Triton m Greek MythologyMeaning uncertain. It is possibly related to a root meaning
"the sea" (cognate with Old Irish
trethan). Alternatively it could be connected to Greek
τρεῖς (treis) meaning
"three" (ordinal form
τρίτος). In Greek mythology Triton was the son of
Poseidon and
Amphitrite. He was often depicted as a merman, half-human and half-fish. The largest of Neptune's moons is named after him.
Truman m EnglishFrom 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).
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.
Tú m & f VietnameseFrom Sino-Vietnamese
秀 (tú) meaning
"luxuriant, beautiful, elegant, outstanding".
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".
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).
Tünde f HungarianDerived from Hungarian
tündér meaning
"fairy". The Hungarian poet Mihály Vörösmarty created this name in the 19th century.
Turner m EnglishFrom an English surname for one who worked with a lathe, derived from Old English
turnian "to turn", of Latin origin.
Turnus m Roman MythologyMeaning unknown. According to
Virgil's
Aeneid, Turnus was a king of the Rutuli. He led the Latins in war against the Trojans led by
Aeneas. At the end of the book he is killed by Aeneas in a duel.
Tutankhamun m Ancient EgyptianFrom Egyptian
twt-ꜥnḫ-jmn meaning
"image of the life of Amon", derived from
twt "image" combined with
ꜥnḫ "life" combined with the name of the god
Amon. This was the name of a 14th-century BC pharaoh of the 18th dynasty, most famous because of the treasures found in his tomb.
Tybalt m LiteratureThe name of a cousin of
Juliet killed by
Romeo in William Shakespeare's drama
Romeo and Juliet (1596). The character earlier appears as Tebaldo, an Italian form of
Theobald, in Luigi Da Porto's novella
Giulietta e Romeo (1524), one of Shakespeare's sources. Shakespeare was also inspired by the character of Tybalt the Cat (from
Thibault the French form of
Theobald) in medieval fables of Reynard the Fox (evidenced by
Mercutio calling Tybalt the "prince of cats").
Tyche f Greek MythologyMeans
"chance, luck, fortune" in Greek. This was the name of the Greek goddess of fortune, luck and fate.
Tyler m EnglishFrom an English surname meaning
"tiler of roofs", derived from Old English
tigele "tile". The surname was borne by American president John Tyler (1790-1862).
Tyra f Swedish, English, African AmericanFrom 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-).
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.
Tyrone m English, African AmericanFrom 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.
Tyson m EnglishFrom 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.
Tyyne f FinnishDerived from Finnish
tyyni meaning
"calm, serene".
Ufuk m TurkishMeans
"horizon" in Turkish, of Arabic origin.
U-Jin m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
宇 (u) meaning "house, universe" or
佑 (u) meaning "help, protect, bless" combined with
眞 (jin) meaning "real, genuine" or
鎭 (jin) meaning "town, market place". Other combinations of hanja characters can form this name as well.
Ulrich m German, GermanicFrom the Old German name
Odalric, derived from the element
uodil "heritage" combined with
rih "ruler, king". This was the name of two German saints. Another famous bearer was Ulrich Zwingli (1484-1531), also known as Huldrych, the leader of the Protestant Reformation in Switzerland.
Ultán m Irish, Old IrishMeans
"of Ulster" in Irish. Ulster is a region in the north of Ireland. This name was borne by two 7th-century Irish saints.
Ulysses m Roman Mythology, EnglishLatin form of
Odysseus. It was borne by Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885), the commander of the Union forces during the American Civil War, who went on to become an American president. Irish author James Joyce used it as the title of his book
Ulysses (1922), which loosely parallels
Homer's epic the
Odyssey.
Umar m Arabic, Urdu, Uzbek, Tajik, Kyrgyz, Indonesian, HausaMeans
"flourishing, living long" in Arabic, related to Arabic
عمر (ʿumr) 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.
Ume f JapaneseFrom Japanese
梅 (ume) meaning "Japanese apricot, plum" (refers specifically to the species Prunus mume). In Japan the ume blossom is regarded as a symbol of spring and a ward against evil. Different kanji or kanji combinations can also form this name.
Umed m TajikMeans
"hope" in Tajik, ultimately from Persian
امید (omīd).
Ümit m TurkishMeans
"hope" in Turkish, ultimately from Persian
امید (omīd).
