Gender: Masculine
Origin: Arabic ایاد
Meaning: “support.”
(ee-YAHD)
The name is derived from the Arabic verb, أيد (ayad) meaning, “to support.”
As of 2010, Iyad was the 432nd most popular male name in France.
Another transliteration is Iyed which currently ranks in as the 467th most popular male name in France, (2010).
Gender: Masculine
Origin: East African
Meaning: “the Tijani path.”
(tee-dee-YAHN)
Tidiane is a franconized form of the Wolof, Ti(i)jaan, which is derived from the Arabic, Tijanniyyah, meaning, “the Tijani path.”
Tijanniyyah is the name of a North and West African sufi Islamic religious order which emphasizes culture and education.
Tidiane is a common name among Muslim West Africans.
As of 2010, Tidiane was the 453rd most popular male name in France.
Gender: Masculine
Origin: Armenian Սեւան
(seh-VAHN)
The name is taken from the name of a lake and city in Armenia. The name is technically unisex but is far more common on males than females.
Lake Sevan is one of the largest lake in Armenia and in the Caucauses.
As of 2010, Sevan was the 493rd most popular male name in France.
Gender: Masculine
Origin: Arabic
(BRAH-HEEM)
The name is an abbreviated, particularly North African, form of Ibrahim, which is the Arabic form of Abraham.
As of 2010, Brahim was the 494th most popular male name in France.
Gender: Feminine
Origin: Gaelic
(NOH-lah)
The name is a contracted form of Fionnuala but has been used as an indepedent given name since at least the 19th-century.
In recent years, it may also be bestowed in reference to New Orleans, Louisiana, which is often abbreviated to NOLA by local.
The highest Nola ever ranked in U.S. naming history was in 1894 when it was the 294th most popular female name.
As of 2010, she was the 491st most popular female name in France, while in 2011, she was the 886th most popular female name in the United States.
Nola is also the name of a few cities and of a genus of moth.
The Gaelic spelling is Nuala.
Gender: Feminine
Origin: Arabic
Meaning: “mercy.”
The name is derived from the Arabic word for “mercy.”
As of 2010, Rahma was the 492nd most popular female name in France.
The name is borne by Jordanian princess Rahma bint El Hassan (b.1969)
Gender: Feminine
Origin: Greek Αθηναις
Meaning: “belonging to Athene.”
Fre (ah-tay-nah-EES)
The name was borne by several early Greek personages, Athenais the Seer was a 4th-century Oracle who supposedly revealed the divine origins of Alexander the Great. It was borne by two Cappodocian queens of Greek lineage and a Byzantine consort. Its most notable bearer, however, is probably Françoise-Athénaïs de Rochechouart de Montespan, Marquise of Montespan and the favorite mistress of King Louis XIV of France (1641-1707).
As of 2010, its French form of Athénaïs was the 496th most popular female name in France.
Gender: Feminine
Origin: Breton
Meaning: “fair and generous”
(gweh-nye-YEL)
Derived from the Breton male name, Gwenhael, this name has recently become a trend in France. For an English-speaker, it might be appealing due to the fact that is can be shortened to Gwen, Nelle or Elle.
Gwenhael was the name of a Breton Saint. He was an abbot and confessor and died circa 518 (C.E).
As of 2010, was the 498th most popular female name in France.
Another form is Gwenaela. A franconized masculine form is Gwenaël.
Gender: Feminine
Origin: Arabic سامية
Meaning: “elevated; high; lofty.”
(sah-MEE-ah)
Actress and comedienne, Kathy Najimy bestowed this Arabic beauty upon her daughter (named in honour of Kathy’s Lebanese-born mother). Samia is a feminine form of Sami, and is used throughout the Islamic world, though Samia itself is used equally among Arabic-speaking Muslims, Christians and Jews.
As of 2009, Samia was the 392nd most popular female name in France. Her variant spellings of Samiya just entered the U.S. top 1000, coming in as the 959th most popular female name in the United States (2011), while Samiyah ranked in slightly higher, being the 793rd most popular female name.
An Eastern European and Central Asian form is Samija.
Gender: Feminine
1. Origin: German
Meaning: “soft; tender”
Линда
2. Origin: Spanish
Meaning: “pretty”
3. Origin: Estonian
Meaning: “bird.”
In the English-speaking world, the name is most likely derived from the ancient Germanic element, linde, meaning, “soft; tender.”
Its popularity between the 1940s-1950s may have been due to its associations with the Spanish adjective, linda which means “pretty.” However, the name is not really used in Spanish-speaking countries.
In Estonian, the name has a completely different etymology and history. It appears in the Estonian national epic, the Kalevipoeg, where it is the name of the protagonist’s mother. In this case, the name is most likely derived from the Estonian word lind, meaning “bird.”
Between 1947-1952, this was the most popular female name in the United States, as of 2010, it ranked in as the 623rd most popular female name. Her rankings in other countries are as follows:
The name is also used in Czech, German, the Scandinavian languages, Finnish, Italian, Hungarian, Latvian, Slovak and in Bulgarian.
Designated name-days are: February 13 (Hungary), April 15 (Finland), April 30 (Latvia), June 20 (Sweden), June 25 (Estonia), August 21 (Latvia), September 1 (Czech Republic) and September 2 (Slovakia).
Notable bearers include: American actress and star of the Exorcist, Linda Blair (b.1959); Wonder Woman star, Lynda Carter (b. 1951); Canadian supermodel, Linda Evangelista (b.1965); actress Linda Fiorentino (b.1958) and Linda McCartney (1941-1998).
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