Browse Names

Adam m English, French, German, Polish, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Czech, Slovak, Russian, Ukrainian, Croatian, Serbian, Macedonian, Romanian, Catalan, Greek, Hebrew, Arabic, Georgian, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek, Biblical Hebrew
This is the Hebrew word for "man". It could be ultimately derived from Hebrew אדם ('adam) meaning "to be red", referring to the ruddy colour of human skin, or from Akkadian adamu meaning "to make".... [more]

Aeronwen f Welsh (Rare)
Combination of Aeron and the Welsh element gwen meaning "white, blessed".

Afra 2 f Arabic
Means "whitish red" in Arabic.

Ai 1 f Japanese
From Japanese 愛 (ai) meaning "love, affection", 藍 (ai) meaning "indigo", or other kanji with the same pronunciation.

Ailbhe f & m Irish, Irish Mythology
From Old Irish Ailbe, possibly derived from the old Celtic root *albiyo- "world, light, white" or Old Irish ail "rock". In Irish legend this was the name of a female warrior of the Fianna. It was also the name of a 6th-century masculine saint, the founder of a monastery at Emly.

Airi 1 f Japanese
From Japanese 愛 (ai) meaning "love, affection" combined with 莉 (ri) meaning "white jasmine" or 梨 (ri) meaning "pear". Other combinations of kanji characters are possible.

Aizere f Kazakh
Means "golden moon" from Kazakh ай (ay) meaning "moon" and Persian زر (zar) meaning "gold".

Akane f Japanese
From Japanese 茜 (akane) meaning "deep red, dye from the rubia plant". Other kanji or combinations of kanji can form this name as well.

Akari f Japanese
From Japanese 明 (aka) meaning "bright" or 朱 (aka) meaning "vermilion red" combined with 里 (ri) meaning "village" or 莉 (ri) meaning "white jasmine". Other combinations of kanji characters can also form this name.

Akli m Berber
Means "slave, servant, black" in Tamazight.

Akmaral f Kazakh
Derived from Kazakh ақ (aq) meaning "white" and марал (maral) meaning "deer".

Ákos m Hungarian
Possibly of Turkic origin meaning "white falcon". This was the name of a medieval Hungarian clan.

Alani f English (Modern)
Possibly a variant of Alana, or possibly from Hawaiian ʻalani meaning "orange (tree or fruit)".

Alba 1 f Italian, Spanish, Catalan
This name is derived from two distinct names, Alba 2 and Alba 3, with distinct origins, Latin and Germanic. Over time these names have become confused with one another. To further complicate the matter, alba means "dawn" in Italian, Spanish and Catalan. This may be the main inspiration behind its use in Italy and Spain.

Albus m Ancient Roman
Roman cognomen meaning "white, bright" in Latin.

Alphius m Late Roman
Meaning unknown, possibly a variant of Alphaeus, or possibly from an Umbrian root meaning "white". This was the name of a 3rd-century saint who was martyred in Sicily.

Alpin m Scottish (Rare)
Anglicized form of the Scottish Gaelic name Ailpean, possibly derived from a Pictish word meaning "white". This was the name of two kings of Dál Riata and two kings of the Picts in the 8th and 9th centuries.

Alsu f Tatar
Means "pink" in Tatar.

Altan 1 m Turkish
Means "red dawn" in Turkish.

Altan 2 m & f Mongolian
Means "golden" in Mongolian.

Altansarnai f Mongolian
Means "golden rose" in Mongolian, from алтан (altan) meaning "golden" and сарнай (sarnai) meaning "rose".

Altantsetseg f Mongolian
Means "golden flower" in Mongolian, from алтан (altan) meaning "golden" and цэцэг (tsetseg) meaning "flower".

Anargyros m Greek
From the Greek term ἀνάργυρος (anargyros) meaning "poor, incorruptible", derived from Greek ἀ (a), a negative prefix, combined with ἄργυρος (argyros) meaning "silver". This term referred to saints who did not accept payment for their services.

Anwen f Welsh
Means "very beautiful" in Welsh, from the intensive prefix an- combined with gwen "white, blessed".

Aoi f & m Japanese
From Japanese 葵 (aoi) meaning "hollyhock, althea" or an adjectival form of 碧 (ao) meaning "green, blue". Other kanji with the same reading can form this name as well.

Ardit m Albanian
Means "golden day" in Albanian, from ar "gold" and ditë "day".

Argyros m Ancient Greek
Means "silver" in Greek.

Arianrhod f Welsh Mythology
Probably means "silver wheel" from Welsh arian "silver" and rhod "wheel". According to the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi, Arianrhod was the mother of the twins Dylan and Lleu Llaw Gyffes, whom she spontaneously birthed when she stepped over a magical wand. It is speculated that in earlier myths she may have been a goddess of the moon.

Arianwen f Welsh
Derived from Welsh arian "silver" and gwen "white, blessed". This was the name of a 5th-century Welsh saint, one of the supposed daughters of Brychan Brycheiniog.

Arjuna m Hinduism
Means "white, clear" in Sanskrit. This is the name of a hero in Hindu texts, the son of the god Indra and the princess Kunti.

Artan m Albanian
Derived from Albanian artë meaning "golden".

Aruna m & f Hinduism, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi
Means "reddish brown, dawn" in Sanskrit. The Hindu god Aruna (अरुण) is the charioteer who drives the sun god Surya across the sky. The modern feminine form अरुणा is also transcribed as Aruna, however the modern masculine form is Arun.

Arwyn m Welsh
From the Welsh intensifying prefix ar- and gwyn meaning "white, blessed".

Asena f Turkish
Possibly of Scythian origin meaning "blue". In Turkic mythology Asena was a grey wolf who gave birth to the ancestor of the Ashina tribe of Turks.

Astrit m Albanian
Means "green whip snake, dragon" in Albanian.

Aurea f Late Roman
Late Latin name that was derived from aureus "golden". This was the name of a 3rd-century saint from Ostia (near Rome), as well as an 11th-century Spanish saint.

Aurelius m Ancient Roman
Roman family name that was derived from Latin aureus meaning "golden, gilded". Marcus Aurelius was a 2nd-century Roman emperor and philosophical writer. This was also the name of several early saints.

Aya 1 f Japanese
From Japanese 彩 (aya) meaning "colour", 綾 (aya) meaning "design", or other kanji characters with the same pronunciation.

Ayaka f Japanese
From Japanese 彩 (aya) meaning "colour" combined with 花 (ka) or 華 (ka) both meaning "flower". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Ayako f Japanese
From Japanese 彩 (aya) meaning "colour", 綾 (aya) meaning "design" or 絢 (aya) meaning "brilliant fabric design, kimono design" combined with 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other combinations of kanji characters are also possible.

