Rachel

From Late Latin Rāchēl, from Ancient Greek Ῥαχήλ (Rhakhḗl), from Biblical Hebrew רָחֵל (rāḫēl, “ewe”). Doublet of Raquel.

Rachel is another modest, nun-like name, of the same order as Judith, and has the appropriate signification of a lamb.

1849 The Massachusetts Teacher, Massachusetts Teachers' Association, Vol. 2,page 26, January 1849

She keeps saying, You are mistaken Rachel. She says my name in that heavy earnest way. The Jewish Ra-chel. I like my name like that. I have always been pleased when people said Ra-chel. But when she says it, it is as if she was taking me over. Through my name.

1979, Doris Lessing, Shikasta, Knopf, published 1979, →ISBN, page 293:

I recognize that a name like Rachel goes against my whole "ordering a different dish from everyone else at the table" rule, but sometimes you really want a steak, and that's exactly what you should get. I love the name we gave our daughter. It's not dorky, not too whimsical, and not too stuck-up. To us it sounded sweet, sporty, smart, and beautiful. It also works well with Sachs.

2010, Rob Sachs, What Would Rob Do?, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN:


Cory

On another poster are the names of the new class — unusual names (at least to me) like Wen Qi, Elijah, Yoav, Noni, Koray, Cai Ying and Julissa, along with more common names like Cory, Betty, Tammy, Jordan, Jeffrey, and Andrew.

2005, Robert L. Fried, The Game of School, Jossey-bass, →ISBN, page 42:

A male given name transferred from the surname, variant of Corey.

A female given name transferred from the surname, variant of Cori, masculine equivalent Corey.

Corazon "Cory" Aquino, the widow of the martyred Senator Benigno Aquino Jr., emerged as the person around whom all the oppositionists could coalesce.

1991, Clark D. Neher, Southeast Asia in the New International Era, Westview Press, →ISBN, page 58:

I went to high school with a girl named Corrine, though, and everyone called her Cory —

1998, Robyn Amos, Into the Night, →ISBN, page 61:

A diminutive of the female given names Cora or Corinne and similar sounding names.

(Philippines) A diminutive of the female given name Corazón, from Spanish.


David

en-proper noun

David (countable and uncountable, plural Davids)

From Middle English David, Davyd, Davyde, from Old English Dauid, David, from Latin David, Davidus, from Koine Greek Δαυίδ (Dauíd), Δαβίδ (Dabíd), borrowed from Biblical Hebrew דּוד (Dāwîḏ, literally “beloved”).

der

David Copperfield. Dwight David Eisenhower. Michelangelo's David. None of these Davids would seem the same if their names were Dave. David, with its final "d", sounds finished and complete, whereas Dave just kind of hangs there in the air, indefinitely.

1994, Caroline Knapp, The Merry Recluse: A Life in Essays, Counterpoint Press, published 2004, →ISBN, page 169:

Well, don't think I'll settle for so little, Mr. Talbot. Or should I call you David? I think you look like a David, you know, righteous and clean living and all of that.

2000, Anne Rice, Merrick, Ballantine Books, published 2001, →ISBN, page 157:

(rare) A female given name, often combined with a feminine middle name (e.g. David Ann).

A city, the capital of Chiriquí province, Panama.

A former unincorporated community in Mitchell County, Iowa, United States.

An unincorporated community and coal town in Floyd County, Kentucky, United States.


Aryan

General American, Mary–marry–merry merger

From Sanskrit आर्य (ā́rya, “noble; noble one”) + -n. The Sanskrit word is from Proto-Indo-Iranian *áryas (the original Indo-Iranian autonym). Borrowed into English in the 19th century, at first as a term for the Indo-Iranian languages, and later partly extended to the Indo-European languages and peoples following a theory by Friedrich Schlegel that connected the Indo-Iranian words arya/ā́rya with German Ehre (“honor”) and some older Germanic names, thus assuming that it was the original Indo-European autonym meaning "the honorable people". The original meaning of the Indo-Iranian autonym and its possible Indo-European origin/cognates are disputed (see the Wikipedia article for further details).
The same Proto-Indo-Iranian root is the ultimate source of the country name Iran.


Tim

A male given name, a shortened form of Timothy and, very rarely, of Timon.


Alexandra

en-proper noun

Alexandra (countable and uncountable, plural Alexandras)

/ˌæ.lɪɡˈzæn.dɹə/

/ˌæ.lɪɡˈzɑn.dɹə/

/ˌæ.lɪɡˈzɑːn.dɹə/

54 Alexandra
Alexandra
Alexandra, New Zealand
Queen Alexandra

From Ancient Greek Ἀλεξάνδρα (Alexándra), from ἀλέξω (aléxō, “I defend”) + ἀνδρ- (andr-, stem of ἀνήρ (anḗr, “man”)). Feminine form of Alexander.
The community in Prince Edward Island is named after Queen Alexandra (1844–1925).

af

stem of <i class="Polyt mention" lang="grc">ἀνήρ</i> (anḗr, “man”)

Sea-king's daughter from over the sea, / Alexandra! / Saxon and Norman and Dane are we, / But all of us Danes in our welcome of thee, / Alexandra!

1863, Alfred Tennyson, A Welcome to Alexandra:

'I had a Christmas card from someone calling herself Alex the year before last,' Daniel said. 'I couldn't think who it was.'
'Oh, yes, she's changed again,' Alice said. 'I never got used to Alexandra, either. It never occurred to me that Sandra was short for Alexandra - anyway, she's Sandra on her birth certificate.'

2008, Philip Hensher, The Northern Clemency, HarperCollins, →ISBN, page 588:


Spence

Short form of the male given name Spencer.


Barry

Anglicized form of Irish Barra, short form of Fionnbharr, from fionn (“white”) + barr (“head”).


Barry

A diminutive of the male given name Bartholomew.

A diminutive of the male given name Barack.


Dana

Johnie had become a "problem" for the advisers and "baby deans" in University Hall: men with marvelously Puritan names like Dana Cotton and Christopher Wadsworth called him in and asked what the trouble was.

1971, J. Anthony Lukas, Don't Shoot — We Are Your Children, Random House, →ISBN, page 419:

Currently serving his sixth term in Congress, Dana Rohrabacher represents California's scenic 45th Congressional District.

When Dana White barreled up to the microphone, at Donald Trump’s request, to say his piece on election night, it represented confirmation of the UFC CEO’s status as one of the key members of the president-elect’s inner circle.

2024 November 16, Aaron Timms, “How UFC head Dana White became the glue between Maga and the manosphere”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:

(chiefly US) A unisex given name transferred from the surname, originally given in honor of Richard Henry Dana Jr.

A female given name from Hebrew, masculine equivalent Daniel, from Romanian, Czech, Slovak and German.

دانا دانا#Persian

A unisex given name from Persian, borrowed from Persian دانا (dânâ), meaning “wise”.

A female given name from Gulf Arabic دانة (dāna), meaning “pearl”.


Robert

From Anglo-Norman Robert, from the Old Frankish cognate of Old High German Hrodperht (normalised form: Ruodberht), from Proto-West Germanic *Hrōþiberht, from Proto-Germanic *Hrōþiberhtaz (literally “shining glory”). Doublet of Rupert.

der

My brother Robert? Old Sir Robert's son? / Colbrand the giant, that same mighty man?

I hadn't even considered names for a girl. Robby it would be. Robert Douglas. Where the Douglas came from is another story, but the Robert came from me because I liked the sound. Robert was formal, dignified, important. Robert. And that was nearly as nice as the chance I'd have to call my little brother Rob and Robby.

1984, John Edgar Wideman, Brothers and Keepers: A Memoir, Mariner Books, published 2005, →ISBN, page 93:

A male given name from the Germanic languages.


Norman

From Middle English Norman, from Old English Norman (a variant of Norþman) and Old French Normant.
It is certain that the word is derived from the base of the Germanic words for north and the Germanic base of the words for man. However, given the frequent movement of Germanic groups especially into and out of Britain in the post-classical world, it is unclear in what tongue it came to be used first. In addition, the generally accepted meaning, a person from Normandy or one of the many French-speaking invaders to Britain, was used chiefly by Anglo-Norman and Old French, though it originally referred to any Scandinavian of the time. See also Northman.

"Let him be named Norman", said the lady; "it was the name of him who last - it was the name of the youngest son of Macalbin."

1815, Christian Isobel Johnstone, Clan-Albin, The Novelist's Magazine, C. Alexander, published 1833, page 155:

"Yes," she said, "the husband is pretty ex." And then, for no reason at all, she added: "His name is Norman."
Bill nodded solemnly. "I see why you left him."
Rosie began to giggle and clapped her hands to her mouth.

1995, Stephen King, Rose Madder, Viking, →ISBN, page 136:

A male given name from Old English used in the Middle Ages and revived in the 19th century.


Jimmy

Heaven only knows why a man with a strong biblical name like James wants to be a president named Jimmy.

1979 Charles Kuralt, Dateline America, Harcourt Brace Jovanocich, page 184

A diminutive of the male given names James or Jim, also used as a formal given name.


Andy

"Irina? Call me 'Andy,' please."
"I think that I would rather call you 'Andrew'."
This was flattering, somehow. For everyone I knew called me "Andy"―a name comfortable as an old sneaker. There was dignity in "Andrew," and a kind of depth, complexity. Perhaps I began to fall in love with Irina Kacinzk for seeing more in me than I saw in myself at the time.
Of course, from time to time, Irina has called me "Andy." In her most affectionate moments, when she feels comfortable in my love, she even calles me "dear"―"darling."

2015, Joyce Carol Oates, Jack of Spades, Head of Zeus, →ISBN, page 104:

A diminutive of the male given name Andrew, from Ancient Greek.

安迪

pet form of Andrew or its equivalent in the language concerned


Andy

A diminutive of the female given name Andrea, from Ancient Greek.


Andy

Andy Milonakis
Ice Poseidon
Know Your Meme
Twitch (service)

Originates from the live streams of IRL streamer Ice Poseidon on the live streaming service Twitch in early 2017; comedian and actor Andy Milonakis frequently appeared on Ice Poseidon's streams before being supplemented by one Andy Martin, who was given the byname "Mexican Andy" to distinguish him from Milonakis—himself dubbed "Sitting Andy" in June. Subsequently, Ice Poseidon and his audience began referring to people who appeared on his streams by the name Andy and the term spread to other channels on Twitch by late 2017 as a generic name for any Twitch streamer.

trump is now a react andy like myself

dream stans pulling out the "he has adhd" card to hasan fucking piker the biggest adhd andy on twitch it's so funny

Why is this video going viral? 500k views almost on my Twitch channel 😂It's not even funny Oh hello LSF andy's 👋

(Internet slang, Twitch-speak) A streamer on live streaming service Twitch.


Persephone

From Ancient Greek Περσεφόνη (Persephónē).

‘My name is Persephone’ she says, ‘but in England everyone calls me Seph.’

2008, Gaynor McGrath, Lemniscate, Transit Lounge Publishing (2011) (e-book), chapter 23, 376

(rare) A female given name from Ancient Greek.


Mikey

A diminutive of the male given name Michael


Kylie

Possibly from kylie (“boomerang”). Originally popular in Australia, the name has gained popularity elsewhere in the English-speaking world due to the fame of Kylie Minogue. Unrelated to Kyle, though often seen as a feminine form of it.

Kylie and her parents had been driving through the outback for hours. They had taken a five-hour flight from Sydney, where they lived, to Perth, in Western Australia. From Perth, they had to drive another seven hours to get to Kylie′s aunt and uncle′s sheep station.

2002, Erinn Banting, Australia: The People, page 30:

Emily. Em-il-y, three syllables, like a knock on the door of destiny. Such an odd, old-fashioned name, compared to those Kylies and Traceys and Jades — names that reeked of Impulse and grease and stood out in gaudy neon colours —

2010, Joanne Harris, blueeyedboy, Doubleday,, →ISBN, page 102:

A female given name originating as a coinage.


Gavin

Medieval variant of Gawain, the name of an Arthurian knight, first recorded as Old French Gauvain. The form Gavin survived in Scotland and spread to other English-speaking countries in the 1960s. Doublet of Gawain.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation on Sunday banning the sale at grocery checkouts of all plastic bags, regardless of thickness. The only option for customers who lack their own reusable shopping bags will be buying paper bags for 10 cents each.

