Names Categorized "animals"

This is a list of names in which the categories include animals.
gender
usage
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Philomel f Literature
From an English word meaning "nightingale" (ultimately from Philomela). It has been used frequently in poetry to denote the bird.
Philomela f Greek Mythology (Latinized)
From Greek Φιλομήλη (Philomele), derived from φίλος (philos) meaning "lover, friend" and μῆλον (melon) meaning "fruit". The second element has also been interpreted as Greek μέλος (melos) meaning "song". In Greek myth Philomela was the sister-in-law of Tereus, who raped her and cut out her tongue. Prokne avenged her sister by killing her son by Tereus, after which Tereus attempted to kill Philomela. However, the gods intervened and transformed her into a nightingale.
Phineas m Biblical
Variant of Phinehas used in some English versions of the Old Testament.
Phinehas m Biblical
Probably means "Nubian" from the Egyptian name Panhsj, though some believe it means "serpent's mouth" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament Phinehas is a grandson of Aaron who kills an Israelite because he is intimate with a Midianite woman, thus stopping a plague sent by God. Also in the Bible this is the son of Eli, killed in battle with the Philistines.
Phocas m Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Latinized form of the Greek name Φωκᾶς (Phokas), which meant "seal (animal)" from Greek φώκη (phoke). This was the name of an early saint and martyr from Asia Minor. Sentenced to death for being a Christian, he is said to have given his killers lodging and then dug his own grave before he was executed.
Phokas m Ancient Greek
Greek form of Phocas.
Pinelopi f Greek
Modern Greek form of Penelope.
Piripi m Maori
Maori form of Philip.
Pitikwahanapiwiyin m Indigenous American, Cree (Anglicized)
From Cree ᐲᐦᑐᑲᐦᐊᓇᐱᐏᔨᐣ (Pîhtokahanapiwiyin) meaning "sits at the buffalo pound", derived from ᐲᐦᑐᑲᐦᐋᐣ (pîhtokahân) "buffalo pound, buffalo corral" and ᐊᐱᐤ (apiw) "sit". This was the name of a Plains Cree chief, also known as Poundmaker (1842-1886).
Pitseolak f & m Indigenous American, Inuit (Anglicized)
Variant of Pittiulaaq.
Pitsiulaaq f & m Indigenous American, Inuit
Variant of Pittiulaaq.
Pittiulaaq f & m Indigenous American, Inuit
Means "black guillemot" in Inuktitut (a guillemot is a type of sea bird; species Cepphus grylle).
Poldi m German
German diminutive of Leopold.
Porcia f Ancient Roman
Feminine form of Porcius.
Porcius m Ancient Roman
Roman family name meaning "pig", derived from Latin porcus. Famous members of the family include the Roman statesmen Cato the Elder (Marcus Porcius Cato) and his great-grandson Cato the Younger (Marcus Porcius Cato Uticencis).
Portia f English
Variant of Porcia, the feminine form of the Roman family name Porcius, used by William Shakespeare for the heroine of his play The Merchant of Venice (1596). In the play Portia is a woman who disguises herself as a man in order to defend Antonio in court. It is also the name of a moon of Uranus, after the Shakespearean character.
Poseidon m Greek Mythology
Possibly derived from Greek πόσις (posis) meaning "husband, lord" and δᾶ (da) meaning "earth". The name first appears in Mycenaean Greek inscriptions as po-se-da-o. In Greek mythology Poseidon was the unruly god of the sea and earthquakes, the brother of Zeus. He was often depicted carrying a trident and riding in a chariot drawn by white horses.
Potsʉnakwahipʉ m Indigenous American, Comanche
Means "male bison back" in Comanche, derived from potsʉ "male bison" and kwahi "back (body part)". This name was borne by a 19th-century war chief of the Penateka Comanche, also called Buffalo Hump.
Qillaq m Indigenous American, Greenlandic
Means "seal hide" in Greenlandic.
Qinnuajuaq f & m Indigenous American, Inuit
Means "rough-legged hawk" in Inuktitut (species Buteo lagopus).
Quetzalcoatl m Aztec and Toltec Mythology
Means "feathered snake" in Nahuatl, derived from quetzalli "quetzal feather, precious thing" and cōātl "snake". In Aztec and other Mesoamerican mythology he was the god of the sky, wind, and knowledge, also associated with the morning star. According to one legend he created the humans of this age using the bones of humans from the previous age and adding his own blood.
Qurban m Urdu, Azerbaijani
From Arabic قربان (qurban) meaning "sacrifice, sacrificial animal". It is associated with the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha, which features the ritual sacrifice of an animal.
Raban m Germanic
Variant of Hraban.
Rachael f English
Variant of Rachel, the spelling probably influenced by that of Michael.
Racheal f English
Variant of Rachel.
