Nicholas

Origin: Greek
Meaning: “victory of the people.”

Today is St. Nicholas Day! So, I thought, what a perfect opportunity to blog about the name Nicholas and all his myriad variations.

The name is derived from the Greek Νικόλαος, (Nikolaos), which is composed of the Greek words νικη (níkē) meaning “victory” and “λαὸς (laos) meaning “people.” Also, laos, in Greek originates from the root word “λας” (-las) as in “λα-τομεῑο”, which means, “stone” “rock”, as in Greek mythology, it was believed that all humans were formed from the stones that Deucalion and Pyrrah threw over their shoulders as they were running.

In the post-Christian world, the name Nicholas was popularized through the cult of St. Nicholas, Bishop of Myra in Lycia, (the inspiration for the modern-day Santa Claus). He was known for his acts of charity toward the poor, the most popular story being that he saved a local poor man’s daughters from lives of prostitution by dropping gold nuggets down the man’s chimney so that the man could pay for his debts instead of selling his daughters.

St. Nicholas is a very popular saint in both the Eastern and Western Churches.

The name was introduced into England in the form of Nicholas, though the sans H version has also been  in usage in the Anglophone world. The name first came into usage, in England, around the 12th-century and remained common even through the period of the Reformation. Currently, Nicholas is the 29th most popular male name for boys in the United States. His popularity in other Anglophone countries are as follows:

• # 23 (Australia, 2007)
• # 27 (Canada BC, 2008)

Other forms of the name include the following, (divided alphabetically by linguistic origin):

Latinate Forms
Variations used in Latin languages

• Micolau (Catalan)
• Nicolau (Catalan/Galician/Occitanian/Portuguese)
• Niculaiu (Corsican)
• Nicoty (Brusseler: a French dialect)
• Colin (French: originally a diminutive form, now used exclusively as an independent given name, not to be confused with the Celtic Colin/Collin which has a completely different etymology and pronunciation)
• Nicolas/Nico (French: diminutive forms are Colas, Coliche, Colineau, Coya, Koni, Nic, Nico and Nikko. As of 2006, Nicolas was the 35th most popular male name in France)
• Coletto/Colino (Italian: obscure)
• Niccola/Nicola (Italian: Cola is a diminutive form)
• Nicolai (Italian)
• Nicolao (Italian)
• Niccolò/Niccolo/Nicolò (Italian)
• Nicoletto (Italian: obscure)
• Niccolino/Nicolino (Italian: obscure)
• Nico (Italian/Romanian/Spanish: originally a diminutive form, now used exclusively as an independent given name)
• Nicolás/Colás (Leonese)
• Nicu (Leonese/Romanian: originally diminutive forms, used as independent given names)
• Nicolaus (Late Latin)
• Nicolinus (Late Latin)
• Neculai/Nicolae/Niculae (Romanian: diminutive form is Nicoară)
• Nicușor (Romanian: originally a diminutive form, used as an independent given name)
• Clà/Clau (Romansch)
• Niclà/Nicolà/Niculin (Romansch)
• Nigola (Sardinian)
• Nicolao/Nicolás (Spanish)

Feminine forms ares

• Nicolaua (Catalan)
• Colette (French: originally a diminutive form, now used exclusively as an independent given name
• Coline (French: originally a diminutive form, now used exclusively as an independent given name, in fact, Coline ranked in as the 85th most popular female name in France in 2006. The name also coincides with the French word for hill and a diminutive form for this is Colinette)
• Nicole (French)
• Nicolette (French: originally a diminutive form of Nicole, now exclusively used as an independent given name, however, it is considered rather dated in French-speaking countries)
• Nicoline (French)
• Nicoletta (Italian)
• Nicolina (Italian)
• Nicoleta (Romanian)
• Nicolina/Niculina (Romanian)
• Nicolasa (Spanish/Galician)
• Nicoleta/Nicolá (Spanish)

