Category Archives: Romanian Names

Ephraim

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  • Origin: Biblical Hebrew אֶפְרַיִם
  • Meaning: “fruitful; double fruited; increasing.”
  • Gender: masculine
“Ephraim” Francisco Hayez

The name is borne in the Bible by the son of Joseph and Asenath, who is considered a patriarch, as he is a founder of one of the 12 trubes of Israel. According Genesis 41:52, he is named thus by Joseph because “God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.”

The name was also borne by a few early Christian saints, including St. Ephraim of Syria (4th-century, CE).

Ephraim appeared in the U.S. Top 1000 between 1880-1914, it disappeared for 99 years and reappeared in the charts in 2013. For its first centennial cycle, it peaked at #403 in 1880. As of 2023, it was the 992nd most popular male name.

Its Spanish counterparts of Efraín and Efrén have also appeared in the U.S. Top 1000, Efraín appeared between 1950 and 2014, peaking at #469 in 1981 whilst Efrén appeared between 1966-2007, peaking at #768 in 1990.

Forms/Usages

  • Efrayim ኤፍራይም (Amharic, Modern Hebrew)
  • Yeprem, Jeprem, Eprem Եփրեմ (Armenian)
  • Afrem ܐܦܪܝܡ (Assyrian)
  • Afri ܐܦܪܝ (Assyrian)
  • Afron ܥܦܪܘܢ (Assyrian)
  • Aprem, Aprim ܐܦܪܝܡ (Assyrian)
  • Efrim ܐܦܪܝܡ (Assyrian)
  • Ephraim ეფრაიმ (Georgian); Εφραιμ (Greek); ⲉⲫⲣⲁⲓⲙ (Coptic); ܐܦܪܝܡ(Syriac) (Assyrian, Dutch, English, Estonian, German, Greek, Portuguese)
  • Akhrym, Ahrym Акхрым (Belarusian)
  • Yafrym Яфрым (Belarusian)
  • Efraïm (Catalan, Dutch)
  • Efrajim (Czech)
  • Efraim (Finnish, Hungarian, Italian, Nordic, Polish, Romanian)
  • Eprami (Finnish)
  • Éphraïm (French)
  • Îvfa (Greenlandic)
  • Eframi (Icelandic)
  • Efraím (Icelandic)
  • Efraimo (Italian)
  • Efrem (Italian, Polish)
  • Effrem (Italian)
  • Efro (Italian)
  • Ephraem (Late Latin)
  • Ephraimus (Late Latin)
  • Ofrem (Russian, Archaic)
  • Yefraim, Jefraim Эфраим (Russian)
  • Yefrem Ефрем (Russian)
  • Jevrem Јеврем (Serbian)
  • Efraín (Spanish)
  • Efrén (Spanish)
  • Ohrim, Okhrim Охрім (Ukrainian)
  • Evron ֶבְֿרוֹן (Yiddish)

Sources

Theodosia, Theodosius

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Photo by Juliano Astc on Pexels.com
  • Origin: Greek
  • Meaning: “giving to God.”

Both come from the Greek, θεός (theos) meaning “god” and δόσις (dosis) meaning “giving.” Both the male and female form were borne by several Christian saints and Medieval rulers. In the English-speaking world, a notable bearer was Theodosia Alston Burr (1783-1813), the daughter of Aaron Burr and an American socialite who mysteriously disappeared in a ship-wreck. Her fate has been a source of speculation for two centuries, but she most likely died in the wreck. She is also the subject of the Broadway opera song from Hamilton, My Theodosia.

It’s female version has experienced usage in the English-speaking world since the 15th-century. It has spun off several diminutive off-shoots, which later became independent names, such as Docie/Dosey, Doshie, Dosha, Docia and Theda.

Theodosia appeared in the U.S. Top 1000 Most Popular Female Names between 1880-1895, it peaked at number #547 in 1880. It’s offshoot of Doshie appeared in the U.S. Top 1000 between 1880-1905 and peaked at #640 in 1884 whereas Doshia peaked at #582 in 1881 and Docia at #317 in 1880.

Theda (THEE-dah) was the name of silent film actress, Theda Bara (born Theodosia Burr Goodman, 1885-1955). Theda appeared in the U.S. Top 1000 between 1880-1948 and peaked at #350 in 1916. Theda Bara may have helped sustain the usage of the name in the United States, but it seems to have been common enough long before she graced the silver screen.

