Names Categorized "word names"

This is a list of names in which the categories include word names.
gender
usage
​
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]
Shin m Japanese
From Japanese 真 (shin) meaning "real, genuine" or other kanji with the same pronunciation.
Shinju f Japanese
From Japanese 真珠 (shinju) meaning "pearl".
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".
Shun 2 f & m Japanese
From Japanese 駿 (shun) meaning "fast", 俊 (shun) meaning "talented", or other kanji that are pronounced the same way.
Sibyl f English
From Greek Σίβυλλα (Sibylla), meaning "prophetess, sibyl". In Greek and Roman legend the sibyls were female prophets who practiced at different holy sites in the ancient world. In later Christian theology, the sibyls were thought to have divine knowledge and were revered in much the same way as the Old Testament prophets. Because of this, the name came into general use in the Christian world during the Middle Ages. The Normans imported it to England, where it was spelled both Sibyl and Sybil. It became rare after the Protestant Reformation, but it was revived in the 19th century, perhaps helped by Benjamin Disraeli's novel Sybil (1845).
Sibylla f Late Roman, German
Latinate form of Sibyl.
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.
Silver m & f English (Rare)
From the English word for the precious metal or the colour, ultimately derived from Old English seolfor.
Silvestre m Spanish, Portuguese
Spanish and Portuguese form of Silvester.
Sin m Semitic Mythology
From earlier Akkadian Su'en, of unknown meaning. This was the name of the Akkadian, Assyrian and Babylonian god of the moon. He was closely identified with the Sumerian god Nanna.
Sincere m & f English (Modern)
From the English word meaning genuine or heartfelt.
Sini f Finnish
Means "blue" in Finnish. More specifically, sini is a poetic term for the colour blue.
Sinikka f Finnish
Elaborated form of Sini, also meaning "bluebird".
Síofra f Irish
Means "elf, sprite" in Irish. This name was created in the 20th century.
Sisko f Finnish
Means "sister" in Finnish.
Sisu m Finnish
Means "willpower, determination, strength" in Finnish.
Sitara f Urdu
Means "star" in Urdu, ultimately from Persian.
Sitora f Tajik, Uzbek
Tajik and Uzbek form of Sitara.
Skaistė f Lithuanian
Means "pure, chaste" in Lithuanian.
Sky f & m English (Modern)
Simply from the English word sky, which was ultimately derived from Old Norse ský "cloud".
Slava m & f Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Croatian, Slovene
Short form of names containing the Slavic element slava meaning "glory". It is typically masculine in Russia and Belarus, unisex in Ukraine, and feminine the South Slavic countries.
Sly m English
Short form of Sylvester. The actor Sylvester Stallone (1946-) is a well-known bearer of this nickname.
Smith m English
From an English surname meaning "metal worker, blacksmith", derived from Old English smitan "to smite, to hit". It is the most common surname in most of the English-speaking world.
Snow f English (Rare)
From the English word, derived from Old English snāw.
Snow White f Literature
English translation of German Sneewittchen, derived from Low German Snee "snow" and witt "white" combined with the diminutive suffix -chen. This is the name of a girl who escapes her evil stepmother and takes refuge with seven dwarfs in an 1812 story recorded by the Brothers Grimm, who based it on earlier European folktales. The High German translation would be Schneeweißchen, but this was used by the Grimms for an unrelated character in another story (Snow-White and Rose-Red). The modern German form is typically the hybrid Schneewittchen. The story was adapted into a film by Walt Disney in 1937.
Socorro f Spanish
Means "succour, help, relief" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin Mary María del Socorro meaning "Mary of Perpetual Succour".
Sokol m Albanian
Means "falcon" in Albanian, a word borrowed from Slavic.
Sol 1 f Spanish, Portuguese
Means "sun" in Spanish or Portuguese.
Sole f Italian
Means "sun" in Italian.
Soledad f Spanish
Means "solitude" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin Mary, María de la Soledad, meaning "Mary of Solitude".
Soleil f Various
Means "sun" in French. It is not commonly used as a name in France itself.
