Given name
Encyclopedia
A given name, in Western contexts often referred to as a first name, is a personal name
that specifies and differentiates between members of a group of individuals, especially in a family, all of whose members usually share the same family name
(surname). A given name is purposefully given, usually by a child's parents at or near birth, in contrast to an inherited one such as a family name.
In most European (and Europe-derived) cultures, the given name usually comes before the family name (though generally not in lists and catalogs), and so is known as a forename or first name; but the family name traditionally comes first in Hungary, parts of Africa and most of East Asia (e.g. China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam). In East Asia, even part of the given name
may be shared among all members of a given generation in a family and the family's extensions, to differentiate those generations from other generations.
Under the common Western naming convention, people generally have one or more forenames (either given or acquired). If more than one, there is usually a main forename (for everyday use) and one or more supplementary forenames; but sometimes two or more carry equal weight. Beyond preceding the surname
there is no particular ordering rule for forenames. Often the main forename is at the beginning, resulting in a first name and one or more middle names, but other arrangements are quite common.
Given names are often used in a familiar and friendly manner in informal situations. In more formal situations the surname is used instead, unless it is necessary to distinguish between people with the same surname. The idiom
"on a first-name basis" (or "on first-name terms") alludes to the familiarity of addressing another by a given name.
The western style of having both a family name (surname
) and a given name (Christian name or forename) is far from universal. In many countries it is common for ordinary people to have only one name or Mononym.
is a matter of public record, inscribed on the birth certificate
or equivalent. In some jurisdictions, mainly civil-law
jurisdictions such as France, Quebec
, the Netherlands or Germany, the functionary whose job it is to record acts of birth may act to prevent parents from giving the child a name that may cause him or her harm (in France, by referring the case to a local judge). Even spell-checking of the name is done.
Men born in one country who immigrate to another with different naming conventions may have their names legally changed accordingly. If the name is not assigned at birth it may be assigned at a naming ceremony
with families and friends attending.
In 1991, in protest of Swedish naming laws, two parents attempted to name their child Brfxxccxxmnpcccclllmmnprxvclmnckssqlbb11116, claiming that it was "a pregnant, expressionistic development that we see as an artistic creation."
In many cultures, given names are reused, especially to commemorate ancestors
or those who are particularly admired, resulting in a limited repertoire of names that sometimes vary by orthography
.
The most familiar example of this, to Western readers, is the use of Biblical and saints'
names in most of the Christian countries (with Ethiopia, in which names were often ideals or abstractions—Haile Selassie, "power of the Trinity"; Haile Miriam, "power of Mary"—as the most conspicuous exception). However, the name Jesus is considered taboo
or sacrilegious
in some parts of the Christian world, though this taboo does not extend to the cognate Joshua
or related forms which are common in many languages even among Christians.
Similarly, the name Mary, now popular if not ubiquitous among Christians, particularly Roman Catholics
, was considered too holy for secular use until about the 12th century. In countries that particularly venerated Mary, this remained the case much longer; in Poland, until the arrival in the 17th century of French queens named Marie.
Most common given names in English (and many other European languages) can be grouped into broad categories based on their origin:
Frequently, a given name has versions in many different languages. For example, the biblical name Susanna
also occurs in its original biblical Hebrew
version, Shoshannah, its Spanish and Portuguese version Susana, and its French version, Suzanne, and its Polish version, Zuzanna.
s are often unique, because meaningful Han characters can be combined extensively. But Korean names and Vietnamese names are usually simply vernacularized conventions derived from their Chinese counterparts.
However, some parents recycle popular given names as well. The names of famous and successful people are also reused occasionally.
Nevertheless, many Chinese and Korean parents invest tremendous effort in considering the names of their children before birth, often with comprehensive dictionaries or with religious guides, formal or informal. Sometimes, especially in traditional families, paternal grandparents are the name-givers.
Unlike European languages, the Chinese language
does not have a particular set of words reserved for given names; any combination of Chinese characters theoretically can be used as a given name. This fact sometimes makes Chinese people think that there may be more English-speaking people sharing identical full names than Chinese. This is not the case, because English has a much larger variety of family names.
In many Westernized Asian locations, many Asians also use a Western (often English) given name, which may be official or not, in addition to their Asian given name. This is also true for Asian students at colleges in countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia, and people who wish to do business internationally—both as means to ease communication with people who cannot properly pronounce the names in their official languages. It's also interesting to note that when Chinese immigrants or students give themselves English given names, they tend to pick one that closely matches their original name if possible. For example, a Chinese man named "Ah Dar" might become "Arthur
" if he emigrates to the United States, or a Vietnamese man named "Khanh" might become "Ken
" if he moves to an English-speaking country.
Many female Japanese name
s, such as Yoko Ono
's, end in ko (子), which means "child". This has caused some confusion among westerners, because in some Romance languages, masculine names often end in o, and feminine names often end in a. People used to names like Tino/Tina are surprised that Mariko or Yoko is female.
s as well, such as Jordan
, Jamie
, Jesse, Alex
, Ashley
, Chris
, Hilary/Hillary, Kim
, Leslie/Lesley, Joe
/Jo, Jackie, Pat, Sam. Often, one gender is predominant; often a particular spelling is more common for each of the two genders, even when the pronunciation is the same.
Many culture groups, past and present, did not or do not gender names strongly, so that many or all of their names are unisex. On the other hand, in many languages including most Indo-European languages
(but not English), gender is inherent in the grammar.
or "christening".
Since about 1800 in England and Wales and in the U.S., the popularity distribution of given names has been shifting so that the most popular names are losing popularity. For example, in England and Wales, the most popular female and male names given to babies born in 1800 were Mary and John, with 24% of female babies and 22% of male babies receiving those names, respectively. In contrast, the corresponding statistics for in England and Wales in 1994 were Emily and James, with 3% and 4% of names, respectively. Not only have Mary and John gone out of favor in the English speaking world, also the overall distribution of names has changed significantly over the last 100 years for females, but not for males. This has led to an increasing amount of diversity for female names.
appears to have an influence on naming trends, at least in the United States and United Kingdom. Newly famous celebrities and public figures may influence the popularity of names. For example, in 2004, the names "Keira" and "Kiera" respectively became the 51st and 92nd most popular girls' names in the UK, following the rise in popularity of British actress Keira Knightley
. In 2001, the use of Colby as a boys' name for babies in the United States jumped from 233rd place to 99th, just after Colby Donaldson
was the runner-up on Survivor: The Australian Outback
. Also, the female name "Miley" which before was not in the top 1000 was 278th most popular in 2007, following the rise to fame of singer-actress Miley Cyrus
(who was named Destiny at birth).
Characters from fiction also seem to influence naming. After the name Kayla
was used for a character
on the American soap opera
Days of our Lives
, the name's popularity increased greatly. The name Tammy
, and the related Tamara
became popular after the movie Tammy and the Bachelor
came out in 1957. Some names were established or spread by being used in literature. Notable examples include Jessica
, a name created by William Shakespeare in his play "The Merchant of Venice
", Vanessa
, created by Jonathan Swift
; Fiona
, a character from James Macpherson
's spurious cycle of Ossian
poems; and Wendy
, an obscure name popularised by J. M. Barrie
in his play Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up; and Madison
, a character from the movie Splash
. Lara
and Larissa
were rare in America before the appearance of Doctor Zhivago
, and have become fairly common since.
Songs can influence the naming of children. Jude jumped from 814th most popular male name in 1968 to 668th in 1969, following the release of The Beatles
's "Hey Jude
". Similarly, Layla
charted as 969th most popular in 1972 after the Eric Clapton
song. It had not been in the top 1,000 before.
Kayleigh became a particularly popular name in the United Kingdom following the release of a song by the British rock group Marillion
. Government statistics in 2005 revealed that 96% of Kayleighs were born after 1985, the year in which Marillion released "Kayleigh
".
Popular culture figures need not be admirable in order to influence naming trends. For example, Peyton came in to the top 1000 as a female given name for babies in the United States for the first time in 1992 (at #583), immediately after it was featured as the name of an evil nanny in the film The Hand That Rocks the Cradle
. On the other hand, for example, Adolf
has fallen out of use since the Second World War
.
(or Jessica) and James (after the American outlaw Jesse James), or Matthew and Mark (the first two books of the New Testament
in the Bible
), or Castor and Pollux
(semi-divine twins in Greek mythology
), or Romulus and Remus
(the mythical founders of Rome
).
The oldest ever female twins, who both died in 2000 and 2001, were named Kin Narita and Gin Kanie
, gold
and silver
respectively in Japanese.
For more possible origins, see the article List of twins.
Central Asia, Altaic, Finno-Ugric
Middle East
East Asia
Africa
Personal name
A personal name is the proper name identifying an individual person, and today usually comprises a given name bestowed at birth or at a young age plus a surname. It is nearly universal for a human to have a name; except in rare cases, for example feral children growing up in isolation, or infants...
that specifies and differentiates between members of a group of individuals, especially in a family, all of whose members usually share the same family name
Family name
A family name is a type of surname and part of a person's name indicating the family to which the person belongs. The use of family names is widespread in cultures around the world...