In the 1988 movie For Keeps, starring Molly Ringwald, a teen couple are faced with an unexpected pregnancy, in which they name their daughter Theodosia, short form Thea, it is a last minute decision decided by the father who gets the name from his deceased grandmother of the same name.

It is the name of the main character of the R. L. LaFevers 2007 children’s novel, Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos, which spun off a tv series.

Its pronunciation in the English-speaking world fluctuates depending on the region and personal preference, from THEE-oh-DOH-see-uh, to THEE-oh-DOH-shuh and THEE-oh-DOH-zhuh, the sky’s the limits.

Its masculine form has always been prevalent in eastern Christian countries but did not pick up the same momentum in the English-speaking world as its feminine counterpart did.

Female forms

  • Tayodosiya ታዮዶሲዮስ (Amharic)
  • Thudusya ثيودوسيا (Arabic, used by Arab Christians)
  • T’eodosia Թեոդոսիա (Armenian)
  • Teodosija ТеодосиЯ (Bulgarian, Latvian, Lithuanian)
  • Teodosia თეოდოსია (Catalan, Corsican, Georgian, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Sardinian, Sicilian, Spanish)
  • Theodosia Θεοδοσια ⲑⲉⲟⲇⲟⲥⲓⲁ.(Coptic, English, German, Greek, Latin, Nordic, Romansch)
  • Teodozija Теодосија (Croatian, Macedonian, Serbian, Slovene)
  • Docia, Dosha, Doshia (English)
  • Docie, Docey (English)
  • Dosia (English, Polish)
  • Theda (English)
  • Théodosie (French)
  • Teodózia (Hungarian)
  • Teodosja (Maltese)
  • Teodozja (Polish)
  • Teodósia (Portuguese)
  • Feodosija Феодосия (Russian, Ukrainian)
  • Teudosia (Sicilian)

Male Forms

  • Teodosi (Albanian, Catalan)
  • Tayodosiyos ታዮዶሲዮስ (Amharic)
  • Thudusyus ثيودوسيوس (Arabic, used by Arab Christians)
  • T’eodosios Թեոդոսիոս (Armenian)
  • Teodosij Теодосий (Bulgarian)
  • Theodosios Θεοδόσιος ⲑⲉⲟⲇⲟⲥⲓⲟⲥ (Coptic, Greek)
  • Teodosiu (Corsican, Romanian, Sardinian)
  • Teodozije Теодосије (Croatian, Macedonian, Serbian, Slovene)
  • Theodosius (English, German, Latin, Nordic)
  • Théodose (French)
  • Theodósziosz (Hungarian)
  • Teodosio (Italian, Spanish)
  • Teodosijs (Latvian)
  • Teodosijus (Lithuanian)
  • Teodosju (Maltese)
  • Teodozy, Teodozjusz (Polish)
  • Teodósio (Portuguese)
  • Theodosi (Romansch)
  • Teodosie (Romanian)
  • Feodosij Феодосий (Russian, Ukrainian)
  • Teudosiu (Sicilian)
  • Teodóz (Slovak)

Sources

Csanád

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Bust of Csanád in Érsekcsanád
  • Origin: Hungarian
  • Meaning: unknown
  • Gender: masculine
  • Approx phonetic pronunciation: (CHAW-nad); IPA: (CHAW-nad)

The name is derived from a Magyar clan name, Csana, with the Hungarian diminutive suffix of -d added. Csana itself is of unknown etymology.

The name was borne by an 11th-century Hungarian ruler, a nephew of Stephan I of Hungary, also known as Cenad in Romanian, who was known for defeating his former ally Ajtony, and being given the county of what is now known as Csanád County in Hungary & Cenad County in Romania. He is recorded in the 13th-century Gesta Ungarorum and the the 14th-century, Long Life of St Gerard.

In post-modern Hungary, the name had been relatively rare prior to the 1990s but exploded in popularity by the 2000s. It appeared in the Top 100 Most Popular Male Names in Hungary between 2003-2018, peaking at #53 in 2007.

The designated name-days in Hungary are April 12, May 28, September 6 & December 5.

Other Hungarian forms include: Csana, Csani & Csankó.

