Browse Names

This is a list of names in which the gender is feminine; and the usage is English.
gender
usage
Sal f & m English
Short form of Sally, Salvador and other names beginning with Sal.
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.
Salena f English (Modern)
Perhaps an invented name based on similar-sounding names such as Selina.
Salina f English
Perhaps an invented name based on similar-sounding names such as Selina.
Sallie f English
Variant of Sally.
Sally f English
Diminutive of Sarah, often used independently.
Salome f English (Rare), German (Rare), Georgian, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
From an Aramaic name that was related to the Hebrew word שָׁלוֹם (shalom) meaning "peace". According to the historian Josephus this was the name of the daughter of Herodias (the consort of Herod Antipas, the tetrarch of Galilee). In the New Testament, though a specific name is not given, it was a daughter of Herodias who danced for Herod and was rewarded with the head of John the Baptist, and thus Salome and the dancer have traditionally been equated.... [more]
Sam 1 m & f English
Short form of Samuel, Samson, Samantha and other names beginning with Sam. A notable fictional bearer is Sam Spade, a detective in Dashiell Hammett's novel The Maltese Falcon (1930). In J. R. R. Tolkien's 1954 novel The Lord of the Rings (1954) this is a short form of Samwise.
Samantha f English, Italian, Dutch
Perhaps intended to be a feminine form of Samuel, using the name suffix antha (possibly inspired by Greek ἄνθος (anthos) meaning "flower"). It originated in America in the 18th century but was fairly uncommon until 1964, when it was popularized by the main character on the television show Bewitched.
Samara f English (Modern), Portuguese (Brazilian)
Possibly derived from the name of the city of Samarra (in Iraq) or Samara (in Russia). The former appears in the title of the novel Appointment in Samarra (1934) by John O'Hara, which refers to an ancient Babylonian legend about a man trying to evade death. Alternatively, this name could be derived from the word for the winged seeds that grow on trees such as maples and elms.... [more]
Sammi f English (Rare)
Diminutive of Samantha.
Sammie f & m English
Diminutive of Samuel, Samson or Samantha.
Sammy m & f English
Diminutive of Samuel, Samson or Samantha.
Sandie f English
Variant of Sandy.
Sandra f Italian, English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, Macedonian, Czech, Romanian
Short form of Alessandra. It was introduced to the English-speaking world (where it is usually used independently of Alexandra) by author George Meredith, who used it for the heroine in his novel Emilia in England (1864) and the reissued version Sandra Belloni (1887). A famous bearer is the American actress Sandra Bullock (1964-).
Sandy m & f English
Originally a diminutive of Alexander. As a feminine name it is a diminutive of Alexandra or Sandra. It can also be given in reference to the colour.
Santana f & m Spanish (Latin American), Portuguese (Brazilian), English (Modern)
From a contraction of Santa Ana (referring to Saint Anna) or from a Spanish and Portuguese surname derived from any of the numerous places named for the saint. It can be given in honour of the Mexican-American musician Carlos Santana (1947-), the founder of the band Santana. The name received a boost in popularity for American girls after the character Santana Andrade began appearing on the soap opera Santa Barbara in 1984.
Sapphire f English (Modern)
From the name of the gemstone, typically blue, which is the traditional birthstone of September. It is derived from Greek σάπφειρος (sappheiros), ultimately from the Hebrew word סַפִּיר (sappir).
Sarah f English, French, German, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Dutch, Hebrew, Arabic, Biblical
From 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]
Saranna f English (Rare)
Combination of Sarah and Anna, in occasional use since the 18th century.
Sarina f German, Dutch, English (Modern)
Diminutive of Sara, or sometimes a variant of Serena.
Sasha m & f Russian, Ukrainian, English, French
Russian and Ukrainian diminutive of Aleksandr or Aleksandra.
Saundra f English
Variant of Sondra.
Savannah f English
From the English word for the large grassy plain, ultimately deriving from the Taino (Native American) word zabana. It came into use as a given name in America in the 19th century. It was revived in the 1980s by the movie Savannah Smiles (1982).
