English Origin Names

This is a list of names in which the origin is English. English is a West Germanic language spoken in Great Britain, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and other places.
gender
usage
origin
​
Shanelle f English (Modern)
Variant of Chanel.
Shanene f English (Rare)
Combination of the phonetic elements sha and neen.
Shanequa f African American (Modern)
Variant of Shaniqua.
Shania f English (Modern)
In the case of singer Shania Twain (1965-), who chose it as her stage name, it was apparently based on an Ojibwe phrase meaning "on my way".
Shanice f African American (Modern)
Combination of the phonetic elements sha and nees.
Shanika f African American (Modern)
Combination of the popular phonetic elements sha, nee and ka.
Shaniqua f African American (Modern)
An invented name using the popular phonetic elements sha, nee and qua.
Shaniya f African American (Modern)
Variant of Shania, or simply a combination of the popular phonetic elements sha, ny and ya.
Shanna f English
Possibly a feminine variant of Shannon.
Shannah f English (Rare)
Variant of Shanna.
Shannen f English (Modern)
Variant of Shannon.
Shannon f & m English
From the name of the River Shannon, the longest river in Ireland, called an tSionainn in Irish. It is associated with the legendary figure Sionann and is sometimes said to be named for her. However it is more likely she was named after the river, which may be related to Old Irish sen "old, ancient". As a given name, it first became common in America after the 1940s.
Shanon f & m English
Variant of Shannon.
Shantae f English (Rare)
Variant of Chanté.
Shaquan m African American (Modern)
Combination of the phonetic elements sha and quan.
Shaquana f African American (Modern)
Combination of the phonetic elements sha, qua and na.
Sharalyn f English (Rare)
Variant of Cherilyn.
Sharar m Biblical
Means "enemy" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of the father of Ahiam.
Shari f English
Diminutive of Sharon or a variant of Sherry.
Sharise f English (Rare)
Variant of Charisse.
Sharmaine f English (Rare)
Variant of Charmaine.
Sharon f & m English, Hebrew
From an Old Testament place name, in Hebrew שָׁרוֹן (Sharon) meaning "plain", referring to a fertile plain on the central west coast of Israel. This is also the name of a flowering plant in the Bible, the rose of Sharon, a term now used to refer to several different species of flowers.... [more]
Sharona f English (Rare)
Elaborated form of Sharon.
Sharonda f African American (Modern)
An invented name, a combination of the popular phonetic prefix sha and the name Rhonda.
Sharron f English
Variant of Sharon.
Sharyl f English
Variant of Cheryl.
Sharyn f English
Variant of Sharon.
Shavon f English (Modern), African American (Modern)
Variant of Shavonne.
Shavonne f English (Modern), African American (Modern)
Anglicized form of Siobhán. In some cases it might be considered a combination of the phonetic element sha and Yvonne.
Shaw m English (Rare)
From a surname. As an English surname it is derived from Old English sceaga meaning "thicket". As a Scottish surname it is derived from the Gaelic byname Sitheach meaning "wolf".
Shawnda f English
Variant of Shonda.
Shawnee f English (Modern)
Means "southern people" in the Algonquin language. The Shawnee were an Algonquin tribe who originally lived in the Ohio valley.
Shayla f English
Invented name, based on the sounds found in other names such as Sheila and Kayla.
Shaylyn f English (Rare)
Invented name, based on Shayla and using the popular name suffix lyn.
Sheard m English (Rare)
From a surname that was originally from a place name meaning "gap between hills" in Old English.
Sheba m Biblical
Means "oath" in Hebrew. This is the name of several characters in the Old Testament. Also in the Bible, this is a place name, referring to a region in Ethiopia. The queen of Sheba visited Solomon after hearing of his wisdom.
Shel m English
Short form of Sheldon.
Shelby m & f English
From an English surname, which was possibly a variant of Selby. Though previously in use as a rare masculine name, it was popularized as a feminine name by the main character in the movie The Woman in Red (1935). It was later reinforced by the movie Steel Magnolias (1989) in which Julia Roberts played a character by this name.
Sheldon m English
From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "valley with steep sides" in Old English. Sheldon is the name of several locations in England.