2024 September 23, Soumya Karlamangla, “California Bans All Plastic Bags After Its First Effort Backfired”, in The New York Times:

A male given name from the Celtic languages


Anthony

From Latin Antōnius, name of a Roman gens (with excrescent -h- suggested by an unetymological association with Ancient Greek ἄνθος (ánthos, “flower”)). The Roman clan name is of uncertain etymology, but is not Greek or Hebrew; most likely of Etruscan origin, possibly derived from Ani, the Etruscan god of the sky. Doublet of Antoine.

"...Think you've got the best name I've heard," she was saying. - - "Anthony Patch. Only you ought to look sort of like a horse, with a long narrow face - and you ought to be in tatters." "That's the Patch part though. How should Anthony look?" "You look like Anthony," she assured him seriously - he thought she had scarcely seen him - "rather majestic," she continued, " and solemn."

1922, F[rancis] Scott Fitzgerald, The Beautiful and Damned, New York, N.Y.: Charles Scribner’s Sons, →OCLC, (please specify |book=1, 2, or 3):

It is doubtless true that American English lacks a tradition for the pronunciation of Anthony, a name which was not often bestowed upon American males until the comparatively recent craze for supposedly swank "British" Christian names, like Stephen, Peter, Michael, etc., in this country.

1952, Thomas Pyles, Words and Ways of American English, Random House, page 245:

She was built like a dream and wore a chain around her neck with a medal of Saint Anthony hanging down inside the most beautiful bosom I never saw. "It must be a terrible temptation for Saint Anthony," I joked - just to put her at ease, you know. "Saint Anthony?" her husband said. "Who's Saint Anthony?"

1955, Joseph Heller, chapter 5, in Catch-22:

A male given name from Latin, in regular use since the Middle Ages.


Gandalf

From Old Norse mythology Gandalfr (“elf with a magic staff”).

A male given name from the Germanic languages known in history, and in the books of Tolkien, but not usually bestowed on children.


Dickie

A diminutive of the male given name Dick, a short form of the male given name Richard.


Alex

Short form of Alexander, from Ancient Greek Ἀλέξανδρος (Aléxandros) 'he who wards off men', i.e. protector, possibly of Hittite origin. Also from Alexius, from the same Ancient Greek first element, "helping, defending". These two origins of Alex are indistinguishable in most languages. The female name has the same root, shortened from Alexandra or the female name Alexis, in some cases also a spelling variant of Alix.

Martin was pretty dull as names went but 'Alex Blake' had a certain dash to it. His publishers hadn't considered Martin's own name to be 'punchy' enough. The pseudonym Alex Blake was chosen after much deliberation, most of which excluded Martin. 'A strong, no-nonsense sort of name', his editor said, 'to compensate'. For what, she didn't say.

2006, Kate Atkinson, One Good Turn, Black Swan, published 2007, →ISBN, page 81:

'I had a Christmas card from someone calling herself Alex the year before last,' Daniel said. 'I couldn't think who it was.'
'Oh, yes, she's changed again,' Alice said. 'I never got used to Alexandra, either. It never occurred to me that Sandra was short for Alexandra - anyway, she's Sandra on her birth certificate.'


Orion

From Middle English Orioun, from Latin Ōrīōn, from Ancient Greek Ὠρίων (Ōríōn), speculatively from Akkadian 𒌋𒊒𒀭𒈾 (Uru-anna, “heaven's light”), though without any firm evidence.

In Madge's judgment, her Uncle Orion had suffered most of his life from the name he'd been given, requiring that people ask him to repeat it and boys his own age make fun of it.

1980, Wright Morris, Plains Song, for Female Voices, Harper&Row, →ISBN, page 113:

A male given name from Ancient Greek of modern usage.

An unincorporated community in Pike County, Alabama, United States, also known as Prospect Ridge.


Aphrodite

Borrowed from Ancient Greek Ἀφροδίτη (Aphrodítē). Doublet of Aferdita.

bor+

Aphrodite Jones is an American author and TV producer.


Maggie

Maggie. Never in her life had she heard her mother called Maggie. It was a name from her youth, that dead time Jerene had never been allowed to talk about [- - -]. Her mother was Margaret now.

1986, David Leavitt, The Lost Language of Cranes, Houghton Mifflin, published 1997, →ISBN, page 127:

I could tell that some of the guests were confused by the name of Maggie―no-one had called her by that clunky, unfashionable name in years―

2004, Joanne Harris, Jigs & Reels, Doubleday, →ISBN, page 81:

A diminutive of the female given name Margaret.


Wally

"'Mr. Szalla' is my eighty-two-year-old father, Nikki. Please call me 'Wally'."
"Well. 'Wally'."
I felt my face burn pleasantly. "Wally" was such a comfortable old-shoe kind of name.

2005, Joyce Carol Oates, Mother, Missing, Harper Perennial, page 108:

A diminutive of the male given names of Waldo, Walter, Wallabee, and Wallace.


Bobbie

A diminutive of the male given name Robert.

A diminutive of the female given name Roberta.


Walt

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
Walter Mitty

Clipping of Walter. The derogatory British sense is a reference to the fictional character Walter Mitty from The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, a mild-mannered pushover who has wild fantasies about his life in various daring roles.

A diminutive of the male given name Walter.


Abe

Shortened from Abraham. In the slang sense for money, refers to the picture of Abraham Lincoln on the currency.

A diminutive of the male given name Abraham, from Hebrew.


Heidi

From Swiss German Heidi, a pet form of Adelheid, equivalent of English Adelaide and Alice. The name became internationally popular due to the children's book Heidi (1880).

"Heidi?" Kurtz echoed. "Heidi? That's a damned odd name for an English elder sister, isn't it?" "Not for Heidi, it isn't," she replied buoyantly, and scored an immediate laugh from the kids beyond the lighting. Heidi because her parents went to Switzerland for their honeymoon, she explained; and Switzerland was where Heidi was conceived. "Among the edelweiss," she added, with a sigh.

1983, John le Carré, The Little Drummer Girl, Pan Books, →ISBN, page 142:

But the purported rise in violent videos online has led some MPs to campaign for courts to have more power to remove or block material on YouTube. The Labour MP Heidi Alexander said she was appalled after a constituent was robbed at knifepoint, and the attackers could be found brandishing weapons and rapping about gang violence online.

2012 April 19, Josh Halliday, “Free speech haven or lawless cesspool – can the internet be civilised?”, in the Guardian:

A female given name from the Germanic languages.


Scot

From Old English Scottas (“people from Ireland, Irishmen”), from Late Latin Scotti (see Scōtī for more).
See Scoti.

der

A male given name transferred from the surname, of rare usage, variant of Scott.


Walter

A Germanic name, from Middle English Walter, from Old Northern French Waltier, from Frankish *Waltheri (compare Old High German Waltheri, which see for more details), from Proto-Germanic *Waldaharjaz, from *waldą (“ruler”) + *harjaz (“army, host”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂welh₁- (“be strong”) + *ker- (“army”). Related to Old English Waldhere. Compare herald and Harold, in which these elements are reversed.

der

Whitmore. And so am I; my name is Walter Whitmore. / How now! why start'st thou? what! doth death affright?
Suffolk. Thy name affrights me, in whose sound is death. / A cunning man did calculate my birth, / And told me that by Water I should die. / Yet let not this make thee be bloody-minded; / Thy name is - Gaultier, being rightly sounded.

1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Sixt”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i]:

And with some appellations, the contrary applies. Like Walter, for instance. You can't be Walter in a pram. You can't be Walter until you're about seventy-five in my view.

1991, Julian Barnes, Talking It Over, →ISBN, page 13:

Walter complained about the assault and isolation of the volunteers. Two policemen immediately grabbed him and dragged him to the punishment cells.

2003, Elinor Sisulu, Walter & Albertina Sisulu: In Our Lifetime, page 151:

A male given name from the Germanic languages.


Jess

A diminutive of the male given name Jesse.

‘Now then Kit,’ said Mr Parkinson, ‘look sharp! Help Jess up. Where has she got to?’ ‘Here I am!’ said Jessamy breathlessly as “helped” rather to vigorously from behind by Kit, she arrived on her knees on the floor of the dog cart.

1967, Barbara Sleigh, Jessamy, Sevenoaks, Kent: Bloomsbury, published 1993, →ISBN, page 58:

‘It’s almost as if we’ve gone silly with happiness,’ said Marcus two days later. ‘Everyone in the house going round grinning like a lot of Cheshire Cats! The family I mean.’ ‘And Jess,’ said Kitto quickly. ‘Oh well, Jess is as good as family,’ said Fanny comfortably. Jessamy said nothing, but she looked up quickly and her smile would have rivalled any Cheshire Cat.

1967, Barbara Sleigh, Jessamy, Sevenoaks, Kent: Bloomsbury, published 1993, →ISBN, page 127:

A diminutive of the female given names Jessica or Jessamy.


Jill

A variant of Gill, diminutive of Gillian, a medieval form of Juliana, ultimately from Latin.

"Just Jill, I'm afraid." "Would you prefer if it was Gillian?" "Oh, I think so. Gillian sounds so much fancier." "Fancy?" Terrence said. He smiled at her. "Or perhaps it sounds flashy?" "Royal," Richard said. "Flowery," Terrence added. "You could say Gillian was more flowery. That would fit. What about you, Corrie, what does it sound like to you?" "Rich," Corrie glanced at Jill. "Gillian sounds richer than Jill."

1994, Floyd Skloot, Summer Blue, Story Line Press,, →ISBN, page 98:

A female given name from Latin.
Clipping of Jillian.

Our wooing doth not end like an old play;
Jack hath not Jill; these ladies' courtesy
Might well have made our sport a comedy.

c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Loues Labour’s Lost”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii]:

A generic use for any female (as Sheila in Australian English), especially paired (since the 15th c., compare Ienken and Iulyan) with the male Jack.


Tony

The statuettes awarded by the American Theatre Wing are formally known as “Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre”; they are named for Antoinette Perry (1888–1946), an actress, director, producer and co-founder of the American Theatre Wing, who was nicknamed Tony.

A male given name, a short form of Anthony/Antony

A surname transferred from the given name


Tory

From Irish tóraí (“pursuer”), from tóir (“pursuit”). The first recorded use in English is from a 1646 letter by James Butler ("Earl of Ormond") to a Colonel O' Brien, describing bandits and thieves on main roadways.

(US, historical) A Union sympathizer in the Confederate States during the American Civil War.


Tory

Short for Victoria when used as a female name, and for Victor or Salvatore when used as a male name.


Dougie

A diminutive of the male given names Douglas, Dougal, or Doug.


Doug

Come and have a drink,' he said, 'and my Christian name is Douglas on this side of the Rye, mind that. Dougal Douglas at Meadows Meade and Douglas Dougal a Willis's, mind. Only a formality for the insurance cards and such.'
'I better call you Doug, and be done with it.'

1960, Muriel Spark, The Ballad of Peckham Rye, New Directions Publishing, published 1999, page 70:

A diminutive of the male given name Douglas.


Todd

Do I want this t-shirt with Todd H- of course I do!

2019 October 24, ISP, quoting iSorrowproductions, Fallout 4 But I Randomized EVERYTHING:

A male given name transferred from the surname.


Ernie

A diminutive of the male given name Ernest.


Zinnia

Zinnia had already attained fifty, I guessed, and wore a professional white coat over a grey flannel skirt. In spite of her colourful name she had short grey hair hair, no lipstick, flat-heeled shoes and an air of tiredness, […]

1999, Dick Francis, Second Wind, page 199:

A female given name from English from the flower


Marshal

/ˈmɑː(ɹ)ʃəl/

A male given name transferred from the surname, of 19th century and later usage.


Arwel

From Welsh, derivation uncertain. Possibly "prominent".


Kurt

A male given name from the Germanic languages borrowed from German, a contracted form of Konrad.


Murray

en-proper noun

Murray (countable and uncountable, plural Murrays)

Scottish surname derived from the place name Moray in NE Scotland, probably from old Celtic "sea + settlement".

