Browse Names

Odysseus m Greek Mythology
Perhaps derived from Greek ὀδύσσομαι (odyssomai) meaning "to hate". In Greek legend Odysseus was one of the Greek heroes who fought in the Trojan War. In the Odyssey Homer relates Odysseus's misadventures on his way back to his kingdom and his wife Penelope.

Oedipus m Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Greek Οἰδίπους (Oidipous), meaning "swollen foot" from οἰδέω (oideo) meaning "to swell" and πούς (pous) meaning "foot". In Greek mythology Oedipus was the son of the Theban king Laius and his wife Jocasta. Laius received a prophesy that he would be killed by his son, so he left the newborn to die of exposure. Oedipus was however rescued and raised in the home of the Corinthian king Polybus. After he had grown and learned of the same prophesy, Oedipus left Corinth so that he would not be a danger to Polybus, whom he assumed was his father. On the road to Delphi he chanced upon his real father Laius and slew him in a petty disagreement, thus fulfilling the prophecy. He then correctly answered the Sphinx's riddle, winning the now vacant throne of Thebes and marrying the widowed Queen Jocasta, his own mother. Years later they learned the truth of their relationship, prompting Jocasta to commit suicide and Oedipus to blind himself.

Óengus m Old Irish, Irish Mythology
Old Irish form of Aonghus.

Oidipous m Greek Mythology
Greek form of Oedipus.

Oisín m Irish, Irish Mythology
Means "little deer", derived from Old Irish oss "deer, stag" combined with a diminutive suffix. In Irish legend Oisín was a warrior hero and a poet, the son of Fionn mac Cumhaill and the narrator in many of his tales.

Oissíne m Old Irish, Irish Mythology
Old Irish form of Oisín.

Okeanos m Greek Mythology
From the name of the river or body of water thought by the ancient Greeks to surround the Earth. In Greek mythology Okeanos was the Titan who personified this body of water.

Ōkuninushi m Japanese Mythology
Means "master of the great country", from Japanese 大 (ō) meaning "big, great", 国 (kuni) meaning "country, land" and 主 (nushi) meaning "master". In Japanese myth he was the divine ruler of the lands, until the gods of the heavens seized control and he retreated to the unseen world.

Ọlọrun m Yoruba Mythology
Means "ruler of heaven, owner of heaven" in Yoruba, derived from either olú "chief, ruler" or the prefix ọní "owner" combined with ọ̀run "heaven, sky". Ọlọrun is a manifestation of the supreme god in traditional Yoruba religion. In some modern contexts this name is used to refer to the Christian or Islamic god.

Onnophris m Egyptian Mythology (Hellenized)
Greek variant form of Onuphrius.

Onouphrios m Egyptian Mythology (Hellenized)
Greek form of Onuphrius.

Onuphrius m Egyptian Mythology (Latinized), Late Roman
Latinized form of Greek Ὀνούφριος (Onouphrios), derived from Egyptian wnn-nfr meaning "he who is good, he who is happy". This was an epithet of the god Osiris. It was later used by an Egyptian saint and hermit from the 4th or 5th century.

Orestes m Greek Mythology
Means "of the mountains", derived from Greek ὄρος (oros) meaning "mountain" and ἵστημι (histemi) meaning "to stand". In Greek myth he was the son of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra. He killed his mother and her lover Aegisthus after they killed his father.

Orion m Greek Mythology
Meaning uncertain, but possibly related to Greek ὅριον (horion) meaning "boundary, limit". Alternatively it may be derived from Akkadian Uru-anna meaning "light of the heavens". This is the name of a constellation, which gets its name from a legendary Greek hunter who was killed by a scorpion sent by the earth goddess Gaia.

Oriṣanla m Yoruba Mythology
From Yoruba òrìṣà "deity, spirit" and ńlá "great". This is another name for the god Ọbatala.

Ormazd m Persian Mythology
Modern Persian form of Ahura Mazda.

Orpheus m Greek Mythology
Perhaps related to Greek ὄρφνη (orphne) meaning "the darkness of night". In Greek mythology Orpheus was a poet and musician who went to the underworld to retrieve his dead wife Eurydice. He succeeded in charming Hades with his lyre, and he was allowed to lead his wife out of the underworld on the condition that he not look back at her until they reached the surface. Unfortunately, just before they arrived his love for her overcame his will and he glanced back at her, causing her to be drawn back to Hades.

Ǫrvar m Norse Mythology
Old Norse form of Orvar.

Orvar m Swedish (Rare), Norse Mythology
Means "arrow" in Old Norse. Orvar Odd is a legendary Norse hero who is the subject of a 13th-century Icelandic saga.

Oscar m English, Irish, Portuguese (Brazilian), Italian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, French, Irish Mythology
Possibly means "deer friend", derived from Old Irish oss "deer" and carae "friend". Alternatively, it may derive from the Old English name Osgar or its Old Norse cognate Ásgeirr, which may have been brought to Ireland by Viking invaders and settlers. In Irish legend Oscar was the son of the poet Oisín and the grandson of the hero Fionn mac Cumhaill.... [more]

Osiris m Egyptian Mythology (Hellenized)
Greek form of the Egyptian wsjr (reconstructed as Asar, Usir and other forms), which is of unknown meaning, possibly related to wsr "mighty" or jrt "eye". In Egyptian mythology Osiris was the god of fertility, agriculture, and the dead and served as the judge of the underworld. In one tale he was slain by his brother Seth, but restored to life by his wife Isis in order to conceive their son Horus, who would go on to avenge his father.

Óðinn m Norse Mythology, Icelandic
Old Norse and Icelandic form of Odin.

Óttarr m Old Norse, Norse Mythology
From Old Norse ótti "terror, fear" and herr "army, warrior". In the Old Norse poem Hyndluljóð in the Poetic Edda, the goddess Freya helps Óttar learn about his ancestry.

Ouranos m Greek Mythology
Greek form of Uranus.

Oxalá m Afro-American Mythology
Portuguese form of Oriṣanla, used in Brazil by adherents of Candomblé to refer to Ọbatala. It also coincides with the Portuguese word oxalá meaning "God willing, hopefully", which originates from the Arabic phrase و شاء الله (wa shaa Allah).

Padma f & m Hinduism, Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu
Means "lotus" in Sanskrit. This is a transcription of both the feminine form पद्मा and the masculine form पद्म.... [more]

Pallas 2 m Greek Mythology
Possibly derived from Greek πάλλω (pallo) meaning "to brandish". In Greek mythology this was the name of a Titan and several other characters. It was also the name of a female character, though her name is probably from a different source (see Pallas 1).

Pan m Greek Mythology
Possibly from the Indo-European root *peh- meaning "shepherd, protect". In Greek mythology Pan was a half-man, half-goat god associated with shepherds, flocks and pastures.

Pangu m Chinese Mythology
From Chinese 盘 (pán) meaning "tray, pan" and 古 (gǔ) meaning "old, ancient". In Chinese mythology this is the name of the first living being.

Pankaja m Hinduism
Means "born of mud", referring to the lotus flower, derived from Sanskrit पङ्क (panka) meaning "mud" and ज (ja) meaning "born". This is another name of the Hindu god Brahma.

Paris 1 m Greek Mythology
Meaning unknown, possibly of Luwian or Hittite origin. In Greek mythology he was the Trojan prince who kidnapped Helen and began the Trojan War. Though presented as a somewhat of a coward in the Iliad, he did manage to slay the great hero Achilles. He was himself eventually slain in battle by Philoctetes.

