David

Posted on December 30, 2009 by Sebastiane

Gender: Masculine
Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: “beloved.”

The name is derived from the Hebrew דָּוִד (Dawid), which is derived from the Hebrew word דוד (dwd) meaning “beloved.”

The name is borne in the Old Testament by King David, he is considered to be the greatest Jewish king in history, he is famous for defeating the evil Philistine, Goliath and several other endeavors mentioned in the Bible. He also plays a part in the Qu’ran and in Christian tradition, is considered an ancestor of Jesus.

In the English speaking world, the name has been in usage since the Middle Ages, it was borne by two Scottish Kings and St. Dewi (known as St. David in English) is considered the patron saint of Wales.

In the United States, the name currently ranks in as the 14th most popular male name, actually, David has been in the U.S. top 20 since 1880, and he peaked in 1960, coming in at # 1. In other countries, his popularity is as follows:

# 2 Davit (Armenia, 2008)
# 74 (Australia, 2007)
# 6 (Austria, 2008)
# 7 (Catalonia, Spain, 2008)
# 87 (Belgium, 2006)
# 53 (Canada, B.C. 2008)
# 31 (Chile, 2006)
# 64 (England/Wales, 2008)
# 1 (Faroe Islands, 2008)
# 96 (France, 2006)
# 6 (Hungary, 2008)
# 16 (Ireland, 2007)
# 4 (Israel, among Jewish boys, 2008)
# 9 Davide (Italy, 2007)
# 1 (Liechtenstein)
# 4 Dovydas (Lithuanian)
# 41 (the Netherlands, 2008)
# 51 (Norway, 2007)
# 8 Dawid (Poland, 2008)
# 4 (Romania, 2008)
# 27 (Scotland, 2008)
# 9 (Slovenia, 2005)
# 4 (Spain, 2008)
# 40 (Sweden 2007)
# 4 (Switzerland, among German-speakers, 2008)
# 6 (Switzerland, among French-speakers, 2008)
# 5 Davide (Switzerland, among Italian-speakers, 2008)

The David form is used in Albanian, Catalan, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, French, Galician, German, Norwegian, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish and Swedish.

Other forms of the name are:

Davidi (Albanian)
Da’ud/Da’oud/Da’wud/Da’wood داؤود (Arabic)
Davit Դավիթ (Armenian)
Davud (Azeri)
Davud/Daud/Daut (Bosnian)
Daveth (Cornish)
Taavet/Taave/Taavi/Taavo/Tavo (Estonian)
Daavid (Finnish)
Taavetti/Taavi (Finnish)
Dáibhead/Dáibheid/Daithí/Davy (Gaelic/Irish)
Dawit/Dato დავით (Georgian)
David Δαβίδ (Greek)
Dávid (Hungarian/Faroese/Slovak)
Davíð (Icelandic)
Daud (Indonesian)
Davide (Italian: Davidino and Daviduccio are obscure diminutive forms that were occasionally used as independent given names)
Daudi (Kiswahili)
Dawid (Kurdish)
Dāvids/Dāvis (Latvian)
Dovydas (Lithuanian)
Davidu Давідъ(Old Church Slavonic)
Davud داوود (Persian)
Dawid (Polish: DAH-veed)
David Давид (Russian/Belarusian)
Davíd (Spanish)
Dàibheid/Dàibhidh/Daividh (Scottish)
Davud/Dâvud (Turkish)
Davyd (Ukrainian)
Dai (Welsh: a Welsh diminutive form of David, occasionally used as an independent given name)
Dafydd/Dewi (Welsh)
Dewydd (Welsh: archaic)
Dovid (Yiddish)
Dudel (Yiddish)
Tavel (Yiddish)

Feminine forms are:

Davida (English/Scottish)
Davina/Davinia (English/Scottish)

Designated name-days are December 29 and December 30.

Stephen

Posted on December 28, 2009 by Sebastiane

Gender: Masculine
Origin: Greek
Meaning: ” wreath; garland.”
Eng (STEE-ven); (STEF-en)

The name is derived from the Greek, Στεφανος, (Stephanos), which refers to a wreath or garland worn upon the head, hence, the name is sometimes interpreted to mean “crown.”

As written in the New Testament, it was the name of a deacon who was stoned to death for his beliefs and is regarded as the first Christian martyr.