Germanic Forms
Variations used in Germanic based languages

• Nikolaus (Afrikaans/Old Dutch)
• Claus/Klaus/Niels (Danish: originally diminutive forms but have been used as independent given names for centuries)
• Nicolai/Nikolaus/Nikolaj (Danish)
• Nilaus/Nis (Danish)
• Nicolaas/Nikolaas (Dutch)
• Klaas/Nico/Niek/Niels (Dutch: Originally diminutive forms but have been used as independent given names for centuries)
• Nicholas/Nicolas (English: diminutive forms include: Cole, Nat, Nick and Nicky)
• Niklas/Niklái (Faroese)
• Niklaas (Flemmish)
• Klaas/Klaes (Frisian)
• Nickel/Nickels (Frisian)
• Claus/Claas/Klaas/Klaus/Klas (German: originally diminutive forms but have been used as independent given names for centuries)
• Nickolaus/Nicolas/Nicolaus/ Niklaus/Nikolaus/Niklas (German)
• Nico/Niko (German)
• Neikaulaus (Gothic)
• Néckel/Kleeschen/Klos (Lexumburgish)
• Klaos (Limburgish)
• Nikolaas/Nicolaas (Low Saxon)
• Nicolai/Nikolai (Norwegian)
• Niels (Norwegian)
• Nickel (Plattdeutsch)
• Michlaus (Swabian)
• Niclas/Nicklas/Niklas (Swedish)
• Nels/Nils (Swedish)
• Klas/Claes (Swedish)
• Chlaus/Glaus (Swiss-German)

Germanic feminine forms are:

• Nikoline (Danish)
• Klasina/Klazina (Dutch)
• Nicolien/Nicoline (Dutch)
• Nicolet (Dutch: a bastardization of the French, Nicolette)
• Nicola/Nichola (English: a name that was particularly popular in Great Britain in the 70s and 80s, not to be confused with the masculine versions which are separate evolutions. This is pronounced NIK-uh-lah, and is most likely a feminization of the Scottish Nichol).
• Nikolina (Faroese)
• Nicole (German/Dutch/English: a borrowing from the French, very popular in the 1980s in German-speaking countries, English-speaking countries, as well as in the Netherlands and Scandinavia. In 1980, Nicole was the 7th most popular female name in the United States, currently, as of 2008, she stands at # 106)
• Nikólína (Icelandic)

Slavic Forms
Forms used in Slavonic languages

• Mikalai Мікалай (Belarusian)
• Nikola Никола/Nikolay Николай/Niklen Никлен (Bulgarian: diminutive forms are: Kole, Kolyo, Kolyu and Nikùlitza).
• Nikola/Niko (Croatian: Nikša and Nikica are diminutive forms)
• Mikoláš/Mikuláš (Czech: short form is Mikula )
• Nikola (Macedonian: diminutive forms are Kole and Nikolče nee-KOL-che)
• Mikołaj (Polish: diminutive forms are: Kola, Mikcio, Mik, Mikołajek, Miki, Miko, Mikoś, Mikuś, Misza, Nicz, Niki and Niko)
• Nikolai Николай (Russian: Kolya and Nikita are diminutive forms)
• Nikola Никола (Serbian)
• Mikoláš/Mikuláš (Slovakian)
• Nikolas (Slovakian)
• Nikita (Slovakian: a borrowing from the Russian, sometimes used as an independent given name in Slovakia)
• Miklavž/Niko/Nikolaj (Slovene)
• Mikławš/Klaws (Sorbian)
• Mykola Микола/Mykolai Миколай (Ukrainian)

Feminine forms are:

• Nikolina Николина/Nikoleta Николета (Bulgarian)
• Nikolina/Nika/Nina (Croatian)
• Nikoleta (Czech/Polish/Slovakian)
• Nikola (Czech/Polish/Slovakian: currently very popular in all three countries)
• Nikol (Czech/Polish a corruption of the French, Nicole, and is a relatively recent form in the Czech Republic and Poland and is also rapidly increasing in popularity)
• Nikolina (Czech/Polish)
• Mikuláška (Slovakian: obscure)
• Nika/Nikolaja (Slovene)

