Mythology Names

ORION m Greek Mythology
Meaning uncertain, but possibly related to Greek ὅριον (horion) meaning "boundary, limit". Alternatively it may be derived from Akkadian Uru-anna meaning "light of the heavens". This is the name of a constellation, which gets its name from a legendary Greek hunter who was killed by a scorpion sent by the earth goddess Gaia.

ORMAZD m Persian Mythology
Modern Persian form of AHURA MAZDA.

ORPHEUS m Greek Mythology
Perhaps related to Greek ὄρφνη (orphne) meaning "the darkness of night". In Greek mythology Orpheus was a poet and musician who went to the underworld to retrieve his dead wife Eurydice. He succeeded in charming Hades with his lyre, and he was allowed to lead his wife out of the underworld on the condition that he not look back at her until they reached the surface. Unfortunately, just before they arrived his love for her overcame his will and he glanced back at her, causing her to be drawn back to Hades.

ǪRVAR m Norse Mythology
Old Norse form of ORVAR.

ORVAR m Swedish, Norse Mythology
Means "arrow" in Old Norse. Orvar Odd is a legendary Norse hero who is the subject of a 13th-century Icelandic saga.

OSCAR m English, Irish, Portuguese (Brazilian), Italian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, French, Irish Mythology
Possibly means "deer friend", derived from Gaelic os "deer" and cara "friend". Alternatively, it may derive from the Old English name OSGAR or its Old Norse cognate ÁSGEIRR, which may have been brought to Ireland by Viking invaders and settlers. In Irish legend Oscar was the son of the poet Oisín and the grandson of the hero Fionn mac Cumhail.... [more]

OSIRIS m Egyptian Mythology (Hellenized)
Greek form of the Egyptian wsjr (reconstructed as Asar, Usir and other forms), which is of unknown meaning, possibly related to wsr "mighty" or jrt "eye". In Egyptian mythology Osiris was the god of the dead and the judge of the underworld. He was slain by his brother Seth, but revived by his wife Isis.

ÓÐINN m Norse Mythology, Icelandic
Old Norse and Icelandic form of ODIN.

OURANIA f Greek Mythology
Derived from Greek οὐράνιος (ouranios) meaning "heavenly". In Greek mythology she was the goddess of astronomy and astrology, one of the nine Muses.

OURANOS m Greek Mythology
Greek form of URANUS.

OWAIN m Welsh, Welsh Mythology, Arthurian Romance
Probably a Welsh form of EUGENE, though other theories connect it to Welsh eoghunn meaning "youth". This was the name of several figures from Welsh history and mythology. In Arthurian legend Owain (also called Yvain in French sources) was one of the Knights of the Round Table, the son of King Urien and husband of the Lady of the Fountain. His character was based on that of Owain ap Urien, a 6th-century Welsh prince who fought against the Angles. This name was also borne by Owain Glyndwr, a 14th-century leader of Welsh resistance against English rule.

PADMA f & m Hinduism, Indian, Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu
Means "lotus" in Sanskrit. This is a transcription of both the feminine form पद्मा and the masculine form पद्म. According to Hindu tradition a lotus holding the god Brahma arose from the navel of the god Vishnu. The name Padma is used in Hindu texts to refer to several characters, including the goddess Lakshmi and the hero Rama.

PADMAVATI f Hinduism
Means "resembling lotuses", derived from the Sanskrit word पद्म (padma) meaning "lotus" combined with वती (vati) meaning "resemblance". This is the name of the foster-mother of the god Hindu Skanda.

PALLAS (1) f Greek Mythology
Probably derived from a Greek word meaning "maiden, young woman". This was an epithet of the Greek goddess Athena. According to some legends it was originally the name of a friend of the goddess. Athena accidentally killed her while sparring, so she took the name in honour of her friend.

PALLAS (2) m Greek Mythology
Possibly derived from Greek πάλλω (pallo) meaning "to brandish". In Greek mythology this was the name of a Titan and several other characters. It was also the name of a female character, though her name is probably from a different source (see PALLAS (1)).

PAN m Greek Mythology
Possibly from an Indo-European root meaning "shepherd, protector". In Greek mythology Pan was a half-man, half-goat god associated with shepherds, flocks and pastures.

PANDORA f Greek Mythology
Means "all gifts", derived from a combination of Greek πᾶν (pan) meaning "all" and δῶρον (doron) meaning "gift". In Greek mythology Pandora was the first mortal woman. Zeus gave her a jar containing all of the troubles and ills that mankind now knows, and told her not to open it. Unfortunately her curiosity got the best of her and she opened it, unleashing the evil spirits into the world.

PANGU m Chinese Mythology
From Chinese 盘 (pán) meaning "tray, pan" and 古 (gǔ) meaning "old, ancient". In Chinese mythology this is the name of the first living being.

PANKAJA m Hinduism
Means "born of mud", referring to the lotus flower, derived from Sanskrit पङ्क (panka) meaning "mud" and ज (ja) meaning "born". This is another name of the Hindu god Brahma.

PAPA f Polynesian Mythology
Means "earth" in Maori. In Maori and other Polynesian mythology Papa or Papatuanuku was the goddess of the earth and the mother of many of the other gods. She and her husband Rangi, the god of the sky, were locked in a tight embrace. Their children decided to separate them, a feat of strength accomplished by the god Tāne.

PARIS (1) m Greek Mythology
Meaning unknown, possibly of Luwian or Hittite origin. In Greek mythology he was the Trojan prince who kidnapped Helen and began the Trojan War. Though presented as a somewhat of a coward in the Iliad, he did manage to slay the great hero Achilles. He was himself eventually slain in battle by Philoctetes.

PARTHA m Hinduism, Bengali, Indian, Assamese
Means "son of PRITHA" in Sanskrit. In Hindu belief this is another name for the Pandavas, who were sons of Pritha (another name of Kunti) and Pandu.

PARTHALÁN m Irish Mythology
Meaning unknown, possibly from BARTHOLOMEW. In Irish legend he was the first man on Ireland after the biblical flood.

PARTHENIA f Greek Mythology
Derived from Greek παρθένος (parthenos) meaning "maiden, virgin". This was the name of one of the mares of Marmax in Greek mythology.

PARTHENOPE f Greek Mythology
Means "maiden's voice", derived from Greek παρθένος (parthenos) meaning "maiden, virgin" and ὄψ (ops) meaning "voice". In Greek legend this is the name of one of the Sirens who enticed Odysseus.

PARVATI f Hinduism, Indian, Hindi
Means "of the mountains" in Sanskrit. Parvati is a Hindu goddess of love and power, the wife of Shiva and the mother of Ganesha.

PATROCLUS m Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of the Greek Πάτροκλος (Patroklos) meaning "glory of the father", derived from πατήρ (pater) meaning "father" (genitive πατρός) and κλέος (kleos) meaning "glory". In Greek legend he was one of the heroes who fought against the Trojans. His death at the hands of Hector drew his friend Achilles back into the war.

PATROKLOS m Greek Mythology
Greek form of PATROCLUS.

PAX f Roman Mythology
Means "peace" in Latin. In Roman mythology this was the name of the goddess of peace.

