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).
Theia f Greek MythologyPossibly derived from Greek
θεά (thea) meaning
"goddess". In Greek myth this was the name of a Titan goddess of light, glittering and glory. She was the wife of
Hyperion and the mother of the sun god
Helios, the moon goddess
Selene, and the dawn goddess
Eos.
Thekla f German (Rare), Greek (Rare), Late GreekFrom the ancient Greek name
Θεόκλεια (Theokleia), which meant
"glory of God" from the Greek elements
θεός (theos) meaning "god" and
κλέος (kleos) meaning "glory". This was the name of a 1st-century saint, appearing (as
Θέκλα) in the apocryphal
Acts of Paul and Thecla. The story tells how Thecla listens to Paul speak about the virtues of chastity and decides to remain a virgin, angering both her mother and her suitor.
Thelma f EnglishMeaning 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.
Themis f Greek MythologyMeans
"law of nature, divine law, custom" in Greek. In Greek mythology this was the name of a Titan who presided over custom and natural law. She was often depicted blindfolded and holding a pair of scales. By
Zeus she was the mother of many deities, including the three
Μοῖραι (Moirai) and the three
Ὥραι (Horai).
Theobald m English (Rare), GermanicMeans
"bold people", derived from the Old German elements
theod meaning "people" (Old High German
diota, Old Frankish
þeoda) and
bald meaning "bold, brave". It was borne by a 6th-century Frankish king of Austrasia. The Normans brought the name to England, where it joined an existing Old English cognate. The medieval forms
Tibald and
Tebald were commonly Latinized as
Theobaldus. It was rare by the 20th century.
Theodard m GermanicDerived from the Old German elements
theod meaning "people" (Old High German
diota, Old Frankish
þeoda) and
hart meaning "hard, firm, brave, hardy". This name was borne by a 7th-century Frankish saint and martyr, a bishop of Maastricht.
Theodemir m Gothic (Anglicized)From the Gothic name *
Þiudamers, derived from the elements
þiuda "people" and
mers "famous". This was the name of a 5th-century king of the Ostrogoths, the father of
Theodoric the Great. It was also borne by a 6th-century king of the Suebi in Galicia. There was also a saint by this name, a 9th-century Benedictine monk who was martyred at Córdoba.
Theodoar m GermanicGermanic name composed of the elements
theod meaning "people" (Old High German
diota, Old Frankish
þeoda) and
war meaning "aware, cautious".
Theodoard m GermanicGermanic name composed of the elements
theod meaning "people" (Old High German
diota, Old Frankish
þeoda) and
wart meaning "guard, guardian".
Theodora f English, Greek, Ancient GreekFeminine form of
Theodore. This name was common in the Byzantine Empire, being borne by several empresses including the influential wife of Justinian in the 6th century.
Theodore m EnglishFrom the Greek name
Θεόδωρος (Theodoros), which meant
"gift of god" from Greek
θεός (theos) meaning "god" and
δῶρον (doron) meaning "gift". The name
Dorothea is derived from the same roots in reverse order. This was the name of several saints, including Theodore of Amasea, a 4th-century Greek soldier; Theodore of Tarsus, a 7th-century archbishop of Canterbury; and Theodore the Studite, a 9th-century Byzantine monk. It was also borne by two popes.
... [more] Theodoric m Gothic (Anglicized)From the Gothic name *
Þiudareiks meaning
"ruler of the people", derived from the elements
þiuda "people" and
reiks "ruler, king". 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. This was also the name of two earlier (5th century) Visigothic kings.
Theodosius m Ancient Greek (Latinized)Latinized form of the Greek name
Θεοδόσιος (Theodosios) meaning
"giving to god", derived from
θεός (theos) meaning "god" and
δόσις (dosis) meaning "giving". Saint Theodosius of Palestine was a monk who founded a monastery near Bethlehem in the 5th century. This also was the name of emperors of the Eastern Roman and Byzantine Empires.
Theophanes m Ancient GreekMeans
"manifestation of God" from Greek
θεός (theos) meaning "god" and
φανής (phanes) meaning "appearing". This name was borne by a few saints, including an 8th-century chronicler from Constantinople and a 19th-century Russian Orthodox saint, Theophanes the Recluse, who is
Феофан (Feofan) in Russian. Another famous bearer was a 14th-century Byzantine icon painter active in Moscow.
