key figure

n. an important person in an event; a person central to an event. Sam is not exactly a key figure, but he can lead us to Mr. Big.

Name	Pronounced	Usage
Owain	O-wien (Welsh, Welsh Mythology)	Welsh, Welsh Mythology, Arthurian Romance
Elia	E-lyah (Italian), AY-lee-ah (Dutch)	Italian, Dutch
Ganizani	gah-nee-ZAH-nee	Southern African, Chewa
Modeste	-	French
&Thorn;ÓRdÍS	-	Ancient Scandinavian, Icelandic
Bibigul	-	Kazakh