Celtic Forms
Forms used in Celtic Countries

• Nikolaz/Nikolazig (Breton)
• Nikolas (Cornish)
• Cóilín (Irish)
• Nicolás/Nioclás (Irish)
• Neacel/Nichol/Nicol (Scottish)
• Niclas (Welsh)

Baltic Forms
Forms used in the Baltic

• Klaus/Laas/Laus (Estonian)
• Nigol/Nigulas/Nigul(Estonian)
• Niilas/Niilo/Niilu (Estonian)
• Niklas/Nikolai/Niko (Estonian)
• Nikita (Estonian: a borrowing from the Russian, occasionally used as an independent given name)
• Nil/Nillo/Nilo/Nils/Nilus (Estonian)
• Launo/Niilo/Niklas/Niko (Finnish)
• Nikolajs/Niks/Nils (Latvian)
• Klavs/Niklavs (Latvian)
• Mikalojus/Mikas/Nikalojus (Lithuanian)
• Nibá (Saami)
• Nigá/Nigo (Saami)
• Nihkke/Nihkko (Saami)
• Niillas/Nilá/Nillá/Nilsa (Saami)

Feminine forms are:

• Nikolė (Lithuanian)
• Nikoleta/Nikoletė (Lithuanian)

Other Forms
Forms used in other languages

• Nikolla/Nikollë/Koll/Kol (Albanian)
• Nikoghayos Նիկողայոս/Nikoghos o Նիկողոս (Armenian)
• Nikola (Basque)
• Niko (Fijian)
• Nikoloz ნიკოლოზ (Georgian)
• Nikolaos Νικόλαος/Nikolas Νικόλας/Nikos Νίκος /Nikolis Νικολής (Greek Modern)
• Niilsi/Niisi (Greenlandic)
• Nikku/Nikkulaat (Greenlandic)
• Miklós/Nikola (Hungarian: Miklós was the 57th most popular male name in Hungary for 2005)
• Nikku/ Nikkii/Nikorasu (Japanese)
• Nikola (Maltese)

Feminine forms are as follows:

• Níkē Νίκη/Nikoléta Νικολέτα/Νikolína Νικολίνα (Greek Modern)
• Nikkuliina/Nikkuliit (Greenlandic)
• Nikolett (Hungarian)

Catherine/Katherine

Gender: Feminine
Origin: Debated
Meaning: Debated

Katherine and Catherine have to be one of the quintessential female classics of the Western World, according to the United States Social Security Administration’s popularity charts, Katherine has not fallen out of the top 100 for over a 100 years. She has remained a staple, bouncing the lowest to 105th position in 1938 and bouncing the highest to the 25th place in 1991. She currently ranks in as the 45th most popular female name in the United States (2008). Her elder English and French counterpart, Catherine, comes in slightly lower, but has remained fairly high in the American charts since 1880. Her highest position being at # 18 in 1914 and then again in 1917 and came in the lowest just this past year, ranking in at # 149.

In other countries, the rankings of Katherine are as follows:

# 78 (Canada-BC, 2008)
# 63 (Chile, 2006)

Her popularity in other incarnations are as follows: (divided alphabetically by cited country)

Katharina (# 8, Austria, 2008)
Catalina (# 3, Chile, 2006)
Kateřina (# 7, Czech Republic, 2008)
Katrin (# 6, Faroe Islands, 2008)
Aikaterini (# 3, Greece, 2004)
Katrín (# 4, Iceland, 2004-2007)
Katie (# 2, Ireland, 2008)
Kate (# 10, Ireland, 2008)
Karin (9th most popular female name among Palestinian Christians in Israel, 2004)
Katharina (# 5, Liechtenstein, 2008)
Katerina (# 10, Macedonia, 2006)
Katie (# 1, Northern Ireland, 2008)
Yekaterina (# 1, Russia-St. Petersburg, 2003)
Yekaterina (# 6, Russia-Moscow, 2007)
Katie (# 8, Scotland, 2008)
Katarina (# 7, Serbia, 2005)
Katarína (# 4, Slovakia, 2004)
Kaitlyn (# 10, United States-Combined Spellings, 2007)

