ayasmina's Personal Name List
Vaia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek
Other Scripts: Βαΐα(Greek)
From the Egyptian word referring to the palm branch.
It is celebrated on Palm Sunday (Κυριακή των Βαΐων), which is the Sunday before Easter.
Vaiana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Tahitian
Means "water cave" or "rock water" in Tahitian, from the phrase vai ana o te mato teitei meaning "water from the cave of the high rock".
Vairea
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Tahitian
Means "sparkling water" in Tahitian.
Vaitea
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Tahitian
Means "clear water"; a combination of Tahitian vai meaning "water" and tea meaning "white, clear".
Vaitiare
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Tahitian
From Tahitian vai "water" and tiare "flower".
Vaiura
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Tahitian
Derived from the Tahitian vai meaning "water" and archaic 'ura meaning "red".
Valencia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Various
Pronounced: ba-LEHN-sya(Latin American Spanish) ba-LEHN-thya(European Spanish) və-LEHN-see-ə(English)
From the name of cities in Spain and Venezuela, both derived from Latin valentia meaning "strength, vigour".
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.
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).
Valentino
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: va-lehn-TEE-no
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.
Valerian
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Russian, Georgian, Romanian, History
Other Scripts: Валериан(Russian) ვალერიან(Georgian)
Pronounced: və-LIR-ee-ən(English)
From the Roman
cognomen Valerianus, which was itself derived from the Roman name
Valerius. This was the name of a 3rd-century Roman emperor (Publius Licinius Valerianus) who was captured by the Persians. Several
saints have also borne this name, including a 2nd-century martyr of Lyons.
Valeriana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish, Ancient Roman
Pronounced: ba-leh-RYA-na(Spanish)
Feminine form of
Valerianus (see
Valerian).
Valeriano
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian, Spanish
Pronounced: ba-leh-RYA-no(Spanish)
Italian and Spanish form of
Valerianus (see
Valerian).
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.
Valerina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Gascon
Valerio
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian, Spanish
Pronounced: va-LEH-ryo(Italian) ba-LEH-ryo(Spanish)
Valia
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Bulgarian, Georgian (Rare), Greek, Russian
Other Scripts: Валя(Bulgarian, Russian) ვალია(Georgian) Βάλια(Greek)
In Bulgaria and Russia, this name is a variant transcription of the unisex name
Valya.
In Georgia, this name is a diminutive of Valentina and Valerian, though there can certainly be cases where it is the georgianized form of the aforementioned Valya. In this day and age, Valia is primarily used on women in Georgia.
In Greece, this name is strictly feminine and is a pet form of Vasilia and Vasiliki.
Known bearers of this name include the Georgian revolutionary Valerian "Valia" Bakhtadze (1896-1930) and the Greek model Valia Kakouti (b. 1981).
Valiance
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (Rare, Archaic)
Valiancina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Belarusian
Other Scripts: Валянціна(Belarusian)
Valiant
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Literature, Popular Culture, Dutch (Rare), Danish (Rare), Swedish (Rare), Norwegian (Rare)
Pronounced: VAH-lee-ahnt(Dutch)
From the English word valiant, which denotes a person who has and shows courage. The word is derived from Anglo-French vaillant "brave, strong, worthy", which itself is ultimately derived from Latin valens meaning "strong, vigorous, powerful". In literature, this is the name of the main character in the comic strip "Prince Valiant in the Days of King Arthur", created by Hal Foster (1892-1982). It was later adapted into an animated television series called "The Legend of Prince Valiant", which ran from 1991 to 1993. The comic and the animated series have inspired people in some countries to name their son Valiant. The Netherlands is one of those countries, as in 2010, there was a total of 26 bearers (of all ages) in the entire country. Also, in popular culture, Valiant is the name of a wood pigeon in the 2005 computer-animated film of the same name.
Valiha
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Malagasy
From the name of a traditional Malagasy bamboo lute.
Valio
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Finnish
Pronounced: VAH-li-aw
From Finnish valio meaning "an outstanding individual, a pick, choice, elite".
Valisoa
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Malagasy
Means "reward", or from the Malagasy name for the Scaevola plumieri shrub.
Valkyrie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Various (Rare)
Pronounced: VAL-ki-ree(English)
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.
Valora
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Esperanto
Pronounced: va-LO-ra
Means "valuable" in Esperanto.
Vance
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: VANS
From an English surname that was derived from Old English fenn meaning "marsh, fen".
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.
Vanessia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (American)
Pronounced: VUH-NE-SUH(American English)
My name also resembles butterfly in Greek and star in the book of Hebrew
Vanilla
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: və-NIL-ə
From the English word vanilla referring to "the fruit or bean of the vanilla plant, or the extract made from it, or the distinctive fragrant flavour/flavor characteristic of vanilla extract". The word is derived from Spanish vainilla, literally "little pod", a diminutive form of vaina "pod, scabbard, sheath", from Latin vagina "sheath (of an ear of grain), husk, hull of a plant".
Vanna 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: VAN-na
Vanni
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: VAN-nee
Vanya
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Bulgarian
Other Scripts: Ваня(Bulgarian)
Varia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Russian
Other Scripts: Варя(Russian)
Variant transliteration of
Варя (see
Varya).
Varian
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Varinia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ancient Roman, Spanish (Rare)
Pronounced: ba-REE-nya(Spanish)
Varista
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Asturian
Pronounced: va-RIS-ta
Vega 2
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Astronomy
The name of a star in the constellation Lyra. Its name is from Arabic
الواقع (al-Wāqiʿ) meaning "the swooping (eagle)".
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.
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.
