Names with "-rose" in Meaning

Sobiesław m Polish (Rare)
Derived from Slavic elements, probably sebě "to oneself" and slava "glory". This name (in the Czech form Soběslav) was borne by two 12th-century dukes of Bohemia.

Socheat m & f Khmer
Variant of Socheata.

Socheata f & m Khmer
Means "well-born" in Khmer, a Khmer form of Sujata.

Socorro f Spanish
Means "succour, help, relief" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin Mary María del Socorro meaning "Mary of Perpetual Succour".

Socrates m Ancient Greek (Latinized)
From the Greek name Σωκράτης (Sokrates), which was derived from σῶς (sos) meaning "whole, unwounded, safe" and κράτος (kratos) meaning "power". This was the name of an important Greek philosopher. He left no writings of his own; virtually everything that we know of his beliefs comes from his pupil Plato. He was sentenced to death for impiety.

Sohan m French (Modern)
Meaning uncertain, though allegedly a form of Jean 1. It is probably modelled after Yohan and Lohan.

Sohrab m Persian, Persian Mythology
From Persian سهر (sohr) meaning "red" and آب (ab) meaning "water". In the 10th-century Persian epic the Shahnameh this is the name of the son of the hero Rostam. He was tragically slain in battle by his father, who was unaware he was fighting his own son.

Soile f Finnish
Possibly from Finnish soilu meaning "glimmer, blaze".

Sok m & f Khmer
Means "healthy, peaceful, happy, pleasant" in Khmer, ultimately from Sanskrit सुख (sukha).

Sokha m & f Khmer
Means "health" in Khmer, ultimately derived from Sanskrit सुख (sukha).

Sokol m Albanian
Means "falcon" in Albanian, a word borrowed from Slavic.

Sol 1 f Spanish, Portuguese
Means "sun" in Spanish or Portuguese.

Solange f French
French 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.

Sole f Italian
Means "sun" in Italian.

Soledad f Spanish
Means "solitude" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin Mary, María de la Soledad, meaning "Mary of Solitude".

Soleil f Various
Means "sun" in French. It is not commonly used as a name in France itself.

Sóley f Icelandic
Means "buttercup (flower)" in Icelandic (genus Ranunculus), derived from sól "sun" and ey "island".

Solfrid f Norwegian
From the Old Norse elements sól "sun" and fríðr "beautiful, beloved". This name was coined in the 19th century.

Sólja f Faroese
Means "buttercup (flower)" in Faroese (genus Ranunculus). The buttercup is the national flower of the Faroe Islands.

Solmaz f Turkish, Azerbaijani, Persian
Means "unfading, unwilting" in Turkish and Azerbaijani, a negative form of the Turkic root sol "to fade, to wilt".

Solon m Ancient Greek
Possibly from Greek σόλος (solos) meaning "lump of iron". This was the name of an Athenian statesman who reformed the laws and government of the city.

Solongo f Mongolian
Means "rainbow" in Mongolian.

Solveig f Norwegian, Swedish, Danish
From 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).

Sǫlvi m Old Norse
From Old Norse sǫlr meaning "yellow, pale, sallow".

Sōma m Japanese
From Japanese 颯 (sō) meaning "sudden, sound of the wind" and 真 (ma) meaning "real, genuine". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Soma m Hungarian
From Hungarian som meaning "dogwood, cornel tree".

Somchai m Thai
Derived from Thai สม (som) meaning "worthy" combined with ชาย (chai) meaning "man" or ชัย (chai) meaning "victory".

Somerled m Old Norse (Anglicized)
Anglicized form of the Old Norse name Sumarliði meaning "summer traveller". This was the name of a 12th-century Norse-Gaelic king of Mann and the Scottish Isles.

Somporn m Thai
Derived from Thai สม (som) meaning "worthy" and พร (phon) meaning "blessing".

Sơn m Vietnamese
From Sino-Vietnamese 山 (sơn) meaning "mountain".

Sona 1 f Hindi
Means "gold" in Hindi, derived from Sanskrit सुवर्ण (suvarna) meaning literally "good colour".

Sona 2 f Turkmen
Turkmen form of Suna.

Sona 3 f Armenian
Meaning unknown.

Sonal f Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati
From Hindi सोना (sona), Marathi सोन (son) or Gujarati સોનું (sonum) meaning "gold", all derived from Sanskrit सुवर्ण (suvarna) meaning literally "good colour".

Sonam f & m Tibetan, Bhutanese, Hindi, Marathi
Means "virtuous, good karma, fortunate" in Tibetan.

Sondre m Norwegian
From the Old Norse name Sundri, possibly from Old Norse sunn meaning "south".

Soner m Turkish
Means "last man" in Turkish.

Sonic m Popular Culture
From the English word sonic meaning "related to sound", derived from Latin sonus meaning "sound". It also connotates speediness, or the speed of sound, due to words like supersonic or hypersonic. A notable fictional bearer is the speedy video game character Sonic the Hedgehog, introduced in 1991 by Sega. He is called ソニック (Sonikku) in Japan.

