Warrior Queen
- Sigrid
Origin:
NorseMeaning:
"fair victory"Description:
Sigrid is a distinctly Scandinavian name that is starting to edge out into the wider world, a la cousin Ingrid. Unfortunately, short form Siri is now off the table, but Sigrid is still a possibility.
- Sigrun
Origin:
NorseMeaning:
"victory rune"Description:
Sigrún was a valkyrie of Norse mythology. She marries Helgi and dies of sadness after he is slain by her brother, Dagr.
- Swanhild
Origin:
SaxonMeaning:
"battle swan"Description:
An ancient name belonging to "the most beautiful of all women" in Germanic mythology, whose tragic story features in many northern European legends. The daughter of Sigurd and Gudrun, her jealous husband had her murdered after she was accused of infidelity, and was then himself killed by Swanhild's brothers.
- Sekhmet
- Thea
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"goddess, godly"Description:
Thea is a diminutive of names ending in -thea, including Dorothea, Althea, and Anthea. It is also the Anglicized spelling of Theia, the Titan of sight, goddess of light, and mother of the moon. She was the consort of Hyperion, and mother of Helios, Selene, and Eos.
- Theodosia
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"giving to God"Description:
This feminine form of Theodosius has long been buried deep in the attic, but might be a good discovery for the parent who wants to move beyond Theodora. Vice President Aaron Burr named a daughter Theodosia ("Dear Theodosia" is a song in the smash musical Hamilton), and it was the birth name of silent screen vamp Theda Bara. Theodosia actually appeared on the US popularity lists in the 1880s and 90s.
- Thora
Origin:
NorseMeaning:
"thunder goddess"Description:
Thora, related to Thor, is the ancient Norse thunder goddess name that's much softer and gentler than its meaning suggests. A noted bearer is actress Thora Birch.
- Thyra
Origin:
Swedish and DanishMeaning:
"Thor's temple; Thor's strength"
- Titania
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"giant, great one"Description:
This name of the queen of the fairies in A Midsummer Night's Dream has a delicate, lacy charm similar to Tatiana's, but that first syllable could cause embarrassing problems.
- Tomyris
Origin:
PersianMeaning:
"family"Description:
This unusual choice could work for parents looking for a striking, unflowery girls name that could be shortened to Tommy. Tomyris was an Persian warrior-queen noted for defeating Persian ruler Cyrus the Great when he tried to invade her country. That's a strong namesake for the modern girl.
- Tomiris
- Ursuline
Origin:
Diminutive of UrsulaMeaning:
"little bear"Description:
Ursula, while beautiful, still carries a whiff of the Disney sea witch. Perhaps Ursuline smells a bit sweeter?
- Valda
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"battle heroine"Description:
Seventies comic-book-heroine-style name.
- Valencia
Origin:
SpanishMeaning:
"brave, strong"Description:
This lovely orange-scented Spanish place-name would make an inventive namesake for an Aunt Valerie.
- Valhalla
Origin:
English from NorseMeaning:
"the slain hall"Description:
In Norse mythology, Valhalla was the great hall that welcomes heroes who died in battle. The residents of Valhalla were hand-picked by Odin, for they were to help him during Ragnarök.
- Valkyrie
Origin:
Old NorseMeaning:
"chooser of the slain"Description:
In Norse mythology, the valkyries decide the fate of men in battle and convey the spirits of those killed in combat to Valhalla, to dwell with the god Odin.
- Valor
Origin:
Word nameMeaning:
"courage and bravery"Description:
A modern virtue name with ancient charm, Valor works well as it doesn't come up in everyday conversation all that often. Predominantly used for boys, Valor has been given to a slowly growing number of girls in the last decade, with 18 receiving the name in 2023.
- Vashti
Origin:
PersianMeaning:
"lovely"Description:
This Persian name with an Old Testament pedigree has a warm Sasha-like feel. The Biblical Vashti was a queen who refused her husband's orders to appear naked in front of his party guests and so was deposed in favor of Esther. For her independent spirit, Vashti has become something of a feminist icon.
- Vasilisa
Origin:
Feminization of Vasili, Russian from GreekMeaning:
"royal, kingly"Description:
Vasilisa is the feminine form of Vasili, the Russian translation of Basil.
- Velda
Origin:
Variation of ValdaDescription:
See VALDA.