Louis

→ Bengali: লুইস (luiś)

→ Hawaiian: Lui

→ Maori: Ruihi, Rewi

→ Persian: لوئیس (lu'is)

From French Louis, from Middle French Loïs, Loïc, &c., from Old French Looïs, Luis, Lodhuvigs, Lodevis, Lodhwig, &c., from Latin Ludovicus, from Clodovicus, from Frankish *Hlūdawīg, from Proto-Germanic *hlūdaz (“loud; famous”) + *wīgą (“battle”).
Doublet of Lewis and, more remotely, Aloysius, Luis, Ludwig, Luigi, and Clovis.
Remotely related to Slav and related terms through the Proto-Indo-European *ḱlew- (“to hear, be heard; famous”) root.

"It is hardly a week since you called me your future husband, and treated me as such; now I am once more the tutor for you: I am addressed as Mr. Moore, and Sir; your lips have forgotten Louis."
 "No, Louis, no: it is an easy, liquid name, not soon forgotten."

1849, Currer Bell [pseudonym; Charlotte Brontë], chapter 36, in Shirley. A Tale. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: Smith, Elder and Co., […], →OCLC:


Susan

English form of the biblical Susanna, from Biblical Hebrew שׁוֹשַׁנָּה (šōšannā, “lily”), ultimately from Egyptian z:S:n-M9 (zšn).

cog

Susan and she - God rest all Christian souls! - / Were of an age. Well, Susan is with God; / She was too good for me.

c. 1591–1595 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii]:

"With all my heart, though I have not an idea who little Susan may be. But I have a kindness for all Susans, for simple Susan's sake.

1855, Elizabeth Gaskell, North and South, Bernhard Tauchnitz, published 1855, page 382:

My own 'reaction' to the name Susan is a vision of a sturdy young woman garbed in 'print' and armed with a mop or other domestic implement, a picture compounded of a succession of domestic Susans passing before the eyes of early childhood. […] It is symptomatic of the game of general post now being played by the classes and the masses that Susan is taking refuge, with Betty, Peggy, Jane and Ann, among the aristocracy, while Gladys and Muriel reign below stairs,

1932, Ernest Weekley, Words and Names, J.Murray, page 84:

Susan, they called her. They chose a name that resembled the name she had come with, Sooki, and also it was a comfortable sound for Iranians to pronounce. "Su-san!" Maryam would sing when she went in to get her from her nap. "Su-Su-Su!"
Even on issues pertaining to their daughter, the Yazdans took a very different approach. Imagine changing that charming name, Sooki, part of her native heritage, to plain old Susan!

2006, Anne Tyler, Digging to America, Alfred A. Knopf, →ISBN, pages 10, 62:


Simone

From French Simone, feminine form of Simon.


Hippocrates

Borrowed from Latin Hippocratēs, from Ancient Greek Ἱπποκράτης (Hippokrátēs). Compare Middle English Ypocras.

An Ancient Greek male given name from Ancient Greek, notably borne by Hippocrates of Cos, an Ancient Greek physician, circa 5th century BC, sometimes called the "father of medicine."


Russel

A male given name transferred from the surname.


Carolina

en-proper noun

Carolina (countable and uncountable, plural Carolinas)

Latin: carolinianus (New Latin)

Latin: carolinensis (New Latin)

From Latin Carolus (“Charles”) + -ina (feminine diminutive suffix).
The U.S. states are named for Charles I of England.

af

(countable) A female given name from Latin, Latinate form of Caroline; rare in English.


Shazia

From Arabic شَاذِيَّة (šāḏiyya, “rare, precious, unique”).


Arie

Borrowed from Hebrew אַרְיֵה (aryé, “lion”).


Russell

→ Translingual: russelianus

→ French: Russell

Inherited from Middle English Russel, from Anglo-Norman Russel. Doublet of Rousseau/Roussel. Equivalent to russel.

A male given name transferred from the surname. Diminutive: Russ.


Negar

From Iranian Persian نگار (negâr, “sweetheart; painting”).

bor

نگار نگار#Persian

A transliteration of the Persian female given name نگار (negâr).


Vernon

From Transalpine Gaulish uerna (“alder”) (from Proto-Celtic *wernā, from Proto-Indo-European *wern-) + -o, -onis (locative suffix, literally “place of alder trees”).

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


Seth

From Ancient Greek Σήθ (Sḗth), from Biblical Hebrew שֵׁת (Šet, literally “chosen one, appointed, placed”).

der

The children suggested names. In his childhood the ones they knew would have been unheard-of (Scott, Ross, Damian, Liam, Seth) or, strangely enough, too old-fashioned for popular use (Joshua, Simon, Jack, George).

2011 November 17, Ruth Rendell, Myth / The Astronomical Scarf / Walter's Leg (Storycuts), Random House, →ISBN:

'David, Seth and Aaron,' said Emma. 'Biblical names. I wonder if either of the parents is religious.' 'Jewish?' said Sam. 'They sound Old Testament to me.'

2021 December 7, Elly Griffiths, The Midnight Hour, Brighton Mysteries, →ISBN, page 34:


Kirsten

From North Germanic (Danish Kirsten and Norwegian Kirsten). Doublet of Christina.


Arthur

From the name of the legendary king, from Middle English Arthure, from Medieval Latin Arthurus, probably from Middle Welsh arth (“bear”).
Other suggestions include Old Welsh arth (“bear”) and ur (“man”), or a Latinized (Romano-British) name; compare Latin Artorius, itself possibly of Etruscan origin, or more likely Messapic-Illyrian related to Proto-Albanian *artsa (“bear”).

Young Arthur is alive: this hand of mine / Is yet a maiden and an innocent hand, / Not painted with the crimson spots of blood.

"Is his name Arthur?" "Arthur James." "It’s quite an old-fashioned name." "We’re an old-fashioned family. His mother was fond of Tennyson."

1951, Graham Greene, The End of the Affair, Viking Press, page 96:

"It will not be his only name," Mr. Saporta said, and his glance hoped he had found an acceptable solution. "We shall also call him 'Aaron'. That will be his Jewish name. But for everyday purposes—Arthur."

1966, Patrick White, The Solid Mandala, Avon Books, published 1975, →ISBN, page 270:

A male given name from the Celtic languages.


Gunther

From German Gunther. Compare variants: Gunter, Günter, Guenter, Günther, Guenther, Ginter, Ginther.


Nagraj

From Sanskrit नागराज (nāgarāja, “king of snakes”). The surname is from Marathi नागराज (nāgrāj).


Phil

Shortened from Philip, from Ancient Greek Φίλιππος (Phílippos), which see for more information.

A short form of the male given name Philip.

(rare) A short form of the female given name Philippa.


Phil

(rare) A short form of the female given name Philomena.


Shug

A Scottish nickname usually applied to people with the first name Hew or Hugh or other spellings of this name.


Uzziel

From Hebrew עֻזִּיאֵל (“strength of God”).


Philip

en-proper noun

Philip (countable and uncountable, plural Philips)

From Middle English Philip, ultimately from Ancient Greek Φίλιππος (Phílippos), name of ancient kings of Macedonia, from φίλιππος (phílippos, “fond of horses”), from φιλέω (philéō, “I love”) + ἵππος (híppos, “horse”).

af

Philip Berold, conceiting this his name, very Clerkly proves that Philip is an Apostolical name by Saint Philip the Apostle, a Royal name by King Philip King of Macedonia, and an Imperial name by Philip the first Christian Emperour.

1605, William Camden, Remains Concerning Britain, John Russell Smith, published 1870, page 93:

I used to envy my brother his name, and recall once accusing my mother of having favored him, else why did she name me Nathan and him Philip, tell me that, ma, tell me that. He had king Philip and if day-dreaming that association wasn't pleasure enough, there was the then movie star, Phillips Holmes. All I had was Nathan Hale.

1972, Nate Perlmutter, A Bias of Reflections: Confessions of an Incipient Old Jew, Arlington House, →ISBN, page 27:

"Philip," Luke repeated slowly, and a brightness came into his eyes. "She decided to name him Philip, after all." "A family name?" Cody asked him. Luke shrugged. "Actually, it's mine. I never much cared for it as a kid and dropped it when I started school. I insisted everyone call me by my middle name." "Ellie says your son looks like a Philip," Sherry put in. A wide grin split Luke's face. ""I think she's right―he does."

2010, Debbie Macomber, Orchard Valley Brides, MIRA, published 2010, →ISBN:

(countable) A male given name from Ancient Greek.


Scott

en-proper noun

Scott (countable and uncountable, plural Scotts)

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


Diogenes

From Latin Diogenēs, from Ancient Greek Διογένης (Diogénēs).

An Ancient Greek male given name from Ancient Greek


Janet

→ Welsh: Sioned

From Jane + -et, q.v. Chiefly Scottish until the 19th century.
Doublet of Ivanka, Jan, Janelle, Janey, Janine, Jeanette, Jeanie, Jeannette, Jeannine, Jen, Jenna, Jenny, Jessie, Jo, Jody, Juanita, Shanae, Sinead, and Vanna.

doublet

Keek into the draw-well, Janet, Janet,
And there ye'll see ye'r bonny fell, my jo Janet.

1733, Allan Ramsay, “My Jo Janet”, in The Tea-Table Miscellany: or, A Collection of Scots Songs:

Alice decided to have lots and lots of children and all of them with lovely names like Amanda-Jane and Arabella and Dominic and Ganymede.
"But too many children will be expensive," Flora said. "I'm having two and mine aren't called such silly names as yours. Mine are called Andrew and Janet."
"All right," Alice said, who was by nature accommodating. "Those are nice names, Flora."

1990, Barbara Trapido, Temples of Delight, page 50:


Francis

From Medieval Latin Franciscus (“French(man)”) (from Francia (“France”), originally a nickname of Saint Francis of Assisi. Doublet of Francisco and Franz.

bor

(used only as equivalent to French François) Francés

Francis is one of the pleasantest names in use. It has a fine open air with it, - a sound correspondent to its sense.

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

Francis had never been 'Frank' or 'Fran', he had always been called by his full name. It had lent him a certain dignity that he had possibly never earned.

2006, Kate Atkinson, One Good Turn, Black Swan, published 2007, →ISBN, page 454:

(rare) A female given name from Latin, Alternative spelling of Frances.

A ghost town in Wheeler County, Nebraska, United States.

A town in Summit County, Utah, United States.


Francisco

en-proper noun

Francisco (countable and uncountable, plural Franciscos)

From Latin Franciscus. Doublet of Francis.
* (given name): From Romance Francisco (Portuguese Francisco, Spanish Francisco)
* (moon of Uranus): From the naming pattern established for moons of Uranus, being references to the works of William Shakespeare. From being a character in the play The Tempest

(countable) A male given name from Spanish or Portuguese, equivalent to English Francis


Kevin

→ Breton: Kevin

→ Cebuano: Kevin

→ Danish: Kevin

→ Dutch: Kevin

→ Estonian: Kevin

→ French: Kevin, Kévin m

French: Kevine f

→ German: Kevin

→ Lithuanian: Kevinas

→ Norwegian: Kevin

→ Polish: Kewin

→ Portuguese: Kevin

→ Spanish: Kevin

→ Swedish: Kevin

→ Tagalog: Kevin

Name of a seventh-century Irish saint, from Irish Caoimhghin or Caoimhín, from Old Irish Cóemgen (literally “dear birth/person”). It first became popular outside Ireland in the mid-twentieth century.


Dheeraj

A male given name from Hindi, meaning “patience”.


Marvin

From Welsh Merfyn (“Mervyn”), probably from mer (“marrow”) + myn (“eminent”).

"Thank you the marketing division of the Sirius Cybernetic Corporation," said Marvin and trudged desolately up the gleaming curved corridor that stretched out before them. "Let's build robots with Genuine People personalities, they said. So they tried out with me. I'm a personality prototype. You can tell can't you?"