Murray was the sort of name he might have expected his father to pick. Murray : not a family name, not a friend's name, not some old blowhard up in New Hampshire (his father's home state) who'd sat around in the general store playing checkers and sucking his teeth. Murray was a name you couldn't do anything with. Murr — what the hell kind of nickname was that? The kids in second and third grade had certainly seen the name's possibilities. With the appropriate swishes and vocal flutings, they called him "Mary".

1992, Martha Grimes, The End of the Pier, page 151:


Chris

A diminutive of the male given names Christopher or (less commonly) Christian.

A diminutive of the female given name (along with other variant forms) Christina.


Rodger

/ˈɹɒd͡ʒə(ɹ)/

A male given name from the Germanic languages; a spelling variant of Roger reinforced by the surname.


Shraddha

Borrowed from Sanskrit श्रद्धा (śraddhā, “faith”).

A female given name from Sanskrit used in India and Nepal


Katie

And "Mable"'s a name that ever sounds sweetly / And charms and enchants a mortal completely / While "Katie" suggests brown eyes and brown tresses / Created for love and lover's caresses.

1892 Walter Malone, Narcissus: and Other Poems, J.B.Lippincott Company 1892, page 133 ("Mary")

A diminutive of the female given name Catherine or any of its variant spellings.


Jason

From the Ancient Greek Ἰάσων (Iásōn), from ἰάομαι (iáomai, “I heal”). The Jason mentioned in the New Testament (Acts 17:5-9, Romans 16:21) is probably a Greek rendering of Joshua.

And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also; Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Acts 17:6-7:

The new prince left the hospital today. My father is hoping that he will be called George, after him. My mother said that it's time the Royal Family came up to date and called the Prince Brett or Jason.

1984, Sue Townsend, The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole, Methuen, published 1985, →ISBN, page 49:


Marian

A variant of Marion, a medieval derivation of Mary, often also interpreted as a contraction of Mary and Ann, or as a variant of Mariana.

There's no more faith in thee than in a steward prune, nor no more truth in thee than in a drawn fox; and for womanhood, Maid Marian may be the deputy's wife of the ward to thee.


Garfield

Also Garfeld, from Old English gār (“spear”) + feld (“field”).


Ginny

A diminutive of the female given names Virginia or Ginevra.


Haskell

* The programming language is named after American logician Haskell Curry (1900–1982).
* As an English surname, from the Middle English personal name Askell, from Old Norse Áskell. Compare Axtell, Askin, Haskin, Hasty, Astin.
* As a surname in the Isle of Man, a variant of Castell, itself related to the above.
* As a Jewish surname, from Khaskl, a Yiddish form of Yeḥezqel, see Ezekiel.


Ichabod

From Biblical Hebrew אִיכָבוֹד (ʾīḵāḇōḏ, literally “no honor”), from אִי (ʾī, “not”) + כָּבוֹד (kāḇōḏ, “honor”); alluding to 1 Samuel 4:21, where Eli’s daughter-in-law names her child Ichabod, saying ‘The glory is departed from Israel.’


Johan

An archaic variant of Joan, from Old French Johan, from Latin Johanna.

William, the youthful heir, grew up, married and died, as we have already seen, of the sweating sickness, leaving only a daughter named Johan or Jennett, who was but two months old at his death […]

1893, Frank Peel, Spen Valley, Past and Present, Senior and Co, published 1893, page 64:


Anne

From French Anne (“Ann”), from Late Latin Anna chiefly in reference to St Anne the apocryphal mother of Mary mother of Jesus but appearing in the Vulgate in reference to Anna the Prophetess, from Koine Greek Ἄννα (Ánna) in the New Testament, from Hebrew חַנָּה (Ḥanâ, “Hannah”), from חַנָּה (ḥanâ, “grace, gracious, graced with child”). Occasionally reborrowed from languages who adopted the name from English. Very infrequently from Estonian abbreviation of Anna instead. Doublet of Ann, Ana, Anna, and Hannah. Compare John.

Immortal God, that savedest Susanne / From false blame; and thou merciful maid, / Mary I mean, the daughter to Saint Anne, /Before whose child the angels sing Osanne,

1380s-1390s, Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales: The Man of Law's Prologue and Tale

"What do you think they are going to name the baby? Anne; after her and her mamma. So very ugly a name!"
"I don't think so," said Mr Carlyle. "It is simple and unpretending. I like it much. Look at the long, pretentious names in our family - Archibald! Cornelia! And yours, too - Barbara! What a mouthful they all are!"

1860, Mrs Henry Wood (Ellen Wood), East Lynne, Kessinger Publishing, published 2004, →ISBN, page 29:

"But if you call me Anne please call me Anne spelled with an e."
"What difference does it make how it's spelled?" asked Marilla with another rusty smile as she picked up the teapot.
"Oh, it makes such a difference. It looks so much nicer. When you hear a name pronounced can't you always see it in your mind, just as if it was printed out? I can, and A-n-n looks dreadful, but A-n-n-e looks so much more distinguished."

1908, Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of the Green Gables:


Anne

A shortened form of any of various Germanic masculine names which began with arn (eagle), such as Arnold.

(very rare) A male given name from the Germanic languages, of mainly French and Frisian usage, see Anne Robert Jacques Turgot


Jessica

First used by William Shakespeare in Merchant of Venice in the early 17th century, probably from Hebrew יִסְכָּה (yiská, “Iscah in Genesis 11:29, Jescha in the Wycliffe version”), a proper name meaning "he will see/behold/look for", the 3ms imperfect form of a verb ultimately from the root ס־כ־ה (s-k-h), itself an alternative form of the root שׂ־כ־ה (ś-k-h), both of which mean "to see, behold, look for".
* By folk etymology seen as an elaborate form of Jessie, from Jane.

Lorenzo: In such a night / Did Jessica steal from the wealthy Jew, / And with an unthrift love did run from Venice, / As far as Belmont.

c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i]:

She will be beautiful, of course - how could our child not be beautiful? We will name her...Jessica. Yes, that's a good name, not one of those lighter-than-air names so popular among writers of romances and fairy tales. That's a name a real little girl might have.

1996, Tad Williams, The Writer's Child, The Sandman Book of Dreams, HarperCollins, →ISBN, page 154:

Jessica. It was, she later thought, a name well suited to whitehaired ladies with bright blue eyes.

2015, Sunjeev Sahota, The Year of the Runaways, Pan Macmillan, →ISBN:


Shawn

A variant of Sean, from Irish Seán, from Old French Jehan, from Latin Jōhannēs, variant of Iōannēs, from Koine Greek Ἰωάννης (Iōánnēs), from Hebrew יוֹחָנָן (yōḥānān, yokhanán, literally “God is gracious”). Doublet of Evan, Giovanni, Ian, Ivan, Jack, Jean, Johan, Johann, Johannes, John, Juan, Sean, Shane, and Shaun as a male name. Doublet of Ivana, Jana, Jane, Janice, Janis, Jean, Jeanne, Jen, Joan, Joanna, Joanne, Johanna, Juana, Shavonne, Sian, Siobhan, Shane, Shaun, Shauna, and Sheena as a female name.

doublet

Two weeks later Dot and her girl, who was finally named Shawn, like most girls born that year, came back to work at the scales.

1984, Louise Erdrich, Love Medicine, Bantam Books, published 1987, →ISBN, page 169:

Or take Sean, S-E-A-N. Been spelled like that for about five hundred years. But not them, they've gotta spell it S-H-A-W-N. Like they have a right to that name in the first place.

1996, Tobias Wolff, The Night in Question: Stories, Alfred A. Knopf, →ISBN, page 141:

(chiefly US) Alternative form of Shaun, a unisex given name.


Henrietta

en-proper noun

Henrietta (countable and uncountable, plural Henriettas)

Latinate form of French Henriette, derived from the male given name Henry.

Alberta is more like a man's name than any other name that comes from a men's, more than Georgianna which is just like a magnolia blossom or Henrietta which most people change to Etta or Geraldine which nobody ever thinks of coming from a man's Irish name like Gerald.

1936, George Weller, Clutch and Differential, Ayer, published 1970, →ISBN, page 196:

A female given name from the Germanic languages.


Shaun

A variant of Sean, from Irish Seán, from Old French Jehan, from Latin Johannes, variant of Ioannes, from Koine Greek Ἰωάννης (Iōánnēs), from Hebrew יוֹחָנָן (Yōḥānān, literally “God is gracious”).
Doublet of John, Jack, Johan, Johann, Johannes, Jean, Ian, Evan, Ivan, Sean, Shawn, Shane, and Giovanni as a male name.
Doublet of Ivana, Jana, Jane, Janice, Janis, Jean, Jeanne, Jen, Joan, Joanna, Joanne, Johanna, Juana, Shavonne, Sian, Siobhan, Shane, Shauna, and Sheena as a female name.


Meg

Old Meg was brave as Margaret Queen,
And tall as Amazon:
An old red blanket cloak she wore,
A chip-hat had she on.

My mother thought Meg a sweet child, that's what she called her, a sweet child, although she was critical of her name.
'What kind of name is that,' she said.
'It's short for Margaret,' I said. 'But everyone calls her Meg.'
'Well, that's no name for a girl, that's a scullery maid's name. I fault the mother.'

1985, E. L. Doctorow, World's Fair, Fawcett Crest, published 1986, →ISBN, page 208:

A diminutive of the female given names Margaret or Megan.


Mattathias

/ˌmætəˈθaɪ.əs/

From the Latin Mattathiās, from the Ancient Greek Μᾰττᾰθῐ́ᾱς (Mattathíās), from the Biblical Hebrew מַתִּתְיָהוּ (mattiṯyāhū). Doublet of Matthew.

uder

מַתִּתְיָהוּ

vvho vvas of Matthathias, vvho vvas of Amos, vvho vvas of Naum, vvho vvas of Heſli, vvho vvas of Naggé,

1582, The Nevv Teſtament of Ieſus Chriſt, tranſlated faithfully into Engliſh, out of the authentical Latin (first edition), The Holy Goſpel of Ieſus Chriſt according to Luke iii:25 (page 144)

(rare) A male given name from Hebrew — famously held by:

(Christianity, in Luke’s genealogy of Christ) The son of Amos and father of Joseph, six-times-great–grandfather of Jesus.

vvho vvas of Mahath, vvho vvas of Matthathias, vvho vvas of Semei, vvho vvas of Ioſeph, vvho vvas of Iuda,

1582, The Nevv Teſtament of Ieſus Chriſt, tranſlated faithfully into Engliſh, out of the authentical Latin (first edition), The Holy Goſpel of Ieſus Chriſt according to Luke iii:26 (page 144)

(Christianity, in Luke’s genealogy of Christ) The son of Semei and father of Mahath, twelve-times-great–grandfather of Jesus.

In thoſe dayes aroſe Mathathias the ſonne of Iohn, the ſonne of Simeon, prieſt of the ſonnes of Ioarib from Ieruſalem, and he ſate in the mountayne of Modin: and he had fiue ſonnes, Iohn who was ſurnamed Gaddis: and Simon, who was ſurnamed Thaſi: and Iudas, who was called Machabeus: and Eleazar, who was ſurnamed Abaron: and Ionathan, who was ſurnamed Apphus.

1610, The ſecond tome of the Holie Bible faithfully tranſlated into Engliſh, out of the authentical Latin (first edition), The Firſt Booke of Macabees ii:1–5 (page 896)

(Judaism and Christianity) A Jewish priest featured in the second chapter of 1 Maccabees, instigator of the Maccabean Revolt and progenitor of the Hasmonean dynasty.


Ivan

From Russian Ива́н (Iván), and from Ivan in several Slavic languages. Doublet of John and its relatives Evan, Giovanni, Ian, Johann, and Sean, etc.

Amy's husband was called Ivan. Ivan the Terrible, Barry always called him, naturally. 'Ivan? What kind of name is that?' he said to Tracy after Amy's engagement was announced. 'Bloody Russian.'
'Actually, I think it's because he had a Norwegian grandfather', Tracy said.
'Norwegian?' Barry said incredulously, as if she'd just announced that Ivan's family came from the moon.

