Adrian was the name of several early Christian saints and martyrs. It is derived from the Latin name "Hadrianus," which is more familiar to English speakers as "Hadrian." There have been six Popes named Adrian, including Adrian IV, the only Englishman to
Male equivalent of Alda. From the Germanic element 'ald', 'old'.
Anglicised version of the Greek name Alexandros.
Alexander appears in the Bible as the one who helps Jesus bear the cross on the journey to Calvary.
Alexander the Great was an ancient Macedon king. Greece was unified by his
André is the French and Portuguese form of Andrew.
André was the 2nd most popular boy's name in France in the 1910s, 20s and early 30s, and has since declined in popularity. André is currently particularly popular in Norway as a middle name
Greek root of names such as Andrew and André, the short form of names beginning with 'andr-' such as Androkles and Andronikos.
The San Andreas Fault is a geological transform fault in California that marks the boundary between the North Ame
This is the Russian form of Antony.
The name has been borne by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov and Austrian composer Anton Webern.
From the Germanic elements 'arn' (eagle) and 'wald' (power, strength).
Saint Arnold is said to have been a zither player and a member of the court of Charlemagne.
In the modern English speaking world, August is better known as the name of a month rather than a first name. It appeared with relative frequency in the Victorian era, but has since essentially disappeared from use. "August" is still used as an adjecti
There have been various saints named Bernard. The St Bernard dogs are named for St Bernard of Menthon who established a hospice on what is now known as the St Bernard Pass. This is the pass over the Pennine Alps of Switzerland and Italy. The dogs were use
Anglicized spelling of Swiss German Brändle and Brändli, topographic names for someone who lived near a place where there had been a forest fire or in an area of town that had been burned down. It has also been used in the Midlands of the UK as a surname
In origin a Germanic name derived from the Gothic 'brunjô', 'armour'. Aside from this the interpretation 'brown' is too among the possibilities. Sometimes the name is associated with the element 'bert', 'shining'.
Saint Bruno was the found
Old fashioned German spelling variant of Karl.
Coen (more frequently spelled Koen) is used as a independant given name as well.
Conrad is Lord Byron's wily Greek pirate in "The Corsair" (1814).
It is also the name of a minor character in Shakespeare's play "Much Ado About Nothing."
There have been five German kings named Conrad, and several saints.
In the Old Testament, Daniel was a Hebrew prophet and the Book of Daniel contains prophecies concerning the future. Daniel was among the Jews who were taken captive in Babylon. He rose to a high position in the Babylonian government by interpreting the ki
A German form of Eric.
Erik is a popular name, a cognate of the Old Norse name that gave Eric. However, there are some who believe the name comes to the Old Norse via the Germanic ehre (honor) and the Proto-Germanic rik (king), hence "honorable king". This was the name of twel
There are several different etymologies concerning the name Erwin. It is often seen as an evolution of the Old High German Herwin (friend of the army), which is a compounding of the elements heri (army) and wine (friend).
It could also be a form o
Fabian is from Fabius, a Roman family name from the Latin noun 'faba', meaning broad bean.
Pope Fabian lived in the 3rd century AD. The Fabian Society is a British socialist society that has influenced the Labour Party.
Fabi
Famous Herberts include: 31st US President Herbert Clark Hoover and 41st US President George Herbert Walker Bush. Herbert is also found frequently as a surname.
Cartoons Family Guy and South Park both have characters with this name: the eld
In the Old Testament, Jonathan was the eldest son of King Saul and the best friend of the future king David. Jonathan was a courageous defender of Israel and was killed in battle against the Philistines.
Occupational surname given to those who were in the employment of making barrels. It was also a name used to describe someone who was a glutton.
Keifer Sutherland is a famous American actor.
Occupational surname given to those who were in the employment of making barrels. It was also a name used to describe someone who was a glutton.
Often seen as an alternative spelling to the traditional Kyle, Kiel is, in fact, of a different line of etymology. Of unknown meaning, Kiel is a surname of Germanic origin which is derived from the town of the same name in Saxony.
