TangChinese From Chinese 汤 (tāng) meaning "hot water, soup, broth", originally derived from the name of Cheng Tang, the first king of the Shang dynasty.
TàoVietnamese Vietnamese form of Cao, from Sino-Vietnamese 曹 (tào).
TaoChinese From Chinese 陶 (táo) meaning "pottery, ceramics", used to denote someone who was responsible for making pottery.
TappEnglish, German Derived from an Old English given name Tæppa, of uncertain origin and meaning. In German, it is a nickname for a clumsy person or a simpleton, derived from Middle Low German tappe meaning "oaf".
TepKhmer Means "god, deity, angel" in Khmer, ultimately from Sanskrit देव (deva).
TerseEnglish This name means literally curt, short or stiff. Similar to Stiff (surname) (see Stiff under user submitted names) Not very commonly used. If you're looking for a name for a fictional character who is either an antagonist or just likes to stir things up, you could probably use this.
ThamesEnglish Derived from the name of the River Thames, a major river in England. It is thought to have derived from Celtic Tamesis, which may have meant "dark, cloudy" or "turbid, turbulent".
TheronSouthern African, Afrikaans, Occitan Habitational name for someone from any of various locations in Occitanie named Théron or Thérond, ultimately from Latin torus meaning "elevation, height, embankment". A famous bearer is South African and American actress Charlize Theron (1975-).
ThiVietnamese Vietnamese form of Shi, from Sino-Vietnamese 施 (thi).
ThörnSwedish Either a cognate of English Thorn or German Torn, or a soldier name derived from Swedish törn "thorn".
TiaoChinese Alternate transcription of Chinese 刁 (see Diao).
TiddEnglish This Old English Surname was derived from a hill named after its resemblance to a teat or tead (mammary gland) of which Tidd is a variant. That name became a name for the locale and further by extension for its people.
TiếtVietnamese Vietnamese form of Xue, from Sino-Vietnamese 薛 (tiết).
TookLiterature In J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings", the surname of Peregrin "Pippin" Took, a cousin of Meriadoc Brandybuck and second cousin of Frodo Baggins... [more]
ToppGerman German: from Low German topp 'point', 'tree top', hence a topographic name; or alternatively a metonymic occupational name or nickname from the same word in the sense 'braid'.
ToppEnglish From an English nickname, possibly derived from Old English topp "hair on the head", for someone with distinctive hair.
TraunGerman Derived from the Celtic word dru meaning "river". Traun is a river in the Austrian state of Upper Austria as well as a city located on the north bank of that river and borders Linz, the capital of Upper Austria, to the east.
TreuGerman, Jewish From a nickname for a trustworthy person, from late Middle High German triuwe ‘loyal’. As a Jewish surname it is mainly ornamental.
TroiPopular Culture Possibly a variant or corruption of Troy. A notable fictional bearer was the Star Trek: The Next Generation character Deanna Troi, who was the counselor aboard the USS Enterprise.
TrompDutch Occupational name for a musician derived from trompet "trumpet, horn", or possibly Middle Dutch tromme "drum".
TroostDutch, Low German Means "comfort, consolation" in Dutch, a nickname for someone who was particularly encouraging or helpful, or perhaps a byname for a child born after the death of an older sibling.
TuChinese From Chinese 屠 (tú) referring either to Zou Tu, an ancient country that may have existed in what is now Shandong province, or the ancient fief of Tu, which existed during the Shang dynasty in what is now Shaanxi province.
TuChinese From Chinese 涂 (tú), the old name for the Chu River that runs through the present-day provinces of Anhui and Jiangsu.
TubbEnglish Derived from the Middle English given names Tubbe and Tubbi, themselves possibly diminutives of Old Norse Þórbjǫrn (see Thorburn)... [more]
TuellGerman nickname from Slavic (Old Slavic toliti ""to soothe or calm"")
TwainAmerican Most famously borne in the pen name of American author and one time Mississippi riverboat pilot Mark Twain (1835-1910), whose real name is Samuel Langhorne Clemens... [more]
TyskSwedish Means "German" in Swedish. It probably started out as a nickname for someone who had immigrated from Germany or for someone who had German ancestry. It could also be a 'soldier name' and refer to the military unit someone belonged to... [more]
UhlGerman Uhl begins in the German province of Bavaria. Uhl is a nickname surname, a class of German names derived from eke-names, or added names, that described people by a personal characteristic or other attribute... [more]
UsSlovene (Rare) Us is a Slovene Surname which in itself is a shortened version of the House Name Ušič,Meaning Son of Us. The surname may be linked the the slovene word Oves, which translates to "Oats", and may have been an occupational surname referring to someone who farmed Oats and or grains.
ValeEnglish Topographic name for someone who lived in a valley, Middle English vale (Old French val, from Latin vallis). The surname is now also common in Ireland, where it has been Gaelicized as de Bhál.
