Browse Names

This is a list of names in which the length is 8; and the community's impression is complex.
gender
usage
length
impression
Ragnhild f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
From the Old Norse name Ragnhildr, composed of the elements regin "advice, counsel" and hildr "battle" (a cognate of Reinhild).
Ragnvald m Norwegian, Swedish
Modern Scandinavian form of Ragnvaldr.
Raibeart m Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic form of Robert.
Ráichéal f Irish
Irish form of Rachel.
Raimonda f Italian
Italian feminine form of Raymond.
Raimondo m Italian
Italian form of Raymond.
Raimunde f German (Rare)
German feminine form of Raymond.
Raimundo m Spanish, Portuguese
Spanish and Portuguese form of Raymond.
Rainerio m Spanish (Rare)
Spanish form of Rayner.
Ramesses m Ancient Egyptian (Anglicized)
From Ῥαμέσσης (Rhamesses), the Greek form of Egyptian rꜥ-ms-sw meaning "born of Ra", composed of the name of the supreme god Ra combined with the root msj "be born". Ramesses was the name of eleven Egyptian pharaohs of the New Kingdom. The most important of these were Ramesses II the Great who campaigned against the Hittites and also built several great monuments (13th century BC), and Ramesses III who defended Egypt from the Libyans and Sea Peoples (12th century BC).
Randolph m English
Variant of Randolf. This spelling was adopted in the 18th century.
Randúlfr m Old Norse
Old Norse form of Randolf.
Raphaela f German
Feminine form of Raphael.
Rathnait f Irish (Rare)
Derived from Old Irish rath "grace, prosperity" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of an early Irish saint.
Ráðúlfr m Old Norse
Derived from the Norse elements ráð meaning "counsel, advice" and ulfr meaning "wolf".
Ravinder m & f Indian (Sikh)
Variant of Ravindra used by Sikhs.
Rehoboam m Biblical
From the Hebrew name רֵחַבְעָם (Reḥavʿam) meaning "he enlarges the people", from רָחַב (raḥav) meaning "to enlarge" and עַם (ʿam) meaning "people, nation". In the Old Testament this is the name of a son of Solomon. He succeeded his father as king of Israel, but his subjects eventually revolted because of high taxes. This resulted in the division of the kingdom into Israel and Judah, with Rehoboam ruling Judah.
Reinaldo m Portuguese, Spanish
Portuguese and Spanish form of Reynold.
Reinhard m German, Germanic
German cognate of Reynard.
Reinhild f German
From the Germanic name Raginhild, which was composed of the elements regin "advice, counsel, decision" and hilt "battle". This was the name of a 7th-century Frankish saint who was martyred by the Huns. It is a cognate of the Norse name Ragnhild.
Reinhold m German, Germanic
German form of Reynold.
Reynaldo m Spanish, Portuguese
Spanish and Portuguese form of Reynold.
Rhiannon f Welsh, English, Welsh Mythology
Probably derived from an unattested Celtic name *Rīgantonā meaning "great queen" (Celtic *rīganī "queen" and the divine or augmentative suffix -on). It is speculated that Rigantona was an old Celtic goddess, perhaps associated with fertility and horses like the Gaulish Epona. As Rhiannon, she appears in Welsh legend in the Mabinogi as a beautiful magical woman who rides a white horse. She was betrothed against her will to Gwawl, but cunningly broke off that engagement and married Pwyll instead. Their son was Pryderi.... [more]
Rhisiart m Welsh
Welsh form of Richard.
Risteárd m Irish
Irish form of Richard.
Robrecht m Dutch (Rare)
Older Dutch form of Robert, still sometimes used in Belgium.
Rodolphe m French
French form of Rudolf.
Roibeárd m Irish
Irish form of Robert.
Rosamund f English (Rare)
Derived from the Old German elements hros "horse" and munt "protection". This name was borne by the wife of the Lombard king Alboin in the 6th century. The Normans introduced it to England. It was subsequently interpreted as coming from Latin rosa munda "pure rose" or rosa mundi "rose of the world". This was the name of the mistress of Henry II, the king of England in the 12th century. According to legends she was murdered by his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine.
Roswitha f German
Derived from the Old German elements hruod "fame" and swind "strong". This was the name of a 10th-century nun from Saxony who wrote several notable poems and dramas.
