Snow White f LiteratureEnglish translation of German
Sneewittchen, derived from Low German
Snee "snow" and
witt "white" combined with the diminutive suffix
-chen. This is the name of a girl who escapes her evil stepmother and takes refuge with seven dwarfs in an 1812 story recorded by the Brothers Grimm, who based it on earlier European folktales. The High German translation would be
Schneeweißchen, but this was used by the Grimms for an unrelated character in another story (
Snow-White and Rose-Red). The modern German form is typically the hybrid
Schneewittchen. The story was adapted into a film by Walt Disney in 1937.
Sofia f Greek, Italian, Portuguese, Catalan, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Finnish, Estonian, Slovak, Romanian, English, Russian, Ukrainian, BulgarianForm of
Sophia used in various languages.
Soile f FinnishPossibly from Finnish
soilu meaning
"glimmer, blaze".
Solange f French, PortugueseFrench form of the Late Latin name
Sollemnia, which was derived from Latin
sollemnis "religious". This was the name of a French shepherdess who became a saint after she was killed by her master.
Soledad f SpanishMeans
"solitude" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin
Mary,
María de la Soledad, meaning "Mary of Solitude".
Soleil f VariousMeans
"sun" in French. It is not commonly used as a name in France itself.
Sóley f IcelandicMeans
"buttercup (flower)" in Icelandic (genus Ranunculus), derived from
sól "sun" and
ey "island".
Solveig f Norwegian, Swedish, DanishFrom an Old Norse name, which was derived from the elements
sól "sun" and
veig "strength". This is the name of the heroine in Henrik Ibsen's play
Peer Gynt (1876).
Sondra f EnglishVariant of
Sandra. It was popularized in the English-speaking world by a character in Theodore Dreiser's novel
An American Tragedy (1925) and the subsequent movie adaptation (1931).
Sonja f German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Finnish, Slovene, Serbian, Croatian, MacedonianForm of
Sonya in various languages.
Sonya f Russian, EnglishRussian diminutive of
Sophia. This is the name of a character in Leo Tolstoy's novel
War and Peace (1869, English translation 1886).
Sophia f English, Greek, German, Ancient GreekMeans
"wisdom" in Greek. This was the name of an early, probably mythical, saint who died of grief after her three daughters were martyred during the reign of the emperor Hadrian. Legends about her probably arose as a result of a medieval misunderstanding of the phrase
Hagia Sophia "Holy Wisdom", which is the name of a large basilica in Constantinople.
... [more] Sorcha f Irish, Scottish GaelicMeans
"radiant, bright" in Irish. It has been in use since late medieval times. It is sometimes Anglicized as
Sarah (in Ireland) and
Clara (in Scotland).
Spring f EnglishFrom the name of the season, ultimately from Old English
springan "to leap, to burst forth".
Sprita f EsperantoMeans
"witty, lively" in Esperanto, ultimately from Latin
spiritus "breath, energy".
Stacy f & m EnglishAs a feminine name it is commonly considered a diminutive of
Anastasia, though it was originally used independently of that name, which was rare in America in the 1950s when Stacy began becoming popular. It had earlier been in use as an uncommon masculine name, borrowed from the surname Stacy or Stacey (derived from
Stace, a medieval form of
Eustace).
Star f EnglishFrom the English word for the celestial body, ultimately from Old English
steorra.
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.
Stelara f EsperantoFrom Esperanto
stelaro meaning
"constellation", ultimately from Latin
stella "star".
Stella 1 f English, Italian, Dutch, GermanMeans
"star" in Latin. This name was created by the 16th-century poet Philip Sidney for the subject of his collection of sonnets
Astrophel and Stella. It was a nickname of a lover of Jonathan Swift, real name Esther Johnson (1681-1728), though it was not commonly used as a given name until the 19th century. It appears in Tennessee Williams' play
A Streetcar Named Desire (1947), belonging to the sister of Blanche DuBois and the wife of Stanley Kowalski.
Stormy f English (Modern)From the English word meaning
"stormy, wild, turbulent", ultimately from Old English
stormig.