Rachel f English, Hebrew, French, Dutch, German, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Hebrew
From the Hebrew name רָחֵל (Rachel) meaning "ewe". In the Old Testament this is the name of the favourite wife of Jacob. Her father Laban tricked Jacob into marrying her older sister Leah first, though in exchange for seven years of work Laban allowed Jacob to marry Rachel too. Initially barren and facing her husband's anger, she offered her handmaid Bilhah to Jacob to bear him children. Eventually she was herself able to conceive, becoming the mother of Joseph and Benjamin.... [more]
Rachele f Italian
Italian form of Rachel.
Radulf m Germanic
Derived from the Old German elements rat meaning "counsel, advice" and wolf meaning "wolf", making it a cognate of Ráðúlfr.
Rafe m English
Variant of Ralph. This form became common during the 17th century, reflecting the usual pronunciation.
Raginolf m Germanic
Derived from the Old German elements regin "advice, counsel, decision" and wolf "wolf".
Rahela f Romanian, Croatian, Serbian
Romanian, Croatian and Serbian form of Rachel.
Rainulf m Germanic
Variant of Raginolf.
Raleigh m & f English
From an English surname that was derived from a place name meaning either "red clearing" or "roe deer clearing" in Old English. A city in North Carolina bears this name, after the English courtier, poet and explorer Sir Walter Raleigh (1552-1618).
Ralf m German, Swedish, Danish, English (Rare)
Variant of Ralph.
Ralph m English, German, Swedish
Contracted form of the Old Norse name Ráðúlfr (or its Norman form Radulf). Scandinavian settlers introduced it to England before the Norman Conquest, though afterwards it was bolstered by Norman influence. In the Middle Ages it was variously spelled Rauf, Rafe or Ralf reflecting the usual pronunciation. The Ralph spelling became more common in the 18th century. A famous bearer of the name was Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), an American poet and author who wrote on transcendentalism.
Ralphie m English
Diminutive of Ralph.
Rambert m Germanic
Variant of Raginbert. Saint Rambert, also called Ragnebert, was martyred near Lyon in the 7th century. There seems to be some confusion with the name Hrambert.
Randolf m English
From the Old German elements rant meaning "rim (of a shield)" and wolf meaning "wolf". The Normans brought this name to England, where there existed already an Old Norse cognate Randúlfr, which had been introduced by Scandinavian settlers. Randolf became rare after the Middle Ages, though it was revived in the 18th century (usually in the spelling Randolph).
Randolph m English
Variant of Randolf. This spelling was adopted in the 18th century.
Randulf m Germanic
Old German form of Randolf.
Randúlfr m Old Norse
Old Norse form of Randolf.
Ranulf m Medieval English
Medieval English form of Raginolf. Norman settlers and invaders introduced this name to England and Scotland.
Ranulph m English (Rare)
Variant of Ranulf.
Raoul m French, Italian
French form of Radulf (see Ralph).
Rasha f Arabic
Means "young gazelle" in Arabic.
Ráðúlfr m Old Norse
Derived from the Norse elements ráð meaning "counsel, advice" and ulfr meaning "wolf".
Raúl m Spanish
Spanish form of Radulf (see Ralph).
Raül m Catalan
Catalan form of Radulf (see Ralph).
Raul m Portuguese, Italian, Romanian, Estonian
Portuguese, Italian, Romanian and Estonian form of Radulf (see Ralph).
Raven f & m English
From the name of the bird, ultimately from Old English hræfn. The raven is revered by several Native American groups of the west coast. It is also associated with the Norse god Odin.
Ravenna f English (Rare)
Either an elaboration of Raven, or else from the name of the city of Ravenna in Italy.
Ray m English
Short form of Raymond, often used as an independent name. It coincides with an English word meaning "beam of light". Science-fiction author Ray Bradbury (1920-2012) and musician Ray Charles (1930-2004) are two notable bearers of the name.
Reem f Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic ريم (see Rim).
Renard m French (Rare)
French form of Reynard. Because of the medieval character Reynard the Fox, renard became a French word meaning "fox".
Reynard m English (Rare)
From the Germanic name Raginhard, composed of the elements regin "advice, counsel, decision" and hart "hard, firm, brave, hardy". The Normans brought it to England in the form Reinard, though it never became very common there. In medieval fables the name was borne by the sly hero Reynard the Fox (with the result that renard has become a French word meaning "fox").
Rhea f Greek Mythology, Roman Mythology
Meaning unknown, perhaps related to ῥέω (rheo) meaning "to flow" or ἔρα (era) meaning "ground". In Greek mythology Rhea was a Titan, the wife of Cronus, and the mother of the Olympian gods Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Hera, Demeter and Hestia. Also, in Roman mythology a woman named Rhea Silvia was the mother of Romulus and Remus, the legendary founders of Rome.