(surname). A given name is purposefully given, usually by a child's parents at or near birth, in contrast to an inherited one such as a family name.
In most European (and Europe-derived) cultures, the given name usually comes before the family name (though generally not in lists and catalogs), and so is known as a forename or first name; but the family name traditionally comes first in Hungary, parts of Africa and most of East Asia (e.g. China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam). In East Asia, even part of the given name
Generation name
Generation name, variously zibei or banci, is one of the characters in a traditional Chinese name, and is so called because each member of a generation share that character, unlike surnames or given names...
may be shared among all members of a given generation in a family and the family's extensions, to differentiate those generations from other generations.
Under the common Western naming convention, people generally have one or more forenames (either given or acquired). If more than one, there is usually a main forename (for everyday use) and one or more supplementary forenames; but sometimes two or more carry equal weight. Beyond preceding the surname
Surname
A surname is a name added to a given name and is part of a personal name. In many cases, a surname is a family name. Many dictionaries define "surname" as a synonym of "family name"...
there is no particular ordering rule for forenames. Often the main forename is at the beginning, resulting in a first name and one or more middle names, but other arrangements are quite common.
Given names are often used in a familiar and friendly manner in informal situations. In more formal situations the surname is used instead, unless it is necessary to distinguish between people with the same surname. The idiom
Idiom
Idiom is an expression, word, or phrase that has a figurative meaning that is comprehended in regard to a common use of that expression that is separate from the literal meaning or definition of the words of which it is made...
"on a first-name basis" (or "on first-name terms") alludes to the familiarity of addressing another by a given name.
The western style of having both a family name (surname
Surname
A surname is a name added to a given name and is part of a personal name. In many cases, a surname is a family name. Many dictionaries define "surname" as a synonym of "family name"...
) and a given name (Christian name or forename) is far from universal. In many countries it is common for ordinary people to have only one name or Mononym.
Legality
A child's given name or names are usually assigned around the time of birth. In most jurisdictions, the name at birthName at birth
The name at birth is the name a child is given by his or her parents, according to a generally universal custom, and legal requirement. What happens subsequently about this name has a substantial cultural component....
is a matter of public record, inscribed on the birth certificate
Birth certificate
A birth certificate is a vital record that documents the birth of a child. The term "birth certificate" can refer to either the original document certifying the circumstances of the birth or to a certified copy of or representation of the ensuing registration of that birth...
or equivalent. In some jurisdictions, mainly civil-law
Civil law (legal system)
Civil law is a legal system inspired by Roman law and whose primary feature is that laws are codified into collections, as compared to common law systems that gives great precedential weight to common law on the principle that it is unfair to treat similar facts differently on different...
jurisdictions such as France, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, the Netherlands or Germany, the functionary whose job it is to record acts of birth may act to prevent parents from giving the child a name that may cause him or her harm (in France, by referring the case to a local judge). Even spell-checking of the name is done.
Men born in one country who immigrate to another with different naming conventions may have their names legally changed accordingly. If the name is not assigned at birth it may be assigned at a naming ceremony
Naming ceremony
A naming ceremony is the event at which an infant is given a name or names. They can occur anywhere from mere days after birth to several months afterwards. Some of these ceremonies have religious or cultural significance. In Christianity the process is often connected with Christening.- Hinduism...
with families and friends attending.
In 1991, in protest of Swedish naming laws, two parents attempted to name their child Brfxxccxxmnpcccclllmmnprxvclmnckssqlbb11116, claiming that it was "a pregnant, expressionistic development that we see as an artistic creation."
Origin of given names
Given names most often derive from the following categories:- Aspiring personal traits (external and internal). For example, the name Clement means "merciful". English examples include FaithFaithFaith is confidence or trust in a person or thing, or a belief that is not based on proof. In religion, faith is a belief in a transcendent reality, a religious teacher, a set of teachings or a Supreme Being. Generally speaking, it is offered as a means by which the truth of the proposition,...
, PrudencePrudencePrudence is the ability to govern and discipline oneself by the use of reason. It is classically considered to be a virtue, and in particular one of the four Cardinal virtues .The word comes from Old French prudence , from Latin...
and August. - Occupations, for example GeorgeGeorge (given name)George, from the Greek word γεωργός , "farmer" or "earth-worker", which became a name in Greek: Γεώργιος , and Latin: Georgius. The word γεωργός is a compound word, formed by the words ge , "earth", "soil" and ergon , "work"...
means "farmer". - Circumstances of birth, for example ThomasThomas (name)Thomas is a masculine given name. It is based on the Biblical Greek , which is itself a transcription of the Aramaic "twin", the Hebrew cognate being...
meaning "twin" or the Latin name Quintus, which was traditionally given to the fifth male child. - Objects, for example Peter means "rock" and EdgarEdgarEdgar is a common name from Old English words ead + gar . Literally meaning "prosperity-spear" or "prosperous spearman." It may refer to:-Historical:...
means "rich spear". - Physical characteristics, for example CalvinCalvin (name)A few famous people named Calvin include:*Calvin Klein, fashion designer.*Calvin Harris, Scottish electro artist*The main character from Calvin and Hobbes, a retired comic strip.*Calvin Coolidge, the 30th President of the United States....
means "bald". - Variations on another name, especially to change the sex of the name (PaulinePauline (name)Pauline is a female given name. It was originally the French form of Paulina, a female version of Paulinus, a variant of Paulus meaning the little, hence the younger....
, Georgia) or to translate from another language (for instance, the names FrancisFrancisFrancis is a French and English first name and a surname of Latin origin.Francis is a name that has many derivatives in most European languages. The female version of the name in English is Frances, and Francine...
or FranciscoFranciscoFrancisco is a Spanish and Portuguese male name form of the name "Francis".In Spanish, people with the name Francisco sometimes are nicknamed "Paco": San Francisco de Asís was known as Pater Comunitatis when he founded the Franciscan order, "Paco" is a short form of "Pater Comunitatis"...
that come from the name FranciscusFranciscusFranciscus is a given name or surname, and may refer to:*Francis of Assisi *Franciscus Henri*Franciscus Accursius*Franciscus Gomarus*Franciscus Donders*Franciscus Patricius*James Franciscus...
meaning "Frenchman"). - Surnames, for example Winston, HarrisonHarrison (name)Harrison is a common patronymic surname of English origin. It may also be spelled Harrisson, Harryson or Harrysson. Harrison means "son of Harry". Early records suggest that the surnames Harrison and Harris were used interchangeably by some families. It is likely that to this day there are some...
, and RossRoss (name)Ross can be used as a given name, typically for males, but is also a typical family name for people of Scottish descent . In this case the name is of Scottish origin. The family name can also be of German origin . Ross is the name of many people, such as:- Family name Ross :*Aaron Ross Ross can be...
. Such names often come from families that are frequently intermarried with the family bearing the individual's surname. - Places, for example BrittanyBrittanyBrittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
and Lorraine. - Time of birth, for example day of the week, as in Kofi AnnanKofi AnnanKofi Atta Annan is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the UN from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2006...
, whose given name means "born on Friday", or the holiday on which one was born, for example, the name NatalieNatalie (given name)Natalie is a female given name, found in many languages but especially common in French and Russian speaking countries. Popular variants are Nathalie and Natalia...
meaning "[born on] ChristmasChristmasChristmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
day" in Latin. - Combination of the above, for example the ArmenianArmenian languageThe Armenian language is an Indo-European language spoken by the Armenian people. It is the official language of the Republic of Armenia as well as in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The language is also widely spoken by Armenian communities in the Armenian diaspora...
name Sirvart means "love rose." - Names of unknown or disputed etymology, for example MaryMary (given name)Mary is a feminine given name, the English form of the name Maria, which was in turn a Latin form of the Greek names Μαριαμ, or Mariam, and Μαρια, or Maria, found in the New Testament. Both New Testament names were forms of the Hebrew name מִרְיָם or Miryam.The usual meaning given by various...
.
In many cultures, given names are reused, especially to commemorate ancestors
Namesake
Namesake is a term used to characterize a person, place, thing, quality, action, state, or idea that has the same, or a similar, name to another....
or those who are particularly admired, resulting in a limited repertoire of names that sometimes vary by orthography
Orthography
The orthography of a language specifies a standardized way of using a specific writing system to write the language. Where more than one writing system is used for a language, for example Kurdish, Uyghur, Serbian or Inuktitut, there can be more than one orthography...
.
