Branson

en-proper noun

Branson (countable and uncountable, plural Bransons)

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


Hailey

Haileys (plural)
Hayley (alternative)
Haley (alternative)
Hailie (alternative)
Halie (alternative)
Haylie (alternative)
Haileigh (alternative)
Hayleigh (alternative)
Haylee (alternative)
Hailee (alternative)

From Old English hīeġ (“hay”) + lēah (“clearing”).

en:Hailey (given name)
en:Hailey (surname)

A unisex given name transferred from the surname.


Haley

en-prop

Haley (countable and uncountable, plural Haleys)

Variant of Hayley, from Old English. Literally, “hay field”

“Their fauxmance?” I asked. “What are you talking about?"
“Fake romance,” Lee said. “Haley and Kevin are both Monica's clients. She had them fake-date for publicity. And it worked, their pictures are everywhere.”
[…]
My head was whirling. I'd been set up to take that picture. Haley and Kevin were only fake-dating and I'd broken their fauxmance on Princess of Gossip. And it hit me. Princess of Gossip was based on a lie.

2008, Sabrina Bryan, Julia DeVillers, Princess of Gossip, page 307:

A unisex given name transferred from the surname, variant of Hayley.

A female given name transferred from the surname, variant of Hayley, popular in the US in the 1990s and the 2000s.

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


Hattie

But Harriet Fuller sounds like a school-teacher, doesn't it? And Hattie Fuller makes me think, somehow, of a burlesque actress. You know. 'Hattie Fuller and Her Bouncing Belles'.

1922, Edna Ferber, Gigolo, Plain Label Books, page 103:

A diminutive of the female given name Harriet.


Ida

Short form of obsolete names beginning with Germanic īd "work", used for both sexes in medieval England. It was revived in the 19th century, partly mistaken for a Greek name, for the Mount Ida of classical mythology.

"Ida!!!"
"It is not a common, but an ancient name in Greece", said the diako,"and was borne by the wife of Lycastus and the mother of the Cretan Minos."
Osmyn blushed to have been over-heard, and suffered his heart alone to repeat again the sweet and simple name of "Ida".

1809, Sydney Owenson, Woman, or, Ida of Athens, page 127:

That's what they called me," she said. "My real name's Ida." The old and vulgarised Grecian name recovered a little dignity

1938, Graham Greene, Brighton Rock, Compact Books, published 1993, →ISBN, page 16:

"Ida" - the name was magical to me. In whispers, in the dark. Beneath bedcovers. Forehead pressed to a windowpane coated with frost. "Ida". What a strange, beautiful name: I could not say it often enough: it was easy to confuse "Ida" with "I" - - -

2002, Joyce Carol Oates, I'l Take You There, Fourth Estate, published 2003, →ISBN, page 18:

A female given name from the Germanic languages.


Janice

Jan (alternative)
Janis (alternative)
Janyce (alternative)

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

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 I, in Janice Meredith:

"Now class," she said, "my name is Mrs. Chubbie. I know how most of you would like to pronounce it, but the correct pronunciation is Mrs. Shew-bay."
"It's Jan-eece," the goth-girl says.
"Pardon me?" Mrs Shew-bay asks very properly.
"My name is pronounced Jan-eece. Not Janice." The whole class tries to stop from laughing out loud at this. "I've changed since last year. Janice is the name of some average, boring student. Do I look average to you?"

1999, Peter McPhee, Runner, →ISBN, pages 37–8:


Evangeline

Invented by the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow when he began research on his epic poem Evangeline about Acadian lovers deported from French-Canada. From Ancient Greek εὐαγγέλιον (euangélion, “good news”).

der

Half-way down the shore Evangeline waited in silence,
Not overcome with grief, but strong in the hour of affliction.

1847 November 1, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Evangeline, a Tale of Acadie, Boston, Mass.: William D. Ticknor & Company, →OCLC, (please specify either |part=I or II):

"What's the little missy's name?" said Tom, at last, when he thought matters were ripe to push such an inquiry.
"Evangeline St. Clare," said the little one, "though papa and everybody else call me Eva."

1851 June – 1852 April, Harriet Beecher Stowe, chapter 14, in Uncle Tom’s Cabin; or, Life among the Lowly, volume (please specify |volume=I or II), Boston, Mass.: John P[unchard] Jewett & Company; Cleveland, Oh.: Jewett, Proctor & Worthington, published 20 March 1852, →OCLC:

A female given name originating as a coinage.


Mallory

From an Anglo-Norman nickname for an unfortunate person, from Old French maleure, malheure (“unhappy, unlucky”) (whence French malheur), from mal (“bad”) + eur (“fortune”).


Jacqui

Jackie (alternative)
Jacky (alternative)

The second woman was older but not at all wiser. Her name was Jacqui and she spelled it twice in case there should be any misunderstanding.

2008, Maeve Binchy, Heart and Soul, Anchor, published 2009, →ISBN, page 27:

A diminutive of the female given name Jacqueline.


Luca

Borrowed from Italian Luca, from Latin Lūcās, from Ancient Greek Λουκᾶς (Loukâs), hypocoristic of Λούκιος (Loúkios) (from Latin Lūcius m) or Λουκανός (Loukanós) or both with -ᾶς (-âs). As a female given name, used in Hungarian and Serbo-Croatian as an equivalent of Lucy (ultimately of same origin, from Latin Lūcia f), but English usage is influenced by the male given name, similar Lucas, Luke, and the feminine ending -a.

A male given name from Italian, borrowed in the 2000s.

This is my bedroom, and Luca’s, and Fran’s, and my mother’s. The four of us sleep here, and at the back of the house live Celesta and Rose, my other two sisters who I don’t really know. […] We are Celesta, Rosaria, Francesca, Luca, Dolores.

2000, Trezza Azzopardi, “Waiting”, in The Hiding Place, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Atlantic Monthly Press, published 2001, →ISBN, page 4:

Miss Lori, my girlfriend is on the phone. Her name is Luca.

2014 June 16, Luciana Craita, “Black Alpha”, in Luca the Werewolf Daughter, [Bloomington, Ind.]: Xlibris, →ISBN, page 74:

“No, it wasn’t a dream, Luke….You have a daughter. […] I just assumed she was Ryan’s. I got married days after you came to Chicago….days after you and me… I’m sorry….” / “What’s her name, Drea?” […] “Luca….your daughter’s name is Luca.” / “No, no… her name is Luca Landon.” […] Luca Landon would always connect Mattdrea Cyrus to Luke Landon.

2014 November 19, D.L. London, “Book of Luke”, in Under the Blood, Bloomigton, Ind.: AuthorHouse, →ISBN, page 646:

Who is the playwright of the Diamond Theater responsible for these stirring stories? Her name is Luca Syara, but beyond that, she’s an enigma.

2019 November, Jeremy Crawford, James Wyatt, Keith Baker, “Northedge”, in Eberron: Rising from the Last War (Dungeons & Dragons), Renton, Wash.: Wizards of the Coast, →ISBN, chapter 3 (Sharn, City of Towers), page 171, column 1:

I don’t know if you ever met my stepmother, Luca. […] When Luca’s husband died protecting my dad, he’d felt obligated to show his loyalty and gratitude by marrying her, adopting her sons, treating them as his own.

2024, Angela Addams, “Levi”, in Fury (Hell Hath No Fury; 2), [Lincoln, Lincolnshire]: Totally Bound Publishing, →ISBN:


Carey

en-proper noun

Carey (countable and uncountable, plural Careys)

* As a German surname, Americanized from Gehrig, Gehring.
* As a Welsh surname, variant of Carew.
* As an English surname, from placenames derived from Proto-Brythonic *karɨd (“to love”).
* As an Irish surname, from mac Fhiachra (“descendant of Fiachra”), from préachán (“crow”).
* Also as an Irish surname, from the root of the name Kerry.

A male given name transferred from the surname.

(countable) A unisex given name.
A female given name, variant of Cary.


Jarrick

(rare) A male given name of modern usage.


Rahim

Borrowed from Arabic رَحِيم (raḥīm, “kind, compassionate”). The surname is predominantly found in Bangladesh.


Jersey Legal French

A dialect of French used historically by the parliament of Jersey.


Eli

From Hebrew עֵלִי (“ascent”); cognate to the Arabic-derived Ali.

A male given name from Hebrew of Biblical origin.


Mandingo

From Mandinka Mandinka. Compare French mandingue, from the same source.

A macrolanguage spoken primarily in West Africa, with seven individual languages: Mandinka, Eastern Maninkakan, Forest Maninka, Kita Maninkakan, Konyanka Maninka, Sankaran Maninka, Western Maninkakan.


Mandingo

en-noun

Mandingo (plural Mandingos or Mandingoes)


Virgin Islander

Virgin Islander (plural Virgin Islanders)


Mangarevan

The Polynesian language of the Gambier Islands in French Polynesia.


milab

1996, Helmut Lammer Ph.D. Preliminary Findings Of Project MILAB: Evidence For Military Kidnappings Of Alleged UFO Abductees published at The Alien Jigsaw, Mind Control Forums and on many other web sites.
Recently, some UFO abductees have reported that they have also been kidnapped by military intelligence personnel (MILAB) and taken to hospitals and/or military facilities, some of which are described as being underground.

1999, A letter from Dr. Helmut Lammer of the Austrian Space Agency to Dr. Steven Greer of the Disclosure Project, published in Greer, Steven M. Extraterrestrial Contact: The Evidence and Implications. Crossing Point Inc, →ISBN, page 8.
I will send you today a copy of the MILAB (Military Abductions) manuscript for review.

Military Abductions (MILABS)
Abductions conducted by members of the U.S. military for the purposes of either learning what happened to real alien abductees or as part of a military or CIA "mind control" program.

2004, Encyclopedic entry in William J. Birnes The UFO Magazine UFO Encyclopedia: The Most Comprehensive Single-Volume UFO Reference in Print, Pocket Books, page 215

Whatever the answer might be, the idea of military involvement in abductions became a standard feature of the abduction scenario by the mid-1990s and, like the subject of implants, became a specialized focus for an on-going study by a small group of ufologists who formed Project MILAB.

2003, Brenda Denzler, The Lure of the Edge: Scientific Passions, Religious Beliefs, and the Pursuit of UFOs, University of California Press, →ISBN, page 62:

A deceitful military operation performed to convince the targets of the operation that they have had an encounter with extraterrestrial beings, though it is actually a staged ploy.


military abduction

military abduction (plural military abductions)

1996 Helmut Lammer Ph.D. Preliminary Findings Of Project MILAB: Evidence For Military Kidnappings Of Alleged UFO Abductees published at The Alien Jigsaw, Mind Control Forums and on many other web sites.
Recently, some UFO abductees have reported that they have also been kidnapped by military intelligence personnel (MILAB) and taken to hospitals and/or military facilities, some of which are described as being underground.

1999 A letter from Dr. Helmut Lammer of the Austrian Space Agency to Dr. Steven Greer of the Disclosure Project, published in Greer, Steven M. Extraterrestrial Contact: The Evidence and Implications. Crossing Point Inc, →ISBN, page 8.
I will send you today a copy of the MILAB (Military Abductions) manuscript for review.

2004 Encyclopedic entry in William J. Birnes The UFO Magazine UFO Encyclopedia: The Most Comprehensive Single-Volume UFO Reference in Print, Pocket Books, page 215

A deceitful military operation performed to convince the targets of the operation that they have had an encounter with extraterrestrial beings which is actually a staged ploy


Amorite

/ˈæ.məˌɹaɪt/

[ˈɛə̯mɚ.ʌɪ̯t̚]

From Biblical Hebrew אֲמֹרִי (ʾĂmōrî) + -ite, of uncertain origin; compare Akkadian 𒈥𒌅 (Amurrum).