PEGASUS m Greek Mythology (Latinized)
From the Greek Πήγασος (Pegasos), possibly either from πηγός (pegos) meaning "strong" or πηγαῖος (pegaios) meaning "from a water spring". In Greek mythology Pegasus was the winged horse that sprang from the blood of Medusa after she was killed by Perseus. There is a constellation in the northern sky named after the horse.

PEKKO m Finnish Mythology
Meaning unknown. This is the name of the Finnish god of fields and crops.

PELE f Polynesian Mythology
Meaning unknown. This was the name of the Hawaiian goddess of volcanoes and fire who is said to live in Kilauea.

PENELOPE f Greek Mythology, English
Probably derived from Greek πηνέλοψ (penelops), a type of duck. Alternatively it could be from πήνη (pene) meaning "threads, weft" and ὄψ (ops) meaning "face, eye". In Homer's epic the Odyssey this is the name of the wife of Odysseus, forced to fend off suitors while her husband is away fighting at Troy. It has occasionally been used as an English given name since the 16th century.

PEREDUR m Welsh Mythology, Arthurian Romance
Possibly means "hard spears" in Welsh. This was the name of several figures from Welsh mythology. It was later used by the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth in his Arthurian tales. The character of Percival was probably based on him.

PERSEPHONE f Greek Mythology
Meaning unknown, probably of Pre-Greek origin, but perhaps related to Greek πέρθω (pertho) meaning "to destroy" and φονή (phone) meaning "murder". In Greek myth she was the daughter of Demeter and Zeus. She was abducted to the underworld by Hades, but was eventually allowed to return to the surface for part of the year. The result of her comings and goings is the changing of the seasons. With her mother she was worshipped in the Eleusinian Mysteries, which were secret rites practiced at the city of Eleusis near Athens.

PERSEUS m Greek Mythology
Possibly derived from Greek πέρθω (pertho) meaning "to destroy". In Greek mythology Perseus was a hero who was said to have founded the ancient city of Mycenae. He was the son of Zeus and Danaë. Mother and child were exiled by Danaë's father Acrisius, and Perseus was raised on the island of Seriphos. The king of the island compelled Perseus to kill the Gorgon Medusa, who was so ugly that anyone who gazed upon her was turned to stone. After obtaining winged sandals and other tools from the gods, he succeeded in his task by looking at Medusa in the reflection of his shield and slaying her in her sleep. On his return he defeated a sea monster in order to save Andromeda, who became his wife.

PERUN m Slavic Mythology
Means "thunder" in Slavic. In Slavic mythology Perun was the god of lightning, sometimes worshipped as the primary god. The oak was his sacred tree.

PHAEDRA f Greek Mythology (Latinized)
From the Greek Φαίδρα (Phaidra), derived from φαιδρός (phaidros) meaning "bright". Phaedra was the daughter of Minos and the wife of Theseus in Greek mythology. Aphrodite caused her to fall in love with her stepson Hippolytos, and after she was rejected by him she killed herself.

PHAENNA f Greek Mythology
Derived from Greek φαεινός (phaeinos) meaning "shining". According to some Greek myths this was the name of one of the three Graces or Χάριτες (Charites).

PHAIDRA f Greek Mythology
Greek form of PHAEDRA.

PHANUEL m Biblical, Judeo-Christian Legend
Form of PENUEL used in the New Testament, where it is borne by the father of Anna the prophetess. It also appears in the apocryphal Book of Enoch belonging to an angel.

PHILANDER m English (Archaic), Greek Mythology (Latinized)
From the Greek name Φίλανδρος (Philandros) meaning "friend of man" from Greek φίλος (philos) meaning "friend" and ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man" (genitive ἀνδρός). It was the name of a son of Apollo with the nymph Acalle. In the 18th century this was coined as a word meaning "to womanize", and the name subsequently dropped out of use.

PHILANDROS m Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek form of PHILANDER.

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.

PHILOMELE f Greek Mythology
Greek form of PHILOMELA.

PHINEUS m Greek Mythology
Meaning uncertain, possibly from Greek φίνις (phinis), a variant of φήνη (phene) meaning "vulture". According to Greek mythology this was the name of a king of Thrace visited by Jason and the Argonauts.

PHOBOS m Greek Mythology
Means "fear, panic" in Greek. This was one of the sons of Ares in Greek mythology. Also, one of the moons of Mars bears this name.

PHOEBE f English, Greek Mythology (Latinized), Biblical, Biblical Latin
Latinized form of the Greek name Φοίβη (Phoibe), which meant "bright, pure" from Greek φοῖβος (phoibos). In Greek mythology Phoibe was a Titan associated with the moon. This was also an epithet of her granddaughter, the moon goddess Artemis. The name appears in Paul's epistle to the Romans in the New Testament, where it belongs to a female minister in the church at Cenchreae. In England, it began to be used as a given name after the Protestant Reformation. A moon of Saturn bears this name (in honour of the Titan).

PHOEBUS m Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of the Greek name Φοῖβος (Phoibos), which meant "bright, pure". This was an epithet of the Greek god Apollo.

PHOIBE f Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek, Biblical Greek
Greek form of PHOEBE.

PHOIBOS m Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek
Greek form of PHOEBUS.

PHRIXOS m Greek Mythology
Greek form of PHRIXUS.

PHRIXUS m Greek Mythology (Latinized)
From the Greek Φρίξος (Phrixos) meaning "thrilling, causing shivers", derived from φρίξ (phrix) meaning "ripple, shiver". In Greek myth Phrixus was the son of Athamus and Nephele. He was to be sacrificed to Zeus, but he escaped with his sister Helle on the back of the ram with the Golden Fleece.

PHYLLIS f Greek Mythology, English
Means "foliage" in Greek. In Greek mythology this was the name of a woman who killed herself out of love for Demophon and was subsequently transformed into an almond tree. It began to be used as a given name in England in the 16th century, though it was often confused with Felicia.

PISTIS f Greek Mythology
Means "trust, faith" in Greek. In Greek mythology Pistis was the personification of trust.

PITAMBARA m Hinduism
Derived from Sanskrit पीत (pita) meaning "yellow" and अम्बर (ambara) meaning "garment". This is another name of the Hindu gods Vishnu or Krishna, given to them because yellow clothing is traditionally worn at religious events.

PLOUTON m Greek Mythology
Greek form of PLUTO.

PLUTO m Greek Mythology (Latinized), Roman Mythology
Latinized form of Greek Πλούτων (Plouton), derived from πλοῦτος (ploutos) meaning "wealth". This was an alternate name of Hades, the god of the underworld. This is also the name of a dwarf planet (formerly designated the ninth planet) in the solar system.

POLLUX m Roman Mythology
Roman form of Greek Πολυδεύκης (Polydeukes) meaning "very sweet", from Greek πολύς (polys) meaning "much" and δευκής (deukes) meaning "sweet". In mythology he was the twin brother of Castor and a son of Zeus. The constellation Gemini, which represents the two brothers, contains a star by this name.

POLYDEUKES m Greek Mythology
Greek form of POLLUX.

POLYHYMNIA f Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of POLYMNIA.

POLYMNIA f Greek Mythology
Means "abounding in song", derived from Greek πολύς (polys) meaning "much" and ὕμνος (hymnos) meaning "song, hymn". In Greek mythology she was the goddess of dance and sacred songs, one of the nine Muses.

