Browse Names

Shealtiel m Biblical
Means "I have asked of God" in Hebrew. This was the name of the son of King Jeconiah of Judah and the father of Zerubbabel in the Old Testament.

Shelena f African American (Rare)
Combination of the phonetic prefix sha and the name Lena.

Shelley f & m English
From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "clearing on a bank" in Old English. Two famous bearers of the surname were Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822), a romantic poet whose works include Adonais and Ozymandias, and Mary Shelley (1797-1851), his wife, the author of the horror story Frankenstein. As a feminine given name, it came into general use after the 1940s.

Shelomith f & m Biblical
Means "peaceful" in Hebrew, from שָׁלוֹם (shalom) meaning "peace". This is the name of several characters in the Old Testament, both female and male.

Shem m Biblical, Biblical Hebrew
Means "name" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament, Shem is one of Noah's three sons (along with Japheth and Ham) and the ancestor of the Semitic peoples.

Sherali m Uzbek, Tajik
From Uzbek and Tajik sher meaning "lion" (of Persian origin) combined with the name Ali 1.

Sherlyn f English (Modern)
Recently created name, probably based on the sounds found in other names like Sharon, Sherry and Charlene.

Sherman m English
From an English surname meaning "shear man", originally denoting a person who cut cloth. Famous bearers of the surname include American politician Roger Sherman (1721-1793) and American Civil War general William Tecumseh Sherman (1820-1891).

Sherry f English
Probably inspired by the French word chérie meaning "darling" or the English word sherry, a type of fortified wine named from the Spanish town of Jerez. This name came into popular use during the 1920s, inspired by other similar-sounding names and by Collette's novels Chéri (1920, English translation 1929) and The Last of Chéri (1926, English translation 1932), in which it is a masculine name.... [more]

Sherzod m Uzbek, Tajik
Means "son of the lion", derived from Persian شیر (sher) meaning "lion" and the suffix زاد (zad) meaning "son of".

Shichirō m Japanese
From Japanese 七 (shichi) meaning "seven" and 郎 (rō) meaning "son". This was traditionally a name given to the seventh son. Other kanji combinations can be possible.

Shiloh m & f Biblical
From an Old Testament place name possibly meaning "tranquil" in Hebrew. It is also used prophetically in the Old Testament to refer to a person, often understood to be the Messiah (see Genesis 49:10). This may in fact be a mistranslation.... [more]

Shimon m Hebrew, Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew form of Simeon (and Simon 1).

Shion f & m Japanese
From Japanese 紫苑 (shion) meaning "aster". It can also come from 詩 (shi) meaning "poem" and 音 (on) meaning "sound". Other kanji combinations can form this name as well.

Shirin f Persian
Means "sweet" in Persian. This was the name of a character in Persian and Turkish legend.

Shirō m Japanese
From Japanese 四 (shi) meaning "four" and 郎 (rō) meaning "son". This was traditionally a name for the fourth son. Other kanji combinations are possible.

Shiva 1 m Hinduism, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Nepali
Derived from Sanskrit शिव (shiva) meaning "benign, kind, auspicious". Shiva is the Hindu god of destruction and restoration, the husband of the mother goddess Parvati. His aspect is usually terrifying, but it can also be gentle.

Shizuko f Japanese
From Japanese 静 (shizu) meaning "quiet" and 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.

Shōhei m Japanese
From Japanese 翔 (shō) meaning "soar, glide" and 平 (hei) meaning "level, even, peaceful", in addition to other combinations of kanji that are pronounced the same way.

Sholpan f Kazakh
Means "Venus (the planet)" in Kazakh. Sholpan and Aiman are sisters in a 19th-century Kazakh epic poem, adapted into the play Aiman-Sholpan (1934) by Mukhtar Auezov.

Shonda f English
Invented name, probably based on the sounds found in Shawna and Rhonda.

Shōta m Japanese
From Japanese 翔 (shō) meaning "soar, glide" and 太 (ta) meaning "thick, big, great". Other combinations of kanji are also possible.

Shrek m Popular Culture
Derived from German Schreck or Yiddish שרעק (shrek) meaning "fright". This is the name of a large green ogre in the animated movie Shrek (2001) and its sequels.

Shyla f English (Modern)
Variant of Sheila, or a combination of the popular phonetic elements shy and la.

Shylock m Literature
Used by Shakespeare, possibly from the Hebrew name Shelach, for the primary antagonist in his play The Merchant of Venice (1596). Shylock is a Jewish moneylender who demands a pound of Antonio's flesh when he cannot repay his loan. Subsequent to the play, the name has been used as an ethnic slur for a Jewish person and a slang term for a loan shark.

Sibongile f Zulu, Ndebele
Means "we are thankful" in Zulu and Ndebele, from bonga "to thank".

Sibusiso m Zulu, Swazi, Ndebele
Means "blessed" in Zulu, Swazi and Ndebele, from busisa "to bless".

Sibyl f English
From Greek Σίβυλλα (Sibylla), meaning "prophetess, sibyl". In Greek and Roman legend the sibyls were female prophets who practiced at different holy sites in the ancient world. In later Christian theology, the sibyls were thought to have divine knowledge and were revered in much the same way as the Old Testament prophets. Because of this, the name came into general use in the Christian world during the Middle Ages. The Normans imported it to England, where it was spelled both Sibyl and Sybil. It became rare after the Protestant Reformation, but it was revived in the 19th century, perhaps helped by Benjamin Disraeli's novel Sybil (1845).

Sibylle f German, French
German and French form of Sibyl.

Siddhartha m Sanskrit, Buddhism, Bengali
Means "one who has accomplished a goal", derived from Sanskrit सिद्ध (siddha) meaning "accomplished" and अर्थ (artha) meaning "goal". Siddhartha Gautama was the real name of the Buddha.

Sidney m & f English
From the English surname Sidney. It was first used as a given name in honour of executed politician Algernon Sidney (1622-1683). Another notable bearer of the surname was the poet and statesman Philip Sidney (1554-1586).... [more]

Sidonia f Late Roman, Georgian
Feminine form of Sidonius. This is the name of a legendary saint from Georgia. She and her father Abiathar were supposedly converted by Saint Nino from Judaism to Christianity.

Sidsel f Norwegian, Danish
Norwegian and Danish variant form of Cecilia.

Siegbert m German
Derived from the Old German elements sigu "victory" and beraht "bright". This was the name of several Frankish kings, including the 7th-century Sigebert III of Austrasia who is regarded as a saint.

Sieger m Dutch (Rare)
Derived from the Old German elements sigu "victory" and heri "army".

