Ace 1 m EnglishFrom the English word meaning
"highest rank". More commonly a nickname, it is occasionally used as a given name.
Adhara f AstronomyDerived from Arabic
عذارى (ʿadhārā) meaning
"maidens". This is the name of the second brightest star (after
Sirius) in the constellation Canis Major.
Alaia 2 f English (Modern)Probably a variant of
Alayah. It is likely also influenced by the fashion brand Alaïa, named for the Tunisian-French designer Azzedine Alaïa (1935-2017). His surname in Arabic is
عليّة (ʿAlayya), meaning "lofty".
Angie f EnglishDiminutive of
Angela and other names beginning with
Ang. The 1973 Rolling Stones song
Angie caused this name to jump in popularity.
Archer m EnglishFrom an English surname meaning
"bowman, archer", of Old French origin. Although already slowly growing in popularity, this name accelerated its rise after the premiere of the American television series
Archer in 2009.
Ares m Greek MythologyPerhaps from either Greek
ἀρή (are) meaning
"bane, ruin" or
ἄρσην (arsen) meaning
"male". The name first appears as
a-re in Mycenaean Greek writing. Ares was the bloodthirsty god of war in Greek mythology, a son of
Zeus and
Hera.
Aries m AstronomyMeans
"ram" in Latin. This is the name of a constellation and the first sign of the zodiac. Some Roman legends state that the ram in the constellation was the one who supplied the Golden Fleece sought by
Jason.
Atlas m Greek MythologyPossibly means
"enduring" from Greek
τλάω (tlao) meaning "to endure". In Greek mythology he was a Titan punished by
Zeus by being forced to support the heavens on his shoulders.
Ayla 3 f Literature, English (Modern)Created for the novel
Clan of the Cave Bear (1980) by author Jean M. Auel. In the novel Ayla is an orphaned Cro-Magnon girl adopted by Neanderthals.
Ayla is the Neanderthal pronunciation of her real name, which is not given.
... [more] Azariah m BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
עֲזַרְיָה (ʿAzarya) meaning
"Yahweh has helped", derived from
עָזַר (ʿazar) meaning "help" and
יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. This is the name of many Old Testament characters including of one of the three men the Babylonian king ordered cast into a fiery furnace. His Babylonian name was
Abednego.
Aziel m Biblical, Biblical HebrewPossibly means
"God comforts" in Hebrew, from the roots
עוּז (ʿuz) meaning "to take refuge" and
אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". Otherwise it might a variant of
Uzziel. This is the name of a musician (also called Jaaziel) in the Old Testament.
Azriel m BiblicalMeans
"my help is God" in Hebrew, derived from
עֶזְרָה (ʿezra) meaning "help" and
אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". This is the name of three minor characters in the Old Testament.
Baker m English (Modern)From an English occupational surname derived from Old English
bakere meaning
"baker".
Banks m English (Modern)From an English surname that that was given to a person who lived near a hillside or a bank of land.
Baylor m & f English (Modern)From a surname, possibly an Americanized form of the German surname
Beiler, derived from Middle High German
beile meaning
"measuring stick".
Beckham m English (Modern)From an English surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"Becca's homestead". The Old English byname
Becca meant
"pickaxe". A famous bearer of the surname is retired English soccer player David Beckham (1975-).
Birdie f EnglishDiminutive of
Bertha,
Bernice and other names with a similar sound, or sometimes simply from the English word
bird.
Blair m & f Scottish, EnglishFrom a Scottish surname that was derived from Gaelic
blàr meaning
"plain, field, battlefield". In Scotland this name is typically masculine.
... [more] Boone m EnglishFrom an English surname that was either derived from Old French
bon meaning
"good" or from the name of the town of Bohon, France.
Briggs m English (Modern)From a surname that was derived from Middle English
brigge, Old English
brycg meaning
"bridge".
Capri f English (Modern)From the name of the picturesque Italian island of Capri. It is likely from Greek
κάπρος (kapros) meaning "wild boar", though it could also be of Etruscan origin or from Latin
capri meaning "goats".
Caspian m LiteratureUsed by author C. S. Lewis for a character in his
Chronicles of Narnia series, first appearing in 1950. Prince Caspian first appears in the fourth book, where he is the rightful king of Narnia driven into exile by his evil uncle Miraz. Lewis probably based the name on the Caspian Sea, which was named for the city of Qazvin, which was itself named for the ancient Cas tribe.
Cassian m Ancient Roman (Anglicized)From the Roman family name
Cassianus, which was derived from
Cassius. This was the name of several saints, including a 3rd-century martyr from Tangier who is the patron saint of stenographers and a 5th-century mystic who founded a monastery in Marseille.