Shelena f African American (Rare)
Combination of the phonetic prefix sha and the name Lena.
Shell f English
Short form of Michelle or Shelley. It can also be simply from the English word shell (ultimately from Old English sciell).
Shelley f & m English
From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "clearing on a bank" in Old English. Two famous bearers of the surname were Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822), a romantic poet whose works include Adonais and Ozymandias, and Mary Shelley (1797-1851), his wife, the author of the horror story Frankenstein. As a feminine given name, it came into general use after the 1940s.
Shelly f & m English
Variant of Shelley.
Shelton m English
From a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "shelf town" in Old English.
Shemer m Biblical
Possibly means "preserved" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of the owner of the hill upon which Samaria was built.
Shepherd m English
From an English occupational surname meaning "sheep herder, shepherd".
Sheree f English
Variant of Sherry or Cherie. This particular spelling was popularized by American actress Sheree North (1932-2005), who was born Dawn Shirley Crang.
Sheri f English
Variant of Sherry.
Sheridan m & f English
From an Irish surname (Anglicized from Irish Gaelic Ó Sirideáin), which was derived from the given name Sirideán possibly meaning "searcher".
Sherie f English
Variant of Sherry or Cherie.
Sherill f English (Rare)
Variant of Cheryl.
Sherilyn f English
Variant of Cherilyn.
Sherisse f English (Rare)
Variant of Charisse.
Sherley f English (Rare)
Variant of Shirley.
Sherlyn f English (Modern)
Recently created name, probably based on the sounds found in other names like Sharon, Sherry and Charlene.
Sherman m English
From an English surname meaning "shear man", originally denoting a person who cut cloth. Famous bearers of the surname include American politician Roger Sherman (1721-1793) and American Civil War general William Tecumseh Sherman (1820-1891).
Sherri f English
Variant of Sherry.
Sherrie f English
Variant of Sherry.
Sherry f English
Probably inspired by the French word chérie meaning "darling" or the English word sherry, a type of fortified wine named from the Spanish town of Jerez. This name came into popular use during the 1920s, inspired by other similar-sounding names and by Collette's novels Chéri (1920, English translation 1929) and The Last of Chéri (1926, English translation 1932), in which it is a masculine name.... [more]
Sherwood m English
From an English place name (or from a surname that was derived from it) meaning "bright forest". This was the name of the forest in which the legendary outlaw Robin Hood made his home.
Sheryl f English
Variant of Cheryl.
Sheryll f English
Variant of Cheryl.
Shiloh m & f Biblical
From an Old Testament place name possibly meaning "tranquil" in Hebrew. It is also used prophetically in the Old Testament to refer to a person, often understood to be the Messiah (see Genesis 49:10). This may in fact be a mistranslation.... [more]
Shirlee f English
Variant of Shirley.
Shirley f & m English
From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "bright clearing" in Old English. This is the name of a main character in Charlotte Brontë's semi-autobiographical novel Shirley (1849). Though the name was already popular in the United States, the child actress Shirley Temple (1928-2014) gave it a further boost. By 1935 it was the second most common name for girls.
Shonda f English
Invented name, probably based on the sounds found in Shawna and Rhonda.
Shyla f English (Modern)
Variant of Sheila, or a combination of the popular phonetic elements shy and la.
Sid m English
Short form of Sidney.
Sidney m & f English
From the English surname Sidney. It was first used as a given name in honour of executed politician Algernon Sidney (1622-1683). Another notable bearer of the surname was the poet and statesman Philip Sidney (1554-1586).... [more]
Siena f English (Modern)
Variant of Sienna, with the spelling perhaps influenced by that of the Italian city.
Sienna f English (Modern)
From the English word meaning "orange-red". It is ultimately from the name of the city of Siena in Italy, because of the colour of the clay there.
Sierra f English (Modern)
Means "mountain range" in Spanish, referring specifically to a mountain range with jagged peaks.
Sigourney f English
From an English surname that was derived from the French town of Sigournais, called Segurniacum in medieval Latin, itself of unknown meaning. The American actress Sigourney Weaver (1949-), real name Susan, adopted this name in 1963 after the minor character Sigourney Howard in F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby (1925).
