Name meaning finder
Type a name to see what it means, where it comes from and how it sounds. Names outside our list get a careful AI explanation.
Names with memorable meanings
How to read a name's meaning
A name's "meaning" is usually the meaning of the word it grew from, often in a language nobody speaks any more. Oliver is linked to the Latin for olive tree; Sophia is Greek for wisdom. Some names carry a meaning through a person instead: Beatrice gained literary weight from Dante, and Ruth from the biblical book.
Use meanings as one input among several. Parents often find that a meaning they love tips the balance between two names that sound equally good; the comparison tool lets you weight meaning as much or as little as you like.
Questions
Where do these name meanings come from?
Meanings follow the standard etymologies given in reference works such as the Oxford Dictionary of First Names and Behind the Name. Where scholars disagree, we give the most widely accepted reading.
Why do some sites give different meanings for the same name?
Many names came into English through several languages, and some meanings are folk etymologies that were repeated until they stuck. A name can also be two unrelated names that happen to share a spelling.
What if my name is not listed?
Use the AI lookup. It explains the meaning, origin, pronunciation and variants, and says when the origin is uncertain rather than guessing.