Rim f Arabic
Means "white antelope" in Arabic.
Roan m Frisian
Originally a short form of names beginning with the Old German element hraban meaning "raven".
Robena f English (Rare)
Feminine variant of Robin.
Robin m & f English, French, Dutch, Swedish, Czech
Medieval English diminutive of Robert, now usually regarded as an independent name. Robin Hood was a legendary hero and archer of medieval England who stole from the rich to give to the poor. In modern times it has also been used as a feminine name, and it may sometimes be given in reference to the red-breasted bird.
Robina f English (Rare)
Feminine form of Robin. It originated in Scotland in the 17th century.
Robyn f English
Feminine variant of Robin.
Robynne f English (Rare)
Feminine variant of Robin.
Rodolf m German (Rare), Dutch (Rare)
German form of Rudolf.
Rodolfito m Spanish (Rare)
Spanish diminutive of Rodolfo.
Rodolfo m Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
Italian, Spanish and Portuguese form of Rudolf. This is the name of the hero in Puccini's opera La Bohème (1896).
Rodolph m English (Rare), French (Rare)
Variant of Rudolf.
Rodolphe m French
French form of Rudolf.
Roelof m Dutch
Dutch form of Rudolf.
Roffe m Swedish
Swedish diminutive of Rolf.
Rolf m German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, English
From the Old German name Hrolf (or its Old Norse cognate Hrólfr), a contracted form of Hrodulf (see Rudolf). The Normans introduced this name to England but it soon became rare. In the modern era it has occasionally been used in the English-speaking world as a German import.
Rollo m English
Latinized form of Roul, the Old French form of Rolf. Rollo (or Rolf) the Ganger was an exiled Viking who, in the 10th century, became the first Duke of Normandy. It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the 19th century.
Rolo m English (Rare)
Variant of Rollo.
Rolph m English (Rare)
Variant of Rolf.
Rónán m Irish, Old Irish
Means "little seal", derived from Old Irish rón "seal" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of several early Irish saints, including a pilgrim to Brittany who founded the hermitage at Locronan in the 6th century.
Ronan m Breton, Irish, French, English (Modern)
Breton and Anglicized form of Rónán.
Ronne m Frisian
Variant of Roan.
Rosaleen f English (Rare), Irish
Variant of Rosaline. James Clarence Mangan used it as a translation for Róisín in his poem Dark Rosaleen (1846).
Rosalin f English (Rare)
Medieval variant of Rosalind.
Rosalina f Portuguese, Spanish
Latinate form of Rosaline.
Rosalind f English
Derived from the Old German elements hros meaning "horse" and lind meaning "soft, flexible, tender". The Normans introduced this name to England, though it was not common. During the Middle Ages its spelling was influenced by the Latin phrase rosa linda "beautiful rose". The name was popularized by Edmund Spencer, who used it in his poetry, and by William Shakespeare, who used it for the heroine in his comedy As You Like It (1599).
Rosalinda f Spanish, Italian
Latinate form of Rosalind.
Rosaline f English
Medieval variant of Rosalind. This is the name of characters in Shakespeare's Love's Labour's Lost (1594) and Romeo and Juliet (1596).
Rosalyn f English
Variant of Rosaline. It can also be considered an elaboration of Rose with the common name suffix lyn.
Rosalynne f English (Rare)
Variant of Rosalyn.
Rosamond f English
Variant of Rosamund, in use since the Middle Ages.
Rosamund f English (Rare)
Derived from the Old German elements hros "horse" and munt "protection". This name was borne by the wife of the Lombard king Alboin in the 6th century. The Normans introduced it to England. It was subsequently interpreted as coming from Latin rosa munda "pure rose" or rosa mundi "rose of the world". This was the name of the mistress of Henry II, the king of England in the 12th century. According to legends she was murdered by his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine.
Roscoe m English
From an English surname, originally derived from a place name, itself derived from Old Norse rá "roebuck" and skógr "wood, forest".
Roseline f French
French form of Rosalind. Saint Roseline of Villeneuve was a 14th-century nun from Provence.
Rosella f Italian
Italian diminutive of Rosa 1.
Roselyn f English
Variant of Rosalyn.
Rosemonde f French
French form of Rosamund.
Roslindis f Germanic (Latinized)
Old German form of Rosalind.
Roslyn f English
Variant of Rosalyn.
Rosmunda f Germanic
Old German form of Rosamund.
Roswell m English
From a surname that was derived from an Old English place name meaning "horse spring".
Roul m Medieval French, Medieval English
Norman French form of Rolf.
Rudolf m German, Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, Dutch, Russian, Armenian
From the Germanic name Hrodulf, which was derived from the elements hruod meaning "fame" and wolf meaning "wolf". It was borne by three kings of Burgundy and a king of West Francia, as well as several Habsburg rulers of the Holy Roman Empire and Austria. Anthony Hope used this name for the hero in his popular novel The Prisoner of Zenda (1894).
