This is a list of names in which the number of syllables is 3.
Seneca m Ancient RomanFrom a Roman cognomen derived from Latin
senectus meaning
"old". This was the name of both a Roman orator (born in Spain) and also of his son, a philosopher and statesman.
... [more] September f English (Rare)From the name of the ninth month (though it means "seventh month" in Latin, since it was originally the seventh month of the Roman year), which is sometimes used as a given name for someone born in September.
Sequoia f & m English (Rare)From the name of huge trees that grow in California. The tree got its name from the 19th-century Cherokee scholar
Sequoyah (also known as George Guess), the inventor of the Cherokee writing system.
Serena f English, Italian, Late RomanFrom a Late Latin name that was derived from Latin
serenus meaning
"clear, tranquil, serene". This name was borne by an obscure early saint. Edmund Spenser also used it in his poem
The Faerie Queene (1590). A famous bearer from the modern era is tennis player Serena Williams (1981-).
Sergius m Ancient RomanRoman family name, possibly meaning
"servant" in Latin but most likely of unknown Etruscan origin. Saint Sergius was a 4th-century Roman officer who was martyred in Syria with his companion Bacchus. They are the patron saints of Christian desert nomads. Another saint by this name (in the Russian form
Sergey) was a 14th-century Russian spiritual leader. The name was also borne by four popes.
Setsuko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
節 (setsu) meaning "section, period, verse, melody" and
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations can also be possible.
Severus m Ancient RomanRoman family name meaning
"stern" in Latin. This name was borne by several early saints including a 6th-century patriarch of Antioch.
Shahrazad f Persian (Rare), ArabicPossibly means
"noble lineage" from Persian
چهر (chehr) meaning "lineage, origin" and
آزاد (āzād) meaning "free, noble". Alternatively, it might mean
"child of the city" from
شهر (shahr) meaning "city, land" combined with the suffix
زاد (zād) meaning "child of". This is the name of the fictional storyteller in
The 1001 Nights. She tells a story to her husband the king every night for 1001 nights in order to delay her execution.
Shakira f ArabicFeminine form of
Shakir. A famous bearer is the Colombian singer Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll (1977-), known simply as Shakira.
Shams ad-Din m ArabicMeans
"sun of the religion", from Arabic
شمس (shams) meaning "sun" and
دين (dīn) meaning "religion, faith". This was the given name of the 14th-century Berber explorer Ibn Battuta.
Shania f English (Modern)In the case of singer Shania Twain (1965-), who chose it as her stage name, it was apparently based on an Ojibwe phrase meaning
"on my way".
Sharia m Arabic (Rare)Means
"divine law, noble law" in Arabic, from the root
شرع (sharaʿa) meaning "to go, to enact".
Sheridan m & f EnglishFrom an Irish surname (Anglicized from Irish Gaelic
Ó Sirideáin), which was derived from the given name
Sirideán possibly meaning "searcher".
Shichirō m JapaneseFrom Japanese
七 (shichi) meaning "seven" and
郎 (rō) meaning "son". This was traditionally a name given to the seventh son. Other kanji combinations can be possible.
Shigeko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
繁 (shige) meaning "flourishing, luxuriant" or
成 (shige) meaning "become" combined with
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.
Shigeo m JapaneseFrom Japanese
茂 (shige) meaning "lush, luxuriant" or
重 (shige) meaning "layers, folds" combined with
雄 (o) meaning "hero, manly" or
男 (o) meaning "male, man". Many other kanji combinations can also form this name.
Shigeru m JapaneseFrom Japanese
茂 (shigeru) meaning "lush, luxuriant", as well as other kanji having the same reading. A famous bearer is the Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto (1952-).
Shimei m BiblicalFrom Hebrew
שָׁמַע (shamaʿ) meaning
"to hear, to listen". This is the name of many characters in the Old Testament.
Shin'ichi m JapaneseFrom Japanese
真 (shin) meaning "real, genuine" or
新 (shin) meaning "fresh, new" combined with
一 (ichi) meaning "one". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
Shinobu m & f JapaneseFrom Japanese
忍 (shinobu) meaning "endurance, patience", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations having the same pronunciation.
Shinsuke m JapaneseFrom Japanese
伸 (shin) meaning "extend, stretch, open" or
真 (shin) meaning "real, genuine" combined with
介 (suke) meaning "help, assist". This name can also be formed from other combinations of kanji characters.
