Names Deemed "feminine"

Vera 1 f Russian, English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, Hungarian, Slovene, Serbian, Croatian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Belarusian, Georgian
Means "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.

Vera 2 f Albanian
Derived from Albanian verë meaning "summer".

Verbena f Various (Rare)
From the name of the verbena plant, which is derived from Latin verbena meaning "leaves, twigs".

Verdandi f Norse Mythology
From 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.

Verena f German, Late Roman
Possibly related to Latin verus "true". This might also be a Coptic form of the Ptolemaic name Berenice. Saint Verena was a 3rd-century Egyptian-born nurse who went with the Theban Legion to Switzerland. After the legion was massacred she settled near Zurich.

Vérène f French (Rare)
French form of Verena.

Verica f Serbian, Croatian
Serbian and Croatian diminutive of Vera 1.

Verity f English
From the English word meaning "verity, truth", from Latin verus "true, real". This was one of the virtue names adopted by the Puritans in the 17th century.

Verna f English
Feminine form of Vernon, sometimes associated with the Latin word vernus "spring". It has been in use since the 19th century.

Verochka f Russian
Russian diminutive of Vera 1.

Verona f Various
From the name of the city in Italy, which is itself of unknown meaning.

Verónica f Spanish, Galician, Portuguese (European)
Spanish, Galician and European Portuguese form of Veronica.

Verônica f Portuguese (Brazilian)
Brazilian Portuguese form of Veronica.

Veronica f English, Italian, Romanian, Late Roman
Latin alteration of Berenice, the spelling influenced by the ecclesiastical Latin phrase vera icon meaning "true image". This was the name of a legendary saint who wiped Jesus' face with a towel and then found his image imprinted upon it. Due to popular stories about her, the name was occasionally used in the Christian world in the Middle Ages. It was borne by the Italian saint and mystic Veronica Giuliani (1660-1727). As an English name, it was not common until the 19th century, when it was imported from France and Scotland.

Veronika f Russian, Czech, Slovak, Ukrainian, German, Hungarian, Bulgarian, Slovene, Croatian, Macedonian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Estonian, Lithuanian, Latvian
Form of Veronica in several languages.

Véronique f French
French form of Veronica.

Veslemøy f Norwegian
Means "little girl" from Norwegian vesle "little" and møy "girl". This name was created by Norwegian writer Arne Garborg for the main character in his poem Haugtussa (1895).

Vesna f Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Macedonian, Slavic Mythology
Means "spring" in many Slavic languages. This was the name of a Slavic spirit associated with the springtime. It has been used as a given name only since the 20th century.

Vespera f Esperanto
Means "of the evening", derived from Esperanto vespero "evening", ultimately from Latin vesper.

Vesta f Roman Mythology
Probably 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.

Veva f Spanish, Portuguese
Short form of Genoveva.

Vi f English
Short form of Violet.

Vianne f English (Rare)
Meaning unknown, perhaps a combination of Vi and Anne 1 or a short form of Vivianne.

Viatrix f Late Roman
Earlier form of Beatrix.

Vibeke f Danish, Norwegian
Danish form of Wiebke. It was borne by an influential mistress of Christian IV of Denmark (17th century).

Vibiana f Ancient Roman
Feminine form of Vibianus.

Vicki f English
Diminutive of Victoria.

Vickie f English
Diminutive of Victoria.

Vicky f English
Diminutive of Victoria.

Victoire f French
French form of Victoria.

Victoria f English, Spanish, Romanian, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, French, Late Roman, Roman Mythology
Means "victory" in Latin, being borne by the Roman goddess of victory. It is also a feminine form of Victorius. This name was borne by a 4th-century saint and martyr from North Africa.... [more]

Victorina f Late Roman
Feminine form of Victorinus.

Victorine f French
French feminine form of Victorinus.

Vida 2 f Slovene
Slovene feminine form of Vid. Lepa Vida ("beautiful Vida") is a character in Slovene tradition and later romantic poetry (notably by France Prešeren).

Vidya f Hinduism, Marathi, Hindi, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil
Means "knowledge, science, learning" in Sanskrit. This is another name of the Hindu goddess Saraswati.

Vienna f English (Modern)
From the name of the capital city of Austria, Vienna.

