gabbymac94's Personal Name List
Nellie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Swedish
Pronounced: NEHL-ee(English) NEH-li(Swedish)
Rating: 52% based on 11 votes
Nelly
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Swedish, French, German
Pronounced: NEHL-ee(English) NEH-luy(Swedish) NEH-LEE(French)
Rating: 46% based on 11 votes
Neptune
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Roman Mythology (Anglicized)
Pronounced: NEHP-toon(English) NEHP-tyoon(English)
Rating: 48% based on 9 votes
From the Latin
Neptunus, which is of unknown meaning, possibly related to the Indo-European root *
nebh- "wet, damp, clouds". Neptune was the god of the sea in Roman
mythology, approximately equivalent to the Greek god
Poseidon. This is also the name of the eighth planet in the solar system.
Neve
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish
Rating: 33% based on 9 votes
Anglicized form of
Niamh.
Niall
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish, Old Irish [1]
Pronounced: NYEEL(Irish)
Rating: 49% based on 12 votes
Niamh
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish, Irish Mythology
Pronounced: NYEEW(Irish) NYEEV(Irish)
Rating: 75% based on 13 votes
Means
"bright" in Irish. She was the daughter of the sea god
Manannán mac Lir in Irish legends. She fell in love with the poet
Oisín, the son of
Fionn mac Cumhaill. It has been used as a given name for people only since the early 20th century.
Nicolette
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: NEE-KAW-LEHT
Rating: 48% based on 10 votes
Nigel
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: NIE-jəl
Rating: 46% based on 10 votes
From
Nigellus, a medieval Latinized form of
Neil. It was commonly associated with Latin
niger "black". It was revived in the 19th century, perhaps in part due to Walter Scott's novel
The Fortunes of Nigel (1822).
Nikolai
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Russian, Bulgarian
Other Scripts: Николай(Russian, Bulgarian)
Pronounced: nyi-ku-LIE(Russian)
Rating: 67% based on 15 votes
Noah 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, German, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Dutch (Modern), French (Modern), Biblical
Other Scripts: נֹחַ, נוֹחַ(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced: NO-ə(English) NO-a(German)
Rating: 64% based on 15 votes
From the Hebrew name
נֹחַ (Noaḥ) meaning
"rest, repose", derived from the root
נוּחַ (nuaḥ). According to the
Old Testament, Noah was the builder of the Ark that allowed him, his family, and animals of each species to survive the Great Flood. After the flood he received the sign of the rainbow as a covenant from God. He was the father of
Shem,
Ham and
Japheth.
As an English Christian name, Noah has been used since the Protestant Reformation, being common among the Puritans. In the United States it was not overly popular in the 19th and 20th centuries, but it began slowly growing in the 1970s. Starting 1994 it increased rapidly — this was when actor Noah Wyle (1971-) began starring on the television series ER. A further boost in 2004 from the main character in the movie The Notebook helped it eventually become the most popular name for boys in America between 2013 and 2016. At the same time it has also been heavily used in other English-speaking countries, as well as Germany, the Netherlands, Scandinavia and France.
A famous bearer was the American lexicographer Noah Webster (1758-1843).
Noelle
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: no-EHL
Rating: 32% based on 11 votes
Nolan
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French (Modern)
Pronounced: NO-lən(English)
Rating: 57% based on 12 votes
From an Irish surname, the Anglicized form of
Ó Nualláin, itself derived from the given name
Nuallán. The baseball player Nolan Ryan (1947-) is a famous bearer. This name has climbed steadily in popularity since the 1970s.
Nova
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Swedish (Modern), Dutch (Modern)
Pronounced: NO-və(English) NO-va(Swedish, Dutch)
Rating: 55% based on 13 votes
Derived from Latin novus meaning "new". It was first used as a name in the 19th century.
Nyx
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Νύξ(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: NUYKS(Classical Greek) NIKS(English)
Rating: 41% based on 9 votes
Means "night" in Greek. This was the name of the Greek goddess of the night, the daughter of Khaos and the wife of Erebos.
Ocean
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: O-shən
Rating: 38% based on 9 votes
Simply from the English word
ocean for a large body of water. It is ultimately derived from Greek
Ὠκεανός (Okeanos), the name of the body of water thought to surround the Earth.
Océane
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: AW-SEH-AN
Rating: 44% based on 8 votes
Derived from French océan meaning "ocean".
Octavian
Gender: Masculine
Usage: History, Romanian
Pronounced: ahk-TAY-vee-ən(English)
Rating: 41% based on 7 votes
From the Roman name
Octavianus, which was derived from the name
Octavius. After Gaius Octavius (later the Roman emperor
Augustus) was adopted by Julius Caesar he took the name Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus.
Olive
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, French
Pronounced: AHL-iv(English) AW-LEEV(French)
Rating: 61% based on 11 votes
From the English and French word for the type of tree, ultimately derived from Latin oliva.
Oliver
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Catalan, Serbian, Croatian, Macedonian, Czech, Slovak, Carolingian Cycle
Other Scripts: Оливер(Serbian, Macedonian)
Pronounced: AHL-i-vər(English) O-lee-vu(German) O-lee-vehr(Finnish) oo-lee-BEH(Catalan) O-li-vehr(Czech) AW-lee-vehr(Slovak)
Rating: 78% based on 15 votes
From Old French
Olivier, which was possibly derived from Latin
oliva "olive tree" [1]. Alternatively there could be an underlying Germanic name, such as Old Norse
Áleifr (see
Olaf) or Frankish
Alawar (see
Álvaro), with the spelling altered by association with the Latin word. In the Middle Ages the name became well-known in Western Europe because of the French epic
La Chanson de Roland, in which Olivier is a friend and advisor to the hero
Roland.
In England Oliver was a common medieval name, however it became rare after the 17th century because of the military commander Oliver Cromwell, who ruled the country following the civil war. The name was revived in the 19th century, perhaps due in part to the title character in Charles Dickens' novel Oliver Twist (1838), about a poor orphan living on the streets of London. It became very popular at the beginning of the 21st century, reaching the top rank for boys in England and Wales in 2009 and entering the top ten in the United States in 2017.
Olivier
Gender: Masculine
Usage: French, Dutch, Carolingian Cycle
Pronounced: AW-LEE-VYEH(French) O-lee-veer(Dutch)
Rating: 62% based on 13 votes
French and Dutch form of
Oliver. This is also a French word meaning "olive tree".
Opal
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: O-pəl
Rating: 59% based on 10 votes
From the English word
opal for the iridescent gemstone, the birthstone of October. The word ultimately derives from Sanskrit
उपल (upala) meaning "jewel".
Orion
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Ὠρίων(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: AW-REE-AWN(Classical Greek) o-RIE-ən(English)
Rating: 56% based on 8 votes
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.
Orlando
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Carolingian Cycle
Pronounced: or-LAN-do(Italian, Spanish)
Rating: 64% based on 11 votes
Italian form of
Roland, as used in the epic poems
Orlando Innamorato (1483) by Matteo Maria Boiardo and the continuation
Orlando Furioso (1532) by Ludovico Ariosto. In the poems, Orlando is a knight in
Charlemagne's army who battles against the invading Saracens. A character in Shakespeare's play
As You Like It (1599) also bears this name, as does a city in Florida.
Ottilie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: German
Pronounced: aw-TEE-lyə
Rating: 47% based on 9 votes
Paris 2
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Various
Pronounced: PAR-is(English) PEHR-is(English)
Rating: 34% based on 10 votes
From the name of the capital city of France, which got its name from the Gaulish tribe known as the Parisii. In America the popularity of this name spiked up and then down between 2003 and 2006, around the time that the television personality and socialite Paris Hilton (1981-) was at the height of her fame.
Parvati
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hinduism, Hindi
Other Scripts: पार्वती(Sanskrit, Hindi)
Pronounced: PAHR-və-tee(English)
Rating: 41% based on 7 votes
Means
"of the mountains", derived from Sanskrit
पर्वत (parvata) meaning "mountain". Parvati is a Hindu goddess of love and power, the benign form of the wife of
Shiva. A daughter of the mountain god Himavat, she was a reincarnation of Shiva's first wife
Sati. She is the mother of
Ganesha and
Skanda.
Pax
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Roman Mythology
Pronounced: PAKS(Latin, English)
Rating: 43% based on 9 votes
Means
"peace" in Latin. In Roman
mythology this was the name of the goddess of peace.
Pearl
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: PURL
Rating: 47% based on 9 votes
From the English word pearl for the concretions formed in the shells of some mollusks, ultimately from Late Latin perla. Like other gemstone names, it has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the 19th century. The pearl is the traditional birthstone for June, and it supposedly imparts health and wealth.
Percival
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arthurian Cycle, English
Pronounced: PUR-si-vəl(English)
Rating: 72% based on 11 votes
Created by the 12th-century French poet Chrétien de Troyes for his poem
Perceval, the Story of the Grail. Chrétien may have derived the name from Old French
perce val "pierce the valley", or he may have based it loosely on the Welsh name
Peredur [1]. In the poem Perceval is a boy from Wales who hopes to become a knight under King
Arthur. Setting out to prove himself, he eventually comes to the castle of the Fisher King and is given a glimpse of the Grail.
