Aladdin m Literature Anglicized form of
Ala ad-Din. This is the name of a mischievous boy in one of the tales of
The 1001 Nights. A magician traps him in a cave, but he escapes with the help of a genie.
Aleta f English Possibly a variant of
Alethea. This was the name of the wife of the title character in the comic strip
Prince Valiant, which first appeared in 1937.
Amalia f Spanish, Italian, Romanian, Greek, Finnish, Swedish, Dutch, German, Germanic (Latinized) [1] Short form of Germanic names beginning with the element
amal . This element means
"unceasing, vigorous, brave", or it can refer to the Gothic dynasty of the Amali (derived from the same root)
[2] [3] .
... [more] Anthony m English English form of the Roman family name
Antonius [1] , which is of unknown Etruscan origin
[2] [3] . The most notable member of the Roman family was the general Marcus Antonius (called Mark Antony in English), who for a period in the 1st century BC ruled the Roman Empire jointly with Augustus. When their relationship turned sour, he and his mistress Cleopatra were attacked and forced to commit suicide, as related in Shakespeare's tragedy
Antony and Cleopatra (1606).
... [more] Audrey f English, French Medieval diminutive of
Æðelþryð. This was the name of a 7th-century saint, a princess of East Anglia who founded a monastery at Ely. It was also used by William Shakespeare for a character in his comedy
As You Like It (1599). At the end of the Middle Ages the name became rare due to association with the word
tawdry (which was derived from
St. Audrey, the name of a fair where cheap lace was sold), but it was revived in the 19th century
[1] . A famous bearer was British actress Audrey Hepburn (1929-1993).
Benvolio m Literature Means
"good will" in Italian. This name appears in William Shakespeare's play
Romeo and Juliet (1596) belonging to a friend of
Romeo. The character had been created earlier by the Italian writer Matteo Bandello, whose story
Giulietta e Romeo (1554) was one of Shakespeare's sources.
Bill m English Short form of
William. This spelling was not commonly used before the 19th century. The change in the initial consonant may have been influenced by an earlier Irish pronunciation of the name
[1] . Famous bearers include basketball player Bill Russell (1934-2022), comedian Bill Cosby (1937-), American president Bill Clinton (1946-), and Microsoft founder Bill Gates (1955-), all of whom were born with the name
William.
Blanche f French, English From a medieval French nickname meaning
"white, fair-coloured". This word and its cognates in other languages are ultimately derived from the Germanic word *
blankaz . An early bearer was the 12th-century Blanca of Navarre, the wife of Sancho III of Castile. Her granddaughter of the same name married Louis VIII of France, with the result that the name became more common in France.
Bob m English, Dutch Short form of
Robert. It arose later than
Dob,
Hob and
Nob, which were medieval rhyming nicknames of Robert
[1] . It is borne by the character Bob Cratchit in Charles Dickens' novel
A Christmas Carol (1843). Other famous bearers include American folk musician Bob Dylan (1941-) and Jamaican reggae musician Bob Marley (1945-1981).
Bonnie f English Means
"pretty" from the Scottish word
bonnie, which was itself derived from Middle French
bon "good". It has been in use as an American given name since the 19th century, and it became especially popular after the movie
Gone with the Wind (1939), in which it was the nickname of Scarlett's daughter
[1] .
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).
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).
Carrie f English Diminutive of
Caroline. This name declined in use shortly after the 1976 release of the horror movie
Carrie, which was based on a 1974 novel by Stephen King.
Casilda f Spanish Meaning uncertain. This is the name of the 11th-century patron saint of Toledo, Spain. It might have an Arabic origin (Saint Casilda was a Moorish princess), perhaps from
قصيدة (qaṣīda) meaning
"poem" [1] . Alternatively it could be derived from a Visigothic name in which the second element is
hilds meaning "battle".
Charmaine f English Meaning unknown, perhaps a combination of
Charmian or the English word
charm with the
aine suffix from
Lorraine. It was (first?) used for a character in the play
What Price Glory (1924), which was made into a popular movie in 1926.
