Browse Names

Manyara f Shona
Means "you have been humbled" in Shona.

Maraĵa f Esperanto
Means "made of the sea" in Esperanto, a derivative of maro "sea", ultimately from Latin mare.

María Auxiliadora f Spanish
Means "Mary the helper" in Spanish, a devotional title of the Virgin Mary.

María de Jesús f Spanish
Means "Mary (the mother) of Jesus" in Spanish, a compound of María and Jesús.

María de la Cruz f Spanish
Means "Mary of the cross" in Spanish, a devotional title of the Virgin Mary.

María del Mar f Spanish
Means "Mary of the sea" in Spanish, a devotional title of the Virgin Mary.

Maria del Mar f Catalan
Means "Mary of the sea" in Catalan, a devotional title of the Virgin Mary.

María de los Ángeles f Spanish
Means "Mary of the angels" in Spanish, a devotional title of the Virgin Mary.

Marinus m Ancient Roman, Dutch
From the Roman family name Marinus, which derives either from the name Marius or from the Latin word marinus "of the sea". Saint Marinus was a 4th-century stonemason who built a chapel on Monte Titano, in the country that is today known as San Marino.

Maris 2 f English (Rare)
Means "of the sea", taken from the Latin title of the Virgin Mary, Stella Maris, meaning "star of the sea".

Maristela f Portuguese, Spanish (Rare)
From the title of the Virgin Mary, Stella Maris, meaning "star of the sea" in Latin. It can also be a combination of Maria and Estela.

Martha f English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, German, Greek, Biblical, Biblical Greek, Biblical Latin, Old Church Slavic
From Aramaic מַרְתָּא (marta') meaning "the lady, the mistress", feminine form of מַר (mar) meaning "master". In the New Testament this is the name of the sister of Lazarus and Mary of Bethany (who is sometimes identified with Mary Magdalene). She was a witness to Jesus restoring her dead brother to life.... [more]

Melisizwe m Xhosa
Means "leader of the nation" in Xhosa.

Melqart m Semitic Mythology
Means "king of the city", from Phoenician 𐤌𐤋𐤊 (milk) meaning "king" and 𐤒𐤓𐤕 (qart) meaning "city". This was the name of a Phoenician god worshipped especially in the city of Tyre.

Menodora f Ancient Greek
Means "gift of the moon", derived from Greek μήνη (mene) meaning "moon" and δῶρον (doron) meaning "gift". This was the name of a 4th-century saint who was martyred with her sisters Metrodora and Nymphodora.

Methuselah m Biblical
Means "man of the dart" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament he is the father of Lamech and the grandfather of Noah. He lived to age 969, making him the longest-lived person in the Bible.

Millard m English
From an occupational English surname meaning "guardian of the mill" in Old English.

Monroe m & f English
From a Scottish surname meaning "from the mouth of the Roe". The Roe is a river in Northern Ireland. Two famous bearers of the surname were American president James Monroe (1758-1831) and American actress Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962).... [more]

Morven f Scottish
From the name of a region in western Scotland, also called Morvern or in Gaelic A' Mhorbhairne, meaning "the big gap". This is the location of Fingal's kingdom in James Macpherson's 18th-century poems.

Müge f Turkish
Means "lily of the valley" in Turkish (species Convallaria majalis).

Muirgen f Irish Mythology
Means "born of the sea" in Irish. In Irish legend this was the name of a woman (originally named Lí Ban) who was transformed into a mermaid. After 300 years she was brought to shore, baptized, and transformed back into a woman.

Mukami f Kikuyu
Possibly means "the one who milks the cows" in Kikuyu.

Mustafa m Arabic, Turkish, Bosnian, Urdu
Means "the chosen one" in Arabic, an epithet of Muhammad. This was the name of four Ottoman sultans. Another famous bearer was Mustafa Kemal (1881-1938), also known as Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey.

Mutemwiya f Ancient Egyptian
From Egyptian mwt-m-wjꜣ meaning "Mut is in the sacred barque", from the name of the goddess Mut combined with wjꜣ "sacred barque" (a boat used to carry the dead to the afterlife). This name was borne by a wife of the pharaoh Thutmose IV. She was the mother of Amenhotep III.