Silver m & f English (Rare)
From the English word for the precious metal or the colour, ultimately derived from Old English seolfor.
Sincere m & f English (Modern)
From the English word meaning genuine or heartfelt.
Sinclair m & f English (Rare)
From a Scottish surname that was derived from a Norman French town called "Saint Clair". A notable bearer was the American author Sinclair Lewis (1885-1951).
Sinjin m English (British, Rare)
Phonetic variant of St John.
Sky f & m English (Modern)
Simply from the English word sky, which was ultimately derived from Old Norse ský "cloud".
Skye f English (Modern)
From the name of the Isle of Skye off the west coast of Scotland. It is sometimes considered a variant of Sky.
Skyla f English (Modern)
Feminine variant of Skyler, formed using the popular name suffix la.
Skylar f & m English (Modern)
Variant of Skyler. Originally more common for boys during the 1980s, it was popularized as a name for girls after it was used on the American soap opera The Young and the Restless in 1989 and the movie Good Will Hunting in 1997. Its sharp rise in the United States in 2011 might be attributed to the character Skyler White from the television series Breaking Bad (2008-2013) or the singer Skylar Grey (1986-), who adopted this name in 2010 after previously going by Holly Brook.
Skyler m & f English (Modern)
Variant of Schuyler, based on the pronunciation of the surname but respelled as if it was a blend of the English word sky with names such as Tyler. It was rare before 1980, and first gained popularity as a name for boys. It is now more common for girls, though it is more evenly unisex than the mostly feminine variant Skylar.
Skylynn f English (Rare)
Elaboration of Sky using the popular name suffix lyn.
Slade m English (Modern)
From an English surname that was derived from Old English slæd meaning "valley".
Sloan f & m English (Modern)
Variant of Sloane.
Sloane f English (Modern)
From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Sluaghadháin, itself derived from the given name Sluaghadhán.
Smith m English
From an English surname meaning "metal worker, blacksmith", derived from Old English smitan "to smite, to hit". It is the most common surname in most of the English-speaking world.
Snow f English (Rare)
From the English word, derived from Old English snāw.
Sommer f English (Modern)
Variant of Summer, coinciding with the German word for summer.
Sonnie m English (Rare)
Variant of Sonny.
Sonny m English
From a nickname that is commonly used to denote a young boy, derived from the English word son.
Sorrel f English (Rare)
From the name of the sour tasting plant, derived from Old French sur "sour", a word of Frankish origin.
Sparrow m & f English (Rare)
From the name of the bird, ultimately from Old English spearwa.
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).
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".
Spring f English
From the name of the season, ultimately from Old English springan "to leap, to burst forth".
Stace m & f Medieval English, English
Medieval short form of Eustace. As a modern name it is typically a short form of Stacy.
Stacee f English (Rare)
Feminine variant of Stacy.
Stacey f & m English
Variant of Stacy.
Staci f English
Feminine variant of Stacy.
Stacie f English
Feminine 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.
Stan 1 m English
Short form of Stanley. A famous bearer was British comedian Stan Laurel (1890-1965).
Stanford m English
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "stone ford" in Old English.
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.
Starr f English
Variant of Star.
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".
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.
Stew m English
Short form of Stewart.
Stewart m English, Scottish
From a surname that was a variant Stuart.
Stirling m English (Rare)
From a surname that was a variant Sterling. This is the name of a city in Scotland.
St John m English (British, Rare)
From the title and name of Saint John the Baptist or Saint John the Evangelist (see John).
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.
Stormi f English (Modern)
Variant of Stormy.
Stormy f English (Modern)
From the English word meaning "stormy, wild, turbulent", ultimately from Old English stormig.
Stu m English
Short form of Stuart.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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".
Sutton f & m English (Modern)
From a surname, itself derived from the name of numerous English towns, of Old English origin meaning "south town".
Syd m & f English
Short form of Sydney.
Sydne f English (Rare)
Variant of Sydney.
Sydnee f English (Modern)
Variant of Sydney.
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.
Sydnie f English (Modern)
Variant of Sydney.
