Browse Names

This is a list of names in which the length is 4; and the community's impression is good.
gender
usage
length
impression
Meja f Swedish (Modern)
Possibly from a Low German diminutive of names beginning with the Old German element megin meaning "power, strength". It was popularized by the Swedish singer Meja (1969-), born Anna Pernilla Torndahl.
Mele f Hawaiian, Tongan, Samoan
Means "song" in Hawaiian. This is also the Hawaiian, Tongan and Samoan form of Mary.
Meri 1 f Finnish
Means "sea" in Finnish.
Mert m Turkish
Means "manly, brave" in Turkish, from Persian مرد (mard) meaning "man".
Meta f German, Danish, Swedish, Slovene
German, Scandinavian and Slovene short form of Margaret.
Mica f English
Short form of Michaela.
Miha m Slovene
Short form of Mihael.
Miho 2 f Japanese
From Japanese (mi) meaning "beautiful" and (ho) meaning "grain" or (ho) meaning "protect, maintain". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
Miia f Finnish
Finnish form of Mia.
Mika 2 f Japanese
From Japanese (mi) meaning "beautiful" combined with (ka) meaning "fragrance" or (ka) meaning "increase". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
Miki f Japanese
From Japanese (mi) meaning "beautiful" and (ki) meaning "chronicle". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Miko m Finnish
Variant of Mikko.
Miku f Japanese
From Japanese (mi) meaning "beautiful" combined with (ku) meaning "sky" or (ku) meaning "long time". It can also come from a nanori reading of 未来 (mirai) meaning "future". Other kanji combinations are possible as well.
Mila f Serbian, Croatian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Slovene, Ukrainian, Russian
From the Slavic element milŭ meaning "gracious, dear", originally a short form of names containing that element.
Milo m English, Germanic
Old German form of Miles, as well as the Latinized form. This form was revived as an English name in the 19th century.
Mina 1 f English, Dutch
Short form of Wilhelmina and other names ending in mina. This was the name of a character in the novel Dracula (1897) by Bram Stoker.
Mina 2 f Hindi, Marathi, Tamil
From Sanskrit मीन (mīna) meaning "fish", which in Hindu astrology is the name of a sign of the zodiac.
Mina 3 f Persian
Means "azure, enamel" in Persian.
Minh m & f Vietnamese
From Sino-Vietnamese (minh) meaning "bright". This was an adopted name of the communist revolutionary Hồ Chí Minh (1890-1969).
Mira 1 f Hindi, Marathi, Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada
From Sanskrit मीर (mīra) meaning "sea, ocean". This was the name of a 16th-century Indian princess who devoted her life to the god Krishna.
Mira 2 f Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Macedonian, Polish
Short form of Miroslava and other names beginning with Mir (often the Slavic element mirŭ meaning "peace, world").
Miri f Hebrew
Hebrew diminutive of Miriam.
Miro m Croatian, Slovene
Short form of Miroslav and other names beginning with Mir (often the Slavic element mirŭ meaning "peace, world").
Míša f Czech
Diminutive of Michaela.
Miša m & f Serbian, Slovene
Serbian diminutive of Mihailo, Miroslav and other names beginning with a similar sound. In Slovenia it is typically feminine.
Miyu f Japanese
From Japanese (mi) meaning "beautiful" or (mi) meaning "fruit, good result, truth" combined with (yu) meaning "excellence, superiority, gentleness" or (yu) meaning "tie, bind" or (yu) meaning "evening". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Momi f Hawaiian
Means "pearl" in Hawaiian.
Mona 1 f Irish, English
Anglicized form of Muadhnait. It is also associated with Greek monos "one" and Leonardo da Vinci's painting the Mona Lisa (in which case it is a contraction of Italian ma donna meaning "my lady").
Mona 2 f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
Scandinavian short form of Monica.
Mona 3 f Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic منى (see Muna).
Mosi f & m Swahili
Means "first (child)" in Swahili.
Muir m Scottish
From a Scottish surname, derived from Scots muir meaning "moor, fen". This name could also be inspired by Scottish Gaelic muir meaning "sea".
Muna f Arabic
Means "wishes, desires", from the plural form of Munya.
Myla f English (Modern)
Possibly a feminine form of Miles, influenced by similar-sounding names such as Kyla.
Myra f English
Created by the 17th-century poet Fulke Greville. He possibly based it on Latin myrra meaning "myrrh" (a fragrant resin obtained from a tree). Otherwise, he may have simply rearranged the letters from the name Mary. Although unrelated etymologically, this is also the name of an ancient city of Anatolia.