Mwanaidi f Swahili
Means "child born during the festival" in Swahili.

Nālani f & m Hawaiian
Means "the heavens" or "the chiefs" from Hawaiian nā, a definite article, and lani "heaven, sky, chief".

Naliaka f Luhya
Means "born during the weeding season", from Luhya liliaka meaning "weeding".

Nash m English (Modern)
From an English surname that was derived from the Middle English phrase atten ash "at the ash tree". A famous bearer of the surname was the mathematician John Nash (1928-2015).... [more]

Nathanael m Biblical, Biblical Greek
From the Hebrew name נְתַנְאֵל (Netan'el) meaning "God has given", from the elements נָתַן (natan) meaning "to give" and אֵל ('el) meaning "God". It is borne by several minor characters in the Old Testament, typically spelled Nethanel or Nethaneel. In the New Testament this is the name of an apostle, probably another name of the apostle called Bartholomew.

Navy f & m English (Modern)
From the English word meaning "sea force, fleet, armed forces of the sea". It is derived from Old French navie, from Latin navigia, the plural of navigium "boat, vessel". It also refers to a shade of dark blue, a colour traditionally associated with naval uniforms.

Neely m & f English (Rare)
From a Scottish surname, an Anglicized and reduced form of Gaelic Mac an Fhilidh (or McNeilly) meaning "son of the poet".

Neferkare m Ancient Egyptian
From Egyptian nfr-kꜣ-rꜥ meaning "the soul of Ra is beautiful", from nfr "beautiful, good" combined with kꜣ "soul" combined with the name of the god Ra. This name was borne by several Egyptian pharaohs.

Nefertari f Ancient Egyptian
From Egyptian nfrt-jrj meaning "the most beautiful". This was the name of an Egyptian queen of the New Kingdom (13th century BC), the favourite wife of Ramesses II.

Nefertiti f Ancient Egyptian
From Egyptian nfrt-jjtj meaning "the beautiful one has come". Nefertiti was a powerful Egyptian queen of the New Kingdom (14th century BC), the principal wife of Akhenaton, the pharaoh that briefly imposed a monotheistic religion centered around the sun god Aton.

Nektarios m Greek, Late Greek
Derived from Greek νέκταρ (nektar) meaning "nectar, drink of the gods".

Nephthys f Egyptian Mythology (Hellenized)
Greek form of Egyptian nbt-ḥwt (reconstructed as Nebet-Hut) meaning "lady of the house", derived from nbt "lady" and ḥwt "house". This was the name of an Egyptian goddess associated with the air, death and mourning. She was wife of the desert god Seth.

Nestan-Darejan f Literature
Created by the Georgian poet Shota Rustaveli for a character in his 12th-century epic The Knight in the Panther's Skin. Rustaveli derived it from the Persian phrase نیست اندر جهان (nist andar jahan) meaning "unlike any other in the world" or "unique". In the poem Nestan-Darejan is a princess loved by Tariel.

Nethaniah m Biblical
Means "Yahweh has given" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of the father of Ishmael (the assassin of Gedaliah), as well as other minor characters.

Nevio m Italian
Italian form of the Roman family name Naevius, which was derived from Latin naevus "mole (on the body)". A famous bearer was the 3rd-century BC Roman poet Gnaeus Naevius.

Nicholas m English
From the Greek name Νικόλαος (Nikolaos) meaning "victory of the people", derived from Greek νίκη (nike) meaning "victory" and λαός (laos) meaning "people". Saint Nicholas was a 4th-century bishop from Anatolia who, according to legend, saved the daughters of a poor man from lives of prostitution. He is the patron saint of children, sailors and merchants, as well as Greece and Russia. He formed the basis for the figure known as Santa Claus (created in the 19th century from Dutch Sinterklaas), the bringer of Christmas presents.... [more]

Nicodemus m Biblical, Biblical Latin, Ancient Greek (Latinized)
From the Greek name Νικόδημος (Nikodemos) meaning "victory of the people", derived from Greek νίκη (nike) meaning "victory" and δῆμος (demos) meaning "the people". This is the name of a character in the New Testament who helps Joseph of Arimathea entomb Jesus.