Percy
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: PUR-see
Rating: 65% based on 10 votes
From an English surname that was derived from the name of a Norman town
Perci, which was itself perhaps derived from a Gaulish given name that was Latinized as
Persius. The surname was borne by a noble English family, and it first used as a given name in their honour. A famous bearer was Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822), an English romantic poet whose works include
Adonais and
Ozymandias. This name can also be used as a short form of
Percival.
Peregrine
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: PEHR-ə-grin
Rating: 74% based on 11 votes
From the Late Latin name
Peregrinus, which meant
"traveller". This was the name of several early
saints.
Persephone
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Περσεφόνη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: PEHR-SEH-PO-NEH(Classical Greek) pər-SEHF-ə-nee(English)
Rating: 81% based on 10 votes
Meaning unknown, probably of Pre-Greek origin, but perhaps related to Greek
πέρθω (pertho) meaning "to destroy" and
φόνος (phonos) 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
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Περσεύς(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: PEHR-SEWS(Classical Greek) PUR-see-əs(English)
Rating: 71% based on 10 votes
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.
Peyton
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: PAY-tən
Rating: 50% based on 9 votes
From an English surname, originally a place name meaning
"Pæga's town". This was a rare masculine name until the 1990s. In 1992 it was used for a female character in the movie
The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, and, despite the fact that it was borne by the villain, the name began to rise in popularity for girls as well as boys
[1].
Famous bearers include Peyton Randolph (1721-1775), the first president of the Continental Congress, and American football quarterback Peyton Manning (1976-).
Phoenix
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: FEE-niks
Rating: 45% based on 10 votes
From the name of a beautiful immortal bird that appears in Egyptian and Greek
mythology. After living for several centuries in the Arabian Desert, it would be consumed by fire and rise from its own ashes, with this cycle repeating every 500 years. The name of the bird was derived from Greek
φοῖνιξ (phoinix) meaning "dark red".
Pierce
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: PEERS
Rating: 53% based on 10 votes
From an English surname that was derived from the given name
Piers. In America this name slowly started to grow in popularity in 1982 when actor Pierce Brosnan (1953-) began starring on the television series
Remington Steele.
Piers
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (British), Medieval French
Pronounced: PEEZ(British English) PIRZ(American English)
Rating: 37% based on 7 votes
Medieval form of
Peter. This is the name of the main character in the 14th-century poem
Piers Plowman [1] by William Langland.
Piper
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: PIE-pər
Rating: 54% based on 11 votes
From an English surname that was originally given to a person who played on a pipe (a flute). It was popularized as a given name by a character from the television series
Charmed, which debuted in 1998
[1].
Pius
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Late Roman
Pronounced: PEE-oos(Latin) PIE-əs(English)
Rating: 39% based on 8 votes
Late Latin name meaning "pious, dutiful". This was the name of twelve popes.
Pollux
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Roman Mythology
Pronounced: POL-looks(Latin) PAHL-əks(English)
Rating: 41% based on 8 votes
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.
Poppy
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: PAHP-ee
Rating: 63% based on 9 votes
From the word for the red flower, derived from Old English popæg.
Portia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: PAWR-shə
Rating: 29% based on 9 votes
Variant of
Porcia, the feminine form of the Roman family name
Porcius, used by William Shakespeare for the heroine of his play
The Merchant of Venice (1596). In the play Portia is a woman who disguises herself as a man in order to defend
Antonio in court. It is also the name of a moon of Uranus, after the Shakespearean character.
Posy
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: PO-zee
Rating: 37% based on 7 votes
Diminutive of
Josephine. It can also be inspired by the English word
posy for a bunch of flowers.
Presley
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: PREHS-lee
Rating: 38% based on 8 votes
From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "priest clearing" (Old English preost and leah). This surname was borne by musician Elvis Presley (1935-1977).
Preston
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: PREHS-tən
Rating: 40% based on 9 votes
From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "priest town" (Old English preost and tun).
Primrose
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: PRIM-roz
Rating: 65% based on 10 votes
From the English word for the flower, ultimately deriving from Latin prima rosa "first rose".
Pru
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: PROO
Rating: 31% based on 9 votes
Prue
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: PROO
Rating: 41% based on 9 votes
Quentin
Gender: Masculine
Usage: French, English
Pronounced: KAHN-TEHN(French) KWEHN-tən(English)
Rating: 61% based on 9 votes
French form of the Roman name
Quintinus. It was borne by a 3rd-century
saint, a missionary who was martyred in Gaul. The
Normans introduced this name to England. In America it was brought to public attention by president Theodore Roosevelt's son Quentin Roosevelt (1897-1918), who was killed in World War I. A famous bearer is the American movie director Quentin Tarantino (1963-).
Quincy
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: KWIN-see
Rating: 76% based on 9 votes
From an English surname that was derived (via the place name
Cuinchy) from the personal name
Quintus. A famous bearer was John Quincy Adams (1767-1848), sixth president of the United States, who was born in the town of Quincy, Massachusetts. Both the town and the president were named after his maternal great-grandfather John Quincy (1689-1767). Another notable bearer is the American musician Quincy Jones (1933-).
Quinlan
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: KWIN-lən
Rating: 49% based on 8 votes
From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of
Ó Caoindealbháin, itself from the given name
Caoindealbhán (Old Irish
Caíndelbán).
Quinn
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: KWIN
Rating: 56% based on 9 votes
From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Irish Gaelic
Ó Cuinn, itself derived from the given name
Conn. In the United States it was more common as a name for boys until 2010, the year after the female character Quinn Fabray began appearing on the television series
Glee.
Rae
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: RAY
Rating: 29% based on 9 votes
Short form of
Rachel. It can also be used as a feminine form of
Ray.
Raiden
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Japanese Mythology
Other Scripts: 雷電(Japanese Kanji) らいでん(Japanese Hiragana)
Pronounced: RA-EE-DEHN(Japanese)
Rating: 32% based on 12 votes
From Japanese
雷 (rai) meaning "thunder" and
電 (den) meaning "lightning". This is a regional epithet of the Japanese god
Raijin.
Rain 1
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: RAYN
Rating: 39% based on 10 votes
Simply from the English word rain, derived from Old English regn.
Raine
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: RAYN
Rating: 40% based on 10 votes
From a surname derived from the Old French nickname
reine meaning
"queen". A famous bearer was the British socialite Raine Spencer (1929-2016), the stepmother of Princess Diana. In modern times it is also considered a variant of
Rain 1.
Raj
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Punjabi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Nepali
Other Scripts: राज(Hindi, Marathi, Nepali) রাজ(Bengali) ਰਾਜ(Gurmukhi) રાજ(Gujarati) ராஜ்(Tamil) రాజ్(Telugu) ರಾಜ್(Kannada) രാജ്(Malayalam)
Rating: 41% based on 9 votes
Means
"empire, royalty", from Sanskrit
राज्य (rājya).
Ralph
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, German, Swedish
Pronounced: RALF(English, German) RAYF(British English)
Rating: 40% based on 10 votes
Contracted form of the Old Norse name
Ráðúlfr (or its Norman form
Radulf). Scandinavian settlers introduced it to England before the
Norman Conquest, though afterwards it was bolstered by Norman influence. In the Middle Ages it was variously spelled
Rauf,
Rafe or
Ralf reflecting the usual pronunciation. The
Ralph spelling became more common in the 18th century. A famous bearer of the name was Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), an American poet and author who wrote on transcendentalism.
Ramsay
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Scottish
Rating: 27% based on 9 votes
From a surname that was a variant of
Ramsey.
Ramsey
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: RAM-zee
Rating: 43% based on 9 votes
From an English and Scottish surname that was derived from a place name meaning "garlic island" in Old English.
Raven
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: RAY-vən
Rating: 43% based on 9 votes
From the name of the bird, ultimately from Old English
hræfn. The raven is revered by several Native American groups of the west coast. It is also associated with the Norse god
Odin.
Raymond
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French
Pronounced: RAY-mənd(English) REH-MAWN(French)
Rating: 49% based on 9 votes
From the Germanic name
Raginmund, composed of the elements
regin "advice, counsel, decision" and
munt "protection". The
Normans introduced this name to England in the form
Reimund. It was borne by several medieval (mostly Spanish)
saints, including Saint Raymond Nonnatus, the patron of midwives and expectant mothers, and Saint Raymond of Peñafort, the patron of canonists.
Regulus
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Roman, Astronomy
Pronounced: REH-goo-loos(Latin)
Rating: 41% based on 8 votes
Roman
cognomen meaning
"prince, little king", a
diminutive of Latin
rex "king". This was the cognomen of several 3rd-century BC consuls from the gens Atilia. It was also the name of several early
saints. A star in the constellation Leo bears this name as well.
Reina 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: RAY-na
Rating: 43% based on 9 votes
Means "queen" in Spanish.
Remus
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Roman Mythology, Romanian
Pronounced: REH-moos(Latin) REE-məs(English)
Rating: 54% based on 8 votes
Meaning uncertain, possibly from Old Latin *
yemos meaning
"twin" with the initial consonant altered due to the influence of
Romulus. In Roman legend the twin brothers
Romulus and Remus were the founders of the city of Rome. Remus was later slain by his brother.
