TACITUSmAncient RomanRoman cognomen which meant "silent, mute" in Latin. This was the name of a 1st-century Roman historian.
TADHGmIrish, ScottishMeans "poet" in Irish. This was the name of an 11th-century king of Connacht.
TAFARImEastern African, Amharic (Rare)Possibly means "he who inspires awe" in Amharic. This name was borne by Lij Tafari Makonnen (1892-1975), also known as Haile Selassie, the last emperor of Ethiopia. Rastafarians (
Ras Tafari meaning "king Tafari") revere him as the earthly incarnation of God.
TAHAmArabicFrom the Arabic letters
ط (called
ta) and
ه (called
ha). These letters begin the 20th chapter of the Qur'an (surah Ta Ha).
TAHMASPmAncient PersianPersian form of the Avestan name
Takhmaspa, which was derived from
takhma "strong, brave, valiant" and
aspa "horse". This name was borne by two Safavid shahs of Persia.
TAHMURASmPersian MythologyPersian form of Avestan
Takhma Urupi meaning "strong body". Takhma Urupi is a hero from the Avesta who later appears in the 11th-century Persian epic the 'Shahnameh'.
TAIm & fChineseFrom Chinese
太 (tài) meaning "very, extreme" or other characters pronounced in a similar way.
TAICHImJapaneseFrom Japanese
太 (ta) meaning "thick, big" and
一 (ichi) meaning "one", in addition to other combinations of kanji which are pronounced the same way.
TAIKImJapaneseFrom Japanese
大 (tai) meaning "big, great" and
輝 (ki) meaning "brightness" or
樹 (ki) meaning "tree". Other kanji combinations are possible.
TAKAHIROmJapaneseFrom Japanese
貴 (taka) meaning "valuable" or
孝 (taka) meaning "filial piety" combined with
大 (hiro) meaning "big, great" or
浩 (hiro) meaning "prosperous". Other kanji combinations are possible.
TAKARAm & fJapaneseFrom Japanese
宝 (takara) meaning "treasure, jewel", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations with the same pronunciation.
TAKASHImJapaneseFrom Japanese
孝 (takashi) meaning "filial piety",
隆 (takashi) meaning "noble, prosperous" or
崇 (takashi) meaning "esteem, honour, venerate", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations which result in the same pronunciation.
TAKEHIKOmJapaneseFrom Japanese
武 (take) meaning "military, martial" or
竹 (take) meaning "bamboo" combined with
彦 (hiko) meaning "boy, prince". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
TAKUMAmJapaneseFrom Japanese
拓 (taku) meaning "expand, open, support" and
真 (ma) meaning "real, genuine". Other kanji combinations are possible.
TAKUMImJapaneseFrom Japanese
匠 (takumi) meaning "artisan" or
巧 (takumi) meaning "skillful". It can also come from
拓 (taku) meaning "expand, open, support" combined with
海 (mi) meaning "sea, ocean" or
実 (mi) meaning "fruit, good result, truth". This name can also be formed of other kanji combinations.
TAKUYAmJapaneseFrom Japanese
拓 (taku) meaning "expand, open, support" combined with
也 (ya) meaning "also" or
哉 (ya), an exclamation. This name can be formed with other kanji combinations as well.
TALBOTmEnglish (Rare)From a surname which was perhaps derived from a Germanic given name composed of the elements
tal "to destroy" and
bod "message".
TALFRYNmWelshFrom a Welsh place name meaning "high hill", derived from Welsh
tal "high" and
bryn "hill".
TALIBmArabicMeans "seeker of knowledge, student" in Arabic. Abu Talib was an uncle of
Muhammad who raised him after his parents and grandparents died. His name was in fact a kunya (a nickname) formed using
Abu; his real name may have been
Imran.
TALIESINmWelsh, Arthurian RomanceMeans "shining brow", derived from Welsh
tal "brow" and
iesin "shining". This was the name of a 6th-century Welsh poet and bard. In later Welsh legends he is portrayed as a wizard and prophet, or as a companion of King
Arthur.