POLYXENA f Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Greek Πολυξένη (Polyxene), which was from the word πολύξενος (polyxenos) meaning "entertaining many guests, very hospitable", itself derived from πολύς (polys) meaning "many" and ξένος (xenos) meaning "foreigner, guest". In Greek legend she was a daughter of Priam and Hecuba, beloved by Achilles. After the Trojan War, Achilles' son Neoptolemus sacrificed her.

POLYXENE f Greek Mythology
Ancient Greek form of POLYXENA.

POMONA f Roman Mythology
From Latin pomus "fruit tree". This was the name of the Roman goddess of fruit trees.

PONTOS m Greek Mythology
Greek form of PONTUS (2).

PONTUS (2) m Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of Greek Πόντος (Pontos) meaning "sea". This was the name of a Greek god of the sea. He was the son of Gaia.

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.

PRABHAKARA m Hinduism
Means "light maker", derived from Sanskrit प्रभा (prabha) meaning "light" and कर (kara) meaning "maker". This is a name given to the sun in Hindu texts. It was also borne by a medieval Hindu scholar.

PRABHU m Hinduism, Tamil, Indian, Kannada
Means "mighty, powerful, master" in Sanskrit. This is an epithet of both the Hindu gods Surya and Agni.

PRAMODA m Hinduism
Means "joy" in Sanskrit. This is the name of an attendant of the Hindu god Skanda.

PRAXIS f Greek Mythology
Means "action, sex" in Greek. This was another name for the Greek goddess Aphrodite.

PRIAM m Greek Mythology (Anglicized)
From the Greek Πρίαμος (Priamos), possibly meaning "redeemed". In Greek legend Priam was the king of Troy during the Trojan War and the father of many children including Hector and Paris.

PRIAMOS m Greek Mythology
Greek form of PRIAM.

PRIAPOS m Greek Mythology
Greek form of PRIAPUS.

PRIAPUS m Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Meaning unknown. This was the name of a Greek god of fertility, gardens, and the phallus.

PRITHA f Hinduism, Bengali
Means "the palm of the hand" in Sanskrit. This is another name of the legendary Hindu figure Kunti.

PRIYA f Hinduism, Indian, Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Bengali
Means "beloved" in Sanskrit. In Hindu legend this is the name of a daughter of King Daksha.

PROMETHEUS m Greek Mythology
Derived from Greek προμήθεια (prometheia) meaning "foresight, forethought". In Greek myth he was the Titan who gave the knowledge of fire to mankind. For doing this he was punished by Zeus, who had him chained to a rock and caused an eagle to feast daily on his liver, which regenerated itself each night. Herakles eventually freed him.

PROSERPINA f Roman Mythology
Means "to emerge" in Latin. She was the Roman equivalent of the Greek goddess Persephone.

PROSERPINE f Roman Mythology
Variant of PROSERPINA.

PROTEUS m Greek Mythology
Derived from Greek πρῶτος (protos) meaning "first". In Greek mythology this was the name of a prophetic god of the sea.

PRYDERI m Welsh, Welsh Mythology
Means "care" in Welsh. According to Welsh legend this was the name of the son of Pwyll and Rhiannon. A central character in the Mabinogion, he succeeds his father as king of Dyfed, but is ultimately killed in single combat with Gwydion.

PSYCHE f Greek Mythology
Means "the soul", derived from Greek ψύχω (psycho) meaning "to breathe". The Greeks thought that the breath was the soul. In Greek mythology Psyche was a beautiful maiden who was beloved by Eros (or Cupid in Roman mythology). She is the subject of Keats's poem Ode to Psyche (1819).

PTAH m Egyptian Mythology
From Egyptian ptḥ meaning "opener, creator". Ptah was an Egyptian god associated with creation and the arts.

PUCK m & f Anglo-Saxon Mythology, Dutch
Meaning unknown, from Old English puca. It could ultimately be of either Germanic or Celtic origin. In English legend this was the name of a mischievous spirit, also known as Robin Goodfellow. He appears in Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream (1600). It is used in the Netherlands as mainly a feminine name.

PURUSHOTTAMA m Hinduism
Means "the best man" from Sanskrit पुरुष (purusha) meaning "man" and उत्तम (uttama) meaning "highest". This is another name of either of the Hindu gods Vishnu or Krishna.

PWYLL m Welsh Mythology
Meaning unknown. In the Mabinogion, a collection of tales from Welsh mythology, Pwyll is a king of Dyfed who pursues and finally marries Rhiannon.

PYRRHOS m Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek
Greek form of PYRRHUS.

PYRRHUS m Greek Mythology (Latinized), Ancient Greek (Latinized)
From the Greek name Πύρρος (Pyrrhos) meaning "flame-coloured, red", related to πῦρ (pyr) meaning "fire". This was another name of Neoptolemus the son of Achilles. This was also the name of a 3rd-century BC king of Epirus who was famed for his victorious yet costly battles against Rome.

PYTHIOS m Greek Mythology
From the Greek place name Πυθώ (Pytho), an older name of the city of Delphi, which was probably derived from Greek πύθω (pytho) meaning "to rot". This was an epithet of Apollo.

QAFTZI'EL m Judeo-Christian Legend
Hebrew form of CASSIEL.

QINGLONG m Chinese Mythology
From Chinese 青 (qīng) meaning "blue, green" and 龙 (lóng) meaning "dragon". This is the Chinese name of the Azure Dragon, associated with the east and the spring season.

QUETZALCOATL m Aztec and Toltec Mythology
Means "feathered snake" in Nahuatl, derived from quetzalli "feather" and coatl "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.

QUIRINUS m Roman Mythology, Late Roman
Possibly derived from the Sabine word quiris meaning "spear". Quirinus was a Sabine and Roman god, sometimes identified with Romulus. He declined in importance after the early Republican era. The name was also borne by several early saints.

RA m Egyptian Mythology
From Egyptian rꜥ meaning "sun" or "day". Ra was an important Egyptian sun god originally worshipped in Heliopolis in Lower Egypt. He was usually depicted as a man with the head of a falcon crowned with a solar disc. In later times his attributes were often merged with those of other deities, such as Amon, Atum and Horus.

RADHA f & m Hinduism, Indian, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Hindi, Marathi
Means "success" in Sanskrit. This is the name of the favourite consort of the Hindu god Krishna.

RADHIKA f Hinduism, Indian, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil
Variant of RADHA.

RAGHU m Hinduism, Indian, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam
Means "swift" in Sanskrit. This is the name of a heroic king in Hindu epics, the great-grandfather of Rama. It is also mentioned as the name of a son of Buddha in Buddhist texts.

RAGUEL m Biblical, Judeo-Christian Legend
From Latin Raguhel, a scriptural variant of REUEL. This appears in some versions of the Old Testament at Exodus 2:18 as another name of Jethro, while other translations use Reuel. This name is also borne by an archangel in the Book of Enoch.

RAIDEN m Japanese Mythology
From Japanese 雷 (rai) meaning "thunder" and 電 (den) meaning "lightning". This is a regional epithet of the Japanese god Raijin.

RAIJIN m Japanese Mythology
From Japanese 雷 (rai) meaning "thunder" and 神 (jin) meaning "god, spirit". This is the name of the god (or gods) of thunder and storms in the mythology of Japan.