Veneranda
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Latvian, Italian, Spanish (Philippines), Galician, English (African), Portuguese (Brazilian, Rare), Albanian (Rare)
Feminine form of
Venerando. It belonged to a semi-legendary saint of the early Christian era, also known as
Venera. It was also used in 20th-century Latvia, derived directly from Latin
veneranda "venerated".
Veneria
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian (Rare)
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).
Venezia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: ve-NE-tsyah
Variant of
Venetia. It also coincides with the Italian name of the city Venice.
Veniera
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Medieval Italian (Tuscan)
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.
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.
Veralicia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish (Latin American, Rare), Portuguese (Brazilian, Rare)
Possibly a contraction of
Vera 1 and
Alicia. It is mainly used in El Salvador.
Veralina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Obscure
Veralynn
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern, Rare)
Veran
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Serbian
Other Scripts: Веран(Serbian)
Masculine form of
Vera 1, meaning "faith". Also associated with the adjective
veran, pronounced with a stress on the first syllable, meaning "loyal, faithful".
Verana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Provençal
Veranya
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Russian
Other Scripts: Вераня(Russian)
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.
Verina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Late Roman
Verita
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Portuguese, Hungarian
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.
Vernonia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
From the genus of flowering plants also known as ironweed.
Veromanitra
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Malagasy
Means "lemongrass" in Malagasy.
Verona
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Various
From the name of the city in Italy, which is itself of unknown meaning.
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.
Veronina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Obscure
Véronique
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: VEH-RAW-NEEK
Verrisa
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (American, Americanized, Modern), Italian
Other Scripts: Berissa
Pronounced: Verrisa(American English) Verisisa(Italian)
Verissa came from the city of Berissa in Italy and became the name of a few people in america and Italy
Vesper
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Roman Mythology, Dutch (Modern)
Pronounced: WEHS-pehr(Latin) VEHS-pər(English, Dutch)
Latin
cognate of
Hesperos. This name was used by the British author Ian Fleming for a female character, a love interest of James Bond, in his novel
Casino Royale (1953). She also appears in the film adaptations of 1967 and 2006.
Vespera
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Esperanto
Pronounced: vehs-PEH-ra
Means "of the evening", derived from Esperanto vespero "evening", ultimately from Latin vesper.
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.
Vestia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Obscure
Pronounced: VESS-tee-yah
Elaboration of
Vesta with the suffix
-ia
Via
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Various (Modern), Popular Culture
Short form of names ending in -via. In the USA the popularity of this name was triggered by the movie Wonder (2017) where the main character Olivia goes by Via.
Viana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish, Italian
Vianca
Gender: Feminine
Usage: American (Hispanic, Modern, Rare), Spanish (Latin American, Rare), Filipino (Rare)
Pronounced: vee-AHNG-kə(Hispanic American, Latin American Spanish) vee-AWNG-kə(Hispanic American, Latin American Spanish) BYAHN-kah(Hispanic American, Latin American Spanish)
Vianera
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Belarusian
Other Scripts: Вянера(Belarusian)
Vianna
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern, Rare)
Pronounced: vee-AH-na
Vianne
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Meaning unknown, perhaps a combination of
Vi and
Anne 1 or a short form of
Vivianne.
Viatrix
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Late Roman
Vicena
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Aragonese
Pronounced: vi-THEH-na
Aragonese feminine form of
Vincent.
Vicência
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Portuguese
Vicenta
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: bee-THEHN-ta(European Spanish) bee-SEHN-ta(Latin American Spanish)
Vicente
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Spanish, Portuguese
Pronounced: bee-THEHN-teh(European Spanish) bee-SEHN-teh(Latin American Spanish) vee-SEHN-ti(European Portuguese) vee-SEHN-chee(Brazilian Portuguese)
Spanish and Portuguese form of
Vincent.
Vicenza
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Galician (Rare), Sicilian
Galician feminine form of
Vicenzo and Sicilian feminine form of
Vicenzu.
Victor
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, Portuguese, Romanian, Dutch, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Late Roman
Pronounced: VIK-tər(English) VEEK-TAWR(French) VEEK-tor(Romanian) VIK-tawr(Dutch)
Roman name meaning
"victor, conqueror" in Latin. It was common among early Christians, and was borne by several early
saints and three popes. It was rare as an English name during the Middle Ages, but it was revived in the 19th century. A famous bearer was the French writer Victor Hugo (1802-1885), who authored
The Hunchback of Notre-Dame and
Les Misérables.
Victoria
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Spanish, Romanian, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, French, Late Roman, Roman Mythology
Pronounced: vik-TAWR-ee-ə(English) beek-TO-rya(Spanish) vik-TO-rya(German) VEEK-TAW-RYA(French) week-TO-ree-a(Latin)
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.
Victoriana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Late Roman, Spanish
Pronounced: beek-to-RYA-na(Spanish)
Victoriano
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: beek-to-RYA-no
Victorien
Gender: Masculine
Usage: French
Pronounced: VEEK-TAW-RYEHN
Victorienna
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French, English
Vienna
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: vee-EHN-ə
From the name of the capital city of Austria,
Vienna.
Viera
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Slovak, Belarusian
Other Scripts: Вера(Belarusian)
Slovak form of
Vera 1, as well as an alternate transcription of Belarusian
Вера (see
Vera 1).
Vija
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Latvian
Means "garland, wreath" in Latvian.
Vilania
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Portuguese (Brazilian, Rare)
Villana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Medieval Italian, History (Ecclesiastical)
Derived from Latin
villana "villein, feudal tenant" (compare
Villanus). Villana de' Botti (1332 - 1361) was an Italian Roman Catholic professed member of the Third Order of Saint Dominic. She turned to the Dominicans after a sudden conversion from a dissolute life and was noted for her simplistic life born out of her conversion. De' Botti had fierce detractors due to her stating she had religious ecstasies at Mass - which was true - and these opponents had even acknowledged her as a true living saint. She was beatified on 27 March 1824.