The most familiar example of this, to Western readers, is the use of Biblical and saints'
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
names in most of the Christian countries (with Ethiopia, in which names were often ideals or abstractions—Haile Selassie, "power of the Trinity"; Haile Miriam, "power of Mary"—as the most conspicuous exception). However, the name Jesus is considered taboo
Taboo
A taboo is a strong social prohibition relating to any area of human activity or social custom that is sacred and or forbidden based on moral judgment, religious beliefs and or scientific consensus. Breaking the taboo is usually considered objectionable or abhorrent by society...
or sacrilegious
Sacrilege
Sacrilege is the violation or injurious treatment of a sacred object. In a less proper sense, any transgression against the virtue of religion would be a sacrilege. It can come in the form of irreverence to sacred persons, places, and things...
in some parts of the Christian world, though this taboo does not extend to the cognate Joshua
Joshua
Joshua , is a minor figure in the Torah, being one of the spies for Israel and in few passages as Moses's assistant. He turns to be the central character in the Hebrew Bible's Book of Joshua...
or related forms which are common in many languages even among Christians.
Similarly, the name Mary, now popular if not ubiquitous among Christians, particularly Roman Catholics
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, was considered too holy for secular use until about the 12th century. In countries that particularly venerated Mary, this remained the case much longer; in Poland, until the arrival in the 17th century of French queens named Marie.
Most common given names in English (and many other European languages) can be grouped into broad categories based on their origin:
- Hebrew nameHebrew nameHebrew names are names that have a Hebrew language origin, classically from the Hebrew Bible. They are mostly used by people living in Jewish or Christian parts of the world, but some are also adapted to the Islamic world, particularly if a Hebrew name is mentioned in the Qur'an. When...
s, most often from the Bible, are very common in—or are elements of names used in—the historically Christian countries. Some have elements meaning "God", especially "El". Examples: MichaelMichaelMichael is a given name that comes from the , derived from the Hebrew question מי כמו אלוהים? meaning "Who is like God?" In English, it is sometimes shortened to Mike, Mikey, or, especially in Ireland, Mick...
, JoshuaJoshuaJoshua , is a minor figure in the Torah, being one of the spies for Israel and in few passages as Moses's assistant. He turns to be the central character in the Hebrew Bible's Book of Joshua...
, DanielDanielDaniel is the protagonist in the Book of Daniel of the Hebrew Bible. In the narrative, when Daniel was a young man, he was taken into Babylonian captivity where he was educated in Chaldean thought. However, he never converted to Neo-Babylonian ways...
, JosephJoseph (Hebrew Bible)Joseph is an important character in the Hebrew bible, where he connects the story of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in Canaan to the subsequent story of the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt....
, DavidDavidDavid was the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel according to the Hebrew Bible and, according to the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, an ancestor of Jesus Christ through both Saint Joseph and Mary...
, AdamAdam (name)-People with the given name Adam:* Adam of Ebrach , German abbot and historian* Adam , Spanish churchman* Adam , stage name of Mohd Aizam Mat Saman...
, ElizabethElizabeth (given name)Elizabeth is a feminine given name derived from the Greek Elisávet , which is a form of the Hebrew name Elisheva , meaning "My God is an oath" or"My God is abundance."...
, HannahHannah (given name)Hannah is a personal name, also spelt Hanna, Hana, or Chana, deriving from the Hebrew language חַנָּה , meaning "He has favoured me/favours me ", or "gracious". The name is biblical as it is the name of the mother of the prophet Samuel...
and MaryMary (given name)Mary is a feminine given name, the English form of the name Maria, which was in turn a Latin form of the Greek names Μαριαμ, or Mariam, and Μαρια, or Maria, found in the New Testament. Both New Testament names were forms of the Hebrew name מִרְיָם or Miryam.The usual meaning given by various...
. There are also a handful of names in use derived from the AramaicAramaic languageAramaic is a group of languages belonging to the Afroasiatic language phylum. The name of the language is based on the name of Aram, an ancient region in central Syria. Within this family, Aramaic belongs to the Semitic family, and more specifically, is a part of the Northwest Semitic subfamily,...
, particularly the names of prominent figures in the New Testament—such as ThomasThomas the ApostleThomas the Apostle, also called Doubting Thomas or Didymus was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He is best known for questioning Jesus' resurrection when first told of it, then proclaiming "My Lord and my God" on seeing Jesus in . He was perhaps the only Apostle who went outside the Roman...
, MarthaMarthaMartha of Bethany is a biblical figure described in the Gospels of Luke and John. Together with her siblings Lazarus and Mary, she is described as living in the village of Bethany near Jerusalem...
and BartholomewBartholomewBartholomew was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus, and is usually identified as Nathaniel . He was introduced to Christ through St. Philip, another of the twelve apostles as per , where the name Nathaniel first appears. He is also mentioned as “Nathaniel of Cana in Galilee” in...
.- All of the Semitic peoplesSemiticIn linguistics and ethnology, Semitic was first used to refer to a language family of largely Middle Eastern origin, now called the Semitic languages...
of history and the present day use at least some names constructed like these in Hebrew (and the ancient Hebrews used names not constructed like these—such as MosesMosesMoses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
, probably an Egyptian name related to the names of PharaohPharaohPharaoh is a title used in many modern discussions of the ancient Egyptian rulers of all periods. The title originates in the term "pr-aa" which means "great house" and describes the royal palace...
s like Thutmose and Ahmose). The Muslim world is the best-known example (with names like Saif-al-din, "sword of the faith", or Abd-Allah, "servant of God"), but even the Carthagenians had similar names: cf. Hannibal, "the grace of god" (in this case not the Abrahamic deity God, but the deity—probably MardukMardukMarduk was the Babylonian name of a late-generation god from ancient Mesopotamia and patron deity of the city of Babylon, who, when Babylon became the political center of the Euphrates valley in the time of Hammurabi , started to...
—whose title is normally left untranslated, as BaalBaalBaʿal is a Northwest Semitic title and honorific meaning "master" or "lord" that is used for various gods who were patrons of cities in the Levant and Asia Minor, cognate to Akkadian Bēlu...
).
- All of the Semitic peoples
- Germanic names are characteristically warlike; roots with meanings like "glory", "strength", and "will" are common. The "-bert" element common in many such names comes from beraht, which means "bright". Examples: RobertRobertThe name Robert is a Germanic given name, from hrod "fame" and beraht "bright". It is also in use as a surname.After becoming widely used in Continental Europe it entered England in its Old French form Robert, where an Old English cognate form had existed before the Norman Conquest...
, EdwardEdwardEdward is an English given name. It is derived from Old English words ead and weard...
, RogerRogerRoger is primarily a common first name of English, French and Catalan usage, from the Germanic elements hrod and ger meaning "famous with the spear." The Latin form of the name is Rogerius, as used by a few medieval figures.The name Roger was transmitted to England by the Normans after the...
, RichardRichardThe first or given name Richard derives from German, French, and English "ric" and "hard" , therefore it means 'powerful leader' as well as 'King's Court'...
, Albert, Carl, Alfred, Rosalind, Emma, Eric and MatildaMatilda (name)Matilda is a female name, of Teutonic derivation, derived from words meaning "might, strength" and "battle."...
. - French forms of GermanicGermanic languagesThe Germanic languages constitute a sub-branch of the Indo-European language family. The common ancestor of all of the languages in this branch is called Proto-Germanic , which was spoken in approximately the mid-1st millennium BC in Iron Age northern Europe...
names. Since the Norman conquest of EnglandNorman conquest of EnglandThe Norman conquest of England began on 28 September 1066 with the invasion of England by William, Duke of Normandy. William became known as William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, defeating King Harold II of England...
, many English given names of GermanicGermanic languagesThe Germanic languages constitute a sub-branch of the Indo-European language family. The common ancestor of all of the languages in this branch is called Proto-Germanic , which was spoken in approximately the mid-1st millennium BC in Iron Age northern Europe...
origin are used in their French forms. Examples: RobertRobertThe name Robert is a Germanic given name, from hrod "fame" and beraht "bright". It is also in use as a surname.After becoming widely used in Continental Europe it entered England in its Old French form Robert, where an Old English cognate form had existed before the Norman Conquest...
, CharlesCharlesCharles is a given name for males and is borrowed from the French form of the Latin Carolus Charles is a given name for males and is borrowed from the French form of the Latin Carolus...
, HenryHenry (given name)Henry is an English male given name and a surname, from the Old French Henry , derived itself from the Germanic name Haimric , which was derived from the word elements haim, meaning "home" and ric, meaning "power, ruler". Harry, its English short form, was considered the "spoken form" of Henry in...
, WilliamWilliam (name)William is a popular given name of old Germanic origin. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of England in 1066, and remained so throughout the Middle Ages and into the modern era...
, Albert.
- Slavic names are often of a peaceful character, the compounds being derived from word rootsRoot (linguistics)The root word is the primary lexical unit of a word, and of a word family , which carries the most significant aspects of semantic content and cannot be reduced into smaller constituents....
meaning "to protect", "to love", "peace", "to praise [gods]", "to give". Examples: MilenaMilena (name)Milena is a popular female given name of Slavic origin derived from word "mil" meaning "gracious", or, alternatively, "dear". It is the feminine form of the male name Milan. It is currently the most popular name for baby girls born in Armenia...
