Bertie2's Personal Name List

Means "my power is God" in Hebrew, from the roots עֹז (ʿoz) meaning "strength, power" and אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". This is the name of several minor characters in the Old Testament.

Means "good way" in Igbo.

Means "way of God" in Igbo.

Galician form of Eugene.

Galician form of Eugenia.

Means "north" in Sanskrit. This is a transcription of both the masculine form उत्तर and the feminine form उत्तरा (spelled with a long final vowel), both of which occur in the Hindu epic the Mahabharata belonging to the son and daughter of King Virata.

Welsh form of Uther.

From the Welsh name Uthyr, derived from Welsh uthr meaning "terrible". In Arthurian legend Uther was the father of King Arthur. He appears in some early Welsh texts, but is chiefly known from the 12th-century chronicles [1] of Geoffrey of Monmouth.

Unattested Old Persian form of Atossa.

Russian variant form of Iustina (see Justina).

From Sanskrit उर्वी (urvī) meaning "wide".

Latin form of Urs.

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.

Latin name that was a derivative of Ursus (see Urs).

Variant of Ursula.

Feminine form of Ursus. This is the name of two constellations in the northern sky: Ursa Major and Ursa Minor.

Means "pigeon, dove" in Quechua.

Possibly from the dialectal Estonian word urm meaning "frost" or "catkin".

From the Old Welsh name Urbgen, possibly from the Celtic root *orbo- "heir" and the suffix gen "born of". This was the name of a 6th-century king of Rheged. Passing into Arthurian tales, he became the king of Gore, the husband of Morgan le Fay, and the father of Owain.

Latin form of Uriah. This form is also used in some English translations of the New Testament (such as the King James Version).

Modern Hebrew form of Uriah, also used as a feminine name.

Means "my light" in Hebrew, a possessive form of אוּר (ʾur) meaning "light". This is the name of the father of Bezalel in the Old Testament.

From the Latin name Urbanus meaning "city dweller". This name is mentioned briefly in one of Paul's epistles in the New Testament. It was subsequently borne by eight popes.

Latinized form of Ourania.

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).

Means "love" in Swahili.

Means "worship, devotion" in Sanskrit.

Finnish form of Olaf.

Icelandic form of Unnr.

Derived from Old Norse unnr "wave" or unna "to love".

From the English word unity, which is ultimately derived from Latin unitas.

Derived from Latin unda meaning "wave". The word undine was created by the 16th-century Swiss author Paracelsus, who used it for female water spirits.

Means "he or she is with us" in Xhosa, from the prefix u- meaning "he, she" and nathi meaning "with us".

Means "cowherd" in Basque.

Probably derived from Old Irish úan meaning "lamb". This was a common name in medieval Ireland.

Means "young man" in Urhobo.

Turkish form of Umran.

Means "hope" in Uzbek, ultimately from Persian امید (omīd).

Hausa variant of Umar.

Means "flourishing, living long" in Arabic, related to Arabic عمر (ʿumr) meaning "life". Umar was a companion and strong supporter of the Prophet Muhammad who became the second caliph of the Muslims. He is considered to be one of the great founders of the Muslim state. The name was also borne by a 12th-century poet from Persia, Umar Khayyam.

Means "flax" in Sanskrit. This is another name of the Hindu goddess Parvati. In Hindu texts it is said to derive from the Sanskrit exclamation उ मा (u mā) meaning "O do not (practice austerities)!", which was addressed to Parvati by her mother.

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.

Feminine form of Ulysses.

Azerbaijani feminine form of Ulvi.

Means "exalted, high" in Turkish, from Arabic علْويّ (ʿulwīy).

Means "of Ulster" in Irish. Ulster is a region in the north of Ireland. This name was borne by two 7th-century Irish saints.

From the Old German name Odalric, derived from the element uodil "heritage" combined with rih "ruler, king". This was the name of two German saints. Another famous bearer was Ulrich Zwingli (1484-1531), also known as Huldrych, the leader of the Protestant Reformation in Switzerland.

Feminine form of Ulric.

From the Livonian name Ilo or Ylo meaning "joy", a name appearing in the 13th-century Livonian Chronicle of Henry. It is now associated with the Estonian word ülev meaning "noble".

Means "star" in Greenlandic [1].

Scandinavian diminutive of Ulrika or Hulda 1, or a German diminutive of Ursula.

Icelandic form of Ulf.

Old Norse form of Ulf.

Italian form of Odalric (see Ulrich).

Belarusian form of Vladimir.

Diminutive of Urszula (Polish) or Uršula (Slovene).

Means "old man" in Finnish. In Finnish mythology Ukko is the god of the sky and thunder.

Means "hare" in Greenlandic [1].

Means "fullness, plenty" in Igbo.

Means "stone" in Greenlandic [1].

Means "freedom" in Swahili.

Derived from the Old English elements uhta "pre-dawn" and ric "ruler, king" [1].

Means "eagle of God" in Igbo, from ùgó meaning "eagle, honour" and Chi 2, referring to God.

Italian form of Hugh.

Means "peace of mind" in Urhobo.

Means "will, desire" in Ibibio.

Variant of Otto.

Means "peace" in Igbo.

Diminutive of Ehud.

Means "wisdom of the father, sense of the father" in Igbo.

Means "lord of the spear" in Tupi, from ybyra "wood, stick, spear" and îara "lord, master". This is the name of an 1874 novel by José de Alencar.

Scottish Gaelic form of Valentine 1.

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-).

Ukrainian form of Tiberius.

The name of a cousin of Juliet killed by Romeo in William Shakespeare's drama Romeo and Juliet (1596). The character earlier appears as Tebaldo, an Italian form of Theobald, in Luigi Da Porto's novella Giulietta e Romeo (1524), one of Shakespeare's sources. Shakespeare was also inspired by the character of Tybalt the Cat (from Thibault the French form of Theobald) in medieval fables of Reynard the Fox (evidenced by Mercutio calling Tybalt the "prince of cats").

Latin form of Toribio.

