Names with 2 Syllables

Wendy f English
In the case of the character from J. M. Barrie's play Peter Pan (1904), it was created from the nickname fwendy "friend", given to the author by a young friend. However, the name was used prior to the play (rarely), in which case it could be related to the Welsh name Gwendolen and other names beginning with the element gwen meaning "white, blessed". The name only became common after Barrie's play ran.

Wenzel m German
German form of Václav.

Wera f Polish
Polish form of Vera 1 or a short form of Weronika.

Werner m German, Dutch
From an Old German name derived from the element warin, related to war meaning "aware, cautious", combined with heri meaning "army". This was the name of a 13th-century boy from Oberwesel, Germany who was formerly regarded as a saint. He is no longer recognized as such by the Church. Another famous bearer was the German physicist Werner Heisenberg (1901-1976).

Wernher m German, Germanic
Variant of Werner. A famous bearer was the German-American rocket engineer Wernher von Braun (1912-1977).

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

Wessel m Frisian, Dutch
Old Frisian diminutive of Werner.

Westley m English
From a surname that was a variant of Wesley.

Weston m English
From an English surname that was derived from a place name, itself from Old English west "west" and tun "enclosure, yard, town".

Whitney f & m English
From an English 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).

Wibke f German
Feminine form of Wiebe.

Widad f Arabic
Means "love" in Arabic.

Wide m Frisian
Frisian form of Wido.

Wiebe m Frisian, Dutch
Originally a Frisian short form of Wigberht (and other names starting with the Old German element wig meaning "war" and a second element beginning with b).

Wiebke f Frisian, German
Feminine form of Wiebe.

Wieland m German, Germanic Mythology
German cognate of Wayland.

Wiesław m Polish
Contracted form of Wielisław.

Wiktor m Polish
Polish form of Victor.

Wilbert m Dutch
Means "bright will", derived from the Old German elements willo "will, desire" and beraht "bright".

Wilbur m English
From an English surname that was originally derived from the nickname Wildbor meaning "wild boar" in Middle English. This name was borne by Wilbur Wright (1867-1912), one half of the Wright brothers, who together invented the first successful airplane. Wright was named after the Methodist minister Wilbur Fisk (1792-1839). A famous fictional bearer is the main character (a pig) in the children's novel Charlotte's Web (1952) by E. B. White.

Wilburn m English
From an English surname that was probably originally derived from an unknown place name. The second element corresponds with Old English burne "stream".

Wilda f English
Meaning uncertain, perhaps from a German surname, or perhaps from the English word wild. It has been in use since the 19th century.

Wiley m English
From a surname that was derived from various English place names: towns named Willey or the River Wylye.

Wilford m English
From a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "willow ford" in Old English.

Wilfred m English
Means "desiring peace" from Old English willa "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.

Wilfrid m English
Variant of Wilfred.

Wilfried m German
German cognate of Wilfred.

Wilhelm m German, Polish, Germanic
German cognate of William. This was the name of two German emperors. It was also the middle name of several philosophers from Germany: Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770-1831), Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (1844-1900), and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646-1716), who was also a notable mathematician. Another famous bearer was the physicist Wilhelm Röntgen (1845-1923).

Wilkie m English
From an English surname that was originally derived from a diminutive of the given name William.

Willa f English
Feminine form of William.

Willard m English
From an English surname that was derived from the Old German given name Willihard (or the Old English cognate Wilheard).

Willem m Dutch
Dutch form of William. Willem the Silent, Prince of Orange, was the leader of the Dutch revolt against Spain that brought about the independence of the Netherlands. He is considered the founder of the Dutch royal family. In English he is commonly called William of Orange.

Willi m German
Diminutive of Wilhelm.

William m English
From the Germanic name Willehelm meaning "will helmet", composed of the elements willo "will, desire" and helm "helmet, protection". An early saint by this name was the 8th-century William of Gellone, a cousin of Charlemagne who became a monk. The name was common among the Normans, and it became extremely popular in England after William the Conqueror was recognized as the first Norman king of England in the 11th century. From then until the modern era it has been among the most common of English names (with John, Thomas and Robert).... [more]

Willie m & f English
Masculine or feminine diminutive of William. Notable bearers include the retired American baseball player Willie Mays (1931-) and the musician Willie Nelson (1933-).

Willis m English
From an English surname that was derived from Will, a diminutive of William.

Willow f English (Modern)
From the name of the tree, which is ultimately derived from Old English welig.

Willy m & f English, German, Dutch
Diminutive of William, Wilhelm or Willem. It is both masculine and feminine in Dutch.

Wilma f German, Dutch, English, Swedish
Short form of Wilhelmina. German settlers introduced it to America in the 19th century.

Wilmer m English, Spanish (Latin American)
From an English surname that was derived from the given name Wilmǣr. In some cases it might be regarded as a masculine form of Wilma. This name is popular in Spanish-speaking Latin America.

