Prithvi m & f Hindi, Nepali, HinduismFrom Sanskrit
पृथ्वी (pṛthvī) meaning
"earth", derived from
पृथु (pṛthu) meaning "wide, vast". This is the name of a Hindu goddess, a personification of the earth in the
Rigveda. She is the consort of the sky god
Dyaus. When used as a given name in modern times it is typically masculine.
Puabi f AkkadianMeans
"word of my father", from Akkadian
pû meaning "mouth" and
abu meaning "father". Puabi was a 26th-century BC Akkadian noblewoman who was buried in the Sumerian city of Ur.
Pualani f HawaiianMeans
"heavenly flower" or
"royal offspring" from Hawaiian
pua "flower, offspring" and
lani "heaven, sky, royal, majesty".
Puanani f HawaiianMeans
"beautiful flower" or
"beautiful offspring" from Hawaiian
pua "flower, offspring" and
nani "beauty, glory".
Quetzalli f NahuatlMeans
"feather (from the quetzal bird)" or
"precious thing" in Nahuatl.
Rakhi f HindiFrom a word for a type of ritual wristband, ultimately from Sanskrit
रक्ष् (rakṣ) meaning "to protect".
Rati f Hinduism, HindiMeans
"rest, repose, pleasure" in Sanskrit. This is the name of the Hindu goddess of love and pleasure, the wife of
Kama.
Rei f JapaneseFrom Japanese
鈴 (rei) meaning "bell",
麗 (rei) meaning "beautiful, lovely" or
玲 (rei) meaning "the tinkling of jade". This name can also be formed by other kanji with the same pronunciation.
Rohini f Hinduism, MarathiMeans
"ascending" in Sanskrit, also the Sanskrit name for the star Aldebaran. This is a Hindu goddess, the favourite consort of the moon god
Chandra. The name was also borne by a wife of
Vasudeva and the mother of
Balarama according to the Hindu epic the
Mahabharata.
Romi f HebrewMeans
"my height, my exaltation" in Hebrew.
Roshni f Marathi, HindiFrom Hindi and Marathi
रौशनी (raushanī) meaning
"light, brightness", ultimately of Persian origin.
Rukmini f Hinduism, Marathi, KannadaMeans
"adorned with gold" in Sanskrit. According to the Hindu epic the
Mahabharata and the Puranas this was the name of a princess of Vidarbha who became the first wife of
Krishna. She is regarded as an avatar of
Lakshmi.
Ruoxi f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
若 (ruò) meaning "like, if" and
汐 (xī) meaning "evening tide". Other combinations of similar-sounding characters can also form this name.
Saki f JapaneseFrom Japanese
咲 (sa) meaning "blossom" and
希 (ki) meaning "hope", besides other combinations of kanji characters.
Saori f JapaneseFrom Japanese
沙 (sa) meaning "sand" or
早 (sa) meaning "already, now" combined with
織 (ori) meaning "weaving". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.
Saraswati f Hinduism, Hindi, MarathiMeans
"possessing water" from Sanskrit
सरस् (saras) meaning "fluid, water, lake" and
वती (vatī) meaning "having". This is the name of a Hindu river goddess, also associated with learning and the arts, who is the wife of
Brahma. She appears in the Vedas.
Sati f HinduismFrom Sanskrit
सत् (sat) meaning
"true, virtuous". This is the name of a Hindu goddess, the first wife of
Shiva. A daughter of King
Daksha, she threw herself onto a fire when her husband was insulted by her father. After her death she was eventually reborn as the goddess
Parvati.
Satomi f JapaneseFrom Japanese
里 (sato) meaning "village" or
聡 (sato) meaning "intelligent, clever, bright" combined with
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Savitri f Hinduism, Hindi, MarathiMeans
"of the sun" in Sanskrit. This is the name of a hymn in the
Rigveda dedicated to
Savitr, a sun god. This is also the name of Savitr's daughter, a wife of
Brahma, considered an aspect of
Saraswati. 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.
Sayuri f JapaneseFrom Japanese
小 (sa) meaning "small" and
百合 (yuri) meaning "lily". This name can also be composed of other kanji combinations.
Selbi f TurkmenMeans
"cypress" in Turkmen (derived from Persian, ultimately from Sumerian).
Selvi f TurkishMeans
"cypress" in Turkish (derived from Persian, ultimately from Sumerian).
Shachi f HinduismFrom Sanskrit
शची (śacī) meaning
"eloquence, speech, skill, power". This is another name of the Hindu goddess
Indrani.
Shai m & f HebrewEither from Hebrew
שַׁי (shai) meaning
"gift" or else a Hebrew diminutive of
Isaiah.
Shakti f & m Hinduism, HindiMeans
"power" in Sanskrit. In Hinduism a shakti is the female counterpart of a god. The name Shakti is used in particular to refer to the female counterpart of
Shiva, also known as
Parvati among many other names.
Shashi m & f Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Kannada, TeluguTraditional name for the moon, it literally means "having a hare" in Sanskrit. This is a transcription of both the masculine form
शशि and the feminine form
शशी (spelled with a long final vowel).