As for the etymology of the name, it has always been popularly believed to mean “pure” but its history and origins are far more complicated and muddled. There are several theories as to its derivations and linguistic origins, the most popular are that it is either derived from the Greek  word, ΚαΘαροσ, (katharos), meaning, “pure”, or the Greek Εεκατερινε, (Hekaterine), a feminine form of the Greek, Hekáteros, meaning “each of the two; singly.” It has also been suggested that it is a form of the Greek goddess name, Hecate, which means “from a far”, or it is possibly from the Greek word, αικια (aikia) meaning, “torture; injurious treatment.” According to Behindthename, another theory suggests that it could be from a Coptic name meaning “my consecration of your name.”

The name was introduced into Western Europe after European Crusaders encountered the Christians of the Middle East, among them, the devotion of a popular 4th-century, Christian saint was discovered, St. Katherine of Alexandria. According to legend, the saint was spiked and tortured on a wheel after refusing to deny her Christian convictions and converting several members of the Alexandrian royal family to Christianity. Her cult was very popular among Christians in Syria, many centuries before her story even reached Europe. After its introduction, European Latin scholars assumed that the name was associated with the Greek Katharos meaning “pure.”

The name was first recorded in England in 1196. It was thereafter an extremely popular name in Christian Europe.

Catherine has several name-days, but the most popular, and the most widely celebrated during the Middle Ages, took place on November 25th. There is an old French celebration that took place on November 25th.  It was a day for unmarried women, twenty-five years and older, (labelled Catherinette’s in French). They would make caps, attend balls and crown the local St. Catherine of Alexandria statue with a custom hat. This was to ensure that the saint would provide the single ladies a partner by the end of the year. The term “capping st. Catherine” was used in reference to a single woman 25 years and up. This tradition died out somewhat, but remains a popular festivity among hat-makers and dress-makers even till today, particularly in the 2nd arrondisment of Paris. Any women who is single, working in the fashion industry, 25 years old and older, can attend a ball in a specially made hat, and go to the City Hall to present their creations for judging.

Though the term is a bit old fashioned, catherinette is a French word used to refer to a single women who is 25 years and older.

Other notable bearers, place and things include:

Catherine of Aragon

Catherina is the name of a crater on the moon, named for St. Catherine of Alexandria.

The Monastery of St. Catherine’s in Sinai Egypt, which is said to be the oldest Christian monastery and boasts one of the largest collections codices and manuscripts in the world.

St. Katherine Municipality lies in the North Sinai Governorate of Egypt, its city is St. Katherine’s.

Saint Catherine of Siena (1347-1380), a renowned Catholic saint, theologian, Doctor of the Church and tertiary of the Dominican order. She was known for her mystical experiences and her papal counseling.

St. Catherine of Bologna (1413-1463) another Italian saint, she is considered the patron saint of Bologna, artists and against temptations.

Catherine of Aragon (1485-1536) the first wife of Henry VII of England. Actually, Henry went on to marry two other Catherines, Catherine Howard and Catherine Parr.

St. Kateri Tekakwitha (1656-1680) was a Catholic Algonquin woman affectionately termed Lily of the Mohawks, she was also the daughter of a chief. At a young age she was ravished by the scars of small-pox and lived a life of devotion till she died at the age of 24.

Now to delve into her sundry variations.

Latinate Forms

Variations from various Romance based languages

• Catèlena (Artapan)
• Catin/Catineta/Catinon (Bearnais)
• Caterina (Catalan/Italian/Spanish)
• Catalina (Corsican/Gascon/Occitanian/Spanish)
• Catherine (French)
• Katia (Italian: a borrowing from the Russian but very popular in Italy)
• Rina (Italian diminutive form, used as an independent given name)
• Catharina (Late Latin)
• Catarina (Portuguese/Occitanian/Galician/Romansch)
• Cátia (Portuguese: originally a diminutive form or either a Portugeusized form of the Slavic Katya, particularly common in Brazil, where it was most likely introduced by Russian and Ukrainian immigrants)
• Catarino (Provencal)
• Ninoun (Provencal: originally a diminutive, now becoming more common as an independent given name)
• Cătălina/Ecaterina (Romanian)
• Catinca (Romanian: a romanianized form of the Russian diminutive, Katinka, used as an independent given name)
• Catina (Romanian/Sicilian)
• Catrina (Romanian)
• Catrina/Chatrina (Romansch)
• Caderina/Catellina (Sardinian)

Obscure French diminiutives are Catherinette, Trinette and Rinette.

