Pwyll m Welsh MythologyMeans
"wisdom, reason" in Welsh. In the First Branch of the
Mabinogi, Pwyll is a king of Dyfed who pursues and finally marries
Rhiannon. Their son was
Pryderi.
Radulf m GermanicDerived from the Old German elements
rat meaning "counsel, advice" and
wolf meaning "wolf", making it a cognate of
Ráðúlfr.
Raginbert m GermanicDerived from the Old German elements
regin "advice, counsel, decision" and
beraht "bright". This was the name of an 8th-century Lombard king.
Rajendra m Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Telugu, NepaliMeans
"lord of kings", derived from Sanskrit
राज (raja) meaning "king" combined with the name of the Hindu god
Indra, used here to mean "lord". This was the name of two 11th-century rulers of the Chola Empire in southern India.
Ramiro m Spanish, PortugueseSpanish and Portuguese form of
Ramirus, earlier
Ranimirus, a Latinized form of a Visigothic name derived from the Gothic element
rana "wedge" or perhaps
ragin "law, decree, assessment, responsibility" combined with
mers "famous". Saint Ramirus was a 6th-century prior of the Saint Claudius Monastery in León. He and several others were executed by the Arian Visigoths, who opposed orthodox Christianity. This name was subsequently borne by kings of León, Asturias and Aragon.
Rehoboam m BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
רֵחַבְעָם (Rechav'am) meaning
"he enlarges the people". In the Old Testament this is the name of a son of
Solomon. He succeeded his father as king of Israel, but his subjects eventually revolted because of high taxes. This resulted in the division of the kingdom into Israel and Judah, with Rehoboam ruling Judah.
Rhodri m WelshFrom the Old Welsh name
Rotri, derived from
rod "wheel" and
ri "king". This name was borne by several medieval Welsh rulers, including Rhodri the Great, a 9th-century king of Gwynedd.
Richard m English, French, German, Czech, Slovak, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, GermanicMeans
"brave ruler", derived from the Old German elements
rih "ruler, king" and
hart "hard, firm, brave, hardy". This was the name of three early dukes of Normandy. The Normans introduced it to England when they invaded in the 11th century, and it has been very common there since that time. It was borne by three kings of England including the 12th-century Richard I the Lionheart, one of the leaders of the Third Crusade.
... [more] Robert m English, French, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Dutch, Finnish, Estonian, Czech, Polish, Russian, Slovene, Croatian, Albanian, Romanian, Catalan, GermanicFrom the Germanic name
Hrodebert meaning
"bright fame", derived from the elements
hruod "fame" and
beraht "bright". The Normans introduced this name to Britain, where it replaced the rare Old English cognate
Hreodbeorht. It has been consistently among the most common English names from the 13th to 20th century. In the United States it was the most popular name for boys between 1924 and 1939 (and again in 1953).
... [more] Roderick m English, Scottish, WelshMeans
"famous ruler" from the Old German elements
hruod "fame" and
rih "ruler, king". This name was in use among the Visigoths; it was borne by their last king (Gothic form *
Hroþireiks, also known by the Spanish form
Rodrigo), who died fighting the Muslim invaders of Spain in the 8th century. It also had cognates in Old Norse and West Germanic, and Scandinavian settlers and Normans introduced it to England, though it died out after the Middle Ages. It was revived in the English-speaking world by Walter Scott's 1811 poem
The Vision of Don Roderick.
... [more] Roger m English, French, Catalan, Swedish, Norwegian, German, DutchFrom the Germanic name
Hrodger meaning
"famous spear", derived from the elements
hruod "fame" and
ger "spear". The Normans brought this name to England, where it replaced the Old English cognate
Hroðgar (the name of the Danish king in the Anglo-Saxon epic
Beowulf). It was a common name in England during the Middle Ages. By the 18th century it was rare, but it was revived in following years. The name was borne by the Norman lords Roger I, who conquered Sicily in the 11th century, and his son Roger II, who ruled Sicily as a king.
... [more] Ronald m Scottish, English, Dutch, GermanScottish form of
Ragnvaldr, a name introduced to Britain by Scandinavian settlers and invaders. It became popular outside Scotland during the 20th century. A famous bearer was the American actor and president Ronald Reagan (1911-2004). It is also associated with Ronald McDonald, the clown mascot for the McDonald's chain of restaurants, first appearing in 1963.
Rory m & f Irish, Scottish, EnglishAnglicized form of
Ruaidhrí. Typically a masculine name, it gained some popularity for girls in the United States after it was used on the television series
Gilmore Girls (2000-2007), in this case as a nickname for
Lorelai. Despite this, the name has grown more common for boys in America, especially after 2011, perhaps due to Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy (1989-).