TALONmEnglish (Modern)From the English meaning "talon, claw", ultimately derived (via Norman French) from Latin
talus "anklebone".
TAMMAROmItalianItalian form of the Germanic name
Thancmar, which was composed of the elements
thank "thought" and
mari "famous".
TANCREDmOld NormanNorman form of a Germanic name meaning "thought and counsel", derived from the elements
thank "thought" and
rad "counsel". This was the name of a leader of the First Crusade, described by Torquato Tasso in his epic poem 'Jerusalem Delivered' (1580).
TANEmMaori, Polynesian MythologyMeans "man" in Maori. In Maori and other Polynesian mythology Tane was the god of forests and light. He was the son of the sky god
Rangi and the earth goddess
Papa, who were locked in an embrace and finally separated by their son. He created the tui bird and, by some accounts, man.
TANGAROAmPolynesian MythologyMeaning unknown. In Polynesian mythology he was the god of the sea, the son of
Rangi and
Papa. He separated his parents' embrace, creating the earth and the sky.
TANNERmEnglishFrom an English surname meaning "one who tans hides".
TAOmChineseFrom Chinese
涛 (tāo) meaning "large waves", as well as other characters with a similar pronunciation.
TARANISmCeltic MythologyDerived from Celtic
taran meaning "thunder", cognate with
Þórr (see
THOR). This was the name of the Gaulish thunder god, who was often identified with the Roman god
Jupiter.
TARASmUkrainian, RussianUkrainian and Russian form of the Greek name
Ταρασιος (Tarasios), which possibly means "from Taras". Taras was an Italian city, now called Taranto, which was founded by Greek colonists in the 8th century BC and was named for the Greek mythological figure Taras, a son of
Poseidon. Saint Tarasios was an 8th-century bishop of Constantinople. It was also borne by the Ukrainian writer and artist Taras Shevchenko (1814-1861).
TARIKmTurkishTurkish form of
TARIQ. This name is spelled with a Turkish dotless
i, as
Tarık.
TARIQmArabicMeans "he who knocks at the door" in Arabic. This is the Arabic name of the morning star. Tariq ibn Ziyad was the Islamic general who conquered Spain for the Umayyad Caliphate in the 8th century.
TAROUmJapaneseFrom Japanese
太 (ta) meaning "thick, big" and
郎 (rou) meaning "son". Other kanji combinations are possible.
TARQUINmHistoryFrom the Roman name
Tarquinius which is of unknown meaning, possibly Etruscan in origin. This was the name of two early kings of Rome.
TASUNKAmNative American, SiouxFrom Lakota
tȟašuŋke meaning "his horse". This forms the first part of the name of Tasunka Witko (1840-1877), translated as Crazy Horse, a Lakota war leader.
TATANKAmNative American, SiouxFrom Lakota
tȟatȟáŋka meaning "bull". This is the first part of the name of the Lakota holy man and chief Tatanka Iyotake (1831-1890), translated into English as Sitting Bull.
TATEmEnglishFrom an English surname which was derived from the Old English given name
Tata, of unknown origin.
TATIUSmRoman Mythology, Ancient RomanRoman family name of unknown meaning, possibly of Sabine origin. According to Roman legend, Titus Tatius was an 8th-century BC king of the Sabines who came to jointly rule over the Romans and Sabines with the Roman king Romulus.
TATTONmEnglish (Rare)From a surname which was originally derived from a place name meaning "Tata's town" in Old English.
TAVISHmScottishAnglicized form of
Thàmhais, vocative case of
TÀMHAS. Alternatively it could be taken from the Scottish surname
MacTavish, Anglicized form of
Mac Tàmhais, meaning "son of Thomas".
TAWFIQmArabicMeans "good fortune", derived from Arabic
وفق (wafiqa) meaning "to be successful".
TAYLORm & fEnglishFrom an English surname which originally denoted someone who was a tailor, from Norman French
tailleur, ultimately from Latin
taliare "to cut". Its modern use as a feminine name may have been influenced by British author Taylor Caldwell (1900-1985).