Naia f Basque
Means "wave, sea foam" in Basque.
Naja f Greenlandic, Danish
From Greenlandic najaa meaning "his younger sister". It was popularized in Denmark by the writer B. S. Ingemann, who used it in his novel Kunnuk and Naja, or the Greenlanders (1842).
Nala 1 m Hinduism
Means "stem" in Sanskrit. This is the name of a king of the Nishadha people in the Hindu epic the Mahabharata.
Nala 2 f Popular Culture
The name of a lion in the animated movie The Lion King (1994). Though many sources claim it means "gift" or "beloved" in Swahili, it does not appear to have a meaning in that language.
Nani f Hawaiian
Means "beauty, glory" in Hawaiian.
Nari f Korean
Means "lily" in Korean.
Nate m English
Short form of Nathan or Nathaniel.
Nava f Hebrew
Means "beautiful" in Hebrew.
Navy f & m English (Modern)
From the English word meaning "sea force, fleet, armed forces of the sea". It is derived from Old French navie, from Latin navigia, the plural of navigium "boat, vessel". It also refers to a shade of dark blue, a colour traditionally associated with naval uniforms.
Naya f African American (Modern)
Variant of Nia 2, probably modelled on Maya 2. It was borne by the actress Naya Rivera (1987-2020).
Neda 2 f Persian
Persian form of Nida.
Neha f Hindi, Marathi, Malayalam, Kannada, Punjabi, Gujarati, Bengali, Telugu
Possibly from Sanskrit स्नेह (sneha) meaning "love, tenderness".
Neil m Irish, Scottish, English
From the Irish name Niall, which is of disputed origin, possibly connected to the old Celtic root *nītu- "fury, passion" or the (possibly related) Old Irish word nia "hero". A derivation from Old Irish nél "cloud" has also been suggested. This was the name of a few early Irish kings, notably Niall of the Nine Hostages, a semi-legendary high king of the 4th or 5th century.... [more]
Nell f English
Medieval diminutive of names beginning with El, such as Eleanor, Ellen 1 or Helen. It may have arisen from the medieval affectionate phrase mine El, which was later reinterpreted as my Nel.
Neon m Ancient Greek
Derived from Greek νέος (neos) meaning "new".
Nero 1 m Ancient Roman
Roman cognomen, which was probably of Sabine origin meaning "strong, vigorous". It was used by a prominent branch of the gens Claudia starting from the 3rd century BC. It was borne most famously by a Roman emperor of the 1st century, remembered as a tyrant. His birth name was Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, but after he was adopted as the heir of Claudius his name became Nero Claudius Caesar Drusus Germanicus.
Nero 2 m Italian
Short form of Raniero. It also coincides with the Italian word nero meaning "black".
Neva f English
Short form of Geneva. This is also the name of a river in Russia.
Neve f Irish
Anglicized form of Niamh.
Ngọc f & m Vietnamese
From Sino-Vietnamese (ngọc) meaning "jade, precious stone, gem".
Nick m English, Dutch
Short form of Nicholas. It is borne by the comic character Nick Bottom in Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream (1595).
Nico m Italian, Dutch, German, Spanish, Portuguese
Short form of Nicholas (or sometimes Nicodemus).
Nida f Arabic, Turkish, Urdu
Means "call, proclamation" in Arabic, a derivative of نادى (nādā) meaning "to call, to announce, to invite".
Nika 1 f & m Russian
Russian short form of Veronika and other names ending in nika. It can also be a short form of Nikita 1 (masculine).
Nika 2 f Slovene, Croatian
Feminine form of Nikola 1.
Nike f Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek
Means "victory" in Greek. Nike was the Greek goddess of victory.
Niki 1 f Greek
Modern Greek form of Nike.
Niki 2 f English
Diminutive of Nicole.
Niko m Finnish, Croatian, Slovene, Georgian, German
Finnish form of Nicholas, as well as a Croatian, Slovene, Georgian and German short form.
Nila f Tamil, Hindi, Indonesian, Burmese
From Sanskrit नील (nīla) meaning "dark blue".
Nilo m Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
Italian, Spanish and Portuguese form of Neilos (and also of the Nile River).
Nils m Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
Scandinavian form of Nicholas.
Nima 1 f & m Arabic
Means "blessing" in Arabic.
Nima 2 m Persian
Persian name of uncertain meaning, possibly "just, fair" or "half moon".
