All Items

Malandra

Usage

English (Rare)

Gender

Feminine

Invented name using the popular name suffix andra, from names such as Sandra or Alexandra.

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Peregrine

Usage

English (Rare)

Gender

Masculine

Pronounced

/ˈpɛɹ.ə.ɡɹɪn/ ()

From the Late Latin name Peregrinus, which meant "traveller". This was the name of several early saints.

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Aubrianna

Usage

English (Modern)

Gender

Feminine

Pronounced

/ɔ.bɹi.ˈæn.ə/ ()/ɔ.bɹi.ˈɑːn.ə/ ()

Combination of Aubrey and Anna.

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Raeburn

Usage

English (Rare)

Gender

Masculine

Pronounced

/ˈɹeɪ.bəɹn/ (American English)/ˈɹeɪ.bən/ (British English)

From a Scottish surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "stream where deer drink" (from Scots rae "roe deer" and burn "stream"). A famous bearer of the surname was Scottish portrait painter Henry Raeburn (1756-1823).

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Willow

Usage

English (Modern)

Gender

Feminine

Pronounced

/ˈwɪl.oʊ/ ()

From the name of the tree, which is ultimately derived from Old English welig.

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Favour

Usage

English (African)

Gender

MasculineFeminine

Pronounced

/ˈfeɪ.vəɹ/ ()

From the English word favour, ultimately from Latin faveo "to favour". This name is most common in Nigeria and other parts of Africa.

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Cooper

Usage

English

Gender

Masculine

Pronounced

/ˈkup.əɹ/ (American English)/ˈkuːp.ə/ (British English)

From a surname meaning "barrel maker", from Middle English couper.

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Tiger

Usage

English (Rare)

Gender

Masculine

Pronounced

/ˈtaɪ.ɡəɹ/ (American English)/ˈtaɪ.ɡə/ (British English)

From the name of the large striped cat, derived (via Old French and Latin) from Greek τίγρις (tigris), ultimately of Iranian origin. A famous bearer is American golfer Tiger Woods (1975-).

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Wiley

Usage

English

Gender

Masculine

Pronounced

/ˈwaɪ.li/ ()

From a surname that was derived from various English place names: towns named Willey or the River Wylye.

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Lawson

Usage

English

Gender

Masculine

Pronounced

/ˈlɔ.sən/ ()

From an English surname meaning "son of Laurence 1".

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Permelia

Usage

English (Archaic)

Gender

Feminine

Meaning unknown, possibly an early American alteration of Pamela.

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Kip

Usage

English

Gender

Masculine

Pronounced

/ˈkɪp/ ()

From a nickname, probably from the English word kipper meaning "male salmon".

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Sable

Usage

English (Modern)

Gender

Feminine

Pronounced

/ˈseɪ.bəl/ ()

From the English word meaning "black", derived from the name of the black-furred mammal native to northern Asia, ultimately of Slavic origin.

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Candida

Usage

Late RomanEnglish

Gender

Feminine

Pronounced

/ˈkæn.dɪ.də/ (English)

Late Latin name derived from candidus meaning "white". This was the name of several early saints, including a woman supposedly healed by Saint Peter. As an English name, it came into use after George Bernard Shaw's play Candida (1898).

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Oneida

Usage

English

Gender

Feminine

Pronounced

/oʊ.ˈnaɪ.də/ ()

From the name of a Native American tribe, perhaps meaning "standing rock".

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Jaylee

Usage

English (Modern)

Gender

Feminine

Pronounced

/ˈd͡ʒeɪ.li/ ()

An invented name, using the popular phonetic elements jay and lee, and sharing a sound with other popular names such as Kaylee and Bailey.

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Prosper

Usage

FrenchEnglish

Gender

Masculine

Pronounced

/pʁɔs.pɛʁ/ (French)/ˈpɹɑs.pəɹ/ (American English)/ˈpɹɒs.pə/ (British English)

From the Latin name Prosperus, which meant "fortunate, successful". This was the name of a 5th-century saint, a supporter of Saint Augustine. It has never been common as an English name, though the Puritans used it, partly because it is identical to the English word prosper.

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Denton

Usage

English

Gender

Masculine

Pronounced

/ˈdɛn.tən/ ()

From a surname, originally from a place name, which meant "valley town" in Old English.

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Emerald

Usage

English (Modern)

Gender

Feminine

Pronounced

/ˈɛm.ə.ɹəld/ ()

From the word for the green precious stone, which is the traditional birthstone of May. The emerald supposedly imparts love to the bearer. The word is ultimately from Greek σμάραγδος (smaragdos).