, VesnaVesna (name)Vesna is a popular South Slavic female name derived from the name of Vesna, an ancient Slavic goddess of spring. It means "spring" in some Slavic languages...
, BohumilBohumilBohumil is a Slavic male given name. Means "favoured by God" from the Slavic elements bog god and mil favour. Pronounced baw-huw-MIL. Nicknames are Bob, Bobby, Bohouš, Bohoušek, Bohuš, Mila, Milek, Bogie, Boga, Bozha. Another forms are Bogumił, Bogomil, Bogolyub. Feminine version is Bohumila,...
, DobromirDobromir (given name)Dobromir - is a Slavic origin given name built of two elements: dobro "good" + mir "prestige, peace". Feminine form is: Dobromira.Notable bearers:*Dobromir Chrysos, was a leader of the Vlachs...
, SvetlanaSvetlanaSvetlana is a common Slavic female name, deriving from the Russian word свет svet, which translates into English as "light", "shining", "pure", or "holy", depending upon context. The name was coined by Alexander Vostokov and popularized by Vasily Zhukovsky in his eponymous ballade, first published...
, VlastimilVlastimilVlastimil - is a common Slavic origin given name originating from roots: vlast and mil . Another variant of that name is Vlastislav and Latin form is Patrick. The Czech name days are 17 March and 28 April . The Slovak name day is 13 March...
. The names have also warlike character and are built of words meaning "fighter", "war", "anger". Examples : CasimirCasimirCasimir – is an English, French and Latin form of the Polish name Kazimierz, derived from the Slavic elements: kazić "to destroy" and mir "peace, prestige, world". It is originally a warlike name and may mean "someone who destroys opponent's prestige/glory during battle". Also, some researches...
, Sambor, WojciechWojciechWojciech a Slavic root pertaining to war and "Ciech" meaning joy, with the resulting combination meaning "The joy of war" or "smiling warrior"...
and ZbigniewZbigniewZbigniew is a Polish masculine given name, originally Zbygniew . This Slavic name is derived from the Polish elements Zby- and gniew, meaning "anger"...
. Many of them consist of word "slava" - glory: Bolesław, MiroslavMiroslav (given name)Miroslav is a Slavic name meaning "peace and glory".-List of people with the given name Miroslav:*Miroslav of Croatia, king of Croatia*Miroslav of Hum, Serbian king of Zahumlje*Miroslav of Podgoria, Serbian Zupan of Podgorica...
, VladislavVladislavVladislav is a Slavic male given name, sometimes confused with/treated as the same as Ladislav...
, Radoslav and StanisławStanislav (given name)Stanislav or Stanislaus is a very old Slavic origin given name, meaning someone who achieves glory or fame. It is most often given in the Slavic countries of Central and South Eastern Europe. The name has spread to many non-Slavic languages as well, such as French , German and others...
. - CelticCeltic languagesThe Celtic languages are descended from Proto-Celtic, or "Common Celtic"; a branch of the greater Indo-European language family...
names are sometimes anglicisedAnglicisationAnglicisation, or anglicization , is the process of converting verbal or written elements of any other language into a form that is more comprehensible to an English speaker, or, more generally, of altering something such that it becomes English in form or character.The term most often refers to...
versions of Celtic forms, but the original form may also be used. Examples: AlanAlan (name)Alan is a masculine given name in the English language. There are numerous differing etymologies attributed to the name. The name was first introduced into England by Bretons who took part in the Norman Invasion in the 11th century. Today there are numerous variations of Alan, a short form, and...
, BrianBrianBrian is a male given name of Irish and Breton origin, as well as a surname of Occitan origin. It is common in the English-speaking world. It is possible that the name is derived from an Old Celtic word meaning "high" or "noble". For example the element bre means "hill"; which could be transferred...
, BrigidBrigidIn Irish mythology, Brigit or Brighid was the daughter of the Dagda and one of the Tuatha Dé Danann. She was the wife of Bres of the Fomorians, with whom she had a son, Ruadán....
, Mórag, LoganLoganLogan was a Native American leader.Logan may also refer to:- Australia :* Logan City, a local government area in Queensland* Electoral district of Logan, an electoral district in the Queensland Legislative Assembly...
, CiaránCiaránCiarán , Ciaran in Scottish Gaelic, Ceiran, Kieran, Keeran, Kyran, Kiaran, Keiran, Kieren, Kieron, Keiron or Kiernan , is a personal name meaning "small dark one". Ciarán comes from the Irish word "Ciar" which means black or dark. Ciar can be linked back to Ciar, son of Fergus, King of Ulster...
, JenniferJennifer (given name)Jennifer is a female given name; it became a common first name for females in English-speaking countries during the 20th century. The name Jennifer is a Cornish variant of Guinevere, meaning The White Fay or White Ghost...
, and Seán. These names often have origins in Celtic words, as Celtic versions of the names of internationally known ChristianChristianA Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
saintSaintA saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
s, as names of Celtic mythological figuresCeltic mythologyCeltic mythology is the mythology of Celtic polytheism, apparently the religion of the Iron Age Celts. Like other Iron Age Europeans, the early Celts maintained a polytheistic mythology and religious structure...
, or simply as long-standing names whose ultimate etymology is unclear. - Greek names can be derived from the Greco-Roman gods, or may have other meanings. Some may be derived from the New TestamentNew TestamentThe New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
and early Christian traditions. Some of the names are often, but not always, anglicised. Examples: EleanorEleanorEleanor is a female given name....
, StephenStephenStephen or Steven is a masculine first name, derived from the Greek name Στέφανος meaning "crown, garland", in turn from the Greek word "στέφανος", meaning "wreath, crown, honour, reward", literally "that which surrounds or encompasses". In ancient Greece a wreath was given to the winner of a...
, AlexanderAlexanderAlexander is a common male first name, and less common surname. The most famous is Alexander the Great, the King of Macedon who created one of the largest empires in ancient history.- Origin :...
, AndrewAndrewAndrew is the English form of a given name and surname common in many countries. Alternatives include André, Andrey, Andrei, Andrej, András, Andrés, Andreas, Andreu, Anders and Endrew. ‘Andrew’ is a common name in English-speaking countries. In the 1990s it was among the top ten most popular names...
, Peter, Gregory, GeorgeGeorge (given name)George, from the Greek word γεωργός , "farmer" or "earth-worker", which became a name in Greek: Γεώργιος , and Latin: Georgius. The word γεωργός is a compound word, formed by the words ge , "earth", "soil" and ergon , "work"...
, ChristopherChristopher (name)Christopher is the English version of a Europe-wide name derived from the greek name Χριστόφορος . The constituent parts are Χριστός, "Christ" and φέρειν , "bear": the "Christ bearer" or "the one who bears Christ ". The name originates in the Christian legend of St...
, MelissaMelissaMelissa is a given name for a female child. The name comes from the Greek word μέλισσα , "honey bee" and from μέλι , "honey". Compare Hittite melit, "honey"....
, MargaretMargaret (name)Margaret is a female first name, derived from the Greek word margarites meaning "pearl." It may have originally been derived from the Sanskrit word मञ्यरी mañjarī....
, NicholasNicholasNicholas or Nikolas is a male given name, derived from the Greek name Νικόλαος , a combination of the words for "victory" and "people" . The name can be understood to mean victory of the people or "power of the people"...
, JasonJason (name)Jason is a common given name for a male. It comes from Greek Ἰάσων , meaning "healer", from the verb ἰάομαι "heal, cure", cogn...
, TimothyTimothy (name)Timothy is a masculine given name. It comes from the Greek name meaning "honoring God" or "honored by God". It is a common name in several countries, including non-English speaking ones....
, ChloeChloeChloe is a first or given name for girls, especially popular in England. The name comes from the Greek , meaning "young green shoot" and is one of the many names of the Greek goddess Demeter...
and ZoëZoe (name)Zoe is a feminine first name, which came from ancient Greece and means "life" in Greek.-People:*Zoë , English pop star *Zoey, J-Pop singer *Zoe of Rome Zoe (and variants) is a feminine first name, which came from ancient Greece and means "life" in Greek.-People:*Zoë (singer), English pop star...
. - Latin namesLatinLatin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
can also be adopted unchanged, or modified; in particular, the inflected element can be dropped, as often happens in borrowings from Latin to English. Examples: Laura, VictoriaVictoria (name)-Origin, meaning and forms:Victoria is the Latin word for 'victory' and is used as the feminine form corresponding to the name Victor. Hence, Victoria Salvador means 'victory to the savior'...
, MarcusMarcus (name)Marcus is a masculine given name of Ancient Roman pre-Christian origin derived probably from Etruscan Marce of unknown meaning, or referring to the mythological figure Mars...
, JustinJustin (name)Anglicized form of the Latin given name Justinus, a derivative of Justus. Justinus was the name borne by various early saints, notably a 2nd-century Christian apologist and a boy martyr of the 3rd century...