Suellen f EnglishContraction of
Susan and
Ellen 1. Margaret Mitchell used this name in her novel
Gone with the Wind (1936), where it belongs to Scarlett's sister.
Suha f ArabicMeans
"forgotten, overlooked" in Arabic.
Al-Suha (also called
Alcor) is the name of a star in the constellation Ursa Major.
Su-Jin f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
收 (su) meaning "gather, harvest" or
壽 (su) meaning "long life, lifespan" combined with
眞 (jin) meaning "real, genuine" or
珍 (jin) meaning "precious, rare". Other combinations of hanja characters can form this name as well.
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.
Sumayya f ArabicMeans
"high, elevated, lofty" in Arabic, derived from
سما (samā) meaning "to be high". This was the name of the first martyr for Islam.
Sumiko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
澄 (sumi) meaning "clear" and
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Sumire f JapaneseFrom Japanese
菫 (sumire) meaning "violet (flower)". Other kanji combinations can form this name as well. It is often written using the hiragana writing system.
Summer f EnglishFrom the name of the season, ultimately from Old English
sumor. It has been in use as a given name since the 1970s.
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.
Sunday m & f EnglishFrom the name of the day of the week, which ultimately derives from Old English
sunnandæg, which was composed of the elements
sunne "sun" and
dæg "day". This name is most common in Nigeria and other parts of Africa.
Sunita f Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi, NepaliMeans
"well conducted, wise", derived from the Sanskrit prefix
सु (su) meaning "good" combined with
नीत (nīta) meaning "conducted, led". In Hindu legend this is the name of the wife of King Anga of Bengal and the mother of
Vena.
Suniti f HindiMeans
"good conduct" from the Sanskrit prefix
सु (su) meaning "good" combined with
नीति (nīti) meaning "guidance, moral conduct".
Sunniva f NorwegianScandinavian form of the Old English name
Sunngifu, which meant
"sun gift" from the Old English elements
sunne "sun" and
giefu "gift". This was the name of a legendary English saint who was shipwrecked in Norway and killed by the inhabitants.
Sunshine f EnglishFrom the English word, ultimately from Old English
sunne "sun" and
scinan "shine".
Suoma f FinnishDerived from Finnish
Suomi meaning
"Finland".
Susan f EnglishEnglish variant of
Susanna. This has been most common spelling since the 18th century. It was especially popular both in the United States and the United Kingdom from the 1940s to the 1960s. A notable bearer was the American feminist Susan B. Anthony (1820-1906).
Susanna f Italian, Catalan, Swedish, Finnish, Russian, Ukrainian, Dutch, English, Armenian, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Old Church SlavicFrom
Σουσάννα (Sousanna), the Greek form of the Hebrew name
שׁוֹשַׁנָּה (Shoshanna). This was derived from the Hebrew word
שׁוֹשָׁן (shoshan) meaning
"lily" (in modern Hebrew this also means
"rose"), perhaps ultimately from Egyptian
sšn "lotus". In the Old Testament Apocrypha this is the name of a woman falsely accused of adultery. The prophet
Daniel clears her name by tricking her accusers, who end up being condemned themselves. It also occurs in the New Testament belonging to a woman who ministers to
Jesus.
... [more] Sushila f & m Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi, NepaliMeans
"good-tempered, well-disposed", derived from the Sanskrit prefix
सु (su) meaning "good" combined with
शील (śīla) meaning "conduct, disposition". This is a transcription of both the feminine form
सुशीला (long final vowel, borne by a consort of the Hindu god
Yama) and the masculine form
सुशील (short final vowel).
Suzu f JapaneseFrom Japanese
鈴 (suzu) meaning "bell" or other kanji having the same pronunciation.
Suzume f Japanese (Rare)From Japanese
雀 (suzume) meaning "sparrow", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations that are pronounced the same way.
Svea f SwedishFrom a personification of the country of Sweden, in use since the 17th century. It is a derivative of
Svear, the Swedish name for the North Germanic tribe the Swedes. The Swedish name of the country of Sweden is
Sverige, a newer form of
Svear rike meaning "the realm of the Svear".