Wilson m English, Spanish (Latin American), Portuguese
From an English surname meaning "son of William". The surname was borne by Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924), the American president during World War I.

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".

Wiltrud f German
Derived from the Old German elements willo "will, desire" and drud "strength". This name was borne by a 10th-century German saint from Bergen.

Windsor m & f English (Rare)
From an English surname that was from a place name meaning "riverbank with a windlass" in Old English (a windlass is a lifting apparatus). This has been the surname of the royal family of the United Kingdom since 1917.

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.

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

Winslow m & f 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 an English surname that was 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.

Winter f English (Modern)
From the English word for the season, derived from Old English winter.

Winthrop m English (Rare)
From a surname that was originally taken from town names meaning either "Wine's village" or "Wigmund's village" in Old English.

Winton m English
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "enclosure belonging to Wine" in Old English.

Wiola f Polish
Polish form of Viola.

Wira m Indonesian, Malay
Means "hero" in Indonesian and Malay, ultimately from Sanskrit वीर (vira).

Wisdom f & m English (Rare)
Simply from the English word, a derivative of Old English wis "wise".

Wisław m Polish (Rare)
Contracted form of Witosław.

Witold m Polish
Polish form of Vytautas. Alternatively it could be derived from the Old German name Widald.

Władek m Polish
Diminutive of Władysław.

Włodek m Polish
Diminutive of Włodzimierz.

Wodan m Germanic Mythology
Old High German form of *Wōdanaz (see Odin).

Woden m Anglo-Saxon Mythology
Anglo-Saxon form of *Wōdanaz (see Odin). The day of the week Wednesday is named for him.

Wojciech m Polish
Derived from the Slavic elements vojĭ "warrior, soldier" and utěxa "solace, comfort, joy". Saint Wojciech (also known by the Czech form of his name Vojtěch or his adopted name Adalbert) was a Bohemian missionary to Hungary, Poland and Prussia, where he was martyred in the 10th century.

Wojtek m Polish
Diminutive of Wojciech.

Wolfgang m German, Germanic
Derived from the Old German elements wolf meaning "wolf" and gang meaning "path, way". Saint Wolfgang was a 10th-century bishop of Regensburg. Two other famous bearers of this name were Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) and German novelist and poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832).

Wolfhard m German
Derived from the Old German element wolf meaning "wolf" combined with hart meaning "hard, firm, brave, hardy".

Wolfram m German
Derived from the Old German element wolf meaning "wolf" combined with hram meaning "raven". Saint Wolfram (or Wulfram) was a 7th-century archbishop of Sens. This name was also borne by the 13th-century German poet Wolfram von Eschenbach, the author of Parzival.

Woodie m English
Variant of Woody.

Woodrow m English
From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "row of houses by a wood" in Old English. It was borne by the American president Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924), who was given his mother's maiden name as his middle name (his first name was Thomas). During his candidacy and presidency (1912-1921) the name became popular, reaching the 44th rank in 1913, though it quickly declined after that.

Woody m English
Either a diminutive of names containing wood such as Woodrow, or else from a nickname derived from the English word wood. Famous bearers include the folk singer Woodrow "Woody" Guthrie (1912-1967), the comedian and film director Heywood "Woody" Allen (1935-; born as Allan Stewart Konigsberg), and the actor Woodrow "Woody" Harrelson (1961-). It is also borne by the cartoon characters Woody Woodpecker (debuting 1940) and Woody from the Toy Story movies (beginning 1995).

Woo-Jin m Korean
Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul 우진 (see U-Jin).

Wotan m Germanic Mythology
Variant of Wodan.

Wouter m Dutch
Dutch form of Walter.

Wrenlee f English (Modern)
Variant of Wrenley.

Wrenley f English (Modern)
Elaboration of Wren using the popular name suffix ley.

Wubbe m Frisian
Variant of Wobbe.

Wukong m Literature
Means "awakened to emptiness", from Chinese 悟 (wù) meaning "enlightenment, awakening" and 空 (kōng) meaning "empty, hollow, sky". This is the name of the Monkey King, Sun Wukong, in the 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West.

Wulan f Javanese
Javanese form of Bulan.

Wulfstan m Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English elements wulf "wolf" and stan "stone".

Wullem m Limburgish
Limburgish form of William.

Wyatt m English
From an English surname that was derived from the medieval given name Wyard or Wyot, from the Old English name Wigheard. Wyatt Earp (1848-1929) was an American lawman and gunfighter involved in the famous shootout at the OK Corral.

Wynter f English (Modern)
Variant of Winter.

Xabi m Basque
Basque diminutive of Xavier.

Xabier m Basque, Galician
Basque and Galician form of Xavier.

Xander m Dutch, English (Modern)
Short form of Alexander. It was popularized in the English-speaking world by a character on the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003).

