Simone

Simone (pr. see-mawn) is the French feminine form of Simon meaning “he who hears” or “he has heard” derived from Hebrew shama (to hear, listen). Simon is also a Greek name which derives from Ancient Greek simos meaning “flat-nosed, snub-nosed”. Simon is also an Italian male name (pr. see-maw-nee), the Italian form of Simon (its feminine form is Simona). Simone is also an Italian…

Frankie

Frankie is a nickname for Francis/Frances or any of its forms (Franklin, Francesca, etc.). The name comes from Franciscus, a Late Latin name meaning “Frenchman” which is derived from the name of a Germanic tribe known as the Franks, either meaning “free” or “free man”, though it may also be derived from Proto-Germanic *frankô meaning “spear, javelin”. Origin: Proto-Indo-European Variants: Franky…

Ylva

Ylva is a Swedish and Norwegian female name meaning “she-wolf” which comes from Old Norse úlfr (wolf) via Proto-Germanic *wulfaz derived from a PIE root word. Origin: Proto-Indo-European Variants: Úlfa (Icelandic)   Male forms: Ulf (Swedish, Norwegian, Danish) Úlfr (Ancient Scandinavian) Úlfur (Icelandic) Uffe (Danish)  

Karen

Karen is the Danish shortened form of Katherine, which is the English form of Greek Aikaterine though the etymology behind the name is not certain. It could be derived from another Greek name, Hekaterine from hekateros meaning “each of the two” or from Hecate, the name of the Greek goddess of witchcraft, the underworld, and crossroads. Though her name is of uncertain meaning it’s…

Elam

Elam is a Hebrew male name either meaning “hidden” or “eternity, forever”; Elam also means “young (unmarried) man”. Elam is also the name of an ancient civilization in what is now southwest Iran. The name itself comes from the Sumerian transliteration of elama or from Elamite haltamti which I’ve seen meaning “lord country”, or perhaps from…

Kent

Kent comes from an English surname which originated as a locational name for someone who came from the name of a county in England. In Old English the name was spelled as Cent which originated from Latin Cantium, meaning “coastal district” or “corner-land, land on the edge”, derived from a Brythonic source. Kent is also used as…

Soraya

Soraya is the Persian form of Thurayya, an Arabic female name used to refer to the “Pleiades”, a bright cluster of seven stars that are able to be seen with the naked eye. In Greek mythology, the Pleiades are named for the seven daughters of Pleione, a sea-nymph, and the Titan Atlas. Thurayya also means “chandelier” as well as meaning…

Alana

Alana is the feminine form of Alan, an English male name of uncertain etymology which may possibly mean “little rock” or “noble” from Old Irish ail. It also means “beautiful, handsome” from Scottish Gaelic àlainn (beautiful, fine, splendid). Alan may also be derived from the name of a Celtic god, Alaunus, which may be derived from Proto-Celtic *aleti meaning “to nourish, grow” from Proto-Indo-European…

Cayzer

Cayzer comes from a surname, a variant of Kaiser which derives from the Germanic word for “emperor”; it’s a variant form of Caesar, an Ancient Roman cognomen famously attributed to Julius Caesar which later came to be regarded as an imperial title. Though its origins are unknown, it’s been linked to Latin caesaries meaning “hair”, referring to abundant or a luxurious head of…