Old English Origin Names

GOODWIN m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from the given name GODWINE.

GRAEME m Scottish, English (Modern)
From a surname that was a variant of GRAHAM.

GRAHAM m Scottish, English
From a Scottish surname, originally derived from the English place name Grantham, which probably meant "gravelly homestead" in Old English. The surname was first taken to Scotland in the 12th century by the Norman baron William de Graham. A famous bearer was Alexander Graham Bell (1847-1922), the Scottish-Canadian-American inventor who devised the telephone.

GRAHAME m Scottish, English (Rare)
From a surname that was a variant of GRAHAM.

HADYN m & f English (Rare)
Variant of HAYDEN.

HAILEE f English (Modern)
Variant of HAYLEY.

HAILEY f English (Modern)
Variant of HAYLEY.

HAILIE f English (Modern)
Variant of HAYLEY.

HAL m English
Medieval diminutive of HARRY.

HALE (2) m English
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "nook, retreat" from Old English healh.

HALEIGH f English (Modern)
Variant of HAYLEY.

HALEY f English (Modern)
Variant of HAYLEY.

HAMA m Anglo-Saxon Mythology
From Old English ham meaning "home". This is the name of a Gothic warrior who appears with his companion of Wudga in some Anglo-Saxon tales (briefly in Beowulf).

HAMILTON m English
From a surname that was derived from Old English hamel "crooked, mutilated" and dun "hill". The surname was originally taken from the name of a town in Leicestershire, England (which no longer exists). A famous bearer of the surname was Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804), a founding father of the United States who was killed in a duel with Aaron Burr.

HARDING m English
From an English surname that was derived from the Old English given name HEARD. A famous bearer of the surname was American president Warren G. Harding (1865-1923).

HARLAN m English
From a surname that was from a place name meaning "hare land" in Old English. In America it has sometimes been given in honour of Supreme Court justice John Marshall Harlan (1833-1911).

HARLAND m English
From a surname that was a variant of HARLAN.

HARLEIGH f English (Modern)
Variant of HARLEY.

HARLEY m & f English
From a surname that was derived from a place name, itself from Old English hara "hare" and leah "woodland, clearing".

HARLOW f & m English
From a surname derived from a place name, itself derived from Old English hær "rock" or here "army", combined with hlaw "hill".

HAROLD m English
From 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.

HAROLDO m Spanish, Portuguese
Spanish and Portuguese form of HAROLD.

HARRI m Finnish, Welsh
Finnish and Welsh form of HARRY.

HARRIS m English
From a surname that was derived from the given name HARRY.

HARRISON m English
From an English surname that meant "son of HARRY". This was the surname of two American presidents, William Henry Harrison (1773-1841) and his grandson Benjamin Harrison (1833-1901). The actor Harrison Ford (1942-), who starred in such movies as Star Wars and Indiana Jones, is a famous bearer.

HARRY m English
Medieval English form of HENRY. In modern times it is used as a diminutive of both Henry and HAROLD. A famous bearer was American president Harry S. Truman (1884-1972). It is also the name of the boy wizard in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series of books, first released in 1997.

HAYDEN m & f English
From an English surname that was derived from place names meaning either "hay valley" or "hay hill", derived from Old English heg "hay" and denu "valley" or dun "hill".

HAYES m English
From a surname, either HAYES (1) or HAYES (2). It was borne by American president Rutherford B. Hayes (1822-1893).

HAYLEE f English (Modern)
Variant of HAYLEY.

HAYLEIGH f English (Modern)
Variant of HAYLEY.

HAYLEY f English (Modern)
From a surname that was originally derived from the name of an English town (meaning "hay clearing" from Old English heg "hay" and leah "clearing"). It was popularized by the British child actress Hayley Mills (1946-), though the name did not become common until over a decade after she first became famous.

HAYLIE f English (Modern)
Variant of HAYLEY.