Other forms include:

  • Chanadinus (Late Latin)
  • Cenad (Romanian)
  • Chanadin (Romanian)

Sources

Loredana

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  • Origin: Italian
  • Meaning: unknown
  • Gender: feminine
  • Pron: (LOH-ray-DAH-nah)

The name is of uncertain origin or meaning, but has been attested in Venice since the 16th-century. It was the name of Loredana Marcello (d. 1572), the wife of Doge Mocenigo of Venice. It is suspected to be derived from the surname, Loredan, which was the family name of a noble family in the Republic of Venice. According to legend, they derived their name from the Latin Laureati, Lauretani (laureled), owing to the idea that they descended from “fame and glory.”

The name went from being an obscure regional name to a popular name throughout Italy due to Luciano Zuccoli’s novel, L’amore di Loredana (1908). It was also used earlier by French author George Sand in her novel, Mattea (1833), but the name never became widespread in the French-speaking world.

At the turn of the 20th-century, when it first became popular in Italy, it may have been used by devout Catholic families, especially in the South of Italy, who mistakenly believed it referenced, Loreto, as in Our Lady of Loreto.

The designated name-day in Italy is December 10th.

The name is also used in Albania, Romania, Slovenia and the other former Yugoslav countries.

Slovenian forms include: Loridina, Lorica (loh-REET-sah) & Lorka.

An obscure Italian variation is Oredana and the masculine Oredano.

The French form is Lorédane and its masculine form of Lorédan.

Italian short forms include: Dana, Lora & Lori.

There is an Italian masculine form, though rare, which is Loredano and also the Croatian, Lordan.

It is borne by Swiss female rapper of Albanian descent, known simply as Loredana (b. 1995).

Sources

Nectar, Nectaire, Nectarius, Nectaria

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  • Origin: Greek
  • Meaning: “nectar.”

Nectar is the English form of the Greek Nektarios Νεκτάριος, which is derived from νέκταρ (nektar), meaning “nectar, the drink of the gods. Nectar is not a name that has ever been in common use in the English-speaking world, but since it is the name of several Eastern and Western Christian saints, the proper English male translation of the name would be Nectar; or it would have appeared thus in the calendar.

It was borne by St. Nectaire of Auvergne, a 4th-century Christian missionary to the Gauls in what is now the Massif Central region of France. According to Gregory of Tours, he was sent by Pope Fabian, along with his brothers, where he transformed a temple that was dedicated to Apollo on Mont Cornadore into a cathedral that still stands, and was subsequently beheaded by the local Gaulic chieftain. The commune of Saint-Nectaire in the Puy-de-Dôme department of France gets its name from him, as does the cheese of the same name; or the latter technically comes from the Marshal of Senneterre, which is a linguistic corruption of Saint-Nectaire.

Male forms include:

  • Nektarij, Nektary Нектарий (Bulgarian, Russian, Ukrainian)
  • Nectari (Catalan)
  • Nektarious (Coptic)
  • Nectarije (Croatian-Serbian)
  • Nectar (English)
  • Nectaire (French)
  • Nektari ნეკტარი (Georgian)
  • Nektarios Νεκτάριος (Greek)
  • Nettario (Italian)
  • Nectareus, Nectarius (Late Latin)
  • Nektārijs (Latvian)
  • Nektariusz (Polish)
  • Nectário (Portuguese)
  • Nectarie (Romanian)
  • Nectario (Spanish)

Feminine forms include

  • Nektaria, Nektarija Νεκταρία Nექთარიჯა Нектария (Coptic, Bulgarian, Georgian, Greek, Polish, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Ukrainian)
  • Nectarie (French)
  • Nettaria (Italian)
  • Nectaria (Latin, Romanian, Spanish)
  • Nectária (Portuguese)

A modern male Greek diminutive form is Nektary and the Russian diminutive form for both the male and female form is Nechka.

Sources

Spyridon, Spyridoula

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Spyridon is a Byzantine Greek male name which comes directly from the Greek word σπυρίδιον (spyridion), meaning “basket.” Other sources suggest it is a hellenised form of the Latin Spiritus (spirit). It was popularized by a 4th-century Greek saint who played a key role in the Council of Nicaea. He is revered as the patron saint of Corfu and of potters.

His feast day is December 12.

Spiro & Spyros are its short forms, while Spyridoula is the femininine form.

Spiro was borne by the 39th vice president of the United States, Spiro Agnew (1918-1996).

It was borne by Spyridon Louis, the first modern Olympic Gold medalist in the 1896 Summer Olympics.