Sawyer m & f English (Modern)
From an English surname meaning "sawer of wood". Mark Twain used it for the hero in his novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876).... [more]
Saylor f English (Modern)
From an English surname that was derived from Old French sailleor meaning "acrobat, dancer". As a modern English given name it could also come from the homophone vocabulary word sailor.
Scarlet f English (Modern)
Either a variant of Scarlett or else from the English word for the red colour (both of the same origin, a type of cloth).
Scarlett f English
From an English surname that denoted a person who sold or made clothes made of scarlet (a kind of cloth, possibly derived from Persian سقرلاط (saqrelāṭ)). Margaret Mitchell used it for the main character, Scarlett O'Hara, in her novel Gone with the Wind (1936). Her name is explained as having come from her grandmother. Despite the fact that the book was adapted into a popular movie in 1939, the name was not common until the 21st century. It started rising around 2003, about the time that the career of American actress Scarlett Johansson (1984-) started taking off.
Schuyler m & f English
From a Dutch surname meaning "scholar". Dutch settlers brought the surname to America, where it was subsequently adopted as a given name in honour of the American general and senator Philip Schuyler (1733-1804).
Scottie m & f English
Diminutive of Scott, also used as a feminine form.
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).
Seanna f English (Rare)
Feminine form of Seán.
Sela f English (Rare)
From the name of a city, the capital of Edom, which appears in the Old Testament. It means "rock" in Hebrew.
Selby m & f English (Rare)
From an English surname that was from a place name meaning "willow farm" in Old Norse.
Selena f Spanish, English, Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Selene. This name was borne by popular Mexican-American singer Selena Quintanilla (1971-1995), who was known simply as Selena. Another famous bearer is the American actress and singer Selena Gomez (1992-).
Selina f English, German
Variant of Celina or Selena. As an English name, it first came into use in the 17th century.
Selma 1 f English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic
Meaning unknown, possibly a short form of Anselma. It could also have been inspired by James Macpherson's 18th-century poems, in which it is the name of Ossian's castle.
September f English (Rare)
From the name of the ninth month (though it means "seventh month" in Latin, since it was originally the seventh month of the Roman year), which is sometimes used as a given name for someone born in September.
Sequoia f & m English (Rare)
From the name of huge trees that grow in California. The tree got its name from the 19th-century Cherokee scholar Sequoyah (also known as George Guess), the inventor of the Cherokee writing system.
Sera f English (Rare)
Either a variant of Sarah or a short form of Seraphina.
Seraphina f English (Rare), German (Rare), Late Roman
Feminine form of the Late Latin name Seraphinus, derived from the biblical word seraphim, which was Hebrew in origin and meant "fiery ones". The seraphim were an order of angels, described by Isaiah in the Bible as having six wings each.... [more]
Serena f English, Italian, Late Roman
From a Late Latin name that was derived from Latin serenus meaning "clear, tranquil, serene". This name was borne by an obscure early saint. Edmund Spenser also used it in his poem The Faerie Queene (1590). A famous bearer from the modern era is tennis player Serena Williams (1981-).
Serenity f English (Modern)
From the English word meaning "serenity, tranquility", ultimately from Latin serenus meaning "clear, calm".
Serina f English
Variant of Serena.
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)).
Sevyn f & m English (Modern)
Variant of Seven.
Shae f & m English (Modern)
Variant of Shea.
Shaelyn f English (Rare)
Elaboration of Shae using the popular name suffix lyn.
Shana 1 f English
Variant of Shanna.
Shanae f English (Modern), African American (Modern)
Combination of the popular phonetic elements sha and nay.
Shanene f English (Rare)
Combination of the phonetic elements sha and neen.
Shania f English (Modern)
In the case of singer Shania Twain (1965-), who chose it as her stage name, it was apparently based on an Ojibwe phrase meaning "on my way".
Shanna f English
Possibly a feminine variant of Shannon.
Shannon f & m English
From the name of the River Shannon, the longest river in Ireland, called an tSionainn in Irish. It is associated with the legendary figure Sionann and is sometimes said to be named for her. However it is more likely she was named after the river, which may be related to Old Irish sen "old, ancient". As a given name, it first became common in America after the 1940s.
