Percy m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from the name of a Norman town
Perci, which was itself perhaps derived from a Gaulish given name that was Latinized as
Persius. The surname was borne by a noble English family, and it first used as a given name in their honour. A famous bearer was Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822), an English romantic poet whose works include
Adonais and
Ozymandias. This name can also be used as a short form of
Percival.
Perry m EnglishFrom a surname that is either English or Welsh in origin. It can be derived from Middle English
perrie meaning "pear tree", or else from Welsh
ap Herry, meaning "son of
Herry". A famous bearer of the surname was Matthew Perry (1794-1858), the American naval officer who opened Japan to the West.
Piety f English (Rare)From the English word meaning
"piety, devoutness". This was a rare virtue name used by the Puritans in the 17th century.
Pliny m HistoryFrom the Roman family name
Plinius, which is of unknown meaning. Two 1st-century Romans are known by this name: Gaius Plinius Secundus (called Pliny the Elder), a scientist and historian who died during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius; and Caius Plinius Caecilius Secundus (called Pliny the Younger), an author and statesman.
Polly f EnglishMedieval variant of
Molly. The reason for the change in the initial consonant is unknown.
Pompey m HistoryModern form of the Roman family name
Pompeius, which was probably derived from a Sabellic word meaning
"five". A notable bearer was the 1st-century BC Roman general Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, also known as Pompey the Great. Initially an ally of Julius Caesar, he later fought against him in the Roman civil war of 49-45 BC.
Poppy f EnglishFrom the word for the red flower, derived from Old English
popæg.
Posy f EnglishDiminutive of
Josephine. It can also be inspired by the English word
posy for a bunch of flowers.
Presley f & m EnglishFrom an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning
"priest clearing" (Old English
preost and
leah). This surname was borne by musician Elvis Presley (1935-1977).
Ptolemy m HistoryFrom the Greek name
Πτολεμαῖος (Ptolemaios), derived from Greek
πολεμήϊος (polemeios) meaning
"aggressive, warlike". Ptolemy was the name of several Greco-Egyptian rulers of Egypt, all descendants of Ptolemy I Soter, one of the generals of Alexander the Great. This was also the name of a 2nd-century Greek astronomer.
Pumay m Semitic MythologyMeaning unknown. This was the name of a relatively obscure Phoenician deity, possibly of Cypriot origin.
Quincy m & f EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived (via the place name
Cuinchy) from the personal name
Quintus. A famous bearer was John Quincy Adams (1767-1848), sixth president of the United States, who was born in the town of Quincy, Massachusetts. Both the town and the president were named after his maternal great-grandfather John Quincy (1689-1767). Another notable bearer is the American musician Quincy Jones (1933-).
Qusay m ArabicPossibly derived from Arabic
قصي (qasi) meaning
"distant". This was the name of an ancestor of the Prophet
Muhammad who was in charge of a temple in Mecca.
Rafferty m EnglishFrom an Irish surname, itself derived from the given name
Rabhartach meaning "flood tide".
Ramsey m EnglishFrom an English and Scottish surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"garlic island" in Old English.
Ray m EnglishShort form of
Raymond, often used as an independent name. It coincides with an English word meaning "beam of light". Science-fiction author Ray Bradbury (1920-2012) and musician Ray Charles (1930-2004) are two notable bearers of the name.
Reilly m & f English (Modern)From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of
Ó Raghailligh, derived from the given name
Raghailleach, meaning unknown.
Rémy m FrenchFrench 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.
Ridley m & f English (Rare)From an English surname that was originally derived from various place names meaning either
"reed clearing" or
"channel clearing" in Old English.
Rigby m English (Rare)From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning
"ridge farm" in Old Norse.
Riley m & f EnglishFrom a surname that comes from two distinct sources. As an Irish surname it is a variant of
Reilly. As an English surname it is derived from a place name meaning
"rye clearing" in Old English.
... [more] Ripley f & m English (Rare)From a surname that was derived from the name of various English towns, from Old English
rippel "grove, thicket" and
leah "clearing". A famous fictional bearer is the character Ellen Ripley (usually only called by her surname) from the
Alien series of movies, beginning 1979.
Rocky m EnglishDiminutive of
Rocco and other names beginning with a similar sound, or else a nickname referring to a tough person. This is the name of the boxer Rocky Balboa (played by Sylvester Stallone) in the movie
Rocky (1976) and its sequels.
