Name meanings and origins
What each name meant in its first language, how it travelled, and who carried it. The library grows; the Innerverse can research any name not listed here.
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
- JacobHebrew: Supplanter, holder of the heel, may God protect
- JamesHebrew/Latin: Supplanter (same origin as Jacob)
- JasminePersian: The jasmine flower
- JenniferCornish: Cornish form of Guinevere
- JessicaEnglish: Probably from the biblical name Iscah
- JiménezSpanish: Son of Jimeno
- JohnHebrew: God is gracious, God has been gracious
- JosephHebrew: He will add, God shall add (another son)
- JoshuaHebrew: God is salvation, Yahweh saves
- JustinLatin: Derived from Justus, "just, upright"
K
L
M
- MartínezSpanish: Son of Martín
- MaryHebrew, from Miriam: Origin uncertain; possibly "beloved"
- MatthewHebrew: Gift of God, gift of Yahweh
- MeganWelsh: Pet form of Meg, from Margaret
- MichaelHebrew: Who is like God? (rhetorical - none is like God)
- MohammedArabic: Praised one, praiseworthy, glorified
- MontoyaSpanish: From monte, "mountain"; or from a place called Montoya
- MosesEgyptian: Born of, child of
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O
P
R
- RachelHebrew: Ewe, female sheep
- RamírezSpanish: Son of Ramiro
- RebeccaHebrew: To bind, to tie, captivating, beautiful
- RobertGermanic: Bright fame, shining with glory
- RodríguezSpanish: Son of Rodrigo
- RomeroSpanish: Pilgrim (originally a pilgrim to Rome)
- RyanIrish: From the surname Ó Riain, "descendant of Rian"; the meaning of Rian is uncertain