible that bears her name. It was popular among the Puritans, partly because of its association with the term ruth meaning ‘compassion’. It is now as common among Gentiles as among Jews.
Cognate: Gaelic, Italian, Spanish, German, Dutch, Scandinavian, and Polish: Rut.

Back  -   New Search

Ruud m

Dutch: short form of RUDOLF.

Back  -   New Search

Ruy m

Spanish: pet form of RODRIGO. This form was common in the Middle Ages, being borne, for example, by El Cid, Ruy Diaz de Vivar (?1043–99).

Back  -   New Search

Rena f

Czech form of ROSE.

Back  -   New Search

Ryan m

U.S., Australian, Irish, and English: from the Irish Gaelic surname Ó Riain ‘descendant of Rian’. Rian is an old Gaelic personal name of uncertain origin, probably a derivative of rí king.

Back  -   New Search

Ryszard m

Polish form of RICHARD.

Back  -   New Search

S

Sabella f

English: modern name, apparently derived from Isabella by the dropping of the initial vowel (see ISABEL).

Back  -   New Search

Sabia f

Irish: Latinized form of Gaelic SADHBH, in use during the Middle Ages and occasionally at the present day.

Back  -   New Search

Sabine f

French (two syllables) or German (three syllables): from the Latin name Sabna ‘Sabine woman’. The Sabines were an ancient Italic race whose territory was early taken over by the Romans. According to tradition, the Romans made a raid on the Sabines and carried off a number of their women, but when the Sabines came for revenge the women succeeded in making peace between the two groups. The name Sabina was borne by three minor early Christian saints, in particular a Roman maiden martyred in about 127.
Variant: Sabina (used in Ireland as an Anglicized form of Gaelic SADHBH).

Back  -   New Search

Sabrina f

English: from the name of a character in Celtic legend, who supposedly gave her name to the River Severn. In fact this is one of the most ancient of all British river names, and its true origins are obscure. Legend, as preserved by Geoffrey of Monmouth, had it that Sabrina was the illegitimate daughter of a Welsh king called Locrine, and was drowned in the river on the orders of the king's wife Gwendolen. The river name is found in the form Sabrina in the Latin writings of Tacitus, Gildas, and Bede. Geoffrey of Monmouth comments that in Welsh the name is Habren (modern Welsh Hafren). The name of the legendary character is almost certainly derived from that of the river, rather than vice versa.

Back  -   New Search

Sacha m

French version of SASHA. Many names of Russian origin were introduced to the English-speaking world, via French, at the time when Diaghilev's Ballet Russe made its great impact in Paris (1909–20).

Back  -   New Search

Sachairi m

Scottish Gaelic form of ZACHARY.

Back  -   New Search

Sacheverell m

English: transferred use of the surname, apparently originally a baronial name of Norman origin (from an unidentified place in Normandy believed to have been called Saute-Chevreuil, meaning ‘roebuck leap’). It was made familiar as a given name by the writer Sacheverell Sitwell (1897–1985), who was named in honour of his ancestor William Sacheverell (1638–91), a minor Whig statesman.
Pet form: Sachie.

Back  -   New Search

Sadhbh f

Irish Gaelic: traditional name, said to mean ‘sweet’. This was a very common female given name during the Middle Ages.
Anglicized forms: Sabia, Sabina, Sive.

Back  -   New Search

Sadie f

English: originally a pet form of SARAH, but now generally treated as an independent name. The exact formation is not clear.

Back  -   New Search

Sal f, m

1 (f.) English: short form of SALLY.

2 (m.) U.S.: short form of Spanish SALVADOR or its Italian cognate, Salvatore.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Sally f

English: in origin a pet form of SARAH, but in the 20th century normally treated as a name in its own right. It is frequently used as the first element in combinations such as Sally-Anne and Sally-fane.
Short form: Sal.

Back  -   New Search

Salome f

English, German, etc.: Greek form of an unrecorded Aramaic name, related to the Hebrew word shalom peace. It was common at the time of Christ, and was borne by one of the women who were at his tomb at the time of the Resurrection (Mark 16: 1–8). This would normally have led to its common use as a Christian name, and it is indeed found as such in medieval times. However, according to the Jewish historian Josephus, it was also the name of King Herod's stepdaughter, the daughter of Queen Herodias. In the Bible, a daughter of Herodias, generally identified as this Salome, danced for Herod and so pleased him that he offered to give her anything she wanted. Prompted by her mother, she asked for (and got) the head of John the Baptist, who was in one of Herod's prisons (Mark 6: 17–28). This story so gripped medieval imagination that the name Salome became more or less taboo until the end of the 19th century, when Oscar Wilde wrote a play about her and some unconventional souls began to choose the name for their daughters.
Cognates: French: Salomé. Polish: Salomea.

Back  -   New Search

Salud f

Spanish: religious name referring to the Marian title, Nuestra Señora de la Salud ‘Our Lady of Salvation’ (from Latin salus, genitive saltis). The Virgin is venerated under this name in several places, especially in Catalonia and Valencia.

Back  -   New Search

Salvador m

Spanish: from the Late Latin word salvtor saviour; this is a common epithet of Christ, and the name is borne in his honour.
Cognate: Italian: Salvatore (common in the south of Italy, where there has been considerable Spanish influence).
Short form: Sal (U.S.).

Back  -   New Search

Sam m, f

English: 1 (m.) Long-established short form of SAMUEL or, less frequently, of SAMSON.

2 (f.) Short form, which has recently become fashionable, of SAMANTHA.
Pet forms (of 1): Sammy. (Of 2): Sammie.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Samantha f

English: of problematic and much debated origin. It seems to have originated in the southern states of America in the 18th century, possibly as a combination of SAM (from SAMUEL) + a newly coined feminine suffix -antha (perhaps suggested by ANTHEA).

Back  -   New Search

Samoyla m

Russian: popular form of SAMUEL.

Back  -   New Search

Samson m

English form of a biblical name (Hebrew Shimshon, probably derived from shemesh sun) borne by a Jewish champion and judge famous for his prodigious strength. He was betrayed by his mistress, Delilah, and enslaved and blinded by the Philistines; nevertheless, he was able to bring the pillars of the temple of the Philistines crashing down in a final suicidal act of strength (Judges 13–16). This famous story provided the theme for Milton's poetic drama Samson Agonistes (1671), which is modelled on ancient Greek tragedy. In the Middle Ages the popularity of the given name was increased in Celtic areas by the fame of a 6th-century Celtic saint who bore it, probably as a classicized form of some Old Celtic name. He was a Welsh monk who did missionary work in Cornwall and afterwards established a monastery at Dol in Brittany.
Variant: Sampson (usually a transferred use of the surname).
Cognate: Italian: Sansone.

Back  -   New Search

Samuel m

Biblical name (Hebrew Shemuel), possibly meaning ‘He (God) has hearkened’ (presumably to the prayers of a mother for a son). It may also be understood as a contracted form of Hebrew sha'ul me'el meaning ‘asked of God’. In the case of Samuel the son of Hannah, this would be more in keeping with his mother's statement ‘Because I have asked him of the Lord’ (1 Samuel 1: 20). Living in the 11th century BC, Samuel was a Hebrew judge and prophet of the greatest historical importance, who established the Hebrew monarchy, anointing as king both Saul and, later, David. In the Authorized Version two books of the Old Testament are named after him, although in Roman Catholic and Orthodox versions of the Bible they are known as the first and second Book of Kings. The story of Samuel being called by God while still a child serving in the house of Eli the priest (1 Samuel 3) is of great vividness and has moved countless generations.
In England and America the name was particularly popular among the 17th-century Puritans and among Nonconformists from the 17th to the 19th century. It has always been a common Jewish name, and in Gaelic Scotland it has sometimes been used as an Anglicized form of Gaelic Somhairle (see SOMERLED).
Cognates: Welsh: Sawyl. Hebrew: Shmuel. Russian: Samuil; Samoyla (vernacular form).
Short form: English: SAM.
Pet form: English: Sammy.

Back  -   New Search

Sancho m

Spanish: of uncertain origin. The vernacular form Sancho and the Latin Sanctius are used interchangeably in medieval documents, and it is possible that Sancho is derived from Sanctius, a derivative of sanctus holy. On the other hand, the phonetic development is not regular, and it is possible that Sanctius is a Latinized form of a name of different origin. St Sancho or Sanctius was martyred at Cordoba by the Moors in 851, but the name is inescapably associated now with Sancho Panza, the dumpy, long-suffering, commonsensical squire of Don Quixote in Cervantes' novel (1605–15).
Feminine forms: Sanch(i)a.

Back  -   New Search

Sandalio m

Spanish: from Latin Sandal(i)us. This seems to be a Latinized form of a Germanic (Visigothic) name composed of the elements sand true + ulf wolf. A saint of this name was martyred at Cordoba by the Moors in c.855.

Back  -   New Search

Sandford m

English (U.S.): variant of SANFORD.

Back  -   New Search

Sándor m

Hungarian form of ALEXANDER.

Back  -   New Search

Sandra f

Italian and English: short form of Alessandra, the Italian form of ALEXANDRA. A major influence on its use in English was George Meredith's novel Sandra Belloni (1886), originally published as Emilia in England (1864); the heroine, Emilia Sandra Belloni, is a beautiful, passionate young singer.
Variant: Scottish: Saundra.

Back  -   New Search

Sandro m

Italian: short form of Alessandro (see ALEXANDER), now common in Italy as a given name in its own right.

Back  -   New Search

Sandy m, f

1 (m.) Scottish and English: pet form, originally Scottish, of ALEXANDER.

2 (f.) English: pet form of ALEXANDRA or SANDRA, now sometimes used as an independent given name.
Top

3 (m., f.) English: nickname for someone with a crop of ‘sandy’ (light reddish-brown) hair.
Variants: Sandie f. (Of 1 only): Scottish: Sandaidh (Gaelic).
Top

Back  -   New Search

Sanford m

English (U.S.): transferred use of the surname, which originated as a local name from any of numerous places in England called Sandford, from Old English sand sand + ford ford. Use as a given name in America honours Peleg Sanford, an early governor (1680–3) of Rhode Island.
Variant: Sandford.

Back  -   New Search

Sanna f

Scandinavian: short form of SUSANNA. It may be favoured by association with the Swedish and Norwegian adjective sann true.

Back  -   New Search

Sansone m

Italian form of SAMSON.

Back  -   New Search

Santiago m

Spanish: name chosen to invoke the protection of St James on a son. Iago is an obsolete Spanish form of JAMES. St James the Greater is the patron saint of Spain; he was one of the twelve disciples of Christ, the brother of John the Baptist, and was martyred under Herod Agrippa. The legend that he visited Spain before his death does not seem to have arisen before the 9th century, but by the 11th century the site of his alleged relics at Compostela in Galicia was a place of pilgrimage from all over Europe. See also DIEGO.

Back  -   New Search

Santos m

Spanish and Portuguese: name chosen by parents who wish to invoke the protection of all the saints, without further specification, for their son. It is also often given to a boy born on the feast of All Saints; cf. TOUSSAINT.

Back  -   New Search

Santuzza f

Italian: diminutive form, originating in Sicily, of the name Santa, a feminine version of Santo, from Latin sanctus holy. This form of the name has become known through being borne by a character in the opera Cavalleria Rusticana (1890) by Mascagni.

Back  -   New Search

Sanya m

Russian: pet form of ALEXANDER and ALEXANDRA.

Back  -   New Search

Saoirse f

Irish Gaelic: modern name from the vocabulary word meaning ‘freedom’.

Back  -   New Search

Sara f

Variant of SARAH. This is the form used in the Greek of the New Testament (Hebrews 11: 11).

Back  -   New Search

Sarah f

Biblical: name of the wife of Abraham and mother of Isaac. According to the Book of Genesis, she was originally called Sarai (possibly meaning ‘contentious’ in Hebrew), but had her name changed by God to the more auspicious Sarah ‘princess’ in token of a greater blessing (Genesis 17: 15, ‘And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be’). In Ireland this has been used as an Anglicized form of SORCHA, in Scotland of MÓR.
Variants: Sara, ZARA.
Cognate: Hungarian: Sára.
Pet forms: English: SALLY, SADIE. Spanish: Sarita. Swedish: Sassa. Hungarian: Sári.

Back  -   New Search

Sasha m, f

English spelling of a Russian pet form of ALEXANDER and ALEXANDRA. It has been used in the English-speaking world as an independent name, introduced in the 20th century via France. Use as a female name in the English-speaking world is encouraged by the characteristically feminine -a ending.
Variants: French spelling: Sacha. German spelling: Sascha.

Back  -   New Search

Saskia f

Dutch: of uncertain derivation. The name has been in use since the Middle Ages, and was borne, for example, by the wife of the artist Rembrandt. It may derive by metathesis and Latinization from the Germanic ethnic name element sachs Saxon.

Back  -   New Search

Sassa f

Swedish: pet form of both ASTRID and SARA.

Back  -   New Search

Saturnino m

Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese: from Latin Saturnnus, a derivative of Saturnus, the name of the Roman god of agriculture and vegetation. The divine name was connected by the Romans themselves with Latin satur full, but this may be no more than folk etymology. There was a very large number of early saints named Saturninus; the most famous is probably the 3rd-century apostle of Navarre and first bishop of Toulouse.

Back  -   New Search

Saul m

Biblical: name (from a Hebrew word meaning ‘asked for’ or ‘prayed for’) of one of the first kings of Israel, and also, before his conversion, of St Paul. It was popular among the Puritans, but is now once again mainly a Jewish name.

Back  -   New Search

Saundra f

Scottish: variant of SANDRA, reflecting the same development in pronunciation as is shown by surnames such as Saunders and Saunderson, originally from short forms of ALEXANDER.

Back  -   New Search

Sava m

Russian: from Late Greek Sab(b)as, a derivative of Hebrew saba old man. Two early saints of this name are venerated in the Eastern Church. The first was martyred c.372 near Tirgovist in Romania; he seems to have been a Goth in origin. The second (439–532) was a Cappadocian who is regarded as one of the founders of Eastern monasticism.

Back  -   New Search

Saveli m

Russian: from the Late Latin personal name Sabellius, originally an ethnic name denoting a member of the Italian tribe of the Sabelli, displaced by the Romans. The saint venerated under this name, executed under Julian the Apostate in 362, was Persian, and his original name may have been cognate with that discussed at SAVA.

Back  -   New Search

Saverio m

Italian form of XAVIER.

Back  -   New Search

Sawney m

Scottish: variant of SANDY, resulting from a pronunciation reflected also in the surname Saunders. The name declined in popularity in the 19th and 20th centuries, perhaps as a result of its use as a vocabulary word for a fool.

Back  -   New Search

Sawyl m

Welsh form of SAMUEL, a reduced version of earlier Safwyl.

Back  -   New Search

Scarlett f

English: name popularized by the central character in the novel Gone With the Wind (1936) by Margaret Mitchell, later made into a famous film. The characters in the novel bear a variety of unusual given names, which had a remarkable influence on naming practices throughout the English-speaking world in the 20th century. According to the novel, the name of the central character was Katie Scarlett O'Hara (the middle name representing her grandmother's maiden surname), but she was always known as Scarlett.
Variant: Scarlet.

Back  -   New Search

Scevola m

Italian: name chosen out of admiration for the Roman semi-legendary hero of the 6th century BC, Gaius Mucius Scaevola. He is said to have burnt off his own right hand in an altar fire in order to demonstrate to the Etruscan king, Lars Porsenna, the strength of his willpower. Allegedly as a result of this exploit he received the cognomen Scaevola, a derivative of scaevus left-handed. This was borne in turn by his descendants, several of whom rose to prominent positions in the Roman republic.

Back  -   New Search

cibor m

Polish: variant of CZCIBOR.

Back  -   New Search

Scott m

Scottish and English: although this was in use as a personal name both before and after the Norman Conquest, modern use in most cases almost certainly represents a transferred use of the surname. This originated as a byname for someone from Scotland or, within Scotland itself, a member of the Gaelic-speaking people who originally came from Ireland. The given name is now often chosen by parents conscious of their Scottish ancestry and heritage, but it is also used more widely.

Back  -   New Search

Seaghdh m

Scottish Gaelic: traditional name of uncertain derivation, perhaps meaning ‘hawk-like, fine, goodly’. It has been Anglicized as SHAW and SETH.
Cognate: Irish Gaelic: Séaghdha.

Back  -   New Search

Séamas m

Irish Gaelic: modern form of JAMES. Earlier Gaelic spellings are Séamus, Seumus, and Seumas.

Back  -   New Search

Seán m

Irish Gaelic form of JOHN, derived in the early Middle Ages from Anglo-Norman Jehan. The name has always been common in Ireland, but is now being increasingly chosen also by parents who have no Irish connections (usually without the accent, Sean).

Back  -   New Search

Séarlait f

Irish Gaelic form of CHARLOTTE.

Back  -   New Search

Séarlas m

Irish Gaelic form of CHARLES.

Back  -   New Search

Seathan m

Scottish Gaelic form of JOHN, derived from Old French Je(h)an.

Back  -   New Search

Sebastian m

English: name of early Christian origin, borne by a 3rd-century saint who was a Roman soldier martyred by the arrows of his fellow officers; his sufferings were a favourite subject for medieval artists. The name means ‘man from Sebasta’, a town in Asia Minor so called from Greek Sebastos, a translation of the Latin imperial title Augustus.
Cognates: French: Sébastien. Spanish: Sebastián. Italian: Sebastiano. Dutch: Sebastiaan. Russian: Sevastian.
Short forms: English: Seb. French: Bastien. Russian: Seva.

Back  -   New Search

Séimí m

Irish Gaelic form of the Scottish male name JAMIE, in use in Northern Ireland.

Back  -   New Search

Selig m

Jewish: from the Yiddish vocabulary word selig happy, fortunate (modern German selig), used as a vernacular translation of the Hebrew name ASHER.
Variant: Zelig.

Back  -   New Search

Selima f

English: of uncertain origin. The name seems to have been first recorded by the poet Thomas Gray (1716–71) as that of Horace Walpole's cat, ‘drowned in a tub of gold fishes’. The metre shows that the name was stressed on the first syllable, but there is no clue as to its derivation. Gray was possibly influenced by the Arabic name Selim ‘peace’.

Back  -   New Search

Selina f

English: of uncertain origin. The name first occurs in the 17th century, and it may be an altered form of Selena (Greek Seln), the name of a goddess of the moon, or of Celina (Latin Caelna), a derivative of CELIA. The name suddenly became more popular in Britain in the 1980s, partly perhaps because of the familiarity of the television newsreader Selina Scott.

Back  -   New Search

Selma f

English: of uncertain origin, probably a contracted form of SELIMA. It has also been occasionally used in Germany and Scandinavia, probably because it occurs as the name of Ossian's castle in Macpherson's poems, once enormously popular there.

Back  -   New Search

Selwyn m

English: transferred use of the surname, which is of disputed origin. There was a given name Selewyn in use in the Middle Ages, which probably represents a survival of an unrecorded Old English name composed of the elements sle prosperity or sele hall + wine friend. Alternatively, the surname may be Norman, derived from Seluein, an Old French form of Latin Silvnus (from silva wood; cf. SILAS).
Variant: Selwin.

Back  -   New Search

Semyon m

Russian form of SIMON (actually from the form Simeon).
Pet form: Senya.

Back  -   New Search

Senan m

Irish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Seanán, originally a byname representing a diminutive of sean old, wise. This name was borne by numerous early Irish saints, including a 6th-century bishop and a 7th-century hermit.

Back  -   New Search

Sender m

Jewish: Yiddish form of ALEXANDER.

Back  -   New Search

Senga f

Scottish: common in the northeast of Scotland, this name is popularly supposed to represent AGNES spelled backwards (which it undeniably does). However, it is more likely to have originated from the Gaelic vocabulary word seang slender.

Back  -   New Search

Senya m

Russian: pet form of both ARSENI and SEMYON.

Back  -   New Search

Seocan m

Scottish Gaelic: pet form of JOCK.

Back  -   New Search

Seoirse m

Irish Gaelic form of GEORGE.

Back  -   New Search

Seonag f

Scottish Gaelic form of JOAN.

Back  -   New Search

Seònaid f

Scottish Gaelic form of JANET.
Anglicized forms: Seona, Shona.

Back  -   New Search

Seòras m

Scottish Gaelic form of GEORGE.
Variants: Seòrsa, Deòrsa.

Back  -   New Search

Seòsaidh m

Scottish Gaelic form of JOSEPH.

Back  -   New Search

Seosaimhín f

Irish Gaelic form of JOSEPHINE.

Back  -   New Search

Seosamh m

Irish Gaelic form of JOSEPH.

Back  -   New Search

Sepp m

German (esp. Bavarian): short form of JOSEPH.

Back  -   New Search

Septimus m

English: from a Late Latin name derived from Latin septimus seventh. It was fairly commonly used in large Victorian families for the seventh son or a male seventh child, but is now rare.

Back  -   New Search

Seraphina f

Latinate derivative of Hebrew seraphim ‘burning ones’, the name of an order of angels (Isaiah 6: 2). It was borne by a rather shadowy saint who was martyred at the beginning of the 5th century in Italy, Spain, or Armenia.
Variant: Serafina.
Cognate: Russian: Serafima.
Short form: English: Fina.
Pet forms: Russian: Sima, Fima, Fimochka.
Masculine form: Italian: Serafino.

Back  -   New Search

Serena f

From a Latin name, representing the feminine form of the adjective sernus calm, serene. It was borne by an early Christian saint, about whom little is known. In her Life she is described as a wife of the Emperor Domitian (AD 51–96), but there is no mention of her in any of the historical sources that deal with this period.

Back  -   New Search

Serge m

French form of SERGEI, brought into use at the beginning of the 20th century. There is no connection with the type of material called serge (Old French sarge, from Latin sericum silk).

Back  -   New Search

Sergei m

Russian: from the old Roman family name Sergius, which is of uncertain, though probably Etruscan, origin. (It was borne, for example, by the conspirator denounced by Cicero, Lucius Sergius Catilina.) St Sergius of Radonezh (c.1314–92) is one of the most famous of all Russian saints, hence the great popularity of the name.
Pet form: Seryozha.

Back  -   New Search

Servaas m

Dutch: from the Late Latin name Servtius, a derivative of servtus saved, i.e. ‘redeemed’. This was the name of a 4th-century saint, bishop of Tangres in the Low Countries.

Back  -   New Search

Sessy f

English: pet form of CECILY.

Back  -   New Search

Sesto m

Italian form of SEXTUS.

Back  -   New Search

Seth m

Biblical: name (from a Hebrew word meaning ‘appointed, placed’) of the third son of Adam, who was born after the murder of Abel (Genesis 4: 25, ‘And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew’). It was popular among the Puritans (particularly for children born after the death of an elder sibling), and has been occasionally used since. By the 20th century it had become rare. It was used for the darkly passionate rural character Seth Starkadder in Stella Gibbons's comic novel Cold Comfort Farm (1932). In Scotland it has been used as an Anglicized form of SEAGHDH.

Back  -   New Search

Seumas m

Scottish Gaelic form of JAMES, also an older Irish Gaelic form.

Back  -   New Search

Seumus m

Irish Gaelic: older spelling of SÉAMAS.

Back  -   New Search

Seva m

Russian: pet form of both VSEVOLOD and SEVASTIAN.
Variant: Syova.

Back  -   New Search

Sevastian m

Russian form of SEBASTIAN.
Variant: Sevastyan.