Xandra f Dutch
Short form of Alexandra.

Xanthe f Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek
Derived from Greek ξανθός (xanthos) meaning "yellow, blond, fair-haired". This was the name of a few minor figures in Greek mythology.

Xanthos m Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek
From Greek ξανθός (xanthos) meaning "yellow". This is the name of several minor figures in Greek mythology, including kings of Pelasgia and Thebes.

Xaver m German
German form of Xavier.

Xavi m Catalan
Catalan diminutive of Xavier.

Xavier m English, French, Portuguese, Catalan, Spanish
Derived from the Basque place name Etxeberria meaning "the new house". This was the surname of the Jesuit priest Saint Francis Xavier (1506-1552) who was born in a village by this name. He was a missionary to India, Japan, China, and other areas in East Asia, and he is the patron saint of the Orient and missionaries. His surname has since been adopted as a given name in his honour, chiefly among Catholics.

Xena f Popular Culture
Probably a variant of Xenia. This was the name of the main character in the 1990s television series Xena: Warrior Princess.

Xeni f Greek
Modern Greek transcription of Xene.

Xenia f Greek, Spanish, Ancient Greek
Means "hospitality" in Greek, a derivative of ξένος (xenos) meaning "foreigner, guest". This was the name of a 5th-century saint who is venerated in the Eastern Church.

Xenon m Ancient Greek
Derived from Greek ξένος (xenos) meaning "foreigner, guest".

Xerxes m Old Persian (Hellenized), History
Greek form of the Old Persian name 𐎧𐏁𐎹𐎠𐎼𐏁𐎠 (Xšayarša), which meant "ruler over heroes". This was the name of a 5th-century BC king of Persia, the son of Darius the Great. He attempted an invasion of Greece, which ended unsuccessfully at the battle of Salamis.

Xián m Galician
From Xulián, the Galician form of Julian.

Xiao m Galician
Variant of Xián.

Xinyi m & f Chinese
From Chinese 欣 (xīn) meaning "happy, joyous, delighted" or 心 (xīn) meaning "heart, mind, soul" combined with 怡 (yí) meaning "joy, harmony". This name can also be formed from other character combinations.

Xiulan f Chinese
From Chinese 秀 (xiù) meaning "luxuriant, beautiful, elegant, outstanding" combined with 兰 (lán) meaning "orchid, elegant". This name can be formed of other character combinations as well.

Xiuying f Chinese
From Chinese 秀 (xiù) meaning "luxuriant, beautiful, elegant, outstanding" combined with 英 (yīng) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero". Other character combinations are possible.

Xoana f Galician
Galician feminine form of John.

Xóchitl f Nahuatl (Hispanicized)
Spanish form of Xochitl.

Xochitl f Nahuatl
Means "flower" in Nahuatl.

Xulia f Galician
Galician form of Julia.

Xulio m Galician
Galician form of Julius.

Xurxo m Galician
Galician form of George.

Xzavier m English (Modern)
Variant of Xavier.

Yacoub m Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic يعقوب (see Yaqub).

Yael f Hebrew, Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew form of Jael.

Yağmur f & m Turkish, Azerbaijani
Means "rain" in Turkish and Azerbaijani.

Yago m Spanish
Spanish form of Iacobus (see James). The form Santiago refers more specifically to the New Testament apostles.

Yahui f & m Chinese
From Chinese 雅 (yǎ) meaning "elegant, graceful, refined" combined with 惠 (huì) meaning "favour, benefit". This name can also be formed from other character combinations.

Yahweh m Theology
A name of the Hebrew God, represented in Hebrew by the Tetragrammaton ("four letters") יהוה (Yod Heh Vav Heh), which was transliterated into Roman script as Y H W H. Because it was considered blasphemous to utter the name of God, it was only written and never spoken, which resulted in the original pronunciation becoming lost. The name may have originally been derived from the old Semitic root הוה (hawah) meaning "to be" or "to become".

Yahya m Arabic, Turkish, Persian
Arabic, Turkish and Persian form of Yochanan (see John). This name honours John the Baptist, a prophet in Islam.

Yaiza f Spanish
From the name of a town in the Canary Islands, Spain. It was used by the novelist Alberto Vázquez-Figueroa for the main character in his Ocean trilogy of books (beginning 1984).

Yakau m Belarusian
Belarusian form of Jacob (or James).

Yakim m Russian (Rare)
Russian form of Joachim.

Yakiv m Ukrainian
Ukrainian form of Jacob (or James).

Yakov m Hebrew, Russian, Bulgarian (Rare)
Russian and Bulgarian form of Jacob (or James), and an alternate transcription of Hebrew יַעֲקֹב (see Yaakov).

Yakub m Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic يعقوب (see Yaqub).

Yaling f Chinese
From Chinese 雅 (yǎ) meaning "elegant, graceful, refined" combined with 玲 (líng) meaning "tinkling of jade". This name can be formed of other character combinations as well.

