Ægir m Norse Mythology Means
"sea, ocean" in Old Norse. According to Norse mythology Ægir was a god or giant (jǫtunn) who lived under the ocean. His wife was
Rán.
Amphitrite f Greek Mythology Possibly means
"the surrounding sea" or
"the surrounding third", from Greek
Triton. In Greek mythology she was a goddess of the sea and salt water, the wife of Poseidon and the mother of Triton. Asherah f Semitic Mythology Perhaps derived from Semitic roots meaning
"she who walks in the sea". This was the name of a Semitic mother goddess. She was worshipped by the Israelites before the advent of monotheism.
Bo 2 m & f Chinese From Chinese
波 (bō) meaning "wave", as well as other characters with a similar pronunciation.
Chao m & f Chinese From Chinese
超 (chāo) meaning "surpass, leap over" (which is usually only masculine),
潮 (cháo) meaning "tide, flow, damp", or other characters that are pronounced similarly.
Coral f English, Spanish From the English and Spanish word
coral for the underwater skeletal deposits that can form reefs. It is ultimately derived (via Old French and Latin) from Greek
korallion).
Derya f Turkish Means
"sea, ocean" in Turkish, ultimately from Persian.
Ema 2 f Japanese From Japanese
恵 (e) meaning "favour, benefit" or
江 (e) meaning "bay, inlet" combined with
麻 (ma) meaning "flax". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.
Fumie f Japanese From Japanese
文 (fumi) meaning "writing" or
史 (fumi) meaning "history" combined with
江 (e) meaning "bay, inlet",
恵 (e) meaning "favour, benefit" or
絵 (e) meaning "picture, painting". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.
Hadrian m History From the Roman cognomen
Hadrianus, which meant
"from Hadria" in Latin
[1] [2] . Hadria was the name of two Roman settlements. The first (modern Adria) is in northern Italy and was an important Etruscan port town. The second (modern Atri) is in central Italy and was named after the northern town. The Adriatic Sea is also named after the northern town.
... [more] Hai m & f Chinese From Chinese
海 (hǎi) meaning "sea, ocean" or other characters that are pronounced similarly.
Haiyan f & m Chinese From Chinese
海 (hǎi) meaning "sea, ocean" and
燕 (yàn) meaning "swallow (bird)". This name can also be formed from other combinations of characters.
Haiyang m & f Chinese From Chinese
海 (hǎi) meaning "sea, ocean" combined with
洋 (yáng) meaning "ocean" or
阳 (yáng) meaning "light, sun, male". Other combinations of characters are also possible.
Halimede f Greek Mythology Derived from Greek
hals) meaning "sea, brine, salt" combined with one of the related words
medomai) meaning "to be mindful of, to provide for, to think on" or
medo) meaning "to protect, to rule over". According to Greek mythology this was one of the Nereids. A minor moon of Neptune is named after her.
Helle 2 f Greek Mythology Meaning unknown. In Greek mythology Helle was the daughter of Athamas and
Nephele. She and her brother
Phrixus escaped sacrifice by fleeing on the back of a golden ram, but during their flight she fell off and drowned in the strait that connects the Aegean Sea with the Sea of Marmara, which was thereafter called the Hellespont ("the sea of Helle").
Ione f Greek Mythology, English, Portuguese From Ancient Greek
ion) meaning
"violet flower". This was the name of a sea nymph in Greek mythology. It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the 19th century, though perhaps based on the Greek place name
Ionia, a region on the west coast of Asia Minor.
Jonah m English, Biblical From the Hebrew name
יוֹנָה (Yona) meaning
"dove" [1] [2] . This was the name of a prophet swallowed by a fish, as told in the Old Testament Book of Jonah. Jonah was commanded by God to preach in Nineveh, but instead fled by boat. After being caught in a storm, the other sailors threw Jonah overboard, at which point he was swallowed. He emerged from the fish alive and repentant three days later.
... [more] Kaimana m & f Hawaiian From Hawaiian
kai "ocean, sea" and
mana "power". It is also Hawaiian meaning "diamond", derived from the English word
diamond.