Shiori f & m JapaneseAs a feminine name it can be from Japanese
詩 (shi) meaning "poem" combined with
織 (ori) meaning "weave". It can also be from
栞 (shiori) meaning "bookmark" (usually feminine) or
撓 (shiori) meaning "lithe, bending" (usually masculine), as well as other kanji or kanji combinations.
Shizuka f JapaneseFrom Japanese
静 (shizu) meaning "quiet" combined with
夏 (ka) meaning "summer" or
香 (ka) meaning "fragrance". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Shizuko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
静 (shizu) meaning "quiet" and
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.
Siavash m Persian, Persian MythologyPersian form of Avestan
𐬯𐬌𐬌𐬁𐬎𐬎𐬀𐬭𐬱𐬀𐬥 (Siiāuuarshan) meaning
"possessing black stallions". This was the name of a virtuous prince in Iranian mythology. He appears briefly in the
Avesta, with a longer account recorded in the 10th-century Persian epic the
Shahnameh.
Sienna f English (Modern)From the English word meaning
"orange-red". It is ultimately from the name of the city of
Siena in Italy, because of the colour of the clay there.
Sierra f English (Modern)Means
"mountain range" in Spanish, referring specifically to a mountain range with jagged peaks.
Sigismund m German (Rare), GermanicForm of
Sigmund in which the first element is
sigis, an extended form of
sigu. Saint Sigismund was a 6th-century king of the Burgundians. This was also the name of kings of Poland and a ruler of the Holy Roman Empire.
Sigitas m LithuanianPossibly originally a diminutive of names beginning with the Old German element
sigu meaning "victory".
Sigourney f EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from the French town of Sigournais, called
Segurniacum in medieval Latin, itself of unknown meaning. The American actress Sigourney Weaver (1949-), real name Susan, adopted this name in 1963 after the minor character Sigourney Howard in F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel
The Great Gatsby (1925).
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.
Silvia f Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, German, Dutch, English, Late Roman, Roman MythologyFeminine form of
Silvius.
Rhea Silvia was the mother of
Romulus and
Remus, the founders of Rome. This was also the name of a 6th-century saint, the mother of the pope Gregory the Great. It has been a common name in Italy since the Middle Ages. It was introduced to England by Shakespeare, who used it for a character in his play
The Two Gentlemen of Verona (1594). It is now more commonly spelled
Sylvia in the English-speaking world.
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.
Simeon m Biblical, Bulgarian, SerbianFrom
Συμεών (Symeon), the Old Testament Greek form of the Hebrew name
Shimʿon (see
Simon 1). In the Old Testament this is the name of the second son of
Jacob and
Leah and the founder of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. In the New Testament the Greek rendering
Σίμων (Simon) is more common, though
Συμεών occurs belonging to a man who blessed the newborn
Jesus. He is recognized as a saint in most Christian traditions.
... [more] Siriporn f ThaiDerived from Thai
ศิริ (sir) meaning "glory, splendour" and
พร (phon) meaning "blessing".
Sirius m AstronomyThe name of a bright star in the constellation Canis Major, derived via Latin from Greek
σείριος (seirios) meaning
"burning".
Slavěna f CzechDerived from Czech
slavná meaning
"glorious", a derivative of Old Slavic
slava "glory".
Sławomir m PolishDerived from the Slavic elements
slava "glory" and
mirŭ "peace, world". This name (Slavomir) was borne by 9th-century rulers of the Obotrites and the Moravians.
Sobiesław m Polish (Rare)Derived from Slavic elements, probably
sebě "to oneself" and
slava "glory". This name (in the Czech form
Soběslav) was borne by two 12th-century dukes of Bohemia.
Socorro f SpanishMeans
"succour, help, relief" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin
Mary María del Socorro meaning "Mary of Perpetual Succour".
Socrates m Ancient Greek (Latinized)From the Greek name
Σωκράτης (Sokrates), which was derived from
σῶς (sos) meaning "whole, unwounded, safe" and
κράτος (kratos) meaning "power". This was the name of an important Greek philosopher. He left no writings of his own; virtually everything that we know of his beliefs comes from his pupil
Plato. He was sentenced to death for impiety.
Sofia f Greek, Italian, Portuguese, Catalan, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Finnish, Estonian, Slovak, Romanian, English, Russian, Ukrainian, BulgarianForm of
Sophia used in various languages.
Soledad f SpanishMeans
"solitude" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin
Mary,
María de la Soledad, meaning "Mary of Solitude".