Yana f Bulgarian, Russian, Ukrainian
Bulgarian, Russian and Ukrainian form of Jana 1.

Yancy m & f English
From a surname, which was an Americanized form of the Dutch surname Jansen meaning "Jan 1's son".

Yanick m & f Breton, French
Diminutive of Yann or Yanna 2.

Yanis m Greek, French
Alternate transcription of Greek Γιάνης (see Gianis). It is also used in France, in part inspired by the Breton names Yann and Yannic.

Yanna 1 f Greek
Alternate transcription of Greek Γιάννα (see Gianna).

Yannick m & f Breton, French
Diminutive of Yann or Yanna 2.

Yannis m Greek
Alternate transcription of Greek Γιάννης (see Giannis).

Yaqoob m Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic يعقوب (see Yaqub).

Yaqub m Arabic
Arabic form of Ya'aqov (see Jacob).

Yaser m Persian, Turkish, Arabic
Persian and Turkish form of Yasir, as well as an alternate transcription of the Arabic name.

Yasin m Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Turkish
From the Arabic letters ي (called ya) and س (called sin). These letters begin the 36th chapter of the Quran (surah Ya Sin).

Yasir m Arabic, Urdu
Means "to be rich", derived from Arabic يسر (yasira) meaning "to become easy". This was the name of an early Islamic martyr. It was also borne by Yasir Arafat (1929-2004), a leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization.

Yasmeen f Arabic, Urdu
Alternate transcription of Arabic ياسمين or Urdu یاسمین (see Yasmin).

Yasmim f Portuguese (Brazilian, Modern)
Portuguese (mainly Brazilian) variant of Yasmin.

Yasmin f Arabic, Hebrew, Urdu, English (Modern), Spanish (Modern), Portuguese (Modern)
Means "jasmine" in Arabic and Hebrew, derived from Persian یاسمین (yasamin). In modern times it has been used in the western world, as an Arabic-influenced variant of Jasmine.

Yasmine f Arabic, French (Modern), English (Modern)
Alternate transcription of Arabic ياسمين (see Yasmin).

Yasser m Arabic, Persian
Alternate transcription of Arabic ياسر (see Yasir) or Persian یاسر (see Yaser).

Yasu 1 f & m Japanese
From Japanese 安 (yasu) meaning "peace, quiet", 康 (yasu) meaning "peaceful" or 坦 (yasu) meaning "flat, smooth, level", as well as other kanji that are pronounced the same way.

Yasu 2 m Theology (Arabized)
Form of Jesus used by Arabic-speaking Christians. Muslims use عيسى ('Isa), the form in the Quran.

Yating f & m Chinese
From Chinese 雅 (yǎ) meaning "elegant, graceful, refined" combined with 婷 (tíng) meaning "pretty, graceful". Other character combinations are possible.

Yawen f Chinese
From Chinese 雅 (yǎ) meaning "elegant, graceful, refined" combined with 雯 (wén) meaning "cloud patterns". This name can be formed of other character combinations as well.

Yazdan m Persian
Means "angel, divinity, saint" in Persian.

Yazhu f & m Chinese
From Chinese 雅 (yǎ) meaning "elegant, graceful, refined" combined with 筑 (zhù) meaning "lute, zither, build". Other character combinations are also possible.

Yazmin f English (Modern)
Variant of Jasmine.

Yefim m Russian
Russian vernacular form of Euthymius.

Yefrem m Russian (Rare)
Russian form of Ephraim.

Yegor m Russian
Russian form of George.

Ye-Jun m Korean
From Sino-Korean 藝 (ye) meaning "art, talent, craft" combined with 俊 (jun) meaning "talented, handsome", as well as other hanja combinations.

Yeong-Cheol m Korean
From Sino-Korean 永 (yeong) meaning "perpetual, eternal" combined with 哲 (cheol) meaning "wise, sage". Other hanja combinations are possible.

Yeong-Gi m Korean
From Sino-Korean 榮 (yeong) meaning "glory, honour, flourish, prosper" and 起 (gi) meaning "rise, stand up, begin". Other hanja character combinations are possible.

Yeong-Ho m Korean
From Sino-Korean 英 (yeong) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero", 映 (yeong) meaning "reflect light" or 泳 (yeong) meaning "dive, swim" combined with 浩 (ho) meaning "great, numerous, vast" or 皓 (ho) meaning "bright, luminous, clear, hoary". Other hanja combinations are possible.

Yeong-Hui f Korean
From Sino-Korean 英 (yeong) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero" or 泳 (yeong) meaning "dive, swim" combined with 姬 (hui) meaning "beauty" or 嬉 (hui) meaning "enjoy, play". Other combinations of hanja characters can form this name as well.