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Mercy

Usage

English

Gender

Feminine

Pronounced

/ˈmɜɹ.si/ (American English)/ˈmɜː.si/ (British English)

From the English word mercy, ultimately from Latin merces "wages, reward", a derivative of merx "goods, wares". This was one of the virtue names adopted by the Puritans in the 17th century. It is currently most common in English-speaking Africa.

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Sawyer

Usage

English (Modern)

Gender

MasculineFeminine

Pronounced

/ˈsɔɪ.əɹ/ (American English)/ˈsɔɪ.ə/ (British English)

From an English surname meaning "sawer of wood". Mark Twain used it for the hero in his novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876).

Very rare as an American given name before 1980, it increased in popularity in the 1980s and 90s. It got a boost in 2004 after the debut of the television series Lost, which featured a character by this name.

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Odin

Usage

Norse MythologyEnglish (Modern)

Gender

Masculine

Pronounced

/ˈoʊ.dɪn/ (English)

Anglicized form of Old Norse Óðinn, which was derived from óðr meaning "frenzied, furious, inspired". It ultimately developed from Proto-Germanic *Wōdanaz. The name appears as Woden in Anglo-Saxon sources (for example, as the founder of several royal lineages in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle) and in forms such as Wuotan, Wotan or Wodan in continental Europe, though he is best known from Norse sources.

In Norse mythology Odin is the highest of the gods, presiding over war, wisdom and death. He is the husband of Frigg and resides in Valhalla, where warriors go after they are slain. He is usually depicted as a one-eyed older man, carrying two ravens on his shoulders who inform him of all the events of the world. At the time of Ragnarök, the final battle, it is told that he will be killed fighting the great wolf Fenrir.

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Edmund

Usage

EnglishGermanPolish

Gender

Masculine

Pronounced

/ˈɛd.mənd/ (English)/ˈɛt.mʊnt/ (German)/ˈɛd.munt/ (Polish)

Means "rich protection", from the Old English elements ead "wealth, fortune" and mund "protection". This was the name of two Anglo-Saxon kings of England. It was also borne by two saints, including a 9th-century king of East Anglia who, according to tradition, was shot to death with arrows after refusing to divide his Christian kingdom with an invading pagan Danish leader. This Old English name remained in use after the Norman Conquest (even being used by King Henry III for one of his sons), though it became less common after the 15th century.

Famous bearers of the name include the English poet Edmund Spenser (1552-1599), the German-Czech philosopher Edmund Husserl (1859-1938) and New Zealand mountaineer Edmund Hillary (1919-2008), the first person to climb Mount Everest.

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Benjamin

Usage

EnglishFrenchGermanDutchDanishSwedishNorwegianFinnishSloveneCroatianBiblical

Gender

Masculine

Scripts

בִּנְיָמִין (Ancient Hebrew)

Pronounced

/ˈbɛn.d͡ʒə.mɪn/ (English)/bɛ̃.ʒa.mɛ̃/ (French)/ˈbɛn.ja.miːn/ (German)/ˈbɛn.jaː.ˌmɪn/ (Dutch)

From the Hebrew name בִּנְיָמִין (Binyamin) meaning "son of the south" or "son of the right hand", from the roots בֵּן (ben) meaning "son" and יָמִין (yamin) meaning "right hand, south". Benjamin in the Old Testament was the twelfth and youngest son of Jacob and the founder of one of the southern tribes of the Hebrews. He was originally named בֶּן־אוֹנִי (Ben-ʾoni) meaning "son of my sorrow" by his mother Rachel, who died shortly after childbirth, but it was later changed by his father (see Genesis 35:18).

As an English name, Benjamin came into general use after the Protestant Reformation. A famous bearer was Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790), an American statesman, inventor, scientist and philosopher.

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Ford

Usage

English

Gender

Masculine

Pronounced

/ˈfɔɹd/ (American English)/ˈfɔːd/ (British English)

From an English surname that was derived from a place name meaning "ford" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was the American industrialist Henry Ford (1863-1947).

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Amber

Usage

EnglishDutch

Gender

Feminine

Pronounced

/ˈæm.bəɹ/ (American English)/ˈæm.bə/ (British English)/ˈɑm.bər/ (Dutch)

From the English word amber that denotes either the gemstone, which is formed from fossil resin, or the orange-yellow colour. The word ultimately derives from Arabic عنبر (ʿanbar) meaning "ambergris". It began to be used as a given name in the late 19th century, but it only became popular after the release of Kathleen Winsor's novel Forever Amber (1944).

