Roderick m English, Scottish, WelshMeans
"famous ruler" from the Old German elements
hruod "fame" and
rih "ruler, king". This name was in use among the Visigoths; it was borne by their last king (Gothic form *
Hroþireiks, also known by the Spanish form
Rodrigo), who died fighting the Muslim invaders of Spain in the 8th century. It also had cognates in Old Norse and West Germanic, and Scandinavian settlers and Normans introduced it to England, though it died out after the Middle Ages. It was revived in the English-speaking world by Walter Scott's 1811 poem
The Vision of Don Roderick.
... [more] Rónán m Irish, Old IrishMeans
"little seal", derived from Old Irish
rón "seal" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of several early Irish saints, including a pilgrim to Brittany who founded the hermitage at Locronan in the 6th century.
Rory m & f Irish, Scottish, EnglishAnglicized 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-).
Rowan m & f Irish, English (Modern)Anglicized form of the Irish name
Ruadhán. As an English name, it can also be derived from the surname Rowan, itself derived from the Irish given name. It could also be given in reference to the rowan tree, a word of Old Norse origin (coincidentally sharing the same Indo-European root meaning "red" with the Irish name).
Roy m Scottish, English, DutchAnglicized form of
Ruadh. A notable bearer was the Scottish outlaw and folk hero Rob Roy (1671-1734). It is often associated with French
roi "king".
Ruadh m Medieval Irish, Medieval ScottishIrish and Scottish Gaelic byname meaning
"red", often a nickname for one with red hair. This was the nickname of the Scottish outlaw Raibeart Ruadh MacGregor (1671-1734), known as Rob Roy in English.
Ruadhán m IrishFrom Old Irish
Rúadán, derived from
rúad "red" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of the founder of the monastery of Lorrha in the 6th century.
Ruaidhrí m IrishFrom Old Irish
Ruaidrí meaning
"red king", from
rúad "red" combined with
rí "king". This was the name of the last high king of Ireland, reigning in the 12th century.
Ry m & f EnglishShort form of
Ryan and other names beginning with
Ry.
Ryan m EnglishFrom 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
rí "king" combined with a diminutive suffix.
... [more] Sadb f Irish Mythology, Old IrishProbably derived from the old Celtic root *
swādu- meaning
"sweet". This was a common name in medieval Ireland. In Irish mythology Sadb was a woman transformed into a deer. She was the mother of
Oisín by
Fionn mac Cumhaill.
Saoirse f IrishMeans
"freedom" in Irish Gaelic. It was first used as a given name in the 20th century.
Saraid f Irish, Irish MythologyFrom Old Irish
Sárait, derived from
sár meaning
"excellent". This was the name of a daughter of the legendary high king of Ireland, Conn of the Hundred Battles.
Scáthach f Irish MythologyMeans
"shadowy" in Irish. In Irish legend this was the name of a warrior woman. She instructed
Cúchulainn in the arts of war, and he in turn helped her defeat her rival
Aoife.
Séaghdha m Irish (Rare)From Old Irish
Ségdae, probably derived from
ségda meaning
"fine, good, favourable, learned". According to an Irish legend this was the name of a boy who was set to be sacrificed but was saved by his mother.
Senán m Irish, Old IrishMeans
"little old one", derived from Old Irish
sen "old" combined with a diminutive suffix. Saint Senán was a 6th-century monk who founded the monastery on Inis Cathaigh.
Shannon f & m EnglishFrom the name of the River Shannon, the longest river in Ireland, called
an tSionainn in Irish. It is associated with the legendary figure
Sionann and is sometimes said to be named for her. However it is more likely she was named after the river, which may be related to Old Irish
sen "old, ancient". As a given name, it first became common in America after the 1940s.
Shaw m English (Rare)From a surname. As an English surname it is derived from Old English
sceaga meaning
"thicket". As a Scottish surname it is derived from the Gaelic byname
Sitheach meaning
"wolf".