Germanic Forms
Variation from various Germanic based languages

• Caja (Danish)
• Catharina/Cathrine/Katarina/Katherina (Danish/Norwegian/Swedish)
• Karen (Danish)
• Karin (Danish/Norwegian/Swedish)
• Katharine (Danish)
• Katrina/Katrine/Kathrina/Kathrin (Danish)
• Trine (Danish)
• Catharina (Dutch/Swedish)
• Cato (Dutch)
• Kaatje (Dutch)
• Katelijne/Katelijn (Dutch)
• Katrien (Dutch)
• Katrijn (Dutch)
• Nienke (Dutch)
• Tineke (Dutch: originally a diminutive form, used as an independent given name)
• Toos/Truus (Dutch: initially diminutive forms, used as independent given names)
• Trijn/Trijntje (Dutch)
• Kate/Katie (English: originally diminutive forms, now often used as independent given names in most English speaking countries)
• Katherine/Karen (English)
• Katarina/Katrin (Faroese/Danish)
• Katrina (Faroese)
• Kaja (Frisian)
• Käthe/Caatje (Frisian)
• Katryntje (Frisian)
• Keetje (Frisian)
• Nine/Nynke (Frisian)
• Cathrin/Catrin/Kathrin (German)
• Carin/Karin/Karina/Karine (German/Swedish/Norwegian/Danish)
• Katarina/Katerine/Katharina (German)
• Kathrein (German)
• Katinka (German/Dutch: Germanized form of the Russian diminutive, Katenka)
• Katja (German)
• Trina (German)
• Kaðlín (Icelandic: kahth-LEEN)
• Karín (Icelandic)
• Kata/Katarína/Katrín (Icelandic)
• Kett (Lëtzebuergesch)
• Kaia (Norwegian)
• Kari (Norwegian)
• Trina (Plauttdeutsch)
• Cajsa/Kajsa (Swedish)
• Katarina (Swedish)
• Reina (Yiddish)

Obscure German diminutive forms are Käthchen and Trinchen. A Swiss German dialectical diminutive is Käti. English diminutive forms are Cat, Cathy, Kate, Kathy, Katie, Kay, Kiki, (also used in Sweden and Norway), Kit and Kitty.

Celtic Forms
Variations from various Celtic based languages

• Katarin (Breton)
• Katell/Kattelig (Breton: latter is pronounced kah-tel-LEEK)
• Katik (Breton: kah-TEEK)
• Katou (Breton: kah-TOO)
• Cáit/Cáitín (Irish)
• Catraoine/Caiterína (Irish)
• Caitlín (Irish)
• Caitria/Caitrín (Irish)
• Caitríona (Irish)
• Cathleen/Kathleen (Irish: anglicized form of Caitlin)
• Catreena/Catreeney (Manx)
• Catrìona (Scottish)
• Cadi (Welsh)
• Catrin (Welsh)

Slavic Forms
Variation used in Slavonic based languages

• Kacjaryna (Belorusian: kahts-yah-REE-nah)
• Ekaterina (Bulgarian/Macedonian/Russian)
• Kateřina (Czech: kah-teh-ZHEE-nah)
• Katarzyna (Polish: kah-tah-ZHIH-nah)
• Jekaterina/Yekaterina (Russian)
• Katarina (Serbo-Croatian/Slovenian)
• Katarína (Slovakian)
• Katica (Slovenian: originally a diminutive form, now used as an independent given name. kah-TEET-sah)
• Katja (Slovenian: originally a diminutive form, now used as an independent given name. KAHT-yah)
• Katherine/Kateryna (Ukrainian)