Back  -   New Search

Seve m

Spanish: pet form of SEVERIANO and SEVERINO.

Back  -   New Search

Severiano m

Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese: from Latin Sevrinus, a further elaboration of Sevrnus (see SEVERINO). The name was borne by several early minor saints, but is not now in common use.

Back  -   New Search

Severino m

Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese: from the Latin family name Sevrnus, a derivative of Sevrus (see SEVERO). This name was borne by a large number of early saints, including a 5th-century apostle of Austria and a 6th-century bishop of Santempeda (now Sanseverino).
Cognates: Polish: Seweryn. Danish: Søren. Hungarian: Szörény.
Feminine forms: Latinate: Severina. French: Sévérine.

Back  -   New Search

Severo m

Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese: from Latin Sevrus, an old Roman family name, originally a byname meaning ‘severe, stern’. This name was borne by a large number of early saints, including bishops of Ravenna (d. c.348), Naples (d. 409), and Barcelona (d. 633).

Back  -   New Search

Sextus m

Traditional Latin given name, meaning originally ‘sixth’. It was taken up in England during the Victorian period, often for a sixth son or a male sixth child, but it is now little used. The form Sixtus borne by three early popes is most likely a variant of this name, although it is often associated with the Greek word xystos polished.
Cognates: Italian: Sesto, Sisto.

Back  -   New Search

Seymour m

English: transferred use of the surname, originally a Norman baronial name from Saint-Maur in Normandy. This place was so called from the dedication of its church to St Maurus, whose Latin name means ‘Moor’, i.e. North African. The identity of this saint is not known.

Back  -   New Search

Sgàire m

Scottish Gaelic: traditional name, probably in origin a borrowing of the Old Norse byname Skári ‘sea-mew’. It has sometimes been Anglicized as ZACHARY.

Back  -   New Search

Shabbetai m

Jewish: Hebrew name derived from shabbth sabbath (itself a derivative of shbath rested). It has been given to boys born on this day of the week.
Variant (contracted form): Shabtai.

Back  -   New Search

Shahar m

Jewish: modern Hebrew name meaning ‘dawn’.

Back  -   New Search

Shalom m

Jewish: from the Hebrew vocabulary word shalom peace.

Back  -   New Search

Shamus m

Anglicized spelling of Séamus (see SÉAMAS). It has sometimes been used in Ireland, but is now rare.

Back  -   New Search

Shane m, f

English and Irish: early Anglicized form of SEÁN, representing a Northern Irish pronunciation of the Gaelic name. In recent years it has also been used as a female name.

Back  -   New Search

Shanee f

English: apparently an Anglicized form of Welsh Siani (see SIÂN).

Back  -   New Search

Shannah f

English: rare name of uncertain origin. It would seem to represent a short form of Shoshannah, the original Hebrew form of SUSANNA. However, the even rarer spelling Shannagh would seem to suggest association with the Irish surname Shannagh, from Gaelic Ó Seanaigh ‘descendant of Seanach’. Seanach is a Gaelic personal name derived from sean old, wise (cf. SENAN).

Back  -   New Search

Shannon f

English (chiefly U.S.): from the name of a river in Ireland. It is not clear why it has become so popular as a given name, but it combines a similar phonetic shape to SHARON, an Irish reference as in ERIN, and a river name as in CLODAGH. It is not used in Ireland itself.

Back  -   New Search

Shari f

English (esp. U.S.): Anglicized spelling of Sári (see SARAH).

Back  -   New Search

Sharman f, m

English: 1 (f.) Altered form of CHARMIAN.

2 (m.) Transferred use of the surname, a variant of SHERMAN.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Sharon f

English: a 20th-century coinage, from a biblical placename. The derivation is from the phrase ‘I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys’ (Song of Solomon 2: 1). The plant name ‘rose of Sharon’ is used for a shrub of the genus Hypericum, with yellow flowers, and for a species of hibiscus, with purple flowers. Rosasharn (Rose of Sharon) is the name of one of the characters in John Steinbeck's novel The Grapes of Wrath (1936).
Variant: Sharron.

Back  -   New Search

Sharona f

Latinate elaborated form of SHARON, now quite often used in the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Sharonda f

English: less frequent elaboration of SHARON, with the suffix -da apparently abstracted from names such as GLENDA and LINDA.

Back  -   New Search

Sharron f

English: variant spelling of SHARON.

Back  -   New Search

Shaughan m

English and Irish: variant spelling of SHAUN, probably influenced by VAUGHAN.

Back  -   New Search

Shaun m

Anglicized spelling of SEÁN, somewhat less common than SHAWN in America, but more so in Britain.

Back  -   New Search

Shauna f

A feminized form of SHAUN, unknown in Ireland and rare in Britain, but reasonably common in America.

Back  -   New Search

Shaw m

1 Scottish: Anglicized form of SEAGHDH.

2 English: transferred use of the surname, which originated as a local name meaning ‘wood, copse’ (Old English sceaga, Old Norse skógr).
Top

Back  -   New Search

Shawn m

Anglicized spelling of SEÁN, found mainly in America.

Back  -   New Search

Shayna f

Jewish: Yiddish name meaning ‘beautiful’ (modern German schön). See also BEILE and YAFFA.
Variant: Sheine.

Back  -   New Search

Sheena f

Anglicized spelling of Sìne (Scottish) or Síne (Irish), the Gaelic forms of JANE (see SÍNE).

Back  -   New Search

Sheila f

Anglicized spelling of Irish Gaelic SÍLE, now so common that it is hardly felt to be Irish any longer. In Australia since the 19th century it has been a slang generic term for any woman.

Back  -   New Search

Sheine f

Jewish (Yiddish): variant of SHAYNA.

Back  -   New Search

Shelagh f

Another Anglicized form of SÍLE (see also SHEILA). The final consonants in the written form seem to have been added to restore a Gaelic feel to the name, since they occur at the end of many Gaelic words and are silent. However, they do not have any historically justified place in the name.
Variant: Sheelagh.

Back  -   New Search

Sheldon m

English: transferred use of the surname, which originated as a local name from any of various places so called. Examples occur in Derbyshire, Devon, and the West Midlands; they all have different origins.

Back  -   New Search

Shell f

English: 1 Normally a short form of MICHELLE.

2 In some cases it may be a back-formation from SHELLEY (as if this contained the hypocoristic suffix -(e)y) or simply a shortened form of SHELLEY.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Shelley f, occasionally m

English: transferred use of the surname, the most famous bearer of which was the English Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792–1822). The surname is a local name from one of the various places (in Essex, Suffolk, and Yorkshire) named in Old English as the ‘wood (or clearing) on (or near) a slope (or ledge)’. The name is now almost exclusively female, in part no doubt as a result of association with SHIRLEY (the actress Shelley Winters was born in 1922 as Shirley Schrift), and in part due to the characteristically feminine ending -ie, -y.

Back  -   New Search

Shelomit f

Jewish: derived from Hebrew shalom peace. It is both a male and a female name in the Bible, but in modern Hebrew it is only used as a female name.

Back  -   New Search

Sheree f

English: respelled form of Chérie (see CHERRY), used especially in America.

Back  -   New Search

Sheridan m

English: transferred use of the surname made famous by the Irish playwright Richard Brinsley Sheridan (1751–1816). The surname is from Gaelic Ó Sirideáin ‘descendant of Sirideán’, a personal name of uncertain origin, possibly connected with sirim to seek.

Back  -   New Search

Sherman m

English: transferred use of the surname, which originated in the Middle Ages as an occupational name for someone who trimmed the nap of woollen cloth after it had been woven. It represents a compound of the Old English elements scara shears + mann man.

Back  -   New Search

Sherry f

English: probably in origin a respelled form of Chérie (see CHERRY). It is now more closely associated with the fortified wine, earlier sherry wine, so named from the port of Jérez in southern Spain.
Variant: Sherrie.

Back  -   New Search

Sheryl f

English: variant of CHERYL.
Variants: Sherill, Sherrill.

Back  -   New Search

Shevaun f

Irish and English: Anglicized form of Gaelic SIOBHÁN.

Back  -   New Search

Shifra f

Jewish: from Hebrew shifra beauty, grace. Spelled Shiphrah in the Authorized Version, it was the name of one of the midwives who defied Pharaoh's order to drown all newborn Hebrew boys (Exodus 1: 15–19).
Variant: Shiphrah.

Back  -   New Search

Shilla f

English: modern name, apparently an altered spelling of SHEILA.

Back  -   New Search

Shimon m

Jewish: modern Hebrew form of SIMON.

Back  -   New Search

Shiphrah f

Jewish: variant of SHIFRA.

Back  -   New Search

Shireen f

English: variant of SHIRIN, by association with the productive suffix -een.

Back  -   New Search

Shirin f

Muslim name of Persian or Arabic origin now beginning to be fairly commonly used in the English-speaking world.
Variant: Shirrin.

Back  -   New Search

Shirley f, formerly m

English: transferred use of the surname, which is a local name from any of the various places (in the West Midlands, Derbyshire, Hampshire, and Surrey) named in Old English from the elements scr county, shire or scr bright + lah wood or clearing. It was given by Charlotte Brontë to the heroine of her novel Shirley (1849). According to the novel, her parents had selected the name in prospect of a male child and used it regardless. Shirley had earlier been used as a male name (Charlotte Brontë refers to it as a ‘masculine cognomen’), but this literary influence fixed it firmly as a female name. It was strongly reinforced during the 1930s and 1940s by the popularity of the child film star Shirley Temple (b. 1928).
Variant: Shirlee (rare).

Back  -   New Search

Shlomo m

Jewish: modern Hebrew form of SOLOMON.

Back  -   New Search

Shmuel m

Jewish: modern Hebrew form of SAMUEL.

Back  -   New Search

Shneur m

Jewish: Yiddish name, apparently derived from Latin senior elder. Alternatively, it may have a Hebrew origin meaning ‘two lights’, a reference to illustrious ancestors on both sides of the child's family.

Back  -   New Search

Sholto m

Scottish: apparently an Anglicized form of a Gaelic name, Sìoltach, originally a byname meaning ‘sower’, i.e. ‘fruitful’ or ‘seed-bearing’. This name is traditional in the Douglas family.

Back  -   New Search

Shona f

Scottish: Anglicized form of Gaelic SEONAG or SEÒNAID.

Back  -   New Search

Shprinze f

Jewish: of uncertain origin, probably a Yiddish form of ESPERANZA.

Back  -   New Search

Shraga m

Jewish: Aramaic name meaning ‘fire, lantern’. It is usually paired with the Yiddish equivalent FAIVISH.

Back  -   New Search

Shula f

As a Jewish name this is a short form of SHULAMIT. It has been adopted by non-Jews in the English-speaking world as an independent given name.

Back  -   New Search

Shulamit f

Jewish: Hebrew name meaning ‘peacefulness’, a derivative of shalom peace. The name occurs as a personification in the Song of Solomon (6: 13): ‘Return, return, O Shulamite; return, return, that we may look upon thee’. It is a popular modern Hebrew name.
Variants: Shulamith, Shulamite.

Back  -   New Search

Shura m, f

Russian: short form of Sashura, itself an elaborated version of SASHA, a pet form of ALEXANDER. Occasionally it is found as a female name, ultimately from ALEXANDRA.

Back  -   New Search

Siân f

Welsh form of JANE, derived from Anglo-Norman Jeanne. In the English-speaking world it is often used without the accent (Sian).
Pet form: Siani.

Back  -   New Search

Siarl m

Welsh form of CHARLES.

Back  -   New Search

Sibb f

English: short form of SIBYL, popular in the Middle Ages, but now rare.
Pet form: Sibby (used in Ireland as an Anglicized form of Gaelic SIBÉAL).

Back  -   New Search

Sibéal f

Irish Gaelic form of ISABEL, derived in the early Middle Ages from the Anglo-Norman name.

Back  -   New Search

Sibyl f

English: variant spelling of SYBIL. Even in classical times there was confusion between the vowels in this word.
Variants: Sibylla (Latinate form, common in Denmark and Sweden); Sibilla; Sibella (by association with the Italian feminine diminutive suffix -ella).

Back  -   New Search

Sidney m, occasionally f

English: transferred use of the surname, which is usually said to be a Norman baronial name from Saint-Denis in France. However, at least in the case of the family of the poet and soldier Sir Philip Sidney (1554–86), it appears to have a more humble origin, being derived from lands in Surrey named as the ‘wide meadow’ (Old English sdan wide (dative case) + g island in a river, riverside meadow). The popularity of the male name increased considerably in the 19th century, probably under the influence of Sidney Carton, hero of Dickens's novel A Tale of Two Cities (1859). As a female name it is perhaps in part a contsracted form of SIDONY, and coincidentally represents a metathesized form of SINDY, but this use is quite rare.
Variant: Sydney.
Short form: Sid.

Back  -   New Search

Sidony f

English: from a Latin ethnic name, Sidnius (m.) or Sidnia (f.) ‘person from Sidon’ (in Phoenicia). This quite early came to be associated with the Greek word sindon winding-sheet. Two saints called Sidonius are venerated in the Catholic Church: Sidonius Apollinaris, a 4th-century bishop of Clermont, and a 7th-century Irish monk who was the first abbot of the monastery of Saint-Saëns (named with a much mutilated form of his name). Sidonius does not seem to have been used as a given name in the later Middle Ages, but the feminine form Sidonia (English Sidony) was comparatively popular and has continued in occasional use ever since.
Variant: Sidonie.

Back  -   New Search

Sieffre m

Welsh form of GEOFFREY.

Back  -   New Search

Siegbert m

German (esp. Jewish): from an old Germanic personal name composed of the elements sige victory + berht bright, famous. The name was borne by a 7th-century French king, regarded as a saint because of his foundation of numerous hospitals, churches, and monasteries. An Old English cognate was borne by a contemporary who was the first Christian king of East Anglia. The reason why the name should have become particularly popular among Jews is not clear.

Back  -   New Search

Siegfried m

German: from an old Germanic personal name composed of the elements sige victory + frid, fred peace. This was a relatively common given name in the Middle Ages, but its modern use dates from the latter part of the 19th century, and reflects the revival of interest in Germanic legend, culminating in Wagner's operatic treatment in his Ring cycle.

Back  -   New Search

Sieglinde f

German: from an old Germanic female personal name composed of the elements sige victory + lind weak, tender, soft.

Back  -   New Search

Siegmund m

Usual modern German form of SIGMUND.

Back  -   New Search

Siemen m

Dutch and Low German form of SIMON.

Back  -   New Search

Siencyn m

Welsh spelling of JENKIN.

Back  -   New Search

Sigbjörn m

Swedish: from an Old Norse personal name composed of the elements sigr victory + björn bear.
Cognate: Norwegian: Sigbjørn.
Pet form: Swedish: Sigge.

Back  -   New Search

Sigge m

Swedish: pet form of SIGURD and, occasionally, of the less common SIGBJÖRN.

Back  -   New Search

Sigi m

German: pet form of any of the various male names of Germanic origin containing the first element sige victory, as, for example, SIEGBERT, SIEGFRIED, and SIEGMUND.

Back  -   New Search

Sigismund m

German: variant of SIGMUND, with the first element representing an extended form of the Germanic element sige victory. St Sigismund (d. 523) was a king of the Burgundians, murdered by political enemies but honoured as a martyr because he died in a monk's habit adopted for disguise.

Back  -   New Search

Sigiswald m

German: from an old Germanic personal name composed of the elements sige victory + wald ruler.

Back  -   New Search

Sigmund m

English and German: from an old Germanic personal name composed of the elements sige victory + mund protector. It was introduced to Britain both before and after the Conquest, from Scandinavia and Normandy, but there was much confusion with SIMON (final -d being added and dropped in the Middle Ages with great abandon) and it eventually fell out of use. As a modern given name in the English-speaking world, it is a recent reintroduction from Germany.
Variants: German: Siegmund, SIGISMUND.
Cognate: Polish: Zygmunt.

Back  -   New Search

Signy f

Scandinavian: from an Old Norse female personal name composed of the elements sigr victory + ný new.
Variants: Signi, Signe.

Back  -   New Search

Sigrid f

Scandinavian: from an Old Norse female personal name composed of the elements sigr victory + fríòr fair, beautiful. The name is now also fairly commonly used in the English-speaking world.
Pet form: Siri.

Back  -   New Search

Sigrun f

Scandinavian: from an Old Norse female personal name composed of the elements sigr victory + rn secret lore. The name was borne in Scandinavian mythology by one of the Valkyries, and was revived as a given name in the late 18th century.

Back  -   New Search

Sigurd m

Scandinavian: from an Old Norse personal name composed of the elements sigr victory + vöròr guardian. According to Scandinavian legend, a character of this name slew the dragon Fafnir, who was guarding an accursed treasure; according to Wagner's treatment in the Ring cycle, this role is taken by Siegfried.
Variant: Norwegian: Sjurd.
Pet form: Swedish: Sigge.

Back  -   New Search

Sikke m

Frisian: pet form of any of the various names of Germanic origin containing the first element sige victory; cf. SIGI.

Back  -   New Search

Silas m

New Testament: Greek name, a short form of Silouanus (Latin Silvnus, from silva wood). This name was borne by a companion of St Paul, who is also mentioned in the Bible in the full form of his name. The Eastern Church recognizes two separate saints, Silas and Silvanus, but honours both on the same day (20 July).

Back  -   New Search

Síle f

Irish Gaelic form of CECILY, derived in the early Middle Ages from the Anglo-Norman form Cecile.
Anglicized forms: SHEILA, She(e)lagh.
Cognates: Scottish Gaelic: Sìle, Sìleas, Silis.

Back  -   New Search

Silja f

Finnish (used also in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden): vernacular form of Cecilia (see CECILY). The name was made famous by the novel The Maid Silja (1931) by Frans Eemil Sillanpää, winner of the Nobel Prize for literature.

Back  -   New Search

Silke f

Low German and Frisian: pet name derived from a short form of CELIA or Cecilia (see CECILY). The name is now also more widely popular in the German-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Silvana f

Italian: feminine form of SILVANO, now also used in Germany and occasionally in the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Silvano m

Italian: from Latin Silvnus; see SILAS. The name Silvanus was also borne by over a dozen other early saints, including a 6th-century abbot of Bangor in Ireland. In his case, the name is probably a classicized form of some faintly similar Celtic original.
Cognate: French: Sylvain.

Back  -   New Search

Silver f, m

English: from the name of the precious metal (Old English siolfor), sometimes given to babies born with very fair, silvery white hair.

Back  -   New Search

Silvester m

English and German: from a Latin name, meaning ‘of the woods’. It was borne by various early saints, most notably by the first pope to govern a Church free from persecution (314–35). His feast is on 31 December, and in various parts of Europe the New Year is celebrated under his name. The name has been continuously, if modestly, used from the Middle Ages to the present day.
Variant: Sylvester.
Cognates: Italian: Silvestro. Spanish: Silvestre. Polish: Sylwester.

Back  -   New Search

Silvestra f

Latinate feminine form of SILVESTER.

Back  -   New Search

Silvia f

Italian and English: from Roman legend. Rhea Silvia was, according to mythological tradition, the mother of the twins Romulus and Remus, who founded Rome. Her name probably represents a reworking, by association with Latin silva wood, of some pre-Roman form. It was borne by a 6th-century saint, mother of Gregory the Great, and has always been relatively popular in Italy. Shakespeare used it as a typically Italian name in his Two Gentlemen of Verona, but it is now completely established in the English-speaking world.
Variant: English, Scandinavian: Sylvia.
Cognate: French: Sylvie.

Back  -   New Search

Silvio m

Italian: from Latin Silvius, a masculine form of SILVIA. Several of the legendary kings of Alba Longa bore this name, and a St Silvius was martyred at Alexandria in Egypt in one of the early persecutions of the Christians.

Back  -   New Search

Sima f

Russian: pet form of Serafima (see SERAPHINA).

Back  -   New Search

Simcha m, f

Jewish: Hebrew name meaning ‘joy’. It was orignally a female name, but is now more commonly given to males among Ashkenazic Jews.

Back  -   New Search

Simeon m

Biblical: from Hebrew, meaning ‘hearkening’. It is borne by several Old and New Testament characters, rendered in the Authorized Version variously as Shimeon, Simeon, and SIMON. In the New Testament, it is the spelling used for the man who blessed the infant Christ (Luke 2: 25).

Back  -   New Search

Simon m

Usual English form of SIMEON. This form of the name is borne in the New Testament by various characters: two apostles, a brother of Jesus, a Pharisee, a leper, a tanner, a sorcerer (who offered money for the gifts of the Holy Ghost, giving rise to the term simony), and the man who carried Jesus's cross to the Crucifixion.
Cognates: Irish Gaelic: Síomón. Scottish Gaelic: Sìm, Simidh. Dutch, Low German: Siemen. Polish: Szymon. Czech: Šimon. Russian: Semyon. Hebrew: Shimon.
Pet forms: Czech: Ši(on)ek, Simnek, Simeek.

Back  -   New Search

Simone f

French: feminine form of SIMON, now also quite commonly used in the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Sina f

German and Scandinavian: short form of various Latinate female names ending in these syllables, for example Thomasina (see THOMAS).
Variant: Danish: Sine.

Back  -   New Search

Sinclair m

English and Scottish: transferred use of the Scottish surname, which originated as a Norman baronial name borne by a family that held a manor in northern France called Saint-Clair, probably Saint-Clair-sur-Elle in La Manche. It is an extremely common Scottish surname: the Norman family received the earldoms of Caithness and Orkney. They merged with the Norse- and Gaelic-speaking inhabitants of their domains to form one of the most powerful of the Scottish Highland families. The name of the novelist Sinclair Lewis (1885–1951) may have had some influence on the choice of this as a twentieth-century given name.

Back  -   New Search

Sinda f

1 English: variant of SINDY.

2 Spanish: short form of various names ending in this element, of Visigothic origin, as, for example, GUMERSINDA.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Sindy f

English: variant spelling of CINDY that came into use in about 1950 and is most common in America.

Back  -   New Search

Sine f

Danish: variant of SINA.

Back  -   New Search

Síne f

Irish Gaelic form of JANE, derived from Anglo-Norman Jeanne.
Cognate: Scottish Gaelic: Sìne (Anglicized as Sheena).
Pet form: Scottish Gaelic: Sìneag.

Back  -   New Search

Sinéad f

Irish Gaelic form of JANET, derived from Anglo-Norman Jeannette.
Diminutive: Sinéidín.

Back  -   New Search

Siobhán f

Irish Gaelic form of JANE, derived from the Anglo-Norman disyllabic form Jehanne. It became widely known in the English-speaking world as a result of the fame of the actress Siobhán McKenna (1923–86), and has recently come to be a popular given name.
Anglicized forms: Shevaun, Chevonne (modern).
Cognate: Scottish Gaelic: Siubhan.

Back  -   New Search

Siôn m

Welsh form of JOHN, derived from Anglo-Norman Jean.
Pet form: Sionym.

Back  -   New Search

Sioned f

Welsh form of JANET.

Back  -   New Search

Siôr m

Welsh form of GEORGE.
Variants: Sior(y)s.

Back  -   New Search

Siothrún m

Irish Gaelic form of GEOFFREY.

Back  -   New Search

Siri f

Scandinavian: simplified form of SIGRID, often used as a pet form of that name.

Back  -   New Search

Sissel f

Scandinavian form of CICELY.

