Topaz f English (Rare)From the English word for the yellow precious stone, the traditional birthstone of November, ultimately derived from Greek
τόπαζος (topazos).
Topsy f English (Rare)From a nickname that is of unknown meaning, perhaps deriving from the English word
top. This is the name of a young slave in Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel
Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852).
Torny f Norwegian (Rare)From the Old Norse name
Þórný, which was derived from the name of the Norse god
Þórr (see
Thor) combined with
nýr "new".
Tracy f & m EnglishFrom an English surname that was taken from a Norman French place name meaning
"domain belonging to Thracius". Charles Dickens used it for a male character in his novel
The Pickwick Papers (1837). It was later popularized as a feminine name by the main character Tracy Lord in the movie
The Philadelphia Story (1940). This name is also sometimes used as a diminutive of
Theresa.
Tsuru f JapaneseFrom Japanese
鶴 (tsuru) meaning "crane (bird)", as well as other kanji combinations with the same pronunciation.
Tuba f Arabic, TurkishFrom the name of a type of tree that is believed to grow in heaven in Islamic tradition. It means "blessedness" in Arabic.
Tuğçe f TurkishDerived from Turkish
tuğ meaning
"banner, crest", referring to a type of banner made of horse hairs used in the Ottoman Empire, ultimately from Chinese
纛 (dào).
Tünde f HungarianDerived from Hungarian
tündér meaning
"fairy". The Hungarian poet Mihály Vörösmarty created this name in the 19th century.
Turan m & f Turkish, AzerbaijaniFrom Persian
توران (Tūrān), a historical region in Central Asia, originally inhabited by nomadic Iranian peoples. It is traditionally said to mean
"land of Tur". The place is mentioned frequently in the 10th-century Persian epic the
Shahnameh.
Twila f EnglishMeaning unknown. Perhaps based on the English word
twilight, or maybe from a Cajun pronunciation of French
étoile "star". It came into use as an American given name in the late 19th century.
Tyche f Greek MythologyMeans
"chance, luck, fortune" in Greek. This was the name of the Greek goddess of fortune, luck and fate.
Tyra f Swedish, English, African AmericanFrom the Old Norse name
Þýri, a variant of the Norse names
Þórví or
Þórveig. Use of the name in the English-speaking world (especially among African Americans) may be in part from the Swedish name, though it is probably also viewed as a feminine form of
Tyrone or
Tyree. A famous bearer is the American model and actress Tyra Banks (1973-).
Tyyne f FinnishDerived from Finnish
tyyni meaning
"calm, serene".
Uche m & f IgboMeans
"wisdom, sense, mind" in Igbo.
Udane f BasqueDerived from Basque
uda meaning
"summer".
Umay f Mythology, TurkishFrom a Turkic word meaning
"womb" or
"placenta". This was the name of a Turkic and Mongolian goddess associated with childbirth.
Umeko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
梅 (ume) meaning "apricot, plum" (referring to the species Prunus mume) and
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Unity f English (Rare)From the English word
unity, which is ultimately derived from Latin
unitas.
Unni f NorwegianPossibly a modern coinage based on the Old Norse elements
unnr "wave" or
unna "to love" combined with
nýr "new".
Uria m & f HebrewModern Hebrew form of
Uriah, also used as a feminine name.
Ursa f Late RomanFeminine form of
Ursus. This is the name of two constellations in the northern sky: Ursa Major and Ursa Minor.
Usagi f Popular CultureMeans
"rabbit" in Japanese. This name was used on the Japanese television show
Sailor Moon, which first aired in the 1990s.
Ushas f HinduismMeans
"dawn" in Sanskrit. This is the name of the Hindu goddess of the dawn, considered the daughter of heaven.
Uxue f BasqueFrom the Basque name of the Spanish town of Ujué where there is a church dedicated to the Virgin
Mary. Its name is derived from Basque
usoa "dove".
Uzma f ArabicMeans
"supreme, greatest" in Arabic, a derivative of
عظم (ʿaẓuma) meaning "to be great".
Vəfa f & m AzerbaijaniMeans
"loyalty" in Azerbaijani, ultimately from the Arabic root
وفى (wafā) meaning "to fulfill, to live up to a promise".
Vaike f EstonianFrom Estonian
vaikus meaning
"silence, calm". This name was coined by Andres Saal for a character in his story
Vambola (1889).
Valli f HinduismMeans
"creeping plant" in Tamil. The Tamil Hindu goddess Valli is the wife of
Murugan.
Vardo f GeorgianDerived from Georgian
ვარდი (vardi) meaning
"rose", ultimately from an Iranian language via Armenian.
Varpu f FinnishFrom the Finnish name for a type of berry bush.
