Marika f Czech, Slovak, Polish, Hungarian, Greek, Finnish, Estonian, Swedish, Georgian, Italian, GermanDiminutive of
Maria and other names beginning with
Mari.
Marina f Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, English, Greek, Finnish, Estonian, Russian, Romanian, Czech, Bulgarian, Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Macedonian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Georgian, Ancient RomanFeminine form of
Marinus. This name was borne by a few early saints. This is also the name by which Saint
Margaret of Antioch is known in the Eastern Orthodox Church.
Mark m English, Russian, Belarusian, Dutch, Danish, Armenian, BiblicalForm of Latin
Marcus used in several languages. Saint Mark was the author of the second gospel in the New Testament. Though the author's identity is not certain, some traditions hold him to be the same person as the John Mark who appears in the Book of Acts. He is the patron saint of Venice, where he is supposedly buried. Though in use during the Middle Ages,
Mark was not common in the English-speaking world until the 19th century, when it began to be used alongside the classical form
Marcus.
... [more] Marta f Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Catalan, Polish, Czech, Slovak, German, Dutch, Romanian, Slovene, Bulgarian, Serbian, Croatian, Macedonian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Russian, Swedish, Icelandic, Latvian, Estonian, GeorgianForm of
Martha used in various languages.
Monte m English, ArmenianEither a diminutive of
Montgomery or from the Spanish or Italian vocabulary word meaning "mountain". Its use as an Armenian name is inspired by the Armenian-American revolutionary Monte Melkonian (1957-1993).
Muhammad m Arabic, Urdu, Punjabi, Pashto, Bengali, Tajik, Uzbek, Indonesian, Malay, AvarMeans
"praised, commendable" in Arabic, derived from the root
حمد (ḥamida) meaning "to praise". This was the name of the prophet who founded the Islamic religion in the 7th century. According to Islamic belief, at age 40 Muhammad was visited by the angel
Gabriel, who provided him with the first verses of the Quran. Approximately 20 years later he conquered Mecca, the city of his birth, and his followers controlled most of the Arabian Peninsula at the time of his death in 632.
... [more] Naida f DagestaniMeaning uncertain, possibly derived from Greek
Ναϊάς (Naias), a type of water nymph in Greek mythology (plural
Ναϊάδες). Alternatively it might be related to Persian
Nahid.
Nana 3 f GeorgianMeaning unknown. This was the name of a 4th-century queen consort of Georgia who is regarded as a saint in the Orthodox Church.
Narek m ArmenianFrom the name of a 10th-century Armenian saint, Grigor of Narek, who came from the town of Narek (formerly in Armenia, now in eastern Turkey).
Natalia f Polish, Italian, Spanish, Romanian, English, German, Dutch, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Greek, Georgian, Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Late RomanLatinate form of
Natalia (see
Natalie).
Nerses m ArmenianArmenian form of Middle Persian
Narseh (see
Narses). Saint Nerses was a 4th-century patriarch of the Armenian Church.
Nino 2 f GeorgianMeaning unknown, possibly from a Greek feminine form of
Ninos. Saint Nino (sometimes called Nina) was a Greek-speaking woman from Asia Minor who introduced Christianity to Georgia in the 4th century.
Oleg m Russian, GeorgianRussian form of the Old Norse name
Helgi (see
Helge). The Varangians brought this name from Scandinavia to Eastern Europe: it was borne by a 9th-century Varangian ruler who conquered Kyiv and made it the capital of the state of Kievan Rus.
Pridon m GeorgianGeorgian form of
Fereydoun. It appears in the 12th-century Georgian epic poem
The Knight in the Panther's Skin, in which Pridon (fully Nuradin-Pridon) is a friend of
Avtandil and
Tariel.
Qulu m AzerbaijaniMeans
"servant" in Azerbaijani. It is sometimes used as the second part of compound names.
Qurban m Urdu, AzerbaijaniFrom Arabic
قربان (qurbān) meaning
"sacrifice, sacrificial animal". It is associated with the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha, which features the ritual sacrifice of an animal.