Vienne f Various (Rare)
From the French name for Vienna, the capital city of Austria.

Viera f Slovak, Belarusian
Slovak form of Vera 1, as well as an alternate transcription of Belarusian Вера (see Vera 1).

Vígdís f Old Norse
Derived from the Old Norse elements víg "war" and dís "goddess".

Viivi f Finnish, Estonian
Finnish and Estonian form of Vivi.

Vikki f English
Diminutive of Victoria.

Viktória f Hungarian, Slovak
Hungarian and Slovak form of Victoria.

Viktoria f German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Estonian, Greek, Georgian, Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Belarusian
German, Scandinavian and Greek variant of Victoria. It is also an alternate transcription of Russian/Bulgarian Виктория or Ukrainian Вікторія (see Viktoriya) or Belarusian Вікторыя (see Viktoryia), as well as the usual Georgian transcription.

Viktorija f Lithuanian, Latvian, Macedonian, Slovene, Croatian, Serbian
Form of Victoria in several languages.

Viktoriya f Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Belarusian
Russian, Ukrainian and Bulgarian form of Victoria, as well as an alternate transcription of Belarusian Вікторыя (see Viktoryia).

Vilde 1 f Norwegian
Short form of Alvilde.

Vilhelmiina f Finnish
Finnish feminine form of William.

Vilhelmina f Swedish (Rare), Lithuanian
Swedish and Lithuanian feminine form of William.

Vilja f Finnish, Estonian
Possibly 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, Croatian
Form of Wilma in several languages.

Viltė f Lithuanian
Short form of Viltautė.

Vimala f Tamil
Feminine form of Vimal.

Vina f Indonesian
From Sanskrit वीणा (vīṇā) meaning "lute".

Vincenza f Italian
Italian feminine form of Vincent.

Viola f English, Italian, Swedish, Danish, Finnish, German, Hungarian, Czech, Slovak
Means "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.

Violante f Late Roman, Italian
Latin form of Yolanda.

Violet f English
From the English word violet for the purple flower, ultimately derived from Latin viola. It was common in Scotland from the 16th century, and it came into general use as an English given name during the 19th century.

Violeta f Romanian, Spanish, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Serbian, Albanian, Lithuanian
Form of Violet in several languages.

Violetta f Italian, Russian, Hungarian
Italian, Russian and Hungarian form of Violet.

Violette f French
French form of Violet.

Viona f English (Rare)
Possibly a variant of Fiona influenced by Viola.

Viorica f Romanian
Derived from Romanian viorea (see Viorel).

Vira f Ukrainian
Ukrainian cognate of Vera 1.

Virgee f English
Diminutive of Virginia.

Virgie f English
Diminutive of Virginia.

Virginia f English, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, Greek, Ancient Roman
Feminine form of the Roman family name Verginius or Virginius, which is of unknown meaning, but long associated with Latin virgo "maid, virgin". According to a legend, it was the name of a Roman woman killed by her father so as to save her from the clutches of a crooked official.... [more]

Virginie f French
French form of Virginia.

Virva f Finnish
Possibly 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.

Vita 1 f Ancient Roman, Italian, Lithuanian, Latvian, Danish, Slovene
Feminine form of Vitus.

Vita 2 f Ukrainian, Belarusian
Ukrainian and Belarusian short form of Viktoriya.

Vitalia f Italian (Rare)
Feminine form of Vitale.

Vitaliya f Russian, Ukrainian
Russian and Ukrainian feminine form of Vitalis (see Vitale).

Vitória f Portuguese
Portuguese form of Victoria.

Vittoria f Italian
Italian form of Victoria.

Viveka f Swedish
Swedish form of Vibeke.

Vivi f Danish, Swedish, Norwegian
Scandinavian diminutive of names beginning with Vi, as well as Olivia and Sofia.

Vivian m & f English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
From the Latin name Vivianus, which was derived from Latin vivus "alive". Saint Vivian was a French bishop who provided protection during the Visigoth invasion of the 5th century. It has been occasionally used as an English (masculine) name since the Middle Ages. In modern times it is also used as a feminine name, in which case it is either an Anglicized form of Bébinn or a variant of Vivien 2.

Viviana f Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Late Roman
Feminine form of Vivianus (see Vivian). Saint Viviana (also known as Bibiana) was a Roman saint and martyr of the 4th century.