Sóley f Icelandic
Means "buttercup (flower)" in Icelandic (genus Ranunculus), derived from sól "sun" and ey "island".
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.
Sonny m English
From a nickname that is commonly used to denote a young boy, derived from the English word son.
Sora f & m Japanese
From Japanese 空 (sora) or 昊 (sora) both meaning "sky". Other kanji with the same pronunciations can also form this name.
Sorcha f Irish, Scottish Gaelic
Means "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).
Sorrel f English (Rare)
From the name of the sour tasting plant, derived from Old French sur "sour", a word of Frankish origin.
Sparrow m & f English (Rare)
From the name of the bird, ultimately from Old English spearwa.
Spes f Roman Mythology
Means "hope" in Latin. In Roman mythology this was the name of the personification of hope.
Spike m English
From a nickname that may have originally been given to a person with spiky hair.
Spirit f English (Rare)
From the English word spirit, ultimately from Latin spiritus "breath, energy", a derivative of spirare "to blow".
Spring f English
From the name of the season, ultimately from Old English springan "to leap, to burst forth".
Sprita f Esperanto
Means "witty, lively" in Esperanto, ultimately from Latin spiritus "breath, energy".
Stamen m Bulgarian, Macedonian
Derived from Bulgarian and Macedonian стамен (stamen) meaning "firm".
Star f English
From the English word for the celestial body, ultimately from Old English steorra.
Steinn m Icelandic, Old Norse
Old Norse and Icelandic form of Sten.
Stela f Romanian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Slovak
Form of Stella 1 in several languages, derived from Latin stella meaning "star" (modern Romanian stea).
Stella 1 f English, Italian, Dutch, German
Means "star" in Latin. This name was created by the 16th-century poet Philip Sidney for the subject of his collection of sonnets Astrophel and Stella. It was a nickname of a lover of Jonathan Swift, real name Esther Johnson (1681-1728), though it was not commonly used as a given name until the 19th century. It appears in Tennessee Williams' play A Streetcar Named Desire (1947), belonging to the sister of Blanche DuBois and the wife of Stanley Kowalski.
Sten m Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Estonian
Derived from the Old Norse name Steinn meaning "stone".
Steren f Cornish
Means "star" in Cornish.
Sterling m English
From a Scots surname that was derived from city of Stirling, which is itself of unknown meaning. The name can also be given in reference to the English word sterling meaning "excellent". In this case, the word derives from sterling silver, which was so named because of the emblem that some Norman coins bore, from Old English meaning "little star".
Stew m English
Short form of Stewart.
Stone m English (Modern)
From the English vocabulary word, ultimately from Old English stan.
Storm m & f English (Modern), Dutch (Modern), Danish (Modern), Norwegian (Modern)
From the vocabulary word, ultimately from Old English or Old Dutch storm, or in the case of the Scandinavian name, from Old Norse stormr.
Stormy f English (Modern)
From the English word meaning "stormy, wild, turbulent", ultimately from Old English stormig.
Subhan m Arabic, Urdu
Means "glory, praise" in Arabic.
Subira f Swahili
Means "patience" in Swahili.
Sue f English
Short form of Susanna.
Sulo m Finnish
Means "charm, grace" in Finnish.
Sultan m & f Arabic, Turkish, Azerbaijani, Urdu, Bengali, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Avar
Means "ruler, king, sultan" in Arabic. In the Arab world this name is typically masculine, but Turkey it is given to both boys and girls.
Sultana f Arabic, Urdu, Bengali
Feminine form of Sultan.
Suman m & f Bengali, Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Kannada, Nepali
Means "well-disposed, good mind", derived from the Sanskrit prefix सु (su) meaning "good" combined with मनस् (manas) meaning "mind".
Summer f English
From the name of the season, ultimately from Old English sumor. It has been in use as a given name since the 1970s.
Sunday m & f English
From the name of the day of the week, which ultimately derives from Old English sunnandæg, which was composed of the elements sunne "sun" and dæg "day". This name is most common in Nigeria and other parts of Africa.