Ayane f Japanese
From Japanese 彩 (aya) meaning "colour", 綾 (aya) meaning "design" or 絢 (aya) meaning "brilliant fabric design, kimono design" combined with 音 (ne) meaning "sound". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Ayano f Japanese
From Japanese 彩 (aya) meaning "colour" or 綾 (aya) meaning "design" combined with 乃 (no), a possessive particle. Other combinations of kanji characters can also form this name.

Azahar f Spanish (Rare)
Means "orange blossom" in Spanish, ultimately from Arabic زهرة (zahrah) meaning "flower". It is taken from the title of the Virgin Mary, Nuestra Señora del Azahar, meaning "Our Lady of the Orange Blossom", because of the citrus trees that surround a church devoted to her near Murcia.

Azure f & m English (Rare)
From the English word that means "sky blue". It is ultimately (via Old French, Latin and Arabic) from Persian لاجورد (lajvard) meaning "azure, lapis lazuli".

Azzurra f Italian
Means "azure, sky blue" in Italian.

Bai m & f Chinese
From Chinese 白 (bái) meaning "white, pure", 百 (bǎi) meaning "one hundred, many" or 柏 (bǎi) meaning "cypress tree, cedar" (which is usually only masculine). Other Chinese characters can form this name as well. This name was borne in the 8th century by the Tang dynasty poet Li Bai, whose given was 白.

Baihu m Chinese Mythology
From Chinese 白 (bái) meaning "white, pure" and 虎 (hǔ) meaning "tiger". This is the Chinese name of the White Tiger, associated with the west and the autumn season.

Baila f Yiddish
Variant of Beyle.

Bairrfhionn m Irish (Rare)
Means "fair-haired", derived from Old Irish barr "top, head" and finn "white, blessed".

Banquo m Literature
Meaning uncertain, possibly derived from Scottish Gaelic bàn "white" and cù "dog, hound". This is the name of a character in William Shakespeare's semi-historical tragedy Macbeth (1606). He earlier appears in Holinshed's Chronicles (1587), one of Shakespeare's sources for the play.

Bébinn f Old Irish, Irish Mythology
Means "white woman", from Old Irish bé "woman" and finn "white, blessed". This name was borne by several characters in Irish mythology, including the mother of the hero Fráech.

Béla m Hungarian
The meaning of this name is not known for certain. It could be derived from Hungarian bél meaning "guts, bowel" or Old Slavic bělŭ meaning "white". This was the name of four Hungarian kings. It was also borne by the Hungarian composer Béla Bartók (1881-1945).

Běla f Czech
Derived from the Old Slavic word *bělŭ meaning "white".

Belobog m Slavic Mythology
Means "the white god" from Old Slavic bělŭ "white" and bogŭ "god". This was the name of a poorly attested (possibly spurious) Slavic god of good fortune.

Berwyn m Welsh
Means "white top" from the Welsh elements barr "top, head" and gwyn "white, blessed". This is the name of a mountain range in Wales.

Beyle f Yiddish (Rare)
From a Slavic word meaning "white".

Beyza f Turkish
Means "very white" in Turkish, ultimately from Arabic بيضاء (bayda).

Bianca f Italian, Romanian
Italian cognate of Blanche. Shakespeare had characters named Bianca in The Taming of the Shrew (1593) and Othello (1603).

Bíborka f Hungarian
Derived from Hungarian bíbor meaning "purple".

Bích f & m Vietnamese
From Sino-Vietnamese 碧 (bích) meaning "bluish green, cyan".

Bláán m Old Irish
From Old Irish blá meaning "yellow" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of 6th-century Irish saint, a bishop of Kingarth on the Isle of Bute in Scotland.

Blake m & f English
From an English surname that was derived from Old English blæc "black" or blac "pale". A famous bearer of the surname was the poet and artist William Blake (1757-1827). It was originally a mainly masculine name but in 2007 actress Blake Lively (1987-) began starring in the television series Gossip Girl, after which time it increased in popularity for girls.

Blakely f English (Modern)
From an English surname that was derived from Old English blæc "black" and leah "woodland clearing".

Blanca f Spanish, Catalan
Spanish and Catalan cognate of Blanche.

Blanchard m Germanic
Derived from the Old German elements blanc meaning "white" and hart meaning "hard, firm, brave, hardy". This was the name of an obscure (perhaps legendary) 7th-century French saint.

Blanche f French, English
From a medieval French nickname meaning "white, fair-coloured". This word and its cognates in other languages are ultimately derived from the Germanic word *blankaz. An early bearer was the 12th-century Blanca of Navarre, the wife of Sancho III of Castile. Her granddaughter of the same name married Louis VIII of France, with the result that the name became more common in France.

Blerta f Albanian
Derived from Albanian blertë meaning "green".

Blodwen f Welsh
Means "white flowers" from Welsh blodau "flowers" combined with gwen "white, blessed". This is the name of an 1878 Welsh opera by Joseph Parry.

Blue m & f English (Rare)
From the English word for the colour, derived via Norman French from a Frankish word (replacing the native Old English cognate blaw). Despite the fact that this name was used by the American musicians Beyoncé and Jay-Z in 2012 for their first daughter, it has not come into general use in the United States.

Boann f Irish Mythology
Possibly from Old Irish bó "cow" and finn "white, blessed". In Irish mythology this was the name of the goddess of the River Boyne, which is named for her. She was the wife of Nechtan and the father of Aonghus (by Dagda).

Bora 3 f Korean
Means "purple" in Korean.

Bowie m & f English (Modern), Dutch (Modern)
From a Scottish surname, derived from Gaelic buidhe meaning "yellow". It has been used as a given name in honour of the British musician David Bowie (1947-2016), born David Robert Jones, who took his stage name from the American pioneer James Bowie (1796-1836), though with a different pronunciation.

Branca f Portuguese, Galician
Portuguese and Galician form of Blanche.

Branwen f Welsh, Welsh Mythology
Means "white raven" from Old Welsh bran "raven" and gwen "white, blessed". According to the Second Branch of the Mabinogi she was the daughter of Llŷr. After she was mistreated by her husband Matholwch, the king of Ireland, she managed to get a message to her brother Brân, the king of Britain. Brân launched a costly invasion to rescue her, but she died of grief shortly after her return.

Bronson m English (Modern)
From an English surname meaning "son of the brown one".

Bronwen f Welsh
Seemingly derived from Welsh bron "breast" and gwen "white, blessed", though it has sometimes occurred as a variant spelling of the legendary name Branwen. It has been used as a given name in Wales since the 19th century. It is borne by a character in Richard Llewellyn's 1939 novel How Green Was My Valley, as well as the 1941 movie adaptation.

