jackofalltrades's Personal Name List

Zyanya
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Zapotec
Possibly means "forever, always" in Zapotec. It appears in the novel Aztec (1980) by the American author Gary Jennings.
Zuzka
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Czech, Slovak
Pronounced: ZOOS-ka
Diminutive of Zuzana.
Zora
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Croatian, Serbian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Slovene, Czech, Slovak
Other Scripts: Зора(Serbian, Bulgarian, Macedonian)
Pronounced: ZO-ra(Czech) ZAW-ra(Slovak)
Personal remark: means "dawn"/"aurora"
Means "dawn, aurora" in the South Slavic languages, as well as Czech and Slovak.
Zoe
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Italian, Spanish, German, Czech, Ancient Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Ζώη, Ζωή(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: ZO-ee(English) DZAW-eh(Italian) THO-eh(European Spanish) SO-eh(Latin American Spanish)
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).

Ziva
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hebrew
Other Scripts: זִיוָה(Hebrew)
Feminine form of Ziv.
Zinnia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: ZIN-ee-ə
From the name of the flower, which was itself named for the German botanist Johann Zinn.
Zillah
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Biblical
Other Scripts: צִלָּה(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced: ZIL-ə(English)
Means "shade" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament she is the second wife of Lamech.
Zenais
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ancient Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Ζηναΐς(Ancient Greek)
Ancient Greek variant of Zenaida.
Zénaïde
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French (Rare)
Pronounced: ZEH-NA-EED
French form of Zenaida.
Zenaida
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Late Greek
Other Scripts: Ζηναΐδα(Ancient Greek)
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.
Zemfira
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Azerbaijani, Tatar, Bashkir, Literature
Other Scripts: Земфира(Tatar, Bashkir)
Meaning unknown, possibly of Romani origin. This name was (first?) used by Aleksandr Pushkin in his poem The Gypsies (1827).
Zella
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Meaning unknown, possibly an invented name. It arose in the 19th century.
Zahia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: زاهية(Arabic)
Pronounced: ZA-hee-ya
Feminine form of Zahi.
Yvonne
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French, English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
Pronounced: EE-VAWN(French) i-VAHN(English) ee-VAWN(German) ee-VAW-nə(Dutch)
French feminine form of Yvon. It has been regularly used in the English-speaking world since the late 19th century.
Yvette
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French, English
Pronounced: EE-VEHT(French) ee-VEHT(English) i-VEHT(English)
French feminine form of Yves.
Yuri 2
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 百合, etc.(Japanese Kanji) ゆり(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: YOO-REE
From Japanese 百合 (yuri) meaning "lily". Other kanji or combinations of kanji can also form this name.
Yurena
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish (Canarian)
Pronounced: gyoo-REH-na
Canarian Spanish name of recent origin, derived from the Guanche word yruene meaning "demon, evil spirit". This word was first recorded incorrectly as yurena by the French naturalist Jean-Baptiste Bory de Saint-Vincent in 1803.
Yūka
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 優花, 有香, etc.(Japanese Kanji) ゆうか(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: YOO-KA
From Japanese () meaning "excellence, superiority, gentleness" and (ka) meaning "flower, blossom". It can also be composed of different kanji that have the same pronunciations.
Yolanda
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish, English
Pronounced: gyo-LAN-da(Spanish) yo-LAHN-də(English)
From the medieval French name Yolande, which was probably a form of the name Violante, which was itself a derivative of Latin viola "violet". Alternatively it could be of Germanic origin.

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.