Sunny f & m English
From the English word meaning "sunny, cheerful".
Sunshine f English
From the English word, ultimately from Old English sunne "sun" and scinan "shine".
Suoma f Finnish
Derived from Finnish Suomi meaning "Finland".
Susumu m Japanese
From Japanese 進 (susumu) meaning "advance, make progress", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations having the same pronunciation.
Suvi f Finnish
Means "summer" in Finnish.
Svajonė f Lithuanian
Means "dream" in Lithuanian.
Sylvan m English
Either a variant of Silvanus or directly from the Latin word silva meaning "wood, forest".
Symphony f English (Rare)
Simply from the English word, ultimately deriving from Greek σύμφωνος (symphonos) meaning "concordant in sound".
Szilárd m Hungarian
Means "solid, firm" in Hungarian, also used as a Hungarian vernacular form of Constantine.
Tähti f Finnish (Rare), Estonian (Rare)
Means "star" in Finnish and Estonian.
Taika f Finnish (Rare)
Means "magic, spell" in Finnish.
Taimi f Finnish, Estonian
From Finnish taimi meaning "sapling, young tree" or Estonian taim meaning "plant" (words from a common origin).
Taimo m Estonian
From Estonian taim meaning "plant".
Taisto m Finnish
Means "battle" in Finnish.
Takara m & f Japanese
From Japanese 宝 (takara) meaning "treasure, jewel", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations with the same pronunciation.
Takumi m Japanese
From 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.
Talitha f Biblical
Means "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).
Talon m English (Modern)
From the English word meaning "talon, claw", ultimately derived (via Norman French) from Latin talus "anklebone".
Talvikki f Finnish (Rare)
Derived from Finnish talvi meaning "winter". This is also the Finnish word for the wintergreen plant (genus Pyrola).
Tanner m English
From an English surname meaning "one who tans hides".
Tansy f English (Rare)
From the name of the flower, which is derived via Old French from Late Latin tanacita.
Taran m Welsh Mythology, Pictish
Means "thunder" in Welsh, from the old Celtic root *toranos. It appears briefly in the Second Branch of the Mabinogi. The name is cognate to that of the Gaulish god Taranis. It was also borne by the 7th-century Pictish king Taran mac Ainftech.
Tarmo m Estonian, Finnish
Means "vigour, energy, drive" in Estonian and Finnish.
Taru f Finnish
Means "legend, myth" in Finnish. It is also used as a diminutive of Tarja.
Tauno m Finnish, Estonian
Means "peaceful, modest" in Karelian Finnish.
Tawny f English (Modern)
From the English word, ultimately deriving from Old French tané, which means "light brown".
Taylor m & f English
From an English surname that originally denoted someone who was a tailor, from Norman French tailleur, ultimately from Latin taliare "to cut".... [more]
Tea f Croatian, Slovene, Finnish, Georgian
Short form of Dorothea, Theodora and other names containing a similar sound.
Teal f English (Rare)
From the English word for the type of duck or the greenish-blue colour.
Teddy m English
Diminutive of Edward or Theodore.
Telamon m Greek Mythology
From a Greek word meaning "broad leather strap". According to Greek mythology he was a king of Salamis and the father of the heroes Ajax and Teucer.
Temperance f English
From the English word meaning "moderation" or "restraint". This was one of the virtue names adopted by the Puritans in the 17th century. It experienced a modest revival in the United States during the run of the television series Bones (2005-2017), in which the main character bears this name.
Tempest f English (Rare)
From the English word meaning "storm". It appears in the title of William Shakespeare's play The Tempest (1611).
Temple m & f English (Rare)
From an English surname that originally belonged to a person who was associated with the Knights Templar, a medieval religious military order.
Tercero m Spanish (Rare)
Means "third" in Spanish. This name was traditionally given to the third child born.
Terho m Finnish
Means "acorn" in Finnish.
Terminus m Roman Mythology
Means "limit, boundary, end" in Latin. This was the name of the Roman god of boundaries.