Nili f Hebrew
Acronym of the phrase נצח ישׂראל לא ישׁקר (Netzach Yisrael Lo Yishaker) meaning "the eternity of Israel will not lie". This phrase appears in the Old Testament in 1 Samuel 15:29. It was used as the name of a Jewish spy network in Palestine during World War I.

Ninhursag f Sumerian Mythology
Means "lady of the mountain", from Sumerian 𒎏 (nin) meaning "lady" and 𒉺𒂅 (hursaĝ) meaning "mountain". This was the name of the Sumerian mother and fertility goddess, the primary consort of Enki.

Ninsun f Sumerian Mythology
From Sumerian nin-sumun-a(k) meaning "lady of the wild cow", derived from 𒎏 (nin) meaning "lady" and the genitive form of 𒄢 (sumun) meaning "wild cow". In Sumerian mythology Ninsun was the divine mother of Gilgamesh.

Nnamdi m Igbo
Means "my father is alive" in Igbo. This name is given to a child when it is believed that he is a reincarnation of his grandfather.

Nomiki f Greek
Derived from Greek νομικός (nomikos) meaning "relating to the law".

Norris m English
From an English surname, either Norris 1 or Norris 2.

Nurul m & f Arabic, Indonesian, Malay
First part of compound Arabic names beginning with نور ال (Nur al) meaning "light of the" (such as نور الدين (Nur al-Din) meaning "light of religion").

Obinna m Igbo
Means "heart of the father" in Igbo, from óbì "heart, mind" and ńnà "father".

Ochieng m Luo
Means "born when the sun shines", derived from Luo chieng meaning "sun".

Odeserundiye m Mohawk
Possibly means "lightning has struck" in Mohawk. This was the name of an 18th-century Mohawk chief, also called John Deseronto.

Odhiambo m Luo
Means "born in the evening" in Luo.

Okafor m Igbo
Means "boy (born on) Afor" in Igbo, Afor being one of the four days of the Igbo week.

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.

Olamide m & f Yoruba
Means "my wealth has arrived" in Yoruba.

Olawale m Yoruba
Means "wealth has come home" in Yoruba.

Olumide m Yoruba
Means "my God has come" in Yoruba.

Oluwakanyinsola f Yoruba (Rare)
Means "God has dropped honey into wealth" in Yoruba.

Omondi m Luo
Means "born early in the morning" in Luo.

Omphile f & m Tswana, Sotho
Means "he has given" in Tswana and Sotho.

Oneida f English
From the name of a Native American tribe, perhaps meaning "standing rock".

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.

Orpah f Biblical
Means "back of the neck" in Hebrew. Orpah is Naomi's second daughter-in-law in the Book of Ruth in the Old Testament.

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.

Pachakutiq m Quechua
Means "changer of the world" in Quechua, derived from pacha "world, time" and kutiy "to return, to change" combined with the agentive suffix -q "doer". This name was borne by a 15th-century (precontact) ruler of the Inca Empire.

Padmavati f Hinduism
Means "resembling lotuses", derived from the Sanskrit word पद्म (padma) meaning "lotus" combined with वती (vati) meaning "resemblance". This is the name of the foster-mother of the god Hindu Skanda. This was also the name of a semi-legendary 14th-century queen of Mewar.

Panagiotis m Greek
From the Greek title of the Virgin Mary Παναγία (Panagia) meaning "all holy", derived from πᾶν (pan) meaning "all" combined with ἅγιος (hagios) meaning "devoted to the gods, sacred".

Paphnutius m Ancient Egyptian (Latinized)
Latinized form of Greek Παφνούτιος (Paphnoutios), derived from Egyptian pꜣj-pꜣ-nṯr meaning "the one of God". This was the name of several saints, including the 4th-century bishop Paphnutius of Thebes.

Parker m & f English
From an English occupational surname that meant "keeper of the park".