Forms and usage include:

  • Spiridoni, Spiridhoni (Albanian)
  • Asbiridun اسبيريدون (Arabic)
  • Spiridon Спиридон (Assyrian, Bulgarian, Croatian, German, Lebanese-Arabic, Romanian, Serbian)
  • Espiridió, Espiridó (Catalan)
  • Spyridon Σπυρίδων (Coptic, French, Greek)
  • Špiro (Croatian)
  • Spi’ridon სპირიდონ (Georgian)
  • Spiridione, Spiridone (Italian)
  • Spirydon (Polish)
  • Espiridão (Portuguese)
  • Spiridón (Russian)
  • Espiridón, Espiridión (Spanish)
  • Spyrydon Спиридон (Ukrainian)

Italian feminine forms include: Spiridiona & Spiridona.

Sources

Stylian, Stelian, Stylianos, Steliana

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  • Origin: Greek
  • Meaning: “piller.”

Stylianos Στυλιανός is derived from the Greek στῦλος (stylos) meaning, “pillar.” St. Stylian was a 6th-century Byzantine saint who was a hermit, known for his love of children, hence he is considered the patron saint of children.

His feast day is November 26th.

Masculine forms include:

  • Stilian Стилиан (Albanian, Bulgarian, Russian)
  • Estilià (Catalan)
  • Stylian Стиліан (English, German, Polish, Ukrainian)
  • Stélien (French)
  • Stilien,Stylien (French)
  • Stelios Στέλιος (Greek)
  • Stylianos Στυλιανός (Greek)
  • Estellio (Italian)
  • Stelio, Stellio (Italian)
  • Stiliano (Italian)
  • Stylianus (Late Latin)
  • Estiliano (Portuguese, Spanish)
  • Steliano (Portuguese, Spanish)
  • Stelian (Romanian)
  • Stilijan Стилијан (Serbian)
  • Stilijanos (Serbian)

Feminine forms include:

  • Stiliana Стилияна (Albanian, Bulgarian, Italian)
  • Stélie, Stéliane, Stélienne, Stylienne (French)
  • Stelia (Greek, Italian)
  • Styliani Στυλιανή (Greek)
  • Stellia (Italian)
  • Styliana (Polish)
  • Estiliana (Portuguese, Spanish)
  • Steliana (Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish)
  • Stilijana (Serbian)

A common short form in Greece for the female version is Stella.

Sources

Adonis, Adonija, Adonise

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The Awakening of Adonis (1899-1900) by John William Waterhouse

Adonis is borne in Greek mythology by the god of beauty and desire. According to the most popular myth, he was born of the incestuous union of Theias and his daughter Myrrha. Myrrha had tricked her own father into having sex with her. The gods transformed Myrrha into a myrrh tree after Theias attempted to kill her whilst pregnant with Adonis. Adonis was beloved of Aphrodite and mothered by Persephone, but he was subsequently killed by a boar when Artemis, or in some versions, Ares, sent a boar to kill Adonis out of jealousy. When Adonis died, Aphrodite cried tears which mingled with Adonis’ blood, producing the Anemone flower. Aphrodite instituted the Adonia festival in his commemoration, whereby all women had a mass mock funeral of Adonis by growing plants in potsherds on their rooftops and performing a mass funeral ritual as soon as the plants sprouted.

It is likely Adonis was imported by the Greeks from the Phoenicians, the latter being the descendants of the Sumerians, Mesopotamians & Babylonians. It is believed by most scholars that Adonis is an adaptation of the Sumerian story of Dumuzid & Inanna (later Tammuz & Ishtar), in which a ritual funeral rite was also performed by women across the former Babylonian empire. Adonis itself is a Hellenized form of the Canaanite, adon, which means “lord” and was often used as an appellation by the Canaanites for the god Tammuz. The Jews adopted this appellation for Yahweh in the form of Adonai (my lord).

Adonis is borne by an 8th-century French saint of Vienne. He is also listed as Adon & Ado. Adonis has sporadically been used as a given-name in Greece, anglophone, francophone & hispanophone countries. The French feminine off-shoots, though rare these days, are Adonise (AH-do-NEEZ) and Adonie, and were actually prevalent in 18th-centurry Quebec & New Orleans. An obscure Italian feminine form is Adonella.

There is the male Biblical Hebrew name, Adonijah meaning (my lord is Yahweh). It is borne by a son of King David and was Hellenized in the Septuagint as Adonias.