Shanon f & m English
Variant of Shannon.
Shantel f English
Variant of Chantel.
Shari f English
Diminutive of Sharon or a variant of Sherry.
Sharla f English
Variant of Charla.
Sharon f & m English, Hebrew
From an Old Testament place name, in Hebrew שָׁרוֹן (Sharon) meaning "plain", referring to a fertile plain on the central west coast of Israel. This is also the name of a flowering plant in the Bible, the rose of Sharon, a term now used to refer to several different species of flowers.... [more]
Sharona f English (Rare)
Elaborated form of Sharon.
Sharron f English
Variant of Sharon.
Sharyl f English
Variant of Cheryl.
Sharyn f English
Variant of Sharon.
Shauna f English
Feminine form of Shaun.
Shavonne f English (Modern), African American (Modern)
Anglicized form of Siobhán. In some cases it might be considered a combination of the phonetic element sha and Yvonne.
Shawn m & f English
Anglicized 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.
Shawna f English
Feminine form of Shawn.
Shawnda f English
Variant of Shonda.
Shawnee f English (Modern)
Means "southern people" in the Algonquin language. The Shawnee were an Algonquin tribe who originally lived in the Ohio valley.
Shaye f & m English (Rare)
Variant of Shea.
Shayla f English
Invented name, based on the sounds found in other names such as Sheila and Kayla.
Shaylyn f English (Rare)
Invented name, based on Shayla and using the popular name suffix lyn.
Sheena f Scottish, English
Anglicized form of Sìne. This name was popularized outside of Scotland in the 1980s by the singer Sheena Easton (1959-).
Sheila f Irish, English
Anglicized form of Síle.
Shelby m & f English
From an English surname, which was possibly a variant of Selby. Though previously in use as a rare masculine name, it was popularized as a feminine name by the main character in the movie The Woman in Red (1935). It was later reinforced by the movie Steel Magnolias (1989) in which Julia Roberts played a character by this name.
Shelia f English
Variant of Sheila.
Shell f English
Short form of Michelle or Shelley. It can also be simply from the English word shell (ultimately from Old English sciell).
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.
Shelly f & m English
Variant of Shelley.
Sheree f English
Variant of Sherry or Cherie. This particular spelling was popularized by American actress Sheree North (1932-2005), who was born Dawn Shirley Crang.
Sheri f English
Variant of Sherry.
Sheridan m & f English
From an Irish surname (Anglicized from Irish Gaelic Ó Sirideáin), which was derived from the given name Sirideán possibly meaning "searcher".
Sherie f English
Variant of Sherry or Cherie.
Sherlyn f English (Modern)
Recently created name, probably based on the sounds found in other names like Sharon, Sherry and Charlene.
Sherri f English
Variant of Sherry.
Sherrie f English
Variant of Sherry.
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]
Sheryl f English
Variant of Cheryl.
Sheryll f English
Variant of Cheryl.
Shirlee f English
Variant of Shirley.
Shirley f & m English
From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "bright clearing" in Old English. This is the name of a main character in Charlotte Brontë's semi-autobiographical novel Shirley (1849). Though the name was already popular in the United States, the child actress Shirley Temple (1928-2014) gave it a further boost. By 1935 it was the second most common name for girls.
Shonda f English
Invented name, probably based on the sounds found in Shawna and Rhonda.
Shyla f English (Modern)
Variant of Sheila, or a combination of the popular phonetic elements shy and la.
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).
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]
Sidony f English (Archaic)
Feminine form of Sidonius. This name was in use in the Middle Ages, when it became associated with the word sindon (of Greek origin) meaning "linen", a reference to the Shroud of Turin.
Siena f English (Modern)
Variant of Sienna, with the spelling perhaps influenced by that of the Italian city.
Sienna f English (Modern)
From the English word meaning "orange-red". It is ultimately from the name of the city of Siena in Italy, because of the colour of the clay there.
Sierra f English (Modern)
Means "mountain range" in Spanish, referring specifically to a mountain range with jagged peaks.