Bruno m German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Croatian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Latvian, Germanic
Derived from the Old German element brunna meaning "armour, protection" (Proto-Germanic *brunjǭ) or brun meaning "brown" (Proto-Germanic *brūnaz). Saint Bruno of Cologne was a German monk of the 11th century who founded the Carthusian Order. The surname has belonged to Giordano Bruno, a philosopher burned at the stake by the Inquisition. A modern bearer is the American singer Bruno Mars (1985-), born Peter Gene Hernandez.

Cáelfind f Old Irish
Old Irish form of Caoilfhionn.

Caerwyn m Welsh
Derived from the Welsh elements caer "fortress" and gwyn "white, blessed".

Caeso m Ancient Roman
Roman praenomen, or given name, that was probably derived from Latin caesius meaning "blue-grey". This praenomen was only used by a few families.

Calfuray f Mapuche (Hispanicized)
Means "violet flower" in Mapuche, from kallfü "purple, blue" and rayen "flower".

Cam 1 f & m Vietnamese
From Sino-Vietnamese 柑 (cam) meaning "orange (fruit)".

Candida f Late Roman, 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).

Carwyn m Welsh
Derived from Welsh caru "to love" and gwyn "white, blessed". This name was created in the 20th century.

Catahecassa m Shawnee
Means "black hoof" in Shawnee. This was the name of an 18th-century Shawnee warrior and chief.

Ceinwen f Welsh
Derived from Welsh cain "good, lovely" and gwen "white, blessed". This was the name of a 5th-century Welsh saint also known as Cain or Keyne.

Chae-Won f Korean
From Sino-Korean 采 (chae) meaning "collect, gather, pluck" or 彩 (chae) meaning "colour" combined with 原 (won) meaning "source, origin, beginning". Other hanja combinations can also form this name.

Chae-Yeong f Korean
From Sino-Korean 彩 (chae) meaning "colour" combined with 榮 (yeong) meaning "glory, honour" or 瑛 (yeong) meaning "jade". This name can be formed using other hanja combinations as well.

Charna f Yiddish (Rare)
From a Slavic word meaning "black".

Chernobog m Slavic Mythology
Means "the black god" from Old Slavic čĭrnŭ "black" and bogŭ "god". According to a few late sources, Chernobog was a Slavic god of misfortune.

Chloe f English, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek, Ancient Greek, Greek Mythology
Means "green shoot" in Greek, referring to new plant growth in the spring. This was an epithet of the Greek goddess Demeter. The name is also mentioned by Paul in one of his epistles in the New Testament.... [more]

Chloris f Greek Mythology
Derived from Greek χλωρός (chloros) meaning "pale green". Chloris, in Greek mythology, was a minor goddess of vegetation.

Chrysanthos m Greek, Ancient Greek
Means "golden flower" from Greek χρύσεος (chryseos) meaning "golden" combined with ἄνθος (anthos) meaning "flower". This name was borne by a semi-legendary 3rd-century Egyptian saint.

Chryses m Greek Mythology
Derived from Greek χρύσεος (chryseos) meaning "golden". In Greek mythology Chryses was the father of Chryseis, a woman captured by Agamemnon during the Trojan War.

Chrysostomos m Greek
Means "golden mouth", from Greek χρυσός (chrysos) meaning "gold" and στόμα (stoma) meaning "mouth". This was an epithet applied to eloquent orators, notably Saint John Chrysostom, a 4th-century archbishop of Constantinople.

Ciar m & f Irish, Irish Mythology, Old Irish
Derived from Irish ciar meaning "black". In Irish legend Ciar was a son of Fergus mac Róich and Medb, and the ancestor of the tribe of the Ciarraige (after whom County Kerry is named). As a feminine name, it was borne by an Irish nun (also called Ciara) who established a monastery in Tipperary in the 7th century.

Ciardha m Medieval Irish
Irish byname derived from ciar meaning "black".

Cledwyn m Welsh
Possibly derived from Welsh caled "rough, hard" and gwyn "white, blessed". This is the name of a small river (Cledwen) in Conwy, Wales.

Cyan f & m English (Rare)
From the English word meaning "greenish blue, cyan", ultimately derived from Greek κύανος (kyanos).

Delwyn m Welsh
From Welsh del "pretty" combined with gwyn "white, blessed". It has been used as a given name since the start of the 20th century.

Dhaval m Marathi, Gujarati
Means "dazzling white" in Sanskrit.

Diindiisi f & m Ojibwe
Means "blue jay" in Ojibwe.

Dilwyn m Welsh
From Welsh dilys "genuine" and gwyn "white, blessed". It has been used since the late 19th century.

Dior f & m English (Modern)
From a French surname, possibly from doré meaning "golden". As a given name it has been inspired by the French luxury fashion house Dior, founded by the designer Christian Dior (1905-1957).

Doireann f Irish, Irish Mythology
Possibly from the Old Irish prefix der "daughter" and finn "white, blessed". Alternatively it may be derived from Irish doireann "sullen, tempestuous". This was the name of several characters in Irish legend, including a daughter of Bodb Derg who poisoned Fionn mac Cumhaill after he spurned her advances.

Donndubán m Old Irish
Composed of the Old Irish element donn "brown" combined with dub "dark" and a diminutive suffix.

Dougal m Scottish
Anglicized form of the Scottish Gaelic name Dubhghall meaning "dark stranger", from Old Irish dub "dark" and gall "stranger". This name was borne by a few medieval Scottish chiefs.

Dubhán m Irish (Rare)
From Old Irish Dubán meaning "little dark one", derived from dub "dark, black" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of a few early saints.

Dubhshláine m Old Irish
Derived from Old Irish dub "dark, black" and either slán "challenge, defiance" or Sláine, the Irish name of the River Slaney.

Duff m English (Rare)
From a Scottish or Irish surname, derived from Anglicized spellings of Gaelic dubh meaning "dark".

Duncan m Scottish, English
Anglicized form of the Scottish Gaelic name Donnchadh, derived from Old Irish donn "brown" and cath "battle". This was the name of two kings of Scotland, including the one who was featured in Shakespeare's play Macbeth (1606).

Dunstan m English (Rare), Anglo-Saxon
From the Old English elements dunn "dark" and stan "stone". This name was borne by a 10th-century saint, the archbishop of Canterbury. It was occasionally used in the Middle Ages, though it died out after the 16th century. It was revived by the Tractarian movement in the 19th century.

Eachann m Scottish Gaelic
From the Old Irish name Echdonn meaning "brown horse", from ech "horse" and donn "brown". This name was historically common among the chiefs of Clan MacLean. It has sometimes been Anglicized as Hector.

Ebony f African American
From the English word ebony for the black wood that comes from the ebony tree. It is ultimately from the Egyptian word hbnj. In America this name is most often used in the black community.