Cataleya f Various (Rare)Variant of
cattleya, a genus of orchids native to Central and South America, which were named for the British horticulturist William Cattley. This name was popularized by the main character from the movie
Colombiana (2011).
Cillian m IrishProbably from Old Irish
cell meaning
"church" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of a 7th-century Irish saint who evangelized in Franconia. He was martyred in Würzburg.
Clover f English (Modern)From the English word for the wild flower, ultimately deriving from Old English
clafre.
Collins f & m EnglishFrom a surname, which is either Irish or English in origin (see
Collins 1 and
Collins 2). It increased in popularity as a name for girls after it appeared in the movie
The Blind Side (2009), which was based on a 2006 biography. As a masculine name, it is currently most common in parts of English-speaking Africa.
Colson m English (Modern)From an English surname meaning
"son of Col". As a given name it entered the American top 1000 rankings in 2017, probably inspired by similar-sounding names such as
Cole and
Colton.
Colter m English (Modern)From an English surname that was originally given to a keeper of horses, derived from Middle English
colt.
Crew m English (Modern)Either from a surname that was derived from the English town of Crewe (from Old Welsh
criu meaning
"weir"), or from the English vocabulary word for a group of people.
Denver m & f EnglishFrom an English surname that was from a place name meaning
"Dane ford" in Old English. This is the name of the capital city of Colorado, which was named for the politician James W. Denver (1817-1892).
Dream f English (Modern)From the English word
dream referring to imaginary events seen in the mind while sleeping or a hope or wish.
Eliam m Biblical, Biblical HebrewMeans
"God is a kinsman" in Hebrew, derived from
אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God" and
עַם (ʿam) meaning "people, nation, folk, kinsman". This is the name of one of
David's mighty men in the Old Testament.
Eloise f EnglishFrom the Old French name
Héloïse, which was probably from the Germanic name
Helewidis, composed of the elements
heil meaning "healthy, whole" and
wit meaning "wide". It is sometimes associated with the Greek word
ἥλιος (helios) meaning "sun" or the name
Louise, though there is no etymological connection. This name was borne by the 12th-century French scholar and philosopher Héloïse. Secretly marrying the theologian Peter Abelard at a young age, she became a nun (and eventually an abbess) after Abelard was violently castrated by order of her uncle Fulbert.
... [more] Elora f Popular Culture, English (Modern)Probably an invented name. This is the name of an infant girl in the fantasy movie
Willow (1988). Since the release of the movie the name has been steadily used, finally breaking into the top 1000 in the United States in 2015.
Florence f & m English, FrenchFrom the Latin name
Florentius or the feminine form
Florentia, which were derived from
florens "prosperous, flourishing".
Florentius was borne by many early Christian saints, and it was occasionally used in their honour through the Middle Ages. In modern times it is mostly feminine.
... [more] Freya f Norse Mythology, English (Modern), GermanFrom Old Norse
Freyja meaning
"lady". This is the name of a goddess associated with love, beauty, war and death in Norse mythology. She claims half of the heroes who are slain in battle and brings them to her realm of Fólkvangr. Along with her brother
Freyr and father
Njord, she is one of the Vanir (as opposed to the Æsir). Some scholars connect her with the goddess
Frigg.
... [more] Goldie 1 f EnglishFrom a nickname for a person with blond hair, from the English word
gold.
Halle 2 f English (Modern)In the case of American actress Halle Berry (1966-), it is from the name of a department store in Cleveland where she was born (the store was founded by brothers bearing the German surname Halle, a cognate of
Hall).
Halo f English (Modern)From the English word
halo meaning
"luminous disc or ring", derived from Greek
ἅλως (halos). Haloes often appear in religious art above the heads of holy people.
Hendrix m English (Modern)From a Dutch surname that was derived from the given name
Hendrik. A famous bearer of the surname was the American rock musician Jimi Hendrix (1942-1970).
Ila f HindiMeans
"earth" or
"speech" in Sanskrit.
Indie f English (Modern)Possibly a diminutive of
India or
Indiana, but also likely inspired by the term
indie, short for
independent, which is typically used to refer to media produced outside of the mainstream.
Ivory m & f African AmericanFrom the English word for the hard, creamy-white substance that comes from elephant tusks and was formerly used to produce piano keys.
Kalani m & f HawaiianMeans
"the heavens" from Hawaiian
ka "the" and
lani "heaven, sky, royal, majesty".
Kayce m & f English (Modern)Variant of
Casey or
Case (depending on the pronunciation). It was popularized by the character Kayce Dutton (pronounced like Casey) from the television series
Yellowstone (2018-2024).