Viviane f French, Portuguese
French form of Viviana, as well as a Portuguese variant. It is also the French form of Vivien 2.

Vivianne f French
Variant of Viviane.

Vivien 2 f Literature, Hungarian
Used by Alfred Tennyson as the name of the Lady of the Lake in his Arthurian epic Idylls of the King (1859). Tennyson may have based it on Vivienne, but it possibly arose as a misreading of Ninian. A famous bearer was British actress Vivien Leigh (1913-1967), who played Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind.

Vivienne f French
French form of Viviana.

Viviette f English (Rare)
Diminutive of Vivienne. William John Locke used this name for the title character in his novel Viviette (1910).

Vivyan f English (Rare)
Variant of Vivian.

Vladimíra f Czech, Slovak
Czech and Slovak form of Vladimira.

Vladimira f Slovene, Croatian
Feminine form of Vladimir.

Vladislava f Russian, Czech
Feminine form of Vladislav.

Vlasta f & m Czech, Slovak, Croatian, Serbian, Slovene
Originally a short form of names beginning with the Slavic element volstĭ meaning "power, rule, sovereignty". Descendants of this word include Czech vlast "homeland" and Serbo-Croatian vlast "power". It is sometimes masculine in Czech and Serbian.

Vlatka f Croatian
Feminine form of Vlatko.

Voirrey f Manx
Vocative form of Moirrey.

Vonda f English
Variant of Wanda, reflecting the Polish pronunciation.

Vyara f Bulgarian
Bulgarian cognate of Vera 1.

Wacława f Polish (Rare)
Feminine form of Wacław.

Wafiya f Arabic
Feminine form of Wafi.

Waheeda f Arabic, Urdu
Alternate transcription of Arabic وحيدة or Urdu وحیدہ (see Wahida).

Wahida f Arabic, Urdu
Feminine form of Wahid.

Waimarie f Maori
Means "good luck" in Maori.

Wakana f Japanese
From 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 German
Means "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.

Walentyna f Polish
Polish form of Valentina.

Waleria f Polish
Polish form of Valeria.

Wanda f Polish, English, German, French
Possibly 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).

Wasylyna f Ukrainian (Polonized, Rare)
Polonized form of Vasylyna.

Wattana f & m Thai
Means "development" in Thai.

Wayna m Quechua
Means "young boy" in Quechua.

Wayra m Quechua
Means "wind, air" in Quechua.

Wednesday f Popular Culture
From the name of the day of the week, which was derived from Old English wodnesdæg meaning "Woden's day". On the Addams Family television series (1964-1966) this was the name of the daughter, based on an earlier unnamed character in Charles Addams' cartoons. Her name was inspired by the popular nursery rhyme line Wednesday's child is full of woe.

Wemba m Anglo-Saxon (Rare)
Byname derived from Old English wamb meaning "belly".

Wenda f English (Rare)
Variant of Wendy.

Wendi f English
Variant of Wendy.

Wendy f English
In 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.

Wenona f English (Rare)
Variant of Winona.

Wenonah f Literature
Variant 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.

Weronika f Polish, Sorbian
Polish and Sorbian form of Veronica.

Whitney f & m English
From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "white island" in Old English. Its popular use as a feminine name was initiated by actress Whitney Blake (1925-2002) in the 1960s, and further boosted in the 1980s by singer Whitney Houston (1963-2012).

Wiesława f Polish
Feminine form of Wielisław.

Wikolia f Hawaiian
Hawaiian form of Victoria.

Wiktoria f Polish
Polish form of Victoria.

Wilda f English
Meaning uncertain, perhaps from a German surname, or perhaps from the English word wild. It has been in use since the 19th century.

Wilfreda f English (Rare)
Feminine form of Wilfred.

Wilhelmina f Dutch, German (Rare), English
Dutch and German feminine form of Wilhelm. This name was borne by a queen of the Netherlands (1880-1962).

Wilhelmine f German
German feminine form of Wilhelm.

Willa f English
Feminine form of William.

Willemijn f Dutch
Feminine form of Willem.

Willemina f Dutch
Feminine form of Willem.

Willow f English (Modern)
From the name of the tree, which is ultimately derived from Old English welig.