Siegfried m German, Germanic Mythology
Derived from the Old German elements sigu "victory" and fridu "peace". Siegfried was a hero from German legend, the chief character in the Nibelungenlied. He secretly helped the Burgundian king Gunther overcome the challenges set out by the Icelandic queen Brunhild so that Gunther might win her hand. In exchange, Gunther consented to the marriage of Siegfried and his sister Kriemhild. Years later, after a dispute between Brunhild and Kriemhild, Siegfried was murdered by Hagen with Gunther's consent. He was stabbed in his one vulnerable spot on the small of his back, which had been covered by a leaf while he bathed in dragon's blood. He is a parallel to the Norse hero Sigurd. The story was later adapted by Richard Wagner to form part of his opera The Ring of the Nibelung (1876).

Sieghard m German
Derived from the Old German elements sigu "victory" and hart "hard, firm, brave, hardy".

Sieghild f German (Rare)
Derived from the Old German elements sigu "victory" and hilt "battle".

Sieglinde f German, Germanic Mythology
Derived from the Old German elements sigu "victory" and lind "soft, flexible, tender". Sieglinde was the mother of Siegfried in the medieval German saga the Nibelungenlied.

Siegmar m German
Derived from the Old German elements sigu "victory" and mari "famous".

Siemen m Dutch, Frisian
Dutch and Frisian form of Simon 1.

Sif f Norse Mythology, Danish, Icelandic
Old Norse, Danish and Icelandic form of Siv.

Sigdag m Germanic
Derived from the Old German elements sigu "victory" and tag "day".

Sigeberht m Anglo-Saxon
Means "bright victory", derived from Old English sige "victory" and beorht "bright" (a cognate of Siegbert). This was the name of a king of Wessex. The name fell out of use after the Norman Conquest.

Sigeweard m Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English elements sige "victory" and weard "guard, guardian", making it a cognate of Sigurd.

Sigfrido m Italian (Rare), Spanish (Rare)
Italian and Spanish form of Siegfried.

Sigfrøðr m Old Norse
From the Old Norse elements sigr "victory" and friðr "peace, love". It is a cognate of Siegfried.

Sigge m Swedish
Diminutive of Sigurd, Sigfrid 1, and other Old German names beginning with the element sigu meaning "victory".

Sigi m & f German
Diminutive of Siegfried, Sieglinde, and other Old German names beginning with the element sigu meaning "victory".

Sigiberhtaz m Old Germanic (Hypothetical)
Proto-Germanic reconstruction of Sigibert and Sigeberht.

Sigifriþuz m Old Germanic (Hypothetical)
Proto-Germanic reconstruction of Sigifrid and Sigfrøðr.

Sigimundaz m Old Germanic (Hypothetical)
Proto-Germanic reconstruction of Sigimund and Sigmundr.

Sigismund m German (Rare), Germanic
Form of Sigmund in which the first element is sigis, an extended form of sigu. Saint Sigismund was a 6th-century king of the Burgundians. This was also the name of kings of Poland and a ruler of the Holy Roman Empire.

Sigiwald m Germanic
Derived from the Old German elements sigu "victory" and walt "power, authority".

Sigiward m Germanic
Derived from the Old German elements sigu "victory" and wart "guard, guardian". It is a cognate of Sigurd.

Sigiwardaz m Old Germanic (Hypothetical)
Proto-Germanic reconstruction of Sigurðr, Sigeweard and Sigiward.

Sigmund m German, Norwegian, English, Norse Mythology
Derived from the Old German elements sigu "victory" and munt "protection" (or in the case of the Scandinavian cognate, from Old Norse sigr and mundr). An early variant of this name was Sigismund, borne by a 6th-century saint and king of the Burgundians. In the Norse Völsungasaga Sigmund is the hero Sigurd's father, the bearer of the powerful sword Gram. A notable bearer was the Austrian psychologist Sigmund Freud (1856-1939), the creator of the revolutionary theory of psychoanalysis.

Signý f Old Norse, Norse Mythology, Icelandic
Old Norse name that was derived from the elements sigr "victory" and nýr "new". In Norse legend she was the twin sister of Sigmund and the wife of Siggeir.

Sigrid f Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, German, Estonian, Finnish (Archaic)
From the Old Norse name Sigríðr, which was derived from the elements sigr "victory" and fríðr "beautiful, beloved".

Sigrún f Old Norse, Norse Mythology, Icelandic
Derived from the Old Norse elements sigr "victory" and rún "secret lore, rune". This was the name of a valkyrie in Norse legend.

Sigurd m Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Norse Mythology
From the Old Norse name Sigurðr, which was derived from the elements sigr "victory" and vǫrðr "guard, guardian". Sigurd was the hero of the Norse epic the Völsungasaga, which tells how his foster-father Regin sent him to recover a hoard of gold guarded by the dragon Fafnir. After slaying the dragon Sigurd tasted some of its blood, enabling him to understand the language of birds, who told him that Regin was planning to betray him. In a later adventure, Sigurd disguised himself as Gunnar (his wife Gudrun's brother) and rescued the maiden Brynhildr from a ring of fire, with the result that Gunnar and Brynhildr were married. When the truth eventually came out, Brynhildr took revenge upon Sigurd. The stories of the German hero Siegfried were in part based on him.

Siiri f Estonian, Finnish
Estonian and Finnish diminutive of Sigrid.

Sikandar m Urdu, Pashto
Urdu and Pashto form of Alexander.

Silas m English, Greek, Danish, German, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
The name of a companion of Saint Paul in the New Testament. It is probably a short form of Silvanus, a name that Paul calls him by in the epistles. It is possible that Silvanus and Silas were Latin and Greek forms of the Hebrew name Saul (via Aramaic).... [more]

Silenus m Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Greek Σειληνός (Seilenos), of unknown meaning. In Greek mythology he was a companion and teacher of Dionysos, often depicted as an intoxicated, portly old man.

Silja f Finnish, Estonian
Finnish and Estonian diminutive of Cecilia.

Silje f Norwegian, Danish
Norwegian and Danish diminutive of Cecilia.

Silke f German, Dutch
German and Dutch diminutive of Celia or Cecilia.

Silverio m Italian, Spanish
Italian and Spanish form of Silverius.

Silverius m Late Roman
Probably from Latin silva meaning "wood, forest" (compare Silvanus, Silvester and Silvius). This name was borne by a 6th-century pope who served for less than a year but is considered a saint.

Silvestr m Czech, Russian (Rare)
Czech and Russian form of Silvester.

Silvestre m Spanish, Portuguese
Spanish and Portuguese form of Silvester.

Sílvia f Portuguese, Catalan
Portuguese and Catalan form of Silvia.

Silvia f Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, German, Dutch, English, Late Roman, Roman Mythology
Feminine form of Silvius. Rhea Silvia was the mother of Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome. This was also the name of a 6th-century saint, the mother of the pope Gregory the Great. It has been a common name in Italy since the Middle Ages. It was introduced to England by Shakespeare, who used it for a character in his play The Two Gentlemen of Verona (1594). It is now more commonly spelled Sylvia in the English-speaking world.