Edom m Biblical
From Hebrew אָדֹם ('adom) meaning "red". According to the Old Testament, Esau, who is described as having red skin, was given this name because he traded his birthright for a helping of red broth. The bible goes on to tell that Esau was the founder of the ancient nation of Edom, located to the south of the kingdom of Judah.

Eilwen f Welsh
Perhaps means "white brow", derived from Welsh ael "brow" and gwen "white, blessed". This is a recently created Welsh name.

Eirwen f Welsh
Means "white snow" from the Welsh elements eira "snow" and gwen "white, blessed". This name was created in the early 20th century.

Eirwyn m Welsh
Masculine form of Eirwen.

Ela 2 f Turkish
Means "hazel (colour)" in Turkish.

Elvan f & m Turkish
Means "colours" in Turkish.

Eun m & f Korean
From Sino-Korean 恩 (eun) meaning "kindness, mercy, charity" or 銀 (eun) meaning "silver, money", as well as other hanja characters that are pronounced in the same way. It usually occurs in combination with another character, though it is sometimes used as a stand-alone name.

Eun-Gyeong f Korean
From Sino-Korean 恩 (eun) meaning "kindness, mercy, charity" or 銀 (eun) meaning "silver" combined with 敬 (gyeong) meaning "respect, honour" or 景 (gyeong) meaning "scenery, view". Other hanja character combinations can also form this name.

Eun-Jeong f Korean
From Sino-Korean 恩 (eun) meaning "kindness, mercy, charity" or 慇 (eun) meaning "careful, anxious, attentive" combined with 廷 (jeong) meaning "courtyard" or 婷 (jeong) meaning "pretty, graceful". This name can be formed by other hanja character combinations as well.

Eurwen f Welsh
Derived from Welsh aur "gold" and gwen "white, blessed".

Fayruz f Arabic
Means "turquoise (gemstone)" in Arabic, ultimately of Persian origin.

Fidda f Arabic
Means "silver" in Arabic.

Finbar m Irish
Anglicized form of Irish Fionnbharr, Old Irish Finnbarr, derived from finn "white, blessed" and barr "top, head". Saint Finbar of Cork was a 6th-century bishop who supposedly performed miraculous cures. The Isle of Barra off Scotland was (probably) named for him.

Findláech m Medieval Scottish
Older form of Fionnlagh.

Fingal m Literature
Means "white stranger", derived from the Old Irish elements finn "white, blessed" and gall "foreigner, stranger". This was the name of the hero in the Scottish author James Macpherson's 1761 poem Fingal, which he claimed to have based on early Gaelic legends about Fionn mac Cumhaill.

Finnén m Old Irish
Variant of Finnian.

Fintan m Irish, Irish Mythology, Old Irish
Possibly means either "white fire" or "white ancient" in Irish. According to legend this was the name of the only Irish person to survive the great flood. This name was also borne by many Irish saints.

Fionn m Irish, Irish Mythology
From the Old Irish name Finn, derived from finn meaning "white, blessed". It occurs frequently in Irish history and legends, the most noteworthy bearer being Fionn mac Cumhaill, the central character of one of the four main cycles of Irish mythology, the Fenian Cycle. Fionn was born as Deimne, and acquired his nickname because of his fair hair. He grew all-wise by eating an enchanted salmon, and later became the leader of the Fianna after defeating the fire-breathing demon Áillen. He was the father of Oisín and grandfather of Oscar.

Fionnlagh m Scottish Gaelic
Means "white warrior", derived from Old Irish finn "white, blessed" and láech "warrior". An earlier form was Findláech — this was the name of the father of the 11th-century Scottish king Macbeth.

Fionnuala f Irish, Irish Mythology
Means "white shoulder" from Old Irish finn "white, blessed" and gúala "shoulder". In Irish legend Fionnuala was one of the four children of Lir who were transformed into swans for a period of 900 years.

Firouzeh f Persian
Means "turquoise (gemstone)" in Persian. Alternatively, it may be a feminine form of Firouz.

Flann m & f Irish, Old Irish
Means "blood red" in Irish. This was the name of a 9th-century high king of Ireland.

Flavius m Ancient Roman, Romanian
Roman family name meaning "golden" or "yellow-haired" from Latin flavus "yellow, golden". Flavius was the family name of the 1st-century Roman emperors Vespasian, Titus and Domitian. It was used as a personal name by several later emperors, notably by Constantine.

Floyd m English
Variant of Lloyd.

Fulvio m Italian
Italian form of the Roman family name Fulvius, which was derived from Latin fulvus "yellow, tawny".

Gauri f Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi
Means "white" in Sanskrit. This is a Hindu goddess, another name of Parvati the wife of Shiva, so named because of her fair complexion.

Gilroy m English (Rare)
From an Irish surname, either Mac Giolla Ruaidh, which means "son of the red-haired servant", or Mac Giolla Rí, which means "son of the king's servant".

Gláucio m Portuguese
Portuguese form of the Roman cognomen Glaucia, which was derived from Latin glaucus "bluish grey", ultimately from Greek.

Glaucus m Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Greek Γλαῦκος (Glaukos), a name meaning "bluish grey". This was the name of a Greek sea god, as well as other characters in Greek legend.

Gökçe f Turkish
Means "blue" in Turkish.

Goldie 1 f English
From a nickname for a person with blond hair, from the English word gold.

Gonzalo m Spanish
From the medieval name Gundisalvus, which was the Latin form of a Germanic (possibly Visigothic or Suebi) name composed of gunda "war" and maybe salba "salve, ointment", salo "dark, dusky" or sal "house, hall" (with the spelling perhaps influenced by Latin salvus "safe"). Saint Gonzalo was an 11th-century bishop of Mondoñedo in Galicia, Spain.

Gormlaith f Old Irish
Derived from Old Irish gorm "blue" or "illustrious" and flaith "ruler, sovereign, princess". This was the name of several medieval Irish royals, including the wife of the 11th-century king Brian Boru.

Gray m & f English (Rare)
From an English surname meaning "grey", originally given to a person who had grey hair or clothing.

Grayson m English (Modern)
From an English surname meaning "son of the steward", derived from Middle English greyve "steward". It became common towards the end of the 20th century because of its similarity to popular names like Jason, Mason and Graham.

Griselda f English, Spanish, Literature
Possibly derived from the Old German elements gris "grey" and hilt "battle". It is not attested as a Germanic name. This was the name of a patient wife in medieval folklore, adapted into tales by Boccaccio (in The Decameron) and Chaucer (in The Canterbury Tales).

Guendoleu m Welsh Mythology
Old Welsh form of Gwenddoleu.

Guendoloena f Arthurian Cycle
Latin form of Gwendolen used by Geoffrey of Monmouth for the wife of Merlin.

