Sjra m LimburgishLimburgish form of
Gerard. Its spelling has been influenced by the French pronunciation of Gérard.
Sky f & m English (Modern)Simply from the English word
sky, which was ultimately derived from Old Norse
ský "cloud".
Sly m EnglishShort form of
Sylvester. The actor Sylvester Stallone (1946-) is a well-known bearer of this nickname.
Smith m EnglishFrom an English surname meaning
"metal worker, blacksmith", derived from Old English
smitan "to smite, to hit". It is the most common surname in most of the English-speaking world.
Sok m & f KhmerMeans
"healthy, peaceful, happy, pleasant" in Khmer, ultimately from Sanskrit
सुख (sukha).
Spike m EnglishFrom a nickname that may have originally been given to a person with spiky hair.
Spock m Popular CultureThe 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).
Sri m & f Telugu, Tamil, IndonesianIndonesian and southern Indian form of
Shri. It is sometimes a short form of longer names containing this element.
Stan 1 m EnglishShort form of
Stanley. A famous bearer was British comedian Stan Laurel (1890-1965).
Steve m EnglishShort form of
Steven. A notable bearer was American technology entrepreneur Steve Jobs (1955-2011).
Su 2 f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
素 (sù) meaning "plain, simple" or
肃 (sù) meaning "respectful", besides other characters pronounced in a similar way.
Suk m KoreanAlternate transcription of Korean Hangul
석 (see
Seok).
Sun f & m KoreanAlternate transcription of Korean Hangul
선 (see
Seon).
Tadhg m Irish, Irish MythologyFrom 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.
Tai m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
太 (tài) meaning "very, extreme" or other characters pronounced in a similar way.
Tao m ChineseFrom Chinese
涛 (tāo) meaning "large waves", as well as other characters with a similar pronunciation.
Tate m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from the Old English given name
Tata.
Teague m IrishAnglicized form of
Tadhg. This name is also used as a slang term for an Irish Catholic.
Ted m EnglishShort form of
Edward or
Theodore. A famous bearer was the American baseball player Ted Williams (1918-2002), who was born as Theodore.
Tex m EnglishFrom a nickname denoting a person who came from the state of Texas. A famous bearer was the American animator Tex Avery (1908-1980), real name Frederick, who was born in Texas.
Thane m English (Rare)From the Scottish and English noble title, which was originally from Old English
thegn.
Thor m Norse Mythology, Norwegian, Danish, SwedishFrom the Old Norse
Þórr meaning
"thunder", ultimately from Proto-Germanic *
Þunraz. In Norse mythology Thor is a god of storms, thunder, war and strength, a son of
Odin. He is portrayed as red-bearded, short-tempered, armed with a powerful hammer called Mjölnir, and wearing an enchanted belt called Megingjörð that doubles his strength. During Ragnarök, the final battle at the end of the world, it is foretold that Thor will slay the monstrous sea serpent
Jörmungandr but be fatally poisoned by its venom.
Till m GermanFrom
Tielo, a medieval Low German diminutive of
Dietrich and other names beginning with Old High German
diota or Old Frankish
þeoda meaning "people". Till Eulenspiegel is a trickster in German folklore.
Todd m EnglishFrom an English surname meaning
"fox", derived from Middle English
todde. As a given name it was rare before 1930. It peaked in popularity in most parts of the English-speaking world in the 1960s or 70s, but it has since declined.
Tom 1 m English, Dutch, German, Norwegian, Danish, SwedishShort form of
Thomas. Tom Sawyer is the main character in several of Mark Twain's novels, first appearing in
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876). Other famous bearers include American actors Tom Hanks (1956-) and Tom Cruise (1962-), as well as American football player Tom Brady (1977-).
Tor m Norwegian, SwedishModern Scandinavian form of
Þórr (see
Thor). It was not used as a personal name until the 18th century. It is sometimes used as a short form of names of Old Norse origin that begin with the element
Tor, which is also a derivative of
Þórr.
Trent m EnglishFrom an English surname that originally denoted someone who lived by the River
Trent. A famous bearer is the American musician Trent Reznor (1965-).
... [more] Trey m EnglishFrom an English nickname meaning
"three".
Tri m & f IndonesianMeans
"three, third" in Indonesian, ultimately from Sanskrit
त्रि (tri).
Tripp m English (Modern)From a surname derived from Middle English
trippen "to dance". It could also be inspired by the English word
trip "journey, stumble".
Troy m EnglishOriginally from a surname that denoted a person from the city of Troyes in France. It is now more likely used in reference to the ancient city of Troy that was besieged by the Greeks in
Homer's
Iliad. The city's name, from Greek
Τροία (Troia), is said to derive from its mythical founder
Τρώς (Tros), but is more likely of Luwian or Hittite origin. This name was popularized in the 1960s by the actor Troy Donahue (1936-2001), who took his stage name from that of the ancient city.
