Lucas, Luke

Posted on May 29, 2012 by Sebastiane

Gender: Masculine
Origin: Greek
Meaning: “from Lucania.”
Eng (LOOK); Fre IPA (LUYK)

Both names are derived from the Greek, Λουκας (Loucas), which means, “from Lucania”, the name of a region in Italy.

The name was popularized throughout the Christian world due to the fame and renown of St. Luke, a Christian convert, gentile and doctor. He is credited as being the author of the Acts and the third Gospel in the New Testament.

In the English speaking world, Luke has been in usage since the 12th-century, he is currently the 39th most popular male name in the United States, (2011). His latinate form of Lucas is the 29th most popular male name. Their rankings in other countries are as follows:

For Luke/Luc

# 1 (Luke, Malta, 2010)
# 5 (Luuk, Netherlands, 2011)
# 9 (Ireland, 2010)
# 17 (Northern Ireland, 2010)
# 24 (New Zealand, 2010)
# 33 (Australia, NSW, 2011)
# 38 (England/Wales, 2010)
# 50 (Lluc, Catalonia, 2010)
# 56 (Canada, BC, 2010)
# 45 (Scotland, 2010)
# 99 (Luc, Netherlands, 2011)
# 249 (Netherlands, 2011)
# 253 (Luc, France, 2010)

For Luca(s)

# 1 (Luka, Croatia, 2009)
# 1 (Luca, Malta, 2010)
# 1 (Luka, Serbia, 2011)
# 1 (Luka, Slovenia, 2010)
# 2 (Australia, NSW, 2011)
# 2 (France, 2010)
# 2 (Luca, German-speaking, Switzerland, 2010)
# 2 (Monaco, 2009)
# 2 (Sweden, 2011)
# 3 (Belgium, 2008)
# 3 (Denmark, 2011)
# 3 (Faroe Islands, 2010)
# 3 (Luca, French-speaking, Switzerland, 2010)
# 3 (Luka, Georgia, 2011)
# 3 (Lucas/Lukas, Germany, 2011)
# 3 (Luca(s), Liechtenstein, 2010)
# 3 (Lukas, Lithuania, 2011)
# 4 (Canada, BC, 2010)
# 4 (Lukáš, Czech Republic, 2010)
# 4 (Luca, Luxembourg, 2010)
# 5 (Lucas, Brazil, 2011)
# 5 (Lucas, French-speaking, Switzerland, 2010)
# 5 (Lukáš, Slovakia, 2011)
# 6 (Netherlands, 2011)
# 9 (Luca, Italian-speaking, Switerland, 2010)
# 12 (Luca, Italy, 2009)
# 13 (Scotland, 2010)
# 17 (Norway, 2011)
# 19 (England/Wales, 2010)
# 21 (Spain, 2010)
# 22 (Luca, Austria, 2010)
# 22 (Luca, Belgium, 2008)
# 28 (Northern Ireland, 2010)
# 32 (Luca, Netherlands, 2011)
# 36 (Catalonia, 2010)
# 38 (Luka, Bosnia & Herzegovina, 2010)
# 38 (Łukasz, Poland, 2009)
# 70 (Luca, England/Wales, 2010)
# 79 (Luca, Australia, NSW, 2011)
# 79 (Ireland, 2010)
# 95 (Luka, Belgium, 2008)
# 96 (Luca, Scotland, 2010)
# 100 (Luca, France, 2010)
# 112 (Luka, France, 2010)
# 182 (Luka, Netherlands, 2011)
# 260 (Luca, United States, 2011)
# 743 (Luka, United States, 2011)

Other forms of the name include:

Luka Лука ლუკა (Albanian/Belarusian/Croatian/Georgian/Macedonian/Old Church Slavonic/Russian/Serbian/Slovene/Ukrainian)
GhukasՂուկաս (Armenian)
Lucas Лукас لوکا (Belarusian/Dutch/English/Farsi/French/German/Portuguese/Romansch/Scandinavian/Spanish)
Lukaz (Breton)
Lluc (Catalan)
Lukáš (Czech/Slovak)
Luuk (Dutch)
Luke (English/Dutch)
Luuka(s) (Finnish)
Luc (French/Galician)
Lukas (German/Latvian/Lithuanian/Scandinavian)
Loukas Λουκάς (Greek)
Lukács (Hungarian)
Lúkas (Icelandic)
Luca (Italian/Maltese/Romanian/Sardinian)
Lucano (Italian: obscure)
Luchino (Italian: obscure)
Luchetto (Italian: obscure)
Lucone (Italian: obscure)
Lúcás (Irish-Gaelic)
Luch (Piedmontese)
Łukasz (Polish)
Lücha (Romansch)
Łuca (Venetian)
Luk (Walon)

An Italian feminine form is Luchina.

In English, Lucky is occasionally used as a pet form.

Sources

Enzo

Posted on May 29, 2012 by Sebastiane

Gender: Masculine
Origin: Italian

The name is of somewhat debated origin, most sources agree that it is an Italian short form of Enrico, being a cognate with the German, Heinz. Other sources have connected it with the Old High German male name, Anzo, which is derived from ant meaning, “giant.”

In more recent years, it was often a short form of any name ending in -enzo.

Due to immigration, the name has experienced usage in the United States and in Latin America, primarily among the Italian Diaspora.

The name has currently become extremely popular in France. The reasons are unknown. As of 2010, he was the 3rd most popular male name. His rankings in other countries are as follows:

# 12 (Brazil, 2010)
# 57 (Argentina, 2009)
# 67 (Belgium, 2008)
# 301 (Netherlands, 2011)
# 400 (United States, 2011)

An Italian feminine form is Enza.

A notable bearer is Enzo Ferarri creator of the car.

Flavia

Posted on May 28, 2012 by Sebastiane

Gender: Feminine
Origin: Latin
Meaning: “blonde.”
Classical Lat (FLAU-wee-ah); Late Lat/It (FLAH-vyah); Fre (flah-VEE)

The name is a feminine form of the Roman family name, Flavius, which is derived from the Latin, flavus (blonde; yellow-haired). Its Greek cognate is Xanthe.

Flavius was a family name of a few 1st-century Roman Emperors, notably Vespasian and Domitian. It was later adopted as a first name by several Late Roman emperors including Constantine.

Its feminine form was borne by two early Roman martyrs and saints, making the name remain popular after the dawn of Christianity.

Flavia appears as the name of a major female character in the Anthony Hope novel, The Prisonor of Zenda (1894).

As of 2010, its French form of Flavie was the 224th most popular female name in France.

Other forms of the feminine include:

Flavie (French)
Flávia (Hungarian)
Flavia (Italian/Latin/Romanian/Spanish)
Flavina (Italian)
Flawia (Polish)
Flávia (Portuguese)

Masculine forms include:

Flavi (Catalan)
Flávió (Hungarian)
Fláviusz (Hungarian)
Flavio (Italian/Spanish)
Flavius (Latin)
Flawiusz (Polish)
Flaviu (Romanian)

Gabriel, Gabriella

Posted on May 25, 2012 by Sebastiane

Origin: Hebrew גַבְרִיאֵל Γαβριηλ
Meaning: “strong man of God.”
Eng (GABE-ree-el); (gah-bree-EL-ah); Fre (gah-bree-EL); Germ (GAHP-ree-el); Pol (GAHP-ryel)

The name is derived from the Biblical Hebrew, גַבְרִיאֵל (Gavri-el) meaning, “strong man of God.”

In Judeo-Christian religions, it is the name of a powerful archangel, who is often viewed as a messenger of God. He appears several times in the Old and New Testaments.

Among Christians, one of his most important messages was relayed to the Virgin Mary that she would be the mother of Jesus. Islamic tradition also believes the same, and in Islam, it was the angel Gabriel who revealed the Qu’ran, (through God), to Mohammed.

