Bertie2's Personal Name List

Possibly means "forever, always" in Zapotec. It appears in the novel Aztec (1980) by the American author Gary Jennings.

Serbian and Slovene form of Zvjezdana.

Czech, Slovak and Lithuanian form of Susanna.

From Turkish zümrüt meaning "emerald", derived via Arabic from Greek σμάραγδος (smaragdos).

From Arabic ذو الفقار (Dhū al-Faqār) interpreted as meaning "cleaver of the spine", derived from ذو (dhū) meaning "possessor, holder" and فقار (faqār) meaning "spine, vertebra". This was the name of the Prophet Muhammad's sword, also used by his son-in-law Ali.

Variant of Zulfiqar.

Turkish form of Zuleika.

Meaning uncertain, possibly of Arabic origin. According to medieval tradition, notably related by the 15th-century Persian poet Jami, this was the name of the biblical Potiphar's wife. She has been a frequent subject of poems and tales.

Means "Venus (planet)" in Swahili and Dhivehi. Both are borrowed from Arabic الزهرة (al-Zuhara), derived from the root زهر (zahara) meaning "to shine".

Urdu form of Zohreh.

Derived from Arabic زبر (zubar) meaning "pieces of iron" [1]. Zubair ibn al-Awwam was a cousin of the Prophet Muhammad and an early Muslim military commander.

Means "elite, prime, cream" in Arabic. This was the name of a 9th-century wife of Harun ar-Rashid, the Abbasid caliph featured in the stories of The 1001 Nights.

Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian and Bulgarian form of Zoe.

Diminutive of Zofia.

English form of Zarathustra, via the Greek form Ζωροάστρης (Zoroastres).

Feminine form of Zorion.

Serbian, Croatian and Macedonian diminutive of Zora.

Perhaps means "enchanting" or "dawn" in Arabic. This was the name of a minor 12th-century Spanish saint, a convert from Islam. The name was used by Cervantes for a character in his novel Don Quixote (1606), in which Zoraida is a beautiful Moorish woman of Algiers who converts to Christianity and elopes with a Spanish officer.

Means "dawn, aurora" in the South Slavic languages, as well as Czech and Slovak.

Form of Zoe in several languages.

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.

As an English name, Zoe (sometimes with a diaeresis as Zoë) has only been in use since the 19th century. It has generally been more common among Eastern Christians (in various spellings).

Short form of Ntombizodwa.

Derived from South Slavic zlato meaning "gold", a derivative of Old Slavic zolto.

Feminine form of Zlatan.

From the Old Slavic word živŭ meaning "alive, living". According to the 12th-century Saxon priest Helmold, this was the name of a Slavic goddess possibly associated with life or fertility.

Feminine form of Ziv.

From Yiddish זיס (zis) meaning "sweet".

From the Hebrew name צִפּוֹרָה (Tsippora), derived from צִפּוֹר (tsippor) meaning "bird" [1]. In the Old Testament this is the name of the Midianite wife of Moses. She was the daughter of the priest Jethro.

Russian and Ukrainian form of Zenobia.

Russian and Ukrainian form of the Greek name Ζηνόβιος (Zenobios), the masculine form of Zenobia.

Modern Greek transcription of Zenobia.

From the name of the flower, which was itself named for the German botanist Johann Zinn.

Russian, Belarusian and Ukrainian form of Zenaida.

Means "frailty" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of the handmaid who was given to Jacob by Leah.

Tatar and Bashkir form of Ziba 1.

Means "female gazelle" in Hebrew, the feminine form of the word ץְבִי (tsevi). In the Old Testament this is the name of the mother of King Joash of Judah.

Alternate transcription of Arabic ضياء الدين (see Ziya ad-Din), as well as the usual Urdu transcription.

Possibly means "command of God" in Hebrew. The Book of Enoch names him as one of the seven archangels. His name is sometimes rendered as Sarakiel.

Latinized form of Zephyros (see Zephyr).

French feminine form of Zephyrinus (see Zeferino).

From the Greek Ζέφυρος (Zephyros) meaning "west wind". Zephyros was the Greek god of the west wind.

Apparently a Greek derivative of Ζηναΐς (Zenais), which was derived from the name of the Greek god Zeus. This was the name of a 1st-century saint who was a doctor with her sister Philonella.