Tu m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
图 (tú) meaning "chart, map" or other characters with similar pronunciations.
Tú m & f VietnameseFrom Sino-Vietnamese
秀 (tú) meaning
"luxuriant, beautiful, elegant, outstanding".
Tye m EnglishFrom a surname meaning
"pasture" in Middle English.
Urs m German (Swiss)German form of the Latin name
Ursus, which meant
"bear". Saint Ursus was a 3rd-century soldier in the Theban Legion who was martyred with Saint Victor. He is the patron saint of Solothurn in Switzerland.
Văn m VietnameseFrom Sino-Vietnamese
文 (văn) meaning
"literature, culture, writing". This is a common middle name for Vietnamese boys.
Vance m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from Old English
fenn meaning
"marsh, fen".
Vaughan m Welsh, EnglishFrom a Welsh surname that was derived from
bychan (mutated to
fychan) meaning
"little".
Vlad m Romanian, Russian, UkrainianOld short form of
Vladislav and other names beginning with the Slavic element
volděti (Church Slavic
vladati) meaning
"to rule, to control". This name was borne by several princes of Wallachia (in Romania) including the 15th-century Vlad III Dracula, who was Bram Stoker's inspiration for the name of his vampire Count
Dracula.
Walt m EnglishShort form of
Walter. A famous bearer was the American animator and filmmaker Walt Disney (1901-1966).
Ward 1 m EnglishFrom an occupational surname for a watchman, derived from Old English
weard "guard".
Wayne m EnglishFrom an occupational surname meaning
"wagon maker", derived from Old English
wægn "wagon". Use of it as a given name can be partly attributed to the popularity of the actor John Wayne (1907-1979). Another famous bearer is Canadian hockey player Wayne Gretzky (1961-), generally considered the greatest player in the history of the sport.
Wei m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
威 (wēi) meaning "power, pomp",
巍 (wēi) meaning "high, lofty, towering" or
伟 (wěi) meaning "great, robust, extraordinary". As a feminine name it can come from
微 (wēi) meaning "small" or
薇 (wēi) meaning "fern". This name can be formed by other Chinese characters besides those shown here.
Wells m EnglishFrom an English surname that originally denoted a person who lived near a well or spring, from Middle English
wille.
Wen m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
文 (wén) meaning "literature, culture, writing", as well as other characters with a similar pronunciation. A famous bearer was the 2nd-century BC Emperor Wen of Han (posthumous name).
Will m EnglishShort form of
William and other names beginning with
Will. A famous bearer is American actor Will Smith (1968-), whose full name is Willard.
Wilt m EnglishShort form of
Wilton. This name was borne by basketball player Wilt Chamberlain (1936-1999).
Win m & f BurmeseMeans
"bright, radiant, brilliant" in Burmese.
Wolfe m English (Rare)Variant of
Wolf, influenced by the spelling of the surname (which is also derived from the animal).
Wright m EnglishFrom an occupational surname meaning
"craftsman", ultimately from Old English
wyrhta. Famous bearers of the surname were the Wright brothers (Wilbur 1867-1912 and Orville 1871-1948), the inventors of the first successful airplane, and Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959), an American architect.
Wu m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
武 (wǔ) meaning "military, martial" (which is generally only masculine) or
务 (wù) meaning "affairs, business", as well as other characters that are pronounced similarly. This was the name of several Chinese rulers, including the 2nd-century BC emperor Wu of Han (a posthumous name, spelled
武) who expanded the empire and made Confucianism the state philosophy.
Wyn m WelshDerived from Welsh
gwyn meaning
"white, blessed".
Xia m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
夏 (xià) meaning "summer, great, grand",
霞 (xiá) meaning "rosy clouds", or other characters that are pronounced similarly.
Xiang m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
翔 (xiáng) meaning "soar, glide",
祥 (xiáng) meaning "good luck, good omen",
香 (xiāng) meaning "fragrant" (which is usually only feminine) or
湘 (xiāng), which refers to the Xiang River in southern China. This name can also be formed from other characters.
Xin m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
鑫 (xīn) meaning "wealthy, prosperous" or
新 (xīn) meaning "fresh, new", as well as other characters that are pronounced similarly.
Xue f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
雪 (xuě) meaning "snow" or
学 (xué) meaning "study, learning, school", besides other characters pronounced similarly.
Xun m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
勋 (xūn) meaning "meritorious deed, rank" or
迅 (xùn) meaning "fast, sudden", as well as other characters with a similar pronunciation.
Yale m English (Rare)From a Welsh surname, which was itself derived from a place name meaning
"fertile upland" (from Welsh
ial).
Yan 2 f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
艳 (yàn) meaning "beautiful, gorgeous" (which is usually only feminine) or
岩 (yán) meaning "cliff, rocks", as well as other Chinese characters pronounced in a similar fashion.