Theresa f English, GermanFrom the Spanish and Portuguese name
Teresa. It was first recorded as
Therasia, being borne by the Spanish wife of Saint Paulinus of Nola in the 4th century. The meaning is uncertain, but it could be derived from Greek
θέρος (theros) meaning
"summer", from Greek
θερίζω (therizo) meaning
"to harvest", or from the name of the Greek island of Therasia (the western island of Santorini).
... [more] Thérèse f FrenchFrench form of
Theresa. It was borne by the French nun Saint Thérèse of Lisieux (1873-1897), who is regarded as a Doctor of the Church.
Theseus m Greek MythologyPossibly derived from Greek
τίθημι (tithemi) meaning
"to set, to place". Theseus was a heroic king of Athens in Greek mythology. He was the son of Aethra, either by
Aegeus or by the god
Poseidon. According to legend, every seven years the Cretan king
Minos demanded that Athens supply Crete with seven boys and seven girls to be devoured by the Minotaur, a half-bull creature that was the son of Minos's wife Pasiphaë. Theseus volunteered to go in place of one of these youths in order to slay the Minotaur in the Labyrinth where it lived. He succeeded with the help of Minos's daughter
Ariadne, who provided him with a sword and a roll of string so he could find his way out of the maze.
... [more] Thetis f Greek MythologyPossibly derived from Greek
θέτης (thetes) meaning
"one who places", a derivative of
τίθημι (tithemi) meaning "to set, to place". This was the name of one of the Nereids in Greek mythology. With
Peleus she was the mother of
Achilles.
Thị f VietnameseFrom Sino-Vietnamese
氏 (thị) meaning
"clan, family, maiden name". This is a very common middle name for Vietnamese girls.
Thierry m FrenchFrench form of
Theodoric. It was very popular in France from the 1950s, peaking in the mid-1960s before falling away. A famous bearer is the French former soccer player Thierry Henry (1977-).
Thijmen m DutchDutch form of the Germanic name
Theotman, derived from the elements
theod meaning "people" (Old High German
diota, Old Dutch
thiad) and
man meaning "person, man".
Thilo m GermanVariant of
Till. Saint Thillo was a 7th-century man of Saxony who was kidnapped and brought to Flanders by raiders. After his release he became a priest and did missionary work in France.
Thiri f BurmeseMeans
"radiance, splendour, beauty" in Burmese, ultimately from Sanskrit
श्री (shri).
Thisbe f Greek Mythology, Roman MythologyFrom the name of an ancient Greek town in Boeotia, itself supposedly named after a nymph. In a Greek legend (the oldest surviving version appearing in Latin in Ovid's
Metamorphoses) this is the name of a young woman from Babylon. Believing her to be dead, her lover Pyramus kills himself, after which she does the same to herself. The splashes of blood from their suicides is the reason mulberry fruit are red.
Þjazi m Norse MythologyMeaning unknown. In Norse mythology this is the name of the giant (jǫtunn) who, in the form of an eagle, carried off
Iðunn and her magical apples.
Thomas m English, French, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Greek, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical GreekGreek form of the Aramaic name
תָּאוֹמָא (Ta'oma') meaning
"twin". In the New Testament this is the name of an apostle. When he heard that
Jesus had risen from the dead he initially doubted the story, until Jesus appeared before him and he examined his wounds himself. According to tradition he was martyred in India. Due to his renown, the name came into general use in the Christian world.
... [more] Thor m Norse Mythology, Norwegian, Danish, SwedishFrom the Old Norse
Þórr meaning
"thunder", ultimately from Proto-Germanic *
Þunraz. In Norse mythology Thor is a god of storms, thunder, war and strength, a son of
Odin. He is portrayed as red-bearded, short-tempered, armed with a powerful hammer called Mjölnir, and wearing an enchanted belt called Megingjörð that doubles his strength. During Ragnarök, the final battle at the end of the world, it is foretold that Thor will slay the monstrous sea serpent
Jörmungandr but be fatally poisoned by its venom.
Thorley m English (Rare)From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"thorn clearing" in Old English.
Thornton m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"thorn town" in Old English.
Thoth m Egyptian Mythology (Hellenized)Greek form of Egyptian
ḏḥwtj (reconstructed as
Djehuti), which is of uncertain meaning. In Egyptian mythology Thoth was the god of the moon, science, magic, speech and writing. He was often depicted as a man with the head of an ibis.
Thracius m Ancient RomanFrom a Roman name meaning
"of Thracia". Thracia was a region in southeastern Europe, now divided between Greece, Bulgaria and Turkey.