Meaning unknown, possibly of Romani origin. This name was (first?) used by Aleksandr Pushkin in his poem The Gypsies (1827).

Nahuatl name of uncertain meaning, said to mean "delicate".

Form of Zilpah used in the Greek and Latin Old Testament.

Feminine form of Željko.

Turkish and Urdu form of Zahra 1 or Zahra 2.

Means "clear, light, clarity" in Yucatec Maya [1]. Zazil Há was a 16th-century Maya woman who married the Spanish shipwreck survivor Gonzalo Guerrero.

Means "fate, destiny" in Mongolian.

From Persian زرین (zarīn) meaning "golden". According to the 5th-century BC Greek historian Ctesias, this was the name of a Scythian queen.

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).

In England the name was popularized when Princess Anne gave it to her daughter in 1981. Use of the name may also be influenced by the trendy Spanish clothing retailer Zara.

Feminine form of Zamir.

Means "mind, heart, conscience" in Arabic.

Possibly from the name of the region of Zala in western Hungary, itself named for the Zala River. This name used by the Hungarian poet Mihály Vörösmarty in his 1823 epic Zalán Futása.

Means "albino" in Persian. According to the 10th-century Persian epic the Shahnameh this was the name of a white-haired warrior, the father of Rostam.

Italian and Spanish form of Zaïre. It was used by Vincenzo Bellini for the heroine of his opera Zaira (1829), which was based on Voltaire's 1732 play Zaïre.

Alternate transcription of Arabic زينب (see Zaynab), as well as the usual form in several languages.

Alternate transcription of Arabic زينة (see Zayna).

Feminine form of Zayd. This was the name of a Muslim princess who took refuge at the court of (and perhaps married) Alfonso VI of León and Castile in the 11th century.

Alternate transcription of Arabic زهرة (see Zahra 2).

From Arabic زهراء (zahrāʾ), the feminine form of أزهر (ʾazhar) meaning "shining, brilliant, bright". This is an epithet of the Prophet Muhammad's daughter Fatima.

See also the related name Zahra 2.

Feminine form of Zahir.

Means "helper, supporter" in Arabic, related to ظهر (ẓahara) meaning "to be visible, to be clear". This can also be an alternate transcription of Arabic زاهر (see Zaahir 1) or ظاهر (see Zaahir 2).

Feminine form of Zahid.

Means "pious, devout" in Arabic.

Bulgarian and Macedonian feminine form of Zechariah.

Feminine form of Zohar.

Means "victory" in Arabic.

Means "God is my righteousness" in Hebrew. This is the name of an archangel associated with mercy in Jewish and Christian tradition, sometimes said to be the angel who stops Abraham from sacrificing his son Isaac.

French form of Zechariah and Zacharias.

Greek form of Zechariah. This form of the name is used in most English translations of the New Testament to refer to the father of John the Baptist. It was also borne by an 8th-century pope (called Zachary in English).

Portuguese form of Zechariah and Zacharias.

Armenian form of Isabel. A 13th-century ruling queen of Cilician Armenia bore this name.

Feminine form of Zaahir 1.

French feminine form of Yvon. It has been regularly used in the English-speaking world since the late 19th century.

Czech form of Yvonne.

Variant of Ivo 1.

French feminine form of Yves.

Medieval French form of Ivo 1. This was the name of two French saints: an 11th-century bishop of Chartres and a 13th-century parish priest and lawyer, also known as Ivo of Kermartin, the patron saint of Brittany.

Feminine form of Yves (or an elaboration using Élise). It was (first?) borne by the title character in the Italian novel Yvelise (1923) by Guido da Verona. It later appeared in the photonovel Yvelise devant l'amour published in the French magazine Nous Deux in 1950.

Feminine diminutive of Yves.

Means "wealth, ease" in Arabic, a derivative of يسر (yasira) meaning "to be easy, to be rich".

Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian form of George. This name was borne by Yuriy Dolgorukiy, a 12th-century grand prince of Kyiv. The Soviet cosmonaut Yuriy (or Yuri) Gagarin (1934-1968), the first man to travel to space, was another famous bearer of this name.

Means "white" in Quechua.

Diminutive of Yuriy.

Arabic form of Yona (see Jonah). It appears in the Quran.