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Leopold

Usage

GermanDutchEnglishCzechSlovakSlovenePolish

Gender

Masculine

Pronounced

/ˈleː.o.pɔlt/ (German)/ˈleː.oː.pɔlt/ (Dutch)/ˈli.ə.ˌpoʊld/ (English)/ˈlɛ.o.polt/ (Czech)/ˈlɛ.ɔ.pɔld/ (Slovak)/lɛ.ˈɔ.pɔlt/ (Polish)

Derived from the Old German elements liut "people" and bald "bold, brave". The spelling was altered due to association with Latin leo "lion". This name was common among German royalty, first with the Babenbergs and then the Habsburgs. Saint Leopold was a 12th-century Babenberg margrave of Austria, who is now considered the patron of that country. It was also borne by two Habsburg Holy Roman emperors, as well as three kings of Belgium. Since the 19th century this name has been occasionally used in England, originally in honour of Queen Victoria's uncle, a king of Belgium, after whom she named one of her sons. It was later used by James Joyce for the main character, Leopold Bloom, in his novel Ulysses (1922).

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Cherokee

Usage

English (Rare)

Gender

FeminineMasculine

Pronounced

/ˈt͡ʃɛɹ.ə.kiː/ ()

Probably derived from the Creek word tciloki meaning "people of a different speech". This is the name of a Native American people who live in the east of North America.

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Glory

Usage

English (Rare)

Gender

Feminine

Pronounced

/ˈɡlɔɹ.i/ ()

Simply from the English word glory, ultimately from Latin gloria.

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Raylene

Usage

English (Rare)

Gender

Feminine

Pronounced

/ɹeɪ.ˈlin/ ()

Combination of Rae and the popular name suffix lene.

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Seymour

Usage

English

Gender

Masculine

Pronounced

/ˈsi.mɔɹ/ (American English)/ˈsiː.mɔː/ (British English)

From a Norman surname that originally belonged to a person coming from the French town of Saint Maur (which means "Saint Maurus").

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Meriwether

Usage

English (Rare)

Gender

Masculine

Pronounced

/ˈmɛɹ.ɪ.wɛð.əɹ/ (American English)/ˈmɛɹ.ɪ.wɛð.ə/ (British English)

From a surname meaning "happy weather" in Middle English, originally belonging to a cheery person. A notable bearer of the name was Meriwether Lewis (1774-1809), who, with William Clark, explored the west of North America.

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Montague

Usage

English (Rare)

Gender

Masculine

Pronounced

/ˈmɑn.tə.ˌɡju/ (American English)/ˈmɒn.tə.ˌɡjuː/ (British English)

From an aristocratic English surname meaning "sharp mountain", from Old French mont agu. In Shakespeare's tragedy Romeo and Juliet (1596) this is the surname of Romeo and his family.

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Wendy

Usage

English

Gender

Feminine

Pronounced

/ˈwɛn.di/ ()

In the case of the character from J. M. Barrie's play Peter Pan (1904), it was created from the nickname fwendy "friend", given to the author by a young friend. However, the name was used prior to the play (rarely), in which case it could be related to the Welsh name Gwendolen and other names beginning with the element gwen meaning "white, blessed". The name only became common after Barrie's play ran.

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Lynx

Usage

English (Rare)

Gender

Masculine

Pronounced

/ˈlɪŋks/ ()

From the name of a type of wild cat (four different species in the genus Lynx). Its name is derived from Greek λύγξ (lynx), possibly related to λευκός (leukos) meaning "bright, white", because of its eyes that seem to glow in the dark.

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Fenton

Usage

English

Gender

Masculine

Pronounced

/ˈfɛn.tən/ ()

From a surname that was originally taken from a place name meaning "marsh town" in Old English.

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Emberly

Usage

English (Modern)

Gender

Feminine

Pronounced

/ˈɛm.bəɹ.li/ (American English)/ˈɛm.bə.li/ (British English)

Elaboration of Ember, influenced by the spelling of Kimberly.

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December

Usage

English (Rare)

Gender

Feminine

Pronounced

/dɪ.ˈsɛm.bəɹ/ (American English)/dɪ.ˈsɛm.bə/ (British English)

From the name of the twelfth month, originally the tenth month in the Roman calendar, derived from decem meaning "ten". It is sometimes used as a given name for someone born in December.

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Branson

Usage

English (Modern)

Gender

Masculine

Pronounced

/ˈbɹæn.sən/ ()

From an English surname that meant "son of Brandr".