Roy m Scottish, English, DutchAnglicized form of
Ruadh. A notable bearer was the Scottish outlaw and folk hero Rob Roy (1671-1734). It is often associated with French
roi "king".
Ruaidhrí m IrishFrom Old Irish
Ruaidrí meaning
"red king", from
rúad "red" combined with
rí "king". This was the name of the last high king of Ireland, reigning in the 12th century.
Ruarc m IrishFrom Old Irish
Ruarcc. It was possibly an early borrowing from the Old Norse name
Hrǿríkr. Alternatively it might be derived from Old Irish elements such as
rúad "red" and
arg "hero, champion". This was the name of a 9th-century king of Leinster.
Rudolf m German, Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, Dutch, Russian, ArmenianFrom 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).
Rupert m German, EnglishGerman variant form of
Robert, from the Old German variant
Hrodperht. It was borne by the 7th century Saint Rupert of Salzburg and the 8th-century Saint Rupert of Bingen. The military commander Prince Rupert of the Rhine, a nephew of Charles I, introduced this name to England in the 17th century. A notable bearer is the Australian-American businessman Rupert Murdoch (1931-).
Ryan m EnglishFrom a common Irish surname, the Anglicized form of
Ó Riain. This patronymic derives from the given name
Rian, which is of uncertain meaning. It is traditionally said to mean
"little king", from Irish
rí "king" combined with a diminutive suffix.
... [more] Samo m Slovene, HistoryMeaning uncertain. This was the name of a 7th-century ruler of the Slavs, who established a kingdom including parts of modern Slovenia, Austria, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic. He was possibly of Frankish origin.
Sancho m Spanish, PortuguesePossibly a Spanish and Portuguese form of the Late Latin name
Sanctius, which was derived from the word
sanctus meaning
"saintly, holy". Alternatively,
Sancho and
Sanctius may be derived from an older Iberian name. This was the name of a 9th-century saint who was martyred by the Moors at Córdoba. It was also borne by several Spanish and Portuguese kings. Miguel de Cervantes used it in his novel
Don Quixote (1605), where it belongs to the squire of Don Quixote.
Sargon m Akkadian (Anglicized), Biblical, Biblical HebrewFrom the Hebrew form
סַרְגּוֹן (Sargon) of the Akkadian name
Sharru-ukin, from
šarru meaning "king" and
kīnu meaning "legitimate, true". This was the name of the first king of the Akkadian Empire, beginning in the 24th century BC. It was also borne by the 8th-century BC Assyrian king Sargon II, who appears briefly in the Old Testament. The usual English spelling of the name is based on this biblical mention, applied retroactively to the earlier king.
Saul m Biblical, Jewish, Biblical LatinFrom the Hebrew name
שָׁאוּל (Sha'ul) meaning
"asked for, prayed for". This was the name of the first king of Israel, as told in the Old Testament. Before the end of his reign he lost favour with God, and after a defeat by the Philistines he was succeeded by
David as king. In the New Testament, Saul was the original Hebrew name of the apostle
Paul.
Sebastian m German, English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Polish, Finnish, Romanian, CzechFrom the Latin name
Sebastianus, which meant
"from Sebaste". Sebaste was the name a town in Asia Minor, its name deriving from Greek
σεβαστός (sebastos) meaning "venerable" (a translation of Latin
Augustus, the title of the Roman emperors). According to Christian tradition, Saint Sebastian was a 3rd-century Roman soldier martyred during the persecutions of the emperor Diocletian. After he was discovered to be a Christian, he was tied to a stake and shot with arrows. This however did not kill him. Saint Irene of Rome healed him and he returned to personally admonish Diocletian, whereupon the emperor had him beaten to death.
... [more] Shaka m HistoryFrom Zulu
uShaka, apparently from
ishaka, a stomach cramp caused by an intestinal parasite. This was the name of a Zulu warrior king (1787-1828), supposedly given because his unmarried mother Nandi and/or his father Senzangakhona blamed her pregnancy symptoms on the parasite.
Sigeberht m Anglo-SaxonMeans
"bright victory", derived from Old English
sige "victory" and
beorht "bright" (a cognate of
Siegbert). This was the name of a king of Wessex. The name fell out of use after the Norman Conquest.
Sigurd m Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Norse MythologyFrom the Old Norse name
Sigurðr, which was derived from the elements
sigr "victory" and
vǫrðr "guard, guardian". Sigurd was the hero of the Norse epic the
Völsungasaga, which tells how his foster-father Regin sent him to recover a hoard of gold guarded by the dragon Fafnir. After slaying the dragon Sigurd tasted some of its blood, enabling him to understand the language of birds, who told him that Regin was planning to betray him. In a later adventure, Sigurd disguised himself as
Gunnar (his wife
Gudrun's brother) and rescued the maiden
Brynhildr from a ring of fire, with the result that Gunnar and Brynhildr were married. When the truth eventually came out, Brynhildr took revenge upon Sigurd. The stories of the German hero
Siegfried were in part based on him.