Partha m Hinduism, Bengali, Assamese
Means "son of Pritha" in Sanskrit. In Hindu belief this is another name for the Pandavas, who were sons of Pritha (another name of Kunti) and Pandu.

Parthalán m Irish Mythology
Modern Irish form of Partholón.

Partholón m Irish Mythology
Probably from the Biblical Latin name Bartholomeus (see Bartholomew). According to the 11th-century Irish history the Book of Invasions, he was the leader of the first group of settlers to arrive on Ireland after the biblical flood, though they soon all died of disease. Earlier, he briefly appears in the form Partholomus in the 9th-century History of the Britons, written in Latin.

Patroclus m Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of the Greek Πάτροκλος (Patroklos) meaning "glory of the father", derived from πατήρ (pater) meaning "father" (genitive πατρός) and κλέος (kleos) meaning "glory". In Greek legend he was one of the heroes who fought against the Trojans. His death at the hands of Hector drew his friend Achilles back into the war.

Patroklos m Greek Mythology
Greek form of Patroclus.

Pavana m Hinduism
Means "purification, wind, air" in Sanskrit. This is another name of the Hindu god Vayu.

Pegasus m Greek Mythology (Latinized)
From the Greek Πήγασος (Pegasos), possibly either from πηγός (pegos) meaning "strong" or πηγαῖος (pegaios) meaning "from a water spring". In Greek mythology Pegasus was the winged horse that sprang from the blood of Medusa after she was killed by Perseus. There is a constellation in the northern sky named after the horse.

Pekko m Finnish Mythology
Meaning unknown. This is the name of the Finnish god of fields and crops.

Peleus m Greek Mythology
Probably derived from Greek πηλός (pelos) meaning "clay". In Greek mythology Peleus was a king of Phthia. With his wife the sea nymph Thetis he was the father of the hero Achilles.

Pelias m Greek Mythology
Perhaps derived from Greek πέλεια (peleia) meaning "rock pigeon". In Greek mythology, Pelias was the king of Iolcus who sent Jason on the quest for the Golden Fleece.

Peredur m Welsh Mythology, Arthurian Romance
Meaning uncertain. It possibly means "hard spears" from Welsh peri "spears" and dur "hard, steel". In early Welsh poetry and histories, the brothers Peredur and Gwrgi were chieftains in Cumbria who defeated Gwenddoleu at the Battle of Arfderydd. This name was later used by the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth in the Latin form Peredurus for an early (fictitious) king of Britain. Entering into Arthurian romance, Peredur is an aspiring knight in the 14th-century Welsh tale Peredur son of Efrawg (an adaptation or parallel of Chrétien de Troyes' hero Percival).

Perseus m Greek Mythology
Possibly derived from Greek πέρθω (pertho) meaning "to destroy". In Greek mythology Perseus was a hero who was said to have founded the ancient city of Mycenae. He was the son of Zeus and Danaë. Mother and child were exiled by Danaë's father Acrisius, and Perseus was raised on the island of Seriphos. The king of the island compelled Perseus to kill the Gorgon Medusa, who was so ugly that anyone who gazed upon her was turned to stone. After obtaining winged sandals and other tools from the gods, he succeeded in his task by looking at Medusa in the reflection of his shield and slaying her in her sleep. On his return he defeated a sea monster in order to save Andromeda, who became his wife.

Perun m Slavic Mythology
From Old Slavic perunŭ meaning "thunder". In Slavic mythology Perun was the god of lightning and the sky, sometimes considered to be the supreme god. Oak trees were sacred to him.

Phanuel m Biblical, Judeo-Christian-Islamic Legend
Form of Penuel used in the New Testament, where it is borne by the father of Anna the prophetess. It also appears in the apocryphal Book of Enoch belonging to an angel.

Philander m English (Archaic), Greek Mythology (Latinized)
From the Greek name Φίλανδρος (Philandros) meaning "friend of man" from Greek φίλος (philos) meaning "friend" and ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man" (genitive ἀνδρός). It was the name of a son of Apollo with the nymph Acalle. In the 18th century this was coined as a word meaning "to womanize", and the name subsequently dropped out of use.

Philandros m Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek form of Philander.

Philoctetes m Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Derived from φίλος (philos) meaning "friend, lover" and‎ κτάομαι (ktaomai) meaning "to acquire". In Greek legend this was the name of a hero who was stranded on the island of Lemnos on his way to the Trojan War.

Philoktetes m Greek Mythology
Greek form of Philoctetes.

Phineus m Greek Mythology
Meaning uncertain, possibly from Greek φίνις (phinis), a variant of φήνη (phene) meaning "vulture". According to Greek mythology this was the name of a king of Thrace visited by Jason and the Argonauts.

Phobos m Greek Mythology
Means "fear, panic" in Greek. This was one of the sons of Ares in Greek mythology. Also, one of the moons of Mars bears this name.

Phoebus m Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of the Greek name Φοῖβος (Phoibos), which meant "bright, pure". This was an epithet of the Greek god Apollo.

Phoibos m Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek
Greek form of Phoebus.

Phrixos m Greek Mythology
Greek form of Phrixus.

Phrixus m Greek Mythology (Latinized)
From the Greek Φρίξος (Phrixos) meaning "thrilling, causing shivers", derived from φρίξ (phrix) meaning "ripple, shiver". In Greek myth Phrixus was the son of Athamus and Nephele. He was to be sacrificed to Zeus, but he escaped with his sister Helle on the back of the ram with the Golden Fleece.

Pitambara m Hinduism
Derived from Sanskrit पीत (pita) meaning "yellow" and अम्बर (ambara) meaning "garment". This is another name of the Hindu gods Vishnu or Krishna, given to them because yellow clothing is traditionally worn at religious events.

Plouton m Greek Mythology
Greek form of Pluto.

Pluto m Greek Mythology (Latinized), Roman Mythology
Latinized form of Greek Πλούτων (Plouton), derived from πλοῦτος (ploutos) meaning "wealth". This was an alternate name of Hades, the god of the underworld. This is also the name of a dwarf planet (formerly designated the ninth planet) in the solar system.

Pollux m Roman Mythology
Roman form of Greek Πολυδεύκης (Polydeukes) meaning "very sweet", from Greek πολύς (polys) meaning "much" and δευκής (deukes) meaning "sweet". In mythology he was the twin brother of Castor and a son of Zeus. The constellation Gemini, which represents the two brothers, contains a star by this name.

Polydeukes m Greek Mythology
Greek form of Pollux.

Polyphemos m Greek Mythology
Means "abounding in fame", derived from Greek πολύς (polys) meaning "much" and φήμη (pheme) meaning "rumour, fame, reputation". In Greek mythology this was the name of the cyclops who captured Odysseus and his crew, as told in the Odyssey. He ate several of the crew before Odysseus blinded him and orchestrated an escape.

Polyphemus m Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Polyphemos.

Pontos m Greek Mythology
Greek form of Pontus 2.

Pontus 2 m Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Greek Πόντος (Pontos) meaning "sea". This was the name of a Greek god of the sea. He was the son of Gaia.

Poseidon m Greek Mythology
Possibly derived from Greek πόσις (posis) meaning "husband, lord" and δᾶ (da) meaning "earth". The name first appears in Mycenaean Greek inscriptions as po-se-da-o. In Greek mythology Poseidon was the unruly god of the sea and earthquakes, the brother of Zeus. He was often depicted carrying a trident and riding in a chariot drawn by white horses.

Prabhakara m Hinduism
Means "light maker", derived from Sanskrit प्रभा (prabha) meaning "light" and कर (kara) meaning "maker". This is a name given to the sun in Hindu texts. It was also borne by a medieval Hindu scholar.