Yeong-Hwan m Korean
From Sino-Korean 永 (yeong) meaning "perpetual, eternal" or 泳 (yeong) meaning "dive, swim" combined with 煥 (hwan) meaning "shining, brilliant, lustrous". Other hanja combinations are possible as well.

Yeong-Ja f Korean
From Sino-Korean 英 (yeong) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero" and 子 (ja) meaning "child". Other hanja character combinations can form this name as well. Feminine names ending with the character 子 (a fashionable name suffix in Japan, read as -ko in Japanese) were popular in Korea during the period of Japanese rule (1910-1945). After liberation this name and others like it declined in popularity.

Yeong-Su m Korean
From Sino-Korean 永 (yeong) meaning "perpetual, eternal" and 壽 (su) meaning "long life, lifespan", as well as other hanja character combinations.

Yeong-Suk f Korean
From Sino-Korean 英 (yeong) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero" and 淑 (suk) meaning "good, pure, virtuous, charming". Other hanja character combinations are possible.

Yeva f Russian, Ukrainian, Armenian
Russian, Ukrainian and Armenian form of Eve.

Yevhen m Ukrainian
Ukrainian form of Eugene.

Yiğit m Turkish
Means "brave" in Turkish.

Yijun m & f Chinese
From Chinese 怡 (yí) meaning "joy, harmony" combined with 君 (jūn) meaning "king, ruler". This name can also be formed from other character combinations.

Yıldız f Turkish
Means "star" in Turkish.

Yılmaz m Turkish
Means "dauntless, intrepid" in Turkish.

Yngve m Swedish, Norwegian
Modern form of Yngvi.

Yoann m French
French form of Johann.

Yoda m Popular Culture
The name of a short green alien in the Star Wars series of movies, first appearing in the second movie The Empire Strikes Back (1980). The name has no meaning; it was devised for its sound by creator George Lucas.

Yoel m Hebrew, Spanish, Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew form of Joel, as well as a Spanish variant.

Yohann m French
French form of Johann.

Yōko f Japanese
From Japanese 陽 (yō) meaning "light, sun, male" or 洋 (yō) meaning "ocean" combined with 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other combinations of kanji characters can also form this name.

Yoko f Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 陽子 or 洋子 (see Yōko).

Yolande f French
French form of Yolanda. A notable bearer of the 15th century was Yolande of Aragon, who acted as regent for the French king Charles VII, her son-in-law. She was a supporter of Joan of Arc.

Yonca f Turkish
Means "clover" in Turkish.

Yori m Japanese
From Japanese 頼 (yori) meaning "rely" or other kanji that are pronounced the same way.

Yorick m Literature, English, Dutch
Possibly an altered form of Jörg. Shakespeare used this name for a deceased court jester in his play Hamlet (1600).

Yosef m Hebrew, Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew form of Joseph.

Yoshi m & f Japanese
From Japanese 吉 (yoshi) meaning "good luck", 義 (yoshi) meaning "righteous", or 良 (yoshi) meaning "good, virtuous, respectable", as well as other kanji with the same reading.

Yoshiko f Japanese
From Japanese 良 (yoshi) meaning "good, virtuous, respectable", 芳 (yoshi) meaning "fragrant, virtuous, beautiful" or 悦 (yoshi) meaning "joy, pleased" combined with 子 (ko) meaning "child". This name can be formed from other kanji combinations as well.

Yōsuke m Japanese
From Japanese 陽 (yō) meaning "light, sun, male" or 洋 (yō) meaning "ocean" combined with 介 (suke) meaning "help, assist". This name can also be formed from other combinations of kanji characters.

Yosuke m Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 陽介 or 洋介 or 洋右 (see Yōsuke).

Yōta m Japanese
From Japanese 陽 (yō) meaning "light, sun, male" and 太 (ta) meaning "thick, big, great". Other character combinations are possible.

Youko f Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 陽子 or 洋子 (see Yōko).

Young-Gi m Korean
Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul 영기 (see Yeong-Gi).

Young-Hee f Korean
Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul 영희 (see Yeong-Hui).

Young-Ho m Korean
Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul 영호 (see Yeong-Ho).

Young-Ja f Korean
Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul 영자 (see Yeong-Ja).

Young-Soo m Korean
Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul 영수 (see Yeong-Su).

Young-Sook f Korean
Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul 영숙 (see Yeong-Suk).

Youri m Dutch, French
Dutch and French form of Yuriy.

Yousef m Persian, Arabic
Persian form of Yusuf, as well as an alternate Arabic transcription.

Youssef m Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic يوسف (see Yusuf).

Yousuke m Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 陽介 or 洋介 or 洋右 (see Yōsuke).

Youta m Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 陽太 (see Yōta).

Yrjö m Finnish
Finnish form of Jurian.

Yseult f French (Rare)
French form of Iseult.