Parvati f Hinduism, Hindi
Means "of the mountains" in Sanskrit. Parvati is a Hindu goddess of love and power, the wife of Shiva and the mother of Ganesha.

Pərvin f & m Azerbaijani
Azerbaijani form of Parvin.

Parvin f & m Persian, Urdu, Hindi
Means "the Pleiades" in Persian. The Pleiades are a group of stars in the constellation Taurus. This name is typically feminine in Iran, but unisex in India.

Parvina f Tajik, Uzbek
Tajik and Uzbek form of Parvin.

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.

Pelagius m Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Latinized form of the Greek name Πελάγιος (Pelagios), which was derived from πέλαγος (pelagos) meaning "the sea". This was the name of several saints and two popes.

Pellehan m Arthurian Cycle
Possibly from Welsh Beli Hen meaning "Beli the Old". This was the name of a keeper of the Holy Grail in Arthurian legend, the father of Pelles and Pellinore.

Pellinore m Arthurian Cycle
Possibly from Welsh Beli Mawr meaning "Beli the Great". In Arthurian romance this was the name of a king of Listenois, a son of Pellehan who pursued the elusive Questing Beast and later joined Arthur's court. He first appears in the 13th-century Lancelot-Grail Cycle.

Percival m Arthurian Cycle, English
Created by the 12th-century French poet Chrétien de Troyes for his poem Perceval, the Story of the Grail. Chrétien may have derived the name from Old French perce val "pierce the valley", or he may have based it loosely on the Welsh name Peredur. In the poem Perceval is a boy from Wales who hopes to become a knight under King Arthur. Setting out to prove himself, he eventually comes to the castle of the Fisher King and is given a glimpse of the Grail.

Pervin f Turkish
Turkish form of Parvin.

Perwîn f Kurdish
Kurdish form of Parvin.

Pitikwahanapiwiyin m Cree (Anglicized)
From Cree ᐲᐦᑐᑲᐦᐊᓇᐱᐏᔨᐣ (Pîhtokahanapiwiyin) meaning "sits at the buffalo pound", derived from ᐲᐦᑐᑲᐦᐋᐣ (pîhtokahân) "buffalo pound, buffalo corral" and ᐊᐱᐤ (apiw) "sit". This was the name of a Plains Cree chief, also known as Poundmaker (1842-1886).

Pritha f Hinduism, Bengali
Means "the palm of the hand" in Sanskrit. This is another name of the legendary Hindu figure Kunti.

Prochorus m Biblical, Biblical Latin
Latinized form of the Greek name Πρόχορος (Prochoros) meaning "leader of the dance". Saint Prochorus was one of the original seven deacons of the church, as told in Acts in the New Testament.

Psamathe f Greek Mythology
Derived from Greek ψάμαθος (psamathos) meaning "sand of the seashore". This was the name of several characters in Greek mythology, including one of the Nereids. One of the small moons of Neptune is named after her.

Psyche f Greek Mythology
Means "the soul", derived from Greek ψύχω (psycho) meaning "to breathe". The Greeks thought that the breath was the soul. In Greek mythology Psyche was a beautiful maiden who was beloved by Eros (or Cupid in Roman mythology). She is the subject of Keats's poem Ode to Psyche (1819).

Puleng f Sotho
Means "in the rain" in Sotho.

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.

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.

Quasimodo m Literature
From the name of the Sunday that follows Easter, called Quasimodo Sunday, which gets its name from the opening words of the Latin chant quasi modo (geniti infantes...) meaning "like the way (that newborn infants do...)". It was used by Victor Hugo for his novel The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (1831), in which Quasimodo is a hunchbacked bellringer at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. He was named thus by Archdeacon Frollo because he was abandoned as a baby at the cathedral on Quasimodo Sunday, though Hugo states that Frollo may have been inspired by the alternate meaning for quasi "almost", referring to the almost-complete appearance of the foundling.

Quetzalli f Nahuatl
Means "feather (from the quetzal bird)" or "precious thing" in Nahuatl.