Prabhu m Hinduism, Tamil, Kannada
Means "mighty, powerful, master" in Sanskrit. This is an epithet of both the Hindu gods Surya and Agni.

Prahlada m Hinduism
Means "joy, pleasure, delight" in Sanskrit. In the Hindu text the Bhagavata Purana this is a prince saved by Narasimha, an avatar of Vishnu.

Pramoda m Hinduism
Means "joy" in Sanskrit. This is the name of an attendant of the Hindu god Skanda.

Priam m Greek Mythology (Anglicized)
From the Greek Πρίαμος (Priamos), possibly meaning "redeemed". In Greek legend Priam was the king of Troy during the Trojan War and the father of many children including Hector and Paris.

Priamos m Greek Mythology
Greek form of Priam.

Priapos m Greek Mythology
Greek form of Priapus.

Priapus m Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Meaning unknown. This was the name of a Greek god of fertility, gardens, and the phallus.

Prometheus m Greek Mythology
Derived from Greek προμήθεια (prometheia) meaning "foresight, forethought". In Greek myth he was the Titan who gave the knowledge of fire to mankind. For doing this he was punished by Zeus, who had him chained to a rock and caused an eagle to feast daily on his liver, which regenerated itself each night. Herakles eventually freed him.

Proteus m Greek Mythology
Derived from Greek πρῶτος (protos) meaning "first". In Greek mythology this was the name of a prophetic god of the sea. Shakespeare later utilized it for a character in his play The Two Gentlemen of Verona (1594).

Pryderi m Welsh, Welsh Mythology
From Welsh pryder meaning "care, worry" (or perhaps from a derivative word *pryderi meaning "loss"). Appearing in Welsh legend in all four branches of the Mabinogi, Pryderi was the son of Pwyll and Rhiannon, eventually succeeding his father as the king of Dyfed. He was one of only seven warriors to return from Brân's tragic invasion of Ireland, and later had several adventures with Manawydan. He was ultimately killed in single combat with Gwydion during the war between Dyfed and Gwynedd.

Ptah m Egyptian Mythology
From Egyptian ptḥ meaning "opener, creator". Ptah was an Egyptian god associated with creation and the arts.

Puck m & f Anglo-Saxon Mythology, Dutch
Meaning unknown, from Old English puca. It could ultimately be of either Germanic or Celtic origin. In English legend this was the name of a mischievous spirit, also known as Robin Goodfellow. He appears in Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream (1595). It is used in the Netherlands as mainly a feminine name.

Pumay m Semitic Mythology
Meaning unknown. This was the name of a relatively obscure Phoenician deity, possibly of Cypriot origin.

Purushottama m Hinduism
Means "the best man" from Sanskrit पुरुष (purusha) meaning "man" and उत्तम (uttama) meaning "highest". This is another name of either of the Hindu gods Vishnu or Krishna.

Pwyll m Welsh Mythology
Means "wisdom, reason" in Welsh. In the First Branch of the Mabinogi, Pwyll is a king of Dyfed who pursues and finally marries Rhiannon. Their son was Pryderi.

Pygmalion m Phoenician (Hellenized), Greek Mythology
Probably a Greek form of the Phoenician name 𐤐𐤌𐤉𐤉𐤕𐤍 (Pumayyaton) meaning "Pumay has given", from the name of the god Pumay combined with 𐤉𐤕𐤍 (yaton) meaning "to give". This was the name of a 9th-century BC Phoenician king of Tyre. The name is also known from a Greek legend related by Ovid in his poem Metamorphoses, where Pygmalion is a Cypriot sculptor who falls in love with his sculpture of a woman. The sculpture is eventually brought to life by the goddess Aphrodite.

Pyrrhos m Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek
Greek form of Pyrrhus.

Pyrrhus m Greek Mythology (Latinized), Ancient Greek (Latinized)
From the Greek name Πύρρος (Pyrrhos) meaning "flame-coloured, red", related to πῦρ (pyr) meaning "fire". This was another name of Neoptolemus the son of Achilles. This was also the name of a 3rd-century BC king of Epirus who was famed for his victorious yet costly battles against Rome.

Pythios m Greek Mythology
From the Greek place name Πυθώ (Pytho), an older name of the city of Delphi, which was probably derived from Greek πύθω (pytho) meaning "to rot". This was an epithet of Apollo.

Qaftzi'el m Judeo-Christian-Islamic Legend
Hebrew form of Cassiel.

Qinglong m Chinese Mythology
From Chinese 青 (qīng) meaning "blue, green" and 龙 (lóng) meaning "dragon". This is the Chinese name of the Azure Dragon, associated with the east and the spring season.

Quaoar m New World Mythology
English rendering of a Takic name (alternatively Kwawar or Kwauwar), of unknown meaning. In the mythology of the Mission Indians of southern California, Quaoar was a creator god also known as Chinigchinix. A dwarf planet in the outer solar system was named for him in 2002.

Quetzalcoatl m Aztec and Toltec Mythology
Means "feathered snake" in Nahuatl, derived from quetzalli "quetzal feather, precious thing" and cōātl "snake". In Aztec and other Mesoamerican mythology he was the god of the sky, wind, and knowledge, also associated with the morning star. According to one legend he created the humans of this age using the bones of humans from the previous age and adding his own blood.

Quirinus m Roman Mythology, Late Roman
Possibly derived from the Sabine word quiris meaning "spear". Quirinus was a Sabine and Roman god, sometimes identified with Romulus. He declined in importance after the early Republican era. The name was also borne by several early saints.

Q'uq'umatz m Mayan Mythology
Means "feathered serpent", from K'iche' Maya q'uq' "quetzal, quetzal feather" and kumatz "serpent, snake". This was the K'iche' equivalent of the Yucatec Maya god K'uk'ulkan, though the final element is derived from a different root.

Ra m Egyptian Mythology
From Egyptian rꜥ meaning "sun" or "day". Ra was an important Egyptian sun god originally worshipped in Heliopolis in Lower Egypt. He was usually depicted as a man with the head of a falcon crowned with a solar disc. In later times his attributes were often merged with those of other deities, such as Amon, Atum and Horus.

Raghu m Hinduism, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam
Means "swift" in Sanskrit. This is the name of a heroic king in Hindu epics, the great-grandfather of Rama.

Raguel m Biblical, Judeo-Christian-Islamic Legend
From Latin Raguhel, a scriptural variant of Reuel. This appears in some versions of the Old Testament at Exodus 2:18 as another name of Jethro, while other translations use Reuel. There is an archangel by this name mentioned in the apocryphal Book of Enoch.

Rahu m Hinduism
Possibly means "seizer", from the root रभ् (rabh) meaning "to take hold, to clasp". In Hindu astrology this is the name of the ascending node of the moon, personified as an asura (demon god) responsible for eclipses.

Rahula m Sanskrit, Buddhism
Meaning uncertain, possibly derived from the name of the asura Rahu. This was the name of the son of Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha).

Raiden m Japanese Mythology
From Japanese 雷 (rai) meaning "thunder" and 電 (den) meaning "lightning". This is a regional epithet of the Japanese god Raijin.

Raijin m Japanese Mythology
From Japanese 雷 (rai) meaning "thunder" and 神 (jin) meaning "god, spirit". This is the name of the god (or gods) of thunder and storms in the mythology of Japan.

Ram 3 m Persian Mythology
Persian form of Raman 2.