Rémy
Gender: Masculine
Usage: French
Pronounced: REH-MEE
Rating: 61% based on 9 votes
French form of the Latin name
Remigius, which was derived from Latin
remigis "oarsman, rower".
Saint Rémy was a 5th-century bishop who converted and baptized Clovis, king of the Franks.
Reuben
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical, Hebrew, English
Other Scripts: רְאוּבֵן(Hebrew)
Pronounced: ROO-bən(English)
Rating: 41% based on 7 votes
Means
"behold, a son" in Hebrew, derived from
רָאָה (raʾa) meaning "to see" and
בֵּן (ben) meaning "son". In the
Old Testament he is the eldest son of
Jacob and
Leah and the ancestor of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. Reuben was cursed by his father because he slept with Jacob's concubine
Bilhah. It has been used as a Christian name in Britain since the
Protestant Reformation.
Rhys
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Welsh, English
Pronounced: REES
Rating: 69% based on 11 votes
From Old Welsh
Ris, probably meaning
"ardour, enthusiasm". Several Welsh rulers have borne this name, including the 12th-century Rhys ap Gruffydd who fought against the invading
Normans.
River
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: RIV-ər
Rating: 69% based on 13 votes
From the English word that denotes a flowing body of water. The word is ultimately derived (via Old French) from Latin ripa "riverbank".
Roderick
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Scottish, Welsh
Pronounced: RAHD-ə-rik(English) RAHD-rik(English)
Rating: 41% based on 8 votes
Means
"famous ruler" from the Old German elements
hruod "fame" and
rih "ruler, king". This name was in use among the Visigoths; it was borne by their last king (Gothic form *
Hroþireiks, also known by the Spanish form
Rodrigo), who died fighting the Muslim invaders of Spain in the 8th century. It also had cognates in Old Norse and West Germanic, and Scandinavian settlers and
Normans introduced it to England, though it died out after the Middle Ages. It was revived in the English-speaking world by Walter Scott's 1811 poem
The Vision of Don Roderick [1].
This name has also functioned as an Anglicized form of Scottish Ruaridh or Welsh Rhydderch.
Rohan 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Kannada
Other Scripts: रोहन(Hindi, Marathi) রোহন(Bengali) ರೋಹನ್(Kannada)
Rating: 70% based on 9 votes
Derived from Sanskrit
रोहण (rohaṇa) meaning
"ascension".
Roma 2
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Various
Rating: 43% based on 8 votes
From the name of the Italian city, commonly called Rome in English.
Romaine
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French, English
Pronounced: RAW-MEHN(French) ro-MAYN(English)
Rating: 37% based on 9 votes
French feminine form of
Romanus (see
Roman).
Romayne
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: ro-MAYN
Rating: 41% based on 8 votes
Romeo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian, Romanian
Pronounced: ro-MEH-o(Italian) RO-mee-o(English)
Rating: 45% based on 11 votes
Italian form of the Late Latin
Romaeus or Late Greek
Ρωμαῖος (Romaios), which meant
"from Rome" or
"Roman". Romeo is best known as the lover of
Juliet in William Shakespeare's tragedy
Romeo and Juliet (1596). Shakespeare based his play on earlier Italian stories by Luigi Da Porto (1524) and Matteo Bandello (1554), which both featured characters named Giulietta and Romeo.
Romulus
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Roman Mythology, Romanian
Pronounced: RO-moo-loos(Latin) RAHM-yuw-ləs(English)
Rating: 61% based on 8 votes
From
Roma, the Latin name of the city of
Rome, combined with a
diminutive suffix. In Roman legend Romulus and
Remus were the twin sons of Rhea Silvia and the god
Mars. Romulus killed his brother when they argued about where to found Rome. According to the tale he gave the city its name, though in reality it was likely the other way around.
Rosalia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Late Roman
Pronounced: ro-za-LEE-a(Italian)
Rating: 59% based on 8 votes
Late Latin name derived from
rosa "rose". This was the name of a 12th-century Sicilian
saint.
Rosalie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French, German, Dutch, English
Pronounced: RAW-ZA-LEE(French) ro-za-LEE(German, Dutch) RO-sa-lee(Dutch) ro-sa-LEE(Dutch) RO-za-lee(Dutch) RO-zə-lee(English)
Rating: 80% based on 13 votes
French, German and Dutch form of
Rosalia. In the English-speaking this name received a boost after the release of the movie
Rosalie (1938), which was based on an earlier musical.
Rosalind
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: RAHZ-ə-lind
Rating: 78% based on 10 votes
Derived from the Old German elements
hros meaning "horse" and
lind meaning "soft, flexible, tender". The
Normans introduced this name to England, though it was not common. During the Middle Ages its spelling was influenced by the Latin phrase
rosa linda "beautiful rose". The name was popularized by Edmund Spencer, who used it in his poetry, and by William Shakespeare, who used it for the heroine in his comedy
As You Like It (1599).
Rosamund
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: RO-zə-mənd, RAHZ-ə-mənd
Rating: 76% based on 9 votes
Derived from the Old German elements
hros "horse" and
munt "protection". This name was borne by the wife of the Lombard king Alboin in the 6th century. The
Normans introduced it to England. It was subsequently interpreted as coming from Latin
rosa munda "pure rose" or
rosa mundi "rose of the world". This was the name of the mistress of Henry II, the king of England in the 12th century. According to legends she was murdered by his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine.
Rose
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, French
Pronounced: ROZ
Rating: 88% based on 13 votes
Originally a Norman French form of the Germanic name
Hrodohaidis meaning
"famous type", composed of the elements
hruod "fame" and
heit "kind, sort, type". The
Normans introduced it to England in the forms
Roese and
Rohese. From an early date it was associated with the word for the fragrant flower
rose (derived from Latin
rosa). When the name was revived in the 19th century, it was probably with the flower in mind.
Rosemarie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, German, Dutch
Pronounced: ROZ-mə-ree(English) ROZ-mehr-ee(English) RO-zə-ma-ree(German)
Rating: 50% based on 11 votes
Rosemary
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: ROZ-mə-ree, ROZ-mehr-ee
Rating: 73% based on 14 votes
Combination of
Rose and
Mary. This name can also be given in reference to the herb, which gets its name from Latin
ros marinus meaning "dew of the sea". It came into use as a given name in the 19th century.
Rowan
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Irish, English (Modern)
Pronounced: RO-ən(English)
Rating: 80% based on 11 votes
Anglicized form of the Irish name
Ruadhán. As an English name, it can also be derived from the surname Rowan, itself derived from the Irish given name. It could also be given in reference to the rowan tree, a word of Old Norse origin (coincidentally sharing the same Indo-European root meaning "red" with the Irish name).
Rowena
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: ro-EEN-ə
Rating: 58% based on 8 votes
Meaning uncertain. According to the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth, this was the name of a daughter of the Saxon chief Hengist. It is possible (but unsupported) that Geoffrey based it on the Old English elements
hroð "fame" and
wynn "joy", or alternatively on the Old Welsh elements
ron "spear" and
gwen "white". It was popularized by Walter Scott, who used it for a character in his novel
Ivanhoe (1819).
Roxanne
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, French
Pronounced: rahk-SAN(English) RAWK-SAN(French)
Rating: 57% based on 10 votes
Royal
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: ROI-əl, ROIL
Rating: 40% based on 9 votes
From the English word royal, derived (via Old French) from Latin regalis, a derivative of rex "king". It was first used as a given name in the 19th century.
Ruby
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: ROO-bee
Rating: 50% based on 10 votes
Simply from the name of the precious stone (which ultimately derives from Latin
ruber "red"), which is the traditional birthstone of July. It came into use as a given name in the 16th century
[1].
Rupert
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German, English
Pronounced: ROO-pehrt(German) ROO-pərt(English)
Rating: 44% based on 8 votes
German variant form of
Robert, from the Old German variant
Hrodperht. It was borne by the 7th century
Saint Rupert of Salzburg and the 8th-century Saint Rupert of Bingen. The military commander Prince Rupert of the Rhine, a nephew of Charles I, introduced this name to England in the 17th century. A notable bearer is the Australian-American businessman Rupert Murdoch (1931-).
Russell
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: RUS-əl
Rating: 44% based on 9 votes
From an English surname, of Norman origin, meaning
"little red one" (a
diminutive of Old French
rous "red"). A notable bearer of the surname was the agnostic British philosopher Bertrand Russell (1872-1970), who wrote on many subjects including logic, epistemology and mathematics. He was also a political activist for causes such as pacifism and women's rights.
This name was common throughout the English-speaking world for most of the 20th century, though in the 1960s it began a slow decline in most places.
Ryanne
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: rie-AN
Rating: 41% based on 10 votes
Ryder
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: RIE-dər
Rating: 46% based on 9 votes
From an English occupational surname derived from Old English
ridere meaning
"mounted warrior" or
"messenger". It has grown in popularity in the 2000s because it starts with the same sound found in other popular names like
Ryan and
Riley.
Ryker
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: RIE-kər
Rating: 42% based on 9 votes
Possibly a variant of the German surname
Riker, a derivative of Low German
rike "rich". As a modern English name, it has become popular because it shares the same trendy sounds found in other names such as
Ryan and
Ryder.