Koda m English (Modern)At least in part inspired by the name of a character from the animated movie
Brother Bear (2003). The moviemakers apparently took it from Lakota or Dakota
koda meaning
"friend, companion".
Kylo m Popular CultureMeaning unexplained. This is the name of the villain, Kylo Ren, in the
Star Wars movie sequels, starting with
The Force Awakens in 2015. Originally named Ben Solo, he is the son of Han Solo and Leia Skywalker. His name might simply be formed from the
ky of
Skywalker and the
lo of
Solo.
Lennon m & f English (Modern)From an Irish surname, derived from the Irish byname
Leannán meaning "lover". The surname was borne by musician and Beatle member John Lennon (1940-1980), and it may be used as a given name in his honour. In America it is now more common as a feminine name, possibly inspired in part by the singer Lennon Stella (1999-), who began appearing on the television series
Nashville in 2012.
Lennox m & f English (Modern)From a Scottish surname that was derived from the name of a district in Scotland. The district, called
Leamhnachd in Gaelic, possibly means "place of elms". This name steadily rose in popularity in the 2000s, at the same time as the similar-sounding (but unrelated) names
Lennon and
Knox.
Leo m German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, English, Croatian, Armenian, Late RomanDerived from Latin
leo meaning
"lion", a cognate of
Leon. It was popular among early Christians and has been the name of 14 popes, including Saint Leo the Great who asserted the dominance of the Roman bishops (the popes) over all others in the 5th century. It was also borne by six Byzantine emperors and five Armenian kings. Another famous bearer was the Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910), name spelled
Лев in Russian, whose works include
War and Peace and
Anna Karenina. Leo is also a constellation and the fifth sign of the zodiac.
... [more] Lilith f Semitic Mythology, Judeo-Christian-Islamic LegendDerived from Akkadian
lilitu meaning
"of the night". This was the name of a demon in ancient Assyrian myths. In Jewish tradition she was
Adam's first wife, sent out of Eden and replaced by
Eve because she would not submit to him. The offspring of Adam (or
Samael) and Lilith were the evil spirits of the world.
Luca 1 m Italian, RomanianItalian and Romanian form of
Lucas (see
Luke). This name was borne by Luca della Robbia, a Renaissance sculptor from Florence.
Maeve f Irish, English, Irish MythologyAnglicized form of the Irish name
Medb meaning
"intoxicating". In Irish legend this was the name of a warrior queen of Connacht. She and her husband
Ailill fought against the Ulster king
Conchobar and the hero
Cúchulainn, as told in the Irish epic
The Cattle Raid of Cooley.
Magnolia f EnglishFrom the English word
magnolia for the flower, which was named for the French botanist Pierre Magnol.
Maisie f Scottish, EnglishScottish diminutive of
Mairead. It was long used in the United Kingdom and Australia, becoming popular at the end of the 20th century. In the United States it was brought to public attention by the British actress Maisie Williams (1997-), who played Arya Stark on the television series
Game of Thrones beginning 2011. Her birth name is Margaret.
Marlowe f & m English (Modern)From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"remnants of a lake" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was the English playwright Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593).
Maverick m EnglishDerived from the English word
maverick meaning
"independent". The word itself is derived from the surname of a 19th-century Texas rancher who did not brand his calves.
Milani f English (Modern)From the name of the Italian city of
Milan, as in the name of the American cosmetics company founded in 2002. It could also a variant of
Melanie.
Miley f English (Modern)In the case of actress and singer Miley Cyrus (1992-), it is a shortened form of the nickname
Smiley, given to her by her father because she often smiled. Although it was not at all common before she brought it to public attention, there are some examples of its use before her time, most likely as a diminutive of
Miles.
Miller m & f EnglishFrom the English occupational surname
Miller, originally used by those who were millers, derived from Middle English
mille "mill".
Milo 1 m English, GermanicOld German form of
Miles, as well as the Latinized form. This form was revived as an English name in the 19th century. It is also possible that the otherwise unrelated classical name
Milo 2 was responsible for the revival, at least in part.
Murphy m & f EnglishFrom a common Irish surname, the Anglicized form of Irish Gaelic
Ó Murchadha, itself derived from the given name
Murchadh. As a given name, it has been borne by female characters on the American television series
Murphy Brown (1988-1998) and the movie
Interstellar (2014).
Nālani f & m HawaiianMeans
"the heavens" or
"the chiefs" from Hawaiian
nā, a definite article, and
lani "heaven, sky, chief".
Navy f & m English (Modern)From the English word meaning
"sea force, fleet, armed forces of the sea". It is derived from Old French
navie, from Latin
navigia, the plural of
navigium "boat, vessel". It also refers to a shade of dark blue, a colour traditionally associated with naval uniforms.