Umm f ArabicMeans
"mother" in Arabic. This is often used in a kunya, a type of Arabic nickname (see the masculine counterpart
Abu).
Umran m ArabicMeans
"flourishing, thriving" in Arabic, derived from the root
عمر (ʿamara) meaning "to live long, to thrive".
Undine f LiteratureDerived from Latin
unda meaning
"wave". The word
undine was created by the 16th-century Swiss author Paracelsus, who used it for female water spirits.
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).
Uranus m Greek Mythology (Latinized)From Greek
Οὐρανός (Ouranos), the name of the husband of
Gaia and the father of the Titans in Greek mythology. His name is derived from
οὐρανός (ouranos) meaning
"the heavens". This is also the name of the seventh planet in the solar system.
Uriel m Biblical, HebrewFrom the Hebrew name
אוּרִיאֵל (ʾUriʾel) meaning
"God is my light", from
אוּר (ʾur) meaning "light, flame" and
אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". Uriel is an archangel in Hebrew tradition. He is mentioned only in the Apocrypha, for example in the Book of Enoch where he warns
Noah of the coming flood.
Urmas m EstonianPossibly from the dialectal Estonian word
urm meaning
"frost" or
"catkin".
Urs m German (Swiss)German form of the Latin name
Ursus, which meant
"bear". Saint Ursus was a 3rd-century soldier in the Theban Legion who was martyred with Saint Victor. He is the patron saint of Solothurn in Switzerland.
Ursula f English, Swedish, Danish, German, Dutch, Finnish, Late RomanMeans
"little bear", derived from a diminutive form of the Latin word
ursa "she-bear". Saint Ursula was a legendary virgin princess of the 4th century who was martyred by the Huns while returning from a pilgrimage. In England the saint was popular during the Middle Ages, and the name came into general use at that time.
Uther m Welsh Mythology, Arthurian CycleFrom the Welsh name
Uthyr, derived from Welsh
uthr meaning
"terrible". In Arthurian legend Uther was the father of King
Arthur. He appears in some early Welsh texts, but is chiefly known from the 12th-century chronicles of Geoffrey of Monmouth.
Uthman m ArabicMeans
"baby bustard" in Arabic (a bustard is a type of large bird). Uthman was a companion of the Prophet
Muhammad who married two of his daughters. He was the third caliph of the Muslims.
Uxue f BasqueFrom the Basque name of the Spanish town of Ujué where there is a church dedicated to the Virgin
Mary. Its name is derived from Basque
usoa "dove".
Uzziel m Biblical, Biblical HebrewMeans
"my power is God" in Hebrew, from the roots
עֹז (ʿoz) meaning "strength, power" and
אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". This is the name of several minor characters in the Old Testament.
Václav m Czech, SlovakContracted form of an older Czech name
Veceslav, derived from the Slavic elements
vęťĭjĭ "more, greater" and
slava "glory". Saint Václav (known as
Wenceslas or
Wenceslaus in English) was a 10th-century Duke of Bohemia murdered by his brother. He is the patron saint of the Czech Republic. This was also the name of several Bohemian kings.
Vadim m RussianMeaning uncertain. It is used as a Russian form of the saintly name
Bademus. Alternatively it may be derived from Slavic
vaditi "to accuse, to argue" or from an Old Norse source. According to legend, this was the name of a legendary leader of the Ilmen Slavs who fought against the Varangians.
Vahe m ArmenianPossibly from Old Persian
𐎺𐎢 (vahu) meaning
"good". This was the name of a semi-legendary 4th-century BC Armenian king.
Väinämöinen m Finnish MythologyDerived from Finnish
väinä meaning
"wide and slow-flowing river". In Finnish mythology Väinämöinen was a wise old magician, the son of the primal goddess
Ilmatar. He is the hero of the Finnish epic the
Kalevala.
Vakhtang m GeorgianPossibly from Old Persian
𐎺𐎼𐎣 𐎫𐎵𐎢 (varka tanu) meaning
"wolf-bodied". This name was borne by several kings of Georgia.
Valdemar m Danish, Swedish, FinnishScandinavian form of
Waldemar, also used as a translation of the Slavic cognate
Vladimir. This was the name of four kings of Denmark and a king of Sweden. It was introduced to Scandinavia by the 12th-century Danish king Valdemar I who was named after his mother's grandfather: Vladimir II, a grand prince of Kievan Rus.