Sonsoles f SpanishFrom a Spanish title of the Virgin
Mary,
Nuestra Señora de Sonsoles, meaning "Our Lady of Sonsoles". Sonsoles is a sanctuary in the Spanish province of Ávila, which contains a famous statue of Mary.
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] Sorcha f Irish, Scottish GaelicMeans
"radiant, bright" in Irish. It has been in use since late medieval times. It is sometimes Anglicized as
Sarah (in Ireland) and
Clara (in Scotland).
Spartacus m HistoryMeans
"from the city of Sparta" in Latin. Spartacus was the name of a Thracian-born Roman slave who led a slave revolt in Italy in the 1st century BC. He was eventually killed in battle and many of his followers were crucified.
Speranza f ItalianItalian cognate of
Esperanza. Edmund Spenser used it in his epic poem
The Faerie Queene (1590) for the sister of
Fidelia. It was also assumed as a pen name by the Irish poet Lady Wilde (1821-1896), the mother of Oscar Wilde.
Spurius m Ancient RomanRoman praenomen, or given name, which is of uncertain meaning, probably of Etruscan origin. It may be related to the Late Latin word
spurius "of illegitimate birth", which was derived from Etruscan
srural "public".
Spyridon m Greek, Late GreekLate Greek name derived from Greek
σπυρίδιον (spyridion) meaning
"basket" or Latin
spiritus meaning
"spirit". Saint Spyridon was a 4th-century sheep farmer who became the bishop of Tremithus and suffered during the persecutions of Emperor
Diocletian.
Srbuhi f ArmenianMeans
"holy woman, female saint" in Armenian, derived from
սուրբ (surb) meaning "holy, sacred".
Stefani f English, BulgarianEnglish variant and Bulgarian form of
Stephanie. A notable bearer is Stefani Germanotta (1986-), an American singer better known as Lady Gaga.
Stelara f EsperantoFrom Esperanto
stelaro meaning
"constellation", ultimately from Latin
stella "star".
Stylianos m Greek, Late GreekDerived from Greek
στῦλος (stylos) meaning
"pillar". Saint Stylianos was a 7th-century hermit from Adrianopolis in Asia Minor who is regarded as a patron saint of children.
Suellen f EnglishContraction of
Susan and
Ellen 1. Margaret Mitchell used this name in her novel
Gone with the Wind (1936), where it belongs to Scarlett's sister.
Suharto m JavaneseFrom Sanskrit
सु (su) meaning "good" and
अर्थ (artha) meaning "wealth, property" (borrowed into Indonesian as
harta). This was the name of an Indonesian general (1921-2008) who seized power to become the country's second president.
Suijin m Japanese MythologyFrom Japanese
水 (sui) meaning "water" and
神 (jin) meaning "god, spirit". This is the name of the god (or gods) of water, lakes and pools in Japanese mythology.
Sukarno m JavaneseFrom the Sanskrit prefix
सु (su) meaning "good" combined with the name of the mythological hero
Karna. Sukarno (1901-1970), who did not have a surname, was the first president of Indonesia.
Sulastri f Javanese, IndonesianPossibly from Javanese
solatri, the name of a flowering plant (species Calophyllum soulattri). This is the name of a wife of
Arjuna in the Javanese version of the Hindu epic the
Mahabharata.
Süleyman m Turkish, AzerbaijaniTurkish form of
Solomon. Süleyman the Magnificent was a sultan of the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century. He expanded Ottoman territory into Europe and Persia, reformed the government, and completed several great building projects.
Sullivan m English, FrenchFrom an Irish surname, the Anglicized form of
Ó Súileabháin, itself from the given name
Súileabhán, which was derived from Irish
súil "eye" and
dubh "dark, black" combined with a diminutive suffix. This name has achieved a moderate level of popularity in France since the 1970s. In the United States it was rare before the 1990s, after which it began climbing steadily. A famous fictional bearer of the surname was James P. Sullivan from the animated movie
Monsters, Inc. (2001).
Sumayya f ArabicMeans
"high, elevated, lofty" in Arabic, derived from
سما (samā) meaning "to be high". This was the name of the first martyr for Islam.
Sumiko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
澄 (sumi) meaning "clear" and
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.
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.
Summanus m Roman MythologyMeans
"before the morning", derived from Latin
sub "under, before" and
mane "morning". Summanus was the Roman god of the night sky and night lightning, a nocturnal counterpart to
Jupiter.
