 | This article needs additional citations for verification .(June 2012) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈændriə,ˈɑːn-/ A(H)N-dree-ə, /ɑːnˈdreɪ.ə/ ahn-DRAY-ə Italian: [anˈdrɛːa] |
|---|---|
| Gender | Female (most languages) Male (most cases, Albanian, Italian and Romansh) |
| Language(s) | Greek aner, andros, "man" (i.e. adult male) |
| Origin | |
| Meaning | 'manly' |
| Other names | |
| See also | Andre, Andreas, Andrew, Andy/Andie, Adrian |
Andrea is a given name which is common worldwide for both males and females, cognate to Andreas, Andrej and Andrew.
The name derives from the Greek word ἀνήρ (anēr), genitive ἀνδρός (andrós), that refers to man as opposed to woman (whereas man in the sense of human being is ἄνθρωπος, ánthropos). The original male Greek name, Andréas, represents the hypocoristic, with endearment functions, of male Greek names composed with the andr- prefix, like Androgeos (man of the earth), Androcles (man of glory), Andronikos (man of victory).
In the year 2006, it was the third most popular name in Italy with 3.1% of newborns. [1] It is one of the Italian male names ending in a, with others being Elia (Elias), Enea (Aeneas), Luca (Lucas), Mattia (Matthias), Nicola (Nicholas), Tobia (Tobias). In recent and past times it has also been used on occasion as a female name in Italy and in Spain, where it is considered the legitimate feminine form of Andrés/Andreo/Andreu (Andrew).[ citation needed ] Outside of Italy, the name is generally considered a female name.
Alexandra is a female given name of Greek origin. It is the first attested form of its variants, including Alexander. Etymologically, the name is a compound of the Greek verb ἀλέξειν and ἀνήρ. Thus it may be roughly translated as "defender of man" or "protector of man". The name Alexandra was one of the epithets given to the Greek goddess Hera and as such is usually taken to mean "one who comes to save warriors". The earliest attested form of the name is the Mycenaean Greek 𐀀𐀩𐀏𐀭𐀅𐀨, written in the Linear B syllabic script. Alexandra and its masculine equivalent, Alexander, are both common names in Greece as well as countries where Germanic, Romance, and Slavic languages are spoken.
Bianca is a feminine given name. It means "white" and is an Italian cognate of Blanche. It is known in the Anglosphere as a character in William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew. It came to greater notice in the 1970s, due to public figures such as Bianca Jagger.
The name Felicia derives from the Latin adjective felix, meaning "happy, lucky", though in the neuter plural form felicia it literally means "happy things" and often occurred in the phrase tempora felicia, "happy times". The sense of it as a feminine personal name appeared in post-Classical use and is of uncertain origin. It is associated with saints, poets, astronomical objects, plant genera, fictional characters, and animals, especially cats.
Ivana is a feminine given name of Slavic origin that is also popular in southern Ireland, France, French-speaking Canada, the Mediterranean and Latin America. It is the feminine form of the name Ivan, which are both the Slavic cognates of the names Joanna and John. It may also be spelled as Ivanna.
Lina is an international feminine given name, mostly the short form of a variety of names ending in -lina including Adelina, Angelina, Carmelina, Carolina, Catalina, Emelina, Evangelina, Evelina, Karolina, Italina, Marcelina, Melina, Nikolina, Paulina, Rosalina, and Žaklina.
Simone is a given name that may be used as a masculine or feminine name, depending on the language.
Kira is a mostly feminine name of multiple origins and meanings.
Renée is a French feminine given name and surname.
Sarah is a common feminine given name of Hebrew origin. It derives its popularity from the biblical matriarch Sarah, the wife of Abraham and a major figure in the Abrahamic religions. It is a consistently popular given name across Europe, North America, and the Middle East — being commonly used as a female first name by Jews, Muslims, and Christians alike, and remaining popular also among non-religious members of cultures influenced by these religions.
Patricia is a feminine given name of Latin origin. Derived from the Latin word patrician, meaning 'noble', it is the feminine form of the masculine given name Patrick. Another well-known variant is Patrice.
Sophia, also spelled Sofia, is a feminine given name, from Greek Σοφία, Sophía, "Wisdom". Other forms include Sophie, Sophy, and Sofie. The given name is first recorded in the beginning of the 4th century. It is a common female name in the Eastern Orthodox countries. It became very popular in the West beginning in the later 1990s and became one of the most popularly given girls' names in the Western world in the first decades of the 21st century.
André — sometimes transliterated as Andre — is the French and Portuguese form of the name Andrew and is now also used in the English-speaking world. It used in France, Quebec, Canada and other French-speaking countries, as well in Portugal, Brazil and other Portuguese-speaking countries. It is a variation of the Greek name Andreas, a short form of any of various compound names derived from andr- 'man, warrior'.
Adriana, also spelled Adrianna, is a Latin name and feminine form of Adrian. It originates from present day Italy and Spain.
Anna is a feminine given name, the Latin form of the Greek: Ἄννα and the Hebrew name Hannah, meaning "favour" or "grace".
Emilia is a feminine Italian given name of Latin origin. The name is popular all over Europe and the Americas. The corresponding masculine name is Emilio. Emily is the English form of the Italian name.
Gabriella is a feminine given name used in various languages. Its English spelling originates as an Italian feminine given name from the Hebrew name Gabriel. Girls who are named Gabriella often take on a shorter version of the name, such as Bella, Ella, Gab, Gabby, and Gabbi.
Luciana is a feminine given name of Roman origin, a variation of the masculine name Lucius. The name is especially popular in Argentina, Brazil, Italy, Portugal and Romania. In Hungarian language the name is used as Luciána.
Jasmina, sometimes Jasminka, as a feminine variant, and Jasmin, sometimes Jasminko, as a masculine variant, are given names used in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Bulgaria and Slovenia, and same as a given name Jasmine, which is the common form in German, Romance and English-speaking countries, although almost always as a feminine variation.
Gail is a masculine and feminine given name.
