Yudhishthira m HinduismDerived from Sanskrit
युधि (yudhi) meaning "war" and
स्थिर (sthira) meaning "firm, steady". In the Hindu epic the
Mahabharata, Yudhishthira was the eldest of the Pandavas, the five sons of
Pandu. In actuality, he was born to Pandu's wife
Kunti by the god
Yama.
Yuina f JapaneseFrom Japanese
結 (yui) meaning "tie, bind" and
菜 (na) meaning "vegetables, greens". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Yūka f JapaneseFrom Japanese
優 (yū) meaning "excellence, superiority, gentleness" and
花 (ka) meaning "flower, blossom". It can also be composed of different kanji that have the same pronunciations.
Yuka f JapaneseFrom Japanese
由 (yu) meaning "reason, cause" combined with
香 (ka) meaning "fragrance" or
佳 (ka) meaning "good, beautiful". It can also be formed from different kanji that have similar pronunciations.
Yūma m JapaneseFrom Japanese
悠 (yū) meaning "permanence" or
優 (yū) meaning "excellence, superiority, gentleness" combined with
真 (ma) meaning "real, genuine". Other combinations of kanji can form this name as well.
Yūna f JapaneseFrom Japanese
優 (yū) meaning "excellence, superiority, gentleness" or
柚 (yū) meaning "grapefruit, pomelo, citrus fruit" combined with
菜 (na) meaning "vegetables, greens" or
奈 (na), a phonetic character. Other combinations of kanji are also possible.
Yurena f Spanish (Canarian)Canarian Spanish name of recent origin, derived from the Guanche word
yruene meaning
"demon, evil spirit". This word was first recorded incorrectly as
yurena by the French naturalist Jean-Baptiste Bory de Saint-Vincent in 1803.
Yusra f ArabicMeans
"wealth, ease" in Arabic, a derivative of
يسر (yasira) meaning "to be easy, to be rich".
Yūta m JapaneseFrom Japanese
優 (yū) meaning "excellence, superiority, gentleness",
悠 (yū) meaning "permanence" or
勇 (yū) meaning "brave" combined with
太 (ta) meaning "thick, big, great". Other combinations of kanji are possible.
Yutaka m JapaneseFrom Japanese
豊 (yutaka) meaning "luxuriant, lush, bountiful" or
裕 (yutaka) meaning "abundant, rich, plentiful". Other kanji can also form this name.
Yuuta m JapaneseAlternate transcription of Japanese Kanji
優太 or
悠太 or
勇太 or
雄大 (see
Yūta).
Yvain m Arthurian CycleForm of
Owain used by the 12th-century French poet Chrétien de Troyes for his Arthurian romance
Yvain, the Knight of the Lion.
Zaahir 1 m ArabicMeans
"shining, brilliant, radiant" in Arabic, derived from the root
زهر (zahara) meaning "to shine".
Zaahir 2 m ArabicMeans
"clear, evident, manifest, outward" in Arabic, a derivative of
ظهر (ẓahara) meaning "to be visible, to be clear". In Islamic tradition
الظاهر (al-Ẓāhir) is one of the 99 names of Allah.
Zababa m Sumerian MythologyMeaning unknown. This was the name of a Sumerian and Akkadian war god worshipped in the city-state of Kish.
Zabel f ArmenianArmenian form of
Isabel. A 13th-century ruling queen of Cilician Armenia bore this name.
Zaccai m BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
זַכָּי (Zakkai) meaning
"pure". This is the name of a minor character in the Old Testament.
Zacchaeus m BiblicalFrom
Ζακχαῖος (Zakchaios), the Greek form of
Zaccai. According to the New Testament, Zacchaeus was a tax collector who climbed a tree in order to catch a glimpse of
Jesus, then gave half of his possessions to charity.
Zachariah m English, BiblicalVariant of
Zechariah. This spelling is used in the King James Version of the Old Testament to refer to one of the kings of Israel (called Zechariah in other versions).
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).
Zadkiel m Judeo-Christian-Islamic LegendMeans
"God is my righteousness" in Hebrew. This is the name of an archangel associated with mercy in Jewish and Christian tradition, sometimes said to be the angel who stops
Abraham from sacrificing his son
Isaac.
Zadok m BiblicalMeans
"righteous" in Hebrew. This is the name of several characters in the Old Testament, most notably the high priest of Israel during the reigns of
David and
Solomon. Solomon was anointed by Zadok.
Zahi m ArabicMeans
"beautiful, brilliant" in Arabic.
Zaida f Arabic (Rare), SpanishFeminine form of
Zayd. This was the name of a Muslim princess who took refuge at the court of (and perhaps married) Alfonso VI of León and Castile in the 11th century.
Zaira f Italian, SpanishItalian and Spanish form of
Zaïre. It was used by Vincenzo Bellini for the heroine of his opera
Zaira (1829), which was based on Voltaire's 1732 play
Zaïre.