2010, Kate Atkinson, Started Early, took My Dog, Doubleday, →ISBN, page 66:

A male given name from Russian of English speakers.

Ива́н Иван#Russian

A transliteration of the Russian male given name Ива́н (Iván).

A transliteration of the Macedonian male given name Иван (Ivan).


Ivan

Rare variant of Evan, from Welsh Ifan, the Welsh equivalent of John.

Dafydd ap Ivan ap Einion, an adherent to the house of Lancaster held out, in Harlech Castle, for nine years after the accession of Edward the Fourth to the throne of England.

1833, George Newenham Wright, Scenes in North Wales, T. T. and J. Tegg, page 137:

A male given name from Welsh of Welsh origin.


Artemis

From Ancient Greek Ἄρτεμις (Ártemis). Further etymology is uncertain.

(rare) A female given name from Ancient Greek. The usual male variation is Artemios.

Mr. HISS. And is Mr. Artemis Denaxas an official of that company?
Mr. ALLARD. I believe he is.
Mr. HISS. I offer as "Exhibit No. 307" a letter of August 22, 1933, by Mr. Artemis Denaxas to Mr. Goulding, […]

1934, United States Senate Special Committee to Investigate the Munitions Industry, Munitions Industry: Hearings Before the Special Committee Investigating the Munitions Industry, United States Senate, Seventy-third[-Seventy-fourth] Congress, Pursuant to S. Res. 206, a Resolution to Make Certain Investigations Concerning the Manufacture and Sale of Arms and Other War Munitions, page 735:

Artemis's father rested one hand on the rolling ladder, lifting his weight from the artificial limb. His expression was strange, and one that Artemis could not recall ever seeing. He realized his father was more than anxious. Artemis Fowl Senior was afraid. […] Now Artemis himself grew worried.

2009, Eoin Colfer, Artemis Fowl and the Time Paradox, Penguin UK, →ISBN:

She must give her full attention to the man at her side, Mr. Artemis Boutwell, as she had promised her mother. The young Mr. Artemis Boutwell, as everyone referred to him, was tall like Griffin—no, Mr. Parks. She must remember to refer to him ...

2012, Kristy Dykes, The Tender Heart, Barbour Publishing, →ISBN:

(very rare) A male given name from Ancient Greek.


Judah

Borrowed from Biblical Hebrew יְהוּדָה (yehudá), a son of Jacob. Doublet of Judas and Yehuda.


Athena

Borrowed from Latin Athena, from Ancient Greek Ἀθηνᾶ (Athēnâ).


Matthew

From earlier Matheu, from Old French Mathieu, from Latin Matthaeus, from Ancient Greek Ματθαῖος (Matthaîos), from Aramaic מַתַּי (mattay). Compare Hebrew מַתִּתְיָהוּ (mattiṯyāhū, literally “gift of the Lord”). Doublet of Mattathias.

cog

מַתִּתְיָהוּ

- - - My name is Matthew Bramble, at your service. The truth is, I have a foolish pique at the name of Matthew, because it savours of those canting hypocrites, who in Cromwell's time, christened all their children by names taken from the Scripture."

1771, Tobias George Smollett, The Expedition of Humphry Clinker, Harper&Brothers, published 1836, page 231:

People with incorruptible names like Matthew are always calling people named Charles, Charlie. I wish my folks had named me Matthew. Matt is the worst that can be made of it.

1979 Charles Kuralt, Dateline America, Harcourt Brace Jovanocich, page 184

A male given name from Hebrew of biblical origin.


Mecca

From Arabic مَكَّة (Makka) of uncertain etymology. In American place names, in reference to the Arabian city.

Mrs. Mecca Marie Varney and son are successful lecturers and debaters on various topics of current interest, such as suffrage, etc. Her home is in Paw Paw, Mich. Her lectures are managed by her husband, Charles E. Varney.

1912, The Arrow of Pi Beta Phi, page 107:

Just then, a young boy—named Mecca, as we learned later—arrived at the scene with the flight attendants who had been escorting him to his parents. In the midst of the frantic feeding of the protein bar, Mecca quietly announced:

2020, Born This Way Foundation reporters, Lady Gaga, Channel Kindness: Stories of Kindness and Community, Feiwel & Friends, →ISBN:

(uncommon) A unisex given name, mostly borne by women.


Howard

en-proper noun

Howard (countable and uncountable, plural Howards)

Medieval personal name from Middle English Howard, Howarde, from Old Norse Hávarðr, from hár (“high”) + varðr (“guard”). In some cases a variant of Heward, from Old French Huard.

"King Howard Kashpaw, Junior," said his new teacher. "Which one of those names would you like to be called?"
He had never thought about it.
"Howard," he was surprised to hear himself answer. It was that simple. After that he was Howard at school. - - -
""He don't call himself Little King anymore," Lynette said from the kitchen. "He thinks his name's Howard."
"Howard?"
The boy looked at me and nodded.
"He won't claim his dad no more," said King, standing in the doorway. "He's too good."

1984, Louise Erdrich, Love Medicine, Bantam Books, published 1987, →ISBN, page 238,250:

A male given name from the Germanic languages, transferred back from the surname. Short form: Howie.


Arvid

Borrowed from Danish Arvid, Swedish Arvid or Norwegian Arvid.


Bri

A diminutive of the female given name Brianna, or Bridget, or Britney, or, rarely, Britannia or Sabrina.

A diminutive of the male given name Brian.


Steven

Inherited from Middle English Stevene, Steven, from Anglo-Norman Estievne, Estievene, from Latin Stephanus, from Ancient Greek Στέφανος (Stéphanos), from στέφανος (stéphanos, “crown, wreath”), from στέφω (stéphō, “to put round, to surround”).

His first name was probably Steve or Ed. No, there were no more Steves or Eds in New York. They were now Steven or Edward, whether they were gay or straight. If they had money, they didn't have a nickname. Everybody was into high seriousness, so that now even dogs were named Humphrey and Raphael.

1989, Ann Beattie, Picturing Will, Random House., →ISBN, page 67:

That's why the people of this world believe in... Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl, and Steven!

A male given name from Ancient Greek, variant of Stephen.


Cecil

From Latin Caecilius, a Roman family name derived from caecus (“blind”). The surname has absorbed the Old Welsh Seisyllt, from Latin Sextilius, from Sextus.

A unisex given name from Latin.
A male given name from Latin.

A unisex given name from Latin.
A female given name from Latin.

John Sumner always called him "Sissy" but other kids called him Cecil or See-sal or Weasil. He didn't mind anything except "Sissy". Every time he heard it he saw red.

1968, Ivan Southall, Let the Balloon Go, Methuen, page 91:


Fiona

From Irish fionn (“fair, white”). In use before 1713. Popularized by James Macpherson (see 1765 quotation), and perhaps by the 19th-century Scottish writer William Sharp, who chose “Fiona Macleod” as his pen name.

Let the sighs of Fiona rise on the dark heaths of her lovely Ardan.

1765, James Macpherson, The Works of Ossian, the son of Fingal:

A female given name from Scottish Gaelic, in regular use since the 20th century, first in Scotland, then in England.


Tyrone

Tyrone (countable and uncountable, plural Tyrones)

From Irish Tír Eoghain (literally “land of Eoghan”).

der

(countable, chiefly US) A male given name transferred from the place name.


Ethan

From Biblical Hebrew אֵיתָן (ʾêṯān, literally “firmness, strong, or long-lived”).

bor

For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol: and his fame was in all nations round about.

There have been Ethan Allen mills, Ethan Allen stock companies, Ethan Allen fire companies and Ethan Allen streets. The name of the daring partisan leader has been used in Vermont much as that of Washington throughout the Union.

1889, John Langdon Heaton, The Story of Vermont: p.90:

They would have named him something dignified: Ethan, or Tristram. Something that couldn't easily be shortened.

2001, Anne Tyler, Back When We Were Grownups, Alfred A. Knopf, →ISBN, page 88:

A male given name from Hebrew, of mostly American usage since the 18th century; popular in the 2000s.


Dee

Dee
River Dee (Ireland)
River Dee, Aberdeenshire
River Dee, Cumbria
River Dee, Wales

His daughter was called Deirdre, a good Irish name, but now she signed herself Dee, and her man friend was called Fox.

1996, Maeve Binchy, This Year It Will Be Different: A Christmas Treasury, Hachette UK, published 2008, →ISBN:

A unisex given name, short for names beginning with D.


Tara

Borrowed from Irish Teamhrach, genitive of Teamhair, from Old Irish Temair (literally “high place”). The female given name is derived from the name of the plantation in Gone with the Wind, named for the place in Ireland.

der

No more to chiefs and ladies bright
The harp of Tara swells

An Irish place name, associated with the Hill of Tara, seat of ancient Irish kings.

A female given name transferred from the place name, of 20th century and later usage.

the story of Tara Cochrane, a war veteran, a physician, and a burned-out man who describes himself in terms of a bad cigarette

1952, Janice Holt Giles, Tara's Healing:


Stancel

Possibly from:
* Old English stane cell, which means "stone chamber". Or it could be from Stancil, a village in England.
* German Stenzel.
* Polish-Jewish Stencel
* Polish Stanisław, or Russian Станислав (Stanislav)
* Romanian stâncă, meaning rock or cliff

(rare) A male given name transferred from the surname.


Zion

Zion
Zion (Latter Day Saints)
Zion (disambiguation)#Places

Inherited from Old English, from Ecclesiastical Latin Sion, from Hebrew ציון (tsiyón).

(poetic reference to) Jerusalem city proper; or more strictly speaking, the Temple Mount.

Mount of myrrh

as a special landmark of 'perfume' importance; Analogous to the very special power of prayer that rises specifically from this locale. In accordance with Jewish Midrashic literature


Stephen

From Latin Stephanus, from Ancient Greek Στέφανος (Stéphanos), from στέφανος (stéphanos, “crown, wreath”), from στέφω (stéphō, “to put round, to surround”).
From *stegʷʰ- (“to enlace”) + -νος (-nos, suffix forming an adjective or noun) from Proto-Indo-European *-nós (suffix forming a verbal adjective from a verb stem).

I, for my part, ask any candid reader if it was not bad enough to be called Broadfoot, without having it aggravated into Stephen Broadfoot? I feel confident I will here get a tear of sympathy from all unhappy Andrews and Peters, and Aarons and Samuels, with a smile of disdainful compassion from thrice-happy Franks and Charleys and Bills.

1852, William Harrison Ainsworth, “Tale of a Carpet-Bag”, in Ainsworth's Magazine, volume 21, page 17:

It is doubtless true that American English lacks a tradition for the pronunciation of Anthony, a name which was not often bestowed upon American males until the comparatively recent craze for supposedly swank "British" Christian names, like Stephen, Peter, Michael, etc., in this country.

1952, Thomas Pyles, Words and Ways of American English, Random House, page 245:

I thought that ideally it should be a name which could work whether he was serious and reserved or butch, a name like Stephen which could be Steve or David which could be Dave.

2000, Helen DeWitt, The Last Samurai, Miramax Books, published 2002, →ISBN, page 142:

Stephen reigned from 1135-1154, that nasty period of our history dubbed 'The Anarchy', when forces loyal to Stephen contested the throne with those of Henry I's daughter Matilda, who by rights should have been queen. Stephen, her cousin, plonked his own posterior on the throne.

2023 December 27, Stephen Roberts, “Bradshaw's Britain: the way to Weymouth”, in RAIL, number 999, page 52:


Duncan

en-proper noun

Duncan (countable and uncountable, plural Duncans)

* As a Scottish Gaelic and Irish surname, from Donnchadh, a name composed of donn (“brown”) + cath (“battle”). Also spelled as Donagh and Donaghue, Donahue.
* Also as an Irish surname, Anglicized from ó Duinnchinn, from donn (“brown”) + ceann (“head”).

For them the gracious Duncan I have murder'd

c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i]:

His full name is Benji Duncan Geoffrey Rigby-Monk. 'You're joking,' Kit said, when I first told him. Benji? Not even Benjamin?' ''Duncan and Geoffrey are his two granddads'names ― both unglamorous and old-dufferish, in Kit's view, and not worth inflicting on a new generation ― and Rigby-Monk is a fusion of Fran's surname and Anton's.

