Ratomir m SerbianDerived from the Slavic elements
ortĭ (Serbo-Croatian
rat) meaning "war, battle" and
mirŭ meaning "peace, world".
Rayner m English (Archaic)From the Germanic name
Raginheri, composed of the elements
regin "advice, counsel, decision" and
heri "army". Saint Rainerius was a 12th-century hermit from Pisa. The Normans brought this name to England where it came into general use, though it was rare by the end of the Middle Ages.
Reidar m NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Hreiðarr, which was derived from the elements
hreiðr "nest, home" and
herr "army, warrior".
Renard m French (Rare)French form of
Reynard. Because of the medieval character Reynard the Fox,
renard became a French word meaning "fox".
Reynard m English (Rare)From the Germanic name
Raginhard, composed of the elements
regin "advice, counsel, decision" and
hart "hard, firm, brave, hardy". The Normans brought it to England in the form
Reinard, though it never became very common there. In medieval fables the name was borne by the sly hero Reynard the Fox (with the result that
renard has become a French word meaning "fox").
Richard m English, French, German, Czech, Slovak, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, GermanicMeans
"brave ruler", derived from the Old German elements
rih "ruler, king" and
hart "hard, firm, brave, hardy". This was the name of three early dukes of Normandy. The Normans introduced it to England when they invaded in the 11th century, and it has been very common there since that time. It was borne by three kings of England including the 12th-century Richard I the Lionheart, one of the leaders of the Third Crusade.
... [more] Rígbarddán m Old IrishMeans
"little poet of the king", from Old Irish
rí "king" (genitive
ríg) combined with
bard "poet" and a diminutive suffix.
Rosario f & m Spanish, ItalianMeans
"rosary", and is taken from the Spanish title of the Virgin
Mary Nuestra Señora del Rosario meaning "Our Lady of the Rosary". This name is feminine in Spanish and masculine in Italian.
Ruaidhrí m IrishFrom Old Irish
Ruaidrí meaning
"red king", from
rúad "red" combined with
rí "king". This was the name of the last high king of Ireland, reigning in the 12th century.
Ruarc m IrishFrom Old Irish
Ruarcc. It was possibly an early borrowing from the Old Norse name
Hrǿríkr. Alternatively it might be derived from Old Irish elements such as
rúad "red" and
arg "hero, champion". This was the name of a 9th-century king of Leinster.
Rudyard m English (Rare)From a place name meaning
"red yard" in Old English. This name was borne by Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936), the author of
The Jungle Book and other works, who was named after Rudyard Lake in Staffordshire.
Runar m NorwegianDerived from the Old Norse elements
rún "secret lore, rune" and
herr "army, warrior". This name did not exist in Old Norse, but was created in the modern era.
Saburō m JapaneseFrom Japanese
三 (sabu) meaning "three" and
郎 (rō) meaning "son". This was traditionally a name for the third son. Other kanji combinations are possible as well.
Sacheverell m English (Rare)From a now extinct English surname that was derived from a Norman place name. It was occasionally given in honour of the English preacher Henry Sacheverell (1674-1724), especially by the Sitwell noble family.
Sacramento f & m SpanishMeans
"sacrament" in Spanish. In Christianity the sacraments are sacred rites, such as baptism. The word is derived from Latin
sacramentum, a derivative of
sacro meaning "to make sacred, to consecrate".
Sacripante m Carolingian CycleMeaning uncertain, possibly related to Italian
sacro "to consecrate". This is the name of a Saracen warrior king in the epic
Orlando poems (1495 and 1532) by Boiardo and Ariosto.
Sakhr m ArabicMeans
"solid rock" in Arabic. This name appears in the poems of the 7th-century poetess Al-Khansa.
Salvador m Spanish, Portuguese, CatalanSpanish, Portuguese and Catalan form of the Late Latin name
Salvator, which meant
"saviour", referring to
Jesus. A famous bearer of this name was the Spanish surrealist painter Salvador Dalí (1904-1989).
Samir 1 m Arabic, AzerbaijaniMeans
"companion in evening talk" in Arabic, from the root
سمر (samara) meaning "to talk in the evening". This transcription represents two related yet distinct Arabic names:
سمير, in which the second vowel is long, and
سامر, in which the first vowel is long.
Sandro m Italian, GeorgianShort form of
Alessandro (Italian) or
Aleksandre (Georgian). Sandro Botticelli (1445-1510) was an Italian Renaissance artist, the painter of
The Birth of Venus and other famous works.
Sanford m EnglishFrom an English surname, originally from a place name, which meant
"sand ford" in Old English.