Svetlana f Russian, Slovak, Bulgarian, Serbian, Macedonian, Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Armenian, GeorgianDerived from Russian
свет (svet) meaning
"light, world". It was popularized by the poem
Svetlana (1813) by the poet Vasily Zhukovsky. It is sometimes used as a translation of
Photine.
Sveva f ItalianPossibly from the name of the Germanic tribe of the Suebi (
svevo in Italian).
Swanhild f German (Rare)Derived from the Old German elements
swan "swan" and
hilt "battle". Swanhild (or Swanachild) was the second wife of the Frankish ruler Charles Martel in the 8th century.
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).
Swati f Hindi, MarathiFrom the Indian name of the fourth brightest star in the night sky, called
Arcturus in the western world.
Sybil f EnglishVariant of
Sibyl. This spelling variation has existed since the Middle Ages.
Sydney f & m EnglishFrom a surname that was a variant of the surname
Sidney. This is the name of the largest city in Australia, which was named for Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney in 1788. Formerly used by both genders, since the 1980s this spelling of the name has been mostly feminine.
Tabea f GermanGerman short form of
Tabitha. This form was used in earlier editions of the Luther Bible.
Tabitha f English, Biblical, Biblical GreekMeans
"gazelle" in Aramaic. Tabitha in the New Testament was a woman restored to life by Saint
Peter. Her name is translated into Greek as
Dorcas (see
Acts 9:36). As an English name,
Tabitha became common after the Protestant Reformation. It was popularized in the 1960s by the television show
Bewitched, in which Tabitha (sometimes spelled Tabatha) is the daughter of the main character.
Tacey f English (Archaic)Derived from Latin
tace meaning
"be silent". It was in use from the 16th century, though it died out two centuries later.
Tahmina f Persian Mythology, Tajik, BengaliDerived from Persian
تهم (tahm) meaning
"brave, valiant". This is the name of a character in the 10th-century Persian epic the
Shahnameh. She is a daughter of the king of Samangan who marries the warrior hero
Rostam and eventually bears him a son, whom they name
Sohrab.
Taimi f Finnish, EstonianFrom Finnish
taimi meaning
"sapling, young tree" or Estonian
taim meaning
"plant" (words from a common origin).
Takako f JapaneseFrom Japanese
孝 (taka) meaning "filial piety" and
子 (ko) meaning "child", as well as other combinations of kanji characters.
Takara m & f JapaneseFrom Japanese
宝 (takara) meaning "treasure, jewel", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations with the same pronunciation.
Talia 2 f English (Australian)From the name of a town in South Australia, perhaps meaning
"near water" in an Australian Aboriginal language.
Talitha f BiblicalMeans
"little girl" in Aramaic. The name is taken from the phrase
talitha cumi meaning "little girl arise" spoken by
Jesus in order to restore a young girl to life (see
Mark 5:41).
Tallulah f English (Rare)This is the name of waterfalls in Georgia. Popularly claimed to mean "leaping waters" in the Choctaw language, it may actually mean "town" in the Creek language. It was borne by American actress Tallulah Bankhead (1902-1968), who was named after her grandmother, who may have been named after the waterfalls.
Talulla f Irish (Rare)Anglicized form of the Old Irish name
Taileflaith,
Tuileflaith or
Tuilelaith, probably from
tuile "abundance" and
flaith "ruler, sovereign, princess". This was the name of an early saint, an abbess of Kildare.
Tamar f Hebrew, Georgian, Biblical, Biblical HebrewMeans
"date palm" in Hebrew. According to the Old Testament Tamar was the daughter-in-law of
Judah and later his wife. This was also the name of a daughter of King
David. She was raped by her half-brother
Amnon, leading to his murder by her brother
Absalom. The name was borne by a 12th-century ruling queen of Georgia who presided over the kingdom at the peak of its power.
Tamara f Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Czech, Slovak, Polish, Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, Macedonian, Hungarian, English, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, Lithuanian, GeorgianRussian form of
Tamar. Russian performers such as Tamara Karsavina (1885-1978), Tamara Drasin (1905-1943), Tamara Geva (1907-1997) and Tamara Toumanova (1919-1996) introduced it to the English-speaking world. It rapidly grew in popularity in the United States starting in 1957. Another famous bearer was the Polish cubist painter Tamara de Lempicka (1898-1980).