Means "royal, noble" in Quechua. This was the name of a 15th-century (precontact) Inca emperor, Tupaq Inka Yupanki. After the Spanish conquest it was borne by a 16th-century ruler of the Neo-Inca State at Vilcabamba, and in the 18th century it was borne by a descendant who led a rebellion against Spanish rule. Both of them were named Tupaq Amaru, and both were executed by the Spanish.

Means "wild thyme" in Greenlandic [1].

Means "faith" in Sotho and Tswana.

Means "raven" in Greenlandic and Inuktitut.

Roman praenomen, or given name, of unknown meaning. This was a rare praenomen.

Latin form of Tullio.

Italian form of the Roman family name Tullius, derived from the praenomen Tullus, which is of unknown meaning. A famous bearer was Marcus Tullius Cicero, a Roman orator and author.

Feminine form of Tullius (see Tullio).

From the Greek name Τρύφαινα (Tryphaina), derived from Greek τρυφή (tryphe) meaning "softness, delicacy". This name is mentioned briefly in the New Testament.

Greek form of Tryphena.

Old Norse and Icelandic form of Trygve.

Russian form of Trophimus.

Probably from the Celtic name Drustan, a diminutive of Drust, which occurs as Drystan in a few Welsh sources. As Tristan, it first appears in 12th-century French tales, probably altered by association with Old French triste "sad". According to the tales Tristan was sent to Ireland by his uncle King Mark of Cornwall in order to fetch Iseult, who was to be the king's bride. On the way back, Tristan and Iseult accidentally drink a potion that makes them fall in love. Later versions of the tale make Tristan one of King Arthur's knights. His tragic story was very popular in the Middle Ages, and the name has occasionally been used since then.

Feminine form of Tristan.

Perhaps a short form of Demetria and other names ending in a similar sound.

From a surname that was derived from a Cornish place name meaning "homestead on the hill".

Bulgarian form of Trajan 2.

From the English surname Travis (a variant of Travers). It was used in America in honour of William Travis (1809-1836), the commander of the Texan forces at the Battle of the Alamo.

From the surname Travers.

From the Roman cognomen Traianus, which is of unknown meaning. The Roman emperor Trajan (full name Marcus Ulpius Traianus) is considered among the most capable men to have led the empire. His military accomplishments include victories over Dacia and Parthia.

Romanian form of Traianus (see Trajan 1).

From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "fish-trap ford" in Old English.

Swedish variant of Tove.

From the Old Norse name Þórvaldr, which meant "Thor's ruler" from the name of the Norse god Þórr (see Thor) combined with valdr "ruler".

From the Old Norse name Þórsteinn, which meant "Thor's stone" from the name of the Norse god Þórr (see Thor) combined with steinn "stone".

From the Old Norse name Þórleifr, derived from the name of the Norse god Þórr (see Thor) combined with leif "inheritance, legacy".

Spanish form of the Latin name Turibius, of unknown meaning. This name has been borne by three Spanish saints, from the 5th, 6th and 16th centuries (the latter being an archbishop of Lima).

From the Old Norse name Þórbjǫrn, which meant "Thor's bear" from the name of the Norse god Þórr (see Thor) combined with bjǫrn "bear".

Modern form of Þóra.

Estonian form of Anthony.

Means "day, warmth of the sun" in Nahuatl [1].

Hellenized form of a Scythian name, possibly from an Iranian root meaning "family". This was the name of a 6th-century BC queen of the Massagetae (a Scythian people) who defeated Cyrus the Great during his invasion of Central Asia.

Feminine form of Tomislav.

Probably derived from the Slavic element tomiti "to torment" combined with slava "glory". This was the name of the first king of Croatia (10th century).

From the Old Norse name Þórleikr, which meant "Thor's play" from the name of the Norse god Þórr (see Thor) combined with leikr "play, game (involving weapons)".

From an English surname meaning "fox", derived from Middle English todde. As a given name it was rare before 1930. It peaked in popularity in most parts of the English-speaking world in the 1960s or 70s, but it has since declined.

Medieval form of Tobias. It was sometimes used as a feminine name in the 1930s and 40s due to the influence of American actress Toby Wing (1915-2001).

Greek form of Tobiah. This is the name of the hero of the apocryphal Book of Tobit, which appears in many English versions of the Old Testament. It relates how Tobit's son Tobias, with the help of the angel Raphael, is able to drive away a demon who has plagued Sarah, who subsequently becomes his wife. This story was popular in the Middle Ages, and the name came into occasional use in parts of Europe at that time. In England it became common after the Protestant Reformation.

Possibly from Nahuatl tlālloh meaning "covered with earth" [1], derived from tlālli meaning "earth, land, soil". This was the name of the Aztec god of rain and fertility, the husband of Chalchiuhtlicue.

Means "earth, land, soil" in Nahuatl [1].

Means "we praise" in Chewa.

Hungarian form of Theodore.

Roman praenomen, or given name, which is of unknown meaning, possibly related to Latin titulus "title of honour". It is more likely of Oscan origin, since it was borne by the legendary Sabine king Titus Tatius.

This name appears in the New Testament belonging to a companion of Saint Paul. He became the first bishop of Crete and was the recipient of one of Paul's epistles. This was also the praenomen of all three Roman emperors of the 1st-century Flavian dynasty, and it is the name by which the second of them is commonly known to history. Shakespeare later used it for the main character in his tragedy Titus Andronicus (1593). As an English name, Titus has been occasionally used since the Protestant Reformation.

From the Hebrew name תִּרְצָה (Tirtsa) meaning "favourable". Tirzah is the name of one of the daughters of Zelophehad in the Old Testament. It also occurs in the Old Testament as a place name, the early residence of the kings of the northern kingdom.

Means "ermine, weasel" in Inuktitut.

From Hebrew תִּירָס (Tiras), meaning unknown. Tiras is a grandson of Noah in the Old Testament. This is also a modern Hebrew word meaning "corn".

Elaboration of Tina.