2011, Sophie Hannah, Lasting Damage, Hodder & Stoughton, →ISBN, pages 77–78:

A male given name from Scottish Gaelic anglicized from Scottish Gaelic Donnchadh; the name of two early saints and of two kings of Scotland.


Arizona

zh-l

亞利桑那／亚利桑那 (Yàlìsāngnà)

亞里桑那 (Yàlǐsāngnà)

Chinese: 亞利桑那／亚利桑那 (Yàlìsāngnà), 亞里桑那 (Yàlǐsāngnà)

/ˌæɹɪˈzoʊnə/

/ˌɛɹɪˈzoʊnə/

/ˌæɹɪˈzəʊnə/

Uncertain. Possibly from O'odham alĭ ṣonak (literally “small spring”) (traditionally through the Spanish intermediary form Arizonac; compare modern Arizona), a name initially applied to an area around a silver-mining camp in Sonora.
Alternatively, perhaps from Basque haritz ona (literally “good oak”), as the area many Basque herders, and a descendant of them established the ranchería of Arizona (circa 1735) in Sonora.
Suggestions of derivation from arizuma, supposedly a Nahuatl word meaning "silver-bearing", are considered implausible, and derivation from Spanish árida zona (literally “dry zone”) is considered a folk etymology.


Xena

Possibly a variant of Xenia, from Latin Xenia, from Ancient Greek ξενία (xenía, “hospitable”), the assumed name of a fifth-century saint venerated in the Eastern Orthodox Church, from ξένος (xénos, “foreign, strange”).

der

A female given name from Ancient Greek of modern usage.


Jerry

We stated in our last that the award in this class was sent to Fowler & Vannatta’s Jerry, but this was a mistake which arose from the fact that there were two Jerrys in this class and both of them grade Herefords, one from Benton County, Ind., and one shown by Wallace Libby & Co., Ottawa, Ill. When the awards were made it was announced that Mr. Vannatta’s Jerry was the winner, and that breeder left for his home congratulating himself on the fact of having a winner on the block; […]

1886 November 25, “On the Block. A Grand Display of Meat at the Fat-Stock Show.”, in The Breeder’s Gazette. […], volume X, number 22 (261 overall), Chicago, Ill.: J[ames] H[arvey] Sanders & Co., […], page 785:

..."I, incidentally, am Jeremy Wilson, and anyone who abbreviates that to 'Jerry' does so at unspeakable peril."
"Oh really?" Kay asked. "Why?"
"Well, just a wartime hangover. We used to call the Germans 'Jerries'."
"I don't know much about the German war."

1970, Santha Rama Rau, The Adventuress, page 157:

And Jerry would appear, his work-clothes clean and pressed, his thinning rust-red hair combed flat, his glasses round and earnest, and quietly fix whatever was wrong. There was a Mrs. Jerry, who kept the creases sharp and clean in the tan workpants, and several small Jerrys, whom Sawyer & Sloat invariably remembered at Christmas. Jack had been small enough to associate the name Jerry with Tom Cat’s eternal adversary [Jerry Mouse], and so imagined that the handyman and Mrs. Jerry and the little Jerrys lived in a giant mouse-hole, accessible by a curved arch cut into a baseboard.

1984, Stephen King, Peter Straub, The Talisman, New York, N.Y.: Viking, →ISBN, pages 169–170:

Maxine grabbed the hair on the top of her head. “No, Jerry, I’m not talking hippy dippy. You’re not hearing me.” / Carla snickered. “I’m going to remember what he just said about nostalgia the next time he tells one of his Brown Beret stories.” She glanced around the table. “You may not know it, but Jerry is a sucker for stories with a moral to them.” / Vizenor shifted in his seat, cleared his throat. […] Carla looked at the Berkeley writer, startled. “I’m sorry, I forgot there were two Jerrys here. I was referring to the guy at the head of the table—Martinez.” There was uncomfortable laughter, then a long silence as the assembled activists eyed one another and sipped coffee. Jerry Vizenor leaned forward on his elbows and massaged his temples.

1997, Lawrence R[ichard] Smith, “Coalition”, in The Map of Who We Are: A Novel (American Indian Literature and Critical Studies Series; 24), Norman, Okla., London: University of Oklahoma Press, →ISBN, page 245:

There are many Nancies and Jerries in the world. They get told apart by a further name, such as Nancy Lovelace, or Jerry Turing.

2003, Ira Pohl, “Nested Classes”, in C# by Dissection: The Essentials of C# Programming, Boston, Mass.: Addison-Wesley, →ISBN, page 249:

If the names we give our children represent our hopes for the future, names like Kathie and Jerry, Darlene and Butch are dreams of contentment. […] Of course, the generation bestowed with those contented names ended up far from content. The little Kathies and Jerries born in 1950 grew up to be the protesters, free-lovers, and Woodstock attendees of 1969.

2009, Laura Wattenberg, “Mid-Century America”, in The Baby Name Wizard: A Magical Method for Finding the Perfect Name for Your Baby, 2nd edition, New York, N.Y.: Broadway Books, →ISBN:

A diminutive of the male given names Jeremiah, Jeremy, Jerome, Jared, Jermaine, Jerrold, Gerald, Gerard, or similar male given names.

A diminutive of the female given names Geraldine or Jerilyn.

An unincorporated community in Asotin County, Washington, United States; named for early rancher Jerry McGuire.


Elizabeth

en-proper noun

Elizabeth (countable and uncountable, plural Elizabeths)

From Middle English Elizabeth, from the Ancient Greek Ἐλισάβετ (Elisábet), a transliteration of the Old Testament Biblical Hebrew אלישבע (Elisheva, “my God is an oath”). See El and שבועה. Doublet of Elisheba.

der

Most happy letters! framed by skilful trade, / With which that happy name was first designed, - - - / Ye three Elizabeths! for ever live, / That three such graces did unto me give.

1595, Edmund Spenser, Amoretti, section LXXIV:

"Because if you say it over and over to yourself, darling, it really is a quite strange-sounding name, isn't it? It's just as strange as any other from the Old Testament, Mehetabel or Hepsibah or Shulamith, and any of them might have got to be as fashionable as Elizabeth if a queen had been called by them.

1988 Barbara Vine ( =Ruth Rendell ), The House of Stairs, p.21

No one ever called Elizabeth Tannenbaum stunning, but most men found her attractive. Hardly anyone called her Elizabeth, either. An "Elizabeth" was regal, cool, an eyecatching beauty. A "Betsy" was pleasant to look at, a tiny bit overweight, capable, but still fun to be with.

1993, Phillip Margolin, Gone But Not Forgotten, Bantam Books, →ISBN, page 25:

A female given name from Hebrew, popular since the 16th century.


Oliver

en-proper noun

Oliver (countable and uncountable, plural Olivers)

From Middle English Oliver, from Old French Olivier, by folk etymology derived from the Latin name Olīvārius, but probably representing an Old High German form of Old Norse Óleifr (“ancestral + relic”) (modern Danish Olaf and Swedish Olof), or Proto-Germanic *ala- (“all”) + *wēraz (“true”) (modern Swedish allvar). Name of a paladin of Charlemagne in medieval French romance.

Froyſard, a Countreyman of ours, records, / England all Oliuers and Rowlands breed, / During the time Edward the third did raigne: […]

1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Sixt”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii], page 98, column 1:

"My name is Oliver, sir," replied the little invalid with a look of great astonishment. "Oliver," said Mr. Brownlow; "Oliver what? Oliver White,—eh?" "No, sir, Twist,—Oliver Twist." "Queer name," said the old gentleman. What made you tell the magistrate your name was White?"

1837 August, Boz [pseudonym; Charles Dickens], “In Which Oliver Is Taken Better Care of than He Ever Was Before. With Some Particulars Concerning a Certain Picture.”, in Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy’s Progress. […], volume I, London: Richard Bentley, […], published 1838, →OCLC, page 187:

And Oliver suits me, don't you find? It rather goes with my dark, dark hair and kissable ivory teeth, my slim waist, my panache and my linen suit with the ineradicable stain of Pinot Noir.

1991, Julian Barnes, Talking It Over, Jonathan Cape, →ISBN, page 13:

A male given name from the Germanic languages.


Krishna

en-prop

Krishna (countable and uncountable, plural Krishnas)


Gabriel

From Latin Gabriel, from Ancient Greek Γαβρῑήλ (Gabrīḗl), from Hebrew גַּבְרִיאֵל (gaḇrīʾḗl, “God is my strong man”), from גֶּבֶר (géver, “strong man, hero”) and אֵל (ʾēl, “God, deity”), from Proto-Semitic *ʾil-. Doublet of Jibril.

der

Yea, it seems to me not fit for Christian humility to call a man Gabriel or Michael, giving the names of angels to the sons of mortality.

1629, Thomas Adams, Meditations upon Creed, The Works of Thomas Adams, James Nichol (1862), volume 3, page 212

"I'm the only Gabriel in the whole school," I told my father. "You don't have to whisper it from the tomb, lad. You should thank your mother and me for giving you a handle that people notice. You ought to be pleased, not down in the dumps. Backstreet Gabriels aren't bumped into on every corner, remember.

1986, Paul Bailey, Gabriel's Lament, Viking, published 1987, →ISBN, page 20:


Wilson

en-proper noun

Wilson (countable and uncountable, plural Wilsons)

From Will (short form of William) + -son.

affix

short form of <i class="Latn mention" lang="en">William</i>


Horace

From Latin Horatius, a Roman family name of obscure origin, possibly from Etruscan. Doublet of Horatio.


Andrea

Latinate feminine form of Andreas and Andrew.

There's not much you can do with a name like Andrea. "Call me And." I don't think so. "Call me Andy." You say that and people will start calling you Handy Andy, and before you know it, you'll be getting phones calls from people wanting you to come and get their drain unstopped. So I've been forced to have people call me Andrea, which sounds like a girl who takes ballet and is learning to play the cello.

2003, Jack Weyland, Everyone Gets Married in the End, Cedar Fort,, →ISBN, page 157:


Meryl

A female given name from Scottish Gaelic, variant of Muriel.


Errol

Transferred from a rare Scottish surname derived from a place name, of unknown meaning. Later interpreted as a variant of Earl in the U.S.

Bridey says if she had a son which please God she will some day she'll call him Ronald because she's mad about Ronald Colman that you see in the Coliseum Cinema. Or Errol, that's another lovely name, Errol Flynn.
Mam says, will you go way outa that, Bridey. I'd never be able to stick my head out the door and say, Errol, Errol, come in for your tea. Sure the poor child would be a laughingstock.

1996, Frank McCourt, chapter VII, in Angela's Ashes, HarperCollins, →ISBN, pages 203–204:

A male given name transferred from the surname. Popularized by American Actor Errol Flynn


Cheryl

Coined in the early 20th century, possibly a blend of Cherie or Cherry and Beryl. (See cher for the etymology of Cherie.)

Cheryl is a woman of few interests: she will be watching TV or she'll be out shopping.
"Cheryl" is a soft, round, pleasant name. "Cheryl" sounds like a person who listens to classic rock, irons aprons and plays bunko. In fact, she's not an aunt at all. She's a glorified housekeeper.

2009, Caroline B. Cooney, If the Witness Lied, Random House LLC, →ISBN, page 38:

A female given name originating as a coinage.


Neville

en-proper noun

Neville (countable and uncountable, plural Nevilles)

* A Norman baronial surname, de Neville, from place names in Normandy, Néville, from Old French Neville (“Néel's estate”) or Neuville (“new settlement”), equivalent to nuef + ville.
* Also as an Irish surname, from Ó Niadh (see Nee) or Ó Cnaimhín (see Nevin).

(countable) A male given name transferred from the surname, of 16th century and later usage.


Trevor

He never wasted a word even to tell his name until that was required of him by the rules. When he said 'Trevor' it was a statement of fact, not as it would have been with the others a statement of shame or defiance. - - - There was every reason why T., as he was afterwards referred to, should have been an object of mockery - there was his name ( and they substituted the initial because otherwise they had no excuse not to laugh at it ) - - -

1941, Graham Greene, “The Destructors”, in Collected Stories, Heinemann, page 327:

A male given name from Welsh, from Welsh Trefor. Popular in the UK in the 1950s and the 1960s.