The designated name-day is December 26.

In the United States, Stephen currently comes in as the 192nd most popular male name, while Steven is the 104th most popular, (2008).

Other forms of the name include:

Stefan/Stefaan/Stëven/Stephan (Afrikaans)
Shtjefën/Stefan (Albanian)
Istfan, إصتفان, ستيف, ستيفن (Arabic)
Stepanos/Stepan Ստեփանոս, Ստեփան (Armenian)
Tcheunne (Arpetan)
İstfan/Stepan (Azeri)
Estebe/Eztebe (Basque)
Esteve (Bearnais/Catalan/Occitanian/Provençal)
Steven (Breton)
Stefan Стефан (Bulgarian: Stefcho Стефчо is a diminutive form)
Stjepan (Croatian/Serbian: diminutive forms are Stipe and Stipo).
Štěpán/Štefan (Czech)
Stephen/Stefan/Stephan (Danish)
Steven/Stefaan/Stefanus/Stefan/Stephan (Dutch: Stef is a common Dutch diminutive form)
Tehvan (Estonian)
Sitiveni (Fijian)
Tahvo/Teppo (Finnish)
Tapani (Finnish)
Étienne (French: classic form)
Éstienne (French: medieval form)
Stéphane (French: more modern form)
Steffen (Frisian: used in Germany, Holland, Norway and Denmark)
Estevo (Galician)
Stefan/Stephan (German)
Stephanos Στέφανος (Greek)
Kepano/Kiwini (Hawaiian)
István (Hungarian: Pisti, Pisto and Isti. 30th most popular male in Hungary, 2008)
Stefán (Icelandic)
Steephan (Indian)
Steafán/Stiofán (Irish: Gaelic)
Stefano (Italian)
Stefanino/Stefanio/Stenio/Steno (Italian: obscure forms)
Stefanus/Stephanus (Latin)
Stefans/Stepans/Stepons (Latvian)
Steponas/Stepas (Lithuanian)
Stefan/Stevan Стефан, Стеван (Macedonian)
Stiefnu (Maltese)
Tipene (Maori)
Šćepan Шћепан (Montenegrin)
Stefanu Стефанъ (Old Church Slavonic)
Stefan/Szczepan (Polish)
Estêvão (Portuguese)
Ştefan (Romanian: Fane is a diminutive form)
Steivan/Stiafan (Romansch)
Stefan/Stiven/Stepan Стефан, Стивен, Степан (Russian)
Istevene (Sardinian)
Stìobhan/Stìophan/Stèaphan (Scottish: Steenie is a Scotch diminutive form)
Stevan Стеван (Serbian)
Štefan (Slovak/Slovene)
Esteban (Spanish)
Stefan/Staffan/Stephan (Swedish: Steffo is a diminutive form)
Êtiên (Vietnamese)
Stepan ஸ்டீபன் (Tamil)
İstefanos (Turkish)
Stefan/Stepan Степан, Стефан (Ukrainian)
Steffan (Welsh)

Stephanie is a common feminine form, in the United States, she was one of the most popular feminine names between 1972 and 1994. She ranked in at # 6, four years in a row, between the years 1984 and 1987.

As of 2008, she ranked in as the 105th most popular female name. In other countries, her rankings are as follows:

# 84 (Australia, 2007)
# 488 (the Netherlands, 2008)

Estefanía was the 77th most popular female name in Chile in 2006.

Other feminine forms include:

Esteveneta (Bearnais/Occitanian)
Štěpánka (Czech)
Stefana (Dutch)
Etiennette (French: archaic)
Stéphanie (French)
Stefanie (German/Danish/Dutch: was a very popular name in Germany during the 1980s and 90s. Germ: SHTEH-fah-nee; Dutch (STAY-fah-nee. Steffi is a common German diminutive form.)
Kekepania (Hawaiian)
Stefánia (Hungarian)
Stefania (Italian/Polish/Romanian: Polish diminutive forms are Stefcia and Stefa)
Stefanina (Italian: obscure)
Stefanella (Italian: obscure)
Stenia/Stena (Italian: obscure)
Szczepana (Polish)
Estèva (Occitanian/Provençal)
Štefánia (Slovak)
Estefanía (Spanish)

Stevie, Steff, and Steffie are the preferred English diminutives.