From the Turkic and Mongol name Temür meaning "iron". This was the name of several Mongol, Turkic and Yuan leaders. A notable bearer was Timur, also known as Tamerlane (from Persian تیمور لنگ (Tīmūr e Lang) meaning "Timur the lame"), a 14th-century Turkic leader who conquered large areas of western Asia.

English form of the Greek name Τιμόθεος (Timotheos) meaning "honouring God", derived from τιμάω (timao) meaning "to honour" and θεός (theos) meaning "god". Saint Timothy was a companion of Paul on his missionary journeys and was the recipient of two of Paul's epistles that appear in the New Testament. He was of both Jewish and Greek ancestry. According to tradition, he was martyred at Ephesus after protesting the worship of Artemis. As an English name, Timothy was not used until after the Protestant Reformation.

Feminine form of Timothy.

Dutch short form of Mathilde.

Means "hope" in Hebrew.

Alternate transcription of Bulgarian Тихомир (see Tihomir).

Feminine form of Tihomir.

Anglicized form of Tighearnán.

Means "flower" in Tahitian, also specifically referring to the species Gardenia taitensis.

Portuguese form of James, derived from Santiago.

Variant of Tyra.

Means "the Pleiades" in Arabic. The Pleiades are a group of stars in the constellation Taurus.

Means "quiet, peaceful" in Zulu.

Means "be quiet, be peaceful" in Zulu.

Old Norse and Icelandic form of Torunn.

Old Norse form of Tollak.

Old Norse form of Torleif.

Icelandic form of Þórhildr.

Means "Thor's goddess" from the name of the Norse god Þórr (see Thor) combined with Old Norse dís "goddess".

Old Norse form of Torbjörn.

Icelandic form of Torbjörn.

Icelandic form of Þórbjǫrg.

Old Norse name derived from the name of the Norse god Þórr (see Thor) combined with ǫrn "eagle".

Either a feminine form of Þórr (see Thor) or else a short form of the various Old Norse names beginning with the element Þór. In Norse myth Thora was the wife of the Danish king Ragnar Lodbrok.

Modern form of Þóra.

Icelandic form of Þórr (see Thor).

From the Old Norse Þórr meaning "thunder", ultimately from Proto-Germanic *Þunraz. In Norse mythology Thor is a god of storms, thunder, war and strength, a son of Odin. He is portrayed as red-bearded, short-tempered, armed with a powerful hammer called Mjölnir, and wearing an enchanted belt called Megingjörð that doubles his strength. During Ragnarök, the final battle at the end of the world, it is foretold that Thor will slay the monstrous sea serpent Jörmungandr but be fatally poisoned by its venom.

Greek form of the Aramaic name תְּאוֹמָא (Teʾoma) meaning "twin". In the New Testament this is the name of an apostle. When he heard that Jesus had risen from the dead he initially doubted the story, until Jesus appeared before him and he examined his wounds himself. According to tradition he was martyred in India. Due to his renown, the name came into general use in the Christian world.

In England the name was used by the Normans and became very popular due to Saint Thomas Becket, a 12th-century archbishop of Canterbury and martyr. It was reliably among the top five most common English names for boys from the 13th to the 19th century, and it has remained consistently popular to this day.

Another notable saint by this name was the 13th-century Italian philosopher and theologian Thomas Aquinas, who is regarded as a Doctor of the Church. Other famous bearers include philosopher Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679), American president Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), novelist Thomas Hardy (1840-1928), and inventor Thomas Edison (1847-1931).

Means "thank" in Chewa.

French form of Theodoric. It was very popular in France from the 1950s, peaking in the mid-1960s before falling away. A famous bearer is the French former soccer player Thierry Henry (1977-).

Variant of Tiago.

Derived from Greek θηράω (therao) meaning "to hunt".

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).

The name was mainly confined to Spain and Portugal during the Middle Ages. After the 16th century it was spread to other parts of the Christian world, due to the fame of the Spanish nun and reformer Saint Teresa of Ávila. Another famous bearer was the Austrian Habsburg queen Maria Theresa (1717-1780), who inherited the domains of her father, the Holy Roman emperor Charles VI, beginning the War of the Austrian Succession.

Earliest recorded form of Theresa.

Latinized form of the Greek name Θεόδουλος (Theodoulos) meaning "servant of god", derived from θεός (theos) meaning "god" and δοῦλος (doulos) meaning "slave, servant". This name was borne by several early saints.

From the Gothic name *Þiudareiks meaning "ruler of the people", derived from the elements þiuda "people" and reiks "ruler, king". It was notably borne by Theodoric the Great, a 6th-century king of the Ostrogoths who eventually became the ruler of Italy. By Theodoric's time the Ostrogoths were partially Romanized and his name was regularly recorded as Theodoricus. This was also the name of two earlier (5th century) Visigothic kings.

From the Greek name Θεόδωρος (Theodoros), which meant "gift of god" from Greek θεός (theos) meaning "god" and δῶρον (doron) meaning "gift". The name Dorothea is derived from the same roots in reverse order. This was the name of several saints, including Theodore of Amasea, a 4th-century Greek soldier; Theodore of Tarsus, a 7th-century archbishop of Canterbury; and Theodore the Studite, a 9th-century Byzantine monk. It was also borne by two popes.

This was a common name in classical Greece, and, due to both the saints who carried it and the favourable meaning, it came into general use in the Christian world, being especially popular among Eastern Christians. It was however rare in Britain before the 19th century. Famous bearers include three tsars of Russia (in the Russian form Fyodor) and American president Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919).

Feminine form of Theodore. This name was common in the Byzantine Empire, being borne by several empresses including the influential wife of Justinian in the 6th century.

Old German form of Theodoric.

Means "trust, hope" in Zulu, Xhosa and Ndebele.

Means "queen" in Akan.

Latinized form of Tielo (see Till). A famous bearer was jazz musician Thelonious Monk (1917-1982).

Short form of Dorothea, Theodora, Theresa and other names with a similar sound.

Means "will, desire" in Sotho and Tswana.

Means "loving one" in Xhosa, Zulu and Ndebele, from thanda "to love".

Means "loved" in Zulu and Ndebele.