Guinevere f Arthurian Cycle
From the Norman French form of the Welsh name Gwenhwyfar meaning "white phantom", ultimately from the old Celtic roots *windos meaning "white" (modern Welsh gwen) and *sēbros meaning "phantom, magical being". In Arthurian legend she was the beautiful wife of King Arthur. According to the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth, she was seduced by Mordred before the battle of Camlann, which led to the deaths of both Mordred and Arthur. According to the 12th-century French poet Chrétien de Troyes, she engaged in an adulterous affair with Sir Lancelot.... [more]

Gwen f Welsh, English
From Welsh gwen, the feminine form of gwyn meaning "white, blessed". It can also be a short form of Gwendolen, Gwenllian and other names beginning with Gwen.

Gwenaël m French, Breton
Means "blessed and generous" from Breton gwenn meaning "white, blessed" and hael meaning "generous". Saint Gwenhael was a 6th-century abbot of Brittany.

Gwenda f Welsh, English
Derived from the Welsh elements gwen meaning "white, blessed" and da meaning "good". This name was created in the 19th century.

Gwendal m Breton
Derived from Breton gwenn meaning "white, blessed" and tal meaning "brow, forehead".

Gwenddydd f Welsh Mythology
Derived from Welsh gwen meaning "white, blessed" and dydd meaning "day". In medieval Welsh tales this is the name of Myrddin's sister. Geoffrey of Monmouth calls her Ganieda and also makes her the wife of Rhydderch Hael.

Gwendolen f Welsh
Possibly means "white ring", derived from Welsh gwen meaning "white, blessed" and dolen meaning "ring, loop". This name appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's 12th-century chronicles, written in the Latin form Guendoloena, where it belongs to an ancient queen of the Britons who defeats her ex-husband in battle. Geoffrey later used it in Vita Merlini for the wife of the prophet Merlin. An alternate theory claims that the name arose from a misreading of the masculine name Guendoleu by Geoffrey.... [more]

Gwenfrewi f Welsh (Rare)
Derived from Welsh gwen meaning "white, blessed" combined with another element of uncertain meaning. It could possibly be Welsh ffreu meaning "stream, flow" or the obscure word ffrewi meaning "pacify, quell, reconcile". This may be the original form of Winifred. In any case, it is the Welsh name for the saint.

Gwenllian f Welsh
Derived from the Welsh elements gwen meaning "white, blessed" and possibly lliain meaning "flaxen, made of linen" or lliant meaning "flow, flood". This name was used by medieval Welsh royalty, notably by a 12th-century princess of Deheubarth who died in battle with the Normans. It was also borne by the 13th-century daughter of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, the last prince of Gwynedd.

Gwenn f Breton
Breton cognate of Gwen.

Gwenneg m Breton
Derived from Breton gwenn meaning "white, blessed" combined with a diminutive suffix. Saint Gwenneg was an 8th-century monk of Brittany.

Gwyn m Welsh, Welsh Mythology
Means "white, blessed" in Welsh. In Welsh legend Gwyn was a king of the Otherworld and the leader of the Wild Hunt. He appears in the Welsh tale Culhwch and Olwen, where he is one of the many who help Culhwch hunt the monstrous boar Trwyth. The story also tells of his rivalry with Gwythyr for the beautiful Creiddylad.

Gwyneira f Welsh
Means "white snow" from the Welsh element gwyn meaning "white, blessed" combined with eira meaning "snow". This is a recently created Welsh name.

Gwynfor m Welsh
Derived from the Welsh element gwyn meaning "white, blessed" combined with maur meaning "great, large". This name was created in the 19th century.

Ha-Eun f Korean
From Sino-Korean 夏 (ha) meaning "summer, great, grand" combined with 恩 (eun) meaning "kindness, mercy, charity". This name can also be formed by other hanja character combinations.

Hari m Hinduism, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Nepali
Means "brown, yellow, tawny" in Sanskrit, and by extension "monkey, horse, lion". This is another name of the Hindu god Vishnu, and sometimes of Krishna. It is also borne by the son of the Garuda, the bird-like mount of Vishnu.

Harisha m Hinduism
Means "lord of monkeys" from Sanskrit हरि (hari) meaning "monkey" and ईश (isha) meaning "lord". This is another name of the Hindu god Vishnu.

Haukea f Hawaiian
Means "white snow" from Hawaiian hau "snow" and kea "white".

Haumea f Polynesian Mythology
Means "red ruler", from Hawaiian hau "ruler" and mea "reddish brown". Haumea is the Hawaiian goddess of fertility and childbirth. A dwarf planet in the outer solar system was named for her in 2008.

Hazel f English
From the English word hazel for the tree or the light brown colour, derived ultimately from Old English hæsel. It was coined as a given name in the 19th century and quickly became popular, reaching the 18th place for girls in the United States by 1897. It fell out of fashion in the second half of the 20th century, but has since recovered.

Heddwyn m Welsh
Derived from Welsh hedd "peace" and gwyn "white, blessed". This name has been given in honour of the poet Ellis Humphrey Evans (1887-1917), who used Hedd Wyn as his bardic name.

Helvius m Ancient Roman
Roman cognomen derived from either Latin helvus meaning "honey-yellow, blond" or from the name of the Helvii, a Celtic tribe who lived west of the Rhône river. Gaius Helvius Cinna was a Roman poet of the 1st century BC.

Hema f Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Kannada
Means "golden" in Sanskrit.

Heulwen f Welsh
Means "sunshine" in Welsh (a compound of haul "sun" and gwen "white, blessed").

Hồng f Vietnamese
From Sino-Vietnamese 紅 (hồng) meaning "pink, rosy".

Hong m & f Chinese
From Chinese 虹 (hóng) meaning "rainbow", 弘 (hóng) meaning "enlarge, expand, great" (which is usually only masculine) or 鸿 (hóng) meaning "wild swan, great, vast" (also usually only masculine). Other characters can also form this name.

Huangdi m Chinese Mythology
From Chinese 黄 (huáng) meaning "yellow" and 帝 (dì) meaning "god, emperor". This is the Chinese name for the Yellow Emperor, a mythical ruler and deity who is said to have reigned in the 3rd millennium BC. He is regarded as the ancestor of the Chinese people.

Huanglong m Chinese Mythology
From Chinese 黄 (huáng) meaning "yellow" and 龙 (lóng) meaning "dragon". This is the Chinese name for the Yellow Dragon, who is considered the animal form of the mythical Yellow Emperor Huangdi.

Humayra f Arabic
Means "red" in Arabic. This was a name given by the Prophet Muhammad to his wife Aisha.

Hường f Vietnamese
Variant of Hồng.

Ianthe f Greek Mythology
Means "violet flower", derived from Greek ἴον (ion) meaning "violet" and ἄνθος (anthos) meaning "flower". This was the name of an ocean nymph in Greek mythology.

Ibolya f Hungarian
Means "violet" in Hungarian, ultimately from Latin viola.