Rajani f & m Hinduism, Telugu, Kannada, Marathi, Hindi, Nepali
Means "the dark one" in Sanskrit. This is another name of the Hindu goddess Kali or Durga.

Rajnish m Hindi
Means "lord of the night" from Sanskrit रजनि (rajani) meaning "night" and ईश (isha) meaning "lord, ruler". This is another name for the moon in Hindu texts.

Rakesh m Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu
Means "lord of the full moon" from Sanskrit राका (raka) meaning "full moon" and ईश (isha) meaning "lord, ruler".

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.

Rehoboam m Biblical
From the Hebrew name רֵחַבְעָם (Rechav'am) meaning "he enlarges the people". In the Old Testament this is the name of a son of Solomon. He succeeded his father as king of Israel, but his subjects eventually revolted because of high taxes. This resulted in the division of the kingdom into Israel and Judah, with Rehoboam ruling Judah.

Remington m & f English
From an English surname that was derived from the name of the town of Rimington in Lancashire, itself meaning "settlement on the Riming stream". It may be given in honour of the American manufacturer Eliphalet Remington (1793-1861) or his sons, founders of the firearms company that bears their name.

Rígbarddán m Old Irish
Means "little poet of the king", from Old Irish rí "king" (genitive ríg) combined with bard "poet" and a diminutive suffix.

Rodomonte m Carolingian Cycle
Used by Matteo Maria Boiardo for a Saracen warrior king in his epic poem Orlando Innamorato (1483). It could be related to Italian rotolare "to roll" and monte "mountain". He also appears in Ludovico Ariosto's continuation Orlando Furioso (1532).

Rosamund f English (Rare)
Derived from the Old German elements hros "horse" and munt "protection". This name was borne by the wife of the Lombard king Alboin in the 6th century. The Normans introduced it to England. It was subsequently interpreted as coming from Latin rosa munda "pure rose" or rosa mundi "rose of the world". This was the name of the mistress of Henry II, the king of England in the 12th century. According to legends she was murdered by his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine.

Rushd m Arabic
Means "following the right path" in Arabic, from the root رشد (rashada) meaning "to be on the right path".

Saiful m Arabic, Bengali, Indonesian, Malay
First part of compound Arabic names beginning with سيف ال (Sayf al) meaning "sword of the" (such as Sayf ad-Din).

Samuel m English, French, German, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Romanian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Jewish, Amharic, Biblical
From the Hebrew name שְׁמוּאֵל (Shemu'el) meaning "name of God", from the roots שֵׁם (shem) meaning "name" and אֵל ('el) meaning "God". Other interpretations have the first root being שָׁמַע (shama') meaning "to hear" leading to a meaning of "God has heard". As told in the Books of Samuel in the Old Testament, Samuel was the last of the ruling judges. He led the Israelites during a period of domination by the Philistines, who were ultimately defeated in battle at Mizpah. Later he anointed Saul to be the first king of Israel, and even later anointed his successor David.... [more]

Saraswati f Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi
Means "possessing water" from Sanskrit सरस् (saras) meaning "fluid, water, lake" and वती (vati) meaning "having". This is the name of a Hindu river goddess, also associated with learning and the arts, who is the wife of Brahma.

Sasithorn f Thai
Means "the moon" in Thai (a poetic word).

Savitri f Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi
Means "relating to the sun" in Sanskrit. This is the name of a hymn dedicated to Savitr, a Hindu sun god, and it is also the name of his daughter. It is borne by several other characters in Hindu epics, including a wife of Brahma, a wife of Shiva, and a daughter of Daksha. In the Hindu epic the Mahabharata it is borne by King Satyavan's wife, who successfully pleas with Yama, the god of death, to restore her husband to life.

Sayf ad-Din m Arabic
Means "sword of the faith" from Arabic سيف (sayf) meaning "sword" and دين (din) meaning "religion, faith".

Sefton m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "town in the rushes" in Old English.

Sennacherib m Ancient Assyrian (Anglicized), Biblical, Biblical Latin
From Akkadian Sin-ahhi-eriba meaning "Sin has replaced my (lost) brothers", from the god's name Sin combined with a plural form of aḫu meaning "brother" and riābu meaning "to replace". This was the name of a 7th-century BC Assyrian king who destroyed Babylon. He appears in the Old Testament.