Thrasyboulos m Ancient GreekFrom a Greek word meaning
"bold in counsel", itself from
θρασύς (thrasys) "bold" and
βουλή (boule) "counsel, advice". A notable bearer was a 5th-century BC Athenian general who fought to maintain democratic government in the city-state.
Thumbelina f LiteratureEnglish translation of Danish
Tommelise, a name created from Danish
tommel "thumb" by Hans Christian Andersen for the title character of his 1835 fairy tale. In the story she is a miniature girl who grows out of a grain of barley.
Thurayya f ArabicMeans
"the Pleiades" in Arabic. The Pleiades are a group of stars in the constellation Taurus.
Thutmose m Ancient Egyptian (Anglicized)From
Τούθμωσις (Touthmosis), the Greek form of Egyptian
ḏḥwtj-ms meaning "born of Thoth", itself composed of the name of the Egyptian god
Thoth combined with
msj "be born". Thutmose was the name of four Egyptian pharaohs of the New Kingdom, including Thutmose III who conquered Syria and Nubia in the 15th century BC.
Tia f EnglishShort 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.
Tiamat f Semitic MythologyFrom Akkadian
tâmtu meaning
"sea". In Babylonian myth Tiamat was the personification of the sea, appearing in the form of a huge dragon. By Apsu she gave birth to the first of the gods. Later, the god
Marduk (her great-grandson) defeated her, cut her in half, and used the pieces of her body to make the earth and the sky.
Tiare f TahitianMeans
"flower" in Tahitian, also specifically referring to the species Gardenia taitensis.
Tiberius m Ancient RomanRoman praenomen, or given name, meaning
"of the Tiber" in Latin. The Tiber is the river that runs through Rome. Tiberius was the second Roman emperor, the stepson of Emperor
Augustus. He was born Tiberius Claudius Nero, but was renamed Tiberius Julius Caesar after he was designated as the heir of Augustus.
Tiburcio m SpanishSpanish form of the Roman cognomen
Tiburtius meaning
"of Tibur". Tibur (now called Tivoli) was a resort town near Rome. Saint Tiburtius was a 3rd-century martyr from Rome.
Tichaona m ShonaMeans
"we will see" from Shona
ticha "we will" and
ona "see".
Tiên f VietnameseFrom Sino-Vietnamese
仙 (tiên) meaning
"immortal, transcendent, celestial being, fairy".
Tiffany f EnglishMedieval form of
Theophania. This name was traditionally given to girls born on the Epiphany (January 6), the festival commemorating the visit of the Magi to the infant
Jesus. The name died out after the Middle Ages, but it was revived by the movie
Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), the title of which refers to the Tiffany's jewelry store in New York.
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).
Tighearnach m Medieval IrishFrom Old Irish
Tigernach, derived from
tigerna meaning
"lord". This was the name of an Irish saint, the founder of the monastery at Clones in the 6th century. According to some tales of his life, he was taken by British pirates to the monastery of Rosnat in his youth, but he escaped and returned to Ireland.
Tighearnán m Medieval IrishFrom Old Irish
Tigernán meaning
"little lord", from
tigerna "lord" combined with a diminutive suffix. It was borne by a 6th-century saint who founded a monastery at Errew. It was also the name of a 12th-century king of Breifne.
Tigranes m Ancient Armenian (Hellenized)Greek form of the Old Armenian name
Տիգրան (Tigran), from Old Iranian *
Tigrāna, of uncertain meaning. It was recorded as
𒋾𒅅𒊏 (Tiigra) in Elamite and
𒋾𒅅𒊏𒀪 (Tiigra') in Akkadian. Tigranes was the name of a number of kings of Armenia, notably Tigranes II the Great who expanded the kingdom in the 1st century BC.
Tiiu f EstonianEstonian variant of
Tiia, possibly in part from an archaic dialectal form of the word
tihane "titmouse".
Till m GermanFrom
Tielo, a medieval Low German diminutive of
Dietrich and other names beginning with Old High German
diota or Old Frankish
þeoda meaning "people". Till Eulenspiegel is a trickster in German folklore.
Tilman m GermanCombination of
Till and Old German
man meaning "person, man". A notable bearer was the German sculptor Tilman Riemenschneider (1460-1531).
Tímea f HungarianCreated by the Hungarian author Mór Jókai for a character in his novel
The Golden Man (1873). The name is apparently based on the Greek word
εὐθυμία (euthymia) meaning
"good spirits, cheerfulness".