Oakley m & f EnglishFrom an English surname that was from various place names meaning
"oak clearing" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was the American sharpshooter Annie Oakley (1860-1926).
Ocean f & m English (Modern)Simply from the English word
ocean for a large body of water. It is ultimately derived from Greek
Ὠκεανός (Okeanos), the name of the body of water thought to surround the Earth.
Onyx m & f EnglishFrom the English word for the gemstone (a variety of chalcedony), which can be black, red or other colours. It is derived from Greek
ὄνυξ (onyx) meaning "claw, nail".
Opal f EnglishFrom the English word
opal for the iridescent gemstone, the birthstone of October. The word ultimately derives from Sanskrit
उपल (upala) meaning "jewel".
Ophelia f English, Literature, Ancient GreekDerived from Greek
ὠφέλεια (opheleia) meaning
"help, advantage". This was a rare ancient Greek name, which was either rediscovered or recreated by the poet Jacopo Sannazaro for a character in his poem
Arcadia (1480). It was borrowed by Shakespeare for his play
Hamlet (1600), in which it belongs to the daughter of
Polonius and the potential love interest of
Hamlet. She eventually goes insane and drowns herself after Hamlet kills her father. In spite of this negative association, the name has been in use since the 19th century.
Palmer m & f EnglishFrom an English surname meaning
"pilgrim". It is ultimately from Latin
palma "palm tree", since pilgrims to the Holy Land often brought back palm fronds as proof of their journey.
Penelope f Greek Mythology, EnglishProbably derived from Greek
πηνέλοψ (penelops), a type of duck. Alternatively it could be from
πήνη (pene) meaning "threads, weft" and
ὄψ (ops) meaning "face, eye". In
Homer's epic the
Odyssey this is the name of the wife of
Odysseus, forced to fend off suitors while her husband is away fighting at Troy.
... [more] Persephone f Greek MythologyMeaning unknown, probably of Pre-Greek origin, but perhaps related to Greek
πέρθω (pertho) meaning "to destroy" and
φόνος (phonos) meaning "murder". In Greek myth she was the daughter of
Demeter and
Zeus. She was abducted to the underworld by
Hades, but was eventually allowed to return to the surface for part of the year. The result of her comings and goings is the changing of the seasons. With her mother she was worshipped in the Eleusinian Mysteries, which were secret rites practiced at the city of Eleusis near Athens.
Poppy f EnglishFrom the word for the red flower, derived from Old English
popæg.
Rhea f Greek Mythology, Roman MythologyMeaning unknown, perhaps related to
ῥέω (rheo) meaning
"to flow" or
ἔρα (era) meaning
"ground". In Greek mythology Rhea was a Titan, the wife of
Cronus, and the mother of the Olympian gods
Zeus,
Poseidon,
Hades,
Hera,
Demeter and
Hestia. Also, in Roman mythology a woman named Rhea
Silvia was the mother of
Romulus and
Remus, the legendary founders of Rome.
Rhett m EnglishFrom a surname, an Anglicized form of the Dutch
de Raedt, derived from
raet "advice, counsel". Margaret Mitchell used this name for the character Rhett Butler in her novel
Gone with the Wind (1936).
Ridge m English (Modern)From the English vocabulary word denoting a continuous elevated mountain crest, or from the English surname derived from the word.
Rio 1 m & f VariousMeans
"river" in Spanish or Portuguese. A city in Brazil bears this name. Its full name is Rio de Janeiro, which means "river of January", so named because the first explorers came to the harbour in January and mistakenly thought it was a river mouth.
River m & f English (Modern)From the English word that denotes a flowing body of water. The word is ultimately derived (via Old French) from Latin
ripa "riverbank".
Rocky m EnglishDiminutive of
Rocco and other names beginning with a similar sound, or else a nickname referring to a tough person. This is the name of the boxer Rocky Balboa (played by Sylvester Stallone) in the movie
Rocky (1976) and its sequels.
Salem 2 f & m English (Modern)From the name of a biblical town,
שָׁלֵם (Shalem) in Hebrew, meaning
"complete, safe, peaceful". According to the Old Testament this was the town where Melchizedek was king. It is usually identified with
Jerusalem. Many places are named after the biblical town, most in America, notably a city in Massachusetts where the infamous Salem witch trials occurred in 1692.
Saylor f English (Modern)From an English surname that was derived from Old French
sailleor meaning
"acrobat, dancer". As a modern English given name it could also come from the homophone vocabulary word
sailor.