Seok-Jin m Korean
From Sino-Korean 碩 (seok) meaning "large, great" and 珍 (jin) meaning "precious, rare". Other hanja characters can form this name as well.

Seraiah m Biblical, Biblical Hebrew
Means "Yahweh is ruler" in Hebrew. This is the name of several minor characters in the Old Testament, including the father of Ezra.

Shahjahan m Urdu
Means "king of the world" from Persian شاه (shah) meaning "king" and جهان (jahan) meaning "world". This was the name of the 17th-century Mughal emperor who built the Taj Mahal.

Shahnaz f & m Persian, Arabic, Urdu
Means "delight of the king" from Persian شاه (shah) meaning "king" and ناز (naz) meaning "delight, comfort, coquetry".

Shahrazad f Persian (Rare), Arabic
Possibly means "noble lineage" from Persian چهر (chehr) meaning "lineage, origin" and آزاد (azad) meaning "free, noble". Alternatively, it might mean "child of the city" from شهر (shahr) meaning "city, land" combined with the suffix زاد (zad) meaning "child of". This is the name of the fictional storyteller in The 1001 Nights. She tells a story to her husband the king every night for 1001 nights in order to delay her execution.

Shahzad m Persian, Arabic, Urdu
Means "prince, son of the king" in Persian.

Shailaja f Hinduism, Telugu
Means "daughter of the mountain" in Sanskrit, from शैल (shaila) meaning "mountain" and ज (ja) meaning "born". This is another name of the Hindu goddess Parvati.

Shams ad-Din m Arabic
Means "sun of the religion", from Arabic شمس (shams) meaning "sun" and دين (din) meaning "religion, faith". This was the given name of the 14th-century Berber explorer Ibn Battuta.

Shapur m History, Persian
From Middle Persian 𐭱𐭧𐭯𐭥𐭧𐭥𐭩 (Shahpuhr) meaning "son of the king". This was the name of three Sasanian emperors.

Shealtiel m Biblical
Means "I have asked of God" in Hebrew. This was the name of the son of King Jeconiah of Judah and the father of Zerubbabel in the Old Testament.

Sherzod m Uzbek, Tajik
Means "son of the lion", derived from Persian شیر (sher) meaning "lion" and the suffix زاد (zad) meaning "son of".

Shimshon m Hebrew, Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew form of Samson.

Sholpan f Kazakh
Means "Venus (the planet)" in Kazakh. Sholpan and Aiman are sisters in a 19th-century Kazakh epic poem, adapted into the play Aiman-Sholpan (1934) by Mukhtar Auezov.

Shrinivas m Marathi
Means "the abode of Shri" from the name of the Hindu goddess Shri combined with Sanskrit निवास (nivasa) meaning "abode, house".

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.

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.

Simiyu m Luhya
Means "born during the dry season" in Luhya.

Sivan f Hebrew
From the name of the ninth month of the Hebrew calendar (occurring in late spring). It was adopted from the Babylonian calendar, derived from Akkadian simānu meaning "season, occasion".

Sneferu m Ancient Egyptian
From Egyptian snfr-wj meaning "(he) has made me beautiful", from snfr "to make beautiful", a derivative of nfr "beautiful, good". This was the name of the founder of the 4th dynasty during Egypt's Old Kingdom (27th century BC).

Sōma m Japanese
From Japanese 颯 (sō) meaning "sudden, sound of the wind" and 真 (ma) meaning "real, genuine". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Sōta m Japanese
From Japanese 颯 (sō) meaning "sudden, sound of the wind" and 太 (ta) meaning "thick, big, great". This name can also be formed of other kanji combinations.

Spartacus m History
Means "from the city of Sparta" in Latin. Spartacus was the name of a Thracian-born Roman slave who led a slave revolt in Italy in the 1st century BC. He was eventually killed in battle and many of his followers were crucified.

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.

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.

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.