Roxelana f History
From a Turkish nickname meaning "Ruthenian". This referred to the region of Ruthenia, covering Belarus, Ukraine and western Russia. Roxelana (1504-1558), also called Hürrem, was a slave and then concubine of Süleyman the Magnificent, sultan of the Ottoman Empire. She eventually became his wife and produced his heir, Selim II.
Rozabela f Esperanto
Means "rosy-beautiful" in Esperanto, ultimately from Latin rosa "rose" and bella "beautiful".
Rozalija f Lithuanian, Slovene, Croatian, Macedonian
Form of Rosalia in several languages.
Ruaidhrí m Irish
From Old Irish Ruaidrí meaning "red king", from rúad "red" combined with "king". This was the name of the last high king of Ireland, reigning in the 12th century.
Ruairidh m Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic form of Ruaidhrí.
Ruaraidh m Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic form of Ruaidhrí.
Ruggiero m Italian, Carolingian Cycle
Italian form of Roger. This is the name of a Saracen knight in the epic poems Orlando Innamorato (1483) by Matteo Maria Boiardo and Orlando Furioso (1532) by Ludovico Ariosto, as well as several operas based on the poems. In the tales Ruggiero is a noble opponent of Orlando who falls in love with the female knight Bradamante.
Ruxandra f Romanian
Romanian form of Roxana.
Ryouichi m Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 良一 or 亮一 (see Ryōichi).
Sabriyya f Arabic
Feminine form of Sabri.
Sachairi m Scottish Gaelic (Rare)
Scottish Gaelic form of Zacharias.
Sapphira f Biblical
From the Greek name Σαπφείρη (Sappheire), which was from Greek σάπφειρος (sappheiros) meaning "sapphire" or "lapis lazuli" (ultimately derived from the Hebrew word סַפִּיר (sappir)). Sapphira is a character in Acts in the New Testament who is killed by God for lying.
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).
Sarpedon m Greek Mythology
Meaning unknown. In Greek legend Sarpedon was the son of Zeus and Laodamia, and the king of the Lycians. He was one of the chief warriors who fought against the Greeks in defence of Troy, but he was killed by Patroclus. Another Sarpedon was the son of Zeus and Europa.
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).
Scorpius m Astronomy
From a Latin variant of Scorpio. This is the name of a zodiacal constellation said to have the shape of a scorpion. According to Greek and Roman legend it was the monster that was sent to kill Orion.
Séarlait f Irish
Irish form of Charlotte.
Sechnall m Old Irish
Old Irish form of Seachnall.
Ségolène f French
From the Germanic name Sigilina, itself a diminutive derivative of the element sigu meaning "victory" (Proto-Germanic *segiz). This was the name of a 7th-century saint from Albi, France.
Seleucus m Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Latinized form of the Greek name Σέλευκος (Seleukos), of unknown meaning. It is possibly related to λευκός (leukos) meaning "bright, white". This was the name of one of Alexander the Great's generals, who established the Seleucid Empire in western Asia after Alexander's death.
Seong-Jin m Korean
From Sino-Korean (seong) meaning "completed, finished, succeeded" or (seong) meaning "star, planet" combined with (jin) meaning "town, marketplace" or (jin) meaning "shake, tremor, excite". Other hanja character combinations are also possible.
Seong-Min m Korean
From Sino-Korean (seong) meaning "completed, finished, succeeded" or (seong) meaning "nature, character, sex" combined with (min) meaning "quick, clever, sharp" or (min) meaning "quick, clever, sharp". Many other hanja character combinations are possible.
Seòsaidh m Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic form of Josey.
Septimus m Ancient Roman
Roman praenomen, or given name, which meant "seventh" in Latin.
Sequoyah m Cherokee
Probably derived from Cherokee ᏏᏆ (siqua) meaning "hog". This was the name of the Cherokee man (also known as George Guess) who devised the Cherokee writing system in the 19th century.
Serafeim m Greek
Alternate transcription of Greek Σεραφείμ (see Serafim).
Serafima f Russian
Russian form of Seraphina.
Serafina f Italian, Spanish, Portuguese (Rare)
Italian, Spanish and Portuguese form of Seraphina.
Serafino m Italian
Italian form of Seraphinus (see Seraphina).
Séraphin m French
French form of Seraphinus (see Seraphina).
Sergiusz m Polish
Polish form of Sergius.
Setiawan m Indonesian
From Indonesian setia meaning "loyal, true", ultimately from Sanskrit सत्य (satya), combined with the masculine suffix -wan.
Settimio m Italian
Italian form of Septimius.
