All Names - Behind the Name

Aafje f Dutch
Short form of names beginning with the Old German element alb "elf".

Aali m Arabic
Means "high, lofty, sublime" in Arabic, from the root علا (ʿalā) meaning "to be high".

Aaliyah f Arabic, English (Modern), African American (Modern)
Feminine form of Aali. It was popularized in the English-speaking world by the singer Aaliyah Haughton (1979-2001), who was known simply as Aaliyah. This name received a boost in popularity after she released her debut album in 1994, and also in 2001 after her untimely death in an airplane crash.

Aamaal f Arabic
Means "hopes, aspirations" in Arabic (a plural form of Amal 1).

Aamir 1 m Arabic, Urdu
Means "prosperous, substantial, populated" in Arabic, related to the root عمر (ʿamara) meaning "to live long, to thrive".

Aang m Popular Culture
The hero of the American animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005-2008). When his name is shown in written form, it is composed of the Chinese characters 安 (ān) meaning "peace, quiet" and 昂 (áng) meaning "raise, lift".

Aarni m Finnish
Finnish form of Arne 1, also associated with the archaic word aarni meaning "treasure".

Aaron m English, French, German, Finnish, Jewish, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
From the Hebrew name אַהֲרֹן (ʾAharon), which is most likely of unknown Egyptian origin. Other theories claim a Hebrew derivation, and suggest meanings such as "high mountain" or "exalted". In the Old Testament this name is borne by the older brother of Moses. He acted as a spokesman for his brother when they appealed to the pharaoh to release the Israelites from slavery. Aaron's rod produced miracles and plagues to intimidate the pharaoh. After the departure from Egypt and arrival at Mount Sinai, God installed Aaron as the first high priest of the Israelites and promised that his descendants would become the priesthood.... [more]

Aarre m Finnish
Means "treasure" in Finnish. It may also be used as a variant of the uncommon older name Aaretti, itself from a Low German form of Arnold.

Aarti f Hindi, Marathi
From the name of a Hindu ritual in which offerings of lamps or candles are made to various gods, derived from Sanskrit आरात्रिक (ārātrika).

Aatto m Finnish
Finnish form of Adolf. It also means "eve, evening before" in Finnish, as the day before an important holiday.

Abaddon m Biblical
Means "ruin, destruction" in Hebrew. In Revelation in the New Testament this is another name of the angel of the abyss.

Abbán m Old Irish
Means "little abbot", derived from Irish abb "abbot" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of a 6th-century Irish saint, the son of King Cormac of Leinster.

Abd al-Aziz m Arabic
Means "servant of the powerful" from Arabic عبد (ʿabd) meaning "servant" combined with عزيز (ʿazīz) meaning "powerful". This was the name of the first king of modern Saudi Arabia.

Abd al-Hamid m Arabic
Means "servant of the praiseworthy" from Arabic عبد (ʿabd) meaning "servant" combined with حميد (ḥamīd) meaning "praiseworthy". This was the name of two sultans of the Ottoman Empire.

Abd al-Haqq m Arabic
Means "servant of the truth" from Arabic عبد (ʿabd) meaning "servant" combined with حقّ (ḥaqq) meaning "truth".

Abd al-Ilah m Arabic
Means "servant of the god" from Arabic عبد (ʿabd) meaning "servant" combined with إله (ʾilah) meaning "god, deity".

Abd al-Karim m Arabic
Means "servant of the generous" from Arabic عبد (ʿabd) meaning "servant" combined with كريم (karīm) meaning "generous".

Abd Allah m Arabic
Means "servant of Allah" from Arabic عبد (ʿabd) meaning "servant" combined with الله (Allah). This was the name of the Prophet Muhammad's father. He died before his son's birth.

Abd al-Majid m Arabic
Means "servant of the glorious" from Arabic عبد (ʿabd) meaning "servant" combined with مجيد (majīd) meaning "glorious".

Abd al-Malik m Arabic
Means "servant of the king" from Arabic عبد (ʿabd) meaning "servant" combined with ملك (malik) meaning "king". This was the name of the fifth Umayyad caliph, who made Arabic the official language of the empire.

Abd al-Qadir m Arabic
Means "servant of the capable, servant of the powerful" from Arabic عبد (ʿabd) meaning "servant" combined with قادر (qādir) meaning "capable, powerful". This was the name of a 19th-century Algerian resistance leader.

Abd al-Wali m Arabic
Means "servant of the guardian" from Arabic عبد (ʿabd) meaning "servant" combined with ولي (walī) meaning "guardian, friend".

Abd ar-Rahim m Arabic
Means "servant of the merciful" from Arabic عبد (ʿabd) meaning "servant" combined with رحيم (raḥīm) meaning "merciful".