Rūdolfs m Latvian
Latvian form of Rudolf.
Rudolph m English
English form of Rudolf, imported from Germany in the 19th century. Robert L. May used it in 1939 for his Christmas character Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
Ruslan m Russian, Tatar, Bashkir, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Uzbek, Turkmen, Azerbaijani, Ossetian, Chechen, Ingush, Avar, Circassian, Indonesian, Malay
Form of Yeruslan used by Aleksandr Pushkin in his poem Ruslan and Ludmila (1820), which was loosely based on Russian and Tatar folktales of Yeruslan Lazarevich.
Ruslana f Ukrainian
Feminine form of Ruslan.
Sable f English (Modern)
From the English word meaning "black", derived from the name of the black-furred mammal native to Northern Asia, ultimately of Slavic origin.
Sacagawea f Indigenous American
Probably from Hidatsa tsakáka wía meaning "bird woman". Alternatively it could originate from the Shoshone language and mean "boat puller". This name was borne by a Native American woman who guided the explorers Lewis and Clark. She was of Shoshone ancestry but had been abducted in her youth and raised by a Hidatsa tribe.
Şahin m Turkish
Means "hawk" in Turkish, of Persian origin.
Sandalio m Spanish
Spanish form of Sandalius, possibly a Latinized form of a Gothic name composed of the elements swinþs "strong" and wulfs "wolf". It also nearly coincides with Latin sandalium "sandal". This was the name of a 9th-century Spanish saint martyred by the Moors.
Sango f Popular Culture
Means "coral" in Japanese. This name is used in the Japanese comic book and television show InuYasha.
Sarika f Indian, Hindi, Marathi
From a Sanskrit word referring to a type of thrush (species Turdus salica) or myna bird (species Gracula religiosa).
Sarolt f Hungarian (Rare)
From the Old Hungarian name Saroldu, probably of Turkic origin meaning "white weasel, ermine". This was the wife of the 10th-century Hungarian grand prince Géza.
Sarolta f Hungarian
Variant of Sarolt, also used as a Hungarian form of Charlotte.
Schwanhild f German (Rare)
Variant of Swanhild.
Scorpio m Astronomy
Means "scorpion" in Latin, from Greek σκορπίος (skorpios). This is the name of the eighth sign of the zodiac, associated with the constellation Scorpius.
Scorpius m Astronomy
From a Latin variant of Scorpio. This is the name of a zodiacal constellation said to have the shape of a scorpion. According to Greek and Roman legend it was the monster that was sent to kill Orion.
Sé m Irish
Modern Irish form of Séaghdha.
Seaghdh m Scottish Gaelic (Rare)
Scottish Gaelic form of Séaghdha.
Sedna f New World Mythology
Meaning unknown. This is the name of the Inuit goddess of the sea, sea animals and the underworld. According to some legends Sedna was originally a beautiful woman thrown into the ocean by her father. A dwarf planet in the outer solar system was named for her in 2004.
Seffora f Biblical Latin
Latin form of Zipporah.
Séphora f French
French form of Zipporah.
Sepphora f Biblical Greek
Greek form of Zipporah.
Sequoyah m Indigenous American, Cherokee
Probably derived from Cherokee ᏏᏆ (siqua) meaning "hog". This was the name of the Cherokee man (also known as George Guess) who devised the Cherokee writing system in the 19th century.
Shaheen m Persian
Alternate transcription of Persian شاهین (see Shahin).
Shahin m Persian, Arabic
Means "falcon" in Persian, referring more specifically to the Barbary falcon (species Falco pelegrinoides). The bird's name is a derivative of Persian شاه (shah) meaning "king".
Shakuntala f Hinduism, Indian, Hindi, Marathi
Derived from Sanskrit शकुन्त (shakunta) meaning "bird". This is the name of a character in Hindu legend, her story adapted by Kalidasa for the 5th-century play Abhijnanashakuntalam. It tells how Shakuntala, who was raised in the forest by birds, meets and marries the king Dushyanta. After a curse is laid upon them Dushyanta loses his memory and they are separated, but eventually the curse is broken after the king sees the signet ring he gave her.
Shashi m & f Indian, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Kannada, Telugu
Traditional name for the moon, it literally means "having a hare" in Sanskrit. This is a transcription of both the masculine form शशि and the feminine form शशी.
Shaw m English (Rare)
From a surname. As an English surname it is derived from Old English sceaga meaning "thicket". As a Scottish surname it is derived from the Gaelic byname Sitheach meaning "wolf".
Sher m Urdu, Pashto
Means "lion" in Persian. A famous bearer of this name was Sher Shah, a 16th-century Mughal ruler.
