Fabian

From Latin Fabiānus (“belonging to Fabius”), derived from Fabius + -ānus.


Fanny

"My name is Frances. Don't call me Fanny!" "Why not?" "Because it's too absurd to be endured! What does the mere sound of Fanny suggest? A flirting dancing creature - plump and fair, and playful and pretty!"

1883, Wilkie Collins, Heart and Science, Chatto and Windus, page 227:

They listened to the sound of Fanny’s retreating footsteps. ‘Well, well!’ said Marcus. ‘Oh, take no notice Jess. You know what our Frances Maud is like! It’s nothing to cry about!’ To her humiliation Jessamy found there were tears trickling down her cheeks. ‘Always getting worked up about something, Fanny is.’
– page 105:
As she did so Fanny put down her book , stood up and stretched her arms, and at once Jessamy noticed a difference. It was the same Fanny but not the Fanny who climbed trees and tore her frock playing in the garden. It was as though a young lady film had settled over her, neatening her unruly hair, which was tied back with a large black bow, and primly composing her small mouth.

1967, Barbara Sleigh, Jessamy, Sevenoaks, Kent: Bloomsbury, published 1993, →ISBN, page 48:

"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 Frances, also used as a female given name.


July

Bislama: julae

Pitcairn-Norfolk: Juulai

Tok Pisin: Julai

→ Assamese: জুলাই (zulai)

→ Bengali: জুলাই (julai)

→ Burmese: ဇူလိုင် (juluing)

→ Chichewa: Julaye

→ Dari: جولای (julây)

→ Fijian: Jiulai

→ Gilbertese: Turai

→ Hausa: Yuli

→ Hawaiian: Iulai

→ Hindi: जूलाई (jūlāī)

→ Inuktitut: ᔪᓚᐃ (yolai)

→ Malay: Julai

→ Maori: Hūrae

→ Marathi: जुलै (julai)

→ Marshallese: Juļae

→ Odia: ଜୁଲାଇ (julāi)

→ Pashto: جولای (ǰolãy)

→ Pennsylvania German: Tschulei

→ Samoan: iulai

→ Swahili: Julai

→ Tahitian: tiurai

→ Telugu: జూలై (jūlai)

→ Tokelauan: Iulai

→ Tongan: Siulai

→ Tumbuka: julayi

desc

→ Urdu: جولائ (jūlāī)

→ Urdu: جولائ (jūlāī)

From Middle English Julie, julye, iulius, from Anglo-Norman julie, from Old French jule, juil, from Latin iūlius (Gaius Julius Caesar's month), perhaps a contraction of *Iovilios, "descended from Jove".

By 1880, in his early to middle twenties, he had married a literate woman named July, who would be his first of three wives. Riley continued to live close to his parents, James and Frances, whose house was just three doors down and who still had four of their own children living with them in addition to a grandson.

2004, Eric Arnesen, The Human Tradition in American Labor History, →ISBN, page 73:

In Prairie County, Arkansas, in March 1863, a black woman named July, born free in Tennessee but under indenture to a white man until she turned twenty-one, was brought before a circuit court when she was just short of reaching her age of freedom.

2003, William C. Davis, Look Away!: A History of the Confederate States of America, →ISBN, page 153:

(uncommon) A female given name from English.


June

Bislama: jun

Pitcairn-Norfolk: Juun

Tok Pisin: Jun

→ Assamese: জুন (zun)

→ Bengali: জুন (jun)

→ Burmese: ဇွန် (jwan)

→ Chichewa: Juni

→ Dari: جون (jun)

→ Hausa: Yuni

→ Hawaiian: Iune

→ Hindi: जून (jūn)

→ Malay: Jun

→ Maori: Hune

→ Marshallese: Juun

→ Swahili: Juni

→ Tokelauan: Iuni

→ Tongan: Sune

→ Zulu: uJuni

From Middle English June, june, re-Latinised variants of earlier Middle English Juyn, juyng, from Old French juing, juin, from Latin iūnius, the month of the goddess Iuno (“Juno”), perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *h₂yéwHō, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂óyu (“vital force, youthful vigor”).

der

Her parents were old, really old. That's why they'd given her such an old-fashioned name. June, because she was born in June. If she'd been born in November would they have called her November? June was a name for women in sitcoms and soap operas, the name of women who knit with synthetic wool and follow recipes that use cornflakes, not the name of a thirty-year-old with a ring in her nose ('Oh, June'.)

2002, Kate Atkinson, Not the End of the World, Doubleday, →ISBN, page 29:

A female given name transferred from the month name [in turn from English], for a girl born in June, used since the end of the 19th century.


June

For quotations using this term, see Citations:June.

A male given name, or more often nickname, for a boy who is junior to someone else, especially someone with the same name, such as his father.


April

→ Arabic: أَبْرِيل (ʔabrīl)

→ Bengali: এপ্রিল (epril)

→ Burmese: ဧပြီ (e-pri)

→ Dari: اپریل (epril)

→ Hausa: Afrilu

→ Hawaiian: ʻApelila

→ Hindi: अप्रैल (aprail)

→ Malay: April

→ Maori: Āperire

→ Marshallese: Eprōļ

→ Tokelauan: Apelila

→ Turkish: april

From Middle English apprile, Aprill, re-Latinised from Middle English aueril, from Old French avrill, from Latin Aprīlis (“of the month of the goddess Venus”), perhaps based on Etruscan 𐌀𐌐𐌓𐌖 (apru), from Ancient Greek Ἀφροδίτη (Aphrodítē, “Venus”). Displaced native Old English ēastermōnaþ (literally “Easter month”).

ncog

I'm April Hooper. That sounds silly, the April part, but my mother was English and she always said there was nothing prettier than an English April.

1947, Hilda Laurence, Death of a Doll, page 27:

A female given name transferred from the month name [in turn from English]; used since the early 20th century.


Edward

From Middle English Edward, from Old English Ēadweard, from Proto-West Germanic *Audawardu, from Proto-Germanic *Audawarduz, corresponding to ed (“wealth, riches”) + ward (“ward, guard”).

The Christian humility of King Edward the Confessour brought such credit to this name, that since that time it hath been most usual in all estates.

1605, William Camden, Remains Concerning Britain, John Russell Smith, published 1870, page 77:

Heaven is my witness! that in the warmest transport of my wishes for the prosperity of my child, I never once wished to crown his head with more glory and honour than what George or Edward would have spread around it.

1765, Laurence Sterne, chapter 8, in Tristram Shandy, Book IV:

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:


December

December
December Murders
December Revolution
Decembrist Revolt

Bislama: desemba

Pitcairn-Norfolk: Disemba

Tok Pisin: Desemba

→ Bengali: ডিসেম্বর (ḍiśembor)

→ Burmese: ဒီဇင်ဘာ (dijangbha)

→ Chichewa: Disembala

→ Dari: دسمبر (desembar)

→ Dhivehi: ޑިސެމްބަރު (ḍisem̊baru)

→ Hausa: Disamba

→ Hawaiian: Kēkēmapa

→ Hindi: दिसंबर (disambar)

→ Malay: Disember

→ Maori: Tīhema

→ Marathi: डिसेंबर (ḍisembar)

→ Swahili: Desemba, Disemba

→ Tokelauan: Tēhema

From Middle English December, Decembre, from Old French decembre, from Latin december (“tenth month”), from Latin decem (“ten”); + Latin -ber, from -bris, an adjectival suffix; December was the tenth month in the Roman calendar.

But others were less than thrilled with this new gizmo, particularly its addictive qualities. There were reports of breakups threatened and consummated over it. “Our marriage or your Sony,” one woman told her husband, who duly sold the Walkman to a bachelor friend. A young woman named December Cole, a sales executive at a beauty magazine, recalled a trip to Atlantic City with "a basically rude" man who wouldn't stop "bopping around to his own music."

2017, Rebecca Tuhus-Dubrow, Personal Stereo, →ISBN, page 45:

(rare) A female given name transferred from the month name [in turn from English].


September

September
September Group
September Massacres

Bislama: septemba

Pitcairn-Norfolk: Septemba

Tok Pisin: Septemba

→ Bengali: সেপ্টেম্বর (śepṭembor)

→ Chichewa: Sepitembala

→ Dari: سپتمبر (septembar)

→ Hausa: Satumba

→ Hawaiian: Kepakemapa

→ Hindi: सितंबर (sitambar)

→ Malay: September

→ Maori: Hepetema

→ Marshallese: Jeptōm̧ba

→ Swahili: Septemba

→ Tokelauan: Hetema

→ Tongan: Sēpitema

From Middle English, from late Old English, from Old French septembre, Latin September (“seventh month”), from septem (“seven”), from Proto-Indo-European *septḿ̥ (“seven”); + Latin -ber, from -bris, an adjectival suffix; September was the seventh month in the Roman calendar.

For quotations using this term, see Citations:September.

(rare) A female or male given name transferred from the month name [in turn from English].


January

Bislama: januware

Jamaican Creole: janiweri

Pitcairn-Norfolk: jaenyuweri

Tok Pisin: janueri

→ Bengali: জানুয়ারি (januẏari)

→ Burmese: ဇန်နဝါရီ (janna.wari)

→ Chichewa: Januwale

desctree

→ Dari: جنوری (janoari)
→ Urdu: جنوری (janvarī)

→ Dhivehi: ޖެނުއަރީ (jenuarī)

→ Fijian: Janueri

→ Fiji Hindi: january

→ Gilbertese: Tianuari

→ Gujarati: જાન્યુઆરી (jānyuārī)

→ Hausa: Janairu

→ Hawaiian: Ianuali

→ Hindi: जनवरी (janavrī)

→ Igbo: january

→ Inuktitut: ᔭᓐᓄᐊᓕ (yannoali)

→ Javanese: januar, januari

→ Kannada: ಜನವರಿ (janavari)

→ Kongo: yanwadi

→ Lingala: yanwáli

→ Malagasy: janoary

→ Malay: Januari
Indonesian: Januari
→ Banjarese: Januari
→ Banyumasan: Januari
→ Buginese: januari
→ Gorontalo: Januari
→ Minangkabau: Januari
→ Sundanese: Januari

→ Malayalam: ജനുവരി (januvari)

→ Maori: Hānuere

→ Marathi: जानेवारी (jānevārī)

→ Marshallese: Jānwōde

→ Odia: ଜାନୁଆରୀ (jānuāri)

→ Pashto: جنوري

→ Pohnpeian: Senweri

→ Punjabi: ਜਨਵਰੀ (janvarī)

→ Samoan: ianuari

→ Sinhalese: ජනවාරි (janawāri)

→ Swahili: Januari

→ Tagalog: January

→ Tahitian: tēnuare

→ Tamil: ஜனவரி (jaṉavari)

→ Telugu: జనవరి (janavari)

→ Tokelauan: Ianuali

→ Tongan: Sānuali

→ Tumbuka: Janyuwale

→ Yoruba: Jánúárì

/ˈd͡ʒænjuˌɛɹi/

/ˈd͡ʒænjuˌæɹi/

/ˈd͡ʒænjʉˌeːɹi/

/ˈd͡ʒænjəɹi/

/ˈd͡ʒɪnəˌwɛəɹi/

/ˈd͡ʒɪnəˌweɪɹi/

From Middle English Januarie, januari, re-latinised forms of Middle English Janevere, Ieneuer, from Anglo-Norman genever, from Latin Iānuārius (“(month) of Janus”), a compound of Iānus ("Janus") + -ārius (adjectival suffix), with the first element perhaps from the Proto-Indo-European root *yeh₂- (“to go”). Doublet of Gennaro.

com

“Hi, January!” Lynn calls. “Happy birthday!”


October

Bislama: oktoba

Pitcairn-Norfolk: Oktoeba

Tok Pisin: Oktoba

→ Bengali: অক্টোবর (okṭōbor)

→ Burmese: အောက်တိုဘာ (auktuibha)

→ Chichewa: Okutobala

→ Dari: اکتوبر (oktôbar)

→ Hausa: Oktoba

→ Hawaiian: ʻOkakopa

desc

→ Hindi: अक्टूबर (akṭūbar), अक्तूबर (aktūbar)

→ Malay: Oktober

→ Maori: Oketopa

→ Marshallese: Oktoba

→ Niuean: Okitopa

→ Serer: Oktoba

→ Shughni: اکتوبر (oktobar)

→ Swahili: Oktoba

→ Tokelauan: Oketopa

→ Tongan: ʻOkatopa

→ Tuvaluan: Okitopa

→ Wallisian: ʻOkitopa

→ Xamtanga: Oktoobar

From Middle English, borrowed from Old French octobre, from Latin Octōber (“eighth month”), from Latin octō (“eight”), from Proto-Indo-European *oḱtṓw (“twice four”); + Latin -ber, from -bris, an adjectival suffix; October was the eighth month in the Roman calendar.

der

The other one [book] I just read is October Suite by Maxine Clair (Random House, $23.95). It's about a woman named October. She's a young black schoolteacher in the 1950s ...

