American Names

Trudy f English, Dutch
Diminutive of Gertrude.

Trueman m English (Rare)
From a surname that was a variant of Truman.

Truman m English
From a surname that meant "trusty man" in Middle English. A famous bearer of the surname was American president Harry S. Truman (1884-1972). It was also borne by American writer Truman Capote (1924-1984).

Tucker m English (Modern)
From an occupational surname for a cloth fuller, derived from Old English tucian meaning "offend, torment". A fuller was a person who cleaned and thickened raw cloth by pounding it.

Tuesday f English (Rare)
From the English word for the day of the week, which derives from Old English tiwesdæg meaning "Tiw's day".

Turner m English
From an English surname for one who worked with a lathe, derived from Old English turnian "to turn", of Latin origin.

Twila f English
Meaning unknown. Perhaps based on the English word twilight, or maybe from a Cajun pronunciation of French étoile "star". It came into use as an American given name in the late 19th century.

Twyla f English
Variant of Twila.

Ty m English
Short form of Tyler, Tyson, Tyrone and other names beginning with Ty.

Tye m English
From a surname meaning "pasture" in Middle English.

Tyla f English (Modern)
Feminine form of Tyler, or a combination of the popular phonetic elements ty and la.

Tylar m & f English (Rare)
Variant of Tyler.

Tyler m English
From an English surname meaning "tiler of roofs", derived from Old English tigele "tile". The surname was borne by American president John Tyler (1790-1862).

Tylor m English (Modern)
Variant of Tyler.

Tyquan m African American (Modern)
Combination of the popular phonetic elements ty and quan.

Tyra f Swedish, English, African American
From 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-).

Tyree m African 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.

Tyreek m African American (Modern)
Variant of Tyrik.

Tyrell m English (Modern), African American (Modern)
From a surname that was a variant of Terrell. Influenced by similar-sounding names such as Tyrone and Darrell it has been used by African-American parents, usually stressed on the second syllable.

Tyrese m African American (Modern)
Invented name, an elaboration of the initial sound in names such as Tyrone, Tyrell and Tyree. It jumped in popularity after the American singer and actor Tyrese Gibson (1978-) released his debut album in 1998.

Tyrik m African American (Modern)
Invented name, influenced by the sounds found other names such as Tyrone, Tyrell, Tyree and Tariq.

Tyriq m African American (Modern)
Variant of Tyrik.

Tyrique m African American (Modern)
Variant of Tyrik.

Tyron m English
Variant of Tyrone.

Tyrone m English, African American
From 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.

Tyrrell m English (Rare)
From a surname that was a variant of Terrell.

Tyshawn m African American (Modern)
Combination of the popular phonetic prefix ty and Shawn.

Tyson m English
From an English surname, originally a nickname for a quarrelsome person, from Old French tison meaning "firebrand". A famous bearer of the surname is boxer Mike Tyson (1966-). This was a rare given name in America before 1960, but it increased in popularity through the 1960s and 70s, maybe because of its similarities with names such as Tyler and Tyrone.

Ulric m English (Rare)
Middle English form of the Old English name Wulfric. When it is used in modern times, it is usually as a variant of Ulrich.

Ulyssa f English (Rare)
Feminine form of Ulysses.

Ulysses m Roman Mythology, English
Latin 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.

Una f English
Anglicized 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).

Unice f English (Rare)
Variant of Eunice.

Unique f English (Modern)
From the English word unique, ultimately derived from Latin unicus.

Unity f English (Rare)
From the English word unity, which is ultimately derived from Latin unitas.

Upton m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "upper town" in Old English. A famous bearer of this name was the American novelist Upton Sinclair (1878-1968).

Ursella f English (Rare)
Variant of Ursula.

Ursula f English, Swedish, Danish, German, Dutch, Finnish, Late Roman
Means "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.

Val m & f English
Short form of Valentine 1, Valerie and other names beginning with Val.

Valarie f English
Variant of Valerie.

Valary f English (Rare)
Variant of Valerie.

Vale f English (Rare)
From the English word meaning "wide river valley".

Valentine 1 m English
From 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]

Valerie f English, German, Czech
English and German form of Valeria, as well as a Czech variant of Valérie.

Valorie f English
Variant of Valerie.

Van m English
Short form of names containing van, such as Vance or Ivan.

Vance m English
From an English surname that was derived from Old English fenn meaning "marsh, fen".

Vanessa f English, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, German, Dutch
Invented 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.

Vaughan m Welsh, English
From a Welsh surname that was derived from bychan (mutated to fychan) meaning "little".