Yelizaveta
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Russian
Other Scripts: Елизавета(Russian)
Pronounced: yi-lyi-zu-VYEH-tə, i-lyi-zu-VYEH-tə
Russian form of Elizabeth. This was the name of an 18th-century Russian empress.
Yawen
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Chinese
Other Scripts: 雅雯, etc.(Chinese)
Pronounced: YA-WUN
From Chinese () meaning "elegant, graceful, refined" combined with (wén) meaning "cloud patterns". This name can be formed of other character combinations as well.
Xenia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek, Spanish, Ancient Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Ξένια(Greek) Ξενία(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: SEH-nya(Spanish)
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.
Xanthe
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Ξάνθη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: KSAN-TEH(Classical Greek)
Derived from Greek ξανθός (xanthos) meaning "yellow, blond, fair-haired". This was the name of a few minor figures in Greek mythology.
Wren
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: REHN
From the English word for the small songbird. It is ultimately derived from Old English wrenna.
Wisteria
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: wis-TEHR-ee-ə, wis-TEER-ee-ə
From the name of the flowering plant, which was named for the American anatomist Caspar Wistar.
Willa
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: WIL-ə
Feminine form of William.
Wilhelmina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Dutch, German (Rare), English
Pronounced: vil-hehl-MEE-na(Dutch, German) wil-ə-MEEN-ə(English) wil-hehl-MEEN-ə(English)
Dutch and German feminine form of Wilhelm. This name was borne by a queen of the Netherlands (1880-1962).
Wanda
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Polish, English, German, French
Pronounced: VAN-da(Polish, German) WAHN-də(English) WAHN-DA(French)
Possibly from a Germanic name meaning "a Wend", referring to the Slavic people who inhabited eastern Germany. In Polish legends this was the name of the daughter of King Krak, the legendary founder of Krakow. It was introduced to the English-speaking world by the author Ouida, who used it for the heroine in her novel Wanda (1883).
Vratislava
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Czech
Feminine form of Vratislav.
Viviette
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Diminutive of Vivienne. William John Locke used this name for the title character in his novel Viviette (1910).
Vivienne
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: VEE-VYEHN
French form of Viviana.
Viviane
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French, Portuguese
Pronounced: VEE-VYAN(French)
French form of Viviana, as well as a Portuguese variant. It is also the French form of Vivien 2.
Vitalia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian (Rare)
Feminine form of Vitale.
Vita 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ancient Roman, Italian, Lithuanian, Latvian, Danish, Slovene
Pronounced: VEE-ta(Italian)
Feminine form of Vitus.
Virve
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Estonian, Finnish
Pronounced: VEER-veh(Finnish)
From Estonian virves meaning "sprout, shoot" or virve meaning "ripple, shimmer".
Virgo
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Astronomy
Pronounced: WEER-go(Latin) VUR-go(English)
Means "maiden, virgin" in Latin. This is the name of a constellation and the sixth sign of the zodiac.
Virginie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: VEER-ZHEE-NEE
French form of Virginia.
Virginia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, Greek, Ancient Roman
Other Scripts: Βιργινία(Greek)
Pronounced: vər-JIN-yə(English) veer-JEE-nya(Italian) beer-KHEE-nya(Spanish)
Personal remark: 'ginger'
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).