HAYWOOD m English
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "fenced wood" in Old English.

HEADLEY m English (Rare)
Variant of HEDLEY.

HEARD m Anglo-Saxon
Short form of various Old English names containing the element heard meaning "brave, hardy".

HEATH m English
From an English surname that denoted one who lived on a heath. It was popularized as a given name by the character Heath Barkley from the 1960s television series The Big Valley.

HEDLEY m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "heather clearing" in Old English.

HEREWARD m Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English elements here "army" and weard "guard". This was the name of an 11th-century Anglo-Saxon leader who rebelled against Norman rule.

HEREWEALD m Anglo-Saxon
Old English form of HAROLD.

HILD f Anglo-Saxon
Old English form of HILDA.

HILDA f English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Spanish, Anglo-Saxon (Latinized), Ancient Germanic
Originally a short form of names containing the Germanic element hild "battle". The short form was used for both Old English and continental Germanic names. Saint Hilda of Whitby was a 7th-century English saint and abbess. The name became rare in England during the later Middle Ages, but was revived in the 19th century.

HILDRÆD m Anglo-Saxon
Older form of HILDRED.

HILDRED f & m English
Possibly from the Old English masculine name Hildræd, which was composed of the elements hild "battle" and ræd "counsel". This name was revived in the late 19th century, probably because of its similarity to the popular names Hilda and Mildred.

HOUSTON m English
From a Scottish surname meaning "HUGH's town". The original Houston is in Scotland near Glasgow, but this is also the name of a city in Texas, named after the Texas president Sam Houston (1793-1863).

HOWARD m English
From an English surname that can derive from several different sources: the Anglo-Norman given name Huard, which was from the Germanic name HUGHARD; the Anglo-Scandinavian given name Haward, from the Old Norse name HÁVARÐR; or the Middle English term ewehirde meaning "ewe herder". This is the surname of a British noble family, members of which have held the title Duke of Norfolk from the 15th century to the present. A famous bearer of the given name was the American industrialist Howard Hughes (1905-1976).

HOWIE m English
Diminutive of HOWARD.

HROÐGAR m Anglo-Saxon
Old English cognate of Hrodger (see ROGER). The name became unused after the Normans introduced Hrodger after their invasion. In the Old English poem Beowulf this is the name of the Danish king.

HROTHGAR m Anglo-Saxon (Latinized)
Variant of HROÐGAR.

HROÐULF m Anglo-Saxon
Old English cognate of Hrodulf (see RUDOLF). This name appears in Beowulf belonging to the nephew of Hroðgar.

HROTHULF m Anglo-Saxon (Latinized)
Variant of HROÐULF.

HUNTER m & f English
From an occupational English surname for a hunter, derived from Old English hunta. A famous bearer was the eccentric American journalist Hunter S. Thompson (1937-2005).

HUXLEY m English (Modern)
From an English surname that was derived from the name of a town in Cheshire. The final element is Old English leah "woodland, clearing", while the first element might be hux "insult, scorn". A famous bearer of the surname was the British author Aldous Huxley (1894-1963).

HYLDA f English (Rare)
Variant of HILDA.

IRVIN m English
From a surname that was a variant of either IRVING or IRWIN.

IRWIN m English
From an English surname that was derived from the Old English given name EOFORWINE.

JAYLEE f English (Modern)
Combination of JAY (1) and LEE.

KAISON m English (Modern)
Variant of KYSON or CASON.

KASEN m English (Modern)
Variant of CASON.

KASON m English (Modern)
Variant of CASON.

KAYSON m English (Modern)
Variant of CASON.

KEMP m English (Rare)
From a surname derived from Middle English kempe meaning "champion, athlete, warrior".

KENDAL m & f English (Modern)
From a surname that was a variant of KENDALL.

KENDALL m & f English
From a surname that comes from the name of the city of Kendale in northwest England meaning "valley on the river Kent".