Ramaz m GeorgianPossibly a Georgian form of
Ramadan. It appears in the 12th-century Georgian epic
The Knight in the Panther's Skin.
Ramazi m GeorgianForm of
Ramaz with the nominative suffix, used when the name is written stand-alone.
Ramin m Persian, AzerbaijaniDerived from Middle Persian
𐭥𐭠𐭬 (rʾm) meaning
"peace, joy". This is the name of a character in the Persian epic
Vis and Ramin, written by the 11th-century poet Fakhruddin As'ad Gurgani.
Revaz m GeorgianPossibly of Persian origin meaning
"wealthy, successful".
Revazi m GeorgianForm of
Revaz with the nominative suffix, used when the name is written stand-alone.
Roland m English, French, German, Swedish, Dutch, Hungarian, Polish, Slovak, Albanian, Georgian, Carolingian CycleFrom the Old German elements
hruod meaning "fame" and
lant meaning "land", though some theories hold that the second element was originally
nand meaning "brave".
... [more] 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).
Ruslan m Russian, Tatar, Bashkir, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Uzbek, Turkmen, Azerbaijani, Ossetian, Chechen, Ingush, Avar, Circassian, Indonesian, MalayForm 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.
Rusudan f GeorgianPossibly derived from Persian
روز (rūz) meaning
"day". This name was borne by a 13th-century ruling queen of Georgia.
Sahak m ArmenianArmenian form of
Isaac. This was the name of a 5th-century patriarch of the Armenian Church.
Salome f English (Rare), German (Rare), Georgian, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical GreekFrom an Aramaic name that was related to the Hebrew word
שָׁלוֹם (shalom) meaning
"peace". According to the historian Josephus this was the name of the daughter of
Herodias (the consort of Herod Antipas, the tetrarch of Galilee). In the New Testament, though a specific name is not given, it was a daughter of Herodias who danced for Herod and was rewarded with the head of
John the Baptist, and thus Salome and the dancer have traditionally been equated.
... [more] Sandro m Italian, GeorgianShort form of
Alessandro (Italian) or
Aleksandre (Georgian). Sandro Botticelli (1445-1510) was an Italian Renaissance artist, the painter of
The Birth of Venus and other famous works.
Selcan f Turkish, Azerbaijani, Turkic MythologyThe name of a princess of Trebizond who marries the hero Kan Turali in the 14th-century Turkic epic the
Book of Dede Korkut. It is sometimes spelled
Selcen in Turkish and
Saljan in English translations. The Turkic origin is uncertain, but it is often associated with the name elements
sel "flood, stream, torrent" and
can "soul, life", derived from Arabic
سيل (sayl) and Persian
جان (jān) respectively.
Sevan f & m ArmenianFrom the name of the largest lake in Armenia, which may be from the Urartian word
suinia simply meaning "lake".
Shalva m GeorgianMeaning unknown. This was the name of a 13th-century Georgian hero, considered a saint in the Georgian Church.
Sidonia f Late Roman, GeorgianFeminine form of
Sidonius. This is the name of a legendary saint from Georgia. She and her father Abiathar were supposedly converted by Saint
Nino from Judaism to Christianity.
Simon 1 m English, French, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Dutch, Hungarian, Slovene, Romanian, Macedonian, Georgian, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical GreekFrom
Σίμων (Simon), the New Testament Greek form of the Hebrew name
שִׁמְעוֹן (Shimʿon) meaning
"hearing, listening", derived from
שָׁמַע (shamaʿ) meaning "to hear, to listen". This name is spelled
Simeon, based on Greek
Συμεών, in many translations of the Old Testament, where it is borne by the second son of
Jacob. The New Testament spelling may show influence from the otherwise unrelated Greek name
Simon 2.
... [more] Simoni m GeorgianForm of
Simon 1 with the Georgian nominative suffix, used when the name is written stand-alone.