Juanita

From Spanish Juanita, from Juana + -ita (“-ette”), from Old Spanish Johanna, from Medieval Latin Johanna, variant of Joanna, from Koine Greek Ἰωάννα (Iōánna), from Hebrew יוֹחָנָה (Yôḥānāh, literally “God is gracious”), the feminized form of יְהוֹחָנָן (Yəhōḥānān) which produced John and its many doublets.
Doublet of Ivanka, Jan, Janelle, Janet, Janey, Janine, Jeanette, Jeanie, Jeannette, Jeannine, Jen, Jenna, Jenny, Jessie, Jo, Jody, Shanae, Sinead, and Vanna.


Kaitlyn

A female given name from Irish, one of the modern spelling variants of Caitlin.


Katelyn

A female given name from Irish, variant of Caitlin.


Kayla

A modern invention possibly based on Kay or Michaela; possibly formed on the pattern of Layla.

Kayla's look tended to change with the seasons; at the moment it was less Goth than paramilitary, with laced jump boots.

2003, Mercedes Lackey, Rosemary Edghill, James P. Baen, Mad Maudlin:


Kelsey

en-proper noun

Kelsey (countable and uncountable, plural Kelseys)

From Old English cēol (“ship”) + siġe (“victory”).

A unisex given name transferred from the surname.

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

A male given name transferred from the surname.


Kristen

A spelling variant of Kristin, from Christina, fairly popular in the latter half of the twentieth century.


Hassaniya

A group of Arabic dialects spoken primarily in Mauritania, a portion of southern Morocco, and Western Sahara.


Flossy

A female given name, diminutive of Florence.


Ariane

From French Ariane, from Ancient Greek Ἀριάδνη (Ariádnē).

A female given name from Ancient Greek or French.


Laurie

Laurie (countable and uncountable, plural Lauries)

Lauries (plural)
Lawrie (alternative)
Lauri (alternative)
Lori (alternative)
Lorie (alternative)

"I’m not Mr. Laurence, I’m only Laurie."
"Laurie Laurence, what an odd name."
"My first name is Theodore, but I don’t like it, for the fellows called me Dora, so I made them say Laurie instead."

1868, Louisa May Alcott, chapter 3, in Little Women:

A diminutive of the male given name Laurence; alternative form of Lawrie; a pet form of the male given name Laurence.

Maxwelton braes are bonnie
Where early fa's the dew;
An' it's there that Annie Laurie
Gi'ed me her promise true.

A surname transferred from the given name.


Lori

In some cases, a 20th century spelling variant of Laurie, from Laura. In other cases, a diminutive form of names such as Loretta and Lorraine.
IPA⁽ᵏᵉʸ⁾: /loɹ.i/, /lɑɹ.i/

There was Lori - Lori - Lori no longer daft - Lori who could fight like the very devil of a Scotswoman at the side of her man - Lori would pull Mary Ruadh back from the brink of the grave, and perhaps himself too. His spirits began to lift. His whole being sang with the name of Lori.

1957, Paul Gallico, Thomasina: The Cat who Thought She was God, Doubleday, page 243:

While she continued to cling to his arm, Lorraine pouted again. " Running away changed a lot of things, but it didn't change your name. Nobody's called me Lori for ages, but while you're here, we'll just have to put up with each other."

2006, Christine W. Murphy, Through Iowa Glass, Hard Shell Word Factory, published 2006, →ISBN, page 23:

A female given name, popular in the US in the 1960s.


Lillie

A female given name, a variant of Lily or a pet form of Lillian


Lindsey

Lindsey (countable and uncountable, plural Lindseys)

From Old English Lindesege, ultimately from Proto-Brythonic *llɨnn (“pool”), from Proto-Celtic *lindos (“lake, liquid”) (as in Lincoln) + Old English ēġ (“island (of land)”).


Lois

From Ancient Greek Λωΐς (Lōḯs), of obscure meaning. Unrelated to Louise or Louisa.

Modernity might also lie in a name like Lois - pronounced Loys in Trinidad - which came to the island in the 1940s through Lois Lane, the heroine of the American Superman comic strip.

1962, V.S.Naipaul, The Middle Passage, page 48:

A female given name from Ancient Greek of biblical origin.


Lucille

"My name is Lucille." The man sat down heavily, crowding the girl's body against Mr. Munn. "You call her Sukie like I said," he ordered. "Now, Mr. Munn," the girl asked, leaning back so she could look up at him from under the brim of her large straw hat with its blue ribbons, " do you see how he can make Sukie out of a name like Lucille?"

1939, Robert Penn Warren, Night Rider, Random House, published 1939, page 4:

A female given name from French Lucille [in turn from Latin Lucilla], of 1910s US usage.


Lula

19th-century variant of Lulu, nickname of Louisa and Lucy. In rare cases, shortened from Tallulah.

But Lula Ann Bridewell is no longer available and she was never a woman. Lula Ann was a sixteen-year-old-me who dropped that dumb countrified name as soon as I left high school. I was Ann Bride for two years until I interviewed for a sales job at Sylvia, Inc., and, on a hunch, shortened my name to Bride, with nothing anybody needs to say before or after that memorable syllable.

2015, Toni Morrison, God Help the Child, Chatto & Windus, →ISBN, page 11:


Ugaritic

From Ugarit + -ic, via a Semitic medium from Sumerian 𒀀𒃼 (a-gar₃ /agar/, “arable land”).

uder

The Northwest Semitic language of the ancient city of Ugarit in Syria. Extinct since 1100 B.C.E., it was written in cuneiform.


Andalusian

A horse of a breed from the Iberian Peninsula, with long, thick mane and tail.


Andalusian

The dialect (or varieties) of Spanish spoken in Andalusia; Andalusian Spanish.


Leonese

From Leon + -ese. Compare Spanish leonés.

A Romance language spoken in the northwest of Spain, closely related to Asturian and Mirandese.


Murcian

A dialect of the Spanish language spoken in Murcia.


Navarrese

/ˌnævəˈɹiːz/


Valencian

One of the standard varieties of the Catalan language spoken primarily in Valencia.


Majorcan

en-adj

Majorcan (comparative more Majorcan, superlative most Majorcan)

more Majorcan (comparative)
most Majorcan (superlative)
Mallorcan (alternative)


Majorcan

Majorcans (plural)
Mallorcan (alternative)


Yakova

From the Hebrew masculine form "Ya'akov" or "Yakov" which originally refers to the Biblical character, Jacob.


Nico

Considering the stressed vowel (not found in Nicholas, nor Nick, etc.), presumably borrowed from one or more mainland European languages.

A male given name, nickname for Nicholas.

A female given name, nickname for Nicola.


Mae

A female given name; popular as a middle name.


Mamie

When they are used to express the affectionate regard of near friends and relatives they also may be pretty and appropriate, but they look very silly in a formal signature, and surely do not befit the dignity of womanhood. We had, for instance, among these 800 names scores of Minnies, Mamies, and only here and there a Mary, a much more euphonious as well as a dignified name.

1880 Emily Faithfull, The Victoria Magazine, v.36 (July-Dec 1880), page 264

(dated) A diminutive of Mary or Mavis, also used as a formal female given name.


Marilyn

A twentieth-century blend of Mary and Lynn.

Maybe you know my grand-daughter, the one with the non-Somali name - Marilyn. You won't believe it, but she was named for me, and my own is Maryam. She tells me that Marilyn is the name of a famous actress who's now dead. You know the young these days, bringing mysteries and foreign ways into our lives.

1993, Nuruddin Farah, Gifts, Arcade Publishing, published 1999, →ISBN, page 71:

A female given name originating as a coinage.


Mattie

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

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


Michaela

From Michael + -a. Latinate feminine form of Michael, first appearing as an anglicisation of the Portuguese ("Micaela") and Spanish ("Micaela"). Doublet of Michelle.

Mikaela (alternative)
Mackayla (alternative)
Makayla (alternative)
Mickayla (alternative)
Mikayla (alternative)
Mykayla (alternative)

Do you remember at Holmwood I called you Michaela, because you were so fair, like the girl in the opera? Now, this type-writer girl is dark, and she has been playing Carmen to you - stealing your love away from you by her clever ways.

1897, Clarissa Joy Suraji (=Grant Allen), The Type-writer Girl, Street & Smith, published 1900, page 227:

Edward had asked about her name. What was the origin and the meaning? "Unusual, but it has a nice sound. Kind of like Mahalia."
Michaela had lifted her shoulders, helplessly. "I have no idea. My mother said she read it somewhere and liked the sound. And she didn't want me to have a name like everyone else. She said she thought I was going to be special."

2008, Sandra Kitt, For All We Know, Harlequin, →ISBN, page 176:


Mikayla

A female given name from Hebrew, of modern usage, variant of Michaela.


Myrtle

After the plant, myrtle; used since the end of the 19th century.

Myrtle Hazard Lindsay walked up to the bust, and kissed its marble forehead, saying, "This is the face of my Guardian Angel!"

1867, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr, chapter XXXIV, in The Guardian Angel:

"My husband used to say that girls with flower names fade fast." It was Myrtle who said this one day, out of the blue, and for some reason it made them all go weak with laughter.

1993, Carol Shields, The Stone Diaries, page 318:


Nettie

A diminutive of the female given names Annette and Jeannette.


Dipu

A male given name from India, a nickname in India.


full name

The complete name of a person, including first name, any middle names, and surname.


Lü

A Tai-Kadai language spoken in Yunnan province of China, Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam.


Arunim

From Sanskrit अरुणिमन् (aruṇiman, “redness, red color”), referring to the reddish glow of the sun, which could be easily seen on the early morning sky.

bor

A male given name from Hindi used in India.


Rhonda

Modern coinage explained as Welsh rhon (“pike, lance”) + da (“good”)

Well, Rhonda, you caught my eye / And I can give you lots of reasons why / You gotta help me, Rhonda

1965, Mike Love, Brian Wilson (lyrics and music), “Help Me, Rhonda”, performed by The Beach Boys:


Robyn

A female given name from the Germanic languages, variant of Robin.


Shelby

From a medieval name, of obscure origin, yet likely an alteration of Middle English Selby, Salibi (“dweller of the willow place”), from salwe (“willow, sallow”) + -by (“settlement, farm”).

unk

obscure

As they walked, Shelby reached down and gently took Alan's hand to hold. They warmly exchanged a smile with each other just before Shelby looked down and Alan blushed. Whenever she was with Alan he made her feel like an innocent girl again.

2008, Raymond Smith II, An American Odyssey, →ISBN, page 70:

A unisex given name transferred from the surname.

A female given name transferred from the surname.

A male given name transferred from the surname.

A city, the county seat of Toole County, Montana, United States.


Cheri

A variant of Sherry or coined from French chéri, chérie (“darling”), not used as a given name in France.


Tonya

Phonetic rendering of Russian То́ня (Tónja), an informal pet form of Антони́на (Antonína, “Antonina”).

A diminutive of the female given names Antonina or Antonia, from Russian


Antonia

Audio

From Spanish Antonia. The feminine equivalent of Anthony.

Mom, I ask, will you call me Ant.
"Oh, Antonia," my mother sighs. Her face looks pained. She is quiet for a few moments and then she says, "Antonia is such a lovely name. When I named you, you were the sweetest, most perfect little baby. - - - "

2001, Gennifer Choldenko, Notes from a Liar and her Dog, Scholastic, published 2002, →ISBN, page 212:


Tracy

en-proper noun

Tracy (countable and uncountable, plural Tracys or Tracies)

Tracys (plural)
Tracies (plural)
Tracey (alternative)
Traci (alternative)
Tracie (alternative)

A Norman baronial surname from places in France, derived from a Gallo-Roman given name Thracius which referred to Thrace + the Celtic suffix *-āko (place, property). As a female given name, it is also known as a diminutive of Theresa.