Vaughn m English
From a Welsh surname, a variant of Vaughan.

Velda f English
Meaning unknown, possibly a derivative of the Old German element walt meaning "power, authority".

Velma f English
Probably 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.

Velvet f English
From the English word for the soft fabric. It became used as a given name after the main character in Enid Bagnold's book National Velvet (1935) and the movie (1944) and television (1960) adaptations.

Venetia f English (Rare), Greek
From 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, Georgian
Means "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.

Vere m English (Rare)
From a Norman surname, which was from a French place name, which was itself derived from a Gaulish word meaning "alder".

Vergil m English
Variant of Virgil.

Verity f English
From 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.

Vern m English
Short form of Vernon.

Verna f English
Feminine form of Vernon, sometimes associated with the Latin word vernus "spring". It has been in use since the 19th century.

Vernon m English
From a Norman surname, which was from a French place name, ultimately derived from the Gaulish word vern meaning "alder".

Veronica f English, Italian, Romanian, Late Roman
Latin alteration of Berenice, the spelling influenced by the ecclesiastical Latin phrase vera icon meaning "true image". This was the name of a legendary saint who wiped Jesus' face with a towel and then found his image imprinted upon it. Due to popular stories about her, the name was occasionally used in the Christian world in the Middle Ages. It was borne by the Italian saint and mystic Veronica Giuliani (1660-1727). As an English name, it was not common until the 19th century, when it was imported from France and Scotland.

Vi f English
Short form of Violet.

Vianne f English (Rare)
Meaning unknown, perhaps a combination of Vi and Anne 1 or a short form of Vivianne.

Vic m & f English
Short form of Victor or Victoria.

Vicki f English
Diminutive of Victoria.

Vickie f English
Diminutive of Victoria.

Vicky f English
Diminutive of Victoria.

Victor m English, French, Portuguese, Romanian, Dutch, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Late Roman
Roman name meaning "victor, conqueror" in Latin. It was common among early Christians, and was borne by several early saints and three popes. It was rare as an English name during the Middle Ages, but it was revived in the 19th century. A famous bearer was the French writer Victor Hugo (1802-1885), who authored The Hunchback of Notre-Dame and Les Misérables.

Victoria f English, Spanish, Romanian, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, French, Late Roman, Roman Mythology
Means "victory" in Latin, being borne by the Roman goddess of victory. It is also a feminine form of Victorius. This name was borne by a 4th-century saint and martyr from North Africa.... [more]

Vienna f English (Modern)
From the name of the capital city of Austria, Vienna.

Vikki f English
Diminutive of Victoria.

Vin m English
Short form of Vincent.

Vinal m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "vine hall" in Middle English.

Vince m English, Hungarian
English short form and Hungarian normal form of Vincent.

Vincent m English, French, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Slovak
From the Roman name Vincentius, which was derived from Latin vincere meaning "to conquer". This name was popular among early Christians, and it was borne by many saints. As an English name, Vincent has been in use since the Middle Ages, though it did not become common until the 19th century. Famous bearers include the French priest Saint Vincent de Paul (1581-1660) and the Dutch post-impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890).

Vinnie m & f English
Diminutive of Vincent and other names containing vin.

Vinny m English
Diminutive of Vincent.

Viola f English, 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.

Violet f English
From the English word violet for the purple flower, ultimately derived from Latin viola. It was common in Scotland from the 16th century, and it came into general use as an English given name during the 19th century.

Viona f English (Rare)
Possibly a variant of Fiona influenced by Viola.

Virgee f English
Diminutive of Virginia.

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.

Virginia f English, 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]

Vivian m & f English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
From the Latin name Vivianus, which was derived from Latin vivus "alive". Saint Vivian was a French bishop who provided protection during the Visigoth invasion of the 5th century. It has been occasionally used as an English (masculine) name since the Middle Ages. In modern times it is also used as a feminine name, in which case it is either an Anglicized form of Bébinn or a variant of Vivien 2.

Viviette f English (Rare)
Diminutive of Vivienne. William John Locke used this name for the title character in his novel Viviette (1910).

Vivyan f English (Rare)
Variant of Vivian.

Vonda f English
Variant of Wanda, reflecting the Polish pronunciation.

Wade m English
From an English surname, either Wade 1 or Wade 2.

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.

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.

Walt m English
Short form of Walter. A famous bearer was the American animator and filmmaker Walt Disney (1901-1966).

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]

Walton m English
From a surname that was originally taken from various Old English place names meaning "stream town", "wood town", or "wall town".