Sunčana f CroatianFrom Croatian
sunčan meaning
"sunny", a derivative of
sunce meaning "sun".
Susanna f Italian, Catalan, Swedish, Finnish, Russian, Ukrainian, Dutch, English, Armenian, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Old Church SlavicFrom
Σουσάννα (Sousanna), the Greek form of the Hebrew name
שׁוֹשַׁנָּה (Shoshanna). This was derived from the Hebrew word
שׁוֹשָׁן (shoshan) meaning
"lily" (in modern Hebrew this also means
"rose"), perhaps ultimately from Egyptian
sšn "lotus". In the Old Testament Apocrypha this is the name of a woman falsely accused of adultery. The prophet
Daniel clears her name by tricking her accusers, who end up being condemned themselves. It also occurs in the New Testament belonging to a woman who ministers to
Jesus.
... [more] Susanoo m Japanese MythologyOf Japanese origin, possibly meaning
"wild male, impetuous male". In Japanese mythology he was the god of storms and the sea, as well as the brother and adversary of the goddess
Amaterasu. He was born when
Izanagi washed his nose after returning from the underworld. After he was banished from the heavens, he descended to earth and slew an eight-headed dragon.
Susumu m JapaneseFrom Japanese
進 (susumu) meaning "advance, make progress", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations having the same pronunciation.
Suzume f Japanese (Rare)From Japanese
雀 (suzume) meaning "sparrow", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations that are pronounced the same way.
Svatava f CzechDerived from Czech
svatý meaning
"sacred, holy", ultimately from Old Slavic *
svętŭ.
Svatopluk m CzechMeans
"sacred people", derived from the Slavic elements
svętŭ "sacred, holy" and
pŭlkŭ "people, host, army". Svatopluk the Great was a 9th-century ruler of Great Moravia, a region centered around the modern Czech Republic and Slovakia.
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.
Svyatoslav m Russian, UkrainianDerived from the Slavic elements
svętŭ "sacred, holy" and
slava "glory". This was the name of a 10th-century ruler of Kievan Rus, the son of
Igor and
Olga, and the first to have a name of Slavic origin instead of Old Norse.
Sycorax f LiteratureCreated by Shakespeare for a witch character in his play
The Tempest (1611). The character has died by the time the play begins, so she is only spoken of and not seen. The name's meaning is unknown, though it might have been inspired by Latin
corax or Greek
κόραξ (korax) meaning
"raven", referring to the 5th-century BC Greek rhetorician Corax of Syracuse. One of the moons of Uranus bears this name in the character's honour.
Sylvester m English, German, DanishMedieval variant of
Silvester. This is currently the usual English spelling of the name. A famous bearer is the American actor Sylvester Stallone (1946-).
Tabea f GermanGerman short form of
Tabitha. This form was used in earlier editions of the Luther Bible.
Tabitha f English, Biblical, Biblical GreekMeans
"gazelle" in Aramaic. Tabitha in the New Testament was a woman restored to life by Saint
Peter. Her name is translated into Greek as
Dorcas (see
Acts 9:36). As an English name,
Tabitha became common after the Protestant Reformation. It was popularized in the 1960s by the television show
Bewitched, in which Tabitha (sometimes spelled Tabatha) is the daughter of the main character.
Tacitus m Ancient RomanRoman cognomen meaning
"silent, mute" in Latin. This was the name of a 1st-century Roman historian, known for writing the
Histories and the
Annals.
Tadashi m JapaneseFrom Japanese
正 (tadashi) meaning "right, correct, true" or
忠 (tadashi) meaning "loyalty, devotion", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations that result in the same pronunciation.
Tadeusz m PolishPolish form of
Thaddeus. This name is borne by Tadeusz Soplica, the title character in Adam Mickiewicz's epic poem
Pan Tadeusz (1834), which is considered to be the national epic of Poland.
Taichi m JapaneseFrom Japanese
太 (ta) meaning "thick, big, great" and
一 (ichi) meaning "one", in addition to other combinations of kanji that are pronounced the same way.
Taiki m JapaneseFrom Japanese
大 (tai) meaning "big, great" and
輝 (ki) meaning "brightness" or
樹 (ki) meaning "tree". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Taiwo m & f YorubaMeans
"taste the world, taste life" in Yoruba.
Takako f JapaneseFrom Japanese
孝 (taka) meaning "filial piety" and
子 (ko) meaning "child", as well as other combinations of kanji characters.