Kaito m Japanese From Japanese
海 (kai) meaning "sea, ocean" combined with
斗 (to), which refers to a Chinese constellation, or
翔 (to) meaning "soar, fly". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
Kent m English From a surname that was originally derived from the English county of Kent, which may be derived from a Brythonic word meaning "border, edge, coast".
Kiwa m & f Māori, Polynesian Mythology Means
"dark" in Māori. This is the guardian of the ocean in Māori mythology, with the Pacific Ocean sometimes called
Te Moana nui a Kiwa "the ocean of great Kiwa".
Klytië f Greek Mythology Derived from Greek
klytos) meaning
"famous, noble". In Greek myth Klytië was an ocean nymph who loved the sun god Helios. Her love was not returned, and she pined away staring at him until she was transformed into a heliotrope flower, whose head moves to follow the sun.
Kyle m English From a Scottish surname that was derived from various place names, themselves from Gaelic
caol meaning
"narrows, channel, strait". As a given name it was rare in the first half of the 20th century. It rose steadily in popularity throughout the English-speaking world, entering the top 50 in most places by the 1990s. It has since declined in all regions.
Ler m Irish Mythology Means
"the sea" in Old Irish. Ler was probably an Irish god or personification of the sea, best known as the father of
Manannán mac Lir.
Manami f Japanese From Japanese
愛 (mana) meaning "love, affection" combined with
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" or
海 (mi) meaning "sea, ocean". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Mar f Spanish, Catalan Means
"sea" in Spanish and Catalan. It is from a devotional title of the Virgin
Mary,
Nuestra Señora del Mar "Our Lady of the Sea", the patron saint of the Spanish province of Almería.
Maraĵa f Esperanto Means
"made of the sea" in Esperanto, a derivative of
maro "sea", ultimately from Latin
mare.
Marinus m Ancient Roman [1] , Dutch From the Roman cognomen
Marinus, which derives either from the family name
Marius or from the Latin word
marinus "of the sea". Saint Marinus was a 4th-century stonemason who built a chapel on Monte Titano, in the country that is today known as San Marino.
Maris 2 f English (Rare) Means
"of the sea", taken from the Latin title of the Virgin
Mary,
Stella Maris, meaning "star of the sea".
Marvin m English, German, Dutch From an English surname that was derived from the Welsh given name
Merfyn or the Old English name
Mærwine. As an American given name, it steadily rose in popularity through the beginnings of the 20th century and peaked in the early 1930s (closely mirroring the similar-sounding but unrelated name
Melvin ). A famous bearer was the American musician Marvin Gaye (1939-1984).
Mary f English, Biblical Usual English form of
Maria, the Latin form of the New Testament Greek names
Μαρία (Maria) — the spellings are interchangeable — which were from Hebrew
מִרְיָם (Miryam), a name borne by the sister of
Moses in the Old Testament
[1] [2] [3] [4] . The meaning is not known for certain, but there are several theories including
"sea of bitterness",
"rebelliousness", and
"wished for child". However it was most likely originally an Egyptian name, perhaps derived in part from
mry "beloved" or
mr "love" [5] .
... [more] Meraud f Cornish Meaning unknown, perhaps based on Cornish
mor "sea".
Merfyn m Welsh From an Old Welsh name (recorded variously as
Mermin,
Merhin or
Merwin [1] ), of uncertain meaning. It is possibly from
mer "bone marrow" or
mor "sea" with the second element possibly
mynawg "eminent, noble"
[2] ,
mynnu "wish, desire"
[3] or
myn "young goat, kid"
[4] . This was the name of a 9th-century king of Gwynedd, Merfyn Frych.
Merlin m Arthurian Cycle, English Form of the Welsh name
Myrddin used by Geoffrey of Monmouth in his 12th-century chronicle. Writing in Latin, he likely chose the form
Merlinus over
Merdinus in order to prevent associations with French
merde "excrement".
... [more] Merrill m English From an English surname that was derived either from the given name
Muriel or from place names meaning "pleasant hill".
