Good Names for Anarchists

Alexander

Greek

"defending men"

Alexander has been in a Top 25 boys' name in the US for 30 years now. But namers are still attracted to its imposing historic pedigree. Alexander is derived from the Greek name Aléxandros, composed…

Emiliano

Italian and Spanish variation of Emil

"rival"

Emiliano is an appealing Latinate version of Emil, with the same gentle sounds but additional flair. Popular in Chile and Mexico, where it ranks in the Top 20, Emiliano is also a rising name in the…

Alex

Diminutive of Alexander, Alexis

"defending men"

The independent Alex has become a classic in its own right. One of the truest unisex names , Alex is used almost equally for both sexes. Alex is used both on its own and as a short form of formal…

Derrick

Spelling variation of Derek, English from German form of Theodoric,"the people's ruler"

"the people's ruler"

Derek is one of those names that, in its heyday, spawned lots of variations, all trendy. Last year, about 300 baby boys were named Derrick and about 1350 were named Derek.

Justice

English word name

"the quality of being just, impartial, or fair"

Justice, one of the rare virtue names for boys, entered the popularity ranks in 1992, and remained in the charts until the 2020s. While it has fallen out of favor in more recent years, it remains a…

Viktor

Scandinavian, Russian, and Eastern European variation of Victor

The Viktor form of this classic name is widely used throughout Europe and is rising in the US as well.

Noam

Hebrew

"pleasantness, charm, tenderness"

Noam is an underused modern Hebrew name with any number of attractive attributes attached to its meaning; it doesn't have the biblical weight of Noah, but could make a more distinctive alternative to…

Karl

German and Scandinavian variation of Charles

Manly almost to the point of macho.

Mikhail

Russian variation of Michael

"who is like God"

One of the most familiar Russian names in the West, thanks to ballet great Mikhail Baryshnikov and state head Mikhail Gorbachev.

Ike

Diminutive of Isaac, Hebrew

"laughter"

Ike, once the quirky one-person nickname of President Dwight Eisenhower, has morphed into a cool kid nickname of the early 21st century. The rise of Isaac and the stylishness of short down-to-earth…

Zeno

Anglicized form of Greek Zenon, related to Zeus, king of the gods

Zeno, the name of two ancient philosophers, has a muscular dynamism that's lightened by its cheerful final vowel, resulting in a kind of offbeat sci-fi feel. Zeno of Citium was the founder of the…

Murray

Scottish

"settlement by the sea"

Murray, you may be surprised to discover, is a Scottish surname name --that of an ancient noble clan--with a sea-swept meaning, and just could be in the next wave of reevaluated grandpa names.…

Ron

Short form of Ronald, Norse

"ruler's counselor"

Ron is a masculine name that functions both as a standalone name and as a shortened form of longer names like Ronald, Aaron, or Byron. Ronald, its most common source, derives from the Old Norse…