Sigourney f English
From an English surname that was derived from the French town of Sigournais, called Segurniacum in medieval Latin, itself of unknown meaning. The American actress Sigourney Weaver (1949-), real name Susan, adopted this name in 1963 after the minor character Sigourney Howard in F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby (1925).
Silver m & f English (Rare)
From the English word for the precious metal or the colour, ultimately derived from Old English seolfor.
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.
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.
Sincere m & f English (Modern)
From the English word meaning genuine or heartfelt.
Sinclair m & f English (Rare)
From a Scottish surname that was derived from a Norman French town called "Saint Clair". A notable bearer was the American author Sinclair Lewis (1885-1951).
Sissie f English
Variant of Sissy.
Sissy f English
Diminutive of Cecilia, Frances or Priscilla. It can also be taken from the nickname, which originated as a nursery form of the word sister.
Sky f & m English (Modern)
Simply from the English word sky, which was ultimately derived from Old Norse ský "cloud".
Skye f English (Modern)
From the name of the Isle of Skye off the west coast of Scotland. It is sometimes considered a variant of Sky.
Skyla f English (Modern)
Feminine variant of Skyler, formed using the popular name suffix la.
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.
Skylynn f English (Rare)
Elaboration of Sky using the popular name suffix lyn.
Sloan f & m English (Modern)
Variant of Sloane.
Sloane f English (Modern)
From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Sluaghadháin, itself derived from the given name Sluaghadhán.
Snow f English (Rare)
From the English word, derived from Old English snāw.
Sommer f English (Modern)
Variant of Summer, coinciding with the German word for summer.
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).
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).
Sookie f English
Diminutive of Susanna or Susan.
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]
Sophie f French, English, German, Dutch
French form of Sophia.
Sophy f English (Rare)
Variant of Sophie or a diminutive of Sophia.
Sorrel f English (Rare)
From the name of the sour tasting plant, derived from Old French sur "sour", a word of Frankish origin.
Sparrow m & f English (Rare)
From the name of the bird, ultimately from Old English spearwa.
Spirit f English (Rare)
From the English word spirit, ultimately from Latin spiritus "breath, energy", a derivative of spirare "to blow".
Spring f English
From the name of the season, ultimately from Old English springan "to leap, to burst forth".
Stace m & f Medieval English, English
Medieval short form of Eustace. As a modern name it is typically a short form of Stacy.
Stacee f English (Rare)
Feminine variant of Stacy.
Stacey f & m English
Variant of Stacy.
Staci f English
Feminine variant of Stacy.
Stacia f English
Short form of Anastasia or Eustacia.
Stacie f English
Feminine variant of Stacy.
Stacy f & m English
As a feminine name it is commonly considered a diminutive of Anastasia, though it was originally used independently of that name, which was rare in America in the 1950s when Stacy began becoming popular. It had earlier been in use as an uncommon masculine name, borrowed from the surname Stacy or Stacey (derived from Stace, a medieval form of Eustace).
Star f English
From the English word for the celestial body, ultimately from Old English steorra.
Starla f English
Elaborated form of Star.
Starr f English
Variant of Star.
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.
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.
Steph f & m English
Short form of Stephanie or Stephen.
Stephania f English
Latinate feminine form of Stephen.
Stephanie f English, German
Feminine form of Stephen.
Stevie m & f English
Diminutive of Stephen or Stephanie. A famous bearer is the American musician Stevie Wonder (1950-).
Storm m & f English (Modern), Dutch (Modern), Danish (Modern), Norwegian (Modern)
From the vocabulary word, ultimately from Old English or Old Dutch storm, or in the case of the Scandinavian name, from Old Norse stormr. It is unisex as an English name, but typically masculine elsewhere.
Stormy f English (Modern)
From the English word meaning "stormy, wild, turbulent", ultimately from Old English stormig.
Sue f English
Short form of Susanna.
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.
Suki f English
Diminutive of Susanna or Susan.
Sukie f English
Diminutive of Susanna or Susan.
Summer f English
From the name of the season, ultimately from Old English sumor. It has been in use as a given name since the 1970s.
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.
Sunny f & m English
From the English word meaning "sunny, cheerful".