KENDRA f English
Feminine form of KEN (1) or KENDRICK.

KENDRICK m English
From a surname that has several different origins. It could be from the Old English given names Cyneric "royal power" or Cenric "bold power", or from the Welsh name Cynwrig "chief hero". It can also be an Anglicized form of the Gaelic surname Mac Eanraig meaning "son of HENRY".

KENELM m English (Rare)
From the Old English name Cenhelm, which was composed of the elements cene "bold, keen" and helm "helmet". Saint Kenelm was a 9th-century martyr from Mercia, where he was a member of the royal family. The name was occasionally used during the Middle Ages, but has since become rare.

KENNARD m English
From a surname that was derived from the Old English given names CYNEWEARD or CYNEHEARD.

KENRICK m English (Rare)
Variant of KENDRICK.

KIM (1) f & m English
At the present it is usually considered a short form of KIMBERLY, but it in fact predates it as a given name. The author Rudyard Kipling used it for the title hero of his novel Kim (1901), though in this case it was short for KIMBALL. In her novel Show Boat (1926) Edna Ferber used it for a female character who was born on the Mississippi River and was named from the initials of the states Kentucky, Illinois and Mississippi. The name was popularized in America by the actresses Kim Hunter (1922-2002) and Kim Novak (1933-), both of whom assumed it as a stage name.

KIMBALL m English
From a surname that was derived from either the Welsh given name CYNBEL or the Old English given name CYNEBALD.

KIMBERLEE f English
Variant of KIMBERLY.

KIMBERLEIGH f English (Rare)
Variant of KIMBERLY.

KIMBERLEY f English
Variant of KIMBERLY.

KIMBERLY f English
From the name of the city of Kimberley in South Africa, which was named after Lord KIMBERLEY (1826-1902). The city came to prominence in the late 19th century during the Boer War. Kimberly has been used as a given name since the mid-20th century, eventually becoming very popular as a feminine name.

KIMBERLYN f English (Rare)
Combination of KIMBERLY and LYNN.

KIMBRA f English (Rare)
Diminutive of KIMBERLY.

KIMMIE f English
Diminutive of KIMBERLY or KIM (1).

KIMMY f English
Diminutive of KIMBERLY or KIM (1).

KINBOROUGH f Medieval English
Middle English form of CYNEBURG.

KINSLEY f English (Modern)
From a surname that was derived from the given name CYNESIGE.

KOLE m English (Modern)
Variant of COLE.

KOLTON m English (Modern)
Variant of COLTON.

KYM f English (Rare)
Variant of KIM (1).

KYNASTON m English (Rare)
From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "CYNEFRIÐ's town" in Old English.

LALO m Spanish
Diminutive of EDUARDO.

LANDEN m English (Modern)
Variant of LANDON.

LANDON m English
From a surname that was derived from an Old English place name meaning "long hill" (effectively meaning "ridge"). Use of the name may have been inspired in part by the actor Michael Landon (1936-1991).

LANDYN m English (Modern)
Variant of LANDON.

LANGDON m English (Rare)
From a surname that was a variant of the surname LANDON.

LANNY m English
Diminutive of LANCE, LANDON, and other names beginning with Lan.

LAYTON m English
From a surname that was originally derived from the name of English towns meaning "town with a leek garden" in Old English.

LEANN f English
Combination of LEE and ANN.

LEANNA f English
Probably this was originally a variant of LIANA. It is now often considered a combination of LEE and ANNA.

LEANNE f English
Combination of LEE and ANNE (1).

LEE m & f English
From a surname that was derived from Old English leah meaning "clearing". The surname belonged to Robert E. Lee (1807-1870), commander of the Confederate forces during the American Civil War. In his honour, it has been commonly used as a given name in the American South.

LEEANN f English
Combination of LEE and ANN.

LEIGH f & m English
From a surname that was a variant of LEE.

LEIGHTON f & m English
From a surname that was a variant of LAYTON.