Sonnhild f German (Rare)
From German Sonne meaning "sun" combined with the Old German element hilt meaning "battle". This name was created in the modern era.

Sonny m English
From a nickname that is commonly used to denote a young boy, derived from the English word son.

Sons-ee-ah-ray f Apache
Possibly means "morning star" from Apache sons-ee-ah-ray. This name was featured in the western movie Broken Arrow (1950).

Sopdet f Egyptian Mythology
From Egyptian spdt meaning "triangle", derived from spd meaning "to be sharp" and a feminine t suffix. This was the name of the Egyptian goddess of the star Sirius.

Sophea f & m Khmer
Means "judge, lawyer" in Khmer.

Sopheap f & m Khmer
Means "gentle, proper" in Khmer.

Sophia f English, Greek, German, Ancient Greek
Means "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]

Sophocles m Ancient Greek (Latinized)
From the Greek name Σοφοκλῆς (Sophokles), which was derived from Greek σοφός (sophos) meaning "skilled, clever" and κλέος (kleos) meaning "glory". Sophocles was a celebrated 5th-century BC dramatist from Athens.

Sophonisba f Phoenician (Latinized), History
From the Punic name 𐤑𐤐𐤍𐤁𐤏𐤋 (Ṣapanbaʿl) probably meaning "Ba'al conceals", derived from Phoenician 𐤑𐤐𐤍 (ṣapan) possibly meaning "to hide, to conceal" combined with the name of the god Ba'al. Sophonisba was a 3rd-century BC Carthaginian princess who killed herself rather than surrender to the Romans. Her name was recorded in this form by Roman historians such as Livy. She later became a popular subject of plays from the 16th century onwards.

Sophron m Ancient Greek
Means "self-controlled, sensible" in Greek. This name was borne by the 5th-century BC writer Sophron of Syracuse.

Sophronius m Late Greek (Latinized)
Latinized form of the Greek name Σωφρόνιος (Sophronios), which was derived from Greek σώφρων (sophron) meaning "self-controlled, sensible". Saint Sophronius was a 7th-century patriarch of Jerusalem.

Sophus m Ancient Greek (Latinized)
From the Greek name Σόφος (Sophos) meaning "skilled, clever".

Sora f & m Japanese
From Japanese 空 (sora) or 昊 (sora) both meaning "sky". Other kanji with the same pronunciations can also form this name.

Sorcha f Irish, Scottish Gaelic
Means "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).

Sorin m Romanian
Possibly derived from Romanian soare meaning "sun".

Sorne f Basque (Rare)
Means "conception" in Basque. It was coined by Sabino Arana in 1910 as an equivalent of the Spanish name Concepción.

Soroush m Persian Mythology, Persian
Modern Persian form of Avestan 𐬯𐬭𐬀𐬊𐬱𐬀 (Sraosha) meaning "obedience". In Zoroastrianism this was the name of a Yazata (a holy being), later equated with the angel Gabriel.

Sorrel f English (Rare)
From the name of the sour tasting plant, derived from Old French sur "sour", a word of Frankish origin.

Sosigenes m Ancient Greek
Means "born safely" from Greek σῶς (sos) meaning "safe, whole, unwounded" and γενής (genes) meaning "born". This was the name of an astronomer from Alexandria employed by Julius Caesar to correct the Roman calendar.

Sosruko m Caucasian Mythology
Derived from Turkic suslä meaning "menacing". This is the name of a trickster god in Caucasian mythology. He is the hero of the Nart sagas.

Sostrate f Ancient Greek
Means "safe army" from Greek σῶς (sos) meaning "safe, whole, unwounded" and στρατός (stratos) meaning "army".

Sōta m Japanese
From Japanese 颯 (sō) meaning "sudden, sound of the wind" and 太 (ta) meaning "thick, big, great". This name can also be formed of other kanji combinations.

Soth m Khmer
Means "pure, clean" in Khmer, ultimately from Sanskrit शुद्ध (shuddha).

Sothy m & f Khmer
Means "intelligence, wisdom" in Khmer.

Sotirios m Greek
Derived from Greek σωτήρ (soter) meaning "saviour, deliverer", referring to Jesus.

Soudeh f Persian
Means "touched" or "painted" in Persian.

Sovann m & f Khmer
Means "gold" in Khmer, ultimately from Sanskrit सुवर्ण (suvarna).

Sovanna f & m Khmer
Variant of Sovann.

Sparrow m & f English (Rare)
From the name of the bird, ultimately from Old English spearwa.

Spartacus m History
Means "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.

Spas m Bulgarian
Derived from Bulgarian спасен (spasen) meaning "saved".

Spencer m English
From an English surname that meant "dispenser of provisions", derived from Middle English spense "larder, pantry". A famous bearer was American actor Spencer Tracy (1900-1967). It was also the surname of Princess Diana (1961-1997).

Spes f Roman Mythology
Means "hope" in Latin. In Roman mythology this was the name of the personification of hope.

Spike m English
From a nickname that may have originally been given to a person with spiky hair.

Spirit f English (Rare)
From the English word spirit, ultimately from Latin spiritus "breath, energy", a derivative of spirare "to blow".

