Vyasa m HinduismMeans
"arranger, compiler" in Sanskrit. In Hindu belief this is the name of a sage who is the traditional author of the
Mahabharata and the Puranas. According to the text itself, he was a son of
Satyavati and
Parashara. His birth name was
Krishna Dvaipayana, while
Vyasa was his title.
Wafa f ArabicMeans
"loyalty, faithfulness" in Arabic, a derivative of
وفى (wafā) meaning "to fulfill, to live up to a promise".
Wafula m LuhyaMeans
"born during the rainy season", from Luhya
ifula meaning "rainy season".
Wakana f JapaneseFrom Japanese
和 (wa) meaning "harmony, peace" and
奏 (kana) meaning "play music, complete", as well as other combinations of kanji that are pronounced the same way.
Walburga f GermanMeans
"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.
Wamalwa m LuhyaMeans
"born during the brewing season" in Luhya.
Wanda f Polish, English, German, FrenchPossibly from a Germanic name meaning
"a Wend", referring to the Slavic people who inhabited eastern Germany. In Polish legends this was the name of the daughter of King Krak, the legendary founder of Krakow. It was introduced to the English-speaking world by the author Ouida, who used it for the heroine in her novel
Wanda (1883).
Wanjala m LuhyaMeans
"born during famine", from Luhya
injala meaning "hunger, famine".
Wapasha m SiouxMeans
"red leaf" in Dakota, from
waȟpé "leaf" and
šá "red". This was the name of several Dakota chiefs.
Warda f ArabicMeans
"rose" in Arabic, ultimately a borrowing from an Iranian language.
Wassa f Anglo-SaxonMeaning uncertain. It may be a short form of a longer name such as
Wāðsige, composed of the elements
wāð "hunt" and
sige "victory".
Wenonah f LiteratureVariant of
Winona. This spelling of the name was used by the American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow for the mother of Hiawatha in his 1855 epic poem
The Song of Hiawatha.
Wilda f EnglishMeaning uncertain, perhaps from a German surname, or perhaps from the English word
wild. It has been in use since the 19th century.
Williamina f ScottishFeminine form of
William. A famous bearer of this name was Williamina Fleming (1857-1911), a Scottish astronomer.
Winona f English, SiouxMeans
"firstborn daughter" in Dakota or Lakota. According to folklore, this was the name of a daughter of a Dakota chief (possibly
Wapasha III) who leapt from a cliff to her death rather than marry a man she hated. Numerous places in the United States have been named after her. The actress Winona Ryder (1971-) was named after the city in Minnesota where she was born.
Wisteria f English (Rare)From the name of the flowering plant, which was named for the American anatomist Caspar Wistar.
Wulfila m Gothic (Hypothetical)Means
"little wolf", from a diminutive of the Gothic element
wulfs. This was the name of a 4th-century Gothic bishop and missionary. He translated the New Testament into Gothic.
Xena f Popular CultureProbably a variant of
Xenia. This was the name of the main character in the 1990s television series
Xena: Warrior Princess.
Xenia f Greek, Spanish, Ancient GreekMeans
"hospitality" in Greek, a derivative of
ξένος (xenos) meaning "foreigner, guest". This was the name of a 5th-century saint who is venerated in the Eastern Church.
Xia m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
夏 (xià) meaning "summer, great, grand",
霞 (xiá) meaning "rosy clouds", or other characters that are pronounced similarly.
Xquenda f & m ZapotecFrom Zapotec
guenda "spirit, soul, essence" combined with the possessive prefix
x-.
Ya f ChineseFrom Chinese
雅 (yǎ) meaning "elegant, graceful, refined" or other characters with a similar pronunciation.
Yaa f AkanMeans
"born on Thursday" in Akan.
Yaara f HebrewMeans
"honeycomb" and
"honeysuckle" in Hebrew.
Yadira f Spanish (Latin American), American (Hispanic)Meaning unknown, possibly derived from an Arabic name. It has been used in Mexico since at least the 1940s, perhaps inspired by the Colombian actress Yadira Jiménez (1928-?), who performed in Mexican films beginning in 1946.
Yaiza f SpanishFrom the name of a town in the Canary Islands, Spain. It was used by the novelist Alberto Vázquez-Figueroa for the main character in his
Ocean trilogy of books (beginning 1984).
Yama 1 m HinduismMeans
"twin" in Sanskrit. This is the name of the Hindu god of death. According to the Vedas he was the first mortal being, or in other words, the first person to die. This name is related to Persian
Jam.
Yamuna f Hinduism, Tamil, TeluguFrom the name of an Indian river, a major tributary of the Ganges, derived from Sanskrit
यम (yama) meaning
"twin". As a Hindu goddess, she is a personification of the river.
Yekaterina f RussianRussian form of
Katherine. This name was adopted by the German princess Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst in 1744 shortly before she married the future Russian emperor Peter III. She later overthrew her husband and ruled as empress, known as Catherine the Great in English.
