JACK French short form of JACOB or JAMES

JACOB "heel" or "supplanter" (Heb)
The biblical Jacob (later called ISRAEL) was born holding on to his brother's heel. He was the son of ISAAC and REBECCA.

JACQUELINE French feminine form of JACOB

JAFAR "stream" (Arb)
The brother of ALI, the fourth caliph.

JAMAL "beauty" (Arb)

JAMES Latin/English form of Jacob
The biblical James was an important apostle. He was the brother of the apostle JOHN. A James is also mentioned in the Bible as being the brother of Jesus.

JANE form of JOANNE

JANET pet form of JANE

JANICE form of JANE

JARED "one that rules" (Heb)
A descendant of ADAM.

JASMINE (Per)
A flower name. 'Yasmin' (in Persian) is a climbing plant with fragrant flowers.

JASON "healer" (Gre)
A hero of Greek legend. He was one of the Argonauts.

JASPER "jasper" (Gre)
Jasper is a green precious stone.

JEAN form of JANE or French form of JOHN

JEANNE female form of JOHN
JOAN of Arc is known in France as Jeanne d'Arc.

JEFFREY form of GEOFFREY or "good peace" (Teu)

JEMIMA "beautiful" or "dove" (Heb)
One of the Daughters of Job in the Old Testament.

JENNIFER Cornish form of GUINEVERE or form of GENEVIEVE or "graceful bearing" (Heb) and (Lat) or "fair" (Cel)
There are many alternate theories as to the origin of this name.

JEREMIAH "high of the Lord" (Heb)
One of the major prophets of the Old Testament.

JEREMY form of JEREMIAH

JEROME "sacred name" (Gre)
Saint Jerome was responsible for the creation of the Vulgate, the Latin translation of the Bible.

JESSE "my present" (Heb)
The father of king DAVID in the Old Testament.

JESSICA "God beholds" or "God's grace" (Heb) or female form of JESSE
The name of a character in Shakespeare's 'The Merchant of Venice'.

JILL form of GILLIAN

JIM form of JAMES

JO short form of JOSEPH, JOSEPHINE, JONATHAN, JOANNE, or JOLENE

JOAN female form of JOHN
Joan of Arc is a French heroine who battled the English.

JOANNE female form of JOHN

JODIE form of JUDITH

JOE form of JO

JOEL "Jehovah is God" or "one that commands" (Heb)
A minor prophet in the Old Testament.

JOHN "Jehovah has favored" (Heb)
John is the name of two important New Testament characters. The first was the John the Baptist. The second was the apostle John, brother of the apostle JAMES. John was also the name of the author of the fourth Gospel and Revelation in the New Testament. The name was borne by 21 popes. Also, the name of rulers of Hungary, Poland, Portugal and France. This has been the most popular of Christian names.

JOLENE form of JULIANA or blend of name elements 'jo' and 'lene'

JONAH "a dove" (Heb)
A prophet swallowed by a whale in the Old Testament. He emerged from the whale three days later.

JONATHAN "Jehovah has given" (Heb)
A son of Saul in the Old Testament.

JORDAN "descend" or "flowing down" (Heb)
Jordan is the name of a river flowing through modern day Jordan and Israel. It became a personal name after crusaders brought back water from that river to baptize their children.

JOSEPH "Jehovah added" (Heb)
In the Old Testament, the name of the eleventh son of JACOB. In the New Testament the name of the husband of MARY.

JOSEPHINE feminine form of JOSEPH

JOSH short form of JOSHUA

JOSHUA "the Lord is my salvation" (Heb)
The successor of MOSES in the Old Testament. The name Jesus was a form of Joshua.

JOY "joy" (Eng)

JOYCE meaning unknown (Cel)

JUAN Spanish form of JOHN

JUDAH "praised" (Heb)
One of the twelve sons of JACOB and ancestor of a large tribe in the Old Testament.