Rama 1 m Hinduism, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam
Means "pleasing, beautiful" in Sanskrit. In Hindu belief this is the name of an incarnation of the god Vishnu. He is the hero of the Ramayana, a Hindu epic, which tells of the abduction of his wife Sita by the demon king Ravana, and his efforts to recapture her.... [more]

Ramachandra m Hinduism, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil
Derived from the name of the Hindu deity Rama 1 combined with Sanskrit चन्द्र (chandra) meaning "moon". This is another name of Rama.

Ramakanta m Hinduism, Odia
Means "desired of Rama", from Rama 2 (a name of Lakshmi) combined with Sanskrit कान्त (kanta) meaning "desired, beloved". This name refers to Lakshmi's husband Vishnu.

Raman 2 m Persian Mythology
Means "peace" in Avestan. In Zoroastrianism, this is the name of a Yazata (a holy being) who presides over joy.

Ramana m Hinduism, Telugu, Tamil
Derived from Sanskrit रमण (ramana) meaning "pleasing, delightful". This is an epithet of the solar god Aruna.

Ramesha m Hinduism
Means "husband of Lakshmi", derived from Rama 2, a name of Lakshmi, combined with ईश (isha) meaning "ruler, husband". This is one of the names of the Hindu god Vishnu.

Rameshvara m Hinduism
Means "lord of Rama", derived from the name of the Hindu god Rama 1 combined with Sanskrit ईश्वर (ishvara) meaning "lord, god". This is another name for the Hindu god Shiva.

Ramiel m Judeo-Christian-Islamic Legend
Possibly from Hebrew רָעמִיאֵל (Rami'el) meaning "thunder of God". The Book of Enoch names him as an archangel. He is often identified with Jeremiel.

Rangi m Maori, Polynesian Mythology
Means "sky" in Maori. In Maori and other Polynesian mythology Rangi or Ranginui was a god of the sky, husband of the earth goddess Papa. They were locked in a crushing embrace but were eventually separated by their children, the other gods.

Rashn m Persian Mythology
Modern Persian form of Avestan 𐬭𐬀𐬱𐬥𐬎 (Rashnu) meaning "just, straight". In Zoroastrianism this was the name of a Yazata who judged the souls of the dead.

Rashnu m Persian Mythology
Avestan form of Rashn.

Ravi m Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Odia, Gujarati, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Nepali
Means "sun" in Sanskrit. Ravi is a Hindu god of the sun, sometimes equated with Surya. A famous bearer was the musician Ravi Shankar (1920-2012).

Ravindra m Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Kannada
Means "lord of the sun" from Sanskrit रवि (ravi) meaning "sun" combined with the name of the Hindu god Indra, used here to mean "lord". This is another name for the Hindu god Surya.

Raziel m Judeo-Christian-Islamic Legend
Means "my secret is God" in Hebrew. This is the name of an archangel in Jewish tradition.

Re m Egyptian Mythology
Variant spelling of Ra.

Remus m Roman Mythology, Romanian
Meaning uncertain, possibly from Old Latin *yemos meaning "twin" with the initial consonant altered due to the influence of Romulus. In Roman legend the twin brothers Romulus and Remus were the founders of the city of Rome. Remus was later slain by his brother.

Romulus m Roman Mythology, Romanian
From Roma, the Latin name of the city of Rome, combined with a diminutive suffix. In Roman legend Romulus and Remus were the twin sons of Rhea Silvia and the god Mars. Romulus killed his brother when they argued about where to found Rome. According to the tale he gave the city its name, though in reality it was likely the other way around.

Rostam m Persian, Persian Mythology
Meaning unknown, possibly from Iranian roots *rautas "river" and *taxma "strong". Rostam was a warrior hero in Persian legend. The 10th-century Persian poet Ferdowsi recorded his tale in the Shahnameh.

Saam m Persian, Persian Mythology
Alternate transcription of Persian سام (see Sam 2).

Sam 2 m Persian, Persian Mythology
Means "fire" in Persian (from an earlier Iranian root meaning "black"). This is the name of a hero in the 10th-century Persian epic the Shahnameh.

Samael m Judeo-Christian-Islamic Legend
Means "venom of God" in Hebrew. This is the name of an archangel in Jewish tradition, described as a destructive angel of death.

Sampo m Finnish, Finnish Mythology
Meaning unknown. In Finnish mythology this is the name of a magical artifact (perhaps a mill) created by the smith god Ilmarinen.

Sanjaya m Hinduism
Means "completely victorious, triumphant" in Sanskrit. This is the name of a royal official in the Hindu epic the Mahabharata.

Sarpedon m Greek Mythology
Meaning unknown. In Greek legend Sarpedon was the son of Zeus and Laodamia, and the king of the Lycians. He was one of the chief warriors who fought against the Greeks in defence of Troy, but he was killed by Patroclus. Another Sarpedon was the son of Zeus and Europa.

Satisha m Hinduism
Means "lord of Sati" from the name of the Hindu goddess Sati combined with ईश (isha) meaning "ruler". This is another name for the Hindu god Shiva.

Saturn m Roman Mythology (Anglicized)
From the Latin Saturnus, which is of unknown meaning. In Roman mythology he was the father of Jupiter, Juno and others, and was also the god of agriculture. This is also the name of the ringed sixth planet in the solar system.

Saturnus m Roman Mythology
Latin form of Saturn.

Savitr m Hinduism
Means "rouser, stimulator" in Sanskrit. This is the name of a Hindu sun god, sometimes identified with Surya.

Ségdae m Old Irish, Irish Mythology
Old Irish form of Séaghdha.

Seilenos m Greek Mythology
Greek form of Silenus.

Seppo 1 m Finnish, Finnish Mythology
Derived from Finnish seppä meaning "smith". Seppo Ilmarinen ("the smith Ilmarinen") is the name of a master craftsman in the Finnish epic the Kalevala.

Serapis m Egyptian Mythology (Hellenized)
From a compound of Asar, the Egyptian form of Osiris, and Apis, the sacred bull of the Egyptians. This was the name of a syncretic Greco-Egyptian god, apparently promoted by Ptolemy I Soter in the 3rd-century BC in an attempt to unite the native Egyptians and the Greeks in the Ptolemaic Kingdom.

Set m Egyptian Mythology (Hellenized)
Variant of Seth 2.

Seth 2 m Egyptian Mythology (Hellenized)
From Σήθ (Seth), the Greek form of Egyptian swtẖ or stẖ (reconstructed as Sutekh), which is of unknown meaning. Seth was the Egyptian god of chaos and the desert, the slayer of Osiris. Osiris's son Horus eventually defeats Seth and has him banished to the desert.

Shahrivar m Persian Mythology
Persian form of Avestan 𐬑𐬱𐬀𐬚𐬭𐬀⸱𐬬𐬀𐬌𐬭𐬌𐬌𐬀 (Xshathra Vairiia) meaning "desirable power". In Zoroastrianism this was the name of a god (one of the Amesha Spenta) associated with the creation of metals. The sixth month of the Iranian calendar is named for him.

Shalim m Semitic Mythology
From the Semitic root shalam meaning "peace". This was the name of an Ugaritic god associated with the evening.

Shamash m Semitic Mythology
Means "sun" in Akkadian. This was the Akkadian, Assyrian and Babylonian name of Utu.

Shani 2 m Hinduism
From the Sanskrit name of the planet Saturn. This is the name of a celestial Hindu god.

Shankara m Hinduism
Derived from the Sanskrit elements शम् (sham) meaning "auspicious, lucky" and कर (kara) meaning "maker". This is another name of the Hindu god Shiva. This was also the name of a 9th-century Indian religious philosopher also known as Shankaracharya.