Rodney m EnglishFrom an English surname, originally derived from a place name, which meant "Hroda's island" in Old English (where
Hroda is an Old English given name meaning "fame"). It was first used as a given name in honour of the British admiral Lord Rodney (1719-1792).
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-).
Rosemary f EnglishCombination of
Rose and
Mary. This name can also be given in reference to the herb, which gets its name from Latin
ros marinus meaning "dew of the sea". It came into use as a given name in the 19th century.
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".
Royalty f English (Modern)From the English word
royalty, derived (via Old French) from Latin
regalitas, a derivative of
rex "king".
Ruby f EnglishSimply 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.
Rusty m EnglishFrom a nickname that was originally given to someone with a rusty, or reddish-brown, hair colour.
Ruy m Portuguese, SpanishMedieval Portuguese and Spanish short form of
Rodrigo. It is another name of the 11th-century Spanish military commander Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, also known as El Cid.
Ry m & f EnglishShort form of
Ryan and other names beginning with
Ry.
Saveliy m RussianRussian form of the Latin name
Sabellius meaning
"a Sabine". The Sabines were an ancient people who lived in central Italy.
Selby m & f English (Rare)From an English surname that was from a place name meaning
"willow farm" in Old Norse.
Serenity f English (Modern)From the English word meaning
"serenity, tranquility", ultimately from Latin
serenus meaning "clear, calm".
Shelby m & f EnglishFrom an English surname, which was possibly a variant of
Selby. Though previously in use as a rare masculine name, it was popularized as a feminine name by the main character in the movie
The Woman in Red (1935). It was later reinforced by the movie
Steel Magnolias (1989) in which Julia Roberts played a character by this name.
Shelley f & m EnglishFrom an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning
"clearing on a bank" in Old English. Two famous bearers of the surname were Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822), a romantic poet whose works include
Adonais and
Ozymandias, and Mary Shelley (1797-1851), his wife, the author of the horror story
Frankenstein. As a feminine given name, it came into general use after the 1940s.
Sherry f EnglishProbably inspired by the French word
chérie meaning
"darling" or the English word
sherry, a type of fortified wine named from the Spanish town of Jerez. This name came into popular use during the 1920s, inspired by other similar-sounding names and by Collette's novels
Chéri (1920, English translation 1929) and
The Last of Chéri (1926, English translation 1932), in which it is a masculine name.
... [more] Shirley f & m EnglishFrom an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning
"bright clearing" in Old English. This is the name of a main character in Charlotte Brontë's semi-autobiographical novel
Shirley (1849). Though the name was already popular in the United States, the child actress Shirley Temple (1928-2014) gave it a further boost. By 1935 it was the second most common name for girls.
Sidney m & f EnglishFrom the English surname
Sidney. It was first used as a given name in honour of executed politician Algernon Sidney (1622-1683). Another notable bearer of the surname was the poet and statesman Philip Sidney (1554-1586).
... [more] Sidony f English (Archaic)Feminine form of
Sidonius. This name was in use in the Middle Ages, when it became associated with the word
sindon (of Greek origin) meaning "linen", a reference to the Shroud of Turin.
Sigourney f EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from the French town of Sigournais, called
Segurniacum in medieval Latin, itself of unknown meaning. The American actress Sigourney Weaver (1949-), real name Susan, adopted this name in 1963 after the minor character Sigourney Howard in F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel
The Great Gatsby (1925).
Simay f TurkishMeans
"silver moon" in Turkish, from
sim meaning "silver, glitter" and
ay meaning "moon".
Sky f & m English (Modern)Simply from the English word
sky, which was ultimately derived from Old Norse
ský "cloud".
Sly m EnglishShort form of
Sylvester. The actor Sylvester Stallone (1946-) is a well-known bearer of this nickname.
Sóley f IcelandicMeans
"buttercup (flower)" in Icelandic (genus Ranunculus), derived from
sól "sun" and
ey "island".
Sonny m EnglishFrom a nickname that is commonly used to denote a young boy, derived from the English word
son.
Sons-ee-ah-ray f ApachePossibly means
"morning star" from Apache
sons-ee-ah-ray. This name was featured in the western movie
Broken Arrow (1950).
Sothy m & f KhmerMeans
"intelligence, wisdom" in Khmer.
