Naomi

Posted on February 21, 2012 by Sebastiane

Gender: Feminine
Origin: Biblical Hebrew נָעֳמִי
Meaning: “pleasantness.”
Eng (nay-OH-mee); (nye-OH-mee)

The name is derived from the Hebrew נָעֳמִי (Na’omiy) “pleasantness.”

It is borne in the Old Testament by the mother-in-law of Ruth, who later changes her name to Mara to express the grief she experienced after losing her husband and sons.

The name was always common among Jews but did not catch on in the English-Christian world until after the Protestant Reformation.

Currently, its Italian/German form of Noemi is the 3rd most popular female name in Italian-speaking Switzerland, (2010). Her rankings in both forms are as follows:

# 16 (Noemi, Hungary, 2010)
# 19 (Noemi, Italy, 2010)
# 26 (Naomi, Netherlands, 2010)
# 31 (Noémie, French-speaking Switzerland, 2010)
# 33 (Noémie, France, 2009)
# 44 (Naomi, Canada, B.C., 2010)
# 63 (Noémie, Belgium, 2009)
# 82 (Naomi, Scotland, 2010)
# 86 (Naomi, Northern Ireland, 2010)
# 92 (Naomi, United States, 2010)
# 162 (Noemi, Germany, 2011)
# 677 (Noemi, United States, 2010)

Other forms of the name include:

Na’ima (Aramaic)
Naomi (Dutch/English/Hebrew)
Noemi (Czech/German/Hungarian/Italian/Polish/Slovak)
Noomi (Finnish/Estonian)
Noémie (French)
Naemi (German)
Naëmi (German)
Nomi (German)
Noemí (Portuguese/Spanish)
Noemin Ноеминь (Russian)
Naimi (Swedish)
Noëmi (Swiss-German)
Nömsi (Swiss-German)

It can also be a Japanese female name, being composed of the elements 直 (nao) “straight” and 美 (mi) “beautiful.”

Its recent popularity in Italy might be due to Italian pop singer, Noemi.

The name is also borne by supermodel, Naomi Campbell.

Ginevra

Posted on February 21, 2012 by Sebastiane

Gender: Feminine
Origin: Italian
Meaning: debated
(jee-NAVE-rah)

The name has often been used as an Italian cognate for the Celtic, Guinevere, but it has also long been believed to be related to the Italian word ginepro (juniper). In the latter case, the city of Geneva, Switzerland, would share the same etymology.

Ginevra was a popular female name in Medieval Italy.

Currently, Ginevra is the 37th most popular female name in Italian-speaking Switzerland, (2010).

In the English-speaking world, the name was recently brought to attention via the J.K. Rowling books, Harry Potter, in which it is the name of Ron Weasley’s sister, Ginny.

Other forms include:

Ginewra (Polish)
Żinewra (Polish)
Genebra (Portuguese/Spanish)

Elisa

Posted on February 21, 2012 by Sebastiane

Gender: Feminine
Origin: Italian

The name could either be a contracted Italian form of Elisabetta or it may be a feminine form of Eliseo, the Italian form of Elisha.

Its French form of Élise was introduced via the sister of Napoleon Bonaparte, Elisa Bonaparte (1777-1820).

Currently, Elisa is the 7th most popular female name in Italian-speaking Switzerland, (2010) and the 12th most popular in Italy, (2010). Her rankings in other countries are as follows:

# 34 (Belgium, 2009)
# 47 (France, 2009)
# 56 (Austria, 2010)
# 115 (Netherlands, 2010)
# 496 (United States, 2010)

Michelle

Posted on February 21, 2012 by Sebastiane

Gender: Feminine
Origin: French

The name is derived from the French female name, Michèle, a feminine form of Michel.

The name was popularized outside of France from the 1965 Beatles ballad, Michelle. Between 1968 and 1969 the name entered the U.S. top 10, ranking in as the 2nd most popular female name in the United States. As of 2010, Michelle came in as the 125th most popular female name in America.

Michelle’s usage has spread to Scandinavia, the Netherlands, South America and German-speaking countries. She is the 26th most popular female name in Italian-speaking, Switzerland, (2010)

Her rankings in other countries are as follows:

# 151 (Netherlands, 2010)

Mane

Posted on February 21, 2012 by Sebastiane

Gender: Feminine
Origin: Armenian Մանե
Meaning: “manna.”
(MAH-neh)

The name is derived from the Armenian, manana, meaning “manna”, the heavenly substance as described in the Bible.