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).

Ward 1 m English
From an occupational surname for a watchman, derived from Old English weard "guard".

Wardell m English
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "watch hill" in Old English.

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".

Washington m English, Spanish (Latin American), Portuguese (Brazilian)
From a surname that was originally derived from the name of an English town, itself meaning "settlement belonging to Wassa's people". The given name is usually given in honour of George Washington (1732-1799), commander of the Continental Army during the American Revolution and the first president of the United States.

Wat m English
Medieval short form of Walter.

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.

Waverly f & m English
From 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]

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.

Wayne m English
From an occupational surname meaning "wagon maker", derived from Old English wægn "wagon". Use of it as a given name can be partly attributed to the popularity of the actor John Wayne (1907-1979). Another famous bearer is Canadian hockey player Wayne Gretzky (1961-), generally considered the greatest player in the history of the sport.

Webster m English
From an occupational surname meaning "weaver", derived from Old English webba.

Weldon m English
From an English surname that was derived from a place name meaning "hill near a spring" in Old English.

Wells m English
From an English surname that originally denoted a person who lived near a well or spring, from Middle English wille.

Wenda f English (Rare)
Variant of Wendy.

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.

Wenona f English (Rare)
Variant of Winona.

Wes m English
Short form of Wesley.

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.

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".

Whitaker m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "white field" in Old English.

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).

Wil m & f English, Dutch
Short form of William and other names beginning with Wil.

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.

Wilder m English
From an English surname meaning "wild, untamed, uncontrolled", from Old English wilde.

Wiley m English
From a surname that was derived from various English place names: towns named Willey or the River Wylye.

Wilf m English
Short form of Wilfred.

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.

Wilfreda f English (Rare)
Feminine form of Wilfred.

Wilfrid m English
Variant of Wilfred.

Wilhelmina f Dutch, German (Rare), English
Dutch and German feminine form of Wilhelm. This name was borne by a queen of the Netherlands (1880-1962).

Wilkie m English
From an English surname that was originally derived from a diminutive of the given name William.

Will m English
Short form of William and other names beginning with Will. A famous bearer is American actor Will Smith (1968-), whose full name is Willard.

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).

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.

Willoughby m & f English (Rare)
From a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "willow town" in Old English.

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.

Wilt m English
Short form of Wilton. This name was borne by basketball player Wilt Chamberlain (1936-1999).

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".

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.

Winifred f English, 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.

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.

Winnifred f English, Welsh
Variant of Winifred.

Winona f English, Sioux
Means "firstborn daughter" in Dakota or Lakota. According to folklore, this was the name of a daughter of a Dakota chief (possibly Wapasha III) who leapt from a cliff to her death rather than marry a man she hated. Numerous places in the United States have been named after her. The actress Winona Ryder (1971-) was named after the city in Minnesota where she was born.

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.

Wisdom f & m English (Rare)
Simply from the English word, a derivative of Old English wis "wise".

Wisteria f English (Rare)
From the name of the flowering plant, which was named for the American anatomist Caspar Wistar.

Wolf m German, Jewish, English (Rare), Germanic
Short form of Wolfgang, Wolfram and other names containing the Old German element wolf meaning "wolf" (Proto-Germanic *wulfaz). It can also be simply from the German or English word. As a Jewish name it can be considered a vernacular form of Zeev.

Wolfe m English (Rare)
Variant of Wolf, influenced by the spelling of the surname (which is also derived from the animal).

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).

Wren f English (Modern)
From the English word for the small songbird. It is ultimately derived from Old English wrenna.

Wrenlee f English (Modern)
Variant of Wrenley.

Wrenley f English (Modern)
Elaboration of Wren using the popular name suffix ley.

Wright m English
From an occupational surname meaning "craftsman", ultimately from Old English wyrhta. Famous bearers of the surname were the Wright brothers (Wilbur 1867-1912 and Orville 1871-1948), the inventors of the first successful airplane, and Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959), an American architect.

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.

Wynne 2 m & f English (Rare)
From an English surname that was derived from the given name Wine.

Wynona f English
Variant of Winona.

Wynonna f English (Rare)
Variant of Winona.

Wynter f English (Modern)
Variant of Winter.

Wystan m English (Rare)
From the Old English name Wigstan, composed of the elements wig "battle" and stan "stone". This was the name of a 9th-century Anglo-Saxon saint. It became rare after the Norman Conquest, and in modern times it is chiefly known as the first name of the British poet W. H. Auden (1907-1973).

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).