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Chadwick

Usage

English

Gender

Masculine

Pronounced

/ˈt͡ʃæd.wɪk/ ()

From a surname that was derived from the name of towns in England, meaning "settlement belonging to Chad" in Old English.

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Dylan

Usage

WelshEnglishWelsh Mythology

Gender

Masculine

Pronounced

/ˈdəl.an/ (Welsh)/ˈdɪl.ən/ (English)

From the Welsh prefix dy meaning "to, toward" and llanw meaning "tide, flow". According to the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi [1], Dylan was a son of Arianrhod and the twin brother of Lleu Llaw Gyffes. Immediately after he was baptized he took to the sea, where he could swim as well as a fish. He was slain accidentally by his uncle Gofannon. According to some theories the character might be rooted in an earlier and otherwise unattested Celtic god of the sea.

Famous bearers include the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas (1914-1953) and the American musician Bob Dylan (1941-), real name Robert Zimmerman, who took his stage surname from the poet's given name. Due to those two bearers, use of the name has spread outside of Wales in the last half of the 20th century. It received a further boost in popularity in the 1990s due to a character on the television series Beverly Hills 90210.

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Bevan

Usage

English

Gender

Masculine

From a Welsh surname that was derived from ap Evan meaning "son of Evan". As a given name, it is particularly common in New Zealand and Australia.

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Charisma

Usage

English (Rare)

Gender

Feminine

Pronounced

/kə.ˈɹɪz.mə/ ()

From the English word meaning "personal magnetism", ultimately derived from Greek χάρις (charis) meaning "grace, kindness".

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Ravenna

Usage

English (Rare)

Gender

Feminine

Pronounced

/ɹə.ˈvɛn.ə/ ()

Either an elaboration of Raven, or else from the name of the city of Ravenna in Italy.

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Anselm

Usage

GermanEnglish (Rare)Germanic[1]

Gender

Masculine

Pronounced

/ˈan.zɛlm/ (German)/ˈæn.sɛlm/ (English)

Derived from the Old German elements ansi "god" and helm "helmet, protection". This name was brought to England in the late 11th century by Saint Anselm, who was born in northern Italy. He was archbishop of Canterbury and a Doctor of the Church.

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Ivah

Usage

English (Rare)

Gender

Feminine

Scripts

עִוָּה (Ancient Hebrew)

Possibly from the name of the city of Ivah in the Old Testament.

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Unique

Usage

English (Modern)

Gender

Feminine

Pronounced

/ju.ˈniːk/ ()

From the English word unique, ultimately derived from Latin unicus.

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Lefty

Usage

English

Gender

Masculine

Pronounced

/ˈlɛf.ti/ ()

From a nickname, in most cases given to a left-handed person.

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Thurstan

Usage

English (Rare)

Gender

Masculine

Pronounced

/ˈθɜɹ.stən/ (American English)/ˈθɜː.stən/ (British English)

From an English surname that was derived from the Norse name Þórsteinn (see Torsten).

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Saranna

Usage

English (Rare)

Gender

Feminine

Pronounced

/sə.ˈɹæn.ə/ ()

Combination of Sarah and Anna, in occasional use since the 18th century.

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Alger

Usage

English

Gender

Masculine

Pronounced

/ˈæl.d͡ʒəɹ/ (American English)/ˈæl.d͡ʒə/ (British English)

From a surname that was derived from the given name Algar.

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Bethel

Usage

English

Gender

Feminine

Scripts

בֵּית־אֵל (Ancient Hebrew)

Pronounced

/ˈbɛθ.əl/ ()

From an Old Testament place name meaning "house of God" in Hebrew. This was a town north of Jerusalem, where Jacob saw his vision of the stairway. It is occasionally used as a given name.

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Delroy

Usage

English (Rare)

Gender

Masculine

Pronounced

/ˈdɛl.ˌɹɔɪ/ ()

Possibly an alteration of Leroy.

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Holland

Usage

English

Gender

FeminineMasculine

Pronounced

/ˈhɑl.ənd/ (American English)/ˈhɒl.ənd/ (British English)

From the place name Holland 1 or the related surname.

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Chauncey

Usage

English

Gender

Masculine

Pronounced

/ˈt͡ʃɔn.si/ ()

From a Norman surname of unknown meaning. It was used as a given name in America in honour of Harvard president Charles Chauncey (1592-1672).