Russian Diminutives include: Katenka, Katiusha and Katya, Czech pet forms are,Káťa, Kačka, Káča, Kačí, Kačenka, Kača, Kačaba, Kačík, Kačuda, Kaťulka, Katerinka, Katica, Katja, Katka, Katla, Katuška and Rina. The most popular diminutive form in Poland is Kasia (KAH-shuh), but there is also Kachna, Kaśka, Kasienka and Kasiunia. Serbo-Croatian diminiutive forms are Kata, Kate (final E is pronounced), Katica, Katja, Katarincica and Rina. A Bulgarian diminutives is Katriška.Ukrainian diminutives are: Katrusya, Katya and Katerynka. Belorusian diminutive forms are Kasja and Katra.

Baltic Forms
Various forms used in the Baltic States

• Kaarin (Estonian)
• Kadi/Kadri/Kadrin (Estonian)
• Kairi/Kari (Estonian)
• Kaisa/Kaisu (Estonian/Finnish)
• Katre/Katri/Katrin (Estonian)
• Triina/Triin/Triinu (Estonian)
• Kaija (Finnish)
• Kata (Finnish)
• Katariina (Finnish/Estonian)
• Kati (Finnish)
• Katja (Finnish)
• Katri/Katriina (Finnish)
• Riina (Finnish)
• Jekaterina (Latvian)
• Kate (Latvian: final E is pronounced)
• Katrīna (Latvian)
• Trine (Latvian: final E is pronounced)
• Katerina/Katrina (Lithuanian)
• Katrė (Lithuanian)
• Katryna (Lithuanian)
• Kotryna (Lithuanian)

Other Languages

• Katarina/Katjusha/Katerina/Katha (Albanian)
• Gadara/Gadarine/Kadara/Kadarine (Armenian)
• Karine (Armenian)
• Katalina (Basque)
• Katalin (Basque/Hungarian)
• Katarin (Basque)
• Ekaterina (Georgian)
• Kattak (Greenlandic)
• Aikaterine/Aikaterini (Greek Modern)
• Katerina (Greek Modern)
• Katina (Greek Modern)
• Kakalina/Kalena/Kalina (Hawaiian)
• Kathani (Hindi/Arabic)
• Katarina (Hungarian/Turkish)
• Kasari (Japanese)
• Katarina (Maltese)
• Kataraina (Maori)
• Kateri (Mohawk)
• Gáddjá (Saami)
• Gáhte (Saami)
• Gáhteriinná/Káhtariinná (Saami)
• Gáre/Káre (Saami)
• Gáren (Saami)
• Kasrin ܟܐܣܪܝܢ (Syriac/Assyrian)
• Akaterina (Turkish)

Hungarian diminutive forms include Kata, Kati, Katica, Katinka, Kató, Katóka, Kitti and Koto.

Medieval Forms

Variations used in the Middle Ages and are most likely out of usage

• Catelinòta (Bearnais)
• Cathelinen (Dutch, 14th-century)
• Verkateline (Dutch, 13th-14th centuries)
• Catelina/Catelin/Catlin (English 12th-century)
• Cattel/Cattle/Catin (English 12th-century)
• Katelina/Kateline/Katelin/Katlin (English 12th-century)
• Caterina/Katerina/Katerine (English 14th-century)
• Kateryna/Kateryn (English 15th-century)
• Catant (French, obscure medieval diminutive form)
• Cateline/Catelot/Caterine (French in Paris, 13th-century, the final T on Catelot is silent).
• Cathereau (French; obscure medieval form; KAH-teh-RO)
• Kateline/Katerine (French, in Paris, 13th-century)
• Ka(e)therlin/Ketlin/Keterlin/Ketterlin (German 15th-century)
• Keth/Ketherlein (German 15th-century)
• Katusch/Kethe/Keterlyn (German in Silesia, 13th-century)
• Kaþareina (Gothic, extinct Germanic language)
• Quataryna/Quatalina (Provencal, 16th-century)
• Kaithren (Scottish, 15th-century)
• Katrein (Scottish, 16th-17th-centuries)
• Kadrin (Swedish 12th-century)
• Karinae (Swedish 12th-15th centuries)
• Katena (Swedish 14th-century)
• Kättilö (Swedish 14th-century, though may also be a corruption of the Old Norse Katla)

 

There are a few masculine forms, the Italian Caterino, Catterino, Cattalino, Catinu (Sicilian dialectical form), and the Romanian Cătălin.