Wilma f German, Dutch, English, Swedish, Portuguese (Brazilian), Spanish (Latin American)
Short form of Wilhelmina. German settlers introduced it to America in the 19th century.

Winifred f English, Welsh
From Latin Winifreda, possibly from a Welsh name Gwenfrewi (maybe influenced by the Old English masculine name Winfred). Saint Winifred was a 7th-century Welsh martyr, probably legendary. According to the story, she was decapitated by a prince after she spurned his advances. Where her head fell there arose a healing spring, which has been a pilgrimage site since medieval times. Her story was recorded in the 12th century by Robert of Shrewsbury, and she has been historically more widely venerated in England than in Wales. The name has been used in England since at least the 16th century.

Winnie f English
Diminutive of Winifred. Winnie-the-Pooh, a stuffed bear in children's books by A. A. Milne, was named after a real bear named Winnipeg who lived at the London Zoo.

Winnifred f English, Welsh
Variant of Winifred.

Winona f English, Sioux
Means "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.

Winter f English (Modern)
From the English word for the season, derived from Old English winter.

Wiola f Polish
Polish form of Viola.

Wioleta f Polish
Polish form of Violet.

Wioletta f Polish
Polish form of Violet.

Wisława f Polish (Rare)
Feminine form of Witosław.

Wisteria f English (Rare)
From the name of the flowering plant, which was named for the American anatomist Caspar Wistar.

Wojciecha f Polish (Rare)
Feminine form of Wojciech.

Wren f English (Modern)
From the English word for the small songbird. It is ultimately derived from Old English wrenna.

Wrenlee f English (Modern)
Variant of Wrenley.

Wulfwynn f Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English elements wulf "wolf" and wynn "joy".

Wynne 1 m & f Welsh
Variant of Wyn, sometimes used as a feminine form.

Wynona f English
Variant of Winona.

Wynonna f English (Rare)
Variant of Winona.

Wynter f English (Modern)
Variant of Winter.

Xandra f Dutch
Short form of Alexandra.

Xanthe f Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek
Derived from Greek ξανθός (xanthos) meaning "yellow, blond, fair-haired". This was the name of a few minor figures in Greek mythology.

Xanthia f English (Rare)
Modern elaborated form of Xanthe.

Xanthippe f Ancient Greek
Feminine form of Xanthippos. This was the name of the wife of Socrates. Because of her supposedly argumentative nature, the name has been adopted (in the modern era) as a word for a scolding, ill-tempered woman.

Xavia f English (Rare)
Modern feminine form of Xavier.

Xaviera f English (Rare)
Feminine form of Xavier.

Xena f Popular Culture
Probably a variant of Xenia. This was the name of the main character in the 1990s television series Xena: Warrior Princess.

Xene f Late Greek
Variant of Xenia. This was occasionally adopted as a monastic name during the Byzantine era.

Xenia f Greek, Spanish, Ancient Greek
Means "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 Chinese
From Chinese 夏 (xià) meaning "summer, great, grand", 霞 (xiá) meaning "rosy clouds", or other characters that are pronounced similarly.

Xiana f Galician
From Xuliana, the Galician form of Juliana.

Ximena f Spanish
Feminine form of Ximeno. This was the name of the wife of El Cid.

Xinyi m & f Chinese
From 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.

Xiomara f Spanish
Possibly a Spanish form of Guiomar.

Xiu f Chinese
From Chinese 秀 (xiù) meaning "luxuriant, beautiful, elegant, outstanding" or other characters that are pronounced similarly.

Xiulan f Chinese
From Chinese 秀 (xiù) meaning "luxuriant, beautiful, elegant, outstanding" combined with 兰 (lán) meaning "orchid, elegant". This name can be formed of other character combinations as well.

Xiuying f Chinese
From Chinese 秀 (xiù) meaning "luxuriant, beautiful, elegant, outstanding" combined with 英 (yīng) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero". Other character combinations are possible.

Xoana f Galician
Galician feminine form of John.

Xóchilt f Nahuatl (Hispanicized)
Spanish variant form of Xochitl.

Xochiquetzal f Aztec and Toltec Mythology, Nahuatl
Derived from Nahuatl xōchitl "flower" and quetzalli "quetzal feather, precious thing". This was the name of the Aztec goddess of love, flowers and the earth, the twin sister of Xochipilli.