Gretel

A female given name from German, diminutive of Margarete.


Amaryllis

A female given name from Latin or Ancient Greek


Selene

From the Ancient Greek Σελήνη (Selḗnē, proper noun), from σέλας (sélas, “light”).

der

“Selene, I am going to get you out of bed and sit you in the chair for a minute. I want to put this heavy blanket and sheet on your bed so it will keep your new bedding clean.”

2008, Diane M. Unger, A Colonial Lieutenant Beckons, page 143:

In the opening sequence of the film Underworld (2004), the beautiful vampire assassin Selene, clad in tight black rubber and leather, is perched beside gargoyles on top of a soaring Gothic tower.

2012, Johan Höglund, “10: Militarizing the Vampire: Underworld and the Desire of the Military Entertainment Complex”, in Tabish Khair, Johan Höglund, editors, Transnational and Postcolonial Vampires: Dark Blood, page 173:

We also made arrangements with my sister Marion and brother-in-law Richard for Selene to stay with them over long school holidays, like Thanksgiving and Easter, when the campus would be closed for a few days.

2013, Arnold E. van Beverhoudt, Jr., Island Boy: My Life on the Rock, page 157:


Tyson

* A variant of Tison. A nickname from Old French tison (“firebrand”).
* A patronymic English surname, variant of Dyson, from Dennis + -son.
* In the U.S.A. adopted by a German family who came to America (Germantown, PA) in 1683, originally named German Teisen "son of Theiss", which was short for Matthias. Original spellings were Theisen, Theissen, Teisen, Teison.


Sidney

en-proper noun

Sidney (countable and uncountable, plural Sidneys)

English surname, from several placenames in England, from Old English sīdan, dative of sīd (“spacious, wide”) + īeġ (“island”).

A male or female given name transferred from the surname.


Nigel

English form of Latin Nigellus, from nigellus (“slightly black”), diminutive of niger (“(shining) black”), particularly used in the Middle Ages to Latinize Norman Néel and Irish Neil.

'I thought, sir,' answered Nigel, with as much haughtiness as was consistent with the cool distance he desired to preserve, 'I thought I had told you, my name was Nigel Grahame.'
His eminence of Whitefriars on this burst into a loud, chuckling, impudent laugh, repeating the word, till his voice was almost inarticulate, - 'Niggle Green - Niggle Green - Niggle Green! why, my lord, you would be queered in the drinking of a penny pot of Malmsey, if you cry before you are touched.'

1822, Walter Scott, chapter XXIII, in The Fortunes of Nigel:

A male given name from Latin, of mostly British usage.


Thalia

From Ancient Greek Θαλία (Thalía) or Θάλεια (Tháleia); from Ancient Greek θάλλω (thállō, “flourish, to be verdant”).


Rutland

Unclear. Attested in Old English as Roteland and Ritelanede. Perhaps hrīþer (“cattle”) + land (“land”), or from the personal name Rota + land.

unk

Unclear

A male given name transferred from the surname.


Maximillian

A male given name from Latin, variant of Maximilian, a modern spelling of Maximilian, taken from films and video game characters.


Pollyanna

Pollyanna Pocket was small, with long floppy ears and a tail that coiled upwards in a little ringlet. She was a bouncy, happy young dog, who frolicked all day

A female given name from Hebrew derived from Polly and Anna; rare in the real world.


Gillian

Dromio of Ephesus. Maud, Bridget, Marian, Cicely, Gillian, Ginn!
Dromio of Syracuse. Mome, malt-horse, capon, coxcomb, idiot, patch! - - -
Dost thou conjure for wenches, that thou call'st for such a store

c. 1594 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Comedie of Errors”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i]:

"Just Jill, I'm afraid." "Would you prefer if it was Gillian?" "Oh, I think so. Gillian sounds so much fancier." "Fancy?" Terrence said. He smiled at her. "Or perhaps it sounds flashy?" "Royal," Richard said. "Flowery," Terrence added. "You could say Gillian was more flowery. That would fit. What about you, Corrie, what does it sound like to you?" "Rich," Corrie glanced at Jill. "Gillian sounds richer than Jill."

1994, Floyd Skloot, Summer Blue, Story Line press, →ISBN, page 98:

A female given name from Latin. Medieval variant of Julian and Juliana, revived and quite popular in Britain in the mid-twentieth century.


Maximilian

From German Maximilian, ultimately of Latin origin.

It is as well certainly not to call a parcel of idle and ragged young rogues by the titles of Augustus, Orlando, and Theodore: nor does it sound very fitting and heroical to hear a father cry out pompously to his little boy, as we did once, - "You, Sir, there, - Maximilian,- come out of the gutter."

1820 February 9, Leigh Hunt, “Names”, in The Indicator, number XVIII:

A male given name from Latin, rare in English.


Indiana

en-proper noun

Indiana (countable and uncountable, plural Indianas)

From indian + -a. From “Indiana Territory” dating from 1800, noting the territory's large Native American Indian population. From indian territory.

Haldimand County
Haldimand County#English

A ghost town in Haldimand County, Ontario, Canada.

A borough, the county seat of Indiana County, Pennsylvania, United States.

American Samoa · Guam · Northern Mariana Islands · Puerto Rico · United States minor outlying islands · United States Virgin Islands

(rare) A unisex given name
(rare) A male given name

(rare) A unisex given name
(rare) A female given name


Anurag

From Sanskrit अनुराग (anurāga, “a higher love, as of music or art”).

der

A male given name from Sanskrit used mainly in India.


Camden

From Old English campas (“enclosure”) + denu (“valley”).

A male given name transferred from the surname, of modern usage


Casey

en-proper noun

Casey (countable and uncountable, plural Caseys)

Anglicisation of an Irish surname Ó Cathasaigh (“descendant of (a person named) Watchful”).

Casey Anthony was sentenced on Thursday to a four-year jail term, the maximum possible, for lying to the police, but will be freed this month because she has spent nearly three years behind bars in Orlando, Fla., awaiting trial.

A female given name transferred from the surname.

A minor city in Adair County and Guthrie County, Iowa, United States.

A town in Washburn County, Wisconsin, United States.


Kent

From Old English Cent, from Latin Cantium, from Brythonic *Cantio (compare Old Irish céite (“gathering, folkmoot, hillock”)), from Proto-Celtic *kantos (“corner, rim”).

cog

A male given name transferred from the surname, of mostly American usage.


Cyril

→ Cebuano: Cyril

→ Japanese: シリル (Shiriru)

→ Korean: 시릴 (Siril)

Via Late Latin Cȳrillus, from Ancient Greek Κύριλλος (Kúrillos), from κύριος (kúrios, “lord, master”).

Boxers, too, not so long ago a somewhat uncouth section of the community who were seldom if ever mistaken for members of the Vere de Vere family, have taken on a polish which makes their society a pleasure. They have names like Cyril and Percy and Clarence and live up to them.

1954, P. G. Wodehouse, Over Seventy: An Autobiography with Digressions, Herbert Jenkins, published 1957, page 35:

A male given name from Ancient Greek; best known for a ninth century missionary to the Slavs.


Luannah

A female given name originating as a coinage.


Tennessee

From Cherokee ᏔᎾᏏ (tanasi), believed to mean “winding river”.


Dec

A diminutive of the male given name Declan.


Clara

Learned borrowing from Latin clāra, feminine of clārus (“bright, shining, clear”), a post-classical name made famous by the 13th century Saint Clara (Clare) of Assisi. Doublet of Clare and Claire.

But the fashion spreads deeper and wider; the village is infected and the village green; Amelias and Claras sweep your rooms and cook your dinners, gentle Sophias milk your cows, and if you ask a pretty smiling girl at a cottage door to tell you her name, the rosy lips lisp out Caroline.

1830, Mary Russell Mitford, Our Village: Fourth Series: Cottage Names::

My mother called me Clara. And everybody else called me Clara until I was fourteen years old. Then I got sick of it. Clara! Sounds like breaking glass. Did you ever stop to think of that, Frank? Say it fast and hit the C.

1956, Tad Mosel, Other People's Houses. Six Television Plays., page 123:

Կլարա

cognates and transliterations of the name Clara


Charlie

→ Translingual: Charlie

Heaven only knows why a man with a strong biblical name like James wants to be a president named Jimmy. I'm certain that if he were called Charles, he wouldn't fool around that way. Charles is not so bad, but Charlie is a terrible burden to bear.

1979 Charles Kuralt, Dateline America, Harcourt Brace Jovanocich, page 184

A diminutive of the male given name Charles; also used as a formal given name.

Ча́рли

diminutive of Charles or its translations in other languages

'Can I call you Charlotte?'
'No. I hate the name, makes me sound like a Victorian aunt. I'm Charlie, and no, you can't call me that either.'

2007, Sophie Hannah, Hurting Distance, Hodder & Stoughton, →ISBN, page 225:

A diminutive of the female given name Charlotte or Charlene, also used as a formal given name, although less common than the male name.

Karo

diminutive of Charlotte or Charlene or its translations in other languages


Addison

en-proper noun

Addison (countable and uncountable, plural Addisons)

A patronymic surname from a medieval diminutive form of Adam + -son.

A surname transferred from the given name.

A male given name transferred from the surname.

My name is Addison Jane Dawson, but you can call me Addy; everyone else does. I was named after my great grandfather, Addison Jay Dawson, - - -

2009, J. Scott Romig, The Lookout Tree, Author House, →ISBN, page 1:

A female given name transferred from the surname popular in the 2000s, following Alison and Madison.

A town in Vermont, United States, named after the poet Joseph Addison.

Synonym of Webster Springs, West Virginia; this is actually the official name, after landowner Addison McLaughlin.

Webster Springs

A number of townships in the United States, listed under Addison Township.


Reynard

/ˈɹɛnɑː(ɹ)d/

From Old French Renart (Modern renard (“fox”)), influenced by Middle Dutch Reynaerd, both ultimately from Proto-Germanic *Raginaharduz, from *raginą (“decision, advice, counsel”) + *harduz (“hard, strong”). Compare German Reinhard, Old High German Reginhart (“strong in counsel”).


Simon

From Middle English Simon, from Latin Simon, from Ancient Greek Σίμων (Símōn), from Biblical Hebrew שִׁמְעוֹן (šimʿōn, “hearkening”). In Britain, confusion arose at an early date due to similarity with native Sigmund (Siegmund), and its Norman introduced variant, Simund. Doublet of Simeon.

der

His first name is Simon. I wonder why his mother named him that, or it may have been his father. My own father never bothered with the naming of us, it was up to Mother and Aunt Pauline. There is Simon Peter the Apostle, of course, who was made a fisher of men by our Lord. But there is also Simple Simon. Met a pie man, going to the fair.

1996, Margaret Atwood, Alias Grace, Bloomsbury, →ISBN, page 379:


Megan

Borrowed from Welsh Megan, cognate with English Margaret, ultimately from an Indo-Iranian source.

Was it true that twenty-six years had passed, or had he dreamed and awakened to find Megan waiting for him by the big apple tree?

1916, John Galsworthy, chapter VIII, in The Apple Tree:

A female given name from Welsh, diminutive of Margaret.


Sami

Derived from Arabic سَامِي (sāmī), from the informal pronunciation of سَامٍ (sāmin, “high, exalted”).

A male given name from Arabic, feminine equivalent Samiyah.


Sami

A diminutive of the female given name Samantha.


Lauren

"I don't like my name," said Delphine. "Nobody likes their own name."
"I don't like mine."
"Lauren's nice. They picked a nice name for you."

2004, Alice Munro, “Trespasses”, in Runaway:Stories, Knopf, page 214:

A female given name from Latin, masculine equivalent Laurence; feminine of Lawrence

A male given name from Latin, of rare usage, variant of Laurence.


