Bhishma m Hinduism Means
"terrible, dreadful, formidable" in Sanskrit. According to the
Mahabharata he was a son of
Shantanu and the river goddess
Ganga. He was originally named
Devavrata. He became an advisor to the kings of Kuru, and was renowned for his wisdom. He reluctantly helped lead the Kauravas in their war with the Pandavas, during which he was killed by the Pandava brother
Arjuna.
Brónach f Irish Means
"sad", derived from Irish
brón meaning "sorrow". Saint Brónach was a 6th-century Irish mystic.
Bugs m Popular Culture From the slang term
bugs meaning
"crazy, unstable". Bugs Bunny is an animated cartoon rabbit originally developed in the 1930s by staff at Leon Schlesinger Productions. He was named for the animator Ben "Bugs" Hardaway.
Bugsy m English From a nickname derived from the slang term
bugsy meaning
"crazy, unstable". It was notably borne by the American gangster Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel (1906-1947).
Casimir m English, French English form of the Polish name
Kazimierz, derived from the Slavic element
kaziti "to destroy" combined with
mirŭ "peace, world"
[1] [2] [3] [4] . Four kings of Poland have borne this name, including Casimir III the Great, who greatly strengthened the Polish state in the 14th century. It was also borne Saint Casimir, a 15th-century Polish prince and a patron saint of Poland and Lithuania. The name was imported into Western Europe via Germany, where it was borne by some royalty.
Cassius m Ancient Roman [1] Roman family name that was possibly derived from Latin
cassus meaning
"empty, vain". Lucius Cassius Dio was a 3rd-century Roman historian. This name was also borne by several early saints. In modern times, it was the original first name of boxer Muhammad Ali (1942-2016), who was named after his father Cassius Clay, who was himself named after the American abolitionist Cassius Clay (1810-1903).
Cecilia f English, Italian, Spanish, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Dutch, Romanian, Finnish Latinate feminine form of the Roman family name
Caecilius, which was derived from Latin
caecus meaning
"blind" [1] [2] [3] . Saint Cecilia was a semi-legendary 2nd or 3rd-century martyr who was sentenced to die because she refused to worship the Roman gods. After attempts to suffocate her failed, she was beheaded. She was later regarded as the patron saint of music and musicians.
... [more] Claudius m Ancient Roman [1] Roman family name that was possibly derived from Latin
claudus meaning
"lame, crippled" [2] [3] [4] . This was a patrician family prominent in Roman politics. The ancestor of the family was said to have been a 6th-century BC Sabine leader named Attius Clausus, who adopted the name Appius Claudius upon becoming a Roman citizen. The family produced several Roman emperors of the 1st century, including the emperor known simply as Claudius (birth name Tiberius Claudius Nero Germanicus). He was poisoned by his wife
Agrippina in order to bring her son
Nero (Claudius's stepson) to power.
... [more] Cormac m Irish Mythology, Irish From Old Irish
Cormacc or
Corbmac, of uncertain meaning, possibly from
corb "chariot, wagon" or
corbbad "defilement, corruption" combined with
macc "son". This is the name of several characters from Irish legend, including the semi-legendary high king Cormac mac Airt who supposedly ruled in the 3rd century, during the adventures of the hero
Fionn mac Cumhaill. This name was also borne by a few early saints.
Cozbi f Biblical Means
"my lie, my deception" in Hebrew, a derivative of
כָּזַב (kazav) meaning "to lie, to deceive". In the Old Testament this name is borne by a Midianite woman who became a lover of the Israelite
Zimri, both of whom were killed by
Phinehas in order to stop a plague sent by God.
Črtomir m Slovene Derived from Slovene
črt "hatred" combined with the Slavic element
mirŭ "peace, world". This is the name of the hero in the Slovene national epic
Baptism on the Savica (1835) by France Prešeren.
Cruella f Popular Culture From the English word
cruel, ultimately from Latin
crudelis "hard, severe, cruel". This is the name of the antagonist, Cruella de Vil, in the 1961 Disney movie
101 Dalmatians, based on a 1956 novel by Dodie Smith.
Delilah f Biblical, English Means
"delicate, weak, languishing" in Hebrew
[1] . In the Old Testament she is the lover of
Samson, whom she betrays to the Philistines by cutting his hair, which is the source of his power. Despite her character flaws, the name began to be used by the Puritans in the 17th century
[2] . It has been used occasionally in the English-speaking world since that time.
Desamparados f Spanish Means
"helpless, defenceless, forsaken" in Spanish. It is taken from an epithet of the Virgin
Mary,
Nuestra Señora de los Desamparados, meaning "Our Lady of the Helpless". She is the patron saint of Valencia, Spain.
Dinah f Biblical, English Means
"judged" in Hebrew, derived from
דִּין (din) meaning "to judge". According to the Old Testament, Dinah was a daughter of
Jacob and
Leah who was abducted by Shechem. It has been used as an English given name since after the Protestant Reformation.