Vega 1 f SpanishMeans
"meadow, plain" in Spanish. It is taken from a title of the Virgin
Mary,
La Virgen de la Vega, meaning "The Virgin of the Meadow". She is the patron saint of several Spanish municipalities, such as Salamanca.
Vega 2 f AstronomyThe name of a star in the constellation Lyra. Its name is from Arabic
الواقع (al-Wāqiʿ) meaning "the swooping (eagle)".
Velda f EnglishMeaning unknown, possibly a derivative of the Old German element
walt meaning
"power, authority".
Velia f ItalianFrom the Roman family name
Velius, which possibly means
"concealed" in Latin.
Velma f EnglishProbably a variant of
Wilma, the spelling with an
e perhaps due to the influence of
Selma 1. This name has been in use since the 19th century.
Velta f LatvianDerived from Latvian
velte meaning
"gift, tribute". The Latvian playwright Aspazija used it for a character in her play
Zaudētās Tiesības (1894).
Venka f EsperantoMeans
"victorious", from Esperanto
venki "to conquer", ultimately from Latin
vinco.
Venus f Roman MythologyMeans
"love, sexual desire" in Latin. This was the name of the Roman goddess of love and sex. Her character was assimilated with that of the Greek goddess
Aphrodite. As the mother of
Aeneas she was considered an ancestor of the Roman people. The second planet from the sun is named after her.
Vera 1 f Russian, English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, Hungarian, Slovene, Serbian, Croatian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Belarusian, GeorgianMeans
"faith" in Russian, though it is sometimes associated with the Latin word
verus "true". It has been in general use in the English-speaking world since the late 19th century.
Vered f HebrewMeans
"rose" in Hebrew, originally a borrowing from an Iranian language.
Verna f EnglishFeminine form of
Vernon, sometimes associated with the Latin word
vernus "spring". It has been in use since the 19th century.
Vesta f Roman MythologyProbably a Roman cognate of
Hestia. Vesta was the Roman goddess of the hearth. A continuous fire, tended by the Vestal Virgins, was burned in the Temple of Vesta in Rome.
Vida 2 f SloveneSlovene feminine form of
Vid. Lepa Vida ("beautiful Vida") is a character in Slovene tradition and later romantic poetry (notably by France Prešeren).
Vilja f Finnish, EstonianPossibly from the Finnish word
vilja meaning
"cereal, grain" or the Swedish word
vilja meaning
"will, intent".
Vilma f Spanish, Portuguese, Finnish, German, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Lithuanian, Latvian, Hungarian, Czech, Slovak, CroatianForm of
Wilma in several languages.
Viola f English, Italian, Swedish, Danish, Finnish, German, Hungarian, Czech, SlovakMeans
"violet" in Latin. This is the name of the heroine of William Shakespeare's comedy
Twelfth Night (1602). In the play she is the survivor of a shipwreck who disguises herself as a man named Cesario. Working as a messenger for Duke
Orsino, she attempts to convince
Olivia to marry him. Instead Viola falls in love with the duke.
Virgo f AstronomyMeans
"maiden, virgin" in Latin. This is the name of a constellation and the sixth sign of the zodiac.
Virna f ItalianAs an Italian name it owes its usage primarily to the actress Virna Lisi (1936-2014). Her name was invented by her father.
Virva f FinnishPossibly derived from Finnish
virvatuli meaning
"will o' the wisp". In folklore, will o' the wisp is a floating ball of light that appears over water.
Wafa f ArabicMeans
"loyalty, faithfulness" in Arabic, a derivative of
وفى (wafā) meaning "to fulfill, to live up to a promise".
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).
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".
Wayan m & f BalineseFrom Balinese
wayah meaning
"old, mature", ultimately from Sanskrit
वयस् (vayas) meaning "energy, strength, age". This name is traditionally given to the first-born child.
Wendy f EnglishIn the case of the character from J. M. Barrie's play
Peter Pan (1904), it was created from the nickname
fwendy "friend", given to the author by a young friend. However, the name was used prior to the play (rarely), in which case it could be related to the Welsh name
Gwendolen and other names beginning with the element
gwen meaning "white, blessed". The name only became common after Barrie's play ran.
Wenke f Low GermanLow German diminutive of Germanic names containing the element
wini meaning
"friend".
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.
Wren f English (Modern)From the English word for the small songbird. It is ultimately derived from Old English
wrenna.
Xena f Popular CultureProbably a variant of
Xenia. This was the name of the main character in the 1990s television series
Xena: Warrior Princess.
Xene f Late GreekVariant of
Xenia. This was occasionally adopted as a monastic name during the Byzantine era.