Akiko

Gender: Feminine
Origin: Japanese
Meaning: “bright child; sparkle child; autumn child.”
(AH-kee-ko)

The name can have several different meaning depending on the characters chosen to spell the name. It could be from the Japanese 晶 (aki) meaning ”sparkle”, or from the Japanese 明 (aki) meaning “bright” or from the Japanese 秋 (aki) meaning “autumn”  plus combined with子 (ko) “child”. There is an American comic book series of the same name which follows the adventures of a Japanese American girl named Akiko on the planet Smoo

Naoki

Gender: masculine
Origin: Japanese
Meaning: “straight tree; honest tree.”

The name comes from the Japanese 直 (nao) meaning “honest, straight” and 樹 (ki) meaning “tree”. The name is borne by Naoki Maeda (b.1979), a Japanese music producer and composer who works for Konami and Naoki Urasawa (b.1960) a Japanese mangaka artist.

Ikki

Gender: Masculine
Origin: Japanese
Meaning: “tree.”

The name comes from the Japanese ikki meaning “tree.” Japanese characters coming soon.

Fuka

Gender: Feminine
Origin: Japanese
Meaning: “wind flower; maple tree flower.”

The name can either be made up of the Japanese characters (characters coming soon) fu meaning wind and ka meaning flower or fu meaning “maple tree” and ka meaning “flower.”

Mitsuaki

Gender: Masculine
Origin: Japanese
Meaning: “bright fruit; shining autumn.”

The name has different meaning depending on the character used, which for this particular name, I will provide in the near future. In Japanese, selection of different characters are instrumental in defining a name. One name can mean a variety of different things depending on the way you write it. Japanese names are extremely complex. In this case, Mitsuaki, a fairly prevalent Japanese male name, can either be composed of the Japanese elements mitsu meaning “fruit or truth” or the honomym mitsu meaning : “shine; light.”  Aki is another element that can mean a few things, it can either mean “autumn” or “bright, light”.

The name is borne by Mitsuaki Hoshino (b. 1959) a Japanese actor and Mitsuaki Madono (b.1964) a Japanese voice actor.

Akiha

Gender: Feminine
Origin: Japanese
Meaning: “autumn leaf.”

The name Akiha is composed of the elements aki meaning “autumn” and ha meaning “leaf.” Japanese characters coming soon.

Thomas

Gender: Masculine
Origin: Aramaic
Meaning: “twin”
(TOM-us)

The Latinized form of the Aramaic Tau’ma which is derived from the word T’oma (תאומא) meaning “twin.” The name was introduced to the world via St. Thomas the Apostle, a character that plays a prominent role in the New Testament. He is best known for his disbelief when he first heard that Christ had resurrected from the dead, hence the saying “doubting Thomas.”

Tau’ma was a nickname given to him to differentiate him from Judas Iscariot, (Thomas’ real name being Judas or Jude). He is also known as Didymos, (the Greek word for twin), and Jude. His evangelization was attributed to the area of Persia and India. Thomas is a very popular name among Indian Christians and Persian Christians. His feast is celebrated on July 3rd. The name was introduced into the English speaking world via the Normans after they had conquered England. Since that time Thomas has been a relatively popular male name.