Seraphina f English (Rare), German (Rare), Late RomanFeminine form of the Late Latin name
Seraphinus, derived from the biblical word
seraphim, which was Hebrew in origin and meant
"fiery ones". The seraphim were an order of angels, described by Isaiah in the Bible as having six wings each.
... [more] Seven m & f English (Modern)From the English word for the number, derived from Old English
seofon (from an Indo-European root shared by Latin
septem and Greek
ἑπτά (hepta)).
Shepherd m EnglishFrom an English occupational surname meaning
"sheep herder, shepherd".
Shiloh m & f BiblicalFrom an Old Testament place name possibly meaning
"tranquil" in Hebrew. It is also used prophetically in the Old Testament to refer to a person, often understood to be the Messiah (see
Genesis 49:10). This may in fact be a mistranslation.
... [more] Soleil f VariousMeans
"sun" in French. It is not commonly used as a name in France itself.
Sonny m EnglishFrom a nickname that is commonly used to denote a young boy, derived from the English word
son.
Stetson m English (Modern)From an English surname that was originally derived from the name of the village of Stidston in Devon, meaning
"Stithweard's town". This is a type of wide-brimmed hat, originally made by the John B. Stetson Company.
Sunny f & m EnglishFrom the English word meaning
"sunny, cheerful".
Sutton f & m English (Modern)From a surname, itself derived from the name of numerous English towns, of Old English origin meaning
"south town".
Tatum f & m English (Modern)From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning
"Tata's homestead" in Old English. It was brought to public attention by the child actress Tatum O'Neal (1963-) in the 1970s, though it did not catch on. It attained a modest level of popularity after 1996, when it was borne by a character in the movie
Scream.
Theodore m EnglishFrom the Greek name
Θεόδωρος (Theodoros), which meant
"gift of god" from Greek
θεός (theos) meaning "god" and
δῶρον (doron) meaning "gift". The name
Dorothea is derived from the same roots in reverse order. This was the name of several saints, including Theodore of Amasea, a 4th-century Greek soldier; Theodore of Tarsus, a 7th-century archbishop of Canterbury; and Theodore the Studite, a 9th-century Byzantine monk. It was also borne by two popes.
... [more] Valentina f Italian, Russian, Lithuanian, German, Croatian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Slovene, Albanian, Romanian, Spanish, Greek, Ancient RomanFeminine form of
Valentinus (see
Valentine 1). A famous bearer is the Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova (1937-), who in 1963 became the first woman to visit space.
Violet f EnglishFrom the English word
violet for the purple flower, ultimately derived from Latin
viola. It was common in Scotland from the 16th century, and it came into general use as an English given name during the 19th century.
Walker m EnglishFrom an English surname that referred to the medieval occupational of a walker, also known as a fuller. Walkers would tread on wet, unprocessed wool in order to clean and thicken it. The word ultimately derives from Old English
wealcan "to walk".
Waylon m EnglishVariant of
Wayland. This name was popularized by country music singer Waylon Jennings (1937-2002), who was originally named Wayland.
Wells m EnglishFrom an English surname that originally denoted a person who lived near a well or spring, from Middle English
wille.
Wilder m EnglishFrom an English surname meaning
"wild, untamed, uncontrolled", from Old English
wilde.
Winnie f EnglishDiminutive of
Winifred. Winnie-the-Pooh, a stuffed bear in children's books by A. A. Milne, was named after a real bear named
Winnipeg who lived at the London Zoo.
Winona f English, SiouxMeans
"firstborn daughter" in Dakota or Lakota. According to folklore, this was the name of a daughter of a Dakota chief (possibly
Wapasha III) who leapt from a cliff to her death rather than marry a man she hated. Numerous places in the United States have been named after her. The actress Winona Ryder (1971-) was named after the city in Minnesota where she was born.
Wren f English (Modern)From the English word for the small songbird. It is ultimately derived from Old English
wrenna.
Zaire m African American (Modern)From the name of the African country of
Zaire, in existence from 1971 to 1997, now called the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is said to be derived from Kikongo
nzadi o nzere meaning
"river swallowing rivers", referring to the Congo River.
Zara 1 f Literature, EnglishUsed by William Congreve for a character in his tragedy
The Mourning Bride (1697), where it belongs to a captive North African queen. Congreve may have based it on the Arabic name
Zahra 1. In 1736 the English writer Aaron Hill used it to translate
Zaïre for his popular adaptation of Voltaire's French play
Zaïre (1732).
... [more] Zayd m ArabicMeans
"growth" in Arabic, derived from
زاد (zāda) meaning "to grow, to increase". This was the name of a slave who became the adopted son of the Prophet
Muhammad.