Silvester m Slovak, Slovene, Serbian, German, English, Late RomanFrom a Latin name meaning
"wooded, wild", derived from
silva "wood, forest". This was the name of three popes, including Saint Silvester I who supposedly baptized the first Christian Roman emperor,
Constantine the Great. As an English name,
Silvester (or
Sylvester) has been in use since the Middle Ages, though it became less common after the Protestant Reformation.
Silvinus m Ancient RomanRoman cognomen that was a variant of
Silvanus. This name was borne by an 8th-century saint who evangelized in northern France.
Silvius m Late Roman, Roman MythologyDerived from Latin
silva meaning
"wood, forest". This was the family name of several of the legendary kings of Alba Longa. It was also the name of an early saint martyred in Alexandria.
Singh m Indian (Sikh)From Sanskrit
सिंह (sinha) meaning
"lion". In 1699 Guru Gobind Singh gave all his male Sikh followers the surname
Singh, and it is now a very common surname or a middle name. The female equivalent is
Kaur.
Sitara f UrduMeans
"star" in Urdu, ultimately from Persian.
Skenandoa m Oneida (Anglicized)Possibly from Oneida
oskanutú meaning
"deer". This was the name of an 18th-century Oneida chief. According to some sources the Shenandoah River in Virginia was named after him, though the river seems to have borne this name from before his birth. It is possible that he was named after the river, or that the similarity in spellings is a coincidence.
Sky f & m English (Modern)Simply from the English word
sky, which was ultimately derived from Old Norse
ský "cloud".
Sláine f & m Old Irish, Irish MythologyFrom Old Irish
slán meaning
"health, safety". This was the name of a legendary high king of Ireland, one of the Fir Bolg. It was also the name of a daughter of the 11th-century high king Brian Boru.
Slaven m Croatian, SerbianMeans
"a Slav" in Croatian and Serbian, referring to the European people who speak one of the Slavic languages (which include Croatian and Serbian). The word is derived from Old Slavic *
slověninŭ.
Slavěna f CzechDerived from Czech
slavná meaning
"glorious", a derivative of Old Slavic
slava "glory".
Smaragdos m Late GreekMeans
"emerald" in Greek, of Semitic origin. This was the name of a 3rd-century Roman martyr and saint, better known by the Latinized form of his name
Smaragdus.
Smiljana f Croatian, SerbianFrom the Serbo-Croatian word
smilje, a type of plant, known as everlasting or immortelle in English (genus Helichrysum).
Sneferu m Ancient EgyptianFrom Egyptian
snfr-wj meaning
"(he) has made me beautiful", from
snfr "to make beautiful", a derivative of
nfr "beautiful, good". This was the name of the founder of the 4th dynasty during Egypt's Old Kingdom (27th century BC).
Sok m & f KhmerMeans
"healthy, peaceful, happy, pleasant" in Khmer, ultimately from Sanskrit
सुख (sukha).
Sokol m AlbanianMeans
"falcon" in Albanian, a word borrowed from Slavic.
Soleil f VariousMeans
"sun" in French. It is not commonly used as a name in France itself.
Solon m Ancient GreekPossibly from Greek
σόλος (solos) meaning
"lump of iron". This was the name of an Athenian statesman who reformed the laws and government of the city.
Sona 1 f HindiMeans
"gold" in Hindi, derived from Sanskrit
सुवर्ण (suvarna) meaning literally "good colour".
Sophia f English, Greek, German, Ancient GreekMeans
"wisdom" in Greek. This was the name of an early, probably mythical, saint who died of grief after her three daughters were martyred during the reign of the emperor Hadrian. Legends about her probably arose as a result of a medieval misunderstanding of the phrase
Hagia Sophia "Holy Wisdom", which is the name of a large basilica in Constantinople.
... [more] Sophron m Ancient GreekMeans
"self-controlled, sensible" in Greek. This name was borne by the 5th-century BC writer Sophron of Syracuse.