Sionann f Irish MythologyIn Irish legend this was the name of a granddaughter of the sea god
Lir who went to Connla's Well, which was forbidden. The well burst and drowned her, leaving her body in the river thereafter known as the
Sionainn (see
Shannon).
Sláine f & m Old Irish, Irish MythologyFrom Old Irish
slán meaning
"health, safety". This was the name of a legendary high king of Ireland, one of the Fir Bolg. It was also the name of a daughter of the 11th-century high king Brian Boru.
Suibhne m Irish MythologyFrom Old Irish
Suibne, possibly derived from
subae meaning
"joy, pleasure". This was the name of several figures from early Irish history, including a 7th-century high king and an 8th-century saint. It also appears in the Irish legend
Buile Suibhne (meaning "The Madness of Suibhne") about a king who goes insane after being cursed by Saint Rónán Finn.
Sweeney m Irish MythologyAnglicized form of
Suibhne. In fiction, this name is borne by the murderous barber Sweeney Todd, first appearing in the British serial
The String of Pearls: A Romance (1846-1847).
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.
Talfryn m WelshFrom a Welsh place name meaning
"front hill", derived from Welsh
tal "front, extremity" and
bryn "hill".
Taliesin m Welsh, Welsh MythologyMeans
"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.
Talulla f Irish (Rare)Anglicized form of the Old Irish name
Taileflaith,
Tuileflaith or
Tuilelaith, probably from
tuile "abundance" and
flaith "ruler, sovereign, princess". This was the name of an early saint, an abbess of Kildare.
Tangwystl f Medieval WelshFrom Welsh
tanc "peace" and
gwystl "hostage, pledge". This name was borne by a mistress of the 13th-century Welsh ruler
Llywelyn the Great.
Taran m Welsh Mythology, PictishMeans
"thunder" in Welsh, from the old Celtic root *
toranos. It appears briefly in the Second Branch of the
Mabinogi. The name is cognate to that of the Gaulish god
Taranis. It was also borne by the 7th-century Pictish king Taran mac Ainftech.
Taranis m Gaulish MythologyDerived from the old Celtic root *
toranos meaning
"thunder", cognate with
Þórr (see
Thor). This was the name of the Gaulish thunder god, who was often identified with the Roman god
Jupiter.
Taryn f EnglishProbably a feminine form of
Tyrone. Actors Tyrone Power and Linda Christian created it for their daughter Taryn Power (1953-).
Teague m IrishAnglicized form of
Tadhg. This name is also used as a slang term for an Irish Catholic.
Tegwen f WelshDerived from the Welsh elements
teg "beautiful, pretty" and
gwen "white, blessed". This name was created in the 19th century.
Tighearnach m Medieval IrishFrom Old Irish
Tigernach, derived from
tigerna meaning
"lord". This was the name of an Irish saint, the founder of the monastery at Clones in the 6th century. According to some tales of his life, he was taken by British pirates to the monastery of Rosnat in his youth, but he escaped and returned to Ireland.
Tighearnán m Medieval IrishFrom Old Irish
Tigernán meaning
"little lord", from
tigerna "lord" combined with a diminutive suffix. It was borne by a 6th-century saint who founded a monastery at Errew. It was also the name of a 12th-century king of Breifne.
Toirdhealbhach m Irish (Rare)From Old Irish
Tairdelbach meaning
"instigator", derived from
tairdelb "prompting". This name was borne by several medieval Irish kings.
Toutatis m Gaulish MythologyProbably derived from the old Celtic root *
toutā meaning
"people, tribe". This was the name of a Gaulish god who may have been regarded as the protector of the people or tribe.
Trevor m Welsh, EnglishFrom a Welsh surname, originally taken from the name of towns in Wales meaning
"big village", derived from Middle Welsh
tref "village" and
maur "large". As a given name it became popular in the United Kingdom in the middle of the 20th century, then caught on in the United States in the 1960s.