Shantanu m Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali
Means "wholesome" in Sanskrit. In the Hindu epic the Mahabharata this is the name of a king of Hastinapura.

Shiva 1 m Hinduism, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Nepali
Derived from Sanskrit शिव (shiva) meaning "benign, kind, auspicious". Shiva is the Hindu god of destruction and restoration, the husband of the mother goddess Parvati. His aspect is usually terrifying, but it can also be gentle.

Shripati m Hinduism
Means "husband of Shri" from the name of the Hindu goddess Shri combined with Sanskrit पति (pati) meaning "husband, lord". This is another name of the Hindu god Vishnu.

Shulmanu m Semitic Mythology
Possibly cognate with the Western Semitic god Shalim. Shulmanu was an Eastern Semitic (Mesopotamian) god associated with battle.

Shyama m & f Hinduism, Hindi
Derived from Sanskrit श्याम (shyama) meaning "dark, black, blue". This is a transcription of the masculine form श्याम, which is another name of the Hindu god Krishna, as well as the feminine form श्यामा, one of the many names of the wife of the god Shiva. It is also the name of a Jain goddess.

Siavash m Persian, Persian Mythology
Persian form of Avestan 𐬯𐬌𐬌𐬁𐬎𐬎𐬀𐬭𐬱𐬀𐬥 (Siiāuuarshan) meaning "possessing black stallions". This was the name of a virtuous prince in Iranian mythology. He appears briefly in the Avesta, with a longer account recorded in the 10th-century Persian epic the Shahnameh.

Siddhartha m Sanskrit, Buddhism, Bengali
Means "one who has accomplished a goal", derived from Sanskrit सिद्ध (siddha) meaning "accomplished" and अर्थ (artha) meaning "goal". Siddhartha Gautama was the real name of the Buddha.

Siegfried m German, Germanic Mythology
Derived from the Old German elements sigu "victory" and fridu "peace". Siegfried was a hero from German legend, the chief character in the Nibelungenlied. He secretly helped the Burgundian king Gunther overcome the challenges set out by the Icelandic queen Brunhild so that Gunther might win her hand. In exchange, Gunther consented to the marriage of Siegfried and his sister Kriemhild. Years later, after a dispute between Brunhild and Kriemhild, Siegfried was murdered by Hagen with Gunther's consent. He was stabbed in his one vulnerable spot on the small of his back, which had been covered by a leaf while he bathed in dragon's blood. He is a parallel to the Norse hero Sigurd. The story was later adapted by Richard Wagner to form part of his opera The Ring of the Nibelung (1876).

Sigmund m German, Norwegian, English, Norse Mythology
Derived from the Old German elements sigu "victory" and munt "protection" (or in the case of the Scandinavian cognate, from Old Norse sigr and mundr). An early variant of this name was Sigismund, borne by a 6th-century saint and king of the Burgundians. In the Norse Völsungasaga Sigmund is the hero Sigurd's father, the bearer of the powerful sword Gram. A notable bearer was the Austrian psychologist Sigmund Freud (1856-1939), the creator of the revolutionary theory of psychoanalysis.

Sigmundr m Old Norse, Norse Mythology
Old Norse form of Sigmund.

Sigurd m Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Norse Mythology
From the Old Norse name Sigurðr, which was derived from the elements sigr "victory" and vǫrðr "guard, guardian". Sigurd was the hero of the Norse epic the Völsungasaga, which tells how his foster-father Regin sent him to recover a hoard of gold guarded by the dragon Fafnir. After slaying the dragon Sigurd tasted some of its blood, enabling him to understand the language of birds, who told him that Regin was planning to betray him. In a later adventure, Sigurd disguised himself as Gunnar (his wife Gudrun's brother) and rescued the maiden Brynhildr from a ring of fire, with the result that Gunnar and Brynhildr were married. When the truth eventually came out, Brynhildr took revenge upon Sigurd. The stories of the German hero Siegfried were in part based on him.

Sigurðr m Old Norse, Norse Mythology
Old Norse form of Sigurd.

Silenus m Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Greek Σειληνός (Seilenos), of unknown meaning. In Greek mythology he was a companion and teacher of Dionysos, often depicted as an intoxicated, portly old man.

Silvanus m Roman Mythology, Ancient Roman, Biblical, Biblical Latin
Roman cognomen meaning "of the woods", derived from Latin silva meaning "wood, forest". Silvanus was the Roman god of forests. This name appears in the New Testament belonging to one of Saint Paul's companions, also called Silas.

Silvius m Late Roman, Roman Mythology
Derived from Latin silva meaning "wood, forest". This was the family name of several of the legendary kings of Alba Longa. It was also the name of an early saint martyred in Alexandria.

Simon 2 m Ancient Greek, Greek Mythology
Derived from Greek σιμός (simos) meaning "flat-nosed". In Greek mythology this was the name of one of the Telchines, demigods who were the original inhabitants of Rhodes.

Sin m Semitic Mythology
From earlier Akkadian Su'en, of unknown meaning. This was the name of the Akkadian, Assyrian and Babylonian god of the moon. He was closely identified with the Sumerian god Nanna.

Sindri m Norse Mythology, Old Norse, Icelandic
Means "sparkle" in Old Norse. In Norse mythology this was the name of a dwarf, also named Eitri. With his brother Brokkr he made several magical items for the gods, including Odin's ring Draupnir and Thor's hammer Mjölnir.

Skanda m Hinduism
Means "hopping, spurting, spilling" in Sanskrit. In Hindu belief this is the name of the god of war, also known as Kartikeya or Murugan. He is worshipped especially by the Tamils in southern India.

Sláine f & m Old Irish, Irish Mythology
From Old Irish slán meaning "health, safety". This was the name of a legendary high king of Ireland, one of the Fir Bolg. It was also the name of a daughter of the 11th-century high king Brian Boru.

Sobek m Egyptian Mythology
From Egyptian sbk, possibly derived from sbq "to impregnate". In Egyptian mythology Sobek was a ferocious crocodile-headed god associated with fertility and the Nile River.

Sohrab m Persian, Persian Mythology
From Persian سهر (sohr) meaning "red" and آب (ab) meaning "water". In the 10th-century Persian epic the Shahnameh this is the name of the son of the hero Rostam. He was tragically slain in battle by his father, who was unaware he was fighting his own son.

Soroush m Persian Mythology, Persian
Modern Persian form of Avestan 𐬯𐬭𐬀𐬊𐬱𐬀 (Sraosha) meaning "obedience". In Zoroastrianism this was the name of a Yazata (a holy being), later equated with the angel Gabriel.

Sosruko m Caucasian Mythology
Derived from Turkic suslä meaning "menacing". This is the name of a trickster god in Caucasian mythology. He is the hero of the Nart sagas.

Sraosha m Persian Mythology
Avestan form of Soroush.

Srosh m Persian Mythology
Middle Persian form of Soroush.

Stribog m Slavic Mythology
Possibly from Old Slavic sterti "to extend, to spread" and bogŭ "god". Alternatively it could come from strybati "to flow, to move quickly". Stribog was a Slavic god who was possibly associated with the wind.

Subrahmanya m Hinduism, Telugu
From the Sanskrit prefix सु (su) meaning "good" and ब्रह्मन् (brahman) meaning "transcendent reality, eternal truth". This is another name for the Hindu god Skanda.

Su'en m Semitic Mythology
Variant of Sin.