Spomenka f Croatian
From Croatian spomenak meaning "forget-me-not (flower)".

Spring f English
From the name of the season, ultimately from Old English springan "to leap, to burst forth".

Sprita f Esperanto
Means "witty, lively" in Esperanto, ultimately from Latin spiritus "breath, energy".

Spurius m Ancient Roman
Roman praenomen, or given name, which is of uncertain meaning, probably of Etruscan origin. It may be related to the Late Latin word spurius "of illegitimate birth", which was derived from Etruscan srural "public".

Spyridon m Greek, Late Greek
Late Greek name derived from Greek σπυρίδιον (spyridion) meaning "basket" or Latin spiritus meaning "spirit". Saint Spyridon was a 4th-century sheep farmer who became the bishop of Tremithus and suffered during the persecutions of Diocletian.

Srbuhi f Armenian
Means "holy woman, female saint" in Armenian, derived from սուրբ (surb) meaning "holy, sacred".

Srećko m Croatian, Serbian
Croatian and Serbian cognate of Srečko.

Srečko m Slovene
Derived from Slovene sreča meaning "luck".

Srinivas m Telugu, Kannada, Tamil
Southern Indian form of Shrinivas.

Sriyani f Sinhalese
From Sanskrit श्रेयस् (shreyas) meaning "best, superior".

Ssanyu f Ganda
Means "joy" in Luganda.

Stacey f & m English
Variant of Stacy.

Stacy f & m English
As 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).

Stafford m English
From a surname that was from a place name meaning "landing-place ford" in Old English.

Ståle m Norwegian
From the Old Norse byname Stáli, which was derived from stál meaning "steel".

Stamatios m Greek
Derived from medieval Greek σταματώ (stamato) meaning "stop".

Stamen m Bulgarian, Macedonian
Derived from Bulgarian and Macedonian стамен (stamen) meaning "firm".

Stanford m English
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "stone ford" in Old English.

Stanimir m Bulgarian, Serbian
Derived from the Slavic elements stati "stand, become" (in an inflected form) and mirŭ "peace, world".

Stanislav m Czech, Slovak, Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Slovene, Serbian, Croatian
Derived from the Slavic element stati "stand, become" (inflected forms in stan-) combined with slava "glory". This name was borne by a few medieval saints (typically called by the Polish form Stanisław or Latinized form Stanislaus), including a bishop of Krakow who was martyred in the 11th century.

Stanka f Slovene, Croatian, Bulgarian
Feminine form of Stanko.

Stanko m Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, Bulgarian
Originally a diminutive of Stanislav and other names derived from the Slavic element stati meaning "stand, become".

Stanley m English
From an English surname meaning "stone clearing" (Old English stan "stone" and leah "woodland, clearing"). A notable bearer of the surname was the British-American explorer and journalist Henry Morton Stanley (1841-1904), the man who found David Livingstone in Africa. As a given name, it was borne by American director Stanley Kubrick (1928-1999), as well as the character Stanley Kowalski in Tennessee Williams' play A Streetcar Named Desire (1947).

Star f English
From the English word for the celestial body, ultimately from Old English steorra.

Starla f English
Elaborated form of Star.

Stav f & m Hebrew
Means "autumn" in Hebrew.

Stavros m Greek
Means "cross" in Greek, referring to the cross of the crucifixion.

Steinar m Norwegian
From the Old Norse name Steinarr, derived from the elements steinn "stone" and herr "army, warrior".

Steingrímur m Icelandic
From the Old Norse name Steingrímr, derived from the elements steinn "stone" and gríma "mask".

Steinunn f Icelandic, Old Norse
Derived from the Old Norse elements steinn "stone" and unnr "wave".

Stela f Romanian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Slovak
Form of Stella 1 in several languages, derived from Latin stella meaning "star" (modern Romanian stea).

Stelara f Esperanto
From Esperanto stelaro meaning "constellation", ultimately from Latin stella "star".

Stella 1 f English, Italian, Dutch, German
Means "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.

Stellan m Swedish
Meaning unknown, perhaps related to Old Norse stilling "calm", or perhaps of German origin.

Sten m Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Estonian
Derived from the Old Norse name Steinn meaning "stone".

Stephen m English, Biblical
From the Greek name Στέφανος (Stephanos) meaning "crown, wreath", more precisely "that which surrounds". Saint Stephen was a deacon who was stoned to death, as told in Acts in the New Testament. He is regarded as the first Christian martyr. Due to him, the name became common in the Christian world. It was popularized in England by the Normans.... [more]

Steren f Cornish
Means "star" in Cornish.

Sterling m English
From a Scots surname that was derived from city of Stirling, which is itself of unknown meaning. The name can also be given in reference to the English word sterling meaning "excellent". In this case, the word derives from sterling silver, which was so named because of the emblem that some Norman coins bore, from Old English meaning "little star".

Sterre f Dutch
Derived from Dutch ster meaning "star".

Stetson m English (Modern)
From an English surname that was originally derived from the name of the village of Stidston in Devon, meaning "Stithweard's town". This is a type of wide-brimmed hat, originally made by the John B. Stetson Company.