2002 January, Cincinnati Magazine, volume 35, number 4, page 138:

From somewhere in the distance came the screaming whine of an emergency vehicle's siren. Lance flipped open his phone. “Get me the address of a woman named October Guinness . . . That's right, October,” he said again, [...]

2009, C.S. Graham, The Archangel Project, →ISBN, page 31:

(rare) A female given name transferred from the month name.


February

en-proper noun

February (plural Februaries or Februarys)

Bislama: februari

Jamaican Creole: Febiweri

Pitcairn-Norfolk: Febyuweri

Tok Pisin: februeri

→ Alabama: Febwiiri

→ Bengali: ফেব্রুয়ারি (phebruẏari)

→ Burmese: ဖေဖော်ဝါရီ (hpehpauwari)

→ Dari: فبروری (febroari)

→ Fiji Hindi: february

→ Fijian: Veveruei

→ Gilbertese: Beberuare

→ Gujarati: ફેબ્રુઆરી (phebruārī)

→ Hausa: Fabrairu

→ Hawaiian: Pepeluali

→ Hindi: फ़रवरी (faravrī)

→ Igbo: february

→ Inuktitut: ᕕᐳᐊᕆ (fipoari)

→ Kannada: ಫೆಬ್ರುವರಿ (phebruvari)

→ Malay: Februari

→ Malayalam: ഫെബ്രുവരി (phebruvari)

→ Maori: Pēpuere

→ Marathi: फेब्रुवारी (phebruvārī)

→ Marshallese: Pāpode

→ Odia: ଫେବୃଆରୀ (phebruāri)

→ Samoan: fepuari

→ Sinhalese: පෙබරවාරි (pebarawāri)

→ Swahili: Februari

→ Tahitian: fepuare

→ Tamil: பெப்ரவரி (pepravari)

→ Telugu: ఫిబ్రవరి (phibravari)

→ Tokelauan: Fepuali

→ Tongan: Fēpueli

desc

→ Urdu: فروری

→ Urdu: فروری

→ Xhosa: Februwari

→ Yoruba: february

→ Zulu: iFebruwari

From Middle English Februarie, februari, februare, from Latin Februārius (“the month of the Februa”), from Februa (“the Purgings, the Purifications”), a Roman holiday two days after its ides (i.e., Feb. 15), + -arius (“-ary: forming adjectives”). Februa from februum (“purging”), from an earlier Sabine [Term?] word, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *dʰewh₂- (“smoke, haze”) and thus cognate with thio- (“sulfurous”) and Ancient Greek θεῖον (theîon, “sulfur”) or from Proto-Indo-European *dʰegʷʰris, an extension of the root *dʰegʷʰ- (“to burn”) and thus cognate with fever and febris. A relatinization abandoning Middle English feoverel, from Old French feverier, which itself displaced Old English solmōnaþ (“mud month”).

der

“Cheryl, the man in this photo is a Mr. Dennis Lowe. He worked for a computer software company and he was married. He was impersonating a police officer, a real one by the name of Alexander Colton. He was doing this because he's obsessed with a woman named February—” Nowakowski stopped talking because Cheryl Sheckle's body jerked violently and she let out a muted cry. […] “It isn't a nickname, Cheryl. It's a real person, her name is February Owens and he's been obsessed with her since they went to high school together.”


November

Bislama: novemba

Pitcairn-Norfolk: Nowemba

Tok Pisin: Novemba

→ Bengali: নভেম্বর (nobhembor)

→ Burmese: နိုဝင်ဘာ (nuiwangbha)

→ Chichewa: Novembala

→ Dari: نومبر (novembar)

→ Dhivehi: ނޮވެމްބަރު (novem̊baru)

→ Hausa: Nuwamba

→ Hawaiian: Nowemapa

→ Hindi: नवंबर (navambar)

→ Malay: November

→ Maori: Noema

→ Marshallese: Nobōm̧ba

→ Swahili: Novemba

→ Tokelauan: Novema

→ Tongan: Nōvema

→ Yoruba: Nùfẹ́ḿbà

From Middle English Novembre, from Old French novembre, from Latin November (“ninth month”), from Latin novem, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁néwn̥ (“nine”); + Latin -ber, from -bris, an adjectival suffix. November was the ninth month in the Roman calendar.
Displaced native Old English blōtmōnaþ (literally “sacrifice month”), so called because the Anglo-Saxons, when they were pagans, would sacrifice in this month before the winter set in.


France

en-proper noun

France (usually uncountable, plural Frances)

→ Assamese: ফ্ৰান্স (phranso)

→ Hawaiian: Palani

→? Japanese: フランス (Furansu)

→ Kalenjin: Frans

→ Kikuyu: Frans

→ Luhya: Frans

→ Meru: Frans

→ Sotho: France

→ Swahili: Ufaransa

→ Tokelauan: Falani

From Middle English France, from Old French France, from Latin Francia, from Francī, the name of a Germanic tribe, of unclear (but Proto-Germanic) origin. Believed to be most likely from Frankish *Frankō (“a Frank”), from Proto-Germanic *frankô (“javelin”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *preng- (“pole, stalk”). Compare Frank. Displaced native Old English Francland.

der

Alternative form of Frances; A female given name; feminine of Francis.


Mauritius

→ Japanese: モーリシャス (Mōrishasu)

Maurice of Nassau, Prince of Orange
Mauritius

From a Latinized form of the name of Maurits van Nassau.

A male given name of historical usage, found e.g. in St. Mauritius.


Irish

From Middle English Irish (12th c.), from Old English *Īrisċ, from Old English Īras (“Irishmen”), from Old Norse Írar, from Old Irish Ériu (modern Irish Éire (“Ireland”)), further origin heavily debated but probably from Proto-Celtic *Φīweriyū (“fat land, fertile”), from Proto-Indo-European *péyh₂wr̥ (“fat, swelling”), from *peyh₂- (“to swell; to be fat”), akin to Ancient Greek πίειρα (píeira, “fertile land”), Sanskrit पीवरी (pīvarī, “fat”).

cog

A female given name of chiefly Philippine usage.


Germany

en-proper noun

Germany (countable and uncountable, plural Germanys or Germanies)

1 BC
1000
1914
1944
750 BC
Germany
Julius Caesar
Strabo
The German Question

From Middle English Germanie, from Old English Germanie & Germania, from Latin Germānia (“land of the Germans”), from Germānī, a people living around and east of the Rhine first attested in the 1st century B.C.E. works of Julius Caesar and of uncertain etymology. The exonym was said by Strabo to derive from germānus (“close kin; genuine”), making it cognate with germane and german, but this seems unsupported. Attempts to derive it from Germanic or Celtic roots since the 18th century are all problematic, although it is perhaps cognate with the Old Irish gair (“neighbour”). Doublet of Germania.
In reference to a medieval kingdom, English Germany is usually an anachronism using the Roman name to describe the area or calquing various Latin terms like rex Teutonicorum ("king of the Teutons"), which were often derogatory exonyms rather than formal titles.

nowrap

1st century <small class='ce-date'>B.C.E.</small>


Israel

→ Japanese: イスラエル (Isuraeru)

From Middle English Israel, from Old English, borrowed from Latin Israel, from Ancient Greek Ἰσραήλ (Israḗl), from Hebrew יִשְׂרָאֵל (yisra'él, “Israel”). In the Bible, it is said to be from the name יִשְׂרֶה אֵל (yisré 'él) given to Jacob in he:T:29, after which his descendants came to be known as Israelites and their land as the "kingdom/land of Israel". The personal name, already attested in Eblaite 𒅖𒊏𒅋 (iš-ra-il) and Ugaritic 𐎊𐎌𐎗𐎛𐎍 (yšrỉl), has been variously translated as "he wrestles with God", "he prevails with God", or "God rules" (possibly from the same root ש־ר־ה/ש־ר־ר as שָׂרָה (“Sarah”)).
Line 27 of the Merneptah Stele (from about 1200 B.C.E.) is thought to contain the earliest attestation of the name Israel in any language, Egyptian ysrjꜣr.
: i-i-z:Z1s*Z1s:r-i-A-r:Z1*T14-A1*B1:Z2
Doublet of Yisroel.

And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Genesis 32:28:

Another name for Jacob, notably after Genesis 32:28 and in later references.


Achilles

Borrowed from Latin Achillēs, from Ancient Greek Ἀχιλλεύς (Akhilleús).

(rare) A male given name from Ancient Greek.


India

→ Gujarati: ઈન્ડિયા (īnḍiyā)

→ Hawaiian: ʻĪnia, ʻInia

→ Hindi: इंडिया (iṇḍiyā)

→ Bengali: ইন্ডিয়া (inḍiẏa)

→ Japanese: インディア

→ Kannada: ಇಂಡಿಯಾ (iṇḍiyā)

→ Kashmiri: इंडिया (iṃḍiyā)

→ Korean: 인디아 (india)

desc

→ Malayalam: ഇന്ത്യ (intya), ഇന്റ്യ (inṟya), ഇന്ദ്യ (indya)

→ Marathi: इंडिया (iṇḍiyā)

→ Tamil: இந்தியா (intiyā)

→ Telugu: ఇండియా (iṇḍiyā)

→ Yoruba: Íńdíà

Inherited from Old English India, Indea, from Latin India, from Ancient Greek Ἰνδία (Indía), from Ancient Greek Ἰνδός (Indós, “Indus river”), from Old Persian 𐏃𐎡𐎯𐎢𐏁 (hiⁿdūš), from Sanskrit सिन्धु (sindhu), ultimately from Proto-Indo-Iranian *síndʰuš (“river”).
Compare Middle English Inde and Ynde from Old French Ynde (original form started to prevail in the 16th century), Classical Persian هند (hind, “India”), Sanskrit सिन्धु (síndhu, “a river, stream”).


Chad

From Middle English Chadde, from Old English Ċeadda, of obscure meaning; name of a seventh-century Anglo-Saxon saint, revived in the 20th century.
The sense of “alpha male” originates from an apparent stereotype that men with such a name tend to bear that temperament, first attested in c. late 1990s in Chicago, Illinois (specifically "successful white man, yuppie"), but in common usage only as of the late 2010s via 4chan slang.

etydate

"What else? Anyway, here's the genealogy: Charles Junior's only son is Charles the Third - like royalty. He goes by Chip - Cassie's daddy. The mom is Cindy. The dead son was Chad - Charles the Fourth."
"All Cs," I said. "Sounds like they like order."

1993, Jonathan Kellerman, Devil's Waltz, Random House, published 1998, →ISBN, page 26:

'He used to be called Trevor Buss.'
'Chad? I don't believe you.' […]
'He changed his name into Muhammad Shahabuddin Ali-Shah.'
'No!'
'He'd insist on the whole name. He played football and his mates got fed up saying, "Pass the ball, Muhammad Shahabuddin Ali-Shah" […] No one passed to him. So he became Chad.'

1995, Hanif Kureishi, The Black Album, Faber and Faber, →ISBN, pages 88, 90:

A male given name from Old English. Also a modern nickname for Charles, Chadwick and similar-sounding names


China

en-proper noun

China (usually uncountable, plural Chinas)

→ Amharic: ቻይና (čayna)

→ Chinese: 猜拿 (Cāiná)

→ Hindi: चाइना (cāinā)

→ Maori: Haina

→ Telugu: చైనా (cainā)

→ Tigre: ቻይና (čayna)

→ Tigrinya: ቻይና (čayna)

→ Tokelauan: Haina

→ Welsh: Tsieina

→ Yoruba: Ṣáínà

[ˈt͡ʃ(ʰ)aɪ̯nə]

China (disambiguation)
Colóquios dos simples e drogas da India
Duarte Barbosa
Garcia de Orta
Marco Polo
The Travels of Marco Polo
states of ancient China

From Portuguese China, probably under influence from Old French Chin, from Classical Persian چین (čīn), from Middle Persian 𐭰𐭩𐭭 (Čīn, “China”), from Sanskrit चीन (cīna, “the Chinese; China”) of uncertain etymology. It is usually thought to be derived from Chinese 秦 (Qín) (sm Qín, mc d͡ziɪn, oc *zin, "Qin"), the westernmost ancient Chinese state, but other theories have been proposed, including derivation from 晉／晋 (jìn) (sm Jìn, mc t͡siɪn, oc *ʔsins, "Jin"), another important ancient state; 荊／荆 (jīng) (sm Jīng, mc kˠiæŋ, oc *keŋ, "Chu"), the southernmost ancient Chinese state; or Zina, the endonym of the people of the Yelang kingdom. See "Names of China" and "Chinas" at Wikipedia. As a female name, usually derived via china (“porcelain”) and china doll, ultimately from the same source.

der

My name is China Bayles. I'm the owner of Thyme and Seasons and the co-owner, with Ruby Wilcox, of a new tearoom called Thyme for Tea.