Currently, Mane is the most popular female name in Armenia, (2010).

Nicole

Posted on February 21, 2012 by Sebastiane

Gender: Feminine
Origin: French

The name is a French feminine form of Nicolas.

The name became extremely popular in the United States during the 1980s, in 1981 it came in as the 6th most popular female name. As of 2010, she was the 122nd most popular female name in the United States, (2010).

Currently, she is the 10th most popular female name in Italian-speaking, Switzerland, (2010). Her rankings in other countries are as follows:

# 30 (Italy, 2010)
# 40 (Ireland, 2010)
# 63 (Northern Ireland, 2010)
# 63 (Scotland, 2010)
# 83 (Canada, B.C., 2010)
# 93 (Catalonia, 2010)
# 93 (Sweden, 2010)
# 196 (Germany, 2011)
# 323 (Netherlands, 2010)

Ben

Posted on February 20, 2012 by Sebastiane

Gender: Masculine
Origin: Dutch/English/German
(BEN)

The name could either be from a short form of the Biblical male name Benjamin or it could be a Dutch diminutive form of Bernhard.

Currently, Ben is the most popular male name in Germany, (2011). His rankings in other countries are as follows:

# 19 (Northern Ireland, 2010)
# 20 (German-speaking, Switzerland, 2010)
# 28 (Ireland, 2010)
# 34 (Scotland, 2010)
# 60 (Austria, 2010)
# 73 (England/Wales, 2010)
# 198 (Netherlands, 2010)
# 692 (United States, 2010)

Paul

Posted on February 20, 2012 by Sebastiane

Gender: Masculine
Origin: Latin
Meaning: “short; small; humble; few.”
Eng (PAWL)

The name is derived from the Latin Roman family name, Paulus, which could translate as meaning, “small, short; humble; few.”

Paul and his various forms has to be one of the most common male names used throughout the Christian world. It has been used equally among Orthodox Christians, Roman Catholics and Protestants.

Its most famous bearer was Paul of Tarsus, whose real name was Saul. St. Paul, as referred to by the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches, is attributed as being the author of much of the New Testament.

The name was borne by several popes, royals and saints thereafter.

Currently, its Germanic form of Paul is the 8th most popular male name in Germany, (2011). His rankings in other countries are as follows:

# 13 (Austria, 2010)
# 22 (France, 2009)
# 41 (Romania, 2009)
# 90 (Ireland, 2010)
# 130 (Scotland, 2010)
# 178 (United States, 2010)
# 485 (Netherlands, 2010)

His foreign equivalents rankings are as follows:

# 3 (Pablo, Spain, 2010)
# 4 (Páll, Faroe Island, 2010)
# 4 (Pau, Catalonia, 2010)
# 17 (Paweł, Poland, 2010)
# 26 (Pablo, Chile, 2010)
# 29 (Pavel, Czech Republic, 2010)
# 31 (Pablo, Catalonia, 2010)
# 44 (Pau, Spain, 2010)
# 91 (Pál, Hungary, 2010)
# 144 (Pablo, France, 2009)
# 202 (Paolo, France, 2009)
# 361 (Pablo, United States, 2010)

Other forms of the name include:

Pali (Albanian)
Paulë (Albanian)
Boulos/Bulos بولس (Arabic)
Faulus (Aramaic)
Boghos Պողոս (Armenian)
Poghos Պողոս (Armenian)
Paul (Basque/Dutch/English/Estonian/German/French/Romanian/Scandinavian/Silesian)
Paweł Павeл (Belarusian/Polish)
Polus (Berber)
Paol (Breton)
Pavel Павел (Bulgarian/Czech/Russian/Slovene)
Pavolo (Calabrian)
Pavulu (Calabrian)
Pau (Catalan/Occitanian)
Pawl (Cornish/Welsh)
Paulu (Corsican/Sardinian/Sicilian)
Pavao (Croatian)
Pavle პავლე Павле (Croatian/Georgian/Macedonian/Serbian)
Pavo (Croatian)
Palle (Danish)
Poul (Danish)
Pauwel (Dutch)
Paavel (Estonian)
Paavo (Estonian/Finnish)
Páll (Faroese/Icelandic)
Paavali (Finnish)
Pauli (Finnish)
Pol (Flemmish/Romansch)
Paale (Frisian)
Pals (Frisian)
Paulus पौलुस (Frisian/Hindi/Latin)
Pay (Frisian)
Powles (Frisian)
Pouw (Frisian)
Pauli (Fruilian)
Pódhl (Gaelic)
Pól (Gaelic)
Paulo (Galician)
Pavlos Παυλος (Greek)
Pāl पॉल (Hindi)
Pál (Hungarian)
Pósa (Hungarian)
Paolo (Italian/Portuguese)
Paolino (Italian/Portuguese)
Paulinus (Latin)
Pāvils (Latvian)
Paulius (Lithuanian)
Povilas (Lithuanian)
Paol (Lombard)
Paulose (Malayalam)
Pawl (Maltese)
Pawlu (Maltese)
Payl (Manx)
Paora (Maori)
Pål (Norwegian/Swedish)
Pavel (Romanian)
Paulin (Romansch)
Polet (Romansch)
Polin (Romansch)
Pulegn (Romansch)
Pàl (Scots-Gaelic)
Pawůł (Silesian)
Pavol (Slovak)
Pawoł (Sorbian)
Pablo (Spanish)
Paoro (Tahitian)
Pàul (Tuscan)
Pavlo Павло (Ukrainian)

For a Reference a Female forms See Paula and Paulina (soon to come)

Linus

Posted on February 20, 2012 by Sebastiane

Gender: Masculine
Origin: Greek
Meaning: debated
Eng (LIE-nus); Germ (LEE-nuws); Swe (LEE-nus)

The name is either derived from the Greek verb ailinon meaning “to whine; complain” or it could be from the Greek Λινος (linos) meaning “flax.” In the latter case, the Lithuanian male name, Linas, would share the same etymology. It was also a Roman cognomen, which may have been derived from the Greek.

In Greek mythology, the name was borne by a son of Apollo, who in some legends was accidentally killed by his own father and in other legends was the music teacher of Hercules.

The name was also borne by the 2nd pope and saint who succeeded St. Peter.

In the English-speaking world, the name is often associated with the Charles Schulz character who appears in the Peanuts Comic strips.

The name was fairly common in 19th-century America and Britain, being borne by Linus Bacon Comins (1817-1892), a Massachusetts politician, Linus Yale, Jr. (1821-1868) a mechanical engineer, Linus Pauling (1901-1994) a famous American chemist and British actor, Linus Roache (b.1964)

Currently, Linus is the 30th most popular male name in Germany, (2011). His rankings in other countries are as follows:

# 44 (Sweden, 2010)
# 53 (Norway, 2010)

Other forms of the name include:

Llinu (Asturian)
Lin Лін Лин (Belarusian/Breton/Bulgarian/French/Piedmontese/Russian/Serbian/Slovene/Ukrainian)
Lli (Catalan)
Lino (Croatian/Galician/Italian/Portuguese/Spanish)
Linus (Danish/Dutch/English/Estonian/Finnish/French/German/Hungarian/Norwegian/Polish/Romanian/Swedish)
Líneas (Gaelic)
Linusi ლინუსი (Georgian)
Linos Λινος (Greek)
Línus (Icelandic)
Lins (Latvian)
Linas (Lithuanian)

Niels, Nils

Posted on February 20, 2012 by Sebastiane

Gender: Masculine
Origin: Scandinavian

The name has traditionally been attributed as being a Scandinavian form of Nicholas but has also been connected with the Celtic, Niall.

He was a very popular name in Medieval Scandinavia, being the progenitor of the surnames Nilsson, Neilson and Nilson. It was fairly common among Scandinavian royalty and nobility, being worn by King Niels of Denmark (1064-1135).

Currently, Nils and Niels are the 32nd most popular male names in Germany, (2011). Niels rankings in other countries are as follows:

# 37 (Netherlands, 2010)
# 38 (Nils, Sweden, 2010)
# 63 (Belgium, 2009)
# 276 (Nils, Netherlands, 2010)
# 244 (Nils, France, 2009)
# 489 (France, 2009)

Other forms of the name include:

Niels (Faroese/Danish/Dutch/German)
Niilo (Finnish)
Nils (German/Icelandic/Norwegian/Swedish)

A Danish feminine form is Nielsine.

Legitimate Baby Names

names that are not made up and have had a history

Naomi

Ginevra

Elisa

Michelle

Mane

Nicole

Ben

Paul

Linus

Niels, Nils