1979, Douglas Adams, The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Chapter 11:


Jose

From Spanish/Portuguese José, from Hebrew. Doublet of Joseph.

Some Rizaliana collectors deem the blue 1959 Jose Rizal Definitive to be the most attractive Rizal stamp.

2008, Lisa Mapua, Stamps of the Philippines: Historical and Topical Collections 1854–2004, →ISBN, page 125:

A male given name from Spanish, equivalent to English Joseph, an anglicized spelling of Spanish José and Portuguese José.


Jose

Originally as a diminutive form of Josephine, later also appearing as a given name.

A diminutive of the female given name Josephine.


Lynn

A male given name transferred from the surname, usually used as a middle name.

A female given name transferred from the surname, popular as a middle name.

A female given name, variant of Lyn, popular as a middle name.


Phillipp

A male given name from Ancient Greek, a rare spelling of Philip.


Irusha

A female given name from Hebrew, a form of Jerusha.

A male given name, a common Sri Lankan name that dates back to 2000 B.C.E..


Eileen

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-Eilleen.wav

Anglicized form of Irish Eibhlín, Eilín or Aibhilín, all cognates of Evelyn. Sometimes also used for the Irish name Éibhleann, possibly from Old Irish oíph (“radiance, beauty”).

Come on Eileen / Oh, I swear (What he means) / At this moment / You mean everything

1982, “Come On Eileen”, in Too-Rye-Ay, performed by Dexys Midnight Runners:


Isaac

en-proper noun

Isaac (countable and uncountable, plural Isaacs)

→ Pohnpeian: Aisek

From Middle English Ysaac, from Latin Isaac, from Ancient Greek Ἰσαάκ (Isaák), from Hebrew יצחק (Yiṣḥāq, literally “he laughs, he will laugh”). Explained in Genesis as referring to his mother Sarah’s laughing when she was told she would have a son at her old age. The verb is masculine, however, perhaps due to its use as a boy’s name.


Prometheus

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-Prometheus.wav

From Ancient Greek Προμηθεύς (Promētheús), from πρό (pró, “before”) + μανθάνω (manthánō, “to think”).


Marie

The French Marie, equivalent of Mary; also an Early New English spelling of Mary, from Middle English Marie. Doublet of Mary.

We are going to call her Marie. For once we are in agreement about something, if for different reasons. I just happen to like the name, it's my second favourite girl's name after Swanhild, it has such a pretty sound. Rasmus, of course, likes it because it can be English and all things English he adores. 'The English can pronounce it,' he says, by which he means they pronounce it "Maar-rie", as in Marie Lloyd whom we've seen on the stage. 'The French can pronounce it too,' I said in my way, 'for what that's worth,' but he doesn't mind what I say at the moment.

1993, Barbara Vine (Ruth Rendell). Asta's Book →ISBN, page 105


Ian

“If you want a Scotch name why don’t you call him Jock?” Macgregor looked disgusted. “Because Jock is not a name, but a diminutive, as everybody knows well. It is the diminutive of John. And John is not a Scots name. The Scots form of that name is Ian. If you want to call him Ian Fetch, I shall say no more”.

1975, Robertson Davies, World of Wonders, →ISBN, page 736:

A male given name from Scottish Gaelic Eòin, equivalent to English John.

Sìne

Jane; John; female Scottish form of from


Tommy

A diminutive of the male given name Thomas.

(uncommon relative to the male given name) A diminutive of the female given name Thomasina.


Tommy

Then it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, 'ow's yer soul?"
But it's "Thin red line of 'eroes" when the drums begin to roll

And every night now he played pontoon, that game of the Tommies, with Mrs Bolton, gambling with sixpences.

1928, D[avid] H[erbert] Lawrence, chapter XV, in Lady Chatterley’s Lover, [Germany?]: Privately printed, →OCLC:

Meanwhile the Tommies had discovered several large tins of ham in the captured lorry. 'That,' said the big Nazi, 'is for our tea.' 'No,' said a Tommy sergeant-major. 'That's for our tea. For you, chummy, we've kept a nice bit of bull.'

1949, Stephen Peter Llewellyn, Journey Towards Christmas, page 142:

He liked the Germans better than he did the French; but for all that, if he went down the back streets of a night, it was with three or four British Tommies, in case the Jerries weren't as friendly as they made out.

1974, GB Edwards, The Book of Ebenezer Le Page, New York, published 2007, page 129:

(colloquial) Ellipsis of Tommy Atkins; a typical private in the British army; a British soldier.


Rama

en:Rama (disambiguation)
en:Rendezvous with Rama

Borrowed from Sanskrit रमा (ramā).
* (Oumuamua): The nickname derives from the similarity of Oumuamua to the fictional object "Rama" in the story Rendezvous with Rama, where that fictional object is named for the goddess.

A female given name from Sanskrit mainly used in India.


Catherine

/ˈkæθ(ə)ɹɪn/

From French Catherine, from Ancient Greek Αἰκατερίνη (Aikaterínē), *Ἑκατερίνη (*Hekaterínē), of debated meaning, possibly from ἑκάτερος (hekáteros, “each of the two”), or from the name of the goddess Hecate. The apheresis of the first syllable as well as the spelling with ⟨th⟩ in Latin languages, German and English, is due to a folk etymology, dating from Roman times, which associated the name with the Ancient Greek καθαρός (katharós, “pure”). The name belonged to a 4th-century saint and martyr from Alexandria who was supposedly tortured on the wheel from where the term Catherine wheel originates.

- - - despite of what you say of my fine name, I think my head is so obstinate and inflexible that the name Catherine was well chosen. It suits my character. I was given the name by the late Empress Elisabeth, to whom I owe much; she gave it to me out of affection and out of respect for her mother

1763 Voltaire and Catherine the Great: Selected Correspondence. Voltaire, Catherine, Antony Lentin.(Translation from French.)Publ. Oriental Research Partners,1973

It was named Catherine, but he never called it the name in full, as he had never called the first Catherine short, probably because Heathcliff had a habit of doing so. The little one was always Cathy, it formed to him a distinction from the mother, and yet, a connection with her;

1847 December, Ellis Bell [pseudonym; Emily Brontë], Wuthering Heights: […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Thomas Cautley Newby, […], →OCLC:

"Is that your given name?" "Not exactly. My father named me Catherine, and my mother nicknamed me Carrie. Nobody calls me Catherine." "Oh, but you're much more a Catherine than a Carrie," observed Peter seriously. "Carrie is simple and mundane; Catherine is complex and beautiful."

1981, Carole Gift Page, Carrie, Bethany House Publishers, published 1994, →ISBN, page 55:

"Yes, Catherine sounds like a lovely name. I like it. My new name will be Catherine." She rolled the name Catherine silently again. The name had character a noble ring to it she really liked it.

2003, Michael O. Gregory, The Dead Years, page 35:


Caroline

/ˈkæɹ.əˌlɪn/

Borrowed in the 17th century from the French form of Carolina, feminine derivative of Carolus, the Latin equivalent of Charles, which came from Middle High German Karl.

- - - 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. A great number of children, amongst the lower classes, are Carolines. That does not, however, wholly proceed from the love of the appellation; though I believe that a queen Margery or a queen Sarah would have had fewer namesakes.

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

I used to love saying her name. Caroline, with the "i" always long, because to make it short left it sounding like crinoline, a sweat-stained, mothballed Sunday hat pulled from an attic trunk. But Caroline with the "i" long created a sound roughly equivalent to the idea of a girl. The echo of a song in its three syllables, an age-old lyric not yet faded from memory.

1999, Andrew Pyper, chapter 44, in Lost Girls:

A female given name from the Germanic languages.


Sam

A diminutive of the male given name Samuel, or rarely of Samson. Also used as a formal given name.

A diminutive of the female given name Samantha.

A Trans-New Guinea language of Papua New Guinea.


Sam

(UK, informal) Synonym of Dicky Sam (“a man from Liverpool”)


Mario

From Italian and Spanish Mario, both of which coming from Latin Marius.

It's-a me! Mario!

A male given name from Italian or Spanish.


Austin

From Middle English [Term?], from Anglo-Norman Aostin, Austin, a contraction of Old French Agustin, from Latin Augustīnus, from Augustus (literally “majestic”). Doublet of Augustine.

A male given name from Old French, of Anglo-Norman origin.

'He says the business with Austin doing take-and-drive-away, it's a deep compulsion he has, a compulsion to find out his real identity by sampling and testing out various machines.'
'You mean it's the vicar's fault for naming him after a car?'

1986, Hilary Mantel, Vacant Possession, Harper Perennial, published 2006, →ISBN, page 15:

A male given name transferred from the surname.


Bridget

English form of the Irish saints' name Brighid, Brigid. Doublet of Bride.

And when Miſtreſſe Briget loſt the handle of her Fan, I took't vpon mine honour thou hadſt it not.

c. 1597 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merry Wiues of Windsor”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii], page 45:

Of all the beautiful Christian names of women which were in use a century or two ago Brighid (Breed), under the ugly form of Bridget, or still worse, Biddy, and Eiblin under the form of Eveleen, and perhaps Norah, seem to be the only survivals, and they are becoming rarer.

2000, David Pierce, Irish Writing in the Twentieth Century: A Reader, Cork University Press., →ISBN, pages 8–9:


Owen

A male given name from Welsh, an anglicization of Welsh Owain.

A male given name from Irish, an anglicization of Irish Eoghan.


Crispin

From Latin Crispinus, derivative of the Roman family name Crispus (“curly”).
Alternatively, contraction of Crispus (“hair”) and pinus (“pine”), according to Miraculum Quo Beata Maria Subvenit Guillelmo Crispino


Roxanne

A female given name from Persian; a spelling variant of Roxane, fairly popular since the 1930s.


Colin

Diminutive of Coll, a medieval short form of Nicholas. It has also been used to anglicize Irish Coileán and Scottish Gaelic Cailean.

That iolly shepheard, which there piped, was / Poore Colin Clout (who knowes not Colin Clout?)

1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book VI, Canto X”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 16:

"My parents," Powell wrote, "were British subjects, and they named me Colin (KAH-lin). Being British, they knew very well how the name was supposed to be pronounced. But when I was a young boy, there was a famous American World War II hero whose name became very popular in the streets of New York City. He was Capt. Colin P. Kelly Jr. He was called KOH-lin. My friends in the streets of the South Bronx, who heard Captain Kelly's name pronounced in the radio and by their parents and other adults, began to refer to me by the same pronunciation.

1992, Howard B. Means, Colin Powell, Donald J. Fine, published 1992, →ISBN, page 49:


Roxy

A diminutive of the female given names Roxana, Roxane, and Roxanne.


Shravas

A male given name from Sanskrit, meaning “fame” or “to be heard” used in India; It is very uncommon.


Steve

Shortening of various names ultimately derived from Latin Stephanus m, from Ancient Greek Στέφανος m (Stéphanos) from στέφανος m (stéphanos, “crown, wreath”)

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:

A diminutive of the male given name Steven and Stephen; also used as a formal male given name.

Allison made a careful note of the address and within the hour she had met, decided she liked, and moved in with a girl of twenty who called herself Steve Wallace.
"Don't call me Stephanie", Steve had said. "I don't know why it should, but being called Stephanie always makes me feel like something pale and dull out of Jane Austen."

1956, Grace Metalious, Peyton Place, UPNE, published 1999, →ISBN, Book Three, Chapter 13:

A diminutive of the female given name Stephanie.


Brenna

An American coinage used since the 1970s, possibly based on the male given name Brennan or Brendan.


Dustin

Probably from Old Norse Þorsteinn (“Thor's stone”).

A male given name from the Germanic languages (very rarely also given to women).


Frederick

From German Friedrich, Friederich and influenced by Latin Friderīcus, Frederīcus, from Old High German Fridurih, from Frankish *Friþurīk, from Proto-Germanic *Friþurīks (“peace king, peaceful ruler”).