JUDITH "a Jewess" or "praising" or "confessing" (Heb)
The wife of Esau in the Old Testament. Also the main character of the the Old Testament book of Judith.

JUDY short form of JUDITH

JULIAN form of JULIUS

JULIANA female form of JULIAN

JULIE feminine form of JULIUS

JULIET pet form of JULIE
The lover of Romeo in Shakespeare's play.

JULIUS "mossy bearded" or "soft haired"(Gre)
Julius Caesar was a great leader of the Roman empire. He conquered the Gauls.

JUNE "ever youthful" (Lat) or "born in June" (Eng)

JUSTIN "just" (Lat)

JUSTINE French feminine form of JUSTIN

KAREN Danish form of CATHERINE

KARL German form of CHARLES

KATE short form of CATHERINE

KATHERINE form of CATHERINE

KATHLEEN Irish form of CATHERINE or "little darling" (Cel)

KATHY short form of KATHERINE

KATRINA Scottish form of CATHERINE

KAY short form of names beginning with K

KEITH "wood" or "wind" (Cel)
From a Scottish surname.

KELLY form of Ceallach or "descendant of Ceallach" (Cel)
From a place name or surname. Ceallach is probably realated to the Celtic word for 'church'.

KEN short form of KENNETH

KENNETH "handsome" or "chieftain" or "born of fire" (Cel: Gae)
The name of the first king of the Picts and Scots.

KERRY meaning unknown (Cel)

KEVIN form of KENNETH

KIM short form of KIMBERLY or an acronym for Kansas Illinois Missouri?
The three states used to meet.

KIMBERLY "land belonging to Cyneburg" (Teu: OE)
From a town name in South Africa. The town was named for Lord Kimberley.

KIRSTEN Scandinavian form of CHRISTINE

KURT contracted form of CONRAD

KYLA female form of KYLE

KYLE "narrow" or "narrow channel" (Cel: Gae)
From a Scottish surname.

LANCE "servant" or "helper" (Lat)
Short form of Lancelot, a character in 'The Tales of King Arthur'. Lancelot was a knight of the Round Table.

LARRY short form of LAURENCE

LATASHA "La TASHA"
The 'tasha' element is from NATASHA.

LATONYA "La TONYA"
The 'tonya' element is from ANTONIA.

LATOYA form of LATONYA

LAURA feminine form of LAURENCE

LAURENCE "of Laurentum" or "flourishing" or "crowned with laurel" (Lat)
Saint Laurence was a third century martyr. Laurentum was a town in Latium. It's name was related to 'laurus' meaning laurel.

LAVERNE "of Laverna" (Lat) or from a place name
Laverna was the Roman goddess of theivery. La Verne is a place name in California.

LAWRENCE form of LAURENCE

LEAH "cow" or "weary" (Heb) or "mistress" or "ruler" (Ass)
She was a wife of JACOB in the Old Testament.

LEANDER "lion man" (Gre)

LEANDRA female form of LEANDER

LEE "[dweller by the] clearing" (Teu: OE) or short form of LEO, LEON, or LESLIE
From a surname.

LEILA "night" (Arb)
Used by Lord BYRON in 'The Giaour' and 'Don Juan'.

LEO "lion" (Lat)
The name of 13 popes.

LEON "lion" (Gre)

LEONARD "lion-like" (Teu)
Leonardo da Vinci was an Italian artist and thinker.

LESIA pet form of ALEXANDRA

LESLIE "meadow land" (Teu: OE)
From a place name or a surname.

LEVI "one who is held and associated" (Heb)
In the Old Testament Levi was the third son of JACOB.

LEWIS "safeguard of the people" (Teu)

LEXA short form of ALEXANDRA or ALEXIS

LILITH "serpent" (Heb)
The Assyrian goddess of night who became ADAM's demon wife.

LINDA short form of BELINDA or MELINDA

LINDSEY "Lincoln island" (Teu: OE)
From a place name or surname.

