Raven f & m EnglishFrom the name of the bird, ultimately from Old English
hræfn. The raven is revered by several Native American groups of the west coast. It is also associated with the Norse god
Odin.
Ravid m & f HebrewMeans
"ornament, necklace" in Hebrew.
Reese m & f Welsh, EnglishAnglicized form of
Rhys. It is also used as a feminine name, popularized by the American actress Reese Witherspoon (1976-).
Regan f & m Literature, EnglishMeaning unknown. In the chronicles of Geoffrey of Monmouth it is the name of a treacherous daughter of King
Leir. Shakespeare adapted the story for his tragedy
King Lear (1606). In the modern era it has appeared in the horror movie
The Exorcist (1973) belonging to a girl possessed by the devil. This name can also be used as a variant of
Reagan.
Regla f SpanishMeans
"rule" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin
Mary,
Nuestra Señora de Regla, meaning "Our Lady of the Rule". This name is especially common in Cuba.
Reiko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
玲 (rei) meaning "the tinkling of jade" or
礼 (rei) meaning "ceremony" combined with
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other combinations of kanji can also form this name.
Reina 3 f JapaneseFrom Japanese
怜 (rei) meaning "wise" and
奈 (na), a phonetic character. This name can also be formed by other combinations of kanji.
Reine f FrenchMeans
"queen" in French, ultimately from Latin
regina.
Reyes f & m SpanishMeans
"kings" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin
Mary,
La Virgen de los Reyes, meaning "The Virgin of the Kings". According to legend, the Virgin Mary appeared to King Ferdinand III of Castile and told him his armies would defeat those of the Moors in Seville.
Rhian f WelshDerived from Welsh
rhiain meaning
"maiden, young woman".
Rhoda f Biblical, EnglishDerived from Greek
ῥόδον (rhodon) meaning
"rose". In the New Testament this name was borne by a maid in the house of Mary the mother of John Mark. As an English given name,
Rhoda came into use in the 17th century.
Rhona f ScottishPossibly derived from the name of either of the two Hebridean islands called
Rona, which means
"rough island" in Old Norse.
Rihab f ArabicMeans
"wide areas, vastnesses" in Arabic, from the plural form of
رحبة (raḥba).
Riley m & f EnglishFrom a surname that comes from two distinct sources. As an Irish surname it is a variant of
Reilly. As an English surname it is derived from a place name meaning
"rye clearing" in Old English.
... [more] Rilla f EnglishShort form of names ending in
rilla. It is short for
Marilla in L. M. Montgomery's sequels to her 1908 novel
Anne of Green Gables, where it belongs to a daughter of Anne.
River m & f English (Modern)From the English word that denotes a flowing body of water. The word is ultimately derived (via Old French) from Latin
ripa "riverbank".
Robin m & f English, French, Dutch, Swedish, CzechMedieval English diminutive of
Robert, now usually regarded as an independent name. Robin Hood was a legendary hero and archer of medieval England who stole from the rich to give to the poor. In modern times it has also been used as a feminine name, and it may sometimes be given in reference to the red-breasted bird.
Rocío f SpanishMeans
"dew" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin
Mary María del Rocío meaning "Mary of the Dew".
Rohan 2 f LiteratureFrom the novel
The Lord of the Rings (1954) by J. R. R. Tolkien, where it is a place name meaning
"horse country" in the fictional language Sindarin.
Ronja f Swedish, FinnishInvented by Swedish children's author Astrid Lindgren, who based it on the middle portion of
Juronjaure, the name of a lake in Sweden. Lindgren used it in her 1981 book
Ronia the Robber's Daughter (
Ronia is the English translation).
Rotem m & f HebrewFrom the name of a desert plant (species Retama raetam), possibly related to Hebrew
רָתַם (ratam) meaning "to harness, to bind".
Rover m & f PetFrom an English word, the agent noun of the verb
rove meaning "roam, wander". This a stereotypical name for a dog.
Rowan m & f Irish, English (Modern)Anglicized form of the Irish name
Ruadhán. As an English name, it can also be derived from the surname Rowan, itself derived from the Irish given name. It could also be given in reference to the rowan tree, a word of Old Norse origin (coincidentally sharing the same Indo-European root meaning "red" with the Irish name).
Royal m & f EnglishFrom the English word
royal, derived (via Old French) from Latin
regalis, a derivative of
rex "king". It was first used as a given name in the 19th century.
Rubab f Arabic, UrduFrom an Arabic word referring to a type of stringed musical instrument. This was the name of the wife of the Prophet
Muhammad's grandson
Husayn.