Meaning unknown, probably of indigenous (maybe Purépecha) origin. This is the name of an island on Lake Pátzcuaro in Mexico.

From Japanese 優 (yū) meaning "excellence, superiority, gentleness" or 柚 (yū) meaning "grapefruit, pomelo, citrus fruit" combined with 菜 (na) meaning "vegetables, greens" or 奈 (na), a phonetic character. Other combinations of kanji are also possible.

From Japanese 悠 (yū) meaning "permanence" or 優 (yū) meaning "excellence, superiority, gentleness" combined with 真 (ma) meaning "real, genuine". Other combinations of kanji can form this name as well.

Russian and Ukrainian form of Julius.

Alternate transcription of Russian Юлия or Ukrainian/Belarusian Юлія (see Yuliya).

From Japanese 結 (yui) meaning "tie, bind" and 菜 (na) meaning "vegetables, greens". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Medieval Spanish form of Isabel.

Medieval Scandinavian form of Jurian.

Usual Urdu transcription of Yunus.

Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 義郎 (see Yoshirō).

From Japanese 芳 (yoshi) meaning "fragrant, virtuous, beautiful" or 由 (yoshi) meaning "reason, case" combined with 恵 (e) meaning "favour, benefit". Other kanji combinations with the same reading can also form this name.

From Japanese 吉 (yoshi) meaning "good luck", 義 (yoshi) meaning "righteous", or 良 (yoshi) meaning "good, virtuous, respectable", as well as other kanji with the same reading.

Spanish form of Jocelyn.

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.

Possibly an altered form of Jörg. Shakespeare used this name for a deceased court jester in his play Hamlet (1600).

From Japanese 頼 (yori) meaning "rely" or other kanji that are pronounced the same way.

Anglicized form of Iorwerth.

Hebrew form of Joram.

Feminine form of Yona.

Means "clover" in Turkish.

Alternate transcription of Hebrew יוֹנָה (see Yona).

Means "beloved heart" in Nahuatl, from yōllōtl "heart" and the suffix tzin "beloved, revered" [1].

Variant of Yolotl.

Means "heart, spirit" in Nahuatl [1].

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.

This name was borne by a 12th-century empress of the Latin Empire in Constantinople, who was originally from Flanders. It was also used by her descendants in the royal families of Hungary (spelled Jolánta) and Spain (sometimes spelled Violante). The Blessed Yolanda of Poland was a daughter of Béla IV of Hungary who married a Polish duke. It was also borne by Yolanda of Vianden, a 13th-century countess from Luxembourg who joined a convent against her parents' wishes, later becoming the subject of medieval legend. Another notable bearer was a 15th-century duchess of Lorraine, the subject of the opera Iolanta (1892) by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 陽子 or 洋子 (see Yōko).

From the Japanese kanji 洋 (yō) meaning "ocean" or 陽 (yō) meaning "sun; sunlight" or 燿 (yō) meaning "shine, sparkle" combined with 二 (ji) meaning "two; second" or 次 (ji) meaning "sequence" or 司 (ji) meaning "an official, a director, a boss".

Other kanji combinations are possible.

Old Norse form of Ingvild.

Possibly an Old Norse cognate of Ing. This was an alternate name of the god Freyr, who as Yngvi-Freyr was regarded as the ancestor of the Swedish royal family.

Means "she-wolf", a derivative of Old Norse úlfr "wolf".

Icelandic form of Ylva.

Variant of Ilenia.

Hebrew form of Jethro.

Hebrew form of Iscah.

Hebrew form of Jephthah.

Means "beautiful beyond limits" from Amharic ውብ (wb) meaning "beautiful" and ዳር (dar) meaning "limit, horizon, frontier, shore".

Ukrainian form of Eustachius.

Ukrainian form of Eugenia.

Ukrainian form of Eugene.

Russian form of Eugenia.

Alternate transcription of Ukrainian Євген (see Yevhen).

Russian and Ukrainian form of Eudocia.

Russian form of Esther.

Russian form of Yesenia. The 1971 Mexican movie was extremely popular in the Soviet Union.

From Jessenia, the genus name of a variety of palm trees found in South America. As a given name, it was popularized by the writer Yolanda Vargas Dulché in the 1970 Mexican telenovela Yesenia and the 1971 film adaptation [1].

