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).
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".
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".
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".
Treasa f IrishPossibly from Irish
treise meaning
"strength" or
treas meaning
"battle". It is also used as an Irish form of
Theresa.
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.
Trond m NorwegianFrom the Old Norse byname
Þróndr indicating a person from Trøndelag, a region in central Norway, possibly derived from
þróast meaning "to grow, to prosper".
Trym m Norse Mythology, NorwegianFrom 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.
Tryphena f BiblicalFrom the Greek name
Τρύφαινα (Tryphaina), derived from Greek
τρυφή (tryphe) meaning
"softness, delicacy". This name is mentioned briefly in the New Testament.
Tuba f Arabic, TurkishFrom the name of a type of tree that is believed to grow in heaven in Islamic tradition. It means "blessedness" in Arabic.
Tullio m ItalianItalian form of the Roman family name
Tullius, derived from the praenomen
Tullus, which is of unknown meaning. A famous bearer was Marcus Tullius Cicero, a Roman orator and author.
Tycho m History, DutchLatinized form of
Tyge. This name was used by the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe (1546-1601), who was born as
Tyge.
Tychon m Greek Mythology, Ancient GreekFrom Greek
τύχη (tyche) meaning
"chance, luck, fortune", a derivative of
τυγχάνω (tynchano) meaning "hit the mark, succeed". This was the name of a minor deity associated with
Priapus in Greek mythology. It was also borne by a 5th-century saint from Cyprus.
Tyge m Danish (Rare)Danish form of
Tóki, an Old Norse diminutive of names containing the element
Þórr, from the name of the Norse god
Thor. This was the native name of the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe (1546-1601).
Tyra f Swedish, English, African AmericanFrom 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-).
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.
Tzeitel f Yiddish (Rare)Yiddish diminutive of
Sarah. This is the name of Tevye's oldest daughter in the musical
Fiddler on the Roof (1964), based on Sholem Aleichem's stories from the late 19th century.
Ulrich m German, GermanicFrom the Old German name
Odalric, derived from the element
uodil "heritage" combined with
rih "ruler, king". This was the name of two German saints. Another famous bearer was Ulrich Zwingli (1484-1531), also known as Huldrych, the leader of the Protestant Reformation in Switzerland.
Ulysses m Roman Mythology, EnglishLatin form of
Odysseus. It was borne by Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885), the commander of the Union forces during the American Civil War, who went on to become an American president. Irish author James Joyce used it as the title of his book
Ulysses (1922), which loosely parallels
Homer's epic the
Odyssey.
Uma f Hinduism, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, HindiMeans
"flax" in Sanskrit. This is another name of the Hindu goddess
Parvati. In Hindu texts it is said to derive from the Sanskrit exclamation
उ मा (u mā) meaning "O do not (practice austerities)!", which was addressed to Parvati by her mother.
Umar m Arabic, Urdu, Uzbek, Tajik, Kyrgyz, Indonesian, HausaMeans
"flourishing, living long" in Arabic, related to Arabic
عمر (ʿumr) meaning "life". Umar was a companion and strong supporter of the Prophet
Muhammad who became the second caliph of the Muslims. He is considered to be one of the great founders of the Muslim state. The name was also borne by a 12th-century poet from Persia, Umar Khayyam.
Una f EnglishAnglicized form of Irish
Úna or Scottish
Ùna. It is also associated with Latin
una, feminine form of
unus meaning
"one". The name features in Edmund Spenser's poem
The Faerie Queene (1590).
Uno m Swedish, EstonianMeaning uncertain. It is possibly from the Old Norse name
Uni. It could also come from Latin
unus "one".
Uriah m BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
אוּרִיָה (ʾUriya) meaning
"Yahweh is my light", from the roots
אוּר (ʾur) meaning "light, flame" and
יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. In the Old Testament this is the name of a Hittite warrior in King
David's army, the first husband of
Bathsheba. David desired Bathsheba so he placed Uriah in the forefront of battle so he would be killed.
Uriel m Biblical, HebrewFrom the Hebrew name
אוּרִיאֵל (ʾUriʾel) meaning
"God is my light", from
אוּר (ʾur) meaning "light, flame" and
אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". Uriel is an archangel in Hebrew tradition. He is mentioned only in the Apocrypha, for example in the Book of Enoch where he warns
Noah of the coming flood.
Urijah m BiblicalForm of
Uriah used in some English versions of the Old Testament (for a character in the Book of Jeremiah).
Uroš m Serbian, SloveneSerbian form of an old Hungarian name, possibly from
úr meaning
"man, lord" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of five Serbian kings.
Urs m German (Swiss)German form of the Latin name
Ursus, which meant
"bear". Saint Ursus was a 3rd-century soldier in the Theban Legion who was martyred with Saint Victor. He is the patron saint of Solothurn in Switzerland.
Ursula f English, Swedish, Danish, German, Dutch, Finnish, Late RomanMeans
"little bear", derived from a diminutive form of the Latin word
ursa "she-bear". Saint Ursula was a legendary virgin princess of the 4th century who was martyred by the Huns while returning from a pilgrimage. In England the saint was popular during the Middle Ages, and the name came into general use at that time.