Means "lotus" in Tamil.

From the Greek name Θάλεια (Thaleia), derived from θάλλω (thallo) meaning "to blossom". In Greek mythology she was one of the nine Muses, presiding over comedy and pastoral poetry. This was also the name of one of the three Graces or Χάριτες (Charites).

Means "joy, happiness" in Sotho and Tswana.

Means "be happy" in Zulu and Ndebele.

Contracted form of Theresa.

From Amharic ተስፋ (tasfa) meaning "hope".

Feminine form of Tertius.

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-).

Either a Finnish form of Terentius or a short form of Antero.

Portuguese diminutive of Tereza.

Hebrew form of Terah.

Georgian form of Theano.

Hungarian feminine form of Theodore.

Means "of iron" in Mongolian, derived ultimately from the Turkic word temür "iron". This was the original name of the Mongolian leader better known by the title Genghis Khan. Born in the 12th century, he managed to unite the tribes of Mongolia and then conquer huge areas of Asia and Eastern Europe.

Means "she who bumps into things" or "she who puts things in place" in Mohawk. Tekakwitha, also named Kateri, was a 17th-century Mohawk woman who has become the first Native American Catholic saint.

Derived from the Welsh elements teg "beautiful, pretty" and gwen "white, blessed". This name was created in the 19th century [1].

Possibly derived from Welsh teg "beautiful, handsome", or possibly from the Roman name Tacitus. This is the name of a lake in Wales, called Bala Lake in English. It also occurs in medieval Welsh legends as the husband of Ceridwen.

Means "gratitude, thanks" in Tswana.

Ossetian form of Tahmuras.

From an English surname that originally denoted someone who was a tailor, from Norman French tailleur, ultimately from Latin taliare "to cut".

Its modern use as a feminine name may have been influenced by the British-American author Taylor Caldwell (1900-1985). Since 1990 it has been more popular for girls in the United States. Other England-speaking regions have followed suit, with the exception of England and Wales where it is still slightly more popular for boys. Its popularity peaked in America the mid-1990s for both genders, ranked sixth for girls and 51st for boys. A famous bearer is the American musician Taylor Swift (1989-).

Means "tall" in Turkish.

Alternate transcription of Arabic طيّب (see Tayyib).

Means "young beaver" in Cherokee, derived from ᏙᏯ (doya) meaning "beaver".

Anglicized form of a Thàmhais, vocative case of Tàmhas. Alternatively it could be taken from the Scottish surname McTavish, Anglicized form of Mac Tàmhais, meaning "son of Tàmhas".

Means "bull" in Latin. This is the name of a constellation and the second sign of the zodiac.

From Shona taura meaning "speak" [1].

Means "peaceful, modest" in Karelian Finnish.

Means "lion" in Tswana and Sotho. Tau was the name of the last ruler of the Rolong in South Africa (18th century).

Variant of Taqqiq.

Means "hope" in Shona [1].

Means "visitor, knocker at the door" in Arabic, from طرق (ṭaraqa) meaning "to knock" [1]. This is the Arabic name of the morning star. Tariq ibn Ziyad was the Islamic general who conquered Spain for the Umayyad Caliphate in the 8th century.

Means "his history, his story" in Amharic.

Created by the Georgian poet Shota Rustaveli for his 12th-century epic The Knight in the Panther's Skin. He may have based it on Persian تاجور (tājvar) meaning "king" or تار (tār) meaning "dark, obscure" combined with یل (yal) meaning "hero". In the poem Tariel, the titular knight who wears a panther skin, is an Indian prince who becomes a companion of Avtandil.

Alternate transcription of Arabic طارق (see Tariq).

Ukrainian, Russian and Belarusian form of the Greek name Ταράσιος (Tarasios), which possibly means "from Taras". Taras was an Italian city, now called Taranto, which was founded by Greek colonists in the 8th century BC and was named for the Greek mythological figure Taras, a son of Poseidon. Saint Tarasios was an 8th-century bishop of Constantinople. It was also borne by the Ukrainian writer and artist Taras Shevchenko (1814-1861).

Derived from the old Celtic root *toranos meaning "thunder", cognate with Þórr (see Thor). This was the name of the Gaulish thunder god, who was often identified with the Roman god Jupiter.

Anglicized form of the Irish place name Teamhair, which possibly means "elevated place". This was the name of the sacred hill near Dublin where the Irish high kings resided. It was popularized as a given name by the novel Gone with the Wind (1936) and the subsequent movie adaptation (1939), in which it is the name of the O'Hara plantation.

Means "star" in Sanskrit. Tara is the name of a Hindu astral goddess, the wife of Brhaspati. She was abducted by Chandra, the god of the moon, leading to a great war that was only ended when Brahma intervened and released her. This name also appears in the epic the Ramayana belonging to the wife of Vali and, after his death, his younger brother Sugriva. In Buddhist belief this is the name of a bodhisattva associated with salvation and protection.

Means "moon" in Inuktitut.

Means "slender woman", derived from Sanskrit तनु (tanu) meaning "slender".

Meaning unknown. This was the name of the Phoenician goddess of love, fertility, the moon and the stars. She was particularly associated with the city of Carthage, being the consort of Ba'al Hammon.

Greek form of Tanith.

Means "rain" in Quechua.

Contracted form of Thomasina. It was traditionally used in Cornwall.

Italian form of the Germanic name Thancmar, which was composed of the elements thank meaning "thought, consideration, thanks" (Old High German danc, Old Frankish þank) and mari meaning "famous". This was the name of a 5th-century saint, of Vandalic origin, a bishop of Atella in Campania, Italy.

Russian form of Tamar. Russian performers such as Tamara Karsavina (1885-1978), Tamara Drasin (1905-1943), Tamara Geva (1907-1997) and Tamara Toumanova (1919-1996) introduced it to the English-speaking world. It rapidly grew in popularity in the United States starting in 1957. Another famous bearer was the Polish cubist painter Tamara de Lempicka (1898-1980).

