| Gender | female, male |
|---|---|
| Origin | |
| Word/name | Old English |
| Meaning | the first appearance of light, daybreak |
Dawn is a mostly feminine given name, although it can be used as a masculine given name as well. It is of Old English origin, and its meaning is the first appearance of light, daybreak.[ citation needed ]
It is sometimes used as a name for Eos (Greek: Ἠώς), the Greek goddess of the dawn.
Sharon, also spelled Saron, is a given name as well as a Hebrew name.
Amy is an English feminine given name, the English version of the French Aimée, which means beloved. It was used as a diminutive of the Latin name Amata, a name derived from the passive participle of amare, “to love”. The name has been in use in the Anglosphere since the Middle Ages. It was among the 50 most popular names for girls in England between 1538 and 1700. It was popularized in the 19th century in the Anglosphere by a character in Sir Walter Scott's 1821 novel Kenilworth, which was based on the story of Amy Robsart. Enslaved Black women in the United States prior to the American Civil War were more likely to bear the name than white American women because slave masters often chose their names from literary sources. The name declined in use after 1880 but was revived due to the hit song Once in Love with Amy from the 1948 Broadway musical Where's Charley?. The name peaked in usage in the United States between 1973 and 1976, when it was among the five most popular names for American girls. It remained among the top 250 names for American girls in the early 2020s.
Brennan is an Irish surname which is an anglicised form of two different Irish-language surnames: Ó Braonáin and Ó Branáin. Historically, one source of the surname was the prominent clan Ua Braonáin (O'Brennan) of Uí Duach (Idough) in Osraige who were a junior Dál Birn sept stemming from a younger son of Cerball mac Dúnlainge (d.888). Recent surname evaluations highlighted the geographic consistency of this lineage in the barony of Idough. However, based on the ultimate authority of Dubhaltach Mac Fhirbhisigh they are out of Ui Dhuinn (O’Dunn) and, therefore, an Uí Failghi tribe, not Osraige. While it is clearly apparent that O’Hart's pedigree is erroneous, it is suggested that Ó Cléirigh probably became confused while transcribing from Mac Fhirbhisigh. This is echoed by the modern scholar, Bart Jaski.
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.
Teresa is a feminine given name.
Sheila is a common feminine given name, derived from the Irish name Síle, which is believed to be a Gaelic form of the Latin name Caelia, the feminine form of the Roman clan name Caelius, meaning 'heavenly'.
Samantha is a feminine given name.
Karen is a given name and occasional surname. In English, it is a feminine given name derived from the name Katherine, and it is also found in modern Africa, as well as in East Asia. However, in other countries such as Iran and Armenia, it is a masculine name deriving from Middle Iranian. The name 'Karen' also became a popular nickname for middle aged women whom easily resort to asking for management in the face of adversity.
Vicky, Vick, Vickie or Vicki is a feminine given name, often a hypocorism of Victoria. The feminine name Vicky in Greece comes from the name Vasiliki.
Kirk is a surname of Scottish and Northern English origin.
Lindsay is both a Scottish surname and a given name. The given name comes from the Scottish surname and clan name, which comes from the toponym Lindsey, which in turn comes from the Old English toponym Lindesege for the city of Lincoln, in which Lind is the original Brittonic form of the name of Lincoln and island refers to Lincoln being an island in the surrounding fenland. Lindum Colonia was the Roman name of the settlement which is now the City of Lincoln in Lincolnshire. Lindum was a Latinized form of a native Brittonic name which has been reconstructed as *Lindon, which means "pool" or "lake" and refers to the Brayford Pool.
Rachel, meaning "ewe", is a feminine given name of Hebrew origin, popularized by the biblical figure Rachel, the wife of Israelite patriarch Jacob.
Tina is a female given name. It is diminutive for names such as Albertina, Bettina, Christina, Christine, Kristina, Martina, Valentina, Faustina, etc. Its masculine counterpart is Tino or Tin. In Finland and Estonia, the name is written as Tiina. The word itself may have originated from Old English Tyne/Tyna/Tina, meaning river.
Amber is a feminine given name taken from amber, the fossilized tree resin that is often used in the making of jewelry. The word can also refer to a yellowish-orange color.
Shirley is a given name and a surname originating from the English place-name Shirley, which is derived from the Old English elements scire ("shire") or scīr and lēah. The name makes reference to the open space where the moot was held. The surname Shirley became established as a female given name in 1849 due to its use in Charlotte Brontë's novel Shirley, in which the character explains that her parents had intended the family surname for a son. It was further popularized in 1851–52 by its pseudonymous use by California Gold Rush writer Louise Amelia Knapp Smith Clappe. It was eventually brought to its highest popularity, in the 1930s, by the fame of child star Shirley Temple.
Kim is a unisex given name. It is also used as a diminutive or nickname for names such as Kimber, Kimberly, Kimberley, Kimball and Kimiko. In Kenya, it is short for various male names such as Kimutai and Kimani. In Vietnam, it is also a unisex name.
The given name Lisa can be a short form of Elisabeth, Melissa or Elizabeth. In the United Kingdom, the name Lisa began to gain popularity during the 1960s, by 1974 it was the fifth most popular female name there, and a decade later it was the 14th most popular female name there. However, by 1996 it had fallen out of the top 100. Similarly, in the United States it was the most popular female name for most of the 1960s and in the top 10 through most of the 1970s before falling.
Donnelly is an Irish surname. Also used as: O’Donnelly or Donley. It is derived from the Gaelic Ó Donnghaile meaning 'descendant of Donnghal', a given name composed of the elements donn and gal ('valour'). O'Donnelly was historically of the Northern Uí Néill's Cenél nEoghain, descended from Donnghal, the great-grandson of Domhnall, King of Ailech.
April is a feminine given name taken from the month of the same name. It was the most popular month name given to girls in the United States between 1960 and 2000. It was most well used in the Southern United States, where the spring season begins earlier than other regions of the country. The name is believed to have been particularly well-used because April is a month associated with renewal. The name has since declined in usage in English-speaking countries, but remains in regular use.
Olivia is a feminine given name in the English language. It is derived from Latin oliva, olive. Both Oliva and Olivia were Latinate forms in use in English-speaking countries as early as the 13th century. Olive was in common use as a vernacular form. Though not invented by William Shakespeare, the name was popularized by a character in Twelfth Night.