Aureole f English (Rare) From the English word meaning
"radiant halo", ultimately derived from Latin
aureolus "golden".
Avtandil m Georgian, Literature Created by the Georgian poet Shota Rustaveli for his 12th-century epic
The Knight in the Panther's Skin. Rustaveli based it on Persian
آفتاب (āftāb) meaning "sunshine" and
دل (del) meaning "heart". In the poem Avtandil is a knight who is sent by
Tinatin to search for the mysterious knight of the title.
Ayelet f Hebrew Means
"doe, female deer, gazelle". It is taken from the Hebrew phrase
אַיֶלֶת הַשַׁחַר (ʾayeleṯ hashaḥar), literally "gazelle of dawn", which is a name of the morning star.
Ayfer f Turkish Derived from Turkish
ay meaning "moon" and Persian
فر (far) meaning "brilliance, splendour".
Aýna f Turkmen Means
"mirror" in Turkmen, ultimately from Persian
آینه (āyneh).
Azahara f Spanish Variant of
Azahar. It can also be given in reference to the ruined Moorish city of Medina Azahara in Córdoba, which derives from the related Arabic root
زهر (zahara) meaning "to shine".
Baer m Limburgish Short form of
Albaer and other Limburgish names ending in
baer, often derived from the Germanic element
beraht meaning "bright".
Bastet f Egyptian Mythology From Egyptian
bꜣstt, which was possibly derived from
bꜣs meaning
"ointment jar" and a feminine
t suffix. In Egyptian mythology Bastet was a goddess of cats, fertility and the sun who was considered a protector of Lower Egypt. In early times she was typically depicted with the head of a lioness. By the New Kingdom period she was more associated with domestic cats, while the similar cat goddess
Sekhmet took on the fierce lioness aspect.
Belenus m Gaulish Mythology Latinized form of Gaulish
Belenos or
Belinos, possibly from Celtic roots meaning either
"bright, brilliant" (from Indo-European *
bhel-) or
"strong" (from Indo-European *
bel-)
[1] . This was the name of a Gaulish god who was often equated with
Apollo. He is mostly known from Gallo-Roman inscriptions and was especially venerated in Aquileia in northern Italy.
Belphoebe f Literature Combination of Old French
bele "beautiful" and the name
Phoebe. This name was first used by Edmund Spenser in his poem
The Faerie Queene (1590).
Beltrán m Spanish Spanish form of
Bertram. It is sometimes given in reference to the 16th-century Spanish saint Louis Bertrand (Luis Beltrán in Spanish), a Dominican friar who preached in South America.
Bertha f German, English, Germanic [1] Originally a short form of Germanic names beginning with the Old Frankish or Old Saxon element
berht , Old High German
beraht meaning
"bright" (Proto-Germanic *
berhtaz )
[1] [2] [3] [4] . This was the name of a few early saints, including a 6th-century Frankish princess who married and eventually converted King
Æþelbeorht of Kent. It was also borne by the mother of
Charlemagne in the 8th century (also called
Bertrada), and it was popularized in England by the Normans. It died out as an English name after the Middle Ages, but was revived in the 19th century.
... [more] Bertram m English, German, Germanic [1] Means
"bright raven", derived from the Old German element
beraht "bright" combined with
hram "raven"
[2] [3] [4] [5] . This name has long been conflated with
Bertrand. The Normans introduced it to England, and Shakespeare used it in his play
All's Well That Ends Well (1603).
Bertrand m French, English, Germanic [1] Derived from the Old German elements
beraht meaning "bright" and
rant meaning "rim (of a shield)"
[2] [3] [4] . From an early date it has been confused with
Bertram and the two names have merged to some degree. Saint Bertrand was an 11th-century bishop of Comminges in France. Another famous bearer was the English philosopher Bertrand Russell (1872-1970).
Bhaskara m Hinduism Means
"shining, light maker", derived from Sanskrit
bhāsa) meaning "light" and
kara) meaning "maker". This is another name of Hindu sun god
Surya. It was additionally borne by a 12th-century Indian astronomer, also known as Bhaskaracharya.
Brecht m Dutch Short form of names containing
brecht, often derived from the Old German element
beraht meaning "bright".