ValkDutch Means "falcon" in Dutch, a metonymic occupational name for a falconer, or possibly derived from the given name Falk. Compare Falco.
VanChinese (Russified) Russified form of Wang 1 used by ethnic Chinese living in parts of the former Soviet Union.
VangHmong From the clan name Vaj or Vaaj associated with the Chinese character 王 (wáng) (see Wang 1).
VeitchScottish Derived from the Latin word vacca which means "cow". This was either an occupational name for a cowherd or a nickname for a gentle person.
VerneFrench, English As a French surname refers to someone who lived where alder trees grew. While the English version can mean someone who lived where ferns grew, Verne can also mean a seller of ferns which in medieval times were used in bedding, as floor coverings and as animal feed.
ViVietnamese Vietnamese form of Wei, from Sino-Vietnamese 韋 (vi).
ViceEnglish May come from "devise", an Old French word that means "dweller at the boundary". It may also derive a number of place names in England, or be a variant of Vise.
VinkDutch Means "finch, chaffinch" in Dutch, a metonymic occupational name for someone who caught finches and other small birds. It could also be a nickname for someone cheerful, or who was known for whistling.
VisDutch Means "fish" in Dutch, a metonymic occupational name for a fisherman or fishmonger.
VongKhmer Means "family, lineage" in Khmer, ultimately from Sanskrit वंश (vansha).
VonkDutch Means "spark" in Dutch, a metonymic occupational name for a smith, or possibly a nickname for a lively or fiery person.
VoogdDutch Means "guardian" in Dutch, an occupational name for a bailiff, farm manager, or someone appointed to look after the interests of other people. Ultimately from Latin advocatus "witness, advocate; one called upon to help"... [more]
VưuVietnamese Vietnamese form of You, from Sino-Vietnamese 尤 (vưu).
WäiteLuxembourgish (Germanized, Rare) The name originates from Luxembourg and the surrounding Germanic regions most notably the Rhenish Palatinate from around the 1800s. The word wäite is Luxembourgish for wide and also broad, the word wäit which is an alternative spelling of the Surname Wäite is Luxembourgish for far or distant.... [more]
WangChinese From Chinese 汪 (wāng) referring to the ancient state of Wang Mang (汪芒) or Wang Wang (汪罔) in present-day Zhejiang province.
WangKorean From Sino-Korean 王 (wang) meaning "king; monarch", referring to the royals of the former dynasty of Goryeo.
WarnsGerman, Dutch Patronymic form of the Germanic given name Warn (see Warin). Alternatively, a habitational name from various Frisian places likely named using the same or similar elements.
WelkGerman (East Prussian) Nickname from Middle High German welc, meaning "soft and mild". The name was first recorded in South Holland, however many of the bearers of the name trace its roots back to East Germany. A famous bearer of this name was Lawrence Welk, an American musician and host of the Lawrence Welk Show.
WemyssScottish From the lands of Wemyss in Fife, which is derived from Gaelic uaimheis "cave place".
WenChinese From Chinese 温 (wēn) meaning "warm", also referring to any of several territories that were called Wen, namely an ancient state that existed during the Zhou dynasty.
WengChinese From Chinese 翁 (wēng) meaning "elderly man".
WentzGerman (Rare) Originally a pet form of the given names Werner and Wenceslaw. Meaning "guard" or "army".
WhangKorean Alternate transcription of Korean Hangul 황 (see Hwang).
WimpEnglish The surname has at least two origins. The first is occupational and describes a maker of 'wimplels', an Old English veil later much associated with nuns. Second, it may also be locational from the village of Whimple in Devonshire, or Wimpole in Cambridge.
WindSwedish (Rare) From Swedish vind "wind". It's either ornamental or a habitational name derived from a place named with this element.
WiseEnglish Nickname for a wise or learned person, or in some cases a nickname for someone suspected of being acquainted with the occult arts, from Middle English wys "wise, thoughtful, knowledgeable; alert, aware"... [more]
WorthEnglish From the Old English WORÞ, meaning "enclosure".
WrayeEnglish Variant of the habitational name Wray or Ray, from any of various minor places in northern England named Wray, Wrea, or Wreay, from Old Norse vrá ‘nook’, ‘corner’, ‘recess’.
WyndScottish, Irish Scotland or Ireland not sure of original origin. There was a childe Wynd some type of royal who slayed a dragon type thing worm or something and a Henery Wynd who was a mercenary in a battle at north inch in Scotland
XiChinese From Chinese 习 (xí) referring to an ancient territory named Xi, which existed during the Zhou dynasty in the Qin state in what is now Shangxian County, Shaanxi province. A notable berarer is Xi Jinping (1953-), the current president of China.
XiaChinese From Chinese 夏 (xià) referring to the Xia dynasty, the first dynasty in Chinese history that is believed to have existed from 2070 to 1600 BC. According to legend, this name was adopted by the descendants of Yu the Great (who was also known as Xia Yu), a legendary king who supposedly founded the Xia dynasty.