Back  -   New Search

Sissy f

English: pet form of CICELY that came into use about 1890 but disappeared again after about 1920, no doubt because of the homonymous slang word sissy ‘effeminate’ (which is probably from the kinship term sister). In recent years it has undergone something of a revival.
Variants: Sissey, Sissie.

Back  -   New Search

Sisto m

Italian: variant of Sesto (see SEXTUS).

Back  -   New Search

Siubhan f

Scottish Gaelic form of JANE, derived from the Old French disyllabic form Jehanne (see JEAN). This name is usually Anglicized as JUDITH.

Back  -   New Search

Siùsan f

Scottish Gaelic form of Susan (see SUSANNA).
Variant: Siùsaidh.

Back  -   New Search

Siv f

Scandinavian: originally a byname meaning ‘bride, wife’. It is borne in Scandinavian mythology by the wife of Thor.

Back  -   New Search

Sive f

Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic SADHBH. Sive is the title of a popular contemporary play by John B. Keene.

Back  -   New Search

Sixten f

Swedish: from an Old Norse personal name composed of the elements sigr victory + steinn stone.

Back  -   New Search

Sjurd m

Norwegian: contracted form of SIGURD.

Back  -   New Search

Skipper m

English: originally a nickname from the vocabulary word skipper boss (originally a ship's captain, from Middle Dutch schipper), or else representing an agent derivative of skip to leap, bound (probably of Scandinavian origin). It is now sometimes used as an independent given name, especially in America.
Short forms: Skip, Skipp.

Back  -   New Search

Slava m

Russian: pet form of the numerous compound names containing the Slavonic element slav glory, as, for example, Mstislav (see MCISAW), ROSTISLAV, Stanislav (see STANISLAS), and VYACHESLAV.

Back  -   New Search

Sawomierz m

Polish: from an old Slavonic personal name composed of the elements slav glory + meri great, famous (see CASIMIR). The same elements appear in the reverse order in the name MIROSAW.
Cognate: Czech: Slavomír.

Back  -   New Search

Sly m, f

English (mainly U.S.): modern name. The reasons for its adoption as a given name are not clear. In the case of the American actor Sylvester Stallone, it is used as a contracted pet form of his given name. The fact that it coincides in form with the vocabulary word sly ‘cunning, devious’ does not seem to have been a bar to its use as a given name.

Back  -   New Search

Sobiesaw m

Polish: from an old Slavonic personal name composed of the elements sobi to appropriate, usurp + slav glory (cf. ROCISAW).
Cognate: Czech: Sobslav.
Feminine form: Czech: Sobslava.
Pet forms: Czech: Sobík, Sobe m; Sobna, Sobeka f.

Back  -   New Search

Socorro f

Spanish: from a title of the Virgin Mary, Nuestra Señora del Socorro ‘Our Lady of Perpetual Succour’, alluding to her readiness to intercede for her devotees in distress.

Back  -   New Search

Sofia f

Norwegian and Swedish form of SOPHIA.

Back  -   New Search

Sofie f

Low German, Dutch, and Danish form of SOPHIA.

Back  -   New Search

Sol f, m

1 (f.) Spanish: from Spanish sol sun (Latin sol), apparently alluding to the beauty and purity of the celestial body. This was a common given name in the Middle Ages, being borne, for example, by one of the daughters of El Cid, and it is still in use today; in part it may now be taken as a short form of SOLEDAD.

2 (m.) Jewish: short form of SOLOMON used in the English-speaking world. The pet form Solly is also used.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Solange f

French: vernacular form of the Late Latin name Sollemnia, a derivative of sollemnis solemn, religious. St Solange was a poor shepherdess from Bourges who was killed in the 9th century by her master for resisting his attempts on her virtue; in consequence she came to be regarded as a martyr for the faith.

Back  -   New Search

Soledad f

Spanish: from a title of the Virgin Mary, Maria de Soledad (from Spanish soledad solitude, Late Latin slits, a derivative of slus alone). The allusion is to the Christian virtue of solitude, or separation from the distractions of the world.
Pet form: Chole.

Back  -   New Search

Solita f

Spanish: pet form of the female name SOL.

Back  -   New Search

Solly m

Pet form of the male name SOL, used mainly by Jews in the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Solomon m

Biblical: name (Hebrew Shlomo, derived from shalom peace) of a king of Israel, son of David and Bathsheba, who was legendary for his wisdom (2 Samuel 12–24; 1 Kings 1–11; 2 Chronicles 1–9). The books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes were ascribed to him, and the Song of Solomon, otherwise known as the Song of Songs, bears his name. It has been sporadically used among Gentiles since the Middle Ages, often by parents who wished wisdom for their child, but is still largely a Jewish name.
Other forms: Jewish: Shlomo (Hebrew); Zalman (Yiddish). Gaelic: Solamh.
Short form: SOL.

Back  -   New Search

Solveig f

Norwegian: from an Old Norse female personal name composed of the elements salr house, hall + veig strength. The usual Swedish spelling of the name is Solvig, the Danish Solvej. The name Solveig is borne by the heroine of Henrik Ibsen's Peer Gynt (1867, first performed 1876); although abandoned by Peer without warning, she patiently waits several years for his return, and at the last redeems him from doom by her love and forgiveness.

Back  -   New Search

Somerled m

Scottish (Highland): from the Old Norse personal name Sumarlíòr, probably originally a byname meaning ‘summer traveller’. This was the name of the founder of the powerful and widespread Clan Macdonald, Lords of the Isles from the 12th to the 15th century, and it is still occasionally bestowed on Macdonalds and members of septs of the various branches of the clan. The Somerled in question was Lord of Argyll from about 1130 to 1164. The clan actually takes its name from his grandson.
Variants: Summerlad (altered by folk etymology); Somhairle (Gaelic form, also used in Ireland; Anglicized as Sorley).

Back  -   New Search

Sonya f

Russian: pet form of Sofya (see SOPHIA), popular as a given name in its own right in Britain and elsewhere since the 1920s.
Variants: Sonia (English spelling); Sonja, Sonje (German and Scandinavian spellings).

Back  -   New Search

Soo f

English: fanciful variant spelling of SUE.

Back  -   New Search

Sondra f

English: of recent origin, apparently an altered form of SANDRA.

Back  -   New Search

Sophia f

From the Greek word meaning ‘wisdom’. The Eastern cult of St Sophia seems to be the result of misinterpretation of the phrase Hagia Sophia ‘holy wisdom’ as if it meant ‘St Sophia’. The name became popular in England in the 17th and 18th centuries. The heroine of Fielding's novel Tom Jones (1749) is called Sophia Weston. In recent years, its popularity has been further increased by the fame of the Italian film actress Sophia Loren (b. 1934). In the Scottish Highlands it has been used as an Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Beathag (see BEATHAN).
Derivatives: French, English, German: Sophie. Low German, Danish, Dutch: Sofie. Norwegian, Swedish: Sofia. Polish: Zofia. Czech: Zofie. Hungarian: Zsófia.
Pet forms: Low German: Fieke. Russian: Sonya. Polish: Zosia. Czech: ofka.

Back  -   New Search

Sophie f

Variant, of French origin, of SOPHIA. In the English-speaking world, where it has been popular since the 18th century, it is often taken as a pet form of Sophia, and is sometimes spelled Sophy.

Back  -   New Search

Sorcha f

Irish and Scottish Gaelic name derived from an Old Celtic element meaning ‘brightness’. In Ireland it has long been considered a Gaelic form of SARAH, and Anglicized as Sarah and Sally, but this is based on no more than a slight phonetic similarity. In Scotland the meaning of the name has resulted in its being translated as Clara.

Back  -   New Search

Sören m

Scandinavian (Danish) form of Severinus (see SEVERINO).

Back  -   New Search

Sorley m

Scottish (Highland) and Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Somhairle; see SOMERLED.

Back  -   New Search

Sorne f

Basque equivalent of CONCEPCIÓN.

Back  -   New Search

Sorrel f

English: from the plant, so named in the Middle Ages from Old French surele, apparently a derivative of sur sour (of Germanic origin), alluding to the acid taste of its leaves. The spellings Sorrell and Sorell also occur; the rare Sorel is used in Noel Coward's Hay Fever (1925).

Back  -   New Search

Spencer m

English: transferred use of the surname, originally an occupational name for a ‘dispenser’ of supplies in a manor house. This is the name of a great English noble family, traditionally supposed to be descended from someone who performed this function in the royal household. Its popularity as a given name was increased in the mid-20th century by the fame of the American film actor Spencer Tracy. (1900–67).

Back  -   New Search

Spike m

English: normally a nickname, but occasionally bestowed as an official given name. As a nickname it seems usually to refer to an unruly tuft or ‘spike’ of hair.

Back  -   New Search

Spiridon m

Russian: from the Late Greek personal name Spiridion, a diminutive formation from Latin spiritus spirit, soul. This name was borne by a 4th-century saint much venerated in the Eastern Church. He was a bishop of Tremithus in Cyprus and was persecuted under the Emperor Diocletian, but survived to play a major role at the Council of Nicaea (325). See also DUŠAN.

Back  -   New Search

Sroel m

Jewish: Yiddish form of ISRAEL.

Back  -   New Search

Staaf m

Dutch: short form of Gustaaf (see GUSTAV).

Back  -   New Search

Staas m

Frisian: derived from a short form of Anastasius (see ANASTASIA), and perhaps also the rarer Eustasius (see EUSTACE).

Back  -   New Search

Stacey f

English: of uncertain derivation, perhaps originating as a pet form of ANASTASIA, and respelled as a result of association with EUSTACE. It is not clear why this name, together with its variants Stacy and Stacie, should have become so common in the 1970s and 1980s. It is now also occasionally used as a male name.

Back  -   New Search

Staffan m

Swedish form of STEPHEN, now rather less common than STEFAN.

Back  -   New Search

Stafford m

English: transferred use of the aristocratic surname, which originated as a local name from any of various places, so called from Old English staò landing place + ford ford, most notably the county town of Staffordshire. This was the surname of the family that held the dukedom of Buckingham in the 15th and 16th centuries.

Back  -   New Search

Stan m

English: short form of STANLEY, not commonly used as an independent given name.

Back  -   New Search

Stanislas m

Latinized form of an old Slavonic personal name composed of the elements stan government + slav glory. St Stanislas Szczepanowski (1030–79) was a bishop of Cracow who was killed by King Bolesaw the Cruel of Poland.
Variant: Stanislaus.
Cognates: Polish: Stanisaw. Czech, Russian: Stanislav.
Feminine forms: Polish: Stanisawa. Czech: Stanislava.
Pet forms: Polish: Stasiak m. Czech: Stáa m, f; Stanek, Stanko, Staní(e)k, Stanou(ek) m; Stánika, Stanuka f.

Back  -   New Search

Stanley m

English: transferred use of the surname, derived from any of numerous places (in Derbys., Durham, Gloucs., Staffs., Wilts., and Yorks.) named in Old English from stn stone + lah wood or clearing. This is well established as a given name, and has been widely used as such since the 1880s. It had been in occasional use earlier. Its popularity seems to have stemmed at least in part from the fame of the explorer Sir Henry Morton Stanley (1841–1904), who was born in Wales as John Rowlands but later took the name of his adoptive father, a New Orleans cotton dealer.
Short form: Stan.

Back  -   New Search

Star f

English: modern given name, a vernacular equivalent of STELLA.

Back  -   New Search

Stasiak m

Polish: pet form of Stanisaw (see STANISLAS).

Back  -   New Search

Steaphan m

Scottish Gaelic form of STEPHEN.

Back  -   New Search

Stefan m

German and Scandinavian form of STEPHEN. This form is also in use in Russia and Poland, beside the more common respective forms STEPAN and SZCZEPAN.

Back  -   New Search

Stefania f

Italian form of STEPHANIE. This form of the name is also used in Poland.
Short form: Italian: Fania.

Back  -   New Search

Stefano m

Italian form of STEPHEN.

Back  -   New Search

Steffan m

Welsh form of STEPHEN.

Back  -   New Search

Steffany f

English: variant spelling of STEPHANIE.

Back  -   New Search

Steffen m

Low German form of STEPHEN.

Back  -   New Search

Steffi f

German: pet form of STEPHANIE.

Back  -   New Search

Stella f

English: from Latin stella star. This was not used as a given name before the 16th century, when Sir Philip Sidney seems to have been the first to use it (as a name deliberately far removed from the prosaic range of everyday names) in his sonnets supposedly addressed by Astrophel to his lady, Stella.
Cognate: Spanish: Estrella. See also ESTELLE.

Back  -   New Search

Sten m

Swedish: from an Old Norse personal name, originally a short form of the various compound names containing the element steinn stone (cf. e.g. TORSTEN). Numerous names of Old Norse origin containing this as a first element are still in limited used today, as, for example, Stenbjörn, Stenfinn, Stenkil, and Stenulf.
Cognates: Norwegian: Stein. Danish: Ste(e)n.

Back  -   New Search

Stenya m

Russian: pet form of STEPAN. The form Styopa is also used.

Back  -   New Search

Stepan m

The usual Russian form of STEPHAN.

Back  -   New Search

Štpán m

Czech form of STEPHEN.
Pet forms: Štpanek, Štp(k)a, Štpek, Štpík, Stepouek.
Feminine form: Stpánka (formally a diminutive).

Back  -   New Search

Steph f

English: informal short form of STEPHANIE.

Back  -   New Search

Stephan m

German and English: variant of STEPHEN, preserving the vowels of the Greek name.

Back  -   New Search

Stéphane m

French: learned form of STEPHEN, in occasional use beside the vernacular ÉTIENNE.

Back  -   New Search

Stephanie f

English and German: from French Stéphanie, vernacular form of Latin Stephania, a variant of Stephana, which was in use among early Christians as a feminine form of Stephanus (see STEPHEN).
Variant: English: Steffany.
Cognates: Italian, Polish: Stefania. Spanish: Estefanía.
Pet form: English: Stevie.

Back  -   New Search

Stephen m

Usual English spelling of the name of the first Christian martyr (Acts 6–7), whose feast is accordingly celebrated next after Christ's own (26 December). His name is derived from the Greek word stephanos garland, crown.
Variants: Steven, Stephan.
Cognates: Irish Gaelic: Stiofán, Stiana. Scottish Gaelic: Steaphan. Welsh: Steffan. French: Étienne, Stéphane. Provençal: Estève. Italian: Stefano. Spanish: Estéban. Catalan: Esteve. Portuguese: Estévo. German: Stefan, Stephan. Low German: Steffen. Scandinavian: Stefan; Staffan (Swedish). Polish: Szczepan, Stefan. Czech: Stépan. Russian: Stepan, Stefan. Hungarian: István.
Short form: English: Steve.
Pet form: English: Stevie.

Back  -   New Search

Sterling m

English: transferred use of the surname, which may represent a hypercorrected form of the nickname Starling (referring to the bird). As a given name, however, Sterling is likely to have been chosen because of its association with the vocabulary word occurring in such phrases as ‘sterling qualities’ and ‘sterling worth’. This word is derived from the Middle English word sterrling ‘little star’: some Norman coins had a little star on them.
Variant: Stirling (respelled as if derived from the Scottish placename, which is of uncertain derivation, possibly from Welsh ystre Velyn ‘dwelling of Melyn’).

Back  -   New Search

Steve m

English: short form of STEPHEN and STEVEN.

Back  -   New Search

Steven m

English: variant of STEPHEN, reflecting the normal pronunciation of the name in the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Stevie m, f

English: pet form of STEPHEN and of STEPHANIE. A well-known recent female bearer was the poet Stevie Smith (1902–71), whose baptismal name was Florence Margaret Smith.
Variant: Stevi f.

Back  -   New Search

Stewart m

English: variant of STUART, less common as a given name, although more common as a surname.

Back  -   New Search

Stian m

Scandinavian: from the Old Norse personal name Stígandr, originally a byname meaning ‘wanderer’. This is currently a very popular given name in Norway.

Back  -   New Search

Stiana m

Irish Gaelic form of STEPHEN (see also STIOFÁN).

Back  -   New Search

Stig m

Scandinavian: from the Old Norse personal name Stígr, a short form of Stígandr (see STIAN).

Back  -   New Search

Stina f

German and Scandinavian: short form of any of the Latinate female given names that end in these two syllables, principally CRISTINA.

Back  -   New Search

Stìneag f

Scottish Gaelic form of CHRISTINA.

Back  -   New Search

Stiofán m

Irish Gaelic form of STEPHEN.

Back  -   New Search

St John m

English: name expressing devotion to St John; it has been in use in the English-speaking world, mainly among Roman Catholics, from the last two decades of the 19th century up to the present day.

Back  -   New Search

Stoffel m

German: pet form of Christoph (see CHRISTOPHER), with the addition of the hypocoristic suffix -(e)l.

Back  -   New Search

Storm m, f

English: apparently a 20th-century coinage, although it may have been in use slightly earlier. The name is presumably derived from the climatic phenomenon, although it is hard to see why it should be chosen. It derives perhaps from the Romantic commitment to emotional drama, and may sometimes have been given in the hope that a child would have a dramatic personality. In other cases, it may have been used for a child born during a storm.

Back  -   New Search

Stuart m

Scottish and English: from the French version of the surname Stewart. This form was introduced to Scotland in the 16th century by Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, who was brought up in France. The surname originated as an occupational or status name for someone who served as a steward in a manor or royal household. The Scottish royal family of this name are traditionally supposed to be descended from a family who were hereditary stewards in Brittany before the Conquest. Use as a given name originated in Scotland, but is now widespread throughout the English-speaking world.
Variant: Stewart.
Short forms: Stu, Stew.

Back  -   New Search

Sture m

Scandinavian (Swedish): from a medieval byname derived from the verb stura to be contrary, self-willed. This is now a common given name in Sweden as it has been borne by several great personalities in Swedish history.

Back  -   New Search

Sue f

English: short form of SUSAN and, less commonly, of SUSANNA and SUZANNE. In the past couple of decades it has sometimes been used as an independent name.
Variants: Su, Soo.

Back  -   New Search

Suelo f

Spanish: short form of CONSUELO.

Back  -   New Search

Sukie f

English: pet form of SUSAN, very common in the 18th century, but now rare.
Variant: Sukey.

Back  -   New Search

Summer f

English (esp. U.S.): from the name of the season (Old English sumor), used in modern times as a given name because of its pleasant associations.

Back  -   New Search

Summerlad m

Scottish: variant spelling of SOMERLED, being taken by folk etymology as derived from the words summer and lad.

Back  -   New Search

Sunniva f

Scandinavian: Latinized form of the Old English female name Sunngifu, composed of the elements sunne sun + gifu gift. According to legend, St Sunniva was a 10th-century British princess who was shipwrecked off the coast of Norway and murdered by the inhabitants as she struggled ashore.
Cognates: Swedish: Synnöve. Danish, Norwegian: Synnøve.

Back  -   New Search

Susan f

English: Anglicized form of SUSANNA, and always the most common of this group of names.
Variant: Suzan.
Short form: Sue.
Pet forms: Susie, Sukie.

Back  -   New Search

Susanna f

New Testament form (Luke 8: 3) of the Hebrew name Shoshana (from shoshan lily, in modern Hebrew also ‘rose’). The name is also spelled Susannah, a transliteration used in the Old Testament. The tale of Susannah, wife of Joachim, and the elders who falsely accused her of adultery, is to be found in the apocryphal book that bears her name, and was popular in the Middle Ages and later.
Variant: Suzanna.
Cognates: English: Susan. Scottish Gaelic: Siùsan, Siùsaidh. French: Suzanne. German: Susanne. Polish: Zuzanna. Czech: Zuzana. Hungarian: Zsuzsanna.
Short form: Scandinavian: Sanna.

Back  -   New Search

Susie f

English: pet form of SUSAN and SUSANNA.
Variants: Suzie, Suzy.

Back  -   New Search

Suzanne f

French version of SUSANNA, now also used in the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Suzette f

French: pet form of SUZANNE.

Back  -   New Search

Svanhild f

Scandinavian spelling of SWANHILD. This is the name borne by the daughter of Sigurd and Gudrun in the Edda.

Back  -   New Search

Svante m

Swedish: short form, dating from the Middle Ages, of the Slavonic name WITOPEK; cf. DAGMAR and GUSTAV.

Back  -   New Search

Svatomír m

Czech form of WITOMIERZ.

Back  -   New Search

Svatopluk m

Czech form of WITOPEK.

Back  -   New Search

Svatoslav m

Czech form of WITOSAW.

Back  -   New Search

Svea f

Swedish: patriotic name formed in the 19th century from the former name of Sweden, Svearike (now Sverige). The second element of the national name is from Old Norse ríki kingdom; the first is of uncertain derivation.

Back  -   New Search

Sven m

Swedish: from the Old Norse byname Sveinn ‘boy, lad’. It is now also used in the German-speaking world and to some extent in the United States.
Cognates: Danish: Svend. Norwegian: Svein.

Back  -   New Search

Sverre m

Norwegian: from the Old Norse personal name Sverrir, originally apparently a byname for a wild or restless person, and connected with the dialectal term sverra to spin, swing, swirl about.

Back  -   New Search

Svetlana f

Russian: vernacular loan translation (from the Slavonic element svet light) of the Greek name Phtin (from Greek phtos light). St Photine was an early saint martyred at Rome in the 1st century; in the Eastern Church she has been identified with the ‘Samaritan woman’ mentioned in St John's gospel, chapter 4.
Cognate: Czech: Svtlana.
Pet forms: Czech: Svtla, Svtlanka, Svtlue, Svtluka.

Back  -   New Search

Svyatopolk m

Russian form of WITOPEK. This was the name of the brother of St Boris and St Gleb at whose behest they were murdered in 1015.

Back  -   New Search

Svyatoslav m

Russian form of WITOSAW.

Back  -   New Search

Swanhild f

Low German: from an Old Saxon female personal name composed of the elements swan swan + hild battle.
Variants: Swanhilda, Swanhilde.
Cognate: Scandinavian: Svanhild.

Back  -   New Search

witomierz m

Polish: from an old Slavonic personal name composed of the elements svyanto bright, holy + meri great, famous (see CASIMIR).
Cognate: Czech: Svatomír.

Back  -   New Search

witopek m

Polish: from an old Slavonic personal name composed of the elements svyanto bright, holy + polk people, race.
Cognates: Czech: Svatopluk. Russian: Svyatopolk.

Back  -   New Search

witosaw m

Polish: from an old Slavonic personal name composed of the elements svyanto bright, holy + slav glory.
Cognates: Czech: Svatoslav. Russian: Svyatoslav.

Back  -   New Search

Sybil f

English: from the name (Greek Sibylla or Sybilla, with confusion over the vowels from an early period) of a class of ancient prophetesses inspired by Apollo. According to medieval theology, they were pagans denied the knowledge of Christ but blessed by God with some insight into things to come and accordingly admitted to heaven. It was thus regarded as a respectable name to be borne by Christians. The classical form Sybilla and the French form Sybille are also occasionally used in the English-speaking world.
Variants: Sibyl, SIBILLA.

Back  -   New Search

Sydney m, occasionally f

English: variant of SIDNEY. It was a medieval practice to write y for i, for greater clarity since i was easily confused with other letters.

Back  -   New Search

Sylvain m

French form of Silvanus (see SILVANO).

Back  -   New Search

Sylvester m

English: variant of SILVESTER.

Back  -   New Search

Sylvia f

English: variant, respelled for elegance, of SILVIA. It is now rather more common than the plain form.

