Category Archives: Literary Names

Ptolomy

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  • Origin: Greek Πτολεμαῖος
  • Meaning: “aggressive, warlike.”
  • Gender: Male
  • Eng (PTAHL-e-mee, TAHL-e-mee)

Derived from the ancient Greek male name Πτολεμαῖος (Ptolemaios), which in turn comes from πτόλεμος (ptólemos), meaning “war” or “battle.”

The word ptólemos is an older Aeolic dialectal form of πόλεμος (pólemos), the standard Classical Greek word for “war,” sharing the same root with the English word, “polemic.”

Ptolemy I Soter (367–283 BCE) was a general of Alexander the Great and later became Pharaoh of Egypt, founding the Ptolemaic Dynasty (323–30 BCE). This dynasty ruled Egypt for nearly three centuries and ended with Cleopatra VII, the most famous bearer of the family’s legacy.

Claudius Ptolemaeus (Ptolemy) (2nd century CE) was the famed Greek astronomer, mathematician, and geographer of Alexandria, whose Almagest shaped Western astronomy for over a millennium.

According to the Book of 1 Maccabees (135/4 BC), Ptolemy of Jericho betrayed his father-in-law, Simon the High Priest, by murdering him and his two sons while they slept as guests under his roof. This act of treachery is used in Dante Alighieri’s The Inferno, in which the ninth circle of Hell is called Ptolomea after him, a frozen realm reserved for those who betray their guests.

Ptolomy is also the name of an early Christian saint.

In the English-speaking world, Ptolomy has been used on and off since the 18th-century. It appeared in the U.K’s top 500 boys’ names in 2004, ranking in at #906.

A modern bearer is American author, Ptolemy Tompkins. Celebrity couple Gretchen Mol and Tod Williams bestowed this on their son in 2007.

Common English short forms include: Tollie, Tolly, and Tal.

International Variations

  • Butlimus بطليموس (Arabic)
  • Ptghomeos Պտղոմեոս (Armenian)
  • Ptaljemej Пталемей (Belarusian)
  • Ptolemej Птолемей (Bulgarian, Croatian, Serbian, Ukrainian)
  • Ptolemeu, Tolomeu (Catalan)
  • Ptolomeos ⲡⲧⲟⲗⲉⲙⲉⲟⲥ (Coptic)
  • Ptolemy (Another English form)
  • Ptolémée (French)
  • Tolomaes (Gaelic)
  • Ptolomeu (Galician, Occitanian, Romanian)
  • Ptolemäus (German)
  • Ptolemaiosz (Hungarian)
  • Ptólmæos (Icelandic)
  • Tolomeo (Italian, Spanish)
  • Tolommeo (Italian)
  • Ptolomaeus (Latin)
  • Ptolemajs (Latvian)
  • Ptolemėjus (Lithuanian)
  • Ptolomey, Ptolomej Птолемей (Macedonian, Russian)
  • Tolomé (Piedmontese)
  • Ptolomeusz (Polish)
  • Ptolomeu (Portuguese)
  • Ptolemæus (Scandinavian)
  • Ptolomaidh (Scottish-Gaelic)
  • Tulumeu (Sicilian)
  • Ptolomaj (Slovenian)
  • Ptolemeo, Ptolomeo (Spanish)
  • Batlamyus (Turkish)

Female forms include the sensual Ptolemaïs (Πτολεμαΐς) and the Italian, Tolomea.

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Prosper, Prospera

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  • Origin: Latin
  • Meaning: “prosper.”

The name Prosper comes from the Latin Prosperus, meaning “fortunate,” “successful,” or “prosperous.” It is derived from the Latin verb prōspere, “to cause to thrive, to be favorable,” ultimately from pro- (“forward”) and spēs (“hope”).

Saint Prosper of Aquitaine (c. 390–455) was a Christian writer and theologian who defended the doctrines of Saint Augustine. His influence made Prosper a well-established saint’s name in medieval France, especially in Aquitaine and Provence.

In France, the name was relatively common at the turn of the 20th-century, ranking in at #96 in 1902. In the USA, it never ranked as high but did make it to the Top 1000, peaking at # 886 in 1881.

Several other early Christian saints and bishops also bore the name.

The most famous literary bearer is Prospero, the magician-duke in William Shakespeare’s The Tempest (1611).

The Puritans occasionally used Prosper as well.

The designated name-days include: June 25th (Denmark & France), September 2nd (Croatia), June 23rd (Poland).

International Variations

  • Prósperu (Asturian)
  • Pròsper (Catalan)
  • Prosper (Croatian, Dutch, English, French, German, Hungarian, Polish, Scandinavian)
  • Prospert (French, rare)
  • Prospero (Italian)
  • Prosperino (Italian)
  • Prosperus (Latin)
  • Próspero (Portuguese, Spanish)

Female Forms

  • Prospera (Italian)
  • Prosperina (Italian)
  • Prospère (French)
  • Prospérine (French)
  • Próspera (Portuguese, Spanish)

Diminutives

  • Prop (English)
  • Sperry (English)
  • Rino (Italian)

Sources

Rostam

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  • Origin: Persian رستم
  • Meaning: unknown
  • Gender: Male

Rostam is an ancient Persian name that likely descends from Old Persian or Sogdian roots. Its meaning is debated, but the most popular theory is that it derives from *rautas-taxma “strong like a river.”

