ABD AL-MALIKmArabicMeans "servant of the king" from Arabic
عبد ال ('abd al) meaning "servant of the" combined with
ملك (malik) meaning "king". This was the name of the fifth Umayyad caliph, who made Arabic the official language of the empire.
ABIMELECHmBiblicalMeans "my father is king" in Hebrew. This is the name of several characters in the Old Testament including a king of Gerar who takes
Abraham's wife
Sarah, but is forced by God to give her back.
ÆÐELRICmAnglo-SaxonDerived from the Old English elements
æðel "noble" and
ric "power, rule". This was the name of several early Anglo-Saxon kings.
AL-AMIRmArabic (Rare)Means "the commander, the prince" in Arabic. This was the name of a 10th-century Fatimid imam.
ALARICmAncient GermanicFrom the Gothic name
Alareiks which meant "ruler of all", derived from the Germanic element
ala "all" combined with
ric "ruler, power". This was the name of a king of the Visigoths who sacked Rome in the 5th century.
ALIKHANmKazakhCombination of the name
ALI (1) and the Turkic title
khan which means "ruler, leader".
ANSALDOmItalianItalian form of a Germanic name composed of the elements
ans "god" and
wald "power, leader, ruler".
ARMELmFrenchFrom the old Welsh name
Arthfael, which was composed of the elements
arth "bear" and
mael "prince". This was the name of a 6th-century Welsh saint who founded abbeys in Brittany.
ARTAXERXESmAncient Persian (Hellenized), BiblicalGreek form of the Persian name
Artakhshathra meaning "righteous ruler". This was the name of several Achaemenid Persian rulers. It was also borne by the founder of the Sassanid Empire, usually known by the Middle Persian form
Ardashir.
ARTHURmEnglish, French, German, Dutch, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Welsh Mythology, Arthurian RomanceThe meaning of this name is unknown. It could be derived from the Celtic elements
artos "bear" combined with
viros "man" or
rigos "king". Alternatively it could be related to an obscure Roman family name
Artorius. Arthur is the name of the central character in Arthurian legend, a 6th-century king of the Britons who resisted Saxon invaders. He may or may not have been a real person. He first appears in Welsh poems and chronicles (some possibly as early as the 7th century) but his character was not developed until the chronicles of the 12th-century Geoffrey of Monmouth.
... [more] ATHANARICmAncient GermanicFrom the Gothic name
Athanareiks, derived from the Germanic element
athana meaning "year" combined with
ric meaning "power, ruler". Athanaric was a 4th-century ruler of the Visigoths.
AYTAÇm & fTurkishDerived from Turkish
ay meaning "moon" and
taç meaning "crown" (of Persian origin).
BALDERmNorse MythologyMeans "prince" from Old Norse. In Norse mythology Balder was the son of
Odin and
Frigg. Because of the disturbing dreams he had when he was young, his mother extracted an oath from every thing in the world that it would not harm him. However the evil fire god
Loki learned that she had overlooked mistletoe. Being jealous, he tricked the blind god Hoder into throwing a branch of mistletoe at Balder, which killed him.
BALDRICmEnglish (Archaic)Derived from the Germanic elements
bald "bold, brave" and
ric "power, rule". The Normans introduced this name to Britain, and it was common in the Middle Ages.
BASIL (1)mEnglishFrom the Greek name
Βασιλειος (Basileios) which was derived from
βασιλευς (basileus) meaning "king". Saint Basil the Great was a 4th-century bishop of Caesarea and one of the fathers of the early Christian church. Due to him, the name (in various spellings) has come into general use in the Christian world, being especially popular among Eastern Christians. It was also borne by two Byzantine emperors.
BELSHAZZARmBabylonian (Anglicized), BiblicalFrom
בֵּלְשַׁאצַּר (Belshatzzar), the Hebrew form of the Akkadian name
Bel-sharra-usur meaning "
BEL protect the king". This was the name of the son of Nabonidus, the last king of the Babylonian Empire before it was conquered by the Persians in the 6th century BC. In the Old Testament Book of Daniel Belshazzar is the last king of Babylon who sees the mystical handwriting on the wall, which is interpreted by Daniel to portend the end of the empire.