English, German and Polish form of Leo. It is spelled as Léon in French.
León is a province in Spain, it's capital is also called León. León is also the name of a car made by SEAT.
Russian Bolshevik revolutionary, Leon Trotsk
St. Leonard of Noblac is the patron saint of birthing mothers, prisoners and the mentally ill.
Other famous Leonards include singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen, composer Leonard Bernstein and actor Leonard Nimoy, who played Spock in 'Star Trek
A borrowing from the Latin, Magnus is derived from magnus (great, large). The name was brought to England by the Scandinavians during the Middle Ages.
Variant of Matthias.
Derived from the Latin Maximus.
Some argue that it might be a blending of Maximus with another Latin name: Aemilianus.
Famous bearers include Maximilian I of Habsburg, Holy Roman Emperor, and Maximilien Robespierre, a French
Extended form of Micha, meaning "Who is like God?".
Michael is the name of several characters in the Old Testament. It is most famously that of one of the archangels, the one closest to God, who has the responsability of carrying out God's
St Paul was an early Christian missionary. Originally a persecutor of Christians named Saul, who witnessed the stoning of Stephen, he was converted whilst on the road to Damascus, prompting a name change. Paul travelled throughout the Mediterranean teachi
St Peter was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus, and became the first pope of the Church. Peter's original name was Simon, but it was changed by Jesus to the Aramaic name Cephas (rock). Peter is the Greek equivalent of Cephas.
The first R
Richard has always been a very popular name throughout the English-speaking world. It was first imported to England by the Normans, though it is derived from the Germanic elements "ric" (power) and "hard" (strong, hardy). The original form was probably
Although ironic in light of its meaning, very well known in respect to the Christmas tale "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer".
Famous bearers include movie star Rudolph Valentino (known as "The World Greatest Lover"), politician and former may
In early Christian lore, Saint Sebastian was a Roman soldier who was martyred when his Christian faith was discovered. Sebastian was an extremely popular saint in the Middle Ages.
In Shakespeare's 'Twelfth Night', Sebastian is the twin br
Søren is the correct spelling. It is derived directly from the Italian name Severino.
This is the German form of Stephen.
This surname has four separate origins. In English-speaking countries it is simply an occupational surname for a tanner (a tanner is someone who treats animal hide to make leather). In German it is either a variant of the surname Tann (meaning 'forest', a
Thomas has been very popular in the UK for several years, staying at second place in 2007. In the US it ranked 51st. St Thomas was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. He is often known as 'doubting Thomas' as he requires proof of the resurrection of Jes
This name comes from the Germanic elements 'odal' ('prosperity, fortune') and 'ric' ('power'). It was the name of a 10th century saint.
Variant of Alaina or Alina.
St Alena was a Belgian martyr.
There have been various Alexandras in royalty: Alexandra of Hesse was the wife of Nicholas II, the last Tsar of Russia, Alexandra of Denmark was the wife of British King Edward VIII and Princess Alexandra is a cousin of British Queen Elizabeth II.
Angelina Jolie is an American actress. The name is also shared by the character Angelina Ballerina - a dancing mouse.
A fuse of Anna and Maria, which gained popularity in German and Dutch speaking countries in the 18th century. This was due to the fact that both Anna and Maria were quite popular and were sometimes given in pairs; so Anna Maria and Maria Anna. This eventu
Antonia is the name of the main character in WIlla Cather's landmark American novel, "My Antonia."
Compound name, from the elements 'as', which relates to the Aesir [a group of gods formed around Odin] and 'trud', 'fair' or 'beautiful'. It was the name of one of the Valkyries.
This name could be a respelling of Eva.
St Ava was a 9th century nun, the daughter of Pepin II of Aquitaine.
It has become more popular in the USA since the late 1980s, and in 2006 was the fifth most popular name.