Süleyman m Turkish, AzerbaijaniTurkish form of
Solomon. Süleyman the Magnificent was a sultan of the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century. He expanded Ottoman territory into Europe and Persia, reformed the government, and completed several great building projects.
Suren m Parthian, ArmenianDerived from Avestan
𐬯𐬏𐬭𐬀 (sūra) meaning
"strong, powerful". This was the name of a Parthian noble family. A notable member was the military commander known as Suren or Surena, who defeated the Romans at the Battle of Carrhae in the 1st century BC.
Susanna f Italian, Catalan, Swedish, Finnish, Russian, Ukrainian, Dutch, English, Armenian, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Old Church SlavicFrom
Σουσάννα (Sousanna), the Greek form of the Hebrew name
שׁוֹשַׁנָּה (Shoshanna). This was derived from the Hebrew word
שׁוֹשָׁן (shoshan) meaning
"lily" (in modern Hebrew this also means
"rose"), perhaps ultimately from Egyptian
sšn "lotus". In the Old Testament Apocrypha this is the name of a woman falsely accused of adultery. The prophet
Daniel clears her name by tricking her accusers, who end up being condemned themselves. It also occurs in the New Testament belonging to a woman who ministers to
Jesus.
... [more] Svetlana f Russian, Slovak, Bulgarian, Serbian, Macedonian, Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Armenian, GeorgianDerived from Russian
свет (svet) meaning
"light, world". It was popularized by the poem
Svetlana (1813) by the poet Vasily Zhukovsky. It is sometimes used as a translation of
Photine.
Talin f ArmenianFrom the name of an Armenian town (meaning unknown), which is home to a famous 7th-century cathedral.
Tamar f Hebrew, Georgian, Biblical, Biblical HebrewMeans
"date palm" in Hebrew. According to the Old Testament Tamar was the daughter-in-law of
Judah and later his wife. This was also the name of a daughter of King
David. She was raped by her half-brother
Amnon, leading to his murder by her brother
Absalom. The name was borne by a 12th-century ruling queen of Georgia who presided over the kingdom at the peak of its power.
Tamara f Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Czech, Slovak, Polish, Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, Macedonian, Hungarian, English, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, Lithuanian, GeorgianRussian form of
Tamar. Russian performers such as Tamara Karsavina (1885-1978), Tamara Drasin (1905-1943), Tamara Geva (1907-1997) and Tamara Toumanova (1919-1996) introduced it to the English-speaking world. It rapidly grew in popularity in the United States starting in 1957. Another famous bearer was the Polish cubist painter Tamara de Lempicka (1898-1980).
Tamari f GeorgianForm of
Tamar with the nominative suffix, used in Georgian when the name is written stand-alone.
Tamazi m GeorgianForm of
Tamaz with the nominative suffix, used when the name is written stand-alone.
Tariel m Literature, GeorgianCreated by the Georgian poet Shota Rustaveli for his 12th-century epic
The Knight in the Panther's Skin. He may have based it on Persian
تاجور (tājvar) meaning "king" or
تار (tār) meaning "dark, obscure" combined with
یل (yal) meaning "hero". In the poem Tariel, the titular knight who wears a panther skin, is an Indian prince who becomes a companion of
Avtandil.
Taron m ArmenianFrom the name of a region in historic Armenia (now in Turkey).
Tatev f ArmenianFrom the name of the Tatev monastery in southern Armenia.
Tatiana f Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, French, Slovak, Polish, Finnish, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Dutch, Greek, Georgian, English, Russian, Bulgarian, Ancient RomanFeminine form of the Roman name
Tatianus, a derivative of the Roman name
Tatius. This was the name of a 3rd-century saint who was martyred in Rome under the emperor Alexander Severus. She was especially venerated in Orthodox Christianity, and the name has been common in Russia (as
Татьяна) and Eastern Europe. It was not regularly used in the English-speaking world until the 1980s.
Teimuraz m GeorgianGeorgian form of
Tahmuras. This was the name of several kings who ruled over kingdoms located in what is now modern Georgia.