Vina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Archaic)
Pronounced: VEE-nah
Vinari
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Georgian (Rare)
Other Scripts: ვინარი(Georgian)
Derived from Georgian ვინ არის
(vin aris) meaning "who is", which in turn is derived from the Georgian pronoun ვინ
(vin) meaning "who" and the Georgian verb არის
(aris) meaning "to be".
This is an independent name that is likely intended to mean something along the lines of "Who could ever be like you?" (as in: no one can ever compare to the bearer of the name). However, it is possible that in some cases, Vinari is a short form of Mzevinar.
Vinaya
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Indian
Other Scripts: विनय(Hindi)
Of Sanskrit and Pāli origin, meaning "leading out; education; discipline".
The core meaning of Vinaya is a set of rules known as Patimokkha (Pāli), or Pratimoksha (Sanskrit).They were formulated by Goutam Buddha for the good behaviour of his disciples.
The Vinaya Piṭaka is a Buddhist scripture , one of the three parts that make up the Tripitaka.
In the literary world, Vinaya Patrika (Humble Petition to Lord Rama in English) is a 16th-century devotional poem.
Vincent
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Slovak
Pronounced: VIN-sənt(English, Dutch) VEHN-SAHN(French) VIN-sent(Dutch) VEEN-tsent(Slovak)
From the Roman name
Vincentius, which was derived from Latin
vincere meaning
"to conquer". This name was popular among early Christians, and it was borne by many
saints. As an English name,
Vincent has been in use since the Middle Ages, though it did not become common until the 19th century. Famous bearers include the French priest Saint Vincent de Paul (1581-1660) and the Dutch post-impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890).
Vincenta
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Lithuanian, Croatian
Lithuanian and Croatian feminine form of
Vincent.
Vincentia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Late Roman, Banat Swabian
Vincenza
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: veen-CHEHN-tsa
Vinicia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Spanish
Pronounced: vee-NEE-cha(Italian)
Vinicio
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian, Spanish
Pronounced: vee-NEE-cho(Italian) bee-NEE-thyo(European Spanish) bee-NEE-syo(Latin American Spanish)
Italian and Spanish form of the Roman family name Vinicius, which was possibly derived from Latin vinum "wine".
Vino
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Spanish, Italian
Pronounced: VEE-no(Spanish)
Vintanasoa
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Malagasy
Pronounced: vin-ta-na-SOH-a
Means "good luck" in Malagasy. From vintana (meaning luck) and soa (meaning good).
Viola
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Italian, Swedish, Danish, Finnish, German, Hungarian, Czech, Slovak
Pronounced: vie-O-lə(English) vi-O-lə(English) VIE-ə-lə(English) VYAW-la(Italian) vi-OO-la(Swedish) VEE-o-la(German) vee-O-la(German) VEE-o-law(Hungarian) VI-o-la(Czech) VEE-aw-la(Slovak)
Means
"violet" in Latin. This is the name of the heroine of William Shakespeare's comedy
Twelfth Night (1602). In the play she is the survivor of a shipwreck who disguises herself as a man named Cesario. Working as a messenger for Duke
Orsino, she attempts to convince
Olivia to marry him. Instead Viola falls in love with the duke.
Violanda
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Romansh
Violandra
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Theatre
Pronounced: vee-o-LAN-dra
Likely an elaboration of
Violanda (a form of
Violante) using the suffix
andra (from names such as
Alexandra and
Cassandra). This was the name of a princess in the comedy
Absurda Comica oder Herr Peter Squentz (1658) by Andreas Gryphius.
Violanta
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Romansh, Sardinian
Italian variant and Romansh form of
Violante.
Violante
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Late Roman, Italian
Pronounced: vee-o-LAN-teh(Italian)
Violet
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: VIE-lit, VIE-ə-lit
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.
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.
Violina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Judeo-Italian (Archaic), English (Rare)
Viona
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Viorel
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Romanian
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".
Viorela
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Romanian
Viorica
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Romanian
Pronounced: vee-o-REE-ka
Derived from Romanian
viorea (see
Viorel).
Vira
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Portuguese, Swedish, Danish (Rare), Norwegian (Rare)
Pronounced: VEE-rah(Swedish)
Virena
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Various
Virendra
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Indian, Hindi, Marathi
Other Scripts: वीरेंद्र(Hindi, Marathi)
From Sanskrit वीर
(vira) meaning "hero, man, brave" combined with the name of the Hindu god
Indra.
Viria
Gender: Feminine
Usage: South American
Pronounced: V-EE-r-EE-ah
Viriato
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Portuguese
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.
Viridia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ancient Roman, English (Rare, Archaic), American (Hispanic, Rare)
Viridian
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Various (Modern, Rare)
From the name of the blue-green pigment, which is derived from Latin viridis, meaning "green".
Viridiana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ancient Roman, Spanish (Mexican), Galician (Archaic), Corsican (Archaic), Italian (Archaic)
Vita 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ancient Roman, Italian, Lithuanian, Latvian, Danish, Slovene
Pronounced: VEE-ta(Italian)
Vitalia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian (Rare)
Vitalina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Russian, Ukrainian, Italian, Ancient Roman
Other Scripts: Виталина(Russian, Ukrainian)
Russian, Ukranian, Italian, and Ancient Roman feminine form of
Vitale.
Vito 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian, Spanish
Pronounced: VEE-to(Italian) BEE-to(Spanish)
Italian and Spanish form of
Vitus. A notable fictional bearer is Vito Corleone from
The Godfather novel (1969) and movie (1972).