Abd ar-Rahman m Arabic
Means "servant of the merciful" from Arabic عبد (ʿabd) meaning "servant" combined with رحْمن (raḥman) meaning "merciful". This was the name of two early caliphs of the Umayyad dynasty in Spain.

Abd ar-Rashid m Arabic
Means "servant of the rightly guided" from Arabic عبد (ʿabd) meaning "servant" combined with رشيد (rashīd) meaning "rightly guided".

Abd as-Salam m Arabic
Means "servant of the peaceful" from Arabic عبد (ʿabd) meaning "servant" combined with سلام (salām) meaning "peace".

Abdastartus m Phoenician (Latinized)
From the Greek form Ἀβδάσταρτος (Abdastartos) of the Phoenician name 𐤏𐤁𐤃𐤏𐤔𐤕𐤓𐤕 (ʿAbdʿashtart) meaning "servant of Ashtoreth", derived from 𐤏𐤁𐤃 (ʿabd) meaning "servant, slave" combined with the name of the goddess Ashtoreth. This was the name of a 10th-century BC king of Tyre, as recorded by the historian Josephus.

Abdiel m Biblical, Biblical Greek
Means "servant of God" in Hebrew, from עֶבֶד (ʿeveḏ) meaning "servant, slave" and אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". In the Old Testament, this is the name of a member of the tribe of Gad. In John Milton's Paradise Lost (1667), this is the name of a seraph who withstands Satan when he urges the angels to revolt.

Abdolhossein m Persian
Means "servant of al-Husayn" from Arabic عبد (ʿabd) meaning "servant" combined with حسین (Ḥoseyn), the Persian form of Arabic Husayn. This name refers to Husayn ibn Ali, the son of Ali.

Abdolreza m Persian
Means "servant of al-Rida" from Arabic عبد (ʿabd) meaning "servant" combined with رضا (Reẕā), the Persian form of Arabic Rida. This name refers to the 9th-century Shia imam Ali al-Rida.

Abe 2 m Frisian, Dutch
Originally a Frisian short form of Adalbert (and other names starting with the Old German element adal "noble" and a second element beginning with b).

Abednego m Biblical
Means "servant of Nebo" in Akkadian, Nebo being the Babylonian god of wisdom. In the Old Testament Abednego is the Babylonian name given to Azariah, one of the three men cast into a blazing furnace but saved from harm by God, as told in the Book of Daniel.

Abelardo m Spanish, Portuguese
Spanish and Portuguese form of French Abélard, given in honour of the 12th-century French philosopher and theologian Pierre Abélard (called Peter Abelard in English). He adopted his surname in his twenties, possibly inspired by the biblical name Abel.

Abena f Akan
Means "born on Tuesday" in Akan.

Abene f Basque (Rare)
Derived from Basque abe meaning "pillar". It is a Basque equivalent of Pilar.

Abeni f Yoruba
Means "we prayed and we received" in Yoruba.

Aberash f Amharic
Means "giving off light, shining" in Amharic.

Abiah m & f Biblical
Variant of Abijah, similarly borne by both males and females in the Old Testament.

Abiathar m Biblical
From the Hebrew name אֶבְיָתָר (ʾEvyaṯar) meaning "my father abounds" or "my father excels", derived from אָב (ʾav) meaning "father" and יָתַר (yaṯar) meaning "to abound, to excel". According to the Old Testament Abiathar was a high priest during the reign of King David.

Abidemi m & f Yoruba
Means "born in my absence" in Yoruba. It is typically given to children born when the father is away.

Abiel m Biblical
Means "God is my father" in Hebrew, from אָב (ʾav) meaning "father" and אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". This was the name of the grandfather of Saul according to the Old Testament.

Abihu m Biblical
Means "he is my father" in Hebrew, from אָב (ʾav) meaning "father" and הוּא (hu) meaning "he". This is the name of a son of Aaron in the Old Testament. He and his brother Nadab were killed by God because they presented him with unauthorized fire.

Abijah m & f Biblical
Means "my father is Yahweh" in Hebrew, from אָב (ʾav) meaning "father" and יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. In the Old Testament this is the name of several characters, both male and female, including the second king of Judah (also known as Abijam).

Abilene f Various (Rare)
From a place name mentioned briefly in the New Testament. It is probably from Hebrew אָבֵל (ʾavel) meaning "meadow, grassy area". It has occasionally been used as a given name in modern times.

Abimael m Biblical, Biblical Greek
Meaning uncertain, though the first element is likely Hebrew אָב (ʾav) meaning "father". In the Old Testament he is listed as a descendant of Shem.

Abimbola f & m Yoruba
Means "born to me with wealth" in Yoruba.