Stewart m English, Scottish
From a surname that was a variant Stuart.

Stígandr m Old Norse
Means "wanderer" in Old Norse.

Stigr m Old Norse
Means "path" in Old Norse.

Stirling m English (Rare)
From a surname that was a variant Sterling. This is the name of a city in Scotland.

Stithulf m Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English elements stiþ "hard, stiff" and wulf "wolf".

St John m English (British, Rare)
From the title and name of Saint John the Baptist or Saint John the Evangelist (see John).

Stoja f Croatian
Croatian feminine form of Stoyan.

Stojan m Macedonian, Serbian, Croatian, Slovene
Macedonian, Serbian, Croatian and Slovene form of Stoyan.

Stone m English (Modern)
From the English vocabulary word, ultimately from Old English stan.

Storm m & f English (Modern), Dutch (Modern), Danish (Modern), Norwegian (Modern)
From the vocabulary word, ultimately from Old English or Old Dutch storm, or in the case of the Scandinavian name, from Old Norse stormr.

Stormy f English (Modern)
From the English word meaning "stormy, wild, turbulent", ultimately from Old English stormig.

Stoyan m Bulgarian
Derived from Bulgarian стоя (stoya) meaning "to stand, to stay".

Straton m Ancient Greek
Derived from Greek στρατός (stratos) meaning "army". This was the name of a 3rd-century BC Greek philosopher.

Stribog m Slavic Mythology
Possibly from Old Slavic sterti "to extend, to spread" and bogŭ "god". Alternatively it could come from strybati "to flow, to move quickly". Stribog was a Slavic god who was possibly associated with the wind.

Stuart m English, Scottish
From 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.

Sture m Swedish, Medieval Scandinavian
Derived from Old Norse stura meaning "to be contrary". This was the name of three viceroys of Sweden.

Stylianos m Greek, Late Greek
Derived from Greek στῦλος (stylos) meaning "pillar". Saint Stylianos was a 7th-century hermit from Adrianopolis in Asia Minor who is regarded as a patron saint of children.

Su 1 f Turkish
Means "water" in Turkish.

Su 2 f & m Chinese
From Chinese 素 (sù) meaning "plain, simple" or 肃 (sù) meaning "respectful", besides other characters pronounced in a similar way.

Sua f Basque
Derived from Basque su meaning "fire".

Su'ad f Arabic
Means "happiness, luck" in Arabic.

Subhan m Arabic, Urdu
Means "glory, praise" in Arabic.

Subhash m Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali
Means "eloquent", derived from the Sanskrit prefix सु (su) meaning "good" combined with भाषा (bhasha) meaning "speech".

Su-Bin f & m Korean
From Sino-Korean 秀 (su) meaning "luxuriant, beautiful, elegant, outstanding" combined with 斌 (bin) meaning "refined". Other combinations of hanja characters can form this name as well.

Subira f Swahili
Means "patience" in Swahili.

Subrahmanya m Hinduism, Telugu
From the Sanskrit prefix सु (su) meaning "good" and ब्रह्मन् (brahman) meaning "transcendent reality, eternal truth". This is another name for the Hindu god Skanda.

Suchart m Thai
Means "born into a good life" in Thai.

Sudarshan m Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada
Means "beautiful, good-looking" in Sanskrit, derived from the Sanskrit prefix सु (su) meaning "good" combined with दर्शन (darshana) meaning "seeing, observing".

Sudarshana f Hindi
Feminine form of Sudarshan.

Sudenaz f Turkish (Modern)
Combination of Sude and Naz.

Sudhir m Marathi, Hindi, Kannada, Telugu
Derived from the Sanskrit prefix सु (su) meaning "good, very" combined with धीर (dhira) meaning "wise, considerate".

Suellen f English
Contraction 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.

Suero m Medieval Spanish
Medieval Spanish form of Suarius, possibly a Latinized form of a Germanic (perhaps Suebian or Visigothic) name derived from *swēraz meaning "heavy, serious".

Suha f Arabic
Means "forgotten, overlooked" in Arabic. Al-Suha (also called Alcor) is the name of a star in the constellation Ursa Major.

Suhail m Arabic, Urdu
Derived from Arabic سَهُلَ (sahula) meaning "level, even". This is the Arabic name of the second brightest star in the sky, known in the western world as Canopus. It is also the official (IAU) name of the third brightest star in the constellation Vela.

Suharto m Javanese
From 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.

Su-Hyeon f & m Korean
From Sino-Korean 秀 (su) meaning "luxuriant, beautiful, elegant, outstanding" and 賢 (hyeon) meaning "virtuous, worthy, able". Other combinations of hanja characters can also form this name.

Suibhne m Irish Mythology
From Old Irish Suibne, possibly derived from subae meaning "joy, pleasure". This was the name of several figures from early Irish history, including a 7th-century high king and an 8th-century saint. It also appears in the Irish legend Buile Suibhne (meaning "The Madness of Suibhne") about a king who goes insane after being cursed by Saint Rónán Finn.

