Names with 2 Syllables

This is a list of names in which the number of syllables is 2.
gender
usage
syllables
Virgee f English
Diminutive of Virginia.
Virgen f Spanish (Latin American)
Means "virgin" in Spanish, used in honour of the Virgin Mary.
Virgie f English
Diminutive of Virginia.
Virgil m English, Romanian
From the Roman family name Vergilius, which is of unknown meaning. This name was borne by the 1st-century BC Roman poet Publius Vergilius Maro, commonly called Virgil, who was the writer of the Aeneid. Due to him, Virgil has been in use as a given name in the English-speaking world since the 19th century.
Virgile m French
French form of Virgil.
Virgo f Astronomy
Means "maiden, virgin" in Latin. This is the name of a constellation and the sixth sign of the zodiac.
Virva f Finnish
Possibly derived from Finnish virvatuli meaning "will o' the wisp". In folklore, will o' the wisp is a floating ball of light that appears over water.
Virve f Estonian, Finnish
From Estonian virves meaning "sprout, shoot" or virve meaning "ripple, shimmer".
Vishal m Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Bengali
From Sanskrit विशाल (viśāla) meaning "wide, broad, spacious".
Vishnu m Hinduism, Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Marathi
Probably means "all-pervasive" in Sanskrit, from विष् (viṣ) meaning "to prevade, to spread through". The Hindu god Vishnu is the protector and preserver of the universe, usually depicted as four-armed and blue-skinned. His wife is Lakshmi. Though he appears in the Rigveda, he features more prominently in post-Vedic texts. The great heroes Krishna, Rama, Narasimha and others are regarded as avatars of Vishnu.... [more]
Višnja f Croatian, Serbian
Means "sour cherry" in Croatian and Serbian.
Vital m French, Portuguese, Belarusian
French, Portuguese and Belarusian form of Vitalis (see Vitale).
Vítek m Czech
Diminutive of Vít.
Vito 1 m Italian, Spanish
Italian and Spanish form of Vitus. A notable fictional bearer is Vito Corleone from The Godfather novel (1969) and movie (1972).
Vítor m Portuguese, Galician
Portuguese and Galician form of Victor.
Vivek m Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, Bengali
From Sanskrit विवेक (viveka) meaning "wisdom, distinction, discrimination".
Viviane f French, Portuguese
French form of Viviana, as well as a Portuguese variant. It is also the French form of Vivien 2.
Vivianne f French
Variant of Viviane.
Vivien 1 m French
French form of Vivianus (see Vivian).
Vivienne f French
French form of Viviana.
Vjeko m Croatian
Short form of Vjekoslav.
Vladan m Serbian, Czech
From the Slavic element volděti meaning "to rule, to control", originally a diminutive of names containing that element.
Vladas m Lithuanian
Short form of Vladimiras.
Vladik m Russian
Diminutive of Vladislav.
Vladlen m Russian
Contraction of Vladimir Lenin, the name of the founder of the former Soviet state (see Vladimir and Lenin).
Vlasta f & m Czech, Slovak, Croatian, Serbian, Slovene
Originally a short form of names beginning with the Slavic element volstĭ meaning "power, rule, sovereignty". Descendants of this word include Czech vlast "homeland" and Serbo-Croatian vlast "power". It is sometimes masculine in Czech and Serbian.
Voitto m Finnish
Means "victory" in Finnish.
Vojta m Czech
Diminutive of Vojtěch.
Vojtěch m Czech
Czech form of Wojciech.
Vojtech m Slovak
Slovak form of Wojciech.
Volha f Belarusian
Belarusian form of Olga.
Volkan m Turkish
Means "volcano" in Turkish.
Volker m German
Derived from the Old German element folk "people" combined with heri "army".
Volkmar m German
Derived from the Old German element folk "people" combined with mari "famous".
Voltaire m History
Pen name of François-Marie Arouet (1694-1778), a French philosopher and writer, the author of Candide. It is not known how Arouet devised his name. He may have reversed the syllables of Airvault, a town where his family owned property; it may have been an anagram of the Latin spelling of his surname Arovet and LI standing for le jeune "the young"; or it may have come from French volontaire "determined".
Volya m Russian (Rare)
Diminutive of Vsevolod. It also means "will, freedom" in Russian.
Vosgi f & m Armenian
Western Armenian transcription of Voski.
Voski f & m Armenian
Means "gold" in Armenian.
Vova m Russian
Diminutive of Vladimir.
Vreni f German (Swiss)
Swiss diminutive of Verena.