Spirit f English (Rare)From the English word
spirit, ultimately from Latin
spiritus "breath, energy", a derivative of
spirare "to blow".
Sprita f EsperantoMeans
"witty, lively" in Esperanto, ultimately from Latin
spiritus "breath, energy".
Star f EnglishFrom the English word for the celestial body, ultimately from Old English
steorra.
Stelara f EsperantoFrom Esperanto
stelaro meaning
"constellation", ultimately from Latin
stella "star".
Stella 1 f English, Italian, Dutch, GermanMeans
"star" in Latin. This name was created by the 16th-century poet Philip Sidney for the subject of his collection of sonnets
Astrophel and Stella. It was a nickname of a lover of Jonathan Swift, real name Esther Johnson (1681-1728), though it was not commonly used as a given name until the 19th century. It appears in Tennessee Williams' play
A Streetcar Named Desire (1947), belonging to the sister of Blanche DuBois and the wife of Stanley Kowalski.
Stormy f English (Modern)From the English word meaning
"stormy, wild, turbulent", ultimately from Old English
stormig.
Sujata f Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Odia, BuddhismMeans
"well-born", derived from the Sanskrit prefix
सु (su) meaning "good" and
जात (jata) meaning "born, grown". According to Buddhist lore this was the name of the woman who gave Siddhartha Gautama (the
Buddha) a bowl of pudding, ending his period of severe asceticism.
Sujay m Bengali, MarathiMeans
"great victory", derived from the Sanskrit prefix
सु (su) meaning "good" combined with
जय (jaya) meaning "victory".
Sultan m & f Arabic, Turkish, Azerbaijani, Urdu, Bengali, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, AvarMeans
"ruler, king, sultan" in Arabic. In the Arab world this name is typically masculine, but Turkey it is given to both boys and girls.
Sumantra m BengaliMeans
"following good advice", from the Sanskrit prefix
सु (su) meaning "good" combined with
मन्त्र (mantra) meaning "instrument of thought, prayer, advice".
Sumire f JapaneseFrom Japanese
菫 (sumire) meaning "violet (flower)". Other kanji combinations can form this name as well. It is often written using the hiragana writing system.
Summer f EnglishFrom the name of the season, ultimately from Old English
sumor. It has been in use as a given name since the 1970s.
Suna f TurkishFrom the Turkish word for a type of duck, the shelduck (genus Tadorna).
Sunčana f CroatianFrom Croatian
sunčan meaning
"sunny", a derivative of
sunce meaning "sun".
Sunil m Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Assamese, Gujarati, Punjabi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, NepaliFrom Sanskrit
सु (su) meaning "good, very" combined with
नील (nila) meaning "dark blue".
Sunita f Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi, NepaliMeans
"well conducted, wise", derived from the Sanskrit prefix
सु (su) meaning "good" combined with
नीत (nita) meaning "conducted, led". In Hindu legend this is the name of the daughter of King Anga of Bengal.
Suniti f HindiMeans
"good conduct" from the Sanskrit prefix
सु (su) meaning "good" combined with
नीति (niti) meaning "guidance, moral conduct".
Sushila f & m Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi, NepaliMeans
"good-tempered, well-disposed", derived from the Sanskrit prefix
सु (su) meaning "good" combined with
शील (shila) meaning "conduct, disposition". This is a transcription of both the feminine form
सुशीला and the masculine form
सुशील. This name is borne by wives of the Hindu gods
Krishna and
Yama.
Su'ud m ArabicMeans
"fortune, good luck" in Arabic, a plural form of
Sa'd. This name is traditionally transcribed as
Saud. It was the name of the ancestor of the Saud dynasty, the ruling family of Saudi Arabia.
Svatava f CzechDerived from Czech
svatý meaning
"sacred, holy", ultimately from Old Slavic *
svętŭ.
Svea f SwedishFrom a personification of the country of Sweden, in use since the 17th century. It is a derivative of
Svear, the Swedish name for the North Germanic tribe the Swedes. The Swedish name of the country of Sweden is
Sverige, a newer form of
Svear rike meaning "the realm of the Svear".