LEOFDÆG m Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English element leof "dear, agreeable, beloved" combined with dæg "day".

LEOFFLÆD f Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English elements leof "dear, agreeable, beloved" and flæd "beauty".

LEOFGYÐ f Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English elements leof "dear, agreeable, beloved" and gyð "battle".

LEOFRIC m Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English element leof "dear, agreeable, beloved" combined with ric "ruler, mighty".

LEOFSIGE m Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English elements leof "dear, agreeable, beloved" and sige "victory".

LEOFSTAN m Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English element leof "dear, agreeable, beloved" combined with stan "stone".

LEOFWINE m Anglo-Saxon
Means "dear friend", derived from the Old English elements leof "dear, agreeable, beloved" and wine "friend". This was the name of an 8th-century English saint, also known as Lebuin, who did missionary work in Frisia.

LEWIN m English (Rare)
From an English surname that was derived from the given name LEOFWINE.

LEYTON m English (Rare)
From a surname that was a variant of LAYTON.

LIAN (3) f Hebrew
Probably a Hebrew form of LEANNE.

LIANNE f English (Rare)
Variant of LEANNE.

LINDON m English (Rare)
From a surname that was a variant of LYNDON.

LINTON m English
From a surname that was originally from place names meaning either "flax town" or "linden tree town" in Old English.

LINWOOD m English
From a surname that was originally from a place name meaning "stream forest" in Old English.

LYNDON m English
From an English surname that was derived from a place name meaning "linden tree hill" in Old English. A famous bearer was American president Lyndon B. Johnson (1908-1973).

LYNTON m English (Rare)
Variant of LINTON.

LYNWOOD m English
Variant of LINWOOD.

MAO (2) m Limburgish
Short form of EDMAO or REMAO.

MARIGOLD f English (Rare)
From the name of the flower, which comes from a combination of MARY and the English word gold.

MAX m German, English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Czech, Russian, Catalan
Short form of MAXIMILIAN (or sometimes of MAXWELL in English). It is also an alternate transcription of Russian Макс (see MAKS).

MAXENE f English (Rare)
Variant of MAXINE.

MAXINE f English
Feminine form of MAX. It has been commonly used only since the beginning of the 20th century.

MAXWELL m English
From a Scottish surname meaning "Mack's stream", from the name Mack, a short form of the Scandinavian name MAGNUS, combined with Old English wella "stream". A famous bearer of the surname was James Maxwell (1831-1879), a Scottish physicist who studied gases and electromagnetism.

MERLE f & m English
Variant of MERRILL or MURIEL. The spelling has been influenced by the word merle meaning "blackbird" (via French, from Latin merula).

MERRILL m English
From an English surname that was derived either from the given name MURIEL or from place names meaning "pleasant hill".

MERRY (1) f English
From the English word merry, ultimately from Old English myrige. This name appears in Charles Dickens' novel Martin Chuzzlewit (1844), where it is a diminutive of MERCY.

MILBURGA f History (Ecclesiastical)
Derived from the Old English elements milde "gentle" and burg "fortress". Saint Milburga, the sister of Saint Mildred, was a daughter of a 7th-century Mercian king. She was supposedly in possession of magical powers.

MILDBURG f Anglo-Saxon
Old English form of MILBURGA.

MILDGYÐ f Anglo-Saxon
Old English name derived from the elements milde "gentle" and gyð "battle". This was the name of a 7th-century saint, the sister of Saint Mildred.

MILDRED f English
From the Old English name Mildþryð meaning "gentle strength", derived from the elements milde "gentle" and þryð "strength". Saint Mildred was a 7th-century abbess, the daughter of the Kentish princess Saint Ermenburga. After the Norman Conquest this name became rare, but it was revived in the 19th century.

MILDÞRYÐ f Anglo-Saxon
Old English form of MILDRED.

MILLARD m English
From an occupational English surname meaning "guardian of the mill" in Old English.