Indigo f & m English (Modern)
From the English word indigo for the purplish-blue dye or the colour. It is ultimately derived from Greek Ἰνδικόν (Indikon) meaning "Indic, from India".

Inola f Cherokee
Derived from Cherokee ᎢᏃᎵ (inoli) meaning "black fox".

Iole f Greek Mythology
Means "violet" in Greek. In Greek mythology she was a woman beloved by Herakles.

Ione f Greek Mythology, English
From Ancient Greek ἴον (ion) meaning "violet flower". This was the name of a sea nymph in Greek mythology. It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the 19th century, though perhaps based on the Greek place name Ionia, a region on the west coast of Asia Minor.

Irvine m English, Scottish
From a surname that was a variant of Irving.

Irving m English, Jewish
From a Scottish surname that was derived from the town of Irvine in North Ayrshire, itself named for the River Irvine, which is derived from Brythonic elements meaning "green water". Historically this name has been relatively common among Jews, who have used it as an American-sounding form of Hebrew names beginning with I such as Isaac, Israel and Isaiah. A famous bearer was the Russian-American songwriter and lyricist Irving Berlin (1888-1989), whose birth name was Israel Beilin.

Kahurangi f & m Maori
From the name of a type of green gemstone found in New Zealand, meaning "sky blue" in Maori.

Kali 1 f & m Hinduism, Bengali, Tamil
Means "the black one" in Sanskrit. The Hindu goddess Kali is the fierce destructive form of the wife of Shiva. She is usually depicted with black skin and four arms, holding a severed head and brandishing a sword. As a personal name, it is generally masculine in India.

Kaltrina f Albanian
Possibly from Albanian kaltër meaning "blue, azure".

Kamala f & m Hinduism, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Hindi, Nepali
Means "lotus" or "pale red" in Sanskrit. In Sanskrit this is a transcription of both the feminine form कमला and the masculine form कमल, though in modern languages it is only a feminine form. This is the name of one of the Krittikas, or Pleiades, in the Hindu epic the Mahabharata. It is also another name of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi.

Kanchana f Tamil, Thai
Means "golden" in Sanskrit.

Kapila m Hinduism
Means "reddish brown" in Sanskrit, derived from कपि (kapi) meaning "monkey". In the Hindu epic the Mahabharata this is the name of a sage who founded Samkhya philosophy and is identified with the god Vishnu.

Kara 2 m Ottoman Turkish
Means "black, dark" in Turkish. This was sometimes used as a byname by Ottoman officials, figuratively meaning "courageous".

Khazhak m Armenian
Means "blue-eyed" in Armenian.

Krishna m Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Gujarati, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Nepali
Means "black, dark" in Sanskrit. This is the name of a Hindu god believed to be an incarnation of the god Vishnu. He was the youngest of King Vasudeva's eight children, six of whom were killed by King Kamsa because of a prophecy that a child of Vasudeva would kill Kamsa. Krishna however was saved and he eventually killed the king as well as performing many other great feats. In some Hindu traditions, Krishna is regarded as the supreme deity. He is usually depicted with blue skin.

Laban m Biblical, Biblical Hebrew
Derived from Hebrew לָבָן (lavan) meaning "white". In the Old Testament this is the name of the father of Rachel and Leah.

Lamya f Arabic
Derived from the poetic Arabic word لمى (lama) meaning "dark red lips".

Lebanah m Biblical, Biblical Hebrew
Means "white" in Hebrew, a poetic name for the moon. This name appears briefly in the Old Testament.

Legolas m Literature
Means "green leaves" in the fictional language Sindarin, from laeg "green" combined with go-lass "collection of leaves". In The Lord of the Rings (1954) by J. R. R. Tolkien, Legolas is the son of the elf lord Thranduil and a member of the Fellowship of the Ring.

Leocadia f Spanish, Late Roman
Late Latin name that might be derived from the name of the Greek island of Leucadia or from Greek λευκός (leukos) meaning "bright, clear, white" (which is also the root of the island's name). Saint Leocadia was a 3rd-century martyr from Spain.

Leukippos m Ancient Greek, Greek Mythology
Means "white horse", derived from Greek λευκός (leukos) meaning "white, bright" and ἵππος (hippos) meaning "horse". This name was borne by a 5th-century BC Greek philosopher, as well as by several characters in Greek mythology.

Li 1 f & m Chinese
From Chinese 理 (lǐ) meaning "reason, logic", 立 (lì) meaning "stand, establish", 黎 (lí) meaning "black, dawn", 力 (lì) meaning "power, capability, influence" (which is usually only masculine) or 丽 (lì) meaning "beautiful" (usually only feminine). Other Chinese characters are also possible.

Líadan f Irish (Rare)
Possibly from Old Irish líath meaning "grey". According to an Irish tale this was the name of a poet who became a nun, but then missed her lover Cuirithir so much that she died of grief. The name was also borne by a 5th-century saint, the mother of Saint Ciarán the Elder.

Livius m Ancient Roman
Roman family name that may be related to either Latin liveo "to envy" or lividus "blue, envious". Titus Livius, also known as Livy, was a Roman historian who wrote a history of the city of Rome.

Livna f Hebrew
Means "white" in Hebrew.

Ljubica f Serbian, Croatian, Macedonian, Slovene
From the Slavic element ľuby meaning "love" combined with a diminutive suffix. It can also come from the Serbian and Croatian word ljubica meaning "violet (flower)".

Lloyd m English
From a Welsh surname that was derived from llwyd meaning "grey". The composer Andrew Lloyd Webber (1948-) is a famous bearer of this name.

Lujayn f Arabic
Means "silver" in Arabic.

Ma'evehpota'e f Cheyenne
Means "red leaf woman", from Cheyenne ma'e- "red" and vehpȯtse "leaf" combined with the feminine suffix -e'é.

Mairwen f Welsh
Combination of Mair and Welsh gwen meaning "white, blessed".

Meinwen f Welsh
Means "slender and beautiful maiden" from a Welsh compound of main "slender" and gwen "white, blessed".

Mekaisto m Siksika
From Siksika Mí'kiai'stoowa meaning "red crow", from mi'ki "red" and mai'stóó "crow". Red Crow (1830-1900) was a chief of the Kainai Blackfoot.

Melaina f Greek Mythology
Derived from Greek μέλαινα (melaina) meaning "black, dark". This was the name of a nymph in Greek mythology.

Melanie f English, German, Dutch
From Mélanie, the French form of the Latin name Melania, derived from Greek μέλαινα (melaina) meaning "black, dark". This was the name of a Roman saint who gave all her wealth to charity in the 5th century. Her grandmother was also a saint with the same name.... [more]

Melanthios m Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek
Derived from Greek μέλας (melas) meaning "black, dark" and ἄνθος (anthos) meaning "flower". In Homer's epic the Odyssey this is the name of an insolent goatherd killed by Odysseus.