Silvino m Portuguese, Spanish, Italian (Rare)
Portuguese, Spanish and Italian form of Silvinus.

Silvio m Italian, Spanish
Italian and Spanish form of Silvius.

Simay f Turkish
Means "silver moon" in Turkish, from sim meaning "silver, glitter" and ay meaning "moon".

Simeon m Biblical, Bulgarian, Serbian
From Συμεών (Symeon), the Old Testament Greek form of the Hebrew name Shim'on (see Simon 1). In the Old Testament this is the name of the second son of Jacob and Leah and the founder of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. In the New Testament the Greek rendering Σίμων (Simon) is more common, though Συμεών occurs belonging to a man who blessed the newborn Jesus. He is recognized as a saint in most Christian traditions.... [more]

Simo m Finnish, Serbian
Finnish and Serbian form of Simon 1.

Šimon m Czech, Slovak
Czech and Slovak form of Simon 1.

Simone 1 f French, English, German, Dutch, Danish, Portuguese
French feminine form of Simon 1. A famous bearer was Simone de Beauvoir (1908-1986), a French feminist and philosopher.

Simonides m Ancient Greek
Derived from Greek σιμός (simos) meaning "flat-nosed" and the patronymic suffix ἴδης (ides). This name was borne by the 7th-century BC iambic poet Simonides of Amorgos and the 6th-century BC lyric poet Simonides of Ceos.

Sin m Semitic Mythology
From earlier Akkadian Su'en, of unknown meaning. This was the name of the Akkadian, Assyrian and Babylonian god of the moon. He was closely identified with the Sumerian god Nanna.

Sindri m Norse Mythology, Old Norse, Icelandic
Means "sparkle" in Old Norse. In Norse mythology this was the name of a dwarf, also named Eitri. With his brother Brokkr he made several magical items for the gods, including Odin's ring Draupnir and Thor's hammer Mjölnir.

Singh m Indian (Sikh)
From Sanskrit सिंह (sinha) meaning "lion". In 1699 Guru Gobind Singh gave all his male Sikh followers the surname Singh, and it is now a very common surname or a middle name. The female equivalent is Kaur.

Sionann f Irish Mythology
In Irish legend this was the name of a granddaughter of the sea god Lir who went to Connla's Well, which was forbidden. The well burst and drowned her, leaving her body in the river thereafter known as the Sionainn (see Shannon).

Sione m Tongan, Samoan
Tongan and Samoan form of John.

Sipho m Zulu, Xhosa, Ndebele
Means "gift" from Zulu, Xhosa and Ndebele isipho.

Siphosethu m & f Zulu, Xhosa
Means "our gift" in Zulu and Xhosa.

Siriporn f Thai
Derived from Thai ศิริ (sir) meaning "glory, splendour" and พร (phon) meaning "blessing".

Sita f Hinduism, Hindi, Nepali
Means "furrow" in Sanskrit. Sita is the name of the Hindu goddess of the harvest in the Rigveda. This is also the name of the wife of Rama (and an avatar of Lakshmi) in the Hindu epic the Ramayana. In this story Sita is rescued by her husband from the demon king Ravana.

Sitaram m Hindi, Marathi, Nepali, Bengali
Combination of the names of the Hindu deities Sita and Rama 1.

Síthmaith f Old Irish
From Old Irish síd meaning "peace" or "fairy mound, tumulus" and maith meaning "good".

Sitora f Tajik, Uzbek
Tajik and Uzbek form of Sitara.

Sitti f Maguindanao, Tausug, Malay, Indonesian
Maguindanao and Tausug form of Siti, as well as a Malay and Indonesian variant.

Sivert m Norwegian, Swedish
Norwegian and Swedish form of Sievert.

Sixten m Swedish
From the Old Norse name Sigsteinn, which was derived from the elements sigr "victory" and steinn "stone".

Siyabonga m Zulu, Ndebele
Means "we thank you" in Zulu and Ndebele.

Skaði f Norse Mythology
Means "damage, harm" in Old Norse. In Norse mythology she was a giantess (jǫtunn) associated with the winter, skiing and mountains. After the gods killed her father, they offered her a husband from among them as compensation. She ended up marrying Njord.

Skylar f & m English (Modern)
Variant of Skyler. Originally more common for boys during the 1980s, it was popularized as a name for girls after it was used on the American soap opera The Young and the Restless in 1989 and the movie Good Will Hunting in 1997. Its sharp rise in the United States in 2011 might be attributed to the character Skyler White from the television series Breaking Bad (2008-2013) or the singer Skylar Grey (1986-), who adopted this name in 2010 after previously going by Holly Brook.

Skyler m & f English (Modern)
Variant of Schuyler, based on the pronunciation of the surname but respelled as if it was a blend of the English word sky with names such as Tyler. It was rare before 1980, and first gained popularity as a name for boys. It is now more common for girls, though it is more evenly unisex than the mostly feminine variant Skylar.

Slađana f Serbian, Croatian
Derived from Serbian and Croatian sladak meaning "sweet".

Slava m & f Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Croatian, Slovene
Short form of names containing the Slavic element slava meaning "glory". It is typically masculine in Russia and Belarus, unisex in Ukraine, and feminine the South Slavic countries.

Slaven m Croatian, Serbian
Means "a Slav" in Croatian and Serbian, referring to the European people who speak one of the Slavic languages (which include Croatian and Serbian). The word is derived from Old Slavic *slověninŭ.

Slavoljub m Serbian
Derived from the Slavic elements slava "glory" and ľuby "love".

Slavomír m Czech, Slovak
Czech and Slovak form of Sławomir.

Slavomir m Serbian, Croatian
Serbian and Croatian form of Sławomir.

Slavomíra f Czech, Slovak
Czech and Slovak feminine form of Sławomir.

Sławomir m Polish
Derived from the Slavic elements slava "glory" and mirŭ "peace, world". This name (Slavomir) was borne by 9th-century rulers of the Obotrites and the Moravians.

Sluaghadhán m Medieval Irish
Derived from Irish sluaghadh meaning "raid, mobilization" and a diminutive suffix.

Smaragdos m Late Greek
Means "emerald" in Greek, of Semitic origin. This was the name of a 3rd-century Roman martyr and saint, better known by the Latinized form of his name Smaragdus.

Smilla f Danish, Swedish, Literature
Invented by the Danish author Peter Høeg for the heroine of his novel Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow (1992). In the book the name is explained as a short form of Smillaaraq, a blend of Danish smil "smile" and the Greenlandic name Miillaaraq.

Snædís f Icelandic
Means "snow goddess", derived from the Old Norse elements snær "snow" and dís "goddess".

Snežana f Serbian, Macedonian, Slovene
Serbian, Macedonian and Slovene form of Snježana.

Snezhana f Russian, Bulgarian, Macedonian
Russian and Bulgarian form of Snježana, as well as an alternate transcription of Macedonian Снежана (see Snežana).