Yemayá f Afro-American MythologySpanish form of
Yemọja, used in various Afro-American syncretic religions in the Caribbean and South America. In Cuba she is identified with Our Lady of
Regla, an aspect of the Virgin
Mary.
Yemọja f Yoruba MythologyMeans
"mother of fish" in Yoruba, derived from
iye "mother",
ọmọ "child" and
ẹja "fish". In traditional Yoruba religion she is the goddess of the Ogun River, pregnancy and motherhood.
Yeong-Ja f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
英 (yeong) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero" and
子 (ja) meaning "child". Other hanja character combinations can form this name as well. Feminine names ending with the character
子 (a fashionable name suffix in Japan, read as
-ko in Japanese) were popular in Korea during the period of Japanese rule (1910-1945). After liberation this name and others like it declined in popularity.
Yesenia f Spanish (Latin American)From
Jessenia, the genus name of a variety of palm trees found in South America. As a given name, it was popularized by the writer Yolanda Vargas Dulché in the 1970 Mexican telenovela
Yesenia and the 1971 film adaptation.
Yeshua m Biblical Hebrew, Ancient AramaicContracted form of
Yehoshuaʿ (see
Joshua) used in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah in the Hebrew Bible. The form was also used in Aramaic, and was most likely the name represented by Greek
Iesous (see
Jesus) in the New Testament. This means it was probably the real name of Jesus.
Yevpraksiya f Russian (Rare)Russian form of
Eupraxia. This was the name of a daughter of Vsevolod I, grand prince of Kyiv, who became the wife of the Holy Roman emperor Henry IV.
Yoda m Popular CultureThe name of a short green alien in the
Star Wars series of movies, first appearing in the second movie
The Empire Strikes Back (1980). The name has no meaning; it was devised for its sound by creator George Lucas.
Yolanda f Spanish, EnglishFrom the medieval French name
Yolande, which was probably a form of the name
Violante, which was itself a derivative of Latin
viola "violet". Alternatively it could be of Germanic origin.
... [more] Yonaguska m CherokeeMeans
"drowning bear" from Cherokee
ᏲᎾ (yona) "bear" and possibly
ᎫᏂᏍᎧ (guniska) "drown". This was the name of a 19th-century Eastern Cherokee chief.
Yōta m JapaneseFrom Japanese
陽 (yō) meaning "light, sun, male" and
太 (ta) meaning "thick, big, great". Other character combinations are possible.
Yua f JapaneseFrom Japanese
結 (yu) meaning "tie, bind" and
愛 (a) meaning "love, affection". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Yudhishthira m HinduismDerived from Sanskrit
युधि (yudhi) meaning "war" and
स्थिर (sthira) meaning "firm, steady". In the Hindu epic the
Mahabharata, Yudhishthira was the eldest of the Pandavas, the five sons of
Pandu. In actuality, he was born to Pandu's wife
Kunti by the god
Yama.
Yuina f JapaneseFrom Japanese
結 (yui) meaning "tie, bind" and
菜 (na) meaning "vegetables, greens". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Yūka f JapaneseFrom 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.
Yuka f JapaneseFrom Japanese
由 (yu) meaning "reason, cause" combined with
香 (ka) meaning "fragrance" or
佳 (ka) meaning "good, beautiful". It can also be formed from different kanji that have similar pronunciations.
Yūma m JapaneseFrom Japanese
悠 (yū) meaning "permanence" or
優 (yū) meaning "excellence, superiority, gentleness" combined with
真 (ma) meaning "real, genuine". Other combinations of kanji can form this name as well.
Yūna f JapaneseFrom Japanese
優 (yū) meaning "excellence, superiority, gentleness" or
柚 (yū) meaning "grapefruit, pomelo, citrus fruit" combined with
菜 (na) meaning "vegetables, greens" or
奈 (na), a phonetic character. Other combinations of kanji are also possible.
Yurena f Spanish (Canarian)Canarian Spanish name of recent origin, derived from the Guanche word
yruene meaning
"demon, evil spirit". This word was first recorded incorrectly as
yurena by the French naturalist Jean-Baptiste Bory de Saint-Vincent in 1803.
Yusra f ArabicMeans
"wealth, ease" in Arabic, a derivative of
يسر (yasira) meaning "to be easy, to be rich".
Yūta m JapaneseFrom Japanese
優 (yū) meaning "excellence, superiority, gentleness",
悠 (yū) meaning "permanence" or
勇 (yū) meaning "brave" combined with
太 (ta) meaning "thick, big, great". Other combinations of kanji are possible.
Yutaka m JapaneseFrom Japanese
豊 (yutaka) meaning "luxuriant, lush, bountiful" or
裕 (yutaka) meaning "abundant, rich, plentiful". Other kanji can also form this name.