Nina 1 f Russian, Italian, English, German, French, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Lithuanian, Dutch, Polish, Slovene, Czech, Slovak, Croatian, Serbian, Bulgarian, Ukrainian, Belarusian
Short form of names that end in nina, such as Antonina or Giannina. It was imported to Western Europe from Russia and Italy in the 19th century. This name also nearly coincides with the Spanish word niña meaning "little girl" (the word is pronounced differently than the name).... [more]
Nina 2 f Quechua, Aymara
Means "fire" in Quechua and Aymara.
Ning f & m Chinese
From Chinese (níng) meaning "peaceful, calm, serene", as well as other characters pronounced in a similar way.
Nino 1 m Italian
Short form of Giannino, Antonino and other names ending in nino.
Nino 2 f Georgian
Meaning unknown, possibly from a Greek feminine form of Ninos. Saint Nino (sometimes called Nina) was a Greek-speaking woman from Asia Minor who introduced Christianity to Georgia in the 4th century.
Nisa f Turkish, Indonesian
From Arabic نساء (nisāʾ) meaning "women". This is the name of the fourth chapter of the Quran (surah an-Nisa).
Nita 2 f Choctaw
Means "bear" in Choctaw.
Njål m Norwegian
Norwegian form of Njáll.
Noam m & f Hebrew, French
Means "pleasantness" in Hebrew. A famous bearer is Noam Chomsky (1928-), an American linguist and philosopher.
Noël m French
Means "Christmas" in French. In the Middle Ages it was used for children born on the holiday. A famous bearer was the English playwright and composer Noël Coward (1899-1973).
Noel m & f English
English form of Noël or Noëlle (rarely). It was fairly popular in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand in the middle of the 20th century. It is occasionally written with a diaeresis, like in French. A famous bearer is British musician Noel Gallagher (1967-).
Nola f English
Meaning uncertain, possibly a feminine form of Noll inspired by Lola. It has been most common in Australia and New Zealand, especially in the first half of the 20th century.
Noor 1 f & m Arabic, Urdu, Bengali, Malay, Indonesian
Alternate transcription of Arabic/Urdu نور or Bengali নূর (see Nur), as well as a Malay and Indonesian variant.
Noor 2 f Dutch
Dutch short form of Eleonora.
Nóra f Hungarian, Irish
Hungarian and Irish Gaelic form of Nora 1.
Nora 1 f English, Irish, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Latvian, German, Dutch, Italian, Spanish
Short form of Honora or Eleanor. Henrik Ibsen used it for a character in his play A Doll's House (1879).
Nora 2 f Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic نورة or نورا (see Nura).
Nori m Japanese
From Japanese (nori) meaning "ceremony, rites" or other kanji that are pronounced the same way.
Nour f & m Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic نور (see Nur).
Nova f English, Swedish (Modern), Dutch (Modern)
Derived from Latin novus meaning "new". It was first used as a name in the 19th century.
Noya f Hebrew
Derived from Hebrew נוֹי (noi) meaning "beauty, ornament".
Nuan f Chinese
From Chinese (nuǎn) meaning "warm, genial" or other characters with a similar pronunciation.
Nuha 1 f Arabic
Means "mind, wisdom" in Arabic.
Nuno m Portuguese, Medieval Portuguese
Medieval Portuguese and Spanish name, possibly from Latin nonus "ninth" or nunnus "grandfather". Saint Nuno was a 14th-century Portuguese general who defeated a Castilian invasion.
Nura f Arabic
Strictly feminine form of Nur.
Nyah f English (Modern)
Meaning unknown, possibly a variant of Nia 2 or Nia 3. This name briefly entered the American popularity charts after it was featured in the movie Mission: Impossible 2 (2000).
Odin m Norse Mythology, English (Modern)
Anglicized form of Old Norse Óðinn, which was derived from óðr meaning "inspiration, rage, frenzy". It ultimately developed from Proto-Germanic *Wōdanaz. The name appears as Woden in Anglo-Saxon sources (for example, as the founder of several royal lineages in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle) and in forms such as Wuotan, Wotan or Wodan in continental Europe, though he is best known from Norse sources.... [more]
Olav m Norwegian, Danish
Variant of Olaf.
Oles m Ukrainian
Short form of Oleksandr or Oleksiy.
Olle m Swedish
Swedish diminutive of Olaf or Oliver.
Omar 1 m Arabic, Bosnian, Kazakh, Malay, English, Spanish, Italian
Alternate transcription of Arabic عمر (see Umar). This is the usual English spelling of the name of the 12th-century poet Umar Khayyam. In his honour it has sometimes been used in the English-speaking world, notably for the American general Omar Bradley (1893-1981).
Ömer m Turkish
Turkish form of Umar.
Omid m & f Persian
Means "hope" in Persian.
