Updated May 2023
Across 9 pages
of 9
Dutch short form of Matthijs
"gift of God"
Usually pronounced to rhyme with nice — though others may rhyme it with Jace — Thijs is a popular Dutch name short for that country's form of Matthew. Matt Lauer's half-Dutch son is called Thijs.
French from German
"courageous people"
Pronounced TEE-bow, this version, which is also a very common surname in France, has a lot more charm than the name it derives from — Theobald. A variant spelling is Thibaut. Trivia tidbit:…
German
This is one of the least known or used of the Theo names, quite possibly because of its last syllable. In Samuel Butler's 1903 novel The Way of All Flesh , there is a clergyman character named…
Vietnamese
"bright blue; brilliant"
A common Vietnamese name heard evenly for boys and girls in the U.S. Sounds like tahn or tong, depending on what part of Vietnam you come from.
Xhosa, Zulu, Ndebele
"love"
A common unisex name used frequently in South Africa.
Nature name
Actress Jaime King gave her son Leo the middle name Thames, for the famous London river where she and her husband Kyle Newman were married. Thames is pronounced tehms, not necessarily common…
English
"place with thatching"
The name of the famous British man of letters might just appeal to some English majors as a more interesting alternative to Zachary. An appropriate playmate for Russell Crowe's boy Tennyson.
Tswana
"joy"
Japanese
"shine"
Sparkling unisex name that skews masculine in its native Japan.
French word name
"earth"
An intriguing but challenging choice, because of possible confusion with all the Terry-type names.
"sky and heavens"
Class representative in the popular anime series My Hero Academia .
Italian
"time"
An offbeat word name referring to the speed of a piece of music.
Medieval English variation of Tristan, “noise or sorrowful"
This version of Tristan, known to English Lit students from the novel Tristram Shandy , is rarely used in this country, but, though its similarity to the popular Tristan could prove confusing, still…
"dweller near the temple"
Rather formal word name that has been used occasionally over the years, most notably for the autism activist and animal expert Temple Grandin.
Surname
"trinity"
This unusual surname name has been made famous by Pretty Little Liars actress Troian Bellisario, and probably derives from a Slavic name meaning "triad; trinity". A notable male bearer is American…
Word name
Yes, nature lovers are starting to name their children after all forms of life, including fish, but consider carefully before you cast your line into these tease-infested waters.
English word name
"storm"
Tempest is one of those names that could go either way. Cool, evocative modern word name? Or asking for trouble? Your call, but if you decide the former image is dominant, be warned that some people…
Variation of Elmo
The names Telmo and Elmo were historically interchangeable. San Temlo is the name of both a Mexican city and an island in Panama. Telmo was chosen by Spanish writer Borja Sémper and actress Barbara…
Short form of Gustavo, Spanish variation of Gustav
"staff of the Goths"
Tavo is a stylish-sounding short form of an antique name.
Word Name
An romantic Puritan virtue name that elaborates on the already-amorous Love.