Vulcan m Roman Mythology (Anglicized)
From the Latin Vulcanus, possibly related to fulgere meaning "to flash", but more likely of pre-Latin origin. In Roman mythology Vulcan was the god of fire. He was later equated with the Greek god Hephaestus.
Vuokko f Finnish
Means "anemone (flower)" in Finnish.
Vyara f Bulgarian
Bulgarian cognate of Vera 1.
Wacław m Polish
Polish form of Václav.
Wadud m Arabic
Means "lover, affectionate" in Arabic, from the root ودّ (wadda) meaning "to love". In Islamic tradition الودود (al-Wadūd) is one of the 99 names of Allah.
Wael m Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic وائل (see Wail).
Wafa f Arabic
Means "loyalty, faithfulness" in Arabic, a derivative of وفى (wafā) meaning "to fulfill, to live up to a promise".
Wafaa f Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic وفاء (see Wafa).
Wafi m Arabic
Means "trustworthy, reliable, loyal, perfect" in Arabic, derived from the root وفى (wafā) meaning "to fulfill, to live up to a promise".
Waheed m Arabic, Urdu
Alternate transcription of Arabic وحيد or Urdu وحید (see Wahid).
Wahid m Arabic, Urdu, Bengali, Indonesian
Means "peerless, unique" in Arabic. In Islamic tradition الوحيد (al-Waḥīd) is one of the 99 names of Allah.
Wahyu m Indonesian
Means "revelation" in Indonesian.
Wail m Arabic
Possibly means "refuge, shelter" in Arabic.
Waldek m Polish
Polish diminutive of Waldemar.
Waldo 1 m English
From a surname that was derived from the Anglo-Scandinavian given name Waltheof. Its present use in the English-speaking world is usually in honour of Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), an American transcendentalist, poet and author. His name came from a surname from his father's side of the family.
Waleed m Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic وليد (see Walid).
Walid m Arabic
Means "newborn" in Arabic, derived from ولد (walada) meaning "to give birth". This was the name of the Umayyad caliph who conquered Spain in the 8th century.
Walker m English
From an English surname that referred to the medieval occupational of a walker, also known as a fuller. Walkers would tread on wet, unprocessed wool in order to clean and thicken it. The word ultimately derives from Old English wealcan "to walk".
Wallace m English, Scottish
From a Scottish and English surname that was derived from Norman French waleis meaning "foreigner, Celt, Welshman" (of Germanic origin). It was first used as a given name in honour of William Wallace, a Scottish hero who led the fight against the English in the 13th century.
Wallis m & f English (Rare)
From a surname that was a variant of Wallace. Wallis Simpson (1895-1986) was the divorced woman whom Edward VIII married, which forced him to abdicate the British throne.
Wally m English
Diminutive of Walter or Wallace.
Wálter m Spanish, Portuguese
Spanish and Portuguese variant form of Walter, more common in South America than Europe. It is often written without the diacritic.
Walter m English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Polish, Italian, Germanic
From the Germanic name Waltheri meaning "power of the army", from the elements walt "power, authority" and heri "army". In medieval German tales (notably Waltharius by Ekkehard of Saint Gall) Walter of Aquitaine is a heroic king of the Visigoths. The name was also borne by an 11th-century French saint, Walter of Pontoise. The Normans brought it to England, where it replaced the Old English cognate Wealdhere.... [more]
Walther m German, Germanic
German variant of Walter. This name was borne by the 13th-century German poet Walther von der Vogelweide.
Walton m English
From a surname that was originally taken from various Old English place names meaning "stream town", "wood town", or "wall town".
Waltraud f German
From the Old German elements walt "power, authority" and drud "strength". This name was borne by a 7th-century Frankish saint who founded a convent near Mons, Belgium.
Waltraut f German
Variant of Waltraud.
Wanda f Polish, English, German, French
Possibly from a Germanic name meaning "a Wend", referring to the Slavic people who inhabited eastern Germany. In Polish legends this was the name of the daughter of King Krak, the legendary founder of Krakow. It was introduced to the English-speaking world by the author Ouida, who used it for the heroine in her novel Wanda (1883).
Wangchuk m & f Tibetan, Bhutanese
Means "mighty" in Tibetan, from དབང (dbang) meaning "power" and ཕྱུག (phyug) meaning "wealthy, possessing". This is the Tibetan name for the god Shiva.
Wangi f Indonesian, Malay
Means "fragrant" in Malay and Indonesian.
Waqar m Arabic, Urdu
Means "majesty, dignity" in Arabic.
Warda f Arabic
Means "rose" in Arabic, ultimately a borrowing from an Iranian language.