Abimelech m Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
Means "my father is king" in Hebrew, derived from the roots אָב (ʾav) meaning "father" and מֶלֶךְ (meleḵ) meaning "king". This is the name of several characters in the Old Testament including a king of Gerar who takes Abraham's wife Sarah, but is forced by God to give her back.

Abiodun m & f Yoruba
Means "born on a festival" in Yoruba.

Abiola f & m Yoruba
Means "born into wealth" in Yoruba.

Abioye m & f Yoruba
Means "born into royalty" in Yoruba.

Abir f Arabic
Means "scent, fragrance" in Arabic.

Abiram m Biblical
Means "my father is exalted" in Hebrew, derived from אָב (ʾav) meaning "father" and רוּם (rum) meaning "to exalt". In the Old Testament, Abiram is swallowed by an earthquake after rebelling against the leadership of Moses.

Abishag f Biblical
Means "my father strays" in Hebrew, from אָב (ʾav) meaning "father" and שָׁגָה (shaḡa) meaning "to stray, to err". In the Old Testament Abishag is a young woman who tends King David in his old age.

Abishai m Biblical
Means "my father is a gift" in Hebrew, from the roots אָב (ʾav) meaning "father" and שַׁי (shai) meaning "gift". In the Old Testament he is one of King David's heroes.

Abital f Biblical
Means "my father is dew" in Hebrew, from the roots אָב (ʾav) meaning "father" and טַל (ṭal) meaning "dew". She is the fifth wife of David in the Old Testament.

Abla f Arabic
Means "full-figured" in Arabic. The 7th-century Arab poet Antara dedicated much of his poetry to a woman named Abla.

Abner m English, Biblical, Biblical Latin
From the Hebrew name אַבְנֵר (ʾAvner) meaning "my father is a light", derived from אָב (ʾav) meaning "father" and נֵר (ner) meaning "lamp, light". In the Old Testament, Abner was a cousin of Saul and the commander of his army. After he killed Asahel he was himself slain by Asahel's brother Joab.... [more]

Abosede f Yoruba
Means "comes with the start of the week" in Yoruba, given when the child is born on Sunday.

Abram 1 m English, Biblical
Means "high father" in Hebrew, from the roots אָב (ʾav) meaning "father" and רוּם (rum) meaning "to exalt, to be high". In the Old Testament God changed Abram's name to Abraham (see Genesis 17:5).

Abrar f & m Arabic, Urdu, Bengali
Means "virtuous" in Arabic. It is typically feminine in the Arab world, and typically masculine in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh.

Absalom m Biblical, Biblical Latin
From the Hebrew name אַבְשָׁלוֹם (ʾAvshalom) meaning "father is peace", derived from אָב (ʾav) meaning "father" and שָׁלוֹם (shalom) meaning "peace". In the Old Testament he is a son of King David. He avenged his sister Tamar by arranging the murder of her rapist, their half-brother Amnon. He later led a revolt against his father. While fleeing on the back of a mule he got his head caught in a tree and was killed by Joab.

Abu m Arabic
Means "father of" in Arabic. This is commonly used as an element in a kunya, which is a type of Arabic nickname. The element is combined with the name of one of the bearer's children (usually the eldest son). In some cases the kunya is figurative, not referring to an actual child, as in the case of the Muslim caliph Abu Bakr.

Abu Bakr m Arabic
Combination of Abu and Bakr. Abu Bakr was a companion and father-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad and the first caliph of the Muslim world. His name was in fact a kunya (a nickname) formed using Abu; his real name was Abd Allah. Shia Muslims hold a more negative view of Abu Bakr, hence this name is more widely used among Sunnis.

Abundius m Late Roman
From Latin abundus meaning "abundant, plentiful". This was the name of several early saints, including a 5th-century bishop of Como.

Acacia f English (Rare)
From the name of a type of tree, ultimately derived from Greek ἀκή (ake) meaning "thorn, point".

Ace 1 m English
From the English word meaning "highest rank". More commonly a nickname, it is occasionally used as a given name.

Achaemenes m Old Persian (Latinized)
Latin form of Ἀχαιμένης (Achaimenes), the Greek form of the Old Persian name 𐏃𐎧𐎠𐎶𐎴𐎡𐏁 (Haxamaniš), derived from Old Iranian *haxa "friend, companion, ally" and *manah "mind, intellect, thought". This was the name of the founder of the Achaemenid dynasty (7th century BC).

Achaicus m Biblical, Biblical Latin
Latinized form of the Greek name Ἀχαϊκός (Achaikos), which referred to the region in Greece called Ἀχαΐα (Achaia), situated on the northern coast of the Peloponnese. In the New Testament this is the name of a Corinthian Christian who aids Saint Paul.