Snieguolė f Lithuanian
From Lithuanian sniegas meaning "snow" and a diminutive suffix. As a word, snieguolė can also mean "snowdrop flower", while Snieguolė is also the Lithuanian name for Snow White.

Snorri m Old Norse, Icelandic
Derived from Old Norse snerra "attack, onslaught". This name was borne by Snorri Sturluson, a 13th-century Icelandic historian and poet, the author of the Prose Edda.

Snow White f Literature
English translation of German Sneewittchen, derived from Low German Snee "snow" and witt "white" combined with the diminutive suffix -chen. This is the name of a girl who escapes her evil stepmother and takes refuge with seven dwarfs in an 1812 story recorded by the Brothers Grimm, who based it on earlier European folktales. The High German translation would be Schneeweißchen, but this was used by the Grimms for an unrelated character in another story (Snow-White and Rose-Red). The modern German form is typically the hybrid Schneewittchen. The story was adapted into a film by Walt Disney in 1937.

Sobek m Egyptian Mythology
From Egyptian sbk, possibly derived from sbq "to impregnate". In Egyptian mythology Sobek was a ferocious crocodile-headed god associated with fertility and the Nile River.

Sobiesław m Polish (Rare)
Derived from Slavic elements, probably sebě "to oneself" and slava "glory". This name (in the Czech form Soběslav) was borne by two 12th-century dukes of Bohemia.

Sócrates m Spanish (Rare), Portuguese (Rare)
Spanish and Portuguese form of Socrates.

Socrates m Ancient Greek (Latinized)
From the Greek name Σωκράτης (Sokrates), which was derived from σῶς (sos) meaning "whole, unwounded, safe" and κράτος (kratos) meaning "power". This was the name of an important Greek philosopher. He left no writings of his own; virtually everything that we know of his beliefs comes from his pupil Plato. He was sentenced to death for impiety.

Sofía f Spanish, Galician
Spanish and Galician form of Sophia.

Sofiya f Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian
Russian, Ukrainian and Bulgarian form of Sophia.

Sofron m Russian (Rare), Ukrainian (Rare)
Russian and Ukrainian form of Sophron.

Sofya f Russian, Armenian
Russian and Armenian form of Sophia.

Sohan m French (Modern)
Meaning uncertain, though allegedly a form of Jean 1. It is probably modelled after Yohan and Lohan.

Sohrab m Persian, Persian Mythology
From Persian سهر (sohr) meaning "red" and آب (ab) meaning "water". In the 10th-century Persian epic the Shahnameh this is the name of the son of the hero Rostam. He was tragically slain in battle by his father, who was unaware he was fighting his own son.

Solbjørg f Norwegian
From the Old Norse name Salbjǫrg, from the elements salr "room, hall" and bjǫrg "help, save, rescue".

Sóley f Icelandic
Means "buttercup (flower)" in Icelandic (genus Ranunculus), derived from sól "sun" and ey "island".

Solfrid f Norwegian
From the Old Norse elements sól "sun" and fríðr "beautiful, beloved". This name was coined in the 19th century.

Solmaz f Turkish, Azerbaijani, Persian
Means "unfading, unwilting" in Turkish and Azerbaijani, a negative form of the Turkic root sol "to fade, to wilt".

Solomon m Biblical, English, Jewish, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
From the Hebrew name שְׁלֹמֹה (Shelomoh), which was derived from Hebrew שָׁלוֹם (shalom) meaning "peace". As told in the Old Testament, Solomon was a king of Israel, the son of David and Bathsheba. He was renowned for his wisdom and wealth. Towards the end of his reign he angered God by turning to idolatry. Supposedly, he was the author of the Book of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon.... [more]

Solon m Ancient Greek
Possibly from Greek σόλος (solos) meaning "lump of iron". This was the name of an Athenian statesman who reformed the laws and government of the city.

Sólveig f Old Norse, Icelandic
Old Norse and Icelandic form of Solveig.

Solveig f Norwegian, Swedish, Danish
From an Old Norse name, which was derived from the elements sól "sun" and veig "strength". This is the name of the heroine in Henrik Ibsen's play Peer Gynt (1876).

Solveiga f Latvian, Lithuanian
Latvian and Lithuanian form of Solveig.

Sōma m Japanese
From Japanese 颯 (sō) meaning "sudden, sound of the wind" and 真 (ma) meaning "real, genuine". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Somboon m Thai
Derived from Thai สม (som) meaning "worthy" and บุญ (bun) meaning "merit".

Somerled m Old Norse (Anglicized)
Anglicized form of the Old Norse name Sumarliði meaning "summer traveller". This was the name of a 12th-century Norse-Gaelic king of Mann and the Scottish Isles.

Somporn m Thai
Derived from Thai สม (som) meaning "worthy" and พร (phon) meaning "blessing".

Somsak m Thai
Derived from Thai สม (som) meaning "worthy" and ศักดิ์ (sak) meaning "power, honour".

Soňa f Czech, Slovak
Czech and Slovak form of Sonya.

Sondra f English
Variant of Sandra. It was popularized in the English-speaking world by a character in Theodore Dreiser's novel An American Tragedy (1925) and the subsequent movie adaptation (1931).

Songül f Turkish
From Turkish son meaning "last, final" and gül meaning "rose".

Sonya f Russian, English
Russian diminutive of Sophia. This is the name of a character in Leo Tolstoy's novel War and Peace (1869, English translation 1886).

Sopdet f Egyptian Mythology
From Egyptian spdt meaning "triangle", derived from spd meaning "to be sharp" and a feminine t suffix. This was the name of the Egyptian goddess of the star Sirius.

Sophia f English, Greek, German, Ancient Greek
Means "wisdom" in Greek. This was the name of an early, probably mythical, saint who died of grief after her three daughters were martyred during the reign of the emperor Hadrian. Legends about her probably arose as a result of a medieval misunderstanding of the phrase Hagia Sophia "Holy Wisdom", which is the name of a large basilica in Constantinople.... [more]

Sophocles m Ancient Greek (Latinized)
From the Greek name Σοφοκλῆς (Sophokles), which was derived from Greek σοφός (sophos) meaning "skilled, clever" and κλέος (kleos) meaning "glory". Sophocles was a celebrated 5th-century BC dramatist from Athens.

Sorcha f Irish, Scottish Gaelic
Means "radiant, bright" in Irish. It has been in use since late medieval times. It is sometimes Anglicized as Sarah (in Ireland) and Clara (in Scotland).

Sören m Swedish, German
Swedish and German form of Søren.

Sosigenes m Ancient Greek
Means "born safely" from Greek σῶς (sos) meaning "safe, whole, unwounded" and γενής (genes) meaning "born". This was the name of an astronomer from Alexandria employed by Julius Caesar to correct the Roman calendar.