Shafaqat m & f Arabic
Means "compassion, pity" in Arabic, a derivative of شفق (shafaqa) meaning "to pity, to sympathize".
Shahriar m Persian
Alternate transcription of Persian شهریار (see Shahriyar).
Shahrokh m Persian
Means "royal face" in Persian, from شاه (shāh) meaning "king" and رخ (rokh) meaning "face". This was the name of a 15th-century ruler of the Timurid Empire (a son of Timur).
Shahrzad f Persian
Alternate transcription of Persian شهرزاد (see Shahrazad).
Shandiin f & m Navajo
From Navajo sháńdíín meaning "sunshine".
Shankara m Hinduism
Derived from the Sanskrit elements शम् (śam) meaning "auspicious, lucky" and कर (kara) meaning "maker". This is another name of the Hindu gods Rudra or Shiva. This was also the name of a 9th-century Indian religious philosopher also known as Shankaracharya.
Shantanu m Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali
Means "wholesome" in Sanskrit. In the Hindu epic the Mahabharata this is the name of a king of Hastinapura.
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.
Shekinah f Various
From the Hebrew word שׁכִינה (sheḵina) meaning "God's manifested glory" or "God's presence". This word does not appear in the Bible, but later Jewish scholars used it to refer to the dwelling place of God, especially the Temple in Jerusalem.
Shemaiah m Biblical
Means "heard by Yahweh" in Hebrew, from שָׁמַע (shamaʿ) meaning "to hear" and יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. This name is borne by many characters in the Old Testament including a prophet in the reign of Rehoboam.
Sherlock m Literature
Used by Scottish author Arthur Conan Doyle for his character Sherlock Holmes, who was a detective in Doyle's mystery stories beginning in 1887. The character's name was from an English surname meaning "shear lock", originally referring to a person with closely cut hair.
Shichiro m Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 七郎 (see Shichirō).
Shiphrah f Biblical
Means "beautiful" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of one of the midwives (the other being Puah) who disobeys the Pharaoh's order to kill any Hebrew boys they deliver.
Shokufeh f Persian
Alternate transcription of Persian شکوفه (see Shokoufeh).
Shoshana f Hebrew
Modern Hebrew form of Susanna.
Shulamit f Hebrew
Modern Hebrew form of Shulammite.
Sidonius m Late Roman
Latin name meaning "of Sidon". Sidon was an ancient Phoenician city corresponding to modern-day Saida in Lebanon. This name was borne by the 5th-century saint Sidonius Apollinaris, a 5th-century bishop of Clermont.
Sieghard m German
Derived from the Old German elements sigu "victory" and hart "hard, firm, brave, hardy".
Sieghild f German (Rare)
Derived from the Old German elements sigu "victory" and hilt "battle".
Siegmund m German
German variant of Sigmund.
Sigifrid m Germanic
Old German form of Siegfried.
Sigilind f Germanic
Old German form of Sieglinde.
Sigimund m Germanic
Old German form of Sigmund.
Sigiwald m Germanic
Derived from the Old German elements sigu "victory" and walt "power, authority".
Sigríðr f Old Norse
Old Norse form of Sigrid.
Silvestr m Czech, Russian (Rare)
Czech and Russian form of Silvester.
Simisola f Yoruba
Means "rest in wealth" in Yoruba.
Sítheach m Medieval Irish
Means "peaceful" or "fairy-like" in Irish, from Old Irish síd. Alternatively, it could be from sídach "wolf".
Sławomir m Polish
Derived from the Slavic elements slava "glory" and mirŭ "peace, world". This name (Slavomir) was borne by 9th-century rulers of the Obotrites and the Moravians.
Snezhana f Russian, Bulgarian, Macedonian
Russian and Bulgarian form of Snježana, as well as an alternate transcription of Macedonian Снежана (see Snežana).
Snježana f Croatian, Serbian
Derived from the Serbo-Croatian word snežan meaning "snowy".
Solomiya f Ukrainian
Ukrainian form of Salome.
Somerled m Old Norse (Anglicized)
Anglicized form of the Old Norse name Sumarliði meaning "summer traveller". This was the name of a 12th-century Norse-Gaelic king of Mann and the Scottish Isles.
Sotirios m Greek
Derived from Greek σωτήρ (sotir) meaning "saviour, deliverer", referring to Jesus, or σωτηρία (sotiria) meaning "salvation, deliverance".