Have you not heard speak of Mariana, the sister of Frederick, the great soldier who miscarried at sea?

When I referred to the confusion which would result from the presence in the house of two people with the same name, she tossed her head and said it would be easy to obviate that by calling me Frederick instead of Fred. - - - Imagine Harry Bolles and other kindred spirits calling me stiff, august Frederick! I vowed that this should not be brought to pass - - -

1892, Robert Grant, The Reflections of a Married Man, Scribner, pages 98–99:

A male given name from the Germanic languages.


Jackson

en-proper noun

Jackson (countable and uncountable, plural Jacksons)

Francis was named for his mother's father and Jackson himself was named for his father's mother. Not that his grandmother was called Jackson, of course - it was a maiden name (Margaret Jackson) and it was a Scottish tradition, his father informed him.

2004, Kate Atkinson, Case Histories, →ISBN, page 158:


Gurjit

A male given name from Sanskrit used by Sikhs.


Mervyn

Welsh Merfyn, probably from mer (“marrow”) (from Proto-Brythonic *mer) + myn (“eminent”) (compare Irish mín (“smooth, elegant, courteous”)).

cog

Mervyn, in the meantime, had had his solitary meal in the famous back parlour of the Phoenix, where the newspapers lay, and all comers were welcome.

1863, Sheridan Le Fanu, The House by the Churchyard:


Patrick

en-prop

Patrick (countable and uncountable, plural Patricks)

[ˈpʰæ.t̠ɹ̠̊˔ʷɪk̚]

From Middle English Patrick, from Latin Patricius (“patrician”), the name of an early Irish saint. Doublet of Paddy.

Yes, by Saint Patrick, but there is, Horatio,
And much offence, too.

c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene v]:

- Are unusual names nice?
- Yes.
- Then why am I called Patrick?
She laughed but only for a little bit. She smiled at me, I think to make sure that I knew she wasn't laughing at me.
- Because your daddy's called Patrick, she said.
I liked that, being called after my da.
- There are five Patricks in our class, I said.
- Is that right?
- Patrick Clarke. That's me. Patrick O'Neill. Patrick Redmond. Patrick Genocci. Patrick Flynn.
- That's a lot, she said. - It's a nice name. Very dignified.
- Three of them are called Paddy, I told her. - One Pat and one Patrick.

1993, Roddy Doyle, Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha, page 138:


Kermit

Variant of English and Manx Kermode, cognate with Irish Mac Diarmata (“son of Dermot”). Popularized in the US by the naming of Kermit Roosevelt (after a Manx ancestor). The computing sense is named after the Sesame Street character, but later provided with a backronym ("KL10 Error-Free Reciprocal Microprocessor Interchange over TTY").

(chiefly US) A male given name from Manx.


Lewis

en-proper noun

Lewis (countable and uncountable, plural Lewises)

From Middle English Lewis, Lowis, from Anglo-Norman, from Old French Louis, from Frankish *Hlūdawīg. Doublet of Louis.


Samuel

From Latin Samūēl, from Ancient Greek Σαμουήλ (Samouḗl), from Biblical Hebrew שְׁמוּאֵל (šəmûʾēl, literally “name of God”) https://www.etymonline.com/word/samuel. It is also taken to mean "heard by God" or "asked of God."
According to 1 Samuel 1:20, the Biblical judge and prophet was given this name due to its similarity to a Hebrew word that means "heard by God."

der

It was quite unnecessary to call Samuel Weller; for Samuel Weller stepped briskly into the box the instant his name was pronounced; and placing his hat on the floor, and his arms on the rail, took a bird’s–eye view of the Bar, and a comprehensive survey of the Bench, with a remarkably cheerful and lively aspect. ‘What’s your name, sir?’ inquired the judge. / ‘Sam Weller, my Lord,’ replied that gentleman. / ‘Do you spell it with a “V” or a “W”?’ inquired the judge. / ‘That depends upon the taste and fancy of the speller, my Lord,’ replied Sam; ‘I never had occasion to spell it more than once or twice in my life, but I spells it with a “V.” ’ / Here a voice in the gallery exclaimed aloud, ‘Quite right too, Samivel, quite right. Put it down a “we,” my Lord, put it down a “we.”’

1836 March – 1837 October, Charles Dickens, “Chapter 34”, in The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, London: Chapman and Hall, […], published 1837, →OCLC:

I went down the dark road between the hawthorn hedges puzzling over the why of like, repeating SAMUEL to myself and aloud and listening to the rolling wonder in its sound that had charmed her soul and led her life in tragic places. SAMUEL! There was a rolling wonder in the sound. Aye, there was!

1914, Jack London, The Strength of the Strong/Samuel:


Angela

Feminine form of Church Latin Angelus, from Ancient Greek ἄγγελος (ángelos, “messenger, angel”).

Faire Angela (quoth she) men do her call, / No whit lesse faire, then terrible in fight: / She hath the leading of a Martiall / And mighty people, dreaded more then all / The other Saxons, which do for her sake / And love, themselves of her name Angles call.

1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto III”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 56:

And the child was named Angela for the Angelus which rang the midnight hour, the New Year, the minute of her coming and because she was a little angel anyway.
ibid., page 39:
The man says his name is Mr. Dimino and that's his wife, Angela, behind the counter. I tell him that's my mother's name. No kiddin', kid. Your mother is Angela? I didn't know the Irish had any Angelas.

1996, Frank McCourt, chapter I, in Angela's Ashes, HarperCollins., →ISBN, page 5:


Karl

→ Cebuano: Karl, Carl

From German and North Germanic (Scandinavian) Karl, from Germanic. Doublet of Charles.

A male given name from the Germanic languages, equivalent to English Charles.


Franklin

en-prop

Franklin (countable and uncountable, plural Franklins)

From Middle English frankelein (“freeholder”), see franklin. The place names are mostly named after American statesman Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790).

named-after

A male given name transferred from the surname, partly in honor of Benjamin Franklin.


Hymie

A diminutive of the male given name Hyman.


Alfred

→ Danish: Alfred

Esperanto: Alfredo

Faroese: Alfred

→ Finnish: Alfred

French: Alfred

→ German: Alfred

Greek: Αλφρέδος (Alfrédos)

Italian: Alfredo

Norman: Alfred

→ Norwegian: Alfred

Portuguese: Alfredo

desctree

Spanish: Alfredo
Cebuano: Alfredo
Tagalog: Alfredo

→ Swedish: Alfred

From Middle English Alfred, from Old English Ælfrǣd, from ælf (“elf”) + rǣd (“counsel”). Doublet of Alfredo and Avery.
The modern pronunciation with /f/ is a spelling pronunciation; the name in Old English was pronounced with [v], as shown in its Middle English descendant Alured (in which u stands for modern v).

Unfortunately for me my father had combined diplomacy with a study of Anglo-Saxon history and, of course with my mother's consent, he gave me the name of Alfred, one of his heroes ( I believe she had boggled at Aelfred ). This Christian name, for some inexplicable reason, had become corrupted in the eyes of our middle-class world; it belonged exclusively now to the working class and was usually abbreviated to Alf. Perhaps that was why Doctor Fisher, the inventor of Dentophil Bouquet, never called me anything but Jones, even after I married his daughter.

1980, Graham Greene, Doctor Fisher of Geneva, or the Bomb Party (fiction), →OCLC:

You give a kid a name like Cameron / or Alfred, or something like that, / and they end up wearing glasses / and looking at computers for the rest of their life.

1998, Steven Herrick, A Place Like This (fiction), University of Queensland Press, →ISBN, page 86:


Marsha

"I hate my name, too," offered four-year-old Marsha, who until that moment had never thought about her name.
"No, you don't." Mom. "It's a lovely name."
"Is not." But in fact, like most people, she had no particular feelings about her name - her first name, anyhow - but simply accepted it as hers.

2005, John Barth, Where Three Roads Meet: Novellas, →ISBN, page 83:

A female given name from Latin, variant of Marcia.


Carla

A female given name from the Germanic languages borrowed from Italian or German.


Archibald

From Old English Arcebald, Arcenbald or Ercenbald, from Old French Archaunbault, from Proto-West Germanic *Erknabalþ, from *erkn (“pure, holy, genuine, precious”) + *balþ (“strong, bold”).


Taylor

"I wanted to call her Taylor, but my husband said no," Sweetie was telling one of the Christmas party guests.
"Taylor means a tailor," I said. "It seems inauspicious. Like calling her Cobbler."
"That's a kind of drink," said Nani.

2001, Paul Theroux, Hotel Honolulu, page 206:

A unisex given name transferred from the surname.


Archie

→ Scottish Gaelic: Eairdsidh

A diminutive of the male given name Archibald, from the Germanic languages, also used as a formal given name.


Angie

A diminutive of the female given name Angela.


Clark

From Old English clerc (“clergyman; learned man”), whence also clerk.

der

A male given name transferred from the surname.


Lawrence

en-proper noun

Lawrence (countable and uncountable, plural Lawrences)

"I named him Lawrence. After my father. Pete, that's my husband, he never really liked the name Lawrence. He thought it wasn't very..." she shut her eyes for a moment, shaking her head slowly, "...very masculine." She opened her eyes and smiled ruefully. " That's a good one, isn't it?"

2003, Elise Title, Inside Out: A Mystery, St.Martin's Minotaur, published 2003, →ISBN, page 69:

A male given name from Latin, the usual spelling of Laurence in the U.S.; masculine of Lauren


Nate

A diminutive of the male given names Nathan, Nathanael and Nathaniel, and also a female given name Natalie.


Davis

en-prop

Davis (countable and uncountable, plural Davises)


Condere

A male given name from Irish, borne by an Ulster warrior renowned for his eloquence in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology.


Bruce

From a Norman place name, Brix, of disputed meaning.


Harvey

en-proper noun

Harvey (countable and uncountable, plural Harveys)

From Haerviu, name of a Breton saint, from Old Breton hoiarn (“iron”) + viu (“blazing”). Cognate with modern Breton Haerviu.
In Ireland, used as an anglicisation of Irish Ó hAirmheadhaigh and Ó hEarchaidh.
The civil parish in New Brunswick is probably named in honour of British colonial administrator John Harvey (1778 - 1852).

After getting permisssion from my mom, I personal messaged ten different Harveys from her profile who seemed “obviously” Native and lived in Phoenix.

2018, Tommy Orange, “Edwin Black”, in There There, New York, N.Y.: Vintage Books, →ISBN, page 69:

A male given name from the Celtic languages, in modern use often transferred back from the surname.


Roy

Roy (countable and uncountable, plural Roys)

→ French: Roy

→ Norwegian: Roy

→ Norwegian Nynorsk: Roy

→ Norwegian Bokmål: Roy

→ Swedish: Roy

From various sources:
* Anglo-Norman roy (“king”) a variant of Old French roi, from Latin rēx, rēgem from Proto-Indo-European *h₃rḗǵs (“ruler, king”). Doublet of Rey.
* Scottish Gaelic ruadh (“red, red-haired”) from Old Irish rúad, from Proto-Celtic *roudos from Proto-Indo-European *h₁rewdʰ-.
* Anglicisation of Bengali রায় (raẏ, surname).

der

- - - The real pity is that the only name William Burton remembers is Roy ...it was a popular name in the fifties and sixties so there were probably quite a few of them."
"Not that popular," said George. "Surely it's Roy Trent?"
"Roy Rogers...Roy Orbison... Roy of the Rovers...Roy Castle..."
"At least one of those was a comic-book character," said Andrew.
"So? Bill Clinton and David Beckham named their children after places. All I'm saying is we can't assume Roy Trent from Roy."

2003, Minette Walters, Disordered Minds, Macmillan., →ISBN, page 173:

(countable) A male given name from Scottish Gaelic.