This is the name of waterfalls in Georgia. Popularly claimed to mean "leaping waters" in the Choctaw language, it may actually mean "town" in the Creek language. It was borne by American actress Tallulah Bankhead (1902-1968), who was named after her grandmother, who may have been named after the waterfalls.

Means "shining brow", derived from Welsh tal "brow, head" and iesin "shining, radiant". This was the name of a semi-legendary 6th-century Welsh poet and bard, supposedly the author of the collection of poems the Book of Taliesin. He appears briefly in the Welsh legend Culhwch and Olwen and the Second Branch of the Mabinogi. He is the central character in the Tale of Taliesin, a medieval legend recorded in the 16th century, which tells how Ceridwen's servant Gwion Bach was reborn to her as Taliesin; how he becomes the bard for Elffin; and how Taliesin defends Elffin from the machinations of the king Maelgwn Gwynedd.

From a Welsh place name meaning "front hill", derived from Welsh tal "front, extremity" and bryn "hill".

From Hausa Talata meaning "Tuesday" (of Arabic origin).

Means "we are glad" in Chewa.

Derived from Croatian and Serbian tajiti "to keep secret".

Old Finnish form of Stephen.

Persian form of Avestan 𐬙𐬀𐬑𐬨𐬀⸱𐬎𐬭𐬎𐬞𐬌 (Taxma Urupi), derived from 𐬙𐬀𐬑𐬨𐬀 (taxma) meaning "strong" and 𐬎𐬭𐬎𐬞𐬌 (urupi) meaning "fox". Taxma Urupi is a hero mentioned in the Avesta who later appears in the 10th-century Persian epic the Shahnameh.

Derived from Persian تهم (tahm) meaning "brave, valiant". This is the name of a character in the 10th-century Persian epic the Shahnameh. She is a daughter of the king of Samangan who marries the warrior hero Rostam and eventually bears him a son, whom they name Sohrab.

Means "eagle" in Choctaw.

Variant of Tahira. This was the title of Fatemeh Baraghani (1814-1852), a Persian poet, theologian and reformer.

Feminine form of Tahir.

Possibly means "he who inspires awe" in Amharic. This name was borne by Lij Tafari Makonnen (1892-1975), also known as Haile Selassie, the last emperor of Ethiopia. Rastafarians (Ras Tafari meaning "king Tafari") revere him as the earthly incarnation of God.

Slovene feminine form of Thaddeus.

Means "we have been blessed" in Chewa.

Means "gazelle" in Aramaic. Tabitha in the New Testament was a woman restored to life by Saint Peter. Her name is translated into Greek as Dorcas (see Acts 9:36). As an English name, Tabitha became common after the Protestant Reformation. It was popularized in the 1960s by the television show Bewitched, in which Tabitha (sometimes spelled Tabatha) is the daughter of the main character.

Polish form of Simon 1.

Swedish form of Sunniva.

Norwegian variant of Sunniva.

Old Testament Greek (though occurring rarely in the New Testament) and Latin form of Simeon.

Variant of Silvius.

A famous bearer of this name is the German composer and lutenist, Sylvius Leopold Weiss.

Variant of Sylvaine.

Variant of Sylvaine.

Variant of Silvia. This has been the most common English spelling since the 19th century.

Diminutive of Sylvie.

Medieval variant of Silvester. This is currently the usual English spelling of the name. A famous bearer is the American actor Sylvester Stallone (1946-).

Either a variant of Silvanus or directly from the Latin word silva meaning "wood, forest".

Urdu, Punjabi and Bengali form of Sayyid.

Polish form and Latin variant of Sibylla.

Variant of Sibyl. This spelling variation has existed since the Middle Ages.

Variant of Sibylla.

Avestan form of Siavash.

Old English form of Swithin.

Derived from the Slavic elements svętŭ "sacred, holy" and slava "glory". This was the name of a 10th-century ruler of Kievan Rus, the son of Igor and Olga, and the first to have a name of Slavic origin instead of Old Norse.

Old Norse form of Sverre, as well as the modern Icelandic form.

Icelandic form of Svanhild.

Old Norse form of Svanhild.

From Old Norse svanr "swan" and hildr "battle", a Scandinavian cognate of Swanhild. In the Norse epic the Völsungasaga she is the daughter of Sigurd and Gudrun.

From Japanese 雀 (suzume) meaning "sparrow", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations that are pronounced the same way.

French diminutive of Susanna.

French form of Susanna.

Javanese form of Sushila.

Means "good-tempered, well-disposed", derived from the Sanskrit prefix सु (su) meaning "good" combined with शील (śīla) meaning "conduct, disposition". This is a transcription of both the feminine form सुशीला (long final vowel, borne by a consort of the Hindu god Yama) and the masculine form सुशील (short final vowel).

Form of Susanna found in some versions of the Old Testament.

Means "sun" in Sanskrit. This is the name of the Vedic Hindu god of the sun who rides a chariot across the sky.

Variant of Surendra used by Sikhs.

Modern form of Suresha.

Means "sun" in several northern Indian languages, derived from Sanskrit सूर्य (sūrya).

Scandinavian form of the Old English name Sunngifu, which meant "sun gift" from the Old English elements sunne "sun" and giefu "gift". This was the name of a legendary English saint who was shipwrecked in Norway and killed by the inhabitants.

Old English form of Sunniva.

Means "good conduct" from the Sanskrit prefix सु (su) meaning "good" combined with नीति (nīti) meaning "guidance, moral conduct".

Southern Indian form of Sunita.

Old Norse form of Sondre.

Alternate transcription of Hindi सुन्दर or Tamil சுந்தர் (see Sundar).

Modern form of Sundara.

From the name of the season, ultimately from Old English sumor. It has been in use as a given name since the 1970s.

From Japanese 菫 (sumire) meaning "violet (flower)". Other kanji combinations can form this name as well. It is often written using the hiragana writing system.

Means "high, elevated, lofty" in Arabic, derived from سما (samā) meaning "to be high". This was the name of the first martyr for Islam.

Bengali form of Sumayya.