Back  -   New Search

Sylvie f

French form of SILVIA, now also used in the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Sylwester m

Polish form of SILVESTER.

Back  -   New Search

Synnöve f

Swedish: vernacular form of SUNNIVA. In Denmark and Norway the form Synnøve is used.

Back  -   New Search

Szczepan m

The usual Polish form of STEPHEN.

Back  -   New Search

Szczsny m

Polish: name meaning ‘happy, fortunate’, used as a vernacular equivalent of FELIX.

Back  -   New Search

Szerény m

Hungarian: name representing a loan translation of MODEST.

Back  -   New Search

Szilárd m

Hungarian: from the vocabulary word szilárd firm, steadfast. The name is used as a loan translation of CONSTANT.

Back  -   New Search

Szörény m

Hungarian form of Severinus; see SEVERINO.

Back  -   New Search

Szymon m

Polish form of SIMON.

Back  -   New Search

T

Taavi m

Finnish form of DAVID.

Back  -   New Search

Tabitha f

Aramaic name, meaning ‘doe’ or ‘roe’, borne in the New Testament by a woman who was restored to life by St Peter (Acts 9: 36–41). In the biblical account this form of the name is given together with its Greek equivalent, DORCAS. It was one of the names much favoured by Puritans and Dissenters from the 17th to the 19th century, and is still occasionally used as a girl's name in the English- and German-speaking world. However, in Britain it is more commonly bestowed on cats.
Pet forms: English: Tabby (obsolete). German: Tabea (at present a fashionable name in German-speaking countries).

Back  -   New Search

Tad m

English and Irish: normally an Anglicized form of TADHG, but sometimes a short form of THADDEUS. It is fairly commonly used as an independent given name, in particular in America.

Back  -   New Search

Taddeo m

Italian form of THADDEUS.

Back  -   New Search

Tadeo m

Spanish form of THADDEUS.

Back  -   New Search

Tadeu m

Portuguese form of THADDEUS.

Back  -   New Search

Tadeusz m

Polish form of THADDEUS.

Back  -   New Search

Tadhg m

Irish and Scottish Gaelic: traditional name, originally a byname meaning ‘poet, philosopher’. This was a very common given name throughout the Middle Ages, and Protestants in modern Northern Ireland use Taig or Teague as a generic derogatory term for a Catholic Irishman.
Variant: Scottish Gaelic: Taogh.
Anglicized forms (Irish): Tad, Teague, Teigue, THADDEUS, Thady, Tim.

Back  -   New Search

Tadzio m

Polish: pet form of TADEUSZ.

Back  -   New Search

Tage m

Scandinavian (Danish): from Old Danish Taki, originally a byname meaning ‘guarantor, surety’ or ‘receiver’ (from taka to take).

Back  -   New Search

Talfryn m

Welsh: modern given name, originally a local name, from Welsh tal high, end of + a mutated form of bryn hill.

Back  -   New Search

Taliesin m

Welsh: composed of the elements tâl brow + iesin shining. This was the name of a legendary 6th-century Welsh poet, and has been revived in recent times.

Back  -   New Search

Talitha f

New Testament: from an Aramaic word meaning ‘little girl’. Jesus raised a child from the dead with the words ‘Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise’ (Mark 5: 41).

Back  -   New Search

Tallulah f

English: rare name, chosen occasionally as a result of the fame of the American actress Tallulah Bankhead (1903–68). In spite of its exotic appearance, her given name was not adopted for the sake of her career but inherited from her grandmother. It may be a variant of TALULLA; or it may be taken from the placename Tallulah Falls, Georgia, which is of American Indian origin.

Back  -   New Search

Talulla f

Irish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Tuilelaith, composed of elements meaning ‘abundance’ and ‘lady, princess’. This name was borne by at least two Irish saints of the 8th and 9th centuries.

Back  -   New Search

Talya f

Russian: pet form of NATALYA.
Variant: Talia (an Anglicized spelling).

Back  -   New Search

Tam m

Scottish: short form of THOMAS.

Back  -   New Search

Tamar f

Jewish: very popular modern Hebrew name; see TAMARA.
Variant: Tama.

Back  -   New Search

Tamara f

Russian: probably derived from the Hebrew name Tamar ‘date palm’, with the addition of the feminine suffix -a. The name Tamar is borne in the Bible by two female characters: the daughter-in-law of Judah, who is involved in a somewhat seamy story of sexual intrigue (Genesis 38), and a daughter of King David (2 Samuel 13), the full sister of Absalom, who is raped by her half-brother Amnon, for which Absalom kills him. It is rather surprising, therefore, that it should have given rise to such a popular given name. However, Absalom himself later has a daughter named Tamar, who is referred to as ‘a woman of a fair countenance’ (2 Samuel 14: 27), and the name may derive its popularity from this reference.

Back  -   New Search

Tammaro m

Italian: of Germanic origin, composed of the elements thank thought + mr, mr fame. St Tammarus was an African priest who, together with St Priscus, landed in southern Italy in the 5th century after being cast adrift in a rudderless boat by the Arian Vandals.

Back  -   New Search

Tammy f

English: pet form of TAMARA and TAMSIN.

Back  -   New Search

Tamsin f

English: contracted form of Thomasina (see THOMAS), relatively common throughout Britain in the Middle Ages, but confined to Cornwall immediately before its recent revival.

Back  -   New Search

Tancredo m

Italian: of Germanic origin, composed of the elements thank thought + rd counsel. The name has become known in Italy through Torquato Tasso's Gerusalemme Liberata (1581), in which a prominent part is played by Tancred, hero of the First Crusade (1199).

Back  -   New Search

Taneli m

Finnish form of DANIEL.

Back  -   New Search

Tansy f

English: a flower name, derived from Greek athanasia immortal. It has enjoyed some popularity as a given name in the 20th century.

Back  -   New Search

Tanya f

Russian: pet form of TATIANA, now quite commonly also used as an independent given name in the English-speaking world.
Variants: Tania (an English spelling); Tanja (a German spelling).

Back  -   New Search

Tara f

English: from the name (meaning ‘hill’) of a place in Meath, seat of the high kings of Ireland. It has been used as a female given name in America since around 1940, probably as a result of the success of the film Gone with the Wind, in which the estate of this name has great emotional significance. In Britain it was not much used before the 1960s, and its popularity since then seems to be the result of its use for the character Tara King in the television series The Avengers.

Back  -   New Search

Taras m

Russian: from Greek Tarasios or Tharasios, a name of uncertain origin, possibly connected with the town or river of Taras (Latin Tarentum) in southern Italy. St Tarasius (d. 806) was bishop of Constantinople during a period of considerable religious and political upheaval, and he is much venerated in the Orthodox Church. The form Tarasi is less common.

Back  -   New Search

T´rlach m

Irish Gaelic: a modern shortened form of TOIRDHEALBHACH.

Back  -   New Search

Tarquin m

The name borne by two early kings of Rome, Tarquinius Priscus ‘the Old’ (616–578 BC) and Tarquinius Superbus ‘the Proud’ (534–510 BC). It is of uncertain, probably Etruscan, origin; many of the most ancient Roman institutions and the vocabulary associated with them, as well as many Roman family names, were borrowed from the Etruscans. The name is now occasionally used in the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Tasgall m

Scottish Gaelic: traditional name, originally a borrowing of the Old Norse personal name Ásketill, composed of the elements fás god + ketill sacrificial cauldron. This name is in use among the MacAskills in the Isle of Berneray, whose surname derives from a patronymic form of the same name. It is sometimes Anglicized as Taskill.

Back  -   New Search

Tasha f

Short form of NATASHA, now quite commonly used in the English-speaking world (especially in America) as an independent given name.

Back  -   New Search

Tatiana f

Russian: of early Christian origin. This was the name of various early saints honoured particularly in the Eastern Church. In origin it is a feminine form of Latin Tatinus, apparently a derivative of Tatius, a Roman family name of obscure origin. Titus Tatius was, according to tradition, a king of the Sabines who later shared with Romulus the rule over a united population of Sabines and Latins.
Pet form: Tanya.

Back  -   New Search

Tauno m

Finnish form of AUGUSTINE.

Back  -   New Search

Tawny f

English: from the vocabulary word descriptive of hair colour (Anglo-Norman tauné, Old French tané tanned). This is a modern name created on the lines of examples such as GINGER and SANDY.
Variant: Tawney.

Back  -   New Search

Taylor m

English: transferred use of the surname, which originated as an occupational name for a tailor, from Anglo-Norman French taillour, a derivative of taillier to cut (Late Latin tlere).

Back  -   New Search

Teague m

Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic TADHG.
Variant: Teigue.

Back  -   New Search

Teal f

English: one of the female names taken from birds in the past couple of decades. The teal is a kind of small duck; its name is attested since the 14th century and seems to be connected with Middle Low German tlink, Middle Dutch tling.
Variant: Teale.

Back  -   New Search

Teàrlach m

Scottish Gaelic: a modern shortened form of TOIRDHEALBHACH.
Feminine form: Teàrlag.

Back  -   New Search

Teasag f

Scottish Gaelic form of JESSIE.

Back  -   New Search

Techomír m

Czech: from an old Slavonic personal name composed of the elements tech consolation + meri great, famous (see CASIMIR).

Back  -   New Search

Techoslav m

Czech: from an old Slavonic personal name composed of the elements tech consolation + slav glory.

Back  -   New Search

Ted m

English: short form of EDWARD, also used for THEODORE.
Pet form: Teddy.

Back  -   New Search

Teda f

Polish: pet form of TEODORA.

Back  -   New Search

Teddy m

English: pet form of TED. Teddy bears were so named from the American president Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919).

Back  -   New Search

Tegwen f

Welsh: modern name composed of the elements teg fair, lovely + (g)wen, feminine form of gwyn white, fair, blessed, holy.

Back  -   New Search

Teigue m

Irish: variant of TEAGUE.

Back  -   New Search

Teive m

Jewish (Yiddish): variant of TEVYE.

Back  -   New Search

Tekla f

Scandinavian form of THECLA.

Back  -   New Search

Tel m

English: altered short form of TERRY or TERENCE, of recent origin. For the substitution of -l for -r, cf. HAL.

Back  -   New Search

Teleri f

Welsh: extension of the name ELERI, with the addition of the honorific prefix ty- your. Teleri, daughter of Peul, is mentioned in the Mabinogi.

Back  -   New Search

Telesforo m

Italian and Spanish: from Greek Telesphoros, a compound derived from telos end, completion + pherein to bring, bear. This was originally an epithet of Zeus or of the personified abstraction, Justice. Later it came to be understood as the name of an independent deity concerned with health, a companion of Aesculapius and Hygiea. In the Late Greek period it was used as a personal name, and in early Christian times it was borne by an early pope who was martyred under Hadrian in 136; he was a Calabrian Greek by origin.
Cognate: French: Télésphore (rare).

Back  -   New Search

Teodora f

Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish, and Polish form of THEODORA.
Pet form: Polish: Teda.

Back  -   New Search

Teodosio m

Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese: from the Latin name Theodosius, Greek Theodosios, composed of the elements theos god + dsis giving (and so a doublet of THEODORE). The name was borne by several early saints, most notably Theodosius the Cenobiarch (423–529), a Cappadocian who founded several monasteries in Palestine.
Cognate: Russian: Fe(o)dosi. See also DOSIFEI.

Back  -   New Search

Teofilo m

Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese form of THEOPHILUS.

Back  -   New Search

Tere f

Spanish: short form of TERESA.

Back  -   New Search

Terence m

English and Irish: from the Latin name Terentius, which is of uncertain origin. It was borne by the Roman playwright Marcus Terentius Afer (who was a former slave, and took his name from his master, Publius Terentius Lucanus), and later by various minor early Christian saints. As a modern given name it is a ‘learned’ back-formation from the supposed pet form TERRY. It has become common in Ireland through being used as an Anglicized form of the Gaelic name TOIRDHEALBHACH ‘instigator’.
Variants: Terrance, Terrence.
Short form: Tel. See also TERRY.

Back  -   New Search

Teresa f

Italian and Spanish form of THERESA. In the English-speaking world the name is often chosen in this spelling by Roman Catholics, with particular reference to the Spanish saint, Teresa of Ávila (Teresa Cepeda de Ahumada, 1515–82).
Short form: Spanish: Tere.
Pet forms: Spanish: Teresita, Tete.

Back  -   New Search

Terje m

Norwegian: vernacular form of Torgeir (see TORGER).

Back  -   New Search

Terrance m

The most common American spelling of TERENCE. The spelling Terrence is also frequent.

Back  -   New Search

Terri f

English (esp. U.S.): name that seems to have originated either as a pet form of THERESA, or directly as a feminine spelling of TERRY.

Back  -   New Search

Terry m

English: in the Middle Ages this was a Germanic name (composed of elements meaning ‘tribe’ and ‘power’ see DIETRICH) introduced to England by the Normans in the form T(h)ierri. (A fuller form is represented by the name of the Emperor Theodoric, where the spelling has been influenced by association with THEODORE; See also DEREK and DERRICK.) In modern English use Terry seems at first to have been a transferred use of the surname, which is derived from the medieval given name, and later to have been taken as a pet form of TERENCE.
Short form: Tel.

Back  -   New Search

Terryl f

English: modern coinage, apparently an elaboration of TERRI with the suffix -yl seen in names such as CHERYL.

Back  -   New Search

Tessa f

English: this name and its shortened form Tess are generally considered to be pet forms of THERESA, although now often used independently. However, the formation is not clear, and Tessa may be of distinct origin. Literary contexts of the late 19th century show that the name was thought of as Italian, although it is in fact unknown in Italy.
Pet form: Tessie.

Back  -   New Search

Tete f

Spanish: pet form of TERESA.

Back  -   New Search

Tetty f

English: pet form of ELIZABETH, common in the 18th century (when it was borne, for example, by Samuel Johnson's wife) but now little used.
Variant: Tettie.

Back  -   New Search

Teunis m

Dutch: short form derived from Antonius (see ANTHONY).

Back  -   New Search

Tevye m

Jewish: Yiddish form of TUVIA.

Back  -   New Search

Tex m

English (U.S.): short form of the ethnic name Texan, now used as a given name along the lines of DEX, LEX, and REX.

Back  -   New Search

Thaddeus m

Latin form of a New Testament name, the byname used to refer to one of Christ's lesser-known apostles, whose given name was Lebbaeus (Matthew 10: 3). It is of uncertain origin. It may be a Greek spelling of an Aramaic version of a short form of a Greek name, perhaps Theodros ‘gift of God’ (see THEODORE) or Theodotos ‘given by God’. In Ireland this has been used as an Anglicized form of TADHG.
Derivatives: Italian: Taddeo. Spanish: Tadeo. Portuguese: Tadeu. Polish: Tadeusz. Russian: Faddei.
Short form: English, Irish: Tad.
Pet forms: Polish: Tadzio. Irish: Thady.

Back  -   New Search

Thalia f

Name borne in classical mythology by the Muse of comedy; it is derived from Greek thallein to flourish, and has occasionally been chosen in recent years by parents in the English-speaking world in search of novelty.

Back  -   New Search

Thea f

English: short form of DOROTHEA, now to some extent used as an independent given name.

Back  -   New Search

Thecla f

English: contracted form of the Greek name Theokleia, composed of the elements theos god + kleia glory. The name was borne by a 1st-century saint (the first female martyr), who was particularly popular in the Middle Ages because of the lurid details of her suffering recorded in the apocryphal ‘Acts of Paul and Thecla’.
Cognate: Scandinavian: Tekla.

Back  -   New Search

Theda f

German: Latinate short form of the various old Germanic female names containing the element theod people, race, as, for example, Theodelinde ‘people + tender’ and Theodegunde ‘people + strife’. The name enjoyed a brief popularity in America from about 1915 to 1920, due to the popularity of the silent-film actress Theda Bara (1890–1955), the original ‘vamp’. Her real name was Theodosia Goodman.

Back  -   New Search

Thelma f

English: first used by the novelist Marie Corelli for the heroine of her novel Thelma (1887). She was supposed to be Norwegian, but it is not a traditional Scandinavian name. Greek thelma (neuter) means ‘wish, (act of) will’, and the name could perhaps be interpreted as a contracted form of this.

Back  -   New Search

Thelonius m

Latinized form of the name of St Tillo (see TILL). The spelling Thelonious is particularly associated with the American jazz pianist Thelonious Monk (1920–82).

Back  -   New Search

Theo m

English: short form of THEODORE and, less commonly, of THEOBALD.

Back  -   New Search

Theobald m

English: from a Latinized form, first found in medieval documents, of a Norman name of Germanic origin, composed of the elements theud people, race + bald bold, brave; the first element has been altered under the influence of Greek theos god.
Cognates: Irish Gaelic: Tiobóid. Scottish Gaelic: Tiobaid.

Back  -   New Search

Theodoor m

Dutch form of THEODORE.

Back  -   New Search

Theodor m

German form of THEODORE.

Back  -   New Search

Theodora f

Feminine form of THEODORE, borne most notably by a 9th-century empress of Byzantium, the wife of Theophilus the Iconoclast. It has frequently been used as an English given name. The elements are the same as those of DOROTHEA, but in reverse order.
Derivatives: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish, and Polish: TEODORA. Russian: Feodora.

Back  -   New Search

Theodore m

English: from the French form of the Greek name Theodros, composed of the elements theos god + dron gift. The name was popular among early Christians and was borne by several saints.
Cognates: French: Théodore. German: Theodor. Dutch: Theodoor. Hungarian: Tivadar. Russian: Fyodor. Jewish (Aramaic): Todos.
Short forms: English: Theo, Ted.

Back  -   New Search

Theodosia f

Greek: derived from the elements theos god + dsis giving. It was borne by several early saints venerated mostly in the Eastern Church, and is only very occasionally used in the English-speaking world today.

Back  -   New Search

Theophilus m

New Testament: Latin form of the name of the addressee of St Luke's gospel and the Acts of the Apostles; also borne by various early saints. It is composed of the Greek elements theos god + philos friend, and was popular among early Christians because of its well-omened meaning: ‘lover of God’ or ‘beloved by God’.
Derivatives: French: Théophile. Italian, Spanish, Portuguese: Teofilo. Russian: Feofil.

Back  -   New Search

Thera f

English: of uncertain derivation. It could either represent a shortened form of THERESA, or be derived from the name of the Greek island of Thra.

Back  -   New Search

Theresa f

English: of problematic origin. The name seems to have been first used in Spain and Portugal, and, according to tradition, was the name of the wife of St Paulinus of Nola, who spent most of his life in Spain; she was said to have originated (and to have derived her name) from the Greek island of Thra. However, this theory is neither factually nor etymologically reliable.
Cognates: Irish Gaelic: Treasa. French: Thérèse (also sometimes used in the English-speaking world in honour of St Thérèse of Lisieux, Marie Françoise Thérèse Martin, 1873–97). Spanish, Italian: TERESA. German: Theresia (much used in the combination Maria Theresia in families claiming connection with the royal Habsburg line; also occasionally used in the English-speaking world).
Short form: Spanish: Tere.
Pet forms: English: Terri; TESSA, Tess. Spanish: Teresita, Tete. German: Resi, Reserl, Resli.

Back  -   New Search

Thierry m

French form of the Germanic name Theodoric; See also TERRY, DIETRICH, and DEREK.

Back  -   New Search

Thijs m

Dutch: aphetic short form of Matthijs (see MATTHEW), now used as an independent given name.

Back  -   New Search

Thomas m

New Testament name, borne by one of Christ's twelve apostles, referred to as ‘Thomas, called Didymus’ (John 11: 16; 20: 24). Didymos is the Greek word for ‘twin’, and the name is the Greek form of an Aramaic byname meaning ‘twin’. The given name has always been popular throughout Christendom, perhaps because St Thomas's doubts and reassurance have made him seem a very human character.
Derivatives: Irish Gaelic: Tomás. Scottish Gaelic: Tòmas; Tàmhas (a dialectal variant, from which comes the surname Mac Thàmhais, Anglicized as MacTavish). Welsh: Tomos. Italian: Tommaso. Polish: Tomasz. Czech: Tomá. Russian: Foma. Finnish: Tuomo.
Short forms: English: Tom. Scottish: Tam. Italian: Maso. Dutch: Maas.
Pet forms: English: Tommy. Scottish Gaelic: Tòmachan, Tòmag.
Feminine forms: English: Thomasina, Thomasine, TAMSIN.

Back  -   New Search

Tia f

English: apparently in origin a short form of the various given names ending thus, as, for example, CRESCENTIA and LAETITIA.

Back  -   New Search

Tibor m

Hungarian: from Latin Tiberius, a derivative of the name (of obscure origin) of the River Tiber. It was borne by the second Roman emperor and by a martyr who was executed in 303 under the Emperor Diocletian, together with Modestus and Florence.

Back  -   New Search

Tiede m

Dutch: pet form of DIEDERIK.

Back  -   New Search

Tiernan m

Irish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Ti(ghe)arnán, originally a byname representing a diminutive form of tighearna lord.

Back  -   New Search

Tierney m

Irish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Ti(ghe)arnach, a derivative of tighearna lord. The name was borne by a 6th-century saint who served as abbot of Clones and later as bishop of Clogher.

Back  -   New Search

Tiffany f

Usual medieval English form of Greek Theophania ‘Epiphany’, from theos god + phainein to appear. This was once a relatively common name, given particularly to girls born on the feast of the Epiphany (6 January), and it gave rise to an English surname. As a given name, it fell into disuse until revived in the 20th century under the influence of the famous New York jewellers, Tiffany's, and the film, starring Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961). In 1982 this was the most popular of all female names in use among American Blacks, and thirty-third most popular among Whites.

Back  -   New Search

Tikhon m

Russian form of TYCHO.

Back  -   New Search

Tikvah f

Jewish: Hebrew name meaning ‘hope’. The name is borne in the Bible by a male character mentioned in passing (2 Kings 22: 14), but is now a female name chosen for the sake of its good omen.
Variant: Tikva.

Back  -   New Search

Tilda f

English and Swedish: short form of MATILDA.
Cognate: Danish: Tilde.

Back  -   New Search

Till m

Low German: from a medieval pet form of DIETRICH and other Germanic personal names with the same first element. St Tillol evangelized the district around Tournai and Courtrai in Belgium during the 8th century.
Extended forms: Til(l)man; Thelonius (Latinized).

Back  -   New Search

Tilly f

English: pet form of MATILDA, much used from the Middle Ages to the late 19th century, when it also came to be an independent given name. It is rare in either use nowadays.
Variant: Tillie.

Back  -   New Search

Tim m

English: short form of TIMOTHY, also used in Ireland as an Anglicized form of TADHG.
Pet form: Timmy (normally used only for young boys).

Back  -   New Search

Timothy m

English form, used in the Authorized Version of the Bible (alongside the Latin form Timotheus), of Greek Timotheos, composed of the elements tm honour + theos god. This was the name of a companion of St Paul; according to tradition, he was stoned to death for denouncing the worship of Diana, but there is no historical evidence for this. Surprisingly, the name was not used in England at all before the Reformation.
Cognates: French: Timothée. Italian, Spanish, Portuguese: Timoteo. Polish: Tymoteusz. Russian: Timofei.
Pet form: Russian: Tyoma.

Back  -   New Search

Tina f

Short form of CHRISTINA and, less commonly, of other female names ending in -tina. This is a relatively common given name in the English-speaking world, and elsewhere. It was the most common of all female names bestowed in Denmark in the mid-1960s.