Tadala f Chewa
Means "we have been blessed" in Chewa.

Tahpenes f Biblical
Probably of Egyptian origin, possibly meaning "the wife of the king", derived from the feminine determiner tꜣ and ḥmt "woman, wife" combined with the masculine determiner pꜣ and nsw "king". Queen Tahpenes was a wife of an Egyptian pharaoh according to the Book of Kings in the Old Testament.

Taiwo m & f Yoruba
Means "taste the world, taste life" in Yoruba.

Tamerlane m History
Westernized form of Timur e Lang (see Timur).

Tariq m Arabic, Urdu
Means "visitor, knocker at the door" in Arabic, from طرق (taraqa) "to knock". 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.

Tatsuo m Japanese
From Japanese 達 (tatsu) meaning "achieve" combined with 夫 (o) meaning "man, husband". Other combinations of kanji characters can also form this name.

T'Challa m Popular Culture
The real name of the superhero Black Panther from Marvel comic books, debuting in 1966. In a 2018 issue it was revealed that his name means "he who put the knife where it belonged" in the fictional Wakandan language.

Terpsichore f Greek Mythology
Means "enjoying the dance" from Greek τέρψις (terpsis) meaning "delight" and χορός (choros) meaning "dance". In Greek mythology she was the goddess of dance and dramatic chorus, one of the nine Muses.

Teuta f Albanian
Possibly from an Illyrian word or title meaning "queen, lady of the people". This was the name of a 3rd-century BC Illyrian queen. After the death of her husband Agron, she ruled as the regent for his young son Pinnes.

Themistocles m Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Latinized form of the Greek name Θεμιστοκλῆς (Themistokles) meaning "glory of the law", from θέμις (themis) meaning "law of nature, divine law, custom" (genitive θέμιστος) and κλέος (kleos) meaning "glory". This was the name of an Athenian statesman and general who was victorious over the Persians in the Battle of Salamis.

Theodoric m Gothic (Anglicized)
From the Gothic name *Þiudareiks meaning "ruler of the people", derived from the elements þiuda "people" and reiks "ruler, king". 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. This was also the name of two earlier (5th century) Visigothic kings.

Thurayya f Arabic
Means "the Pleiades" in Arabic. The Pleiades are a group of stars in the constellation Taurus.

Tiberius m Ancient Roman
Roman praenomen, or given name, meaning "of the Tiber" in Latin. The Tiber is the river that runs through Rome. Tiberius was the second Roman emperor, the stepson of Emperor Augustus. He was born Tiberius Claudius Nero, but was renamed Tiberius Julius Caesar after he was designated as the heir of Augustus.

Titania f Literature
Perhaps based on Latin Titanius meaning "of the Titans". This name was (first?) used by William Shakespeare in his comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream (1595) where it belongs to the queen of the fairies, the wife of Oberon. This is also a moon of Uranus, named after the Shakespearean character.

Tom 2 m & f Hebrew
Means "the end, innocence, simplicity" from Hebrew תּוֹם (tom). It can also be an alternate transcription of תָּם (see Tam 2).

Tonalli m & f Nahuatl
Means "day, warmth of the sun" in Nahuatl.

Trevelyan m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from a Cornish place name meaning "homestead on the hill".

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.

Tsisana f Georgian
Probably derived from Georgian ცის (tsis) meaning "of the sky", the genitive case of ცა (tsa) meaning "sky, heaven". This is also an alternative Georgian word for the forget-me-not flower.

Tsisia f Georgian
Derived from Georgian ცის (tsis) meaning "of the sky", the genitive case of ცა (tsa) meaning "sky, heaven".

Túathal m Old Irish
Means "ruler of the people", from Old Irish túath "people, country" and fal "rule". This was the name of a few Irish kings, including the legendary Túathal Techtmar.

Tutankhamun m Ancient Egyptian
From Egyptian twt-ꜥnḫ-jmn meaning "image of the life of Amon", derived from twt "image" combined with ꜥnḫ "life" combined with the name of the god Amon. This was the name of a 14th-century BC pharaoh of the 18th dynasty, most famous because of the treasures found in his tomb.