Sunshine f English
From the English word, ultimately from Old English sunne "sun" and scinan "shine".
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).
Susanna f Italian, Catalan, Swedish, Finnish, Russian, Ukrainian, Dutch, English, Armenian, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Old Church Slavic
From Σουσάννα (Sousanna), the Greek form of the Hebrew name שׁוֹשַׁנָּה (Shoshanna). This was derived from the Hebrew word שׁוֹשָׁן (shoshan) meaning "lily" (in modern Hebrew this also means "rose"), perhaps ultimately from Egyptian sšn "lotus". In the Old Testament Apocrypha this is the name of a woman falsely accused of adultery. The prophet Daniel clears her name by tricking her accusers, who end up being condemned themselves. It also occurs in the New Testament belonging to a woman who ministers to Jesus.... [more]
Susanne f German, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, English
German and Scandinavian form of Susanna.
Susie f English
Diminutive of Susan.
Sutton f & m English (Modern)
From a surname, itself derived from the name of numerous English towns, of Old English origin meaning "south town".
Suz f English
Short form of Susan.
Suzan 1 f English
Variant of Susan.
Suzanna f English
Variant of Susanna.
Suzanne f French, English, Dutch
French form of Susanna.
Suzi f English
Diminutive of Susan.
Suzie f English
Diminutive of Susan.
Suzy f English, French
Diminutive of Susan or Suzanne.
Sybil f English
Variant of Sibyl. This spelling variation has existed since the Middle Ages.
Syd m & f English
Short form of Sydney.
Sydney f & m English
From a surname that was a variant of the surname Sidney. This is the name of the largest city in Australia, which was named for Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney in 1788. Formerly used by both genders, since the 1980s this spelling of the name has been mostly feminine.
Sylvia f English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish
Variant of Silvia. This has been the most common English spelling since the 19th century.
Symphony f English (Rare)
Simply from the English word, ultimately deriving from Greek σύμφωνος (symphonos) meaning "concordant in sound".
Tabatha f English
Variant of Tabitha.
Tabby f English
Diminutive of Tabitha.
Tabitha f English, Biblical, Biblical Greek
Means "gazelle" in Aramaic. Tabitha in the New Testament was a woman restored to life by Saint Peter. Her name is translated into Greek as Dorcas (see Acts 9:36). As an English name, Tabitha became common after the Protestant Reformation. It was popularized in the 1960s by the television show Bewitched, in which Tabitha (sometimes spelled Tabatha) is the daughter of the main character.
Tacey f English (Archaic)
Derived from Latin tace meaning "be silent". It was in use from the 16th century, though it died out two centuries later.
Talia 2 f English (Australian)
From the name of a town in South Australia, perhaps meaning "near water" in an Australian Aboriginal language.
Tallulah f English (Rare)
This is the name of waterfalls in Georgia. Popularly claimed to mean "leaping waters" in the Choctaw language, it may actually mean "town" in the Creek language. It was borne by American actress Tallulah Bankhead (1902-1968), who was named after her grandmother, who may have been named after the waterfalls.
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).
Tameka f English
Variant of Tamika.
Tamela f English
Probably a blend of Tamara and Pamela. It first arose in the 1950s.
Tamera f English
Variant of Tamara.
Tami f English
Variant of Tammy.
Tamika f English
Variant of Tamiko, inspired by the American jazz singer Tamiko Jones (1945-) or the American movie A Girl Named Tamiko (1963).
Tammi f English
Variant of Tammy.
Tammie f English
Variant of Tammy.
Tammy f English
Short form of Tamara and other names beginning with Tam.
Tamra f English
Contracted form of Tamara.
Tamsin f English (British)
Contracted form of Thomasina. It was traditionally used in Cornwall.
Tansy f English (Rare)
From the name of the flower, which is derived via Old French from Late Latin tanacita.
Tanya f Russian, Bulgarian, English
Russian diminutive of Tatiana. It began to be used in the English-speaking world during the 1930s.
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.
Tarina f English (Rare)
Perhaps an elaborated form of Tara 1.
Taryn f English
Probably a feminine form of Tyrone. Actors Tyrone Power and Linda Christian created it for their daughter Taryn Power (1953-).