In Mormon theology, Gabriel is believed to be the embodiment of Noah in the afterlife.

Gabriel is a fairly common name among Christians, Jews and Muslims, making him an extremely cross-cultural portable name.

Currently, in the United States, his popularity has been rising. He is the 24th most popular male name, (2011). In other countries, his rankings in all his various forms are as follows:

# 2 (Gabriel(e), Liechtenstein, 2010)
# 3 (Brazil, 2011)
# 4 (Romania, 2009)
# 6 (Gabriele, Italy, 2009)
# 7 (France, 2010)
# 9 (Quebec, Canada, 2011)
# 19 (Croatia, 2009)
# 26 (Belgium, 2008)
# 28 (Canada, BC, 2010)
# 28 (Mexico, 2010)
# 29 (Austria, 2010)
# 35 (Spain, 2010)
# 40 (Poland, 2009)
# 47 (Sweden, 2011)
# 48 (Norway, 2011)
# 52 (Catalonia, 2010)
# 78 (England/Wales, 2010)
# 95 (Australia, NSW, 2011)
# 124 (Scotland, 2010)
# 189 (Djibril, France, 2010)
# 313 (Jibril, France, 2010)

Other forms of the name include:

Jibrail/Jibrīl جبرائيل ጂብሪል (Arabic/Ethiopian)
Gabriel გაბრიელი ገብርኤል
(Armenian/Catalan/Coptic/Czech/Danish/English/Ethiopian/Finnish/French/Georgian/German/Norwegian/Polish/Portuguese/Romanian/Romansch/Spanish/Swedish)
Gavrik (Armenian)
Cəbrayıl/Cibril (Azeri)
Gawryil Гаўрыіл (Belarusian)
Džibril/Džebrail (Bosnian)
Gavrail Гавраил (Bulgarian)
Zheberejil Жәбірейіл (Central Asian)
Gabrijel (Croatian/Maltese/Serbian)
Gabriël (Dutch)
Gaabriel (Estonian)
Gabrel (Ethiopian)
Kaapo/Kaapro (Finnish)
Gabriél Γαβριήλ (Greek)
Gavril Γαβριηλ (Greek)
Gavriel גַּבְרִיאֵל (Hebrew)
Gábriel (Hungarian)
Gábor (Hungarian)
Gabríel (Icelandic)
Jibril (Indonesian)
Gaibriéil (Irish-Gaelic)
Gabo/Gabbo (Italian)
Gabriele (Italian: more common form)
Gabriellino (Italian)
Gabriello (Italian)
Gabrio (Italian)
Cibrayîl (Kurdish)
Gabrielus (Latin)
Gabriels (Latvian)
Gabrielius (Lithuanian)
Jibrail (Malaysian)
Gavriilu Гаврїилъ (Old Church Slavonic)
Khabbriele (Puglian)
Gabin (Provençal)
Gavril Гавриил (Romanian/Russian)
Crabiele/Gabilele/Gabriello (Sardinian)
Cabbrieli (Sicilian)
Gabri’el ܠܒܪܝܐܝܠ (Syrian)
Gebrael (Syrian)
Cebrâîl (Turkish)
Gavrel גַאבְֿרֶעל (Yiddish)

English short form is Gabe.