Zaïre f LiteratureUsed by Voltaire for the heroine of his tragic play
Zaïre (1732), about an enslaved Christian woman who is due to marry the Sultan. She is named
Zara in many English adaptations. The name was earlier used by Jean Racine for a minor character (also a slave girl) in his play
Bajazet (1672). It is likely based on the Arabic name
Zahra 1.
Zaire m African American (Modern)From the name of a country in Africa from 1971 to 1997, now called the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is said to be derived from Kikongo
nzadi o nzere meaning
"river swallowing rivers", referring to the Congo River.
Zal m Persian MythologyMeans
"albino" in Persian. According to the 10th-century Persian epic the
Shahnameh this was the name of a white-haired warrior, the father of
Rostam.
Zalán m HungarianPossibly from the name of the region of Zala in western Hungary, itself named for the Zala River. This name used by the Hungarian poet Mihály Vörösmarty in his 1823 epic
Zalán Futása.
Zalmon m BiblicalMeans
"shady" in Hebrew. This is the name of one of
David's mighty men in the Old Testament.
Zan f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
赞 (zàn) meaning "help, support", as well as other characters with a similar pronunciation.
Zane 1 m EnglishFrom an English surname of unknown meaning. It was introduced as a given name by American author Zane Grey (1872-1939). Zane was in fact his middle name — it had been his mother's maiden name.
Zanokuhle f & m Xhosa, ZuluMeans
"come with goodness" in Zulu and Xhosa, from the roots
za "to come, to approach" and
hle "beautiful, good".
Zara 1 f Literature, EnglishUsed by William Congreve for a character in his tragedy
The Mourning Bride (1697), where it belongs to a captive North African queen. Congreve may have based it on the Arabic name
Zahra 1. In 1736 the English writer Aaron Hill used it to translate
Zaïre for his popular adaptation of Voltaire's French play
Zaïre (1732).
... [more] Zarathustra m HistoryFrom Avestan
𐬰𐬀𐬭𐬀𐬚𐬎𐬱𐬙𐬭𐬀 (Zarathushtra), in which the second element is
𐬎𐬱𐬙𐬭𐬀 (ushtra) meaning "camel". Proposed meanings for the first element include "old", "moving", "angry" and "yellow". Zarathustra was an Iranian prophet who founded the ancient religion of Zoroastrianism around the 10th century BC. He is also called
Zoroaster in English, from the Greek form of his name
Ζωροάστρης (Zoroastres).
Zarina f Uzbek, Kazakh, Tajik, Urdu, MalayFrom Persian
زرین (zarīn) meaning
"golden". According to the 5th-century BC Greek historian Ctesias, this was the name of a Scythian queen.
Zawadi f & m SwahiliMeans
"gift" in Swahili, derived from Arabic
زواد (zawād) meaning "provisions".
Zayd m ArabicMeans
"growth" in Arabic, derived from
زاد (zāda) meaning "to grow, to increase". This was the name of a slave who became the adopted son of the Prophet
Muhammad.
Zayn m ArabicMeans
"beauty, grace" in Arabic. This was the name of a son of
Husayn ibn Ali. Shia Muslims consider him to be the fourth imam.
... [more] Zaynab f ArabicMeaning uncertain. It is possibly related to Arabic
زين (zayn) meaning "beauty"; it could be from the name of a fragrant flowering tree; or it could be an Arabic form of
Zenobia, a name borne by a pre-Islamic queen of Palmyra. Zaynab was the name of a daughter, a granddaughter, and two wives of the Prophet
Muhammad.
Zazil f MayanMeans
"clear, light, clarity" in Yucatec Maya. Zazil Há was a 16th-century Maya woman who married the Spanish shipwreck survivor Gonzalo Guerrero.
Zdislava f CzechCzech feminine form of
Zdzisław. This name was borne by the 13th-century Czech saint Zdislava Berka.
Zebadiah m BiblicalMeans
"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.
Zebidah f BiblicalDerived from Hebrew
זָבַד (zavaḏ) meaning "to give". In the Old Testament she is a wife of King
Josiah of Judah and the mother of
Jehoiakim. Her name is spelled as
Zebudah in some translations.
Zebudah f BiblicalVariant of
Zebidah found in some versions of the Old Testament (including the King James Version).
Zechariah m Biblical, EnglishFrom the Hebrew name
זְכַרְיָה (Zeḵarya) meaning
"Yahweh remembers", from the roots
זָכַר (zaḵar) meaning "to remember" and
יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. This is the name of many characters in the Old Testament, including the prophet Zechariah, the author of the Book of Zechariah. The name also appears in the New Testament belonging to the father of
John the Baptist, who was temporarily made dumb because of his disbelief. He is regarded as a saint by Christians. In some versions of the New Testament his name is spelled in the Greek form
Zacharias or the English form
Zachary. As an English given name,
Zechariah has been in occasional use since the Protestant Reformation.