Onni m Finnish
Means "happiness, luck" in Finnish.
Onyx m & f English
From the English word for the gemstone (a variety of chalcedony), which can be black, red or other colours. It is derived from Greek ὄνυξ (onyx) meaning "claw, nail".
Oona f Irish, Finnish
Anglicized form of Úna, as well as a Finnish form.
Opal f English
From the English word opal for the iridescent gemstone, the birthstone of October. The word ultimately derives from Sanskrit उपल (upala) meaning "jewel".
Oran m Irish
Anglicized form of Odhrán.
Orel m Hebrew
Means "light of God" in Hebrew.
Oren m Hebrew
Means "pine tree" in Hebrew.
Orla 1 f Irish
Anglicized form of Órlaith.
Orli f Hebrew
Means "light for me" in Hebrew.
Otso m Finnish
Means "bear" in Finnish.
Otto m German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, Germanic
Later German form of Audo, originally a short form of various names beginning with Old Frankish aud or Old High German ot meaning "wealth, fortune". This was the name of a 9th-century king of the West Franks (name usually spelled as Odo). This was also the name of four kings of Germany, starting in the 10th century with Otto I, the first Holy Roman Emperor, known as Otto the Great. Saint Otto of Bamberg was a 12th-century missionary to Pomerania. The name was also borne by a 19th-century king of Greece, originally from Bavaria. Another notable bearer was the German chancellor Otto von Bismarck (1815-1898).
Ovid m History
From the Roman family name Ovidius, which was possibly derived from Latin ovis "a sheep". Alternatively, it could have a Sabellic origin. Publius Ovidius Naso, better known as Ovid, was a 1st-century BC Roman poet who is best known as the author of the Metamorphoses. He was sent into exile on the coast of the Black Sea by Emperor Augustus for no apparent reason.
Owen 1 m Welsh, English
Anglicized form of Owain.
Owen 2 m Irish
Anglicized form of Eoghan.
Öykü f Turkish
Means "story" in Turkish.
Ozzy m English
Variant of Ozzie.
Pari f Persian
Means "fairy" in Persian.
Paul m English, French, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Estonian, Romanian, Biblical
From the Roman family name Paulus, which meant "small" or "humble" in Latin. Paul was an important leader of the early Christian church. According to Acts in the New Testament, he was a Jewish Roman citizen who converted to Christianity after the resurrected Jesus appeared to him. After this he travelled the eastern Mediterranean as a missionary. His original Hebrew name was Saul. Many of the epistles in the New Testament were authored by him.... [more]
Pema m & f Tibetan, Bhutanese
Tibetan form of Padma.
Peri f Turkish
Turkish form of Pari.
Prem m Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Nepali
From Sanskrit प्रेम (prema) meaning "love, affection".
Radu m Romanian
Old Romanian diminutive of Slavic names beginning with the element radŭ meaning "happy, willing". Radu Negru was the semi-legendary founder of Wallachia in the 13th century.
Rafe m English
Variant of Ralph. This form became common during the 17th century, reflecting the usual pronunciation.
Rain 1 f & m English (Rare)
Simply from the English word rain, derived from Old English regn.
Rain 2 m Estonian
Variant of Rein.
Rais m Arabic
Means "leader, chief" in Arabic.
Raja 2 m Urdu, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Hindi, Marathi, Indonesian
Means "king, ruler", from Sanskrit राजन् (rājan).
Rana 1 f Arabic
Means "to gaze, to look intently" in Arabic.
Rani 2 m & f Hebrew
From Hebrew רַן (ran) meaning "to sing".
Rasa f Lithuanian, Latvian
Means "dew" in Lithuanian and Latvian.
Raúl m Spanish
Spanish form of Radulf (see Ralph).
Raul m Portuguese, Italian, Romanian, Estonian
Portuguese, Italian, Romanian and Estonian form of Radulf (see Ralph).
Ravi m Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi, Odia, Gujarati, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Bengali, Nepali
Means "sun" in Sanskrit. Ravi is a Hindu god of the sun, sometimes equated with Surya. A famous bearer was the musician Ravi Shankar (1920-2012).
Raya f Bulgarian, Russian
Diminutive of Rayna 1 or Raisa 1.
Raza m Urdu
Urdu form of Rida.
Reed m English
From an English surname that was derived from Old English read meaning "red", originally a nickname given to a person with red hair or a ruddy complexion. Unconnected, this is also the English word for tall grass-like plants that grow in marshes.
Reem f Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic ريم (see Rim).
Reid m English
From a surname, a Scots variant of Reed.