LINUS "flax" (Gre)
The name of a musician who taught Hercules in Greek legend. Also the name of a son of Apollo.

LIONEL French pet form of LEON

LISA short form of ELIZABETH

LLOYD "grey" (Cel)

LOIS "good" or "desirable" (Gre)
Lois was the Grandmother to the TIMOTHY who received two epistles from Saint PAUL in the New Testament.

LORNA from the title 'Marquess of Lorne'

LORRAINE "kingdom of Lothair" (Teu) or "sorrowing" (Lat) or form of LAURA ANN
Lothair was a Frankish king. His realm is now the part of France that is called Lorraine, or in German Lothringen.

LOUIS French form of LEWIS
The name of 18 kings of France.

LOUISE French feminine form of LOUIS

LUCAS form of LUKE

LUCY feminine form of LUKE

LUKE "of Lucania" or "luminous" (Gre)
Luke was the author of the third Gospel and Acts in the New Testament. He was supposedly a doctor who travelled in the company of PAUL.

LUTHER "noted warrior" or "hero of the people" (Teu: Ger)
From 'Lothair' (see LORRAINE). MARTIN Luther was the leader of the Reformation.

LYDIA "[born in] Lydia" (Gre)
Lydia was a region in Asia.

LYNN short form of LYNNA or LINDA

LYNNA "a cascade" (Teu)

MABEL "my fair maid" (Fre) or "lovely" (Lat)
From French 'ma belle' or Latin 'amabilis'.

MAE short form of MABEL or Mavis or female form of MATTHEW

MAGNUS "the great" (Teu: Sca)
Originally a suffix to the names of rulers in Scandinavian countries.

MAIRE Gaelic form of MARY

MALCOLM "disciple of Saint COLUMBIA" (Cel)

MANDY short form of AMANDA

MANUEL short form of EMMANUEL

MARCEL short form of MARCELLUS

MARCELINE female form of MARCELLUS

MARCELLA female form of MARCELLUS

MARCELLUS "warlike" or "hammer" (Lat)
From Mars, the Roman God of war.

MARCO Italian form of MARK

MARCUS form of MARK or "polite" (Lat)

MARCY short form of MARCELLA

MARGARET "pearl" or "precious" (Gre)
Saint Margaret was martyred at Antioch in the fourth century.

MARGERY form of MARGARET

MARIA form of MARY

MARIE French form of MARY

MARILYN "MARY ELLEN"

MARIO Italian form of MARIUS

MARITA contraction of MARIA and CATARINA or Spanish pet form of MARY

MARIUS "of Mars" (Lat)
Mars was the Roman god of War.

MARK "warlike" or "born in March" (Lat)
The first meaning is from Mars, the Roman god of war. Mark was the author of the second Gospel in the New Testament. The names MARCELLUS and MARIUS are related.

MARLENA form of MARLENE

MARLENE blend of MARIA and Magdalene
First used by a German actress.

MARLYN form of MARLENE
Influenced by MARILYN.

MARSHA short form of MARCELLA

MARTHA "bitter" or "sorrowful" (Heb) or "mistress" (Ara)
The sister of Lazarus and MARY of Bethany in the New Testament.

MARTIN form of MARIUS

MARY "bitterness of the sea" or "bitterness of afflicition" (Heb) or possibly an Egyptian name
In the New Testament she is the virgin mother of Jesus. MIRIAM was the original form.

MATILDA "noble lady" (Teu)

MATT short form of MATTHEW or MATTHIAS

MATTHEW "gift of Jehovah" (Heb)
Matthew was the name of an apostle (a tax collector) and also the name of the author of the second Gospel in the New Testament.

MATTHIAS Greek and Latin form of MATTHEW
The name of the apostle chosen to replace Judas Iscariot in the New Testament.

MAUD short form of MATILDA

MAUREEN pet form of MAIRE

MAURICE "dark skinned" (Lat) or "sea choice" (Cel)
The name of a Byzantine emperor.