Terra f English
Variant of Tara 1, perhaps influenced by the Latin word terra meaning "land, earth".
Terttu f Finnish
Means "bunch, cluster" in Finnish.
Thanatos m Greek Mythology
Means "death" in Greek. This was the name of the Greek god of death who resided with Hades in the underworld.
Thane m English (Rare)
From the Scottish and English noble title, which was originally from Old English thegn.
Thankful f English (Archaic)
From the English word thankful. This was one of the many virtue names used by the Puritans in the 17th century.
Themba m Zulu, Xhosa, Ndebele
Means "trust, hope" in Zulu, Xhosa and Ndebele.
Tiara f English (Modern)
From the English word for a semicircle crown, ultimately of Greek origin.
Tierra f Various
Means "earth" in Spanish.
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-).
Tindra f Swedish (Modern)
Means "to twinkle, to sparkle" in Swedish.
Tinker Bell f Literature
Created by the writer J. M. Barrie for a fairy character, first introduced in his 1904 play Peter Pan. Her name refers to the fact that she is a mender of pots and kettles (a tinker) with a voice like a tinkling bell.
Titty f English
Diminutive of Letitia. This is now a slang word for the female breast, and the name has subsequently dropped out of common use.
Toivo m Finnish, Estonian
Means "hope" in Finnish.
Tola 1 m & f Khmer
Means "October" in Khmer, ultimately from Sanskrit तुल (tula), referring to the constellation Libra.
Tonalli m & f Nahuatl
Means "day, warmth of the sun" in Nahuatl.
Tondra f Esperanto
Means "thunderous", from Esperanto tondro meaning "thunder".
Tone 1 m Slovene
Short form of Anton.
Tone 2 f Norwegian
Newer form of Torny.
Topaz f English (Rare)
From the English word for the yellow precious stone, the traditional birthstone of November, ultimately derived from Greek τόπαζος (topazos).
Toussaint m French
Means "all saints" in French. This is the name of a Christian festival celebrated on November 1 (All Saints' Day).
Trace m English
Short form of Tracy.
Treasure f English (Modern)
From the English word, ultimately from Greek θησαυρός (thesauros) meaning "treasure, collection".
Tri m & f Indonesian
Means "three, third" in Indonesian, ultimately from Sanskrit त्रि (tri).
Trinidad f & m Spanish
Means "trinity" in Spanish, referring to the Holy Trinity. An island in the West Indies bears this name.
Trinity f English
From the English word Trinity, given in honour of the Christian belief that God has one essence, but three distinct expressions of being: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It has only been in use as a given name since the 20th century.
Tsuyoshi m Japanese
From Japanese 剛 (tsuyoshi) meaning "hard, rigid, strong". It can also come from an alternate reading of 剛 (tsuyo) combined with 史 (shi) meaning "history" or 志 (shi) meaning "will, purpose". Other kanji and kanji combinations can also form this name.
Tuba f Arabic, Turkish
From the name of a type of tree that is believed to grow in heaven in Islamic tradition. It means "blessedness" in Arabic.
Tucker m English (Modern)
From an occupational surname for a cloth fuller, derived from Old English tucian meaning "offend, torment". A fuller was a person who cleaned and thickened raw cloth by pounding it.
Tuesday f English (Rare)
From the English word for the day of the week, which derives from Old English tiwesdæg meaning "Tiw's day".
Tuija f Finnish
Means "cedar" in Finnish.
Tündér f Hungarian (Rare)
Means "fairy" in Hungarian.
Turner m English
From an English surname for one who worked with a lathe, derived from Old English turnian "to turn", of Latin origin.
Tuuli f Finnish, Estonian
Means "wind" in Finnish and Estonian.
Ukko m Finnish, Finnish Mythology
Means "old man" in Finnish. In Finnish mythology Ukko is the god of the sky and thunder.
Ume f Japanese
From Japanese 梅 (ume) meaning "Japanese apricot, plum" (refers specifically to the species Prunus mume). In Japan the ume blossom is regarded as a symbol of spring and a ward against evil. Different kanji or kanji combinations can also form this name.