From Tatar Уруслан (Uruslan), which was possibly from Turkic arslan meaning "lion". Yeruslan Lazarevich is the name of a hero in Russian and Tatar folktales. These tales were based on (or at least influenced by) Persian tales of their hero Rostam.

Russian form of Hermolaos.

Hebrew form of Jared.

Means "mother of fish" in Yoruba, derived from iye "mother", ọmọ "child" and ẹja "fish". In traditional Yoruba religion she is the goddess of the Ogun River, pregnancy and motherhood.

Hebrew form of Jemima.

Russian form of Aemilianus (see Emiliano).

Spanish form of Yemọja, used in various Afro-American syncretic religions in the Caribbean and South America. In Cuba she is identified with Our Lady of Regla, an aspect of the Virgin Mary.

Ukrainian form of Elizabeth.

Traditional Ukrainian form of Elizabeth.

Russian form of Elisha.

Russian form of Helen.

Russian form of Katherine. This name was adopted by the German princess Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst in 1744 shortly before she married the future Russian emperor Peter III. She later overthrew her husband and ruled as empress, known as Catherine the Great in English.

Means "mother has awakened" in Yoruba.

Belarusian form of Eugenia.

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.

Means "easy, wealthy" in Arabic, derived from the root يسر (yasira) meaning "to be easy, to be rich". This was the name of an early Islamic martyr. It was also borne by Yasir Arafat (1929-2004), a leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization.

Ukrainian and Russian feminine form of Yaroslav.

Means "fierce and glorious", derived from the Slavic elements jarŭ "fierce, energetic" and slava "glory". Yaroslav the Wise was an 11th-century grand prince of Kyiv who expanded Kievan Rus to its greatest extent.

Hebrew form of Jared. This form is also used in Ethiopia. It was borne by a semi-legendary 6th-century Ethiopian musician who is considered a saint in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.

Hebrew form of Jordan.

Diminutive of Yann or Yanna 2.

Diminutive of Yana.

Diminutive of Yann or Yanna 2.

From Chinese 洋 (yáng) meaning "ocean" or 阳 (yáng) meaning "light, sun, male" (which is typically only masculine), as well as other Chinese characters pronounced similarly.

From the name of an Indian river, a major tributary of the Ganges, derived from Sanskrit यम (yama) meaning "twin". As a Hindu goddess, she is a personification of the river.

Means "be grateful, praise" in Chewa.

From Yamato, an ancient name for Japan. It can also refer to the Yamato period in Japanese history, which lasted into the 8th century. The individual kanji are 大 meaning "great" and 和 meaning "harmony".

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

Means "precious" in Hebrew.

Belarusian form of Jacob (or James).

A name of the Hebrew God, represented in Hebrew by the Tetragrammaton ("four letters") יהוה (Yod Heh Vav Heh), which was transliterated into Roman script as Y H W H. Because it was considered blasphemous to utter the name of God, it was only written and never spoken, which resulted in the original pronunciation becoming lost. The name may have originally been derived from the Hebrew root הָוָה (hawa) meaning "to be, to exist, to become" [1].

Spanish form of Iacobus (see James). The form Santiago refers more specifically to the New Testament apostles.

Means "rain" in Turkish and Azerbaijani.

From Japanese 八 (ya) and 重 (e) meaning "multilayered" and 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji characters can also form this name.

Hebrew form of Jadon.

Meaning unknown, possibly derived from an Arabic name. It has been used in Mexico since at least the 1940s [1], perhaps inspired by the Colombian actress Yadira Jiménez (1928-?), who performed in Mexican films beginning in 1946.

Hebrew form of Jacob.

Greek form of Sixtus.

Galician form of George.

Old Persian form of Xerxes.

From Zapotec guenda "spirit, soul, essence" combined with the possessive prefix x-.

Means "peace" in Zulu.

Means "flower" in Nahuatl [1].

From Chinese 秀 (xiù) meaning "luxuriant, beautiful, elegant, outstanding" combined with 兰 (lán) meaning "orchid, elegant". This name can be formed of other character combinations as well.

Possibly a Spanish form of Guiomar.

From Chinese 欣 (xīn) meaning "happy, joyous, delighted" or 心 (xīn) meaning "heart, mind, soul" combined with 怡 (yí) meaning "joy, harmony". This name can also be formed from other character combinations.