Spiridon m Greek, Serbian (Rare), Croatian (Rare)
Serbian and Croatian form of Spyridon, as well as an alternate transcription of the Greek name.
Stamatis m Greek
Variant of Stamatios.
Stanimir m Bulgarian, Serbian
Derived from the Slavic elements stati "stand, become" (in an inflected form) and mirŭ "peace, world".
Ștefania f Romanian
Romanian feminine form of Ștefan (see Stephen).
Steliana f Romanian
Romanian feminine form of Stylianos.
Štěpánka f Czech
Czech feminine form of Stephen.
Steponas m Lithuanian
Lithuanian form of Stephen.
Stígandr m Old Norse
Means "wanderer" in Old Norse.
Styliani f Greek
Feminine form of Stylianos.
Sulayman m Arabic, Kyrgyz
Arabic form of Solomon. It appears in the Quran.
Suleiman m History
Westernized form of Süleyman.
Süleyman m Turkish, Azerbaijani
Turkish form of Solomon. Süleyman the Magnificent was a sultan of the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century. He expanded Ottoman territory into Europe and Persia, reformed the government, and completed several great building projects.
Sulisław m Polish (Archaic)
Derived from Slavic sulěi meaning "better" or "promise" combined with slava meaning "glory".
Svanhild f Norwegian, Norse Mythology
From Old Norse svanr "swan" and hildr "battle", a Scandinavian cognate of Swanhild. In the Norse epic the Völsungasaga she is the daughter of Sigurd and Gudrun.
Světlana f Czech
Czech form of Svetlana.
Svetlana f Russian, Slovak, Bulgarian, Serbian, Macedonian, Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Armenian, Georgian
Derived from Russian свет (svet) meaning "light, world". It was popularized by the poem Svetlana (1813) by the poet Vasily Zhukovsky. It is sometimes used as a translation of Photine.
Svitlana f Ukrainian
Ukrainian form of Svetlana.
Swanhild f German (Rare)
Derived from the Old German elements swan "swan" and hilt "battle". Swanhild (or Swanachild) was the second wife of the Frankish ruler Charles Martel in the 8th century.
Swiðhun m Anglo-Saxon
Old English form of Swithin.
Sylvaine f French
French feminine form of Silvanus.
Sylviane f French
Variant of Sylvaine.
Symphony f English (Rare)
Simply from the English word, ultimately deriving from Greek σύμφωνος (symphonos) meaning "concordant in sound".
Syntyche f Biblical, Biblical Greek, Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek name derived from συντυχία (syntychia) meaning "occurrence, event". This is the name of a woman mentioned in Paul's epistle to the Philippians in the New Testament.
Szabolcs m Hungarian
Meaning unknown, possibly from a Slavic word meaning "marten". It was borne by a leader of the Magyars at the time of Árpád. This is now the name of a region in Hungary.
Szczepan m Polish
Polish form of Stephen.
Szczęsny m Polish (Archaic)
Means "lucky, successful, happy" in Polish, a vernacular form of Felix.
Tajddigt f Berber
Means "flower" in Tamazight.
Takehiko m Japanese
From Japanese (take) meaning "military, martial" or (take) meaning "bamboo" combined with (hiko) meaning "boy, prince". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
Taliesin m Welsh, Welsh Mythology
Means "shining brow", derived from Welsh tal "brow, head" and iesin "shining, radiant". This was the name of a semi-legendary 6th-century Welsh poet and bard, supposedly the author of the collection of poems the Book of Taliesin. He appears briefly in the Welsh legend Culhwch and Olwen and the Second Branch of the Mabinogi. He is the central character in the Tale of Taliesin, a medieval legend recorded in the 16th century, which tells how Ceridwen's servant Gwion Bach was reborn to her as Taliesin; how he becomes the bard for Elffin; and how Taliesin defends Elffin from the machinations of the king Maelgwn Gwynedd.
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.
Tancredi m Italian
Italian form of Tancred appearing in the epic poem Jerusalem Delivered (1580) by Torquato Tasso. The tale was adapted by Gioachino Rossini for his opera Tancredi (1813).
Tancredo m Portuguese (Rare), Spanish (Rare)
Portuguese and Spanish form of Tancred.
Tangaroa m Polynesian Mythology
Meaning unknown. In Polynesian mythology he was the god of the sea, the son of Rangi and Papa. He separated his parents' embrace, creating the earth and the sky.