, Paul (from Lat. "Paulus"), Julius, Cecilia, Felix, Julia, Trent, PascalPascal (name)Pascal is a common masculine Francophone given name, cognate of Italian name Pasquale, Spanish name Pascual, Catalan name Pasqual. Pascal is common in French-speaking countries, Germany and Netherlands. The correct feminine form is Pascale, Pascalle or Pascalina...
(not a traditional-type Latin name, but the adjective-turned-name paschalis, "relating to the Pascha"—English "Easter"). - Word names come from English vocabulary words. Feminine names of this sort—in more languages than English, and more cultures than Europe alone—frequently derive from nature, flower, birds, colors, or gemstoneGemstoneA gemstone or gem is a piece of mineral, which, in cut and polished form, is used to make jewelry or other adornments...
s. Examples include JasmineJasmineJasminum , commonly known as jasmines, is a genus of shrubs and vines in the olive family . It contains around 200 species native to tropical and warm temperate regions of the Old World...
, LavenderLavenderThe lavenders are a genus of 39 species of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae. An Old World genus, distributed from Macaronesia across Africa, the Mediterranean, South-West Asia, Arabia, Western Iran and South-East India...
, DawnDawnDawn is the time that marks the beginning of the twilight before sunrise. It is recognized by the presence of weak sunlight, while the sun itself is still below the horizon...
, DaisyAsteraceaeThe Asteraceae or Compositae , is an exceedingly large and widespread family of vascular plants. The group has more than 22,750 currently accepted species, spread across 1620 genera and 12 subfamilies...
, RoseRoseA rose is a woody perennial of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae. There are over 100 species. They form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Flowers are large and showy, in colours ranging from white through yellows...
, IrisIris (plant)Iris is a genus of 260-300species of flowering plants with showy flowers. It takes its name from the Greek word for a rainbow, referring to the wide variety of flower colors found among the many species...
, PetuniaPetuniaPetunia is a widely cultivated genus of flowering plants of South American origin, closely related with tobacco, cape gooseberries, tomatoes, deadly nightshades, potatoes and chili peppers; in the family Solanaceae. The popular flower derived its name from French, which took the word petun, meaning...
, RowanRowanThe rowans or mountain-ashes are shrubs or small trees in genus Sorbus of family Rosaceae. They are native throughout the cool temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, with the highest species diversity in the mountains of western China and the Himalaya, where numerous apomictic microspecies...
, and VioletViolet (plant)Viola is a genus of flowering plants in the violet family Violaceae, with around 400–500 species distributed around the world. Most species are found in the temperate Northern Hemisphere; however, viola species are also found in widely divergent areas such as Hawaii, Australasia, and the Andes in...
. Male names of this sort are less common—sometimes names like BroncoBroncoBronco, or bronc is a term used in the United States, northern Mexico and Canada to refer to an untrained horse or one that habitually bucks. It may refer to a feral horse that has lived in the wild its entire life, but is also used to refer to domestic horses not yet fully trained to saddle, and...
and Wolf associated with strong or dangerous animals. (This is more common in some other languages, such as Northern Germanic and Turkish). - Trait names most conspicuously include the Christian virtues, mentioned above, and normally used as feminine names (such as the three Christian virtuesTheological virtuesTheological virtues - in theology and Christian philosophy, are the character qualities associated with salvation, resulting from the grace of God, which enlightens human mind.- In the Bible :The three theological virtues are:...
—FaithFaith in ChristianityFaith, in Christianity, has been most commonly defined by the biblical formulation in the Letter to the Hebrews as "'the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen". Most of the definitions in the history of Christian theology have followed this biblical formulation...
, HopeHope (virtue)Hope is one of the three theological virtues in Christian tradition. Hope being a combination of the desire for something and expectation of receiving it, the virtue is hoping for Divine union and so eternal happiness...
, and CharityCharity (virtue)In Christian theology charity, or love , means an unlimited loving-kindness toward all others.The term should not be confused with the more restricted modern use of the word charity to mean benevolent giving.- Caritas: altruistic love :...
). - DiminutiveDiminutiveIn language structure, a diminutive, or diminutive form , is a formation of a word used to convey a slight degree of the root meaning, smallness of the object or quality named, encapsulation, intimacy, or endearment...
s are sometimes used to distinguish between two or more people with the same given name, and are often used by children. In English, RobertRobertThe name Robert is a Germanic given name, from hrod "fame" and beraht "bright". It is also in use as a surname.After becoming widely used in Continental Europe it entered England in its Old French form Robert, where an Old English cognate form had existed before the Norman Conquest...
may be changed to "Robby" or Daniel changed to "Danny". In German the names Hänsel and Gretel (as in the famous fairy tale) are the diminutive forms of Johann and Margarete. Examples: VickyVictoria (name)-Origin, meaning and forms:Victoria is the Latin word for 'victory' and is used as the feminine form corresponding to the name Victor. Hence, Victoria Salvador means 'victory to the savior'...
, Danny, AbbyAbigailAbigail was the wife of Nabal; she became a wife of David after Nabal's death .In the passage, Nabal demonstrates ingratitude towards David, and Abigail attempts to placate David in order to stop him taking revenge...
, AliAlison (name)Alison is a female given name. It was originally a medieval Norman nickname for Alice, meaning "truth" or "noble". Variations include Alisson, Allison, Allyson, Alyson, Alysson, Alicen and Alycen, with nicknames Allie, Alley, Ali, Ally, Aly, and Alli....
. - Shortened Names (see nicknameNicknameA nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
) are generally nicknames of a longer name, but they are instead given as a person's entire given name. For example, a man may simply be named "Jim", and it is not short for JamesJames (name)The name James is derived from the same Hebrew name as Jacob, meaning "Supplanter" ....
. Examples: Beth, Dan, Max, Pete, Steve. - Feminine variations Many masculine names have feminine variations, often multiple ones. Examples: Charlotte, StephanieStephanieStephanie or Stefanie is a female name that comes from the Greek name Στέφανος meaning "crown". The male form is Stephen. Forms of Stephanie in other languages include the Italian Stefania, the Portuguese Estefânia, and the Spanish Estefanía...
, VictoriaVictoria (name)-Origin, meaning and forms:Victoria is the Latin word for 'victory' and is used as the feminine form corresponding to the name Victor. Hence, Victoria Salvador means 'victory to the savior'...
, PhilippaPhilippaPhilippa is a given name meaning "lover of horses" or "horses' friend". Common alternative spellings include Filippa, Phillipa and, less often, Phillippa. It is the feminine form of the masculine name Philip...
, JaneJane (given name)Jane is a feminine given name. It is the English form of the Old French name Jehanne, which was an old feminine form of the male name Johannes or Ioannes , a Latin form of the Greek name , which is derived from the Hebrew name יוֹחָנָן , a short form of the name יְהוֹחָנָן , meaning "Yahweh is...
, JacquelineJacqueline (name)Jacqueline or Jacquelyn is a female given name. It has spelling variations and slight variants in both spelling and pronunciation have come into use, such as: Jacquelyn, Jaclyn, Jacklyn, Jaklin, Jacqlyn, Jacquelin, Jackeline and Jacklin...
, JosephineJosephine (name)Josephine is a female given name. It is the English version of the French name Joséphine. This is the feminine form of the name Joseph, which is taken from the Hebrew name Yosef, meaning The Lord increases.-Variations:...
, DanielleDanielleDanielle is the French female variant of the male name Daniel, meaning "God is my judge" in the Hebrew language. The name appears in the Bible, where Daniel survives a night in a den of lions. The more common feminine version is "Daniella" or "Daniela" which is used in English, German, Italian and...
, PaulaPaula (given name)Paula is a common female given name . Notable people with this name include:*Paula Abdul, 1980s and 1990s pop singer and former American Idol judge*Paula Berry, American javelin thrower....
, PaulinePauline (name)Pauline is a female given name. It was originally the French form of Paulina, a female version of Paulinus, a variant of Paulus meaning the little, hence the younger....
, PatriciaPatricia (disambiguation)Patricia is a common given name. It may also refer to:* Patricia , a song written by Benny Davis, recorded by Perry Como* Princess Patricia of Connaught, a member of the British Royal Family and granddaughter of Queen Victoria...
and FrancescaFrancescaFrancesca or Franchesca is a female given name, derived from the Latin male name Franciscus meaning 'free'. It is widely used in most romance languages, including Italian, French and Catalan, and etymologists are unsure as to the place of its origin...
.
Frequently, a given name has versions in many different languages. For example, the biblical name Susanna
Susanna (disciple)
Susanna is one of the women associated with the ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. She is among the women listed in the Gospel of Luke at the beginning of Chapter 8 as being one of the Myrrhbearers.-See also:*Myrrhbearers...
also occurs in its original biblical Hebrew
Biblical Hebrew language
Biblical Hebrew , also called Classical Hebrew , is the archaic form of the Hebrew language, a Canaanite Semitic language spoken in the area known as Canaan between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. Biblical Hebrew is attested from about the 10th century BCE, and persisted through...
version, Shoshannah, its Spanish and Portuguese version Susana, and its French version, Suzanne, and its Polish version, Zuzanna.