Symphony f English (Rare)
Simply from the English word, ultimately deriving from Greek σύμφωνος (symphonos) meaning "concordant in sound".
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.
Tahlia f English (Australian)
Variant of Talia 2.
Tahnee f English (Rare)
Variant of Tawny.
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.
Tajuana f African American
Combination of the prefix ta and the name Juana.
Talbot m English (Rare)
From an English surname, of Norman origin, possibly derived from an unattested Germanic given name composed of the elements dala "to destroy" and bod "message".
Talia 2 f English (Australian)
From the name of a town in South Australia, perhaps meaning "near water" in an Australian Aboriginal language.
Talisha f African American (Modern)
Combination of the popular name prefix ta and Lisha.
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).
Tallulah f English (Rare)
This is the name of waterfalls in Georgia. Popularly claimed to mean "leaping waters" in the Choctaw language, it may actually mean "town" in the Creek language. It was borne by American actress Tallulah Bankhead (1902-1968), who was named after her grandmother, who may have been named after the waterfalls.
Talon m English (Modern)
From the English word meaning "talon, claw", ultimately derived (via Norman French) from Latin talus "anklebone".
Tamia f African American (Modern)
An invented name, using the initial sound found in names such as Tamika. It was popularized by the Canadian singer Tamia Hill (1975-), who is known simply as Tamia.
Taneka f African American (Modern)
Variant of Tanika.
Tanika f African American (Modern)
Invented name, probably modelled on the sounds found in other names like Tamika, Tanisha and Tanya.
Taniqua f African American (Rare)
Combination of the popular phonetic elements ta, nee and qua.
Taniya f African American (Modern)
An invented name, based on the sounds of names such as Tanisha and Shania.
Tanner m English
From an English surname meaning "one who tans hides".
Tansy f English (Rare)
From the name of the flower, which is derived via Old French from Late Latin tanacita.
Tanzi f English (Rare)
Variant of Tansy.
Taphath f Biblical
Possibly means "drop" in Hebrew. According to the Old Testament Taphath was a daughter of Solomon.
Tara 1 f English
Anglicized form of the Irish place name Teamhair, which possibly means "elevated place". This was the name of the sacred hill near Dublin where the Irish high kings resided. It was popularized as a given name by the novel Gone with the Wind (1936) and the subsequent movie adaptation (1939), in which it is the name of the O'Hara plantation.
Tarah f English (Modern)
Variant of Tara 1.
Tarina f English (Rare)
Perhaps an elaborated form of Tara 1.
Taryn f English
Probably a feminine form of Tyrone. Actors Tyrone Power and Linda Christian created it for their daughter Taryn Power (1953-).
Tate m English
From an English surname that was derived from the Old English given name Tata, of unknown origin.
Tatton m English (Rare)
From a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "Tata's town" in Old English.
Tatum f & m English (Modern)
From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "Tata's homestead" in Old English. It was brought to public attention by the child actress Tatum O'Neal (1963-) in the 1970s, though it did not catch on. It attained a modest level of popularity after 1996, when it was borne by a character in the movie Scream.
Tavon m African American (Modern)
Combination of the phonetic elements ta or tay with von.
Tawnee f English (Rare)
Variant of Tawny.
Tawnie f English (Rare)
Variant of Tawny.
Tawny f English (Modern)
From the English word, ultimately deriving from Old French tané, which means "light brown".
Tayla f English (Modern)
Probably a feminine form of Taylor influenced by similar-sounding names such as Kayla.
Tayler f & m English (Modern)
Variant of Taylor.
Taylor m & f English
From an English surname that originally denoted someone who was a tailor, from Norman French tailleur, ultimately from Latin taliare "to cut".... [more]
Teagan f English (Modern)
Variant of Tegan. It also coincides with a rare Irish surname Teagan. This name rose on the American popularity charts in the 1990s, probably because of its similarity to names like Megan and Reagan.
Teal f English (Rare)
From the English word for the type of duck or the greenish-blue colour.
Teale f English (Rare)
Variant of Teal.
Tekoa m Biblical
Possibly means either "stockade" or "horn, trumpet" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of a both a city and a son of Ashhur.
Tel m English (British)
Short form of Terence or Terry 1.
