Browse Names (page 4) - Behind the Name

Wambli m & f Sioux
From Lakota waŋblí meaning "eagle".

Wanangwa m & f Tumbuka
Means "freedom" in Tumbuka.

Wangchuk m & f Tibetan, Bhutanese
Means "mighty" in Tibetan, from དབང (dbang) meaning "power" and ཕྱུག (phyug) meaning "wealthy, possessing". This is the Tibetan name for the god Shiva.

Wayan m & f Balinese
From Balinese wayah meaning "old, mature", ultimately from Sanskrit वयस् (vayas) meaning "energy, strength, age". This name is traditionally given to the first-born child.

Wei m & f Chinese
From 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.

Wen m & f Chinese
From 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).

Wendel m & f Dutch (Rare), German (Rare), Portuguese (Brazilian)
Old short form of Germanic names beginning with the element wentil meaning "a Vandal". The Vandals were a Germanic tribe who invaded Spain and North Africa in the 5th century. Their tribal name, which may mean "wanderer", has often been confused with that of the Wends, a Slavic people living between the Elbe and the Oder.... [more]

Wil m & f English, Dutch
Short form of William and other names beginning with Wil.

Willie m & f English
Masculine or feminine diminutive of William. Notable bearers include the retired American baseball player Willie Mays (1931-) and the musician Willie Nelson (1933-).

Willoughby m & f English (Rare)
From a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "willow town" in Old English.

Willy m & f English, German, Dutch
Diminutive of William, Wilhelm or Willem. It is both masculine and feminine in Dutch.

Wilmot m & f Medieval English
Medieval diminutive and feminine form of William.

Win m & f Burmese
Means "bright, radiant, brilliant" in Burmese.

Windsor m & f English (Rare)
From an English surname that was from a place name meaning "riverbank with a windlass" in Old English (a windlass is a lifting apparatus). This has been the surname of the royal family of the United Kingdom since 1917.

Winslow m & f English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from an Old English place name meaning "hill belonging to Wine". A famous bearer of this name was American painter Winslow Homer (1836-1910).

Wongani m & f Chewa
Means "be thankful" in Chewa.

Wu m & f Chinese
From 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.

Wynne 1 m & f Welsh
Variant of Wyn, sometimes used as a feminine form.

Wynne 2 m & f English (Rare)
From an English surname that was derived from the given name Wine.

Xia m & f Chinese
From Chinese 夏 (xià) meaning "summer, great, grand", 霞 (xiá) meaning "rosy clouds", or other characters that are pronounced similarly.

Xiang m & f Chinese
From 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 Chinese
From Chinese 鑫 (xīn) meaning "wealthy, prosperous" or 新 (xīn) meaning "fresh, new", as well as other characters that are pronounced similarly.

Xinyi m & f Chinese
From Chinese 欣 (xīn) meaning "happy, joyous, delighted" or 心 (xīn) meaning "heart, mind, soul" combined with 怡 (yí) meaning "joy, harmony". This name can also be formed from other character combinations.

Xuân m & f Vietnamese
From Sino-Vietnamese 春 (xuân) meaning "spring (season)".

Xun m & f Chinese
From Chinese 勋 (xūn) meaning "meritorious deed, rank" or 迅 (xùn) meaning "fast, sudden", as well as other characters with a similar pronunciation.

Yafe m & f Hebrew
Variant and masculine form of Yafa.

Yaffe m & f Hebrew
Alternate transcription of Hebrew יָפֶה (see Yafe).

Yamikani m & f Chewa
Means "be grateful, praise" in Chewa.

Yancy m & f English
From a surname, which was an Americanized form of the Dutch surname Jansen meaning "Jan 1's son".

Yang m & f Chinese
From 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.

Yanick m & f Breton, French
Diminutive of Yann or Yanna 2.

Yannic m & f Breton
Diminutive of Yann or Yanna 2.

Yannick m & f Breton, French
Diminutive of Yann or Yanna 2.

Yannig m & f Breton
Diminutive of Yann or Yanna 2.

Yarden m & f Hebrew
Hebrew form of Jordan.

Yijun m & f Chinese
From Chinese 怡 (yí) meaning "joy, harmony" combined with 君 (jūn) meaning "king, ruler". This name can also be formed from other character combinations.

Yona m & f Hebrew, Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew form of Jonah. It is a unisex name in modern Hebrew.

Yonah m & f Hebrew
Alternate transcription of Hebrew יוֹנָה (see Yona).

Yong m & f Chinese, Korean
From 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.

Yoshi m & f Japanese
From Japanese 吉 (yoshi) meaning "good luck", 義 (yoshi) meaning "righteous", or 良 (yoshi) meaning "good, virtuous, respectable", as well as other kanji with the same reading.

Yū m & f Japanese
From 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 Chinese
From 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.

Yūki m & f Japanese
From Japanese 優 (yū) meaning "excellence, superiority, gentleness" or 悠 (yū) meaning "permanence" combined with 希 (ki) meaning "hope", 輝 (ki) meaning "brightness" or 生 (ki) meaning "living". Other combinations of kanji can form this name as well.

Yuraq m & f Quechua
Means "white" in Quechua.

Yuu m & f Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 優 or 悠 or 勇 (see Yū).

Yuuki m & f Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 優希 or 悠希 or 優輝 or 悠生 (see Yūki).

Yuval m & f Hebrew, Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew form of Jubal. It is used as both a masculine and feminine name in modern Hebrew.

Zedong m & f Chinese
From Chinese 泽 (zé) meaning "moist, grace, brilliance" combined with 东 (dōng) meaning "east", as well as other character combinations. A notable bearer was the founder of the People's Republic of China, Mao Zedong (1893-1976).

Zheng m & f Chinese
From 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 Chinese
From Chinese 志 (zhì) meaning "will, purpose, ambition" or 智 (zhì) meaning "wisdom, intellect", as well as other characters that are pronounced similarly.

Zhihao m & f Chinese
From Chinese 志 (zhì) meaning "will, purpose, ambition" or 智 (zhì) meaning "wisdom, intellect" combined with 豪 (háo) meaning "brave, heroic, chivalrous". Many other character combinations are possible.

Zhong m & f Chinese
From Chinese 中 (zhōng) meaning "middle" or 忠 (zhōng) meaning "loyalty, devotion". Other characters can form this name as well.

Zhou m & f Chinese
From Chinese 舟 (zhōu) meaning "boat, ship", in addition to other characters that are pronounced similarly.

Zhyrgal m & f Kyrgyz
Alternate transcription of Kyrgyz Жыргал (see Jyrgal).

Zikomo m & f Chewa
Means "thank you, greeting" in Chewa.

Ziv m & f Hebrew
Means "bright, radiant" in Hebrew. This was the ancient name of the second month of the Jewish calendar.

Zohar m & f Hebrew
Means "light, brilliance" in Hebrew.

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