Names That Mean Chief

Quinn is an engaging Celtic surname that is still on the rise for girls but beginning to flag for boys. As a female name, Quinn is in the Top 100, used for over 3000 baby girls last year, but toward the bottom of the Top 500 for boys, given to 700 baby boys.

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 nature, power, and astrology, it is a distinctive yet trendy sounding choice.

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 throughout most of the early twentieth century.

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 pronunciation is almost like the English word mile, with two distinctive syllables.

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 swing back into the blue column. The traditional Welsh pronunciation puts the stress on the middle syllable, making Red a cool nickname possibility.

Another feminine form of the old saint's name Mael. Spelled Maëlys, it is a very popular name in France today.

This feminine form of Mael has the distinctive "aelle" ending found in Brittany. In the French spelling Maëlle, it is a Top 100 girls' name in France.

Short form of Donald -- or more stylishly, Donahue or Donovan -- that's acquired a new sixties-era suaveness thanks to Mad Man Don Draper. The name also carries a Sopranos or Godfather-style double entendre.

An ariki is a member of a hereditary noble rank in Māori culture, the highest in status and seniority. Te Ariki, and its variant Ariki, were the most popular Māori names for baby boys in Aotearoa (New Zealand) in 2023-24.

Now that Kimberly is no longer one of the top girl names, Kim or long form Kimball feel more gender neutral.

The original Torin is overwhelmingly male, but this variation is almost equally split between the sexes.

Another female relative of Saint Mael.

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.

Lilting and lovely. Entered the US Top 1000 for the first time in 2016.

Kenver is derived from the ancient British name Cunmorus, meaning "great chief." We much prefer this newer iteration.

This old-school Nordic name derives from the Old Norse word jarl, meaning "leader, chief".

The a ending gives it a feminine feel.

Less common spelling variation of the up-and-coming Irish name Torin.

Ailany is a fun variation of the Hawaiian name Ailani that is riding the wave of similar sounding Kailani, Alani, Leilani, et al.