Discordia f Roman Mythology Means
"discord, strife" in Latin. This was the name of the Roman goddess of discord, equivalent to the Greek goddess
Eris.
Emil m Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Romanian, Bulgarian, Czech, Slovak, Polish, Russian, Slovene, Serbian, Croatian, Macedonian, Hungarian, Icelandic, English From the Roman family name
Aemilius [1] [2] , which was derived from Latin
aemulus meaning
"rival" [3] . A notable bearer was the Czech long-distance runner Emil Zátopek (1922-2000).
Émile m French French form of
Aemilius (see
Emil). This name was borne by the author Émile Zola (1840-1902) and the sociologist Émile Durkheim (1858-1917).
Gráinne f Irish, Irish Mythology, Old Irish [1] Possibly derived from Old Irish
grán meaning
"grain" or
gráin meaning
"hatred, fear". In the Irish legend
The Pursuit of Diarmaid and Gráinne she escaped from her arranged marriage to
Fionn mac Cumhaill by fleeing with her lover
Diarmaid. Another famous bearer was the powerful 16th-century Irish landowner and seafarer Gráinne Ní Mháille (known in English as Grace O'Malley), who was sometimes portrayed as a pirate queen in later tales.
Grinch m Popular Culture Possibly from French
grincheux meaning
"grumpy". This is the name of a grumpy green character created by the American author Dr. Seuss for his children's book
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1957). His name is almost always preceded by the definite article
the.
Huxley m English (Modern) From an English surname that was derived from the name of a town in Cheshire. The final element is Old English
leah "woodland, clearing", while the first element might be
hux "insult, scorn". A famous bearer of the surname was the British author Aldous Huxley (1894-1963).
Ichabod m Biblical Means
"no glory" in Hebrew, from the roots
אִי (ʾi) meaning "not" and
כָּבַד (kavaḏ) meaning "to be glorious". In the Old Testament this is the grandson of
Eli and the son of
Phinehas. He was named this because his mother despaired that "the glory has departed from Israel" (
1 Samuel 4:21).
... [more] Jezebel f Biblical From Hebrew
אִיזֶבֶל (ʾIzevel) [1] , probably from a Phoenician name, possibly containing the Semitic root
zbl meaning
"to exalt, to dwell". According to one theory it might be an altered form of the Phoenician name
𐤁𐤏𐤋𐤀𐤆𐤁𐤋 (Baʿlʾizbel) meaning "Ba'al exalts" with the first element removed or replaced
[2] .
... [more] Job m Biblical, Biblical French, Dutch From the Hebrew name
אִיּוֹב (ʾIyyov), which means
"persecuted, hated" [1] . In the Book of Job in the Old Testament he is a righteous man who is tested by God, enduring many tragedies and hardships while struggling to remain faithful.
Kawacatoose m Cree (Anglicized) From Cree
ᑲᐋᐧᐦᑲᑐᐢ (Kawâhkatos) meaning
"poor man, weak from hunger". This was the name of a 19th-century Plains Cree chief in Saskatchewan.
Kubera m Hinduism Possibly means
"deformed, monstrous" in Sanskrit. This is the name of a Hindu god of wealth. In the Vedas he is presented as the chief of the evil beings.
Leah f English, Hebrew, Biblical From the Hebrew name
לֵאָה (Leʾa), which was probably derived from the Hebrew word
לָאָה (laʾa) meaning
"weary, grieved" [1] [2] [3] . Alternatively it might be related to Akkadian
littu meaning
"cow". In the Old Testament Leah is the first wife of
Jacob and the mother of seven of his children. Jacob's other wife was Leah's younger sister
Rachel, whom he preferred. Leah later offered Jacob her handmaid
Zilpah in order for him to conceive more children.
... [more] Livius m Ancient Roman [1] Roman family name that may be related to either Latin
liveo "to envy" or
lividus "blue, envious". Titus Livius, also known as Livy, was a Roman historian who wrote a history of the city of Rome.
Lo-Ruhamah f Biblical Means
"not loved, not pitied" in Hebrew, from
לֹא (lo) meaning "not" and
רָחַם (raḥam) meaning "to pity, to love". In the Old Testament the prophet
Hosea was told by God, who was displeased with the people of Israel, to name his daughter this.
Lyssa 2 f Greek Mythology Means
"rage, fury, anger" in Greek. In Greek mythology Lyssa is a goddess associated with uncontrolled rage.
Maacah f & m Biblical Derived from Hebrew
מָעַך (maʿaḵ) meaning
"to press, to crush" [1] . This name is borne by both male and female characters in the Old Testament.
Mahlah f & m Biblical From the Hebrew name
מַחְלָה (Maḥla), derived from
חָלָה (ḥala) meaning
"weak, sick". This name is used in the Old Testament as both a feminine and masculine name. In some versions of the Bible the masculine name is spelled
Mahalah.