Its feminine form of Gabriella/Gabriela is also rising in popularity. Currently, Gabriella is the 34th most popular female name in the United States, (2011). Her rankings in other countries are as follows:

# 3 (Gabriela, Bulgaria, 2009)
# 5 (Gabrielė, Lithuania, 2011)
# 5 (Gabrielle, Philippines, 2011)
# 7 (Gabriela, Columbia, 2011)
# 8 (Gabriela, Romania, 2009)
# 9 (Gabriela, Puerto Rico, 2011)
# 10 (Gabriela, Brazil, 2010)
# 13 (Gabriela, Poland, Warsaw, 2010)
# 19 (Gabriela, Poland, 2009)
# 28 (Gabrijela, Croatia, 2009)
# 30 (Gabriela, Mexico, 2010)
# 30 (Gabrielly, Brazil, 2010)
# 36 (Gabriela, Croatia, 2009)
# 38 (Gabriela, Chile, 2010)
# 64 (Australia, NSW, 2011)
# 64 (Gabriela, Spain, 2010)
# 67 (Gabrielle, France, 2010)
# 72 (Canada, BC, 2010)
# 94 (Gabrielle, Canada, BC, 2010)
# 119 (Gabrielle, United States, 2011)
# 466 (France, 2010)

Other feminine forms include:

Gebre’elwa ገብርኤሏ (Amharic/Ethiopian)
Gabriela (Bulgarian/Croatian/Czech/German/Polish/Portuguese/Romanian/Scandinavian/Slovak/Spanish)
Brielle (Cajun: abbreviated form of Gabrielle)
Gabrijela (Croatian/Serbian)
Gabriëlle (Dutch)
Briella/Briela (English)
Gabrielle (French/English)
Gabria (Italian)
Gabrielina (Italian)
Gabriella (Italian/English/Hungarian/Scandinavian: more common form in Italy)
Gabrielė (Lithuanian)
Gavriila Гавриила (Russian)

Czech diminutives are: Gába, Gabika, Gábina, Gabrina and Gabby.

A Polish diminutive is Gabrysia (gah-BRIH-shah).

English short forms are: Gabby and Ella.

Designated name-days are: February 10/27 (Poland), February 19 (Sweden), March 24 (Czech/Finland/Poland/Slovakia/Sweden), September 29 (France/Germany), December 12 (Hungary)

Raphael

Posted on May 25, 2012 by Sebastiane

Gender: Masculine
Origin: Hebrew רָפָאֵל Ραφαηλ
Meaning: “God is healer.”
Fre (ra-fa-EL); Eng (RAF-ee-el; RAY-fee-əl)

The name is found in Judeo-Christian and Islamic legend as the name of a major archangel. In the Bible, he is mentioned in the Book of Tobit, which is considered canonical in the Roman Catholic, Orthodox and Anglican tradition. Due to Raphael’s deliverance of Sarah from the demon Asmodeus (who killed every husband she married before consumation), Raphael has been invoked as a matchmaker by Catholics.

Raphael also appears in the non-canonical Book of Enoch in which he is responsible for binding the fallen angel Azazel

In Islamic tradition, he is known as Israfel/Israfil and it is believed that he will blow the trumpet on Judgement Day.

It is interesting to note that the modern Hebrew word for a medical doctor is דוֹקטוֹר (rophe), compare to the first element of Raphael.

Raphael is currently a trend across Europe, in France, Raphaël is the 11th most popular male name, (2010). His rankings in his various forms are as follows:

# 3 (Liechtenstein, 2010)
# 11 (Rafael, Brazil, 2010)
# 17 (Austria, 2010)
# 40 (Rafał, Warsaw, Poland, 2010)
# 48 (Rafał, Poland, 2009)
# 50 (German-speaking, Switzerland, 2010)
# 54 (Raphaël, Belgium, 2008)
# 55 (Rafael, Spain, 2010)
# 56 (Rafael, Croatia, 2009)
# 63 (Rafael, France, 2010)
# 189 (Rafaël, Netherlands, 2011)
# 274 (Rafael, United States, 2011)
# 668 (United States, 2011)

Its feminine form of Rafaela is currently the 8th most popular female name in Brazil, (2010), while the French form of Raphaëlle ranked in as the 273rd most popular female name in France, (2010).