Charlotte

From French Charlotte in the 17th century, female diminutive form of Charles, from Middle High German Karl, which came from the Germanic *karlaz.
The civil parish is named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1744 - 1818). Coined by British-Dutch surveyor Samuel Holland.

coin

My Charlotte conquers with a smile, / And reigneth queen of love.
In the home-circle and among her companions, Charlotte lays aside her queenship and becomes a gentle Lottie.

1852 August, D. H. Jacques, “A Chapter on Names”, in The Knickerbocker, or, New-York Monthly Magazine, volume XL, page 117:

"Here's Totty! By-and-by, what's her other name? She wasn't christened Totty." "Oh, sir, we call her sadly out of name. Charlotte's her christened name. It's a name i' Mr. Poyser's family; his grandmother was named Charlotte. But we began calling her Lotty, and now it's got to Totty. To be sure it's more like a name for a dog than a Christian child."

1859, George Eliot [pseudonym; Mary Ann Evans], chapter VII, in Adam Bede […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), Edinburgh; London: William Blackwood and Sons, →OCLC:

'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:


Allen

en-proper noun

Allen (countable and uncountable, plural Allens)

A male given name from the Celtic languages, a variant of Alan; in modern use often transferred from the surname.


Pete

A diminutive of the male given name Peter


Ted

Shortened form of Edward, Theodore, Thaddeus or Edmund.

A nickname for the male given names Edward, Theodore, Thaddeus, and Edmund.

泰德

diminutive of Edward, Theodore, Thaddeus, or Edmund


Wes

A diminutive of the male given name Wesley.


Johnny

From John + -y. In the sense of an Englishman, compare John Bull.

A diminutive of the male given name John.

Janie

similar diminutives that derive from Jane, which derives from John


Wesley

Several places in England, from Old English west (“west”) + lēah (“wood, clearing”). Equivalent to west + -ley (“lea”).

A male given name transferred from the surname, of 18th century and later usage, today often without any religious connotations.


Hamilton

Hamilton (countable and uncountable, plural Hamiltons)

Translingual: ℍ

From Old English Hameldūne, from hamel (“blunt, flat-topped”) + dūne (“hill”). The Scottish surname is from the place in Leicestershire.

咸美頓

name of various cities in English-speaking countries


Darlington

/ˈdɑːlɪŋtən/

-ɑː(ɹ)lɪŋtən

From Middle English Dearnington, Derlinton, from Old English Dearthingtun, supposedly “the settlement of Deornoth's people”, from an unclear root + -ing + -tun. The transistor configuration is named for its inventor, Sidney Darlington.

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


Maurice

From Middle English Maurice, from Late Latin Mauritius, derived from Maurus (“Moor; dark, swarthy”). Popularized by a 3rd-century Roman soldier martyr.

For some reason I am a man known by his surname; I might never have been christened for all the use my friends make of the rather affected Maurice my literary parents gave me.

1951, Graham Greene, The End of the Affair, Viking Press, page 5:

A male given name from Latin, equivalent to English Morris.


Nance

A diminutive of the female given name Nancy.


Jerome

From the Old French vernacular form of the saint's name Hieronymus, from Ancient Greek Ἱερώνυμος (Hierṓnumos). Doublet of Hieronymus.


Shuli

A hypocoristic for Shulamith (and possibly Sulamit).

It is co-curated by Shulamith (a.k.a. Shuli) Berger

2003, Esther Nussbaum, chapter IV, in HaSafran - The Electronic Forum of the Association of Jewish Libraries:


Louise

From French Louise, the feminine form of Louis.

Louise, thy stately name sounds in my ear / Like a sea wave, that gathering, hill on hill, / Upon the blue horizon, smooth and still, / Sweeps to the shore

1890 Arthur Weir, John Arthur Lockhart: The Romance of Sir Richard. Published by William Drysdale&Co. page 83

That's what I baptized her. Mary Louise. Everybody else called her just plain Mary, but that wasn't the way I intended it. I intended it Mary Louise. That's a pretty name, isn't it? Mary Louise. Mary is too...plain?

1957, Ed McBain, The Con Man, Armchair Detective Library, published 1991, →ISBN, page 47:

I've always thought I was too large for a soft, musical name like Louise, too untidy.

1991, Emily Ellison, The Picture Makers, G.K.Hall, →ISBN, page 111:


Calum

From Scottish Gaelic Calum, from Late Latin Columba (literally “dove”), the name of a sixth century Scottish saint, one of the patron saints of Scotland. Doublet of Colm.


Gary

Gary (countable and uncountable, plural Garys)

Medieval short form of Germanic compound names beginning with gari (“spear”)/geri (“spear”), such as Gerard, Gerald, or Gerbert. Cognate with the Scottish and Irish Gaelic name Garaidh.
* The last-century popularity of the given name is due to the American actor Gary Cooper (1901–1961), whose stage name was invented by his agent, a native of Gary, Indiana.

Dressed up like a million dollar trooper / Trying hard to look like Gary Cooper

1930, Irving Berlin (lyrics and music), “Puttin' On The Ritz”:

"Gary's an awful name. Whatever he's like. It reminds me of a G.I. man with a crew cut, and 'Mom' tattooed on his chest, and lots of pin-up pictures on his wall."

1964, Anne Tyler, If Morning Ever Comes, Severn House, published 1983, page 52:

A male given name transferred from the surname, popular from the 1940s to the 1970s.


Stanley

From places in England, Old English stān (“stone”) + lēah (“meadow”). Equivalent to stone + -ley (“lea”).
* The given name has also been used as an anglicisation of Stanisław, Stanislav and related names.
The coastal town in Hong Kong is named after Edward Henry Stanley, 15th Earl of Derby.

named-after

A male given name transferred from the surname. Popular in early 20th century.


Stewart

en-proper noun

Stewart (countable and uncountable, plural Stewarts)


Jacques

A male given name from French borrowed from French.


Larry

No one gets named Larry anymore. It's had it as a name. Think of someone called Larry and you automatically conjure up a guy drinking beer in a sixties rec room.

1998, Carol Shields, Larry's Party, Penguin, →ISBN, page 254:

"Larry, name's Larry." I smiled, it was too ridiculous. He was worried about me calling him Lawrence instead of Larry with a rogue zombie climbing out of the dirt.

2002, Laurell K. Hamilton, Circus of the Damned, JOVE, →ISBN, page 149:

A diminutive of the male given name Laurence or Lawrence, popular as a male given name in the U.S. in the 1940s and the 1950s.


Donald

Donald (countable and uncountable, plural Donalds)

⇒ Translingual: donaldtrumpi

Name of Scottish kings and an early saint, from Scottish Gaelic Dòmhnall and reinforced by Medieval Latin Donvaldus ~ Donaldus, from Old Irish Domnall, from Proto-Celtic *Dubnowalos (“prince / chief of the world”). Doublet of Domhnall.

der

"Country?" replied Cuddie; "ou, the country's weel eneugh, and it werena that dour deevil, Calver'se, ( they ca' him Dundee now) that's stirring about yet in the Highlands, they say, with a' the Donalds, and Duncans, and Dugalds, that ever wore bottomless breeks, driving about wi' him, to set things asteer again, - - -

1816, Walter Scott, Old Mortality, Samuel H. Parker, published 1836, page 232:

My friends call me Terry. My husband always used my full name, Teresa. He said it made him feel like he was married to a foreign woman. And I never called him Don or Donny or Donny Joe. I called him Donald from the first time we met.

1980, Laura Furman, The Glass House, a Novella and Stories, Viking Press, published 1980, →ISBN, page 76:

Donald Duk never liked his name. He hates his name. He is not a duck. He is not a cartoon character. - - - "Only the Chinese are stupid enough to give a kid a stupid name like Donald Duk," Donald Duk says to himself.

1991, Frank Chin, Donald Duk, Coffee House Press, published 1991, →ISBN, page 1:


Augustus

From Latin Augustus, from augustus (“majestic, venerable”). Doublet of august.

A male given name from Latin, risen in popularity since the 18th century.


Juan

A male given name from Manx or Spanish, equivalent to English John.


Margaret

en-proper noun

Margaret (countable and uncountable, plural Margarets)

From the name of a legendary third century saint, from Middle English Margaret, from Old French Margaret (French Marguerite), from Latin Margarita, from Ancient Greek μαργαρίτης (margarítēs, “pearl”), ultimately from an Indo-Iranian source.
The same source, through folk etymology, has produced Old English meregrot (“pearl”, literally “stone or pebble of the sea”), related to Old Saxon merigrita, merigriota (“pearl”), Old High German merigrioz, equivalent to mer- + groat.

cog

Margaret shall now be queen, and rule the king;
But I will rule both her, the king, and realm.

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 V, scene v]:

Margaret, Marguerite - the pearl! the daisy! Oh name of romance and of minstrelsy, which brings the days of chivalry to mind, and the worship of flowers and ladies fair!

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

Amongst us English, the name is a greater favourite than with any other nation: but we have played upon it, and abused it oftener too. In no language does Margaret sound sweeter or homelier than in ours: not so Mag, Maggie, Meg, Madge, Moggie, Peg, Peggy, and abominable Piggy, of which abridgements only the two first are defensible.

1868, Bentley's Miscellany, London, page 417:

The girls from our year were mainly named some version of Shawn. There was Shawna, Dawna, Shawnee, Dawnali, Shalana, and just plain Dawn and Shawn. There was also a girl named Margaret, named after her grandmother, who worked at the post office. I ended up talking with Margaret.

2012, Louise Erdrich, The Round House, Corsair, published 2013, →ISBN, page 292:


Mikhail

From Russian Михаи́л (Mixaíl, “Michael”), from Hebrew מיכאל. Doublet of Michael.

Михаи́л Михаил#Russian

A transliteration of the Russian male given name Михаи́л (Mixaíl).


Misha

A transliteration of the Russian Ми́ша (Míša), a hypocoristic for Михаи́л (Mixaíl), the Russian equivalent of Michael, from Hebrew מיכאל.
Also a female name, presumably analogous to Michelle.


Nawin

Variant of Navin or Naveen, from a Sanskrit word meaning "new". Nawin is also a common name in Indonesia.


Adrian

From Latin Hadrianus (“from the Roman harbor Hadria”) a place name ultimately from Etruscan 𐌇𐌀𐌕𐌓𐌉𐌀 (hatria). Doublet of Hadrian. See Adria.

der

Which, of he, or Adrian, for a good wager, / Firſt begins to crow ?

1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i]:

"My only worth will be in always remembering to do the thing that pleases you; and yet, although I don't really like Adie, it has a more home-like, more whisperable sound than Adrian. Adrian is a grand, heroic sort of a name, yet what a beautiful name it is.

1874, Bertha de Jongh, The Sisters Lawless, by the author of Rosa Noel, page 245:

His baptismal register spoke of him pessimistically as John Henry, but he had left that behind with the other maladies of infancy, and his friends knew him under the front-name of Adrian.

I'm afraid neither of us was looking where we were going. We Adrians are notoriously abstracted, are we not?

1991 September, Stephen Fry, chapter 2, in The Liar, London: Heinemann, →ISBN, →OCLC, section I, page 40:

A male given name from Latin or Etruscan.

(rare) A female given name from Latin (compare Adriana, Adrianna, Adrienne).

A number of places in the United States:

A city in Nobles County, Minnesota, United States.


Friedrich

en-prop

Friedrich (plural Friedrichs or Friedriches)

Friedrichs (plural)
Friedriches (plural)

As it happened, also, the particular Friedrichs and Wilhelms whom he meant to see and confer with were out of town, or had moved their habitats, so that he could not easily find them. […] “I beg your pardon, but can you tell me where Friedrich Baum lives?”