Other forms include:

  • Adonies (Catalan)
  • Adonia (Dutch, Italian, Swedish)
  • Adonija Адония (French, German, Russian)
  • Adonias Αδωνίας (French, Greek, Portuguese)
  • Adonías (Galician)
  • Adonja (Norwegian)
  • Adoniasz (Polish)
  • Adonías (Spanish)
  • Adoniya Адонія (Ukrainian)

Currently, Adonis is the 242nd most popular male name in the United States and the 461st most popular in France.

Other forms include:

  • Adonisi ადონისი (Albanian, Georgian)
  • Adonis Адонис Адоніс Άδωνις Ադոնիս (Armenian, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Dutch, English, Estonian, French, Macedonian, German, Greek, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Ukrainian, Scandinavian, Serbian, Slovene, Spanish, Turkish)
  • Adónis Адо́ніс (Belarusian, Continental-Portuguese, Czech, Slovak)
  • Adó (Catalan)
  • Adónisz (Hungarian)
  • Adone, Adon (Italian)
  • Adônis (Brazilian-Portuguese)
  • Adón (Spanish)

Sources

Menas, Minas, Mina

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  • Arabic مينا;
  • Armenian Մինաս
  • Coptic ⲙⲏⲛⲁ
  • Ge’ez ሜናስ
  • Greek Μηνᾶς

Menas is a popular male name among Eastern Christians, it is of uncertain meaning, it may derive from the Greek μήνη (mene) meaning, “moon,” or the ancient Egyptian Menes, which is the name of a 3rd-century BCE Egyptian pharaoh, in which case, the name derives from the ancient Egyptian, mnj (he who endures). It may also be related to the ancient Egyptian divinity name, Min, which is of uncertain meaning. However, according to Coptic tradition, the name means “amen.”

It is the name of a popular 2nd-century Coptic saint and martyr, known as Ⲁⲃⲃⲁ Ⲙⲏⲛⲁ (Abba Mina). According to legend, St. Menas’ parents were devout Christians who were having a hard time having children. His mother prayed to the Virgin Mary for a child, and she heard a response saying “amen,” this is where the name Menas supposedly derives from. It is speculated by some that the Western St. Christopher and the Eastern St. Menas are one and the same person. It is also borne by an Ethiopian saint of the 6th-century (CE) and a 16th-century CE Ethiopian emperor.

It was the name of 1st-century CE Roman admiral who features in Shakespeares, Antony & Cleopatra.

Other forms of the name include:

  • Minasə ሚናስ (Amharic)
  • Mina مينا; Мина ⲙⲏⲛⲁ Ми́на Міна (Arabic, Bulgarian, Coptic, Romanian, Russian, Ukrainian)
  • Minas Մինաս Μηνάς (Armenian, Greek)
  • Menna (Catalan)
  • Ménas (French)
  • Menas (German, Latin, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish)
  • Ménász, Mennasz, Mínász (Hungarian)
  • Mena (Italian)

Sources

Atreus

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  • Photo by Jose Antonio Gallego Vu00e1zquez on Pexels.com
  • Origin: Greek Ἀτρεύς
  • Meaning: “to not tremble; fearless.”
  • Gender: masculine
  • Pronunciation: Eng (AY-tree-us); Grek (ah-TRAY-oos)

The name is composed of the Greek elements, ἀ-, “no” and τρέω, “tremble,” hence meaning, “fearless.”

The name is borne in Greek mythology by the son of Pelops & Hippodamia and the father of Agammennon & Menelaus. Atreus and his brother were expelled from their kingdom after killing their elder brother for the throne. Atreus took refuge in Mycenae where he sat-in as a temporary king while Eurystheus was fighting in a war, but ultimately, Atreus took over the the throne. His descendants thereafter are known as Atreides.

In Frank Herbert’s Dune Series, House of Atreides is the name of one of the great houses.

The name has recently entered the U.S. Top 1000 in 2019, currently ranking in as the 788th most popular name in the United States.

Other forms include:

  • Atreüs (Breton)
  • Atreu (Catalan, Portuguese, Romanian)
  • Atreus (Dutch, English, German, Latin, Scandinavian)
  • Atrée (French)
  • At’revsi ატრევსი (Georgian)
  • Atreusz (Hungarian, Polish)
  • Atreos Ατρέας (Modern Greek)
  • Atreifur (Icelandic)
  • Atreo (Italian, Spanish)
  • Atrėjas (Lithuanian)
  • Atrey Атрей (Russian, Ukrainian)
  • Atrej (Serbo-Croatian, Slovenian)

Sources