Ruoxi f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
若 (ruò) meaning "like, if" and
汐 (xī) meaning "evening tide". Other combinations of similar-sounding characters can also form this name.
Rusnė f LithuanianFrom the name of an island in the Neman River delta in southwestern Lithuania.
Ruzan f ArmenianMeaning unknown. It was used by the Armenian author Muratsan for the main character in his historical play
Ruzan (1882).
Ruzha f Bulgarian, MacedonianMeans
"hollyhock" in Bulgarian (referring to flowering plants from the genera Alcea and Althaea). This is also an alternate transcription of Macedonian
Ружа (see
Ruža).
Saada f ArabicMeans
"happiness, luck" in Arabic, a derivative of
سعد (saʿida) meaning "to be happy, to be lucky".
Saana f FinnishFrom the name of a mountain in northern Finland.
Sable f English (Modern)From the English word meaning
"black", derived from the name of the black-furred mammal native to northern Asia, ultimately of Slavic origin.
Safaa f & m ArabicMeans
"pure" in Arabic. As-Safaa is the name of one of the two sacred hills near Mecca. This can also be an alternate transcription of Arabic
صفاء (see
Safaa').
Safaa' f & m ArabicMeans
"serenity, clarity" in Arabic, a derivative of
صفا (ṣafā) meaning "to be clear, to be pure".
Saima 2 f Finnish, EstonianFrom
Saimaa, the name of the largest lake in Finland. The etymology of the lake's name is unknown.
Saira f UrduPossibly means
"traveller" in Arabic.
Salem 2 f & m English (Modern)From the name of a biblical town,
שָׁלֵם (Shalem) in Hebrew, meaning
"complete, safe, peaceful". According to the Old Testament this was the town where Melchizedek was king. It is usually identified with
Jerusalem. Many places are named after the biblical town, most in America, notably a city in Massachusetts where the infamous Salem witch trials occurred in 1692.
Salme f EstonianFrom Estonian
salm meaning
"poem, verse". This name appears in the Estonian national epic
Kalevipoeg (1857) by Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald.
Samar 1 f ArabicMeans
"evening conversation" in Arabic, from the root
سمر (samara) meaning "to talk in the evening".
Sanaa f ArabicMeans
"brilliance, radiance, splendour" in Arabic, derived from the root
سنا (sanā) meaning "to gleam, to shine".
Sango f Popular CultureMeans
"coral" in Japanese. This name is used in the Japanese comic book and television show
InuYasha.
Sansa f LiteratureInvented by the author George R. R. Martin for the character of Sansa Stark in his series
A Song of Ice and Fire, published beginning 1996, and the television adaptation
Game of Thrones (2011-2019).
Saori f JapaneseFrom Japanese
沙 (sa) meaning "sand" or
早 (sa) meaning "already, now" combined with
織 (ori) meaning "weaving". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.
Sarah f English, French, German, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Dutch, Hebrew, Arabic, BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
שָׂרָה (Sara) meaning
"lady, princess, noblewoman". In the Old Testament this is the name of
Abraham's wife, considered the matriarch of the Jewish people. She was barren until she unexpectedly became pregnant with
Isaac at the age of 90. Her name was originally
Sarai, but God changed it at the same time Abraham's name was changed (see
Genesis 17:15).
... [more] Šárka f CzechMeaning unknown. In Czech legend Šárka was a maiden who joined other women in declaring war upon men. She tricked the men by having herself tied to a tree, and, after they came to her rescue, offering them mead laced with a sleeping potion. After the men fell asleep the other women slew them.
Sawda f ArabicMeans
"black" in Arabic. This was the name of a wife of the Prophet
Muhammad. She was said to have lived for a time in Abyssinia (modern Ethiopia and Eritrea).
Sayen f MapucheMeaning uncertain, possibly a derivative of Mapuche
ayün "love".
Scout f & m English (Modern)From the English word
scout meaning
"one who gathers information covertly", which is derived from Old French
escouter "to listen". Harper Lee used this name in her novel
To Kill a Mockingbird (1960).
Sedna f New World MythologyMeaning unknown. This is the name of the Inuit goddess of the sea, sea animals and the underworld. According to some legends Sedna was originally a beautiful woman thrown into the ocean by her father. A dwarf planet in the outer solar system was named for her in 2004.
Seija f FinnishDerived from Finnish
seijas meaning
"tranquil, serene".
