Kamiyah

Kamiyah is an African-American female name, a modern name which seems to be a combination of the name Maya with the ka- prefix. Maya has several meanings and etymologies such as “illusion” from Sanskrit; “water” from Hebrew; as well as being the name of the Mayan civilization, which seems to have been derived from Mayapan,…

Richmal

Richmal is an English female name which seems to have originated in the early eighteenth century, primarily in Bury, Lancashire, though the exact origin and meaning behind the name is uncertain. It could be a combination of Richard and Mall or Mally, the later a variant of Molly, itself a diminutive of Mary which ultimately…

Arabella

Arabella comes from a Medieval Scottish name of uncertain origin. It may be derived from Latin orabilis meaning “yielding to prayer; invokable” < orare (to pray, beg; to orate) derived from a PIE origin. It’s also possible that Arabella is a variant of Annabel, a variant form of Amabel, the medieval English form of Amabilis,…

Filaret

Filaret is a Russian male name which comes from Late Greek Philaretos, made up of Ancient Greek philos φιλος (friend; love, like) and arete ἀρετὴ (virtue; goodness, excellence), so the name essentially means “love of virtue” or “friend of excellence/goodness”. Origin: Proto-Indo-European Meaning: “love of virtue” or “friend of excellence/goodness” Usage: Russian, Ukrainian, Romanian, Bulgarian,…

Miriam

Miriam is the name of the older sister of Aaron and Moses, who watches over the baby Moses when their mother puts him in a basket and into the river to protect him from being killed by the Pharaoh’s soldiers. The name Miriam is of uncertain origin and etymology though several meanings have been ascribed…

Araminta

Araminta is an English female given name. Its first recorded use was in English playwright’s William Congreve’s The Old Bachelor (1693). The origin of the name is obscure; it could be a combination of Arabella (an English and Scottish female name of uncertain origin. It may be derived from Latin orabilis meaning “yielding to prayer” from Latin orare (to…

Yua

Yua is a Japanese female name with a variety of meanings depending on the kanji used: Yu a There are other meanings depending on the kanji used. Written in hiragana it’s ゆあ. Origin: Japanese Meaning: various depending on the kanji used Usage: Japanese

Cariad

Cariad is a Welsh female name which is taken from the Welsh word cariad meaning “love, affection; beloved, sweetheart, darling” which comes from the root word caru (to love, like) < Proto-Brythonic *karɨd (to love) <Proto-Celtic *kareti (to desire, to wish) which ultimately derives from PIE root word *keh₂- (to desire, wish). Origin: Proto-Indo-European Meaning:…

Luma

Luma is an interesting name with several possible meanings behind it: it’s the name of a genus of flowering plants in the myrtle family. In this case the name comes from the Mapuche name for the tree; it’s also the name of a genus of moths; Luma is also a Latin word meaning “thorn” which…

Kawika

Kawika is the Hawaiian form of David which comes from Hebrew meaning “beloved” via a Proto-Semitic root word “to love”. Origin: Proto-Semitic Meaning: “beloved” Usage: Hawaiian Variants:

Philo

Philo is the Latinized form of Ancient Greek Philon meaning “friend; beloved, love” which ultimately derives from a PIE origin. Origin: Proto-Indo-European Meaning: “friend, beloved, love” Usage: Ancient Greek (latinized), English Variants: Female forms:

Mora

Mora is an English female name, a variant of Maura, an Anglicized form of Máire, the Irish form of Mary, the English form of Hebrew Miriam, a name of uncertain origin though several meanings have been ascribed to it such as “sea of bitterness”, “rebelliousness”, “obstinacy” or “wished for child” from a Hebrew root word. It’s also possible that…

Marian

Marian is probably a name many will associate with Maid Marian, a heroine in English folklore and the love interest of Robin Hood. Marian is an English female name, a variant of Marion, itself a medieval French diminutive of Marie, which ultimately derives from Hebrew Miriam,  a name of uncertain origin though several meanings have…

Kendra

Kendra seems to be a feminine form of Kenneth, itself an anglicized form of two Scottish Gaelic names: the first is Coinneach meaning “handsome, fair, beautiful” via Gaelic caoin (handsome); the second is Cináed, a name of uncertain etymology though the second element seems to be derived from Old Irish áed “fire” < Proto-Celtic *aidus…