Ora 1 f & m EnglishPerhaps based on Latin
oro "to pray". It was first used in America in the 19th century.
Orabela f EsperantoMeans
"golden-beautiful" in Esperanto, ultimately from Latin
aurea "gold" and
bella "beautiful".
Oral m EnglishMeaning uncertain. This name was borne by the influential American evangelist Oral Roberts (1918-2009), who was apparently named by his cousin.
Oraz m Turkmen, KazakhMeans
"fasting, Ramadan" in Turkmen and Kazakh (of Persian origin).
Orhan m TurkishDerived from Turkish
or, of uncertain meaning, possibly from a Turkic root meaning "place", and
han meaning "khan, ruler, leader". This was the name of a 14th-century sultan of the Ottoman Empire.
Oriana f Italian, SpanishPossibly derived from Latin
aurum "gold" or from its derivatives, Spanish
oro or French
or. In medieval legend Oriana was the daughter of a king of England who married the knight
Amadis.
Origen m HistoryFrom the Greek name
Ὠριγένης (Origenes), which was possibly derived from the name of the Egyptian god
Horus combined with
γενής (genes) meaning "born". Origen was a 3rd-century theologian from Alexandria. Long after his death some of his writings were declared heretical, hence he is not regarded as a saint.
Orinda f English (Rare)Probably an elaboration of Spanish
oro "gold". This was the pseudonym of the English poet Katherine Philips (1631-1664).
Orinthia f LiteraturePossibly related to Greek
ὀρίνω (orino) meaning
"to excite, to agitate". George Bernard Shaw used this name in his play
The Apple Cart (1929).
Oriol m CatalanFrom a Catalan surname meaning
"golden". It has been used in honour of Saint Joseph Oriol (1650-1702).
Orion m Greek MythologyMeaning uncertain, but possibly related to Greek
ὅριον (horion) meaning
"boundary, limit". Alternatively it may be derived from Akkadian
Uru-anna meaning
"light of the heavens". This is the name of a constellation, which gets its name from a legendary Greek hunter who was killed by a scorpion sent by the earth goddess
Gaia.
Órlaith f Irish, Old IrishMeans
"golden ruler", from Old Irish
ór "gold" combined with
flaith "ruler, sovereign, princess". This name was borne by several medieval Irish royals, including a sister of the king
Brian Boru.
Orlando m Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Carolingian CycleItalian form of
Roland, as used in the epic poems
Orlando Innamorato (1483) by Matteo Maria Boiardo and the continuation
Orlando Furioso (1532) by Ludovico Ariosto. In the poems, Orlando is a knight in
Charlemagne's army who battles against the invading Saracens. A character in Shakespeare's play
As You Like It (1599) also bears this name, as does a city in Florida.
Ormond m English (Rare)From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Irish Gaelic
Ó Ruaidh, derived from the given name
Ruadh.
Ornella f ItalianCreated by the Italian author Gabriele d'Annunzio for his novel
La Figlia di Jorio (1904). It is derived from Tuscan Italian
ornello meaning "flowering ash tree".
Orpah f BiblicalMeans
"back of the neck" in Hebrew. Orpah is
Naomi's second daughter-in-law in the Book of Ruth in the Old Testament.
Orpheus m Greek MythologyPerhaps related to Greek
ὄρφνη (orphne) meaning
"the darkness of night". In Greek mythology Orpheus was a poet and musician who went to the underworld to retrieve his dead wife Eurydice. He succeeded in charming Hades with his lyre, and he was allowed to lead his wife out of the underworld on the condition that he not look back at her until they reached the surface. Unfortunately, just before they arrived his love for her overcame his will and he glanced back at her, causing her to be drawn back to Hades.
Orrell m English (Rare)From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"ore hill" in Old English.
Orsino m Italian (Rare)Italian form of the Roman name
Ursinus, itself derived from
Ursus (see
Urs). This is the name of a duke in Shakespeare's comedy
Twelfth Night (1602).
Orson m EnglishFrom a Norman nickname derived from a diminutive of Norman French
ors "bear", ultimately from Latin
ursus. American actor and director Orson Welles (1915-1985) was a famous bearer of this name.
Ortwin m German, GermanicDerived from the Old German elements
ort "point" and
wini "friend". This is the name of
Gudrun's brother in the medieval German epic
Kudrun.