Meryl f English Variant of
Muriel. A famous bearer is American actress Meryl Streep (1949-), whose real name is Mary Louise Streep.
Moray m Scottish From the name of the area of Moray in Scotland or the surname derived from it (see
Moray).
Morgan 1 m & f Welsh, English, French From the Old Welsh masculine name
Morcant or
Morgant, which was possibly derived from Welsh
mor "sea" and
cant "circle". Since the 1980s in America
Morgan has been more common for girls than boys, perhaps due to stories of
Morgan le Fay or the fame of actress Morgan Fairchild (1950-).
Morgan 2 f Arthurian Cycle Modern form of
Morgen, which was used by Geoffrey of Monmouth
[1] in the 12th century for the Arthurian sorceress Morgan le Fay, who was unnamed in earlier stories. Geoffrey probably did not derive it from the Welsh masculine name
Morgan , which was more commonly spelled
Morcant or
Morgant in his time.
Morgen is likely from Old Welsh
mor "sea" and the suffix
gen "born of"
[2] .
Muir m Scottish From a Scottish surname, derived from Scots
muir meaning
"moor, fen". This name could also be inspired by Scottish Gaelic
muir meaning
"sea".
Muirgen f Irish Mythology Means
"born of the sea" in Irish. In Irish legend this was the name of a woman (originally named
Lí Ban) who was transformed into a mermaid. After 300 years she was brought to shore, baptized, and transformed back into a woman.
Muriel f English, French, Irish, Scottish, Medieval Breton (Anglicized) Anglicized form of Irish
Muirgel and Scottish
Muireall. A form of this name was also used in Brittany, and it was first introduced to medieval England by Breton settlers in the wake of the Norman Conquest. In the modern era it was popularized by a character from Dinah Craik's novel
John Halifax, Gentleman (1856).
Myrddin m Welsh Mythology, Welsh Original Welsh form of
Merlin. It is probably ultimately from the name of the Romano-British settlement
Moridunum, derived from Celtic *
mori "sea" and *
dūnom "rampart, hill fort". Prefixed with Welsh
caer "fort", this town has been called Caerfyrddin (Carmarthen in English) from medieval times. It is thought that
Caerfyrddin may have mistakenly been interpreted as meaning "fort of Myrddin", as if
Myrddin were a personal name instead of a later development of
Moridunum [1] .
... [more] Nanami f Japanese From Japanese
七 (nana) meaning "seven" and
海 (mi) meaning "sea". It can also come from
菜 (na) meaning "vegetables, greens" duplicated and
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
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.
Neptune m Roman Mythology (Anglicized) From the Latin
Neptunus, which is of unknown meaning, possibly related to the Indo-European root *
nebh- "wet, damp, clouds" [1] . Neptune was the god of the sea in Roman mythology, approximately equivalent to the Greek god
Poseidon. This is also the name of the eighth planet in the solar system.
Nerina f Italian Probably from Greek
Nereida). This name was used by Torquato Tasso for a character in his play Aminta (1573), and subsequently by Giacomo Leopardi in his poem Le Ricordanze (1829). Nerissa f Literature Created by Shakespeare for a character in his play
The Merchant of Venice (1596). He possibly took it from Greek
Nereis) meaning "nymph, sea sprite", ultimately derived from the name of the Greek sea god
Nereus, who supposedly fathered them.
Niamh f Irish, Irish Mythology Means
"bright" in Irish. She was the daughter of the sea god
Manannán mac Lir in Irish legends. She fell in love with the poet
Oisín, the son of
Fionn mac Cumhaill. It has been used as a given name for people only since the early 20th century.
Ocean f & m English (Modern) Simply from the English word
ocean for a large body of water. It is ultimately derived from Greek
Océane f French
Derived from French océan meaning "ocean". Okeanos m Greek Mythology From the name of the river or body of water thought by the ancient Greeks to surround the Earth. In Greek mythology Okeanos was the Titan who personified this body of water.