Shi m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
时 (shí) meaning "time, era, season",
实 (shí) meaning "real, honest",
史 (shǐ) meaning "history" or
石 (shí) meaning "stone". Other characters can form this name as well.
Shiori f & m JapaneseAs a feminine name it can be from Japanese
詩 (shi) meaning "poem" combined with
織 (ori) meaning "weave". It can also be from
栞 (shiori) meaning "bookmark" (usually feminine) or
撓 (shiori) meaning "lithe, bending" (usually masculine), as well as other kanji or kanji combinations.
Shri f HinduismMeans
"diffusing light, radiance, beauty" in Sanskrit, a word used as a title of respect in India. This is another name of the Hindu goddess
Lakshmi.
Shui m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
水 (shuǐ) meaning "water", as well as other characters pronounced in a similar way.
Siddhi f MarathiMeans
"accomplishment, success, attainment" in Sanskrit, referring to spiritual or psychic powers attained through meditation or yoga.
Sini f FinnishMeans
"blue" in Finnish. More specifically,
sini is a poetic term for the colour blue.
Skaði f Norse MythologyMeans
"damage, harm" in Old Norse. In Norse mythology she was a giantess (jǫtunn) associated with the winter, skiing and mountains. After the gods killed her father, they offered her a husband from among them as compensation. She ended up marrying
Njord.
Srbuhi f ArmenianMeans
"holy woman, female saint" in Armenian, derived from
սուրբ (surb) meaning "holy, sacred".
Sri m & f Telugu, Tamil, IndonesianIndonesian and southern Indian form of
Shri. It is sometimes a short form of longer names containing this element.
Stefani f English, BulgarianEnglish variant and Bulgarian form of
Stephanie. A notable bearer is Stefani Germanotta (1986-), an American singer better known as Lady Gaga.
Sulastri f Javanese, IndonesianPossibly from Javanese
solatri, the name of a flowering plant (species Calophyllum soulattri). This is the name of a wife of
Arjuna in the Javanese version of the Hindu epic the
Mahabharata.
Sumati f Hinduism, HindiMeans
"wise, good mind", derived from Sanskrit
सु (su) meaning "good" and
मति (mati) meaning "mind, thought". According to Hindu tradition this was the name of King Sagara's second wife, who bore him 60,000 children.
Suniti f HindiMeans
"good conduct" from the Sanskrit prefix
सु (su) meaning "good" combined with
नीति (nīti) meaning "guidance, moral conduct".
Swati f Hindi, MarathiFrom the Indian name of the fourth brightest star in the night sky, called
Arcturus in the western world.
Tai m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
太 (tài) meaning "very, extreme" or other characters pronounced in a similar way.
Taimi f Finnish, EstonianFrom Finnish
taimi meaning
"sapling, young tree" or Estonian
taim meaning
"plant" (words from a common origin).
Talvikki f Finnish (Rare)Derived from Finnish
talvi meaning
"winter". This is also the Finnish word for the wintergreen plant (genus Pyrola).
Tamari f GeorgianForm of
Tamar with the nominative suffix, used in Georgian when the name is written stand-alone.
Tambudzai f ShonaFrom Shona
tambudza meaning
"make trouble, frustrate".
Tendai m & f ShonaFrom Shona
tenda meaning
"be thankful, thank".
Terhi f FinnishShort form of
Terhenetär, which was derived from Finnish
terhen meaning
"mist". In the Finnish epic the
Kalevala Terhenetär is a sprite associated with mist and forests.
Thị f VietnameseFrom Sino-Vietnamese
氏 (thị) meaning
"clan, family, maiden name". This is a very common middle name for Vietnamese girls.
Thiri f BurmeseMeans
"radiance, splendour, beauty" in Burmese, ultimately from Sanskrit
श्री (śrī).
Tivoli m & f Various (Rare)From the name of a picturesque Italian town, used as a summer resort by the ancient Romans.
Tomomi f & m JapaneseFrom Japanese
智 (tomo) meaning "wisdom, intellect" or
朋 (tomo) meaning "friend" combined with
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" or
実 (mi) meaning "fruit, good result, truth". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.
Tri m & f IndonesianMeans
"three, third" in Indonesian, ultimately from Sanskrit
त्रि (tri).
Tsiuri f GeorgianMeans
"heavenly, celestial" in Georgian, a derivative of
ცა (tsa) meaning "sky, heaven".
Tsubaki f JapaneseFrom Japanese
椿 (tsubaki) meaning "camellia (flower)", as well as other combinations of kanji that are pronounced the same way.
Tumaini f & m SwahiliMeans
"wish, hope" in Swahili, from Arabic
طمع (ṭamiʿa) meaning "to desire".
Tuulikki f Finnish, Finnish MythologyMeans
"little wind" in Finnish, derived from
tuuli "wind". This was the name of a Finnish forest goddess, the daughter of Tapio.
Ugochi f IgboMeans
"eagle of God" in Igbo, from
ùgó meaning "eagle, honour" and
Chi 2, referring to God.