East Asia
Chinese given nameChinese given name
Chinese given names are generally made up of one or two characters, and are written after the family name, therefore "John-Paul Smith" as a Chinese name would be read "Smith John-Paul". Chinese names can consist of any character and contain almost any meaning...
s are often unique, because meaningful Han characters can be combined extensively. But Korean names and Vietnamese names are usually simply vernacularized conventions derived from their Chinese counterparts.
However, some parents recycle popular given names as well. The names of famous and successful people are also reused occasionally.
Nevertheless, many Chinese and Korean parents invest tremendous effort in considering the names of their children before birth, often with comprehensive dictionaries or with religious guides, formal or informal. Sometimes, especially in traditional families, paternal grandparents are the name-givers.
Unlike European languages, the Chinese language
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
does not have a particular set of words reserved for given names; any combination of Chinese characters theoretically can be used as a given name. This fact sometimes makes Chinese people think that there may be more English-speaking people sharing identical full names than Chinese. This is not the case, because English has a much larger variety of family names.
In many Westernized Asian locations, many Asians also use a Western (often English) given name, which may be official or not, in addition to their Asian given name. This is also true for Asian students at colleges in countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia, and people who wish to do business internationally—both as means to ease communication with people who cannot properly pronounce the names in their official languages. It's also interesting to note that when Chinese immigrants or students give themselves English given names, they tend to pick one that closely matches their original name if possible. For example, a Chinese man named "Ah Dar" might become "Arthur
Arthur
Arthur is a common masculine given name. Its etymology is disputed, but its popularity derives from its being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur....
" if he emigrates to the United States, or a Vietnamese man named "Khanh" might become "Ken
Ken (name)
Ken is a masculine given name. It is used either as a given name or as a short form of names starting with "Ken"...
" if he moves to an English-speaking country.
Many female Japanese name
Japanese name
in modern times usually consist of a family name , followed by a given name. "Middle names" are not generally used.Japanese names are usually written in kanji, which are characters of usually Chinese origin in Japanese pronunciation...
s, such as Yoko Ono
Yoko Ono
is a Japanese artist, musician, author and peace activist, known for her work in avant-garde art, music and filmmaking as well as her marriage to John Lennon...
's, end in ko (子), which means "child". This has caused some confusion among westerners, because in some Romance languages, masculine names often end in o, and feminine names often end in a. People used to names like Tino/Tina are surprised that Mariko or Yoko is female.
Gender
Most names in English are specifically masculine or feminine, but there are many unisex nameUnisex name
A unisex name, also known as an epicene name, is a given name that is often given to either a boy or a girl. Some countries, however, require that a given name be gender-specific or have enough names with male and female versions...
s as well, such as Jordan
Jordan (name)
The name Jordan can refer to several things. As a name, it comes from the Aramaic Yarden, meaning "one who descends", and assimilated into Latin as Jordanus . In Arabic it is Urdunn, in Italian Giordano, in Spanish Jordán, in Dutch Jordaan, in French Jourdain, in Irish Iordáin, in Romanian...
, Jamie
Jamie
Jamie, Jaime, Jaimee, Jamee, Ja'mie, Jamey, Jaymie or Jaymee is a name derived as a pet form of James. However, it has been used as an independent given name in English speaking countries for several generations...
, Jesse, Alex
Alex
Alex is a common English name, usually a nickname of the male given name Alexander, its female equivalent Alexandra. The East European male name Alexey sometime is also nicknamed as Alex.-People whose names are Alex:...
, Ashley
Ashley (name)
The name "Ashley" is of English origin, from a place name and surname from the Old English words 'æsc' and 'lēah' ....
, Chris
Chris
Chris is a short form of various names including Christopher, Christian, Christina, Christine, Crissie and others. Unlike these names, however, it does not indicate the person's gender although it is much more common for males to have this name than it is for females. It is the preferred form of...
, Hilary/Hillary, Kim
Kim (given name)
Kim is a male or female given name. It is also used as a diminutive or nickname for Kimberly, Kimberley, Kimball, Kimiko and Joakim.A notable use of the name was the fictional street urchin Kimball O'Hara in Rudyard Kipling's book Kim. From the early 1900s till the 1960s the name Kim was used in...
, Leslie/Lesley, Joe
Joseph (name)
Joseph is a name originating from Hebrew, recorded in the Hebrew Bible, as יוֹסֵף, Standard Hebrew Yosef, Tiberian Hebrew and Aramaic Yôsēp̄. In Arabic, including in the Qur'an, the name is spelled يوسف or Yūsuf. The name can be translated from Hebrew יהוה להוסיף Yihoh Lhosif as signifying "YHWH...
/Jo, Jackie, Pat, Sam. Often, one gender is predominant; often a particular spelling is more common for each of the two genders, even when the pronunciation is the same.
Many culture groups, past and present, did not or do not gender names strongly, so that many or all of their names are unisex. On the other hand, in many languages including most Indo-European languages
Indo-European languages
The Indo-European languages are a family of several hundred related languages and dialects, including most major current languages of Europe, the Iranian plateau, and South Asia and also historically predominant in Anatolia...
(but not English), gender is inherent in the grammar.
Christian name
The term Christian name is often used as a general synonym for given name. Strictly speaking, the term applies to a name formally given to a child at an infant baptismInfant baptism
Infant baptism is the practice of baptising infants or young children. In theological discussions, the practice is sometimes referred to as paedobaptism or pedobaptism from the Greek pais meaning "child." The practice is sometimes contrasted with what is called "believer's baptism", or...
or "christening".
Popularity distribution of given names
The popularity (frequency) distribution of given names typically follows a power law distribution.Since about 1800 in England and Wales and in the U.S., the popularity distribution of given names has been shifting so that the most popular names are losing popularity. For example, in England and Wales, the most popular female and male names given to babies born in 1800 were Mary and John, with 24% of female babies and 22% of male babies receiving those names, respectively. In contrast, the corresponding statistics for in England and Wales in 1994 were Emily and James, with 3% and 4% of names, respectively. Not only have Mary and John gone out of favor in the English speaking world, also the overall distribution of names has changed significantly over the last 100 years for females, but not for males. This has led to an increasing amount of diversity for female names.
Influence of pop culture
Popular culturePopular culture
Popular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western culture of the early to mid 20th century and the emerging global mainstream of the...
appears to have an influence on naming trends, at least in the United States and United Kingdom. Newly famous celebrities and public figures may influence the popularity of names. For example, in 2004, the names "Keira" and "Kiera" respectively became the 51st and 92nd most popular girls' names in the UK, following the rise in popularity of British actress Keira Knightley
Keira Knightley
Keira Christina Knightley born 26 March 1985) is an English actress and model. She began acting as a child and came to international notice in 2002 after co-starring in the film Bend It Like Beckham...
. In 2001, the use of Colby as a boys' name for babies in the United States jumped from 233rd place to 99th, just after Colby Donaldson
Colby Donaldson
Colby Donaldson is an American television actor, best known as the runner-up on Survivor: The Australian Outback and as the host for the show Top Shot.-Personal life:...
was the runner-up on Survivor: The Australian Outback
Survivor: The Australian Outback
Survivor: The Australian Outback is the second season of the United States reality show Survivor. Filming took place at Goshen Station in northern Queensland during 2000 and aired from January 28, 2001 to May 3, 2001 on CBS...
. Also, the female name "Miley" which before was not in the top 1000 was 278th most popular in 2007, following the rise to fame of singer-actress Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus
Miley Ray Cyrus is an American actress and pop singer-songwriter. She achieved wide fame for her role as Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel sitcom Hannah Montana....
(who was named Destiny at birth).
Characters from fiction also seem to influence naming. After the name Kayla
Kayla
Kayla is one of the names of the Beta Israel community among their neighbours, after which the Kayla language is named. Yona Bogale claimed that the name stems from the Tigrinya word for artisans, and on the broader sense excommunicated people...
was used for a character
Kayla Brady
Dr. Kayla Caroline Johnson is a fictional character on the NBC daytime soap opera Days of our Lives. She made her first on-screen appearance on in 1982. Kayla was created by Pat Falken Smith as one of the original members of the Brady family. The role was originated in 1982 by actress Catherine...
on the American soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Days of our Lives
Days of our Lives
Days of our Lives is a long running daytime soap opera broadcast on the NBC television network. It is one of the longest-running scripted television programs in the world, airing nearly every weekday in the United States since November 8, 1965. It has since been syndicated to many countries around...
, the name's popularity increased greatly. The name Tammy
Tammy (given name)
Tammy is a feminine given name. It can be a short form of the names Taimur, Tamsin, Thomasina, or Tamara. Tamsin and Thomasina are feminine versions of the name Thomas, a Greek form of the Aramaic name Te'oma, meaning twin. Tamara is a Russian form of the Hebrew name Tamar, which means "palm tree."...