Back  -   New Search

Tiobóid m

Irish Gaelic form of THEOBALD, derived in the early Middle Ages from Anglo-Norman Thebaud.
Cognate: Scottish Gaelic: Tiobaid.

Back  -   New Search

Tirion f

Welsh: modern given name, from the vocabulary word meaning ‘kind, gentle’.

Back  -   New Search

Tirso m

Spanish: from the Greek name Thyrsos. A thyrsos was a characteristic vine-decked staff carried by devotees of the god Dionysus; the word seems to have been introduced, together with the cult of Dionysus, from the Orient. St Thyrsos was martyred at Apollonia in Phrygia in c.251, together with Lucius and Kallinikos. Their relics were brought to Spain in the early Middle Ages, and Thyrsos was honoured with a full office in the Mozarabic liturgy.
Cognates: Catalan: Tirs. Russian: Firs.

Back  -   New Search

Tita f

English: short form of MARTITA, or else perhaps a feminine form of TITUS.

Back  -   New Search

Titty f

English: pet form of LAETITIA that has now become obsolete because of its unfortunate coincidence in form with the slang word for a female breast.

Back  -   New Search

Titus m

From an old Roman given name, of unknown origin. It was borne by a companion of St Paul who became the first bishop of Crete, and also by the Roman emperor who destroyed Jerusalem in AD 70. It is not commonly used as a given name in the English-speaking world.
Derivative: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese: Tito.

Back  -   New Search

Tivadar m

Hungarian form of THEODORE.

Back  -   New Search

Tiziano m

Italian: name borne in honour of the famous medieval painter Tiziano Vecellio (?1490–1576), known in English as Titian. The medieval name Tiziano derives from Latin Titinus, a double derivative of TITUS that was borne by a 6th-century bishop of Brescia and a 7th-century bishop of Oderzo.

Back  -   New Search

Tjalf m

East Frisian form of DETLEV.

Back  -   New Search

Tjark m

East Frisian form of DEREK.

Back  -   New Search

Toal m

Irish: Anglicized form of TUATHAL.

Back  -   New Search

Tobbe m

Swedish and Danish: pet form of TORBJÖRN and Torbjørn.

Back  -   New Search

Tobias m

Biblical: Greek form of Hebrew Tobiah ‘God is good’. This name is borne by several characters in the Bible (appearing in the Authorized Version also as Tobijah), but in the Middle Ages it was principally associated with the tale of ‘Tobias and the Angel’. According to the Book of Tobit in the Apocrypha, Tobias, the son of Tobit, a rich and righteous Jew of Nineveh, was lucky enough to acquire the services of the archangel Raphael as a travelling companion on a journey to Ecbatana. He returned wealthy, married, and with a cure for his father's blindness. A historical St Tobias was martyred (c.315) at Sebaste in Armenia, together with Carterius, Styriacus, Eudoxius, Agapius, and five others.
Cognates: Jewish: Tuvia (Hebrew); Tevye, Teive (Yiddish).

Back  -   New Search

Toby m

English: vernacular form of TOBIAS.

Back  -   New Search

Todd m

English: transferred use of the surname, which was originally a nickname from an English dialect word meaning ‘fox’.

Back  -   New Search

Todos m

Jewish: Aramaic form of Greek Theodros (see THEODORE). The name has been in use among Jews since the Hellenistic period.

Back  -   New Search

Toinette f

English and French: short form of ANTOINETTE.

Back  -   New Search

Toini f

Finnish form of ANTONIA.

Back  -   New Search

Toirdhealbhach m

Irish Gaelic: probably originally a byname meaning ‘instigator’, from toirdhealbh prompting + the Gaelic suffix -ach. The belief that this is a derivative of the name of the Norse god of thunder, Porr, is probably no more than folk etymology.
Cognate: Scottish Gaelic: Teàrlach.
Anglicized forms: TURLOUGH, Turley; TERENCE.

Back  -   New Search

Toivo f

Finnish: meaning ‘hope’, this is a loan translation of Latin spes, Greek elpis.

Back  -   New Search

Toltse f

Jewish: Yiddish name, probably from the Italian affectionate nickname Dolce ‘sweet, lovely’ (cf. DULCIE).

Back  -   New Search

Tom m

English: short form of THOMAS, in use since the Middle Ages, and recorded as an independent name since the 18th century.
Pet form: Tommy.

Back  -   New Search

Tòmas m

Scottish Gaelic form of THOMAS.

Back  -   New Search

Tomás m

Irish Gaelic form of THOMAS.

Back  -   New Search

Tomá m

Czech form of THOMAS.
Pet forms: Tomáek, Tomouek, Tomík, Toman.

Back  -   New Search

Tomasz m

Polish form of THOMAS.

Back  -   New Search

Tommaso m

Italian form of THOMAS.
Short form: Maso.

Back  -   New Search

Tomos m

Welsh form of THOMAS.

Back  -   New Search

Tonete m

Spanish: pet form of ANTONIO.

Back  -   New Search

Toni f

English (mainly U.S.): either a pet form of ANTONIA or a supposedly feminine spelling of TONY.
Variants: Tonia, Tonie (less common).

Back  -   New Search

Tonio m

Italian: short form of ANTONIO.

Back  -   New Search

Tönjes m

Low German and Frisian: short form of Antonius (see ANTHONY).
Variant: Tönnies.

Back  -   New Search

Toño m

Spanish: short form of ANTONIO.

Back  -   New Search

Tony m

English: short form of ANTHONY, now sometimes used as an independent name in the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Topaz f

English: one of the rarer examples of the class of modern female names taken from vocabulary words denoting gemstones. The topaz gets its name via French and Latin from Greek; it is probably ultimately of oriental origin. In the Middle Ages this was sometimes used as a male name, representing a form of TOBIAS.

Back  -   New Search

Tor m

Scandinavian: originally the name of the god of thunder in Norse mythology, Thor (Old Norse Pórr). This was not used as a personal name during the Middle Ages. The modern name is either a late 18th-century revival of the divine name or else a vernacular development of TORD.
Variant: Thor (chiefly Danish).

Back  -   New Search

Torbjörn m

Swedish: from an Old Norse personal name composed of the name of the god Thor (Pórr) + Old Norse björn bear.
Cognates: Danish: T(h)orbjørn, Torbe(r)n.
Norwegian: Torbjørn.
Pet form: Swedish, Danish: Tobbe.

Back  -   New Search

Torborg f

Scandinavian: from an Old Norse female personal name composed of the name of the god Thor (Pórr) + Old Norse borg fortification.
Variants: Thorborg. Norwegian: Torbjørg.

Back  -   New Search

Tord m

Scandinavian: contracted form of the Old Norse personal name Porfriðr, composed of the name of the god Thor (órr) + Old Norse friðr peace.

Back  -   New Search

Tordis f

Scandinavian: from an Old Norse female personal name composed of the name of the god Thor (órr) + Old Norse dís goddess.

Back  -   New Search

Tore m

Scandinavian: from the Old Norse personal name órir, apparently originally composed of the name of the god Thor (órr) + Old Norse verr man. It has also been interpreted as a derivative form from órr. As early as the Viking period, however, the form óri was being used as a short form of all the compound names with the first element órr.
Variant: Ture.

Back  -   New Search

Torger m

Swedish: from an Old Norse personal name composed of the name of the god Thor (órr) + Old Norse geirr spear.
Cognates: Norwegian: Torgeir, Terje.

Back  -   New Search

Toribio m

Spanish: from Latin Turibius, a name of extremely uncertain derivation. It may represent a Latinized form of an indigenous Iberian name. The name was borne by a 5th-century bishop of Astorga and by the 6th-century founder of the abbey of Liébana in Asturias.

Back  -   New Search

Torkel m

Swedish: from a contracted form of the Old Norse personal name orketill, composed of the name of the god Thor (órr) + Old Norse ketill kettle, helmet.
Variants: Torkil, Thorkel.
Cognates: Norwegian: Torkjell. Danish: Torkil(d). See also TORQUIL.

Back  -   New Search

Tormod m

Scottish Gaelic: traditional name, originally a borrowing of the Old Norse personal name órmóðr, composed of the name of the god Thor (órr) + Old Norse móðr mind, courage.
Variant: Tormailt (a dialectal form).
Anglicized form: NORMAN (chosen because of the similarity in sound and because the Gaelic name is generally known to be of Norse origin).

Back  -   New Search

Torolf m

Swedish and Danish: from an Old Norse personal name composed of the name of the god Thor (órr) + Old Norse úlfr wolf.
Variant: Torulf.
Cognate: Norwegian: Torolv.

Back  -   New Search

Torquil m

Scottish: Anglicized form of the traditional Gaelic name Torcall, originally a borrowing of the Old Norse personal name orketill (see TORKEL). The earlier uncontracted form of the Gaelic name is preserved in the surname Mac Thorcadail, Anglicized as MacCorquodale.

Back  -   New Search

Torsten m

Swedish and Danish: from an Old Norse personal name composed of the name of the god Thor (órr) + Old Norse steinn stone.
Variant: Thorstein(n).
Cognate: Norwegian: Torstein.

Back  -   New Search

Torvald m

Scandinavian: from an Old Norse personal name composed of the name of the god Thor (órr) + Old Norse valdr ruler.
Variant: Thorwald. See also TOVE.

Back  -   New Search

Tory f

English: pet form of VICTORIA.

Back  -   New Search

Totty f

English: pet form of CHARLOTTE, representing a rhyming variant of LOTTIE. The name was most common in the 18th and 19th centuries, like TETTY.
Variant: Tottie.

Back  -   New Search

Toussaint m

French: name chosen by parents who wish to invoke the blessing and protection of ‘all the saints’ (French tous (les) saints) for their son. The name is also often given to a boy born on the feast of All Saints (cf. SANTOS).

Back  -   New Search

Tova f

1 Jewish: modern Hebrew name meaning ‘good’ (cf. TOBIAS).

2 Swedish: from the Old Norse female personal name Tfa, a short form of orfríðr (see TURID).
Top

Back  -   New Search

Tove f, m

1 (f.) Danish and Norwegian: from the Old Norse female personal name Tófa, a short form of orfríðr (see TURID).

2 (m.) Swedish: short form, used as early as the Viking period, of TORVALD.
Variant (of 2): Tuve.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Tracy f, formerly m

English: transferred use of the surname, which is derived from a Norman baronial name from places in France called Tracy ‘place of Thracius’. In former times, Tracy was occasionally used as a male given name, as were the surnames of other English noble families. Later, it was also used as a female name, generally being taken as a pet form of THERESA. In recent years, it has become an immensely popular female name. A strong influence was the character of Tracy Lord, played by Grace Kelly in the film High Society (1956).
Variants: Tracey, Tracie f.

Back  -   New Search

Trahaearn m

Welsh: traditional name composed of the intensive prefix tra- + haearn iron.

Back  -   New Search

Traolach m

Irish Gaelic: a dialectal form of TOIRDHEALBHACH.

Back  -   New Search

Travis m

English: transferred use of the surname, which is derived from a Norman French occupational name (from traverser to cross) for someone who collected a toll from users of a bridge or a particular stretch of road. It is now regularly used as a given name, especially in America and Australia.

Back  -   New Search

Treasa f

Irish: Gaelic form of THERESA.

Back  -   New Search

Treena f

English: modern variant spelling of TRINA.

Back  -   New Search

Treeza f

English: modern contracted spelling of THERESA.

Back  -   New Search

Trevelyan m

English: transferred use of the surname, which is of Cornish origin, a local name from a place named in the Domesday Book as Trevelien, i.e. ‘homestead or settlement (Cornish tref) of Elian’.

Back  -   New Search

Trevor m

Welsh and English: transferred use of the Welsh surname, which in turn is from a placename. There are a large number of places in Wales called Trefor, from the elements tref settlement + fôr, mutated and unaccented form of mawr large. In recent years, Trevor has also become popular as a given name among people who have no connection with Wales.
Welsh form: Trefor.
Short form (informal): Trev.

Back  -   New Search

Tricia f

English: short form of PATRICIA.

Back  -   New Search

Trina f

English: short form of KATRINA.

Back  -   New Search

Trine f

Danish: short form of KATRINE.

Back  -   New Search

Trinette f

English: modern elaboration of TRINA, using the originally French feminine diminutive suffix -ette.

Back  -   New Search

Trinidad f

Spanish: name taken in honour of the Holy Trinity (Latin trnitas, genitive trnittis, from trni, a distributive numeral from trs three).
Cognate: Portuguese: Trindade.
Short form: Spanish: Trini.

Back  -   New Search

Tríona f

Irish Gaelic: short form of CAITRÍONA.
Anglicized form: Triona.

Back  -   New Search

Trisha f

English: phonetic respelling of TRICIA, comparatively recent in origin. It is currently fairly popular, and sometimes bestowed as a given name in its own right.

Back  -   New Search

Tristan m

English, Welsh, and French: variant of TRISTRAM. Both forms of the name occur in medieval and later versions of the legend.
Variant: Trystan (mainly Welsh).

Back  -   New Search

Tristram m

English: from Celtic legend, the name borne by a hero of medieval romance. There are many different versions of the immensely popular and tragic story of Tristram and his love for Isolde. Generally, they agree that Tristram was an envoy sent by King Mark of Cornwall to bring back his bride, the Irish princess Isolde. Unfortunately, Tristram and Isolde fall in love with each other, having accidentally drunk the love potion intended for King Mark's wedding night. Tristram eventually leaves Cornwall to fight for King Howel of Brittany. Wounded in battle, he sends for Isolde. She arrives too late, and dies of grief beside his bier. The name Tristram is of unknown derivation, though it may be connected with Pictish Drostan; it has been altered from an irrecoverable original as a result of transmission through Old French sources that insisted on associating it with Latin tristis sad, a reference to the young knight's tragic fate.
Variants: Tristrand, Tristan, Drystan.

Back  -   New Search

Trixie f

English: pet name derived from a short form of BEATRIX, occasionally used as an independent given name.
Variant: Trixi.

Back  -   New Search

Trofim m

Russian: from the Greek name Trophimos, a derivative of trophos nurseling. It was borne by half a dozen early Christian saints, martyred under the Emperors Probus and Diocletian and much venerated in the Eastern Church.

Back  -   New Search

Trond m

Scandinavian: originally an ethnic byname for someone who came from the Trøndelag region in central Norway. The name was in use in the Viking period, and was revived in the early 20th century.

Back  -   New Search

Troy m, f

English: probably originally a transferred use of the surname, which is derived from Troyes in France. Nowadays, however, the given name is principally associated with the ancient city of Troy in Asia Minor, whose fate has been a central topic in epic poetry from Homer onwards. The story tells how Troy was sacked by the Greeks after a siege of ten years; according to classical legend, a few Trojan survivors got away to found Rome (and, according to medieval legend, another group founded Britain).

Back  -   New Search

Trudeliese f

German: combination of the names Trude (see TRUDI) and LIESE.

Back  -   New Search

Trudi f

German (esp. Swiss): pet form of the various female names ending in -trud; see, for example, GERTRUDE and ERMINTRUDE. It is now also used to some extent in the English-speaking world, under the influence of the many other female names now spelled with a final -i.

Back  -   New Search

Trudy f

English: respelling of TRUDI.
Variant: Trudie.

Back  -   New Search

Truman m

English: in the main, a transferred use of the surname. This is in part of English origin, representing a nickname derived from Old English trowe true, trusty + mann man, but in America it is more commonly an Anglicized version of the German cognate Treumann. The favourable meaning of the elements has no doubt influenced its choice as a given name to some extent. A further possible influence may have been the fame of Harry S. Truman (1884–1972), president of the United States (1945–52), but the given name was in use before he became president.
Variant: Trueman.

Back  -   New Search

Tryggve m

Scandinavian: from an Old Norse personal name, originally a byname derived from the adjective tryggr true, trusty (cf. TRUMAN).
Variant: Trygve.

Back  -   New Search

Trystan m

Variant (mainly Welsh) of TRISTAN.

Back  -   New Search

Tuathal m

Irish Gaelic: name meaning ‘ruler of a tribe’.
Anglicized form: Toal.

Back  -   New Search

Tudur m

Welsh: traditional name derived from the Old Celtic form Teutorix, composed of elements meaning ‘people, tribe’ + ‘ruler, king’. The name has been widely believed to be a Welsh form of THEODORE, but there is in fact no connection between the two names.
Variants: Tudyr (an earlier spelling); Tudor (an Anglicized spelling).

Back  -   New Search

Tullio m

Italian: from the old Roman family name Tullius, borne, for example, by the orator Marcus Tullius Cicero (106–43 BC).

Back  -   New Search

Tuomo m

Finnish form of THOMAS.

Back  -   New Search

Ture m

Scandinavian: variant of TORE, formerly used mainly in Denmark and southern Sweden.

Back  -   New Search

Turid f

Scandinavian: from an Old Norse female personal name composed of the name of the god Thor (órr) + Old Norse fríðor fair, beautiful.

Back  -   New Search

Turiddu m

Italian (Sicilian): local pet form of Salvatore (see SALVADOR).

Back  -   New Search

Turlough m

Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic TOIRDHEALBHACH.

Back  -   New Search

Tuvia m

Jewish: modern Hebrew form of TOBIAS.
Cognates: Yiddish: Tevye, Teive.

Back  -   New Search

Tybalt m

English: the usual medieval form of THEOBALD, rarely used nowadays. It occurs in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet as the name of a brash young man who is killed in a brawl.

Back  -   New Search

Tycho m

Latinized form of the name of St Tychon (d. c.450), bishop of Amathus in Cyprus, who worked to suppress the last remnants of the cult of Aphrodite on the island. The Greek name Tychn means ‘hitting the mark’, and was chosen for the sake of its good omen. The most famous modern bearer of the given name was the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe (1546–1601).
Derivatives: Swedish: Tyko. Danish: Tyge (vernacular). Russian: Tikhon.

Back  -   New Search

Tyler m

English: transferred use of the surname, which originated as an occupational name borne by someone who tiled roofs.

Back  -   New Search

Tymoteusz m

Polish form of TIMOTHY.

Back  -   New Search

Tyoma m

Russian: pet form of ARTEMI and of Timofei (see TIMOTHY).

Back  -   New Search

Tyrone m

English (esp. U.S.): from the name of a county in Northern Ireland and a town in Pennsylvania. Its use as a given name seems to be entirely due to the influence of the two film actors (father and son) called Tyrone Power.

Back  -   New Search

Txomin m

Basque form of DOMINIC.

Back  -   New Search

U

Ualan m

Scottish Gaelic form of the male name VALENTINE.
Variant: Uailean.

Back  -   New Search

Uarraig m

Scottish Gaelic: traditional name composed of the elements uall pride + garg fierce. It has been Anglicized as KENNEDY, apparently because it was a common given name in kindreds with that surname.

Back  -   New Search

Udo m

German: an old Germanic personal name derived from the element uod(al) prosperity, riches, fortune. It probably originated as a short form of the various compound names containing this element. It is still in comparatively common use in Germany.

Back  -   New Search

Ughtred m

English: from the rare Old English personal name Uhtrd, composed of the elements uht dawn + rd counsel, advice. This is a very uncommon given name in the English-speaking world, but remains in use in the Shuttleworth family.

Back  -   New Search

Ugo m

Italian form of HUGH.

Back  -   New Search

Uilleam m

Scottish Gaelic form of WILLIAM.
Pet forms: Uilleachan, Uillidh.

Back  -   New Search

Uinseann m

Irish Gaelic form of VINCENT.

Back  -   New Search

Ùisdean m

Scottish Gaelic: traditional name, originally a borrowing of the Old Norse personal name Eysteinn, composed of the elements ei, ey always, for ever + steinn stone.
Variant: Hùisdean.
Anglicized form: HUGH.

Back  -   New Search

Ulf m

Danish and Swedish: cognate of WOLF, from the Old Norse personal name or byname Úlfr.
Cognate: Norwegian: Ulv.

Back  -   New Search

Ulick m

Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Uilleac or Uilleag. This name probably derives from Old Norse Hugleikr, composed of the elements hugr heart, mind, spirit + leikr play, sport. Alternatively, it may represent a diminutive derived from a short form of Uilleam, a Gaelic version of WILLIAM (cf. LIAM).

Back  -   New Search

Ulises m

Spanish form of ULYSSES.

Back  -   New Search

Ulisse m

Italian form of ULYSSES, taken up as a given name during the Renaissance, and permitted as a baptismal name by the Roman Catholic Church even though it had been borne neither by a New Testament character nor by an early saint.

Back  -   New Search

Ulla f

Scandinavian: pet form of ULRIKA.

Back  -   New Search

Ulric m

English: in the Middle Ages, this represented an Old English name composed of the elements wulf wolf + rc power. In its occasional modern use, it is probably an Anglicized spelling of ULRICH.
Variant: Ulrick.

Back  -   New Search

Ulrich m

German: from an old Germanic personal name composed of the elements uodal prosperity, riches, fortune + rc power. This name was borne by two major German saints, Ulrich of Augsburg (d. 973) and Ulrich of Cluny (c.1018–93), as well as by the Blessed Ulrich of Einsiedeln in Switzerland (d. c.980).
Cognates: Scandinavian: Ulrik. Polish: Ulryk.
Czech: Oldich.
Pet form: German: Utz.

Back  -   New Search

Ulrika f

Scandinavian form and German variant of ULRIKE.
Pet form: Scandinavian: Ulla.

Back  -   New Search

Ulrike f

German and Danish: feminine form of ULRICH. The name is now also occasionally used in the English-speaking world.
Cognate: Czech: Oldika.

Back  -   New Search

Ultan m

Irish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Ultán, a diminutive form of the ethnic name Ultach ‘Ulsterman’.

Back  -   New Search

Ulysses m

Latin form of the Greek name Odysseus, borne by the famous wanderer of Homer's Odyssey. The name is of uncertain derivation (it was associated by the Greeks themselves with the verb odyssesthai to hate); moreover, it is not clear why the Latin form should be so altered (mediation through Etruscan has been one suggestion). As an English given name it has occasionally been used in the 19th and 20th centuries, especially in America (like other names of classical origin such as HOMER and VIRGIL). It was the name of the 18th president of the United States, Ulysses S. Grant (1822–85). It has also been used in Ireland as a classicizing form of ULICK.
Derivatives: Italian: Ulisse. Spanish: Ulises.

Back  -   New Search

Umberto m

Italian form of HUMBERT. The former Italian royal family is descended from the Blessed Umberto of Savoy (1136–88).

Back  -   New Search

Úna f

Irish Gaelic: traditional name of uncertain derivation. It is identical in form with the vocabulary word úna hunger, famine, but may rather be connnected with uan lamb. The Anglicized form Una is sometimes taken to be from the feminine of Latin unus one, and therefore a doublet of UNITY. It is the name used by Edmund Spenser as that of the lady of the Red Cross Knight in The Faerie Queene: he almost certainly had Latin rather than Irish in mind, even though he worked in Ireland for a while.
Cognate: Scottish Gaelic: Úna.
Anglicized forms: Una; Oona(gh) (Irish); Euna (Scottish); UNITY, JUNO, WINIFRED, AGNES.

Back  -   New Search

Unity f

English: from the quality (Latin units, a derivative of unus one). It achieved some currency among the Puritans, but has been mainly used in Ireland as a kind of Anglicized extended form of ÚNA.