Takara m & f JapaneseFrom Japanese
宝 (takara) meaning "treasure, jewel", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations with the same pronunciation.
Takashi m JapaneseFrom Japanese
孝 (takashi) meaning "filial piety",
隆 (takashi) meaning "noble, prosperous" or
崇 (takashi) meaning "esteem, honour, venerate", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations that result in the same pronunciation.
Takeo m JapaneseFrom Japanese
武 (take) meaning "military, martial" combined with
夫 (o) meaning "man, husband" or
雄 (o) meaning "hero, manly". Other kanji combinations can form this name as well.
Takeshi m JapaneseFrom Japanese
武 (takeshi) meaning "military, martial",
健 (takeshi) meaning "strong, healthy", or other kanji having the same reading.
Takuma m JapaneseFrom Japanese
拓 (taku) meaning "expand, open, support" and
真 (ma) meaning "real, genuine". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Takumi m JapaneseFrom Japanese
匠 (takumi) meaning "artisan" or
巧 (takumi) meaning "skillful". It can also come from
拓 (taku) meaning "expand, open, support" combined with
海 (mi) meaning "sea, ocean" or
実 (mi) meaning "fruit, good result, truth". This name can also be formed of other kanji combinations.
Takuto m JapaneseFrom Japanese
拓 (taku) meaning "expand, open, support" combined with
斗 (to), which refers to a Chinese constellation, or
人 (to) meaning "person". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.
Takuya m JapaneseFrom Japanese
拓 (taku) meaning "expand, open, support" combined with
也 (ya) meaning "also" or
哉 (ya), an exclamation. This name can be formed with other kanji combinations as well.
Taliesin m Welsh, Welsh MythologyMeans
"shining brow", derived from Welsh
tal "brow, head" and
iesin "shining, radiant". This was the name of a semi-legendary 6th-century Welsh poet and bard, supposedly the author of the collection of poems the
Book of Taliesin. He appears briefly in the Welsh legend
Culhwch and Olwen and the Second Branch of the
Mabinogi. He is the central character in the
Tale of Taliesin, a medieval legend recorded in the 16th century, which tells how
Ceridwen's servant Gwion Bach was reborn to her as Taliesin; how he becomes the bard for Elffin; and how Taliesin defends Elffin from the machinations of the king
Maelgwn Gwynedd.
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).
Tallulah f English (Rare)This is the name of waterfalls in Georgia. Popularly claimed to mean "leaping waters" in the Choctaw language, it may actually mean "town" in the Creek language. It was borne by American actress Tallulah Bankhead (1902-1968), who was named after her grandmother, who may have been named after the waterfalls.
Talvikki f Finnish (Rare)Derived from Finnish
talvi meaning
"winter". This is also the Finnish word for the wintergreen plant (genus Pyrola).
Tamara f Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Czech, Slovak, Polish, Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, Macedonian, Hungarian, English, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, Lithuanian, GeorgianRussian form of
Tamar. Russian performers such as Tamara Karsavina (1885-1978), Tamara Drasin (1905-1943), Tamara Geva (1907-1997) and Tamara Toumanova (1919-1996) introduced it to the English-speaking world. It rapidly grew in popularity in the United States starting in 1957. Another famous bearer was the Polish cubist painter Tamara de Lempicka (1898-1980).
Tamari f GeorgianForm of
Tamar with the nominative suffix, used in Georgian when the name is written stand-alone.
Tamia f African American (Modern)An invented name, using the initial sound found in names such as
Tamika. It was popularized by the Canadian singer Tamia Hill (1975-), who is known simply as Tamia.
Tamika f EnglishVariant of
Tamiko, inspired by the American jazz singer Tamiko Jones (1945-) or the American movie
A Girl Named Tamiko (1963).
Tamiko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
多 (ta) meaning "many",
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" and
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
Tancredi m ItalianItalian form of
Tancred appearing in the epic poem
Jerusalem Delivered (1580) by Torquato Tasso. The tale was adapted by Gioachino Rossini for his opera
Tancredi (1813).
Tanisha f African AmericanPopularized by the African-American actress Ta-Tanisha (1953-), born Shirley Cummings. The name spiked in popularity in the early 1970s, when she was featured on the television series
Room 222. She apparently took her stage name from Swahili
tatanisha meaning
"puzzle, tangle, confuse". The name probably resonated with parents because of its similarity to other names such as
Tamika and
Natasha.