Pearl f English From the English word
pearl for the concretions formed in the shells of some mollusks, ultimately from Medieval Latin
perla [1] . Like other gemstone names, it has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the 19th century. The pearl is the traditional birthstone for June, and it supposedly imparts health and wealth.
Pelagius m Ancient Greek (Latinized) Latinized form of the Greek name
πέλαγος (pelagos) meaning
"the sea" [1] . This was the name of several saints and two popes. It was also borne by a 4th-century British theologian whose teachings were eventually declared heretical.
Pelayo m Spanish Spanish form of
Pelagius. This was the name of the founder of the kingdom of Asturias in the 8th century.
Poseidon m Greek Mythology Possibly derived from Greek
posis) meaning "husband, lord" and
da) meaning "earth"
[1] [2] . The name first appears in Mycenaean Greek inscriptions as
po-se-da-o. In Greek mythology Poseidon was the unruly god of the sea and earthquakes, the brother of
Zeus. He was often depicted carrying a trident and riding in a chariot drawn by white horses.
Rosemary f English Combination of
Rose and
Mary. This name can also be given in reference to the herb, which gets its name from Latin
ros marinus meaning "dew of the sea". It came into use as a given name in the 19th century.
Sagara m Hinduism, Sinhalese Means
"sea, ocean" in Sanskrit. According to Hindu legend this was the name of a king of Ayodhya who had over 60,000 sons.
Salacia f Roman Mythology Derived from Latin
sal meaning
"salt". This was the name of the Roman goddess of salt water.
Sedna f New World Mythology Meaning unknown. This is the name of the Inuit goddess of the sea, sea animals and the underworld. According to some legends Sedna was originally a beautiful woman thrown into the ocean by her father. A dwarf planet in the outer solar system was named for her in 2004.
Shell f English Short form of
Michelle or
Shelley. It can also be simply from the English word
shell (ultimately from Old English
sciell).
Shiho f Japanese From Japanese
志 (shi) meaning "will, purpose, ambition" combined with
保 (ho) meaning "protect, maintain",
穂 (ho) meaning "grain" or
帆 (ho) meaning "sail". Other combinations of kanji characters can also form this name.
Shizue f Japanese From Japanese
静 (shizu) meaning "quiet, still, gentle" and
江 (e) meaning "bay, inlet". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
Takumi m Japanese From Japanese
匠 (takumi) meaning "artisan" or
巧 (takumi) meaning "skillful". It can also come from
拓 (taku) meaning "expand, open, support" combined with
海 (mi) meaning "sea, ocean" or
実 (mi) meaning "fruit, good result, truth". This name can also be formed of other kanji combinations.
Thalassa f Greek Mythology Means
"sea" in Greek. In Greek mythology she was the personification of the sea. A small moon of Neptune is named for her.
Tiamat f Semitic Mythology From Akkadian
tâmtu meaning
"sea". In Babylonian myth Tiamat was the personification of the sea, appearing in the form of a huge dragon. By Apsu she gave birth to the first of the gods. Later, the god
Marduk (her great-grandson) defeated her, cut her in half, and used the pieces of her body to make the earth and the sky.
Undine f Literature Derived from Latin
unda meaning
"wave". The word
undine was created by the 16th-century Swiss author Paracelsus, who used it for female water spirits.
Yam m Semitic Mythology Means
"sea" in Ugaritic. Yam was the Ugaritic god of the sea, also associated with chaos, storms and destruction. He was a son of the chief god
El.
Yang m & f Chinese From Chinese
洋 (yáng) meaning "ocean" or
阳 (yáng) meaning "light, sun, male" (which is typically only masculine), as well as other Chinese characters pronounced similarly.
Yōko f Japanese From Japanese
陽 (yō) meaning "light, sun, male" or
洋 (yō) meaning "ocean" combined with
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other combinations of kanji characters can also form this name.
Yuxi f & m Chinese From Chinese
雨 (yǔ) meaning "rain" or
语 (yǔ) meaning "speech, words" combined with
汐 (xī) meaning "evening tide". This name can also be formed from other combinations.