Rein m Frisian, Dutch, Estonian
Originally a short form of Germanic names beginning with the element regin meaning "advice, counsel, decision" (Proto-Germanic *raginą).
Réka f Hungarian
Hungarian form of Kreka.
Remo m Italian
Italian form of Remus.
Rémy m French
French form of the Latin name Remigius, which was derived from Latin remigis "oarsman, rower". Saint Rémy was a 5th-century bishop who converted and baptized Clovis, king of the Franks.
Rena f English
Latinate feminine form of René.
Rene m & f English
English form of René or Renée.
René m French, German, Dutch, Spanish, Slovak, Czech
French form of Renatus. Famous bearers include the French mathematician and rationalist philosopher René Descartes (1596-1650) and the Belgian surrealist painter René Magritte (1898-1967).
Reva f Hinduism, Hindi
Means "one that moves" in Sanskrit. This is another name of the Hindu goddess Rati.
Reza m Persian, Indonesian, Bengali
Persian, Indonesian and Bengali form of Rida.
Rhea f Greek Mythology, Roman Mythology
Meaning unknown, perhaps related to ῥέω (rheo) meaning "to flow" or ἔρα (era) meaning "ground". In Greek mythology Rhea was a Titan, the wife of Cronus, and the mother of the Olympian gods Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Hera, Demeter and Hestia. Also, in Roman mythology a woman named Rhea Silvia was the mother of Romulus and Remus, the legendary founders of Rome.
Rhys m Welsh, English
From Old Welsh Ris, probably meaning "ardour, enthusiasm". Several Welsh rulers have borne this name, including the 12th-century Rhys ap Gruffydd who fought against the invading Normans.
Rian m Irish, Old Irish, English
Irish form of Ryan, as well as an English variant.
Rico m Spanish, Italian
Short form of Ricardo, Enrico and other names ending in rico.
Rien 1 m Dutch
Dutch cognate of Rein.
Rika f Swedish, Dutch
Short form of Fredrika, Henrika and other names ending in rika.
Riko f Japanese
From Japanese (ri) meaning "white jasmine" or (ri) meaning "reason, logic" combined with (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Riku 2 m Japanese
From Japanese (riku) meaning "land" or different kanji that are pronounced the same way.
Rina 1 f Italian, Dutch
Short form of Caterina or Catharina as well as other names ending in rina.
Rina 3 f Hindi, Marathi
From Sanskrit रीण (rīṇa) meaning "melted".
Rina 4 f Japanese
From Japanese (ri) meaning "white jasmine" or (ri) meaning "village" combined with (na), a phonetic character, or (na) meaning "vegetables, greens". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Riva f Hebrew
Diminutive of Rivka.
Riya f Hindi, Marathi, Bengali
Means "singer" in Sanskrit.
Roan m Frisian
Originally a short form of names beginning with the Old German element hraban meaning "raven".
Roel m Dutch
Short form of Roeland or Roelof.
Roko m Croatian
Croatian form of Rocco.
Rolf m German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, English
From the Old German name Hrolf (or its Old Norse cognate Hrólfr), a contracted form of Hrodulf (see Rudolf). The Normans introduced this name to England but it soon became rare. In the modern era it has occasionally been used in the English-speaking world as a German import.
Roma 1 m Russian
Diminutive of Roman.
Romi f Hebrew
Means "my height, my exaltation" in Hebrew.
Romy f German, Dutch, French, English
Diminutive of Rosemarie, Rosemary, and names beginning with Rom.
Roni 1 f & m Hebrew
Means "my joy" or "my song" in Hebrew.
Rory m & f Irish, Scottish, English
Anglicized form of Ruaidhrí. Typically a masculine name, it gained some popularity for girls in the United States after it was used on the television series Gilmore Girls (2000-2007), in this case as a nickname for Lorelai. Despite this, the name has grown more common for boys in America, especially after 2011, perhaps due to Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy (1989-).
Rosa 1 f Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Catalan, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Finnish, Dutch, German, English
Generally this can be considered to be from Latin rosa meaning "rose", though originally it may have come from the unrelated Germanic name Roza 2. This was the name of a 13th-century saint from Viterbo in Italy. In the English-speaking world it was first used in the 19th century. Famous bearers include the Polish-German revolutionary Rosa Luxemburg (1871-1919) and the American civil rights activist Rosa Parks (1913-2005).
Rose f English, French
Originally a Norman French form of the Germanic name Hrodohaidis meaning "famous type", composed of the elements hruod "fame" and heit "kind, sort, type". The Normans introduced it to England in the forms Roese and Rohese. From an early date it was associated with the word for the fragrant flower rose (derived from Latin rosa). When the name was revived in the 19th century, it was probably with the flower in mind.