Una f English
Anglicized form of Irish Úna or Scottish Ùna. It is also associated with Latin una, feminine form of unus meaning "one". The name features in Edmund Spenser's poem The Faerie Queene (1590).
Unai m Basque
Means "cowherd" in Basque.
Unique f English (Modern)
From the English word unique, ultimately derived from Latin unicus.
Unity f English (Rare)
From the English word unity, which is ultimately derived from Latin unitas.
Uno m Swedish, Estonian
Meaning uncertain. It is possibly from the Old Norse name Uni. It could also come from Latin unus "one".
Urban m Swedish, German, Slovak, Slovene, Polish, Biblical
From the Latin name Urbanus meaning "city dweller". This name is mentioned briefly in one of Paul's epistles in the New Testament. It was subsequently borne by eight popes.
Urho m Finnish
Means "hero" in Finnish (a poetic word).
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.
Ushas f Hinduism
Means "dawn" in Sanskrit. This is the name of the Hindu goddess of the dawn, considered the daughter of heaven.
Usko m Finnish
Means "faith" in Finnish.
Usoa f Basque
Means "dove" in Basque.
Vale f English (Rare)
From the English word meaning "wide river valley".
Valentine 1 m English
From the Roman cognomen Valentinus, which was itself a derivative of the cognomen Valens meaning "strong, vigorous, healthy" in Latin. Saint Valentine was a 3rd-century martyr. His feast day was the same as the Roman fertility festival of Lupercalia, which resulted in the association between Valentine's day and love.... [more]
Valerian m Russian, Georgian, Romanian, History
From the Roman cognomen Valerianus, which was itself derived from the Roman name Valerius. This was the name of a 3rd-century Roman emperor (Publius Licinius Valerianus) who was captured by the Persians. Several saints have also borne this name, including a 2nd-century martyr of Lyons.
Valkyrie f Various (Rare)
Means "chooser of the slain", derived from Old Norse valr "the slain" and kyrja "chooser". In Norse myth the Valkyries were maidens who led heroes killed in battle to Valhalla.
Valora f Esperanto
Means "valuable" in Esperanto.
Van m English
Short form of names containing van, such as Vance or Ivan.
Vanamo f Finnish (Modern)
Means "twinflower" in Finnish.
Varpu f Finnish
From the Finnish name for a type of berry bush.
Vega 1 f Spanish
Means "meadow, plain" in Spanish. It is taken from a title of the Virgin Mary, La Virgen de la Vega, meaning "The Virgin of the Meadow". She is the patron saint of several Spanish municipalities, such as Salamanca.
Veikko m Finnish
From a colloquial form of the Finnish word veli meaning "brother".
Veli m Finnish
Means "brother" in Finnish.
Velvet f English
From the English word for the soft fabric. It became used as a given name after the main character in Enid Bagnold's book National Velvet (1935) and the movie (1944) and television (1960) adaptations.
Venka f Esperanto
Means "victorious", from Esperanto venki "to conquer", ultimately from Latin vincere.
Verbena f Various (Rare)
From the name of the verbena plant, which is derived from Latin verbena meaning "leaves, twigs".
Veritas f Roman Mythology
Means "truth" in Latin, a derivative of verus "true". The Roman goddess Veritas was the personification of truth.
Verity f English
From the English word meaning "verity, truth", from Latin verus "true, real". This was one of the virtue names adopted by the Puritans in the 17th century.
Vern m English
Short form of Vernon.
Vesa 1 m Finnish
Means "sprout, young tree" in Finnish.
Vespera f Esperanto
Means "of the evening", derived from Esperanto vespero "evening", ultimately from Latin vesper.
Vi f English
Short form of Violet.
Viator m Late Roman
Late Latin name (see Beatrix). This was the name of a 4th-century Italian saint.
Victoire f French
French form of Victoria.