MAVIS "song thrush" (Fre)

MAXIMILLIAN "great" (Lat)
Name of a third century saint.

MAXWELL English form of MAXIMILLIAN

MAY "born in May" (Eng) or form of MAE

MEGAN Welsh short form of MARGARET

MELANIE "black" or "dark complexion" (Gre)
A saint who gave all her wealth to charity in the fifth century.

MELBA
From the surname of singer Nellie Melba (a stage name) which was from Melbourne, where she was born.

MELINDA "honey snake" or "sweetly wise" (Lat) and (Teu)
The snake signifies wisdom.

MELISSA "a bee" (Gre)

MELODY "singing" (Gre) or "melody" (Eng)

MEREDITH "guardian of the sea" (Cel)

MERYL form of MURIEL

MIA "mine" (Ita) or short form of MARIA

MICHAEL "who is like God?" or "he who is like God" (Heb)
One of the four archangels in the Bible - the leader of the heavenly hosts. Also the name of eight Byzantine emperors.

MICHELLE French feminine form of MICHAEL

MICK shortening of MICHAEL

MIGUEL Spanish form of MICHAEL

MIKE shortening of MICHAEL

MIKKEL Scandinavian form of MICHAEL or "enormous" (Teu: Sca)

MILES form of MICHAEL

MINDY short form of MELINDA

MIRANDA "worthy to be admired" (Lat)
The heroine of Shakespeare's 'The Tempest'.

MIRIAM older form of MARY
The elder sister of MOSES.

MOLLY short form of MARCELLA or form of MARY

MONA short form of MONICA or "noble" (Cel)

MONICA "advisor" (Lat) or "alone" (Gre) or possibly an African name
Saint Monica was the mother of Saint Augustus (see AUGUST).

MONIQUE French form of MONICA

MORGAN "seaman" (Cel)

MORRIS form of MAURICE

MORTEN Danish form of MARTIN

MORTIMER "[dweller by] the still water" (Cel)
From a surname.

MOSES "to draw out" (Heb) or possibly an Egyptian name
The biblical Moses was drawn out of the Nile by the Pharoah's daughter. He lead the Jews out of captivity in Egypt and received the Ten Commandments from God. He was the brother of AARON. Possibly from Hebrew 'Môsheh'.

MUHAMMAD "the praised one" (Arb)
The prophet who founded Islam. This name, with all of its variants, is the most popular in the world.

MURIEL form of MYRA or "sea bright" (Cel) or "merry" (ME)

MYRA "myrrh" or "fragrant" (Gre)
Myrrh is a fragrant resin obtained from a tree.

NADINE "hope" (Rus)
French form of a Russian name.

NANCY pet form of ANN

NAOMI "pleasant one" or "beautiful" (Heb)
In the Old Testament, the mother-in-law of RUTH.

NATALIE "Christmas Day" (Lat)

NATASHA Russian pet form of NATALIE

NATHAN "gift" (Heb) or short form of JONATHAN
A prophet in the Old Testament. Also a son of DAVID in the Old Testament.

NED short form of EDWARD

NEIL "champion" (Cel)

NICHOLAS "victory of the people" (Gre)
Saint Nicholas became our Santa Claus. Nicholas was also the name of two czars of Russia.

NICK short form of NICHOLAS

NICKY short form of VERONICA or NICHOLAS

NICOLE French feminine form of NICHOLAS

NICOLO Spanish form of NICHOLAS

NIGEL Latinised form of NEIL or "swarthy" (Lat)

NIKOLAAS Dutch form of NICHOLAS

NINA Russian pet form of ANN

NOAH "a ceasing" (Heb)
In the Old Testament he was the builder of the ark which allowed him, his family, and two of each animal to survive the great flood.

NORMAN "northman" or "from Normandy" (Teu: OE)
The Normans were Vikings who settled on the coast of France. The region became known as Normandy.