Timon m Ancient Greek, Biblical, Biblical Greek, Biblical Latin, DutchDerived from Greek
τιμάω (timao) meaning
"to honour, to esteem". According to ancient writers, this was the name of a wealthy man of Athens who grew to hate humanity after he lost his riches and his friends deserted him. His story is related in Shakespeare's tragedy
Timon of Athens (1607). This name is also mentioned in the New Testament as belonging to one of the original seven deacons of the church, considered a saint.
Timothy m English, BiblicalEnglish form of the Greek name
Τιμόθεος (Timotheos) meaning
"honouring God", derived from
τιμάω (timao) meaning "to honour" and
θεός (theos) meaning "god". Saint Timothy was a companion of
Paul on his missionary journeys and was the recipient of two of Paul's epistles that appear in the New Testament. He was of both Jewish and Greek ancestry. According to tradition, he was martyred at Ephesus after protesting the worship of
Artemis. As an English name,
Timothy was not used until after the Protestant Reformation.
Timur m Tatar, Chechen, Kazakh, Uzbek, Turkish, Russian, HistoryFrom the Turkic and Mongol name
Temür meaning
"iron". This was the name of several Mongol, Turkic and Yuan leaders. A notable bearer was Timur, also known as
Tamerlane (from Persian
تیمور لنگ (Timur e Lang) meaning "Timur the lame"), a 14th-century Turkic leader who conquered large areas of western Asia.
Tinashe m & f ShonaMeans
"we are with God", from Shona
ti "we",
na "with" and
ishe "lord, God".
Tinatin f Georgian, LiteraturePossibly related to Georgian
სინათლე (sinatle) meaning
"light". The name was devised by the Georgian poet Shota Rustaveli for his 12th-century epic poem
The Knight in the Panther's Skin, in which Tinatin is the ruler of Arabia and the lover of
Avtandil.
Tinker Bell f LiteratureCreated by the writer J. M. Barrie for a fairy character, first introduced in his 1904 play
Peter Pan. Her name refers to the fact that she is a mender of pots and kettles (a tinker) with a voice like a tinkling bell.
Tintin m Popular CultureCreated by the Belgian cartoonist Hergé for the hero in his comic book series of the same name, debuting 1929. Hergé never explained why he chose the name.
Tinúviel f LiteratureMeans
"daughter of twilight, nightingale" in the fictional language Sindarin. In the
Silmarillion (1977) by J. R. R. Tolkien, Tinuviel was another name of Lúthien, the daughter of Thingol the elf king. She was the beloved of Beren, who with her help retrieved one of the Silmarils from the iron crown of Morgoth.
Tiras m BiblicalFrom Hebrew
תִּירָס (Tiras), meaning unknown. Tiras is a grandson of
Noah in the Old Testament. This is also a modern Hebrew word meaning "corn".
Tiril f NorwegianPossibly inspired by the Norwegian poem
Lokkende Toner (1859) by Johan Sebastian Welhaven, which features the folk heroine Tirilil Tove.
Tirta m & f IndonesianMeans
"sacred water, place of pilgrimage" in Indonesian, ultimately from Sanskrit
तीर्थ (tirtha).
Tirzah f BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
תִּרְצָה (Tirtzah) meaning
"favourable". Tirzah is the name of one of the daughters of
Zelophehad in the Old Testament. It also occurs in the Old Testament as a place name, the early residence of the kings of the northern kingdom.
Tisiphone f Greek MythologyMeans
"avenging murder" in Greek, derived from
τίσις (tisis) meaning "vengeance" and
φόνος (phonos) meaning "murder". This was the name of one of the Furies or
Ἐρινύες (Erinyes) in Greek mythology. She killed Cithaeron with the bite of one of the snakes on her head.
Titania f LiteraturePerhaps based on Latin
Titanius meaning
"of the Titans". This name was (first?) used by William Shakespeare in his comedy
A Midsummer Night's Dream (1595) where it belongs to the queen of the fairies, the wife of
Oberon. This is also a moon of Uranus, named after the Shakespearean character.
Titian m HistoryUsual English form of
Titianus (see
Tiziano) used to refer to the painter Tiziano Vecellio.
Tivoli m & f Various (Rare)From the name of a picturesque Italian town, used as a summer resort by the ancient Romans.
Tiziano m ItalianItalian form of the Roman cognomen
Titianus, which was derived from the Roman praenomen
Titus. A famous bearer was the Venetian Renaissance painter Tiziano Vecellio (1488-1576), known in English as Titian.