Telma f Portuguese
Either a Portuguese form of Thelma or a feminine form of Telmo.
Temperance f English
From the English word meaning "moderation" or "restraint". This was one of the virtue names adopted by the Puritans in the 17th century. It experienced a modest revival in the United States during the run of the television series Bones (2005-2017), in which the main character bears this name.
Tempest f English (Rare)
From the English word meaning "storm". It appears in the title of William Shakespeare's play The Tempest (1611).
Temple m & f English (Rare)
From an English surname that originally belonged to a person who was associated with the Knights Templar, a medieval religious military order.
Tenley f English (Modern)
From an English surname, itself possibly from a place name derived from Old English tind "point" and leah "woodland, clearing". This name was popularized in 2010 by a contestant on the reality television series The Bachelor.
Tennyson m & f English (Rare)
From an English surname that meant "son of Tenney", Tenney being a medieval form of Denis. A notable bearer of the surname was the British poet Alfred Tennyson (1809-1892), commonly called Lord Tennyson after he became a baron in 1884.
Tera f English
Variant of Tara 1.
Terell m English (Modern), African American (Modern)
Variant of Terrell.
Teri f English
Either a feminine variant of Terry 1 or a diminutive of Theresa.
Terra f English
Variant of Tara 1, perhaps influenced by the Latin word terra meaning "land, earth".
Terrell m English, African American
From an English surname that was probably derived from the Norman French nickname tirel "to pull", referring to a stubborn person. It may sometimes be given in honour of civil rights activist Mary Church Terrell (1863-1954). It was common in the African-American community from the 1970s to the 1990s, typically stressed on the second syllable. A famous bearer is American football player Terrell Owens (1973-).
Terri f English
Either a feminine variant of Terry 1 or a diminutive of Theresa.
Terrie f English
Either a feminine variant of Terry 1 or a diminutive of Theresa.
Terry 1 m & f English
From an English surname that was derived from the medieval name Thierry, a Norman French form of Theodoric.
Tevin m English (Modern)
Invented name, probably inspired by Kevin and Devin. This name was popularized by the American singer Tevin Campbell (1976-).
Tex m English
From a nickname denoting a person who came from the state of Texas. A famous bearer was the American animator Tex Avery (1908-1980), real name Frederick, who was born in Texas.
Thane m English (Rare)
From the Scottish and English noble title, which was originally from Old English thegn.
Thankful f English (Archaic)
From the English word thankful. This was one of the many virtue names used by the Puritans in the 17th century.
Thatcher m English (Modern)
From an English surname that referred to a person who thatched roofs by attaching straw to them, derived from Old English þæc "thatch". The surname was borne by British prime minister Margaret Thatcher (1925-2013).
Thelma f English
Meaning unknown. It was a rare name when British author Marie Corelli used it for the Norwegian heroine of her novel Thelma (1887). The name became popular around the end of the 19th century after the novel was published. It is sometimes claimed to derive from Greek θέλημα (thelema) meaning "will", though this seems unlikely.
Thorburn m English (Rare)
From a Scottish and English surname that was derived from the Norse name Þórbjǫrn (see Torbjörn).
Thorley m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "thorn clearing" in Old English.
Thornton m English
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "thorn town" in Old English.
Thurstan m English (Rare)
From an English surname that was derived from the Norse name Þórsteinn (see Torsten).
Tia f English
Short form of names ending with tia. It has been suggested that its use since the 1950s is the result of the brand name for the coffee liqueur Tia Maria. In the brand name, Tia is not a given name; rather, it means "aunt" in Spanish or Portuguese.
Tiara f English (Modern)
From the English word for a semicircle crown, ultimately of Greek origin.
Tiger m English (Rare)
From the name of the large striped cat, derived (via Old French and Latin) from Greek τίγρις (tigris), ultimately of Iranian origin. A famous bearer is American golfer Tiger Woods (1975-).
Tigerlily f English (Rare)
From tiger lily, a name that has been applied to several orange varieties of lily (such as the species Lilium lancifolium). Tiger Lily is also the name of the Native American princess in J. M. Barrie's play Peter Pan (1904).