Medieval Spanish or Basque name of uncertain meaning. It is possibly a form of Simon 1, though it may in fact derive from Basque seme meaning "son".

Feminine form of Ximeno. This was the name of the wife of El Cid.

From Chinese 翔 (xiáng) meaning "soar, glide", 祥 (xiáng) meaning "good luck, good omen", 香 (xiāng) meaning "fragrant" (which is usually only feminine) or 湘 (xiāng), which refers to the Xiang River in southern China. This name can also be formed from other characters.

From Xulián, the Galician form of Julian.

Meaning uncertain, said to mean "the flower that arrived" in Zapotec.

From Chinese 夏 (xià) meaning "summer, great, grand", 霞 (xiá) meaning "rosy clouds", or other characters that are pronounced similarly.

Albanian form of Jessica.

Albanian form of Jalal.

Albanian form of Jafar.

Greek form of the Old Persian name 𐎧𐏁𐎹𐎠𐎼𐏁𐎠 (Xšayarša), which meant "ruler over heroes". This was the name of a 5th-century BC king of Persia, the son of Darius the Great. He attempted an invasion of Greece, which ended unsuccessfully at the battle of Salamis.

Derived from Greek ξένος (xenos) meaning "foreigner, guest".

Means "hospitality" in Greek, a derivative of ξένος (xenos) meaning "foreigner, guest". This was the name of a 5th-century saint who is venerated in the Eastern Church.

Feminine form of Xavier.

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.

Modern feminine form of Xavier.

Somali form of Hasan.

Feminine form of Xanthippos. This was the name of the wife of Socrates. Because of her supposedly argumentative nature, the name has been adopted (in the modern era) as a word for a scolding, ill-tempered woman.

Derived from Greek ξανθός (xanthos) meaning "yellow, blond, fair-haired". This was the name of a few minor figures in Greek mythology.

Portuguese diminutive of Alexandre.

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).

Somali form of Halima.

Basque and Galician form of Xavier.

Somali form of Eve.

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).

Derived from the Old English elements wynn "joy" and stan "stone".

Derived from the Old English elements wynn "joy" and flæd, possibly meaning "beauty".

Variant of Wyn, sometimes used as a feminine form.

Derived from Welsh gwyn meaning "white, blessed".

Middle English form of the Old English name Wigmund, composed of the elements wig "battle" and mund "protection".

Derived from the Old English elements wulf "wolf" and wynn "joy".

Derived from the Old English elements wulf "wolf" and stan "stone".

Form of Wulfrun sometimes used in reference to the 10th-century noblewoman.

Old English name meaning "wolf ruler", from the elements wulf "wolf" and ric "ruler, king".

Javanese form of Bulan.

From the English word for the small songbird. It is ultimately derived from Old English wrenna.

Variant of Wodan.

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.

Limburgish form of William.

Derived from the Old German element wolf meaning "wolf" combined with hart meaning "hard, firm, brave, hardy".

Derived from the Old German elements wolf meaning "wolf" and gang meaning "path, way". Saint Wolfgang was a 10th-century bishop of Regensburg. Two other famous bearers of this name were Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) and German novelist and poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832).

Anglo-Saxon form of *Wōdanaz (see Odin). The day of the week Wednesday is named for him.

Old High German form of *Wōdanaz (see Odin).

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.

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).

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.

Latin form of Winifred.

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.

Medieval diminutive and feminine form of William.

From the name of the tree, which is ultimately derived from Old English welig.

Old German name derived from the elements willo "will, desire" and rih "ruler, king".

Old German name derived from the elements willo "will, desire" and mari "famous". It is a cognate of Wilmǣr.

Old German form of Wiltrud.

Old German form of Wilbert.

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).

This name was later borne by three other English kings, as well as rulers of Scotland, Sicily (of Norman origin), the Netherlands and Prussia. Other famous bearers include William Wallace, a 13th-century Scottish hero, and William Tell, a legendary 14th-century Swiss hero (called Wilhelm in German, Guillaume in French and Guglielmo in Italian). In the literary world it was borne by dramatist William Shakespeare (1564-1616), poet William Blake (1757-1827), poet William Wordsworth (1770-1850), dramatist William Butler Yeats (1865-1939), author William Faulkner (1897-1962), and author William S. Burroughs (1914-1997).