Wardah f Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic وردة (see Warda).
Warner m English
From a Norman surname that was derived from the given name Werner.
Warren m English
From an English surname that was derived either from Norman French warrene meaning "animal enclosure", or else from the town of La Varenne in Normandy. This name was borne by the American president Warren G. Harding (1865-1923).
Warrick m English (Rare)
From a surname that was a variant of Warwick.
Warwick m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from the name of a town in England, itself from Old English wer "weir, dam" and wic "settlement".
Wasi m Arabic
Means "broad-minded, liberal, learned" in Arabic.
Wasim m Arabic
Means "handsome" in Arabic, related to the root وسم (wasama) meaning "to mark, to distinguish".
Wassim m Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic وسيم (see Wasim).
Wati f Indonesian, Malay
From a suffix meaning "woman" in Indonesian, ultimately from Sanskrit.
Watson m English
From an English surname meaning "son of Wat". A famous fictional bearer of the surname was Dr. Watson, the assistant to Sherlock Holmes in Arthur Conan Doyle's mystery stories beginning in 1887.
Wayland m English, Anglo-Saxon Mythology
From Old English Weland, probably derived from the Germanic root *wīlą meaning "craft, cunning". In Germanic legend Weland (called Vǫlundr in Old Norse) was a master smith and craftsman. He was captured and hamstrung by King Niðhad, but took revenge by killing the king's sons.
Waylon m English
Variant of Wayland. This name was popularized by country music singer Waylon Jennings (1937-2002), who was originally named Wayland.
Webster m English
From an occupational surname meaning "weaver", derived from Old English webba.
Wedad f Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic وداد (see Widad).
Wednesday f Popular Culture
From 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.
Weldon m English
From an English surname that was derived from a place name meaning "hill near a spring" in Old English.
Wenche f Norwegian
Norwegian variant of Wenke. A famous bearer is the Norwegian singer Wenche Myhre (1947-), known as Wencke in some countries so as to avoid pronunciation confusion.
Wendel m & f Dutch (Rare), German (Rare), Portuguese (Brazilian)
Old short form of Germanic names beginning with the element wentil meaning "a Vandal". The Vandals were a Germanic tribe who invaded Spain and North Africa in the 5th century. Their tribal name, which may mean "wanderer", has often been confused with that of the Wends, a Slavic people living between the Elbe and the Oder.... [more]
Wendell m English
From a German and Dutch surname that was derived from the given name Wendel. In America this name has been given in honour of the poet Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. (1809-1894) and his son the Supreme Court justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. (1841-1935). The elder's middle name came from his mother's maiden name (which had been brought to America by a Dutch ancestor in the form Wendel, with the extra l added later).
Wendi f English
Variant of Wendy.
Wendy f English
In 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.
Wenzel m German
German form of Václav.
Wera f Polish
Polish form of Vera 1 or a short form of Weronika.
Werner m German, Dutch
From an Old German name derived from the element warin, related to war meaning "aware, cautious", combined with heri meaning "army". This was the name of a 13th-century boy from Oberwesel, Germany who was formerly regarded as a saint. He is no longer recognized as such by the Church. Another famous bearer was the German physicist Werner Heisenberg (1901-1976).
Wernher m German, Germanic
Variant of Werner. A famous bearer was the German-American rocket engineer Wernher von Braun (1912-1977).
Wesam m Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic وسام (see Wisam).
Wesley m English
From 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.
Wessel m Frisian, Dutch
Old Frisian diminutive of Werner.
Westley m English
From a surname that was a variant of Wesley.
Weston m English
From an English surname that was derived from a place name, itself from Old English west "west" and tun "enclosure, yard, town".
Whitney f & m English
From 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).
Wibke f German
Feminine form of Wiebe.
Widad f Arabic
Means "love" in Arabic, derived from the root ودّ (wadda) meaning "to love".
Wide m Frisian
Frisian form of Wido.
Widya f Indonesian
Indonesian form of Vidya.
Wiebe m Frisian, Dutch
Originally a Frisian short form of Wigberht (and other names starting with the Old German element wig meaning "war" and a second element beginning with b).
Wiebke f Frisian, German
Feminine form of Wiebe.
Wiesław m Polish
Contracted form of Wielisław.
Wiktor m Polish
Polish form of Victor.
Wilbert m Dutch
Means "bright will", derived from the Old German elements willo "will, desire" and beraht "bright".