Stacy f & m EnglishAs a feminine name it is commonly considered a diminutive of
Anastasia, though it was originally used independently of that name, which was rare in America in the 1950s when Stacy began becoming popular. It had earlier been in use as an uncommon masculine name, borrowed from the surname Stacy or Stacey (derived from
Stace, a medieval form of
Eustace).
Stanley m EnglishFrom an English surname meaning
"stone clearing" (Old English
stan "stone" and
leah "woodland, clearing"). A notable bearer of the surname was the British-American explorer and journalist Henry Morton Stanley (1841-1904), the man who found David Livingstone in Africa. As a given name, it was borne by American director Stanley Kubrick (1928-1999), as well as the character Stanley Kowalski in Tennessee Williams' play
A Streetcar Named Desire (1947).
Stormy f English (Modern)From the English word meaning
"stormy, wild, turbulent", ultimately from Old English
stormig.
Sujay m Bengali, MarathiMeans
"great victory", derived from the Sanskrit prefix
सु (su) meaning "good" combined with
जय (jaya) meaning "victory".
Sunday m & f EnglishFrom the name of the day of the week, which ultimately derives from Old English
sunnandæg, which was composed of the elements
sunne "sun" and
dæg "day". This name is most common in Nigeria and other parts of Africa.
Sunny f & m EnglishFrom the English word meaning
"sunny, cheerful".
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).
Sydney f & m EnglishFrom a surname that was a variant of the surname
Sidney. This is the name of the largest city in Australia, which was named for Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney in 1788. Formerly used by both genders, since the 1980s this spelling of the name has been mostly feminine.
Tacey f English (Archaic)Derived from Latin
tace meaning
"be silent". It was in use from the 16th century, though it died out two centuries later.
Taffy m WelshAnglicized form of
Dafydd. It has been used as a slang term for a Welshman.
Tanguy m Breton, FrenchFrom Breton
tan "fire" and
gi "dog". This was the name of a 6th-century Breton saint.
Tansy f English (Rare)From the name of the flower, which is derived via Old French from Late Latin
tanacita.
Tawny f English (Modern)From the English word, ultimately deriving from Old French
tané, which means
"light brown".
Tenley f English (Modern)From an English surname, itself possibly from a place name derived from Old English
tind "point" and
leah "woodland, clearing". This name was popularized in 2010 by a contestant on the reality television series
The Bachelor.
Terry 1 m & f EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from the medieval name
Thierry, a Norman French form of
Theodoric.
Terry 2 m & f EnglishDiminutive of
Terence or
Theresa. A famous bearer was Terry Fox (1958-1981), a young man with an artificial leg who attempted to run across Canada to raise money for cancer research. He died of the disease before crossing the country.
Thierry m FrenchFrench form of
Theodoric. It was very popular in France from the 1950s, peaking in the mid-1960s before falling away. A famous bearer is the French former soccer player Thierry Henry (1977-).
Thorley m English (Rare)From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"thorn clearing" in Old English.
Tiffany f EnglishMedieval form of
Theophania. This name was traditionally given to girls born on the Epiphany (January 6), the festival commemorating the visit of the Magi to the infant
Jesus. The name died out after the Middle Ages, but it was revived by the movie
Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), the title of which refers to the Tiffany's jewelry store in New York.
Tigerlily f English (Rare)From
tiger lily, a name that has been applied to several orange varieties of lily (such as the species Lilium lancifolium). Tiger Lily is also the name of the Native American princess in J. M. Barrie's play
Peter Pan (1904).
Timothy m English, BiblicalEnglish form of the Greek name
Τιμόθεος (Timotheos) meaning
"honouring God", derived from
τιμάω (timao) meaning "to honour" and
θεός (theos) meaning "god". Saint Timothy was a companion of
Paul on his missionary journeys and was the recipient of two of Paul's epistles that appear in the New Testament. He was of both Jewish and Greek ancestry. According to tradition, he was martyred at Ephesus after protesting the worship of
Artemis. As an English name,
Timothy was not used until after the Protestant Reformation.
Titty f EnglishDiminutive of
Letitia. This is now a slang word for the female breast, and the name has subsequently dropped out of common use.
Toby m & f EnglishMedieval 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 EnglishShort 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).
Topsy f English (Rare)From a nickname that is of unknown meaning, perhaps deriving from the English word
top. This is the name of a young slave in Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel
Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852).
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".
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".