In the American rankings (since 1880) this name has never been out of the top 20, making it one of the most consistently popular names (although it has never reached the top rank). In modern times its short form, Liam, has periodically been more popular than William itself, in the United Kingdom in the 1990s and the United States in the 2010s.

Feminine form of Willem.

Dutch form of William. Willem the Silent, Prince of Orange, was the leader of the Dutch revolt against Spain that brought about the independence of the Netherlands. He is considered the founder of the Dutch royal family. In English he is commonly called William of Orange.

Old German form of William.

Old German or Old English name derived from the elements willo "will, desire" and hadu "battle, combat". This was the name of an 8th-century Northumbrian saint active in Frisia and Saxony.

From an English surname that was derived from the Old German given name Willihard (or the Old English cognate Wilheard).

Feminine form of William.

Medieval diminutive of William.

Latinized form of Wilhelm. This is also the official Dutch form of the name, used on birth certificates but not commonly in daily life.

German feminine form of Wilhelm.

German cognate of William. This was the name of two German emperors. It was also the middle name of several philosophers from Germany: Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770-1831), Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (1844-1900), and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646-1716), who was also a notable mathematician. Another famous bearer was the physicist Wilhelm Röntgen (1845-1923).

Old English cognate of Willihard.

From a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "willow ford" in Old English.

Variant of Wilburg.

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.

Hawaiian form of Victoria.

Indonesian form of Vidya.

Old Saxon name composed of the elements widu "wood" and kind "child". This was the name of an 8th-century Saxon leader who fought against the Franks, in the end unsuccessfully.

Old German name composed of the elements witu "wood" and walt "power, authority".

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).

From an English surname that was derived from a place name, itself from Old English west "west" and tun "enclosure, yard, town".

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.

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.

Old diminutive of Germanic names beginning with the element wentil (see Wendel). Saint Wendelin was a 6th-century hermit of Trier in Germany.

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

From Old English weald "powerful, mighty" and here "army", making it a cognate of Walter.

Means "wind, air" in Quechua.

Means "young boy" in Quechua.

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.

From Balinese wayah meaning "old, mature", ultimately from Sanskrit वयस् (vayas) meaning "energy, strength, age". This name is traditionally given to the first-born child.

Possibly means "little goose" in Ojibwe. This was the name of an 18th-century chief of the Ottawa people.

Polonized form of Vasylyna.

From a surname that was derived from the name of a town in England, itself from Old English wer "weir, dam" and wic "settlement".

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).

Alternate transcription of Arabic وردة (see Warda).

Means "born during the weeding season", from Luhya enyonyi meaning "weeds".

Possibly from Kikuyu njĩra meaning "way, path". In the Kikuyu origin legend this is the name of one of the nine daughters of Mumbi.

Meaning unknown. This is one of Mumbi's nine daughters in the Kikuyu origin legend.

From Kikuyu ngarĩ meaning "leopard". In the Kikuyu origin legend this is the name of one of the nine daughters of Mumbi.

Old German form of Wendelin.

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).

Means "freedom" in Tumbuka.

Means "zebra" in Kikuyu. This is one of Mumbi's nine daughters in the Kikuyu origin legend.

Means "born during the brewing season" in Luhya.

Old English name derived from the Old Norse Valþjófr. This was the name of a 12th-century English saint, an abbot of Melrose.

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.

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.

Old German form of Valéry.

From Cherokee ᏩᎴᎳ (walela) meaning "hummingbird".

Old German form of Walter.

Old German form of Waltraud.

From the Old German elements walt "power, authority" and mari "famous", also used as a translation of the Slavic cognate Vladimir.

Polish diminutive of Waldemar.

Old German form of Walburga.

Norman form of Vauquelin.

Old German form of Valéry.

Derived from the Old German elements walah "foreigner, Celt, Roman" and fridu "peace".

From Kikuyu irimũ meaning "ogre, giant". In the Kikuyu origin legend Wairimu is of one of the nine daughters of Mumbi.

Means "good luck" in Maori.

Means "peerless, unique" in Arabic. In Islamic tradition الوحيد (al-Waḥīd) is one of the 99 names of Allah.