Wilbur m English
From an English surname that was originally derived from the nickname Wildbor meaning "wild boar" in Middle English. This name was borne by Wilbur Wright (1867-1912), one half of the Wright brothers, who together invented the first successful airplane. Wright was named after the Methodist minister Wilbur Fisk (1792-1839). A famous fictional bearer is the main character (a pig) in the children's novel Charlotte's Web (1952) by E. B. White.
Wilburn m English
From an English surname that was probably originally derived from an unknown place name. The second element corresponds with Old English burne "stream".
Wilda f English
Meaning uncertain, perhaps from a German surname, or perhaps from the English word wild. It has been in use since the 19th century.
Wiley m English
From a surname that was derived from various English place names: towns named Willey or the River Wylye.
Wilford m English
From a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "willow ford" in Old English.
Wilfred m English
Means "desiring peace" from Old English willa "will, desire" and friþ "peace". Saint Wilfrid was a 7th-century Anglo-Saxon bishop. The name was rarely used after the Norman Conquest, but it was revived in the 19th century.
Wilfrid m English
Variant of Wilfred.
Wilfried m German
German cognate of Wilfred.
Wilhelm m German, Polish, Germanic
German cognate of William. This was the name of two German emperors. It was also the middle name of several philosophers from Germany: Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770-1831), Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (1844-1900), and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646-1716), who was also a notable mathematician. Another famous bearer was the physicist Wilhelm Röntgen (1845-1923).
Wilkie m English
From an English surname that was originally derived from a diminutive of the given name William.
Willa f English
Feminine form of William.
Willard m English
From an English surname that was derived from the Old German given name Willihard (or the Old English cognate Wilheard).
Willem m Dutch
Dutch form of William. Willem the Silent, Prince of Orange, was the leader of the Dutch revolt against Spain that brought about the independence of the Netherlands. He is considered the founder of the Dutch royal family. In English he is commonly called William of Orange.
Willi m German
Diminutive of Wilhelm.
William m English
From the Germanic name Willehelm meaning "will helmet", composed of the elements willo "will, desire" and helm "helmet, protection". An early saint by this name was the 8th-century William of Gellone, a cousin of Charlemagne who became a monk. The name was common among the Normans, and it became extremely popular in England after William the Conqueror was recognized as the first Norman king of England in the 11th century. From then until the modern era it has been among the most common of English names (with John, Thomas and Robert).... [more]
Willie m & f English
Masculine or feminine diminutive of William. Notable bearers include the retired American baseball player Willie Mays (1931-) and the musician Willie Nelson (1933-).
Willis m English
From an English surname that was derived from Will, a diminutive of William.
Willow f English (Modern)
From the name of the tree, which is ultimately derived from Old English welig.
Willy m & f English, German, Dutch
Diminutive of William, Wilhelm or Willem. It is both masculine and feminine in Dutch.
Wilma f German, Dutch, English, Swedish, Portuguese (Brazilian), Spanish (Latin American)
Short form of Wilhelmina. German settlers introduced it to America in the 19th century.
Wilmer m English, Spanish (Latin American), Swedish
From the Old English name Wilmǣr, likely via a surname that was derived from it. In some cases it might be regarded as a masculine form of Wilma.
Wilson m English, Spanish (Latin American), Portuguese
From an English surname meaning "son of William". The surname was borne by Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924), the American president during World War I.
Wilton m English
From a surname that was derived from the names of several English towns. The town names mean variously "willow town", "well town" or "town on the River Wylye" in Old English. The river name is itself of Celtic origin, possibly meaning "tricky".
Wiltrud f German
Derived from the Old German elements willo "will, desire" and drud "strength". This name was borne by a 10th-century German saint from Bergen.
Windsor m & f English (Rare)
From an English surname that was from a place name meaning "riverbank with a windlass" in Old English (a windlass is a lifting apparatus). This has been the surname of the royal family of the United Kingdom since 1917.
Winfield m English
From a surname that originated from various English place names, themselves derived from Old English winn "meadow, pasture" and feld "field".
Winfred m English
Means "friend of peace" from the Old English elements wine "friend" and friþ "peace". This was the birth name of the 8th-century missionary Saint Boniface. It became rare after the Norman Conquest, though it was revived in the 19th century.
Winnie f English
Diminutive 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.
Winslow m & f English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from an Old English place name meaning "hill belonging to Wine". A famous bearer of this name was American painter Winslow Homer (1836-1910).
Winston m English
From an English surname that was derived from the Old English given name Wynnstan. A famous bearer was Winston Churchill (1874-1965), the British prime minister during World War II. This name was also borne by the fictional Winston Smith, the protagonist in George Orwell's 1949 novel 1984.
Winter f English (Modern)
From the English word for the season, derived from Old English winter.