Seiko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
聖 (sei) meaning "holy, sacred" combined with
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.
Selah f BiblicalFrom a Hebrew musical term that occurs many times in the Old Testament Psalms. It was probably meant to indicate a musical pause.
Selbi f TurkmenMeans
"cypress" in Turkmen (derived from Persian, ultimately from Sumerian).
Selby m & f English (Rare)From an English surname that was from a place name meaning
"willow farm" in Old Norse.
Selin f TurkishFrom Turkish
sel meaning
"flood, torrent" (a word of Arabic origin).
Selvi f TurkishMeans
"cypress" in Turkish (derived from Persian, ultimately from Sumerian).
Senga f ScottishSometimes explained as an anagram of
Agnes, but more likely derived from Gaelic
seang "slender".
Senna f & m Dutch (Modern)Meaning uncertain. In some cases it is given in honour of the Brazilian racecar driver Ayrton Senna (1960-1994). It could also be inspired by the senna plant.
Şenol m & f TurkishMeans
"be happy", from Turkish
şen "happy".
Seong m & f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
成 (seong) meaning "completed, finished, succeeded", as well as other hanja characters with the same pronunciation. Although it does appear as a single-character name, it is more often used in combination with another character.
Seon-U m & f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
善 (seon) meaning "good, virtuous" or
宣 (seon) meaning "declare, announce" combined with
宇 (u) meaning "house, universe" or
佑 (u) meaning "help, protect, bliss". This name can be formed by many other hanja character combinations as well.
Serap f TurkishMeans
"mirage" in Turkish (a word of Arabic origin).
Seren f WelshMeans
"star" in Welsh. This is a recently created Welsh name.
Seung m & f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
昇 (seung) meaning "rise, ascend",
勝 (seung) meaning "victory" or
承 (seung) meaning "inherit", as well as other characters that are pronounced similarly.
Sevan f & m ArmenianFrom the name of the largest lake in Armenia, which may be from the Urartian word
suinia simply meaning "lake".
Sevda f Turkish, AzerbaijaniMeans
"love, infatuation" in Turkish and Azerbaijani, ultimately from Arabic
سوداء (sawdāʾ) meaning "black bile, melancholy, sadness".
Seven m & f English (Modern)From the English word for the number, derived from Old English
seofon (from an Indo-European root shared by Latin
septem and Greek
ἑπτά (hepta)).
Shawn m & f EnglishAnglicized form of
Seán, occasionally used as a feminine form. This is the most common spelling of this name in the United States and Canada, with
Shaun being more typical in the United Kingdom and Australia.
Shell f EnglishShort form of
Michelle or
Shelley. It can also be simply from the English word
shell (ultimately from Old English
sciell).
Sheng m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
圣 (shèng) meaning "holy, sacred",
胜 (shèng) meaning "victory", or
盛 (shèng) meaning "abundant, flourishing". Other characters are also possible.
Shion f & m JapaneseFrom 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.
Shona f ScottishAnglicized form of
Seonag or
Seònaid. Though unconnected, this is also the name of an ethnic group who live in the south of Africa, mainly Zimbabwe.
Sibel f TurkishPossibly a Turkish form of
Cybele. It was borne by the main character in Refik Halit Karay's novel
İkibin Yılın Sevgilisi (1954).
Sibyl f EnglishFrom 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).
Simay f TurkishMeans
"silver moon" in Turkish, from
sim meaning "silver, glitter" and
ay meaning "moon".
Sirje f EstonianPossibly from Estonian
sinisirje meaning
"blue-feathered", a word associated with a magical bird in the Estonian national epic
Kalevipoeg (1857) by Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald. Apparently this name was suggested by the linguist Julius Mägiste in the 1920s. It was subsequently used in the 1945 opera
Tasuleegid by Eugen Kapp.
Sirpa f FinnishDerived from Finnish
sirpale meaning
"small piece, fragment".
Sivan f HebrewFrom the name of the ninth month of the Hebrew calendar (occurring in late spring). It was adopted from the Babylonian calendar, derived from Akkadian
simānu meaning "season, occasion".
Skuld f Norse MythologyMeans
"debt, obligation" in Old Norse. She was one of the three Norns, or goddesses of destiny, in Norse mythology. She was also one of the valkyries.
Sława f PolishShort form of names containing the Slavic element
slava meaning
"glory".
Sofia f Greek, Italian, Portuguese, Catalan, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Finnish, Estonian, Slovak, Romanian, English, Russian, Ukrainian, BulgarianForm of
Sophia used in various languages.