SophonisbafPhoenician (Latinized), History From the Punic name 𐤑𐤐𐤍𐤁𐤏𐤋 (Ṣapanbaʿl) probably meaning "Ba'al conceals", derived from Phoenician 𐤑𐤐𐤍 (ṣapan) possibly meaning "to hide, to conceal" combined with the name of the god Ba'al. Sophonisba was a 3rd-century BC Carthaginian princess who killed herself rather than surrender to the Romans. Her name was recorded in this form by Roman historians such as Livy. She later became a popular subject of plays from the 16th century onwards.
SusanfEnglish English variant of Susanna. This has been most common spelling since the 18th century. It was especially popular both in the United States and the United Kingdom from the 1940s to the 1960s. A notable bearer was the American feminist Susan B. Anthony (1820-1906).
Tenzinm & fTibetan, Bhutanese From Tibetan བསྟན་འཛིན (bstan-'dzin) meaning "upholder of teachings". This is one of the given names of the current Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso (1935-).
TerrellmEnglish, African American From an English surname that was probably derived from the Norman French nickname tirel"to pull", referring to a stubborn person. It may sometimes be given in honour of civil rights activist Mary Church Terrell (1863-1954). It was common in the African-American community from the 1970s to the 1990s, typically stressed on the second syllable. A famous bearer is American football player Terrell Owens (1973-).
ThankfulfEnglish (Archaic) From the English word thankful. This was one of the many virtue names used by the Puritans in the 17th century.
TheklafGerman (Rare), Greek (Rare), Late Greek From the ancient Greek name Θεόκλεια (Theokleia), which meant "glory of God" from the Greek elements θεός (theos) meaning "god" and κλέος (kleos) meaning "glory". This was the name of a 1st-century saint, appearing (as Θέκλα) in the apocryphal Acts of Paul and Thecla. The story tells how Thecla listens to Paul speak about the virtues of chastity and decides to remain a virgin, angering both her mother and her suitor.
TheresafEnglish, German From the Spanish and Portuguese name Teresa. It was first recorded as Therasia, being borne by the Spanish wife of Saint Paulinus of Nola in the 4th century. The meaning is uncertain, but it could be derived from Greek θέρος (theros) meaning "summer", from Greek θερίζω (therizo) meaning "to harvest", or from the name of the Greek island of Therasia (the western island of Santorini).... [more]
TyreemAfrican American From a Scottish surname, a variant of McIntyre. It has been well-used as an African-American name, especially since the 1970s, probably inspired by other similar-sounding names such as Tyrone.
UnityfEnglish (Rare) From the English word unity, which is ultimately derived from Latin unitas.
ViolafEnglish, Italian, Swedish, Danish, Finnish, German, Hungarian, Czech, Slovak Means "violet" in Latin. This is the name of the heroine of William Shakespeare's comedy Twelfth Night (1602). In the play she is the survivor of a shipwreck who disguises herself as a man named Cesario. Working as a messenger for Duke Orsino, she attempts to convince Olivia to marry him. Instead Viola falls in love with the duke.
VirginiafEnglish, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, Greek, Ancient Roman Feminine form of the Roman family name Verginius or Virginius, which is of unknown meaning, but long associated with Latin virgo"maid, virgin". According to a legend, it was the name of a Roman woman killed by her father so as to save her from the clutches of a crooked official.... [more]
VisitaciónfSpanish Means "visitation" in Spanish. This name is given in reference to the visit of the Virgin Mary to her cousin Elizabeth.
Williem & fEnglish Masculine or feminine diminutive of William. Notable bearers include the retired American baseball player Willie Mays (1931-) and the musician Willie Nelson (1933-).
WinifredfEnglish, Welsh From Latin Winifreda, possibly from a Welsh name Gwenfrewi (maybe influenced by the Old English masculine name Winfred). Saint Winifred was a 7th-century Welsh martyr, probably legendary. According to the story, she was decapitated by a prince after she spurned his advances. Where her head fell there arose a healing spring, which has been a pilgrimage site since medieval times. Her story was recorded in the 12th century by Robert of Shrewsbury, and she has been historically more widely venerated in England than in Wales. The name has been used in England since at least the 16th century.
WinniefEnglish 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.
Zara 1fLiterature, English Used 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]