Sostrate f Ancient Greek
Means "safe army" from Greek σῶς (sos) meaning "safe, whole, unwounded" and στρατός (stratos) meaning "army".

Sōta m Japanese
From Japanese 颯 (sō) meaning "sudden, sound of the wind" and 太 (ta) meaning "thick, big, great". This name can also be formed of other kanji combinations.

Spartacus m History
Means "from the city of Sparta" in Latin. Spartacus was the name of a Thracian-born Roman slave who led a slave revolt in Italy in the 1st century BC. He was eventually killed in battle and many of his followers were crucified.

Spiridon m Greek, Serbian (Rare), Croatian (Rare)
Serbian and Croatian form of Spyridon, as well as an alternate transcription of the Greek name.

Spock m Popular Culture
The name of a half-Vulcan, half-human Starfleet officer on the Star Trek television series (1966-1969), later appearing in several movies. His name was invented by the writers, based on their rules that Vulcan names must start with an S and end with a k. In a 1985 tie-in novel his full name is said to be S'chn T'gai Spock (S'chn T'gai is the family name, since it is also borne by his father S'chn T'gai Sarek; this is despite the fact that he is often addressed as Mr. Spock by characters on the show).

Spyridon m Greek, Late Greek
Late Greek name derived from Greek σπυρίδιον (spyridion) meaning "basket" or Latin spiritus meaning "spirit". Saint Spyridon was a 4th-century sheep farmer who became the bishop of Tremithus and suffered during the persecutions of Diocletian.

Srećko m Croatian, Serbian
Croatian and Serbian cognate of Srečko.

Sri m & f Telugu, Tamil, Indonesian
Indonesian and southern Indian form of Shri.

Stamen m Bulgarian, Macedonian
Derived from Bulgarian and Macedonian стамен (stamen) meaning "firm".

Stanimir m Bulgarian, Serbian
Derived from the Slavic elements stati "stand, become" (in an inflected form) and mirŭ "peace, world".

Stanko m Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, Bulgarian
Originally a diminutive of Stanislav and other names derived from the Slavic element stati meaning "stand, become".

Stanley m English
From an English surname meaning "stone clearing" (Old English stan "stone" and leah "woodland, clearing"). A notable bearer of the surname was the British-American explorer and journalist Henry Morton Stanley (1841-1904), the man who found David Livingstone in Africa. As a given name, it was borne by American director Stanley Kubrick (1928-1999), as well as the character Stanley Kowalski in Tennessee Williams' play A Streetcar Named Desire (1947).

Stas m Russian, Ukrainian
Russian and Ukrainian diminutive of Stanislav.

Štefan m Slovak, Slovene
Slovak and Slovene form of Stephen.

Stefan m German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Polish, Bulgarian, Serbian, Macedonian
Form of Stephen used in several languages. Famous bearers include the Serbian rulers Stefan Nemanja, Stefan Nemanjić, and Stefan Lazarević, who are all considered saints in the Orthodox Church.

Stefani f English, Bulgarian
English variant and Bulgarian form of Stephanie. A notable bearer is Stefani Germanotta (1986-), an American singer better known as Lady Gaga.

Stefania f Italian, Polish, Greek
Italian, Polish and Greek feminine form of Stephen.

Štefanija f Slovene, Croatian
Slovene and Croatian feminine form of Stephen.

Stefanija f Lithuanian, Macedonian
Lithuanian and Macedonian feminine form of Stephen.

Stefaniya f Russian, Bulgarian, Ukrainian
Russian, Bulgarian and Ukrainian feminine form of Stephen.

Steffen m Low German, Danish, Norwegian, Dutch
Low German and Danish form of Stephen.

Steinar m Norwegian
From the Old Norse name Steinarr, derived from the elements steinn "stone" and herr "army, warrior".

Steingrímur m Icelandic
From the Old Norse name Steingrímr, derived from the elements steinn "stone" and gríma "mask".

Steinn m Icelandic, Old Norse
Old Norse and Icelandic form of Sten.

Steinunn f Icelandic, Old Norse
Derived from the Old Norse elements steinn "stone" and unnr "wave".

Stella 1 f English, Italian, Dutch, German
Means "star" in Latin. This name was created by the 16th-century poet Philip Sidney for the subject of his collection of sonnets Astrophel and Stella. It was a nickname of a lover of Jonathan Swift, real name Esther Johnson (1681-1728), though it was not commonly used as a given name until the 19th century. It appears in Tennessee Williams' play A Streetcar Named Desire (1947), belonging to the sister of Blanche DuBois and the wife of Stanley Kowalski.

Stepan m Russian, Ukrainian, Armenian
Russian, Ukrainian and Armenian form of Stephanos (see Stephen).

Stephan m German, Dutch
German and Dutch form of Stephen.

Stephen m English, Biblical
From the Greek name Στέφανος (Stephanos) meaning "crown, wreath", more precisely "that which surrounds". Saint Stephen was a deacon who was stoned to death, as told in Acts in the New Testament. He is regarded as the first Christian martyr. Due to him, the name became common in the Christian world. It was popularized in England by the Normans.... [more]

Steven m English, Dutch
Medieval English variant of Stephen, and a Dutch variant of Stefan. The filmmaker Steven Spielberg (1946-), director of E.T. and Indiana Jones, is a famous bearer of this name.

Stien f Dutch
Dutch short form of Christine and other names with similar endings.

Stina f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
Scandinavian short form of Christina and other names ending in stina.

Stine f Danish, Norwegian
Danish and Norwegian short form of Christine and other names ending in stine.

Stithulf m Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English elements stiþ "hard, stiff" and wulf "wolf".

Stjepan m Croatian, Serbian
Croatian and Serbian form of Stephen.

St John m English (British, Rare)
From the title and name of Saint John the Baptist or Saint John the Evangelist (see John).

Stojan m Macedonian, Serbian, Croatian, Slovene
Macedonian, Serbian, Croatian and Slovene form of Stoyan.

Stribog m Slavic Mythology
Possibly from Old Slavic sterti "to extend, to spread" and bogŭ "god". Alternatively it could come from strybati "to flow, to move quickly". Stribog was a Slavic god who was possibly associated with the wind.

Stuart m English, Scottish
From a Scottish occupational surname originally belonging to a person who was a steward. It is ultimately derived from Old English stig "house" and weard "guard". As a given name, it arose in 19th-century Scotland in honour of the Stuart royal family, which produced several kings and queens of Scotland and Britain between the 14th and 18th centuries.

Suad f & m Arabic, Bosnian, Albanian
Alternate transcription of Arabic سعاد (see Su'ad). In Bosnia and Albania it is typically masculine.

Suada f Bosnian, Albanian
Bosnian and Albanian form of Su'ad.