Violetta
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Russian, Hungarian
Other Scripts: Виолетта(Russian)
Pronounced: vyo-LEHT-ta(Italian) vyi-u-LYEHT-tə(Russian) VEE-o-leht-taw(Hungarian)
Italian, Russian and Hungarian form of Violet.
Vigga
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Danish
Feminine form of Viggo.
Vígdís
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Old Norse [1]
Derived from the Old Norse elements víg "war" and dís "goddess".
Vesta
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Roman Mythology
Pronounced: WEHS-ta(Latin) VEHS-tə(English)
Probably a Roman cognate of Hestia. Vesta was the Roman goddess of the hearth. A continuous fire, tended by the Vestal Virgins, was burned in the Temple of Vesta in Rome.
Vespera
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Esperanto
Pronounced: vehs-PEH-ra
Means "of the evening", derived from Esperanto vespero "evening", ultimately from Latin vesper.
Veronica
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Italian, Romanian, Late Roman
Pronounced: və-RAHN-i-kə(American English) və-RAWN-i-kə(British English) veh-RAW-nee-ka(Italian)
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.
Verna
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: VUR-nə
Feminine form of Vernon, sometimes associated with the Latin word vernus "spring". It has been in use since the 19th century.
Verity
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: VEHR-i-tee
From the English word meaning "verity, truth", from Latin verus "true, real". This was one of the virtue names adopted by the Puritans in the 17th century.
Vérène
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French (Rare)
French form of Verena.
Verena
Gender: Feminine
Usage: German, Late Roman
Pronounced: veh-REH-na(German)
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.
Vera 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Russian, English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, Hungarian, Slovene, Serbian, Croatian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Belarusian, Georgian
Other Scripts: Вера(Russian, Serbian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Belarusian) ვერა(Georgian)
Pronounced: VYEH-rə(Russian) VEE-rə(English) VEHR-ə(English) VEH-ra(German, Dutch) VEH-rah(Swedish) BEH-ra(Spanish) VEH-raw(Hungarian)
Means "faith" in Russian, though it is sometimes associated with the Latin word verus "true". It has been in general use in the English-speaking world since the late 19th century.
Venus
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Roman Mythology
Pronounced: WEH-noos(Latin) VEE-nəs(English)
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.
Venetia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare), Greek
Other Scripts: Βενετία(Greek)
From the Latin name of the Italian region of Veneto and the city of Venice (see the place name Venetia). This name was borne by the celebrated English beauty Venetia Stanley (1600-1633), though in her case the name may have been a Latinized form of the Welsh name Gwynedd [1]. Benjamin Disraeli used it for the heroine of his novel Venetia (1837).
Venera 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Russian, Bulgarian, Albanian
Other Scripts: Венера(Russian, Bulgarian)
Pronounced: vyi-NYEH-rə(Russian)
Form of Venus, from the genitive form Veneris.
Velvet
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: VEHL-vət
From the English word for the soft fabric. It became used as a given name after the main character in Enid Bagnold's book National Velvet (1935) and the movie (1944) and television (1960) adaptations.
Vasiliki
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek
Other Scripts: Βασιλική(Greek)
Pronounced: va-see-lee-KYEE
Modern Greek feminine form of Basil 1.
Vanessa
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, German, Dutch
Pronounced: və-NEHS-ə(English) VA-NEH-SA(French) va-NEHS-sa(Italian) vu-NEH-su(European Portuguese) va-NEH-su(Brazilian Portuguese) ba-NEH-sa(Spanish) va-NEH-sa(German) vah-NEH-sa(Dutch)
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.
Valorie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: VAL-ə-ree
Variant of Valerie.
Valora
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Esperanto
Pronounced: va-LO-ra
Means "valuable" in Esperanto.
Valerija
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Serbian, Croatian, Slovene, Lithuanian
Other Scripts: Валерија(Serbian)
Pronounced: vu-LYEH-ryi-yu(Lithuanian)
Form of Valeria in several languages.
Valerie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, German, Czech
Pronounced: VAL-ə-ree(English) VA-lə-ree(German)
English and German form of Valeria, as well as a Czech variant of Valérie.
Valeria
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Spanish, Romanian, German, Russian, Ukrainian, Ancient Roman
Other Scripts: Валерия(Russian) Валерія(Ukrainian)
Pronounced: va-LEH-rya(Italian) ba-LEH-rya(Spanish) vu-LYEH-ryi-yə(Russian) wa-LEH-ree-a(Latin) və-LEHR-ee-ə(English) və-LIR-ee-ə(English)
Feminine form of Valerius. This was the name of a 2nd-century Roman saint and martyr.
Valentine 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: VAL-in-tien
From the Roman cognomen Valentinus, which was itself a derivative of the cognomen Valens meaning "strong, vigorous, healthy" in Latin. Saint Valentine was a 3rd-century martyr. His feast day was the same as the Roman fertility festival of Lupercalia, which resulted in the association between Valentine's Day and love.

As an English name, it has been used occasionally since the 12th century. It is the name of a central character in Shakespeare's play The Two Gentlemen of Verona (1594).

Valentina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Russian, Lithuanian, German, Croatian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Slovene, Albanian, Romanian, Spanish, Greek, Ancient Roman
Other Scripts: Валентина(Russian, Bulgarian, Macedonian) Βαλεντίνα(Greek)
Pronounced: va-lehn-TEE-na(Italian) və-lyin-TYEE-nə(Russian) vu-lyehn-tyi-NU(Lithuanian) ba-lehn-TEE-na(Spanish)
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.
Vale
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: VAYL
From the English word meaning "wide river valley".
Vala
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Albanian
Derived from Albanian valë "wave".
Uschi
Gender: Feminine
Usage: German
Diminutive of Ursula.
Ursula
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Swedish, Danish, German, Dutch, Finnish, Late Roman
Pronounced: UR-sə-lə(English) UR-syoo-lə(English) UWR-zoo-la(German) OOR-soo-lah(Finnish)
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.
Ursa
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Late Roman
Feminine form of Ursus. This is the name of two constellations in the northern sky: Ursa Major and Ursa Minor.
Ulrikke
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Norwegian, Danish
Norwegian and Danish feminine form of Ulrich.
Ulrike
Gender: Feminine
Usage: German
Pronounced: uwl-REE-kə
German feminine form of Ulrich.
Ulrika
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Swedish
Pronounced: uyl-REE-ka
Swedish feminine form of Ulrich. This was the name of two queens of Sweden.
Ulrica
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Swedish
Feminine form of Ulric.
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