The name of several ancient kings and princes of Ireland, Tadhg became so common at one point that it was used to represent a kind of Irish Gaelic everyman, or man in the street, as Paddy and Mick would later. Tadhg has seen a major resurgence in recent years and is also now ranked in England. 

It is sometimes used as the Irish equivalent of Timothy and is also anglicized as Teague and Thaddeus. Tadleigh and Thad are pet forms. Pronunciation is like tide ending with a g.

Tadhg

Tamsin is an offbeat name occasionally heard in Britain and just waiting to be discovered here. U.K. actress Tamsin Greig is a star of the show Episodes, Tamsin Olivier is the daughter of Joan Plowright and Sir Laurence Olivier..
 Tamsyn is the alternative medieval Cornish spelling. Other spellings are represented by actresses Tamzin Outhwaite and Tamzin Merchant, and by writer Tamasin Day-Lewis, sister of Daniel.
 Tamsin is a 1999 fantasy novel by Peter Beagle.

Tamsin

In Maori mythology Tāne (also called Tāne Mahuta) was the god of forests and birds, son of the sky god Rangi and the earth goddess Papa. Tāne was the one who pushed his powerful parents apart to create the land and sky. 

 In Tahiti, Tane is the god of peace and beauty, making this a name with multiple wonderful legendary associations.

Tane

One of the hot two-syllable T names of the nineties (along with Tyler, Trevor, and Taylor), and well represented on soap operas; Tanner is still widely used, but its popularity is declining. 

Tanner

Tansy is a flower name rarer than Rose, livelier than Lily and a lot less teasable than Pansy. 
 Tansy is a perennial herbaceous plant of the aster family that has clusters of small bright yellow blossoms. It was cultivated by the ancients for medicinal purposes, and has found a variety of other uses over the ages, associated with health and immortality.
 There have been a couple of eponymous novels titled Tansy, and it was the name of a character on Hart of Dixie,

Tansy

Despite a rich history in Irish myth preceding its plantation appearance in Gone with the Wind, widespread use in the seventies caused Tara to lose its Irish accent.
 American actress Tara Reid helped bring attention to this name, though her career dropped off in tandem with the popularity of the name. Her most recent credits include the B-movie Sharknado series.

Tara

Tasmin

Not too long ago, Temperance was found only on lists of Puritan <a href="https://nameberry.com">baby names</a>.
 
With increased increase in virtue names, and Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan on long-running television series Bones, this name has experienced a surprising revival.

Temperance

Butler name, and also that of the rat in Charlotte's Web.

Templeton

When playwright Thomas Lanier Williams adopted the pen name of Tennessee, he created a new possibility among American place-names, although it's admittedly a bit bulky in size. 

Reese Witherspoon brought it back into the spotlight when she chose it for her son. While Tennessee's two most famous bearers are male, the name can work equally well for a child of any gender.

Tennessee

Teodora is an extremely attractive and international choice, with several equally attractive, user-friendly nicknames and a little more edge than the English form, Theodora. Appealing short forms might include Tea, Dora, or Dory.

Teodora

Tesla, the surname of Serbian inventor Nikola Tesla that has more recently been used as the brand name for an electric car, is gaining some use as a first <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">name for girls</a>. Exactly 100 girls were named Tesla in the U.S. last year. You might think of the name as a Tessa/Isla hybrid, though with Tesla the s is not silent. There was also a rock band named Tesla.

Tesla

With its solid Thomas Hardy background, Tess has a lot more substance, strength, and style than most single-syllable names, with an efficient yet relaxed image. 
 The iconic literary Tess is the beautiful heroine of Thomas Hardy's Tess of the D'Urbervilles, the moral center of the novel. Other Tesses have been portrayed on screen by Katharine Hepburn, Julia Roberts, Shirley Maclaine, Melanie Griffiths, Kate Hudson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Cher, Della Reese and Malin Akerman. Novelist and fashion journalist Plum Sykes named her daughter Tess.
 Writer Tess Gerritsen was born Terry, but decided to feminize her name when she began writing romance novels.
 If you'd like to expand the name, you can consider Tessa--or even Tessie

Tess

Tessa is one of those golden names that's been popular but not TOO popular for several decades now. Tessa has ranked in the Top 500 in the US since 1981 but has risen only once above Number 200.
 
Among baby <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">girl names</a>, Tessa's much more popular than either mother name Theresa or shorter form Tess. Today, many people may not even remember that Tessa originated as a short form of Theresa as it stands quite nicely on its own. 
 