BRENDANmIrish, EnglishFrom
Brendanus, the Latinized form of the Irish name
Bréanainn which was derived from a Welsh word meaning "prince". Saint Brendan was a 6th-century Irish abbot who, according to legend, crossed the Atlantic and reached North America with 17 other monks.
BRENNUSmAncient Celtic (Latinized)Latinized form of a Celtic name (or title) that possibly meant either "king, prince" or "raven". Brennus was a Gallic leader of the 4th century BC who attacked and sacked Rome.
BRIJESHAmHinduismMeans "ruler of Brij" in Sanskrit. This is another name of the Hindu god
Krishna, Brij being a region associated with him.
CADEYRNmAncient CelticMeans "battle king" from Welsh
cad "battle" and
teyrn "king, monarch". Cadeyrn (also known as Catigern) was a 5th-century king of Powys in Wales, the son of Vortigern.
CADFAELmWelshMeans "battle prince" from Welsh
cad "battle" and
mael "prince".
CANDACEfEnglish, Biblical, Biblical LatinFrom the hereditary title of the queens of Ethiopia, as mentioned in Acts in the New Testament. It is apparently derived from Cushitic
kdke meaning "queen mother". In some versions of the Bible it is spelled
Kandake, reflecting the Greek spelling
Κανδακη. It was used as a given name by the Puritans after the Protestant Reformation. It was popularized in the 20th century by a character in the movie 'Meet the Stewarts' (1942).
CATHALmIrishDerived from the Gaelic elements
cath "battle" and
val "rule". This was the name of a 7th-century Irish saint. It has sometimes been Anglicized as
Charles.
CHARLESmEnglish, FrenchFrom the Germanic name
Karl, which was derived from a Germanic word meaning "man". However, an alternative theory states that it is derived from the common Germanic name element
hari meaning "army, warrior".
... [more] CORONAfLate Roman, Italian, SpanishMeans "crown" in Latin, as well as Italian and Spanish. This was the name of a 2nd-century saint who was martyred with her companion Victor.
DONALDmScottish, EnglishFrom the Gaelic name
Domhnall which means "ruler of the world", composed of the old Celtic elements
dumno "world" and
val "rule". This was the name of two 9th-century kings of the Scots and Picts. It has traditionally been very popular in Scotland, and during the 20th century it became common in the rest of the English-speaking world. This is the name of one of Walt Disney's most popular cartoon characters, Donald Duck. It was also borne by Australian cricket player Donald Bradman (1908-2001).
EDRICmEnglish (Rare)From the Old English elements
ead "wealth, fortune" and
ric "rule". After the Norman conquest this Old English name was not commonly used. It has occasionally been revived in modern times.
EMİRHANmTurkishDerived from Turkish
emir "amir, prince" and
han "khan, ruler, leader".
ERESHKIGALfSumerian MythologyMeans "lady of the great earth", from Sumerian
𒊩𒌆 (ereš) meaning "lady, queen" combined with
𒆠 (ki) meaning "earth" and
𒃲 (gal) meaning "great, big". In Sumerian mythology she was the goddess of death and the underworld.
ERICmEnglish, Swedish, German, SpanishFrom the Old Norse name
Eiríkr, derived from the elements
ei "ever, always" and
ríkr "ruler". A notable bearer was Eiríkr inn Rauda (Eric the Red in English), a 10th-century navigator and explorer who discovered Greenland. This was also the name of several early kings of Sweden, Denmark and Norway.
... [more] FITZROYmEnglish (Rare)From an English surname meaning "son of the king" in Old French, originally given to illegitimate sons of monarchs.
FLAITHRÍmIrishMeans "king of princes" from Gaelic
flaith "prince" and
rí "king".
FREDERICKmEnglishEnglish form of a Germanic name meaning "peaceful ruler", derived from
frid "peace" and
ric "ruler, power". This name has long been common in continental Germanic-speaking regions, being borne by rulers of the Holy Roman Empire, Germany, Austria, Scandinavia, and Prussia. Notables among these rulers include the 12th-century Holy Roman emperor and crusader Frederick I Barbarossa, the 13th-century emperor and patron of the arts Frederick II, and the 18th-century Frederick II of Prussia, known as Frederick the Great.
... [more] GALADRIELfLiteratureMeans "maiden crowned with a radiant garland" in Sindarin. Galadriel was a Noldorin elf princess renowned for her beauty and wisdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's novels. The elements are
galad "radiant" and
riel "garlanded maiden".