Xochitl f Nahuatl
Means "flower" in Nahuatl.

Xulia f Galician
Galician form of Julia.

Ya f Chinese
From Chinese 雅 (yǎ) meaning "elegant, graceful, refined" or other characters with a similar pronunciation.

Yaara f Hebrew
Means "honeycomb" and "honeysuckle" in Hebrew.

Yachna f Hebrew (Rare)
Perhaps a feminine form of Yochanan.

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.

Yaeko f Japanese
From Japanese 八 (ya) and 重 (e) meaning "multilayered" and 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji characters can also form this name.

Yael f Hebrew, Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew form of Jael.

Yafa f Hebrew
Derived from Hebrew יָפֶה (yafe) meaning "beautiful, pleasant".

Yaffa f Hebrew
Alternate transcription of Hebrew יָפָה (see Yafa).

Yakira f Hebrew
Means "precious" in Hebrew.

Yaling f Chinese
From Chinese 雅 (yǎ) meaning "elegant, graceful, refined" combined with 玲 (líng) meaning "tinkling of jade". This name can be formed of other character combinations as well.

Yamila f Spanish (Latin American)
Form of Jamila used especially in Latin America.

Yamuna f Hinduism, Tamil, Telugu
From 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.

Yana f Bulgarian, Russian, Ukrainian
Bulgarian, Russian and Ukrainian form of Jana 1.

Yanina f Russian, Ukrainian
Diminutive of Yana.

Yanna 1 f Greek
Alternate transcription of Greek Γιάννα (see Gianna).

Yara 1 f Arabic
From Persian یار (yār) meaning "friend, helper".

Yara 2 f Tupi
Variant of Iara.

Yardena f Hebrew
Hebrew feminine form of Jordan.

Yaren f Turkish
Means "close friend", derived from Persian یاران (yārān).

Yaretzi f Spanish (Latin American, Modern)
Possibly a variant of Yaritza.

Yaroslava f Ukrainian, Russian
Ukrainian and Russian feminine form of Yaroslav.

Yasaman f Persian
Variant of Yasamin.

Yasamin f Persian
Persian form of Yasmin.

Yasemin f Turkish
Turkish form of Jasmine.

Yasmeen f Arabic, Urdu
Alternate transcription of Arabic ياسمين or Urdu یاسمین (see Yasmin).

Yasmin f Arabic, Hebrew, Urdu, English (Modern), Spanish (Modern), Portuguese (Modern)
Means "jasmine" in Arabic and Hebrew, derived from Persian یاسمین (yāsamīn). In modern times it has been used in the western world, as an Arabic-influenced variant of Jasmine.

Yasmina f Arabic, Spanish (Modern), French (Modern)
Variant of Yasmin.

Yasmine f Arabic, French (Modern), English (Modern)
Alternate transcription of Arabic ياسمين (see Yasmin).

Yating f & m Chinese
From Chinese 雅 (yǎ) meaning "elegant, graceful, refined" combined with 婷 (tíng) meaning "pretty, graceful". Other character combinations are possible.

Yawen f Chinese
From 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.

Yazmin f English (Modern)
Variant of Jasmine.

Yekaterina f Russian
Russian 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.

Yelena f Russian
Russian form of Helen.

Yelizaveta f Russian
Russian form of Elizabeth. This was the name of an 18th-century Russian empress.

Yelysaveta f Ukrainian
Traditional Ukrainian form of Elizabeth.

Yelyzaveta f Ukrainian
Ukrainian form of Elizabeth.

Yemima f Hebrew, Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew form of Jemima.

Yên f Vietnamese
From Sino-Vietnamese 安 (yên) meaning "calm, peaceful".

Yénifer f Spanish (Latin American)
Spanish variant of Jennifer.

Yeong-Hui f Korean
From 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.

Yeong-Ja f Korean
From 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.

Yeong-Suk f Korean
From Sino-Korean 英 (yeong) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero" and 淑 (suk) meaning "good, pure, virtuous, charming". Other hanja character combinations are possible.

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.

Yeseniya f Russian
Russian form of Yesenia. The 1971 Mexican movie was extremely popular in the Soviet Union.