Tracy f & m EnglishFrom an English surname that was taken from a Norman French place name meaning
"domain belonging to Thracius". Charles Dickens used it for a male character in his novel
The Pickwick Papers (1837). It was later popularized as a feminine name by the main character Tracy Lord in the movie
The Philadelphia Story (1940). This name is also sometimes used as a diminutive of
Theresa.
Trey m EnglishFrom an English nickname meaning
"three".
Trinity f EnglishFrom the English word
Trinity, given in honour of the Christian belief that God has one essence, but three distinct expressions of being: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It has only been in use as a given name since the 20th century.
Troy m EnglishOriginally 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.
Tuesday f English (Rare)From the English word for the day of the week, which derives from Old English
tiwesdæg meaning "
Tiw's day".
Tully m HistoryForm of
Tullius (see
Tullio) used to refer to the Roman orator Marcus Tullius Cicero.
Unity f English (Rare)From the English word
unity, which is ultimately derived from Latin
unitas.
Valéry m FrenchDerived from the Old German elements
walah "foreigner, Celt, Roman" and
rih "ruler, king". It has been frequently confused with the name
Valère. Saint Walaric (or Valery) was a 7th-century Frankish monk who founded an abbey near Leuconaus at the mouth of the Somme River.
Verity f EnglishFrom the English word meaning
"verity, truth", from Latin
verus "true, real". This was one of the virtue names adopted by the Puritans in the 17th century.
Veslemøy f NorwegianMeans
"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).
Waverly f & m EnglishFrom the rare English surname
Waverley, derived from the name of a place in Surrey, itself possibly from Old English
wæfre "flickering, wavering" and
leah "woodland, clearing".
... [more] Wednesday f Popular CultureFrom the name of the day of the week, which was derived from Old English
wodnesdæg meaning "
Woden's day". On the
Addams Family television series (1964-1966) this was the name of the daughter, based on an earlier unnamed character in Charles Addams' cartoons. Her name was inspired by the popular nursery rhyme line
Wednesday's child is full of woe.
Wendy f EnglishIn the case of the character from J. M. Barrie's play
Peter Pan (1904), it was created from the nickname
fwendy "friend", given to the author by a young friend. However, the name was used prior to the play (rarely), in which case it could be related to the Welsh name
Gwendolen and other names beginning with the element
gwen meaning "white, blessed". The name only became common after Barrie's play ran.
Wesley m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from a place name, itself meaning
"west meadow" from Old English
west "west" and
leah "woodland, clearing". It has been sometimes given in honour of John Wesley (1703-1791), the founder of Methodism.
Whitney f & m EnglishFrom an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning
"white island" in Old English. Its popular use as a feminine name was initiated by actress Whitney Blake (1925-2002) in the 1960s, and further boosted in the 1980s by singer Whitney Houston (1963-2012).
Wiley m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from various English place names: towns named
Willey or the River
Wylye.
Willoughby m & f English (Rare)From a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning
"willow town" in Old English.
Woody m EnglishEither a diminutive of names containing
wood such as
Woodrow, or else from a nickname derived from the English word
wood. Famous bearers include the folk singer Woodrow "Woody" Guthrie (1912-1967), the comedian and film director Heywood "Woody" Allen (1935-; born as Allan Stewart Konigsberg), and the actor Woodrow "Woody" Harrelson (1961-). It is also borne by the cartoon characters Woody Woodpecker (debuting 1940) and Woody from the
Toy Story movies (beginning 1995).
Yancy m & f EnglishFrom a surname, which was an Americanized form of the Dutch surname
Jansen meaning
"Jan 1's son".
Yeray m Spanish (Canarian)Canarian Spanish name of recent origin, possibly from a Guanche word or place name meaning
"big, grand".
Yuriy m Russian, Ukrainian, BelarusianRussian, Ukrainian and Belarusian form of
George. This name was borne by Yuriy Dolgorukiy, a 12th-century grand prince of Kyiv. The Soviet cosmonaut Yuriy (or Yuri) Gagarin (1934-1968), the first man to travel to space, was another famous bearer of this name.
Zachary m English, BiblicalUsual English form of
Zacharias, used in some English versions of the New Testament. This form has been in use since the Middle Ages, though it did not become common until after the Protestant Reformation. It was borne by American military commander and president Zachary Taylor (1784-1850).
Zétény m HungarianPossibly from the Old Slavic root
zętĭ meaning
"son-in-law".