Tiras m Biblical
From Hebrew תִּירָס (Tiras), meaning unknown. Tiras is a grandson of Noah in the Old Testament. This is also a modern Hebrew word meaning "corn".
Tobin m English
From an English surname that was itself derived from the given name Tobias.
Tod m English
Variant of Todd.
Todd m English
From an English surname meaning "fox", derived from Middle English todde. As a given name it was rare before 1930. It peaked in popularity in most parts of the English-speaking world in the 1960s or 70s, but it has since declined.
Topaz f English (Rare)
From the English word for the yellow precious stone, the traditional birthstone of November, ultimately derived from Greek τόπαζος (topazos).
Topsy f English (Rare)
From a nickname that is of unknown meaning, perhaps deriving from the English word top. This is the name of a young slave in Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852).
Torin m English (Modern)
Meaning unknown. It has been suggested that it is of Irish origin, though no suitable derivation can be found.
Trace m English
Short form of Tracy.
Tracee f English
Feminine variant of Tracy.
Tracey f & m English
Variant of Tracy.
Traci f English
Feminine variant of Tracy.
Tracie f English
Feminine variant of Tracy.
Tracy f & m English
From an English surname that was taken from a Norman French place name meaning "domain belonging to Thracius". Charles Dickens used it for a male character in his novel The Pickwick Papers (1837). It was later popularized as a feminine name by the main character Tracy Lord in the movie The Philadelphia Story (1940). This name is also sometimes used as a diminutive of Theresa.
Trafford m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "fish-trap ford" in Old English.
Tranter m English (Rare)
From a surname meaning "wagoner" in Old English.
Travers m English (Rare)
From the surname Travers.
Travis m English
From the English surname Travis (a variant of Travers). It was used in America in honour of William Travis (1809-1836), the commander of the Texan forces at the Battle of the Alamo.
Treasure f English (Modern)
From the English word, ultimately from Greek θησαυρός (thesauros) meaning "treasure, collection".
Trent m English
From an English surname that originally denoted someone who lived by the River Trent. A famous bearer is the American musician Trent Reznor (1965-).... [more]
Trenton m English
From the name of a New Jersey city established in the 17th century by William Trent. It means "Trent's town".
Trev m Welsh, English
Short form of Trevor.
Trevelyan m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from a Cornish place name meaning "homestead on the hill".
Trevon m African American (Modern)
Combination of the phonetic elements tre and von.
Trevor m Welsh, English
From a Welsh surname, originally taken from the name of towns in Wales meaning "big village", derived from Middle Welsh tref "village" and maur "large". As a given name it became popular in the United Kingdom in the middle of the 20th century, then caught on in the United States in the 1960s.
Trey m English
From an English nickname meaning "three".
Treyvon m African American (Modern)
Variant of Trevon.
Trinity f English
From the English word Trinity, given in honour of the Christian belief that God has one essence, but three distinct expressions of being: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It has only been in use as a given name since the 20th century.
Tripp m English (Modern)
From a surname derived from Middle English trippen "to dance". It could also be inspired by the English word trip "journey, stumble".
Troy m English
Originally from a surname that denoted a person from the city of Troyes in France. It is now more likely used in reference to the ancient city of Troy that was besieged by the Greeks in Homer's Iliad. The city's name, from Greek Τροία (Troia), is said to derive from its mythical founder Τρώς (Tros), but is more likely of Luwian or Hittite origin. This name was popularized in the 1960s by the actor Troy Donahue (1936-2001), who took his stage name from that of the ancient city.
Trueman m English (Rare)
From a surname that was a variant of Truman.
Truman m English
From a surname that meant "trusty man" in Middle English. A famous bearer of the surname was American president Harry S. Truman (1884-1972). It was also borne by American writer Truman Capote (1924-1984).
Tucker m English (Modern)
From an occupational surname for a cloth fuller, derived from Old English tucian meaning "offend, torment". A fuller was a person who cleaned and thickened raw cloth by pounding it.
Tuesday f English (Rare)
From the English word for the day of the week, which derives from Old English tiwesdæg meaning "Tiw's day".
Turner m English
From an English surname for one who worked with a lathe, derived from Old English turnian "to turn", of Latin origin.
