Names Categorized "Murder She Wrote characters"

Adele is a feminine given name used in English, German, and Italian, derived as a form of Adela. Adela itself originates from the Germanic element adal, meaning "noble." The name Adele has been borne by several notable f...

Amos is a masculine given name of Hebrew origin, derived from the Hebrew word ʿamas meaning "load" or "burden." This etymology reflects the prophetic role of the biblical figure who bore the weight of divine messages. In...

EtymologyAndrew is the English form of the Greek name Andreas (Ἀνδρέας), which derives from andreios (ἀνδρεῖος) meaning "manly" or "masculine," ultimately from the Greek word aner (ἀνήρ) meaning "man." The name entered E...

Andy is a diminutive of Andrew or, less commonly, of Andrea 2. Like other Scottish -e(y) diminutives, it serves as a familiar and affectionate short form that has become a given name in its own right in English-speaking...

Antonio is a masculine given name of Latin origin, derived from the Roman family name Antonius (see Anthony). The root name is likely of Etruscan origin, though its exact meaning is uncertain. Antonio has been a common n...

Archibald is a masculine given name of Germanic origin, derived from the Old High German name Ercanbald. The name is composed of two elements: erkan, meaning "pure, holy, genuine" or "precious," and bald, meaning "bold"...

Arthur is a masculine given name of uncertain etymology. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The name is used across many European languages, including Danish, Dutch, English,...

Artie is a common diminutive and feminine form of Arthur in English. As a given name in its own right, Artie has been predominantly used as a masculine diminutive. It arose during the late 19th and early 20th centuries,...

Beatrice is a female given name of English, Italian, Romanian, and Swedish usage. It is the Italian form of the Beatrix, which derives from the Latin Viatrix, meaning "voyager" or "traveler," later associated with the La...

Bruce is a masculine given name of English and Scottish origin. It derives from a Scottish surname of Norman origin, which likely comes from the place name Brix in Manche, Normandy, France, meaning "the willowlands." The...

Charles is a masculine given name of French and English origin. It is the French and English form of Carolus, the Latin form of the Germanic name Karl, which derived from a word meaning "man" (Proto-Germanic *karlaz). An...

Charlie is a unisex given name in English-speaking countries, commonly used as a diminutive or feminine form of Charles. While traditionally masculine, Charlie has gained widespread popularity for all genders, often serv...

Coreen is a variant of the French name Corinne, which in turn is a form of Corinna. The name Corinna itself is a Latinized version of the Greek name Κόριννα (Korinna), derived from the Greek word κόρη (kore) meaning 'mai...

Dennis is the usual English, German, and Dutch form of Denis. The name ultimately derives from the Greek Dionysios, meaning "of Dionysus," the Greek god of wine, ecstasy, and theatre. Through French transmission via Sain...

Donna is a feminine given name of Italian origin, derived from the Italian word donna meaning "lady" or "woman." In classical Italian, it carried the connotation of "lady of the home" or "mistress," and was used as a tit...

Emma is a feminine given name of Germanic origin, derived from ermen, meaning "whole" or "universal." It likely originated as a short form of older Germanic names such as Ermengarde or Ermentrude, built on the element ir...

Eve is a feminine given name of profound religious and cultural significance, derived from the Hebrew name Ḥawwa (חַוָּה), itself stemming from the Hebrew root ḥawa (חָוָה) meaning "to breathe" or the related ḥaya (חָיָה...

Floyd is a masculine given name of Anglo-Welsh origin, derived from the Welsh name Lloyd, which themselves comes from the Welsh word llwyd meaning "grey" or "grey-haired". As such, Floyd is ultimately a variant form of L...

Frank is a masculine given name with deep roots in European history. It derives from an Old German name that referred to a member of the Germanic tribe known as the Franks. The Franks settled in the regions now called Fr...

Franklin is a masculine given name of English origin, derived from the medieval English word frankelin, meaning "freeman" or "landowner of free but not noble birth." The term originated from Anglo-Norman fraunclein, refe...

Gayle is a variant spelling of Gail, which itself originated as a short form of Abigail. While the spelling with a 'y' adds a distinct visual identity, the name ultimately traces its roots to the Hebrew name ʾAviḡayil, m...

EtymologyGeorge is a masculine given name derived from the Greek name Georgios (Γεώργιος), which comes from the Greek word georgos (γεωργός) meaning "farmer" or "earthworker." This word is itself a compound of ge (γῆ), m...

Grady is an English masculine given name, ultimately derived from the Irish surname Ó Gráda. The surname comes from the byname Gráda, meaning "noble" or "illustrious" in the Irish language. As a first name, Grady follows...

Harry is a male given name that originated as a medieval English form of Henry. In modern times, it is commonly used as a diminutive of both Henry and names beginning with Har, such as Harold or Harrison.Etymology and Hi...