Sabrina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Italian, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese
Pronounced: sə-BREEN-ə(English) sa-BREE-na(Italian, Spanish) za-BREE-na(German) SA-BREE-NA(French) su-BREE-nu(European Portuguese) sa-BREE-nu(Brazilian Portuguese)
Rating: 51% based on 9 votes
Latinized form of
Habren, the original Welsh name of the River Severn. According to Geoffrey of Monmouth, Sabrina was the name of a princess who was drowned in the Severn. Supposedly the river was named for her, but it is more likely that her name was actually derived from that of the river, which is of unknown meaning. She appears as a water nymph in John Milton's masque
Comus (1634).
The name was brought to public attention by Samuel A. Taylor's play Sabrina Fair (1953) and the movie adaptation Sabrina that followed it the next year. This is also the name of a comic book character, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, first introduced 1962 and with television adaptations in 1970-1974 and 1996-2003, both causing minor jumps in popularity. Another jump occurred in 1976, when it was used for a main character on the television series Charlie's Angels.
Salvator
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Late Roman
Rating: 54% based on 9 votes
Salvatore
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: sal-va-TO-reh
Rating: 54% based on 9 votes
Samuel
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, German, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Romanian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Jewish, Amharic, Biblical
Other Scripts: שְׁמוּאֵל(Hebrew) ሳሙኤል(Amharic)
Pronounced: SAM-yoo-əl(English) SAM-yəl(English) SA-MWEHL(French) ZA-mwehl(German) SA-muy-ehl(Dutch) sa-MWEHL(Spanish) su-moo-EHL(European Portuguese) sa-moo-EW(Brazilian Portuguese) sa-MOO-ehl(Polish) SA-moo-ehl(Czech, Slovak, Swedish) SAH-moo-ehl(Finnish)
Rating: 73% based on 14 votes
From the Hebrew name
שְׁמוּאֵל (Shemuʾel) meaning
"name of God", from the roots
שֵׁם (shem) meaning "name" and
אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". Other interpretations have the first root being
שָׁמַע (shamaʿ) meaning "to hear" leading to a meaning of
"God has heard". As told in the Books of Samuel in the
Old Testament, Samuel was the last of the ruling judges. He led the Israelites during a period of domination by the Philistines, who were ultimately defeated in battle at Mizpah. Later he anointed
Saul to be the first king of Israel, and even later anointed his successor
David.
As a Christian name, Samuel came into common use after the Protestant Reformation. It has been consistently popular in the English-speaking world, ranking yearly in the top 100 names in the United States (as recorded since 1880) and performing similarly well in the United Kingdom.
Famous bearers include English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834), American inventor Samuel Morse (1791-1872), Irish writer Samuel Beckett (1906-1989), and American actor Samuel L. Jackson (1948-). This was also the real name, Samuel Clemens, of the American author Mark Twain (1835-1910).
Sanjaya
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Hinduism
Other Scripts: संजय(Sanskrit)
Rating: 40% based on 7 votes
Means
"completely victorious, triumphant" in Sanskrit. This is the name of a royal official in the Hindu epic the
Mahabharata.
Saoirse
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish
Pronounced: SEER-shə
Rating: 62% based on 10 votes
Means "freedom" in Irish Gaelic. It was first used as a given name in the 20th century.
Sapphire
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: SAF-ie-ər
Rating: 39% based on 8 votes
From the name of the gemstone, typically blue, which is the traditional birthstone of September. It is derived from Greek
σάπφειρος (sappheiros), ultimately from the Hebrew word
סַפִּיר (sappir).
Sasha
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Russian, Ukrainian, English, French
Other Scripts: Саша(Russian, Ukrainian)
Pronounced: SA-shə(Russian) SASH-ə(English) SAH-shə(English) SA-SHA(French)
Rating: 51% based on 9 votes
Saskia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Dutch, German
Pronounced: SAHS-kee-a(Dutch) ZAS-kya(German)
Rating: 65% based on 10 votes
From the Old German element
sahso meaning
"a Saxon". The Saxons were a Germanic tribe, their name ultimately deriving from the Germanic word *
sahsą meaning "knife". Saskia van Uylenburgh (1612-1642) was the wife of the Dutch painter Rembrandt.
Savannah
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: sə-VAN-ə
Rating: 52% based on 10 votes
From the English word for the large grassy plain, ultimately deriving from the Taino (Native American) word zabana. It came into use as a given name in America in the 19th century. It was revived in the 1980s by the movie Savannah Smiles (1982).
Sawyer
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: SOI-ər, SAW-yər
Rating: 50% based on 9 votes
From an English surname meaning
"sawer of wood". Mark Twain used it for the hero in his novel
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876).
Very rare as an American given name before 1980, it increased in popularity in the 1980s and 90s. It got a boost in 2004 after the debut of the television series Lost, which featured a character by this name.
Scarlett
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: SKAHR-lit
Rating: 53% based on 12 votes
From an English surname that denoted a person who sold or made clothes made of scarlet (a kind of cloth, possibly derived from Persian
سقرلاط (saqrelāṭ)). Margaret Mitchell used it for the main character, Scarlett O'Hara, in her novel
Gone with the Wind (1936). Her name is explained as having come from her grandmother. Despite the fact that the book was adapted into a popular movie in 1939, the name was not common until the 21st century. It started rising around 2003, about the time that the career of American actress Scarlett Johansson (1984-) started taking off.
Schuyler
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: SKIE-lər
Rating: 54% based on 8 votes
From a Dutch surname meaning
"scholar". Dutch settlers brought the surname to America, where it was subsequently adopted as a given name in honour of the American general and senator Philip Schuyler (1733-1804)
[1].
Scott
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Scottish
Pronounced: SKAHT(American English) SKAWT(British English)
Rating: 39% based on 9 votes
From an English and Scottish surname that referred to a person from Scotland or a person who spoke Scottish Gaelic. It is derived from Latin Scoti meaning "Gael, Gaelic speaker", with the ultimate origin uncertain.
Selena
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish, English, Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Σελήνη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: seh-LEH-na(Spanish) sə-LEEN-ə(English)
Rating: 50% based on 9 votes
Latinized form of
Selene. This name was borne by popular Mexican-American singer Selena Quintanilla (1971-1995), who was known simply as Selena. Another famous bearer is the American actress and singer Selena Gomez (1992-).
Selma 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic
Pronounced: SEHL-mə(English) ZEHL-ma(German) SEHL-ma(Dutch)
Rating: 43% based on 10 votes
Meaning unknown, possibly a short form of
Anselma. It could also have been inspired by James Macpherson's 18th-century poems, in which it is the name of Ossian's castle.
Septimus
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Roman
Pronounced: SEHP-tee-moos
Rating: 49% based on 8 votes
Roman
praenomen, or given name, which meant
"seventh" in Latin.
Serafina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese (Rare)
Pronounced: seh-ra-FEE-na(Italian, Spanish)
Rating: 60% based on 8 votes
Italian, Spanish and Portuguese form of
Seraphina.
Seraphina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare), German (Rare), Late Roman
Pronounced: sehr-ə-FEEN-ə(English) zeh-ra-FEE-na(German)
Rating: 81% based on 11 votes
Feminine form of the Late Latin name
Seraphinus, derived from the biblical word
seraphim, which was Hebrew in origin and meant
"fiery ones". The seraphim were an order of angels, described by Isaiah in the Bible as having six wings each.
This was the name of a 13th-century Italian saint who made clothes for the poor. As an English name, it has never been common.
Serena
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Italian, Late Roman
Pronounced: sə-REEN-ə(English) seh-REH-na(Italian)
Rating: 46% based on 8 votes
From a Late Latin name that was derived from Latin
serenus meaning
"clear, tranquil, serene". This name was borne by an obscure early
saint. Edmund Spenser also used it in his poem
The Faerie Queene (1590). A famous bearer from the modern era is tennis player Serena Williams (1981-).
Serenity
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: sə-REHN-ə-tee
Rating: 48% based on 9 votes
From the English word meaning "serenity, tranquility", ultimately from Latin serenus meaning "clear, calm".
Sergei
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Russian, Bulgarian
Other Scripts: Сергей(Russian, Bulgarian)
Pronounced: syir-GYAY(Russian)
Rating: 65% based on 10 votes
Alternate transcription of Russian/Bulgarian
Сергей (see
Sergey).
Serghei
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Romanian
Rating: 39% based on 7 votes
Romanian (Moldovan) form of
Sergey.
Severin
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German, Norwegian (Rare), Swedish (Rare), Danish (Rare)
Pronounced: zeh-veh-REEN(German) ZEH-veh-reen(German)
Rating: 46% based on 8 votes
Severus
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Roman
Pronounced: seh-WEH-roos(Latin) si-VIR-əs(English) SEHV-ə-rəs(English)
Rating: 41% based on 8 votes
Roman family name meaning
"stern" in Latin. This name was borne by several early
saints including a 6th-century patriarch of Antioch.
Shannon
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: SHAN-ən
Rating: 53% based on 11 votes
From the name of the River Shannon, the longest river in Ireland, called
an tSionainn in Irish. It is associated with the legendary figure
Sionann and is sometimes said to be named for her. However it is more likely she was named after the river, which may be related to Old Irish
sen "old, ancient"
[1]. As a given name, it first became common in America after the 1940s.