RAJANI f & m Hinduism, Indian, Telugu, Kannada, Marathi, Hindi, Nepali
Means "the dark one" in Sanskrit. This is another name of the Hindu goddess Kali or Durga.

RAMA (1) m Hinduism, Indian, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam
Means "pleasing, beautiful" in Sanskrit. In Hindu belief this is the name of an incarnation of the god Vishnu. He is the hero of the Ramayana, a Hindu epic, which tells of the abduction of his wife Sita by the demon king Ravana, and his efforts to recapture her.

RAMA (2) f Hinduism
Means "wife" in Sanskrit. This is another name of the goddess Lakshmi.

RAMACHANDRA m Hinduism, Indian, Kannada, Telugu
Derived from the name of the Hindu god RAMA (1) combined with Sanskrit चन्द्र (chandra) meaning "moon". This is another name of Rama.

RAMESHA m Hinduism
Means "husband of Lakshmi", derived from RAMA (2), a name of Lakshmi, combined with ईश (isha) meaning "ruler, husband". This is one of the names of the Hindu god Vishnu.

RAMESHVARA m Hinduism
Means "lord of Rama", derived from the name of the Hindu god RAMA (1) combined with Sanskrit ईश्वर (ishvara) meaning "lord, god". This is another name for the Hindu god Shiva.

RAMIEL m Judeo-Christian Legend
Possibly from Hebrew רָעמִיאֵל (Rami'el) meaning "thunder of God". The Book of Enoch names him as an archangel. He is often identified with Jeremiel.

RANGI m Maori, Polynesian Mythology
Means "sky" in Maori. In Maori and other Polynesian mythology Rangi or Ranginui was a god of the sky, husband of the earth goddess Papa. They were locked in a crushing embrace but were eventually separated by their children, the other gods.

RASHN m Persian Mythology
Modern Persian form of Avestan Rashnu meaning "justice". In Zoroastrianism this was the name of a Yazata who judged the souls of the dead.

RASHNU m Persian Mythology
Ancient Avestan form of RASHN.

RATI f Hinduism, Indian, Hindi
Means "rest, pleasure" in Sanskrit. This is the name of the wife of the Hindu god of love Kama.

RAVI m Hinduism, Indian, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Odia, Gujarati, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Nepali
Means "sun" in Sanskrit. Ravi is a Hindu god of the sun, sometimes equated with Surya. A famous bearer was the musician Ravi Shankar (1920-2012).

RAVINDRA m Hinduism, Indian, Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Kannada
Means "lord of the sun" from Sanskrit रवि (ravi) meaning "sun" combined with the name of the Hindu god INDRA, used here to mean "lord". This is another name for the Hindu god Surya.

RAZIEL m Judeo-Christian Legend
Means "my secret is God" in Hebrew. This is the name of an archangel in Jewish tradition.

RE m Egyptian Mythology
Variant spelling of RA.

REMUS m Roman Mythology, Romanian
Meaning unknown. In Roman legend Romulus and Remus were the founders of Rome. Remus was later slain by Romulus.

REVA f Hinduism, Indian, Hindi
Means "one that moves" in Sanskrit. This is another name of the Hindu goddess Rati.

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 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.

RHEIE f Greek Mythology
Greek variant of RHEA.

RHIANNON f Welsh, English, Welsh Mythology
Probably derived from the old Celtic name Rigantona meaning "great queen". It is speculated that this was the name of an otherwise unattested Celtic goddess of fertility and the moon. The name Rhiannon appears later in Welsh legend in the Mabinogion, borne by the wife of Pwyll and the mother of Pryderi.... [more]

RIGANTONA f Celtic Mythology (Hypothetical)
Reconstructed old Celtic form of RHIANNON.

RÍGHNACH f Irish Mythology
Variant of RÍOGHNACH.

RÍOGHNACH f Irish Mythology
Derived from Irish ríoghan meaning "queen". In Irish legend this was a wife of the Irish king Niall.

ROMULUS m Roman Mythology
Means "of Rome" in Latin. In Roman legend Romulus and Remus were the founders of the city of Rome.

ROSTAM m Persian, Persian Mythology
Meaning unknown, possibly from Avestan raodha "to grow" and takhma "strong, brave, valiant". Rostam was a warrior hero in Persian legend. The 10th-century Persian poet Ferdowsi recorded his tale in the Shahnameh.

RUKMINI f Hinduism
Means "adorned with gold" in Sanskrit. In Hindu belief this is the name of a princess who became the wife of Krishna.

SAAM m Persian, Persian Mythology
Alternate transcription of Persian سام (see SAM (2)).

SABIA f Irish Mythology
Latinized form of SADB.

SADB f Irish, Irish Mythology
Means "sweet, goodly" in Irish. In Irish mythology Sadb was the mother of Oisín.

SADBH f Irish, Irish Mythology
Variant of SADB.

SADHBH f Irish, Irish Mythology
Modern Irish form of SADB.

SAGA f Norse Mythology, Swedish, Icelandic
Possibly means "seeing one" in Old Norse. This was the name of the Norse goddess of poetry and history, sometimes identified with the goddess Frigg. This is also a modern Swedish word meaning "story, fairy tale".

SALACIA f Roman Mythology
Derived from Latin sal meaning "salt". This was the name of the Roman goddess of salt water.

SAM (2) m Persian, Persian Mythology
Means "dark" in Avestan. This is the name of a hero in the 10th-century Persian epic the Shahnameh.

SAMAEL m Judeo-Christian Legend
Means "severity of God" in Hebrew. This is the name of an archangel in Jewish tradition, described as a destructive angel of death.

SAMPO m Finnish, Finnish Mythology
Meaning unknown. In Finnish mythology this is the name of a magical artifact (perhaps a mill) created by the smith god Ilmarinen.

SANDHYA f Hinduism, Indian, Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam
Means "twilight" in Sanskrit. This is the name of the daughter of the Hindu god Brahma.

SANJAYA m Hinduism
Means "completely victorious, triumphant" in Sanskrit. This is the name of a royal official in the Hindu epic the Mahabharata.

SARASWATI f Hinduism, Indian, Hindi, Marathi
Means "possessing water" from Sanskrit सरस् (saras) meaning "fluid, water, lake" and वती (vati) meaning "having". This is the name of a Hindu river goddess, also associated with learning and the arts, who is the wife of Brahma.

SAROSH m Persian Mythology
Middle Persian form of SOROUSH.

SARPEDON m Greek Mythology
Meaning unknown. In Greek legend Sarpedon was the son of Zeus and Laodamia, and the king of the Lycians. He was one of the chief warriors who fought against the Greeks in defense of Troy, but he was killed by Patroclus. Another Sarpedon was the son of Zeus and Europa.

SATI f Hinduism
Means "truthful" in Sanskrit. In Hindu belief this was the name of a goddess, a wife of Shiva. After her death she was reborn as the goddess Parvati.

SATISHA m Hinduism
Means "lord of Sati" from the name of the Hindu goddess SATI combined with ईश (isha) meaning "ruler". This is another name for the Hindu god Shiva.

SATURN m Roman Mythology (Anglicized)
From the Latin Saturnus, which is of unknown meaning. In Roman mythology he was the father of Jupiter, Juno and others, and was also the god of agriculture. This is also the name of the ringed sixth planet in the solar system.

