Names That Mean Great
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About this list
The names
Maxwell
Scottish
"great stream"
A happy medium between the weighty Maximilian and the laid-back Max, Maxwell is one of the most classic and attractive Scottish names . Early influences on the name's revival include Maxwell Smart of…
Meredith
Welsh
"great ruler"
Meredith is a soft, gentle-sounding name with subtle Welsh roots. Although originally a boys’ name , Meredith is used mainly for girls now. Meredith's highest point of popularity for girls in the…
Cuba
Place name, Latin
"where fertile land is abundant; great place"
The most prominent person with this unusual geographical choice might be actor Cuba Gooding Jr., however, Cuba has a far longer history as a feminine name. Deriving from the island in the Caribbean…
Tai
Chinese
"great extreme"
Skater Tai Babilonia brought this sleek modern name to the world's attention. Pronounced "tie."
Darren
Irish
"little great one"
Darren and wife Sharon shop for fifties memorabilia on eBay. The Connecticut place-name Darien might offer an update.
Meredith
Welsh
"great ruler"
Meredith has been considered primarily a girl's name since the fifties, before which it was more commonly used for boys. Comic actor Jay Mohr recently named his son Meredith, which might help it…
Precious
Latin word name
"of great worth, expensive"
Though many might find it too syrupy, hundreds of parents each year choose this name for their daughters to make them feel special. Precious Ramotswe is the engaging African sleuth in the popular No.…
Gordon
Scottish
"great hill"
As this long-term Age of Jordans, both male and female, begins to wind down, the neglected Scottish favorite Gordon, with its more distinguished history, could come back as a distinctive alternative.…
Alisa
Variation of Alice, or Hebrew
"noble; great happiness"
Alisa is variation of Alice with a touch of international flair. Used in Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Estonia and Poland, it is also familiar in English speaking countries too. As a Hebrew name, Alisa…
Ramiro
Spanish; Portuguese
"great judge"
A charming -o name with cool nickname possibilities, Ramiro is also a historical choice: there were 2 Aragonese Spanish kings named Ramiro.
Kabir
Arabic
"the great"
Kabir is the 37th name of God in Islam. Kabir is also the name of an Indian poet and mystic saint. In the US, Kabir is on the rise as a boys' name, favored by Muslim parents.
Gedaliah
Hebrew
"made great by Jehovah"
Gedaliah is a somewhat obscure biblical figure who ruled Judea under the Babylonians. In the past it has mainly been used by Jewish parents, but now it has some potential as an unusual name with that…
Denali
Place-name and Native American
"the great one"
Alaska's Denali National Park is the home of the highest mountain in the US, officially renamed Denali in 2014, endowing the name with a lofty feel. There were 20 boys and 55 girls given the name in…
Mórag
Scottish
"the great one"
A classic Gaelic name, but too hoary to be a hit here.
Darren
Irish
"little great one"
Once-popular boys' name works better now for girls, as a kind of Dara/Karen blend.
Nirvana
Sanskrit
"place of great bliss"
Well, parents are naming their children Eden and Heaven...so why not?
Dai
Welsh; Japanese
"beloved; great"
A cross-cultural name that can be a nickname for David, as is common in Wales, pronounced "dye".
Boman
Persian
"great mind"
Unusual alternative to Roman, chosen for his son by Matthew Modine.
Typhoon
Chinese
"great wind"
Might be asking for trouble, especially when your son reaches the Terrible Twos.
Titania
Greek
"giant, great one"
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.