Winthrop m English (Rare)
From a surname that was originally taken from town names meaning either "Wine's village" or "Wigmund's village" in Old English.
Winton m English
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "enclosure belonging to Wine" in Old English.
Wiola f Polish
Polish form of Viola.
Wira m Indonesian, Malay
Means "hero" in Indonesian and Malay, ultimately from Sanskrit वीर (vīra).
Wisam m Arabic
Means "badge, medal" in Arabic, derived from the root وسم (wasama) meaning "to mark, to distinguish".
Wisdom f & m English (Rare)
Simply from the English word, a derivative of Old English wis "wise".
Wisław m Polish (Rare)
Contracted form of Witosław.
Witold m Polish
Polish form of Vytautas. Alternatively it could be derived from the Old German name Widald.
Władek m Polish
Diminutive of Władysław.
Włodek m Polish
Diminutive of Włodzimierz.
Wodan m Germanic Mythology
Old High German form of *Wōdanaz (see Odin).
Woden m Anglo-Saxon Mythology
Anglo-Saxon form of *Wōdanaz (see Odin). The day of the week Wednesday is named for him.
Wojciech m Polish
Derived from the Slavic elements vojĭ "warrior, soldier" and utěxa "solace, comfort, joy". Saint Wojciech (also known by the Czech form of his name Vojtěch or his adopted name Adalbert) was a Bohemian missionary to Hungary, Poland and Prussia, where he was martyred in the 10th century.
Wojtek m Polish
Diminutive of Wojciech.
Wolfgang m German, Germanic
Derived from the Old German elements wolf meaning "wolf" and gang meaning "path, way". Saint Wolfgang was a 10th-century bishop of Regensburg. Two other famous bearers of this name were Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) and German novelist and poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832).
Wolfhard m German
Derived from the Old German element wolf meaning "wolf" combined with hart meaning "hard, firm, brave, hardy".
Wolfram m German
Derived from the Old German element wolf meaning "wolf" combined with hram meaning "raven". Saint Wolfram (or Wulfram) was a 7th-century archbishop of Sens. This name was also borne by the 13th-century German poet Wolfram von Eschenbach, the author of Parzival.
Wolter m Dutch
Dutch variant form of Walter.
Woodie m English
Variant of Woody.
Woodrow m English
From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "row of houses by a wood" in Old English. It was borne by the American president Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924), who was given his mother's maiden name as his middle name (his first name was Thomas). During his candidacy and presidency (1912-1921) the name became popular, reaching the 44th rank in 1913, though it quickly declined after that.
Woody m English
Either 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).
Woo-Jin m Korean
Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul 우진 (see U-Jin).
Wouter m Dutch
Dutch form of Walter.
Wrenley f English (Modern)
Elaboration of Wren using the popular name suffix ley.
Wubbe m Frisian
Variant of Wobbe.
Wukong m Literature
Means "awakened to emptiness", from Chinese () meaning "enlightenment, awakening" and (kōng) meaning "empty, hollow, sky". This is the name of the Monkey King, Sun Wukong, in the 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West.
Wulan f Javanese
Javanese form of Bulan.
Wulfstan m Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English elements wulf "wolf" and stan "stone".
Wullem m Limburgish
Limburgish form of William.
Wyatt m English
From an English surname that was derived from the medieval given name Wyard or Wyot, from the Old English name Wigheard. Wyatt Earp (1848-1929) was an American lawman and gunfighter involved in the famous shootout at the OK Corral.
Xabi m Basque
Basque diminutive of Xavier.
Xabier m Basque, Galician
Basque and Galician form of Xavier.
Xander m Dutch, English (Modern)
Short form of Alexander. It was popularized in the English-speaking world by a character on the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003).
Xandra f Dutch
Short form of Alexandra.
Xanthe f Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek
Derived from Greek ξανθός (xanthos) meaning "yellow, blond, fair-haired". This was the name of a few minor figures in Greek mythology.
Xanthos m Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek
From Greek ξανθός (xanthos) meaning "yellow". This is the name of several minor figures in Greek mythology, including kings of Pelasgia and Thebes.
Xaver m German
German form of Xavier.
Xavi m Catalan
Catalan diminutive of Xavier.
Xavier m English, French, Portuguese, Catalan, Spanish
Derived from the Basque place name Etxeberria meaning "the new house". This was the surname of the Jesuit priest Saint Francis Xavier (1506-1552) who was born in a village by this name. He was a missionary to India, Japan, China, and other areas in East Asia, and he is the patron saint of the Orient and missionaries. His surname has since been adopted as a given name in his honour, chiefly among Catholics.