Hepzibah is a variant spelling of Hephzibah, a name of Hebrew origin derived from Ḥefṣi-ḇāh meaning "my delight is in her." In the Old Testament, Hephzibah was the wife of King Hezekiah of Judah and the mother of Manasse...

Howard is a masculine given name derived from an English surname. The surname itself has several possible origins: it may stem from the Anglo-Norman given name Huard, which in turn comes from the Germanic name Hughard; f...

Jane is a feminine given name of English origin. It is the medieval English form of Jehanne, the Old French feminine form of Iohannes, which ultimately derives from Yahweh and the Hebrew name Yochanan, meaning "Yahweh is...

Jed is an English short form of the name Jedidiah. Its roots lie in the Hebrew name Yedidyah (יְדִידְיָה), which means "beloved of Yahweh," combining the elements yaḏiḏ ("beloved, friend") and yah (referring to the Hebre...

Jessica is a female given name with origins in English literature, famously coined by William Shakespeare for his play The Merchant of Venice (1596), where it belongs to the daughter of Shylock. Shakespeare likely adapte...

John is a very common male name in the English language, ultimately of Hebrew origin. It is the English form of Iohannes, the Latin form of the Greek name Ἰωάννης (Ioannes), itself derived from the Hebrew name יוֹחָנָן (...

Joshua ( JOSH-oo-ə) is an English and English Bible name derived from the Hebrew name Yehoshuaʿ, meaning "Yahweh is salvation." The name combines the elements yeho (referring to the Hebrew God) and yashaʿ (meaning "to sa...

Lee is a unisex given name derived from a surname that originated from the Old English element leah meaning "clearing" or "meadow." The surname was borne by Robert E. Lee (1807-1870), the commanding general of the Confed...

EtymologyLois 1 is a feminine given name of debated etymology. It is possibly derived from Greek λωίων (loion) meaning "more desirable" or "better". This interpretation suggests the name carries connotations of superiori...

Loretta is a feminine given name of Italian origin, popularized in the United States in the 1930s. The name is a diminutive form of Lauretta or a variant of Loreto, or it may be a shortened form of names beginning with L...

Lucas is a masculine given name of Latin origin, derived from the Latin verb lucere, meaning "to shine" or "to be light." It serves as the Latin form of the Greek name Luke (Loukas), and is used in numerous languages inc...

Etymology and Historical RootsMarjorie is a medieval English variant of Margery, which itself is a medieval form of Margaret. The name Margaret derives from the Greek word margarites, meaning "pearl." The spelling of Mar...

Maureen is a female given name of Irish and English origin. It is an anglicized form of Máirín, the Irish diminutive of Mary. The name Máirín, often affectionately used, was rendered as Maureen by English speakers, event...

Etymology and OriginMichael is a masculine given name derived from the Hebrew rhetorical question מִיכָאֵל (Miḵaʾel), meaning "who is like God?" The name combines the interrogative pronoun מִי (mi) meaning "who?", the pa...

Mort is a short form of Morton or Mortimer. As a given name in English usage, it is often used as a diminutive or nickname rather than a standalone formal name. The related variant Morty carries a similar affectionate to...

Morton is a masculine given name of English origin, derived from an English surname that originally referred to a place name meaning "moor town" in Old English. The name thus describes someone who lived near or came from...

Origins and Etymology Nancy is a feminine given name primarily used in English and Spanish. It originated as a medieval English diminutive of Annis, a vernacular form of the name Agnes. The phonological shift from 'Mine...

Ona is the Lithuanian form of the name Anna, which itself originates from the Hebrew name Hannah, meaning "grace" or "favor." In Lithuanian, Ona (pronounced OH-nah) has been used for centuries and remains a traditional g...

Preston is an English given name derived from a surname, which in turn originated from a place name. The name comes from Old English elements preost ("priest") and tun ("town, enclosure"), meaning "priest's town." This e...

Samuel is a masculine given name derived from the Hebrew name שְׁמוּאֵל (Shemuʾel), traditionally interpreted to mean "name of God"—from the roots shem (שֵׁם, meaning "name") and ʾel (אֵל, meaning "God"). An alternative...

Wayne is a masculine given name of English origin. It derives from an occupational surname meaning "wagon maker", from Old English wægn "wagon". The surname referred to someone who built or repaired wagons, a common medi...

EtymologyWilliam is a masculine given name of Germanic origin, derived from the Old High German name Willehelm. It is composed of the elements willo meaning "will, desire" and helm meaning "helmet, protection," thus sign...

Wyatt is an English masculine given name, originally derived from a surname. The surname Wyatt is a patronymic form of the medieval given names Wyard or Wyot, which themselves are Norman French variants of the Old Englis...