From an Irish surname, the Anglicized form of Ó Súileabháin, itself from the given name Súileabhán, which was derived from Irish súil "eye" and dubh "dark, black" combined with a diminutive suffix. This name has achieved a moderate level of popularity in France since the 1970s. In the United States it was rare before the 1990s, after which it began climbing steadily. A famous fictional bearer of the surname was James P. Sullivan from the animated movie Monsters, Inc. (2001).

Arabic form of Solomon. It appears in the Quran.

South Indian and Sinhala form of Sujata.

Means "well-born", derived from the Sanskrit prefix सु (su) meaning "good" and जात (jāta) meaning "born, grown". According to Buddhist lore this was the name of the woman who gave Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha) a bowl of pudding, ending his period of severe asceticism.

Derived from the Sanskrit prefix सु (su) meaning "good, very" combined with धीर (dhīra) meaning "wise, considerate".

Means "beautiful, good-looking" in Sanskrit, derived from the prefix सु (su) meaning "good" combined with दर्शन (darśana) meaning "seeing, observing".

Means "patience" in Swahili, from Arabic صبر (ṣabara).

Means "wanderer" in Old Norse.

From a Scots surname that was derived from city of Stirling, which is itself of unknown meaning. The name can also be given in reference to the English word sterling meaning "excellent". In this case, the word derives from sterling silver, which was so named because of the emblem that some Norman coins bore, from Old English meaning "little star".

Feminine form of Stephen.

Russian, Ukrainian and Armenian form of Stephanos (see Stephen).

Romanian form of Stylianos.

From Esperanto stelaro meaning "constellation", ultimately from Latin stella "star".

Derived from the Old Norse elements steinn "stone" and unnr "wave".

From the Old Norse name Steingrímr, derived from the elements steinn "stone" and gríma "mask".

Romanian feminine form of Stephen.

From an English surname meaning "stone clearing" (Old English stan "stone" and leah "woodland, clearing"). A notable bearer of the surname was the British-American explorer and journalist Henry Morton Stanley (1841-1904), the man who found David Livingstone in Africa. As a given name, it was borne by American director Stanley Kubrick (1928-1999), as well as the character Stanley Kowalski in Tennessee Williams' play A Streetcar Named Desire (1947).

Derived from the Slavic element stati "stand, become" (inflected forms in stan-) combined with slava "glory". This name was borne by a few medieval saints (typically called by the Polish form Stanisław or Latinized form Stanislaus), including a bishop of Krakow who was martyred in the 11th century.

Derived from the Slavic elements stati "stand, become" (in an inflected form) and mirŭ "peace, world".

Old Norse form of Ståle.

Short form of Spyridon.

Late Greek name derived from Greek σπυρίδιον (spyridion) meaning "basket" or Latin spiritus meaning "spirit". Saint Spyridon was a 4th-century sheep farmer who became the bishop of Tremithus and suffered during the persecutions of Diocletian.

Variant of Sotirios.

Feminine form of Sotirios.

Ossetian form of Sosruko.

Anglicized form of Somhairle.

Feminine form of Sorin.

Swedish and German form of Søren.

Danish form of Severinus. Søren Kierkegaard (1813-1855) was a Danish philosopher who is regarded as a precursor of existentialism.

Persian form of Thurayya. It became popular in some parts of Europe because of the fame of Princess Soraya (1932-2001), wife of the last Shah of Iran, who became a European socialite.

From Japanese 空 (sora) or 昊 (sora) both meaning "sky". Other kanji with the same pronunciations can also form this name.

Feminine form of Sophronius. Torquato Tasso used it in his epic poem Jerusalem Delivered (1580), in which it is borne by the lover of Olindo.

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.

French form of Sophia.

Means "wisdom" in Greek. This was the name of an early, probably mythical, saint who died of grief after her three daughters were martyred during the reign of the emperor Hadrian. Legends about her probably arose as a result of a medieval misunderstanding of the phrase Hagia Sophia "Holy Wisdom", which is the name of a large basilica in Constantinople.

This name was common among continental European royalty during the Middle Ages, and it was popularized in Britain by the German House of Hanover when they inherited the British throne in the 18th century. It was the name of characters in the novels Tom Jones (1749) by Henry Fielding and The Vicar of Wakefield (1766) by Oliver Goldsmith.

In the United States this name was only moderately common until the 1990s when it began rising in popularity, eventually becoming the most popular for girls from 2011 to 2013. A famous bearer is the Italian actress Sophia Loren (1934-).

Possibly means "morning star" from Apache sons-ee-ah-ray [1]. This name was featured in the western movie Broken Arrow (1950).

From the Old Norse name Sundri, possibly from Old Norse sunn meaning "south".

Means "virtuous, good karma, fortunate" in Tibetan.

From Hindi सोना (sonā), Marathi सोन (son) or Gujarati સોનું (sonum) meaning "gold", all derived from Sanskrit सुवर्ण (suvarṇa) meaning literally "good colour".

Anglicized form of the Old Norse name Sumarliði meaning "summer traveller". This was the name of a 12th-century Norse-Gaelic king of Mann and the Scottish Isles.

From Japanese 颯 (sō) meaning "sudden, sound of the wind" and 真 (ma) meaning "real, genuine". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Old Norse and Icelandic form of Solveig.

From an Old Norse name, which was derived from the elements sól "sun" and veig "strength". This is the name of the heroine in Henrik Ibsen's play Peer Gynt (1876).

From the Hebrew name שְׁלֹמֹה (Shelomo), which was derived from שָׁלוֹם (shalom) meaning "peace". As told in the Old Testament, Solomon was a king of Israel, the son of David and Bathsheba. He was renowned for his wisdom and wealth. Towards the end of his reign he angered God by turning to idolatry. Supposedly, he was the author of the Book of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon.

This name has never been overly common in the Christian world, and it is considered typically Jewish. It was however borne by an 11th-century Hungarian king.

Ukrainian form of Salome.

Latin form of Solange.

Means "buttercup (flower)" in Icelandic (genus Ranunculus), derived from sól "sun" and ey "island".

