Wenonah f LiteratureVariant 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.
Werther m German (Rare)Derived from the Old German elements
werd "worthy" and
heri "army". Goethe used this name in his novel
The Sorrows of Young Werther (1774).
Whitaker m English (Rare)From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"white field" in Old English.
Wickaninnish m Nuu-chah-nulth (Anglicized)Possibly means
"having no one in front of him in the canoe" in Nuu-chah-nulth. This was the name of a chief of the Clayoquot in the late 18th century, at the time of European contact.
Wido m GermanicOriginally a short form of names beginning with the Old Frankish or Old Saxon element
widu, Old High German
witu, meaning
"wood" (Proto-Germanic *
widuz). This was the name of two 11th-century saints, one from Belgium and one from northern Italy, both commonly called
Guido or
Guy. From early times this name has been confused with the Latin name
Vitus.
Widukind m GermanicOld Saxon name composed of the elements
widu "wood" and
kind "child". This was the name of an 8th-century Saxon leader who fought against the Franks, in the end unsuccessfully.
Wigberht m Anglo-Saxon, GermanicDerived from the Old English elements
wig "battle" and
beorht "bright". This is also a continental Germanic equivalent, derived from the Old German elements
wig and
beraht. The name was borne by an 8th-century English saint who did missionary work in Frisia and Germany.
Wilburn m EnglishFrom an English surname that was probably originally derived from an unknown place name. The second element corresponds with Old English
burne "stream".
Wilder m EnglishFrom an English surname meaning
"wild, untamed, uncontrolled", from Old English
wilde.
Wiley m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from various English place names: towns named
Willey or the River
Wylye.
Wilhelm m German, Polish, GermanicGerman cognate of
William. This was the name of two German emperors. It was also the middle name of several philosophers from Germany: Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770-1831), Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (1844-1900), and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646-1716), who was also a notable mathematician. Another famous bearer was the physicist Wilhelm Röntgen (1845-1923).
Wilkie m EnglishFrom an English surname that was originally derived from a diminutive of the given name
William.
Willard m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from the Old German given name
Willihard (or the Old English cognate
Wilheard).
Willem m DutchDutch form of
William. Willem the Silent, Prince of Orange, was the leader of the Dutch revolt against Spain that brought about the independence of the Netherlands. He is considered the founder of the Dutch royal family. In English he is commonly called William of Orange.
Willoughby m & f English (Rare)From a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning
"willow town" in Old English.
Wilton m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from the names of several English towns. The town names mean variously "willow town", "well town" or "town on the River Wylye" in Old English. The river name is itself of Celtic origin, possibly meaning "tricky".
Winona f English, SiouxMeans
"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.
Winslow m & f English (Rare)From a surname that was derived from an Old English place name meaning
"hill belonging to Wine". A famous bearer of this name was American painter Winslow Homer (1836-1910).
Wisteria f English (Rare)From the name of the flowering plant, which was named for the American anatomist Caspar Wistar.
Wobbe m FrisianOriginally a Frisian short form of
Waldebert (and other names starting with the Old German element
walt meaning "power, authority" and a second element beginning with
b).
Wojciech m PolishDerived from the Slavic elements
vojĭ "warrior, soldier" and
utěxa "solace, comfort, joy". Saint Wojciech (also known by the Czech form of his name
Vojtěch or his adopted name
Adalbert) was a Bohemian missionary to Hungary, Poland and Prussia, where he was martyred in the 10th century.
Wolfe m English (Rare)Variant of
Wolf, influenced by the spelling of the surname (which is also derived from the animal).
Wolfgang m German, GermanicDerived from the Old German elements
wolf meaning "wolf" and
gang meaning "path, way". Saint Wolfgang was a 10th-century bishop of Regensburg. Two other famous bearers of this name were Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) and German novelist and poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832).
Wolfram m GermanDerived from the Old German element
wolf meaning "wolf" combined with
hram meaning "raven". Saint Wolfram (or Wulfram) was a 7th-century archbishop of Sens. This name was also borne by the 13th-century German poet Wolfram von Eschenbach, the author of
Parzival.
Woody m EnglishEither a diminutive of names containing
wood such as
Woodrow, or else from a nickname derived from the English word
wood. Famous bearers include the folk singer Woodrow "Woody" Guthrie (1912-1967), the comedian and film director Heywood "Woody" Allen (1935-; born as Allan Stewart Konigsberg), and the actor Woodrow "Woody" Harrelson (1961-). It is also borne by the cartoon characters Woody Woodpecker (debuting 1940) and Woody from the
Toy Story movies (beginning 1995).
Wren f English (Modern)From the English word for the small songbird. It is ultimately derived from Old English
wrenna.
Wulfrun f Anglo-SaxonDerived from the Old English elements
wulf "wolf" and
run "secret lore, rune". This was the name of a 10th-century English noblewoman who founded the city of Wolverhampton.
Wyn m WelshDerived from Welsh
gwyn meaning
"white, blessed".
Wystan m English (Rare)From the Old English name
Wigstan, composed of the elements
wig "battle" and
stan "stone". This was the name of a 9th-century Anglo-Saxon saint. It became rare after the Norman Conquest, and in modern times it is chiefly known as the first name of the British poet W. H. Auden (1907-1973).
Xander m Dutch, English (Modern)Short form of
Alexander. It was popularized in the English-speaking world by a character on the television series
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003).
Xanthippe f Ancient GreekFeminine 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.