Yua f Japanese
From Japanese 結 (yu) meaning "tie, bind" and 愛 (a) meaning "love, affection". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Yuda m Indonesian
Means "war" in Indonesian, ultimately from Sanskrit युद्ध (yuddha).

Yudif f Russian (Rare)
Russian form of Judith.

Yui f Japanese
From Japanese 結 (yu) meaning "tie, bind" or 優 (yu) meaning "excellence, superiority, gentleness" combined with 衣 (i) meaning "clothing, garment". It can also come from stand-alone 結 (yui) using a different nanori reading. This name can be formed of other kanji or kanji combinations as well.

Yūji m Japanese
From 祐 (yū) meaning "divine intervention, protection", 雄 (yū) meaning "hero, manly", or 裕 (yū) meaning "abundant" combined with 二 (ji) meaning "two" or 司 (ji) meaning "officer, boss". This name can also be formed from other combinations of kanji characters.

Yūka f Japanese
From Japanese 優 (yū) meaning "excellence, superiority, gentleness" and 花 (ka) meaning "flower, blossom". It can also be composed of different kanji that have the same pronunciations.

Yuka f Japanese
From Japanese 由 (yu) meaning "reason, cause" combined with 香 (ka) meaning "fragrance" or 佳 (ka) meaning "good, beautiful". It can also be formed from different kanji that have similar pronunciations.

Yūki m & f Japanese
From Japanese 優 (yū) meaning "excellence, superiority, gentleness" or 悠 (yū) meaning "permanence" combined with 希 (ki) meaning "hope", 輝 (ki) meaning "brightness" or 生 (ki) meaning "living". Other combinations of kanji can form this name as well.

Yuki f & m Japanese
From Japanese 幸 (yuki) meaning "happiness" or 雪 (yuki) meaning "snow". It can also come from 由 (yu) meaning "reason, cause" combined with 貴 (ki) meaning "valuable" or 紀 (ki) meaning "chronicle". Other kanji or kanji combinations are also possible.

Yūko f Japanese
From Japanese 優 (yū) meaning "excellence, superiority, gentleness", 悠 (yū) meaning "permanence" or 裕 (yū) meaning "abundant" combined with 子 (ko) meaning "child". This name can be formed of different kanji characters as well.

Yuko f Japanese
From Japanese 優 (yu) meaning "excellence, superiority, gentleness" and 子 (ko) meaning "child", as well as other combinations of kanji.

Yuli m Russian
Alternate transcription of Russian Юлий (see Yuliy).

Yuliy m Russian, Ukrainian
Russian and Ukrainian form of Julius.

Yūma m Japanese
From Japanese 悠 (yū) meaning "permanence" or 優 (yū) meaning "excellence, superiority, gentleness" combined with 真 (ma) meaning "real, genuine". Other combinations of kanji can form this name as well.

Yume f Japanese
From Japanese 夢 (yume) meaning "dream, vision". It can also come from 裕 (yu) meaning "abundant, rich, plentiful" and 芽 (me) meaning "bud, sprout", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations.

Yu-Mi f Korean
From Sino-Korean 有 (yu) meaning "have, possess" and 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful". Other hanja character combinations can also form this name.

Yumi f Japanese
From Japanese 弓 (yumi) meaning "archery bow". It can also come from 由 (yu) meaning "reason, cause", 友 (yu) meaning "friend" or a nanori reading of 弓 (yu) meaning "archery bow" combined with 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful". Other kanji or kanji combinations are also possible.

Yūna f Japanese
From Japanese 優 (yū) meaning "excellence, superiority, gentleness" or 柚 (yū) meaning "grapefruit, pomelo, citrus fruit" combined with 菜 (na) meaning "vegetables, greens" or 奈 (na), a phonetic character. Other combinations of kanji are also possible.

Yun-Seo f & m Korean
From Sino-Korean 尹 (yun) meaning "govern" or 允 (yun) meaning "allow, consent" combined with 序 (seo) meaning "series, sequence", as well as other hanja character combinations.

Yunus m Arabic, Turkish
Arabic and Turkish form of Jonah.

Yura m Russian, Ukrainian
Diminutive of Yuriy.

Yūri f Japanese
From Japanese 悠 (yū) meaning "permanence" and 里 (ri) meaning "village". This name can also be formed from other combinations of kanji.

Yuri 1 m Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian
Alternate transcription of Russian Юрий, Ukrainian Юрій or Belarusian Юрый (see Yuriy).

Yuri 2 f Japanese
From Japanese 百合 (yuri) meaning "lily". Other kanji or combinations of kanji can also form this name.

Yuriy m Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian
Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian form of George. This name was borne by Yuriy Dolgorukiy, a 12th-century grand prince of Kyiv. The Soviet cosmonaut Yuriy (or Yuri) Gagarin (1934-1968), the first man to travel to space, was another famous bearer of this name.