Tessa is far more popular and more durable than sister name Tess, which had a heyday in the 1990s but fell out of the Top 1000 in 2013.

Tessa

Thaddeus, a distinguished, long-neglected name, has several areas of appeal: a solid New Testament legacy, a nice antique feel, and the choice of several more modern nicknames and international variations.
 In the Bible, Thaddeus was one of the original Twelve Apostles.
 Thaddeus has made quite a few screen appearances, ranging from Spongebob Squarepants to Police Academy to Get Smart (it was the given name of the Chief) to Harry Potter. As Tadzio—the Slavic version—he played a leading role in Thomas Mann's Death in Venice.
 In real life, Thaddeus Stevens was a dominant political figure during the Civil War. Mia Farrow has a son named Thaddeus.

Thaddeus

Thatcher is an open and friendly freckle-faced surname, fresher sounding than Tyler or Taylor, that dates back to the days of thatched-roof cottages. It is catching on with modern parents—it reached the US Top 1000 for the first time in 2013.
 Britberries in particular may have strong associations to Prime Minister Margaret, but the surname has other notable bearers as well, such as Becky Thatcher, the object of Tom's affections in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Thatcher Grey is the protagonist's father on Grey's Anatomy, and a young Heath Ledger played William Thatcher in 2001's A Knight's Tale.
 TV celebrity chef Cat Cora has a son named Thatcher Julius.

Thatcher

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. 
 
Whether pronounced THEE-a or THAY-a or TAY-a, Thea presents an appealing artistic image, sensitive and serene.

Thea

See the popularity graph below for the name Theo? It's been heading straight uphill since 2010, when it hopped back onto the Top 1000 after a 60+ year absence.
 
Now in the Top 100 in this form, Theo's popularity is even wider given its common use as a nickname for Theodore, which made the Top 10 for the first time in 2022. This might be the generation of Theos.
 
Theo's newfound popularity extends far beyond the US and the rest of the English-speaking world. It's currently a Top 100 name in Germany, Brazil, Scandinavia, and beyond, as well as being a popular choice for pets.
 Theo first made an impact as the name of the only son on "The Cosby Show," earlier it was associated with Vincent van Gogh's supportive brother Theo.

Theo

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.

Theodosia

Thisbe, the name of a beautiful but tragic lover in mythology, is lively and cute -- in a slightly thistly, prickly way. Ovid retold the story of Thisbe and Pyramus, young lovers in ancient Babylon kept apart by family rivalry, which was the inspiration for Romeo and Juliet. A modern bearer of the name is writer Thisbe Nissen.
In Sarah Dessen's novel Along for the Ride, the baby daughter is named Thisby, nn Isby.

Thisbe

Thor, the powerful name of the Norse god of thunder, strength and rain, would make a bold statement. Long a comic book staple, Thor has now invaded the big screen, and could land on birth certificates as well.
 Thor Heyerdahl was a famous Norwegian anthropologist/adventurer, author of the book Kon Tiki.
In Norse mythology, Thor was the son of Odin--another crossover name possibility--who was sometimes referred to as Bjorn in Old Norse poetry. Tor is a popular variation (which is also the Hebrew name of a bird that symbolizes the arrival of spring).

Thor

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. 

Thora

A dashing French surname name most famously borne by Henry David Thoreau, an American naturalist, writer and philosopher who influenced such notable figures as Leo Tolstoy, Mahatma Gandhi, and Martin Luther King Jr. The most common modern American pronunciation is "thor-OH", with emphasis on the final syllable, although Thoreau himself pronounced it "THOR-oh".

 The origins of the surname are not entirely clear, although one possibility is that it derives from a diminutive form of the Old French tor, meaning "bull" (the root of the modern French word taureau). A fitting choice for a Taurus baby boy!

 Thoreau may also be related to the Norse name Thor "thunder", or to the Germanic name Theodoric and its French form Thierry "ruler of the people".

 With its on-trend sound and literary pedigree, Thoreau certainly makes for a rare but appealing choice. Zac and Kate Hanson used it as a middle name for their fifth child, born in 2021.

Thoreau

Rose and Briar are popular, and Hawthorn is cool – so why not the equally prickly Thorn? Add an E to give it a surnamey spin.

Thorn

Thyra

As likely to be tied to the detergent as to the rhythms of the ocean. 