Achan m Biblical
Possibly a variation of the Hebrew word עֲכָר (ʿaḵar) meaning "trouble". In the Old Testament, Achan is stoned to death because he steals forbidden items during the assault on Jericho.

Achelous m Greek Mythology (Latinized)
From Greek Ἀχελώιος (Acheloios), which is of unknown meaning, possibly of Semitic origin. This was the name of a Greek god of water and rivers, in particular the Achelous River in western Greece. He fought with (and was defeated by) Herakles for the hand of Deianeira.

Achilles m Greek Mythology (Latinized), Ancient Greek (Latinized)
From the Greek Ἀχιλλεύς (Achilleus), which is of unknown meaning, perhaps derived from Greek ἄχος (achos) meaning "pain" or else from the name of the Achelous River. This was the name of a warrior in Greek legend, one of the central characters in Homer's Iliad. The bravest of the Greek heroes in the war against the Trojans, he was eventually killed by an arrow to his heel, the only vulnerable part of his body.... [more]

Achim 2 m Biblical
Possibly from a Hebrew name meaning "he will establish". In the New Testament this name is listed as an ancestor of Jesus.

Achlys f Greek Mythology
Means "mist, darkness" in Greek. According to a poem by Hesiod, she was one of the figures portrayed on the shield of Herakles. She is described as a wraithlike woman personifying death and sorrow.

Achsah f Biblical
Means "anklet, bangle" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of a daughter of Caleb.

Ada 1 f English, Italian, Spanish, German, Dutch, Norwegian, Polish, Finnish, Germanic
Originally a short form of Germanic names such as Adelaide or Adelina that begin with the element adal meaning "noble". Saint Ada was a 7th-century Frankish abbess at Le Mans. This name was also borne by Augusta Ada King (1815-1852), the Countess of Lovelace (known as Ada Lovelace), a daughter of Lord Byron. She was an assistant to Charles Babbage, the inventor of an early mechanical computer.

Adad-Nirari m Ancient Assyrian
Means "Adad is my helper", from the god's name Adad combined with Akkadian nērāru meaning "helper". This name was borne by three kings of the Assyrian Empire.

Adaeze f Igbo
Means "eldest daughter of the king" in Igbo.

Adah f Biblical
Means "adornment, ornament" in Hebrew. This is the name of the wives of both Lamech and Esau in the Old Testament.

Adaiah m Biblical
From the Hebrew name עֲדָיָה (ʿAḏaya) meaning "Yahweh has adorned", derived from עָדָה (ʿaḏa) meaning "to adorn" and יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. This is the name of numerous Old Testament characters, including the father of Jedidah.

Adalbert m Germanic, German
Old German form of Albert. This is the name of a patron saint of Bohemia, Poland and Prussia. He is known by his birth name Vojtěch in Czech and Wojciech in Polish.

Adalet f Turkish
Means "justice" in Turkish, ultimately from Arabic عدل (ʿadala) meaning "to act justly".

Adalhard m Germanic
Derived from the Old German elements adal "noble" and hart "hard, firm, brave, hardy". Saint Adalhard or Adalard was a cousin of Charlemagne who became an abbot of Corbie.

Adalia m Biblical
Meaning unknown, possibly of Persian origin. In Book of Esther in the Old Testament this is the name of a son of Haman the Agagite.

Adallinda f Germanic
Derived from the Old German elements adal "noble" and lind "soft, flexible, tender". Adallinda (or Adalindis or Ethelind) was the name of one of the concubines of Charlemagne, with whom she had at least two children.

Adanna f Igbo
Means "eldest daughter of the father" in Igbo.

Adannaya f Igbo
Means "eldest daughter of her father" in Igbo.

Adawosgi m Cherokee
Means "he is swimming" in Cherokee, from ᎠᏓᏬᏍᎬ (adawosgun) meaning "swimming".

Addison f & m English
From an English surname meaning "son of Adam". Its recent popularity as a feminine name stems from its similarity in sound to Madison.

Addolorata f Italian
Means "grieving" in Italian, from the title of the Virgin Mary, Maria Addolorata. It is most common in southern Italy. It is the equivalent of Spanish Dolores.

Ade 1 m & f Yoruba
From Yoruba adé meaning "crown", also a short form of other names beginning with this element.

Ade 2 m Frisian
Originally a short form of Germanic names beginning with the element adal meaning "noble".

Adebayo m Yoruba
Means "the crown meets joy" in Yoruba.

Adebola m & f Yoruba
Means "the crown meets wealth" in Yoruba.

Adebowale m & f Yoruba
Means "the crown has returned home" in Yoruba.