Xena f Popular Culture
Probably a variant of Xenia. This was the name of the main character in the 1990s television series Xena: Warrior Princess.
Xeni f Greek
Modern Greek transcription of Xene.
Xenia f Greek, Spanish, Ancient Greek
Means "hospitality" in Greek, a derivative of ξένος (xenos) meaning "foreigner, guest". This was the name of a 5th-century saint who is venerated in the Eastern Church.
Xenon m Ancient Greek
Derived from Greek ξένος (xenos) meaning "foreigner, guest".
Xerxes m Old Persian (Hellenized), History
Greek form of the Old Persian name 𐎧𐏁𐎹𐎠𐎼𐏁𐎠 (Xšayarša), which meant "ruler over heroes". This was the name of a 5th-century BC king of Persia, the son of Darius the Great. He attempted an invasion of Greece, which ended unsuccessfully at the battle of Salamis.
Xián m Galician
From Xulián, the Galician form of Julian.
Xiao m Galician
Variant of Xián.
Xinyi m & f Chinese
From Chinese (xīn) meaning "happy, joyous, delighted" or (xīn) meaning "heart, mind, soul" combined with () meaning "joy, harmony". This name can also be formed from other character combinations.
Xiulan f Chinese
From Chinese (xiù) meaning "luxuriant, beautiful, elegant, outstanding" combined with (lán) meaning "orchid, elegant". This name can be formed of other character combinations as well.
Xiuying f Chinese
From Chinese (xiù) meaning "luxuriant, beautiful, elegant, outstanding" combined with (yīng) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero". Other character combinations are possible.
Xoana f Galician
Galician feminine form of John.
Xochitl f Nahuatl
Means "flower" in Nahuatl.
Xulia f Galician
Galician form of Julia.
Xulio m Galician
Galician form of Julius.
Xurxo m Galician
Galician form of George.
Yacoub m Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic يعقوب (see Yaqub).
Yael f Hebrew, Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew form of Jael.
Yağmur f & m Turkish, Azerbaijani
Means "rain" in Turkish and Azerbaijani.
Yago m Spanish
Spanish form of Iacobus (see James). The form Santiago refers more specifically to the New Testament apostles.
Yahui f & m Chinese
From Chinese () meaning "elegant, graceful, refined" combined with (huì) meaning "favour, benefit". This name can also be formed from other character combinations.
Yahweh m Theology
A name of the Hebrew God, represented in Hebrew by the Tetragrammaton ("four letters") יהוה (Yod Heh Vav Heh), which was transliterated into Roman script as Y H W H. Because it was considered blasphemous to utter the name of God, it was only written and never spoken, which resulted in the original pronunciation becoming lost. The name may have originally been derived from the Hebrew root הָוָה (hawa) meaning "to be, to exist, to become".
Yahya m Arabic, Turkish, Persian, Indonesian, Malay
Arabic form of Yoḥanan (see John) appearing in the Quran, as well as the Turkish and Persian form. This name honours John the Baptist, a prophet in Islam.
Yaiza f Spanish
From the name of a town in the Canary Islands, Spain. It was used by the novelist Alberto Vázquez-Figueroa for the main character in his Ocean trilogy of books (beginning 1984).
Yakau m Belarusian
Belarusian form of Jacob (or James).
Yakim m Russian (Rare)
Russian form of Joachim.
Yakiv m Ukrainian
Ukrainian form of Jacob (or James).
Yakov m Hebrew, Russian, Bulgarian (Rare)
Russian and Bulgarian form of Jacob (or James), and an alternate transcription of Hebrew יַעֲקֹב (see Yaakov).
Yakub m Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic يعقوب (see Yaqub).
Yaling f Chinese
From Chinese () meaning "elegant, graceful, refined" combined with (líng) meaning "tinkling of jade". This name can be formed of other character combinations as well.
Yamaç m Turkish
Means "mountainside, slope" in Turkish.
Yana f Bulgarian, Russian, Ukrainian
Bulgarian, Russian and Ukrainian form of Jana 1.
Yancy m & f English
From a surname, which was an Americanized form of the Dutch surname Jansen meaning "Jan 1's son".
Yanick m & f Breton, French
Diminutive of Yann or Yanna 2.
Yanis m Greek, French
Alternate transcription of Greek Γιάνης (see Gianis). It is also used in France, in part inspired by the Breton names Yann and Yannic.
Yanna 1 f Greek
Alternate transcription of Greek Γιάννα (see Gianna).
