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.
Donald is a masculine given name derived from the Gaelic name Dòmhnall. This comes from the Proto-Celtic *Dumno-ualos. The final -d in Donald is partly derived from a misinterpretation of the Gaelic pronunciation by English speakers, and partly associated with the spelling of similar-sounding Germanic names, such as Ronald. A short form of Donald is Don. Pet forms of Donald include Donnie and Donny. The feminine given name Donella is derived from Donald.
Roger is a masculine given name, and a surname. The given name is derived from the Old French personal names Roger and Rogier. These names are of Germanic origin, derived from the elements hrōd, χrōþi and gār, gēr (Hrōþigēraz). The name was introduced into England by the Normans. In Normandy, the Frankish name had been reinforced by the Old Norse cognate Hróðgeirr. The name introduced into England replaced the Old English cognate Hroðgar. Roger became a very common given name during the Middle Ages. A variant form of the given name Roger that is closer to the name's origin is Rodger.
Ronald is a masculine given name derived from the Old Norse Rögnvaldr, or possibly from Old English Regenweald. In some cases Ronald is an Anglicised form of the Gaelic Raghnall, a name likewise derived from Rögnvaldr. The latter name is composed of the Old Norse elements regin and valdr ("ruler"). Ronald was originally used in England and Scotland, where Scandinavian influences were once substantial, although now the name is common throughout the English-speaking world. A short form of Ronald is Ron. Pet forms of Ronald include Roni and Ronnie. Ronalda and Rhonda are feminine forms of Ronald. Rhona, a modern name apparently only dating back to the late nineteenth century, may have originated as a feminine form of Ronald. The names Renaud/Renault and Reynold/Reinhold are cognates from French and German respectively. The name Ronaldo is a cognate from Spanish and Portuguese.
Laurence is an English masculine and a French feminine given name. The English masculine name is a variant of Lawrence and it originates from a French form of the Latin Laurentius, a name meaning "man from Laurentum".
Johnny is an English language personal name. It is usually an affectionate diminutive of the masculine given name John, but from the 16th century it has sometimes been a given name in its own right for males and, less commonly, females.
Selina is a feminine given name, considered either a variant of Selene, the goddess and personification of the Moon in Greek mythology and religion, or a spelling variation of the name Celina, which is derived from the Roman name Cecilia, referring to a woman from the Caecilia gens. This spelling variant had begun to be used in the United Kingdom by the 1600s.
Fiona is a feminine given name of Gaelic origins. It means white or fair, the Irish name Fíona means vine. It was coined by Scottish writer William Sharp. Sharp may have drawn inspiration from Celtic variations of the name Catherine. Initially, the name was confined to Scotland but later it gained popularity in other countries, such as Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Australia, Germany and Canada.
Justin is a masculine given name of Latin origin. It is the anglicized form of the Latin given name Justinus, a derivative of Justus, meaning "just", "fair", or "righteous". Justinus was the name borne by various early saints, notably a 2nd-century Christian apologist and a 3rd century martyr. The name is also related to the similar Latin name Justinian. As an English name, Justin is common particularly in the English-speaking world starting in the latter half of the 20th century.
Siobhán is a female name of Irish origin. The most common anglicisations are Siobhan, Shavawn,Shevaun and Shivaun. A now uncommon spelling variant is Siubhán.
Tristan, Tristram or Tristen is a given name derived from Welsh drust, influenced by the French word triste and Welsh/Cornish/Breton trist, both of which mean "bold" or "sad", "sorrowful".
Duncan is an Anglicised form of Irish Donnchadh. One of the first people to bear the name was king of Dál Riata Dúnchad mac Dubáin, who was possibly the grandfather of Fiannamail ua Dúnchado-Fiannamail O'Dúnchado. The final letter n in the Anglicised Duncan seems to be a result of confusion in the Latin form of the name—Duncanus—with the Gaelic word ceann, meaning "head". One opinion is that the Gaelic Donnchadh is composed of the elements donn, meaning "dark or dark-haired man" or "chieftain"; and cath, meaning "battle", together meaning "dark-haired or dark warrior". Another opinion is that the Gaelic Donnchadh is composed of the elements donn, meaning "brown"; and chadh, meaning "chief" or "noble".
Jeremy is an English male given name of biblical origin, deriving from the given name Jeremiah. Etymologically, "Jeremy" is the anglicized and diminutive form of the given name "Jeremiah." As such, the name "Jeremy" means "God will uplift" or "God will loosen" within various interpretations.
Riley is a transferred use of an English surname derived from Old English ryge ‘rye’ + lēah ‘wood’, ‘clearing’.
Kennedy is a unisex given name in the English language. The name is an Anglicised form of a masculine given name in the Irish language.
Craig is a Scottish, Irish and Welsh masculine given name, all variations derive from the same Celtic branch. The name has two origins. In some cases it can originate from a nickname, derived from the Scottish Gaelic word creag, meaning "rock," similar to Peter. In other cases, the given name originates from the Scottish surname Craig, which is also derived from the same Scottish Gaelic word. Cognate forms of creag include the Irish creig, Manx creg, and Welsh craig. The English word "crag" also shares an origin with these Celtic words. The given name Craig is popular in Scotland, and is used throughout the English speaking world.
Emma is a feminine given name. It is derived from the Germanic word ermen, meaning "whole" or "universal". It likely originated as a short form of names such as Ermengarde or Ermentrude. Its earliest use begins at least from the early seventh century, with Frankish royal daughter Emma of Austrasia and the wife of Eadbald of Kent found in written sources. Its popularity in the medieval era increased because it was the name of Emma of Normandy, mother of Edward the Confessor. Emmeline is a Norman variant of Emma that was introduced to England by the Norman invaders in the 11th century. The name is etymologically unrelated to Amalia, Amelia, Emilia, and Emily, all of which are derived from other sources, but all of these names have been associated with each other due to their similarity in appearance and sound. Emma has been used as a short form of some of these names or shares diminutives such as Em or Emmy with them.
Brendan is an Irish masculine given name in the English language. It is derived from the Gaelic name Breandán, which is in turn derived from the earlier Old Irish Brénainn. The Old Welsh breenhin is the root of the name, meaning prince or king. The mediaeval Latin form of the name, Brendanus, has also influenced the modern English and Irish forms. Variant spellings are Brendon and Brenden. In some cases it is possible that the given name Brandon is also a variant of Brendan. A variant spelling of the Irish Breandán is Breanndán.
Angus is an English language masculine given name. It is an Anglicised form of the Irish and Scottish Gaelic name Aonghas, which is composed of Celtic elements meaning "one" and "choice". Short forms of the name include Gus, which may be lengthened to Gussie, and Irish Naos. Angie is a common pet form of the name. The feminine form of Angus is Angusina.
Elsie is a feminine given name, a diminutive form of Elspeth, a Scottish version of Elizabeth. It has been in use in the Anglosphere as an independent name since the 1800s. The name has increased in usage in English-speaking countries in recent years.
