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ATLA Name Meanings: Past Avatars

Wan | 萬 It is widely speculated that the first Avatar, Wan, is named in reference to the ten thousand years that seperate him and Avatar Korra. Thus, Wan can be written as 萬, meaning myriad or ten thousand.

Szeto | 司徒  Szeto is a transliteration of the Cantonese Situ 司徒 a Chinese surname that is thought to refer to a high ranking official role during the Han dynasty. A modern day equivalent would be ‘prime minister’.

Yangchen | དབྱངས་ཅན། Yangchen is a Tibetan name that refers to Saraswati. An important goddess in both Tibetan Buddhism and Hinduism, she represents wisdom, music and virtue. The reverential title translates as ‘the Sacred One’.

Kuruk The name Kuruk has it’s origins in Pawnee, part of the Caddoan language family and an indigenous language of North America. It is thought to mean bear.

Kyoshi | 虛子 Although the name 京士, meaning capital samurai, appears on the statue of Kyoshi, it is later see in the show as 虛子. This can be read as ‘empty child’ and was the pseudonym of a famous poet.