by baby&family7 letters · From the blog
Aaliyah
This name traces back to the Arabic language. Its documented root means "the exalted one" or "the sublime." In the US, the name has been chosen frequently since the late 1990s.
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The story behind the name.
Explore 2,780 first names with short explanations from our blog. Search for a favorite or browse from A to Z.
Names: 2,780 · Page 1 of 58
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Aarav
This boy's name traces back to Sanskrit. The documented meaning of the underlying root is "peaceful" or "calm." The name is frequently given in India and is easy to pronounce in German, as the written form and sound match.
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Aaron
Aaron is known from biblical tradition; the Hebrew form of the name is Aharon. There are different explanations regarding its older origin and meaning.
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Aatos
This is the direct Finnish word for "thought" or "idea". The name is traditionally given to boys in Finland and is characterized by the typical double A at the beginning.
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Aba
This name originates from the West African Akan language, spoken primarily in Ghana. Its documented meaning is "born on a Thursday."
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Abena
This name comes from the Akan language, which is primarily spoken in Ghana. It is the traditional name for a girl born on a Tuesday.
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Abigail
A traditional Hebrew name. It is composed of the elements for "father" and "joy," with the documented meaning "my father is joy." In German-speaking countries, pronunciation often follows the English variant, which you should keep in mind when making your choice.
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Abril
The Spanish and Portuguese variant of April. It is given less frequently in German-speaking countries, but is an established spelling in the Romance language area.
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Achilles
The nearly invulnerable hero of the Trojan War. The meaning of the name is not known. The frequently mentioned translation from "achos" (pain) and "laos" (people) is a later interpretation and not the established history of the name. In German, the short form Achill is also common.
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Ada
This name has two established origins. It is considered a Germanic short form of names beginning with "Adel-" (such as Adelheid). In addition, it traces back to the Hebrew name Adah, meaning "ornament" or "adornment."
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Adam
A Hebrew name that traces directly back to the word for "human" or "earth" (adamah).
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Addison
Addison is a classic example of an English surname that became a given name. Its historical meaning is "son of Adam." Despite this masculine origin, the name is now predominantly given to girls in North America.
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Adebayo
(Yoruba): The linguistic basis of this name is composed of "Ade" (crown or royal descent) and "bayo" (meets joy). It is documented as a boy's name and literally translates to "The crown meets joy."
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Adele
This name is a short form of given names beginning with "Adel-", such as Adelheid. The Old High German root "adal" is well documented and means "noble" or "distinguished".
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Adrian
Traces back to the Latin cognomen Hadrianus, which reliably means "the one originating from the city of Hadria."
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Adwoa
This is the feminine counterpart to Kwadwo. The name is documented as an Akan first name for a girl born on Monday. Here, too, the "dw" blends phonetically.
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Aelia
The frequently cited translation "the sunny one" is an interpretation based on the Greek "helios." What is historically established is primarily that it is the feminine form of the Roman family name Aelius. Its exact Etruscan or Latin roots remain historically inconclusive.
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Afia
This is the documented feminine form for Friday in Akan tradition. The name is pronounced with three syllables (A-fi-a).
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Afonso
traces back to the Germanic name Adalfuns. The root elements mean “noble” and “ready” or “prompt.” In German, this corresponds to the name Alfons.
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Afra
This name traces back to Saint Afra of Augsburg, an important regional patron saint. Literally translated, the Latin name means "the African woman".
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Agapi
This first name goes directly back to the Greek word "agapi." The underlying word means "love."
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Agnes
Derives from Greek and goes back to the word "hagnos", documented as "pure" or "holy".
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Agneta
is documented as a Scandinavian variant of Agnes. The name offers a melodious alternative to the classic Agnes while preserving the exact lexical meaning.
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Agni
This name originates from Sanskrit and literally translates to fire. In Hindu tradition, it is also the name of the god of fire. The name is short and easy to pronounce in the German-speaking area.
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Agnieszka
This is the Polish form of Agnes. The name traces back to the Greek word "hagnos", which is documented to mean "pure" or "chaste".
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Ahava
This name originates in Hebrew and traces directly back to the word for love. It is rarely given in German-speaking countries, but is straightforward in both spelling and pronunciation.
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Ahmad
An Arabic name documented as "the highly praised."
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Ahmet
This name traces back to the Arabic name Ahmad. Its linguistic base means "the highly praised one." The name is widespread throughout the entire Islamic world and firmly established in Turkish naming traditions.
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Aidan
Aidan is documented as a diminutive of the Old Irish name Aodh. Since Aodh means "fire," Aidan can be translated literally as "little fire."
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Aiden
This name is the English spelling of the Irish name Aodhán. It traces back to the Old Irish word "aodh", which means "fire". Aiden is well established in the English-speaking world and has produced numerous spelling variations such as Aidan or Ayden.
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Aiko
The ending "-ko" means "child" and was a standard for Japanese girl names for decades. The preceding "Ai" is commonly written with the kanji for "love." The frequently cited meaning is therefore "child of love."
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Aileen
This name is documented as a Scottish variant, though its exact etymological root is not definitively established. A common interpretation views it as a Scottish form of Eileen or Helen, which is often translated as "the shining one." It is also linked to the Irish name Aibhilín.
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Aimée
Aimée is the Old French participle of the verb for to love and is documented as "the beloved." Amy is the English development of this name. Both trace back to the Latin root amare.
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Aino
This feminine first name traces back to the Finnish national epic Kalevala. The literary root word means "the only one".
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Aisha
A historically deeply rooted name originating from the Arabic language. It means "the living one" or "the lively one." Numerous spelling variations exist, such as Aysha or Aicha.
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Aithne
A feminine Irish name that directly traces back to the Gaelic word for fire. Pronunciation can be challenging in German, as the name is usually pronounced "ET-nyə."
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Aiyana
In name lists, this name is often presented as a Cherokee word for "eternal blossom." This meaning is not linguistically verifiable, and the older word meaning of this name family is not definitively resolved.
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Aki
This name has two documented origins. In Japanese, the underlying word means "autumn" or "bright," while in Scandinavia it is considered a short form of Joakim.
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Akil
This first name originates from the Arabic language area. The confirmed translation of its linguistic root is "reasonable," "sensible," or "intelligent."
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Akira
In Japan, this name is given to both boys and girls. The most common interpretation of the kanji used is "bright," "clear," or "luminous."
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Akoni
This name is documented as the Hawaiian form of Anton or Anthony. It is given to boys in Hawaii and is a great fit if you are looking for an international classic in a rare variant.
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Akosua
This is the documented feminine equivalent for Sunday among the Akan.
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Akua
This is the documented feminine equivalent for Wednesday. The vowels are pronounced individually (A-ku-a), making the name very accessible in German.
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Akwasi
This name is documented in Akan tradition as a masculine first name for Sunday.
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Alaia
A name from the Basque language area. The Basque adjective "alai" is documented to mean "cheerful" or "joyful." Due to the consecutive vowels, its written appearance feels soft. The pronunciation (Ah-lai-a) is clear, though the name is still rare in Central Europe.
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Alan
The older word meaning of this Celtic name family is not definitively resolved. The name is widely translated as "the handsome one" or "harmony"; however, this is an interpretation and not unambiguously verified by history. Its Breton origin and wide dissemination in the English and French-speaking worlds (there often as Alain) are verified.
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Alaric
Traces back to the Old High German name Alarich; the name elements mean “all” and “powerful”.
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Alasdair
This is the documented Scottish Gaelic form of Alexander. The name is composed of the Ancient Greek words for "to defend/protect" and "man." The etymological basis means "defender of men."
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