Urvashi f Hinduism, HindiPossibly means
"widely spreading", derived from Sanskrit
उरु (uru) meaning "wide" and
अश् (aś) meaning "to prevade". According to Hindu scripture this was the name of an apsara (a type of female spirit) who was the wife of Pururavas.
Uzzi m Biblical, Biblical HebrewMeans
"my power" in Hebrew, a possessive form of
עֹז (ʿoz) meaning "strength, power". This is the name of several minor characters in the Old Testament.
Uzziah m BiblicalMeans
"my power is Yahweh" in Hebrew, from the roots
עֹז (ʿoz) meaning "strength, power" and
יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. This is the name of several Old Testament characters including a king of Judah.
Uzziel m Biblical, Biblical HebrewMeans
"my power is God" in Hebrew, from the roots
עֹז (ʿoz) meaning "strength, power" and
אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". This is the name of several minor characters in the Old Testament.
Václav m Czech, SlovakContracted form of an older Czech name
Veceslav, derived from the Slavic elements
vęťĭjĭ "more, greater" and
slava "glory". Saint Václav (known as
Wenceslas or
Wenceslaus in English) was a 10th-century Duke of Bohemia murdered by his brother. He is the patron saint of the Czech Republic. This was also the name of several Bohemian kings.
Vadim m RussianMeaning uncertain. It is used as a Russian form of the saintly name
Bademus. Alternatively it may be derived from Slavic
vaditi "to accuse, to argue" or from an Old Norse source. According to legend, this was the name of a legendary leader of the Ilmen Slavs who fought against the Varangians.
Vagn m Danish, Old NorseOld Norse byname meaning
"cart, wagon". It was revived as a given name in the 19th century.
Valdemar m Danish, Swedish, FinnishScandinavian 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.
Valentin m French, Romanian, German, Czech, Russian, Bulgarian, Slovene, Croatian, Swedish, Danish, FinnishForm of
Valentinus (see
Valentine 1) in several languages.
Valentina f Italian, Russian, Lithuanian, German, Croatian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Slovene, Albanian, Romanian, Spanish, Greek, Ancient RomanFeminine form of
Valentinus (see
Valentine 1). A famous bearer is the Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova (1937-), who in 1963 became the first woman to visit space.
Valentine 1 m EnglishFrom the Roman cognomen
Valentinus, which was itself a derivative of the cognomen
Valens meaning
"strong, vigorous, healthy" in Latin. Saint Valentine was a 3rd-century martyr. His feast day was the same as the Roman fertility festival of Lupercalia, which resulted in the association between Valentine's Day and love.
... [more] Valerian m Russian, Georgian, Romanian, HistoryFrom 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.
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.
Vanessa f English, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, German, DutchInvented by author Jonathan Swift for his 1726 poem
Cadenus and Vanessa. He arrived at it by rearranging the initial syllables of the first name and surname of
Esther Vanhomrigh, his close friend. Vanessa was later used as the name of a genus of butterfly. It was a rare given name until the mid-20th century, at which point it became fairly popular.
Vasco m Portuguese, Spanish, ItalianFrom the medieval Spanish name
Velasco, which possibly meant
"crow" in Basque. A famous bearer was the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama (c. 1460-1524), the first person to sail from Europe around Africa to India.
Vashti f BiblicalProbably of Persian origin, possibly a superlative form of
𐎺𐎢 (vahu) meaning
"good". According to the Old Testament this was the name of the first wife of King
Ahasuerus of Persia before he married
Esther.
Vasu m Hinduism, Kannada, Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil, HindiMeans
"excellent, good, wealthy, bright" in Sanskrit. This is a name for the Hindu gods, in particular the eight elemental deities who are attendants of
Indra. It is also borne by several other characters in Hindu legend.
Vegard m NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Végarðr, derived from the elements
vé "holy" and
garðr "enclosure, yard".
Velma f EnglishProbably a variant of
Wilma, the spelling with an
e perhaps due to the influence of
Selma 1. This name has been in use since the 19th century.
Venetia f English (Rare), GreekFrom the Latin name of the Italian region of Veneto and the city of Venice (see the place name
Venetia). This name was borne by the celebrated English beauty Venetia Stanley (1600-1633), though in her case the name may have been a Latinized form of the Welsh name
Gwynedd. Benjamin Disraeli used it for the heroine of his novel
Venetia (1837).
Vera 1 f Russian, English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, Hungarian, Slovene, Serbian, Croatian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Belarusian, GeorgianMeans
"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.
Verena f German, Late RomanPossibly related to Latin
verus "true". This might also be a Coptic form of the Ptolemaic name
Berenice. Saint Verena was a 3rd-century Egyptian-born nurse who went with the Theban Legion to Switzerland. After the legion was massacred she settled near Zurich.
Veríssimo m PortugueseFrom the Latin name
Verissimus meaning
"very true". Saint Verissimus was a Portuguese martyr executed during the persecutions of the Roman emperor Diocletian in the early 4th century.