Alatáriel is the Quenya form of her name.
GANESHAmHinduismMeans "lord of hordes" from Sanskrit
गण (gana) meaning "horde, multitude" and
ईश (isha) meaning "lord, ruler". This is the name of the Hindu god of wisdom and good luck, the son of
Shiva and
Parvati. He is often depicted as a stout man with the head of an elephant.
GENGHISmHistoryFrom the title
Genghis (or
Chinggis)
Khan, meaning "universal ruler", which was adopted by the Mongol Empire founder
Temujin in the late 12th century. Remembered both for his military brilliance and his brutality towards civilians, he went on to conquer huge areas of Asia and Eastern Europe.
GERALDmEnglish, GermanFrom a Germanic name meaning "rule of the spear", from the elements
ger meaning "spear" and
wald meaning "rule". The Normans brought this name to Britain. Though it died out in England during the Middle Ages, it remained common in Ireland. It was revived in the English-speaking world in 19th century.
GODRICmAnglo-SaxonMeans "power of god", derived from Old English
god combined with
ric "power, rule". This name died out a few centuries after the Norman conquest.
GORMLAITHfIrish, ScottishDerived from Irish
gorm "blue" or "illustrious" and
flaith "princess, lady". This was the name of a wife of the 11th-century Irish ruler
Brian Boru.
GRUFFUDDmWelshFrom the Old Welsh name
Griphiud, the second element deriving from Welsh
udd "lord, prince" but the first element being of uncertain meaning (possibly
cryf "strong"). This was a common name among medieval Welsh royalty. Gruffudd (or Gruffydd) ap Llywelyn was an 11th-century Welsh ruler who fought against England.
GUANTINGm & fChineseFrom Chinese
冠 (guān) meaning "cap, crown, headgear" combined with
廷 (tíng) meaning "court". This name can also be formed from other character combinations.
GUANYUm & fChineseFrom Chinese
冠 (guān) meaning "cap, crown, headgear" combined with
宇 (yǔ) meaning "house, eaves, universe". Other character combinations are possible.
GWRTHEYRNmAncient CelticMeans "supreme king" from Welsh
gor meaning "over" and
teyrn meaning "king, monarch". It is possible that this is not a name, but a title. Gwrtheyrn (also known as Vortigern) was a 5th-century king of the Britons. It was he who invited Horsa and Hengist to Britain, which eventually led to the Anglo-Saxon conquest of England.
HAROLDmEnglishFrom the Old English name
Hereweald, derived from the elements
here "army" and
weald "power, leader, ruler". The Old Norse cognate
Haraldr was also common among Scandinavian settlers in England. This was the name of five kings of Norway and three kings of Denmark. It was also borne by two kings of England, both of whom were from mixed Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon backgrounds, including Harold II who lost the Battle of Hastings (and was killed in it), which led to the Norman conquest. After the conquest the name died out, but it was eventually revived in the 19th century.
HENRYmEnglishFrom the Germanic name
Heimirich which meant "home ruler", composed of the elements
heim "home" and
ric "power, ruler". It was later commonly spelled
Heinrich, with the spelling altered due to the influence of other Germanic names like
Haganrich, in which the first element is
hagan "enclosure".
... [more] IDRIS (2)mWelshMeans "ardent lord" from Welsh
udd "lord, prince" combined with
ris "ardent, enthusiastic, impulsive".
IDWALmWelshMeans "lord of the wall", derived from Welsh
udd "lord, prince" combined with
gwal "wall, rampart".
ITHELmWelshMeans "generous lord" from the Welsh elements
udd "lord, prince" and
hael "generous".
JAE-SEONGmKoreanFrom Sino-Korean
在 (jae) meaning "located at, exist" or
宰 (jae) meaning "kill, rule" combined with
成 (seong) meaning "completed, finished, succeeded" or
誠 (seong) meaning "sincere, honest, true". Other hanja combinations are possible.
JEZEBELfBiblicalFrom the Hebrew
אִיזֶבֶל ('Izevel) which probably means "where is the prince?", a ritual question spoken in ceremonies honouring
Baal. Alternatively, it may mean "not exalted". In the Old Testament Jezebel is the evil wife of
Ahab, king of Israel. After she was thrown from a window to her death her body was eaten by dogs, fulfilling
Elijah's prophecy.
