Terhi f FinnishShort form of
Terhenetär, which was derived from Finnish
terhen meaning
"mist". In the Finnish epic the
Kalevala Terhenetär is a sprite associated with mist and forests.
Tethys f Greek MythologyDerived from Greek
τήθη (tethe) meaning
"grandmother". In Greek mythology this was the name of a Titan associated with the sea. She was the wife of Oceanus.
Thalassa f Greek MythologyMeans
"sea" in Greek. In Greek mythology she was the personification of the sea. A small moon of Neptune is named for her.
Tiamat f Semitic MythologyFrom Akkadian
tâmtu meaning
"sea". In Babylonian myth Tiamat was the personification of the sea, appearing in the form of a huge dragon. By Apsu she gave birth to the first of the gods. Later, the god
Marduk (her great-grandson) defeated her, cut her in half, and used the pieces of her body to make the earth and the sky.
Tirta m & f IndonesianMeans
"sacred water, place of pilgrimage" in Indonesian, ultimately from Sanskrit
तीर्थ (tirtha).
Torunn f NorwegianNorwegian form of the Old Norse name
Þórunn, from the name of the Norse god
Þórr (see
Thor) combined with
unnr "wave" or
unna "to love".
Undine f LiteratureDerived from Latin
unda meaning
"wave". The word
undine was created by the 16th-century Swiss author Paracelsus, who used it for female water spirits.
Unni f NorwegianPossibly a modern coinage based on the Old Norse elements
unnr "wave" or
unna "to love" combined with
nýr "new".
Virva f FinnishPossibly derived from Finnish
virvatuli meaning
"will o' the wisp". In folklore, will o' the wisp is a floating ball of light that appears over water.
Vivien 2 f Literature, HungarianUsed by Alfred Tennyson as the name of the Lady of the Lake in his Arthurian epic
Idylls of the King (1859). Tennyson may have based it on
Vivienne, but it possibly arose as a misreading of
Ninian. A famous bearer was British actress Vivien Leigh (1913-1967), who played Scarlett O'Hara in
Gone with the Wind.
Yang m & f ChineseFrom 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.
Yemọja f Yoruba MythologyMeans
"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.
Yeong-Hui f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
英 (yeong) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero" or
泳 (yeong) meaning "dive, swim" combined with
姬 (hui) meaning "beauty" or
嬉 (hui) meaning "enjoy, play". Other combinations of hanja characters can form this name as well.
Yu f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
玉 (yù) meaning "jade, precious stone, gem",
愉 (yú) meaning "pleasant, delightful" or
雨 (yǔ) meaning "rain". Other characters can form this name as well.
Yunuen f & m Spanish (Mexican)Meaning unknown, probably of indigenous (maybe Purépecha) origin. This is the name of an island on Lake Pátzcuaro in Mexico.
Zedong m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
泽 (zé) meaning "moist, grace, brilliance" combined with
东 (dōng) meaning "east", as well as other character combinations. A notable bearer was the founder of the People's Republic of China, Mao Zedong (1893-1976).