SATURNUS m Roman Mythology
Latin form of SATURN.

SAULE (1) f Latvian, Baltic Mythology
Latvian form of SAULĖ.

SAULĖ f Lithuanian, Baltic Mythology
Means "sun" in Lithuanian. This was the name of the Lithuanian sun goddess.

SAULIĀ f Baltic Mythology (Hypothetical)
Possible earlier form of SAULĖ.

SAVITR m Hinduism
Means "rouser, stimulator" in Sanskrit. This is the name of a Hindu sun god, sometimes identified with Surya.

SAVITRI f Hinduism, Indian, Hindi, Marathi
Means "relating to the sun" in Sanskrit. This is the name of a hymn dedicated to Savitr, a Hindu sun god, and it is also the name of his daughter. It is borne by several other characters in Hindu epics, including a wife of Brahma, a wife of Shiva, and a daughter of Daksha. In the Hindu epic the Mahabharata it is borne by King Satyavan's wife, who successfully pleas with Yama, the god of death, to restore her husband to life.

SEDNA f 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.

SELENA f Spanish, Russian, Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of SELENE. This name was borne by popular Mexican-American singer Selena Quintanilla (1971-1995), who was known simply as Selena.

SELENE f Greek Mythology
Means "moon" in Greek. This was the name of a Greek goddess of the moon, a Titan. She was sometimes identified with the goddess Artemis.

SEMELE f Greek Mythology
Meaning unknown, possibly of Phrygian origin. In Greek mythology she was one of the many lovers of Zeus. Hera, being jealous, tricked Semele into asking Zeus to display himself in all his splendour as the god of thunder. When he did, Semele was struck by lightning and died, but not before giving birth to Dionysos.

SEPPO (1) m Finnish, Finnish Mythology
Derived from Finnish seppä meaning "smith". Seppo Ilmarinen ("the smith Ilmarinen") was the name of a master craftsman in the Finnish epic the Kalevala.

SERAPIS m Egyptian Mythology (Hellenized)
From a compound of Asar, the Egyptian form of OSIRIS, and APIS, the sacred bull of the Egyptians. This was the name of a syncretic Greco-Egyptian god, apparently promoted by Ptolemy I Soter in the 3rd-century BC in an attempt to unite the native Egyptians and the Greeks in the Ptolemaic Kingdom.

SET m Egyptian Mythology (Hellenized)
Variant of SETH (2).

SETH (2) m Egyptian Mythology (Hellenized)
From Σήθ (Seth), the Greek form of Egyptian swtẖ or stẖ (reconstructed as Sutekh), which is of unknown meaning. Seth was the Egyptian god of chaos and the desert, the slayer of Osiris. Osiris's son Horus eventually defeats Seth and has him banished to the desert.

SHAHRIVAR m Persian Mythology
Modern Persian form of Avestan Kshathra Vairya meaning "desirable power". In Zoroastrianism this was the name of a god of metal and a protector of the weak. This is also the name of the sixth month of the Iranian calendar.

SHAILAJA f Hinduism, Indian, Telugu
Means "daughter of the mountain" in Sanskrit, from शैल (shaila) meaning "mountain" and ज (ja) meaning "born". This is another name of the Hindu goddess Parvati.

SHAKTI f & m Hinduism, Indian, Hindi
Means "power" in Sanskrit. In Hinduism a shakti is the female counterpart of a god. The name Shakti is used in particular to refer to the female counterpart of Shiva, also known as Parvati among many other names.

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.

SHALIM m Semitic Mythology
From the Semitic root shalam meaning "peace". This was the name of an Ugaritic god associated with the evening.

SHAMASH m Semitic Mythology
Means "sun" in Akkadian. This was the Akkadian, Assyrian and Babylonian name of Utu.

SHAMS f Semitic Mythology
Means "sun" in Arabic. This was a pre-Islamic Arabian goddess of the sun, identified with the Akkadian sun god Shamash (whose name is related) and the northern Arabian goddess Nuha.

SHANI (2) m Hinduism
From the Sanskrit name of the planet Saturn. This is the name of a celestial Hindu god.

SHANKARA m Hinduism
Derived from the Sanskrit elements शम् (sham) meaning "auspicious, lucky" and कर (kara) meaning "maker". This is another name of the Hindu god Shiva. This was also the name of a 9th-century Indian religious philosopher also known as Shankaracharya.

SHANTA f Hinduism, Indian, Hindi, Marathi, Nepali
Means "pacified, calm" in Sanskrit. In the Hindu epic the Ramayana this is the name of a daughter of King Dasharatha.

SHANTANU m Hinduism, Indian, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali
Means "wholesome" in Sanskrit. In the Hindu epic the Mahabharata this is the name of a king of Hastinapura.

SHIVA (1) m Hinduism, Indian, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Nepali
Derived from Sanskrit शिव (shiva) meaning "benign, kind, auspicious". Shiva is the Hindu god of destruction and restoration, the husband of the mother goddess Parvati. His aspect is usually terrifying, but it can also be gentle.

SHIVALI f Hinduism, Indian, Hindi
Means "beloved of SHIVA (1)" in Sanskrit. This is another name of the Hindu goddess Parvati.

SHIVANI f Hinduism, Indian, Hindi
Derived from the god's name SHIVA (1). This is an epithet Hindu goddess Parvati, the wife of Shiva.

SHRI f Hinduism
Means "diffusing light, radiance, beauty" in Sanskrit. This is another name of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi. This word is also commonly used as a title of respect in India.

SHRIDEVI f Hinduism
From the name of the Hindu goddess SHRI combined with Sanskrit देवी (devi) meaning "goddess". This is another name of Lakshmi.

SHRIPATI m Hinduism
Means "husband of Shri" from the name of the Hindu goddess SHRI combined with Sanskrit पति (pati) meaning "husband, lord". This is another name of the Hindu god Vishnu.

SHULMANU m Semitic Mythology
Possibly cognate with the Western Semitic god SHALIM. Shulmanu was an Eastern Semitic (Mesopotamian) god associated with battle.

SHYAMA m & f Hinduism, Indian, Hindi
Derived from Sanskrit श्याम (shyama) meaning "dark, black, blue". This is a transcription of the masculine form श्याम, which is another name of the Hindu god Krishna, as well as the feminine form श्यामा, one of the many names of the wife of the god Shiva. It is also the name of a Jain goddess.

SIAVASH m Persian, Persian Mythology
Means "possessing black stallions" in Avestan. This is the name of a prince in the 10th-century Persian epic the Shahnameh.

SIEGFRIED m German, Germanic Mythology
Derived from the Germanic elements sigu "victory" and frid "peace". Siegfried was a hero from Germanic legend, chief character in the Nibelungenlied. He secretly helped the Burgundian king Günther overcome the challenges set out by the Icelandic queen Brünhild so that Günther might win her hand. In exchange, Günther consented to the marriage of Siegfried and his sister Kriemhild. Years later, after a dispute between Brünhild and Kriemhild, Siegfried was murdered by Hagen with Günther's consent. He was stabbed in his one vulnerable spot on the small of his back, which had been covered by a leaf while he bathed in dragon's blood. His adventures were largely based on those of the Norse hero Sigurd. The story was later adapted by Richard Wagner to form part of his opera The Ring of the Nibelung (1876).