Oscar

Exact origin uncertain. Resuscitated by James Mcpherson in The Works of Ossian (1765). Napoleon, an admirer of the Ossianic poems, chose it for his godson Oscar Bernadotte, who became a king of Sweden.
The modern given name is a conflation of two unrelated names: first, Middle Irish Oscar (the name of Fionn Mac Cumhaill's grandson in Irish mythology), from Middle Irish os (“deer”) + cara (“friend”); and second, Old English Ōscār, Ōsgār (personal name, literally “spear of the gods/spear of God”), from Old English ōs (“god”) and gār (“spear”) (see Oswald). Compare German Ansgar (personal name), Danish Asker, Asger (personal name), Norwegian Asgeir (personal name), Icelandic Ásgeir (personal name).
(Academy Award): Disputed. Said to have been named by actress Bette Davis after her first husband, Harmon Oscar Nelson, or by secretary Margaret Herrick after her cousin Oscar Pierce.

bor

My son, though alone, is brave. Oscar is like a beam of the sky: he turns around, and the people fall.

1765, James Macpherson, The Poems of Ossian, Tauchnitz, published 1847, page 192:

Had a funny first name, like Oscar or maybe - no! I remember now. It was Felix. Felix Tanner.

2005 Marc Cerasini, etc, Operation Hell Gate, HarperEntertainment, page 134

A male given name from Irish or Old English.


Vincent

en-proper noun

Vincent (countable and uncountable, plural Vincents)

→ Arabic: فينسنت (fīnsint)

→ Greek: Βίνσεντ (Vínsent)

desc

→ Japanese: ビンセント (Binsento), ヴィンセント (Vinsento)

From French Vincent, from Latin Vincentius, from vincēns (“conquering”), from the verb vincō.

Starry starry night.
Flaming flowers that brightly blaze
Swirling clouds in violet haze
Reflect in Vincent's eyes of china blue.

Even their names hinted at a childishness they would never grow out of. When Vincent himself was grown-up, he wondered if this was why they had given their unlooked-for son such a mature name - although later still Vincent suspected that he might have been named for the Vincent Rapide motorbike. As with most things to do with Billy and Georgie, it was too late to ask.

2002, Kate Atkinson, Not the End of the World, Doubleday, →ISBN, page 203:

(countable) A male given name from Latin.

Викентий

chiefly in Russian Orthodox Chirstianity


Washington

en-proper noun

Washington (countable and uncountable, plural Washingtons)

Washington (the town in Tyne and Wear, northeast England): probably from the Old English place name Hwæssingatūn (literally “a settlement of the household of Hwæssa”), from Hwæssa (a Saxon chieftain's name) + -ing (“belonging to”) + tūn (“homestead, settlement”). It was attested in 1096 as Wasindone. Hwæssa is of uncertain origin, said to possibly correspond to waþ (“hunt”) + sige (“victory”), or possibly related to hwæte (“wheat”). There are other theories; more on Wikipedia.
The surname derives from the town, and most places in the United States are named for George Washington.

DC

The federal district and city are coterminous and the city government administers the district, so are jurisdictionally equivalent

(US) A male given name transferred from the surname, popular during the first century of American independence, given in honor of George Washington.


Mercedes

en-proper noun

Mercedes (countable and uncountable, plural Mercedes)

From Spanish Mercedes (Mary, Our Lady of Mercy). The car was named for Mercédès Jellinek, the daughter of Austrian businessman Emil Jellinek who ordered 36 cars from Gottlieb Daimler.

A female given name from Spanish, equivalent to English Mercy occasionally borrowed from Spanish.


Anastasia

From the name of a 4th-century martyr, Ancient Greek Ἀναστασία (Anastasía), from ἀνάστασις (anástasis, “resurrection”). The name, and its male counterpart Anastasius, were originally given to children who were born around Eastertime during the early years of Christianity.

en:Anastasia
en:Anastasia (disambiguation)
en:Anastasia (surname)


Gordon

The main etymology, associated with Celtic names, is from the Scots surname Gordon, from a place name, but the origin is debated:
* If the English or Scots name is from a Brythonic language (such as Old Welsh or Old Breton), then possibly from a Proto-Brythonic compound such as *gor (“spacious”) + *din (“fort”);
* If the Scots name is itself from English, then possibly from French Gourdon, derived from Gallo-Roman Latin Gordus, from Gaulish *Gordos;
* Otherwise, possibly ultimately from Old English *gor-dūn (“mud hill”) whence a habitational name.

Often he wrote good ones on casual slips and fancied them his; names like Trevellyan or Montressor or Delancey, with musical prefixes; or a good, short, beautiful, but dignified name like "Gordon Dane". He liked that one. It suggested something.

1913, Harry Leon Wilson, Bunker Bean, BiblioBazaar, LLC, published 2008, →ISBN, page 13:


Sophie

Wilt thou be a nun, Sophie? / Nothing but a nun? / Is it not a better thing / With thy friends to laugh and sing?

1832 Barry Cornwall, English Songs, 1851, LXXXV ("To Sophie")

No, like a small child, my daughter, Sophie Anne Louise. We gave her three names, all of which exist in English as well as in French, so she can change her name just by changing her accent. - - -
Sophie Anne Louise. It is a bit pretentious, do you not find? Maybe it is better in English. Sophie Anne Louise. No, it still sounds like one of Queen Victoria's grandchildren.

1991, Julian Barnes, Talking It Over, →ISBN, pages 241, 252:

A female given name from French Sophie, equivalent to English Sophia of Ancient Greek origin.

Sophia landed on her behind on the soft moss that lined the river bank. "Besides, you don't win yet, Sophie," he said. "I have one more stone still."

1995, Marilyn Seguin, The Bell Keeper: The story of Sophia and the Massacre of the Indians at Gnadenhutten, Ohio, in 1782, page 8:

A diminutive of the female given name Sophia.


Melanie

From French Mélanie, from Latin Melania, the name of two Roman fifth century saints, from Ancient Greek μέλας (mélas, “black, dark”).

der

'I learn the craft. I'm your uncle's apprentice, Melanie.' - - - She did not quite like the way he kept calling her by her name; there was a humorous inlection on the three liquid syllables as though he found the name funny.

1967, Angela Carter, The Magic Toyshop, Virago Press, published 1994, →ISBN, page 64:


Chloe

Borrowed Ancient Greek χλόη (khlóē, “young green shoot”), an epithet of goddess Demeter.

bor

For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.

Of Chloe all the town has rung; / By ev'ry Size of Poets sung. / So beautiful a Nymph appears / But once in Twenty Thousand Years.

1731, Jonathan Swift, Strephon and Chloe:

Before he had met this one, Morgan had assumed that people called Chloe were either the neurotic brilliant daughters of Oxbridge dons or else silly screaming debutantes.

1981, William Boyd, A Good Man in Africa, H.Hamilton, →ISBN, page 24:


Phillip

en-proper noun

Phillip (countable and uncountable, plural Phillips)

Philip#First name
Philip#Surname
Phillip, Australian Capital Territory


Barbara

/ˈbɑɹb(ə)ɹə/

/ˈbɑːb(ə)ɹə/

From Latin Barbara, the name of Saint Barbara, feminine form of barbarus, from Ancient Greek βάρβαρος (bárbaros, “strange, foreign”). Doublet of Varvara.

der

My mother had a maid call'd Barbara; / She was in love, and he she lov'd prov'd mad / And did forsake her; […]

All in the merrye month of May / When greene buds they were swellin / Yong Jemmye Grove on his death-bed lay / For love of Barbara Allen.

17th century or before: English folk song: Barbara Allen: 1839 version by Thomas Percy

"What do you think they are going to name the baby? Anne; after her and her mamma. So very ugly a name!" "I don't think so," said Mr Carlyle. "It is simple and unpretending. I like it much. Look at the long, pretentious names in our family - Archibald! Cornelia! And yours, too - Barbara! What a mouthful they all are!" Barbara contracted her eyebrows. It was equivalent to saying that he did not like her name.

1860, Mrs Henry Wood (Ellen Wood), East Lynne, Kessinger Publishing, published 2004, →ISBN, page 29:

"Everybody in the next generation," suggested Dick, "will be named Peter or Barbara - because at present all piquant literary characters are named Peter or Barbara."

1922, F[rancis] Scott Fitzgerald, The Beautiful and Damned, New York, N.Y.: Charles Scribner’s Sons, →OCLC, (please specify |book=1, 2, or 3), page 76:

'Barbara?' Barr―baah―rrah. Barbarian woman. Wild. Untamed. An incredibly sexy name.

2007, Marina Lewycka, Two Caravans, Fig Tree, →ISBN, page 299:

Barbullë

cognates and transliterations of female given name


Sophia

Holy Wisdom
Sophia
Sophia of Rome
sophia (wisdom)

Chiefly from Latin Sophia, from Ancient Greek Σοφία (Sophía), from σοφία (sophía, “wisdom”), especially in reference to holy or divine wisdom under the influence of Biblical Hebrew חוכמה (khokhmá), to the early martyr St. Sophia, and to many figures of European royalty and nobility. Also used as a calque for the many cognate forms, such as Italian Sofia, Russian Софи́я (Sofíja), Polish Zofia, etc.

To say the truth, Sophia, when very young, discerned that Tom, though an idle, thoughtless, rattling rascal, was nobody's enemy but his own […]

1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling:

I intended to call her after Aunt Grizel, but my wife who, during pregnancy, had been reading romances, insisted upon her being called Olivia. In less than another year we had another daughter, and now I was determined that Grizel should be her name; but a rich relation taking a fancy to stand godmother, the girl was, by her directions, called Sophia, so that we had two romantic names in the family, but I solemnly protest I had no hand in it.

1766, Oliver Goldsmith, The Vicar of Wakefield:

Gram said, "Sophia. Would that be an Italian name?" "It came from a great-aunt," Sophia told her, turning briefly in her direction. "Was your great-aunt Italian?" "No, Scottish." "Oh." I knew what Gram was aiming at here. She wanted to find out whether Sophia was Catholic. She poked her headful of pink curlers forward for a moment and looked at me. "Presbyterian, " I told her. "Oh." She sat back again, Oh, well, you could see her thinking, her own daughter had married Episcopal and the sky hadn't fallen in. "It's a pretty name, anyhow," she told Sophia. "Thank you." "I like names that end with an a, don't you? […]

1998 Anne Tyler, A Patchwork Planet, A.A.Knopf Inc., page 2


Theodore

From Latin Theodorus, from Ancient Greek Θεόδωρος (Theódōros), from Θεός (Theós, “God”) and θεός (theós, “god”) + δῶρον (dôron, “gift”). The name was popularized in reference to the prominent St Theodore of Amasea. Unrelated to Theodoric.

It is as well certainly not to call a parcel of idle and ragged young rogues by the titles of Augustus, Orlando, and Theodore: nor does it sound very fitting and heroical to hear a father cry out pompously to his little boy, as we did once, - "You, Sir, there, - Maximilian,- come out of the gutter."

1820 February 9, Leigh Hunt, “Names”, in The Indicator, number XVIII:

'Perfect. What name are we going to give him?'
'Theo.'
'Oh.'
'As in Theodore.'
'Isn't that rather a...?' He stopped. Smiled at her again. 'Why Theodore?'
'I like it. And it suits him. Maybe because it contains the sound 'adore'.'

2010, Maggie O'Farrell, The Hand That First Held Mine, Headline, →ISBN, page 234:

A male given name from Latin and Ancient Greek; the name of a saint, pope, several emperors, etc.


Irene

Borrowed from French Irène, from Ancient Greek Εἰρήνη (Eirḗnē, “peace”), name of a goddess of peace, of early Christian saints, and of an 8th-century Byzantine empress. Doublet of Eirini.

But lest I be thought too literall, give me leave to allegorize upon this Irene. Her name is a Greek name, Εἰρήνη, it signifies peace; we must not dote upon our Irene, our private peace, that the publique should suffer for the sake of it.

1653, Jeremiah Burroughs, Irenicum: To the Lovers of Truth & Peace, London: Robert Dawlman, page 267:

"And I have such a horrible name. Think of it... Kate. Who would take Kate on a Moonlight Cruise...or out to the Minstrels at the point. If you ever do find me in the company of a strange young man, call me Irene. Promise me."

1944, A.J.Cronin, The Green Years, Little, Brown, and Company, page 62:

Better to consider the love of Irene, the seventh of the sisters, with her most elegant name.

1993, Oscar Hijuelos:, The Fourteen Sisters of Emilio Montez O'Brien, →ISBN, page 75:

A female given name from Ancient Greek, in regular use since the 19th century.