Tamia f African American (Modern)An invented name, using the initial sound found in names such as
Tamika. It was popularized by the Canadian singer Tamia Hill (1975-), who is known simply as Tamia.
Tamika f EnglishVariant of
Tamiko, inspired by the American jazz singer Tamiko Jones (1945-) or the American movie
A Girl Named Tamiko (1963).
Tamiko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
多 (ta) meaning "many",
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" and
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
Tanisha f African AmericanPopularized by the African-American actress Ta-Tanisha (1953-), born Shirley Cummings. The name spiked in popularity in the early 1970s, when she was featured on the television series
Room 222. She apparently took her stage name from Swahili
tatanisha meaning
"puzzle, tangle, confuse". The name probably resonated with parents because of its similarity to other names such as
Tamika and
Natasha.
Tanith f Semitic MythologyMeaning unknown. This was the name of the Phoenician goddess of love, fertility, the moon and the stars. She was particularly associated with the city of Carthage, being the consort of
Ba'al Hammon.
Tansy f English (Rare)From the name of the flower, which is derived via Old French from Late Latin
tanacita.
Tara 1 f EnglishAnglicized form of the Irish place name
Teamhair, which possibly means
"elevated place". This was the name of the sacred hill near Dublin where the Irish high kings resided. It was popularized as a given name by the novel
Gone with the Wind (1936) and the subsequent movie adaptation (1939), in which it is the name of the O'Hara plantation.
Tara 2 f Hinduism, Buddhism, Hindi, NepaliMeans
"star" in Sanskrit. Tara is the name of a Hindu astral goddess, the wife of Brhaspati. She was abducted by
Chandra, the god of the moon, leading to a great war that was only ended when
Brahma intervened and released her. This name also appears in the epic the
Ramayana belonging to the wife of Vali and, after his death, his younger brother Sugriva. In Buddhist belief this is the name of a bodhisattva associated with salvation and protection.
Taryn f EnglishProbably a feminine form of
Tyrone. Actors Tyrone Power and Linda Christian created it for their daughter Taryn Power (1953-).
Tasnim f Arabic, BengaliFrom the name of a water spring in paradise, according to Islamic tradition.
Tatiana f Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, French, Slovak, Polish, Finnish, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Dutch, Greek, Georgian, English, Russian, Bulgarian, Ancient RomanFeminine form of the Roman name
Tatianus, a derivative of the Roman name
Tatius. This was the name of a 3rd-century saint who was martyred in Rome under the emperor Alexander Severus. She was especially venerated in Orthodox Christianity, and the name has been common in Russia (as
Татьяна) and Eastern Europe. It was not regularly used in the English-speaking world until the 1980s.
Tawny f English (Modern)From the English word, ultimately deriving from Old French
tané, which means
"light brown".
Tegan f Welsh, English (Modern)Means
"darling" in Welsh, derived from a diminutive of Welsh
teg "beautiful, pretty". It was somewhat common in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Canada in the 1980s and 90s. It was borne by an Australian character on the television series
Doctor Who from 1981 to 1984.
Tegwen f WelshDerived from the Welsh elements
teg "beautiful, pretty" and
gwen "white, blessed". This name was created in the 19th century.
Temperance f EnglishFrom the English word meaning
"moderation" or
"restraint". This was one of the virtue names adopted by the Puritans in the 17th century. It experienced a modest revival in the United States during the run of the television series
Bones (2005-2017), in which the main character bears this name.
Tempest f English (Rare)From the English word meaning
"storm". It appears in the title of William Shakespeare's play
The Tempest (1611).
Teresa f Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Catalan, Polish, Lithuanian, Finnish, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, EnglishForm of
Theresa used in several languages. Saint Teresa of Ávila was a 16th-century Spanish nun who reformed the Carmelite monasteries and wrote several spiritual books. It was also borne by the Albanian missionary Saint Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997), better known as Mother Teresa, who worked with the poor in India. She adopted the name in honour of the French saint Thérèse of Lisieux, who is the patron of missionaries.