Victor m English, French, Portuguese, Romanian, Dutch, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Late Roman
Roman name meaning "victor, conqueror" in Latin. It was common among early Christians, and was borne by several early saints and three popes. It was rare as an English name during the Middle Ages, but it was revived in the 19th century. A famous bearer was the French writer Victor Hugo (1802-1885), who authored The Hunchback of Notre-Dame and Les Misérables.
Victoria f English, Spanish, Romanian, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, French, Late Roman, Roman Mythology
Means "victory" in Latin, being borne by the Roman goddess of victory. It is also a feminine form of Victorius. This name was borne by a 4th-century saint and martyr from North Africa.... [more]
Vide m Swedish
Means "willow" in Swedish, from Old Norse víðir.
Vieno f & m Finnish (Rare)
Means "gentle" in Finnish.
Viking m Swedish
From the Old Norse name Víkingr meaning "viking, raider", ultimately from vík "cove, inlet".
Vilde 2 m Swedish (Rare)
From Swedish vild meaning "wild, untamed".
Vilja f Finnish, Estonian
Possibly from the Finnish word vilja meaning "cereal, grain" or the Swedish word vilja meaning "will, intent".
Vinyet f Catalan
Means "vineyard" in Catalan. It is from a devotional title of the Virgin Mary, Mare de Déu del Vinyet, meaning "Mother of God of the Vineyard". This is the name of a sanctuary in Sitges, Spain.
Viola f English, Italian, Swedish, Danish, Finnish, German, Hungarian, Czech, Slovak
Means "violet" in Latin. This is the name of the heroine of William Shakespeare's comedy Twelfth Night (1602). In the play she is the survivor of a shipwreck who disguises herself as a man named Cesario. Working as a messenger for Duke Orsino, she attempts to convince Olivia to marry him. Instead Viola falls in love with the duke.
Violet f English
From the English word violet for the purple flower, ultimately derived from Latin viola. It was common in Scotland from the 16th century, and it came into general use as an English given name during the 19th century.
Violeta f Romanian, Spanish, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Serbian, Albanian, Lithuanian
Form of Violet in several languages.
Violetta f Italian, Russian, Hungarian
Italian, Russian and Hungarian form of Violet.
Violette f French
French form of Violet.
Viorel m Romanian
Derived from viorea, the Romanian word for the alpine squill flower (species Scilla bifolia) or the sweet violet flower (species Viola odorata). It is derived from Latin viola "violet".
Viorela f Romanian
Feminine form of Viorel.
Viorica f Romanian
Derived from Romanian viorea (see Viorel).
Virág f Hungarian
Means "flower" in Hungarian.
Virgo f Astronomy
Means "maiden, virgin" in Latin. This is the name of a constellation and the sixth sign of the zodiac.
Virtudes f Spanish
Means "virtues" in Spanish.
Virve f Estonian, Finnish
From Estonian virves meaning "sprout, shoot" or virve meaning "ripple, shimmer".
Visitación f Spanish
Means "visitation" in Spanish. This name is given in reference to the visit of the Virgin Mary to her cousin Elizabeth.
Višnja f Croatian, Serbian
Means "sour cherry" in Croatian and Serbian.
Vita 1 f Ancient Roman, Italian, Lithuanian, Latvian, Danish, Slovene
Feminine form of Vitus.
Vital m French, Portuguese, Belarusian
French, Portuguese and Belarusian form of Vitalis (see Vitale).
Voitto m Finnish
Means "victory" in Finnish.
Volkan m Turkish
Means "volcano" in Turkish.
Volya m Russian (Rare)
Diminutive of Vsevolod. It also means "will, freedom" in Russian.
Vuk m Serbian
Means "wolf" in Serbian.
Vuokko f Finnish
Means "anemone (flower)" in Finnish.
Wade m English
From an English surname, either Wade 1 or Wade 2.
Wahyu m Indonesian
Means "revelation" in Indonesian.
Wail m Arabic
Possibly means "refuge, shelter" in Arabic.
Walker m English
From an English surname that referred to the medieval occupational of a walker, also known as a fuller. Walkers would tread on wet, unprocessed wool in order to clean and thicken it. The word ultimately derives from Old English wealcan "to walk".