Uʻilani f & m HawaiianMeans
"heavenly beauty" or
"royal beauty" from Hawaiian
uʻi "youth, beauty" and
lani "heaven, sky, royal, majesty".
Unathi m & f XhosaMeans
"he or she is with us" in Xhosa, from the prefix
u- meaning "he, she" and
nathi meaning "with us".
Unni f NorwegianPossibly a modern coinage based on the Old Norse elements
unnr "wave" or
unna "to love" combined with
nýr "new".
Urvashi f Hinduism, HindiPossibly means
"widely spreading", derived from Sanskrit
उरु (uru) meaning "wide" and
अश् (aś) meaning "to prevade". According to Hindu scripture this was the name of an apsara (a type of female spirit) who was the wife of Pururavas.
Usagi f Popular CultureMeans
"rabbit" in Japanese. This name was used on the Japanese television show
Sailor Moon, which first aired in the 1990s.
Valli f HinduismMeans
"creeping plant" in Tamil. The Tamil Hindu goddess Valli is the wife of
Murugan.
Vashti f BiblicalProbably of Persian origin, possibly a superlative form of
𐎺𐎢 (vahu) meaning
"good". According to the Old Testament this was the name of the first wife of King
Ahasuerus of Persia before he married
Esther.
Verdandi f Norse MythologyFrom Old Norse
Verðandi meaning
"becoming, happening". Verdandi was one of the three Norns, or goddesses of destiny, in Norse mythology. She was responsible for the present.
Wambui f KikuyuMeans
"zebra" in Kikuyu. This is one of
Mumbi's nine daughters in the Kikuyu origin legend.
Wangari f KikuyuFrom Kikuyu
ngarĩ meaning
"leopard". In the Kikuyu origin legend this is the name of one of the nine daughters of
Mumbi.
Wangui f KikuyuFrom Kikuyu
ngũi meaning
"song leader". This is one of
Mumbi's nine daughters in the Kikuyu origin legend.
Wei m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
威 (wēi) meaning "power, pomp",
巍 (wēi) meaning "high, lofty, towering" or
伟 (wěi) meaning "great, robust, extraordinary". As a feminine name it can come from
微 (wēi) meaning "small" or
薇 (wēi) meaning "fern". This name can be formed by other Chinese characters besides those shown here.
Xiadani f ZapotecMeaning uncertain, said to mean
"the flower that arrived" in Zapotec.
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.
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.
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.
Yeong-Hui f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
英 (yeong) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero" or
泳 (yeong) meaning "dive, swim" combined with
姬 (hui) meaning "beauty" or
嬉 (hui) meaning "enjoy, play". Other combinations of hanja characters can form this name as well.
Yi f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
宜 (yí) meaning "suitable, proper",
毅 (yì) meaning "resolute, decisive, firm",
义 (yì) meaning "justice, righteousness",
益 (yì) meaning "profit, benefit",
怡 (yí) meaning "joy, harmony" (which is usually only feminine) or
仪 (yí) meaning "ceremony, rites" (also usually feminine). Other characters can also form this name.
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.
Yui f JapaneseFrom Japanese
結 (yu) meaning "tie, bind" or
優 (yu) meaning "excellence, superiority, gentleness" combined with
衣 (i) meaning "clothing, garment". It can also come from stand-alone
結 (yui) using a different nanori reading. This name can be formed of other kanji or kanji combinations as well.
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.
Yuki f & m JapaneseFrom Japanese
幸 (yuki) meaning "happiness" or
雪 (yuki) meaning "snow". It can also come from
由 (yu) meaning "reason, cause" combined with
貴 (ki) meaning "valuable" or
紀 (ki) meaning "chronicle". Other kanji or kanji combinations are also possible.
Yu-Mi f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
有 (yu) meaning "have, possess" and
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful". Other hanja character combinations can also form this name.
Yumi f JapaneseFrom Japanese
弓 (yumi) meaning "archery bow". It can also come from
由 (yu) meaning "reason, cause",
友 (yu) meaning "friend" or a nanori reading of
弓 (yu) meaning "archery bow" combined with
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful". Other kanji or kanji combinations are also possible.
Yūri f JapaneseFrom Japanese
悠 (yū) meaning "permanence" and
里 (ri) meaning "village". This name can also be formed from other combinations of kanji.
Yuri 2 f JapaneseFrom Japanese
百合 (yuri) meaning "lily". Other kanji or combinations of kanji can also form this name.
Yuuki m & f JapaneseAlternate transcription of Japanese Kanji
優希 or
悠希 or
優輝 or
悠生 (see
Yūki).
Yuzuki f JapaneseFrom Japanese
柚 (yuzu) meaning "grapefruit, pomelo, citrus fruit" and
希 (ki) meaning "hope". Other combinations of kanji can form this name as well.
Zawadi f & m SwahiliMeans
"gift" in Swahili, derived from Arabic
زواد (zawād) meaning "provisions".
Zhi m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
志 (zhì) meaning "will, purpose, ambition" or
智 (zhì) meaning "wisdom, intellect", as well as other characters that are pronounced similarly.