Teàrlach m Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic form of Toirdhealbhach. It is sometimes Anglicized as Charles.
Tecumseh m Shawnee
Means "panther passing across" in Shawnee. This name was borne by the Shawnee leader Tecumseh (1768-1813), who resisted American expansion along with his brother the spiritual leader Tenskwatawa.
Teodosio m Italian, Spanish
Italian and Spanish form of Theodosius.
Terezija f Slovene, Croatian
Slovene and Croatian form of Theresa.
Terminus m Roman Mythology
Means "limit, boundary, end" in Latin. This was the name of the Roman god of boundaries.
Tewodros m Amharic
Amharic form of Theodore.
Thaddeus m English, Biblical, Biblical Latin
From Θαδδαῖος (Thaddaios), the Greek form of the Aramaic name תַדַּי (Ṯaddai). It is possibly derived from Aramaic תַּד (taḏ) meaning "heart, breast", but it may in fact be an Aramaic form of a Greek name such as Θεόδωρος (see Theodore). In the Gospel of Matthew, Thaddaeus is listed as one of the twelve apostles, though elsewhere in the New Testament his name is omitted and Jude's appears instead. It is likely that the two names refer to the same person.
Thanasis m Greek
Modern Greek short form of Athanasios.
Thanatos m Greek Mythology
Means "death" in Greek. This was the name of the Greek god of death who resided with Hades in the underworld.
Thandiwe f Xhosa, Zulu, Ndebele
Means "loving one" in Xhosa, Zulu and Ndebele, from thanda "to love".
Theobald m English (Rare), Germanic
Means "bold people", derived from the Old German elements theod meaning "people" (Old High German diota, Old Frankish þeoda) and bald meaning "bold, brave". It was borne by a 6th-century Frankish king of Austrasia. The Normans brought the name to England, where it joined an existing Old English cognate. The medieval forms Tibald and Tebald were commonly Latinized as Theobaldus. It was rare by the 20th century.
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.
Therapon m Late Greek
Means "servant" or "worshipper" in Greek.
Therasia f Late Roman
Earliest recorded form of Theresa.
Thibault m French
French form of Theobald.
Thorburn m English (Rare)
From a Scottish and English surname that was derived from the Norse name Þórbjǫrn (see Torbjörn).
Thracius m Ancient Roman
From a Roman name meaning "of Thracia". Thracia was a region in southeastern Europe, now divided between Greece, Bulgaria and Turkey.
Thurayya f Arabic
Means "the Pleiades" in Arabic. The Pleiades are a group of stars in the constellation Taurus.
Thurstan m English (Rare)
From an English surname that was derived from the Norse name Þórsteinn (see Torsten).
Thutmose m Ancient Egyptian (Anglicized)
From Τούθμωσις (Touthmosis), the Greek form of Egyptian ḏḥwtj-ms meaning "born of Thoth", itself composed of the name of the Egyptian god Thoth combined with msj "be born". Thutmose was the name of four Egyptian pharaohs of the New Kingdom, including Thutmose III who conquered Syria and Nubia in the 15th century BC.
Tiarnach m Irish (Rare)
Modern Irish form of Tighearnach.
Tiberius m Ancient Roman
Roman praenomen, or given name, meaning "of the Tiber" in Latin. The Tiber is the river that runs through Rome. Tiberius was the second Roman emperor, the stepson of Emperor Augustus. He was born Tiberius Claudius Nero, but was renamed Tiberius Julius Caesar after he was designated as the heir of Augustus.
Tiburcio m Spanish
Spanish form of the Roman cognomen Tiburtius meaning "of Tibur". Tibur (now called Tivoli) was a resort town near Rome. Saint Tiburtius was a 3rd-century martyr from Rome.
Tichaona m Shona
Means "we will see" from Shona ticha "we will" and ona "see".
Tigernán m Old Irish
Old Irish form of Tighearnán.
Timothea f Ancient Greek, Greek
Feminine form of Timothy.
Timothée m French
French form of Timothy.
Tinúviel f Literature
Means "daughter of twilight, nightingale" in the fictional language Sindarin. In the Silmarillion (1977) by J. R. R. Tolkien, Tinuviel was another name of Lúthien, the daughter of Thingol the elf king. She was the beloved of Beren, who with her help retrieved one of the Silmarils from the iron crown of Morgoth.
Titianus m Ancient Roman
Original Latin form of Tiziano.
Titilayo f Yoruba
Means "eternal happiness" in Yoruba.
