Names That Mean Chief
Across 2 pages
of 2
The names
Ailany
Variation of Ailani, Ailyn, Aileen, or Aylin, Hispanic, Hawaiian, Irish, Turkish
"high chief; shining light; of the moon"
Fun, bright, and melodic, Ailany is a modern Hispanic name with multicultural influences. It broke into the US top 1000 for the first time in 2023 and by 2024, it had risen over 750 places to sit…
Ailani
Hawaiian, Hispanic variation of Aileen or Aylin, "high chief; shining light; of the moon"
"high chief; shining light; of the moon"
Lilting and lovely, Ailani entered the US Top 1000 for the first time in 2016 and was a fast climbing choice in 2024 and 2025 when it climbed more than 400 places up the charts to rank in the Top 200…
Quinn
Irish
"descendant of Conn, chief leader, intelligence"
Quinn is an engaging Celtic surname, zippy, concise and strong. While it may now lean feminine in the US, given to girls about 80% of the time, it is still given to a substantial number of boys: 615…
Donald
Scottish
"proud chief"
Donald has been used for centuries in Scotland, where the Macdonald clan is one of the most ancient and where there have been six early Scottish kings by that name. Donald was a Top 20 name…
Keilani
Hawaiian
"heaven, sky, glorious chief"
Keilani is among the fastest rising girls' names in some US states, a once- unusual name perhaps popularized by its similarity to both Leilani and Kayla. Its rhythmic appeal cannot be denied.
Kimball
Welsh
"warrior chief"
Now that Kimberly is no longer one of the top girl names, Kim or long form Kimball feel more gender neutral.
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…
Rajah
Arabic and Sanskrit
"hope; ruler"
Indian princely title, more exciting than Prince or Duke, that is also a widely-used name for both genders. In the US, the names Rajah and Raja are uncommon: Ten baby boys were named Rajah last year…
Torin
Irish, Spanish, French
"little chief, little hill, mound; holding fast; bull"
Though it has a Scandinavian ring (a la Thorfinn), Torin is in fact a multicultural choice, an occasional feature in the UK Top 1000, and given to around 150 boys in the US each year. Connected to…
Toran
Irish
"chief"
Less common spelling variation of the up-and-coming Irish name Torin.
Yuma
North American Indian
"son of a chief"
The a ending gives it a feminine feel.
Maelys
French or Breton
"chief or prince"
Another feminine form of the old saint's name Mael. Spelled Maëlys, it is a very popular name in France today.
Mailys
French or Breton
"chief or prince"
Another female relative of Saint Mael.
Mael
French or Breton
"chief or prince"
The name of a fifth century Breton saint, Mael is a popular boys' name in contemporary France, though it is usually spelled with a diaeresis or umlaut - Maël. Mael is the Breton spelling, and the…
Umbria
Italian place name, from the Umbri, one of the chief tribes settling the Italian nation
Umbria is a lovely, virtually unused Italian name for girls , reflecting the beautiful rolling hills of the area's countryside. And since it's right next door to Tuscany, in which Siena resides,…
Coll
Gaelic
"chief"
Also a medieval short form of Nicholas, it is still heard in Ireland and Scotland, where it has mythological resonance – Colla Uais was an ancient Irish prince who ruled over northern Britain before…
Rosh
Hebrew
"chief"
Rosh is not Ross, not Rush, but an improvement on both of those more familiar names. The Biblical Rosh was a son of Benjamin, so you might consider it to honor a father or otherwise ancestral…
Keliʻi
Hawaiian
"the chief"
This lovely Hawaiian name can also be spelled Keali'i.
Ariki
Maori
"chief"
An ariki is a member of a hereditary noble rank in Māori culture, the highest in status and seniority. Ariki, and its variant Te Ariki, were the most popular Māori names for baby boys in Aotearoa…
Minco
Choctaw, Native American
"chief"