Svetlana f Russian, Slovak, Bulgarian, Serbian, Macedonian, Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Armenian, GeorgianDerived from Russian
свет (svet) meaning
"light, world". It was popularized by the poem
Svetlana (1813) by the poet Vasily Zhukovsky. It is sometimes used as a translation of
Photine.
Swarna m & f Telugu, HindiMeans
"good colour" or
"golden", a contraction of the Sanskrit prefix
सु (su) meaning "good" and
वर्ण (varna) meaning "colour". This is a transcription of both the masculine form
स्वर्ण and the feminine form
स्वर्णा (spelled with a long final vowel).
Swati f Hindi, MarathiFrom the Indian name of the fourth brightest star in the night sky, called
Arcturus in the western world.
Sylvan m EnglishEither a variant of
Silvanus or directly from the Latin word
silva meaning
"wood, forest".
Tahel f HebrewMeans
"you will shine" in Hebrew, from the root
הָלַל (halal) meaning "to praise, to shine".
Taimi f Finnish, EstonianFrom Finnish
taimi meaning
"sapling, young tree" or Estonian
taim meaning
"plant" (words from a common origin).
Talatu f HausaFrom Hausa
Talata meaning
"Tuesday" (of Arabic origin).
Talitha f BiblicalMeans
"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).
Talvikki f Finnish (Rare)Derived from Finnish
talvi meaning
"winter". This is also the Finnish word for the wintergreen plant (genus Pyrola).
Tamar f Hebrew, Georgian, Biblical, Biblical HebrewMeans
"date palm" in Hebrew. According to the Old Testament Tamar was the daughter-in-law of
Judah and later his wife. This was also the name of a daughter of King
David. She was raped by her half-brother
Amnon, leading to his murder by her brother
Absalom. The name was borne by a 12th-century ruling queen of Georgia who presided over the kingdom at the peak of its power.
Tara 2 f Hinduism, Buddhism, Hindi, NepaliMeans
"star" in Sanskrit. Tara is the name of a Hindu astral goddess, the wife of Brhaspati. She was abducted by
Chandra, the god of the moon, leading to a great war that was only ended when
Brahma intervened and released her. This is also the name of a Buddhist deity (a bodhisattva).
Taran m Welsh Mythology, PictishMeans
"thunder" in Welsh, from the old Celtic root *
toranos. It appears briefly in the Second Branch of the
Mabinogi. The name is cognate to that of the Gaulish god
Taranis. It was also borne by the 7th-century Pictish king Taran mac Ainftech.
Taranis m Gaulish MythologyDerived from the old Celtic root *
toranos meaning
"thunder", cognate with
Þórr (see
Thor). This was the name of the Gaulish thunder god, who was often identified with the Roman god
Jupiter.
Tau m Tswana, SothoMeans
"lion" in Tswana and Sotho. Tau was the name of the last ruler of the Rolong in South Africa (18th century).
Tegan f Welsh, English (Modern)Means
"darling" in Welsh, derived from a diminutive of Welsh
teg "beautiful, pretty". It was somewhat common in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Canada in the 1980s and 90s. It was borne by an Australian character on the television series
Doctor Who from 1981 to 1984.
Tegid m WelshPossibly derived from Welsh
teg "beautiful, handsome", or possibly from the Roman name
Tacitus. This is the name of a lake in Wales, called Bala Lake in English. It also occurs in medieval Welsh legends as the husband of
Ceridwen.
Teman m Biblical, Biblical HebrewMeans
"right hand" or
"south" in Hebrew. According to the Old Testament this was the name of a grandson of
Esau for whom the town of Teman in Edom was named.
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.
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).
Thị f VietnameseFrom Sino-Vietnamese
氏 (thị) meaning
"clan, family, maiden name". This is a very common middle name for Vietnamese girls.
Thiri f BurmeseMeans
"radiance, splendour, beauty" in Burmese, ultimately from Sanskrit
श्री (shri).