JUDICAËLmFrench, BretonFrench form of the Old Breton name
Iudicael, derived from the elements
iud "lord, prince" and
cael "generous". This was the name of a 7th-century Breton king, also regarded as a saint.
JUN (1)m & fChinese, KoreanFrom Chinese
君 (jūn) meaning "king, ruler",
俊 (jùn) meaning "talented, handsome" (which is usually only masculine) or
军 (jūn) meaning "army" (also usually only masculine). This is also a single-character Korean name, often from the hanja
俊 meaning "talented, handsome". This name can be formed by other characters besides those shown here.
KAĞANmTurkishFrom a Turkish title meaning "king, ruler", ultimately of Mongolian origin. The title is usually translated into English as
Khan.
KATAYUNfPersianPossibly from the Persian elements
kata "house, city" (but also "king, lord") and
bânu "wife".
KAURfIndian (Sikh)Means "princess", ultimately from Sanskrit
कुमारी (kumari) meaning "girl". This surname was assigned to all female Sikhs in 1699 by Guru Gobind Singh. It is now used as a surname or a middle name by most female Sikhs. The male equivalent is
Singh.
KHANmUrdu, PashtoFrom a title meaning "king, ruler". Its origin is probably Mongolian, though the word has been transmitted into many other languages.
KHANPASHAmChechenDerived from the Turkic title
Khan which means "ruler, leader" combined with the high Ottoman military rank
pasha.
KINGmEnglishFrom a nickname which derives from the English word
king, ultimately from Old English
cyning.
LEROYmEnglishFrom the French nickname
le roi meaning "the king". It has been common as an English given name since the 19th century.
MAËLmFrench, BretonFrench form of Breton
Mael, which was derived from a Celtic word meaning "chief" or "prince". Saint Mael was a 5th-century Breton hermit who lived in Wales.
MALIK (1)mArabicMeans "king" in Arabic. It can also be a variant transcription of
MAALIK. In Islamic tradition
الملك (al-Malik) is one of the 99 names of Allah.
MEDUSAfGreek Mythology (Latinized)From the Greek
Μεδουσα (Medousa), which was derived from
μεδω (medo) meaning "to protect, to rule over". In Greek myth this was the name of one of the three Gorgons, ugly women who had snakes for hair. She was so hideous that anyone who gazed upon her was turned to stone, so the hero
Perseus had to look using the reflection in his shield in order to slay her.
MELCHIORmDutch, Judeo-Christian LegendPossibly from the Hebrew roots
מֶלֶכְ (melekh) meaning "king" and
אוֹר ('or) meaning "light". This was a name traditionally assigned to one of the wise men (also known as the Magi, or three kings) who were said to have visited the newborn
Jesus. According to medieval tradition he was a king of Persia.
MELQARTmSemitic MythologyFrom Phoenician
mlk "king" and
qrt "city". This was the name of a Phoenician god worshipped especially in the city of Tyre.
MIERVALDISmLatvianLatvian name derived from the Baltic elements
mier "peace" and
vald "rule".
MINOSmGreek MythologyPossibly from a Cretan word or title meaning "king". This was the name of a king of Crete in Greek mythology. He was the son of
Zeus and
Europa. Because Minos had refused to sacrifice a certain bull to
Poseidon, the god had caused his wife Pasiphaë to mate with the bull, which produced the half-bull creature called the Minotaur. Minos had
Daedalus construct the Labyrinth to house the beast, but it was eventually slain by
Theseus.
MORRIGANfIrish MythologyDerived from Irish
Mór Ríoghain meaning "great queen". In Irish myth she was a goddess of war and death who often took the form of a crow.
MUKESHAmHinduismMeans "ruler of Muka" in Sanskrit. This is another name of the Hindu god
Shiva, given to him because he killed Muka, a demon in the form of a wild boar.
NAZZARENOmItalianItalian form of the Late Latin
Nazarenus, which meant "from Nazareth, Nazarene". Nazareth was the town in Galilee where
Jesus lived. According to the New Testament, the phrase
Iesus Nazarenus, Rex Iudaeorum meaning "Jesus the Nazarene, king of the Jews", was inscribed on the cross upon which Jesus was crucified.
