Names Categorized "folklore"

Anthousa is the Ancient Greek form of Anfisa, ultimately derived from the Greek word ἄνθος (anthos), meaning "flower." This elegant feminine name was borne by a 9th-century Byzantine saint, Saint Anthousa, who is venerat...

Basajaun is a figure from Basque mythology, whose name literally means "lord of the woods," derived from the Basque elements baso "woods" and jaun "lord." This entity, often depicted as a large, hairy hominid dwelling in...

Brychan is a Welsh masculine name originating from the Old Welsh period. It is derived from the Welsh word brych meaning "speckled" or "freckled" combined with a diminutive suffix, giving the sense of "little speckled on...

Cemre is a feminine Turkish given name derived from a term in Turkish folklore that describes the progressive warming of temperatures at the end of winter. According to tradition, the cemre occurs in three distinct stage...

Danica (Cyrillic: Даница) is a Slavic feminine given name derived from the word "morning star, Venus". In Slavic folklore, Danica is the personification of the morning star, often associated with the planet Venus. The na...

Eglė is a Lithuanian feminine given name derived from the Lithuanian word eglė, meaning "spruce tree." The name is deeply rooted in Lithuanian folklore and mythology, most notably from the tale "Eglė the Queen of Serpent...

Gobán is a masculine Irish given name with deep roots in Celtic mythology and early Christian history. Its origin lies in the Old Irish name Gobbán, which is formed from gobae meaning "smith" and a diminutive suffix. Alt...

Goldilocks is a feminine name derived from the English words gold and locks, referring to blond hair. It is best known as the name of the trespassing girl in the English fairy tale Goldilocks and the Three Bears, one of...

Gretel is a German diminutive of Grete, which itself is a short form of Margaret. Ultimately derived from the Greek word margarites meaning "pearl," the name spread across Europe through the veneration of several saints...

Griselda, also spelled Grizelda, is a feminine given name of Germanic origins that is used in English, Spanish, Italian, and other languages. The name is likely derived from the Proto-Germanic elements *grīsaz, meaning "...

Hänsel is a German diminutive of the name Hans, which itself is a short form of Johannes. The name is pronounced /ˈhɛnzl̩/ and is classed as either masculine or neuter in German grammar.EtymologyAs a diminutive, Hänsel e...

Hansel is an Anglicized form of the German Hänsel, a diminutive of Hans, which itself is a short form of Johannes (English John). The name is best known from the German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm and publ...

Iara is a feminine given name of Tupi origin, meaning "lady of the water" in the Tupi language, derived from the elements y ("water") and îara ("lady, mistress"). In Brazilian folklore, Iara is a beautiful river nymph wh...

Etymology and MeaningIleana is a feminine given name, primarily used in Romanian, Italian, and Spanish. It is widely considered a Romanian variant of Elena, which ultimately derives from the Greek name Helen (Ἑλένη). The...

Jahangir (Persian: جهانگیر) is a Persian and Urdu masculine name that means "world conqueror" or "world seizer", derived from the Persian words jahān meaning "world" and gīr meaning "catch, seize, conquer". The name is m...

Jūratė is a Lithuanian female given name, derived directly from the Lithuanian word jūra, meaning "sea." The name is deeply rooted in Lithuanian mythology and folklore, being the name of a sea goddess who features promin...

Kullervo is a tragic hero in Finnish mythology, whose story is famously recounted in the national epic Kalevala compiled by Elias Lönnrot. The name Kullervo is derived from the Finnish word kulta, meaning "gold," though...

Libuše is a female given name of Czech origin, derived from the Czech word libý meaning "pleasant, nice", which itself comes from the Slavic element ľuby meaning "love". The name is deeply rooted in Czech national mythol...

Melusine is a figure from European folklore, a female spirit associated with fresh water and often depicted as a woman with a serpent or fish tail from the waist down. Her name is of uncertain origin, but she is a centra...