Suijin m Japanese Mythology
From Japanese 水 (sui) meaning "water" and 神 (jin) meaning "god, spirit". This is the name of the god (or gods) of water, lakes and pools in Japanese mythology.

Sujata f Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Odia, Buddhism
Means "well-born", derived from the Sanskrit prefix सु (su) meaning "good" and जात (jata) meaning "born, grown". According to Buddhist lore this was the name of the woman who gave Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha) a bowl of pudding, ending his period of severe asceticism.

Sujatha f Telugu, Malayalam, Tamil, Sinhalese
South Indian and Sinhala form of Sujata.

Sujay m Bengali, Marathi
Means "great victory", derived from the Sanskrit prefix सु (su) meaning "good" combined with जय (jaya) meaning "victory".

Su-Jin f & m Korean
From 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.

Sukarno m Javanese
From 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.

Sukhbir m Indian (Sikh)
From Sanskrit सुख (sukha) meaning "pleasant, happy" and वीर (vira) meaning "hero, brave".

Sukhdeep m & f Indian (Sikh)
From Sanskrit सुख (sukha) meaning "pleasant, happy" and दीप (dipa) meaning "lamp, light".

Sukhon f Thai
Means "fragrance, pleasant smell" in Thai, ultimately of Pali origin.

Sukhwinder m & f Indian (Sikh)
From Sanskrit सुख (sukha) meaning "pleasant, happy" combined with the name of the Hindu god Indra.

Suk-Ja f Korean
From Sino-Korean 淑 (suk) meaning "good, pure, virtuous, charming" and 子 (ja) meaning "child". Other hanja characters can form this name as well. Korean feminine names ending with the character 子 (a fashionable name suffix in Japan, read as -ko in Japanese) declined in popularity after 1945 when Korea was liberated from Japanese rule.

Sulabha f Marathi
Means "easy, simple, natural" in Sanskrit.

Şule f Turkish
Means "flame" in Turkish.

Sulisław m Polish (Archaic)
Derived from Slavic sulěi meaning "better" or "promise" combined with slava meaning "glory".

Sullivan m English, French
From an Irish surname, the Anglicized form of Ó Súileabháin, itself from the given name Súileabhán, which was derived from Irish súil "eye" and dubh "dark, black" combined with a diminutive suffix. This name has achieved a moderate level of popularity in France since the 1970s. In the United States it was rare before the 1990s, after which it began climbing steadily. A famous fictional bearer of the surname was James P. Sullivan from the animated movie Monsters, Inc. (2001).

Sully m English
Diminutive of Sullivan and other names with a similar sound.

Sulo m Finnish
Means "charm, grace" in Finnish.

Sultan m & f Arabic, Turkish, Azerbaijani, Urdu, Bengali, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Avar
Means "ruler, king, sultan" in Arabic. In the Arab world this name is typically masculine, but Turkey it is given to both boys and girls.

Sulton m Tajik, Uzbek
Tajik and Uzbek form of Sultan.

Suman m & f Bengali, Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Kannada, Nepali
Means "well-disposed, good mind", derived from the Sanskrit prefix सु (su) meaning "good" combined with मनस् (manas) meaning "mind".

Sumantra m Bengali
Means "following good advice", from the Sanskrit prefix सु (su) meaning "good" combined with मन्त्र (mantra) meaning "instrument of thought, prayer, advice".

Sumati f Hinduism, Hindi
Means "wise, good mind", derived from Sanskrit सु (su) meaning "good" and मति (mati) meaning "mind, thought". In the Hindu epic the Mahabharata this is the name of King Sagara's second wife, who bore him 60,000 children.

Sumayya f Arabic
Means "high above" in Arabic. This was the name of the first martyr for Islam.

Sumiko f Japanese
From Japanese 澄 (sumi) meaning "clear" and 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Sumire f Japanese
From Japanese 菫 (sumire) meaning "violet (flower)". Other kanji combinations can form this name as well. It is often written using the hiragana writing system.

Sumit m Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Punjabi
Means "well measured" in Sanskrit.

Summanus m Roman Mythology
Means "before the morning", derived from Latin sub "under, before" and mane "morning". Summanus was the Roman god of the night sky and night lightning, a nocturnal counterpart to Jupiter.

Summer f English
From the name of the season, ultimately from Old English sumor. It has been in use as a given name since the 1970s.

Suna f Turkish
From the Turkish word for a type of duck, the shelduck (genus Tadorna).

Sunan m & f Thai
Possibly means "good word" in Thai.

Sunčana f Croatian
From Croatian sunčan meaning "sunny", a derivative of sunce meaning "sun".

Sunčica f Croatian, Serbian
Derived from Serbo-Croatian sunce meaning "sun".

Sundara m Hinduism
Derived 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 Krishna.

Sunday m & f English
From 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.

Suni m Old Norse
From Old Norse sunr meaning "son".

Sunil m Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Assamese, Gujarati, Punjabi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Nepali
From Sanskrit सु (su) meaning "good, very" combined with नील (nila) meaning "dark blue".

Sunita f Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi, Nepali
Means "well conducted, wise", derived from the Sanskrit prefix सु (su) meaning "good" combined with नीत (nita) meaning "conducted, led". In Hindu legend this is the name of the daughter of King Anga of Bengal.