Vittoria
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: veet-TAW-rya
Viva
Gender: Feminine
Usage: American (Rare, Archaic), Medieval Occitan, Italian (Archaic)
Pronounced: VEE-və(American)
Feminine form of Ancient Roman
Vivus. In English-speaking countries, it may also be used as a diminutive of
Vivian.
Vivaina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Indonesian (Rare)
Viveca
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Swedish
Vivera
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Indonesian
Vivi
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Danish, Swedish, Norwegian
Vivia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian (Rare), Late Roman
Vivian
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
Pronounced: VIV-ee-ən(English)
From the Latin name
Vivianus, which was derived from Latin
vivus "alive".
Saint Vivian was a French bishop who provided protection during the Visigoth invasion of the 5th century. It has been occasionally used as an English (masculine) name since the Middle Ages. In modern times it is also used as a feminine name, in which case it is either an Anglicized form of
Bébinn or a variant of
Vivien 2.
Viviana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Late Roman
Pronounced: vee-VYA-na(Italian) bee-BYA-na(Spanish)
Feminine form of
Vivianus (see
Vivian).
Saint Viviana (also known as Bibiana) was a Roman saint and martyr of the 4th century.
Vivianne
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: VEE-VYAN
Vivielle
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Portuguese (Brazilian, Rare)
Vivienna
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern, Rare)
Vivienne
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: VEE-VYEHN
Vivina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian (Rare), Dutch (Rare)
Vivira
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Indonesian (Rare)
Viya
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Tamil (Rare)
Other Scripts: வீயா(Tamil)
Pronounced: vee-ya
From Tamil வீயா (vīyā) meaning "wealth".
Viyana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Persian
Other Scripts: ويانا(Persian)
Means "wisdom", "sensibility".
Voahirana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Malagasy
Pronounced: Vou-ah-hee-ra-na
Derived from the Malagasy word voahirana which describes a kind of water lily.
Vola
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Russian
Pronounced: VO-la
a derivative of the Russian
Volodya. Means "possessor of peace."
Volamena
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Malagasy
Means "gold" in Malagasy.
Volana
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Malagasy
Means "moon" in Malagasy.
Vorona
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Malagasy
Means "bird" in Malagasy.
Walela
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Cherokee
From Cherokee
ᏩᎴᎳ (walela) meaning
"hummingbird".
Wayra
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Quechua
Means "wind, air" in Quechua.
Wes
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: WEHS
Willow
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: WIL-o
From the name of the tree, which is ultimately derived from Old English welig.
Winona
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Sioux
Pronounced: wi-NO-nə(English)
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.
Winter
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: WIN-tər
From the English word for the season, derived from Old English winter.
Winterrose
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: WIN-tər ROZ
Combination of the English words/names,
Winter and
Rose. There is also a flower called winter rose.
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.
Wren
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: REHN
From the English word for the small songbird. It is ultimately derived from Old English wrenna.
Wrenna
Gender: Feminine
Usage: American (Rare)
Pronounced: REN-ə
Elaborated form of
Wren. It coincides with Old English
wrenna meaning "(male) wren".
Xadriana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: African American (Modern)
Pronounced: ig-zayd-ree-AN-ə
Xaina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Pakistani (Rare), Spanish (Rare)
Xanda
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Portuguese
Xandra
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Dutch
Pronounced: SAHN-dra, KSAHN-dra
Xania
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Xanthia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Modern elaborated form of
Xanthe.
Xantiana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (American, Modern, Rare)
Xantiana is a latinised adjective derived from the originally Hungarian surname
Xántus. It is used in the name of some flowering plants, notably
Clarkia xantiana and
Chaenactis xantiana.
Xara
Gender: Feminine
Usage: American (Rare)
Xavera
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Czech (Archaic), Dutch (Rare)
Czech and Dutch feminine form of
Xavier.
Xavia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Modern feminine form of
Xavier.
Xavian
Gender: Masculine
Usage: African American (Modern)
Pronounced: ZAY-vee-ən, ZAY-vee-awn
Xavier
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, Portuguese, Catalan, Spanish
Pronounced: ZAY-vyər(English) ig-ZAY-vyər(English) GZA-VYEH(French) shu-vee-EHR(European Portuguese) sha-vee-EKH(Brazilian Portuguese) shə-bee-EH(Catalan) kha-BYEHR(Spanish) sa-BYEHR(Spanish)
Derived from the Basque place name
Etxeberria meaning
"the new house". This was the surname of the Jesuit priest
Saint Francis Xavier (1506-1552) who was born in a village by this name. He was a missionary to India, Japan, China, and other areas in East Asia, and he is the patron saint of the Orient and missionaries. His surname has since been adopted as a given name in his honour, chiefly among Catholics.
Xaviera
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Xayana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Tuvan
Means "cliff" in Tuvan.
Xazina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Uzbek
Means "wealth, treasure trove" in Uzbek.
Xela
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Galician
Xena
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Popular Culture
Pronounced: ZEE-nə(English)
Probably a variant of
Xenia. This was the name of the main character in the 1990s television series
Xena: Warrior Princess.
Xenaria
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: ZEN-air-ee-u
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.
Xeno
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (American, Modern, Rare), Swiss (Rare)
Pronounced: ZEE-no(American English)
Perhaps a variant of
Zeno or maybe a Latinized form of
Xenon.
A notable male bearer was a a Swiss rower and Olympic gold medallist: Xeno Müller. He's Born on August 7th 1972.
Recently used first in 2017 with 7 baby boys born with this name.
Xiadani
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Zapotec
Meaning uncertain, said to mean "the flower that arrived" in Zapotec.
Xiamara
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ancient Aramaic
Pronounced: zee-ah-MAH-ra(Aramaic)
Means "joyful deer" in Aramaic.
Xiana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Galician
Pronounced: shee-A-nu
From
Xuliana, the Galician form of
Juliana.