Sanjar m Uzbek, Medieval TurkicTurkic name meaning
"he who pierces, he who thrusts". Ahmad Sanjar was an 11th-century sultan of the Seljuq Empire.
Sarava m Various (Rare)From a phrase used by members of the Candomblé religion (an African religion that was taken to Brazil by African slaves), which means
"good luck".
Sardar m Persian, Urdu, PashtoFrom a title meaning
"chief, leader", derived from Persian
سر (sar) meaning "head, authority" and the suffix
دار (dār) meaning "possessor".
Sargon m Akkadian (Anglicized), Biblical, Biblical HebrewFrom the Hebrew form
סַרְגּוֹן (Sargon) of the Akkadian name
Sharru-ukin, from
šarru meaning "king" and
kīnu meaning "legitimate, true". This was the name of the first king of the Akkadian Empire, beginning in the 24th century BC. It was also borne by the 8th-century BC Assyrian king Sargon II, who appears briefly in the Old Testament. The usual English spelling of the name is based on this biblical mention, applied retroactively to the earlier king.
Sarpedon m Greek MythologyMeaning 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.
Satoru m JapaneseFrom Japanese
悟 (satoru) meaning "enlightenment" or
聡 (satoru) meaning "intelligent, clever". Other kanji with the same pronunciation can also form this name.
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.
Saturninus m Ancient RomanRoman cognomen derived from the name of the Roman god
Saturnus (see
Saturn). This was the name of several early saints.
Sauron m LiteratureMeans
"abhorred" in the fictional language Quenya. Sauron is a powerful evil being in J. R. R. Tolkien's novels, serving as the main antagonist in
The Lord of the Rings (1954). During the novels he appears as a disembodied lidless eye, though in earlier times he took on other forms.
Savitr m HinduismMeans
"rouser, stimulator" in Sanskrit. This is the name of a Vedic Hindu sun god, sometimes identified with
Surya.
Sawyer m & f English (Modern)From an English surname meaning
"sawer of wood". Mark Twain used it for the hero in his novel
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876).
... [more] Shadrach m BiblicalMeans
"command of Aku" in Akkadian,
Aku being the name of the Babylonian god of the moon. In the Old Testament Shadrach is the Babylonian name of
Hananiah, one of the three men cast into a fiery furnace but saved by God.
Shahrivar m Persian MythologyPersian 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.
Shahrokh m PersianMeans
"royal face" in Persian, from
شاه (shāh) meaning "king" and
رخ (rokh) meaning "face". This was the name of a 15th-century ruler of the Timurid Empire (a son of
Timur).
Shahrukh m Urdu, HindiUrdu and Hindi form of
Shahrokh. A notable bearer is the Indian actor Shahrukh Khan (1965-), normally called Shah Rukh Khan.
Shakur m ArabicMeans
"thankful" in Arabic, from the root
شكر (shakara) meaning "to thank". In Islamic tradition
الشكور (al-Shakūr) is one of the 99 names of Allah.
Shankara m HinduismDerived from the Sanskrit elements
शम् (śam) meaning "auspicious, lucky" and
कर (kara) meaning "maker". This is another name of the Hindu gods
Rudra or
Shiva. This was also the name of a 9th-century Indian religious philosopher also known as Shankaracharya.
Shapur m History, PersianFrom Middle Persian
𐭱𐭧𐭯𐭥𐭧𐭥𐭩 (Shahpuhr) meaning
"son of the king". This was the name of three Sasanian emperors.
Sharia m Arabic (Rare)Means
"divine law, noble law" in Arabic, from the root
شرع (sharaʿa) meaning "to go, to enact".
Sharon f & m English, HebrewFrom an Old Testament place name, in Hebrew
שָׁרוֹן (Sharon) meaning
"plain", referring to a fertile plain on the central west coast of Israel. This is also the name of a flowering plant in the Bible, the rose of Sharon, a term now used to refer to several different species of flowers.
... [more] Sheard m English (Rare)From a surname that was originally from a place name meaning
"gap between hills" in Old English.
Sinclair m & f English (Rare)From a Scottish surname that was derived from a Norman French town called "Saint
Clair". A notable bearer was the American author Sinclair Lewis (1885-1951).
Skylar f & m English (Modern)Variant of
Skyler. Originally more common for boys during the 1980s, it was popularized as a name for girls after it was used on the American soap opera
The Young and the Restless in 1989 and the movie
Good Will Hunting in 1997. Its sharp rise in the United States in 2011 might be attributed to the character Skyler White from the television series
Breaking Bad (2008-2013) or the singer Skylar Grey (1986-), who adopted this name in 2010 after previously going by Holly Brook.