Suniti f Hindi
Means "good conduct" from the Sanskrit prefix सु (su) meaning "good" combined with नीति (niti) meaning "guidance, moral conduct".

Sunniva f Norwegian
Scandinavian 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.

Sunny f & m English
From the English word meaning "sunny, cheerful".

Sunshine f English
From the English word, ultimately from Old English sunne "sun" and scinan "shine".

Suoma f Finnish
Derived from Finnish Suomi meaning "Finland".

Suraj m Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali, Nepali
Means "sun" in several northern Indian languages, derived from Sanskrit सूर्य (surya).

Surendra m Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Nepali
Means "lord of gods" from Sanskrit सुर (sura) meaning "god" combined with the name of the Hindu god Indra, used here to mean "lord". This is another name for Indra.

Suresha m Hinduism
Means "ruler of the gods" from Sanskrit सुर (sura) meaning "god" and ईश (isha) meaning "ruler, lord". This is another name of the Hindu gods Indra, Shiva or Vishnu.

Surinder m & f Indian (Sikh)
Variant of Surendra used by Sikhs.

Surya m Hinduism, Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi, Marathi, Nepali, Indonesian
Means "sun" in Sanskrit. This is the name of the Hindu god of the sun.

Susanna f Italian, Catalan, Swedish, Finnish, Russian, Ukrainian, Dutch, English, Armenian, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Old Church Slavic
From Σουσάννα (Sousanna), the Greek form of the Hebrew name שׁוֹשַׁנָּה (Shoshannah). 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]

Susanoo m Japanese Mythology
Of Japanese origin, possibly meaning "wild male, impetuous male". In Japanese mythology he was the god of storms and the sea, as well as the brother and adversary of the goddess Amaterasu. He was born when Izanagi washed his nose after returning from the underworld. After he was banished from the heavens, he descended to earth and slew an eight-headed dragon.

Sushila f & m Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi, Nepali
Means "good-tempered, well-disposed", derived from the Sanskrit prefix सु (su) meaning "good" combined with शील (shila) meaning "conduct, disposition". This is a transcription of both the feminine form सुशीला and the masculine form सुशील. This name is borne by wives of the Hindu gods Krishna and Yama.

Susumu m Japanese
From Japanese 進 (susumu) meaning "advance, make progress", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations having the same pronunciation.

Sutton f & m English (Modern)
From a surname, itself derived from the name of numerous English towns, of Old English origin meaning "south town".

Su'ud m Arabic
Means "fortune, good luck" in Arabic, a plural form of Sa'd. This name is traditionally transcribed as Saud. It was the name of the ancestor of the Saud dynasty, the ruling family of Saudi Arabia.

Suvi f Finnish
Means "summer" in Finnish.

Suzan 2 f Turkish
From Persian سوزان (suzan) meaning "burning".

Suzu f Japanese
From 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.

Svajonė f Lithuanian
Means "dream" in Lithuanian.

Svanhild f Norwegian, Norse Mythology
From Old Norse svanr "swan" and hildr "battle", a Scandinavian cognate of Swanhild. In the Norse epic the Völsungasaga she is the daughter of Sigurd and Gudrun.

Svarog m Slavic Mythology
Probably means "fire", from Old Slavic sŭvarŭ meaning "heat". This was the name of a Slavic god associated with blacksmithing.

Svatava f Czech
Derived from Czech svatý meaning "sacred, holy", ultimately from Old Slavic *svętŭ.

Svatopluk m Czech
Means "sacred people", derived from the Slavic elements svętŭ "sacred, holy" and pŭlkŭ "people, host, army". Svatopluk the Great was a 9th-century ruler of Great Moravia, a region centered around the modern Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Svea f Swedish
From 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".

Sven m Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Estonian, German, Dutch
From the Old Norse byname Sveinn meaning "boy". This was the name of kings of Denmark, Norway and Sweden.

Sverre m Norwegian
From the Old Norse name Sverrir meaning "wild, swinging, spinning".

Svetla f Bulgarian
Derived from Bulgarian светъл (svetal) meaning "bright, light".

Svetlana f Russian, Slovak, Bulgarian, Serbian, Macedonian, Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Armenian, Georgian
Derived 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.

Svetomir m Serbian, Bulgarian (Rare)
Derived from the Slavic elements svętŭ "sacred, holy" and mirŭ "peace, world".

Svetovit m Slavic Mythology
Derived from Slavic svętŭ "sacred, holy" and vitŭ "master, lord". This was the name of a four-headed West Slavic god of war and light. He has historically been conflated with Saint Vitus, who is known as Święty Wit in Polish and Svatý Vít in Czech.

Svit m Slovene
Means "dawn" in Slovene.

Svyatoslav m Russian, Ukrainian
Derived from the Slavic elements svętŭ "sacred, holy" and slava "glory". This was the name of a 10th-century ruler of Kievan Rus, the son of Igor and Olga, and the first to have a name of Slavic origin instead of Old Norse.

Swanahildiz f Old Germanic (Hypothetical)
Proto-Germanic reconstruction of Swanahilda and Svanhildr.