Yamin
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: يمين(Arabic)
Pronounced: yə-MEEN
Means "right hand" in Arabic.
Yamina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arabic (Maghrebi)
Other Scripts: يمينة(Arabic)
Derived from Arabic
يمين (yamīn) meaning
"right hand, oath".
Yamira
Gender: Feminine
Usage: African American (Modern)
Pronounced: Yəmeerə
Yan 2
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Chinese
Other Scripts: 艳, 岩, etc.(Chinese) 艷, 岩, etc.(Traditional Chinese)
Pronounced: YEHN
From Chinese
艳 (yàn) meaning "beautiful, gorgeous" (which is usually only feminine) or
岩 (yán) meaning "cliff, rocks", as well as other Chinese characters pronounced in a similar fashion.
Yanina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Russian, Ukrainian
Other Scripts: Янина(Russian) Яніна(Ukrainian)
Yara 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: يارا(Arabic)
Pronounced: YA-ra
From Persian
یار (yār) meaning
"friend, helper".
Yasina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Indonesian (Rare)
Yasmina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arabic, Spanish (Modern), French (Modern)
Other Scripts: ياسمينة(Arabic)
Pronounced: yas-MEE-na(Arabic) gyas-MEE-na(Spanish) YAS-MEE-NA(French)
Yasmira
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Obscure
Pronounced: yass-MEE-rah
Yasuna
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Japanese
Pronounced: ., Ya-su-na
Yasu (" Peaceful, Cheap, Relaxed "), (" Peace and Quiet "), (" Flat, Smooth "), (" Respectful "), and Na , ( " Vegetables, Greens "), etc.
Yesenia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish (Latin American)
Pronounced: gyeh-SEH-nya
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].
Yianna
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek
Other Scripts: Γιάννα(Greek)
Yin
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Chinese
Other Scripts: 银, 音, 荫, etc.(Chinese) 銀, 音, 蔭, etc.(Traditional Chinese)
Pronounced: EEN
From Chinese
银 (yín) meaning "silver, money",
音 (yīn) meaning "sound, tone" or
荫 (yīn) meaning "shade, shelter, protect", as well as other Chinese characters pronounced similarly.
Yinsong
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Chinese
Other Scripts: 吟颂(Chinese)
From the Chinese 吟 (yín) meaning "sing, recite" and 颂 (sòng) meaning "laud, acclaim, hymn, ode".
Yuna
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Popular Culture, Japanese
Pronounced: YUN-A(Japanese) YUUN-A(Japanese) YOU-NA(Japanese)
Yuna is a supporting character in the videogame Final Fantasy X as well as the main character of Final Fantasy X-2. She was the High Summoner who defeated Sin and brought the Eternal Calm. She was named for
Yunalesca, who was the first Summoner to defeat Sin according to the franchise mythology.
Yunalesca
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Popular Culture
Lady Yunalesca is a non-player character and antagonist from Final Fantasy X, who also appears in Final Fantasy X-2. She was the first summoner to defeat Sin and bring forth the Calm. According to the game's lore, Summoner
Yuna was named after Yunalesca.
The exact meaning of this name is unknown. Tetsuya Nomura, the character designer of Yunalesca and Yuna, said that Yuna’s dress and necklace bear images of the "Sea Hibiscus" flower also called Yuuna, and that her name carries the meaning of “night” (夕な) in Okinawan.
As for 'lesca', it may have a Greek origin from the diminutive Leska, which means "defender of men".
Yunia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Indonesian
From the name of the month of June (Juni in Indonesian).
Yuno
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 柚乃, etc.(Japanese Kanji)
Pronounced: YOO:-NO
Variant transcription of
Yuuno.
Yunona
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Russian
Pronounced: yoo-NAW-nah
Yura
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: 悠良, 夢羅, 結羅(Japanese Kanji) ゆら(Japanese Hiragana) ユラ(Japanese Katakana)
From Japanese kanji 悠 (
yū) meaning "permanence" combined with 良 (
ra) meaning "good". It can be also the combination of 夢 (
yu) meaning "dream" or 結 (
yu) meaning "tie" and 羅 (
ra) meaning "lightweight fabric; silk gauze".
Other kanji combinations are possible.
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.
Yuzuna
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Japanese
Other Scripts: ゆずな(Japanese Hiragana) 柚奈, 柚子奈, 柚菜, 優津奈, 由寿奈, etc.(Japanese Kanji)
Pronounced: YUU-ZUU-NAH
From Japanese 柚 (yuzu) meaning "grapefruit, pomelo, citrus fruit" combined with 奈 (na) meaning "apple tree". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Yveline
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: EEV-LEEN
Yvelise
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: EEV-LEEZ
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.
Yves
Gender: Masculine
Usage: French
Pronounced: EEV
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.
Yvette
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French, English
Pronounced: EE-VEHT(French) ee-VEHT(English) i-VEHT(English)
French feminine form of
Yves.
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.
Zachary
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Biblical
Pronounced: ZAK-ə-ree(English)
Usual English form of
Zacharias, used in some English versions of the
New Testament. This form has been in use since the Middle Ages, though it did not become common until after the
Protestant Reformation. It was borne by American military commander and president Zachary Taylor (1784-1850).
Zae
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, African American
Zahara
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hebrew
Other Scripts: זָהֳרָה(Hebrew)
Zahia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: زاهية(Arabic)
Pronounced: ZA-hee-ya
Zahir
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Persian, Punjabi, Urdu, Bengali
Other Scripts: ظهير(Arabic) ظهیر(Persian) ظہیر(Shahmukhi, Urdu) জহির(Bengali)
Pronounced: dha-HEER(Arabic)
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).