Yessenia f Spanish (Latin American)
Variant of Yesenia.

Yéssica f Spanish
Spanish form of Jessica.

Yeva f Russian, Ukrainian, Armenian
Russian, Ukrainian and Armenian form of Eve.

Yevdokiya f Russian, Ukrainian
Russian and Ukrainian form of Eudocia.

Yevgeniya f Russian
Russian form of Eugenia.

Yevheniya f Ukrainian
Ukrainian form of Eugenia.

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.

Yewande f Yoruba
Means "mother has found me" in Yoruba.

Yıldız f Turkish
Means "star" in Turkish.

Yin f & m Chinese
From Chinese 银 (yín) meaning "silver, money", 音 (yīn) meaning "sound, tone" or 荫 (yīn) meaning "shade, shelter, protect", as well as other Chinese characters pronounced similarly.

Ylenia f Italian, Spanish (Modern)
Variant of Ilenia.

Yllka f Albanian
Feminine form of Ylli.

Ylva f Swedish, Norwegian
Means "she-wolf", a derivative of Old Norse úlfr "wolf".

Yoana f Bulgarian
Bulgarian feminine form of John.

Yocheved f Hebrew, Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew form of Jochebed.

Yōko f Japanese
From 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.

Yoko f Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 陽子 or 洋子 (see Yōko).

Yolanda f Spanish, English
From 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]

Yolande f French
French form of Yolanda. A notable bearer of the 15th century was Yolande of Aragon, who acted as regent for the French king Charles VII, her son-in-law. She was a supporter of Joan of Arc.

Yolonda f English
Variant of Yolanda.

Yolotli f & m Nahuatl
Variant of Yolotl.

Yona m & f Hebrew, Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew form of Jonah. It is a unisex name in modern Hebrew.

Yonina f Hebrew
Feminine form of Yona.

Yordanka f Bulgarian
Bulgarian feminine form of Jordan.

Yoselin f Spanish (Latin American)
Spanish form of Jocelyn.

Yoshiko f Japanese
From Japanese 良 (yoshi) meaning "good, virtuous, respectable", 芳 (yoshi) meaning "fragrant, virtuous, beautiful" or 悦 (yoshi) meaning "joy, pleased" combined with 子 (ko) meaning "child". This name can be formed from other kanji combinations as well.

Youko f Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 陽子 or 洋子 (see Yōko).

Ysabel f Spanish (Archaic)
Medieval Spanish form of Isabel.

Ysolt f Arthurian Cycle
Old French form of Iseult, appearing in the 12th-century Old French poem Tristan by Thomas of Britain.

Yua f Japanese
From Japanese 結 (yu) meaning "tie, bind" and 愛 (a) meaning "love, affection". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Yui f Japanese
From 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.

Yuina f Japanese
From Japanese 結 (yui) meaning "tie, bind" and 菜 (na) meaning "vegetables, greens". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Yūka f Japanese
From 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 Japanese
From 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.

Yukiko f Japanese
From Japanese 幸 (yuki) meaning "happiness" or 雪 (yuki) meaning "snow" combined with 子 (ko) meaning "child". Alternatively, it can come from 由 (yu) meaning "reason, cause" with 喜 (ki) meaning "joy" or 貴 (ki) meaning "valuable" combined with 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.

Yuko f Japanese
From Japanese 優 (yu) meaning "excellence, superiority, gentleness" and 子 (ko) meaning "child", as well as other combinations of kanji.

Yulia f Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian
Alternate transcription of Russian Юлия or Ukrainian/Belarusian Юлія (see Yuliya).

Yuliana f Russian, Bulgarian, Ukrainian, Indonesian
Russian, Bulgarian, Ukrainian and Indonesian form of Juliana.

Yulianna f Russian
Russian variant form of Juliana.

Yuliya f Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Bulgarian
Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian and Bulgarian form of Julia.

Yume f Japanese
From Japanese 夢 (yume) meaning "dream, vision". It can also come from 裕 (yu) meaning "abundant, rich, plentiful" and 芽 (me) meaning "bud, sprout", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations.

Yu-Mi f Korean
From Sino-Korean 有 (yu) meaning "have, possess" and 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful". Other hanja character combinations can also form this name.

Yumi f Japanese
From 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.