Suibhne m Irish Mythology
From Old Irish Suibne, possibly derived from subae meaning "joy, pleasure". This was the name of several figures from early Irish history, including a 7th-century high king and an 8th-century saint. It also appears in the Irish legend Buile Suibhne (meaning "The Madness of Suibhne") about a king who goes insane after being cursed by Saint Rónán Finn.

Suibne m Irish Mythology, Old Irish
Old Irish form of Suibhne.

Suijin m Japanese Mythology
From Japanese 水 (sui) meaning "water" and 神 (jin) meaning "god, spirit". This is the name of the god (or gods) of water, lakes and pools in Japanese mythology.

Summanus m Roman Mythology
Means "before the morning", derived from Latin sub "under, before" and mane "morning". Summanus was the Roman god of the night sky and night lightning, a nocturnal counterpart to Jupiter.

Sundara m Hinduism
Derived from Sanskrit सुन्दर (sundara) meaning "beautiful". This is the name of several minor characters in Hindu texts, and is also another name of the Hindu god Krishna.

Surendra m Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Nepali
Means "lord of gods" from Sanskrit सुर (sura) meaning "god" combined with the name of the Hindu god Indra, used here to mean "lord". This is another name for Indra.

Suresha m Hinduism
Means "ruler of the gods" from Sanskrit सुर (sura) meaning "god" and ईश (isha) meaning "ruler, lord". This is another name of the Hindu gods Indra, Shiva or Vishnu.

Surya m Hinduism, Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi, Marathi, Nepali, Indonesian
Means "sun" in Sanskrit. This is the name of the Hindu god of the sun.

Susanoo m Japanese Mythology
Of Japanese origin, possibly meaning "wild male, impetuous male". In Japanese mythology he was the god of storms and the sea, as well as the brother and adversary of the goddess Amaterasu. He was born when Izanagi washed his nose after returning from the underworld. After he was banished from the heavens, he descended to earth and slew an eight-headed dragon.

Sushila f & m Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi, Nepali
Means "good-tempered, well-disposed", derived from the Sanskrit prefix सु (su) meaning "good" combined with शील (shila) meaning "conduct, disposition". This is a transcription of both the feminine form सुशीला and the masculine form सुशील. This name is borne by wives of the Hindu gods Krishna and Yama.

Sutekh m Egyptian Mythology (Hypothetical)
Reconstructed Egyptian form of Seth 2.

Svantovit m Slavic Mythology
Variant of Svetovid.

Svarog m Slavic Mythology
Probably means "fire", from Old Slavic sŭvarŭ meaning "heat". This was the name of a Slavic god associated with blacksmithing.

Svetovid m Slavic Mythology
Variant of Svetovit.

Svetovit m Slavic Mythology
Derived from Slavic svętŭ "sacred, holy" and vitŭ "master, lord". This was the name of a four-headed West Slavic god of war and light. He has historically been conflated with Saint Vitus, who is known as Święty Wit in Polish and Svatý Vít in Czech.

Sweeney m Irish Mythology
Anglicized form of Suibhne. In fiction, this name is borne by the murderous barber Sweeney Todd, first appearing in the British serial The String of Pearls: A Romance (1846-1847).

Syavarshan m Persian Mythology
Avestan form of Siavash.

Tadg m Old Irish, Irish Mythology
Old Irish form of Tadhg.

Tadhg m Irish, Irish Mythology
From Old Irish Tadg meaning "poet". This was the name of an 11th-century king of Connacht, as well as several other kings and chieftains of medieval Ireland. According to Irish mythology it was the name of the grandfather of Fionn mac Cumhaill.

Tahmuras m Persian Mythology
Persian form of Avestan 𐬙𐬀𐬑𐬨𐬀⸱𐬎𐬭𐬎𐬞𐬌 (Taxma Urupi), derived from 𐬙𐬀𐬑𐬨𐬀 (taxma) meaning "strong" and 𐬎𐬭𐬎𐬞𐬌 (urupi) meaning "fox". Taxma Urupi is a hero mentioned in the Avesta who later appears in the 10th-century Persian epic the Shahnameh.

Taliesin m Welsh, Welsh Mythology
Means "shining brow", derived from Welsh tal "brow, head" and iesin "shining, radiant". This was the name of a semi-legendary 6th-century Welsh poet and bard, supposedly the author of the collection of poems the Book of Taliesin. He appears briefly in the Welsh legend Culhwch and Olwen and the Second Branch of the Mabinogi. He is the central character in the Tale of Taliesin, a medieval legend recorded in the 16th century, which tells how Ceridwen's servant Gwion Bach was reborn to her as Taliesin; how he becomes the bard for Elffin; and how Taliesin defends Elffin from the machinations of the king Maelgwn Gwynedd.

Tammuz m Biblical, Biblical Hebrew, Semitic Mythology
Semitic form of Dumuzi. The name of the god appears in the Book of Ezekiel in the Old Testament.

Tāne m Maori, Polynesian Mythology
Means "man" in Maori. In Maori and other Polynesian mythology Tāne 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.

Tangaroa m Polynesian Mythology
Meaning 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.

Tapio m Finnish, Finnish Mythology
Meaning unknown. Tapio was the Finnish god of forests, animals, and hunting.

Taran m Welsh Mythology, Pictish
Means "thunder" in Welsh, from the old Celtic root *toranos. It appears briefly in the Second Branch of the Mabinogi. The name is cognate to that of the Gaulish god Taranis. It was also borne by the 7th-century Pictish king Taran mac Ainftech.

Taranis m Gaulish Mythology
Derived from the old Celtic root *toranos 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.

Tarhunna m Hittite Mythology
From Hittite or Luwian tarh meaning "to cross, to conquer". This was the name of the Hittite god of the weather, storms, and the sky, and the slayer of the dragon Illuyanka. He was closely identified with the Hurrian god Teshub, and sometimes with the Semitic god Hadad.

Tarhunz m Near Eastern Mythology
Luwian form of Tarhunna.

Tatius m Roman Mythology, Ancient Roman
Roman 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.

Taxma Urupi m Persian Mythology
Avestan form of Tahmuras.

Telamon m Greek Mythology
From a Greek word meaning "broad leather strap". According to Greek mythology he was a king of Salamis and the father of the heroes Ajax and Teucer.

Telemachos m Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek
Original Greek form of Telemachus.

Telemachus m Greek Mythology (Latinized), Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Latinized form of Greek Τηλέμαχος (Telemachos), derived from a Greek word meaning "fighting from afar", itself from τῆλε (tele) meaning "afar, far off" and μάχη (mache) meaning "battle". In Homer's epic the Odyssey this is the name of the son of Odysseus. It was also borne by a 4th-century saint who was martyred when trying to stop a gladiatorial fight.

Terminus m Roman Mythology
Means "limit, boundary, end" in Latin. This was the name of the Roman god of boundaries.

Teshub m Near Eastern Mythology
Meaning unknown, of Hurrian origin. This was the name of the Hurrian storm god. He was later conflated with the Hittite god Tarhunna.

Teucer m Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of the Greek name Τεῦκρος (Teukros), of uncertain origin, possibly related to the name of the Hittite god Tarhunna. According to Homer's Iliad he was a son of King Telamon of Salamis. A renowned archer, he fought against the Trojans with his half-brother Ajax and the other Greeks. After the war he went to Cyprus where he founded the city of Salamis, naming it after his home island.

Teukros m Greek Mythology
Greek form of Teucer.

Tezcatlipoca m Aztec and Toltec Mythology
Means "smoking mirror" in Nahuatl, derived from tezcatl "mirror" and pōctli "smoke". 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.