NORIKOfJapaneseFrom Japanese
法 (nori) meaning "law, rule" or
典 (nori) meaning "rule, ceremony" combined with
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.
NORMAfEnglish, Italian, LiteratureCreated by Felice Romani for the main character in the opera 'Norma' (1831). He may have based it on Latin
norma "rule". This name is also frequently used as a feminine form of
NORMAN.
NURSULTANmKazakhFrom Kazakh
нұр (nur) meaning "light" and
сұлтан (sultan) meaning "sultan, king" (both words of Arabic origin).
ÓRFHLAITHfIrishMeans "golden princess" from Irish
ór "gold" combined with
flaith "princess". This was the name of a sister of the Irish king
Brian Boru.
OSWALDmEnglish, German, Anglo-SaxonDerived from the Old English elements
os "god" and
weald "power, ruler". Saint Oswald was a king of Northumbria who introduced Christianity to northeast England in the 7th century before being killed in battle. There was also an Old Norse cognate
Ásvaldr in use in England, being borne by the 10th-century Saint Oswald of Worcester, who was of Danish ancestry. Though the name had died out by the end of the Middle Ages, it was revived in the 19th century.
PRINCEmEnglishFrom the English word
prince, a royal title, which comes ultimately from Latin
princeps. This name was borne by the American musician Prince Rogers Nelson (1958-2016), who is known simply as Prince.
PUTERIfMalayMeans "daughter, princess" in Malay, ultimately from Sanskrit
पुत्री (putri).
QUEENfEnglishFrom an old nickname which was derived from the English word, ultimately from Old English
cwen meaning "woman, wife".
QUINTONmEnglishVariant of
QUENTIN, also coinciding with an English surname meaning "queen's town" in Old English.
RAINEf & mEnglish (Rare)Possibly based on the French word
reine meaning "queen". A famous bearer is the British socialite Raine Spencer (1929-), the stepmother of Princess Diana. In modern times it can also be used as a variant of
RAIN (1) or a short form of
LORRAINE.
RAJA (2)mUrdu, Tamil, Indian, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Hindi, Marathi, IndonesianMeans "king, ruler", from Sanskrit
राजन् (rajan).
RAJESHmIndian, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Gujarati, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, NepaliMeans "ruler of kings" from Sanskrit
राज (raja) meaning "king" and
ईश (isha) meaning "lord, ruler".
RAJNISHmIndian, HindiMeans "lord of the night" from Sanskrit
रजनि (rajani) meaning "night" and
ईश (isha) meaning "lord, ruler". This is another name for the moon in Hindu texts.
REGINAfEnglish, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Lithuanian, Polish, Czech, Hungarian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Late RomanMeans "queen" in Latin (or Italian). It was in use as a Christian name from early times, and was borne by a 2nd-century saint. In England it was used during the Middle Ages in honour of the Virgin
Mary, and it was later revived in the 19th century. A city in Canada bears this name, in honour of Queen Victoria.
RÉGISmFrenchFrom a surname meaning "ruler" in Occitan. This name is often given in honour of Saint Jean-François Régis, a 17th-century French Jesuit priest.
REGULUSmAncient RomanRoman cognomen meaning "prince, little king", a diminutive of Latin
rex "king". This was the cognomen of several 3rd-century BC consuls from the gens Atilia. It was also the name of several early saints. A star in the constellation Leo bears this name as well.
REXmEnglishFrom Latin
rex "king". It has been used as a given name since the 19th century.
REYNOLDmEnglishFrom the Germanic name
Raginald, composed of the elements
ragin "advice" and
wald "rule". The Normans (who used forms like
Reinald or
Reinold) brought the name to Britain, where it reinforced rare Old English and Norse cognates already in existence. It was common during the Middle Ages, but became more rare after the 15th century.
RHIANNONfWelsh, English, Welsh MythologyProbably derived from the old Celtic name
Rigantona meaning "great queen". It is speculated that this was the name of an otherwise unattested Celtic goddess of fertility and the moon. The name
Rhiannon appears later in Welsh legend in the Mabinogion, borne by the wife of
Pwyll and the mother of
Pryderi.
... [more] RHODRImWelshDerived from the Welsh elements
rhod "wheel" and
rhi "king". This name was borne by a 9th-century Welsh king.