MILLIE f English
Diminutive of MILDRED, MILLICENT and other names containing the same sound.

MILLY f Swedish, Norwegian, English
Diminutive of EMILIE, MILDRED and other names containing the same sound.

MILTON m English
From an English surname that was derived from a place name meaning "mill town" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was John Milton (1608-1674), the poet who wrote Paradise Lost.

MONET f & m Various
From a French surname that was derived from either HAMON or EDMOND. This was the surname of the French impressionist painter Claude Monet (1840-1926).

NASH m English (Modern)
From a surname that was derived from the Middle English phrase atten ash "at the ash tree". A famous bearer of the surname was the mathematician John Nash (1928-2015). The name was popularized in the 1990s by the television series Nash Bridges.

NED m English
Diminutive of EDWARD or EDMUND. It has been used since the 14th century, and may have had root in the medieval affectionate phrase mine Ed, which was later reinterpreted as my Ned.

NEWT m English
Short form of NEWTON.

NEWTON m English
From a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "new town" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was the English physicist Isaac Newton (1643-1727).

NORRIS m English
From an English surname, either NORRIS (1) or NORRIS (2).

NORTON m English
From a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "north town" in Old English.

NORWOOD m English
From a surname that was originally taken from a place name meaning "north wood" in Old English.

ÖDI m Hungarian
Diminutive of ÖDÖN.

ÖDÖN m Hungarian
Hungarian form of EDMUND.

OGDEN m English
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "oak valley" in Old English. A famous bearer was the humorous American poet Ogden Nash (1902-1971).

OSBEORN m Anglo-Saxon
Old English form of OSBORN.

OSBERHT m Anglo-Saxon
Old English form of OSBERT.

OSBERT m English (Rare)
Derived from the Old English elements os "god" and beorht "bright". After the Norman Conquest, this Old English name was merged with its Norman cognate. It was rare in the Middle Ages, and eventually died out. It was briefly revived in the 19th century.

OSBORN m English
Derived from the Old English elements os "god" and beorn "bear". During the Anglo-Saxon period there was also a Norse cognate Ásbjǫrn used in England, and after the Norman Conquest the Norman cognate Osbern was introduced. It was occasionally revived in the 19th century, in part from a surname that was derived from the given name.

OSBORNE m English
From a surname that was a variant of OSBORN.

OSBOURNE m English (Rare)
From a surname that was a variant of OSBORN.

ÓSCAR m Spanish, Portuguese
Spanish and Portuguese form of OSCAR.

ÒSCAR m Catalan
Catalan form of OSCAR.

OSCAR m English, Irish, Portuguese (Brazilian), Italian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, French, Irish Mythology
Possibly means "deer friend", derived from Gaelic os "deer" and cara "friend". Alternatively, it may derive from the Old English name OSGAR or its Old Norse cognate ÁSGEIRR, which may have been brought to Ireland by Viking invaders and settlers. In Irish legend Oscar was the son of the poet Oisín and the grandson of the hero Fionn mac Cumhail.... [more]

OSGAR m Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English elements os "god" and gar "spear".

ÓSKAR m Icelandic
Icelandic form of OSCAR.

OSKAR m Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Polish
Scandinavian, German, Polish and Slovene form of OSCAR. A famous bearer was Oskar Schindler (1908-1974), who is credited for saved over 1,000 Polish Jews during World War II.

OSKARI m Finnish
Finnish form of OSCAR.

OSKARS m Latvian
Latvian form of OSCAR.

OSKU m Finnish
Short form of OSKARI.

OSMOND m English (Rare)
From the Old English elements os "god" and mund "protection". During the Anglo-Saxon period a Norse cognate Ásmundr was also used in England, and another version was imported by the Normans. Saint Osmund was an 11th-century Norman nobleman who became an English bishop. Though it eventually became rare, it was revived in the 19th century, in part from a surname that was derived from the given name.