2001, Susan Wittig Albert, chapter 1, in Bloodroot, Berkley Publishing Group, →ISBN, page 3:

'What's her name, this girl?' The fight had hoarsened Lynne's voice, and the words came out strangely staccato - a wooden doll that had just learned to speak.
'China,' he mumbled, feeling an obscure desire to invent a pseudonym for her.
'What an interesting name.'
Angus struck the table edge hard. 'Aw, don't gies it.'
'I don't know what you mean. Or is it a nickname? Fragile, is she?'

2014, Neil D. A. Stewart, The Glasgow Coma Scale, Constable & Robinson, →ISBN, page 159:


Jordan

en-proper noun

Jordan (countable and uncountable, plural Jordans)

From Latin Iordanēs, from Ancient Greek Ἰορδάνης (Iordánēs), from Biblical Hebrew יַרְדֵּן (yardén, “Jordan (river)”). Doublet of Yarden.

der

I call him Jordan and it will do. He has no other name before or after. What was there to call him, fished as he was from the stinking Thames? A child can't be called Thames, no and not Nile either, for all his likeness to Moses. But I wanted to give him a river name, a name not bound to anything, just as the waters aren't bound to anything.

1989, Jeanette Winterson, Sexing the Cherry, Grove Press, published 1998, →ISBN, pages 3–4:

A male given name from Hebrew; in the Middle Ages given to children baptized with Jordan water brought by crusaders.

A female given name from Hebrew, of mid-20th century and later usage.


Dutch

→ Hindi: डच (ḍac)

PIE word
 *tewtéh₂
Derived from Middle English Duch (“German, Low German, Dutch”), from Middle Low German dütsch, düdesch (“German, Low German, Dutch”) and Middle Dutch dūtsch, duutsc (“German, Low German, Dutch”), from Proto-West Germanic *þiudisk, from Proto-Germanic *þiudiskaz (“of one’s people”), derived from *þeudō (“people”), from Proto-Indo-European *tewtéh₂. Doublet of Deutsch and Doitsu.
Compare Middle English thedisch (“native, endemic”) from Old English þēodisċ (“of one’s people”), Old Saxon thiudisk (German Low German düütsch (“German”)), Old High German diutisc (modern German deutsch (“German”)), modern Dutch Duits (“German”) alongside elevated Diets (“Dutch”) (a secondary distinction, fully accepted only in the 19th century). See also Derrick, Teuton, Teutonic.
The pejorative senses (Dutch courage, Dutch wife, Dutch uncle, etc.) are said to stem from the Anglo-Dutch Wars and the accompanying rivalry.

cog

A male given name, more often given as a nickname to someone of Dutch or German ancestry than as an official given name


Saxon

Partially from Middle English Saxe, Sax; from Old English *Seaxa (attested in plural Seaxan), and Saxoun, from Old French *Saxoun, Saxon (“Saxon”), from Late Latin Saxonem, accusative of Saxo (“a Saxon”), both from Proto-West Germanic *sahs, from Proto-Germanic *sahsą (“rock, knife”), from Proto-Indo-European *sek- (“to cut”).
Cognates:
Cognate with Middle Low German sasse (“someone speaking Saxon, i.e. (Middle) Low German”), Old English Seaxa (“a Saxon”), Old High German Sahso (“a Saxon”), Icelandic Saxi (“a Saxon”), Estonian saks (“lord; German”), Finnish Saksa (“Germany”). Also cognate to Old English seax (“a knife, hip-knife, an instrument for cutting, a short sword, dirk, dagger”); more at sax.

A male given name transferred from the surname, of modern usage or directly from the noun Saxon.


Georgia

Latinate feminine form of George, from Ancient Greek Γεώργιος (Geṓrgios, “farmer”).

der

/ˈd͡ʒɔː.d͡ʒə/

/ˈd͡ʒɔɹ.d͡ʒə/

/ˈd͡ʒɔʊ.d͡ʒə/

"Georgia?" his mother said. "Why in the world would a mother want to give her daughter such an outlandish name?" "It's no more outlandish than Jesse Griffith." "Why, Jesse G., thee's named for thy two grandfathers." "Georgia's named for a whole state."

1949, Jessamyn West, Except for Me and Thee, Macmillan, published 1969, page 9:


Danish

Borrowed from Persian دانش (literally “knowledge, science, wisdom”).


Amy

Anglicized form of Old French Amee,
which was both a nickname and a form of the Latin name Amata (“beloved”).

The Dame Anne Dudley, mentioned in a contemporary record, was Leicester's first wife, the unfortunate Amy Robsart. It may be noticed, in passing, that the name Amy - presuming that it occurs in contemporary manuscripts of authority - is an extremely rare one. It is obvious how easily the name Aime might be read for Anne.

1886, Hubert Hall, Society in the Elizabethan Age, Kessinger Publishing, published 2003, →ISBN, page 94:

As a child, Amy could have been drawn by Millais, if he was inclined - the name Amy is deceptively apt - but though the plumpness remains, not much but some, the ringlets have gone to be replaced by curls of the colour of cinnamon.

1975, Derek Marlowe, Nightshade, Weidenfeld and Nicolson, page 7:

As Amy had been baptized Amelia (but always called Amy) after her mother, now her daughter, too, was baptized Amelia.

1999, Susan Butler, Lawrence Butler, East to the Dawn: The Life of Amelia Earhart., →ISBN, page 5:

When I remained alive, they named me Amy, because it was a regular girl's name, a popular girl's name, a name a thousand other baby girls were given that year, so maybe the gods wouldn't notice this little baby nestled among the others.

2012, Gillian Flynn, Gone Girl, Phoenix, published 2013, →ISBN, page 249:


English

en-prop

English (countable and uncountable, plural Englishes)

English (surname)
English#Places in the United States

From Middle English Englisch, English, Inglis, from Old English Englisċ (“of the Angles; English”), from Engle (“the Angles”), a Germanic tribe + -isċ; equivalent to Engle + -ish. Compare West Frisian Ingelsk, Scots Inglis (older ynglis), Dutch Engels, Danish engelsk, Old French Englesche (whence French anglais), German englisch, Spanish inglés, all ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European *h₂enǵʰ- (“narrow”) (compare Sanskrit अंहु (áṃhu, “narrow”), अंहस् (áṃhas, “anxiety, sin”), Latin angustus (“narrow”), Old Church Slavonic ѫзъкъ (ǫzŭkŭ, “narrow”)).

cog

A number of places in the United States:

An unincorporated community in Brazoria County, Texas.

Red River County
Red River County#English

An unincorporated community in Red River County, Texas.


Victoria

en-proper noun

Victoria (countable and uncountable, plural Victorias or Victoriae)

From Latin Victōria, from victōria (“victory”). Doublet of Vitória. The given name can also be analyzed as the male name Victor + -ia. The places were named in honour of Queen Victoria of Great Britain.

Coordinate term: Victor (male form)

When I had first told him the name we'd chosen for our daughter, Abe had suggested that it was a pretty damn waspy title for the offspring of an Indian princess and a Chicago pollock.- - -
I never would have chosen the name "Victoria" but was secretly delighted by it. Amrita first suggested it one hot day in July and we treated it as a joke. It seemed that one of her earliest memories was of arriving by train at Victoria Station in Bombay. That huge edifice - one of the remnants of the British Raj, which evidently still defines India - had always filled Amrita with a sense of awe. Since that time, the name Victoria had evoked an echo of beauty, elegance and mystery in her.

1985, Dan Simmons, Song of Kali, →ISBN, pages 4, 17:


Alberta

From Albert + -a. The province was named after Princess Louise Caroline Alberta.

Alberta is more like a man's name than any other name that comes from a men's, more than Georgianna which is just like a magnolia blossom or Henrietta which most people change to Etta or Geraldine which nobody ever thinks of coming from a man's Irish name like Gerald. Alberta also sounds sort of Canadian, and everything from Canada is masculine the way everything from Mexico is feminine, even the men. In saying it carelessly or reading it you hardly notice the a in the end.

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

A female given name from the Germanic languages, a feminine form of Albert.


Adelaide

→ Greek: Άντελαϊντ (Ántelaïnt)

Borrowed from French Adélaïde, from Old High German Adalheidis (from adal (“noble”) + -heit (“nature, character”)); doublet of Alice.

Adelaide (given name)
Adelaide River
Adelaide, South Australia

A female given name from the Germanic languages


Daman

The given name derives from the Sanskrit equivalent of Ancient Greek Damian, the brother of Cosmas.

A male given name from Sanskrit used in India.


Sydney

Sydney (countable and uncountable, plural Sydneys)

For the surname and given name, see Sidney. The cities in Australia and Canada are named after British politician Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney (1733–1800).

named-after

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


Salvador

From Spanish and Portuguese Salvador, chiefly various placenames honoring Jesus Christ, from Spanish and Portuguese salvador (“savior”), from Latin salvator, from salvāre (“to save”) + -tor (forming agent nouns). In Spanish placenames, frequently a clipping of Spanish San Salvador (“Holy Savior”). Doublet of savior, Salvator, and Salvatore.

doublet

A male given name from Spanish or Portuguese.


Darwin

From Middle English Darwin, Derwin, from Old English Dēorwine (“a given name”), composed of dēore (“dear”) + wine (“friend”).
The city in Australia is named after Charles Darwin.

A male given name transferred from the surname, deriving from the Old English name Dēorwine and revived through the surname.


Leon

Ultimately from Latin Leo and leo (“lion”), from Ancient Greek Λέων (Léōn) and λέων (léōn, “lion”), likely ultimately from a non-Indo-European language. Sometimes via other related languages such as French Léon and sometimes as a diminutive of related names such as Leonard and Leonardo.

A male given name from Latin or Ancient Greek.


Islam

en-proper noun

Islam (usually uncountable, plural Islams)

Borrowed around 1610 from Arabic إِسْلَام (ʔislām, “submission, surrender”), verbal noun of أَسْلَمَ (ʔaslama), from the root س ل م (s-l-m).


Christian

en-proper noun

Christian (countable and uncountable, plural Christians)

/ˈkɹɪʃt͡ʃən/

/ˈkɹɪst͡ʃən/

From Middle English Cristien, from Old French chrestien, from Latin Chrīstiānus, from Ancient Greek Χρῑστιᾱνός (Khrīstiānós), from Χρῑστός (Khrīstós, “Christ, anointed [one]”) + Latin suffix -ānus. The older form is Christen. Doublet of cretin. By surface analysis, Christ + -ian.

A male given name from Ancient Greek found in England since the twelfth century.

A female given name from Ancient Greek of medieval usage, rare today.

An unincorporated community in Logan County, West Virginia, United States.


Milton

The English place names are from Old English mylen (“mill”) or middel (“middle”) + tun (“settlement”).

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 transferred from the surname.


Asia

Asia (countable and uncountable, plural Asias)

From Middle English Asia, Asie, from Old French Asie and Latin Asia, from Ancient Greek Ᾰ̓σῐ́ᾱ (Asíā), from Mycenaean Greek 𐀀𐀯𐀹𐀊 (a-si-wi-ja /aswijaː/), in turn probably from Hittite 𒀸𒋗𒉿 (aš-šu-wa /Aššuwa/, “northwest Anatolia”) of uncertain origin. Potentially from an Aegean language family substrate or Akkadian. Possibly a doublet of Assuwa.

der

67 Asia
Asia
Asia (mythology)
United Nations Statistics Division

And Scott Haskell started going out with this sophomore girl called Asia, who was this rich girl from Weston Heights.

1994, Blake Nelson, Girl: A Novel, Simon&Schuster, →ISBN, page 81:

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


Laura

From Late Latin saint's name Laura, from the feminine form of laurus (“laurel tree”). A post-classical name made famous by Petrarch's sonnets to Laura in the fourteenth century.

Now is he for the numbers that Petrarch flowed in; Laura to his lady was but a kitchen-wench; marry, she had a better love to be-rime her;

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 II, scene iv]:

Laura was saying something. A mellifluous name, he thought. I wish she were far away, so I could call her.