Twila f English
Meaning unknown. Perhaps based on the English word twilight, or maybe from a Cajun pronunciation of French étoile "star". It came into use as an American given name in the late 19th century.
Twyla f English
Variant of Twila.
Ty m English
Short form of Tyler, Tyson, Tyrone and other names beginning with Ty.
Tye m English
From a surname meaning "pasture" in Middle English.
Tyla f English (Modern)
Feminine form of Tyler, or a combination of the popular phonetic elements ty and la.
Tylar m & f English (Rare)
Variant of Tyler.
Tyler m English
From an English surname meaning "tiler of roofs", derived from Old English tigele "tile". The surname was borne by American president John Tyler (1790-1862).
Tylor m English (Modern)
Variant of Tyler.
Tyquan m African American (Modern)
Combination of the popular phonetic elements ty and quan.
Tyra f Swedish, English, African American
From the Old Norse name Þýri, a variant of the Norse names Þórví or Þórveig. Use of the name in the English-speaking world (especially among African Americans) may be in part from the Swedish name, though it is probably also viewed as a feminine form of Tyrone or Tyree. A famous bearer is the American model and actress Tyra Banks (1973-).
Tyreek m African American (Modern)
Variant of Tyrik.
Tyrell m English (Modern), African American (Modern)
From a surname that was a variant of Terrell. Influenced by similar-sounding names such as Tyrone and Darrell it has been used by African-American parents, usually stressed on the second syllable.
Tyrese m African American (Modern)
Invented name, an elaboration of the initial sound in names such as Tyrone, Tyrell and Tyree. It jumped in popularity after the American singer and actor Tyrese Gibson (1978-) released his debut album in 1998.
Tyrik m African American (Modern)
Invented name, influenced by the sounds found other names such as Tyrone, Tyrell, Tyree and Tariq.
Tyriq m African American (Modern)
Variant of Tyrik.
Tyrique m African American (Modern)
Variant of Tyrik.
Tyron m English
Variant of Tyrone.
Tyrone m English, African American
From the name of a county in Northern Ireland, which is derived from Irish Gaelic Tir Eoghain meaning "land of Eoghan". This name was popularized by American actor Tyrone Power (1914-1958), who was named after his great-grandfather, an Irish actor.
Tyrrell m English (Rare)
From a surname that was a variant of Terrell.
Tyshawn m African American (Modern)
Combination of the popular phonetic prefix ty and Shawn.
Tyson m English
From an English surname, originally a nickname for a quarrelsome person, from Old French tison meaning "firebrand". A famous bearer of the surname is boxer Mike Tyson (1966-). This was a rare given name in America before 1960, but it increased in popularity through the 1960s and 70s, maybe because of its similarities with names such as Tyler and Tyrone.
Una f English
Anglicized form of Irish Úna or Scottish Ùna. It is also associated with Latin una, feminine form of unus meaning "one". The name features in Edmund Spenser's poem The Faerie Queene (1590).
Unique f English (Modern)
From the English word unique, ultimately derived from Latin unicus.
Unity f English (Rare)
From the English word unity, which is ultimately derived from Latin unitas.
Upton m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "upper town" in Old English. A famous bearer of this name was the American novelist Upton Sinclair (1878-1968).
Vale f English (Rare)
From the English word meaning "wide river valley".
Van m English
Short form of names containing van, such as Vance or Ivan.
Vance m English
From an English surname that was derived from Old English fenn meaning "marsh, fen".
Vanesa f Spanish, Czech, Slovak, Slovene, Croatian
Form of Vanessa in several languages.
Vanessa f English, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, German, Dutch
Invented by author Jonathan Swift for his 1726 poem Cadenus and Vanessa. He arrived at it by rearranging the initial syllables of the first name and surname of Esther Vanhomrigh, his close friend. Vanessa was later used as the name of a genus of butterfly. It was a rare given name until the mid-20th century, at which point it became fairly popular.
Vanessza f Hungarian
Hungarian form of Vanessa.
Vaughan m Welsh, English
From a Welsh surname that was derived from bychan (mutated to fychan) meaning "little".