OSMUND m Anglo-Saxon
Old English form of OSMOND.

OSVALDO m Spanish, Italian, Portuguese
Spanish, Italian and Portuguese form of OSWALD.

OSWALD m English, German, Anglo-Saxon
Derived 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.

OSWIN m English (Rare)
From the Old English elements os "god" and wine "friend". Saint Oswin was a 7th-century king of Northumbria. After the Norman Conquest this name was used less, and it died out after the 14th century. It was briefly revived in the 19th century.

OSWINE m Anglo-Saxon
Old English form of OSWIN.

OSZKÁR m Hungarian
Hungarian form of OSCAR.

OZ (1) m English
Short form of OSWALD, OSBORN, and other names beginning with a similar sound.

OŽBALT m Slovene
Slovene form of OSWALD.

OŽBEJ m Slovene
Slovene variant form of OSWALD.

OZZIE m English
Diminutive of OSWALD, OSBORN, and other names beginning with a similar sound.

OZZY m English
Variant of OZZIE.

PÆGA m Anglo-Saxon
Old English name of unknown meaning.

PARRY m Welsh
From a Welsh surname that was derived from ap Harry meaning "son of HARRY".

PAYTON f & m English (Modern)
Variant of PEYTON.

PEYTON m & f English
From an English surname, originally a place name meaning "PÆGA's town". A famous bearer was Peyton Randolph (1721-1775), the first president of the Continental Congress. It is also borne by American football quarterback Peyton Manning (1976-).

PIPER f English (Modern)
From a surname that was originally given to a person who played on a pipe (a flute). It was popularized as a given name by a character from the television series Charmed, which debuted in 1998.

PRESLEY f & m English
From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "priest clearing" (Old English preost and leah). This surname was borne by musician Elvis Presley (1935-1977).

PRESTON m English
From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "priest town" (Old English preost and tun).

PUCK m & f Anglo-Saxon Mythology, Dutch
Meaning unknown, from Old English puca. It could ultimately be of either Germanic or Celtic origin. In English legend this was the name of a mischievous spirit, also known as Robin Goodfellow. He appears in Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream (1600). It is used in the Netherlands as mainly a feminine name.

PUK f Dutch
Dutch variant of PUCK.

RADCLIFF m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "red cliff" in Old English.

RADCLYFFE m English (Rare)
From a surname, a variant of RADCLIFF.

READ m English (Rare)
From a surname that was a variant of REED.

REED m English
From an English surname that was derived from Old English read meaning "red", originally a nickname given to a person with red hair or a ruddy complexion.

REID m English
From a surname, a Scots variant of REED.

RILEY m & f English
From a surname that comes from two distinct sources. As an Irish surname it is a variant of REILLY. As an English surname it is derived from a place name meaning "rye clearing" in Old English.

RIPLEY f & m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from the name of various English towns, from Old English ripel "strip of land" and leah "clearing". A famous fictional bearer was the character Ellen Ripley (usually only called by her surname) from the Alien series of movies, beginning 1979.

ROMILLY m & f English (British, Rare)
From an English surname that was derived from the name of various Norman towns, themselves from the given name ROMILIUS.

ROYSTON m English (British)
From a surname that was originally taken from an Old English place name meaning "town of Royse". The given name Royse was a medieval variant of ROSE.

RYDER m English (Modern)
From an English occupational surname derived from Old English ridere meaning "mounted warrior" or "messenger".

RYLAN m English (Modern)
Possibly a variant of RYLAND, though it could also be an invented name inspired by other names like Ryan or Riley.

RYLAND m English (Modern)
From an English surname, which was originally derived from a place name meaning "rye land" in Old English.

RYLEE f & m English (Modern)
Variant of RILEY.

RYLEIGH f English (Modern)
Feminine variant of RILEY.

RYLEY m & f English (Modern)
Variant of RILEY.

RYLIE f English (Modern)
Feminine variant of RILEY.