Emmanuel

Posted on December 28, 2009 by Sebastiane

Gender: Masculine
Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: “God is with us.”
עִמָּנוּאֵל

The name is composed of the Hebrew elements, אֵל (‘EL), meaning “God” and עִמָּנוּ (ʻImmānū), meaning “with us”. The name is a theophoric name, mentioned in Isaiah 7:14 and Isaiah 8:8. It subsequently appears again, in the New Testament, in Matthew, which is actually a quotation of Isaiah.

In Christian tradition, the reference to Emmanuel by Isaiah is believed to be a prophesy of the coming Messiah or Christ, many Jewish scholars disagree and believe that “Emmanuel” in Isaiah is in reference to either the son of Ahaz, Isaiah or Hezekiah. Regardless, the name has been common among both communities, and among Christians, the name is often enough bestowed upon a child borne around the Christmas season.

The name came into usage in the English speaking world the 16th-century, and has always been popular in the Latin speaking countries, especially in Spain and Portugal, and to a lesser extent, France and Italy.

In 2008, the name came in as the # 146th most popular male name, while Manuel stood in as the 186th most popular. Manuel was also the 40th most popular male name in Chile, and the 15th most popular in Spain during 2006.

The above form is used in French and English. Other forms include the following:

Amanuel (Aramaic)
Imanol (Basque)
Manel (Catalan/Portuguese)
Manuel (French/German/Italian/Portuguese/Romanian/Scandinavian/Spanish)
Emanuel (German/Czech/Dutch/Polish/Romanian/Scandinavian/Serbo-Croatian/Slovene)
Immanuel עִמָּנוּאֵל (German/Finnish/Hebrew)
Emmanouil Εμμανουηλ/Manouel Μανουηλ (Greek: Modern)
Manolis / Μανόλης (Greek: Modern)
Emánuel/Immánuel (Hungarian)
Emmanúel (Icelandic)
Imanuel (Indonesian)
Emanuele (Italian)
Emanuello (Italian: obscure)
Manuele (Italian)
Emmanuhel (Latin)
Emanuelis (Lithuanian)
Manwel (Maltese)
Manoel (Portuguese: Brazilian)
Enmanuèl (Provencal)
Manuèl (Provencal)
Immanuil Иммануил (Russian/Ukrainian)
Manolo (Spanish)

Feminine forms are:

Emmanuelle (French)
Manuela (German/Italian/Portuguese/Romanian/Spanish)
Emanuela/Emanuella (Italian)
Manwela (Maltese)
Manoela (Portuguese: Brazilian)
Emanuela (Spanish/Polish/Portuguese)
Emanuelita/Manuelita (Spanish/Portuguese: initially diminutives forms, used as independent given names)
Manola (Spanish/Portuguese)

Its designated name-days are March 26 (Finland/Italy/Sweden) and on December 25 (France)

Popular French diminutives are Manu (for both male and females) and Émane (Female), the English is usually Manny.

Jaione, Natividad

Posted on December 27, 2009 by Sebastiane

Gender: Feminine
Origin: Basque/Spanish
Meaning: “nativity.”
Pronunciation can be heard here: http://www.forvo.com/search/Jaione/
http://www.forvo.com/search/Natividad/es/

Jaione is from the Basque word for “nativity” referring to the birth of Christ and is usually bestowed on girls born on Christmas or around Christmas.

The Spanish version is Natividad, which comes directly from the Spanish word.

In Spain, Natividad’s designated name-day is December 25.

Belén

Posted on December 27, 2009 by Sebastiane

Gender: Feminine
Origin: Spanish
Meaning: “Bethlehem”
(be-LEN)

The name is a Spanish form of the Hebrew place name, Bethlehem, which is ultimately derived from the Hebrew בֵּית לָחֶם (beit lachem) meaning “house of bread.” The name was originally bestowed upon girls born around the Christmas season, it is sometimes used in conjunction with other names, such as Maria Belén and Ana Belén.

As of 2008, Belén ranked in as the 866th most popular female name in the United States. She ranked in at # 18 in Chile in 2006.

In Spain, her designated name-day is December 25.