Cosette f French, Literature From French
chosette meaning
"little thing". This is the nickname of the illegitimate daughter of Fantine in Victor Hugo's novel
Les Misérables (1862). Her real name is
Euphrasie , though it is seldom used. In the novel young Cosette is the ward of the cruel Thénardiers until she is retrieved by Jean Valjean.
Deirdre f English, Irish, Irish Mythology From the Old Irish name
Derdriu, meaning unknown, possibly derived from
der meaning
"daughter" [1] [2] . This was the name of a tragic character in Irish legend who died of a broken heart after
Conchobar, the king of Ulster, forced her to be his bride and killed her lover
Naoise.
... [more] Delphia f English Possibly from the name of the Greek city of Delphi, the site of an oracle of
Apollo, which is possibly related to Greek
The Prophetess (1647), in which it belongs to the title prophetess.
Dorinda f English, Galician Combination of
Dora and the name suffix
inda. It was apparently coined by the English writers John Dryden and William D'Avenant for their play
The Enchanted Island (1667). In the play, a loose adaptation of Shakespeare's
The Tempest, Dorinda is the sister of Miranda.
Edmund m English, German, Polish Means
"rich protection", from the Old English elements
ead "wealth, fortune" and
mund "protection"
[1] [2] [3] . This was the name of two Anglo-Saxon kings of England. It was also borne by two saints, including a 9th-century king of East Anglia who, according to tradition, was shot to death with arrows after refusing to divide his Christian kingdom with an invading pagan Danish leader. This Old English name remained in use after the Norman Conquest (even being used by King Henry III for one of his sons), though it became less common after the 15th century.
... [more] Elmira 1 f Literature Possibly a shortened form of
Edelmira. It appears in the play
Tartuffe (1664) by the French playwright Molière (often spelled in the French style
Elmire).
Figaro m Literature Created by playwright Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais for the central character in his plays
The Barber of Seville (1775),
The Marriage of Figaro (1784) and
The Guilty Mother (1792). Beaumarchais may have based the character's name on the French phrase
fils Caron meaning
"son of Caron", which was his own nickname and would have been pronounced in a similar way. In modern French the word
figaro has acquired the meaning "barber", reflecting the character's profession.
Florizel m Literature From Latin
floris, the genitive case of
flos meaning
"flower". This name was used by Shakespeare for the prince of Bohemia and the lover of
Perdita in his play
The Winter's Tale (1610).
Franz m German German form of
Franciscus (see
Francis). This name was borne by the Austrian composer Franz Schubert (1797-1828), the Hungarian composer Franz Liszt (1811-1886) and the Austrian-Czech author Franz Kafka (1883-1924), whose works include
The Trial and
The Castle. It was also the name of rulers of Austria and the Holy Roman Empire.
Gertrude f English, French, German Means
"spear of strength", derived from the Old German elements
ger "spear" and
drud "strength"
[1] [2] [3] [4] . Saint Gertrude the Great was a 13th-century nun and mystic writer from Thuringia. It was probably introduced to England by settlers from the Low Countries in the 15th century. Shakespeare used the name in his play
Hamlet (1600) for the mother of
Hamlet. Another famous bearer was the American writer Gertrude Stein (1874-1946).
Gloria f English, Spanish, Italian, German Means
"glory", from the Portuguese and Spanish titles of the Virgin
Mary Maria da Glória and
María de Gloria. Maria da Glória (1819-1853) was the daughter of the Brazilian emperor Pedro I, eventually becoming queen of Portugal as Maria II.
... [more] Golda f Yiddish From Yiddish
גאָלד (gold) meaning
"gold". This is the name of Tevye's wife in the musical
Fiddler on the Roof (1964). It was also borne by the Israeli prime minister Golda Meir (1898-1978).
Hedda f Norwegian, Swedish Diminutive of
Hedvig. This is the name of the heroine of the play
Hedda Gabler (1890) by the Norwegian dramatist Henrik Ibsen.