TEAGANm & fEnglish (Modern)From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of
Ó Tadhgáin meaning "descendant of Tadhgán". The given name
Tadhgán is a diminutive of
TADHG.
TEDmEnglishShort form of
EDWARD or
THEODORE. A famous bearer was the American baseball player Ted Williams (1918-2002), who was born as Theodore.
TEGIDmWelshPossibly derived from Welsh
teg "fair", or possibly from the Roman name
TACITUS. This is the Welsh name of a lake in Wales, called Bala Lake in English. It also occurs in medieval Welsh legends as the husband of
Ceridwen.
TEIMURAZmGeorgianGeorgian form of
TAHMURAS. This was the name of several kings who ruled over kingdoms located in what is now modern Georgia.
TEKOAmBiblicalPossibly means either "stockade" or "horn, trumpet" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of a both a city and a son of Ashhur.
TÉLESPHOREmFrench (Rare)French form of the Greek name
Τελεσφορος (Telesphoros) which means "bringing fulfillment" or "bearing fruit". Saint Telesphorus was a 2nd-century pope and martyr.
TELMOmPortuguese, SpanishDerived from a misdivision of Spanish
Santelmo meaning "saint
ELMO". This name is given in honour of Pedro González Telmo, a 13th-century Spanish priest.
TEMANmBiblical, Biblical HebrewMeans "right hand" or "south" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of a grandson of Esau for whom the town of Teman in Edom was named.
TEMPLEm & fEnglish (Rare)From a surname which originally belonged to a person who was associated with the Knights Templar, a medieval religious military order.
TEMUJINmHistoryMeans "of iron" in Mongolian, derived ultimately from the Turkic word
temür "iron". This was the original name of the Mongolian leader better known by the title
Genghis Khan. Born in the 12th century, he managed to unite the tribes of Mongolia and then conquer huge areas of Asia and Eastern Europe.
TENNYSONmEnglish (Rare)From an English surname which meant "son of Tenney",
Tenney being a medieval form of
DENIS. A notable bearer of the surname was British poet Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809-1892).
TENSKWATAWAmNative American, ShawneeMeans "open door" in Shawnee. This was the name of a Shawnee prophet. With his brother
Tecumseh he led his people in resistance against European expansion in the early 19th century.
TENZINm & fTibetan, BhutaneseFrom Tibetan
བསྟན་འཛིན (bstan-'dzin) which means "upholder of teachings". This is one of the given names of the current Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso (1935-).
TEODORmSwedish, Norwegian, Danish, Romanian, Bulgarian, Slovak, Czech, Polish, Serbian, Croatian, Slovene, MacedonianForm of
THEODORE.
TERAHmBiblicalPossibly means "station" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament Terah is the father of
Abraham. He led his people out of Ur and towards Canaan, but died along the way.
TERCEROmSpanish (Rare)Means "third" in Spanish. This name was traditionally given to the third child born.
TERENCEmEnglishFrom the Roman family name
Terentius which is of unknown meaning. Famous bearers include Publius Terentius Afer, a Roman playwright, and Marcus Terentius Varro, a Roman scholar. It was also borne by several early saints. The name was used in Ireland as an Anglicized form of
TOIRDHEALBHACH, but it was not in use as an English name until the late 19th century.
TERRELLmEnglishFrom an English surname which was probably derived from the Norman French nickname
tirel "to pull", referring to a stubborn person. It may sometimes be given in honour of civil rights activist Mary Church Terrell (1863-1954).
TERRY (1)m & fEnglishFrom an English surname which was derived from the medieval name
Thierry, a Norman French form of
THEODORIC.
TERRY (2)m & fEnglishDiminutive of
TERENCE or
THERESA. A famous bearer was Terry Fox (1958-1981), a young man with an artificial leg who attempted to run across Canada to raise money for cancer research. He died of the disease before crossing the country.
TEXmEnglishFrom a nickname which denoted a person who came from the state of Texas. A famous bearer was the American animator Tex Avery (1908-1980), real name Frederick, who was born in Texas.