Zedekiah m BiblicalFrom 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.
Zelda 2 f EnglishShort form of
Griselda. This is the name of a princess in the
Legend of Zelda video games, debuting in 1986 and called
ゼルダ (Zeruda) in Japanese. According to creator Shigeru Miyamoto she was named after the American socialite Zelda Fitzgerald (1900-1948).
Zella f EnglishMeaning unknown, possibly an invented name. It arose in the 19th century.
Zelophehad m BiblicalPossibly means either
"first born" or
"shadow from terror" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament, Zelophehad is a man who dies while the Israelites are wandering in the wilderness, leaving five daughters as heirs.
Zena f EnglishMeaning unknown. It could be a variant of
Xenia or a diminutive of names featuring this sound, such as
Alexina,
Rosina or
Zenobia. This name has occasionally been used since the 19th century.
Zenaida f Late GreekApparently a Greek derivative of
Ζηναΐς (Zenais), which was derived from the name of the Greek god
Zeus. This was the name of a 1st-century saint who was a doctor with her sister Philonella.
Zenobia f Ancient GreekMeans
"life of Zeus", derived from Greek
Ζηνός (Zenos) meaning "of
Zeus" and
βίος (bios) meaning "life". This was the name of the queen of the Palmyrene Empire, which broke away from Rome in the 3rd-century and began expanding into Roman territory. She was eventually defeated by the emperor
Aurelian. Her Greek name was used as an approximation of her native Aramaic name.
Zephaniah m BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
צְפַנְיָה (Tsefanya) meaning
"Yahweh has hidden", derived from
צָפַן (tsafan) meaning "to hide" and
יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. This is the name of one of the twelve minor prophets of the Old Testament, the author of the Book of Zephaniah.
Zerah m BiblicalMeans
"dawning, shining" in Hebrew. This is the name of a son of
Judah and the twin of
Perez in the Old Testament.
Zhandos m KazakhFrom Kazakh
жан (zhan) meaning "soul" and
дос (dos) meaning "friend" (both words of Persian origin).
Zhansaya f KazakhFrom Kazakh
жан (zhan) meaning "soul" and
сая (saya) meaning "shadow, shade, protection, comfort" (both words of Persian origin).
Zhihao m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
志 (zhì) meaning "will, purpose, ambition" or
智 (zhì) meaning "wisdom, intellect" combined with
豪 (háo) meaning "brave, heroic, chivalrous". Many other character combinations are possible.
Ziba 2 m BiblicalMeans
"station" in Hebrew. This is the name of a servant of
Saul in the Old Testament.
Zibiah f BiblicalMeans
"female gazelle" in Hebrew, the feminine form of the word
צְבִי (tsevi). In the Old Testament this is the name of the mother of King
Joash of Judah.
Zihan f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
子 (zǐ) meaning "child" or
梓 (zǐ) meaning "catalpa tree" combined with
涵 (hán) meaning "contain, include". Other character combinations are possible.
Zilpah f BiblicalMeans
"frailty" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of the handmaid who was given to
Jacob by
Leah.
Zinnia f English (Rare)From the name of the flower, which was itself named for the German botanist Johann Zinn.
Živa f Slavic Mythology, Slovene, SerbianFrom the Old Slavic word
živŭ meaning
"alive, living". According to the 12th-century Saxon priest Helmold, this was the name of a Slavic goddess possibly associated with life or fertility.
Ziya m Arabic, TurkishMeans
"splendour, light, glow" in Arabic. This was the name of a 14th-century Islamic Indian historian.
Ziyad m ArabicMeans
"growth, increase, excess" in Arabic, a derivative of
زاد (zāda) meaning "to grow, to increase".
Zola 1 f EnglishMeaning unknown, perhaps an invented name. It has been in occasional use in the English-speaking world since the 19th century. It coincides with an Italian surname, a famous bearer being the French-Italian author Émile Zola (1840-1902).
Zola 2 f & m XhosaFrom the Xhosa root
-zola meaning
"calm".
Zoltán m Hungarian, SlovakPossibly related to the Turkish title
sultan meaning
"king, sultan". This was the name of a 10th-century ruler of Hungary, also known as Zsolt.
Zona f VariousMeans
"girdle, belt" in Greek. This name was made popular by the Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist and poet Zona Gale (1874-1938).
Zoraida f SpanishPerhaps means
"enchanting" or
"dawn" in Arabic. This was the name of a minor 12th-century Spanish saint, a convert from Islam. The name was used by Cervantes for a character in his novel
Don Quixote (1606), in which Zoraida is a beautiful Moorish woman of Algiers who converts to Christianity and elopes with a Spanish officer.
Zrinka f CroatianPossibly from
Zrin, the name of a village in Croatia, or from the noble Zrinski family that originated there.