1960 Peter S. Beagle: A Fine And Private Place. Random House Publishing, 1982:The Fantasy Worlds of Peter Beagle. →ISBN page 258

'Mine's Laura'./ 'A beautiful name.'/ Laura has never liked her name. It's too old-fashioned and has, to her mind, a slightly whiny sound, like the twang of a country and western guitar. In fact she was given the name because Michelle liked the song 'Tell Laura I Love Her'.

2019 February 7, Elly Griffiths, The Stone Circle: The Dr Ruth Galloway Mysteries 11, Hachette UK, →ISBN:


Ursula

/ˈɜː(ɹ).ʃʊ.lə/

From Latin Ursula, name of a fourth century saint.

Whisper her ear, and tell her, I and Ursula / Walk in the orchard, and our whole discourse / Is all of her;

"Is her name Ursula?" And I called to mind the little girl who had tried to give some bread to the hungry John Halifax, and whose cry of pain we heard as the door shut upon her. Poor little lady! how sorry I was.

1857 Dinah Craik, John Halifax, Gentleman, Chapter III


Andrew

en-proper noun

Andrew (countable and uncountable, plural Andrews)

[ˈeᵊnˌd̠ɹ̠˔ʷʊ̈u]

[ˈænˌd̠ɹ̠ʷ˔ʊ̈u]

From Ancient Greek Ἀνδρέας (Andréas), cognate with ἀνδρεῖος (andreîos, “manly”), both from ἀνήρ (anḗr, “man”). Doublet of André, Andreas, Andrei, and Andrey.

doublet

I like him - I like a man who can be extreme. Depend upon it, Miss Mercer - but what is his first name?" "Andrew." "A good name, though common - there is a possibility of a sound reputation in Andrew Morton, especially if he narrows himself down to a point […]

1890, John Davidson, Perfervid: The Career of Ninian Jamieson, Ward and Downey, page 94:

"Well, I'd say he ought to have a Scottish name like Andrew or Bruce or Sandy...or...Duncan...or Angus or..." He ticked them off on his fingers as they came to mind.

1966, Ester Wier, The Barrel, D. McCay Co., page 57:

Lloyd was a piss-ant name. Andrew was better because Andrew was one of the twelve apostles, and anybody with a twelve-apostle name was a good guy. If you were reading a book - which Parker rarely did - and you ran across a guy named Luke, Matthew, Thomas, Peter, Paul, James, like that, you knew right off he was supposed to be a good guy. - - - He would have preferred to be called Andrew, which was his true and honorable middle name.

1985, Ed McBain, Eight Black Horses, Simon&Schuster, published 2003, →ISBN:

"Irina? Call me 'Andy,' please."
"I think that I would rather call you 'Andrew'."
This was flattering, somehow. For everyone I knew called me "Andy"―a name comfortable as an old sneaker. There was dignity in "Andrew," and a kind of depth, complexity. Perhaps I began to fall in love with Irina Kacinzk for seeing more in me than I saw in myself at the time.

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

(countable) A male given name from Ancient Greek.


London

en-proper noun

London (countable and uncountable, plural Londons)

→ Norwegian Bokmål: London

From Middle English London, from Old English Lunden, from Proto-Celtic via Latin Londinium – see for details. Doublet of Londinium.

Londens

of, from or pertaining to London in the UK

Sonja made me promise I would go to college. She said she'd wanted her daughter, Murphy, to go. She'd named her baby Murphy because it could never be a stripper name. But her daughter had changed her name to London.

2012, Louise Erdrich, The Round House, Corsair, published 2013, →ISBN, page 178:

(rare) A unisex given name transferred from the place name.


Paris

desctree

→ Arabic: بارِيس (bārīs), بَارِيز (bārīz) — dated, پَارِيس (pārīs) — rare
→ Afar: Baaríis
→ Somali: Baaríis

→ Hindi: पेरिस (peris)

→ Urdu: پَیرِس (pairis)
→ Punjabi: پَیرَس (pairas)

From Middle English Parys, Paris, from Old French Paris, from the Late Latin name of an earlier settlement, Lutetia Parisiorum (“Lutetia of the Parisii”), from Latin Parīsiī, a Gaulish tribe, from Transalpine Gaulish *parios (“cauldron”), from Proto-Celtic *kʷaryos, from Proto-Indo-European *kʷer-. Doublet of Parizh.

der

-æɹɪs (Received Pronunciation, New York City, without the Mary–marry–merry merger)

-ɛɹɪs (General American, Canada, Mary–marry–merry merger)

A female given name transferred from the place name, of modern usage, usually from the French city.


Paris

Borrowed from Ancient Greek Πάρις (Páris).

A male given name from Ancient Greek, from the Trojan hero.


Mo

A diminutive of the male given names Mohammed, Moses, Maurice, Morris, Moritz, or Mortimer.

A diminutive of the female given names Marjorie, Maureen, Moira, or Monica.


Bonnie

Originally an American nickname from Scottish bonnie (“fine, beautiful”).

Rhett leaning over the child had said: 'Her eyes are going to be pea-green.'
'Indeed they are not,' cried Melanie indignantly, forgetting that Scarlett's eyes were almost that shade.
'They are going to be blue, like Mr O'Hara's eyes, as blue as - as blue as the bonnie blue flag.'
'Bonnie Blue Butler,' laughed Rhett, taking the child from her and peering more closely into the small eyes. And Bonnie she became until even her parents did not recall that she had been named for two queens.

1936 June 30, Margaret Mitchell, Gone with the Wind, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company, →OCLC; republished New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company, 1944, →OCLC, part V, page 891:


Brittany

Inherited from Middle English Bretany, Brytany, itself borrowed from Medieval Latin Britannia, applied to Brittany from at least the 6th century, and reinforced by Middle French Bretagne. See Britannia for more. Doublet of Britain and Britannia.

- - - No one has family names. These girls with rooster hair I see on the streets. They pick the names. They're the mothers." "I have a granddaughter named Brittany," Hazel said. " And I have heard of a little girl called Cappuccino." "Cappuccino! Is that true? Why don't they call one Cassaulet? Fettuccini? Alsace-Lorraine?"

1990, Alice Munro, Friend of My Youth, →ISBN, page 102:

Names of the times. Borrowed from soap opera characters of prominence fifteen years ago, who have since been replaced by spiffy new models: the social-climbing Brittany now an unscrupulous Burke, the generous Pamela a refitted, urbanized Parker.

1999, Andrew Pyper, chapter 10, in Lost Girls:

A female given name transferred from the place name, of 1980s and 1990s American usage.


Albert

en-proper noun

Albert (countable and uncountable, plural Alberts)

From Old English Æþelbeorht, from Proto-West Germanic *Aþalberht, a compound of *aþalaz (“noble”) + *berhtaz (“bright, famous”), or from Old French Albert, from Latin Albertus, itself from the Germanic name. Regardless of the exact route, it is a doublet of Ethelbert. It became popular in 19th-century England due to Queen Victoria’s consort, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha.

Thou noble Father of her Kings to be - - - / Dear to thy land and ours, a Prince indeed, / Beyond all titles, and a household name, / Hereafter, thro' all times, Albert the Good.

1862, Alfred Tennyson, The Idylls of the King: Dedication::

Helena was not flattered. "Albert just doesn't appreciate music," she said. They all called me Albert then. I thought it was a fine name; I like elegance.

1956, Eddie Condon, Thomas Sugrue, We Called it Music: A Generation of Jazz., Peter Davies, page 40:

Hogan, Byrne, O'Brien. She stopped at one name. Albert Delahunty — what Catholic in their right mind would call a child Albert?

2000, Anne Enright, What Are You Like?, Random House, published 2001, →ISBN, page 85:

A male given name from the Germanic languages.


Michelle

From French Michelle, feminine form of French Michel (“Michael”), Hebrew מִיכָאֵל (mikhaél, “who is like God?”). Doublet of Michaela.

der

Michelle ma belle
These are words that go together well

1965, John Lennon-Paul McCartney: Michelle ( a Beatles song)

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


Michael

en-proper noun

Michael (countable and uncountable, plural Michaels)

Armenian: Մայքլ (Maykʻl)

Greek: Μάικλ (Máikl)

From Middle English Michael, from Old French Michel, Old English Michahel, and directly from their source Latin Michaēl, from Ancient Greek Μῐχᾱήλ (Mikhāḗl), from Biblical Hebrew מִיכָאֵל (mîḵāʾēl, literally “who is like God?”). Doublet of Mikhail.

der

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

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

He works in the steelworks, the boyfriend, on the factory floor. I'd say that was quite unusual, he's called Michael. Insists on that, he does, not being called Mike or Micky or Mick, pretends not to hear you, then, "No, my name's actually Michael."

2008, Philip Hensher, The Northern Clemency, HarperCollins, →ISBN, page 498:

He looked more like a Michael; big guy, dark-haired, good posture, his back ramrod straight.

2015 August 25, Sue Grafton, X, Penguin, →ISBN, page 277:

(countable) A male given name from Hebrew.


Charles

en-proper noun

Charles (countable and uncountable, plural Charleses)

From French Charles, from Old French Charles, Carles, from Latin Carolus, from and also reinfluenced by Frankish and Old High German Karl, from Proto-Germanic *karilaz (“free man”); compare the English word churl and the German Kerl. In reference to the Ecuadorian island, a clipping of the original name King Charles's Island, granted in honor of Charles II of England.

Charles the Great / Subdued the Saxons, and did seat the French / Beyond the river Sala, in the year / Eight hundred five.

1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:

[…] there never was any person named Charles who was not an open, manly, honest, good-natured, and frank-hearted fellow, with a rich, clear, voice, that did you good to hear it, and an eye that looked at you always straight at the face, as much as to say: "I have a clear conscience myself, am afraid of no man, and am altogether above doing a mean action." And thus all the hearty, careless, 'walking gentlemen' of the stage are very certain to be called Charles.

1844, Edgar Allan Poe, Thou Art the Man:

[…] spoke the way the English do, funny, you know? His name was Roger, I think. Or Nigel. Something like that." "How about Charles?" "Charles? Well, yes, it could have been.Charles does sound English, doesn't it? Their prince is named Charles, isn't he?"

1988, Ed McBain, The House That Jack Built, page 212:


Christopher

From Late Latin Christophorus, from Koine Greek Χρῑστόφορος (Khrīstóphoros, “carrier of Christ”), from Ancient Greek Χριστός (Khristós, “Christ”) + φόρος (phóros, “carrier, bearer”), from φέρειν (phérein, “to carry, to bear”) + -ος (-os, “-er: forming agent nouns”), from the legend of Saint Christopher carrying the infant Jesus across a river.

der

Am not I Christopher Sly, old Sly's son, of Burtonheath; by birth a pedlar, by education a card-maker, by transmutation a bear-herd, and now by present profession a tinker?

c. 1590–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act INDUCTION, scene ii]:

- - - a baby, which also happened to fall due, was baptized "Paul" ( for the church ) "Christopher" ( because St. Christopher had to do with rivers and ferries ), the Rector strenuously resisting the parents' desire to call it "Van Weyden Flood".


Oran

Anglicized from Old Irish saints' name Odrán, diminutive of odhar (“dun, sallow”) (compare Irish Odhrán).


Yoshi

From Japanese ヨッシー (Yosshī, “Yoshi, the Super Mario Bros. dinosaur character”), 義 (Yoshi, common Japanese male given name), and many other spellings. See よし.


Louisiana

From French Louisiane, named for King Louis XIV of France.

Alabama · Alaska · Arizona · Arkansas · California · Colorado · Connecticut · Delaware · Florida · Georgia · Hawaii · Idaho · Illinois · Indiana · Iowa · Kansas · Kentucky · Louisiana · Maine · Maryland · Massachusetts · Michigan · Minnesota · Mississippi · Missouri · Montana · Nebraska · Nevada · New Hampshire · New Jersey · New Mexico · New York · North Carolina · North Dakota · Ohio · Oklahoma · Oregon · Pennsylvania · Rhode Island · South Carolina · South Dakota · Tennessee · Texas · Utah · Vermont · Virginia · Washington · West Virginia · Wisconsin · Wyoming


Rhodes

en-proper noun

Rhodes (countable and uncountable, plural Rhodeses)

From rodes, the plural form of Middle English rode, from Old English rod, rodu.
The Rh- form—a 16th century spelling modification— was created by analogy with the unrelated Rhodes, Greece.