Back  -   New Search

Urban m

English, Danish, Swedish, Polish, and Czech: from the Latin name Urbnus ‘city-dweller’. This was borne by numerous early saints, and was adopted by several popes (who may have felt it to be particularly appropriate since they ruled from the city of Rome).
Cognate: Hungarian: Órban.
Pet forms: Czech: Ur(b)a, Ur(b)ek.

Back  -   New Search

Uri m

Jewish: from a Hebrew word meaning ‘light’ (cf. URIAH and URIEL). There is no connection with the Russian name YURI.

Back  -   New Search

Uriah m

Biblical: name (from Hebrew, meaning ‘God is light’) borne by a Hittite warrior treacherously disposed of by King David after he had made Uriah's wife Bathsheba pregnant (2 Samuel 11). The Greek form Urias occurs in the New Testament (Matthew 1: 6). The name was popular in the 19th century, but is now most closely associated with the character of the obsequious Uriah Heep in Dickens's David Copperfield (1850) and has consequently undergone a sharp decline in popularity.

Back  -   New Search

Uriel m

Biblical: Hebrew name composed of the elements uri light (cf. URI) + 'el God, and so a doublet of URIAH. It is borne by two minor characters mentioned in genealogies (1 Chronicles 6: 24; 2 Chronicles 13: 2), and is relatively common among modern Jews.

Back  -   New Search

Urien m

Welsh: name borne by a character in the Mabinogi, Urien of Rheged. He is probably identical with the historical figure Urien who fought against the Northumbrians in the 6th century. The name may be composed of the Old Celtic elements rbo privileged + gen birth.

Back  -   New Search

Urs m

German (esp. Swiss): vernacular form of the Latin name Ursus ‘bear’. Victor and Ursus were two soldiers of the Theban legion who were martyred in 286 and are particularly venerated in Switzerland.

Back  -   New Search

Ursula f

English, German, and Scandinavian: from the Latin name Ursula, a diminutive of ursa (she-)bear (cf. URS). This was the name of a 4th-century saint martyred at Cologne with a number of companions, traditionally said to have been eleven thousand, but more probably just eleven, the exaggeration being due to a misreading of a diacritic mark in an early manuscript.

Back  -   New Search

Uschi f

German: common pet form of URSULA.

Back  -   New Search

Usko f

Finnish: meaning ‘faith’, this is a loan translation of the Latin name Fides or the Greek Pistis.

Back  -   New Search

Ute f

German: from a medieval given name derived from the Germanic element uod(al) prosperity, riches, fortune. It is therefore a feminine equivalent of UDO.
Variants: Ude, Ode (both rare).

Back  -   New Search

Utz m

German: pet form of ULRICH.

Back  -   New Search

Uwe m

Low German and Frisian: equivalent form of OVE.

Back  -   New Search

Uzi m

Mainly Jewish: name, meaning ‘power’ or ‘might’ in Hebrew, borne in the Bible by six minor characters mentioned in genealogies. In the Authorized Version the spelling Uzzi is used. The name seems to represent a short form of the theophoric names UZZIAH and UZZIEL.

Back  -   New Search

Uzziah m

Biblical: Hebrew name meaning ‘power of Yahweh (God)’. It is borne by several characters in the Old Testament, including one of the kings of Judea.
Variant: Uziah.

Back  -   New Search

Uzziel m

Biblical: Hebrew name meaning ‘power of God’. It is borne by several minor characters mentioned in Old Testament genealogies and has enjoyed some popularity as a given name among Jews.
Variant: Uziel.

Back  -   New Search

V

Vaast m

Flemish: borne by a 6th-century saint, bishop of Arras-Cambrai. His name appears in medieval sources in the Latinized form Vedastus, and is of uncertain origin. It is probably a contracted form of the name Widogast (or Widigast), which is also found in medieval documents; it is composed of the Germanic elements widu wood + gast guest.

Back  -   New Search

Václav m

Czech form of WENCESLAS.
Feminine form: Václava.

Back  -   New Search

Vadim m

Russian: of uncertain origin. The name has been in use since the Middle Ages, and would seem to represent a reduced form of VLADIMIR, but this may be too simple an explanation.

Back  -   New Search

Val f, occasionally m

English: 1 (f.) Short form of VALERIE.

2 (m.) Short form of VALENTINE.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Valda f

English: a 20th-century coinage, representing a fanciful elaboration of VAL with the suffix -da, extracted from names such as GLENDA and LINDA.

Back  -   New Search

Valdemar f

Scandinavian: variant spelling of WALDEMAR,

Back  -   New Search

Valene f

English: a 20th-century coinage, apparently of Australian origin, representing a fanciful elaboration of VAL with the productive feminine suffix -ene.

Back  -   New Search

Valentine m, occasionally f

English form of the Latin name Valentnus, a derivative of valens healthy, strong. This was the name of a Roman martyr of the 3rd century, whose feast is celebrated on 14 February. This was the date of a pagan fertility festival marking the first stirrings of spring, which has survived in an attenuated form under the patronage of the saint.
Cognates: Scottish Gaelic: Ualan, Uailean. Welsh: Folant. French, Danish, Swedish: Valentin. Italian: Valentino. Spanish: Valentín. Portuguese: Valentim. German: Valentin. S. German: Velten. Polish: Walenty. Czech: Valentin. Hungarian: Bálint.
Short form: English: Val.
Feminine forms: Latinate: Valentina (used esp. in Eastern Europe). Polish: Walentyna.

Back  -   New Search

Valère m

French form of the Latin name Valrius (see VALERIE). There are several early saints of this name who have connections with France: a Roman missionary martyred at Soissons in 287, the first bishop of Conserans, an early bishop of Trèves, and a 5th-century bishop of Antibes.

Back  -   New Search

Valeri m

Russian form of the Latin name Valrius (see VALERIE).

Back  -   New Search

Valerie f

English: from the French form of the Latin name Valria, the feminine form of the old Roman family name Valrius, which was apparently derived from valre to be healthy, strong. The name was popular in France in the Middle Ages as a result of the cult of a 3rd-century saint (probably spurious) converted by Martial of Limoges.
Cognate: French: Valérie.
Short form: English: Val.

Back  -   New Search

Valéry m

French: often taken to be a variant of VALÈRE, but in fact of Germanic rather than Latin origin. It is composed of the Germanic elements walh foreign, strange + rc power. St Valéry or Walericus was the 7th-century founder of the abbey of Lencone at the mouth of the Somme.

Back  -   New Search

Valetta f

English: a 20th-century coinage, representing an elaboration of VAL with the suffix -etta, originally an Italian feminine diminutive suffix. Valetta or Valletta is coincidentally the name of the capital of Malta.

Back  -   New Search

Valter m

Scandinavian: variant spelling of WALTER.

Back  -   New Search

Vanessa f

English: name invented by Jonathan Swift (1667–1745) for his intimate friend Esther Vanhomrigh. It seems to have been derived from the first syllable of her (Dutch) surname, with the addition of the suffix -essa (perhaps influenced by the first syllable of her given name).
Short form: Nessa.

Back  -   New Search

Vanja f

Scandinavian: from the Russian name VANYA, but used as a girl's name because in the Scandinavian languages the ending -a is typical of female names.

Back  -   New Search

Vanya m

Russian: pet form of IVAN.

Back  -   New Search

Varda f

Jewish: modern name meaning ‘rose’ in Hebrew.
Variant: Vardah.

Back  -   New Search

Varfolomei m

Russian form of BARTHOLOMEW.

Back  -   New Search

Varvara f

Russian form of BARBARA.
Pet form: Varya.

Back  -   New Search

Vasco m

Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian: contracted form of the medieval Spanish given name Velasco or Belasco, from which is derived the Spanish surname Velázquez. The medieval name is of uncertain origin; it may be connected with a Basque element meaning ‘crow’. In form the modern given name coincides with the Spanish adjective vasco Basque (cf. GASTON).

Back  -   New Search

Vasili m

Russian form of BASIL.

Back  -   New Search

Vaughan m

Welsh and English: transferred use of the Welsh surname, which derives from the mutated form (fychan in Welsh orthography) of the Welsh adjective bychan small. This was originally a nickname or descriptive name.

Back  -   New Search

Vavinec m

Czech form of LAURENCE.
Short form: Vavro.
Pet forms: Vavík, Vaviniek.

Back  -   New Search

Veerle f

Belgian: vernacular Flemish form of the old Germanic female personal name Farahilda, composed of the elements fara to go, travel + hild battle. The 8th-century St Farahilda, who was mistreated by her husband because of her extreme Christian zeal, has long been venerated as a patron saint of Ghent.

Back  -   New Search

Veit m

1 German: vernacular form of VITUS.

2 Dutch form of GUY.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Veleslav m

Czech form of WIELISAW.
Feminine form: Veleslava.
Pet forms: Vela m, f; Velek, Velouek m; Velka, Veluka, Velin(k)a f.

Back  -   New Search

Velma f

English (esp. U.S.): of modern origin and uncertain derivation, possibly based on SELMA or THELMA.

Back  -   New Search

Velten m

South German form of VALENTINE.

Back  -   New Search

Venceslao m

Italian form of WENCESLAS, occasionally borne in honour of the Bohemian saint.
Cognates: Spanish: Venceslás. Portuguese: Venceslau.

Back  -   New Search

Vnceslav m

Older Czech form of WENCESLAS; cf. VÁCLAV.
Feminine form: Vnceslava.
Pet forms: Vna m, f; Vnek, Venouek m; Venka, Venuka f.

Back  -   New Search

Vendelín m

Czech form of WENDELIN.

Back  -   New Search

Venedikt m

Russian form of BENEDICT.

Back  -   New Search

Venessa f

English: modern altered form of VANESSA.

Back  -   New Search

Venetia f

English: of uncertain origin, used occasionally since the late Middle Ages. In form the name coincides with that of the region of northern Italy.

Back  -   New Search

Venyamin m

Russian form of BENJAMIN.
Pet form: Venya.

Back  -   New Search

Vera f

Russian name, meaning ‘faith’, introduced to Britain at the beginning of the 20th century. It coincides in form with the feminine form of the Latin adjective vrus true, and this has no doubt enhanced its popularity as a given name in the English-speaking world and in Scandinavia.
Cognates: Polish: Wera, Wiera. Czech: Vra.
Pet forms: Czech: Vrka, Veruka.

Back  -   New Search

Vere m

English: transferred use of the surname, which originated as a Norman French baronial name, from any of the numerous places in northern France so called from the Gaulish element ver(n) alder.

Back  -   New Search

Verena f

Characteristically Swiss name, first borne by a 3rd-century saint who lived as a hermit near Zurich. She is said to have come originally from Thebes in Egypt, and the origin of her name is obscure.
Pet form: Vreni.

Back  -   New Search

Vergil m

English (esp. U.S.): variant of VIRGIL.

Back  -   New Search

Verina f

English: variant of VERENA, with the common feminine name ending -ina.

Back  -   New Search

Verity f

English: from the archaic abstract noun meaning ‘truth’ (coming via Old French from Latin vrits, a derivative of vrus true; cf. VERA). It was a popular Puritan name, and is still occasionally used in the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Verna f

English: a name that originated in the latter part of the 19th century, perhaps as a contracted form of VERENA or VERONA, or as a deliberately formed feminine equivalent of VERNON.

Back  -   New Search

Verner m

Scandinavian: variant spelling of WERNER.

Back  -   New Search

Vernon m

English: transferred use of the surname, which originated as a Norman French baronial name, from any of various places in Normandy so called from Gaulish elements meaning ‘place of alders’ (cf. VERE).

Back  -   New Search

Verona f

English: of uncertain origin. It seems to have come into use towards the end of the 19th century, and may either represent a shortened form of VERONICA or be taken from the name of the Italian city. It became more widely known from Sinclair Lewis's novel Babbitt (1923), in which it is borne by the daughter of the eponymous hero.

Back  -   New Search

Veronica f

Latin form, somewhat garbled, of BERENICE, influenced from an early date by association with the Church Latin phrase vera icon ‘true image’, of which this form is an anagram. The legend of the saint who wiped Christ's face on the way to Calvary and found an image of his face imprinted on the towel seems to have been invented to account for this derivation.
Cognates: French: Véronique (sometimes also used in the English-speaking world). German: Veronike. Scandinavian: Veronika.
Pet form: English: Ronnie.

Back  -   New Search

Vessa f

English: modern creation, representing a contracted form of VENESSA or an assimilated form of VESTA.

Back  -   New Search

Vesta f

English: from the Latin name of the Roman goddess of the hearth, cognate with that of a Greek goddess with similar functions, Hestia, but of uncertain derivation. It is only rarely used as a given name in the English-speaking world, but was borne as a stage name by the Victorian music-hall artiste Vesta Tilley (1864–1952).

Back  -   New Search

Vester m

German: short form of SILVESTER.

Back  -   New Search

Vi f

English: short form of VIOLET or VIVIAN/VIVIEN as a female name.

Back  -   New Search

Vibeke f

Danish and Norwegian form of WIBEKE, also in use in Sweden.

Back  -   New Search

Vicenç m

Catalan form of VINCENT.

Back  -   New Search

Vicente m

Spanish form of VINCENT.

Back  -   New Search

Vicky f

English: pet form of VICTORIA.
Variants: Vickie, Vicki, Vikki.

Back  -   New Search

Victoire f

French form of VICTORIA.

Back  -   New Search

Victor m

English: from a Late Latin personal name meaning ‘conqueror’. This was popular among early Christians as a reference to Christ's victory over death and sin, and was borne by several saints.
Cognates: German, Scandinavian, Polish, Czech: Viktor. Italian: Vittore. See also GWYTHYR.
Equivalent: Hungarian: Gyözö.

Back  -   New Search

Victoria f

English and Spanish: feminine form of the Latin name Victrius (see VITTORIO), also perhaps a direct use of Latin victria victory. It was little known in England until the accession in 1837 of Queen Victoria (1819–1901), who got it from her German mother, Mary Louise Victoria of Saxe-Coburg. It did not begin to be a popular name among commoners in Britain until the 1940s, reaching a peak in the 1970s.
Cognates: German, Scandinavian: Viktoria. Italian: Vittoria. French: Victoire; Victorine (an elaborated form). Scottish Gaelic: Bhictoria.
Pet form: English: Vicky.

Back  -   New Search

Vidal m

Spanish form of VITALE that has been adopted in particular by Sefardic Jews as a translation of the Hebrew name Hayyim ‘life’ (see CHAIM and HYAM).

Back  -   New Search

Vidkun m

Scandinavian: from an Old Norse personal name composed of the elements víðr wide + kunnr wise, experienced. It was borne by Vidkun Quisling (1887–1945), the Norwegian collaborator with the Nazis, whose surname has become a byword for treachery. Consequently, it is now completely out of fashion.

Back  -   New Search

Vidor m

Hungarian: name representing a loan translation of HILARY.

Back  -   New Search

Vigdis f

Scandinavian: from an Old Norse female personal name composed of the elements víg war + dís goddess.

Back  -   New Search

Viggo m

Scandinavian: Latinized form of the Old Danish personal name Vigge, a short form of various compound names with the first element víg war.

Back  -   New Search

Vigilio m

Italian (characteristic of the Trentino region): borne in honour of the local saint, Vigilius, bishop of Trent (d. 405), who was stoned to death for overturning a statue of Saturn. The name is probably a derivative of Latin vigil wakeful, watchful (cf. GREGORY).

Back  -   New Search

Viktoria f

German and Scandinavian form of VICTORIA.

Back  -   New Search

Vilém m

Czech form of WILLIAM.
Pet forms: Vilémek, Vile(e)k, Vilík, Vilouek.

Back  -   New Search

Vilfred m

Scandinavian form of WILFRID.

Back  -   New Search

Vilhelm m

Scandinavian form of WILLIAM.

Back  -   New Search

Vilhelmina f

Swedish form of WILHELMINA.
Cognate: Danish, Norwegian: Vilhelmine.
Pet form: Danish: Mine.

Back  -   New Search

Vilmos m

Hungarian form of WILLIAM.
Feminine form: Vilma.

Back  -   New Search

Vilppu m

Finnish form of PHILIP.

Back  -   New Search

Vince m

1 English: short form of VINCENT, in use at least from the 17th century, and probably earlier, since it has given rise to a surname.

2 Hungarian form of VINCENT.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Vincent m

English, French, Dutch, Danish, and Swedish: from the Old French form of the Latin name Vincens ‘conquering’ (genitive Vincentis), from vincere to conquer. This name was borne by various early saints particularly associated with France, most notably the 5th-century St Vincent of Lérins.
Cognates: Irish Gaelic: Uinseann. Italian: Vincente; Vi(n)cenzo (from the elaborated form Vincentius). Spanish: Vicente. Catalan: Vicenç. German: Vinzenz (from Vincentius). Polish: Wincenty (from Vincentius). Czech: Vincenc (from Vincentius). Hungarian: Vince.
Short form: English: Vince.
Pet forms: Czech: Vinca, Vinc(en)ck, enck.

Back  -   New Search

Viola f

English, Italian, and Scandinavian: from Latin vila violet. The name is relatively common in Italy and was used by Shakespeare in Twelfth Night (where most of the characters have Italianate names). However, in England it seems to have been used in modern times mainly as a result of its association with the somewhat larger flower so called in English (a single-coloured pansy).

Back  -   New Search

Violet f

English: from the name of the flower (Old French violette, Late Latin violetta, a diminutive of vila). This was one of the earliest flower names to become popular in Britain, being well established before the middle of the 19th century, but it is now out of favour.
Cognates: French: Violette. Italian: Violetta.
Short form: English: Vi.

Back  -   New Search

Virág m

Hungarian: originally an affectionate nickname meaning ‘flower’, now a given name in its own right.

Back  -   New Search

Virgil m

Usual English form of the name of the most celebrated of Roman poets, Publius Vergilius Maro (70–19 BC). The correct Latin spelling is Vergilius, but it was early altered to Virgilius by association with virgo maiden or virga stick. Today the name is almost always given with direct reference to the poet, but medieval instances may have been intended to honour instead a 6th-century bishop of Arles or an 8th-century Irish monk who evangelized Carinthia and became archbishop of Salzburg, both of whom also bore the name. In the case of the later saint, it was a classicized form of the Gaelic name Fearghal; see FERGAL.
Variant: Vergil.
Cognate: Italian, Spanish: Virgilio.

Back  -   New Search

Virginia f

English, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Danish, and Swedish: from the feminine form of Latin Virginius (more correctly Verginius; cf. VIRGIL), a Roman family name. It was borne by a Roman maiden killed, according to legend, by her own father to spare her the attentions of an importunate suitor. It does not seem to have been used as a given name in the Middle Ages. It was bestowed on the first American child of English parentage, born at Roanoke, Virginia, in August 1587. It has since become very popular. Both child and province were named in honour of Elizabeth I, the ‘Virgin Queen’.
Cognate: French: Virginie (sometimes also used in the English-speaking world).
Pet form: English: Ginny. See also GINGER.

Back  -   New Search

Virtudes f

Spanish: name given as a reference to the Seven Christian Virtues (Spanish virtudes virtues, Latin virttes, originally a derivative of vir man, meaning ‘manly qualities’).

Back  -   New Search

Visitación f

Spanish: name recalling the New Testament story of the visit by the Virgin Mary to her cousin Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist (Luke 1: 39–56). This event is commemorated in the Catholic Church with a feast on 2 July, recognized since 1389.
Cognate: Portuguese: Visitação.

Back  -   New Search

Vissarion m

Russian: from Greek Bessarion, a name of extremely uncertain derivation (probably a transliteration of a non-Greek original). A 2nd-century saint of this name lived as a hermit in the Egyptian desert, and he is still greatly venerated in the Orthodox Church.

Back  -   New Search

Vít m

Czech form of VITUS.

Back  -   New Search

Vita f

English and Danish: 19th-century coinage, either directly from Latin vita life, or else as a feminine form of VITUS. It has been borne most notably by the English writer Vita Sackville-West (1892–1962), in whose case it was a pet form of the given name Victoria.

Back  -   New Search

Vitale m

Italian: from the Late Latin name Vitlis, a derivative of vita life. There are over a dozen early saints of this name, including Vitalis of Milan, the father of Gervasius and Protasius.
Cognate: Russian: Vitali.

Back  -   New Search

Vittore m

Italian form of VICTOR.

Back  -   New Search

Vittoria f

Italian form of VICTORIA.

Back  -   New Search

Vittorio m

Italian: from the Latin name Victrius, a derivative of VICTOR borne by a 5th-century bishop of Le Mans and by two obscure early martyrs.

Back  -   New Search

Vitus m

The name of a child saint martyred in Sicily at an unknown (but early) date, together with his nurse Crescentia and her husband Modestus. His name seems to derive from Latin vita life (cf. VITA), and his two companions bear unmistakably Latin names, but there has been some confusion with forms of GUY.
Derivatives: German: Veit. Polish: Wit. Czech: Vít.

Back  -   New Search

Viv f, m

English: short form, usually feminine, of VIVIAN and VIVIEN.

Back  -   New Search

Viveka f

Swedish form of WIBEKE.
Variants: Viveca, Vivica.

Back  -   New Search

Vivi f

English and Scandinavian: feminine pet form of VIVIAN or VIVIEN.

Back  -   New Search

Vivian m, occasionally f

English: from an Old French form of the Latin name Vivinus (probably a derivative of vivus alive). The name was borne by a 5th-century bishop of Saintes in western France, who protected his people during the invasion of the Visigoths. As a woman's name it has sometimes been used as an Anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic name Béibhinn meaning ‘white lady’.
Variant: Vyvyan.
Short forms: Vi, Viv, Vivi.

Back  -   New Search

Vivien f, formerly m

Originally the more common Old French form of VIVIAN, but used by Tennyson in his poem Merlin and Vivien (1859) as a female name in place of the usual feminine form VIVIENNE; in this case, it may represent an altered form of some Celtic name. The actress Vivien Leigh (1913–67) was originally christened Vivian.
Variants: Viviann(e) (also used in Scandinavia), Vivean.
Short forms: Vi, Viv, Vivi.

Back  -   New Search

Vivienne f

French: feminine form of VIVIEN, popular also in the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Vladilen m

Russian: modern name constructed from that of the founder of the Soviet state, Vladimir Ilyich Lenin (1870–1924). Cf. NINEL and MELOR.
Variant: Vladlen.
Feminine form: Vladilena.

Back  -   New Search

Vladimir m

Russian: from an old Slavonic personal name composed of the elements volod rule (cognate with Germanic wald) + meri great, famous (see CASIMIR). The stress is on the second syllable. St Vladimir (956–1015) was Great Prince of Kievan Russia and the father of Sts Boris and St Gleb; he is honoured as the ruler, ‘equal to the apostles’, who brought Russia into the Christian Church. See also VADIM.
Cognates: Polish: Wlodzimierz. Czech: Vladimír. German, Dutch: Waldemar. Scandinavian: Waldemar, Valdemar.
Pet forms: Russian: Volodya, Volya.
Feminine forms: Russian: Vladimira. Czech: Vladimíra.

Back  -   New Search

Vladislav m

Czech form of WADYSAW.
Variant: Ladislav.
Feminine forms: Vladislava, Ladislava.

Back  -   New Search

Vlas m

Russian form of BLAISE. The learned variant Vlasi is also used.

Back  -   New Search

Vojtch m

Czech form of WOJCIECH.
Pet forms: Vojta, Vojtek, Vojtík, Vojtíek.

Back  -   New Search

Volf m

Jewish: Yiddish form of WOLF.