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

"That's her real name, you know. I mean, a lot of girls working the topless joints, they take exotic, sexy names...well, Tiffany Carter, for example...but that was the name Tracy was born with."

1985, Ed McBain, Snow White and Rose Red, page 130:

Her name was Theresa (often Tracy) Oldenburg and she had eyes only for another young man, Richard Puls.

1993, Wayne C. Lee, Bad Men and Bad Towns, Caxton Press, →ISBN, page 144:

A female given name transferred from the surname, popular in the 1960s and 1970s.


Traci

A female given name transferred from the surname, variant of Tracy.


Dylan

From Welsh mythology; possibly from Celtic for "son of the sea" or "born from the ocean." Unrelated to the name Dillon, although the homophony may result in the two being considered variant spellings of the same name.


izhitsa

The obsolete Cyrillic letter Ѵ, ѵ, formerly used in Russian to represent upsilon in borrowed words.


Mazanderani

The Mazanderani language, a northwestern Iranian language closely related to Persian.


Great North Road

Upon the very same night when Nancy, having lulled Mr. Sikes to sleep, hurried on her self-imposed mission to Rose Maylie, there advanced towards London by the Great North Road two persons, upon whom it is expedient that this history should bestow some attention.

(British) The A1 (partially the A1(M)) road from London to Edinburgh


Denys

(rare) A male given name from Ancient Greek, an alternative spelling of Denis


Laban

From Middle English Laban, from Latin Laban, from Koine Greek Λάβαν (Lában), from Biblical Hebrew לָבָן (Lāḇān).

A male given name from Hebrew of biblical origin.


Edomite

[ˈiɾɪ̈mʌɪ̯t̚]

A Canaanite Semitic language spoken by the Edomites in southwestern Jordan in the first millennium BCE, extinct from the 6th century BCE.


Simeon

From Middle English Simeon, from Latin Simeon, from Ancient Greek Σῠμεών (Sŭmeṓn), from Biblical Hebrew שִׁמְעוֹן (šimʿôn, “hearkening, listening”), originally referring to Simeon, a son of Jacob. Doublet of Simon.


Naphtali

From Biblical Hebrew נַפְתָּלִי (naftalí), a son of Jacob. Compare Arabic نافس (“to compete with”).


Asher

Pottawatomie County
Pottawatomie County#English

A town in Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma, United States.


Issachar

/ˈɪ.səˌkɑː(ɹ)/

From Biblical Hebrew יִשָּׂשׁכָר (“Issachar”), a son of Jacob.


Zebulun

Old Testament Hebrew זְבֻלוּן (zebulun), a son of Jacob.


Melvin

Variant of the Scottish surname Melville, from a place name Malleville in Normandy, from Latin mala (“bad”) + Old French ville (“settlement”).
* Used to Anglicize Mac Gille Beathain in Scotland and Ó Maoil Mhín in Ireland.

And for some reason, they called me Pete. My mother, who probably dug up the name Melvin from some romantic novel about Englishmen drinking tea, cringed at the "Pete".

1976, Melvin Belli, My Life on Trial: An Autobiography, Morrow, →ISBN, page 21:


Zilpah

A female given name from Hebrew of biblical origin.


Corinne

From the French equivalent of Corinna, from Ancient Greek κόρη (kórē, “girl, maiden, daughter”).


Gilead

"That's Gil's name: Gilead Bryan. I'd been assuming it was Gilbert." Nandina stopped stirring the soup and said, "Gilead. Like the song?"

2012, Anne Tyler, The Beginner's Goodbye, Chatto & Windus, →ISBN, pages 92–93:

A male given name from Hebrew in occasional use.


Lenore

[…] sorrow for the lost Lenore — / For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore — / Nameless here for evermore.

1845 February, — Quarles [pseudonym; Edgar Allan Poe], “The Raven”, in The American Review, volume I, number II, New York, N.Y., London: Wiley & Putnam, […], →OCLC:

A female given name, variant of Eleanor.


Andre

A male given name from French, an anglicized form of André.


Brice

A male given name from the Celtic languages, a variant of Bryce.

A male given name from the Celtic languages transferred from the surname.

A male given name from French transferred from the surname.


Bryce

A male given name from the Celtic languages, variant of Brice.


Claud

en-proper noun

Claud (countable and uncountable, plural Clauds)


Claus

From Dutch and German Claus, a contraction of Nicolaus (“Nicholas”). The spelling Klaus is from more modern German Klaus and other Germanic languages.


Klaus

A male given name from Ancient Greek, an alternative spelling of Claus.


Collin

Collin (countable and uncountable, plural Collins)

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


Corey

Cory (alternative)
Cory (alternative)
Kory (alternative)
Korey (alternative)

An English surname from Old Norse from the Old Norse given name Kóri, itself perhaps from Old Irish Cuire, from cuire (“troop, host, company”), from Proto-Celtic *koryos (“army, tribe”), from Proto-Indo-European *ker- (“army”).

Miss Carroll's popularity doesn't end with her on-screen performances in the show which co-stars young Marc Copage as her precocious six-year-old son, Corey Baker, whose father Capt. Baker was killed in Vietnam.

1968 October 17, Jet, volume 35, number 2, page 61:

A male given name transferred from the surname.

"I'm Millicent Banning and —" she pushed Corey forward "— this is my daughter Catherine, but we all call her Corey."

1996, Barbara Bretton, Guilty Pleasures, Mira Books, →ISBN, page 156:

(rare) A female given name transferred from the surname, variant of Cori.


Devin

* As an Irish, English, and French surname, spelling variant of Devine. Also see Devon.
* Also as a French surname, from devin (“fortuneteller”).
* As a Russian surname, from дева (deva, “maiden”).

A male given name transferred from the surname, of modern usage, or a variant of Devon.


Dillon

From the Irish surname, from Breton Leon and Norman Léon, named after Sir Henry de Leon of the Viscounty of Léon. Related to the surname Lyon. Unrelated to the name Dylan, although the homophony may result in the two being considered variant spellings of the same name.


Dominic

From Late Latin Dominicus, derived from Dominus (“Lord”).

A male given name from Latin, best known for the Spanish saint who founded the Dominican order.


Duane

Anglicized form of the Irish name Dubhán, from dubh (“black, dark”).


Dwayne

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


Dwight

Probably from a Middle English female name Diot, a pet form of Dionysia, the feminine form of Dionysius.

(chiefly US) A male given name transferred from the surname.


septal

(archaeology, of a stone or slab) Separating compartments in a burial chamber.


septal

[…] and in Ireland it so happened, that these four families emerged victorious out of the septal struggles.

1878, Standish James O'Grady, History of Ireland: The Heroic Period, volume 1, page 46:

(relational) Relating to an Irish clan or sept.


Tashelhit

Tachelhit (alternative)
Tashelhiyt (alternative)
Tashlhiyt (alternative)
Tashlhit (alternative)


Sylvester

Borrowed from Latin sylvester (“woody, rural”) from silva (“wood”); name of a saint whose feast day falls on December 31.

A male given name from Latin used in English since the sixteenth century.


Winnipegger

Winnipeggers (plural)
Winnipeger (alternative)

/ˈwɪnəˈpɛɡəɹ/

When a Winnipegger gets his wagon stuck in one of them, he loosens the traces and lets the horses scramble out; and then, pulling off his clothes, goes in to extricate the vehicle, which, by the skillful use of ropes, he usually accomplishes.

1880 May, “The Red River of the North”, in Harper's, volume 60, number 360, page 814:

Our tears were shed on behalf of the Winnipegger who has himself photographed in the shaggy buffalo coat.

A citizen of Albert Lea, Minn., calls himself an Albert Lean; . . . one of Winnipeg, Man., is a Winnipegger.

1948, H. L. Mencken, “What the People of American Towns Call Themselves”, in American Speech, vol 23 no 3/4 (Oct-Dec):

The 19-year-old Winnipegger just signed his first pro hockey contract, a three-year deal with the Colorado Avalanche.

2007 May 11, Paul Friesen, “Wheat King crowned”, in Winnipeg Sun:

A native or resident of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.


Ottawan

A native or inhabitant of Ottawa, the capital city of Canada.


Edmontonian

(uncountable) A North American faunal stage occurring during the late Cretaceous.


Ayden

A male given name from Irish, a new American spelling variant of Aidan.


Avery

From Anglo-Norman Averay, Auveray, Alverey, from Latin Alveredus, Aluredus, from Old English Ælfræd, from ælf (“elf”) and ræd (“counsel”). Doublet of Alfred.

A male given name from Old French or transferred from the surname.

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

Montmorency County
Montmorency County#English

A number of places in the United States:

A township in Montmorency County, Michigan.

Red River County
Red River County#English


Darryl

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


Daryl

A unisex given name transferred from the surname, variant of Darrell.


Dara

An Irish saint's name, from Irish Dáire. Also a Persian male name equivalent to Darius.


Darragh

Reduced Anglicized form of Irish Ó Dubhdarach (“descendant of Dubhdarach”), a personal name composed of the elements dubh (“black”) and darach, genitive of dair (“oak”).


Dominick

A male given name from Latin, variant of Dominic.


Brayden

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


Ashlyn

An anglicized form of Irish Aisling (“dream, vision”).


Anita

From Spanish Anita, diminutive of Ana (“Ann”).

My Aunt said she had some sense of the fitness of things and that she could not call a great, fat, quiet, blonde child a little, quick, dark name like Anita, and it wasn't what my mother had named me anyway.

1906, McClure's Magazine, volume 27, S.S. McClure Limited, page 425:


Arlene

A nineteenth-century coinage probably based on similar-sounding names such as Charlene and Arlette.

Arleen (alternative)
Arline (alternative)

Mama hated her own name, Arlene. "Arlene, Marlene, Darlene, they're all hayseed names," she deplored. Even more than Arlene, she hated Lena, which she'd been called in school, growing up.

1989, Faith Sullivan, The Cape Ann, Penguin, published 1989, →ISBN, page 2:

A female given name originating as a coinage.


Addie

Addies (plural)
Addy (alternative)
Addi (alternative)

A diminutive of the female given names Adele, Adeline, Adelaide, or Addison.


Adela

Latinate form of French Adèle, short form of Germanic compound names beginning with Proto-Germanic *aþalaz (“noble”). Compare Old English æþele, English athel.

A female given name from the Germanic languages.


Adeline

From Old French Adeline, a diminutive form of Adela and Adele brought to England by the Normans.

"That's my own corner...In it I have always called you Adeline." "Please don't say Adelyne. I am accustomed to Adeleen." "I suppose that's why I pronounce it Adelyne."

1944, Mazo de la Roche, The Building of Jalna, Dundurn Press Ltd, published 2009, →ISBN, page 149:


Adriana

Some other mistress hath thy sweet aspects, / I am not Adriana, nor thy wife

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

A female given name from Latin or Etruscan, a feminine form of Adrian.


Alana

Feminine form of Alan (from Alan + -a). In regular use since the 20th century.

Alanna (alternative)
Alannah (alternative)
Alanah (alternative)
Ilana (alternative)

A female given name from the Celtic languages.


Alannah

Modern variant of Alana, the feminine form of Alan. Also associated with the affectionate Anglo-Irish term of address alanna (“child”). The spelling is influenced by names of Hebrew origin such as Hannah and Susannah.


Alaina

A variant of Alana coined in the 20th century from Alain, the French equivalent of Alan.


Annika

A female given name from Swedish [in turn from Hebrew], a Swedish diminutive form of Anna.


mim

The esoteric identity and importance of the Perso-Arabic letter, mim, and its Bengali equivalent, ma, were stressed. The letter, when added to Ahad, made Ahmad and Muhammad as well.

2014, Asim Roy, The Islamic Syncretistic Tradition in Bengal, page 124:

Alternative form of meem (“Arabic letter”).