Tide

This name of the bright orange flower found in Asia has been used occasionally in English-speaking countries. A notable namesake is Tiger Lily, the Native American princess from Peter Pan. Read more about Tiger Lily and other <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/disney-princess-names">Disney Princess Names</a> in our featured blog.

Tigerlily

Actress Tilda Swinton injected this dated nickname name with some modern charm. 

Tilda

Tilly and twin Tillie are hot new nickname names, either short for the newly fashionable Matilda or standing all on their own.

Tilly

Though some forward-looking parents are now choosing wood-related names like Oak, Pine, and Ash, this generic option would be even more avant garde. 

Timber

Timpani

Tindra is a new name in Sweden, used only since the 1980s, that has become enormously popular: It's in the Top 60 there.  And while unknown in the US, Tindra certainly has possibilities as a substitute for the flagging Kendra.

Tindra

This name comes from Greek mythology, where the Titans were a band of immortal, powerful giants. 

 Popular movie of 2000 Remember the Titans may be partly responsible for this name's ranking in the Top 1000.

Titan

Toby is an early unisex name with a Shakespearean pedigree; when used for a girl it retains its tomboyish quality. 

Toby

Tome

An interesting and attractive bicultural choice--the Hebrew version is used for babies born in spring, when turtledoves arrive--especially as a middle.

Torsten

Tosca is one operatic heroine that has never taken off as a baby name -- there were no babies named Tosca in the US last year -- but it's the name of entrepreneur Elon Musk's sister so may benefit from some referred publicity.

Tosca

More unusual than Tessa, this would make an interesting, meaningful and attractive choice for a third child. 

Tressa

A sassy, spunky name for the bold parent who doesn't remember Mrs. Ed Norton on The Honeymooners or who's into the nicknames-as-given-names trend sweeping the UK and returning to the US.
 Trixie is a standard nickname for Beatrix - another rising choice - and has been used by TV Presenter Emma Willis and Busted member Matt Willis for their daughter. 
Other namesakes include Trixie Mattel, the stage name of a popular drag queen and Trixie Belden, the thirteen-year-old heroine of an eponymous series in which she is a girl detective. Several children's shows have also featured Trixies, including Lazytown and My Little Pony. 
 
Trixie entered the UK Top 1000 in 2022, when 36 girls were given the name - with parents possibly drawing inspiration from Trixie Franklin, from the successful and well-loved TV drama Call the Midwife.

Trixie

Troy shot to popularity as a first name in tandem with that of 1960s heartthrob Troy (born Merle) Donahue; its image has now, thanks in part to the Brad Pitt-starring epic, Troy, receded back to conjuring up the ancient site of the Trojan wars.

Troy

Many parents seeking a return to more basic values and a simpler lifestyle are turning to such virtuous girls' names as Grace, Faith, and Hope, but there are a handful that work just as well on boys, including True. While more popular (for both sexes) in the Tru spelling, True recently entered the US Top 1000 for boys in 2023.

True

True has become an accepted first and middle name; Truth makes an even stronger statement. And with nearly 150 baby boys named Truth in the US in the most recent year counted, as many as were named Ross, the word name is edging up on the Top 1000.

Truth

Tucker has more spunk than most last-name-first-names, and also a positive, comforting ("Tuck me in, Mommy") feel. 
 Tucker got something of a preppy image via bow-tied conservative TV commentator Tucker Carlson, and quite the opposite from writer/blogger Tucker Max, author of the #1 best-seller I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell. Tucker Crowe is a character in the Nick Hornby novel Juliet, Naked.

Tucker

The unusual and intriguing Tullia has been used since Roman times as a feminine of the illustrious family name Tullius, as in philosopher Marcus Tullius Cicero. Modern parents who like Tallulah or Lillia but want something even more unusual would do well to consider the nearly-unknown Tullia, which may also be varied to Tulia, rhyming with Julia.
 Tullia may be shortened to Tully, more properly an Irish surname with a range of possible meanings.

Tullia

Tulsi is more than a simple nature name: The holy basil plant is sacred in the Hindu religion, used to honor the god Vishnu and representative of his consort, the goddess Tulsi. The Tulsi plant is often planted in Hindu houses and is used for medicinal as well as ritualistic purposes.

Tulsi Gabbard is a surfing Hindu combat veteran congresswoman from Hawaii.

Tulsi

Twain can be thought of as a modernization (and possible namesake) of the dated Wayne, seasoned with the humor of Mark Twain, who adopted it from a river term.


The Master List - T