Yuuta m JapaneseAlternate transcription of Japanese Kanji
優太 or
悠太 or
勇太 or
雄大 (see
Yūta).
Zababa m Sumerian MythologyMeaning unknown. This was the name of a Sumerian and Akkadian war god worshipped in the city-state of Kish.
Zachariah m English, BiblicalVariant of
Zechariah. This spelling is used in the King James Version of the Old Testament to refer to one of the kings of Israel (called Zechariah in other versions).
Zaida f Arabic (Rare), SpanishFeminine form of
Zayd. This was the name of a Muslim princess who took refuge at the court of (and perhaps married) Alfonso VI of León and Castile in the 11th century.
Zaira f Italian, SpanishItalian and Spanish form of
Zaïre. It was used by Vincenzo Bellini for the heroine of his opera
Zaira (1829), which was based on Voltaire's 1732 play
Zaïre.
Zara 1 f Literature, EnglishUsed by William Congreve for a character in his tragedy
The Mourning Bride (1697), where it belongs to a captive North African queen. Congreve may have based it on the Arabic name
Zahra 1. In 1736 the English writer Aaron Hill used it to translate
Zaïre for his popular adaptation of Voltaire's French play
Zaïre (1732).
... [more] Zarathustra m HistoryFrom Avestan
𐬰𐬀𐬭𐬀𐬚𐬎𐬱𐬙𐬭𐬀 (Zarathushtra), in which the second element is
𐬎𐬱𐬙𐬭𐬀 (ushtra) meaning "camel". Proposed meanings for the first element include "old", "moving", "angry" and "yellow". Zarathustra was an Iranian prophet who founded the ancient religion of Zoroastrianism around the 10th century BC. He is also called
Zoroaster in English, from the Greek form of his name
Ζωροάστρης (Zoroastres).
Zarina f Uzbek, Kazakh, Tajik, Urdu, MalayFrom Persian
زرین (zarīn) meaning
"golden". According to the 5th-century BC Greek historian Ctesias, this was the name of a Scythian queen.
Zdislava f CzechCzech feminine form of
Zdzisław. This name was borne by the 13th-century Czech saint Zdislava Berka.
Zebadiah m BiblicalMeans
"Yahweh has given" in Hebrew, derived from
זָבַד (zavaḏ) meaning "to give" and
יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. This is the name of several Old Testament characters.
Zebidah f BiblicalDerived from Hebrew
זָבַד (zavaḏ) meaning "to give". In the Old Testament she is a wife of King
Josiah of Judah and the mother of
Jehoiakim. Her name is spelled as
Zebudah in some translations.
Zebudah f BiblicalVariant of
Zebidah found in some versions of the Old Testament (including the King James Version).
Zechariah m Biblical, EnglishFrom the Hebrew name
זְכַרְיָה (Zeḵarya) meaning
"Yahweh remembers", from the roots
זָכַר (zaḵar) meaning "to remember" and
יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. This is the name of many characters in the Old Testament, including the prophet Zechariah, the author of the Book of Zechariah. The name also appears in the New Testament belonging to the father of
John the Baptist, who was temporarily made dumb because of his disbelief. He is regarded as a saint by Christians. In some versions of the New Testament his name is spelled in the Greek form
Zacharias or the English form
Zachary. As an English given name,
Zechariah has been in occasional use since the Protestant Reformation.
Zedekiah m BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
צִדְקִיָּהוּ (Tsiḏqiyyahu) meaning
"Yahweh is righteousness", from
צֶדֶק (tseḏeq) meaning "justice, righteousness" and
יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. In the Old Testament this is the name of the last king of Judah.
Zelda 2 f EnglishShort form of
Griselda. This is the name of a princess in the
Legend of Zelda video games, debuting in 1986 and called
ゼルダ (Zeruda) in Japanese. According to creator Shigeru Miyamoto she was named after the American socialite Zelda Fitzgerald (1900-1948).
Zella f EnglishMeaning unknown, possibly an invented name. It arose in the 19th century.
Zena f EnglishMeaning unknown. It could be a variant of
Xenia or a diminutive of names featuring this sound, such as
Alexina,
Rosina or
Zenobia. This name has occasionally been used since the 19th century.
Zenaida f Late GreekApparently a Greek derivative of
Ζηναΐς (Zenais), which was derived from the name of the Greek god
Zeus. This was the name of a 1st-century saint who was a doctor with her sister Philonella.
Zenobia f Ancient GreekMeans
"life of Zeus", derived from Greek
Ζηνός (Zenos) meaning "of
Zeus" and
βίος (bios) meaning "life". This was the name of the queen of the Palmyrene Empire, which broke away from Rome in the 3rd-century and began expanding into Roman territory. She was eventually defeated by the emperor
Aurelian. Her Greek name was used as an approximation of her native Aramaic name.