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


Gerard

From Middle English Gerard, from Old French Gerart, from Frankish *Gaiʀahard, from *gaiʀ (“spear”) + *hard(ī) (“hard, brave”).

af

He was famous, sir, in his profession, and it was his great right to be so: Gerard de Narbon.

c. 1604–1605 (date written), William Shakespeare, “All’s Well, that Ends Well”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]:


Verona

From the Italian Verona and the Latin Vērōna.

Verona

province in the Veneto region of northern Italy


Milan

Inherited from Middle English Milane, Melan, etc., from Old English Mæġelan, Megelan, Mediolanaburg, etc. under influence from early forms of French Milan, from Medieval Latin Mediolāna etc., from Latin Mediolānum, q.v. As American settlements, typically after the Italian city.


Milan

A male given name from the Slavic languages.


Maine

Maine (disambiguation)
Maine (given name)
Maine (province)
Maine (state)

A male given name of historical usage, notably borne by Irish kings Maine mac Cerbaill and Maine mac Néill.


Virginia

en-proper noun

Virginia (countable and uncountable, plural Virginias)

→ Creek: wvcenv

50 Virginia
Elizabeth I
Virginia
Virginia (disambiguation)

From Latin Virginia, feminine form of Virginius or Verginius, a Roman family name, possibly identical with Vergilius. The state/colony was named for Elizabeth I as the Virgin Queen, equivalent to virgin + -ia.

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

1380s-1390s, Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales: The Physician's Tale
"Daughter," quoth he, "Virginia by thy name, / There be two wayes, either death or shame, / That thou must suffer, - alas that I was bore!

Here, in due time, she was brought to bed of a daughter, whom she christened by the name of Virginia; not so much out of respect to her last mistress, who bore that name, as because she considered it peculiarly ladylike and genteel.

1840, Frederick Marryat, chapter III, in Poor Jack:

O sweet Virginia Dare! / Thou art the lily of our love, / The forest's sylph-like queen, / The first-born bud from Saxon stem / That this New World hath seen!

1854, Lydia Howard Sigourney, The Western Home, and Other Poems, Parry & McMillan, published 1854, page 87:

She said her name was Virginia Severson. It suited her. She looked very virginal, and clean, calm, cool in a Scandinavian sort of way.

1956, Charlotte Armstrong, A Dram of Poison, Coward-McCann, pages 164–165:


Vienna

From Italian and Medieval Latin Vienna, from German Wien, Middle High German Wienne, and Old High German Wienna, probably from Proto-Celtic *widus (“wood”) or *weidus (“wild”) via unattested Vulgar Latin *Vedunia.


Florence

Florence (disambiguation)
Florence Nightingale

Borrowed from French Florence, from Latin Flōrentia (as a given name, a feminine form of Flōrentius), from flōrens (“flowering, flourishing”), from flōs (“flower”), connected with English bloom and blossom. Doublet of Firenze.
The female given name gained popularity from Florence Nightingale who was born in the Tuscan city.

It is a sweet name, Florence, but not as sweet as herself. But you shall see her with you own eyes.

1840, William Gilmore Simms, Border Beagles: A Tale of Mississippi, Donohue, Henneberry, published 1890, page 398:

I am glad that I chose the name Florence for my daughter, a real name with a history, rather than something that sounds as if it has been made up by a fifteen-year-old pop star's marketing team.

2006, Sophie Hannah, Little Face, Soho, published 2007, →ISBN, page 3:


Valencia

From Spanish Valencia, from Latin Valentia, from valentia (“power, vigor”). Doublet of Valence.

Valencia
Valencia (autonomous community)
Valencia orange


Nikolis

Νικολής Νικολής#Greek

A transliteration of the Greek male given name Νικολής (Nikolís) used in Greece.


Nikos

Νίκος Νίκος#Greek

A transliteration of the Greek male given name Νίκος (Níkos) used in Greece. It is the most common form of the name Nikolaos, the Greek cognate of Nicholas.


Nikoleta

Transliteration of Greek Νικολέτα (Nikoléta), a female given name used in (modern) Greece.

Νικολέτα Νικολέτα#Greek

A transliteration of the Greek female given name Νικολέτα (Nikoléta).


Nikolaos

Borrowed from Greek Νικόλαος (Nikólaos), from Ancient Greek Νικόλαος (Nikólaos), from νικάω (nikáō, “I conquer”) + λαός (laós, “people”). Doublet of Nicholas.

Νικόλαος Νικόλαος#Greek

A transliteration of the Greek male given name Νικόλαος (Nikólaos) used in Greece. The equivalent female name is Nikoleta.


Dane

From Middle English Dane, from Old Norse danir. Displaced native Old English Dene. Both forms ultimately descend from Proto-Germanic *daniz.

"I'm going to call him Dane."
"What a queer name! Why? Is it an O'Neill family name? I thought you were finished with the O'Neills."
"It's got nothing to do with Luke. This is his name, no one else's. - - - I called Justine Justine simply because I liked the name, and I'm calling Dane Dane for the same reason."
"Well, it does have a nice ring to it," Fee admitted.

1977, Colleen McCullough, The Thorn Birds, Gramercy Books, published 1998, →ISBN, pages 432–433:

A male given name transferred from the surname, or from the ethnic term Dane (like Scott or Norman).


Nikolas

Νικόλας Νικόλας#Greek

A transliteration of the Greek male given name Νικόλας (Nikólas) used in Greece.


Berlin

Berlin (countable and uncountable, plural Berlins)

Baden-Württemberg · Bavaria · Brandenburg · Hesse · Lower Saxony · Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania · North Rhine-Westphalia · Rhineland-Palatinate · Saarland · Saxony · Saxony-Anhalt · Schleswig-Holstein · Thuringia


Larissa

A female given name from Ancient Greek (after the mythological character and a 4th century Greek Orthodox martyr).


Nicolas

And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Acts 6:5:

A male given name from Ancient Greek, of less common usage, variant of Nicholas.


Nicholas

Nicholas (countable and uncountable, plural Nicholases)

From Middle English Nicholas, from Old French Nicholas, from Latin Nīcolāus, from Ancient Greek Νικόλαος (Nikólaos), from νίκη (níkē, “victory”) + λαός (laós, “people”).

com

Sirrah, if they meet not with Saint Nicholas’ clerks, I'll give thee this neck.

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 II, scene i]:

I must call you Nick—we always did call you young Nick when we knew you meant to marry the old widow. Some said you had a handsome family likeness to old Nick, but that was your mother's fault, calling you Nicholas. Aren't you glad to see me again?

1871–1872, George Eliot [pseudonym; Mary Ann Evans], chapter LIII, in Middlemarch […], volume III, Edinburgh, London: William Blackwood and Sons, →OCLC, book V, page 182:

A male given name from Ancient Greek. Best known for St. Nicholas of Myre, on whom Father Christmas is based.


Daniel

From Middle English Daniel, Daniell, from Ancient Greek Δᾱνῑήλ (Dānīḗl), from Hebrew דָּנִיֵּאל (daniyél, literally “God is my judge”), name borne from the prophet whose story is told in the Book of Daniel.

der

"His name is Daniel Needham," my mother said. Whew! With what relief - down came my grandmother's hands! Needham was a fine old name, a founding fathers sort of name, a name you could trace back to the Massachusetts Bay Colony - if not exactly Gravesend itself. And Daniel was as Daniel as Daniel Webster, which was as good a name as a Wheelwright could wish for.
"But he's called Dan," my mother added, bringing a slight frown to my grandmother's countenance.

1989, John Irving, A Prayer for Owen Meany, Corgi Books, →ISBN, page 55:

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


Brent

en-proper noun

Brent (countable and uncountable, plural Brents)

English surname from placenames in Devon and Somerset, from Old English brant (“steep”), referring to hills. Compare Brents.

A male given name transferred from the surname, of 20th century and later usage.


Jan

From Old French Jehan (“John”). Doublet of John.


Jan

A clipping or hypochoristic form of Janet, Janice, Janine, Janis, etc.
Doublet of Ivanka, Janelle, Janet, Janey, Janine, Jeanette, Jeanie, Jeannette, Jeannine, Jen, Jenna, Jenny, Jessie, Jo, Jody, Juanita, Shanae, Sinead, and Vanna.

doublet

"Yes, Mommy," answered Janice. Then she turned to her friend and asked, "Shall I wear my light chintz and kenton kerchief, or my purple and white striped Persian?" "Sufficiently smart for a country lass, Jan," cried her friend.

1899, Paul Leicester Ford, chapter 1, in Janice Meredith:

She's startled. How long has it been since he called her Jax instead of Janet or Jan? The last is a nickname she secretly hates. It makes her think of that syrupy-sweet actress on Lassie when she was a kid, the little boy (Timmy, his name was Timmy) always fell down a well or got bitten by a snake or trapped under a rock, and what kind of parents put a kid's life in the hands of a fucking collie?

2008, Stephen King, Just after Sunset, Simon and Schuster, published 2009, →ISBN, page 129:


Jan

From various European languages, ultimately from Latin Johannes.

A male given name, equivalent to English John


Montana

en-proper noun

Montana (countable and uncountable, plural Montanas)

From Latin montāna
* the US state via Spanish montaña (“mountain”)
* the surname from Spanish Montaña topographic surname

'Montana?' I said. 'You can't call a kid Montana'―these friends of mine were going to call their new baby girl Montana and I tried to talk them out of it, because I'm sick of Australians naming their kids after American placenames, I'm sick of all these Montanas and Delawares and Indianas and Dallases. […]

2002, Danny Katz, Dork Geek Jew, Allen & Unwin, published 2002, →ISBN, page 12:

A unisex given name transferred from the place name, specifically from the name of the U.S. state.


Delphi

Borrowed from Ancient Greek Δελφοί (Delphoí).

(rare) A female given name from Ancient Greek, as well a diminutive of Delphine.


Zeus

From Ancient Greek Ζεύς (Zeús). Doublet of Dyeus and Jove.


Alexander

/ˌælɪɡˈzændɚ/

[ˌælɪɡˈzeəndɚ]

[ˌælɪɡˈzeəndə]

/ˌalɪɡˈzɑːndə/

Borrowed from Latin Alexander, from Ancient Greek Ἀλέξανδρος (Aléxandros), from ἀλέξω (aléxō, “I defend”) + ἀνδρ- (andr-), the stem of ἀνήρ (anḗr, “man”). Doublet of Alastair and Alejandro.

Why may not imagination trace the noble dust of Alexander, till he find it stopping a bung-hole?

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 V, scene i]:

And for my own part, said my uncle Toby, though I should blush to boast of myself, Trim - yet had my name been Alexander, I could have done no more at Namur than my duty.

1765, Laurence Sterne, Tristram Shandy, Book IV, Chapter 18:

"My son's name is Alexander," Muriel said. "Did I tell you that? I named him Alexander because it sounded high-class.

1985, Anne Tyler, The Accidental Tourist, →ISBN, page 170:

A male given name from Ancient Greek, most famously held by Alexander the Great.


Sofia

Variant spelling of Sophia and from various other languages' own adaptions of Ancient Greek Σοφία (Sophía, “wisdom, especially divine wisdom”). Sometimes borrowed into English as an anglicization of an accented or closely related form, as with Spanish Sofía, Welsh Soffia, and Hungarian Zsófia.
As the capital of Bulgaria, via nonstandard romanization of Bulgarian Со́фия (Sófiya), from църква „Света София“ (cǎrkva "Sveta Sofija"), from Byzantine Greek Ναός Ἁγίας Σοφίας (Naós Hagías Sophías, “Church of Holy Wisdom”), the city's prominent 6th-century Byzantine Greek church, first attested being used as the name for the city in the 14th century and reinforced under Ottoman rule as Ottoman Turkish صوفیه (Sofya).

der

Alternative spelling of Sophia, a female given name.


Moses

From Latin Mōsēs, Mōȳsēs, from Ancient Greek Μωυσῆς (Mōusês), from Biblical Hebrew מֹשֶׁה (mōšê). Further etymology is unclear, but it is sometimes conjectured to derive from Egyptian ms-s (msj, “to give birth to”), a common element in Egyptian names of the form ‘[name of deity] is the one who bore him’; or, alternatively, contains Egyptian N35A (mw, “water”).

<i class="Latn mention" lang="egy">msj</i>

<i class="Latn mention" lang="egy">mw</i>


Alexandria

From Middle English Alexandria, from Latin Alexandrīa, from Ancient Greek Ἀλεξάνδρεια (Alexándreia), from Ἀλέξανδρος (Aléxandros, “Alexander”) + -εια (-eia, “-ia: forming place names”), initially chiefly places founded by Alexander the Great of Macedonia and subsequently usually with reference to Alexandria in Egypt, a major Hellenistic cultural center, center of early Christianity, and continuing major international port. Compare Antioch, Seleucia, and Ptolemais. Doublet of Kandahar, Iskenderun, Scandaroon, and Alexandretta.