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Edgar

Usage

EnglishFrenchPortugueseGerman

Gender

Masculine

Pronounced

/ˈɛd.ɡəɹ/ (American English)/ˈɛd.ɡə/ (British English)/ɛd.ɡaʁ/ (French)

Derived from the Old English elements ead "wealth, fortune" and gar "spear". This was the name of a 10th-century English king, Edgar the Peaceful. The name did not survive long after the Norman Conquest, but it was revived in the 18th century, in part due to a character by this name in Walter Scott's novel The Bride of Lammermoor (1819), which tells of the tragic love between Edgar Ravenswood and Lucy Ashton [1]. Famous bearers include author and poet Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849), French impressionist painter Edgar Degas (1834-1917), and author Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875-1950).

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Crawford

Usage

English

Gender

Masculine

Pronounced

/ˈkɹɔ.fəɹd/ (American English)/ˈkɹɔː.fəd/ (British English)

From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "crow ford" in Old English.

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Heaven

Usage

English (Modern)

Gender

Feminine

Pronounced

/ˈhɛv.ən/ ()

From the English vocabulary word meaning "paradise". It is derived via Middle English hevene from Old English heofon "sky".

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Jaylynn

Usage

English (Modern)

Gender

Feminine

Pronounced

/ˈd͡ʒeɪ.lɪn/ ()

An invented name, a combination of the popular phonetic elements jay and lyn.

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Sunshine

Usage

English

Gender

Feminine

Pronounced

/ˈsʌn.ʃaɪn/ ()

From the English word, ultimately from Old English sunne "sun" and scinan "shine".

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Royal

Usage

English

Gender

MasculineFeminine

Pronounced

/ˈɹɔɪ.əl/ ()/ˈɹɔɪl/ ()

From the English word royal, derived (via Old French) from Latin regalis, a derivative of rex "king". It was first used as a given name in the 19th century.

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Cassidy

Usage

English (Modern)

Gender

FeminineMasculine

Pronounced

/ˈkæs.ɪ.di/ ()

From an Irish surname (Anglicized from Irish Gaelic Ó Caiside), which is derived from the byname Caiside. Very rare as a given name before the 1970s, it established itself in the 80s and then surged in popularity during the 90s.

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Jolene

Usage

English

Gender

Feminine

Pronounced

/d͡ʒoʊ.ˈlin/ ()

Formed from Jo and the common name suffix lene. This name was created in the early 20th century. It received a boost in popularity after the release of Dolly Parton's 1973 song Jolene.

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Carver

Usage

English (Rare)

Gender

Masculine

Pronounced

/ˈkɑɹ.vəɹ/ (American English)/ˈkɑː.və/ (British English)

From an English surname that meant "wood carver".

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Drummond

Usage

English (Rare)

Gender

Masculine

Pronounced

/ˈdɹʌm.ənd/ ()

From a Scottish surname that was derived from various place names, themselves derived from Gaelic druim meaning "ridge".

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Jennica

Usage

English (Rare)

Gender

Feminine

Pronounced

/ˈd͡ʒɛn.ɪ.kə/ ()

Combination of Jennifer and Jessica.

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Sabrina

Usage

EnglishItalianGermanFrenchSpanishPortuguese

Gender

Feminine

Pronounced

/sə.ˈbɹin.ə/ (English)/sa.ˈbri.na/ (Italian)/za.ˈbʁiː.na/ (German)/sa.bʁi.na/ (French)/sa.ˈβɾi.na/ (Spanish)/sɐ.ˈbɾi.nɐ/ (European Portuguese)/sa.ˈbɾĩ.nɐ/ (Brazilian Portuguese)

Latinized form of Habren, the original Welsh name of the River Severn. According to Geoffrey of Monmouth, Sabrina was the name of a princess who was drowned in the Severn. Supposedly the river was named for her, but it is more likely that her name was actually derived from that of the river, which is of unknown meaning. She appears as a water nymph in John Milton's masque Comus (1634).

The name was brought to public attention by Samuel A. Taylor's play Sabrina Fair (1953) and the movie adaptation Sabrina that followed it the next year. This is also the name of a comic book character, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, first introduced 1962 and with television adaptations in 1970-1974 and 1996-2003, both causing minor jumps in popularity. Another jump occurred in 1976, when it was used for a main character on the television series Charlie's Angels.