Ida f English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Italian, French, Polish, Finnish, Hungarian, Slovak, Slovene, Germanic [1] Derived from the Germanic element
id possibly meaning
"work, labour" (Proto-Germanic *
idiz )
[2] . The Normans brought this name to England, though it eventually died out there in the Middle Ages. It was strongly revived in the 19th century, in part due to the heroine in Alfred Tennyson's poem
The Princess (1847), which was later adapted into the play
Princess Ida (1884) by Gilbert and Sullivan.
... [more] Jennifer f English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Spanish From a Cornish form of the Welsh name
Gwenhwyfar (see
Guinevere)
[1] [2] . This name has only been common outside of Cornwall since the beginning of the 20th century, after it was featured in George Bernard Shaw's play
The Doctor's Dilemma (1906). It barely ranked in the United until the late 1930s, when it began steadily growing in popularity, accelerating into the early 1970s. It was the most popular name for girls in America between 1970 and 1984, though it was not as common in the United Kingdom.
... [more] Juliet f English Anglicized form of
Giulietta or
Juliette. This spelling was used for the ill-fated lover of
Romeo in the play
Romeo and Juliet (1596) by William Shakespeare. Shakespeare based his story on earlier Italian tales such as
Giulietta e Romeo (1524) by Luigi Da Porto.
Ludwig m German From the Germanic name
Hludwig meaning
"famous in battle", composed of the elements
hlut "famous, loud" and
wig "war, battle"
[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] . This was the name of three Merovingian kings of the Franks (though their names are usually spelled as
Clovis ) as well as several Carolingian kings and Holy Roman emperors (names often spelled in the French form
Louis ). Other famous bearers include the German composer Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) and the Austrian philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951), who contributed to logic and the philosophy of language.
Lysistrate f Ancient Greek [1] Derived from Greek
lysis) meaning "a release, loosening" and
stratos) meaning "army"
[2] [3] . This is the name of a comedy by the Greek playwright Aristophanes, also called by its Latinized form
Lysistrata. In the play Lysistrate attempts to end the Peloponnesian War by persuading the women from both sides to withhold sex from men.
Macbeth m History Anglicized form of the Scottish Gaelic given name
Mac Beatha meaning
"son of life", implying holiness. This was the name of an 11th-century Scottish king who came to power after defeating and killing King
Duncan in battle. Years later he was himself slain in battle with Duncan's son
Malcolm. Shakespeare based his play
Macbeth (1606) loosely on this king's life, drawing from the tales related in
Holinshed's Chronicles (1587).
Mahulena f Czech Possibly inspired by
Magdalena. The Czech author Julius Zeyer created it for a character in his play
Radúz and Mahulena (1898).
Manfred m German, Dutch, Polish, Germanic [1] Derived from the Old German elements
man "man" and
fridu "peace"
[2] [3] . It was borne by a 13th-century king of Sicily. Another notable bearer was Manfred von Richthofen (1892-1918), the World War I pilot known as the Red Baron. This is also the name of the main character in Lord Byron's drama
Manfred (1817).
Marfisa f Carolingian Cycle Meaning uncertain. The poets Boiardo and Ariosto used this name in their
Orlando poems (1495 and 1532), where it belongs to a Saracen warrior queen. She is the twin sister of
Ruggiero, though separated at birth.
Marius m Ancient Roman [1] , Romanian, German, Dutch, Norwegian, Danish, French, Lithuanian Roman family name that was derived either from
Mars, the name of the Roman god of War, or else from the Latin root
mas, maris meaning
"male" [2] [3] . Gaius Marius was a famous Roman consul of the 2nd century BC. Since the start of the Christian era, it has occasionally been used as a masculine form of
Maria.
Melantha f English (Rare) Probably a combination of
Mel (from names such as
Melanie or
Melissa) with the suffix
antha (from Greek
anthos) meaning "flower"). John Dryden used this name in his play
Marriage a la Mode (1672).