Tiyamike f & m Chewa
Means "we praise" in Chewa.
Toinette f French
Short form of Antoinette.
Toiréasa f Irish
Irish form of Theresa.
Tomislav m Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Macedonian, Bulgarian
Probably derived from the Slavic element tomiti "to torment" combined with slava "glory". This was the name of the first king of Croatia (10th century).
Topʉsana f Comanche
Means "prairie flower" in Comanche.
Torbjørg f Norwegian
Norwegian form of Þórbjǫrg.
Torbjørn m Norwegian
Norwegian form of Torbjörn.
Traugott m German (Rare)
Derived from German trau "trust" and Gott "God". This name was created in the 17th century.
Treasach m Medieval Irish
From Old Irish Tressach meaning "warlike, fierce".
Trijntje f Dutch
Dutch diminutive of Katrijn.
Trinidad f & m Spanish
Means "trinity" in Spanish, referring to the Holy Trinity. An island in the West Indies bears this name.
Tristram m English (British)
Medieval English form of Tristan.
Tryphena f Biblical
From the Greek name Τρύφαινα (Tryphaina), derived from Greek τρυφή (tryphe) meaning "softness, delicacy". This name is mentioned briefly in the New Testament.
Tryphosa f Biblical, Biblical Greek, Ancient Greek
Derived from Greek τρυφή (tryphe) meaning "softness, delicacy". In the New Testament this name is mentioned briefly as belonging to a companion of Tryphena.
Tuulikki f Finnish, Finnish Mythology
Means "little wind" in Finnish, derived from tuuli "wind". This was the name of a Finnish forest goddess, the daughter of Tapio.
Tziporah f Hebrew
Alternate transcription of Hebrew צִפּוֹרָה (see Tzipora).
Uinseann m Irish
Irish form of Vincent.
Ulloriaq m & f Greenlandic
Means "star" in Greenlandic.
Valdemar m Danish, Swedish, Finnish
Scandinavian form of Waldemar, also used as a translation of the Slavic cognate Vladimir. This was the name of four kings of Denmark and a king of Sweden. It was introduced to Scandinavia by the 12th-century Danish king Valdemar I who was named after his mother's grandfather: Vladimir II, a grand prince of Kievan Rus.
Valerian m Russian, Georgian, Romanian, History
From the Roman cognomen Valerianus, which was itself derived from the Roman name Valerius. This was the name of a 3rd-century Roman emperor (Publius Licinius Valerianus) who was captured by the Persians. Several saints have also borne this name, including a 2nd-century martyr of Lyons.
Valerija f Serbian, Croatian, Slovene, Lithuanian
Form of Valeria in several languages.
Valerius m Ancient Roman
Roman family name that was derived from Latin valere "to be strong". This was the name of several early saints.
Valeriya f Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian
Russian and Ukrainian feminine form of Valerius, as well as an alternate transcription of Belarusian Валерыя (see Valeryia).
Valkyrie f Various (Rare)
Means "chooser of the slain", derived from Old Norse valr "the slain" and kyrja "chooser". In Norse myth the Valkyries were maidens who led heroes killed in battle to Valhalla.
Vangelis m Greek
Variant of Evangelos.
Varinius m Ancient Roman
Roman family name possibly derived from Varius.
Vartouhi f Armenian
Alternate transcription of Armenian Վարդուհի (see Varduhi).
Vasilica f Romanian
Feminine form of Vasile.
Vasilija f Serbian, Macedonian
Serbian and Macedonian feminine form of Basil 1.
Vasilije m Serbian
Serbian form of Basil 1.
Vasiliki f Greek
Modern Greek feminine form of Basil 1.
Vasilios m Greek
Modern Greek form of Basil 1.
Vasilisa f Russian
Russian feminine form of Basil 1.
Vassilis m Greek
Alternate transcription of Greek Βασίλης (see Vasilis).
Vasylyna f Ukrainian
Ukrainian feminine form of Basil 1.
Vavrinec m Slovak
Slovak form of Laurentius (see Laurence 1).
Vendelín m Czech, Slovak
Czech and Slovak form of Wendelin.
Venyamin m Russian
Alternate transcription of Russian Вениамин (see Veniamin).
Verdandi f Norse Mythology
From Old Norse Verðandi meaning "becoming, happening". Verdandi was one of the three Norns, or goddesses of destiny, in Norse mythology. She was responsible for the present.
Verochka f Russian
Russian diminutive of Vera 1.