1872 December, Edward E[verett] Hale, “Ups and Downs”, in Old and New, volume VI, number 6, Boston, Mass.: Roberts Brothers, […], chapter XXVI, pages 689–690:

The dour Friedrich Wilhelm I, never out of uniform, accumulating tax income from a dozen different unconstitutional sources, takes time out from drilling his grenadiers to smash an inefficient postillion over the head with his cane. The sleepless Friedrich der Grosse, an atheist Calvin, rises at 6 a.m. to write the day’s orders to his bureaucrats, a shining example to the world of “enlightened despotism.” Even the feckless Friedrich Wilhelm III, defeated by a French revolutionary army, appoints a minister to tell him “Your majesty must do from above what the French have done from below.” […] When the king contemplated (God forbid) his abdication on the issue, Bismarck threw himself into the breach, accepted the office of Chancellor, defied the parliament, and collected the tax, just as the Friedrichs and Wilhelms had done before the French Revolution interrupted the course of progress.

1983, William R[omeyn] Everdell, The End of Kings: A History of Republics and Republicans, New York, N.Y.: The Free Press, →ISBN, page 250:

The king’s palace, abode of all the Friedrichs and Wilhelms, had stood there, too, vacated after World War One, discreetly ignored by Hitler, bombed by the Allies in 1945, and finally demolished by the communists.

2001, James Howard Kunstler, The City in Mind: Meditations on the Urban Condition, New York, N.Y.: The Free Press, →ISBN, page 116:

Eventually it [the law faculty] chose Friedrich Julius Stahl (1802–1861) – born Joel Golson (or Jolson). […] Uhlfelder’s activities were also efficient in assuring Joel’s (and other Jews’) admission to the renowned Protestant school, the Wilhelm Gymnasium.⁹⁶ It was there that Joel became acquainted with Friedrich Immanuel Niethammer – the Bannerträger des Neuhumanismus – and with the philosopher and Goethe’s friend Friedrich Heinrich Jacobi. Joel also developed a special relationship with Friedrich Wilhelm Tiersch during his Gymnasium years. […] Clearly, his choice of a new name shows what it must have felt like to be a Joel surrounded by so many Friedrichs and Wilhelms.

2013, Reut Yael Paz, “Jews, Universities and International Law”, in A Gateway between a Distant God and a Cruel World: The Contribution of Jewish German-Speaking Scholars to International Law (The Erik Castrén Institute Monographs on International Law and Human Rights; 16), Leiden: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, →ISBN, section 3 (Jewish Legal Denkstil/Denkkollektiv as Gateways in German Law Faculties), subsection 2 (Friedrich Julius Stahl: The ‘Paul’ of the 19th Century), pages 105–106:

Kaufmann goes so far in this as to state that what happened to two famous Friedriches—Hölderlin and Nietzsche—in their later years (madness and vegetation, respectively) does not really matter since their works had by then been done.

2022, Andrew Oberg, “(Honestly) Facing Finitude”, in The Christ Is Dead, Long Live the Christ: A Philotheologic Prayer, a Hermeneutics of Healing, Eugene, Ore.: Resource Publications, Wipf and Stock Publishers, →ISBN, part 4 (Temporality: God/“God” Here, “the Kingdom” Now), page 200:

A male given name from German, equivalent to English Frederick.


Alvin

From Old English Ælfwine, made up of ælf (“elf”) + wine (“friend”).


Rog

A diminutive of the male given name Roger.


Richmond

From Middle English Rychemund, from a name cognate to French Richemont (“town in Normandy”). Equivalent to rich + mound.

A male given name transferred from the surname.


Terri

A female given name; a spelling variant of Terry, diminutive of Teresa.


Rolf

From Old Norse Hrólfr, and from its Old French equivalent, cognates of Rudolph. Brought to England by the Normans, survived in surnames and was revived in the 19th century, partly due to its modern Scandinavian cognate.

A male given name from the Germanic languages.


Herbert

→? Cebuano: Herbert

From Old French Herbert, from Frankish *Hari-bercht, from a Proto-Germanic source *Harjaberhtaz, from *harjaz (“army”) + *berhtaz (“bright”).

Herbert, Sydney, Milton, Seymour. You know, all the time I was growing up I thought those were the most ordinary Jewish first names, until someone pointed out that they were British last names. I guess to my great-grandparents those names must have sounded so modern, so sophisticated, so - non-Eastern European. And now they're just Uncle Miltie, Uncle Sy, Uncle Herb. Do other people have Uncle Donne and Uncle Wordsworth?

1989, David Leavitt, Equal Affections, →ISBN, page 215:

A male given name from the Germanic languages. In modern use partly transferred back from the surname.


Joshua

/ˈd͡ʒɒʃ(j)uːə/

From Biblical Hebrew יְהוֹשֻׁעַ (Yehoshúa'), perhaps from הוֹשֵׁעַ (Hoshéa') with addition of יהוה (YHWH, “Yahweh”), thus meaning "Yahweh is salvation". See הוֹשִׁיעַ (hoshía', “to save”). By cognate a direct equivalent to Jesus via Latin Iēsus and Ancient Greek Ἰησοῦς (Iēsoûs) from Aramaic יֵשׁוּע (Yēšū́ʿ), akin to Hebrew יֵשׁוּעַ (Yeshúa'), a variant of Yehoshúa'. The Greek Septuagint translation of the Hebrew Bible and the Greek New Testament consistently render the two Hebrew names Yehoshúa' (whence Joshua) and Yeshúa' (whence Jeshua) into Koine Greek as Iēsoûs (whence Jesus).

cog

Aramaic יֵשׁוּע (Yēšū́ʿ)

"His father had a notion," observes Malone, on the authority of Dr. Percy, Bishop of Dromore, "that it might at some future period of his life be an advantage to a child to bear an uncommon Christian name, - - - Hence our author derived the scriptural name of Joshua, which, though not very uncommon, occurs less frequently than many others." But another biographer has suggested, with more appearance of reason, that it was probably given to him because an uncle, who was one of his godfathers, bore the same name,

1835, “The Literary Works of Sir Joshua Reynolds. To Which is Prefixed a Memoir by H.W.Beechey”, in Strand, London: T. Cadell, page 33:


Amanda

Derived from Latin Amanda, feminine form of the saint's name Amandus, from amandus, future passive participle of amāre (“to love”): thus meaning "who/which is to be loved". Taken into regular use as an English given name from 18th-century literature.

O there is a sweet era in the life of man, when ( the brain being tender and fibrillous, and more like pap than anything else ) - a story read of two fond lovers, separated from each other by cruel parents, and by still more cruel destiny -
Amandus - He
Amanda - She -
each ignorant of the other's course.

1767 Laurence Sterne: Tristram Shandy: Book VII, Chapter 31

Sue always thought of her offspring as Amanda. Allowing her to name the child had been one of the last indulgences that Brian had seen fit to bestow. Even then he had not the generosity to conceal his displeasure at her choice. Pretentious. Snobbish. Affected. The baby had been 'Mandy' from the day of her birth and, once Brian had really got the hang of high-rise/comprehensive linguistic mores, 'Mand'.

1994, Caroline Graham, Written in Blood, page 35:


Wilhelm

Borrowed from German Wilhelm. Doublet of William.

As it happened, also, the particular Friedrichs and Wilhelms whom he meant to see and confer with were out of town, or had moved their habitats, so that he could not easily find them.

1872 December, Edward E[verett] Hale, “Ups and Downs”, in Old and New, volume VI, number 6, Boston, Mass.: Roberts Brothers, […], chapter XXVI, page 689:

A male given name from German, equivalent to English William.


Reilly

From Irish Ó Raghallaigh, a surname meaning "descendants of Raghallach".

A unisex given name transferred from the surname, of modern usage.


Bernard

From Middle English Bernard, from Old French Bernard, Bernart, from Medieval Latin Bernardus, probably from Frankish *Bernhard (compare Old High German Bernhart, Old English Beornheard), from Proto-Germanic *Bernuharduz, equivalent to bear + -ard. Popularized by medieval European saints.

A similar arrangement was made for her son Bernard, named in honor of the great Carthusian mystic (at least, that is what Jim Gaffney would softly tell Mrs. Kozinski) and of Bernie Astor, the publicist.

1992, Thomas Keneally, Woman of the Inner Sea, Plume, published 1994, →ISBN, pages 18–19:


Deirdre

From Irish Deirdre, from Old Irish Derdriu.

Deirdre, it seemed to him, was the most beautiful name in the world. But Mrs. Stanley had different views on nomenclature. She had never, she declared, heard so utterly preposterous a name. […]"Theatre and saltpetre are both spelt that way, Arthur; depend upon it, it is Deirder - a sort of peasant name like Darby and Biddy, a corruption of something else."

1885, Frances Mabel Robinson, Mr. Butler's Ward, Vizetelly, page 95:

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:


Hugh

From the Old French aristocratic and saint's name Hughe, brought to England by Normans, from a short form of Germanic names beginning with Proto-Germanic *hugiz (“heart, mind”), such as Hubert. Cognate with Old English hyġe (“mind, spirit, intellect”). More at high, how.

I will rather trust a Fleming with my butter, Parson Hugh the Welshman with my cheese, an Irishman with my aqua-vitae bottle, or a thief to walk my ambling gelding, than my wife with herself.

c. 1597 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merry Wiues of Windsor”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii]:

Cold's the wind, and wet's the rain, / Saint Hugh be our good speed. / Ill is the weather that bringeth no gain, / Nor helps good hearts in need.

1600, Thomas Dekker, The Shoemaker's Holiday:

"You are engaged to Mr. Harden, I suppose?" "Yes, Mr. Harden. I call him Hugh, his second name. I like the name of Hugh. The exquisite long vowel pleases me―Hugh! Hugh!".

1894, W. H. Miller, J. Mcaulauy, W. Stevens, The Leisure Hour, Richard Jones, page 651:

Hugh McAnally was universally known as "Wee Shug". He didn't know why people called Hugh always ended up nicknamed Shug.

1996, Ian Rankin, Let It Bleed, Thorndike Press, published 2000, →ISBN, page 68:

What I had noticed all of my young life, from as early as five years old, was that very few people outside my family knew how to pronounce my name―or spell it. "Hue, Hug, Huge, Huh, Hugo. Everything but my name, HUGH!" - - - I grew up thinking that I was the only Hugh in the world, and all my life I'll be meeting people who will have trouble pronouncing my name.

2011, Hughie Boy Levoy, Chicago Kid, Xlibris Corporation, →ISBN, page 151:


Mehran

From Persian مهران (mehrân), from Middle Persian mtrʾn (mihrān). Related to Persian مهر (mehr) and Mithra.

مهران مهران#Persian

A transliteration of the Persian male given name مهران (mehrân).


Terrence

A male given name from Latin, variant of Terence.


Erika

Spelling variant of Erica, the feminine form of Eric, or borrowed directly from modern Scandinavia, ultimately from Old Norse Eiríkr.

A female given name from the Germanic languages or Old Norse.


Terence

From Latin Terentius, a Roman family name of obscure origin, borne by a Roman playwright and by early Christian saints.
* In Ireland, it has been used to represent Turlough.

"Very likely the ragged scion of one of those Irish gentry, who has taken naturally to 'the road'. He should be at school - though I warrant me his knowledge of Terence will not extend beyond his own name," said Lord Henry Somerset, aid-de-camp to the Lord Lieutenant.

1867, Bret Harte, chapter I, in Terence Denville:

They had an expensive, well-cut air which was like a uniform, and their conversation was all about people with names like Terence and Geoffrey, Philippa and Vivien, who lived in London and County Wicklow and who were "terribly amusing".

1963, Jane McIlvaine, Cammie's Cousin, Bobbs-Merrill, page 58:

A male given name from Latin. Popular in the U.K. in the mid-twentieth century.


Cheyenne

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-Cheyenne.wav

Borrowed from French Cheyenne, from Dakota šahíyena, from Dakota šaia (“to speak incoherently”), from Dakota ša (“red”) and Dakota ya (“to speak”).

A female or male given name of modern American usage.


Eddie

There's a world of difference between the name Edward, which sounds rather regal and stuffy (Edwardian) and the name Eddie, which sounds like a guy on the bus.