Thanatos m Greek Mythology
Means "death" in Greek. This was the name of the Greek god of death who resided with Hades in the underworld.

Theseus m Greek Mythology
Possibly derived from Greek τίθημι (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.... [more]

Þjazi m Norse Mythology
Meaning unknown. In Norse mythology this is the name of the giant (jǫtunn) who, in the form of an eagle, carried off Iðunn and her magical apples.

Thor m Norse Mythology, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish
From the Old Norse Þórr meaning "thunder", ultimately from Proto-Germanic *Þunraz. In Norse mythology Thor is a god of storms, thunder, war and strength, a son of Odin. He is portrayed as red-bearded, short-tempered, armed with a powerful hammer called Mjölnir, and wearing an enchanted belt called Megingjörð that doubles his strength. During Ragnarök, the final battle at the end of the world, it is foretold that Thor will slay the monstrous sea serpent Jörmungandr but be fatally poisoned by its venom.

Þórr m Norse Mythology
Original Old Norse form of Thor.

Thoth m Egyptian Mythology (Hellenized)
Greek form of Egyptian ḏḥwtj (reconstructed as Djehuti), which is of uncertain meaning. In Egyptian mythology Thoth was the god of the moon, science, magic, speech and writing. He was often depicted as a man with the head of an ibis.

Þrymr m Norse Mythology
Old Norse form of Trym.

Þunor m Anglo-Saxon Mythology
Anglo-Saxon form of *Þunraz (see Thor).

Þunraz m Germanic Mythology (Hypothetical)
Proto-Germanic reconstruction of Thor, Donar and Þunor.

Tiw m Anglo-Saxon Mythology
Anglo-Saxon form of *Tīwaz (see Tyr).

Tīwaz m Germanic Mythology (Hypothetical)
Proto-Germanic reconstruction of Tyr and Tiw. The Romans identified this god with their god Mars.

Tlaloc m Aztec and Toltec Mythology, Nahuatl
Possibly from Nahuatl tlālloh meaning "covered with earth", derived from tlālli meaning "earth, land, soil". This was the name of the Aztec god of rain and fertility, the husband of Chalchiuhtlicue.

Tohil m Mayan Mythology
Possibly from Classic Maya tojol meaning "tribute". This was the name of a K'iche' Maya fire god.

Tonatiuh m Aztec and Toltec Mythology, Nahuatl
Means "sun" in Nahuatl. This was the name of the Aztec sun god.

Toutatis m Gaulish Mythology
Probably derived from the old Celtic root *toutā meaning "people, tribe". This was the name of a Gaulish god who may have been regarded as the protector of the people or tribe.

Triton m Greek Mythology
Meaning uncertain. It is possibly related to a root meaning "the sea" (cognate with Old Irish trethan). Alternatively it could be connected to Greek τρεῖς (treis) meaning "three" (ordinal form τρίτος). In Greek mythology Triton was the son of Poseidon and Amphitrite. He was often depicted as a merman, half-human and half-fish. The largest of Neptune's moons is named after him.

Troilos m Greek Mythology
Greek form of Troilus.

Troilus m Greek Mythology (Latinized), Literature
Latinized form of Greek Τρωΐλος (Troilos), from the Greek name of the city of Troy Τροία (Troia). In Greek legend this was a son of king Priam killed by Achilles. His story was greatly expanded by medieval European writers such as Boccaccio and Chaucer, who make him the lover of Criseida. Shakespeare based his play Troilus and Cressida (1602) on these tales.

Trym m Norse Mythology, Norwegian
From Old Norse Þrymr meaning "noise, uproar". In Norse mythology he was a king of the giants who stole Mjölnir, Thor's hammer. Trym demanded that he wed the beautiful Freya in exchange for it, so Thor disguised himself in a wedding dress and killed the giant.

Tsukuyomi m Japanese Mythology
From Japanese 月 (tsuku) meaning "moon" and 読 (yomi) meaning "to read". In Japanese mythology Tsukuyomi was the god of the moon, the sibling of Amaterasu and Susanoo.

Tur m Persian Mythology
Meaning unknown. In the 10th-century Persian epic the Shahnameh this is the name of a son of Fereydoun, said to be the namesake of the Turan nation.

Turnus m Roman Mythology
Meaning unknown. According to Virgil's Aeneid, Turnus was a king of the Rutuli. He led the Latins in war against the Trojans led by Aeneas. At the end of the book he is killed by Aeneas in a duel.

Tychon m Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek
From Greek τύχη (tyche) meaning "chance, luck, fortune", a derivative of τυγχάνω (tynchano) meaning "hit the mark, succeed". This was the name of a minor deity associated with Priapus in Greek mythology. It was also borne by a 5th-century saint from Cyprus.

Typhon m Greek Mythology
Possibly from Greek τύφω (typho) meaning "to smoke", τῦφος (typhos) meaning "fever" or τυφώς (typhos) meaning "whirlwind". In Greek Mythology Typhon was a monstrous giant who challenged the rule of Zeus. He and his mate Echidna were said to be the parents of all monsters.

Týr m Norse Mythology
Old Norse form of Tyr.

Tyr m Norse Mythology
From Týr, the Old Norse form of the name of the Germanic god *Tīwaz, related to Indo-European *Dyēws (see Zeus). In Norse mythology he was a god associated with war and justice, by some accounts a son of Odin. While the gods bound the great wolf Fenrir, Tyr placated the beast by placing his right hand in its mouth. After the binding was successful, Fenrir bit off Tyr's hand. At the time of the end of the world, Ragnarök, it is foretold that Tyr will slay and be slain by the giant hound Garm.

Ukko m Finnish, Finnish Mythology
Means "old man" in Finnish. In Finnish mythology Ukko is the god of the sky and thunder.

Ulysses m Roman Mythology, English
Latin form of Odysseus. It was borne by Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885), the commander of the Union forces during the American Civil War, who went on to become an American president. Irish author James Joyce used it as the title of his book Ulysses (1922), which loosely parallels Homer's epic the Odyssey.

Uranus m Greek Mythology (Latinized)
From Greek Οὐρανός (Ouranos), the name of the husband of Gaia and the father of the Titans in Greek mythology. His name is derived from οὐρανός (ouranos) meaning "the heavens". This is also the name of the seventh planet in the solar system.

Urmazd m Persian Mythology
Modern Persian form of Ahura Mazda.

Uther m Welsh Mythology, Arthurian Romance
From the Welsh name Uthyr, derived from Welsh uthr meaning "terrible". In Arthurian legend Uther was the father of King Arthur. He appears in some early Welsh texts, but is chiefly known from the 12th-century chronicles of Geoffrey of Monmouth.

Uthyr m Welsh Mythology, Arthurian Romance
Welsh form of Uther.

Uttara m & f Hinduism, Marathi
Means "north" in Sanskrit. This is a transcription of both the masculine form उत्तर and the feminine form उत्तरा (spelled with a long final vowel), both of which occur in the Hindu epic the Mahabharata belonging to the son and daughter of King Virata.

Utu m Sumerian Mythology
Derived from Sumerian 𒌓 (ud) meaning "sun". In Sumerian mythology this was the name of the god of the sun. He was the son of the moon god Nanna and Ningal.

Vahagn m Armenian Mythology, Armenian
Armenian form of Vərəthraghna (see Bahram). In Armenian mythology this was the name of the heroic god of war.

Väinämöinen m Finnish Mythology
Derived from Finnish väinä meaning "wide and slow-flowing river". In Finnish mythology Väinämöinen was a wise old magician, the son of the primal goddess Ilmatar. He is the hero of the Finnish epic the Kalevala.