Sherali m Uzbek, Tajik
From Uzbek and Tajik sher meaning "lion" (of Persian origin) combined with the name Ali 1.
Sherry f English
Probably inspired by the French word chérie meaning "darling" or the English word sherry, a type of fortified wine named from the Spanish town of Jerez. This name came into popular use during the 1920s, inspired by other similar-sounding names and by Collette's novels Chéri (1920, English translation 1929) and The Last of Chéri (1926, English translation 1932), in which it is a masculine name.... [more]
Sherzod m Uzbek, Tajik
Means "son of the lion", derived from Persian شیر (sher) meaning "lion" and the suffix زاد (zad) meaning "son of".
Shir 2 m Persian (Rare)
Modern Persian form of Sher.
Shqipe f Albanian
From Albanian shqip meaning "Albanian". Additionally, the word shqipe means "eagle" in modern Albanian, a variant of older shkabë. These interrelated words are often the subject of competing claims that the one is derived from the other. The ultimate origin of shqip "Albanian" is uncertain, but it may be from shqipoj meaning "to say clearly".
Siavash m Persian, Persian Mythology
Persian 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.
Siavush m Persian
Alternate transcription of Persian سیاوش (see Siavash).
Simba 2 m Eastern African, Swahili
Means "lion" in Swahili. This is the name of the main character in the Disney movie The Lion King (1994), about a lion cub who exiles himself after his father is murdered.
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.
Sinikka f Finnish
Elaborated form of Sini, also meaning "bluebird".
Sissinnguaq f Indigenous American, Greenlandic
Means "squirrel" in Greenlandic.
Sítheach m Medieval Irish
Means "peaceful" or "fairy-like" in Irish, from Old Irish síd. Alternatively, it could be from sídach "wolf".
Skenandoa m Indigenous American, 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.
Sokol m Albanian
Means "falcon" in Albanian, a word borrowed from Slavic.
Solange f French
French form of the Late Latin name Sollemnia, which was derived from Latin sollemnis "religious". This was the name of a French shepherdess who became a saint after she was killed by her master.
Sonic m Popular Culture
From the English word sonic meaning "related to sound", derived from Latin sonus meaning "sound". It also connotates speediness, or the speed of sound, due to words like supersonic or hypersonic. A notable fictional bearer is the speedy video game character Sonic the Hedgehog, introduced in 1991 by Sega. He is called ソニック (Sonikku) in Japan.
Sparrow m & f English (Rare)
From the name of the bird, ultimately from Old English spearwa.
Spyridon m Greek, Late Greek
Late 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 Diocletian.
Stefania f Italian, Polish, Greek
Italian, Polish and Greek feminine form of Stephen.
Stithulf m Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English elements stiþ "hard, stiff" and wulf "wolf".
Suna f Turkish
From the Turkish word for a type of duck, the shelduck (genus Tadorna).
Susi f German
German diminutive of Susanne.
Suzume f Japanese (Rare)
From Japanese 雀 (suzume) meaning "sparrow", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations that are pronounced the same way.
Svana f Icelandic
Short form of Svanhildur.
Svanhild f Norwegian, Norse Mythology
From Old Norse svanr "swan" and hildr "battle", a Scandinavian cognate of Swanhild. In the Norse epic the Völsungasaga she is the daughter of Sigurd and Gudrun.
Svanhildr f Old Norse, Norse Mythology
Old Norse form of Svanhild.
Svanhildur f Icelandic
Icelandic form of Svanhild.
Swanahilda f Germanic
Old German form of Swanhild.
Swanhild f German (Rare)
Derived from the Old German elements swan "swan" and hilt "battle". Swanhild (or Swanachild) was the second wife of the Frankish ruler Charles Martel in the 8th century.
Swanhilda f German (Rare)
Variant of Swanhild.
Swanhilde f German (Rare)
Variant of Swanhild.
Swiðhun m Anglo-Saxon
Old English form of Swithin.
Swithin m History
From the Old English name Swiðhun or Swiþhun, derived from swiþ "strong" and perhaps hun "bear cub". Saint Swithin was a 9th-century bishop of Winchester.
Swithun m History
Variant of Swithin.
Sycorax f Literature
Created 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.
Szabolcs m Hungarian
Meaning unknown, possibly from a Slavic word meaning "marten". It was borne by a leader of the Magyars at the time of Árpád. This is now the name of a region in Hungary.
Tabita f Biblical Latin
Latin form of Tabitha.
Tabitha f English, Biblical, Biblical Greek
Means "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.
Tahlako m Indigenous American, Choctaw
Means "eagle" in Choctaw.
Tahmasp m Persian (Archaic)
From Persian تهم (tahm) meaning "brave, valiant" and اسب (asb) meaning "horse". This name was borne by two Safavid shahs of Persia (16th and 18th centuries).