亞歷山卓

any of a number of cities bearing the same name


Lyssa

It was mornings like this when Lyssa really appreciated the indoor arena.

2002, Karle Dickerson, Joanna Campbell, Hoofprints in the snow:

Anaisse sank down to the carpet in order to look her in her eye. She smiled. "My name is Anaisse. Where is your mother, Lyssa?"

2005, Anya Bast, Seasons of Pleasure: Summer and Autumn:

Lyssa, that's what I want to find out. Will you think about it?


Shona

Scottish Anglicized form of Seonag ( =Joan) and an American variant of Shauna.

A female given name from Scottish Gaelic.


Venetia

A female given name from Latin used since the late Middle Ages.


Sarah

en-proper noun

Sarah (countable and uncountable, plural Sarahs)

From Biblical Hebrew שָׂרָה (śārâ, “lady, princess”), from the Biblical figure originally named Sarai (שָׂרָי (śārāy, literally “masters, princes”)).

bor

I also have two daughters, by now grown up. Their names are Sarah and Anne, good sensible names. - - - I am a believer in sensible choices, so different from many of my own. Also in sensible names for children, because look what happened to Cordelia.

1988, Margaret Atwood, Cat's Eye, page 15:


Jim

A diminutive of the male given name James.


Marcus

Borrowing of Latin Marcus. Doublet of Mark.

Aristarchus my fellow prisoner saluteth you, and Marcus sisters sonne to Barnabas, (touching whome yee receiued commandements; if he come vnto you, receiue him:) […]

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Colossians 4:10:

The two Marci, Livius Denter, and Æmilius, ſucceeding to the conſulſhip, war broke out again with the Æquans; […]

1814, Titus Livius, translated by George Baker, The History of Rome, 2nd edition, volume II, London: […] T[homas] Cadell and W[illiam] Davies, […], page 323:

But, as the historian said, there were many Marci in one Cæsar, so there are many Cains and Judases in the best of us all.

1863, Samuel Trickett, edited by John Edward Blakeney, Sermons Doctrinal and Practical, London: […] G. Norman, […], page 224:

At epig. 73.5 the question ‘quis Marcus?’ is much more sensible, because there could have been many Marci to choose amongst.

2001, Nigel M. Kay, editor, Ausonius: Epigrams, Bloomsbury Academic, →ISBN, page 290:

But 'Marcus?' – a strangely Latinate name for someone born in Sighthill. ('Aspirational mother, boss,' he said. 'Better than Titus.Or Sextus.')

2008, Kate Atkinson, When Will There Be Good News, Doubleday, →ISBN, page 73:

Rubin wondered who Marcus was. It was a City name, but there were many Marcuses.

2016, Stella Gemmell, The Immortal Throne (The City; 2), Bantam Press, →ISBN:


Douglas

en-proper noun

Douglas (countable and uncountable, plural Douglases)

desc

→ Translingual: douglasi, douglasii (learned)

From a place name, Scottish Gaelic dubh (“black”) + glais (“stream”).

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


Venus

From Middle English Venus, from Latin Venus.


Ezra

en-proper noun

Ezra (countable and uncountable, plural Ezras)

From the Biblical Hebrew עֶזְרָא (ʿezrā). Doublet of Esdras.

以士拉书

Ī-sê̤ṳ-lá-cṳ̆

A male given name from Hebrew of biblical origin.


Aaron

/or Celtic languages; it is pronounced /

From Latin Aaron, from Ancient Greek Ἀαρών (Aarṓn), from Hebrew אַהֲרֹן (ʾAhărōn), of unknown meaning, possibly meaning “bearer of martyrs”, or perhaps also, or instead, related to the Ancient Egyptian ꜥḥꜣ rw (“warrior lion”), though it has been suggested to also mean “elevated”, “exalted” or “high mountain”. Doublet of Harun.

- - - the Junior Prom with boys whose names are right out of the grade-school reader, not Aaron and Arnold and Marvin, but Johnny and Billy and Jimmy and Tod. Not Portnoy or Pincus, but Smith and Jones and Brown!

1969, Philip Roth, Portnoy's Complaint, Random House, published 2002, page 145:


Alton

From Old English ǣwell (“river source”) + tūn (“settlement, town”).

...because I have learned something about cartoons from Alton Packard. There are two things about Mr Packard that I keep turning over in my mind. One is that his name sounds like Alton Parker, onetime presidential candidate, and the other is that, to me at least, he looks a little bit like Woodrow Wilson.

1920 The Lyceum Magazine, editor Ralph Albert Parlette, Volume 30, page 15


Adi

A diminutive of the male given names Aditya or Adit

A diminutive of the female given name Aditi


America

desc

→ Chinese: 亞美利加／亚美利加

→ Chinese: 亞美利加／亚美利加

→ Japanese: アメリカ

→ Malay: Amerika

→ Tokelauan: Amelika

/əˈmɛɹ.ɪ.kə/

/əˈmɛɹ.ə.kə/

/əˈmɛɹ.ɪ.kɔː/

Amerigo Vespucci
Martin Waldseemüller
Naming of the Americas
Richard Amerike

Etymology tree
Proto-Germanic *amalaz
Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵ-
Proto-Indo-European *-s
Proto-Indo-European *h₃rḗǵs
Proto-Celtic *rīxsbor.
Proto-Germanic *rīks
Proto-Germanic *Amalarīksder.
Proto-Indo-European *ḱey-
Proto-Indo-European *-mos
Proto-Indo-European *ḱóymos
Proto-Indo-European *tḱóymos
Proto-Germanic *haimaz
Proto-Germanic *rīks
Proto-Germanic *Haimarīksder.?
Italian Amerigoder.
New Latin Americalbor.
English America
Learned borrowing from New Latin America, feminine Latinized form of the Italian first name of Amerigo Vespucci (1454–1512). Amerigo is an Italian name derived from a Germanic language and is etymologically related to Henry and Emmerich. The earliest known use of America for the (South) American continent is on a 1507 map by Martin Waldseemüller; see Naming of the Americas for more.
Although this is the most widely accepted derivation, it has also been suggested that it could originate from the name of the Amerrisque mountains in Nicaragua (from Mayan), and another disputed theory is that it derives from the surname of Richard Amerike (1440–1503), whose surname is an anglicised form of Welsh ap Meurig (“son of Meurig”), from Old Welsh Mouric, which could be a rendition of Latin Mauritius (compare Maurice).


Jesus

head

Jesus (plural (of male given name) Jesuses or Jesi)

/ˈd͡ʒiːˌzʌs/

From Middle English Jhesus, Iesus, from Latin Iēsūs, from Ancient Greek Ἰησοῦς (Iēsoûs), from Biblical Hebrew יֵשׁוּעַ (yēšū́aʿ), a contracted form of יְהוֹשֻׁעַ (yəhōšúaʿ, “Joshua”). The form יֵשׁוּעַ (yēšū́aʿ) is attested in some of the later books of the Hebrew Bible (Ezra–Nehemiah), and translated as Jeshua or Yeshua in some English editions (the former appearing in the King James Version). The Greek texts make no distinction between Jesus and Joshua, referring to them both as Ἰησοῦς (Iēsoûs). In the Wycliffe Bible (Middle English), the forms used are Jhesus and Jhesu.

Sister of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary

Frensham opened the door and called a name that sounded like 'Haysus'. Brandy was brought and various other bottles and decanters. When the manservant had gone, Frensham said, 'Odd, aren't they, the Spanish? Calling a boy Jesus.'

1971, Ruth Rendell, No More Dying Then, Random House, published 2009, →ISBN, page 195:

A male given name from Spanish in Spanish culture; an anglicized spelling of Jesús.

Jesus son of Sirach wrote the "Wisdom of Sirach"

A male given name from Aramaic of Semitic origin.


Teresa

First recorded as the name of a fourth-century Spanish saint. Of obscure origin; suggestions include Therasia or Thera, ancient name of the Greek island Thira.

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.

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

Cynthia and Melinda, reduced to Cindy and Mindy, as Carella had dreaded would happen from the moment she named them. Her older daughter had fared better. Tess, modern and sleek for Teresa, which conjured up cobblestoned streets in a mountain village in Potenza.

1999, Ed McBain, The Big Bad City, Simon and Schuster, →ISBN, page 139:

A female given name from Ancient Greek, the Spanish and Italian form of Theresa.


Maya

From Maria, ultimately from Hebrew, and from Maia, from Latin.

When her little friends asked her what her name was, her father replied that it was Conchita - his diminutive for Maria de la Concepción. "Con-what?" they would ask again, aware, apparently, that con in French is a fool, an idiot. So her parents started calling her Maria, which from the little girl's lips soon began to sound like Maya. "Maya!" exclaimed her father. "It's perfect. It means the greatest illusion on earth." So Maya it was from then on - Maya Walter.

1988, Arianna Stassinopoulos Huffington, Picasso, Creator and Destroyer, Simon and Schuster, →ISBN, page 240:

A female given name from Hebrew of modern usage.


Maya

Transliteration of Sanskrit माया (māyā).

Eventually, Pran and Savita decided by correspondence on Maya. Its two simple syllables meant, among other things: the goddess Lakshmi, illusion, fascination, art, the goddess Durga, kindness, and the name of the mother of Buddha. It also meant: ignorance, delusion, fraud, guile, and hypocrisy; but no one who named their daughter Maya ever paid any attention to those pejorative possibilities.
- - - 'Why ever not, Ma?' said Meenakshi.'It's a very Bengali name, a very nice name.'

1993, Vikram Seth, A Suitable Boy, Phoenix House, →ISBN, page 891:

A female given name from Sanskrit used in India.


Tanya

Borrowed in the twentieth century from the Russian pet form Та́ня (Tánja) of Татья́на (Tatʹjána, “Tatiana”).

“Did Tanya... why, by the way, was she named Tanya? It's not a Southern name, is it?” “No,” said Fanny, “it's as Russian as Vladimir. But only a few people ever pronounced it correctly. I always did. Most people said ‘Tan-ya’, like the color tan. She and her mother hated it when that happened, and complained. I suggested they replace the a in Tan with an o, but they preferred to make a lifelong habit of correcting people.”

1989, Alice Walker, The Temple of My Familiar, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, →ISBN, page 298:

A diminutive of the female given name Tatiana, from Russian.


Jorge

Derived from Spanish and Portuguese Jorge, from Ancient Greek Γεώργιος (Geṓrgios). Doublet of George.

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


Adonis

(rare) A male given name from Ancient Greek


Joe

Short form (diminutive form) of various names beginning with Jo..., particularly the male names Joseph and, less often, Joel, Josiah and Josias. The spelling Jo is used more often for diminutives of similar female names.

"With a name like Joe," Joe always said, "I had to open a bar and grill, just so I could put up a sign saying 'Joe's Bar and Grill'."

1981 Orson Scott Card, Second Movement, Nebula Winners: Science Fiction Writers of America, Harper&Row, 1981, page 207

A diminutive of the male given names Joseph, Josiah, Joel, or Josias.

(rare) Alternative form of Jo: a diminutive of various female given names.


Wallis

en-proper noun

Wallis (countable and uncountable, plural Wallises)

* (surname): The surname is an Old English byname for a Welshman or Breton, from Old French waleis (“foreign”). The Welsh hamlet may be derived from this.


Xavier

/ɪɡˈzeɪ.vɪə/

Toponymic surname of a 16th-century saint born in the Kingdom of Navarre (now partially placed in Spain), Francis de Xavier, from a place name in the Kingdom of Navarre, originally from Basque Xabier. Doublet of Echeverría.

"Full name please." "Maurice Xavier Wu." "Where did you get the Xavier?" "My father was a missionary," he said.

1976, Don DeLillo, Ratner's Star, Knopf, →ISBN, page 337:

'I keep telling you to call me Xavier,' he interjected silkily, aware that her reluctance to do so intrigued him. 'Xavier,' Laura agreed, and then hesitated. How could his name be so...so...enticing? Because it was foreign to her lips―lingering there like the juice of a fruit she had never tasted before? Or because it was impossible to say without first softening your voice?

2007, Sharon Kendrick, The Sheikh's English Bride, Harlequin, →ISBN, page 60:

A male given name from Spanish [in turn from Basque].


Socrates

From Ancient Greek Σωκράτης (Sōkrátēs). Doublet of Sokratis.

A male given name from Ancient Greek of mostly historical use, known after a Greek philosopher.