SIEGLINDE f German, Germanic Mythology
Derived from the Germanic elements sigu "victory" and lind "soft, tender, flexible". Sieglinde was the mother of Siegfried in the Germanic saga the Nibelungenlied.

SIF f Norse Mythology, Danish, Icelandic
Variant of SIV.

SIGNÝ f Ancient Scandinavian, Norse Mythology, Icelandic
Old Norse name that was derived from the elements sigr "victory" and nýr "new". In Norse legend she was the twin sister of Sigmund and the wife of Siggeir.

SIGRÚN f Ancient Scandinavian, Norse Mythology, Icelandic
Derived from the Old Norse elements sigr "victory" and rún "secret". This was the name of a Valkyrie in Norse legend.

SIGURD m Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Norse Mythology
From the Old Norse name Sigurðr, which was derived from the elements sigr "victory" and varðr "guardian". Sigurd was the hero of the Norse legend the Volsungasaga, 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.

SIGURÐR m Ancient Scandinavian, Norse Mythology
Old Norse form of SIGURD.

SILVANUS m Roman Mythology, Ancient Roman, Biblical, Biblical Latin
Roman name derived from Latin silva meaning "wood, forest". Silvanus was the Roman god of forests. This name appears in the New Testament belonging to one of Saint Paul's companions, also called Silas.

SILVIA f Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, German, Dutch, English, Late Roman, Roman Mythology
Feminine form of SILVIUS. Rhea Silvia was the mother of Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome. This was also the name of a 6th-century saint, the mother of the pope Gregory the Great. It has been a common name in Italy since the Middle Ages. It was introduced to England by Shakespeare, who used it for a character in his play The Two Gentlemen of Verona (1594). It is now more commonly spelled Sylvia in the English-speaking world.

SILVIUS m Late Roman, Roman Mythology
Derived 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.

SIMON (2) m Ancient Greek, Greek Mythology
Derived from Greek σιμός (simos) meaning "flat-nosed". In Greek mythology this was the name of one of the Telchines, demigods who were the original inhabitants of Rhodes.

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.

SINDRI m Norse Mythology, Ancient Scandinavian, Icelandic
Possibly means either "small, trivial" or else "sparkling" in Old Norse. In Norse legend this was the name of a dwarf who, with his brother Brokk, made many magical items for the gods.

SIONANN f Irish Mythology
The name of an Irish goddess, a granddaughter of Lir, who was the personification of the River Shannon. Her name is derived from the name of the river (see SHANNON).

SITA f Hinduism, Indian, Hindi, Nepali
Means "furrow" in Sanskrit. Sita is the name of the Hindu goddess of the harvest in the Rigveda. This is also the name of the wife of Rama (and an avatar of Lakshmi) in the Hindu epic the Ramayana. In this story Sita is rescued by her husband from the demon king Ravana.

SIV f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Norse Mythology
Means "bride" in Old Norse. In Norse mythology Siv was the wife of Thor.

ŠIWA f Slavic Mythology
Variant of ŽIVA.

SKADI f Norse Mythology
Variant of SKAÐI.

SKANDA m Hinduism
Means "hopping, spurting, spilling" in Sanskrit. In Hindu belief this is the name of the god of war, also known as Kartikeya or Murugan. He is worshipped especially by the Tamils in southern India.

SKAÐI f Norse Mythology
Means "damage, harm" in Old Norse. In Norse mythology she was a mountain giantess associated with the winter and skiing, the wife of Njord and later Odin.

SKULD f Norse Mythology
Means "future" in Old Norse. She was one of the three Norns, or goddesses of destiny, in Norse mythology. She was also one of the Valkyries.

SLÁINE f & m Irish, Irish Mythology
Means "health" in Irish. This was the name of a legendary high king of Ireland.

SOHRAB m Persian, Persian Mythology
Probably from Middle Persian swhr "red" and ab "water". In the 10th-century Persian epic the Shahnameh this is the name of the son of the hero Rostam. He was tragically slain in battle by his father, who was unaware he was fighting his own son.

SOROUSH m Persian Mythology, Persian
Modern Persian form of Avestan Sraosha meaning "obedience". In Zoroastrianism this was the name of a Yazata (or angel), later equated with the angel Gabriel.

SOSRUKO m Caucasian Mythology
Derived from Turkic suslä meaning "menacing". This is the name of a trickster god in Caucasian mythology. He is the hero of the Nart sagas.

SRAOSHA m Persian Mythology
Ancient Avestan form of SOROUSH.

STRIBOG m Slavic Mythology
Possibly means "flowing god" in Slavic. Stribog was the Slavic god of the wind, cold, ice and frost.

SUBRAHMANYA m Hinduism, Indian, Telugu
From the Sanskrit prefix सु (su) meaning "good" and ब्रह्मन् (brahman) meaning "transcendent reality, eternal truth". This is another name for the Hindu god Skanda.

SU'EN m Semitic Mythology
Variant of SIN.

SUIJIN m Japanese Mythology
From Japanese 水 (sui) meaning "water" and 神 (jin) meaning "god, spirit". This is the name of the god (or gods) of water, lakes and pools in Japanese mythology.

SUMATI f Hinduism, Indian, Hindi
Means "wise, good mind", derived from Sanskrit सु (su) meaning "good" and मति (mati) meaning "mind, thought". In the Hindu epic the Mahabharata this is the name of King Sagara's second wife, who bore him 60,000 children.

SUMMANUS m Roman Mythology
Means "before the morning", derived from Latin sub "under, before" and mane "morning". Summanus was the Roman god of the night sky and night lightning, a nocturnal counterpart to Jupiter.

SUNDARA m Hinduism
Derived from Sanskrit सुन्दर (sundara) meaning "beautiful". This is the name of several minor characters in Hindu texts, and is also another name of the Hindu god Krishna.

SUNITA f Hinduism, Indian, Hindi, Marathi, Nepali
Means "well conducted, wise", derived from the Sanskrit prefix सु (su) meaning "good" combined with नीत (nita) meaning "conducted, led". In Hindu legend this is the name of the daughter of King Anga of Bengal.

SURENDRA m Hinduism, Indian, Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Nepali
Means "lord of gods" from Sanskrit सुर (sura) meaning "god" combined with the name of the Hindu god INDRA, used here to mean "lord". This is another name for Indra.

SURESHA m Hinduism
Means "ruler of the gods" from Sanskrit सुर (sura) meaning "god" and ईश (isha) meaning "ruler, lord". This is another name of the Hindu gods Indra, Shiva or Vishnu.

SURYA m Hinduism, Indian, Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi, Marathi, Nepali, Indonesian
Means "sun" in Sanskrit. This is the name of the Hindu god of the sun.

SUSANOO m Japanese Mythology
Of Japanese origin, possibly meaning "wild male, impetuous male". In Japanese mythology he was the god of storms and the sea, as well as the brother and adversary of the goddess Amaterasu. He was born when Izanagi washed his nose after returning from the underworld. After he was banished from the heavens, he descended to earth and slew an eight-headed dragon.