TEZCATLIPOCAmAztec and Toltec MythologyMeans "smoking mirror" in Nahuatl. In Aztec and other Mesoamerican mythology he was one of the chief gods, associated with the night sky, winds, war, and the north. Like his rival
Quetzalcoatl, he was a creator god.
THADDEUSmEnglish, Biblical, Biblical LatinFrom
Θαδδαιος (Thaddaios), the Greek form of the Aramaic name
Thaddai. It is possibly derived from a word meaning "heart", but it may in fact be an Aramaic form of a Greek name such as
Θεοδωρος (see
THEODORE). In the Gospel of Matthew, Thaddaeus is listed as one of the twelve apostles, though elsewhere in the New Testament his name is omitted and
Jude's appears instead. It is likely that the two names refer to the same person.
THALESmAncient GreekDerived from Greek
θαλλω (thallo) meaning "to blossom". This was the name of a 6th-century BC Greek philosopher and mathematician.
THANATOSmGreek MythologyMeans "death" in Greek. This was the name of the Greek god of death who resided with Hades in the underworld.
THANEmEnglish (Rare)From the Scottish and English noble title, which was originally from Old English
thegn.
THELONIUSmVariousLatinized form of
Tielo (see
TILO). A famous bearer was jazz musician Thelonious Monk (1917-1982).
THEOBALDmEnglish (Rare), Ancient GermanicDerived from the Germanic elements
theud "people" and
bald "bold". The Normans brought the name to England, where it joined an existing Old English cognate. The medieval forms
Tibald and
Tebald were commonly Latinized as
Theobaldus. It was rare by the 20th century.
THEODOREmEnglishFrom the Greek name
Θεοδωρος (Theodoros), which meant "gift of god" from Greek
θεος (theos) "god" and
δωρον (doron) "gift". The name
Dorothea is derived from the same roots in reverse order. This was the name of several saints, including Theodore of Amasea, a 4th-century Greek soldier; Theodore of Tarsus, a 7th-century archbishop of Canterbury; and Theodore the Studite, a 9th-century Byzantine monk. It was also borne by two popes.
... [more] THEODORICmHistoryFrom a Germanic name meaning "ruler of the people", derived from the elements
theud "people" and
ric "power, ruler". It was notably borne by Theodoric the Great, a 6th-century king of the Ostrogoths who eventually became the ruler of Italy. By Theodoric's time the Ostrogoths were partially Romanized and his name was regularly recorded as
Theodoricus. The Gothic original may have been
Þiudreiks.
THEODOSIUSmAncient Greek (Latinized)Latinized form of the Greek name
Θεοδοσιος (Theodosios) which meant "giving to god", derived from
θεος (theos) "god" and
δοσις (dosis) "giving". Saint Theodosius of Palestine was a monk who founded a monastery near Bethlehem in the 5th century. This also was the name of emperors of the Eastern Roman and Byzantine Empires.
THEOPHANESmAncient GreekMeans "manifestation of God" from Greek
θεος (theos) "god" and
φανης (phanes) "appearing". This name was borne by a few saints, including an 8th-century chronicler from Constantinople and a 19th-century Russian Orthodox saint, Theophanes the Recluse, who is
Феофан (Feofan) in Russian. Another famous bearer was a 14th-century Byzantine icon painter active in Moscow.
THESEUSmGreek MythologyPossibly derived from Greek
τιθημι (tithemi) meaning "to set, to place". Theseus was a heroic king of Athens in Greek mythology. He was the son of Aethra, either by Aegeus or by the god
Poseidon. According to legend, every seven years the Cretan king
Minos demanded that Athens supply Crete with seven boys and seven girls to be devoured by the Minotaur, a half-bull creature that was the son of Minos's wife Pasiphaë. Theseus volunteered to go in place of one of these youths in order to slay the Minotaur in the Labyrinth where it lived. He succeeded with the help of Minos's daughter
Ariadne, who provided him with a sword and a roll of string so he could find his way out of the maze.