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.
Xiang m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
翔 (xiáng) meaning "soar, glide",
祥 (xiáng) meaning "good luck, good omen",
香 (xiāng) meaning "fragrant" (which is usually only feminine) or
湘 (xiāng), which refers to the Xiang River in southern China. This name can also be formed from other characters.
Xinyi m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
欣 (xīn) meaning "happy, joyous, delighted" or
心 (xīn) meaning "heart, mind, soul" combined with
怡 (yí) meaning "joy, harmony". This name can also be formed from other character combinations.
Yaara f HebrewMeans
"honeycomb" and
"honeysuckle" in Hebrew.
Yaeko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
八 (ya) and
重 (e) meaning "multilayered" and
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji characters can also form this name.
Yafa f HebrewDerived from Hebrew
יָפֶה (yafe) meaning
"beautiful, pleasant".
Yahui f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
雅 (yǎ) meaning "elegant, graceful, refined" combined with
惠 (huì) meaning "favour, benefit". This name can also be formed from other character combinations.
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).
Yami f HinduismMeans
"twin" in Sanskrit. According to the Vedas this was the name of the first woman, the twin sister of
Yama, later equated with the river goddess
Yamuna.
Yancy m & f EnglishFrom a surname, which was an Americanized form of the Dutch surname
Jansen meaning
"Jan 1's son".
Yang m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
洋 (yáng) meaning "ocean" or
阳 (yáng) meaning "light, sun, male" (which is typically only masculine), as well as other Chinese characters pronounced similarly.
Yasu 1 f & m JapaneseFrom Japanese
安 (yasu) meaning "peace, quiet",
康 (yasu) meaning "peaceful" or
坦 (yasu) meaning "flat, smooth, level", as well as other kanji that are pronounced the same way.
Yawen f ChineseFrom Chinese
雅 (yǎ) meaning "elegant, graceful, refined" combined with
雯 (wén) meaning "cloud patterns". This name can be formed of other character combinations as well.
Yazhu f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
雅 (yǎ) meaning "elegant, graceful, refined" combined with
筑 (zhù) meaning "lute, zither, build". Other character combinations are also possible.
Yente f Yiddish (Rare)From French
gentille meaning
"noble, aristocratic". This is the name of a gossipy matchmaker in the musical
Fiddler on the Roof (1964), based on late 19th-century stories by Sholem Aleichem. Due to the character, this name has also acquired the meaning "gossiper".
Yeong f & m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
英 (yeong) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero", as well as other hanja characters that are pronounced similarly. It usually occurs in combination with another character, though it is sometimes used as a stand-alone name. This name was borne by Jang Yeong-sil (where
Jang is the surname), a 15th-century Korean scientist and inventor.
Yihan f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
一 (yī) meaning "one" or
艺 (yì) meaning "art, talent, craft" combined with
涵 (hán) meaning "contain, include". This name can also be formed from other combinations of similar-sounding characters.
Yijun m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
怡 (yí) meaning "joy, harmony" combined with
君 (jūn) meaning "king, ruler". This name can also be formed from other character combinations.
Ying f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
英 (yīng) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero",
颖 (yǐng) meaning "clever", or
影 (yǐng) meaning "image, shadow", as well as other characters that are pronounced similarly.
Yinuo f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
一 (yī) meaning "one" or
依 (yī) meaning "rely on" combined with
诺 (nuò) meaning "promise, approve". Other combinations of similar-sounding characters can also form this name.
Yōko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
陽 (yō) meaning "light, sun, male" or
洋 (yō) meaning "ocean" combined with
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other combinations of kanji characters can also form this name.
Yong m & f Chinese, KoreanFrom Chinese
勇 (yǒng) meaning "brave" or
永 (yǒng) meaning "perpetual, eternal". This can also be a single-character Korean name, for example from the hanja
勇 meaning "brave". It can be formed by other characters besides those listed here.
Yoshi m & f JapaneseFrom Japanese
吉 (yoshi) meaning "good luck",
義 (yoshi) meaning "righteous", or
良 (yoshi) meaning "good, virtuous, respectable", as well as other kanji with the same reading.
Yuan m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
元 (yuán) meaning "first, origin",
原 (yuán) meaning "source, origin", or
媛 (yuàn) meaning "beautiful woman" (which is usually only feminine). Other characters are also possible.
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.
Yūki m & f JapaneseFrom Japanese
優 (yū) meaning "excellence, superiority, gentleness" or
悠 (yū) meaning "permanence" combined with
希 (ki) meaning "hope",
輝 (ki) meaning "brightness" or
生 (ki) meaning "living". Other combinations of kanji can form this name as well.