Icelandic form of Saldís.

From Persian سهر (sohr) meaning "red" and آب (āb) meaning "water". In the 10th-century Persian epic the Shahnameh this is the name of the son of the hero Rostam. He was tragically slain in battle by his father, who was unaware he was fighting his own son.

Persian feminine form of Suhail.

Russian and Ukrainian form of Sophron.

From Egyptian sbk, possibly derived from sbq "to impregnate" [1]. In Egyptian mythology Sobek was a ferocious crocodile-headed god associated with fertility and the Nile River.

English translation of German Sneewittchen, derived from Low German Snee "snow" and witt "white" combined with the diminutive suffix -chen. This is the name of a girl who escapes her evil stepmother and takes refuge with seven dwarfs in an 1812 story recorded by the Brothers Grimm, who based it on earlier European folktales. The High German translation would be Schneeweißchen, but this was used by the Grimms for an unrelated character in another story (Snow-White and Rose-Red). The modern German form is typically the hybrid Schneewittchen. The story was adapted into a film by Walt Disney in 1937.

Older form of Schneewittchen (see Snow White). This was the Low German form originally used by the Brothers Grimm for their adaptation of the folktale Snow White.

Means "snow goddess", derived from the Old Norse elements snær "snow" and dís "goddess".

From the Slavic element slava meaning "glory" combined with a diminutive suffix. It was originally a diminutive of names containing that element.

Possibly from Oneida oskanutú meaning "deer". This was the name of an 18th-century Oneida chief. According to some sources the Shenandoah River in Virginia was named after him, though the river seems to have borne this name from before his birth. It is possible that he was named after the river, or that the similarity in spellings is a coincidence.

Variant of Sigiward.

Variant of Živa.

From Old Norse Sif, which meant "bride, kinswoman". In Norse mythology she was the wife of Thor. After the trickster Loki cut off her golden hair, an angry Thor forced him to create a replacement.

Tajik and Uzbek form of Sitara.

Means "star" in Urdu, ultimately from Persian.

Means "squirrel" in Greenlandic [1].

Means "sun" in Inuktitut.

Means "gift" from Zulu, Xhosa and Ndebele isipho.

Welsh form of George.

Tongan and Samoan form of John.

Phonetic variant of St John.

Means "sparkle" in Old Norse. In Norse mythology this was the name of a dwarf, also named Eitri. With his brother Brokkr he made several magical items for the gods, including Odin's ring Draupnir and Thor's hammer Mjölnir.

Means "continuous remembrance" in Punjabi, derived from Sanskrit स्मरण (smaraṇa) meaning "recollection".

Form of Simon 1 with the Georgian nominative suffix, used when the name is written stand-alone.

Lithuanian form of Simon 1.

Means "born during the dry season" in Luhya.

Means "rest in wealth" in Yoruba.

From Συμεών (Symeon), the Old Testament Greek form of the Hebrew name Shimʿon (see Simon 1). In the Old Testament this is the name of the second son of Jacob and Leah and the founder of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. In the New Testament the Greek rendering Σίμων (Simon) is more common, though Συμεών occurs belonging to a man who blessed the newborn Jesus. He is recognized as a saint in most Christian traditions.

This name was also borne by a powerful 10th-century ruler of Bulgaria who expanded the empire to its greatest extent.

Means "power, strength" in Shona [1].

From Sanskrit सीम (sīma) meaning "boundary, limit".

Derived from Latin silva meaning "wood, forest". This was the family name of several of the legendary kings of Alba Longa. It was also the name of an early saint martyred in Alexandria.

Roman cognomen that was a variant of Silvanus. This name was borne by an 8th-century saint who evangelized in northern France.

Feminine form of Silvinus.

Feminine form of Silvius. Rhea Silvia was the mother of Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome. This was also the name of a 6th-century saint, the mother of the pope Gregory the Great. It has been a common name in Italy since the Middle Ages. It was introduced to England by Shakespeare, who used it for a character in his play The Two Gentlemen of Verona (1594). It is now more commonly spelled Sylvia in the English-speaking world.

Feminine form of Silvester.

From a Latin name meaning "wooded, wild", derived from silva "wood, forest". This was the name of three popes, including Saint Silvester I who supposedly baptized the first Christian Roman emperor, Constantine the Great. As an English name, Silvester (or Sylvester) has been in use since the Middle Ages, though it became less common after the Protestant Reformation.

Probably from Latin silva meaning "wood, forest" (compare Silvanus, Silvester and Silvius). This name was borne by a 6th-century pope who served for less than a year but is considered a saint.

From the English word for the precious metal or the colour, ultimately derived from Old English seolfor.

Latinized form of Greek Σειληνός (Seilenos), of unknown meaning. In Greek mythology he was a companion and teacher of Dionysos, often depicted as an intoxicated, portly old man.

The name of a companion of Saint Paul in the New Testament. It is probably a short form of Silvanus, a name that Paul calls him by in the epistles. It is possible that Silvanus and Silas were Latin and Greek forms of the Hebrew name Saul (via Aramaic).

As an English name it was not used until after the Protestant Reformation. It was utilized by George Eliot for the title character in her novel Silas Marner (1861).

Swedish form of Sigiward, the continental Germanic cognate of Sigurd.

Old Norse name that was derived from the elements sigr "victory" and nýr "new". In Norse legend she was the twin sister of Sigmund and the wife of Siggeir.

Old German form of Sigmund.

Derived from the Old English elements sige "victory" and weard "guard, guardian", making it a cognate of Sigurd.

Means "wish" in Zulu.

Latin name meaning "of Sidon". Sidon was an ancient Phoenician city corresponding to modern-day Saida in Lebanon. This name was borne by the 5th-century saint Sidonius Apollinaris, a 5th-century bishop of Clermont.

Feminine form of Sidonius. This is the name of a legendary saint from Georgia. She and her father Abiathar were supposedly converted by Saint Nino from Judaism to Christianity.

Means "we are blessed" in Ndebele.

From Zulu isibonakaliso meaning "sign, token, proof".