Orville m EnglishThis name was invented by the 18th-century writer Fanny Burney, who perhaps intended it to mean
"golden city" in French. Orville Wright (1871-1948), together with his brother Wilbur, invented the first successful airplane.
Osborn m EnglishDerived from the Old English elements
os "god" and
beorn "warrior, man". During the Anglo-Saxon period there was also a Norse cognate
Ásbjǫrn used in England, and after the Norman Conquest the Norman cognate
Osbern was introduced. It was occasionally revived in the 19th century, in part from a surname that was derived from the given name.
Pandora f Greek MythologyMeans
"all gifts", derived from a combination of Greek
πᾶν (pan) meaning "all" and
δῶρον (doron) meaning "gift". In Greek mythology Pandora was the first mortal woman.
Zeus gave her a jar containing all of the troubles and ills that mankind now knows, and told her not to open it. Unfortunately her curiosity got the best of her and she opened it, unleashing the evil spirits into the world.
Pellinore m Arthurian CyclePossibly from Welsh
Beli Mawr meaning
"Beli the Great". In Arthurian romance this was the name of a king of Listenois, a son of
Pellehan who pursued the elusive Questing Beast and later joined
Arthur's court. He first appears in the 13th-century
Lancelot-Grail Cycle.
Porcius m Ancient RomanRoman family name meaning
"pig", derived from Latin
porcus. Famous members of the family include the Roman statesmen Cato the Elder (Marcus Porcius Cato) and his great-grandson Cato the Younger (Marcus Porcius Cato Uticencis).
Porntip f ThaiMeans
"divine blessing", derived from Thai
พร (phon) meaning "blessing" and
ทิพย์ (thip) meaning "divine".
Porsche f English (Modern)From the name of the German car company, which was founded by Ferdinand Porsche (1875-1951).
Porter m EnglishFrom an occupational English surname meaning
"doorkeeper", ultimately from Old French
porte "door", from Latin
porta.
Portia f EnglishVariant of
Porcia, the feminine form of the Roman family name
Porcius, used by William Shakespeare for the heroine of his play
The Merchant of Venice (1596). In the play Portia is a woman who disguises herself as a man in order to defend
Antonio in court. It is also the name of a moon of Uranus, after the Shakespearean character.
Prochorus m Biblical, Biblical LatinLatinized form of the Greek name
Πρόχορος (Prochoros) meaning
"leader of the dance". Saint Prochorus was one of the original seven deacons of the church, as told in Acts in the New Testament.
Pythagoras m Ancient GreekDerived from
Pythios, a name of
Apollo, combined with Greek
ἀγορά (agora) meaning "assembly, marketplace". This was the name of a 6th-century BC Greek philosopher and mathematician from Samos. He was the founder of a school of philosophy whose members believed that numbers described the universe.
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-).
Salvador m Spanish, Portuguese, CatalanSpanish, Portuguese and Catalan form of the Late Latin name
Salvator, which meant
"saviour", referring to
Jesus. A famous bearer of this name was the Spanish surrealist painter Salvador Dalí (1904-1989).
Sanford m EnglishFrom an English surname, originally from a place name, which meant
"sand ford" in Old English.
Saori f JapaneseFrom Japanese
沙 (sa) meaning "sand" or
早 (sa) meaning "already, now" combined with
織 (ori) meaning "weaving". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.
Satoru m JapaneseFrom Japanese
悟 (satoru) meaning "enlightenment" or
聡 (satoru) meaning "intelligent, clever". Other kanji with the same pronunciation can also form this name.
Saylor f English (Modern)From an English surname that was derived from Old French
sailleor meaning
"acrobat, dancer". As a modern English given name it could also come from the homophone vocabulary word
sailor.
Scorpio m AstronomyMeans
"scorpion" in Latin, from Greek
σκορπίος (skorpios). This is the name of the eighth sign of the zodiac, associated with the constellation
Scorpius.
Scorpius m AstronomyFrom 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.
Shiori f & m JapaneseAs a feminine name it can be from Japanese
詩 (shi) meaning "poem" combined with
織 (ori) meaning "weave". It can also be from
栞 (shiori) meaning "bookmark" (usually feminine) or
撓 (shiori) meaning "lithe, bending" (usually masculine), as well as other kanji or kanji combinations.