Tahmuras m Persian Mythology
Persian form of Avestan 𐬙𐬀𐬑𐬨𐬀⸱𐬎𐬭𐬎𐬞𐬌 (Taxma Urupi), derived from 𐬙𐬀𐬑𐬨𐬀 (taxma) meaning "strong" and 𐬎𐬭𐬎𐬞𐬌 (urupi) meaning "fox". Taxma Urupi is a hero mentioned in the Avesta who later appears in the 10th-century Persian epic the Shahnameh.
Tamaz m Georgian
Georgian form of Tahmasp.
Tangi m Breton
Breton form of Tanguy.
Tanguy m Breton, French
From Breton tan "fire" and gi "dog". This was the name of a 6th-century Breton saint.
Tanis f Semitic Mythology (Hellenized)
Greek form of Tanith.
Tanit f Semitic Mythology
Variant of Tanith.
Tanith f Semitic Mythology
Meaning unknown. This was the name of the Phoenician goddess of love, fertility, the moon and the stars. She was particularly associated with the city of Carthage, being the consort of Ba'al Hammon.
Tarben m Danish (Rare)
Danish variant of Torben.
Tasunka m Indigenous American, Sioux (Anglicized)
From Lakota Tȟašuŋke meaning "his horse", derived from šuŋg "horse". This forms the first part of the name of Tasunka Witko (1840-1877), translated as Crazy Horse, a Lakota war leader.
Tatanka m Indigenous American, Sioux (Anglicized)
From Lakota tȟatȟáŋka meaning "male bison". This was the first part of the name of the Lakota holy man and chief Tatanka Iyotake (1831-1890), usually translated into English as Sitting Bull.
Tau m Southern African, Tswana, Sotho
Means "lion" in Tswana and Sotho. Tau was the name of the last ruler of the Rolong in South Africa (18th century).
Taurus m Astronomy
Means "bull" in Latin. This is the name of a constellation and the second sign of the zodiac.
Tayanita f Indigenous American, Cherokee
Means "young beaver" in Cherokee, derived from ᏙᏯ (doya) meaning "beaver".
Teal f English (Rare)
From the English word for the type of duck or the greenish-blue colour.
Teale f English (Rare)
Variant of Teal.
Tecumseh m Indigenous American, Shawnee
Means "panther passing across" in Shawnee. This name was borne by the Shawnee leader Tecumseh (1768-1813), who resisted American expansion along with his brother the spiritual leader Tenskwatawa.
Thiha m Burmese
Means "lion" in Burmese, ultimately from Sanskrit सिंह (sinha).
Þórarinn m Old Norse, Icelandic
Old Norse name derived from the name of the Norse god Þórr (see Thor) combined with ǫrn "eagle".
Thorben m Danish, German
Variant of Torben.
Þórbjǫrn m Old Norse
Old Norse form of Torbjörn.
Þorbjörn m Icelandic
Icelandic form of Torbjörn.
Thorbjörn m Swedish
Variant of Torbjörn.
Thorbjørn m Norwegian, Danish
Variant of Torbjørn.
Thorburn m English (Rare)
From a Scottish and English surname that was derived from the Norse name Þórbjǫrn (see Torbjörn).
Thoth m Egyptian Mythology (Hellenized)
Greek form of Egyptian ḏḥwtj (reconstructed as Djehuti), which is of uncertain meaning. In Egyptian mythology Thoth was the god of the moon, science, magic, speech and writing. He was often depicted as a man with the head of an ibis.
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-).
Tiiu f Estonian
Estonian variant of Tiia, possibly in part from an archaic dialectal form of the word tihane "titmouse".
Tilen m Slovene
Slovene form of Aegidius (see Giles).
Timoleon m Ancient Greek
Derived from the Greek elements τιμάω (timao) "to honour" and λέων (leon) "lion". This name was borne by a 4th-century BC Greek statesman and general.
Tinúviel f Literature
Means "daughter of twilight, nightingale" in the fictional language Sindarin. In the Silmarillion (1977) by J. R. R. Tolkien, Tinuviel was another name of Lúthien, the daughter of Thingol the elf king. She was the beloved of Beren, who with her help retrieved one of the Silmarils from the iron crown of Morgoth.
Tiriaq f & m Indigenous American, Inuit
Means "ermine, weasel" in Inuktitut.
Tod m English
Variant of Todd.
Todd m English
From an English surname meaning "fox", derived from Middle English todde. As a given name it was rare before 1930. It peaked in popularity in most parts of the English-speaking world in the 1960s or 70s, but it has since declined.
Toiba f Yiddish (Rare)
From Yiddish טויב (toib) meaning "dove".
Torben m Danish, German
Danish form of Torbjörn.
Torbjörn m Swedish
From the Old Norse name Þórbjǫrn, which meant "Thor's bear" from the name of the Norse god Þórr (see Thor) combined with bjǫrn "bear".