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

A diminutive of Edward, Edgar, Edwin, or other male given names beginning with Ed-.


Harold

From Old English Hereweald, from Proto-Germanic *Harjawaldaz, equivalent to Old English here (“army”) + weald (“ruler”). Related to Walter, which has the elements reversed.

For I have heard the Steers / Had land in Saxon times; and your own name / Of Harold sounds so English and so old / I am sure you must be proud of it.

1882, Alfred Tennyson, The Promise of May:

She called her husband Hal because no one else had ever done so and it had a dashing ring, rather out of keeping with Harold's appearance.

1984, Ruth Rendell, The Killing Doll, Pantheon Books, →ISBN, page 42:


Ron

A diminutive of the male given name Ronald.

A male given name from Hebrew of Hebrew origin, meaning "Song of Joy".


Ronald

Anglicized from Scottish Gaelic Raghnall, itself derived from Old Norse Rǫgnvaldr, from rǫgn (“advice”) + valdr (“power”), later partly merged with the Continental Germanic equivalent Reynold.

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, now that's another lovely name, Errol Flynn. ---
Ronald, says Bridey, Ronald. He's gorgeous.
No, says Mam, it has to be Irish. Isn't that what we fought for all these years? What's the use of fighting the English for centuries if we're going to call our children Ronald?

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


Alicia

A Latinization of Alice, which is in turn from Old French Adelais, Germanic Adalheidis (from the Germanic *adal, meaning noble, and *heid, meaning type).

A female given name from the Germanic languages.


Plato

Via Latin Plato, from Ancient Greek Πλάτων (Plátōn), from πλατύς (platús, “broad, wide”), either because of Plato's robust body, or wide forehead or the breadth of his eloquence.

My name is Plato Jones. Plato Constantine Jones. Plato because my mother is Greek, and Jones because my father is Welsh, and Constantine after his father, my grandfather, who is Constantine Llewellyn Jones.

1993, Nina Bawden, The Real Plato Jones, Houghton Miffin Harcourt, →ISBN, page 1:

The Greek philosopher, 427–347 BC, follower of Socrates.


Shirl

A short form of the female given name Shirley.


Monica

From Latin Mŏnĭca, name of the mother of St. Augustine, of uncertain meaning but probably Berber or Phoenician origin.

They named her Monica. Why the name was chosen I have never learnt; but I do not conceive that there was any reason for the choice other than the taste of her parents in the matter of sounds. It is a pleasing enough name, euphoniously considered, and beyond that — as is so commonly the case — no considerations were taken into account. To her, however, at once imaginative and of a feeble and dependent spirit, the name was fateful. St. Monica was made the special object of her devotions in her childhood, and reigned so later when she became a wife.

1913, Rafael Sabatini, The Strolling Saint, Kessinger Publishing, published 2004, →ISBN, page 3:


Irving

Variant of the Scottish habitational surname Irvine, probably from a Celtic word cognate with Welsh ir, yr (“fresh”) + afon (“river”).

A male given name transferred from the surname. Often used by English-speaking Jews to anglicize Israel.


Ulysses

From Latin Ulyssēs, a frequent alternative form of Ulixēs (“Odysseus”), influenced by the Ancient Greek Ὀδυσσεύς (Odusseús).


Shirley

English place name from Old English sċīr (“county”) + lēah (“meadow”). Equivalent to shire + -ley (“lea”). More at shire, leigh.

Shirley Blythe was with Una Meredith and both were rather silent because such was their nature. Shirley was a lad of sixteen, sedate, sensible, thoughtful, full of a quiet humour.

1921, Lucy Maud Montgomery, chapter 2, in Rilla of Ingleside:

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

Shirley Keeldar ( she had no Christian name but Shirley; her parents, who had wished to have a son, finding that, after eight years of marriage, Providence had granted them only a daughter, bestowed on her the same masculine family cognomen they would have bestowed on a boy, if with a boy they had been blessed) - - -

1849, Currer Bell [pseudonym; Charlotte Brontë], chapter XI, in Shirley. A Tale. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: Smith, Elder and Co., […], →OCLC:

"Why a girl like you should be named Shirley is beyond me. You haven't a ruffle or a furbelow anywhere in your nature." "Is that meant for an insult?" she asked, flushing angrily. "No, it's just that it's incongruous. You are the 'give us this day our daily bread' sort of person. Shirley is party stuff."

1951, Alice Tisdale Hobart, The Serpent-Wreathed Staff, Bobbs-Merrill, page 50:

A female given name transferred from the surname. Popular from the 1920s to the 1950s.


Moira

Anglicized from Irish Máire, a cognate of Mary. Doublet of Maura.


Effie

From Euphemia + -ie (diminutive form), or, very rarely, from modern Greek Eftychia or Euthemia (diminutive form).

"Yes, little wild flower - I shall call you that, unless your name sounds like you. What is it, dear?"
"Effie Malie."
"That is charming; now, Effie Malie, sit down upon this mossy bank with me, […]

1857, J. T. Bickford, Scandal, Shepard, Clark, and Brown, page 82:

A diminutive of the female given name Euphemia, also used as a formal given name in the 19th century.


Lillian

Used since the sixteenth century, possibly originally a pet form of Elizabeth, but generally accepted as a variant of Late Latin lilium (“lily”).

Your mother's name was Lillian, Minnie Lee,
Her other name I never heard, until
I stood within the church and saw her wed
So she is ever Lillian Lee to me.

Lillian Russell was christened Helen Louise Leonard. Tony Pastor gave her the name Lillian Russell, for the very practical reason, I believe, that it had so many "l's" in it, and consequently would look well on a bill-board.

1907, Lewis Clinton Strang, Famous Prima Donnas, L.C.Page&Co, page 33:

A female given name from Latin. (This is the standard American spelling.)


Harriet

Anglicized form of French Henriette, feminine form of Henri (“Henry”), popular in England in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Harriet, by the way, is a very sprightly name. It is the female of Harry, and is identified in my imagination with I know not what of the power of being lively and saucy, without committing the sweetness of womanhood.

1833, Leigh Hunt, A Year of Honey-Moons, Court magazine and monthly, E. Bull, published 1833, page 33:

I found myself wanting to explain it to her, this middle-aged woman with the kind of haircut you call a hairdo, which needed to be set in rollers every night, who had a name like Agnes or Harriet, a name that even predated my mother's generation.

1995, Elizabeth Wurtzel, Prozac Nation: Young and Depressed in America, Riverhead Books, published 1995, →ISBN, page 14:


Vesta

From Middle English Vesta, from Latin Vesta, related to Ancient Greek ἑστία (hestía, “to dwell”) and Ἑστία (Hestía, “Hestia”), all from Proto-Indo-European *h₂wes-; see also Old High German and Old English wesan (“to be”), Gothic wisan, Sanskrit वसति (vasati, “abide dwell”).
Vesta itself came to mean chaste, pure, or virgin, based from this goddess.

A female given name from Latin in occasional use.


Babs

From the clipping of Barbara + -s (hypocoristic suffix).

A diminutive of the female given name Barbara.


Sandeep

From Hindi संदीप (sandīp, “enlightened”).

A male given name from Hindi used in India.


Orpheus

From Ancient Greek Ὀρφεύς (Orpheús), built from an uncertain root with the -εύς (-eús) suffix. Perhaps root-cognate to Ancient Greek ὀρφανός (orphanós, “orphan”).

(rare) A male given name from Ancient Greek.


Rebecca

The Vulgate (Latin) form of biblical Rebekah, from Hebrew רִבְקָה (Rivka, “enchantingly beautiful, captivating, snare”).

der

And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac; (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Romans 9:10-12:

They would say, if 'twas Rebecca,
That she is a little Quaker.

1809, Charles and Mary Lamb, Poetry for Children: Choosing a Name:

"What's her name?" I asked. "Rebecca. Rebecca Valentine." The name Rebecca excited me. I had always wanted to meet a woman called Rebecca—and not Becky. (Rebecca, Ruth, Roxane, Rosalind, Frederika, Ursula, Sheila, Norma, Guinevere, Leonora, Sabina, Malvina, Solange, Deirdre. What wonderful names women had! Like flowers, stars, constellations…)

1949, Henry Miller, Sexus (The Rosy Crucifixion), Grove Press, published 1965, →ISBN, page 312:

Our daughter's name, Rebecca, summons up similar visions. Although our family is not Jewish, both names (David and Rebecca) have a Hebrew ancestry which, in the eyes of many beholders ( i.e. teachers ) invokes a vision of a family that values education.

1997, Robert T. Tauber, Self-fulfilling Prophecy, Greenwood Publishing Group, →ISBN, page 61:

A female given name originating from the Bible [in turn from Hebrew], in regular use since the Reformation.


Robinson

en-proper noun

Robinson (countable and uncountable, plural Robinsons)


Neal

A male given name from Irish, transferred from the surname.


Neil

Anglicized form of Goidelic/Irish Niall. Doublet of Niall.


Wayne

An occupational surname for a cartwright, Old English wægen (“wagon”).

"My Dad wanted to name me Mats." "But your Mom won," Carmen said, "and named you after a movie star. Moms get away with murder. Mine, you probably think, named me after the girl in the opera." "Tell you the truth," Wayne said, "I never thought about it."

1988, Elmore Leonard, Killshot, Arbor House, published 1989, →ISBN, page 145:

Marcella and Nathaniel. Now I know their names. I haven't thought much about having children, but if I did, I wouldn't give them names like that. They're the sort of names you choose if you think you're someone to be reckoned with. I wonder if this is my Reverse L'Oréal Syndrome kicking in again; what would I call my kids, Wayne and Tracey? Because I'm not worth it.

2010, Sophie Hannah, A Room Swept White, Hodder & Stoughton, →ISBN, page 102:


Hercules

head

Hercules (plural Herculeses or Hercules or (obsolete) Herculesses or (obsolete) Hercules's)

Herculeses (plural)
Hercules (plural)
Herculesses (obsolete plural)
Hercules's (obsolete plural)

From Latin Herculēs, from Etruscan 𐌇𐌄𐌓𐌂𐌋𐌄 (hercle), from Ancient Greek Ἡρακλῆς (Hēraklês), apparently cognate of Ἥρα (Hḗra, “Hera”) and, according to Haudry, from Proto-Indo-European *yóh₁r̥ (“year, season”) + κλέος (kléos, “glory”).

der

(rare, countable) A male given name from Ancient Greek


Sanya

Transliteration of Russian Са́ня (Sánja), diminutive of Алекса́ндра (Aleksándra) and Алекса́ндр (Aleksándr). In some cases possibly from Serbo-Croatian Сања and Sanja.


Sanya

Variant of Saniyah, Saniyya, from Arabic سنيّة (“radiant”)


Lloyd

en-proper noun

Lloyd (countable and uncountable, plural Lloyds)


Jeff

We have Jeff. Jeff will be fired. We will exterminate Jeff.

2024 May 12, very tall bart, 1:29 from the start, in [YTP] prager time (YouTube poop; video), spoken by Penis Prager (Dennis Prager):

A diminutive of the male given names Jeffrey, Jeffery, Jefferey, Jeffry, or Jefferson.


Norrie

A diminutive form of the female given names Noreen, Norette, and Lenore.

A diminutive form of the male given name Norman.

census-designated place
census-designated place

A census-designated place in Pitkin County, Colorado.


Kelly

Kelly (countable and uncountable, plural Kellies)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Mélange a trois-Kelly.wav

A unisex given name transferred from the surname

On the walls of the salon are blown-up photos of models with dazzling teeth and ingeniously tousled hair - women with names like Kelly and Dawn, who come from tiny towns in Texas and Washington, who are tall and thin, and who don't appear to be burdened by any pasts to speak of.

1986, Daphne Merkin, chapter 1986, in Enchantment, Harcourt Brace Jovanovi, →ISBN, page 207:

A female given name transferred from the surname, popular from the 1960s to the 1990s.