Telman m AzerbaijaniSoviet-era name derived from the usual Azerbaijani spelling of the surname of the German communist party leader Ernst Thälmann (1886-1944; see
Thälmann).
Temuri m GeorgianForm of
Temur with the nominative suffix, used in Georgian when the name is written stand-alone.
Timur m Tatar, Chechen, Kazakh, Uzbek, Turkish, Russian, HistoryFrom the Turkic and Mongol name
Temür meaning
"iron". This was the name of several Mongol, Turkic and Yuan leaders. A notable bearer was Timur, also known as
Tamerlane (from Persian
تیمور لنگ (Tīmūr e Lang) meaning "Timur the lame"), a 14th-century Turkic leader who conquered large areas of western Asia.
Tina f English, Italian, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, German, Slovene, Croatian, Macedonian, GeorgianShort form of
Christina,
Martina and other names ending in
tina. In addition to these names, it is also used in Dutch as a short form of
Catharina, in Swedish and Croatian as a short form of
Katarina, and in Georgian as a short form of
Tinatin. A famous bearer is the American musician Tina Turner (1939-2023), born Anna Mae Bullock.
Tinatin f Georgian, LiteraturePossibly related to Georgian
სინათლე (sinatle) meaning
"light". The name was devised by the Georgian poet Shota Rustaveli for his 12th-century epic poem
The Knight in the Panther's Skin, in which Tinatin is the ruler of Arabia and the lover of
Avtandil.
Tornike m GeorgianGeorgian form of Greek
Τορνίκιος (Tornikios) or
Τορνίκης (Tornikes), the name of a prominent Byzantine family that was of Armenian or Georgian descent. The family name may be derived from Armenian
թոռնիկ (tornik), a diminutive of
թոռն (torn) meaning
"grandchild". Usage as a given name probably began in honour of the family, a notable member of which was a saint.
Tsisana f GeorgianProbably derived from Georgian
ცის (tsis) meaning
"of the sky", the genitive case of
ცა (tsa) meaning "sky, heaven". This is also an alternative Georgian word for the forget-me-not flower.
Tsisia f GeorgianDerived from Georgian
ცის (tsis) meaning
"of the sky", the genitive case of
ცა (tsa) meaning "sky, heaven".
Tsiuri f GeorgianMeans
"heavenly, celestial" in Georgian, a derivative of
ცა (tsa) meaning "sky, heaven".
Turan m & f Turkish, AzerbaijaniFrom Persian
توران (Tūrān), a historical region in Central Asia, originally inhabited by nomadic Iranian peoples. It is traditionally said to mean
"land of Tur". The place is mentioned frequently in the 10th-century Persian epic the
Shahnameh.
Vahe m ArmenianPossibly from Old Persian
𐎺𐎢 (vahu) meaning
"good". This was the name of a semi-legendary 4th-century BC Armenian king.
Vakhtang m GeorgianPossibly from Old Persian
𐎺𐎼𐎣 𐎫𐎵𐎢 (varka tanu) meaning
"wolf-bodied". This name was borne by several kings of Georgia.
Valerian m Russian, Georgian, Romanian, HistoryFrom 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.
Vaqif m AzerbaijaniFrom Persian
واقف (vāqef) meaning
"informed, knowledgeable, aware", a derivative of Arabic
وقف (waqafa) meaning "to stop, to inquire". This was the pen name of Molla Pənah, an 18th-century Azerbaijani poet and statesman.
Viktoria f German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Estonian, Greek, Georgian, Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, BelarusianGerman, Scandinavian and Greek variant of
Victoria. It is also an alternate transcription of Russian/Bulgarian
Виктория or Ukrainian
Вікторія (see
Viktoriya) or Belarusian
Вікторыя (see
Viktoryia), as well as the usual Georgian transcription.
Zabel f ArmenianArmenian form of
Isabel. A 13th-century ruling queen of Cilician Armenia bore this name.
Zviadi m GeorgianForm of
Zviad with the nominative suffix, used when the name is written stand-alone.