Veslemøy f Norwegian
Means "little girl" from Norwegian vesle "little" and møy "girl". This name was created by Norwegian writer Arne Garborg for the main character in his poem Haugtussa (1895).
Victoire f French
French form of Victoria.
Vikentiy m Russian
Russian form of Vincent.
Viktoras m Lithuanian
Lithuanian form of Victor.
Vilfredo m Italian (Rare)
Italian form of Wilfred.
Vilhelmo m Esperanto
Esperanto form of William.
Vilhelms m Latvian
Latvian form of William.
Vincenza f Italian
Italian feminine form of Vincent.
Vinícius m Portuguese
Portuguese form of Vinicius (see Vinicio). It gained popularity in Brazil due to the poet and musician Vinícius de Moraes (1913-1980).
Virgilio m Italian, Spanish
Italian and Spanish form of Virgil.
Virgiliu m Romanian
Romanian variant of Virgil.
Vitaliya f Russian, Ukrainian
Russian and Ukrainian feminine form of Vitalis (see Vitale).
Vittoria f Italian
Italian form of Victoria.
Viviette f English (Rare)
Diminutive of Vivienne. William John Locke used this name for the title character in his novel Viviette (1910).
Vladimer m Georgian
Georgian form of Vladimir.
Vladimír m Czech, Slovak
Czech and Slovak form of Vladimir.
Vsevolod m Russian, Ukrainian
Derived from the Slavic elements vĭśĭ "all" and volděti "to rule". This was the name of an 11th-century grand prince of Kyiv.
Vytautas m Lithuanian
From the Lithuanian root vyd- "to see" or vyti "to chase, to drive away" combined with tauta "people, nation". This was the name of a 15th-century Grand Duke of Lithuania, revered as a national hero in that country.
Waimarie f Maori
Means "good luck" in Maori.
Walburga f German
Means "power of the fortress" from Old German walt meaning "power, authority" and burg meaning "fortress" (or perhaps from Old English cognates, though as an Old English name it is unattested). This was the name of an 8th-century Anglo-Saxon saint who did missionary work in Germany.
Waldemar m German, Polish, Germanic
From the Old German elements walt "power, authority" and mari "famous", also used as a translation of the Slavic cognate Vladimir.
Waltraud f German
From the Old German elements walt "power, authority" and drud "strength". This name was borne by a 7th-century Frankish saint who founded a convent near Mons, Belgium.
Wanangwa m & f Tumbuka
Means "freedom" in Tumbuka.
Weronika f Polish, Sorbian
Polish and Sorbian form of Veronica.
Widogast m Germanic
Old German name composed of the elements witu "wood" and gast "guest, stranger".
Widukind m Germanic
Old Saxon name composed of the elements widu "wood" and kind "child". This was the name of an 8th-century Saxon leader who fought against the Franks, in the end unsuccessfully.
Wiesława f Polish
Feminine form of Wielisław.
Wigberht m Anglo-Saxon, Germanic
Derived from the Old English elements wig "battle" and beorht "bright". This is also a continental Germanic equivalent, derived from the Old German elements wig and beraht. The name was borne by an 8th-century English saint who did missionary work in Frisia and Germany.
Wiktoria f Polish
Polish form of Victoria.
Wilheard m Anglo-Saxon
Old English cognate of Willihard.
Wincenty m Polish
Polish form of Vincent.
Winifred f English, Welsh
From Latin Winifreda, possibly from a Welsh name Gwenfrewi (maybe influenced by the Old English masculine name Winfred). Saint Winifred was a 7th-century Welsh martyr, probably legendary. According to the story, she was decapitated by a prince after she spurned his advances. Where her head fell there arose a healing spring, which has been a pilgrimage site since medieval times. Her story was recorded in the 12th century by Robert of Shrewsbury, and she has been historically more widely venerated in England than in Wales. The name has been used in England since at least the 16th century.
Wioletta f Polish
Polish form of Violet.
Wojciech m Polish
Derived from the Slavic elements vojĭ "warrior, soldier" and utěxa "solace, comfort, joy". Saint Wojciech (also known by the Czech form of his name Vojtěch or his adopted name Adalbert) was a Bohemian missionary to Hungary, Poland and Prussia, where he was martyred in the 10th century.
Wulfgang m Germanic
Old German form of Wolfgang.
Wulfhram m Germanic
Old German form of Wolfram.