Tiare f TahitianMeans
"flower" in Tahitian, also specifically referring to the species Gardenia taitensis.
Tiên f VietnameseFrom Sino-Vietnamese
仙 (tiên) meaning
"immortal, transcendent, celestial being, fairy".
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-).
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.
Tirta m & f IndonesianMeans
"sacred water, place of pilgrimage" in Indonesian, ultimately from Sanskrit
तीर्थ (tirtha).
Toutatis m Gaulish MythologyProbably derived from the old Celtic root *
toutā meaning
"people, tribe". This was the name of a Gaulish god who may have been regarded as the protector of the people or tribe.
Trajan 2 m Macedonian, SerbianMeans
"enduring, permanent" in South Slavic. This also coincides with the Macedonian and Serbian form of the Roman emperor's name
Trajan 1, which may also factor into the name's usage.
Tryphon m Ancient GreekDerived from Greek
τρυφή (tryphe) meaning
"softness, delicacy". Saint Tryphon, a gooseherder from Syria, was martyred in the 3rd century.
Tsisana f GeorgianProbably derived from Georgian
ცის (tsis) meaning
"of the sky", the genitive case of
ცა (tsa) meaning "sky, heaven". This is also an alternative Georgian word for the forget-me-not flower.
Tsisia f GeorgianDerived from Georgian
ცის (tsis) meaning
"of the sky", the genitive case of
ცა (tsa) meaning "sky, heaven".
Tsiuri f GeorgianMeans
"heavenly, celestial" in Georgian, a derivative of
ცა (tsa) meaning "sky, heaven".
Tú m & f VietnameseFrom Sino-Vietnamese
秀 (tú) meaning
"luxuriant, beautiful, elegant, outstanding".
Tuğçe f TurkishDerived from Turkish
tuğ meaning
"banner, crest", referring to a type of banner made of horse hairs used in the Ottoman Empire, ultimately from Chinese
纛 (dào).
Tuğrul m TurkishFrom the Turkish word for a mythical bird of prey, also called a
turul, derived from a Turkic word meaning "falcon". This was the name of the 11th-century founder of the Seljuk Empire.
Tuulikki f Finnish, Finnish MythologyMeans
"little wind" in Finnish, derived from
tuuli "wind". This was the name of a Finnish forest goddess, the daughter of Tapio.
Tyche f Greek MythologyMeans
"chance, luck, fortune" in Greek. This was the name of the Greek goddess of fortune, luck and fate.
Tychon m Greek Mythology, Ancient GreekFrom Greek
τύχη (tyche) meaning
"chance, luck, fortune", a derivative of
τυγχάνω (tynchano) meaning "hit the mark, succeed". This was the name of a minor deity associated with
Priapus in Greek mythology. It was also borne by a 5th-century saint from Cyprus.
Uche m & f IgboMeans
"wisdom, sense, mind" in Igbo.
Uju f IgboMeans
"fullness, plenty" in Igbo.
Umar m Arabic, Urdu, Uzbek, Tajik, Kyrgyz, Indonesian, HausaMeans
"populous, flourishing", derived from Arabic
عمر ('umr) meaning "life". Umar was a companion and strong supporter of the Prophet
Muhammad who became the second caliph of the Muslims. He is considered to be one of the great founders of the Muslim state. The name was also borne by a 12th-century poet from Persia, Umar Khayyam.
Umed m TajikMeans
"hope" in Tajik, ultimately from Persian
امید (omid).
Umid m UzbekMeans
"hope" in Uzbek, ultimately from Persian
امید (omid).
Ümit m TurkishMeans
"hope" in Turkish, ultimately from Persian
امید (omid).
Umut m & f TurkishVariant of
Ümit. The Turkish words
umut and
ümit are etymologically related synonyms.
Una f EnglishAnglicized 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).
Uno m Swedish, EstonianMeaning uncertain. It is possibly from the Old Norse name
Uni. It could also come from Latin
unus "one".