Yury m Russian, Belarusian
Alternate transcription of Russian Юрий or Belarusian Юрый (see Yuriy).

Yusef m Persian, Arabic
Alternate transcription of Persian یوسف (see Yousef) or Arabic يوسف (see Yusuf).

Yusha m Arabic
Arabic form of Yehoshu'a (see Joshua).

Yusra f Arabic
Means "wealth, ease" in Arabic.

Yusuf m Arabic, Turkish, Indonesian, Pashto, Tajik, Uzbek, Bengali
Arabic form of Yosef (see Joseph), as well as the form used in several other languages.

Yūta m Japanese
From Japanese 優 (yū) meaning "excellence, superiority, gentleness", 悠 (yū) meaning "permanence" or 勇 (yū) meaning "brave" combined with 太 (ta) meaning "thick, big, great". Other combinations of kanji are possible.

Yūto m Japanese
From Japanese 優 (yū) meaning "excellence, superiority, gentleness" or 悠 (yū) meaning "permanence" combined with 斗 (to), which refers to a Chinese constellation, 人 (to) meaning "person" or 翔 (to) meaning "soar, fly". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Yuuji m Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 祐二 or 雄二 or 裕司 or 祐司 or 裕治 or 裕二 (see Yūji).

Yuuka f Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 優花 or 有香 (see Yūka).

Yuuki m & f Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 優希 or 悠希 or 優輝 or 悠生 (see Yūki).

Yuuko f Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 優子 or 悠子 or 裕子 (see Yūko).

Yuuma m Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 悠真 or 優真 (see Yūma).

Yuuna f Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 優菜 or 優奈 or 柚菜 (see Yūna).

Yuuri f Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 悠里 (see Yūri).

Yuuta m Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 優太 or 悠太 or 勇太 or 雄大 (see Yūta).

Yuuto m Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 優斗 or 悠斗 or 悠人 or 悠翔 or 優翔 or 柚翔 or 祐翔 or 勇人 (see Yūto).

Yvan m French
French form of Ivan.

Yveline f French
Feminine diminutive of Yves.

Yvelise f French
Feminine form of Yves (or an elaboration using Élise). It was (first?) borne by the title character in the Italian novel Yvelise (1923) by Guido da Verona. It later appeared in the photonovel Yvelise devant l'amour published in the French magazine Nous Deux in 1950.

Yvette f French, English
French feminine form of Yves.

Yvon m French
Medieval diminutive of Yves.

Yvonne f French, English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
French feminine form of Yvon. It has been regularly used in the English-speaking world since the late 19th century.

Zaahir 1 m Arabic
Means "shining, brilliant, radiant" in Arabic, derived from the root زهر (zahara) meaning "to shine".

Zaahir 2 m Arabic
Means "clear, evident, manifest, outward" in Arabic. In Islamic tradition الظاهر (al-Zahir) is one of the 99 names of Allah.

Zafar m Arabic, Urdu
Means "victory" in Arabic.

Zafer m Turkish
Turkish form of Zafar.

Zaheer m Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic ظهير or زاهر or ظاهر (see Zahir).

Zaher m Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic ظاهر (see Zaahir 2).

Zahi m Arabic
Means "beautiful, brilliant" in Arabic.

Zahid m Arabic, Urdu
Means "pious, devout" in Arabic.

Zahir m Arabic, Persian, Punjabi, Urdu, Bengali
Derived from Arabic ظهير (zahir) meaning "helper, supporter". This can also be an alternate transcription of Arabic زاهر (see Zaahir 1) or ظاهر (see Zaahir 2).

Zahra f Arabic, Persian
From Arabic زهراء (zahra), the feminine form of أزهر (azhar) meaning "shining, brilliant, bright". This is an epithet of the Prophet Muhammad's daughter Fatimah.... [more]

Zahrah f Arabic
Derived from Arabic زهرة (zahrah) meaning "blooming flower", from the root زهر (zahara) meaning "to shine".

Zaida f Arabic (Rare), Spanish
Feminine form of Zayd. This was the name of a Muslim princess who took refuge at the court of (and perhaps married) Alfonso VI of León and Castile in the 11th century.

Zaiden m English (Modern)
Variant of Zayden.

Zaina f Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic زينة (see Zayna).

Zainab f Arabic, Urdu
Alternate transcription of Arabic زينب (see Zaynab), as well as the usual Urdu transcription.

Zaira f Italian, Spanish
Italian and Spanish form of Zaïre. It was used by Vincenzo Bellini for the heroine of his opera Zaira (1829), which was based on Voltaire's 1732 play Zaïre.

Zaire m African American (Modern)
From the name of a country in Africa from 1971 to 1997, now called the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is said to be derived from Kikongo nzadi o nzere meaning "river swallowing rivers", referring to the Congo River.

Zakhar m Russian
Russian form of Zacharias.

Zaki m Arabic
Means "pure" in Arabic.