Ross m Scottish, English
From a Scottish and English surname that originally indicated a person from a place called Ross (such as the region of Ross in northern Scotland), derived from Gaelic ros meaning "promontory, headland". A famous bearer of the surname was James Clark Ross (1800-1862), an Antarctic explorer.
Roxy f English
Diminutive of Roxana.
Ruba f Arabic
Means "hill" in Arabic.
Ruby f English
Simply from the name of the precious stone (which ultimately derives from Latin ruber "red"), which is the traditional birthstone of July. It came into use as a given name in the 16th century.
Rudy m English
Diminutive of Rudolf.
Rúna f Old Norse, Icelandic, Faroese
Old Norse, Icelandic and Faroese feminine form of Rune.
Runa f Norwegian, Danish, Swedish
Feminine form of Rune.
Rune m Norwegian, Danish, Swedish
Derived from Old Norse rún meaning "secret lore, rune".
Rūta f Lithuanian, Latvian
Means "rue" in Lithuanian, the rue plant being a bitter medicinal herb that is a national symbol of Lithuania. This is also the Lithuanian form of Ruth 1.
Ruta f Polish, Latvian
Polish and Latvian form of Ruth 1.
Rute f Portuguese
Portuguese form of Ruth 1.
Ruth 1 f English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Estonian, Spanish, Biblical, Biblical Latin
From the Hebrew name רוּת (Ruṯ), probably derived from the word רְעוּת (reʿuṯ) meaning "female friend". This is the name of the central character in the Book of Ruth in the Old Testament. She was a Moabite woman who accompanied her mother-in-law Naomi back to Bethlehem after Ruth's husband died. There she met and married Boaz. She was an ancestor of King David.... [more]
Ruya f Arabic
Means "vision, sight" in Arabic, a derivative of رأى (raʾā) meaning "to see, to perceive".
Ryan m English
From a common Irish surname, the Anglicized form of Ó Riain. This patronymic derives from the given name Rian, which is of uncertain meaning. It is traditionally said to mean "little king", from Irish "king" combined with a diminutive suffix.... [more]
Ryou m Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji or or or (see Ryō).
Ryuu m Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji or (see Ryū).
Saad m Arabic, Malay
Alternate transcription of Arabic سعد (see Sa'd), as well as the usual Malay form.
Safa m & f Persian, Turkish, Arabic
Persian and Turkish form of Safaa or Safaa', as well as an alternate Arabic transcription of either of those names.
Safi m Arabic
Means "pure" in Arabic, derived from صفا (ṣafā) meaning "to be clear, to be pure".
Saga f Norse Mythology, Swedish, Icelandic
From Old Norse Sága, possibly meaning "seeing one", derived from sjá "to see". This is the name of a Norse goddess, possibly connected to Frigg. As a Swedish and Icelandic name, it is also derived from the unrelated word saga "story, fairy tale, saga".
Sage f & m English (Modern)
From the English word sage, which denotes either a type of spice or else a wise person.
Saki f Japanese
From Japanese (sa) meaning "blossom" and (ki) meaning "hope", besides other combinations of kanji characters.
Sami 1 m Finnish
Finnish diminutive of Samuel.
Sami 2 m Arabic, Turkish, Albanian
Means "elevated, sublime, supreme" in Arabic, from the root سما (samā) meaning "to be high".
Samo m Slovene, History
Meaning uncertain. This was the name of a 7th-century ruler of the Slavs, who established a kingdom including parts of modern Slovenia, Austria, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic. He was possibly of Frankish origin.
Sana f Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic سناء (see Sanaa).
Sans m Medieval Spanish
Old variant of Sancho.
Sari 1 f Finnish
Finnish variant of Saara.
Saša m & f Croatian, Serbian, Slovene
Croatian, Serbian and Slovene diminutive of Aleksander or Aleksandra.
Sati f Hinduism
From Sanskrit सत् (sat) meaning "true, virtuous". This is the name of a Hindu goddess, the first wife of Shiva. A daughter of King Daksha, she threw herself onto a fire when her husband was insulted by her father. After her death she was eventually reborn as the goddess Parvati.
Satu f Finnish
Means "fairy tale, fable" in Finnish.
Saúl m Spanish
Spanish form of Saul.
Saul m Biblical, Jewish, Biblical Latin
From the Hebrew name שָׁאוּל (Shaʾul) meaning "asked for, prayed for". This was the name of the first king of Israel, as told in the Old Testament. Before the end of his reign he lost favour with God, and after a defeat by the Philistines he was succeeded by David as king. In the New Testament, Saul was the original Hebrew name of the apostle Paul.