Yannick m & f Breton, French
Diminutive of Yann or Yanna 2.
Yannis m Greek
Alternate transcription of Greek Γιάννης (see Giannis).
Yaqoob m Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic يعقوب (see Yaqub).
Yaqub m Arabic
Arabic form of Yaʿaqov (see Jacob) appearing in the Quran.
Yara 1 f Arabic
From Persian یار (yār) meaning "friend, helper".
Yaser m Persian, Turkish, Arabic
Persian and Turkish form of Yasir, as well as an alternate transcription of the Arabic name.
Yasin m Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Turkish
From the Arabic letters ي (called ya) and س (called sin). These letters begin the 36th chapter of the Quran (surah Ya Sin).
Yasir m Arabic, Urdu
Means "easy, wealthy" in Arabic, derived from the root يسر (yasira) meaning "to be easy, to be rich". This was the name of an early Islamic martyr. It was also borne by Yasir Arafat (1929-2004), a leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization.
Yasmeen f Arabic, Urdu
Alternate transcription of Arabic ياسمين or Urdu یاسمین (see Yasmin).
Yasmim f Portuguese (Brazilian, Modern)
Portuguese (mainly Brazilian) variant of Yasmin.
Yasmin f Arabic, Hebrew, Urdu, English (Modern), Spanish (Modern), Portuguese (Modern)
Means "jasmine" in Arabic and Hebrew, derived from Persian یاسمین (yāsamīn). In modern times it has been used in the western world, as an Arabic-influenced variant of Jasmine.
Yasmine f Arabic, French (Modern), English (Modern)
Alternate transcription of Arabic ياسمين (see Yasmin).
Yasser m Arabic, Persian
Alternate transcription of Arabic ياسر (see Yasir) or Persian یاسر (see Yaser).
Yassine m Arabic (Maghrebi)
Alternate transcription of Arabic ياسين (see Yasin) chiefly used in North Africa.
Yasu 1 f & m Japanese
From Japanese (yasu) meaning "peace, quiet", (yasu) meaning "peaceful" or (yasu) meaning "flat, smooth, level", as well as other kanji that are pronounced the same way.
Yasu 2 m Theology (Arabized)
Form of Jesus used by Arabic-speaking Christians. Muslims use عيسى (ʿĪsā), the form in the Quran.
Yating f & m Chinese
From Chinese () meaning "elegant, graceful, refined" combined with (tíng) meaning "pretty, graceful". Other character combinations are possible.
Yavuz m Turkish
Means "stern, grim" in Turkish.
Yawen f Chinese
From Chinese () meaning "elegant, graceful, refined" combined with (wén) meaning "cloud patterns". This name can be formed of other character combinations as well.
Yazdan m Persian
Means "angel, divinity, saint" in Persian.
Yazhu f & m Chinese
From Chinese () meaning "elegant, graceful, refined" combined with (zhù) meaning "lute, zither, build". Other character combinations are also possible.
Yefim m Russian
Russian vernacular form of Euthymius.
Yefrem m Russian (Rare)
Russian form of Ephraim.
Yegor m Russian
Russian form of George.
Ye-Jun m Korean
From Sino-Korean (ye) meaning "art, talent, craft" combined with (jun) meaning "talented, handsome", as well as other hanja combinations.
Yenny f Spanish (Latin American)
Spanish variant of Jenny.
Yeong-Cheol m Korean
From Sino-Korean (yeong) meaning "perpetual, eternal" combined with (cheol) meaning "wise, sage". Other hanja combinations are possible.
Yeong-Gi m Korean
From Sino-Korean (yeong) meaning "glory, honour, flourish, prosper" and (gi) meaning "rise, stand up, begin". Other hanja character combinations are possible.
Yeong-Ho m Korean
From Sino-Korean (yeong) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero", (yeong) meaning "reflect light" or (yeong) meaning "dive, swim" combined with (ho) meaning "great, numerous, vast" or (ho) meaning "bright, luminous, clear, hoary". Other hanja combinations are possible.
Yeong-Hui f Korean
From Sino-Korean (yeong) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero" or (yeong) meaning "dive, swim" combined with (hui) meaning "beauty" or (hui) meaning "enjoy, play". Other combinations of hanja characters can form this name as well.
Yeong-Hwan m Korean
From Sino-Korean (yeong) meaning "perpetual, eternal" or (yeong) meaning "dive, swim" combined with (hwan) meaning "shining, brilliant, lustrous". Other hanja combinations are possible as well.
