Names That Mean Chief

Bon

Short form of Bonnie, Ronald, Donald, or similar

"happy, beautiful; ruler's counselor; proud chief"

A short, succinct nickname in tune with Bill and Bram, Bon is notably associated with AC/DC rock star "Bon" Scott (born Ronald and nicknamed in honor of "Bonnie Scotland").

Butler

English occupational name

"chief manservant"

An English occupational name and surname that brings to mind old, stately homes, black suits, and white gloves, Butler peaked back in 1919 when 30 boys were given the name. It hasn't appeared in the…

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…

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"

Kenver

Cornish

"great chief"

Kenver is derived from the ancient British name Cunmorus, meaning "great chief." We much prefer this newer iteration. A pronunciation note: the R in Kenver is not enunciated.

Ailani

Hawaiian

"high chief"

While Ailani (and Ailany) are far more popular for girls in the US, it is a unisex name from its Hawaiian roots, meaning "high chief". Five boys were called Ailani in the US in a recent year,…

Céadach

Irish

"hundreds; first chief"

Céadach is a name of Irish origin, that can mean "hundreds" from the Irish Céad or "first chief from Chéad . The name of a 9th century Irish king and a figure in Irish folklore, a contemporary bearer…

Jefe

Spanish

"chief"

While Jefe could be seen as a variation of Jeff or Jeffrey, it's also a Spanish word name, translating to "chief". While "title names" like Messiah, Rex, and Saint in vogue, the phrase "El Jefe" has…

Pendragon

Literary name

"head dragon, chief warrior"

The epithet of the legendary king's father Uther in Arthurian legend, later also applied to King Arthur himself. It literally means "head dragon" or "dragon's head", but the name appears in medieval…