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Joel

Usage

EnglishSpanishPortugueseSwedishFinnishEstonianBiblical

Gender

Masculine

Scripts

יוֹאֵל (Ancient Hebrew)

Pronounced

/ˈd͡ʒoʊ.əl/ (English)/ˈd͡ʒoʊl/ (English)/xo.ˈel/ (Spanish)/ˈʒwɛɫ/ (European Portuguese)/ʒo.ˈɛw/ (Brazilian Portuguese)YO-ehl (Swedish)/ˈjo.el/ (Finnish)

From the Hebrew name יוֹאֵל (Yoʾel) meaning "Yahweh is God", from the elements יוֹ (yo) and אֵל (ʾel), both referring to the Hebrew God. Joel is one of the twelve minor prophets of the Old Testament, the author of the Book of Joel, which describes a plague of locusts. In England, it was first used as a Christian name after the Protestant Reformation.

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Maxwell

Usage

English

Gender

Masculine

Pronounced

/ˈmæks.wɛl/ ()

From a Scottish surname meaning "Mack's stream", from the name Mack, a short form of the Scandinavian name Magnus, combined with Old English wille "well, stream". A famous bearer of the surname was James Maxwell (1831-1879), a Scottish physicist who studied gases and electromagnetism.

As a given name it has increased in popularity starting from the 1980s, likely because it is viewed as a full form of Max [1].

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Goodwin

Usage

English (Rare)

Gender

Masculine

Pronounced

/ˈɡʊd.wɪn/ ()

From an English surname that was derived from the given name Godwine.

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Benson

Usage

English

Gender

Masculine

Pronounced

/ˈbɛn.sən/ ()

From an English surname that originally meant "son of Benedict".

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Garrett

Usage

English

Gender

Masculine

Pronounced

/ˈɡæɹ.ɪt/ ()/ˈɡɛɹ.ɪt/ ()

From an English surname that was derived from the given name Gerald or Gerard. A famous bearer of the surname was Pat Garrett (1850-1908), the sheriff who shot Billy the Kid.

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Duke

Usage

English

Gender

Masculine

Pronounced

/ˈduːk/ ()

From the noble title duke, which was originally derived from Latin dux "leader".

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Arthur

Usage

EnglishFrenchGermanDutchNorwegianDanishSwedishWelsh MythologyArthurian Cycle

Gender

Masculine

Pronounced

/ˈɑɹ.θəɹ/ (American English)/ˈɑː.θə/ (British English)/aʁ.tyʁ/ (French)/ˈaʁ.tʊʁ/ (German)/ˈɑr.tyr/ (Dutch)

The meaning of this name is unknown. It could be derived from the Celtic elements *artos "bear" (Old Welsh arth) combined with *wiros "man" (Old Welsh gur) or *rīxs "king" (Old Welsh ri). Alternatively it could be related to an obscure Roman family name Artorius.

Arthur is the name of the central character in Arthurian legend, a 6th-century king of the Britons who resisted Saxon invaders. He may or may not have been based on a real person. He first appears in Welsh poems and chronicles (perhaps briefly in the 7th-century poem Y Gododdin and more definitively and extensively in the 9th-century History of the Britons [1]). However, his character was not developed until the chronicles of the 12th-century Geoffrey of Monmouth [2]. His tales were later taken up and expanded by French and English writers.

The name came into general use in England in the Middle Ages due to the prevalence of Arthurian romances, and it enjoyed a surge of popularity in the 19th century. Famous bearers include German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860), mystery author and Sherlock Holmes creator Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930), and science-fiction author Arthur C. Clarke (1917-2008).

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Cyril

Usage

EnglishFrenchCzechSlovak

Gender

Masculine

Pronounced

/ˈsɪɹ.əl/ (English)/si.ʁil/ (French)/ˈt͡sɪ.rɪl/ (Czech)

From the Greek name Κύριλλος (Kyrillos), which was derived from Greek κύριος (kyrios) meaning "lord", a word used frequently in the Greek Bible to refer to God or Jesus.

This name was borne by a number of important saints, including Cyril of Jerusalem, a 4th-century bishop and Doctor of the Church, and Cyril of Alexandria, a 5th-century theologian. Another Saint Cyril was a 9th-century Greek missionary to the Slavs, who is credited with creating the Glagolitic alphabet with his brother Methodius in order to translate the Bible into Slavic. The Cyrillic alphabet, named after him, is descended from Glagolitic.

This name has been especially well-used in Eastern Europe and other places where Orthodox Christianity is prevalent. It came into general use in England in the 19th century.

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Angel

Usage

EnglishBulgarianMacedonian

Gender

MasculineFeminine

Scripts

Ангел (Bulgarian)

Pronounced

/ˈeɪn.d͡ʒəl/ (English)

From the medieval Latin masculine name Angelus, which was derived from the name of the heavenly creature (itself derived from the Greek word ἄγγελος (angelos) meaning "messenger"). Saint Angelus was a 13th-century priest from Jerusalem. The name has never been very common in the English-speaking world, where it is sometimes used as a feminine name in modern times.