Subrahmanya m Hinduism, Telugu
From the Sanskrit prefix सु (su) meaning "good" and ब्रह्मन् (brahman) meaning "transcendent reality, eternal truth". This is another name for the Hindu god Skanda.

Sudenaz f Turkish (Modern)
Combination of Sude and Naz.

Suellen f English
Contraction of Susan and Ellen 1. Margaret Mitchell used this name in her novel Gone with the Wind (1936), where it belongs to Scarlett's sister.

Suharto m Javanese
From Sanskrit सु (su) meaning "good" and अर्थ (artha) meaning "wealth, property" (borrowed into Indonesian as harta). This was the name of an Indonesian general (1921-2008) who seized power to become the country's second president.

Su-Hyeon f & m Korean
From Sino-Korean 秀 (su) meaning "luxuriant, beautiful, elegant, outstanding" and 賢 (hyeon) meaning "virtuous, worthy, able". Other combinations of hanja characters can also form this name.

Suibhne m Irish Mythology
From Old Irish Suibne, possibly derived from subae meaning "joy, pleasure". This was the name of several figures from early Irish history, including a 7th-century high king and an 8th-century saint. It also appears in the Irish legend Buile Suibhne (meaning "The Madness of Suibhne") about a king who goes insane after being cursed by Saint Rónán Finn.

Suijin m Japanese Mythology
From Japanese 水 (sui) meaning "water" and 神 (jin) meaning "god, spirit". This is the name of the god (or gods) of water, lakes and pools in Japanese mythology.

Sujata f Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Odia, Buddhism
Means "well-born", derived from the Sanskrit prefix सु (su) meaning "good" and जात (jata) meaning "born, grown". According to Buddhist lore this was the name of the woman who gave Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha) a bowl of pudding, ending his period of severe asceticism.

Sujatha f Telugu, Malayalam, Tamil, Sinhalese
South Indian and Sinhala form of Sujata.

Sukhbir m Indian (Sikh)
From Sanskrit सुख (sukha) meaning "pleasant, happy" and वीर (vira) meaning "hero, brave".

Sukhdeep m & f Indian (Sikh)
From Sanskrit सुख (sukha) meaning "pleasant, happy" and दीप (dipa) meaning "lamp, light".

Sukhrab m Kazakh, Kyrgyz
Kazakh and Kyrgyz form of Sohrab.

Suk-Ja f Korean
From Sino-Korean 淑 (suk) meaning "good, pure, virtuous, charming" and 子 (ja) meaning "child". Other hanja characters can form this name as well. Korean feminine names ending with the character 子 (a fashionable name suffix in Japan, read as -ko in Japanese) declined in popularity after 1945 when Korea was liberated from Japanese rule.

Sulaiman m Arabic, Indonesian, Malay
Alternate transcription of Arabic سليمان (see Sulayman), as well as the usual Indonesian and Malay form.

Sulayman m Arabic, Kyrgyz
Arabic and Kyrgyz form of Solomon.

Sulejman m Bosnian, Albanian
Bosnian and Albanian form of Süleyman.

Süleyman m Turkish, Azerbaijani
Turkish form of Solomon. Süleyman the Magnificent was a sultan of the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century. He expanded Ottoman territory into Europe and Persia, reformed the government, and completed several great building projects.

Sullivan m English, French
From an Irish surname, the Anglicized form of Ó Súileabháin, itself from the given name Súileabhán, which was derived from Irish súil "eye" and dubh "dark, black" combined with a diminutive suffix. This name has achieved a moderate level of popularity in France since the 1970s. In the United States it was rare before the 1990s, after which it began climbing steadily. A famous fictional bearer of the surname was James P. Sullivan from the animated movie Monsters, Inc. (2001).

Sully m English
Diminutive of Sullivan and other names with a similar sound.

Sultan m & f Arabic, Turkish, Azerbaijani, Urdu, Bengali, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Avar
Means "ruler, king, sultan" in Arabic. In the Arab world this name is typically masculine, but Turkey it is given to both boys and girls.

Sulton m Tajik, Uzbek
Tajik and Uzbek form of Sultan.

Sumati f Hinduism, Hindi
Means "wise, good mind", derived from Sanskrit सु (su) meaning "good" and मति (mati) meaning "mind, thought". In the Hindu epic the Mahabharata this is the name of King Sagara's second wife, who bore him 60,000 children.

Sumiko f Japanese
From Japanese 澄 (sumi) meaning "clear" and 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Summanus m Roman Mythology
Means "before the morning", derived from Latin sub "under, before" and mane "morning". Summanus was the Roman god of the night sky and night lightning, a nocturnal counterpart to Jupiter.

Sundara m Hinduism
Derived from Sanskrit सुन्दर (sundara) meaning "beautiful". This is the name of several minor characters in Hindu texts, and is also another name of the Hindu god Krishna.

Sunday m & f English
From the name of the day of the week, which ultimately derives from Old English sunnandæg, which was composed of the elements sunne "sun" and dæg "day". This name is most common in Nigeria and other parts of Africa.

Sunniva f Norwegian
Scandinavian form of the Old English name Sunngifu, which meant "sun gift" from the Old English elements sunne "sun" and giefu "gift". This was the name of a legendary English saint who was shipwrecked in Norway and killed by the inhabitants.

Sunshine f English
From the English word, ultimately from Old English sunne "sun" and scinan "shine".

Suresha m Hinduism
Means "ruler of the gods" from Sanskrit सुर (sura) meaning "god" and ईश (isha) meaning "ruler, lord". This is another name of the Hindu gods Indra, Shiva or Vishnu.

Susan f English
English variant of Susanna. This has been most common spelling since the 18th century. It was especially popular both in the United States and the United Kingdom from the 1940s to the 1960s. A notable bearer was the American feminist Susan B. Anthony (1820-1906).

Susana f Spanish, Portuguese
Spanish and Portuguese form of Susanna.

Susann f German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
German and Scandinavian short form of Susanne.

Susanne f German, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, English
German and Scandinavian form of Susanna.

Susanoo m Japanese Mythology
Of Japanese origin, possibly meaning "wild male, impetuous male". In Japanese mythology he was the god of storms and the sea, as well as the brother and adversary of the goddess Amaterasu. He was born when Izanagi washed his nose after returning from the underworld. After he was banished from the heavens, he descended to earth and slew an eight-headed dragon.

Sushila f & m Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi, Nepali
Means "good-tempered, well-disposed", derived from the Sanskrit prefix सु (su) meaning "good" combined with शील (shila) meaning "conduct, disposition". This is a transcription of both the feminine form सुशीला and the masculine form सुशील. This name is borne by wives of the Hindu gods Krishna and Yama.

Svanhild f Norwegian, Norse Mythology
From Old Norse svanr "swan" and hildr "battle", a Scandinavian cognate of Swanhild. In the Norse epic the Völsungasaga she is the daughter of Sigurd and Gudrun.