Midori f Japanese
From Japanese 緑 (midori) meaning "green", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations that have the same pronunciation.

Millaray f Mapuche
Means "golden flower" in Mapuche, from milla "gold" and rayen "flower".

Miltiades m Ancient Greek
Derived from Greek μίλτος (miltos) meaning "red earth" and the patronymic suffix ἴδης (ides). This was the name of the general who led the Greek forces to victory against the Persians in the Battle of Marathon.

Mina 3 f Persian
Means "azure, enamel" in Persian.

Muirenn f Old Irish, Irish Mythology
From Old Irish muir "sea" and finn "white, blessed". This is another name of Muirne, the mother of the legendary hero Fionn mac Cumhaill.

Muirgel f Old Irish
Means "bright sea", derived from Old Irish muir "sea" and gel "bright".

Nero 2 m Italian
Short form of Raniero. It also coincides with the Italian word nero meaning "black".

Nigel m English
From Nigellus, a medieval Latinized form of Neil. It was commonly associated with Latin niger "black". It was revived in the 19th century, perhaps in part due to Walter Scott's novel The Fortunes of Nigel (1822).

Nila f Tamil, Hindi
Means "dark blue" in Sanskrit.

Nilam f & m Hindi, Marathi
Means "dark blue, sapphire" in Sanskrit.

Nilesh m Marathi
From Sanskrit नील (nila) meaning "dark blue" and ईश (isha) meaning "lord, ruler".

Nilima f Marathi, Hindi, Telugu
Means "dark blue" in Sanskrit.

Ntsuab f Hmong
Means "green" in Hmong.

Ọbatala m Yoruba Mythology
Means "king of white cloth" in Yoruba, derived from ọba "king" and àlà "white cloth". According to traditional Yoruba religion he is the creator of the earth and human beings. He also founded the first Yoruba city, Ife.

Odharnait f Irish (Rare)
Derived from odar "dun-coloured, greyish brown, tan" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of an early Irish saint.

Odhrán m Irish
From Old Irish Odrán, derived from odar "dun-coloured, greyish brown, tan" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of a saint who travelled with Saint Columba through Scotland.

Oébfinn f Old Irish
Old Irish form of Aoibheann.

Okropir m Georgian
Means "golden mouth" in Georgian, a translation of Greek Chrysostomos.

Olwen f Welsh, Welsh Mythology, Arthurian Cycle
Means "white footprint" from Welsh ol "footprint, track" and gwen "white, blessed". In the Welsh tale Culhwch and Olwen she was a beautiful maiden, the lover of Culhwch and the daughter of the giant Yspaddaden. Her father insisted that Culhwch complete several seemingly impossible tasks before he would allow them to marry.

Orabela f Esperanto
Means "golden-beautiful" in Esperanto, ultimately from Latin aurea "gold" and bella "beautiful".

Oriol m Catalan
From a Catalan surname meaning "golden". It has been used in honour of Saint Joseph Oriol (1650-1702).

Órlaith f Irish, Old Irish
Means "golden ruler", from Old Irish ór "gold" combined with flaith "ruler, sovereign, princess". This name was borne by several medieval Irish royals, including a sister of the king Brian Boru.

Orville m English
This name was invented by the 18th-century writer Fanny Burney, who perhaps intended it to mean "golden city" in French. Orville Wright (1871-1948), together with his brother Wilbur, invented the first successful airplane.

Orvokki f Finnish
Means "pansy, violet" in Finnish.

Oyibo m & f Urhobo
Means "white" in Urhobo.

Pembe f Turkish
Means "pink" in Turkish.

Pitambara m Hinduism
Derived from Sanskrit पीत (pita) meaning "yellow" and अम्बर (ambara) meaning "garment". This is another name of the Hindu gods Vishnu or Krishna, given to them because yellow clothing is traditionally worn at religious events.

Pittiulaaq f & m Inuit
Means "black guillemot" in Inuktitut (a guillemot is a type of sea bird; species Cepphus grylle).

Porfirio m Spanish, Italian (Rare)
Derived from the Greek name Πορφύριος (Porphyrios), which was derived from the word πορφύρα (porphyra) meaning "purple dye". This was the name of several early saints.

Pyrrhus m Greek Mythology (Latinized), Ancient Greek (Latinized)
From the Greek name Πύρρος (Pyrrhos) meaning "flame-coloured, red", related to πῦρ (pyr) meaning "fire". This was another name of Neoptolemus the son of Achilles. This was also the name of a 3rd-century BC king of Epirus who was famed for his victorious yet costly battles against Rome.

Qing f & m Chinese
From Chinese 青 (qīng) meaning "blue, green, young", as well as other characters pronounced in a similar way.

Qinglong m Chinese Mythology
From Chinese 青 (qīng) meaning "blue, green" and 龙 (lóng) meaning "dragon". This is the Chinese name of the Azure Dragon, associated with the east and the spring season.

Quỳnh f & m Vietnamese
From Sino-Vietnamese 瓊 (quỳnh) meaning "deep red". This is also the Vietnamese name for a variety of flowering plant (genus Epiphyllum).

Radcliff m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "red cliff" in Old English.

Radclyffe m English (Rare)
From a surname, a variant of Radcliff.

Read m English (Rare)
From a surname that was a variant of Reed.

Red m English
From the English word for the colour, ultimately derived from Old English read. It was originally a nickname given to a person with red hair or a ruddy complexion.

Reed m English
From an English surname that was derived from Old English read meaning "red", originally a nickname given to a person with red hair or a ruddy complexion. Unconnected, this is also the English word for tall grass-like plants that grow in marshes.

Reid m English
From a surname, a Scots variant of Reed.

Riko f Japanese
From Japanese 莉 (ri) meaning "white jasmine" or 理 (ri) meaning "reason, logic" combined with 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Rim f Arabic
Means "white antelope" in Arabic.

Rina 4 f Japanese
From Japanese 莉 (ri) meaning "white jasmine" or 里 (ri) meaning "village" combined with 奈 (na), a phonetic character, or 菜 (na) meaning "vegetables, greens". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Rio 2 f Japanese
From Japanese 莉 (ri) meaning "white jasmine" or 里 (ri) meaning "village" combined with 央 (o) meaning "center", 緒 (o) meaning "thread" or 桜 (o) meaning "cherry blossom". Other kanji combinations are also possible.

Rohit m Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Odia, Gujarati, Kannada, Telugu, Nepali
Derived from Sanskrit रोहित (rohita) meaning "red".

Roosa f Finnish
Finnish form of Rosa 1. It also means "pink" in Finnish.