Noël, Noëlle

Posted on December 27, 2009 by Sebastiane

Origin: French
Meaning: Christmas
Fre masc. (no-EL); Eng masc (NOLE)
Fre/Eng Fem. (no-EL)

The name comes directly from the French word for Christmas, noël, which in itself, is the Old French form of the Latin nael. It is commonly believed to be related to the Latin, natalis, meaning “birth”, but Irish linguist, Charles Vallencey, has proposed that the etymology may be from the Hebrew word nolah, (composed of the Hebrew letters nuwn, waw, lamed and he), which would mean “to bring forth young.” Subsequently the Irish word for December, Mi Nolagh, (literally meaning the “month of the newborn”) and the Irish word for Christmas, nolagh, is related to the French word noël.

Nolagh, (NOH-lahg), is used as a feminine given name in Ireland, usually a cognate of Natalie or Noëlle, it was usually bestowed on girls born around the Christmas season.

In France, Noël is traditionally bestowed on baby boys born on Christmas or around Christmas, while Noëlle is its feminine version. In the English speaking world, it did not catch on as name till around the 19th-century, but noel was a word often used interchangeably with Christmas, sometimes spelled nowell.

A Spanish corruption of the French is Noelia, Noelina and the masculine version, Noelino. An Old French diminutive form, which is currently rising in popularity in France, is the feminine Noéline. There are a few obscure Provençal and Occitanian forms: Nadal and Nadau and the feminine Nadaleta, and there is Calendau, which means “Christmas” in both languages.

Adam

Posted on December 25, 2009 by Sebastiane

Gender: Masculine
Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: “man”

The name is found in the Old Testament as the name of the first man created by God. Whether Adam is used as a personal name or in a generic sense is up to debate, many Biblical scholars agree that the authors of Genesis were not using Adam as a personal name, but more of a generic term.

Though in modern Semitic languages, the modern word for man is many times Adam, or Ben-Adam (son of Adam), its actual etymology is also debated. Some believe it is ultimately derived from the Hebrew אדם (‘adam) meaning “red” referring either to human skin tone, or to the colour of earth, which in the Bible, is what God created Adam from. Other sources suggest that it may be related to an Akkadian source, Adamu, meaning “to make.”

The name is a popular choice among Christians, Jews and Muslims alike. In Europe, it has been in use since the early Middle Ages. Among Christians, Christ is often given the title of the “New Adam.”

Its designated name-day, along with Eve, is usually December 24.

Currently, Adam is the # 78th most popular male name in the United States. In other countries, his rankings are as follows:

# 35 (Australia, 2007)
# 28 (Belgium, 2006)
# 47 (Canada, BC, 2008)
# 8 (Czech Republic, 2008)
#32 (England/Wales, 2008)
# 34 (France, 2006)
# 7 (Hungary, 2008)
# 7 (Ireland, 2008)
# 10 (Israel, among Muslim boys, 2004)
# 1 (Israel, among Druze boys, 2004)
# 76 (the Netherlands, 2008)
# 6 (Northern Ireland, 2009)
# 19 (Scotland, 2008)
# 75 (Spain, 2006)
# 28 (Sweden, 2007)

In addition, the Adam form is also used in Armenian, Bulgarian, Catalan, Croatian/Serbian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, German, Icelandic, Polish, Romanian, Slovakian and Slovenian.

Other forms of the name include:

Adami (Albanian)
Ādam آدم (Arabic)
Adəm (Azeri)
Adame (Basque)
Adem (Bosnian/Kurdish)
Aadam (Estonian)
Ádam (Faroese)
Aadam/Aatami (Finnish)
Adám Αδάμ (Greek)
Akamu (Hawaiian)
ʼĀḏām אָדָם (Hebrew: Modern)
Ádám (Hungarian)
Ádhamh/Ádam (Irish)
Adamo (Italian)
Adamus (Latin)
Ādams (Latvian)
Adomas (Lithuanian)
Adamu (Old Church Slavonic)
Adão (Portuguese)
Aden/Adom (Romansch)
Adam Адам (Russian/Ukrainian)
Adàmu (Sardinian)
Addamu (Sicilian)
Aadam (Somalian)
Adán (Spanish, ah-DAHN)
Adan (Tagalog)
Âdem (Turkish)
Odam (Uzbek)
Adda (Welsh)

A feminine version is the Spanish and Scotch, Adamina.