Tasha f Russian, English
Short form of Natasha.
Tatiana f Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, French, Slovak, Polish, Finnish, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Dutch, Greek, Georgian, English, Russian, Bulgarian, Ancient Roman
Feminine form of the Roman name Tatianus, a derivative of the Roman name Tatius. This was the name of a 3rd-century saint who was martyred in Rome under the emperor Alexander Severus. She was especially venerated in Orthodox Christianity, and the name has been common in Russia (as Татьяна) and Eastern Europe. It was not regularly used in the English-speaking world until the 1980s.
Tatum f & m English (Modern)
From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "Tata's homestead" in Old English. It was brought to public attention by the child actress Tatum O'Neal (1963-) in the 1970s, though it did not catch on. It attained a modest level of popularity after 1996, when it was borne by a character in the movie Scream.
Tawny f English (Modern)
From the English word, ultimately deriving from Old French tané, which means "light brown".
Tawnya f English
Variant of Tonya.
Tayla f English (Modern)
Probably a feminine form of Taylor influenced by similar-sounding names such as Kayla.
Tayler f & m English (Modern)
Variant of Taylor.
Taylor m & f English
From an English surname that originally denoted someone who was a tailor, from Norman French tailleur, ultimately from Latin taliare "to cut".... [more]
Teagan f English (Modern)
Variant of Tegan. It also coincides with a rare Irish surname Teagan. This name rose on the American popularity charts in the 1990s, probably because of its similarity to names like Megan and Reagan.
Teal f English (Rare)
From the English word for the type of duck or the greenish-blue colour.
Teddie m & f English
Diminutive of Edward or Theodore, sometimes a feminine form.
Tegan f Welsh, English (Modern)
Means "darling" in Welsh, derived from a diminutive of Welsh teg "beautiful, pretty". It was somewhat common in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Canada in the 1980s and 90s. It was borne by an Australian character on the television series Doctor Who from 1981 to 1984.
Temperance f English
From the English word meaning "moderation" or "restraint". This was one of the virtue names adopted by the Puritans in the 17th century. It experienced a modest revival in the United States during the run of the television series Bones (2005-2017), in which the main character bears this name.
Tempest f English (Rare)
From the English word meaning "storm". It appears in the title of William Shakespeare's play The Tempest (1611).
Temple m & f English (Rare)
From an English surname that originally belonged to a person who was associated with the Knights Templar, a medieval religious military order.
Tenley f English (Modern)
From an English surname, itself possibly from a place name derived from Old English tind "point" and leah "woodland, clearing". This name was popularized in 2010 by a contestant on the reality television series The Bachelor.
Tennyson m & f English (Rare)
From an English surname that meant "son of Tenney", Tenney being a medieval form of Denis. A notable bearer of the surname was the British poet Alfred Tennyson (1809-1892), commonly called Lord Tennyson after he became a baron in 1884.
Tera f English
Variant of Tara 1.
Teresa f Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Catalan, Polish, Lithuanian, Finnish, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, English
Form of Theresa used in several languages. Saint Teresa of Ávila was a 16th-century Spanish nun who reformed the Carmelite monasteries and wrote several spiritual books. It was also borne by the Albanian missionary Saint Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997), better known as Mother Teresa, who worked with the poor in India. She adopted the name in honour of the French saint Thérèse of Lisieux, who is the patron of missionaries.
Teri f English
Either a feminine variant of Terry 1 or a diminutive of Theresa.
Terra f English
Variant of Tara 1, perhaps influenced by the Latin word terra meaning "land, earth".
Terri f English
Either a feminine variant of Terry 1 or a diminutive of Theresa.
Terrie f English
Either a feminine variant of Terry 1 or a diminutive of Theresa.
Terry 1 m & f English
From an English surname that was derived from the medieval name Thierry, a Norman French form of Theodoric.
Terry 2 m & f English
Diminutive of Terence or Theresa. A famous bearer was Terry Fox (1958-1981), a young man with an artificial leg who attempted to run across Canada to raise money for cancer research. He died of the disease before crossing the country.