, and the related Tamara
Tamara (name)
Tamara is a female given name in various languages. In Arabic, Georgian, Hebrew, Russian and other Slavic languages, Italian, Armenian and other European languages, Tamara is derived from the Biblical name "Tamar", meaning palm tree. The name also occurs in Sanskrit meaning spice...
became popular after the movie Tammy and the Bachelor
Tammy and the Bachelor
Tammy and the Bachelor is a 1957 romantic comedy film and is the first of the four Tammy films. It stars Debbie Reynolds as Tambrey "Tammy" Tyree, Walter Brennan as Grandpa Dinwitty and Leslie Nielsen as Peter Brent...
came out in 1957. Some names were established or spread by being used in literature. Notable examples include Jessica
Jessica (given name)
Jessica is a female given name.The oldest written record of the name with its current spelling is found as the name of a character in Shakespeare's play The Merchant of Venice, where it belongs to the daughter of Shylock...
, a name created by William Shakespeare in his play "The Merchant of Venice
The Merchant of Venice
The Merchant of Venice is a tragic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. Though classified as a comedy in the First Folio and sharing certain aspects with Shakespeare's other romantic comedies, the play is perhaps most remembered for its dramatic...
", Vanessa
Vanessa (name)
The name Vanessa was invented by the Anglo-Irish writer Jonathan Swift for Esther Vanhomrigh, whom Swift had met in 1708 and whom he tutored. The name was created by taking "Van" from Vanhomrigh's last name and adding "Essa", the pet form of Esther. Swift may have also derived the name from the...
, created by Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift was an Irish satirist, essayist, political pamphleteer , poet and cleric who became Dean of St...
; Fiona
Fiona
Fiona is a feminine given name. The name Fiona was invented, and first used, by the Scottish poet James Macpherson , author of the Ossian poems, which he claimed were translations from ancient Gaelic sources...
, a character from James Macpherson
James Macpherson
James Macpherson was a Scottish writer, poet, literary collector and politician, known as the "translator" of the Ossian cycle of poems.-Early life:...
's spurious cycle of Ossian
Ossian
Ossian is the narrator and supposed author of a cycle of poems which the Scottish poet James Macpherson claimed to have translated from ancient sources in the Scots Gaelic. He is based on Oisín, son of Finn or Fionn mac Cumhaill, anglicised to Finn McCool, a character from Irish mythology...
poems; and Wendy
Wendy
Wendy is a given name generally given to females in English-speaking countries.The name is found in United States records from the 19th century; Wendy Gram, a female resident of Ohio, was born in 1828, and the name Wendy appeared over twenty times in the U.S. Census of 1880...
, an obscure name popularised by J. M. Barrie
J. M. Barrie
Sir James Matthew Barrie, 1st Baronet, OM was a Scottish author and dramatist, best remembered today as the creator of Peter Pan. The child of a family of small-town weavers, he was educated in Scotland. He moved to London, where he developed a career as a novelist and playwright...
in his play Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up; and Madison
Madison (name)
Originally, Madison, commonly spelled Maddison in Northeastern England, was only used as a surname, a variant of Mathieson meaning son of Matthew, although possibly occasionally standing for son of Maddy, where Maddy is a pet form of Maud.Madison has become a rather popular female given name in...
, a character from the movie Splash
Splash (film)
Splash is a 1984 American fantasy romantic comedy film directed by Ron Howard and written by Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. The original music score was composed by Lee Holdridge...
. Lara
Lara (name)
Lara can be a given name or a surname in several languages. In Ukrainian, and Russian other languages, the given name is a short form for Larissa. In Hindi, the given name is a short form for Laranya, which means graceful...
and Larissa
Larissa
Larissa is the capital and biggest city of the Thessaly region of Greece and capital of the Larissa regional unit. It is a principal agricultural centre and a national transportation hub, linked by road and rail with the port of Volos, the city of Thessaloniki and Athens...
were rare in America before the appearance of Doctor Zhivago
Doctor Zhivago (1965 film)
Doctor Zhivago is a 1965 epic drama-romance-war film directed by David Lean and loosely based on the famous novel of the same name by Boris Pasternak...
, and have become fairly common since.
Songs can influence the naming of children. Jude jumped from 814th most popular male name in 1968 to 668th in 1969, following the release of The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
's "Hey Jude
Hey Jude
"Hey Jude" is a song by the English rock band The Beatles, written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The ballad evolved from "Hey Jules", a song widely accepted as being written to comfort John Lennon's son, Julian, during his parents' divorce—although this explanation is not...
". Similarly, Layla
Layla
"Layla" is a song written by Eric Clapton and Jim Gordon, originally released by their blues-rock band, Derek and the Dominos, as the thirteenth track from their album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs...
charted as 969th most popular in 1972 after the Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
song. It had not been in the top 1,000 before.
Kayleigh became a particularly popular name in the United Kingdom following the release of a song by the British rock group Marillion
Marillion
Marillion are a British rock band, formed in Aylesbury, England in 1979. Their recorded studio output comprises sixteen albums generally regarded in two distinct eras, delineated by the departure of original vocalist & frontman Fish in late 1988, and the subsequent arrival of replacement Steve...
. Government statistics in 2005 revealed that 96% of Kayleighs were born after 1985, the year in which Marillion released "Kayleigh
Kayleigh
"Kayleigh" was a number two UK hit for British neo-progressive rock band Marillion in 1985. It remains the group's most successful single in terms of chart position. The single was kept from the UK Number 1 spot by charity single "You'll Never Walk Alone" by supergroup The Crowd in the summer of...
".
Popular culture figures need not be admirable in order to influence naming trends. For example, Peyton came in to the top 1000 as a female given name for babies in the United States for the first time in 1992 (at #583), immediately after it was featured as the name of an evil nanny in the film The Hand That Rocks the Cradle
The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (film)
The Hand That Rocks the Cradle is a 1992 American thriller about a vengeful nanny out to destroy a naïve woman and steal her family. The film was directed by Curtis Hanson, starring Annabella Sciorra, Rebecca De Mornay, and Matt McCoy...
. On the other hand, for example, Adolf
Adolf
Adolf, also spelled Adolph and sometimes Latinised to Adolphus, is a given name used in German-speaking countries, in Scandinavia, in the Netherlands and Flanders and to a lesser extent in various Central European countries...
has fallen out of use since the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Twin names
In some cultures, twins may be given distinctive pairs of names. Twin names are sometimes similar in sound, for example boy/girl twins named Christian and Christina, or twin girls named Sudha and Subha in India, or Ojor and Omon in Nigeria. The names may have a thematic similarity such as JesseJesse
Jesse, Eshai or Yishai, is the father of the David, who became the king of the Israelites. His son David is sometimes called simply "Son of Jesse" ....
(or Jessica) and James (after the American outlaw Jesse James), or Matthew and Mark (the first two books of the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
in the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
), or Castor and Pollux
Castor and Pollux
In Greek and Roman mythology, Castor and Pollux or Polydeuces were twin brothers, together known as the Dioscuri . Their mother was Leda, but Castor was the mortal son of Tyndareus, king of Sparta, and Pollux the divine son of Zeus, who visited Leda in the guise of a swan...
(semi-divine twins in Greek mythology
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
), or Romulus and Remus
Romulus and Remus
Romulus and Remus are Rome's twin founders in its traditional foundation myth, although the former is sometimes said to be the sole founder...
(the mythical founders of Rome
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
).
The oldest ever female twins, who both died in 2000 and 2001, were named Kin Narita and Gin Kanie
Kinsan Ginsan
“Kinsan Ginsan” was the affectionate name given to twin sisters from Japan who were record-setting in terms of their longevity. They were and . Their maiden name was...
, gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
and silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
respectively in Japanese.
For more possible origins, see the article List of twins.
Related articles and lists
- List of most popular given names by state in the United States
- Most popular given namesMost popular given namesThe most popular given names vary nationally, regionally, and culturally. Lists of widely used given names can consist of those most often bestowed upon infants born within the last year, thus reflecting the current naming trends, or else be composed of the personal names occurring most within the...
in many different countries and cultures - Name dayName dayA name day is a tradition in many countries in Europe and Latin America that consists of celebrating the day of the year associated with one's given name....
s - Names of GodNames of GodNames of God, or Holy Names, describe a form of addressing God present in liturgy or prayer of various world religions. Prayer involving the Holy Name or the Name of God has become established as common spiritual practice in both Western and Eastern spiritual practices...
- Personal namePersonal nameA personal name is the proper name identifying an individual person, and today usually comprises a given name bestowed at birth or at a young age plus a surname. It is nearly universal for a human to have a name; except in rare cases, for example feral children growing up in isolation, or infants...
By type
- Middle nameMiddle namePeople's names in several cultures include one or more additional names placed between the first given name and the surname. In Canada and the United States all such names are specifically referred to as middle name; in most European countries they would simply be regarded as second, third, etc....