Melinda f English, Hungarian Combination of
Mel (from names such as
Melanie or
Melissa) with the popular name suffix
inda [1] . It was created in the 18th century, and may have been inspired by the similar name
Belinda . In Hungary, the name was popularized by the 1819 play
Bánk Bán by József Katona.
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).
Odette f French French diminutive of
Oda or
Odilia. This is the name of a princess who has been transformed into a swan in the ballet
Swan Lake (1877) by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
Perdita f Literature Derived from Latin
perditus meaning
"lost". Shakespeare created this name for the daughter of
Hermione and
Leontes in his play
The Winter's Tale (1610). Abandoned as an infant by her father the king, she grows up to be a shepherdess and falls in love with
Florizel.
Peter m English, German, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Slovene, Slovak, Biblical Derived from Greek
[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] . This is a translation used in most versions of the New Testament of the name Cephas , meaning "stone" in Aramaic, which was given to the apostle Simon by Jesus (compare Matthew 16:18 and John 1:42). Simon Peter was the most prominent of the apostles during Jesus' ministry and is often considered the first pope.... [more] Pharamond m History Variant of
Faramund. This form was used by Shakespeare in his historical play
Henry V (1599), referring to the Frankish king.
Pierrot m French Diminutive of
Pierre. In traditional French and Italian theatre this is the name of a stock character.
Rosaura f Spanish Means
"golden rose", derived from Latin
rosa "rose" and
aurea "golden". This name was (first?) used by Pedro Calderón de la Barca for a character in his play
Life Is a Dream (1635).
Roxane f French, English French and English form of
Roxana. This is the name of Cyrano's love interest in the play
Cyrano de Bergerac (1897).
Rudolf m German, Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, Dutch, Russian, Armenian From the Germanic name
Hrodulf, which was derived from the elements
hruod meaning "fame" and
wolf meaning "wolf"
[1] [2] [3] . It was borne by three kings of Burgundy and a king of West Francia, as well as several Habsburg rulers of the Holy Roman Empire and Austria. Anthony Hope used this name for the hero in his popular novel
The Prisoner of Zenda (1894).
Ruzan f Armenian Meaning unknown. It was used by the Armenian author Muratsan for the main character in his historical play
Ruzan (1882).
Sophonisba f Phoenician (Latinized), History From the Punic name
𐤑𐤐𐤍𐤁𐤏𐤋 (Ṣapanbaʿl) probably meaning
"Ba'al conceals", derived from Phoenician
𐤑𐤐𐤍 (ṣapan) possibly meaning "to hide, to conceal" combined with the name of the god
Ba'al. Sophonisba was a 3rd-century BC Carthaginian princess who killed herself rather than surrender to the Romans. Her name was recorded in this form by Roman historians such as Livy. She later became a popular subject of plays from the 16th century onwards.
Stella 1 f English, Italian, Dutch, German Means
"star" in Latin
[1] . This name was created by the 16th-century poet Philip Sidney for the subject of his collection of sonnets
Astrophel and Stella [2] . It was a nickname of a lover of Jonathan Swift, real name Esther Johnson (1681-1728), though it was not commonly used as a given name until the 19th century. It appears in Tennessee Williams' play
A Streetcar Named Desire (1947), belonging to the sister of Blanche DuBois and the wife of Stanley Kowalski.
Sweeney m Irish Mythology Anglicized form of
Suibhne. In fiction, this name is borne by the murderous barber Sweeney Todd, first appearing in the British serial
The String of Pearls: A Romance (1846-1847).
Velta f Latvian Derived from Latvian
velte meaning
"gift, tribute". The Latvian playwright Aspazija used it for a character in her play
Zaudētās Tiesības (1894).
Violaine f French Invented by Paul Claudel for the heroine of his play
L'Annonce faite à Marie (1912). Earlier versions of the play were titled
La Jeune Fille Violaine. Claudel likely based the name on Latin
viola "violet".
Zeltīte f Latvian Derived from Latvian
zelts meaning
"gold". The Latvian playwright Aspazija used it for the title character in her play
Zeltīte (1901).