Ushas f HinduismMeans
"dawn" in Sanskrit. This is the name of the Hindu goddess of the dawn, considered the daughter of heaven.
Utu m Sumerian MythologyDerived from Sumerian
𒌓 (ud) meaning
"sun". In Sumerian mythology this was the name of the god of the sun. He was the son of the moon god
Nanna and
Ningal.
Vagn m Danish, Old NorseOld Norse byname meaning
"cart, wagon". It was revived as a given name in the 19th century.
Vahe m ArmenianPossibly from Old Persian
𐎺𐎢 (vau) meaning
"good". This was the name of a semi-legendary 4th-century BC Armenian king.
Valkyrie f Various (Rare)Means
"chooser of the slain", derived from Old Norse
valr "the slain" and
kyrja "chooser". In Norse myth the Valkyries were maidens who led heroes killed in battle to Valhalla.
Văn m VietnameseFrom Sino-Vietnamese
文 (văn) meaning
"literature, culture, writing". This is a common middle name for Vietnamese boys.
Vardan m ArmenianDerived from Armenian
վարդ (vard) meaning
"rose", ultimately from an Iranian language.
Vardo f GeorgianDerived from Georgian
ვარდი (vardi) meaning
"rose", ultimately from an Iranian language via Armenian.
Veasna m & f KhmerMeans
"fate, destiny" in Khmer, ultimately from Sanskrit
वासना (vasana) meaning "imagination, impression".
Vega 1 f SpanishMeans
"meadow, plain" in Spanish. It is taken from a title of the Virgin
Mary,
La Virgen de la Vega, meaning "The Virgin of the Meadow". She is the patron saint of several Spanish municipalities, such as Salamanca.
Veikko m FinnishFrom a colloquial form of the Finnish word
veli meaning
"brother".
Vello m EstonianFrom a diminutive form of the Estonian word
veli meaning
"brother".
Venka f EsperantoMeans
"victorious", from Esperanto
venki "to conquer", ultimately from Latin
vincere.
Vera 1 f Russian, English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, Hungarian, Slovene, Serbian, Croatian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Belarusian, GeorgianMeans
"faith" in Russian, though it is sometimes associated with the Latin word
verus "true". It has been in general use in the English-speaking world since the late 19th century.
Vered f HebrewMeans
"rose" in Hebrew, originally a borrowing from an Iranian language.
Veritas f Roman MythologyMeans "truth" in Latin, a derivative of
verus "true". The Roman goddess Veritas was the personification of truth.
Verity f EnglishFrom 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.
Vespera f EsperantoMeans
"of the evening", derived from Esperanto
vespero "evening", ultimately from Latin
vesper.
Victor m English, French, Portuguese, Romanian, Dutch, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Late RomanRoman name meaning
"victor, conqueror" in Latin. It was common among early Christians, and was borne by several early saints and three popes. It was rare as an English name during the Middle Ages, but it was revived in the 19th century. A famous bearer was the French writer Victor Hugo (1802-1885), who authored
The Hunchback of Notre-Dame and
Les Misérables.
Victoria f English, Spanish, Romanian, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, French, Late Roman, Roman MythologyMeans
"victory" in Latin, being borne by the Roman goddess of victory. It is also a feminine form of
Victorius. This name was borne by a 4th-century saint and martyr from North Africa.
... [more] Vide m SwedishMeans
"willow" in Swedish, from Old Norse
víðir.
Vilja f Finnish, EstonianPossibly from the Finnish word
vilja meaning
"cereal, grain" or the Swedish word
vilja meaning
"will, intent".
Viola f English, Italian, Swedish, Danish, Finnish, German, Hungarian, Czech, SlovakMeans
"violet" in Latin. This is the name of the heroine of William Shakespeare's comedy
Twelfth Night (1602). In the play she is the survivor of a shipwreck who disguises herself as a man named Cesario. Working as a messenger for Duke
Orsino, she attempts to convince
Olivia to marry him. Instead Viola falls in love with the duke.