Brittney

A female given name transferred from the place name, variant of Brittany.


Beulah

A biblical name applied to the land of Israel in Isaiah 62:4, from Biblical Hebrew בְּעוּלָה (bəʿûlâ, “married (woman)”), taken up as a given name by Puritans and used figuratively for the New Earth.

bor

Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Isaiah 62:4:

I was into names then for some reason, and hit upon the name Beulah. When I was a child it was a name like Bertha, and you made a joke about Beulah, Big Beulah. I thought, wouldn't it be nice to use the name Beulah and try to get it in a poem.

2003, Rita Dove, Earl G. Ingersoll, Conversations with Rita Dove, Univ. of Mississippi, →ISBN, page 43:


Carole

British journalist Carole Cadwalladr has looked at Vance's links to rich tech bros, or what she calls the "broligarchs".

2024 August 14, Bryn Haworth, “Artificial Ignorance: broligarchs and their brains should read Gulliver”, in Al Majalla:

A female given name from French from the French form of Carol.


Bette

"Jack, couldn't you call me Bette again? You know how much I hate Bess. I don't know what's happened; you've been calling me Bette since we came to California and now, suddenly, you're calling me Bess."
There's a long silence. Dad's still up on his knees; I'm driving along Sepulveda Boulevard toward Olympic.
"Well, Bette, I married you as Bess and I've always liked that name. It's a name you don't hear very often; it's a strong name like you. Every time I call you Bette I'm afraid somebody else might answer."

1981, William Wharton, Dad, Knopf, →ISBN, page 293:

A variant of Betty, a diminutive of the female given name Elizabeth.


Dianne

A female given name from Latin, variant of Diane.


Gwendoline

A female given name from Welsh, an anglicized form of Welsh Gwendolen.


Gayle

A female given name, a fanciful spelling of Gail, shortened form of Abigail.

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

A South African argot (jargon) used in South African gay and same-sex communities, primarily by Indo-European based speakers.


Glenda

Coined in the twentieth century from Welsh glân (“holy, fair”) and da (“good”).


Johnathan

A male given name from Hebrew, of uncommon usage, variant of Jonathan.


Jeannette

From French Jeannette, from Jeanne + -ette, q.v.
Doublet of Ivanka, Jan, Janelle, Janet, Janey, Janine, Jeanette, Jeanie, Jeannine, Jen, Jenna, Jenny, Jessie, Jo, Jody, Juanita, Shanae, Sinead, and Vanna.

doublet

Jeanette (alternative)
Jennette (alternative)


Joann

Alternative form of Joanna, a female given name.

Alternative form of Joanne, a female given name.


Edmond

A male given name from Old English, a French style variant of Edmund.


Delores

(US) A female given name from Spanish, variant of Dolores.


Irma

From German Irma in the nineteenth century. Short form of Germanic names beginning with irm(en)-, erm(en) "whole, entire", from Proto-Germanic *ermunaz. Cognate with English Emma.

- - -, she thanked God for Irma: thanked God that Irma's hair was rich and beautiful, that she had the aristocratic richness of a name like Irma and not the common poverty of a name like May or Flo;

1939, Herbert Ernest Bates, The Flying Goat, Ulverscroft Large Print Books, published 1995, →ISBN, page 52:

A female given name from the Germanic languages.


Erma

A female given name from the Germanic languages, of rare usage, variant of Irma.


Faye

* (surname): Borrowed from French Faye or other languages.

Ten years ago, shortly before her sister married her husband, Bobby Gow, she announced to the family that she did not want to be known as Faith any longer; henceforward her name was to be Faye.

1990, William Boyd, Brazzaville Beach, W.Morrow, →ISBN, page 126:


Sino-Korean

the state of Sino-Korean relations

Of or pertaining both to China and to Korea; being both Chinese and Korean.

Until the fifteenth century, Koreans had a native word for the numeral "hundred", but it has since been replaced by a Sino-Korean word.

(specifically, linguistics, of a Korean word) Etymologically borrowed or otherwise derived from an eighth-century dialect of Middle Chinese which greatly influenced the Korean language.

漢字詞 /汉字词

Etymologically from or influenced by Chinese


Sino-Korean

漢韓詞 /汉韩词

the Chinese-derived elements in the Korean language

The elements in the Korean language derived from the said dialect of Middle Chinese:

The Korean vocabulary borrowed or otherwise derived from the said dialect.

The distinctive Korean pronunciation of Chinese characters, which is an adaptation of the pronunciation of the said dialect into Korean phonology.


Afro-Argentine

Following the destruction of the free black battalions at Sipe-Sipe, the Afro-Argentine representation in the armed forces consisted almost entirely of ...

2003, John Charles Chasteen, James A. Wood, Problems in Modern Latin American History: sources and interpretations:

An obviously discontented unit was the Afro-Argentine Fourth Cazadores, which between November 1827 and October 1829 lost 31 soldiers dead and ...

1995, Darién J. Davis, Slavery and Beyond: The African Impact on Latin America and the Caribbean:

A great percentage of Afro-Argentine males served in the army,...

1999, Brian Bell, Argentina, Insight Guides:

A third is that they perished while serving in the special Afro-Argentine male battalions of the army.

2003, C. Michael Hawn, Gather Into One: Praying and Singing Globally:

Half of San Martin's army was comprised of Afro-Argentine soldiers. Slaves could earn their freedom by serving in the military, and some Afro-Argentine men...

2004, Theodore Link, Rose McCarthy, Argentina: A Primary Source Cultural Guide:

(chiefly historical) Of or pertaining to Argentines of African descent.


Halkomelem

Halq'eméylem (alternative)
Holkomelem (alternative)
Hul̓q̓umín̓um̓ (alternative)
Hən'q'əmin'əm' (alternative)

Sḵwx̱wú7mesh snichim
Sḵwx̱wú7mesh snichim

A Central Salishan language spoken on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, by the Musqueam Indian Band, and closely related to Squamish (Sḵwx̱wú7mesh snichim).


Unserdeutsch

From Unserdeutsch Unserdeutsch, from German unser (“our”) + Deutsch (“German”).

A German-based creole language spoken primarily in Papua New Guinea and the northeast of Australia.


Emil

From German Emil, from Latin Aemilius, a Roman family name possibly from aemulus (“rival”). Cognate with French Émile.


Essie

A diminutive form of the female given name Esther.


Estella

Latinized and Italian variant of the French Estelle.

To stand in the dark in a mysterious passage of an unknown house, bawling Estella to a scornful young lady neither visible nor responsive, and feeling it a dreadful liberty so to roar out her name, was almost as bad as playing to order. But she answered at last, and her light came along the dark passage like a star.

1860 December – 1861 August, Charles Dickens, Great Expectations […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: Chapman and Hall, […], published October 1861, →OCLC:


Etta

A short form of Henrietta or of other female given names ending in -etta.


Eula

A female given name from Ancient Greek, a short form of Eulalia.


Eulalie

French from the saints' name Eulalia, from Ancient Greek "sweetly speaking".

Till the fair and gentle Eulalie became my blushing bride - / Till the yellow-haired young Eulalie became my smiling bride.

Come along, Eulalie" (this was her friend's strange name) […]

1953, L. P. Hartley, The Go-Between, Hamish Hamilton, published 1974, page 60:


Callie

From a 19th-century diminutive of Caroline.

Cally (alternative)
Kallie (alternative)


Flossie

'Otto's at a conference about Free Open-Source Software. It's his big passion. That's why we called the baby Flossie―F-O-S-S. The French geeks stuck an 'L' in for femininity.'

2012, Marina Lewycka, Various Pets Alive and Dead, Fig Tree, →ISBN, page 291:

A diminutive of the female given name Florence.

"Big School is more fun than Primary School," said Flossie to her mother as they both sat at the kitchen table, eating their lunch together. "Isn't it, Mum?"

1982, Hunter Davies, Flossie Teacake's Fur Coat:

A diminutive of the female given name Flora.


Freda

A feminine form of Frederick and Fred, also a short form of Winifred.

Now Freda is a beautiful name, but to this day I am glad my bataa was so insistent. I have come to agree there is something magical about one's own name. Later in my life, the name Princess has opened many doors that may not have been opened were I called Freda.

2009, Princess Kasune Zulu, Warrior Princess, IVP Books, →ISBN, page 22:


Frieda

A female given name from the Germanic languages, the German equivalent of Freda.


Jorja

A female given name from Ancient Greek, a new Australian spelling of Georgia.


Goldie

A female given name from English for a girl with golden hair, mostly American usage around 1900. It was further popularized by actress Goldie Hawn

A male or female given name from English for a golden-colored dog or bird


Ina

Short form of given names ending in -ina, e.g. Georgina, Christina, Wilhelmina.

Miss Ina Claire tells me that half her acquaintances call her "Eenah" and the other half "Eynah". She answers docilely to either.

1935, Winthrop Ames, What Shall We Name the Baby?, New York: Simon and Schuster, page 18:

The eldest, originally called Christina in spite of her Jewish father's protests, eventually had her name sliced in half. "Stop sulking, Abe," Aurora commanded. "From now on she's plain Ina without the Christ." So poor Ina grew up with only half a handle, and when the second child was born a year later matters were made worse because this time Aurora insisted on "Inamorata". Abraham protested again: "People will confuse," he said plaintively. "And this Ina-more it is like saying she is Ina-plus."

1995, Salman Rushdie, The Moor's Last Sigh, →ISBN, page 139:


Inez

Anglicised form of Spanish Inés and Portuguese Inês, both from Latin Agnes, from Ancient Greek Ἁγνή (Hagnḗ). First used in 18th century English poetry and plays referring to Inês de Castro. Doublet of Agnes.

Before the frowning King fair Inez stands; / Her tears of artless innocence, her air / So mild, so lovely, and her face so fair;

1796 Translation by Mr Mickle of The Lusiads (1572) by Camoens:, The Scots Magazine, Vol. 58, page 174

My name, you know, is Inez Elizabeth - Inez Elizabeth Mordaunt." "I think Inez is a perfectly beautiful name," said Sir Gwyn, enthusiastically. "So do I, surely," said Bessie; "it is so entirely. In France they all called me Inez, but dear, darling Iny set the fashion of calling me Bessie; - - - Still, I think Inez is awfully lovely, and it's uncommon and romantic.

1873, James De Mille, An Open Question, D. Appleton and company, page 79:


Janie

A diminutive of the female given name Jane.


Dewey

Possibly from a place name in Northern France, Douai. Welsh origin from Dewi (David) has also been suggested.

A male given name transferred from the surname, of 1890s American usage.


Grover

A male given name transferred from the surname, popular in the USA in the 1880s and 1890s when Grover Cleveland was President.


Kassite

An ancient language spoken by the Kassites


Raaya

Associated with Hindi [Term?], meaning "royal" or "royalty", from the terms rai, raj, etc. Some texts also indicate it means "always". Also associated with the term Rah, meaning path, road or journey.

A female given name from India, masculine equivalent Rai.


Londonistan

The term “Londonistan” apparently originated with a sarcastic remark by a French intelligence officer frustrated by Britain’s failure to crack down on radical Islamists in their midst.

2017 April 6, Leela Jacinto, “Is Londonistan calling jihadists back to the fold?”, in France 24:

(informal, derogatory, ethnic slur) London, perceived as having been culturally conquered by Muslims.


Shaquille

A fanciful spelling of Arabic شَكِيل (šakīl, “handsome”).

A male given name from Arabic of modern American usage.


Allyson

A female given name from the Germanic languages, variant of Alison.


Alix

A female given name from the Germanic languages, an Old French form of Alice.


Beverley

en-proper noun

Beverley (countable and uncountable, plural Beverleys)

Beverleys (plural)
Beverly (alternative)

From Old English befer (“beaver”) + lēah (“clearing”). Equivalent to Beaver + -ley (“lea”).