- NicknameNicknameA nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
- PseudonymPseudonymA pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
- Saint's nameSaint's nameA saint’s name is the name of a saint given to individuals at their baptism within the Catholic Church. The custom of giving the name of a saint originated in France and Germany during the Middle Ages...
- Calendar of saintsCalendar of saintsThe calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the feast day of said saint...
- Calendar of saints
- Slave nameSlave nameA slave name is a name given to a person who is or has been enslaved or a name inherited from enslaved ancestors. Modern use of the term applies mostly to African-Americans and West Indians who are descended from slaves, and are thereby capable of having a "slave name".-Ancient Rome:In Rome, slaves...
- SurnameSurnameA surname is a name added to a given name and is part of a personal name. In many cases, a surname is a family name. Many dictionaries define "surname" as a synonym of "family name"...
- Theophoric names
- Theophory in the BibleTheophory in the BibleTheophory refers to the practice of embedding the name of a god or a deity in, usually, a proper name. Much Hebrew theophory occurs in the Bible, particularly in the Old Testament...
- Theophory in the Bible
- Unisex nameUnisex nameA unisex name, also known as an epicene name, is a given name that is often given to either a boy or a girl. Some countries, however, require that a given name be gender-specific or have enough names with male and female versions...
By language
Indo-European- Baltic
- Lithuanian nameLithuanian nameA personal name, like in most European cultures, consists of two main elements: the given name followed by family name . The usage of personal names in Lithuania is generally governed by three major factors: civil law, canon law, and tradition. Lithuanian names always follow the rules of the...
- Lithuanian name
- Celtic
- Irish nameIrish nameA formal Irish-language name consists of a given name and a surname. Surnames in Irish are generally patronymic in etymology, although they are no longer literal patronyms, as Icelandic names are...
(list) - Scottish Gaelic nameScottish Gaelic personal naming system-Forenames:Scottish Gaelic has a number of personal names, such as Ailean, Aonghas, Dòmhnall, Donnchadh, Coinneach, and Murchadh, for which there are traditional forms in English...
(list)
- Irish name
- Germanic names
- Dutch nameDutch nameDutch names consist of one or more given names and a surname. The given name, as in English, is usually gender-specific.-Dutch given names:The given name is given to a child by the parents shortly after, or before, birth. It is common to give a child several given names, particularly among...
- German names
- Dutch name
- Scandinavian given names
- Greek
- Greek nameGreek name-Given names:Greek given names can be derived from the Greco-Roman gods, along with Ancient Greek traditions, or from the Byzantine Empire as well as the Old and the New Testament and early Christian traditions...
- Greek name
- Indian
- Indian namesIndian namesIndian family names are based on a variety of systems and naming conventions, which vary from region to region. Names are also influenced by religion and caste and may come from religion or epics. India's population speaks a wide variety of languages and nearly every major religion in the world...
- Indian names
- Persian
- Persian namePersian nameA Persian or Iranian name consists of a given name, sometimes more than one, and a surname.-Given names:Names used in Iran not necessarily from Persian origin....
- Persian name
- French
- French namesFrench namesThis article describes the conventions for using people's names in France, including the norms of custom and practice, as well as the legal aspects.-Madame, Mademoiselle, Monsieur:In normal polite usage, a person's name is preceded by an honorific:...
- French names
- Italian
- Italian nameItalian nameA name in Italian consists of a given name and a surname . Surnames are normally written after given names. Occasionally in official documents, the surname may be written before given names...
- Italian name
- Portuguese
- Portuguese name
- Roman
- Roman naming conventionsRoman naming conventionsBy the Republican era and throughout the Imperial era, a name in ancient Rome for a male citizen consisted of three parts : praenomen , nomen and cognomen...
- Roman naming conventions
- Slavic names
- Bulgarian names
- Croatian nameCroatian nameCroatian names have considerable similarities with most other European name systems, and with those of other Slavic peoples in particular. Croatian names usually consist of a given name, followed by a family name.- Croatian given names :...
- Czech names
- Name days in SlovakiaName days in SlovakiaIn Slovakia, each day of the year corresponds to a personal name . People celebrate their name days on the date corresponding to their own given names. Slovak culture has accorded similar importance to a person's name day to his or her birthday...
- Polish names
- Russian name
- Serbian nameSerbian nameThis article features the naming culture and names of ethnic Serbs.-Given names:As with most Western cultures, a child is given a first name chosen by their parents. The given name comes first, the surname last, e.g. "Željko Popović", where "Željko" is a first name and "Popović" is a family...
- Slovak nameSlovak nameSlovak names - consist of given names and the family name. They are very similar to the Czech names.-Given name:Generally may have Christian roots or traditional Slavic pre-Christian origin...
- Spanish
- Spanish name
Central Asia, Altaic, Finno-Ugric
- Finnish nameFinnish nameIn Finland, a person must have a surname and 1–3 first names. Surnames are usually inherited patrilineally, while first names are usually chosen by a person's parents. Finnish names come from a variety of dissimilar traditions that were consolidated only in the early 20th century. The first...
- Hungarian nameHungarian nameHungarian names invariably use the "Eastern name order", or family name followed by given name, except in foreign language text. Hungary is the only European and Western country to do so....
- Mongolian name
- Names in Russian Empire, Soviet Union and CIS countriesNames in Russian Empire, Soviet Union and CIS countriesThe Eastern Slavic naming customs are the traditions for determining a person's name in countries influenced by East Slavic linguistic tradition. This relates to modern Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Bulgaria and Kazakhstan...
- Tatar nameTatar nameA Tatar personal name, being strongly influenced by Russian tradition, consists of two main elements: isem and familia , and also patronymic. Given name was traditional for Tatars for centuries, family name appeared in the end of 19th century, when it replaced patronymic. In fact, usage of family...
- Turkish nameTurkish nameA Turkish name consists of an ad and a soyadı . Turkish names exist in a "full name" format. While there is only one soyadı in the full name, there may be more than one ad...
Middle East
- Arabic nameArabic nameLong ago, Arabic names were based on a long naming system; most Arabs did not simply have given/middle/family names, but a full chain of names. This system was in use throughout the Arab world. Today however, Arabic names are similar in structure to those of Modern and Western names...
- Hebrew nameHebrew nameHebrew names are names that have a Hebrew language origin, classically from the Hebrew Bible. They are mostly used by people living in Jewish or Christian parts of the world, but some are also adapted to the Islamic world, particularly if a Hebrew name is mentioned in the Qur'an. When...
East Asia
- Chinese nameChinese namePersonal names in Chinese culture follow a number of conventions different from those of personal names in Western cultures. Most noticeably, a Chinese name is written with the family name first and the given name next, therefore "John-Paul Smith" as a Chinese name would be "Smith John-Paul"...
- Indonesian name
- Balinese nameBalinese nameThe Balinese name is a naming system used by the Balinese people of Bali, Indonesia and the Western parts of neighboring Lombok, Indonesia. Since most Balinese are Hindus, most names are Hindi or Sanskrit, while others still use native Balinese one. Regardless of being male or female, each person...
- Javanese name
- Balinese name
- Japanese nameJapanese namein modern times usually consist of a family name , followed by a given name. "Middle names" are not generally used.Japanese names are usually written in kanji, which are characters of usually Chinese origin in Japanese pronunciation...
- Korean nameKorean nameA Korean name consists of a family name followed by a given name, as used by the Korean people in both North Korea and South Korea. In the Korean language, 'ireum' or 'seong-myeong' usually refers to the family name and given name together...
- Malaysian nameMalaysian NamePersonal names in Malaysia are extremely useful in tracing a person's cultural and ethnic background as Malaysia comprises many ethnicities and cultures in which, each has its own distinct system of names. Personal names are to a certain degree, regulated by the national registration department,...
- Philippine name
- Thai nameThai nameThai names follow the North Indian and Western European pattern in which the family name follows a first or given name. In this they differ from the family-name-first pattern of the East Asian tradition....
- Tibetan nameTibetan nameEthnic Tibetan personal names typically consist of two juxtaposed elements.Family names are rare except among those of aristocratic ancestry...
- Vietnamese nameVietnamese nameVietnamese names generally consist of three parts: a family name, a middle name, and a given name, used in that order. The "family name first" order follows the system of Chinese names and is common throughout the Sinosphere , but is different from Chinese, Korean, and Japanese names in having a...
Africa
- Akan nameAkan nameThe Akan people of Ghana and the Ivory Coast frequently name their children after the day of the week they were born and the order in which they were born....
External links
- Given Name Frequency Project – Analysis of long-term trends in given names in England and Wales. Includes downloadable datasets of names for people interested in studying given name trends.
- NameVoyager – Java applet listing the frequency of the Top 1000 American baby names throughout history.
- U.S. Census Bureau: Distribution of Names Files Large ranked list of male and female given names in addition to last names.
- Popular Baby Names – The Social Security Administration page for Popular U.S. Baby Names