Wambui f Kikuyu
Means "zebra" in Kikuyu. This is one of Mumbi's nine daughters in the Kikuyu origin legend.
Wangari f Kikuyu
From Kikuyu ngarĩ meaning "leopard". In the Kikuyu origin legend this is the name of one of the nine daughters of Mumbi.
Ward 1 m English
From an occupational surname for a watchman, derived from Old English weard "guard".
Warner m English
From a Norman surname that was derived from the given name Werner.
Wednesday f Popular Culture
From the name of the day of the week, which was derived from Old English wodnesdæg meaning "Woden's day". On the Addams Family television series (1964-1966) this was the name of the daughter, based on an earlier unnamed character in Charles Addams' cartoons. Her name was inspired by the popular nursery rhyme line Wednesday's child is full of woe.
Wells m English
From an English surname that originally denoted a person who lived near a well or spring, from Middle English wille.
Wilder m English
From an English surname meaning "wild, untamed, uncontrolled", from Old English wilde.
Will m English
Short form of William and other names beginning with Will. A famous bearer is American actor Will Smith (1968-), whose full name is Willard.
Willow f English (Modern)
From the name of the tree, which is ultimately derived from Old English welig.
Wilt m English
Short form of Wilton. This name was borne by basketball player Wilt Chamberlain (1936-1999).
Win m & f Burmese
Means "bright, radiant, brilliant" in Burmese.
Wine m Anglo-Saxon
Derived from Old English wine "friend".
Winter f English (Modern)
From the English word for the season, derived from Old English winter.
Wiola f Polish
Polish form of Viola.
Wioleta f Polish
Polish form of Violet.
Wioletta f Polish
Polish form of Violet.
Wisdom f & m English (Rare)
Simply from the English word, a derivative of Old English wis "wise".
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. As a Jewish name it can be considered a vernacular form of Zeev.
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).
Wren f English (Modern)
From the English word for the small songbird. It is ultimately derived from Old English wrenna.
Yael f Hebrew, Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew form of Jael.
Yağmur f & m Turkish, Azerbaijani
Means "rain" in Turkish and Azerbaijani.
Yam m Semitic Mythology
Means "sea" in Ugaritic. Yam was the Ugaritic god of the sea, also associated with chaos, storms and destruction. He was a son of the chief god El.
Yasen m Bulgarian
Means both "ash tree" and "clear, serene" in Bulgarian.
Yeray m Spanish (Canarian)
Canarian Spanish name of recent origin, possibly from a Guanche word or place name meaning "big, grand".
Yeter f Turkish
Means "enough, sufficient" in Turkish.
Yiğit m Turkish
Means "brave" in Turkish.
Young f & m Korean
Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul 영 (see Yeong).
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.
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.
Yuri 2 f Japanese
From Japanese 百合 (yuri) meaning "lily". Other kanji or combinations of kanji can also form this name.
Zeru m Basque
Means "sky" in Basque.
Zhou m & f Chinese
From Chinese 舟 (zhōu) meaning "boat, ship", in addition to other characters that are pronounced similarly.
Zigor m Basque
Means "rod, staff" or "punishment" in Basque.
Zinnia f English (Rare)
From the name of the flower, which was itself named for the German botanist Johann Zinn.
Zita 1 f Italian, Portuguese, German, Czech, Slovak, Lithuanian, Latvian
Means "little girl" in Tuscan Italian. This was the name of a 13th-century saint, the patron saint of servants.
Zitkala f Sioux
From Lakota zitkála meaning "bird".
Zona f Various
Means "girdle, belt" in Greek. This name was made popular by the Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist and poet Zona Gale (1874-1938).
Zorion m Basque
Means "happiness" in Basque.
Zorro m Literature, Popular Culture
Means "fox" in Spanish. This is the name of a masked vigilante created by writer Johnston McCulley in 1919 for a series of books, later adapted into movies and television.
Zuzen m Basque
Means "just, fair" in Basque.