Meaning: Its source is Nibelungen, an Ancient Germanic name meaning "Sons of mist."

Nickname For: Napoleon

Narrative: Napoleon I, emperor of the French, was born Napoleone Buonaparte in Corsica. His native tongue was Italian, not French, and in the early days of the French Revolution he fought to free his home island from French domination. After this failed, he threw himself into his career as a soldier serving the Revolution, and cast off the ''e'' at the end of his first name and the ''u'' in his last to make them appear more French.

History argues persuasively that he succeeded in this, as his name now represents the epitome of French nationalism. However, this titanic figure's early confusion about his nationality is mirrored in the confusion about the origin of his name, which might also derive from Napoli (the Italian name for the city of Naples) and leone (Italian for ''lion'').