Yeong-Ja f Korean
From Sino-Korean (yeong) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero" and (ja) meaning "child". Other hanja character combinations can form this name as well. Feminine names ending with the character (a fashionable name suffix in Japan, read as -ko in Japanese) were popular in Korea during the period of Japanese rule (1910-1945). After liberation this name and others like it declined in popularity.
Yeong-Su m Korean
From Sino-Korean (yeong) meaning "perpetual, eternal" and (su) meaning "long life, lifespan", as well as other hanja character combinations.
Yeong-Suk f Korean
From Sino-Korean (yeong) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero" and (suk) meaning "good, pure, virtuous, charming". Other hanja character combinations are possible.
Yeşim f Turkish
Means "jade" in Turkish.
Yeter f Turkish
Means "enough, sufficient" in Turkish.
Yeva f Russian, Ukrainian, Armenian
Russian, Ukrainian and Armenian form of Eve.
Yevhen m Ukrainian
Ukrainian form of Eugene.
Yiğit m Turkish
Means "brave" in Turkish.
Yihan f & m Chinese
From Chinese () meaning "one" or () meaning "art, talent, craft" combined with (hán) meaning "contain, include". This name can also be formed from other combinations of similar-sounding characters.
Yijun m & f Chinese
From Chinese () meaning "joy, harmony" combined with (jūn) meaning "king, ruler". This name can also be formed from other character combinations.
Yıldız f Turkish
Means "star" in Turkish.
Yılmaz m Turkish
Means "dauntless, intrepid" in Turkish.
Yinuo f & m Chinese
From Chinese () meaning "one" or () meaning "rely on" combined with (nuò) meaning "promise, approve". Other combinations of similar-sounding characters can also form this name.
Yngve m Swedish, Norwegian
Modern form of Yngvi.
Yoann m French
French form of Johann.
Yoda m Popular Culture
The name of a short green alien in the Star Wars series of movies, first appearing in the second movie The Empire Strikes Back (1980). The name has no meaning; it was devised for its sound by creator George Lucas.
Yoel m Hebrew, Spanish, Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew form of Joel, as well as a Spanish variant.
Yohann m French
French form of Johann.
Yōko f Japanese
From Japanese () meaning "light, sun, male" or () meaning "ocean" combined with (ko) meaning "child". Other combinations of kanji characters can also form this name.
Yoko f Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 陽子 or 洋子 (see Yōko).
Yolande f French
French form of Yolanda. A notable bearer of the 15th century was Yolande of Aragon, who acted as regent for the French king Charles VII, her son-in-law. She was a supporter of Joan of Arc.
Yonca f Turkish
Means "clover" in Turkish.
Yori m Japanese
From Japanese (yori) meaning "rely" or other kanji that are pronounced the same way.
Yorick m Literature, English, Dutch
Possibly an altered form of Jörg. Shakespeare used this name for a deceased court jester in his play Hamlet (1600).
Yoshi m & f Japanese
From Japanese (yoshi) meaning "good luck", (yoshi) meaning "righteous", or (yoshi) meaning "good, virtuous, respectable", as well as other kanji with the same reading.
Yoshiko f Japanese
From Japanese (yoshi) meaning "good, virtuous, respectable", (yoshi) meaning "fragrant, virtuous, beautiful" or (yoshi) meaning "joy, pleased" combined with (ko) meaning "child". This name can be formed from other kanji combinations as well.
Yōsuke m Japanese
From Japanese () meaning "light, sun, male" or () meaning "ocean" combined with (suke) meaning "help, assist". This name can also be formed from other combinations of kanji characters.
Yosuke m Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 陽介 or 洋介 or 洋右 (see Yōsuke).
Yōta m Japanese
From Japanese () meaning "light, sun, male" and (ta) meaning "thick, big, great". Other character combinations are possible.
Youko f Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 陽子 or 洋子 (see Yōko).
Younes m Arabic (Maghrebi), Persian
North African and Persian form of Yunus.
Young-Gi m Korean
Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul 영기 (see Yeong-Gi).
Young-Hee f Korean
Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul 영희 (see Yeong-Hui).
Young-Ho m Korean
Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul 영호 (see Yeong-Ho).
Young-Ja f Korean
Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul 영자 (see Yeong-Ja).
Young-Soo m Korean
Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul 영수 (see Yeong-Su).
Young-Sook f Korean
Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul 영숙 (see Yeong-Suk).
Younis m Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic يونس (see Yunus).
Youri m Dutch, French
Dutch and French form of Yuriy.
Yousef m Persian, Arabic
Persian form of Yusuf, as well as an alternate Arabic transcription.
Youssef m Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic يوسف (see Yusuf).