Torbjørn m Norwegian
Norwegian form of Torbjörn.
Toygar m Turkish
Means "lark" in Turkish.
Trai m Vietnamese
Means "oyster" in Vietnamese.
Tsubame f Japanese (Rare)
From Japanese 燕 (tsubame) meaning "swallow (bird)" or other kanji that have the same pronunciation.
Tsuru f Japanese
From Japanese 鶴 (tsuru) meaning "crane (bird)", as well as other kanji combinations with the same pronunciation.
Tʉhʉyakwahipʉ m Indigenous American, Comanche
Means "horse back" in Comanche, derived from tʉhʉya "horse" and kwahi "back (body part)". This was the name of a 19th-century chief of the Nokoni Comanche.
Tulugaq m & f Indigenous American, Greenlandic, Inuit
Means "raven" in Greenlandic and Inuktitut.
Turgay m Turkish
Means "skylark" in Turkish.
Tzipora f Hebrew
Alternate transcription of Hebrew צִפּוֹרָה (see Tzipporah).
Tziporah f Hebrew
Alternate transcription of Hebrew צִפּוֹרָה (see Tzipporah).
Tzipporah f Hebrew, Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew form of Zipporah.
Tzivia f Hebrew
Modern Hebrew form of Zibiah.
Tzivya f Hebrew
Modern Hebrew form of Zibiah.
Tzivyah f Biblical Hebrew
Biblical Hebrew form of Zibiah.
Tzufit f Hebrew
Means "hummingbird" in Hebrew.
Tzvi m Hebrew
Means "gazelle, roebuck" in Hebrew.
Tzvia f Hebrew
Feminine form of Tzvi.
Uffe m Danish
Variant of Ulf.
Ukaleq f Indigenous American, Greenlandic
Means "hare" in Greenlandic.
Ula f Polish, Slovene
Diminutive of Urszula (Polish) or Uršula (Slovene).
Ulf m Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German
From the Old Norse byname Úlfr meaning "wolf".
Ulfilas m Gothic (Latinized)
Latinized form of Wulfila.
Úlfr m Old Norse
Old Norse form of Ulf.
Úlfur m Icelandic
Icelandic form of Ulf.
Ulla f Swedish, Danish, Finnish, German
Scandinavian diminutive of Ulrika or Hulda 1, or a German diminutive of Ursula.
Ulric m English (Rare)
Middle English form of the Old English name Wulfric. When it is used in modern times, it is usually as a variant of Ulrich.
Ulrica f Swedish
Feminine form of Ulric.
Umberto m Italian
Italian form of Humbert. A famous bearer was Italian author Umberto Eco (1932-2016).
Úna f Irish, Medieval Irish
Probably derived from Old Irish úan meaning "lamb". This was a common name in medieval Ireland.
Ùna f Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic form of Úna.
Unai m Basque
Means "cowherd" in Basque.
Urpi f Indigenous American, Quechua
Means "pigeon, dove" in Quechua.
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.
Ursa f Late Roman
Feminine form of Ursus. This is the name of two constellations in the northern sky: Ursa Major and Ursa Minor.
Ursel f German
German diminutive of Ursula.
Ursella f English (Rare)
Variant of Ursula.
Ursinus m Late Roman
Latin name that was a derivative of Ursus (see Urs).
Urška f Slovene
Slovene diminutive of Ursula.
Úrsula f Spanish, Portuguese (Rare)
Spanish and Portuguese form of Ursula.
Uršula f Slovene
Slovene form of Ursula.
Ursula f English, Swedish, Danish, German, Dutch, Finnish, Late Roman
Means "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.
Ursule f French (Rare)
French form of Ursula.
Ursus m Ancient Roman
Latin form of Urs.
Urszula f Polish
Polish form of Ursula.
Usagi f Popular Culture
Means "rabbit" in Japanese. This name was used on the Japanese television show Sailor Moon, which first aired in the 1990s.
Usama m Arabic
Means "lion" in Arabic.
Uschi f German
Diminutive of Ursula.
Usman m Urdu, Indonesian, Western African, Hausa
Urdu, Indonesian and Hausa form of Uthman.
Usoa f Basque
Means "dove" in Basque.
Uthman m Arabic
Means "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 Basque
From 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".
Vakhtang m Georgian
Possibly from Old Persian 𐎺𐎼𐎣 𐎫𐎵𐎢 (varka tanu) meaning "wolf-bodied". This name was borne by several kings of Georgia.
Valko m Bulgarian
Derived from Bulgarian вълк (valk) meaning "wolf".
Vanessa f English, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, German, Dutch
Invented by author Jonathan Swift for his 1726 poem Cadenus and Vanessa. He arrived at it by rearranging the initial syllables of the first name and surname of Esther Vanhomrigh, his close friend. Vanessa was later used as the name of a genus of butterfly. It was a rare given name until the mid-20th century, at which point it became fairly popular.