Thor

Representing Old Norse Þórr. Cognate with Old English Þunor, Swedish Tor.

A male given name from the Germanic languages occasionally borrowed from Scandinavia.


George

→ Arabic: جورج (jorj)

→ Cebuano: George

→ Cantonese: 佐治 (zo2 zi6)

→ Chinese: 喬治／乔治 (Qiáozhì)

→ Hawaiian: Keoki

→ Japanese: ジョージ (Jōji)

→ Korean: 조지 (Joji)

→ Maori: Hōri
→ English: hori

→ Persian: جورج (jorj)

→ Swedish: George

Name of an early saint, from Middle English George, from Latin Geōrgius, from Ancient Greek Γεώργῐος (Geṓrgios), from γεωργός (geōrgós, “farmer, earth worker”), from γῆ (gê, “earth”) (combining form γεω- (geō-)) + ἔργον (érgon, “work”) Doublet of Jorge and Geevarghese.
The aircraft autopilot sense is probably from George DeBeeson, who patented an early (1931) autopilot system, and/or a reference to the expression let George do it. The Pullman porter sense derives from George Pullman, who hired Black people to staff his sleeping cars, and the patrons of the service seeing the Black people as servants of George Porter, much like how an enslaved person was named after the enslaver.

Our ancient word of courage faire saint George / Inspire vs with the spleene of fierie Dragons,

c. 1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third: […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene iii], page 203:

George and Charles are unlucky in this respect; they have no diminutives, and what a mouthful of monosyllables they are! names royal too, and therefore unshortened. A king must be of a very rare class who could afford to be called by shorthand;

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

George... don't do that!

Roy Davis Stubbs, Eatonton, Judge. Son of Robert D. and Maud (Middleton) Stubbs. [...] Married Miss George Smith Feb. 14, 1918 in Knoxville, Tenn.

1925, [US state of] Georgia's Official Register, page 100:

2004, George Sargent Janes Leubuscher, Douglas W. Patton, A Girl Named George: My First Hundred Years

A diminutive of the female given names Georgina or Georgia; also used in the conjoined name George Ann(e).


Geneva

Mentioned in Latin texts as Genava. Probably via a Proto-Celtic *genwā from Proto-Indo-European *ǵénw-eh₂ (“knee”), a derivative of *ǵónu in the sense of a bending river or estuary, possibly akin to Genoa.

/d͡ʒəˈniːvə/

A female given name transferred from the place name or confused with Genevieve or Ginevra.


Thomas

Thomas (countable and uncountable, plural Thomases)

→ Hawaiian: Kamaki

→ Maori: Tāmati

→ Scottish Gaelic: Tòmas

Thomas of Bayeux
Thomas the Presbyter
Thomas the Slav

Inherited from Middle English Thomas, from Latin Thōmās m (as in the Vulgate), from Ancient Greek Θωμᾶς m (Thōmâs), the Biblical Greek transcription of Aramaic תאומא or תאמא (“twin”), the nickname of one of the Twelve Apostles.
In the gospel of John (11:16, 20:24), the Aramaic nickname is also translated into Greek, as δίδυμος m (dídumos). Used as a given name since the Middle Ages, e.g. Thomas the Presbyter (7th century), Thomas the Slav (8th century), Thomas of Bayeux (died 1100).
(infidel or doubter): In reference to the doubting Apostle.

"Good,—that's a whack. What's your name?" / "Becky Thatcher. What's yours? Oh, I know. It's Thomas Sawyer." / "That's the name they lick me by. I'm Tom when I'm good. You call me Tom, will you?"

1876, Mark Twain [pseudonym; Samuel Langhorne Clemens], chapter VI, in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Hartford, Conn.: The American Publishing Company, →OCLC, page 70:

- - - goodness we scarcely have a name for the baby yet now all of you must take a vote, all of you, but let's have a nice simple name like Thomas don't you think I hate elaborate names, do please all of you vote for Thomas..."

1941, Judith Kelly, Marriage is a Private Affair, Harper, published 1944, page 133:

A male given name from Aramaic of biblical origin, popular since the 13th century.


Bern

Abbreviations
* Clipping of Bernard.
* Clipping of Bernadette.
* Clipping of Bernice.

A diminutive of the male given name Bernard, variant of Bernie

A diminutive of the female given names Bernadette or Bernice, variant of Bernie


Joseph

Joseph (countable and uncountable, plural Josephs)

→ Maori: Hohepa

From Middle English Ioseph, ultimately from Biblical Hebrew יוֹסֵף (Yoséf, literally “(God) shall add”); a son of Jacob.

der

I'm going to call him Joseph / or Josephine if it's a girl. / Why? / Because it's a strong name, / Joe, Joseph. / 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. / - - - So Joe it is. / He'll turn out strong. Strong and smart.

1998, Steven Herrick, A Place Like This, Univ. of Queensland Press, →ISBN, page 86:


Liliana

A female given name from Latin, a Latinate form of Lilian, or borrowed from Italian or Spanish.


Aeneas

From Latin Aenēās, from Ancient Greek Αἰνείας (Aineías).

And there he found a certain man named Aeneas, which had kept his bed eight years, and was sick of the palsy. And Peter said unto him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed. And he arose immediately.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Acts 9:33-34:


Martha

* From Latin Martha, from Ancient Greek Μάρθα (Mártha), from Aramaic מָרְתָא (mārtā, “mistress”), feminine of מרא (mārā). Doublet of Marfa.
* (humidity chamber): From the use of Martha Stewart-branded storage closets in the construction of early units.

They wanted to call her Helen, but I did put my foot down there. Knowing what her mother and father looked like! I tried hard for Martha or Dorcas or something sensible - but it was no good - waste of breath.

1947, Agatha Christie, The Labours of Hercules:

A female given name from Aramaic of biblical origin.


Nessie

A diminutive of the female given name Agnes.


Paul

From Latin Paulus, from paulus (“small”). Doublet of Pablo and Paolo.

'He will be christened Paul, my - Mrs Dombey - of course.'
She feebly echoed, 'Of course,' or rather expressed it by the motion of her lips, and closed her eyes again.
'His father's name, Mrs Dombey, and his grandfather's! I wish his grandfather were alive this day! There is some inconvenience in the necessity of writing Junior,' said Mr Dombey, making a fictitious autograph on his knee; 'but it is merely of a private and personal complexion. It doesn't enter into the correspondence of the House. Its signature remains the same.'

1846 October 1 – 1848 April 1, Charles Dickens, “Dombey and Son: Chapter 1”, in Dombey and Son, London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1848, →OCLC:

A male given name from Latin of biblical origin.


Devon

From Old English Defenas, which meant both "Devonians" and "Devon," exemplifying the common Anglo-Saxon practice of naming a place after the people who inhabit it.

Any of a number of places in US and Canada.

An unincorporated community in New Castle County, Delaware, United States.

New Castle County
New Castle County#English

An unincorporated community in Mingo County, West Virginia, United States.

"Is that his real name?" I asked, touching the corner of the picture. "Devil?"
"I named him Devon James Jordan, but my oldest―my girl Sheena―she had trouble saying Devon and it came out Devil, and that stuck […]"

2013, Diane Chamberlain, Necessary Lies, Pan Books, →ISBN, page 59:

A male given name transferred from the place name, or a variant of Devin.

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


Claudia

Make ſpede to come befoꝛe winter. Eubolus gretith the / and Pudes / and Linus / and Claudia / and all the bꝛethꝛen.

1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, 2 Timothy iiij:[21], folio cclxxxij, verso:

Claudia is really Mummy, but she does not like being Mummy so you have to say Claudia. […] Lisa is a better name. Claudia bangs, like the gong in the hall at Sotleigh. Bang – whoom! Lisa makes a nice silky noise, like streams or rain.

1987, Penelope Lively, chapter 4, in Moon Tiger, New York, N.Y.: Grove Press, published 1988, →ISBN, page 45:

A female given name from Latin, feminine form of Claudius.


Abdul

From Arabic عَبْد (ʕabd, “servant [of]”) + ال (al-, “the”).

A male given name from Arabic used by Muslims.


Abelard

/ˈæb.əˌlɑɹd/

From French Abélard, an extension of the Abel with an Germanic suffix -(h)ard. Possibly also regarded a variant of the German Eberhard "boar" + "hard", equivalent to English Everett.

(rare) A male given name from the Germanic languages.


Abner

From Hebrew אבנר (Abner, “father of light”). From אָב (av, “father”) + נור (nur, “light”).


Abdullah

Borrowed from Arabic عَبْدُ ٱللّٰه (ʕabdu llāh, “servant of God”, from عَبْد (ʕabd, “servant”) + اللّٰه (allāh, “God”)).

bor

عَبْدُ ٱللّٰه


Texas

Borrowed from Spanish Texas (also Tejas), from Hasinai Caddo táyshaʔ (“friend, ally”), used to refer to the Caddo nation.

A unisex given name transferred from the place name.


Hannah

en-proper noun

Hannah (countable and uncountable, plural Hannahs)

From previous romanizations of Hebrew חַנָּה (Ḥanâ), chiefly for the mother of Samuel, from חַנָּה (ḥanâ, “grace, gracious, graced with child”). As a Wren with the Royal Marines, after Hannah Snell (1723–1792) who disguised herself as a man to serve in the British military. Doublet of Ann, Anne, Anna, and Ana.

"What about Hannah Schreiber?"
He smiled, flashing some gold in his mouth. "How do you like that name? She was only a girl, but she had an old lady's name. - - -

1959, Philip Roth, Goodbye, Columbus, and Five Short Stories, Houghton Mifflin, published 1959, page 116:

She could buy pretty clothes for a girl and plait her hair with ribbons. And she could call her a nice, old-fashioned, middle-class name like Sarah or Emma or Hannah.

2002, Kate Atkinson, Not the End of the World, Doubleday, →ISBN, page 33:

I wish it were like the movies, the name something silly, CanDee or Bambie, something you could roll your eyes at. Misti with two hearts over the I's. But it's Hannah, which is a real woman, presumably like me.

2012, Gillian Flynn, Gone Girl, Phoenix, published 2013, →ISBN, page 77:


Yamato

From Japanese 大和 (Yamato), itself of uncertain derivation, but likely related to 山 (yama, “mountains”). See Proto-Japonic *yamatə.


Hettie

A variant spelling of Hetty, diminutive of the female given names Henrietta, Esther and Hester.


Ryan

en-prop

Ryan (countable and uncountable, plural Ryans)

Bryan

linguistically unrelated but often confused in spoken English

The geneticist said Ryan had a rare genetic disorder called mucopolysaccharidosis I, or MPS I, with a wide-range of symptoms affecting multiple systems in the body.

2017 May 13, Ashley Strickland, “Warned he would die by age 10, he just graduated college”, in CNN:

A male given name transferred from the surname, popular in English-speaking countries from the 1970s to the 1990s.

رَيَّان ريان#Arabic

A male given name from Arabic رَيَّان (rayyān). Sometimes written and pronounced as Ryan in English due to the phonetic similarity with the Arabic name.

A female given name transferred from the surname, of 1970s and later usage.

A female given name of 1970s and later usage, variant of Rhian.


Jackie

A diminutive of the male given name Jack, Jacques (and its cognates) or John.

A diminutive of the female given name Jacqueline or Jacquelyn.


Hally

A rare spelling variant of Hallie, diminutive of the female given name Harriet.


Jacky

A nickname used instead of the male given name Jack, Jacques (and its cognates) or John.

A diminutive of the female given name Jacqueline.


Pammy

A diminutive of the female given name Pamela.


Danny

From Daniel and Danielle, from Hebrew דן, and -y.

A diminutive of the male given name Daniel.

A diminutive of the female given names Danielle, Daniella, or Daniela.


Sammy

A diminutive of the male given name Samuel.

A diminutive of the female given name Samantha.


Michal

(rather rare) A female given name from Hebrew.


Dannie

From Daniel or Daniella; from Hebrew דן, and archaic English -ie.

A male given name, a less common variant of Danny.

A female given name, also used for conjoining names (e.g. Dannie Rae).


Brian

"What the deuce is their fancy for calling the young beggar Brian?" he inquired."Is it Brian Boroimhe they have gone back to, or is it some of her people, or what?"
"There was a good Drewitt once," answered Wilhelmina, "- - - and his name was Brian. - - - And Nannie told her, too, how a child always strains after the person it is called after, and how luck follows names, and worked her up to such a pit finally, that nothing would do her but the young gentleman must be called Brian and accordingly Brian he is - Brian Archibald. It is not an easy name to make fun out of; so all I can do is to call him Brin Baldy.