SUSHILA f & m Hinduism, Indian, Hindi, Marathi, Nepali
Means "good-tempered, well-disposed", derived from the Sanskrit prefix सु (su) meaning "good" combined with शील (shila) meaning "conduct, disposition". This is a transcription of both the feminine form सुशीला and the masculine form सुशील. This name is borne by wives of the Hindu gods Krishna and Yama.

SUTEKH m Egyptian Mythology (Hypothetical)
Reconstructed Egyptian form of SETH (2).

SVANHILD f Norwegian, Norse Mythology
Scandinavian cognate of SWANHILD. In Norse legend she was the daughter of Sigurd and Gudrun.

SVANHILDR f Ancient Scandinavian, Norse Mythology
Old Norse form of SWANHILD.

SVANTOVIT m Slavic Mythology
Variant of SVETOVID.

SVAROG m Slavic Mythology
Derived from Slavic svar meaning "bright, clear". This was the name of the Slavic god of the sky and sun. He was originally the supreme god in Slavic mythology.

SVETOVID m Slavic Mythology
Derived from the Slavic elements svetu "blessed, holy" and vidu "sight, view". This was the name of a four-headed Slavic god of war and light.

TAHMINA f Persian Mythology, Tajik, Bengali
Derived from Avestan takhma meaning "strong, brave, valiant". This is the name of a character in the 10th-century Persian epic the Shahnameh. She is a daughter of the king of Samangan who marries the warrior hero Rostam and eventually bears him a son, whom they name Sohrab.

TAHMURAS m Persian Mythology
Persian form of Avestan Takhma Urupi meaning "strong body". Takhma Urupi is a hero from the Avesta who later appears in the 10th-century Persian epic the Shahnameh.

TAKHMA URUPI m Persian Mythology
Avestan form of TAHMURAS.

TAMMUZ m Biblical, Biblical Hebrew, Semitic Mythology
Semitic form of DUMUZI. The name of the god appears in the Book of Ezekiel in the Old Testament.

TĀNE m Maori, Polynesian Mythology
Means "man" in Maori. In Maori and other Polynesian mythology Tāne was the god of forests and light. He was the son of the sky god Rangi and the earth goddess Papa, who were locked in an embrace and finally separated by their son. He created the tui bird and, by some accounts, man.

TANGAROA m Polynesian Mythology
Meaning unknown. In Polynesian mythology he was the god of the sea, the son of Rangi and Papa. He separated his parents' embrace, creating the earth and the sky.

TANIS f Semitic Mythology (Hellenized)
Greek form of TANITH.

TANIT f Semitic Mythology
Variant of TANITH.

TANITH f Semitic Mythology
Derived from Semitic roots meaning "serpent lady". 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.

TAPIO m Finnish, Finnish Mythology
Meaning unknown. Tapio was the Finnish god of forests, animals, and hunting.

TARA (2) f Hinduism, Indian, Hindi, Nepali
Means "star" in Sanskrit. Tara is the name of a Hindu astral goddess, the wife of Brhaspati. She was abducted by Soma, a god of the moon, leading to a great war that was only ended when Brahma intervened and released her. This is also the name of a Buddhist deity (a female Buddha).

TARANIS m Gaulish Mythology
Derived from Celtic taran meaning "thunder", cognate with Þórr (see THOR). This was the name of the Gaulish thunder god, who was often identified with the Roman god Jupiter.

TARHUNNA m Near Eastern Mythology
From Hittite or Luwian tarh meaning "to cross, to conquer". This was the name of the Hittite god of the weather, storms, and the sky, and the slayer of the dragon Illuyanka. He was closely identified with the Hurrian god Teshub, and sometimes with the Semitic god Hadad.

TARHUNZ m Near Eastern Mythology
Luwian form of TARHUNNA.

TATIUS m Roman Mythology, Ancient Roman
Roman 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.

TELLERVO f Finnish Mythology
Meaning unknown. Tellervo was a Finnish forest goddess. She is variously described as either the wife or daughter of Tapio.

TERMINUS m Roman Mythology
Means "limit, boundary, end" in Latin. This was the name of the Roman god of boundaries.

TERPSICHORE f Greek Mythology
Means "enjoying the dance" from Greek τέρψις (terpsis) meaning "delight" and χορός (choros) meaning "dance". In Greek mythology she was the goddess of dance and dramatic chorus, one of the nine Muses.

TESHUB m Near Eastern Mythology
Meaning unknown, of Hurrian origin. This was the name of the Hurrian storm god. He was later conflated with the Hittite god Tarhunna.

TETHYS f Greek Mythology
Derived from Greek τήθη (tethe) meaning "grandmother". In Greek mythology this was the name of a Titan associated with the sea. She was the wife of Oceanus.

TEZCATLIPOCA m Aztec and Toltec Mythology
Means "smoking mirror" in Nahuatl. In Aztec and other Mesoamerican mythology he was one of the chief gods, associated with the night sky, winds, war, and the north. Like his rival Quetzalcoatl, he was a creator god.

THALEIA f Greek Mythology
Ancient Greek form of THALIA.

THALIA f Greek Mythology (Latinized), Greek
From the Greek name Θάλεια (Thaleia), derived from θάλλω (thallo) meaning "to blossom". In Greek mythology she was one of the nine Muses, presiding over comedy and pastoral poetry. This was also the name of one of the three Graces or Χάριτες (Charites).

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.

THEANO f Ancient Greek, Greek Mythology, Greek
From Greek θεά (thea) meaning "goddess". Theano was a 6th-century BC Greek philosopher associated with Pythagoras. The name was also borne by several figures from Greek mythology.

THEIA f Greek Mythology
Possibly derived from Greek θεά (thea) meaning "goddess". In Greek myth this was the name of a Titan goddess of light, glittering and glory. She was the wife of Hyperion and the mother of the sun god Helios, the moon goddess Selene, and the dawn goddess Eos.

THEMIS f Greek Mythology
Means "law of nature, divine law, that which is laid down" in Greek. In Greek mythology this was the name of a Titan who presided over custom and natural law. She was often depicted blindfolded and holding a pair of scales. By Zeus she was the mother of many deities, including the three Μοῖραι (Moirai) and the three Ὥραι (Horai).

THESEUS m Greek Mythology
Possibly 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.

THISBE f Greek Mythology, Roman Mythology
From the name of an ancient Greek town in Boeotia, itself supposedly named after a nymph. In a Greek legend (the oldest surviving version appearing in Latin in Ovid's Metamorphoses) this is the name of a young woman from Babylon. Believing her to be dead, her lover Pyramus kills himself, after which she does the same to herself. The splashes of blood from their suicides is the reason mulberry fruit are red.

THOR m Norse Mythology, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish
From the Old Norse Þórr meaning "thunder", ultimately from the early Germanic *Þunraz. Thor was the Norse god of strength, thunder, war and storms, the son of Odin. He was armed with a hammer called Mjolnir, and wore an enchanted belt that doubled his strength.

ÞÓRR m Norse Mythology
Original Old Norse form of THOR.

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.

ÞRYMR m Norse Mythology
Old Norse form of TRYM.

ÞUNOR m Anglo-Saxon Mythology
Anglo-Saxon cognate of Þórr (see THOR).

TIAMAT f Semitic Mythology
From Akkadian tâmtu meaning "sea". In Babylonian myth Tiamat was the personification of the sea, appearing in the form of a huge dragon. By Apsu she gave birth to the first of the gods. Later, the god Marduk (her great-grandson) defeated her, cut her in half, and used the pieces of her body to make the earth and the sky.