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.
Sláine f & m Old Irish, Irish MythologyFrom Old Irish
slán meaning
"health, safety". This was the name of a legendary high king of Ireland, one of the Fir Bolg. It was also the name of a daughter of the 11th-century high king Brian Boru.
Solomon m Biblical, English, Jewish, Biblical Latin, Biblical GreekFrom the Hebrew name
שְׁלֹמֹה (Shelomoh), which was derived from Hebrew
שָׁלוֹם (shalom) meaning "peace". As told in the Old Testament, Solomon was a king of Israel, the son of
David and
Bathsheba. He was renowned for his wisdom and wealth. Towards the end of his reign he angered God by turning to idolatry. Supposedly, he was the author of the Book of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon.
... [more] Stefan m German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Polish, Bulgarian, Serbian, MacedonianForm of
Stephen used in several languages. Famous bearers include the Serbian rulers Stefan Nemanja, Stefan Nemanjić, and Stefan Lazarević, who are all considered saints in the Orthodox Church.
Stephen m English, BiblicalFrom the Greek name
Στέφανος (Stephanos) meaning
"crown, wreath", more precisely
"that which surrounds". Saint Stephen was a deacon who was stoned to death, as told in Acts in the New Testament. He is regarded as the first Christian martyr. Due to him, the name became common in the Christian world. It was popularized in England by the Normans.
... [more] Suibhne m Irish MythologyFrom Old Irish
Suibne, possibly derived from
subae meaning
"joy, pleasure". This was the name of several figures from early Irish history, including a 7th-century high king and an 8th-century saint. It also appears in the Irish legend
Buile Suibhne (meaning "The Madness of Suibhne") about a king who goes insane after being cursed by Saint Rónán Finn.
Tadhg m Irish, Irish MythologyFrom Old Irish
Tadg meaning
"poet". This was the name of an 11th-century king of Connacht, as well as several other kings and chieftains of medieval Ireland. According to Irish mythology it was the name of the grandfather of
Fionn mac Cumhaill.
Tarquin m HistoryFrom
Tarquinius, a Roman name of unknown meaning, possibly Etruscan in origin. This was the name of two early kings of Rome.
Tatius m Roman Mythology, Ancient RomanRoman family name of unknown meaning, possibly of Sabine origin. According to Roman legend, Titus Tatius was an 8th-century BC king of the Sabines who came to jointly rule over the Romans and Sabines with the Roman king Romulus.
Theodemir m Gothic (Anglicized)From the Gothic name *
Þiudamers, derived from the elements
þiuda "people" and
mers "famous". This was the name of a 5th-century king of the Ostrogoths, the father of
Theodoric the Great. It was also borne by a 6th-century king of the Suebi in Galicia. There was also a saint by this name, a 9th-century Benedictine monk who was martyred at Córdoba.
Theodoric m Gothic (Anglicized)From the Gothic name *
Þiudareiks meaning
"ruler of the people", derived from the elements
þiuda "people" and
reiks "ruler, king". It was notably borne by Theodoric the Great, a 6th-century king of the Ostrogoths who eventually became the ruler of Italy. By Theodoric's time the Ostrogoths were partially Romanized and his name was regularly recorded as
Theodoricus. This was also the name of two earlier (5th century) Visigothic kings.
Theseus m Greek MythologyPossibly derived from Greek
τίθημι (tithemi) meaning
"to set, to place". Theseus was a heroic king of Athens in Greek mythology. He was the son of Aethra, either by
Aegeus or by the god
Poseidon. According to legend, every seven years the Cretan king
Minos demanded that Athens supply Crete with seven boys and seven girls to be devoured by the Minotaur, a half-bull creature that was the son of Minos's wife Pasiphaë. Theseus volunteered to go in place of one of these youths in order to slay the Minotaur in the Labyrinth where it lived. He succeeded with the help of Minos's daughter
Ariadne, who provided him with a sword and a roll of string so he could find his way out of the maze.
... [more] Tighearnán m Medieval IrishFrom Old Irish
Tigernán meaning
"little lord", from
tigerna "lord" combined with a diminutive suffix. It was borne by a 6th-century saint who founded a monastery at Errew. It was also the name of a 12th-century king of Breifne.