Persian form of Avestan 𐬯𐬌𐬌𐬁𐬎𐬎𐬀𐬭𐬱𐬀𐬥 (Siiāuuarshan) meaning "possessing black stallions". This was the name of a virtuous prince in Iranian mythology. He appears briefly in the Avesta, with a longer account recorded in the 10th-century Persian epic the Shahnameh.

Welsh form of Jane.

From Sanskrit श्यामल (śyāmala), a derivative of श्याम (śyāma) meaning "dark, black, blue".

Derived from Sanskrit श्याम (śyāma) meaning "dark, black, blue". This is a transcription of both the masculine form श्याम (another name of the Hindu god Krishna) and the feminine form श्यामा (another name of the goddess Kali).

Means "beloved of Shri" from the name of the Hindu goddess Shri combined with Sanskrit वत्स (vatsa) meaning "beloved, dear". This is the name of a mark on Vishnu's chest.

From Sanskrit श्रेयस् (śreyas) meaning "superior, better".

Derived from Sanskrit शोभा (śobhā) meaning "brilliance".

Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 四郎 (see Shirō).

As a feminine name it can be from Japanese 詩 (shi) meaning "poem" combined with 織 (ori) meaning "weave". It can also be from 栞 (shiori) meaning "bookmark" (usually feminine) or 撓 (shiori) meaning "lithe, bending" (usually masculine), as well as other kanji or kanji combinations.

From Japanese 茂 (shige) meaning "lush, luxuriant" or 重 (shige) meaning "layers, folds" combined with 雄 (o) meaning "hero, manly" or 男 (o) meaning "male, man". Many other kanji combinations can also form this name.

From an English place name (or from a surname that was derived from it) meaning "bright forest". This was the name of the forest in which the legendary outlaw Robin Hood made his home.

From Uzbek and Tajik sher meaning "lion" (of Persian origin) combined with the name Ali 1.

Means "dart, weapon" or "plant shoot" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of a grandson of Shem who is an ancestor of Abraham. In English Bibles it is written as Salah or Shelah.

From Sanskrit शेखर (śekhara) meaning "crest, crown, peak".

Derived from Arabic شوكة (shawka) meaning "bravery, valour, power" [1].

From Sanskrit शर्मन् (śarman) meaning "protection, comfort, joy".

From שַׁלְמַןְאֶסֶר (Shalmanʾeser), the Hebrew form of the Akkadian name Shulmanu-ashared meaning "Shulmanu is preeminent". This was the name of five Assyrian kings, including the 9th-century BC Shalmaneser III who expanded the empire. He is mentioned briefly in the Old Testament.

Persian form of Avestan 𐬑𐬱𐬀𐬚𐬭𐬀⸱𐬬𐬀𐬌𐬭𐬌𐬌𐬀 (Xshathra Vairiia) meaning "desirable power". In Zoroastrianism this was the name of a god (one of the Amesha Spenta) associated with the creation of metals. The sixth month of the Iranian calendar is named for him.

Possibly means "noble lineage" from Persian چهر (chehr) meaning "lineage, origin" and آزاد (āzād) meaning "free, noble" [1]. Alternatively, it might mean "child of the city" from شهر (shahr) meaning "city, land" combined with the suffix زاد (zād) meaning "child of". This is the name of the fictional storyteller in The 1001 Nights. She tells a story to her husband the king every night for 1001 nights in order to delay her execution.

Means "dawn" in Hebrew.

Means "handsome lake" in Seneca, from sganyodeo "lake" and the suffix -iyo "good". This name was borne by an 18th-century Seneca prophet.

From a Norman surname that originally belonged to a person coming from the French town of Saint Maur (which means "Saint Maurus").

Roman family name meaning "stern" in Latin. This name was borne by several early saints including a 6th-century patriarch of Antioch.

Roman family name that was derived from Severus. Severinus was the name of many early saints, including a 6th-century Roman philosopher martyred by the Ostrogothic king Theodoric. It was also borne by a pope.

Means "love" in Uzbek.

Means "bloom, flower" in Tswana, derived from thunya "to bloom".

From the Hebrew name שֵׁת (Sheṯ) meaning "placed, set". In the Old Testament he is the third named son of Adam and Eve, and the ancestor of Noah and all humankind. In England this name came into use after the Protestant Reformation.

From Σήθ (Seth), the Greek form of Egyptian swtẖ or stẖ (reconstructed as Sutekh), which is of unknown meaning. Seth was the Egyptian god of chaos and the desert, the slayer of Osiris. Osiris's son Horus eventually defeats Seth and has him banished to the desert.

From Egyptian srqt, possibly meaning "she who lets throats breathe", from srq meaning "to open the windpipe, to breathe" [1] and a feminine t suffix. In Egyptian mythology she was the goddess of scorpions as well as the healing of poisonous stings and bites. Eventually she came to be identified with Isis, becoming an aspect of her over time.

Means "support" in Kazakh.

Ukrainian form of Sergius.

French feminine form of Sergius.

Russian and Bulgarian form of Sergius.

Serbian, Slovene, Czech and Slovak form of Sergey, as well as an alternate transcription of Russian/Bulgarian Сергей (see Sergey).

French form of Serena.

From a Late Latin name that was derived from Latin serenus meaning "clear, tranquil, serene". This name was borne by an obscure early saint. Edmund Spenser also used it in his poem The Faerie Queene (1590). A famous bearer from the modern era is tennis player Serena Williams (1981-).

French form of Seraphina.

Feminine form of the Late Latin name Seraphinus, derived from the biblical word seraphim, which was Hebrew in origin and meant "fiery ones". The seraphim were an order of angels, described by Isaiah in the Bible as having six wings each.

This was the name of a 13th-century Italian saint who made clothes for the poor. As an English name, it has never been common.

Italian, Spanish and Portuguese form of Seraphina.

Greek form of Zipporah.

French form of Zipporah.

Scottish Gaelic form of George.

Partially Anglicized form of Seònaid or Seonag.

Russian form of Simon 1.

Turkish form of Samra.