Italian and French form of Beatrix, which is probably a form of the early Christian name Viatrix, altered to incorporate the Latin 'beatus' (blessed).
Beatrice is a character of Shakespeare's play "Much Ado About Nothing". It was also the n
St Claudia was supposedly the mother of the second pope, Linus. Claudia Schiffer is a German supermodel, and Claudia Winkleman is a British TV presenter. The real first name of 'Lady Bird' Johnson (wife of US President Lyndon Johnson) was Claudia.
Daniela Hantuchová is a Slovak tennis player. In the US, the name is particularly popular in California, where it was #60 in 2006. In Spain it was #19.
Diana is derived from either an Indo-European root meaning "divine," or from the Latin "diviana," though neither theory is particularly well-sourced.
Diana was the Roman goddess of the moon who eventually took on the huntress identity of th
Short form of Elisabeth.
Usual form of Elizabeth in European languages. It occurs commonly in English-speaking countries.
French diminutive of Elisabeth or feminine form of Elisée. Introduced to English-speaking countries in the later half of the 19th century.
The Lotus Elise is a sports car. Für Elise is a solo piano piece by Ludwig van Beethoven, it is not o
Originally a pet form of Elizabeth, Elsa is now in common use as an independent given name. Elsa may also be taken as coming from the Hebrew meaning "joyful".
Elsa Schiaparelli was a fashion designer of the 1920s and 30s. Elsa was the name
A pet form of Elizabeth.
Emilie is from the Latin family name Aemilius. English-speaking parents also used the spelling Emilie as an alternative to the more popular Emily.
Latinate form of Eve, Eva was also used to Anglicize Aoife in Ireland, an old name believed to be derived from aoibh (beauty). Eabha is the Gaelic form of Eva.
Eva Braun was the companion and later the wife of Adolf Hitler. Eva Perón (also
Also an Icelandic name derived from the Nordic word "Frior" or "peace".
Famous bearers include artist Frida Kahlo, and ABBA member Frida or Anni-Frid Lyngstad.
Frida is particularly popular in Norway - it was #20 there in 200
Gretchen is a German pet form of Margaret(h)e created from 'Gret' plus the diminutive suffix '-chen'. The German Gretchen is thus roughly equivalent to the English Maggie, but has some popularity in English speaking countries as a stand alone name.
Hanna is a form of the name Hannah, as well as a name from the Hausa language meaning "joy."
'Heidi' is a children's story by Joanna Spyri, set in the mountains of Switzerland. Its sequels were written by Spyri's English translator Charles Tritten. Heidi is also the name of a character in Stephenie Meyer's 'Twilight' series of novels. The charact
Ida is derived from the Greek root "id," meaning "work."
In Sanskrit it means 'insight' and at the same time refers to planet earth as primary caregiver of all that lives.
Isabelle is the French version of Isabel, and incorporates the word 'belle' - French for beautiful. Isabelle Adjani is a French actress.
Josephine is an English and French feminine form of the name Joseph.
Joséphine de Beauharnais, the first wife of Napoleon Bonaparte, is an early bearer of this name. She was born Marie Josèphe Rose Tascher de la Pagerie, and her first husb
In the Old Testament, Judith was the wife of Esau, who was a son of Isaac and Rebecca.
The Book of Judith is an Apocryphal book of the Bible, meaning that it is not always contained in Bibles as it's reliability and accuracy has been ques
As a Japanese name, Karin may be written with the characters for "summer" (ka) and "forest" or "bell" for 'rin' - among other possibilities.
This is a more modern name in Poland. In Russia, this name is likely derived from Ekaterina.
An alternate spelling of Katherine that emphasizes the link to the Greek "katharos," or "pure."
German pet form of Kristina.
One famous bearer of this name was Leona Helmsley, a New York real estate developer who became infamous as the "Queen of Mean."
Also used as a Russian nickname for Larisa.
Danish variant of Marina.
It is also a German variant of Maria.
Latin form of Mary.