Valentin m French, Romanian, German, Czech, Russian, Bulgarian, Slovene, Croatian, Swedish, Danish, FinnishForm of
Valentinus (see
Valentine 1) in several languages.
Valentine 1 m EnglishFrom the Roman cognomen
Valentinus, which was itself a derivative of the cognomen
Valens meaning
"strong, vigorous, healthy" in Latin. Saint Valentine was a 3rd-century martyr. His feast day was the same as the Roman fertility festival of Lupercalia, which resulted in the association between Valentine's Day and love.
... [more] Valerian m Russian, Georgian, Romanian, HistoryFrom the Roman cognomen
Valerianus, which was itself derived from the Roman name
Valerius. This was the name of a 3rd-century Roman emperor (Publius Licinius Valerianus) who was captured by the Persians. Several saints have also borne this name, including a 2nd-century martyr of Lyons.
Valerius m Ancient RomanRoman family name that was derived from Latin
valere "to be strong". This was the name of several early saints.
Văn m VietnameseFrom Sino-Vietnamese
文 (văn) meaning
"literature, culture, writing". This is a common middle name for Vietnamese boys.
Vance m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from Old English
fenn meaning
"marsh, fen".
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.
Vaughan m Welsh, EnglishFrom a Welsh surname that was derived from
bychan (mutated to
fychan) meaning
"little".
Velvet f EnglishFrom 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.
Venus f Roman MythologyMeans
"love, sexual desire" in Latin. This was the name of the Roman goddess of love and sex. Her character was assimilated with that of the Greek goddess
Aphrodite. As the mother of
Aeneas she was considered an ancestor of the Roman people. The second planet from the sun is named after her.
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.
Vercingetorix m GaulishMeans
"king over warriors" from Gaulish
wer "on, over" combined with
kingeto "marching men, warriors" and
rix "king". This name was borne by a 1st-century BC chieftain of the Gaulish tribe the Arverni. He led the resistance against Julius Caesar's attempts to conquer Gaul, but he was eventually defeated, brought to Rome, and executed.
Veritas f Roman MythologyMeans "truth" in Latin, a derivative of
verus "true". The Roman goddess Veritas was the personification of truth.
Vernon m EnglishFrom a Norman surname, which was from a French place name, ultimately derived from the Gaulish word
vern meaning
"alder".
Veronika f Russian, Czech, Slovak, Ukrainian, German, Hungarian, Bulgarian, Slovene, Croatian, Macedonian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Estonian, Lithuanian, LatvianForm of
Veronica in several languages.
Věroslav m CzechCombination of the Czech name
Věra or word
víra (both meaning "faith") with the Slavic element
slava meaning "glory".
Vespasian m HistoryFrom the Roman cognomen
Vespasianus, derived either from Latin
vesper meaning
"west" or
"evening" or
vespa meaning
"wasp". This was the name of a 1st-century Roman emperor, Titus Flavius Vespasianus, the founder of the Flavian dynasty.
Vesper m & f Roman Mythology, Dutch (Modern)Latin cognate of
Hesperos. This name was used by the British author Ian Fleming for a female character, a love interest of James Bond, in his novel
Casino Royale (1953). She also appears in the film adaptations of 1967 and 2006.
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.
Vidar m Norwegian, Swedish, Norse MythologyFrom Old Norse
Víðarr, which was possibly derived from
víðr "wide" and
herr "army, warrior". In Norse mythology Víðarr was the son of
Odin and
Grid. At the time of the end of the world, Ragnarök, it is said he will avenge his father's death by slaying the wolf
Fenrir.
Vide m SwedishMeans
"willow" in Swedish, from Old Norse
víðir.
Vidmantas m LithuanianFrom the Lithuanian root
vyd- "to see" combined with
mantus "intelligent" or
manta "property, wealth".
Viking m SwedishFrom the Old Norse name
Víkingr meaning
"viking, raider", ultimately from
vík "cove, inlet".
Viktor m Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Finnish, Estonian, German, Hungarian, Czech, Slovak, Bulgarian, Russian, Ukrainian, Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Macedonian, GreekForm of
Victor used in various languages.
Vilen m RussianAbbreviation of
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, the name of the founder of the former Soviet state (see
Vladimir and
Lenin).