Shelby
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: SHEHL-bee
Rating: 43% based on 9 votes
From an English surname, which was possibly a variant of
Selby. Though previously in use as a rare masculine name, it was popularized as a feminine name by the main character in the movie
The Woman in Red (1935). It was later reinforced by the movie
Steel Magnolias (1989) in which Julia Roberts played a character by this name.
Sheldon
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: SHEHL-dən
Rating: 39% based on 10 votes
From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "valley with steep sides" in Old English. Sheldon is the name of several locations in England.
Shelly
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: SHEHL-ee
Rating: 24% based on 8 votes
Shoshanna
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Biblical Hebrew
Other Scripts: שׁוֹשַׁנָּה(Ancient Hebrew)
Rating: 50% based on 9 votes
Silas
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Greek, Danish, German, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Σίλας(Greek)
Pronounced: SIE-ləs(English)
Rating: 70% based on 13 votes
The name of a companion of
Saint Paul in the
New Testament. It is probably a short form of
Silvanus, a name that Paul calls him by in the epistles. It is possible that
Silvanus and
Silas were Latin and Greek forms of the Hebrew name
Saul (via Aramaic).
As an English name it was not used until after the Protestant Reformation. It was utilized by George Eliot for the title character in her novel Silas Marner (1861).
Simon 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Dutch, Hungarian, Slovene, Romanian, Macedonian, Georgian, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Симон(Macedonian) სიმონ(Georgian) Σίμων(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: SIE-mən(English) SEE-MAWN(French) SEE-mawn(Danish, Dutch, Macedonian) ZEE-mawn(German) SHEE-mon(Hungarian)
Rating: 66% based on 12 votes
From
Σίμων (Simon), the
New Testament Greek form of the Hebrew name
שִׁםְעוֹן (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.
In the New Testament Simon is the name of several characters, including the man who carried the cross for Jesus. Most importantly however it was borne by the leading apostle Simon, also known as Peter (a name given to him by Jesus).
Because of the apostle, this name has been common in the Christian world. In England it was popular during the Middle Ages, though it became more rare after the Protestant Reformation.
Siobhán
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish
Pronounced: SHI-wan, SHUW-wan, SHI-van, shə-VAN
Rating: 47% based on 9 votes
Irish form of
Jehanne, a Norman French variant of
Jeanne.
Sirius
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Astronomy
Pronounced: SIR-ee-əs(English)
Rating: 41% based on 9 votes
The name of a bright star in the constellation Canis Major, derived via Latin from Greek
σείριος (seirios) meaning
"burning".
Sky
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: SKIE
Rating: 37% based on 7 votes
Simply from the English word sky, which was ultimately derived from Old Norse ský "cloud".
Skye
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: SKIE
Rating: 52% based on 9 votes
From the name of the Isle of Skye off the west coast of Scotland. It is sometimes considered a variant of
Sky.
Skylar
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: SKIE-lər
Rating: 40% based on 9 votes
Variant of
Skyler. Originally more common for boys during the 1980s, it was popularized as a name for girls after it was used on the American soap opera
The Young and the Restless in 1989 and the movie
Good Will Hunting in 1997
[1]. Its sharp rise in the United States in 2011 might be attributed to the character Skyler White from the television series
Breaking Bad (2008-2013) or the singer Skylar Grey (1986-), who adopted this name in 2010 after previously going by Holly Brook.
Skyler
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: SKIE-lər
Rating: 51% based on 9 votes
Variant of
Schuyler, based on the pronunciation of the surname but respelled as if it was a blend of the English word
sky with names such as
Tyler. It was rare before 1980, and first gained popularity as a name for boys. It is now more common for girls, though it is more evenly unisex than the mostly feminine variant
Skylar.
Slade
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: SLAYD
Rating: 39% based on 7 votes
From an English surname that was derived from Old English slæd meaning "valley".
Sloane
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: SLON
Rating: 43% based on 8 votes
From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of
Ó Sluaghadháin, itself derived from the given name
Sluaghadhán.
Sofia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek, Italian, Portuguese, Catalan, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Finnish, Estonian, Slovak, Romanian, English, Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian
Other Scripts: Σοφία(Greek) София(Russian, Bulgarian) Софія(Ukrainian)
Pronounced: saw-FEE-a(Greek) so-FEE-a(Italian) soo-FEE-u(European Portuguese) so-FEE-u(Brazilian Portuguese) soo-FEE-ə(Catalan) suw-FEE-a(Swedish) zo-FEE-a(German) SO-fee-ah(Finnish) su-FYEE-yə(Russian)
Rating: 45% based on 10 votes
Form of
Sophia used in various languages.
Soleil
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Various
Pronounced: SAW-LAY(French)
Rating: 41% based on 8 votes
Means "sun" in French. It is not commonly used as a name in France itself.
Sophia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Greek, German, Ancient Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Σοφία(Greek)
Pronounced: so-FEE-ə(English) sə-FIE-ə(British English) so-FEE-a(Greek) zo-FEE-a(German)
Rating: 60% based on 9 votes
Means
"wisdom" in Greek. This was the name of an early, probably mythical,
saint who died of grief after her three daughters were martyred during the reign of the emperor Hadrian. Legends about her probably arose as a result of a medieval misunderstanding of the phrase
Hagia Sophia "Holy Wisdom", which is the name of a large basilica in Constantinople.
This name was common among continental European royalty during the Middle Ages, and it was popularized in Britain by the German House of Hanover when they inherited the British throne in the 18th century. It was the name of characters in the novels Tom Jones (1749) by Henry Fielding and The Vicar of Wakefield (1766) by Oliver Goldsmith.
In the United States this name was only moderately common until the 1990s when it began rising in popularity, eventually becoming the most popular for girls from 2011 to 2013. A famous bearer is the Italian actress Sophia Loren (1934-).
Sören
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Swedish, German
Pronounced: SUU-rehn(Swedish) ZUU-rən(German)
Rating: 57% based on 10 votes
Swedish and German form of
Søren.
Sparrow
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: SPAR-o, SPEHR-o
Rating: 50% based on 8 votes
From the name of the bird, ultimately from Old English spearwa.
Star
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: STAHR
Rating: 34% based on 10 votes
From the English word for the celestial body, ultimately from Old English steorra.
Starr
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: STAHR
Rating: 27% based on 10 votes
Stefan
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Polish, Bulgarian, Serbian, Macedonian
Other Scripts: Стефан(Bulgarian, Serbian, Macedonian)
Pronounced: SHTEH-fan(German) STEH-fan(Swedish, Polish, Serbian) STEH-fahn(Dutch)
Rating: 46% based on 9 votes
Form of
Stephen used in several languages. Famous bearers include the Serbian rulers Stefan Nemanja, Stefan Nemanjić, and Stefan Lazarević, who are all considered
saints in the Orthodox Church.
Stella 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Italian, Dutch, German
Pronounced: STEHL-ə(English) STEHL-la(Italian) STEH-la(Dutch)
Rating: 55% based on 10 votes
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.
Stellan
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Swedish
Pronounced: STEHL-lan
Rating: 59% based on 9 votes
Meaning unknown, perhaps related to Old Norse stilling "calm", or perhaps of German origin.
Summer
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: SUM-ər
Rating: 65% based on 11 votes
From the name of the season, ultimately from Old English sumor. It has been in use as a given name since the 1970s.
Svetlana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Russian, Slovak, Bulgarian, Serbian, Macedonian, Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Armenian, Georgian
Other Scripts: Светлана(Russian, Bulgarian, Serbian, Macedonian) Սվետլանա(Armenian) სვეტლანა(Georgian)
Pronounced: svyit-LA-nə(Russian) svyeht-lu-NU(Lithuanian)
Rating: 73% based on 12 votes
Derived 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.
Symphony
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: SIM-fə-nee
Rating: 29% based on 10 votes
Simply from the English word, ultimately deriving from Greek
σύμφωνος (symphonos) meaning "concordant in sound".
Taliesin
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Welsh, Welsh Mythology
Pronounced: tal-YEH-sin(Welsh) tal-ee-EHS-in(English)
Rating: 62% based on 9 votes
Means
"shining brow", derived from Welsh
tal "brow, head" and
iesin "shining, radiant". This was the name of a semi-legendary 6th-century Welsh poet and bard, supposedly the author of the collection of poems the
Book of Taliesin. He appears briefly in the Welsh legend
Culhwch and Olwen and the Second Branch of the
Mabinogi. He is the central character in the
Tale of Taliesin, a medieval legend recorded in the 16th century, which tells how
Ceridwen's servant Gwion Bach was reborn to her as Taliesin; how he becomes the bard for Elffin; and how Taliesin defends Elffin from the machinations of the king
Maelgwn Gwynedd.
Tamara
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Czech, Slovak, Polish, Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, Macedonian, Hungarian, English, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, Lithuanian, Georgian
Other Scripts: Тамара(Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Serbian, Macedonian) თამარა(Georgian)
Pronounced: tu-MA-rə(Russian) TA-ma-ra(Czech, Slovak) ta-MA-ra(Polish, Dutch, Spanish, Italian) TAW-maw-raw(Hungarian) tə-MAR-ə(English) tə-MAHR-ə(English) TAM-ə-rə(English) tu-mu-RU(Lithuanian)
Rating: 41% based on 7 votes
Russian 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).