William

desc

→ Azerbaijani: → Uilyam (transliteration)

→ Bengali: উইলিয়াম (uiliẏam)

⇒ Cebuano: William

→ Chinese: → 威廉 (Wēilián) (transliteration)

→ Finnish: Viljami, Wiljami

→ Hawaiian: Uilama, Wilama, Wiliama

→ Ingrian: → Viljam (transliteration)

→ Japanese: ウィリアム (Wiriamu)

→ Korean: → 윌리엄 (willieom) (transliteration)

Russian: Уильям (Uilʹjam)

⇒ Slovak: Viliam

→ Tagalog: William

From Middle English William, from Anglo-Norman Willame, from Old High German Willahelm, from Proto-Germanic *Wiljahelmaz (> Latin Gulielmus), from Proto-Germanic *wiljô (“will”) + *helmaz (“helmet”), the latter component ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kel- (“to cover, conceal, save”). Cognate with Dutch Willem, German Wilhelm, etc.; cognate borrowings outside of Germanic include Guillaume and Guillermo.

der

This name hath been most common in England since King William the Conquerour, insomuch that upon a festival day in the Court of King Henry the Second, when Sir William Saint-John, and Sir William Fitz-Hamon, especial Officers, had commanded that none but of the name of William should dine in the great Chamber with them, they were accompanied with a hundred and twenty Williams.

1605, William Camden, Remains Concerning Britain, John Russell Smith, published 1870, page 98:

By the same token I should probably have called myself 'Bill'. With a name like William you have choices. Very handy for us chameleons. 'William' is stern and dignified. A little austere and unapproachable. He conquers things. It is what my mother calls me when she is angry with me.

2004, Christopher Wood, California, Here I Am, TwentyFirst Century Publishers Ltd, →ISBN, pages 29–30:

A male given name from the Germanic languages popular since the Norman Conquest.


Cleopatra

From Middle English Cleopatra, from Ancient Greek Κλεοπάτρα (Kleopátra), meaning "glory of her father", from κλέος (kléos, “glory”) + πατήρ (patḗr, “father”).

Kleopatra

a given name of women in the Ptolemy dynasty

(rare) A female given name from Ancient Greek.


Colleen

From the word colleen, from Irish cailín (“girl”), not used as a name in Ireland. Colleen can also be interpreted as a variant of Coleen, which was a product of marketing by the Hollywood film industry (to promote a new starlet in the 1920s).

Her name is spelled Coleen making her "Co" with a hard O and not Colleen by any stretch - I'm suspicious on her authority on the subject.

2007, Laurie Lindeen, Petal Pusher, Atria Books, →ISBN, page 137:

A female given name from English or Irish.


Luke

From Latin Lūcās, from Koine Greek Λουκᾶς (Loukâs). See the Greek entry for more.

כרוזותא דלוקא

Kārōzūtā’ d'Lūqā’

ܟܪܘܙܘܬܐ ܕܠܘܩܐ

Kārōzūtā’ d'Lūqā’

Soiscéal Naofa Íosa Críost de réir Lúcáis

"Your parents like Cool Hand Luke, yes?" "I don't really know. Why?" "Why? Because they name you Luke." I was worried I might have to explain that my name wasn't all that uncommon, and, anyway, Claudia had named me after the alter ego of Hank Williams, Luke the Drifter.

2005, Dallas Hudgens, Drive Like Hell, Simon and Schuster, →ISBN, page 94:


Jane

Variant of Jeanne, from French Jeanne, from Middle French Jehanne, from Medieval Latin Johanna, variant of Latin Ioanna under influence from Latin Iōhannēs, from Koine Greek Ἰωάννα (Iōánna), from Hebrew יוֹחָנָה (Yôḥānāh, literally “God is gracious”), the feminized form of יְהוֹחָנָן (Yəhōḥānān) which produced John and its many doublets. As a placeholder name, cf. similar use of John and Jack and earlier use of Joan in the same role.
Doublet of Gianna, Ivana, Jana, Janice, Janis, Jean, Jeanne, Jen, Joan, Joanna, Joanne, Johanna, Juana, Shavonne, Sian, Siobhan, Shane, Shaun, Shauna, and Sheena.

doublet

In latter years some of the better and nicer sort, misliking Joan, have mollified the name of Joan into Jane, as it may seem, for that Jane is never found in old Records; and as some will, never before the time of King Henry the eight.

1605, William Camden, Remains Concerning Britain, John Russell Smith, published 1870, pages 103–104:

People will please their fancies, and every lady has favourite names. I myself have several, and they are mostly short and simple. Jane, that queenly name! Jane Seymour, Jane Grey, 'the noble Jane de Montford;' - - -

1830, Mary Russell Mitford, Our Village: Fourth Series: Cottage Names::

"What I mean is," said Mrs. Riversedge, "that when I get maids with unsuitable names I call them Jane; they soon get used to it."
"An excellent plan," said the aunt of Clovis coldly; "unfortunately I have got used to being called Jane myself. It happens to be my name."

1912 Saki (H.H.Munro), The Secret Sin of Septimus Brope

A female given name from French, the standard feminine form of John since the 17th century.


Mabel

Clipping of Amabel, from Latin amābilis (“lovable”).

Her name was Mabel Hortense, and the children were very proud of having a cousin who lived in the city and was named Mabel Hortense. At Damsonfield Four Corners, where they lived, all the little girls were name Mary Jane or Sarah Ann or Lucy Maria, or, at the best, Hattie and Carrie; they had scarcely even heard so fine a name as Mabel Hortense.

1883, Sophie Swett, “All the Plums”, in St. Nicholas Magazine, Vol.10, Part 1, page 34:

The red stitching across the breast pocket read Mabel, a name Maggie had not heard since her childhood. What had become of all the Mabels? She tried to picture giving a new little baby that name.

1988, Anne Tyler, Breathing Lessons, →ISBN, page 28:


Jeffrey

- - - you should also be able to sue your association's attorney when they step over the line as Attorney Jeffrey Ewalt did. Oh, my gosh! Even as I say his name Jeffrey, Jeffrey. Jeffrey is a name assigned to little boys with small toys. A cute innocent little boy that would do no harm to anyone. I recommend a name change for Jeffrey Ewalt from Jeffrey to Lucifer.

2005, Harvella Jones, The Texas Homestead Hoax, Trafford Publishing, →ISBN, page 59:

A male given name from the Germanic languages, the usual U.S. spelling of Geoffrey. Popular in the latter half of the 20th century.


Geoffrey

From Middle English Geffrey, from an Old French aristocratic name, Geoffroi [dʒɔfreʲ] (> West Middle French Geoffrey, East Middle French Geoffroy), itself from Proto-French forms (latinized in -us) Jotfredus, Jozsfredus, Josfredus (10th century) and Jof[f]redus, Jofridus, Jaufredus, Geffredus (11th century), and ultimately of Proto-Germanic origin. The second element is *friþuz (“peace, sanctuary”). The first element may be *gautaz (“a Geat, a Goth”) [making the Proto-Germanic term *Gautafriþu], as opposed to *gōdaz (“good”) or *gudą (“god”) in Godfrey; this would also make it related to Jocelyn. The name was introduced to England by the Normans in the 11th century.

"Were you not aware mamma had a son as well as three daughters?"
"Yes, but I didn't know his name. I like Geoffrey; there's some sound in it."

1879, Mary Elizabeth Shipley, Looking Back, page 98:

Geoff grimaced, then smiled back, reminding himself that when his mother wasn't riding this horse, she was a very interesting woman who had taught medieval literature at Drew University for twenty years. In fact, he had been named Geoffrey because of her great admiration for Chaucer.

1996, Mary Higgins Clark, Let me Call You Sweetheart, →ISBN, page 207:

His full name is Benji Duncan Geoffrey Rigby-Monk. 'You're joking,' Kit said, when I first told him. Benji? Not even Benjamin?' Duncan and ''Geoffrey are his two granddads'names ― both unglamorous and old-dufferish, in Kit's view, and not worth inflicting on a new generation ― and Rigby-Monk is a fusion of Fran's surname and Anton's.

2011, Sophie Hannah, Lasting Damage, Hodder & Stoughton, →ISBN, pages 77–78:

A male given name from the Germanic languages. Popular in the U.K. in the 20th century.


Godfrey

en-proper noun

Godfrey (countable and uncountable, plural Godfreys)

From Old French Godefrei, from Old High German Godafrid (“peace of God”), from Proto-Germanic *Gudafriþuz. Equivalent to god + frith. Doublet of Gottfried and Geoffrey.

der

A male given name from the Germanic languages.


Belinda

Alexander Pope
Belinda
Belinda (moon)
The Rape of the Lock

From Belle + -inda, base from various Romance sources such as French belle, Italian bella (“beautiful”), suffix Latinate form of German linde (“soft”) (English linden, lithe). Popularised by Alexander Pope in his poem The Rape of the Lock (1714). The moon is named after a character in Pope's poem.

1714 Alexander Pope, The Rape of the Lock, Canto V, final verse,
This Lock, the Muse shall consecrate to Fame,
And 'midst the Stars inscribe Belinda’s Name.

"Good-by, my dear Belinda; I leave you to ruminate sweet and bitter thoughts; to think of the last speech and confession of Lady Delacour, or, what will interest you much more, the first speech and confession of—Clarence Harvey."

1801, Maria Edgeworth, “Belinda”, in Tales and Novels, volume 6, New York: Harper & Brothers, published 1835, page 65:

The fairy tale ended savagely on January 11, 1999, when Belinda’s lifeless body was discovered in a closet. Her skull had been shattered by a shotgun blast at close range.

2010, Kathryn Casey, Shattered: The True Story of a Mother's Love, a Husband's Betrayal, and a Cold-Blooded Texas Murder, back cover:

A female given name originating as a coinage.


Judy

"Punch," said Judy,
"You're looking moody."
"Judy," said Punch,
"I want my lunch."

I've never met an old person named Judy. Now that's true. Maybe something happens to girls with young names like Debby, Judy, and Susie. At a certain age they make you change it to Doris, Edna, or Myrtle.

1989, Judy Carter, Stand-up Comedy: A Book, Dell Publ., →ISBN, page 35:

A diminutive of the female given name Judith, also used as a formal female given name.


Judy

A surname transferred from the given name.


Noel

* (names): From Noel in the sense of Christmas; given since Middle Ages to children born at Christmastide.
* (city in Missouri): Named for brothers Clark Wallace and William Jasper Noel, stockmen and owners of a sawmill.
* (community of Nova Scotia, Canada): Named after its most prominent resident, Noël Doiron.

When Noel came, noisily bursting through the back door with buckets of cleansers and sponges, I introduced myself. "Just call me Noelle," he said of himself. "When I was little they used to call me Noel, Noel, the toilet bowl. Although now I have thought of painting that on the side of my van. It might be good for business? I don't know."

2009, Lorrie Moore, A Gate at the Stairs, Faber and Faber, →ISBN, page 162:


Dougal

Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Dùghall, from Old Irish dubgall (“Dane, black-haired foreigner”), synchronically from dubh (“black”) + gall (“stranger”).


Judith

→ Cebuano: Judith

Ultimately from Hebrew יְהוּדִית (Y'hudít, “woman from Judea, Jewess”). Doublet of Yehudit.

The beauty and simplicity of names are altogether arbitrary: Mary and Elizabeth, and Judith, may suit a taste formed on the Puritan model, that is to say, an English and Scottish taste: the French consider Victoire, Adele, Adriane, or any other such "fanciful and romantic" names, quite as simple, and perhaps as beautiful, as Mr. Stuart does Mary and Jane.

1833 The New Monthly Magazine, E. Littell, Vol. 1, January-June 1833, page 211("On Grand Christian Names")


Boston

→ Abenaki: Pastonki, pastoni

→ Klamath-Modoc: basdin

→ Lushootseed: pastəd

→ Mohawk: Wáhston

The US city is named after the English town (from which several prominent colonists had come), which itself is sometimes said to be named as a contraction of Botolph's town or Botolph's stone (the name Botolph itself coming from Old English Botwulf, from boda + wulf). However, this is uncertain.

(rare) A male given name transferred from the place name or surname.