Siriporn f ThaiDerived from Thai
ศิริ (sir) meaning "glory, splendour" and
พร (phon) meaning "blessing".
Snorri m Old Norse, IcelandicDerived from Old Norse
snerra "attack, onslaught". This name was borne by Snorri Sturluson, a 13th-century Icelandic historian and poet, the author of the
Prose Edda.
Socorro f SpanishMeans
"succour, help, relief" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin
Mary María del Socorro meaning "Mary of Perpetual Succour".
Somporn m ThaiDerived from Thai
สม (som) meaning "worthy" and
พร (phon) meaning "blessing".
Sora f & m JapaneseFrom Japanese
空 (sora) or
昊 (sora) both meaning "sky". Other kanji with the same pronunciations can also form this name.
Sorcha f Irish, Scottish GaelicMeans
"radiant, bright" in Irish. It has been in use since late medieval times. It is sometimes Anglicized as
Sarah (in Ireland) and
Clara (in Scotland).
Søren m DanishDanish form of
Severinus. Søren Kierkegaard (1813-1855) was a Danish philosopher who is regarded as a precursor of existentialism.
Sorin m RomanianPossibly derived from Romanian
soare meaning
"sun".
Sorrel f English (Rare)From the name of the sour tasting plant, derived from Old French
sur "sour", a word of Frankish origin.
Stafford m EnglishFrom a surname that was from a place name meaning
"landing-place ford" in Old English.
Stanford m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"stone ford" in Old English.
Stormy f English (Modern)From the English word meaning
"stormy, wild, turbulent", ultimately from Old English
stormig.
Sycorax f LiteratureCreated by Shakespeare for a witch character in his play
The Tempest (1611). The character has died by the time the play begins, so she is only spoken of and not seen. The name's meaning is unknown, though it might have been inspired by Latin
corax or Greek
κόραξ (korax) meaning
"raven", referring to the 5th-century BC Greek rhetorician Corax of Syracuse. One of the moons of Uranus bears this name in the character's honour.
Taylor m & f EnglishFrom an English surname that originally denoted someone who was a tailor, from Norman French
tailleur, ultimately from Latin
taliare "to cut".
... [more] Télesphore m French (Archaic)French form of the Greek name
Τελεσφόρος (Telesphoros) meaning
"bringing fulfillment" or
"bearing fruit". Saint Telesphorus was a 2nd-century pope and martyr.
Teodor m Romanian, Bulgarian, Slovak, Czech, Polish, Serbian, Croatian, Slovene, Macedonian, Swedish, NorwegianForm of
Theodore used in various languages.
Theodora f English, Greek, Ancient GreekFeminine 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.
Theodore m EnglishFrom the Greek name
Θεόδωρος (Theodoros), which meant
"gift of god" from Greek
θεός (theos) meaning "god" and
δῶρον (doron) meaning "gift". The name
Dorothea is derived from the same roots in reverse order. This was the name of several saints, including Theodore of Amasea, a 4th-century Greek soldier; Theodore of Tarsus, a 7th-century archbishop of Canterbury; and Theodore the Studite, a 9th-century Byzantine monk. It was also borne by two popes.
... [more] Theodoric m Gothic (Anglicized)From the Gothic name *
Þiudareiks meaning
"ruler of the people", derived from the elements
þiuda "people" and
reiks "ruler, king". It was notably borne by Theodoric the Great, a 6th-century king of the Ostrogoths who eventually became the ruler of Italy. By Theodoric's time the Ostrogoths were partially Romanized and his name was regularly recorded as
Theodoricus. This was also the name of two earlier (5th century) Visigothic kings.
Thor m Norse Mythology, Norwegian, Danish, SwedishFrom the Old Norse
Þórr meaning
"thunder", ultimately from Proto-Germanic *
Þunraz. In Norse mythology Thor is a god of storms, thunder, war and strength, a son of
Odin. He is portrayed as red-bearded, short-tempered, armed with a powerful hammer called Mjölnir, and wearing an enchanted belt called Megingjörð that doubles his strength. During Ragnarök, the final battle at the end of the world, it is foretold that Thor will slay the monstrous sea serpent
Jörmungandr but be fatally poisoned by its venom.
Þóra f Old Norse, IcelandicEither a feminine form of
Þórr (see
Thor) or else a short form of the various Old Norse names beginning with the element
Þór. In Norse myth Thora was the wife of the Danish king Ragnar Lodbrok.