Back  -   New Search

Volker m

German: from an old Germanic personal name composed of the elements folk people + heri, hari army, warrior. The English surname Fulcher derives from a Norman form of this.

Back  -   New Search

Volkmar m

German: from an old Germanic personal name composed of the elements folk people + mri, mri famous.

Back  -   New Search

Volodya m

Russian: pet form of VLADIMIR (via the colloquial form Volodimir) and of VSEVOLOD.

Back  -   New Search

Volya m

Russian: contracted form of VOLODYA.

Back  -   New Search

Vreni f

Swiss: contracted pet form of VERENA.

Back  -   New Search

Vsevolod m

Russian: from an old Slavonic personal name composed of the elements vse all + volod rule, representing a loan translation of Greek Pankratios (see PANCRAZIO and PANCRAS).
Pet forms: Volodya, Volya, Seva.

Back  -   New Search

Vyacheslav m

Russian form of WENCESLAS.

Back  -   New Search

Vyvyan m

English: fanciful respelling of the male name VIVIAN.

Back  -   New Search

W

Wacaw m

Polish form of WENCESLAS.
Variants: Wiceslaw, Wieczyslaw, Wenczeslaw (all archaic).

Back  -   New Search

Wade m

English: transferred use of the surname, which is derived either from a medieval given name or from the medieval vocabulary word wade ford. The former represents an Old English personal name, derived from wadan to go, which according to legend was borne by a great sea-giant.

Back  -   New Search

Walburg f

German: from a Germanic personal name composed of the elements wald rule or wal foreign, strange + burg fortress. St Walburg was of Anglo-Saxon origin, the sister of St WILLIBALD, and the original form of her name was Wealdburh or Wealburh. She became abbess of Heidenheim and her relics are preserved at Eichstatt.

Back  -   New Search

Waldemar m

German, Scandinavian, and Dutch: from an old Germanic personal name composed of the elements wald rule + mri, mri famous. This was the name of four kings of Denmark, in particular Waldemar the Great (ruled 1157–82). The name itself is ultimately a cognate of VLADIMIR and has been used as a Germanic equivalent or translation of that name.
Variants: Scandinavian: Valdemar; German, Dutch, Danish: Woldemar.

Back  -   New Search

Waldo m

English and German: a short form of any of several old Germanic personal names containing wald rule as a first element (possibly also as a second element). This gave rise in the early Middle Ages to a surname, borne notably by Peter Waldo, a 12th-century merchant of Lyons, who founded a reformist Catholic sect known as the Waldensians, which in the 16th century joined the Reformation movement. In America the name is particularly associated with the poet and essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82), whose father was a Lutheran clergyman.

Back  -   New Search

Walenty m

Polish form of VALENTINE.
Feminine form: Walentyna.

Back  -   New Search

Wallace m

Scottish and English: transferred use of the surname, which was originally an ethnic byname from Old French waleis meaning ‘foreign, Celtic’, used by the Normans to denote members of various Celtic races in areas where they were in the minority—Welshmen in the Welsh Marches, Bretons in East Anglia, and surviving Britons in the Strathclyde region. The given name seems to have been first used in Scotland, being bestowed in honour of the Scottish patriot William Wallace (?1272–1305).

Back  -   New Search

Wally m

English: informal pet form of WALTER or, less commonly, of WALLACE. It has dropped almost completely out of fashion, especially since the slang word wally is used in Britain for a stupid or incompetent person.

Back  -   New Search

Walter m

English, German, and Scandinavian: from an old Germanic personal name composed of the elements wald rule + heri, hari army, warrior. There was a native Old English form of the name, Wealdhere, but it was replaced at the time of the Conquest by the Continental forms in use among the Normans. In medieval Germany, the most famous bearer was the minnesinger Walther von der Vogelweide (c.1170–c.1230).
Variants: German: Walther. Scandinavian: Valter.
Cognates: Scottish Gaelic: Bhàtair, Bhaltair. Welsh: Gwallter. Dutch: Wouter, Wolter. Low German: Wolter. French: Gaut(h)ier. Italian, Spanish: Gualtiero.
Short forms: English: Wat (medieval, occasionally revived); Walt (esp. U.S.). Dutch: Weit. Pet form: English: Watkin.

Back  -   New Search

Waltraud f

German: from an old Germanic female personal name composed of the elements wald rule or walh foreigner, stranger + thrd strength. St Waltraud was a 7th-century nun who founded a convent at the place that grew to be the town of Mons in Belgium.
Variants: Waltrud(e).

Back  -   New Search

Wanda f

English: of uncertain origin. Attempts have been made to derive it from various Germanic and Slavonic roots: it was certainly in use in Poland in the 19th century, and is found in Polish folk-tales as the name of a princess. The derivation may well be from the ethnic term Wend, denoting the Slavonic people who inhabited what is now northern East Germany in the Middle Ages. The name was introduced to the English-speaking world by Ouida (Marie Louise de la Ramée), who used it for the heroine of her novel Wanda (1883).

Back  -   New Search

Wandelin m

Polish: variant of WENDELIN.

Back  -   New Search

Ward m

English: transferred use of the surname, originally an occupational name from Old English weard guard or watchman.

Back  -   New Search

Warner m

English: transferred use of the surname derived from the medieval English given name corresponding to WERNER.

Back  -   New Search

Warren m

English: transferred use of the English surname, which is of Norman origin, derived partly from a place in Normandy called La Varenne ‘the game-park’ and partly from a Germanic personal name (cf. WERNER). In America it has sometimes been bestowed in honour of General Joseph Warren, the first hero of the American Revolution, who was killed at Bunker Hill (1775).

Back  -   New Search

Warwick m

English: transferred use of the surname, which is taken from the town in the West Midlands. The placename is probably from Old English wær(ing), wer(ing) weir, dam + wc dairy farm.

Back  -   New Search

Washington m

English (esp. U.S.): from the surname of the first president of the United States, George Washington (1732–99), whose family came originally from Northamptonshire in England. They had been established in Virginia since 1656. The surname in this case is derived from the village of Washington in Co. Durham (now Tyne and Wear), so called from Old English Wassingtn ‘settlement associated with Wassa’. Use as a given name is well established, especially in the United States, where it was borne, for example, by the writer Washington Irving (1783–1859).

Back  -   New Search

Wat m

English: the usual medieval short form of WALTER, based on the normal vernacular pronunciation, Water, with a short ‘a’.

Back  -   New Search

Watkin m

English: either a revival of the medieval pet name (WAT + the hypocoristic suffix -kin), or a transferred use of the surname derived from it.

Back  -   New Search

Wawrzyniec m

Polish form of LAURENCE.

Back  -   New Search

Wayne m

English: transferred use of the surname, originally an occupational name for a carter or cartwright, from Old English wægen cart, wagon. It was adopted as a given name in the second half of the 20th century, mainly as a result of the popularity of the American film actor John Wayne (1907–82), who was born Marion Michael Morrison; his screen name was chosen in honour of the American Revolutionary general Anthony Wayne (1745–96).

Back  -   New Search

Webster m

English: transferred use of the surname, which originated as an occupational name for a weaver, Old English webbestre (a derivative of webb web). The -estre suffix was originally feminine, but by the Middle English period the gender distinction had been lost. Use as a given name in America no doubt owes something to the politician and orator Daniel Webster (1782–1852) and the lexicographer Noah Webster (1758–1843).

Back  -   New Search

Wenceslas m

Latinized form of an East European Slavonic name, composed of the elements ventie more, greater + slav glory. St Wenceslas was a 10th-century duke of Bohemia noted for his piety, the grandson of St Ludmilla. He is regarded as the patron of Bohemia, which now forms part of Czechoslovakia. This was also the name of four kings of Bohemia in the period covering the 13th to the 15th century.
Cognates: German: Wenzeslaus, WENZEL. Polish: WACAW. Czech: Vnceslav, Václav. Russian: Vyacheslav. Italian: Venceslao. Spanish: Venceslás. Portuguese: Venceslau.

Back  -   New Search

Wenda f

English: apparently an altered form of WENDY (cf. e.g. Jenna from Jenny), since it does not appear in modern use until the vogue for that name. In the early Middle Ages, however, a name of identical form was in occasional use on the Continent as a short form of various female names (such as Wendelburg and Wendelgard) containing as their first element the ethnic name of the Wends (cf. WENDEL). It may well have been partly influenced by WANDA.

Back  -   New Search

Wendel m

German: from an old Germanic personal name, in origin an ethnic byname for a Wend, a member of the Slavonic people living in the area between the Elbe and the Oder, who were overrun by Germanic migrants in the 12th century. In part it was also used as a short form of various compound names with that first element (cf. WENDA). St Wendel was a 6th- or 7th-century shepherd and confessor, who is venerated especially at Sanktwendel on the River Nahe.

Back  -   New Search

Wendelin m

German and Polish: from an old Germanic personal name, a derivative of the ethnic byname wend Wend (see WENDEL).
Variant: Polish: Wandelin.
Cognate: Czech: Vendelín.

Back  -   New Search

Wendell m

English (esp. U.S.): from the surname derived in the Middle Ages from the Continental Germanic personal name WENDEL. It has been adopted as a given name as a result of the fame of the American writer Oliver Wendell Holmes (1809–94) and his jurist son, also Oliver Wendell Holmes (1841–1935), members of a leading New England family.

Back  -   New Search

Wendy f

English: invented by J. M. Barrie for the ‘little mother’ in his play Peter Pan (1904). He took it from the nickname Fwendy-Wendy (i.e. ‘friend’) used for him by a child acquaintance, Margaret Henley. It has achieved widespread popularity in its short lifespan.
Variant: Wendi (rare).

Back  -   New Search

Wenzel m

German: medieval pet form of Wenzeslaus, the German version of WENCESLAS. This was in common use in the heavily Slavonic regions of eastern Germany and is still occasionally chosen today as an independent given name.

Back  -   New Search

Wera f

Polish form of VERA.

Back  -   New Search

Werner m

German, Dutch, and Scandinavian: from an old Germanic personal name composed of the tribal name Warin + the element heri, hari army, warrior. See also WARNER.
Variant: Scandinavian: Verner.
Pet forms: German: WETZEL. Low German, Dutch, Frisian: Wessel.

Back  -   New Search

Werther m

German: found in the early Middle Ages in the Latinized form Wertharius. It probably derives from the Germanic elements wert worthy + heri, hari army, warrior. The name had become comparatively rare in Germany by the later Middle Ages, but was chosen by Goethe for the hero of his early novel Die Leiden des jungen Werther (‘The Sorrows of Young Werther’, 1774), since when it has been quietly popular.

Back  -   New Search

Wesley m

English: from the surname of the founder of the Methodist Church, John Wesley (1703–91), and his brother Charles (1707–88), who was also influential in the movement. Their family must have come originally from one or other of the various places in England called Westley, the ‘western wood, clearing, or meadow’. The given name was at first confined to members of the Methodist Church, but is now very widely used among English-speaking people of many different creeds, often without reference to its religious connotations.
Short form: Wes.

Back  -   New Search

Wessel m

Low German and Frisian: pet form of WERNER.

Back  -   New Search

Wetzel m

German: from a medieval pet form of WERNER, now occasionally chosen as an independent given name.

Back  -   New Search

Whiltierna f

Irish: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Faoiltiarna, composed of the elements faol wolf + tighearna lord.

Back  -   New Search

Whitney f, m

English (mainly U.S.): transferred use of the surname, originally a local name from any of various places in England named with the Middle English phrase atten whiten ey ‘by the white island’. In the 1980s its popularity as a female name has been increased by the fame of the American singer Whitney Houston.

Back  -   New Search

Wiara f

Polish form of VERA.

Back  -   New Search

Wibeke f

Low German, Dutch, and Frisian: pet form derived from the medieval given name Wibe, in origin a short form of various Germanic compound names, such as Wigburg, composed of the elements wig war + burg fortress.
Variants: Wi(e)bke.
Cognates: Danish, Norwegian: Vibeke. Swedish: Viveka, Viveca, Vivica.

Back  -   New Search

Wiceslaw m

Archaic Polish form of WACAW. see WENCESLAS.

Back  -   New Search

Wieland m

German: from an old Germanic personal name of uncertain derivation. It was borne in Germanic legend by Wieland the Smith, king of the elves, and was revived to a limited extent as a result of the 19th-century interest in this group of tales. The name was borne by a grandson of the composer Richard Wagner.

Back  -   New Search

Wielisaw m

Polish: from an old Slavonic personal name composed of the elements vele great + slav glory.
Variant: Wieslaw.
Cognate: Czech: Veleslav.
Pet forms: Polish: Wiesi(ul)ek. Czech: Vela, Velek, Velouek.

Back  -   New Search

Wiera f

Polish form of VERA.

Back  -   New Search

Wiga f

Polish: short form of JADWIGA.
Pet form: Wisia.

Back  -   New Search

Wilberforce m

English: transferred use of the surname, which originated as a local name from Wilberfoss in North Yorkshire. This place is so called from the Old English female personal name Wilburg (see WILBUR) + Old English foss ditch (from Latin fossa). It may have been taken up as a given name in honour of the antislavery campaigner William Wilberforce (1759–1833), or perhaps because it is thought of as an extended form of Wilbur.

Back  -   New Search

Wilbur m

English: transferred use of a comparatively rare surname, which is now a fairly common given name, especially in America. The surname probably derives from a medieval female name composed of the Old English elements will will, desire + burh fortress.

Back  -   New Search

Wilfrid m

English: from an Old English personal name composed of the Germanic elements wil will, desire + frid, fred peace. This name was borne by two saints. There is some doubt about the exact form of the name of the more famous, who played a leading role at the Council of Whitby (664); it may have been Walfrid ‘stranger peace’ or ‘peace to the Welsh’, from Old English walh stranger, Welshman. Wilfrid the Younger was an 8th-century bishop of York. The name was not used in the Middle Ages, but was revived in the 19th century, and enjoyed great popularity then and in the first part of the 20th century.
Variant: Wilfred.
Cognates: German: Wilfried. Scandinavian: Vilfred.
Short form: English: Wilf.

Back  -   New Search

Wilhelm m

German form of WILLIAM.

Back  -   New Search

Wilhelmina f

German: feminine version of WILHELM, formed with the Latinate suffix -ina. This name was introduced to the English-speaking world from Germany in the 19th century. It is now very rarely used.
Variant: Wilhelmine.
Cognates: Swedish: Vilhelmina. Danish, Norwegian: Vilhelmine.
Short forms: German: Wilma, Helmine, Helma, Mine. Danish: Mine.
Pet forms: German: Minna, Minne. English: Minnie.

Back  -   New Search

Will m

English: short form of WILLIAM, in use since the early Middle Ages, when it was occasionally used also for various other given names containing as their first element Germanic wil will, desire (e.g. Wilbert and WILMER).

Back  -   New Search

Willa f

English: a feminine form of WILLIAM, created by appending the characteristically feminine final letter -a to the short form WILL.

Back  -   New Search

Willard m

English (esp. U.S.): transferred use of the surname, which seems itself to have derived from the Old English personal name Wilheard, composed of the elements will will, desire + heard hardy, brave, strong. The modern given name is sometimes taken as an elaborated form of WILL.

Back  -   New Search

Willem m

Low German and Dutch form of WILLIAM.

Back  -   New Search

Willi m

German: pet form of WILHELM.

Back  -   New Search

William m

English: the most successful of all the Germanic names introduced to England by the Normans. It is composed of the elements wil will, desire + helm helmet, protection. The fact that it was borne by the Conqueror himself does not seem to have inhibited its favour with the ‘conquered’ population: in the first century after the Conquest it was the commonest male name of all, not only among Normans. In the later Middle Ages it was overtaken by JOHN, but continued to run second to that name until the 20th century, when the picture became more fragmented. It was a royal name not only in England, but also in Germany and the Netherlands.
Cognates: Irish Gaelic: Liam. Scottish Gaelic: Uilleam. Welsh: Gwilym. French: Guillaume. Italian: Guglielmo. Spanish: Guilermo. Catalan: Guillem. Portuguese: Guilherme. German: Wilhelm. Low German, Dutch: Willem. Scandinavian: Vilhelm. Czech: Vilem. Hungarian: Vilmos. Finnish: Vilppu.
Short forms: English: Will, BILL. German: Wim.
Pet forms: English and Scottish: Willy, Willie. German: Willi.
Feminine forms: English: Willa, Wilma, BILLIE. German: Wilhelmina, Wilhelmine, Helmine, Helma, Mine. Hungarian: Vilma.

Back  -   New Search

Willibald m

German: from an old Germanic personal name composed of the elements wil will, desire + bald bold, brave. St Willibald (c.700–c.786) was of Anglo-Saxon origin, and aided his cousin Boniface in evangelical missions in Germany.

Back  -   New Search

Willoughby m

English: transferred use of the surname, which was originally a local name from any of various places in northern England so called from Old English welig willow + Old Norse býr settlement.

Back  -   New Search

Willow f

English: from the tree, Old English welig, noted for its grace and the pliancy of its wood.

Back  -   New Search

Wilma f

1 German: contracted form of WILHELMINA.

2 English: either a borrowing of the German name, or an independent coinage, formed as a feminine equivalent of WILLIAM.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Wilmer m

English: formally it is possible that this could represent an old Germanic personal name composed of the elements wil will, desire + mri, mri famous, but it is more likely to have arisen as a masculine form of the similarly pronounced WILMA (cf. Peta, derived from Peter by the reverse process).

Back  -   New Search

Wilmette f

English (esp. U.S.): a recent coinage, originating as an elaborated form of WILMA with the productive feminine ending (originally a French diminutive) -ette.
Variant: Wilmetta.

Back  -   New Search

Wilmot m

English: transferred use of the surname, which is derived from a medieval pet form of WILLIAM. It is possible from the form of the medieval name that it could represent an old Germanic personal name composed of the elements wil will, desire + muot mind, courage, but this is no evidence for the existence of such a name.

Back  -   New Search

Wim m

German: contracted form of WILHELM.

Back  -   New Search

Win f

English: short form of WINIFRED.

Back  -   New Search

Wincenty m

Polish form of VINCENT.

Back  -   New Search

Windsor m

English: transferred use of the surname, which is derived from a place in Berkshire, originally named in Old English as Windels-ra ‘landing place with a windlass’. It is the site of a castle that is in regular use as a residence of the royal family. Its use as a given name dates from the mid-19th century and was reinforced by its adoption in 1917 as the surname of the British royal family (from their residence at Windsor in Berkshire). It was felt necessary to replace the German name Wettin, which had been introduced by Queen Victoria's husband Albert, in deference to anti-German feeling during the First World War.

Back  -   New Search

Winifred f

English and Welsh: from the Welsh personal name GWENFREWI, altered by association with the Old English name elements wynn joy + frið peace. In Ireland and Scotland it has been used as an Anglicized form of ÚNA and Ùna.
Short forms: Win, Freda.
Pet form: Winnie.

Back  -   New Search

Winston m

English: transferred use of the surname. Although there was an Old English personal name, Wynnstan, composed of the elements wynn joy + stn stone, which would have had this form if it had survived, the modern given name originated in the Churchill family. The first Winston Churchill (b. 1620) was christened with the surname of his mother's family, who had come originally from the hamlet of Winston in Gloucestershire. The name has continued in this family ever since, and has recently been more widely used in honour of the statesman Winston Spencer Churchill (1874–1965).

Back  -   New Search

Winthrop m

English (esp. U.S.): from the surname of a leading American pioneering family, and still more or less completely confined to America. John Winthrop (1588–1649) was one of the first governors of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and his son (1606–76) and grandson (1638–1707), who bore the same name, were also colonial governors. Their family probably came originally from one of the places in England called Winthorpe (named in Old English as the ‘village of Wynna’).

Back  -   New Search

Winton m

English: transferred use of the surname, which originated as a local name from any of the various places so called. One in Cumbria gets its name from Old English winn pasture + tn enclosure, settlement; another in the same county is from wiðig willow + tn; the one in North Yorkshire is from the Old English personal name Wina + tn.

Back  -   New Search

Wisia f

Polish: pet form of Wiga, a short form of JADWIGA.

Back  -   New Search

Wit m

Polish form of VITUS.

Back  -   New Search

Witold m

German, Polish: as a German name, this derives from the Germanic elements wda wide or witu wood + wald ruler. As a Polish name, it represents an assimilation to this form of the Lithuanian name Vytautas, borne in the 14th century by the first Christian ruler of Lithuania.
Variant: Polish: Witold.

Back  -   New Search

Wadysaw m

Polish: from an old Slavonic personal name composed of the elements volod rule + slav glory. This was the name of four kings of Poland, and was an aristocratic name long before it was a royal name. The Blessed Wladyslaw (1440–1505) is revered as an evangelist.
Variant: Wodzisaw.
Cognates: Czech: Vladislav, Ladislav. Latinate: LADISLAS. Hungarian: LÁSZLÓ. Italian: Ladislao.

Back  -   New Search

Wodzimierz m

Polish form of VLADIMIR.

Back  -   New Search

Wmffre m

Welsh form of HUMPHREY.

Back  -   New Search

Wojciech m

Common Polish name, from an old Slavonic personal name composed of the elements voi soldier, warrior + tech consolation.
Cognate: Czech: Vojtch.
Pet forms: Polish: Wojtek, Wojteczek. Czech: Vojta, Vojtek, Vojtík, Vojtiek.

Back  -   New Search

Wojsaw m

Polish: from an old Slavonic personal name composed of the elements voi soldier, warrior + slav glory.

Back  -   New Search

Wojtek m

Polish: pet form of WOJCIECH.
Variant: Wojteczek.

Back  -   New Search

Woldemar m

German, Dutch, and Danish: variant of WALDEMAR.

Back  -   New Search

Wolf m

German and Jewish: short form of WOLFGANG and WOLFRAM, or else an independent given name going back to an old Germanic byname meaning ‘wolf’ (Old High German wolf). Wolves were plentiful in the forests of northern Europe throughout the Middle Ages, and played an important part in Germanic folklore. As a Jewish name it has been used as an equivalent to ZEEV.
Cognates: Danish, Swedish: Ulf. Norwegian: Ulv.

Back  -   New Search

Wolfgang m

German: common name from an old Germanic personal name composed of the elements wolf wolf + gang going. The name is often bestowed, sometimes even in the English-speaking world, in honour of the composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–91).

Back  -   New Search

Wolfram m

German: from an old Germanic personal name composed of the elements wolf wolf + hramn raven. The name was borne in the Middle Ages by the poet Wolfram von Eschenbach (c.1170–c.1220).

Back  -   New Search

Wolter m

Low German and Dutch form of WALTER.

Back  -   New Search

Woodrow m

English: transferred use of the surname, originally a local name given to someone who lived in a row of houses by a wood. It is occasionally bestowed as a given name in the English-speaking world in honour of the American president Woodrow Wilson (1856–1924).

Back  -   New Search

Woody m

English (chiefly U.S.): pet form of WOODROW, or in some cases perhaps a nickname bestowed because of some imagined similarity to the cartoon character Woody Woodpecker. It has been borne by the American folk singer Woody (Woodrow Wilson) Guthrie (1912–67) and the 1940s band leader Woody (Woodrow Charles) Herman (1913–87). The American humorist Woody Allen was born Allen Stewart Konigsberg in 1935.

Back  -   New Search

Wouter m

Dutch form of WALTER.