Yumiko f Japanese
From Japanese 弓 (yumi) meaning "archery bow" or 由 (yu) meaning "reason, cause" with 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" combined with 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Yūna f Japanese
From 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.

Yusra f Arabic
Means "wealth, ease" in Arabic, a derivative of يسر (yasira) meaning "to be easy, to be rich".

Yustina f Russian
Russian form of Iustina (see Justina).

Yuuka f Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 優花 or 有香 (see Yūka).

Yuuko f Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 優子 or 悠子 or 裕子 (see Yūko).

Yuuna f Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 優菜 or 優奈 or 柚菜 (see Yūna).

Yuzuki f Japanese
From Japanese 柚 (yuzu) meaning "grapefruit, pomelo, citrus fruit" and 希 (ki) meaning "hope". Other combinations of kanji can form this name as well.

Yvette f French, English
French feminine form of Yves.

Yvonne f French, English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
French feminine form of Yvon. It has been regularly used in the English-speaking world since the late 19th century.

Zaahira f Arabic
Feminine form of Zaahir 1.

Zabel f Armenian
Armenian form of Isabel. A 13th-century ruling queen of Cilician Armenia bore this name.

Zahara f Hebrew
Feminine form of Zohar.

Zaharina f Bulgarian, Macedonian
Bulgarian and Macedonian feminine form of Zechariah.

Zaharinka f Bulgarian, Macedonian
Diminutive of Zaharina.

Zahia f Arabic
Feminine form of Zahi.

Zahida f Arabic, Urdu
Feminine form of Zahid.

Zahide f Turkish
Turkish feminine form of Zahid.

Zahira f Arabic
Feminine form of Zahir.

Zahra 1 f Arabic, Persian
From Arabic زهراء (zahrāʾ), the feminine form of أزهر (ʾazhar) meaning "shining, brilliant, bright". This is an epithet of the Prophet Muhammad's daughter Fatima.... [more]

Zahrah f Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic زهرة (see Zahra 2).

Zaida f Arabic (Rare), Spanish
Feminine 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.

Zaina f Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic زينة (see Zayna).

Zainab f Arabic, Urdu, Hausa, Malay, Indonesian
Alternate transcription of Arabic زينب (see Zaynab), as well as the usual form in several languages.

Zaira f Italian, Spanish
Italian 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.

Zakiyya f Arabic
Feminine form of Zaki.

Zala f Slovene
Diminutive of Rozalija.

Žana f Slovene, Croatian
Slovene and Croatian form of Gianna.

Zandra f English
Short form of Alexandra.

Zanna f English
Short form of Suzanna.

Zara 1 f Literature, English
Used 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]

Zara 2 f Bulgarian
Diminutive of Zaharina.

Zarah m Biblical
Form of Zerah used in some translations of the Bible.

Zareen f Urdu
Variant of Zarina.

Zaria f English (Modern)
Possibly based on Zahra 2 or the Nigerian city of Zaria.

Zarina f Uzbek, Kazakh, Tajik, Urdu, Malay
From Persian زرین (zarīn) meaning "golden". According to the 5th-century BC Greek historian Ctesias, this was the name of a Scythian queen.

Zavanna f English (Rare)
Variant of Savannah.

Zavia f English (Rare)
Modern feminine form of Xavier.

Zaya f Mongolian
Means "fate, destiny" in Mongolian.

Zayna f Arabic
Feminine form of Zayn.

Zaynab f Arabic
Meaning uncertain. It is possibly derived from Arabic زين (zayn) meaning "beauty" and أب (ʾab) meaning "father"; it could be from the name of a fragrant flowering tree; or it could be an Arabic form of Zenobia, a name borne by a pre-Islamic queen of Palmyra. Zaynab was the name of a daughter, a granddaughter, and two wives of the Prophet Muhammad.

Zdena f Czech, Slovak
Feminine form of Zdeněk or Zdenko.

Zdeňka f Czech
Feminine form of Zdeněk.

Zdenka f Czech, Slovak, Slovene, Croatian
Feminine form of Zdeněk or Zdenko.

Zdzisława f Polish
Feminine form of Zdzisław.

Zehra f Turkish, Urdu
Turkish and Urdu form of Zahra 1 or Zahra 2.