Zalán m Hungarian
Possibly from the name of the region of Zala in western Hungary, itself named for the Zala River. This name used by the Hungarian poet Mihály Vörösmarty in his 1823 epic Zalán Futása.

Zalmon m Biblical
Means "shady" in Hebrew. This is the name of one of David's mighty men in the Old Testament.

Zaman m Arabic, Urdu
Means "time, age, era" in Arabic.

Zamir m Arabic, Urdu, Kyrgyz, Uzbek, Kazakh, Tajik
Means "mind, heart, conscience" in Arabic.

Zander m English (Modern)
Variant of Xander.

Zandra f English
Short form of Alexandra.

Zanna f English
Short form of Suzanna.

Zara 1 f Literature, English
Used by William Congreve for a character in his tragedy The Mourning Bride (1697), where it belongs to a captive North African queen. Congreve may have based it on the Arabic name Zahra. In 1736 the English writer Aaron Hill used it to translate Zaïre for his popular adaptation of Voltaire's French play Zaïre (1732).... [more]

Zavier m English (Modern)
Variant of Xavier.

Záviš m Czech (Rare)
Derived from Czech závist meaning "envy".

Zawar m Arabic, Urdu
Means "pilgrim, visitor" in Arabic.

Zayden m English (Modern)
An invented name, using the popular den suffix sound found in such names as Braden, Hayden, Jayden and Aidan.

Zayna f Arabic
Feminine form of Zayn.

Zaynab f Arabic
Meaning uncertain. It is possibly related to Arabic زين (zayn) meaning "beauty"; it could be from the name of a fragrant flowering tree; or it could be an Arabic form of Zenobia, a name borne by a pre-Islamic queen of Palmyra. Zaynab was the name of a daughter, a granddaughter, and two wives of the Prophet Muhammad.

Zbigniew m Polish
Derived from the Slavic elements jĭzbyti "to dispel" and gněvŭ "anger". This was the name of a 12th-century duke of Poland.

Zbyněk m Czech
Diminutive of Zbyhněv, now used independently.

Zdena f Czech, Slovak
Feminine form of Zdeněk or Zdenko.

Zdeněk m Czech
Originally a diminutive of Zdislav, now used independently. It has sometimes been used as a Czech form of Sidonius.

Zdeňka f Czech
Feminine form of Zdeněk.

Zdenka f Czech, Slovak, Slovene, Croatian
Feminine form of Zdeněk or Zdenko.

Zdenko m Slovak, Croatian, Slovene
Slovak, Croatian and Slovene form of Zdeněk.

Zdislav m Czech
Czech form of Zdzisław.

Zdravko m Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Bulgarian, Macedonian
Derived from South Slavic zdrav meaning "healthy", ultimately from Old Slavic sŭdorvŭ.

Zdzisław m Polish
Slavic name, possibly from the element děti "to do, to say" combined with slava "glory".

Zedong m & f Chinese
From Chinese 泽 (zé) meaning "moist, grace, brilliance" combined with 东 (dōng) meaning "east", as well as other character combinations. A notable bearer was the founder of the People's Republic of China, Mao Zedong (1893-1976).

Zeki m Turkish
Means "intelligent" in Turkish, ultimately from Arabic ذكيّ (dhakiy).

Zelda 2 f English
Short form of Griselda. This is the name of a princess in the Legend of Zelda video games, debuting in 1986 and called ゼルダ (Zeruda) in Japanese. According to creator Shigeru Miyamoto she was named after the American socialite Zelda Fitzgerald (1900-1948).

Željka f Croatian, Serbian, Slovene
Feminine form of Željko.

Željko m Croatian, Serbian, Slovene
Derived from South Slavic želja meaning "desire", ultimately from Old Slavic želěti.

Zelma f English
Variant of Selma 1.

Zeno m Ancient Greek (Latinized), Italian
From the Greek name Ζήνων (Zenon), which was derived from the name of the Greek god Zeus (the poetic form of his name being Ζήν). Zeno was the name of two famous Greek philosophers: Zeno of Elea and Zeno of Citium, the founder of the Stoic school in Athens.

Zenon m Ancient Greek, Polish
Ancient Greek form of Zeno, as well as the modern Polish form.

Zente m Hungarian
Derived from Hungarian szent meaning "holy, saint".

Zenzi f German
Diminutive of Kreszenz.

Zephyr m Greek Mythology (Anglicized)
From the Greek Ζέφυρος (Zephyros) meaning "west wind". Zephyros was the Greek god of the west wind.

Zeru m Basque
Means "sky" in Basque.

Zétény m Hungarian
Possibly from the Old Slavic root zętĭ meaning "son-in-law".

Zeynep f Turkish
Turkish form of Zaynab.

Zhaleh f Persian
Means "dew" or "hoarfrost" in Persian.

Zhanna f Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian
Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian form of Jeanne.