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Kent

Usage

English

Gender

Masculine

Pronounced

/ˈkɛnt/ ()

From a surname that was originally derived from Kent, the name of a county in England, which may be derived from a Brythonic word meaning "coastal district".

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Tyrone

Usage

EnglishAfrican American

Gender

Masculine

Pronounced

/taɪ.ˈɹoʊn/ (English)

From the name of a county in Northern Ireland, which is derived from Irish Gaelic Tir Eoghain meaning "land of Eoghan". This name was popularized by American actor Tyrone Power (1914-1958), who was named after his great-grandfather, an Irish actor.

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Prince

Usage

English

Gender

Masculine

Pronounced

/ˈpɹɪns/ ()

From the English word prince, a royal title, which comes ultimately from Latin princeps. This name was borne by the American musician Prince Rogers Nelson (1958-2016), who is known simply as Prince.

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Gianna

Usage

ItalianGreekEnglish (Modern)

Gender

Feminine

Scripts

Γιάννα (Greek)

Pronounced

/ˈd͡ʒan.na/ (Italian)/ˈʝa.na/ (Greek)/d͡ʒi.ˈɑn.ə/ (English)/ˈd͡ʒɑn.ə/ (English)

Italian short form of Giovanna and a Modern Greek variant of Ioanna.

Its use in America started increasing in the late 20th century. It spiked in popularity in 2020 after the death of Gianna Bryant and her father, the basketball player Kobe Bryant, in a helicopter crash.

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Kenelm

Usage

English (Rare)

Gender

Masculine

Pronounced

/ˈkɛn.əlm/ ()

From the Old English name Cenhelm, which was composed of the elements cene "bold, keen" and helm "helmet". Saint Kenelm was a 9th-century martyr from Mercia, where he was a member of the royal family. The name was occasionally used during the Middle Ages, but has since become rare.

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Stone

Usage

English (Modern)

Gender

Masculine

Pronounced

/ˈstoʊn/ ()

From the English vocabulary word, ultimately from Old English stan.

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Jemima

Usage

BiblicalEnglish

Gender

Feminine

Scripts

יְמִימָה (Ancient Hebrew)

Pronounced

/d͡ʒə.ˈmaɪ.mə/ (English)

Traditionally said to mean "dove", it may actually be related to Hebrew יוֹמָם (yomam) meaning "daytime" [1]. This was the oldest of the three daughters of Job in the Old Testament. As an English name, Jemima first became common during the Puritan era.

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Ashton

Usage

English (Modern)

Gender

MasculineFeminine

Pronounced

/ˈæʃ.tən/ ()

From the English surname Ashton, itself derived from a place name meaning "ash tree town" in Old English. This was a rare masculine name until the 1980s, when it gradually began becoming more common for both genders. Inspired by the female character Ashton Main from the 1985 miniseries North and South, parents in America gave it more frequently to girls than boys from 1986 to 1997 [1]. Since then it has been overwhelmingly masculine once again, perhaps due in part to the fame of the actor Ashton Kutcher (1978-).

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Torin

Usage

English (Modern)

Gender

Masculine

Meaning unknown. It has been suggested that it is of Irish origin, though no suitable derivation can be found.

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Bruce

Usage

ScottishEnglish

Gender

Masculine

Pronounced

/ˈbɹuːs/ ()

From a Scottish surname, of Norman origin, which probably originally referred to the town of Brix in France. The surname was borne by Robert the Bruce, a Scottish hero of the 14th century who achieved independence from England and became the king of Scotland. It has been in use as a given name in the English-speaking world since the 19th century, becoming especially popular in the 1940s and 50s. Notable bearers include Chinese-American actor Bruce Lee (1940-1973), American musician Bruce Springsteen (1949-), and American actor Bruce Willis (1955-). It is also the real name of the comic book superheroes Batman (Bruce Wayne), created 1939, and the Hulk (Bruce Banner), created 1962.

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Spike

Usage

English

Gender

Masculine

Pronounced

/ˈspaɪk/ ()

From a nickname that may have originally been given to a person with spiky hair.

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Tacey

Usage

English (Archaic)

Gender

Feminine

Derived from Latin tace meaning "be silent". It was in use from the 16th century, though it died out two centuries later.

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Braylon

Usage

English (Modern)

Gender

Masculine

Pronounced

/ˈbɹeɪ.lən/ ()

An invented name, using the same sounds found in names such as Braden and Jalen.