Xavier m English, French, Portuguese, Catalan, SpanishDerived from the Basque place name
Etxeberria meaning
"the new house". This was the surname of the Jesuit priest Saint Francis Xavier (1506-1552) who was born in a village by this name. He was a missionary to India, Japan, China, and other areas in East Asia, and he is the patron saint of the Orient and missionaries. His surname has since been adopted as a given name in his honour, chiefly among Catholics.
Xbalanque m Mayan MythologyPossibly from Classic Maya
balam "jaguar" and
k'in "sun" or
kej "deer". In the
Popol Vuh, the sacred book of the K'iche' Maya, Xbalanque and his twin brother
Hunahpu avenge their father's death at the hands of the underworld gods.
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.
Xenophon m Ancient GreekDerived from Greek
ξένος (xenos) meaning "foreign, strange" and
φωνή (phone) meaning "voice". This was the name of a 4th-century BC Greek military commander and historian. This name was also borne by a 5th-century saint from Constantinople.
Xerxes m Old Persian (Hellenized), HistoryGreek form of the Old Persian name
𐎧𐏁𐎹𐎠𐎼𐏁𐎠 (Xšayarša), which meant
"ruler over heroes". This was the name of a 5th-century BC king of Persia, the son of
Darius the Great. He attempted an invasion of Greece, which ended unsuccessfully at the battle of Salamis.
Xia m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
夏 (xià) meaning "summer, great, grand",
霞 (xiá) meaning "rosy clouds", or other characters that are pronounced similarly.
Ximeno m Medieval SpanishMedieval Spanish or Basque name of uncertain meaning. It is possibly a form of
Simon 1, though it may in fact derive from Basque
seme meaning "son".
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.
Xiu f ChineseFrom Chinese
秀 (xiù) meaning "luxuriant, beautiful, elegant, outstanding" or other characters that are pronounced similarly.
Xiulan f ChineseFrom 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 ChineseFrom Chinese
秀 (xiù) meaning "luxuriant, beautiful, elegant, outstanding" combined with
英 (yīng) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero". Other character combinations are possible.
Xue f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
雪 (xuě) meaning "snow" or
学 (xué) meaning "study, learning, school", besides other characters pronounced similarly.
Xun m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
勋 (xūn) meaning "meritorious deed, rank" or
迅 (xùn) meaning "fast, sudden", as well as other characters with a similar pronunciation.
Yaa f AkanMeans
"born on Thursday" in Akan.
Yaara f HebrewMeans
"honeycomb" and
"honeysuckle" in Hebrew.
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 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".
Yago m SpanishSpanish form of
Iacobus (see
James). The form
Santiago refers more specifically to the New Testament apostles.
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.
Yahweh m TheologyA name of the Hebrew God, represented in Hebrew by the Tetragrammaton ("four letters")
יהוה (Yod Heh Vav Heh), which was transliterated into Roman script as
Y H W H. Because it was considered blasphemous to utter the name of God, it was only written and never spoken, which resulted in the original pronunciation becoming lost. The name may have originally been derived from the Hebrew root
הָוָה (hawa) meaning
"to be, to exist, to become".
Yale m English (Rare)From a Welsh surname, which was itself derived from a place name meaning
"fertile upland" (from Welsh
ial).
Yaling f ChineseFrom 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.
Yam m Semitic MythologyMeans
"sea" in Ugaritic. Yam was the Ugaritic god of the sea, also associated with chaos, storms and destruction. He was a son of the chief god
El.
Yama 1 m HinduismMeans
"twin" in Sanskrit. This is the name of the Hindu god of death. According to the Vedas he was the first mortal being, or in other words, the first person to die. This name is related to Persian
Jam.
Yamato m JapaneseFrom
Yamato, an ancient name for Japan. It can also refer to the Yamato period in Japanese history, which lasted into the 8th century. The individual kanji are
大 meaning "great" and
和 meaning "harmony".
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.
Yamuna f Hinduism, Tamil, TeluguFrom 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.
Yancy m & f EnglishFrom a surname, which was an Americanized form of the Dutch surname
Jansen meaning
"Jan 1's son".
Yanni m Greek (Expatriate)Diminutive of
Yiannis. A famous bearer is the Greek-American musician Yiannis Chryssomallis (1954-), who goes by the single name Yanni.
Yaroslav m Russian, UkrainianMeans
"fierce and glorious", derived from the Slavic elements
jarŭ "fierce, energetic" and
slava "glory". Yaroslav the Wise was an 11th-century grand prince of Kyiv who expanded Kievan Rus to its greatest extent.
Yasen m BulgarianMeans both
"ash tree" and
"clear, serene" in Bulgarian.
Yasir m Arabic, UrduMeans
"easy, wealthy" in Arabic, derived from the root
يسر (yasira) meaning "to be easy, to be rich". This was the name of an early Islamic martyr. It was also borne by Yasir Arafat (1929-2004), a leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization.
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.
Ye-Jun m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
藝 (ye) meaning "art, talent, craft" combined with
俊 (jun) meaning "talented, handsome", as well as other hanja combinations.
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.
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.
Yeong-Suk f KoreanFrom 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.
Yeshua m Biblical Hebrew, Ancient AramaicContracted form of
Yehoshuaʿ (see
Joshua) used in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah in the Hebrew Bible. The form was also used in Aramaic, and was most likely the name represented by Greek
Iesous (see
Jesus) in the New Testament. This means it was probably the real name of Jesus.
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.
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.
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.
Yin f & m ChineseFrom 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.
Yngvi m Norse MythologyPossibly an Old Norse cognate of
Ing. This was an alternate name of the god
Freyr, who as Yngvi-Freyr was regarded as the ancestor of the Swedish royal family.