TISIPHONE f Greek Mythology
Means "avenging murder" in Greek, derived from τίσις (tisis) meaning "vengeance" and φονή (phone) meaning "murder". This was the name of one of the Furies or Ἐρινύες (Erinyes) in Greek mythology. She killed Cithaeron with the bite of one of the snakes on her head.

TIW m Anglo-Saxon Mythology
Anglo-Saxon form of Tiwaz (see TYR).

TLALOC m Aztec and Toltec Mythology, Indigenous American, Nahuatl
Means "of the earth" in Nahuatl. He was the Aztec god of rain and fertility, the husband of Chalchiuhticue.

TRYM m Norse Mythology, Norwegian
From Old Norse Þrymr meaning "noise, uproar". In Norse mythology he was the king of the giants who stole Mjölnir, Thor's hammer.

TURNUS m Roman Mythology
Meaning unknown. According to Virgil's Aeneid, Turnus was a king of the Rutuli. He led the Latins in war against the Trojans led by Aeneas. At the end of the book he is killed by Aeneas in a duel.

TUULIKKI f Finnish, Finnish Mythology
Means "little wind" in Finnish, derived from tuuli "wind". This was the name of a Finnish forest goddess, the daughter of Tapio.

TYCHE f Greek Mythology
Means "chance, luck, fortune" in Greek. This was the name of the Greek goddess of fortune, luck and fate.

TYCHON m Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek
From Greek τύχη (tyche) meaning "chance, luck, fortune", a derivative of τυγχάνω (tynchano) meaning "hit the mark, succeed". This was the name of a minor deity associated with Priapus in Greek mythology. It was also borne by a 5th-century saint from Cyprus.

TÝR m Norse Mythology
Old Norse form of TYR.

TYR m Norse Mythology
Norse form of the name of the Germanic god Tiwaz, related to Indo-European dyeus (see ZEUS). In Norse mythology Tyr was the god of war and justice, the son of the god Odin. He carried a spear in his left hand, since his right hand was bitten off by the wolf Fenrir. At the time of the end of the world, the Ragnarok, Tyr will slay and be slain by the giant hound Garm.

UKKO m Finnish, Finnish Mythology
Means "old man" in Finnish. In Finnish mythology Ukko is the god of the sky and thunder.

ULYSSES m Roman Mythology, English
Latin form of ODYSSEUS. It was borne by Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885), the commander of the Union forces during the American Civil War, who went on to become an American president. Irish author James Joyce used it as the title of his book Ulysses (1922), which loosely parallels Homer's epic the Odyssey.

UMA f Hinduism, Indian, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi
Means "flax" in Sanskrit. This is another name of the Hindu goddess Parvati. In Hindu texts it is said to derive from the Sanskrit exclamation उ मा (u ma) meaning "O (child), do not (practice austerities)!", which was addressed to Parvati by her mother.

URANIA f Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of OURANIA.

URANUS m Greek Mythology (Latinized)
From Greek Οὐρανός (Ouranos), the name of the husband of Gaia and the father of the Titans in Greek mythology. His name is derived from οὐρανός (ouranos) meaning "the heavens". This is also the name of the seventh planet in the solar system.

URD f Norse Mythology
From the Old Norse Urðr meaning "fate". In Norse mythology Urd was one of the three Norns, or goddesses of destiny. She was responsible for the past.

URIEN m Welsh, Welsh Mythology, Arthurian Romance
Means "privileged birth" from Celtic orbo "privileged" and gen "birth". In Welsh legend and Arthurian romances Urien is a king of Gore and the husband of Morgan le Fay.

URMAZD m Persian Mythology
Modern Persian form of AHURA MAZDA.

USHA f Hinduism, Indian, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi, Marathi, Nepali
Variant of USHAS.

USHAS f Hinduism
Means "dawn" in Sanskrit. This is the name of the Hindu goddess of the dawn, considered the daughter of heaven.

UTHER m Welsh Mythology, Arthurian Romance
From 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.

UTHYR m Welsh Mythology, Arthurian Romance
Welsh form of UTHER.

UTTARA m & f Hinduism, Indian, Marathi
Means "north" in Sanskrit. This is a transcription of both the masculine form उत्तर (also written Uttar) and the feminine form उत्तरा (also written Uttarā), both of which occur in the Hindu epic the Mahabharata belonging to the son and daughter of King Virata.

UTU m Sumerian Mythology
Derived from Sumerian 𒌓 (ud) meaning "sun". In Sumerian mythology this was the name of the god of the sun. He was the son of the moon god Nanna and Ningal.

VAHAGN m Armenian Mythology, Armenian
From Avestan Verethragna meaning "breaking of defense, victory". In Armenian mythology this was the name of the heroic god of war.

VÄINÄMÖINEN m Finnish Mythology
Derived from Finnish väinä meaning "wide and slow-flowing river". In Finnish mythology Väinämöinen was a wise old magician, the son of the primal goddess Ilmatar. He is the hero of the Finnish epic the Kalevala.

VAISHNAVI f Hinduism, Tamil, Indian, Telugu, Marathi
Derived from the name of the Hindu god VISHNU, meaning "belonging to Vishnu". This is the name of one of the seven Matrika goddesses in Hinduism.

VALLI f Hinduism
Means "creeping plant" in Dravidian. In Dravidian mythology the goddess Valli was the wife of Murunga.

VARUNA m Hinduism
Probably from a Sanskrit word meaning "to surround". In Hindu mythology Varuna is a god of water and the celestial ocean surrounding the world. He is one of the chief gods in the Rigveda.

VASANTA m Hinduism
Means "brilliant" or "spring" in Sanskrit. This is the name of a Hindu personification of the spring.

VASU m Hinduism, Indian, Kannada, Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil, Hindi
Means "bright, excellent" in Sanskrit. This is an epithet of several Hindu gods. It also belonged to one of the authors of the Rigveda.

VAYU m Hinduism
Means "air, wind" in Sanskrit. This is the name of the Hindu god of the air and wind, one of the five elements.

VELES m Slavic Mythology
Variant of VOLOS.

VELLAMO f Finnish Mythology
From Finnish velloa "to surge, to swell". This was the name of a Finnish goddess of the sea, the wife of Ahti.

VENA m Hinduism
Derived from Sanskrit वेन (vena) meaning "yearning". This is the name of an evil king in Hindu mythology.

VENERE f Roman Mythology (Italianized)
Italian form of VENUS.

VÉNUS f Roman Mythology (Gallicized, Portuguese-style)
French and European Portuguese form of VENUS.

VÊNUS f Roman Mythology (Portuguese-style)
Brazilian Portuguese form of VENUS.

VENUS f Roman Mythology
Means "love, sexual desire" in Latin. This was the name of the Roman goddess of love and sex. Her character was assimilated with that of the Greek goddess Aphrodite. As the mother of Aeneas she was considered an ancestor of the Roman people. The second planet from the sun is named after her.

VERDANDI f Norse Mythology
From Old Norse Verðandi meaning "becoming, happening". Verdandi was one of the three Norns, or goddesses of destiny, in Norse mythology. She was responsible for the present.