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


Arianna

From Italian Arianna, from Ancient Greek Ἀριάδνη (Ariádnē).


Arianne

A female given name from Ancient Greek, variant of Ariane or Ariadne.


Brandi

'Brandi's father owns a number of radio stations across the country.' He smiled. 'Beware of women whose first names are potable.'
'I'll keep it in mind.'
'Actually, her real name is Brenda. She was named after Brenda Marshall, who was an actress in the forties. Apparently, my father-in-law was a huge fan.'

1997, Joy Fielding, Missing Pieces, page 85:

A female given name from English, variant of Brandy.


Breanna

A female given name from the Celtic languages, of American usage, variant of Brianna.


Camryn

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


Kamryn

"What kind of name is Kamryn, anyway?" Adele asked me without shame. "A made-up one," was my terse reply. - - - So, her asking about my moniker when she was Girly Two-Hyphen Name was an audacious step to take. "It's not a spelling mistake? Your name is Kamryn. K-A-M-R-Y-N," she spelled it out. "Not C-A-M-E-R-O-N, Cameron like the boy's name?" "Actually, it is. I thought it'd be fun to pretend it was spelled differently. I love people asking me about it. You're so wise, you caught me. You're clearly Miss Marple's clever younger sister."

2006, Dorothy Koomson, My Best Friend's Girl, Random House, published 2008, →ISBN, page 25:

A female given name transferred from the surname, of modern usage, variant of Cameron.


Kameron

(US) A male given name transferred from the surname, of modern usage, variant of Cameron.


Erick

Eric (alternative)
Erik (alternative)
Eriq (alternative)
Erique (alternative)

A male given name from the Germanic languages, a rare spelling variant of Eric that can also be explained as a form of Frederick.


Jayden

Invented at the end of the 20th century by American parents who wanted to combine the initial "J" with the fashionable sound of Aidan, Braden, Caden and Hayden. It has been unisex from the very beginning because it resembles both Jay and Jade.

Jaden (alternative)
Jaiden (alternative)

A unisex given name originating as a coinage.


Jaden

A unisex given name originating as a coinage, variant of Jayden.


Caden

Invented by American parents in the 1990s to rhyme with the equally fashionable Aidan, Braden, Hayden and Jayden.

Kaden (alternative)
Kaeden (alternative)
Kaiden (alternative)
Kayden (alternative)
Caeden (alternative)
Caiden (alternative)
Cayden (alternative)

A male given name originating as a coinage.

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


Hayden

Originally a place name, from Old English heg (“hay”) + denu (“valley”). Alternatively, from Middle Dutch heiden (“heathen”).

A male given name transferred from the surname.

A female given name transferred from the surname, in general use since the 1990s.

A town in Gila County and Pinal County, Arizona.

A place in the United States:
A town in Routt County, Colorado.

A place in the United States:
A city in Kootenai County, Idaho.

census-designated place
census-designated place

A census-designated place in Spencer Township, Jennings County, Indiana.


Brady

From Old English brād (“broad”) + ēage (“eye”) and brād (“broad”) + ēġ (“island”); or from Irish Ó Brádaigh.

A unisex given name transferred from the surname.


Brodie

Brody (alternative)
Brodi (alternative)
Brodey (alternative)

Scottish habitational surname of uncertain meaning. Probably of Pictish or Gaelic origin. Some of the suggestions that have been advanced as to the meaning of the name Brodie are:
* "ditch" or "mire", from the old Irish word broth;
* "muddy place", from the Gaelic word brothach;
* "a point", "a spot", or "level piece of land", from the Gaelic word Brodha;
* or originated from the Pict name Brude, Bruid or Bridei from King Bridei of the Picts.


Bernadette

From French Bernadette, made famous by St. Bernadette of Lourdes.

Bernadette Woolley was aware that her name was professionally inappropriate. She tended to get a lot of jokes about it. There had even been recommendations that she change it. The pious connotations put men off, it was averred. Non-Catholics recognised her allegiance at once because of the label, and scorned her for it; while co-religionists, reminded inappropriately of the Virgin apparition at Lourdes, blushed, or sniggered, or asked for another girl.

1983, A. N. Wilson, Scandal: or Priscilla's Kindness, Penguin, published 1985, →ISBN, page 1:

As they walked farther along the concourse, Bernadette said, "You call me Bernadette. Aunt won't be necessary. And I don't like Bernie. Or Aunt Bernie or Auntie. For a while, when I was twelve, I wanted everyone to call me Detta. No reason except that I was twelve and trying to fit whatever name sounded more glamorous than Bernadette. I like to be called Bernadette. I've become my name."

1995, E. L. Konigsburg, T-Backs, T-Shirts, Coat, and Suit, Simon & Schuster, published 2008, →ISBN, page 13:


Christy

A diminutive of the male given name Christopher.

Alternative form of Christie, A diminutive of the female given name Christina and related names.


Kristi

Kristi Noem[…] may have committed a class two misdemeanor offence when her fated dog Cricket, a 14-month-old wirehair pointer Noem deemed “untrainable” for hunting pheasant, killed a neighbor’s chickens.

2024 April 29, Martin Pengelly, Ramon Antonio Vargas, “Kristi Noem’s story of killing her dog points to class two misdemeanor”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:

A diminutive of the female given name Christina, variant of Christie.


Kristie

A variant of Christie, a diminutive of Christina and related female names.


Lazlow

(rare) A male given name from the Slavic languages of modern usage.


Kristine

A female given name from Ancient Greek, variant of Christine.


Leona

A female given name from Latin, a feminine form of Leo through Leon.


Leonie

From French Léonie, from Latin Leonia, feminine of Leonius, derived from leo (“lion”).


Lottie

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

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

A pet form of the female given name Charlotte.


Loretta

A female given name from Latin, variant of Lauretta, Italian diminutive of Laura; or a form of Loreto.


Lola

What lovely names for girls there are!
There's Stella like the Evening Star,
And Sylvia like a rustling tree,
And Lola like a melody,

1933, Eleanor Farjeon, “Girls' Names”, in Over the Garden Wall, Faber and Faber, page 91:


Lynda

A female given name from the Germanic languages, variant of Linda.


Lynette

Anglicized form of Welsh Eluned, first used by Tennyson in the Idylls of the King(1859-85), altered by folk etymology to be Lynn + -ette.

'My name?' she said -
'Lynette, my name; noble; my need, a knight,

1872, Alfred Tennyson, Gareth and Lynette:


Lynnette

A female given name from Welsh, variant of Lynette.


Mable

And "Mable"'s a name that ever sounds sweetly / And charms and enchants a mortal completely

1892, Walter Malone, “Mary”, in Narcissus: and Other Poems, J. B. Lippincott Company, page 133:

A female given name from Latin, variant of Mabel.


Marlene

A female given name from Hebrew borrowed from German in early 20th century.


Tilda

A female given name from the Germanic languages, short form of Matilda.


Nannie

A diminutive of the female given names Ann or Annie.


Patsy

From the clipping of Patricia or Patrick + -sy (hypocoristic suffix).

A diminutive of the female given name Patricia.

A diminutive of the male given name Patrick.

A diminutive of the female given name Martha.


Paulette

Borrowed in the twentieth century from French Paulette, a diminutive feminine form of Paul.


Sallie

A less common spelling of Sally; see -ie.

A diminutive of the female given name Sarah.


Tiare

From Tahitian Tiare, from tiare, a small white gardenia (Gardenia tahitiensis ), the national flower of Tahiti.

Tiare — her father had called her by the name of the white, scented flower which, they tell you, if you have once smelt, will always draw you back to Tahiti in the end, however far you may have roamed — Tiare remembered Strickland very well.

1919, W[illiam] Somerset Maugham, “chapter 49”, in The Moon and Sixpence, [New York, N.Y.]: Grosset & Dunlap Publishers […], →OCLC:

A female given name. Used in Hawaii since the 1980s.


Valeria

/vəˈlɪəɹi.ə/

Feminine form of Roman family name Valerius, from Latin valere (“to be healthy, to be strong”). Doublet of Valerie.


Alaskan

United States of America
United States of America

A native or resident of the state of Alaska in the United States of America.


Peder

A male given name from Danish, equivalent to English Peter.


Middle Norwegian

The interim language in Norway between 1350 (the Black Plague) and 1525. An amalgam of Norwegian, Swedish and Danish, following Old Norwegian (Old Norse).


Portia

Cato the Elder
Portia (moon)
The Merchant of Venice

From Latin Porcia, a feminine form of the gens name Porcius (the gens of the Cato the Elder and his famous descendants), from porcus (“pig”). The moon is named for the character in The Merchant of Venice.


Cassie

From Cass + -ie. diminutive of Cassandra or Cassidy.


Coatlán Mixe

A Mixe-Zoque language of the Mixe branch, spoken in Mexico; its two dialects are Coatlán Mixe and Camotlán Mixe.


Geoff

He had become increasingly petty, irritated by details, by the diminishing, for example, of their forenames—Bill, Bert, Mike, Geoff, Steve. He wanted to inquire peevishly if a commitment to Marxism was incompatible with a disyllabic forename.

2012 April 17, P.D. James, Innocent Blood, Simon and Schuster, →ISBN, page 41:

The place in Malibu belongs to my husband, Geoff. He's a G-E-O-F-F Geoff, not the J-E-F-F kind.

2015 August 27, Sue Grafton, X, Pan Macmillan, →ISBN:

A diminutive of the male given name Geoffrey.


Alabaman

en-adj

Alabaman (comparative more Alabaman, superlative most Alabaman)

more Alabaman (comparative)
most Alabaman (superlative)


Leroy

Transferred from the common French surname Leroy since the nineteenth century, for no apparent reason except its transparent meaning, le roi "the king".

LeRoy (alternative)
Le Roy (alternative)
Leroi (alternative)
LeRoi (alternative)
Le Roi (alternative)
Leeroy (alternative)
LeeRoy (alternative)
Lee Roy (alternative)

A male given name transferred from the surname.


Elroy

A male given name originating as a coinage, a pseudo-Spanish variant of Leroy.


Lester

en-proper noun

Lester (countable and uncountable, plural Lesters)

* As an English surname, from the placename Leicester.
* Also as an English surname of Norman origin, from Lestre in Normandy, from Old French Lestra, from Medieval Latin Laxtra, perhaps from extera (“exterior (part of a property)”).
* As an English and Scottish surname, variant of Lister.
* Also as an English surname, variant of Laster.
* As a Scottish and Irish surname, shortened from McLester.

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


Micheal

Anglicised form of Irish Mícheál or Scottish Gaelic Mìcheil. Also a spelling variant of Michael, generally considered erroneous.


Ronnie

Shortening of Ronald or Veronica, + -ie.

A diminutive of the male given name Ronald.

A diminutive of the female given name Veronica.


Sergius

A saint's name, from Latin Sergius. Doublet of Sergey.

Which was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Acts 13:7:


Woiwurrung

A portmanteau of the Woiwurrung words woi (meaning "no") and wurrung (meaning "lip" or "speech"), from the way that speakers of this language express the negative.

Wuywurrung (alternative)
Wuywurung (alternative)

A Pama-Nyungan Australian Aboriginal language spoken in the central part of Victoria, around Melbourne.


Alucard

/ˈæləˌkɑː(ɹ)d/

(chiefly fiction) A male given name originating as a coinage, often used in Dracula or vampire-related fiction.


Aseem

Borrowed from Hindi असीम (asīm, “boundless, infinite”), from अ- (a-, “un-, not”) + सीम (sīm, “limit”). Compare सीमा (sīmā, “boundary, limit”) for second element.

com

A male given name from Hindi used in India.


Annabelle

A variant of Annabel, by folk etymology, "beautiful Anna".