Tamsin
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (British)
Pronounced: TAM-zin
Rating: 60% based on 8 votes
Contracted form of
Thomasina. It was traditionally used in Cornwall.
Tatiana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, French, Slovak, Polish, Finnish, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Dutch, Greek, Georgian, English, Russian, Bulgarian, Ancient Roman
Other Scripts: Τατιάνα(Greek) ტატიანა(Georgian) Татьяна(Russian) Татяна(Bulgarian)
Pronounced: ta-TYA-na(Italian, Spanish, Polish, German) TAH-tee-ah-nah(Finnish) ta-TYAHN-ə(English) tu-TYA-nə(Russian)
Rating: 56% based on 10 votes
Feminine 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.
Tatianna
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: ta-TYAHN-ə
Rating: 56% based on 9 votes
Tatyana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Russian, Bulgarian
Other Scripts: Татьяна(Russian) Татяна(Bulgarian)
Pronounced: tu-TYA-nə(Russian)
Rating: 53% based on 9 votes
Russian and Bulgarian form of
Tatiana.
Teagan
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: TEE-gən
Rating: 45% based on 11 votes
Variant of
Tegan. It also coincides with a rare Irish surname
Teagan. This name rose on the American popularity charts in the 1990s, probably because of its similarity to names like
Megan and
Reagan.
Teague
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish
Pronounced: TAYG(English) TEEG(English)
Rating: 37% based on 7 votes
Anglicized form of
Tadhg. This name is also used as a slang term for an Irish Catholic.
Teal
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: TEEL
Rating: 37% based on 10 votes
From the English word for the type of duck or the greenish-blue colour.
Temperance
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: TEHM-prəns, TEHM-pər-əns
Rating: 43% based on 11 votes
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
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: TEHM-pist
Rating: 40% based on 9 votes
From the English word meaning "storm". It appears in the title of William Shakespeare's play The Tempest (1611).
Terence
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: TEHR-əns
Rating: 43% based on 9 votes
From the Roman family name
Terentius, which is of unknown meaning. Famous bearers include Publius Terentius Afer, a Roman playwright, and Marcus Terentius Varro, a Roman scholar. It was also borne by several early
saints. The name was used in Ireland as an Anglicized form of
Toirdhealbhach, but it was not found as an English name until the late 19th century. It attained only a moderate level of popularity in the 20th century, though it has been common as an African-American name especially since the 1970s.
Terrence
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: TEHR-əns
Rating: 43% based on 8 votes
Thaddeus
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Biblical, Biblical Latin
Other Scripts: Θαδδαῖος(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: THAD-ee-əs(English) tha-DEE-əs(English)
Rating: 62% based on 10 votes
From
Θαδδαῖος (Thaddaios), the Greek form of the Aramaic name
תַדַּי (Ṯaddai). It is possibly derived from Aramaic
תַּד (taḏ) meaning
"heart, breast", but it may in fact be an Aramaic form of a Greek name such as
Θεόδωρος (see
Theodore). In the Gospel of Matthew, Thaddaeus is listed as one of the twelve apostles, though elsewhere in the
New Testament his name is omitted and
Jude's appears instead. It is likely that the two names refer to the same person.
Thea
Gender: Feminine
Usage: German, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, English
Pronounced: TEH-a(German) THEE-ə(English)
Rating: 64% based on 10 votes
Theo
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, German, Dutch
Pronounced: THEE-o(English) TEH-o(German) TEH-yo(Dutch)
Rating: 81% based on 11 votes
Therese
Gender: Feminine
Usage: German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, English
Pronounced: teh-REH-zə(German) teh-REHS(Swedish) tə-REES(English)
Rating: 52% based on 11 votes
German and Scandinavian variant of
Theresa.
Thomas
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Greek, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Θωμάς(Greek) Θωμᾶς(Ancient Greek) തോമസ്(Malayalam)
Pronounced: TAHM-əs(American English) TAWM-əs(British English) TAW-MA(French) TO-mas(German) TO-mahs(Dutch) tho-MAS(Greek)
Rating: 83% based on 12 votes
Greek form of the Aramaic name
תְּאוֹמָא (Teʾoma) meaning
"twin". In the
New Testament this is the name of an apostle. When he heard that
Jesus had risen from the dead he initially doubted the story, until Jesus appeared before him and he examined his wounds himself. According to tradition he was martyred in India. Due to his renown, the name came into general use in the Christian world.
In England the name was used by the Normans and became very popular due to Saint Thomas Becket, a 12th-century archbishop of Canterbury and martyr. It was reliably among the top five most common English names for boys from the 13th to the 19th century, and it has remained consistently popular to this day.
Another notable saint by this name was the 13th-century Italian philosopher and theologian Thomas Aquinas, who is regarded as a Doctor of the Church. Other famous bearers include philosopher Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679), American president Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), novelist Thomas Hardy (1840-1928), and inventor Thomas Edison (1847-1931).
Thor
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Norse Mythology, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish
Pronounced: THAWR(English) TOOR(Norwegian, Swedish) TOR(Danish)
Rating: 50% based on 9 votes
From the Old Norse
Þórr meaning
"thunder", ultimately from Proto-Germanic *
Þunraz. In Norse
mythology Thor is a god of storms, thunder, war and strength, a son of
Odin. He is portrayed as red-bearded, short-tempered, armed with a powerful hammer called Mjölnir, and wearing an enchanted belt called Megingjörð that doubles his strength. During Ragnarök, the final battle at the end of the world, it is foretold that Thor will slay the monstrous sea serpent
Jörmungandr but be fatally poisoned by its venom.
Tia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: TEE-ə
Rating: 25% based on 8 votes
Short form of names ending with
tia. It has been suggested that its use since the 1950s is the result of the brand name for the coffee liqueur Tia Maria
[1]. In the brand name,
Tia is not a given name; rather, it means "aunt" in Spanish or Portuguese.
Tiana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: tee-AHN-ə, tee-AN-ə
Rating: 41% based on 7 votes
Short form of
Tatiana or
Christiana. It was rare in the United States until it jumped in popularity in 1975, perhaps due to the Vietnamese-American actress Tiana Alexandra (1956-), who had some exposure at that time. It was used as the name of the princess in the Disney movie
The Princess and the Frog (2009).
Tianna
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: tee-AHN-ə, tee-AN-ə
Rating: 39% based on 7 votes
Tiberius
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Roman
Pronounced: tee-BEH-ree-oos(Latin) tie-BEHR-ee-əs(English)
Rating: 65% based on 8 votes
Roman
praenomen, or given name, meaning
"of the Tiber" in Latin. The Tiber is the river that runs through Rome. Tiberius was the second Roman emperor, the stepson of Emperor
Augustus. He was born Tiberius Claudius Nero, but was renamed Tiberius Julius Caesar after he was designated as the heir of Augustus.
Tiernan
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish
Rating: 43% based on 7 votes
Timothy
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Biblical
Pronounced: TIM-ə-thee(English)
Rating: 72% based on 11 votes
English form of the Greek name
Τιμόθεος (Timotheos) meaning
"honouring God", derived from
τιμάω (timao) meaning "to honour" and
θεός (theos) meaning "god".
Saint Timothy was a companion of
Paul on his missionary journeys and was the recipient of two of Paul's epistles that appear in the
New Testament. He was of both Jewish and Greek ancestry. According to tradition, he was martyred at Ephesus after protesting the worship of
Artemis. As an English name,
Timothy was not used until after the
Protestant Reformation.
Tobias
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical, German, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, English, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
Other Scripts: Τωβίας(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: to-BEE-as(German) tuw-BEE-as(Swedish) tə-BIE-əs(English)
Rating: 54% based on 10 votes
Greek form of
Tobiah. This is the name of the hero of the apocryphal Book of Tobit, which appears in many English versions of the
Old Testament. It relates how
Tobit's son Tobias, with the help of the angel
Raphael, is able to drive away a demon who has plagued Sarah, who subsequently becomes his wife. This story was popular in the Middle Ages, and the name came into occasional use in parts of Europe at that time. In England it became common after the
Protestant Reformation.
Toby
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: TO-bee
Rating: 42% based on 10 votes
Medieval form of
Tobias. It was sometimes used as a feminine name in the 1930s and 40s due to the influence of American actress Toby Wing (1915-2001).
Topher
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: TO-fər
Rating: 40% based on 8 votes
Travis
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: TRAV-is
Rating: 44% based on 8 votes
From the English surname
Travis (a variant of
Travers). It was used in America in honour of William Travis (1809-1836), the commander of the Texan forces at the Battle of the Alamo.
Trent
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: TRENT
Rating: 38% based on 8 votes
From an English surname that originally denoted someone who lived by the River
Trent. A famous bearer is the American musician Trent Reznor (1965-).
Trent is also a city in Italy, though the etymology is unrelated.
Trevor
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Welsh, English
Pronounced: TREHV-ər(English)
Rating: 38% based on 9 votes
From a Welsh surname, originally taken from the name of towns in Wales meaning
"big village", derived from Middle Welsh
tref "village" and
maur "large". As a given name it became popular in the United Kingdom in the middle of the 20th century, then caught on in the United States in the 1960s.