Túathal m Old IrishMeans
"ruler of the people", from Old Irish
túath "people, country" and
fal "rule". This was the name of a few Irish kings, including the legendary Túathal Techtmar.
Tudor 1 m WelshAnglicized form of the medieval Welsh name
Tudur, possibly from a hypothetical Celtic name *
Toutorīxs meaning "ruler of the people" (cognate with
Theodoric). As a surname it was borne by five monarchs of England beginning with Henry VII in the 15th century. These monarchs were descended from Owain ap Maredudd ap Tudur, a Welsh nobleman.
Urien m Arthurian RomanceFrom the Old Welsh name
Urbgen, possibly from the Celtic root *
orbo- "heir" and the suffix
gen "born of". This was the name of a 6th-century king of Rheged. Passing into Arthurian tales, he became the king of Gore, the husband of
Morgan le Fay, and the father of
Owain.
Uroš m Serbian, SloveneSerbian form of an old Hungarian name, possibly from
úr meaning
"man, lord" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of five Serbian kings.
Uther m Welsh Mythology, Arthurian RomanceFrom the Welsh name
Uthyr, derived from Welsh
uthr meaning
"terrible". In Arthurian legend Uther was the father of King
Arthur. He appears in some early Welsh texts, but is chiefly known from the 12th-century chronicles of Geoffrey of Monmouth.
Uzziah m BiblicalMeans
"my power is Yahweh" in Hebrew, from the roots
עֹז ('oz) meaning "strength, power" and
יָה (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. This is the name of several Old Testament characters including a king of Judah.
Václav m Czech, SlovakContracted form of an older Czech name
Veceslav, derived from the Slavic elements
vęťĭjĭ "more, greater" and
slava "glory". Saint Václav (known as
Wenceslas or
Wenceslaus in English) was a 10th-century Duke of Bohemia murdered by his brother. He is the patron saint of the Czech Republic. This was also the name of several Bohemian kings.
Vakhtang m GeorgianPossibly from Old Persian
𐎺𐎼𐎣 𐎫𐎵𐎢 (varka tanu) meaning
"wolf-bodied". This name was borne by several kings of Georgia.
Valdemar m Danish, Swedish, FinnishScandinavian form of
Waldemar, also used as a translation of the Slavic cognate
Vladimir. This was the name of four kings of Denmark and a king of Sweden. It was introduced to Scandinavia by the 12th-century Danish king Valdemar I who was named after his mother's grandfather: Vladimir II, a grand prince of Kievan Rus.
Vena m HinduismDerived from Sanskrit
वेन (vena) meaning
"yearning". This is the name of an evil king in Hindu mythology.
Veremund m Germanic (Latinized)Latinized form of a Germanic name, probably
Waramunt, derived from either
war "aware, cautious" or
war "true" combined with
munt "protection". This was the name of a 5th-century king of Galicia (from the Germanic tribe of the Suebi). It was later the name of kings of Asturias and León, though their names are usually spelled in the Spanish form
Bermudo.
Vijaya m & f Hinduism, Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam, Marathi, HindiMeans
"victory" in Sanskrit. This is a transcription of both the masculine form
विजय and the feminine form
विजया, both of which are used frequently in Hindu texts. It is the name of a grandson of
Indra, a son of
Krishna and it is another name of the goddess
Durga. This was also the name of a semi-legendary 6th-century BC king of Sri Lanka.
Vikrama m HinduismMeans
"stride, pace" or
"valour" in Sanskrit. This is another name of the Hindu god
Vishnu. This was also the name of a semi-legendary 1st-century BC king (full name Vikramaditya) of Ujjain in India.
William m EnglishFrom 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] Wukong m LiteratureMeans
"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.
Xerxes m Old Persian (Hellenized), HistoryGreek 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.
Yijun m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
怡 (yí) meaning "joy, harmony" combined with
君 (jūn) meaning "king, ruler". This name can also be formed from other character combinations.
Zachariah m English, BiblicalVariant of
Zechariah. This spelling is used in the King James Version of the Old Testament to refer to one of the kings of Israel (called Zechariah in other versions).
Zeus m Greek MythologyThe name of a Greek god, related to the old Indo-European god *
Dyēws, from the root *
dyew- meaning
"sky" or
"shine". In Greek mythology he was the highest of the gods. After he and his siblings defeated the Titans, Zeus ruled over the earth and humankind from atop Mount Olympus. He had control over the weather and his weapon was a thunderbolt.
... [more] Zimri m BiblicalMeans
"my praise" or
"my music" in Hebrew. This was the name of a king of Israel according to the Old Testament. He ruled for only seven days, when he was succeeded by the commander of the army
Omri. Another Zimri in the Old Testament was the the lover of the Midianite woman
Cozbi.