Byeong-ho m Korean From Sino-Korean
炳 (byeong) meaning "bright, luminous, glorious" combined with
浩 (ho) meaning "great, numerous, vast" or
昊 (ho) meaning "summer, sky, heaven". Other hanja character combinations are possible.
Candelaria f Spanish Means
"Candlemas" in Spanish, ultimately derived from Spanish
candela "candle". This name is given in honour of the church festival of Candlemas, which commemorates the presentation of Christ in the temple and the purification of the Virgin
Mary.
Candida f Ancient Roman [1] , English Latin name derived from
candidus meaning
"white". This was the name of several early saints, including a woman supposedly healed by Saint
Peter. As an English name, it came into use after George Bernard Shaw's play
Candida (1898).
Castor m Greek Mythology (Latinized) From the Greek name
κέκασμαι (kekasmai) meaning
"to excel, to shine" (pluperfect
κάστωρ (kastor) meaning
"beaver", though the legends about Castor do not mention beavers, which were foreign animals to the Greeks. In Greek myth Castor was a son of
Zeus and the twin brother of
Pollux. The constellation Gemini, which represents the two brothers, contains a star by this name.
Ceallach m Irish (Rare) From Old Irish
Cellach, of uncertain origin, traditionally said to mean
"bright-headed". Alternatively it could be derived from Old Irish
cellach "war, strife" or
cell "church". This name was borne by several early Irish kings and by a 12th-century saint, an archbishop of Armagh.
Chandler m & f English From an occupational surname that meant
"candle seller" or
"candle maker" in Middle English, ultimately from Latin
candela via Old French. It surged in popularity after the 1994 debut of the American sitcom
Friends, featuring a character by this name.
Chang m & f Chinese From Chinese
昌 (chāng) meaning "flourish, prosper, good, sunlight" (which is usually only masculine),
畅 (chàng) meaning "smooth, free, unrestrained" or
长 (cháng) meaning "long". Other Chinese characters are also possible.
Charalampos m Greek Means
"to shine from happiness" from Greek
chara) meaning "happiness" combined with
lampo) meaning "to shine".
Charibert m Germanic [1] Old German (Frankish) variant of
Haribert. This name was borne by two Merovingian kings of the Franks (6th and 7th centuries).
Charon m Greek Mythology Possibly means
"fierce brightness" in Greek. In Greek mythology Charon was the operator of the ferry that brought the newly dead over the River Acheron into Hades.
Chiara f Italian Italian form of
Clara. Saint Chiara (commonly called
Clare in English) was a follower of Saint Francis of Assisi.
Claire f French, English French form of
Clara. This was a common name in France throughout the 20th century, though it has since been eclipsed there by
Clara. It was also very popular in the United Kingdom, especially in the 1970s.
Clara f German, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French, Catalan, Romanian, English, Swedish, Danish, Ancient Roman [1] [2] Feminine form of the Latin name
Clarus, which meant
"clear, bright, famous" [3] [4] [5] [6] . The name
Clarus was borne by a few early saints. The feminine form was popularized by the 13th-century Saint Clare of Assisi (called
Chiara in Italian), a friend and follower of Saint Francis, who left her wealthy family to found the order of nuns known as the Poor Clares.
... [more] Clarice f English Medieval vernacular form of the Late Latin name
Claritia, which was a derivative of
Clara.
Clarissa f English, Italian Latinate form of
Clarice. This is the name of the title character in a 1748 novel by Samuel Richardson. In the novel Clarissa Harlowe is a virtuous woman who is tragically exploited by her family and her lover. Another literary character by this name is Clarissa Dalloway from the novel
Mrs. Dalloway (1925) by Virginia Woolf.
Colbert m English From an English surname that was derived from a Norman form of the Old German name
Colobert.
Cuthbert m English (Rare) Derived from the Old English elements
cuþ "known, familiar" and
beorht "bright"
[1] [2] [3] . Saint Cuthbert was a 6th-century hermit who became the bishop of Lindisfarne, an island off the coast of England. He was known as performer of healing miracles. Because of the saint, this name remained in use in England even after the Norman Conquest. It became rare after the Protestant Reformation, but it was (briefly) revived in the 19th century.