Þórbjǫrg f Old NorseOld Norse name meaning
"Thor's protection", from the name of the Norse god
Þórr (see
Thor) combined with
bjǫrg "help, save, rescue".
Þórgísl m Old NorseOld Norse name meaning
"Thor's arrow" from the name of the Norse god
Þórr (see
Thor) combined with
gísl "shaft, arrow".
Thorley m English (Rare)From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"thorn clearing" in Old English.
Thornton m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"thorn town" in Old English.
Tor m Norwegian, SwedishModern Scandinavian form of
Þórr (see
Thor). It was not used as a personal name until the 18th century. It is sometimes used as a short form of names of Old Norse origin that begin with the element
Tor, which is also a derivative of
Þórr.
Torbjörn m SwedishFrom the Old Norse name
Þórbjǫrn, which meant
"Thor's bear" from the name of the Norse god
Þórr (see
Thor) combined with
bjǫrn "bear".
Torfinn m NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Þórfinnr, derived from the name of the Norse god
Þórr (see
Thor) combined with
finnr "Sámi, person from Finland".
Torgeir m NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Þórgeirr, which meant
"Thor's spear" from the name of the Norse god
Þórr (see
Thor) combined with
geirr "spear".
Torgny m SwedishFrom the Old Norse name
Þórgnýr meaning
"Thor's noise" from the name of the Norse god
Þórr (see
Thor) combined with
gnýr "noise, grumble, murmur".
Torhild f NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Þórhildr, which meant
"Thor's battle" from the name of the Norse god
Þórr (see
Thor) combined with
hildr "battle".
Toribio m SpanishSpanish form of the Latin name
Turibius, of unknown meaning. This name has been borne by three Spanish saints, from the 5th, 6th and 16th centuries (the latter being an archbishop of Lima).
Torin m English (Modern)Meaning unknown. It has been suggested that it is of Irish origin, though no suitable derivation can be found.
Torkel m Norwegian, SwedishFrom the Old Norse name
Þórketill meaning
"Thor's cauldron" from the name of the Norse god
Þórr (see
Thor) combined with
ketill "cauldron".
Torleif m NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Þórleifr, derived from the name of the Norse god
Þórr (see
Thor) combined with
leif "inheritance, legacy".
Tormod m NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Þórmóðr, which meant
"Thor's wrath" from the name of the Norse god
Þórr (see
Thor) combined with
móðr "wrath".
Tornike m GeorgianGeorgian form of Greek
Τορνίκιος (Tornikios) or
Τορνίκης (Tornikes), the name of a prominent Byzantine family that was of Armenian or Georgian descent. The family name may be derived from Armenian
թոռնիկ (tornik), a diminutive of
թոռն (torn) meaning
"grandchild". Usage as a given name probably began in honour of the family, a notable member of which was a saint.
Torny f Norwegian (Rare)From the Old Norse name
Þórný, which was derived from the name of the Norse god
Þórr (see
Thor) combined with
nýr "new".
Torquatus m Ancient RomanRoman cognomen derived from Latin
torquis meaning
"twisted neck chain, collar", a derivative of
torqueo "to twist". This name was borne by Titus Manlius Imperiosus Torquatus, a noted Roman consul and dictator of the 4th century BC. It was also the name of the 1st-century saint Torquatus of Acci.
Tōru m JapaneseFrom Japanese
徹 (tōru) meaning "pierce, penetrate", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations with the same pronunciation.
Torunn f NorwegianNorwegian form of the Old Norse name
Þórunn, from the name of the Norse god
Þórr (see
Thor) combined with
unnr "wave" or
unna "to love".
Torvald m Swedish, NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Þórvaldr, which meant
"Thor's ruler" from the name of the Norse god
Þórr (see
Thor) combined with
valdr "ruler".
Trafford m English (Rare)From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"fish-trap ford" in Old English.
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.
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.
Tuor m LiteratureMeans
"strength vigour" in the fictional language Sindarin. In the
Silmarillion (1977) by J. R. R. Tolkien, Tuor was the mortal man who came to the hidden city of Gondolin to warn of its imminent doom. When Gondolin was attacked and destroyed he escaped with his wife
Idril and son Eärendil, and sailed into the west.