Sławomir m PolishDerived from the Slavic elements
slava "glory" and
mirŭ "peace, world". This name (Slavomir) was borne by 9th-century rulers of the Obotrites and the Moravians.
Smaragdos m Ancient GreekMeans
"emerald" in Greek, of Semitic origin. This was the name of a 3rd-century Roman martyr and saint, better known by the Latinized form of his name
Smaragdus.
Spartacus m HistoryMeans
"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.
Stafford m EnglishFrom a surname that was from a place name meaning
"landing-place ford" in Old English.
Stanford m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"stone ford" in Old English.
Stavros m GreekMeans
"cross" in Greek, referring to the cross of the crucifixion.
Stuart m English, ScottishFrom a Scottish occupational surname originally belonging to a person who was a steward. It is ultimately derived from Old English
stig "house" and
weard "guard". As a given name, it arose in 19th-century Scotland in honour of the Stuart royal family, which produced several kings and queens of Scotland and Britain between the 14th and 18th centuries.
Suharto m JavaneseFrom Sanskrit
सु (su) meaning "good" and
अर्थ (artha) meaning "wealth, property" (borrowed into Indonesian as
harta). This was the name of an Indonesian general (1921-2008) who seized power to become the country's second president.
Sukarno m JavaneseFrom the Sanskrit prefix
सु (su) meaning "good" combined with the name of the mythological hero
Karna. Sukarno (1901-1970), who did not have a surname, was the first president of Indonesia.
Sumantra m BengaliMeans
"following good advice", from the Sanskrit prefix
सु (su) meaning "good" combined with
मन्त्र (mantra) meaning "instrument of thought, prayer, advice".
Sundara m HinduismDerived 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
Kama.
Svarog m Slavic MythologyProbably means
"fire", from Old Slavic
sŭvarŭ meaning "heat". This was the name of a Slavic god associated with blacksmithing.
Swarna m & f Telugu, HindiMeans
"good colour" or
"golden", a contraction of the Sanskrit prefix
सु (su) meaning "good" and
वर्ण (varṇa) meaning "colour". This is a transcription of both the masculine form
स्वर्ण and the feminine form
स्वर्णा (spelled with a long final vowel).
Tafari m Amharic (Rare)Possibly means
"he who inspires awe" in Amharic. This name was borne by Lij Tafari Makonnen (1892-1975), also known as Haile Selassie, the last emperor of Ethiopia. Rastafarians (
Ras Tafari meaning "king Tafari") revere him as the earthly incarnation of God.
Tahmuras m Persian MythologyPersian 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.
Takahiro m JapaneseFrom Japanese
貴 (taka) meaning "valuable" or
孝 (taka) meaning "filial piety" combined with
大 (hiro) meaning "big, great" or
浩 (hiro) meaning "prosperous". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Takara m & f JapaneseFrom Japanese
宝 (takara) meaning "treasure, jewel", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations with the same pronunciation.
Talfryn m WelshFrom a Welsh place name meaning
"front hill", derived from Welsh
tal "front, extremity" and
bryn "hill".
Tammaro m ItalianItalian form of the Germanic name
Thancmar, which was composed of the elements
thank meaning "thought, consideration, thanks" (Old High German
danc, Old Frankish
þank) and
mari meaning "famous". This was the name of a 5th-century saint, of Vandalic origin, a bishop of Atella in Campania, Italy.
Tancred m Old NormanNorman form of the Germanic name
Thancrat meaning
"thought and counsel", derived from the elements
thank meaning "thought, consideration, thanks" (Old High German
danc, Old Frankish
þank) and
rat meaning "counsel, advice". This name was common among the medieval Norman nobility of southern Italy, being the name of the founder of the Hauteville family. It was borne by a leader of the First Crusade, described by Torquato Tasso in his epic poem
Jerusalem Delivered (1580).
Tancrède m French (Rare)French form of
Tancred. This is the name of a 1702 opera by André Campra based on Torquato Tasso's epic poem
Jerusalem Delivered. It is also the name of a 1759 play by Voltaire.
Tancredi m ItalianItalian form of
Tancred appearing in the epic poem
Jerusalem Delivered (1580) by Torquato Tasso. The tale was adapted by Gioachino Rossini for his opera
Tancredi (1813).
Taner m TurkishFrom Turkish
tan meaning "dawn" and
er meaning "man, hero, brave".
Tangaroa m Polynesian MythologyMeaning 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.
Tanner m EnglishFrom an English surname meaning
"one who tans hides".
Taran m Welsh Mythology, PictishMeans
"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 MythologyDerived 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.