Means "loyalty, faithfulness" in Arabic, derived from وفى (wafā) meaning "to fulfill, to live up to a promise".

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

Bulgarian cognate of Vera 1.

Derived from the Slavic elements vĭśĭ "all" and volděti "to rule". This was the name of an 11th-century grand prince of Kyiv.

Ukrainian form of Vladimir.

Means "white bison calf woman" in Cheyenne, derived from vóésta "white bison calf" and the feminine suffix -e'é. Because white bison calves were rare they were considered sacred [1].

French form of Viviana.

Variant of Viviane.

French form of Viviana, as well as a Portuguese variant. It is also the French form of Vivien 2.

Feminine form of Vivianus (see Vivian). Saint Viviana (also known as Bibiana) was a Roman saint and martyr of the 4th century.

Swedish form of Vibeke.

From Sanskrit विवेक (viveka) meaning "wisdom, distinction, discrimination".

Swedish form of Vibeke.

Derived from the Slavic elements vitŭ "master, lord" and mirŭ "peace, world".

Russian and Ukrainian form of Witold.

Icelandic form of Vide.

Russian and Ukrainian feminine form of Vitalis (see Vitale).

Latin form of Vitale.

Diminutive of Vitaliy.

Alternate transcription of Russian Виталий or Ukrainian Віталій (see Vitaliy).

From the Latin name Viriathus or Viriatus, which was derived from viriae "bracelets" (of Celtic origin). Viriathus was a leader of the Lusitani (a tribe of Portugal) who rebelled against Roman rule in the 2nd century BC.

French form of Virginia.

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.

This was the name of the first English baby born in the New World: Virginia Dare in 1587 on Roanoke Island. Perhaps because of this, the name has generally been more popular in America than elsewhere in the English-speaking world, though in both Britain and America it was not often used until the 19th century. The baby was named after the Colony of Virginia, which was itself named for Elizabeth I, the Virgin Queen. A more recent bearer was the English novelist Virginia Woolf (1882-1941).

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.

Ukrainian cognate of Vera 1.

From Sanskrit विपिन (vipina) meaning "forest".

Derived from Romanian viorea (see Viorel).

Feminine form of Viorel.

Derived from viorea, the Romanian word for the alpine squill flower (species Scilla bifolia) or the sweet violet flower (species Viola odorata). It is derived from Latin viola "violet".

French form of Violet.

Form of Violet in several languages.

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.

Portuguese form of Vinicius (see Vinicio). It gained popularity in Brazil due to the poet and musician Vinícius de Moraes (1913-1980).

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).

From Sanskrit विनय (vinaya) meaning "leading, guidance, modesty".

Feminine form of Vimal.

From Sanskrit विमल (vimala) meaning "clean, pure, spotless".

Possibly a modern coinage based on the Old Norse elements vili "will, desire" and herr "army, warrior" [1].

Tongan form of William.

Icelandic form of William.

Modern form of Vikrama.

Icelandic form of Viking.

Alternate transcription of Russian Викентий (see Vikentiy).

Finnish form of Victor.

Slovak form of Vera 1, as well as an alternate transcription of Belarusian Вера (see Vera 1).

Means "gentle" in Finnish.

Means "knowledge, science, learning" in Sanskrit. This is another name of the Hindu goddess Saraswati.

From Old Norse Víðarr, which was possibly derived from víðr "wide" and herr "army, warrior". In Norse mythology Víðarr was the son of Odin and Grid. At the time of the end of the world, Ragnarök, it is said he will avenge his father's death by slaying the wolf Fenrir.

French feminine form of Victorinus.

Feminine form of Victorinus.

French form of Victorinus.

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.

Though in use elsewhere in Europe, the name was very rare in the English-speaking world until the 19th century, when Queen Victoria began her long rule of Britain. She was named after her mother, who was of German royalty. Many geographic areas are named after the queen, including an Australian state and a Canadian city.

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.

French form of Victoria.

Earlier form of Beatrix.

Meaning unknown, perhaps a combination of Vi and Anne 1 or a short form of Vivianne.

Short form of Genoveva.

Means "spring" in many Slavic languages. This was the name of a Slavic spirit associated with the springtime. It has been used as a given name only since the 20th century.

Derived from Serbo-Croatian vesel meaning "cheerful".