Other forms of the masculine include:

Rafael (Albanian/Armenian/Catalan/Croatian/Czech/Finnish/Hungarian/Portuguese/Romanian/Romansch/Scandinavian/Slovene/Spanish)
Raphel ሩፋኤል (Amharic/Ethiopian)
Rupha(e)l ራፋኤል (Amharic/Ethiopian)
Israfil اسرافيل, Исрафил (Arabic/Central Asian: used among Muslims)
Rapael რაფაელ (Armenian/Georgian)
Rafail Рафаил Ραφαήλ (Bulgarian/Greek/Macedonian/RomanianRussian/Serbian)
Rafel (Catalan)
Raphael (Coptic/English/German)
Rafaël (Dutch)
Raafael (Estonian)
Raphaël (French)
Raiféal (Gaelic)
Raffaele (Italian)
Raffaello (Italian)
Raffaelino (Italian)
Îsrafîl (Kurdish)
Rafla (Lebanese/Syrian: used among Christians)
Rafaelis (Lithuanian)
Rapolas (Lithuanian)
Rafel (Maltese)
Rafał (Polish)
Arrafieli (Sardinian)
Rafiele (Sardinian)
İsrafil (Turkish)
Rafayil Рафаї́л (Ukrainian)

Common diminiutives are: Raf (Dutch); Rafe (English); Ralph (English); Rafinha (Brazilian-Portuguese); Rafa (Spanish).

Feminine forms include:

Rafaela (Croatian/Macedonian/Portuguese/Romansch/Slovene/Spanish)
Raphaëlle (French)
Raphaela (German)
Raphaele (German)
Raffaella (Italian)
Raffaellina (Italian)

The name was also notably borne by Raphael, or Raffaello Sanzio (1483–1520), an Italian master painter.

Theo

Posted on May 25, 2012 by Sebastiane

Gender: Masculine
Origin: Greek
Meaning: “god.”

The name is possibly derived from the Greek, theos, meaning, “god.” It is more likely a contracted form of several different names beginning with the element of theo-.

Currently, Theo has become trendy across Europe. As of 2010, Théo was the 14th most popular male name in France. His rankings in other countries are as follows:

# 15 (Belgium, 2008)
# 19 (Sweden, 2011)
# 39 (Norway, 2011)
# 44 (Brazil, 2010)
# 44 (Teo, Croatia, 2009)
# 50 (England/Wales, 2010)
# 50 (Teo, Slovenia, 20100
# 99 (Teo, Catalonia, 2010)
# 126 (Scotland, 2010)
# 155 (Teo, France, 2010)
# 865 (United States, 2011)

Other forms of the name include:

Teo (Catalan/Croatian/Italian/Slovene/Spanish)
Theo (Dutch/English/German/Greek/Portuguese/Scandinavian)
Théo (French)
Téo (Portuguese)

A feminine form is Thea.

Maël

Posted on May 25, 2012 by Sebastiane

Gender: Masculine
Origin: Breton
Meaning: “prince; chief.”
(mah-YEL)

The name comes directly from the Breton word for a chief or prince. It corresponds with the Gaulic word, magalos and the Greek, megalos, both meaning, “big; strong.”

Mael was borne by a 5th-century Breton saint, he is sometimes confused with St. Malachy and was believed to have been the nephew of St. Patrick.

Recently, Mael and his offspring have become extremely trendy in France. As of 2010, Maël was the 12th most popular male name while the feminine form of Maëlle ranks high up in the French top 500 as well, coming in as the 54th most popular female name, while Maëlys ranked in even higher, coming in as the 14th most popular female name.