Varg m Norwegian (Rare), Swedish (Rare)
Means "wolf" in Old Norse.
Vasco m Portuguese, Spanish, Italian
From the medieval Spanish name Velasco, which possibly meant "crow" in Basque. A famous bearer was the 15th-century Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama, the first person to sail from Europe around Africa to India.
Vebjørn m Norwegian
From the Old Norse name Vébjǫrn, derived from the elements vé "holy" and bjǫrn "bear".
Vega 2 f Astronomy
The name of a star in the constellation Lyra. Its name is from Arabic الواقع (al-Waqi') meaning "the swooping (eagle)".
Velasco m Medieval Spanish
Medieval Spanish form of Vasco.
Veles m Slavic Mythology
Variant of Volos.
Velvel m Yiddish (Rare)
Means "little wolf" in Yiddish, a diminutive of װאָלףֿ (volf) meaning "wolf". This is a vernacular form of Zeev.
Velvela f Yiddish (Rare)
Feminine form of Velvel.
Vepkhia m Georgian
Derived from Old Georgian ვეფხი (vepkhi) meaning "tiger".
Vespasian m History
From 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.
Vespasiano m Italian (Rare)
Italian form of Vespasianus (see Vespasian).
Vespasianus m Ancient Roman
Latin form of Vespasian.
Vespasien m French (Rare)
French form of Vespasianus (see Vespasian).
Vetle m Norwegian
Norwegian form of the Old Norse name Vetrliði meaning "winter traveller", and by extension "bear cub".
Voestaa'e f Indigenous American, Cheyenne
Means "white bison calf woman" in Cheyenne, derived from vóésta "white bison calf" and the feminine suffix -e'é. Because white bison calves were rare they were considered sacred.
Volos m Slavic Mythology
Derived from Slavic volu meaning "ox". Volos was the Slavic god of cattle, also associated with the earth, wealth, the underworld, and poetry.
Vuk m Serbian
Means "wolf" in Serbian.
Vukašin m Serbian
Derived from Serbian vuk meaning "wolf". This was the name of a 14th-century Serbian ruler.
Waman m Indigenous American, Quechua
Means "eagle, falcon" in Quechua.
Wambli m & f Indigenous American, Sioux
From Lakota waŋblí meaning "eagle".
Wambui f Eastern African, Kikuyu
Means "zebra" in Kikuyu. This is one of Mumbi's nine daughters in the Kikuyu origin legend.
Wangari f Eastern African, Kikuyu
From Kikuyu ngarĩ meaning "leopard". In the Kikuyu origin legend this is the name of one of the nine daughters of Mumbi.
Warren m English
From an English surname that was derived either from Norman French warrene meaning "animal enclosure", or else from the town of La Varenne in Normandy. This name was borne by the American president Warren G. Harding (1865-1923).
Wawatam m Indigenous American, Ojibwe
Possibly means "little goose" in Ojibwe. This was the name of an 18th-century chief of the Ottawa people.
Wihtburg f Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English elements wiht "creature, being" and burg "fortress". This was the name of an 8th-century saint, said to be the youngest daughter of King Anna of East Anglia.
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.
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.
Withburga f Anglo-Saxon (Latinized)
Variant of Wihtburg.
Wolf m German, Jewish, English (Rare), Germanic
Short form of Wolfgang, Wolfram and other names containing the Old German element wolf meaning "wolf" (Proto-Germanic *wulfaz). It can also be simply from the German or English word.
Wolfe m English (Rare)
Variant of Wolf, influenced by the spelling of the surname (which is also derived from the animal).
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.
Wren f English (Modern)
From the English word for the small songbird. It is ultimately derived from Old English wrenna.
Wulf m German
Variant of Wolf.
Wulfflæd f Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English elements wulf "wolf" and flæd, possibly meaning "beauty".
Wulfgang m Germanic
Old German form of Wolfgang.
Wulfgifu f Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English elements wulf "wolf" and giefu "gift".
Wulfhram m Germanic
Old German form of Wolfram.
Wulfila m Gothic (Hypothetical)
Means "little wolf", from a diminutive of the Gothic element wulfs. This was the name of a 4th-century Gothic bishop and missionary. He translated the New Testament into Gothic.
Wulfnoð m Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English elements wulf "wolf" and noð "boldness, daring". This name became rare after the Norman Conquest.
Wulfram m Germanic
Old German form of Wolfram.
Wulfric m Anglo-Saxon
Old English name meaning "wolf ruler", from the elements wulf "wolf" and ric "ruler, king".
Wulfrun f Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English elements wulf "wolf" and run "secret lore, rune". This was the name of a 10th-century English noblewoman who founded the city of Wolverhampton.