SÆWINE m Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English elements sæ "sea" and wine "friend".

SANDFORD m English (Rare)
From a surname that was a variant of SANFORD.

SANFORD m English
From an English surname, originally from a place name, which meant "sand ford" in Old English.

SAWYER m & f English (Modern)
From a surname meaning "sawer of wood" in Middle English. Mark Twain used it for the hero in his novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876).

SEWARD m English
From a surname that was itself derived from the Old English given name SIGEWEARD.

SHAD (2) m English
Perhaps a variant of CHAD.

SHEPHERD m English
From an English occupational surname meaning "sheep herder".

SHERLEY f English (Rare)
Variant of SHIRLEY.

SHERMAN m English
From a surname meaning "shear man" in Old English, 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).

SHIRLEE f English
Variant of SHIRLEY.

SHIRLEY f & m English
From a 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). The child actress Shirley Temple (1928-2014) helped to popularize this name.

SIGEBERHT m Anglo-Saxon
Means "bright victory", derived from Old English sige "victory" and beorht "bright". This was the name of a king of Wessex. The name fell out of use after the Norman Conquest.

SIGEWEARD m Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English elements sige "victory" and weard "guard, guardian".

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.

SOMMER f English (Modern)
Variant of SUMMER, coinciding with the German word for summer.

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 a surname meaning "stone clearing" in Old English. A notable bearer of the surname was the British-American explorer and journalist Sir 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.

STEW m English
Short form of STEWART.

STEWART m English, Scottish
From a surname that was a variant STUART.

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

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

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

STU m English
Short form of STUART.

STUART m English, Scottish
From an 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.

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.

SUNNGIFU f Anglo-Saxon
Old English form of SUNNIVA.

SUNNIFA f Medieval Scandinavian
Old Norse form of SUNNIVA.

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.

SWIÐHUN m Anglo-Saxon
Old English form of SWITHIN.

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.

SWITHUN m History
Variant of SWITHIN.

SYNNE f Norwegian
Short form of SYNNØVE.

SYNNÖVE f Swedish
Swedish form of SUNNIVA.

SYNNØVE f Norwegian
Norwegian variant of SUNNIVA.

TATA m Anglo-Saxon
Old English name of unknown meaning.

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 a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "Tata's homestead" in Old English.

TED m English
Short form of EDWARD or THEODORE. A famous bearer was the American baseball player Ted Williams (1918-2002), who was born as Theodore.

TEDDIE m & f English
Diminutive of EDWARD or THEODORE, sometimes a feminine form.

TEDDY m English
Diminutive of EDWARD or THEODORE.

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).

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.

TRENTON m English
From the name of a New Jersey city established in the 17th century by William Trent. It means "TRENT's town".

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).

UHTRIC m Anglo-Saxon (Hypothetical)
Derived from the Old English elements uhta "pre-dawn" and ric "ruler, mighty".

ULRIC m English (Rare)
Middle English form of the Old English name Wulfric meaning "wolf ruler". When it is used in modern times, it is usually as a variant of ULRICH.

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).

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".

WALTON m English
From a surname that was originally taken from various Old English place names meaning "stream town", "wood town", or "wall town".

WARD (1) m English
From an occupational surname for a watchman, derived from Old English weard "guard".

WARD (2) m Dutch
Short form of EDUARD.

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 wíc "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.

WASSA f Anglo-Saxon
Meaning uncertain. It may be a short form of a longer name such as Wāðsige, composed of the elements wāð "hunt" and sige "victory".

WAYNE m English
From an occupational surname meaning "wagon maker", derived from Old English wægn "wagon". Use of it as a given name can be partly attributed to the popularity of the actor John Wayne (1907-1979). Another famous bearer is Canadian hockey player Wayne Gretzky (1961-), generally considered the greatest player in the history of the sport.

WEALDMÆR m Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English elements weald "power, leader, ruler" and mær "famous".