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.

Swapan m Bengali
Derived from Sanskrit स्वपन (svapana) meaning "sleeping, dreaming".

Swapna f Telugu, Marathi
Means "sleep, dream" in Sanskrit.

Swapnil m Marathi, Hindi
Derived from Sanskrit स्वप्न (svapna) meaning "sleep, dream".

Swaran m & f Punjabi
Punjabi form of Swarna.

Swarna m & f Telugu, Hindi
Means "good colour" or "golden", a contraction of the Sanskrit prefix सु (su) meaning "good" and वर्ण (varna) meaning "colour". This is a transcription of both the masculine form स्वर्ण and the feminine form स्वर्णा (spelled with a long final vowel).

Swathi f Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam
Southern Indian form of Swati.

Swati f Hindi, Marathi
From the Indian name of the fourth brightest star in the night sky, called Arcturus in the western world.

Swithin m History
From the Old English name Swiðhun or Swiþhun, derived from swiþ "strong" and perhaps hun "bear cub". Saint Swithin was a 9th-century bishop of Winchester.

Sycorax f Literature
Created by Shakespeare for a witch character in his play The Tempest (1611). The character has died by the time the play begins, so she is only spoken of and not seen. The name's meaning is unknown, though it might have been inspired by Latin corax or Greek κόραξ (korax) meaning "raven", referring to the 5th-century BC Greek rhetorician Corax of Syracuse. One of the moons of Uranus bears this name in the character's honour.

Sydney f & m English
From 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.

Sylvan m English
Either a variant of Silvanus or directly from the Latin word silva meaning "wood, forest".

Symphony f English (Rare)
Simply from the English word, ultimately deriving from Greek σύμφωνος (symphonos) meaning "concordant in sound".

Syntyche f Biblical, Biblical Greek, Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek name derived from συντυχία (syntychia) meaning "occurrence, event". This is the name of a woman mentioned in Paul's epistle to the Philippians in the New Testament.

Szabolcs m Hungarian
Meaning unknown, possibly from a Slavic word meaning "marten". It was borne by a leader of the Magyars at the time of Árpád. This is now the name of a region in Hungary.

Szczęsny m Polish (Archaic)
Means "lucky, successful, happy" in Polish, a vernacular form of Felix.

Szilárd m Hungarian
Means "solid, firm" in Hungarian, also used as a Hungarian vernacular form of Constantine.

Taalay m Kyrgyz
Means "lucky, happy" in Kyrgyz.

Tabassum m & f Arabic
Means "smiling" in Arabic.

Tabitha f English, Biblical, Biblical Greek
Means "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.

Tacitus m Ancient Roman
Roman cognomen meaning "silent, mute" in Latin. This was the name of a 1st-century Roman historian, known for writing the Histories and the Annals.

Tadala f Chewa
Means "we have been blessed" in Chewa.

Tadashi m Japanese
From Japanese 正 (tadashi) meaning "right, correct, true" or 忠 (tadashi) meaning "loyalty, devotion", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations that result in the same pronunciation.

Tadesse m Amharic
Means "revived" in Amharic.

Tadhg m Irish, Irish Mythology
From Old Irish Tadg meaning "poet". This was the name of an 11th-century king of Connacht, as well as several other kings and chieftains of medieval Ireland. According to Irish mythology it was the name of the grandfather of Fionn mac Cumhaill.

Tafadzwa m & f Shona
Means "we are pleased" in Shona, from fadza meaning "please, make happy".

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.

Taguhi f Armenian
Means "queen" in Armenian.

Tagwanibisan f Algonquin
Means "rainbow" in Algonquin.

Tahel f Hebrew
Means "you will shine" in Hebrew, from the root הָלַל (halal) meaning "to praise, to shine".

Tahir m Arabic, Urdu, Turkish, Azerbaijani, Bosnian
Means "virtuous, pure, chaste" in Arabic.

Tahlako m Choctaw
Means "eagle" in Choctaw.

Tahmasp m Persian (Archaic)
From Persian تهم (tahm) meaning "brave, valiant" and اسب (asb) meaning "horse". This name was borne by two Safavid shahs of Persia (16th and 18th centuries).

Tahmid m Arabic
Means "praising" in Arabic.

Tahmina f Persian Mythology, Tajik, Bengali
Derived 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.

Tahmuras m Persian Mythology
Persian 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.

Tahpenes f Biblical
Probably of Egyptian origin, possibly meaning "the wife of the king", derived from the feminine determiner tꜣ and ḥmt "woman, wife" combined with the masculine determiner pꜣ and nsw "king". Queen Tahpenes was a wife of an Egyptian pharaoh according to the Book of Kings in the Old Testament.

Tähti f Finnish (Rare), Estonian (Rare)
Means "star" in Finnish and Estonian.

Tai m & f Chinese
From Chinese 太 (tài) meaning "very, extreme" or other characters pronounced in a similar way.

Taichi m Japanese
From Japanese 太 (ta) meaning "thick, big, great" and 一 (ichi) meaning "one", in addition to other combinations of kanji that are pronounced the same way.