XiangChinese From Chinese 向 (xiàng) referring to the ancient state of Xiang, which existed during the Spring and Autumn period in what is now the Shandong province.
XiangChinese From Chinese 项 (xiàng) referring to the ancient state of Xiang, which existed during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Henan province.
YanChinese (Russified) Russified form of Yang used by ethnic Chinese living in parts of the former Soviet Union.
YanChinese From Chinese 严 (yán) referring to the ancient fief of Yan Jun (嚴君) that existed in what is now Sichuan province.
YanChinese From Chinese 阎 (yán) meaning "gate", also referring to a fief that existed in the ancient state of Jin in what is now Shanxi province.
YanChinese From Chinese 颜 (yán) meaning "face, countenance", also referring to the ancient fief of Yan that existed during the Western Zhou dynasty in what is now Shandong province.
YappEnglish (British) Derives from Old English ġēap meaning "crooked, bent" and could either refer to a cunning person or someone with crooked features (e.g. curved nose). Famous bearers of this name include English botanist Richard Henry Yapp and Sir Stanley Graham Yapp, Labour politician and first leader of West Midlands County Council.
YimKhmer Meaning uncertain, probably of Chinese origin.
YinChinese From Chinese 殷 (yīn) referring to the ancient city of Yin, which existed in what is now Henan province and served as the capital of the Shang dynasty (which reigned from 1600 to 1045 BC and was also called Yin).
YinChinese From Chinese 尹 (yǐn), a title for a ministerial position in ancient China. It may also refer to the ancient fief of Yin, which existed in what is now either Shanxi or Henan province.
YinChinese From Chinese 印 (yìn) meaning "stamp, seal".
YingChinese From Chinese 应 (yīng) referring to the ancient state of Ying, which existed during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Henan province.
YongKorean Korean form of Long from Sino-Korean 龍 (yong).
YongChinese From Chinese 雍 (yōng) either referring the ancient state of Yong, located in what is now Henan province, or the ancient fief of Yong, which existed during the Shang dynasty in what is now Shaanxi province.
YueChinese From Chinese 岳 (yuè) referring to the ancient title Tai Yue (太岳), which was used by officials in charge of sacrificial rituals on mountain sites.
YuehTaiwanese Alternate romanization of Yue chiefly used in Taiwan.
YukKorean From Sino-Korean 陸 (yuk/ryuk) meaning "dry land; land".
ZahmMedieval German Zahm is a nickname from Middle High German Zam meaning "tame".
ZähneGerman The German surname Zähne is derived from the Middle High German word "zan," which means "tooth." It is believed that the surname takes its origin from a nickname, most likely bestowed on the original bearer due to either a prominent tooth or a missing tooth.
ZeitzGerman From a town called Zeitz in Germany. Might be Germanized from Zajec.
ZhaChinese From Chinese 查 (zhā) referring to the ancient fief of Zha, which was part of the state of Qi during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Shandong province. Alternately it may come from the name of a fief that was part of the state of Chu during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Anhui province.
ZhaiChinese From Chinese 翟 (zhái) referring to the ancient state of Zhai, which existed during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Shanxi province. The character 翟 was originally read as Di but was later changed to Zhai due to dialectal differences.
ZhanChinese From Chinese 詹 (zhān) referring to the ancient state of Zhan, which existed during the Zhou dynasty (present-day location uncertain).
ZhanChinese From Chinese 展 (zhǎn) meaning "open, unfold, stretch, extend".
ZhangChinese From Chinese 章 (zhāng) referring to the ancient fiefdom of Zhang (spelled as 鄣), which existed in what is now Shandong province.
ZhongChinese From Chinese 钟 (zhōng) referring to the ancient fief of Zhong Li that existed in the state of Chu in what is now Anhui or Hubei province.
ZhuanChinese (Russified) Russified form of Ruan used by ethnic Chinese living in parts of the former Soviet Union.
ZhuangChinese From Chinese 莊 (zhuāng), the posthumous name of king Xiong Lü of the state of Chu (which existed during the Zhou dynasty).
ZhuoChinese From Chinese 卓 (zhuó) meaning "outstanding, lofty".
ZinnGerman From the German for word for tin "tin." The name indicated someone who worked with the metal. A famous bearer is Johann Gottfried Zinn, a German botanist. Carl Linnaeus named the flower Zinnia in his honor.
ZuoChinese From Chinese 左 (zuǒ) meaning "left, left-hand side".
ZwaanDutch Means "swan" in Dutch. Could be a nickname for a person who resembled a swan in some way, an occupational name for a swan keeper, or a patronymic derived from a given name containing the element swan... [more]
ZwackPolish Comes from the Polish name "Czwak." Possible German roots as well.
ZwartDutch Means "black, dark, swarthy" in Dutch, a nickname for someone with dark hair or skin.