WEALHMÆR m Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English elements wealh "foreigner, Celt" and mær "famous".

WEBSTER m English
From an occupational surname meaning "weaver", derived from Old English webba.

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

WES m English
Short form of WESLEY.

WESLEY m English
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "west meadow" in Old English. It has been sometimes given in honour of John Wesley (1703-1791), the founder of Methodism.

WESTLEY m English
From a surname that was a variant of WESLEY.

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

WIGBERHT m Anglo-Saxon, Ancient Germanic
Old English form of WYBERT. This is also a continental Germanic cognate.

WIGHEARD m Anglo-Saxon
Old English form of WYOT.

WIGMUND m Anglo-Saxon
Old English form of WYMOND.

WIGSTAN m Anglo-Saxon
Old English form of WYSTAN.

WIL m & f English, Dutch
Short form of WILLIAM and other names beginning with Wil.

WILBURG f Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English elements wil "will, desire" and burg "fortress".

WILBURH f Anglo-Saxon
Variant of WILBURG.

WILEY m English
From a surname that was derived from various English place names: towns named WILLEY or the River WYLYE.

WILF m English
Short form of WILFRED.

WILFRED m English
Means "desiring peace" from Old English wil "will, desire" and friþ "peace". Saint Wilfrid was a 7th-century Anglo-Saxon bishop. The name was rarely used after the Norman Conquest, but it was revived in the 19th century.

WILFREDA f English (Rare)
Feminine form of WILFRED.

WILFRID m English
Variant of WILFRED.

WILFRITH m Anglo-Saxon (Latinized)
Variant of WILFRIÐ.

WILFRIÐ m Anglo-Saxon
Old English form of WILFRED.

WILHEARD m Anglo-Saxon
Old English cognate of WILLIHARD.

WILL m English
Short form of WILLIAM or other names beginning with Will. A famous bearer is American actor Will Smith (1968-), whose full name is Willard.

WILLARD m English
From an English surname that was derived from the Germanic given name WILLIHARD (or the Old English cognate Wilheard).

WILMǢR m Anglo-Saxon
Old English cognate of WILLAMAR.

WILMER m English
From an English surname that was derived from the given name WILMǢR.

WILT m English
Short form of WILTON. This name was borne by basketball player Wilt Chamberlain (1936-1999).

WILTON m English
From a surname that was derived from the names of several English towns. The town names mean variously "willow town", "well town" or "town on the River Wylye" in Old English. The river name is itself of Celtic origin, possibly meaning "tricky".

WINE m Anglo-Saxon
Derived from Old English wine "friend".

WINFIELD m English
From a surname that originated from various English place names, themselves derived from Old English winn "meadow, pasture" and feld "field".

WINFRED m English
Means "friend of peace" from the Old English elements wine "friend" and friþ "peace". This was the birth name of the 8th-century missionary Saint Boniface. It became rare after the Norman Conquest, though it was revived in the 19th century.

WINFRITH m Anglo-Saxon (Latinized)
Variant of WINFRIÐ.

WINFRIÐ m Anglo-Saxon
Old English form of WINFRED.

WINIFRED f Welsh, English
Anglicized form of GWENFREWI, the spelling altered by association with WINFRED. It became used in England in the 16th century.

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

WINNIFRED f Welsh, English
Variant of WINIFRED.

WINSLOW m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from an Old English place name meaning "hill belonging to WINE". A famous bearer of this name was American painter Winslow Homer (1836-1910).

WINSTON m English
From a surname derived from an English place name, which was in turn derived from the Old English given name WYNNSTAN. A famous bearer was Winston Churchill (1874-1965), the British prime minister during World War II. This name was also borne by the fictional Winston Smith, the protagonist in George Orwell's 1949 novel 1984.

WINTHROP m English
From a surname that was originally taken from town names meaning either "WINE's village" or "WIGMUND's village" in Old English.