The name is immortalized in Ferdowsi’s 10th-century Persian epic, the Shahnameh, where Rostam is the towering national hero described as:

  • a mighty warrior of the kingdom of Zabul.
  • tamer of the legendary horse Rakhsh.
  • defender of Iran against its enemies
  • and the tragic father of Sohrab in one of the most famous father-son duels in world literature.

Because of this epic, Rostam is to Persian culture what Hercules is to the Greek tradition.

Rostam has been a popular masculine name across Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and Central Asia for over a thousand years. It also appears as Rustam in many languages of the region—Azerbaijani, Uzbek, Pashto, and even in parts of the Caucasus and South Asia.

International Variations

  • Rüstəm (Azeri)
  • Rustam Рустам, رستم (Chechen, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Indonesian, Pashto, Tajik, Urdu, Uyghur, Uzbek)
  • Rostom როსტომ (Georgian)
  • Rustem Рустем (Russian)
  • Rustan, Rusten (Scandinavian)
  • Röstäm Рөстәм (Tatar)
  • Rüstem (Turkish)

Sources

Gandalf

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  • Origin: Old Norse
  • Meaning: “witchcraft elf; magic elf.”
  • Gender: Male
  • GAN-dalf

From the Old Norse, Gandálfr, it’s a compound of gandr (“magic, charm, witchcraft; monster) supernatural being”) + álfr (“elf”).

Gandalf is listed in the Völuspá—one of the earliest poems of the Poetic Edda—as the name of a dwarf, not a wizard. Many dwarf-names in Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings come directly from this same list.

When creating the Grey Wizard of Middle-earth, Tolkien borrowed the ancient name wholesale, changing only the grammar from Old Norse Gandalfr to the more Anglicized Gandalf.

Cultural Impact: Since the publication of The Hobbit (1937) and The Lord of the Rings (1954–55), Gandalf has become one of the most recognized fantasy names worldwide.

Nordic Variations

  • Gandálfr (Old Norse)
  • Gandálfur (Icelandic)
  • Gandalv (Norwegian)

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Giselher

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  • Origin: German
  • Meaning: “hostage army.”
  • Gender: Male
  • Germ Pron: (GEE-zehl-hair)

Giselher is an early Old High German masculine name formed from two classic Germanic elements, gisel (pledge) and hari (army).

The best-known figure is King Giselher of Burgundy, a 5th-century ruler who appears in both history and legend. He is immortalized as a character in the Nibelungenlied, the great Middle High German epic, alongside his brothers Gunther and Gernot.

It was also the name of an 11th-century Bishop of Madgeburg who succeeded St. Adalbert.

It is found in records as the name of Teutonic Knights in Estonia, Latvia and Poland. It experienced a minor revival in the early 20th-century but is quite rare in contemporary German-speaking countries.

Its Anglo-Saxon version of Gislhere was borne by an 8th-century Bishop of Selsey.

A more recent bearer was German composer, Giselher Klebe (1925-2009).

Its designated name-day in Austria is September 28th.

Variation & International Variations

  • Gizelher (Croatian, Polish)
  • Giselher (Czech; Estonian; French, pronounced JEEZ-e-LAIR; Polish)
  • Giseler, Gisiler (German)
  • Giselcaro (Italian)
  • Gislaharius (Late Latin)
  • Gizelhers (Latvian)
  • Gislahario (Spanish)

Sources

Hecate

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  • Origin: Greek
  • Meaning: debated
  • Gender: Female
  • Eng pron (HEH-keh-tee; or HEK-it; HEH-KATE)

The name Hecate (Greek: Ἑκάτη) is usually explained as “the far-reaching one,” from the Greek root hekatos (“far off” or “working from afar”).

Some scholars, however, note a possible Ancient Egyptian link: the Egyptian word ḥkꜣ (heka) means “magic” or “divine power”—the very force personified by the goddess Heka. Because Hecate is the Greek goddess of magic and sorcery, a few classicists have suggested that Greek worshippers encountering Egyptian religion may have blended or reinterpreted the name under this resonance.

It has also been suggested to be from a forgotten Carian etymology since her cult was the strongest in Caria.

Hecate is a liminal goddess of magic, night, and crossroads. Ancient Greeks honored her:

  • as a torch-bearing moon deity, guiding travelers and spirits,
  • as a guardian of thresholds and the underworld, and
  • as a patron of witchcraft and protective household magic.

Her cult spread from Asia Minor throughout the Greek world and later into Rome and the wider Mediterranean.

It has long been speculated that Hecate is the progenitor of the name, Catherine/Katherine but not proven.