Zahira
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: ظهيرة, زاهرة(Arabic)
Pronounced: dha-HEE-ra, ZA-hee-ra
Zahiya
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arabic
Pronounced: zuh-HEY-yuh
meaning: bright faced; beautiful
Zahra 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arabic, Persian
Other Scripts: زهراء(Arabic) زهرا(Persian)
Pronounced: zah-RA(Arabic)
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.
Zahreil
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Gnosticism, Mandaean
Other Scripts: ࡆࡀࡄࡓࡏࡉࡋ(Mandaic)
Etymology unknown. In Mandaeism, a Gnostic religion, Zahreil is the daughter of
Qin and mother of the creator of the material universe. She is believed to dwell in the bed of pregnant women, ensuring the safety of infants before and after birth.
Zahri
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: زهري(Arabic)
Pronounced: ZAH-re
Means "pink" in Arabic.
Zaida
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arabic (Rare), Spanish
Other Scripts: زيدة(Arabic)
Pronounced: ZIE-da(Arabic) THIE-dha(European Spanish) SIE-dha(Latin American Spanish)
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.
Zaiera
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Obscure
Zain
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Urdu, Malay
Other Scripts: زين(Arabic) زین(Urdu)
Pronounced: ZIEN(Arabic)
Alternate transcription of Arabic
زين (see
Zayn), as well as the usual Urdu and Malay form.
Zaina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: زينة(Arabic)
Pronounced: ZIE-na
Alternate transcription of Arabic
زينة (see
Zayna).
Zaira
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Spanish
Pronounced: DZIE-ra(Italian) dza-EE-ra(Italian) THIE-ra(European Spanish) SIE-ra(Latin American Spanish)
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.
Zaire
Gender: Masculine
Usage: African American (Modern)
Pronounced: zah-EER(English)
From the name of a country in Africa from 1971 to 1997, now called the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is said to be derived from Kikongo nzadi o nzere meaning "river swallowing rivers", referring to the Congo River.
Zakaria
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Georgian, Malay, Indonesian, Arabic
Other Scripts: ზაქარია(Georgian) زكريّا(Arabic)
Pronounced: za-ka-REE-ya(Arabic)
Zakariya
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: زكريّا(Arabic)
Pronounced: za-ka-REE-ya
Zalia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare), Spanish (Latin American)
Zəminə
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Azerbaijani
Pronounced: zah-mee-NAH
Derived from Persian زمین (zamin) meaning "earth, land, soil".
Zamir
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Urdu, Kyrgyz, Uzbek, Kazakh, Tajik
Other Scripts: ضمير(Arabic) ضمیر(Urdu) Замир(Kyrgyz, Uzbek, Kazakh, Tajik)
Pronounced: da-MEER(Arabic)
Means "mind, heart, conscience" in Arabic.
Zamira
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Kyrgyz, Tajik, Uzbek, Kazakh
Other Scripts: Замира(Kyrgyz, Tajik, Uzbek, Kazakh)
Zana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Croatian, Bosnian, Serbian, Kashubian
Other Scripts: Зана(Serbian)
Croatian, Serbian and Bosnian short form of
Suzana and Kashubian short form of
Zuzana.
Zandra
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: ZAN-drə
Zane 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: ZAYN
From an English surname of unknown meaning. It was introduced as a given name by American author Zane Grey (1872-1939). Zane was in fact his middle name — it had been his mother's maiden name.
Zanera
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Persian
Other Scripts: زنيره(Persian)
Means "intelligent", "sensible", "wise".
Zaniah
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Astronomy, English (Rare)
Pronounced: zə-NIE-ə
Presumably derived from Arabic زاوية (zāwiyah) "corner" (though Alhazen claimed that this word meant "harlot"). This was the medieval name for Eta Virginis, a star in the constellation Virgo.
Zanira
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Pakistani
Zanna
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: ZAN-ə
Zara 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Literature, English
Pronounced: ZAHR-ə(English)
Used by William Congreve for a character in his tragedy
The Mourning Bride (1697), where it belongs to a captive North African queen. Congreve may have based it on the Arabic name
Zahra 1. In 1736 the English writer Aaron Hill used it to translate
Zaïre for his popular adaptation of Voltaire's French play
Zaïre (1732).
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.
Zaraida
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arabic
Pronounced: Zariyda
Zaraida means a captivating woman.
Zarco
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Spanish (Rare)
This first name is predominantly found in South America, although it is not very common there: one is much more likely to encounter the name as a surname there instead. Because of that, it is possible that the bearers' parents were inspired to give their sons the surname as a first name, just like it is done in English-speaking countries these days. The surname is derived from the Spanish word zarco meaning "light blue" (ultimately from Andalusian Arabic zárqaʼ, which in turn is derived from Arabic ʼazraq "blue"), which is in reference to the eye colour of the surname's original bearer. However, given the fact that the word zarco is still in use in modern Spanish, it is also possible that in the case of some bearers, their parents deliberately named them after the colour (instead of after the surname). It ultimately doesn't matter either way, as the etymology is the same in both scenarios.
Zari
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Iranian
Zaria
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: ZAHR-ee-ə
Possibly based on
Zahra 2 or the Nigerian city of Zaria.
Zariana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (American)
Pronounced: zar-e-ana(American English)
Zarina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Uzbek, Kazakh, Tajik, Urdu, Malay
Other Scripts: Зарина(Uzbek, Kazakh, Tajik) زرینہ(Urdu)
From Persian
زرین (zarīn) meaning
"golden". According to the 5th-century BC Greek historian Ctesias, this was the name of a Scythian queen.
Zarya
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Soviet, Russian
Other Scripts: Заря(Russian)
Derived from the Russian noun заря
(zarya) meaning "dawn, daybreak". Also compare the related name
Zorya.