Rosalba f Italian
Italian name meaning "white rose", derived from Latin rosa "rose" and alba "white". A famous bearer was the Venetian painter Rosalba Carriera (1675-1757).

Rosaura f Spanish
Means "golden rose", derived from Latin rosa "rose" and aurea "golden". This name was (first?) used by Pedro Calderón de la Barca for a character in his play Life Is a Dream (1635).

Rosenrot f Literature
Means "rose red" in German, used in the Brothers Grimm folktale Schneeweißchen und Rosenrot (English translation Snow-White and Rose-Red). In the tale Rosenrot and her sister Schneeweißchen befriend a bear who has been cursed by an evil dwarf.

Rossa f Italian (Rare)
Means "red" in Italian.

Ruadh m Medieval Irish, Medieval Scottish
Irish and Scottish Gaelic byname meaning "red", often a nickname for one with red hair. This was the nickname of the Scottish outlaw Raibeart Ruadh MacGregor (1671-1734), known as Rob Roy in English.

Ruadhán m Irish
From Old Irish Rúadán, derived from rúad "red" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of the founder of the monastery of Lorrha in the 6th century.

Ruaidhrí m Irish
From Old Irish Ruaidrí meaning "red king", from rúad "red" combined with rí "king". This was the name of the last high king of Ireland, reigning in the 12th century.

Ruaidrí m Old Irish
Old Irish form of Ruaidhrí.

Rubens m Portuguese (Brazilian)
Possibly from Latin rubens "being red", participle of rubeo "to be red". It may also be inspired by the Flemish painter Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640).

Rudīte f Latvian
From Latvian ruds meaning "red, red-haired".

Rudyard m English (Rare)
From a place name meaning "red yard" in Old English. This name was borne by Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936), the author of The Jungle Book and other works, who was named after Rudyard Lake in Staffordshire.

Rufus m Ancient Roman, English, Biblical
Roman cognomen meaning "red-haired" in Latin. Several early saints had this name, including one mentioned in one of Paul's epistles in the New Testament. As a nickname it was used by William II Rufus, a king of England, because of his red hair. It came into general use in the English-speaking world after the Protestant Reformation.

Russel m English
Variant of Russell.

Russell m English
From an English surname, of Norman origin, meaning "little red one" (a diminutive of Old French rous "red"). A notable bearer of the surname was the agnostic British philosopher Bertrand Russell (1872-1970), who wrote on many subjects including logic, epistemology and mathematics. He was also a political activist for causes such as pacifism and women's rights.... [more]

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

Sacnicte f Mayan (Hispanicized)
Means "white plumeria flower", from Yucatec Maya sak "white" and nikte' "plumeria flower".

Sarolt f Hungarian (Rare)
From the Old Hungarian name Saroldu, probably of Turkic origin meaning "white weasel, ermine". This was the wife of the 10th-century Hungarian grand prince Géza.

Scarlet f English (Modern)
Either a variant of Scarlett or else from the English word for the red colour (both of the same origin, a type of cloth).

Scarlett f English
From an English surname that denoted a person who sold or made clothes made of scarlet (a kind of cloth, possibly derived from Persian سقرلاط (saqrelat)). Margaret Mitchell used it for the main character, Scarlett O'Hara, in her novel Gone with the Wind (1936). Her name is explained as having come from her grandmother. Despite the fact that the book was adapted into a popular movie in 1939, the name was not common until the 21st century. It started rising around 2003, about the time that the career of American actress Scarlett Johansson (1984-) started taking off.

Schneeweißchen f Literature
Means "snow white" in High German, thus a cognate of Low German Sneewittchen (see Snow White). This is the name of a peasant girl in the German folktale Snow-White and Rose-Red, recorded by the Brothers Grimm in 1837. Her sister is Rosenrot, translated into English as Rose-Red. This story is distinct from the Grimms' earlier tale Snow White.

Schneewittchen f Literature
German form of Snow White.

Shani 1 f & m Hebrew
Means "red, scarlet" in Hebrew.

Shweta f Marathi, Hindi, Gujarati
Means "white" in Sanskrit.

Shyama m & f Hinduism, Hindi
Derived from Sanskrit श्याम (shyama) meaning "dark, black, blue". This is a transcription of the masculine form श्याम, which is another name of the Hindu god Krishna, as well as the feminine form श्यामा, one of the many names of the wife of the god Shiva. It is also the name of a Jain goddess.

Shyamal m Bengali
From Sanskrit श्यामल (shyamala), a derivative of श्याम (shyama) meaning "dark, black, blue".

Shyamala f Tamil, Telugu, Marathi
Feminine form of Shyamal.

Siavash m Persian, Persian Mythology
Persian form of Avestan 𐬯𐬌𐬌𐬁𐬎𐬎𐬀𐬭𐬱𐬀𐬥 (Siiāuuarshan) meaning "possessing black stallions". This was the name of a virtuous prince in Iranian mythology. He appears briefly in the Avesta, with a longer account recorded in the 10th-century Persian epic the Shahnameh.

Sienna f English (Modern)
From the English word meaning "orange-red". It is ultimately from the name of the city of Siena in Italy, because of the colour of the clay there.

Sigal f Hebrew
Means "violet flower" in Hebrew.

Silver m & f English (Rare)
From the English word for the precious metal or the colour, ultimately derived from Old English seolfor.

Simay f Turkish
Means "silver moon" in Turkish, from sim meaning "silver, glitter" and ay meaning "moon".

Sini f Finnish
Means "blue" in Finnish. More specifically, sini is a poetic term for the colour blue.

Sirje f Estonian
Possibly from Estonian sinisirje meaning "blue-feathered", a word associated with a magical bird in the Estonian national epic Kalevipoeg (1857) by Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald. Apparently this name was suggested by the linguist Julius Mägiste in the 1920s. It was subsequently used in the 1945 opera Tasuleegid by Eugen Kapp.

Sneewittchen f Literature
Older form of Schneewittchen (see Snow White). This was the Low German form originally used by the Brothers Grimm for their adaptation of the folktale Snow White.

Snow White f Literature
English translation of German Sneewittchen, derived from Low German Snee "snow" and witt "white" combined with the diminutive suffix -chen. This is the name of a girl who escapes her evil stepmother and takes refuge with seven dwarfs in an 1812 story recorded by the Brothers Grimm, who based it on earlier European folktales. The High German translation would be Schneeweißchen, but this was used by the Grimms for an unrelated character in another story (Snow-White and Rose-Red). The modern German form is typically the hybrid Schneewittchen. The story was adapted into a film by Walt Disney in 1937.

Sohrab m Persian, Persian Mythology
From Persian سهر (sohr) meaning "red" and آب (ab) meaning "water". In the 10th-century Persian epic the Shahnameh this is the name of the son of the hero Rostam. He was tragically slain in battle by his father, who was unaware he was fighting his own son.