It arose as a back-formation from the early Christian Greek name Mariam, which was taken as a Latin accusative case, and is ultimately derived from Hebrew Miryam.
In the English-speaking world, Maria was the writ
Blend of Maria and Madgalene, used by the German actress Marlene Dietrich as her stage name.
Feminine form of Martinus. The name is popular throughout Europe.
Latinate feminine form of Michael.
Natalie is the English form of Natalia, which is derived from the Italian "natale," meaning "birthday." The term refers specifically to Christ's birthday - the Italian phrase for "merry Christmas" is "buon natale!", literally "good birthday!"
The French name Pauline has a double etymology. It is a diminutive form of Paule, the feminine form of Paul, but it may also be derived from the Roman family name Paulinus.
In literature Pauline appears in Noel Streatfeild's classic childre
In the Old Testament of the Bible, Rachel was a wife of Jacob and the mother of Joseph and Benjamin.
Famous bearers include actresses Rachel Weisz and Rachel McAdams, and artist Rachel Whiteread. Rachel Green was a character on the TV sitco
This name is very popular in southern Poland.
Regina was one epithet of the Roman goddess Juno. It is also the name of a city in Saskatchewan, Canada.
Of uncertain etymology, most think it is derived from a contraction of the Hebrew re'uth ("companion, friend"). The name is borne in the Bible by the wife of Mahlon and daughter-in-law of Naomi. After the death of her husband, father-in-law, and brother-i
In the Old Testament, Sarah was the wife of Abraham, and the mother of Isaac.
Her name was first Sarai ("my princess"), which God changed to Sarah ("princess") as her descendants were to be the future nation of Israel.
Famous bearer
From legend, Rhea Silvia was the mother of Remus and Romulus, the founders of Rome.
St Silvia was the mother of Pope Gregory the Great.
Slavic form of Sonya.
"Red Sonja" is the name of a Marvel Comics heroine, and of a 1985 film featuring that character.
The name Sophia is derived from the Greek word for "wisdom." In early religious and philosophical texts, characters who personified wisdom are referred to as "Sophia figures."
Famous bearers include actress Sophia Loren, Sophia Myles and
Sylvia is an alternate form of Silvia, though it is now more popular than the original in English-speaking contexts.
Sylvia Plath was an American poet and novelist, famous for works such as 'The Bell Jar'. She was married to English poet Te
Short form of Theodora.
Variant of Teresa. Alternative spelling: Thérèse. The name is used in French and German speaking countries mostly.
Wilhelmina is the feminine equivalent of the masculine Wilhelm, the German cognate of English William. The name comes from the Germanic elements 'wil' (will, desire) and 'helm' (helmet, protection). This German name became used in English-speaking countri
Zella is a pet form of the German form of Marcella, Marzella. Zella was a very popular name from the 1880's to the late 1940's and early 1950's.
This traditionally male name is now also used for girls in the English-speaking world. In modern Greece it remains a male name, which might more literally be transliterated as 'Alexes': in the Greek alphabet it is written 'alpha-lambda-epsilon-xi-eta-sigm
A feminine name in the English speaking world, but used for boys in Italy.
Examples of it being used as a female name include Irish singer Andrea Corr, and author Andrea Levy.
Male Andreas include singer Andrea Bocelli, pain
In a greater part of the world seen as a Latinate form of Hannah and used on females.
On the Indian subcontinent it is considered masculine and derived from the Sanskrit, meaning 'grain'. There was also a king of East Anglia named Anna.
A Christian is someone who follows the religion of Christianity, based upon the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Christian is the main character of John Bunyan's 'The Pilgrim's Progress', which is a Christian allegory.
Famous peopl
Irma is a short form of names beginning with "Irm-," which is a Germanic prefix meaning "universal." It is the same prefix from which names like "Emma" are derived as well.
In the West it is seen as a feminine name though as a Hindu name it is ex
Jan is used as a short form of John in several different languages and is only seen as a unisex name in English.
Jordi can also be a nickname for names such as Jordan or Jordana.