Tyree m African American
From a Scottish surname, a variant of McIntyre. It has been well-used as an African-American name, especially since the 1970s, probably inspired by other similar-sounding names such as Tyrone.

Ubirajara m Tupi
Means "lord of the spear" in Tupi, from ybyra "wood, stick, spear" and îara "lord, master". This is the name of an 1874 novel by José de Alencar.

Uchenna m & f Igbo
Means "wisdom of the father, sense of the father" in Igbo.

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.

Valdís f Old Norse, Icelandic
Derived from Old Norse valr meaning "the dead, the slain" and dís meaning "goddess".

Valkyrie f Various (Rare)
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.

Valþjófr m Old Norse
Old Norse name, possibly derived from the elements valr meaning "the dead, the slain" and þjófr meaning "thief".

Vanadís f Norse Mythology
Means "goddess of the Vanir" in Old Norse. This was an epithet of the Norse goddess Freya, given because she was a member of the Vanir (as opposed to the Æsir).

Vespera f Esperanto
Means "of the evening", derived from Esperanto vespero "evening", ultimately from Latin vesper.

Virva f Finnish
Possibly 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.

Wafula m Luhya
Means "born during the rainy season", from Luhya ifula meaning "rainy season".

Walburga f German
Means "power of the fortress" from Old German walt meaning "power, authority" and burg meaning "fortress" (or perhaps from Old English cognates, though as an Old English name it is unattested). This was the name of an 8th-century Anglo-Saxon saint who did missionary work in Germany.

Walter m English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Polish, Italian, Germanic
From the Germanic name Waltheri meaning "power of the army", from the elements walt "power, authority" and heri "army". In medieval German tales (notably Waltharius by Ekkehard of Saint Gall) Walter of Aquitaine is a heroic king of the Visigoths. The name was also borne by an 11th-century French saint, Walter of Pontoise. The Normans brought it to England, where it replaced the Old English cognate Wealdhere.... [more]

Wamalwa m Luhya
Means "born during the brewing season" in Luhya.

Wanyonyi m Luhya
Means "born during the weeding season", from Luhya enyonyi meaning "weeds".

Wickaninnish m Nuu-chah-nulth (Anglicized)
Possibly means "having no one in front of him in the canoe" in Nuu-chah-nulth. This was the name of a chief of the Clayoquot in the late 18th century, at the time of European contact.

Xavier m English, French, Portuguese, Catalan, 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.

Xiadani f Zapotec
Meaning uncertain, said to mean "the flower that arrived" in Zapotec.

Yejide f Yoruba
Means "mother has awakened" in Yoruba.

Yetunde f Yoruba
Means "mother has come again" in Yoruba.

Yewande f Yoruba
Means "mother has found me" in Yoruba.

Yūka f Japanese
From Japanese 優 (yū) meaning "excellence, superiority, gentleness" and 花 (ka) meaning "flower, blossom". It can also be composed of different kanji that have the same pronunciations.

Yu-Mi f Korean
From Sino-Korean 有 (yu) meaning "have, possess" and 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful". Other hanja character combinations can also form this name.

Zebadiah m Biblical
Means "Yahweh has bestowed" in Hebrew. This is the name of several Old Testament characters.

Zephaniah m Biblical
From the Hebrew name צְפַנְיָה (Tzefanyah) meaning "Yahweh has hidden", derived from צָפַן (tzafan) meaning "to hide" and יָה (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. This is the name of one of the twelve minor prophets of the Old Testament, the author of the Book of Zephaniah.

Ziya ur-Rahman m Arabic
Means "splendour of the merciful" from Arabic ضياء (diya) meaning "splendour, light, glow" combined with رحمن (rahman) meaning "merciful".

Zulfiqar m Arabic, Urdu
From Arabic ذو الفقار (Dhu al-Faqar) interpreted as meaning "cleaver of the spine", derived from ذو (dhu) meaning "possessor, holder" and فقار (faqar) meaning "spine, vertebra". This was the name of the Prophet Muhammad's sword, also used by his son-in-law Ali.