Vilja f Finnish, EstonianPossibly from the Finnish word
vilja meaning
"cereal, grain" or the Swedish word
vilja meaning
"will, intent".
Vilma f Spanish, Portuguese, Finnish, German, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Lithuanian, Latvian, Hungarian, Czech, Slovak, CroatianForm of
Wilma in several languages.
Vincent m English, French, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, SlovakFrom the Roman name
Vincentius, which was derived from Latin
vincere meaning
"to conquer". This name was popular among early Christians, and it was borne by many saints. As an English name,
Vincent has been in use since the Middle Ages, though it did not become common until the 19th century. Famous bearers include the French priest Saint Vincent de Paul (1581-1660) and the Dutch post-impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890).
Vinyet f CatalanMeans
"vineyard" in Catalan. It is from a devotional title of the Virgin
Mary,
Mare de Déu del Vinyet, meaning "Mother of God of the Vineyard". This is the name of a sanctuary in Sitges, Spain.
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.
Violet f EnglishFrom 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.
Virgil m English, RomanianFrom the Roman family name
Vergilius, which is of unknown meaning. This name was borne by the 1st-century BC Roman poet Publius Vergilius Maro, commonly called Virgil, who was the writer of the
Aeneid. Due to him,
Virgil has been in use as a given name in the English-speaking world since the 19th century.
Virva f FinnishPossibly derived from Finnish
virvatuli meaning
"will o' the wisp". In folklore, will o' the wisp is a floating ball of light that appears over water.
Virve f Estonian, FinnishFrom Estonian
virves meaning
"sprout, shoot" or
virve meaning
"ripple, shimmer".
Vishnu m Hinduism, Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, MarathiProbably means
"all-pervasive" in Sanskrit, from
विष् (viṣ) meaning "to prevade, to spread through". The Hindu god Vishnu is the protector and preserver of the universe, usually depicted as four-armed and blue-skinned. His wife is
Lakshmi. Though he appears in the
Rigveda, he features more prominently in post-Vedic texts. The great heroes
Krishna,
Rama,
Narasimha and others are regarded as avatars of Vishnu.
... [more] Visitación f SpanishMeans
"visitation" in Spanish. This name is given in reference to the visit of the Virgin
Mary to her cousin Elizabeth.
Vitale m ItalianItalian form of the Late Latin name
Vitalis, which was derived from Latin
vitalis meaning
"of life, vital". Vitalis was the name of several early saints and martyrs.
Vivian m & f English, Swedish, Norwegian, DanishFrom the Latin name
Vivianus, which was derived from Latin
vivus "alive". Saint Vivian was a French bishop who provided protection during the Visigoth invasion of the 5th century. It has been occasionally used as an English (masculine) name since the Middle Ages. In modern times it is also used as a feminine name, in which case it is either an Anglicized form of
Bébinn or a variant of
Vivien 2.
Vivien 2 f Literature, HungarianUsed by Alfred Tennyson as the name of the Lady of the Lake in his Arthurian epic
Idylls of the King (1859). Tennyson may have based it on
Vivienne, but it possibly arose as a misreading of
Ninian. A famous bearer was British actress Vivien Leigh (1913-1967), who played Scarlett O'Hara in
Gone with the Wind.
Vlad m Romanian, Russian, UkrainianOld short form of
Vladislav and other names beginning with the Slavic element
volděti (Church Slavic
vladati) meaning
"to rule, to control". This name was borne by several princes of Wallachia (in Romania) including the 15th-century Vlad III Dracula, who was Bram Stoker's inspiration for the name of his vampire Count
Dracula.
Vladan m Serbian, CzechFrom the Slavic element
volděti meaning
"to rule, to control", originally a diminutive of names containing that element.
Vladislav m Russian, Czech, Slovak, Slovene, Bulgarian, Serbian, CroatianFrom the Old Slavic name *
Voldislavŭ, derived from the elements
volděti "to rule" and
slava "glory". This name has been borne by kings, princes and dukes of Croatia, Serbia, Bohemia, Poland and Wallachia.
Voldemort m LiteratureInvented by author J.K. Rowling, apparently based on French
vol de mort meaning
"flight of death" or
"theft of death". This is the name of the primary villain in Rowling's
Harry Potter series of books, first released in 1997. The books explain that he created his name by anagramming his birth name Tom Marvolo Riddle into
I am Lord Voldemort.