This name was used by Communist parents who were eager to reject traditional names, possibly in the sense of красная заря (krasnaya zarya) meaning "red dawn" (i.e. the dawn of communism). Also note that Zarya was once the name of a Marxist publication as well as of several Soviet scientifically-inclined projects.
Zava
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Malagasy
Means "clearness" in Malagasy.
Zavia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: ZAY-vee-ə
Modern feminine form of
Xavier.
Zavier
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: ZAY-vyər
Zaviera
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern, Rare)
Pronounced: ZAY-vyə-ra
Zayana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare), Muslim
Other Scripts: زَيَّانَة(Arabic)
Pronounced: zu-YAH-nə(English)
A Quranic name meaning "adorned" or "adorner".
Zayla
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern), African American (Modern)
Possibly an invented name formed using the phonetic elements
zay and
la, and sharing a sound with other popular names such as
Kayla. In some cases it could be a short form of
Azalea.
Zayn
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: زين(Arabic)
Pronounced: ZIEN
Means
"beauty, grace" in Arabic. This was the name of a son of
Husayn ibn Ali. Shia Muslims consider him to be the fourth imam.
This name is borne by the British singer Zayn Malik (1993-), formerly a member of the band One Direction. It gained popularity in America and parts of Europe after One Direction became well-known in 2011.
Zayna
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: زينة(Arabic)
Pronounced: ZIE-na
Zelia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian (Archaic), Italian (Swiss, Archaic)
Želimira
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Serbian, Croatian
Other Scripts: Желимира(Serbian)
Zemina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Bosnian, Slovak, Slovene
Žemyna
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Lithuanian (Modern), Baltic Mythology
Pronounced: zheh-MYEE-nu(Lithuanian)
Lithuanian goddess of the earth, her name deriving from Lithuanian
žemė "earth".
Žemyna was first documented in the form Źęmîną by Martynas Mažvydas in his Latin introduction to Catechismusa Prasty Szadei (1547). Even though the spelling of her name kept slightly changing, over the centuries many historians, ranging from Mikalojus Daukša, Daniel Klein, Jan Łasicki, Matthäus Prätorius, Philipp Ruhig to Jakob Brodowski, corroborated her existence in the Baltic pantheon and her functions.
Modern-day academics agree that Žemyna was a mother goddess personifying the fertile earth and nourishing all life on earth, human, plant, and animal. When Christianity started to gain ground in Lithuania, her cult became influenced by the cult of the Virgin Mary.
"Prätorius described a ritual, called žemyneliauti, performed at major celebrations (e.g. weddings) or agricultural works (e.g. harvest). The head of the household would drink a cup of beer, but first he would spill some of the drink on the ground and say a short prayer. Then he would kill a rooster or a hen, which would be cooked and eaten by the entire family. Each family member would receive a loaf of bread and say prayers, blessings, and greetings. The bones and other scraps would be sacrificed to the goddess (burned or buried). Other recorded rites included burying bread baked from last crops of prior harvest in a field before new sowing and sacrifice of black piglet. People would also kiss the earth saying a short prayer thanking Žemyna for all her gifts and acknowledging that one day they will return to her."
Zen
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: ZEN
This name is derived from either the word that is the Japanese on'yomi/reading of the Chinese word
chán (禅), which is derived from the Sanskrit word
dhyāna, meaning 'absorption, meditative state' or, in the case of U.S. soccer/football defender Zen Luzniak, a shortened form of
Zenon.
Zen is a school of Buddhism which originated in China during the 7th century, and spread to Vietnam, Korea, and Japan. It emphasises rigorous meditation practices, and favours direct personal understanding rather than knowledge of doctrine.
Zen meditation became known in the West at the end of the 19th century, and at this time it became used as an English name, albeit sporadically. Interest in the practice and philosophy of Zen grew during the 1950s and '60s, though the name's usage remained sporadic and it wasn't until the late 1990s and 2000s that this name began to be used more frequently.
Zena
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Meaning unknown. It could be a variant of
Xenia or a
diminutive of names featuring this sound, such as
Alexina,
Rosina or
Zenobia. This name has occasionally been used since the 19th century.
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.
Zenara
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Brazilian (Rare)
Zenia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Zeno
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Greek (Latinized), Italian
Other Scripts: Ζήνων(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: DZEH-no(Italian)
From the Greek name
Ζήνων (Zenon), which was derived from the name of the Greek god
Zeus (the poetic form of his name being
Ζήν). Zeno was the name of two famous Greek philosophers: Zeno of Elea and Zeno of Citium, the founder of the Stoic school in Athens.
Zenovia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek
Other Scripts: Ζηνοβία(Greek)
Zenzi
Gender: Feminine
Usage: German
Pronounced: TSEHN-tsee
Zephyr
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Greek Mythology (Anglicized)
Other Scripts: Ζέφυρος(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: ZEHF-ər(English)
From the Greek
Ζέφυρος (Zephyros) meaning
"west wind". Zephyros was the Greek god of the west wind.
Zephyra
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Zeraphine
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French (Quebec, Rare)
Zeya
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Burmese
Other Scripts: ဇေယျ, ဇေယျာ(Burmese)
Pronounced: ZEH-YA
Alternate transcription of Burmese ဇေယျ/ဇေယျာ (see
Zeyar).
Zhanara
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Kazakh, Kyrgyz
Other Scripts: Жанара(Kazakh, Kyrgyz) جانارا(Kazakh Arabic)
Pronounced: zhah-nah-RAH(Kazakh)
Zhanna
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian
Other Scripts: Жанна(Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian)
Pronounced: ZHAN-nə(Russian)
Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian form of
Jeanne.
Zhansaya
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Kazakh
Other Scripts: Жансая(Kazakh)
From Kazakh
жан (zhan) meaning "soul" and
сая (saya) meaning "shadow, shade, protection, comfort" (both words of Persian origin).