Aaliyah

Popularized by American singer Aaliyah Haughton (1979-2001). Transliteration of Arabic عَالِيَة (ʕāliya).


Aliyah

Ultimately from Arabic عَالِيَة (ʕāliya).

A female given name from Arabic of modern American usage, a variant of Aaliyah.


Aliyah

Ultimately from Hebrew עלייה \ עֲלִיָּה (aliyá, “ascent”)

der

עלייה \ עֲלִיָּה


Kaitlin

A female given name from Irish, one of the modern spelling variants of Caitlin.


Cecily

"We two," she said, "will seek the groves
Where the lady Mary is,
With her five handmaidens, whose names
Are five sweet symphonies,
Cecily, Gertrude, Magdalen,
Margaret and Rosalys.

1850, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, The Blessed Damozel:

A female given name from Latin, from the medieval vernacular form of Cecilia.


Cicely

, Induction, Scene II
First Servant. - - - Sometimes you would call out for Cicely Hacket.
Sly. Ay, the woman's maid of the house.

A female given name from Latin, a variant of Cecily and Cecilia used since the Middle Ages.


Candace

From Latin Candacē, from Ancient Greek Κανδάκη (Kandákē), from Meroitic 𐦲𐦷𐦲𐦡 (kdke /kandakə/), a hereditary title of ancient queens of Napata (Northern Sudan).

He aroſe and went on / and beholde a man off ethiopia which was gelded / and of grete auctoꝛite with Candace qune of the ethiopians / which had the rule off all her treaſure / cam to Ieruſalem foꝛ to pꝛaye.

1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, Acts viij:[27–28], folio clxv, verso:


Candice

A variant of Candace associated with Late Latin candida (“whiteness”) via folk etymology.

A female given name from Ancient Greek, variant of Candace.


Karla

A female given name from the Germanic languages, masculine equivalent Karl.


Cara

20th-century English coinage from Italian cara (“dear”) or Irish cara (“friend”).

'Okay, Cara Burrows. Can I take a look in your bag?'
'My bag? Why?' This is getting a bit ridiculous. And he pronounced my name wrong: Carrah. Didn't even try to say it the way he heard me say it.

2017, Sophie Hannah, Did You See Melody?: The stunning page turner from the bestselling author of Haven't They Grown?, Hachette UK, →ISBN:

A female given name originating as a coinage.


Chantal

Borrowed from French Chantal in the 1960s, from the surname of a French saint Jeanne de Chantal, actually a Baroness of Chantal, a place name in France from Old Occitan cantal (“stone, moellon, rubblestone”).


Jasmin

He replied, what I mean is not the jasmine that people smell; but a slave girl whose name is Jasmin, whom my father would not buy for me.

1847, Edward William Lane, The Thousand and One Nights (translation from Arabic): Aladdin Abushamat:


Jazmin

A female given name from Persian, variant of Jasmine.


Kiana

Borrowed from Hawaiian Kiana, itself from English Diana. Also used as a modern feminine form of Kian.

A female given name from Hawaiian, of 1970s and later American usage.


Tiana

Modern contraction of Tatiana and Christiana. In the USA it is also explained as a form of Diana in such unrelated languages as Samoan and Cherokee (but the author Tiana Bighorse is a Navajo).

By Cherokee custom he married Tiana Rogers Gentry; within the tribe it was a real marriage, not a casual liaison. To Houston and to other whites his wife was known as Diana.

1962, Marion Karl Wisehart, Sam Houston, American Giant, R. B. Luce, page 60:


Gaynor

A female given name from Welsh, a variant of Welsh Gaenor or Guinevere, popular in Britain in the 1960s and 1970s.


Jalen

A male given name originating as a coinage, of modern American usage; variant form Jaylen.


Jaylen

A male given name originating as a coinage, of modern American usage; variant form Jalen.


Brennan

From Irish Ó Braonáin (“descendant of Braonán”), a diminutive of braon (“moisture, drop”). Alternatively, from Irish Ó Branáin (“descendant of Branán”), a diminutive of bran (“raven”).

bor

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


Colm

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


Caspar

A name given to one of the Magi in Western church tradition, from Biblical Hebrew גִּזְבָּר (gizbar), ultimately from Old Median *ganǰabarah; see it for more. Compare Hatran Aramaic 𐣢𐣦𐣡𐣣𐣩 (gzbry /Gazzabray/, “a given name”), also from Iranian.

cog

Jasper (alternative)
Gaspar (alternative)
Casper (alternative)
Kaspar (alternative)
Kasper (alternative)
Kosper (alternative)
Cosper (alternative)
Gosper (alternative)

A male given name from Old Persian, more popular in the form Jasper.


Donovan

From Irish Ó Donndubháin (“descendant of (a person named) brown & black”), from donn (“brown”) and dubh (“black”).

bor

A male given name transferred from the surname.


Jace

A twentieth century diminutive of the male given name Jason.


Jaime

They call you "Jim", don't they?' 'No,' I replied, hiding my irritation. 'I prefer James. My father named me Jaime, but no one ever seemed to pronounce it right, so I changed it to James. Not legally,' I added.

1971, Charles Willeford, The Burnt Orange Heresy, page 220:

A male given name from Spanish from the Spanish form of James.

A few minutes later, Jaime stood and rubbed her shoulders. "You okay?" I asked. She made a noncommittal noise […]

2004, Kelley Armstrong, Industrial Magic, page 134:

A unisex given name.
A female given name, variant of Jamie.

A unisex given name.
Alternative form of Jamie


Elliot

en-proper noun

Elliot (countable and uncountable, plural Elliots)

Elliots (plural)
Elliott (alternative)
Eliott (alternative)
Eliot (alternative)

(countable) A male given name from Hebrew, a variant of Elliott.


Gregor

A male given name from Ancient Greek, a Scottish form of Gregory.


Garry

A male given name transferred from the surname, a mostly British variant of Gary.


duplicando

(Scots law) Alternative form of duplicand


High Street

From Middle English Highestrete. More at high street.

This is a result of a switch from High Street to online retailing, requiring consumer goods to be delivered to the door from large-scale distribution parks that have sufficient traffic to justify a rail terminal.

2024 January 10, 'Industry Insider', “Success built on liberalisation and market freedom”, in RAIL, number 1000, page 69:

(British) Alternative letter-case form of high street


Becca

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


sub-Saharan

Sub-Saharan (alternative)
Subsaharan (alternative)
subsaharan (alternative)

Coordinate term: super-Saharan

Of or pertaining to that part of Africa which lies south of the Sahara Desert.

անդրսահարյան

pertaining to that part of Africa south of the Sahara


Amaya

Heroine of a Spanish historical novel Amaya o los vascos del siglo VIII (1877) by F. Navarro Villoslada, explained as Basque amai (“the end”).

A female given name from Spanish borrowed from Spanish in the 1990s.


Catriona

A female given name from Scottish Gaelic, a Scottish form of Catherine.


Cierra

A female given name from Irish of modern American usage, variant of Ciara or Sierra.


Darcy

Originally from Bois-d'Arcy, Yvelines in Northern France. Related to archaic French ardre (“to burn, consume”).

A female given name transferred from the surname, of mostly mid-20th century and later American usage.


Davina

(mostly Britain) A female given name from Hebrew, a feminine form of David.


Deanna

A female given name from Latin, a twentieth century variant of Diana, sometimes also seen as a feminine form of Dean.


Desiree

A female given name from French, anglicized from French Désirée.


Desirée

A female given name from French, variant of Désirée.


Eloise

From French Éloïse, from the Medieval Latin and French forms that gave rise to its doublet Heloise.

Alternative form of Heloise, A female given name from French.


Eloïse

Alternative spelling of Eloise, A female given name from French.


Quechuan

/ˈkɛt͡ʃəwən/

Quechua, the language spoken by the Quechua people.


Ernestine

A female given name from French [in turn from the Germanic languages], masculine equivalent Ernest.


Eveline

A female given name from the Germanic languages, variant of Evelyn.


Evie

A diminutive of the female given names Eva, Eve, Evelyn, or Evangeline.


Felicia

From Middle English Felicia, from Latin Fēlīcia, from fēlīcia (literally “happy things”), the neuter plural of fēlīx, which often occurred in the phrase tempora fēlīcia (“happy times”).

A female given name from Latin, masculine equivalent Felix.


Elena

From Italian and Spanish Elena, cognate to English Helen.

A female given name from Italian, Spanish, or Ancient Greek.


Gabriela

A female given name from Hebrew, a latinate feminine form of Gabriel.


Gabriella

/ˌɡæbɹiˈɛlə/

A female given name from Hebrew from the Italian feminine form of Gabriel.


Gianna

Borrowed from Italian Gianna and Greek Γιάννα (Giánna). Doublet of Jane.

A female given name from Italian or Greek.


Gracie

A diminutive of the female given name Grace.


Haylee

A female given name transferred from the surname, variant of Hayley.


Isobel

A female given name from Hebrew, variant of Isabel.


Iva

A female given name of Slavic origin, recorded in the United States since 1900.


Jillian

A female given name from Latin, variant of Gillian.


Juliana

A female given name from Latin, Latin feminine form of Julianus, derivative of Julius.


Jaclyn

A female given name from French, one of the 20th-century spelling variants of Jacqueline.


Jada

A female given name, a 2000s variant of Jade.

(biblical) A male given name, David's second cousin five times removed according to 1 Chronicles 2.


Jada

A local government area of Adamawa State, Nigeria.


Jodie

Alternative form of Jody in its female senses.


Julissa

John said Julissa used scissors to cut the tape he had placed around an electrical socket to protect the children. He thought she was trying to give the scissors to John Stephan to cause him to electrocute himself.

2016, Laura Tillman, The Long Shadow of Small Ghosts: Murder and Memory in an American City:

A female given name from Spanish recently borrowed from Spanish.


Jordyn

A female given name from Hebrew, of modern usage, variant of Jordan.

A male given name from Hebrew, a rare modern spelling variant of Jordan.


Janis

Variant of Janice, q.v.
Doublet of Ivana, Jana, Janice, Jean, Jeanne, Jen, Joan, Joanna, Joanne, Johanna, Juana, Shavonne, Sian, Siobhan, Shane, Shaun, Shauna, and Sheena.


Lemnian

An extinct language, related to Etruscan, that was spoken in the Aegean and is attested in a stele found on Lemnos.


Glenys

A twentieth century coinage from Welsh glân (“clean, holy”) + -ys.


Glynis

A female given name from Welsh, variant of Glenys.


Hermione

From the Ancient Greek Ἑρμῐόνη (Hermĭónē). Not related to German Hermine.

Hermione, queen to the worthy Leontes, King of Sicilia, thou art here accused and arraigned of high treason

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

“Are you sure that’s a real spell?” said the girl. “Well, it’s not very good, is it? I’ve tried a few simple spells just for practise and it’s all worked for me… I’m Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?”

1997, J. K. Rowling, “The Journey from Platform Nine and Three-Quarters”, in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Bloomsbury Publishing, →ISBN, pages 105–106:


Hollie

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


Imogen

First used by William Shakespeare in Cymbeline, a misprint for Innogen, from Gaelic inghean (“girl, maiden”)

Ile write to my lord ſhe's dead: O Imogen! / Safe mayſt thou wander, ſafe returne agen.

1611 April (first recorded performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Cymbeline”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene v], page 385, column 1:

She would have to change her own name as well, she'd never liked Tracy. Imogen or Isabel, something feminine and romantic. She supposed she didn't look like an Imogen. Imogens were middle-class Home Counties girls with long blonde hair and vaguely Bohemian mothers.

2010, Kate Atkinson, Started Early, Took My Dog, Doubleday, →ISBN, pages 83–84:

(chiefly British) A female given name from the Celtic languages.