Tess f English, Dutch
Short form of Theresa. This is the name of the main character in Thomas Hardy's novel Tess of the d'Urbervilles (1891).
Tessa f English, Dutch
Contracted form of Theresa.
Tessie f English
Diminutive of Theresa.
Thankful f English (Archaic)
From the English word thankful. This was one of the many virtue names used by the Puritans in the 17th century.
Thea f German, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, English
Short form of Dorothea, Theodora, Theresa and other names with a similar sound.
Thelma f English
Meaning unknown. It was a rare name when British author Marie Corelli used it for the Norwegian heroine of her novel Thelma (1887). The name became popular around the end of the 19th century after the novel was published. It is sometimes claimed to derive from Greek θέλημα (thelema) meaning "will", though this seems unlikely.
Theodora f English, Greek, Ancient Greek
Feminine form of Theodore. This name was common in the Byzantine Empire, being borne by several empresses including the influential wife of Justinian in the 6th century.
Theresa f English, German
From the Spanish and Portuguese name Teresa. It was first recorded as Therasia, being borne by the Spanish wife of Saint Paulinus of Nola in the 4th century. The meaning is uncertain, but it could be derived from Greek θέρος (theros) meaning "summer", from Greek θερίζω (therizo) meaning "to harvest", or from the name of the Greek island of Therasia (the western island of Santorini).... [more]
Therese f German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, English
German and Scandinavian variant of Theresa.
Thomasina f English
Medieval feminine form of Thomas.
Tia f English
Short form of names ending with tia. It has been suggested that its use since the 1950s is the result of the brand name for the coffee liqueur Tia Maria. In the brand name, Tia is not a given name; rather, it means "aunt" in Spanish or Portuguese.
Tiana f English
Short form of Tatiana or Christiana. It was rare in the United States until it jumped in popularity in 1975, perhaps due to the Vietnamese-American actress Tiana Alexandra (1956-), who had some exposure at that time. It was used as the name of the princess in the Disney movie The Princess and the Frog (2009).
Tiara f English (Modern)
From the English word for a semicircle crown, ultimately of Greek origin.
Tibby f & m English
Diminutive of Tabitha or Theobald.
Tiffani f English
Variant of Tiffany.
Tiffany f English
Medieval form of Theophania. This name was traditionally given to girls born on the Epiphany (January 6), the festival commemorating the visit of the Magi to the infant Jesus. The name died out after the Middle Ages, but it was revived by the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), the title of which refers to the Tiffany's jewelry store in New York.
Tigerlily f English (Rare)
From tiger lily, a name that has been applied to several orange varieties of lily (such as the species Lilium lancifolium). Tiger Lily is also the name of the Native American princess in J. M. Barrie's play Peter Pan (1904).
Tilda f English, Swedish, Finnish
Short form of Matilda.
Tillie f English
Diminutive of Matilda.
Tilly f English
Diminutive of Matilda.
Timotha f English (Rare)
Feminine form of Timothy.
Tina f English, Italian, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, German, Slovene, Croatian, Macedonian, Georgian
Short form of Christina, Martina and other names ending in tina. In addition to these names, it is also used in Dutch as a short form of Catharina, in Swedish and Croatian as a short form of Katarina, and in Georgian as a short form of Tinatin. A famous bearer is the American musician Tina Turner (1939-2023), born Anna Mae Bullock.
Titty f English
Diminutive of Letitia. This is now a slang word for the female breast, and the name has subsequently dropped out of common use.
Toby m & f English
Medieval form of Tobias. It was sometimes used as a feminine name in the 1930s and 40s due to the influence of American actress Toby Wing (1915-2001).
Tommie m & f English
Diminutive of Thomas, sometimes used as a feminine form.
Toni 2 f English
Short form of Antonia and other related names.
Tonia f English
Variant of Tonya.
Tonya f English, Russian
English diminutive of Antonia or a Russian diminutive of Antonina. In the English-speaking world its use has likely been positively influenced by the name Tanya.
Topaz f English (Rare)
From the English word for the yellow precious stone, the traditional birthstone of November, ultimately derived from Greek τόπαζος (topazos).