Other forms of the name include:

Mae (Breton)
Maelan (Breton)
Maeldan (Breton)
Maelig (Breton)
Maelou (Breton)
Mael (Breton)
Mailloc (Breton)
Mel (Breton)
Meal (Breton)
Maëlan (French)
Maëlig (French)
Maël (French)
Maé (French)

Feminine forms include:

Maela (Breton)
Maelann (Breton)
Maelenn (Breton)
Maelez (Breton)
Maëlana (French)
Maëlane (French)
Maëlen (French)
Maëlise (French)
Maëlla (French)
Maëllia (French)
Maëllie (French)
Maëlle (French)
Maëlys (French)

The name is borne by a French singer and songwriter known simply as Maël (b.1976)

Maxence

Posted on May 25, 2012 by Sebastiane

Gender: Masculine
Origin: Latin
Meaning: “greatest.”
Fre (mahk-SAWns)

The name is a French form of the Latin name, Maxentius, which is derived from maximus, meaning, “greatest.” This was a nickname of a 4th-century Roman emperor and a rival of Constantine’s.

Originally, in French, Maxence was both feminine and masculine being borne by a male saint of Agde and a female saint of Picardy.

St. Maxence of Agde was a contemporary of St. Hilary of Poitiers, while St. Maxence of Picardy was said to have been an early Scottish princess who fled to Gaul to avoid persecution, she was eventually caught and martyred.

As of 2010, Maxence was the 25th most popular male name in France.

Today, the name is very rarely given to females.

Other forms of the name include:

Maxentzio (Basque)
Maxenci (Catalan)
Maksencije (Croatian)
Maixent (French)
Maxens (French)
Maxent (French)
Maksentius (Frisian)
Maxencio (Galician)
Massenzio (Italian)
Maxentius (Latin)
Maksanty (Polish)
Maksencjusz (Polish)
Magêncio (Portuguese)
Maxêncio (Portuguese)
Majencio (Spanish)

Feminine forms include:

Maxence (French)
Massenzia (Italian)
Maxentia (Latin)
Maksencja (Polish)

Clelia

Posted on May 24, 2012 by Sebastiane

Gender: Feminine
Origin: Latin
Meaning: “to have renown; fame.”
(KLEEL-yah; KLAY-lee-ah)

The name is derived from the Latin verb, cluere, meaning, “to have renown; fame.”

Clelia is a modern form of the Latin Cloelia, which is a feminine form of Cloelius.

The name was borne by a semi-legendary Roman heroine. Cloelia was taken hostage by the Etruscan king, Lars Porsena, she managed to escape by crossing the Tiber on her horse. She agreed to be returned to the Etruscans as a hostage on the condition that they set free all the young Roman men they had taken hostage so that they may continue the war.

She is the only woman in Roman history ever to have had an equestrian statue erected in her honour.

Her story was the subject of an 18th-century Italian opera.

The name appears in the 1839 novel, The Charterhouse of Parma by Stendhal.

The name has been borne by several other remarkable women. Including:

Clelia Durazzo Grimaldi (1730-1830) an Italian botanist and marchesa of Genoa, Italy.
Clelia Rachel Barbieri (1847-1870) an Italian saint who is credited as being the youngest person ever to have found a religious order, she was the foundress of the Order of the Sisters Minims of Our Lady of Sorrows.
Clelia Duel Mosher (1863-1940) a women’s health advocate of the Victorian era.

As of 2010, Clélia was the 258th most popular female name in France.

Other forms of the name include:

Clelia (English/German/Italian)
Clélia (French/Spanish)
Clélie (French)
Cloelia (Latin)
Klelia (Polish)

Masculine forms are Cloelius and Clelio (Italian).

Clay might make an interesting nickname option.

Perrine

Posted on May 24, 2012 by Sebastiane

Gender: Feminine
Origin: French
(peh-HREEN)

The name is a Medieval French feminine form of Pierre. It was borne by a French Christian martyr of Angou who was decapitated during the French Revolution.

As of 2010, Perrine was the 260th most popular female name in France.

Other forms of the name include:

Périne (French)
Périnne (French: pey-HRIN)
Pierrette (French)
Pierina (Italian)

This may make a nice full option for Perry.

Legitimate Baby Names

names that are not made up and have had a history

Category Archives: Feminizations

Lucas, Luke

Enzo

Flavia

Gabriel, Gabriella

Raphael

Theo

Maël

Maxence

Clelia

Perrine