Janine

From French Janine and Jeannine under influence from Jane, from Jeanne + -ine, q.v.
Doublet of Ivanka, Jan, Janelle, Janet, Janey, Jeanette, Jeanie, Jeannette, Jeannine, Jen, Jenna, Jenny, Jessie, Jo, Jody, Juanita, Shanae, Sinead, and Vanna.


Kaylee

Coined toward the end of the 20th century
* A combination of Kay + Lee.
* A variant of the surname Cayley or Keeley.

Kailey (alternative)
Kayleigh (alternative)
Kaylie (alternative)

A female given name transferred from the surname.


Kailey

A female given name transferred from the surname, variant of Kaylee.


Keeley

Keeleys (plural)
Kealey (alternative)
Kealy (alternative)
Keely (alternative)

Reduced Anglicized from Irish Ó Caollaidhe (“descendant of Caollaidhe”), a personal name based on the adjective caol (“slender, graceful”).

der

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


Karin

From Swedish Karin or Danish Karin, a medieval form of Katarina, ultimately from Ancient Greek Αἰκατερῑ́νη (Aikaterī́nē). See also Karen.

A female given name from Danish [in turn from Ancient Greek Αἰκατερῑ́νη (Aikaterī́nē)], variant of Karen.

Karin

female given name from a Swedish form of Catherine


Kelli

A female given name transferred from the surname, variant of Kelly.


Kerri

A female given name transferred from the surname, variant of Kerry.


Keira

A modern feminine form of Kieran, from Irish ciar (“black, dark, little dark one”).

Ciara (alternative)
Kiara (alternative)
Kiera (alternative)
Keara (alternative)
Keaira (alternative)


Kyra

Name of a Greek Orthodox saint, from Byzantine Greek κυρά (kurá, “lady”), or from Cyra, feminine form of Cyrus. The English name may also be a variant of Keira.


Kirsty

A female given name, Scottish diminutive of Christine.


Kyla

Modern invention that can be explained as a feminine form of Kyle.

A female given name originating as a coinage.


Krystal

But when Krystal McConnell and Ashley Flynn were named deep in the heart of the '80s the thing was cuteness, feminine delicacy raised to an aesthetic paradigm. --- Krystal : light refracted through the grooves and crests of fancy cut glass, a fragility tempered with the Eastern European heartiness of an imported K.

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

A female given name from English, a re-spelling of Crystal.


Lacey

Lacy (alternative)
Laci (alternative)
Lacie (alternative)

"Where'd you get a prissy name like Lacey from, anyway?"
"I don't know," Cash tells Alice, keeping his hands on the wheel and his eye trained ahead. "It was Alma thought of it. I think she liked the TV show with the lady cops. Lacey and somebody."

1993, Barbara Kingsolver, Pigs in Heaven, →ISBN, page 322:

A unisex given name transferred from the surname.

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

Lacey Thrush died last night. Isn't that a name? Her mother was a Lacey. They were an old family here, but she was the last of the Laceys, and the Thrushes went on to California.

2009, Marilynne Robinson, Gilead: Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, Hachette UK, →ISBN:

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

A township in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States.


Latoya

Possibly La- + Toya (“a Spanish pet form of Victoria”).

prefix

A female given name originating as a coinage, of latter 20th-century African-American usage.


Laverne

19th-century invention, possibly from the Californian town La Verne, named in the belief that it means "the green" in French. Laverne is a genuine French surname, from Gaulish la verne "the alder (tree place)" but - as in the case of Leroy - there is no apparent reason to turn it into an American given name.

(chiefly US) A female given name transferred from the surname.


Laverna

(chiefly US) A female given name from Latin, probably a latinized version of the earlier and much more popular Laverne.


Leila

Leilas (plural)
Leyla (alternative)
Leilah (alternative)
Leylah (alternative)
Laila (alternative)
Layla (alternative)
Lailah (alternative)
Laylah (alternative)
Lela (alternative)
Lelah (alternative)

From Arabic لَيْلَى (laylā). Taken into English usage through nineteenth-century literature.

Oh! who young Leila’s glance could read / And keep that portion of his creed / Which saith, that woman is but dust, / A soulless toy for tyrant's lust?

1813, Lord Byron, The Giaour, a Fragment of a Turkish Tale, London: […] T[homas] Davison, […], for John Murray, […], →OCLC, page 12:

"Leila!" she said enigmatically. "Have you seen her?" / "I went to her flat last week with Dad—he likes her." / "Delilah is her real name, you know. All men like her. And Captain Fort is her lover."

1919 October, John Galsworthy, chapter I, in Saint’s Progress, London: William Heinemann, published December 1919, →OCLC, part III, 1 §, page 220:


Laila

Variant of Leila and Layla, from Arabic لَيْلَى (laylā), related to لَيْلَة (layla, “night”).

“Laila it is,” Fariba said, smiling tiredly. “Night Beauty. It’s perfect.”

2007, Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns, BLOOMSBURY PUBLISHING (2018), page 101:

A female given name from Arabic, variant of Leila.


Layla

The blonde squinted at the screen. "I never heard the name Caelum before," she said. "Is it from the Bible?"
"I shook my head. "Old family name."
"Well, at least you weren't named after some stupid song on the radio."
I squinted to read her name tag: Layla.

2008, Wally Lamb, The Hour I First Believed, Ch.3, at p.63


Lela

A female given name from Georgian ლელა (lela).

A female given name from Arabic, possibly a variant of Leila.


Lilly

A diminutive of the female given names Lillian or Lilian, from Latin.

A diminutive of the female given names Elizabeth or Elisabeth, from Ancient Greek.

A surname transferred from the given name, based on the given name

A surname transferred from the place name, variant of Lilley, from the English place name Lilley.


Lizbeth

A female given name from Hebrew, variant of Elizabeth.


Lucile

A female given name from Latin, variant of Lucille.


Lorna

Coined by English novelist R. D. Blackmore in 1869. Invented by R. D. Blackmore for his novel Lorna Doone, possibly from the Scottish place name Lorn(e) in Argyll.

coin

"Lorna Doone," she answered in a low voice as if afraid of it, and hanging her head, so that I could see only her forehead and eyelashes; "if you please, my name is Lorna Doone; and I thought you must have known it."

1869, Richard Doddridge Blackmore, chapter 8, in Lorna Doone:

A female given name from Scottish Gaelic of mostly Scottish usage.


Lucinda

Derived from Lucia with the suffix -inda, first used by Cervantes in Don Quixote (1605).


Louella

A nineteenth century coinage from Lou + the diminutive suffix -ella.

A female given name originating as a coinage.


Luella

There was only one person in the village who had actually known Luella Miller. That person was a woman well over eighty, but a marvel of vitality and unextinct youth.

1902, Mary E. Wilkins Freeman, Luella Miller:

A female given name originating as a coinage, variant of Louella.


Maisie

A Scottish diminutive of the female given name Margaret.


Marjory

If Barbara Gordon was like a name from a Scottish ballad, Marjory Taylor was the kind of name he heard on the radio sometimes, in English pop songs. Jennifer Eccles. Angela Jones. Marjory Taylor.

2010, James Robertson, And the Land Lay Still, Hamish Hamilton, →ISBN, page 444:

A female given name from Ancient Greek, variant of Margery.


Mavis

Coined at the end of the 19th century from mavis, a poetical name for the song thrush.

"Rather an odd name, Mavis, isn't it?" I at last ventured to observe. "Yes, - but it suits her wonderfully. She sings quite as sweetly as any thrush, so she merits her designation."

1895, Marie Corelli, chapter IX, in The Sorrows of Satan:


Mariana

Latinized form of Marian, ultimately from Mary or Mary + Ann. It is also the feminine form of Latin Mariānus, derivative of Marius, but these rather rare Roman names have been completely intertwined with Maria in the Christian era.


Margie

A pet form of the female given name Margaret.


Maryann

Mary Ann (alternative)
Mary Anne (alternative)


Davey

Worse, if your name is Dave, the only possible nickname is "Davey", which makes you sound like you should be wearing a coonskin cap.

1994, Caroline Knapp, The Merry Recluse: A Life in Essays, Counterpoint Press, published 2004, →ISBN, page 170:

A diminutive of the male given name David.


Cymric

From Welsh Cymru (“Wales”) + -ic (adjective-forming suffix). Doublet of Cumbric and cognate with English Cambrian and Cymry.

(rare) Synonym of Welsh, the language of the Welsh people.


Cymric

Manx cat

the original, short-haired version of the breed

A breed of domestic cat, developed in Canada, principally characterized by suppression of the tail and by a semi-long-haired coat, with a medium-sized, rounded, cobby body; it is the longhair version of the Manx cat.

(rare) Synonym of Walian: a Welsh person, a Welshman or Welshwoman.


Cymric

Synonym of Welsh: of or related to Wales, the Welsh people, or the Welsh language.


Panyjima

Bandjima (alternative)
Banjima (alternative)
Banyjima (alternative)
Paanjima (alternative)
Pandjima (alternative)
Panjima (alternative)
Panjtjima (alternative)
Panytyima (alternative)

A Pama-Nyungan Australian Aboriginal suffixing language spoken in the Hamersley Range in the Pilbara region of Western Australia; closely related to Yindjibarndi.


Pavel

Telegram founder Pavel Durov finally broke his silence since his high-profile arrest in France in August.

2024 September 5, Vince Quill, “Pavel Durov breaks silence for first time since arrest”, in Cointelegraph:

Па́вел Павел#Russian

A transliteration of the Russian male given name Па́вел (Pável).


Rus

en-proper noun

Rus (countable and uncountable, plural Rus)

Rus (plural)
Rus' (alternative)
Rūs (alternative)

Earlier form Russ from German Russe etc., from Old East Slavic Русь (Rusĭ). More recent use influenced by Russian Русь (Rusʹ), from Old East Slavic Русь (Rusĭ). Use with macron was probably influenced by the transliteration of Arabic رُوس (rūs).
Compare Russ, Russian, Russie, Russniak, Rusyn, Ruthenian.
Also compare Swedish Ryss, Dutch Rus, German Russe, French Russe, Byzantine Greek Ῥῶς (Rhôs), Russian Русь (Rusʹ), Belarusian Русь (Rusʹ), Ukrainian Русь (Rusʹ). Also compare Russian ру́сский (rússkij, “Ethnic Russian, of Rus”), россия́нин (rossijánin, “Russian national”), Росси́я (Rossíja, “Russia”).
See further Etymology of Rus and derivatives.

Ռուսիա

any of the medieval East Slavic principalities

Kievan Rus', the medieval East Slavic state established by these same warrior merchants in the 9th century, whose capital was in Kiev.


Madelyn

A female given name from French, variant of Madeline.


Maddison

en-proper noun

Maddison (countable and uncountable, plural Maddisons)

From Madde (a medieval diminutive of Maud and Magdalene) + -son.

A female given name transferred from the surname, of mostly British usage, variant of Madison.

A male given name transferred from the surname, less common than the female name today.


McKenzie

A female given name transferred from the surname, variant of MacKenzie.


Mariah

A female given name from Hebrew, variant of Maria used since the nineteenth century. Popularized by singer Mariah Carey in the 1990s


Marisa

A female given name from Spanish, variant of Marissa.


Macy

Norman baronial surname from places named Massy in France, derived from a Gallo-Roman personal name Maccius.

A female given name transferred from the surname.


Makenzie

A female given name transferred from the surname, of 1990s and later usage, variant of MacKenzie.


McKenna

From the Irish and Scottish Gaelic surname, variant of McKinney.

M'Kenna (alternative)
MacKenna (alternative)
Mc Kenna (alternative)
Mac Kenna (alternative)
MaKenna (alternative)
Ma Kenna (alternative)
Makenna (alternative)
Mckenna (alternative)
Mackenna (alternative)
Mckenna (alternative)
Makenna (alternative)

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


Makenna

A variant of McKenna invented in the 1980s.