Svatopluk m Czech
Means "sacred people", derived from the Slavic elements svętŭ "sacred, holy" and pŭlkŭ "people, host, army". Svatopluk the Great was a 9th-century ruler of Great Moravia, a region centered around the modern Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Sveinn m Icelandic, Old Norse
Old Norse and Icelandic form of Sven.

Sven m Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Estonian, German, Dutch
From the Old Norse byname Sveinn meaning "boy". This was the name of kings of Denmark, Norway and Sweden.

Svetomir m Serbian, Bulgarian (Rare)
Derived from the Slavic elements svętŭ "sacred, holy" and mirŭ "peace, world".

Svetovit m Slavic Mythology
Derived from Slavic svętŭ "sacred, holy" and vitŭ "master, lord". This was the name of a four-headed West Slavic god of war and light. He has historically been conflated with Saint Vitus, who is known as Święty Wit in Polish and Svatý Vít in Czech.

Svjetlana f Croatian, Serbian
Croatian and Serbian form of Svetlana.

Svyatoslav m Russian, Ukrainian
Derived from the Slavic elements svętŭ "sacred, holy" and slava "glory". This was the name of a 10th-century ruler of Kievan Rus, the son of Igor and Olga, and the first to have a name of Slavic origin instead of Old Norse.

Swanahildiz f Old Germanic (Hypothetical)
Proto-Germanic reconstruction of Swanahilda and Svanhildr.

Swanhild f German (Rare)
Derived from the Old German elements swan "swan" and hilt "battle". Swanhild (or Swanachild) was the second wife of the Frankish ruler Charles Martel in the 8th century.

Swarna m & f Telugu, Hindi
Means "good colour" or "golden", a contraction of the Sanskrit prefix सु (su) meaning "good" and वर्ण (varna) meaning "colour". This is a transcription of both the masculine form स्वर्ण and the feminine form स्वर्णा (spelled with a long final vowel).

Swithin m History
From the Old English name Swiðhun or Swiþhun, derived from swiþ "strong" and perhaps hun "bear cub". Saint Swithin was a 9th-century bishop of Winchester.

Sybilla f Polish, Late Roman
Polish form and Latin variant of Sibylla.

Sybille f German, French
German and French form of Sibyl.

Sycorax f Literature
Created by Shakespeare for a witch character in his play The Tempest (1611). The character has died by the time the play begins, so she is only spoken of and not seen. The name's meaning is unknown, though it might have been inspired by Latin corax or Greek κόραξ (korax) meaning "raven", referring to the 5th-century BC Greek rhetorician Corax of Syracuse. One of the moons of Uranus bears this name in the character's honour.

Syed m Urdu, Punjabi, Bengali
Urdu, Punjabi and Bengali form of Sayyid.

Sylvi f Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish
Norwegian and Swedish variant of Solveig. It is also used as a short form of Sylvia.

Sylvie f French, Czech
French and Czech form of Silvia.

Symeon m Biblical Greek, Biblical Latin
Old Testament Greek (though occurring rarely in the New Testament) and Latin form of Simeon.

Taavi m Estonian, Finnish
Estonian and Finnish form of David.

Tácito m Portuguese (Rare), Spanish (Rare)
Portuguese and Spanish form of Tacitus.

Tacitus m Ancient Roman
Roman cognomen meaning "silent, mute" in Latin. This was the name of a 1st-century Roman historian, known for writing the Histories and the Annals.

Tadeáš m Czech, Slovak
Czech and Slovak form of Thaddeus.

Tadhg m Irish, Irish Mythology
From Old Irish Tadg meaning "poet". This was the name of an 11th-century king of Connacht, as well as several other kings and chieftains of medieval Ireland. According to Irish mythology it was the name of the grandfather of Fionn mac Cumhaill.

Tadija m Croatian, Serbian
Croatian and Serbian form of Thaddeus.

Taha m Arabic
From the Arabic letters ط (called ta) and ه (called ha). These letters begin the 20th chapter of the Quran (surah Ta Ha).

Táhirih f History
Variant of Tahira. This was the title of Fatimah Baraghani (1814-1852), a Persian poet, theologian and reformer.

Tahmasp m Persian (Archaic)
From Persian تهم (tahm) meaning "brave, valiant" and اسب (asb) meaning "horse". This name was borne by two Safavid shahs of Persia (16th and 18th centuries).

Tahmina f Persian Mythology, Tajik, Bengali
Derived from Persian تهم (tahm) meaning "brave, valiant". This is the name of a character in the 10th-century Persian epic the Shahnameh. She is a daughter of the king of Samangan who marries the warrior hero Rostam and eventually bears him a son, whom they name Sohrab.

Tahmuras m Persian Mythology
Persian form of Avestan 𐬙𐬀𐬑𐬨𐬀⸱𐬎𐬭𐬎𐬞𐬌 (Taxma Urupi), derived from 𐬙𐬀𐬑𐬨𐬀 (taxma) meaning "strong" and 𐬎𐬭𐬎𐬞𐬌 (urupi) meaning "fox". Taxma Urupi is a hero mentioned in the Avesta who later appears in the 10th-century Persian epic the Shahnameh.

Tahpenes f Biblical
Probably of Egyptian origin, possibly meaning "the wife of the king", derived from the feminine determiner tꜣ and ḥmt "woman, wife" combined with the masculine determiner pꜣ and nsw "king". Queen Tahpenes was a wife of an Egyptian pharaoh according to the Book of Kings in the Old Testament.

Tähti f Finnish (Rare), Estonian (Rare)
Means "star" in Finnish and Estonian.

Taichi m Japanese
From Japanese 太 (ta) meaning "thick, big, great" and 一 (ichi) meaning "one", in addition to other combinations of kanji that are pronounced the same way.

Taiki m Japanese
From Japanese 大 (tai) meaning "big, great" and 輝 (ki) meaning "brightness" or 樹 (ki) meaning "tree". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Taisiya f Russian, Ukrainian
Russian and Ukrainian form of Thaïs (referring to the saint).

Tajana f Croatian, Serbian
Derived from Croatian and Serbian tajiti "to keep secret".

Tajuana f African American
Combination of the prefix ta and the name Juana.

Takako f Japanese
From Japanese 孝 (taka) meaning "filial piety" and 子 (ko) meaning "child", as well as other combinations of kanji characters.

Takis m Greek
Short form of Panagiotakis and other names with similar endings.

Takuma m Japanese
From Japanese 拓 (taku) meaning "expand, open, support" and 真 (ma) meaning "real, genuine". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Talat m Urdu, Turkish
Urdu and Turkish form of Tal'at.

Talbot m English (Rare)
From an English surname, of Norman origin, possibly derived from an unattested Germanic given name composed of the elements dala "to destroy" and bod "message".

Talfryn m Welsh
From a Welsh place name meaning "front hill", derived from Welsh tal "front, extremity" and bryn "hill".