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Wren

Usage

English (Modern)

Gender

Feminine

Pronounced

/ˈɹɛn/ ()

From the English word for the small songbird. It is ultimately derived from Old English wrenna.

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Norwood

Usage

English

Gender

Masculine

Pronounced

/ˈnɔɹ.ˌwʊd/ (American English)/ˈnɔː.ˌwʊd/ (British English)

From a surname that was originally taken from a place name meaning "north wood" in Old English.

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Queen

Usage

English

Gender

Feminine

Pronounced

/ˈkwiːn/ ()

From an old nickname that was derived from the English word queen, ultimately from Old English cwen meaning "woman, wife".

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Oliver

Usage

EnglishGermanSwedishNorwegianDanishFinnishEstonianCatalanSerbianCroatianMacedonianCzechSlovakCarolingian Cycle

Gender

Masculine

Scripts

Оливер (Serbian)

Pronounced

/ˈɑl.ɪ.vəɹ/ (American English)/ˈɒl.ɪ.və/ (British English)/ˈoː.li.vɐ/ (German)/ˈo.li.ʋer/ (Finnish)/u.ɫi.ˈβe/ (Catalan)/ˈo.lɪ.vɛr/ (Czech)/ˈɔ.li.vɛr/ (Slovak)

From Old French Olivier, which was possibly derived from Latin oliva "olive tree" [1]. Alternatively there could be an underlying Germanic name, such as Old Norse Áleifr (see Olaf) or Frankish Alawar (see Álvaro), with the spelling altered by association with the Latin word. In the Middle Ages the name became well-known in Western Europe because of the French epic La Chanson de Roland, in which Olivier is a friend and advisor to the hero Roland.

In England Oliver was a common medieval name, however it became rare after the 17th century because of the military commander Oliver Cromwell, who ruled the country following the civil war. The name was revived in the 19th century, perhaps due in part to the title character in Charles Dickens' novel Oliver Twist (1838), about a poor orphan living on the streets of London. It became very popular at the beginning of the 21st century, reaching the top rank for boys in England and Wales in 2009 and entering the top ten in the United States in 2017.

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Rigby

Usage

English (Rare)

Gender

Masculine

Pronounced

/ˈɹɪɡ.bi/ ()

From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "ridge farm" in Old Norse.

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Clara

Usage

GermanSpanishPortugueseItalianFrenchCatalanRomanianEnglishSwedishDanishLate Roman

Gender

Feminine

Pronounced

/ˈklaː.ʁa/ (German)/ˈkla.ɾa/ (Spanish)/ˈkla.ɾɐ/ (Portuguese)/ˈkla.ra/ (Italian)/kla.ʁa/ (French)/ˈklɛɹ.ə/ (American English)/ˈklæɹ.ə/ (American English)/ˈklɑː.ɹə/ (British English)

Feminine form of the Late Latin name Clarus, which meant "clear, bright, famous". The name Clarus was borne by a few early saints. The feminine form was popularized by the 13th-century Saint Clare of Assisi (called Chiara in Italian), a friend and follower of Saint Francis, who left her wealthy family to found the order of nuns known as the Poor Clares.

As an English name it has been in use since the Middle Ages, originally in the form Clare, though the Latinate spelling Clara overtook it in the 19th century and became very popular. It declined through most of the 20th century (being eclipsed by the French form Claire in English-speaking countries), though it has since recovered somewhat.

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Maynard

Usage

English

Gender

Masculine

Pronounced

/ˈmeɪ.nəɹd/ (American English)/ˈmeɪ.nəd/ (British English)

From an English surname that was derived from the Old German given name Meginhard.

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Reverie

Usage

English (Rare)

Gender

Feminine

Pronounced

/ˈɹɛv.ə.ɹi/ ()

From the English word meaning "daydream, fanciful musing", derived from Old French resverie, itself from resver meaning "to dream, to rave".

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Shaelyn

Usage

English (Rare)

Gender

Feminine

Pronounced

/ˈʃeɪ.lɪn/ ()

Elaboration of Shae using the popular name suffix lyn.

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Randolf

Usage

English

Gender

Masculine

Pronounced

/ˈɹæn.ˌdɔlf/ ()

From the Old German elements rant meaning "rim (of a shield)" and wolf meaning "wolf". The Normans brought this name to England, where there existed already an Old Norse cognate Randúlfr, which had been introduced by Scandinavian settlers. Randolf became rare after the Middle Ages, though it was revived in the 18th century (usually in the spelling Randolph).

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