Its pronunciation in the English-speaking world has fluctuated from the older HEK-it and HEH-cate to the more modern HEK-e-tee, appearing in English literature such as Macbeth by Shakespeare

As a given-name, it did not survive like the other pagan names of Greece and Rome, which mainly survived thanks to also being worn by converted Christian martyrs.

In the modern world, the name is often associated with the occult and to a certain extent, some followers of modern pagan religions. I have only been able to find records of Hecates from the 1990s onward.

This may make a more unexpected full name for a Cate, Kate or Katie.

International Translations*

  • Hécate (French)
  • Hekate (Greek)
  • Ecate (Italian)

*Only used in literature

Sources

Fionnabhair

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  • Origin: Irish Gaelic
  • Meaning: “white phantom; white brow.”
  • Gender: Female

An ancient Irish Gaelic female name composed of the Gaelic elements, fionn (fair, white, bright), and sīabar (phantom; spectre; ghost). It is the Irish cognate of Gwynhyvar or Guinevere

In the Ulster Cycle of early Irish legend, Fionnabhair (often anglicised as Findabair or Finnabair) is the daughter of Queen Medb and King Ailill of Connacht. She plays a pivotal role in the epic Táin Bó Cúailnge (Cattle Raid of Cooley), where her beauty and political marriages are central to the plot.

Pronunciation

The two main Gaelic pronunciations depending on the dialect are fin-NOR and FINNA-vare.

Variations & International Variations

Fionnúir is another form. The name appears in early English translations as Findabair and Finnabair. Also, there is Fennor (rhyme with Lenore), the Latinate Finora, and Finvarra.

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Tahmina, Tahmineh

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  • Origin: Persian تهمینه (Persian); Таҳмина (Tajik); তাহমিনা
  • Meaning: “potent; strong; powerful.”
  • Gender: Female

The name is derived from the Farsi تهم (tahm), meaning, “potent; strong; powerful.”

It’s a Persian female name with deep roots. It is the name of the wife of Rostam and the mother of Sohrab in the 10th-century Persian epic, Shahnameh.

Its usage has spread to South-Asia, Pakistan and Bangladesh, as well as throughout Central Asia.

Between 1996-2002, it appeared in the U.K’s Top 500 Most Popular Female Names, peaking at #641 in 1999.

Notable bearer include Tajik actress, Tahmina Rajabova (b. 1982) and Iranian film director, Tahmineh Milani (b. 1960).

Other forms include:

  • Tahmina, Takhmina, Taxmina Тахмина, تهیمینه / تهمینه (Avar, Baloch, Bashkir, Chechen, Circassian, Kazakh, Kurdish, Kyrgyz, Ossetian, Pashto, Tatar, Turkmen, Uzbek)
  • Təhminə (Azeri)
  • Tahmina, Tamina (Bosnian)
  • Tahmine (Turkish)

A rare Bosnian masculine form is Tahmin/Tamin.

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Sohrab

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  • Origin: Persian سهراب
  • Meaning: “red water”
  • Gender: Male

Sohrab (Persian: سهراب) is a classic Persian male name. It is most famous from the Shahnameh. In the epic, Sohrab is the heroic son of Rostam and Tahmineh. He is celebrated for his beauty and courage. He is known for his tragic duel with his father Rostam. It is one of the most famous episodes in Persian literature. His story has inspired countless Persian miniatures, operas, and poems. There are also even Western adaptations. One example is Matthew Arnold’s 19th-century poem Sohrab and Rustum.

Scholars derive it from Middle Persian, Suhrāv / Sōhrāv. It is composed of suhr / sohr (سهر) – “red, ruddy, rosy, dawn-colored.” The term āb آب means “water,” but in old compound names, it figuratively represents “essence, fluid, brightness, radiance.” The latter may also be related to آو / او (âv / ô / ow), which is an older or poetic variant meaning, “sound” or “voice.” In some historical compounds, it functions like âb to indicate “substance” or “radiance.”

The name appears not only in Iran, but is found across the Persianate world, including Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and Azerbaijan. It also exists among Central Asian and South-Asian communities influenced by Persian literature, and Zurab ზურაბ is its Georgian form.

International variations include:

  • Zurab Зураб, ზურაბ (Abkhaz, Georgian)
  • Sohrab Սոհրաբ (Armenian)
  • Sührab, Süraab (Azeri)
  • Suhrab, Sukhrab Сухраб (Kazakh, Kyrgyz)
  • Suhrob سهراب, Суҳроб Суһроб (Kurdish, Tajik, Turkmen, Uzbek)
  • Sehrab, Sohrab سہراب (Urdu)

Sources

Vaula

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  • Origin: Finnish
  • Meaning: “asarina; climbing plant; creeper.”
  • Gender: Female
  • Pron: VOW-lah

The name comes directly from the Finnish word for the asarina plant. It is also used to describe any kind of climbing plant. In some Finnish dialects, it describes a small ring tied with wicker or a small loop attached to a belt, both of which are used in saunas.

It first came into use in Finland in the 20th-century. The Eino Leinon poem possibly popularized the name. There is a verse in the poem describing a child being carried to a climbing plant.

It’s designated name-day in Finland is September 20th.

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