1865, Charlotte Eliza L. Riddell, Maxwell Drewitt, London: Tinsley Brothers, pages 255–256:

Why oh why had his parents even considered Brian? Brian is someone who works in a hardware shop or fixes the U bend. What chance did Sir Lovesdaslutalot have in life with a name like Brian? You can't even shorten Brian to Bri without it sounding like a kind of cheese!

2008, Phill Young, FarArc, Author House, →ISBN, page 145:


Andreas

From Ancient Greek Ἀνδρέᾱς (Andréās), cognate with ἀνδρεῖος (andreîos, “manly”), both from ἀνήρ (anḗr, “man”). Doublet of Andrew.

A male given name from Ancient Greek from the Latin form of Andrew.

Ανδρέας Ανδρέας#Greek

A transliteration of the Greek male given name Ανδρέας (Andréas).


Mary

→ Cantonese: Mary

→ Cebuano: Mary, Marie

→ Danish: Mary

→ Faroese: Marý

→ Hawaiian: Mele, Mere

→ Japanese: マリー (Marī)

desc

→ Mandarin: 瑪麗／玛丽 (Mǎlì), 瑪莉／玛莉 (Mǎlì), 瑪利／玛利 (Mǎlì)

→ Manx: Mayree

→ Maori: Mere, Meri

→ Norwegian: Mary

→ Scottish Gaelic: Màiri

→ Swedish: Mary

→ Tahitian: Mere

→ Tok Pisin: meri

→ Thai: แมรี (mɛɛ-rii)

From Middle English Marie, from Old French Marie, from Latin Maria, from Ancient Greek Μαρία (María), Μαριάμ (Mariám), from Aramaic מַרְיָם (maryām) or Biblical Hebrew מִרְיָם (miryām), of uncertain meaning (see the Hebrew entry for more). Doublet of Miriam, Marie, Maria, and Mariah.

Maria

Mary, mother of Jesus — see also Madonna, Mother of God, Our Lady, Queen of Heaven, Saint Mary, Theotokos, Virgin Mary
Note: Translations for Mary's various titles and appellations should go in the respective entries.

I have a passion for the name of Mary,
For once it was a magic sound to me:
And still it half calls up the realm of fairy
Where I beheld what never was to be.

1821, Lord Byron, Don Juan, Canto the Fifth: IV:

Mary, which is as common as a white violet, and like that has something indestructibly sweet and simple, and fit for all wear, high or low, suits the cottage or the palace, the garden or the field, the pretty and the ugly, the old and the young;

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

For it was Mary; Mary / Plain as any name can be / But with propriety, society / Will say "Marie". / But it was Mary; Mary / Long before the fashions came / And there's something there that sounds so square / It's a grand old name.

1905 George M.Cohan, Forty-Five Minutes from Broadway, Mary is a Grand Old Name ( a song)

They had called their children Ann, Mary, and John as a reaction against their own fancy tricksy names. Both mothers thought these names sadly unimaginative and each blamed the child of the other for the lack of vision and style.

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

A female given name from Aramaic or Hebrew.


Richard

From Middle English Rycharde, from Old French Richard, from Medieval Latin Richardus and Ricohardus, from Frankish *Rīkahard, from Proto-Germanic *Rīkaharduz, a construction of *rīks (“king, ruler”) + *harduz (“hard, brave”). Cognate with Old High German Rīcohard (“Richard”). A hypothetical Old English equivalent *Rīċheard would also yield an identical "Richard" in Modern English, though it is unknown if the Old English equivalent existed.

compound

What! do I fear myself? there's no one else by; / Richard loves Richard; that is, I am I.

c. 1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third: […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii]:

But we have known Williams and Richards, names not found in sacred story, but familiar to our country, prove as gracious saints as any Safe deliverance, Fight the good fight of faith, or such like,

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

I'd love to live in our castle. First I'd change my name from Dickie to Richard. That's my real name and it's a good king name. I don't like being called Dickie anyway, and I don't want to be Dick Junior either because everybody starts calling you Junior. What I'd like to be called is Rich but I don't know how to start people doing it.

1985, William Wharton, Pride, →ISBN, page 97:

A male given name from the Germanic languages.


Juliet

/ˈd͡ʒuːlɪɛt/

Borrowed from Italian Giulietta, diminutive of Giulia, from Latin Iūlia, feminine of Iūlius, a Roman family name. Cognate with French Juliette.

"All I ask," she says, fitting the cigarette into a holder, "is that you don't call me Juli-et. I cannot abide Juli-et. It maddens me!" "Yes, ma'am." "Here, we say Joolyut. Joolyut. Joolyut. Say it for me."

1977, Timothy Findley, The Wars, Delacorte Press/S. Lawrence, →ISBN, page 110:


Togarmah

From Biblical Hebrew תּוֹגַרְמָה (tōḡarmā).

(rare) A male given name from Hebrew of biblical origin.


Sappho

(rare) A female given name from Ancient Greek.


Alice

From Middle English Alice, from Old French Alys, Alice, from Old High German Adalheidis, proposed to derive from Proto-Germanic *aþalaz (“noble”) + *haiduz (“character”). Doublet of Adelaide.

af

"My name is Alice, but—"
"It's a stupid name enough!" Humpty Dumpty interrupted impatiently. "What does it mean?"
"Must a name mean something?" Alice asked doubtfully.
"Of course it must," Humpty Dumpty said with a short laugh, "my name means the shape I am—and a good handsome shape it is, too. With a name like yours, you might be any shape, almost."

1871, Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There, Chapter 6:

She was heavenly to look at, and graceful, both in and out of water. She was a sculptress. She was christened 'Alice', but she used to deny that she was really an Alice. I agreed. Everybody agreed. Sometime in a dream maybe I will find out what her real name was.

1968, Kurt Vonnegut, Welcome to the Monkey House, Delacorte Press, page xiv:

A female given name from the Germanic languages popular in England since the Middle Ages.


Adam

From Middle English Adam, from Old English Adam, from Latin Adam, Adamus, from Ancient Greek Ἀδάμ (Adám), Ἄδαμος (Ádamos), from Biblical Hebrew אָדָם (adam, “earth, man, soil, light brown”), from אדמה (adamah, “red earth, ground”).

In his tall stalwartness Adam Bede was a Saxon, and justified his name; but the jet-black hair, made the more noticeable by its contrast with the light paper cap, and the keen glance of the dark eyes that shone from under strongly marked, proninent, and mobile eyebrows, indicated a mixture of Celtic blood.

1859, George Eliot [pseudonym; Mary Ann Evans], “The Workshop”, in Adam Bede […], volume I, Edinburgh; London: William Blackwood and Sons, →OCLC, book first, page 3:

Since then I have deciphered some more of Adam’s hieroglyphics, and think he has now become sufficiently important as a public character to justify this publication.

1904, Mark Twain, Extracts from Adam's Diary:

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,

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

Adami

surname derived from Adam or its equivalents in other languages


Peter

en-proper noun

Peter (countable and uncountable, plural Peters)

From Middle English Peter, from Old English Petrus, from Latin Petrus, from Ancient Greek Πέτρος (Pétros), from πέτρος (pétros, “stone, rock”). Doublet of Pedro, Piers, and Boutros.

She knew of no Peter, and yet he was here and there in John and Michael's minds, while Wendy's began to be scrawled all over with him. The name stood out in bolder letters than any of the other words, and as Mrs Darling gazed she felt that it had an oddly cocky appearance.

1911, J. M. Barrie, chapter I, in Peter Pan, Wordsworth Editions Ltd, published 1993:

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, / And Peter like a piper's tune,


Saul

From Hebrew שָׁאוּל (shaúl, “asked for”). Doublet of Silas, which derived from Aramaic.

“You got an uncle named Saul?” “I never mentioned him?” “What are you saying —you got some Jewish guy for an uncle?” “He's not Jewish. It's just a name they have back in the old country.”

2000, Peter Abrahams, Crying Wolf, Ballantine Books, →ISBN:


Romeo

From Italian Romeo, from Ancient Greek Ῥωμαῖος (Rhōmaîos, “Roman”).

der

A male given name from the Romance languages.


Kerry

* As an English surname, from a personal name derived from Old Norse Kári.
* As an Irish surname, from Ó Ciardha (“descendant of Ciardha”), from ciar (“black”).

A ticket of John Kerry and John Edwards with, effectively, four first names, would send the wrong message to the world. Also no candidate has ever been elected president, with a girl's name like "Kerry" for a "surname".

2004 The Bulletin, Australia, "Hustling Hustings", February 25, 2004

A surname from Middle English derived from the place name, or from the Middle English given name Kendrick.

Kerry O'Leary - for so was he called to distinguish him from those of the name in the adjoining county - soon made his appearance in the court-yard beneath.

1845, Charles James Lever, The O' Donoghue: A Tale of Ireland Fifty Years Ago, W. Curry, published 1845, page 26:

A male given name transferred from the surname or place name.

A female given name transferred from the surname or place name, originally of Australian usage, also spelled Keri, Kerri and Kerrie.


Cinderella

/ˌsɪndəˈɹɛlə/

From cinder + -ella, as in little cinder girl. Compare French Cendrillon.

(rare) A female given name originating as a coinage.


Francie

A diminutive of the female given names Frances and Francine.


James

en-proper noun

James (countable and uncountable, plural Jameses)

⇒ English: Jim (diminutive)

⇒ English: Jimmy, Jimmie, Jimmi, Jimi (diminutive)

⇒ English: Jimbo (diminutive)

→ Hindi: जिम्बो (jimbo)

→ Hawaiian: Kimo

⇒ English: Jem (diminutive)

⇒ English: Jemmy (diminutive)

⇒ English: Jamie, Jamey (diminutive)

⇒ English: Jay (diminutive)

desc

→ Chinese: → 詹姆斯 (Zhānmǔsī) (transliteration)

→ Cornish: Jammes, Jamma

→ Danish: James

→ Fijian: Semesa

→ Icelandic: James

desctree

→ Irish: Séamas, Séamus, Seumas
→ English: Seamus, Shamus

→ Manx: Jayms

→ Maori: Hemi

→ Samoan: Semisi

→ Scottish Gaelic: Seumas
→ English: Hamish

→ Swedish: James

→ Welsh: Siâms

The English New Testament form of Jacob, from Middle English James, from Old French James, from Vulgar Latin Iacomus, spoken and altered pronunciation of Latin Iacobus, from Ancient Greek Ἰάκωβος (Iákōbos), from Ἰακώβ (Iakṓb), from Hebrew יַעֲקֹב (Yaʿăqōḇ). Doublet of Jacques, Jacob, Iago, Jago, Yago, Hamish, Seamus, and Santiago. In reference to the Ecuadorian island, a modification of the earlier name Duke of York's Island after its eponymous duke's coronation as James II of England.
See Occitan Jacme for an intermediary between Old French James and Catalan Jaume.

der

Hebrew יַעֲקֹב (Yaʿăqōḇ)

doublet

[…] And Normans call me James Fitz-James. / Thus watch I o'er insulted laws, / Thus learn to right the injured cause. […]

1810, Walter Scott, “Canto VI. The Guard-room.”, in The Lady of the Lake; […], Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne and Co.] for John Ballantyne and Co.; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, and Orme, and William Miller, →OCLC, stanza XXVIII, page 286:

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

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

A male given name from Hebrew popular since the Middle Ages. Also a common middle name.


Leah

"I'm Leah Brennan. How can I help you...Gideon?" He gave a short laugh. "Leah! Nice name. Between the two of us, we sound like the Old Testament, don't we?"

2010, Cavn Wright, Bedtime Tales, Strategic Book Publishing, →ISBN, page 113:


Jacob

From Middle English Iacob, from Late Latin Iācōbus, from Ancient Greek Ἰάκωβος (Iákōbos), from Biblical Hebrew יַעֲקֹב (yaʿăqōḇ, literally “he will/shall heel”), from עָקֵב (ʿāqēḇ, “heel”). Doublet of James.

der

"Georgette. How are you called?" "Jacob." "That's a Flemish name." "American too." "You're not a Flamand?" "No, American." "Good, I detest Flamands." - - -
Brett smiled at him. "I've promised to dance this with Jacob," she laughed. "You've a hell of a biblical name, Jake."

1927, Ernest Hemingway, chapter III, in The Sun Also Rises:


Miriam

From Hebrew מִרְיָם (Miryam), possibly from Aramaic מרים (Maryām, “bitter”), from a root מר (m-r) meaning "to be bitter". The meaning of this name which is the Old Testament equivalent of Mary has been debated for centuries. Some other explanations are mutiny / rebellion / disobedience from a root מרי (m-r-y).