Varuna m Hinduism
Probably from Sanskrit वृ (vr) meaning "to surround, to restrain". In Hindu mythology Varuna is a god of water and the celestial ocean surrounding the world. He is one of the chief gods in the Rigveda.

Vasanta m Hinduism
Means "brilliant" or "spring" in Sanskrit. This is the name of a Hindu personification of the spring.

Vasu m Hinduism, Kannada, Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil, Hindi
Means "bright, excellent" in Sanskrit. This is an epithet of several Hindu gods. It also belonged to one of the authors of the Rigveda.

Vata m Persian Mythology
Means "wind" in Avestan. This was the name of a Yazata (a holy being) associated with the wind in Zoroastrianism. He is also called 𐬬𐬀𐬌𐬌𐬎 (Vaiiu).

Vayu m Hinduism
Means "air, wind" in Sanskrit. This is the name of the Hindu god of the air and wind, one of the five elements.

Veles m Slavic Mythology
Possibly derived from Old Slavic volŭ meaning "ox" or velĭ meaning "great". Veles or Volos was the Slavic god of cattle, also associated with the earth, wealth and the underworld.

Vena m Hinduism
Derived from Sanskrit वेन (vena) meaning "yearning". This is the name of an evil king in Hindu mythology.

Verethraghna m Persian Mythology
Avestan form of Bahram.

Vesper m & f Roman Mythology, Dutch (Modern)
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.

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

Vijaya m & f Hinduism, Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam, Marathi, Hindi
Means "victory" in Sanskrit. This is a transcription of both the masculine form विजय and the feminine form विजया, both of which are used frequently in Hindu texts. It is the name of a grandson of Indra, a son of Krishna and it is another name of the goddess Durga. This was also the name of a semi-legendary 6th-century BC king of Sri Lanka.

Vikrama m Hinduism
Means "stride, pace" or "valour" in Sanskrit. This is another name of the Hindu god Vishnu. This was also the name of a semi-legendary 1st-century BC king (full name Vikramaditya) of Ujjain in India.

Viracocha m Inca Mythology
Possibly from Quechua wira "fat, thick" and qucha "lake". This is the name of the creator god in Inca mythology.

Viraja m Hinduism
Means "ruling, sovereign" in Sanskrit. This is the name of an offspring of Brahma in Hindu belief.

Vishnu m Hinduism, Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Marathi
Probably means "all-pervasive" in Sanskrit. The Hindu god Vishnu is the protector and preserver of the universe, usually depicted as four-armed and blue-skinned. By some Hindus he is regarded as the supreme god.

Víðarr m Norse Mythology
Old Norse form of Vidar.

Vohu Manah m Persian Mythology
Avestan form of Bahman.

Volos m Slavic Mythology
Variant of Veles.

Völund m Norse Mythology
Scandinavian cognate of Wayland, found in the poem Völundarkviða in the Poetic Edda.

Vǫlundr m Norse Mythology
Old Norse form of Völund.

Vulcan m Roman Mythology (Anglicized)
From the Latin Vulcanus, possibly related to fulgere meaning "to flash", but more likely of pre-Latin origin. In Roman mythology Vulcan was the god of fire. He was later equated with the Greek god Hephaestus.

Vulcanus m Roman Mythology
Latin form of Vulcan.

Wayland m English, Anglo-Saxon Mythology
From Old English Weland, probably derived from the Germanic root *wīlą meaning "craft, cunning". In Germanic legend Weland (called Vǫlundr in Old Norse) was a master smith and craftsman. He was captured and hamstrung by King Niðhad, but took revenge by killing the king's sons.

Weland m Anglo-Saxon Mythology
Old English form of Wayland.

Wēlandaz m Germanic Mythology (Hypothetical)
Proto-Germanic reconstruction of Wayland.

Wieland m German, Germanic Mythology
German cognate of Wayland.

Wodan m Germanic Mythology
Old High German form of *Wōdanaz (see Odin).

Wōdanaz m Germanic Mythology (Hypothetical)
Proto-Germanic reconstruction of Odin, Wodan and Woden.

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

Wotan m Germanic Mythology
Variant of Wodan.

Xanthos m Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek
From Greek ξανθός (xanthos) meaning "yellow". This is the name of several minor figures in Greek mythology, including kings of Pelasgia and Thebes.

Xanthus m Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Xanthos.

Xbalanque m Mayan Mythology
Possibly from Classic Maya balam "jaguar" and k'in "sun" or kej "deer". In the Popol Vuh, the sacred book of the K'iche' Maya, Xbalanque and his twin brother Hunahpu avenge their father's death at the hands of the underworld gods.

Xochipilli m Aztec and Toltec Mythology
Means "flower prince" in Nahuatl, from xōchitl "flower" and pilli "noble child, prince". Xochipilli was the Aztec god of love, flowers, song and games, the twin brother of Xochiquetzal.

Xolotl m Aztec and Toltec Mythology
Meaning uncertain, of Nahuatl origin, possibly meaning "servant" or "cornstalk". In Aztec mythology Xolotl was a monstrous dog-headed god who guided the dead to Mictlan. He was also associated with lightning, fire and the evening star. He was the twin brother of Quetzalcoatl.

Xshathra Vairya m Persian Mythology
Avestan form of Shahrivar.

Yam m Semitic Mythology
Means "sea" in Ugaritic. Yam was the Ugaritic god of the sea, also associated with chaos, storms and destruction. He was a son of the chief god El.

Yama 1 m Hinduism
Means "twin" in Sanskrit. This is the name of the Hindu god of death. He is also regarded as the first mortal being, or in other words, the first person to die. This name is related to Persian Jam.

Yamanu m Egyptian Mythology (Hypothetical)
Reconstructed Egyptian form of Amon.

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

Yima m Persian Mythology
Avestan form of Jam.

Yima Khshaeta m Persian Mythology
Alternate transcription of Avestan 𐬫𐬌𐬨𐬀⸱𐬑𐬱𐬀𐬉𐬙𐬀 (see Yima Xshaeta).

Yima Xshaeta m Persian Mythology
Avestan form of Jamshid.

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

Zababa m Sumerian Mythology
Meaning unknown. This was the name of a Sumerian and Akkadian war god worshipped in the city-state of Kish.

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

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

Zephaniel m Judeo-Christian-Islamic Legend
From Hebrew צָפַן (tzafan) meaning "to hide" and אֵל ('el) meaning "God". This is the name of an angel in medieval Jewish mysticism.

Zephyr m Greek Mythology (Anglicized)
From the Greek Ζέφυρος (Zephyros) meaning "west wind". Zephyros was the Greek god of the west wind.

Zephyros m Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek
Greek form of Zephyr.

Zephyrus m Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Zephyros (see Zephyr).

Zerachiel m Judeo-Christian-Islamic Legend
Possibly means "command of God" in Hebrew. The Book of Enoch names him as one of the seven archangels. His name is sometimes rendered as Sarakiel.

Zeus m Greek Mythology
The name of a Greek god, related to the old Indo-European god *Dyēws, from the root *dyew- meaning "sky" or "shine". In Greek mythology he was the highest of the gods. After he and his siblings defeated the Titans, Zeus ruled over the earth and humankind from atop Mount Olympus. He had control over the weather and his weapon was a thunderbolt.... [more]

Zhulong m Chinese Mythology
From Chinese 烛 (zhú) meaning "candle, torch, light" and 龙 (lóng) meaning "dragon". In Chinese mythology this was the name of a giant scarlet serpent, also called the Torch Dragon in English.