Names That Mean Village
Across 2 pages
of 2
The names
Trevor
Welsh
"from the large village"
Trevor, a British standard, took a long time to cross the Atlantic, but finally began its rise here in the 1980s. It is now a thoroughly naturalized citizen, though it still retains a touch of Anglo…
Kiriah
Hebrew
"village"
Unusual name that's close -- possibly too close -- to several more familiar choices.
Selby
English
"from the willow farm"
Selby, a rarely heard British surname, feels sleeker and more distinctive than Shelby. Todd Selby, known primarily by his last name, is a hip photographer of interiors.
Tira
Hebrew
"small village"
Tyra would be a more modern pick.
Vicus
Latin
"village or street"
Vicus, an unusual ancient Roman place-name, is used for modern-day boys in Africa.
Acton
English
"village with oak trees"
This name's buttoned-up British vibe is what makes it cool - that, and the fact that it was chosen by Anne Bronte as her pseudonym - Acton Bell. That's quite the literary - and may we add feminist -…
Balfour
Scottish
"the village by the pasture"
Historically interesting via the 1917 Balfour Declaration, which supported the creation of a Jewish state in Palestine.
Brigham
English
"little village near the bridge"
A distinguished sounding place and surname borne by religious leader Brigham Young, second president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Crosby
Irish
"village with crosses"
Crosby is an attractively laid-back Irish surname with retro musical associations to Bing and Crosby, Stills, and Nash, and with a jaunty air. Crosby Braverman was the name of a character on the TV…
Denham
English
"village in a valley"
Legitimizes the newly coined Denim, as does the Scottish place-name Denholm (both pronounced DEN-um).
Fulton
English
"fields of the village"
One of the surname names used more in the last century, à la Milton and Morton.
Halston
English
"hallowed stone"
This choice feels more familiar than other hall-related English surnames, thanks to designer Halston, the single-named disco-era society playmate of Liza and Elton.
Nickleby
English
"Nicholas's village"
Charming Dickensian route to Nick.
Thorpe
English
"farm, village"
Brusque and charmless, two things you don't want your son to be.
Winthrop
English
"friend's village"
Proper Bostonian.
Wyndham
English
"from the windy village"
This artistic and aristocratic surname is a bold and daring choice, but with nature inspired names like Wren on the rise, and surnames-as-first-names being in vogue, Wyndham was a fast riser in 2023.…
Trevena
Cornish
"village on a mountain"
The original Cornish name for the town better known today as Tintagel. With its Arthurian heritage, this makes a good choice for those fond of the legends of Lancelot, Guinevere and King Arthur.
Shuri
Japanese
"village"
Though Shuri is a well-established unisex name in Japan, most parents considering it now will be thinking instead of the iconic Princess Shuri from Marvel's Black Panther , memorably played in the…
Nomura
Japanese
"field village"
Japanese surname occasionally heard as a first.
Edgecombe
English surname
"a village on the edge of a valley"
There were various villages called Edgecombe (and Edgcumbe and Eggcumbe) in Old England, particularly in present-day Cornwall and Devon. Local families adopted it as a surname — habitational surnames…