Sava m Serbian, Bulgarian, Ukrainian
Serbian, Bulgarian and Ukrainian form of Sabas.
Seán m Irish
Irish form of John, derived via the Old French form Jehan.
Sean m Irish, English
Anglicized form of Seán. This name name, along with variants Shawn and Shaun, began to be be used in the English-speaking world outside of Ireland around the middle of the 20th century.
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.
Sera f English (Rare)
Either a variant of Sarah or a short form of Seraphina.
Seth 1 m English, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
From the Hebrew name שֵׁת (Sheṯ) meaning "placed, set". In the Old Testament he is the third named son of Adam and Eve, and the ancestor of Noah and all humankind. In England this name came into use after the Protestant Reformation.
Seth 2 m Egyptian Mythology (Hellenized)
From Σήθ (Seth), the Greek form of Egyptian swtẖ or stẖ (reconstructed as Sutekh), which is of unknown meaning. Seth was the Egyptian god of chaos and the desert, the slayer of Osiris. Osiris's son Horus eventually defeats Seth and has him banished to the desert.
Shae f & m English (Modern)
Variant of Shea.
Shai m & f Hebrew
Either from Hebrew שַׁי (shai) meaning "gift" or else a Hebrew diminutive of Isaiah.
Shay 1 m & f Irish
Anglicized form of Séaghdha, sometimes used as a feminine name.
Shay 2 m & f Hebrew
Alternate transcription of Hebrew שַׁי (see Shai).
Shea m & f Irish
Anglicized form of Séaghdha, sometimes used as a feminine name.
Shin m Japanese
From Japanese (shin) meaning "real, genuine" or other kanji with the same pronunciation.
Shou m Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji or or (see Shō).
Shui m & f Chinese
From Chinese (shuǐ) meaning "water", as well as other characters pronounced in a similar way.
Shun 2 f & m Japanese
From Japanese 駿 (shun) meaning "fast", (shun) meaning "talented", or other kanji that are pronounced the same way.
Sıla f Turkish
Means "reunion, arrival" in Turkish.
Sini f Finnish
Means "blue" in Finnish. More specifically, sini is a poetic term for the colour blue.
Siri f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
Short form of Sigrid.
Sisu m Finnish
Means "willpower, determination, strength" in Finnish.
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.
Sole f Italian
Means "sun" in Italian.
Soma 1 m Hungarian
From Hungarian som meaning "dogwood, cornel tree".
Soňa f Czech, Slovak
Czech and Slovak form of Sonya.
Sona 1 f Hindi
Means "gold" in Hindi, derived from Sanskrit सुवर्ण (suvarṇa) meaning literally "good colour".
Sora f & m Japanese
From Japanese (sora) or (sora) both meaning "sky". Other kanji with the same pronunciations can also form this name.
Soso m Georgian
Diminutive of Ioseb.
Sota m Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 颯太 (see Sōta).
Star f English
From the English word for the celestial body, ultimately from Old English steorra.
Suha f Arabic
Means "forgotten, overlooked" in Arabic. Al-Suha (also called Alcor) is the name of a star in the constellation Ursa Major.
Sulo m Finnish
Means "charm, grace" in Finnish.
Suvi f Finnish
Means "summer" in Finnish.
Suzu f Japanese
From Japanese (suzu) meaning "bell" or other kanji having the same pronunciation.
Svea f Swedish
From a personification of the country of Sweden, in use since the 17th century. It is a derivative of Svear, the Swedish name for the North Germanic tribe the Swedes. The Swedish name of the country of Sweden is Sverige, a newer form of Svear rike meaning "the realm of the Svear".
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.
Tage m Danish, Swedish
From the medieval Danish byname Taki, derived from Old Norse taka meaning "to take, to capture".
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).
Tali f Hebrew
Means "my dew" in Hebrew.
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.
Tanu f Hindi
Means "slender" in Sanskrit.
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 name also appears in the epic the Ramayana belonging to the wife of Vali and, after his death, his younger brother Sugriva. In Buddhist belief this is the name of a bodhisattva associated with salvation and protection.
Taru f Finnish
Means "legend, myth" in Finnish. It is also used as a diminutive of Tarja.
Teja f Slovene
Short form of Doroteja or Mateja 1.
Tena f Croatian
Diminutive of Terezija.
Tero m Finnish
Either a Finnish form of Terentius or a short form of Antero.
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).
Thảo f & m Vietnamese
From Sino-Vietnamese (thảo) meaning "grass, herbs".