Xanthia f English (Rare)
Modern elaborated form of Xanthe.

Xavia f English (Rare)
Modern feminine form 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.

Xaviera f English (Rare)
Feminine form of Xavier.

Xavior m English (Rare)
Variant of Xavier.

Xzavier m English (Modern)
Variant of Xavier.

Yadira f Spanish (Latin American), American (Hispanic)
Meaning unknown, possibly derived from an Arabic name. It has been used in Mexico since at least the 1940s, perhaps inspired by the Colombian actress Yadira Jiménez (1928-?), who performed in Mexican films beginning in 1946.

Yale m English (Rare)
From a Welsh surname, which was itself derived from a place name meaning "fertile upland" (from Welsh ial).

Yancy m & f English
From a surname, which was an Americanized form of the Dutch surname Jansen meaning "Jan 1's son".

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).

Yazmin f English (Modern)
Variant of Jasmine.

Yolanda f Spanish, English
From the medieval French name Yolande, which was probably a form of the name Violante, which was itself a derivative of Latin viola "violet". Alternatively it could be of Germanic origin.... [more]

Yolonda f English
Variant of Yolanda.

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).

York m English
From an English surname that was derived from York, the name of a city in northern England. The city name was originally Eburacon, Latinized as Eboracum, meaning "yew" in Brythonic. In the Anglo-Saxon period it was corrupted to Eoforwic, as if from Old English eofor "boar" and wic "village". This was rendered as Jórvík by the Vikings and eventually reduced to York.

Yvette f French, English
French feminine form of Yves.

Yvonne f French, English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
French feminine form of Yvon. It has been regularly used in the English-speaking world since the late 19th century.

Zac m English
Short form of Zachary.

Zach m English
Short form of Zachary.

Zachariah m English, Biblical
Variant 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, Biblical
Usual 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).

Zachery m English
Variant of Zachary.

Zack m English
Short form of Zachary.

Zackary m English
Variant of Zachary.

Zackery m English
Variant of Zachary.

Zaiden m English (Modern)
Variant of Zayden.

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.

Zak m English
Short form of Zachary.

Zander m English (Modern)
Variant of Xander.

Zandra f English
Short form of Alexandra.

Zane 1 m English
From 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.

Zanna f English
Short form of Suzanna.

Zara 1 f Literature, 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]

Zaria f English (Modern)
Possibly based on Zahra 2 or the Nigerian city of Zaria.

Zariah f English (Modern)
Variant of Zaria or Sariah.

Zavanna f English (Rare)
Variant of Savannah.

Zavia f English (Rare)
Modern feminine form of Xavier.

Zavier m English (Modern)
Variant of Xavier.

Zayden m English (Modern)
An invented name, using the popular den suffix sound found in such names as Braden, Hayden, Jayden and Aidan.

Zayne m English (Modern)
Variant of Zane 1.

Zeb m English
Short form of Zebulun or Zebedee.

Zechariah m Biblical, English
From 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.

Zed m English
Short form of Zedekiah.

Zeke m English
Short form of Ezekiel.

Zelda 2 f English
Short 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 English
Meaning unknown, possibly an invented name. It arose in the 19th century.

Zelma f English
Variant of Selma 1.

Zena f English
Meaning 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.

Zendaya f African American (Modern)
Borne by the American actress Zendaya Coleman (1996-), known simply as Zendaya. Her name was apparently inspired by the Shona name Tendai.

Zenia f English (Rare)
Variant of Xenia.

Zeph m English
Short form of Zephaniah.

Zinnia f English (Rare)
From the name of the flower, which was itself named for the German botanist Johann Zinn.

Zoe f English, Italian, Spanish, German, Czech, Ancient Greek
Means "life" in Greek. From early times it was adopted by Hellenized Jews as a translation of Eve. It was borne by two early Christian saints, one martyred under Emperor Hadrian, the other martyred under Diocletian. The name was common in the Byzantine Empire, being borne by a ruling empress of the 11th century.... [more]

Zoë f Dutch, English
Dutch form and English variant of Zoe.

Zoey f English (Modern)
Variant of Zoe.

Zoie f English (Modern)
Variant of Zoe.

Zola 1 f English
Meaning 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).

Zowie f English (Rare)
Variant of Zoe.

Zula 2 f English
Meaning unknown. It has been in use since the 19th century. It is possibly related to the name of the African tribe that lives largely in South Africa, the Zulus. In the 19th century the Zulus were a powerful nation under their leader Shaka.

Zyaire m African American (Modern)
Variant of Zaire.