Back  -   New Search

Wyn m

Welsh: originally a byname from the Welsh vocabulary word (g)wyn white, fair, blessed, holy. The name is found in this form from the early Middle Ages. It is at present extremely popular in Wales.

Back  -   New Search

Wyndham m

English: transferred use of the surname, which is derived from a contracted form of the placename Wymondham in Norfolk, originally named in Old English as the ‘homestead of Wigmund’.

Back  -   New Search

Wynne m, f

1 (m.) English: transferred use of the surname, which is derived from the Old and Middle English personal name Wine ‘friend’.

2 (m.) Welsh: elaborated spelling of WYN.
Top

3 (f.) English: apparently an ‘elegant’ respelling of Win, a short form of WINIFRED.
Variant (of 1): Wynn.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Wystan m

English: from an Old English personal name composed of the elements wg battle + stn stone. St Wistan was a 9th-century prince of Mercia, murdered by his nephew Bertulf. The modern given name is rare, being best known in the name of the poet Wystan Hugh Auden (1907–73).

Back  -   New Search

X

Xaime m

Galician form of JAMES; See also JAIME.

Back  -   New Search

Xanthe f

English: from the feminine form of the classical Greek adjective xanthos yellow, bright. The name was borne by various minor figures in classical mythology and is occasionally chosen by parents in search of an unusual given name for a daughter.

Back  -   New Search

Xavier m

From the surname of the Spanish soldier-saint Francis Xavier (1506–52), one of the founding members of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits). He was born on the ancestral estate at Xavier (now Javier) in Navarre, which in the early Middle Ages was an independent Basque kingdom. Xavier probably represents a Hispanicized form of the Basque place-name Etcheberria ‘the new house’ (x was pronounced in the Middle Ages as sh, now as h). The given name is used almost exclusively among Roman Catholics.
Other forms: Italian: Saverio. Spanish, Portuguese: Javier. German: Xaver. Polish: Ksawery.

Back  -   New Search

Xaviera f

Feminine form of XAVIER.

Back  -   New Search

Xenia f

English: comparatively rare given name, coined from the Greek vocabulary word xenia hospitality, from xenos stranger, foreigner.

Back  -   New Search

Xoán m

Galician form of JOHN; See also JUAN.

Back  -   New Search

Xosé m

Galician form of JOSEPH; See also JOSÉ.

Back  -   New Search

Y

Yael f

Jewish: from a Hebrew word denoting a female wild goat. The name is borne in the Bible by a Kenite woman who killed Sisera, the Canaanite general and an enemy of the Israelites (Judges 4: 17–22). It has remained extremely popular among Jews to the present day.
Variant: Jael.

Back  -   New Search

Yaffa f

Jewish: variant of JAFFE. It has become very popular as a modern Hebrew translation of SHAYNA.

Back  -   New Search

Yakim m

The usual Russian form of JOACHIM; See also AKIM.
Pet form: Kima.

Back  -   New Search

Yakov m

Jewish: the modern Hebrew form of JACOB. This is also the form of the name in Russian.
Variant: Jewish: Yaakov.
Pet forms: Jewish: Yankel (Yiddish). Russian: Yasha.
Feminine form: Jewish: Yakova.

Back  -   New Search

Yann m

Breton form of JOHN.
Pet form: Yannic(k).

Back  -   New Search

Yaropolk m

Russian form of JAROPEK.

Back  -   New Search

Yaroslav m

Russian form of JAROSAW.

Back  -   New Search

Yasha m

Russian: pet form of YAKOV.

Back  -   New Search

Yasmin f

English: variant of JASMINE, representing a ‘learned’ re-creation of the Persian form.

Back  -   New Search

Yayone f

Basque: variant spelling of IAIONE.

Back  -   New Search

Yefim m

Russian: from the Greek name Euphmios, composed of the elements eu well, good + phnai to speak, say; cf. EUPHEMIA

Back  -   New Search

Yefrem m

Russian form of EPHRAIM.
Pet form: Rema.

Back  -   New Search

Yegor m

Russian: popular form of GEORGE.

Back  -   New Search

Yehiel m

Jewish: Hebrew name, meaning ‘God lives’, borne in the Bible by an early Levite appointed to play the psaltery in sacred processions (1 Chronicles 15: 20). In the Authorized Version the name is transliterated Jehiel. It is a popular modern Hebrew name.

Back  -   New Search

Yehuda m

Jewish: modern Hebrew form of JUDAH.

Back  -   New Search

Yehudi m

Jewish: modern Hebrew name, originally an ethnic byname meaning ‘Jew’.

Back  -   New Search

Yehudit f

Jewish: modern Hebrew form of JUDITH.

Back  -   New Search

Yekatarina f

Russian form of KATHERINE.
Pet form: Katya.

Back  -   New Search

Yelena f

Russian form of HELEN.
Pet form: Nelya.

Back  -   New Search

Yelisaveta f

Russian form of ELIZABETH.

Back  -   New Search

Yelisei m

Russian form of ELISEO.

Back  -   New Search

Yente f

Jewish: Yiddish name, probably a back-formation from Yentl (apparently from the French nickname Gentille ‘kind, nice’), the -l being interpreted as a Yiddish hypocoristic suffix. The Yiddish vocabulary word yente, derived from the name, denotes a gossipy woman.

Back  -   New Search

Yered m

Jewish: Hebrew form of JARED.

Back  -   New Search

Yermolai m

Russian: from the Greek name Hermolaos, composed of the elements Herms (the name of the messenger god; cf. ERMETE) + los, les people, tribe. St Hermolaos (d. c.300) was martyred in Nicomedia together with his brothers Hermippos and Hermocrates, who shared the first element of his name (combined respectively with hippos horse and kratein to rule), according to a pattern common in the classical period and later.

Back  -   New Search

Yetta f

Jewish: of uncertain origin, possibly a variant of ETTA originating in dialects of Yiddish subject to Slavonic influence, or else a derivative of YEHUDIT or ESTHER.

Back  -   New Search

Yevgeni m

Russian form of EUGENE.

Back  -   New Search

Yigael m

Jewish: traditional Hebrew name of uncertain derivation, probably meaning ‘he shall be redeemed’.

Back  -   New Search

Yitzhak m

Jewish: modern Hebrew form of ISAAC.

Back  -   New Search

Yngvar m

Scandinavian: variant of INGVAR.

Back  -   New Search

Ynyr m

Welsh: traditional name of uncertain derivation, probably from Latin Honrius (see HONORIA). There is a passing reference in the Mabinogi to ‘the battle between the two Ynyrs’.

Back  -   New Search

Yolande f

English and French: of uncertain origin. It is found in Old French in this form, and seems to be ultimately of Germanic origin, but if so it has been changed beyond recognition by attempted associations with various Greek and Latin elements. It is also sometimes identified with the name of St Jolenta (d. 1298), daughter of the king of Hungary; her name is also occasionally rendered as HELEN.
Variant: English: Yolanda.
Cognates: Italian: Jolanda. Polish: Jolanta.
Czech: Jolan(t)a. Hungarian: Jolán.
Pet form: Polish: Jola.

Back  -   New Search

Yon m

Basque: variant spelling of ION.

Back  -   New Search

Yoram m

Jewish: Hebrew name, meaning ‘Yahweh is high’, borne in the Bible by an evil king of Israel. This has not stopped it from becoming a moderately popular given name in modern Israel.

Back  -   New Search

Yorath m

English and Welsh: Anglicized form of the Welsh personal name IORWERTH or, in some cases, a transferred use of the surname derived from it.

Back  -   New Search

Yorick m

English: the name of the (defunct) court jester in Shakespeare's Hamlet. It is apparently a respelling of Jorck, a Danish form of GEORGE.

Back  -   New Search

York m

English: in most cases, probably a transferred use of the surname, which originated as a local name for someone who came from the city of York in northeastern England. The placename was originally Eburacon, a derivative of a British element meaning ‘yew’. The Anglo-Saxon settlers changed this to Old English Eofor-wc ‘boar farm’, which in Old Norse became Iorvík or Iork. The given name may also have been influenced by Scandinavian forms of GEORGE (e.g. Danish Jorck).

Back  -   New Search

Yosef m

Jewish: modern Hebrew form of JOSEPH.

Back  -   New Search

Yrjö m

Finnish form of GEORGE.

Back  -   New Search

Ysanne f

English: of uncertain origin, apparently composed of Ys- (as in YSEULT) + Anne.

Back  -   New Search

Yseult f

Medieval French form of ISOLDE, still occasionally used as a given name in the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Yuri m

The usual Russian form of GEORGE, beside Georgi. This form is also found in Poland, with the spelling Juri.

Back  -   New Search

Yves m

French: from a Germanic personal name representing a short form of various compound names containing the element iv- ‘yew’ (cf. Old Norse ýr, as in IVOR). The final -s is the mark of the Old French nominative case. The name was introduced to Britain from France at the time of the Norman Conquest, and again in the 20th century.
Cognates: German: Ivo. Polish: Iwo.

Back  -   New Search

Yvette f

French: feminine diminutive form of YVES, now also used in the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Yvonne f

French: feminine diminutive form of YVES (or simply a feminine form based on the Old French oblique case Yvon), now also widely used in the English-speaking world and in Scandinavia.

Back  -   New Search

Z

Zachary m

English form (pre-dating the Authorized Version) of the New Testament Greek name Zacharias, a form of Hebrew ZECHARIAH. In the New Testament it is the name of the father of John the Baptist, who underwent a temporary period of dumbness for his lack of faith (Luke 1), and of a more obscure figure, Zacharias son of Barachias, who was slain ‘between the temple and the altar’ (Matthew 23: 35; Luke 11: 51). Like many biblical names, it is now out of fashion, although in the United States it is familiar as the name of a 19th-century president, Zachary Taylor. In the Highlands of Scotland it has been used as an Anglicized form of the Gaelic name SGÀIRE.
Variants: Zacharias, Zachariah, ZECHARIAH.
Cognate: Scottish Gaelic: Sachairi.

Back  -   New Search

Zack m

English (esp. U.S.): short form of ZACHARY, also occasionally used as an independent given name.
Variant: Zak.

Back  -   New Search

Zadok m

Jewish: Hebrew name meaning ‘just’ or ‘righteous’. It was borne in the Bible by one of the chief priests of King David, who later anointed Solomon king of Israel (1 Kings 1: 39), and it has been used ever since, no doubt partly because of its auspicious meaning.

Back  -   New Search

Zahava f

Jewish: modern Hebrew name, from the vocabulary word zahav gold.

Back  -   New Search

Zalman m

Jewish: Hebraicized form of Zalmen, itself a Yiddish form of SOLOMON.

Back  -   New Search

Zanna f

English: modern coinage, apparently originating as a short form of Suzanna (see SUSANNA).

Back  -   New Search

Zara f

Name occasionally used in the 20th century in Britain, and to a lesser extent in Italy, Spain, and Portugal. It is said to be of Arabic origin, from zahr flower. It was given by Princess Anne and Mark Philips to their second child (b. 1981), which aroused considerable comment at the time as a departure from the traditional patterns of royal nomenclature. It has no doubt been influenced by SARAH.

Back  -   New Search

Zaylie f

English: rare name of uncertain derivation, perhaps a respelling of ZÉLIE.

Back  -   New Search

Zbigniew m

Common Polish name, from an old Slavonic personal name composed of the elements zbit to get rid of + gniew anger.
Cognate: Czech: Zbyhnv.
Feminine form: Czech: Zbyhnva.
Pet forms: Czech: Zbya m, f; Zbynk, Zbysk m; Zbyhn(u)ka, Zbya f.

Back  -   New Search

Zdenk m

Common Czech name, in origin a diminutive derived from a much contracted form of Latin Sidnius (see SIDONY).
Feminine forms: Zdeka, Zdenka, Zdena.
Pet forms: Zdenko, Zdenek, Zdení(e)k, Zdenouek m; Zdenika, Zdenuka, Zdenin(k)a f.

Back  -   New Search

Zdzislaw m

Polish: from an old Slavonic personal name composed of the elements zde here, present + slav glory.
Cognates: Czech: Zdislav, Zdeslav.
Feminine forms: Polish: Zdzislawa. Czech: Zdislava, Zdeslava.
Pet forms: Polish: Zdzi, Zdzi(e)ch, Zdzisiek, Zdziesz(ko) m. Czech: Zdík, Zdiek m; Zdi(k)a f.

Back  -   New Search

Zeb m

English (esp. U.S.): short form of the much rarer full name Zebulun, borne in the Bible by the sixth son of Leah and Jacob. The name may mean ‘exaltation’, although Leah derives it from another meaning of the Hebrew root zabal, namely ‘to dwell’: ‘now will my husband dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons’ (Genesis 30: 20). It appears in the New Testament (Matthew 4: 13) in the form Zabulon.

Back  -   New Search

Zechariah m

Biblical: name (meaning ‘God has remembered’ in Hebrew) of several figures in the Bible, most notably one of the twelve ‘minor’ prophets, author of the book that bears his name. It was also the name of an earlier prophet, who was stoned by the people because of his preaching (2 Chronicles 24: 20–3), and of the last Israelite king of the race of Jehu, who was overthrown by Shallum the son of Jabesh (2 Kings 15: 8–10). See also ZACHARY.

Back  -   New Search

Zed m

English (esp. U.S.): short form of the much rarer full name Zedekiah. This name, meaning ‘justice of Yahweh’ in Hebrew, is borne in the Bible by three separate characters.

Back  -   New Search

Zeev m

Jewish: Hebrew name meaning ‘wolf’. It has become popular as a translation of European names with this meaning. The wolf is traditionally associated with the tribe of Binyamin or BENJAMIN, because in his dying blessing the patriarch Jacob said ‘Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf’ (Genesis 49: 27).

Back  -   New Search

Zeke m

English (esp. U.S.): short form of EZEKIEL, still occasionally used as an independent given name.

Back  -   New Search

Zelah f

Biblical: name (meaning ‘side’ in Hebrew) of one of the fourteen cities of the tribe of Benjamin (Joshua 18: 28). It is far from clear why it should have come to be used, albeit rarely, as a female given name in the English-speaking world. It may simply be a variant of ZILLAH under the influence of the placename. However, for evidence that biblical placenames did yield English given names, cf. EBENEZER.

Back  -   New Search

Zelda f

English: modern name of uncertain origin, possibly a short form of GRISELDA. It came to prominence in the 1920s as the name of the wife of the American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896–1940). Zelde, however, is a traditional Yiddish given name, derived from a Middle High German vocabulary word meaning ‘happiness, good fortune’ (cf. SELIG).

Back  -   New Search

Zélie f

French and English: apparently an altered form of Célie (see CELIA).

Back  -   New Search

Zelig m

Jewish: variant of SELIG.

Back  -   New Search

elislaw m

Polish: from an old Slavonic personal name composed of the elements zhelit to desire + slav glory.
Cognate: Czech: elislav.
Pet forms: Polish: elek, elusz. Czech: elek, elí(e)k, elouek.

Back  -   New Search

Zelma f

English: altered form of SELMA.

Back  -   New Search

Zena f

1 English: of uncertain origin. It may be a variant spelling of ZINA, a coinage as a feminine equivalent of ZENO, a shortened form of ZENOBIA, or a simplified variant of XENIA.

2 Scottish (Highland): short form of ALEXINA.
Top

Back  -   New Search

Zeno m

From the classical Greek name Znn, a short form of any of several names having as their first element Zn-, the stem form of the name of Zeus, king of the gods, for example Znodros ‘gift of Zeus’. Zeno was the name of two major Greek philosophers and a Christian Eastern Roman emperor (d. 491). Zeno of Elea (c.490–430 BC) was an original thinker who challenged common-sense notions like motion and number with sophisticated logical arguments. Zeno of Citium (c.334–262 BC) was the founder of the Stoics.

Back  -   New Search

Zenobia f

Classical Greek name: feminine form of Znobios, a personal name composed of the elements Zn- (see ZENO) + bios life. This was the name of a queen of Palmyra (fl. AD 267–72), who expanded her empire in the eastern Mediterranean and Asia Minor, but eventually came into conflict with Rome and was deposed by Aurelian. She was noted for her beauty and intelligence, but was also ruthless: she appears to have had her husband and his eldest son murdered.
Derivative: Russian: ZINOVIA.

Back  -   New Search

Zenzi f

South German: pet form of KRESZENZ.

Back  -   New Search

Zeph m

English (esp. U.S): short form of the much rarer full name Zephaniah, meaning ‘hidden by God’ in Hebrew. This was the name of one of the minor biblical prophets, author of the book of the Bible that bears his name.

Back  -   New Search

Zephyrine f

English: Anglicized form of French Zéphyrine, an elaborated name derived from Latin Zephyrus, Greek Zephyros west wind (apparently a derivative of Greek zoohos darkness). St Zephyrinus was pope 199–217, but there is no equivalent female saint, so it is rather surprising that this name should occur only in a female form.

Back  -   New Search

Zhenya m, f

Russian: pet form of both YEVGENI and its rarer feminine form Yevgenia.

Back  -   New Search

Zillah f

Biblical: name (from a Hebrew word meaning ‘shade’) of one of the two wives of Lamech (Genesis 4: 19). The name was taken up in the first place by the Puritans, and again by fundamentalist Christian groups in the 19th century, partly because Zillah is only the third woman to be mentioned by name in the Bible, and her name was therefore prominent to readers of the Book of Genesis. She is not remarkable for any special qualities of character. ADAH, the name of Lamech's other wife, may in part lie behind ADA, which was also a popular 19th-century female name.

Back  -   New Search

Zina

Russian: short form of ZINAIDA and of ZINOVIA. This name is also occasionally used in the English-speaking world.

Back  -   New Search

Zinaida f

Russian: from the Greek name Znais (genitive Znaidos), derived from the name of Zeus (genitive Znos), king of the gods. At least two saints of this name are revered in the Orthodox Church as 1st-century martyrs.

Back  -   New Search

Zinovia f

Russian form of ZENOBIA. A St Zenobia was martyred in Asia Minor, together with her brother Zenobios, probably at the beginning of the 3rd century.

Back  -   New Search

Zipporah f

Jewish: common female form of the rare Hebrew male name Zippor meaning ‘bird’. The female name is borne in the Bible by the wife of Moses and mother of Gershom and Eliezer (Exodus 18: 2–4).

Back  -   New Search

Zissi f

German: pet form of Franziska (see FRANZ).

Back  -   New Search

Zita f

Italian and English: from the name of a 13th-century saint from Lucca in Tuscany, who led an uneventful life as a domestic servant; she was canonized in 1696, and is regarded as the patroness of domestic servants. Her name was probably a nickname from the medieval Tuscan dialect word zit(t)a girl, although efforts have been made to link it with Greek ztein to seek.

Back  -   New Search

itomír m

Czech: from an old Slavonic personal name composed of the elements zhit to live + meri great, famous (see CASIMIR).
Feminine form: itomíra.
Pet forms: it(ou)ek m; itka, itue f.

Back  -   New Search

ivan m

Czech: from an old Slavonic byname derived from the element zhiv living.
Feminine form: iv(an)ka.
Pet forms: iv(an)ek, ivko m; ivue, ivuka f.

Back  -   New Search

Zlatan m

Czech: derivative of the element zlato gold, used as a vernacular loan translation of the Latin name Aurlius (see AURÈLE).
Feminine form: Zlata.
Pet forms: Zlatek, Zlatko, Zlatí(e)k, Zlatouek m; Zlat(u)ka, Zlatue, Zlatin(k)a, Zlatun(k)a f.

Back  -   New Search

Zoë f

English: from the Greek name meaning ‘life’. This was already in use in Rome towards the end of the classical period (at first as an affectionate nickname), and was popular with the early Christians, who bestowed it with reference to their hopes of eternal life. It was borne by martyrs of the 2nd and 3rd centuries, but was taken up as an English given name only in the 19th century.
Variant: Zoe.

Back  -   New Search

Zofia f

Polish form of SOFIA.
Pet form: Zosia.

Back  -   New Search

ofie f

Czech form of SOFIA.

Back  -   New Search

Zola f

English: apparently a late 20th-century creation, formed from the first syllable of ZOË with the ending -la common in female names. It coincides in form with the surname of the French novelist Émile Zola (1840–1902), who was of Italian descent, but it is unlikely that he had any influence on the popularity of the name.

Back  -   New Search

Zoltán m

Hungarian: of uncertain derivation, possibly from an honorific title of Turkic origin and ultimately connected with modern English sultan.

Back  -   New Search

Zosia f

Polish: pet form of ZOFIA.

Back  -   New Search

Zsófia f

Hungarian form of SOFIA.

Back  -   New Search

Zsuzsanna f

Hungarian form of SUSANNA.

Back  -   New Search

Zula f

English: modern name, apparently derived from the tribal name of the Zulus. The Zulu people of Southern Africa formed a powerful warrior nation under their leader Chaka in the 19th century, and controlled an extensive empire. In 1838, under the leadership of their ruler Dingaan, they ambushed and slaughtered a group of some 500 Boers. Not surprisingly, this given name is chosen mainly, if not exclusively, by Blacks proud of their African origins.

Back  -   New Search

Zuzana f

Czech form of SUSANNA.

Back  -   New Search

Zuzanna f

Polish form of SUSANNA.

Back  -   New Search

Zvi m

Jewish: Hebrew name meaning ‘hart, deer’. It has become a popular modern Hebrew name as a translation of Yiddish HIRSH and HERSHEL. The deer is traditionally associated with the name NAPHTALI, because in his dying blessing the patriarch Jacob says ‘Naphtali is a hind let loose’ (Genesis 49: 21). In this verse the Hebrew word for ‘hind’ is ayala, but since this is a feminine noun (see AYALA and HINDE), the masculine noun zvi is substituted as a male given name.
Variant: Zwi (German, Dutch, and Polish spelling).

Back  -   New Search

Zwaante f

Frisian: pet derivative of a short form of any of various old Germanic female personal names containing the first element swan swan, such as SWANHILD and Swanburg.

Back  -   New Search

Zygmunt m

Polish form of SIGMUND.

Back  -   New Search

OXFORD

UNIVERSITY PRESS
A Dictionary of First Names

Reproduced by kind permission of Patrick Hanks and Flavia Hodges.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
A comparative work of this kind can only hope to succeed by drawing on the expertise of scholars from many different disciplines. Advisers for particular aspects have been mentioned in the course of the introduction; a summary list is given here of those scholars who kindly gave up a great deal of their time to read the first draft of this dictionary, giving detailed comments and suggestions for additions and improvements. We are profoundly grateful to them for their efforts, which have enabled us to improve the accuracy and usefulness of the book greatly. Any errors or shortcomings that remain are of course the responsibility of the authors.

Professor Tomás de Bhaldraithe

Royal Irish Academy

Ronald Black

Lecturer in Celtic, University of Edinburgh

P. S. Falla, Editor

Oxford English-Russian Dictionary

Docent Lena Peterson

University of Uppsala

Professor Emeritus Gwynedd Pierce

University of Wales College of Cardiff

Dr Joseph A. Reif

Bar-Ilan University

Patrick Hanks and Flavia Hodges
Almost 7,000 names
We all have a first name, but how many of us really know its origin and history? This comprehensive dictionary provides a fascinating collection of linguistic, historical, and associated information about some 7,000 names, making it ideal reference for linguists and family historians.

ISBN 198606052

First published 1990. First published as an Oxford University Press paperback 1996

E-book copyright © 2003.

© Patrick Hanks and Flavia Hodges 1990, 2002