Wynnstan m Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English elements wynn "joy" and stan "stone".
Xandinho m Portuguese (Rare)
Portuguese diminutive of Alexandre.
Xenophon m Ancient Greek
Derived from Greek ξένος (xenos) meaning "foreign, strange" and φωνή (phone) meaning "voice". This was the name of a 4th-century BC Greek military commander and historian. This name was also borne by a 5th-century saint from Constantinople.
Yamikani m & f Chewa
Means "be grateful, praise" in Chewa.
Yaroslav m Russian, Ukrainian
Means "fierce and glorious", derived from the Slavic elements jarŭ "fierce, energetic" and slava "glory". Yaroslav the Wise was an 11th-century grand prince of Kyiv who expanded Kievan Rus to its greatest extent.
Yeong-Hui f Korean
From Sino-Korean (yeong) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero" or (yeong) meaning "dive, swim" combined with (hui) meaning "beauty" or (hui) meaning "enjoy, play". Other combinations of hanja characters can form this name as well.
Yeong-Suk f Korean
From Sino-Korean (yeong) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero" and (suk) meaning "good, pure, virtuous, charming". Other hanja character combinations are possible.
Yermolai m Russian (Rare)
Alternate transcription of Russian Ермолай (see Yermolay).
Yeseniya f Russian
Russian form of Yesenia. The 1971 Mexican movie was extremely popular in the Soviet Union.
Yevgeniy m Russian
Russian form of Eugene.
Yıldırım m Turkish
Means "lightning" in Turkish.
Yulianna f Russian
Russian form of Juliana.
Zaharina f Bulgarian, Macedonian
Bulgarian and Macedonian feminine form of Zechariah.
Zakariya m Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic زكريّا (see Zakariyya).
Zartosht m Persian
Modern Persian form of Zarathustra.
Zbigniew m Polish
Derived from the Slavic elements jĭzbyti "to dispel" and gněvŭ "anger". This was the name of a 12th-century duke of Poland.
Zebadiah m Biblical
Means "Yahweh has given" in Hebrew, derived from זָבַד (zavaḏ) meaning "to give" and יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. This is the name of several Old Testament characters.
Zedekiah m Biblical
From the Hebrew name צִדְקִיָּהוּ (Tsiḏqiyyahu) meaning "Yahweh is righteousness", from צֶדֶק (tseḏeq) meaning "justice, righteousness" and יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. In the Old Testament this is the name of the last king of Judah.
Zeferino m Portuguese
Portuguese form of the Roman name Zephyrinus, which was derived from the Greek Zephyros (see Zephyr). Saint Zephyrinus was a 3rd-century pope.
Zephania m Southern African, Eastern African
Variant of Zephaniah. This form of the name appears to be used in southern and eastern Africa.
Zephyrus m Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Zephyros (see Zephyr).
Zhaklina f Bulgarian, Macedonian
Bulgarian form of Jacqueline, as well as an alternate transcription of Macedonian Жаклина (see Žaklina).
Ziemowit m Polish
From an old Polish name derived from the elements sěmĭja "family" and vitŭ "master, lord". This was the name of a semi-legendary duke of Poland. It was also borne by several other Piast rulers of Masovia.
Zinoviya f Russian (Rare), Ukrainian (Rare)
Russian and Ukrainian form of Zenobia.
Zipporah f Biblical, Hebrew
From the Hebrew name צִפּוֹרָה (Tsippora), derived from צִפּוֹר (tsippor) meaning "bird". In the Old Testament this is the name of the Midianite wife of Moses. She was the daughter of the priest Jethro.
Zsigmond m Hungarian
Hungarian form of Sigmund.
Zulaykha f Arabic (Rare)
Arabic form of Zuleika.
Zulfikar m Arabic, Urdu, Indonesian
Alternate transcription of Arabic/Urdu ذو الفقار (see Zulfiqar), as well as the Indonesian form.
Zulfiqar m Arabic, Urdu
From Arabic ذو الفقار (Dhū al-Faqār) interpreted as meaning "cleaver of the spine", derived from ذو (dhū) meaning "possessor, holder" and فقار (faqār) meaning "spine, vertebra". This was the name of the Prophet Muhammad's sword, also used by his son-in-law Ali.
Zvezdana f Serbian, Slovene
Serbian and Slovene form of Zvjezdana.
Žydrūnas m Lithuanian
From Lithuanian žydra meaning "light blue" (using the patronymic suffix ūnas).