Dagobert m Germanic [1] , German Means
"bright day", derived from Old Frankish
dag or Old High German
tag meaning "day" combined with Old Frankish
berht or Old High German
beraht meaning "bright"
[2] [3] [4] . This was the name of a 7th-century Merovingian king of the Franks.
... [more] Daiki m Japanese From Japanese
大 (dai) meaning "big, great" combined with
輝 (ki) meaning "brightness",
樹 (ki) meaning "tree" or
貴 (ki) meaning "valuable". Other combinations of kanji can also form this name.
Dawn f English From the English word
dawn, ultimately derived from Old English
dagung.
Dazhbog m Slavic Mythology Means
"the giving god" from Old Slavic
dati "to give" and
bogŭ "god". Dazhbog was a Slavic god of the sun and light, a son of
Svarog. In some myths he is the ancestor of the Rus people.
Delbert m English Short form of
Adelbert. As an American name it was first used in the New York area by people of Dutch ancestry
[1] .
Dilbert m Popular Culture Meaning unknown. The ending is probably intended to mimic the common Germanic name element
bert meaning "bright" (Old High German
beraht ). This is the title character in a comic strip by Scott Adams.
Dipaka m Hinduism Means
"inflaming, exciting" in Sanskrit. This is another name of
Kama, the Hindu god of love.
Eadberht m Anglo-Saxon [1] [2] Derived from the Old English elements
ead "wealth, fortune" and
beorht "bright"
[3] [4] . This was the name of an 8th-century king of Northumbria and three kings of Kent.
Egbert m English, Dutch Means
"bright edge" from the Old English elements
ecg "edge, blade" and
beorht "bright"
[1] [2] [3] . This was the name of kings of Kent and Wessex as well as two English saints. The name was rarely used after the Norman Conquest but was revived in the 19th century.
Elaine f English, Arthurian Cycle From an Old French form of
Helen. It appears in Arthurian legend; in Thomas Malory's 15th-century compilation
Le Morte d'Arthur Elaine was the daughter of
Pelles, the lover of
Lancelot, and the mother of
Galahad. It was not commonly used as an English given name until after the publication of Alfred Tennyson's Arthurian epic
Idylls of the King (1859).
Elanor f Literature Means
"star sun" in the fictional language Sindarin. In
The Lord of the Rings (1954) by J. R. R. Tolkien this is
Samwise's eldest daughter, named after a type of flower.
Elanur f Turkish Means
"hazel light", from Turkish
ela meaning "hazel" combined with Arabic
نور (nūr) meaning "light".
Elen f Welsh, Armenian, Czech Welsh and modern Armenian form of
Helen, as well as a Czech variant form. This was the name of a 4th-century Welsh saint, traditionally said to be the wife of the Roman emperor Magnus Maximus. According to the Welsh legend
The Dream of Macsen Wledig (
Macsen Wledig being the Welsh form of
Magnus Maximus), she convinced her husband to build the roads in Wales.
Elena f Italian, Spanish, Romanian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Slovak, Czech, Lithuanian, Estonian, Finnish, Russian, Greek, German, English Form of
Helen used in various languages, as well as an alternate transcription of Russian
Yelena). Éliane f French Probably from
Aeliana, the feminine form of the Roman name
Aelianus, which was derived from the Roman family name
Aelius. This was the name of an obscure early saint and martyr from Amasea.
Elnur m Azerbaijani Means
"light of the people" in Azerbaijani, ultimately derived from Turkic
el meaning "country, society" and Arabic
نور (nūr) meaning "light".
Eloise f English From 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"
[1] [2] [3] . It is sometimes associated with the Greek word
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] Elouan m Breton, French Possibly from a Breton word meaning
"light". This name was borne by an obscure 6th-century saint who is now venerated mainly in Brittany and Cornwall.
Enfys f Welsh Means
"rainbow" in Welsh. This name was first used in the 19th century.
Engelbert m German, Germanic [1] Old German name composed of either the element
angil , from the name of the Germanic tribe of the Angles, or
engil meaning "angel" combined with
beraht meaning "bright"
[2] [3] [4] . Saint Engelbert was a 13th-century archbishop of Cologne murdered by assassins.