• Tomas (Albanian)
• Touma توما‎, (Arabic)
• Tovmas (Armenian)
• Foma (Azeri/Russian)
• Tomás (Aragonese/Asturian/Spanish)
• Tomas (Basque)
• Dammerl (Baverian)
• Tòmas (Bearnais)
• Tamaš Тамаш (Belarusian)
• Toma Тома (Bosnian/Bulgarian/Georgian)
• Tomaz (Breton)
• 多馬 Duoma (Chinese Biblical)
• 湯瑪斯 Tangmasi, 湯瑪士 Tangmashi, 托馬斯 Tuomasi, (Chinese General Translation)
• Tumasgiu (Corsican)
• Tomo/Tome (Croatian: occassionally Tomislav is used as a translation, though technically it has no etymological relation to Thomas)
• Tomáš (Czech)
• Thomas (Danish/Dutch/English/French/German/Indonesian/Latin/Luxemborgish/Norwegian/Swedish)
• Maas (Dutch: originally a diminutive form, sometimes used as an independent given name)
• Toomas (Estonian)
• Tummas (Faroese)
• Tuomas/Tuomo (Finnish)
• Maes (Flemmish)
• Tomas (Filipino/Tagalog)
• Theumis (Frisian)
• Tomé (Galician)
• Thōmâs Θωμᾶς/Thomás Θωμάς/Didymos Δίδυμος (Greek: Modern)
• Teom (Hebrew)
• Tamás (Hungarian)
• Tómas (Icelandic)
• Tomás (Irish)
• Tommasso (Italian)
• Tommassino (Italian)
• Tomasiello/Tommasuccio (Italian: obscure)
• トーマス Tomasu (Japanese)
• Tomas (Karakalpak: a Turkic language spoken in Uzbekistan)
• 도마 Doma /Toma (Korean Biblical)
• 토머스 Tomeoseu/T’omŏsŭ (Korean: General Translation)
• Thomasê (Kurdish)
• Toms (Latvian)
• Tomas (Lithuanian)
• Томислав, Τоми, Томо, Томас, Τоме (Macedonian)
• Thoma/Thommen/Oummen/Thommy (Malayalam)
• Tamihana (Maori)
• Tumas (Maltese)
• Tuami (Moroccan-Arabic)
• Thomé (Occitanian)
• توماس Tomasp (Persian)
• Tomasz (Polish: Tomek is a popular diminutive, equivalent to Tommy or Tom)
• Tomás, Tomé (Portuguese)
• Tomašis/Tomerdos (Romani: language of the Roma people)
• Tumasch (Romansch)
• Tuoms (Saimogaitian: a dialect of Lithuanian)
• Tomasi (Samoan)
• Tomasso (Sardinian)
• Tam/Tòmas (Scottish)
• Тома Toma (Serbian)
• Tomáš (Slovakian)
• Tomaž (Slovene)
• Tomás (Spanish)
• Thoma (Swahili)
• Tāmas தாமஸ்/Tōmā தோமா (Tamil)
• To-mus โทมัส (Thai)
• Choma (Ukrainian)
• Tomaš (Upper Sorbian)
• Tomaxo (Venetian)
• Tomos/Twm (Welsh)
• Teomo (Yiddish)

 

• Thomasina, Thomasine, Thomazina and Tammy, Tamsin. Popular nicknames include Tom and Tommy.

Rán

Gender: Feminine
Origin: Old Norse
Meaning: “theft; robbery.”
General Scan (RAWN); Ice (ROWN) like the word Round with the d cut off

The name is borne in Norse mythology by a sea goddess.

The goddess Rán, is the subject of several Old Norse Prose Eddas, including the Skáldskaparmál, in which a poem entitled, Lokesenna, talks of her life and exploits.

According to the Lokesenna, Rán is the wife of Aegir, and with him, she has nine daughters.

Rán is also famous for capturing unsuspecting seafearers with her fish-net. In fact, her fish-net is also recorded in the Volsunga Saga.

According to some sources, she is married to the sea.

The name is still in usage in Iceland and the Faroe Islands. In Iceland, it is often used as a one syllable filler middle name.

As of July 2007, 37 women in Iceland bore this as a first name, while 325 had it as a middle name.

The name can also be a Japanese female name,  meaning “orchid” 蘭