Taika f Finnish (Rare)
Means "magic, spell" in Finnish.

Taiki m Japanese
From Japanese 大 (tai) meaning "big, great" and 輝 (ki) meaning "brightness" or 樹 (ki) meaning "tree". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Taimi f Finnish, Estonian
From Finnish taimi meaning "sapling, young tree" or Estonian taim meaning "plant" (words from a common origin).

Taimo m Estonian
From Estonian taim meaning "plant".

Taisto m Finnish
Means "battle" in Finnish.

Taiwo m & f Yoruba
Means "taste the world, taste life" in Yoruba.

Taj m Arabic
Means "crown" in Arabic.

Tajana f Croatian, Serbian
Derived from Croatian and Serbian tajiti "to keep secret".

Tajddigt f Berber
Means "flower" in Tamazight.

Tajra f Bosnian
Possibly from Arabic طائر (ta'ir) meaning "bird".

Tajuana f African American
Combination of the prefix ta and the name Juana.

Takahiro m Japanese
From 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.

Takako f Japanese
From Japanese 孝 (taka) meaning "filial piety" and 子 (ko) meaning "child", as well as other combinations of kanji characters.

Takara m & f Japanese
From Japanese 宝 (takara) meaning "treasure, jewel", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations with the same pronunciation.

Takashi m Japanese
From Japanese 孝 (takashi) meaning "filial piety", 隆 (takashi) meaning "noble, prosperous" or 崇 (takashi) meaning "esteem, honour, venerate", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations that result in the same pronunciation.

Takehiko m Japanese
From Japanese 武 (take) meaning "military, martial" or 竹 (take) meaning "bamboo" combined with 彦 (hiko) meaning "boy, prince". Other kanji combinations are also possible.

Takeo m Japanese
From Japanese 武 (take) meaning "military, martial" combined with 夫 (o) meaning "man, husband" or 雄 (o) meaning "hero, manly". Other kanji combinations can form this name as well.

Takeshi m Japanese
From Japanese 武 (takeshi) meaning "military, martial", 健 (takeshi) meaning "strong, healthy", or other kanji having the same reading.

Takondwa m & f Chewa
Means "we are glad" in Chewa.

Takuma m Japanese
From Japanese 拓 (taku) meaning "expand, open, support" and 真 (ma) meaning "real, genuine". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Takumi m Japanese
From Japanese 匠 (takumi) meaning "artisan" or 巧 (takumi) meaning "skillful". It can also come from 拓 (taku) meaning "expand, open, support" combined with 海 (mi) meaning "sea, ocean" or 実 (mi) meaning "fruit, good result, truth". This name can also be formed of other kanji combinations.

Takuto m Japanese
From Japanese 拓 (taku) meaning "expand, open, support" combined with 斗 (to), which refers to a Chinese constellation, or 人 (to) meaning "person". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.

Takuya m Japanese
From Japanese 拓 (taku) meaning "expand, open, support" combined with 也 (ya) meaning "also" or 哉 (ya), an exclamation. This name can be formed with other kanji combinations as well.

Tal m & f Hebrew
Derived from Hebrew טַל (tal) meaning "dew".

Tal'at m Arabic
Possibly means "face, sight" in Arabic.

Talatu f Hausa
From Hausa Talata meaning "Tuesday" (of Arabic origin).

Talfryn m Welsh
From a Welsh place name meaning "front hill", derived from Welsh tal "front, extremity" and bryn "hill".

Talha m Arabic, Turkish, Urdu
Derived from Arabic طلح (talh) meaning "fruit-bearing tree". This was the name of an early companion of the Prophet Muhammad.

Tali f Hebrew
Means "my dew" in Hebrew.

Talia 1 f Hebrew
Means "dew from God" in Hebrew, from טַל (tal) meaning "dew" and יָה (yah) referring to the Hebrew God.

Talia 2 f English (Australian)
From the name of a town in South Australia, perhaps meaning "near water" in an Australian Aboriginal language.

Talib m Arabic
Means "seeker of knowledge, student" in Arabic. Abu Talib was an uncle of the Prophet Muhammad who raised him after his parents and grandparents died. His name was in fact a kunya (a nickname) formed using Abu; his real name may have been Imran.

Taliesin m Welsh, Welsh Mythology
Means "shining brow", derived from Welsh tal "brow, head" and iesin "shining, radiant". This was the name of a semi-legendary 6th-century Welsh poet and bard, supposedly the author of the collection of poems the Book of Taliesin. He appears briefly in the Welsh legend Culhwch and Olwen and the Second Branch of the Mabinogi. He is the central character in the Tale of Taliesin, a medieval legend recorded in the 16th century, which tells how Ceridwen's servant Gwion Bach was reborn to her as Taliesin; how he becomes the bard for Elffin; and how Taliesin defends Elffin from the machinations of the king Maelgwn Gwynedd.

Talisha f African American (Modern)
Combination of the popular name prefix ta and Lisha.

Talita f Portuguese (Brazilian)
Portuguese form of Talitha, popular in Brazil.

Talitha f Biblical
Means "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).