Mahli m Biblical From the Hebrew name
מַחְלִי (Maḥli), derived from
חָלָה (ḥala) meaning
"weak, sick". This is the name of two characters mentioned briefly in the Old Testament.
Maitland m & f English (Rare) From an English surname that was from a Norman French place name possibly meaning
"inhospitable".
Maleficent f Popular Culture From an English word meaning
"harmful, evil", derived from Latin
maleficens. This is the name of the villain in the animated Disney film
Sleeping Beauty (1959).
Mallory f English (Modern) From an English surname was derived from Old French
maleüré meaning
"unfortunate" [1] . It first became common in the 1980s due to the American sitcom
Family Ties (1982-1989), which featured a character by this name.
Malvolio m Literature Means
"ill will" in Italian. This name was invented by Shakespeare for pompous character in his comedy
Twelfth Night (1602).
Mazikeen f Popular Culture From Hebrew
מַזִּיקִין (mazziqin) meaning
"damagers, harmful spirits", derived from
מַזִּיק (mazziq) meaning "damaging". As a given name it is borne by a companion of
Lucifer in the comic book series
Lucifer, as well as on the 2016-2021 television adaptation.
Melville m English From a Scots surname that was originally from a Norman French place name
Malleville meaning
"bad town". A famous bearer of the surname was the American author Herman Melville (1819-1891), who wrote several novels including
Moby-Dick.
Melvin m English, Swedish From a Scots surname that was a variant of
Melville. This name has been used in America since the 19th century. It became popular in the early 20th century and reached a peak in the late 1920s, but has steadily declined since then (closely mirroring the similar-sounding but unrelated names
Marvin and
Alvin ).
Morticia f Popular Culture From the American English word
mortician meaning
"undertaker, funeral director", ultimately derived from Latin
mortis meaning "death". This name was created for the mother on the
Addams Family television series (1964-1966). She was based on an unnamed recurring character in cartoons by Charles Addams, starting 1938.
Naphtali m Biblical Means
"my struggle, my strife" in Hebrew, a derivative of
פָּתַל (paṯal) meaning "to twist, to struggle, to wrestle". In the Old Testament he is a son of
Jacob by
Rachel's servant
Bilhah, and the ancestor of one of the twelve tribes of Israel.
Nemain f Irish Mythology Possibly from the Celtic root *
nemo meaning
"poison", or a root meaning
"to take, to seize". In Irish mythology she was a goddess or spirit of battle frenzy, possibly an aspect of
Badb or the
Morrígan.
Netsai f Shona From Shona
netsa meaning
"trouble, annoy, bother" [1] .
Nimrod m Biblical, Biblical Hebrew [1] Meaning unknown, possibly of Akkadian origin or possibly meaning
"rebel" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament Nimrod is a renowned hunter, the great-grandson of
Noah. He was the founder of Babylon.
... [more] Persephone f Greek Mythology Meaning unknown, probably of pre-Greek origin, but perhaps related to Greek
pertho) meaning "to destroy" and
phonos) meaning "murder"
[1] [2] [3] . Another theory relates the name to an Indo-European root meaning "sheaf of corn", with a full meaning of
"thresher of corn" [4] .
... [more] Satan m Theology, Biblical, Biblical Hebrew [1] Derived from Hebrew
שָׂטָן (saṭan) meaning
"adversary" [2] . This is the Hebrew name of the enemy of the Judeo-Christian god. In the New Testament he is also known by the title
Devil (
Diabolos in Greek).
Sauron m Literature Means
"abhorred" in the fictional language Quenya. Sauron is a powerful evil being in J. R. R. Tolkien's novels, serving as the main antagonist in
The Lord of the Rings (1954). During the novels he appears as a disembodied lidless eye, though in earlier times he took on other forms.
Shylock m Literature Used by Shakespeare, possibly from the Hebrew name
Shelach, for the primary antagonist in his play
The Merchant of Venice (1596). Shylock is a Jewish moneylender who demands a pound of Antonio's flesh when he cannot repay his loan. Subsequent to the play, the name has been used as an ethnic slur for a Jewish person and a slang term for a loan shark.
Spurius m Ancient Roman [1] Roman praenomen, or given name, which is of uncertain meaning, probably of Etruscan origin. It may be related to the Latin word
spurius "of illegitimate birth" [2] , which was derived from Etruscan
srural "public".
Sturla m Old Norse [1] , Icelandic, Norwegian Old Norse byname derived from
sturla meaning
"to derange, to disturb". This name was borne by the father of the 13th-century Icelandic historian and poet Snorri Sturluson, as well as several other of his relatives.
Suha f Arabic Means
"forgotten, overlooked" in Arabic.
Al-Suha (also called
Alcor) is the name of a star in the constellation Ursa Major.
Tambudzai f Shona From Shona
tambudza meaning
"make trouble, frustrate, torment" [1] .