A Polish diminutive form is Adaš

Adela, Adele

Posted on December 23, 2009 by Sebastiane

Gender: Feminine
Origin: Germanic/Greek
Meaning: “noble; mud; secretive.”
Eng (uh-DEL-uh); (uh-DEL)

The most popular etymology for this name is that it is from the old Germanic word adal meaning “noble” however, other sources have linked it to the Anglo-Saxon word ádela (mud) and the Greek αδελος, (adelos), meaning “hidden; secretive.”

The name was borne by a 7th-century Frankish princess, known as St. Adela, she is noted for her establishment of a monastery in Pfazel, France. It was also borne by a daughter of William the Conqueror. Another notable bearer is British pop singer Adele

Adela has not ranked in the U.S. top 1000 since 1957 and Adele since 1969.

The Adela form is used in Catalan, English, Galician, German, Polish, Romanian, Slovakian and Spanish. Other forms of the name include:

Ethel (Anglo-Saxon/English)
Adéla/Etela (Czech-Slovak)
Della (English contraction)
Adèle (French: ah-DEHL)
Adele (German/English/Finnish/Italian)
Adél (Hungarian)
Etela/Etelka (Hungarian)
Adelia (Spanish)

The designated name-days are: July 8 (Latvia), June 30/October 20/November 23 (Lithuanian), December 22 (Slovakia), December 24 (France),

Joy

Posted on December 21, 2009 by Sebastiane

Gender: Feminine
Origin: English

The name comes directly from the English word and has been in usage since at least the 16th-century. In the United States, Joy ranked in as the # 548th most popular female name. Another variation is the Italian Gioia, (JOY-ah).

The name is borne by TV host of the View, (nee Josephina Victoria b.1042) and Italian pop singer, Gioia Bruno (b.1963)

Lazarus

Posted on December 20, 2009 by Sebastiane

Gender: Masculine
Origin: Aramaic/Greek

Lazarus is Biblical name that has never really caught on in the English speaking world, he has a morbid and Gothic vibe, he has that feel that belongs in an Anne Rice or Stephanie Meyer novel.

The name is derived from the Greek, Lazaros (Λαζαρος), which is a form of the Aramaic, Lazar. Lazar is in turn an Aramaic form of the Hebrew, male name, Eleazar אלעזר, Elʿāzār, meaning “God’s assistance” or “God has helped.”

I shall go into Eleazar in a separate posting, for now, I shall just focus on Lazarus and his variants, since, he seems to have created a persona all of his own.

In the New Testamant, the name Lazarus is mentioned twice, the strongest association has to be with Lazarus of Bethany, who is mentioned in the Gospel of John as a man who was miraculously resurrected from the dead by Jesus. Another Lazarus is the subject of Jesus’ parable Lazarus and Dives, (recounted in the Gospel of Luke).

In Eastern Orthodox and Catholic traditions, Lazarus of Bethany is revered as a saint, and later apocryphal accounts of his life became popular. Among Eastern Christian traditions, it is believed that Lazarus sailed off to Cyprus to evangelize the inhabitants where he later became the first Bishop Kittim, (Larnaka), other traditions have Lazarus and his sisters relocating to Provence, France, where it is said that he became the first Bishop of Marseilles.

Other forms of the name include:

Llàtzer (Catalan)
Lazar Лазарь/Лазар (Croatian/Czech/Bulgarian/Serbian/Russian/Ukrainian)
Lazarus (English/Danish/Dutch/German/Latin/Norwegian/Swedish)
Lasarus (Finnish/Swedish/Norwegian)
Lazare (French: lah-ZAHR)
Lazaros Λαζαρος (Greek)
Lázár (Hungarian)
Lazzaro (Italian)
Lozorius (Lithuanian)
Łazarz/Lazarz (Polish: WAH-zahsh/LAH-zahsh)
Lázaro (Portuguese/Spanish: LAH-sah-roh Latin American Spanish; LAH-thah-ro Iberian Spanish)
Lazár (Slovak)
Lasaros (Swedish)

Spanish feminine forms are Lázara and Lazarina.

The designated name-day is December 17.

Legitimate Baby Names

names that are not made up and have had a history

Category Archives: Spanish Names

David

Stephen

Emmanuel

Jaione, Natividad

Belén

Noël, Noëlle

Adam

Adela, Adele

Joy

Lazarus