Keith

Keith (countable and uncountable, plural Keiths)

* As a Scottish surname, from the placename in Moray, Scotland, from Scottish Gaelic Cèith, meaning "wood" or "from the battleground," which is probably borrowed from Pictish *ᚉᚓᚈ (cēt) meaning "wood", or a forest, from Proto-Brythonic *koɨd.
* As a German surname, from Middle High German kit (“sprout, offspring”) (compare kint).


Adolf

From Old High German adal (“noble”) + wulf (“wolf”). Doublet of Ethelwolf from Old English Æþelwulf.

A male given name from the Germanic languages, variant of Adolph.


Edmund

From Old English Ēadmund, from ēad (“prosperity”) + mund (“protection”). Doublet of Eamon.

This Edmund, in the reign of Bolingbroke, / As I have read, laid claim unto the crown; / And but for Owen Glendower, had been king, / Who kept him in captivity till he died.

To me, the sound of Mr. Bertram is so cold and nothing-meaning—so entirely without warmth or character!—It just stands for a gentleman, and that's all. But there is nobleness in the name of Edmund. It is a name of heroism and renown—of kings, princes, and knights; and seems to breathe the spirit of chivalry and warm affections.

1814 May 9, [Jane Austen], chapter IV, in Mansfield Park: […], volume II, London: […] [George Sidney] for T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC, pages 79–80:

A male given name from Old English, borne by early English kings and saints.


Ann

→ Danish: Ann

→ Norwegian: Ann

→ Swedish: Ann

→ Tagalog: 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, “Anna”) 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 Ana, Anna, Anne, and Hannah.

ramsden. When you say Ann, you mean, I presume, Miss Whitefield. / tanner. I mean our Ann, your Ann, Tavy's Ann, and now, Heaven help me, my Ann!

1901–1903, [George] Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman. A Comedy and a Philosophy, Westminster [London]: Archibald Constable & Co., published 1903, →OCLC, Act I, page 8:

Given a perfectly good American name like Ann, she has deliberately chosen to label herself "Anya" after a long-dead great-grandmother, and put jam in her tea.

1969, Constance Urdang, Natural History, Harper&Row, page 61:

"Her full name is Annie Lou. Like calling herself a snooty white girl name like Ann makes up for it."
"Must I remind you that Ann is also my middle name?"

2005, Mary Monroe, In Sheep's Clothing, Dafina Books, →ISBN, page 129:


Carlos

From Spanish Carlos and Portuguese Carlos. Doublet of Charles and Karl.

A male given name from Spanish or Portuguese, equivalent to English Charles


Antonio

Borrowed from Italian Antonio and Spanish Antonio. Doublet of Anthony.


Eugene

From French Eugène, from Latin Eugenius, from Ancient Greek Εὐγένιος (Eugénios, “well born”), from εὖ (eû, “good, well”) + -γενής (-genḗs, “born a certain way”). Parallel to eugenics. Doublet of Yevgeny, Eugenius, and Owen.

suffix

"Great praise the Duke of Marlb'ro' won / And our good Prince Eugene." / "Why 'twas a very wicked thing!" / Said little Wilhelmine

Eoghan (Owen) is frequently Eugene, and our own O'Curry, though he plucked up courage to prefix the O' to his name in later life, never discarded the Eugene, which, however, is far from being a monstrosity like most of our West-Britonized names

2000, David Pierce, Irish Writing in the Twentieth Century: A Reader, . Cork University Press., →ISBN, page 8:


Diana

→ Hawaiian: Kiana
→ English: Kiana

→ Serbo-Croatian: Дајана, Dajana

→ Spanish: Dayana

Borrowed from Late Latin Diāna, short form of Latin Dīāna, derived by syncope from Old Latin Dīvāna, equivalent to dīvus + -āna; roughly akin to Proto-Italic *deiwā (“goddess”) + Proto-Indo-European *-néh₂.
Originally an Old Italic divinity of light and the moon; later identified as the Roman counterpart to Greek goddess Artemis. Cognate of Attic Greek Διώνη (Diṓnē), similarly syncopated from older Ancient Greek Διϝωνη (Diwōnē), whence via Latin Diōne is derived English Dione used in various ways across astronomy, chemistry, biology, and as a given name. From the same root Proto-Indo-European *dyúh₃onh₂- also potentially cognate to English June via Latin Jūnō.

But succeeding ages (little regarding S. Chrysosthome's admonition to the contrary) have recalled prophane names, so as now Diana, Cassandra, Hyppolytus, Venus, Lais, names of unhappy disaster are as rife, as ever they were in paganism.

1605, William Camden, Remains Concerning Britain, John Russell Smith, published 1870, page 56:

A wholesome British name like Diana, Anne, Margaret or Elizabeth impresses a judge much more than all your vulgar Marilyns, Donnas, Madonnas and Dawns.

1993, James Kirkup, Queens Have Died Young and Fair, P. Owen, →ISBN, page 94:


Franz

A male given name from Latin, rare in English.

A diminutive of the female given name Frances


Katherine

Katherine
Katherine River
Katherine, Northern Territory

/ˈkæθ(ə)ɹɪn/

SAVAGE (HENRY) - - - His aim was to appear great in little things, and the gravity with which he discusses the origin, derivation, &c of the name Katherine, whether it should be spelt with a K or a C, at which time the letter k was introduced, and the double l in Balliol, is truly wonderful. - - - By his wife, Lady Mary Sandys, he left issue Henry, Edwin, John, Katherine, and Thomas

1816, Alexander Chalmers, The General Biographical Dictionary, page 186:

During her childhood she was a romanticized Katherine, dressed by her misty-eyed, fussy mother in dresses that looked like ruffled pillowcases. By high school she'd shed the frills and emerged as a bouncy, round-faced Kathy - - - At university she was Kath, blunt and no-bullshit in her Take-Back-the-Night jeans and checked shirt - - - When she ran away to England, she sliced herself down to Kat. It was economical, street-feline, and pointed as a nail.

1991, Margaret Atwood, Wilderness Tips, →ISBN, page 36:

A female given name from Ancient Greek, a popular spelling variant of Catherine.


Ludwig

Borrowed from German Ludwig, which see for more information. Doublet of Louis etc.


Kenneth

en-proper noun

Kenneth (countable and uncountable, plural Kenneths)

Anglicized form of two Goidelic names, Old Irish Cináed, the name of Scottish kings derived from Pictish *ᚉᚔᚅᚔᚑᚇ (Ciniod), and the saint's name Cainnech (literally “handsome”) (modern Scottish Gaelic Coinneach), as in the surname Mackenzie.

Know, however, that among the soldiers of the Cross I am called Kenneth - Kenneth of the Couching Leopard; at home I have other titles, but they would sound harsh in an Eastern ear.

1825, Sir Walter Scott, chapter III, in The Talisman:

"The other one, his name was Kenneth, was born in February nineteen twenty-one."
"All these Kens," she said.

1998 Barbara Vine ( Ruth Rendell ): The Chimney Sweeper's Boy. →ISBN page 166

"As you say. It must have been the sexy name. These days Kens are all Chinese cooks. - - -

A male given name from Scottish Gaelic, originally used in Scotland, popular in all English-speaking countries in the 20th century.


Gregory

Gregory (countable and uncountable, plural Gregorys)

→ French: Grégory

→ Hawaiian: Kelekolio

→ Maori: Kerekori

Via Latin Grēgorius, from post-classical Ancient Greek Γρηγόριος (Grēgórios, “watchful, vigilant”), from Ancient Greek ἐγείρω (egeírō, “awaken, arouse”).

der

The surname Graff was chosen because upscale consumers respect anything Teutonic - regard it as efficient, intelligent, and reliable. But only up to a point. A forename like Helmut or Wilhelm wouldn't have done. Too German. Too foreign. 'Gregory' scores high on the likability scale. All-American. Greg. He's one of the boys, with Teutonic ancestry.

1990, Jonathan Kellerman, Time Bomb, page 163:


Richie

A diminutive of the male given name Richard.


Julius

Borrowed from Latin Iūlius, of uncertain origin, possibly from Ancient Greek ἴουλος (íoulos, “downy first beard hairs”), i.e. the young, or from Latin Jovilius (“devoted to Jove”). Doublet of Jules.

WHẽ it was cõcluded that we ſhulde ſayle into italy / they delivered Paul / and certayne other pꝛeſoners vnto won named Iulius / ã vnder captayne of Ceſars ſoudiars.

1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, Acts xxvij:[1], folio cxcv, recto:

The seven [centurions] from II Adiutrix, whose stay in the province can be closely dated to the years 71–85/6, have an instructive set of names – two Julii, appropriately enough in a period when two of the governors also bore this name; […]

1980, Anthony Birley, “Legionary centurions”, in The People of Roman Britain, Berkeley, Calif.: University of California Press, →ISBN, page 73:

Vespasian, a simple man, always laughed because so many Julii and Claudii were made divine after their deaths. On his deathbed he said, “Alas! I think I’m becoming a god.”

2001, Rose Williams, Duces Romanorum: Profiles in Roman Courage, teacher’s edition, London: WPC Classics, →ISBN, page 94:

So the man whom we know as Julius Caesar was a member of the Julii clan belonging to a particular branch whose paternal designation was Caesar. Only intimate family members would have called him Gaius. Caesar was known by his cognomen, presumably because there were many Julii and it would have caused confusion to use that nomen.

2007, Mark Walker, “Roman Names, Numerals, Dates & Days”, in Annus Horribilis: Latin for Everyday Life, Stroud, Gloucestershire: The History Press, published 2010:

“Julius is Marguerite’s dog,” Jeanne Louise explained to Paul as she smiled at her Italian cousin. / “I thought Julius was Marguerite’s life mate?” Paul said with confusion. / “He is. There are two Juliuses,” Christian said with amusement. “One is a dog, and one is my father.”

2012, Lynsay Sands, The Lady Is a Vamp (An Argeneau Novel), New York, N.Y.: Avon, →ISBN, page 292:


Ernest

Borrowed in the 18th century from Ernst, a medieval royal name in Germany, from Old High German ernust (“vigor, strife”), only remotely related to modern German ernst or English earnest.

GWENDOLEN. […] and my ideal has always been to love someone of the name of Ernest. There is something in that name that inspires absolute confidence.

1895, Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest […] , [Act I]:

"What's his name, your boyfriend?" "Ernest. Ernest Hemingway." The name was received in disparaging silence. Marlene said: "You wouldn't get me going out with a feller called Ernest. My granddad was Ernest."

A male given name from the Germanic languages; popular in the 19th century.


Shane

Anglicized form of the Northern Irish pronunciation of 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, Shaun, and Giovanni as a male name.
Doublet of Ivana, Jana, Jane, Janice, Janis, Jean, Jeanne, Jen, Joan, Joanna, Joanne, Johanna, Juana, Shavonne, Sian, Siobhan, Shaun, Shauna, and Sheena as a female name.

doublet

Back in ancient Hollywood history, there was an extremely well-known movie titled Shane. It was a classic western in which the late Alan Ladd played the title role. The most famous scene is the last one in the film, when Shane is riding off into the sunset and the little kid is chasing after him yelling, "Shane, come back, Shane!"

2010, L.L.Steinmetz - W.T.Brooks, How to Sell at Margins Higher Than Your Competitor, John Wiley&Sons, →ISBN:


Ferdinand

From Spanish Ferdinando, from Proto-Germanic *fardiz (“journey”) + *nanþaz (“daring”) (from the root of *ninþaną (“to be daring”)).
The moon is named after a character in Shakespeare's The Tempest.

A male given name from the Germanic languages, best known for a 13th century king of Spain, but seldom popular in English.


Claude

en-proper noun

Claude (countable and uncountable, plural Claudes)

Roman family name Claudius, from Latin claudus (“lame”).