Maxine

From Max + -ine. An English feminine form of Max coined at the end of the nineteenth century.

Her real name suggested a second runner-up for a Junior Miss pageant, or maybe a budding actress whose real name is Wanda Maxine Smith.

1986, Sue Grafton, C is for Corpse, St. Martin's Press, published 2005, →ISBN, page 153:


Mayme

A 19th-century alternative spelling of Mamie, diminutive of the female given name Mary.


Mya

A modern phonetic spelling of Maia or Maya.


Millicent

From the Old French Melisende, from Old High German Amalasuntha, Amalaswintha, from the Proto-Germanic roots *amalą (“hard work”) + *swinþaz (“strong”).

A female given name from the Germanic languages used since the Middle Ages.


Misty

From the adjective misty, but sometimes also (like Missy) used as a nickname for Melissa.

A female given name from English, reasonably popular in the 1970s and the 1980s.


Myra

First used by the poet Fulke Greville, possibly as an anagram of Mary.

My Saint is dear to me, / Myra herself is she, / She fair and true. / Myra that knows to move / Passions of love with love: / Fortune, Adieu.

1633, Fulke Greville, Cælica, Sonnet XXVIII:

A female given name originating as a coinage.


Muriel

/ˈmjʊəɹɪ.əl/

Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Muireall, from muir (“sea”), from Old Irish muir, from Proto-Celtic *mori, from Proto-Indo-European *móri; + geal (“white, bright”), from Old Irish gel, from Proto-Celtic *gelos, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰelh₂- (“to shine”).

der

Merrell (alternative)
Merril (alternative)
Merrill (alternative)
Murrell (alternative)
Murrill (alternative)

She was named Muriel — after the rather peculiar name of John's mother. Her own mother would have it so; only wishing out of her full heart, happy one! that there should be a slight alteration made in the second name. Therefore the baby was called Muriel Joy — Muriel Joy Halifax.

1857, Dinah Craik, chapter XXI, in John Halifax, Gentleman:

Funny sort of name. Who would think of calling a little newborn baby Muriel?

1985, Anne Tyler, The Accidental Tourist, →ISBN, page 198:

A female given name from Scottish Gaelic of mostly British usage.


Monique

A female given name from French equivalent to Monica.


Natalia

Latin natale (“birthday (of the Lord)”), referring to birth on Christmas Day, name of an early martyr.

A female given name from Latin, today more common in the French style form Natalie.


Nadine

A female given name from French, a French diminutive form of Nadia.


Nadia

Originally the French spelling of На́дя (Nádja), an informal Russian pet form of the virtue name Наде́жда (Nadéžda, “Nadezhda, Nadyezhda”, literally “Hope”), from наде́жда (nadéžda, “hope”), entered as a translation of the Ancient Greek word from ἐλπίς (elpís, “hope”) with the same meaning. See also Ἐλπίς (Elpís, “Elpis”).

A female given name from Russian used since the twentieth century.


Nichola

A female given name from Ancient Greek, variant of Nicola.


Nikita

From the Russian Ники́та (Nikíta), a male given name, from Ancient Greek Νικήτας (Nikḗtas, “conqueror”) also a male given name (and name of various saints). The Greek word derives from νῑ́κη (nī́kē, “victory”). Made known in the West by Nikita Khrushchev, Soviet Union leader in 1953–1964. It was reanalyzed as a form of Nicholas and taken up as a girls' name first in French and then in English.

Ники́та Никита#Russian

A male given name from Russian, from Russian Ники́та (Nikíta).

Ники́та Никита#Russian

A transliteration of the Russian male given name Ники́та (Nikíta).

Нікі́та Нікіта#Ukrainian

A transliteration of the Ukrainian male given name Нікі́та (Nikíta)


Ollie

From Germanic, from Latin olivarius (“olive tree”) (from oliva (“olive”)), and from Welsh.

A diminutive of the male given name Oliver, from French [in turn from Latin, in turn from Germanic].

A diminutive of the female given names Olivia or Olive, from Latin [in turn from Etruscan, in turn from Greek].

A diminutive of the female given name Olwen, from Welsh.

To my surprise and pleasure, it was Olwen that Esme chose to use when speaking of, and to, the baby - though she showed an unhappy tendency to shorten it to Ollie, in spite of my protests that this brought to mind not a stately princess, but the fat man in the Laurel and Hardy comedy series.

1994, Robertson Davies, The Cunning Man, Viking, published 1995, →ISBN, page 429:

A unisex given name.
A female given name.


Patti

A mid-20th-century spelling of Patty, a diminutive of the female given name Patricia.


Rylee

A female given name transferred from the surname, of modern usage, variant of Riley.

A male given name transferred from the surname, also a modern spelling of Riley.


Rosalie

French form of the Latin saints' name Rosalia, derived from rosa (“rose”).

"I'm crazy about things that sound French - I guess you can tell from we naming my daughter Rosalie," she said.

1995, Anne Tyler, Ladder of Years, Knopf, →ISBN:


Deepak

Borrowed from Hindi दीपक (dīpak), meaning a part of a flame, or someone who enlightens everyone's heart with hope.

A male given name from Hindi used in India.


Leanne

A female given name originating as a coinage, variant of Lee Ann.


Payton

Habitational surname from a minor place in Sussex, from the Old English personal name Pǣga + tūn (“enclosure; settlement, town”).

A habitational surname from Old English.

A male given name transferred from the surname.

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


Peyton

A male given name transferred from the surname.

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

(uncountable) A placename, from the surname:

A census-designated place in El Paso County, Colorado, United States.

An unincorporated community in Douglas County, Wisconsin, United States.


Rhoda

From Ancient Greek Ῥόδη (Rhódē, “woman from Rhodes”) or ῥόδον (rhódon, “rose”).

And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda. And when she knew Peter's voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Acts 12:13-14:

'One little girl. Her name is Rhoda.'
'What? Roader?' The others all looked suspicious of a name nobody had ever heard.
'It's in the Bible,' he said.

1970, Patrick White, The Vivisector, Viking Press, page 13:


Roisin

A female given name from Irish, anglicized form of Róisín, an Irish diminutive of Rose.


Rosalind

From Proto-Germanic *hrussą (“horse”) and *linþaz (“soft; weak, tender”), associated by medieval folk etymology with Latin rosa linda "lovely rose".

Jaques. Rosalind is your love's name?
Orlando. Yes, just.
Jaques. I do not like her name.
Orlando. There was no thought of pleasing you when she was christened.

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

A female given name from the Germanic languages.


Rosamond

"I am quite aware," she added, "that we shall be in a certain sense gambling with a conscipious, individualizing name, for she may grow up commonplace-looking or a fright; but we must take some chances in life, mustn't we, Fred?"
"Either Rosamond, Eleanor, or Guendolen is appropriate for a beauty," said I, with non-committal subserviency,

1892, Robert Grant, The Reflections of a Married Man, Scribner, page 101:

A female given name from the Germanic languages, variant of Rosamund.


Rosina

An Italian pet form of Rosa borrowed in the nineteenth century, particularly from the character in Rossini's opera The Barber of Seville (1816).


Sabrina

A female given name from the Celtic languages, in regular but quiet use after the release of the film Sabrina (1954).


Scarlett

'There now, Scarlett! You admit it is true. What would you be doing with a husband like Ashley? 'Tis moonstruck they all are, all the Wilkes.'

1936 June 30, Margaret Mitchell, chapter III, in Gone with the Wind, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company, →OCLC; republished New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company, 1944, →OCLC:

A female given name transferred from the surname, of general post-1936 usage.


Selena

Either a variant of Selina, from Latin Caelīna (“heavenly”, from caelum (“sky, heaven”)), or from Selene, the Ancient Greek goddess of the moon.

from <i class="Latn mention" lang="la">caelum</i> (“sky, heaven”)

I promised Selena — her full name I ascertained in due course was Selena Judith Hephzibah — that I would. I would have promised her anything.

1893, William Wallace, After the Revolution: And Other Holiday Fantasies, W. Hodge, →ISBN, page 163:

I have a younger sister, Jessica, who insists that everyone call her Selena because she feels the pain of the murdered Latin American rock star, and who just dropped out of school for the second time.

2004, D. L. Lepidus, The Best Men's Stage Monologues of 2003, Smith and Kraus, →ISBN, page 27:


Shauna

From Shaun + -a, variant of Irish Seán, from Old French Jehan, from Latin Johannes, variant of Ioannes, from Koine Greek Ἰωάννης (Iōánnēs), from Hebrew יוֹחָנָן (Yōḥānān, literally “God is gracious”). Doublet of Ivana, Jana, Jane, Janice, Janis, Jean, Jeanne, Jen, Joan, Joanna, Joanne, Johanna, Juana, Shavonne, Sian, Siobhan, Shane, Shaun, and Sheena.

doublet

Shawna (alternative)
Seana (alternative)
Shaunae (alternative)

A female given name from Irish, a modern feminine of Shaun (“Sean”).


Sheena

Anglicization of Scottish Gaelic Sìne and Síne, ultimately from Latin Joanna, from Koine Greek Ἰωάννα (Iōánna), from Hebrew יוֹחָנָה (Yôḥānāh, literally “God is gracious”), the feminized form of יְהוֹחָנָן (Yəhōḥānān) which produced John and its many doublets.
Doublet of Ivana, Jana, Jane, Janice, Janis, Jean, Jeanne, Jen, Joan, Joanna, Joanne, Johanna, Juana, Shavonne, Sian, Siobhan, Shane, Shaun, and Shauna.

doublet

I imagined her tall, horsy and thirty-something with a name like Sheena. There had been a time when I had regarded Sheenas as the backbone of England.

1995, John le Carré, Our Game, Knopf, published 1995, →ISBN, page 30:

A female given name from Scottish Gaelic.


Shelly

A surname from Old English, variant of Shelley.

A male given name transferred from the surname, of mostly pre-1930 usage.

A female given name transferred from the surname, of 1930s and later usage, variant of Shelley.


Shari

A diminutive of the female given name Sharon, variant of Sherry.


Sheryl

A female given name originating as a coinage, variant of Cheryl or Shirley.


Skye

Derived from Scottish Gaelic An t-Eilean Sgitheanach, of long disputed (probably non-Indo-European substrate) origin, with several theories proposed and none widely accepted; see Etymology of Skye.

A female given name transferred from the place name, of modern usage, or a fanciful spelling of the word sky.


Schuyler

Dutch surname "scholar, student", from German Schüler; brought to America by seventeenth-century Dutch immigrants.

Skylar (alternative)
Skyler (alternative)

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

A city, the county seat of Colfax County, Nebraska, United States.


Skylar

Phonetic spelling of Schuyler used since the 1980s.

A unisex given name transferred from the surname.


Skyler

Phonetic spelling of Schuyler, used since the 1980s.

It is a catchy name isn't it? Skyler: sky. A name specifically chosen by my father, who'd expected great things from me, his firstborn child, and male. A name, my father Bix Rampike believed, to set its bearer apart from the merely commonplace.

2008, Joyce Carol Oates, My Sister, My Love, HarperCollins, →ISBN, page 4:

A male given name transferred from the surname.

A female given name transferred from the surname.


Stacie

A unisex given name from Ancient Greek, variant of Stacey.


Susannah

And trust me, Susy, added the corporal, turning to Susannah, whose eyes were swimming with water, before that time comes round again, a bright eye will be dim.

1765, Laurence Sterne, chapter VIII, in Tristram Shandy:

Had she changed the baby's name? They had decided to call her Susannah for no very clear reason; they had both liked it, and it seemed to fit the crumpled little face.

1985, Margaret Yorke, Intimate Kill, page 54:

A female given name from Hebrew, variant of Susanna.