Zia
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Urdu, Bengali
Other Scripts: ضياء(Arabic) ضیاء(Urdu) জিয়া(Bengali)
Pronounced: dee-YA(Arabic)
Alternate transcription of Arabic
ضياء (see
Ziya), as well as the usual Urdu and Bengali transcription.
Zian
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Arabic
Pronounced: Zee-Aan
Means "adornment, decoration" in Arabic.
Ziana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare), Malaysian
Pronounced: zee-AHN-ə(English)
Perhaps a variant of
Xiana. This name is borne by Malaysian pop singer Ziana Zain (1968-), in whose case it is a short form of
Roziana (her real name being
Siti Roziana binti Zain).
Zianya
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: Literature
It means "forever loved" or "always loved"
Variation of the name Zyanya from the novel Aztec (1980) by the American author Gary Jennings.
Ziara
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arabic
Pronounced: zee-AHR-uh
An Arabic name meaning "visit" and "visitation".
Zimra
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hebrew, Dutch (Rare), Hungarian
Feminine form of either
Zimri or
Zimran. In the Netherlands, a known bearer of this name is the model and journalist Zimra Geurts (b. 1991).
Zina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arabic (Maghrebi)
Other Scripts: زينة(Maghrebi Arabic)
From Arabic زينة (zīna) meaning "adornment, ornament, decoration".
Zinaida
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Russian, Belarusian, Ukrainian
Other Scripts: Зинаида(Russian) Зінаіда(Belarusian) Зінаїда(Ukrainian)
Pronounced: zyi-nu-EE-də(Russian)
Russian, Belarusian and Ukrainian form of
Zenaida.
Zinara
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Kazakh (Rare), Crimean Tatar (Rare)
Other Scripts: Зинара(Kazakh)
Derived from Arabic نَار (nār) meaning "fire, flame, light".
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.
Zion
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Jewish, Biblical
Other Scripts: צִיוֹן(Hebrew)
Pronounced: ZIE-ən(English)
From the name of a citadel that was in the center of Jerusalem. Zion is also used to refer to a Jewish homeland and to heaven.
Ziona
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hebrew, Jewish, English, Afrikaans
Other Scripts: צִיּוֹנָה, ציונה(Hebrew)
Zionira
Gender: Feminine
Usage: African American
Feminine form of
Zion combining
Zion and the popular suffix
-ira.
Zionna
Gender: Feminine
Usage: American (Modern, Rare)
Zipporah
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Biblical, Hebrew
Other Scripts: צִפּוֹרָה(Hebrew)
Pronounced: zi-PAWR-ə(English) ZIP-ə-rə(English)
Zira
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Berber
Pronounced: Zee-rah
Ziri
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Berber
Other Scripts: ⵣⵉⵔⵉ(Tifinagh) زيري(Arabic)
Means
"moonlight" in Tamazight
[1].
Ziya
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic, Turkish
Other Scripts: ضياء(Arabic)
Pronounced: dee-YA(Arabic)
Means "splendour, light, glow" in Arabic. This was the name of a 14th-century Islamic Indian historian.
Ziyana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare), Arabic
Other Scripts: زِيَانَة(Arabic)
Pronounced: zi-YAH-nə(Arabic)
Variant transcription of
Zouina.
Zoha
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Urdu
Other Scripts: زوہا(Urdu)
Means "light" in Urdu.
Zohana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: Suhana, Zuhana
Feminine form of
Zohan. Means “gift”
Zohara
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hebrew
Other Scripts: זהרה(Hebrew)
Pronounced: ZORH-ə
Strictly feminine form of
Zohar.
Zora
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Croatian, Serbian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Slovene, Czech, Slovak
Other Scripts: Зора(Serbian, Bulgarian, Macedonian)
Pronounced: ZO-ra(Czech) ZAW-ra(Slovak)
Means "dawn, aurora" in the South Slavic languages, as well as Czech and Slovak.
Zoran
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Macedonian
Other Scripts: Зоран(Serbian, Macedonian)
Zorana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Croatian, Serbian
Other Scripts: Зорана(Serbian)
Zoriana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ukrainian
Other Scripts: Зоряна(Ukrainian)
Zorianna
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (American, Modern, Rare)
Zorica
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Serbian, Croatian, Macedonian
Other Scripts: Зорица(Serbian, Macedonian)
Zoryana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Ukrainian
Other Scripts: Зоряна(Ukrainian)
Derived from Ukrainian
зоря (zorya) meaning
"dawn, star".
Zosia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Polish
Pronounced: ZAW-sha
Zoya
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Bulgarian
Other Scripts: Зоя(Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Bulgarian)
Pronounced: ZO-yə(Russian)
Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian and Bulgarian form of
Zoe.
Zoyana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Bengali, Arabic, Urdu, Hindi
Zuleika
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Literature
Pronounced: zoo-LAY-kə(English)
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.
Zunera
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Urdu
Pronounced: zoo-neh-rah
Means "guiding light"or "flower in paradise" in Urdu.
Zura
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Chechen
Other Scripts: Зура(Chechen)
Either from Persian زور
(zur) meaning "force, strength, power" or a form of the Arabic name
Zahra.
Zuri
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Swahili
Means "beautiful" in Swahili.
Zuriana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Malaysian
Zuriela
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish (Latin American), American
Pronounced: ZUR-IE-LA(Latin American Spanish) ZU-REE-ELLA(American)
Zyanya
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Zapotec
Possibly means "forever, always" in Zapotec. It appears in the novel Aztec (1980) by the American author Gary Jennings.
Zymeria
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Medieval German
Pronounced: tsuy-me-ri-a
Of unknown origin and meaning.
Zyria
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Zyrianna
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern, Rare)
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