Updated November 2023
Across 500 pages
of 500
Tibetan
"ocean"
Gyatso is a highly meaningful name in Tibetan Buddhism. It is added to the name of each Dalai Lama — the current one is Tenzin Gyatso. It is a translation of the title Dalai, which means "ocean" or…
Surname
"from Austerlitz, Moravia"
Dancer Fred Astaire lends a heavy dose of glamour to his surname, an Anglicized version of the Austrian-Jewish name Austerlitz. Austerlitz is a habitational surname denoting someone from Austerlitz,…
Manx
"helmet of god"
Manx variant of the Norse name Asketill.
Swedish and Norwegian
Swedish and Norwegian form of the Old Norse name Asketill.
Hebrew
"he is my father"
The name of a son of Aaron in the Old Testament. Abihu is a variant form.
The name of a son of Aaron in the Old Testament. Avihu is a variant form.
Welsh
"great lord or sea lord"
Diminutive of Welsh Maredudd, the original (masculine) form of Meredith.
Welsh place name
"open plain or burial place"
The meaning of the place name Berian, in Pembrokeshire, is not known, but it may mean "plain" or "burial place". It would make an interesting -ian ending option for lovers of names like Julian and…
"battle prince"
A rare Welsh name with a wonderful meaning, Cadfael is the name of the detective monk character in Ellis Peters' medieval murder mysteries. It's usually pronounced CAD-vyle in Welsh, although Peters…
"rejoice"
A Welsh saint, the son or grandson of a local king called Caw/Cai. It seems that Caian may be a derivative of that name, which is derived from Caius "rejoice". A church at Tregaian in Anglesey is…
Artist surname
Paul Cézanne was a French post-Impressionist painter whose intriguing surname is of uncertain origin, although it may be related to Suzanne (from the Hebrew Shoshana, "lily"). It has also been used…
German
"home"
Ancient Germanic name derived from the element heim "home", used as a short form for names which include this element.
"son of Hamo"
Patronymic surname derived from the Norman name Hamo.
"god is release"
The name of several people in the Old Testament, including a son of David. Eliphalet is a variant spelling.
"little heart"
A lovely Manx name with an even lovelier meaning.
"victory"
A cute Welsh name with a strong meaning. This was the name of a 6th-century Welsh saint who founded Caergybi, or Holyhead in English. Welsh pop start Ian "H" Watkins and his husband welcomed twins…
Tamil
"leader"
This cool Tamil option means "leader".
Welsh or Hebrew
"steel, or generation of god"
As a Welsh name, Elidor is a modern form of Elidur, an ancient British king name. It was used by British author Alan Garner for the eponymous hero of his children's fantasy novel Elidor (1965). As a…
"steel"
Ancient British king's name with a cool sound.
Breton and French
"light"
This beautiful Breton saint's name peaked at #127 in France in 2006. It's still in the Top 500 there today, but remains almost unknown outside of France.