Trey
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: TRAY
Rating: 32% based on 9 votes
From an English nickname meaning "three".
Trinity
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: TRIN-i-tee
Rating: 39% based on 8 votes
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.
Tristan
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, Arthurian Cycle
Pronounced: TRIS-tən(English) TREES-TAHN(French)
Rating: 58% based on 9 votes
Probably from the Celtic name
Drustan, a
diminutive of
Drust, which occurs as
Drystan in a few Welsh sources. As
Tristan, it first appears in 12th-century French tales, probably altered by association with Old French
triste "sad". According to the tales Tristan was sent to Ireland by his uncle King Mark of Cornwall in order to fetch
Iseult, who was to be the king's bride. On the way back, Tristan and Iseult accidentally drink a potion that makes them fall in love. Later versions of the tale make Tristan one of King
Arthur's knights. His tragic story was very popular in the Middle Ages, and the name has occasionally been used since then.
Trixie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: TRIK-see
Rating: 36% based on 9 votes
Twila
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: TWIE-lə
Rating: 40% based on 8 votes
Meaning unknown. Perhaps based on the English word
twilight, or maybe from a Cajun pronunciation of French
étoile "star"
[1]. It came into use as an American given name in the late 19th century.
Twyla
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: TWIE-lə
Rating: 51% based on 8 votes
Ty
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: TIE
Rating: 29% based on 8 votes
Unity
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: YOO-ni-tee
Rating: 37% based on 9 votes
From the English word unity, which is ultimately derived from Latin unitas.
Urban
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Swedish, German, Slovene, Slovak, Czech, Polish, Biblical
Pronounced: UYR-ban(Swedish) OOR-ban(Slovak, Czech, Polish) UR-bən(English)
Rating: 24% based on 8 votes
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.
Urbana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish
Pronounced: oor-BA-na
Rating: 35% based on 8 votes
Ursula
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Swedish, Danish, German, Dutch, Finnish, Late Roman
Pronounced: UR-sə-lə(English) UR-syoo-lə(English) UWR-zoo-la(German) OOR-soo-lah(Finnish)
Rating: 46% based on 9 votes
Means
"little bear", derived from a
diminutive form of the Latin word
ursa "she-bear".
Saint Ursula was a legendary virgin princess of the 4th century who was martyred by the Huns while returning from a pilgrimage. In England the saint was popular during the Middle Ages, and the name came into general use at that time.
Valentina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Russian, Lithuanian, German, Croatian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Slovene, Albanian, Romanian, Spanish, Greek, Ancient Roman
Other Scripts: Валентина(Russian, Bulgarian, Macedonian) Βαλεντίνα(Greek)
Pronounced: va-lehn-TEE-na(Italian) və-lyin-TYEE-nə(Russian) vu-lyehn-tyi-NU(Lithuanian) ba-lehn-TEE-na(Spanish)
Rating: 60% based on 9 votes
Feminine form of
Valentinus (see
Valentine 1). A famous bearer is the Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova (1937-), who in 1963 became the first woman to visit space.
Valentine 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: VAL-in-tien
Rating: 65% based on 10 votes
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.
As an English name, it has been used occasionally since the 12th century. It is the name of a central character in Shakespeare's play The Two Gentlemen of Verona (1594).
Valeria
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Spanish, Romanian, German, Russian, Ukrainian, Ancient Roman
Other Scripts: Валерия(Russian) Валерія(Ukrainian)
Pronounced: va-LEH-rya(Italian) ba-LEH-rya(Spanish) vu-LYEH-ryi-yə(Russian) wa-LEH-ree-a(Latin) və-LEHR-ee-ə(English) və-LIR-ee-ə(English)
Rating: 40% based on 8 votes
Feminine form of
Valerius. This was the name of a 2nd-century Roman
saint and martyr.
Valkyrie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Various (Rare)
Pronounced: VAL-ki-ree(English)
Rating: 37% based on 7 votes
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.
Vance
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: VANS
Rating: 43% based on 8 votes
From an English surname that was derived from Old English fenn meaning "marsh, fen".
Vanessa
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, German, Dutch
Pronounced: və-NEHS-ə(English) VA-NEH-SA(French) va-NEHS-sa(Italian) vu-NEH-su(European Portuguese) va-NEH-su(Brazilian Portuguese) ba-NEH-sa(Spanish) va-NEH-sa(German) vah-NEH-sa(Dutch)
Rating: 51% based on 11 votes
Invented by author Jonathan Swift for his 1726 poem
Cadenus and Vanessa [1]. He arrived at it by rearranging the initial syllables of the first name and surname of
Esther Vanhomrigh, his close friend. Vanessa was later used as the name of a genus of butterfly. It was a rare given name until the mid-20th century, at which point it became fairly popular.
Venetia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare), Greek
Other Scripts: Βενετία(Greek)
Rating: 51% based on 9 votes
From the Latin name of the Italian region of Veneto and the city of Venice (see the place name
Venetia). This name was borne by the celebrated English beauty Venetia Stanley (1600-1633), though in her case the name may have been a Latinized form of the Welsh name
Gwynedd [1]. Benjamin Disraeli used it for the heroine of his novel
Venetia (1837).
Vera 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Russian, English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, Hungarian, Slovene, Serbian, Croatian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Belarusian, Georgian
Other Scripts: Вера(Russian, Serbian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Belarusian) ვერა(Georgian)
Pronounced: VYEH-rə(Russian) VEE-rə(English) VEHR-ə(English) VEH-ra(German, Dutch) VEH-rah(Swedish) BEH-ra(Spanish) VEH-raw(Hungarian)
Rating: 56% based on 7 votes
Means "faith" in Russian, though it is sometimes associated with the Latin word verus "true". It has been in general use in the English-speaking world since the late 19th century.
Verity
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: VEHR-i-tee
Rating: 64% based on 10 votes
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.
Veronica
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Italian, Romanian, Late Roman
Pronounced: və-RAHN-i-kə(American English) və-RAWN-i-kə(British English) veh-RAW-nee-ka(Italian)
Rating: 72% based on 12 votes
Latin alteration of
Berenice, the spelling influenced by the ecclesiastical Latin phrase
vera icon meaning
"true image". This was the name of a legendary
saint who wiped
Jesus' face with a towel and then found his image imprinted upon it. Due to popular stories about her, the name was occasionally used in the Christian world in the Middle Ages. It was borne by the Italian saint and mystic Veronica Giuliani (1660-1727). As an English name, it was not common until the 19th century, when it was imported from France and Scotland.
Victoire
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: VEEK-TWAR
Rating: 46% based on 9 votes
Victor
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, Portuguese, Romanian, Dutch, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Late Roman
Pronounced: VIK-tər(English) VEEK-TAWR(French) VEEK-tor(Romanian) VIK-tawr(Dutch)
Rating: 72% based on 13 votes
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.
Vida 2
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Slovene
Rating: 31% based on 8 votes
Slovene feminine form of
Vid. Lepa Vida ("beautiful Vida") is a character in Slovene tradition and later romantic poetry (notably by France Prešeren).
Viktor
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Finnish, Estonian, German, Hungarian, Czech, Slovak, Bulgarian, Russian, Ukrainian, Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Macedonian, Greek
Other Scripts: Виктор(Bulgarian, Russian, Serbian, Macedonian) Віктор(Ukrainian) Βίκτωρ(Greek)
Pronounced: VIK-to(German) VEEK-tor(Hungarian) VIK-tor(Czech) VEEK-tawr(Slovak) VYEEK-tər(Russian)
Rating: 70% based on 13 votes
Form of
Victor used in various languages.
Viktoria
Gender: Feminine
Usage: German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Estonian, Greek, Georgian, Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Belarusian
Other Scripts: Βικτωρία, Βικτώρια, Βικτόρια(Greek) ვიქტორია(Georgian) Виктория(Russian, Bulgarian) Вікторія(Ukrainian) Вікторыя(Belarusian)
Pronounced: vik-TO-rya(German) vyik-TO-ryi-yə(Russian)
Rating: 47% based on 10 votes
Viktoriya
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Belarusian
Other Scripts: Виктория(Russian, Bulgarian) Вікторія(Ukrainian) Вікторыя(Belarusian)
Pronounced: vyik-TO-ryi-yə(Russian)
Rating: 31% based on 9 votes
Russian, Ukrainian and Bulgarian form of
Victoria, as well as an alternate transcription of Belarusian
Вікторыя (see
Viktoryia).
Viola
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Italian, Swedish, Danish, Finnish, German, Hungarian, Czech, Slovak
Pronounced: vie-O-lə(English) vi-O-lə(English) VIE-ə-lə(English) VYAW-la(Italian) vi-OO-la(Swedish) VEE-o-la(German) vee-O-la(German) VEE-o-law(Hungarian) VI-o-la(Czech) VEE-aw-la(Slovak)
Rating: 51% based on 10 votes
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
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: VIE-lit, VIE-ə-lit
Rating: 75% based on 13 votes
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.