Thea f German, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, English
Short form of Dorothea, Theodora, Theresa and other names with a similar sound.
Théo m French
Short form of Théodore.
Þór m Icelandic
Icelandic form of Þórr (see Thor).
Thor m Norse Mythology, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish
From 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.
Tiên f Vietnamese
From Sino-Vietnamese (tiên) meaning "immortal, transcendent, celestial being, fairy".
Till m German
From 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.
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).
Tony m English
Short form of Anthony. Famous bearers include singer Tony Bennett (1926-2023) and skateboarder Tony Hawk (1968-). It is also the real name of the comic book superhero Iron Man (Tony Stark), created 1963, and two antihero criminal characters: Tony Montana from the movie Scarface (1983) and Tony Soprano from the television series The Sopranos (1999-2007).
Tora f Swedish, Norwegian
Modern form of Þóra.
Tori f English
Diminutive of Victoria.
Tōru m Japanese
From Japanese (tōru) meaning "pierce, penetrate", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations with the same pronunciation.
Tova 1 f Hebrew
Means "good" in Hebrew.
Tova 2 f Swedish
Swedish variant of Tove.
Tove f Norwegian, Danish, Swedish
Modern form of the Old Norse name Tófa, a short form of Þórfríðr.
Trey m English
From an English nickname meaning "three".
Troy m English
Originally 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.
Trym m Norse Mythology, Norwegian
From Old Norse Þrymr meaning "noise, uproar". In Norse mythology he was a king of the giants who stole Mjölnir, Thor's hammer. Trym demanded that he wed the beautiful Freya in exchange for it, so Thor disguised himself in a wedding dress and killed the giant.
Tuva f Swedish, Norwegian
Swedish and Norwegian variant of Tove.
Tyra f Swedish, English, African American
From the Old Norse name Þýri, a variant of the Norse names Þórví or Þórveig. Use of the name in the English-speaking world (especially among African Americans) may be in part from the Swedish name, though it is probably also viewed as a feminine form of Tyrone or Tyree. A famous bearer is the American model and actress Tyra Banks (1973-).
Uğur m Turkish, Azerbaijani
Means "luck, fortune" in Turkish and Azerbaijani.
Ursa f Late Roman
Feminine form of Ursus. This is the name of two constellations in the northern sky: Ursa Major and Ursa Minor.
Vale f English (Rare)
From the English word meaning "wide river valley".
Varg m Norwegian (Rare), Swedish (Rare)
Means "wolf" in Old Norse.
Vayu m Hinduism
Means "air, wind" in Sanskrit. This is the name of the Vedic Hindu god of the air and wind. In the Ramayana he is the father of Hanuman, while in the Mahabharata he is the father of Bhima.
Veda f Telugu, Kannada
Means "knowledge" in Sanskrit.
Vega 2 f Astronomy
The name of a star in the constellation Lyra. Its name is from Arabic الواقع (al-Wāqiʿ) meaning "the swooping (eagle)".
Vera 1 f Russian, English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, Hungarian, Slovene, Serbian, Croatian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Belarusian, Georgian
Means "faith" in Russian, though it is sometimes associated with the Latin word verus "true". It has been in general use in the English-speaking world since the late 19th century.
Vesa 1 m Finnish
Means "sprout, young tree" in Finnish.
Vina f Indonesian
From Sanskrit वीणा (vīṇā) meaning "lute".
Vinh m & f Vietnamese
From Sino-Vietnamese (vinh) meaning "glory".
Vira f Ukrainian
Ukrainian cognate of Vera 1.
Vita 2 f Ukrainian, Belarusian
Ukrainian and Belarusian short form of Viktoriya.
Vito 1 m Italian, Spanish
Italian and Spanish form of Vitus. A notable fictional bearer is Vito Corleone from The Godfather novel (1969) and movie (1972).
Vivi f Danish, Swedish, Norwegian
Scandinavian diminutive of names beginning with Vi, as well as Olivia and Sofia.
Vlad m Romanian, Russian, Ukrainian
Old 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.
Will m English
Short form of William and other names beginning with Will. A famous bearer is American actor Will Smith (1968-), whose full name is Willard.
Wren f English (Modern)
From the English word for the small songbird. It is ultimately derived from Old English wrenna.
Wulf m German
Variant of Wolf.
Wynn m Welsh
Variant of Wyn.
Xavi m Catalan
Catalan diminutive of Xavier.
Xeno f Ancient Greek
Feminine form of Xenon.
Xián m Galician
From Xulián, the Galician form of Julian.