RICHARDmEnglish, French, German, Czech, Slovak, Dutch, Ancient GermanicMeans "brave power", derived from the Germanic elements
ric "power, rule" and
hard "brave, hardy". The Normans introduced this name to Britain, and it has been very common there since that time. It was borne by three kings of England including Richard I the Lionheart, one of the leaders of the Third Crusade in the 12th century.
... [more] RÍOGHNÁNmIrishFrom Irish
rí "king" combined with a diminutive suffix.
ROALDmNorwegianModern form of the Old Norse name
Hróðvaldr or
Hróaldr, composed of the elements
hróðr "fame" and
valdr "ruler". This name was borne by the children's author Roald Dahl (1916-1990).
RÓRDÁNmIrishFrom the older Irish name
Ríoghbhardán, which meant "little poet king" from Irish Gaelic
ríogh "king" combined with
bard "poet" and a diminutive suffix.
ROYmScottish, English, DutchAnglicized form of
RUADH. A notable bearer was the Scottish outlaw and folk hero Rob Roy (1671-1734). It is often associated with French
roi "king".
ROYALmEnglishFrom the English word
royal, derived (via Old French) from Latin
regalis, a derivative of
rex "king". It was first used as a given name in the 19th century.
RUAIDHRÍmIrishMeans "red king" from Irish
ruadh "red" combined with
rí "king". This was the name of the last high king of Ireland, reigning in the 12th century.
RYANmIrish, EnglishFrom an Irish surname which was derived from
Ó Riain meaning "descendant of Rían". The given name
Rían probably means "little king" (from Irish
rí "king" combined with a diminutive suffix).
SARAHfEnglish, French, German, Hebrew, Arabic, Biblical, Biblical HebrewMeans "lady, princess, noblewoman" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of
Abraham's wife, considered the matriarch of the Jewish people. She was barren until she unexpectedly became the pregnant with
Isaac at the age of 90. Her name was originally
Sarai, but God changed it at the same time Abraham's name was changed (see Genesis 17:15).
... [more] SARGONmHistory, Biblical, Biblical HebrewFrom the Hebrew form
סַרְגּוֹן (Sargon) of the Akkadian name
Sharru-ukin, from
šarru meaning "king" and
kīnu meaning "legitimate, true". This was the name of the first king of the Akkadian Empire, beginning in the 24th century BC. It was also borne by the 8th-century BC Assyrian king Sargon II, who appears briefly in the Old Testament. The usual English spelling of the name is based on this biblical mention, applied retroactively to the earlier king.
SATISHAmHinduismMeans "lord of Sati" from the name of the Hindu goddess
SATI combined with
ईश (isha) meaning "ruler". This is another name for the Hindu god
Shiva.
SHAHJAHANmUrduMeans "king of the world" from the Persian elements
شاه (shah) "king" and
جهان (jahan) "world". This was the name of the 17th-century Mughal emperor who built the Taj Mahal.
SHAPURmPersianMeans "son of the king" in Persian. This was the name of three Sassanid emperors.
STEPHENmEnglish, BiblicalFrom the Greek name
Στεφανος (Stephanos) meaning "crown", 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] SULTANm & fArabic, Turkish, Urdu, Bengali, AvarMeans "ruler, king, sultan" in Arabic. In the Arab world this name is typically masculine, but Turkey it is given to both boys and girls.
TAKEHIKOmJapaneseFrom Japanese
武 (take) meaning "military, martial" or
竹 (take) meaning "bamboo" combined with
彦 (hiko) meaning "boy, prince". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
TALULLAfIrishFrom the Gaelic name
Tuilelaith, which was derived from Irish
tuile "abundance" and
flaith "princess".
TEUTAfAlbanianPossibly derived from an Illyrian word or title meaning "queen". This was the name of a 3rd-century BC Illyrian queen.
THEODORICmHistoryFrom a Germanic name meaning "ruler of the people", derived from the elements
theud "people" and
ric "power, ruler". It was notably borne by Theodoric the Great, a 6th-century king of the Ostrogoths who eventually became the ruler of Italy. By Theodoric's time the Ostrogoths were partially Romanized and his name was regularly recorded as
Theodoricus. The Gothic original may have been
Þiudreiks.
TUDOR (1)mWelshFrom the older Welsh name
Tudur, possibly from the hypothetical Celtic name
Toutorix meaning "ruler of the people" (cognate with
THEODORIC). As a surname it was borne by five monarchs of England beginning with Henry VII in the 15th century.