Derived from Bulgarian весел (vesel) meaning "cheerful".

Russian diminutive of Vera 1.

French form of Veronica.

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.

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

Georgian diminutive of Vera 1.

Serbian and Croatian diminutive of Vera 1.

French form of Verena.

Possibly related to Latin verus "true". This might also be a Coptic form of the Ptolemaic name Berenice. Saint Verena was a 3rd-century Egyptian-born nurse who went with the Theban Legion to Switzerland. After the legion was massacred she settled near Zurich.

Latinized form of a Germanic name, probably Waramunt, derived from either war "aware, cautious" or war "true" combined with munt "protection". This was the name of a 5th-century king of Galicia (from the Germanic tribe of the Suebi). It was later the name of kings of Asturias and León, though their names are usually spelled in the Spanish form Bermudo.

Means "rose" in Hebrew, originally a borrowing from an Iranian language.

From Old Norse Verðandi meaning "becoming, happening". Verdandi was one of the three Norns, or goddesses of destiny, in Norse mythology. She was responsible for the present.

Derived from Old Georgian ვეფხი (vepkhi) meaning "tiger".

Means "love, sexual desire" in Latin. This was the name of the Roman goddess of love and sex. Her character was assimilated with that of the Greek goddess Aphrodite. As the mother of Aeneas she was considered an ancestor of the Roman people. The second planet from the sun is named after her.

Form of Venus, from the genitive form Veneris.

Means "yearning, desire" in Sanskrit. According to Hindu scripture this was the name of an evil and irreligious king.

From Finnish velloa "to surge, to swell". This was the name of a Finnish goddess of the sea, the wife of Ahti.

Derived from the Slavic elements velĭ "great" and mirŭ "peace, world".

Derived from Bulgarian велик (velik) meaning "great".

Derived from the Slavic elements velĭ "great" and borti "battle".

From the Roman family name Velius, which possibly means "concealed" in Latin.

Means "bird woman" in Cheyenne, derived from vé'kėséhe- "bird" and the feminine suffix -e'é [1].

From the Old Norse name Végarðr, derived from the elements vé "holy" and garðr "enclosure, yard".

Means "knowledge" in Sanskrit.

From the Old Norse name Vébjǫrn, derived from the elements vé "holy" and bjǫrn "bear".

Means "fate, destiny" in Khmer, ultimately from Sanskrit वासना (vāsanā) meaning "imagination, impression".

Slovak form of Laurentius (see Laurence 1).

From a Welsh surname, a variant of Vaughan.

Ukrainian feminine form of Basil 1.

Means "possessor of wealth" in Sanskrit, used to refer to the earth.

Russian feminine form of Basil 1.

Modern Greek feminine form of Basil 1.

Medieval Slavic form of Basil 1.

Diminutive of Varvara.

Russian, Greek, Bulgarian and Macedonian form of Barbara.

Roman family name possibly derived from Varius.

Short form of Geevarghese, used independently.

Invented by author Jonathan Swift for his 1726 poem Cadenus and Vanessa [1]. 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.

Finnish form of Walter.

Portuguese form of Valkyrie.

Means "chooser of the slain", derived from Old Norse valr "the slain" and kyrja "chooser". In Norse myth the Valkyries were maidens who led heroes killed in battle to Valhalla.

Derived from Bulgarian вълк (valk) meaning "wolf".

Belarusian form of Valentina.

Diminutive of Valeria.

Roman family name that was derived from Latin valere "to be strong". This was the name of several early saints.

Italian and Spanish form of Valerius.

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

French form of Valerius.

Feminine form of Valentinus (see Valentine 1). A famous bearer is the Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova (1937-), who in 1963 became the first woman to visit space.

Derived from Old Norse valr meaning "the dead, the slain" and dís meaning "goddess".

Scandinavian form of Waldemar, also used as a translation of the Slavic cognate Vladimir. This was the name of four kings of Denmark and a king of Sweden. It was introduced to Scandinavia by the 12th-century Danish king Valdemar I who was named after his mother's grandfather: Vladimir II, a grand prince of Kievan Rus.

From Lithuanian vaivorykštė meaning "rainbow".

Possibly a variant of Vadim, with the addition of the Slavic element mirŭ "peace, world".

Proto-Slavic reconstruction of Jaromír.