Yang m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
洋 (yáng) meaning "ocean" or
阳 (yáng) meaning "light, sun, male" (which is typically only masculine), as well as other Chinese characters pronounced similarly.
Yeong f & m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
英 (yeong) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero", as well as other hanja characters that are pronounced similarly. It usually occurs in combination with another character, though it is sometimes used as a stand-alone name. This name was borne by Jang Yeong-sil (where
Jang is the surname), a 15th-century Korean scientist and inventor.
Yi f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
宜 (yí) meaning "suitable, proper",
毅 (yì) meaning "resolute, decisive, firm",
义 (yì) meaning "justice, righteousness",
益 (yì) meaning "profit, benefit",
怡 (yí) meaning "joy, harmony" (which is usually only feminine) or
仪 (yí) meaning "ceremony, rites" (also usually feminine). Other characters can also form this name.
Yin f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
银 (yín) meaning "silver, money",
音 (yīn) meaning "sound, tone" or
荫 (yīn) meaning "shade, shelter, protect", as well as other Chinese characters pronounced similarly.
Ying f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
英 (yīng) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero",
颖 (yǐng) meaning "clever", or
影 (yǐng) meaning "image, shadow", as well as other characters that are pronounced similarly.
Yong m & f Chinese, KoreanFrom Chinese
勇 (yǒng) meaning "brave" or
永 (yǒng) meaning "perpetual, eternal". This can also be a single-character Korean name, for example from the hanja
勇 meaning "brave". It can be formed by other characters besides those listed here.
York m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from York, the name of a city in northern England. The city name was originally
Eburacon, Latinized as
Eboracum, meaning "yew" in Brythonic. In the Anglo-Saxon period it was corrupted to
Eoforwic, as if from Old English
eofor "boar" and
wic "village". This was rendered as
Jórvík by the Vikings and eventually reduced to
York.
Yu f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
玉 (yù) meaning "jade, precious stone, gem",
愉 (yú) meaning "pleasant, delightful" or
雨 (yǔ) meaning "rain". Other characters can form this name as well.
Yū m & f JapaneseFrom Japanese
優 (yū) meaning "excellence, superiority, gentleness",
悠 (yū) meaning "permanence",
勇 (yū) meaning "brave", or other kanji that are pronounced the same way.
Yuan m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
元 (yuán) meaning "first, origin",
原 (yuán) meaning "source, origin", or
媛 (yuàn) meaning "beautiful woman" (which is usually only feminine). Other characters are also possible.
Yue f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
越 (yuè) meaning "cross, surpass", also referring to the Yue people, or
月 (yuè) meaning "moon". Other characters can form this name as well.
Yun f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
云 (yún) meaning "cloud" or
允 (yǔn) meaning "allow, consent", as well as other Chinese characters that are pronounced in a similar way.
Yuu m & f JapaneseAlternate transcription of Japanese Kanji
優 or
悠 or
勇 (see
Yū).
Yves m FrenchMedieval French form of
Ivo 1. This was the name of two French saints: an 11th-century bishop of Chartres and a 13th-century parish priest and lawyer, also known as Ivo of Kermartin, the patron saint of Brittany.
Zan f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
赞 (zàn) meaning "help, support", as well as other characters with a similar pronunciation.
Zane 1 m EnglishFrom an English surname of unknown meaning. It was introduced as a given name by American author Zane Grey (1872-1939). Zane was in fact his middle name — it had been his mother's maiden name.
Zayd m ArabicMeans
"growth" in Arabic, derived from
زاد (zāda) meaning "to grow, to increase". This was the name of a slave who became the adopted son of the Prophet
Muhammad.
Zayn m ArabicMeans
"beauty, grace" in Arabic. This was the name of a son of
Husayn ibn Ali. Shia Muslims consider him to be the fourth imam.
... [more] Zeus m Greek MythologyThe name of a Greek god, related to the old Indo-European god *
Dyēws, from the root *
dyew- meaning
"sky" or
"shine". In Greek mythology he was the highest of the gods. After he and his siblings defeated the Titans, Zeus ruled over the earth and humankind from atop Mount Olympus. He had control over the weather and his weapon was a thunderbolt.
... [more] Zhen f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
珍 (zhēn) meaning "precious, rare",
真 (zhēn) meaning "real, genuine",
贞 (zhēn) meaning "virtuous, chaste, loyal", or other Chinese characters that are pronounced similarly.
Zheng m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
正 (zhèng) meaning "right, proper, correct" or
政 (zhèng) meaning "government", as well as other hanja characters with a similar pronunciation.
Zhi m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
志 (zhì) meaning "will, purpose, ambition" or
智 (zhì) meaning "wisdom, intellect", as well as other characters that are pronounced similarly.
Zhong m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
中 (zhōng) meaning "middle" or
忠 (zhōng) meaning "loyalty, devotion". Other characters can form this name as well.
Zhou m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
舟 (zhōu) meaning "boat, ship", in addition to other characters that are pronounced similarly.