VALDAfLatvianModern coinage from Germanic
wald meaning "power, rule". It has been in use only since the 20th century.
VELDAfEnglishMeaning unknown, possibly a derivative of the Germanic element
wald meaning "power, rule".
VERCINGETORIXmAncient CelticMeans "king over warriors" from Gaulish
ver "on, over" combined with
cingeto "marching men, warriors" and
rix "king". This name was borne by a chieftain of the Gaulish tribe the Arverni. He led the resistance against Julius Caesar's attempts to conquer Gaul, but he was eventually defeated, brought to Rome, and executed.
VISVALDISmLatvianLatvian name derived from the Baltic elements
vis "all" and
vald "rule". It is thus a cognate of the Slavic
VSEVOLOD.
VLADmRomanian, Russian, Medieval SlavicOld short form of
VLADISLAV and other Slavic names beginning with the element
vladeti meaning "rule". Vlad Dracula, a 15th-century prince of Wallachia, was Bram Stoker's inspiration for the name of his vampire, Count Dracula.
VLADIMIRmRussian, Serbian, Croatian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Slovene, Medieval SlavicDerived from the Slavic element
vladeti "rule" combined with
meru "great, famous". The second element has also been associated with
miru meaning "peace, world". This was the name of an 11th-century grand prince of Kiev who is venerated as a saint because of his efforts to Christianize his realm (Kievan Rus). It was also borne by the founder of the former Soviet state, Vladimir Ilyich Lenin (1870-1924).
VLASTIMILmCzechDerived from the Slavic elements
vlasti "rule, sovereignty" and
milu "gracious, dear". In modern Czech
vlast means "homeland" (a descendant word of
vlasti).
WALBURGAfGermanMeans "ruler of the fortress" from the Germanic elements
wald "power, leader, ruler" and
burg "fortress". This was the name of an 8th-century saint from England who did missionary work in Germany.
WALDEMARmGerman, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, PolishGermanic derivative of the Slavic name
VLADIMIR (or perhaps a cognate composed of the Germanic elements
wald "rule" and
mari "famous"). It was introduced into Scandinavia by the 12th-century Danish king Waldemar (or Valdemar) who was named after a royal ancestor of his Ukrainian mother.
WALDOmEnglish, German, Ancient GermanicOriginally a short form of Germanic names containing the element
wald meaning "rule". In the Middle Ages this name became the basis for a surname. Its present use in the English-speaking world is usually in honour of Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), an American poet and author who wrote on transcendentalism. He was (probably) named after the 12th-century Christian radical Peter Waldo, who was from Lyons in France. Though Waldo and his followers, called the Waldensians, were declared heretics at the time, they were later admired by Protestants.
WALDOBERTmAncient GermanicGermanic name composed of the elements
wald "rule" and
beraht "bright". This was the name of a 7th-century French saint (called
Valbert or
Gaubert in French).
WALTERmEnglish, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Polish, Italian, Ancient GermanicFrom a Germanic name meaning "ruler of the army", composed of the elements
wald "rule" and
hari "army". The Normans brought it to England, where it replaced the Old English cognate
Wealdhere. A famous bearer of the name was Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832), a Scottish novelist who wrote 'Ivanhoe' and other notable works.
WOBmFrisian, DutchFrisian diminutive of Germanic names beginning with the element
wald meaning "rule".
XERXESmHistoryGreek form of the Persian name
Khshayarsha which meant "ruler over heroes". This was 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.
YIJUNm & fChineseFrom Chinese
怡 (yí) meaning "joy, harmony" combined with
君 (jūn) meaning "king, ruler". This name can also be formed from other character combinations.
ZEBULUNmBiblicalPossibly derived from Ugartic
zbl meaning "prince". In the Old Testament Zebulun is the tenth son of
Jacob (his sixth son by
Leah) and the ancestor of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. Genesis 30:20 implies two different roots for the name:
זָבַל (zaval) meaning "to dwell" and
זֵבֵד (zeved) meaning "gift, dowry". These are probably only folk etymologies.
ZOLTÁNmHungarianPossibly related to the Turkish title
sultan meaning "king, sultan". This was the name of a 10th-century ruler of Hungary, also known as Zsolt.