Tristan m English, French, Arthurian CycleProbably from the Celtic name
Drustan, a diminutive of
Drust, which occurs as
Drystan in a few Welsh sources. As
Tristan, it first appears in 12th-century French tales, probably altered by association with Old French
triste "sad". According to the tales Tristan was sent to Ireland by his uncle King Mark of Cornwall in order to fetch
Iseult, who was to be the king's bride. On the way back, Tristan and Iseult accidentally drink a potion that makes them fall in love. Later versions of the tale make Tristan one of King
Arthur's knights. His tragic story was very popular in the Middle Ages, and the name has occasionally been used since then.
Túathal m Old IrishMeans
"ruler of the people", from Old Irish
túath "people, country" and
fal "rule". This was the name of a few Irish kings, including the legendary Túathal Techtmar.
Tudor 1 m WelshAnglicized form of the medieval Welsh name
Tudur, possibly from a hypothetical Celtic name *
Toutorīxs meaning "ruler of the people" (cognate with
Theodoric). As a surname it was borne by five monarchs of England beginning with Henry VII in the 15th century. These monarchs were descended from Owain ap Maredudd ap Tudur, a Welsh nobleman.
Tudwal m Welsh (Rare)From the Old Welsh and Breton name
Tutgual, derived from
tut "people, country" and
gual "ruler, leader". This was the name of a 6th-century Breton saint.
Tyrone m English, African AmericanFrom the name of a county in Northern Ireland, which is derived from Irish Gaelic
Tir Eoghain meaning "land of
Eoghan". This name was popularized by American actor Tyrone Power (1914-1958), who was named after his great-grandfather, an Irish actor.
Ultán m Irish, Old IrishMeans
"of Ulster" in Irish. Ulster is a region in the north of Ireland. This name was borne by two 7th-century Irish saints.
Urien m Arthurian CycleFrom the Old Welsh name
Urbgen, possibly from the Celtic root *
orbo- "heir" and the suffix
gen "born of". This was the name of a 6th-century king of Rheged. Passing into Arthurian tales, he became the king of Gore, the husband of
Morgan le Fay, and the father of
Owain.
Uther m Welsh Mythology, Arthurian CycleFrom the Welsh name
Uthyr, derived from Welsh
uthr meaning
"terrible". In Arthurian legend Uther was the father of King
Arthur. He appears in some early Welsh texts, but is chiefly known from the 12th-century chronicles of Geoffrey of Monmouth.
Vaughan m Welsh, EnglishFrom a Welsh surname that was derived from
bychan (mutated to
fychan) meaning
"little".
Vercingetorix m GaulishMeans
"king over warriors" from Gaulish
wer "on, over" combined with
kingeto "marching men, warriors" and
rix "king". This name was borne by a 1st-century BC chieftain of the Gaulish tribe the Arverni. He led the resistance against Julius Caesar's attempts to conquer Gaul, but he was eventually defeated, brought to Rome, and executed.
Vivian m & f English, Swedish, Norwegian, DanishFrom the Latin name
Vivianus, which was derived from Latin
vivus "alive". Saint Vivian was a French bishop who provided protection during the Visigoth invasion of the 5th century. It has been occasionally used as an English (masculine) name since the Middle Ages. In modern times it is also used as a feminine name, in which case it is either an Anglicized form of
Bébinn or a variant of
Vivien 2.
Vivien 2 f Literature, HungarianUsed by Alfred Tennyson as the name of the Lady of the Lake in his Arthurian epic
Idylls of the King (1859). Tennyson may have based it on
Vivienne, but it possibly arose as a misreading of
Ninian. A famous bearer was British actress Vivien Leigh (1913-1967), who played Scarlett O'Hara in
Gone with the Wind.
Winifred f English, WelshFrom 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.
Winnie f EnglishDiminutive of
Winifred. Winnie-the-Pooh, a stuffed bear in children's books by A. A. Milne, was named after a real bear named
Winnipeg who lived at the London Zoo.
Wyn m WelshDerived from Welsh
gwyn meaning
"white, blessed".
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.