Talia 1 f Hebrew
Means "dew from God" in Hebrew, from טַל (tal) meaning "dew" and יָה (yah) referring to the Hebrew God.

Talib m Arabic
Means "seeker of knowledge, student" in Arabic. Abu Talib was an uncle of the Prophet Muhammad who raised him after his parents and grandparents died. His name was in fact a kunya (a nickname) formed using Abu; his real name may have been Imran.

Taliesin m Welsh, Welsh Mythology
Means "shining brow", derived from Welsh tal "brow, head" and iesin "shining, radiant". This was the name of a semi-legendary 6th-century Welsh poet and bard, supposedly the author of the collection of poems the Book of Taliesin. He appears briefly in the Welsh legend Culhwch and Olwen and the Second Branch of the Mabinogi. He is the central character in the Tale of Taliesin, a medieval legend recorded in the 16th century, which tells how Ceridwen's servant Gwion Bach was reborn to her as Taliesin; how he becomes the bard for Elffin; and how Taliesin defends Elffin from the machinations of the king Maelgwn Gwynedd.

Talisha f African American (Modern)
Combination of the popular name prefix ta and Lisha.

Talmai m Biblical, Biblical Hebrew
Means "furrowed" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this name is borne by both a giant and also the father of King David's wife Maacah.

Talulla f Irish (Rare)
Anglicized form of the Old Irish name Taileflaith, Tuileflaith or Tuilelaith, probably from tuile "abundance" and flaith "ruler, sovereign, princess". This was the name of an early saint, an abbess of Kildare.

Tamar f Hebrew, Georgian, Biblical, Biblical Hebrew
Means "date palm" in Hebrew. According to the Old Testament Tamar was the daughter-in-law of Judah and later his wife. This was also the name of a daughter of King David. She was raped by her half-brother Amnon, leading to his murder by her brother Absalom. The name was borne by a 12th-century ruling queen of Georgia who presided over the kingdom at the peak of its power.

Tamara f Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Czech, Slovak, Polish, Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, Macedonian, Hungarian, English, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, Lithuanian, Georgian
Russian form of Tamar. Russian performers such as Tamara Karsavina (1885-1978), Tamara Drasin (1905-1943), Tamara Geva (1907-1997) and Tamara Toumanova (1919-1996) introduced it to the English-speaking world. It rapidly grew in popularity in the United States starting in 1957. Another famous bearer was the Polish cubist painter Tamara de Lempicka (1898-1980).

Tamatoa m Tahitian
From Tahitian tama "child" and toa "warrior".

Tamela f English
Probably a blend of Tamara and Pamela. It first arose in the 1950s.

Tamiko f Japanese
From Japanese 多 (ta) meaning "many", 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" and 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are also possible.

Tammaro m Italian
Italian form of the Germanic name Thancmar, which was composed of the elements thank meaning "thought, consideration, thanks" (Old High German danc, Old Frankish þank) and mari meaning "famous". This was the name of a 5th-century saint, of Vandalic origin, a bishop of Atella in Campania, Italy.

Tammy f English
Short form of Tamara and other names beginning with Tam.

Tancred m Old Norman
Norman form of the Germanic name Thancrat meaning "thought and counsel", derived from the elements thank meaning "thought, consideration, thanks" (Old High German danc, Old Frankish þank) and rat meaning "counsel, advice". This name was common among the medieval Norman nobility of southern Italy, being the name of the founder of the Hauteville family. It was borne by a leader of the First Crusade, described by Torquato Tasso in his epic poem Jerusalem Delivered (1580).

Tancredo m Portuguese (Rare), Spanish (Rare)
Portuguese and Spanish form of Tancred.

Tāne m Maori, Polynesian Mythology
Means "man" in Maori. In Maori and other Polynesian mythology Tāne was the god of forests and light. He was the son of the sky god Rangi and the earth goddess Papa, who were locked in an embrace and finally separated by their son. He created the tui bird and, by some accounts, man.

Tangaroa m Polynesian Mythology
Meaning unknown. In Polynesian mythology he was the god of the sea, the son of Rangi and Papa. He separated his parents' embrace, creating the earth and the sky.

Tanguy m Breton, French
From Breton tan "fire" and gi "dog". This was the name of a 6th-century Breton saint.

Tangwystl f Medieval Welsh
From Welsh tanc "peace" and gwystl "hostage, pledge". This name was borne by a mistress of the 13th-century Welsh ruler Llywelyn the Great.

Tanika f African American (Modern)
Invented name, probably modelled on the sounds found in other names like Tamika, Tanisha and Tanya.

Taniqua f African American (Rare)
Combination of the popular phonetic elements ta, nee and qua.

Tanisha f African American
Popularized by the African-American actress Ta-Tanisha (1953-), born Shirley Cummings. The name spiked in popularity in the early 1970s, when she was featured on the television series Room 222. She apparently took her stage name from Swahili tatanisha meaning "puzzle, tangle, confuse". The name probably resonated with parents because of its similarity to other names such as Tamika and Natasha.

Tanith f Semitic Mythology
Meaning unknown. This was the name of the Phoenician goddess of love, fertility, the moon and the stars. She was particularly associated with the city of Carthage, being the consort of Ba'al Hammon.

Taniya f African American (Modern)
An invented name, based on the sounds of names such as Tanisha and Shania.

Tapio m Finnish, Finnish Mythology
Meaning unknown. Tapio was the Finnish god of forests, animals, and hunting.

Tara 1 f English
Anglicized form of the Irish place name Teamhair, which possibly means "elevated place". This was the name of the sacred hill near Dublin where the Irish high kings resided. It was popularized as a given name by the novel Gone with the Wind (1936) and the subsequent movie adaptation (1939), in which it is the name of the O'Hara plantation.

Tara 2 f Hinduism, Buddhism, Hindi, Nepali
Means "star" in Sanskrit. Tara is the name of a Hindu astral goddess, the wife of Brhaspati. She was abducted by Chandra, the god of the moon, leading to a great war that was only ended when Brahma intervened and released her. This is also the name of a Buddhist deity (a bodhisattva).

Taras m Ukrainian, Russian, Belarusian
Ukrainian, Russian and Belarusian form of the Greek name Ταράσιος (Tarasios), which possibly means "from Taras". Taras was an Italian city, now called Taranto, which was founded by Greek colonists in the 8th century BC and was named for the Greek mythological figure Taras, a son of Poseidon. Saint Tarasios was an 8th-century bishop of Constantinople. It was also borne by the Ukrainian writer and artist Taras Shevchenko (1814-1861).

Tarhunna m Hittite Mythology
From Hittite or Luwian tarh meaning "to cross, to conquer". This was the name of the Hittite god of the weather, storms, and the sky, and the slayer of the dragon Illuyanka. He was closely identified with the Hurrian god Teshub, and sometimes with the Semitic god Hadad.