Taras m Ukrainian, Russian, BelarusianUkrainian, Russian and Belarusian form of the Greek name
Ταράσιος (Tarasios), which possibly means
"from Taras". Taras was an Italian city, now called Taranto, which was founded by Greek colonists in the 8th century BC and was named for the Greek mythological figure Taras, a son of
Poseidon. Saint Tarasios was an 8th-century bishop of Constantinople. It was also borne by the Ukrainian writer and artist Taras Shevchenko (1814-1861).
Tarhunna m Hittite MythologyFrom 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.
Tariel m Literature, GeorgianCreated by the Georgian poet Shota Rustaveli for his 12th-century epic
The Knight in the Panther's Skin. He may have based it on Persian
تاجور (tājvar) meaning "king" or
تار (tār) meaning "dark, obscure" combined with
یل (yal) meaning "hero". In the poem Tariel, the titular knight who wears a panther skin, is an Indian prince who becomes a companion of
Avtandil.
Tariq m Arabic, UrduMeans
"visitor, knocker at the door" in Arabic, from
طرق (ṭaraqa) meaning "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.
Tarō m JapaneseFrom Japanese
太 (ta) meaning "thick, big, great" and
郎 (rō) meaning "son". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Taron m ArmenianFrom the name of a region in historic Armenia (now in Turkey).
Tarquin m HistoryFrom
Tarquinius, a Roman name of unknown meaning, possibly Etruscan in origin. This was the name of two early kings of Rome.
Tarzan m LiteratureCreated by Edgar Rice Burroughs for the main character in his novel
Tarzan of the Apes (1912). In the novel Tarzan is the ape name of the baby John Clayton, who was adopted by the animals after his parents died in the African jungle. The name is said to mean
"white skin" in the fictional Mangani ape language.
Taurus m AstronomyMeans
"bull" in Latin. This is the name of a constellation and the second sign of the zodiac.
Taylor m & f EnglishFrom an English surname that originally denoted someone who was a tailor, from Norman French
tailleur, ultimately from Latin
talio "to cut".
... [more] Thatcher m English (Modern)From an English surname that referred to a person who thatched roofs by attaching straw to them, derived from Old English
þæc "thatch". The surname was borne by British prime minister Margaret Thatcher (1925-2013).
Theodard m GermanicDerived from the Old German elements
theod meaning "people" (Old High German
diota, Old Frankish
þeoda) and
hart meaning "hard, firm, brave, hardy". This name was borne by a 7th-century Frankish saint and martyr, a bishop of Maastricht.
Theodoar m & f GermanicGermanic name composed of the elements
theod meaning "people" (Old High German
diota, Old Frankish
þeoda) and
war meaning "aware, cautious".
Theodoard m GermanicGermanic name composed of the elements
theod meaning "people" (Old High German
diota, Old Frankish
þeoda) and
wart meaning "guard, guardian".
Tighearnach m Medieval IrishFrom Old Irish
Tigernach, derived from
tigerna meaning
"lord". This was the name of an Irish saint, the founder of the monastery at Clones in the 6th century. According to some tales of his life, he was taken by British pirates to the monastery of Rosnat in his youth, but he escaped and returned to Ireland.
Tighearnán m Medieval IrishFrom Old Irish
Tigernán meaning
"little lord", from
tigerna "lord" combined with a diminutive suffix. It was borne by a 6th-century saint who founded a monastery at Errew. It was also the name of a 12th-century king of Breifne.
Trafford m English (Rare)From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"fish-trap ford" in Old English.
Trahaearn m Medieval WelshMeans
"very much like iron", derived from Welsh
tra "very, over" prefixed to
haearn "iron". This name was borne by an 11th-century king of Gwynedd.
Ubirajara m TupiMeans
"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.
Umar m Arabic, Urdu, Uzbek, Tajik, Kyrgyz, Indonesian, HausaMeans
"flourishing, living long" in Arabic, related to Arabic
عمر (ʿumr) meaning "life". Umar was a companion and strong supporter of the Prophet
Muhammad who became the second caliph of the Muslims. He is considered to be one of the great founders of the Muslim state. The name was also borne by a 12th-century poet from Persia, Umar Khayyam.
Uttara m & f Hinduism, MarathiMeans
"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.
Vahur m EstonianCoined by Estonian author Eduard Bornhöhe for a character in his novel
Tasuja (1880). He allegedly derived it from Estonian
vahva meaning
"brave, strong".
Valdemar m Danish, Swedish, FinnishScandinavian form of
Waldemar, also used as a translation of the Slavic cognate
Vladimir. This was the name of four kings of Denmark and a king of Sweden. It was introduced to Scandinavia by the 12th-century Danish king Valdemar I who was named after his mother's grandfather: Vladimir II, a grand prince of Kievan Rus.