(countable) A male given name from Latin.


Raymond

Raymond (countable and uncountable, plural Raymonds)

From Old French, from Frankish, from Proto-Germanic *raginą (“advice”) + *mundō (“protection”).

An uncle of mine whose name was Cecil Jeffery Courtenay obtained a post of great emolument simply by virtue of his 'pretty' name. Mine, I think, is quite as effective, though it depends upon but one Christian name, Raymond. I am Raymond Courtenay.

1886 Mary Elizabeth Braddon: Belgravia Magazine. Item notes:V.60.(July-Oct.1886) page 94

What splendid names for boys there are! / There's Carol like a rolling car, / And Martin like a flying bird, / And Adam like the Lord's First Word, / And Raymond like the Harvest Moon,

1933, Eleanor Farjeon, “Boys' Names”, in Over the Garden Wall, Faber and Faber, page 90:

I thought the name Raymond sounded respectable. Good name for a lawyer.

2006, Janette McCarthy, Hanging on a String, →ISBN, page 141:

A male given name from the Germanic languages.


Dennis

From Middle English Denis, from Old French saint's name Denis, brought to England by Normans; from Latin Dionysius, "follower of (the wine god) Dionysus".

I will physic your rankness, and yet give no thousand crowns neither. Holla, Dennis!

c. 1598–1600 (date written), William Shakespeare, “As You Like It”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]:

Each disliked the choice of the other. "Charles is a stern name," she affirmed. "Nonsense," said Philip. "It's as agreeable a name as there is. Dennis sounds like a comical Irish story." "You just show your bad feeling when you say such a thing," she retorted. "'T is a grand name!"

1944, Mazo de la Roche, The Building of Jalna, Little,Brown&co:


Allison

en-prop

Allison (countable and uncountable, plural Allisons)

From a Middle English diminutive form of Alan, Alexander or Alice + -son.

"Allison?" Surely that was a girl's name.
"It's after Davey Allison, the race car driver. He got killed right before the baby was born. Tracy and me wanted to honor his memory." It was a precise little speech. She must have explained the name many times.

1994, Sharyn McCrumb, She Walks These Hills, Scribner's, →ISBN, page 81:

(countable) A male given name transferred from the surname, of mostly before 1950 usage.

Allison MacKenzie's father, for whom the child had been named, died when she was three years old.

1956, Grace Metalious, Peyton Place, UPNE, published 1999, →ISBN, Book One, Chapter 4:

(countable) A female given name from the Germanic languages, of 1940s and later usage, variant of Alison.

Westmorland County
Westmorland County#English

A community in Moncton Parish, Westmorland County, New Brunswick, Canada.

A number of places in the United States:

An unincorporated community in La Plata County, Colorado.

An unincorporated community in Nodaway County, Missouri.


Arnold

From a French version of a Germanic name, from Proto-Germanic *arô (“eagle”) + *waldą (“power”). For the first part of the word doublet of erne, -ornis, and ornitho-.
Compare the Latin male given name and cognomen Aquila, and female given name Aquilīna (whence Russian Акули́на (Akulína)), related to aquila (whence eagle).

Arnold used to be a name only a mother could love, but it does not mean nerd anymore. Since Arnold Schwarzenegger stepped out of the gym and onto the screen, it has come to suggest popping delts and giant pecs, a world of undisputed macho.

A male given name from the Germanic languages brought to England by Normans.


Jonathan

en-proper noun

Jonathan (countable and uncountable, plural Jonathans)

/ˈd͡ʒɒnəθən/

/ˈd͡ʒɑnəθɪn/

Borrowed from Hebrew יְהוֹנָתָן (iehonatán), יוֹנָתָן (ionatán, literally “God has given”), apparently with influence from Aramaic [Term?].

bor+

“Well indeed,” said Foley, “’tis a mystery to me how the sergeant puts up with her. If any woman up and called me an outlandish name like Jonathan when everyone knew my name was plain John I’d do fourteen days for her - by God, I would, and a calendar month.”

1936 Frank O'Connor, In The Train. The Stories of Frank O’Connor, Knopf, 1952. page 166

So I’d change to names I really like. I mean, Jonathan. If I ever have a son I’m going to call him Jonathan, so I’d have that. And then I like monosyllabic surnames that aren’t too common, so I’d have Dean or Bell or King. There you are, how about Jonathan King?

1998, Barbara Vine, The Chimney Sweeper’s Boy, →ISBN, page 168:

A male given name from Hebrew of biblical origin.


Napoleon

From French Napoléon, from Italian Napoleone, name of an early saint, of uncertain origin; possibly from the Germanic clan name Nibelung. By folk etymology explained as Napoli (“Naples”) + leone (“lion”).

A male given name from Italian sometimes given in honor of the French emperor.


Brooklyn

→⇒ Latin: brooklynensis

/ˈbɹʷʊk.ɫɪn/

[ˈbɹ̠ʷʊ̠kɫ̪ɪ̈n]

From Dutch Breukelen, from broek (“wetland, marsh”).

A female given name transferred from the place name, of modern usage, also spelled Brooklynn.

A unisex given name transferred from the place name, of modern usage.


Abbi

A diminutive of the female given name Abigail.


Abdulaziz

Borrowed from Ottoman Turkish عبد العزیز (ʼabd ül-ʼaziz), from Arabic عَبْد العَزِيز (ʕabd al-ʕazīz, literally “the servant of Aziz”), one of the 99 names for Allah.

der

عَبْد العَزِيز


Abbey

A diminutive of the female given name Abigail, from Hebrew.

A diminutive of the male given name Albert, from the Germanic languages.

A hamlet in Dunkeswell parish, East Devon district, Devon, England, probably named for the local abbey (OS grid ref ST1410).

A small village south-east of Tuam, County Galway, Ireland (Irish grid ref M 5043).

A village west of Portumna, County Galway (Irish grid ref M 7305).

A village in the Rural Municipality of Miry Creek, Saskatchewan, Canada, named after a farm in Ireland.

Western Australia
Western Australia#English

A suburb of Busselton, Western Australia, named after landholder D. Abbey.


Opal

Perhaps to console herself for the bad luck she had already suffered, in a back corner of South Sherbrooke Township - or perhaps to make up, ahead of time, for a lack of motherly feelings - she gave the girls the fanciest names she could think of: Opal Violet, Dawn Rose, and Bonnie Hope.

1985, Alice Munro, The Progress of Love, Chatto&Windus, published 1987, →ISBN, page 208:

A female given name from English from the precious stone, invented in the nineteenth century.


Ally

A diminutive of the female given names Alice, Alison, Alexandra, or other names beginning with Al-[[]], from the Germanic languages or Ancient Greek

Ally Love

Golden-hair'd Ally whose name is one with mine,
Crazy with laughter and babble and earth's new wine

1880, Alfred Tennyson, To Alfred Tennyson, My Grandson:

A diminutive of the male given names Alfred, Albert, Alan, Alexander, or other names beginning with Al-[[]], from the Germanic languages, the Celtic languages, or Ancient Greek


Aggie

"Why do you call Mrs. Stone Aggie? Agnes is such a beautiful name, it is a shame to nick it in that way." Then, quickly regretting his impatience, he added, "You would not have been jealous, would you, Jenny?"

1876, Annie Howells Fréchette, Reuben Dale, Galaxy, W.C. and F.P.Church, published 1876, page 394:

A diminutive of the female given names Agnes or Agatha.


Amethyst

The Australian rapper Iggy Azalea was born Amethyst Amelia Kelly.


Abby

"I spose you want to be a cattleboy," drawled the multicolored beard whose name was Carrol Day, a curiously feminine name, thought Martin, not yet acquaintanced with the bearded Marions, Fannys and Abbys of Texas who, saddled by their unthinking mothers with dainty names, built savagely masculine frames of character.

2002, Annie Proulx, That Old Ace in the Hole, →ISBN, page 81:

A diminutive of the female given name Abigail, from Hebrew, also used as a formal given name.


Ange

A diminutive of the female given name Angela.

A diminutive of the male given name Angelo.


Althea

From Althaia or Althaea of Greek mythology, from Ancient Greek Ἀλθαία (Althaía).


Lolita

The name is from Spanish Lolita, diminutive of Lola, from the given name Dolores.
The noun derives from the name: see the etymology at lolita for details.

She was Lo, plain Lo, in the morning, standing four feet ten in one sock. She was Lola in slacks. She was Dolly at school. She was Dolores on the dotted line. But in my arms she was always Lolita.

1955, Vladimir Nabokov, chapter 1, in Lolita:


Lolita

Transliteration of Bengali ললিতা (lolita).

translit

A female given name of Assamese, Bengali, Odia and Santali usage


Alta

"I'm thinkin', Marthy Ann, that as Altie's " ( she had been named Alta, for her mother ) - "close onto twelve year old, ye might be spared ter go off home- - -

1870 Mary Mapes Dodge: St. Nicholas:A Monthly Magazine for Boys and Girls: page 725 (Little Menan Light)

A female given name from Latin possibly from Latin alta (“high”), fairly common in the United States in the nineteenth century.

A census-designated place in Placer County, California, United States.


Aspen

A female given name from English of modern usage, denominated for the aspen tree.


Alla

А́лла Алла#Russian

A transliteration of the Russian female given name А́лла (Álla).


Ant

A diminutive of the male given name Anthony, from Latin.


Autumn

A female given name from English of modern usage, from autumn, the name of the season.


Alf

A diminutive of the male given names Alfred or Alfonso, from the Germanic languages.


Hebe

From Ancient Greek Ἥβη (Hḗbē, literally “Youth, Prime of Life”).


Anya

From Russian А́ня (Ánja, informal pet form of А́нна (Ánna, “Ann”)). Also an Anglicization of Áine.

bor

informal pet form of <i class="Cyrl mention" lang="ru">А́нна</i> (Ánna, “Ann”)

Given a perfectly good American name like Ann, she has deliberately chosen to label herself "Anya" after a long-dead great-grandmother, and put jam in her tea.

1969, Constance Urdang, Natural History, Harper & Row, page 61:

A female given name from Russian, of modern usage.

A female given name from Sanskrit, of modern usage.


Ab

A diminutive of the male given name Abner, from Hebrew, occasionally used as a formal given name.


Al

A diminutive of the male given names Alan, Albert, Alexander, Alfred, or other male or female names beginning with Al-, from the Celtic languages, the Germanic languages, Ancient Greek, or Old English.


Beth

A diminutive of the female given names Elizabeth or Bethany


Anu

A diminutive of the female given names Anushka, Anusha, Ansuya, or Anisha.


Ash

en-proper noun

Ash (countable and uncountable, plural Ashes)

Ash (deity)
Ash (disambiguation)#Places
Ash (name)

A unisex given name transferred from the surname.

A diminutive of the unisex given names Ashley or Ashleigh.

A diminutive of the female given names Ashlie, Ashlee, Ashly, or Ashanti.


Basil

Name of several early saints, particularly in the Orthodox Church, from Latin Basilius, from Ancient Greek Βασίλειος (Basíleios). Doublet of Vasilios.

"Nonsense. I'm sure he can't have grey hair with such a pretty name as that. Basil Brooke, Basil Brooke," and May chanted the name over and over in her girlish, musical voice. "It sounds like all sorts of pleasant pictures. - -

1866, Eliza Tabor Stephenson, Hester's Sacrifice, volume II, Hust and Blackett, page 28:

A male given name from Ancient Greek, in quiet but steady use in the UK.


Art

A diminutive of the male given name Arthur, from the Celtic languages.


Adel

Ultimately from Proto-Germanic *aþalaz. The female name is a rare variant of Adele. The surname is borrowed from German Adel.

(rare) A female given name from the Germanic languages, variant of Adele.

Pushmataha County
Pushmataha County#English

An unincorporated community in Pushmataha County, Oklahoma, United States.


Adel

Variant of Adil, from Arabic عَادِل (ʕādil).