Violetta
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Russian, Hungarian
Other Scripts: Виолетта(Russian)
Pronounced: vyo-LEHT-ta(Italian) vyi-u-LYEHT-tə(Russian) VEE-o-leht-taw(Hungarian)
Rating: 53% based on 11 votes
Italian, Russian and Hungarian form of
Violet.
Violette
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: VYAW-LEHT
Rating: 54% based on 10 votes
Vittorio
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian
Pronounced: veet-TAW-ryo
Rating: 45% based on 8 votes
Viveka
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Swedish
Rating: 39% based on 7 votes
Vivian
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
Pronounced: VIV-ee-ən(English)
Rating: 60% based on 9 votes
From the Latin name
Vivianus, which was derived from Latin
vivus "alive".
Saint Vivian was a French bishop who provided protection during the Visigoth invasion of the 5th century. It has been occasionally used as an English (masculine) name since the Middle Ages. In modern times it is also used as a feminine name, in which case it is either an Anglicized form of
Bébinn or a variant of
Vivien 2.
Vivienne
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: VEE-VYEHN
Rating: 60% based on 11 votes
Vladimir
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Russian, Serbian, Croatian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Slovene, Albanian
Other Scripts: Владимир(Russian, Serbian, Bulgarian, Macedonian)
Pronounced: vlu-DYEE-myir(Russian) VLA-dee-meer(Serbian, Croatian, Macedonian)
Rating: 49% based on 10 votes
From the Old Slavic name *
Voldiměrŭ, derived from the elements
volděti meaning "to rule" and
měrŭ meaning "great, famous". The second element has also been associated with
mirŭ meaning "peace, world".
This was the name of a 9th-century ruler of Bulgaria. It was also borne by an 11th-century grand prince of Kyiv, Vladimir the Great, who is venerated as a saint because of his efforts to Christianize his realm. Other notable bearers include the revolutionary and first leader of the Soviet state Vladimir Lenin (1870-1924), the Russian author Vladimir Nabokov (1899-1977), and the Russian president and prime minister Vladimir Putin (1952-).
Warren
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: WAWR-ən
Rating: 49% based on 9 votes
From an English surname that was derived either from Norman French warrene meaning "animal enclosure", or else from the town of La Varenne in Normandy. This name was borne by the American president Warren G. Harding (1865-1923).
Wayne
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: WAYN
Rating: 43% based on 8 votes
From an occupational surname meaning "wagon maker", derived from Old English wægn "wagon". Use of it as a given name can be partly attributed to the popularity of the actor John Wayne (1907-1979). Another famous bearer is Canadian hockey player Wayne Gretzky (1961-), generally considered the greatest player in the history of the sport.
Wesley
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: WEHS-lee, WEHZ-lee
Rating: 54% based on 9 votes
From an English surname that was derived from a place name, itself meaning
"west meadow" from Old English
west "west" and
leah "woodland, clearing". It has been sometimes given in honour of John Wesley (1703-1791), the founder of Methodism.
Westley
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: WEST-lee
Rating: 40% based on 7 votes
From a surname that was a variant of
Wesley.
Weston
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: WEHS-tən
Rating: 29% based on 8 votes
From an English surname that was derived from a place name, itself from Old English
west "west" and
tun "enclosure, yard, town".
Willa
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: WIL-ə
Rating: 43% based on 7 votes
Willow
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: WIL-o
Rating: 53% based on 9 votes
From the name of the tree, which is ultimately derived from Old English welig.
Winter
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: WIN-tər
Rating: 60% based on 9 votes
From the English word for the season, derived from Old English winter.
Wolf
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German, Jewish, English (Rare), Germanic [1]
Other Scripts: װאָלףֿ(Yiddish)
Pronounced: VAWLF(German) WUWLF(English)
Rating: 51% based on 10 votes
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.
Wyatt
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: WIE-ət
Rating: 38% based on 8 votes
From an English surname that was derived from the medieval given name
Wyard or
Wyot, from the Old English name
Wigheard. Wyatt Earp (1848-1929) was an American lawman and gunfighter involved in the famous shootout at the OK Corral.
Wynter
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: WIN-tər
Rating: 37% based on 7 votes
Xander
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Dutch, English (Modern)
Pronounced: SAHN-dər(Dutch) KSAHN-dər(Dutch) ZAN-dər(English)
Rating: 50% based on 9 votes
Short form of
Alexander. It was popularized in the English-speaking world by a character on the television series
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003).
Xanthe
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Ξάνθη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: KSAN-TEH(Classical Greek)
Rating: 73% based on 10 votes
Derived from Greek
ξανθός (xanthos) meaning
"yellow, blond, fair-haired". This was the name of a few minor figures in Greek
mythology.
Xavier
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, Portuguese, Catalan, Spanish
Pronounced: ZAY-vyər(English) ig-ZAY-vyər(English) GZA-VYEH(French) shu-vee-EHR(European Portuguese) sha-vee-EKH(Brazilian Portuguese) shə-bee-EH(Catalan) kha-BYEHR(Spanish) sa-BYEHR(Spanish)
Rating: 53% based on 10 votes
Derived from the Basque place name
Etxeberria meaning
"the new house". This was the surname of the Jesuit priest
Saint Francis Xavier (1506-1552) who was born in a village by this name. He was a missionary to India, Japan, China, and other areas in East Asia, and he is the patron saint of the Orient and missionaries. His surname has since been adopted as a given name in his honour, chiefly among Catholics.
Xaviera
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Rating: 39% based on 7 votes
Xena
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Popular Culture
Pronounced: ZEE-nə(English)
Rating: 48% based on 9 votes
Probably a variant of
Xenia. This was the name of the main character in the 1990s television series
Xena: Warrior Princess.
Xenia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek, Spanish, Ancient Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Ξένια(Greek) Ξενία(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: SEH-nya(Spanish)
Rating: 73% based on 10 votes
Means
"hospitality" in Greek, a derivative of
ξένος (xenos) meaning "foreigner, guest". This was the name of a 5th-century
saint who is venerated in the Eastern Church.
Xenon
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Ξένων(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: KSEH-NON
Rating: 37% based on 7 votes
Derived from Greek
ξένος (xenos) meaning
"foreigner, guest".
Yale
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: YAYL
Rating: 17% based on 7 votes
From a Welsh surname, which was itself derived from a place name meaning "fertile upland" (from Welsh ial).
Yasmin
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Arabic, Hebrew, Urdu, English (Modern), Spanish (Modern), Portuguese (Modern)
Other Scripts: ياسمين(Arabic) יַסְמִין(Hebrew) یاسمین(Urdu)
Pronounced: yas-MEEN(Arabic) YAZ-min(English) gyas-MEEN(Spanish)
Rating: 43% based on 9 votes
Means
"jasmine" in Arabic and Hebrew, derived from Persian
یاسمین (yāsamīn). In modern times it has been used in the western world, as an Arabic-influenced variant of
Jasmine.
Yvette
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French, English
Pronounced: EE-VEHT(French) ee-VEHT(English) i-VEHT(English)
Rating: 51% based on 9 votes
French feminine form of
Yves.
Zachariah
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Biblical
Pronounced: zak-ə-RIE-ə(English)
Rating: 59% based on 11 votes
Variant of
Zechariah. This spelling is used in the King James Version of the
Old Testament to refer to one of the kings of Israel (called Zechariah in other versions).
Zacharias
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical, Biblical Greek [1], Greek
Other Scripts: Ζαχαρίας(Greek)
Pronounced: zak-ə-RIE-əs(English) za-kha-REE-as(Late Greek)
Rating: 62% based on 10 votes
Greek form of
Zechariah. This form of the name is used in most English translations of the
New Testament to refer to the father of
John the Baptist. It was also borne by an 8th-century pope (called
Zachary in English).
Zackary
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: ZAK-ə-ree
Rating: 54% based on 10 votes
Zane 1
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: ZAYN
Rating: 39% based on 9 votes
From an English surname of unknown meaning. It was introduced as a given name by American author Zane Grey (1872-1939). Zane was in fact his middle name — it had been his mother's maiden name.
Zara 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Literature, English
Pronounced: ZAHR-ə(English)
Rating: 64% based on 10 votes
Used by William Congreve for a character in his tragedy
The Mourning Bride (1697), where it belongs to a captive North African queen. Congreve may have based it on the Arabic name
Zahra 1. In 1736 the English writer Aaron Hill used it to translate
Zaïre for his popular adaptation of Voltaire's French play
Zaïre (1732).
In England the name was popularized when Princess Anne gave it to her daughter in 1981. Use of the name may also be influenced by the trendy Spanish clothing retailer Zara.
Zeke
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: ZEEK
Rating: 29% based on 8 votes
Zinnia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: ZIN-ee-ə
Rating: 58% based on 11 votes
From the name of the flower, which was itself named for the German botanist Johann Zinn.
Ziva
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hebrew
Other Scripts: זִיוָה(Hebrew)
Rating: 44% based on 8 votes
Zoë
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Dutch, English
Pronounced: ZO-veh(Dutch) ZO-ee(English)
Rating: 58% based on 11 votes
Dutch form and English variant of
Zoe.
Zoey
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: ZO-ee
Rating: 44% based on 10 votes
Zsazsa
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hungarian (Rare)
Pronounced: ZHAW-zhaw
Rating: 44% based on 7 votes
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