Vaughn m English
From a Welsh surname, a variant of Vaughan.
Velvet f English
From the English word for the soft fabric. It became used as a given name after the main character in Enid Bagnold's book National Velvet (1935) and the movie (1944) and television (1960) adaptations.
Venetia f English (Rare), Greek
From the Latin name of the Italian region of Veneto and the city of Venice (see the place name Venetia). This name was borne by the celebrated English beauty Venetia Stanley (1600-1633), though in her case the name may have been a Latinized form of the Welsh name Gwynedd. Benjamin Disraeli used it for the heroine of his novel Venetia (1837).
Vere m English (Rare)
From a Norman surname, which was from a French place name, which was itself derived from a Gaulish word meaning "alder".
Verity f English
From the English word meaning "verity, truth", from Latin verus "true, real". This was one of the virtue names adopted by the Puritans in the 17th century.
Vern m English
Short form of Vernon.
Verna f English
Feminine form of Vernon, sometimes associated with the Latin word vernus "spring". It has been in use since the 19th century.
Vernon m English
From a Norman surname, which was from a French place name, ultimately derived from the Gaulish word vern meaning "alder".
Vi f English
Short form of Violet.
Vianne f English (Rare)
Meaning unknown, perhaps a combination of Vi and Anne 1 or a short form of Vivianne.
Vienna f English (Modern)
From the name of the capital city of Austria, Vienna.
Vilmar m Portuguese (Brazilian)
Form of Wilmer popular in Brazil.
Vinal m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "vine hall" in Middle English.
Violet f English
From the English word violet for the purple flower, ultimately derived from Latin viola. It was common in Scotland from the 16th century, and it came into general use as an English given name during the 19th century.
Wade m English
From an English surname, either Wade 1 or Wade 2.
Waldo 1 m English
From a surname that was derived from the Anglo-Scandinavian given name Waltheof. Its present use in the English-speaking world is usually in honour of Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), an American transcendentalist, poet and author. His name came from a surname from his father's side of the family.
Walker m English
From an English surname that referred to the medieval occupational of a walker, also known as a fuller. Walkers would tread on wet, unprocessed wool in order to clean and thicken it. The word ultimately derives from Old English wealcan "to walk".
Wallace m English, Scottish
From a Scottish and English surname that was derived from Norman French waleis meaning "foreigner, Celt, Welshman" (of Germanic origin). It was first used as a given name in honour of William Wallace, a Scottish hero who led the fight against the English in the 13th century.
Wallis m & f English (Rare)
From a surname that was a variant of Wallace. Wallis Simpson (1895-1986) was the divorced woman whom Edward VIII married, which forced him to abdicate the British throne.
Wally m English
Diminutive of Walter or Wallace.
Walton m English
From a surname that was originally taken from various Old English place names meaning "stream town", "wood town", or "wall town".
Wanesa f Polish (Modern)
Polish form of Vanessa.
Wanessa f Polish (Modern)
Polish form of Vanessa.
Ward 1 m English
From an occupational surname for a watchman, derived from Old English weard "guard".
Wardell m English
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "watch hill" in Old English.
Warner m English
From a Norman surname that was derived from the given name Werner.
Warren m English
From an English surname that was derived either from Norman French warrene meaning "animal enclosure", or else from the town of La Varenne in Normandy. This name was borne by the American president Warren G. Harding (1865-1923).
Warrick m English (Rare)
From a surname that was a variant of Warwick.
Warwick m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from the name of a town in England, itself from Old English wer "weir, dam" and wic "settlement".
Washington m English
From a surname that was originally derived from the name of an English town, itself meaning "settlement belonging to Wassa's people". The given name is usually given in honour of George Washington (1732-1799), commander of the Continental Army during the American Revolution and the first president of the United States.
Watson m English
From an English surname meaning "son of Wat". A famous fictional bearer of the surname was Dr. Watson, the assistant to Sherlock Holmes in Arthur Conan Doyle's mystery stories beginning in 1887.
Waverly f & m English
From the rare English surname Waverley, derived from the name of a place in Surrey, itself possibly from Old English wæfre "flickering, wavering" and leah "woodland, clearing".... [more]